Chapter 3.05

Spike took some of her shampoo and massaged it into her hair. When he had finished he spun them round so that instead of hitting his back the water from the shower was hitting hers instead. She took a step backward, still holding him round the waist and let the water rinse the suds from her hair, his fingers working through the strands directing the water flow until the last of the lather was rinsed away. He found himself in the perfect position to claim a kiss. Buffy’s head was tilted back and her eyes closed and one of his hands was wrapped in her hair while her arms still circled his waist. His lips moved on hers with a light touch, nibbling at her lower lip to prevent the pout he expected, when she realised he had finished doing her hair.

Pulling back, he turned off the water. "I guess it’s time we went back to pretending that we’re responsible adults and head back to Sunnyhell. See Bit. Do some sort of patrol." Spike sounded as if he wished they had other plans.

"I thought we had a date with some silky underwear," Buffy suggested.

"Much as the idea appeals, and believe me it does;" He treated her to a trademark leer to prove his point. "I think a rain check’s prob’ly in order. Don’t want the Niblet thinking that we’re too interested in screwin’ each other’s brains out to spend time with her, or attend to your slayer duties. She seems happy we’re together. Don’t want her to change her mind," the platinum blond responded.

"You know, if you had to choose, life and death, between me and her I sometimes wonder which one you’d choose," teased the slayer as she led him back into the main room.

The couple started, albeit reluctantly, to get dressed as the vampire responded with a rueful smirk. "Already answered that question, pet, long time ago. Right before our first proper kiss. Well, first one that wasn’t ‘cause of a spell, that is."

Buffy cast her mind back, trying to think what he could mean, then she remembered his words. "…the other, not so pleasant Buffy …anything happened to Dawn, it’d destroy her. I couldn’t live her bein’ in that much pain." Yeah, he’d made it plain where he stood. He would die to protect them, but implicit in his words was his acknowledgement of Buffy’s willingness to die to save her sister. She had her answer, not necessarily the one she would have expected but then when had her vampire ever been predictable. Her vampire? Her vampire.

"I guess you did," she replied softly as she moved behind him, passing her arms around his waist once more, pressing into his T-shirt clad back so he wouldn’t see her face. "There’s no limit to what you would do for me, is there?"

"I thought that was obvious by what I agreed to, to get you to marry me." Spike adopted a teasing tone, trying to lighten the serious mood.

"No, that showed me what you were prepared to do to be with me. Knowing that you would let me go because it’s what I’d want that means even more."

Spike shrugged. "Not really. No point keepin’ you here for you to end up hating me and yourself for lettin’ Niblet get hurt. Still just the same old selfish Spike. Couldn’t go back to havin’ you hate me not after this."

"Oh well. If you put it like that, then…" her teasing tone came back, as did Spike’s.

"Couldn’t have you thinkin’ I was all noble and self-sacrificin’, could I?"

"That’d never do. Can’t forget you’re the Big Bad… Cutie." Her last word prompted the vamp to twist in her arms and sweep her feet from under her, pinning her to the tile floor.

"What did I say to you about the "C" word?" Spike proceeded to tickle her mercilessly. "Who’s the only cutie in this room? …Tell me, love."

Buffy gasped for air and squirmed beneath him. "You …are."

The tickling onslaught stopped and Buffy realised that Spike’s lips were only a fraction of an inch away from her own. "Wrong answer, slayer." He stood up and turning away he finished getting dressed.

Buffy continued to pant on the floor for another minute or two. "That’s it. You’re just going to give up?" she managed after some time.

"Hell no, just waiting till I can consult with an expert tactician as to my best form of attack, and then I’ll mount an offensive in my own time. For just now, it’s time to go home." He reached down, offering a hand to help her up and was relieved when she took it.

"Translation?" Buffy gave him a sceptical look.

"I’m going to find out from your little sister how best to make you suffer, since tickling doesn’t appear to do it. I’m sure she’ll think of something," Spike smirked and gave her a slap on her behind. "Now, put some clothes on, woman, before all my good intentions go to waste."

The slayer jumped, startled by the blow rather than hurt. Her eyes narrowed as she watched the vampire sit down on the bed to put on his socks and boots.

"Spike, you’re a pig," she responded as much out of habit as out of conviction.

Spike was quiet on the drive back. Couldn’t the bloody woman just give way on anything? Was it her aim in life to strip him of every last vestige of pride that he possessed? Hell, yeah, he was love’s bitch again. Always had been, probably always would be. Still, "cutie", that’s a girl’s nickname and damned if anyone had ever seen him in a skirt, even if Dru had been quite intrigued by the idea in the eighties. And okay, he was making it into a bigger deal than it deserved to be, but it was the final soddin’ straw. Damned if he’d got his own way in anything since the pair of them had got engaged and look at the concessions he’d had to make to get her to agree to that.

Okay, she hadn’t gone back to that dump she’d worked in, but that was because she’d totally ignored what he said about wanting to stay in control until the Watcher could tell them whether it was safe to claim each other. She hadn’t liked the idea that he could rein himself in when they were together. It hurt her pride. So she deliberately set out to make him lose control. Even when he’d already told her the reason he was holding off. Stubborn bitch.

And when she did find out what that password meant he probably wasn’t going to hear the end of that either. Further embarrassment to come at the slayer’s hands. They’d been using that same bloody password for decades. He’d always thought it was a nice ironic touch. Back in the day anyone who found out would most likely have been creeped out by it. They certainly wouldn’t have found it amusing like the slayer would. That was why he’d refused to tell her. He wasn’t good at being laughed at. He’d had a lifetime of it before Dru saved him. After that he’d sworn he would never put up with it again, and he hadn’t, not till that soddin’ wheelchair that she put him in. If she insisted on finding out at least he didn’t have to be in the vicinity at the time.

God, why couldn’t he, just for once, fall for someone who would give him a bit of slack? Someone who would treat him with some respect.

Buffy stole sideways glances at the man behind the wheel of the car. If he wasn’t smoking, his jaw had that tick that said he was barely in control. She wished she could tell what he was thinking right now. Whatever it was, it wasn’t of the good. He’d been fine in the motel, well maybe a little off, the last five minutes, but definitely more than welcoming up until then and he’d seemed okay when they left the room. Then when she’d come back to the car after checking out he’d gone into silent mode. And kept it up for half an hour so far, which had to be a Spike record. Guess Angel wasn’t the only one she was going to have to prise information out of.

"Okay, what’s the what?" she threw in as an opening gambit.

"Who says there’s a what?"

"I do. If you were human you would have ground your teeth to talcum by now. What gives?"

"Not you, that’s for sure." The Brit flicked a cold glance over her before returning his attention to the tiny bare patch on the windscreen.

"What? What are you talking about?" Buffy’s temper immediately rose to take on his.

