The moon gleamed dully as the silvery waves crashed onto the beach, the faintly shimmering sheets of water splintering into diamond shaped slivers as they broke upon the sand. Spike gazed silently out at the ocean from afar, a wisp of smoke curling around his head, smoke that came from the faintly glowing tip of the cigarette that rested between his pale pink lips. Black tipped fingers came up to grip the cigarette as he inhaled the nicotine-tainted smoke into his lungs, before removing it letting it fall to the ground, the burning embers and residual ash falling noiselessly.
Shoving his hands into the pockets of his black duster, Spike turned to the right, his heavy boots marring the soft white powder as he began to walk along the edge of the water. A gentle breeze ruffled his platinum blond hair as it caused the bottom of his jacket to flare out slightly behind him as he sauntered up the beach. The vampire raised his piercing blue eyes to the dark sky, the sparkling light of the stars shining down on his upturned face. Lowering his head, Spike continued his walk, leaving a trail of deeply embedded footprints in his wake.
Silently he turned towards the ocean once again, his eyes passing over the tumultuous waves as he looked off into the distant horizon. Slowly Spike lowered himself to the ground, the vampire now sitting cross-legged on the gritty sand. He closed his eyes as images from the previous night bombarded his mind. The storytelling. The back and forth slinging of biting insults. The refusal so achingly similar to the one that he had experienced so long ago. The anger and the pain. The gun. Then finally, the act of comfort.
With self-deprecating smirk, Spike laughed humorlessly, the deep scornful laugh rolling through the quiet night as the waves rolled onto the beach. "Who's the poofter now?" he asked the surrounding the solitude, the question left unanswered as he trained his gaze on the starry sky almost as if he expected to find the answer there. After a few minutes, Spike's back slowly straightened, his senses picking up on the fact that he was no longer alone. With a sigh, the blond demon's shoulders slumped as he moved his hands to his laps as one solitary word fell from his lips. "Slayer."
Buffy started slightly as she approached the prone vampire, surprised that he knew it was her without so much as turning his head. "How'd you know that it was me?" she asked, as a gust of chilling wind flitted around them, causing the slayer's unbound hair to fly around her face.
"Call it slayer radar," Spike answered, not bothering to address Buffy directly, opting to continue staring at the choppy waves.
Pulling her coat closer to her body, Buffy sat down, her body a foot away from the pensive vampire. Raising a hand, she tucked a strand of unruly tress of dark blonde hair behind her ear before looking sideways at Spike's expressionless face. When he showed no reaction, Buffy turned her face forwards, her hazel eyes looking into the vast ocean that lay ahead of them.
"I never expected to see you here," Buffy commented as the two continued to sit side by side, the gentle winds growing heavier causing the sand to rise slightly off the ground.
"Well, Slayer, seeing as how my only choice for nightly entertainment is usually a night of conversing with or shagging Harmony, I figured that spending the night alone at the beach was a much better alternative." Spike replied bitingly, his voice holding an angered edge, as he continued to avoid looking at the woman beside him.
"Geez. What's your problem tonight? You don't need to get all pissy, I was only trying to start a conversation." Buffy shot back as her usual annoyance at the peroxide vampire beginning to course through her veins.
"Well, why are you here?"
"Not that it's any of your concern, but I came here to think. I figured the beach would be deserted now, and I love how quiet and serene this place is at night."
Throwing Buffy a sideways glance, Spike queried, "So, where's your farmboy? I thought you two were joined at the hip."
Turning her head sharply, the Slayer threw the smirking vampire a deadly glare before replying. "Haha, you moron," she shot back sarcastically, "I needed some time to myself, so that's why I'm here alone."
"Really? Then why are you still here, talking to me?"
Buffy paused, seeming to be at a loss for words. Sighing, Buffy said, "I really don't know Spike."
Silence descended upon the two as both Spike and Buffy got lost in their frigid surroundings. The winds grew heavier as time passed, causing the action of the waves to grow more frenzied, the surf growing larger and more dangerous. The previously clear sky grew cloudy, as a heavy fog obscured the view of the starry sky. The quiet continued to stretch on, until Buffy unexpectedly broke it.
"Spike?" she said hesitantly, her voice holding an edge of uncertainty.
"Hmm?"
Taking a deep breath, Buffy began, "Thanks for listening to me last night. Everything with my mom was just getting to be so much to handle that it helped a lot to tell someone about it..."
With a small smile, Spike turned his head for the first time and looked at the slayer. "No problem pet," he replied before turning his head forward once again.
