A/N: This was written for the Spuffy Ficathon over on LiveJournal. blkqueenphoenix requested Buffy choosing Spike over any others and popsicles!

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It was a hot July night in southern California, and Buffy was wrung out. Her friends were coupled up, and her man was on the other side of the continent. Debriefing, they called it, even though he’d quit the Initiative a few weeks ago. But he owed the government an explanation, and as one of the only operatives to survive the Initiative’s demise, he felt obligated to share his thoughts. Then he was going to stop by Iowa for a visit with his family before returning to Sunnydale.

“It’s only for a few weeks, Buffy,” he’d said. “I won’t be able to call you from Quantico, but as soon as I get to Iowa I’ll call every night.” He explained that he’d be quarantined while he was with the government and would have no contact with the outside world. Buffy was suspicious and a little scared for her boyfriend, but he assured her it was all according to protocol and he’d be safe.

“The worst thing will be being away from you,” he’d whispered, stroking her hair one last time before boarding his plane. So here she was now, patrolling alone in the stifling heat while her friends were out with their significant others, enjoying air-conditioned restaurants and theaters. Her Watcher was back in England, tending to some of his affairs there, knowing that his young charges would be able to handle things here in his absence. It was always rainy and dreary in England, or so she’d heard, mildly cursing Giles for not being overheated, too.

Sunnydale summers were usually calm, especially after they’d vanquished some big evil. That was currently the case, but as she’d had no desire to stay in, either alone, with her mom, or as a third wheel to her friends, she opted to patrol, even though pickings were fairly slim.

And of course, with that thought, a trio of rampaging vampires entered her field of vision, and she had to kick up her skills a couple of notches in order to dispatch them before they found their way to some unsuspecting victims. It was a tough fight, but she was the victor, as usual. So here she was, hot, lonely, and exhausted after her exertions, and a drink sounded good about now.

She was not to far from a convenience store and headed there to buy some Gatorade. Her musings on which flavor to buy were interrupted when she saw a small gaggle of girls outside the store, surrounding an English vampire wearing a black leather duster. Spike’s back was to her and as she snuck towards the group she listened to clues to his latest nefarious scheme.

“You see, ladies, there’s a trick to breaking these; you have to follow the spine and line it up correctly on the edge of a hard surface…”

The girls tittered and giggled and Buffy edged closer.

“Then the rest is all about how tightly you grab either side.” When Buffy saw Spike raise his arms she pounced. Barreling through the ring of girls surrounding him, she knocked Spike down and looked for the innocent victim he was just about to break in half. When a glance around showed her nothing, she looked at Spike’s hands splayed above his head and saw a wrinkled plastic wrapper with some red goo inside. Carefully pinching one corner between her fingers, she brought the object up for closer inspection.

Icy, red flakes dripped from a tear in the package and she spotted two telltale wooden sticks.

“A popsicle?” she sputtered. “You were breaking a popsicle?”

“What did you expect, Slayer? Can’t exactly go ‘round breaking young girls anymore, can I?” he said with a leer and tongue roll towards his female admirers, who had figured the excitement was over and were now wandering away from the weird girl who was sitting atop the cool punk guy with the sexy accent.

Scrambling off him when the teenagers looked back at her and laughed, she threw the cool treat on the ground and brushed gravel off her jeans.

“Thank goodness for that,” she muttered, wondering how she could walk away without embarrassing herself further.

“Ooohhh, someone’s all hot and bothered,” he purred, popping off the ground and sniffing the air around her. “You’ve been busy tonight; I can see the vamp dust in your hair.” His hand rose, moving as if to flick some of the dust out of her hair, but she batted it away.

“Don’t touch me if you want to keep those hands,” she growled.

He held out his hands in a placating gesture and backed away. “Just trying to help a girl.” He cocked his head and his forehead crinkled. “When was the last time you had a popsicle, Slayer?”

“Huh?” she answered, inelegantly.

“You’re covered in vamp dust, you’re sweaty, and it’s about 100 degrees out here. You look like you could use one of these.” He swept his hand toward the edge of the planter where he’d been about to break the popsicle and she saw a bright yellow box. “There’s a few left in there, and I’m happy to share.” He picked up the box and reached inside. “I’m partial to cherry myself, but I bet you’re a lime kind of girl.”

