"Dawn… Dawn! Your friends are here." Buffy shouted up the stairs then listened for movement, Dawn came hopping down the stairs.

"Not too slutty?" Dawn fanned her arms out theatrically and waited for her sisters approval.

Buffy nodded at her outfit and then stopped her sister as she tried to walk out of the front door. Slipping a stake into Dawns bag Buffy gave her a look that said 'you know how to use it' and her sister smiled.

"So, when's Spike coming over for your date?" Dawn grinned from the doorway.

"For the millionth time, it's not a date. Just patrolling." Buffy gave her a look of exasperation and it caused her to grin even more.

"Let me see, you ask a guy to patrol on Valentines Day and it's not a date? Who are you trying to kid? Besides I've seen the way you look at him when he drops you off after patrol…" Dawn smiled then her face turned mischievous as she pretended to be Buffy. "Oh Spike, if only you'd kiss me, take me up in your manly arms and sha…"

"Dawn! When I asked him last night, this morning, I really didn't think 'Hey it's Valentines lets ask Spike out on a date and pretend it's just patrolling', I just felt I was going to need to kill something today." Buffy sat down on the bottom step of the stairs and looked up at Dawn, she was still grinning.

"You sure that's all you felt you need?" She giggled at Buffy and wiggled an eyebrow.

"Dawn that's disgusting, now get out of the house." Buffy stood and playfully pushed her sister out of the door. "Go, have fun…"

"I'm sure I won't be the only one…" Dawn laughed back at her as she walked down the path.

Buffy shook her head as she closed the front door, walking to the kitchen she wondered if Spike was going to think it was a date. She couldn't even fool herself anymore, something inside her last night had known today was Valentines and Buffy never pre-arranged a patrol with him. Maybe she wanted a date tonight or maybe she just didn't want to be alone on Valentines Day. One thing was pretty straight though; her sister was right - hanging around with anything slightly resembling male on Valentines was a date.

Letting her thoughts slip to when she had first come back from the dead she went over all that Spike had done for her. He had been the only one who hadn't smothered her when she was trying to readjust to living, he'd stayed with them for the first couple of weeks, helping her settle in to the routine of looking after Dawn. Every night that she'd woken up from nightmares of the grave he'd been there, watching her, ready to get her anything she needed - he'd explained it away as having heard her and just dropping in to check, purely because he couldn't sleep but she knew it was more than that. Buffy realised then how much he loved her, he wouldn't sleep unless she was awake and safe, she knew he had passed each night watching her, sitting in her room and making sure that when she woke up she wasn't alone and she knew it wasn't about getting into her pants, it was about his loving her.

Whenever she needed to talk he'd sit patiently listening to her, nothing could distract him from her, not even Dawn, not even Xander. He'd be intent on hearing what she had to say, offering comforting words about how much he understood what it was like to wake up in your coffin, to claw your way out. Sighing Buffy realised that if it hadn't been for Spike she probably wouldn't have made it this far. She still talked to him about everything, from the little things like Dawn being messy to the big things like her dreams and fears, and she liked it, no she loved it, she loved being able to be open with someone who had similar experiences to draw on. Last night she'd spent four hours sitting in his crypt on the couch with him, just curled up and talking to him and he'd shared so much with her about his life that she'd left wanting to know even more. In some small way she felt connected to him, he fascinated her with the tales of his long unlife and last night, tales of his human life.

She started rummaging through the kitchen cupboards for something low in fat to snack on. Looking out of the window she watched the sky turning pale purple as the last rays of the sunset finally disappeared. The stars would come out in around an hour and with them would come Spike. Pondering how long she had to get ready she formulated a plan of action. First popcorn and a drink, something stiff and definitely high in alcohol content should do the trick. Then she would get out of her bathrobe and carefully choose something to wear that wasn't too casual but not overly datey either. Drying her hair and makeup would naturally come next, shortly after which it would be dark enough for Spike to show up.

Buffy stared blankly at the popcorn in the microwave, cooking popcorn was a fine art, if she left it to nuke for the correct amount of minutes it would burn - no matter what it said on the packet. You had to stand there watching it rotate as the time ticked down, finger at the ready to push to stop button at the first sign of danger. It was a global conspiracy designed to annoy hapless millions.

A knock at the door distracted her, willing herself to ignore it she stared at the popcorn, trying to follow one corner of the packet as it went around in circles. Another knock and Buffys patience failed her, she hurried to the front door and whipped it open.

"What!" She barked at offending person and then looked up at them.

