***********************************TrAPPeD**********************************
Six: All the Lies We Tell
By Annie
2003-03-20
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Day Two.
15.02 p.m.
"Row, row, row your boat..."
"We don't HAVE a boat."
"...gently down the stream..."
"Oh...water."
"Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily..."
"You're kidding me right?"
"Life is but a dream."
"Then bring on the frappucino 'cause here's one Slayer ready for a wake-up call," she muttered, giving him a glare to just be quiet.
Of course, it didn't take.
"Row, row, row your boat..."
"Spike," she warned and he smirked, rolling his head to the side so that he could look at her.
Once again he was lying on the mattresses and she was sitting leaned against the wall. Her back killing her, but she refused to move or show any sign that she was uncomfortable since he had made it perfectly clear that he didn't believe she could sit still for an hour without complaining. That had been forty-five minutes earlier.
"What IS it with you and singing, anyways?" she asked now and he cocked an eyebrow. Since he made no effort to reply she sighed, shaking her head. "Not that I wanted to know or anything," she grumbled, the annoyance rolling back into her chest. "You know you're the most aggravating creature on this planet, don't you?" she now inquired and his smirk turned into a grin.
With a small moan voicing the emotion within she got to her feet and he jumped up with a "hah!".
"You lost," he nodded with the grin making him look more idiotic than ever plastered all over his ugly face.
"God, I hate you," she stated tiredly. "And I hate this place. And I hate this spell. And I hate the boring food and the fact that there's nothing I can do to get out of this. And I want a tall glass of water. And a shower. And my own BED. And... God, I hate you."
He tilted his head to one side, cocking an eyebrow again and her gaze grew into a glare.
"You know... maybe," he said, reaching up an arm and grabbing one of the rusted old pipes hanging above his head.
"Maybe what?" she asked skeptically and he got a thoughtful expression on his face before he took a better hold on the pipe and then he yanked down hard.
Her eyes grew and she was about to yell something - he would've figured it to be "no!" - when the fact that there was no flood pouring out of the pipe made her stop herself. However a small trickle of clear water began to make its way through the air and to the floor. Buffy stared at it, almost in awe, and then she ran up to him and pushed him aside.
Putting her mouth under the Heaven-sent liquid she began to drink.
"Oh, no clever remark about 'it might be poisoned' this time?" he asked, observing her eagerness with a touch of fascination as his gaze rested on her lips - wetted by the water, and her tongue glimpsing from time to time.
Turning from her he blinked, getting a hold on himself.
It was an outermost funny feeling, this sudden... need. This very sudden urge to touch, to feel, to ravish in. It was strange and close to ill- fitting, and he didn't like it. It... frightened him. Well, he had to say it did - though he hardly could admit it to himself and NEVER would admit it to her. But it was simply overpowering and in that sense of overwhelming loss of control - he felt fear.
Where would it take him?
It also made him wonder if he was clouding his own judgment. He thought he had sensed a spark fly between them when he had forced her close... A moments anticipation on her part right before he leaned down to claim his kiss, and then her own conscious saying "bad" and making her step down, take a bow, having the show be over right then and there.
Now she was very distant, and had been so all afternoon. Of course, had she ever been anything else? Distant, cold, stupid, annoying, up-tight bitch that she was?
Shaking his head at himself, at this whole insane situation, he turned back to her.
She had gotten a hold on the plastic box previously containing fish (now eaten) and was filling it almost tenderly with the life-preserving H2O.
Humans.
Mortals.
He shook his head again.
"If you'd let me turn you, you wouldn't have to worry 'bout that, love," he pointed out, without even realizing where those words came from, and as she looked up sharply he wanted to kick himself over the head.
Nice work, Spike, he thought. That'll put her off guard. That'll make her receptive to your charms. That'll make her seduce-able. You are sucha sodding WANKER!
"I'm not even gonna dignify that with a response," she replied sourly and he swallowed before putting on one of the everlasting smirks.
"You just did," he remarked and she scowled, making him back off.
The trickle was reducing into a drop and Buffy took the plastic box away. It was half full and she knew that the loathed vampire had probably just saved her a death consisting of incoherent ramblings and pain as her body dried up.
