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 20
Flashback
"Buffy, you need to get out," Willow declared.
"I don't want to."
"I don't care what you want. Remember how you made me go to that party after Oz left? It's been three weeks, Buffy. We need to get you out of this room and most importantly, into a shower."
"I don't smell...that bad," Buffy mumbled. "I should never have forced you to go to Lowell House that night. If I hadn't, Riley and I wouldn't have that discussion about cheese and homework, things wouldn't have progressed and I wouldn't now be sitting here like this."
"So blame me, then. As your best friend, I will gladly take the blame," Willow said, trying to cheer her up. She sighed and sat on the edge of Buffy's bed. "I know this is hard. I've been right where you are and do you remember what you said to me?"
"No," Buffy lied.
"You said that it would get easier and it does. Eventually, that pain just goes, gets compartmentalized into that section where bad relationships go and then you'll meet someone new someday."
"No, never again," Buffy said, shaking her head harshly. She could feel the tears come to her eyes and she tried to remain calm, which only made the feeling worse. "They all leave, Will. I truly believe that men don't leave all women, they leave me."
"Okay, first, you really need to stop watching Someone Like You over and over. It's driving you batty. Soon you'll be talking about old and new cows when all you should be talking about in regards to that movie is Hugh Jackman in those shorts." Buffy looked at Willow, a small smile forming on her face. Willow smiled back, thankful that she got something other than tears. "Besides, Oz left me, right? So you're not alone."
"Maybe I'll just switch hitters," Buffy said, thinking this new plan out. Willow started coughing, gasping for breath. "Will? You okay? Want some water?"
"No, fine. It's nothing, really," Willow gasped out, feeling her face grow hot.
"One guy left you, Will. One guy that still loved you, and will probably come back after he works out his shit, left you. I'm talking three guys here...or three and a half if you want to count Parker-"
"Which we don't because he's a poophead."
"Right. So three. There's something seriously wrong with that, don't you think? There's definitely a pattern here."
"Buffy, Angel never stopped loving you when he left. You know that and-"
"Great, so my father, Angel and Riley all loved me when they left me," Buffy interrupted. "Isn't that even worse, Will?" She began to cry again, feeling angry at herself. "I mean, what does that say about me? They can love me just fine but they can't stand to be around me? Or I'm just so horrid, they can't stay-"
"No, stop. I don't want to hear anymore of this nonsense-"
"It's not-"
"Shush! I'm talking here. Let me tell you something about Buffy Summers," Willow started and Buffy rolled her eyes. "She is the most amazing woman I have ever known. It's not that these men have suddenly realized that she is not good enough for them but just the opposite. They probably knew the whole time that they weren't good enough to be with her."
"Will..."
"And, Buff, you can not blame yourself over them. You can't say it's your fault that your dad left, or Angel or Riley. They left on their own. It had nothing to do with you. They weren't strong enough to stay around and try and work it out."
"But my mom and dad...all that trouble I was getting in-"
"Which was your classic 'cry for attention while my parents fight non-stop' shenanigans," Willow told her.
"How do you explain away Angel?"
"First love, went bad, got good again...but there was always that badness memory, you know? If you think all of us weren't on pins and needles waiting to see where it was going...Angel left in order to give you things he felt he never could. They were his own hang-ups, Buffy. They had nothing to do with you."
"Okay...and Riley?" Buffy asked, wiping the wet streaks from her face.
"Riley...well, the way I see it? He needed you, loved you and you just liked him. It happens. People all over the world are experiencing unrequited love right as we speak."
"So why couldn't I love him?"
"I'd answer that, but I don't want to be punched in the face," Willow joked.
"Come on, Willow. I'm asking. No punchy, I promise."
"Spike."
"You're insane!" Buffy yelled, jumping out of her bed.
"Oh, goody! You're up!" Willow exclaimed.
----------------------------
"So...you heard, right?"
"What are you talking about, Harris?"
"Buffy and Riley go boom," Xander answered as he hit the cue ball and watched it go into the corner pocket, completely missing the two he was aiming for. "Damn."
"What happened?" Spike asked, trying to be as casual as possible as he lined up his own shot.
"Apparently, she isn't needy enough for him or some bullshit. He took off."
Spike stood straight up, his face showing his surprise. "The pillock just left her?"
"Took some mission down to the jungle. Goodbye, Agent Finn," Xander explained, taking a sip of his beer.
"Is she alright?" His heart was racing and he could feel the beads of sweat popping up on his brow.
