Rating: R/NC-17
Summary: Three years after the finale, Chosen.
Distribution: www.redssoulmates.com
Feedback: No feedback..no fic. Lots of feedback..I write more.
Disclaimer: Don't sue. I don't own any of the characters. I don't make any money from it. All credit goes to Joss.
Spoilers: Set three years after Chosen. Dawn never existed. Buffy and Spike were never in love and never had sex. They hated each other. Kennedy never existed.
Notes:<> character's thoughts,
Thanks to Elisabeth for the beta!
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~Part: 1~
Willow drifted through the bookstore slowly. Her mind was everywhere else. Walking through the aisles, she took in the quiet as if it was unknown to her. It had been three years since that fateful day. Three years since everything had changed. Three years since he burned to dust.
After Sunnydale was destroyed, she moved to the next town with Xander and Buffy with hopes for a semi-normal life. Buffy left shortly after they moved in, to find all of the new slayers. The girls had the strength but they still needed someone to train them.
Three years felt like forever. Buffy had the life she always wanted. She wasn't the only chosen one anymore, which meant she could have the semi-normal things she always dreamt about. She had settled down in a serious relationship with a guy and they have now been dating for two years. Xander concentrated on his work a lot. He had dated a few girls but she knew he would always compare then to Anya. He had confessed to her one night how he felt that there was a wall between him and the life he was supposed to have. On one side he had his memories of Anya. On the other side, he was without. On that other side he had moved past his love. He wasn't ready to do that yet. He still loved her with all of his heart.
Then there was Willow.
After Sunnydale was destroyed, Willow wanted to climb within herself. Not because of the town or the battle, but because of Spike. She never knew why he stayed. Why he helped. Why he chose to die. She still longed for him. Now, on the outside, she seemed perfectly fine. On the inside was a different story. She ached for him, for his presence. She would never hear his voice again or see the sexy smirk he always gave. She missed him in a way she never expected. She regretted never getting to know him like she wanted to. And now the chance was gone. She hadn't wanted to date anyone since that day. Buffy had tried to set her up with someone but the only thing that registered in her mind was that he wasn't Spike. Not that she actually ever really knew Spike. But in her mind she could pretend.
About a month ago, Willow knew she needed to get away. Away from the things and the people she knew. She needed to find herself. To find out who she is now and what she wanted out of her life. She made a decision that day to seek out that knowledge. Willow packed two duffel bags and boarded the bus. She didn't care where she was going as long as she was leaving. Besides, it was only a break. Only temporary.
Spike was sitting in an uncomfortable chair in the corner of the bookstore, flipping through a random book. His thoughts drifted to his life and how much it had changed in three years. Everything had changed about him except for one thought. Willow. He still thought about her. He still dreamed about her. There were so many things that were never said. So many chances that were passed up. And now he would never know. He would never hear her voice again. He would never feel her skin under his touch, not that he ever had in the first place. He would never see her smile or hear her laughter. Spike missed her so much.
As he glanced up from his book, his body froze. He thought he was imagining things. Spike closed his eyes and opened them again but saw the same thing. Willow. He slowly got up from his chair and started to walk towards her. He watched her for a moment. Then suddenly she turned her back towards him and picked up another book. <What am I supposed to say? What if it's not really her? How am I supposed to tell her how I came back? Would she even care?> By this time he was standing right behind her, her back still faced him. "Willow?" he whispered, wondering if this was real or not.
Willow's body tensed as she heard her name whispered. She recognized the voice even after all these years. <It can't be. He's dust.> Slowly, she turned around and her eyes widened. She felt her fingers lose their grasp on the book she was holding and it tumbled to the floor.
~Part: 2~
Spike bent down to catch the book before it hit the floor. He stood back up and handed it to her, not knowing what he should say first. "You alright?"
"Spike?"
"Hey, luv. Missed me?" he asked, only half joking.
Willow took a step away from him. "You're dead," she whispered.
Spike frowned as she stepped back. "I was always dead, luv."
"Yeah, but you were the walking dead and then you were dust dead and...I think I need to sit down."
"Alright." Spike took her arm and led her to a nearby table. "Do you want something to drink? To eat?"
She shook her head no. "I just want to sit."
"I know this is a bit of a surprise."
At that moment they heard the intercom. "Attention customers: We will be closing the store in five minutes. Please take your final purchases to the front and have a good night."
"I guess I should get going. With the store closing and all."
"Right," he said sounding defeated. "Do you live around here or are you just in town for a visit?"
"Just visiting. Had to get away for awhile."
"At least let me walk you back to where you're staying."
Willow stood up from the table. "Ok."
He stood up after her and placed his hand along the small of her back, leading her out of the store. After walking for a couple of minutes in pure silence, he spoke up. "I thought you would've been happy to see me. I should've just left you alone," he added quietly.
