Disclaimer: Spike, Buffy, Dawn, Willow and Tara all belong to Joss Whedon, ME, Fox et al.

Author: Trish

Title: "The Way I Like It"

Rating: PG for brief nudity and language.

Feedback: Sure, it's always appreciated. Send it to: obsessed_spike_freak_02@yahoo.com

The Way I Like It

Spike walked up the steps to the back porch and carefully took out the set of keys Buffy gave him a few days ago. He held them in his hands for a moment and shuffled the key chains around until he found the one for the back door. He smiled as he looked and proceeded to unlock the door. He made his way quietly into the house, through the kitchen and living room, and up the stairs. He looked in on Lil Bit and she was fast asleep in her room, so he closed her door and walked back out into the hallway. He looked towards Willow's room to make sure the light was off.

After Willow and Tara broke up, Willow told Buffy she would switch rooms with her seeing as how she didn't need that big room to herself and plus it should be hers. Tara was back living in her campus apartment because she never fully gave it up. Spike didn't feel sorry for her because it was Willow's own fault. He shook it off and walked down to the end of the hall to Buffy's room. Spike's mind floated back to the time evening Buffy gave him the gift.

Flashback

Spike remembered the day when Buffy had given them to him. They had been out patrolling together for a couple of hours and were about to call it a night.

"C'mon Love, I'll walk you home," he said. He always walked her home even though she often complained, as she did that night.

"Spike, I'm a big girl. Y'know, I AM the Slayer! I'm wicked strong," she smirked.

"Yeah, Love, I know. I know," he smirked back, his eyes twinkling in the moonlight. He reached out for her hand and surprisingly she took it and they walked back to the house hand in hand. "Well, here we are Pet," he said as they stopped at the doorway.

"Yeah, here we are."

"I better get trodding off then." He turned to go when; a hand stopped him.

"Spike, can you come inside a minute I need to get something first?"

He looked at her not sure what she was going to get, especially since he assumed she was staying in for the night. "Yeah, sure." They stepped inside and Spike closed the door behind them.

"Buffy! Spike! You're home!" Dawn said as she jumped of the couch and ran over to them.

"Hey, Lil Bit," Spike smiled as Dawn hugged him. "Glad to see you too," he said as he returned her affection. Even though he was evil-blood-sucking- fiend from-beyond-the-grave, he just felt like a brother to the kid.

"Dawn, what are you still doing up, it's a school night?" Buffy demanded.

"I know, but I wanted to see Spike and plus I did what you asked me to."

"Oh, right that, where is it?"

"In the kitchen," she replied.

"Alright. Spike, can you hold on a minute?" she waited for his answer. "Okay, Dawny let's go," and they walked into the kitchen leaving Spike standing in the living room alone.

*Bollocks, she's beautiful!*

"Here it is. It's so cool you're giving him these. You think he'll like it?" Dawn asked excitedly.

"Yeah, I think or I hope he will. Now, I have to go again, so go say goodnight to Spike, and then you have to get to bed. I don't want to hear it in the morning when it's time for you to go to school."

"Alright. All right, I'm not five years old anymore! I'll get up on time, I promise," she smiled. Dawn walked back into the living room to say good night to Spike.

"G'night Lil Bit. Sweet dreams," he smiled.

"Night, Spike. You too," she replied in the same accent.

"Hey, you're getting better."

"Yup."

"Alright, Dawn goodnight," Buffy said and she gave her a hug and then turned to Spike. "Can we talk?"

"Yeah, sure," he said and started to take off his leather duster that she would never admit to anyone else that looked sexy on him.

"At your place?" she asked.

"Uh, yeah," he replied sliding his duster back over his shoulders, "But what about Dawn?"

"Willow is here and she's probably upstairs studying or something so she'll be up for a while till I get back."

*Yeah, or something.*

"Okay, as long as she's safe."

She smiled, "Good, let's go."

