Been A Long Time Coming by Bekah Leigh

Chapter #1 - Been A Long Time Coming

Chapter One: Breakdown Spike couldn’t believe what was happening. It was like once he’d found out that he could hurt her, his demon had taken control, wanting revenge for the past two years of humility. So he’d sought her out, told her physically what he could do to her, and now she had him up against a wall, and she was kissing him as if her life depended on it. She was kissing him… He kissed her back eagerly, looking for the tenderness of a love that wasn’t there. Angered when he couldn’t find it, he picked her body up and slammed her body into the nearest wall, demanding emotional reciprocation. When she didn’t give it, instead pushing him away from her, his dazed mind admitted defeat, and he gave into her silent order that he let her use him to punish herself. When she came running into his arms, he scooped her up, and she smashed her lips to his in a forceful kiss. He tried to hold back the pain. Tell it to leave him for the night. He owed her this. She needed release, and, though she couldn’t get the release she was looking for, he could help her for the night. Maybe she’d see that he could be decent. Maybe then she’d accept his love for her. Maybe then she’d love him back. But then he felt her hand against his belt. She was quickly, desperately trying to get to the one part of him that she could accept. Something snapped inside of him. If he let her use him, she would depend on him. If he gave in, she wouldn’t accept him as anything more than a fuck. If he let her have him, it would kill her. He could NOT let that happen. A pain filled roar bit at her ear, and her lust clouded mind hardly acknowledged her body flying through the air and into a wall. When she crashed into the floor, the back of her head hit the ground, and she cried out from the shock. Her ears were ringing and her head was throbbing, but she couldn’t focus on anything other than the vampire standing on the other side of the room. Her anger at being rejected brought her to stand, a hard glare pinching her face. "What the hell do you think you’re doing?" Buffy growled. She started slowly walking towards the thing in front of her. "This isn’t gonna happen, Buffy. Not like this." Spike started walking toward her, but the floor in front of him cracked and sank, and he barely evaded a fall to the basement. He looked at the broken wood that he had jumped away from, momentarily distracted. Buffy took the opportunity and leapt forward, wrapping her arms around Spike’s neck, and her legs around his waist. "Like hell it’s not." Spike tried his best to push her off of him, but her grip was like a vice. "Buffy! No!" He was losing his balance from her wild movements and his frantic resistance. "We’re going to fall if you don’t let go of me right now!" "I don’t care!" Buffy latched onto him even tighter and he fell forward, through the floor and into the basement. Thinking quickly, he spun them around so that he would take the brunt of the impact. When they landed, the Slayer began instantly to shred her jacket off, while she struggled to keep Spike between her legs. But he was determined to keep her from getting any further. He pulled her forward, kissing her for all he was worth, waiting for her to drop her guard. The very moment she relaxed against him, he rolled them over, and pulled back from the kiss. He stood up and backed away from her, taking in her crouched form. Her head was down, her hair knotted and tangled. Her entire body was shaking for too many reasons to count. She was breathing heavily, looking like an animal from the way she was hunched. She was already too far-gone, and he couldn’t allow her to give in. A stern and resolute expression donned his face. "I’m not going to let you do this, Buffy. I won’t let you hurt yourself. I won’t be the reason for your pain." Buffy’s head flew up at the sound of his voice. A dark, low chuckle resonated from her heaving chest. "Why not? That’s all there is here, Spike. It’s hurting and pain. That’s what this world is. You think you can change that- a worthless creature of the night? You think you can change me?! Well, do it, Spike. Please! Change me. Make me feel!" Tears poured freely out of her eyes, and it seemed as though her eyes leaked her pain, covering her face in wet shimmering shadows. Spike was at a loss of what to say. "Buffy…" She sprang from her place on the floor. "Make… me… feel!" Spike shook his head. He couldn’t give in, no matter how much she begged. "Not this way, Buffy." Looking like a lost little girl, she stopped in her tracks. "Why won’t you hurt me?" "Because I can’t, love." "YOU CAN!" She screamed. She flew at him, punching him, kicking him, bruising and cutting his body, and he let her. She was crying and begging him to make her feel the pain that she deserved. But he refused to move. One blow after another, she seemed to sink into him more and more until finally, she fell to the floor, leaning on his legs. "Please!" He could hear her whispering through the sobs. "Please… hurt me!" She had broken. And it broke him to see her grieving