She put the box reverently on the floor by the refrigerator box and then turned to him. He met her gaze, wondering what was now to come. She hesitated, then said:
"Thanks... I don't think I would've thought of that myself."
He was taken very much off guard by that. Then he shrugged.
"Whatever. I scratch your back..." he then replied and a small smile graced her lips.
"I'm not scratching your anything," she assured and at that he smiled widely.
"Look, at some point we're sure to grow desperate," he now stated and she raised her eyebrows questioningly. "That blood," he elaborated with a wave to the fridge, "it won't last until the end of eternity. You look a bit scrawny, Slayer, but when push comes to survive - I think I could eat you."
She merely gave him a look before she asked:
"Don't you mean 'drink' me?"
"Would you prefer that term?" he asked. "I mean, always offer the victim its preferred way to go, right?"
She smiled with no feeling what so ever before she said:
"You'll get those fangs anywhere near my neck over my dead body."
He laughed at that, then nodded.
"Exactly. See, I CAN'T kill you, right? But sooner or later you're gonna fall off the twig. And color me the cat sitting at the foot of that tree just waiting for you to land right before its paws," he stated and she took a step closer to him, her eyes shooting daggers.
"You make me SICK!" she exclaimed and he smiled.
"Good," he said, reaching out a hand, grabbing her wrist and suddenly pulling her close to him. "That'll make you die faster."
She struggled, putting her hands against his chest before pushing him away from her harshly.
He stumbled back and hit the wall, leaning himself against it his eyes showed mere delight and she shook her head at him.
"So stake me," he tempted, taking a step forward and seeing the satisfactory stiffening of her posture. "Come on, Buffy... Stake this vamp and be done with it."
Buffy bit her jaws together. Her fingers itched to do as he asked, but something was simply pronouncing that she couldn't. She couldn't! He was harmless. Couldn't hurt humans anymore. And so she couldn't just 'be done with it'.
"You have no idea how much I wish I could," she said between gritted teeth.
Turning from him she was about to take a step toward the door of the closet space when he suddenly blocked her way. She looked up with a sharp breath in involuntary surprise and he held her gaze almost gently.
"So do it," he mumbled, his voice lowered and she swallowed - a sudden swirl in the pit of her stomach making her senses scream alarm.
He was close enough to just lean into, their bodies nearly touching, and she had to tilt her head back to be able to look up at him.
"Someday..." she said and he smiled a little at that. "I will," she added firmly and his face hardened.
"Once I get this thing screwing me up fixed..."
She nodded, blinking as a warm blanket wrapped itself around her thoughts, making them fuzzy and dimmed. Her eyes stuck in his, the blue of them seeping out to color the world. Her heart beat was just as dazed as her mind, pumping slowly. Then his cool fingers slid up her arm and at the urge of grabbing him, in order to get him close to her, she snapped out of it and took a step back; her eyes growing filled with shock.
Spike wanted to scream with raged impatience. Bloody hell! Who was she, Superwoman? He mentally frowned at himself. Okay, bad choice of character analogy, but still...! At least this time he had registered the impact he actually had on her. He had seen the desire make itself known deep in those pools of green and it had been sweet to see it. Now he knew for sure that with a few steps in the right direction she would be his. And that knowledge was something that he was certain had just set her on her path to witnessing her own fall. He loved it!
"What's the matter?" he asked slowly, licking his lower lip before he let his mouth curl slightly.
Buffy didn't answer him. Walking past him she disappeared through the doorway of the closet and the door slid shut behind her back.
He smiled widely.
Soon he would be able to do whatever he pleased with her. And he'd be sodding merciless.
***
19.33 p.m.
This thing, batting its blue eyes at her as it rested in the pit of her stomach, scared her. Made her tremble. Made a small nausea rise in her throat. And still it was exhilarating. She couldn't call it anything but that.
During the first two hours of chosen confinement in the closet, she had pushed any thought of that blue-eyed monster lurking in the back of her throat as far away from her as she could. She had wrestled with it on the moth-eaten holes of the mattress and she had won.
But during the past hour she had been forced to deal with it. To face it. And as it slowly moved itself from a vague position somewhere beneath her bosom to seep into her mind she found herself letting it. Deep down it thrilled her, it excited her; it stirred something inside of her that the side of her, shying away from everything that was linked to the darker parts of the Slayer in her, rebelled against.
