Author: Bitten And Staked

Title: City of Angels - Chapter One - Living with the enemy.

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Summary: Buffy and Spike are living together after Dawn convinced Buffy to let him stay in their moms room. Buffy realises that Spike isn't such a bad guy once you get to know him, so long as he doesn't corrupt her sister too much.

Timeline: set in between season 5 and 6, in my alternate world where Buffy didn't die. Spike's crypt is trashed during the final showdown and Dawn convinces Buffy to let him stay since he protected them both.

Series: Part 1 of ?

Pairing: Buffy and Spike. Romance, love and nooky.

Rating: PG13

Disclaimer: everyone else owns Buffy and all associated with her.

Feedback: always welcome so email me - [email protected]

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Buffy switched the alarm off and lay stretched out across her bed, the thin summer covers barely hiding her nudity. She reached across to press play on a tape in her stereo then lay back on the bed and closed her eyes as the music washed over her.

But under skinned knees and the skid marks
Past the places where you used to learn
You howl and listen
Listen and wait for
The echoes of angels who won't return.

Buffy sighed as she listened to every word, the past year had been hell and all she had to look forward to now was a blistering hot summer with Spike getting under her feet. Willow had gone with Giles to England to study magic, Xander was always busy with Anya which left Buffy with Spike and Dawn. Buffy guessed he wasn't so bad to live with unless he was making a mess or constantly playing about with Dawn or generally in view. He wasn't so bad.

He's everything you want, he's everything you need,
He's everything inside of you that you wish you could be.
He says all the right things at exactly the right time
But he means nothing to you and you don't know why


You're waiting for someone..

The tune changed abruptly and Buffy sat up in bed staring at the stereo incredulously.

Oh you silly thing, you've really gone and done it now.
Oh you silly thing…

Buffy hit the stop button. Punk music on her tape meant one thing.

"Spike!" She yelled at the top of her lungs, when he didn't come straight away she yelled again. "Spike!! Damn you!"

He opened the door and stood there rubbing a towel against his wet hair with one hand and holding another towel around his waist. She sat there in bed, mouth agape at the sight of him dripping wet and leaving little puddles on the carpet. A million nasty things to say buzzed around her head but her throat felt constricted.

"Yell a little louder next time, might actually wake the dead." Spike smirked at her and adjusted his towel, tucking the corner into it around his waist.

"There is lame ass punk all over my tape." Buffy stuck her jaw out defiantly and then quickly adjusted the sheet so it shielded her nudity from him. But the process of concealing herself only bought it to his attention.

"What's that got to do with me? Are you naked?" He narrowed his eyes at her and cocked his head to one side.

"Spike! You're a pig and you are the only one who listens to punk in this house. That reminds me, why are you in my house?"

"Because…"

Dawn was walking up the hall towards them singing. "I wanna be sedated…"

They both turned in unison as she walked past the entrance to Buffys room and looked at them both. Spike chuckled at the look of horror on Buffys face.

"Am I interrupting?"

"Dawn, did you record over my tape?"

"Only to stop you listening to it every morning, it's driving me up the wall!" Dawn folded her arms and stomped off down the hall.

"That's it! I can take you corrupting my sister but her listening to punk is one step too far." Buffy shot Spike a black look.

He just stood there looking at Buffy with a frown on his face and then moved to sit on the bed by her, resting his elbows on his knees he let the hair towel dangle onto the floor. Buffy adjusted the sheet further at his manoeuvre.

"Want to talk about it?" His tone was calm as he looked deeply into her eyes and she played with the sheet wishing he wouldn't do that. It always made Buffy warm inside like a fever and it was gradually getting worse every time.

"Sorry. It was Riley's." Buffy mumbled out and hugged the sheet tighter. Spike handed her the little stuffed pig she always loved and Buffy smiled into his eyes mentally adding a damn you Spike.

"Mr Gordo makes everything better right?" He raised both his eyebrows into a questioning look and Buffy noticed for the first time that when he did that he pouted slightly.

A sudden desire to pull his bottom lip sprang into her and she caught her hand moving, not knowing what to do she placed it on the bed beside her.

"I guess, this years been hell. Everyone I love leaves me."

"I understand how it must make you feel but you need to move on pet, moping isn't going to bring him back. You're young and didn't love him, you admitted that remember? Some things just weren't meant to be. Have some fun Buffy, let go."

"When did you get so insightful?"

"Wouldn't believe me if I told you." Spike touched her hand and left the room.

Amazingly she didn't retract the hand he had touched, she didn't try and rub the sense of his cold skin off hers, she didn't even beat him down with a nasty comment. Buffy felt she had lost the ability to purposefully hurt him. The past month in the house with him had given her an opportunity to observe him closely. About three days ago Buffy had admitted to herself that he was likable, underneath his bravado he was a pretty sensitive guy.

Spike had given her little pep talks about life like no other and he was the undead to be sure, but something about him said he wasn't your usual vampire. Pure evil and soulless yes, but it was like he didn't need it to be a decent man around her and Dawn.

Buffy sighed as she flopped back down onto the bed in a more than confused state. She could hear Spike and Dawn laughing downstairs, she liked that sound and it had been so long since everything had been as balanced as this. Her thoughts turned to wondering when the next apocalypse was going to happen and she secretly hoped it wasn't going to be anytime soon.