Disclaimer: Buffy the Vampire Slayer and all characters belonging to the show are not of my creation. The song is also by Linda Perry, called 'Knock me Out'.

Authors note: Much much and MANY thanks to slaymesoftly, who has been taking the time to look over my work until I can find a beta. She's the only reason I've been able to be posted on this sight, so much thanks to her for her patience. Also, thank you to those who've reviwed, cause reviews are definitely appreciated. 'Seven Days' has won an award at the Burst Into Flame' awards: Most Original Plot.
*************************************




The 3rd Night



“You’re NOT serious.”

“Oh, I am.”

The two of them stood just inside the mall. The place looked just as Buffy remembered it, only completely devoid of people. But what was eerie was the fact that the lights and escalators were still running. Even the dull music always droning in the background of every mall was still present.


It gave Buffy the creeps. It reminded her of a zombie movie where they all bunked at the mall while they waited for the zombies’ numbers to grow, and to finally get eaten.

“Spike, what are we going to get here? It’s not like we can go on some huge shopping trip: we don’t have any way to get the stuff back home if we did.”

“Relax, would you?” The vampire was actually fully dressed. It was the first time Buffy had seen him completely clothed since she had gotten there.

He was, of course, wearing all black; black jeans, black T-shirt and the familiar docs. But what Buffy noticed most was, of course, the black leather duster. His hair was slicked back into its familiar style instead of the unruly curls it had been in for the last three days. Seeing him in full Big Bad attire just made Buffy want to have him take her up against the outside wall of the mall. She wanted to cling to the soft leather of the coat that always carried a scent that was strictly his.

But, somehow, being on the INSIDE of the deserted mall didn’t make her quite so eager. The place was giving her a serious case of the wiggins.

“Besides,” Spike spoke again, drawing her out of her own thoughts, while he led the way further into the mall. “We’ll just be getting the bare necessities, alright?”

“You mean like food? This isn’t a grocery store, this is the mall.”

“Food comes last,” Spike insisted. “That way nothing melts.”

He stopped suddenly, causing Buffy to bump into him from behind. She looked up at him, noticing the thoughtful and somewhat disturbed expression on his face.


“What?” she asked.

Spike turned to face her, gnawing a bit at his bottom lip while in thought. “No one’s come back to good old Sunnyhell, right?”

“Right,” she nodded.

He turned in a slow circle, looking all around them. “Then why is the power back on?”


********************************************************************


“Mmmmm…oh, god…” Buffy opened her eyes for a brief moment to attempt a glare at the blonde vampire. “And tell me how THIS is a necessity?”

“Are you complaining?” He arched an eyebrow at her.

Buffy quickly shook her head, deciding not to argue anymore.

“Good,” Spike gave her a cocky smirk. “Now close your eyes.”

She did as she was told, then opened her mouth expectantly. Spike picked another chocolate from the large assortment, this one filled with coffee buttercream in the center. The last one had been filled with strawberry cheesecake cream filling. Buffy bit down and let out another delicious noise of pleasure, sucking slowly on the desert.

They were both sitting cross-legged in the center of a Godiva chocolate shop. A bag they had picked up from the counter was beginning to fill with the favorites they were quickly discovering.

Spike selected another one. “This one has two layers inside,” he informed her. “Butterscotch and caramel.”

Buffy opened her eyes to glare at him again. “I knew it. This whole idea was just to get me fat.”

************************************************************************

Buffy rolled her eyes as she looked at the peach colored lace bra and panties. The bra was padded, making her bust look generous and thrust it up for the world to see.

“Now I know THIS isn’t a necessity.”

“Bollocks,” she heard Spike from the other side of the dressing room door. “I plan to keep you in minimal clothing as often as possible. So, you need more minimal clothing.”

Rolling her eyes, Buffy opened the dressing room door. “Oh please, you just have a panty fetish.”

