Willow looked from Spike to Xander. “Absolutely not. Don’t even think about it.”
“Willow,” Xander cajoled. “it is just for one night. One measly night. Look, he can stay tied up. You can even gag him.” Spike glared at Xander and muttered an expletive under his breath. Xander shot him a warning look. “Anya and I want to have a romantic evening together. Look, I have been the undead babysitter for over a week. We really need some alone time. Besides, you owe me one.”
Willow read this as we would really like to have sex. Oh, gross. “For what?,” she snapped. Ever since Oz had left, her moods had been erratic. From tears to anger to laughter in seconds.
“I saved you from that big ugly vampire in the graveyard last week.” Xander said with pride.
“That was Buffy. He threw you on the ground and was about to. . .”
“Well, I distracted him after he grabbed you so that Buffy could stake him.”
Willow looked at her best friend with irritation. She got closer to him to whisper in his ear so Spike wouldn’t hear her. “I don’t want to be alone with him. I know he can’t bite but I’m still a little scared. He almost sired me, remember?”
Xander expelled a breath and said quietly. “He’s fangless, remember? He can only irritate you to death now.” He gave her his deadly lost puppy-dog look. “ I’ll even deliver him to your parent’s house.”
Spike finally had enough of this. “Hey, wait a bleedin’ minute here. I didn’t agree! I just got moved over to this dump. And now you expect me to. . .” Spike thought about this a moment. Hmm. . .an evening with the little red-haired witch or another spent with the idiot and his girlfriend. “Fine with me.” Willow was much better to look at than that blighter.
Willow sighed in defeat. She was too tired to fight. “Fine, bring him over tomorrow.” *********
The next evening, Willow watched Spike warily. He was bound by heavy rope to the chair at her desk. Her parents had gone to a party earlier that evening and they had informed her that she shouldn’t wait up for them. “Willow, could you please untie me? It hurts.”
Spike looked like he was in pain. “It does?” Willow’s eyes instantly welled with sympathy. “Oh, I’m sorry. “ She bit her lip. She couldn’t stand the thought of anyone being hurt. Even bleached blond vampires who had nearly killed her.
She looked behind him and noticed that his wrists showed the imprint of the ropes. “If I let you go, you wouldn’t. . .um. . .do anything. . .bad?”
Spike raised an eyebrow and gave her an unholy grin. “Like what, pet?” Willow’s hand went to her throat automatically, which was hidden from his view by her thick turtleneck sweater.
“I knew this was a dumb idea.” she said and turned away from him, ready to flee to the relative safety of the living room.
“Wait! I’m all bark and no bite, remember? Besides, luv, seems to me you could use a spot of company. I know your boyfriend left.” Willow glared at him. “I know how it feels, to be left.” He nearly choked on those words.
“What about Harmony?”
Spike rolled his eyes, insolent once more.“She was a phase, luv. The sex wasn’t even that great. Rebounding, y’know?”
Willow blushed but nodded. She was lonely and Spike was at least someone to talk to. He understood what is was like. She remembered the anguish she had seen in his eyes when he had told her about Drusilla. Of course, he’d been holding her hostage at the time. Everyone else was sick of hearing about how much she missed Oz. Maybe it wouldn’t hurt to talk to him for a little while.
She kneeled behind him and began pulling at the heavy knots. Soon, he was free. “Thanks, luv,” he drawled. Spike stood up to his full height and rubbed his wrists. His black leather duster spread around him like the wings of a fallen angel.
Released from his bonds, he looked more intimidating. She took a step back. Willow was suddenly reminded of the lions she had seen at the zoo. They had been rendered helpless, temporarily, but they were still virulent, mesmerizing in their deadly grace. She shuddered but tried to appear calm.
He titled his head and looked at her. “I’m thirsty.”
“W-w-we have iced tea, some sodas, and milk, I think.” He stepped forward, she stepped back.
“Something wrong, pet?” She shook her head. He stepped forward, she stepped back. Until she was against the wall.
He caged her in with his hands and inhaled deeply. “Yes, I’m very thirsty.” Willow slid a hand behind her back, into her jeans pocket. She uncorked the small, perfume-sized bottle easily and was about to throw it on his face when he seized her wrist and pulled it from her grasp. In the process, his hand was splashed with the holy water.
“Ouch. Bloody hell, Red. That hurt! I was only playing with you. I can’t really bite, just wanted to tease you a little.” He poured the liquid into a nearby household plant and put the offending bottle into his coat pocket for safekeeping. He glanced around the room. “Got any other weapons? Stakes, swords, a slayer in the closet?”
“Serves you right!” She said. Her lips compressed into a tight line and she stalked to the kitchen downstairs. Spike followed her, penitent now.
He hoisted himself onto the breakfast bar beside her as she went to the fridge and pulled out a half-eaten cheesecake. “What’s that, luv?”
“Therapy.” she mumbled as she put a generous slice on her plate.
”I want some, too.” She frowned up at him but took down another plate and put a slice on it for him. If his mouth was full, at least he couldn’t talk. She took out two forks and they ate in silence. Spike groaned in pleasure as he ate the last bite. Her lips twitched with unrealized laughter. Big bad had a sweet tooth. She put both of their plates in the sink and opened the fridge to put the remnants of the cheesecake away. She indicated the blood packets in the crisper section. “Want some blood?”
“Cow blood is disgusting.” He made a face. “Unless you’d like to give me a donation, Red?”
“Let’s watch some videos.” She suggested cooly. Ten minutes later, Spike had sorted through her collection of videos with apparent disdain.
“No action movies, at all? Look at this drivel. ” he indicated the large stack of romantic comedies she owned. Spike picked up a copy of Interview With The Vampire. It was given to her by Xander as a gag gift. “Heard about this one, never saw it though. Let’s watch it.” He slid the video into the machine. “Least it isn’t about the Dracula blighter.” He tossed his duster over the arm of the couch before he settled down uncomfortably close to her on the couch. She moved down a little, he moved a little closer. She grimaced, he gave her an innocent expression. She pulled an accent pillow from the end of the couch and shoved it in between them. He smirked.
After they had been watching a few moments, Spike gestured to the chain- smoking, wise-cracking Christian Slater character and asked hopefully. “Is that bloke the vampire?”
“Aren’t you paying attention? He’s the interviewer. Louis is the vampire.”
