Author's Note: OK, I've never done a challenge fic before, but I was thinking up PWPs the other day and decided that I really needed to do a S3 one. See, I've already got a S2, S4, S5, and S6 one, so this was the logical next choice. The only problem was that inspiration wasn't striking. Now, just by chance, I was checking out the monthly challenge at Deadly Desire, and suddenly this story sprung into mind.

The requirements: 1) Cupid makes Buffy and Spike fall in love. (OK, so I used the Greek Eros instead of the Roman Cupid 'cause Eros is more of a manly man. Plus, I'm a freaky Classics major, and I adore the Greek Pantheon while the Roman Pantheon blows. (Yes, we Classics majors do know all the subtle mythological differences between the two Pantheons... ~_^))  2) Spike gets hot chocolate licked off of his body.

Sound good to you? Sounded good to me, too. Hope you all enjoy!

Eros rolled his eyes and watched Ares stick his tongue down Aphrodite’s throat.

Next to him, Hephaestus looked just as irked but really couldn’t do anything about it. That was one thing the modern age had changed for the better.

Eros had personally been against transforming Mount Olympus into a skyscraper that reached the clouds, but Zeus had insisted that he needed the office space to provide for his booming (literally) electrical business.

But the advent of divorce... Oh, Hera had thrown a great hissy fit to be sure, but Aphrodite didn’t really given a damn. She just wanted out of her arranged marriage with Hephaestus. Eros had been pleased at first. After all, he and Aphrodite had been having a rather steamy affair at the time. However, he quickly discovered that she’d been having a more steamy affair with Ares and enjoyed flaunting it in front of the other Olympians’ faces. Hence the major liplock across the boardroom table from him.

“As you can see,” Zeus announced from the head of the table, using his lightning bolt as a pointer for the chart above him, “Ares’ powers are continuing to grow, despite the complete lack of human belief.”

The line graph with ‘war’ labeled neatly on the y-axis and ‘time’ on the x-axis showed a red arrow that just kept going up as the years went by.

“Oh big deal,” Eros grumbled just loud enough for everyone to hear, “he hasn’t actually done anything in years. He’s still milking that oil he stuck in the Middle East five hundred years ago!”

“At least that oil’s actually contributing to wars still,” Ares retorted. “What have you done recently?”

“There was that whole Beatrice and Benedick affair!” Eros defended himself. “You yourself insisted I’d never be able to pair either of them up.”

Ares batted one hand in the air dismissively. “Old news,” he said. “What about in the last decade?”

“A Slayer and a Vampire,” Eros retorted. “Natural enemies.”

“A souled vampire,” Ares retorted. “That doesn’t even count. We all know that your arrows aren’t strong enough to make real enemies fall in love anymore.”

“And really,” Aphrodite pointed out, still perched in Ares’ lap, “that whole affair turned into a disaster. I mean, I spent decades trying to find the perfect lover for Drusilla, and now she’s dumped him. Couldn’t you at least have left my plan alone?”

“And let’s not forget that the Slayer and the souled vampire are still in love,” Ares complained. “When exactly are you going to fix that? ‘Cause I’m getting really tired of ‘Oh Buffy, I love you, but we can never be together!’ ‘Oh Angel, I’ll just keep following you around all the same, even though it’s making us both miserable! What a great tragedy it is that we can’t have sex!’”

“Even I’m getting tired of their constant whining,” Hera added. “Normally, I take ‘forever’ literally. But, in this case, can’t you just please make them stop?”

“Fine,” Eros grumbled, “I’ll fix it right away...” And with a flash, he vanished from the conference room.

Spike laughed as Angel once more tried to force his way past the invisible barrier that barred him from the house. Next to him, Joyce’s eyes widened in alarm.

“You touch her, and I’ll cut your head off,” Angel threatened from just outside the door.

“Yeah?” Spike retorted cockily. “You and what army?”

“That would be me.”

Spike spun just in time to see the Slayer’s foot collided with his jaw. The blow sent him staggering back against the kitchen table. He wiped the tickle of blood off of the corner of his mouth, looking up at her in fury.