Spike was obviously enjoying himself, drinking in the sight of her. She could already see the bulge growing in his pants. He was leaning back against the wall, arms crossed over his chest, not bothering to hide his arousal.

“Fetish?” he gave her a slight pout. “It is not a fetish just because I like to see you in your knickers.”

Buffy put a hand on her hip and gave him a firm look.

“What?” he asked innocently. “I like to see you OUT of your knickers just as much.”

To prove a point, he half pounced on her, pushing her back into the dressing room and wrapping his arms around her. His hands roamed her body, and Buffy couldn’t help but melt into his embrace.

*********************************************************************


“No,” Spike held his duster firmly closed as if she might rip it from him at any moment.

“Come on, Spike,” Buffy gave one of her best pouts. “You’ve got to wear SOMETHING other than black.”

He snorted. “No, I don’t.”

They had made their way through a clothing store next, just for Buffy to see what other interesting things she could find to wear. What Spike hadn’t expected was to be dragged into the men’s side, and for her to be picking through clothing like he would actually take something.

“But…hey!” She picked up a short sleeved button-up shirt from the rack. “You like blue!”

“That’s not blue…it’s purple. I don’t do purple.”

Buffy was enjoying it. She liked his wardrobe just fine. She had no intentions of getting him a new one…she just loved to see him squirm.

Buffy saw a collection of hats and her eyes lit up like it was Christmas. She immediately snatched a royal blue baseball hat, and forced it onto Spike’s head. He stood there staring at her, looking as if he were shell-shocked. Buffy was sure that if she started laughing she would never be able to stop.

“Get. That. Abomination. Off my head.”

She rolled her eyes and snatched it off of his head, watching as he straightened his gelled hair with a huff.

“Oooo!” Buffy nearly hopped up and down on her way to the rack. She held up a green shirt with black stripes and did her best to keep her face straight and not burst out laughing when she saw Spike’s eyes get larger and his mouth gape open.

“You’re joking…” he insisted, then put his hands together in front of him as if in prayer. “Please…please tell me you’re joking.”

She giggled before putting the shirt back. “Ok, I am.” She walked beside him further down the aisle. Her eyes widened as she saw a handsome white turtleneck. “Hey…”

Spike grabbed her hand on her way to grab it. “Don’t even think about it.”

Frowning, she looked up at him. “What? That one actually looks nice.”

“I don’t do white.”

She rolled her eyes. “You don’t do ANY color. But ok, tell me, why not white? You could look good…”

He stared at her as if she had grown a second head. “I could look like an albino.”

“Hey, it’s not my fault you don’t have any color. Did you ever think about a tanning lotion or something?”

“Oh, great, so I can be orange and try all the colors of the rainbow. No thank you, Slayer.”

She picked up the white turtleneck. “Oh, just try it on.” She held it out to him.


“And do what, strut in front of the mirror to see if I blend in with the white walls?” He pushed the hand holding the turtleneck aside.

“Just try it.” Buffy shoved it into his arms, crossing her arms over her chest and giving him a determined look.

Spike set his jaw and narrowed his eyes, giving her just as much a determined look. He rolled the turtleneck up into a small ball in his hands, then tossed it clear across the store. He then crossed his arms over his own chest, giving her a look to match hers.

Buffy could feel her temper rising. She gave a falsely sweet smile before walking away, further into the clothing wracks. She could hear Spike sigh, obviously thinking he had won.

Suddenly scooping an entire rack of clothing off, hangers and all, she tossed the bundle straight at Spike. The large bundle of clothing landed on his face, sending him off balance and stumbling into racks of clothing on the opposite side of the aisle.

Grinning to herself, she continued scanning through the clothing. She didn’t see the even larger bundle that Spike had scooped up and tossed her way until she was under it, falling to the floor under its weight.

“That’s it!” She pulled the clothing off and began tossing shirts and jeans at him left and right.

Spike quickly ducked each article of clothing, running along his selection and picking out the heaviest he could find, pants and coats especially, tossing them across the aisle at the slayer.

