Disclaimer: I own the plot. I own, the dialogue, and really that's about it. The characters and the world they belong to are owned by Joss Whedon and Mutant Enemy and all those others.
Rating: R.
Summary: While fighting a demon Willow and Spike become bound together. W/S pairing.
A/N: This takes place after season 5. It's during the summer, a bit AU. Nothing is season 6 happened, or will probably. Buffy was brought back in an unknown way.
Feedback: No, I can't stand the stuff. (That'd be sarcasm, ppl)
Dedication: To Claudia, the best beta ever. Praise her, ppl, she's the reason this stuff is getting done so quickly, and why it's so polished and makes sense.
PART 6
Willow woke up, stretching languidly. Her whole body felt stiff and sore, but she didn't know why. What she did know was that the body beside her wasn't Tara, it was Spike. There was no mistaking it this time. Spike was once again in bed with her. Why? Three times in two days he'd slept beside her, two of those times he hadn't needed to. What was going on in that mind of his?
She tried to extricate herself from his hold, but they were so tangled together she couldn't move without waking him up, and she didn't want to do that. She was laying on her stomach, Spike was on her right, laying on his side. His left leg was between hers, with one of her legs curled around his. His arm was draped across her lower back, his hand resting on her hip.
His other hand was under her, cupping one of her breasts. She moved a bit, slightly uncomfortable at the thought of Spike's hand on her breast. As soon as she did, his thumb brushed over her nipple. The traitorous flesh hardened, and electricity shot through her, warming her. Her stomach tightened with the familiar feeling of desire, and she had to bite her lip to keep from moaning.
That is the last time I sleep naked, she thought.
Of course, it was all Spike's fault. If he'd keep his hands to himself, she wouldn't be desperate to get away from the vampire before she did something she'd regret. He was naked too, but her hands weren't all over him... oh, wait. Well, how did that get there?
Her right hand was on his lower abdomen, extreme lower abdomen. Her fingers brushing against his... um, she'd just move that right now. She slid her hand away, touching the gauze covering his wound, making him groan. She sucked in a breath and held still. When he didn't wake up, she moved her hand again, successfully getting it away from... parts of him.
Sighing in relief, she was extremely surprised when she felt his mouth on her neck, sucking at the flesh there. Not biting, not hurting, just... sucking. His tongue flicked against her skin, making her feel wonderful things... things that she shouldn't be feeling. Not with Spike. And who knew Spike could induce such... warm, tingly feelings in her?
Buffy didn't know what she was missing. Buffy! Oh, boy, Buffy would not be happy when she found about this. Not happy at all. And Tara. She was once again betraying Tara.
It's just a hickey, her mind cajoled. Spike was giving her a hickey, that was something to be thought about later, right now she needed to focus on the feelings and... no. She needed to stop him from causing those feelings. Stop him. Wake him up. Move. Do something other than lay there enjoying it. Don't press into his mouth, don't arch into his hand against your breast, and don't think about what that hand on your back could be doing if it weren't just draped over you.
But most of all, don't touch him. Stop holding his head to your neck, stop sliding your hand down his back and over his hip, making him moan. Stop--
Her hand touched gauze and she jerked back, falling off the bed and landing on her butt. "Ow," she moaned, glaring at the bed. "Stupid vampire."
Loud laughter sounded above her, and Spike peered over the edge of the bed, a grin tilting up the corners of his mouth. "Falling for me, pet?"
Willow rolled her eyes and slapped at his arm. "How long have you been awake?" she asked him, pulling on the top blanket, which was partially underneath him. He lifted up slightly, and the blanket was freed. She wrapped it around herself and stood up.
His grin widened. "Long enough to wonder just where your hand was headed."
Willow knew her face was going through a rainbow of reds, but she hoped he couldn't see her in the darkened room. Not as dark as she'd prefer, since it was daytime and sunlight was showing around the edges of the blanket-covered window. Still, maybe he couldn't--
"Oh, look at that... turning all kinds of shades of red."
Willow sat primly on her desk chair. "You were the one who was wrapped around me. I was simply trying to get free."
Spike sat up, naked as a jaybird, sucking in a pain-filled breath. "Likely story, Witch."
Willow sighed, and grabbed some clothes from her drawer, dressing quickly with her back to him. As soon as she was through, she tossed the blanket back on the bed and turned on the light. "Lay down, and I'll get the first aid kit and some blood."
He did so, crossing his arms behind his head. "Don't have to tell me twice."
She paused in the doorway. "Um, could you maybe put some pants on or something? Otherwise you're on your own."
Spike grabbed the edge of the blanket and dropped it in his lap as she left. Modesty at this late date? She'd had a boyfriend who was a werewolf, a girlfriend who was a fellow witch. She'd cheated on both, slept with a vampire, had her hand in naughty places, and had dabbled in dark magic. Yet, through all that, her innocence had remained intact. It was almost unbelievable. If he didn't know her personally, he wouldn't believe it.
But he did know her personally. Very personally. If he wasn't in such bad shape from the hole in his stomach, he'd be trying to know her personally right now. But, as it was, he could hardly move without pain lancing through him.
