"Supplement? You mean use you as a bloody vitamin to keep my strength up?" Spike blinked rapidly. Buffy seemed to be getting her kicks by shocking him. What kind of a slayer wanted to be a snack?
"I thought you might like it." She shoved back from him. "No big."
He watched her pull away from him, felt it, too. His mate was hurting. His bloody fault, wasn't it? Poor girl had to be off her onion, and he was being an arse. He ran his fingers through his hair and looked up to the ceiling. This was not going well.
"I'd love it. I'd be so wrapped up in you, you would be able to lead me about like a prize bull." He moved and locked his eyes on hers. "I've done the whole blinded by love bit, and look what it got me."
"It got you me." Buffy's head drooped. "I'm sorry, Spike."
How had he managed to dig the hole deeper? Her sadness beat at him. Damn, the bond was growing quickly, and he was just as stupid as a chocolate kettle.
"Can't say that. Loving Dru was all about pain. It's her way. Her precious Daddy made good and sure of that." Spike shoved his hands in the pockets of his jeans. He didn't want to hear her defend the bastard. "I know, I know. He's different with his perfect soul."
"I wasn't going to defend him." Buffy bit her lip and looked up at him through stray strands of her olden hair. "I think love is pain with him. It was for me."
"So, no more star crossed loving? The magic of doomed romance faded?" Spike tilted his head examining his mate carefully.
"It was over before I sent him to hell, but I refused to see it." She picked at the bandages on her chest. "I kept trying to force it, but it never worked. It hurt like hell when he left, still does, but it was always doomed. You were right when you said all that stuff to us last year."
"Usually am. I saw it wasn't gonna last for you, but Dru saw this thing between us. She turned on me because of you. Said I was covered in you." He swallowed and dropped his gaze. "I couldn't make sense of it. Thought I'd kill you and win her back, but things never go as I plan around you."
"Yeah, sorry about that." She rolled her eyes.
"Can't say this is the worst cock up of the bunch." Spike curled his tongue behind his teeth. "Not in a wheel chair this time."
"Sorry." Buffy swallowed and closed her eyes tightly. There was no flippancy to her this time.
"Was quite a fight, Pet." He reached put and stroked her arm. "You were a thing of beauty, a valkyrie. Still dream about that one. Dream about all our one on one's. Makes for a pleasant day."
"You dream about that stuff?" She wrinkled up her nose.
"Course I do, Pet. You should see yourself in battle mode. No man or vamp stands an earthly chance against you." He licked his lips. "Never seen anything even close to being that beautiful and I've been around for a bit."
"Thanks." Buffy blushed and ducked her head.
The slayer was such a bag of contradictions. He wanted to untangle her, to understand her. The slayer, that part made sense, but this blushing bride bit made him feel odd. Rubbing his chin, he considered her softer attributes. She was a lovely woman, but there was something about her that was more, a hidden softness in her warrior's heart.
"We need to talk." He grabbed her hand and pulled her toward him. "There's trouble, more than we need. The bastards that hurt you, your watcher, and Peaches are all coming down on us at once."
Buffy swallowed and nodded. Her lips thinned, but she nodded. Relief poured through him. She wasn't going to fight him about the way he had classified the bloody watcher and the poof. He took a deep breath.
"I live alone, no minions, no order, no roots. I haven't got much to protect you with. Not now. I will." He stroked a finger along her cheek. "But we are going to need allies in this fight. I doubt you want me to make them, so we need to consider our options."
"Options? There are options?" Her green eyes narrowed and she turned her head away from his touch. "Crazy military type science weirdos are hunting me, my watcher shot me with my own damn weapon, and my ex is gonna go ballistic when he finds out about us. He really likes being mad at you."
"I prefer it that way. The bastard lies too well when he isn't hopping mad."
"Hopping mad? Did you really just say hopping mad?" Buffy collapsed against him and giggled. "God, I can see it. Angel jumping up and down like a two year old that's broken his toy."
Spike smiled. Her laughter brought a smile to his face. She wasn't mocking him. She was including him, laughing with him. He kissed the hair on the top of her head.
"Okay, so froggy ex, crazy watcher, and mad scientists on top of my usual slayage load. How are we going to manage this?" She frowned and tilted her face up toward his, locking gazes with him again. "Where are we anyway?"
"A poker buddy offered me his extra room. He's a good sort, a demon but no threat to the human population. No violence in him." He trailed his fingers through her hair.
"We'll need to find a safer place as soon as possible." She pushed away from him again. "We can't endanger others."
"The lot of them are already in trouble. The scientist's soldier boys have been taking any and all." He watched her eyes. The flash of anger, the hint of fear, he could see them so clearly now. She raised her chin a tiny bit and they disappeared.
"Then we need to stop them. I don't want them to succeed in whatever it is they're doing." She pulled off another bandage and flinched.
"You protecting demons, now?" He smiled.
"Looks like they need it." She winced and pulled another bandage free.
The knock at the door sent her scurrying back toward smiled as she slid under the sheets like some prim maiden. The slayer really did have a screw loose.
"Sorry to disturb you guys, but there is a witch and wolf on my porch wanting to see the slayer. Should I ask them in?" Clem asked from just out side the door.