Subversive

Disclaimer: I own none of the great characters. The shabby ones are mine.





The morning was fading fast as I scrambled to get my pad and paper as I headed into Angel’s office. I had been at work for a little over a week, and I was still getting used to the place. It was beyond what I had imagined. I had been helping schedule appointments for a variety of demons and humans, scheduling sacrifice conflicts and attempting to help in a catering for a blood bath. It wasn’t exactly what I had thought, although I had been assured that the incidents were much less frequent than what they had been before Angel had been given CEO.



Taking a quick drink of water, I checked my reflection in my small mirror. Still looking all right, if not a bit harried. I was trying to keep my attire somewhat office oriented, although I had been assured I could wear nearly whatever I wanted. I had compromised with a knee-length black ruffled skirt, a blue silk button-up shirt and a black fitted jacket over it. I headed into Angel’s office and shut the door. The sounds of the lobby outside faded into near nothingness so all I could hear was the whirring of the air conditioner. Angel was sitting at his desk, sorting through papers. He glanced up as I entered.



“Eva, good. Sit down. We’ve got a lot to go over, and that’s going to mean more work for you today,” he said, looking at me directly. “There’s tomes I’m going to need you to collect for me, and I’ll be sending you out to pick up some items for me. You’ll be able to use one of the company cars.”



My ears perked up. “Oh. All right. What will I be picking up?” I asked, smoothing out my skirt as I took a seat.



Angel handed me a list. “This is all the items we’ll be needing for the dispute settlement on Thursday. Apparently each side has a list of requirements before they’ll actually agree to it. I had to get them to promise in advance under the strictest word that we would have what they need.”



I frowned as I looked over the list. There were things on there I had never even heard of, much less had any idea where to find them. “This is some… interesting stuff.”



“Don’t worry, I planned on sending someone with you. Unless you think you can handle it?”



I met his eyes. He was looking at me with a question, and I knew that this would be a test of my worthiness to the team. Taking a deep breath, I nodded once. “I may have to ask around on where to find this stuff, but I’m sure I’ll be fine, sir. I’ll make sure you have what you need.”



“Angel, Eva. Just Angel.”



I bit my lip. “Right. Sorry. I just can’t break the habit. Sorry… Angel.”



“Now, later this afternoon Wesley had asked that you be available to help him organize some of the latest artifacts that came in,” Angel continued, looking at his notes for a moment before running a hand over his face. “You’re going to have a full day, Eva. Sorry.”



“That’s all right. It’s what I signed up for, isn’t it?”



He smiled slightly, then sighed and leaned back in his chair, looking up at the ceiling.



I frowned. “Are you all right, sir? Can I get you something? Coffee, snack, cup of blood?”



Shaking his head, Angel answered, “No, I’m fine. I’ve just got a bit of a headache.”



“Can I get you an aspirin?”



“No, no, it’s fine. Let’s just continue.”



As he turned back to his papers, the door opened abruptly. “Angel,” a male British voice announced. “Would you mind telling those prats down in the lab that I do have a reason to go in there to look at the bloody samples that came in? I’m not going to be able to do much until I see them. All they do is run me round the bend and tell me I’ve got to talk to you. Well, here I am. Oh, I‘m also going to need another car. I‘ve got some errands to run for your little meeting.”



I blinked, not moving in my chair. Angel looked up with a look of supreme irritation on his face. “Spike,” he said, voice tight. “Can’t you see I’m in the middle of something at the moment?”



The man stepped closer, and I ventured to look up. I found myself staring back at a man with platinum blonde hair, piercing dark eyes, and a look of general arrogance riding his face. He was dressed all in black: black jeans, black t-shirt, long black trenchcoat, and Doc Martens. He glanced at me with a raised eyebrow, studying me curiously.



“Oh. Busy, are we?” He grinned with a knowing look. “So sorry to interrupt. Would you two like to be left alone?”



Angel visibly had to bite back a reply as he stood up. “This is my new secretary, Eva Harrison. Eva, this is Spike. Just ignore him.”



I stood up and extended a hand. It didn’t pay to not be polite, even if he was a bit rude. For a moment our eyes met and I felt as if I were drowning in his eyes. There was a darkness there, something infinite and all-encompassing. He seemed to be boring through to my very soul and it almost made me take a step backwards. He took my hand and shook it, a firm grip that sent shocks of electricity through my skin and made me jump. There was something mischievous, something strange in the way he was looking at me that made me feel extremely vulnerable. I could feel it. He was a vampire. But that wasn’t really it, either. I just felt unbelievably naked standing before him.



