Archive of Our Own ^beta

One Shot

Willow looked up at the apartment block towering above her and bit her lip. She hadn’t known Sunnydale had such a tall building, and yet here it was.

And here she was.

This freakishly tall building was where her location spell had brought her, in search of Buffy, but even Willow could admit that her previous experience with magic did not exactly have a 100% accuracy rating.

So maybe she was wrong. Maybe no one would come out, and after a while she’d walk back to her dorm room, and maybe Buffy would be there, having finally come home in Willow’s absence.

That would certainly make life a little less awkward, because it would probably mean Willow’s theory didn’t hold much weight, but the hope wasn’t long in being snuffed out.

Buffy appeared in the lobby of the building.

She had a spring in her step as she pushed the button for the door and stepped out onto the sidewalk beside Willow with a little, “Oh!”

Buffy cast a glance behind her, then looked back at her friend. “I’m… I mean, are you… Were you looking for me?”

“Yeah, I–”

“Is there trouble?” asked Buffy, looking concerned for a moment, then something closer to… excited? Her eyes practically glittered as she asked, “Is there magic afoot?”

Willow paused, a sinking feeling in her chest, because it really did seem like her theory had some basis after all. “Yeah,” she said. “There’s–”

“We should assemble the team,” said Buffy, cutting her off. “I’ll get Spike.”

She turned on her heel and was about to re-enter the building when Willow touched her arm.

“Uh, Buffy? This isn’t a team thing.”

Her face fell. “It’s not?”

“No.”

“Oh.”

“Um, listen,” said Willow. “Spike is…” She looked again at the building. “He lives here?”

“Oh, yeah,” said Buffy, a smile creeping back onto her face. “We––” Her eyes almost bugged out of her head, but she quickly covered the slip. “I mean, he moved in last week.”

“Uh-huh,” said Willow, that feeling of doom sinking ever further. She purposefully kept the conversation light until they were back in the dorm.

“So, what’s the what?” asked Buffy when they’d let themselves in.

“I think I’ve found a lead on the Initiative,” Willow lied. “There’s a soldier who has agreed to talk.”

“Wow,” said Buffy, her expression mostly impressed and just a little skeptical.

“Yeah,” said Willow. “Though Giles isn’t sure if we should believe him. I thought we could try a truth spell, but before we do it on him––the soldier guy––we should make sure it works. A-and you, being the Slayer… it made sense that you should be the control subject.”

Willow gave her best winning smile, hoping she’d successfully sold the cover story. She had almost chickened out near the end, so had rushed the last part.

Buffy frowned a little before saying, “Okay. What do you need?”

Willow breathed a sigh of relief. So far, so good. “I just gotta sprinkle some herbs, chant a little. You know, the usual.”

Buffy nodded and Willow got to it, praying she didn’t lose her nerve again.

Soon enough they were sat on their respective beds, cross-legged and facing each other.

“I’m gonna ask you some questions,” said Willow. “To get a baseline.”

Buffy nodded again. “Hit me.”

“Okay.” Here goes nothing. “You remember all the stuff at Halloween? What happened that night, at the party?”

“The stuff with the itty-bitty fear demon? I smushed him. Ruined a good pair of sneakers doing it, too.”

“Uh-huh, uh-huh.” Willow pretended to take notes. “And before that, when we all got separated?”

“Oh.” Buffy blushed a little. “I ran into Spike.”

Jackpot.

“Spike?” Willow prompted, feigning surprise. “What was he doing there?”

Buffy’s nose scrunched up a little. “Actually? I’m not sure. I’d bet he was planning to cause trouble, but he didn’t actually say.”

“You didn’t ask?”

“No, I was…” She blushed again. “We were busy.”

“Busy,” repeated Willow.

“Kissing,” Buffy clarified.

Willow found herself stunned a moment––yes, the revelation was in line with her theory, but to actually hear it out loud? Headrush!

Buffy filled the silence by explaining, “The fear demon got in my head about being repellent to guys, and then suddenly Spike was there, and… I thought to myself ‘I’ll show him’––except I didn’t actually know the him was a demon yet, or even vaguely masculine––but I wanted to prove the voice wrong.”

“So you kissed Spike,” said Willow.

“Kinda? It was all because of that demon, though. All the magic in the house.”

“Right,” said Willow. She thought about how she might have actually believed that if not for what happened next.

“What happened when you went all Cave Buffy?” she asked.

