Chapter 8
Spike stood behind the bar at the Bronze wearing a new black dress shirt and leather pants. He had gone in thinking he could try being a bouncer and just avoid beating anyone up and had been surprised to learn they were looking for a new bartender. Getting through a night without a migraine had been a long shot anyway. He liked his odds behind the bar better; less temptation too.
It helped that he had a fairly extensive knowledge of mixed drinks already and the register had been a cakewalk for him. It might have been his first night but he was catching on fast and was confident he could handle it in a place like this.
As far as keeping a low profile went, this new job was anything but. The Scoobies were bound to see him sooner or later. Sooner most likely. He didn't think Buffy had been to the Bronze in a social capacity since she had been brought back from the dead. Neither had he. Despite any apprehension he might have about working in such a public venue, he was actually finding that the work didn't bother him nearly as much as he thought it would. He was good with people, at least in short bursts. A bonus was that he was already making a killing in tips, mostly from the ladies but also a few guys too. He hadn't even considered tips when he took the job.
It was only part time to start, but at least he would be able to help Buffy with the finances and she wouldn't have to worry about patrolling at the club. He couldn't wait to see the look on her face when he handed over the bulk of his first pay to her.
He had been craving her touch since the moment she left his crypt to share her new job news with her friends. A part of him wished he'd been invited back to her place to celebrate with them but he wasn't sure how long he could stand to keep his hands off of her. It was probably better this way. It had only been a couple of days and they had been patrolling as usual until tonight. Something had shifted between them, giving him hope that maybe she was coming around to him, soul or no soul.
He had just finished serving a couple of college kids when he turned around to see Xander strolling up to the bar. "Spike? What the hell are you doing on that side of the bar?"
"Working here you nit."
Xander blinked at him and started laughing. "You've got to be kidding me! You? Working? As a bartender?" He laughed hysterically.
"You gonna order, Harris? I got paying customers to see to."
His face fell, "Wait, you're serious? You actually work here?"
"Caught me on my first night."
"Wow. I never thought I'd see the day you would get an actual job. Poker not paying enough?"
"Needed something steady. Reliable."
"What for? It's not like you have any bills."
"Got my reasons. You gonna order?" He asked again.
Xander furrowed his brow a little, "A strawberry daiquiri and a Coke."
"You want rum in that Coke?"
"Pass, I'm driving."
Spike bit back the insult on the tip of his tongue, gave a curt nod and started on the drinks, filling a glass with ice, "You and Anya on your own tonight?"
"Ah yeah—" Xander looked like he wanted to probe him more about his new employment status but stopped.
Spike just glared at him as he finished off the daiquiri and poured it into a glass. He popped a little umbrella into it and handed it over with Xander's Coke.
Xander shrugged a shoulder as he pulled out his wallet and paid for the drinks, "Does Buffy know about this latest skeem of yours?"
"Knows I've been looking for an honest night's work," he answered as he got his change and resisted the urge to pocket it.
"Honest— work?" He said the words as though he were trying to pronounce something in an obscure language, "Seriously? Do you really expect me to believe that?"
"Don't really care what you believe. Best not keep demon-girl waiting, Harris."
Spike turned away from him and directed a friendly smile to a couple of girls ordering drinks. He even remembered to check for IDs, as he continued to watch Xander glaring at him suspiciously out of the corner of his eye. He tried to shrug it off as Xander made his way back over to Anya. At this rate, Buffy was likely to find out about his new job before his first shift was even over.
Fan-freaking-tastic… There goes my surprise.
Xander made his way back over to Anya who was waiting at one of the high tables. "What took you so long?" She whined.
He looked over his shoulder back at the bar where Spike was pouring out mixed drinks for a couple of college girls who were clearly flirting with him. Xander sat on the stool next to her. "Spike is bartending."
She shrugged, "Good for him," she sipped her drink, "did he make this?"
Xander hesitated, "Yeah— is it alright?"
"It's perfect."
Xander tapped his hand on the table, "He's up to something, look at him."
