CHAPTER 27 - DINNER
She had just finished setting the coffee table when Spike came out of the kitchen carrying a tray with various dishes of leftovers from Edna's restaurant.
"Ummm, smells good," Buffy said, coming over to help him. They laid out the different bowls and plates full of food; spaghetti in red wine sauce, shrimp and scallop fettuccini, clam chowder, chicken almondine, red snapper with asparagus and artichoke hearts, and a big rare prime rib.
Spike put another log on the fire. He then pulled a couple of the leather couch cushions onto the floor, covering them with a throw that had been on one of the chairs, "There, comfy and not too cold on the bum," Spike said, pulling the coffee table in closer to the seats.
"God! There's enough food here for an army!" Buffy said.
"Well, you're an army of one, so dig in, my girl," Spike said, grinning at Buffy.
"Funny," Buffy said, but started dishing out herself a helping of spaghetti, then she placed the steak on Spike's plate, "Here you take this," she said.
"Sure you don't want to try it?" Spike asked.
"No, a little too rare for my tastes, but it really does look good," she said, nodding.
Spike uncorked the one of the bottles of champagne that Edna had sent and poured them each a glass, then raised his glass, "Let's toast," Spike said.
"What should we toast to?" Buffy asked.
So many things he wanted to say, but then again, they'd all been said, mostly. Other things would have to wait.
Buffy looked at him, expectantly and looking back at her, he knew.
He raised his glass, motioning for her to do the same.
"Hope," Spike said, never taking his eyes off her.
She nodded, liking that very much, "Hope," Buffy replied, clinking glasses with him.
"I think I ate too much," Buffy said, pushing the plate and the remains of the red snapper away from herself.
"I didn't know that was possible," Spike joked.
"Funny, soon I'll be Bimbo the Vampire Slayer," she said.
"Never! Although it might be good, if you were me," Spike said, laughing.
"I think it's fair to say that you get a permanent pass in that department," Buffy said, grinning at her most favored vampire.
"Yeah, guess you're right about that, pet."
"Do you want some desert?" Spike asked her.
"A world of NO!" Buffy said. "Maybe you could talk me into it later, though," she suggested.
"I can think of lots of other sweet things that I'd like to talk you into later on," Spike said in a low voice, making her legs and thighs immediately get all jelly-like, as her sex twitched just at the thought of him touching her again.
She blushed. He noticed.
"You're just wicked, you know?" Buffy said to him.
Spike shrugged, grinning, "Vampire, here," he said, motioning to himself.
He got up starting to clear the plates.
"No you don't, you didn't let me help you in the kitchen before, so I'll get this and you get to relax," Buffy said, pushing him back onto the cushion.
He grabbed her, pulling her onto his lap, "You sure that's what you want to do right now?" he asked, as his mouth nuzzled her neck.
"Don't wanna relax; want you," Spike murmured, turning his face to kiss her; his tongue lightly exploring her mouth in the way he knew she responded to best.
Buffy groaned, as she kissed him back, wriggling on his lap as she felt his excitement growing underneath her.
"No. Oh, oh, Spike, God," she mumbled, trying to hang onto her quickly fading resolve, "taste so good...oooh...ahhh...no," Buffy said.
She kissed him once more, pushing him onto his back and getting astride him, "Spike, I want you, now, but I'm going to get up anyway and get this cleaned up," she said, as she rubbed her body to his, melting with him.
"Don't, don't go," Spike pleaded, looking at her with soulful blue eyes.
"Let me do this, then I'm all yours the rest of the night," she said between kisses and rising passions, "promise, all yours," Buffy said, forcing herself to get up.
"You drive a hard bargain," Spike said, in a voice dripping with sensuality.
Buffy put the dishes and other dinner things on the tray, willing her legs to stop feeling like jelly, her breath to slow.
She looked down at him lying back against the couch; sexy, languid, half-closed eyes watching her body move, a slight smirk to his mouth.
"Spike, you look like the cat that just ate the canary," Buffy said, laughing.
