Chapter 1

“Thanks, Riley; I had a great time tonight.” She closed the door before he could get another word in, resting her head against it.

“I take it things didn’t go so well,” Willow wondered.

Buffy shook her head, sitting down on her bed. “It really didn’t. I’m running out of places I can touch him. The sparkage just isn’t there.”

“Why are you trying to force it, Buffy? If you don’t really like the guy, then you should just tell him. Leading him on like this isn’t good for either of you.”

The blonde nodded. “I know that, but I don’t want to hurt his feelings. Riley really is a sweet guy, I want to like him. You know, have that normal relationship that I’ve heard so much about.”

Willow agreed. “Yeah, but if you don’t like him, then you don’t like him. There are other guys out there.”

Buffy glanced away from her friend’s gaze, knowing there was really only one guy she was interested in, but didn’t exactly know how to tell anyone about him. She went to grab her jewelry box to place her bracelet inside, but accidentally knocked it to the floor, causing everything to spill out.

Willow bent down to help Buffy pick them up, raising her eyebrows when she noticed a familiar ring and held it up for the blonde to see.

Buffy’s eyes widened. “How did that get in there?”

Willow wasn’t convinced. “Isn’t this the cheap ring that Spike gave to you during the spell?”

“I could have gotten that ring from anywhere. They have them in cracker jack boxes.”

Willow gave Buffy her infamous resolve face.

She let out a sigh. “Fine, yes, that’s the one Spike gave to me. I just haven’t gotten around to returning it yet.”

Willow placed the ring back inside the box. “You do know he probably won’t even care to get it back, right?”

Buffy shrugged and looked down. “I just wasn’t ready to part with it.”

Willow gazed into her friend’s eyes, then glanced down at the ring she was now holding protectively in her hand. It all became perfectly clear. “Oh, Goddess, is that why things aren’t working out with Riley? You have feelings for Spike?”

Buffy was tired of denying it. “It’s more than that, Will.” She took a deep breath before blurting out the rest. “I’m in love with him.”

If it was possible, her eyes got even wider at that. “This is all my fault, isn’t it? If it wasn’t for that stupid spell, you might not even be thinking of Spike right now. I’m so sorry, Buffy.”

She shook her head. “It’s not your fault; the spell didn’t make me fall for him. You said nothing about love in it. This is something that has been there for a while now, your spell just made me realize it. I find myself thinking about him all the time. I don’t know what to do.”

Willow patted her friend on the back. “Maybe you should tell him how you feel.”

Buffy laughed humorlessly. “I can’t do that, you saw the way he acted when the spell ended. He can’t even stand me. The last thing I need is another rejection.”

“Yeah, I saw the way he acted, but I also saw the way you acted. You both seemed to be pretty repulsed once you realized that you were kissing each other. If it was only an act for you, then maybe it was the same for him.”

Buffy shook her head. “He’s not that good an actor. I just don’t think I’m ready to tell him.”

Willow nodded and decided to leave it at that. Buffy would come around in her own time, and Willow was going to support any decision that she made.


* * * * *


“I’m really not in the mood for the Bronze tonight.”

Willow wouldn’t have that and dragged her friend further into the club. “Come on, Buffy. You need some fun, and maybe Spike will show up.”

That perked her up a little, but still didn’t know what she would say to him when she saw him.

They spent the next hour trying to talk over the music, while Xander and Anya were out on the dance floor.

Two guys came over to ask Willow to dance, while ignoring Buffy, but she turned them both down, not wanting to leave her friend there alone.

“Do I have something gross on my face? You should go out there and dance, Will. Don’t stay here just because of me; one of us should be having fun.”

Willow gave Buffy’s hand a squeeze. “They’re not important; I’d rather be here with you.”

Buffy knew her friend was a terrible liar, but was grateful for that.

A huge smile formed on Willow’s face. “Spike’s at the bar, he seems to be alone. You should go talk to him.”

Buffy turned around to notice that she was right, feeling her mouth dry up at the sight of him. How did she never notice just how gorgeous he was before? Scratch that, she always noticed, but never let herself accept it. She nodded and stood up, taking a deep breath before heading in his direction. “Okay, I can do this. It’s just Spike, you talk to him all the time. Well, you beat him all the time, this is no different. Great, now I’m talking to myself,” she silently cursed and continued to walk over to him, stopping when she noticed that he wasn’t as alone as Willow thought. A pretty brunette had her arm around Spike as she whispered something in his ear; he gave her a charming smile in return. Buffy felt her heart ache at the look on his face, knowing that he would never look at her like that. She turned and ran in the opposite direction, needing to get out of there before he took notice of her and made her feel even worse.

Willow was confused at Buffy’s departure, looking back over at Spike to notice the other girl that now had his attention. She glared at his back and stomped over to them. Without giving much thought to her actions, she smacked Spike hard across the head and followed after Buffy.

“Bloody hell, what was that for?” he called after her, but she was already gone. Spike then focused back on Bridget, or was it Bernice? He couldn’t find it in him to care, only coming to the Bronze in the first place to drown his sorrows. The chit couldn’t take a hint that he really wasn’t interested, but he didn’t want to be rude to her, for once. She carried on about something that he could care less about, his thoughts once again returning to a certain blonde Slayer that he had yet to get out of his mind.

