Breathless

“Spike!” Buffy hollered from inside the closet, “Will you get the door? I’m still trying to find something to wear.” Without waiting for a reply, she started pushing through the hangers searching for a top, after finally settling on wearing jeans and a nice top.

Laughing, Spike headed out of the bedroom to go answer the ringing doorbell. After their conversation regarding the impending trial that morning, Spike had mad a remark about needing to get with Angel to discuss the necessary security measures. Within minutes, Buffy was off and rolling with the idea and had arranged a small dinner party with Angel, Cordelia, Wesley, Fred and Gunn.

When he reached the foyer, Spike opened the heavy glass doors and let their guests inside. Not knowing where the house was, Wesley and Fred had followed Angel and Cordelia, so they had all arrived together. Unfortunately, Gunn had to cancel due to last minute work obligations.

Once everyone was inside, Buffy finally made it downstairs after adding a turquoise scoop neck tank top and a pair of sandals to the low rise jeans she already had on. “Hey guys!” she exclaimed as she bounded down the stairs. “Cordy, Fred…Why don’t we go hunt down some drinks while the guys talk shop?”

Leaving the guys in the living room, Buffy and the girls headed to the kitchen for some refreshments and much needed “girl-talk”. Scanning the kitchen, Buffy found several glasses and a rather large bottle of red wine, already open to allow it to breathe, sitting on the counter. Smiling to herself, she made a mental note to thank Spike for the forethought after their friends had left and got busy pouring the blood red liquid into the goblets.

“So, Buffy,” Cordelia began, smirking at her tiny blonde friend who was perched on top of the counter. “How are things going with Spike?”

“Um…things are good. Yup, all good.” Buffy replied, blushing because she knew what her overly-nosey friend was implying. Trying to stay out of Cordy’s radar, Buffy turned her attention to Fred and asked, “So, how’s the exciting world of physics, Fred?”

Before she could answer, Cordy jumped in. “No way! Don’t get all hush-hush with me, missy! I’m an old married woman, remember? I live vicariously through you, my single friend! Now spill with the yummy details!”

“Yummy details?!” Buffy replied, giggling. She paused to take a sip of wine before continuing. “Now why would you be interested in any of Spike’s ‘yummy details’?”

“Please, I’m married. Not dead.” Cordy exclaimed. “Face it, that man is hot. If I weren’t with Angel, I would have gone after him myself a long time ago.”

“Ok. Fair enough, but what would make you think that I would have any insight about his yumminess?

“Please.” Fred exclaimed, her Texan accent causing the syllables to draw out. “Just being in the same room with you guys can sense the chemistry between you two.”

“Yep, Fred’s right, Buffy. Sparks everywhere.” Cordy agreed. “Now spill.”

“Fine. You win.” Buffy said, throwing her hands up in defeat. She tried to make it seem as though she did not really want to tell them, when in reality it was nice to be able to get everything out in the open. So, she began, starting with the first time they had met at Caritas all the way up to the present. By the time she had finished, it was time to open another bottle of wine.

“Wow. It’s like you two were totally meant to be together.” Fred gushed as she struggled with the corkscrew. Cordy finally took pity on her and stepped over to hold the bottle still while Fred worked with the silver gadget. It took them a brief moment, but they finally achieved success and poured the next round of drinks.

“That whole display seriously bordered on pitiful.” Buffy declared, slightly tipsy from her two glasses of wine. When the two brunettes shot her venomous looks, she added, “But, on the up-side we didn’t have to call the big, strong men to come help.”

Cordy stuck her tongue out, but giggled anyway. Fred just shrugged and muttered something about her arms being twig-like and she couldn’t help that she had a hard time, which sent both Cordy and Buffy into a fit of laughter. By the time the guys had wandered into the kitchen to find out what was so funny, all three girls were teary eyed, red faced and gasping for air.

“What’s so funny, pet?” Spike asked, reaching out one hand and placing it on the back of a very breathless Buffy.

“Fred… made a…funny.” Buffy managed to say between gulps of air. “But, I don’t remember what it was!”

The last comment sent the girls spiraling into another fit of giggles. Spike looked over Buffy’s shoulder at Angel, who appeared more confused than normal and said, “Looks like they found the wine.”


~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Luckily, when the timer on the stove buzzed, Spike was able to lure the drunken females into the dining room with promises of food. However, Spike did find it a bit interesting when Angel and Cordelia adamantly refused to eat anything if Buffy had cooked. After much reassurance on both of their parts, Spike was able to convince them that he had in fact prepared every last drop of food on the menu; which consisted of roasted lamb, garlic mashed potatoes and steamed asparagus, plus an extra sinful desert that would be revealed later.

Once he had a plate in front of everyone, Spike looked at Angel and asked, “So, if Buffy had of cooked the dinner, what would you have done?”

