Chapter
4.01
Saturday, May 18th, 2002
Dawn was already washed up and waiting in her
shortie pyjamas when the DeSoto pulled up in the driveway to the
side of the house on Revello for the second time. She pulled the
kitchen door open as Spike, Buffy, Wes and Brandon got out of
the old car, Brandon passing the keys back to Spike.
"Tara's making hot chocolate if anyone wants
some." Her words were for everyone but her gaze remained fixed
on the teenage boy.
Wes shook his head. "I'll skip it, thanks. I
already had some earlier. Time to try out that new bed." He checked
his pockets until he found not only the keys for his new home,
but those for Spike's apartment, as well. He tossed the latter
to his former host with an underhand throw that the vampire easily
intercepted. "If I haven't thanked you before for ...well, everything,
just assume I'm doing it now."
Spike smirked. "Not exactly a hardship doubling
up with my lady, here."
"Probably not." Wes gave a wry smile of agreement.
"...But thank you all the same."
Meanwhile Brandon was also saying his goodbyes.
"I better go. I didn't call to say that I'd be late and it's quarter
to twelve, now." He cupped Dawn's face with one hand, his fingers
tangling in her hair as he leant in for a kiss, the younger couple
taking up the entire doorway so that Spike and Buffy had no choice
but to wait for them to finish before they entered the house.
Spike tried to summon up at least a snarl, but it was all too
obvious that the kid was going out of his way to make Niblet happy
and he seemed to plan to keep right on doing it for the foreseeable
future. "Call me tomorrow, once everybody's up and about,
and we'll sort out the homework thing. 'Kay?" he told Dawn in
a soft voice as he rested his forehead against hers at the end
of the kiss.
"Will do." Dawn pulled reluctantly away, Brandon's
fingertips trailing lightly over her cheek as she did so. She
reached over for the helmet that they had left on the kitchen
counter when they went out for the evening, passing it to him.
"If you two would stop blockin' the door, then
we could get in and leave you in peace to say goodbye," the vampire
finally growled.
"Wh—" Brandon actually jumped before shifting
guiltily out of the way, and Dawn followed him onto the porch.
Spike drew Buffy into the house with her hand
wrapped in his and pushed the door to behind them with a booted
foot.
Buffy looked up at the grumpy vamp, her eyes
alight with laughter. "You do realise that you just left Dawn
outside with her boyfriend unsupervised with all of her
legs showing and no bra on."
"Yeah, well, I guess if Lily says we can trust
him, I'm goin' to have to try. 'Sides, Bit's less of an exhibitionist
than the pair of us." He turned to Tara who stood, stirring a
pan of milk on the stove. "Have a good night, Tinkerbell?"
"Different..." Tara's gentle smile warmed the
whole room. "Definitely different, but fun. Did either of you
guys get a chance to talk to Clem's girlfriend? I'm kinda curious
but I didn't want to interrupt."
"Can't say as we wanted to get in the way either,
but I've bumped into her before. Seems nice enough, she plays
poker once in a while. But she cashes her winnings in against
her bar tab, before you ask... not big on kitty snacks. Works security
at a club a few miles out of town."
Buffy looked puzzled. "Which club's that?"
"Not one you're going to be going to in a hurry,
pet. Even if it catered to humans, it's the sort of place I wouldn't
want my lady goin'." Spike seemed unusually firm in his response
and he appeared to be glad when that Tara intervened, changing
the subject.
"I don't know if we've got any marshmallows,
Spike. Can you live without?"
Dawn slipped back into the room and leant against
the door till it clicked shut, an enormous smile on her face
Spike wrapped his arms around Buffy's waist from
behind and rested his cheek alongside hers. "I can do without
anything but my girls." Buffy could feel the tiredness that he
hid beneath his bright façade. "Well, now that Not So Tall, Dark
and Pimply's headed off for the night, if Buffy'll bring mine
up when it's ready, I'm going to go get a bath."
"He is not pimply. And if you're going
for a bath, at least leave mine and Tara's toothbrushes and toothpaste
outside the bathroom door."
"Alright, sweetness. Where's the mutt? Or shouldn't
I ask?"
"She's already in the bathroom and I put some
paper down, but she just went back to sleep on the bathmat as
soon as I left her alone."
"That seems like even more sleepy than the normal
puppy thing. You didn't feed her booze, did you?" Spike asked.
"As if! Bla—" Dawn was cut off by her sister.
"Later, Spike. She's going to be fine, okay?
Go, get that bath, and I'll explain everything when I bring your
hot chocolate."
Spike smiled down at his fiancée as she craned
her neck to speak to him. "Ah-hah! So there's something to explain."
