banner by angel's girl

Tromp L'oeil

“So how long does he have, Giles?” Buffy asked her former watcher as he and Willow consulted over the work up, both physical and magical they’d done on Spike’s sudden illness.

“Hard to say, really…but Buffy, surely this is for the—"

“Don’t tell me that! You tried to kill him but the First has let him go. He’s his own man, Giles, and he’s been…a friend to all of us.”

“Yes, and surely more than that, for you.”

“Giles…”

“You spent the night with him…when things went wrong. Don’t deny it. I saw Angel. He stopped by here to see Dawn before he returned to L.A. He asked me…about you and Spike…”


“It’s not his concern! Or yours.”

“You promised me that was over…”

“It is over…but…how dare you even ask me about this?”

Giles took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes. He used to know what to say to her. What exactly to say to reach her, to connect with her…but he was running short a slayer these days, and Faith and all the others who looked to him could not make up for the hole he felt…even knowing it was time, that she had ascended…he’d always known this time would come, but he’d been hoping for a partnership, not an opponent.

“They must consider him some kind of threat to their plans now. And considering Caleb’s apparent hatred of women, of you, they left only one possible way for Spike to be saved…

“Buffy, you once saved Angel with your blood. The blood of a slayer…the only way to save Spike from the magical potion they slipped into his blood is for…a slayer to lie with him. He must…”

Buffy turned and looked at Spike where he lay chained up, shirtless, and sweating from the pain of the magical poison. Once before she’d seen a vampire she loved so vulnerable. But this…

Faith was ministering to Spike, wiping his face where he lay on the bed. They’d had to chain him again because he’d tried to kill himself when he’d felt the first lick of sexual flames and known what it was. He’d rather die than to demand from her what he’d once tried to force from her…

Faith stood up, her face compassionate. Buffy felt petty for her mixed feelings. She didn't like the dark slayer's hands on Spike, but Faith could touch him, and Buffy could not...

Faith came to join their conversation. "So since B here is running for vestal virgin, I'm guessing I'm the one to take one for the team?" she asked.

"How can you be so flip? You and Wood...?" Buffy was prickly as hell, and had to hold onto her temper.

"Hey, he's dying, and I'm what? Gonna let him do that rather than do him? Besides he's hot and I'm not denying I won't enjoy the ride. I know you got history with him, but you ain't exactly falling over yourself to volunteer, so I'm up." Faith said pragmatically.

"That might be... best." Giles agreed, looking away when Buffy looked up at him sharply, her pony tail still mussed from a recent fight with the Bringers. She looked tired and this... had to slice into the heart of an old wound and one he only knew about because Xander had shared it with him. It's why he really didn't trust Spike. Even though he had a soul now, how was he better? He'd killed people for God's sake, and still Buffy wouldn't turn away from him.

Buffy felt as if raw acid had been thrown over her feelings. She'd become so close to Spike, completely against her will, but he was a part of her. How could she bear to share him with Faith? But how could she bear to let him inside her after what had happened, what he'd tried to do...

And what about the feelings she had for him now...?

She was terrified.

She looked up at Faith and Giles where they watched her, and waited for her decision.

"I'll take the girls on patrol," She said, feeling ripped apart by making a decision no woman should have to make.

"Okay..." Faith touched her shoulder, some of her compassion for Spike on her face now for Buffy. Buffy stiffened but did not pull away. She knew that Faith was trying. "It will be over by the time you get back. I'll keep him safe for you." Faith promised her.

Buffy nodded, but could not speak. She had tears brimming in her eyes. That it should come to this! Caleb must have known somehow, and found another way to get into her heart and shatter it...

"I'll tell him you had to go," Faith offered as Buffy hesitated.

"No!" Now Buffy was the leader again, and she raised her chin, took a deep breath, and walked to stand over Spike, who was sitting quietly, looking down at his hands. He must have heard their words, and she couldn't help but hurt for the pain he must be feeling. He had pride and a soul.

She knelt down beside him, surprising them both by her actions. "Spike, I..."

"God, Buffy, just go! Don't! I don't want you to see me like this!" He was sweating, and his hair was damp. His blue-green eyes with their exotic slant, were shadowed with compassion for her and with shame for his own need.

"This isn't your fault..." Buffy told him, reaching out to touch his hand, but he only jerked away, turning to reveal only the sharp bones of his profile.

"Please... Just go," he begged, tears in his eyes.