It was indeed exhilarating.
And the side of her it provoked to awaken, that side couldn't help but reach out to grasp this opportunity. And she wanted to ignore it, but it would stay dormant no more. Her tries were fruitless and as her stomach signaled her need for dinner she closed her eyes with a groan.
Then she got to her feet with a huff of irritation.
This was what he wanted. She knew it! He wanted her to grow insecure with herself, and she wouldn't. She could tackle this; it wasn't as though it was beyond her control. It wasn't as though whenever she saw him she wanted to throw herself at his feet. As though she couldn't face him.
Nothing had changed between them. She did hate him. He was everything that was bad for her, he stood for everything that was in complete disagreement to who she was. He wasn't even... No, he wasn't even attractive - he was just a manipulative... harsh-looking... evil...
Anger blossomed in her chest as she came to the conclusion that all this fretting had been solely caused by HIM. He had made her think that it was something within HER, when that was nothing but whatever seed he had been able to plant there. Doubt in herself so that she'd crumble beneath his gaze the next time he rested it in hers, well, she'd not stand for it!
Giving the wall a harsh push the door slid to the side and she marched through it.
"What have you done?" she demanded as he turned to her with a rather surprised look on his face when she stopped before him.
He narrowed his eyes questioningly.
"Is it some sorta vampire thrall?" she asked cheekily, taking a step closer threateningly and at that he raised his eyebrows, looking rather amused.
"I don't know what you're bloody talking about," he replied and she gave him a dark look.
"Stop with the cockiness," she said, voice lowered and the smirk he bore widened slightly.
Taking a step forward he slowly placed himself less than an inch from her and she tilted her head back, her eyes growing defiant in a way that just drove him to the brink of wild and before he could really understand what he was doing and why he chose the moment to do it, he reached up his hands and placed them on either side of her face.
Her eyes did grow just a little, and her mouth did fall open ever so slightly as if to ready itself to make the protest; and then her hands placed themselves against his stomach with all their heat just spreading from her fingers and through his skin.
He closed his eyes at the sudden delicacy of the sensation.
She stared up at him, the feel of his surprisingly gentle touch reaching her every nerve and before her, he changed. As his eyes closed his whole face softened and the humanity on him in that moment made her draw a shaky breath. She could see him, the man he once had been, and it made her tear away from him with something not very short of a disgusted growl.
He was nowhere near human, and as he opened his eyes again the gleam in them brought her back to reality. A reality where he was one of her most dangerous enemies. A reality where she had no place losing her head over simple tricks of light.
He smiled, the self-assurance not leaving him as he carefully tilted his head to one side, eyeing her.
"What the hell is it you want?" she asked, voice trembling lightly with lingering anger.
"No... What is it YOU want?" he asked back and she clenched her jaws together tightly as the rush of insecurity once more billowed through her.
He took a step forward and she shook her head.
"Get away from me," she said, jaw line tightened as well as her posture.
"That's not what you want," he disagreed silently and she swallowed again.
He approached her, cautiously, not wanting to push her and yet wanting her to face the facts before her. She wanted him, nothing else. He could sense it. He could scent it in the air. The atmosphere was loaded and it was simply irresistible. Stopping once more close to her he kept his eyes in hers.
"Well, I don't want this," she tried, about to put her hands up to get him away again when he caught her wrists in mid-air and held them tight as she fought to get loose. "Let GO!" she exclaimed, frustrated, and he smiled calmly.
"A snare only gets stronger the more a prey struggles against it," he remarked and she slowly settled down, her heart beating rapidly in her chest and the jugular at each side of her throat pump-pumping with hypnotic regularity.
He could see it out of the corner of his eye and he let her gaze go to fix his own upon that spot right beneath her skin. Her chest was connecting with his now and it heaved with every new breath. Her eyes didn't leave his face, the hatred burning its black fire in them as she waited to make her move.
And then he dipped his head forward, sliding his cheek against hers before his lips connected with her jaw line. She drew a breath, her eyes growing wide at the sudden jolt of heat originating from the spot to spread through her. His mouth continued down the side of her throat until it was resting against the pulsating string of life and there he parted his lips; and at the feel of his tongue pressing against her sensitive skin before slowly licking it, her fingers dug into the fabric of his black T-shirt and grabbed fistfuls of it, clenching it tightly as she drew another breath.
