Chapter 7

Buffy felt at ease and it scared her. She and Spike were walking hand-in-hand. They had left the Summers’ home holding hands and after a brief spat with a few demons, their fingers seemed to intertwine, having a mind of their own.

“I’m guessing you aren’t going to beg me to kill you now.”

“Huh?” Buffy squeezed his hand and he nodded, understanding what she meant. “Not at all, let ‘em mock. Bet they’re all jealous anyway.”

“Sure, Spikey, all the evil of Sunnydale wants to hold my hand.”

“Not anymore they don’t, they know that I’ll rip them limb from limb,” Spike said, smiling proudly.

“Oooo, my hero.” Buffy rolled her eyes. “I don’t need a protector, Spike.”

“You can take care of yourself, can’t you, love? You’ve also proved that you can take care of me in the process.”

“Well you made it easier by not being such an ass.”

He chuckled, “True, I won’t argue with you there.”

“We’ll see how you behave tomorrow. I have school tomorrow.” Buffy stared ahead so her eyes wouldn’t give away her disappointment. “It’ll just be you, all alone in the house for awhile.”

“Joyce?”

“Business trip for a week.”

“You’re kidding, am I lucky or what?”

“And just because of that remark, I’m going to be checking on you many, many times.”

“I’d rather have you around anyway. You going back to the dorms too?”

“I haven’t decided yet.” Once they reached the house, Buffy unlocked the door and they entered and stopped in the living room. “Do you have money, Spike?”

“For what?”

“Rent.”

“Are you kicking me out? Did I overstay my welcome already?” he teased. “You want me to find a place, right, to prove the Watcher wrong?”

She nodded, “You can stay, just make an attempt to look for an apartment or something, okay?”

“You have my word, pet.”

Smirking, Buffy followed him upstairs. “The word of William the Bloody, that means a lot, huh?”

“You’d better believe it does, sweetheart.” They paused awkwardly in the middle of the hallway between Buffy’s room and the guestroom. “So, you wanna stay up a little while longer?”

“And do what?”

“Hm…talk or watch something on the tele or snog each other’s brains out. I’m putting it up to you, love.”

“How sweet.”

“I think it is or shall I remind you that a certain Slayer promised that I’d get some bonus points…” Spike stepped closer, his eyes intense. “I think I want my bonus for telling the Watcher my secrets, early and in Buffy-shaped packages.”

“I-I told you, no kissing.”

“Who said anything about kissing?” He raised his brow, giving her a suggestive look.

“You did...what do you want then?”

“A snuggle.”

Buffy held back her laughter and a snort escaped from the back of her throat. “The Big Bad still wants to cuddle?”

“More than anything…at the moment.”

“With no other touchy feelies?”

“Not a one,” he said, a flicker of surprise in his eyes. “But of course my arm must be around you.”

“You won’t feel me up in my sleep?”

“Nope, scout’s honor.” Spike smirked and gave a salute.

“Were you really a Boy Scout?”

“No, but I ate a few of ‘em.”

“Cute.”

“So, what do you say, snuggle or no?”

Buffy thought over the pros and cons while Spike gently swung their connected hands. “What if I say no?”

“I haven’t thought that far ahead but you can imagine that I’d be upset, pet. You don’t want that to happen, right?” Grinning, he leaned forward and held his cheek to her hair. “Let me hold you, Buffy.”

“Ugh.”

“What kind of answer is that?” He purred in her ear, brushing his lips against her lobe. “It’s all up to you, kitten.”

"You're driving me crazy, Spike," she whispered.

"I'm glad. All my hard work is paying off."

"Spike, there are only two days left...”

"So, I'm sleeping alone," he said, defeated.

"Well, I didn't say that, did I?"
***

Spike could hear her heart pounding and he knew if it were possible, his palms would be sweaty.

"This is weird," Buffy said. "Very, very weird."

"I'm not used to this. I've never bothered with courting...usually I just jump to the shagging--."

"Talking like that is not making this any less awkward."

"Sorry." He shifted and pressed his body along her backside. “This alright? Just move my arm if you don’t like where it’s lying.” Spike held her close and waited for her response. “Just try to relax.”

“It was easier when I knew you were injured. You healed up way too soon.”

“Sorry,” he said, laughing and tightening his hold around her waist. “This isn’t so bad, yeah?”

“I guess not.”

“Thanks for the crumb, love, this little moment...it’s going to fuel all my future wet dreams.”

“Shut up, Spike. Way, way, too much information,” she said with a laugh.

“She laughs,” he teased. “And after a comment like that...you must really fancy me now.”

“Shut up, Spike.”

“Oooo, still no bite to her voice.”

“You’re so annoying,” Buffy whined, rolling on her back and suddenly freezing. “You’re very close,” she whispered.