Chapter 2

Willow found Buffy crying when she got back to the dorm, never seeing her friend take something so hard before, not even when Angel left.

“It’s okay, Buffy. Maybe it wasn’t what you thought.”

She glanced up at the red head, wiping her eyes hastily. “How can it be anything else? You saw that girl. She was so pretty, and with the way he looked at her, how could I ever compete with that?”

Willow sat down next to her, rubbing her back in comfort. “If it makes you feel any better, I hit him.”

That brought a small smile to Buffy’s face. “It does…a little.” An idea suddenly formed in her head. “Maybe you could do another spell, to make these feelings go away.”

Willow didn’t like that idea. “I don’t know, Buffy. I think I’ve done enough with my last one. This isn’t something I can just make go away.”

“You have to do something; I can’t keep feeling like this. Every time I see him, it’s like I can’t breathe. My heart beats so fast, I feel like it might break out of my chest. How can I feel so much for someone that isn’t Angel? What’s wrong with me, Willow?”

She shrugged. “Nothing, it just sounds like you’re in love.”

Buffy took in a deep breath. “Do you think there’s a chance I could still be under that spell? Maybe these are the side effects or something.”

Willow shook her head. “The spell is completely gone, Buffy. This is all you.”

She threw herself down on the bed. “This is so not fair. Why am I the only one going through it? Shouldn’t he be having the same problem? I bet Spike is back in his crypt right now with that slut, enjoying his unlife and not giving me a second thought.”


* * * * *


Spike growled and crumbled up another sheet of paper, throwing it to the ground.

“Bloody wanker, writing poetry for a girl that doesn’t even know you exist. I have officially lost my sodding mind. I should have taken that bint up on her offer, given her a proper shag, get the bloody Slayer out of my head. Stupid witch and her hocus pocus; this is all her bloody fault.” He ripped another paper to shreds the second he actually wrote the word effulgent, throwing the pieces to the ground and stepping on them. “I need to kill something.”


* * * * *


Buffy twirled her stake, silently begging a vampire to show up. She needed a good staking to take her mind off of things. Buffy stopped when she got her wish, but it wasn’t the vampire she was expecting.

“Slayer, I wasn’t expecting to find you out here.”

She put the stake back in her pocket. “It’s a cemetery, I’m patrolling, where else would I be?”

He shrugged, lighting up a cigarette and taking a long drag from it. “Good point, so, where’s the boy scout tonight?”

Buffy was so mesmerized by the sight of him that she almost didn’t hear his question. “Who, Riley? He’s probably out with his friends. We don’t spend all our time together, you know. Only been out on a few dates, it’s not even that serious.”

Spike held his hands up. “All right, whatever you say.”

“What about that chick you were all over last night?”

It took him a moment to realize what she was talking about. “Oh, yeah, she left a couple of hours ago. Girl could hardly walk after the shagging I gave her.” Spike didn’t know where that came from, but for some reason, he didn’t want her to think that he was spending all his time alone.

Buffy could feel the ache in her chest get bigger, wishing that the ground would just open up and swallow her, but tried to act like she didn’t care. “I’m surprised you left her alive. She didn’t seem to be your type, but you did date Harmony. I guess anything would be a step up after that.”

“Why do you even care, Slayer? I didn’t even know you were there last night. Keeping tabs on me, are you?”

She scoffed. “Please, I could care less about what you do. As long as you’re not killing anyone in my town, you can do whatever you want.”

He glared at her. “Fine, I’ll be sure to keep that in mind.” Spike could tell that she was angry, but he still didn’t understand why. Her chest was heaving, and she looked so fucking beautiful. All he wanted to do was take her in his arms and prove to her that the other woman meant nothing to him, but he couldn’t manage to get his feet to move. Instead, he thought of something else to say, anything to keep her from leaving. “I want my ring back.” Spike silently cursed himself for being such a ponce. Anything would have been better than that.

Buffy’s eyes widened. “You…You want the ring back? But it’s a piece of crap, why do you care about getting it back? Besides, I threw it out, like I would have actually kept that around. The last thing I need is a reminder of that horrible spell.” She pretended to shudder, hoping that he would buy it.

Spike clenched his fists at his side. “You think I want a reminder, either? I just wanted it back so your little witch wouldn’t have access to anything of mine. There’s no telling when she’ll get spell happy again, Lord knows what disgusting thing she would have me do next.”

Buffy would not cry in front of him. She wouldn’t give him the satisfaction, instead holding her head up high. “You don’t have to worry about that, it’s long gone.”

He nodded. “Good, that’s all I needed to know. I’ll just be off now.”

She watched him leave with a heavy heart. Buffy then grasped the chain around her neck, slipping it out of her shirt to gaze at the ring dangling from it. The tears wouldn’t stop after that.