“Well, you know the main deal,” said Buffy. “Beer bad, yadda yadda. I was working through confusing Spike feelings––or trying to––when he showed up again. He scared off the other guys I’d been drinking with, and then we hung out. He kinda took care of me, honestly.”

Willow found that more surprising than the kissage, which she felt was fair.

“He didn’t try and take advantage?”

Buffy snorted. “Please! I was all baser-instincts girl. I practically jumped him!”

Oh, boy! “So, you, um… you had sex?” Willow asked.

“Not then,” said Buffy. “I had him pinned at one point, and I could tell he was into it, but…” She shrugged. “He said no.”

“He said no.”

Buffy nodded.

“And you listened?” Willow pressed.

“Duh!” said Buffy. “He said no!”

Willow shook her head in a vain attempt to clear it. “Wait. You said not then. So, that means… You guys did have sex? After that?”

“Well, sure,” said Buffy. “You magiced us in love.”

God! Willow felt sick. Her best friend had had sex under the magical influence, and it was her fault. That wasn’t right. It absolutely wasn’t. And yet… if Willow’s theory was correct, Spike and Buffy really didn’t seem to mind.

She had to know for sure. Had to get the conversation back on track and follow that track to the end, no matter how uncomfortable.

“How?” asked Willow. “No, scratch that. I mean where?” She held up a hand, realizing what a horrible question it was the second she said it. “Just tell me what happened. In your own words.”

“You magiced us in love,” Buffy said again, with a little shrug this time.

Willow hadn’t. She’d magiced them engaged, which was so not the same thing. But she decided to not point that out just then.

“You guys disappeared for a few hours. A few long hours. Did… did you come here?”

Buffy shook her head. “We went to Vegas.”

Willow dropped her clipboard, the blank sheet of paper she’d been pretending to write on fluttering to the ground after it. If Buffy noticed it was blank, she gave no indication.

“We didn’t want to wait,” she explained. “So we hopped in Spike’s car, got hitched, and then had a quickie in the backseat.”

Willow yelped. She couldn’t help it. “You did what?”

Buffy shrugged again. “It was the magic.”

“Okay, yes,” allowed Willow. She had to keep reminding herself that she’d set up that little scenario, and so shouldn’t judge too harshly, but… “You got married?”

A penny dropped somewhere in the back of Willow’s mind. Buffy had been wearing a whole bunch of fingerless gloves ever since that day. She was wearing a pair right then.

“You want to see the ring,” said Buffy when she caught Willow’s gaze hyper-focused on her hand.

Willow nodded, barely believing any of what she was seeing or hearing was real. But Buffy pulled off her gloves and there it was––what looked like a bright, shiny emerald on a yellow-gold band.

Willow frowned. “I thought he’d given you his ugly skull ring?”

“He had,” said Buffy. “But that was just temporary. It didn’t really suit me, or fit, so he got me this. Spike says it matches my eyes.”

He wasn’t wrong. The ring was beautiful. That didn’t help Willow get her head around the fact that they were married, though. There were clearly still some pretty key details she needed to iron out.

“What happened when Faith took over your body?” Willow asked. Again, Buffy––both Buffy in Faith’s body and Faith in Buffy’s body––had gone MIA for a number of hours that night.

“Nothing,” said Buffy, with such ferocity that Willow leaned away. “Spike says Faith tried it on, but nothing happened. I trust him.”

Willow’s mouth hung open. It seemed that the more she learned, the more questions she had.

“He… I mean, you and… how did–?” she stammered.

“Spike could tell it wasn’t me,” said Buffy, her tone almost casual again. Like Spike knowing her well enough to tell she’d been cosmically body snatched was perfectly normal.

Willow picked up her clipboard, paper, and took a deep breath. They were almost up to recent events, so she figured––or at least hoped––there weren’t many more revelations to come.

The conclusion they’d draw after that… well, that remained to be seen.

“Last week,” said Willow, ever pressing on. “When Jonathan pulled his whammy. Was there any stuff with Spike then?”

“That’s when we were apartment hunting,” said Buffy.

“Apartment hunting,” repeated Willow, choosing to gloss over the word ‘we’ for a moment.

“Yeah,” said Buffy. “You saw the place. Or at least the outside.”

“Right,” said Willow. “So, you went to view some places and Spike got one of them.”

Buffy frowned. “Isn’t that usually how apartment hunting goes?”

“I guess,” said Willow. “But, Buffy…”

“What?”

“You’re married to Spike. You got an apartment together.”

“Yeah,” Buffy said again. “But it’s not like it counts.”

When Willow only gaped at her, she added, “You know, with all the magic.”

