Relentless Revenge ((COMPLETE))

Chapter 9: Coming Out, Part 1:

Lying on his side, Spike woke nestled up against a pillow. “Bugger!” His brain snapped on, “I should be holding a Buffy, not some bleedin’ pillow.” But no, he assured himself, last night hadn’t been another soddin’ wet dream. He could smell her all over the sheets, but the sheets were now empty and cold. Cold just like he felt inside and out, and that feeling had nothing to do with his being a corpse. Buffy had run out again, damn her. But he had no idea why he was so surprised. Spike took the pillow and threw it against the wall. All his other bedding soon followed along with his duffel bag and whatevtherther items he could lay his hands on in the sparse bedroom. Luckily, the only furniture currently in the master suite was the bed.

With his rage still unquenched, Spike started to throw the bulky mattress across the room but froze when he heard Dawn’s voice yell up the stairwell, “Hey, Godzilla, are you done trashing Tokyo yet?”

‘Smart-mouthed brat!’ Spike thought as he searched through the mess, finally finding some clothing to throw on before heading downrs. rs. As he sullenly walked into the second floor, he found the Nibblet sitting at the kitchen table, drumming her fingers impatiently. Spike snarled as best he could considering who he was snarling at and asked, “Doesn’t anyone *ever* remember that I’m a vampire and supposed to be let alone during the day to get my sleep.”

“Sounded more like throwing than sleeping going on up there. Besides, you never sleep much anyway, and you know you love the company,” Dawn confidy ady added. “What’s got you so pissy?”

Spike stomped over to the refrigerator in search of breakfast. Dawn listened to him mumble something not so nice about Buffy and laughed silently at his back. With narrowed eyes, Spike shot Dawn a fearsome scowl, “Your big sis is still a coward. She shouldn’t have snuck out while I was still asleep. Right now we should be…”

“Eew, thanks for *not* sharing!”

“Get your brain out of the gutter, Nibblet. I just meant…I just thought maybe things had finally changed.”

“Hey, Mr. Pouty? Didn’t you say that old myth about vampires and bats was bogus?”

“Yeah, Dracula just liked to pull that rubbish on the unsuspecting. Just like Drac to…don’t start me on that wanker. ‘Sides, I haven’t finished my rant on your big sis yet.”

Giving him a gotcha smirk, Dawn continued, “I only mention it since you seem to have the same poor eye sight as a bat this morning.” Spike gave her a ‘huh’ look until she gave him a break and nodded her head towards the refrigeration’s door that he was currently holding open. “Note the *note* on the frig, Oh Observant One.”

Spike snatched up the paper taped to the door, and Dawn noticed that one corner of his mouth tilted up as he read. ‘Morning, Sleepy Head. I had to go meet Willow early. Meet you at the Bronze tonight for a little fun before patrol. Buffy.”

Not exactly a love letter, but it was something. However, he was soon frowning again when he remembered he was pissed at the Slayer for sneaking out. She could hwokewoken him up to tell him or something. Regardless, Spike carefully folded the note and stuck it in his pocket before he finished preparing his breakfast.

Rolling her eyes at the ceiling, Dawn commented under her breath, “I hope I’m not near this stupid when I fall in love.”

Spike heard her, “Oh, yes you will be, and then I’m gonna have a bit of revenge. Ya know, I’ll either sit back and laugh or rip the bugger’s head off…whatever seems right at the time, of course…”

Ignoring his remarks, Dawn kept to the subject of Buffy, “You should be bouncing off the walls. Did she ever leave a note before?”

Starting to catch the implications, Spike pulled the note out again, “No, never.”

“I’d say that’s a change for the better. And she did say she would meet you at the Bronze tonight, right? Sounds date-ishy to me.”

Looking up from the note, Spike snarked, “Reading another blokes mail is a federal offense.”

“Only if the letter was mailed, not taped to a refrigerator,” Dawn shot back. “Of course I peeked. How else do I find out what’s going on around here?”

“Your right, Bite Size. About Buffy, at least. Things are looking up. In fact, how about a shopping spree instead of training today?”

Dawn tilted her head, calculating her best mooching angles, “Will you buy me something?”

“We’ll see if you’re a good little girl.” This earned him the glare he was expecting as he walked across the hen hen to heat up his mug of blood in the microwave. “First I have to call Giles and take him up on a little business proposal of his, and then let’s go buy some furniture. It’s time to outfit this flat.”

Dawn instantly perked up at the thought of shopping, especially with someone else’s money. “Oh, I could use a new mirror for my room.”