“Lime?” she repeated.

“Goes with your sour disposition,” he quipped, and with that last volley, he strode off into the night, clutching his box of popsicles, leaving her bewildered in the parking lot. And with a craving for a popsicle. Finally finding her voice she hollered after him.

“I hope they all melt before you get home!”

Without turning around, he waved her off and kept going. Buffy cringed inside. Her wit had totally deserted her and she was off her game to let Spike get her like that. Barging into the store, she bought 2 bottles of Gatorade thinking she must really be depleted or he’d never have gotten the best of her. She chugged both her drinks before arriving home and went straight to bed to get a good night’s sleep. Spike had just shown her that she needed to be alert and ready at all times, even in the lazy days of summer.

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A couple days later she was patrolling again, vigilant and well-rested, even a bit happy. Riley had called earlier that evening and was en route to his parents’ house. He’d be there for 10 days and would then be coming back to Sunnydale. She could do 10 days. Her happy thoughts stopped when she saw her least favorite vampire lounging against a headstone, wooden stick poking out of his mouth. They were still in the throes of a heat wave and it looked like Spike was still on his popsicle kick.

Buffy strode confidently toward him; she’d been practicing her quips and retorts and had several lined up to deliver when she saw him next. But her verbal skills fled when she actually saw what he was doing to his cool treat.

He was making love to it. His tongue, that wicked thing, was sliding up and down the shaft of the ice, curling around it before releasing it with a “plop.” She closed her eyes as she was transported back in time to the previous year, when she got to know that tongue intimately. They had spent so much time kissing under Willow’s spell. They were so in love and she couldn’t get enough of his kisses. Her mind had to continually remind her that it was only a spell, but her heart remembered the feelings. And the lust. Which was now making a comeback and Spike knew it.

“Oh my. Seems like someone’s a little excited. Fancy one of these for yourself, Slayer?” His emphasized his double entendre by removing his popsicle and waving it down his body before wrapping his lips around it once more.

Buffy thought a moment. She could run away, she could insult him, or she could surprise the hell out of him. She felt like the latter, because he’d be expecting one of the other two.

“Sure. You still got that lime-flavored one?”

The look on his face was priceless. Stunned for a moment, he finally shook his head and turned to go inside his crypt. Buffy followed, hoping she had enough guts to turn the tables on the snarky vamp and get some of her own back. She nearly lost her train of thought as she walked through the darkened doorway.

It was cool inside. Very cool. And it felt wonderful. She took a look around while Spike was getting her treat and noticed that he’d really fixed the place up. He was over in one corner, opening the door to a little fridge. And he had furniture, too. A battered armchair sat in front of the TV and she could just make out the outlines of a bed in another corner. She quickly looked away from that part of the crypt and realized Spike was coming toward her, a green popsicle held in one outstretched hand.

“Thanks. It’s really hot out there tonight.” Spike sputtered a reply as she broke her prize down the middle, took the wrapper off, and started in on one half.

She did her best Meg Ryan as Sally impression while Spike could only gawk at her. There were lots of “mmmms” and “ooohhhhhs” while she moved it in and out of her mouth slowly, giving the best blowjob of her life to something that wouldn’t even appreciate her efforts. Peeking out from behind her closed eyes, she could see that Spike certainly seemed to be enjoying her performance, if the bulge in his jeans was any indication.

The vindictive girl inside of her gave a little dance of joy when she saw that she’d accomplished her mission. Reaching the end of her treat, she gave a great shudder and drew the stick out of her mouth with a great sigh. She flicked the wooden stick at him, touched the top of the other half to her bottom lip and said, “Thanks. I really needed that.” She had to stifle a giggle as she sashayed out of his crypt into the hot, sticky night.

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When she settled into bed that night she finally took some time to think about what had happened. He’d turned her on, and she’d done the same to him. And she hadn’t been grossed out. She wondered if he’d ever grossed her out, or if she’d just been reacting the way she’d been conditioned. And she thought about his place in her life.