They walked silently down the streets of Sunnydale and through the graveyard until they arrived at Spike's crypt. "Ladies first." He opened the door and stepped back to let her enter before him. He breathed in a breath of her hair as she walked passed him; not that he needed to but he just had to with her. *She smells so good!*

She had to smile and even laugh a little. *Sometimes he can be such a gentleman!* "Thank you, my kind Sir," she joked as she walked past him and she could tell he took a breath of air as she passed.

A smile formed on is face as he shut the crypt door behind him. He thought it was cute when she played around with him. He motioned for her to sit down as he removed his leather jacket and threw it on top of the coffin. Even though he didn't usually sleep in it because he had furniture and a bed down below, and it was too cliché he still kept it around! Buffy took off her jacket and placed it next to Spike's and then sat down.

She liked that he had real furniture and it was a surprise to her after she was brought back from the grave. It made him seem more than just a vampire with a killer smile and sexy eyes. He told her he wanted it to look more real for Dawn and that it added style. She smiled at the fact that he had thought of Dawn and had protected her with his life when she had died. She was taken away from her thoughts by his voice.

"Buffy, if you don't mind could you turn around, I'd like to change my shirt, that bloody bugger of a vamp ripped it."

*Oh, no don't ask me to turn around!* She had to laugh at the way he was acting. He was being so polite and all his English charm from his human days was starting to come through.

"Bloody hell, what now?"

"Nothing," she continued to smirk and laugh, "It's just that."

"That what? Oh, I get it. You think it's funny don't you because I asked you politely to turn around, instead of just ripping it off in bloody front of you. I used to live in the mother county of etiquette and taste don't forget!"

"Okay, okay. Don't get your knickers in an uproar!" she laughed knowing he didn't wear them. "I thought it was cute and innocent," she admitted as she turned around. "Plus, it's not like I haven't ever seen you without your shirt on before." *I do love his muscles!*

Spike shook his head and starting unbuttoning his shirt. *Oh how I wish you were doing this.* He took a clean shirt out of his trunk and unbuttoned it and he turned back around and caught her staring.

*Oh, shit! I'm caught!*

She looked like a deer caught in a car's headlights. She couldn't help but to stare at his rippled pectorals and rock-tight abs. The candlelight glistened on his chest making him look even sexier to her. *Oh my God! Look away Buffy, just look away!* She found herself walking over towards him. He looked at her his jaw clenched and his chiseled cheekbones looking ever so sexy. She didn't really know much about Billy Idol, but she knew that he couldn't have looked as good as Spike, even if people did say the vampire looked like the singer.

Spike stood there silent with his shirt in his hands as she approached him. It seemed like an eternity for her to reach him. There was a look of determination in her eyes and he wasn't sure what to expect from her. Things between them were different now than before she died. There was both a spoken and an unspoken trust between the two of them as well as a newfound friendship that was blossoming.

Buffy stopped just inches away from him and she ran slid her hands down his arms, forcing them to stay at his sides. After which she proceeded to run her hands down his chest, her fingers rising and falling as they went over his muscles. Spike let the shirt drop to the floor and looked into her eyes. She stood up on her tiptoes and wrapped her hands behind his neck and kissed him. This wasn't just some peck on the lips either; it was a full-blown kiss. He accepted her embrace and kissed her back softly and gently. He was the first to break away.

"What. What was that for?" he asked with a slightly confused expression.

Her hands were still wrapped around his neck. "I. I don't know. I just couldn't help or control myself. I mean there you were standing there in the candlelight with no shirt on and you looked." she felt herself blush.

"I looked like what?" he asked like he didn't know what she was going to say. He wanted to hear her say it.

She looked down and then up into his eyes and kissed him again, this time more passionately. However, this time she was the one to break the embrace. She turned with her back to him and touched her lips and then cleared her throat. "I have something for you." She walked over to her jacket and reached inside the pocket and pulled out a box wrapped in colorful paper. She looked down and then turned back around to face him. To her disappointment he had just slipped the shirt on and was beginning to button it.

*No, leave it off, leave it off!*

"Here let me," she said as she set the box down and walked back over to him. She took the two sides of the shirt in each hand and felt the material. *Silk.* She started from the bottom up never looking at him until she buttoned the very last one they way he liked it.