Buffy nodded before continuing, "And... I'd like to apologize for last night. I know that what I had said..."
Spike turned his face towards Buffy once again, the small smile being replaced by anger, his tone of voice now turned abruptly hard and cold. "Stuff the apology Slayer. I don't need your pity."
"Pity? This is not pity. I just want to apologize, something that you should be doing for being such a bastard earlier last night."
"Me? A bastard?" Spike asked scornfully. "Sorry hon, but I don't sugarcoat things like your watcher, your friends, or your little GI Joe. I tell it like it is and if that makes me a bastard, then so be it. Not like you're any better, little Miss Stuck-up Bitch."
Buffy stood up abruptly, her face a mask of anger. "Oh fuck you," she ground out as she looked down at the bane of her existence. "I wasn't just talking about all of that. I was talking about how you tried to kiss me. What the hell was that all about? For the past month, you've been acting majorly weird and it's really starting to wig me out. And you know what? I'm beginning to realize that I should've staked you a long time ago."
Spike's frame slowly unfurled off the sand as he stood in front of the angered slayer, his own flashing eyes boring into her own. With a menacing growl, the vampire yelled back. "Then why haven't you done it yet? For the past year, you've had every chance imaginable, including one right now. So, why don't you just put me out of my misery?"
Startled by his words, Buffy faltered for a second before replying. "Ya, and harm a pathetic creature like yourself. Sorry Spike, but I don't go around killing the helpless."
Spike took a menacing step forward, his body now a mere hair's breadth away from the slayer. "Harmless, huh?" he remarked, his voice dripping with passion and animosity. "I guess you'd know about that, seeing as how your boy toy is akin to a neutered dog."
Buffy slapped the vampire, the sound of her hand hitting Spike's cheek resonating through the darkened the beach. "Keep Riley out of this," she growled, her voice low.
Undeterred, Spike continued, his stormy blue eyes piercing her hazel ones. A sneer pulled at his lips as he lowered his mouth to her ear, his voice a cool whisper against her heated skin. "The truth hurts doesn't it? How about another one? The reason you don't stake me is because you like our dance as much as I do."
Her breathing growing shallow, Buffy attempted to take a step back. "Spike..." she said, her voice a strained whisper of warning.
With lighting fast reflexes, Spike grabbed the retreating slayer by the shoulders, his tight grip holding her firmly, but not enough to hurt her in any way. "Oh no you don't," he snarled, "You're not getting away that easily again."
"What the fuck do you want from me?" Buffy shot back furiously, her face a mask of pure hatred.
"I want you to admit it. I want you to stop denying the fact that all of our fights and our arguments affect you in many ways. And I know that they do. I can practically feel the pounding of your heart against my chest and hear the shaky intakes of breath whenever we get this close.
Buffy raised her face to his, before she answered, her tone drenched in sarcasm. "Really, Spike? And what do you suggest I do about it?"
How about this?" Spike growled as he yanked her body flush against his. With a low growl, the vampire crushed his lips to Buffy's, his mouth violently caressing hers. The slayer remained stiff at first, her hands splaying across Spike's chest as she attempted to push him away. However, as soon as her fingers touched the marbled muscle underneath the bleached blond's tight black T-shirt, her hands seemed to take on a mind of their own. Her small palms caressed Spike's chest, feeling the movement of taut, well-defined sinew, movement like cool water through the heated sand. She unconsciously moaned into Spike's kiss, allowing the vampire to thrust his cool tongue into her heated mouth. Buffy returned the kiss, her tongue moving to tangle with his own as the kiss grew degrees of passion. Lips melded together, tongues dueled erotically, and a small callused hand caressed hard muscle, as both slayer and vampire lost themselves in the steady movement of their mouths against each other. Spike gently bit Buffy's lower lip, causing the smallest drop of blood to appear. Moving his lips, Spike suckled on the bleeding cut, the action causing tremors of intense desire to flow through the blonde's heated body.
Abruptly, Spike pulled away, his darkened blue eyes flashing as he stared at the breathless slayer. Buffy stared back at him, the desire induced haze lifting from her mind as a look of shock descended upon her face. With a gasp, Buffy stepped back quickly, a hand upon her mouth as she sought to get her heavy breathing under control.
"Now Slayer," Spike began, his deep voice carrying over to the alarmed young woman. "That was the end of the lesson."
Without so much as a backward glance, Spike turned on his heel and stalked away, Buffy staring forlornly at his retreating back. With a half sob, Buffy lowered her hand and let it fall limply to her side, her mind filled with unanswered questions.