Buffy the Vampire Slayer Preferences + imagines/one shots

Spike Imagine - Nate

Character name: Marigold 

"Buffy! I told you!"

"I'm sorry, I couldn't help myself. Look - give him a chance okay?"

I huff and give her my best evil glare. I told her I was completely fine with attending her birthday party without a date but no, she had to go behind my back and invite a guy on my behalf! This is going to be so awkward. I hate small talk (and even if this goes well, I don't know how to flirt either).

The doorbell rings.

"That'll be him," Buffy beams and even Willow looks excited, "I promise you'll like him."

"How would you know..." I trail off as this Greek-God of a man steps into the room. He's tall, at least 6"2, with a sharp jawline and sculpted arms to die for. He shakes his dark hair from his thick eyebrows and I can see his forest-green eyes for the first time - they look like emeralds. 

He flashes everyone an unassuming smile, "Hi, everyone. I'm Nate." 

Everyone gives him a polite smile or 'hello' before he heads over to the food table (which just so happens to be where I'm standing). 

"Hi, I'm Buffy's friend, urm," Why have I forgotten my own name? "Marigold. Everyone calls me Mary."

"Hi, Mary," he introduces himself as Nate again and then blushes, "But yeah, you probably heard, ha."

A silence descends but it's promptly broken by a familiar, British voice.

"Who's the fella?"

"Spike!" I turn to him, "Hey! This is Nate."

Spike eyes him up and down. He nods and stalks off without another word and I furrow my eyebrows, looking back at Nate apologetically. "I'm sorry,  I don't know why he's being so rude."

"It's fine. Spike, huh? That's quite a nickname."

"Yeah, he's quite the guy." I reply fondly.

"Oh, are you two...?"

"What? No! No, I mean, he's cool and all but has got serious mommy issues," I sing awkwardly, trying to make clear that I am definitely available. Of course, I like Spike and yeah, I used to have a crush on him, but we're better off as friends for sure. 

"Good to know." Nate says, taking a sip of his drink and I beam at him like an idiot. He's truly beautiful but I'm hopeless around most people of the opposite sex - it's as if my brain doesn't want me to ever get laid with how slow it acts around them. I pick up a beer bottle and take a sip to counter my dry mouth - just one of the physical symptoms from this anxiety-inducing interaction.

"So, Mary," he looks me up and down subtly, but I don't miss his eyes lingering on my cleavage, "How do you know Buffy?"

"From school. We met when she first moved here a few years back."

"Cool," he says, although he sounds a little disinterested, "Where do you live? Nearby?"

"Yeah, not too far..." He looks as me expectantly and I shift on the spot. He seems nice enough but I don't want to give this stranger my address.

"Mary!" It's Spike. He wanders over and says quietly to the both of us, "Sorry, I've gotta steal Mary for a sec. Buffy's cake." he explains.

He whisks me away and I sigh. 

"You good?" Spike asks casually as we enter the kitchen. I see multicoloured candles splayed out on the counter, along with a box of matches and pretty edible flowers.

"Yeah. Nate is so dreamy," I tell him and he rolls his eyes. I grin, "Come on though, he kind of is."

"Not my type." Spike deadpans, opening the fridge. "And he gives off a weird vibe."