Willow stopped walking which caused Spike to stop also. She frowned upon hearing his words. "I am happy to see you. Don't ever doubt that." Willow watched as he took a step closer to her. "I know we really never got to know each other but I've missed you. A lot, actually. And now seeing you is like having this stir of emotions inside me and I..."
"It's alright. Here I was worried that I didn't even cross your mind. I missed you too." Spike wanted to kiss her at that very moment but was afraid she would try to run. "So...how much farther till we reach this place you're stayin' at?"
"Actually we're here."
Spike looked around and saw the cheap rundown motel. "You're not really staying here are you?"
"It's cheap," she defended.
"You're better than this, pet. Go get your stuff."
"What?"
"You're gonna stay with me."
"I'm not..."
"Staying here. Bloody right about that. Besides I haven't seen you in three years. Go get your stuff and meet me out here."
"Fine," she mumbled as she walked over to her room. She gathered her belongings quickly and walked out the door. She looked around for him and saw him at the curb waving down a taxi. Willow walked over to him, feeling butterflies in her stomach.
Spike opened the door to the taxi and looked up as he felt her approach. "Your chariot, mi'lady."
Grinning, she threw her bags in the cab and climbed in. Spike climbed in after her and shut the door. "Sunset Ridge, mate." As the cab started to drive, he reached over and interlocked his fingers with hers. When she didn't try to pull away, he felt himself relax.
Willow felt his hand and turned her head to look at him. Seeing how close his lips were to hers, she started to blush and looked away.
<Cor, the girl is making it hard for me not to kiss her. I can't believe she hasn't noticed anything different yet.> He looked up and out the window, realizing they had stopped. Spike let go of her hand and paid the cab driver, pulling Willow out of the vehicle.
"Where are we?"
"My place. I have an apartment here. Number 259. Let's go." They walked briefly until they arrived to his door. He pushed the door open and watched her walk into the apartment. A smile crossed his face. He flipped the switch on, noticing the faint glow of light. Spike locked the door and then placed his keys on the side table. "Sorry bout' the light, luv. Looks like the lightbulb is about to burn out."
Willow looked around at the dimly lit room but could only see various shapes. "It's fine. Do you have anything to drink?"
"Kitchen is around the corner. Help yourself. I'll take your bags and put them in the room."
"Thanks."
He returned to find her finishing her drink in the kitchen. "Find what you were looking for?"
"Yeah. Why do you have all this food, Spike? You don't eat."
<Things changed three years ago, pet.> "I like food. It's been a long day. Thought you might want to get some sleep and we can talk more tomorrow."
"Alright. Um...where will I be sleeping?"
"It's only a one bedroom...so my room. Your bags are already in there."
"And you're sleeping..."
"We're sharing the bed, luv. It's a big bed and I'll be a gentleman. Now go on. I'll be in in a bit."
Willow followed the hallway until she reached the next room. Pushing the door open, she found her bag and quickly changed into a pair of boxer shorts and a t-shirt. Glancing around the room she started to frown. <Something's off.> Dismissing her thought, she climbed into the large four poster bed and under the silk sheets. When she heard Spike come in about ten minutes later, her heart started to race. He was in a pair of back pajama pants and nothing else. <Silk. Bed. Spike. Breathe.>
Spike climbed into the bed and laid his head on the pillow, looking at her. "If the no shirt thing bothers you, I can always put one on."
"No," she squeaked. "I'm fine."
"Get some sleep."
"Spike?"
"Yeah, luv."
"You know how I was always research girl...how I always noticed things?"
"Yeah."
Willow took a deep breath. "Why haven't you vamped out and why do you have food and why don't you have heavy curtains over your windows and why is your touch warm and...and..." She stared into his eyes. "Why is your heart beating?" she whispered.
~Part: 3~
"There's a good explanation, pet."
Willow quickly sat up and stared at him. "You're human," she whispered.
"Willow..."
"But how...who...how?"
He reached for her hand but saw her pull away. He frowned for a moment. "Are you scared of me, luv?" He saw her shake her head no and relaxed a bit. "Why don't we get some sleep and I'll tell you all about it in the morning?"
"Ok. Is this real? I mean this isn't some weird illusion or something is it cause..."
"Sleep, pet."
"Right." Willow laid her head on the pillow and watched Spike for a moment. "How long have you been back?"
Spike took a deep breath, not wanting to answer. "They brought me back a week after the battle."
Willow could feel her face starting to frown. "You've been back almost three years?"
"Sorry to disappoint you."
"It's not that...it's...nothing," she mumbled. <Maybe, I wanted to see you.> "So who is they?"
"Powers That Be. Because I sacrificed myself to save the world, I was some sort of champion. They gave me a choice. I had something to come back for. A girl," he whispered.
"Oh," was all she could say. "A girl. How...um...nice."
"Pet, you don't understand."
"You're right, I think sleep would be really good about right now." Willow closed her eyes and hoped that he did the same. After a few moments she opened her eyes and saw that his eyes were still closed. She reached out to him and touched his face. Spike caught her hand in his. "Whatcha doing?" he asked with only one eye open.