Oh, God, this can't be happening, she thought to herself as she closed her eyes.
His hands let go of her wrists and in that moment she saw her escape, her salvation. She would have to be her own savior, there was no one else. Collecting herself she let his T go before shoving him backwards hard. He quickly found his balance, his eyes glittering with humor and triumph and she needed so badly to wipe those expressions off of him, only she had no idea how to do it.
"Let it go, Buffy," he said and she glared at him. "Stop fighting me, love."
"Why are you pushing this? One more notch in your twisto belt?" she inquired, almost accusingly.
He merely replied with a smile and it held all the answer she could possibly want.
"I thought me touching you would have you just as grossed out as you touching me has me," she stated, putting her hands on her hips in a challenging gesture.
"That's what makes it all the more fun," he replied and she made a face of discomfort.
"You are a sick, sick individual," she said and he smirked again.
"Mhm. Might be," he shrugged, then he fixed those azure blues upon her again as he added: "But I don't 'gross you out', Buffy. I can feel your responses to my touch."
Her face grew stale and then she seemed to adopt an air of pure self- confidence which was so abruptly there that it had him rather surprised. She smiled a sugary smile.
"Really?" she asked and he cocked an eyebrow before nodding.
"Double-sodding-really," he confirmed.
"You're losing it," she stated. "The only way I 'respond' is by my gagging reflex."
"Oh, is that how you wanna play this out, then?" he asked, his stance getting dangerous in the gloomy room as he once more approached her slowly. "Denial?"
She smiled a crooked smile, her posture not wavering this time and he wondered where this sudden strength had stemmed from. He'd enjoy breaking it down, that was for sure.
Buffy followed his movements as he circled her once before stopping before her. Controlling her heart was the main thing to focus on. Her skin still had the scorch-marks of where his lips had touched it before, and the sensation still burned right beneath it. She was a better actress than he could even imagine.
And if she so had to beat the lie into her own skull - all that mattered now was believing that he didn't get to her. He-did-not-get-to-her.
He leaned forward, she swayed back slightly and at the glint in his eyes she quickly got herself back to the position she had just been in. Their foreheads practically connected. She didn't move her gaze from his for a second as he took a step into her. Fighting the urge to run her hands up those taut biceps of his she had the indifferent expression of a bored shopkeeper and Spike was falling for it, she could see it in his eyes.
His nose brushed against hers and she strained her own eyes to not close as he moved his head slightly.
His lips barely touched hers and then he smiled again.
"Ready to play that other game, love?" he asked quietly and her heart skipped a beat at that question.
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Oh, wow! It is so great to have any reviews at all, but when you have as many as this to read then you fly! Thanks a lot! I hope that you enjoyed this chapter as well. Hehe, pardon my smirk, but I really enjoyed writing it. Things are firying up rather nicely, hope you agree. ;) Just thanks a LOT for the ecnouragement!
Special, special thanks to Charlie (On OneCardDraw: I am SO glad you like it!!! Hehe. Thanks for leaving your mark!), LizDarcy (Thanks a lot! And have to ask...you a fan of Pride and Prejudice?) ;), LILI :), VampiresKiss (hehe), Heather (hope this'll keep you addicted) :), Belladonna *grin*, Alyssa (darn, you found me out! I hope this might've been less of a torture!) ;), Haley (Hehe, glad you approve and thanks my friend!), jen (more action to come, and thanks!) :), mulderluva (aw, thanks for that comment! And of course!) ;), wendy (thanks!), msu (thanks for both reviews! I'm glad you're liking it!!! And haha, yeah, he did notice that, didn't he?), Pine (that warmed my heart. Writing New Horizons was such great fun and I was so loving it that so many shared it with me! I'm glad you're still liking this!), Rose (happyhappy you like and I bow to that compliment, thank you! And hey, 'course you get a mention!) ;), Spuffygirl (haha, your comment made me smile wide. Well, I'm just glad you like it! Thanks a lot!).
Well, I hope this was fast enough! I sure will try my best to make it even quicker if I have a flow of reviews such as this! Thanks a lot y'all! You're the best!
