TITLE: "The Washing of the Water" (1/1)
AUTHOR: Marie-Claude Danis
EMAIL: mc@fangy.net
SITE: http://fangy.net
ARCHIVE: My site, list archives, those who have my stuff.
Otherwise just ask.
RATING: PG
PAIRING: Spike/Buffy
SUMMARY: Superheroes unwind.
NOTE: La la la. Bored at work. Alternately writing smut and
fluff. This would be the fluff.

* * *



She sank further into the hot water, her feet squeaking against
the warm enamel. The bubble bath foam rose up her chest and her
knees poked out of the froth like little pink islands. The back
of her neck met with the side of the tub; it was uncomfortable,
but easy enough to ignore.

The little tendrils that escaped the loose hair tie dipped into
the tub and clung to her skin. The scalding water tickled at her
body, a thousand tiny pricks that melded together to make her
muscles relax, finally, like over-simplified acupuncture. She let
her arms float idly on each side of her, against her thighs,
halfway between the water's surface and the bottom of the tub.

She looked up and met tired blue eyes. The eyes in question
stared overtly. She stifled a weary grin and shot him the best
scowl she could muster.

"Oh, very convincing. I'm quaking in my boots."

"You look silly naked."

He gasped in mock outrage. "Is that so? Maybe I should revoke
your Spike privileges then."

"Get in."

Of course, instead of stepping into the tub like a normal person
would, he sat on the edge than threw himself backward, landing in
her lap with a messy splash.

She yelped and batted at bits of bubble bath that flew into her
face. "Brilliant, Spike."

He joined his hands on his bare stomach and grinned smugly at
her, reclining comfortably against the cold tile, with his legs
hanging out the other side of the tub.

She squirmed under his weight, trying to make herself comfortable
again. "You lump. Very sexy. I want you. Right now."

"You will. Later."

"I think you just broke my spine."

"I'm relying on those accelerated Slayer healing powers."

"Yeah, wait till we get out of here, you'll have to rely on yours
too. Move."

He swung his feet over the edge and slid into the water between
her legs with a satisfied groan. He sat there bonelessly for a
moment, rolling his shoulders wearily. "Hell, this feels good."

She scooped up a handful of bubbles into her hand and spread it
over his back, across the moving muscles, letting her fingers
dance over his skin. He dropped his head forward, working out the
kinks in his neck.

"Lean back."

He did, and the water rose around them as his back met with her
chest and stomach. She propped one foot on the edge of the tub
against the tiles, with her other leg bent at the knee on the
other side of him. His fingers played idly against her ankle and
he leaned his head back against her shoulder.

She leaned her cheek against his mussed up head. "Better?"

"Definitely getting there." He closed his eyes and yawned. Before
long, her small hands sneaked onto his chest, fingers spread,
palms flat against his skin. They were hot from the water, and he
could feel the exact outline of her hands on his own warming
skin. The muscles there relaxed too, soothed.

They stayed quiet, unmoving, unwinding. The bathroom went still
but for the soft clap of the water against the tub and against
their bodies, the discreet fizz of the bubble bath dying slowly
around them, and her breathing, her breathing and her pulse,
right there inside her wrist, over his dead heart.

After a while one of her hands disappeared and he absently felt
her move behind him. Then there was a soft warmth on his stomach,
a square of thick cotton, heavy with water, and the feel of her
delicate fingers walking over it. He moaned gratefully; she took
a handful of the cloth and started trailing it across his chest
and stomach in lazy patterns.

"After this..." she began, very low, and right into his ear.

"Mmm?"

"I thought maybe..."

He smiled softly, turning his head slightly to rub the bridge of
his nose against her throat. "Yeah luv..."

"We could go to bed naked, hide under the covers, and sleep for
two whole days."

"Mmm..." He smiled, his eyes closed. "But then who would save the
world?"

She dipped the cloth in the water and it came back heavy and warm
again. She trailed it on his shoulder, along the bones and over
the tired muscles.

"Someone else."



END