"Wondering if this is real. If this is some kind of dream, then I just want it to last a bit longer."
"It's not a dream, luv. I'll be here in the morning. Alright?"
"Ok. I've missed you, Spike."
He grinned at her and then kissed the tips of her fingers. "I've missed you too. There was so much I never told you before. So much I should have said."
"Me too," she whispered.
"I'll see you in the morning," he told her and smiled as they both drifted off to sleep. Her hand still wrapped in his.
~~~*~~~
When Willow woke the next morning, she glanced at the empty space next to her. <Just a dream.> Suddenly a smell pulled her out of her thoughts. It smelled like bacon. Willow climbed out of the bed and walked down the hallway to towards the kitchen. <Definitely not the hotel I was staying at.> As she turned the corner, she saw him. Spike. Still dressed in his silk pajama pants, cooking.
He heard a sound towards the doorway and looked up. "Mornin' luv. Not sure what you wanted. There's fruit, toast, bacon, oh...and I made you an orange julius." He watched her _expression but wasn't sure what to make of it. Suddenly he found her arms wrapped around his neck.
Willow was so happy that it hadn't been a dream. Spike was really here, but not Spike. He was human now. And he had cooked her breakfast. Suddenly all of the emotions that she had tried to push away came crashing down on her. She ran over to him and wrapped her arms around his neck, hugging him with the emotion that had crashed down on her.
When Spike felt her arms go around his neck, he wrapped his arms around her waist, holding her to him. "Cor, I missed you luv."
~Part: 4~
When she heard his voice, she realized the position she was in. Willow was so close to him she could smell his skin. Suddenly, she let go and took a few steps back. "Um...sorry about that...I just..."
Spike took a step towards her and reached out to touch her but brought his hand back to his side instead. <She's the one that stepped away from you, mate.> "Don't be. Why don't we have some breakfast?"
"Food would be really good. When did you learn how to cook?"
"I've always known. Just never needed to until recently." They both sat down at the table and shared their breakfast in complete silence. As Spike finished eating, he looked up at Willow. "So, pet...what did you want to do today?"
Willow started biting her bottom lip. "I want to know."
"What's that? Know what?"
"How you're sitting here in front of me. The hellmouth...it burned you. In a literal dusty bye bye way."
"Disappointed?"
"Curious."
"It's like this, luv. I died saving the world. When I was burning...the pain...it was intense. I could feel everyone that I had ever killed. It was a bit of karma, I guess. When Sunnydale was destroyed...when I was dust...I was sent to the Powers That Be. They gave me a choice, pet. Because I was a champion...because I died saving the world, I had the choice to come back as a human."
"For the girl?" she asked him. "You came back for the girl?"
"Yeah, I did."
"And where have you been this whole time? You said you've been back for almost three years."
"I've been here, luv. You're not exactly thrilled," he stated.
"I wish I had known. Why didn't you try to find us? Why didn't you call me?"
"I don't really see that conversation happening. What would I have said? Maybe, hey I know I was burned and saved the world but I was brought back as a human. Wanna have some coffee? I'm thinking that wouldn't have gone over so well."
"Human. Is it hard? To not be a vampire. You were one for so long."
"Truthfully, there's parts about it I miss. I miss the strength. The power I held. Now...I'm human again. When I was human the first time around, I was...nothing. I was a poet and a hopeless romantic. But I don't fancy getting vamped again if that's what you're getting at." Spike closed his eyes for a moment and then opened them again, only to see Willow watching him. "Enough of this. I'm back and that's what matters. Now what to you wanna do?"
"What do you usually do during the day?"
"Well I'm supposed to stop by the gallery today."
"Gallery?"
"Art gallery, luv. I...well, I own it."
Out of all the things she expected him to own, that wasn't it.
"Would you like to go, pet?"
"I don't really have anything to wear to go to something like that," she stated embarrassed.
"I own the place, pet. You can wear anything you fancy. How about it?"
"Yeah. Just let me change first."
"An hour?"
"An hour."
~~~*~~~
Conveniently, the art gallery was right around the corner from the apartment. Spike kept glancing over at Willow who continued to smile nonstop. And he couldn't help but to grin at her expressions. He pulled open the door to the gallery, ushering her inside. "What might you be smiling about, luv?"
Willow turned to him. "You. You in the sunlight." He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and looked into her eyes. "I really did miss you, pet. Take a look around. I have some business to attend to and then I'll find you." He watched as she walked off, admiring the various paintings and sculptures.
The truth was, he had only come here to review some paperwork. It was something he could have put on hold but he wanted her to see what he was doing with his life. And he wanted her to become a part of it. About twenty minutes later, he found her staring at a painting. He watched her from afar as she continued to stare at it. He walked quietly behind her and placed his hands on her shoulders. "See something you fancy, pet?"