Buffy kept her eyes on him the entire time, ready to defend herself if need be. “Angel,” she addressed the vampire in the doorway, “why don’t you come on in...”

Angel stepped inside, and Joyce instantly fled to the far side of the room.

Spike shakily rose to his feet again.

“You shouldn’t have come back,” Buffy informed him coldly.

“I do what I please,” Spike retorted.

Eros abruptly appeared in the kitchen with a flash. No one noticed, of course. He dug around way in the bottom of his quiver and pulled out an anti-love arrow. The argument continued around him.

“Okay, I’m confused again...” Joyce looked back and forth between everyone in the room.

Spike’s eyes narrowed, and he made a move toward Buffy. Instantly, she slammed him back down onto the table. She caught up a wooden spoon from the counter and aimed it directly at his chest...

“Willow!” Spike cried out desperately.

Buffy’s hand stilled, the spoon right over his heart. “You took Willow,” she accused.

“You do me now, and you’ll never find the little witch,” he said triumphantly.

“Willow’s a witch?” Joyce asked in confusion.

Buffy’s attention never wavered from Spike for a second. “And Xander?” she demanded.

“Him too,” Spike agreed.

“Xander’s a witch?” Joyce was beyond confused by now. Why couldn’t everyone just wear nice little ‘good’ and ‘evil’ labels all the time?

“Where are they?” Angel tried to look as menacing as possible.

Eros fitted the anti-love arrow into his bow and shot it straight at Angel. A bit of perverse amusement caused him to shoot it straight through the vampire’s heart. It didn’t dust him, of course; after all, it was just a metaphoric arrow.

“One down, one to go,” Eros muttered under his breath as he dug around for another anti-love arrow.

Spike rolled his eyes, obviously unimpressed with Angel’s bravado. “Doesn’t work like that, Peaches,” he said with a cocky grin that belied the fact that the Slayer still had a wooden object only inches from his chest. “And when did you become all soul-having again?” he taunted. “I thought you outgrew that.” He turned back to Buffy. “Your friend’s gonna work a little magic for me. She does my spell, I let them both go.”

Buffy’s eyes narrowed, and she ground the kitchen spoon into Spike’s chest just a little bit harder...

And Eros’ head shot up. Surely he hadn’t sensed... He had!

Now, as much as he liked to deny it – especially when Ares said it – it was true that his arrows couldn’t make two people fall in love if the desire wasn’t already there. Hence, the difficulties he’d had in recent years coming up with truly spectacular pairings. But, if he wasn’t imagining...

He watched the Slayer pinning her arch-nemesis down on the table intently. Oh yeah, it was there all right. Desire in its purest, most unobtainable form.

A smile crossed his face. Not unobtainable for long... He whipped out a love arrow and shot it straight into the Slayer’s back, canceling out the previous one...

Buffy blinked and shook her head. The strangest feeling had come over her for a second. She looked back down at Spike. And gulped. That feeling was still there...

She suddenly became aware of just how close their bodies were pressed together. She could feel every inch of him, and he was hard and powerful and oh-so-sexy...

Somehow she’d manage never to notice just how blue Spike’s eyes were before or how beautiful his cheekbones. She suddenly had the nearly irresistible urge to run her tongue up and down those razor-sharp edges. He face flushed a deep crimson.

Eros sat back to watch the show. He could already tell it was going to be good...

“Wh-Why are you back in town?” she asked shakily. “I thought... You said...” She tried hard to keep the little wounded tone out of her voice, but couldn’t quite manage it. The thought of never seeing Spike again... It was just too painful to contemplate.

“Yeah, well,” Spike’s eyes narrowed on her suspiciously, “seems Dru got a bit ticked off at our alliance. Decided I wasn’t vamp enough for ‘er. ‘m just here till I can get her back.”

The last sentence stung, but Buffy found hope in the rest. “Drusilla left you?” she demanded.

“Thanks to you,” he retorted.

Buffy had never been happier in all her life. Finally, Spike was single! This was the chance she’d been waiting for! If she could just show him, convince him that they were meant to be together...

“Angel,” she turned to where the still-weak vampire and her mother waited in the doorway, “get Mom out of here. I want you two to go to Giles’ and stay there until I tell you it’s clear.”