"Willow says she's going through a 'death to all men' phase. She's convinced that all men leave her."
"Huh," Spike replied, simply.
"'Huh'? That's all you've got? I was expecting something a little more than 'huh'. Maybe a 'I've never left her' or a 'Yippee, she can be mine now'. Something other than 'huh'."
"When was the last time you heard me say yippee?"
"Not the point and you know it."
"Look, Harris, Buffy and I haven't exactly been spot on since last year."
"And why is that? No one knows what happened. Everything seemed to be going great, we were even betting on when you would be getting together, then there's ignoring, Parker, more ignoring, Riley and then Harmony. What gives?"
"Wait, you were betting on when we would..."
"Become a couple, yeah. We all figured it would happen eventually. Large pot, too...about a hundred and change," Xander told him, almost proud of it.
"Do you people have nothing better to do?" Spike asked, incredulously.
"Actually...no," Xander said, smirking. "So, spill it, Spike."
"Is there a bet on why we're not...you know, anymore?"
"Uh, no money, just pride in being able to figure it out."
"And the theories would be?"
"Willow thought you kissed and Buffy freaked out, I thought you wanted more to happen but Buffy rejected you, Cordy thought that the novelty of your friendship wore off and Oz wanted to stay out of it."
"Novelty? Unsurprisingly, that's not surprising that she would think that."
"So who's right? I want to gloat," Xander said, giving a little bounce of excitement as he waited.
"Sorry, mate. That's between Buffy and I, unless she says otherwise."
"Classic 'I was rejected' answer!"
"Do you know how annoying you are?" Spike asked, snidely.
"Yeah," Xander answered, shrugging. "Maybe you should go talk to her. See what's the what. Or, you know, break up with Harmony."
"Smooth, whelp. Real smooth," Spike said, chuckling. "Harm's not so bad."
"Sure, if you like that nail scratching down chalkboard effect."
Spike abruptly threw his cue stick on the table, put on his duster and turned away, walking out the exit.
"So, I guess we're done?" Xander called after him.
--------------------------------
Spike stormed into his apartment, slamming the door shut. Not bothering to remove his coat, he threw himself onto his couch, placing his arm over his head and sighed. Thank God, that Harm-
"Spikey?"
"Oh, balls," Spike muttered. "Yeah, in here."
"Oh, Spikey! Good, you're home."
"Why are you so happy that I'm home, French fry?" Spike asked, not bothering to even look at her. Go away. For the love of man, go away.
"Ooh, French!" Harmony cooed.
"Jesus," Spike mumbled.
"You said we could go out tonight. Where have you been?"
"I went out with Xander."
"You love Xander more than me."
"I love botchulism more than you."
"Why do I put up with you?" Harmony whined.
"You're a sadist," Spike said and then paused, thinking. "Actually, I'm the sadist."
"I do not worship Satan!"
"You are daft, do you know that?"
"I hate you!" Harmony fell onto the couch and began to sob. "I give and I give and I get nothing in return."
"Then do us both the favor and get out."
"What? Blondie Bear, you don't mean that. I love you, I want-"
"Harm," Spike began, sitting up on the couch and forcing himself to look her in the eye. "I'm going out. I want you gone by the time I get back. Take everything that's yours and get out. I don't want to see one sodding unicorn figurine left. Do you understand me?"
"But Spikey..." Harmony said, sliding over to Spike. She lifted her hand to place it on his face but Spike grabbed her wrist.
"Don't. It's not worth the effort," Spike said, letting her go and walking out of his apartment.
------------------------------
"Hey, Mom," Buffy said as she entered Joyce's room.
"Buffy! What are you doing here? And you're dressed in something other than those pajamas that should be burned on sight," Joyce said.
"Willow...she made me go out tonight. Really bad play that the student union put on but it made us laugh which is of the good."
"Thank goodness for Willow," Joyce muttered under her breath.
"Thought I'd stop by, see how you're feeling. What's with the packing? Are you going on a gallery trip?"
Joyce put her slippers into her overnight bag and sighed. "Um, actually, honey, I'm going to the hospital tomorrow morning for observation."
"But I thought...you said everything was fine," Buffy said, trying to reign in her panic.
"The headaches are getting worse, I'm not feeling any better. They are just trying to be thorough. It will be fine," Joyce explained, trying to convince herself as much as her daughter.