A.M.L, Annie.
Six: All the Lies We Tell
By Annie
2003-03-20
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Day Two.
15.02 p.m.
"Row, row, row your boat..."
"We don't HAVE a boat."
"...gently down the stream..."
"Oh...water."
"Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily..."
"You're kidding me right?"
"Life is but a dream."
"Then bring on the frappucino 'cause here's one Slayer ready for a wake-up call," she muttered, giving him a glare to just be quiet.
Of course, it didn't take.
"Row, row, row your boat..."
"Spike," she warned and he smirked, rolling his head to the side so that he could look at her.
Once again he was lying on the mattresses and she was sitting leaned against the wall. Her back killing her, but she refused to move or show any sign that she was uncomfortable since he had made it perfectly clear that he didn't believe she could sit still for an hour without complaining. That had been forty-five minutes earlier.
"What IS it with you and singing, anyways?" she asked now and he cocked an eyebrow. Since he made no effort to reply she sighed, shaking her head. "Not that I wanted to know or anything," she grumbled, the annoyance rolling back into her chest. "You know you're the most aggravating creature on this planet, don't you?" she now inquired and his smirk turned into a grin.
With a small moan voicing the emotion within she got to her feet and he jumped up with a "hah!".
"You lost," he nodded with the grin making him look more idiotic than ever plastered all over his ugly face.
"God, I hate you," she stated tiredly. "And I hate this place. And I hate this spell. And I hate the boring food and the fact that there's nothing I can do to get out of this. And I want a tall glass of water. And a shower. And my own BED. And... God, I hate you."
He tilted his head to one side, cocking an eyebrow again and her gaze grew into a glare.
"You know... maybe," he said, reaching up an arm and grabbing one of the rusted old pipes hanging above his head.
"Maybe what?" she asked skeptically and he got a thoughtful expression on his face before he took a better hold on the pipe and then he yanked down hard.
Her eyes grew and she was about to yell something - he would've figured it to be "no!" - when the fact that there was no flood pouring out of the pipe made her stop herself. However a small trickle of clear water began to make its way through the air and to the floor. Buffy stared at it, almost in awe, and then she ran up to him and pushed him aside.
Putting her mouth under the Heaven-sent liquid she began to drink.
"Oh, no clever remark about 'it might be poisoned' this time?" he asked, observing her eagerness with a touch of fascination as his gaze rested on her lips - wetted by the water, and her tongue glimpsing from time to time.
Turning from her he blinked, getting a hold on himself.
It was an outermost funny feeling, this sudden... need. This very sudden urge to touch, to feel, to ravish in. It was strange and close to ill- fitting, and he didn't like it. It... frightened him. Well, he had to say it did - though he hardly could admit it to himself and NEVER would admit it to her. But it was simply overpowering and in that sense of overwhelming loss of control - he felt fear.
Where would it take him?
It also made him wonder if he was clouding his own judgment. He thought he had sensed a spark fly between them when he had forced her close... A moments anticipation on her part right before he leaned down to claim his kiss, and then her own conscious saying "bad" and making her step down, take a bow, having the show be over right then and there.
Now she was very distant, and had been so all afternoon. Of course, had she ever been anything else? Distant, cold, stupid, annoying, up-tight bitch that she was?
Shaking his head at himself, at this whole insane situation, he turned back to her.
She had gotten a hold on the plastic box previously containing fish (now eaten) and was filling it almost tenderly with the life-preserving H2O.
Humans.
Mortals.
He shook his head again.
"If you'd let me turn you, you wouldn't have to worry 'bout that, love," he pointed out, without even realizing where those words came from, and as she looked up sharply he wanted to kick himself over the head.
Nice work, Spike, he thought. That'll put her off guard. That'll make her receptive to your charms. That'll make her seduce-able. You are sucha sodding WANKER!
"I'm not even gonna dignify that with a response," she replied sourly and he swallowed before putting on one of the everlasting smirks.
"You just did," he remarked and she scowled, making him back off.
The trickle was reducing into a drop and Buffy took the plastic box away. It was half full and she knew that the loathed vampire had probably just saved her a death consisting of incoherent ramblings and pain as her body dried up.