She came back into the room, and handed him a glass of blood. He pushed himself into a partial sitting position, sipping at it while she went about setting out the gauze and tape and other stuff. One of her small hands worked on getting the old tape off. After a minute of watching her wince, and feeling her nails scrape his skin, he reached down and ripped it off.
She yelped in sympathy or something, and he had to laugh.
"Ow," she said with a wince.
He rolled his eyes. "I told you I've got a higher tolerance for pain, Willow."
"Yeah, but I still hurt like a human, thank you very much." She rubbed her own stomach with a glare at him, sitting back on her heels. "Besides, this still needs to be cleaned, just because you're a vampire doesn't mean you're immune to infections and diseases."
Spike raised an eyebrow at her.
She rolled her eyes at herself and sighed. "Well, okay, it does mean that, but... well, maybe I should just leave it then? Or... or I could just slap a piece of gauze over it and hope the blood sticks to it enough to hold it there. I was trying not to hurt you any worse than you already are."
What the hell was her problem? He downed the rest of his blood and sat up. "I'll get it myself. You're free to... annoy someone else." He stood up, letting the blanket fall and grabbed the first aid kit, heading into the bathroom. He needed a shower anyway. He made it to the bathroom and shut the door, leaning against it. Damn, why was he so weak all of a sudden? He hated this. Hated having to depend on others. Especially weaker, mortal others.
It had to be a side effect of the bond. If that was all he got, he'd be getting off lucky.
He turned on the shower and stood under the spray, letting the water run over him. He could hunt now... so why wasn't he? The big hole in his stomach was an immediate deterrent, but what about after that? He could feed off of anyone he wanted to now. Anyone. As long as he didn't cause too much pain, alerting Willow, who would then alert Buffy.
Heck, if he could get close enough, he could even snack on Buffy. But Buffy would never let him close enough. She didn't like him. Used him to protect her sister and precious friends, but wouldn't let him touch her, or kiss her... definitely not let him taste her. He slammed a hand against the flowered tiles. Stupid bitch.
Why did it have to be her? Why not Willow? He was positive he could have seduced her. Hell, he had seduced her, last night. He could probably even get her to fall in love with him.
Wouldn't be that hard, he thought. He knew he was good looking. It wasn't conceit, just simple fact. Not like he could take credit for his physical appearance, he had genetics to thank for that.
And wouldn't that show Buffy? Get her best friend, her smartest, most sensible friend to fall in love with him. She'd be forced to reassess her opinion of him. To figure out if maybe there might be more to the vampire than she thought.
Then he'd make her beg a bit, maybe use her, and treat her like crap same as she did him now. Yeah, that was definitely a plan.
Shutting off the water, he dried off and bandaged his stomach.
How to go about it though? Play the Big Bad and appeal to the rebel in her? Nah. He doubted there was any of the rebel in Willow. Not enough to reach anyhow. Play the friend, while slowly seducing her? No, that would most likely just backfire, reminding her of Xander's obtuseness. The sensitive routine was too... distasteful. Well hell, he was running out of choices. What was he supposed to do? Be himself?
He chuckled at that. Uh-huh. That would do it all right. She'd just fall at his feet when she saw how-- hold on. There was a thought. Be himself... hmm. Worked with Dru. Of course he'd had the advantage of her being insane. And his sire.
It worked with Harmony, that stupid bint. A shudder went through him. What in hell had he been thinking when he shacked up with her? Truth be told, he hadn't been thinking... his body had. She was a good lay. That was about it.
So, would it be so hard to get Willow to fall for him just by being himself? It was possible, and if not, he could always resort to play acting.
Decision made, Spike wrapped a towel around his waist and headed into her bedroom. Her empty bedroom. Damn, where'd she go? Listening for her heartbeat, he realized that she'd left.
Now he was pissed.
Tara watched Willow fidget nervously on the couch. She wanted to go to her, hold her, comfort her, but that wasn't an option now. They were breaking up. Willow was leaving her.
"... just woke up," Willow was saying.
Tara forced herself to focus on Willow's words instead of the loss and regret that was seeping into her heart, but it was hard.
"I didn't know, I'm so sorry, Tara. It doesn't mean anything." She leaned forward, pleading with Tara. "We can get past this... I still love you. You-- you still love me, right?"
She looked so small and alone, so wounded, that Tara nearly broke down and went to her. Nearly took her in her arms, and held her close, vowing never to let go. But if she did that, she would only make things harder on her lover. The bond between Willow and Spike was complete, permanent. Nothing she or anyone else did would matter.
So, did she still love Willow? Tara wanted to deny it, make it easier on her, but she couldn't. "Yes. I still love you. I want things to be right again, b-- but, they won't be."
"But, Spike is... nothing. Not even someone I have any type of feelings for whatsoever. He-- he's a vampire. A demon. I--"
"Am bound to him now. And probably forever." Tara forced a smile to her lips, praying it didn't look too strained. "Vampires are jealous by nature. Possessive. Here," she said, jumping up and grabbing a book off the table in front of Willow. She debated quickly on whether she should sit beside her or not, and finally decided she would. "I was doing some research last night... after you called."