"You. I had this stupid idea that if you loved someone, then what they wanted was supposed to count for something."

"Okay, I’m sure that makes some sort of sense to you but I don’t have a clue what you’re talking about."

"Name me one disagreement or argument or fight that we’ve had where you’ve actually backed down and let me have my way. You do realise that when people talk about give and take in a relationship it’s not meant to be all give on one side and all take on the other."

"I didn’t go back to DMP. You didn’t want me to and I didn’t go back."

"There’s a good example. You didn’t go back because I bit you so you couldn’t go back that night and by the next day you were enjoying playing hookey too much to want to go back. It had nothing to do with what I wanted. And to go back to me biting you, I bloody told you I wanted to keep things as they were until Rupert finished his research. That I had to stay in control until we knew it was okay, so you decided it was a challenge. You just had to push to see if you could get me to lose control and look where that’s got us."

"Yeah, well, I don’t see a problem with where that got us," Buffy responded.

"So you don’t think you’re eventually going to come to resent the control it gives me."

"No more than I resented the fact you weren’t being completely open."

"My point exactly, slayer. It doesn’t matter what we’re talking about or what any reasoning behind it is, as soon as you don’t agree you just do whatever it takes to get your own way. Compromise just isn’t in your vocabulary. Well maybe you should think about what you might lose in the long run if you win every argument," the vampire ground out, his eyes never leaving the road.

"Are you threatening to leave me? Didn’t take you long to threaten to go back on all your big promises, did it?"

"For goodness sake, how many times do I have to tell you that I’m here to stay? What I’m saying is if you can’t get over always having to win you’ll destroy the last few scraps of pride this buggerin’ chip lets me keep. I told you once I was a willing slave. I can’t deny you anything and if you keep going, that’s what you’ll have a slave, not a husband."

Buffy was stunned into silence. He was right. She knew he wouldn’t leave. She knew that he would do anything to make her happy and if she didn’t curb her slayer instincts she would walk all over him for it. He could read her so easily. He knew when he should back off. She didn’t, not yet. She still didn’t even know what she’d done to bring all this up.

When she finally found words to speak all the anger was gone from her voice. "You’re right, as you almost always are. I just don’t know what I’m supposed to have done. I mean you were right I did set out to make you lose control, but I don’t think that’s it. I don’t … What did I do?"

"I might be into pain, but emasculation, verbal or otherwise isn’t my scene. Not that I do great on ridicule of any sort, in fact." came the vampire’s cool reply.

Buffy mentally made her way through the last five minutes in the motel room. "You’re in a foul mood because I called you Cutie? That’s what’s got you so bent out of shape? In case you hadn’t noticed it’s supposed to be a term of endearment. It doesn’t bother you when you use it on me. In fact it was you using it that started it. Turn about’s fair play."

The vampire sorted in disgust. "Not when you’re throwin’ around words like that. Cute, I’ll just about put up with since with your age group it sort of means sexy, but I still don’t like it. Cutie though… To me a cutie is a little big-eyed bint, which to me seems appropriate for you, but it’s hardly going to make me feel all manly, is it? And I’m not this pissed off because you called me cutie, I’m this pissed because even when I gave you the chance to take it back you were too bloody pig-headed to do it. A stupid little thing not worth fighting over but you still had to win. That’s what pisses me off."

"Well, that’s not what I mean by it …or Will, I mean Willow. We both talk about guys being cuties, or we used to, but I’m sorry that I upset you. I’ll try to avoid calling you anything girly in future. And I’ll try not to push everything to the limit."

"Yeah, just remember you said that when you get round to doing your research."

"If you stop the car I’ll find you a nice big weapon from the trunk. Something very butch," Buffy offered.

"What?"

"Well, you did tell me once that weapons made you feel ‘all manly’. I thought it might help repair all the psychological damage I’ve done."

"I can think of other ways. And that was four and half years ago. You telling me you’ve memorised every word I’ve ever said to you."

"Actually, what I remember more were the …actions that went with it." Her cheeks flushed with colour as she spoke and her eyes burned bright.

"Are you saying you had the hots for the Big Bad way back then, pet?"

"Let’s think, I was more than interested first time I saw you, right up to the point where you said you were going to kill me. That sort of put a damper on things. And when we were fighting in the school I was a bit busy being scared and generally trying to stay alive. The whole machismo thing came across as skanky rather than anything else. That doesn’t mean to say that after our first engagement, it didn’t feature in an occasional late night fantasy."

"Now, see, that’s making me feel more manly already. So you dreamt about me even when you were seeing the hall monitor."

"Will, I thought about you while I was screwing the hall monitor, okay?" Buffy blushed even redder. "I dreamt about you and I got myself off thinking about you."

"Buffy, you naughty girl. What exactly was it that made you want to imagine you were with someone who’d never done more than kiss you? I don’t even think you’d seen me with my shirt off."

"I’d felt you though. In the crypt, just before Willow reversed the spell, I could feel everything. I knew you …measured up."

"And soldier boy didn’t?"

"Let’s say, maybe he was about the same height as Angel but he wasn’t as big, and you know how you compare with Angel. I mean he was probably average size for his height, he wasn’t tiny or anything. He just wasn’t …you. And then there’s the whole bad boy thing." Buffy’s tone shifted from shyly disconcerted to mildly sarcastic as she continued. "Now have I embarrassed myself and restored your ego enough or do you need me to suck you off now?"

Spike laughed. "I think that can wait till we’re stationary, love. Maybe after patrol we can take the bike over to the flat and christen the new sheets. If they smell of you I might be able to sleep."

Buffy leant over and kissed his cheek. "I’ve never known anyone who could be so sweet and so crass all in the same mouthful. God knows why I love you, Will, but I do."

"And I love you too, pet."

Buffy scooched over as far in his direction as she could, trying to find a comfortable position to snuggle up to him while he was driving, eventually squirming back into the same position she’d been in the night before. He wasn’t talking any more but that was okay. The tension was gone from his jaw and the hand she wasn’t holding was drumming on the steering wheel to some song in his head. She’d probably find out what it was when he got round to singing along under his breath. All was well with the world again …for now.

"Buffy?"

The woman in question opened her eyes looking up at the face of the man she was propped against. By her reckoning they probably had another half-hour’s drive before they reached Sunnydale. "Mm-hmm?"

"D’you think Platelet would mind if I didn’t come in when I drop you off?"

"She’d be disappointed." Buffy gave him a questioning look. "Why do you ask?"

"I was thinking if I got the bed made and the curtains put up I could go back to the flat tonight instead of staying at the crypt."

"You could stay at ours again?"

"It’s only the third night since I spent the night at your place and you had good reason to limit it to two nights a week. Can’t tell who might be watchin’. They probably wouldn’t be as bad now we’re engaged but there’s no point takin’ unnecessary chances. ‘Sides we probably wouldn’t be too popular if we kept the rest of the house up on a week night."