“You weren’t complaining before.”

“I’m not sure that I’m complaining now.” In the shadowy darkness she knew their faces were only inches apart.

“Buffy,” he began but she broke him off by yanking his head down and fusing their mouths together. Buffy sighed and made a little noise as she held his face between her hands. Each time he moaned, a new wave of excitement traveled through her. When she pulled back to breathe, she wrapped her arms around his neck.

“I knew that was going to happen,” she confessed softly.

“Buffy...” His voice was tight, as if ready for her to push him away.

“That’s why I’m here and not in my bed daydreaming about this.” Closing her eyes, she kissed him again. “God, I’m so freakin’ attracted to you. I can’t stop it even though it’s wrong.”

“It doesn’t have to be wrong...we aren’t wrong. I think we’re bloody brilliant.”

“Why can’t I ever lust for a guy with a pulse?”

“You lust for me, pet?”

“Shut up.”

“Make me.”

Her heart clenched as their lips met. “Spike, Spike...”

“Love,” he asked, leaving a trail of open kisses down her neck.

“Two days, please, let’s wait for our date.”

“To do what exactly?”

“Um...stop, I can’t think while you do that,” she pulled his head up from her collarbone. “Let’s just make the wait worth it, ok?”

“I want to kiss you more, Buffy. Let me taste you...”

Buffy hummed, giving in to his talented lips and tongue as they left her mouth feeling tingly and well explored. “Spike, please,” she protested even though her fingers were tangling in his hair and leading him to where she wanted him to worship her skin. “Oh, God...”

“Bloody...” he growled, pushing his body against her more heavily. “I’m bursting here, kitten.”

“Me too,” she whimpered, spreading her legs wider so she could cradle his weight.

“Is this a test? If it is, I’m going to fail. You tell me to stop but then you act more than willing...” His hand traveled under her shirt and he groaned, finding her chest bare. “Scream, toss me on the floor, do something quick, love.” His pinched and rubbed his thumb over her tender nipples, making her quiver beneath him. “Buffy,” he pleaded, “don’t play with me.”

“I don’t want to, I swear, Spike. I just,” she moved his hands to her waist, “I think it’s too soon.”

“Right, right...hell.” He rolled away slightly and buried his head in the pillow.

“Are you okay?” Buffy ran her palm over the back of his neck and kissed his shoulder. She continued to experimentally touch his smooth skin as he mumbled words that she couldn’t make out. “Spike?”

“A few more minutes, Slayer.”

“What are you doing?”

He faced her but kept his eyes closed, “Thinking about every nasty and horrid thing I can to get my stiffy to go away and with your little touches and sexier than hell voice, you are not helping my cause, sweetness.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah, yeah, too much information but this is all your fault in the first place.”

“Sorry...”

“Damn that pout,” he said, peeking open one eye.

“You-you could go in the bathroom,” Buffy suggested, looking away. “Or I could step out of the room...”

“You’re so...” He kissed her hungrily but broke it off quickly. “Don’t...” Gritting his teeth, he rolled away when she whined. “I’ll be back.”

“Think of me,” she called out, trying not to laugh, as he hobbled to the bathroom.
***

“Better?”

“For now.” He climbed under the covers and was pleasantly surprised when she came to him. “You getting tired?”

“Yup.” Buffy yawned, resting her head on his chest. “Before I pass out, tomorrow, there’s some rules you’ll need to follow.”

“Such as?”

“No smoking in the house, wash out your bloody dishes so they don’t get crusty and don’t go through any of my stuff without asking.”

“Anything else, princess?”

“No.”

“Guess I should get this out of the way now, yeah? Can I look in your room a bit? It’ll be too tempting not to take a peek into where my lady sleeps.”

“Your lady,” she mimicked with a snort. “What would you be peeking at, Spikey?”

“This and that, your unmentionables...I want a picture of you.”

“A picture...”

“I know it’s juvenile and downright stupid but--.”

Buffy’s head shot up and she swallowed. “Spike.”

“What did I say?”

“Damn it, Spike, you’re so sweet.”

“Out-and-out lovable, aren’t I?”

“Yeah and you’re awfully conceited about it.” Buffy wiggled into him until she was comfortable. “Thank you for not being a jerk about earlier.”

“I can’t have you doing things you’ll regret, now can I?”

Buffy smiled as he held her tightly and whispered that he was looking forward to seeing her in the morning.
***

Fortune favors the brave? What the hell is that about? Buffy yawned and stretched before opening her eyes. Ew, did I have a dream about kissing Riley? Yuck. She suddenly forgot why she was wrinkling her nose when Spike started to nuzzle her neck. His wild and messy hair tickled her cheek. When she laughed, her body shook but no sound came from her lips.

