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Chapter Fifteen

After a less than restful and unsatisfying night, during which she faked an orgasm for the first time in her life, Buffy was tired and cranky when the alarm went off. Riley had been determined to see that they were going to “make up for lost time” and insisted on having sex again in her narrow bed. When they seemed to be going nowhere with it, Buffy pretended an orgasm, just to make Riley get off and let her go to sleep.

She leapt out of bed quickly before he could unintentionally try for another round of “let’s show Buffy how much better this is with Spike”. She grabbed her robe and some clothes and went to the bathroom down the hall to shower and get dressed.

While the hot water was running over her body, she tried to analyze what had gone wrong with them. When Riley left Sunnydale for the summer she had been sure that she was falling in love with the ex commando. He was, she and her friends thought, perfect for her. While he was nowhere near as strong as either Buffy or Spike, he was, thanks to his enhancements, stronger and quicker than most men. He knew about vampires and demons and was more than willing to help fight them. He seemed to genuinely love her, and was very sweet and considerate.

If anything, he was too considerate and caring. If she was honest with herself, she could admit that even before he went away she was feeling a little smothered by his constant attention and neediness. While he said he accepted her calling, and admired her for it, at the same time he couldn’t seem to shake the idea that it was his job to protect her and he frequently got in her way when she was slaying.

She knew instinctively that the sheer joy she and Spike shared in a good fight was not part of Riley’s make-up. His purpose was to eliminate an enemy as efficiently and quickly as possible and with a minimum amount of physical contact. He was always willing to spar with her, but it was no more satisfying than the night’s sex. He was unwilling to go all out, apparently laboring under the impression that he might hurt her. As a result, she had to hold herself back so much that she thought she might as well be sparing with Xander.

She sighed heavily as she got out and toweled herself dry.

“Why can’t he be more like Spike?” she grumbled quietly to herself as she put her clothes on. “Just like Spike, only human, and not-evil, and...argh!”

After a quick breakfast in the school cafeteria; one at which Riley chatted casually as though the last two months had never happened, they walked to the Magic Box for the Scoobie meeting.

“Buffster! Riley!” Xander greeted them enthusiastically, folding Buffy in a big hug while he shook Riley’s hand. “Great to see you, guys. Together. Not that you wouldn’t be...together...cause that’s how you are...together. Right?”

The big man gave Xander a puzzled stare as he answered with, “Well, yeah, Xander. Is there some reason you thought we wouldn’t be?”

Before the brunette could open his mouth to reply, Anya shrugged and said, “I guess he wondered if you would still be together after Buffy spent the whole summer with Spike.”

Her boyfriend elbowed her hard and shook his head with a sheepish grin.

“Boy, Anya, I don’t know where you get your ideas, but that one was a lulu!”

He tried to glare her into silence, but she snapped back, “What? You’re the one who said Buffy has a thing for vampires and you were worried about her spending all summer palling around with one that had--.”

She glared at him indignantly when he grabbed her arm and pulled her toward the back of the store. He shot a “heh, heh, just kidding,” at Buffy and Riley as he retreated from them.

The Slayer’s face was beet red and she avoided meeting Riley’s eyes, although she could almost feel the anger rolling off his body as he ground out, “You spent all summer with him?”

“Patrolling!” she squeaked. “He helped me patrol, and...”

Just then the subject of the conversation burst through the door, a smoking blanket covering his head.

The smile that started to light up his face when he saw Buffy, faded when Riley stepped forward and got between the petite slayer and the vampire.

“What the hell are YOU doing here?” he demanded. “This is a meeting for Buffy and her friends.”

Only Buffy noticed the slight flinch when Riley emphasized “friends”; Riley only saw the cocky smirk that Spike put on as he answered, “I’m here by special invitation of her watcher, soldier boy.” He put a small amount of stress on “boy” and smiled quietly to himself.

(Bloody hell, I’m channeling my inner Angelus, today.)

Riley stiffened at the reminder that the bleached punk in front of him was actually a master vampire who had been around in one state or another for over 150 years. Putting his arm around Buffy possessively, he stared back at the smirking vampire and growled, “I think he’ll find there isn’t much need for your help, now that I’m back in Sunnydale.”

He was so busy preening at his statement that he missed Buffy’s eye roll and the vampire’s subsequent grin.

“We’ll see, won’t we,” Spike replied with deceptive mildness. Inside, his demon was screaming to be let out so he could rip both arms off the man who was touching his property. One look at the way Buffy was shaking off Riley’s proprietary grip and he was grateful for the chip.

