Chapter 22. Classical Art
Buffy woke up just before dawn with a start, afraid the night before had been nothing but a dream only to find herself enfolded in her still sleeping mate’s embrace. She stayed there for a few minutes, basking in the wonderful feeling of being in his arms, of knowing this magnificent man was hers and she was his, before it became imperative for her to get up.
Slowly, careful not to wake him, she untangled from his arms and went to the bathroom to freshen up. Once done, she returned to the room picking up his shirt from where it lay on the floor and bringing it to her nose to smell his tantalizing aroma before putting it on. Earthy and powerful and so his, his scent surrounded her, making her body respond to it—to him—much to her surprise.
She was sore, pleasantly so, in all the right places. A soft, secret smile bloomed on her lips as she recalled exactly how it was that she’d come to be this tender. Spike had made love to her over and over again until their bodies surrendered to sleep a little while ago; he’d made her his in every sense of the word until her body hummed with pleasure with just one touch, one look, one kiss. And it seemed just one whiff of his masculinity was enough to get her worked up all over again, too. Not that she was complaining.
Not at all.
Stealing a glance at Spike and noticing he was still asleep, she walked to the French doors to witness the dawn rapidly approaching, soft tendrils of light starting to appear in the east, calling to her. She opened the door, stepping out onto the terrace, taken aback by the beauty of it all.
Scents, colors, sounds, tastes, everything seemed different now. More vivid, brighter, richer, fuller than ever before, almost as if she were experiencing it all for the first time… and perhaps she was.
She felt something changing inside her as soon as he’d claimed her, even more so once she completed the bond. She wasn’t the same woman anymore; she was his woman, his mate, it was only natural things wouldn’t remain the same. How they had changed exactly she wasn’t sure, the book hadn’t contained all that much information on the after effects of a vampire/human matings, other than her lifeline was now linked with his and, of course, she wouldn’t have it any other way.
Buffy was completely attuned to him, to whatever he was feeling. And it made their lovemaking even more passionate, more intense. With every rush, every shiver, every caress, she’d ‘felt’ his reaction as well as her own, heightening the experience in ways she never envisioned. Making her feel loved, complete, secure in the knowledge this was something only they shared and would continue sharing for as long as their forever would be.
The warmth of the new day enveloped her as the sun rose in the horizon to bathe everything in light. But despite its splendor, a deep sadness surged within her as she realized this was the one thing she might never share with him, with Spike.
Sighing dejectedly, she turned to go inside, gasping when she noticed the daylight had followed her through the door she’d carelessly left open, a small patch illuminating the alabaster skin of his chest.
Horrified that her thoughtlessness could cause him any pain and concerned over his well-being, she slammed the door shut before running to his side, tears spilling from her eyes as she tried to determine if he was alright, if he hadn’t been hurt by the sunlight. She couldn’t lose him, not like this, not now.
“Spike? William? Tell me you’re okay, please?” she pleaded, shaking his shoulder lightly to wake him, trying not to touch him anywhere else in case she hurt him even worse. To her untrained eyes, it appeared as if nothing was wrong, but she couldn’t be sure, unknowing as she was to the exact effect sunlight had on a vampire.
He was experiencing the most blissful dream, a dream in which he and Buffy were able to walk side by side in the sun. And bloody hell, it was so realistic he’d even felt the sun warming his flesh… until he was physically jerked from his peaceful slumber. He immediately heard his mate’s cries, sensed her sorrow coursing through their bond and instinctively reached out to grab the hand on his shoulder, pulling at it and causing Buffy to lose her balance and tumble onto the mattress beside him.
“Buffy? What’s the matter, love?” he asked, lazily opening his blue eyes to fix them upon her tearful face, his hand coming up to lightly caress her cheek. He tried to gauge what might have happened through their connection, but her thoughts were too jumbled, too tangled to really make any sense of them. That was enough to make him fully awake. “What’s wrong?”
“Are you alright?” He seemed to be, but was he really?
“Of course I am, why wouldn’ I be?” he replied, mystified by the way she was acting. “Did you have a nightmare, is that it?”
“N-no. It’s just—” She shook her head to clear it, she could feel him, could feel he was unharmed. But it couldn’t be, shouldn’t be, unless… “What happens when you come into contact with direct sunlight?”
“Why do you ask, love?” He tilted his head, his brow furrowed as he tried to understand why she was asking him such a question.
“Just… humor me, please?”
“Well, the one time my hand was directly exposed to it, my skin started to smoke and while I pulled it away as soon as I felt it, it still left me with a second degree burn. Why?”
“I-I,” she observed the unmarred expanse of his chest, hope growing inside her that her suspicions might be right before her eyes settled on his again. “Do you trust me?”
