Spike sat up in bed and stretched, waking up after his first good day's rest in ages.
He grabbed the still dented pillow next to him and inhaled deeply. Her scent lingered on the case, vanilla and warmth. He smiled and shook his head.
"How do you manage to smell warm even hours after you've gone?" He smirked, carefully replaced her pillow. He smoothed his hand along the wrinkled sheets where she had curled next to him, one hand resting on his arm, and slept. The trust she gave him was absolute and humbling. He felt the need to be worthy of it, worthy of her trust and deserving of her kisses.
He dressed in the clothes she had laid out and smiled. The jeans were older and comfortable. The sweater was deep blue cashmere wool. He felt that strange twisting sensation in his gut as he slipped the sweater on over his head, letting the softness glide against his skin. Pleasing her was so easy. After a century catering to Drusilla's every whim, Buffy's gentle hand was easy to serve.
Spike trotted downstairs and listened to the ring of swords echoing up from the training room. He headed in that direction. He smiled as he stepped into his training room and took in the sight. The watcher was bloody brilliant with a sword, holding his slayer off with apparent ease for quite a bit.
Then Buffy laughed and spun tossing her sword in the air and catching it with her other hand. She grinned and attacked him. Her sword moved quickly as she spun and twirled around her watcher. She had him on his knees with her foot on his blade in about thirty seconds.
Spike coughed and waited until both combatants turned toward him. "Can I have a go?"
"Only if anything goes." Buffy quipped. "I've done my exercises in control for the day."
"Buffy, you need to learn to master the blade in any condition. We do this to make you stronger." Her watcher cast her a tired look.
"I hear you, Giles. I just don't like it. I want to push the limits a bit." She grinned and waggled her eyebrows at her watcher.
"Then do so with your willing partner and I will observe from a safe distance." He tossed his sword to Spike and frowned at them both.
Buffy blew her watcher a kiss and giggled when he winked at her. She rolled her neck and turned to Spike with a smile.
"Are you sure you are up to this? I had to do a lot of vacuuming this morning." Buffy looked at him taking in his relaxed stance.
"Buffy, you made me drink four pints last night. I'm full and fully recovered. I'm more than ready for this." He smirked at her standing there in her pink work out clothing and bare feet.
"You think so?" Buffy tilted her head and looked him over. "Take off the sweater. I like it and it would be a pity if I poked a hole through that softness."
"If you want to see my bare chest, all you have to do is ask." Spike set his sword down and pulled the sweater over his head when she lunged and knocked him flat on his back. He looked up at her as she smiled down at him, her blade held steady over his throat.
"Did you miss the anything goes part?" She stared down into his blue eyes and felt her body warm up in unusual places.
"I guess I did." He raised his scarred eyebrow at her, and took a deep unneeded breath. Her familiar scent invaded his senses, but he noticed a slight change. It had been faint as she fed him last night, but now it was a bit stronger. He grinned. She was aroused. This marvelous, funny creature crouched over him with a blade at his throat; this goddess of humanity wanted him. He bucked his hips up into hers and dislodged her.
Buffy was on her feet and circling him before he was up and free of his sweater. He tossed it to the watcher and grinned as he heard her take a deeper breath. She ran her tongue along her lower lip as he rolled his neck and bounced on the balls of his bare feet. He dropped down to the mat and rolled to retrieve his blade. He stood with it, and immediately sought her position. He watched her from the corner of his eyes as he tested the weight of his blade. It was a well-balanced weapon. He pivoted with her, sliding into the dance.
"So, pet, is that all you've got? A sneak attack won't take me down now." He watched her flush, but she fought off the urge to rush him.
"Overconfident much?" Buffy smirked at him. "After all, I'm always the one kicking your ass."
She came at him with a quick step and brought their swords together with a jarring clang. She grinned as their blades slid along each other, leaning her weight on her back foot she suddenly pivoted and used her leading foot to kick his hip sending him stumbling to the side. He managed to bring his sword up to block her next blow by dropping to one knee. He dropped back and let her momentum take her a step past him as he regained both his feet.
He attacked from counter before she had a chance to reorient. She met his every thrust and smiled as he started to put more strength behind the blows. She brought her other hand to the grip and launched a series of quick cuts, driving him back. Her eyes narrowed as he tried to step to the side to escape her advance.
She took a full pass at him, but he spun away in the other direction. She was sweating. He watched the liquid glisten on her skin and decided on an attack that would disconcert her. He darted in bringing their weapons together and trapping her blade briefly. He stepped into her space holding her blade away from his advance and licked her from collarbone to ear.
She backhanded him with one hand sending him flying across the mat. He sat up and watched her rub her neck with her hand as she wrinkled her nose. It was adorable.
"You licked me." She grimaced at him. "There's no licking happening here. This is training."
He made a large show of licking his lips, and enjoyed watching her eyes go wide. He flipped back to his feet and laughed. Buffy pointed at him with her sword.
"What happened to anything goes?"
"Licking is not anything." Buffy's look turned mulish.
"Actually it is. If I can lay my tongue on your throat, I can sink my fangs in as well." He smacked his lips together. "Even your sweat is delicious in case you were wondering."
