"Morning, love." He cocked his head to one side as she let her eyes slowly open, revealing their emerald green beauty to him. There was something innocent in them, something shy. He frowned and sat back on his heels, placing some distance between them as he reined his feelings in. No words of poetry could do justice to the emotions flooding him.
Shaking his head violently he pushed his demon visage away and shut William down, locking away the feelings and forcing himself to see her as what she really was. A captive. A Slayer.
Buffy drew the covers over her and held them tightly. It wasn't that she feared him, in reality he never scared her, but she was afraid of the emotions she had allowed herself to feel towards him. All of her senses screamed that this was wrong and she had now fallen into a silent mantra telling herself so in the hopes that her feelings would fall back into place.
Raising her eyes back up to meet his she felt lost, the deep blue of them capturing her more than the chains that bound her ever could. It was as though she could see all his thoughts and feelings as they fleeted across his brain, surfacing for a brief moment and showing themselves to her before they sank again.
He smiled wide.
It set her teeth on edge.
There was something in the way he was looking at her that made her stomach squirm, she wanted to bring her legs up and tense her body as she fought against the sensation inside her. It wasn't panic, she knew that much.
It wasn't frustration, like she thought it might have been.
As she blinked into his eyes and he narrowed them on hers she swallowed hard.
Desire.
The feeling she thought she had the sole right to invoke in him he was invoking in her.
Buffy tugged the chains impatiently to cover up the feeling that was slowly radiating through her body until no part of her was left untouched. He was a vampire, she was the Slayer. She had no right to be having these feelings of temptation about him-no matter how good he looked when he smiled and how delicious it felt when his tongue lathed against her skin.
No matter how easy it was to make him desire her.
He desired her.
She'd never seen a man desire her so much and she hadn't even done anything to make him want her, she'd just lain sleeping. Did she look that good when she was sleeping? Buffy sniffed and wrinkled her nose slightly as she realised she didn't smell that good-days worth of sweat was sticking her white shirt and jeans to her skin.
Spike continued to stare into her eyes.
He was lost. Fighting against it seemed futile. He couldn't take his eyes off hers as he watched the obvious struggle and confusion playing out in her green ones.
"Why are you here?" Her voice cut the silence and he twitched his head to one side questioningly as his brows knit for a brief moment.
"Protecting my interests." His dulcet tones hit her straight in the stomach and made the feeling there intensify-his interests? Protecting her?
"No…" She looked around the room for emphasis and then at the door. "Why are you back in Sunnydale? I thought I told you to leave and not come back."
"Fine end you would have had if I hadn't come back, lying in the dirt with some two-bit fledgling about to kill you…" He smirked at her as the calm feeling inside him disappeared and was replaced with the usual frustration she always managed to cause in him with her self-righteous attitude.
"Fine." Buffy resisted the temptation to pout as she folded her arms across her chest and bought her knees up.
Spike watched her turn her head to one side so she was looking away from him and then frowned at the way he wanted to make her look at him again so he could see her pretty eyes sparkle with her defiance-she was beautiful when angry at him.
Coughing slightly he stood up sharply and rounded the bed, walking straight into her line of sight as he squashed down the emotions and reminded himself why he had her here. Except by now his reasons and story had changed so many times that he wasn't sure himself anymore.
"The gem…I'm here for the Gem of Amara." He said coldly as if she would know what he was talking about and would fear it.
"The gem of a-what-huh?" Buffy frowned up at him and watched his face fall for a second before he gritted his teeth in frustration and rolled his eyes, growling loudly at the ceiling.
"Bloody hell…didn't your watcher teach you anything?" Spike frowned down at her and steadied himself, taking a step towards her and bending down so he could look into her eyes. "The gem of Amara, I find it and put it on…I'm invincible."
"Invincible?" Buffy let a frown wrinkle her nose. "Invincible how?"
"No sun allergy, no dusty ending…just enhanced strength and everything I've ever needed to kill you." He kept telling himself he should've just left her wondering but he couldn't resist bragging about what the gem would do to him, for him.
"But you won't." She said quietly as she met his eyes. "You don't have the guts to kill me…you would've done it by now if you had."
Spike snorted and let his eyes narrow into slits as his tone turned venomous.
"Maybe I've got plans for you first…then I'm going to kill you? Ever thought of that?"
Buffy swallowed and tried to ignore the tiny spark of fear his words and icy cold expression had ignited in her. She knew better than to push him but for some reason she just couldn't stop herself, being captured by him just made her want to taunt him even more than usual.
"You're all talk as usual I see. Ever asked yourself why you can't kill me?"
His stomach heated through and he frowned at her words. He had what it took to kill her, could wrap his fingers around her neck right now and choke the life from her.
So why couldn't he do it?
