Chapter One:
Music pumped through Sunnydale’s favorite slash only dance club as Cordelia Chase and Buffy Summers made their way through a throng of their fellow high schoolers with nothing better to do on a Wednesday night.
“This okay?” Buffy pointed to a table in the corner where they could talk without shouting.
“I’d prefer the bar,” Cordy admitted.
“You’re prefer to sit next to the hot over twenty-ones at the bar,” Buffy corrected, setting her drink on the table as she sat down.
“Oh, you noticed someone?” Cordy turned toward the area in question, eager to check out the merchandise. “Eh, I like 'em bigger and hello, stuck in the 80s much?”
“Sit down, I can’t see through your spandex.” Buffy tried to look around her.
“This is rayon, bitch.”
Years of friendship made insults meaningless.
Buffy pulled Cordy’s chair in, throwing her off balance and forcing her into the seat. “That’s better… now which…?”
No directions necessary. His bleached blond hair glowed and the low light shadowed the cut of his cheekbones. Leather draped over him like original sin and he looked intimately versed in the best kind of bad.
“You're drooling,” Cordy interrupted Buffy's surveillance.
“Huh?”
“Did you not notice he's like thirty, or are the daddy issues kicking in?”
“Believe me, this has nothing to do with my father.” Buffy didn't even want to think about the man, let alone allow him to interrupt what could be excellent fantasy material. “You're looking at the future Mr. Buffy.”
Not that he seemed like the marrying kind, but a girl could dream.
“God, you're so full of it.” Cordy rolled her eyes. “You're not even gonna talk to him.”
“Am so,” Buffy defended quickly, trying to think of a reason to do the exact opposite. Her eyes landed on the full glass in front of her. “When I'm done with my drink.”
“Oops.” Cordy casually knocked it over.
“Oh!” Buffy leaped to her feet, barely escaping the cascade of Pepsi as it swept over the edge of the table. “I... You're...paying me back! Three-fifty.”
“Double or nothing?” Cordy gestured toward the Mystery Man. “Just a conversation.”
“I expect cash.” Buffy turned on her high heel.
She could have a conversation with the mystery man. It wasn't like she'd never made the first move. Sure, it had ended in a humiliating blow off, but seven dollars to shove down Cordy's throat would almost be worth the embarrassment.
Buffy focused on her goal. Well, the lips of her goal. Full, sensual... surely a little nibble wouldn't be out of the question before he recognized her for inexperienced jail bait and found someone more sophisticated?
Nervousness wrung her stomach like a wash cloth, reminding her exactly why she hadn't wanted to do this. She really should have bet quadruple or nothing. Google or nothing! God, she'd need Lamaze just to make it into his orbit without hyperventilating.
Not that Buffy could stop moving. It was like she'd fallen into his gravitational field and her own inner calamity was meaningless. Ten feet to go and she had nothing to say, no drink to accidentally dump in his lap. This was the point where Buffy usually veered off into the Ladies' room, disaster averted, but somehow her feet stopped right in front of him.
His attention moved lazily from the crowded dance floor, as though he'd felt her approach. His gaze moved slowly up her body, burning through her until their eyes met. The window to his soul opened and the hair on the back of her neck stood on end as instinct whispered through her.
Run.
“Well, don't you look delicious,” his accented voice rumbled over her, gluing her in place. “What's your name, love?”
“Buffy.”
“Buffy,” he repeated. “That’s perfect. Offer you a drink, Buffy?”
She didn't say yes, couldn't when everything in her screamed she was in over her head. This man could devour everything she was and yet she found herself climbing onto the bar stool next to him.
“Virgin,” he told the bartender. Buffy blushed before realizing he meant the drink. “Or did you want alcohol?”
“No!” She shook her head quickly. That was the last thing she needed.
“Stay here, kitten. I'll be right back.” He headed toward the dance floor and Buffy could swear she heard him shout something over the din, but the bartender distracted her with the arrival of an umbrella topped fruity concoction.
Disobedience didn't even cross her mind until Cordy came over to find her a few minutes later.
“What happened to talking?” Cordy asked, stealing the vacant seat.
