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The Bronze was packed. The entire building seemed to vibrate with energy; the music pulsed throughout the crowd, sending young supple bodies into a sensual daze as they writhed against each other within a sea of endless flesh.

Upon entering the building, Buffy had to fight back her demon when her senses were assaulted by the overpowering perfume of warm blood, sweat, and unadulterated lust. It practically oozed from every corner of the building. No wonder vampires chose this as their favoured hunting ground; the heat and tension the room generated was nothing short of intoxicating.

For a moment, Buffy questioned whether she could safely enter the proverbial briar patch--until she felt the cool brush of leather against her arm. Spike stood by her side, offering silent support that she gratefully accepted. Taking a deep, calming breath, Buffy stamped down her restless demon and followed her friends further into the club, gracefully weaving her way through the throngs of dancing teenagers and college students as she made her way to the Scoobies’ usual table, tucked away in the corner of the club.


~*~~*~~*~


The evening was going off without a hitch; they’d danced and talked, just like old times, sharing drinks and jokes and teasing. No one would have guessed that this private table consisted of one human, two very powerful witches, a mystical key, an eleven hundred-year-old ex-vengeance demon, a powerful master vampire, his invincible childe, and a Watcher. Nor could anyone have known that this unlikely group were yet again responsible for saving the world and all of its inhabitants.

As the night progressed, the Scoobies spread themselves throughout the packed building. Spike, Giles and Xander retreated to the pool table shortly after Dawn, Anya and Tara disappeared into the crowd on the dance floor, leaving Buffy and Willow alone at the table to guard the drinks.

Buffy had to give Willow full points for effort; she actually managed to bite her tongue for almost a full minute once they were left alone. However, curiosity quickly got the better of the redhead. “So, you and Spike... Are you like a couple now?”

Buffy gave her friend a coy smile. “You could say that.”

Leaning closer to Buffy, Willow raised her eyebrows and asked, “so?”

Flashing Willow a guileless smile, Buffy responded in an equally innocent voice, “so… what?”

Willow playfully slapped Buffy’s hand. “So… where are the juicy details? I want details. I’m the best friend—I’m owed details.”

Buffy laughed at her friend’s frustration. “What can I say…? He’s hot! I mean, way hot, as in goddamn that was absolutely incredible hot!”

“So he’s good, huh?” Willow asked, clearly eager for the lowdown.

Buffy fanned her face as an emphasis. “Oh yeah… Actually, make that multiple oh yeahs.”

Both girls broke out in giggles; it had been a while since they had made time to sit down and talk about smoochies and relationships . It brought back very good, if slightly old, memories.

“Multiple?” Willow asked, a touch of reverence in her tone. “I suppose he has had, like, a lifetime of practice; plenty of time to perfect the art.”

Buffy nodded her head in agreement. “Yep, it was time well spent, believe me… Oh! And his body? Willow, I swear I could just spend days licking chocolate off of him. He’s so hot.” A glazed look settled in Buffy’s eyes as she got lost in her thoughts.

“Yeah… I kinda got a sneak preview of the body,” Willow commented casually.

At this revelation, Buffy snapped back to attention. “Yeah, I noticed,” she bit out a little sharply. “I was kinda worried there for a while that Anya was gonna jump him or something… She had this really predatory look in her eyes.”

Both girls fell into another fit of giggles.

“So, is that all it is? Just good sex?” Willow finally asked.

Buffy quickly sobered at this question. “No, Will, it’s so much more. I’ve never felt like this before. He makes me feel free, like I can do anything, be anything. He treats me like I’m the sun, the moon, and the stars all rolled into one. He lets me be me, without demanding anything in return.” A sweet smile broke across Buffy’s lips. “He makes me feel beautiful and powerful and safe just with a simple glance. When I was with Angel and Riley, they always tried to hide me from the world, protect me like I was a child. But Spike, he doesn’t do that; he wants to show me everything the world has to offer. I don’t have to hold back anything when I’m with him, Willow… he wants all of me. Good, bad, and everything in between.”

Tears prickled Willow’s eyes as she listened to her friend explain her feelings with such passion.

“He challenges my every move, just to make sure I’m thinking it through. He’s passionate, impulsive, and totally infuriating.” A light tinkle of laughter fell past Buffy’s lips. “He makes me feel alive… and I think I’m falling in love with him.” As soon as the words left her mouth, Buffy fell into a shocked silence; she had just said out loud the one thing that she hadn’t even been able to admit to herself before that moment. She was falling in love with Spike, and it felt right. It was liberating to actually say it.