Willow looked away from her, and Tara saw the guilt flash across her face. And a hickey on her neck. Tamping down the hurt, and her imagination, she turned to the page on bonds.
"It says that bonds are usually temporary, which I already knew. But, that they can become permanent if the two individuals, um, well, they use a lot of big words, and stuff to say have sex. And you did." Now it was her turn to look away. It hurt her more than she wanted to admit that Willow had cheated on her. Even if it wasn't completely her fault.
Willow put her hand on Tara's knee, but withdrew it when Tara flinched slightly. "Well, that doesn't mean anything, really. Just that we're connected somehow. And it's just me, I think. I-- I feel his pain. And that's really all." She looked into Tara's eyes desperately. "Please don't leave me," she whispered.
Tara closed the book and stood up. "I'm not leaving you. You left me when you slept with... him." If Willow didn't leave soon, Tara was going to beg her to stay. She had to keep reminding herself that it would be a bad idea. "I don't blame you. He's h-- handsome."
Willow frowned and shook her head. "No, he's not. I mean, yeah, he's that, but that's not what happened. I didn't realize who he was," she stressed. Standing up, she slowly moved toward Tara. "I was still half asleep, and he was too... Tara, I love you. I want to be with you, not Spike."
Tara shook her head and backed away. "Willow, you don't understand. The bond--"
"No," Willow shouted, sobbing now. "You don't get it. The bond is a small, minuscule thing. Barely even there. I want you. I lost Xander, and Oz, and then I almost lost you to Glory, please, Tara, please... just give it a chance."
Tara hardened her heart. "No. It won't work. Here, take the book with you and read it. Then you'll know why. Please," she whispered, crying herself now. "Just go."
Willow took the book from Tara and dropped it to the floor, pulling Tara into her arms. She pressed her lips to the blonde's and cradled her face with tender desperation. "I love you," she whispered, and kissed her again. Tara closed her eyes, not wanting to watch Willow leave her.
As soon as the door shut, Tara fell to her knees, sobbing. "I love you too, Willow," she whispered back.
Spike was sitting on the couch, impatiently waiting for Willow to come back, when the door finally opened and she came in. He'd been about to go out looking for her. Drinking blood and wandering around the house had occupied him for a total of ten minutes, but then the boredom sank in. Anger followed. How dare she go off and leave him there alone when he had plans to make her fall in love with him? But now she was home, and he could forget about all of that and concentrate on winning her over.
Not wanting to appear too eager to see her, he stayed sitting, stretching his arms out to either side of the couch back and tilting his head back to see her when she... fell to the floor crying? What the hell was this then?
"Pet? Uh, Willow?" He got up when she didn't answer, and stood beside her. "What's the matter, love?"
She looked up at him with her big ole green eyes shining with tears, her lower lip quivering, sniffling pathetically, and he saw his chance. He knelt down and held his hand out for her to take. The next thing he knew, he was laying on the floor, and Willow was glaring down at him.
"You can live here if you want, since I don't know the particulars of the bond, and you have to stay alive in order for me to stay alive, but you stay away from me."
Angry that she was daring to tell him what to do, Spike stood up and shoved her back against the wall. "I already told you, Witch, I'm not a bloody dog. Don't order me around like one." He stood back a bit, looking at her critically. "Now, what's the crisis? Did Xander break a nail? Did Buffy have a thought? Or no, I'll bet your witch got out a complete sentence without a stutter."
Willow walked past him without answering, and Spike was left staring after her, feeling very unsatisfied with how his seduction was going so far. It's possible he'd been a bit too sarcastic, he'd have to work on that.
His stomach was healing nicely, so he decided to head out and practice his hunting skills. It'd been a while since he'd hunted humans, he might be a bit rusty. The cemetery was as good a place as any. He was as apt to run into vampires as he was humans, and if he ran into Buffy or any of the others, he could cover his ass by telling them he was patrolling.
He lit a cigarette as he walked down the darkened streets of Sunnydale. The town he hated. Filled with the people he hated. But even more than that, it had the people he could eat. Drinking from Willow had awakened his bloodlust, big time. He once again craved his blood warm from a body, not warm from a machine. Wanted the taste of skin mixed in, not ceramic. Wanted the thrill and excitement of hunting humans, not the dull pleasure he got out of drinking microwaved blood from a coffee mug, wrestled out of a plastic bag.
And, thanks to the Litchock, and Willow, he could once again taste fresh, warm, human blood. And he would... just as soon as one came along! Christ, where were all the meals... uh, humans, when one wanted them?
A sound from behind him drew his attention and he sniffed the air. Heard a heart beat. Human. A hint of perfume wafted to him, and he smiled. Female. His favorite. Drunk. Also a favorite. He continued walking, turning down the first alley he came to. The woman went past, her high heels crunching on the pavement, sounding loud in the stillness of the night. Spike tossed his cigarette to the ground and left the alley.