(Not one to be owned by anybody, my Slayer. Bloody stupid git’s gonna find that out the hard way.)

Riley’s hurt complaint when Buffy threw his arm off her shoulder was interrupted by the arrival of Giles with Willow and Tara. While the girls greeted each other with hugs and squeals, the watcher looked back and forth between the two tense men in the room and mentally rolled his eyes like a teenager.

Tara’s shy smile of hello, and Willow’s cheery “Hi Spike, hi, Riley” broke some of the tension and the vampire went over to the counter and hopped up to sit on it. Xander and Anya had come from the back of the shop when they heard the girls come in and the whole Scoobie gang was soon seated around the table.

While Spike watched from his perch on the counter, Riley shifted his feet uncomfortably as he realized all the seats were taken. He settled on leaning against the wall behind Buffy’s chair where he could be close to her and still glare at the relaxed looking vampire.

Buffy was quick to assure her friends that they hadn’t missed anything by being gone most of the summer. “You know how it is in summer, guys. Evil kinda goes on vacation too.”

“So, there was nothing slay-worth?” Willow asked curiously.

“Nothing we couldn’t handle,” her blond friend chirped back before her brain could reach her mouth.

“We?”

Giles cleared his throat and jumped in to rescue his panic-stricken Slayer.

“Yes, it would appear that Spike has been quite useful to Buffy for the last few months; assisting her with her patrolling and slaying duties as well as keeping her from going, if I am using the term correctly, ‘wiggy’ from boredom.”

“Way to go, slightly-less-evil-undead,” Xander snarked. “Buffy and boredom – always a bad combination.”

“Tell me about it,” the vampire muttered with a laugh as he ducked the wadded up paper the Slayer threw at him.

Riley’s face darkened as he watched the relaxed by-play between his girl friend and the vampire. Giles was also observing their interaction with a slight frown, but his curiosity about the vampire’s change in behavior allowed him to push down any disquieting thoughts about his Slayer and another vampire.

“If the two people in question would settle down,” he harumphed, “I would like to discuss the possible ramifications of the summer’s activities.”

He missed the quick exchange of looks between Buffy and Spike, but neither Riley nor Willow missed the heated glances. Willow exchanged a knowing look with Tara and shook her head slightly. Tara gave her a reassuring smile and gestured briefly toward Spike’s head to indicate she had seen his aura and wasn’t worried.

Spike narrowed his eyes at the two witches and asked suspiciously, “What are you two conjuring up now?”

Willow just looked at him intently, but Tara smiled warmly and blushed as she said, “We were just wondering how much activity there actually was.” She ducked her head, embarrassed by her own comments and Willow leaped to her rescue with, “Yes, with the hellmouth being all quiet and evil being all asleep, and stuff like that. We were just wondering what you guys had to do every night.”

Spike smothered a laugh as Buffy spit doughnut crumbs out on the table. Willow helpfully pounded her on the back as the small blonde gasped and choked.

“A very good question,” came the cold voice from behind Buffy’s chair. The venom in Riley’s voice sucked all the humor out of the room and there was silence until Giles broke it.

“And one to which we might eventually get an answer if we can all stay on topic.”

He glared around the room and eventually everyone was looking at him attentively. Everyone except Riley, who was still staring coldly at the vampire.

“As I have intimated to Buffy already,” he began pedantically, “the old Watcher’s Diaries indicate that it is not unheard of for a vampire to assist a slayer, or even some other human, in the fight against their own kind.”

He waited for that to sink in, ignoring Spike’s “Bloody Hell!”

“It is, of course, extremely rare, and has not been documented for several hundred years. However, just as Spike made common cause with Buffy two years ago to save the world from Angelus’ plans, it is not uncommon for a vampire to initiate a temporary truce with a Slayer or the Council in order to dispose of a common enemy.

“So, although Angel is the only vampire that we are aware of to be cursed with a soul,” he paused for Spike’s obligatory “Bloody poof” and continued, “it is certainly within the realm of the Council’s experience for one to assist in the fight against evil.

“It is my suspicion that the Powers That Be may have arranged for Spike to be chipped in order to push him more quickly in the direction of helping Buffy that he began during the time of Angelus. They may have chosen him to be her...umm...”

There was silence for several seconds, and then a burst of chatter as everyone tried to talk at once.