"Well, come in, have dinner with us and then the three of us can go over there together after and sort it out. It’s easier doing double beds with two people anyway, and Dawn’ll want to see your new place. You can drop her off at home before we patrol.

And as to keeping everybody else awake, I’ve been thinking maybe soundproofing the basement and putting in another bathroom might be the best option whether the other Will stays or not …if we can definitely afford it?"

"We can afford it. And I can’t imagine Bit being upset if she ended up with the big room if the witches didn’t stay. Do you want to ask your mate or just pick someone from the Yellow Pages? I’m not sure how well he’d take bein’ asked to build us a bedroom," Spike pointed out.

"I’ll see what the other Will thinks," Buffy mused. "If we don’t ask him he might get offended, but then like you say… You never know if the pair of you worked on it together you might even end up tolerating one another."

"Or stranglin’ each other, one of the two. Specially since I’ve never used a saw in my life but that still doesn’t make me any keener on following instructions from Harris."

Buffy rolled her eyes. "Men."

"And now for something completely different." Spike pulled out his phone and passed it to Buffy. "Better ring the Wiccans and see if they want anything from the Chinese. Then if you ring the take away place it should be ready to pick up when we get back to town. Bit wanted lemon chicken, fried rice and banana fritters. I’ll have the chilli beef."

"No rice?"

"No point, can’t taste it."

Buffy picked up the phone and made arrangements for dinner, deciding it wasn’t worth explaining to the vamp that nobody could really taste rice.

SECTION 4 – HOME SWEET HOME

Take me to your heart
Feel me in your bones
Just one more night
And I’m comin’ off this long and winding road…

…My heart’s like an open book
For the whole world to read
Sometimes nothing – keeps me together
At the seams

I’m on my way
Well, I’m on my way
Home sweet home
Tonight tonight
I’m on my way
Just set me free
Home sweet home

(Motley Crue, Album Decade of Decadence)

Chapter 4.01

Wednesday Evening

"Lucky it wasn’t a girl or he’d probably have ended up playing stalker before he worked out who she was."

"Dawn!" Buffy’s shocked exclamation coincided with Spike’s snicker of amusement, which was only curtailed when Buffy redirected her glare. Spike didn’t really care. Nothing was going to spoil his good mood. He was sandwiched between his two favourite women. The kitchen-island was strewn with Chinese food cartons. On the other side of said island, Tara and Willow were obviously still on their reconciliation high.

"What? It’s not like she’s wrong. You know the Poofter was followin’ you around lurkin’ in bushes even before you moved to Sunnyhell. Told me ‘n’ Dru all about it," Spike replied smugly.

"I give in. You two yuk it up while you can." Buffy turned her attention to her food knowing that when the blond one and her sister discussed Angel she wasn’t going to be able to curtail the sarcasm however hard she tried.

"So," Dawn took this as dispensation to cross-examine Spike, "Does The Next Gen look like someone glued a cliff formation to his forehead as well, ‘cause, like, he’s never going to manage the broody glower without the overhang?"

Spike snorted before he replied, "nah, pet. This one at least looks human. Apart from hair colour he seems to take after ‘is mum, fer looks anyway. God help us all if he’s got her temperament."

"What I don’t believe is none of them even picked up a phone when he was born." Willow added her opinion. "I mean we’ve let them know all the really big stuff. I even took the bus to tell him in person when Buffy… left. You two went to tell him in person about …you two. Xander wrote to Cordelia to say he was getting married. I rang them to say he didn’t and all the time, BABY, hello!"

"You haven’t heard the best bit yet, Red"

"What?"

"Cheerleader."

"You’re telling me, there’s more? Other than her being part demon and being in love with Angel but too busy getting off with some other guy, not of this earth, to realise?"

"Yep." Spike raised his hand holding his fingers roughly level with his jaw. "Hair lopped off to here and damn near as blonde as mine, except for the bits they left brown. Does not suit her complexion. And it’s all sort of flat, makes her face look rounder or she’s put on weight. Not sure which. Helluva waste."

"No!" Dawn was shocked, while Willow merely turned to Buffy for confirmation. The slayer looked up from successfully transporting two grains of rice from her carton to her mouth using chopsticks to notice her best friend’s attention concentrated on her. "What?"

"Is it true?"

"What, Cordelia’s hair? Yeah, all true though I’m not sure that the overall effect is as bad as he’s making out. Doesn’t seem to bother Angel, but then maybe I’m not in a position to judge ‘cause I," her eyes slid to Spike with a meaningful glance, "wasn’t attracted to her when she was a brunette either."

Willow wrinkled her nose and looked at Spike. "Really? Cordelia? Ew, for two guys that argue all the time you and Xander seem to have the same taste in women."

"Yeah, well, hello. Why did you think we don’t get on?" Spike replied. "And anyway, next time Wolf Boy’s in town, he can back me up. She did look pretty damn good last time I was down there. Whether she’s his type or not I don’t think he would argue." Spike looked around the table at the four women.

Tara gave him an amused smile. "Quit while you’re ahead, Spike."

"Anyway, Will, I think you’re being unfair. Even Xander’s never sunk low enough to "date" Harmony," Buffy grinned mischievously, her words somewhat mitigated by the fact her foot was currently rubbing up and down against the inside of Spike’s shin.

"Well you know what you said about that?"

Buffy looked over at Willow. "You better refresh my memory."

"‘Guy, dating Harmony, dead. Must be the most tolerant guy in the world.’ So is he?"

Spike gave Buffy his full attention, scarred eyebrow raised skyward. "Pretty much." She gave him a soft smile. "He puts up with me."

"Yeah, well, that just proves it," Dawn interjected with typical little sibling glee. "I mean look how long your first roommate lasted, less than a week wasn’t it."

"That’s so not fair. Like it was my fault they made me roomies with a demon that tried to steal my soul and played Cher non-stop."

Spike smirked. "You make it sound like the Cher was the worst bit."

"You try listening to "I believe" for two hours in a row and see how you like it."

"No thanks, pet."

"So anyway what other news have you brought back from LA?" Tara asked.

"Well, Wesley might come back to Sunnydale. Giles has offered him a job at the Magic Box." Buffy offered, "but then you’ve never met Wesley either, so yet again you’re going to have no clue what we’re talking about. You must be bored silly."

"Wes the Wonder Wuss?" was Dawn’s comment. "Not sure she wants to. The only one who liked him last time round was Cordelia and even she went off him after he kissed her."

"Seemed alright to me, Bit," answered Spike.

"Wesley and Spike bonded," Buffy said. "They talked about beer and motorbikes and hell and soccer and killing demons, which was about the only bit I understood. He doesn’t really seem all that wussy at all any more actually. I think if he does come back you’ll all get a surprise.