His prey was a few yards ahead of him, walking slowly. Unsteadily. She stumbled a little, catching herself on the wall, and giggling. Spike, playing the concerned gentleman, caught her arm, holding her up.
"Are you all right?" Charming smile in place.
"Oh, um, hi there," she giggled, leaning against him weakly. She reeked of beer and cigarettes, hair spray and make-up. Her blonde hair was an obvious dye job, since her red roots were showing, but she'd done her best to hide them. Her tight black dress was riding high on her thighs at the moment, and Spike had a hard time keeping his hold on her, when all he wanted to do was throw her down and walk away. "Have you seen my car?"
Spike blinked at her. "What?" She probably wouldn't taste very good, he thought. Certainly nothing like Willow did. He could probably search the world over and never find a human who tasted as good as Willow.
Who cares? He couldn't have Willow anymore, so he may as well get past that now. The drunk woman was looking around, presumably for her missing car. Spike checked to make sure they were alone and dragged her into the next alley. She laughed shrilly, but stopped when he shoved her roughly against the brick wall.
"Ow," she whimpered, rubbing the back of her head. She squinted at him, and leaned forward. "Hey." She pulled something out of her purse and promptly dropped it when Spike vamped out and grinned. "What are you?"
"Hungry."
The woman screamed, and tried to push him away, but Spike had had enough. He shoved her back against the wall, wincing in anticipation of pain. When none came, he shoved her head to the side and bit into her neck. A sigh escaped him as he fed. He'd missed this. Missed the feelings, the emotions, the excitement... all of it. He felt great. Like a God.
Draining the girl was fun, she grabbed his arm, clutching him in a death grip, only easing when her heart slowed. Spike dropped her to the ground, and lit a cigarette. Time to check on Willow... see how well she'd fared through all that.
Willow popped three aspirin into her mouth and took a gulp of water, washing them down. She was going to kill Spike. No, first she would torture him, then she would kill him. A few well placed stakes, a couple bottles of holy water, crosses strapped to flesh... oh, yeah. Definitely a little of that.
Massaging her aching head, she went back upstairs to her bedroom and laid down. Her eyes drifted shut and her body relaxed just as Spike stumbled into the room. Drunk.
She sat up, startled. Her head pounded, making her feel miserable. "Get out," she told him angrily.
He walked, a bit unsteadily, into the room, and knelt beside the bed. Taking her face in his hands, he examined her, ignoring her attempts to pull away. "Just wanted to make sure I didn't kill you. Don't want you to die."
"Aw," she said sarcastically, slapping his hands away from her face. "How sweet."
"Yeah. Stupid bond'll probably kill me too if you die." He yawned, and shrugged out of his duster, then knelt back down and laid his head on her stomach. "Always so bloody tired now," he mumbled.
"Hey. Excuse me." She tapped his head to get his attention, which only made him snuggle closer, and wrap an arm around her waist. "I'm not your personal pillow." She wanted to shove him away from her, but that would require too much movement. "Spike? You better not be asleep."
"Almost was," he growled, lifting his head to glare at her.
She sneered at him. "Poor baby. Go. Away. You kill someone, and then come here expecting... what do you expect?" She shook her head angrily. "You can sleep in my parent's room, the guest room, the couch, I really don't care, just don't expect to sleep in here."
Spike sat back and pulled his shirt off. "Didn't kill anyone. I left her alive. And I bloody well *am* gonna sleep here." He pulled off his boots and crawled over her to the other side of the bed.
"Fine. I'll sleep in my parent's room." She sat up, swinging her legs over the edge of the bed. Nausea swept through her and she had to run to the bathroom. After throwing up everything she'd eaten that year, Willow rinsed her face and mouth. Feeling miserable, which was happening way too much since this bond thing had happened, she sat on the cool tile floor and glared in the direction of her bedroom.
"I hate you, Spike," she whispered, then jumped when he knocked on the door. "What?" She leaned her sweaty forehead against the tub with a sigh.
"You okay?" he asked. The words sounded so alien coming from him that Willow had to laugh weakly.
"Just peachy." Climbing to her feet, she opened the door and went past him into her room. "You can go away now." She went to her French doors and pulled the blanket aside, slipping outside. A sigh escaped her as the cool night air blew against her heated skin.
Spike didn't follow her outside, as she'd half expected him to do. He seemed to always be there lately, to annoy her, and piss her off. She had a feeling he was up to something, but she didn't know what. She sat down on the porch, and pressed her forehead against the glass panes, closing her eyes.
The results were in; she'd definitely gotten the worst part of this bond. Pain, and lots of it, seemed to be her new theme. And what does Spike get? Not a damn thing as far as she could see. It would have been nice if he'd gotten something. Anything. Her emotions maybe. Willow grinned. That would have been funny. But cruel.
And you getting his pain isn't cruel? she thought.
Okay, true. But it wasn't like it was his fault. Besides, he seemed to have gotten her weaknesses. He was always tired, always sleeping. Maybe he would be perpetually tired for the rest of his--her--life. If it ended there.
She sat up, remembering the book Tara had given her. The answers might be in there. She went downstairs to get the book, then took it back up to her room. She didn't see Spike, so she assumed he'd either left, or gone to one of the other bedrooms.