* * * * *


Spike kicked a nearby tombstone, feeling like a fool for ever thinking she had any feelings for him. If he didn’t have the bloody chip in his head, he would really make her think twice about talking back to him. He would make her remember exactly who he was. William the Bloody, Slayer of Slayers. Spike shuddered at just the thought of it, knowing that he would never be able to hurt her. Chip or no chip, he was too far gone. That spell opened up his eyes to the sweetness and caring nature of Buffy Summers. One way or another, he was going to get that Buffy back. Spike didn’t care if he had to chain her up to do it, but he was going to make her listen to him. There was something between them. It wasn’t pretty, but it was real. He knew that he couldn’t be the only one who felt it. Spike would get her to admit it, even if he ended up with a stake through his heart.

Chapter 3

“I want a word with you.”

Spike was pulled out of slumber by the banging of his crypt door, groaning when he immediately thought it was the Slayer, but the voice was different. “Come to hit me again?”

Willow rolled her eyes. “I’m just here to talk.” She glanced around, seeing the crumbled up papers on the floor, but it was the picture of Buffy on top of the TV that really had her attention. “I knew it. You so have feelings for her, too.”

Spike sat up, giving her a glare. “What are you on about? And can’t a bloke have any privacy?”

She turned around to let him get dressed; looking back at him once he was finished. “I’m gonna tell you to do something and you’re going to think it’s crazy, but don’t ask any questions. Just go with me on it. Buffy’s at the dorm sulking right now, probably bound to be there all day. When it’s dark, I want you to go over there and ask her out on a date.”

He raised his eyebrows, then burst into laughter. “That’s a good one, Red. Why the bloody hell would I stoop so low as to ask the Slayer out on a date?”

“You’re not fooling anyone, Spike. I know you have feelings for Buffy, and I told you not to ask any questions. You see this look on my face, you know what it means.”

Spike let out a sigh. “All right, let’s say you’re not completely crazy, wouldn’t me going to the Slayer’s dorm to ask her out get me a punch in the nose?”

Willow shook her head. “I think you’re safe, I’ll make myself scarce tonight. You better show up.” And with her resolve face firmly in place, she made her way out of the crypt.


* * * * *


Buffy lay in bed, staring at the ring that she still wore around her neck. She put it back inside her shirt when there was a knock on the door, getting up to answer it, completely shocked to see Spike standing on the other side. Buffy looked him over, noticing that he was without his duster for a change.

“What are you doing here?”

Spike rubbed the back of his neck, hoping the witch was right about that punch in the nose. “This may sound completely insane, but I’m actually here to ask you out.”

Her eyes widened. “You’re asking me out, like on a date?”

Spike was surprised by the enthusiasm seeping in her voice. “Yeah, I guess you can say that. I was thinking maybe for tomorrow night, if you’re not doing anything.”

Buffy shook her head, but tried to take it down a notch, not wanting him to think she was too eager. “I don’t really have any plans.”

He nodded. “Okay, I’ll pick you up here around seven or so.”

She nodded as well. “Sounds good to me.”

Spike didn’t know what to say after that, instead taking a risk and placing a kiss on her cheek, then walked away before she could say anything.

Buffy touched the spot where he kissed her, closing the door and letting out a squeal as she flung herself back down on her bed. She felt like a high school girl that just got asked out by the most popular guy in school.

Willow walked in, trying to act as if she didn’t know that Spike was just there.

Buffy instantly sat up. “You’re not going to believe what just happened.”

“I saw Spike leave, why was he here?”

Buffy smiled. “He actually asked me out. I don’t know why he suddenly seems to be interested in me.”

Willow tried to hide her smile, but Buffy was able to catch it.

“Oh, no, does this have something to do with you?”

Willow shrugged. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

She threw her hands up in the air. “You talked to him, didn’t you? God, did you threaten him if he didn’t ask me out?”

Willow shook her head. “There were no threats; I may have just pushed him in the right direction. Spike didn’t have to ask you out, Buffy. That was all his choice.”

“Do you think he really likes me?” she asked in a small voice.

Willow patted her friend on the back. “I think he’s crazy about you. How could he not be?”

Buffy started to feel a little better, praying that her friend was right.


* * * * *


“I have nothing to wear.”

Willow rolled her eyes for what felt like the millionth time. “The last outfit you had on was fine. Spike will like you in anything, anyway.”

Buffy nodded and got changed really fast, just as a knock sounded on the door. She had a fluttery feeling in her stomach, taking a deep breath as Willow went to answer.

“Wow, Spike, you clean up nice.”

Buffy had to agree. She never thought to actually prefer him without the duster, and he was wearing a blue shirt that brought out the color in his eyes.

Willow pushed Buffy over to him. “Well, you two have fun tonight; don’t keep her out too late.”

Spike would have laughed at the whole situation, but the vision before him made it impossible. He then showed her the flowers he had behind his back. “These are for you. I bought them, with actual money. Just so you know.”

Buffy smiled and took the flowers from him. “Thank you, they’re beautiful.”

Willow took them from her. “I’ll just put these in some water.”

Buffy followed Spike out of the room. “Does this feel weird to you?”

He sighed in relief. “You have no idea, I’m just glad to not be the only one feeling it.”

