Work Text:
Before the Rain
By FemailoftheSpecies
It was sweltering. Abnormal for New York City in early October, but that did nothing to appease the young girl as she exited the club. The only saving grace was that inside the club it felt worse. CBGB's on a Saturday night was packed as usual and she had migrated there, like the faithful always did to dance and sing her cares away. The few acquaintances she had thought she was bizarre for hanging out at the punk rock haven. But she liked it. It was liberating in a way only a few things were.
The way slaying was.
Once outside away from the pressing bodies and tremendous sound she began to feel the weight of the liquor that she had consumed over the course of the evening, the world slightly askew. Gathering her confidence, she pulled her drunk self together and sauntered toward her brownstone.
"Hey..."
She turned at the sound, to find herself staring at a blonde punk. That was not a bad thing. He was good looking and she was in mood for a little tumble in the rough.
"Yeah."
He walked the last few feet, approaching her in measured steps. "You dropped this." He motioned at the club. "Back inside. Bloody too crowded to catch you." He handed her a wallet. Her wallet.
"Wow...Cool." She opened it and saw her ID, money and the latest picture of her boy, Robin. She glanced at the handsome Brit, smiling genuinely for the first time. "Thanks...A lot. I don't get paid until next Friday." She shrugged, nearly feeling the stigma of being almost poor and then shaking it off. If it wasn't for her watcher and his monetary support...
He was watching her, his head tilted and it was adorable. She fought the urge to touch his sculpted cheekbones by shoving her hands in the back pockets over her hip huggers.
"Yeah, I get that. Been hard to make ends meet since I came to New York. Everything's so bloody expensive."
She laughed. "Yeah...I've been wanting to move. But my job is here..." She drifted off again as if she had said more than she should.
"And the city's exciting...people coming and going...so much new blood. It's amazing." He added.
"Yeah...and so much crime." As if the demons were not enough, people preyed on each other as well. But that was not her problem.
"There's that." He agreed.
"She glanced down the street and back at him. "Well I better get going."
"Hey, I'll walk with you...going this way anyway. Plus there's a nice little coffee shop a few blocks up. Can I buy you a cuppa?"
A cuppa
She could listen to him speak forever...so a few more minutes were definitely tolerable. And he was more than easy on the eyes.
"Sure. I'm Nikki." The sudden raspy quality to her own voice surprised her as she looked into his penetrating eyes...so blue.
"Pleasure, pet. Call me...William."
The walked along, two predators, one unaware of what the other was.
***
The coffee was good as it had been all the other times he had gone there. He drank it quicker than most could, enjoying the scalding of his tongue as his cells regenerated the tissue immediately. It made for a tingly, numbing sensation that was not unlike that of cocaine, although much cheaper. Not that he would pay for coke if he wanted it. He did not want it, and found that it did not mix well with the vampiric anatomy.
He listened to her. She was a real yapper when she got started. He was charmed by her beauty and enthusiasm. She had been at the New Year's Festival the year before at CBGB's and still raved over the amazing performance of The Shirts. Spike was inclined to agree although he was a Ramones fan as far as state-side bands went. He had traveled across the Atlantic to see the infamous little rock club and search for her. He got lucky and found them both in the same city. He enjoyed this new form of music and jumped into the culture head first.
Punk Rock as it was now being called was a vampire's dream.
The talked for almost two hours. Sunrise was only an hour or so away.
"Well," she started as she slid from the confines of the booth, "I'd better get going."
He stood and tossed a few dollars on the table. "Yeah...this was nice." He looked down shyly, shoving his hands in his from pockets before glancing up at her through thick dark lashes. The effect was utterly endearing. He practiced it on Drusilla when she was angry with him...often. "Do you think...I liked to...Will you go out with me? On a date?"
***
She rushed down the stairs when the bell chimed, stopping to compose herself at the front door. This was the first guy she allowed herself to date since Robin's father and she was a bit nervous. She snuck a peek in the mirror, forcing herself to relax and opened the door. "Hey, William."
"Nikki, you look ravishing, pet." His eyes roamed her body, his stare hungry.
"God...you're sweet...So do you. I mean you look great. Oh... come in. I just have to lock up and get a jacket."
He crossed the threshold, a little surprised that she was not more cautious. But then he affected her judgment somewhat, which he was accustomed to doing to women...and not a few men.
"You want a beer or something," she called from the kitchen where she was checking the lock on the back door.
"Nah...thought we'd go to dinner before hitting the show if it's okay with you."
She appeared from nowhere and he grinned, slayer speed at work. "Oh dinner, sounds good. I haven't had a chance to eat yet anyway. Just got off work." She picked up a small shoulder bag with fringes that matched the ones on her blouse and that hung from the hips of her bell-bottomed pants. Pretty hazel eyes, like Dru's gazed at him
"All ready, then?" He asked.
With a nod from her they headed out, already talking about what their previous week had been like.
And the night went well. Better than well. She was enchanted by him. He had been so many places, seen so many things and was a fabulous storyteller. As the date came to an end she was almost sad.
"Let's get you home. I won't be the reason you are late for work." He said with as sigh as they rounded her corner.
She laughed. "I've never needed a reason to be late before." They walked up to the door and she took his hand, pulling him inside. "And I'm gonna be very late tomorrow."
***
Sunlight filtered through her thin gauzy white curtains and made opening her eyes uncomfortable. Squinting, she turned over and found the bed empty. A brief sense of panic flooded her before she pushed it away. He was just a guy.
Then her eyes landed on the note propped up on her bedside table.
Nikki
Thanks for the shag, luv. You're incredible. Have to meet a relative, but I'll be back to see you in a few days.
William
~~~~~
She studied the note carefully, looking for hidden meaning. Even his handwriting seemed special. She folded it and placed it in her drawer. She could still get in a few hours of work before patrolling and picking up Robin. Smiling, Nikki got ready to face the day.
***
Spike entered the lair just before dawn. Dru had been back for hours and was playing with her dolls.
"Drusilla, luv, the slayer is as good as bagged."
His dark goddess turned to him. "Of course she is. When shall you kill her, pet?"
He sauntered around the small living room, touching the curios on display everywhere. The newly deceased owners apparently had been taken with elephants. His princess had predicted that it would rain in a few days and it would be a good time to try for his prize.
"I was thinking of a midnight stroll in the park."
end