A/N: Thanks to all my reviewers yet again. And, hey, SA, what took you so long to discover this story? You Scots, you need to get with the program!

Spike left the bathroom, throwing the towel over his bare shoulder. Steam followed him out of the room before he closed the door on it quietly. He picked up the towel again and rubbed it roughly over his hair, drying it and by default turning it all fluffy. It curled at the front and over his ears, the rest of it sticking up in abrupt and comical directions.

Dressed only in his black jeans, bare-foot and naked from the waist up Spike carefully slipped into his bedroom. He tip-toed across the floor so as not to wake the Slayer who lay on top of his bed. He found a clean blue shirt in the dresser and slipped it over his shoulders.

Spike glanced back over his shoulder to look at Buffy. She lay on top of the bedcovers with her foot elevated on a pillow, an icepack on her ankle. He didn't know if it would help but he guessed it might numb some of the pain as her Slayer healing abilities kicked in. He had also cleaned the long gash on her forehead that had dribbled blood into her eyes. Her face was now fresh and clean, although the angry red slit was still there but already lessening. She was still in the dress she had been put in by Lorne. Spike didn't really think it was his place to undress her, knew he'd get another crushing blow to his balls if he had even tried. Also the small fact that he didn't have anything for her to change into might also cause a problem.

Spike turned away and began to do the buttons up on his shirt. He couldn't watch her too long. Buffy Summers. Asleep. In his bed. It stirred up too many memories, some of them not good, and it caused his heart to ache. Seeing her there just made him yearn for things he knew he could never have.

So, she had kissed him? So what? He had been foolish to think it meant more than it did. Buffy had kissed Angel back in Sunnydale; she had virtually told him it didn't mean anything more than that she had missed the poofter. The same could be said for the kiss that had passed between them. A physical representation of missing one another, nothing more.

His chest felt tight. He needed a cigarette.

Spike turned and started towards the door.

"What, no room service? No, mints on the pillow, no hot coffee, no wake-up call?" Buffy asked; her voice croaky with sleep.

Spike turned back to her as she was pulling herself up slowly to a half-sitting position on his bed. She smoothed out her hair, eyes watchful of him, and a small smile on her face.

"Sorry, love. You get what you pay for here" He replied, sauntering over to the bed "And you always were a bit of a tight-wad"

"I was not!" Buffy scowled but it soon dropped as she looked him over "Blue's a good color on you"

"Red's a good colour on you" Spike countered, looking very blatantly at what her dress failed to cover.

She sighed, looking down at herself "I don't see why Lorne made me Slutty McGee"

"Probably 'cos you're the most beautiful" Spike smiled.

"Really?" She asked self-consciously, leaning towards him "You don't think...you know, that Nina is...well, you know..."

"Not a chance"

"But she's all leggy and with the height and ample-ness of other things..." Buffy bit her bottom lip, looking at him conspiratorially.

Spike shrugged "She's not you"

Buffy sighed "Right. Like that means anything"

"Does to me," He replied, sitting down on the edge of the bed.

She tilted her head, regarding him "So, if it was a choice between me and Angelina Jolie...?"

"No contest," He smiled, reaching over and placing a hand on her forehead "You still feel a bit warm, love. Best get some more sleep"

Buffy shook her head "Not tired. Just...just need to lie here. Conversation is good. I want to know everything about the last two years of your life I've missed"

"Not much to tell. Came back, was a ghost, got made solid again and have been helping here ever since"

"So, nothing...else? You know..."

"I know what?" He asked, eyebrows rising.

"You know" Buffy accentuated.

Spike laughed, baffled "I'm afraid that I don't, Buffy"

"Uh! Men/vampires!" She threw her hands up "You know, in a...'love life' kind of way?"

He gave a small shrug "I had a half shag from Harmony when I got corporeal again"

"Harmony? You're taste hasn't improved I see" She rolled her eyes "Wait. What's a half shag?"

He laughed "Don't worry about it"

"Dawn! Is she –" Buffy said suddenly.

"Just got a call from Angel. They're all safe at Wolfram and Hart"

"Hmm" She sighed, settling back down "I'm not sure I'd put 'safe' and 'Wolfram and Hart' in the same sentence. All along it was them providing demons with the Speed Beads. I should have guessed"

Spike nodded "They're still corrupt but things are improving. Slowly"

"I never saw you as a 9 to 5 law firm kind of guy"

"I work odd hours" He smiled "Oh, Angel-face also mentioned that Gunn and the SWAT's had made the two warehouses go boom"

Buffy nodded "That's good. Should keep the Kraal's supply to the minimum for now. We should go. Meet up with Angel and discuss what we're going to –"

"No. You can't. You're ankle is still screwed" Spike motioned to it "So, you need to rest for a little while longer"

Buffy tilted her head "What if I don't want to rest?"

Spike watched her, unsure of how she wanted him to respond. His lips parted and he took in some air, even though he didn't need to. His eyes skated over her, as they inevitably did every minute of every day that he was near her. She smiled a little sweet smile. She liked the attention she got from him. He liked giving it.

The Slayer sat up slowly, putting them at eye-level with each other and their faces close. Buffy reached a hand up and brushed a stray curl of his hair against his forehead. Spike found himself lost in her gaze. She was staring into his eyes, intent and with purpose. Then her focus moved along to study his face, she was taking her time as if trying to catch every detail of him.

When she finally leaned in and kissed him, Spike was still caught by surprise. Every kiss from the Slayer was a wonderful surprise to him. More so, now. It took him a moment to respond. Kissing her back slowly and softly Spike closed his eyes. He moved his hand up to tangle in her hair, cupping the back of her head.

He felt her fingers against his face; she ran one down the line of his cheekbone. As their kissing got heavier and started to get faster, more frenzied, Buffy's hands moved down to his neck and then to the buttons of his shirt. She began to deftly undo the buttons, her fingertips brushing against his chest and making him shiver.

Spike pulled back having just enough time to murmur "Buffy –" Before she pulled him back to her, kissing him like she wanted to eat him.

She pulled the shirt off of his shoulders and threw it to the floor, carelessly.

Spike grabbed her by the shoulders, pushed her back "You're sure about this?"

"Spike," Buffy smiled, her face looking thoroughly flushed and beautiful "You think I'd have started this if I wasn't sure?"

He shrugged "You could have become intoxicated on my good looks"

She laughed and looped her arms around her neck, shutting him up with another string of kisses. Spike wrapped his arms around her and pushed her down to the bed. He broke away and kissed a line down her neck, causing her to tense for a moment before relaxing again.

Spike kissed down to her collarbone then all the way down the strip of flesh her dress exposed, down to the navel with Buffy writhing underneath him. He had to be careful of her ankle and he intended to be gentle this time anyway. No more rough stuff. Well, at least not for a week. Spike smiled to himself.

He pulled back, sat up partly and looked down at her "You do realise I may not be able to perform properly due your little ball-grabbing venture earlier?"

"Oh, is that so?" Buffy sat up, arching an eyebrow "Well, in that case..."

She flipped him over onto the bed and climbed on top of him. Buffy leaned down and kissed down his chest mimicking his earlier movements. She reached his navel and grabbed his belt-buckle, ripping it open.

Spike watched as she moved lower down, she was grinning wickedly.

"...I guess I'll just have to kiss it better"

A/N: That minx! I think we'd have an appropriate "fade to black" moment here! Use your own imagination! Or, steal someone else's. In the meantime, review!