She took his hand in hers, giving it a squeeze.

Spike felt that his heart might start to beat for the first time in over a hundred years, just from that one gesture.


* * * * *


Buffy was in awe at the restaurant he took her to, not expecting something so extravagant from Spike.

“I come here a lot; the owner is an old friend. I saved his life once, and he lets me come here whenever I want, free of charge.”

Buffy wasn’t expecting that. “You saved someone’s life when you were evil?”

He gave her a grin. “I still am evil, love.”

She nodded. “Right, of course.”

Spike led her to his usual table, pulling the chair out for her.

Buffy sat down and glanced around at her surroundings.

“Spike, my boy, it’s good to see you.”

He stood up and embraced the man that came over to them. “The feeling’s mutual, Antonio.”

“And who is this lovely creature?” he asked, staring at Buffy.

She blushed under his gaze.

Spike smiled and sat back down. “This is Buffy, isn’t she adorable when she does that?”

If it was possible, she blushed even harder.

Antonio agreed. “As usual, everything is on the house. I hope you enjoy.”

Spike turned back to Buffy once he was gone, tilting her face up to look at him. “You don’t have to hide from me.”

Buffy nodded and gave him a somewhat shy smile. “There’s something I need to know. Did you really want to ask me out, or did you only do it because Willow told you to?”

Spike leaned back in his chair. “You should know by now that I don’t do anything I’m told. Not unless I really wanted to. The truth is I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you since that spell.”

Her eyes widened. “Really? I haven’t been able to, either. I figured I was alone in that, though.”

He shook his head. “That girl I was with the other day didn’t mean anything to me. I didn’t really take her back to my crypt; I don’t know why I said that.”

Buffy felt relieved to hear that. “I lied, too. I didn’t get rid of the ring.” She pulled the chain out of her shirt to show him the ring dangling from it. “It was the only thing that I had of you. I just couldn’t part with it.”

Spike was touched, never thinking that she would have actually kept it. And knowing that she wore it as a necklace, close to her heart, meant so much more to him. “You can feel free to keep it, pet. I didn’t really want it back. Maybe one of these days, I’ll get you something nicer.” He took a risk like she did earlier, grasping her hand that lay across the table and giving it a squeeze. Spike couldn’t be happier with the way things were turning out. Although he felt a bit disappointed that the chains weren’t needed.

Chapter 4

They walked along the beach, hand in hand. The whole night still a bit surreal to them, but knowing they wouldn’t have it any other way.

Buffy felt disappointed when he brought her back to the dorm, wanting the night to last a while longer. She could get caught up in it all she liked, but come tomorrow, reality would surface once again. A world where she was the Slayer, the one girl chosen to slay vampires, and who was currently holding the hand of one. Willow may understand her new relationship with Spike, but the rest of her friends wouldn’t be as easily swayed, not after her disastrous relationship with Angel.

Spike gave her hand a squeeze, with a promise they would go out again and a soft caress on her lips, before he walked away.

Buffy was relieved to see that Willow was already passed out when she entered the room, not up to explaining her date just yet. She wanted a bit longer to bask in it before reality came crashing down on her.


* * * * *


She was still on cloud nine a few nights later. It had been exactly a week since her first date with Spike, and they spent every night with each other since then, in secret. Willow was the only one who knew about them, and Buffy wasn’t sure how much longer that could last. She was now sitting at the Bronze, glancing around at all the happy couples. A sadness formed in her gut, hating the fact that she had a boyfriend for once, but couldn’t exactly broadcast it like everyone else. It was times like this that she would give anything to be a regular girl, one that didn’t have to hide who she was with. A thought suddenly occurred to her. Why should she have to hide her relationship? Buffy wasn’t a child anymore, she was capable of making her own decisions. Who was anyone to tell her otherwise? Her friends certainly haven’t made the best choices in their lives lately, and she’d never once judged them. Xander was dating an ex-vengeance demon, for crying out loud. If anyone was to be upset, it would most likely be Giles. He would think she was a failure of a Slayer once again. After all, it was her last boyfriend that took the love of his life away, but she couldn’t be blamed for that. It’s not like any of them knew about the curse, least of all her.

“Buffy, are you okay?”

She broke out of her thoughts at the sound of Xander’s concerned voice. “Sorry, what?”

“I was asking if you wanted anything to drink. You’ve been out of it all night,” he told her.

Buffy shook her head. “I just have a lot on my mind, but no, I’m not thirsty.”

He seemed to accept that answer.

Buffy lost the conversation going on around her again as everything faded, the man at the bar being the only person she could see. He gave her a smile, raising his glass to her and taking a long drink of the liquid inside. Buffy smiled in return, wanting more than anything to just go over to him, but she didn’t have to. He was suddenly making his way over to her, stopping once he reached their table, not paying attention to anyone else sitting there.

“Dance with me?” he whispered, reaching a hand out to her.

Buffy took it without hesitation, letting him lead her to the dance floor. She could practically hear Xander’s jaw hitting the ground, but couldn’t find it in her to care.

Spike wrapped his arms around her, moving slowly to the music. “I think Harris might have a bloody heart attack.”

