Moving In

More fluff... Thanks to everyone reviewing. I appreciate it all, even if I've been very bad at replying lately.

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Two weeks later


If someone had told him just a month ago that he would soon be sharing a flat with the woman he loved, he wouldn’t have believed it. But here he was and she was on a flight to LA, having spent the last week in Rome. He had been worried after she had dismissed the idea, fearing that it was not really what she wanted, but on the drive back to LA, she had asked him if he had meant it. After assuring her that he did, she had smiled that soft, affectionate smile that he was still getting used to, and had started deciding what furniture she wanted.

The biggest surprise in the whole thing though had been Angel’s reaction. His grandsire had completely thrown him for a loop when he had wished him luck and had even offered to keep him on the payroll at Wolfram & Hart. Obviously noticing his surprise, Angel had given him that half-sad smile and explained that seeing Buffy that happy was all that he wanted. Slightly unused to such gentleness, the two vampires had shared an awkward hug and then Spike had gone straight to Buffy to tell her the good news.

She flew back to Rome a few days later to collect her stuff and talk to her sister, and now she was coming back to him to live in their new place. Their new place.



She was just as nervous as he was about it, he realised as he watched her go into the living room, bag in one hand. He closed the door behind him and set her suitcase down beside it, turning to watch her. He could hardly believe this was real: that Buffy was standing just a few metres away from him and this was to be their first day of cohabitation. It all seemed a bit too good to be true. She turned to him then and gave him one of those soft, happy smiles that made him melt in an entirely unmanly way. Surely, he had to be dreaming this.

“You just going to stand there all day, or are you going to show me our place?” she asked with a smile, snapping him back into the present.

Oh, he’d get to the tour, but right now he was thinking it had been far too long since he’d kissed her. Their rather heated reunion at the airport had been interrupted by a pointed cough from an old lady nearby and he really needed to make amends for that.

He strode towards her and caught her to him, lips finding hers as his arm wound round her waist. Just being able to do this and know he wouldn’t get a punch in the nose for it felt like bliss. Good job his soul didn’t come with any of the nasty small print Angel’s did. She sighed against him and dropped her handbag to the floor, arms wrapping around him and drawing him close as he pressed her against the back of the sofa.

He worked at the knot holding her jacket and shoved it back over her shoulders, breathing in the wonderful scent of her as his mouth went to her neck. Small, warm hands found their way under his T-shirt, tracing over his back.



“Bed,” she gasped against his ear and he found her mouth with his again, burying one hand in her hair. It had been too long since he’d done plenty of things.

“Bed later,” he growled back, hitching up her skirt and guiding it over her knees.

She let out a little giggle and kissed him harder, wrapping her legs tightly around him as one small hand smoothed down over his abdomen to his belt.

“Missed you,” he murmured against her, pressing kisses to her eyes and cheeks before returning to her mouth.

“Missed you too,” she whispered, arching against him and tightening her grip as his hand slipped up her thigh.

He kissed her again, drawing in the taste of her and delighting in every little gasp, every moan. Just like he had remembered it during those long lonely months without her. To think he had been such a fool, not contacting her because he thought it was best. That would teach him for listening to his grandsire. He was dragged back to the present as blunt teeth caught his bottom lip, teasing him as she slipped one hand down the front of his jeans. It was lucky the Bit wasn’t going to be moving in for another week.



They were sprawled out on the sofa now and he was glad he had thought to cover it with a throw, which they were now wrapped up in, legs tangled and her head resting on his chest.

“Mmm, you really missed me,” she murmured lazily.

“Every minute,” he answered, pressing a kiss to the top of her head, “Want to spend every second with you, now I’ve got you…”

He knew he sounded uncertain as he trailed off and she tilted her head, hazel eyes meeting his.

“You’ve got me. I thought you might have realised that.”

“Still getting used to it,” he admitted, brushing a hand over her bare shoulder.

She smiled and snuggled up against him, brushing a kiss against his neck. If he wanted real proof that things between them now were what he had always wished for, this was it: Buffy in his arms, not going anywhere. She had rarely let him hold her in the past - not until those last two nights – and now she seemed to initiate it more often than not. He hugged her tighter against him and pressed another kiss to hair, breathing in her scent and wished he could capture this moment forever.

“I love you.”

“I love you,” she whispered back, arms wrapping around him.

He closed his eyes in bliss, absorbing the wonderful sensation that those words created in him. Buffy loved him. He remembered well how he had despaired of that ever happening and now, here she was, giving him everything he’d ever hoped for.

“You’re quiet,” she murmured, raising her head and searching his eyes.

He smiled and reached out to run his fingers through her hair.

“Thinking about how lucky I am.”

His fingers traced over her cheek, eyes absorbing every little detail of her beautiful face, every nuance of expression.

“You don’t know how long I wished for this, Buffy,” he continued huskily.

“And you obviously don’t realise just how long I wanted the same but was too afraid to admit it.”



He was silent and she dropped her gaze for a moment before meeting his eyes again.

“I don’t want to bring up the past because it’s done and I can’t change that… but you do know, when we… before…”

She trailed off, bright eyes on his, her fingers tracing unconscious patterns against his shoulder.

“I treated you so bad-”

“Buffy-“

“I did,” she interrupted and he decided to let her speak – obviously she wanted to get this off her chest. “I was so bad to you… but I want you to know, it wasn’t because of you. It was me. I was wrong and I… I didn’t have it in me to-“

“I know, love,” he cut in softly as he saw her getting more tongue-tied, her eyes tearing up.

“You always did,” she whispered with a tearful smile.

He brushed his hand over her hair again, cupping her face in his hands as he studied her. After a few moments though, he leant forward and kissed her softly.