She put the box reverently on the floor by the refrigerator box and then turned to him. He met her gaze, wondering what was now to come. She hesitated, then said:
"Thanks... I don't think I would've thought of that myself."
He was taken very much off guard by that. Then he shrugged.
"Whatever. I scratch your back..." he then replied and a small smile graced her lips.
"I'm not scratching your anything," she assured and at that he smiled widely.
"Look, at some point we're sure to grow desperate," he now stated and she raised her eyebrows questioningly. "That blood," he elaborated with a wave to the fridge, "it won't last until the end of eternity. You look a bit scrawny, Slayer, but when push comes to survive - I think I could eat you."
She merely gave him a look before she asked:
"Don't you mean 'drink' me?"
"Would you prefer that term?" he asked. "I mean, always offer the victim its preferred way to go, right?"
She smiled with no feeling what so ever before she said:
"You'll get those fangs anywhere near my neck over my dead body."
He laughed at that, then nodded.
"Exactly. See, I CAN'T kill you, right? But sooner or later you're gonna fall off the twig. And color me the cat sitting at the foot of that tree just waiting for you to land right before its paws," he stated and she took a step closer to him, her eyes shooting daggers.
"You make me SICK!" she exclaimed and he smiled.
"Good," he said, reaching out a hand, grabbing her wrist and suddenly pulling her close to him. "That'll make you die faster."
She struggled, putting her hands against his chest before pushing him away from her harshly.
He stumbled back and hit the wall, leaning himself against it his eyes showed mere delight and she shook her head at him.
"So stake me," he tempted, taking a step forward and seeing the satisfactory stiffening of her posture. "Come on, Buffy... Stake this vamp and be done with it."
Buffy bit her jaws together. Her fingers itched to do as he asked, but something was simply pronouncing that she couldn't. She couldn't! He was harmless. Couldn't hurt humans anymore. And so she couldn't just 'be done with it'.
"You have no idea how much I wish I could," she said between gritted teeth.
Turning from him she was about to take a step toward the door of the closet space when he suddenly blocked her way. She looked up with a sharp breath in involuntary surprise and he held her gaze almost gently.
"So do it," he mumbled, his voice lowered and she swallowed - a sudden swirl in the pit of her stomach making her senses scream alarm.
He was close enough to just lean into, their bodies nearly touching, and she had to tilt her head back to be able to look up at him.
"Someday..." she said and he smiled a little at that. "I will," she added firmly and his face hardened.
"Once I get this thing screwing me up fixed..."
She nodded, blinking as a warm blanket wrapped itself around her thoughts, making them fuzzy and dimmed. Her eyes stuck in his, the blue of them seeping out to color the world. Her heart beat was just as dazed as her mind, pumping slowly. Then his cool fingers slid up her arm and at the urge of grabbing him, in order to get him close to her, she snapped out of it and took a step back; her eyes growing filled with shock.
Spike wanted to scream with raged impatience. Bloody hell! Who was she, Superwoman? He mentally frowned at himself. Okay, bad choice of character analogy, but still...! At least this time he had registered the impact he actually had on her. He had seen the desire make itself known deep in those pools of green and it had been sweet to see it. Now he knew for sure that with a few steps in the right direction she would be his. And that knowledge was something that he was certain had just set her on her path to witnessing her own fall. He loved it!
"What's the matter?" he asked slowly, licking his lower lip before he let his mouth curl slightly.
Buffy didn't answer him. Walking past him she disappeared through the doorway of the closet and the door slid shut behind her back.
He smiled widely.
Soon he would be able to do whatever he pleased with her. And he'd be sodding merciless.
***
19.33 p.m.
This thing, batting its blue eyes at her as it rested in the pit of her stomach, scared her. Made her tremble. Made a small nausea rise in her throat. And still it was exhilarating. She couldn't call it anything but that.
During the first two hours of chosen confinement in the closet, she had pushed any thought of that blue-eyed monster lurking in the back of her throat as far away from her as she could. She had wrestled with it on the moth-eaten holes of the mattress and she had won.
But during the past hour she had been forced to deal with it. To face it. And as it slowly moved itself from a vague position somewhere beneath her bosom to seep into her mind she found herself letting it. Deep down it thrilled her, it excited her; it stirred something inside of her that the side of her, shying away from everything that was linked to the darker parts of the Slayer in her, rebelled against.
