| All Just an Act Author: SlayGal E-mail: [email protected] Summary: Spike lends a hand when Dawn asks for a favour. Disclaimer: I own nothing except Dave, oh, and the latest Destiny's Child CD! It's damn good too! :-) Dedication: Again to the too-hot-for-words James Marsters � cos he is the God of all and an outstanding actor! And Michelle is brilliant too! Distribution: Ask me and its yours. Feedback: This is a must, as always!! :-) Note: Yeah, Dawn is about 16 here, k? ****** When the bell rang at 3:30 Dawn, along with the rest of the school, burst out into the sunshine, all glad for their freedom, even if they had to be back in the morning. Dawn pulled her backpack on and bounded happily down the school steps, heading away from Sunnydale High, which they had recently rebuilt, after leaving it for 5 years since Buffy and the Scooby's had blown it up. Dawn was glad in a way, Buffy had died 2 years ago, and although it was still hard, it was nice to know she was attending the same school, or at least the same grounds. Even if that included the nifty Hellmouth underneath. As Dawn rounded a corner she heard someone calling her name, and their footsteps as they ran to catch her up. She groaned inwardly, she knew that voice, but turned round with what she hoped was a pleasant smile on her face. "Hi Dave." "Hey. I thought maybe I could walk you home?" He smiled that annoying smile, sure, he was cute, but he really wasn't Dawn's type. Dawn didn't think anyone was her type, not unless they were bleached blonde, with blue eyes, wore a lot of black, and, oh yeah, unless they were dead. "Uh, I don't know�" She hesitated. "Ok, fine." She relented, turning round and beginning walking home. "So, do you have any plans for tomorrow night?" "Tomorrow night?" She repeated. //Oh God, Friday, date night, please don't ask me out�// "Kind of. Why?" "I was just thinking we could catch a movie or something?" //There it is. Damn// "Uh�I can't. I'm sorry. Like I said, I'm busy." Busy. She was busy all right, she would spend Friday night in Spikes crypt, maybe he'd take her patrolling, treat her like the kid sis, like he always did. "Oh." Dave said, dejected. Dawn felt horrible. Dave was one of the cutest guys in her class, he was annoying, cos he was always tagging along after her, dropping hints about them dating, but he was a nice guy. //Nice?// Dawn echoed in her head. //Nice? I don't want a "nice" guy. I want a bad boy type, I want someone who tells me to sod off, and smokes way too much, and drinks blood out of a novelty mug, and has spent over a hundred years killing people�// Dawn knew she didn't just want this, if Spike was a nice guy, she'd probably want a nice guy. All in all, she just wanted Spike. Not some sophomore. "What about Saturday?" Dave tried again. "I'm sorry, I don't think so." She felt bad again. She wanted to tell him that it wasn't him, it was her, but Dawn knew that the phrase "Its not you, it's me" was just code for "It is you", even if she meant it sincerely. "Well, here we are." She had stopped walking, and jerked a thumb over her shoulder to signal that they had reached her house. "Ok. I guess I'll see you at school tomorrow?" He stepped closer. //Oh no, he's not gonna kiss me, is he? Quick, Dawn, move. Get inside.// She urged herself. "Bye." She said quickly with a smile, and then headed inside hurriedly, leaving a bewildered Dave on the front lawn. Once inside Dawn sighed. //That was close// She ran up to her room and started on her homework, knowing the sooner it was done, the sooner Giles would let her go out, which was when she would visit Spike. *** The next day at school Dawn tried to avoid Dave, but when her and Lisa grabbed a table at lunch, they were quickly joined by him and a couple of his friends. "Hi Dawn." He smiled, sitting down next to her. "Hey." She said emotionlessly as she pushed her food around on her plate. "Hi Dave." Lisa said with a smile, like the rest of the girls she thought he was so hot. "Hi Leslie." He nodded. "Its Lisa." Dawn corrected automatically. "Sorry." He said quickly to Lisa. Lisa looked happy that he had spoken to her, even if he got her name wrong. "So, you sure about tonight?" He asked her, more confident with his pals around. "Yep." Dawn assured him, sipping her milk and placing it back on her tray. "I am." "What about tonight?" Lisa asked. "It seems Dawn has more important things to do tonight than go out with me." He faked a pout. Dawn saw Lisa look at her as though she was crazy. "What's more important?" Lisa asked Dawn. "I have stuff to do." "Stuff?" Snorted one of Dave's friends. "Like what?" "I have plans with a friend." She said, pushing her tray away from her. "Not that it's any of your business." She got up. "Who?" Lisa asked in a hushed voice. "No one you know." Dawn said. "And this "Friend" is more important than me, huh?" //God, he's such a jerk on front of his friends!