Disclaimer stands, as well as the adult content notice
-4-
Buffy woke up hours later still wrapped in Spike's arms. They were cuddled up, her head resting on his shoulder and one leg thrown across his. One definite benefit of sleeping with a vampire: no circulation to cut off.
"Good mornin', luv," Spike's husky voice said. Buffy turned her face up to look at him sleepily. His eyes were still closed, and she reached a hand up to brush an errant curl from his forehead.
"Good morning," she purred, reaching up to kiss him softly.
"Sleep well?" he asked, cupping her chin with his hand.
"Wonderfully," she said. "You? It's a bit early for you to be up, isn't it?"
"Eh, it's about noon or so," he said, rubbing gentle circles on her back with one hand. "And I had the best night's sleep of my life, so I'm good."
"Mm," she hummed, resting her head back down onto his chest. "I know I should go home, and my friends are probably freaking out about where I am right now. Is it bad that I can't make myself care enough about that to get out of bed?"
"Nope," he said. "If I had my way, you'd never get out of this bed."
"I think that if I had my way, I wouldn't either," she giggled, curling up even tighter to him. He placed a sweet kiss on the top of her head, eliciting another giggle.
"Big bad my ass," she said with a grin.
"Hey!" he growled. "I seem to recall you sayin' somethin' was almost too big last night."
"Pig," she said, slapping him playfully on the chest. "That wasn't what I was talking about. And I don't remember those words ever coming out of my mouth."
"Maybe you just thought them loud enough for me to hear, then," he said, pulling her back up for another kiss. Now that he could, he wasn't sure he'd ever be able to stop kissing her. She took his hand in hers, guiding it down under the covers to cup her sex.
"God, luv, you are amazing," he moaned. His fingers slipped inside her gently, and she mewled quietly in pleasure. When he pulled his fingers free, she crawled on top of him, impaling herself gently. They both let out a sigh of pleasure when she started to move, her hands pinning his shoulders to the bed. His hands reached up to touch her face, play with her nipples, and cup her ass. As she felt her release building, she started moving faster, rotating her hips slightly with each thrust.
"I love you," he murmured, and that did it. She moaned his name as she fell over the edge, and he followed her a moment later, spilling himself into her. She collapsed onto his chest, gasping for breath.
"So, what am I to you now?" he asked once her breathing had calmed and she lay sprawled out on his chest. He ran a hand through her hair as he waited for her answer.
"Like are you my boyfriend? My lover?" she asked without looking up at him. "Right now? I really have no idea. Do we need labels?"
"No," he said, shaking his head. "But I gotta ask, luv. Are you gonna come back here if I let you leave? Or are you gonna pretend this never happened and go back to treatin' me like dirt? 'Cause if you, I don' think I could-"
"Hey," she said, quietly but firmly, finally looking up at him. "I don't regret this. This changed things, I know that. And no, I'm not going to go home and deny anything ever happened. I… have no idea what I'm doing here, Spike."
"Me neither," he admitted sheepishly.
"Okay then," Buffy conceded. "Let's just not know what the hell we're doing, and maybe eventually, we'll figure it out."
"Sounds like a plan," he said.
"Okay, I need to go home," she said, sliding out of his embrace and standing up. He climbed out of bed behind her, grabbing her around the waist.
"Not yet," he said huskily, thrusting his hips against her butt. She moaned quietly when she felt his hardness against her, letting her head fall back against his chest.
"Spike," she whined quietly, trying to step free of his grasp. He caught her again, and she stepped away again. He spun her around, backing her up into the wall hard.
"You can leave soon," he said. Gripping her thighs with bruising force, he lifted her up and smashed his mouth to hers. Buffy wound her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist. Her back hit the wall again as he pushed into her, gently though the rest of him was grasping her hard.
"Oh! Harder!" she cried, reaching for anything to give her some leverage. Spike slammed into her as she tried desperately to grasp anything. Holding her to him, he turned around and backed her up against one of the posts of his bed. Grabbing the post with both hands, Buffy met him thrust for thrust as they neared their climax. When Spike bit down hard on her neck with blunt, human teeth, Buffy literally saw stars as she exploded around him.