"You don't know that! We don't...they don't. I-"
"Buffy, please. I'm trying to do this without breaking down. I need you to be strong for all us, okay? Just for a little bit. Until we know what this is."
"Fine," Buffy agreed quietly. "I'm going to...I'll leave you alone."
"Buffy, don't be like that. It's not what I meant-"
"No, it's fine. We're fine, I'm fine," Buffy said, giving her mother a weak smile before leaving her room, making her way down the stairs to the kitchen.
She could feel the pressure behind her eyes and she closed them tightly, trying desperately to remain strong like her mother needed. She didn't want Dawn to walk in and start asking questions. She opened the door to the backyard and sat on the porch steps, putting her head in her hands. Her breath caught in her chest and she felt her palms get wet. She heard a noise coming from the back of her yard and looked up to see Spike standing there.
"What do you want?" she whispered, not bothering to wipe away her tears.
"Are you...Do you need anything?" Spike asked, concern in his eyes that instantly made her feel even worse.
Buffy looked away from his gaze, his question hitting her in a way she didn't expect. She ran her hands through her hair, taking in a deep breath, only to let out a shaky one that gave away her attempt to not cry. She could see him move closer to her and she made no attempts to stop him. Spike sat next to her on the porch and looked at her, trying to will her to acknowledge him in any way. When she didn't, he carefully placed his hand on her back, patting her gently and quickly removed it. They continued to sit there, not talking, not looking at one another and neither caring how long they were there for.
------------------------------
"So, then what happened?" Willow asked, handing Buffy a cup of coffee.
"Nothing. I said I was going to bed, we said goodnight, I went in and he left. I don't even know why he came over in the first place," Buffy finished.
"That was probably my fault," Xander chimed in.
"And that's why?" Buffy asked.
"We were out playing some pool...I kind of told him about Riley and he took off."
"You told him that Riley left?"
"Yeah, I didn't realize it was a secret."
"But maybe Buffy was planning on telling him..." Willow said, trying to convey what an idiotic move she thought Xander made without actually saying it.
"It's been a month. I figured he knew. I didn't know you guys were barely on speaking terms," Xander tried to explain, getting flustered.
"It's just been a little on edge since we kissed on prom night." Buffy stopped, realizing what she had said. Her eyes went wide and her mouth opened in surprise at her own betrayal.
"Aha! I knew it! I win!" Willow exclaimed, bouncing in her seat happily.
"The bet's off by now," Xander threw in.
"You were betting on us?" Buffy asked, shocked.
"No, of course not!" Willow said, quickly.
"You're lying. I can't believe you guys would do that."
"I can't believe you kissed Spike over a year ago and never told me," Willow countered, pouting.
"That bad, huh?" Xander asked, nodding his head as if he knew that was what it was.
"That great, actually," Buffy said, quietly. "I can't believe I just let that slip out. I've wanted to tell you, I have, but I feel so stupid about the way I acted and-"
"Miss Summers?"
Buffy turned to see a doctor standing there. "Yes?"
"Your mother is in her room. We're going to keep her overnight and monitor her. She does want to talk to you but only you can come in the room," the doctor told her, looking between Xander and Willow.
"Uh, is she okay?" Buffy asked, hesitantly.
"Why don't we all have a talk when we get there?"
"Okay..." Buffy got up from her chair and turned to her friends. "I'll be back." They each gave her a smile of encouragement and a small wave as she walked down the hall to her mother's room.
-----------------------------
"Yeah, I'm coming. Why don't you just kick the bleeding door down?" Spike asked as he swung his apartment door open.
"I didn't want you to not get your security deposit back," Buffy said with a small smile.
"Uh, sorry. I didn't expect...you. You've never been here, beginning to think you never would be..."
"Xander told me when you moved out of Giles's," Buffy explained.
"Oh, well..." Spike trailed off, taking a good look at Buffy. "Pet, what's happened?"
Buffy tried to keep from crying but as soon as he asked her that, she let go. She began to sob, her whole body shook from the force and he quickly went to her, wrapping his arms around her and slowly brought her into the apartment. He brought her over to the couch and sat her down. He scanned the room looking for tissues and not seeing any, ran into the bathroom and grabbed a roll of toilet paper.
He held it out to her and said, "Sorry, don't have tissues."
"Thanks," she replied, taking the roll from him and sniffing.
"Where's Dawn?" Spike asked.
"She's with my mom right now but then she's going to hang out with Xander, Willow and Anya. I'm supposed to be doing something...I, I don't remember."