“You sayin’ the bloody Powers That Can’t Let Well Enough Alone are responsible for my chip?”

“Spike? The bleached wonder has been Chosen? Merciful Zeus!”

“I’ve certainly known it to happen. Although, there’s always some sort of relationship between the slayer and the vampire. Usually something se—mmph!” Anya’s contribution was cut off by Xander’s hand.

Riley’s calm, cold voice intruded on the general babble.

“The Powers That Be, whatever they are, have chosen Spike to be Buffy’s what, Giles? What exactly are you saying?”

“Well, to be her, for want of a better term, right hand man, I suppose. Another warrior to fight at her side. An equal.”

While Riley snorted in disgust, Buffy said quietly, “Spike fights on my left.”

“Leave it to the bleached wonder not to know what a right hand man’s job is,” Xander snarked.

“This is all speculation,” Riley stated emphatically. “More supernatural mumbo jumbo. It has nothing to do with Buffy.”

Everyone in the room stared at the confident man with their mouths open.

“It has everything to do with Buffy, you stupid git.” Spike spoke for all of them. “She IS Heaven’s Chosen One. D’you think she’s that strong because she takes a lot of vitamins?” he scoffed at the disbelieving young man.

“Buffy,” her boy friend appealed to her, “You don’t seriously believe any of this crap do you? Spike is chipped because he walked into our nets; and the only reason he isn’t dust is because he was able to escape and you people…” He gestured around the room. “You people, who think you are standing against evil, decided to hide him from us.

“He isn’t your equal. He doesn’t even deserve to walk the same earth. He’s just a temporarily harmless animal that you for some reason want to keep around as a pet.”

Buffy’s heart ached when she saw the look on Spike’s face and realized how much of what Riley said had resonated with the vampire. In spite of his quick recovery, and the cocky grin he sent toward the bigger man, she knew that his innate inferiority complex was absorbing the harsh words and believing them.

While Tara moved quickly to put a gentle hand on the vampire’s arm, surprising him with her kindness, Giles turned on the outsider in the room and said with just a trace of Ripper, “You are a very stupid man, Riley.”

“Yeah, well, at least I’m in touch with the real world. I know a vicious animal when I see one, and I know what to do about it.” With a last venomous look at the vampire he whirled and stalked toward the door. Without looking back, he said, “Are you coming, Buffy?”

“I don’t think so,” she answered slowly. She was trying to reconcile the sweet man she thought she knew with the one stomping out of the shop after saying such hurtful things to her friends and her watcher.

“Fine,” he threw over his shoulder. “When you decide to face the facts about all the supernatural garbage your watcher has been feeding you, you will know where to find me.”

There was silence again for several minutes. Even Anya seemed to be at a loss for words. Finally, Xander spoke up and offered cheerily, “Show of hands, everyone who agrees with Riley that we know less than nothing about slayers?”


Chapter Sixteen

Riley’s angry exit left everyone stunned and puzzled.

“Buffy, does he know nothing about what a Slayer is?” her watcher inquired, somewhat testily. “What have you told him about your calling?”

She looked down at the table and frowned guiltily.

“I tried, Giles. Really, I did. But he just didn’t get it. He’s all into ‘science that’ and ‘technology that’ and he was always looking for some ‘logical’ explanation for everything. And you know me, not so much with the metaphysical stuff...I didn’t really explain things well enough, I guess.”

“I can’t believe I’m saying this,” Xander began hesitantly, “but I think Captain Peroxide better start watching his back. I don’t think Riley’s real happy about knowing his girl friend is gonna be spending a lot of time in dark, lonely places with the evil undead...and somebody hit me to remove that visual, please!” he groaned.

“Your concern is touchin’, whelp; but I think I can take care of m’self,” Spike growled.

“As much as I hate to admit it, I do believe Xander may have a point, Spike. Riley is well-versed in the methods of removing vampires and you are not really able protect yourself as well as you could at one time.”

As Giles finished speaking, he noticed a look of true fear on Buffy’s face when she realized what he was implying. Moving toward the vampire, she grabbed his arm and began pulling him toward the basement.

“Let’s go, Spike,” she ordered. “We can get to your crypt through the sewers from here, can’t we?”

“Yeah, but why would we—“

“We’re going to get your stuff. You can’t stay there until I’m sure Riley is going to leave you alone.”

