Buffy zipped up her sweatshirt and glanced at the clock. It had gotten late fast. Of course, she thought with a smile, that happens when you spend the whole afternoon in bed. She reached for her hair brush and quickly pulled her hair back into a high ponytail. When they’d finally gotten up to answer their biological need for food Spike had been commandeered by Willow to help translate some spell. She’d been highly tempted to try and slip out for patrol while he was distracted and busy, but she’d resisted knowing that it was going to happen sooner or later and that she’d might as well get used to it. In a way, she acknowledged that her fears were silly. She had taken other people: Xander, Dawn, the potentials, on patrol before. They didn’t have super strength and realistically Spike had more knowledge and understanding. At the same time though she knew that with the others the worse thing that could happen was death and for Spike… she shivered and tried to put the thought of him trapped inside a body that was unable to heal itself aside. She reached for her boots.
Spike watched as she bent to pull them on and took a moment to enjoy the view. He smiled; his girl had a lovely ass. He refocused on her action and frowned slightly. “Pet?”
She turned. “Hmm?”
“Just wondering why you don’t wear tennies, I mean the heels are right sexy but…” He shrugged.
Buffy laughed softly and stood up. “Really don’t get women do you?”
Spike gave her an ‘isn’t it obvious’ look.
“It’s really not about being sexy, well sometimes it’s about being sexy, but mostly it’s about power.”
He looked skeptical.
“When I pull on these boots I feel ready to kick some baddie ass. It’s kind of…well it’s like you with that old duster.”
“Oi, the duster was very practical; leather can protect your skin from all sorts of nasty.”
She giggled and stepped closer, stretching up to kiss him. “I see.” She concurred with only a hint of condescension. She turned and walked over to the dresser. She picked up the stakes and walked back. “Besides…” she continued “…I’m short and most of what I fight isn’t; having a few extra inches is never a bad thing.”
Spike took the stake she handed him and frowned again. “Do you wish I was taller?”
Buffy gave him an odd look. “No.” She shook her head. This new insecure Spike was going to take some getting used to. She didn’t mind. In fact, she found it pretty endearing, but it was definitely an adjustment after getting used to his typically arrogant self.
He looked away. “Angel was tall.” He said in a small voice.
“I don’t want you to be Angel. I want you be you.” She said it firmly. “Besides we just established that I’m short, why would I want your mouth to be even harder to reach?” She leaned into him and kissed him hard to illustrate her point.
“Fair point luv.” He nodded. “Might need you to show me that a few more times.”
“I think that can be arranged.”
He pulled her closer, fitting her body to his and deepened the kiss. She pulled away a few moments later.
“Later. Patrol now. Kiss later.”
He gave her a long suffering look but nodded and followed her down the stairs.
Buffy smiled when she found her two friends both still set up with books and notes in the living room. Their work looked dreadfully boring to her but they both had small smiles on their faces.
Willow looked up at Buffy when she came in. “Hey, you off to do some patrolling action?”
“Yep, vampires of London beware.”
“Did you want a little back up? I can run upstairs and be ready in a jiffy.”
“That’s okay Will; I’ve got back up.” She gestured towards Spike.
Willow’s eyes widened. “Oh...good.” She nodded but reached out to Buffy’s mind to talk at the same time. ‘Really, I thought you were kinda freaked about him getting hurt?”
Buffy focused on answering Willow’s question in her head without changing her facial expression. ‘He’s an adult who can make his own choices?’ Her mind-voice took on a pleading tone.
‘Oh so it’s killing you then?’ Willow’s response was followed with the sound of a soft laugh.
‘Little bit.’ Buffy confirmed. ‘I’m trying to do things right this time.’ She explained briefly, knowing that Willow would understand; they’d spent plenty of time discussing what went wrong with Buffy’s relationships.
‘I was just surprised sweetie; I think it’s a good idea. You’ll have to be careful though, he probably has no idea how fast or strong he is as a human. He needs to get used to the change before he can fight.’ Maybe, Willow amended to herself, or maybe not. She was working on something, but she wasn’t ready to share just yet. Well, not so much working on as trying to figure something out, she thought with a smile. She had a feeling things were going to get even more interesting around here.
Buffy was about to answer when Spike spoke. “I do know that you’re doing that whole telepathic chatter thing about me; I’m not an idiot.”
Willow and Buffy looked sheepish and Giles bit his lip to keep from laughing. Though he wasn’t sure which he found funnier, Spike’s assertion of intelligence or his seeing through the girls’ plan to leave him out of the conversation.
Buffy looked back towards Spike. “Are you ready?”
“Born ready baby.”
She rolled her eyes and they headed out.