"Oh, god SPIKE!" she screamed as he found his release as well. She pulled his mouth to hers, devouring him as much as she could. They fell back together onto the bed, still kissing deeply. Spike's hand tried to drift down again on her body as he kissed her, but Buffy pulled away.
"No, we can't," she said between kisses. "I've gotta go home. My friends…"
"Sod your friends," he growled, leaning down to suck on her neck. Yet another hickey to go with the ones he gave her last night.
"No, Spike, c'mon, you promised," she protested, pulling him off her neck.
"I changed my mind," he growled.
"Dawn's gotta be worried," she said. He pulled away from her, frowning. "I didn't tell her where I was going."
He sighed and rolled off of her. "Are you gonna come back?" he asked.
"Why don't you come over later?" she asked. "Or I can meet you for patrol."
"Okay," he said as she climbed out of bed. He watched as she pulled on her jeans and yanked a t-shirt over her head. He didn't realize until she was pulling on her boots that it was his t-shirt.
"Oi, girl, that's mine," he said.
"And now it's mine," she said with a grin. She stepped over to his side of the bed, placing a soft kiss on his lips. "You've stolen enough of my clothing," she said. "So I'll see you later?"
"Yeah," he said, his eyes drifting closed lazily. She kissed him languidly again, feeling him drift to sleep. He was nearly unconscious by the time she made it to the stairs. With an affectionate smile, she headed up into the daylight world.
When she opened the front door to her house, Buffy was immediately assaulted by Dawn, Willow and Tara. Dawn pulled her into a crushing hug, and not for the first time Buffy wondered if she had gotten some of that Slayer strength.
"Where the hell have you been?" her sister screeched, hugging her so hard Buffy started to worry about her ribs. "We've been so worried about you!"
"Sorry," Buffy said, coughing slightly when Dawn let go. She held in a laugh at their panicked faces. "I'd've called, but there wasn't a phone close." She tried to suppress her grin, but couldn't.
"Where were you?" Willow asked with a raised eyebrow. Buffy just grinned at her. Willow put her hands on her hips and frowned. "Don't make me pt the resolve face on," the redhead warned.
"No resolve face needed," Buffy said. "I was at Spike's."
"What?!" Dawn squealed. "Tell me, tell me, tell me!" Buffy's grin got impossibly wider.
"Judging by that grin, I'd say good things happened?" Willow asked.
"Very good things," Buffy answered, nodding. The three girls towed her to the living room, crowding around her on the couch.
"Details!" Dawn demanded. "What did you guys do?"
"I'm not giving details about what we did," Buffy said, blushing slightly.
"Oh my god!" D squealed. "You totally slept with him!"
"Several times, actually," Buffy said, not quite under her breath. Willow and Dawn squealed excitedly, while Tara looked on seriously.
"So are you guys dating?" Tara asked, frowning slightly.
"I dunno, we're together, if that's what you're asking," Buffy said slowly. "But we haven't had the Talk, y'know? Not really, anyway. There were things said… but no labels. I'm not calling him my boyfriend right now. And I'm not using him, or two-timing him. So I don't know what you'd call us. But he is coming over later."
"Oh my gosh, this is so great!" Dawn cried, hugging Buffy again. "I'm so happy for you!"
"You guys are all okay with this?" Buffy asked.
"He loves you," Tara said, shrugging. "Do you love him?"
"I wouldn't call it that yet," Buffy said, wincing slightly. "But there's some definite intense likeage goin' on."
"He makes you happy?" Willow asked.
"Yeah," Buffy said, blushing slightly. "I haven't felt this good in a long time."
"Then I'm good," Willow said. "I won't pretend to understand it, but if you're happy, I'm happy."
"Yeah, I don't get it either," Buffy said with a grin. "But he is really hot, so maybe that explains it."
"Love makes you do the wacky," Dawn said sagely. Buffy tried to suppress her grin again and failed.
"Okay, shower time for Buffy," she said. "And then I thought we could make cookies?"
"So, you want me to make then while you supervise and take all the credit?" Willow asked.
"Yep," Buffy said, standing. "You know me so well." She flitted up the stairs, humming quietly to herself.
