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prose-for-hire · 1 year ago

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High Stakes

Pairing: Spike x witch!reader (gn)

Request: I was wondering about maybe one where spike and reader are in a relationship like a really healthy one and he is completely in love them but the scooby gang ask them to do some really big draining spell because they are more powerful witch then willow and like reader starts to panic once leaving the magic box with spike and he is super concerned and like they start to have a panic attack and he immediately starts calming them down and looking after them and it’s just really fluffy and angsty.

Requested by: @witchb1tches

Warning: Reader has a panic attack. Crying.

There was a storm brewing. The sky was dark but only you could feel it. You were at one with the elements. A powerful sorcerer who had unfathomable power. As you waled briskly through the streets, your hands laced with Spike’s, you tried to push down your anxieties and focus on the feeling of his hand in yours.

You and Spike had been together for years. He adored you with ever fibre of his being and you matched his love in every way. It was a love that others only dreamed of. You had met at a demon bar one evening and in attempting to impress you, Spike had picked a fight with half of the bar. When he got in trouble and they all tried to jump him at once, you stood up raised your hand, making the entire crowd slam into the back wall of the bar as if shoved by an invisible force.

Spike had just stared, mouth wide open as you winked and left him in the bar, saying your goodbyes. Although you didn’t agree with love at first sight, the ground started humming and the breeze that whistled through your ears on the way home telling you that you had met the one. You waited though, to see if he would make the first move. To test if it really was fate.

You had run into each other several times after that and after getting over the fact that you were friends with the Slayer, he built up the courage to ask you on an actual date. He had even brought flowers that looked suspiciously like they had been swiped from a nearby grave. He had been rather bashful and it had been incredibly endearing, you only understood later on why he was so nervous of rejection.

You had been laying in bed when you got the SOS message from Xander. Some big evil this or some creepy spell that. You knew you had to come as fast as you could and your vampire insisted he was only coming to try and score a nip of blood, but you knew him better than that.

“Don’t know why they think you’re at their every bleedin’ beck and call” Spike had been sulking the entire way there, his unlit cigarette bobbing from his mouth as he spoke. He mostly did it to see you smile, he was very fond of your smile. He did this, especially when he sensed that you were feeling tense about something.

“Spike, it’s the end of the world, we can’t just hold each other and wait for it to get us”

“If it was the end of the world, we’d be doin’ more than cuddlin’. That I can tell you, pet” he pointed at you, his cigarette between his fingers as a curl of smoke escaped his smirk. You rolled your eyes and pushed him playfully as you walked.

“I have power, it would be wrong not to do something to help”

“No, what’s wrong is callin’ up a vampire in the middle of the afternoon while he’s trying to sleep! Apocalypses are ten-to-the-bloody-dozen ‘round here, we could have finished our nap and still caught the next one, I wager”

“That may be true, but-” You started to defend your younger friends and Giles, but that was when you sensed it. The coming storm had distracted you but now you saw it. The Magic Box was ablaze, green fire licked the building and what looked like a tornado inside the store fanned the flames.

You ran straight into the fire, with Spike trying to pull you back. You shot him a meaningful look, your intentions sending your thoughts and reasons into his own head. He nodded, understanding, the fire was magically suspended, something (probably Willow and Tara) was working against the damage.

When you both arrived, Spike had a hand firmly on your waist, he knew that in this sort of fight, you were the one that was doing the protecting. He was man enough to admit that. But it didn’t stop him wanting to ensure that you were by his side. Safe from harm’s way.

The scene was pure chaos, and not in a nice, neat, easy-to-calm way. You had ceased many of those for your friends before. This one was different. An invisible tornado had whipped up around the store, the noise was so loud it was near impossible to hear yourself think. Anya was trying to hold down anything valuable from getting more broken while Giles and Willow were screaming incantations over the din.

“No bloody way” Spike muttered, taking you hand and trying to lead you out again. There was no sodding, buggering, bloody way that you two were getting involved in this one. The slayer and her little friends could fry for all he cared. Just so long as it didn’t involve you.

Buffy was trying to fight the air around her, with Xander on back up, as some force kept attacking the two that were trying to reduce the amount of fire that threatened to consume them.

That was when you saw it. In the centre of the room, the eye of the tornado.

“Th-that book…” You said softly. You knew that book, you could feel the ancient power rolling off it. Humans couldn’t touch that book unless they were powerful enough to withstand it’s hold on their souls.

And seemingly, Tara had touched it. She was suspended in the corner of the room, eyes black and her hair to match. She was a good witch, but not powerful enough to withstand something like that. You weren’t even sure that you were.

How had they found it? Why was it here?

No wonder the world was ending. One chapter, no one sentence even, from that book spoken aloud by someone that didn’t know what to do with it and the whole fabric of this dimension, and many others, would tear and scatter until it was no more.

That book was supposed to be suspended in a hell dimension and, you later found out, Willow had received it as a Birthday gift from an unnamed admirer.

“Y/n, we need to do this, now!” Buffy shouted over the noise. It was a lot worse than you had expected. Time was speeding up, lives were in danger and the whole thing seemed to be resting on you. You wavered, the others couldn’t see it over all the chaos. But he could. Your Spike. Your protector. He was the only thing that could ground you.

“Piss off, would you! You saw what happened to them last time” Spike stepped up to the Slayer menacingly, his leather duster whipping around him in the artificial wind. He cared about you, deeply, none of your friends could deny it. He was worried about you, doing so many spells for them he thought they took it for granted that you could just bounce back and be fine. He told them as much whilst simultaneously throwing a few punches at this invisible being that was trying to fight the room.

You were stood there, seemingly daydreaming as you stood still as the mayhem raged around you, just staring at the book.

“Y/n, the stakes are high, are you, ah, able to do this?” Giles asked, pausing from chanting as he realised that you were now using your own power to hold off the fire.

“We don’t use that word in our house, stakes that is. What with the whole burning at the stake bit” Spike cut in, throwing a punch and overbalancing when it didn’t connect with anything. He managed to style it out, rolling and landing back onto his feet.

“And the dusty vampire thing” You agreed distractedly, pressing your lips against his as he got up from the floor beside you.

“Yes, yes, well? Are you able to do it?” Giles was growing impatient with the man that was always so close by your side. Both Giles and you knew what you had to do. It was something that no other could do. If you didn’t do this, Buffy would never be able to get the upper hand. You may all perish in an instant.

“I can stop time, isolating it so that Buffy can still move will, uh, take a lot… But, luckily for you I am blessed with a lot of power” You insisted, feeling their resolves falter slightly. Buffy had never faced anything like this before. The Hellmouth opening was nothing compared to complete obliteration of dimensions.

The way your power works, you would be pushing against time whilst also pulling Buffy into the present with you. Shifting more than yourself was known to be near-impossible when stopping time. You had done it once before but it had taken a lot out of you.

Spike stayed stood by your side in all of this, only fending off anything that came towards you now. You nodded at him gently, he was always in awe of you, but more so every day.

It was a lot of pressure and the responsibility was crushing. But you persevered, Spike nodding by your side, giving his unending support without even having to say a word. You took a breath, closed your eyes and raised your arms, chanting rapidly.

You did it. When you opened your eyes time had stopped, your love frozen by your side.

Buffy nodded at you, able to move as you held the very threads of time together. It was already taking a toll on your body. It was like you were hanging over the edge of the universe, grip so tight that your knuckles whitened, grimace on your face as you tried to stop everything from tipping into nothingness.

You stopped time long enough for Buffy to decloak the invisible force, the Slayer was already weakened from the earlier fight but managed to kill the demon that had emerged from the book. It bled profusely, spraying the floor with an orange goo.

“Don’t- not on the book!” You screamed, if any demon blood got on that book literally anything could happen. But none of it good.

With one final flourish, Buffy managed to slay the demon and take its weapon, a long staff that had been invisible until now that was needed to return Tara back to them.

While you were watching her, you were hurting, aching all over, you couldn’t hold it any longer. While Buffy finished, you had a spinning wheel of dimensions in your mind and you dropped the book into nearest Hell dimension, hoping it could hold it.

You dropped to the floor as the book disappeared, the wind stopped and everything went silent. Tara was back to herself after a ceremonial wave of the staff, now propped up in a corner by Willow as everyone else skidded towards them. A battered Buffy included.

“You okay?” Spike asked it quietly, as you got to your feet, not wanting to draw any unwanted attention from the group. You nodded once but he wasn’t convinced. He knew you inside out and he took your hand tenderly as he spoke.

“Yeah, I-” You started but the look he gave you told you that he knew. He could sense it. You weren’t doing okay.

“I, uh, I just need some air” You said, grappling with yourself to get out of the magic shop, your hand no longer clasping Spike’s. He was on your heels, throwing a glare behind him at your friends as he went.

The others called their thanks to you as you left, while Xander tended to Buffy’s battle wounds. Your friends all loved you but they didn’t understand certain things about you. You were known as being a little odd, you went missing for periods of time and you frequently shied away from praise or gratitude. But they were fond of you all the same.

You were overwhelmed. Drained and scared you hadn’t done the right thing. What if that book was summoned in another dimension and you could do nothing to stop it? What if you had killed thousands of others by only saving the dimension you lived in?What if it came back and a different chapter opened, one where you couldn’t fight it?

Once outside, the storm had started. The thunder cracked through the air as your heart hammered through your chest. Your chest writhed in pain, as if several hands were scratching at you from within, trying to claw their way out of you. You couldn’t take a full breath, your breathing quickly shallowed, as if something was wringing out your lungs.

It had been creeping up on you ever since you had started the spell, but it had just crashed on top of you like a ton of bricks. You slid down the wall you had been leaning against, clutching your heart and fighting for breath. You were panicking.

“You’re okay, love, ‘m right here with you” Spike knew immediately what it was, crouching down beside you the ghost of his touch hovering over your shoulder as it erratically rose and fell.