"Almost, bird, almost," he said, arching one eyebrow, grinning like the Cheshire cat.
She blushed, again as her body reacted to the suggestive words.
"You're incorrigible, Mr. Worthington," she said, laughing, picking up the tray, "now be a good boy and clean up in here," she commanded, as she walked toward the kitchen, grinning.
She'd never known a man who could ooze sensuality and sexuality like Spike could. It could either be like he was right now - slow and languid, or hard and powerful, dangerous.
Wicked energy, indeed!
She had to admit it; she'd always been attracted to him, from the first time she saw him, throughout the years. Yeah, she'd wanted to 'dance,' alright, but they'd nearly destroyed themselves with the 'dance,' last year. She sighed, glad that was behind them, finally, hopefully.
Starting the water in the sink to do the dishes she thought of everything, every idea that had been upended in her neat and tidy way of thinking about things.
It was William who built this house, William who helped Edna, intervened and saved both Lawrence and Clem. William had always been inside of Spike, she now realized. More than just the remnants and memories of the man inside the demon. And now that he had his soul back, was it reversed? Instead of a bit of man inside the monster, it was a bit of the monster inside the man? She realized she really didn't care anymore. She'd used his lack of a soul, as the reason she could never love him. But it wasn't his lack of a soul. He'd loved her, fought for her, been there for her and Dawn...she just hadn't wanted to see that he was still a man, it flew in the face of all she'd been taught.
William? Spike? It didn't matter they both loved her and she loved them both, too. She couldn't imagine one without the other.
Spike got up and moved the bottle and glasses off the table and onto the floor. He picked up the table and carried it back to it's spot against the wall. As he put it down, something on the desk caught his eye and he was about to go over to it, when he remembered he'd better check in with the gang back at Hellmouth Central. He felt guilty, he'd told Buffy he would do so every hour on the hour, yet he knew he hadn't exactly been keeping to the schedule and she'd seemed to forget, as well.
As the computer was warming up, he walked quietly to the kitchen door and opened it a couple of inches. Buffy's back was to him, as she washed the dishes. He didn't know why, but the sight of her, in his kitchen, doing dishes gave him such a warm feeling. He knew she'd hate being thought of as, 'domestic,' but it was more than that. It was, "Right stirring," is what it was!
He walked quietly up behind her, grabbing her suddenly in a tight hug.
She jumped a little, then relaxed, feeling Spike's lips near her ear, "Do you know how sexy you look to me right now?"
"Doing dishes?" she asked.
"Yeah," he answered.
"Men! You're all sick! Want a woman to cook and clean..." she said.
"Hey, you didn't cook, if you remember, missy!" Spike said, "besides, maybe it's just that your little hiney is facing me, and you know I can't resist that..." he said, kissing her ear and pulling her backside towards him, as he pushed his groin forward.
He gave her one more, hard thrust against the counter, making her groan, "I just came to tell you that I'm going to dial-up Sunnydale, if you need to check your email or IM Willow or anyone," Spike said.
"Be right there," Buffy said, smiling, pushing him reluctantly away so she could finish.
She heard him laughing as he went out the door. He knew the effect he was having on her this weekend, "Well, it's mutual!" she smiled smugly.
When she came out to the living room, Spike was sitting on the couch with the laptop, checking out the different scenes from the cameras at home.
She sat down next to him and he clicked for her, they laughed at seeing Andrew, doing the same thing she had just been doing - washing dishes, except he was wearing an apron.
"Your guestage, busy earning his keep," Spike said, laughing.
"He's not really a bad cook at all, cleans the place pretty well, too," Buffy said.
Spike nodded.
"Little boy..." he said, shaking his head, "should be out playing with other little girls, or boys, in his case," Spike said, in a funny sort of manner.
"What else do we have?" Buffy asked.
Spike showed her Willow sitting in the living room with her computer. Xander was there also, and Anya.
"Spike, let me have the computer, I want to talk to Willow," Buffy said.
