The crypt was lit by only one fat pillar candle. The dim glow was just enough for a Slayer and a vampire to make their way across the well-known space and to the ladder that led to the lower level.
After Angel's departure they had left the Magic Box for patrol. It had been unusually busy. The demonic denizens of Sunnydale had sussed out that the Slayer was otherwise occupied the last few nights and had taken advantage of the situation.

They now understood that things were back to normal.

Making their way to the ladder, Buffy and Spike descended to his bedroom. It too was dimly lit by a single candle. Separating, the two made a circuit of the chamber lighting more candles until the area glowed warmly in the soft light. Coming together again, they embraced and kissed gently. Lips slid softly against lips, arms encircled bodies pressed closely together. Their tongues danced together, tip touching tip then retreating only to come together again. Buffy felt desire growing in her as she ran her hands across her lover's firmly muscled back. Pulling away from him, she slid his duster from his shoulders to puddle on the ground at his feet. He in turn slid her jacket off her arms. Next his shirt, and then hers. She pulled at his t-shirt tugging it from the waistband of his jeans and when it was loose she pushed it up and over his head. Returning to his mouth, Buffy kissed him
tantalizingly, nipping at his full lower lip, sucking his tongue into her mouth, then pulling back to pepper his collarbone and chest with light, teasing kisses, stopping to suck briefly on his nipples and then returning to his mouth.

Spike reached behind her and unhooked her bra, sliding the straps down her arms and throwing it across the room. Pulling her to him, he crushed her breasts into his chest drawing a moan from them both.
They traded long lingering kisses for several minutes until Buffy pulled her mouth from his. Sliding her arms from around his neck she lightly ran her hands across his shoulders and down his chest, rubbing across his nipples and then down to his firm, flat belly. Spike's head dropped back at the wonderful sensations her touch gave him.

"You're so beautiful," Buffy murmured as she continued her journey down his body. Kneeling in front of him, she unbuckled his belt and unfastened his jeans. Pulling them down, she freed his erection. "So very beautiful." Her voice was almost reverential as she slid her warm hands up and down his shaft pumping him gently. Gathering his balls into her hands, she massaged them tenderly before she took one into her mouth sucking gently, then switched to the other.

Spike's moans were like music to her. Whenever she gave him pleasure, it filled her with such warmth she fairly glowed. Moving her mouth up, she licked along the vein until she reached the head, swollen and begging for attention. She loved this part most of all, she thought as she took the sensitive tip into her mouth lapping at the droplet that awaited her. Running her tongue around the smooth, cool flesh, she slowly began to draw even more of him into her mouth. Sucking deeply, she moved her head up and down the thick shaft, opening her throat to allow in as much of him as she could handle.

Spike's hands were wrapped in her hair, moaning out praise to her, "God, baby, that feels so good. Yeah, love, like that, just like that. You've the sweetest little mouth, love. Yeah, baby, god yes, ah, sweetheart."

It was when she lightly dragged her teeth along his shaft that he lost control. An animal-like growl emanated from deep in his chest and he grabbed her up, kissed her roughly and tossed her onto the bed. She gave a surprised little "Oof!" when she hit the mattress and bounced. Looking over at him with wide eyes, she saw him lunge for her.

He had every intention of ripping her remaining clothing from her body and burying himself deep within her. It was a good plan. One of his best. Unfortunately for Spike, he forgot that his pants were pooled around his ankles. As Buffy watched him leap forward, he tripped and landed flat on his face on the faux Persian rug that covered the floor. As Buffy sat up in concern, Spike pushed himself up cursing a blue streak. Reaching down he tugged at boots and pushed at trousers trying desperately to remove the tangled garments. "Get off, you motherfucker! Goddamnit! Get! The! Fuck! Off!"
Buffy tried to hold the laughter in, she really did. But seeing Spike trying to wrangle his way out of his boots and jeans, getting more angry and frustrated as the stubborn clothing seemed to fight him, kicking out with his legs trying to shed the unwanted garment, tugging and pulling while a steady stream of profanity erupted from his mouth was more that she could bear.

At first it was just one small snort, then another and then another until she was laughing so hard tears streamed from her eyes and her breath hitched. Spike glared up at her as he at last kicked his jeans off. Jumping up he growled, "Oh you think that was funny do you, Slayer?" This time his leap was more successful. He actually made contact with the mattress. However Buffy had rolled off the bed while was he still in midair. Standing on the far side of the bed she squealed, "Oh no! A big bad vampire is after me! Whatever shall I do?" A light flashed in Spike's eyes and he quickly switched into game face. "That's right, little girl, I'm going to get you. Run all you like. You can't get away from me!"