“I- I can’t-” You stammered, lightning violently cracking through the air as you spoke.

“You’re okay, love.” he soothed, taking big unneeded breaths of his own to give you something to focus on. You tried to speak but he shook your head, you needed to focus on your breathing, “Breathe, Y/n, that’s right.”

He continued to breathe with you, your fingers numbing and your chest feeling like it was caving in. You felt like you needed to reach inside and stop it somehow but you could summon no amount of power or magic to stop it. This made it worse, you couldn’t control it. You couldn’t stop it and the storm raged on, worse this time as the thunder came from within.

“You’re safe, I’ve got you. Not gonna let anythin’ nasty get you, just take your time” He knelt before you, so that he was all that you could see.

As you slowly managed to regulate your breathing, you stayed sat in the same position as before. Rain started to fall as your tears broke, rolling down your face as the rain pelted down from the sky. You reached for him and he held you, arms wrapping around you as raindrops rolled down his cheeks.

You both stayed, crouched on the floor with the rain hammering down and soaking you both as he pressed the most tender kisses. First against your forehead, then your temple and finally a gentle peck against your lips.

Eventually, Spike moved, only to remove his leather duster to drape it around your shoulders. You hadn’t brought a jacket despite his insistence back in your shared crypt. He didn’t feel the weather and even if he did he would have done the same. Just as he knew you would for him.

“Sorry about…”

“Don’t you ever apologise. You’re the strongest person I’ve ever met, you got nothin’ to be sorry for. I meant it, I always mean it. I’m here for every part of you” The look in his eyes told you that he meant every word. There was no reason for you to ever feel embarrassed, especially not around him. You would never be a burden, nor an inconvenience.

“Thanks” you murmured, but the look he gave you told you that him being here for you was not something he needed to be thanked for, he loved you after all. He was by your side always.

“Let’s get you home, love, catch your death out here” he joked, a watery smile on your face as you pulled his jacket around you. He encouraged you to lean against him as you walked, his arm firmly around your shoulders, the weather clearing if only slightly as you went.

#spike x reader #spike x you #spike btvs #spike btvs x reader #spike imagine #spike btvs imagine #btvs #btvs x you #btvs imagine #btvs x reader #Buffy The Vampire Slayer #buffy the vampire slayer imagine #witch reader #gender neutral #gn #magic

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archive245 · 2 months ago

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Random rinaverse hc

- Remi cried when he overheard the girls talking about star signs because he thought anni had cancer

- Niko wanted to be a power ranger growing up, gareth wanted to be spiderman, killian wanted to be superman, jeremy wanted to be batman

- Ronan the typa guy to be like “i got it, i got it, i don’t got it” while trying to catch a ball

- Moreover good thing this man plays soccer be hes horrible at catching things

- Kimberly has an upside down smile and Xander has an eye smile (like the ones where your whole closes yk??)

- Glyns favourite barbie movie was princess charm school and annikas was barbie and the 13 dancing princesses

- Gareth cannot do anything without airpods

- Glyndon doodles all over her homework and occasionally draws on kills arm with a pen while he focusing on something

- Kimberly says “well my dad said” atleast once a day

- Kirill and adrian like going to museums and art galleries, damien gets dragged along because if he doesn’t he gets all petty that they didn’t invite him even tho he complains the entire time their there

- Maya has a severe friendship jealousy issues when it comes to her friends having other friends (mood girl same)

- Reina loved going out to celebrate no matter how small the matter was killian got 100 on his spelling test? celebration, Asher won a court case? celebration, gareth got first place in track and field? celebration

- Ava always had her nails done with long acrylics and likes to just click them around to tell people she just got them done

- Once Xander and Ronan got arrested and they used their one free call on Cole and said your mom and hung up

- Nikolai sucks at spelling and texting example

- Killian drinks a whole pack of cola in a week

- I honestly think Jeremy was scared of girls as a child and when he first met Maya and Mia he was so scared of them he constantly hid from them but to them they just thought Jeremy was ignoring them bc hes a bitch

- Ronan is actually really smart but doesnt like showing it, so instead he acted like the dumb cluless one and people believe it

- Teal actually is a marvel nerd and forces ronan to binge watch the entire series with her

- Cecily started to wear glasses in grade 6, because 1 she thought they made her look like a nerd and 2 because she thought everyone viewed the world as blurry

- When ever Elsa would go on vacation she would buy small trinkets thats reminded her of them for everyone

- When ever anni sees a cat she ll take a picture of it and send it to creigh

- Nikolai consistently looses things, even things that were in his hand, looks away from one second BOOM missing

- Eli got tattoos to try and piss off Aiden little did he know Aiden also has tattoos so he was chill about it

- Creighton was scared if loud noises for a long time, and once Eli scared Creighton by like sneaking up behind him and he had a panic attack and since then Eli payed extra attention to his well being

- Xander is aggressive drunk loves fighting or arguing people, Coles definitely horny drunk disappears minutes after getting drunk, aiden doesnt get drunk, and ronans giggly drunk

- bonus knox is the type you would put on a lease drunk because he runs around and falls alot, definitely wakes up with bruises everywhere

- Teal turns soft and adorable when drunk so she doesnt drink infront of people, Kims also giggley drunk (ronan and kim can be seen just laughing and giggling with eachother on a sofa), elsa is sleepy drunk and silver is definitely the all in or none (she gets blackout drunk or sober no in between)

- Ava always plays a princess peach during mario kart and mia always plays as shyguy

- Gareth was the type ti start assignment weeks in advance, while nikolai started them the night before

-Lan was definitely a kid who needed to be on a leash because he would run around everywhere and get lost, “astrid or levi king please come to the front desk we have your son” was heard every time on the loud speakers every time they went out for a family gathering

#booklr #rina kent #rinaverse #legacy of gods #royal elite series #monster trilogy #throne duet

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lyrakanefanaticwriting · 7 months ago

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WE NEED SOME LYRA AND GRAY HCS 🙏

OKAYYYYY 🤭🤭🤭🙌

- grayson calls her “ms. kane” when he’s teasing her but usually just calls her “my love” or just “love” 🤭

- she’s the only one who can make him blush, and somehow managed to do it in front of his brothers. they all cheered and snapped a photo, but grayson went onto all of their phones and deleted it 💀

- whenever grayson plans a visit with gigi and sav they always make him bring lyra too because they “love her more than him” (in a joking way, but gray still told lyra and she found it funny)

- when grayson first met her parents, lyra forced him to wear a NORMAL outfit (normal pants and a nice shirt) and his brothers were all speechless when he left the house 😭😭

- whenever xander can’t get grayson to agree to something stupid, he always makes lyra ask (and he always say yes to her 🤭)

- he loves giving her nose kisses and she loves giving him forehead kisses

- before gray and lyra became a thing, gray used to wake up at around 5:30, but after they started dating and lyra started sleeping in his bed she made him get up at 7 instead because “nobody should be waking up at that time” (he’s lowk grateful for it though because he ends up feeling more energized when he does wake up)

- THIS ONES MORE A SPECIFIC SITUATION BUT STILL!!

- gray, lyra, avery, libby, max, xan, Jamie, and nash were all swimming in the pool to cool off on a hot day, when suddenly jameson pushes lyra into the pool (they’re besties so it was in a joking way 💀)

- gray gives him a look, and when lyra comes up for air and starts saying “ow, jameson you made me scrape my ankle really hard, I think it’s bleeding” the look turns into a lecture

- lyra puts a hand out for gray to hold and help her out, when suddenly her pained expression turns into a devilish grin. She tugs on his hand, and sends him flying into the pool. everybody starts laughing, when Xander’s eyes go wide and he starts telling lyra to swim to the little stairs thing that gets you out of the pool (help I forgot what it’s called 💀)

- lyra realizes at the same time what everyone else did, that she needed to swim away as fast as she could. why? because she, who is the most average and slow swimmer to ever walk this planet, just pushed a practically olympic swimmer into a pool. NOT a good idea. 💀

- she swims away, going underwater to help her move faster, when her legs suddenly get pulled from behind her. She gets spinned around and is suddenly face to face with grayson. he’s smiling, and has the same devilish expression that lyra wore earlier. taking her up with him for air, he puts an arm under her legs and one on her back and carries her out of the water baby style. xander grins and steps toward grayson, and suddenly he was carrying her ankles, and grayson was holding her arms. they threw her into the pool, and grayson teased her for the rest of the day for being a slow swimmer 🙄💗

- he’s very big on hand placement, so he always has a hand on her thigh or around her waist 🤭🙌

- lyra is a very light sleeper, meanwhile graysons a DEEP sleeper. because of this, lyra could bang pots and pans in the morning and still not wake him up, but if grayson tries to get her head off his chest with even the slightest movement in the morning she’ll immediately wake up 💀

- he’s obsessed with how she looks in dresses with the leg slit (😻) and always tells her how beautiful she looks wearing them

- grayson is in love with lyras voice, so whenever he’s having a panic attack she’s always there whispering sweet things in his ear, or even just stories that she grew up being read, and it always calms him down 😭💗💗

- acacia loves lyra and lyras mom (assuming she has a good relationship with her mom) loves grayson 🫶🫶

- grayson loves to braid lyras hair, so sometimes when she gets out of the shower and is about to go to bed he’ll braid it 💗💗

- grayson loves how she looks in dark red lipstick and can’t stop kissing her whenever she does wear it 🤭🤭

- and she loves how he looks in suits (although she’ll never admit it because she doesn’t want his ego to get somehow bigger 💀)

- grayson always has to lie about how much he spends on clothes/gifts for lyra cuz she’ll be mad if he spends too much 💀

- for example it’d go like this:

- “hey gray, how much did you spend on this necklace you got me?”

-“$60.”

-“are you sure? dont lie”

“……$600”

“are you serious?? that’s way too much to spend on a necklace!”

