Roomies
Chapter 32
This was just creepy, what had happened with Oz? And why had Willow flipped sides? Or maybe this was her new boyfriend and he had long hair? And make up? And feminine curves? Yeah maybe. She screwed her eyes tighter. Or maybe she was hallucinating?
Opening her eyes when she felt the warm breeze on her face, she took a deep breath and kept her mouth shut, knowing Spike was amused at her reaction. So what if her friend wanted to make out with other girls? It was just a college thing that some people did, right? Okay, so never in a million years would she have predicted Willow would be up for that kind of thing, but that’s what college was all about, right?
“You ok pet?” Spike ventured, not wanted to upset her any further than necessary. His day was definitely looking up, first Buffy was completely understanding about him fighting Riley in the hallway, and then he gets too see two hot girls kiss with tongues and all. So what if one of those girls happened to be Buffy’s best friend?
“I- um. Yeah. I’m cool.” She answered, deciding that Willow probably lost a bet or something. “Do we have to go out tonight?” She half begged. Smirking at her, Spike cocked an eyebrow, something he had learnt Buffy found impossible to resist.
“Yes, we went out with your friends last night, tonight it’s my choice.” He winked saucily, “Plus, maybe I’ll get you drunk and have my wicked way with you again.”
“Maybe you just might get lucky” Buffy laughed, the thought of sex rapidly taking over all other thought processes. Linking her arm through his, she thought of the many kinky things to do that she had never even dreamed of before meeting Spike. Well, meeting him again. He was a one man road to sexual deviancy. There were things she wanted to try that would seem depraved with anyone else, with Spike she felt one hundred percent comfortable being naked and doing stuff. All kinds of stuff from the way her mind was reacting to the promise of sex. She was turning into a nymphomaniac just walking down the street with him!
Seeing Buffy and William pass the gallery, Joyce watched from the window as they joked and openly flirted and she smiled to herself. It was nice to see Buffy so happy, especially after what that awful boy did to her room. She was still half convinced that she should have telephoned the police. Wondering why Buffy and William had insisted she hadn’t she turned back to her latest shipment, her mind wandering from her work back to her daughter.
Marking off on her sheet what had arrived and what condition it was in, Joyce was disturbed by Dawn as she made her way in after school, heading straight for the office and knocking over all of the paperwork on the desk.
“Sorry!” She whispered, bending down to scoop up the mess. Picking up a personally addressed envelope with familiar writing she slipped it into her pocket, wanting to know what her dad was doing sending letters to the gallery instead of to their home.
Promising to go straight home, Dawn ducked behind the gallery, taking a shortcut to Buffy’s college and banging on the door. About to give up, Dawn stuffed the letter back into her pocket and stomped down the hallway, walking smack into Spike and getting knocked to the floor.
Helping her sister up, Buffy helped Spike escort her to their dormitory, making sure the door was shut firmly behind them as Dawn babbled incoherently about Riley and their dad.
“What?” Spike was demanding, holding her a little too roughly. Releasing her and gritting his teeth while she rubbed her red arms he grasped onto a chair behind him. Not only was he going to kill Riley, he may just have to add Buffy’s dickhead father to his list.
“Dawn?” Buffy as saying, stroking her hair away from her face, trying to understand what the girl was saying through the tears. She jumped when a strong pair of arms enveloped them both, pulling them against his hard chest while he murmured soothing word of comfort in their ears.
Slipping the letter out of Dawns fist, Buffy settled herself against Spike, knowing he was there for her, he would protect her and he would love her.
He wouldn’t leave like her father had.
Wiping the tears from her eyes, Dawn pointed to the part she had gotten to and dissolved into hysterics all over again.
Letting Spike take care of her baby sister, Buffy sat up, steeling herself against whatever it was that was written on the paper.
Except nothing could have prepared her for the cold and callous words she found printed so indifferently, the starch white paper mocking her with its large black print, the words swimming into one big blur as the tears welled up, and finding herself unable to stop them Buffy let them wash over her, falling into Spike’s embrace as she sobbed for her sister and for herself.
Curiosity getting the better of him, Spike eased the paper out of Buffy hand and scanned amongst the teardrop stains for what was so bad.
“Bloody hell.”