*She's driving me sodding insane!*

Their eyes met. He leaned in a little and she followed his lead and leaned in to meet him. Their lips met once again for another embrace. It was simple and sweet yet filled with so much more. She put her hand on his shoulders to get a better grip to make the kiss a little more than what it was. He placed his hands on her hips and pulled her closer to him. Their embrace became more and more passionate and they were both enjoying every minute of it, although she would not have admitted to wanting him before this. Buffy let her hands slide down his back, loving the way he felt underneath the blue silk shirt. He was cool to the touch but she didn't mind that.

Spike pulled away and looked into her eyes. "What are we doing here?" He wanted, no more like needed to know where this was going if it was going anywhere.

She didn't answer him with words just with her actions. She looked him up and down and slowly began to unbutton the shirt she had buttoned just minutes ago. His hands were still resting on her hips as he waited patiently for her to finish. Once she had the shirt unbuttoned, she slid it down to his hands and let is rest there. She liked the way it draped off him. She put her hands on his hips and pulled him into her and then looked back up into his eyes. She could see something that wasn't there before, or may be she was just now realizing what had been there for a long time but just never wanted to admit it. She ran her hands back up his chest and stopped at his neck, then she cupped his face in her hands and felt his jaw clench. She pulled his face down to hers and they began kissing again.

Spike walked towards her and they moved backwards until they came to the coffin. He picked her up some so that she was sitting on top of it. She was now looking down at him while they kissed, her hands wrapped in his hair.

"Spike." It wasn't very audible, but he could her it.

"Uh huh," he replied between kisses. His arms were wrapped tightly around her waist. He slid his hands up the back of her shirt and caressed the small of her back.

"Spike," she said and with it came a little breath.

"What?"'

"Do," she paused. *Buffy just ask him already!* "Do you, um still have feelings for me?" she finally managed to get out as she bent down to kiss the nape of his neck.

He stopped kissing and looked up at her, therefore making her look him in the face. He was breathless but at the same time felt it caught in his throat. "Buffy, you know I do," he said looking into her eyes. "More than I would like to admit sometimes." She smiled at him and then went back to kissing his shoulders and neck.

*Buffy, you chickened out! That's not what you wanted to ask him!* she scolded herself.

"So, you said you had something for me?" he smirked.

"Oh, yeah, right!" She handed him the small package. "Open it!"

Spike took the small box from her and opened it gently. He slid the top off the box and peered inside. What he found were two gold keys already attached to a key chain. He placed the box down beside her and took the contents into his hands. He looked the key chain over and ran his fingers over the inscriptions. On the front of the key chain, his name was carved in black. On the opposite side, the inscription read:

For the one person I trust the most.
Buffy

Spike couldn't believe what she was giving him. "Are you sure about this?"

"Yes, me and Dawn both want you to have these. You can come and go as you please now." She smiled seductively. "I hope you come more than you go."

He smiled back. "I don't see that being a problem. Thank you." His lips met her once again as he slipped the keys into his pocket.

End Flashback

Spike smiled at the memory. He pushed her bedroom door open quietly. She was sitting at her vanity brushing her hair in the mirror. He walked silently up behind her. She smiled as she sensed him approach her and she turned around to meet him. He smiled back as he took his duster off and threw it on a nearby chair. He slipped beside her and gave her a gentle peck on the lips.

"Hey," she smiled. "I was waiting for you. I thought you'd never get here."

He smiled at her anxiousness. "No, need to fret Love, nothing could keep me away from you. Not even the rising sun." His icy blue eyes sparkled as he looked down at her. He lifted her to her feet and placed his hands on her hips.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

"I want to dance with you."

She laughed. "What's gotten into you lately?"

"Love.and you," he smiled as he broke away from her and shut the bedroom door. He turned the lights out and took his shirt off on the way back to her. He reached her with ease and took her back into his arms.

"Nice, just the way I like you," she smirked as he lifted her into his arms. He carried her to the bed and laid her down gently.

"Good, because this is exactly the way I like it."

THE END