// Dawn thought angrily. "Damn right." She answered simply, then she turned and stormed off. By the next period the fact she had turned Dave down was all over school, she kept getting looks from girls, some saying "Are you crazy?" And some saying, "She thinks she's too good for him" Dawn ignored them all, waiting for the final bell so she could leave this building for the weekend. *** Later that night after dinner and after finishing her homework Dawn changed into black trousers, a white low cut top and put on her dark blue denim jacket. She laced her sneakers and headed out the front door, with a goodbye to Giles and a stake in her hand. When she got to the graveyard gates she was met by Spike. "Hey little bit." He greeted, lighting a cigarette. "Thought we'd patrol tonight, nout else to do." "Ok, cool." Dawn shrugged as they began walking to the park, where they always patrolled first. "How was school today then?" He asked, blowing out smoke as he talked. "Ok, I guess." She lied. He ran his fingers through his blonde hair as he walked, Dawn saw the gesture out the corner of her eye and stifled a sigh. He was so hot, just the way he moved drove Dawn crazy. The way he walked with a little bit of attitude. Once at the park they did a couple of sweeps and then sat on the swings, waiting to see if there was any action. Dawn swayed a little on her swing, her legs dangling above the ground of the high seat, she held her stake in her hand, ready for any vamp that was around, but she was nervously twiddling it between her fingers. "You all right, pet?" Spike asked. "Yeah, I'm fine." She smiled at him for his concern. Truth was being this close to Spike often made her nervous, it made her stomach feel like it was knotting up, but it was a good feeling, it was an exciting feeling. "Bloody slow tonight." Spike commented. As if on cue Dawn let out a yelp as a vamp that had crept up from behind pulled her off the swing. He grabbed her, holding her in front of him, almost as if she were a shield. Spike was up quicker than the vamp anticipated; he held his stake in his left hand at his side. "You might wanna let that one go, mate." He warned. "And why would I do that?" The vamp asked. He ran his hand across Dawn's cheek, causing Dawn to wince. "Cos you're gonna end up in an ash tray if you don't." Spike growled. The vamp chuckled a little, "She means something to you, huh?" His right hand trailed down Dawn's neck, along her shoulder, and then he traced a line with one finger down her chest, along the seam of the low cut top. "I can see why." He said as his hand moved further down Dawn's chest, again making her shudder in disgust. "She's certainly a hot one. Great body�fantastic�" Before the vamp had a chance to add anything else Spike, drove by anger, ducked behind him and staked him through the back. As the vampire crumbled Dawn almost fell to the floor, no longer being supported by the vamp, but Spike caught her around the waist before she could drop. She looked up at him, "Jeez, that one was enough with the touchy feely." She said with her usual "Ew�gross!" tone she used when talking about Spike drinking blood. "Yeah, no bloody kidding." Spike said, he had felt unnecessary jealousy when watching that, and a lot of anger. "Are you Ok, luv?" "Yeah, I'm Ok." She said, conscious of Spike's arms still round her waist; she knew he saw it as supporting her, like in a big brotherly way. "You sure? You're trembling." He said, helping her to a standing position. "I know." She said, knowing it wasn't from fear. "Guess he scared me a little, but I knew you were here, so it's cool." She picked her stake, which she dropped when getting pulled off the swing, up and tucked in her waist-band. "Do you wanna go get some coffee or something? We can carry on patrolling after if you feel like it." Spike offered. "Yeah, coffee is good." //What is it Will says? "The non-relationship drink of choice"? It's what Buffy said her and Angel started with, just coffee. So its gotta be a start// Dawn thought as they walked through the streets of Sunnydale. Then she realised how stupid she was being. //He's just trying to take care of you, you were being groped by a vampire, now he's offering to get coffee to calm you down. This is Spike, he's not trying to "start" anything, he just doesn't want his staking partner to be all jumpy// "You're quiet, nibblet." Spike said as they passed Sunnydale Cinema. "Yeah, just thinking." "Well, don't break anything." Spike smirked at her. "Ha Ha." She rolled her eyes. "You're quite the funny guy, Spike." "Don't I know it." He said as they walked into the Espresso Pump. "Right, what ya having, pet?" "Mocha, please." She smiled at him. "You're gonna get all hyped up on the sugar." He warned jokingly. "Never mind, at least it'll keep me awake enough not to almost get killed by a vamp." She said as she sat at a table. Spike went to the counter and returned with a mocha and a cappuccino for himself. "What's the sodding difference between this and coffee? I ask for coffee with milk and they give me this." Dawn giggled, "Welcome to the 21st century of coffee." Spike took a swig "Ow! Burnt my tongue now." He grumbled. Dawn laughed again