Some Pain is Worth It
Probably pushing the prompt envelope a little bit with this one, but it follows the last one and there is pain involved…
Title: Some Pain Is Worth It
Author: Slaymesoftly
Rating: PG
Words: 1000
Prompt: Pain
“Spike, we need to talk.”
“Do we? Why is that, Slayer?” He didn’t look at her until he’d flicked his lighter closed and taken a deep drag. Then he smiled and allowed the smoke to trickle out as he repeated his question. “Why do we need to talk - emphasis intended.”
“Because you... we... if anybody had seen that ki-”
“Nobody saw it, Buffy.” He ignored the way she twitched when he used her name. “I was careful.”
“Okay, see that’s weird too. How would you know you should be careful?”
“Not stupid, luv. Anybody’d seen us snog without a spell to blame it on, there’d be a Scooby scramble to be the first to stake me. My money’d be on the watcher, but Harris can move faster than I think sometimes...”
“It isn’t one of them you’d need to worry about. Aren’t you forgetting somebody? Somebody big and... and who already doesn’t like you?”
He shrugged. “None of your little hangers on like me. But I guess you’re worried about the big hayseed that thinks he can keep up with a slayer.”
“If he’d seen you kiss me, he would have... It wouldn’t be good for either one of you.”
“What are you worried about? His feelings or my health?”
“Both,” she muttered. “But I don’t know why.”
“Is there a reason his feelings might take a hit from seeing a vampire snogging his lady?”
“You’re not just any vampire, Spike. You’re you and he might be a little... unreasonable... where you’re concerned.”
“About that....” He stepped closer and tipped her chin up so she couldn’t avoid his piercing gaze. “Don’t think I haven’t noticed how he looks at me. Know I’ve never given him any reason to think I have eyes on his bird, so why would he worry about it?” He released her chin when she twisted her head away. “’less you’ve give him some reason...?”
Buffy kept her gaze turned away from him, trying to deny she’d seen a trace of hope on his face. Her mute response dragged on until she realized that her lengthy silence could seem an answer in itself. Still not looking at him, she mumbled, “I might have... but I didn’t mean it the way he took it! And then there was that spell....”
“If I didn’t know it would make my head explode, I’d be shaking a straight answer out of you right now,” Spike growled, pulling her around to face him. The anger in his voice, combined with the force of the yank on her arm, gave the chip enough reason to send a warning twinge through his head. With another growl, he dropped her arm and shook his head, hitting his forehead with his own fist. “Fuckin’ bloody chip.”
“What happened?” The sudden concern in her voice and the hand she put on his arm went a long way to alleviating his headache.
“Nothing. Jus’ the chip thought I was really gonna hurt you, I guess. Didn’t think I pulled you that hard, but-”
“You didn’t pull me that hard. And if you didn’t really mean to “shake a straight answer” out of me - so not happening, FYI - then it shouldn’t have gone off. Just touching me shouldn’t cause you pain.”
“F your I, Slayer, I can handle a bloody boatload of pain if it means I’m going to be touching you.” He followed up his words by pulling her against his body and holding her there, nuzzling her ear until she pushed herself away and started walking.
“Don’t.”
“Why not?” He fell into step beside her.
“Because I said so! What’s wrong with you? First you want kisses for a reward, now you’re saying you don’t care what the chip does to you if you can....” She stopped and turned to smack him on the chest. “There’s something wrong with you!”
The slap to his chest hadn’t really been hard enough to hurt, but he grabbed her hand and trapped it. “Probably is,” he admitted. “But it is what it is, Buffy. Right now, touchin’ you is worth whatever pain I have to go through for it-”
“Let’s just test that statement, Spike.” Riley’s unexpected voice startled both Buffy and Spike into temporary immobility. Before they could recover, Riley had used his superior size to pick Spike up and slam him into the ground. He’d kicked the helpless vampire several times before Buffy snapped out of her shock and threw herself between Riley and the focus of his anger.
“Riley! Stop it! What are you doing?”
“What’s it look like I’m doing? Finding out how much pain he’s willing to handle for touching you. Get out of my way, Buffy.” He frowned when she didn’t move except to offer Spike a hand up. “Unless, of course, he was touching you with your permission. Was that it? Did you let him touch you?” Riley’s lip curled in disgust. “Is this where you tell me again that losing my enhancements hasn’t changed how you feel about me? Because if I remember right, this is the vampire you told me you’d be dating if you wanted somebody with superpowers!”
“You said that, Slayer?” Spike’s voice, somewhat roughened by the broken ribs from Riley’s kicks, still managed to sound happy and hopeful. “Is that why the big lump has it in for me? He’s jealous?”
“Shut up, Spike.” Buffy and Riley spoke at the same time. Somewhat to Buffy’s surprise, Spike remained silent, prudently standing behind her and out of Riley’s reach.
Riley gave a dismissive snort. “I’m not jealous of you, Spike. You’re not worth it.” He turned to Buffy. “I can make an appointment with one of our in-house psychologists. Someone who can help you get over this unhealthy attraction to vampires. Give me a call when you’re ready to deal with your problem.” He strode off without looking back, leaving behind a tense silence.
“Your problem?”
“Shut up.”