Other than that, I can’t think of anything else."

"I think that pretty much covers it, pet. I think the whole kidnapped prophecy baby saga was probably the highlight," Spike confirmed.

"Well, I vote for you taking a chunk out of the King of Pain, actually," Dawn gave Spike a beaming smile. "That’s my personal favourite anyway."

"What is it with you and Angel?" her sister asked.

"The guy was a creep, Buffy. Skanking round after jailbait schoolgirls. He never spoke unless he wanted me to go fetch you and then he’d patronise me like I was three or something instead of ten. The only time he spoke to mom was to tell her you’d done the down and dirty. If he was really in love with you, don’t you think he’d make more of an effort to get on with your family? He was a loser. You just couldn’t see past the soulful eyes. Jeez, if that’s what you wanted, you could have talked mom into letting us have that St Bernard. Do you want me to start on the "evil" version now?"

"Maybe you’d better not. I think I get the picture."

"Yeah, we all got them, remember, creepy charcoal sketches of us all sleeping. Except Giles. Jenny wasn’t sleeping in his picture. She was dead. He killed her, set up Giles apartment like a seduction scene, arranged her body and then sat there and drew her. Giles has never seemed as happy since, as he was with Jenny."

"He’s got Olivia now," Willow offered as a token defence.

"Yeah, yeah and he likes her but he doesn’t go all glowy when someone mentions her name like he used to with Jenny. He had the real thing. Now, he’s settling. And to even have that, he’s had to leave all of us."

"Boy, all those times you got told to sit quiet in the corner and do your homework, you didn’t get much homework done, did you?" Buffy asked.

"Blame the monks, and I still did more than any of you, except Willow, and if she was sleeping more than three hours a night, I don’t know how," replied the one-time key.

"Hey, I used to manage a good five hours most nights, I’ll have you know," the redhead responded, "and it was partly effective time management and partly the fact that my parents never actually expected me to spend any time with them."

"Maybe we shouldn’t invite the Poofter to the wedding, pet. Unless you want him there." Spike suggested in a soft voice.

"But he’s the only family you’ve got that you can invite. Well, him and Stephen. And I sort of already said he’d be getting an invitation," Buffy admitted.

"What’s the bigger issue here, pet, not inviting your ex who didn’t even bother to tell you he was a father or spoilin’ a special day for the guy who’s been your father for the last six years?"

"You liked Stephen though, and you can’t ask him without asking his dad?"

"The kid’s only two hours up the road. There’ll be plenty of time to play happy families after we’re married, if he ever gets over his xenophobia. And if the junior watcher does shift back here I’d rather have him around than the Great Poof, but it’s your choice and you don’t have to decide yet."

"I’ll think about it. Like you say, there’s plenty to do before I have to make up my mind."

For some time after that the room was silent except for the sound of eating, before Buffy decided it was time to clear the air on another subject. "Em, Will," she nodded her head in Spike’s direction for clarification, "and I were discussing what we were going to do about living arrangements after the wedding."

"Oh… oh!" Willow’s eyes went large and round.

"No, Will, wait a minute. We’re not asking anyone to leave, not unless they want to, and if our plans work out there should be room for Tara too. If you two decide to …you know, move back in together officially.

What we were wanting to do, is use my room for a box room, and do a conversion on the basement, section it off so you have a separate laundry area where you go in and convert the rest into a second big bedroom and another bathroom. We thought we wouldn’t disturb everybody else as much that way …coming back from patrol in the middle of the night and stuff." Buffy blushed profusely.

"Sounds good to me. I don’t want to be scarred for life listening to you two, or say, tripping over all your clothes when I go to brush my teeth in the morning," Dawn answered brightly as Buffy turned a shade redder.

"Bit," Spike decided it was time to rescue Buffy. "For one thing, you’re exaggerating. It wasn’t all our clothes, and for another if you want to be treated like an adult, you’re going to have to tone down the bratty kid sister act. Hopefully, by the time we get married, things will be arranged so we’ve all got a bit more privacy. In the mean time, the occasional nights that I do stay here, we’re not going to patronise you by pretending there’s nothing going on. It’s a perfectly natural situation between two adults who care deeply about each other. If you’re as grown up as you like to think you are then you’ll just accept it as such."

"Okay," Dawn drew out the word until it was almost a sigh, but made no move to protest the ruling. Buffy found herself looking back and forward between the two, wondering how he managed to avoid all the back talk she got whenever she tried to get her sister to do anything.

She shook her head, turning her attention instead to the two Wiccans. "Well, anyway, how does that sound to you two? It’ll mean getting builders in for a while, and I don’t know how long it’ll take, but most of the disruption should be when you’re at college …or school…"

"It all sounds fine, Buffy, but it’s an awful lot of trouble and expense. I mean if we weren’t here, you and Spike would probably just move into your mom’s old room…" Tara offered.

"Even if we knew, now, that you girls were going to get your own place we’d still go ahead with getting’ the basement done," Spike gave by way of a rebuttal. "It gives us more privacy, potentially more space. Sunlight’s less of an issue." He shrugged and looked at Willow. "Red?"

"Sure. It sounds okay to me. Just I hadn’t thought about what we’d do. I mean I know you said that you weren’t asking us to leave, but do you really want two extra people around when… well, newlyweds…"

Spike looked over at Buffy as if to say ‘Your turn’. "You know how I feel, pet."

"Okay, if you guys move out, then Dawn’s going to be left alone every night when we patrol. Either that, or we have to take it in turns to go out alone. We’re not all that keen on either of those options. If Willow stays and maybe you move back in at some stage, then Dawn has people around when we’re not here, at least often enough that the bad guys can’t rely on her being alone. We’re not saying we would expect you to be here for her every night. With an extra bathroom we’ll probably be less in each other’s ways than we are now.

We don’t want you to feel you have to stay. You didn’t sign on to live with Spike. And you could probably get somewhere closer to campus and maybe you two want some privacy.

What I mean is, there are all sorts of reasons why you might decide that you would rather move out, and if that’s what you want then that’s fine, but we’d be happy if you stayed. And we know …or at least as far as we know, you two are still working things out, and it’s not like we want you to make any decisions before you’re ready…

Just make up your own minds, in your own time."

"In other words, sort it out between the two of you. We’re okay with whatever you decide to do.

Thing is, I think the slayer actually brought this up for a different reason. She doesn’t know whether she should ask Harris if he wants the job or not," Spike put in.

"Ask Xander to build you a cosy little love nest?" Tara asked in a quietly sceptical fashion.

"Well," said Buffy, "that’s one way of looking at it and the other way is, what’s he going to think if we hire somebody else without asking him? D’you think you could maybe feel him out, Will?"