“So, what, you’re going to babysit me? I don’t think so,” he snorted indignantly, yanking his arm away. “Master vampire, here, pet. I don’t hide behind a woman’s skirt – even it is a mini-skirt worn by a slayer,” he finished with a leer.

“You’re going to be staying with my mom. She DOESN’T wear mini skirts, but she does swing a mean axe, as you might recall.”

Giles tried to suppress a memory of Joyce helping him bring out the Ripper after ingesting band candy. He distinctly remembered a mini skirt and his mind wandered briefly. When he came out of his self-induced fog, Buffy and Spike were already on their way down stairs. He could hear their voices floating back up, arguing in a joking fashion about the vampire’s need for protection.

While Spike’s demon pride was outraged that the Scoobies thought he needed help taking care of himself, his inner William was warmed knowing Buffy was worried about him. That she cared enough to want to keep him safe more than made up for the high handed way she’d decided where and how to do it.

Spike spent most of the walk laughing at Buffy’s attempts to keep her new shoes out of the filth and water trickling along the middle of the big pipe. He decided she looked adorable with her nose wrinkled up in disgust. When he commented on it, she replied testily, “I’d think somebody with a super smeller wouldn’t want to be anywhere near this disgusting stuff.”

“Vampire,pet. Don’t need to breathe, remember?”

“Oh yeah. So you are. Silly me.”

Without warning, she leaped onto his back and said, “So, you can slosh through this stuff with your boots that are older than I am, and I’ll hold my nose.”

Spike pretended to grumble and complain about her weight and her “thinkin’ she was a bloody princess”, but to have her touching him again, her arms around his neck and her breasts pressed into his back, had him grinning from ear to ear. He reached around and grasped her ass cheeks to help hold her up, wishing she had jumped on him from the front.

Buffy buried her offended nose in the skin on the back of his neck, inhaling the scent of leather, tobacco, whiskey and Spike instead of the smell of sewer gas.

“Mmmmm, much better,” she breathed, nuzzling the back of his neck.

“So I smell better than sewer gas, pet? Not quite sure how to take that.”

“You smell better than lots of things,” she said softly and fastened her lips on his cool skin briefly.

The vampire had no reply to that, he just lengthened his strides to get where they were going faster.

When he emerged from the tunnel that connected his bedroom to the sewers, he slowed and began walking toward the bed. As soon as he felt his knees touch the edge of the mattress, he let go of her legs and unwrapped her hands from around his neck, dropping her onto it. He glance down to find her sitting propped up on her arms, her legs sprawled out, looking up at him expectantly.

“So, what’s this about then, love? You really don’t strike me as the kind of woman who goes from one man’s bed to another’s all in the same day.” He looked down and shuffled his feet uncomfortably. “In spite of anything I might have said last night,” he added apologetically.

Buffy shook her head and looked away from his inquisitive eyes. “I...I’m sorry about last night.”

“No, pet,” he said, kneeling down and cupping her chin. “I’m sorry. I never should have talked to you like that. I was out of line.”

“No,” she said softly. “No, you weren’t. I WAS thinking you might...” She glanced away and then forced herself to look into his eyes. “I’m sorry. It was selfish of me, and gross and disgusting and—“

Her self-flagellation was interrupted by soft, cool lips that fastened themselves on hers,and a cool tongue that gently traced her lower lip until she opened her mouth and her sweet breath sighed into his. She put her arms around his neck and fell back on the bed, pulling him with her. They gave matching moans when her warmth was once again pressed against his cool, lean body.

The world went away as Buffy fell into Spike’s bone-melting kisses. Once again, it was just the two of them. On their own - no watcher, no judgmental friends, no jealous boyfriend to worry about.

“I missed you, love. Missed you so much,” he murmured as he ran his mouth down her neck and flicked his tongue over the invisible bite marks. “Missed feelin’ you, touchin’ you. Missed bein’ with you.”

He stopped his frantic murmuring and tasting to raise his head and look into her soft green eyes.

“I’ll never bite you again, love. Not if it means I have to stay away from you like that again. Know the demon was wrong to claim you. Know you’ll never be mine. Jus’ tell me you’ll let me be around you. Let me be part of your life. Jus’ let me have my crumbs, Buffy. “

“You ARE part of my life, you stupid vampire. I missed you more when the claim was gone than I did before.”

He blinked at her in complete amazement.

“You what?”

She flushed and lowered her eyes briefly, then resolutely brought them back up to meet his awed gaze.