Once she was all clean and bouncy, Buffy skipped downstairs and into the kitchen. Dawn had her textbooks spread out on the counter and Willow was combining cookie ingredients.
"So when Spike comes over, if you two aren't too busy boinking-" Dawn started.
"Hey, you, with the language," Buffy said sharply.
"Sorry," Dawn said. "So if you and Spike aren't too busy playing checkers, do you think he could help me study?"
"Playing checkers?" Buffy asked.
"Tara and I had to tell her something that time when Spike was boinking the Buffybot and we thought it was you."
"Oh, " Buffy said.
"Why does she get to say boinking and I don't?" Dawn asked indignantly.
"Because she's an adult and you're not," Buffy said, perching herself on the counter as Willow spooned cookie dough onto a baking sheet.
"So you're gonna yell again, but I'm going to ask anyway. How's Spike in bed?" Dawn asked.
"Dawn!" Buffy cried.
"I wanna know, too," Willow said, putting the cookie sheet into the oven.
"I'm not discussing this with you two," Buffy said.
"So, he's either bad or really, really good," Willow said, turning back to Buffy with her hands on her hips.
"Look, what happens between Spike and me in the bedroom is none of your business," Buffy said. "But for the record, he's very not bad."
"Hah! Knew it," Dawn said as the doorbell rang. "Told you he was yummy." She stood and left the room to answer the door, leaving Willow and Buffy in the kitchen.
"So not bad?" Willow asked, eyebrows raised.
"Oh my god, Wills," Buffy said laughing. Willow laughed with her and perched up on the counter next to her.
"Nice," she said.
"Oh yeah," Buffy murmured as Dawn came back in the room, followed by Spike.
"Your boytoy's here," Dawn said, settling back into her chair. "And I've claimed him for at least an hour for study time."
"Is the sun down already?" Buffy asked, glancing at the window and ignoring Dawn.
"It's down enough," Spike said, stepping up to her. She opened her legs, letting him stand between her thighs. "There're enough shadows in your yard to prevent a dusty ending."
"Oh," she said, resting her hands on his hips.
"Are you baking?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.
"We wanted cookies," Buffy answered. She hooked her bare feet around his legs, anchoring him to her.
"An' 'm guessin' that since the house isn't on fire, you're only here in a supervisory capacity?" he asked with a smirk. Willow and Dawn snorted in laughter.
"Hey!" Buffy said, slapping him on the chest gently. "Just for that, no delicious cookie goodness for you."
"Aw, don't be like that, luv," he murmured, pouting.
"You haven't even said hello to me yet," Buffy said, matching his pout. He grinned, leaning in close to her.
"Hello, luv," he purred.
"Hi," she answered, grinning as he leaned in to kiss her sweetly. Dawn started making retching sounds as Spike slipped his tongue into Buffy's mouth.
"Seriously!" Dawn cried. "Young, impressionable mind here getting grossed out by watching you two!"
"Then close your eyes," Spike suggested, breaking away from the kiss and resting his forehead on Buffy's.
"Really, get a room," Dawn said. Spike rolled his eyes, making Buffy giggle.
"C'mon," he said, taking Buffy's hand as she jumped down from the counter. He led her into the living room, away from the prying eyes of Willow and Dawn. Once safely alone, Spike smashed his lips back to Buffy's, taking her face in his hands.
"I missed you," he said between kisses.
"It's only been like two hours," she giggled. "I thought you were sleeping."
"Couldn't," he said. "An' it was far too long to be away from you. Years. Centuries."
"You're crazy," Buffy said, kissing him.
"It's 'cos you drive me mad," he said, dropping his lips to kiss one of the hickeys he'd given her last night and this morning. "I love you," he purred.
"I know, baby," Buffy said, moaning quietly as he hit a tender spot. The doorbell rang, making Spike growl in frustration. Buffy pulled away to answer the door.
"Ignore it," he growled, trying to kiss her again.
"Spike, stop," she said, playfully slapping at him. She turned to walk to the door, Spike hot on her heels, kissing the back of her neck and grabbing her hips.
"Baby, stop it," she ordered again, opening the door. Xander and Anya stood outside, an elated grin on Anya's face and a scowl on Xander's.