Willow stared at her friend in astonishment. This little revelation was completely a bolt out of the blue, and judging by Buffy’s shocked features, Willow wasn’t the only one caught off-guard with its suddenness.

“Buffy, are you okay? You look a little shell-shocked.”

Buffy gave a distracted nod. “Yeah.” A small smile spread across her lips as she looked over at the pool table, Spike’s head clearly visible in the dim light. “I’m falling in love with Spike.”

Willow nodded her head in acknowledgment. “Yeah, I kinda caught that.”

Willow just blinked confusedly when Buffy stood up and walked away from the table without a word or a backwards glance. From her vantage point, she could see Buffy weaving her way through the crowded club for a few feet before she disappeared amongst a mass of bodies.

Buffy was numb, picking her way though the patrons with only one destination in mind. She could see him just up ahead, his platinum locks shining in the low light as he lined up his shot. The moment Buffy reached the pool table, she grabbed Spike by the arm, pulling him around to face her and claiming his lips in a passionate kiss. Her tiny hands tangled themselves in his hair as she pulled him closer, intensifying the kiss.

With a ragged breath, Buffy pulled away; tightly grabbing Spike’s hand, she whispered throatily, “dance with me.”

Spike mutely nodded his head, dropping his pool cue onto the table and following Buffy onto the dance floor, leaving behind a very stunned Xander and Giles.

Once they reached the dance floor, Spike wasted absolutely no time wrapping his arms around Buffy’s waist as they sensually moved in time with the seductive beat.

Buffy lazily rested her head on Spike’s shoulder, simply absorbing his presence as they continued to move to the hypnotic beat. She couldn’t believe how perfectly they fit together. Letting out a contented sigh, she moulded her body to his as her fingers found their way under Spike’s coat, lightly tracing small circles across his back.

From her vantage point sitting at the table, Willow watched Buffy and Spike slowly sway together with preternatural grace. They moved with such precision that anyone watching them would have assumed they had choreographed the sensual dance. For every step Spike took, Buffy anticipated his moves, following his lead as though they danced together every day. A slow smile graced Willow’s lips. Wasn’t that what Buffy said Spike called their confrontations--dancing? That’s all that they had ever done together, she thought.

Buffy felt like she was floating; she had never felt so contented, so treasured, before. Shifting her eyes upwards to look at Spike, she saw that he was smiling--not a smirk, or a grin, but a true smile. She couldn’t honestly say that she had ever seen that before. He always hid behind his Big Bad persona, always responding with cocky grin or shit-eating smirk or derisive scowl. But now he wore a true smile, and the meaning of the expression elevated her already-high spirits even further. He was happy. Her heart skipped a beat when she looked into his eyes and saw her own reflection; she knew, without a doubt, that she was the one who made him happy. As this new revelation sank in, a matching smile stretched across Buffy’s features.

The lovers stared into each others’ eyes with such intensity that even the most casual of onlookers were made to feel like voyeurs. The connection between them was nearly tangible. With a simple tilt of her head, Buffy welcomed Spike’s lips as they descended upon hers; giving a moan of pleasure, she bought her hand up to cup his cheek, lightly stroking the soft flesh as he enticed her tongue out to play with his. So enraptured with each other were they that the blonde couple didn’t even notice when the music changed from its seductive siren song to a more upbeat pulse. They continued to sway to their own music as they lost themselves in their own private world.

The need for air forced Buffy into relinquishing Spike’s succulent lips as she panted for breath. *Oh, momma, could this man kiss.* She felt light headed and weak-kneed; she was sure she would have collapsed if Spike wasn’t holding her upright.

Spike, for his part, was feeling similarly light-headed himself; all of his blood seemed to have suddenly rushed to another part of his anatomy.

Buffy quickly noticed the hard bulge sticking into her hip, a coy smile spreading across her lips as she realized what an impact her mere touch had on Spike. He was hard as nails, and all they had done was kiss. Inspired, she found herself wondering what else she could do to drive him wild. One quick glance at her Sire’s face and she knew that she was playing with fire, and that she was just about to get burnt—in the best possible way. He looked like he was about two seconds away from throwing her to the ground and having his wicked way with her right there on the dance floor; she toyed with the idea of pushing him just that step further, but modesty won out. Buffy had never been one for crowds, especially when it came to seriously physical affection; she was much more of a one-on-one kind of gal–no audience allowed. Forcing herself to fight her desire, she decided that they both needed a little cool down time; without it, she didn’t think either one of them would stay in control for much longer.