"Buffy, what's going on?"
"Mom...she's sick."
"Sick how?" Spike asked, putting his hand on the back of her neck, slowly massaging it.
"There's something in her head," Buffy said, through her sobs that had come back full force. "A...a tumor or something. He said all sorts of things I don't understand."
"Luv..."
"I'm supposed to be getting her clothes! I need to go home and get her pajamas and soap and shampoo and-"
"Buffy," Spike said forcefully, trying to snap her out of her litany. She looked at him, surprised by his tone. "Do you need me to take you to your house and bring you back to the hospital?"
"If you don't mind..."
"I wouldn't have asked if I minded," Spike said with a smile.
-----------------------------
"Are you going to be okay?" Spike asked as he walked her up to her front door. The hospital visit went a lot better than he had expected it to. He couldn't believe the complete turnabout in her behavior when they walked into Joyce's room. The girl who had been crying uncontrollably not forty-five minutes before was gone. In her place stood a woman who was in control of the situation, who was acting strong so she didn't scare her mother or little sister. He had never felt so much pride in her as he did at that moment.
"Could you come in and stay awhile?" she asked him, softly.
"Of course," Spike answered without hesitation. She nodded her appreciation and unlocked the door, stepping inside. "It's been a long time since I've been in here."
"Yeah," Buffy agreed quietly. "You want something to drink? I'm thinking a beer would be real nice right about now."
"Sounds good but I'll get it. Why don't you go sit on the couch? I'll even watch that cow movie you and Red were prattling on about a few months ago."
"Willow has forbidden me from watching that. It, uh, caused some problems. I'm feeling like I need some good ass-kicking. Feel like Charlie's Angels?"
"Hot girls, martial arts and explosions? Yeah, always in the mood for that," Spike said, smirking. Buffy rolled her eyes and went into the living room. His smirk grew into a smile that he got her to do something with those hazel eyes other than cry. He couldn't believe he was here again. He'd been at the house for cookouts but he hadn't been back in the house since prom night. He felt like whatever had been keeping out of this place had been revoked suddenly. He couldn't have been happier.
"Corona, huh?" Spike asked, sitting down and handing a beer to Buffy.
"The girly beer, I guess. Left over from, uh, I don't remember."
"Something I wasn't invited to?"
"No! You were always invited even if I didn't do the inviting." Buffy looked at him shyly before looking away. "I'm sorry, you know."
Giving her a slight smile, he said, "Yeah, I know."
"So...should you call Harmony? Tell her where you are so she doesn't worry," Buffy suggested. She knew he noticed the hesitation in her voice and she inwardly kicked herself for it.
"No need. We're not...it's over. What about you? Shouldn't Frowns-A-Lot be here?"
Buffy chuckled despite her best effort to scowl at him. "I know Xander told you about Riley. You can drop the act."
"Right, then. Want to talk about it?"
"Not particularly. You?"
"What's there to say? You've met Harmony," Spike joked. "Xander tells me you're going through a 'die men die' phase."
"Well, it hasn't been the funnest month and Willow gave me a much needed swift kick in the ass last night. And, hey, I said I didn't want to talk about it!"
"So you and Will are doing the girl bonding thing? I hope you're not considering going down her route of dealing with heartbreak."
"Huh?"
"Willow and that new girl she's...I don't know. Picked up some vibes of a not just friendly nature," Spike said, raising his eyebrow, hoping she got the gist.
"Wait...are you trying to say that Will has a girlfriend?" Buffy asked, surprised.
"You haven't met her?"
"No...but I haven't exactly been the most available of people since I started dating Riley. There has to be a mistake. I mean, that is definitely something Will would have told me about!"
"Maybe...at one time, but like you said, you've been busy with other things," Spike pointed out. "Look, maybe I read it wrong the last few times they've gone out with us-"
"You guys go out all the time?" Buffy asked, sadly.
"Sure, we're friends. It's what you do," Spike said, a little bitterness creeping into his voice.
"Do you think...never mind."
"Do I think what, pet?"
Buffy felt her stomach to a flip from him calling her pet. It's been too long for that. "Do you think we could put the past in the past and leave it there? Is that even possible?"
"You mean forget everything that's happened last year and start from scratch?"
"Yeah, I guess. I only know that I want to know my friends again." Buffy paused, taking a deep breath. "I want to know you again."
"I think that sounds like a plan, Buffy."