“There was talking, he got me a drink.”
“So why did he run out of here after Harmony?”
Buffy's twisted toward the exit as though time would somehow replay itself. “Harmony Kendall? He left with her?”
The spell was broken.
The girl had practically stabbed Cordy like a day after they first met her. She dressed like a first edition Malibu Barbie and Buffy had actually witnessed her throwing a conniption in the library because, shockingly enough, it turned out unicorns weren't real. Buffy was pretty sure she had some kind of mental deficiency.
“Yeah, it was weird, he was yelling something I couldn't really hear and then Harmony just takes off and he goes after her.”
Buffy could understand someone, say, older and more sophisticated. But Harmony? “Whatever. He was a freak anyway, they deserve each other.” Buffy got up to leave. “You still owe me seven bucks.”
XXX
Buffy clanged her lunch plate down next to Cordy's and tried to come up with a safe way to eat the sloppy joe on her plate. Starvation might be less painful.
“So envy me!” Cordy didn't give her a chance to take a bite before she pounced. “My dad can't make it out of his business meeting and my mom can't make it out of her soap, so I don't have to do Parent Teacher Night!”
Lucky bitch. “My mom's actually excited about it. She likes to hear the teachers talk me up.”
“Oh, good luck. How will you keep her away from Snyder?”
“Point him toward Harmony and run?” Buffy suggested.
“Awww, still bitter she stole your wittle Blondie Bear at the Bronze?”
Oh, the wrongness. “Are you trying to mess with my fantasy life?”
“That's what I'm here for.”
Buffy couldn't help glancing toward Harmony's usual lunch table. There she sat, making her fork and spoon talk to each other like dolls. A nerdy but nice little redhead named Willow sat with her, obviously unsure how to take the display. On Willow's far side, another student ignored them both. His focus was already captured.
“That Xander kid is staring at you again, Cord.”
She grimaced. “I'm sure he's staring at you.”
“Nope, I think he's officially over me. Congrats, you've got him all to yourself.”
“Whatever, as long as he keeps his paws to himself.”
“Why so harsh?” Buffy loved turning the tables on Cordy, “Bet he'd call you Queen C.”
“Did I mention how little I'll miss you tonight?”
XXX
As Joyce Summers met with the English teacher that evening, her daughter was stuck wandering the halls until she found an empty couch. Sinking into the soft cushions, nothing was more tempting than curling up for a nap, but there was really no way to do that in a mini-skirt without flashing the passers-by.
She hadn't thought there could be anything more boring than actually going to classes, but apparently school was that way no matter what.
There was a sigh next to her as Harmony Kendall slid onto the other end of the couch. Maybe the nap hadn't been such a bad idea.
“Bored?” Harmony asked.
“Uhh…yeah.”
“Me too.”
It wasn't clear what else there was to be said, so Buffy didn't bother.
“You uhh… you're friends with Cordelia, right?” Apparently Harmony wanted to talk, like they were some kind of talking buddies.
“Yeah, since like kindergarten.”
“She's kind of a bitch, though.”
Buffy looked at Harmony for the first time. Was she trying to start something? Or did she really not know that wasn't the type of thing you typically said to someone's best friend, true or not?
“You're friends with Xander, right?” Buffy changed the subject.
Harmony grimaced. “He's more Willow's friend than mine.”
Buffy dropped the subject. Willow had always been really nice and she felt bad when people gave her crap.
“Where'd you get the boots?” Harmony got down to what was probably the real reason for starting up a conversation, the fuck-me boots Buffy borrowed from Cordy.
“The Grove in Hollywood, we went a couple weekends ago.” She didn't bother mentioning they weren't precisely hers.
“I never get to go anywhere,” Harmony pouted.
The girl had gorgeous mystery men chasing after her. Buffy wasn't about to feel sorry for her, but maybe she could get insider information...
“Hey, you were at the Bronze yesterday.” Buffy tried to sound casual, “Did you see that guy with -”
A heart stopping crash sounded from the Main Lobby. Buffy heard glass shattering as they jumped to their feet.
“What the hell?” Buffy looked around, only to have Harmony drag her to the nearby janitor's closet. “What are you doing?”