so much. He dropped down to her level, and took her arms in his palms. "I won’t hurt you, Buffy. I refuse to do that to you. You don’t deserve this pain." He didn’t know what else to say so he repeated it to her, over and over, wrapping his arms around her securely. He hoped she would see it as comfort. He knew she had when she returned the hold, clinging to him tightly. He rocked back and forth, telling her he wouldn’t hurt her. Her sobs quieted, and her breathing slowed. When she was finally asleep, he spoke to her. "Buffy, baby. You will feel again. But it won’t be pain. You will be happy again, because I won’t settle for anything less." He gently lifted her in his arms carrying her out of the demolished house and walking in the direction of Revello Drive. "I love you." Chapter 2: A New Plan Dawn and Tara were up late watching cartoons, wondering where Willow and Buffy had gone. Dawn kept looking out the window, her hands fidgety from worry. Tara did her best to soothe her, but her own fears weakened her attempts. She was about to reach over and grasp Dawn’s hands when the brunette jumped up and ran to the door. "Spike, what happened?" Dawn looked her sister over, looking for the wound that had caused her sister’s unconscious state. "Is she okay?" "She’s fine. Just exhausted. She... um…" He noticed Tara standing up to look at Buffy. "She’s had a rough night. I’m going to go put her to bed." He pushed past Dawn, and practically ran up the stairs to Buffy’s room. When he’d opened the door and lain her down on the bed, he breathed a sigh. She was safe now. He had been so frightened that some demon would take advantage of them while he was bringing her home. It was a great relief to see her in her home, protected from the danger of her life, so that she could sleep peacefully. He unzipped her boots, and gently pulled them from her ankles. Opening the drawer that he knew from the previous year’s stalking to be filled with pajamas, he pulled out a pair of shorts for her to wear. He walked over to her still form, looking so much like death that he had to swallow the lump in his throat, threatening to choke him. Pushing those thoughts aside, he focused on getting her changed. He slowly slid the shorts over her legs, under the leather skirt she had worn for the night until he reached her hips. He was surprised that the lust he expected to consume him from unzipping her skirt was completely nonexistent. He lifted her hips gently, pulling the shorts up and the skirt down. He untied the wraparound blouse, leaving the camisole underneath for a nightshirt. Tossing the removed clothes aside, he pulled the clip out of her long hair and set it on the nightstand. "Love, you’ll get better. Sleep tonight. Give yourself some time to forget. I’ll be here tomorrow whether you want me or not, and we’ll talk about what happened last night… whether you want to or not." He lifted her one more time, pulling the blankets down and settling her underneath them. Tucking her into a secure cocoon, he leaned forward to kiss her forehead. "Goodnight, my love." ~*~*~*~*~ "Dawn." Spike greeted her as he stepped into the kitchen. He smelled the hot chocolate Dawn was drinking, noticing the hot teapot, cocoa packets and marshmallows on the island. He looked over at the woman turning off the stove. "Tara, thanks for staying with Dawn. Slayer’s all right, just resting, so you can go on home. I’ll stay here tonight. Keep the beasties away." The wicca nodded and hugged Dawn before leaving through the front door. "Tara’s still a little tense about seeing Willow, I guess." Dawn mumbled. Then her face grew solemn, and she asked, "How is she really?" "Asleep. Hopefully for the rest of the night." Spike sat next to her smiling slightly at the hot cup of cocoa sitting in front of him. He looked to his right, seeing Dawn’s concerned expression. "We… me and your sis… we had a fight tonight. I don’t know when she finds out I told you this whether she’ll kill me or not, but I found out a couple nights ago that the chip doesn’t work on Buffy." Dawn, who was about to drink a sip of her warm drink, froze and looked over at him. "She didn’t hurt you, did she?" Spike looked confused and amused all at once. "Isn’t that question a little bit backward, nib?" "What? No, I know you wouldn’t actually hurt her… other than maybe a couple punches for payback. But, I don’t know what she’d do to you." They shared a moment before he took a deep breath. "She didn’t hurt me. She wanted me to hurt her." He rubbed his face with his hands. "She wouldn’t want you to know. She’d want to protect you from the seriousness of what she’s going through, but, I think you need to know. I think that you can help me with what I am trying to do for her." "Spike… talk to me. What’s going on?" "Buffy’s been sort of… numb since she came back." Spike began. "She’s been feeling like she can’t feel anything, and it’s chipping at her soul." "Why doesn’t she just tell someone?" Dawn questioned. "You or me… or even Tara. We’d understand." "Tara’s part of the group of us that brought her back. Buffy can’t talk to her. She’s also connected