"Gee. And once I’ve done that can I gargle with crushed glass?" the redhead sing-songed. "Sure, Buff. I’ll see what I can do."

"Thanks. Dawn, did you get your homework done?"

"All the stuff for tomorrow, yeah, but I could do with some pointers on my English for Friday." The teenager looked across at Spike.

"What is it?"

"Three page essay on "The Scottish Play". I’ve done the outline. I just want to make sure I’m on the right track before I start to pad it out."

"D’you need me to look at it tonight, or if I’m here straight after school tomorrow will that do?"

"If you look at it tonight I can work on it in study hall tomorrow."

"Okay. I’ll have a look at what you’ve got tonight. If something’s wrong I should be able to spot it, but I could do with re-reading the play before I can say whether there’s anything you should add …if you’ve got a spare copy anywhere in the house."

"Mom had one of those "Complete Works" things. It’s probably on the bookcase in the dining room. I’ll get it." Dawn dashed off to the far room.

"You’re going to read a whole play for tomorrow, just to help her with her homework?"

"S’not like I’m going to find something better to read."

"You could find something less prejudiced against witches, though," Willow replied. "That play alone…"

"Shh, baby. No point getting all upset about something that was written centuries ago," Tara tried to calm the redhead.

"And it’s been giving people the wrong impression about witches ever since."

"A valid point, but not one Bit’s English teacher would probably class as one of the main points of the story." Spike stood up, placed a quick kiss on top of Buffy’s head and made his way out of the combat zone with a few whispered words. "I’ll just go catch up with Dawn, have a look at this outline that she’s got done. If I’m longer than quarter of an hour, send a search party."

Meanwhile Willow’s anti-Shakespearean tirade continued. "And all the three’s. Like it isn’t perfectly acceptable to do magic alone, or in pairs …or eight’s. And why would they be meeting in the middle of a moor? And who’s meant to have carried the cauldron out into the middle of nowhere?"

Buffy decided if she and Tara were going to have to listen, they deserved some creamy cold goodness in compensation. She slid off her stool and ransacked the nearby freezer for several minutes before her search attracted Tara’s attention.

"What are you looking for, Buffy?"

"You guys can’t have eaten all the leftover ice-cream from Monday night?"

Tara nodded, looking slightly guilty and Buffy realised that Willow’s monologue had faded to a whisper and then stopped. She straightened up until she could see an equally guilty expression on Willow's face.

"Spike bought three quarts. Different flavours. The expensive stuff."

"Dawnie was kinda missing you guys, so we had sundaes and shakes," Tara explained.

Buffy sighed and climbed back on her stool. "You do realise it was a con. She never used to see Spike anyway and I burnt breakfast for her before she went off to school in the morning, which is more than I would have managed if I had late shifts at DMP. She was just working the sympathy angle so you’d let her get her teenage mits on my cookie dough ice-cream."

"Sweetie, she used to miss you when you worked late shifts, as well. And she’s been missing Spike since you ran him off to make sure her and Will didn’t notice the thing between the pair of you. Sunday night and Monday just reminded her why she missed him and how much. Only difference is that this time we had some ice-cream in the freezer."

"…And Tara was here to get her to say what was wrong …cause she’s still not really talking like that to me after the car thing," Willow added.

"I’m a bad mother. Spike’s a better mother than me. Why doesn’t she want me to help with her homework? Why didn’t she tell me she missed Spike? Why didn’t she say she missed me?"

"‘Cause you weirded out on her whenever she brought Spike up? She knew that you had to work, and she knew your options were limited with all the slayer-related absences and stuff. And like she said, we all spent more time researching demons than doing assignments and she knows it. You were doing the best you could and she didn’t want to make things worse for you than they already were," Willow replied.

"Look at it this way, cutie. You’ve got a fresh new start. You can’t change the past, but it’s up to you what happens now." Tara gave her some practical advice.

"I guess I could take up the clothes I bought for her, once I give her hell for not leaving any ice-cream."

Buffy picked up her shopping which had been dumped in the corner of the kitchen when they brought in the food. She slung the bag of magazines onto the coffee table in the living room and took the rest of the stuff up to her room. She paused to find a particular lingerie set amongst the many she had bought, putting it on the bed and laying to one side the things she’d bought for Dawn she put the rest of the bags away in the bottom of her closet. She pulled a gym bag from a closet and filled it with a selection of other clothes, a spare pair of boots and a few bits and pieces from the bathroom, lastly placing the new lingerie on the top, before closing it up and putting it in the hall.

Then she picked up the carrier bags with Dawn’s things and knocked on the door of her room, waiting for her sister to answer before she opened the door. "How’s the homework going?" she asked the pair who were both lounging across Dawn’s bed with her English file spread out between them.

"Sorted," replied the vamp flipping the file shut and picking up a large thick paperback.

"Have we got time for Dawn to try on some clothes, before we go?" Buffy asked the other blond.

He gave a theatrical sigh. "Sure, if we leave patrol till after she goes to bed for the night. I suppose this means I have to leave the room."

"I got a few things for you up in LA. We can exchange any that don’t suit. I think we’re going to be visiting LA a few times between now and the wedding." This prompted another sigh from Spike. Buffy held out a hand to him, pulling him up off the bed. "We’ll wait in my room while you change, but I don’t think Spike needs to see you model the underwear. Quicker you’re done, quicker you get to nose round Spike’s apartment."

Buffy passed her the bags, which had been hidden out of Dawn’s line of sight behind the door.

Dawn’s eyes widened as she looked in the first two. "Buffy, you must have spent a fortune."

"Thank Spike, if we were talking DMP wages you’d probably be trying to make do with some of my old stuff. I guess it’s a token effort to make it up a bit for all the stuff that I had at your age that I haven’t been able to buy you the last year or so …but if you keep pigging all the ice-cream you’ll have too many zits to go out anywhere and none of it’s going to fit anyway." The last bit was thrown in as she pulled the door shut and Dawn started to strip.

The first couple of outfits were quickly checked for size, approved by Buffy and Spike and discarded. The third, a lavender mini-dress and knee-high boots had Spike obviously wanting to make an objection. "I suppose it’s okay as long as you’re going out where there’s someone to keep an eye on you," was the best he could finally manage. The two women in the room looked at him as if he were an idiot.

"I wore dresses at least as short when I was her age," Buffy answered indignantly.

"Yeah, and that’s why you had the Poof followin’ you round, but you could fend off the pimple squad and the vamps. Bit doesn’t have super-strength, so she should be a bit more careful."

"So train me some more," Dawn looked at the vamp.

Spike smiled. "If your sister doesn’t mind, once I move in, I probably will. Just remember that fighting’s your last option."

"I know, I know. Shout for help if you or Buffy or any of the witches are nearby and run. Only fight as a last resort because things or people can be tougher than they look." Dawn recited the rules imposed by her one-time trainer and then headed for her room.