Angel felt the need to keep her safe, even though his romantic feelings for the Slayer had long since faded. “We can’t just leave you here with—”

“Yes, you can,” Buffy insisted, rolling her eyes. God, he could be so over-protective! What had she ever seen in him anyway? “I can handle Spike.” Yes, please let me handle Spike, she silently pleaded.

“If you’re sure...” Angel said hesitantly.

“Go,” Buffy instructed him. She held Spike fast while he and her mother slipped past her and out the door.

“Alone at last, ‘ey Slayer?” Spike teased, his tongue flicking up beneath his teeth.

Buffy gulped. Just the briefest look at that tongue made her want to feel it all over her body. “You’ve taken my friends,” she said calmly, composing herself. “That’s not like you. It was always between you and me. Why’d you bring them into this?” she asked, slightly hurt. She knew he was better than this, that he had the potential for so much more... How else could she have allowed herself to fall in love with him?

“I jus’ need Red to do my spell,” he insisted, finding himself apologizing to her instinctively. She was right, in a way. This was a battle between Vampire and Slayer, not Vampire, Slayer, and all Slayer’s little friends. “’ll let them go. I just need her to make Dru love me again.”

Buffy bit her lip. “I see,” she said, heartbroken. “It’s still all about her then,” she added a bit bitterly.

“Who else is there for me?” he retorted. “Dru’s all ‘ve got. I need her back.”

Buffy gulped slightly. She couldn’t have asked for a better segue. Now all she needed was the courage to tell him the truth. “Maybe you’re so focused on Drusilla that you’re missing other opportunities,” she suggested softly. “Maybe there’s more you could have...if you’d just open your eyes to it.”

Spike’s brow furrowed slightly. “Whadda you care, Slayer?” he demanded.

“My friends are in danger.” She flinched inwardly for taking the coward’s way out. “And...I hate to see an old ally fall on bad times.”

“Your concern is touching,” he said sarcastically.

“It’s real!” Buffy exclaimed before she realized it.

Spike’s scarred eyebrow rose an inch. “ ‘Other opportunities’?” he repeated in disbelief. She couldn’t possibly be suggesting what he thought she was suggesting, could she?

“Y-You deserve someone better,” Buffy answered nervously, “someone who won’t cheat on you, who won’t leave you, who won’t hurt you. Someone who will love you the way you should be loved.”

He decided to take the bait. He still had no clue what she was really up to, but really what could it hurt? “An’ where would I find that someone?” he asked softly.

Buffy licked her lips unconsciously. “I can’t stand to see the way she treated you,” she replied. “Y-You’re...”

He felt the hand that held the spoon to his chest faltering. Maybe this wasn’t a ploy, after all.

“You’re so...beautiful, Spike,” she finally said, her cheeks burning.

“Not so bad yourself, kitten,” he responded. The stake let up a little more...

Her eyes dropped. “You think I’m...beautiful?” she ventured to ask. She just had to hear him say it. Not even in her wildest dreams had she dared imagine...

“When you fight,” he replied, his own voice husky, “you’re so powerful, so confident. You’re beautiful, luv.”

The stake faltered a little further, almost there, almost...almost...there! He snatched hold of her wrist just as Eros aimed his second arrow and...

Eros froze, the arrow still in his bow. Slowly, a smile spread across his face. He shouldn’t have really been surprised, after all. Spike was notorious for doing the unpredictable, throwing monkey wrenches into all the Olympians’ plans. Hades was still ranting about how he’d foiled the whole Acathla thing...

On the table, Spike had pushed the spoon aside and caught Buffy roughly by the back of the head, pulling her down for a bruising kiss. She moaned when his tongue plunged into her mouth, and her fingers finally dropped the spoon.

It fell to the floor with a loud clatter.

Her hands were in his hair then, caressing his face, touching his body. She had wanted this for so, so long, and now to finally have him... She was above Cloud Nine.

He got her by the waist and rolled them over, pushing her back up onto the table and climbing atop her.

