Chapter 12
Wanting
Buffy and Spike left the Bronze just as the sun began to set. They'd decided to take the long way around, to patrol through a couple of graveyards before finally heading home. Inwardly, they were both enjoying just being in one another's company, although neither of them would speak it out loud.
Spike was lost in thought, contemplating their conversation at the Bronze. She'd actually been jealous at the thought that he could be interested in someone else. And the fact that she wasn't hiding her discomfort was even more surprising to him. After being used to the old, 'non-emotional, keep things inside for no one else to see' Buffy, it was clear how much she had changed in the past year. He felt a pang of regret. If she had been willing to show half of these feelings before he'd left, things no doubt would have been completely different between them.
He was still lost in his own world when the sound of Buffy's voice interrupted his thoughts. "Um, Spike? I think we have company."
He stopped and scanned the area around them. "Mmmm. Seven to two. Like those odds, pet," he said, staring at the several vampires that had gathered around them. He quickly dropped into a fighting stance.
"Just like old times?" she asked, backing against him until their backsides were almost touching.
"Let's do it then!" Spike shifted into game face and lunged as two of the vamps came at him full force.
"What the...." The fledgling vampire didn't have time to finish his question before the stake, which was previously in Spike's coat, found his chest.
This caught the second one off-guard and Spike managed to throw him to the ground, without effort, when he tried to run at him.
"Oh, come on. a little challenge here, mate. 'S not even fun," Spike complained, pulling him up just to kick him down again.
"Uh... Spike! I could......(Punch)...use a little... (kick)... help over here!"
He turned to see Buffy fighting off four vampires, having staked only one so far. He faced his opponent. "Sorry, no time for you, mate." The wood was quickly plunged into the vampire's dead heart.
"I got your back, slayer!" Spike was there in an instant, growling a warning at the young vamps stupid enough to mess with his girl. 'His girl?' he thought. 'Did he really just think that?' He shook it off. Two were dust and he had another by the throat before she could even react.
"Okay, Spike. You have to at least make it look like I'm doing my job," she joked, turning to him just as he wiped the dust off his hands from his last victim. Too preoccupied watching him, she missed the roundhouse kick from the last vampire that sent her sprawling into a headstone, landing flat on her back.
"Oh no you didn't!" she yelled, attempting to rise, but stopping when she felt a searing pain in her lower back. The vamp was on her before she could get up. She reached for her stake and got caught in a cloud of dust, coughing wildly, as Spike appeared standing over her.
"That was pretty pathetic," he said, kneeling down beside her, unaware that she was injured. "I remember you kicking my ass a lot easier than that," he smirked.
"Shut up, Spike!" she demanded, in a teasing manner, pushing him down on the ground. She groaned when she twisted her body the wrong way.
His eyebrow arched. "Are you all right, slayer?" he asked, with concern, moving back toward her. He leaned down, trying to determine what was causing her pain.
"Yeah. Just hit my back on that stone over there," she answered, pointing toward the gravestone beside her. "I'll be fine tomorrow. You know, slayer healing and all." She pushed herself up on her arms and felt his hand sliding behind her.
"Where's it hurt?" he asked softly, gently rubbing her lower back with his fingers.
She tensed at his touch and then relaxed into the feel of his hand massaging her. Her body was enjoying it entirely too much.
"Just my lower back. I'm fine. Really!" She tried to get up, afraid of being this close to him, and then sat back down when she realized she would need his help to stand. They were now inches apart and the urge to kiss him was overwhelming.
"Are you sure?" he asked, gazing into her eyes, trying to decipher what she was thinking.
She didn't answer. Instead she lost her inner fight and curled her hand around the back of his neck, pulling him to her lips. Surprised, Spike stared in disbelief and then found himself lost in the feel of her. He closed his eyes and deepened the kiss between them. His free hand found the side of her face and rubbed tenderly up and down her cheek.
Her hands became frantic, grabbing at him until she managed to finally pull him on top of her. He eased her back onto the ground, his hand cradling her head, his body lying halfway on top of hers. In all the movement, their lips never parted. They lay together, desperately clinging to any flesh they could grab. Buffy pushed his duster aside and snaked her hands down his back, under the waste band of his jeans, trying to pull his body closer to hers.