Rating: R.
Summary: While fighting a demon Willow and Spike become bound together. W/S pairing.
A/N: This takes place after season 5. It's during the summer, a bit AU. Nothing is season 6 happened, or will probably. Buffy was brought back in an unknown way.
Feedback: No, I can't stand the stuff. (That'd be sarcasm, ppl)
Dedication: To Claudia, the best beta ever. Praise her, ppl, she's the reason this stuff is getting done so quickly, and why it's so polished and makes sense.
PART 6
Willow woke up, stretching languidly. Her whole body felt stiff and sore, but she didn't know why. What she did know was that the body beside her wasn't Tara, it was Spike. There was no mistaking it this time. Spike was once again in bed with her. Why? Three times in two days he'd slept beside her, two of those times he hadn't needed to. What was going on in that mind of his?
She tried to extricate herself from his hold, but they were so tangled together she couldn't move without waking him up, and she didn't want to do that. She was laying on her stomach, Spike was on her right, laying on his side. His left leg was between hers, with one of her legs curled around his. His arm was draped across her lower back, his hand resting on her hip.
His other hand was under her, cupping one of her breasts. She moved a bit, slightly uncomfortable at the thought of Spike's hand on her breast. As soon as she did, his thumb brushed over her nipple. The traitorous flesh hardened, and electricity shot through her, warming her. Her stomach tightened with the familiar feeling of desire, and she had to bite her lip to keep from moaning.
That is the last time I sleep naked, she thought.
Of course, it was all Spike's fault. If he'd keep his hands to himself, she wouldn't be desperate to get away from the vampire before she did something she'd regret. He was naked too, but her hands weren't all over him... oh, wait. Well, how did that get there?
Her right hand was on his lower abdomen, extreme lower abdomen. Her fingers brushing against his... um, she'd just move that right now. She slid her hand away, touching the gauze covering his wound, making him groan. She sucked in a breath and held still. When he didn't wake up, she moved her hand again, successfully getting it away from... parts of him.
Sighing in relief, she was extremely surprised when she felt his mouth on her neck, sucking at the flesh there. Not biting, not hurting, just... sucking. His tongue flicked against her skin, making her feel wonderful things... things that she shouldn't be feeling. Not with Spike. And who knew Spike could induce such... warm, tingly feelings in her?
Buffy didn't know what she was missing. Buffy! Oh, boy, Buffy would not be happy when she found about this. Not happy at all. And Tara. She was once again betraying Tara.
It's just a hickey, her mind cajoled. Spike was giving her a hickey, that was something to be thought about later, right now she needed to focus on the feelings and... no. She needed to stop him from causing those feelings. Stop him. Wake him up. Move. Do something other than lay there enjoying it. Don't press into his mouth, don't arch into his hand against your breast, and don't think about what that hand on your back could be doing if it weren't just draped over you.
But most of all, don't touch him. Stop holding his head to your neck, stop sliding your hand down his back and over his hip, making him moan. Stop--
Her hand touched gauze and she jerked back, falling off the bed and landing on her butt. "Ow," she moaned, glaring at the bed. "Stupid vampire."
Loud laughter sounded above her, and Spike peered over the edge of the bed, a grin tilting up the corners of his mouth. "Falling for me, pet?"
Willow rolled her eyes and slapped at his arm. "How long have you been awake?" she asked him, pulling on the top blanket, which was partially underneath him. He lifted up slightly, and the blanket was freed. She wrapped it around herself and stood up.
His grin widened. "Long enough to wonder just where your hand was headed."
Willow knew her face was going through a rainbow of reds, but she hoped he couldn't see her in the darkened room. Not as dark as she'd prefer, since it was daytime and sunlight was showing around the edges of the blanket-covered window. Still, maybe he couldn't--
"Oh, look at that... turning all kinds of shades of red."
Willow sat primly on her desk chair. "You were the one who was wrapped around me. I was simply trying to get free."
Spike sat up, naked as a jaybird, sucking in a pain-filled breath. "Likely story, Witch."
Willow sighed, and grabbed some clothes from her drawer, dressing quickly with her back to him. As soon as she was through, she tossed the blanket back on the bed and turned on the light. "Lay down, and I'll get the first aid kit and some blood."
He did so, crossing his arms behind his head. "Don't have to tell me twice."
She paused in the doorway. "Um, could you maybe put some pants on or something? Otherwise you're on your own."
Spike grabbed the edge of the blanket and dropped it in his lap as she left. Modesty at this late date? She'd had a boyfriend who was a werewolf, a girlfriend who was a fellow witch. She'd cheated on both, slept with a vampire, had her hand in naughty places, and had dabbled in dark magic. Yet, through all that, her innocence had remained intact. It was almost unbelievable. If he didn't know her personally, he wouldn't believe it.
But he did know her personally. Very personally. If he wasn't in such bad shape from the hole in his stomach, he'd be trying to know her personally right now. But, as it was, he could hardly move without pain lancing through him.