“okay, then you’re not gonna like the actual price..”

“why? what’s the actual price?”

“…”

“grayson…”

“just… just add one more zero…”

“$6000?????”

- because of that whole thing, she’s somehow convinced him to not spend too much money on her (he still does anyway 💀)

OKAY THATS ALL THANKS FOR THE REQUEST 🫶🫶

#lyra kane #grayson hawthorne #lyra and gray #lyra x grayson #the grandest game #the inheritance games #avery kylie grambs #jameson hawthorne #nash hawthorne #the brothers hawthorne #xander hawthorne #my hcs #jennifer lynn barnes #maxine liu #libby grambs

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xo-zozo · 7 months ago

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can I req some Grayson hcs <3

~ he couldn’t (and still can’t) pronounce the world penguin

~ he’s super nice to all the staff in hawthorne house (but not to anyone else??)

~ he shines his shoes…everyday

~ he has a fear of worms

~ he writes letters that he never sends (idk to who that’s up for interpretation)

~ he knows everything about airplanes AND trains because of a phase he had when he was like nine

~ grayson looovveesss babies

~ grayson would hang out with the little kids at parties when he was like twelve and they would be the only people he socialized with

~ cologne collection… in general he’s just a big collector

~ he wants to be michael buble when he’s older

~ coco AND inside out would make him cry (xander made him watch them)

~ there are definitely grayson fan pages somewhere

~ secret pinterest account

~ he has a hatred for casseroles since he was little

~ he’s a neat freak, everything has to have its place or he has like a panic attack

i’ve done so many grayson headcannons tbh 😭🙏🏼

#grayson hawthorne #the inheritance games #jennifer lynn barnes #the hawthorne legacy #avery kylie grambs #the brothers hawthorne #the grandest game

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gergthecat · 6 months ago

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Du you think you could make some more averyjameson headcannons? I honestly can never get enough of them

Hmmm… i GUESS i can make more🙄

jk <3

even more averyjameson headcanons

Jameson is a fan of funky socks and Avery provides them for him

they love Bob Marley

Avery is a MASSIVE lightweight

I mentioned that Avery always has something sprained in a different post and one time it was because Jameson fell out of a tree right in front of her and she fell

neither of them can cook beyond ramen and frozen pizza so they take cooking classes from the cuisines they loved in their travels

Jameson is a relentless meme sender

especially those alpha wolf/kitten memes

at some point during their travels, Jameson gets really into weaving bracelets and Avery returns home with an armful of them

they get matching tattoos of a king and queen chess piece after they get married

I feel like they would elope and tell nobody until they got back

Max and Xander would be heartbroken

at one point Avery goes out for a walk and just returns home with a baby bird that has a broken wing

they end up collecting random stray animals because Avery and Nash always need to take care of them

Jameson only relents because, as he claims, Avery promised him sex

she did no such thing

he just loves her

their song is "There is a Light That Never Goes Out" by The Smiths

when Avery gets panic attacks Jameson is the only person who can calm her down without her flinching or being scared

they have countless videos of each other while they are drunk

one is of Jameson crying and telling Nash that he loves him

Xander throws scone crumbs at them whenever Avery has a hickey (which is a LOT)

A few of my friends who haven't read TIG were with me as I was making this so here are their ideas as well:

Jameson consumes copious amounts of drugs (especially meth)

Jameson is a whore and a bitch?

Grayson is a communist (how did he get here??)

#gergthecattalks #the inheritance games series #the inheritance games #the hawthorne vault #the hawthorne legacy #the final gambit #the brothers hawthorne #the grandest game #games untold #inheritance games headcannons #avery x jameson #averyjameson #avery grambs #avery kylie grambs #jameson hawthorne #jameson winchester hawthorne #averyjameson headcannons

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hathorneheiress · 7 months ago

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Episodes of surprise

Avery's POV

Sometimes they come fast. Bringing me to my knees. Other times it took a little while. Torturously taking it's sweet time to get to me. Today was the time it came fast.

I was in my room getting ready for the day when my breathing became labored and I began shaking like a leaf. I had never had to deal with panic attacks but now I did. I noticed it not to long after losing my mom but it got worse when I became the richest teenager in the world over a year ago. In that short time I had been shot at, threatened, bombed, in a coma. Chloroformed and kidnapped. Almost lost people I hold dear and so much more. Definitely something to spike my panic attacks.

I was on the floor in an instant. Cupping my hands over my ears I rocked back and forth. Trying to focus on my breathing it did nothing to calm my nerves. Oddly, it only made it worse.

"Heiress, just breath." the voice sounded so far away yet so close at the same time. Then I saw my boyfriend's face right next to mine.

Jameson Winchester Hawthorne was everything and nothing I had thought I would have for a boyfriend. Emarald green eyes that usually sparkled in mischief was filled with concern. The constant smirk was replaced with a frown. The one thing that was the same was the unruly dark brown hair. So artfully mused.

Most people saw Jameson as a spoiled billionaire grandson with an adrenaline rush and a need for riddles and adventures. And he was, but only me and his brothers knew there was more then the outside people got to see. He was also kind, caring, funny. Gave me distractions when I needed them the most. (And sometimes not) Gave me the best back rubs and hugs. Was a perfect kisser. Did I say that?

I felt his warm hands cup my face. "It's ok Heiress. Focus on me."

A peaceful sense came over me and was able to concentrate on his words. "J-Jameson." I murmured shakily. "What are you doing here?"

"I got home early. And I'm glad I did. How long has it been going for?"

"Not long." I confessed burying myself in his chest. He smelled of expensive cologne, whisky, bad morning breath, and cake batter?

I sat up. "Where have you been?" I asked suspiciously.

He gave me his most charming smile. Proof he was doing something he was not supposed to be doing. "A surprise."

I gave him a look. He laughed. "Alright Heiress, you win. I'll show you what it is. But you have to promise me you are up for it. Especially after your episode. (Jameson always called it that. Trying to be discreet which I appreciate.)

Honestly, I had forgotten about it. But that's what usually happened. I'd be having a panic attack and Jameson would miraculously appear. He'd get me talking about other things and then everything negative I felt went away. "Yes, I'm fine. Thank you."

"Anything for you Heiress." We both rose from the floor.

Taking my hand he led me through the house till we got toward the kitchen. Why were we going there?

He seemed to read my mind. "You'll see."

"Surprise!!!!!!!!" People shouted as soon as we walked through the doors. I jumped in shock. Everyone I loved and cared for was there. Xander and Max stood in a corner holding large amounts of punch. Libby, with Nash at her side, stood next to a gigantic pile of cupcakes. There was a least 200 if not more. Frosted with every color under the sun. I noticed Grayson in another corner holding a very wiggling Tiramisu. I couldn't help but giggle.

Thea, Rebecca, the Laughlin's. Alisa Oren, and Zara too.

Why was everyone here? It wasn't my birthday or the anniversary of when I came. "What's the occasion?" I had to ask. "Why is everyone here?"

"It's officially Avery Grambs appreciation day!" Xander shouted out.

"What?"

Jameson explained. "We have been noticing how stressed out you have been getting. And we decided that you need to take a break. Also we wanted to show you how much you mean to each and everyone of us." He smirked. "Including Thea."

"Ha ha Jameson Hawthorne." She gave a smile that only Thea herself could give.

"So all this is just for me?" I couldn't get over it.

"Just for you. Including the cupcakes. You have to eat all 300 by yourself."

I playfully gutted him in the stomach.

"Oh thank you!" I went around and hugged everyone there. And got dog kisses from Tiramisu as well.

What started out as a horrible day turned into one of joy and fun. We consumed more cupcakes than I will admit and talked for hours about random, stupid things that only the Hawthornes and us would talk about.

It was good to be loved and appreciated.

#the inheritance games #the brothers hawthorne #the hawthorne legacy #the final gambit #the grandest game #grayson hawthorne #jameson hawthorne #nash hawthorne #xander hawthorne #avery grambs #libby grambs #Thea #Rebecca #Oren #Alisa #Zara #Appreciation for our Avery Grambs

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cherry-flavoured-thot · 2 years ago

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Hey, sorry for bothering. I was wondering if you can do a fire emblem heroes head canon with a child summoner reader, who has social anxiety (of extra drama you can add past trama but this bit is optional)? Again sorry for bother, I just think the idea is cute because tiny timid summoner.

Child!Summoner:

Alfonse, who feels so much guilt that they've placed the burdens of their world on a child to the point where he overcompensates by constantly reminding Summoner to ask him if they need anything at all. "Alfie I'm tired." Yes he lets them call him that nickname, and yes he immediately gives them a piggyback ride.

Sharena is the same, except she will let tiny Summoner hide behind her in social situations. When talking with certain heroes, Sharena will either be right by their side or nearby to jump in if it looks like they are afraid. Camilla is someone else who will allow Summoner to hide behind her if they'd wish during social situations.

"You've seen war child, and you mean to tell me people is what you fear?" Thorr sees the irony in it all, Askr's greatest weapon a child, whose knees threaten to buckle in gatherings of people. "Steady yourself, I will not allow harm to befall you." But she still tries to ease their worries regardless.

Grima calls Summoner, little worm and little human (affectionately). They aren't as sympathetic to Summoner's anxiety, as other heroes but Grima's presence alone scares off plenty of people. "Why worry yourself little worm? I will turn them all into ash and their foolish opinions with them." Yeah... not very helpful.

But if we want to be angsty, and Summoner has trauma, I just know Grima would be seething. "How typical of humans to turn on their own, not even their own children are safe from foolishness. This is why I will destroy them all."

Little Summoner has so many family members now. Hector likes to carry them around on his shoulders, Seteth and Flayn teach them how to fish. Ephraim teaches them how to use a lance, Felix teaches them how to use a sword but both of them make the mistake of handing the child one made of steel and are surprised when they can't even pick the weapon up off the ground. Seth was around when Ephraim was teaching Summoner, and was sighing the whole time.