“With my life, you know that.” He was puzzled by her behavior, confused that he couldn’t really ‘read’ her since her moods kept changing before he had a chance to. But he became even more bewildered by what she did next.
Standing up swiftly—lest her courage abandoned her—she pulled him up and led him to the French doors, her heart beating so fast she felt almost dizzy. She wasn’t about to push him outside, it was just a little test to see if she was right. If she had changed, there was good reason to believe he had changed as well.
With a reassuring smile, she opened the door just a sliver, pulling his hand toward the otherwise deadly rays while holding her breath.
He resisted for only a second; every instinct, every fiber of his being rebelling against what she intended to do. But the way she was looking at him, the expectation shining in her emerald depths and the bubbly enthusiasm blending with her nervousness made it difficult for him to deny her anything she asked, even something that could potentially endanger him. He trusted her, though. There had to be something escaping his mental grasp, something she knew that he didn’t.
With a resigned sigh, he closed his eyes, allowing her to tug on his hand until he felt the warmth of the sun tickle his flesh, waiting for the moment in which his limb would start to char.
That moment never came.
What the hell? His eyes popped open in complete disbelief to observe the light bathing his skin, astonishment washing over his features when even more of his flesh came in contact with it when she opened the door a little more and still he wasn’t set ablaze.
“W-what? H-how?” he rasped, looking from his hand to her eyes and back again.
“I don’t know. I imagine it has something to do with the claim, though.” She led him out to the terrace, exhaling a relieved sigh when it was obvious he wouldn’t burn to ashes.
He followed her, still cautious, not quite certain this wasn’t a ploy designed by the PTB to mess with his unlife now that he finally had a reason other than art to exist for. After all, it wasn’t everyday a vampire found himself immune to daylight.
She looked so beautiful under the sun’s rays waiting for him to join her, even more so than he ever imagined, than he could ever have pictured. Luminous, radiant… effulgent. He’d been right when he saw her first across the room at the Royal Academy. He’d known even then that her inner glow would chase away the shadows that surrounded him; well, either that or burn him until he was dust. And she had done it. Because of her, he’d stepped out of the shadows into the light, into her light.
Buffy extended her hand towards him, melting against him when he pulled her into his embrace. She almost couldn’t believe it’d been only a handful of hours ago when her world had crumbled to pieces with his rejection and now… now she stood here, with him, lost in his azure gaze, drowning in him, the perfect rapture of his love washing over her, sharing something that just a few minutes ago seemed impossible. Something her love, their love had somehow made possible.
They stayed out on the terrace for a few more minutes, just enjoying each other’s company, basking in the rising sun until Buffy’s stomach rumbled; reminding him she never ate dinner the night before. With an indulgent smile, he insisted on a breakfast picnic by the lake, knowing if he suggested taking a shower together first, they’d never get out of the room. He put his pants on and accompanied her back to her room telling her he would pick her up in half an hour.
*~*~*~*~*~*
Exactly thirty minutes later, Spike knocked on her door. Vampiric speed truly came in handy, especially after spending at least twenty of those thirty minutes explaining to the Giles that no, he wasn’t insane or suicidal for wanting to picnic with his lady on the lake during the day. How could he be when he had everything he’d ever wished for?
Having Buffy in his life was a miracle all in itself, that she had accepted—actually instigated—to become his mate was a bloody revelation, a precious gift, but to be able to share with her something he thought he never could… to be able to walk in the sun, hand in hand with her, it was nothing short of divine, just like the dream he’d had this morning before she woke him.
Anne and Giles were ecstatic, or at least Anne had been, Giles still moping over the loss of his beloved Bentley until Spike promised he’d buy a new one… and would send the other back to the dealership to be repaired no matter the cost and when it was fixed, it would be a personal present to the chauffer.
He owed them both so much, more than he’d ever be able to pay them back for. If Anne hadn’t talked some sense into him the night before, if Giles hadn’t stalled Buffy from leaving until the last possible minute, if he had lost her because of his stubbornness…
“If, if, if… please, honey! You can’t spend the rest of our lives wondering what if, now can you?”
He blinked at Buffy. When had she opened the door and how had she… had he spoken aloud?
“That’s for me to know and for you to find out,” she responded mysteriously, winking at him, her eyes filled with mischief before she started walking towards the staircase.
Buffy was having too much fun with him being so obviously confounded to reveal the few things she’d learned during the half hour she spent alone in her room. After all, it would be so much better if he discovered them on his own.
“What do you—” he started, trailing after her but when he reached the staircase, she was already gone. Huh… strange, very strange.
*~*~*~*~*~*
“What took you so long?” Buffy asked with a raised eyebrow as soon as he crossed the threshold to the kitchen.
