Days in the Sun

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June 21st, 2023 - Aging

From the top of the basement steps where she was sitting, Buffy could see the whole party, and hear three of Joy’s friends talking, Sandra, Emily and - Melanie? No, Melissa. They were standing at the foot of the steps, and because of the loud music Buffy doubted anyone else in the basement could hear them. The training equipment had been pushed up along one wall and covered with sheets to give room to the dancing teenagers, and gold and red streamers decorated the room, the colors chosen by Joy for her birthday parties ever since she had turned eleven. A table along one of the free walls hosted the cake, and right then Spike was setting up new soft drinks and removing empty bottles.

“I thought Joy said her brother was out of state,” Melissa commented suddenly, breaking the discussion about which boy was cuter and whom the girls wanted to dance with.

“He is,” Sandra answered, a bit absently. She was one of Joy’s best friends almost since kindergarten, and had always had a little crush on William.

“Then who’s that gorgeous guy over there? He is hot!”

Two girls erupted in laughter as they looked at the person Melissa was pointing to.

“That’s her father!” Emily managed to say, still laughing. “He’s like… really old. Probably over 40 or something!”

Buffy couldn’t help chuckling lightly. Over 40? If they only knew!

“Her father?” questioned a doubtful voice. “Wow… he really doesn’t look that old. Like 25 or something.”

There was a slight pause, and then Sandra said pensively:

“True, he looks pretty young now that I think about it. But Joy’s sister is 23 or 24 I believe. So he has to be in his forty’s.”

Again, the girls were silent for a few seconds. From her spot, Buffy could not see Spike, but she had no doubt that the three teenagers’ eyes were glued to him, and she couldn’t help feeling a bit of jealousy oddly mixed with pride, only accented when Sandra said with a quiet laugh:

“Don’t even think about flirting with him, Meli. I’ve seen the way he and Mrs. Summers are all over each other. You haven’t got a chance.”

“You’re no fun.”

“Yeah, and you’re looking at a guy who could be your father, for God’s sake!”

The three friends laughed lightly again, and soon they were on the dance floor joining appropriately aged young men. Buffy smiled for a while about the exchange, amused by the girls’ reactions. Yes, Spike was hot, as much as he had been when she had first met him, when she was even younger than Joy was now. And yes, he was the father of one of these teenage girls, even if he looked more like her older brother. Exactly like her brother, actually. If William had kept that bleached hair look, they might have been mistaken for twins.

Slowly, the smile disappeared from her lips. No one would mistake her for Joy’s sister. It wasn’t that she looked that old, really. She had aged pretty gracefully, or so she liked to think. But next to her, Spike hadn’t changed. Not one bit. Not one tiny wrinkle line. Still the same lean and muscular body. The same sculpted face, same hard lines and silk skin, same piercing baby blue eyes, same sexy but oh so irritating smirk. Just as he was smirking now as he made his way up the steps, empty pop bottles in his hands. She opened the door for him and they slipped out of the basement, leaving it to younger crowds. She followed him to the kitchen, and before she could completely wipe away the traces of her gloomy thoughts from her features, he had discarded the bottles and wrapped her in his arms.

“You OK, luv?” he asked softly.

“Yeah. Just feeling the weight of my years. Our baby is almost a woman, and her friends find you hot.”

He laughed quietly against her hair.

“Of course they do. I’m a damn fine bloke. Or so you used to say, luv.”

They could hear faint music coming from the basement even with the closed door, and Spike started swaying to the soft rhythm, Buffy still huddled in his arms.

“I still think so”, she answered softly. “You’re still gorgeous. Haven’t changed a bit.”

There must have been something in her voice that conveyed her distress, because he stopped dancing and placed a finger under her chin, raising her face up toward his.

“Buffy… The night Joy was conceived…”

His voice trailed off as if he wasn’t sure how to continue, but he didn’t need to. She remembered that night, and knew what he meant.

“I haven’t changed my mind,” she replied to his unasked question.

He nodded, a bit hesitant.

“You knew this would happen. You knew I wouldn’t change while you would.”

“Yes. But it’s still strangely hard to hear schoolgirls comment that my husband looks like he is my son.”

She managed to stop herself before saying that it would only get worse as time continued to pass for her but not for him. Slowly, he started moving to the music again, pulling her with him. She rested her head against his shoulder and followed his lead.

“I could ask Red to do some spell on me,” he suggested after a while. “Maybe she can make me look older.”

At the same time, his idea was completely unexpected and not that surprising for Buffy. Unexpected because he had never been very keen on being the subject of spells ever since their Willow-induced engagement. Not surprising that he was ready to do anything to make her feel better.

“Thank you,” she whispered, smiling against his neck. “But no. I’d rather wake up next to a damn fine bloke than an old man. Especially if she made you look like your real age!”

She laughed quietly, and after a second he joined her. She decided to put the matter out of her mind, once and for all. He was getting the rougher end of the deal anyway. She was just going to hear or see people who thought she was too old to be his wife. He was going to see her age, a daily reminder that, sooner or later, though hopefully not too soon, she would be gone and he would be the same as ever, but alone again.