She shrugged. “He’ll survive.”

He smiled in relief, glad that she didn’t seem to care about what her friend thought. Spike was just pleased that she accepted a dance with him in the presence of her mates. “You looked so beautiful sitting there, deep in thought. I couldn’t stay away much longer.”

“I’m glad you didn’t,” Buffy replied, resting her head against his chest.

Spike placed a kiss on the top of her head, holding her tighter. “Do you have any idea what you’re doing to me?”

She smiled softly against his shirt. “I think I have some idea.”

Spike didn’t think that was true. If she knew just how deep his feelings were for her, she was bound to run away from him. The feelings were enough to overwhelm him, never before feeling anything like it, not even for Drusilla. This young girl completely took him by surprise, and he wasn’t about to let her go. The song ended and he had to force himself to do just that, but only for a moment. He lightly traced her bottom lip, wanting nothing more than to suck it into his mouth, but knowing it wasn’t the time for that. “You should probably head back now.”

Buffy didn’t want to, but knew that she had a lot of explaining to do. She nodded and walked back over to the table, seeing that Xander was no longer there. “So, how pissed is he?”

Willow shrugged. “He didn’t say anything, just kind of stormed out.”

Anya rolled her eyes. “I won’t be getting any orgasms tonight. Who cares that you and Spike finally decided to have sex? We all knew it would happen eventually. The sexual tension was so obvious.”

“There’s no sex having. Not yet, anyway. I just wish Xander would realize that this is my life, and he has no say in what I do.”

Anya popped an olive into her mouth. “He seems to think otherwise. Even with all of the orgasms I give him, you’re still all he talks about. God, it was a lame high school crush, he should be over it by now. It was that sexy dance, wasn’t it? I heard about that.”

Willow gave Anya a sympathetic look, knowing a little about how the other woman felt. She glanced back up at Buffy. “I think he might have gone to Giles.”

The blonde rubbed her temples, just what she needed. “Well, at least I won’t have to break the news to him. I’m not dealing with either of them right now. This is my life and for once, I’m doing what I want. I’ll see you tomorrow, Will. I’m staying at Spike’s tonight,” and with that said, she made her way out of the club.

Willow nodded, not having a chance to respond.

Anya watched her go with a sigh. “At least someone will be getting orgasms tonight.”

Chapter 5

Spike glanced up from his book, surprised to see Buffy standing there.

“I didn’t even hear you come in.”

Buffy moved closer to him. “I was very quiet this time.”

He placed his book down. “Do you need help with something?”

She shook her head, taking on a shy expression. “No, I just didn’t feel like going back to the dorm. Can I stay here tonight?”

That was the last thing he expected to hear. “Of course, did something happen?”

Buffy let out a sigh and joined him on the bed. “Xander didn’t take our dance very well. I think he went whining to Giles. I just needed to be with you tonight.”

“Well, you won’t get any complaints from me.”

She wrapped her arms around his waist, resting her head against his shoulder. “They’re going to ruin everything, I just know it. God, they’re supposed to be my friends; you would think they’d want me to be happy.”

He kissed the crown of her head. “Your mates will come around, love.”

“I don’t even think I care. If they make me choose, they’re going to be very disappointed.”

Spike felt a lump in his throat, turning around to face her. “You really mean that?”

Buffy nodded. “I’m not giving you up without a fight, Spike. This last week has been incredible. I’m eighteen; I don’t even know how many birthdays I would even get to see. When some demon will have his one good day, I’m not wasting any of the time I may have left.”

He clutched her tighter to him. “You’re making it to old age, if I have anything to say about it.”

“Will you still love me when I’m old and wrinkly?” Her eyes widened at what she said. “I mean, like, I definitely didn’t mean love. It’s still really soon for that, and I know guys tend to get freaked out when that dreaded word is mentioned. So, no, I definitely didn’t mean…”

Spike cut her off by pressing his lips to hers, slipping his tongue inside. He pulled away, touching his forehead to hers. “Yes, I’ll still love you when you’re old and wrinkly. And I did mean it.” Spike knew it would be harder for her to say those words, but he would wait for as long as she needed.

Buffy smiled, gazing down at their clasped hands. She took a deep breath, staring back up into his eyes after a moment. “Show me how much?”

He gulped at the expression on her face, knowing what she wanted. “Are you sure?”

She nodded without hesitation. “I’m ready.”

Spike kissed her again, lowering her down on the bed, knocking his book to the floor. He pulled away when she needed to breathe, watching as she bit her lower lip and suddenly seemed to be nervous. “What is it, pet? Are you having second thoughts?”

Buffy shook her head. “No, I just want this to be good for you.”

He smiled softly. “Why wouldn’t it be?”

She shrugged, turning her gaze away from his. “You know what my last two experiences were like. I just want to be worth a second go, to know that this wouldn’t be our only time together.”