"This painting. It's beautiful."
"Why's that?"
"When I look at it, I can feel it. I can feel the color. The intensity of the emotions. The difference between light and dark. You painted it, didn't you?"
Spike was silent for a moment before he spoke up. "How did you know?" he whispered.
"I don't know. I just knew." Willow could feel his heartbeat against her skin. She could feel it beating faster, the longer he stood behind her.
Spike wanted to run his hands down her skin. To kiss her until they both ran out of breath. And to make love to her until they were too spent to move. He wanted to touch her so much and was so afraid she'd reject him. What did he have to offer her? He wanted her but she wasn't his to have. "How about we get out of here? Ice cream?"
"Yeah," she said softly. <How am I supposed to tell him everything I could never say before?>
~Part: 5~
Willow and Spike decided to sit in the back corner of the ice cream shop. Willow had chosen Apple Spice while Spike had opted for Rocky Road. They sat in silence, each of them content. "So," Willow started. "What do you do with your life now?"
Spike looked up at her and raised his eyebrow. "What do you wanna know?"
"I'm not sure," she replied quietly.
"Well.the art gallery takes up a good bit of my time. And as you know now, I paint. Not sure, what else. I read some. Don't really watch the telly all that much anymore. I guess I just try to enjoy my life."
Willow nodded her head to let him know she was listening. "And.um.are you seeing anyone?"
Spike let out a low laugh. "No, pet. There's no one in my life."
Willow was confused. "But you said.you came back for a girl. Didn't she want you after you came back for her?"
Spike looked into her eyes, not sure of what to say. How was he supposed to tell her that the girl he came back for at this very moment was sharing ice cream with him? "Well that's a bit hard to say. She doesn't know exactly."
Willow couldn't believe she was talking to him about another girl. She knew her heart cared for him so much. She decided she could never tell him how she felt about him and that those feelings were stronger more than ever. "Why didn't you ever tell her?" Willow knew she shouldn't be curious but she was.
"I don't know. Afraid that she wouldn't want me the way I wanted her."
"She'd have to be a fool," Willow muttered. When she realized that she had just spoken out loud, her eyes widened and she looked up at Spike who looked equally surprised. "Maybe we should go," she said quickly.
Smiling but letting her change the subject, he stood up. "Let's go then." Once they were outside, he turned to her. "Now where to, pet?"
Willow looked around but had no idea where she even was. "I uh.I don't know. I don't even know where I am."
"We're right around the corner from the apartment. We can do anything you want. What do you fancy?"
"Can we just take a walk?"
"Sure. If that's what you want."
As they started to walk, the silence between them grew. "So," Willow started.
"We're not strangers, luv."
"What?"
"We're walking in silence as if we've never met one another."
"Well.it's just been so long since I saw you. I don't want to say the wrong thing or do something stupid and then."
"I want you to be you. Just you. That's all."
"What if you decide you don't like that me. Then things will get even more awkward."
Spike stopped walking. "Is that really what bothering you?"
"Well, yeah. I haven't seen you in three years, Spike. Three years."
"Let's head back to the apartment. We can order a pizza in a bit and there's some old horror movies on tonight."
"That sounds good." With more of an ease, they made their way back to the apartment.
~Part: 6~
Once the pizza arrived, Willow and Spike settled on the couch and turned the on the TV. Spike found an old horror movie as Willow went and retrieved some plates. "Don't forget drinks, luv," he called out to her.
"Got them," she called out. Making her way into the living room, she set down the drinks and handed him the plates. As they sat down, Willow glanced at him. He was everything she had missed for the last three years. Here she felt like she was home. Here she almost felt complete.
Spike sat down with her and grabbed a piece of pizza. <This is what it's supposed to be like. Being with her just feels right. Comfortable but nervous. Now, I've just gotta get the nerve to tell her how I feel.> They continued to eat in silence, each one lost in their own thoughts, until they were both full.
Spike saw a yawn escape her lips. "Tired, luv?"
"Not really." She turned to look at him. "Well, maybe."
Spike took her plate from her and placed it on the table in front of them. Then he casually draped his arm against the back of the couch.
Willow saw the gesture and smiled. She moved closer to him and leaned against him as she rested her feet on the couch. She wanted to curl her arm around his waist but decided she wouldn't want to stop there.so she kept her hands to herself.
Feeling her body next to his, he closed his eyes for a moment, enjoying the feeling. All he had to do was tell her. Was it really that hard to voice his feelings to her? Yes! As he opened his eyes, he let his hand slide up and down her arm in a comforting gesture as they continued to watch the movie. Eventually his arm curled around her shoulders, holding her close to him.
As the movie came to an end, he picked up the remote and turned the TV off. "Willow?" he whispered. "Luv, are you awake?" He heard nothing but silence. "Wi-llow? Luv, we should get up."
"Mmm," she mumbled as her arm circled his waist.