to the group that Buffy is trying so hard to improve for. She can’t talk to any of them, Giles left her high and dry, she’s trying to protect you, and I’m her enemy. That’s why she’s bottled it all up. Tonight, the bottle burst." "So, my sister has become an emotional time-bomb because she has no emotions. She either can’t or won’t talk about it, she tried to take it out on you tonight, and you think you can help her… how?" "By letting her be depressed. We need to make it obvious to her that she’s allowed to feel hollow, even when we’re around. Niblet, we’ve got to show her that she doesn’t have to be strong for us. Do you understand what that calls for?" "Well, duh. I’m not some stupid little girl. It means that if she doesn’t want to stick around to hang out, we let her go." "No, we don’t let her go. We make her stay with us, but we let her be. It has to be so that she won’t feel rushed or like she has to force a smile on just because we’re around." Spike finished his hot cocoa, and put both empty mugs in the sink. "We are going to be strong for her." Dawn looked down. "But what if she doesn’t want us around?" "Then we let her be alone. But you have to understand that it’s not you that she’s hiding from. She’s hiding from her own feelings. Getting emotions after being numb for so long it’s... hard. You and I both went through it after… after what happened at the tower." Spike shook his head shoving the memories aside. "We just need to be there, but not imposing or pushing. Everyone wants to help, bit, but she has to want it, first." Spike stopped talking when he heard a clunk come from Buffy’s room, followed by her screams. He rushed upstairs and burst through the door. "Buffy?!" She was flailing about, crying and gasping. Her arms seemed to be clawing at the air as she kicked out legs that were seemingly tangled in the blanket. He ran over to her and grabbed her shoulders, whispering, "Buffy… Buffy, it’s okay. You’re dreaming. Wake up, pet." She choked on a sob, and her tear-filled eyes flew open, grabbing for the first solid object she could. Spike was pulled onto the bed, being held onto by a panicking slayer. He enveloped her in his embrace when he felt her tears soak through his shirt. "Shhh… baby… Buffy, it’s okay. It’s gonna be alright. ‘S just a dream, pet. You’re awake now…" She looked up. "Spike? God… Spike… I was back in the coffin. I couldn’t breathe and I couldn’t get out. Oh god…" Buffy tucked her head under his chin to let her tears fall silently as she recovered from the nightmare. Spike looked at the door, seeing Dawn with concerned eyes. "Go fetch your sister a glass of water. Then, I think you’d better get into your PJ’s and stay in here tonight." After Dawn left, Spike focused back on Buffy. He stroked her hair with one hand, her back with the other, murmuring to her that it was okay. She wasn’t alone. By the time Dawn had returned, Buffy was sitting up against the headboard, her head on Spike’s shoulder. Dawn couldn’t help the smile that came to her face. She’d known that Buffy never hated Spike, and she’d hoped that one day the Slayer would give the vampire a chance. Seeing them all snuggly like that made her want to squeal with delight. But she remembered what Spike had said, and she decided not to push. She calmly walked in and sat next to Buffy on the side that Spike wasn’t one. She handed her sister the glass of water and watched as she took a few drinks. "You feeling any better?" Dawn asked quietly. Buffy looked over at her and smiled. "Yeah. It was pretty bad, but I’m better now. Thanks." Dawn picked at her pajama bottoms covered in different colored hearts, questioning herself on whether or not she should ask. She decided that she should, and if Buffy didn’t want to, then at least she’d asked. "Do you want to talk about it?" Buffy looked at her sister and shook her head. "I just want to forget about it and try to get back to sleep." Spike took that as his cue to leave the room. Just as he was about to walk through the doorway, Buffy’s voice stopped him. "Spike, thank you. For tonight." She looked down, ashamed of how she had acted. "Maybe we can… talk about it sometime?" He felt like singing. She actually wanted to acknowledge what had happened. "Of course, love. I’ll be here in the mornin’ if you wanna get some sleep." "Okay." "Goodnight, love. Sleep well, yeah?" She smiled a little, and he left the room. "Do you want to talk about that?" Dawn smirked. Buffy looked confused. "What?" "Oh, come on, Buffy! You totally like him! I saw the way you looked at him." Dawn giggled when her sister rolled her eyes good-naturedly. "I do not. He was just… nice to me tonight and I decided to return the favor for once. That’s all," she denied firmly. Dawn raised her eyebrows. "Okay… no need to get defensive. I’m just saying it would be cool if you guys got together. And it’s not like Spike would reject you if you wanted to be with him… he loves you." Buffy frowned. Earlier that night, she had been unable to feel anything but the despair of being alive and the obligations weighing her down once more. Now, she was feeling sorry. She