Exes and Exclamations

As they opened the front door to Giles' apartment Buffy called out to see if he was around.

"Ah, Buffy, perfect timing," he said, appearing from the kitchen. "You have a phone call."

"Can it wait?" asked the slayer, "We have something important for you to research."

Without answering her Giles pressed the receiver into her hand and she sighed. "This better be good. Hello?"

"Buffy," said the voice on the other end.

"Angel?" she said and Spike's eyes grew wide.

"Why don't you give them some privacy?" Giles asked him.

"Bugger that," came the response as he repeatedly clenched and unclenched his fists.

Giles shook his head and took his cup of tea away to another part of the dwelling.

"What does he want?" demanded Spike.

"I don't know, honey, and I won't be able to find out if you don't let me talk to him," said Buffy, trying to pacify her boyfriend.

"He's there?" asked Angel.

"Yes, of course he's here. What do you want?"

"I just- I heard you were together."

"We are," she confirmed.

"But, Buffy…"

"Yes?" she said, growing tired of the conversation already.

"What's he saying?" asked Spike and she glared at him before catching a glimpse of fear in his eyes, alongside the pent up aggression. Ignoring the stammering vampire on the other end of the line for a moment, she reached over to touch Spike's face before planting a soft kiss quickly on his lips. He relaxed a little and so she slid her free hand into his, interlacing their fingers before returning her attention to the call.

"Buffy, I… I don't think you should- I thought you were gonna-"

"Gah, Angel! Whatever you've got to say just spit it out already!"

"Why are you with him?"

"Because I love him. Why is this any of your business?" she said, a little harsher than intended. Spike's hand grasped hers more tightly and she started tracing little circles on his skin using her thumb.

"What happened to us?"

"Are you serious?" she said, incredulous.

"Well, yeah," he said, but he was met with a wall of stunned silence from the slayer.

Feeling increasingly irritated Angel carried on talking, "I thought you were over all that. Thought you'd came to your senses."

Buffy let go of Spikes hand and started gesticulating in anger and frustration as she raised her voice. "Where do you get off? You know nothing about what we are, and as I recall, I never promised you anything."

"I kinda thought we were always gonna end up together, y'know. He's not…"

"Not what, Angel? You can't just start comments like that and then back out of them. Say it. Tell me why I'm so wrong." She was pacing the room now, and Spike's eyes followed her closely. He held down the desire to take the phone from her hand and hang up on her ex-lover.

"Fine," said Angel, sulking. "Soul or not, I don't think he's good enough for you."

At this Buffy stopped pacing, closed her eyes and counted to ten quietly before speaking.

"Let me tell you a thing or two," she said, in an even tone. "Firstly, it doesn't matter what you think – at all. I know he is more than good enough for me."

"But he's evil," said Angel, interrupting.

"That's bull and you know it. When YOU were evil you almost destroyed me. You tortured and killed my friends. And when you were good you broke my heart and left me. Now, Spike? When he was evil he followed me around like a lost puppy telling me he loved me until I finally let him in and he rocked my world with the most amazing multiple orgasms. Now he's good? He's even better than all that. So tell me again how you're supposed to come out on top."

Angel was stunned into silence, and Spike looked on in awe.

"There was a time when I would have done anything for you, Angel," she continued. "But we're past that. You'll always have a place in my heart, having been my first love, but that's all you'll be now. If you're not happy with that then I'm sorry, I really am. But that's not my problem."

"Huh," was all she heard at the other end.

"I'm gonna go now, but Angel? Tell Nina I said 'Hi'." She hung up and turned back round to Spike who was giving her a round of applause.

"Well bloody done, Baby."

She shrugged, saying, "I was too harsh but I'll apologize later."

"You have nothing to say sorry for!"

"I know. I'm not sorry for what I said, I'm just sorry it hurt him. It was unnecessary."

Spike shook his head at her, "That's you're fatal flaw, y'know? Being too nice to the enemy."