"Well, that's that, isn't it?" He picked her up slightly and held her body to his as he maneuvered his body onto the couch with her. Grabbing the blanket off the back of the couch, he covered them up. Spike smiled when he felt her snuggle into his body. She seemed to melt into him and he knew he had already melted into her. "How am I supposed to tell you I love you, pet?" With those last words, he joined her in slumber.
~~~*~~~
Willow woke the next afternoon, snuggling into her pillow. Her eyes darted open when she realized her pillow had a heart beat. She looked up and saw Spike looking down at her. "Hey," she said quietly.
"Hey," he returned. "I was wondering if you were ever gonna wake up."
"Sorry," she mumbled.
"Don't be."
"I fell asleep, huh?"
"In the middle of the movie. Told you you were tired."
"Did I sleep on the couch the whole night?"
"WE slept on the couch the whole night. You kinda put your arms around me and didn't want to let me go."
Willow started to blush at his words. "Oh."
"And just between us, I love it when you blush."
That only made her blush harder. "I feel bad that I fell asleep."
"You know you can make it up to me tonight."
"Um.what exactly did you have in mind?"
"Accompany me to dinner? I was kinda hoping you would say yes since I left earlier and already got you a dress."
"How could I say no?" she told him seriously.
Spike held her close to his body as he leaned into her ear. "That's the idea," he whispered as his lips brushed against her ear. Spike felt her lean into his touch and moved his lips down to her neck. He started to place several small kisses against her skin before she pushed him away.
"We can't," she told him trying to catch her breath. "I mean dinner yeah but no kisses."
"Why is that? You seemed to have enjoyed them."
"I did.I mean no. No. We just can't. When do we need to leave for dinner?"
"An hour. The dress is laying on the bed."
Willow jumped off the couch. "I should go and get dressed." Willow started to walk away but stopped and then turned around. "I'm sorry. I did enjoy.and I do want.I just can't. You came back for this incredible girl. You came back from the dead for her, her love and I just.I don't want to ruin things between you and her."
"Luv, you don't understand. The girl is."
"I don't want to know. I really don't want to know." She rushed off to the bedroom, pleading for the tears not to fall.
~Part: 7~
Willow pushed back the tears and gasped when she saw the dress. She walked over to the bed and picked up the dress, letting the material glide through her fingers. The dress was black silk, sleeveless and draped almost to the floor. She noticed a zipper on the back as she set the dress back on the bed. Looking to her left, she saw an assortment of other items he had left for her. Stockings, shoes, perfume, a necklace, hairclip and a pair of lace panties. As her eyes widened, she pulled off her clothes and picked up the dress once again.
Forty-five minutes later, she was ready. She had piled her hair on top of her head and had put on a little makeup. The dress and stockings felt amazing against her skin. Suddenly she heard a knock on the bedroom door. Checking herself once more in the mirror, she nodded and opened the door. As she stood in the open doorway, she forgot to breathe for a moment. She let her eyes graze over his body. He was wearing black slacks with a blue silk shirt. He left the top button open and had on a black jacket, for appearance sake.
Spike let his eyes linger for a moment on her body. She looked amazing. There were no words to express what he was feeling. "You look beautiful, Willow." He watched as she started to blush and found himself wondering how far that blush went. "Shall we go?" he squeaked. As she nodded her head yes, he led her out of the apartment and down to their ride.
Willow saw the limo and quickly turned to him. "A limo? It's ours?"
"It is. Do you fancy it, luv?"
She smiled at him. "I love it!"
Spike opened the door for her. "Climb in, luv." He climbed in after her and felt the vehicle moving the moment he closed the door. The restaurant was only fifteen minutes away but it was fifteen minutes he would get to spend alone with her.
Willow could feel her whole body tingling. Between the limo she was riding in, the silk she was wearing and Spike next to her; she felt like she was in heaven. She turned her head to look at him. "All of this, it's."
<Does she not like it?> "It's what, pet?"
"You didn't have to do all this. I mean, I'm the one that fell asleep on you."
"I wanted to do this," he replied softly. Feeling the car stop, he reached for the door. "We're here, Red." Spike climbed out of the limo and held his hand out to her.
Placing her hand in his, he helped her out of the car. She watched as Spike shut the door and then placed his hand on the small of her back guiding her into the restaurant. As Willow walked through the doors, she became overwhelmed by everything. It was beautiful. The walls were done with a deep color of wood. The columns had intricate designs carved on them. The candles that were placed throughout the restaurant gave a warm glow to everything. When they reached their table, she smiled as Spike pulled out her chair for her, motioning for her to sit down. Once Spike sat down, she leaned over the table. "Everything is so beautiful here."
He looked directly into her eyes. "Yes it is, especially you." Willow started to blush at his statement as the waiter appeared at their table.
"Good evening. Our specials tonight are."
"No need mate," Spike interrupted. "We'll start with a bottle of wine and should be ready by the time you come back."