"Oh, good," she said, exhaling in relief. "Movie time?" She pressed play and settled into the couch next to him.
"You doing alright?"
"I'm better," Buffy said, flashing him a smile that left as quickly as it came. "But I'm so scared."
Spike wrapped his arm around her shoulder and she leaned her head against his arm. "If you need anything..."
"I know and in case I don't tell you in the next coming weeks, I appreciate it."
"Are you comfortable? I don't want to-"
"Spike, I just need you to hold me, okay?"
------------------------------
"Dawnie, we're bringing Mom home in less than an hour, your room better be cleaned!" Buffy yelled up the stairs.
"It is! Calm down!" Dawn screamed in reply.
"Don't make me come up there," Buffy replied, smiling at her impersonation of her mother. She walked into the living room, shaking her head. "I'll kill her. I swear to the whatever above, that I will kill her one of these days."
"She's still just a kid, you know. She probably doesn't get all this..." Willow reasoned.
"Yeah, I know," Buffy sighed, plopping down on the couch. "This last month has just been so hard without Mom here and having to take care of Dawn. If it weren't for you guys...I don't know..."
"Well, at least it took your mind off of Riley leaving," Anya commented.
"Anya," Xander muttered, ashamed.
"Well, it did. It's been two months and not one mention. Good job!" Anya gave Buffy a big smile and Buffy couldn't help but smile back, despite the bad timing on Anya's behalf.
"I'm late, I know. Many apologies," Spike said quickly as he entered the house. "You ready?"
"Yeah and you're not late. We still have like twenty minutes before we need to leave," Buffy told him.
"You said to be here...you're sneaky."
"Yup," Buffy said, with a smile.
"We were just talking about how with Joyce being sick, Buffy hasn't had to think about Riley," Anya informed in.
"Okay," Spike said slowly, looking at Buffy, who shrugged it off. He took a seat next to Buffy on the couch, putting his arm on top of the cushions, behind her head. "Tired?"
"Understatement but it's all good, you know?" She turned to look at him, that twinkle in her eye that he loved so much back again.
"Hey, Spike" Dawn said as she came into the room.
"Is it clean?" Buffy asked immediately.
"Would you like to check it, Colonel Summers? I'm not five anymore, I know how to clean my room."
"And just because you're two weeks away from being thirteen doesn't mean you haven't just stuck everything under the bed or in the closet," Buffy said, getting up from the couch and walking over to the stairs. "Any last words before I go up there?"
"No," Dawn spat out.
Buffy opened the door to Dawn's room and sighed in relief. She bent down and lifted the bed skirt up to check under and was happy to find there was nothing there. She walked over to the closet and began to open it when she heard coughing behind her.
"What's up?" she asked, not turning around.
"Are you sure you want me to come with you to pick up your mum? Xander can take the car...I can wait here with Willow and Anya," Spike said, taking a seat on Dawn's bed.
"Of course, I want you to come. Mom's expecting you to be there," she said as she opened the closet door, her eyes closed.
"You can open them, luv. Spic and span as they say."
"She had to have put all that crap someplace," Buffy said, giggling. "I refuse to believe that she actually did a chore."
"The Bit's trying. She knows more than you think," Spike told her.
"Has she been talking to you?" Buffy asked, trying to keep the hurt out of her voice.
"Yeah, she needed...Yeah, she has."
"Because I'm not, right?" Spike looked away and that was enough of an answer for her. She walked over to him, taking his hand. "What you've done for us this last month...I'll never forget that." She bent down and gave him a quick kiss on the lips. She moved away and walked out of the bedroom, leaving Spike alone to stare in shock at her retreating form.
---------------------------------------
Buffy unlocked the door to Spike's apartment and walked in, locking it again. She knew he was at work and she was grateful. All she wanted was to crawl into his bed and fall asleep to the smell of him. With her mom still recovering from her surgery and still going through the rehab to make sure everything was in working order, she was still in charge of everything. It was weighing on her and the only place where she could let it go was at Spike's. When he had given her his spare key, she was too shocked to really process what it meant. They had become friends again as quickly as they had when they first met. She knew she loved him. She knew that Willow had been right all those weeks ago. It had been confirmed the night she went to him to tell him about her mother. It was more than safety and comfort, although she got that in abundance from him. It was a feeling of coming home after being away for too long. It simply felt right.