He shuddered as Drusilla's taunting words floated around his head. She was right, he was surrounded by Buffy and he couldn't kill her.
Why can't he kill her?
Spike growled. It didn't matter that he couldn't bring himself to kill her right now, it was just a matter of time before he managed to build up the will to do it.
Since when had he needed to build up to the kill?
He was always swift with the hunt, relentless in his pursuit and merciful in the killing. Building up to the kill was something that Angelus had relished-the divine torture and the calculated drinking so they would cry as he assaulted them. Spike had never been like that, wouldn't force himself on a woman or a man, he just killed for the thrill of it, and for the blood.
He licked his lips.
"Is it red and tasty?" Buffy's voice interrupted his thoughts.
"What?" He snapped.
"What you're daydreaming about. Is it red and tasty?" She mocked him as she licked her lips. "You looked kinda gone there for a moment…not only do you not have the strength to kill me but your concentration has slipped too. I'm shocked at you, William."
She kept telling herself to stop pushing him but she still continued her relentless pursuit and she couldn't figure out what she was trying to gain by it. Looking down at the manacles that were digging into her wrists she realised it had something to do with attempting to make him mad at her. By pushing him, she could make him mad enough to finally do something, anything.
She was sick of playing the waiting game, chained up with a niggling voice at the back of her mind suggesting things he was going to do to her. She wanted to know what he had in mind.
"Concentr…bloody hell woman, what's that supposed to mean?" He clenched his fists up as he stood up straight so he towered above her.
Buffy swallowed quietly to steady her nerves as she looked at him, his eyes dark with anger and his body tensed-like a cat ready to pounce. Maybe she didn't want to provoke him into action after all.
"All I was saying is that the Spike I used to know would have killed me by now…drained me dry…or at least have a plan to."
He growled quietly as he walked away from her, distancing himself in a vain hope of stopping himself from reacting to her words.
He stopped and closed his eyes as his head hung forwards.
What was he doing? What was she doing? Did she want him to kill her?
She was pressing all the right buttons to push him in that direction. The part of him that was quickly going over what she'd said for clues came to the conclusion that she wanted something to happen, she was provoking him for a reason-possibly to make him slip up and reveal what he had in store for her.
He chuckled.
Like he knew himself.
If he knew what he had planned for her then he probably would have told her by now, like how he'd told her about the gem, just to get a taste of the sweet scent of her fear.
"Do you ever quit yammering?" Spike turned his head to the side and scowled at her.
"Was a time you would have been fighting me…not healing me…protecting me…that's what you said, right? Protecting your interests? Protecting me?" Buffy watched his face darken and hoped to any god listening that he would tell her what he had in store for her. She didn't have a death wish, but knowing what he was up to would make her confinement a lot easier. Besides, it was actually quite fun to tease him.
Spike snorted disdainfully at her.
"Come on, Spike, we both know you're acting like a fledgling wet behind the ears…what master vampire would rescue the Slayer?"
Spike snapped. In a split second, he was on the bed with his hands wrapped tightly around her throat and his face shifted into vampire guise.
"Shut up…" He growled as he frowned down at her, his lip curling back and exposing his fangs as he tightened his grip around her delicate throat.
Buffy tried to ignore the pain and stared up at him as he sneered down at her. The warm feeling that had been lingering in her stomach swept like wild fire through her body as her eyes met his, their deep amber iris' twinkling with anger as he pinned her to the bed. She swallowed hard and felt her heart race. This was definitely wrong. Having feelings about Spike had been bad, but having desirous feelings about Spike when he was in game face and half strangling her was the worst thing imaginable.
Spike froze and let his grip loosen slightly as he realised what he was doing. His chest heaved as he breathed rapidly, his eyes not leaving hers as his face moulded back into human form.
Leaning forwards he brushed his cheek against hers and felt her tremble against him, the warmth of her skin seeping into his.
He opened his mouth slowly and closed his eyes, listening hard for a reaction to what he was going to say.
"You should watch your mouth, little missy." He whispered it into the shell of her ear and her heartbeat accelerated, her body going limp beneath him. He slipped into vampire guise and nuzzled against her. "I might start to think you've got a death wish…that you want this…" He let his teeth brush against her neck and delighted in the small gasp that escaped her mouth as she wriggled slightly. "…You want me."
Swallowing down the lump of nerves that were trembling in her throat Buffy closed her eyes and took a deep breath.
"I'd never want a pathetic excuse for a vampire like you, Spike…you're nothing. I'd sooner have let that fledgling take me than have to lay here trapped and waiting for you to grow some balls."
She felt him slip out of game face and cursed herself for continuing to provoke him. She didn't know what made her do it-it was as if her mouth was working on autopilot like it did when they fought, only this time she was locked up and unable to do the actual fighting. Maybe that was it? She was fighting him the only way she could-with words.