felt sorry for trying to use Spike. And, even if she didn’t feel anything else, she knew that she should apologize… or try to explain… or something. She wasn’t sure if that meant, if she had the ability, that she felt something for the vampire. She tried to remember what if felt like to be in love… or even like… but all of the pushing, combined with her earlier outburst, had left her exhausted. She lay back down, rolling away from Dawn, begging off for the night. "Tired," was all she said before falling asleep again. Dawn set the glass of water down, and lay down, too. Buffy felt something for Spike. She knew it. It had been in her eyes before, a certain twinkle that was only there when she looked at him. It wasn’t gratitude for whatever had happened that night. It was something that was being hindered, but not destroyed. If Dawn could only get her walls to crumble, then maybe Buffy would realize that she was in love with Spike. CHAPTER 3: Waking Up When Buffy woke up the next morning, she was instantly thinking of Spike. Had he really stayed? And if he had, where had he slept? Noticing Dawn’s sleeping form next to her, she quietly climbed out of bed, slipping on her robe before slipping out of her bedroom. She made her way down the stairs, reaching out for any signs of Spike’s presence. When she got to the foyer, she noticed that the living room was much darker than usual. It was then that she saw the heavy blanket covering the picture window that usually let in so much light. She also saw the man with bleached hair stretched out on the couch in front of it. His arm was flung over his face, as if the near pitch black of the room wasn’t dark enough, and the blanket he’d used was haphazardly wrapped around his body. "Spike?" she whispered. When he didn’t respond, she moved into the room, and stood between the coffee table and the sofa. Seeing his chest move, she was curious and strangely soothed. She sat down on the table, looking him over. "Are you asleep?" When he didn’t answer, she hesitantly reached out and placed a hand over his unbeating heart, feeling his useless respiration under her fingers. Strange that he still acted so alive, even when he wasn’t. Strange that a dead man could be more alive than she could. She slid her hand over his chest, admiring the hard muscle curves and planes that seemed to tense and relax with her hand’s movements. She felt a familiar heat in her neck and face, and a tightening in her throat as she felt the twitches of his abdomen where she trailed her fingers. She jerked her hand back when he suddenly shifted toward her, his arm coming to rest at his side instead of over his eyes. When he didn’t move again, she whispered his name, checking for his awareness. He didn’t respond, and she sighed in relief. She examined his face closely, touching him with her eyes as her hands had before. She took in how soft his features were when he was asleep. There was no frown, no sharp expression. He looked peaceful. He looked beautiful. Unable to resist any longer, her hand cupped his cheek, and she traced around his jaw, his chin, moving up and down the side of his neck, before running along each sharp cheekbone. He was unmoving throughout the entire event, and, if possible, looked even more peaceful than before. She took in the adorable curls that had freed themselves from the strong hold of the gel he’d put in. She smiled when she discovered how easily she could run her fingers through his silken hair. So taken with the softness of his relaxed form, she didn’t even feel it when he began to respond to her stroking. She didn’t hear the gentle purr emanating from his chest, and she didn’t see his azure gaze lock onto her face when Spike awoke. ~*~*~*~*~ He hadn’t wanted to wake from his dream. The gentle touches of warm hands had been too good to want to give up. It was the realization that he wasn’t dreaming that had forced his eyes open. Buffy. She had been the one filling his mind with soft caresses and the gentle murmuring of his name. She was touching him with care, not disgust. She was touching him… He looked to her face, wanting to see if she knew that he knew what she was doing. What he saw made him forget what he was feeling. He brought his hand up to her face, wiping the tears from her eyes. "Buffy? Love? What’s the matter?" She closed her eyes when she felt his touch. She had never felt this at peace. She had never felt so loved. Had never felt love so deeply. She felt content. She felt happy. She felt… Her eyes flew open, and the hand that had been toying with Spike’s hair slapped to her mouth. She choked back a sob. She could feel! Spike frowned. She had moved so suddenly and he didn’t know if she was okay. He sat up, placing his other hand on her face. "Buffy? Talk to me, love." She shook her head. "Spike," she gasped in awe. Looking all over his face, as if making sure he was real, and he was there. "Spike… I…" "Love, you can tell me. Trust me." His thumbs stroked her cheeks, keeping the wet trails of tears from overflowing. "Spike, I can feel." Buffy said in awe. Then, she smiled. "I can feel!" Spike watched