"Angel is not the enemy, he's just a little-"

"Pig headed?" he offered.

"Yeah," she agreed, smiling.

Closing the space between them he took hold of her and kissed her passionately, only stopping when he heard Giles return to the kitchen.

"You had something for me to research?" he said, leaning against the doorpost.

"Huh?" said Buffy, her mind clouded with lust.

Spike let go of her and lowered his head a little.

"Good. At least one of you has the decency to look bashful for making me have to watch you two smoosh each other, although, not quite the one I expected."

Spike looked up again saying, "Hey, if you're not happy with us being together we'll go right now."

"No, no," said Giles, raising his hands in surrender. "Not saying you shouldn't be… together, just not in communal areas."

Buffy blushed and eagerly jumped back on topic now that she could think straight again.

"We need you to find out more about the prophecy that made Spike human again. Need to know exactly how it changed him."

"Why?" said Giles. "I mean, what's caused the sudden interest now?"

"We, uh… we discovered that he still heals fast."

"Hmm, that is interesting," Giles admitted, "Any other of his vampire traits remaining?"

"Yeah, he still can do this sexy growl thing, and-" she cut herself off before saying 'he's still a demon in the sack,' out loud. Again she blushed.

Saving her a little embarrassment Spike took over the conversation. "No other traits remaining that I'm aware of. Weak as a bloody kitten."

Buffy let out a laugh and they both turned to her. "That's not exactly true. He's way stronger than Riley ever was, and he worked out every day."

Giles looked perplexed, "So, you're considerably less strong than your vampire self, but still stronger than a human?"

"Guess that about sums it up," said Buffy.

"Hmm," said Giles again. "I'll need my books to confirm, but if he's just kept certain aspects of his former self I can't see why any of this would be a bad thing."

"I'll say," said Buffy, and Giles grimaced.

"Spike, I am only going to say this once, and Lord forgive me for doing so, but can you please take her away and give her what she needs so we can have a grown up conversation without her every thought returning to sex?"

Spike looked at her father figure, taking a moment to enjoy how uncomfortable he was before taking her hand and pulling her towards the bedroom to fulfill his request.

"No." said Giles, and they stopped again. "You'll need to go elsewhere. Dawn will be home soon and I don't have enough ear plugs for both of us."

"You're the boss," Spike chuckled, lifting her up and carrying her out of the apartment again.

Setting her on her feet, on the mat outside, he turned to check the door was secure and when he turned back around he found her on her knees.

"Uh, Buffy, we're in the hallway," he said, wondering just how overcome with lust she'd become.

"Spike," she said, with a shaky voice. "I love you."

He smiled. "I know, kitten. What's gotten into you today? It's like you're on heat. Not that I'm complaining."

"I want to marry you," she said.

"Wha?!" he stammered.

"Spike… William, I want to marry you. I've been trying to find the perfect time to ask."

"And you picked the hallway after you're watcher threw you out for getting a little overexcited?"

Giving a little shrug she said, "Couldn't wait any longer. I need you in a lot of ways."

"So you're serious?"

"Very," she said, sounding audibly nervous.

He laughed and she punched him in the shin.

"Hey, watch it!" he said.

"You watch it. And don't laugh at me."
He knelt down on the welcome mat beside her and looked at her lovingly in the eyes. "Sorry babe, not laughing at you. I'm laughing at the fact you beat me to it. It's been one hell of a day."

"So…?"

"What?"

"So stop teasing me and give me an answer already!"

He grinned. "Do I really need to answer you? Was there ever any doubt what my response would be?"

She looked away from him then.

"Honestly? You thought I could turn you down?!"

"No, I guess. Maybe. I don't know. It wouldn't be impossible."

He wrapped his arms around her saying, "Oh it damn well would. We're forever, remember?"

She kissed him, long and hard in response. "Forever," she confirmed. "Now take me back to that hotel."

To be continued...