Summary: Spike is Buffy's swimming coach. He has been hateful to her since day one, a fact that hurts her because she is in love with him. Little does she know that his behaviour only serves to hide his own feelings. Tragic circumstances bring them closer together.
The next afternoon Buffy quietly laughed to herself as she floated in the shallow end of the pool, listening to her team mates. They were all waiting for Spike to arrive for practice and were discussing his sudden greatly improved temperament, trying to determine the cause.
“I’m tellin’ ya man, he’s won some money. Maybe the lottery.”
“You idiot! D’ya think he’d still be coming to coach us everyday if he won heaps of money? Nah, I know what it is.”
“What?”
“What it always is. He’s bangin’ a new hottie.”
Buffy quickly dipped her mouth under the water to muffle her giggles.
“Yeah, that must be it.”
“Oh my God, and I know exactly who.”
Looking up guiltily in alarm, Buffy expected to see a whole bunch of eyes peering at her. But they were all looking towards the door that led to both of the changing rooms.
“Holy moly! That’s the hottest thing I’ve ever seen!”
“Shit, I’d be whistling every day too.”
Buffy took in the sight of a tall blonde girl walking towards the pool, wearing a pink – pink?- bathing suit. Where the hell was her regulation black pair of bathers huh? The one she was wearing was cut extremely high on her hips, making her legs seem impossibly long, and very low on her chest thus doing nothing to hide her extremely generous curves. Buffy raised her eyebrows as Spike followed out of the door not twenty seconds later.
“Guys, this is Harmony, a new addition to our swim team. I’m sure you’ll all make her feel welcome.”
Harmony giggled. “Thanks Spikey.” Buffy noted with satisfaction that he flinched at the nickname.
“Hi everyone! I’m like, so excited to be here! And we get to go to LA on Friday! How cool is that?”
She jumped in the pool and was immediately surrounded by most of the guys doing their best to subtly look down the top of her bathers as they asked her questions. Buffy glared up at Spike, her hands planted firmly on her hips. Spike could see she was slightly furious for some reason so he shouted, “All right everyone! Like we’ve been doing, start off with five hundred meters your choice. And uh, Buffy, could you join me in the office for a second? Just have some concerns about the meet we need to discuss.”
Buffy pulled herself out of the pool, grabbing her nearby towel and following Spike into the small office. He shut the door behind them and pulled her towards him by her waist, but she side stepped out of his way.
“What’s up kitten? Why do you look so upset all of a sudden?”
She ignored his question. “So that’s Harmony, huh? Our new addition?”
He furrowed his brow. “Uhh, yeah?”
“You know, she shouldn’t be wearing those bathers. They won’t allow it at the meet.”
“I know, I already told her to get black ones. Are you okay, honey?”
“When did you tell her?”
“What?” Spike was getting completely confused and she kept avoiding his hands.
“When did you tell her to get black ones? When you were in the changing rooms with her?”
“What? I wasn’t in the changing rooms…oh bloody hell pet, are you jealous?”
Buffy scoffed unconvincingly. “Jealous? Me? Of a plastic Barbie doll like that? I don’t think so.”
“Baby, you have nothing to worry about. At all. I caught her on the way out to the pool and told her about the togs, okay?”
“Right, so now that you’ve broken the law with one of your swimmers you’re not just aching to try it out with Miss-I’m-a-big-ho-ask-me-how?”
Spike’s eyes flashed in anger and Buffy took a step back. “Buffy, are you accusing me of something? Don’t do this half assed. You either come out and blame me for something or back off. What’s it gonna be?”
She looked up at him, tears starting to gather in the corner of her eyes. “I…I don’t know…I didn’t think – ”
Spike snapped, “No. Don’t do that. I’m not gonna stand here and have you fling stupid accusations at me when I haven’t bloody done anything! Its just ridiculous Buffy! I know what it feels like to be cheated on so don’t you bloody stand there and blame me for doing something I’d never do to anyone, especially not to you.”
He turned around and stormed out of the office, flinging the door open in his wake. Buffy wrapped her arms around herself, cringing. Why the hell had she been so stupid? This was Spike, the man who had just spent weeks being the sweetest person alive to her. God, and he looked so furious. She didn’t really think he was having an affair with a girl who just arrived today of course. How ridiculous was that? Oh God, well she’d have to face the music sometime. She meekly made her way out to the pool and dropped in the shallow end, wincing as Spike fixed her with an irritated glare from across the water. She dove in and began swimming, each meter feeling like a mile.
