[OPEN]

[fallsoutofbox]

Who: The DoctorCho and so very OPEN
What: Going about town, shopping, hanging at the animal shelter
When: This weekend, Thursday - Sunday
Where: Around! Take your pick. If you're uncertain, feel free to ping me via AIM/PM/Plurk.
Warnings: None foreseen, will edit if they come up

Comments

evening - open as to which day

[idolstolemylook]

Spike wasn't worried.

No, because being worried would imply that there was a human--an ordinary, powerless, rather sweet little human--worth his emotional investment, despite the fact he had no romantic intentions. Cho was, more or less, under his protection now, though. And when she didn't show up for a few days, Spike decided to go out looking. Bored. He was just bored.

He knew she sometimes hung about the animal shelter, and asked around until he learned where it was. Hopefully she'd be there, because if she wasn't, Spike was going to have to actually worry and he had enough going on what with Bonnie and Buffy and Conrad and Cho being insane.

"Cho, love?" he called as he poked his head in and looked around.

some day? =3 I'll decide if I need context

[fallsoutofbox]

He was in the kitchen. It had been one of the first places other than the closet that he'd explored and experimented with, and it hadn't taken long to work out that he was good with food.

It had taken a couple of days after that to work out that food was part of his job around here. But right now, dinner was over and he was cooking for himself. Dessert. Chocolate custard. Taking the pan off the heat, he added the chopped chocolate, salt and butter and began to whisk.

At the sound of the familiar name, he called out: "Hallo! In here!" When the blonde man appeared at the kitchen door, he smiled and scooped a bit of custard up onto a spoon, taking a taste test. "Mm. I am good."

[idolstolemylook]

Hallo?

Spike followed the sound of her voice, and the smell of chocolate, surprised a bit to find her blithely making dessert when he'd been wondering where she was.

"Were you goin' to tell me where you were, then?" he demanded stiffly, as if unwilling to admit he'd been worried but requiring the confession just the same. "Know Angelus might come after you, 'cause of me."

[fallsoutofbox]

Angelus. That name meant... just about nothing to him. He began spooning the custard into a bowl.

"Well, he hasn't." He shot what he hoped was an encouraging smile over his shoulder. "No 'coming after' 'round here, not since Saturday at least."

[idolstolemylook]

"An' what happened Saturday?"

Spike lingered in the doorway for a moment, as if he could keep not caring by keeping his distance, but suddenly he moved forward, frowning.

"You didn't come by," he said, faintly accusatory. "I do something you're not tellin' me about?"

[fallsoutofbox]

"Wouldn't know." He turned to face Spike, finally. "Which, incidentally, also has to do with Saturday. Saturday's when I woke up. Saturday's the first thing I can remember." He pointed to himself. "Amnesia Club Member. We ought to have t-shirts. So, no offense, but... I actually don't know who you are."

[idolstolemylook]

Spike blinked. Somehow, he was surprised at how much that affected him. Buffy wasn't herself, and that was... that was not good. It hurt. But this was wrong. He was supposed to take care of Cho. Wasn't sure why or how that had happened, but it was true nevertheless.

"You don't even sound like you," he said, tilting his head to study her more closely. "I'm Spike. You... stay with me. Sometimes."

[fallsoutofbox]

He knew he didn't sound like Cho. He knew he wasn't Cho - for several reasons, chief among them the fact that he knew the pronouns were all wrong. Maybe there was something disingenuous about pretending to be her, but it was simpler dealing with the people from her life if he did. And it was... interesting.

"Stay with you?" he repeated. He gave Spike a wary look, eyes squinting. "Like you're my -- boyfriend?"

[idolstolemylook]

Spike let out a bark of laughter at that. "Oh, you are gone, aren't you?" he said. "Story of my life, this week. No, 'm just the guy who worries about you walkin' around without your brain."

Though to be perfectly honest, she seemed sharp enough. Warier than Cho usually was, more like she should be if she had any sense.

[fallsoutofbox]

His wariness dropped at that, face lighting up with relief. "You're my friend! That's good." He took another look at the custard. Supposed there was enough to share.

"Would you like some?" He moved to put it in the fridge. "It just needs to chill for a bit."

[idolstolemylook]

"Yeah, all right," Spike said, throwing himself into a chair. And watching her. Buffy, Bonnie, Conrad, Faith... Cho.

"Be so bad, then, you an' me?" he asked casually, just to see what would happen.

[fallsoutofbox]

He spared Spike a glance over the shoulder with a pouty frown.

"Don't know." Going for diplomacy. "I don't really know you." The custard safe in the fridge, he went and found a seat opposite Spike. "Be a bit weird, finding out I had a boyfriend I didn't know about."

[idolstolemylook]

"Yeah, guess it would be," Spike said, leaning back and studying her. "You all right, though? Don't have any reason to trust me, I suppose, but I'd hate to see somethin' happen to you while your brain was all..." He made a vague gesture towards his head.

Oddly, she seemed more confident in a certain way. Less uncertain, despite everything.

[fallsoutofbox]

A shrug. All things considered...

"This Angelus." He shifted in the seat. He didn't like not knowing. "On a scale of one to abject terror, how frightened should I be? Why would he come after me?"

[idolstolemylook]

Spike would have denied the worry in his expression, the slight straightening of his spine.

"You got reason to believe he is?" he asked. He needed to know. He hadn't hear anything from Angelus since the beach thing.

[fallsoutofbox]

Another pout. "You're the first I've heard of him. Why d'you think he is?" ...and a pause. "Hang on. You said he might be coming because of you." His eyes narrowed. What did you do, Spike?