He handed her the computer.
Slayer1: Willow?
Wicca1: Buffy?
Wicca1: was just was going to see if you were online
Slayer1: here I am
Wicca1: how's your day been?
Slayer1: really great: walk in the woods, brunch with Clem, dinner, etc...
Wicca1: Clem's with you guys?
Slayer1: not exactly, but close by
Wicca 1: sounds nice
Slayer1: ummhmmm
Wicca1: what's the ETC. ???
Slayer1: never-you-mind!
Slayer1: how's everything at home?
Wicca1: been quiet, Dawn will be home tomorrow evening
Slayer1: good, so will we
Wicca1: when?
She looked at Spike a little sadly, who was looking over as she typed, "What time do you think we'll leave here?" she asked him.
"Whenever you want luv," he said, looking at her, "but if we don't have to hurry back in broad daylight, then we could leave around 6:00 or 7:00 and still be back fairly early."
Buffy nodded, "Sounds like a plan," then she added, sort of wistfully, "wish we could stay..."
"Know luv," Spike said, nodding, "me, too."
He put his arm around her, kissing her cheek.
Slayer1: Willow?
Wicca1: yeah?
Slayer1: be back around 8:00 or 9:00
Wicca1: good
Slayer1: ok, that's all from here
Wicca1: wherever 'here' is
Slayer1: wherever...
Slayer1: tell everyone hi
Wicca1: ok bye Buffy, have fun
Slayer1: I will, thanks, luv ya
Wicca1: bye, luv you, too
Buffy handed the computer and phone to Spike and he shut them down.
Buffy snuggled, up to Spike, putting her head on his shoulder. He put his arm around her, and with their fingers entwined, they watched the fire in the fireplace in contented silence for a while.
Content.
"Want to do anything, luv?" he asked her after about 45 minutes just sitting together.
"I dunno. This is nice," Buffy replied, reaching up to give his cheek a kiss.
"Love you," he whispered, kissing the top of her head.
"Love you, too, Spike," she said.
She had just finished setting the coffee table when Spike came out of the kitchen carrying a tray with various dishes of leftovers from Edna's restaurant.
"Ummm, smells good," Buffy said, coming over to help him. They laid out the different bowls and plates full of food; spaghetti in red wine sauce, shrimp and scallop fettuccini, clam chowder, chicken almondine, red snapper with asparagus and artichoke hearts, and a big rare prime rib.
Spike put another log on the fire. He then pulled a couple of the leather couch cushions onto the floor, covering them with a throw that had been on one of the chairs, "There, comfy and not too cold on the bum," Spike said, pulling the coffee table in closer to the seats.
"God! There's enough food here for an army!" Buffy said.
"Well, you're an army of one, so dig in, my girl," Spike said, grinning at Buffy.
"Funny," Buffy said, but started dishing out herself a helping of spaghetti, then she placed the steak on Spike's plate, "Here you take this," she said.
"Sure you don't want to try it?" Spike asked.
"No, a little too rare for my tastes, but it really does look good," she said, nodding.
Spike uncorked the one of the bottles of champagne that Edna had sent and poured them each a glass, then raised his glass, "Let's toast," Spike said.
"What should we toast to?" Buffy asked.
So many things he wanted to say, but then again, they'd all been said, mostly. Other things would have to wait.
Buffy looked at him, expectantly and looking back at her, he knew.
He raised his glass, motioning for her to do the same.
"Hope," Spike said, never taking his eyes off her.
She nodded, liking that very much, "Hope," Buffy replied, clinking glasses with him.
"I think I ate too much," Buffy said, pushing the plate and the remains of the red snapper away from herself.
"I didn't know that was possible," Spike joked.
"Funny, soon I'll be Bimbo the Vampire Slayer," she said.
"Never! Although it might be good, if you were me," Spike said, laughing.
"I think it's fair to say that you get a permanent pass in that department," Buffy said, grinning at her most favored vampire.
"Yeah, guess you're right about that, pet."
