Tough Love

Chapter 7: Back and Forth


"Can I take your order please?" The waitress gazed at the three people sitting silently round the table. They'd been sitting like that for a while just staring at each other and it seemed like a good time to approach them.


"Nina!" Hank's face lit up, diverting his eyes from his daughter.


"Hello Hank, how have you been?" the woman responded with a shy smile.


"Great a bit busy... Haven’t been out for a good meal in a while… "Hank gazed at his daughter and saw her raising a brow at his apparent affection towards the woman standing before him.


Every one at the table glanced in different directions. Nina picked up the tension and took out the pen from behind her ear.


"What can I get you?" She gazed at Hank's pensive expression.


"What? Um… I don't know…what do you want hun?" He glanced at Buffy.


"I'm not hungry any more," she replied calmly.


"Spike?"


"No, nothing thanks" Spike muttered.


"Maybe just drinks for now Nina…the usual."


"Okay" she smiled and turned away.


"What's the 'usual'?" Buffy gave her father a wary stare.


"Cider, non-alcoholic."


Hank could have sworn he heard her sigh with relief.


He watched the two sitting in front of him. Both were gazing down with anguished looks on their faces, as if they were waiting to be sentenced for some terrible crime they’d committed. He couldn't restrain his smile.


"It's not true, Buffy." he stated simply.

"What the bloody hell isn't true?" Spike snapped glancing at the two and releasing the tension he’d up till now kept inside.


"You really think, I would let Spike fight if I knew he had a heart problem?" Hank stared at Buffy.


"Wait, what heart problem?" Spike mumbled glancing at Hank who still hadn't torn his eyes from his daughter.


"You didn't do a lot of damage though." Hank sighed looking at his hands and then right back at her. "You really thought you could pull this off?" he asked curiously.


"I-I was just concerned," Buffy muttered "Angel said-"


"Angel is a liar."


"Bloody right he is!" Spike glared at her for the first time since they’d sat down. He had a harsh look on his face which made Buffy shift uncomfortably in her seat.


They gazed blankly at each other for a few more minutes barley noticing when Hank excused himself from the table to start a conversation with the waitress at the bar.


"You gonna believe every bit of crap this ponce sends your way?" Spike finally asked.


"I said, I was concerned-"


"Bollocks! You thought your dad was lying to you, couldn't wait to see that happen."


"Spare me the psychoanalysis okay? I’ve had enough insights for one night…"
Buffy murmured the last part and looked away.


"Oh yeah" Spike’s voice softened "like what?"


Buffy glanced back at him and saw the change in his eyes. He gave her a penetrating stare just like he had the moment before Hank had interrupted them in his office.


"So, there's nothing wrong with your heart?" she asked as if trying to figure out the truth behind his gaze.

Somehow Spike seemed to find this hard to answer.

"No." he paused. "Nothing’s wrong."

"I-I'm sorry for the trouble." Buffy said quietly, gazing down and brushing her hair back from her face.


"That's-"

"I guess I overreacted" she glared back at him.

Overreacted? "Huh?"

"Look, about what happened before Hank came…." Buffy's eyes wandered to her hands as she spoke" The thing is that… I-I wasn't myself and then…what happened …I guess it was-"

"A glitch?" Spike cut through her rambling.

She looked at him wide eyed.

"I'm sorry." He gazed away while blurting out the words. "I wasn't thinking, I should have use better judgment, considering…"



"Well… I-" Buffy was overwhelmed and a little offended by the arrogance of his statement. She gazed away as well, trying to figure out the change in his tone.

"Here's your drink," a young waitress said putting the cups on the table.

"Excuse me," Buffy tapped on her hand before she turned to leave. "Where’s the waitress from before?...Nina?"

"Um… Nina yeah…she’s talking to that cute guy at the bar." She turned so Buffy could get a better view.

"Great." Buffy mumbled watching her dad leaning on the bar and flirting shamelessly with the attractive waitress.

After staring at him for a few moments he finally caught her gaze and approached the table. She wanted to be angry at him but the way he was treating her since she’d arrived was so different from what she'd remembered, that she couldn’t be. He wasn't as angry or frustrated. In fact he looked rather happy, and it seemed like he wanted her to be happy as well.

If only such a thing could be possible.


"What's happening kids?" Hank's face fell as soon as he saw Spike's hard expression.


He sat down and looked at the two.


"Dad, like I said to Spike…" She gazed at the man beside her and noticed the distant look in his eyes. "I'm sorry" she muttered.


"That's okay hun, all is forgiven." He gave her a tiny smile then reached his hand across the table, fixing her gaze as if he was about to say something important.