"Call me old fashioned but I really miss the word 'hello', mean 'what' is charming and all but not a patch on 'hello'." Spike flicked his cigarette onto the lawn and put his hand behind his back.

Suddenly realising there was a man looking at her, especially Spike of all things resembling men, Buffy wrapped her bathrobe tighter around herself and shuffled her feet back to try and hide her fluffy slippers.

"Hello Spike." Feeling more than awkward she raised her eyes up to his, it was just like Spike to be early, from the moment she'd met him he'd never had the patience to wait for the predestined time.

"Not interrupting am I?" Spike looked her over from her wet loosely tied up hair to the pink fluffy monstrosities on her feet.

"No, why'd you think that?" Buffy kept her face void of emotion and tried to pull the bathrobe tighter around her still.

"Just…" Raising his brows he pointed at her face, her eyes widened as she realised what he was looking at.

Turning away from him Buffy pulled the white strip off her nose with a grimace, gave herself a few seconds to recover then turned back to him.

"It's called pampering myself Spike."

"So, no date then?" He watched her closely for a reaction, thoughts about 'patrolling' on Valentines Day had kept him awake and he still wasn't sure if this was a date or she really just wanted to patrol.

"Wait. Can you smell that?" Buffy sniffed the air and looked at Spike like he was a bloodhound.

"Burning popcorn, didn't want to say anything." He just shrugged as she ran off towards the kitchen.

Buffy pulled the microwave door open and sagged into a sigh, the popcorn packet looked like she'd been trying to cremate it. Picking it up by one corner she opened the back door and set it down on top of the trashcan, frowning at it as through she expected it to spontaneously combust at any second.

Walking back into the living room she'd expected to see Spike firmly settled into the couch in that little way of his, but he was still waiting on the porch.

"No." Buffy shuffled to a stop in front of him and idly played with the belt of her bathrobe, stroking it gently, it felt soft and comforting.

"No?" Spike looked confused.

"I don't have a date." There she said it, nobody wanted to date her even on Valentines so she was pampering herself while waiting for someone tall blond and handsome to show up.

Spike stood and watched her in silence for what seemed like forever. As she raised her head up to look him in the eye a strand of hair fell down onto her cheek and he fought the temptation to reach out and push it gently behind her ear.

"Bloody pillocks, passing up an opportunity to date someone like you, mean I can't complain I suppose, being the undead and all, not many people want to date me. But you Buffy, you deserve better than this, patrolling on Valentines." Spike sighed as he tilted his head to look at her, he felt better when he was honest with her, recently she'd accepted things better when he was honest and she'd dropped out of her habit of hitting him or bolting.

"Oh. Guess neither of us are very dateable." She watched as Spike shifted uncomfortably. "What?"

Spike reasoned with himself that it was stupid to feel awkward about something as petty as this, he pulled a long stemmed velvety dark red rose out from behind his back and presented it to her.

"Didn't steal it and I'm not trying to make this a date." Spike smiled inwardly as she took it from him, a stunned expression on her face.

"I wasn't going to say that, it's beautiful." Buffy stared at the rose in her hand, smiling at how even someone as crude as Spike could do beautiful things sometimes and then took a deep breath. "I was making popcorn."

"Noticed." Spike couldn't help noticing how embarrassed she suddenly was.

"Was going to watch a movie… while I got ready for patrol, don't suppose you'd want… I mean… you probably just want to get on with patrolling…" Steadying herself with a long deep breath Buffy raised her eyes to meet his again, her voice becoming even. "Do you want to come in for a bit?"

Spike felt like the entire London philharmonic orchestra had just struck up in his head and he was slightly dazed by the volume.

"Love to." Stepping over the threshold of her front door Spike adjusted his eyes to the level of brightness and watched as Buffy scurried away to the kitchen.

Searching through the cupboards Buffy managed to find a vase tall enough to hold the rose and filled it with water. Settling the rose into it she walked back into the living room and placed it on the table. Spike was watching her with interest, as she sat down on the couch next to him he tilted his head in a way that reminded her she was only wearing her bathrobe.

"Think I'm going to get dressed."

"No need to on my account." He grinned at her and as he raised one brow she bolted up the stairs.

Coming back downstairs she found Spike raiding the fridge, he looked up as she entered the kitchen and smiled triumphantly as he pulled two bottles of beer out. Buffy smiled as she noticed he'd actually made an effort over his clothing, instead of his usual black t-shirt and jeans combination he was wearing a black patterned silk shirt with jet black jeans. On further sly inspection Buffy noticed he was wearing a gold chain that neatly highlighted his collarbones and the start of his pectoral muscles, she sighed inwardly as wicked little thoughts surfaced in her mind.