Buffy ducked a flannel coat, taking a moment to be thankful that Spike didn’t have bad enough taste to use something that ugly for anything but throwing. “Don’t think you’re getting away with that!” She shouted to him, throwing a heavy pair of blue jeans that nearly tangled around his legs as he tried to dodge.

“Me? You’re the one who started it, woman!” He ducked under an ugly yellow shirt.

Buffy found herself at the packages of socks and underclothing. She grinned before picking up a plastic wrapped package of boxers. “Hey Spike, I found something I KNOW you don’t have!” She threw the plastic package as hard as she could manage, nailing the vampire in the stomach.

“Hey!”

Buffy giggled and ducked the flying plastic hangers that had lost the clothing they had been supporting. She could see that Spike was running out of ammunition on his side of the aisle. Seeing his own dilemma, Spike fled towards the door, trying to get out of the clothing shop before he was cornered.

“Not so fast!” Buffy grabbed packages of socks and underwear, throwing them towards the retreating vampire.

Spike ducked, quickly pulling his duster up around his head as a shield as he managed to escape out the door.

**********************************************************************

“Oh Spikey…” Buffy crept down the hall, a package of socks hidden behind her back.

“Come on out…I’m not mad anymore…” She tried to put as much innocence in her voice as she could muster.

“Come on, Spike! I know you’re around here – hey!” Something soft had just bounced off the back of her head. She whirled around and could barely contain her laughter as she saw Spike standing in front of the toyshop, with a large Nerf dart gun held in his hands commando style.

“That’ll teach you to throw knickers around.” He spoke haughtily.

Buffy threw the bag of socks as his head and watched as he ducked, before taking a few shots of her with the Nerf gun, one of the foamy darts hitting her in the nose.

“That’s it!” Buffy quickly ran after him.

Spike turned and fled further into the toyshop, trying to lose her down some of the aisles, but she was hot on his tail. Buffy yanked footballs and large plastic balls off of shelves and hurled them at him. He ducked too late, and a football struck him in the back of the head.

“Bugger!” He grabbed the back of his head and turned, running backwards down the aisle and shooting as many of the foam darts at her as he could manage.

The Slayer ran at him full speed, ignoring the projectiles that bounced off of her head. Soon Spike was out of ammo and tossed the plastic gun aside. Buffy leapt at him, tackling him at full force and sending them both crashing into the shelves, sending the shelf toppling over, and bean bags and stuffed animals crashing down on top of them, burying them under the fluffy and colorful mess.

*********************************************************************

“Oh wow…oooo, this is almost as good as your hands.”

“Still, almost, right?”

Buffy grinned wickedly, then turned the dial up on the back massager on Spike’s side. He drew in a sharp breath as the chair gave pressure all the way from his lower back to his neck.

Both of them were sitting in identical massage chairs that had been put out on display. Each had the other’s dial.

“Try the neck,” Spike insisted. He turned the dial on her chair and Buffy nearly cooed out loud at the vibrations the chair was giving off.

“You’re right, it is almost as good as our massages…” Spike whispered. “But there’s no way in hell I’m going to let a mechanical chair get a hold of the parts of me you were massaging.”

Buffy grinned and blushed, then pressed another button on Spike’s dial. “Look, it even does the arms and legs.”

The cushions around Spike’s arms began to fold over them. Spike raised an eyebrow and watched…then his eyes widen and he began pulling at his leather coat. “Hey…hey!” He pulled harder at the coat, then removed his arm from the armrest and began beating at it.

“What are you doing?” Buffy asked him, puzzled.

“It’s eatin my duster!” He gave another yank as the coat began to disappear further between the armrest.

Buffy laughed, watching him wrestle with the chair.

“It’s not funny!” he insisted. “Cough it up!” He continued assaulting the chair while the Slayer beside him nearly rolled off hers, clutching her stomach and laughing.