"We have a long way to go, I know this last year wasn't so easy for you, but we’ve got the chance for a new start. A clean slate. Not many people get that, right Spike?" He turned suddenly to the drowsy young man before him who seemed rather startled.


Spike nodded but still didn't look at Buffy.


"Let's not talk about the past anymore." Hank leaned back in his seat. "Let's talk about-"


"Ben!"


The two men glanced at the direction Buffy was looking and saw a young man standing by the table and smiling right back at her.


"Buffy!"


"What are you doing here?" she got up from her seat.

"I was about to ask you the same thing."

"I moved to live with my dad, I don't know if you remember." She glanced at her dad


"Sure, nice to see again sir."


"Please call me Hank," her father said smiling at him.


Buffy and Ben stared at each other awkwardly.


"So…you moved here?" she asked .


"Yep. Two days ago. How come you didn't tell me you moving?"


"Well I didn't know myself until…well you know."



"Yeah"

"Would you like to join us?" She pointed to a spare seat and with a sidelong glance saw Spike raising a brow.


"Actually I came with some friends, would you like to sit with us?"


"Sure" Buffy's face lit up but then she remembered she wasn’t alone and she looked at her dad enquiringly.


"Go ahead honey, Spike and I have something to discuss."


"Okay then" she looked at Ben who led the way, and she gave one last glance at the table, noticing Spike’s frown. Their eyes locked then she sighed and turned away.


"Who’s that Ben fellow?" Spike asked watching the two who were now standing together across the room.


"He's the doctor who took care of Joyce," Hank replied.


"You know him well?" Spike tried to sound casual.


"Just saw him once, when I came to visit to the hospital."


"Ha-ha." Spike noticed Buffy and Ben were laughing. what are they talking about? She’s doing the hair flip, God he's such a nancy boy, what is it about doctors that's so appealing to women anyway? Is it the white coat? Well he's not wearing it now… What a wanker.


Hank took a sip from his drink and stared at Spike, it was painfully clear his mind was miles away.


"So… ready to fight Combs, Spike?"


"Sure" his voice was low, eyes still fixed on the pair.


"You know, he’s going to hold nothing back, Spike, he can do a lot of damage"


"Yeah… like he could ever hurt me," he murmured.


Hank eyes followed Spike’s gaze to Buffy and Ben. Shaking his head, he took another sip from his drink.



***


The next morning Spike walked quickly to the gym knowing that Hank would be waiting for him anxiously. The timing was crucial since the fight was in a few days and he couldn't let him down. He couldn't let himself down either and he didn't know why, but he hadn't felt so eager to fight these days. There was a voice in the back of his mind that was trying to tell him something, and there were moments that he really felt like he couldn't think straight and he was losing his mind. Things use to be so clear. Eat, sleep, fight, shag. Everything in its right place, but now…


He froze in his place not so sure how to react to the sight in front of him.


Buffy was leaning towards the guy from the night before, his arms were around her waist, and they were hugging?


Eventually they let go of each other and Buffy turned towards the door while the young men who had just left her arms walked towards Spike. Spike took a few rushed steps and bumped into him as he passed.


"Hey! Watch it!" Ben groused.


But the angry boxer just kept walking with a blank look on his face.


Spike entered the gym and spotted Buffy standing next to Hank's office door. The attentive look on her face told him she was eavesdropping on something. He moved closer and stood beside her, but so that she didn’t notice his presence and he could hear loud voices coming from behind the door.


No need to for a bloody glass he thought.


"How long this been going on?" Hank said furiously. He didn't wait for an answer. "I'm going to kill him!" he stated.


"Hank listen," Gunn replied calmly "I've told him… it was just one time-"


"So why’s there a damn lighter in my office?" Hank yelled and Spike could swear he heard the walls shudder.


"Oh you're in so much trouble mister." Buffy gave him a sideways glance noticing he was standing beside her.


"Naa, you haven't seen the worst of it pet, he's actually in a good mood." As he finished his sentence Hank started shouting again.


"Is he drinking too...He is?... Isn't he??" Spike heard Hank pause for breath. "I swear it… as soon as he comes in today, he's going to regret his bleached head ever passed through that door!"


"That's your cue," Buffy grinned.


"You’re enjoying this, aren't you?'' Spike narrowed his eyes at her.


"I just think it's selfish of you to let Gunn take the heat." she said innocently.


"How enlightened of you." Spike clenched his teeth and added, "you’re just happy daddy isn't bearing a grudge for what you did last night."


Buffy shrugged trying to avoid his stare as they both heard the phone ring in Hank's office. A moment later they heard him speak to Gunn.


"Fight’s been delayed"


"It wasn't me." Buffy gazed at Spike and pouted at his aggravated reaction.


They both got closer to the door and listened carefully, staring at each other.

"What happened?" Gunn asked.