Buffy took advantage of the momentary separation to push his duster down his shoulders. He let it slip from his arms and proceeded to pull his t-shirt over his head as well.

Buffy’s breath caught in her throat at the sight of him. He was more beautiful than even she’d imagined, his chest lean, sculpted, perfectly and deliciously muscled. A wicked smile crossed her face as she thought about what she’d like to do with that wonderful body of his.

“See somethin’ you like?” he inquired with a seductive smile.

“Mmm,” she agreed, “let me drive for a while, and I’ll show you...”

She caught his wrist and twisted so that he fell flat on his back right in the center of the table. One of the cups of hot chocolate that had been near the edge slowly began to tip...but her lightning-quick Slayer reflexes caught it just in time.

“Hmm,” she said with a coy smile, looking down at him, “what to do, what to do...”

She dipped one finger into the mug and swirled it around. It emerged from the mug dripping with hot chocolate. As sensuously as she could manage, she sucked the finger into her mouth, making little “mmm” noises and sucking in her cheeks as she did so.

Spike felt his cock instantly grow painfully hard.

She dipped her finger back into the mug. “It’s so good,” she informed him. “Still just a little bit warm. You wanna taste?” She lowered the finger to his lips.

His tongue reached out to wrap around it before sucking it inside, cleaning it thoroughly. “Delicious,” he agreed in a low purr that resonated down to her very core. “There enough for seconds?”

“Just for me,” she informed him, “but don’t worry, baby. I’ll make sure it warms you right up...”

She held the mug over his chest and then slowly tilted it, so that a thin trickle fell onto his sculptured pectorals. “Oops, made a mess,” she said with a Cheshire smile.

“Better clean it up then,” Spike agreed.

Her lips descended on his chest, lapping up the little rivulets of chocolate as they outlined his muscles. She caught every little stream, tracing them each all the way back to their source, enjoying the combined taste of chocolate and Spike.

He moaned and hissed beneath her, his hands gripping the edge of the table so tightly his knuckles turned white and his hips thrusting up and off of the cool surface.

“All clean,” Buffy announced, pulling back.

He let out a little whimper of loss.

A mischievous smile crossed her face, and she held the mug up over him again. “Oh dear,” she said in mock-distress, “I am clumsy today.” The rest of the contents of the mug spilled all over his chest and down over his stomach.

Buffy started with the little streams that were in danger of dripping onto the table. She licked all up and down his sides, bathing them with her hot mouth.

“B-Buffy,” he gasped out, tentative at first, trying out her name on his lips for the first time.

She hummed with pleasure at his form of address. Turning to his firm pectorals, she covered every inch before turning to the two dusty rose male nipples there. She sucked first one, then the other, into her mouth, the void between her thighs growing wetter by the minute as she finally got to claim every inch of this man she loved as hers.

“A lot pooled there, huh?” Spike couldn’t help but tease as her mouth continued to play with the one portion of his chest that had most certainly escaped the chocolate.

She gave him a coy little smile. “Still lots to clean up,” she informed him, lowering herself to his stomach.

Her tongue carefully outlined every hard curve of those delicious six-pack abs of his. Soon he was all clean except on large pool that she’d saved for last. Her tongue lapped out to drink up the first of the warm liquid that had formed a little lake in his navel.

He moaned beneath her, squeezing his eyes shut tight.

“I think he likes it,” she teased before thrusting her tongue deep into his bellybutton, cleaning up the rest of the chocolate quickly so she could pursue the more enjoyable task of plunging in and out of him.

His hips careened off the table, and she forced them back down beneath hers, the entire kitchen rattling with their struggles. She continued to lick and suck, suck and lick...

Spike felt her touches go straight to his swollen cock. She was brushing against his jean-clad member now, her breasts rubbing up and down upon it enticingly.

“Christ, Buffy!” he cried out when the pleasure became too much to bear.

She took pity on him and eased back a little...only to find herself instantly slammed down onto the table, a very horny vampire on top of her.

The table wobbled weakly on it legs, protesting to the force of the pair atop it. Buffy and Spike froze for a second, praying that it wouldn’t collapse beneath them. They let out a collective sigh of relief when it didn’t.