************************************************************************

Buffy had never seen an empty electronics store before. Somehow all the televisions were still on, each one showing the same cheesy action film on different size screens. She rolled her eyes, looking up at her vampire lover. “Why are we here again?”

“Tons of reasons,” Spike insisted. “Specifically, whatever we want. I’m thinking video camera. I want to capture that look on your face and those cute little noises you make every time I lick you in just the right…”

The Slayer smacked at his arm, giving him a mock glare. “We are SO not video taping.”

He grinned devilishly. “Don’t tell me you’re camera shy…” He turned and headed down an aisle, obviously searching for cameras.

Buffy sighed, a sudden wave of depressing thoughts hitting her at once. She wasn’t camera shy. If anything she would love to have their lovemaking on camera, to have just one physical reminder of their time of happiness…but she knew it wasn’t going to happen. Spike could buy all the film he wanted, and video tape their every move; it wouldn’t make a difference. Once the week was up, every bit of proof of what they had together for those seven days was going to be gone.

She shook at the thought, willing it away. She made her way slowly down the aisles, trying to find something that they would actually need. Buffy shivered, wrapping her arms around herself. The empty places were so much easier to bear when Spike was standing next to her. When she was with him she could laugh and enjoy herself. She could relax and let herself fall back into his arms and forget about the eerie surroundings.

She stopped when she caught sight of Spike again. She smiled, just watching him. He seemed to be completely absorbed in the action movie on the multiple televisions in front of him. In one hand was a camera, in the other a camcorder.

“Oh Spike…” Buffy touched the bottom of her shirt, seriously considering flashing him to see if he would take a picture.

But the vampire didn’t move. His eyes stayed glued to the television in front of him, as if hypnotized.

Buffy pouted, wondering why she couldn’t grab his instant attention the way her presence always did. “Spike!” She was about ready to stomp her foot if he didn’t pull his attention away from the silly movie. She made her way over to him, standing directly at his side; then noticed the faraway look in his eyes. “Spike…?” She turned to look at the television.

The movie on the screen had reached a climactic turn. There was fire and debris, and at that point and time all the viewer could see was a massive cave in…

Her eyes widened. The images on the screen looked hauntingly similar to things that had actually happened. She turned her gaze quickly back to the bleached blonde beside her, noticing as she did that he still hadn’t taken his gaze away from the screen.

Was that a spark of recognition in his eyes?

She reached out to him hesitantly, gently touching his arm. She moved close to him, wanting to bring his attention away from the screen as soon as possible.

“William…?” she brushed the backs of her fingers gently across the hollow of his cheek. Her voice was little more than a soft whisper. “Are you here with me?”

He breathed in sharply for a moment, as if waking up from a trance. He pulled his gaze away from the screens and smiled when he saw the Slayer standing beside him. “Of course, pet.” He spoke just as softly as she did. “Where else would I be?”

********************************************************************

She was standing at the check out counter of the music store; only because that was the only place you could sample the music on the CD player. The headphones were on low and she was quietly humming along to the music.

“Please don’t tell me that you’re listening to ‘Wind Beneath My Wings’.”

The sudden sound of Spike’s voice made Buffy jump. She pulled the headphones off and turned to face him with a guilty blush. “What? No!” He gave her a doubtful look. “…Maybe.”

He shook his head with a smirk. “Its reassuring to know that some things never change…like your questionable taste in music.”

“Hey, I wouldn’t be talking.” She crossed her arms over her chest and gave him a glare. “Besides, I don’t know what your problem is with that song. It would have made a GREAT first dance.”

“At OUR wedding?”

The subject of their engagement brought an involuntary blush to her cheeks. The wedding that never was and never would be wasn’t exactly a subject she wanted to tread across with her dead lover. “Well…um…” he was looking own at her with that intense gaze that turned her insides into jelly. “What’s wrong with it?”

He smiled, beginning to notice some of her tension. “It doesn’t suit us.”

Buffy gave a slight pout. “But it’s a nice song…”

“Exactly,” Spike interrupted. “It’s a nice song. It’s pretty, and clean, and easy to swallow. It doesn’t suit us at all.”

