title: Marriage, Sunnydale-Style
author: Heather (heather@hella-good.org)
rating: R
spoilers: none...completely an au/fantasy fic except for things borrowed from the Buffyverse (season 1-7) that are twisted to fit in this universe.
disclaimer: If I actually owned anything, I probably wouldn't be doing this :)
summary: After almost 10 years of dating, Buffy and Spike finally find themselves in the midst of planning a wedding and remembering the long journey that got them there.

*********************************

Chapter 4

Spike entered the apartment, taking off his duster and hanging it on the coat rack. He walked over to the refrigerator, grabbed a beer and then he heard it.

Oh shit.

Fiona Apple was playing in the other room. He leaned against the refrigerator, closed his eyes, his jaw clenching with the sudden tension that was tearing through him. He took a sip of his beer, removed it from his lips and immediately replaced it, taking a longer drag on the bottle. He began to pace along the kitchen floor, thoughts and questions flooding his brain.

The sodding Sullen Girl is playing. This can't be good. I can't just go in there. I can't stroll in with a "Hi, pet" and pretend nothing's wrong. And I can't exactly start off with "what's wrong" because that could get me into trouble for not knowing what I've done. Suck it up, Spike. You're not helping her by pacing in the bleeding kitchen.

He listened for another minute, realizing that it was on the last song of the CD, which made him even angrier because that was just something he should not know. He breathed a sigh of relief and began to walk down the small hall to the living room when he heard another song start.

"I'm killing whoever invented the shuffle option," Spike muttered to himself as he rounded the corner and saw Buffy sitting on the couch, nodding her head to the music and looking at photographs. She looked up briefly and looked back down again, not even acknowledging his presence. Fuck. I'm in some deep shit, huh? I haven't even done anything...have I? Then he realized. Damn tuxedo. Bain of my bloody existence you are. "Luv? I was thinking tomorrow we could go to the tux place and pick out whatever it is that you want me to wear." He sat next to her on the couch, picked up a couple of the black and white photos she had shot and looked at them, waiting for her to answer.

"That was the plan regardless," Buffy answered, still not looking at him. "Do you like this one?" She handed him a picture of the two of them from around five years before. "Mom wants a board of photos that sort of chronicle the relationship for the wedding shower. I like this one. Yeah?"

He smiled, remembering that day at the beach. He nodded his head. "So you're not mad, then? About the tux thing last night?"

"Nope."

"Than what's with the Apple chit." Spike nodded his head to the stereo and Buffy rolled her eyes in response. "Well, it usually doesn't bode well for me, luv, when you're playing the girly depressing piano rock stuff." She gave a small laugh and went back to studying the pictures. He saw one from the one and only other time he had ever worn a tux. Her senior prom. "This one, ducks?"

She smiled and took it from him. "See? You wore a tux then, you survived just fine."

"Honestly, luv, I wore the tux because I thought it would increase my chances of getting in your pants than if I had worn the jeans and t-shirt bit."

"And see how well that turned out?" She gave him a sexy smile, licking her lips slowly and biting her lower lip. She knew what drove him crazy. He groaned softly and she smiled again. "You're too easy, you know."

"I certainly am your slut," he said, smiling. "In fact, how about I throw these photos on the floor and slut you up nice and proper like?" He didn't wait for her answer and pushed them off the couch, moving over to where she was sitting. She laughed as he leaned forward, kissing her passionately. She felt instantly light-headed from the contact and knew that nice and slow were not in the cards for her tonight. After what seemed like forever, Spike removed his lips, both of them catching their breath. As soon as he had, he leaned back but Buffy ducked her head away.

"Spike...this is great but I can think of something better," she said in her sultry voice.

"Right, bedroom it is, then." He put his arms around her waist, lifting her off the couch and she instinctively wrapped her legs around his waist and her arms around his neck.

"No, here would be fine but that's not what I'm talking about, honey." He looked at her confused, the look slowly turning back to desire as she moved her hips against him. She kissed him on the nose, put her hands on the sides of his face, making sure he was looking her in the eyes. "We really need to do something about this."

"Eh, yeah, pet, that's why I'm heading to the bedroom."

"No, silly, the wedding. You remember that little thing we have in a little less than 3 months?" Spike inwardly groaned but nodded his head. "We really have to discuss the cake situation and the most important thing is picking out the invitations which is what we're doing tonight so put me down so..." She began to have trouble keeping track of her thoughts as he began to slowly kiss her neck, lightly biting here and there. "So...we...can...do...that. Spike, I'm not...ooh...kidding."

He growled in defiance of what she was saying and headed to the bedroom anyway. Buffy began laughing, knowing full well that she could pick the invitations after they were finished.

A lot of sex and then invitations, she thought as he threw her on bed and began unbuttoning her jeans, sliding them down her legs. I'll definitely get him to sit down with the invites after this. For sure. All thoughts then left her mind as he started to kiss her stomach, working his way back up to her mouth.

***************************************