“You know,” Buffy commented, hand gently exploring his chest, “I’ve got this nice, sturdy bed. Maybe we should take this...upstairs...”

“Good idea, luv,” he agreed, reluctantly moving off of her and crawling back off the table.

She followed his lead, and they met for a passionate kiss in the center of the kitchen before Buffy started pulling him upstairs.

Spike pulled away briefly to speak. “Oh, an’ bring the marshmallows.”

Buffy raised a curious eyebrow at that but did as he asked. They kissed and caressed their way up the stairs, Buffy’s blouse vanishing from her body and reappearing on the top of the banister. They tumbled into her room, kicking off shoes and socks, before landing squarely on the bed, Spike on top.

“Mmm,” he nuzzled her throat, blunt teeth nibbling at her jugular, before pulling back. “You wanna play a game, luv?” he asked, flashing her that cocky grin she’d come to love.

“Does it involve you, me, and nudity?” she inquired hopefully.

He gave her a mischievous little smirk and pulled one of the marshmallows from the bag. “Only rule is you’re only allowed to use you tongue...”

“I like it already,” she said with a coy smile.

He chuckled at that. “Now, get the marshmallow,” he instructed, popping in into his mouth.

Buffy grabbed his shoulders and twisted so that he was beneath her before she attacked his lips with her own, forcing her tongue deep inside. His own tongue tried to fend her off, defending the little sugary confection, but she steadily worked her way around him until finally she snatched up the prize.

“Mmm,” she said, swallowing her treat, “my turn.” She plucked one marshmallow from the bag and dangled it in front of his face enticingly. “Find the marshmallow, Spike,” she said, dropping it right down the front of her bra.

He licked his lips at the twin milky-white mounds that were peeking out of the thin scrap of black satin and tackled her back onto the mattress. His nimble tongue and teeth quickly unfastened the front clasp, and her full breasts spilled out. He caught up and ate the marshmallow quickly before turning his attention to her perfect little mounds.

Buffy moaned and clutched at his hair as his mouth fully enclosed her right breast. She fit just perfectly inside him.

His tongue twirled at the nipple, flicking the hard bud back and forth, before he mirrored his actions on her left breast.

“Spike!” she gasped, pulling his head back so that she could look into his beautiful blue eyes.

“Right,” he agreed, reaching for the marshmallows.

She stilled his hand. “P-Please, Spike, I need you now. No more games...”

“No more games,” he promised with a smile softer than any she’d ever seen on him before.

He moved to unfasten her jeans, and she kicked them and her panties off while he pulled down his own pants. She felt her mouth go suddenly dry at the sight of him. Truly, he was the most magnificent man she had ever seen... Her mouth wasn’t dry anymore; it was watering.

“Shh,” he hushed her softly, crawling atop her once more, taking up the place between her spread thighs that she offered him.

She felt his velvety-soft head brush against her rough curls and hissed at the hint of pleasure to come. “I-I missed you, Spike,” she began slowly. “I was so afraid that you’d never come back...”

“’m here now,” he replied softly, testing her narrow opening, making sure she was ready to welcome him inside...and, oh, was she ready!

“You won’t leave me?” she said, hating how needy her voice sounded. “I know you’re not like him...”

“Never,” he insisted. “You?”

“I could never leave you,” she said softly. “I...I love you so much, Spike.”

He let out a ragged little sob. He hadn’t known just how desperate he had been to hear those words until she’d uttered them. He felt an intense possessiveness come over him at that. “’ll never leave you, either, Buffy. ‘d never hurt you. I...” he plunged into her slick, fiery depths, “...love you.”

“Oh, Spike!” she gasped at his words and at the feel of him finally sheathed within her, filling her to completion.

“Buffy...” his voice rumbled against her throat as he slowly began to move within her.

She clutched at his back, feeling, caressing. “Has anyone...gasp...ever told you...moan...that you’ve got a...oh yes!...sexy voice?”

“You like it?” he said with a small smile against her throat.

She slowly, cautiously moved to wrap her legs around his waist, pulling him deeper inside her. “It’s all low and...masculine. Just wanna feel it rumbling against my chest...”