“And you think you can do better?”

“Anything could be better.” Spike sorted through a large and growing pile of CDS he had pilfered.

Buffy gave her patented eye roll, fully expecting him to put something loud and violent on. She was surprised by the mellow tunes that came from the CD player once he yanked the headphones out.

“It sounds depressing for a wedding.” Buffy mumbled stubbornly.

He merely smirked at her, holding a hand out in invitation. She took his hand, deciding to humor him. He pulled her close so their bodies touched. He kept hold of one of her hands while he wrapped an arm around her.

Linda Perry’s voice was almost intrusive on their moment. Once the two touched, they seemed lost to their own world.

You knocked me out
You bit my lip
you held me down
and kept me sober

Through all this time
with no regret
I guess that's just the way I liked it
ooooooooo oh ohhh


Buffy swayed easily with him to the music, her head rested on his chest, breathing in the scent of him: Leather, smoke and a spice that belonged only to him.

Maybe when I'm free
I'll realize all you really wanted
to share all the peace
something I never wanted

So wait
don't go
seems as though
it's getting scary
so please
don't you go
wait
don't you go

She couldn’t help where her eyes wanted to wander, and at that moment they wanted only to see his. She looked up at the sharp angles of his face and realized that he saw nothing but her, swaying gently with her to music they barely heard.

You knocked me out
I can never feel the same
I pushed you over
and here we will remain

She smiled softly to him, lost in his penetrating gaze. His desire was obvious as their bodies pressed together, both more than ready for the other.

Confusion neeew to you
and nothing's right
nobody but you has to
hold onto the fight
just before you cry

It won't change you
it won't change me
and I don't even wonder why

Their fingers laced together, but their gaze never broke. Buffy marveled at how well her body fit with his, like pieces of a puzzle.

Won’t
touch
feeeel so much
in life yeah we cry
I know, baby I know

Cheek to cheek now, they swayed in a lazy circle around the abandoned shop. None of the outside existed. They had made that their own world as they lost themselves to the words and the gentle rhythm of their bodies.

But see I'm waking
I feel
I touch
I breathe
I cry
I know this

So wait
wait
so please
smile just before you cry
don't you go

Buffy gently traced her fingertips through the curls that were just starting to come loose, from all their roughhousing. She closed her eyes, trying to will away all the pain she had caused the man holding her in his arms…

You knocked me out
I could never be the same
I pushed you over
but here we still remain
you knocked me out
I could never be the same

Spike’s soft lips were brushing across her throat, moving up to her ear. She couldn’t resist them. She had to feel those lips again and imprint their feeling on her memory…

I can take the fight but don't
don't you turn away

She turned her head and met his seeking lips with her own, their tongues caressing, igniting a never ending fire.

You knocked me out
you bit my lip
you held me down and you kept me sober

Neither realized when the song finally ended, both lostin the other or each lost in one another.

************************************************************************


Mmmm. Strawberry cheesecake.

Buffy knew she shouldn’t be eating ice-cream, especially after the adventures in the chocolate store, but she just couldn’t help it. When a completely abandoned Diary Queen with its freezers still running just stares you in the face, it’s not possible to just walk away.

Where had Spike scampered off to? The last time she’d seen him, he was still raiding the music store for all it was worth. When Buffy got there, she found it empty.

Across the music shop was the book store. She saw a flash of black, and then smirked. He was probably looking for smut in there, she reasoned. Though, she could admit that he could have written the karma sutra, so it wasn’t as if he needed books for tips.

“Spike?” She approached the book store, finding him easily in the front. It looked as if he had been standing near the hall to keep an eye out for her, but was completely wrapped up in what he was reading. Before Buffy could ask, he had tossed the book clear over his shoulder and was obviously trying to pretend he hadn’t been reading it in the first place.

“Find something good to snack on?” he asked a little too casually.

