"The Subtle Notes In-Between"
Chapter 5
"Spike, lets get you cleaned up and then you
can rest for a while." Buffy ignored the
muttered invectives that poured out of Spike's mouth
and helped him up. "Sorry, I keep moving you
around and not letting you rest, but you kinda smell
funky." She wrinkled her nose at him in the
same adorable way she used to, the same way that
made his knees tremble.
"Dawn said—"
"Yeah yeah, so she's not a virgin anymore. What
was I supposed to do, lock her in her room forever?
I tried that, Spike, but she can scream like a
banshee. Anyway, she used protection and I gave her
the ‘sex is evil’ speech, along with pictures to
illustrate. I reminded her what happened when I
slept with Ang—" She stopped babbling for a
moment and glanced through her lashes at Spike,
worried about mentioning Angel's name out loud.
"So anyway, she and Mauricio have been seeing
each other pretty much since the day we got here and
he is a nice guy. Not a demon-- I checked. So did
Paolo. And I met his parents, they are really sweet
and his baby brother is the cutest and I am
babbling, aren't I?" she gave Spike an
embarrassed smile and looped his arm over her
shoulder and helped him walk down the wide marble
floored corridor.
"Nib's not a virgin?" was all Spike could
say. He wanted to cry but managed to be a man about
his girl’s lost innocence.
"Well, she is nearly nineteen," Buffy
whispered.
"I was a virgin til I was twenty eight, right
changing the subject now." Spike looked around
the elegantly decorated hallway; it was filled with
antiques and the walls were covered in Bartelozzi
engravings and oil paintings. So very different from
what he ever expected Buffy to live in. He didn't
want to discuss the Nibblet's sexlife and especially
not when his had started, either. "So are you
renting or did you buy the digs?"
"Umm, well we rented first, and then Paolo gave
me and Dawn this." Buffy explained hurriedly.
She mentally winced and waited for the explosion,
but nothing came.
"Gave you?"
"Yeah. It's the ground and first floor of one
of his Palazzos. You should see the gardens-- they
are amazing. There's even a pool and a gym out
there!"
"Right, good on him. Looking after you
two." Spike gritted his teeth and tried not to
burst into a furious diatribe, realising that it
would only serve to make him look pathetic in her
eyes.
"Here we are." Buffy pushed open the floor
to ceiling double doors and helped Spike into her
suite of rooms.
Spike's eyes roamed the room taking in the tasteful
furnishings and felt out of place-- dirty, old and
tired. He sighed deeply and froze in his steps.
Buffy glanced up at him, "are you okay?"
Her handed tightened on his and he could feel the
sweat pouring off her. She was nervous; he could
smell she was worried and terrified of something. He
was unsure of what, though.
"Tired out. Been put through the wringer
recently, not had a moment to put me feet up,"
he lied quickly, unwilling to cause her anymore
worry.
Her eyes softened at his admission. "Come on,
the bathroom's in here. I picked this suite because
of it."
"Can see why you did. Is that Sienna marble on
the walls?" Spike squinted at the pinkish red
marble-lined walls of the bathroom, which was
probably the size of Buffy's old sitting room. A
large bath stood in the centre of the room; it was
rectangular and raised up off the floor, steps on
all four sides. There was a chaise-lounge
upholstered in a burgundy velvet and finished off
with gold fringing under one window, and on the
other side was double French doors that led onto a
balcony overlooking the garden. Muslin curtains
fluttered in the breeze, blocking the sun’s
dangerous rays from Spike but allowing light and air
into the room. All around the room were arched
recesses with old busts of Greek and Roman gods.
There were large silver gilt torchieres at the head
and foot of the tub with half melted candles on
them.
"Right smart." Spike leaned against the
wall, using one hand to brace himself as he watched
Buffy flit around the room, lighting candles and
running the bath. He grimaced at the handful of bath
salts she tossed in. "Not too flowery, love.
Remember, have a rep to maintain."
"Riiight," Buffy drawled as she pulled big
white Egyptian towels out of an armoire and lay them
on the steps. "Strip please." She held her
breath wondering if Spike would suddenly go all
modest on her and rob her of a visual feast.
"Might need a hand with that pet." Spike
fumbled with his zipper, his fingers suddenly
shaking with nerves. No one had seen him naked since
before he'd burnt up in the Hellmouth and now the
one woman he had yearned for over a year was staring
at him as if she wanted to devour him. Not that he
was complaining, but for some reason Spike was
struck down with an attack of the nerves.
Before he could blink, he felt Buffy's soft touch on
his chin and she was tipping his face up to look at
her. Standing on her tiptoes, Buffy gave him a tiny
kiss on the end of his nose. Then slowly began to
unbutton his jeans, pulling them down over his
battered and bruised legs. She clucked like a mother
hen at the sight of them. Buffy gently traced a deep
gouge on his thigh that curved around and upwards
towards his groin and winced. "Sorry, that must
hurt." She glanced up at Spike who was staring
down at her and panting heavily.
"S'kay, it'll mend." Spike shifted on his
feet and tried to will the incipient erection that
was threatening to occur to stay down. Instead he
focused on her deft fingers as they unlaced his
boots and lifted first one foot then the other as
she pulled them off. "Under floor heating,
nice." Spike wriggled his pale toes in
appreciation on the warm marble. Buffy stood up and
reached for the final layer of clothing to pull it
off.
"Course, as if I would let my little piggies
get frosty." She grinned impishly at him.
Unable to help himself, Spike looked down at her
sandal clad feet and admired the bright red varnish
that was adorning her toes. "Couldn't have
that.” His voice dropped to a husky whisper as his
eyes darkened with desire and the erection he had
been trying to suppress made its presence made.
Buffy reached over and her hand hovered over his
cock, her fingers flexed and her mouth watered at
the sight of it. Instead of taking hold of it she
reached over and ripped the black T-shirt in half,
revealing his battered chest. "Easier that
pulling it over your head and re-opening your
wounds," she explained, her eye riveted to his
throbbing cock, the tip of it brushing against his
muscled stomach.
Spike let out a shaky breath. "Sorry love, but
you know what effect you have on me."
"Hmm, come on, let’s get you in the
tub." Buffy took his hand and helped him over
to the bath and walked him up the steps. Spike eyed
the massive water filled bath with relish.
"Must be better than the cold water shower I
had in my last place." He eased himself into
the deep pool and rested his head on the side with a
happy sigh. He cracked open one eye and stared up at
his golden girl. "You remembered I like it
hot."
"I remember everything about you, Spike."
She sat down on the edge and reached for the
shampoo. "Come on, dunk your head and I can
clean out the demon goo."
"Love, why are you—?" Before he could
complete the sentence, Buffy gently pushed his head
under the water. She didn't want to hear those
questions from him, not ever. It had taken her long
enough to admit to herself how she felt about him
and then when he had refused her words in the
Hellmouth, she had been wounded. Even more damaged
than when Angel had left her 'for her own good'.
Spike had broken her heart with his rebuttal of her
words. But now she had him back she was keeping him.
He was her vampire.