| Extreme Fan
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 2,746
| Part Nine C:
"Oh, look there they are." Tara waved at Dawn who waved back. They all had good timing as they were heading at the same time towards the checkout. Tara grimaced. There was no way they were leaving early if they added up the three full baskets that the Dawn and Spike to the two she and Willow had filled.
Tara had come to the store at this hour of the night because she needed to shop for particular items in a short time but that didn't seem likely now.
Oh, well, it was fun to shop with Willow and Xander.
She looked at Spike as he walked beside Dawn, grinning at her and making her laugh. He was really attractive as a woman, but she guessed that she would have recognized him even if Xander and Willow hadn't filled her in on the new predicament, as the female vampire still had the most prominent features Spike had before the curse. It was interesting to see that he held himself the same way in the unchanged attire. He still walked the same way demanding attention from everyone with the confidence of someone knowing that they were very attractive and they expected everyone to acknowledge that. And by the looks of the few people scattered in the store at this time of night, it was working.
It was different with Xander. He had always been timid in the way he presented himself compared to other men, but still held himself with confidence. However, it was like all of that was sucked out of him when he changed sexes. He was more slumped into himself, unsure of anything - just not feeling comfortable in his new skin like Spike was. And if Tara knew them, and she thought she did, Spike had acted more positive to rile Xander even more.
Tara opened her mouth as she turned her head to Willow to share her thoughts with her. Instead, she frowned when she noticed that her girlfriend's attention was on something else – or on someone else in particular. Tara didn't need to follow Willow’s gaze to know that she was looking at Spike. The vampire had exuded raw sexuality before Anya made him a female so much so that Tara could feel it. It wasn't surprising that as a woman, Willow would find him more striking.
A side grin appeared on Tara's face.
"Willow, what's so interesting?" she asked openly. "Are you looking at Spike? He is really pretty as a female, isn't he?"
Willow froze and shook her head frantically. "Spike?" She chuckled hesitantly. "What are you talking about? Oh, look there he is with Dawn… I hadn't noticed. I was engrossed in that poster that he and Dawnie are walking in front of." She giggled lightly at Tara's mistake. "Yeah, that's it." She nodded, raising her head in proud self-assurance.
"You're looking at 'Condoms 10%' off?" Tara blinked at a frozen Willow. "Is there something you need to tell me, Will?"
When Willow actually read what the sign said, she flushed a bright shade of red and started apologizing, telling Tara how much she loved her and how she wouldn't look at anyone else, she promised!
Tara felt sorry for playing that way with her girlfriend and hugged her as Dawn and Spike drew closer, telling her it was okay, she didn't blame her, that like she had said Spike was very good-looking and that she loved her too.
Xander growled. It was like he wasn't even there. Tara now was all but writing her application to Chick Spike Appreciation Club. Spike and Dawn were laughing and obviously had a fun time, not like him, acting closer than they were the summer Buffy was--away. They were giggling and looking at him like they were 'girl friends' carrying so many clothes, he was going to be bankrupted. But 'oh wait' like Giles mentioned; that since it was 'technically' Xander's fault that he had angered Anya, causing all this mess in the first place, the least he could do was chip in to buy clothes for him and Spike. After all, the money he had saved for the Honeymoon was just 'sitting there'.
Stupid not-tweedy-any-more-Giles. What a time to not be British!
"Guess you're a girl at heart- eh, Spike?"
Spike only raised an eyebrow. "That's weak, Harris, even for you."
The checkout girl who was half way through their purchases by now heard the name Harris and asked Xander if he was related to 'Rebecca Harris'.
Xander looked flustered as he paid her and took the receipt. Mumbling, he said he didn't know who she was talking about, yes, he would like paper, please, and sorry he couldn't stay and chat they had some girly movie to catch. He picked up one of the bags and rushed out to his car with the sounds of Spike and Dawn laughing following him out.
His thoughts raged.
Stupid Spike for making fun of him. Stupid Dawn for choosing to mock him with Spike. Stupid Willow for having the hots for Spike. Stupid Tara for agreeing that Spike was hot. Stupid Buffy and Giles for sending them here in the first place, bet they think Spike is hot too. Stupid everyone.
"Harris!" Spike called.
"What?" Xander muttered gruffly, jerking open the car door. He exhaled wearily, turning his eyes Spike's way.
"Catch." Spike threw a little shiny trinket at him. Xander caught it easily then gazed down at it. It was a bracelet, a nice looking one, not like he was an expert or anything. He looked up at Spike, confusion written all over his face.
Spike shrugged. "Thought it'd look good on you." With that he placed the two bags he held in one arm in the trunk and helped the girls with rest. Not out of his kind-female-vampire-un-dead-heart, he had a soap he didn't want to miss.
Xander blinked stupidly for few minutes, and then smiled shaking his head. He threw the bracelet on top of the dashboard and didn't say anything when Spike sat in the front seat with him as he pulled away from the market and headed back to the Summers' residence. His eyes would occasionally fall to the dashboard before snapping them up, worried that someone might notice, but unable to help stop the smile from growing.
He caught himself doing that in the review mirror.
He decided that he was really 'pretty' when he smiled.
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