“Yeah…” She held up the cup of ice cream. “Sure you don’t want some?”

He shook his head. “Nope.”

“Well…” Buffy suddenly found herself feeling awkward. She wanted to know what he had been reading while she had been distracted. “I need to look for something…” She pointed to the bookstore that he had been blocking the path too.

“Right!” he stepped away from it, and then nodded back to the music store. “I’ll just be over there, then.”

“Right…” She nodded as she watched him walking away.

As soon as he was out of sight, she stepped into the bookstore. She could see a few of the shelves recently disturbed. She kept low, as if he might be watching her every move. Finally, she found the hastily discarded book on the floor. She fully expected to see nude women or something violent on the cover. Instead, her jaw nearly dropped when she picked it up.

“Poetry?”

She noticed a few other poetry books on the shelf that appeared to have been moved. She glanced back at the music store, making sure that Spike’s back was faced in her direction before she began stuffing the poetry books into a bag to bring with them.

*******************************************************************

The bed and bath store had plenty of goodies. Buffy thought she was getting entirely too used to the idea of taking whatever she pleased. She took scented candles and lotions, as well as relaxing bath oils and beads. She didn’t want to be caught unprepared.

She was again beginning to wonder how they were going to bring everything home. She headed out of the bed and bath store, back to the music store. They had seemed to set that spot as the unofficial meeting place.

When she got there, she had to struggle not to drop the bags and burst out laughing. On top of the counter was Spike, headphones on but the music loud enough for her to hear just fine. He was listening to heavy rock music while doing a fine impression of Billy Idol, lip and all. He acted as if he held a guitar in his hands, moving his fingers along perfectly with the music. He leapt off of the counter and onto one of the shelves, keeping perfect balance even as the cord of the headphones tried to tangle around him.

Shaking her head, Buffy could merely gawk in awe. He was like nothing she had ever really known. This strange man was always surprising and amusing her. The same man who was doing the Billy Idol impression, knocking over CDs and causing destruction left and right, was also a closet poetry lover. The demon that was fierce enough to cause anything from a stir to utter chaos wherever he went, had also loved strongly enough to make himself a good man. The man that couldn’t hold still to save his own existence, had been her solid rock when she needed something to cling to.

He was intense. He was childish. He was tender and sensual. As a demon he had loved more than most humans could have ever managed. As a dead man he was more alive than anyone Buffy had ever known…and she had to face it, he looked adorable while making a fool out of himself.

She shook her head, unable to hold her laughter in anymore. She just watched him cut loose, a sight she hadn’t seen often after he had taken on the burden of the soul. No matter how softly they were spoken, she couldn’t help the words that came to the surface.

“I love you.”

Time stood still. Or was it just Spike that had come to an abrupt halt? Buffy’s eyes widened as he slowly turned to meet her gaze, a look of awe on his face.

Dammit. Vampire hearing.

She hadn’t meant for it to be like that, muttered quietly in the abandoned mall. She found herself unexpectedly nervous as Spike hopped down from the counter and took the headphones off. He turned the music off, and then turned to study her.

Buffy held her breath, watching him just as intensely as he was watching her. He tilted his head to the side, unable to disguise all of the hope and longing in his gaze.

“Did you…say something?”

She knew what he was doing right away. He was giving her a chance to pretend she hadn’t said anything. He didn’t want to corner her, because he didn’t want to have to hear her take back the words that he had been waiting for all that time …


But she wasn’t going to take them back. The place they were in suddenly didn’t matter. The mall wasn’t a perfect place to announce it, but neither was a hole in the ground in which her lover had burned to death from the inside out. There wasn’t going to be a perfect time when you had only a matter of days.

Gathering her courage, Buffy stepped forward, coming closer to him. She reached out and took his hand, pulling him away from the counter and closer to herself. She watched the emotions play across his face. There was hope, desire, fear…no, absolute terror…but under it all there was his never ending devotion and love.