and carefully sipped hers, "Its not bourbon or blood, you know. It does burn." "Thanks for the lesson, bite size." He rolled his eyes. After Dawn had finished hers, and Spike had left his to go cold enough to gulp down, they made their way out of the Espresso Pump, and down past the Magic Shop, Dawn suggested stopping in and talking to Anya but Spike wasn't in the mood to talk to her and Xander so they abandoned that idea. Just past April Fools Dawn spotted someone. Someone she really didn't want to see. As she gulped silently, and prepared herself for trouble an idea hit her. She quickly turned to Spike, "Will you do me a favour?" She asked. "Sure, Bit, what?" "Just follow my lead, Ok?" Spike noted the pleading look and nodded slowly. As Dave walked closer to them, Dawn saw that he noticed them and she quickly put her arm round Spike's waist. Spike tensed as she did so, but after spotting Dave he uncomfortably put his arm round Dawns shoulder. "Thanks." Dawn whispered sincerely as Dave approached. "Hey Dawn." He smiled, it faltered as he saw she had her arm round another guy. "Who's this?" He frowned. "Uh, Dave, this is Spike." She said hurriedly. "I thought you said he was just a friend?" He asked Dawn. "No, I didn't say that. I said he was a friend, which he is." She traced a finger along Spike's chest and in a swirly pattern, Spike was surprised at how good it felt, and how good it felt to have Dawn this close to him. "But we've also started dating." "Dating?" He didn't sound like he believed it. "So why not just tell me that you're involved with someone, instead of saying you're too "busy" to go out with me?" Dawn tried to think of something to say. "Maybe cos its none of your business, mate." Spike spat out. "Whoa, check out the Billy Idol wannabe." Dave scoffed. "You're not dating him." He said accusingly. "You're just doing this for my benefit, aren't you??" "Get over yourself!" Dawn said incredulously. "God, Dawn, you're one weird chick." He chuckled at her and shook his head. Spike pulled Dawn closer to him. "How about you piss off before I lose my temper?" Spike snarled. "Oh, right, cos I'm so scared." He rolled his eyes at Spike, then looked back at Dawn. "Ok, fine, if you are dating him, prove it." "What?" Dawn asked, suddenly scared her cover was blown, knowing there was no way to prove it. "How am I expected to prove-" Spike tilted Dawn's head to look at him and captured her mouth in a soft kiss. She gasped in surprise, but soon kissed him back. Dave stood there, in awe, as the two continued kissing. Both of them forgetting he was even there. Spike slowly edged her mouth open with his tongue and their tongues met, both exploring the others mouths hungrily. Spike couldn't believe he'd been fighting this. He had been trying to ignore how beautiful Dawn had got in the last 3 years, but he couldn't any longer, not when her body was pressed firmly against his, her arms were round his waist, her mouth on his, her tongue so soft� Dawn couldn't believe this was happening�when he put his arm round her she thought that was as far as he'd go to show Dave that they were involved. Then he pulled her closer, and had defended her to Dave, then she *Couldn't* believe when he gently kissed her�she thought he'd done it to help her out�but now�he was kissing her�kissing her how she'd always hoped he'd kiss her�it seemed like he had been kissing her forever, and yet she didn't want him to pull away yet, it was too soon. "Ok, get a room!" Someone's voice broke her thoughts and soon she realised they were still on the streets of Sunnydale, still kissing each other, still with Dave watching. Spike pulled away now. His eyes opened, and he didn't take them off her. "I think we've proved our point, luv." He said to her. "Yeah�wow�" She breathed, not looking away from him. "God, Ok, I believe you!" Dave said, they ignored him as Spike smiled at Dawn, she smiled back. Dave rolled his eyes, "I think someone's been watching too many chick flicks." He mumbled as he walked off, leaving them alone. Spike looked up now as the boy left, when he saw he had turned a corner Spike cleared his throat, "Uh, we better get back to patrolling." He said. Dawn felt disappointment. She was sure he hadn't just kissed her to help her out. Not with a kiss like that. But he seemed all business now so she pretended it meant nothing to her and pulled away from Spike, removing her stake from her waist and holding it at her side. They began walking to Restfield Cemetery together, neither one telling the other that the kiss been incredible to them. "Nice acting." Dawn commented as they entered the graveyard. Spike nodded, //I wasn't sodding acting// he thought to himself but said out loud, "You too." "Yeah, well, I do take drama at school, you know." She flashed him what she hoped was a convincing smile. "Aren't bad at it either, I'll bet." Spike said. "Yeah, I'm good at hiding what I really feel." She sighed and sat on a headstone. "Me too, little bit." Spike pulled out a flask of bourbon and swigged it, "Me too." |