“Nice to meet you,” I said at last, offering a friendly nod and detaching my hand from his.



Spike the vampire nodded in return, eyeing me with a certain appraising stare from head to foot. It was as if I were a product of some kind and he was trying to get a feel as to how I‘d run. “So you’re the Big Man’s new girl Friday, eh? Well, maybe you’ll be able to help him after all. He’s a bit of a softy for the wet eyes and deeply troubled look, so be a little careful.” He looked me over carefully, as if ready to laugh out loud and then thought better of it.



Without a second word, he turned back to Angel and said, “So are you going to give me another car or not?”



Angel shook his head. “Spike, don’t you ever get tired of being rude?”



Spike looked at him in surprise. “Don’t know what you’re talking about. Do I get another car or not?”



With a low growl, Angel conceded. “Fine. But if you take this car off the lot, it better come back in one piece this time.”



Offering a cheeky smile, Spike retorted, “Yeah, yeah, bloody Boss Man, thinks he’s so special.” He looked back at me then, a strange look crossing his face as if he were trying to decide what to do with me. There was something there as if he were laughing at me, or maybe trying to decide how good I might taste. “And I suppose he’s told you all about me, has he, then? About what a real case Spike is, and how we’re barely keeping him around?”



I shook my head slowly, looking at him curiously and wondering why he would say such a thing. “No, he hasn’t,” I said curiously. “As a matter of fact, I don’t know anything about you.”



“And it really should stay that way,” Angel interjected. “Spike, if you don’t mind, we have work to do.”



“Oh, right. Sorry. Guess I’ll go on with my non-work people-saving, then, eh? Don‘t want to interrupt your busy day.” He cast another glance over me, looking me over head to foot once more and allowing a trace glimmer in his eyes, then turned and began to walk away.



I frowned, staring after him and unable to fend off a shiver that made its way down my spine. There was definitely something strange about him, but he was also intriguing. He was obviously rude and self-centered, but I couldn’t shake the notion that there was something really interesting about him.



“Sorry about that, Eva. He tends to come and go as he pleases,” Angel said, sitting back down at his desk.



Smoothing back my hair and skirt as I sat back down, I tried to shake the memory of the way his eyes had bored into me when we had shook hands. I didn’t know what the feeling was, what the sense was, but it was new, and it made me curious.



“Oh… That’s all right. Does he work here?”



Angel raised an eyebrow, sorting through his papers again. He did that quite a bit. “I’d say ‘work’ was a very loose term for what he does. Mostly he annoys everyone. I really don’t know why I let him stay here. Let’s get back to work, shall we?”



I nodded briskly, shifting around to sit comfortably as I resumed taking notes. Still, in the back of my head, I couldn’t push away the nagging intrigue I had over the guy who had left. Maybe it was just the obvious irritation that Angel had for him. Who knew?











Sighing heavily as I shut the file cabinet, I glanced at the clock. Nearly eight. It had been an exceptionally long day, and I was more than ready to grab food and go lie on my couch for a couple of hours before heading to bed to do it all over again. No, wait. I glanced at the calendar. Tomorrow would be Saturday. I got to sleep in. Yay!



I looked up to see Wesley and Fred heading towards the elevators, talking very hush-hush about something. They were very comfortable with each other. I was still unclear as to what exactly their relationship was, but from the looks I sometimes saw it was far more than work colleague, more than mere friendship. But what do I know?



Slinging my purse over my shoulder, I dropped my keys. Sighing in aggravation, I stooped down and grabbed them, then moved to stand back up.



Spike was standing against my desk.



I made a soft yelp and jumped about a foot. “Jesus!”



He regarded me without expression save a single raise of his eyebrow. “Didn’t mean to startle you, pet,” he said, still standing very still, arm leaning on my desk. “No need to be all bothered about it.”



Shaking my head as I tried to calm my racing heart, I pursed my lips and nodded curtly. “You just startled me. That’s all. Vampires and their little sneaking, I’ve come to expect that.” Readjusting my purse, I met his eyes without being startled. “Have a good night, Spike.”



