Chapter 5

Stuck on You

February 2011

The Bronze was packed for a Thursday night. High school and college kids lined the walls and brushed against one another on the dance floor, bumping and grinding as the music blared from the speakers with reckless mirth. Spike smiled as he inhaled the scents of inebriation and lust that wafted through the club. It was always like this; hormones and alcohol combined with loud and (more often than not) obnoxious music, was the perfect formula for getting down and dirty. At one time it was the ideal hunting ground. For decades he and Dru had stalked through clubs across the world, using their good looks and air of danger to lure unsuspecting victims out into the alleys or flats where they feasted on said victims blood and sex. And even when the chip had prevented him from biting anyone, for a time Spike had still used his charm on the fairer sex, often times taking a young co-ed against the alley wall. Even then sex could not fill the hollowness inside of him. It was a temporary fix to a bigger need. For so long he had thought it was the chip but it wasn't until he fell in love with Buffy--at least admitted it to himself--that the vampire realized that prowling the clubs had never been the same since that fateful night when he had seen Buffy, the lights reflecting off of her golden skin like some goddess of the sun.

Just as she did now.

Spike growled as he watched Buffy twist and gyrate to the music. He barely registered Willow, Kennedy and Dawn surrounding her, his eyes fixated on his mate.

She wore a hunter green oriental-style dress that clung to her curves with the voracity of his hands when they made love. It came to mid-thigh and the slit up one side only furthered the arousal filtering through his bones and he watched her dip and tuck, every so often giving him a minute peek of her matching green panties underneath. Her golden tresses rested atop her head and several curly bangs drizzled down her face, and bounced as her body was possessed by the beat. It took all of Spike's willpower not to ravage her right where she stood. Instead, he downed another shot of tequila, praying that it would deaden his arousal enough to accomplish what he had planned for her.

"She's beautiful, isn't she," said a voice next to him. Spike turned and saw Connor staring into the crowd of the four women, his face alit with appreciation.

"Watch it, mate," Spike warned, "that's my Buffy you're…" he sputtered to a stop when he saw Connor's gaze fixated on Dawn's lithe form. Spike allowed a smile to grace his features as he contemplated the young lo…the young couple. They had meet in LA when Dawn had gone to visit Angel her sophomore year of college. They had taken to each other instantly. For the last six years, they had been on again, off again, pushed apart by circumstances or their own stubbornness. But six months ago they had finally come together for good, and now lived in a posh flat on the other side of town. Since then they had been inseparable, and Spike couldn't blame them. After their two-month separation last year, he and Buffy had become closer than he had ever thought possible. Rarely did they go a day without making love and when they did, well the day after was always filled with twice the exertion. If Connor and Dawn were the same way…

"Oy! That's my Nibblet you're gawking at, junior," Spike said. Connor turned to him and smiled that particularly annoying smile that reminded Spike of Angel but was oddly disarming.

"You know I love Dawn," Connor said, "just like you love Buffy."

"Yeah," the vampire admitted, "but that doesn't mean I wanna even think about you two and yer…you know."

Connor smiled but sobered immediately. He picked at his fries before gathering the courage to look his 'uncle' in the eye. "Spike?"

"Yeah, kid?"

"I…I want to marry her, but I…I don't know how to ask." So lost in his own thoughts, Connor didn't notice the incredulous look on Spike's face.

"She's everything I thought I'd never have, you know. She's smart, she's beautiful, funny and she can kick my ass, too."

The last part broke Spike from his haze and he offered the young man a gentle smile. "Know what you mean, mate. And for the record, wouldn't want anyone else watchin' over my Nibblet."

Connor ducked his head. When he glanced up at Spike, the vampire saw the uncertainty in the other man's eyes. "But…but I have a hard time telling her I love her. It's like each time I'm saying it for the first time. If I can't do that, how am I going to ask her to marry me?"

