Spike woke up with a smile, the first he’d allowed himself since that horrible day he’d been kidnapped. Oh, he’d been tempted one or two times during his capture. Hateful little mind-games the First had played with him, making him think all was well when he was really in excruciating agony. Just made the pain all the worse when it came back to him…
And the physical pain was still there, if not so intense now. That ugly bugger had done a good number on him, to be sure. His ribs still ached, and his skin itched where the cuts they’d made deep into his flesh were still healing over.
But that didn’t matter anymore. He was safe now. In a warm, soft bed, surrounded by pillows and warm blankets that smelled like her, and a hot little body wrapped around him, holding him close and…
“Buffy?” he asked confusedly at this last fact. He knew the growing number of houseguests had made it necessary for them to share the mattress at night – and he’d protested vehemently against this arrangement as well, only to be shot down by that stubborn look in her eyes – but he regained consciousness so rarely during their healing, and he had never actually awoken to find her beside him…
A soft murmur against the back of his neck. “Hey, there,” she said softly, resting one hand on his bare hip and stroking it lightly. “Was afraid you weren’t gonna wake up today…”
His eyes shut tight at that. “How long’s it been?” he asked cautiously.
She yawned and propped herself up on one elbow so she could look down at him. He was so beautiful to her right then, strong and vulnerable, perfect despite the bruises that covered his body… “Just a day and a half,” she admitted, biting her lower lip. She didn’t like to admit to herself how badly he’d been hurt, just how close she’d come to losing him forever. Of their own volition, her fingers ran through his hair. It was clean and white again now, no longer stained with blood and pain.
“Buffy,” he halted her with a word, pulling away from her caressing hands. He felt tears sting his eyes as he did so. She felt so good, and all he wanted was to bury himself in her arms and never let go, but he couldn’t, not after… He refused to even let himself think of it.
She sighed at that. He’d been surprisingly…skittish since he’d returned. Afraid of her smallest touches, pulling back in on himself and shutting her out. She was surprised at the loss she felt because of it. Surprised to learn just how much she wanted him back. It was funny how near-death experiences could make the important things in your life stand out with stronger contrast…
“I-I want to,” she admitted with a shaky gulp. Her body inched over towards his again, so that she was spooned up behind him once more. One thumb traced a line down his arm. “I want to make you feel good,” she continued more bravely now. “I want to make it all better…”
He felt tears sting his eyes at that. “I don’t deserve—” he began.
“All of it,” she repeated forcefully, and this time he couldn’t miss her secondary meaning.
“Buffy, I…” he gasped out.
“Shh,” she silenced him with a finger to his lips. When she spoke, she found she couldn’t keep the ragged quiver from her words. “P-Please don’t tell me it’s too late…” She looked into those wounded blue eyes of his, pleading. “It can’t be too late for us,” she insisted. “Not this time…”
Her fingers were massaging little circles into the sharp line of his hipbone now, and it was getting very hard to remember what his objection had been in the first place. “Don’t deserve…” he let out one last token protest.
“In case all that sleeping you’ve been doing has knocked your internal calendar around,” she countered, and he could feel her smile against the back of his shoulder, “it’s Christmas. I think you’ve earned just a little bit of happiness…” Her hand snaked around in front of him, and her thumb began to trace intricate patterns in the sensitive flesh just below his navel.
He squeezed his eyes shut tight and felt a purr begin to vibrate deep in his chest.
“You like that?” she asked curiously, caressing him with renewed fervor at his reaction.
“God, yes!” he gasped out, fingers clutching at the sheet before him.
A delighted little laugh escaped her lips. “Who knew you were so sensitive there?” she wondered, leaning in to press a kiss to his temple.
He practically melted into a puddle before her, eyes shut in lazy contentment, absentmindedly noting that her hand was moving lower, fingers twinned in the rough hair at the base of his erection, and…”You don’t—”
“You worry too much,” she cut him off with a gentle nibble to his lower lip. Expression softening, she brushed several platinum curls back off of his forehead. “I’m not doing anything I don’t want to,” she assured him. Her eyes dropped in uncharacteristic shyness. “William…”
He felt his heart melt at the rare use of his real name – and the even rarer use of it when she was delivering good news. Nuzzling her palm affectionately, he allowed himself to lean back comfortably in her embrace for the first time.
She smiled when she felt his defenses give way. It had been so long since she’d had him like this, willing and in her arms… It caused her protective instincts to rise with newfound intensity. “I’ve got you now,” she whispered soothing nothings against his ear. “You’re with me now, and I got you back, and they’re never taking you from me again…”
With those words, her hand finally reached down to encircle the base of his growing erection. His cock jerked upwards into her hand in response, and she began stroking him up and down slowly, only paying attention to the shaft itself and practically torturing the neglected head.
“Did I ever tell you you’re beautiful?” she inquired softly, watching as his hips began to thrust against her grip ever so slightly. “I-I always wanted to say…but I was so frightened…” She trailed off and let her thumb rub gently over the weeping slit. “You’re so beautiful,” she whispered in awe.
The purr in his chest deepened in tone, and he smiled dazedly up at her. He knew he should be doing something now, telling her she was even more beautiful or returning the pleasure she was giving him or something. But it felt so good to just be like this for now. To fully let her take control and just lie back and enjoy himself for once…
Fingers growing bolder, she began to carefully trace every dark vein she could find. She watched his reactions intently, really memorizing him for the first time and making note of all the touches that brought him the most pleasure. She’d never really tried the gentle approach with him before, but already she was enjoying its success. Time to drive him just a little wilder…
Oh-so-carefully, her thumbnail dipped into the slit on the head of his cock. She knew men were supposed to be especially sensitive there, and she bit her lower lip in concentration for fear of hurting him. His wanton moan of pleasure let her know all too well that she was doing anything but hurting him, however. His head lolled back against her shoulder, and she held him against her with her free hand, while her right continued to push back at his foreskin.
“Buffy…” he was whimpering now. “Make me feel so good… Only you, luv… Yeah, just like that… Right there… Oh…” A gasp, and a hiss. “Yesss…”
She watched with pure feminine satisfaction as he came hard in her hand, little squirts of pleasure shooting onto his stomach. She looked down to see his face twisted in pleasure, every emotion exposed and raw on his handsome features. She couldn’t fight the compulsion then to brush a tender kiss across his lips. Her beautiful vampire…
“Buffy…” he practically whimpered, one arm slipping around her waist.
She escaped his grasp, though, and he opened one downright terrified eye to watch her go.
“Just gonna get you cleaned right up,” she assured him, cupping his cheek in one palm. “You just stay there, and I’ll be right back.”
“Not gonna leave me?” He sounded so scared right then, like a frightened little child, and not the powerful warrior she knew at all. Her equal…
“Not again,” she promised, watching the smile curl back onto his lips as he drifted back into a deep, contented sleep. “And certainly not on Christmas…”