"Like what kind of something?" She asked, casting a glance to the bar while sipping her daiquiri.
"I don't know— he's evil, he's got to be up to something right?"
Anya took another sip and frowned at him, "Can I at least finish my drink before we go running to Buffy?"
He reached for her hand, "I'm not trying to ruin our night but you know as well as I do that he's here for a reason."
She rolled her eyes, "Like serving drinks and collecting a paycheck? Money is an excellent motivator, it's often the difference between dependency and autonomy in American society. What's amazing is that he hasn't done it sooner."
"I just think Buffy should know so she can keep an eye on things."
Buffy was in the kitchen putting the clean dishes away. Dawn had gone to bed less than an hour before and she was just tidying up for the night when Xander and Anya arrived. Willow had been the one to answer the door and Buffy stopped what she was doing to go greet them. "Ahh hey guys, what's up? Evilness afoot?"
Anya snorted, "Xander just has his boxers in a bunch because Spike is the new bartender at the Bronze."
A little thrill ran through Buffy at Anya's words, He actually did it. He got a job. A real job.
She tried to keep a neutral tone, suddenly she just didn't know what to do with her hands and opted for folding her arms across her stomach. "So he got a job. Huhh? Good for him. That's great! Better than pickpocketing and poker right?"
"I—" Xander sputtered a little as they moved into the living room to sit down. Willow resumed her spot on the couch next to Tara who was curled up with a blanket dozing. Xander lowered his voice when he saw her, "oh come on Buff. There's got to be more to it. You know that. He's—" He paused as he sat in one of the chairs and Anya slipped into his lap. "You know what? I bet he's using it to pick up girls or maybe— maybe he's drugging them. You know I bet that's it!"
"Xan—"
"Just hear me out here, alright? He can probably feed off of whoever he wants to if they are too loopy to notice the pain. That's got to be it right?"
Buffy frowned, if she didn't already know what Spike's motive was, she might have jumped to a similarly twisted conclusion. She shook her head, "He's been helping us for how long now?"
"That was when we had a big bad to take down. Now I bet he's just trying to find a way around the chip."
She sighed, "I'll check into it but I don't think it's anything like that. I think he's just looking for money since he stopped taking payments from us."
Willow cast a look at Tara. She had promised her she wouldn't say anything about Spike's soulful request but Xander's theory wasn't holding water. She cleared her throat, "I think Buffy's right Xan, I really don't think this is big bad material."
Xander huffed and turned back to Buffy, "Promise you'll actually look into it? If he's—"
"Spike isn't hurting anyone. I'll check it out but I already know he's there for the money."
"So you actually did know he was looking for a job?"
Buffy cleared her throat, unsure about how much she wanted to say, "Yeah, he mentioned something about it."
"Really? I just thought he was lying again."
"Cut the guy some slack, Xan. I said I'd look into it and I will. Alright?"
"Fine."
It was early in the morning when Spike made his way into the bottom level of his crypt. The night had been exhausting in a way he wasn't used to. But he had a wad of tips he hadn't counted on and it bolstered his spirit. He tossed the cash onto his bed and started to unbutton his shirt.
All he wanted to do was curl up with a good book and go to bed.
He stopped in his tracks. Something was off. An odd feeling, like eyes on the back of his head. He took in a breath smelling the air. His room had only smelled faintly of Buffy when he had left and the scent was oddly stronger now. He turned in a slow circle looking for her. "Buffy?"
She came out from around the corner where his little makeshift bathroom and laundry was tucked away. It was situated in a dark corner where he had managed to connect to the watering system set up in the cemetery. He didn't have hot water but he managed just fine.
"Snooping?"
She fidgeted with the edge of her shirt, "I was waiting for you and I got seriously curious about the whole cleanliness situation."
"Ahh humm, and did I pass inspection?"
"Oh I'm definitely not taking a shower in there. It looks like something out of 'Serial Killer Monthly'."