"I knew it," Anya said, flitting inside. Xander stood on the porch, watching silently as Anya circled the pair. Spike slipped an arm around Buffy's shoulders, and Buffy's arm snaked around his waist.
"Knew what, pet?" Spike asked as Anya scrutinized them both.
"You two have had lots of sex," Anya said. Buffy blushed vibrantly and cuddled closer to Spike's side. "Congratulations."
"Thanks?" Buffy said, laughing. Her eyes caught Xander's. He looked terribly sad, and it broke her heart.
"Babe, will you take Anya into the kitchen?" she asked, whispering in Spike's ear. "I need to talk to Xander."
"Sure, luv," Spike said, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "Call me if you need anything?"
"Of course," she said, smiling up at him. He squeezed her hand gently before he let go. Catching Anya's shoulders in the circle of his arm, he steered her to the kitchen.
"C'mon, crazy bird," he said. Once they had disappeared into the kitchen, Buffy turned back to Xander.
"You can come in if you're going to behave," she said. Xander looked at his shoes sheepishly and stepped inside. Buffy led him to the living room and sat down in a chair. Xander sat down stiffly across from her on the couch.
"Buffy , I'm sorry, he said. "It was just… how could you have-"
"How could I have what?" Buffy asked. "How could I have fallen for another vampire, or could I have worked as a stripper? Which one pisses you off more?"
"Buffy, I'm not…" he said. "I'm confused. Why didn't you ask us for help?"
"I did!" Buffy cried, standing up. "God, Xander, since I've been back, all I've been doing is asking for help! I've been drowning, and none of you even noticed! What choice did I have?"
"Okay, that explains the- the j-job thing," Xander stammered. "B-but what about Spike?"
"What about him?" Buffy asked hotly. She sat back down in the chair.
"Why are you…"
"I like him," she said. "A lot. I dunno, maybe I love him. I don't know."
"You're in love with him?" Xander squeaked.
"I said I don't know, Xander," Buffy said. "Look, I don't really want to talk about this with you. I haven't even discussed it with him yet." She sighed deeply. "I don't know what it is, but he's in my life. He's an important part of my life, and you are too. But if you can't or won't accept that I'm with him, then I'm sorry, Xander, but you won't be able to be a part of my life."
"So you'd just pick him over me?"
"Well, he hasn't called me a whore recently," she said, leaning back in her chair.
"Buffy, I didn't mean that, I was just-"
"You were just pissed that I went to him for help and not you," she interrupted. "You're mad that I'm picking him, a dead, soulless thing over you. You want to be my knight in shining armor, Xand, but I'm not a damsel in distress."
"Buffy, I'm your friend, I want you to be happy," he said.
"And he makes me happy!" Buffy said, standing up again. She moved to sit on the coffee table facing him.
"Xand, I've never felt as good as I did this morning when I woke up next to him," she said. Xander flinched slightly. "He loves me. All he wants is to take care of me, to see me happy. I think if I said that I needed to not be with him, he'd leave without a second thought. He loves me, Xander. I've never… no one's ever loved me like that, completely disregarding themselves. He would've jumped, had I asked him to. He'd have died in my place given the chance."
"I know," Xander said. "I just… I dunno. I think you could do better."
"I don't," Buffy said. "Xand, I'm sorry if it upsets you, but I've kinda stopped caring about other peoples' opinions. I'm going to do what I want to do."
"So my choice is either deal or leave?"
"Pretty much, yeah," Buffy said.
"Then I'll deal," he said "You're what matters, Buff. But if he hurts you, he's dust."
"He won't hurt me," she said confidently. "He loves me. And he's not really the kind that stops loving someone, y'know?"
"Yeah," Xander said, standing. "I hope he makes you happy." Buffy got to her feet too, wrapping her arms around his middle in a hug.
"He does," she said softly.
"Do you forgive me?" he asked.
"Yeah," she said into his chest. "But you might want to make peace with Dawn too."
"I will," he said. "Where is she?"
"Spike's helping her study for a history test," Buffy said, releasing him from her bruising hug. "They're in the kitchen." Xander followed her to the kitchen, where Willow was pulling the cookies out of the oven as Spike and Dawn studied. Anya was perched on the counter, where Buffy had been before.
