Violins And Heartstrings - Chapter 9

Spike sat down under a tree and watched as Buffy sat down next to him, she was still watching the children across the way. He smiled at her and she smiled back at him. A warm breeze blew across the water and he closed his eyes as he lay back against the tree, his thoughts leaving him and his head filling with Buffy.

"I have to go soon." Buffy said quietly and Spike looked over at her.

"I know." He blinked at her.

"Come see me again?" Her voice was shaky.

"Anytime, just call." He waited for her to bite.

"I don't have your number." She gave him a shy smile and he grinned.

Spike reached into his pocket and took out a card, he handed it to her with a flourish. Buffy took the card off him and stared at it, it was like a little business card with his name and number on it. Something about the card caused her stomach to turn, did he give his number out to girls so often that he had cards for it?

"I better go." Buffy stood quickly and caught the confused look on his face. This isn't going to work. Stupid Buffy. He can't be what you want him to be.

Spike stood and followed her, he'd done something wrong and she was running away again, just like the other night. Catching up with her, Spike strode alongside her and tried to figure out exactly what had happened two seconds ago. He looked at the card she had screwed up in her hand.

"Wait. So not what you think." Spike caught her arm and stopped her mid stride.

"What's not what I think, I have to get back to work." Buffy kept her eyes downcast as he moved to stand in front of her, his hand caught her under her chin and raised her face up.

"Look at me." Spike frowned when she didn't. "I said look at me, Buffy."

Buffy raised her eyes to meet his, they were twinkling at her and she felt lost in them again. She could see the pain dancing around in his orbs as he searched for something to say.

"I don't go around…I'm not like that…had a friend make the card, yesterday, for you. Been trying to work it into the conversation all bloody day, I didn't know you'd take it the wrong way." Spike kept a firm hold of her arm as he looked down at her; she shifted her gaze to the card in her hand and smiled weakly.

"Sorry. Just, your star status is kinda setting me on edge. I'm here with you again and the rules are all changed, everything's different but the feelings are still the same. There's so much at stake now." Buffy sighed into his eyes then started walking back towards the studio.

Spike followed her and tried to make sense of what she'd just said, he understood the first part clearly but the last thing she'd said confused and worried him. There's so much at stake?

He spent the rest of the walk to the car trying to figure out what to tell her, he wanted to reassure her that just because he was a movie star it didn't mean that he slept around and he certainly wouldn't cheat on her if she wanted to be with him.

"I'd never do that to you, never. I spent years looking for you, love, and now that I found you again I'm not leaving." Spike stopped near the entrance to the studio and looked at her earnestly.

"You have to. They won't let you in." Buffy half smiled and it caused Spike to look up the building.

"Fine. In the physical sense, I have to. But I'm still not really leaving you. Can I see you tomorrow?" Spike pressed the button on his key fob to deactivate his car alarm, Buffy's eyes widened.

"That's your car?" She couldn't believe how pretty it was and how dangerous it looked. "Thought you scraped around for measly dollars?"

"Now you know why. I bought her when the Desoto died on me last year."

"You killed my Desoto?" Buffy gasped at him, her mother had told her he'd taken the car but she'd thought he would have just sold it and moved on.

"Yeah, she was beautiful. Just like the girl who gave it to me." Spike smiled at her as he played with his keys and she blushed.

"Do I get a ride?"

"Sure. Hop in."

Buffy went to walk to the car but the orchestra conductor appeared and she froze to the spot. He gave her a stern look and tapped his watch.

"Some other time?" Buffy pouted like a school girl who'd just got caught by her parents as she tried to sneak out of the house to see her boyfriend.

"Tomorrow, sweetheart." He grinned at her. "Same time?"

"Come later, after five. I get off then and you can drive me home. I'll make you lemonade." She smiled and Spike sighed at her words, a reminder of years ago when they'd first started talking.

"Anything for you, love." Spike wiggled his brows at her and gave her a wide smile before slipping into his car.

Buffy watched as he gunned the engine and wheel spun down the drive and out of the gates. Sighing to herself, she followed the conductor into the building. When Spike was with her she felt like she was twenty-four and it felt nice, now she was left alone to her thoughts the weight of her responsibilities and fears came pressing down on her. Tomorrow she'd be honest with Spike; she had to be, he deserved to be told before their feelings got in the way.

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