CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
Branching Out
By the time Spike got in, Dawn had already gone to bed. Buffy was in her room, but she wasn't asleep. Spike let himself in and kissed the top of her head as she sat trying to polish the scuff off her favorite shoes.
"Eeww!" she said. "You smell like demon bar!"
"Have to pay off my debt, Luv. And though I may smell of liquor, I haven't been drinking much. Can't drink and keep a sharp eye on the cards."
"I won't ask how you did, the smile on your face says it all. It's just sick you guys playing for kittens. If that Tiger guy and his friends start hanging around again, you are outta here!"
"How did you and Dawn enjoy your movie?"
Buffy smiled. "It was nice. We haven't been together like that in a long time." She put the last touches on her right shoe and switched to the left.
"It was a good sisterly sort of day then?"
"Yeah."
Spike leaned casually against Buffy's dresser. "So, guess what I met at the pub this evening, Luv."
"Can't begin to guess. And I'm not sure I wanna know."
"A Nazari demon."
"A what?"
"A Nazari demon. You ever come across one? They're about thigh high . . . at least on me. On you, they're more like waist high. They're all furry and live in the basement of buildings and in other dark underground places."
"You mean like vampires?"
"Except we don't eat creepy crawlies like them."
"No. I've never heard of them. And I'm not sure I want to."
"Well . . . They've heard of you. One of them was playing poker with me tonight. And he asked me to relay a message to you." Spike tried to explain the whole Fire demon and Shadow demon thing to the best of his ability.
"And this is supposed to concern me how?" Buffy asked, looking up from her shoe.
"They thought you might help them out, Luv. Find out if the Fire demons are being backed by some kind of evil."
"Let me get this straight, you want me to help out one group of demons against another?"
"Well, yeah. Look, I thought it was silly at first too. But the more I think on it, the more it seems wrong for these Fire demons to act this way. I mean the Fire demons and the Shadows are mortal enemies and all. But they're evenly matched. Could be a right big nasty has joined up with the Fire demons. And that's something you as the slayer should know about."
"I can't get involved with what sounds like a demon gang war."
"But what if it's not? The Nazari have come to you for help, Slayer. Seems to me a hero type like you ought to at least talk to them."
"Why would they come to me anyway?"
"Because . . . they've heard you're honest and forthright . . . That you're the defender of the defenseless."
Buffy gave him a look.
"Also, Harris and I rescued a whole lot of demons a while ago from this big nasty and they think you were behind it."
"You still haven't told me everything about this jolly jaunt you and Xander went on," she said, narrowing her eyes and shaking her shoe at him.
"Sworn to secrecy, Luv. Harris didn't wanna look unmanly to his lady love."
"Well, I don't care what you two did, the answer is no."
"At least think about it."
"No." She returned her attention to her shoe.
"At least talk to Red and the other Scoobies and get their input. Couldn't hurt to have a few demon types thinking you're on their side. Take the edge off getting information. Cut down on the number of enemies. Think of it as a goodwill gesture."
"No!" Buffy said, putting her shoe down and rising to face him. Her expression was off-putting, but he ignored it. Spike pulled her closer and nuzzled her neck and then her ear. She was resistant at first. But her breathing soon deepened and she pulled up his shirt and rubbed her hands over his bare chest.
"Just think about it," he whispered.
"No," she said. But her tone was not quite as insistent anymore.
Branching Out
By the time Spike got in, Dawn had already gone to bed. Buffy was in her room, but she wasn't asleep. Spike let himself in and kissed the top of her head as she sat trying to polish the scuff off her favorite shoes.
"Eeww!" she said. "You smell like demon bar!"
"Have to pay off my debt, Luv. And though I may smell of liquor, I haven't been drinking much. Can't drink and keep a sharp eye on the cards."
"I won't ask how you did, the smile on your face says it all. It's just sick you guys playing for kittens. If that Tiger guy and his friends start hanging around again, you are outta here!"
"How did you and Dawn enjoy your movie?"
Buffy smiled. "It was nice. We haven't been together like that in a long time." She put the last touches on her right shoe and switched to the left.
"It was a good sisterly sort of day then?"
"Yeah."
Spike leaned casually against Buffy's dresser. "So, guess what I met at the pub this evening, Luv."
"Can't begin to guess. And I'm not sure I wanna know."
"A Nazari demon."
"A what?"
"A Nazari demon. You ever come across one? They're about thigh high . . . at least on me. On you, they're more like waist high. They're all furry and live in the basement of buildings and in other dark underground places."
"You mean like vampires?"
"Except we don't eat creepy crawlies like them."
"No. I've never heard of them. And I'm not sure I want to."
"Well . . . They've heard of you. One of them was playing poker with me tonight. And he asked me to relay a message to you." Spike tried to explain the whole Fire demon and Shadow demon thing to the best of his ability.
"And this is supposed to concern me how?" Buffy asked, looking up from her shoe.
"They thought you might help them out, Luv. Find out if the Fire demons are being backed by some kind of evil."
"Let me get this straight, you want me to help out one group of demons against another?"
"Well, yeah. Look, I thought it was silly at first too. But the more I think on it, the more it seems wrong for these Fire demons to act this way. I mean the Fire demons and the Shadows are mortal enemies and all. But they're evenly matched. Could be a right big nasty has joined up with the Fire demons. And that's something you as the slayer should know about."
"I can't get involved with what sounds like a demon gang war."
"But what if it's not? The Nazari have come to you for help, Slayer. Seems to me a hero type like you ought to at least talk to them."
"Why would they come to me anyway?"
"Because . . . they've heard you're honest and forthright . . . That you're the defender of the defenseless."
Buffy gave him a look.
"Also, Harris and I rescued a whole lot of demons a while ago from this big nasty and they think you were behind it."
"You still haven't told me everything about this jolly jaunt you and Xander went on," she said, narrowing her eyes and shaking her shoe at him.
"Sworn to secrecy, Luv. Harris didn't wanna look unmanly to his lady love."
"Well, I don't care what you two did, the answer is no."
"At least think about it."
"No." She returned her attention to her shoe.
"At least talk to Red and the other Scoobies and get their input. Couldn't hurt to have a few demon types thinking you're on their side. Take the edge off getting information. Cut down on the number of enemies. Think of it as a goodwill gesture."
"No!" Buffy said, putting her shoe down and rising to face him. Her expression was off-putting, but he ignored it. Spike pulled her closer and nuzzled her neck and then her ear. She was resistant at first. But her breathing soon deepened and she pulled up his shirt and rubbed her hands over his bare chest.
"Just think about it," he whispered.
"No," she said. But her tone was not quite as insistent anymore.