Setsuna and Summoner have both been found just chilling in traps together, Setsuna's calm demeanor helps them to not panic. Xander takes them horseback riding and almost has a full blown panic attack because they immediately fell off the horse. Helbindi incites violence on anyone who makes Summoner cry.

#i like this #i always like little quirky summoners #cryptid summoner was my fave #fire emblem heroes #feh #fire emblem #fire emblem x reader #fe #fe x reader #feh x reader #alfonse #sharena #grima #thorr #hector #seteth #ephraim #felix

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strangermask · 11 months ago

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People of the rottmnt fandom

As a person who is a “Casey Jr is a dumpster baby” believer, I present to you: Casey Jr’s bio family! (In the good timeline)

Starting off with the parents: Anastasia Quill and Neville Quill.

I hc Casey Jr as biracial as you can see in the above photo. His mother, Anastasia, was a former foot clan member. She parted ways with the clan after she met her future husband, Neville. Their meet was before the kraang summoning (I feel it important to clarify that), but she does keep contact with one of the old foot recruits. Neville, on the other hand, is just a normal guy with an average life. He wants to live life as a science teacher and spend it with his wife and kids.

Speaking of kids, introducing them now! And, surprise surprise, Casey Jr isn’t an only child

The first and eldest child is Genesis. And with his name meaning “origin”, it fits the eldest well. He was born on April 25th, 2025. Ever since he was young, he’s been a calm and collected kind of guy. Very nice, very polite, and he just radiates that big brother energy (at least according to his younger siblings). The only time he breaks into panic is when his siblings either get into trouble or almost end up hurt. They give him a heart attack at least thrice a week.

The second child is Angel, the oldest twin. She was born on December 16th, 2028. Out of everyone in the family, she is the most energized and extroverted. Her name means “messenger” and that definitely fits her. If someone needs to send a message, she is on it. Party invitations? Done. School is going to do a fundraiser? Already making the posters. And being pretty well known and fun to talk to, she is basically the town doll.

The third child is Xander, the youngest twin. He, along with Angel, was born December 16th, 2028. He is quite the opposite of his sister. He is more shy and reserved, not really putting himself out there. He has a bit more trouble socializing then his family, but he tries his best. They’re probably the only people he sticks close to. That, however, doesn’t mean he isn’t an absolute menace to his siblings. Although… there’s something familiar about that kid.

And finally, the youngest child Thanos. His name means “immortal”, and it’s the shorten name of the Greek God of death: Thanatos. He wishes that was his name though considering how many times he’s teased about sharing a name with a giant fricking purple villain. Anyways, he was born on February 7th, 2036. He brought quite the surprise with his red hair. Turned out both sides of the family had the genetic hidden. As the youngest, he gets inspired by his older siblings and tries to mimic them. This has led him to be the spunky and charming child that he is. He still can be a little gremlin when he wants to be.

This sweet little family live a peaceful life in Oregon. Anastasia and Neville moved there for both job opportunities and take a small break from the New York life. Maybe one day they’ll go back to the city.

Down below is a lil extra bonus. For now, I thinks about it

Ooooooooooh, that’s why Xander seemed familiar… he is Casey Jr. Unfortunately, he didn’t know that. He thinks it was just a weird dream he had, but that dream is affecting his life. He doesn’t know why or what’s going on, but it has to do with the ghost he constantly sees. And fun fact, Xander’s name means: Defender of humankind. Very fitting for the boy whose mission was once to find the key and stop the kraang.

#rottmnt #rottmnt au #rise of the tmnt #tmnt #rottmnt casey jr #rottmnt casey junior #mask draws #rise of the teenage mutant ninja turtles

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roseadleyn · 2 years ago

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22. what simple activity that most people do / can do scares your character? 42. if invited to a TED Talk, what topic would they present on? what would the title of their presentation be? 56. if they’re scared, who do they want comfort from? does this answer change depending on the type of fear?

with roselyn, raymond, xander

thanks for asking, ely!! took me some time since so much has been going on right now

Xander ;

22. What simple activity that most people do / can do scares your character?

xander is scared of people who are carefree with grades. in general, if you get a 'C' and go, 'oh, i passed at least!' he's looking at you with genuine fear in his eyes

this plays into the perfectionist side of xander. every time something of his goes wrong, he berates himself harshly and starts overthinking.

42. If invited to a TED talk, what topic would they present on? What would the title of their presentation be?

probably, something super boring and intelligent. like, economics or law, and that'd be the title, and it might sound like it'll bore you to death but xander's really pretty and he makes it sound interesting, so he can get away with it.

56. If they're scared, who do they want comfort from? Does this answer change depending on the type of fear?

xander isn't terrified of much unless his plans go wrong and he can't go back. he starts panicking, going into overdrive, desperately trying to correct his mistake. panic attacks are common for him in these situations... he wants comfort from his sister. she seems to resent him so much, for what? being the eldest? protecting her? can't she see that he couldn't control being the eldest, that he's trying to make them give her equal treatment?

Raymond ;

22. What simple activity that most people do / can do scares your character?

raymond is terrified of people who are okay with going up in curved elevators, such as the one in the Gateway Arch. it makes him feel dizzy and lightheaded. he's fine with roller coasters so 🤷‍♀️

others, let's see... people who can go to sleep without their skincare routine. sure, it's fine if you're extremely tired etc, but. come on, it just scares him. you have the peace of mind, going to sleep, knowing you might break out?

42. If invited to a TED talk, what topic would they present on? What would the title of their presentation be?

war strategy. raised eyebrows at this, but still. he likes what he likes. and it'd be so basic, like 'warfare and strategy' or something similar. it's the topic he's put most heart and soul and effort in studying, so he'd like to talk about it.

56. If they're scared, who do they want comfort from? Does this answer change depending on the type of fear?

raymond will not respond in fearful situations. just the typical looking around and planning to get free.

when he truly is afraid, he wants to be comforted with a warm hug or something like that. he doesn't want any pity or fake sympathy. as for who he'd to like to comfort him... he'd like his father to comfort him. i mean, come on. the man is his only parental figure and half the time he feels like he's the one comforting his father with grief.

Roselyn ;

22. What simple activity that most people do / can do scares your character?

roselyn is in complete terror because of the people who have chapped lips and bite and gnaw on them like. please stop she'll hand you her colorless lip balm just. please stop it she's quaking.

and also people who are fine with not doing anything. sure, she understands the moments in which you want some peace and quiet, but.. being eternally still is terrible to her. it's because she has so much energy that she herself doesn't know what to do with it.

42. If invited to a TED talk, what topic would they present on? What would the title of their presentation be?

something super pretty yet smart, like old literature books or the victorian language of flowers (i couldn't resist, okay?). she knows how boring lectures can be, so she slips humorous jokes and commentary to soften up her talks. the title would be the book she's talking about, or the names of the flowers she's gonna go haywire on about.

56. If they're scared, who do they want comfort from? Does this answer change depending on the type of fear?

roselyn gives a squeal upon sighting a bug or something. nothing real or major.

when she is afraid, genuinely, she goes completely quiet. trembling and pale all over. no tears or panicking. shaking hands gripping the skirt of her dress, doe eyes welling with terror.

and comfort? roselyn doesn't want anyone to comfort her — she doesn't need anything damaging the 'innocent cheerful princess' facade. however...someone to understand might be nice. she's sick of being the one to understand and pick up the pieces.

tags ; @loekas, @mysticmeena, @parkykwho, @elychee, @sidra-29, and @rouecentric.

#꒰ ♡ ꒱ — acacia.#thank you for the ask ely <333 #roselyn.#꒰ ❀ ꒱ — coreopsis.#xander.#raymond.

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pygmi-cygni · 6 days ago

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Baby, meet Baby

I do not like pregnancy fics at all but I love little children and I'm lowkey a little buzzed right now and I thought this was cute.

Nathan has a panic attack when he sees the baby. You laugh and say 'not mine, just taking care of her for the weekend' yet he will not get within ten feet of her.

You hold her in a bjorn and rock her gently in the kitchen. He'll watch from the doorway, but stalk off when you catch him.

Sometimes he asks, feigning disinterest, if it's annoying to hold her all the time. 'No,' you shrug, rubbing her back, 'kind of like a big squishy brick.' He wrinkles his nose and rolls his eyes.

Cannot comprehend loving a baby. 'Smelly, gross, makes a fuckin' mess, what is there to like?'

'She trusts you completely. kind of like your bots,' you slide in, after wiping the mess of peas off the floor.

after a few days, he gets curious. he'll stand near her bassinet while she sleeps and just watch, peering at the ways she wiggles or squeezes her hands.

'Wanna hold her?' you offer when she's feeling a bit drowsy. 'She won't scream.'

He balks, but you pull him over to the sofa and arrange his arms correctly, then lay the baby gently on his lap. Nathan....just kinda shorts out.

His face freezes in that odd expression of terror, until the baby starts to fuss. Then he goes into work mode, adjusting and shifting to figure out how to fix her small cries. You don't help him when he shoots you a desperate glance. If anything, you walk up to get some dishes done.

Nathan sits on the couch, petrified. 'Hey,' he hisses. 'get your ass-' a wary glance at the baby, and he lowers his voice. 'Get your ass back over here!'

When you don't listen, he just resigns to his fate and sits back, trying to breathe as gently as possible.

The baby, ironically, adores him. falls asleep very easily, sprawled across him haphazardly. Nathan likes the weight and the warmth of her tiny body, and adjusts pretty well.

He prefers the baby carrier. That way he can get work done and coo over her in private.

Shocked to find that smelling the top of a baby's head is indeed very soothing. Baby loves the feel of his beard and often falls asleep with her hand fisted in the rough curls.