"The schedule wasn't right, it's just a few days delay, I guess."


Spike sighed and took a step back as if he was going to leave.

"You’re not going in there?" Buffy asked curiously.

"It can wait." He turned to look at her.

"Afraid Hank will kick your ass?" she smiled.

"What are you doing with these." Spike said suddenly noticing the gloves in her hands.

"Ho." She raised them as if she’d forgeotten she was holding them. "Thought I'd throw some swings at the punching bag."

"You don't need gloves for that luv." Spike smirked.

"I know, but it just hurts my hands," she said with a childish voice and gazing down.

Stop pouting , stop, stop, stop. Spike couldn't take his eyes from her mouth.


"Y-you really should go and see what’s going on…about the fight" she stuttered meeting his stare.

"I don't see you rushing in there." He glared at her and saw tenderness in her eyes, and suddenly the memory of what they’d share last night came back.


"And besides I rather be fighting you," he grinned.

Buffy smiled at that.

"Mutual," she muttered.

Spike got closer, amused by the light blush on her face.

"So what are we going to do about it?" he asked in a husky voice.


***


"Duck damn it duck!" Spike shouted.

"Stop yelling at me!" Buffy glared at him as they circled the ring. Why is he acting like this?

"Fine then. If you won't duck I guess I should just hit you."

"I'll dare ya," she challenged him raising her chin.

"Yeah maybe then you'll go play nurse with the good doctor," Spike blurted out not giving his words a second thought.

Buffy’s smile dissolved.

"Shut up, Ben is nice." She dropped her fists that were in front of her face.

"Didn't mean to imply otherwise. I actually like him, seems like a good fellow. He has …what's the word I'm looking for…oh yeah…vulnerability."

Buffy gazed at him, detecting the resentment behind his supposedly amused tone.

"He's just a friend" she muttered.

"Seem to be going around, huh luv?"

"What's that supposed to-"

"You just have a lot of friends….makes a bloke wonder."

"You're just jealous" Bad choice of words, bad, bad…

"Of what…?"


Need to compensate


"Because he's a doctor…he save lives…what do you do? You endorse pain"


No, I didn't just say that…

Spike was silent for a moment, just standing still before her, watching her struggle with an expression that fell between defensiveness and shame.

"Well pet, you know what they say? It takes one to know one." He turned to leave.


"Hey! Wait…" Buffy shouted, but he kept walking quickly out of the ring.

She tried to catch up with him, but failed to close the distance between them.


Buffy didn't think and tried to kick him on the side of his leg, but before she could blink Spike turned around and caught her leg in mid-air. As she lost her balance, Spike pulled her towards him letting her hands fall onto his chest as he wrapped his free hand around her waist to prevent her falling.

"It's not kick boxing luv," he smirked holding her leg tightly and softly moving his hand up her thigh.

Feeling his hard chest pressing against her Buffy tried anxiously to catch her breath. She gazed at Spike's face and saw his eyes darken. Slowly the sensation caused by the nearness of his body washed over her and she gasped in disbelief as she felt her thighs brush against his groin.

"Spike-"

"Am I your friend?" His husky voice cut through to the fog she was under.

"Huh?" she gulped still exploring the changing shades of his eyes.

"I asked, am I your friend?" His grip tightened around her waist.

What does he want me to say?


What is the right answer?

Buffy was lost, Staring at his lips, she wanted nothing more than to surrender to her true feelings.

"No" she whispered seeing his lips forming carefully into a smirk.


Spike released her quickly, letting her leg drop and her arms slide from his chest.
Watching him before he turned away, Buffy noticed his face was actually glowing. She could just tell her answer to him had some hidden interpretation that only he had the privilege of knowing…


And he sure as hell was pleased with it.


Damn him


***


The harsh light of day came from the window and washed over his face. Angel blinked twice and frowned.

"Damn it Dru! Close the fucking curtains."


"Oh sweet daddy, who injured you so?" she said astounded by the bumps and bruises on his face and on his naked chest.


Angel sat and cursed under his breath , gazing anywhere but her.

“The fucking bastard, he's gonna pay for this, he's going to regret the day-"


"Your rage is intoxicating my devilish Angel… it's about her isn't it?" she sat beside him.

"No, it's got nothing to do with her" he shrugged.

"It’s him, Hank summers. All good and mighty Hank. She don't know his true nature.
She doesn't know what a coward he is, letting others fight his battles, sending his thugs to do his dirty work. You need to tell me everything Dru so we can destroy him and your William."

"I've already told you."

"No" he got closer to her. "I need proof, papers, something to bring to the local tabloids. Give me the proof there's something wrong in his heart."

"I can't."

"What do you mean you can't? You said you saw it!"

"I did…in my mind."



tbc