As I began to make my way around him, he said, “Leaving awful late, aren’t you?”



Raising an eyebrow of my own, I replied without stopping, “That’s the name of the game. I don’t leave till the work’s done.”



“Oh, but the work’s never done, is it, pet?” he said, footsteps falling into stride behind me. “Dear Angel’s always got some other dirty job for you to do while he’s off doing God knows what. I’m doing his job now, and he gets to sit behind a cushy desk.”



I rolled my eyes as I approached the elevator and pushed the button.



Spike shrugged; I could hear the way his duster creaked with the movement. “Just a fact, that’s all I’m sayin’,” he said. “You seem like such a young little bird to be wasting your strength here. There’s just other things you might be better off doing.”



“Oh, really,” I said dryly. “Such as?” I turned to meet his eyes and found him looking at the elevator expectantly.



“Well,” he said, voice belying some great boredom that he needed to take out on me. “Don’t you have some nice little guy waiting at home for you to come back and take care of everything, play house and all that?”



He was becoming more and more irritating with each moment we remained in company. I didn’t want to answer his question, and I practically jumped with joy when the elevator dinged and the doors slid open. I slid inside quickly and pushed my button, but not before he sauntered in beside me, leaning against the wall and idly glancing down at me.



Pursing my lips tighter, I exhaled heavily. “No,” I said thinly, staring at the doors. “I don’t. Thanks for reminding me.”



“Oh.” There seemed to be a slight note of surprise in his voice, but nothing else.



I watched the numbers change, well aware of Spike’s presence but trying to ignore him. Of course, I got the feeling that he was doing his best to ignore me as well now, strangely enough. Then again, I could never tell with him. He made me uncomfortable for some reason. It was more than physical presence, although he was several inches taller than me. The fact that he was a vampire? Perhaps. I still felt intimidated around Angel for that reason. We never really talked, me and Spike; all we ever seemed to do was hold abbreviated conversations on nothing vital. Nothing personal, anyway.



Shifting from foot to foot to alleviate the growing soreness in my heels, I held my breath as the numbers reached the main lobby. As the doors opened, I moved forward. My shoe caught in that space between the doors and I fell forward with a yelp. I hit the marble floor hard on my hip and elbow. Immediate pain shot through me and I groaned.



“Ow.”



Spike was suddenly crouched beside me. “You all right, there? That was a nasty spill.” He touched my arm to help pull me up into a sitting position.



I utilized his help and winced. Once I was sitting I said, “Ow. Yeah, I think so.” My whole body felt jarred as if I’d run into a wall. Floor, but same diff. I examined my elbow, pushing up the sleeve of my shirt. Even in the semi-dim brightness of the lobby lights I could see the bruise swelling up quite nicely. “Oh, great.”



Spike gingerly took hold of my arm and began examining it. “That’s not so bad,” he said. “Just a bit of swelling. Put some ice on it, it’ll be fine. Anything else hurt?”



Still wincing from the throbbing in my elbow, I noticed my skirt was practically up to my thighs. Embarrassment brought a sharp flush to my face. As I began to move to adjust myself, sharp pain went through my hip. I scrunched up my face and hissed, stopping my movements.



“Looks like I bumped my hip pretty good, too,” I said reluctantly with a sigh.



“Do you want me to have a look?”



I met his eyes. He was all serious, no further tones in his voice. Still, I couldn’t help feeling like there was something else lurking behind his eyes, watching me and waiting. It wasn’t really concern that even registered on his face, more like… I wasn’t sure. I just didn’t know what to read in his face.



Smiling wryly, I replied, “I don’t think that’s necessary. It’s probably just bruised up a little, too.”



As I shifted again the pain spiked hard and I gasped in annoyance. “Damn it.”



“Come on. Let’s have a look,” Spike said, reaching his large hands towards my waist.



I jerked away from him, all too aware of how high my skirt was. “Really, I’ll be fine.”



He looked at me hard, studying me for several moments before he spoke. “Look, I’m just going to see if there’s any real damage. Nothing else, I promise. Trust me, I know better than to try anything else with girls like you. You can barely move right now, so we may as well see what’s going on. Unless you’d rather I just leave you here to fend for yourself. It’s all by the by to me.”