“Lock the door, don't come out until I come and get you. Got it?” She shoved Buffy through the door.
“Got it,” Buffy muttered, rubbing her side where Harmony had pushed her. Bitch was stronger than she looked.
XXX
Harmony didn't come back.
There was no way to gage how long it had been. Even if she had a watch, the room was pitch black. The few initial screams she'd heard had since been silenced and Buffy was worried she'd been forgotten. Sure, Joyce wouldn't leave without her... but her mother didn't have any idea where to look for her.
Be brave, Buffy told herself, find Mom.
She slid the lock back, her heart pounding. The idea of walking back toward the screaming made her queasy.
The lights in the hall were dark as Buffy crept along, keeping as low to the floor as she could, as though it made any difference. She was ready and totally willing to hightail it back to the janitor's closet at a moment's notice, but she wanted to make it to the kitchen. That was where she would go if she was stuck in the English classroom as her mother was, so it was the best bet. Unfortunately, to get there she had to pass through the Main Lobby, and Buffy lost nerve the further she went.
She could practically feel someone closing in behind her and she hurried forward to the end of the Hallway.
That's where she saw them.
Like a Japanese martial arts movie, without the distraction of bad dubbing. They moved almost beautifully, but swift...deadly. There was no doubt that only one of them would walk away.
Harmony, Buffy recognized immediately: though how she learned to fight like that was a total mystery. She couldn't see the face of her opponent, but his hair and clothing were too distinctive not to recognize her mystery man from the Bronze.
Buffy slowly retreated back the way she came. She couldn't get by them, what was the point? Or, could she? Somehow distract him to help Harmony?
It seemed like a monumentally stupid plan, one that would undoubtedly get her killed. Get them both killed, potentially. A particularly nasty roundhouse to Harmony's head made the decision and Buffy looked around for weapons. Ideally, something she could throw from a distance.
The seat cushion seemed unwieldy. A notebook, flimsy. It was tempting to kick him and run like hell, but he'd hear her coming with Cordy's clunky ass boots. Interesting.
Like every other woman, Buffy had spent a great deal of time kicking her shoes off in the general direction of her closet - and she had a very high success rate.
Slowly, she lowered the zippers, keeping an eye on the fight. They gave no indication of seeing her, intent on staying alive. Harmony held something in her hand and Buffy couldn't quite tell what it was, but it seemed to be her weapon of choice.
As Buffy crept into position, she noticed his face for the first time. His forehead was grotesquely ridged and his features exaggerated in almost ghoulish fashion. What was he and why the hell would he want to keep this look when, judging from the other night, he had other options?
It didn't matter. Buffy took a deep breath… and missed spectacularly with her first kick. They didn't even notice.
The second boot hit his forehead.
Unfortunately, it distracted them both.
"Buffy! I told you to stay in the closet!" Harmony yelled. "Get out of here!"
A powerful backhand sent the girl crashing to the floor and the weapon in her hand clattered loudly on the tile. Buffy finally realized what it was. A wooden stake. The clues snapped into place.
Harmony's head smacked against the floor. The vampire's fangs ripped through her neck, blood spurting from her jugular as life left her body.
Buffy ran.
Adrenaline surged through her veins as the lockers flew by. She tried to focus on getting to safety, but her mind kept re-playing a slide show of teeth and blood.
Footsteps pounded in the hallway behind her. She was going die, like Harmony.
It would be worse because she couldn't fight it. The door wasn't arriving quickly enough. Her body was extending itself beyond her abilities and he was still gaining rapidly.
Buffy heaved the door open…but it was too late. Fingers clamped around her arm and his body slammed her to the wall. This was it. She tasted liquid salt on her lips, tried to think of something deep, worthy of her last seconds. But she didn't want to think. She wanted to live.
He turned her around in his grasp. She struggled, but it was useless.
"Crying for me, pet?" His tongue slid along her cheek, following the path of her tears. "Knew you'd be sweet."
"Please don't kill me." It was shameful to be reduced to begging after Harmony's spectacular defense.
"Wouldn't do that to you, Buffy."