Spike’s smile faded as he remembered taunting her after the whole Parker fiasco. “Oh, baby, I didn’t mean that. Hey,” he tilted her chin up, forcing her to look at him, then continued, “It will be bloody amazing. I already know that. Those wankers weren’t worthy of you, and I’m a ponce for making you doubt yourself. I never thought you would have taken my words to heart.” He felt even worse when a tear slid down her cheek, wiping it away with his thumb. “Don’t cry, sweetheart. Not because of something stupid I said. We’re going to have many times together. If you think I could let you go now, you’re sadly mistaken. I love you.”

She smiled this time, feeling better at his words.

Spike returned her smile. “That’s my girl. We don’t have to do this yet if you don’t want, there’s no hurry.”

Buffy grabbed the back of his head. “I want to,” she whispered against his lips, then caressed his mouth leisurely.

Spike had to keep himself from crying as well, never before having been kissed so sweetly. He rested his forehead against hers, gazing into her eyes. “Spell or no spell, I’m going to marry you some day. We’ll find a way to make it work.”

“I like the sound of that.”

Spike rubbed his nose against hers, unbuttoning her blouse with shaky fingers. You would think he was an adolescent touching a girl for the first time with the way he was acting. He undressed her slowly, kissing every inch of skin that was exposed.

Buffy giggled when he reached a sensitive spot.

The sound was music to his ears as he continued his ministrations. When she was finally naked before him, he took a moment to stare in awe at her beauty. “Will you let me draw you?”

She raised her eyebrows. “Now?”

He nodded. “Now’s as good a time as any. You look perfect.”

Buffy blushed under his gaze. “I didn’t know you could draw.”

Spike shrugged. “I’m not great at it, but I have some experience.”

“Okay, how do you want me?” she asked, making herself more comfortable.

He chuckled. “Such a loaded question.” Spike raised her right arm, placing it just above her head, the left arm remaining on her stomach. She was truly a vision, but Spike felt that something was missing. His eyes widened as he remembered what it was and brought a box out from under the bed, opening it to reveal antique jewelry and pictures from his youth. Spike found what he was looking for, pulling out an emerald necklace.

Buffy gasped at the sight of it. “That’s gorgeous, where did you get it?”

Spike put the box away, bringing the necklace over to her. He pulled her up, then placed the necklace around her neck, touching the jewel lightly. “This belonged to my mother. I knew it would look wonderful on you, the emerald brings out your eyes.”

Buffy felt touched, getting back into the position he had her in before. “I’m ready for my close up now.”

He smiled and grabbed his pad and pencil, not waiting a second before capturing her perfection on paper.

She laughed at the look of serious concentration on his face. “This reminds me of Titanic.”

Spike smiled up at her. “You’re way more stunning than Rose.”

Buffy blushed for what felt like the millionth time that night. “You better say that.”

He put the finishing touches on his drawing, praying that she would like it.

Chapter 6

“Are you going to keep staring at it, or do I get to look?”

Spike was nervous as he handed her the paper, anxious about her reaction.

Buffy brought her hand to her mouth, the drawing was perfect. He got every inch of her right, as if he had her memorized for a long time. “Spike, this is amazing. I had no idea you could draw like this.”

He sighed in relief. “You really like it?”

“I love it. Do I get to keep it?”

Spike nodded. “It’s yours.”

Buffy folded it up, placing the masterpiece into her purse. She then reached up and removed his mother’s necklace, handing it back to him. “Thank you for letting me borrow this. I don’t think I’ve ever gotten to wear something so elegant before.”

Spike shook his head. “I can’t take that back. It’s yours, too.”

Buffy raised her eyebrows. “I can’t keep this, Spike. It’s too much. You’ve had it all these years; it must mean everything to you.”

“I really want you to have it, Buffy. My mum would have wanted that as well.”

She couldn’t argue with that. “I’ll take good care of it.”

He smiled. “I know you will.”

Buffy didn’t want the necklace to break, so she carefully put it down next to the bed, then turned back to him. “I just realized that I’m sitting here naked, and you still have yet to take anything off.”

Spike grinned and stood up, giving her a strip show.

Buffy laughed when he threw his shirt at her. When he was completely naked before her, she couldn’t resist licking her lips at the sight of him. The man was built like a Greek God.

“See something you like?”

She found that speech was very difficult at the moment, holding her arms out to him instead.

Spike didn’t hesitate before settling into her embrace, lowering his body onto hers and taking her bottom lip into his mouth. “We’ll take this slow, all right? I wouldn’t do anything that you don’t want. If something gets to be too much, just let me know and I’ll stop.”

Buffy couldn’t believe that he was giving her an out if things got too uncomfortable. It made her respect him all the more.

Spike pried her thighs apart, inhaling the sweet scent that came from her.

Buffy closed her legs, biting her lip in the process.

He gazed up at her. “No one has ever tasted you before, have they?”

She shook her head, feeling that her cheeks were heating up.

“Bloody wankers didn’t do right by you. I promise that you’ll like it, love. If not, you just let me know.”

Buffy nodded, and taking a deep breath, she allowed him to pull her legs open.

Spike rubbed her right thigh, then her left, trying to get her to relax. He lowered his head back to her pussy, swiping up her slit with his tongue.

Buffy arched her back, letting out a soft moan.

