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A/N April is the girl with the grammar, I just work here

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Bored, bored, bored. How the hell the slayer didn't go completely out of her tree patrolling in sunny California was beyond him. Two. Two measly fledglings, that's all they'd managed to find. With slayers in every population centre on the planet, you had to head out into the country to get any real action. In the rain forests of Brazil there was plenty of demon activity, but here, bored, bored, bored.

Or at least he would have been if he hadn't been walking next to Buffy Summers. Not that the conversation has been particularly scintillating. Mainly they've talked shop. Apparently, some slayers have showed signs of slowing the disease with the regular extraction of blood, but the prognosis for most is still not good. Still it has apparently given Giles and Willow somewhere to begin, and they are making some progress researching ancient African blood magic. But it’s nice to be out alone with her. They've hardly had a moment alone since their brief talk on the day he arrived—not with Angel shadowing her every move.

There are things he wants to say to her, things he wants to ask. He wants to know what she plans to do with the life he's given her, if his gift to her is making her as happy as he wants her to be. Despite himself, he wants to know if she still cares about him, if she really is as jealous of Carlotta as the looks he's caught her shooting his new girlfriend suggest. But the conversation is easy and the company pleasant, and if they are to be friends now there is no point in digging up the past. So he walks beside her, toys with a couple of fledglings with her and just enjoys being her friend.

Then all of a sudden she's done it; she's changed the rules. Maybe she hasn't even realised she's done it, but she has. Stopping abruptly, she turns to him and grins mischievously. "I'm bored," she announces. "Wanna fight?"

And so now they’re fighting, trading kicks and punches, friendly jibes and good-natured banter all across the empty cemetery. And he can't think of anything he'd rather be doing at this moment. She catches him on the jaw with a sweet hook that sends him stumbling to the side, and grins unrepentantly at him as he spits blood on the ground. And he can't resist it—oh, he knows he shouldn't get sucked in; they’re just sparring, just friends working out some energy with a bit of sparring, but he can't resist it. "Baby," he drawls as he turns to her, "that wasn't nice. Looks like there's a little girl here that needs to be taught a lesson." And he shouldn't have laced the words with innuendo or let his eyes run salaciously over her body, but it was she who invited him to dance, and these are the only steps he knows.

She is only surprised for a moment, her pretty green eyes widening for an instant, then she purses her lips and sets her expression to defiance. "You think you got what it takes, vampire?" Her voice is harsh and challenging but her eyes tell him that this is a game and he understands that she has missed this, missed the real challenge of facing a worthy opponent one-on-one in the night. Perhaps that is why she patrols alone, perhaps she is just hoping for someone closely resembling the Spike who first strolled into Sunnyhell to swagger into her line of fire.

"Oh yeah," he drawls, and this is some strange role-play in which they are actors playing the parts of themselves "I done a couple of slayers in my time." He takes a step towards her, biting his lip and looking up through his lashes, coy and evil all at once. It’s one of his best looks; hasn't had a chance to use it for a while.

She doesn't respond but her eyes are drawn to his mouth, and for an instant she seems distracted. Then she announces that she is back in the game with a lightning-fast kick to his stomach that has him doubling over in exaggerated pain. She should know better, but perhaps she is out of practice, and she closes too quickly, seeing an opening that is not really there, and is thrown hard into a nearby crypt for her error.

"Slayer." He covers his concern with crowing scorn. "Looks like someone's losing her touch." Okay, let's see how she does when she's pissed off. "Getting sloppy in your old age?" Her head snaps up at that, shocked offence in her eyes. "Perhaps you should think about retiring, 'cos honestly, the strain’s starting to show."

Oh, she's pissed now, and her attack is sloppy in her anger. A few simple blocks and he has his opening, a well-placed uppercut and she hits the ground with a moan. He is on her instantly, game face slipping into place as he descends on her, straddling her hips to pin her body beneath his as he mimes a bite to her neck. "Got ya," he whispers into her ear before pulling back victoriously to look at her face. He feels his smile fade along with his fangs when he meets her eyes, huge, green and unreadably intense.

Their faces are inches apart and he has her hands pinned above her head; her curved hips are pressing into his thighs and it has been so long since he held her. She has been nothing more than a memory and a dream for so long that he is frozen by her sudden reality. "Spike." She whispers his name and her breath is warm against his lips. Her eyes watch his carefully and he is caught up in her gaze and then she moves. No she can't be, oh God yes she is; she is moving her head slowly upwards, bringing her mouth even closer to his, all the while watching his eyes.

Her eyes fall shut and there is nothing he can do but mimic her actions and then her lips are warm and sweet against his. Buffy is kissing him and he can't even respond because he is too shocked, because this is over and she can't possibly be kissing him. Her tongue tentatively brushes against his lips and he can't help but part them and let her in, can't help but answer the slight movements of her lips as she coaxes him gently into the kiss.

It is only moments, but it could just as easily have been hours, before his mind rails against the wrongness of it. She is not his girl. She is happy here in the Californian sunshine, living out her dream with the love of her life. She must be because he has given up so much so that she could be. He has sacrificed everything, given up the one thing that was ever truly his so that she could have her perfect life, and that does not involve snogging vampires in deserted graveyards behind her boyfriend's back.

He is off her as fast as his unnatural speed will allow, staring down at her where she lies flushed and breathless on the ground. She is up almost as quickly, brushing herself off. Face flaming, mortification in every flustered movement as she begins her babbled apology. Looking anywhere and everywhere other than at him. "Oh God. Oh God, I'm sorry." She runs her hands through her hair in agitation. "Oh, God, Spike, I am so sorry. I don't know what came over me. I—oh, God."

Right, damage control. This is okay; this can be fixed. "Buffy." She freezes at the sound of her name and looks warily at him, and there is so much fear in her eyes. He knows where the fear comes from, knows exactly what must be going through her mind: that he will try to use this against her, use it to disrupt her perfect life with Angel and bring her back under his power. She could not be more wrong. He will never exert his will on her again. He knows now what he is to Buffy, and, more importantly, what he is not. He has already made this choice; over a year ago in Los Angeles, he made this choice.

"It's okay," he reassures her softly. "Just a bit of sparring got outta hand is all. That and you being all glad that old Spike's not as dead as you thought. That's all. Nothing happened here, pet." He studies her intently, trying to make her understand that she is absolved of this. "Come on, let's head back."


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A/N Big thanks to theusual review suspects.

Pin - Thnaks :) glad you're enjoying it, I think Dawn and Carlotta have simpler outlooks, not so much with the defensiveness and angst. Buffy is trying out a new sort of denial, this is pretend to be happy denial as aooposed to kick it in the head denial

I'm sorry CordyKitten, hope this little kiss helps ease your pain.

Enchantress - Not back together exactly but a little bit of kissy kissy. Glad you like xx

We all kinda want Spiike to have someone perfect and kind don't we vamps? But what we really want is for him to have an improved Buffy, so I'm trying to improve her and make her nicer

Welcome oh lady of spike, walking in the sun? he's all shanshu'd silly (made human if you don't watch angel) thanks for reviewing xxx

Love and kisses to all





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