her become excited. She was happy. The tears flowing were happy. She could feel. Suddenly, he let out a whoop of euphoria, jumping in the air, wrapping his arms around Buffy’s body, and taking her with him. He leapt to the center of the room, spinning his girl in the air over and over, soaking in the sound of her laughter mixed with his own. Setting her down, with his arms still holding her to him securely, he looked at her face. Her eyes were sparkling with mirth. Her mouth formed a wide, happy grin. She was breathing heavily from the laughter she had emitted while he’d spun her. She looked more beautiful in that moment than he’d ever seen her. "I love you so much, Buffy." Though her smile had closed, it still held the same amount of glee as the first. He gazed into her eyes, losing himself in the deep green and gold. Glancing at her lips for an instant, he admired the soft pink coloring, and let himself be drawn in. He slowly lowered his head to hers, giving her plenty of time to back out. "I’m going to kiss you." "Spike…" Buffy breathed. She tilted her head up, giving him better access. Seeing her acceptance, he could wait no longer, and he lowered his head quickly, but gently, catching her soft lips with his. He pulled her close, and sighed when he felt her arms wrap around his neck. It was so perfect. The slide of her mouth against his, the soft, yet intense passion of her kiss. He slipped his tongue into her mouth, stroking hers sensually. She moaned softly and tightened her arms around him. They lost themselves in each other. Neither had any sense of the time that had passed since they had begun. The bliss of their combined need for the other was cut short, however, when a high pitched squeal permeated their clouded minds. "Ahhhh! You guys!" Dawn shrieked from the doorway. She was grinning from ear to ear, bouncing on her heels. Buffy and Spike looked at her, a little annoyed and a little amused. "That was like the most romantic thing I’ve ever seen!" Buffy and Spike offered shy smiles from kiss bruised lips. They shared a glance before parting just enough to grasp hands. "So, you guys are together, now, right?" Dawn looked at both of them, waiting for a response. They both looked a little uncomfortable, as neither wanted to answer without the other’s consent. Dawn’s smile faltered. "Spike?" The vampire in question looked at Buffy, then at Dawn… "That’s sort of up to big sis, niblet. You know I’m all for it, but it’s ultimately her decision." Dawn looked at Buffy. "And?" Buffy looked at the floor. "Well…" she began hesitantly. She felt Spike’s hand loosen in her grip, and that was all the assurance she needed. She clasped his hand in hers again, looking at him with a smile. "As long as he promises to help me with the bills." Spike smiled, chuckling. "That won’t be a problem at all, pet. I’ve got a savings account that opened almost a hundred and fifty years ago. Completely usable, and I’ll share it with both of you if you promise that you’ll never do work that you don’t want to do." "Quit slaying?" She asked jokingly. "I’m all for it." "Fated occupations barred." Spike chuckled. They seemed to tune out the rest of the room as he continued. "Besides, I wanna see what you can do with all that left over energy at the end of patrol." "Oh really?" Buffy grinned saucily. They melded together again, kissing slowly and sensually. Very not the way that Dawn wanted to see. Dawn turned around. "Great! So, um… I’m just gonna go get ready for school. You guys have fun!" She ran up the stairs, happy to be protected from the brand new couple. Just because she understood it, didn’t mean she wanted to see it. Still, she couldn’t help the smile that came to her face. Buffy was finally happy again. And she was finally with Spike. That had been a long time coming, and she was glad it finally had. She got ready for school with a skip to her step. CHAPTER 4: Confirmation Xander walked in to get Dawn for school. They were running late as it was, and she was still inside the house. "Dawnie! Get your keister down he---- yow!" He suddenly forgot about punctuality at the sight of his best friend and loathed enemy caught up in a very steamy display of affection. They were sitting on the couch, mouths glued together and hands in unknown places. His shock at the scene distracted him from Dawn’s entrance. Seeing his expression, she patted him on the back in mock comfort. He suddenly blurted out, "Buffy?!" but went unnoticed by the two in the living room. Dawn laughed. "Don’t bother, Xan. They’ve been at it all morning. It’s best if we just let them be, and get to where we should be." She tugged on his arm, pulling him out the door. "Wha… huh…" Xander stuttered on his way out the door. He began to point, but Dawn rolled her eyes and pushed his arm back down. "Come ON, Xander. I’ll explain everything, later. But we’ve go to go!" "Buh…Spuh…" Xander turned slowly, and walked out the door, with Dawn closely following. She glanced one more time at the couple before shutting the door and heading out to the car. ~*~*~*~*~ "Are they gone?" Buffy muttered between kisses. "Long