"Warm chocolatey goodness for all once these are cooled," Willow said. Anya jumped off the couch and went to Xander's side. Buffy stepped up behind Spike, pressing a quick kiss to the back of his neck.
"How's the studying?" she asked as her arms wrapped around Spike's chest.
"I hate history," Dawn said sullenly. "Nothing good came from the 1800s."
"Hey!" Spike said.
"Oh, sorry," Dawn said sheepishly as Buffy giggled in his ear. "Though, technically, you're evil."
"She has a point," Buffy said, leaning down to rest her chin on his shoulder.
"Hush, you," he said, turning his head to kiss her temple.
"So am I going to have to kick your ass again, or have you fixed your attitude?" Dawn asked without looking up.
"Don't cuss," Buffy and Spike said at the same time.
"God, it's like having a second Mom and Dad," Dawn grumbled. She raised her eyes to look at Xander. "Well?"
"I'm sorry, Dawnie, I overreacted," Xander said.
"It's not me you should be apologizing to," Dawn said. "You should be apologizing to Buffy and Spike. I hit you because you were being a dick to them."
"Dawn!" Buffy said sharply. "Watch your mouth." Dawn grumbled something under her breath.
"Don't think I din't hear that, Bit," Spike said. He turned to look at Buffy. "Do you think I can ground her?"
"I think you could try," Buffy said. "Do it, it'll be funny." Spike put on his best authority face and turned to Dawn.
"You're grounded."
"Bite me, Bleach Boy," Dawn said, grinning.
"Told ya," Buffy said. Spike growled low in his throat, reaching around to grab her by the waist. She squealed as he yanked her down into his lap and cinched his arms around her waist. Dawn made more retching sounds again, causing Buffy to look sideways at her.
"Problems?" she asked, raising her eyebrows at her sister.
"Nah, I just threw up a little in my mouth there," Dawn said with a grin.
"Jealous," Buffy retorted.
"Well, you stole my friend!" Dawn said in faux anger.
"He likes me more," Buffy said, sticking her tongue out at Dawn.
"As he should," Anya piped up. "You're the one giving him orgasms." Buffy's mind when blank. Willow, smiling at her friend's embarrassment, put the now-cooled cookies on a plate and set them down on the bar.
"Yeah, thanks for that," Spike said, smirking down at Buffy. "Especially that one where you were on your mmpffa." Buffy shoved a cookie in his mouth to silence him.
"Did anyone else just have déjà vu there?" Xander asked. "Remember the guilt-cookies after the engagement spell?"
"And then Buffy stuffed one in his mouth, yeah, I remember that," Willow laughed.
"The only way to get him to shut up is to stuff something in his mouth!" Buffy said defensively.
"An' yet, it doesn't stop you from talkin'," Spike said, loud enough for Buffy to hear, but Dawn caught the gist. Buffy shot him a warning glare.
"Okay, ground rules," Dawn said. "I don't want to hear or hear about what goes on between you two freaks behind closed doors. And it better only be happening behind closed doors. Actually, that goes for all of you guys."
"What's that mean?" Anya asked.
"I think it means she wants you to stop talking about sex, Ahn," Xander said.
"Sex is a natural part of life, Dawn," Anya said condescendingly.
"Not for a fifteen-year-old, Anya," Willow reminded her.
"Not till you're thirty," Spike said, looking at Dawn.
"How pissed would you get if I said I'd already-" Dawn started.
"Finish that sentence and you're going to a convent," Buffy threatened.
"Nah, vamps like those," Spike said. "Send 'er to an all-girls military school."
"That wouldn't stop me from getting any," Willow commented. Dawn barked a laugh.
"Willow! You are not helping!" Buffy scolded.
"Sorry," Willow said, blushing slightly. "Dawnie, listen to Buffy."
"What about Spike?" Dawn asked. "Do I have to listen to him?"
"Of course not," Willow said with a grin at the vampire. "Just 'cause he and Buffy are screwing like bu-"
"And your talking privileges are revoked," Buffy said, flushing bright red.
"Wait, screwing like what?" Anya asked.