She stood and looked down at him helplessly. His beautiful porcelain skin rippled with soft muscle, and she remembered what it felt like to touch his chest, and freely caress his beautiful body. He went commando, so she knew if she opened his jeans, she'd find him, thick and needy and wonderfully bent, and he'd catch his breath the way he always did when she took command and put him inside her.

Staring into her eyes as she took the monster inside her body, accepting him as her lover.

"Faith will..." she couldn't finish, and he wouldn't look at her. Jerkily, she turned away, but as she walked up the stairs and Giles followed, leaving Spike and Faith alone together, Buffy felt as if her heart was shredding and all at the work of her own hands.


“So I’m guessing you’ve still… you know, got a thing for her?” Faith asked Spike as she sat down across from him where he was shaking on the bed. His skin was soaking wet, slick with sweat, and his hair was dark and tangled now. His eyes were heavy-lidded as he watched her every move, and she could see why: his pants were tented by the fierceness of his erection. He was deep in the thrall of his need.

“You shouldn’t do this. I won’t be easy, little girl. Use me, lovely. But as soon as I’m inside you the fire will spread. You’ll need me there,” Spike gestured at the cradle of Faith’s hips, glancing at her face, her dark eyes, then looking away as if he couldn’t bear it.

“I been to prison, Jack. I may have had one good ride last night, but I got a lot of pony in me needs to run,” Faith talked back, despite the fact she was uncomfortable about this. Even apprehensive, but damned if she’d own up to it!

“Doesn’t have to go down all bad… I know you want her, but like Angel, you got me,” Faith said softly.

Now Spike looked up. “You and Angel…?”

“Naw. What we shared, wasn’t…” Faith had no words for what she’d shared with Angel, or how she’d felt when she’d touched the deep flame inside him, which still burned for Buffy. He might one day love again, but no other woman had come closer to him before or since. Hell, Faith was just a lost child to him, and he’d ignored what he must have seen in her: the curiosity, and the desire she’d always felt for the delights untasted.

Faith stood, uncomfortable with further words. She went to Spike and leaned over him where he slumped against the wall, his bare feet on the floor, his bare torso almost prone. He was a hottie! Buffy was all wrong to turn away from the power of his hands. Faith bet he might have some tricks to teach even her.

Usually she never kissed a guy, but she made an exception for Spike. He was so withdrawn and ashamed. Not of his sexuality which burned like a bon fire, but of his need. He didn’t want to need anyone, and Faith could respect that. So she kissed him, once, twice, her mouth slightly parted, and his closed. He almost turned away from the caresses of her mouth, but he craved touch, so he opened himself up a little and Faith licked at his mouth.

“Faith… A vampire has a lot of…” Spike looked uncomfortable.

“You talking endurance? I figured. Always been hot to find out, but Buffy cornered the market. Now I’ll get a taste, I guess.” She kissed him again, then stroked his shoulders. He was shaking, trying to pull away from her, to deny himself what he needed, wanted.

“Come on, Spike, work with me!” Faith tasted his skin, delicately biting down on his chin, which was pointy and unevenly shaped. He gasped when she bit him, and his control broke. His hands were in her hair, his chains rattling on his thick wrists as he pulled her into him, over him for a deep, fuck-me-baby kiss.

Faith crooned her approval, and spread herself so she encompassed him. He felt…thick and she shivered with anticipation. She would have him inside her. Buffy’s ride! Oh yeah, it was kinked and wrong and way out of line of her, and she even knew it, but she wanted a taste of Buffy’s forbidden fruit.


Faith rubbed herself up and down on Spike’s hardness, smiling as he cried out from the friction. He could probably smell her excitement. That turned her on. But as a slayer she had an insight into him that the normals did not. She knew what it was to be a perfect killing machine. She was herself a natural predator. She was special…only she wasn’t. She should have been the only one, but she was doomed to be the moon to Buffy’s sun. And Spike she understood. He was eclipsed by Angel, as she was by Buffy.

The darker twin to the glorious hero.

“I’m gonna do something special for you. Lick you all over. But you have to be a good boy and not move while I do it. Think you can do that?” Faith laughed as she slowly opened Spike’s jeans and released him. She didn’t touch his twitching penis, but pulled off his jeans, and kept her hands off his most sensitive parts. He growled his disapproval of her restraint, and she giggled. “I got you growling already, vamp?”

Spike’s chains clinked as he tried to pull her closer, his need throbbing in the open now, but she only laughed and evaded his demands. “Now who’s in a rush? I want a slow ride, and you’re gonna give me one. In fact, I want you to…” Now she couldn’t finish, and she looked away.