"Very well, sir." He left the menus and rushed to get the wine.
"Spike, wine? I don't usually drink."
"And I don't usually go out to dinner with a beautiful girl. Look over your menu, pet. He'll be back shortly."
~~~*~~~
Conversation flowed easily throughout dinner. It was as if they had known each other forever. And the fact that they had gone through two bottles of wine didn't hurt the situation. After dinner, they both climbed back in the car ready to go home. Willow leaned against Spike in the limo as he let his fingers graze across the side of her neck. Spike could feel the wine floating through his body and figured she probably felt the effect of the wine too. "So beautiful," he whispered in her ear. "You were always beautiful but I never told you."
Willow turned her body and looked at him. Suddenly she became very nervous.
Spike saw her watching him and snaked his arms around her waist. He pulled her closer to his body and brought his hands up to her face. Without another word, he leaned towards her and placed his lips against hers. The kiss was tender and soft, yet demanding and needy. He felt her open her mouth and he slipped his tongue inside, tasting her. One of his hands went to her back as the other one held the back of her head to his. They kissed until they were both out of breath.
Willow finally pulled back when she was out of breath. "This.we can't.it's the wine," she announced.
"Sure about that, Willow?"
"Yeah. Yeah. The wine. Wine does funny things to people." At that moment the car stopped and they both got out of the limo. Spike paid the driver and took Willow's hand in his, both of them walking to the apartment, thinking about the kiss.
When they both got inside, Spike shut the door and locked it. He turned to her, searching for something to say. "I had fun tonight, Red."
"Yeah me too. It's been a long while since someone made me feel.beautiful."
"You are. No denying that."
"I'm just gonna change out of these clothes and into something a little more Willowy."
"I'll be out here when you're done."
Willow walked away and closed the bedroom door behind her. She kicked off her shoes and pulled off the stockings. After she took off the necklace, she reached for the zipper but couldn't pull it down. Willow looked to the door and took a deep breath. "Spike," she called out. "Could you come here for a moment?"
Spike had already kicked off his shoes and taken off the silk shirt. He was only wearing his black slacks when he opened the door. "You ok?"
"Actually, there's a problem." She turned her back to him. "The zipper, I can't undo it."
Spike stepped up to her and took the zipper between his fingers. Slowly he slid it down, letting his fingers brush against her back. Spike waited for her to move but it didn't happen. He reached up and unclasped her hair, letting it fall down around her face. He brought his hand up and pushed her hair to the side. Leaning down he placed a small kiss on the back of her neck. When he didn't hear her protest, he started kissing his way over to her shoulders. Spike brought his lips up to her neck as he felt his whole body respond to her. He could feel her head lean back as he took another step forward, their bodies touching. As he continued to kiss her neck, he started pushing her dress forward, letting the garment slide down her body.
~Part: 8~
As he continued to kiss her neck, he started pushing her dress forward, letting the garment slide down her body. Once the dress hit the floor, he reached his arms around to circle her body, when he heard her voice.
"Don't regret me," she whispered.
Spike frowned and slowly turned her around. "What are you talking about?"
Willow started to bite her bottom lip. "Sometimes when two people go out to dinner and then drink and then.sleep together, well the next morning they regret it."
Spike cupped her face in his hands. "I could never regret you. Ever."
Willow nodded her head. "Ok."
Spike circled his arms around her waist, pulling her to his body. "No regrets," he whispered in her ear. "I want you."
"Goddess, I want you too," she breathed.
Spike took control and started to kiss her tenderly. He let his fingers drift through her hair as he deepened the kiss. His tongue battled for dominance with hers as he tasted her. He could practically feel her humming through his body.
When Willow felt him take control of the kiss, she drifted her hands over his chest. His skin was so warm and inviting. She let them linger at his pants for a moment before she started unzipping them. When she pushed them over his hips, he pulled back gasping for air.
Spike kicked the pants away from his body and picked Willow up, carrying her to the bed. He laid her down gently, climbing into bed with her, his body slowly covering hers.
"I need you," she whispered. She needed to touch him. To feel him. To know this was real and not just another dream she was having.
He started nibbling on her ear. "Do you now? What do you want from me?"
"Anything," she whimpered.
"I can definitely do that." He started to kiss his way down her body, nipping and licking at her skin. The more she moaned, the more aroused he became. He pulled off her lace panties and dropped them to the floor, the garment joining the other clothes already on the floor. He returned back to her body and finally reached her curls after teasing the rest of her body and let his tongue drift across her slit. Her body arched for more contact with him. Spike held her hips in place as he gently breathed across her wetness. He could feel her frustration.
"Spike," she growled.
"Patience, my luv."
"Screw patience."
"If you insist," he smirked. Letting his tongue taste her, he started to suck gently on her clit. He felt her hands intertwine through his hair as her breath started to speed up. He could feel it in her body. He started to suck harder when her hips began to rock against him.