"Like bunnies," Dawn supplied helpfully.
"Bunnies?! Why bunnies?" Anya screeched.
"Excellent job, Dawn," Buffy said as Xander tried to soothe Anya. Her voice hit a particularly high note and Spike winced.
"Oh, look, sun's gone down," he said. "We should patrol."
"Yep, you're right," Buffy agreed, jumping to her feet. "I need to change."
"I'll help," Spike said, following her out of the room and up the stairs. They slipped into Buffy's bedroom and closed the door. Spike flopped down on her bed, looking up at her.
"We've still got a bit till dark," he said. "Jus' had to get out of there."
"Smart guy," Buffy said, lying down next to him. She propped herself up on one arm and looked down at him.
"Hi," she said. She grinned broadly.
"Hi," he said, matching her grin.
"I'm gonna kiss you now," she murmured. She leaned forward, her lips barely brushing over his. His arms came up around her, holding her to him as she pressed her lips to his harder. Buffy opened her mouth to let him in as her hands wandered lazy, brushing over his hair, rubbing his arms and chest, and cupping his jaw.
"I have something I need to tell you," she said, breaking the kiss. Spike frowned slightly, his brow furrowing.
"You look so serious," she said, brushing her thumb over his sharp cheek bone. "It's not bad news."
"I'm not worried," he said, but his eyes said differently.
"I think… I'm falling in love with you," she said quietly. She looked down shyly, waiting for his reaction. He was stunned into silence, so instead he grabbed her and pulled her to him for a deep, scorching kiss.
"I love you," he panted. His cerulean eyes searched hers desperately.
"Spike, I love you," she whispered, caressing his cheek. He kissed her roughly again and pulled back.
"Say it again," he begged.
"I love you," she said, giggling as he peppered kisses over her face.
"Buffy, luv, I need you," he begged, reaching down and caressing the skin of her bell. "Please, baby. Do we have time?"
"All the time in the world," she said as he pulled her top over her head. He stripped his shirt off and kicked off his boots. Buffy slipped her yoga pants down off her legs and reached for his belt.
"No knickers today, luv?" he asked huskily, leering down at her.
"Thought I'd surprise you," she said. She pushed him down onto his back and leaned over him. Kissing him quickly, she jumped out of bed and padded to the door. Flipping the lock closed, she turned back towards the bed.
"I don't want any interruptions," she purred. She laid back down next to him, pressing wet kisses over his marble chest. Her hand unbuckled his belt and unbuttoned his jeans. He gasped when she took his cock in her hand. She slid her fist over him gently while keeping firm pressure. When she dropped her head down to take him in her mouth, he moaned loudly and bucked his hips. She used one hand to stroke him while she sucked and turned the other hand back to her own body. Spike almost lost it when he saw her, playing with her nipples and dropping her hand down to caress her clit.
"Oh my god, Buffy," he moaned. She released him from her mouth with a wet plot, looking up at him expectantly.
"Yes, baby?" she asked.
"Come here," he demanded. She crawled back up his body, rubbing her sodden center over his member as she did so. He reached a hand up to cup her breast and guided himself into her. She sank against him with a satisfied moan. She started to move on him, bracing herself with her hands on his shoulders.
"You feel so good," she moaned. Spike's hands were everywhere, playing with her nipples, caressing her back, groping her ass, touching her face, and winding through her hair. When he started rubbing her clit, her body went into sensory overload, triggering one of the most powerful orgasms of her life. Spike leaned up and kissed her as she tumbled over the edge, swallowing her moans.
"I love you," she whispered, and her words triggered his release as well. He spilled himself into her, collapsing back on the pillow. Buffy lay bonelessly on top of him, one hand lazily playing with his hair.
"Oh my god, Buffy," Spike murmured, rubbing her back.
"Mm, now I'm too tired to patrol," she giggled. "How 'bout you?"
"'Ve still got some strength left," he said. "'M jus' not sure I ever wan' ge' outta this bed."
"Me neither," Buffy agreed. She snuggled closer to him. "You're comfy."
"Comfy?" he asked. "Couldn' 've picked a be'er word, Slayer?"
"Nope," she said. "I like how your accent gets thick when you're all tired and sated."