"When were you training my sister?" the slayer asked.

"The last couple of weeks before Willow and that brought you back. Didn’t get very far." Spike shrugged.

"Why?"

"‘Cause it was more fun than trying to work out what was going on in those Bollywood movies, even if I can speak a teeny bit of Hindi? Why d’you think?"

"You know she’s going to want to patrol." Spike was surprised that her tone came out even rather than angry.

"I know. I’d still rather she had more options than screamin’ and dyin’ if she gets herself cornered. And she knows she’d have to be damn good before I’d even think of takin’ her, which gives her an incentive to improve."

"If she got to where she was half-way decent, she’d probably be safer with us than in the house on her own," Buffy admitted.

"I know. We’ll worry about that when she is half-decent."

"I don’t think I ever thanked you for looking after her while I was gone."

"There’s no need for thanks. Lookin’ after the people I care about, it’s just what I do." The vampire looked at his nails as if embarrassed by her attempt at graciousness.

Buffy leant over towards him, her words barely a whisper against his cheek. "Thank you for being you, then." Her lips pressed against his pale flesh, and they both knew she wasn’t just talking about him looking after her sister.

As the blondes waited for Dawn to model the fourth outfit, Spike started to fidget.

"Read your book. I’ll go give her a hand," Buffy told him before heading for her sister’s room.

It was still a further five minutes before Buffy knocked and held the room door open to herald her sister’s entry. The gown wasn’t dissimilar in style to the one Buffy had worn to her senior prom though the bodice was cut square across the front, showing the smallest hint of cleavage. The fabric shimmered between a pale greenish-turquoise and sky blue and it made Dawn’s eyes seem even bluer, and she wore sandals with narrow straps in the two shades, obviously from the same range. The outfit was finished off by a wrap in the sky blue hue.

Spike’s jaw dropped when he saw his Niblet looking so grown up. No make-up, no hose and no special hairstyle or jewellery, but she still looked gorgeous to him.

"Junior prom?" he asked, gaining brownie points from his fiancée for being aware of the upcoming events in her sister’s life.

Dawn nodded.

"You’ll be the belle of the ball, pet."

"Thanks to you two." She hugged and kissed both of them, before she stood in front of Buffy’s dresser for one more look.

By the time Dawn was back in normal clothes another half an hour had gone by. Willow and Tara had been summoned upstairs to see the transformation. Everything had been neatly hung up or packed away and Dawn had escaped the boned ivory basque her sister had bought for her to wear under the dress.

"You guys are so cool. Of course, I don’t have a date, but that dress is so great. Stacey’ll go green when she sees it."

"Just remind me to tell you about my junior prom night and what mom told me."

"Are we going to get moving at some point or are you pair goin’ to blub on each other for the rest of the night?" Spike asked his tone totally belying the harshness of his words.

"Ooh, who’s getting all sarky, then?" Buffy responded, but she also started heading for the door, picking up her gym bag and coat on the way. "Best grab whatever you need, Dawn. If we don’t hurry he might resort to biting wit?"

"No, save us," giggled Dawn as she ran down the stairs, headed for the car.

"Women." The vamp took Buffy’s hand as they walked downstairs together.

Chapter 4.02

Spike wasn’t entirely sure about the division of labour when it came to getting the flat ready. For the most part Dawn’s role seemed to consist solely of unpacking the things they’d bought and going "Oooh" or "Ew" depending whether she approved or not and leaving Spike and Buffy to deal with the piles of debris she filled the living room with.

"Can I have these curtains when you move into the basement?" asked the teenager as she pulled the dark violet drapes from their packaging.

"Maybe, if you stop making it sound like I’m going to be living under Harris’s drunken parents again." Spike called through from where he and Buffy were in the process of making up the bed. A task which was made more complicated by the fact that Spike’s brain was far more occupied with what he and Buffy could do to mess it up, and how she would look naked between the layers of silk.

"It’s okay, our basement’s a lot bigger, and less dank and no-one’s going to tie you up."

Spike shot a questioning glance to Buffy across the bed and she flushed bright red. "Maybe," she whispered, "if the soundproofing works and the doors are locked. Now behave."

"Where’s this lamp for?" Dawn stood in the doorway between the two rooms and held up a banker’s lamp.

"It’s to go on the desk that we haven’t built yet and won’t be building tonight. Why don’t you find the mugs and the kettle or the coffeemaker and see if you can make something to drink?" said Spike as he threw the last pillow into place on the bed.

"Okay… Are you going to have a sofa and a TV and a fridge and microwave and everything in your room when it’s finished?" the teenager asked.

"We won’t really know till all the building work’s done whether there’ll be space for a sofa, but I’ll pretty much need the rest of the stuff unless the rest of you are going to leave the kitchen curtains shut all day, pet."

"D’you think if you do have space you’ll use the one that’s in the living room now?"

Spike looked over in Buffy’s direction as she froze on the spot with the armful of curtains she had been bringing back to the bedroom. "Dawn, when you opened up all the curtains what did you do with the packets of hooks that were in the bag with them?" she asked.

"I didn’t see them. I’ve been using the carrier as a bin bag. I’ll find them. It’s all just cellophane and cardboard."

Dawn headed back into the main room as Buffy came in dropping the curtains on the bed and pushing the door shut behind her. Spike quickly took her in his arms, his eyes searching her face.

"Okay, what’s up? You know I took the packets out the bag before." He nodded in the direction of the bedside table, whispering so that Dawn wouldn’t hear what was said.

"I can’t sleep in the same room as that sofa," Buffy answered.

"I’ve seen you fall asleep on that sofa, pet."

"No… You don’t get it… That’s where I found mom… It’s where she died… I can’t have it in our bedroom." Tears welled up in her eyes and she hid her face in Spike’s shoulder.

Spike’s grip tightened, drawing her as close as possible. "It’s okay. You don’t have to. Love, if it makes you happier, get yourself out tomorrow and buy a new one, a new suite, have them take the old one to the dump, whatever you want. You can redecorate the whole house, top to bottom, inside and out, for all I care as long as it doesn’t get in the way of you going back to college and sorting out the wedding."

Spike heard Dawn moving in the main room and called through the door, "Bit, we’ve found the hooks they’re in here. We’ll be out in a few minutes if you stick the kettle on."

He brought a finger up under Buffy’s chin, tilting her head so they could see each other’s eyes. "Pet, I don’t know if I’m going to be putting my foot in it here, and if I do, don’t stake me. I know there are going to be things of your mum’s that you’re always going to want to keep, and that’s fine. More than fine. I was fond of your mum and I know you’re always going to want to have reminders of her around you, but you and Dawn need to make the house your own. It’s been over a year. It’s time to move on."

"And you. It’s your home too, or it will be," Buffy added softly.