"Just go get yourself cleaned up, Vamp Boy."
Spike placed a gentle kiss on her cheek. "As
you wish, pet. 'Night, you two." He gave Dawn and Tara an amiable
but half-hearted wave before he headed upstairs.
Dawn watched, waiting until he'd long cleared
the room before she commented. "He seems kinda quiet. He wasn't
on the brownies as well, was he?"
"Not that I know of," Buffy answered.
Buffy kicked her shoes off and dropped her wrap
on top of Spike's duster as she made her way through the bedroom,
a cup of hot chocolate in either hand. Spike had left the connecting
door ajar and she pushed it open with her hip.
The vampire reclined in the cast-iron tub as
the water level rose toward the overflow. Instead of his normal
bustle, he simply lay there letting the warmth from the water
soak through to his bones. His head swivelled slowly to watch
Buffy's approach. "Hey, love."
"Hey, love, to you, too." She placed both the
mugs by the side of the bath and stepped back a few feet. She
watched Spike's face as she reached to slowly undo the zipper
on her dress, letting its straps drift from her shoulders and
then unhurriedly pushing it down her body to reveal her ivory
lace lingerie. She tossed the dress back through the doorway,
not looking to see where it landed as she stepped free. "Don't
want it to get wet." she explained as she sat down on the bath's
edge, reaching across to turn off the faucets.
She slid back towards the head of the bath, her
sheer panties already rendered transparent in places by water
splashes as she turned to face Spike once more. She reached out
with her right hand to cup his face, loving how he nuzzled into
her touch as her fingertips pushed into his hair and her thumb
traced the scar that marred his eyebrow. Still, her eyes remained
fixed on his features, automatically checking for visual cues
to his feelings, even though she could feel his love for her in
the depths of her soul. Nevertheless, as she leaned forward to
press her lips to his, she knew that this was as right for him
as it was for her. It didn't matter whether their lovemaking reached
a climax, or whether they simply conveyed the gentlest aspect
of their feelings for each other. All that mattered was that they
exploited this shared moment of calm in the eye of the storm that
seemed to be their lives.
Even as she used her right hand to push against
the wall and bring herself back upright, her left hand trailed
down Spike's near arm until she reached his fingertips and they
twined with hers, maintaining the contact necessary for their
communion.
"So, were you planning on joining me in here,
love, or are you just going to tease me to death?" Spike asked
his eyes alight with humour, even if his actions were more subdued
than normal.
"I think it's a bit late for that, dead man.
I just figured you looked kinda tired for washing yourself, and
I owe you one for the other week. And I doubt even..." She paused
as her eyes slid down the planes of his chest and even lower,
the unadulterated water that filled the tub doing nothing to disguise
the effect her semi-nudity had on her lover. "Okay, so maybe you're
not as ill as I thought ...though I suspect that under normal circumstances
you would probably have just pulled me in rather than issuing
an invitation."
"Guess I'm turning into a predictable old man.
An' the day I don't stand up an' salute when you walk 'round the
room in your sexy undies is the day you'll be able to wash me
down the plug-hole with the bathwater."
"How romantic," Buffy gently teased, knowing
that even if certain parts were willing, it was still more of
an automatic reaction and not an indication that the vampire was
really well enough to follow through. She lifted their joined
hands to her lips pressing butterfly kisses against the back of
each finger before turning his hand over to nibble at his extremely
sensitive palm. "Just relax and let me do the pampering for once,
okay?"
"Like I'm going to waste energy arguin'."
"Good. Now, stay put, and drink your cocoa or
whatever it is you Brits call it. I won't be long."
Buffy picked up her own cup and padded back through
into the bedroom, pulling the door over behind her, so that he
could hear little bits of what she was doing, but in his less
than perfect state it seemed like too much effort to do more than
simply wait and see. After several minutes, he heard the first
strains of some hauntingly soft music, 'The Theme from Harry's
Game' by Clannad, the first track on the tape he had had made
up for their night at the ice-rink. Then, Buffy doused the lights
in the master bedroom. As she came back through to the bathroom,
she flicked the light switch there, too, leaving the tray full
of tea-lights that she carried as the only illumination. There
were more than twenty of them and she spread them around the room
wherever surfaces allowed, in groups of three and four and five.
Rogue never even stirred.
"This so you can't see how rough I look? I look
bad, right? Promise you'll sort me out with some make up tomorrow
so Bit doesn't notice."
"You look fine," Buffy reassured him. "Damn fine,
in fact. And I think Dawn would be even more likely to notice
the unprecedented event of you wearing "Golden Glow" foundation
than if you look a little pale, though she already commented that
you seemed quiet. I really think it might be better to tell her.
