Loving Her
Title: Loving Her
Words: 286
Characters: Spike, Tara
Setting: After Dead Things
Rating: PG
The Summers’ house was dark, abandoned. The inhabitants all either at work or sleepovers or elsewhere. It gave Tara a sense of relief as she walked through the empty halls to the kitchen.
As she set a piece of paper down on the counter, a rough hand caught her about the arm. She gasped as she spun, trying to see her attacker in the darkness. “Spike? How did you get in here?”
“Basement.” He replied. Tara coughed as she caught a hearty whiff of the alcohol on his breath. “Could ask the same of you.”
“I have a key.” Tara replied, trying to pry her arm away. But the vampire had other ideas, his grip tightened.
“She’s been talkin’ to you. I know she has. Wha’s she been saying?”
“Buffy talked to me in confidence. I’m not going to break that.” Tara winced as he fingernails dug into her flesh.
“She been tellin’ you I hit her? Cause tha’s not… tha’s only… she’s all….” He shook his head, speech slurring, unable to make the words come. “I love her.” He managed to get out.
Tara frowned softly, feeling his grip loosen slightly. “I know you think you do.” She said. “But you’re here… what? Waiting to give her a warm dinner and ask her how work was?” Her voice was gentle, a mother talking to a child who fell and scraped his knee. “This isn’t love, Spike. This is obsession.” She was able to get her arm away. “If you really loved her, you’d see how much pain she was in… and you would be trying to help.”
As Tara left the kitchen, Spike looked down at the Spellcasters Anonymous flyer she’d left on the counter.
Words: 286
Characters: Spike, Tara
Setting: After Dead Things
Rating: PG
The Summers’ house was dark, abandoned. The inhabitants all either at work or sleepovers or elsewhere. It gave Tara a sense of relief as she walked through the empty halls to the kitchen.
As she set a piece of paper down on the counter, a rough hand caught her about the arm. She gasped as she spun, trying to see her attacker in the darkness. “Spike? How did you get in here?”
“Basement.” He replied. Tara coughed as she caught a hearty whiff of the alcohol on his breath. “Could ask the same of you.”
“I have a key.” Tara replied, trying to pry her arm away. But the vampire had other ideas, his grip tightened.
“She’s been talkin’ to you. I know she has. Wha’s she been saying?”
“Buffy talked to me in confidence. I’m not going to break that.” Tara winced as he fingernails dug into her flesh.
“She been tellin’ you I hit her? Cause tha’s not… tha’s only… she’s all….” He shook his head, speech slurring, unable to make the words come. “I love her.” He managed to get out.
Tara frowned softly, feeling his grip loosen slightly. “I know you think you do.” She said. “But you’re here… what? Waiting to give her a warm dinner and ask her how work was?” Her voice was gentle, a mother talking to a child who fell and scraped his knee. “This isn’t love, Spike. This is obsession.” She was able to get her arm away. “If you really loved her, you’d see how much pain she was in… and you would be trying to help.”
As Tara left the kitchen, Spike looked down at the Spellcasters Anonymous flyer she’d left on the counter.