She growled at him and tossed her sword to her watcher. Giles caught it and watched as she charged Spike with wide eyes. She captured his sword arm and twisted her body into his pulling his front flush to her back. She wrenched the sword free from his grip and tossed it away from them. It clattered along the floor coming to rest some distance away.
"Ready for some hand to hand?" She snarled.
"We are going to have to work on your common sense, slayer. Never surrender a weapon. You don't have them built in." He allowed the demon to surface and tilted his head toward her exposed neck only to be driven back by her elbow.
"I said no licking. There will be no licking. Do I make myself clear?" She tossed him over her shoulder and used the pull of his hand to swing her legs around in a punishing double kick that dropped them both to the mat.
Spike grunted as she slid over him again one hand on each of his shoulders. He could smell her arousal strongly. "You sure about that, pet? I've got a very talented tongue."
She slapped him lightly on the chest and sat up pressing herself against his cock with a wiggle and smirked at him. He brought his legs up and flipped them. He pressed his cock against her, enjoying the pressure of his denim prison. He watched her eyes darken and she bit her lower lip, pulling it into her mouth a bit.
"And I'm the one holding a candle to the devil." He shook his head and laughed as he got up and pulled her up to her feet. He brought her eyes up to his with a gentle hand and rubbed her cheekbone with his thumb. "I need to talk with your watcher, could you go clean up and give us a few minutes."
She nodded, and looked up into his incredible eyes. "We need to talk, too."
"We will, soon." He dropped his hand from her face as she nodded and stepped back from him. She grinned at him impishly. She spun and bounded across the room and up the stairs.
Spike watched her disappear up the stairs and was hit in the head with his sweater. He turned to her watcher and shrugged into his sweater. The older man held both swords in his well-practiced hands.
"What are you doing with her? What game are you playing?" Giles brought one sword up to examine the blade in a subtle threat.
Spike rolled his eyes. "I am not playing games. I will follow your regimen. You tell me where she is weak and I will help you fix it. She has to survive. Angelus will have to be dealt with soon. We don't have long."
"I'm not blind. I saw what was going on between the two of you today. You'll not put me off with fears of your grandsire." Giles moved both blades in arcing figure eights, showing off his skill.
"What goes on between the slayer and me, that's ours. I don't owe you an explanation. She'd skin me for offering one." Spike watched the play of light along the blades as they moved closer to him.
"After what she's been through, she does not need you trying to take advantage. I will not have it." Giles' voice stayed calm and even.
"I was bloody there. I saw, smelled, and heard more than your sodding video revealed. I know better than you what she went through. You don't think I'm taking advantage or you wouldn't be showing off with the blades, you'd be using them." Spike watched as the blades stilled and the watcher's green gaze dropped to the mats. "You didn't fail her. Things went wrong. Angelus is a sneaky bastard and he isn't done. Stop fretting over me and start worrying about him."
"Your conversion is convenient. Suddenly we all have lush homes that are safe. Buffy trusts you blindly, and I'm supposed to fall in line. I did fail her. I won't do it again." Giles glared at him and brought the swords up.
"You didn't fail me." Buffy said quietly as she came down the stairs. "There are some things I need to say, so you both need to listen. Put the damn swords away."
Buffy sat down. She hugged her knees to her chest and rocked on her perch halfway down the stairs. She watched Giles store the weapons in the cabinet. She dropped her gaze to the ground when he finished. Her fingers flexed against her calves.
"Angelus is coming. I've been dreaming, but I haven't been able to pull any details out of the dreams yet. I need to prepare and that means training. Spike will help." Her eyes locked with Spike's and he nodded.
"Buffy, you need to talk to me about prophetic dreams." Giles sounded exasperated.
"I'll write them down and give you the notes, but I don't want to talk about them just yet. I can't." Buffy looked at Giles with her pain evident in her eyes.
"Fine. It can wait. This thing with Spike needs to be addressed." Giles stopped speaking as her hand flew up.
"Stop right there. He saved me and he made me a promise. I won't let you talk about him as if he is just an issue. He's in the room. If you have concerns about our working relationship, ask away. Our personal relationship is off limits. Do I make myself clear?"
"It has been your refrain of late, so I am up to speed." Giles ground out. "I disagree with your stance."
"Fine. Spike and I are living together. The relationship defined enough for you? I will not have him treated badly in my home." Buffy stood and stormed down the stairs to stand toe to toe with her watcher.
"Is that what you'll say to your mother when she arrives in two days?" Giles glared down at Buffy.
"Not your business, is it?" Buffy returned his glare and crossed her arms across her chest. "I'll deal with her. She's going to have a hard enough time dealing with the slayer stuff. My living arrangements will probably be a blip on her radar."
Giles shook his head and then lost it. He howled in laughter and hugged Buffy tightly. She hugged him back and giggled against his chest.
"Why are we even worried about Angelus? She's going to kill us all." Giles said, shaking his head.
"It's all well and good to worry about the slayer's mum, but we have bigger problems." Spike watched as Buffy and Giles composed themselves. She squeezed her watcher's arm and stepped back from him.
"Let's talk about it with the whole gang. It's time to get them up to speed, and get them used to you." She grabbed his hand and interlaced their fingers with a gentle squeeze.