"Do you want some desert?" Spike asked her.
"A world of NO!" Buffy said. "Maybe you could talk me into it later, though," she suggested.
"I can think of lots of other sweet things that I'd like to talk you into later on," Spike said in a low voice, making her legs and thighs immediately get all jelly-like, as her sex twitched just at the thought of him touching her again.
She blushed. He noticed.
"You're just wicked, you know?" Buffy said to him.
Spike shrugged, grinning, "Vampire, here," he said, motioning to himself.
He got up starting to clear the plates.
"No you don't, you didn't let me help you in the kitchen before, so I'll get this and you get to relax," Buffy said, pushing him back onto the cushion.
He grabbed her, pulling her onto his lap, "You sure that's what you want to do right now?" he asked, as his mouth nuzzled her neck.
"Don't wanna relax; want you," Spike murmured, turning his face to kiss her; his tongue lightly exploring her mouth in the way he knew she responded to best.
Buffy groaned, as she kissed him back, wriggling on his lap as she felt his excitement growing underneath her.
"No. Oh, oh, Spike, God," she mumbled, trying to hang onto her quickly fading resolve, "taste so good...oooh...ahhh...no," Buffy said.
She kissed him once more, pushing him onto his back and getting astride him, "Spike, I want you, now, but I'm going to get up anyway and get this cleaned up," she said, as she rubbed her body to his, melting with him.
"Don't, don't go," Spike pleaded, looking at her with soulful blue eyes.
"Let me do this, then I'm all yours the rest of the night," she said between kisses and rising passions, "promise, all yours," Buffy said, forcing herself to get up.
"You drive a hard bargain," Spike said, in a voice dripping with sensuality.
Buffy put the dishes and other dinner things on the tray, willing her legs to stop feeling like jelly, her breath to slow.
She looked down at him lying back against the couch; sexy, languid, half-closed eyes watching her body move, a slight smirk to his mouth.
"Spike, you look like the cat that just ate the canary," Buffy said, laughing.
"Almost, bird, almost," he said, arching one eyebrow, grinning like the Cheshire cat.
She blushed, again as her body reacted to the suggestive words.
"You're incorrigible, Mr. Worthington," she said, laughing, picking up the tray, "now be a good boy and clean up in here," she commanded, as she walked toward the kitchen, grinning.
She'd never known a man who could ooze sensuality and sexuality like Spike could. It could either be like he was right now - slow and languid, or hard and powerful, dangerous.
Wicked energy, indeed!
She had to admit it; she'd always been attracted to him, from the first time she saw him, throughout the years. Yeah, she'd wanted to 'dance,' alright, but they'd nearly destroyed themselves with the 'dance,' last year. She sighed, glad that was behind them, finally, hopefully.
Starting the water in the sink to do the dishes she thought of everything, every idea that had been upended in her neat and tidy way of thinking about things.
It was William who built this house, William who helped Edna, intervened and saved both Lawrence and Clem. William had always been inside of Spike, she now realized. More than just the remnants and memories of the man inside the demon. And now that he had his soul back, was it reversed? Instead of a bit of man inside the monster, it was a bit of the monster inside the man? She realized she really didn't care anymore. She'd used his lack of a soul, as the reason she could never love him. But it wasn't his lack of a soul. He'd loved her, fought for her, been there for her and Dawn...she just hadn't wanted to see that he was still a man, it flew in the face of all she'd been taught.
William? Spike? It didn't matter they both loved her and she loved them both, too. She couldn't imagine one without the other.
Spike got up and moved the bottle and glasses off the table and onto the floor. He picked up the table and carried it back to it's spot against the wall. As he put it down, something on the desk caught his eye and he was about to go over to it, when he remembered he'd better check in with the gang back at Hellmouth Central. He felt guilty, he'd told Buffy he would do so every hour on the hour, yet he knew he hadn't exactly been keeping to the schedule and she'd seemed to forget, as well.