Spike let his eyes roam her now dressed body as she took another packet of popcorn out of the box and started the process again. Punching the numbers in she pressed start then leant against the island, arms folded and willing her concentration to stop roaming towards Spike. Maybe it was just because it was Valentines, or that they'd spent so much time together recently but he smelt damn good tonight. Warm and inviting to her senses.

He couldn't figure out what she was up to, she wasn't dressed like he'd expected her to be. Instead of a turtleneck sweater and jeans she was wearing a long flowing denim skirt and a cream short-sleeved gypsy style top, most of all she was definitely sans bra. What was more perplexing was the fact she was staring at the microwave in the same way he did when there was blood in it.

"What?" Buffy sighed out in resignation, no longer able to ignore his frown.

"Interesting popcorn love? There's this thing they call a telly…" He leant next to her and watched the microwave, admitting to himself that watching the popcorn rotating was strangely relaxing.

"If you don't watch it then it burns." She gave him a sideward glance as he sipped his bottle of beer.

"I see." Spike took a deep breath, almost overwhelmed by the mixture of Slayer scent and Buffys perfume that always smelt like cherries and vanilla, but on the edge of his senses it was there. "Stop it."

Buffy gave him a quizzical look and he pointed to the microwave, bringing his hand back down to his side it brushed against hers. She frowned as little sparks ran along her nerves, telling herself it was purely coincidental and had nothing to do with the sensation of his cool skin on hers.

"Trust me." He pushed off from the island and grinned as he walked into the living room.

Buffy pulled the door open, tearing the packet open she tipped it out into the waiting bowl. The last piece to fall out was slightly burnt. She sighed in disbelief as she picked up the bowl and carried it towards the living room. Sometimes vampires were handy.

Stopping in the doorway she noted he'd turned the lights down low. Buffy watched Spike swigging his beer, feet up on her coffee table and channel hopping with the occasional frown at the TV.

She walked slowly towards Spike, he was chuckling at the TV but it sounded distant to her ears as she thought over how the world conspired against people. Spike, now he was the ultimate global conspiracy against her, a vampire that wouldn't die. The more she fought with him the more he got under her skin. The more he got under her skin the more she pushed him away. The more she pushed him away the closer he got to her. The closer he got to her the more her will crumbled. The more her will crumbled the more she had to admit that it wasn't the vampire element about him that made her body sing when he accidentally touched her.

Putting the bowl down on the table with a thump she got his attention, Spike narrowed his eyes on her and tilted his head in a confused look.

Sitting down next to him Buffy blanked him and looked at the TV, as he turned his attention there too she shuffled a little closer. Taking a deep breath she sighed internally, god he smells good.

"So. What's the plan? Few beers, a movie then off to patrol?" Spike turned his head to look at her, she was staring at his arm.

"Do you work out?" She touched his bicep softly and felt the little sparks running along her fingertips.

"Well yeah." He chuckled at her with a frown then narrowed his eyes on hers. "You alright Slayer?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just wondering…" She cut herself off mid-sentence and bit her lip, raising her eyes to meet his.

"Wondering?" Spikes mind was working overtime and the same question pounded his skull over and over again, is she flirting with me?

"Nothing." What you would look like naked.

Buffy smoothed her skirt out and stared at the TV, taking Spikes bottle of beer from his hand she gulped it down and smiled at him like a naughty child.

"Hey." Spike groused as she handed him the empty bottle.

"It's my beer." Buffy frowned at him as he stood up, leaning into the couch she watched him saunter off to the kitchen.

Walking back into the living room Spike was a little taken aback by the sight of Buffy lighting candles. She froze when he looked at her, lighter held in mid lighting. Shaking his head he slouched into the sofa and slung his feet up onto the table.

"How come you were so early?" Buffy instantly cursed herself for her poor choice of wording.

"Beg pardon?" Spike pondered if he really had interrupted her plans, she didn't specify a time to him last night or more this morning, they'd talked so much last night that he hadn't wanted her to leave. He'd almost asked her to say but bottled out and instead spent the whole of today wondering if she would have.

"I meant it was only just getting dark out, not like you… actually it's a lot like you to walk about when you can get crispified. Forget I asked." She picked at the bowl of popcorn.

"Already forgotten." Spike swigged his beer and flicked channels.

