Author's note: Thank every single one of you for the lovely reviews, I appreciate it more than you know!!!

Beta'd by wonderful dawnofme and Mabel Marsters.


Chapter 5


The moment she woke up, Buffy felt a warmth spread through her. Her mind was hazy with sleep and she squeezed the hand holding hers. Then it occurred to her. Who was holding her hand? She peeled her eyes open and yawned. The previous day came rushing back to her as she came face to face with Spike. Buffy glanced at the space between them. Sometime during the night, they must have turned towards each other. They weren’t touching, except his left hand was holding her right one. How they got in such a position was a mystery.


His smooth skin felt good against hers though. His bigger fingers intertwined with hers made her feel safe. As much as the thought scared her, Buffy wasn’t ready to let go yet. Spike was still asleep, so no harm in relishing a little innocent contact, right? Right. Gazing at his face gave her a sort of rush too. The danger that he could open his eyes and catch her looking anytime. The power it made her feel as she stared at him without his knowledge. It gave her a sort of voyeuristic pleasure.


'Huh. I must be kinky.'


His lips were slightly parted; dark thick lashes brushing against his pale cheeks, eyelids flickering as he dreamt. 'Probably about carnage.' With a surprise, Buffy noticed his hair was curly. It made him look both sexy and adorable. Who would have thought Spike had curls?


Spike moaned softly and squeezed her fingers. Buffy’s eyes shot to his in alarm, thinking he was awake. He was still dead to the world. Or more so than usual. His tongue snaked out to lick his lips, and Buffy followed the motion with her gaze. Entranced. Then he breathed out her name. She froze, the implications of his dream slamming into her. It made her hot. It made her want to bolt too. Instead, she let go of his hand and smacked him on the shoulder to wake him up.


“What did you do that for?” he mumbled in a voice rough from sleeping. It made Buffy tingle in all the wrong ways.


“Umm… I was bored.”


“Singing my tune now, are you?” He contemplated another shagging offer since he was particularly horny but he didn’t fancy another rejection. Oh, right, he was still pissed at what she’d said last night.


“I have to pee.”


“Be my guest, though I don’t see how’s that any business of mine.”


“Spike… I--” What did he want her to say? She sucked with words. But she really had to use the bathroom. Plus, maybe the weight of guilt for the remark about his family would leave. She took a deep breath. “I’m sorry for what I said last night.”


Spike stared at her with his jaw hanging open. It would be funny if it didn’t make her feel uncomfortable.


“So, we’re good now? Or as good as we’ll ever be, right?” she asked, smiling.


“Umm…yeah. I’m sorry too, you know. For all the jibes I’ve told you after the whole frat boy debacle. No wonder you don’t want to sleep with me and… let’s call a truce, right?”


“Truce?” she asked, ignoring the Parker comment. It was a part of why she refused his offer. She didn’t really want to sleep with Spike just to have him throw it into her face or humiliate her. She didn’t trust him.


“Yeah. No nasty remarks. Not out of spite at least,” he said.


“Deal. What about the innuendos?”


“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves, Slayer. Where would be the fun in that?”


Buffy heaved a sigh. “You’re right. Those are fun. Banter too.”


“Told you.”


“Spike?”


“Yeah, pet?”


“I really need to pee.”


******


“Can you wait at least a little while longer? You don’t even sweat.”


They were standing in front of the bathroom and Buffy was freaking out. She had to shower too, but she hadn’t thought about how it would work.


“I really need to go into the shower, pet.” Especially since the slayer woke him in the middle of a bloody wet dream. Seeing the star of his dream pout at him with those lips that had been wrapped… well, it certainly didn’t help his case. One more protest and he’d sodding well tell her why he needed to shower so badly.


“Okay. But I still don’t know how to do this.”


“Easy. I’ll just draw close the curtain and you’ll sit next to the tub.”


Buffy sighed and they entered the bathroom. He started to shed his jeans and she promptly turned away, blushing. “You could have warned me.”


“You do have some serious issues with nudity, don’t you, Summers?”


“Just with yours.”


Spike smirked knowingly and stepped out of the jeans. “Well I don’t have a problem with yours so feel free to run around starkers.” He stepped into the bathtub and closed the curtain. Buffy was forced to back towards him as the barrier pushed her. She sat down and leaned against the tub.


“You wish.”


“Oh yeah, I really do.”


The water turned on and Buffy inspected her nails. She was bored.


“Spike?”


“Yeah?”


Buffy frowned at how strangled his voice sounded but shrugged it off.


“What do you want to do today?”


Spike cursed as many images flitted through his mind, none of them exactly G-rated.


“You choose.” Stupid cold shower wasn’t working. Not when he could smell her scent and hear her voice. Feel her presence one curtain away. His erection was really persistent and with a heavy sigh and a prayer that the slayer wouldn’t catch on to what he was doing, Spike took the matter in hand and clenched his teeth to stop himself from making any sounds.


“I don’t know. Maybe we could go to the Bronze… or not. It would be a drag in the middle of the week. We can go see a movie. At least we wouldn’t have to talk, ergo no quarrels. There are only so many Spike arguments I can take per day.”


Buffy frowned at the lack of answer. It wasn’t like Spike to be quiet for so long or not taunt her for wanting to watch a chick flick. Then she heard a strangled moan and her eyes widened. He better be not be doing what she thought he was doing. The unmistakable sound of… It was so gross. She was in the same room while he…


“Spike? What are you doing?” she asked warily.


“Bloody hell, woman! What do you think?” His voice was raspy and breathy and Buffy shot to her feet, her back to him as she tried to get rid of the visual. That was hard considering she’d already gotten the soundtrack. This was wrong and depraved--and why did she want to draw open the curtain and help him out? She seriously needed to get laid.


“Stop that! I swear to God… Spike, if you think this is funny, I am so dusting you.”


“Don’t get your knickers in a twist. It’s not my fault the cold shower didn’t do its job. I don’t… aah… fancy walking around with blue balls ‘til we figure this out.”


“I can’t believe you! It’s so… how can you… with me in the same…” she sputtered, unable to form a coherent sentence. Her cheeks burned in embarrassment and desire as he groaned and panted. “You better not be thinking about me.”


“Slayer, if don’t stop yammering, there is no way I’ll be able to think of anything else but you.”


Buffy opened her mouth to say something then snapped it shut. Now she wouldn’t be able to look him in the eye for the rest of the day and since there was no way to avoid him, she was doomed. She stifled a moan as she thought of Spike naked and aroused in the shower, a couple of feet away, with rivulets of water running down his chest. Spike let out a gasp and a few seconds later, the shower was turned off.


Expecting him to gloat how he could smell her and embarrassing her further by painting a very graphic visual of his activities, Buffy was stunned speechless as she turned around and saw him avoid her eyes, ducking his head shyly. There was a towel wrapped around his hips and if a vampire could blush, Spike would be as red as Willow’s hair.


Her life had officially been turned upside down.


TBC


Author's note: What happens next??