Ok, weird, she thought. She opened her mouth and tried to call out to Spike but again she couldn’t hear her voice. Something’s not right; it’s either my ears or my voice.

As she tried to gather her thoughts, Spike was content with the silence. His eyes were barely open and his attention was only on Buffy. He was so happy to wake up with their bodies jumbled together that he pressed his lips to her face. He kissed her over and over as was delighted to hear no objections.

‘I love you Buffy’, he tried to say. He frowned and finally looked Buffy in the eye. She had the same expression on her face. ‘So that’s why you weren’t returning my kisses... Can you talk?’

Reading his lips, Buffy shook her head and looked worried.

‘What now?’

She shrugged but then jumped up, reaching for the remote control for the television.

‘Good idea’, Spike said, smiling.

She smiled back as he pulled her close. Taking a deep breath, Buffy turned on the TV.
***

‘So, city-wide laryngitis?’

Buffy took the spiral notebook from Spike’s lap and she wrote:
‘I don’t buy it. I had a dream last night. Have you ever heard of The Gentlemen?’

She paused to search his face and Spike shook his head no.

‘It’s too bad you can’t have loony Dru’s ability to read my mind!’ Buffy underlined the statement twice and added another exclamation point.

Spike grinned as if touched by the sentence. He watched as Buffy frantically scribbled.

‘I’m not a writer,’ she said, sheepishly handing him the notebook. Buffy had written all the details of the dream, even the parts including Riley. She bit her lip every time Spike glared while reading over the paper.

‘You dreamed about kissing that dogface?’

Buffy nodded, reading his careful handwriting. ‘Sorry, I wish it would’ve been you,’ she said, hoping the truth would be seen in her eyes.

‘Really?’

She nodded, making her way into his arms. She wanted to tell him that she was scared but he knew. Spike rubbed her back and held her until her heart stopped pounding. He cupped her chin and kissed her slowly.

‘I’m glad you’re here,’ Buffy said.

He grinned. ‘What now?’

‘Giles.’
***

Buffy pushed Spike into the nearest open building and motioned for him to wait. He ducked into the shadows and causally pulled his jacket down from over his head.

Dodging the people who were scattered throughout the street, Buffy went up to the man who was selling message boards and held up two fingers.
***

Once they reached Giles house, Buffy pushed her way in and closed all the blinds before addressing her friends. Xander, Anya, and Willow were all standing around Giles. Buffy waved and stood next to Spike.

‘Anything?’ Buffy asked, noticing that the table was covered in open books.

Giles shook his head, taking off his glasses.

Spike nudged Buffy and she jumped, taking the folded paper out her pocket and giving it to Giles. With her black marker, she quickly scribbled on the board: ‘I had a dream.’

The watcher grinned, looking grateful.

Willow took Buffy’s board and she wrote in big letters: ‘Research?’

Buffy wrinkled her nose, knowing she’d have bookwork until sundown. She grabbed Spike’s arm and stopped him from making his way to the TV. Smirking, she loaded his arms with books and batted him away to the couch.

‘What?’ Buffy shrugged, noticing that her friends were staring at her. Taking a few books, she sat next to Spike.
***

Buffy’s eyes felt heavy and she rubbed them. ‘My eyes hurt,’ she said and was disappointed not to her hear voice. She looked over at Spike, who was not reading. Scooting over, she pressed her cheek against his arm and peeked at his drawing. She caught his eyes and smiled.

‘You can’t draw, Spike.’

‘Can too.’

‘Is that...me?’ Buffy tapped on the stick figure and pointed at herself.

Spike shook his head adamantly and erased the drawing. ‘We should go now,’ he wrote. ‘Sun’s down.’

Nodding, Buffy stood and gathered their books. She placed them on the table and looked at Willow.

‘Any luck?’

Willow shook her head.

‘Giles?’

Willow pointed towards the bathroom and pointed at an empty mug on the table.

Buffy laughed and wrote on a piece of paper: ‘Spike and I are going out, okay?’

Willow nodded and waved.
***

Buffy tightened her hold on Spike as they walked past a car that had crashed into a fire hydrant. After seeing that no one was in car, they avoided the spraying water and continued to walk down the road.

Spike tugged on Buffy’s jacket and pointed to Riley who was breaking up a brawl between two men. After exchanging glances, Spike nodded and ran up behind Riley. He caught the pipe before it could hit Riley’s skull. With a turn of Spike’s wrist there was a cracking sound and both he and the man, collapsed in pain.

Buffy was at Spike’s side and running her fingers in his hair as he suffered from the migraine. He pressed his face into her stomach and held her tight. Buffy continued to comfort Spike when Riley touched her shoulder.

‘Thanks’, Riley said, smiling. ‘He okay? How are you doing? Are you okay?’