Once, he hurriedly handed her over and stepped back. "I don't wanna hold her anymore," he said firmly. You frowned, checking her onesie. "Did she pee?"

No, he just got an overwhelming need to squish her face really hard and was genuinely terrified of hurting her.

Cuteness aggression, you laughed, happens all the time. He shudders and takes a few minutes away.

Gets over it pretty quick though and soon hogs all the holding time. hates everything else though.

genuinely kind of bummed when the baby has to go back to your sister.

domesticity is choking me.

@krakenkitty @ominoose @bulletgoth @my-secret-shame-but-fanfiction @justsomeonecalledemma

@iolaussharpe-24 @rosegnome @twwcs @heeheehoohoofictimr @steven-grants-world

@ael-xander @to-be-a-sunshine @weasleyswizarding-wheezes @silvernight-m @lonelyisamyw-0love @unear7hly

@chaithetics

#x reader #nathan bateman x reader #fanfic #nathan bateman fic #nathan bateman #headcanon #parenting

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foreveralwaysanauthor · 2 years ago

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Juliet's Basic Info

Name: Juliet Anna Grace Harmon

Juliet’s faceclaims were so much fun to find, but I feel like they all work out pretty well. In the same, left-to-right order, we have Sharon Tate for the 60s (Valley of the Dolls), Michelle Pfeiffer for the 80s (The Hollywood Knights), Heather Graham for the 90s (Twin Peaks and I swear her hair is blonde in the picture, it's just the lighting), and Kathryn Newton for the present (Lisa Frankenstein).

Nicknames: Jules, Julie, Smiley (one of the various nicknames her dad gave her over the years, but it seemed to be the only one to stick through everything), and Duckling (a nickname from her grandmother who helped raise her)

Age: 20

Date of Birth: July 17

Zodiac: Cancer

Birthstone: Ruby

Nationality: American and Welsh

Sexuality: Bisexual, but she doesn't realize it yet. Juliet always claims that she’s straight when asked, but she makes it perfectly clear that she would 100% drop a man for her best friends, so do with that information as you will

Birthplace: Wadley Regional Medical Center, Texarkana, Texas

Current Residence: Diamond Isle, Clearwater, Florida

Occupation: She doesn’t need a job because of her dad’s money, but works at Big Momma’s to watch the everyday chaos and be the first to overhear all the gossip between patrons. Deep down, however, she is an aspiring singer

Talents/Skills: She’s played the piano for years, she can figure out any math problem in her head, and she knows how to tell what needs to be fixed in cars and motorcycles because she spent a lot of time in her dad’s shops growing up and learned very quickly

Birth order: Only child

Parents: Mark Harmon and Eloise Chapman

Signature:

Height: 5’6” or 171cm

Eye Color: Hazel

Hair Color: Almost white blonde

Glasses or contact lenses: She needs glasses for reading, but refuses to wear them unless absolutely necessary

Distinguishing features: Two freckles on her face (one on each cheek), a flower tattoo on her right hip, and a flaming heart tattoo near the inside of her left elbow

Mannerisms: Humming constantly, will improvise a quick excuse just to leave a conversation/party, and chews gum like that girl from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory when she’s anxious

Health: Dyslexic and has blood pressure issues

Hobbies: Spending her dad’s money, ballet, horseback riding, violin, and crocheting

Greatest flaw (in their opinion): Her looks and how dependant she is on her dad. When it comes to her looks, Juliet knows she looks like a stereotypical Barbie doll and she feels like her appearance makes it hard to tell whether people like her for who she is or not. She makes sure to let others know about it being an issue for her. Juliet’s dependency on her dad, on the other hand, is a sore subject for her. Since her mom left, she clings to her dad like he’s the only thing in her life that matters. She almost hates how dependant she is on him even though she’s an adult and is more than capable of taking care of herself.

Best quality (in their opinion): Her creativity. She knows how to play whatever role is thrown her way. When she was with Xander’s group, she was used as “The Distraction” more than once and it was fun for her to come up with entire plotlines surrounding a false version of herself.

Biggest fear: While she would probably say snakes and confined spaces, her true fear is imperfection. Juliet’s mom drilled it into her head from a young age that she needed to look, act, and be perfect in order to get her love and attention. When her mom eventually left, Juliet did everything in her power to be as perfect as she could possibly be - perfect grades, perfect appearance, everything needed to be perfect or it wasn’t good enough. Her dad tries to break her from that every chance he gets, but sometimes it isn’t enough. She still gets panic attacks when something doesn’t go right or if she doesn’t succeed at something on the first try.

Hogwarts House: Slytherin

Favorite ice cream: Black cherry

Favorite color: Crimson red

Favorite number: 9 (her competition number for horseback riding)

Favorite songs: BITCH by Dani Taylor, Bills, Bills, Bills by Destiny’s Child, Breakfast by Dove Cameron

Favorite movies: Fireball 500, Heathers, Hello Dolly, The Devil Wears Prada, and Mean Girls

Favorite shows: Gilmore Girls, The Crown, Dickinson, Baywatch, and Charlie’s Angels

Favorite books: The Reappearance of Rachel Price by Holly Jackson, The Benevolent Society of Ill-Mannered Ladies by Alison Goodman, The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid, and Turtles All the Way Down by John Green

Favorite video games: Animal Crossing, Stardew Valley, and Virginia

A musical they like: My Fair Lady

A place they want to visit: Italy and Greece

#Juliet Harmon #character info #Juliet

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scout-garcia · 2 years ago

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#huntsvilleintro

the basics;

FULL NAME: Scout Teofila Garcia

NICKNAME: n/a unless her brothers give her one

GENDER: Female

PRONOUNS: She/Her

AGE: Twenty-Three

OCCUPATION: Stylist @ Best Cuts

RESIDENCE: The Commune

RESIDENT or VISITOR: Resident

HUNTER or GATHERER: Hunter

TITLE: The Cool-Headed

FACECLAIM: Alexxis Lemire

the bio;

scout grew up in huntsville in a first generation puerto rican family. mother, father and two older brothers - one of which was her twin brother. being the baby of the kids and being the only daughter, scout gets away with more than she should when she's up to her shenanigans. the youngest garcia can be a bit of a wildchild, fearless in her own right, but also defiant. she became a hunter against her families wishes and has no intention of giving that up despite pleas from her mother.

when not giving her mother a million heart attacks a day, scout can be found at her job as a stylist over at best cuts. she fell into the role and found that she quite enjoys it. it keeps her entertained, busy and out of trouble which are all good things in scout's book.

the garcia family were the first family to move into the compund. when nico had raised his concerns back when the paradox had first occurred, scout had his back without hesitation even when the rest of their family was hesitant. some say it's a twin thing and scout would be inclined to agree, but she's always had both her brothers backs, even when she thought they were being stupid. she can find her brothers smothering at time, especially xander, but she knows they mean well and that she's not exactly been giving them peace of mind whenever she goes barrelling into the forest to go hunting.

for everything that is going on in the town, scout is alarmingly laid back. there's enough stress and panic going round the town in spades, she doesn't need to add to the fear-mongering. she's came to the acceptance that this is her life now and that she's stuck here for good. her confidence wavers when people try plans to escape or contact the outside world.

hope can be a dangerous thing. it's the hope that kills you.

other notes;

+ the youngest of the garcia trio

+ twin to nico, he's older than her ever so slightly and she is reminded of this more than she would like to hear

+ bisexual

the possible connections;

friends

besties

crush

lover

acquaintances

enemies

ex's

brothers friends

co-workers

neighbours

open to any and all plots/connections & if you'd like to plot with scout or would even just like to have a chat, please feel free to drop me a message any time

will add to this as i go along but this is the general outline

#huntsvilleintro #headcanon

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the-watchpost · 2 years ago

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Buffy S03E21/S03E22: Graduation Day Part 1/Part 2

Wow. Graduation Day. What a finale these two episodes make. Still don’t get why the Mayor would want to turn into that thing but whatever - his character made for a brilliant villain across the season nonetheless. It is kind of a shame to see him go.

Xander talks a couple of times about not getting out of graduation alive, even at one point saying something about a dream he had. Obviously, we know that Buffy has had dreams come true in the past. It’s not so likely that Xander would have such premonitions but I do wonder if this little subplot was part of the writers way to try and up the ante regarding the impending battle. Aside from Jenny in season 2, the main gang have been relatively untouchable and Xander’s comments seem to be a way to suggest that this may not be the case this time. There were also a couple of times across this season - particularly in the Zeppo - where Xander was described as expendable so this part of the story seems to play off all that and hint towards his life being at stake. Ultimately, of course, he does get out of it okay and lives to fight through another season.

There are more scenes between Xander and Anya in these episodes. She certainly shows an interest in him but has no clue how to act upon those feelings which is an interesting dynamic. Ultimately, Anya serves as a kind of exposition-y role in this episode as she’s seen an ascension before fills in the gaps that the gang have about the ascension; the Mayor isn’t just become a demon, he’s becoming a demon because the demons we have seen so far in this show aren’t full demons. The Mayor plans to become something bigger and more destructive.

She was too scared by what she had seen in the previous ascension to stick around and help fight so she left after providing that information. Before she did leave, she tried to convince Xander to leave with her. I found myself being reminded of the episode ‘The Zeppo’ during this scene, not only did the scene begin with Xander being sent to fetch something but he turns down her offer to leave with her and when she tells him “you’re going to die if you stay here.” he replies with “I guess I might.” It just echoes his “I like the quiet” and the way he stared down the bomb in the Zeppo and just further emphasises his willingness to risk his life for the rest of the gang. Anya leaves alone. Things between her and Xander were left pretty open so I’m pretty sure it’s not the last we’ll see of her and I’m very interested to see more of her character.