“Honestly,” Angel began, “I’d fill up on the bread.” Although Cordy’s mouth was currently full, she nodded in agreement with her husband.

“Huh. Well, can’t say I have given her the chance to make anything as of yet, but I wouldn’t figure her to be too terrible in the kitchen.” Spike looked at Buffy and smiled. “What ever did she do to make you guys feel this way?”

“Well, it was quite a fiasco I must say.” Angel began, pointedly trying to avoid Buffy’s gaze. “She decided to give a dinner party several years ago to celebrate because Dawn got her driver’s license. It was this big shin-dig with everyone there; Joyce, Rupert, Dawn of course, Willow and Tara, me and Cordy, as well as Dawn’s friend, Janice.” He paused to take a bite and was about to begin again, but was interrupted by Cordelia, who was more than willing to tell the story under the influence and had no qualms with the glare she was getting from across the table.

“Anyway, we were all told to stay away from the house until seven pm sharp. So we were all waiting patiently on the front porch when there was this loud BOOM from inside. When we went inside…there was…” Unable to continue due to a gale of laughter, Angel took over.

“Rice and chicken bits all over the kitchen! Pressure cooker gone bad, so very bad! And the funniest part was Buffy, standing there in the midst of it all with this dumbfounded look on her face. Well, that wasn’t all that was on her face!” Angel snickered, taking a sip of his wine. “On top of that, while we were all gaping at the mess, black smoke started billowing out of the oven because the garlic toast started burning!”

“So,” Cordelia started up again, “after we were able to get everything under control, the only meal we were left with was burnt toast, some puny over steamed broccoli and uncongealed Jell-o! It was bad….really bad!”

By now, Buffy’s face had turned a bright red and was bowed down looking at the napkin in her lap. Spike felt horrible. If he had of known Mr. and Mrs. Wanker would have made her feel so bad, he never would have brought it up. Instinctively, he reached out and took her hand in his, trying to offer some type of support. She glanced up at him out of the corner of her eye and smiled, lightly, as she shrugged and said, “Guess you won’t be asking me to play the role of Domestic Goddess any time soon, huh?”

“Actually, kitten, it sounds like you were trying to do something very sweet and had a slight mishap. If you ever decide to go through all of that trouble for me, then I will eat whatever is on my plate and keep my bleeding gob shut.”

After that, there wasn’t any more talk of what Buffy could or could not do, but had shifted towards work. Already covering the nasty topic of security for the trial, Fred switched over and asked Buffy how the band was doing.

“Actually, we haven’t seen much of each other over the past few weeks.” She explained, “Oz has been in Europe with his backpack and a bag of granola for over a month and Xander took Anya away to the Caribbean for a two week vacation. Faith has really been the only one around, and that’s only when she can squeeze us in between men.”

“Have you been able to work at all?” Wesley inquired.

“Amazingly, yes. Even though it has been rather wacky lately, I have managed to write several songs. We’re hoping to get back into the studio within the next week or so when everyone gets back from their trips.”

“Ya know, I remember the first time I saw Serenity play.” Fred quipped, “It was at that club, the Hellmouth. Boy, was Spike smitten! Practically drooling into his drink!”

Buffy looked over at Spike and said, “You were there? That is so weird.”

“Well, pet, we have ended up at a lot of places at the same time you know.” Spike reminded her, watching her blush under his gaze. “In fact, that night at Caritas wasn’t the first time I had seen you.”

“Really!?” Buffy replied, genuinely surprised.

“I was doing security for another band that you opened for at the Bronze. Didn’t actually get to see you play, got there a bit late for that. Did, however, watch you dance for a while. I was totally enamored with you from that point on, kitten.”

“Huh, no wonder you were so forward that night at Lorne’s bar.” She said with a smirk.

“Well, it’s a good damn thing you only saw her dance then and not her magazine spread!” Cordelia interjected as she reached for the closet wine bottle. “Spike, you would’ve humped her right there on the bar instead of the bathroom!”

Buffy’s mouth dropped open in shock, her face turning bright red again. “Cordy!”

“You told them!” Spike exclaimed, surprised. As Buffy nodded in embarrassment, he added, “I have to agree with Cordy on that one though, luv. It was bloody sexy!”

“So, you liked it then.” Buffy asked, face still flaming red. “Riley blew a gasket when he saw it. Lots of yelling that night.”

“Well, Riley is a sodding ponce. So, can’t say I would expect anything else from him. You could say I liked it, pet. Liked it so damn much I ended up having to buy another copy.” He replied, snickering as it took Buffy a few moments to understand exactly what he meant.

“Spike!” She exclaimed as her blush turned from red to a deep garnet.

He shrugged his shoulders, took a sip of wine and said, “Hey, you asked.”

Thanks for all of the wondderful reviews!