"You make m' so," he drawled. He pulled her up so her head was resting under his chin, and he wrapped his arms tightly around her.
"Like I said, you're comfy," she said, wiggling around to find the perfect position. "I kinda want to sleep next to you forever."
"Could be arranged," he murmured. Buffy sat up slightly, looking him in the eye.
"You'd want to be with me forever?" she asked.
"Till the end of the world," he said soberly. "Are you sayin' you wouldn'?"
"I just didn't think you'd want me forever," she said. The little, insecure voice in her head was telling her that no one would ever want to be with her for an eternity.
"Buffy, 'm no' the type that does this kind of thing by halves," he said.
"I know," she said. "I'm just…"
"I'm not going to leave you unless you ask me to," he said softly, gazing into her eyes. "An' now that I've got you in my arms-" he tightened his arms around her "-now that 've kissed this mouth-" his lips pressed to hers gently "-now that 've-" his hand snaked between her legs.
"Dirty," she giggled.
"An' you love it," he purred. "Buffy, luv, what 'm sayin' is, 'm not gon' leave you, at leas' not withou' one hell of a fight."
"Good, 'cause I'm not going to give you up without a fight," she said.
"So…" He was wondering where this put them. She said she loved him, and she wasn't hiding their relationship, but she still wasn't calling him her boyfriend.
"So I was kinda wondering…"
"What's that?" he asked, raising an eyebrow at her.
"You're always going on about how we're a match," she said. "Birds of a feather, opposite sides of the same coin and all that. And we are. You're my match in pretty much everything. So I was wondering…" Her voice broke with something that felt like fear.
"Buffy, baby, tell me," he asked.
"What if you were my mate?" He gaped at her.
"Luv, are you asking…"
"What if I claimed you?" she asked. "I'm yours, forever, so I want you to be mine."
"'Ve always been yours, Buffy." His mind was having trouble catching up. "Luv, do you know what you're asking?"
"We don't have to do it now," she said quickly. "Or at all, if you don't-" He cut her off with a hand covering her mouth.
"I will always want you," he said slowly. "I want to make that very clear. A hundred years I've been around, luv. I've seen all there is to see. I know what's out there. But you don't. You could wake up tomorrow, go to the store an' meet some-"
"I don't want anyone else," she said, interrupting.
"Now, luv, tha's my point," he said. "You… you're young, Buffy. An' the men you've loved-"
"Don't think about them," she said, frowning. "They're in the past. They don't matter now. I don't want them, nor will I want them ever again. I want you. I want to fight with you, and next to you, and I want to make up with you over and over again. I want to go to sleep next to you and wake up wrapped in your arms. I want to kiss you whenever I feel like it, and I want to see the way your eyes get dark and your nose flares when I whisper something dirty in your ear. I want to be with you, Spike, in every way that I can be.
"And… if you don't want to do the claim, because there's some stupid, insecure little voice in your head telling you that this can't possibly be real, that I can't possibly be here, really telling you this, then I understand. 'Cause there's this voice in my head that's saying that no one would ever want to be with me forever, that if you do claim me, you'll regret it and want to leave. Trust me, Spike, I know what it's like to be Love's Bitch, I just never flaunted it like you did."
"So you're really…" His forehead scrunched in thought. "You really want…"
"I want you, in whatever way I can get you," she said. He sat up, cradling her in his lap, and looked at her with tears in his eyes.
"'Ve never… no one's ever…"
"You've never had anyone treat you the way you should be treated," she said. "I know, I'm the biggest one. I'm going to work so hard to fix that, baby. I'm going to make it right. I want to make you happy, Spike."
"Dunno if I even know what that entails," he said, looking down. She took one of his hands in hers and smiled broadly.
"It means that I do this in public," she said, kissing him deeply. When she pulled away, she grinned again. "And it means you get fun girlfriend-y things like backrubs. And fun bedroom-y things."
"Backrubs, eh?" he asked, raising an eyebrow at her. She laughed and swatted playfully at his chest. Then her face softened into something like sadness.
"We could just say the words," she said. "I just… God, I just want you to understand what you mean to me, Spike."