Pursing my lips in a pouty yet annoyed way, I glared at him for a moment before staring at my hip. It was throbbing pretty bad, and it could possibly be worse than what it felt. I was horribly uncomfortable with him touching me in any way, especially in a way that involved lifting up my skirt. Just being this close to him was unnerving me in ways I couldn’t describe.



“Fine,” I tried to turn myself without jarring my hip. This was the last thing I wanted. “And what the hell do you mean, a girl like me? What sort of girl do you think I am?”



Spike looked at me, an appraising and knowing look on his face. “You really want to know?” he asked, hands moving towards my skirt.



I squirmed as he moved closer, wholly uncomfortable with everything that was going on. “Hey, you’re the one said it to begin with. So do tell. What sort of girl am I?”



He raised an eyebrow and shrugged. “You, little pet, are the sort of girl who keeps a bloke on the line and won’t make a move. You are all about torment and not taking the next bloody step. I can see it in the way you move, like you have no idea that anyone might watch you but just in case you’ll throw in that extra sway, that extra little step. You act like you’re good, like you’re hard to get and you don’t need anything or anyone else, but you don’t bother to reach out for what you really want. And more than likely you’d just as soon take a blow to the head than admit to anything.”



I opened my mouth to say something, but all the words were floundering. I stared at him in disbelief, half-frowning and half wanting to hit him. “What?” I said at last, trying to keep my voice from becoming shrill. “What the hell makes you think I’m anything like that? You make it sound as if I like to torment men.”



“Don’t you?” he asked, eyebrows raised with a knowing look in his eyes.



Sputtering as I tried to move, I felt my temper flare. But what was I really angry about? The fact that he was trying to analyze and generalize me, or the fact that my dating situation had been declared dead a long time ago?



Shaking my head a little, I straightened my back and said icily, “I’m not one of those women who tosses men around like they’re toys. For your information, I barely ever speak to men, so the possibility of that even happening is infinitely remote.”



“You’re talking to me, aren’t you?”



“And am I tormenting you?” I demanded, staring directly into his face.



His lips turned up in a small smile that he quickly ceased from growing wider. “Well, that all depends on how you look at it,” he said.



Frowning harder I sighed irritably. “As much as I’m enjoying psychoanalyzing myself, can we please just move and get this over with?”



The smile disappeared, replaced with that normal boredom I had come to expect from him. “Fine. Seeing as how you obviously don’t want me to touch you. Nothing new there, you’re just like everyone else. Just hold still, all right? I don’t need you kicking me or hitting anything vital just because I’m doing you a favor.”



I tensed as I felt his fingers brushing my thigh like cool whispers, his body suddenly very close to mine and I could smell the faint aroma of cigarette smoke still clinging to him. “A favor. Right. ‘Cause I planned on tripping and knocking the shit out of myself, just so I could sit here and have you tell me that I like to torment men.” I tried very hard to fight the ever-increasing blush that was making my face turn very hot, but it was too late, although I couldn’t tell if it was embarrassment or anger.



“Hey, remember I didn’t ask for this honor,” Spike said. “You’re just lucky I was here to help you out.”



“Well, I doubt I would have tripped if you hadn’t been here.”



He looked at me with an irritated sigh. “Well, we won’t ever know now, will we?”



As he pushed my skirt up over my hip, I inhaled sharply, wishing to God that I hadn’t worn the thong today. His fingers probed the wide bruise and sent little jolts of pain shooting through me, making me squirm.



“Hold still.”



I felt my heart hammering in my ears like drums. Worse than that, I felt something low in my body flex and twinge as a warmth began to grow. It startled me on many levels and I froze in a panic, desperately hoping that Spike was unaware of what I was feeling. Strange warm tendrils were branching out from where his fingers touched me and I felt my heart begin to beat a little stronger.



Oh, what the hell is this? Why am I--dear God, am I actually enjoying this? WHY? Oh, Christ… You know, he’s got a really nice build, and that hair is just… STOP IT!



Daring a glance at Spike I found he was still examining me. Suddenly his face lifted and our eyes met. I held my breath. His eyes were cool, regarding me neutrally for a moment before a very clear flash of surprise and mischief danced through his expression. His lips pressed together in that very alluring little arrogant pucker as he looked hard at me, tilting his head to one side. I felt my heart thundering against my chest. Could he hear it? Did he know what I felt? God, the idea terrified me.