Her eyes flew to his face and she realized he'd changed back. The ridges on his face were gone and he looked as he had the other night. A beautiful monster. She couldn't believe he would let her live.
"'s not killing if you live forever."
Turning. That's what he was talking about. She'd seen Interview with the Vampire. It didn't sound fun. She didn't want to drink blood or hide from the sun...but then again, it lacked the utter finality of death. Not being aware, just being gone was terrifying.
But the alternative...
"No." Buffy heard her own refusal and clamped her lips together.
"Brave girl." He nuzzled against her. "Not your choice, though."
"What about Harmony?" Buffy asked, noticing the way his hands no longer seemed to be holding her in place, but sliding over her body.
"Sorry, love, don't turn Slayers. Friend of yours?"
Buffy shook her head.
"She's my third, you know. 'M a record holder."
It meant nothing to her, so she stayed silent, hoping maybe he'd lose interest. Surely he didn't need two meals in such quick succession?
"Can't wait to have you." He kissed the nape of her neck at the jugular and sucked.
Her eyes slid closed, blood rushing to the junction of his lips and her shoulder. Every inch of her skin tingled with renewed awareness.
"God," Buffy breathed.
"Name's Spike, love."
She couldn't put together the fact that he was teasing her, too caught up in the way his body squeezed her into the wall.
"Buffy?" A voice called from beyond the lobby. Her mother, she realized.
Spike's head turned toward the noise speculatively and Buffy's heart stopped as he began disentangling himself from her body.
"No." She clung to him, refusing to let Joyce be his next victim.
"I'll miss you too, kitten." He took her unintended invitation, kissing her fiercely.
Her mind went blank as her body exploded. Spike devoured her mouth, grinding their bodies together. It wasn't caring, it was claiming. Feeling overwhelmed thinking as heat radiated from his hands.
He wrapped her legs around his waist and slid his hands under her skirt to pull her hips tight to his. Iron ground against her panties.
Buffy moaned, tightening her thighs around his body. It was wrong, but she needed it, couldn't stop moving against him.
His fingers slid her thong to the side and Buffy braced herself for the pain of his invasion. She'd much rather lose her virginity than her life, and she just hoped it would be enough for him to maybe let her go. Body for soul.
She expected him to undo his pants, but it never happened. His thumb massaged in time with their grinding, making every muscle inside her clench in desperation.
Spike slammed her against the wall. Buffy screamed, catapulted over the edge as pleasure cascaded through her body in waves, her hips trembling uncontrollably. He leaned into her neck and Buffy sighed, unable to stop him.
But the bite never came.
“Can't wait,” Spike whispered...and then he was gone.
To Be Continued
squawks
05/18/17 04:16 am
pj! I remember wishing one of your stories would be finished seriously about a decade ago. Amazing. I just tried an old password I used to use and amazingly got in too. Memories!
pj
03/20/17 01:20 am
10 yrs later, i finally rem my username and password. Pari, you rock. Hope you are well.
Rabbit_moon1
12/23/16 01:12 pm
I donate every month. Please donate to keep this site up!
AudryDaluz1
10/06/16 08:34 am
Great post.
Chrissel
08/31/16 03:45 pm
And anyone else who loves this site, it's worth mentioning there's a nifty little "Donate" option just below the shout box here! ;)
Chrissel
08/31/16 03:43 pm
Just wanted to take a moment to thank Pari and all the mods for maintaining such a great site!
05/18/17 04:16 am
pj! I remember wishing one of your stories would be finished seriously about a decade ago. Amazing. I just tried an old password I used to use and amazingly got in too. Memories!
pj
03/20/17 01:20 am
10 yrs later, i finally rem my username and password. Pari, you rock. Hope you are well.
Rabbit_moon1
12/23/16 01:12 pm
I donate every month. Please donate to keep this site up!
AudryDaluz1
10/06/16 08:34 am
Great post.
Chrissel
08/31/16 03:45 pm
And anyone else who loves this site, it's worth mentioning there's a nifty little "Donate" option just below the shout box here! ;)
Chrissel
08/31/16 03:43 pm
Just wanted to take a moment to thank Pari and all the mods for maintaining such a great site!