Spike pulled back and stared down at her, his lips pressing together until they were nothing more than a thin line of anger across his face.
"Treading on dangerous ground, pet. There's a reason I have you alive…but you're not going to get it out of me that way." He frowned as she wriggled underneath him, her body rubbing against his. "Not that way either."
Buffy's eyes widened and she stilled her movement beneath him.
"Timid little thing sometimes, aren't you, love?" Spike purred down at her and gave an appreciative glance down at her body. "All that power, locked away inside you." He ghosted a hand over her and watched her brows knit as her eyes closed. "It'll fade soon you know. First comes the hunger…then the tiredness…exhaustion takes over and you'll be as weak as a kitten, as a human."
Buffy shot her eyes open and found him staring into them, his blue orbs cold and hard as he looked down at her. She felt the bubble of panic inside her stomach twist and explode. He was going to starve her, chain her up and wait for her to grow weak before he made a move. She'd be defenceless, frail, her strength reduced to that of a normal human. She swallowed hard and blinked up at him, desperately trying not to let him see how his words had panicked her but knowing from the glint that had entered his eyes that it was too late. He knew already.
Spike licked his lips again, seeing her so afraid of him was whetting his appetite and he found his hand itching to make contact with her where they were hovering just above her breast. Regaining control of himself he ghosted his hand up to her cheek and held it there, just on the brink of touching her. He smiled as her eyes closed, her breath coming out in a sigh as she furrowed her brows. If he hadn't known better he would have said she was enjoying it, that the expression of pleasure she was wearing now was real and she wanted his hand on her.
He tensed his jaw up and let his eyes close slightly as he looked down at her face, then at his hand and then let his eyes slowly slide across to her lips.
Her lip-gloss had disappeared long back but her lips still looked a deep pinkish red. He'd watched her chewing her lower lip, worrying it with her teeth and he'd realised it was a sign of her nerves. Desire wound itself through his veins and he found himself considering dipping his head and kissing her.
Spike pulled back and got off the bed, leaving Buffy lying with her eyes closed in anticipation.
No.
To kiss her would be to show weakness and she'd feed off it, she'd play him until he broke and he couldn't let that happen. She'd questioned his motives and abilities enough already without him giving her more ammunition to throw at him.
He stared down at her as she lay still, seemingly not wanting to open her eyes or pull away from whatever she was feeling.
Why couldn't he kill her? Was he weak like she'd said he was? Why hadn't he done it the second he'd got hold of her, swiftly drained her limp form and been done with it-just another notch on his belt.
But no, he'd let her live and worse he'd healed her so she would be well again. She was right. He wasn't acting like himself but he wasn't acting like a fledgling vampire either. He was acting like some lovesick puppy.
Spike felt the feeling of desire in his veins twist and turn upon itself until he felt sickened by it. It repulsed him, the thought that she could have such power over him-that she did have such power over him. She'd had it from the moment he'd first seen her, Drusilla had seen it in him immediately, she'd known all along how it was going to play out. Was that why she'd acted that way with Angelus?
The sick feeling in his stomach was replaced with seething anger at himself and his weakness.
Turning sharply he left the room, locking it behind him and ignoring all his minions as he stormed down the halls. His head swam with hateful thoughts, his body ached with tension and his blood called for violence.
Violence.
Beautiful violence.
Like hers, theirs.
Spike grinned and wrapped his hand tightly around the nearest minions throat, shoving him hard into the wall and holding him a foot off the ground.
The young vampire choked, his eyes full of fear as he stared into Spike's.
"Do me a favour, mate."
"Anything…S…S…Sir."
"Something to eat…now, and some bourbon." He let the vampire drop to the floor and watched him scurry away down the halls, a smug satisfied feeling washing through him as he pulled his cigarettes out of his pocket.
Turning around he eyed the other vampires present, all staring at him with their mouths hung open.
"What?" Spike frowned and lit his cigarette. Clicking his Zippo shut he gave them a displeased look and waved his hand in a dismissive manner for emphasis. "Get back to work."
Walking down the hall to his bedroom, he kicked the door open and flicked the TV on before flopping down onto the bed. His head ached from all the questions buzzing in it. He wanted to go out, hunt and get drunk in some bar somewhere. Wanted to forget all about her, but he couldn't leave the lair. His minions were as restless as he was-the divine scent of Slayer driving them slowly insane.
"Bloody minions." He mumbled and looked over at the half empty bottle of bourbon on his side table. It wouldn't be enough to get him anywhere near drunk but it was a start.
Picking it up, he pulled the cork out with his teeth and took a large mouthful. He sighed as the liquor burnt his throat, warming him from the inside out and instantly relaxing him.
Closing his eyes, he frowned as he pondered the question that was irritating him the most.
Why couldn't he kill her?