Buffy nodded. ‘You?’

Riley rolled his head back and forth.

At the sound of another crash, Buffy and Riley looked at each other wearily. Riley pointed into the distance and Buffy nodded.

‘Be careful’, Riley said, touching Buffy’s arm and smiling warmly.

Buffy nodded again and ignored Riley as he ran off. She looked at Spike, who was staring up at her. ‘Thank you’, she mouthed the words slowly, caressing his face with her thumbs.

‘My head...’

Touched, Buffy kissed his forehead and then his lips. She smiled, seeing that Spike looked confused but pleased. Without a second thought, she kissed him passionately until her knees felt weak and she sank in his arms.

Missing the ability to hear his moans and groans, Buffy kept her eyes open. She searched his eyes and paid attention to every expression. She decided while panting that he looked even more handsome close up.

‘I love you.’

Buffy grinned and bit her lip.

Spike stood, never breaking their eye contact. ‘Home?’

She nodded.
***

Buffy handed Spike the mug of blood and listened as he swallowed the liquid down. She then took the mug and replaced it with a mint that she put on the center of his palm.

Smirking, Spike pulled back the covers and patted next to him. Seconds later Buffy found herself smothered by his continuous kisses. She responded enthusiastically to his demanding lips and trembled each time his fingers brushed against her thin nightgown.

Spike pushed her gown high up her waist and touched the band of her underwear. Before moving further, he searched her face.

Buffy chewed on her lip, knowing she wanted him but she felt as if something was missing. ‘Wait’, she mouthed, putting up her finger. ‘One minute.’ She gave him another kiss before running downstairs.
***

Buffy returned and knocked on the door before entering. Spike was staring at the ceiling and he didn’t look in her direction.

‘Stupid vampire’, Buffy said even though he couldn't hear it or read her lips. Shaking her head, she began to write on the message board that she had retrieved from the kitchen. After she inspected her work, she walked closer to Spike. She tapped him on the shoulder until she got his attention.

‘Spike...’ She blushed and showed him the board. When his eyes widened, she erased the clearly written, ‘I want you, Spike!’ Taking a deep breath, she wrote, ‘I love you.’

He stood, noticing that she was stalling. Touching her face, Spike said, ‘I want you too.’ Buffy closed her eyes and kissed his palm. When her guard was down, Spike quickly took the board out of her grasp.

‘Hey!’

He looked at the writing and then stared at her in awe.

‘I love you’, she said.

Spike placed the message board and marker carefully on the dresser before coming back to her. Both of them were still, as if daring the other to make the first move.

‘I love you,’ Buffy said again, taking a step towards him. ‘I love you.’ Once they were nose-to nose, Buffy kissed his cheek and pushed the red button down shirt off his shoulders. With their eyes locked she pulled off his shirt and took off her nightgown. Standing in just her underwear, Buffy wrapped Spike’s arms around her and brushed her erect nipples against his chest.

‘Buffy...’

‘Spike’, she answered, playfully brushing their lips together but never committing to a real kiss. Smiling, Buffy took off his belt. ‘Come on.’

Spike suddenly hugged her tight. ‘You mean it?’

Buffy nodded, grinding her pelvis into his erection.

Spike smirked, convinced that she was telling the truth. He pushed her on the bed and she grinned as they bounced on the mattress. He zoned in on her chest first, kissing and licking her breasts while Buffy worked on trying to get his pants off. When Spike heard that his zipper was down, he pulled away from her hands and quickly freed Buffy of her underwear in one graceful motion. Keeping their eyes locked, Buffy spread her legs and waited as he discarded his jeans. Spike’s face held an indescribable look as he crawled towards her.

‘Wow’, Buffy said with a sigh. She trembled in anticipation and was surprised that he could give so much in just a glance. Her body seemed to be on fire and the heat intensified under his stare. Deciding that he was taking too long, Buffy reached for him and slammed his body against hers. She kissed him hungrily, putting all the feelings that she was unable to vocalize behind her actions.

Spike gave her a questioning look one more time and when Buffy nodded, he positioned his cock at her entrance and pushed inside.

As they moved, Buffy listened to the creaking springs of the bed and she wished that she could hear the noises he was making. Spike’s face twisted in many ways, changing with every thrust and change in position. She felt a rush of affection each time she read her name and the word, ‘love’ on his lips.
***

In what felt like hours later, Buffy collapsed, her body covered in a thin layer of sweat. She panted and buried her head in Spike’s neck. She closed her eyes and enjoyed the soft touches that started at her hairline and worked down her spine. Fighting off sleep, Buffy yawned and allowed him to roll them over. She bit her lip and pouted as he pulled out of her body. Soon after, Spike nudged her until they were both under the covers and nestled in each other’s arms. They kissed again before falling asleep.
***