Forty minutes later, the
three of them sat around the battered trunk/coffee table, eating pizza, and
trying to teach Buffy the finer points of how to play poker. She just wasn't
getting it, but she was having fun trying.
"No, no, no, Bethie. You can't just lay down cards in pairs. Doesn't work that
way. You have to hold on to all of them until we're all done with this round."
Liam told her, for what felt like the 12th time, but in actuality
was only the 3rd time. Buffy mimicked Liam in a high-pitched voice
as she picked her cards back up. The whole game was confusing to her, but then,
cards in general had never been a strong suit of hers.
"Buffy, luv, look at it like this. You play with pairs, and 3's, and 4 of a kind, but instead of showing us, you keep it a secret. That work?" Spike watched her chew at her lower lip, and had naughty images in his head about doing that himself to her. Buffy finally looked up at the both of them, and nods her head.
"I think I can do that. Can we start a new round?"
"Yeah, we can, but then I need to sleep, and Spike needs to leave. Don't you Spike?" Liam peered at Spike, who returned it with a cocky grin.
"Tha's right, peaches." Spike grinned as he reshuffled the cards. Buffy just looked at the two of them with an odd expression. She gave up trying to guess at what they meant, and what they had talked about earlier. Instead, she concentrated on her cards. After the deal was complete, Buffy looked over her cards.
"Can I get 5 new ones?" Her request was met with groans from both Spike and Liam. She looked up and smiled. "I'm kidding. I only need 2, please." She pushed her two discards over towards Spike, who gave her two new ones, making her hand a pair of kings, and 3 jacks. Suppressing a smile, she bit her lip and waited for Liam and Spike to take their turns.
"Ok, love, what do you have?"
"I have a pair of kings." She beamed brightly as she laid them down for Spike.
"Tha's good. Liam?"
"I'm not done yet, Spike."
Spike turned back to her expectantly.
"I have a pair of jacks, too." She laid two of the jacks down. "Oh, and I have an extra jack." Tilting her head to the side, she put on her best 'dumb blonde' face, and said, "Hey, isn't that a full house?"
Both Spike and Liam tossed
their cards in with some minor grumbling, before shuffling the cards up, and
setting them on a small shelf. Liam watched with an eagle eye while Buffy and
Spike stood up, and walked into the living room. Liam hovered over the two
while they tried to say goodbye to one another. Finally, Buffy turned back and
shooed him away.
"So help me, Lee, if you don't leave, I'm going to go stay the night at his
place."
"You would not."
"Try me!" She put her hands on her hips and stared him down. The shy girl that had arrived the week before was quickly being replaced with the outgoing girl they both remembered from their youth. Liam put his hands up in surrender, before turning to scowl at Spike. He disappeared into his room a moment later. She waited until his door was closed firmly, and then smiled up at Spike, though she suddenly felt a bit shy.
"Care to sit out on the steps, princess?" He leaned down as he asked her in a soft voice. As he drew in closer, he rested his forehead against hers, and his nose against her nose. She looked into his eyes of blue, and smiled.
"I would love to."
As they sat on the steps, Spike on the landing, and Buffy perched on a step below him, they talked quietly of many things, from movies, to new music, to jobs. Spike's hand idly brushed over her hair, which was draped across his lap. Buffy leaned her head back until she was looking up at him, and smiled. It felt nice out here, so easy, and so quiet. Most of the lights in the surrounding houses were off, and the only sound save the talking, was a distant radio blaring rock and roll.
"So… can you tell me about Harmony?" She asked him hesitantly, recalling when Liam had brought the name up. She personally couldn't recall anyone by that name from grade school, but it had been so long that it really didn't mean much. Spike sighed as he looked down at her, before shrugged his shoulders.
"She was a bint who wouldn't leave well enough alone, basically. Peaches had a soft spot for her, because she was a friend of Cordelia's, so she used to hang out a lot. She wasn't bad, I suppose, but a bit light between the ears, if you know what I mean." He took a deep breath, and pulled out a cigarette. He lit it, and took a long drag on it before continuing. "She had it in her head that I was her dream man, and wouldn't take no for an answer. We fooled around some, and I was upfront with her, but she wanted more."
Buffy nodded as she continued to quietly look up at him. Her face showed nothing of any emotions that would betray how she felt about hearing all of this. Spike looked down at her, and smiled slightly.
"I finally had it out with her one night when she was drinking, and told her I had no interest in her at all, and to stay away from me. I guess she got the hint, because she didn't come back to hang out here. Peaches has it in his head that she's pining away somewhere. If she is, it's because she wouldn't listen, not because I did anything to hurt her." He took another drag, and stared out at the barren street. "So, what are you thinking now?"
Buffy stared at him for a long moment, before sitting up and facing him upright.
"I guess... I guess I want to know if that's what you think of me." She stated it, rather than asking him. Without realizing it, she held her breath after asking the question.
"I don't know fully how I feel, princess, but I can tell you it's nothing like Harmony." Flicking the cigarette down, he stomped on it with his boot, then leaned in and kissed her softly on the lips. Seconds later, he pulled back and looked at her. "Nothing at all like Harmony."
After saying the words, he leaned back down, and put a hand behind her head to hold her close as his lips laid claim to hers. Seeking an opening, his tongue caressed her lips, poking at the soft flesh. When her mouth opened for him, and the heat of her own tongue met his, Spike moaned softly into her. His free hand reached behind to hold her head as well, as her own hands reached up to lay softly against his muscled arms.
Breathlessly, the kiss deepened, with tongues meeting in a frantic dance, each of them trying to memorize how the other tasted, felt, how they responded. Finally, after what seemed like forever, they pulled back just enough to let their mouths part from one another. Forehead to forehead, Spike gripped her shoulders, and Buffy gripped his. With a breathless laugh, she smiled at him.
"Well, that was rather nice."
"Yes, yes it was. But, and I hate to say this princess, but I think Liam is going to have a canary if I don't leave soon. God, that was bloody brilliant, pet." He pulled back and laid a soft kiss on her forehead, and stood up. Holding his hand out to her, Spike helped Buffy stand. Before he left, however, they kissed once more, a softer good night kiss.
Both went to sleep that night thinking of the searing passion that had assailed their senses with a single kiss.
An: I almost ended the chapter with the "Nothing at all like Harmony," remark. Then, I thought… ok, my fans would probably like some heat some time soon, seeing as it is chapter 13 already. Hope the kiss kept you all entertained. ;)