“What?” Spike’s eyes were slitted with his intense sexual excitement, his body was slick, and his hair tangled and sweaty. He looked like he’d already had a long, hard fuck, when in fact he was needy for one. Faith thought he looked totally hot, all rumpled and bad boy. Oh, man, she was gonna love hopping on his train…

“Maybe you could… you know, pretend a little? Give me what you gave her…?”

“Faith…I don’t think I can…” Spike shook his head and now despite his condition, Faith saw compassion in his blue eyes which pissed her off like a lash to her back.

“You don’t have to like, love me! I ain't asking for that! Hell, I wouldn’t know what to do with love. But you could give me a taste, Spike. A taste of what you and Angel give up for her.”

“Faith…”

“'Cause it’s not like she wants you. Or Angel, even. That curse shit is bull. If I wanted him, I’d find a way. Buffy likes control. I know you got a thing for slayers. No way you could hunt us and not want to lay us.”

Spike’s nostrils flared as he took in her ready scent. She was creamy, and he could almost taste her on his tongue, but what to say to her? He was crippled from his soul. It had made him less than he had been, and more…

And Buffy, if she’d only touch him, only look at him, he’d give her everything, pour himself out like honey from a jar into her hands… but last night after he'd held her and given her everything, she'd gone to Angel. Kissed him. She loved Angel and she always would.

Didn’t mean he didn’t resent the big, stupid, broody sod for having so easily what he would bleed for, die for… the love of his beautiful Buffy.

"i can pleasure your body, Faith, but I can’t help your spirit. I’m trying to fly with one wing m’self." He sighed as she took him in both of her palms, cupping his fullness and gently squeezing him in a gentle rhythm.

Still wearing her leather pants and her little camisole, in contrast to his nudity, she climbed onto him and began to suckle and lick his face, adorning him with gentle kisses, just wet enough for him to feel her warm tongue on his cool skin. It made the shivers worse.

“Please, Faith…” he whispered against her lips when she met him for one of her slow kisses where she took deeper and deeper tastes of him. “I need inside you. Need it now!” He gasped as she traveled down his neck and kissed the place where it met his shoulder. Soft white skin on such a slender, almost delicate frame. She tasted him as if he was the sweetest of desserts to her mouth, savoring him, playing him.

"I love that you are so lean and small. Most guys are crude," Faith said, comparing Spike to Riley. "I like how delicate you feel to me. It's almost like doing another chick, doing you." She licked down his shoulder and one softly-rounded bicep.

"What the fuck? I'm hardly anyone's woman!" To emphasize he pulled her hand over his penis which was throbbing so intensely he was afraid of embarrassing himself. He gasped at her confident touch as she took him expertly and moved her hand down his velvet skin, then thumbed his beaded head firmly, once, twice and... he would cum if she did it again!

He fought his chains, desperate to be free to stop her torment and ride her till she surrended to him. He had led the play with Buffy, but Faith danced beyond him, and wanted to be more than his partner. Instead of accepting a handcuff and exploring the use of power, Faith claimed hers.

She would dominate him, if he let her.

He would be slave to her, to be used and enjoyed by her and to spill himself like a boy in her hands which he...

Shit...!

"...Faith!" He thrust his eager cock against her, and shot over her hands and also onto her camisole, spurting in his desperation.

"There now!" She laughed against his mouth. "That wasn't so bad. But I might have to take a break now and rinse out my clothing, bad boy."

"Fuck you!" Spike looked away, mortified, but she kept playing with him and he felt himself blaze up again, his stiffness not losing it's power.

"Ahhhhhh!" He screamed this time, his whole body fighting his chains as he scalded through another powerful orgasm.

It should not have been possible, even for such as he, but the drug and Faith's domination of his chained-up body had released things inside him that needed to feel the open air. Needed to be expressed for him to be a whole person.

He'd thrown a cloak over his sex to protect Buffy from his desires. But his need for her didn't sleep, didn't go away. Even after what he'd tried to do to her, he still wanted her.

He wanted to do the same things to Buffy he'd done before...

"Faith..." Spike took her face in his hands and kissed her. Not roughly. Not, I want inside you, but I am inside you. It wigged her.

"Gonna wash off the--"

"Faith..." Spike swallowed. He needed to be inside her or he would die soon from the poison, and yet he knew he was just using her. His heart cried out for Buffy and Faith couldn't forgive him for that. She was leaving him to die.

He needed to fuck her.

He needed the warmth of her body to heal him. When he came inside her the magic poison would spread to her, only she would cure it and him if she climaxed as well.

