Buffy felt like she’d spent just moments in the bathroom. Once inside, Xander had taken complete charge. He had insisted she get ‘dolled up’ for him. He’d even picked out something for her to wear.
I look like a stepford slut, she thought, staring at herself in the mirror. What am I doing?
A knock on the door, told her it she was out of time.
“Just a minute,” she said loudly, trying not to betray her anxiety. She looked at herself in the mirror, took a deep breath and opened the door.
Xander was sitting on the bed, waiting for her.
When she stepped into view, Xander felt his heart stop.
As he’d requested (but really ordered), she’d slipped into a little black number that showed a lot of her golden tanned legs and more than a hint of cleavage. Her hair was shiny and coiffed and her face was shiny and perfectly done
up. She was, by far, the sexiest thing he had ever seen.
“Come here,” he said, his voice just a caress on her shoulder. It made her shiver. With hate. She knew that despite the softness of her voice, it was an order.
Xander switched on the bedside light, bathing them in a soft golden glow. He patted the place where he wanted her to sit, right by his side.
She took her spot, trying not to look at him as he quickly tossed off his shirt.
Immediately, she did a double take. He was absolutely ripped. His arms were muscular and lean and his stomach was layered with abs. Whoa. Who knew that underneath those layers of clothes, hid a fantastic bod. Her breath quickened. Despite her disgust with this situation, she
couldn’t help but feel a little turned on by his sculpted physique.
“Been working out,” he said, smiling at her, noticing that she had checked him out.
“Can we not talk?” she said, glaring at him.
Xander simply lay back against the headboard.
“Come here,” he said, extending his hand.
Buffy considered her options. Her very bad options.
Face to face?
No. I don’t wanna look at him.
Back to face?
No. A world of No.
So what then?
Sideways it is.
Buffy bit her shiny looking lip, then crawled over to him and positioned herself across his lap.
“So beautiful,” Xander whispered in awe, surveying her.
He let his hand run up her long smooth legs, caressing and stroking, as his lips found her neck. Buffy closed her eyes, determined to block out as much of this experience as she could. His tongue lapped the salt of her neck, sending a shiver through her as his hand massaged and manipulated the tanned golden flesh of her legs.
No. No. Oh god No. This is wrong. I can’t be turned on.
“Stop that,” she protested, her voice sounding harsher to herself than to him. Her hand found his, stilling his manipulations.
“We had a deal,” Xander said, his voice still gentle. “Remember?”
Spike. Jail. Bastard.
Her hand loosened instantly. Xander picked her up quickly, then turned them around and took them to the middle of the bed, laying her down.
“God you’re beautiful,” he whispered, touching her cheek.
“Don’t,” she said, closing her eyes and looking away.
“Just…..don’t.”
Xander cupped her chin to make her look at him.
She bit her lip when he brought his face down to meet hers. When their noses touched she closed her eyes. She could sense him hovering over her, feel his breath on her face. And suddenly he was gone.
Buffy opened her eyes, to see him putting his shirt back on. She blinked a few times, not understand what the hell was going on.
“What?????” she said, her voice barely a croak. So she tried again.
“What are you doing?”
“I’m leaving,” Xander said, his voice flat. “Forget it. Just….forget it.”
“Forget what?” Buffy said.
“Our…..arrangement.”
“But…..”
“This isn’t what I want,” Xander said. “Not like this.”
Buffy would have screamed at him if she could summon the energy.
“This….isn’t…..what……you…….want?”
“I want Buffy,” Xander said.
“The one full of life and laughter and love. Not an unwilling corpse.”
“Then that’s too fucking bad,” Buffy said harshly.
“Just…..forget the whole thing,” Xander said.
“Fine,” Buffy said. “Get out.”
She massaged her temple. trying to digest this information.
“Wait,” she said, as if it had just occurred to her. “What about Spike?”
“What about him?” Xander said, not looking at her.
“You promised,” Buffy said, her voice trembling with accusation.
“You promised you’d help.”
“You didn’t give me a reason,” Xander said, tucking in his shirt and turned to go. “What the hell do you want from me?”
Buffy said, her voice shaking with fury as she rose from the bed.
Xander looked back at her. He considered it.
“I want you,” he said simply.
When Buffy opened her mouth to argue he added,
“To forget about Spike,” he said. “He doesn’t exist anymore.”