“Did you really say-”
“Shut. Up. And stay away from me.”
He watched her run away.
Title: Some Pain Is Worth It
Author: Slaymesoftly
Rating: PG
Words: 1000
Prompt: Pain
“Spike, we need to talk.”
“Do we? Why is that, Slayer?” He didn’t look at her until he’d flicked his lighter closed and taken a deep drag. Then he smiled and allowed the smoke to trickle out as he repeated his question. “Why do we need to talk - emphasis intended.”
“Because you... we... if anybody had seen that ki-”
“Nobody saw it, Buffy.” He ignored the way she twitched when he used her name. “I was careful.”
“Okay, see that’s weird too. How would you know you should be careful?”
“Not stupid, luv. Anybody’d seen us snog without a spell to blame it on, there’d be a Scooby scramble to be the first to stake me. My money’d be on the watcher, but Harris can move faster than I think sometimes...”
“It isn’t one of them you’d need to worry about. Aren’t you forgetting somebody? Somebody big and... and who already doesn’t like you?”
He shrugged. “None of your little hangers on like me. But I guess you’re worried about the big hayseed that thinks he can keep up with a slayer.”
“If he’d seen you kiss me, he would have... It wouldn’t be good for either one of you.”
“What are you worried about? His feelings or my health?”
“Both,” she muttered. “But I don’t know why.”
“Is there a reason his feelings might take a hit from seeing a vampire snogging his lady?”
“You’re not just any vampire, Spike. You’re you and he might be a little... unreasonable... where you’re concerned.”
“About that....” He stepped closer and tipped her chin up so she couldn’t avoid his piercing gaze. “Don’t think I haven’t noticed how he looks at me. Know I’ve never given him any reason to think I have eyes on his bird, so why would he worry about it?” He released her chin when she twisted her head away. “’less you’ve give him some reason...?”
Buffy kept her gaze turned away from him, trying to deny she’d seen a trace of hope on his face. Her mute response dragged on until she realized that her lengthy silence could seem an answer in itself. Still not looking at him, she mumbled, “I might have... but I didn’t mean it the way he took it! And then there was that spell....”
“If I didn’t know it would make my head explode, I’d be shaking a straight answer out of you right now,” Spike growled, pulling her around to face him. The anger in his voice, combined with the force of the yank on her arm, gave the chip enough reason to send a warning twinge through his head. With another growl, he dropped her arm and shook his head, hitting his forehead with his own fist. “Fuckin’ bloody chip.”
“What happened?” The sudden concern in her voice and the hand she put on his arm went a long way to alleviating his headache.
“Nothing. Jus’ the chip thought I was really gonna hurt you, I guess. Didn’t think I pulled you that hard, but-”
“You didn’t pull me that hard. And if you didn’t really mean to “shake a straight answer” out of me - so not happening, FYI - then it shouldn’t have gone off. Just touching me shouldn’t cause you pain.”
“F your I, Slayer, I can handle a bloody boatload of pain if it means I’m going to be touching you.” He followed up his words by pulling her against his body and holding her there, nuzzling her ear until she pushed herself away and started walking.
“Don’t.”
“Why not?” He fell into step beside her.
“Because I said so! What’s wrong with you? First you want kisses for a reward, now you’re saying you don’t care what the chip does to you if you can....” She stopped and turned to smack him on the chest. “There’s something wrong with you!”
The slap to his chest hadn’t really been hard enough to hurt, but he grabbed her hand and trapped it. “Probably is,” he admitted. “But it is what it is, Buffy. Right now, touchin’ you is worth whatever pain I have to go through for it-”
“Let’s just test that statement, Spike.” Riley’s unexpected voice startled both Buffy and Spike into temporary immobility. Before they could recover, Riley had used his superior size to pick Spike up and slam him into the ground. He’d kicked the helpless vampire several times before Buffy snapped out of her shock and threw herself between Riley and the focus of his anger.
“Riley! Stop it! What are you doing?”
“What’s it look like I’m doing? Finding out how much pain he’s willing to handle for touching you. Get out of my way, Buffy.” He frowned when she didn’t move except to offer Spike a hand up. “Unless, of course, he was touching you with your permission. Was that it? Did you let him touch you?” Riley’s lip curled in disgust. “Is this where you tell me again that losing my enhancements hasn’t changed how you feel about me? Because if I remember right, this is the vampire you told me you’d be dating if you wanted somebody with superpowers!”
“You said that, Slayer?” Spike’s voice, somewhat roughened by the broken ribs from Riley’s kicks, still managed to sound happy and hopeful. “Is that why the big lump has it in for me? He’s jealous?”
“Shut up, Spike.” Buffy and Riley spoke at the same time. Somewhat to Buffy’s surprise, Spike remained silent, prudently standing behind her and out of Riley’s reach.
Riley gave a dismissive snort. “I’m not jealous of you, Spike. You’re not worth it.” He turned to Buffy. “I can make an appointment with one of our in-house psychologists. Someone who can help you get over this unhealthy attraction to vampires. Give me a call when you’re ready to deal with your problem.” He strode off without looking back, leaving behind a tense silence.
“Your problem?”
“Shut up.”
“Did you really say-”
“Shut. Up. And stay away from me.”
He watched her run away.