It was indeed exhilarating.
And the side of her it provoked to awaken, that side couldn't help but reach out to grasp this opportunity. And she wanted to ignore it, but it would stay dormant no more. Her tries were fruitless and as her stomach signaled her need for dinner she closed her eyes with a groan.
Then she got to her feet with a huff of irritation.
This was what he wanted. She knew it! He wanted her to grow insecure with herself, and she wouldn't. She could tackle this; it wasn't as though it was beyond her control. It wasn't as though whenever she saw him she wanted to throw herself at his feet. As though she couldn't face him.
Nothing had changed between them. She did hate him. He was everything that was bad for her, he stood for everything that was in complete disagreement to who she was. He wasn't even... No, he wasn't even attractive - he was just a manipulative... harsh-looking... evil...
Anger blossomed in her chest as she came to the conclusion that all this fretting had been solely caused by HIM. He had made her think that it was something within HER, when that was nothing but whatever seed he had been able to plant there. Doubt in herself so that she'd crumble beneath his gaze the next time he rested it in hers, well, she'd not stand for it!
Giving the wall a harsh push the door slid to the side and she marched through it.
"What have you done?" she demanded as he turned to her with a rather surprised look on his face when she stopped before him.
He narrowed his eyes questioningly.
"Is it some sorta vampire thrall?" she asked cheekily, taking a step closer threateningly and at that he raised his eyebrows, looking rather amused.
"I don't know what you're bloody talking about," he replied and she gave him a dark look.
"Stop with the cockiness," she said, voice lowered and the smirk he bore widened slightly.
Taking a step forward he slowly placed himself less than an inch from her and she tilted her head back, her eyes growing defiant in a way that just drove him to the brink of wild and before he could really understand what he was doing and why he chose the moment to do it, he reached up his hands and placed them on either side of her face.
Her eyes did grow just a little, and her mouth did fall open ever so slightly as if to ready itself to make the protest; and then her hands placed themselves against his stomach with all their heat just spreading from her fingers and through his skin.
He closed his eyes at the sudden delicacy of the sensation.
She stared up at him, the feel of his surprisingly gentle touch reaching her every nerve and before her, he changed. As his eyes closed his whole face softened and the humanity on him in that moment made her draw a shaky breath. She could see him, the man he once had been, and it made her tear away from him with something not very short of a disgusted growl.
He was nowhere near human, and as he opened his eyes again the gleam in them brought her back to reality. A reality where he was one of her most dangerous enemies. A reality where she had no place losing her head over simple tricks of light.
He smiled, the self-assurance not leaving him as he carefully tilted his head to one side, eyeing her.
"What the hell is it you want?" she asked, voice trembling lightly with lingering anger.
"No... What is it YOU want?" he asked back and she clenched her jaws together tightly as the rush of insecurity once more billowed through her.
He took a step forward and she shook her head.
"Get away from me," she said, jaw line tightened as well as her posture.
"That's not what you want," he disagreed silently and she swallowed again.
He approached her, cautiously, not wanting to push her and yet wanting her to face the facts before her. She wanted him, nothing else. He could sense it. He could scent it in the air. The atmosphere was loaded and it was simply irresistible. Stopping once more close to her he kept his eyes in hers.
"Well, I don't want this," she tried, about to put her hands up to get him away again when he caught her wrists in mid-air and held them tight as she fought to get loose. "Let GO!" she exclaimed, frustrated, and he smiled calmly.
"A snare only gets stronger the more a prey struggles against it," he remarked and she slowly settled down, her heart beating rapidly in her chest and the jugular at each side of her throat pump-pumping with hypnotic regularity.
He could see it out of the corner of his eye and he let her gaze go to fix his own upon that spot right beneath her skin. Her chest was connecting with his now and it heaved with every new breath. Her eyes didn't leave his face, the hatred burning its black fire in them as she waited to make her move.
And then he dipped his head forward, sliding his cheek against hers before his lips connected with her jaw line. She drew a breath, her eyes growing wide at the sudden jolt of heat originating from the spot to spread through her. His mouth continued down the side of her throat until it was resting against the pulsating string of life and there he parted his lips; and at the feel of his tongue pressing against her sensitive skin before slowly licking it, her fingers dug into the fabric of his black T-shirt and grabbed fistfuls of it, clenching it tightly as she drew another breath.