She knew that Giles had approached him about helping out the Scoobies, and that Spike had basically laughed in his face. Then he’d deliberately driven a rift between them to help Adam out with his demon army plot. When that hadn’t worked out, Spike had protected her friends while they recovered from the SuperSlayer spell. Why had he done that? Could it be that he knew that they always triumphed, and he just wanted to side with the winning team? More likely it was to save his own skin.

For whatever reason, he’d decided to stay in Sunnydale and she was going to be running into him. And now she was basically flirting with him, and allowing him to do the same.
And her mind kept thinking on these things until she finally entered into a restless sleep filled with dreams of a platinum-haired vampire, and not one thought of her actual boyfriend.

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The heat wave continued the next day. Buffy finally relented to the pleas of her friends and they went to the beach. She wondered why she’d been so stubborn when she realized she was having a good time, even without a significant other to slather sunscreen on her back. But as the day drew to a close and they asked if she wanted help patrolling that night, she turned them down. The heat had not abated with the coming of darkness, and she knew of a place that was cool and inviting, even though it was filled with dead things.

Nightfall found her walking to Spike’s crypt, clad in short shorts and a tank top. “Because of the heat,” she told herself, but she really wanted to see Spike’s reaction to her. To know if the previous night had been a fluke or if he was really attracted to her.
She stood in front of his door, trying to decide if she was going to knock, pound, or barge on in, when the vampire himself swung open the door and leered at her.

“Is that a new slaying strategy, then?” he asked her.

“What?”

“Flashing your goodies to stun the vamps, then going in for the kill,” he whispered, eyes raking up and down her body.

“Just trying to stay cool, is all,” she said flippantly, shrugging her shoulders. She walked on by him, headed to his armchair and flopped into it, sighing with relief at the cool air within.

Spike cleared his throat. “Something I can help you with, Slayer?” he asked, sounding peeved. “I was sitting there, you know, just minding my own business and watching some telly.”

“Nope, I’m good,” she replied. “Although I wouldn’t say no to another popsicle if you have some left.”

Spike remembered the little show she’d put on while eating one the previous night, and he rushed to the fridge to get another. Retrieving the treat, he moved toward her and stopped suddenly. “What’s going on here?” he asked suspiciously.

“We don’t have A/C, I have to patrol even though it’s hotter than heck out there, and your cemetery is the last on my rounds, and it’s cool in here; ergo, it makes a good place for the last stop of the night,” she explained a little too glibly, rising from the chair to step forward and plucking the orange popsicle from his hand. She’d gotten it unwrapped and inside her delectable mouth when he decided to call her on it.

“That’s bollocks,” he snorted. “What are you really doing here?”

Buffy met his piercing gaze and began performing on her frozen ice like she’d done the night before. She fellated the thing for a few moments, watching his body tense up and the front of his jeans draw tight and simply replied, “You’re a smart guy, Spike. Figure it out.”

She’d barely put the popsicle back in her mouth before he was in her personal space, his tongue darting out to catch a taste of her treat.

“I bet I could find a million other ways to help you cool off,” he growled, licking the shell of her ear with his popsicle-cooled tongue.

Even though he was supposed to be cooling her off, she instantly melted under the erotic tickling of his wicked tongue. She turned to him and captured his delicious mouth with hers, letting herself get lost in the passion he induced in her. She wound her hands around his neck, still clutching her snack, and enjoyed the feel of his soft but demanding lips. Without warning, he bent her slightly backwards and wrapped an arm around her knees. She was lifted, without their lips ever leaving each other, and walked to the bed in the corner.

Spike pried the popsicle from her fingers, laid it on the table beside the bed, and stretched out beside her. Buffy let him have his way with her, accepting the kisses and caresses as he explored her upper body. She didn’t even flinch when he pulled off her tank top and his hands went immediately to her braless breasts. He was attentive to each one; licking, suckling, and tweaking her nipples as she twisted beneath him, overcome by the sensations.

She caught her breath when he pulled away momentarily, reaching out to the table and grabbing the neglected popsicle. Leering down at her, he spoke for the first time since their make-out session started. “You still hot?” he asked in a voice deep and soft.

She nodded. “And getting hotter,” she whispered back.

