They had made a makeshift canopy for Giles' bed to secure at least some privacy for what was about to happen in it. Anya mindlessly adjusted her headphones. On the other side of the room, Giles did the same.
Spike ushered Willow through the curtain of sheets and onto the bed. He was in no hurry, savoring the uncomfortableness his manner was evoking in his partner. Willow was not so much nervous about what she was going to do with Spike. She was, in fact, rather looking forward to it and that made her uncomfortable. Her mind knew that this was insane and her heart knew this would hurt Tara, but those parts of her seemed turned off at this point. She reasoned that it had to be the mark affecting her. And, if she wasn't herself anyway, then it was just best to make the most out of the situation, right? So, as Spike languidly undressed her, she did the same to him. They had been so near these last days and had become so in tune with each other that this eventual seduction took place almost conversationally. Almost.
Spike was a demon, after all, and he felt he wasn't exerting enough control over the situation. The mark was making them act this way. Willow wasn't acting out of any real desire for him at this point and that's what he realized he wanted. He needed her to acknowledge, mark or no, that he was the one bringing her the pleasure she was experiencing right now. He dropped his head to whisper seductively in her ear a single request that he assumed, given her wanton state, she would no doubt oblige. "When it's time, say my name, pet," he purred.
He pulled back to look her right in the eye as she went over the edge and she smiled at him, a sure, confident smile and took a breath to call out. . .
"Anya!"
Anya heard the call over the music in her headphones and began to recite the words to remove Cupid's mark. Giles heard it, too, and waited for the signal he thought would be forthcoming from Spike.
Spike watched the mischievious gleam in Willow's eyes as she purposely denied what he had asked of her. He could also see in her eyes that Cupid's spell on her was waning. She was free. She was the real Willow again. The real Willow who was coming down from her release to notice that Spike remained as he was, where he was. And the panic began to build.
"Spike?" Her voice was a little tremulous. "Shouldn't you, y'know?"
Spike grinned wickedly and looked at the redhead below him, shy, innocent, and blushing furiously. This was the Willow he wanted to seduce.
"Sorry, love, you didn't do what I asked. Looks like I have to give you a second chance. Say, do you still have that pesky mark on your neck? Let's have a look," and with the pretense of putting them in a better position for him to inspect the back of her neck, Spike pulled them upright suddenly, taking Willow with him and letting gravity work it's charm.
"Nnughh - " Willow groaned at her newfound predicament. Spike tilted her head and licked the spot where Cupid's mark had so recently been. She shuddered and leaned into his touch. Now Willow had no excuses. She knew it. Spike knew it. And she knew Spike knew she knew it. Knew was starting to seem like a funny word to her and she giggled.
"What do I have to do to keep your mind on the task at hand?" Spike asked and then proceeded to answer his own question in a few interesting ways.
Giles was beginning to think he had somehow missed Spike's cue and so he slowly began to turn around and peek. When he caught a glimpse of the silhouette behind the hanging sheets, he quickly resumed his previous stance of facing the wall and wished he had had either more patience or greater confidence in his hearing.
Willow was fighting a losing battle with Spike and her own body. Resistance was futile with his strong arms and hands supporting her and his hard chest in such intimate play with her softer attributes. And, oh God, Giles was waiting. Well, that sealed it. If she couldn't give in to these base desires for her own sake, she could for Giles. It was like a favor to him, really it was.
So, solely for Giles' benefit, of course, Willow became a much more active participant in, as Spike put it, the "task at hand." In no time, she was clutching at Spike with a need and frenzy not unlike what they had gone through earlier in the living room. Rational thought was obliterated from her mind and all she could concentrate on was the feel of their bodies together.
Spike was all too near losing control to care much more who won in this little game and was about to give up when he decided the little gasping noises Willow was making in his ear weren't just gasps at all but words instead. It hit him like a wave when he made out what she was practically hissing.
"Spike, Spike, Spike, Spike, Spike..." Willow couldn't help herself. She chanted the little mantra as her only hope of not screaming. That was one embarassment she planned to spare herself throughout all of this.
His smile triumphant and his face beaming with a masculine pride, he took Willow's face in his hands. She was hugging him so tightly, he didn't need to support her anymore. She looked at him, eyes glazed, cheeks flushed. "Was that so hard?" He asked playfully. Not failing to catch the double meaning his words could have, Willow shook her head.
"Your turn, Watcher" Spike called out.
"It's about time," Gile muttered before he pulled his headphones off and began his part of the rites. He had been none too happy imagining any number of reasons Spike still had Willow in there.
Silence fell over the room as Giles finished the incantation. Anya had slipped out of the room as soon as her part was over. The only sound was someone breathing.
"Willow?" Giles asked tentatively. "Is everything all right?"
"We're fine. I think it worked. Could you maybe give us a little time to, uh - "
"Ah, to compose yourselves. Right."
"I was gonna say get dressed, but yeah."
"We'll be downstairs if you need us." With that, Giles left the room.
On the bed, Willow and Spike remained a tangled mass of limbs, clinging to one another. They told themselves this was out of habit from the last few days. But they both knew they were lying.
"We should make sure it worked," Willow said, a bit regretfully.
"We should," Spike agreed.
Slowly, they disentangled themselves and moved apart. They sat at opposite ends of the bed, not touching. Willow couldn't say that she didn't feel any sort of loss inside that would go away were she still in his arms, but she knew the spell was broken.
"I guess we're okay," Willow volunteered weakly.
"Perhaps we should test anyway. See if we can touch and go, so to speak."
Willow seemed to think that was a good idea, too. They crawled toward one another and met in the middle, standing on their knees. Spike reached out and steadied himself against Willow's hips. Willow braced her hands against Spike's shoulders. Still both very naked, they longed for more intimate contact but neither dared.
Spike knew that if he stayed this close to Willow, touching her, for much longer that she would soon know how much he wanted her regardless of Cupid. He wasn't sure that was information he was willing to share just yet. Probably that demon thing again.
"We should get dressed," he said.
"Clothes are good," she affirmed.
They scooted themselves to the end of the bed and began locating various items of clothing. Willow handed Spike his black t-shirt and he found her underwear. She pulled on her skirt and adjusted it. The more dressed Willow became, the more she felt like herself again and she began to blush. She heard Spike's zipper and knew he was dressed. In a hurry to be fully clothed herself, she began fumbling behind her back with the clasp of her bra. Wordlessly, Spike reached over and fastened it for her. Willow didn't take any time to think about his gesture; she put on her top and faced him.
She had expected him to be smirking or something. He wasn't. He looked at her patiently and she felt the blush begin to fade. She had been like a different person around Spike as long as she had Cupid's mark. She would miss the boldness with the vampire. But really... Where was the fun in returning to normal?
"So, we know we're cured." She smiled devilishly; a decidedly impish idea was forming. "Nobody else does yet."
Spike raised his scarred eyebrow, which was exactly the encouragement she needed.
"Want to make them squirm?" she asked.
For the first time, Spike offered Willow a genuine smile. "What have
you got in mind, Red?"