gone, pet. For almost an hour." Spike chuckled. "Oh. Good." She kissed him one more time before pulling back, needing a break to catch her breath. Spike, however, was not ready to stop. He trailed kisses down her throat, lavishing her skin with nibbles and love-bites. "Mmm… so glad I decided to do this." She groaned. Spike paused his ministrations to say. "Just imagine what you’d be missing." To emphasize his point, he lick up the column of her throat before taking her ear lobe into his mouth and suckling. "Remind me of this if I ever have doubts." "You don’t have doubts now?" Spike questioned. "Nope. I’m finally happy after all this time, and I think I deserve to enjoy it. And you as my source of happiness are not allowed to let me feel anything but." She affirmed it with a sharp nod. "Oh, baby, I promise." He peppered her face with kisses. "If ever you are unhappy, it will not be because of me." "Good boy." She grinned, patting him on the head. He scowled playfully. "Oi!" Ten tickling fingers attacked her, and she shrieked and giggled and squirmed until she could evade their touch. Running upstairs, she laughed again when she saw Spike chasing after her. She ran to her bedroom, and tried to shut the door, but he was too fast. He blocked the door with his arm, and grabbed her around the waist. He spun her around once, and threw her on the bed. He pounced on her, locking her legs with his own, and blocking her body from escape with his arms. He was growling, she was chuckling, and they had never been happier. "I’ve got you." Spike murmured. "There’s no escape." Buffy stopped laughing, and gave him a flirtatious smile. "Well, what are you going to do to me now that you’ve got me trapped in an empty house… on my bed?" Spike suddenly realized the way things were turning. "Buffy… are you sure you want…" "Spike. Don’t worry," she reassured him, kissing him lightly. "No regrets, and I’m not going anywhere." He looked into her eyes, making sure that she was completely sure, and then he lowered his head to kiss her. Their tongues dueled as clothing gradually was removed. Eventually, all that remained was a pair of pale, satin panties that clung low on Buffy’s hips. Spike looked at her body, bared to his eyes for the first time. She was perfect. Her breasts fit perfectly in his hands as he kneaded them, tugging on the nipples, and watched her enjoyment. He leaned down, taking one into his mouth, suckling the taut piece of flesh to a peak. His hands skimmed her waist, feeling the goosebumps that erupted at his touch. He smiled and looked up to her face, seeing that she had been watching him. Pulling away from her breasts, he left one chaste kiss to each before sliding down past her belly button, trailing his tongue along the waistline of her panties. She moaned and writhed beneath him as he removed the last scrap of fabric from her body, revealing her diamond shaped mound. "Buffy, bloody perfect, you are," was that last thing he said before diving into her nest of curls to feast on her wet, glistening center. He glided his tongue up and down her slit, toying her passage with a forefinger, circling just outside the hole. Her hips immediately lifted at his touch, and he took the hint, latching onto her clit. He suckled the little nub gently, then hard, then soft again, while he teased her hole with his finger. Swirling it a little bit longer, he heard her cry out in frustration, just before he plunged two fingers into her depths. Pumping rapidly, he lapped up the excess juices flowing from her throbbing pussy. When she was close, he slowed until eventually stopping. He slid his body to meet hers, smirking at the annoyed look on her face. He kissed her passionately, making her forget her dissatisfaction with his talented mouth. When she needed to breathe, he pulled away, looking deeply into her eyes. "You’re positive, pet?" She nodded lazily, smiling up at him with nothing but adoration in her eyes. She reached down, grasping his shaft firmly in her hand, and guided it to her opening. "I want you, Spike. I… I love you." Spike shuddered, dropping his head to the crook of her neck. He began to push inside of her slowly. "I love you, too, Buffy. So much." Once he was fully sheathed, he began to move within her. She ran her hands up and down his back, gasping his name. He sped up his pace as she wrapped her legs around his waist, meeting him thrust for thrust. "Spike!" she cried out when he changed the angle, hitting the spongy spot inside her that brought her so much pleasure. His thrusts became more and more rapid as they both peaked, and came shouting each other’s names. They slowed to a stop, each looking at the other lovingly. Spike was the first to speak. "Buffy, you're amazing... I love you." Buffy smiled, and brushed a stray curl from his face. "I love you, too." Spike grinned. "You sure you’re up for the job?" Buffy kissed him slowly. "I think I can handle it." He kissed her back. "I’m glad that’s how you feel." ~*~*~*~*~*~ A/N: Thanks for reading! Happy birthday to Always_jbj, and thanks to Devin, my beta, for the title! Please, please, please review!