Spike was pleased by her reaction. He thrust his tongue further into her hole, collecting all of the juices that gushed out of her. “Did you like that?” The glazed expression on her face was all the answer he needed, continuing to eat her out until she was good and sated.

Buffy threw her head back, letting out a cry as she came.

Spike licked every drop of her cum down, not letting any of it go to waste. He pulled away, the sight of her panting hard doing wonders for his ego.

“That tongue of yours should seriously be illegal.”

He chuckled. “There’s plenty more where that came from.”

Buffy grabbed the headboard, gasping when he pushed his cock all the way into her.

“Fuck, you’re so bloody tight. That’s it, baby. Squeeze me just like that.”

Buffy was getting turned on by his words, giving back as much as she could. “God, Spike, I won’t last much longer.”

He fucked her hard and fast, pounding into her pussy like a machine.

The bed banged loud against the wall, but neither of them cared.

If it broke, Spike would just get another one.

Buffy reached around to grab his ass, digging her nails into his flesh and pushing his cock further inside of her.

Spike buried his head in her neck, roaring out his release and noticing that she was right there with him.

They lay there afterwards, sweaty and panting, neither one knowing just what to say.

Buffy was the first one to break the silence. “That was incredible.”

“You took the words right out of my mouth, pet. Never felt anything like it before.”

She beamed up at him. “Really?”

Spike placed a tender kiss on her forehead. “Really, you’re truly one of a kind, you know that? The things you can make me feel with just one look, one smile, I’ll never be able to get enough.”

Buffy blushed and rested her head against his chest. She tried to make herself more comfortable, but felt something hard that she was lying on. She reached under the pillow to find a poetry book, opening it up and recognizing Spike’s handwriting.

He snatched it out of her hands before she could get too far. “That wasn’t supposed to be there.”

Buffy wouldn’t have that. “You wrote that poem? Did you write the whole book?”

Spike glanced away from her nervously. “It’s not a big deal. Just a hobby of mine, I’m not very good at it.”

“From what I saw of that first poem, you would be lying. First the drawing and now this, is there anything you can’t do?”

He shrugged. “Not that I can think of. I can sing and play the guitar, too.”

She smiled. “You’ll definitely have to show me that some time. I bet you sound really sexy.”

If it was possible for vampires to blush, he would have right then.

“So, are any of those poems about me?”

He let out a sigh, turning to a page in particular and handing the book back over to her.

Buffy read the poem, tears forming in her eyes at the beautiful words. “You really see me like that?”

Spike nodded. “Look at the one after it.”

Buffy did just that, feeling touched by every page she read. She glanced up at him, shock taking over her features. “They’re all about me.” She noticed the date, feeling confused even more. “You’ve had this since you first came to Sunnydale.”

Spike gazed deeply into her eyes. “Always loved you, I just didn’t realize it right away, but it was always there. Even Drusilla saw it, that’s why she left.”

Buffy closed the book, lightly running her fingers over the words on the cover. “Love at first sight,” she said softly.

“I never even believed in that before, until I saw you. You were dancing with your mates, had every man in that club practically wanting you, one look and I was gone. No one has ever affected me like that before. I started to believe you were a witch or something,” he finished with a chuckle.

Buffy stared back up at him, taking another deep breath. “When I first saw you, I thought you were the sexiest guy ever. I even forgot that Angel existed for a second there. I remember feeling so disappointed to find out you were a vampire, that you were really there to kill me.”

He took her hand in his. “It’s a good thing neither one of us were able to pull that off. Think about it, love. I’ve killed two Slayers in my time. If I really wanted you dead, you would be right now. My heart was just never in it, whether it beats or not.”

She placed her hand on his chest, right over his heart. “I feel it.”

Spike covered her hand with his, giving it a squeeze. “It only beats for you.” He kissed her softly, pulling her down on the bed with him.

They lay side by side, kissing and whispering words of love to each other, only one using the actual word.

Buffy may have felt it, but she wasn’t quite ready to say it yet.

Spike was in no hurry to hear the words. He wasn’t going to pressure her for anything.

Chapter 7

Buffy headed to Giles’ apartment the next day, clutching Spike’s hand in hers. She wanted him with her when she finally confronted her friends. Buffy saw that Xander was already there, along with Willow and Anya.

Giles let out a weary sigh when they appeared. “I almost didn’t believe it when Xander told me.”

Buffy gave Spike’s hand a firm squeeze. “Well, it’s true. We’re together now, and nothing is going to change that. You guys can accept it or not, I really don’t care.”

Xander jumped up from his seat. “You see what I mean? She’s under another spell,” he claimed, giving Willow a dirty look as if she was once again responsible for this.

“This isn’t Willow’s fault, or anyone’s for that matter. I’m not under a spell, Xander. These feelings have been there for a while now; the spell just opened our eyes to them.”

He crossed his arms over his chest. “I refuse to believe that. You used to hate him, Buffy. Have you forgotten all the times he tried to kill us? You think you would have learned after the whole thing with Angel. Ow,” Xander commented, rubbing the spot where Willow hit him. “What was that for?”