He knew there was something wrong with this picture. With her already sitting at the table, chatting animatedly with Anne as if she’d been waiting hours for him instead of just the minute or so it took him to snap out of his surprise and follow her. The problem lay in discovering what the hell wasn’t right with this picture.
Oh, he would find out. He might need a little more time to figure it out, but ultimately he would find out what it was. Of this he was sure.
Buffy shared a conspiring smile with Anne at Spike’s noticeable perplexity. He’d been so centered on all that was happening to him, he hadn’t focused on her yet. Not really, not in a way where he would realize he wasn’t the only one different. But he would… soon, very soon.
“Alright,” Anne said, closing the lid of the basket she’d set on the table. “Food is ready. Will you be back in time for lunch? Because if you are, I can prepare you someth—”
“No, Anne, don’ worry about us. You and Giles go visit your friend. Buffy and I will probably stay in the meadow until after sunset anyway.”
“Yeah, and I can fix us something later if we come back sooner.” Buffy grinned, feeling a lot more confident in her cooking skills than she really ever had before. She wasn’t as good as Anne, but with any luck she would find something in the refrigerator she could work with and not burn.
“Alright, but only if you two are sure. Giles and I can change our plans with Ethan for some other day if you need us.”
“And I already told you we won’t need you. I think we can survive for one day without you and judgin’ by how much this basket weighs, I think we could stay at the meadow for a week and not need for anythin’,” he said with a twinkle in his eye before leaning down to kiss Anne on the cheek. “Have fun, and don’ do anythin’ I wouldn’.”
Oh yes, Anne intended to have much fun today. She was not usually the kind to enjoy the sort of visit she and Rupert planned to indulge in with Ethan, but when he finally told her everything about what the big oaf had done to Buffy and the very fitting punishment he and his very good pal, Ethan, would exact on Riley, she’d insisted on participating as well. She couldn’t be blamed though, she loved Buffy like the daughter she never had and anyone who dared harm her family in any way would pay for it dearly. Mr. Finn was about to discover the darker side of Buffy’s extended family and she simply couldn’t wait.
“Well, that certainly leaves me a lot of room to play then, doesn’t it?” Anne responded, laughing heartily at Spike’s growl.
“Now, sweetie, be nice to Anne.” Buffy patted his arm condescendingly, winking at the older woman.
“Yes, sweetie, be nice with me and remember you made me a promise.”
“Like I could forget,” he grumbled. He definitely wasn’t looking forward to telling Buffy of Riley’s fate, but Anne was right, she deserved to know. Hopefully she wouldn’t care over what happened to the wanker.
*~*~*~*~*~*
“What a fantastic day! Birds singin', squirrels makin' lots of rotten little squirrels. Sun beamin’ down in a nice, non-fatal way. It's very excitin’. I can' wait to see if I freckle,” Spike said, a huge smile lighting his face as they strolled through the garden after deciding to just walk towards the lake.
“You’re adorable.”
“’M not adorable,” he mumbled, pouting slightly, looking every part the petulant toddler.
“Oh yes, you are.” She kissed his pout away, moaning when he banded his arms around her and pulled her flush to his body. “Mmmmm, much as I like this, before we continue, I want to know what you promised Anne to tell me.” She pushed away from him and sat on a stone bench patting the space next to her.
He looked at her dazedly. “How did you—”
“Anne told me.”
“’Course she did,” he sighed, knowing he had no other choice but tell her now. “Alright, I know when ’m defeated. You heard Anne and Rupert are visitin’ a friend today, didn’ you?” She nodded, looking at him curiously. “What you don’ know is that their friend is the director of Bedlam.” At her blank look, he continued, “I take it you haven’t heard of Bedlam?”
She shrugged nonchalantly. “Nope, sorry. Should I?”
“No, I guess it’s just not as known in America as it is here. Bedlam is a mental illnesses facility, love. It was sort of infamous due to the cruel treatments performed on their patients durin’ past times.”
“And what does that have to do with me?” She tilted her head to the side to study him.
“Nothin’, or well, I’ll let you be the judge of that. The thing is…” He swallowed nervously, he hadn’t anticipated telling her would be this hard. “It turns out the bloody pillock, er, Finn, ended up bein’… hmmm, taken there after that night. He was ravin’ about monsters and things that go bump in the night and it was determined he suffered from an, ahem, rare form of delirium tremens and will have to undergo treatment for it there… for an indefinite amount of time.”
“Aah, I see.” Not that she minded, knowing Riley would be locked up in some medieval torture hospital did wonders for her peace of mind. He could remain there forever for all she cared.
“Is that all you’re goin’ to say?” He was beyond stunned by her, well, lack of reaction. He’d expected her to be a lot less… accepting.