Considering Buffy was all for the prom in the previous episode, she is very anti-Graduation in this episode. “Graduation is a pointless ceremony” seems quite a strong viewpoint (though one which, being English, I can’t help but sort of agree with). I guess the difference here is that she has known for a while now that her Graduation would be another day in her life which wouldn’t be normal. Prom was her one chance at having that normal moment. I’m a big fan of the scene between Buffy and Joyce when Buffy is packing her mom’s thing. The sarcastic “is some terrible demon going to attack the school?” comment followed by the realisation followed by the casual “maybe I should have sent you to a different school” as opposed to immediate panic just demonstrates how Joyce has come to somewhat accept that this is just a part of Buffy’s life. Nevertheless, Buffy’s ‘I know sometimes you wish I weren’t like this. I wish I could be normal for you. But I’m not.’ (paraphrasing) speech hit hard.

Angel gets poisoned by Faith which is an interesting action because it is that act which, ultimately seals her fate. The poison is a distraction technique to keep Buffy out of the Mayor’s way by harming someone she cares about. But they seem to miscalculate just how much Buffy cares for Angel and how far she is willing to go for him. For the poison is killing him and there’s only one cure; for him to drink the blood of a Slayer. That knowledge puts Faith right in Buffy’s sights. The final showdown between Buffy and Faith is amazing, the choreography is great and Buffy takes Faith down with her own knife. Even then, Faith doesn’t make it easy for Buffy; she jumps off the top of the building, landing on a moving truck, taking Angel’s cure out of Buffy’s reach.

Buffy resorts to her only other option; using her own blood to cure Angel. He’s not so behind that idea. It leads to a stand-offs where both emphasise how much they care about the other by being willing to sacrifice themselves for the life of the other. Buffy wins this debate by manipulating Angel, punching the already weak vampire repeatedly in the face until he was angry enough to lose control and take her blood.

Through different causes, both Faith and Buffy wind up in the hospital with the Mayor and Angel watching over them respectively. It leads to a fascinating showdown where the Mayor discovers Buffy and tries to kill her by suffocating her in his sleep and Angel ultimately tosses the Mayor across the room. Faith and the Mayor’s relationship is really interesting. At first I thought he was completely manipulating her, using her lack of a permanent role model figure in her life to get her to do his bidding. She certainly latched onto him very quickly. I still believe there is some manipulation involved but the way he acts in this episode also shows that part of him did really care for her; it is kind of like whilst he took on the parental figure she never really had, she did the reverse for him. It’s always great to have layers to the ‘villains’ other than just ‘they’re bad.’

With Buffy out of the hospital, the gang return to the school and start planning for war. The show is vague about their actual plan (which allows for a great reveal later) but there’s an amazing scene where they discuss plans which are crazier than their current plan. Oz makes a comment about attacking the Mayor with hummus and that does paint a hilarious image. Cordelia puts forward a suggestion to “attack him with germs” and everyone acts like that’s a crazy as if germ warfare doesn’t exist (granted, they would need more time than they did have to pull that one off).

Then comes Graduation and the Mayor’s long-awaited ascension. He turns into a big snake-like demon. The parents all panic and run whilst all the students epically take off their gowns and reveal that they have all been armed with various weapons. Larry gets a flamethrower!!! And they even have archers! They also call back to the Halloween episode with Xander using his knowledge from when he got turned into soldier to direct the attack (we need more of him using this knowledge. The writers seem to only remember this detail when it suits them.) Anyway, all the students fighting back is very cool and it certainly gives them a story to tell about their graduation.

Buffy ultimately uses Faith’s knife to draw the demon!Mayor away from everyone and then it turns into a game of chase through the school until she runs through the library and they’ve only gone and rigged the place to explode! They take out the demon!Mayor and the entire school along with him!

The gang end the episode talking about how the school chapter of their lives is done and that sure is one way to end it. Buffy and Willow are off to college, Xander’s got a road trip planned and Angel is leaving to wherever. The chapter which follows should be interesting.

And for the final sentence; this was one hell of a finale.

#buffy the vampire slayer #btvs #btvs season 3 #becker watches buffy

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spnae · 2 years ago

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Chapter 32 Coming Clean?

When Buffy and Willow returned to the castle they promptly deposited their shopping bags upstairs. Then they made their way back down to the living room to check on Ruby. Spike, per usual, was lounging on the couch watching TV.

“Hey, there’s my favorite dead guy,” Buffy, went over to him. Spike sat up a little to make room for her and she snuggled in next to him.

Spike looked up at her, “Hey you, how was your day?” he asked.

Buffy huffed, “Oh you know. Probably said way too much to Callum‘s mom.” Spike raised an eyebrow at her, urging Buffy to continue, “Yeah I kind of told her that I was a Slayer too—“

“And now you’re regretting it?”

Buffy shrugged.

“Not like you told her anything about the school or the girls right?”

“Nah, I just gave her some quip about the life saving properties of CPR.”

“Right. Still think Angel was a bloody git. Xander told me about that whole thing. He had to do CPR on you because Angel has ‘no breath’? Oh yeah and those squeezy breathing bag things EMTs carry around don’t work either. Right. I bet the idiot just doesn’t know CPR. Git.”

Buffy looked at him blinking, “What?”

“Don’t NEED to breathe, Pet, doesn’t mean we can’t inflate our lungs. Cigarettes wouldn’t have much of an appeal if that were the case.”

“Huhh. I— huh. Ok, sure, so do you know CPR?”

“Course I do. Dawn had to learn it in Health class while you were a less-solid heavenly-body and after that gem of a story I had Xander and Dawn teach me.” He shrugged. “Anya suggested using me as a practice dummy but that was a hard pass for me.”

“Good to know. So how’s it been here?”

Spike sat up a little straighter, turning to see Willow a little better, “Yeah, could’ve used you, Red, a little bit ago. She had another one of those blasted panic attacks. She seems a bit calmer when you’re around. I finally got her calmed down but that took some doing. She keeps going on about ‘Lauren’, but won’t say anything else.”

Willow sat down in a chair looking troubled, “Yeah she brought her up a couple of times already. I’m really wondering if we should be looking for a body.”

Spike rubbed the back of his neck, “Probably a good bet. What do you birds have going tonight?”

Willow perked up, “I was going to ask Buffy if she would help me collect the stones I need for the protection spell around the property while it’s still light out and then I thought we could get Xan to help us engrave them with runes tomorrow night. Maybe we could watch a movie!”

“I’m a fan of this idea. Big old fashioned Scooby-gang fun. Stones instead of stakes.”

“That’s what I thought! I have two dremel tools for you guys to use. I figure I’ll draw out the runes, you two carve them and then pass them back to me to charm them.”

“Bloody hell, don’t hold back on the excitement,” Spike groused. “That covers tomorrow, what about tonight?”

“Girls are on patrol, I’m taking a night off with my favorite people.”

“Sounds exciting.”

“Oh and you have big plans?”

“I’m still one of your favorite people aint I? I got some plans for tomorrow after we get Rubes settled in at the house and figured I’d go run some errands and get the bike after. Reckon it’s been sitting at Steve’s since we came back from Edinburgh, ‘bout time I got it back.”

“Oh yeah like that’s super exciting.”

“Smart ass,” he pulled her closer as he tickled her mercilessly, “Bit more adventurous than carving rocks!” He growled out playfully. Buffy laughed and squirmed as he continued to tickle her. He didn’t stop until she was laying on top of him panting for breath. He gazed into her sparkling eyes and dug one hand into her hair. He swallowed her final laugh when he cut her off with a long lingering kiss.

Willow cleared her throat, “You two do have a room last I checked.”

Spike hummed in mild protest as Buffy broke the kiss, then sighed, “Red’s right, Pet. I’d originally thought about going on patrol or playing cards or something tonight but I could do with a night in. Especially if you lot are doing the arts and crafts part of witchcraft tomorrow.”

“I have all four Level 4 girls out on patrol tonight, it would be a serious waste of your time.”

“Home it is then,” he grinned up at her wickedly, “might not be such a dull night after all.”

“You’re bad,” Buffy giggled.

“Don’t you forget it, Love.” He pulled her in for another kiss.

“Seriously, you guys literally have a room here. Upstairs, in fact.”

“That we do, you don’t have to collect your rocks right this minute do you?” He asked as he trailed a finger from behind Buffy’s ear and down to her cleavage letting his searing blue gaze linger.

Buffy stood up pulling Spike with her, “Humm, Willow—“

“I’ll keep tabs on Ruby. Just don’t be too long, I really do need to get those stones gathered, the carving might take a while.”

“You heard the little witch, time is of the essence,” Spike backed away out of the room grinning at Buffy as he did.

Buffy couldn’t help the smile on her face, “He’s— eh— I’m just going to—“

“Go on, get out of here.”

Spike was waiting for her by the elevator when she caught up to him. He gave her a hard, dangerous look and grabbed her roughly by the shoulders to kiss her. Buffy’s mind snapped to attention and she shoved him into the elevator, pinning him against the wall. Spike let out a low growl at the impact and moved a splayed hand across the small of her back, holding her to him.

“You gonna give it to me rough then?” He grinned, “Might not get you back to your mates in a timely manner if we take that route.”

“We can do quick and rough.”

“Deal,” he murmured as he nipped hard at her neck with blunt teeth and shoved her against the wall of the elevator fumbling for the controls.

Spike managed to get the elevator moving and a moment later they had reached their floor. They paused long enough to exit the small space and then they were once again locked together kissing, groping, and shoving each other roughly against the walls in the hallway like a sexually fuelled pinball game.

Buffy pinned Spike against their bedroom door until she found the doorknob. The door gave way suddenly and the two of them fell to the floor in a tangle of limbs. They rolled together and Buffy positioned herself to shut the door with a kick. Spike gripped her skirt while Buffy yanked at his belt buckle.

“Oh God Buffy, I love you,” Spike groaned into the junction of her neck.