Finally, Spike pulled away to allow her a breath. He stared deeply into her.
"We can't do this," he whispered. "It's just left over tension built up from the fight."
She closed her eyes in frustration. "I know," she replied, pulling her hands away.
"We'll only end up hurting each other."
"I know," she answered again.
"We're at a good place, Buffy. Let's not ruin it by making a stupid mistake. I get this close to you, and it's hard to stop." He sat up, sighing deeply. "Then again, this...," he pointed back and forth between them. "Was never our problem. Was about the only bloody thing we ever did right together."
She smiled as the many memories of their 'time' together flooded her head. He noticed the grin and knew exactly what she was thinking.
"I see you finally agree with me on something. That's a first." He sat back, pulling a cigarette out of his pocket, bringing it to his lips. After lighting it, he inhaled deeply, and let it out, watching the smoke whither away.
"Think you can walk?"
"Yeah. Feeling better already," she answered, sitting up, gritting her teeth at the pain.
He flicked his unfinished butt aside and put his arms around her to help pull her up. Leaning on him for support, they walked out of the graveyard and down the street, heading to Revello drive. Just as the house came into view, Buffy quickly came to a halt.
"What is it, pet?" he asked, confused at why she had stopped.
"Something's not right." She stood up on her own, ignoring the ache in her back, and stood circling, searching for the cause of her alarm. It didn't take long to find.
"Spike...run!" she screamed, taking off toward the house.
He turned to look behind them, finding the object of her fear, and quickly sprinted after her.
"What the hell is that?!" he yelled, catching up with lightning speed.
They reached the porch and quickly and made their way inside, slamming the door behind them. Buffy leaned against it, out of breath, her back burning with pain. "That was one of the ubervamps," she answered, when her breathing calmed enough to speak.
"Nasty looking bugger. He didn't look so tough, I could have taken him," Spike replied, pushing the curtain in the window aside, eyeing the dark street. "Looks like he's gone."
"They may not look it, but they're stronger than you and I combined. We need to have a plan if we're gonna try to fight one of these things." He nodded and turned around. Buffy and Spike looked up to find Giles and Angel staring at them.
"We had some major vampire slayage going on, Giles." Buffy explained, immediately feeling bad that they had been gone so long. "And we had a visitor waiting for us when we got here. One of the First's sidekicks made his presence known."
"Are you alright, Buffy? We were worried. You said you'd be back before dark," he said, the panic sounding in his voice.
"I'm fine, guys. And I had Spike there to back me up," she added, catching the scowl she was receiving from Angel.
"You're here!" Willow stated, walking from the kitchen. "We thought we heard the door!"
Spike's eyes widened when he saw Kitara enter the room, following behind Willow and Kennedy. He took a step forward and stopped. She quickly headed toward him, reaching her arms underneath his duster, tightening them around his body.
"I had to be here. I was worried. Cordelia gave me directions. I hope you don't mind," she said, reaching up to grab a quick kiss.
He felt Buffy's eyes, almost as if they were burning straight through him.
"Of course not, luv. I guess you've met everyone then?" he asked, pulling away, feeling uncomfortable at her closeness, with Buffy standing right behind him. She took his hand in hers.
"Not everyone," she answered, focusing her attention on Buffy. "You must be the slayer," she said, letting go of Spike's hand to reach for the other woman's.
Buffy ignored her attempts for a friendly greeting, giving her the once over. "The name's Buffy. And you are?"
"Oh, I'm sorry. I figured Spike would have told you about me," she said, glancing at the blonde vampire beside her. "I'm Kitara." A sly smile slowly crossed her lips.
"Nope, name doesn't ring a bell. Sorry." Buffy glanced around the room, watching everyone's surprised reactions to her treatment of their unexpected guest. "If you'll excuse me, I think I'm gonna go soak in a hot tub." She looked toward Spike, her face bright red with jealousy, and then turned to go up the stairs. He was too busy watching Buffy walking away to notice the gloating smile appear on Kitara's face.
Buffy grabbed a robe from the hook on her bedroom door and headed off to the bathroom. She turned the water on in the tub, and quickly undressed. Sliding down into the steaming bath, she covered her face with her hands and let the tears go.
