Spoilers: All of the Buffy series.
Dedicated: To the BLO girls (Candice, Jo, Ali, Trina, Crystal, and Lainey) and Andrew (spikyboy) – thanks for all the support and encouragement guys! You’ve been my biggest fans and some of the best friends I’ve been lucky enough to find. I love you all!
She sucked in a quick breath of the hot steamy air as the soft fabric of the terri-cloth towel moved down the bare skin of her legs. Her body tingled all over and she bit down gently on her lower lip as she watched the beads of water vanish with each slow caress. It was amazing how a little morning wake-up sex, followed by some hot shower sex could put your senses on edge. Her body seemed to buzz with the after effects, her skin feeling so alive she was almost convinced it could crawl right off of her. She smiled; it was such an incredible high.
Dropping the towel around her feet, she slipped on the short terri-cloth bathrobe that hung on the back of the bathroom door and tied it loosely about her hips. She took in another deep breath of the hot, wet air and moved forward through the swirls of steam. Reaching up, she wiped at the fogged up mirror with her sleeve, brushing away the beads of water and steam until her smiling face stared back at her. She gazed into her own eyes for a few moments, taking in the site of her flushed cheeks and sparkling eyes. Yes, she had that healthy post-coitus glow about her. She felt the soft fingers of embarrassment creeping up the sides of her neck as she stared at her reflection, her heart still pounding away in her chest. So this is what it was like to be married.
As she stared into the swirling mist of the fading shower steam that twisted back and forth before the mirror pane, she sighed softly, her mind drifting back to the last month and a half. Even now, she could still feel the uncontrollable joy she had felt that day he had found her standing at the end of the pier, the day he had returned to her, her Spike, her human Spike. Sometimes she still felt as if it were a dream, a wonderful swirling dream. After all the physical pain of the battle with the Avatar, the battle to save Willow and stop yet another in what seemed like a never ending line of apocalypses. After the coma, her recovering, and her mourning of Spike’s heroic act and death; after all that had been said and done he had returned to her, not only ensouled but reborn, the Shanshu Prophecy fulfilled. They had spent a full weekend celebrating, never leaving their hotel room, and it had been one of the happiest weeks of her life.
She stared deep into the reflection of her own eyes, her mind drifting back, replaying it all before her minds eye. She had stood, resting her naked body against the warm skin of his bare chest, a white sheet from their hotel bed wrapped about them both. They had stood like that in silence standing in the balcony doors watching the sun set across the San Francisco bay, his arms wrapped around her waist, her right hand clutching the sheets in a bunch at her breast to keep it from slipping to the floor. She had been so mesmerized by the fading light that she had jumped slightly when his fingers had slipped between hers and he lifted her left hand outstretched before them. The burning embers of the setting sun had been rekindled in the shimmering surface of the diamond ring that encircled her left ring-finger. She had turned slightly in his arms, her face looking up into the cool blue depths of his eyes. And then he had asked her, asked her to be his forever. Of course she had agreed, she had agreed the moment the clouds had broken from the sun and he had stood reborn before her on the pier, bathed in the mid-day sun. When life and fate give you a second chance you don't say ‘no thank you’.
She had called Willow the next morning, and then Dawn. A sudden sense of urgency had set in and the spontaneity of it was intoxicating. Two days later, she was dozing beside Spike in the back of Kennedy's cherry red SUV as the four of them headed down to LA. The hardest part had been telling Angel. Despite their recent strides forward in being "just friends" she couldn't help but fear his reaction. No amount of time would ever diminish the love she had shared with Angel but that had been a long time ago and she had been far different than she was now. She knew he knew that, knew he understood but still it was Angel. It had taken her a very long day full of dress shopping and airport runs with Willow, Faith, and Kennedy before she got up the courage to go see him. But then Spike had insisted on coming. She had felt her knees go weak again, but he was right. They should tell Angel together; they both owed him at least that.