“You’re mine, all mine,” Buffy murmured possessively in his ear. Spike was usually the one to play that card. For some reason, she suddenly felt the need to say it. To claim him roughly. “Mine,” she bit his neck with her blunt teeth, eliciting a gasp from him.

“Always,” he growled, pulling her into a rough kiss. Her words and the bite had kindled a fire in him; he ran a hand roughly up her skirt. Buffy fumbled with his pants a little before she was able to release his smooth hard length from them. She stroked him from base to tip running her thumb over the tip feeling the delicious moisture there.

He moaned into her mouth as she stroked him greedily, “Slow down, Pet. Said quick, not instant. Want to get to the main event.” He twitched his fingers gripping her inner thigh. He pulled at the little panties, ripping them off of her and rubbed a thumb over her wet heat. Buffy gasped as he stroked her.

She was already wet and she let out a little growl of her own at the unnecessary foreplay, “Now. I want you now.” She repositioned herself forcefully, gliding down over him. She clamped around him as he rolled his hips driving himself into her. She gasped again as he pushed in fully and she met his thrusts with equally rough enthusiasm. Spike gasped.

Buffy grinned, gripping her fingers into his now semi-freed curls and pulled roughly. She brought him to her for a deep bruising kiss. Tongues pushing for dominance. Spike bit her lip making her shudder and she yanked his head back forcefully.

Spike grinned at the pain, “Getting close are you?”

Buffy increased her pace and he pushed into her harder with a grunt. Her inner walls crushed against him as the pressure built up. With the hand still tangled in his hair she cradled him to her shoulder, “Bite me,” she gasped. The fingers of her other hand reached under his shirt clawing at his back leaving deep scratches in his pale flesh.

Spike didn’t hesitate. Pulling at her shirt roughly, he bit with blunt teeth into the space between her shoulder and neck.

“Spike! Harder!’

He vamped, sinking his fangs in slightly. He wasn't feeding and it wasn’t a deep bite. Buffy gasped and felt herself nearing release. She wrapped her leg around him pulling him into her with almost bone crushing force. He increased the pressure of the bite very slightly and retracted his fangs. Then ran his tongue along the bite shuddering pleasurably at the taste of her. The effect of her blood was instant. He felt his body respond as he continued drilling into her hard, making her scream, “Gahhh! William!”

Buffy’s head swam as she lost herself in the myriad of sensations coursing through her.

He pushed into her pounding hard and fast, the pressure building. He held on until he felt her start to quiver. She gave his hair a yank as they came together hard in a quivering mass of tangled limbs. Pleasure and pain. Fast and rough and worth every second. Buffy kissed him as she continued to grind her hips against him.

After a moment, Spike placed a firm hand on her lower back holding her in place against him, as she caught her breath.

“Think we made good time?”, he teased.

Buffy laughed into the crook of his neck, “No idea. It was definitely fun though.”

“Been a little while since we got a bit rough.”

“Still fun.”

“Girl’s got a vamp kink.”

“Matches your Slayer kink.”

“Bloody well right, could go for a bit more of that if you’re willing,” he said, pulling her into another hard kiss.

“Not now. You’re being punished.”

“What for? Not the bite, surely. I barely had a taste and you literally asked for it.”

“Did you really have to rip my undies? I liked those ones.”

Spike rolled his eyes and flopped over onto his back, “Bloody hell, I’ll get you a sodding new pair, Slayer.”

Buffy grinned widely, she really loved to mess with him.

***********

By the time Buffy and Spike went back downstairs, Willow had already found a couple of buckets they could use to carry stones in. She held them up to her gleefully as Buffy and Spike came back into the living room “Ready? I found one for each of us, we can pretend it’s an Easter Egg Hunt!”

Buffy couldn’t help but laugh, “Oh Will, I missed you. Yes, rock my world with your witchy egg hunt.”

Spike turned to her quizzically, “Buffy, sweetheart, I think your pun mixer is broken.”

“Nah, that was solid.”

“You’re better than this.”

“Oh, don’t worry, I’m sure I can dig up some rockin' puns before we finish this project.”

“Oh god, here we go.”

“You love my puns.”

“Just so long as you're not putting marzipan in my pie plate we’re good.”

“To that I say a big ‘Huhh?’”

Willow rolled her eyes, “Don’t worry about it, Buff, it was a Buffy-Bot thing that you totally missed with the whole being dead.”

“Oh come on, the rock thing wasn’t bad, in fact, I think I rock the rock puns.”

“I’ll let you rock me with any rock pun you want to throw at me.”

“Didn’t we just do that, my hot lava?”

Spike grinned, “Oh yeah, got our rocks off, real good.”

“You know I’m going to win a pun-off right?”

He chuckled, “We keep it up and we’re going to end up back upstairs.”

Buffy placed her hands on his hips, pulling him closer, “Are you still taking requests?”

“I’ll be your short-order cook, hot and ready or cool and slow, whatever tickles your fancy, Pet.”

Buffy felt herself melting into him for a kiss before she could stop herself.

“Okay! As fun as this is, I think maybe Buffy and I should get a move on. These stones won’t collect themselves.” Willow said as she wiggled the buckets at them.

Spike rubbed the back of his neck. “Yeah right, I’m gonna yeah— check in on Ruby. She’s still in rough shape. Sort of glad they don’t have things ready for her over there, kinda want to keep an eye on her.”

“That won’t take long though, what are you going to do until tonight?”

“Might poke around the library a bit.”

“I’m surprised you haven't read every poetry book in there yet.”

“Yeah well, it’s been nice having a proper in-house library. I never realized how much I missed it until we got here.”

“You know, you can start collecting books and build your own library in our new place. The attic already has a ton of shelves, it’s probably what they used it for anyway or maybe you could have it in your Spike-space.”

“Could work, we’ll talk later. Mustn't dottle, Pet,” he kissed her once more before heading towards the utility room.

************************

The two friends had been collecting smaller stones from along the border of the property and the low stone wall surrounding it for over thirty minutes. They had been chatting idoly when Willow suddenly cleared her throat uncomfortably.

“Buffy I have a confession to make.”

Buffy felt the hairs on the back of her neck prickle, she had expected something was still off between them. She turned towards her friend, “I’m listening.”

Willow straightened up after picking up another stone, “I’ve been going through those files Wes sent.”

“Yeah the stuff on Angel right?”

“Well, yeah. There’s a bunch of that but that’s not what I’ve been working on.”

“It’s not?”

“Wes also sent me what looks like pretty much everything W&H had on Slayers… there’s a lot and it’s not all translated so it’s been really slow. I’ve had Andrew and Dawn working on pieces but neither of them have a full picture of any of it.”

“Does Giles know?”

“He knows Wes sent some stuff but I didn’t tell him exactly how much. A lot of it is stuff Giles already has, but there’s some new stuff too. I found a couple things that are a little— disturbing,” Willow said as she picked up a few more stones along the way.

“Disturbing? Like how disturbing? What do you know, Will?”

“Well that is sort of the problem. I haven’t been able to get through all of it and then Xander just brought back a bunch of books and scrolls and a stone tablet he found in Africa so now there’s that much more to go through. He was supposed to be showing those to Giles today. A few of them are referenced in the files from W&H. It might still take a while to figure out. I’m hoping I can start playing connect the dots soon.”

“Okay— I’m hearing a lot of words but I’m not hearing why all the squirrely. What dots are you connecting?”

“Remember a while back when we were talking about the fact that there hasn’t been a record of any Slayer making it past the age of 25; like there’s some crazy expiration date?”

Yeah, Niki Wood is the oldest I ever heard about and she didn’t reach her 26th birthday.”

“Yeah well I started translating some of the new stuff, I brought it with me to have Giles take a look at it too— If I found what I think I found— This one part I was reading has been seriously bugging me. It mentions the Slayer receiving her gift by the end of her 25th year. I took another look at it after talking to Spike and it looks like another part translates to ‘Death Wish’.”

“You told Spike?”

“Oh goddess no! It was just something he said; it sparked an idea in my head and I went to check on it this morning. That's when I put together the Death-wish thing.”

“Death is my gift right? But I already sort of returned that gift… or well—“

“I returned it for you— yeah…” Willow sighed and leaned against the stone wall. “That’s the thing I’m so worried about... I haven’t finished the translation but, I think I might have accidentally— made you sort of immortal—ish— maybe.”

“Huhh?”

“The stone tablet Xan brought back, it’s one that W&H didn’t have, anyway it seems to contain part of the original working from creating the first slayer. It’s written more like a story so it’s difficult to figure out but... I don’t know. I don’t have anything solid on it yet but I just— I had to come clean and let you know. I don’t know if what I did made things better or worse for you and I won’t know until I finish going through all this stuff. It’s been kind of an obsession.”

“Is this why things are strained between you and Kennedy?”

“The obsession part maybe. I haven’t told her any of the rest of it. I’ve been too afraid too say anything, and… we really haven’t been talking much for a while now. It’s part of the reason why I’m hoping Kennedy is gone before I get back.” Willow hesitated and Buffy was sure there was something else she wasn’t saying.

“I just need to be able to focus on this because this could really be big and I just I can’t right now, Buffy! I can’t deal with Kennedy. I can’t deal with thinking about you dying again or maybe not being able to die at all because I brought you back from the dead and maybe that whole thing doesn’t apply to you anymore and maybe it doesn’t apply to any Slayer anymore because I used you as the basis of the sharing spell instead of Faith. I have no idea, I just don’t know—“ she sniffed.

Buffy’s mind was reeling. She blinked several times as she stared at her, anger suddenly flared, “Willow! I just sent a girl home to her mother in a box! She definitely wasn’t immortal!”

“She was also 15, not 25, or more specifically 26. I have to do more research and make sure the math is right but I’m pretty sure that if you make it to 26 you probably aren’t going to age anymore— maybe none of you will IF they can stay alive that long. You might still be able to die but it would have to be something seriously extreme.”

