The Marrying type

A/N: Just a little something that popped into my head & wouldn't go away. If anyone's interested in this story then I will be continuing it. If not I'll leave it as a one-shot. Either way please leave feedback. Ta!

Spike held the arms of a particularly troublesome demon behind its back as Buffy spun through the air to kick it in its face. It had been a long, hard fight tonight. What started as a routine patrol had escalated into as full on ambush by a group of super-strong nasties that just wouldn't die without a lot of fuss. All but one of them were now lying dead at their feet and their sore, aching bodies wrestled with the leader. Buffy threw a punch to its face as it reared backwards to try to throw Spike off but he merely grabbed on tighter & swung the demon around to face Buffy once again.

"Any chance of getting this over with soon Buff? Not really having the ride of my life back here" Spike shouted.

"Hey! Doing my best here big bad, if you've got any suggestions feel free to throw them out there." Buffy panted as she tried to weaken the creature in front of her. Spike watched her as if in slow motion as she spun to land another blow. Her hair swung behind her and stuck to the combination of sweat and blood that was caked to her face. Spike grinned and licked his lips- she never looked more beautiful than when she was going in for the kill. The demon in front of her grunted as sagged slightly and Spike sensed the life ebbing away from the monster and just wanted it to be over all ready.

"If you and your boyfriend have finished-" The demon grunted with an attempt at some arrogance.

"He." Buffy punched again. "Is not." She grabbed the horns on his head tightly "My boyfriend!" She twisted violently and felt its neck click & break. Spike pushed the lifeless body to one side and gazed across at the blonde standing panting in the grave yard with him. In one stride he close the gap between them and snaked one arm around her, pulling her closer before crushing his lips against hers as he twisted his hand into her matted hair as she moaned softly and leaned up towards him.

"Not your boyfriend huh?" Spike smiled as he pulled away to look into her eyes.

"Spike I'm nearly 30. Boyfriend is so... high school. What me and you have, we're... You're..."

"Undead but ensouled , long-term, live-in, lover?" Spike raised his eyebrow as he reached for his pack of cigarettes. Buffy snorted and went to reply but he cut her off "You know you could just call me your husband. It would be much less of a mouthful."

"Spike" she sighed wearily as she watched her vampire light his cigarette. "We have been through this before. We are not the marrying type. We fight for a living. We kill demons every day & we almost kill each other if we have an argument and will you stop smirking and put that thing out while I am trying to talk seriously to you?"

"You treat me like you own me all ready. Nothing will change if we get married." Spike muttered as he took a drag on his cigarette before grinding it out under his boot. "And I've been smoking since a long time before you were born love so don't think you're changing that now."

"See what I mean? Do you see? You're frigging immortal and I'm fighting for my life from dusk till dawn we're never going to be an old married couple sitting on the porch in our rocking chairs counting our grey hairs and knitting. It's not who we are."

"Not me maybe slayer but you've got a few cute little crows feet creeping on all ready." He went to kiss her cheek and she pulled sharply away, gave him a withering look and ran as fast as her feet could carrier her to their house. Spike cursed himself loudly as he stared at the place the woman he loved had just stood. Somehow he always screwed this up. After all these years he really should have learnt when to keep his mouth shut.

As Spike walked into the house he heard some hideous talk show blaring out into the night. He braced himself as he placed his hand on the handle of the door to the living room. It had been a long time since Buffy had hit him but tonight he felt he deserved it. He just wanted to make her happy, give her what she deserved, but he always went the wrong way about it. He took a deep breath and pushed the door but instead of being confronted by an angry, pacing slayer that he expected he saw a fragile woman hugging her knees in the corner of the sofa gazing with unfocused eyes at the blaring TV.

"Pet?" he questioned softly as he sat down beside her. "Love I'm so sorry I-"

"Will you love me?" Buffy asked abruptly without taking her eyes off the TV. Spike knelt up and grabbed her face to bring her eyes to his.

"How can you ask me that? You know how much I love you I'd do anything for you. You name it and I'll be there, doing it."

"No." She smiled weakly. "I know you love me. I do. You tell me about a thousand times a day. But will you? When I'm... I mean if I make it to be all old and wrinkly? And you're still annoyingly young and hot. Could you-" Spike silenced her with a kiss. He tried to convey everything he couldn't say to her in this kiss. How it didn't matter how old she was or what she looked like but he would love her until he had nothing left to love her with.

"Buffy-" he began but she just smiled and shook her head.

"Being silly. I know really. It's just sometimes I wish we were the marrying type. That things could be simple."

"You don't mean that. Not really. A day of normal and you'd be summoning a demon to liven things up. Now shall we go get cleaned up so I can get you all dirty again Summers?"

"Ah you know me too well." She smirked as he grabbed her hand and dragged her up the stairs.

TBC