Suddenly I realized that maybe he was right, in at least a couple of aspects about me. I didn’t make a first move. I waited for men to come to me. It was a crippling thing, really. But what was I going to do, grab his hands and place them elsewhere on my body? Spike seemed to regard me with little more than distain. I hardly believed in any sort of universe that he would ever think of me as more than a walking blood bank.



Finally he sat up straight. “Looks fine. Just more bruises, though you might have bruised the muscle there,” he said. “You’ll likely hurt for a bit, but nothing a little time won’t fix.” His fingers lingered a moment more on my flesh before he slid my skirt back down and leaned away from me, giving me breathing room. “Want a hand up?” He extended his hand and waited.



I swallowed hard, momentarily debating on whether to accept his help or to be stubborn. Given the heat that was coursing through me that had nothing to do with embarrassment, which in fact lent itself over to embarrassment, I decided to be stubborn to help my dignity recover. “No, thank you. I’ll manage.”



“Suit yourself.” He moved to his feet in a strangely graceful motion, coat flapping against his legs. Muscular legs, they were. Very lean body, built for fighting and for doing other nocturnal activities.



Stop that!



Taking a deep breath, I pulled my knees under me and bit my lip as my hip protested quite adamantly as I struggled to gather my belongings. Staggering to my feet, I grunted and winced, nearly falling back down before I managed to find a semblance of balance.



Inwardly I was cursing myself. For a lot of things. I had managed to turn a simple exit from work into a fucking fiasco. With Spike. Yeah, I was sure the brilliant one. I should never have even been near him. Why he’d chosen to leave when I did was beyond me. Just one of those wonderful little tricks that life likes to play on me. I suddenly understood why Angel and everyone else rolled their eyes whenever Spike entered the room. He could get under a person’s skin like nothing else.



Gathering myself together, I shifted my purse and prepared to head for the exit doors. I stepped forward and my legs nearly buckled beneath me.



“Damn it,” I muttered under my breath.



“Sure you don’t want some help getting out of here?” Spike asked, watching me.



I glanced at him and sighed. I tried to step again and found that my hip was just objecting like hell. At this rate it could take me forever to get out to my car. “I don’t know. Is there anything else you’d like to tell me about myself?” I snapped.



Instead of becoming irate or annoyed, Spike smiled. It was irritating. “I guess that depends on how much you’d really like to know,” he answered. “I’ve been around for a long time, pet. I know people, how they react, what little secrets they try to hide behind as if the world will never catch on. How do you think I’ve been around as long as I have?”



“Sheer dumb luck?” I suggested.



He gave me a patronizing look. “I think someone just doesn’t like to hear the truth.” He stepped back over to me and placed an arm around my waist, forcing me to grab onto his shoulder for support.



I nearly fell again as he touched me. I felt dwarfed and incredibly intimidated being so close to him. It wasn’t rational, it wasn’t sane, but the discomfort I felt skyrocketed. That damn warmth between my legs wasn’t going away, either. In fact, when I brushed his hip with my own, I felt a strangely electrifying jolt pass through my body and all the way down into that bothersome lower region. Taking a deep breath and averting my eyes to watch the path ahead only, I tried to put the feeling out.



“Oh, I can handle truth,” I replied. “I just find it irritating when people think they know all about me and haven’t taken the time to find out who I am.”



As I limped and he kept me upright as he steered me towards the parking garage entrance, Spike said, “You think I’m wrong, fine. But trust me, love, I can see it in your face. There’s a part of you that you try to keep away from the rest of the world as if that’s your mystique, your gift, the thing that’ll keep a bloke’s attention. In reality, it’s just your way of shutting yourself off and keeping you from getting the things that you want, the people you want.”



The heat in my face wasn’t going away either, and it was highly annoying. As we made it from the cool lobby to the warm California night air blowing into the parking garage, a decent breeze blowing in from the south. The lights of Los Angeles were bright and just warming up for the night. The continuous sound of traffic rushing by was like a combination of annoyances. Every sound was amplified in here, and it drove me crazy.



“You are just…”



“I’m what?” he asked. “Go ahead and say it. It’s always better if you just say what’s on your mind, love. Keeps things from getting pent up and making you do something stupid later.”