It was a cruel trap that Caleb had set for Buffy and Spike, knowing they were together and so far apart...

"I'll get back to you!" Faith backed away from him and then fled up the stairs and went into the bathroom.

She looked into the mirror. Was it right, doing this? She had to save him but... she'd taken Riley and it still made her gut clench. What Riley had said to her. To Buffy.

She left the bathroom. The girls were lined up, listening to last minute instructions from Giles. Buffy was leaning tiredly against a wall, looking beyond depressed. She looked up sharply when she saw Faith.

"Have you...?" She looked like she didn't want to know, but had to know.

Faith felt reluctant sympathy for her even though she didn't understand how she could be so clueless with the men in her life.

I mean, she, Faith, was fucked up. She knew it. No happy endings here. But Buffy... it was like she wanted to be!

"Not yet... Look, I'm sorry." She turned to duck away, and Buffy reached out and grabbed Faith's hand to stop her before she could leave.

"So am I," Buffy said, and saw Faith's eyes go wide as she understood.

**************

Spike was curled up in a fetal position, rocking himself, when Faith finally came down to service him.

He had no illusions it was anything more.

He wasn't even much of a fuck like this.

Shaking, needy...

...crying...

He lifted a hand, and his chains clinked sadly.

And then she was there.

"Sorry I was so long," her voice was full of tenderness now. The edge was gone.

Spike couldn't stop himself, he growled and yanked her into his arms and over him in one savage movement. He took her ass in his hands, and rubbed her against his hard on with his eyes half-closed.

Somehow he had to forget Buffy. Do this for her. She didn't want him ever again inside her, God, NO, after what he'd done, but if he did this, he'd be around to help her fight the first. To give her his life if he must--

"Time to take me?"

Suddenly more bold, Faith stood and opened her pants, revealing she wore no underwear. She tossed them aside and stood before him with her hips at a cocky angle and her pussy fully revealed to him. Her little camisole she left on, but she was bra-less so it outlined her natural softness fully to him. She came closer and spread herself a little in invitation, bending down so she could kiss him while he dipped his chained hands into her fur. She purred her approval at his deft touch.

“You’re ready for me,” he said, meeting her gaze frankly. He pushed three thick fingers into her and she rode his hand, throwing back her head and crying out.

She grabbed his fingers to still his play. "I need you inside me, Spike," Faith whispered brokenly.

He sat back so his prick rode high and without further delay Faith took him in hand and sat on him, impaling herself deeply on his cock.

It should have been a hard ride from there but...

...slowly they fucked...

"Oh, God...you feel--" Spike raised his hands and took hers, feeling an odd connection with her.

"Spike...so long!"

"So creamy, Pet. So ready for my fuckin'." He rubbed his head against her, thrusting deeper and deeper inside her as she rode him like the roll of a deep surf.

She rose and fell above him, and he reached up and cupped her covered breasts before sucking them deeply into his mouth, his jaw flexing in passion. Then those talented hands slid down her waist to her ass to grip her there, moving her like a doll over his cock.

Up...

...and down...

Breathing hard now, heads together.

No words.

No kissing.

Eyes locked as they fucked.

"Close now..." Finally he kissed her. "Buffy, so close!"

She clasped him, using her own body to delight herself around his thick fullness.

He threw his head back, sweat running down his face, his suffering transformed into the intensity of desire and relief... crying out her name as he came at last.

She felt the spurts of his seed fill her and she let herself fall against him and whispered into his shoulder as she climaxed, completing their circle.

**************************

Afterwards, he held her, her bare ass in his hands and her hair tangled around them both. Still panting from their sweaty love-making.

Then she replayed his last words to her. She pulled up in shock. "How did you--?"

"You think I could be inside you ever again and not know it? Why didn't you tell me, then?" His eyes were sad. Already he could see her retreating.

"Because if I was Faith then this never happened!"

She pulled away and reached down for her pants. He could see his semen running down her legs. He wished she'd stay so he could lick her little pussy clean of his leavings, but he knew better.

He put his head in his hands and just sat in defeat and when he looked up Buffy in Faith's body had left him alone.

**************************

Later Buffy returned to him in silence and he pulled her down into his arms so she could rest. He had so little to give her that she would take. The comfort of his love was all he could offer her.

He stroked her hair and leaned down and gave back the words she'd said against his shoulder when she'd climaxed as Faith:

"I love you too, Buffy."

**************************

A/N: in French, Tromp L'oeil means to 'fool the eye.'

End