C_woodhaven
It was warm, way too warm to be November, and Tara wiped her brow as she stepped into the Magic Box. There were no customers anywhere amidst the shelves, and Anya wasn't at the counter. The only person there was Spike at the table. Wearing his leather jacket.
"Aren't you warm?" she asked him. His head lifted at her voice, and she took a seat across from him. "Your leather jacket," she explained.
Spike shook his head. "Nah; it's all good. Heat doesn't really affect me like it does everyone else."
"Makes it pretty obvious when you wear it," she said, still concerned. "Most people wouldn't wear a leather jacket in this type of weather."
Spike began to answer then paused, smiling at her. It was't the type of smile she saw him usually wear, but one that was soft and genuine. "You really do worry about everyone, don't you?" he said.
Tara blushed down to her socks. "J-Just a habit," she stammered, before her eyes widened. "N-Not to say that I w-wouldn't, you know, worry about you otherwise, b-but-"
Spike chuckled before reaching out to brush her hair behind her ear. Tara froze, not wanting to move for fear of ending whatever moment was going on. "I know what you meant, luv," he promised. "You're a sweetheart. They don't make too many of you these days."
Despite the words, Tara didn't blush this time. She smiled instead, and Spike's own smile broadened. "There's a smile," he said. "Should do it more often: Red's a lucky girl."
"I generally think I'm the lucky one," Tara admitted. "I got Willow and all of her friends. And you," she added, because it was true. Spike seemed to be the only one who really got her. She felt so out of place in the group sometimes, an outsider who hadn't been there at the group's birth. She stammered and was soft and didn't crack jokes like everyone else did.
But even though he was a vampire and stronger than she was, Spike still seemed to understand her. Possibly even better than Willow did.
The bell over the door rang, and Spike rose to his feet. "Don't get too warm," he murmured, before he dropped a kiss on the top of her head. Then he was off to the basement as customers came in, leaving her feeling even warmer than she'd been when she'd come in.
~Nebula
"Aren't you warm?" she asked him. His head lifted at her voice, and she took a seat across from him. "Your leather jacket," she explained.
Spike shook his head. "Nah; it's all good. Heat doesn't really affect me like it does everyone else."
"Makes it pretty obvious when you wear it," she said, still concerned. "Most people wouldn't wear a leather jacket in this type of weather."
Spike began to answer then paused, smiling at her. It was't the type of smile she saw him usually wear, but one that was soft and genuine. "You really do worry about everyone, don't you?" he said.
Tara blushed down to her socks. "J-Just a habit," she stammered, before her eyes widened. "N-Not to say that I w-wouldn't, you know, worry about you otherwise, b-but-"
Spike chuckled before reaching out to brush her hair behind her ear. Tara froze, not wanting to move for fear of ending whatever moment was going on. "I know what you meant, luv," he promised. "You're a sweetheart. They don't make too many of you these days."
Despite the words, Tara didn't blush this time. She smiled instead, and Spike's own smile broadened. "There's a smile," he said. "Should do it more often: Red's a lucky girl."
"I generally think I'm the lucky one," Tara admitted. "I got Willow and all of her friends. And you," she added, because it was true. Spike seemed to be the only one who really got her. She felt so out of place in the group sometimes, an outsider who hadn't been there at the group's birth. She stammered and was soft and didn't crack jokes like everyone else did.
But even though he was a vampire and stronger than she was, Spike still seemed to understand her. Possibly even better than Willow did.
The bell over the door rang, and Spike rose to his feet. "Don't get too warm," he murmured, before he dropped a kiss on the top of her head. Then he was off to the basement as customers came in, leaving her feeling even warmer than she'd been when she'd come in.
~Nebula