It had been a bitter sweet reunion. She had sat perched on the corner of Angel's desk trying as best she could to appear cheerful but not over the top dancing on air ecstatic, which is how she really felt. She had watched Angel pace the room quietly, his eyes darting out the windows at the setting sun from time to time. After what had felt like an eternity of silence, Spike had stepped forward from his spot beside her and asked to speak with Angel alone. She had wanted to stay but something inside of her told her this was not her place to speak up and she had graciously left. Three long hours later Spike had returned to their hotel room, a bottle of wine in hand and a huge smile painted across his face. Life was good.
She reached over and picked up the long thin black comb she had left balancing precariously on the sloping surface of the vanity sink. Gently she began to run it through the tangled mess of hair that hung about the sides of her face like an over grown garden. She stifled a yelp as the comb caught a knot of blond-brown hair and held, but with a little patience she worked through it. She stared back at her reflection as she pushed the hair back from her face in long smooth, shining streaks.
The wedding was held three evenings later under the soft glow of a crescent moon. The only attendants had been their individual wedding parties and a few other friends. Giles had done the honors of giving Buffy away in a touching moment that left them both teary eyed. Dawn, Willow, Kennedy, and Faith had stood by Buffy's side, all wearing matching spaghetti strapped sundresses that fell mid-thigh. Angel, Xander, Andrew, and Clem flanked Spike wearing matching black and white suits. It was like a James Bond convention.
Buffy had chosen a simple white gown that hugged ever curve of her body before spreading out in a mermaid style train. She had forgone a veil, instead leaving her hair down long with only the top pulled up in a series of loose but elegant curls. A tiny silver tiara and small white and blue flowers poked out of the soft blond strands of her hair, hair that cascaded in long soft rivulets over her shoulders, bathed silver in the moonlight. There beneath a canopy of moonlight, ivy, and white roses they had said their 'I dos'. In the end he had taken her name, arguing that too much suffering had been caused by the name that he had once owned in life and death. As far as he was concerned it had died with his past self that night in the basement rubble of the warehouse in down town LA. And so they had become Mr. and Mrs. William Summers. It had been one of those nights that if she could have bottled it up and kept it hidden on some shelf somewhere to take out and bask in it years from now she would have.
That had been over three weeks ago; three weeks of unabashed bliss that had sailed by in the flash of eye. She picked up the white hair dryer that sat clipped into a charger on the wall beside the sink. Flipping the ‘on’ switch she ran her hands haphazardly through her hair, the dryer sucking the water away in a hot wind. She smiled as strands of hair blew across her face. She shut off the dryer and ran a hand through her hair, shaking out any remaining beads of water. The steam had all but vanished, leaving the mirror rimmed in a fading fog. She threw her crumpled towel up over the side of the shower's glass door to dry before stepping out into the bedroom.
He stood in the late morning sunlight that shone through the open doors of their balcony, a white towel hitched precariously low on his hips. He held his arms outstretched in front of him, turning them slightly back and forth, side to side as the heat and the glow of the sun ran over his bare skin. He'd been human for over a month now but standing in direct sunlight still brought a child-like excitement to his face. A smile played with the corners of his lips and he moved a few inches further into the warmth of the sun. She watched him quietly, leaning against the wall beside their bed. He was beautiful to behold, the golden rays of the sun playing hide-and-seek with the well sculpted muscles of his chest and stomach, stopping only to cast teasing shadows along the lip of the towel. The shadows seemed to call out to her, whispering dark, wickedly delicious thoughts.
"I can't help myself." His voice pulled her attention upward, back to his face.
She blinked to find him staring back at her, completely enveloped in a cocoon of sunlight. The look on his face told her that her wandering eyes had not gone unnoticed. She felt a hot blush begin to creep up the sides of her neck, but she shook it off with a laugh and the shake of her head, moving slowly towards him until she too was being warmed by the full radiance of the sun.