"I’ll help, but it’s got to be between you and Dawn to work out what furniture and stuff has sentimental value. You’ll know what you want to use, whether there’s any you want to put in storage for when you’re older and what you want to get rid of." He pulled an only slightly creased cloth handkerchief from his jeans pocket and dabbed at her eyes, before he pulled her close once more.

Minutes passed unnoticed before he spoke again. "You ready to face your little sister before she comes to the conclusion we’re trying out the bed?" Buffy nodded and he took her hand, leading her through to the kitchen where Dawn was finishing making instant hot chocolate for three.

"Just in time, but then you could probably hear the click when the kettle switched itself off." She picked up two, passing one to Buffy before they returned to the main room.

"Maybe," answered Spike. He went to the brown paper sack that was sitting on the kitchen bench and emptied it putting teabags, instant coffee and instant hot chocolate in a cupboard above the kettle. Ground coffee and sodas went in the fridge and picking up his mug on the way, he took the double-chocolate chip cookies through to the living room area and gave them to Buffy.

She opened them and took one before passing them to her sister. Spike sat on the arm of the slayer’s chair, his hand automatically dropping to rub Buffy’s back. She took a couple of bites from the super-size cookie, washing them down with even more comforting chocolate goodness before she broached the subject her sister had brought up.

"Why were you asking about the sofa before?"

"What? Mm-m." The teenager paused to swallow the chocolate flavour chunk that was making it so difficult to talk. "I was kinda hoping we might get a new one. Something less …brown."

"So you wouldn’t mind if we got rid of it?"

"Heck no."

"How do you feel about redecorating in general? I mean we’ll keep some of mom’s stuff, but just the bits we want and we can sort of make it a fresh start. Treat it as if we’d just moved in, change the bits that aren’t us." Buffy was tentative, not wanting to let Dawn think the decision had already been made.

When her sister had finished, Dawn sat quietly nibbling on her cookie for some time before she replied. "It seems sort of wrong in a way, as if it’s disrespectful or something …but I think it’s time. If we don’t it’s never going to be ours. And there’s a lot that mom didn’t even redecorate when we moved in."

Buffy nodded. "Okay, so it’s probably best to wait till after the wedding’s over and the basement’s sorted out, but after that we’ll see what we can get done before I go back to college and you go back to school, starting with the front room. Deal?"

"Deal."

Spike looked at the clock on the wall. "I think when you finish your drink, I better take you home, pet. Me ‘n’ your sister’ll finish up here and then do a quick patrol."

"But I can come over and see it when it’s done?"

"You know you’re welcome any time as long as it doesn’t involve you walkin’ around on your own after dark." He turned his attention to the slayer. "Do you want to go home to change or anything?"

"No, if you take Dawn home, I’ll see what I can get done here." Buffy drained her cup and gave Dawn a goodbye hug before heading off to do battle with the heap of curtains.

Vampire and key made a brief appearance to say they were leaving. Spike’s goodbye kiss in front of his future sister-in-law being far more restrained than when he kissed Buffy goodbye in front of Cordy.

As soon as the pair left, Buffy grabbed her gym bag and headed for the bathroom, which had no windows due to the way the building had been split into flats. An extractor fan whirred into action as soon as she put on the light, startling her slightly. She changed as quickly as she could, made a couple of minor touch-ups on her make-up and was soon sitting cross-legged on the bed once more while she fitted the hooks onto the curtains and adjusted the header tapes. When all the curtains were ready to hang, she was expecting Spike back any minute.

She might have tried to find something to stand on to put them up, but she was worried about flashing anyone who might happen to look up. Instead, she took the curtains laying each set on the floor next to the windows they were intended for and climbed in between the silken silver grey sheets, rolling around like a cat begging for attention. She nuzzled into the pillows till they smelled of her shampoo and rubbed the smooth material of his sheets between her thighs, imagining its cool touch was that of her lover’s hand.

"Havin’ fun, pet?" Spike leant against the doorjamb his left leg crossed over the right just below the knee, the thumb of his left hand hooked through the belt loop at his hip and his right arm raised so that it rested against the frame from wrist to elbow. His body was a series of sensuous lines.

She was totally hidden under the bedclothes except for her head, and decided that perhaps this might be for the best, for the moment.

"Not as much as we can have once you put the curtains up. You were the one who said you wouldn’t sleep unless the bed smelled like me. And I still owed you lingerie, but you don’t get to see until you get those curtains up."

"Not even a peep?" Spike already had two hands and one knee on the bed.

"Back. If you stand by the door, I might give you a preview," she conceded, "but after that you have to put up all the curtains so I know you won’t get dusty in the morning. No touching until all the rooms are done." Her smile told him it would be worth his while and he reversed his movements until he leant against the doorframe again. "At least you don’t get to touch. I might let you watch."

Buffy slowly folded back the duvet, down as far as her waist, letting him see the plum coloured satin robe she wore. As she rose to her knees he could see the robe ended an inch or two above mid-thigh. She turned to give him a three quarter back view, her head turned so that she could watch him over her shoulder, her eyes never leaving his face. Her hand pulled the sash loose and she let the material fall into its natural line before she raised her hands to inch it from her shoulders. At first all he could see as the robe descended were two ribbon-thin deep purple straps traversing her tanned shoulders. Her arm hid the side of the slip from view and as the robe drifted slowly lower those straps seemed to continue impossibly far. Finally, just a few inches above the small of her back they crossed each other.

As she dropped her arms to the side and slightly back to let the robe fall away altogether he could see the side of her breast and a glimpse of the shadow underneath. The slip only just covered her buttocks, the back scooped out as low as possible without showing cleavage. The material then flared out slightly so that it fell in soft ripples over her curves, the hem barely skimming the tops of her thighs. She turned her body to face him again. From the front the garment appeared fairly demure except for its skimpy length, but what he could see was no longer as relevant as what he knew.

The pressure in Spike’s jeans shifted from uncomfortable to painful. Still, she watched his face, enjoying the evidence of his struggle as he debated whether to play her game, or dive on top of her immediately.

"Make your mind up, Will. Play nice, and we can christen every room in the flat tonight." That did it. Buffy had never seen Spike use his vampiric speed to do housework, but then apart from making the bed earlier, she’d never seen him do any housework, even though his crypt was normally tidy and clean. Maybe that was because he did use his speed to do the housework. She padded towards the kitchen area where she could hear him working. She wiggled her way onto a seat on the counter, which separated the kitchen from the living room area.

He knew without turning round exactly where she was. "Did anybody ever tell you that you’re a vicious tease, pet?"

"Not in so many words, but I do remember something about revving motors and marinade and an ice queen …or was it princess?" she answered as she swung her legs up onto the counter. She lay back. If he was going to call her a tease she might as well live up to the name. "All I did was kiss him." She sucked on her index finger, pulling it from her mouth with an audible pop, even if you didn’t have vampire hearing.

