Long Way From Home - Chapter 17

She placed the coffees on the table next to his feet. He had slouched into the sofa with his legs on the table and was staring blankly at the opposite wall.

Sitting back in her spot she let her eyes come to rest on his hand, his knuckles were bloodied and she wondered what he'd been thinking about out there - settling on the likely answer being her and how he fitted into her world.

Buffy slipped her hand under his and lifted it up for her to inspect, his skin was freezing on hers. Spike didn't move and his eyes stayed firmly fixed on the wall. She tentatively ran her finger across the back of his hand near his knuckles and saw they were grazed deeply.

Spikes hand tensed up in hers and he grasped her hand tight. She looked up at him, he'd closed his eyes and was clenching his jaw.

"What did you do?" She touched his knuckles and saw his nostrils flare as his inhaled sharply.

"Leave it alone pet." Spike took his hand from hers and looked at it as though he had only just noticed what he had done.

"Why Spike?" Buffy caught his hand again and pulled it to her.

"Because it's better to hurt me than to upset you." He looked from his hand to her face, she looked saddened as she tried to make light of the situation.

"And that's why I got you decaf coffee and I'm banning you from sugar. Stay." Buffy stared at his hand then stood up, walking in the direction of the bathrooms.

Spike watched her go and then stared at the door until she came out again, his eyes followed her every move as she came to sit close by him. Picking up his hand she dabbed at the grazes with the wet tissue she had got in the bathroom. Spike watched his hand intently, the sight of her small fingers resting near his was enough to make him smile even if his knuckles were killing him.

Buffy looked at his face, he looked so vacant, like a child that had fallen over and was in shock. His eyes watched every movement of her hand and he frowned as her hand left his. She rummaged through her bag by her feet and found the hair scarf she kept in there. Folding it up she wrapped it around his hand, tying it tight on the palm side.

Leaning back into the couch she smiled at him, he was staring at his hand and smiling.

"Spike." She touched his hand to get his attention and he looked at her.

"Kitten?" He cocked his head to one side.

"This isn't positive reinforcement. You do that again and you will upset me." Buffy tried not to sound harsh.

"Sorry." Spike took up his coffee and sipped it, Buffy was amazed he'd actually stuck to her no sugar rule. "Just I'm…"

"Passionate?" She smiled at him and leant her side into the back of the couch, resting her feet near his thigh.

"Yeah. Willy tell you that?" Spike nodded to the guy behind the counter and placed the cup back on the table.

Buffy nodded and took a mouthful of her drink. She had to admit he was the most passionate man she had ever known, other than in movies she'd never seen a man punch the wall before.

"Buffy?" His voice was a whisper as he stared at her little feet near him, she had slipped her shoes off.

"Yes William." She didn't know what made her suddenly call him by his real name, she figured it must be something to do with his tone.

"About Christmas…" He trailed off as her phone rang and she pulled it out of her bag.

"Hello?" Buffy looked at Spike nervously and he picked his coffee cup up off the table and ran his finger around the rim.

"Buffy?" A soft voice on the end of the line told her it was Angel.

"Angel, hi." Buffy grimaced as Spike looked up at her and arched a brow.

"How are you? Must be getting late over there but I tried your land line, you didn't pick up." The voice sounded concerned and Buffy remembered what Spike had said earlier about Angel not sending for Buffy.

"I'm out with a friend having coffee, it's a beautiful café but I haven't a clue where we are, he grabbed a cab and bought me to this place." Buffy bit her lip at the word 'he' and Spike chuckled low at her.

"A man Buffy? That him in the background?" Angel sounded upset.

"He's just a friend Angel, I bumped into him when I went out for a coffee, I was sick of being alone in my room." She knew the words hit home hard as the voice at the other end of the line went quiet.

"So you're out for coffee with a man because you're lonely?"

"No Angel, it's just coffee and…" Buffy trailed off as Spike started playing with the scarf around his hand, he leant in close.

"And a little comfort kitten." Spike purred at her and she hit him hard on the arm causing him to grin like a Cheshire cat.

"Comfort kitten? Is he referring to you?" Angel actually sounded pissed off and Buffy was amazed, she bit her lip and widened her eyes at Spike in a gesture that told him to keep quiet.

"Angel, be serious now. You know these university types they're all tall dull and brain dead. He's just a friend and he's trying to wind you up."

Spike snorted at her repetition of how he had described Angel earlier and her using it to describe himself.

"Buffy, I'm sorry you couldn't come back to LA." Buffy closed her eyes as she listened to Angel and she tried hard to believe him.

"Angel." She opened her eyes and met Spikes. "Why didn't you ask me to come stay with you?"

A wide smile spread across Spikes face as he looked deep into her eyes and raised his eyebrows expectantly.

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