“Right, but… but when a spell ends, you’re still married and you’re still with Spike.”

Buffy’s frown deepened. “I don’t follow.”

“Buffy… you’re dating Spike.” Willow didn’t know how else to explain it. She didn’t even understand why she had to explain it.

“Not really,” said Buffy.

Willow shook her head. I’m going insane. This conversation is insane!

“Last night,” she said, “with all the spirits in the frat house. You and Spike had like a sex marathon, right?”

“Right.”

God!

“And then you, what? Went back to his apartment? Your apartment?”

“Sure. We wanted more sex.”

Willow cringed. Didn’t need to hear that, but she’s under a truth spell. It’s fine. I’ll probably never have to hear details about any of this ever again.

“Let’s recap,” said Willow. “You’ve been hanging out with Spike. Kissing Spike, and having… having sex.”

“Lots of sex,” affirmed Buffy, with a grin.

“Right.” Willow had to suppress another cringe. “You have an apartment together, and you’re married.”

“Yes and yes,” said Buffy. “What’s your point?”

“M-my point?” asked Willow, and Buffy nodded. Jeeze-Louise!

She supposed she’d have to change tack.

“Buffy… has Spike ever told you he loves you? Outside of a spell, I mean?” Willow figured that if he hadn’t, it might explain a little of the cognitive dissonance.

But Buffy said, “Oh, sure.”

“Huh?”

She waved a hand. “It’s just when we make love. He gets carried away. Runs his mouth.”

“Oh, my god!”

“What?” Buffy asked again. Then she paused, and Willow thought that maybe the reality of the situation might finally, miraculously, hit her. But instead, Buffy said, “There isn’t a soldier, is there? You wouldn’t need this much detail about me and Spike just for a baseline truth reading.”

Willow swallowed. “No, there’s no lead.”

“Willow!” Buffy stood up, but before she stormed out of the room, Willow raised placating hands.

“You can’t blame me wanting answers!” she said. “I’ve been worried. We all have! You’ve been going missing so much lately, and acting weird.”

“Acting weird?” asked Buffy. “Weird how?”

Willow floundered. “Kinda… ridiculously happy?”

Buffy shook her head. “Of course I’ve been weird! Didn’t you just listen to how much magic I’ve been under the influence of, just this semester alone?”

“Okay, yes,” said Willow, “but that’s not it.”

“What do you mean?”

Willow blew out a long breath. “Think about this. About all of it. Yes, there’s been a lot of magic, but you and Spike… Only my spell put you two together. A-and I didn’t magic you in love, I magiced you engaged.”

Buffy visibly processed that, first looking unsure, then surprised.

“Are… are you saying that me and Spike isn’t all because of spells?”

“I mean, yeah,” said Willow. “Like I pointed out earlier, you go home to him and are still with him even when whatever magic wears off.”

Buffy sat back on the bed and grabbed a cushion, cradling it protectively in front of her. “Okay,” she said slowly. “So…”

Willow tentatively stepped closer. She hunkered down to catch Buffy’s gaze, which she’d focused on a spot of thin air about a foot off the ground.

“Buffy, are you in love with Spike?”

Buffy looked down at her wedding ring. She turned it around on her finger. “I have been happy,” she allowed. “Like, really. Spike is actually pretty funny. And he’s a good listener.”

Willow waited for a ‘but’ but none came.

“Am I still under the truth spell?” asked Buffy, and she nodded.

“It should wear off in like an hour.”

Buffy pouted. “If I’m magically compelled to tell the truth, and you just asked me a question, why can’t I answer?”

Willow bit her lip. “I… I think you can only say the truth as you know it. Until this conversation, you didn’t really believe any of it was real.”

“Well, no,” said Buffy. “It was too good. Too perfect to be real. Even when the magic stopped.”

“I think there’s a word for that,” said Willow. “For when there’s magic even without actual spells, and things feel really good. Perfect, even when they’re not.”

Buffy’s eyes did not go wide. They went huge. She stood up again.

Willow almost fell over for how quickly she moved. “Whoa, whoa, where are you going?”

“I’m married to Spike. We live together, and are together, and I love him!” exclaimed Buffy. “He has no idea!”

Willow watched her go. She really hoped Spike took the revelation better––or at least faster––than Buffy, but was glad either way that she didn’t need to be there for it.

Filling Giles and Xander in was gonna be rough enough as it was, and Willow already owed Anya fifty bucks, because she’d insisted Spike and Buffy were a capital-T Thing.

Boy, howdy, they didn’t do relationships by halves.