"I think that was my complaint at the time …Actually, no, it was that you wouldn’t even kiss me." She slid her hand in the side of the slip, using her damp finger to graze circles around her nipple until it began to come erect.

"Xander didn’t call me a tease." She switched to squeezing softly on her nipple as he finished hanging the first pair of curtains. "Not even when I came onto him wearing nothing but a little short mac and a pair of stilettos." Spike snarled and leapt from the stool he’d been using to gain the extra reach necessary to hang the drapes. He landed on the floor by her head, bending over her so that their faces were inches apart.

"Tell me that git never laid a hand on you!" his eyes blazed with hurt and anger, gold flecks swirling in the blue.

Her unoccupied hand automatically came up to cup his face as she spoke soft words to him. "No, baby, you know about everybody. No surprises. It was just a spell and Xander didn’t take advantage of it. We didn’t even kiss. I forgot you didn’t know the story." She raised her head to brush soft lips across his. "Now, do I go back to teasing you mercilessly or do we go straight to the make-up sex?"

"If I go for the make-up sex do we still christen all the rooms?"

"I guess we could see how persuasive you were on a room by room basis."

"So we’re going from a yes to a maybe?" Spike posed the question.

"With your silver tongue I’d say it’s a probably, unless we end up taking too long on some of the individual rooms… but that wouldn’t necessarily be a bad thing, would it?" She gave him a half-smile.

"I can think of worse," he agreed. This time he brought his lips down to hers for a kiss that started just as gently as the one she had recently bestowed on him. Soon, however, their mouths moved together in a frantic dance. Somehow Spike found himself lying on top of Buffy. He slipped the straps of her gown down off her shoulders baring her upper body, ready for his touch. Strong fingers cupped her breasts and his thumbs brushed over her nipples sending tingles of electricity down to her core.

Buffy’s hands pulled impatiently at his shirt until it was freed from his jeans. She ripped the front of the shirt open, neither of them caring whether the buttons came undone or were torn off so long as her hands could move against his flesh. When the shirt parted only for her to be obstructed by another layer of fabric, she ripped the black T-shirt from neckline to hemline in one move.

"Jeans. Now." Buffy gasped as she pulled back to draw breath. Spike shifted back to kneel between Buffy’s legs long enough to unfasten his belt and pop the buttons on his fly before pushing the denim down round his knees. As he moved back over her again she reached down stroking his newly freed erection. His whole body trembled at her touch and he moaned her name. She gripped him with her fingers, using her thumb to spread his pre-cum over the head. His mouth claimed her nipples taking turns left and right as he drew her closer to her peak, his lips holding each bud in place while his hard tongue flicked back and forth across it. She arched her body up off the counter in response and guided Spike’s dick to it’s hot, wet home within her.

He shifted his hips to glide slowly in to his hilt. As always they fitted together perfectly, their bodies seemingly designed for the other’s pleasure. Buffy sighed as she felt her muscles stretch around him. He used his hands to give extra support to her raised buttocks as he moved slowly in and out of her heat. Their eyes locked for an eternity as their bodies danced to a languid rhythm. He felt his balls tightening and lifted her hips further. His mouth covered the scars on her neck, and the pair finally lost eye contact. He stiffened his tongue using the tip to probe the marks caused by his demon teeth. The sensation sent electric tingles all through her body and caused her to tremble all over, only his hands holding her up as her inner muscles convulsed around him. He pushed in as deep as he could go one last time and let her involuntary spasms milk him dry before he lowered her to the counter.

He propped himself up on an elbow, switching to stroking her neck over the claim marks with his other hand, drawing out the tremors throughout her body albeit at a less intense level.

"I love you so much, pet," he said his voice hoarse with emotion.

"Mmmmm-mmm," was the best Buffy could manage in reply until Spike turned his attention from her neck to brushing away stray hairs from her sweat-soaked face. As she regained some control of her body once more, she pushed against his chest. "I love you too, but right now, kinda squished."

"Oh …right. Sorry, pet," Spike withdrew from her warmth and after contemplating the lack of space either side of her moved to dismount from the counter only to fall to the floor in a tangle of limbs.

"Bloody buggerin’ bollocks!"

"Spike?" Buffy’s head appeared over the edge of the counter. "Are you okay?"

"Course I am. I was practising my alliteration ‘cause I was bored." He sighed. "I’m fine, pet. Just forgot my jeans were down round my knees."

"Good. ‘Cause I don’t think my legs would work yet for me to come help you."

He looked up from his reclining position on the living room floor, his deep blue eyes glittering up at her filled with amusement. "Guess that means at least I did something right."

Some minutes later Spike considered the uncovered windows in the main room and decided it was probably best to pull his jeans back on rather than take them off. Task accomplished, he discovered Buffy, still lying on the counter where he left her.

"Maybe I should be askin’ if you’re okay, luv?"

"Mmm-hmm," her response sounded to him like warm summer nights or a cosy library with an open fire. "Still floaty."

"O-kay, pet. Think you’ll be comfier bein’ floaty in bed." He scooped her up in his arms and carried her through to the bedroom, sliding her legs under the covers and lowering her gently to the mattress. He pulled up the bedding and made sure it fitted snugly around her so that she would be free of draughts.

"Buff?" He waited till she looked up at him before continuing. "I’m just goin’ to put up the rest of the curtains, so we don’t have to worry about scarin’ the neighbours. You just rest but if you want me, you just have to say and I’ll be here. ‘Kay, pet?"

"‘Kay. Hurry back?"

Her request prompted him to bend over her again, brushing his lips against her cheek and running a finger over her neck. "Course, love."

Less than five minutes later she opened a sleepy eye to see him carrying the stool from the kitchen into the bedroom. He picked up the curtains from the floor draping them over an arm before he leapt onto the stool and started hanging them. It would have been too high for most humans to jump onto, or if they managed the height they would have tipped the stool over with their momentum, but even in heavy boots Spike was as graceful as a very refined cat. Buffy watched him from under drooping eyelids. ‘Pretty vampire. MY pretty vampire. Or he will be once Giles finishes his research. Then I can make HIS legs all wobbly and he can be all sleepy.’

He swiftly finished what he was doing and crawled onto the bed. His fingers gently stroked the planes of her face, his touch enough to gain her attention but not enough to pull her from her post-orgasmic haze. "Pet, if you’re up to it, you said you’d ring the watcher when we got back home."

"Later. Ring later. Come bed, now. Just for little."

Spike shucked off his boots and socks and put out the light before crawling in next to her. As soon as he was in, she rolled over and shuffled backwards till she was spooned against him. "Night, love," he whispered in her ear, his arm around her waist drawing her even closer. Minutes later both were asleep.

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