She had to touch him. She moved her hands away from his and brought them slowly across his chest, taking her time to feel the soft leather and the hard muscle beneath. She moved them up to his shoulders and then up either side of his neck before resting both hands on the hollows of his cheeks. His eyes never left hers, even while hers followed the path of her hands. Finally, she looked up into breathtakingly beautiful blue eyes that she had never before allowed herself to gaze into too long.

“I love you, Spike…”

******************************************************************


The pause was deafening. It had only lasted seconds, but already Buffy was growing nervous. Was this what Spike had felt every time he had confessed his love? She was suddenly terrified, afraid that she would hear the exact same words he had said to her on the hellmouth. ‘No, you don’t. But thanks for saying it.’

But he didn’t say those words. At first, he said nothing at all. If anything he seemed completely incapable of speech. His eyes showed his amazement and awe. He swallowed hard as the headphones fell from his still fingers.

He tilted his head, studying her face and searching it for honesty. Buffy didn’t let her nervousness show; though she was sure he could read it from her pounding heart. But the look on her face was warm and tender. He reached up and gently brushed his fingers across her cheek, then cupped it gently.

“Say it again.”

Spike’s voice was soft, and the pleading note it held nearly broke Buffy’s heart. Had she really made him wait this long?

Buffy smiled and pulled him gently closer by the lapels of his jacket, so their bodies were touching. She turned her head and brushed a tender kiss across the palm of his hand before looking him straight in the eye again. “I love you.”

The stillness and shock was broken. He took a few deep unnecessary breaths and slowly let a wide grin spread across his face. The look in his eyes was the most beautiful expression of joy Buffy had ever seen. She had never seen him look so happy. It was as if all the weight that had pressed down on his heart was suddenly gone and he was simply a man in love.

********************************************************************

The first kiss was soft and tender, almost hesitant. Buffy was sure that all of his hopes and fears were combined in that kiss, but soon, as the kiss grew deeper, all his love and his passion joined right along with it. Their hands were wandering one another’s bodies, unable to stay away. Spike lifted her up, and she wrapped her legs around him as he walked, half blind, out of the store, and over to its neighbor - a furniture store. He carried her inside and deposited her on the first bed they stumbled into.

Neither of them saw the four poster they were lying on. It didn’t matter where they were. Buffy pushed his duster from his shoulders and he let it fall onto the bed while his hands moved slowly up her shirt, pushing it up and baring her skin for him.

His lips strayed from hers, wandering slowly down her jaw line to her ear. Buffy squirmed beneath his body, rubbing herself against his growing erection, trapped cruelly by his jeans. He nibbled softly on her earlobe while one of his hands slipped under her bra to gently caress her breasts.

“I love you, Buffy.” His voice had deepened with his need. “God, I love you so much…” His cool lips traveled slowly down her neck, making her shiver in pleasure as his hands moved lower over her body. Both his hands stroked her legs before pushing up her skirt.

Panting with need, Buffy quickly began tugging at his shirt. She slipped her hand underneath to caress his perfect abs. She tugged harder at his shirt and Spike raised his arms, allowing her to remove the offending garment. As soon as it was off, Spike’s mouth was exploring her again, this time across her belly and heading slowly down between her legs. Her skirt was wrapped completely around her waist so the only thing standing between her sex and Spike’s skillful and eager mouth, was a new pair of panties.

Buffy gasped as she felt Spike brush tender kisses across her thighs. She laid her head back and turned it, then did a quick double take at the clock glowing on the wall.

“Spike!”

He grinned, brushing his mouth and nose across the crotch of her panties, breathing in the scent of her arousal. “I haven’t even gotten to the good part yet, you know…”

She shook her head and pointed to the clock. “Spike, it’s almost sunrise! We have to get out of here fast, or there’s no way we’re going to make it back to the house before you become a crispy critter.”

Spike growled in annoyance and laid his head across her thigh. “Bloody hell…”

Buffy sat up quickly; straitening out her clothes and handing Spike his. “We’ve gotta hurry and gather up the bags.”