Spike scrambled off the bed and the chase was on. Buffy shrieked and giggled and dodged while Spike chased her all over the bedchamber. Every time he almost had her she would twist out of his reach with a shrill little scream at the last second. Her naked breasts bounced enticingly before him, her squeals and giggles floated back to him. She looked like a golden nymph and he grew harder with each second that passed. His speed was less than vampire fast and when she shoved a chest in his way, he made a great show of falling over it. Buffy took advantage of his fall to remove one boot and throw it at him. As he dodged and stumbled, rolling out of the way of the deadly missile, she removed the second boot and tossed it too.

Spike knocked the boot away this time and reaching out managed to grab her by the waistband of her slacks pulling her down to the ground. As they wrestled, he unbuttoned her slacks and when she kicked out trying to get away from him, Spike pulled them off her. Now clad only in her panties she escaped his grasp. Scrambling up, she ran away again only to find herself trapped between Spike and the bed. She jumped in an attempt to leap over the bed, but Spike tackled her as she left the ground and landed with her on top of the mattress. Straddling her, he held her hands above her head. She struggled against his grip, although not very hard. "Got you now, don't I," he growled in mock fierceness. Looking up into his demon visage, she cried out in a high breathy voice, "Oh no, you've caught me! What are you going to do to me, you big bad vampire?"

Leaning down, he growled into her ear, "I'm going to eat..." Switching out of game face he trailed kisses down her neck, across her shoulder, and down her chest to her breasts. "you..." Covering one breast with his mouth he licked across her nipple, rolling it around with his tongue, pulling at it as it hardened. Switching to the other breast, he nibbled lightly on the swollen bud, sucking and swiping his tongue over the pebbled tip drawing groans from his captive. Continuing his journey down her body, he kissed his way down her stomach until he reached the waistband of her panties. Tearing the swatch of material from her hips, he spread her legs and settled himself between them. Looking up from his position he held her gaze as he finished, "up."

Buffy hips thrust up as he opened her and flicked his tongue over her sensitive button. At her little gasp of pleasure he pulled her swollen clit into his eager mouth and sucked gently. Now it was Buffy's turn to entwine her fingers in his hair and moan as he pleasured her with his mouth. She loved it when he stuck his long, tightly pointed tongue into her, moving in and out and then returning to lap at her clit. His tongue circled and then pressed deeply into the sensitive bundle of nerves causing her to cry out again and again.

Spike felt her muscles begin to clench and knew she was close to climax. Crawling up her body, he positioned himself so that the tip of his penis just barely pierced her opening. Buffy stared at him with passion-glazed eyes, wondering why he wasn't entering her.

"Tell me you want me."

"I want you, Spike. You know I do."

He entered her just a tiny bit more.

"Tell me you love me"

"I do love you, very much."

He began pushing his way more deeply into her, all the while staring into her eyes.

"In fact..."

He stopped moving. "In fact?"

Buffy smiled gently and ran a hand down the side of his face running her thumb over his cheekbone, sliding it across his full lips, her eyes tracing the path her thumb took. Returning her gaze to his she said softly, "I not only love you, I like you."

Spike blinked. "You do?"

"Uh huh." Pulling his head down so that his ear was close to her mouth she whispered, "Don't tell Willow or Xander this, but you're my best friend."

Spike looked at her with wonder in his eyes. Never taking his eyes from hers, he slowly pushed himself the rest of the way in. They'd made love hundreds of times in the past few months but this night's was special. They moved against each other slowly, gently allowing the desire to grow but never allowing it to consume. When their climax came, it wasn't an explosion but a melding of essences, a flowing together of two beings until there was only one.

Neither had ever felt anything like it. Spike felt as if a warm light was invading him, as if Buffy was sharing her soul with him. The demon in him bathed itself in that light and relinquished a little more of its control, allowing the man that had been to reclaim a little more sovereignty.

Spike was a monster. He knew that. But with Buffy he was becoming a man.

***

London, England

"You're sure she has that much power?"

"Sir, my considered opinion is that her untapped potential is astounding. As I said in my report, she cast a very powerful black magic spell without benefit of spoken incantation or preparation. She merely pointed her finger and called out "Pain!" If it hadn't been for Miss Summers and that other young woman, I believe we would have been relieved of our Faith problem right then.

"Interesting," Quentin Travers mused. "Very interesting."


The End