She came back into the room, and handed him a glass of blood. He pushed himself into a partial sitting position, sipping at it while she went about setting out the gauze and tape and other stuff. One of her small hands worked on getting the old tape off. After a minute of watching her wince, and feeling her nails scrape his skin, he reached down and ripped it off.
She yelped in sympathy or something, and he had to laugh.
"Ow," she said with a wince.
He rolled his eyes. "I told you I've got a higher tolerance for pain, Willow."
"Yeah, but I still hurt like a human, thank you very much." She rubbed her own stomach with a glare at him, sitting back on her heels. "Besides, this still needs to be cleaned, just because you're a vampire doesn't mean you're immune to infections and diseases."
Spike raised an eyebrow at her.
She rolled her eyes at herself and sighed. "Well, okay, it does mean that, but... well, maybe I should just leave it then? Or... or I could just slap a piece of gauze over it and hope the blood sticks to it enough to hold it there. I was trying not to hurt you any worse than you already are."
What the hell was her problem? He downed the rest of his blood and sat up. "I'll get it myself. You're free to... annoy someone else." He stood up, letting the blanket fall and grabbed the first aid kit, heading into the bathroom. He needed a shower anyway. He made it to the bathroom and shut the door, leaning against it. Damn, why was he so weak all of a sudden? He hated this. Hated having to depend on others. Especially weaker, mortal others.
It had to be a side effect of the bond. If that was all he got, he'd be getting off lucky.
He turned on the shower and stood under the spray, letting the water run over him. He could hunt now... so why wasn't he? The big hole in his stomach was an immediate deterrent, but what about after that? He could feed off of anyone he wanted to now. Anyone. As long as he didn't cause too much pain, alerting Willow, who would then alert Buffy.
Heck, if he could get close enough, he could even snack on Buffy. But Buffy would never let him close enough. She didn't like him. Used him to protect her sister and precious friends, but wouldn't let him touch her, or kiss her... definitely not let him taste her. He slammed a hand against the flowered tiles. Stupid bitch.
Why did it have to be her? Why not Willow? He was positive he could have seduced her. Hell, he had seduced her, last night. He could probably even get her to fall in love with him.
Wouldn't be that hard, he thought. He knew he was good looking. It wasn't conceit, just simple fact. Not like he could take credit for his physical appearance, he had genetics to thank for that.
And wouldn't that show Buffy? Get her best friend, her smartest, most sensible friend to fall in love with him. She'd be forced to reassess her opinion of him. To figure out if maybe there might be more to the vampire than she thought.
Then he'd make her beg a bit, maybe use her, and treat her like crap same as she did him now. Yeah, that was definitely a plan.
Shutting off the water, he dried off and bandaged his stomach.
How to go about it though? Play the Big Bad and appeal to the rebel in her? Nah. He doubted there was any of the rebel in Willow. Not enough to reach anyhow. Play the friend, while slowly seducing her? No, that would most likely just backfire, reminding her of Xander's obtuseness. The sensitive routine was too... distasteful. Well hell, he was running out of choices. What was he supposed to do? Be himself?
He chuckled at that. Uh-huh. That would do it all right. She'd just fall at his feet when she saw how-- hold on. There was a thought. Be himself... hmm. Worked with Dru. Of course he'd had the advantage of her being insane. And his sire.
It worked with Harmony, that stupid bint. A shudder went through him. What in hell had he been thinking when he shacked up with her? Truth be told, he hadn't been thinking... his body had. She was a good lay. That was about it.
So, would it be so hard to get Willow to fall for him just by being himself? It was possible, and if not, he could always resort to play acting.
Decision made, Spike wrapped a towel around his waist and headed into her bedroom. Her empty bedroom. Damn, where'd she go? Listening for her heartbeat, he realized that she'd left.
Now he was pissed.
Tara watched Willow fidget nervously on the couch. She wanted to go to her, hold her, comfort her, but that wasn't an option now. They were breaking up. Willow was leaving her.
"... just woke up," Willow was saying.
Tara forced herself to focus on Willow's words instead of the loss and regret that was seeping into her heart, but it was hard.
"I didn't know, I'm so sorry, Tara. It doesn't mean anything." She leaned forward, pleading with Tara. "We can get past this... I still love you. You-- you still love me, right?"
She looked so small and alone, so wounded, that Tara nearly broke down and went to her. Nearly took her in her arms, and held her close, vowing never to let go. But if she did that, she would only make things harder on her lover. The bond between Willow and Spike was complete, permanent. Nothing she or anyone else did would matter.
So, did she still love Willow? Tara wanted to deny it, make it easier on her, but she couldn't. "Yes. I still love you. I want things to be right again, b-- but, they won't be."
"But, Spike is... nothing. Not even someone I have any type of feelings for whatsoever. He-- he's a vampire. A demon. I--"
"Am bound to him now. And probably forever." Tara forced a smile to her lips, praying it didn't look too strained. "Vampires are jealous by nature. Possessive. Here," she said, jumping up and grabbing a book off the table in front of Willow. She debated quickly on whether she should sit beside her or not, and finally decided she would. "I was doing some research last night... after you called."