Quickly gathering his clothes, Spike dashed out the door of the shop…only to rush back in not three seconds later and pounce her. Buffy squealed in protest as she was pushed onto the bed, Spike kissing her soundly and taking away any thoughts of leaving.

All too soon, he pulled away. “Say it again,” he spoke eagerly this time, like a boy who had just received a gift he had always wanted.

She could only smile at his excitement. She kissed him again, pulling his body close to hers, loving the feeling of his cool hardness against her over excited body. “I love you.”

A grin plastered on his face, Spike slipped off of the bed and left the shop again. Buffy gave a contented sigh, even as her body protested his absence. She rolled over onto her other side, only to come almost face to face with the eyes of a brunet woman staring back at her with an overly cheerful smile. Buffy sat straight up in the bed and gave out a loud, girly scream as she scrambled away from the strange woman…only to look back and realize that it was a cardboard cutout of a model, that had been placed on the loveseat right next to the bed that she and Spike had blindly chosen.

Spike had come running back into the room, instantly ready for danger. What he saw was the Slayer clutching her chest and breathing hard, pointing at a woman made of cardboard. She turned wide eyes to him. Spike, of course, did the only appropriate thing. He burst out laughing, holding himself upright using the doorway.

Buffy flashed him a look of indignant anger. In return Spike got himself under control for a moment…then laughed all the harder, clutching his sides.

“Hey!” Buffy’s face was flushed with anger. She picked up the cardboard model on the loveseat and threw it at the near hysterical vampire. “It’s not funny! This place is creepy! Now hurry up and get our stuff, so we can get out of here.”

Easily dodging the cardboard woman, Spike took off down the hall and towards the escalator, slipping on his shirt and duster as he did so.

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Sighing, Buffy made sure her clothes were straightened. She couldn’t help but grin now that her heart wasn’t hammering a mile a minute. Spike was right, it had been funny. Of course, she wasn’t going to tell him he was right.

Before she could finish thinking of ways to punish the smug vampire, she heard the yell. It echoed all throughout the mall. Buffy quickly darted out of the furniture shop, heading in the direction in which she was sure he had gone.

Stopping short, Buffy gawked at the scene. Spike was hanging from the ceiling by one of the panes of the skylight. He had leapt up from the second floor, and was now twirling from a support beam, kicking his legs out and hollering to the world. Then Buffy realized that he wasn’t crying out in distress, he was crying out in pure and utter joy. He laughed and cried out in elation as he swung from beam to beam on the ceiling. “She loves me!” His voice echoed all throughout the empty mall.

Buffy could only stare, a hand covering her mouth as she tried not to laugh in just the way he had laughed at her earlier. She shook her head and tried not to be utterly terrified of the fact that he was swinging right over a three-story drop.

He gave another good swing with his legs, then let go of the beam. He landed on the second story easily, then did a complete back flip over the railing, and landed on the first story, going into a crouch to make the fall easier.

Spike had noticed her watching, and was now recovering his dignity. He stood up and cleared his throat, smoothing out his hair and his coat as if it had been disturbed by a strong gust of wind, instead of him flipping madly all over the mall. He coughed and nodded up at her, pointing a thumb over his shoulder. “I’ll uh…just get the stuff then.” He smiled innocently before sauntering down the hall towards one of the other shops they had visited.

**********************************************************************

Spike made his way from shop to shop, gathering up the bags they had left at the front to pick up on their way out. He was trying damned hard not to start skipping like a Nancy boy. It was bad enough his excitement had made him look like a fool in front of Buffy.

He stopped suddenly, noticing a display at the center of the hall. A large, black SUV was displayed, a red velvet rope around its stand and a sign in front of the display saying: ‘Win a Brand New SUV! Enter for a chance to win…’

A wicked grin spread over the vampire’s face. He circled around the vehicle, studying it carefully before raising his head and shouting to the second story. “Buffy, luv! We just won a car!”