"You just said all you'll ever need to say," he murmured, kissing her forehead. "I love you more than anything, Buffy. I'm not gonna lie to you and say I haven't thought about claiming you a thousand times, 'cause I have. I've dreamt about it. There's nothin' more that I'd want in the world that to have you be mine."
He inhaled a big unneeded breath and released it slowly. "If… if you're sure you're sure this is what you want, then let's do it."
"Yeah?"
"Yeah," he said, grinning at her.
"Okay, so how do we go about doing this? I mean, do you just… or do I… and is it going to hurt? I don't want to hurt you, and if this is going to…"
"Baby, you're babbling," Spike pointed out. He pressed a gentle kiss to her lips, cupping her chin with his hands.
"Well, I don't know what to do," she said.
"I do, luv, don't worry," he said.
"You've…" Her eyes filled with unspoken anxiety.
"No, Buffy, I've never been claimed, nor have I claimed anyone," he said, reading her mind. "'S jus' one of those lessons a vamp gets, like the Slayer talk. Angelus told me sometime before my first Slayer."
"Did you want to claim Drusilla?" she asked, fearing the answer.
"She never would let me even bring up the subject," he said. "She was never mine, luv. Not like this, not like with you. An' what was it you said? She's in the past. She doesn't matter now. You matter, Buffy." God, she was never going to get over just the way he said her name.
"Okay," she murmured, melting as he played idly with her hair. "So let's do this." He chuckled deeply.
"'S not really something you just do, luv," he said, looking at he affectionately.
"Oh," she said. "Well, then how does it work?"
"You've got to do it during a love act," he said.
"So, more sex?" She grinned. His hands dropped to her waist, pulling her to him as he sat up. He tugged her onto his lap, his erection pressing against her urgently.
"So, I make love to you," he said, fondling her breasts with his hands. He dropped his mouth to kiss her jaw and throat.
"Okay, then what?" she asked breathlessly.
"Then we have to exchange blood," he said quietly. He looked up at her with something akin to fear in his eyes. "I have to bite you, then you bite me."
"I'll try not to hurt you," she joked, grinning wickedly in an attempt to assuage his fears. She kissed his lips gently as her hand slipped down to stroke his arousal.
"I love you," she murmured. She lifted her hips, guiding him into her.
"I love you so much," he said as she sank down onto him. She whimpered as she started to move, dropping her head down onto his shoulder. Spike reached up and cupped her chin. Lifting her face to his, he kissed her sweetly.
"I wan' t' look at you," he murmured huskily as his hands traveled over her body, lavishing her with attention.
"I love you so much, Spike," she said as she neared her climax. "I love you, baby. Make me yours, please."
"I love you, forever," he said, slipping into game face. His fangs sliced into her throat, triggering one hell of an orgasm for her. "You're mine, Buffy. No one else's. Mine."
"Yours, all yours, Spike," she cried. She dropped her mouth to his neck, biting down hard over Drusilla's sire mark. "You're mine, baby. Mine. Always."
"Yours, Buffy," Spike panted as he found his release as well. Buffy came again as he spilled himself in her, collapsing against him.
"Oh my god," she panted. She laved her already-healing bite to his neck with her mouth as he suckled and kissed the mark on her neck.
"'M not sure god has 'nything to do with it," Spike drawled. Buffy giggled into his chest, holding him tightly.
"You're amazing," she said, stretching up to kiss him.
"Damn straight I am," he said. Buffy climbed off of him, finding a pair of jeans and tugging them on.
"Goin' somewhere, luv?"
"We're going patrolling," she said, tossing his jeans at him. She grinned teasingly at him. "See, I've got this shiny new mate, and I wanna see what patrolling with him is like. Maybe he won't be able to hack it."
"Bite me," he growled, pulling on his jeans.
"Eh, been there, done that," she said. He growled deeply, grabbing her.
"Tell me you love me," he demanded.
"I love you," she said seriously. "You know I do."
"Tell me you want me," he begged.
"I always want you," she said. She smirked at him. "In point of fact-"
"Shut up," he said, pulling her to him for a quick kiss. "Let's go patrol an' get it over with, so I can have you back in bed."
-Epilogue to follow-