They walked quickly to the cemetery that Buffy and Giles had scouted out earlier. “There is definitely a whole nest up there.” Buffy pointed toward a mausoleum. “We saw signs earlier but it was shut solid so aside from blowing a huge chunk out of the place…” She trailed off thinking that since they’d made the whole of Sunnydale a crater, she’d been a bit more hesitant to cause property damage.
Spike nodded. “So we just wait for them to come out to feed.”
“Yep.” Buffy looked up at him, smiled warmly and bit her lip. “I know you want to help, but we don’t…”
Spike cut her off. “I don’t know how to fight as a human. I know. I’ll play at watcher tonight; stay out of the way unless you get in trouble.”
Buffy nodded gratefully.
“But I’m not saying that’ll be the way of it for always. I can learn how to fight as a human Buffy.”
Buffy nodded again. “I know.” She leaned up to kiss him. It was too hard not to when he had that determined expression on.
A moment later he pulled back and both their heads turned towards the sound of rustling and talking coming from a small forested area to the side of the mausoleum.
“They must have gone out earlier; they’re already heading back.”
Spike nodded though Buffy’s eyes were focused on the woods. He tried to figure out how many vamps were headed their way. Three, he thought with a relieved smile, she can handle three. He edged off to the side a bit to blend in with the shadows, but stayed close enough to enjoy the show. He loved watching her fight. She was such a perfect blend of grace and fury, technique and style.
Buffy took out the first one before any of the vamps had even realized she was there. A quick stake to the heart left her a pile of dust and two startled and angry vampires to go. These two were pretty young, she thought, kicking one to the side and focusing on a rapid exchange of blows with the second.
“Who are you?” Vampire Two demanded.
Buffy edited her thoughts; they weren’t just young. These two must be infants if they didn’t know what a slayer was these days; they hadn’t exactly been keeping a low profile. “Oh I’m just a girl.” She responded while kicking one to the ground and pressing her foot into his neck. She reached for her stake. “A girl who is kicking your ass, but just a girl.” She pressed the stake through his chest and twirled to toss off the vamp who’d try to grab her from behind. She was having fun.
Spike grinned as he watched his girl dust the second. She was playing a bit, getting out some of her frustration. A part of him wanted to join her, but the watching was enough for tonight. Just a girl my ass, he thought with a shake of his head, she was simply the most amazing woman he’d ever seen. And, his heart sang, she wanted him.
“I’m impressed.” She told the last vamp.
He looked surprised and ducked her right hook. “Really?”
“Yeah, most of the time you guys run once I kill all your friends. You must be really brave…or you know really stupid.”
Angered by her taunt, the final vamp fell easily into her trap and quickly met a dusty end.
Spike gave her a short round of applause. “Gorgeous luv, though they didn’t exactly make the race proud did they?”
“No right? And they made me feel all old.”
“Come again.”
“The vamps never used to look younger than me, but lately…”
“Lately you look even more beautiful.”
Buffy tried to roll her eyes but gave in instead to the temptation to kiss him. “You have to say that because you’re my boyfriend.”
“Damn right.” He pulled her closer and tugged her earlobe between his lips.
She moaned softly when he kissed her neck pulling gently on her pulse point.
He knew that even though it hadn’t been much of a workout the excitement had her heart racing. He knew it, even though he could no longer hear her heart and smell the blood racing through her veins. He knew it simply because he knew her. He also knew that it was a rare day indeed when she admitted to finding slaying fun, that she usually claimed it was just her job. He knew she was usually lying. Her denial alternately frustrated and delighted him, which was a clear sign of how much he loved her.
Buffy gasped when he slid his hands up under the back of her shirt and shivered slightly as his air-cooled hands ran along her warm skin. A small part of her reveled in the familiarity of the sensation; she had always enjoyed the coolness of his skin when she hers was warmed from a fight.
He pulled her closer and claimed her lips again; pondering the possibility that she would give the go ahead for a go around right there. It didn’t happen often but it had happened and Spike was thinking tonight was a lovely time for a replay. He reached up to pull the band out of her hand and then froze. His head swung towards the trees. “There’s another one.”
Buffy’s desire-clouded gaze quickly cleared. She followed his line of sight but saw nothing. “Did you hear something?”
When he didn’t respond she turned her head to look at him. “Spike? I don’t see…”
“Shh; focus pet.”
Buffy was irritated by his bossiness but followed the direction anyway. She pushed away all other thoughts and intrusions and focused on her innate ability to sense a vampire’s presence. He was right; it was there- a quiet inner vibration that said “vampire”. She reached for the stake in her back pocket and took off towards the woods.
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