“Maybe we should sit this one out,” she said, pointing over to their table in the corner.

Spike raised his eyebrows in disbelief. “If I sit down right now, I’m gonna break my dick in half, Slayer. Got me as hard as rock here, luv.”

A bubble of laughter tumbled past Buffy’s lips at her Sire’s blunt statement. “Yeah, I kinda noticed that… tell you what. Why don’t you go lean somewhere, and I’ll remove myself from being a temptation long enough to get us a couple of drinks.”

Spike gave her a heated glare. “Got other things I’d rather remove from you than temptation, luv,” he replied, eyeing her flimsy halter top and hip hugging skirt.

In response, Buffy simply gave him a teasing wink, followed by a mischievous, “down boy.” Less than a second later, she turned on her heel and strolled over to the crowded bar, hips swaying enticingly the whole way.

Spike chuckled to himself in response to the Slayer’s playful attitude. He found a deserted part of the club, casually leaning against a wall as he readjusted his painfully hard erection. *Saucy little minx, knows exactly what she does to me. But there she is, wagging her cute little backside around like a ‘come fuck me’ sign and thinkin’ I’m not gonna take her up on it. She’s gonna find out when I get her home—gonna pound into her hot little snatch till she can’t walk. She won’t know if she’s comin’ or goin’, time I’m done with her. Make such a pretty mess out of her… *

Buffy could feel her Sire’s heated gaze follow her across the crowded club, sending the butterflies in her belly into a complete tizzy. Her senses were on high alert as she casually leaned over the bar, flashing a little more flesh for Spike to feast his eyes on. She just couldn’t believe how sexy it was simply being watched, especially when she took into account what the result of his watching was going to be. Buffy flushed with fever when she ventured a look over her shoulder to see the scorching heat in Spike’s gaze, her knees practically buckling in excitement. She couldn’t suppress the smile forming across her lips as she thought of all the wicked things he would do to her, simply for teasing him like this; she wondered lustily just how much longer they had to play nice, how much more time they needed to put in before they could find themselves somewhere to be alone.

From out of nowhere, a shudder travelled down her spine. Her enhanced senses, already set on high in the heady surroundings, easily picked up on the vampire closing in on her. With a simple sniff of the air, she could tell that it was a newly-fledged male; more than that, she could smell his bloodlust as he approached.

Sensing him right behind her now, she stood still in anticipation, waiting to see what the demon was going to do. She didn’t have to wait too long before he brazenly placed his hands on the bar on either side of her body, effectively trapping her against the counter. A slow predatory smile spread across Buffy’s lips as she turned to face her captor; within moments, her sly smile turned into an all-out grin when she finally saw who had had the audacity to place himself in such an intimate position without so much as a hello.

The demon gave her what he probably thought was a charming grin as he leaned a little closer, invading her personal space. “I looked to the stars and searched the heavens, because they must be missing an angel tonight… And her name would have to be Buffy Summers.”

Buffy in turn gave him her most flirtatious smile, playing the bastard’s ego for all it was worth. “Parker Abrams. Fancy meeting you here.”

The newly-turned vampire responded by turning his charm on full bore. “Yeah, it’s a small world. I was just thinking about you, and then there you were, standing right in front of me.”

“Must be fate,” Buffy replied, batting her eyelashes at the interloper before her.

“Must be,” he replied as he leaned a little closer. “You know, I’ve been thinking a lot about you lately.”

Buffy raised her eyebrows in question. “You have?”

Parker smiled at Buffy’s seemingly innocent question; he couldn’t help but think that this kill would be almost like taking candy from a baby. She’d always been so gullible. He found his eyes focusing on Buffy’s neck, his mouth practically watering in anticipation as he eagerly watched her steady pulse carrying warm, sweet-smelling blood through her tiny body. Shifting his eyes from her entrancing neck, Parker once again made eye contact with Buffy. “Yeah, I have. I’ve been thinking a lot about how much I messed up what we had together.”