TBC
Wanting
Buffy and Spike left the Bronze just as the sun began to set. They'd decided to take the long way around, to patrol through a couple of graveyards before finally heading home. Inwardly, they were both enjoying just being in one another's company, although neither of them would speak it out loud.
Spike was lost in thought, contemplating their conversation at the Bronze. She'd actually been jealous at the thought that he could be interested in someone else. And the fact that she wasn't hiding her discomfort was even more surprising to him. After being used to the old, 'non-emotional, keep things inside for no one else to see' Buffy, it was clear how much she had changed in the past year. He felt a pang of regret. If she had been willing to show half of these feelings before he'd left, things no doubt would have been completely different between them.
He was still lost in his own world when the sound of Buffy's voice interrupted his thoughts. "Um, Spike? I think we have company."
He stopped and scanned the area around them. "Mmmm. Seven to two. Like those odds, pet," he said, staring at the several vampires that had gathered around them. He quickly dropped into a fighting stance.
"Just like old times?" she asked, backing against him until their backsides were almost touching.
"Let's do it then!" Spike shifted into game face and lunged as two of the vamps came at him full force.
"What the...." The fledgling vampire didn't have time to finish his question before the stake, which was previously in Spike's coat, found his chest.
This caught the second one off-guard and Spike managed to throw him to the ground, without effort, when he tried to run at him.
"Oh, come on. a little challenge here, mate. 'S not even fun," Spike complained, pulling him up just to kick him down again.
"Uh... Spike! I could......(Punch)...use a little... (kick)... help over here!"
He turned to see Buffy fighting off four vampires, having staked only one so far. He faced his opponent. "Sorry, no time for you, mate." The wood was quickly plunged into the vampire's dead heart.
"I got your back, slayer!" Spike was there in an instant, growling a warning at the young vamps stupid enough to mess with his girl. 'His girl?' he thought. 'Did he really just think that?' He shook it off. Two were dust and he had another by the throat before she could even react.
"Okay, Spike. You have to at least make it look like I'm doing my job," she joked, turning to him just as he wiped the dust off his hands from his last victim. Too preoccupied watching him, she missed the roundhouse kick from the last vampire that sent her sprawling into a headstone, landing flat on her back.
"Oh no you didn't!" she yelled, attempting to rise, but stopping when she felt a searing pain in her lower back. The vamp was on her before she could get up. She reached for her stake and got caught in a cloud of dust, coughing wildly, as Spike appeared standing over her.
"That was pretty pathetic," he said, kneeling down beside her, unaware that she was injured. "I remember you kicking my ass a lot easier than that," he smirked.
"Shut up, Spike!" she demanded, in a teasing manner, pushing him down on the ground. She groaned when she twisted her body the wrong way.
His eyebrow arched. "Are you all right, slayer?" he asked, with concern, moving back toward her. He leaned down, trying to determine what was causing her pain.
"Yeah. Just hit my back on that stone over there," she answered, pointing toward the gravestone beside her. "I'll be fine tomorrow. You know, slayer healing and all." She pushed herself up on her arms and felt his hand sliding behind her.
"Where's it hurt?" he asked softly, gently rubbing her lower back with his fingers.
She tensed at his touch and then relaxed into the feel of his hand massaging her. Her body was enjoying it entirely too much.
"Just my lower back. I'm fine. Really!" She tried to get up, afraid of being this close to him, and then sat back down when she realized she would need his help to stand. They were now inches apart and the urge to kiss him was overwhelming.
"Are you sure?" he asked, gazing into her eyes, trying to decipher what she was thinking.
She didn't answer. Instead she lost her inner fight and curled her hand around the back of his neck, pulling him to her lips. Surprised, Spike stared in disbelief and then found himself lost in the feel of her. He closed his eyes and deepened the kiss between them. His free hand found the side of her face and rubbed tenderly up and down her cheek.
Her hands became frantic, grabbing at him until she managed to finally pull him on top of her. He eased her back onto the ground, his hand cradling her head, his body lying halfway on top of hers. In all the movement, their lips never parted. They lay together, desperately clinging to any flesh they could grab. Buffy pushed his duster aside and snaked her hands down his back, under the waste band of his jeans, trying to pull his body closer to hers.