“Platelet, you’re talking to me about mirrors?” Spike laughed as he finished his cup of blood. “The sales clerks are going to love us.”

*****

After extensive shopping at a local mall, of course avoiding windows and skylights, Spike bought enough furniture and miscellaneous items to outfit the second and third floors of his flat and even purchased a new mirror a certain precocious and pushy teenager that had assisted him. Spike suspected Dawn had had her sites set on a mirror all along just to see how he would avoid explaining his lack of reflection to the salespeople, wholly underestimating the wily vampire and the gullibility of unsuspecting humans. Spike, with his trademark arrogance, ingeniously defied anyone to mention that he had no reflection, pretending that he did and that the clerk was the one with a vision problem. Later over quick bto eto eat, Dawn was still laughing at her mental image of Spike checking on his hair in a mirror as the young clerk gawked.

*****

When Xander arrived at the Bronze that night, he found Spike and Dawn in the back of the club playing darts. Well, Spike was trying to play while attempting to teach Dawn and her friend, Janice, how to just hit the dart board instead of the surrounding walls. Dawn was catching on quick enough, but Janice was really struggling. After a couple of practice rounds, Xander goaded Spike into playing partners, Xander and Dawn versus Spike and Janice.

When Buffy and Willow finally arrived, they waved ae ote others over at the dart boards before taking a seat at a table near the dance floor. The two women received an enthusiastic wave back from Xander and a frown from Spike. Dawn was to busy cheering her last throw to notice them at all. After ordering themselves drinks, Willow and Buffy watched Dawn and Xander celebrate their victory before starting to make their way over to the table to join them. Dawn rushed over and caught Buffy’s attention, distracting her so she didn’t see Janice’s older sister, Sarah, intercept Spike.

Spike, who had been politely escorting Janice back to her own table, had been dying to get to Buffy but didn’t want to hurt the sister’s feelings. Resigning himself to the delay, he decided that his only consolation was that Sarah was an upperclassman to Dawn aouldould hopefully help the Nibblet out at Sunnydale High.

Back at the table, Xander was enjoying a good, old fashioned gloat, “First I beat Captain Peroxide…Ok, his handicap of Janice helped, but I still won. Then he gets ambushed by a Cordelia type. Couldn’t happen to a nicer la…la…la…loser!”

Willow, who was facing the dance floor, laughed as she watched Sarah successfully drag Spike out amongst the gyrating dance crowd. Much to Spike’s obvious relief, the song soon ended, and Willow continued to watch Spike try to escape without pissing her off too badly. Commenting to the table in general, Willow nodded her head toward the snared vamp, “I don’t know when I have seen a Master Vampire quite so uncomfortable.”

Buffy jerked around searching the dance floor until she located the pair. “Yeah, isn’t it great? Such the Big Bad…” As Buffy and Willow continued to watch, a slow song started up. Seizing the opportunity, Sarah smiled a cat-that-swallowed-the-canary smile while trying to wrap Spike’s arms around her waist. Buffy tried to make another light comment at the pair’s expense, but none would come to mind.

Spike knew that the Slayer was watching now. He could feel her eyes burning into his back, but he couldn’t seem to help himself from teasing Buffy in a rare opening like this. Besides he was still peeved about that morning, enough to let her sit and stew for a bit.

But sitting on the side lines and spectating was not one of Buffy’s strong suits. When Spike turned on the charm and obviously started to enjoy himself, Buffy found herself on her feet, tapping on the girl’s shoulder. “May I cut in?” and promptly did so before Sarah or Spike could refuse her demand disguised as a request.

Before Spike could utter one of his smart-ass cracks, Buffok tok the offensive, “Jail bait much?”

“They’re all jail bait to me, pet,” Spike shot back with an evil leer. “If you want to get all technical like, you are, too, compared to my age.”

Chuckling, Buffy relaxed into Spike’s arms to enjoy the dance. “Is this what you did in London?” Oh, yuk, that sounded too much like a Jealous Buffy. Obvious much?

“Some but with no one that mattered,” Spike couldn’t help himself from teasing her a little more, but then he realized something abut the Slayer was different tonight. “Is that perfume you’re wearing? You usually smell of vanilla.”

Buffy was suddenly acutely embarrassed and started to deny her earlier impulsiveness with one of Willow’s perfumes but relaxed again when he nuzzled his nose into her hair, inhaling appreciatively.

