Long Way From Home - Chapter 10

Buffy had thought it over a million times on the way to the local Blockbusters. It was a bad idea, it was all very wrong, she knew it was true, the motorcycle helmet was going to mess up her hair. She whined to herself again as she held Spike tighter around the waist, feeling the cold of his leather jacket under her numbed fingers.

He probably shouldn't be riding a bike in his condition, she knew that it had been a stupid idea but she hadn't been able to find the strength to tell him no. He'd said it was a long trip to the nearest video store and she didn't feel like walking all that way in her nice going out boots. If he ruined another article of clothing that she cherished she was going to have to kill him.

Besides, there was something dangerously sexy about the way he threw the bike around corners and roared past the Saturday night traffic in town. Buffy realised she was grinning like a school kid who just got their first crush.

Pulling up outside the video store Spike parked the bike and slipped off it, he pulled his motorcycle helmet off then held his hand out to Buffy. She looked funny in her helmet, a large black blob on top of a small slender body. Spike grinned at her as she took hold of his hand and slid off the seat.

Her knees were shaky as her feet hit the floor, Spike caught her arm and held her firm even though pain shot out in all directions from the cut near his shoulder. She pulled off the helmet and smoothed her hair out, noticing he was steeling himself against obvious pain she touched his hand to let him know she was okay.

"First time on a bike kitten?" Spike let go of her arm as he took the helmet off her and raised his brows.

"No." Buffy pouted at him and he shook his head. "Yeah."

"Fun?" He smirked at her then headed into the store.

"Yeah." Buffy breathed as she steadied herself before she followed him.


He was driving her crazy, everything she suggested he dismissed with a frown. Buffy decided his idea of what constituted a 'girly flick' was very broad. Showing him the cover of yet another movie he shook his head and walked off across the store.

Pouting at it she tried to figure out what was wrong with it. It was a teen comedy that to her sounded quite funny, but the face Spike had pulled at it made out that it was bitter poison to him. Placing it back on the shelf she walked over to where he stood and looked up at him expectantly.

He was scanning the back of a DVD case, his eyes were narrowed and he was wearing an intense look of concentration that reminded her of when he was reading the little note cards in the museum. Watching his brows furrow she noticed the little white lightning of a scar across his left eyebrow. Buffy went to reach up to touch it but Spike turned his head and she quickly pretended to be picking fluff off his jacket.

"This one." Spike handed her the DVD and she flipped it over to read it.

"Pitch black?" Buffy frowned at it, it had all the hallmarks of creepiness. Rolling her eyes she handed it back to him. "Okay, but only because I'm being sympathetic about you being hurt.

"I'll buy you ice cream." Spike grinned as he watched her trying not to smile; instinct always served him well.

Looking demure Buffy walked over to the freezer cabinet and scanned the rows of ice cream. She reached in and pulled out a tub of Ben and Jerry's New York Super Fudge and handed it to Spike. He lifted his brows at it and headed towards the counter.

Waiting patiently next to Spike, Buffy smiled at the guy behind the counter then gave a sideward look to Spike. His eyebrows knitted into a frown as the guy smiled at Buffy in a flirtatious way. Looking down at Buffy he shook his head at the coy look she gave him.

"That's £7.75." The guy slowly turned his attention to Spike and jumped back a little when he slammed a ten down on the counter with a sneer.

Buffy giggled at Spikes side and smiled sweetly at him when he gave her a black look. It was funny winding him up, it wasn't like it was a date they were on but he was so over protective of her. She suddenly realised that he'd been protective of her from the second they'd met.

He'd mollycoddled her over her ankle, walked her to the bus stop to shield her from drunks and she knew now that he had been trying to protect her from his ex girlfriend. It hit Buffy hard that he obviously liked her a lot more than he let on.

Coming out of her world into reality she realised Spike was already halfway to the door. She scurried to catch up with him and as he handed her the helmet she gave him an awkward smile before slipping it on. Holding onto him tightly all the way back to his place Buffy couldn't get the thought out of her head that there was ultimately an emotion behind his over protection of her that was, when it all boiled down, that same way she felt about him.

Pulling up outside his flat she pulled her helmet off and looked up at the windows. She felt frozen to the spot, she couldn't remember if she'd ever mentioned her boyfriend back in LA. She watched him take his helmet off and made her decision.

"Spike." Her voice was shaky, if she mentioned the boyfriend would it be like admitting she liked him? Or just letting him know that she knew he liked her?

"Kitten?" Spike turned the engine off and remained facing away from her, he knew what was coming.

"Did I mention… um… I have a boyfriend." She saw Spikes head lower slightly.

"I know." Spikes tone was downcast.

"Oh." Buffy didn't know what to feel, he'd known all along she wasn't available and he didn't even try to hide how he felt. For some reason it made her smile that he was honest with her.

"Willow told Oz, Oz told me." Spike closed his eyes and clenched his jaw, Buffy telling him didn't change a thing about how he felt. He wondered if she wanted to go home and call the evening off, he wouldn't blame her after everything that had happened.

"Spike?" She slipped off the back of his bike and watched as he pulled it back onto its stand then looked up at her with a sullen expression. "Can we go inside? It's freezing."

His eyes smiled slightly and he nodded at her. Swinging his leg over the bike he handed her his helmet and walked up the stone steps to the entrance. Buffy juggled with the two helmets and the bag with the DVD and ice cream in it, obviously Spike was a believer in equal rights and she was sorely used to people carrying things for her.

Shaking his head as they walked into the entrance hall he turned to watch the comedic sight of Buffy wrestling with the stuff he'd piled on her. Taking pity on her he took the bag from her and put it inside one of the helmets then stacked it on top of the other one, so it was effectively cradled. She looked down at the neat stack in her hands and pouted, she would have thought of that eventually.

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