Buffy almost burst out laughing at the look of mock-sincerity that crossed Parker’s face. She had to give him ten points for acting abilities alone; he certainly deserved an Oscar for this performance. What the hell had she ever seen in this moron? Had she really been that desperate after Angel left? Buffy mentally slapped herself for ever giving this… git the time of day. She actually had to force herself to refrain from rolling her eyes as Parker continued going through his overly-rehearsed repartee. *Oh my god, this guy just doesn’t quit. If he keeps this up, I’m gonna drown in his verbal bullshit. I’ll need a backhoe just to dig out.*

“I can’t help but think how good we could be together,” Parker continued, totally oblivious to Buffy’s mental anguish. He lightly ran his fingers down her arm as he asked, “is there any way we could start over?”

Buffy had to fight back a shudder at the feel of Parker’s hand on her flesh; every inch of her being wanted to respond to his touch with violence. She forced back the taste of rising bile as she leaned into his cold touch, trying for all her might to look like the supreme seductress. “I’d like that,” she replied enticingly.

Out of the corner of her eye, Buffy could see Spike making his way towards them. She could feel the fury radiating off of him all the way from across the room. She choked back a gasp as she caught sight of his livid face; he looked like he was hell bent for leather on destruction, and nothing was going to stand in his way.

Spike, for his part, was going to rip the fucker’s head off. He couldn’t believe what he was seeing--right before his very eyes, Buffy was openly flirting with another man. He saw red the moment the git placed his grubby hand on his childe, and a sneer wound its way across his features when he saw Buffy’s anxious look. *Oh, she better bloody well be worried,* he thought as he clenched his jaw in fury. As he drew closer, he realized with a start that he knew the wanker—it was that pillock that from the college. His nostrils flared in righteous anger upon the recognition. *Who the fuck does he think he is? Uses the Slayer like a bloody Kleenex, and he thinks he has the right to touch her?*

With anger blinding his senses, Spike was almost on top of the flirtatious pair before he realized that the darkhaired imbecile was, in fact, a vampire. A quick search of Buffy’s eyes told him everything he needed to know; she was only playing the fool, biding her time before she decided to strike. A malicious smile graced his features at the thought of watching Buffy reduce the wanker to dust. He loved watching his golden goddess at work; she was sheer poetry in motion, all brass and bravado–and he was certain that tonight she’d be sure to put on a good show, given the humiliation she had suffered at the asshole’s hands.

Buffy saw the flash of recognition in Spike’s eyes, followed closely by a look of pure desire. He looked like a little boy who had just been told he could open up his Christmas presents a day early. A rush of lust instantly suffused Buffy’s body as she watched Spike turn on his heels, strutting back across the crowded building in his usual cock-of-the-walk style before disappearing outside into the dirty alleyway.

Parker’s smile broadened at the sound of Buffy’s easy acceptance, an acquiescence followed almost immediately by the smell of her heady arousal. He indulged in a small smirk, thinking that he might have a little fun with this meal before the main corse. “Great! I’m so glad you feel that way,” he replied, lightly running his fingers across Buffy’s cheek. He almost groaned when he felt her tremble in response to his touch.

Buffy felt sick. She couldn’t hold back the shudder of revulsion that coursed through her body the instant that he caressed her cheek—and she had believed that it couldn’t get worse when he was only touching her arm. She had to get herself out of the bar, and she had to do it fast. “Hey, you know, it’s kinda loud in here. Do you want to go somewhere for a cup of coffee or something?”

Parker responded with another one of his supposedly charming smiles; taking a step back, he reached out his hand to take hold of hers. “Coffee sounds perfect,” he replied as he started to gently lead her away from the crowded bar. Buffy smiled brightly as she let him pull her towards the same exit Spike had just used. *Oh this is gonna be good,* both of them thought in unison as they stepped out onto the damp pavement surrounding the Bronze. Buffy didn’t say a word as she allowed Parker to take her around to the more secluded area behind the building.

She wasn’t surprised when Parker attacked the instant they were shielded in darkness; he sprang on her from behind, sloppily attempting to sink his razor-sharp teeth into her neck like it was some sort of chew toy. Buffy easily anticipated his move and responded by throwing him over her shoulder in a smooth, oft-practiced move. Parker stared at Buffy in complete shock, unable to comprehend how on earth he had come to be lying on his back in a filthy alley, staring up at his intended victim. Buffy, for what it was worth, simply looked annoyed; she had been expecting a little more effort from the fledgling, and quite frankly, she was disappointed.

A low growl filled the alley as Parker leapt from the ground, once again intent on taking down his intended prey. Buffy decide to toy with him for a while, easily sidestepping the lunging demon and watching in amusement as he fell face first onto the pavement, splitting his lip on his fangs. The pungent odour of his blood soon overrode the heavy stench of garbage and urine that saturated the air, adding to Buffy’s pleasure. She had always, deep down, wanted to make Parker bleed, but she had always had her stupid morals to prevent her from assaulting a human, no matter how deserving. But now, the tables had turned; this was no longer about retribution. This was her duty… but who was to say that she couldn’t have a little fun first?

