For those of you waiting for more Perfect World (It's coming along. Really.), I thought I'd help you pass the time with a preview of the new fic. Actually, it's not so much a preview as it is all I've got so far. And there's a slight chance this is all there will ever be. At any rate, it's a nice break from the angst. Enjoy.

~~~

He wasn't sure which part had left him more gobsmacked: the words themselves, or the off-handed way she'd said them.

"We should go out sometime. Like a real date. Just to try it, I mean."

Either way, that was to blame for Spike's standing around with his mouth hanging open like a royal git instead of paying attention to the fight. Subsequently, he soon found himself lying on the ground underneath a three-hundred pound vampire who thought twisting his head off would be jolly fun. But before Spike could even think about trying to get his arms unpinned, the fat bastard went poof, and Spike was covered in dust.

"You okay?" Buffy held her hand out.

"Um."

She squatted beside him. "Spike?"

He shook his head and raised up on his elbows. "Tell me, Pet. Did I hit my head extra hard, or did you just use the words 'we' and 'date' in the same sentence?"

"Yes, and yes. Well, actually it was two sentences."

He raised a hand to the knot where his head had impacted with the ground, and winced. "Bloody hell, Slayer, you don't just spring something like that on a bloke!"

"Well excuse me, Mr. former enemy, ex ... whatever, newly soul-having guy! I don't know the protocol here, I'm kinda having to make it up as I go!"

Spike just stared at her. Unbelievable, she was. Four months he'd been back, and it had taken three of those months to work back up to regular slaying partners and -- dare he say it -- friends. No indication from her all this time that she'd even thought about them being more than that, and then bam! She wants to date. Just like that. He tilted his head and squinted at her. "So what brought on this sudden attack of wanting to date me?"

She shrugged and looked down at her hands as she rubbed her palms on her jeans. "It's not that sudden. I just thought ... well, I mean, it was either throw you down and have my way with you in the middle of the cemetery, or this. And seeing as how that first option turned out so well the last time I tried it ..." Spike was vaguely aware that his mouth hung open again, but he couldn't seem to summon the motor control required to shut it. Buffy met his eyes. "I thought maybe this time we could do it right."

Spike continued to stare as that last part sunk in. "This time ..."

"Unless you've changed your mi--" Her eyes grew wide, then she closed them and rolled her head back. "I am such an idiot."

She started to stand up, but Spike's hand shot out of its own volition -- thankfully, because he was still working on that motor control thing -- and grabbed her arm. He found the wherewithal to sit all the way up and look her in the eye. "You want to do it right this time," he repeated.

"If you do."

"If I ..." Spike bit back a laugh. She looked all vulnerable, and somehow he didn't think she'd take it the right way if he burst out laughing right in her face. Instead he climbed to his feet. By God, he'd show her right.

He held out a hand. She took it and let him pull her up. "Miss Summers," he said, summoning all of his Victorian grace and filtering it through his hundred-plus years of charming women.

Buffy raised her eyebrows. "What happened to your accent? You sound all Giles-y."

Spike took a step back, put a hand on his chest, and bowed to her like a proper gentleman. "I would be greatly and humbly honored if you would do me the courtesy of allowing me to escort you out on the town at your earliest convenience."

She rolled her eyes. "And I thought you were weird before the soul."

Spike flashed a grin and straightened up. "So do you want to go out with me or what?"

She took a step closer and looked up into his eyes. "I'm free this Saturday."

God, it was all he could do not to kiss her. But that wouldn't be right. "Pick you up after sunset?"

Buffy smiled. "It's a date."