And even when you were halfway starved, when you just escaped
from the Initiative, you were hot as hell. Losing your appeal
for this particular member of the opposite sex is the last thing
you have to worry about, and you started looking better after
you managed to eat something and keep it down.
Now duck." She set a hand on top of his head,
only pushing hard enough to let him know she wanted him to soak
his hair. When he re-emerged she tenderly stroked the wet curls
back from his forehead and asked the all important question. "Menthol
dandruff or camomile for blondes?"
Spike gave a half-wattage version of his normal
grin. "I know you like things to co-ordinate, pet, but I never
thought you'd be matchin' up my fags to my shampoo. That said,
since it's a choice between that and smelling like silage I'll
go for the minty fresh."
"You know, not that this thing is going to drag
out any longer than I can help... and by the way, Tara is hopefully
working her Wiccan way and chanting the chant even as I speak.
but purely on the grounds of scientific curiosity, if you did
get worse, it'd be interesting to see which quit first, your overly
smart mouth or the part that does most of its thinking for it.
Now lean forward just a little bit..."
"Bossy, little ch—"
"...Love."
Buffy could see what was coming and placed a
finger on his lips before he could say anything. "Yep, I called
you love. No, I don't think I've used that particular endearment
before, at least not without it being a direct response to you,
but it's not like it's news, and, yep, quite possibly I am being
more demonstrative than normal because I'm worried about you,
but it doesn't mean I feel any less for you the rest of the time,
just that I'm not so comfortable saying it all the time as you
are."
"You don't have to, Cherry Pie. I feel
it every time we touch, but it doesn't mean that hearin'
it once in a while isn't a good thing. A very good thing."
'Okaaay!' Buffy thought, as she watched
the tip of his tongue glide over his upper teeth. 'I'm thinking
sexage of some description is most definitely now on the menu
for tonight.'
"Slow down, there, Cowboy. I've got all of that
nicely-packaged body of yours to get cleaned up before we start
getting you all hot and sweaty again," She squirted out a little
of the jade green liquid onto her palm and having placed the bottle
back on the counter she rubbed her hands together before massaging
the shampoo into his hair. Her fingertips seemed to knead away
tense knots that he hadn't even known were there. When she had
finished to her satisfaction she dipped her hands in the water
near his feet to rinse off the excess soap, letting her fingers
trail up the inside of his shin and then his thigh as she straightened
back up.
Then, somehow, she was in the bath on top of
him. Her underwear was soaked, and her hard, dusky pink nipples
were clearly visible through the thin, wet lace. She was excruciatingly
aware of the way his warm, smooth cock pressed against the bare
flesh of her stomach as he ground his hips up against hers.
They were suddenly startled by a loud yelp, and
Rogue stood up, shaking violently to rid herself of the water
she had found herself lying in, causing Buffy to raise her hands
to shield her eyes as water splashed everywhere. The dog gave
the couple a baleful look and ambled off into the bedroom out
of their line of sight.
"Reckon you can do the rest just as easy from
here." Spike told Buffy as he raised his head for a kiss, finding
her palm in the way.
She pushed his head back under the water, running
her fingers through the sensuously clinging strands as they were
buoyed by the fluid, until the lather had been fully dispersed.
Her tiny hands tangled in the wet curls to raise his lips back
to hers, claiming the water-warmed flesh in a tender open-mouthed
kiss for a never-ending instant. "Maybe I can."
She reached out to find the citrus scented body
wash that seemed to be the least girly alternative within arms'
length. The movement prevented her from supporting her own body
weight, and Spike gave a slight gasp as a sharp hipbone seemed
to find a delicate spot. Instantly, Buffy's concern overrode her
desire. "Are you okay?"
By way of an answer, Spike let his gaze fall
to where her perfectly rounded breasts pressed against his chest
through their lace confinement, and bucked his hips, making his
dick twitch against her. "I'm more than okay," he answered in
a husky whisper. "Stomach's just feelin' a teensy bit worse for
wear."
"Sure?" Buffy double-checked, waiting till he
nodded to shift back to her knees. She squirted some of the fruity
gel onto a sponge, working it with her hands to make a lather.
She lifted one of his legs from the water, washing it with soft,
careful, circular motions working her way from his foot to where
his thigh was covered by the water, before lowering it again,
only to do the same with his other leg.
She kept one hand on the edge of the bath as
she leant forward, letting the tips of her breasts brush against
his legs and then his body, the lace of her bra scraping delicate
trails against his skin, until she could reach to resume her
task once more, working from his shoulders down to the water level.
Spike watched as she worked, driven to distraction
equally by the tantalising rasp of her nipples against his skin
and the look of intense concentration she wore. He pulled the
sponge from her hand, letting it land wherever it wanted so long
as it was out of her reach.