“That was for being an idiot, Xander. You’re not even listening to her.” The red head chose that moment to glance at Spike, noticing the smile that he graced her with, and returning it with one of her own.

Buffy had enough. “I’m not listening to this anymore. I’m an adult, and this is my life. If you can’t even be civil to the man I love…”

“The man you what?” Xander cut her off.

“Yeah, the man you what?” Spike responded, just as surprised.

Buffy held her head up high. “The man I love,” she repeated, gazing into Spike’s eyes. “This isn’t exactly how I planned on telling you, but I figure it’s the thought that counts. I love you, Spike.”

A smile lit up his features. “I love you, too.”

Xander threw his hands up in the air. “G-Man, do something about this.”

Giles finally spoke up, sending a glare in Xander’s direction before addressing the couple. “You take good care of her, and we won’t have a problem. I shouldn’t have to remind you exactly what would happen if you hurt her in any way.”

Spike agreed. “I’ll personally lend you the stake if that happens, but you won’t have to worry about me ever hurting her.”

That seemed to be all the answer Giles needed.

Buffy was beyond relieved, dropping her purse to the floor and embracing the man that was like a father to her. “Thank you, your approval means everything to me.”

He patted her on the back.

Xander noticed the piece of paper that fell from Buffy’s purse, his eyes widened as he picked it up. “Merciful Zeus, she’s naked in this picture!” He held it up for Giles to see, which caused the Watcher to quickly cover his eyes at the sight of his very exposed Slayer, suddenly wishing he was blind again.

“Bloody hell, I beg you to put that down.”

Spike growled and ripped the paper out of his hands. “That’s not of your concern, Whelp.”

Buffy looked embarrassed as she took the drawing from him. “Sorry, I forgot it was in there.”

Xander sat down, still in shock by what he just saw.

Anya rubbed his back in comfort. “It might take a while for him to recover. He’s always dreamt about seeing you naked, Buffy. It’s hard when your dreams suddenly become reality.”

Willow rolled her eyes, smacking Xander on the head again.

That seemed to snap him out of it. “Right, I’m good, I just need to go to the bathroom.”

They watched him hurry out of the room, Buffy being the first one to speak up once he was gone.

“Sorry about that, Anya.”

She shrugged. “It’s fine, now that he’s seen it, he can hopefully stop fantasizing about it. I should be getting lots of orgasms tonight.”

“I need a drink,” Giles claimed as he headed into the kitchen.

Spike grinned and took Buffy’s hand in his. “If we’re not needed here anymore, we’ll just be off. You make sure the whelp gets that image out of his head, Anyanka.”

She nodded, smiling. “I can take care of that.”

Spike nodded as well, then pulled Buffy out of the apartment. After her declaration, he wanted her all to himself.


* * * * *


“Fuck, baby, you’re bloody going to kill me.”

Buffy laughed as she continued to bounce on his cock. “You’re already dead.”

“Yeah, but you’ll dust me at this rate,” Spike stated.

She rode him hard, squeezing his penis with her Slayer muscles. “I think you can handle it.”

Spike grabbed her around the waist, thrusting further into her drenched and aching pussy. He could feel her juices coating his cock.

Buffy yelled as her orgasm hit her out of nowhere.

Spike roared out his release right behind her.

Buffy lay on his chest, trying to get her breathing under control.

Spike trailed his hands down her naked back. “You will never stop amazing me.”

She stared into his eyes. “You might be right about that. I have something for you.”

Spike was confused when she jumped off of him, searching on the floor for something in her pants’ pocket. He licked his lips at the sight of her jiggling breasts; he could barely wait until he could taste them again.

Buffy joined him back on the bed, holding something out to him.

Spike raised his eyebrows, taking what looked to be a ring from her. It took him a moment to recognize what it was. “Bloody hell; is this the Gem of Amara? I figured you would have destroyed it, or at least given it to Peaches.”

Buffy shook her head. “I thought about it, but with his soul being so unstable, that probably wouldn’t have been the best idea. The others think I got rid of it, but for some reason, I just couldn’t do it. Any vampire would be unstoppable if they got their hands on this, but I trust you. I know things were bad the first time around, but we’ve come a long way since then. Besides, I have plans to take many daylight strolls with my boyfriend.”

Spike placed the ring on his finger, feeling the power surge through him. He then pulled Buffy closer to him, planting a passionate kiss on her mouth. “I fucking love you.”

She blushed. “I love you, too.”

Spike got out of bed, quickly putting his clothes on.

“Where are you going?”

He smiled down at her. “Outside, it’s a beautiful day.”

Buffy returned his smile, getting dressed as well.

Spike waited for her to finish, then took her hand in his and led her outside into the sunshine. The rays illuminated her golden tresses, making her look absolutely radiant. Spike couldn’t resist swooping in and capturing her lips with his, then picking her up and spinning her around in circles.

Buffy laughed and begged him to put her down because she was getting dizzy.

He did as she said, brushing a few strands of hair out of her face. “You wanna go for that walk now?”

Buffy nodded and squeezed his hand as they both left the cemetery together, feeling content for the first real time in their lives.

The End