Spike rolled his eyes, "It's not that bad. Little rustic but it lets me get all my bits clean."
She tried not to think about him standing under what essentially amounted to an old freestanding shower stall with a missing side, hooked up to a pipe sticking out of the wall. "Yeah okay. I'm not even gonna touch that one."
He smirked as though he could read her thoughts. "What can I do for you, pet? Nearly my bedtime, you know."
"I humm, heard you got a job."
"Figured."
She nodded and took several steps towards him, "You actually did it. I can't—"
He closed the distance between them, gripping her shoulders lightly, "I told you I would, sweetheart. You and this baby are my whole world now."
Something caught in her throat as she tilted her head up towards him. He was being so incredibly sincere it was almost jarring in comparison to the Spike she had first met. He leaned in pulling her to him in a slow tender kiss. "I love you, Buffy, and the tiny one too."
She surged towards him, reigniting the kiss.
Love? I have such a hard time thinking that word most of the time. How can he just say it like that? And so often… But it's so good to hear…
Spike pulled back a little watching her eyes, "What is it, Luv?"
She shook her head and forced herself to speak, "It's just a little too much to take in."
"Don't think I follow, pet. I told you I'd—"
"No, no I mean—" Tears actually started to sting her eyes and she shifted her gaze to a candle sitting on a table next to the bed. "I'm just— my dad, and then— the most steady guy I've ever had in my life has been Giles and— then Glory, I hum-"
"Watcher shook your trust in him."
"Yeah. I mean I'm really glad he came back, I don't know what I would do without him really but—"
It wasn't hard to figure out what was bothering her but he didn't want to push her too hard. Spike ran a thumb over her cheek, "You want to tell me what's really going on here?"
Buffy sighed, "I just never pegged you for the reliable type. How do I know you're not going to leave like everyone else has?"
"I don't plan on going anywhere. Not ever. I'd have to be dust first."
Which means if you're going to do this soul thing you'd better take the safe route. There's just too much at risk.
Buffy pulled him down into a tender kiss, letting all of her doubts and fears melt away, at least for a little while. Releasing the kiss she gazed at him, "So bar tending huh?"
"Tips are good and they aren't asking too many questions which suits me just fine."
"Xander thinks you're trying to pick up girls or that you're drugging them to feed off of them."
Spike laughed, "That's rich. Drugging isn't exactly my style. Makes me get all loopy and it tastes funny. Had enough of that in the 60's and 70's. Also, Xander's an idiot. I certainly don't need a job like that to garner attention. Got flirted with plenty tonight and not just the ladies either."
She cracked a small smile, "You're just too pretty for your own good."
"We all have our crosses to bear," he hesitated a moment, eyeing her, "how's the job going?"
She sighed, "The people are amazing. Ruth especially. I'm not sure if I'm ever going to get used to all the paperwork stuff though. Linda, the lady I'm replacing, is like a machine. There isn't anything about that place she doesn't know. I feel like I have some seriously big shoes to fill."
"Isn't that the whole point of having such a long training period? Give you time to learn the ropes."
"Yeah, I guess."
"You'll get it and you'll be great. Like everything you do."
There was something about the way he said it. It wasn't the confidence of her friends when they just knew she would defeat a baddie. This was different. He wasn't looking at her as "The Slayer", not completely, he was looking at her as "Buffy" and he was convinced she could handle the natural and the supernatural.
I wish I had that confidence in me— demons I can handle— it's regular life that's always been so hard.
She pulled him into another kiss and didn't protest as he shifted her to lay on the bed. His hands wandering over her to fondle a breast before moving down to hike up her skirt. She had missed his touch just as much as he had missed hers.
"Pretty sure you're biased." She murmured against his throat, kissing a line up to his ear, taking it between her teeth and sucking the lobe.
He gave a shiver and drew in a shaky breath, "Doesn't mean it's not true."
"You're weirdly adorable when you get all quivery like that," she smirked and licked his lobe again.