“When...when I couldn’t feel you any more. It was like part of me was missing. I didn’t know where you were or if you were okay”

He continued to look at her with complete attention, one eyebrow raised as she fumbled on.

“Okay, I’m not saying I missed the ‘when you hurt, I hurt’ stuff. Cause, on the whole? Got enough pain in my own life, thank you very much.” She shifted underneath him, bringing out an involuntary groan as he pressed his whole length against her again.

“But, I missed not knowing where you were; that you were close by. I missed not being able to feel how much you....” Her voice trailed off in embarrassment and he smiled down at her, stroking her cheek tenderly.

“Being able to feel how much I love you?” he asked softly.

Buffy nodded her head and closed her eyes against the emotion she could see in his.

“I missed that,” she whispered against his cheek. “I really missed that.”

“It’s not gone, love,” he whispered back, trailing kisses from her ear to her mouth. “It’s still here. It will always be here. You might not always feel it, but don’t ever doubt it. S’not goin’ anywhere.”

“Show me.”

The vampire growled and began pulling her shirt over her head, “With pleasure, pet. Get those damn clothes off and I’ll show you...”

Buffy giggled and squirmed under him, trying to reach his belt buckle while he fumbled with the fastening of her pants. He paused in his frantic pursuit of Buffy nakedness to pull one rosy nipple into his mouth and begin sucking on it, making the Slayer arch up off the bed into him. He ran his tongue over one breast, then the other, nipping gently at the hard little tips until they were both bright red peaks of hard flesh.

He sat up briefly to pull his own shirt off and throw it across the room, then went back to opening her pants and pulling them down her legs. While he was at the bottom of the bed, he stood up and quickly shed his own jeans. He got back on the bed on his hands and knees and crawled up her body, planting feather-light kisses as he went. When he reached the end of her long, tanned legs, he let his fangs come down and used them to slice through the scrap of lace that covered her neatly trimmed curls.

He carefully retracted his fangs before lowered his face and inhaling the scent he’d been missing for weeks. With a sigh, he put his face against her and nuzzled his way into her folds, growling softly. He heard Buffy catch her breath with a gasp when his tongue shot out to gently touch her clit and her hips jerked up.

He smiled against her and put one hand on her lower stomach to hold her still.

“Uh, uh, pet. I’ve been missing this too much. Gonna take my time and you’re just gonna have to live with it.”

“That’s just evil...” she gritted out.

“Vampire, love.” He ran his tongue from her entrance all the way up to her swollen clit, which he then flicked with his tongue until she was almost growling at him. When she started hissing, “Spiiiiiike” he relented and pulled the needy nub into his mouth. As he sucked on it and gently rubbed it with his blunt teeth, she moaned and then began the whimpers that told him she was almost there. Just as she grabbed his hair and arched up into his mouth, he let his fangs slip out and nicked her clit just enough to release a few drops of blood.

Another gasp and jerk of her body told him the bite was just enough to give her another orgasm and he smiled in satisfaction at having made his love come twice before he even entered her. Buffy pulled on his hair until he looked up at her and grinned.

“Sorry, love, jus’ bein’ greedy.”

“Come up here and be greedy for awhile,” she purred, continuing to tug on his unruly curls.

He crawled the rest of the way up her body, pausing to plant wet, open-mouthed kisses here and there. He stopped when the head of his throbbing cock was just brushing her opening and she looked into his intense eyes as she said, “Come in, vampire.”

With a groan, he slid into her welcoming moist heat and was enveloped by everything Buffy. She wrapped her legs around his and pulled his head to her neck as they started rocking together slowly.

It wasn’t long before he was thrusting harder and faster as he felt her beginning to clench around him and she moved her feet up to cross behind his back, pulling him in even deeper.

“Love you, Buffy. Love you so much,” he chanted over and over as he drove into her. With every thrust, the slayer’s hips rose to meet his and she breathed in rhythm with his chanted “love yous” so that she almost seemed to be echoing him.

When he felt her internal muscles trembling as they tightened around him, he shifted into vamp face and roared his pleasure as he exploded inside her. He fought his demon to a standstill as it struggled to renew the now-dormant claim. Throwing himself off Buffy with a growl, he tore himself away from her warm arms and fell onto the bed beside her, shaking with need.

“Spike? Wha...what’s the...Did I do something wrong?”