“Let’s see what we can do about that.” He circled her lips with the orange-flavored ice, her tongue darting out to gratefully retrieve some of the cool juice. He drew it down under her chin, across her chest, and circled each nipple several times before resting the tip on the rosy bud of one aching breast while he followed the sticky trail with his mouth.
He then switched sides momentarily until he lifted his head and moved the icy instrument of erotic torture further down her body.

He let it rest in her belly button while he slid her shorts and panties down her smooth legs. Buffy helped by lifting her hips; the action jolting her out of her sexual stupor long enough for her to realize that she was encouraging this encounter, and she was glad about it. Riley wasn’t even present in her mind; it was all about how good it felt to have Spike playing with her body like this.

She giggled as the magic tongue followed the popsicle to her belly button and cleaned up all the sugary goodness. But her giggles were cut short when she felt the icy burn on her nether lips. Surely he wasn’t going to…

“Oh my God! Spike!” she screamed as her midnight snack was slowly pushed into her body. Their eyes met as he deliberately fucked her with the popsicle. His baby blues were burning with lust and she couldn’t maintain eye contact for long. She’d never had anything up there that wasn’t attached to a man or a string, but this didn’t feel wrong. He had stoked her to an inferno, both inside and out, and to have that coolness sliding in and out of her was divine.

Her head rolled back and her body arched, silently asking for more. Then the cold was gone from inside, but stayed on her pussy lips. Spike was rubbing it along her slit again, coating her all over. She could stand it no more and clutched his shoulders.

“Spike, please! I need you, now!”

She had no time to catch her breath as apparently she’d uttered the magic words to send Spike into hyperdrive. The remains of the popsicle were thrown over the side of the bed, and his mouth latched onto her pussy with a ferocity she’d never experienced before. He licked her, suckled her clit, fucked her with his tongue and brought her to the precipice several times before slowing to whisper naughty things at her before starting over again.

“You beg so lovely, Slayer, I couldn’t say no to you, could I?”

“Look at this beautiful quim. So pink and fragile, with a delicious citrus tang!”

“God, Buffy, you should see yourself. Such pert, rosy nipples, begging for attention.”

That one was her undoing, for he unwrapped his arms from her thighs, and while keeping his mouth on her pussy, he reached up and fondled her breasts. She bucked wildly, grabbed his head, and rode out the most incredible orgasm she’d ever had. When she came down and released her hold on him, he sat up, grinning like a madman.

“Wonder what that would taste like in cherry?”

There might have been more, but she hauled him up for another kiss and angled her hips so his pelvis was cradled in hers. It was only then she realized he was still fully dressed and she found her voice to order his clothes off. Spike wasted no time in complying, and his cock was soon nestled against her wiry curls, sliding back and forth to create a lovely friction.

“You ready for this Buffy?” he asked, giving her one last chance to come to her senses and flee. She slid her hands down to his perfectly muscled ass and grabbed hold, pushing
slightly for him to get the idea.

“I’ve been ready forever,” she said, voice husky with desire, and once more he lost control as his every wet fantasy about her came to life. Plunging in and out of her with abandon, she could only hold on as he gave it to her good. The poor bed beneath them creaked and groaned as Buffy pumped her hips to meet his thrusts. Her nails scratched lightly across his back and he slid an arm behind her waist, trying to get deeper inside the glorious warmth hidden inside her body.

They gasped and kissed, licked and sucked wherever their mouths could reach. And when Spike could hold off no longer, he rubbed his pubic bone over her just so and she saw stars as she climaxed once again, trying to get him closer as he emptied into her.

Hips still moving, albeit slowly, they shared a more intimate kiss and pulled apart to search each other’s faces. Spike hardened within her almost immediately when he realized she was not repulsed, angry, or confused. Her gaze was hungry and she wanted more. So he complied, but not with the fury of their previous coupling. Somehow tonight, they’d reached an understanding, without even talking about it. She wanted him, and he wanted her, and it probably wasn’t going to be a one-time thing.

