full 3/4 1/2   skin light dark       
 
Running from the Inevitable by The Enemy of Reality
 
Chapter ten
 
<<     >>
 
A/N: Beta'd by lovely All4Spike and BloodyHell.

Previously: Buffy had an epiphany about the whole Bangel ordeal and ended up hugging Spike. And yes, he is an excellent cuddle buddy.


Chapter 10


Spike entered an alternative universe where everything had been turned upside down. A world where a half naked Slayer stood pressed up against him. Needing him. Well, actually, it was his comfort she needed but that didn’t change the fact she was only one skimpy towel away from being shagged.


Yeah, like that wouldn’t get her to kick my balls so far up my body I’d spit them out.


On that lovely thought, Spike very platonically patted her back and tried to think of anything beside the sizzling hot body of the Slayer. But then she started crying against his bare chest and all thoughts of copping a feel and risking her wrath fled his mind. What had she done to him? Making his heart constrict with sympathy and his blood boil with the sudden urge to hunt down the reason for her tears as she trembled in his arms?


He wanted to scream and throw a tantrum that would leave the room in an ever bigger mess. Instead he buried his fingers in her hair to hold her close, the other hand resting tentatively on her lower back. She tightened her grip around his waist in response, and the way the warm skin of her palms slid down his back had him tensing.


Just a single touch from her had him feeling so exposed and raw he almost shoved her away. He couldn’t.


Because she was hurting.


Something he should have rejoiced in, but suddenly couldn’t stand.


“What’s this all about then?” he asked.


She shook her head against him, pulling away. Leaving him cold again.


She turned away from him to hide her face, wiping her tears discreetly as she said, “Just me being stupid, I guess.”


Spotting a small hand towel on the rack next to him, Spike grabbed it and held it out above her shoulder. “Nothing stupid about having a good cry.”


She took it to wipe her face and shot him a thankful glance. “Yes, well, Slayer here. I’m not really used to having a melt down in front of… anyone, really.”


“Think it would make you look weak?”


She shrugged.


“I don’t think any less of you now, Buffy.”


She spun around to face him, her eyes reddened. He shouldn’t have found her to be still gorgeous, but he did.


“You don’t,” she said with disbelief. “So you don’t think I’m pathetic now. You’re not gonna say ‘That was a bloody sodding riot, pet. Now I’m gonna tell all my mates what a bloody crybaby the Slayer really is.’”


Spike gaped at her. “I don’t sound like that at all!”


“A little bit,” she said with a grin then wiped her runny nose with the back of her hand.


So ladylike.


“You can blow your nose into the towel too. They’ll wash it.”


“Ew,” she said but did it anyway.


“And to your previous accusation… No, I would not say that. Never mind that terrible excuse for an accent.” Spike grabbed the clothes she’d washed. “We should hang these somewhere. Air them out so they dry faster. I should probably wash the hospital stink out of my T-shirt.”


She jumped towards him, her cheeks flushed as she snatched the articles from his hands.


“What?” he asked.


“There are my… panties in there,” she whispered scandalously.


He couldn’t help but chuckle. “So what? I just touched Slayer unmentionables? Doesn’t really bother me.”


She hugged them to her chest and strode out of the bathroom. “Of course it doesn’t. You’re a pervert.”


Spike followed her, gazing at her as she folded the damp shirt and knickers over the chair they managed not to destroy.


“Am I? For all you know, I might be all about vanilla sex.”


“I didn’t mention any sex! There is no sex here. We are not talking about... that.” Buffy crossed her arms over her chest then uncrossed them again, fidgeting with her hands.


“Well, call me a pervert and that’s the first thing that pops into my mind.”


And oh, how he loved the way she blushed when he lay down on the bed and stretched, the muscles of his torso taut under his skin. Finally, he crossed his arms behind his head and bent his leg at the knee.


“So are you going commando now?”


“Not voluntarily!” She clutched the towel closer around her and tugged the hem a bit lower though for all the coverage it added, she could as well have left it alone.


“Hey, I’m not judging. Not like I can throw any stones in that department.” He smirked.


She sat down on the chair rigidly, frowning. “What is that supposed to mean?”


He lifted his eyebrow, glanced down at his crotch then back at her. She looked positively mortified.


He loved it.


“You’re not wearing any underwear?” she said in a high pitched voice. “Why?”


“Easy access.”


It was funny to see her try to work out what he meant, her quirky little nose scrunching up so adorably once she got the meaning behind the words.


“Eww.”


Adorable and the biggest prude on the planet. He’d go to a special kind of hell just for wanting to defile her. In the most pleasurable way that would leave her with a voice hoarse from screaming his name all night, of course.


“Nothing ‘ew’ about sex.” His brows drew together as he mulled that one over. “Well… I guess there could be.”


She was talking about sex. With Spike. That was oh so very wrong and, “Like what?”


“Well, unless you’re into bestiality…”


Loving animals had suddenly gained a whole new meaning. Seriously? That was disturbing. She leaned forward in her chair. “People do that?”


“Some. Not my cuppa tea, but to each his own I figure.” He licked his lower lip. “I’d rather have a warm willing female writhing under me. All supple flesh and soft skin.”


The way he stared at her was making her entirely uncomfortable and breathing slowly had suddenly become an issue. She squirmed on the chair.


“Yes, and unless you forgot… that’s what got us in trouble in the first place.”


“At least you’re not sitting at home, getting bored stiff by watching telly. Don’t pretend you’re not enjoying this,” he said in a teasing voice.


“Oh yeah. Getting skewered with an arrow, being in a car crash and getting a concussion is my idea of a fun time,” she dead panned though a smile tugged at her resistant lips.


