Buffy the Vampire Slayer Preferences + imagines/one shots

Spike - Nate pt2

When I awake, my head feels like its been assaulted by a baseball bat. A white patterned ceiling swims before my blurry eyes and I blink violently, trying to force them to focus. 

"Guys?" I manage to call out, "Anyone got any ibuprofen?" 

I hear a faint chuckle. Spike. 

"On the table next to you, pet, there's water and tablets."

"Thanks. My head is killing me. I must have been off my face last night."

There's a shift in atmosphere as if I said something wrong. Or maybe I did something stupid last night, although I can't remember a thing. I hope I didn't ruin Buffy's birthday.

"Where is everyone?" I ask nervously, propping myself up slowly to drink (my mouth feels like the Sahara desert). I gulp it down and take some painkillers to hopefully ease the ache where my mind used to be.

He ignores my question but his eyes dart to the door, and then back to me. "How are you feeling? What do you remember?"

I groan as the painkillers aren't working, "Not a thing. Was I embarrassingly drunk? I hope I didn't get on a table and belt Ice Ice Baby like last time..."

"You're fine, don't worry," Spike reassures with a smirk, although there's a coldness in his eyes. 

I hear scuffling and he sighs, standing up and backing away. 

"Where are you -" I begin to ask, but I realise he's just making room for Willow to crouch down in front of me. 

"Hey, Will, what are you doing?"

She holds out a small glass, full to the brim with a sparkling, purple liquid. I raise an eyebrow and grimace at the foul odour it's emitting, which is making me feel even sicker.

"Drink this, you'll feel better." She's Willow, I trust her with my life, so I close my eyes and chug it as quickly as possible. I clasp a clammy hand over my mouth and resist the urge to spit it all out. 

As soon as the bubbly concoction slips down my throat, my head miraculously clears and I feel fine. Awake. Energised. And extremely confused.

"Ok..." I say slowly, passing the empty cup to Willow, "What the hell is going on?"

The witch and the vampire exchange a glance before it all comes flooding back - thanks to Willow's potion, no doubt. 

Oh.

"Nate." I breathe.

"Nate." they sneer in unison. 

Willow gets up, brushes her hands on her jeans, and calls, "She's okay."

With that, everyone floods into the room: Buffy, Tara, Anya, Xander, Dawn. The first three hang back, offering smiles while Xander and Dawn hug me tight.

Xander pulls back, blushing, but Dawn keeps hold of me, whispering into my hair "I'm so glad you're okay."

I smile and am surprised that tears prick my eyes at the sincerity of Dawn's reaction. "I'm okay, Pebbles."

She playfully scrunches her nose at the nickname and lets me breathe, joining her sister who's staring at me regretfully. 

I clear my throat, "I really don't want a big fuss," I feel a few gazes drop to the floor, "I'm okay. It - it could have been way worse." My eyes meet Spike's. "But it wasn't. I think I'll go home. Get some restful sleep." I try to sound breezy but it comes out strained. Sleep is the last thing on my mind, what I'm really craving is some fresh air and maybe a good cry, I'm not sure. 

"If you're sure," Buffy moves out of my way as I leave to put on my coat. I don't really want to leave her to wallow in guilt but I'm not in the mood to talk.

I muster a small smile. "I'll see you later."

I mutter a curse as I walk right out into a downpour of rain, the sky grey and angry so I hastily pull my hood over my hair. As I make my way down the front yard, I step on something small and hard. I pick it up and gasp when I realise it's Nate's tooth that Spike knocked out of his face in an effort to protect me. I purse my lips and pocket the tooth, gratitude swelling for the vampire, and distain swelling for Nate. He better pray he doesn't cross Spike's path again.

"What happened to him, Spike?" I don't bother to turn around, but I can feel him brooding behind me. He clicks him tongue because I caught him - he joins my side and we walk together - he seems unbothered by the rain. 

"Bastard ran away," he admits, obviously angry at himself. He wasn't the one who drugged me, he shouldn't feel guilty. He saved me. He laughs humourlessly, "I put you down and planned to run straight out again but I couldn't leave you," his eyes meet mine for a split second but he tears them away, "I told Buffy to go out and he was gone."

"It's okay," I say but we both know it's a lie. I keep telling myself it wasn't my fault but I can't help feeling utterly stupid for a plethora of reasons. 

He runs a hand through his wet hair, his jaw clenched and he honestly looks like he might explode any second. Stranger things have happened in Sunnydale and I don't really fancy scraping a splatter of Spike off the pavement.  I twitch, trying to shake off the nerves and Spike stops, drinking in the sight of me - shaken up, sopping wet, super uncomfortable. I sniff and he says softly, "What do you want to do?"

"Track Nate down and beat him up." A stretch of silence passes and I shake my head wearily, "I - I don't know." I whisper. 

I let Spike lead me to his crypt, wordlessly. 

"Shall we have some tea?" he suggests gently.

"I'd like that." I reply.