Willow felt like she was in heaven, but she wanted him. Now! "William," she moaned.
Hearing his real name, Spike pulled away a bit surprised.
"Spike?" she asked confused.
"Say it again."
"Say what?"
"My name. Say it, luv."
"William." When he didn't move, Willow leaned forward and reached out to grab his cock but Spike pushed her back on the bed and kissed her hard. "I love when you moan my name, luv. It's music."
"William."
He cut her off mid-sentence. "I wanna be inside you."
"Goddess, yes."
Spike felt her spread her legs as he took his cock and positioned himself at her opening. Catching her eyes, he slowly slid inside her, letting her warmth trap him. He kissed her hard, swallowing her screams. Staying still for a moment, he felt a shiver go through him. As he felt her hands drift through his hair, he started to slowly move inside her. He could feel her hands drifting down his back and over his arms. It felt as if she was touching him everywhere. Keeping a steady rhythm, he started to kiss every inch of her skin. Her ear, her neck, her collarbone, her chest.
Willow felt as if his lips were everywhere. With each kiss, she could feel her body heat up even more. As he pushed into her, she raised her hips to him, meeting him for each thrust. When she felt his thrusts speed up, she spread her legs a bit farther and lifted her legs, letting him sink deeper.
With the new position, he felt himself sink into her until his balls were resting against her skin. An urgent rush of need came over him. He could hear her moans of 'faster' and 'harder' and wasn't going to argue with her about it. He pulled almost all the way out, thrusting into her roughly. Hearing her moan, he continued. Each time a little faster, a little harder. Closing his eyes, he heard himself moaning her name. Begging for her release. He knew he was close and was trying to hold back.
Willow could feel herself on the edge. "Almost there, baby," she whispered. "William, William, William," she started to chant in his ear like a mantra.
As he heard his name on her lips, he could feel her starting to flutter around him. He couldn't hold back anymore. He thrust hard into her three more times before he shot his release into her. Feeling her body arch up, he snaked his arms around her, holding her close to his body. Somewhere in the distance he could hear them screaming each other's names in the usual silent night.
Spike collapsed on top of her, each one of them still shaking from their release. Reluctantly, he pulled out of her and lay down next to her, pulling her close to him. His lips met hers in the most innocent, tender, passionate kiss either one of them had ever experienced. When he pulled away, he wiped a bead of sweat away from her face and leaned back on the mattress with a smile on his face. They were both silent for a moment until Spike decided to speak up.
"You're the first person I've slept with since I became human, pet."
Willow couldn't believe the confession he had just made to her. "It's been almost three years."
"Yeah," he said quietly. "Have you.um.have you been with anyone, Red?"
"No," she replied just as quietly. "When you died, a part of me died with you. It felt like a piece of me was missing." She looked into his eyes. "Until now."
Spike smiled at her. She was finally his. The question was, did she know it? "Get some sleep, luv. We'll talk more tomorrow."
~Part: 9~
Willow woke up the following morning and frowned when she didn't feel Spike next to her. She felt.complete. She knew she belonged with him, but there was a sadness to her. She never got around to telling him and now it was too late. She never told him that she would be leaving today. Hearing the water running in the shower, she climbed out of bed and put on a pair of shorts and a t-shirt. She placed her bag on the bed and started to throw her stuff into it. Ten minutes later, she was still packing and never noticed Spike behind her, standing in the doorway.
Spike dried off from his shower and slipped on a pair of jeans. He had never been so happy before. He made his way back to the bedroom, wanting to surprise Willow but froze in the doorway when he saw her packing. He felt as if his heart was being pulled out of his chest. "Luv? What are you doing?" he asked her. His voice was shaky.
"I'm packing."
"I see that, but why?"
"Because I'm leaving tonight."
He froze. "Did I do something wrong?" he asked her.
She turned around quickly. "What? No! You were.great. Being here with you.I was happy."
"Then why are you leaving?"
"I told you in the bookstore I was on vacation. I don't live around here, Spike. I have a life back home."
"A life that you don't even like. You went out searching for something and.I thought you had found it. You found me."
"Don't make this harder than it is."
"I don't want you to leave! How do you want me to react?"
"You could spend the day with me, kiss me good bye and we'll go our separate ways."
"No," he told her shaking his head. "I can't do that."
"This isn't your choice. I'm going back to my life. I fly out tonight. And you can finally have your chance."
"Chance? What chance?"
"A chance with that girl you came back for."
"Is that what this is about?"
"Spike."
"It was you, luv."
"What was me?"
"The girl I came back for. I came back for you."
"No you didn't."
"I loved you. I never told you and I regret that. I'm saying it now. I love you. I just found you. Please don't leave me. Last night, I had never felt so happy, so complete." He walked over to her and grazed the side of her face with his fingers. "Don't leave me. Stay."
"Stay?"
"Stay here with me. Move in. We can build a new life. Just you and me."