“See? I knew you’d agree with me.”


The smug bastard. He made her cheeks hurt from trying to suppress a grin!


“I was being sarcastic,” she pointed out with her nose high in the air.


“Sure you were,” he said nonchalantly like he was some… big nonchalant guy.


Spike’s eyes were already dropping close when he added, “You should catch a few winks. No use sitting about when the sun’s still up.”


“Huh?” Was that English he was speaking? Stupid British people and their wacky talk.


One of Spike’s eyes fluttered open to pin her with an annoyed look. “Get some sleep.”


“Oh. I knew that.” And wait, who was he to order her around? She would sleep whenever she wanted to. She’d stay awake just to spite him!


“Or don’t. I don’t care either way,” he muttered and rolled over onto his front, half of his face buried in a fluffy pillow.


Well, she was kind of tired. Maybe she’d just lie down and close her eyes for a second, at least until they were ready to leave some place else and get some clothes. Buffy stood up and walked over to her bed. How could she have forgotten there was disgusting slime splattered all over it? She was not picky about stuff like that but she definitely drew the line at sleeping in demon snot.


And hey! Whose fault was this? Not hers, that was for sure. And there Spike lay, his hair mussed up and cute as he hugged the pillow closer to him. The nerve of him!


“I want to sleep in your bed,” she whined.


Only when the words sprang from her mouth to stir the silence around them did she comprehend the not so hidden meaning her brain had failed to pick up on before she opened her mouth. Why did her parents teach her to talk?


Spike’s eyes snapped open as he stared at her with undiluted astonishment, obviously lost for words.


“N-no! I didn’t mean… I meant… your bed. I-” She took a deep breath. “There’s goo all over mine! And it was you who jerked the demon down on my bed and made him shoot it-”


Oh. My. God. Somebody shut me up!


Spike sat up slowly, watching her with his head tilted, his eyes glinting and his cheeks sucked in as he held back his amusement.


She was becoming more flustered by the minute. “Not jerked as in… you know… fiddled with his penis… but you rolled him all over my bed, and then… Oh, God, this is coming out so wrong! What I mea-”


She did not say penis.


Did she?


Spike started laughing. He guffawed and slapped his palms on his knees then pointed at her face that had probably passed the red and gone straight to purple. It was quite rude. And startling. She never even knew Spike could laugh so hysterically. It was… hilarious, and more than a little contagious.


“S-stop that!” she said but couldn’t keep a straight face.


He clutched at his stomach, giggling like a maniac on crack. All she could think of was ‘evil vampire should not giggle’, but all it did was make her laugh so hard she had to lean on the night stand near his bed to be able to catch her breath.


“Jerked him!” Spike called uproariously and went off again, falling back on his back.


Oh, she’d show him making fun of her! That pillow on her bed was just calling her name, pleading with her to pick it up and smash it against Spike’s face. Who was she to refuse?


She grabbed it, still fighting back giggles, and proceeded to thump it right into Spike’s face. Oh, his expression was priceless.


“That’s for making fun of me,” she said with a smirk that could rival his.


Only she’d never anticipated his swift retaliation and the hit on the side of her head caught her completely unaware.


He chuckled at her surprised expression, challenge in his eyes as he wielded his feathery weapon.


“Come and get it, Slayer.”


And then he winked. It was so on.


She clutched her pillow and aimed another hit, but missed as he rolled off the bed and effortlessly sprang to his feet. Somehow he managed to slip behind her and whack her right on her ass. Jumping up, she covered it with her hands, outraged.


Then all hell broke loose.


She chased him all over the room, both of them managing to hit the furniture as often as they hit each other in their fearless pursuit. A lamp crashed to the floor but neither of them cared. At some point she had probably stepped into the gooey remnants of Cary Grant soaked into the carpet. Buffy realised how childish they were being, but she just didn’t care. For the first time in a long time, she was actually having fun.


Spike hit her in a double combo on the back of her legs then on her arm and she squealed then holding onto her towel, she jumped over the mattress to put the bed between them. Only she got herself in between two beds, which was quite a tricky place to be. They squared off, both of them breathing heavy, Spike’s hair a tangled mess crackling with a bit of static from the nylon cover of her pillow. She snorted a giggle.


“Getting scared?” he taunted and made a mock dash to the right. She let out a high pitched noise and mimicked his movement instinctively.


“Oh, bring it on you big bad vampire. I’m so gonna slay you with my… pillow!”


They both grinned and then Spike jumped on the mattress to tackle her, which made her fall on the bed behind her. Spike seized the moment of surprise to yank the pillow out of her hands and fling it over his shoulder. She shot him her best offended look. Naturally, he just raised his hand holding the pillow, smirked then hit her in the face twice.


“Come on then. That the best you’ve got?”


“Oh, you have no idea!”


She clutched at his pillow mid-swing and they struggled to gain hold of it. They both pulled too hard and there was a loud tearing sound right before the bits of fluff flew all around them. As the object of their tug-of-war fell victim to their violence, Spike lost his momentum and fell on top of her with oomph. His bare chest pushed against her breasts, his strong thigh fitting between her legs in a way that made the breath catch in her throat. It felt kind of amazing and utterly wrong in the best possible way to feel his slightly cooler skin in contact with her heated one.


And his eyes? The sultry heat with a glint of mischief held her captive. All she could do was stare back at him as her fingers trailed up his firm biceps. Spike licked his lower lip, his gaze flickering between her eyes and parted lips.


In that moment, she wanted nothing more than to kiss him.


TBC


A/N: Did I make you smile? I did, didn't I?!
 
<<     >>