“You like when I talk then?” he whispered into her ear, picking up the time of his thrusts. “I love you,” he repeated. “Ever since I first saw you in the Bronze. You...You jus’ stood out. You were a vision, so strong an’ confident an’ deadly. I know I ‘ad to have you that night. Never thought it could be like this, though...” He hissed when her internal Slayer muscles clenched around him.

“I saw you that night, too,” Buffy admitted. “You were powerful, beautiful. But I was scared...I thought I could never have you, so I tried to hate you instead. But I never could, baby. And then, after I lost you...I realized that I couldn’t lie to you anymore, could never risk losing you again...”

“D-Dr...She said I was surrounded by you, that all she could see when she looked at me was you,” Spike moaned against her. “She was right...”

“Shh,” Buffy cradled his head against her shoulder, “forget all about her. You’re with me now. In my heart, my body.”

“I-I love you, Buffy,” he gasped out.

Her channel had molded itself around him now, fitting him like a slick velvet glove. Those wonderful muscles inside her were pumping him slowly, desperately trying to milk him of his pleasure...

“Buffy,” he gasped against her jugular, “’m close, kitten, so close. Please, let me...won’ hurt, I swear. ‘ll make it so good for you...”

“Promise?” she whispered nervously.

“’ll be gentle,” he agreed.

“Don’t be gentle,” she said softly, stroking his hair, “just be Spike.” She bared her throat to him.

“Sometimes Spike is gentle,” he whispered comfortingly before shifting into game face and carefully sinking his fangs in.

Buffy winced at the brief sting of pain, but then the pleasure came over her, just as he’d promised. “Spike!” she screamed as his twin penetrations sent her careening over the edge.

“Buffy!” He flooded her womb with his chilled seed, his tongue lapping at the marks he’d left on her.

With a final gasp, they both fell back down to earth.

“That was...” Buffy panted.

“You were...” Spike said at the same time.

“Incredible,” they finished in perfect unison.

Buffy flashed him a shy smile. “Spike,” she began slowly, “I love you and I trust you, but...”

“You want me to stop killing,” he sighed and rolled off of her.

She grimaced slightly. “I can’t let you...” she began, then sighed. “Would it be so bad?” she finally asked softly. “The two of us working together again? You fighting at my side...in my bed? I know you’ve got it in you, Spike. I see you. You’re not like all the others; you’re something more...”

Spike let out a weary sigh. “You’re askin’ me to give up everythin’ ‘ve ever known. And all I get is your love in exchange?”

Buffy felt a horrible pang of loss deep down in her heart. She should’ve known this would never work out, that he would never...

“’S worth it,” he finally decided.

She looked up at him in surprise. “Wh-What?” she hardly dared to hope.

“’ll do it,” he agreed with a little smile. “You’re got yourself a new partner in demon slayin’.”

“Oh, Spike!” she exclaimed in delight, wrapping him up in an enthusiastic hug. “We’re gonna be great together, baby. Unbeatable.”

“Think we’re already pretty great together,” he said with a wink. “Now, how ‘bout gettin’ those friends ‘f yours out of the factory...

A contented smile crossed Eros’ face as love defeated war. Ha, take that, Ares! he thought triumphantly. And then he sensed a disturbance at his side. He turned to find that Aphrodite had just materialized beside him.

“I just heard the strangest Rumor...” she began, and then her eyes widened.

Buffy had just completed her call to Giles and hung up the phone, turning her attention back to Spike. “All fixed,” she said, leaning in to give him a deep kiss.

Aphrodite licked her lips as she watched their bodies move together, sliding beneath the satin sheets. Pale silver and tanned gold intertwining, rocking, caressing...

“Oh, wow,” Aphrodite gasped, her cheeks flushing, “that’s hot.”

“Sex between two such passionate people always is,” Eros whispered right in her ear.

Aphrodite turned slowly to face him, licked her lips, and then pulled him in for a desperate kiss.

Thank you, Spike, was Eros’ last thought before he fell to the floor with his goddess.

Ah, that put the WP in PWP, didn't it? ~_^ But it was fun, and in the end, that's what really matters...