As the computer was warming up, he walked quietly to the kitchen door and opened it a couple of inches. Buffy's back was to him, as she washed the dishes. He didn't know why, but the sight of her, in his kitchen, doing dishes gave him such a warm feeling. He knew she'd hate being thought of as, 'domestic,' but it was more than that. It was, "Right stirring," is what it was!
He walked quietly up behind her, grabbing her suddenly in a tight hug.
She jumped a little, then relaxed, feeling Spike's lips near her ear, "Do you know how sexy you look to me right now?"
"Doing dishes?" she asked.
"Yeah," he answered.
"Men! You're all sick! Want a woman to cook and clean..." she said.
"Hey, you didn't cook, if you remember, missy!" Spike said, "besides, maybe it's just that your little hiney is facing me, and you know I can't resist that..." he said, kissing her ear and pulling her backside towards him, as he pushed his groin forward.
He gave her one more, hard thrust against the counter, making her groan, "I just came to tell you that I'm going to dial-up Sunnydale, if you need to check your email or IM Willow or anyone," Spike said.
"Be right there," Buffy said, smiling, pushing him reluctantly away so she could finish.
She heard him laughing as he went out the door. He knew the effect he was having on her this weekend, "Well, it's mutual!" she smiled smugly.
When she came out to the living room, Spike was sitting on the couch with the laptop, checking out the different scenes from the cameras at home.
She sat down next to him and he clicked for her, they laughed at seeing Andrew, doing the same thing she had just been doing - washing dishes, except he was wearing an apron.
"Your guestage, busy earning his keep," Spike said, laughing.
"He's not really a bad cook at all, cleans the place pretty well, too," Buffy said.
Spike nodded.
"Little boy..." he said, shaking his head, "should be out playing with other little girls, or boys, in his case," Spike said, in a funny sort of manner.
"What else do we have?" Buffy asked.
Spike showed her Willow sitting in the living room with her computer. Xander was there also, and Anya.
"Spike, let me have the computer, I want to talk to Willow," Buffy said.
He handed her the computer.
Slayer1: Willow?
Wicca1: Buffy?
Wicca1: was just was going to see if you were online
Slayer1: here I am
Wicca1: how's your day been?
Slayer1: really great: walk in the woods, brunch with Clem, dinner, etc...
Wicca1: Clem's with you guys?
Slayer1: not exactly, but close by
Wicca 1: sounds nice
Slayer1: ummhmmm
Wicca1: what's the ETC. ???
Slayer1: never-you-mind!
Slayer1: how's everything at home?
Wicca1: been quiet, Dawn will be home tomorrow evening
Slayer1: good, so will we
Wicca1: when?
She looked at Spike a little sadly, who was looking over as she typed, "What time do you think we'll leave here?" she asked him.
"Whenever you want luv," he said, looking at her, "but if we don't have to hurry back in broad daylight, then we could leave around 6:00 or 7:00 and still be back fairly early."
Buffy nodded, "Sounds like a plan," then she added, sort of wistfully, "wish we could stay..."
"Know luv," Spike said, nodding, "me, too."
He put his arm around her, kissing her cheek.
Slayer1: Willow?
Wicca1: yeah?
Slayer1: be back around 8:00 or 9:00
Wicca1: good
Slayer1: ok, that's all from here
Wicca1: wherever 'here' is
Slayer1: wherever...
Slayer1: tell everyone hi
Wicca1: ok bye Buffy, have fun
Slayer1: I will, thanks, luv ya
Wicca1: bye, luv you, too
Buffy handed the computer and phone to Spike and he shut them down.
Buffy snuggled, up to Spike, putting her head on his shoulder. He put his arm around her, and with their fingers entwined, they watched the fire in the fireplace in contented silence for a while.
Content.
"Want to do anything, luv?" he asked her after about 45 minutes just sitting together.
"I dunno. This is nice," Buffy replied, reaching up to give his cheek a kiss.
"Love you," he whispered, kissing the top of her head.
"Love you, too, Spike," she said.