"Just it's stupid, endangering yourself by wandering about during what is still technically the day." Buffy couldn't understand why it suddenly got her so pissed off that he openly flouted the whole direct sunlight thing, like he wanted to get burnt to a crisp. It dawned on her that she liked him being around, liked being near him and didn't like the thought of him not being here.

"Or sitting next to an overly inquisitive Slayer in an empty house full of pointy wooden objects?" He couldn't figure out what she was up to, but it was obvious she was running hot and cold tonight - he hoped they would mingle and things would get warm.

Rummaging around in her popcorn bowl Buffy watched him as he chuckled at the TV, she popped a few pieces of popcorn into her mouth then offered it to him. As he leant closer to her she inhaled his aftershave again.

"Damn he smells good." Buffy mumbled out loud, shocked at herself she panicked as he frowned at her.

"Didn't quite catch that." Spikes frown intensified.

"Damn, tastes like wood." She groaned inwardly at how pathetic it sounded.

Buffy fished some popcorn out of the bowl and offered it to him. Spike opened his mouth to say something but she shoved the handful of popcorn in, hoping it would keep him occupied.

"Tastes fine to me." Spike mumbled.

He started flicking channels again and Buffy put the popcorn back on the table, there was no way she could eat it after complaining about the way it tasted. Bringing her feet up onto the couch beside her Buffy watched Spike closely, every time the channel changed he would pause for a few seconds then frown as he pressed the next button on the remote.

As Spike smiled Buffy turned her attention to the TV, it was some creepy looking horror movie.

"No." Reaching for the remote Buffy sighed in exasperation as he held it away from her.

"Yes." Spike grinned at her and moved the remote so it was further out of reach.

Buffy frowned at him and leant across to try and grab the remote. Tugging on his other arm to try and pull his whole body closer so she could get to the remote she quickly realised it would probably be a better idea to just walk over to the TV. As Spike started tickling her all thoughts were sent into oblivion, it was war.

Turning on him Buffy knelt on the couch and struggled to pull on his arm to get to the remote, Spike just chuckled at how stubborn she was being. Using his free hand he dug his fingers into her side and tickled her again, Buffy wriggled as she struggled not to laugh. A look of determination crossing her features she knelt on Spikes lap and made a swipe for the remote. As she leant forwards she felt her top slide and reveal her stomach, Spike tickled the bare strip of her waist that was showing and smiled as she laughed hysterically. He liked that sound, it had been far too long since she'd laughed like that and it was comforting to hear, he couldn't remember her laughing so much since she came back from the dead. As he tickled her more his focus was suddenly on how her skin felt under his fingers, he realised that for the first time ever he was being allowed to touch her somewhere almost intimate, her skin was warm and smooth under his hand. Snapping out of his reverie he grinned and tickled her harder, watching as her head flung back and she gasped for air as she laughed. She made a swipe for the remote again but failed miserably.

Laughing at her Spike moved his arm so it was stretched out behind the couch, without thinking about her position Buffy leant forward and grabbed his wrist triumphantly with a giggle then froze in horror. She had his hand all right and Spike had a face full of her breasts.

This night was turning out good, Spike growled and wrapped his arm around her waist, holding her firm as he breathed her in. Buffys panic subsided and was replaced with intense heat as Spike growled again, she still gripped his wrist tightly - as though it made everything all right.

Bringing the arm Buffy had a death grip on forwards he used his other hand to pull her legs out from under her, flipping her so she was sat on his lap. Buffy let go of his wrist, her heart was pounding hard against her rib cage and she still couldn't stop thinking about how good he smelt and it was now joined by how good his fingers had felt on her waist.

Letting go of her Spike watched her closely, expecting her to sit up and hit him. But she didn't move, she looked like she was waiting for something.

"Buffy…" Spike was about to ask her his usual 'you alright' when she grabbed him around the back of his head and kissed him.

Spike mumbled the rest of his sentence into her mouth as he started kissing her back, wrapping his arm around her back he pulled her tight against him. Buffy broke the kiss off and started kissing along his jaw line then down his neck.

"God you smell good." She whispered while she kissed his collarbones.

"Knew that's what you said earlier." Spike grinned triumphantly and let his hand roam over her thigh, raining wet kisses down on her neck as she kissed his.

Buffy couldn't take it, scrambling up she straddled his lap and started yanking on his shirt. Throwing the offending clothing across the room she hungrily kissed his chest and Spikes hands pushed her skirt up then slid around to her ass. Gripping her backside tightly he realised she was also sans panties, he pulled her flush against him and her warm mouth found his again.