She was letting him set the pace so he decided to go slow and deliberate this round. He found her hands and laced their fingers together, resting on either side of her head, and kissed her neck and ears, and nose, getting a mega-watt smile in return. He touched his forehead to hers and closed his eyes, letting his other senses take charge for a moment.
Inhaled deeply and memorized the scent of their passion combined with her essence; beauty products which left her smelling of tropical islands and exotic locales and her own, earthy musk. Released his hold on one of her hands so he could trail long fingers up and down her body, learning which spots caused gasps and moans and where there might be ticklish areas. Listened hard with sensitive vampire ears; the increase in her heartbeat as he drove her closer to the edge, the beautiful noises she made as he mapped her body with his hand, the slap of their naked bodies devouring one another. And lowering his mouth to hers, his tongue traced her lips, slipped inside and made love to her mouth, stealing her breath away.

Buffy had to work to stay compliant under Spike’s intent exploration of her body. She wanted so badly to flip him over and ride him to oblivion, but knew there would be another time for that. She imagined all the things they could do together, things she’d wanted to try but hadn’t had the right partner . Her fantasies would now become reality and her body climaxed from the vivid anticipation of this realization. Spike continued to move deliberately inside her while she clutched at him and tried to pull him closer, seizing up and holding him in a death grip. Her display of raw strength brought him to his own climax and they finally settled onto the bed, Spike flopping onto his back and draping Buffy half over him.

Both were uncharacteristically silent, a haze of pleasure blurring their senses, but also the heavy knowledge that things had changed between them. They basked in the afterglow for some time before Buffy finally moved out of Spike’s loose embrace. Spike stiffened when her body left his and Buffy placed a soothing hand on his chest.

“I have to go. Mom will be worried if I’m gone all night.”

Spike grunted something unintelligible but seemed appeased.

She found her clothes strewn about and dressed, wondering what to say next. As she was tying her shoes she decided to just be direct.

“Do you want to patrol with me tonight?” He looked at her in confusion, his brows knit together in a look that plainly said, ‘You’ve got to be kidding.’ So she babbled a bit. “I mean, you’ve helped me before, and we usually pay you, but I just thought you might be bored and you don’t have to kill any of your cousins or anything but you could just go on the rounds with me, and I can’t really pay you but maybe we could get something to drink later on, and…”

“Breathe, Slayer,” he chuckled. “I get what you’re sayin’. You’re asking me out, right? With women’s lib and all that, the girls can do the asking for dates now.”

“Date? I didn’t say date!” she huffed, arms crossing and cheeks flaming red. “It’s just that we’re both out at night, so why not together? But if you’d rather stay here and miss out on some primo violence, then be my guest.” She turned on her heel and was halfway to the door before a very naked and aroused vampire caught her arm and twisted her around to face him.

“Now, now, Buffy, I was just teasing.” He pulled her close and placed a tender kiss on her temple. “Why don’t you meet me here at sundown and we’ll see what kind of trouble we can get into?” He slid his lips down her cheek until they met hers. The kiss was soft and sweet, a perfect counterpoint to the hard penis that was poking her in the stomach. Spike grudgingly pulled away and turned her back to face the door, patting her on the butt. “I’ll be waiting, Slayer,” he said, his voice thick with passion, and she craned her neck around until she saw him retreating to his bed, throwing himself face down and rubbing his erection in the sheets.

She ran out before she could ravish him one more time, and didn’t stop until she reached her front door. She’d felt light and carefree while she sprinted home, tired and sore from her sexual aerobics, but liberated with the knowledge that she’d found a worthy bedmate.

Reality hit her when she entered the kitchen and went to the fridge to find something to drink. There was a note on the fridge for her, written in her mother’s precise hand.

Riley called – he said he’ll try again in the morning

Shit. She hadn’t spared a thought for her boyfriend during the last couple days of Spike-induced lust. She pulled a bottled water out of the fridge and gulped half of it since her mouth had suddenly gone dry.

She loved Riley, but there was obviously something missing if she was sleeping with Spike. And it wasn’t going to be a one-time thing. She’d actually asked him to spend the next evening with her, and they both knew where they would end up. She didn’t really want to think about this. When Riley came back to Sunnydale, she’d deal with it. Until then, she was going to experiment with the chemistry she shared with Spike.