The hurt and insecurity in her voice as she turned toward him was enough to banish the demon instantly. He silently cursed Riley’s name for putting that insecurity back into the voice of the woman he’d spent the summer coaxing into reveling in her sexuality. As he rolled over to face her worried frown, the ridges faded and the fangs receded into his gums. He took her hand and brought it to his lips, kissing her open palm and inhaling her scent.

“I’m sorry, love. Nothing’s wrong. It’s just been so long, and you feel so amazing...I was havin’ trouble controllin’ the demon, is all. Didn’t want to bite you and start the whole soddin’ mess over again. Never want to be away from you that long, ever again.”

“Oh, ‘K, then,” she sighed with relief and snuggled into his reaching arms. “I thought maybe I hurt you or something...” she mumbled as an afterthought.

(Is that what happened the other night? She hurt the bloody wanker? Oh,that’s just too delicious.)

“Tell you a little secret about vampires, pet,” he said nuzzling her neck, “We like a little pain with our passion. Hurtin’ me is not something you ever need to worry your pretty little head about, love. You do whatever makes you feel good and let me worry about if it’s hurtin’ me.”

“Really?” she said with what sounded suspiciously like eagerness. She blushed and hid her head. “I mean, not that I would ever WANT to hurt you, because that would just be...weird, and perverted and—“

“And delicious fun if it’s done right,” the delighted vampire purred into her ear.

She peered up at him from under her hair, but saw nothing on his face but love and lust. There was no sign of rejection or revulsion and she sighed in relief.

“You don’t think I’m too rough, or--?”

Again, the vampire mentally cursed the unimaginative human that had the good fortune to share her bed and didn’t know what he had.

“Buffy, love, how long were we together this summer?”

“Um...I don’t know. Couple of months...every night?”

“Do you remember all the things we did together? The things I did to you – the things you did to me?” At her timid nod, he continued, warming to his subject, “Did any of those things feel weird or perverted? Did you ever hear me complain about what you wanted to do? Did I ever make you do anything you didn’t want to do?”

“Well, there was that time you wanted to...on top of the statue in front of the courthouse...” she ventured.

“I was drunk. Doesn’t count. And you know that’s not what I mean, anyway, don’t you?”

She nodded her head “yes” and relaxed back into his side. The vampire gently stroked her silky hair and whispered into her shell-like ear, “There is nothing wrong with anything two people do together as long as they both want to do it, and as long as it’s done with love and respect. Don’t ever be afraid to try something you want to with me. If you’re not sure, ask; just as I would ask you before I did anything I thought you might not like.”

“Says the man who ravished me in a public parking lot,” she said wryly.

“Hey!” he said indignantly, “You liked that!”

When she didn’t respond, he tilted her face up toward his and asked warily, “Didn’t you?”

“Of course, I did, you big baby. Don’t be so insecure.” She gave him a nudge and he relaxed, pulling her closer.

“Says the woman who worried I didn’t like the way she was shagging me,” he snarked back at her.

They rested in comfortable silence for several minutes, his arms around her and her fingers trailing abstract designs on his smooth chest. When her hand strayed down toward the nest of sandy colored curls at the bottom of his abdomen, he growled softly and his cock immediately stirred to life.

“I have an idea,” Buffy said softly.

“So do I,” he responded, pulling her on to his body so that she was stretched out along his length. He put his hands on the round globes of her ass and pulled her up so that he could put his cock between her thighs.

“That wasn’t my idea,” she said with a giggle.

“It wasn’t?” He couldn’t keep the disappointment from his voice. “Well that’s—mmmph.” He was cut off by warm, soft lips fastening on his and there was no conversation for several minutes while their tongues explored and tasted, stroking each other to moans and sighs.

When Buffy had to break for air, she took a minute to get her wind back, then said shyly, “If I asked you to do something, would you promise not to get all weird on me?”

His brows met in a puzzled frown.

“We just had this conversation, love. You can ask me anything. You know that.”

He tipped her chin up to make her meet his confused eyes.

“What could you possibly think I would get ‘weird’ about?”

“I want you to bite me,” she said so softly he wasn’t sure he heard her correctly. “I want you to claim me again.”

“Bloody, buggering, fuck!”

“See! I knew you’d be all wigged out.” Her lower lip came out in a pout.

“I am not ‘wigged out’. I just don’t know what’s wrong with you!”

“You think something’s wrong with me?”

(Shit. I have got to be the biggest wanker in the world)

Buffy was struggling against his arms, trying to get off him and away before he could see the tears starting in her eyes.

(I’m such a loser, even a vampire doesn’t want me.)