With a roar of anger and pain, Parker launched himself at Buffy, intent on ripping her spine out in return for the insolent crap she had just pulled. She simply sidestepped him again, grabbing the unsuspecting fledgling by the bicep and forcibly swinging him into the nearby wall, smashing him into the rough brickwork with so much force that it shattered several bones in his face.

Buffy’s demon was rejoicing at the carnage created by her own hands. She wanted this to last, but her bloodlust and need for violence was quickly overpowering her rational senses. She could feel Spike watching her as she ripped the fledgling vampire away from the wall, only to savagely throw him across the alley and into the opposite wall, this time shattering his collarbone and left wrist. She rejoiced at the sound of Parker’s pain-filled scream as it permeated the air.

From the shadows, Spike watched the Slayer play with her prey. The brainless fledgling had really never had a chance. He watched as Buffy mercilessly beat the silly twit within an inch of his unlife; she was straddling him now, pinning his hips down with hers as she held both of his wrists above his head with only one small but very powerful hand, toying with him in the same manner as a cat would a mouse.

With the alluring smell fresh blood clouding her senses, Buffy had all but forgotten that Spike was watching her until she heard the faint metallic sound of his lighter flaring to life as he stepped out of the shadows, casually lighting a cigarette as he came to a stop in front of her. Parker, near-delirious from pain, foolishly thought that the newcomer was there to help him. “Hey man! Help get this crazy bitch off of me!”

Spike casually took a drag of his cigarette; tilting his head to the side, he asked the dark-haired twit in a disinterested tone, “and just why the hell would I do that, mate? Slayer here gets mighty pissed if I try to take her toys away from her.”

Recognition suddenly dawned on Parker; this was the Slayer his sire was always prattling on about. Over the last couple of weeks, Parker had learnt to all but tune out her idiotic ramblings. But now as he lay here on the damp street, pinned down by the extraordinarily strong blonde, he really wished that he had listened to his childish, dim-witted sire more often. His only thoughts of solace were that Buffy didn’t seem to be in possession of any weapons that could be used to finish him off.

As Buffy watched her Sire, she realized that she had come to think of him as the absolute epitome of sex. He stood before her, all balls and swagger, wrapped up in a badass attitude, leather duster flapping in the light breeze and adding to his bad boy persona.

Spike cocked his head to the side, watching the Slayer with interest. She had made no move to dust the vampire she was currently straddling; instead, she was simply sitting there, holding him down with one dainty hand, obviously deep in thought about something. “So, Slayer, you gonna finish the wanker off or not?”

Buffy blinked several times before she realised what Spike had said. “I don’t have a stake.”

Spike chuckled in response. “Well, then… I guess you’ll have to improvise, luv.”

Buffy’s demon rejoiced when she felt her prey tremble in fear. A malicious smile quickly made its way across her lips as she looked down at her detainee, and she nearly howled with pleasure when her senses were assaulted by the heady scent of Parker’s fear. In a moment of pure malevolence, she leaned down close to Parker’s ear and whispered, “do you know what, Parker? I always thought you were a spineless asshole. Let’s see if I was right.” The Slayer’s cold words hadn’t even had a chance to register through Parker’s brain before she plunged her fist into his chest, grabbing hold of his backbone before savagely ripping it out through his chest cavity, effectively turning him inside out.

For a moment, Buffy stared at the large piece of bloodied bone. “What do you know? He did have a backbone after all,” she announced with a shrug of her shoulders, watching in fascination as both the bone and Parker’s body disintegrated into dust.

The dust hadn’t even had time to settle beneath Buffy before Spike firmly grabbed her around the waist, pulling her to her feet and into his strong embrace. His body positively vibrated with pent-up lust. After having been forced to endure everything from Buffy’s teasing performance on the dance floor to watching her dispense of her pathetic adversary in such a bloodthirsty fashion, his cock was so hard he was certain that he could fuck her for days without needing a moment’s rest. This, combined with his demon’s rage at the thought of another man daring to touch his Slayer, left Spike little to no control over his base primitive instincts; crushing his lips to hers, he rejoiced inwardly as his demon set out to reclaim what he deemed to be rightfully his.


TBC...