A sudden rush of very intense imagery passed through my mind. The fact that I was in continuous contact with his body was not helping. I imagined being very close to him, having his arms wrapped around me and having our bodies wrapped just as closely, even closer. I wanted to feel his breath on my face, to see if I could warm his body with my own heat and my own maneuvers.



I pursed my lips shut tightly, afraid that if I spoke I might say something truly stupid and truly regretful. I stared at the concrete and the way the yellow lights reflected a little too brightly in the night air.



“You seem awfully tense,” Spike said curiously, and I felt his eyes on me. I wouldn’t meet them. “I can practically feel you growing knots here. What’s going on in that head of yours, pet? Am I really buggering you that much?”



Swallowing hard to try and save myself from making a total ass of myself, I occupied myself with searching for my car. There was still a rather large number, but I could just pick out my little car somewhere near the middle of the row.



“I’m over there,” I motioned.



As we moved, I stumbled and grabbed his shoulder harder, and his hand held my waist tighter. I inadvertently inhaled sharply.



“Come on,” Spike said. “You’re just pissed off that I can read you. That’s it, isn’t it. Or is it the fact that you don’t have a nice warm body to go curl up to at home?”



That touched my buttons. “No, I’m just ready to go home,” I replied snappishly. “It’s been a very long day, and then I fucking hurt myself walking out of the elevator, and now I need help getting to my car from an arrogant bastard who seems to have no other purpose than to try and remind me how suck-ass my life is.”



“Is that what you think of me?”



We reached my car and I moved away to lean against my car. When I looked up at him he was studying me curiously, head tilted to the side and awaiting an answer. Expecting an answer. I took a deep breath, hoping to calm down the heat that was still residing inside of me. There was just a slight frown creasing his forehead.



“Yeah, pretty much,” I said. “I mean, you’ve been rude, obstinate, arrogant, ever since I started here. I-I mean the first time I met you, you were looking at me as if I were some sort of--of worthless distraction, that I have no business with the firm. Every time you look at me it’s as if I don’t even exist, and now you want to sit here and analyze me, tell me what’s wrong with me?” I shook my head, frustrated with everything and unable to be coherent enough to express it. “I just … I don’t know you, I don’t understand you, and I don’t even know what the hell it is you do around here. Not my business, I just work here. I just don’t appreciate the way you treat me. You may have a soul, but you‘re an asshole.”



Spike took in what I said, blinked, remained silent for a few moments. He seemed to really consider what I said as a frown creased his forehead. At last he scuffed his shoe over the ground and said, “Yeah, I guess I am. Wasn’t actually trying for that, you know. Not the first time I’ve been told that.” He paused, standing still and continuing to watch me until I was forced to look away, shuffling my purse in discomfort.



“Sorry,” I said quietly. “I-I didn’t mean to just say--”



“No, no, don’t apologize, love,” he said. “Like I said, it’s better just to say what’s on your mind.” He looked down and reached into his pockets. Pulling out a cigarette and lighting it with practiced ease, he looked at me again, his expression impossible to read.



“Look,” I began, suddenly embarrassed for speaking so bluntly. “Thanks for helping me out here. You really didn’t have to.”



He shrugged. “Was the right thing to do, though, wasn’t it? I mean, I was there, couldn’t just let you try and stumble out here by yourself. Night’s not safe around here, you know. All manner of buggers out looking for a sweet meal like you.”



“Even so.” I worried that I had hurt his feelings. “Thanks. I appreciate it.”



This time Spike met my eyes and a trace smile touched his lips. His eyes flicked over me from head to toe, and he motioned towards my hip. “Make sure you ice that up when you get home. You gonna be all right driving?”



I nodded. “Yeah, I’ll be fine. Thanks.”



“Right then.” Puffing on his cigarette, Spike quirked that strange little half-smile. “Get home safe, Eva.”



I blinked in surprise. Before I could say anything, he turned and began heading off towards the exit of the garage. I watched him walk away with a frown on my face, confused beyond all good sense. He swaggered. I figured it was a decades long habit that he had grown into and used regardless of whether or not he was aware of it. I couldn’t understand him, no matter how I tried. Spike was mysterious and intriguing, but he was also a giant pain in the ass. He had a soul, but he seemed not to care sometimes, or maybe he cared too much and he was suffering for it. I didn’t know. As I finally got into my car, I found myself wondering where he went, what he did when he was so-called off the clock.