He had given her a sanctuary away from the craziness that was her life as of late. Sometimes she even brought Dawn along with her just to make her happy, but she usually came alone. Being here felt good. In this place, everything seemed to be stripped away. Everything that happened on Revello Drive was left there, unless she wanted to talk about it. He never pressed, even if he wanted to and she needed that. As much as everyone else was great, they were constantly taking a survey on how she was feeling that day. Spike had stopped asking a few days after they began talking like they used to. Buffy knew that getting through the last month and a half of her mother's illness would have been twenty times more difficult if Spike hadn't been there to help. Everyone had been terrific, even Cordelia had come home to see if there was anything she could do, but Spike had given her strength to get through everything.
She had come today to get her life back in order. She had many make-up tests to study for and papers to write. All of her professor's had been very understanding in regards to her plight and had given her the time she needed. She knew she might have to make a couple of the courses up during the summer, but at this point, she didn't care. Her Aunt Darlene had come for the week to visit with Joyce and to help with the house. She couldn't have come at a better time. It gave Buffy the perfect opportunity to start over again. She put her bag on the floor and sat on the couch with a huff. She pulled the books out of her bag and sighed.
"I need to nap first," Buffy said to no one. "Sleep, fresh brain...just what the Buffy ordered." She walked into the bedroom, took off her jacket and shoes. She yawned and stretched her arms above her head before crawling into the bed, snuggling up with Spike's pillow and falling to sleep instantly.
-------------------------------
Spike entered the apartment and instantly saw Buffy's books but not Buffy. He smiled as he shrugged off his duster, throwing onto the chair. He walked down the small hall to the bedroom and found her sleeping, her body wrapped around his pillow.
"She's trying to kill me," Spike muttered.
He climbed in on the opposite side, leaned over and placed a gentle kiss on her head. He brushed some hair off her face so he could see her sleeping. She looked so peaceful which set him at ease. He continued to stroke her hair and she moaned, startling Spike to stop what he was doing.
"Keep doing that," Buffy mumbled sleepily. He had no choice but to comply. "Is it late?"
"Around six. Had to work a little longer than I wanted."
"Still hating it?"
"Yeah, but it's money," Spike answered.
"Maybe someday, you'll find something you like better. I mean we're barely in our twenty's. We have about 40 plus years left to find out what we want to do." They both chuckled at that pathetic predicament. "Did I tell you I found my major?"
"No, when did this happen?"
"Last night. Mom and I were talking...I don't know, she got me thinking about stuff. She said she was so proud of the way I've handled everything."
"Always nice to hear," Spike commented, softly.
"Yeah, it is. We were just talking about stuff, in general. Life, love, death...all of it. It was a big monumental discussion and she said I was a good listener."
"Is that a major?"
"Funny...no, I'm thinking psychology. Or more to the point, child psychology."
"Interesting, not what I was expecting. Do you want to open a practice or what?" Spike asked, genuinely intrigued and Buffy smiled.
"I was thinking about high school. How all my counselor's thought I was doomed to do nothing because I had a string of bad luck. I know what that feeling is of being told you'll do nothing more than be a waitress. It's not right."
"High school counselor?" Spike asked, eyebrow raised.
Buffy giggled, "Scary?"
"A little but that's what makes it great. Plus, hot."
"Hot?"
"If I were in high school and you were my counselor..."
"Pig," Buffy teased, laughing.
"You love it," Spike drawled.
"I do." Before Spike had a chance to react, she moved towards him, grabbing his face with her hands and bringing her lips to his. It didn't take him long to get over his shock and began to kiss her back. He slowly moved his hand to her waist, hoping that he wasn't ruining anything by moving like the last time they had kissed. When he heard her moan into his mouth as his hands reached under the hem of her shirt and brush against her skin, he stopped worrying. He gave her a gentle squeeze, moving his other arm under her body, moving her closer to him and holding her there. Buffy let one of her hands travel down his face, his neck, down his chest and stopping at the hem of his shirt. Her fingers danced there for a bit and he had to resist the temptation to shove her hand up under his shirt. He let out a small gasp as he felt her fingers worm their way under his t-shirt, touching his stomach muscles for the first time. She lightly ran her nails up and down his side, back, stomach, anywhere she could reach. They both broke apart at the same time, sucking in much needed oxygen.
"Buffy?" he asked, his eyes brimming with questions, want and most importantly love. He looked into hers and saw the same, except she didn't look like she had any questions. She looked like she had found all the answers.
"I'm tired of moving around in circles, Spike. I'm sorry it's taken me so long to learn how to dance properly."
End Flashback
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