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The Subtle Notes In-Between by Schehrezade
 
Chapter Five
 
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"Spike, lets get you cleaned up and then you can rest for a while." Buffy ignored the muttered invectives that poured out of Spike's mouth and helped him up. "Sorry, I keep moving you around and not letting you rest, but you kinda smell funky." She wrinkled her nose at him in the same adorable way she used to, the same way that made his knees tremble.

"Dawn said—"

"Yeah yeah, so she's not a virgin anymore. What was I supposed to do, lock her in her room forever? I tried that, Spike, but she can scream like a banshee. Anyway, she used protection and I gave her the ‘sex is evil’ speech, along with pictures to illustrate. I reminded her what happened when I slept with Ang—" She stopped babbling for a moment and glanced through her lashes at Spike, worried about mentioning Angel's name out loud.

"So anyway, she and Mauricio have been seeing each other pretty much since the day we got here and he is a nice guy. Not a demon-- I checked. So did Paolo. And I met his parents, they are really sweet and his baby brother is the cutest and I am babbling, aren't I?" she gave Spike an embarrassed smile and looped his arm over her shoulder and helped him walk down the wide marble floored corridor.

"Nib's not a virgin?" was all Spike could say. He wanted to cry but managed to be a man about his girl’s lost innocence.

"Well, she is nearly nineteen," Buffy whispered.

"I was a virgin til I was twenty eight, right changing the subject now." Spike looked around the elegantly decorated hallway; it was filled with antiques and the walls were covered in Bartelozzi engravings and oil paintings. So very different from what he ever expected Buffy to live in. He didn't want to discuss the Nibblet's sexlife and especially not when his had started, either. "So are you renting or did you buy the digs?"

"Umm, well we rented first, and then Paolo gave me and Dawn this." Buffy explained hurriedly. She mentally winced and waited for the explosion, but nothing came.

"Gave you?"

"Yeah. It's the ground and first floor of one of his Palazzos. You should see the gardens-- they are amazing. There's even a pool and a gym out there!"

"Right, good on him. Looking after you two." Spike gritted his teeth and tried not to burst into a furious diatribe, realising that it would only serve to make him look pathetic in her eyes.

"Here we are." Buffy pushed open the floor to ceiling double doors and helped Spike into her suite of rooms.

Spike's eyes roamed the room taking in the tasteful furnishings and felt out of place-- dirty, old and tired. He sighed deeply and froze in his steps.

Buffy glanced up at him, "are you okay?" Her handed tightened on his and he could feel the sweat pouring off her. She was nervous; he could smell she was worried and terrified of something. He was unsure of what, though.

"Tired out. Been put through the wringer recently, not had a moment to put me feet up," he lied quickly, unwilling to cause her anymore worry.

Her eyes softened at his admission. "Come on, the bathroom's in here. I picked this suite because of it."

"Can see why you did. Is that Sienna marble on the walls?" Spike squinted at the pinkish red marble-lined walls of the bathroom, which was probably the size of Buffy's old sitting room. A large bath stood in the centre of the room; it was rectangular and raised up off the floor, steps on all four sides. There was a chaise-lounge upholstered in a burgundy velvet and finished off with gold fringing under one window, and on the other side was double French doors that led onto a balcony overlooking the garden. Muslin curtains fluttered in the breeze, blocking the sun’s dangerous rays from Spike but allowing light and air into the room. All around the room were arched recesses with old busts of Greek and Roman gods. There were large silver gilt torchieres at the head and foot of the tub with half melted candles on them.

"Right smart." Spike leaned against the wall, using one hand to brace himself as he watched Buffy flit around the room, lighting candles and running the bath. He grimaced at the handful of bath salts she tossed in. "Not too flowery, love. Remember, have a rep to maintain."

"Riiight," Buffy drawled as she pulled big white Egyptian towels out of an armoire and lay them on the steps. "Strip please." She held her breath wondering if Spike would suddenly go all modest on her and rob her of a visual feast.

"Might need a hand with that pet." Spike fumbled with his zipper, his fingers suddenly shaking with nerves. No one had seen him naked since before he'd burnt up in the Hellmouth and now the one woman he had yearned for over a year was staring at him as if she wanted to devour him. Not that he was complaining, but for some reason Spike was struck down with an attack of the nerves.

Before he could blink, he felt Buffy's soft touch on his chin and she was tipping his face up to look at her. Standing on her tiptoes, Buffy gave him a tiny kiss on the end of his nose. Then slowly began to unbutton his jeans, pulling them down over his battered and bruised legs. She clucked like a mother hen at the sight of them. Buffy gently traced a deep gouge on his thigh that curved around and upwards towards his groin and winced. "Sorry, that must hurt." She glanced up at Spike who was staring down at her and panting heavily.

"S'kay, it'll mend." Spike shifted on his feet and tried to will the incipient erection that was threatening to occur to stay down. Instead he focused on her deft fingers as they unlaced his boots and lifted first one foot then the other as she pulled them off. "Under floor heating, nice." Spike wriggled his pale toes in appreciation on the warm marble. Buffy stood up and reached for the final layer of clothing to pull it off.

"Course, as if I would let my little piggies get frosty." She grinned impishly at him.

Unable to help himself, Spike looked down at her sandal clad feet and admired the bright red varnish that was adorning her toes. "Couldn't have that.” His voice dropped to a husky whisper as his eyes darkened with desire and the erection he had been trying to suppress made its presence made.

Buffy reached over and her hand hovered over his cock, her fingers flexed and her mouth watered at the sight of it. Instead of taking hold of it she reached over and ripped the black T-shirt in half, revealing his battered chest. "Easier that pulling it over your head and re-opening your wounds," she explained, her eye riveted to his throbbing cock, the tip of it brushing against his muscled stomach.

Spike let out a shaky breath. "Sorry love, but you know what effect you have on me."

"Hmm, come on, let’s get you in the tub." Buffy took his hand and helped him over to the bath and walked him up the steps. Spike eyed the massive water filled bath with relish. "Must be better than the cold water shower I had in my last place." He eased himself into the deep pool and rested his head on the side with a happy sigh. He cracked open one eye and stared up at his golden girl. "You remembered I like it hot."

"I remember everything about you, Spike." She sat down on the edge and reached for the shampoo. "Come on, dunk your head and I can clean out the demon goo."

"Love, why are you—?" Before he could complete the sentence, Buffy gently pushed his head under the water. She didn't want to hear those questions from him, not ever. It had taken her long enough to admit to herself how she felt about him and then when he had refused her words in the Hellmouth, she had been wounded. Even more damaged than when Angel had left her 'for her own good'. Spike had broken her heart with his rebuttal of her words. But now she had him back she was keeping him.

He was her vampire.
 
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