Spike grinned conspiratorially and stood. He removed his duster and laid it across the stool. Walking over to Connor, he patted the young man on the shoulder. "Watch and learn, junior, watch and learn." And with that, Spike sauntered to the stage, finally ready to put his plans into motion.

~~~

He watched Buffy and the others laughing as they moved in time with the music. Her head swiveled from left to right, and he knew she was searching for him. Spike smiled and fingered the tiny object in his left pocket; he had already set things up before hand and now the band was only waiting for his signal to start. Spike waited patiently for the last song to end and when it did, he stepped onto center stage, microphone in hand.

'S now or never, he thought and cleared his throat. All eyes turned to him but he was only concerned with the hazel pair that stared at him in equal parts love, amusement, confusion and a twinge of 'he better not think about that' fear. The last part drew a smirk from him and Spike winked at Buffy before he addressed the crowd.

"Evenin' folks. 'M not one for speeches so I'll get to the point. Tonight's a special night for my lady. 'S her birthday tonight, ya see, and I wanted to do somethin' special for 'er, somethin' she'd never forget. Buffy," he said and hopped off the stage, unconscious of the crowd parting for him as he walked towards her, "c'mere, luv." He saw her hesitation and chuckled at the crimson flare along her cheeks and Willow and Dawn pushed her forward. She kept her eyes down and held out her hand when she reached him. Spike took it and kissed each knuckle before making eye contact.

"What are you doing?" she whispered fiercely.

"Buffy, luv," he said into the mic, "we've known each other for, what, thirteen long years, together for eight of those. In that time we've hated one another, hurt one another but, most of all, loved one another. Nothin's come easy for us and I doubt it ever will. Still, not once in our relationship, the one we have now or the one we had before, have I ever doubted where I wanted to be, even if I denied myself the truth. I've told you before, in over a hundred years, I've only been sure about one thing: you.

"You are beautiful, in mind, body and spirit. You are strength, hope and courage. You are the fire the burns within me, the personification of the passion that burns within us all. You are my 'eart and my soul. I love you more with each passin' day and I'm stuck on you…"

The sharp, easy sounds of the guitar cut through the monologue and Spike smirked as Buffy's eyes widened in realization. His well chosen words had made her forget about anything else but the two of them and now the mischievous glint in his eyes mortified her. He knew that she would have words for him after the night was over but, at the same time, he hoped that what he had in store for her would wipe all thoughts of embarrassment from her mind.

"You can shake an apple off an apple tree

Shake-a, shake- sugar,
But you'll never shake me
Uh-uh-uh
No-sir-ee, uh, uh
I'm gonna stick like glue."

He pulled Buffy to him, reveling in her gasp as his erection made itself known.

"Stick because I'm
Stuck on you."

He moved behind her, and with deft precision, unclipped her hair, watching it flow over his fingers. He inhaled that gentle scent of vanilla that wafted from her throbbing body.

"Gonna run my fingers thru your long blonde hair
Squeeze you tighter than a grizzly bear,"

Spike grabbed Buffy by the waist and melted against her back. He ran his hand up and down her thigh, feeling even the tiniest of responses her body his proximity invoked.


"Uh-uh-uh,
Yes-sir-ee, uh, uh
I'm gonna stick like glue
Stick, because I'm
Stuck on you"

Spike was barely aware of the crowd that surrounded them. He glanced up and caught the evil smiles from Dawn and Kennedy that screamed 'blackmail for the rest of our natural lives'. He returned the smile before turning his attention back to the shivering slayer in his arms.

"Hide in the kitchen, hide in the hall
Ain't gonna do you no good at all
'Cause once I catch ya and the kissin' starts
A team o' wild horses couldn't tear us apart."

He ran his tongue along her jaw and Buffy turned her head, no doubt intent on a kiss but Spike twirled effortlessly to the other side, his fingers sweeping across the curve of her hips and butt in the process. He stood in front or her and finally allowed himself the pleasure of dancing for his lady.


"Try to take a tiger from his daddy's side
That's how love is gonna keep us tied
Uh-uh-uh
Yes-sir-ee, uh,uh
I'm gonna stick like glue
Stick, because I'm
Stuck on you…"

As he repeated the last two stanzas, Spike's hips took on a life of their own, grinding in time to the music and the undulations of Buffy's petite form. Her Hands found purchase on his hips and when her hazel eyes twinkled in that way, he knew she was up to something. And when her little fingers kneaded the denim that covered his ass, well, Spike was thankful that the song was ending.