“Well, would you rather have me running to… Bedlam, was it?” He nodded. “And save Riley from what I hope will be a fate worse than death? Because right now. I’m not feeling all that charitable towards him. Not after what he did.”
“Not that ’m complainin’, but… I don’t understand.”
“I told you before, honey, but it seems you weren’t listening all that well to me,” she teased him. “There was only one monster in that room that night and it wasn’t you… it would never be you.” She kissed him lightly on the lips before standing up from the bench and starting walking backwards in the general direction to the lake. “You know, Mr. Wellington, I think I’m up for a little game of tag now.”
So, baby wants to play, does she? he smirked. “You know you can’ win agains’ me, love.” But even if she didn’t stand a chance, that didn’t mean it wouldn’t be fun. He loved a good chase, especially when she was the prey.
“Oh darling, I think you’re about to be very, very surprised,” she said before turning on her heel and taking off at breakneck speed.
“What the bleedin’ hell?” He shook his head to clear it. Of course, if he had changed, it was only logical she had as well.
“What, the itty bitty vampire can’t catch me now?” she mocked him from the edge of the garden. “You’re getting slow in your old age, honey.”
“I’ll show you who’s old, minx,” he muttered under his breath and grew even more astounded when she responded…
“Perhaps you will, if you ever caught me… but at the moment that doesn’t seem too likely, does it?” She loved goading him, seeing him obviously stunned as he discovered some of her newer… traits, was just too good for words.
“Now, that bloody does it! This is war,” he said before following her.
She ran off towards the meadow, her bubbly laughter filling the air as they played. He just about caught her a few times but she evaded every one of his efforts. Slippery little thing, isn’t she? he thought when she escaped from his grasp yet again.
There was something cathartic about playing like this. To be carefree and happy, like a child. He felt new, revitalized and perhaps it was because he was a new man now. A much different man than he was when he first met her. And it was all because of her.
Once they got to the lake, he dropped the picnic basket to the ground and began pursuing her in earnest, until he finally trapped her against a tree trunk.
“You were sayin’, love?” he purred in her ear, delighting in the shiver he felt running down her spine, the delicious aroma of her arousal wafting beneath his nostrils and making him painfully hard, even more so than their little game had.
“You only caught me because I let you,” she huffed good-naturedly, leaning against him. This was perfection. Being like this, with him… forever. And even that would never be long enough.
“Sure, Miss Summers. If you say so.” He grabbed her hand and led her to where he left the basket. “Now, what do you say to doin’ justice to the banquet Anne prepared for us and then we can see what other little surprises you have in store for me, hmmm?”
“It’s a deal, Mr. Wellington.”
~Fin~
m_ravensblood Art-Before-Fic Challenge entry:
Characters: Spike, Buffy, Any
Rating: R - NC-17
Season/Episode: (if specific) AU
Must Have:
1) Spike is a vampire, but Buffy is not a slayer.
2) Can be any time era past or present.
3) Spike must bite Buffy and she must want him to.
Can Have:
1) Buffy becoming a vampire.
2)
3)
Can’t Have:
1) Faith
2) Dawn
3) Spike or Buffy dying.
I think I actually met the requirements, even if it didn’t hit me until the lovely IBE returned this chapter to me and pointed it out, that this is the last chapter of the story.
I don’t know how I feel about it; right now I’m more thunderstruck I actually finished this story. Not that this is the end of this ‘verse because I have a few other scenes I want to write as an epilogue of sorts. I love the characters too much, to let them go completely, so I was thinking of writing a series of one-shots showing them in different situations throughout the years or something like that. So if you have any ideas you’d like me to explore contact me through the site and I’ll do my best to include them.
Again I want to thank each and every one of you who joined me in this story, be it right from the start, in the middle or now that it’s finished. You don’t know how much your support and your very kind words have meant to me.
Hugs,
Mari
[Reviews - 662]
-
Table of Contents [Report This]
Chapter or Story |
Chapter or Story | 
Chapter or Story
Has been viewed 5286 times
- Text Size +
-
Table of Contents [Report This]
Chapter or Story |
Chapter or Story | Chapter or Story - Text Size +
Author's Chapter Notes:
Thank you very much to everyone who reviewed the last chapter, I’m glad Spike and Buffy’s perfect night met up with your expectations. Un millón de gracias a mi hermanita, IBE, without her this story wouldn’t be what it is. I don’t have words to tell you how much you mean to me and how much I appreciate all your help with this story. Te amo, cariño. *besos* Thank you as well to the wonderful Deanna, Tammy, MarzBar and Sotia, all who in several occasions stepped into the plate to help me iron out details, edit or assure me what my muse had planned out was appropriate for the story. Really couldn’t have done it without your support, ladies. *snuggles*