"Don't think we want to go testing my will-power
too long right now, beautiful." He slid down enough to rinse away
the bubbles from his shoulder. "Let's take this somewhere else?"
Spike asked in a husky whisper.
"Whatever you want, Will." Buffy stood up, offering
a hand to help him do likewise, but still somewhat surprised when
the proud vampire accepted her help without a fuss. She stepped
from the tub, lifting the bath towel that lay neatly folded on
the counter and passing it to Spike as he joined her.
She watched his face as she removed first her
bra and then her panties, that same look of awe in his eyes as
had been there the first time they had come together. She drew
the remaining towel from the counter, amused to see that it was
much larger than the one Spike was currently using to dry his
hair. He'd been pretty confident that she was going to get wet,
or maybe he'd been a boy scout in his former life.
She wrapped the soft cotton around her body and
then pulled the vamp toward their bed. Spike paused to take in
the changes she had made to the room. Clannad had faded out but
another ballad had replaced it, the female singer's voice rich
with feeling. There were tea-lights on almost every available
surface and the covers on the bed were turned down ready. He smiled
as his hearing caught the soft snore that provided a counterpoint
to the music, but even when he noticed the wet puppy curled up
on the armchair where he had draped his duster, he couldn't summon
up the desire to wake her again and move her.
"Trying to seduce me, Baby?" he asked as Buffy
led him to the bed, clambering on to kneel in its centre. Spike
crawled after her and then over her until she fell back to land
with her head amongst the pillows. The vampire wiped a few clinging
strands of hair that had become damp from the bathroom's steam
away from Buffy's face as she considered her reply.
"Yes and no, I thought we deserved a bit of romance.
Whether I got lucky wasn't so important."
"God, I love you, woman." The vampire's words
were accompanied by a wash of emotion that had Buffy blinking
away her tears before they could fall.
She parted her lips even as he bowed his head
to hers, the intensity of the emotions behind that tender taste
enough to cause the first spasms to run through her body as it
anticipated their union. She slipped an arm around his neck, the
other wrapping around his waist as she drew him down to her before
rolling them both onto their sides. She hooked a leg over his
and pressed against him, her wet lips coating his dick. She rotated
her hips slightly as the head of his shaft pressed against her
opening.
She drew back from their kiss long enough to
whisper in his ear. "Do it, baby."
His eyes searched her face for affirmation before
he pushed with his hips, driving into her with a slow, deep thrust.
As Buffy felt him enter into her inch by inch, his girth stretching
her, she gave a low moan of satisfaction. She felt safe, cherished
even, within his arms. Joining with him was like being home, and
she knew he felt it, too. Even as he gave a slight roll of his
hips to finish the stroke, pushing that extra few millimetres,
making his whole cock move slightly inside her and grinding her
clit between them, she felt the first tremors begin. Spike closed
his eyes and bit down on his lower lip, focusing on the pain until
her first, small orgasm had passed, before he began to move within
her, concentrating on making her feel every tantalising inch as
he moved in and out, trying to draw out this perfect interlude
as long as he could, his pace unconsciously matching the tempo
of the music that filled the room.
Buffy's mouth captured his once more, her tongue
finding where he had bitten into his own flesh and he knew she
must be able to taste his blood. Her hips met his with perfect
timing over and over. Their hands skated over the other's bodies,
first in light caresses that ruffled only tiny hairs and made
the skin tingle, later those same fingers clutching tight in the
intensity of the emotions around them. Spike's digits curved over
Buffy's shoulders from behind, anchoring her as he pushed up into
her. Buffy had one arm wrapped around Spike's neck, the other
she used to grip Spike's perfect ass, using it as well as the leg
that hooked around him to draw herself to him again and again.
All the physical sensations were as nothing though, beneath the
waves of love, need, passion and joy that reverberated through
and around the couple.
Buffy shivered in anticipation of the climax
she knew was coming soon. She stretched out the hand that was
wrapped around Spike's neck until she could feel where her claim
scar had yet to heal. At the first touch, Spike froze inside her
for a second and then he shifted his grip on her shoulders so
that he could follow her lead, using the acute sensitivity of
the spot that symbolised the bond between them so that they both
came together, Spike's roar as audible to everyone in the house
as Buffy's scream.
"I love you so much, baby," Spike whispered
as they both collapsed back onto the pillows.
Buffy didn't say anything. She simply put her
efforts into using the empathic bond between them to convey to
her lover how she felt right that instant, and for all the vampire
liked to hear the words now and again they could never have intimated
quite so clearly the intensity of how she felt.
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