Willow looked away from her, and Tara saw the guilt flash across her face. And a hickey on her neck. Tamping down the hurt, and her imagination, she turned to the page on bonds.
"It says that bonds are usually temporary, which I already knew. But, that they can become permanent if the two individuals, um, well, they use a lot of big words, and stuff to say have sex. And you did." Now it was her turn to look away. It hurt her more than she wanted to admit that Willow had cheated on her. Even if it wasn't completely her fault.
Willow put her hand on Tara's knee, but withdrew it when Tara flinched slightly. "Well, that doesn't mean anything, really. Just that we're connected somehow. And it's just me, I think. I-- I feel his pain. And that's really all." She looked into Tara's eyes desperately. "Please don't leave me," she whispered.
Tara closed the book and stood up. "I'm not leaving you. You left me when you slept with... him." If Willow didn't leave soon, Tara was going to beg her to stay. She had to keep reminding herself that it would be a bad idea. "I don't blame you. He's h-- handsome."
Willow frowned and shook her head. "No, he's not. I mean, yeah, he's that, but that's not what happened. I didn't realize who he was," she stressed. Standing up, she slowly moved toward Tara. "I was still half asleep, and he was too... Tara, I love you. I want to be with you, not Spike."
Tara shook her head and backed away. "Willow, you don't understand. The bond--"
"No," Willow shouted, sobbing now. "You don't get it. The bond is a small, minuscule thing. Barely even there. I want you. I lost Xander, and Oz, and then I almost lost you to Glory, please, Tara, please... just give it a chance."
Tara hardened her heart. "No. It won't work. Here, take the book with you and read it. Then you'll know why. Please," she whispered, crying herself now. "Just go."
Willow took the book from Tara and dropped it to the floor, pulling Tara into her arms. She pressed her lips to the blonde's and cradled her face with tender desperation. "I love you," she whispered, and kissed her again. Tara closed her eyes, not wanting to watch Willow leave her.
As soon as the door shut, Tara fell to her knees, sobbing. "I love you too, Willow," she whispered back.
Spike was sitting on the couch, impatiently waiting for Willow to come back, when the door finally opened and she came in. He'd been about to go out looking for her. Drinking blood and wandering around the house had occupied him for a total of ten minutes, but then the boredom sank in. Anger followed. How dare she go off and leave him there alone when he had plans to make her fall in love with him? But now she was home, and he could forget about all of that and concentrate on winning her over.
Not wanting to appear too eager to see her, he stayed sitting, stretching his arms out to either side of the couch back and tilting his head back to see her when she... fell to the floor crying? What the hell was this then?
"Pet? Uh, Willow?" He got up when she didn't answer, and stood beside her. "What's the matter, love?"
She looked up at him with her big ole green eyes shining with tears, her lower lip quivering, sniffling pathetically, and he saw his chance. He knelt down and held his hand out for her to take. The next thing he knew, he was laying on the floor, and Willow was glaring down at him.
"You can live here if you want, since I don't know the particulars of the bond, and you have to stay alive in order for me to stay alive, but you stay away from me."
Angry that she was daring to tell him what to do, Spike stood up and shoved her back against the wall. "I already told you, Witch, I'm not a bloody dog. Don't order me around like one." He stood back a bit, looking at her critically. "Now, what's the crisis? Did Xander break a nail? Did Buffy have a thought? Or no, I'll bet your witch got out a complete sentence without a stutter."
Willow walked past him without answering, and Spike was left staring after her, feeling very unsatisfied with how his seduction was going so far. It's possible he'd been a bit too sarcastic, he'd have to work on that.
His stomach was healing nicely, so he decided to head out and practice his hunting skills. It'd been a while since he'd hunted humans, he might be a bit rusty. The cemetery was as good a place as any. He was as apt to run into vampires as he was humans, and if he ran into Buffy or any of the others, he could cover his ass by telling them he was patrolling.
He lit a cigarette as he walked down the darkened streets of Sunnydale. The town he hated. Filled with the people he hated. But even more than that, it had the people he could eat. Drinking from Willow had awakened his bloodlust, big time. He once again craved his blood warm from a body, not warm from a machine. Wanted the taste of skin mixed in, not ceramic. Wanted the thrill and excitement of hunting humans, not the dull pleasure he got out of drinking microwaved blood from a coffee mug, wrestled out of a plastic bag.
And, thanks to the Litchock, and Willow, he could once again taste fresh, warm, human blood. And he would... just as soon as one came along! Christ, where were all the meals... uh, humans, when one wanted them?
A sound from behind him drew his attention and he sniffed the air. Heard a heart beat. Human. A hint of perfume wafted to him, and he smiled. Female. His favorite. Drunk. Also a favorite. He continued walking, turning down the first alley he came to. The woman went past, her high heels crunching on the pavement, sounding loud in the stillness of the night. Spike tossed his cigarette to the ground and left the alley.
His prey was a few yards ahead of him, walking slowly. Unsteadily. She stumbled a little, catching herself on the wall, and giggling. Spike, playing the concerned gentleman, caught her arm, holding her up.