Oh, God, this can't be happening, she thought to herself as she closed her eyes.
His hands let go of her wrists and in that moment she saw her escape, her salvation. She would have to be her own savior, there was no one else. Collecting herself she let his T go before shoving him backwards hard. He quickly found his balance, his eyes glittering with humor and triumph and she needed so badly to wipe those expressions off of him, only she had no idea how to do it.
"Let it go, Buffy," he said and she glared at him. "Stop fighting me, love."
"Why are you pushing this? One more notch in your twisto belt?" she inquired, almost accusingly.
He merely replied with a smile and it held all the answer she could possibly want.
"I thought me touching you would have you just as grossed out as you touching me has me," she stated, putting her hands on her hips in a challenging gesture.
"That's what makes it all the more fun," he replied and she made a face of discomfort.
"You are a sick, sick individual," she said and he smirked again.
"Mhm. Might be," he shrugged, then he fixed those azure blues upon her again as he added: "But I don't 'gross you out', Buffy. I can feel your responses to my touch."
Her face grew stale and then she seemed to adopt an air of pure self- confidence which was so abruptly there that it had him rather surprised. She smiled a sugary smile.
"Really?" she asked and he cocked an eyebrow before nodding.
"Double-sodding-really," he confirmed.
"You're losing it," she stated. "The only way I 'respond' is by my gagging reflex."
"Oh, is that how you wanna play this out, then?" he asked, his stance getting dangerous in the gloomy room as he once more approached her slowly. "Denial?"
She smiled a crooked smile, her posture not wavering this time and he wondered where this sudden strength had stemmed from. He'd enjoy breaking it down, that was for sure.
Buffy followed his movements as he circled her once before stopping before her. Controlling her heart was the main thing to focus on. Her skin still had the scorch-marks of where his lips had touched it before, and the sensation still burned right beneath it. She was a better actress than he could even imagine.
And if she so had to beat the lie into her own skull - all that mattered now was believing that he didn't get to her. He-did-not-get-to-her.
He leaned forward, she swayed back slightly and at the glint in his eyes she quickly got herself back to the position she had just been in. Their foreheads practically connected. She didn't move her gaze from his for a second as he took a step into her. Fighting the urge to run her hands up those taut biceps of his she had the indifferent expression of a bored shopkeeper and Spike was falling for it, she could see it in his eyes.
His nose brushed against hers and she strained her own eyes to not close as he moved his head slightly.
His lips barely touched hers and then he smiled again.
"Ready to play that other game, love?" he asked quietly and her heart skipped a beat at that question.
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Oh, wow! It is so great to have any reviews at all, but when you have as many as this to read then you fly! Thanks a lot! I hope that you enjoyed this chapter as well. Hehe, pardon my smirk, but I really enjoyed writing it. Things are firying up rather nicely, hope you agree. ;) Just thanks a LOT for the ecnouragement!
Special, special thanks to Charlie (On OneCardDraw: I am SO glad you like it!!! Hehe. Thanks for leaving your mark!), LizDarcy (Thanks a lot! And have to ask...you a fan of Pride and Prejudice?) ;), LILI :), VampiresKiss (hehe), Heather (hope this'll keep you addicted) :), Belladonna *grin*, Alyssa (darn, you found me out! I hope this might've been less of a torture!) ;), Haley (Hehe, glad you approve and thanks my friend!), jen (more action to come, and thanks!) :), mulderluva (aw, thanks for that comment! And of course!) ;), wendy (thanks!), msu (thanks for both reviews! I'm glad you're liking it!!! And haha, yeah, he did notice that, didn't he?), Pine (that warmed my heart. Writing New Horizons was such great fun and I was so loving it that so many shared it with me! I'm glad you're still liking this!), Rose (happyhappy you like and I bow to that compliment, thank you! And hey, 'course you get a mention!) ;), Spuffygirl (haha, your comment made me smile wide. Well, I'm just glad you like it! Thanks a lot!).
Well, I hope this was fast enough! I sure will try my best to make it even quicker if I have a flow of reviews such as this! Thanks a lot y'all! You're the best!
A.M.L, Annie.