"Am not. I assure you it's a perfectly masculine reaction to the wicked little things you do." He tried to steady his voice but it came out a little too breathy so he settled on grinding himself against her hip to emphasize his point and brushed his lips against her neck.
She melted into him, her skirt was nearly over her waist and she wrapped her leg around him pushing against him with a keening moan.
"Bit overdressed aren't we?"
Buffy gave a tiny nod and pushed him back with a grin. He took the hint and stood up, stripping out of his clothes, while Buffy pulled off her skirt and panties on the bed. He watched her with ravenous eyes before he rejoined her on the bed to help her with her shirt and bra.
"I will never get tired of seeing you like this," he murmured.
"Yeah well I hear pregnancy has a tendency to make a whole lot of changes so you better enjoy it now."
Spike frowned, looking her in the eye, "Oh darling, no idea how much I'm looking forward to watching our little one grow inside you. You are a goddess."
Buffy broke. She grabbed Spike by the shoulders, pulling him into her and flipped him onto his back on the bed. Straddling him and kissing him feverishly. Spike moaned into the kiss as he used his legs to maneuver them further onto the bed where he could reach his headboard. He gripped it in both hands, happily letting her take charge as she rocked back a little to work herself down onto his cock. He pushed his hips up meeting her thrusts and pushing in to fill her completely. She rolled her hips as he thrust, hitting a bundle of nerves deep within her making her gasp.
He kept his hands on the headboard, using his legs as leverage to thrust into her as she continued to rock atop him.
"God, Buffy," he growled as she clawed her nails down his chest. The sensation made him see stars. He released one hand to grip the back of her head, pulling her into him. Without breaking the kiss Buffy reached to grab his wrist, pulling his hand from her hair. She pinned his arm down, continuing to glide her hips onto his cock letting him fill her again and again.
She arched her back as her inner muscles clamped down on him and he continued to thrust. Buffy pressed back to rest her back against his thighs, hands gripping his hips as the orgasm overtook her. Her fingernails dug into his skin as she convulsed, sending him over the edge, spilling into her as she screamed his name.
It took several moments before her breathing started to even out and she collapsed onto his chest. Spike rolled them over onto their sides, still joined together. "You are a hell of a woman, Buffy."
"You're not so bad yourself."
Spike ran a hand through Buffy's hair before pulling her into another kiss. Buffy adjusted her upper leg, wrapping it behind his back and pulling him closer. She felt his cock twitch inside her and knew they were far from finished with each other.
He wrapped a strong arm around her back gripping her with a hand on her shoulder blade. The other hand still tangled in her hair. He rocked his hips into her, firmly setting a sensual pace.
Buffy moved her mouth from his over his jaw where she licked a line up to his ear, sucking until she felt his body jerk from the jolt it sent through him. Then she let her mouth travel down to his neck, nipping and sucking as he bucked his hips into her. He hit an over sensitive bundle of nerves with her core and it ripped a cry from her lungs. She bit down on his neck making him gasp.
"Naughty little kitten," he growled as he removed his hand from her back and pulled her hand up, and pushed her onto her back with her hand pinned to the mattress. She wrapped her other leg around the back of his thigh as he drove his turgid cock into her wet heat. Again and again, he thrust into her earning pleasured whimpers.
She gripped his back digging her nails into his pale skin. He hissed and arched his back against the pain, pausing momentarily before picking up the speed of his thrusts.
Buffy felt her orgasm building with each movement. Her back arched. "Are you going to cum for me, sweetheart?"
She gasped trying to order her thoughts enough to answer the question. "I'm so close— I—"
He bent his head down, taking a breast in his mouth and running his tongue over the tip. A jolt of electricity shot through her straight into her core and her muscles started to convulse. She shook with the power of her release and bit down onto Spike's shoulder sending him over the edge.
He rested a moment on his forearms before kissing her again and rolling over to the side. They both laid there breathing heavily.
"If that's how we celebrate getting jobs, is that how we're going to celebrate paychecks as well? If so, you should know, I get paid weekly," he grinned.