“Like a beheading? So what, I’m like the freaking Highlander now? Buffy McLeod?”

“Probably, or something similar, I think— I don’t know yet I really have to do more research.”

Buffy looked at her friend aghast, blinking several times, “Why are you telling me now, if you’re not sure?”

“Because it’s ripping me up inside. The not telling. I feel like I’m lying to my best friend about something I did. A big something that could affect your entire- possibly very, very long life,” she was almost in tears. Willow took a deep breath.

“But we don’t know for sure,” Buffy paused for a moment, “and I can think of one plus.”

Willow looked at her knowingly, “Yeah I guess it would be sort of perfect for you and Spike.”

It was a lot to take in, “But why 25?”

“As far as I can tell, I think it has something to do with ‘the end of maidenhood’,” Willow scoffed as she rolled her eyes dramatically.

“Sick bastards. Like it’s not enough to take a girl and turn her into the Slayer but then they have to shorten her already short life with a death wish AND an expiration date?”

“I’m not really sure yet but that’s exactly what it looks like. It seems like it was worked right into the original spell. Probably for that reason.”

Buffy nodded, “Sure, young and pretty girls are better bait for the trap,” she snorted derisively, “Well, we still have some time before I get there and if you’re right I could still die before that. Yay me!”

“That’s just it— the other girls can, that's for sure— but I think you might be different.”

“Because you brought me back.”

She nodded, “That wound you got in the Hellmouth should have been fatal, but you got back up and not only continued to fight, but you also made a pretty daring escape, Buff.”

“But recently I had some broken ribs and I swear it took a couple of days longer to heal than usual.”

Willow chewed on her lip, “I’ve suspected since the Hellmouth that your pain tolerance has also elevated. It was always pretty high but now— I don’t know if you are really feeling the extent of your injuries. You might have had more damage than you thought, maybe even a punctured lung and you might not have noticed. Without X-rays I doubt we’ll ever know to be sure.”

Buffy thought about that as they kept walking along. It made a kind of sense really. “You know, I kinda think Spike probably would have been able to tell me if my lung was punctured… he’s no doctor but he knows anatomy pretty well and he has pretty good hearing. Might have just been broken worse than we thought. The bruising was pretty ugly, I don’t normally bruise like that. That vamp pretty much crushed my rib cage on one side.” She paused thinking about the head injury she got at the hospital and suddenly wondered just how hard she had hit her head.

“Good point.”

They had nearly finished their circuit around the property before Willow spoke up again, “So when were you going to tell me about you and Spike’s new place and when are you guys planning on moving?”

“I, oh yeah— it won’t be for a while, it needs some work and we wanted to talk to Dawn about it first. I can show you after we’re done here, it’s on the other side of the castle where we’re going to be keeping Ruby.”

“Yeah, we’re almost done here anyway. If you’re going to bring it up to Dawn, you should probably do it now. I don’t know if she’s gonna be able to transfer to Edinburgh for the fall semester.”

“Oh it’s not going to be ready that fast. Maybe by the spring semester if we’re lucky but that sort of brings me to my next point. I hoped you might want to take the other half of the duplex.”

“Seriously?”

“Yeah. This was all stuff that I wanted to talk to you guys in person about…”

“I— yeah that’s sort of why I put off telling you about this stuff too.”

“Seems like we’re both guilty of that then.”

“Ehh yeah, seems like. Are you going to tell Spike about this?”

Buffy had to think about that, “Of course. Eventually. I don’t want to get his hopes up too much… Just in case.”

Willow chewed on her lip, “I’ll keep at the books and go over the spells, do some calculations and see what I turn up.”

“Thanks Wil.”

“What’s your personal Witch on retainer for anyway?”

***********

The next night after the sun had gone down Willow helped Buffy and Spike gather up the blankets and pillows Ruby had been using and helped them get Ruby settled into the basement of the duplex. Buffy was a little surprised by how different the basement room looked now. She had just expected Xander and Callum to set up a cot and a mini fridge in a corner and call it done.

The guys, and Buffy suspected Faith too, had gone above and beyond. In addition to the cot and a mini fridge, they had also found some secondhand furniture for the space. A little bedside table, two comfortable but shabby reclining chairs and a small dresser, as well as a couple of mismatched end tables, an old television set and a couple of mismatched lamps. On the nightstand was a hot pink lava lamp and a large stack of old magazines. A small crate of dog eared paperbacks sat next to the bed. The overall effect was one of dank comfort.

“Not bad,” Spike smiled, “nice homey spot down here.”

“I sort of asked Xan to make it as cozy as possible but I didn’t think they would do all this.”

Willow deposited Ruby onto the cot. Ruby looked around the space with wide eyes. Then watched as Willow went over to the little bathroom, “Looks like someone cleaned this up too. There’s even a few towels and shampoo and stuff in here. A nice shower might be a good idea. Maybe you’ll feel a little better.”

Ruby scoffed, “Right, because a shower is going to wash away my sins. Soapy bubbles gonna clean up what I did?”

“Ain’t nothing going to do that. You can apologize to your family, there might still be hope there. Donning a white hat can soften the edges a bit but you’re gonna carry that weight a long time, Rubes. In the meantime, some scrubbing bubbles’ll do you wonders. Looks like you even got laundry capabilities set up.”

Willow quietly moved over to the washer and dryer in the laundry room to investigate the set-up.

“But you’re not alone, you have us now,” Buffy interjected as she wrapped an arm around Spike, “and you have a place to stay. You can fix it up however you want.” She left Spike’s side and opened the dresser drawers, there was a couple of old t-shirts and a few pairs of sleep pants but that was it. She pulled out a set, they were clean and would be comfortable to sleep in but not much else. “You’ll need some clothes—“

Willow stuck her head out of the laundry room, “Looks like the handy-guys were busy in here too. The washer has an out of order sign taped to it but there’s a sink and some laundry soap in here. There is a note on the dryer, looks like it’s from Xander— use at your own risk— Humm ok, so at least there’s a sink and some laundry detergent,” she crumpled up the note from Xander.

“We can always go over to your dorm or your parents house and get some stuff for you or I can go,” Buffy added.

Ruby swallowed and nodded once, “What would you tell them?”

“What do you want me to tell them? I can tell them anything you want as long as it’s at least close to the truth but I really think they would rather see you.”

“You do?”

Spike narrowed his eyes at Ruby, “Course they would. Although I don’t recommend going here right off, it might do you some good to see them. We will go with you, explain the soul thing and all,” Spike added.

“We don’t have to do it tonight do we?”

Willow spoke up, “Not tonight. We’ll call your parents first. You have time, we’ll do it when you’re ready.”

“How are they?”

Buffy answered, “They’ve been better. They have one daughter in a coma because their other, undead-daughter put her there, so yeah, they’ve been better,” Buffy watched her. To the best of her knowledge, this was the first time Ruby had asked about her parents at all since she had been with them. “We can even go see Sheena if you want.”

She nodded, “I think I’d like that.”

“Maybe tomorrow night then. I’ll see what I can do about clothes. You get settled in.”

“Ta,” she cleared her throat, “Ahh, thanks for everything. I think a shower sounds pretty amazing right now.”

“There should be blood in the fridge there,” Spike went over to double check, opening the little fridge door and glancing up at Ruby, “Looks like they got you a nice little variety and a little microwave. That’s right nice of them. Looks like you’ve got just about everything you need here.”

Buffy nodded in agreement, “Why don’t you do your thing, take a shower put on some comfy clothes, settle in with some reading material or watch some TV or something just try to wrap your head around stuff.”

Ruby nodded again, still looking a bit blank but maybe a little bit more hopeful then she had a few minutes ago, “No you’re right, moping isn’t really doing me much good now is it?”

“We’ll check in on you later.”

And with that the three of them went back upstairs into the kitchen. “I’m feeling oddly good about this,” Buffy smiled.

“She’s not out of the woods yet but it’s a start,” Spike said a little distractedly as he watched Willow. She was wandering around the kitchen checking the cabinets and the countertops. “Alright there, Red?”

“I was just thinking about how I want to refinish the kitchen. I have a decent amount saved up, I was thinking about getting a house eventually, but I think this would be even better.”

Buffy squealed and pulled Willow into a hug, “Do you really mean it? You said you’d think about it but—“

“Rome is nice but I really like the idea of living close to the action. I sort of already have a job here. I won’t have to do the long distance teaching thing anymore and I’ll also be closer to the Devon Coven which is definitely a plus.”

“Yay-ness!”

Willow grinned, “Xander needs a place too, I bet he’d take the second room.”

“We’ll ask him tonight,” Buffy smiled brightly. For over a year the Scoobies had been spread across multiple countries and now it seemed like things were finally starting to come together. A little hole in Buffy’s chest that she hadn’t really noticed before suddenly closed up a little.

Her smile lit up the room. Spike couldn’t help but smile back. He loved seeing her smile. He cleared his throat, rubbing the back of his neck and fiddling with his overgrown hair, “Good to know your neighbors I guess. Anyway, I’d better be off, Pet.”

“Us too.”

They made their way out into the entryway, Spike gave Buffy a chased kiss, opened the door to the other side of the duplex and stopped. “Humm, Buffy? Sweetheart?”

She turned back to him, “Yeah?”

He pressed his hand against the invisible barrier now blocking him, “Looks like our little experiment finally paid off. Think I’m going to need an invite into our place, Pet.”

Buffy bound over to the door going inside, “Welcome home! Come on in!” She grinned.

Spike hesitated, “You know what this means right? You’re ready for this?”

“Get your ass in here, William!”

He crossed into the threshold and let Buffy pull him into a long kiss, “Hoped you’d say that,” he grinned.

#fanfic #buffy the vampire slayer #buffy fanfic #buffy x spike #spuffy #bound #spike x buffy

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