“No, no, baby. Stop it. Buffy, stop!” He clutched her arms so hard he knew he was leaving bruises, although the chip didn’t fire.

“Let me go! I’m sorry I said anything. I thought you wanted to... Let me go, Spike!”

He flipped them over on the bed, the better to use his weight to hold her still.

“Listen to me, love, please, Buffy. Let me explain.”

She stopped struggling, but her lower lip was quivering and the tears that had welled up in her eyes were glistening as she forced herself to look into his anguished face.

When she quit trying to throw him off, he relaxed his hold on her arms and breathed out in relief. Fixing his pleading eyes on hers, he willed her to believe what he had to say.

“I’m sorry, love. Thought I was better than that at handlin’ surprises, but I guess not.”

He blew out another unnecessary breath and tried to collect his thoughts so that he didn’t say something else to upset her.

“I just don’t think you understand what you’re askin’ for, love. When you ask me to claim you, you’re basically acceptin’ the claim. That’s a whole different kettle of fish from what we had a few weeks ago.

“I just spent the worst three weeks of my life trying to stay far enough away from you to erase that little bit of a claim because I thought it was hurtin’ you. And now you’re telling me you want me to do it again? How the hell did you think I was gonna react?”

“I thought it would make you happy,” she sniffled softly.

“If I thought you knew what you were askin’ for, it would make me –well, happy wouldn’t begin to describe it. But I’m not sure you do. A mutual claim, or even an accepted claim,” he hastily added as he realized she hadn’t said anything about claiming him, “is a very major commitment. It’s forever, Buffy. There’s no makin’ it go away by staying apart for awhile. We could be on different continents for fifty years and we’d still have that connection. We’d still be able to feel each other, no matter where we were.

“You’d be my mate for life, love. I don’t think you really want that, Slayer.”

His deliberate use of her title was a like cold shower on her heart and she sighed and closed her eyes.

“I’m not sure that I don’t want exactly that, Spike. Exactly how long do you think my life’s going to be? Aren’t you the one who told me all slayers come with an expiration date? What if my date is next Tuesday? And I could have spent the week feeling...feeling loved and safe...and—“

Spike’s growled, “Not gonna happen. Not next Tuesday. Not a thousand Tuesdays from now. I’ll be dust before I let anything happen to you. You’re gonna be the longest lived Slayer ever.”

His eyes blazed with the intensity of his emotion as he fought off the image of life without Buffy. Suddenly her request didn’t seem so bazaar as he realized how much better he could protect her if he had that connection between them.

“Your friends and your Watcher are gonna go bonkers, love. You know that, right?”

“They wouldn’t have to know right away, would they? If you bite me somewhere...”She blushed hotly. “Somewhere less visible. They wouldn’t have to know about it until they were ready to hear it.”

“And the toy soldier?” he asked flatly.

Her hand came up to stroke his cheek as she said with complete honesty, “I think that’s pretty much a no-go. Buffy and normal? Not so mixey. Tried it, didn’t like it.” She smiled up at him. “Seems like I need a little monster in my man.”

She opened her legs and he slipped between them, his cock already pushing at her damp warmth. Buffy wrapped both arms around his back and bought her legs up to wrap around his waist, effectively trapping him within her supernaturally strong limbs.

“And right now,” she added in a whisper, “I need a little of my man in Buffy.”

“How about all of your man, love?” he groaned as he filled her until he couldn’t go any deeper.

“That works, too.”

They rocked together for a while, then Buffy flexed and flipped them over. Rather than react with angry surprise as Riley had, Spike grinned up at her and said, “Baby wants to play, huh?”

Putting her hands on his shoulders, she moved her hips up and down, almost coming off his cock each time, then slamming back down onto him. By keeping her head down, she could watch herself rising and falling over him over and over, her speed increasing as the pressure increased within her. When Spike grabbed her hips and began pulling her into the position that let him hit her clit with every stroke, she sat back up and arched her back, moaning her pleasure to the ceiling.

When the moans turned to the whimpering gasps that meant she was about to come, the vampire suddenly pulled her off his cock and toward his face. Before she could complain about the loss of contact, he had sunk his fangs into her femoral artery and was pulling long, strong draughts of her blood into his mouth. As he did, he worked her already sensitive clit with his fingers until she spasmed against his face and screamed his name.

He released her hips and licked his marks as he whispered, “Mine.”

“Yours,” she whispered back as she slid down his body to rest against his chest.





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