She placed her hands flat on his chest, feeling the warmth of his body and the beating of his heart beneath her palms. She smiled at his heartbeat. His hands came up and cupped the sides of her face, the cool feel of the silver wedding band on his left ring finger pressing gently into the smooth skin at the back of her jaw. He pulled her gently to him as he leaned down, capturing her lips with his own. Their kiss was long and deep. She moved her small frame a step closer to him, her body pressed to the warmth of his bare chest. He dropped his right hand to her waist, pulling her further against him. She smiled against his kiss, her fingertips running small circles over the muscles in his chest. She felt his right hand move forward to her stomach, pulling gently at the loose tie that held her robe together. The ties fell silently to her sides, his hand parting the sides of her robe before coming to rest on the warm curve of her upper side. She gasped slightly against his lips. His hands were warm but felt much cooler compared to the skin of her stomach. He pulled back slightly; eyes still closed, and let out a happy sigh before pulling her tighter to him, body and lips. She shank forward into him, her body molding to his, her skin crawling with the heat of the sun and his body. She leaned her head into the palm of his left hand, the fingers of his right hand moving over the curve of her hip, his fingers dancing along her skin like fingers on a piano. She giggled. His fingers moved back upward and she laughed openly against his mouth, pulling backwards.
He smiled down at her, "Did I hit a nerve?" His fingers danced again.
"Stop that," she giggled, swatting his hand out from under her robe and stepping back. She looked him straight in the eyes as she tied the robe closed tightly. "We're supposed to going out today remember." He stepped towards her again, hands reaching out to capture her small frame again but she moved out of his reach. She raised a finger at him. "I don't think so mister," she teased wagging her finger at him.
A pout began to break out on his lower lip but his eyes were still dancing, teasing. She gave him one more smile before heading over to the small black backpack she'd been living out of. She pulled on a pair of underwear and began to pull on her jeans when she felt him move up behind her. His hands rubbed back and forth over her shoulders, his head bowing forward and running soft kisses hot down the curve of her neck. She closed her eyes and sighed with contentment. She finished pulling on her jeans before cradling the side of his face with her right hand. His hands began to move down the sides of her robe, and she opened an eye lazily, watching his fingertips glide over the white fabric. She turned around into him kissing him softly, chastely, before stepping back and pushing him gently away.
"Seriously, you, go get dressed." Her voice was steady and commanding, but playful. She didn't want him to think she was mad at all.
He stared down at her, his lips smiling slightly promising all kinds of good things. She blushed under his stare and turned back to her bag, pulling out a bra and sweater. It was after all the beginning of autumn. She heard him move off behind her and focused on getting dressed herself, tugging the soft fabric of the v-neck sweater over her head. She grabbed her brush from the inside pocket of her bag, sweeping her hair up into a pony tail. She dabbed on some lip gloss before securing a small silver cross around her neck, her wedding present from Dawn. Grabbing her sneakers she dropped down on the edge of their bed, and began pulling on her shoes.
“Ready, luv?" He called as he stepped out from the bathroom and moved towards her, hand outstretched to help pull her to her feet.
He wore his signature black jeans and boots. A blue sweater the same color as his eyes completed the look. She nodded, hopping to her feet. Suddenly a wave of dizziness washed over her, and she staggered slightly to her left, her body threatening to collapse back onto the bed. Immediately he was there, his hands gripping her shoulders, steadying her, his face inches from hers. Gently he eased her back until she was sitting beside him on the bed. His eyes searched her face, worry creasing his forehead.
"I'm fine," she smiled, her voice stronger than she actually felt. "I'm probably just hungry."
He studied her carefully, not fully buying her explanation.
"Seriously, Spike, I'm fine," she grinned, her voice stronger, so strong even she believed it. "Probably still a little weak from our morning work out," she raised her eyebrows at him, hoping the innuendo and teasing would assuage his concerns as well as her own.
He stared at her for a moment longer, his face hard, but her face was so reassuring. Slowly the concern melted from his face and he smiled back. "Didn't mean to work you that hard," he smiled shyly getting to his feet.
"Oh no complaints here," she stood up much more carefully this time. "Now let's go get some food. I'm starved!"