Spike growled as Buffy raked her nails down his chest, digging them in and leaving little crescent moon shapes. He slipped his hands up the back of her top and pulled her harder against him. Pushing off him Buffy stood up, breathing coming fast and shallow.

For a moment Spike thought it was over, she was running cold again but the look in her eyes said it had only just begun. Pausing she looked like she was considering the options as she blinked at him.

Buffy slowly straddled him again and planted hot wet kisses all over his chest then up his neck. Gasping as she felt his cold hands slip under her top and cup her breasts she leant back with closed eyes. Spike grinned as he teased a nipple then kneaded her breasts, they were warm and soft under his fingers and he let his eyes roll shut for a second to absorb how divine they felt. She felt like she was burning up, something had to be done about it, leaning forwards again Buffy kissed Spike roughly as she pinned his shoulders to the back of the couch.

Matching the ferocity of her kiss Spike sucked on her lip as he pulled on her top, Buffy peeled it off then returned her hungry mouth to his, tugging on his belt with her fingers.

Unbuttoning his jeans Spike paused to look up at her, she was biting her lip as she watched his hands.

"Just relax pet, not going to do anything you don't want to." He cupped her cheek and she looked up at him then blinked.

Standing up she pulled his jeans off him then straddled him again. Moving forwards Buffy kept eye contact as she lowered herself onto his cock. Something inside her smiled as his eyes rolled shut and a look of ecstasy crossed his face. Rocking her hips slowly she wrapped her arms around his neck, eyes unmoving from his as he slipped his arms around her waist.

As Spike opened his eyes again he found Buffy staring into them, searching them deeply as she moved against him he didn't see lust looking back at him like he had a moment ago, now it was something else. He wanted to kiss her but that would mean breaking eye contact and he didn't want that, he was basking in every emotion she felt for him and it was heaven.

Biting her lip Buffy tensed her thighs and moaned slightly as she milked his shaft harder, his eyes were so soft and content that she almost wanted to move hers to rest on the couch as she suddenly felt shy. Feeling his hands sliding up her arms and around the back of her head Buffy smiled and bought her forehead to rest on his.

Spike moved his hips forwards to bury himself deeper inside her as he did so she moaned his name softly, her hips still moving slowly against him. As she licked her lips he smiled to himself, wondering if she felt as close to him right now as he felt to her.

"Buffy…" He ran the backs of his fingers down her cheek and she leant back to look at him, her breath catching in her throat at how the change of position put him deeper inside her.

"Spike…" Swimming deep in his eyes she could feel her heart expanding, it caught somewhere in her throat along with her breath.

"… I love you." Spikes brows furrowed slightly as his eyes narrowed into a gentle look, waiting for a reaction. She moved her hips harder against him and smiled.

"Say it again…" Buffy leant back further, biting her lip over how those words had made a fire in her like a volcano and she was choking on her emotions.

"I love you Buffy." He felt himself creeping closer to the edge, grinding his hips into hers he pulled her forwards to him again and looked earnestly into her eyes.

"Spike…" Grasping his hips with her inner thighs she moved a little quicker, never breaking eye contact with him, the feeling in her abdomen was growing out of control.

As she rocked her hips against him Buffy realised he was only looking at her with the same emotions she was looking at him with, she wasn't lusting for him, desiring something she couldn't have, it was beyond simple passion.

"Spike…" Feeling the build up in her stomach at the same time as her barriers came tumbling down Buffy looked deeply into his eyes as he tilted his head at her.

"Buffy…" Spike breathed out in a hoarse whisper, watching the emotions playing across her face.

"God… you smell good…" She couldn't bottle out, it was too late, he'd seen it written clearly in her expression. "God.., I love you…"

Spike bucked his hips up hard against hers as he came, Buffy moaned harshly and screwed her face up, letting her orgasm carry her away like a tide.

Breathing deeply she looked back at him, he was searching her face and eyes to see if what she'd said was real. Buffy slumped forwards and let her nose touch his, trying to ignore the feeling of their juices mingling and tickling her as they trailed down her thigh.

"Say it again…" His voice faltered as she looked at him, brushing his cheek softly with her fingers.

"I love you… happy valentines." Buffy felt warm inside as she watched him intently.

"And to think, all I got you was a rose." Spike grinned up at her.

"I'm sure you'll be giving me more than that." Buffy wriggled mischievously and Spike smiled.

"Give a fella a minute to recover…" He visibly paused for a second and looked down at his pelvis then back up into her eyes as he raised he brows. "Okay… ready."

~*~ End ~*~