Roomies

Buffy pouted. She knew he liked it when she pouted, he had whispered it to her last night. He also liked it when she-

“Pet?”

“Uh-huh?” She responded, her thoughts teasing her from the edges of her subconscious.

“Gonna move over?” He indicated the bed with a sweep of his hand, letting it rest on top of hers he widened his eyes innocently.

She scowled but rolled over allowing him some room on the spacious double.

“What’s got your knickers in a twist?” He asked moodily. She’d been a royal bitch all night. “Not get enough sleep last night?”

“Fuck you.” She announced haughtily, her back to him as she curled into her stuffed pink pig. Spike saw through the façade, she knew but she just seem to bring herself to care.

“I did that last night.” He shot back. “How about tonight you get that stick up up your arse and tell me what the hell I’ve done wrong?”

The stony silence he received told him exactly what she thought of that suggestion. He knew he shouldn’t goad her like this but he couldn’t help himself. She just irritated him and he had to let it out. It wasn’t likely to get him anywhere, especially not into her bed.

Spike reclined himself, his arms folded behind his head as he examined her room. It was totally different to what her room had been like in L.A. He remembered the stuffed animals that had lined her room, the trophies from dance, gymnastics, horse riding, ice skating and violin classes, the New Kids on the Block posters, the pink frills. He smiled. Those were the days.

He leant up on his elbows, peering over her shoulder wanting her to talk to him when he saw she was fast asleep. Wiping the tender smile off his face he made sure he looked pissed off when he tucked the comforter over her and went back downstairs.

Seeing William descend the staircase, Joyce smiled. Maybe he’d been able to get through to Buffy. Judging by the thunderous look on his face though, he hadn’t. He settled himself into the armchair, staring resolutely at the TV screen.

Dawn skipping down the stairs to wish her mom goodnight distracted Joyce enough to forget what she was going to say to him.
She froze in the doorway, her Snoopy jammies suddenly not as cool as they used to be. There was no way William was going to think she was hot now. He smiled in her direction and she wanted the carpet to swallow her whole. Squeaking out a ‘goodnight’ she escaped back up the stairs to the safety of her room, slamming the door just in case he decided to come back upstairs and should see her with her teddy bear.

Spike sat in the chair long after his mother and Joyce had retired for the night simply staring at the muted screen trying to figure out what in the hell had happened that day.
First they had woken up, sweaty from all night sexcapades and she had been fine. She’d chatted to her mum on the phone, and been fine. She’d run out on him, and come back hours later, still fine. She’d turned up at home for Thanksgiving, taken one look at him and been in a bloody snit all night. Hadn’t even opened his mouth before that look of contempt had graced her usually pleasant face.

Drumming his fingers on the arm of the chair he began to fantasise about all the thingey dey did last night his pleasant thoughts leading him to slumber.

Buffy awoke to find the bed empty. Sounds from below indicated that she was the last to rise. Grimacing at the thought of facing everyone again she stumbled to the bathroom, making sure the water was almost scalding before stepping under the relaxing shower. She stood under the powerful jets for what seemed like an eternity, just mulling over in her mind exactly what had gone wrong and why she was pissed off at William. Just the thought of his name sent shivers to her core, the temperature of the water keeping her focused as it drummed down on her shoulders.

Dawn had appeared in the kitchen mere seconds after William and he had noted with some amusement that the clothes barely covering her in such a cool November were probably for his benefit. He frowned, she was only thirteen. Way too young to be dressing for the boys, now if it were her sister who was dressing for him…

“William?” Dawn called coyly,

“Huh?” Was his distracted response.

“Can you pass me the peanut butter?” He looked up to locate he jar and was shocked to see her leaning over the sandwich she was making, her chest thrust out from her square cut top as she attempted to what? Give him a heart attack!? He slid his gaze to the countertop pretending not to have seen her little display and rolled the jar in her direction, thankful when his mother entered to help them and Dawn made her hurried escape.

Coming out of the bathroom, Buffy was met by her little sister who was standing with one hand on her hip and the other nervously playing in the pocket on the seat of her jeans. She smiled at the peanut butter that was stained in the corners of her mouth and the wiped stain on her, wait a sec! That was her blouse!

“Come to apologise for getting peanut butter on my blouse?” Buffy asked snidely. Dawn wrapped her arms over the mark defensively.

“No.” She sniffed, “I need to talk to you.” She turned and scanned the hallway for extra ears that may be eavesdropping; she lowered her voice as she directed her big sister to her room. “In private.”

Shutting the door behind them she watched as Buffy adjusted her wrap around towel and perched on the edge of her bed.

“See,” She started uneasy to be discussing this with her big sister. “There’s this guy right? And I kinike ike him?”

Buffy smiled at the questions Dawn was throwing out there, she had seen the evidence of her sister’s crush in the last 12 hours and needed no prompt to figure out who she was talking about.

“What do I do?” Dawn asked plainly. There was no use telling her who it was, she would only get bitched at because he was too old for her. Buffy seemed to be thinking it over, chewing her lower lip and watching Dawn for any clues as to what she was supposed to say.

“Well, if I were you I’d find…” She trailed off, her eyes glued to the window as she watched Riley park his cherry red crtibrtible across the bottom of the drive, get out and walk up her drive.