Well, I was all set to work on some of my stories when I got a request for a sequel of my little drabble "Wish" from nihilistbear. It was meant to be another little drabble, but I got a little carried away!

Title: Afterwards (Sequel to "Wish")
Pairing: Spike/Dawn
Rating: PG-13, for now...
Summary: Dawn turns eighteen. There was a party. This concentrates on what happens after the party.
Author's Notes: Totally un-beta-ed. Could completely suck. Feedback strongly encouraged.



To Dawn, her party seemed endless. She started to wonder if a vengeance demon was at play and they were stuck in the house forever. Finally, everyone gave his or her best wishes and goodbyes. As he moved towards the door as well, Spike quirked his eyebrow in her direction expectantly.

Dawn gave him the “one-minute” sign, and then went to find Buffy in the kitchen. Buffy was already washing dishes. Dawn leaned over the counter casually. “I’m gonna go over to Spike’s for a while, okay?”

Buffy stopped her task to look over her shoulder, “At this time of night? I don’t know, Dawn…” But, her voice trailed off as she gazed at her sister’s disappointed face. Dawn had grown up so much in the past few years, faster than she should have. But, despite all odds, she had turned into such a capable, beautiful young woman. “Hey, you’re eighteen. You’re an adult. You don’t need to ask my permission anymore. Just be careful, ok?”

Dawn shrieked girlishly, forgetting herself, and ran around the island to drag her sister into a bear hug. “I can’t tell you how long I’ve waited to hear those words!” They embraced for a moment before Buffy detangled herself from Dawn’s arms and Dawn stepped back into “cool” mode. “I’ll be back later. Don’t wait up,” she said mischievously and hurried out of the room, leaving Buffy shaking her head with a smile.

As Spike and Dawn walked to his apartment, she shyly slipped her hand into his. She surprised herself by resorting to small talk. They were well past that stage in their relationship, but she couldn’t seem to stop talking. Unfortunately, to anyone who knew her well, it was a dead giveaway that she was nervous. As they reached Spike’s apartment, Spike released her hand and put his arm around her shoulders, pulling her close. “Hey, what’s going on with you?”

Dawn tried to shrug it off as she walked through the door, “Nothing. Just a sugar rush, too much birthday cake.” Then, she internally berated herself, why did she say that?

Spike shook his head, a smile playing at his lips. “Wait here, yeah? I’m gonna grab your present.”

Dawn looked confused, “Huh? You already gave me a present.” She fingered the delicate teardrop diamond necklace around her neck. “I love it, it’s the most beautiful gift I’ve ever gotten.”

“Yeah, there’s just one more.” Before Dawn could ask any more questions, he disappeared down the hallway. As Dawn sat down on the couch, she looked around the apartment. It had been a real dump when Spike had moved in a year before. However, Dawn had come every day for two weeks. She painted the walls using bold colors, like red and black. Spike had developed an aversion to pastels after Harmony. Spike wasn’t very interested in fixing the place up, but Dawn’s enthusiasm had been infectious. He even hired Xander to build some furniture pieces for him.

Dawn’s reverie was interrupted when Spike came back in the room with a slip of paper in his hand. He sat beside her and using his trusty lighter, lit a candle on the coffee table. Then, he took her hand and stared into her eyes. She couldn’t help it, she laughed. It was just so weird. She was in love with Spike, she really was, but this was so new and different. She didn't know how to act and this seemed so contrived...She calmed down quickly and looked up at him uncertainly, worried she had hurt his feeling. But he was laughing softly too.

“I know. I’m not good at stuff like this, I just wanted it to be, you know, romantic.” Spike blew out the candle quickly, embarrassed, the slip of paper forgotten.

Dawn squeezed his hand, “We don’t have to do that. We don’t have to put on a show for each other. I love you. I’ve always loved you.”

Spike cleared his throat and looked down, “I-I love you, too, Dawn,” he said quietly.

Dawn smiled, “That’s romantic enough for me.” She raised her head a little and pressed her lips to his gently. Wait a minute, did she just do that? Did she just kiss Spike? This was not a kiss on the cheek that a friend would give, but a kiss that a lover would give. Wow… She moved back slightly to gauge his reaction. He looked sort of, stunned, actually. But, after a moment, he dipped his head and captured her lips with his again. Now, this was a kiss, much better than hers. He nibbled on her lower lip gently and then lightly traced it with his tongue. After a moment, she opened her mouth so he could deepen the kiss further. Dawn had kissed boys, of course. There had been a couple of boyfriends in high school, none of them serious. Therefore, she thought she had at least moved towards the block, if not all the way around it. But, as his hands moved over her body and his tongue continued to explore her mouth, she came to the conclusion that she knew nothing at all.

To Be Continued...