"You're serious?"
"Willow."
"I love you, Spike."
"What?"
"I loved you before and I never told you."
"Stay with me?"
"Buffy will want to come out. She'll make a trip out here to see that I haven't completely lost my mind."
"That should be interesting." He paused for a moment. "Is that a yes? You'll stay?"
"I'll stay."
His lips met hers and he lost himself.again. "Go call her, pet. We have plans this afternoon."
"What plans?"
"You and me in my bed." As she started to walk into the living room, he smiled to himself. Everything in his life was perfect. He walked out to the main room to offer his support to Willow as she sat on the phone with Buffy.
~~~*~~~
"No Buffy, I haven't lost my mind.Yes I know what I'm doing.I know you don't understand how I fell in love in a couple of days but it's kinda hard to explain.that's tomorrow! You want to come tomorrow?"
"Give her the address pet, so we can get this over with."
Willow gave Buffy the address and hung up the phone. "Buffy and Xander are flying in tomorrow just for the night and then they're flying back. They want to meet you."
"Should be interesting. Now, lets get back to bed pet." Willow let him pull her back to the bedroom where they stayed the rest of the day.
~Part: 10~
The following day, Spike watched Willow as she paced the apartment, waiting for her friends arrival.
"Pet, relax. You're wound. The place is picked up. The food is cooked. And if you don't calm down, we're gonna have to replace the carpet."
Willow sat down next to him on the couch. She turned her head to look at him. "We?"
"Yes, we. You are still planning on staying, aren't you?"
"Yes, it's just.you really love me?"
Spike cupped her face in his hands. "I really do." He leaned forward and placed a small kiss on her lips. "Now they should be here soon. I'm gonna go change and I want you to stay seated on this couch."
A grin came across her face. "Ok. Love you."
"Good," he yelled out as he walked down the hallway to their bedroom.
~~~*~~~
About ten minutes later, Willow heard a knock on the door. "William," she called out. "There's a knock."
"Answer the door, pet. I'll be down soon."
"Right, answer the door. You can do this." Willow pulled the door open slowly. Buffy and Xander both stood there with smiles on their faces. Xander was the first one to step forward.
He wrapped his arms around her. "Hey, Wills. You got any food?"
"Actually, yes. Lunch was made but you'll have to wait." She watched as Xander passed her and started to glance around the living room. "Buffy."
Buffy rushed to her, embracing her in a tight hug. "I've missed you."
"I missed you too."
"You're really not coming back?"
Willow shook her head. "I'm not. I'm happy here. I'm in love."
"How is that even possible? You've only been gone for a couple of weeks and suddenly you're in love?"
"I am."
"Does he make you happy?"
"He does."
"Well, where is he? Is."
Suddenly, they heard Xander from the other room. "Food! Wills, did you make all of this?"
Buffy and Willow went to where Xander was, never noticing Spike in the doorway. "Wills, I thought you couldn't cook?" Buffy asked her.
"She can't," Spike said. "But I can."
Xander and Buffy slowly turned their heads to look at the person that was connected to the voice. "It can't be," Buffy whispered. Her eyes were wide with shock.
"You were dust. Sunnydale burned away. You burned."
"I did and now I'm here. Xander.Buffy.will you take your seats so we can eat?"
"You called me Xander."
"It is your name."
"Why can't I sense you?" Buffy asked. "What the hell is going on?"
"Sit down and I'll explain," he told them both. Spike and Willow sat on one side of the table, while Buffy and Xander took their places on the other side of the table. Once everyone was seated, he began to tell them bits and pieces of the story. ".so you see, I was allowed to come back for love. I came back for Willow."
"This is defiantly on my weird scale," Buffy muttered.
Xander looked at Spike and then at Willow. "Does he make you happy?"
"He does." Willow blushed as Spike took her hand in his and kissed her knuckles.
"I guess I'll have to come up with a new nickname. Dead boy doesn't really work anymore."
Buffy turned to Xander. "You're giving them your approval?"
"I've know Wills a long time. It Spike is what makes her happy, then I'm ok with it. Now let's eat."
~~~*~~~
Lunch was eaten in silence. In fact the whole afternoon was quite silent. Once Buffy and Xander left, Spike shut the door and Willow collapsed on the couch. "Finally tension free," she remarked.
"So luv, what do you do now?"
"What do you mean?"
"With you life? What do you want out of your life?"
"I don't know. I mean well you obviously."
"Do you mean that?"
"Of course." She could see he was nervous. "What's wrong?"
Spike kneeled in front of her. "You're everything to me, Willow. I love with my heart, with my life." He pulled out a ring from his pocket and presented it to her. "Marry me?"
Once Willow could find her voice, she responded. "Yes, very yes." She allowed him to slide the ring on her finger. "It's beautiful."
"It was my mother's."
"Spike."
"I'll love you till my dying days."
"Till my dying days," she agreed.
THE END