He flung to microphone over his shoulder at the final note and claimed Buffy's lips as his own. Their hands roamed freely over one another, ignorant of the cheers and whistles that erupted for the crowd. When Buffy's hand skimmed over his left thigh, tracing the small bulge, Spike pulled away. Regardless of his need for oxygen, looking at Buffy, the way her eyes clouded over with desire or how her lips swelled after thoroughly being kissed, always took his breath away. She was more beautiful than the first day he'd seen her, even the first night they made love. She may have been thirty now but she looked no older than twenty-two. He'd bet that good genes and slayer healing were equally responsible for that.

Spike stepped away and his eyes swept across her entire form. She was immaculate, an angel sent from Heaven, and she was his. Time to make sure she knows just how much I love 'er.

"I love you," he said and beamed at the warmth of her smile.

"Love you, too," she said, and bit her lip. Her gaze traveled over the crowd surrounding them before returning to his face.

"We've been through so much the last eight years, living 'ere in love. I know 'm not the easiest bloke to love, to share your life with, undead habits notwithstanding. Still, you've always been there by my side as my friend, my lover, and my mate…" He closed his eyes and counted to three. Now or never, mate, he thought and dropped to one knee.

Buffy gasped when he dug into his pocket and pulled out the ring. When he looked up at her, he saw the tears that threatened to spill from her eyes. He wanted nothing more than to wipe them away but he had one more thing to do first.

"I told you once that I knew what you were with perfect clarity and that still holds true. You're a helluva woman, Buffy Anne Summers. You are the One. The one girl in all the world, the one girl for me…for all time. I've already claimed you as my mate and even if you 'aven't said it, I know you want something else."

"Spike…"

"Buffy," he said, shushing her with the quirk of his lips, "I want to give you that something else, not just for you but for us. I want this as much as you do." He held her hand and slipped the ring partially onto her finger. His body thrummed in anticipation and Spike knew she saw the apprehension in his eyes. Her own fear comforted him and, taking a deep breath, Spike asked the words he had known Buffy had wanted to hear for some time.

"Buffy Summers, will you make me the luckiest man in this world and become my wife?" The atmosphere thickened as Spike awaited her response. Buffy opened her mouth several times before closing it and the nervousness that Spike felt tripled as he waited for her response. He had never thought of her saying 'no' but now…now he cursed himself for being so presumptuous…

"Of course I will," she said and Spike's doubts were incinerated by the joy written across her face. Without anymore preamble, Spike slipped the ring the rest of the way on and enveloped Buffy in his arms. He twirled her around, peppering her face with butterfly kisses and declaring words of love to her continuously.

As their lips met in a kiss that seared his soul, Spike thanked the gods for a happiness clause-free soul because, if it wasn't he would have lost it the first day she said she loved him and everyday after that. She was everything to him and more. She was his heart and soul, and Spike knew without a doubt that no matter how long he lived, there would never be another.

Spike smiled as he watched her bounce up and down, showing the others the ring. He barely acknowledged Dawn's arms wrap around him in a tight hug. All his thoughts were on Buffy and the pure joy that enveloped every part of her, joy that he had been responsible for. And for the first time Spike promised himself that when the time came for her to…to leave this place, he would not follow behind her. There was so much to do in this world, so many people that needed help that Spike would not betray Buffy's memory and spirit without first giving his all where ever he was needed. If anything, he owed her that much.

The flying body of a slayer jarred Spike from his thoughts and he wrapped his arms around an ecstatic Buffy.

"I love you so much," she said, and he felt her tears caress his skin.

"Love you, too, pet," he said, his voice thick with emotion, "always and forever."

"Yours forever," she whispered as their bodies moved in rhythm to the music, "remember that."

"I will, luv," he said, "I will." And they spoke no more, content with the closeness they now shared dancing.

Spike knew he had a long road ahead of him; redemption for his past was far away yet it was attainable. Whether it took another hundred years or a thousand, it didn't matter; he would reach it just to be with her for eternity. And on the off chance he was found wanting, well, he would just have to savor moments like this, moments when Buffy's mere presence offered him a glimpse of what Heaven had in store for them.

Next…Buffy singing Don't Be Cruel??!?!