"Are you all right?" Charming smile in place.
"Oh, um, hi there," she giggled, leaning against him weakly. She reeked of beer and cigarettes, hair spray and make-up. Her blonde hair was an obvious dye job, since her red roots were showing, but she'd done her best to hide them. Her tight black dress was riding high on her thighs at the moment, and Spike had a hard time keeping his hold on her, when all he wanted to do was throw her down and walk away. "Have you seen my car?"
Spike blinked at her. "What?" She probably wouldn't taste very good, he thought. Certainly nothing like Willow did. He could probably search the world over and never find a human who tasted as good as Willow.
Who cares? He couldn't have Willow anymore, so he may as well get past that now. The drunk woman was looking around, presumably for her missing car. Spike checked to make sure they were alone and dragged her into the next alley. She laughed shrilly, but stopped when he shoved her roughly against the brick wall.
"Ow," she whimpered, rubbing the back of her head. She squinted at him, and leaned forward. "Hey." She pulled something out of her purse and promptly dropped it when Spike vamped out and grinned. "What are you?"
"Hungry."
The woman screamed, and tried to push him away, but Spike had had enough. He shoved her back against the wall, wincing in anticipation of pain. When none came, he shoved her head to the side and bit into her neck. A sigh escaped him as he fed. He'd missed this. Missed the feelings, the emotions, the excitement... all of it. He felt great. Like a God.
Draining the girl was fun, she grabbed his arm, clutching him in a death grip, only easing when her heart slowed. Spike dropped her to the ground, and lit a cigarette. Time to check on Willow... see how well she'd fared through all that.
Willow popped three aspirin into her mouth and took a gulp of water, washing them down. She was going to kill Spike. No, first she would torture him, then she would kill him. A few well placed stakes, a couple bottles of holy water, crosses strapped to flesh... oh, yeah. Definitely a little of that.
Massaging her aching head, she went back upstairs to her bedroom and laid down. Her eyes drifted shut and her body relaxed just as Spike stumbled into the room. Drunk.
She sat up, startled. Her head pounded, making her feel miserable. "Get out," she told him angrily.
He walked, a bit unsteadily, into the room, and knelt beside the bed. Taking her face in his hands, he examined her, ignoring her attempts to pull away. "Just wanted to make sure I didn't kill you. Don't want you to die."
"Aw," she said sarcastically, slapping his hands away from her face. "How sweet."
"Yeah. Stupid bond'll probably kill me too if you die." He yawned, and shrugged out of his duster, then knelt back down and laid his head on her stomach. "Always so bloody tired now," he mumbled.
"Hey. Excuse me." She tapped his head to get his attention, which only made him snuggle closer, and wrap an arm around her waist. "I'm not your personal pillow." She wanted to shove him away from her, but that would require too much movement. "Spike? You better not be asleep."
"Almost was," he growled, lifting his head to glare at her.
She sneered at him. "Poor baby. Go. Away. You kill someone, and then come here expecting... what do you expect?" She shook her head angrily. "You can sleep in my parent's room, the guest room, the couch, I really don't care, just don't expect to sleep in here."
Spike sat back and pulled his shirt off. "Didn't kill anyone. I left her alive. And I bloody well *am* gonna sleep here." He pulled off his boots and crawled over her to the other side of the bed.
"Fine. I'll sleep in my parent's room." She sat up, swinging her legs over the edge of the bed. Nausea swept through her and she had to run to the bathroom. After throwing up everything she'd eaten that year, Willow rinsed her face and mouth. Feeling miserable, which was happening way too much since this bond thing had happened, she sat on the cool tile floor and glared in the direction of her bedroom.
"I hate you, Spike," she whispered, then jumped when he knocked on the door. "What?" She leaned her sweaty forehead against the tub with a sigh.
"You okay?" he asked. The words sounded so alien coming from him that Willow had to laugh weakly.
"Just peachy." Climbing to her feet, she opened the door and went past him into her room. "You can go away now." She went to her French doors and pulled the blanket aside, slipping outside. A sigh escaped her as the cool night air blew against her heated skin.
Spike didn't follow her outside, as she'd half expected him to do. He seemed to always be there lately, to annoy her, and piss her off. She had a feeling he was up to something, but she didn't know what. She sat down on the porch, and pressed her forehead against the glass panes, closing her eyes.
The results were in; she'd definitely gotten the worst part of this bond. Pain, and lots of it, seemed to be her new theme. And what does Spike get? Not a damn thing as far as she could see. It would have been nice if he'd gotten something. Anything. Her emotions maybe. Willow grinned. That would have been funny. But cruel.
And you getting his pain isn't cruel? she thought.
Okay, true. But it wasn't like it was his fault. Besides, he seemed to have gotten her weaknesses. He was always tired, always sleeping. Maybe he would be perpetually tired for the rest of his--her--life. If it ended there.
She sat up, remembering the book Tara had given her. The answers might be in there. She went downstairs to get the book, then took it back up to her room. She didn't see Spike, so she assumed he'd either left, or gone to one of the other bedrooms.