After a moment more of dancing and nuzzling, Spike spoke in a sultry voice, “I can’t even eat vanilla ice cream without getting all hot and bothered anymore. As good as it smells, perfume on you is not required or needed with me, love.”

Spike and vanilla ice cream – what a yummy visual. As her lips cured up into a smile, Buffy whispered into his chest, “I missed you.”

His anger that morning when he had woken up all alone was abruptly forgotten. For Spike, her words made up for it ten fold. “Missed you, too, pet.”

Buffy gained a little more confidence, “I missed you before you even left.” When Spike drew back with his eyebrows coming sharply together in question, Buffy explained. “I missed you before you even left Sunnydale for Africa.” Buffy snuggled up close again, “I just didn’t want to admit that I wanted to be with you back then.”

When the song ended, Buffy dragged Spike through the crowd over to the Scoobies’ table, pointedly ignoring Xander who was staring at their clasped hands. “Hey, guys. We’re off to patrol. Willow, do you mind keeping an eye on Dawnie tonight?”

“You don’t mean all night…” Xander squawked before he jumped up, grabbing his shin and turning to glare at Willow. Well, it wasn’t everyday you saw a slayer and a vampire acting like a couple, but he almost forgotten that this was Sunnydale.

Willow, however, thought the sight of the couple was a long time coming and long overdue. “Sure, Buffy. When should we expect you?” Judging from Buffy’s lack of returning last night and that Buffy was still holding Spike’s hand, purposefully not letting go, Willow already had a good idea what her friend’s answer would be. However, when Willow glanced over at Spike, her heart went out to the vamp. He had a resigned look on his face, waiting for the inevitable Bug Buffy Excuse. He had turned slightly towards Buffy, shifting his weight onto the hip opposite her. Willow wondered if he even realized that he was physically and emotionally trying to distance himself, involuntarily protecting his heart.

Willow was exactly right. As Spike now looked down at Buffy’s face, he felt his soddin’ hope start to wither again. But what did he really expect her to say to the Scoobies? ‘We’re going to patrol, then shag our brains out, and I’m not sure when I will be able to walk well enough again to get out of bed, let alone make it home.’ Actually, yeah! He would love to hear her say just that, loud and clear for everyone in the Bronze to hear. The added bonus would be seeing the Whelp’s spontaneous combustion. Of course, the Nibblet didn’t need quite so much detail, but cor, wouldn’t it sound great? Hell, he would even settle for a few flames coming out of the brick layer’s ears.

As Spike’s grip on her hand started to relax, Buffy could feel him subtly pulling away. Well, this was it. Buffy’s Come Clean Time. What they didn’t know was that she had already planned tonight to do just that. That morning when she had slowly woken up, she had found herself lying on her side facing Spike with her arm and leg thrown intimately over him. As she carefully slid away, trying not to wake him, the slight friction she caused had brought a small smile to his face. That was all it too for her. Seeing that boyish smile caused her to lay in bed for another few minutes studying him and thinking. That’s when Buffy’s last resistance finally took a hike, and she made up her mind to tell everyone about their relationship. She wanted to see Spike’s genuine smile return when he was awake, wanted to be able to openly put that smile on his face without the overshadowing fear of anyone seeing or judging them. Well, she couldn’t stop them from judging Spike or their relationship, but she now no longer cared what anyone thought. The sneaking around was definitely over. They both deserved better, and what better place to do it than the very public setting of the Bronze. That ought to put an enormous smile on his face.

Clasping Spike’s hand more firmly and pulling him against her side, Buffy answered Willow’s question that was still hanging in the air, “Wills, I think we will be busy all night.” She turned to watch the expression on Spike’s face as she finished, “Don’t expect me back until tomorrow. After patrolling, I’ll be with Spike at his apartment if you need me. Right, Spike?” Buffy was rewarded not with a smile but with a full fledged grin, one causing little crinkles to form at the corners of his eyes. Buffy returned his grin as he stepped in close and wrapped his arms around her waist. Spike spoke to the table but kept his eyes on Buffy, “Sound like a great plan, love.”

If Spike was in seventh heaven, Dawn had to be in a t least the sixth. “Oh, oh, we’ll have a great time. No worries. See ya. Bye already.”

Watching the couple leave, Willow was grinning from ear to ear, also. “Mission accomplished, all phases, finally!!” Willow turned to her best friend, who was looking a little green around the gills, “Xander, are you going to be ok?”

Xander gave a long, suffering sign, “If she’s happy, I’m ok with it. But if they break up, my votes back to staking him.”

TBC…