***
“Right guys, that was a great practice. I can tell we’re really gonna give them something to complain about on Saturday. I know we’ll be meeting here every day until Friday, but it doesn’t hurt to remind you – make sure you’re all here by 12 noon with appropriately packed bags okay?”
Everyone nodded and murmured their consent from around the pool deck as they dried themselves off. A few of them wandered off to the changing rooms.
“So Harmony, how did you feel out there today? Great swimming by the way.”
“Oh, thanks coach! I felt really good, getting back into the swing of it. You’re really great at what you do.”
Spike smiled gratefully. “Thanks.”
Harmony batted her eyelashes while Buffy tried not to vomit. “So, do you give private lessons? ’Cos I think there might be a few extra things you could teach me.”
Spike quickly glanced at Buffy who was staring determinedly at the ground. “Uh, sorry pet. No can do. Busy guy and all that, only chance I get to coach is here at the team sessions.”
Harmony pouted and started walking away. “Too bad. Maybe when things get less busy.”
Buffy finally looked up at him. “Spike, I just – ”
“Listen Buffy, sorry but I can’t give you a lift to the hospital today. Got something to do. I’m gonna give you some money for a taxi there and home okay?”
Buffy looked incredulously at him. Was he that hurt? Well screw that. She wasn’t taking his cash straight out of his wallet like some hooker.
Glaring at him she spat out, “Don’t bother. I don’t want your money, or your help.” She glanced over to where Riley was still lingering.
“Hey Riley, can I get a lift with you today?”
He beamed at her goofily. “Sure thing Buff! Let me just get dressed.”
She turned up her nose at Spike and walked away, trying desperately to ignore the pained look on his face.
***
Christ. What did it take? Riley had given her a lift straight to the hospital after she’d finally come clean about her mother’s sickness. She thought he’d leave her there, but he was still waiting outside when she was finished and he’d insisted on driving her home. Now they were both sitting on her couch, drinking a soda and not paying any attention to the TV.
“Listen Riley, I really appreciate you driving me today. And for listening about mom. I’m sorry I couldn’t tell you before but it just hurt too much, you know?”
“Buffy, its okay. I knew something was going on ’cos you were getting kind of distant but I just told myself that if I gave you time, you’d figure it out and we’d be back to normal.”
“Uh, yeah. About that. I was being serious, you know, in the locker room that day. I really don’t think we should see eachother.”
Riley patted her knee soothingly. “Its okay, Buffy. I’m happy to give you more time to come round. I’m a patient guy.”
She sighed exasperatedly. “No, you’re not getting it. I think you’re a great guy, and really helpful, but I just don’t feel that way about you. I don’t want to be in a relationship with you.”
The doorbell rang and she smiled apologetically at him. “Sorry, let me just get this okay?” Riley nodded and sipped his soda.
Buffy walked to the door and opened it, surprised to find Spike there looking so downtrodden.
“Buffy, God Buffy I’m just so sorry. I didn’t mean to be such a wanker to you today, I really didn’t mean it. I can’t stand you being angry at me, I love you so much. Please forgive me?”
She smiled happily at him. “Of course I forgive you! But you need to – ”
“Coach?”
Spike looked at Riley who had stepped up behind Buffy, placing a hand on her shoulder.
“Finn? Uh, what’re you doing here?”
Riley frowned. “This is my girlfriend’s house. I think the question is, what are you doing here?” He puffed out his chest in a protective gesture.
“Me? Right, uh, I’m a friend of Joyce Summers, Buffy’s mum, and she asked me to come round here to check up on Buffy while she’s…out of town.”
“Its okay coach, I know that her mom is sick.”
Spike glared at Buffy who was looking stricken. “Oh, that piece of information’s making the rounds is it? Well now that I know everything’s okay, I’ll just leave the two of you love birds alone.” He stomped off down the porch steps and jumped in his car, roaring away.
Buffy whirled round on Riley.
“Why the hell did you say that to him for? I’m not your girlfriend!”
“What? Buffy, what are you saying?”
“Jesus Christ Riley! How can I put it any more clearly? I. Don’t. Want. To. Be. With. You. Anymore. Get it? Just get out of my house already.”
He shot her a wounded look as he left. “I’m gonna give you some time, and then we’ll talk about this.”
She slammed the door shut in his face.
Shit. She’d had a fight with Spike because she’d sort of accused him of cheating, in a round about way. Then he comes to apologize, and Riley tells him they’re a couple. Things were so screwed. And so was she. She didn’t know his address, so she couldn’t go round and see him. She didn’t even have his phone number. Oh God. The wait until tomorrow’s swim practice was going to be a long one.