Finally, Spike pulled away to allow her a breath. He stared deeply into her.
"We can't do this," he whispered. "It's just left over tension built up from the fight."
She closed her eyes in frustration. "I know," she replied, pulling her hands away.
"We'll only end up hurting each other."
"I know," she answered again.
"We're at a good place, Buffy. Let's not ruin it by making a stupid mistake. I get this close to you, and it's hard to stop." He sat up, sighing deeply. "Then again, this...," he pointed back and forth between them. "Was never our problem. Was about the only bloody thing we ever did right together."
She smiled as the many memories of their 'time' together flooded her head. He noticed the grin and knew exactly what she was thinking.
"I see you finally agree with me on something. That's a first." He sat back, pulling a cigarette out of his pocket, bringing it to his lips. After lighting it, he inhaled deeply, and let it out, watching the smoke whither away.
"Think you can walk?"
"Yeah. Feeling better already," she answered, sitting up, gritting her teeth at the pain.
He flicked his unfinished butt aside and put his arms around her to help pull her up. Leaning on him for support, they walked out of the graveyard and down the street, heading to Revello drive. Just as the house came into view, Buffy quickly came to a halt.
"What is it, pet?" he asked, confused at why she had stopped.
"Something's not right." She stood up on her own, ignoring the ache in her back, and stood circling, searching for the cause of her alarm. It didn't take long to find.
"Spike...run!" she screamed, taking off toward the house.
He turned to look behind them, finding the object of her fear, and quickly sprinted after her.
"What the hell is that?!" he yelled, catching up with lightning speed.
They reached the porch and quickly and made their way inside, slamming the door behind them. Buffy leaned against it, out of breath, her back burning with pain. "That was one of the ubervamps," she answered, when her breathing calmed enough to speak.
"Nasty looking bugger. He didn't look so tough, I could have taken him," Spike replied, pushing the curtain in the window aside, eyeing the dark street. "Looks like he's gone."
"They may not look it, but they're stronger than you and I combined. We need to have a plan if we're gonna try to fight one of these things." He nodded and turned around. Buffy and Spike looked up to find Giles and Angel staring at them.
"We had some major vampire slayage going on, Giles." Buffy explained, immediately feeling bad that they had been gone so long. "And we had a visitor waiting for us when we got here. One of the First's sidekicks made his presence known."
"Are you alright, Buffy? We were worried. You said you'd be back before dark," he said, the panic sounding in his voice.
"I'm fine, guys. And I had Spike there to back me up," she added, catching the scowl she was receiving from Angel.
"You're here!" Willow stated, walking from the kitchen. "We thought we heard the door!"
Spike's eyes widened when he saw Kitara enter the room, following behind Willow and Kennedy. He took a step forward and stopped. She quickly headed toward him, reaching her arms underneath his duster, tightening them around his body.
"I had to be here. I was worried. Cordelia gave me directions. I hope you don't mind," she said, reaching up to grab a quick kiss.
He felt Buffy's eyes, almost as if they were burning straight through him.
"Of course not, luv. I guess you've met everyone then?" he asked, pulling away, feeling uncomfortable at her closeness, with Buffy standing right behind him. She took his hand in hers.
"Not everyone," she answered, focusing her attention on Buffy. "You must be the slayer," she said, letting go of Spike's hand to reach for the other woman's.
Buffy ignored her attempts for a friendly greeting, giving her the once over. "The name's Buffy. And you are?"
"Oh, I'm sorry. I figured Spike would have told you about me," she said, glancing at the blonde vampire beside her. "I'm Kitara." A sly smile slowly crossed her lips.
"Nope, name doesn't ring a bell. Sorry." Buffy glanced around the room, watching everyone's surprised reactions to her treatment of their unexpected guest. "If you'll excuse me, I think I'm gonna go soak in a hot tub." She looked toward Spike, her face bright red with jealousy, and then turned to go up the stairs. He was too busy watching Buffy walking away to notice the gloating smile appear on Kitara's face.
Buffy grabbed a robe from the hook on her bedroom door and headed off to the bathroom. She turned the water on in the tub, and quickly undressed. Sliding down into the steaming bath, she covered her face with her hands and let the tears go.
TBC