Buffy goggled at him.
“I want you to seduce me. To make love with me. Make me believe you want me.”
Oh you have to be fucking kidding me, Buffy thought as her
mouth hung open, searching for a response.
“This is ………crazy” she spluttered.
“Your choice,” Xander said quietly.
There was no threat in his voice. Then again, there really didn’t need to be.
He held all the cards. Buffy knew that this was the only way to keep her
husband out of jail. She exhaled deeply.
“So, what then?”
He took a long pause, considering the situation.
“Let’s start over,” he said.
“Okay,” Buffy said.
“Newlyweds,” Xander spoke.
“Huh?” Buffy asked, completely bewildered by him. “Who?”
“You,” he stated, chuckling at the look on her face.
“And me. Us.”
“I….”
“We’re on our honeymoon,” Xander added quickly.
“And you can’t keep your hands off me.”
Oh, Buffy thought. He wants us to pretend. Newlyweds.
Totally not crazy.
“I’ll wait,” Xander said, sitting down, gesturing for her to get back
ito the bathroom.
Buffy felt her world spin, but nodded, she took those few steps towards the
bathroom.
When she opened the door, she heard him call out to her.
“Buffy,” he said, she looked back at him.
“Make it real,” he said.
There was almost a pleading tone in his voice. Almost. But this time,
she heard the threat.
That’s my price.
Buffy shut the door. She resisted the urge to slam her head into it.
This is insane, she thought desperately. I can’t do this.
“You have to,” she said quietly.
She stared at herself in the mirror.
But how can I? How?
She thought about it, before an old method her high school drama
teacher had waxed on about.
Immersion, she remembered. It was called immersion.
Living in character.
She knew she simply didn’t have the time, so she closed her eyes.
Quickly, she tried to build up alternate history of their ‘characters.’
“Newlyweds,” she muttered. “Me and Xander. On our honeymoon.
Newlyweds. On our honeymoon. Can’t keep our hands off each other.”
Xander sat on the bed, tossing his shirt to the ground once again. He
waited for a few seconds, his impatience growing. He was about to call
to her, when the door swung open.
“Hey baby,” she said to him. She leant against the door, somehow
accentuating her long smooth legs. Her voice was husky. Her eyes were
ablaze.
“Miss me?”
Xander couldn’t believe it. This wasn’t the same woman. Just a short
while ago, she seemed so unsure of herself. So meek. But that woman was
gone.Vanished behind the door. This magnificent creature stood tall and
proud, accentuated by her high heels. She was eyeing him as if he were
her prey.
“Come here and I’ll show you,” Xander said his voice husky with lust.
She stepped to the bed playfully, giving him a seductive smile.
“What do you think?” she asked, biting her lip playfully.
“Like my outfit?”
“I dunno,” he said, standing up to extend his hand.
“I think I need a closer look.”
When Buffy placed her hand in his, she was jolted back into
reality. Her eyes widened. She stared at his hand. She
swallowed, looking at him, blinking hard. Her “character” melted away.
And it all came flooding, rushing, gushing, back to her.
Spike. Jail. Blackmail. Xander. Pretend.
Newlyweds, she thought, closing her eyes. Newlyweds in love. She
dedicated the whole of her self to those very thoughts, and with great
effort, cleared her mind. And then she let herself be filled by
those thoughts. When she opened her eyes, she wasn’t
herself. She was someone else. Someone new. Someone swept up in
love and want and need.
“Better?” she asked, smiling seductively.
“Barely,” he said, reaching out for her.
Buffy felt her breath quicken when his hands curled around her waist,
then pulled her flush against him.
Xander looked into her eyes deeply, as if trying to determine something.
“I love you,” he said, cupping her chin, his eyes a soft brown.
“I love you so much.”
Spike’s Buffy would have screamed. She would have slapped him. She
would have told him to go to hell. She would have kneed him in the groin.
But that Buffy wasn’t here. That Buffy had been pushed down, so deep
that she could only see and hear what was happening as if it was to
another person.
“Show me.” she said, her voice husky.
Disappointment flickered behind Xander’s eyes. Just for a moment.
Then it was gone.
“Can I have you? Xander asked, softly. He wanted to give her
another chance. He needed to hear her say it.
“I’m yours,” she said, wrapping her arms around his shoulders.
“Take me.”
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!