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CHAPTER 3



When Buffy woke up the next morning, she was instantly thinking of Spike. Had he really stayed? And if he had, where had he slept? Noticing Dawn’s sleeping form next to her, she quietly climbed out of bed, slipping on her robe before slipping out of her bedroom. She made her way down the stairs, reaching out for any signs of Spike’s presence. When she got to the foyer, she noticed that the living room was much darker than usual. It was then that she saw the heavy blanket covering the picture window that usually let in so much light. She also saw the man with bleached hair stretched out on the couch in front of it. His arm was flung over his face, as if the near pitch black of the room wasn’t dark enough, and the blanket he’d used was haphazardly wrapped around his body.

"Spike?" she whispered. When he didn’t respond, she moved into the room, and stood between the coffee table and the sofa. Seeing his chest move, she was curious and strangely soothed. She sat down on the table, looking him over. "Are you asleep?"

When he didn’t answer, she hesitantly reached out and placed a hand over his unbeating heart, feeling his useless respiration under her fingers. Strange that he still acted so alive, even when he wasn’t. Strange that a dead man could be more alive than she could.

She slid her hand over his chest, admiring the hard muscle curves and planes that seemed to tense and relax with her hand’s movements. She felt a familiar heat in her neck and face, and a tightening in her throat as she felt the twitches of his abdomen where she trailed her fingers. She jerked her hand back when he suddenly shifted toward her, his arm coming to rest at his side instead of over his eyes.

When he didn’t move again, she whispered his name, checking for his awareness. He didn’t respond, and she sighed in relief. She examined his face closely, touching him with her eyes as her hands had before. She took in how soft his features were when he was asleep. There was no frown, no sharp expression. He looked peaceful. He looked beautiful.

Unable to resist any longer, her hand cupped his cheek, and she traced around his jaw, his chin, moving up and down the side of his neck, before running along each sharp cheekbone. He was unmoving throughout the entire event, and, if possible, looked even more peaceful than before. She took in the adorable curls that had freed themselves from the strong hold of the gel he’d put in. She smiled when she discovered how easily she could run her fingers through his silken hair. So taken with the softness of his relaxed form, she didn’t even feel it when he began to respond to her stroking. She didn’t hear the gentle purr emanating from his chest, and she didn’t see his azure gaze lock onto her face when Spike awoke.

~*~*~*~*~

He hadn’t wanted to wake from his dream. The gentle touches of warm hands had been too good to want to give up. It was the realization that he wasn’t dreaming that had forced his eyes open.

Buffy.

She had been the one filling his mind with soft caresses and the gentle murmuring of his name. She was touching him with care, not disgust.

She was touching him…

He looked to her face, wanting to see if she knew that he knew what she was doing. What he saw made him forget what he was feeling. He brought his hand up to her face, wiping the tears from her eyes.

"Buffy? Love? What’s the matter?"

She closed her eyes when she felt his touch. She had never felt this at peace. She had never felt so loved. Had never felt love so deeply. She felt content. She felt happy.

She felt…

Her eyes flew open, and the hand that had been toying with Spike’s hair slapped to her mouth. She choked back a sob. She could feel!

Spike frowned. She had moved so suddenly and he didn’t know if she was okay. He sat up, placing his other hand on her face. "Buffy? Talk to me, love."

She shook her head. "Spike," she gasped in awe. Looking all over his face, as if making sure he was real, and he was there. "Spike… I…"

"Love, you can tell me. Trust me." His thumbs stroked her cheeks, keeping the wet trails of tears from overflowing.

"Spike, I can feel." Buffy said in awe. Then, she smiled. "I can feel!"

Spike watched her become excited. She was happy. The tears flowing were happy. She could feel. Suddenly, he let out a whoop of euphoria, jumping in the air, wrapping his arms around Buffy’s body, and taking her with him. He leapt to the center of the room, spinning his girl in the air over and over, soaking in the sound of her laughter mixed with his own.

Setting her down, with his arms still holding her to him securely, he looked at her face. Her eyes were sparkling with mirth. Her mouth formed a wide, happy grin. She was breathing heavily from the laughter she had emitted while he’d spun her. She looked more beautiful in that moment than he’d ever seen her.

"I love you so much, Buffy."

Though her smile had closed, it still held the same amount of glee as the first. He gazed into her eyes, losing himself in the deep green and gold. Glancing at her lips for an instant, he admired the soft pink coloring, and let himself be drawn in.

He slowly lowered his head to hers, giving her plenty of time to back out.

"I’m going to kiss you."

"Spike…" Buffy breathed. She tilted her head up, giving him better access.

Seeing her acceptance, he could wait no longer, and he lowered his head quickly, but gently, catching her soft lips with his. He pulled her close, and sighed when he felt her arms wrap around his neck. It was so perfect. The slide of her mouth against his, the soft, yet intense passion of her kiss. He slipped his tongue into her mouth, stroking hers sensually. She moaned softly and tightened her arms around him.

They lost themselves in each other. Neither had any sense of the time that had passed since they had begun. The bliss of their combined need for the other was cut short, however, when a high pitched squeal permeated their clouded minds.

"Ahhhh! You guys!" Dawn shrieked from the doorway. She was grinning from ear to ear, bouncing on her heels. Buffy and Spike looked at her, a little annoyed and a little amused. "That was like the most romantic thing I’ve ever seen!"

Buffy and Spike offered shy smiles from kiss bruised lips. They shared a glance before parting just enough to grasp hands.

"So, you guys are together, now, right?" Dawn looked at both of them, waiting for a response. They both looked a little uncomfortable, as neither wanted to answer without the other’s consent. Dawn’s smile faltered. "Spike?"

The vampire in question looked at Buffy, then at Dawn… "That’s sort of up to big sis, niblet. You know I’m all for it, but it’s ultimately her decision."

Dawn looked at Buffy. "And?"

Buffy looked at the floor. "Well…" she began hesitantly. She felt Spike’s hand loosen in her grip, and that was all the assurance she needed. She clasped his hand in hers again, looking at him with a smile. "As long as he promises to help me with the bills."

Spike smiled, chuckling. "That won’t be a problem at all, pet. I’ve got a savings account that opened almost a hundred and fifty years ago. Completely usable, and I’ll share it with both of you if you promise that you’ll never do work that you don’t want to do."

"Quit slaying?" She asked jokingly. "I’m all for it."

"Fated occupations barred." Spike chuckled. They seemed to tune out the rest of the room as he continued. "Besides, I wanna see what you can do with all that left over energy at the end of patrol."

"Oh really?" Buffy grinned saucily. They melded together again, kissing slowly and sensually. Very not the way that Dawn wanted to see.

Dawn turned around. "Great! So, um… I’m just gonna go get ready for school. You guys have fun!" She ran up the stairs, happy to be protected from the brand new couple. Just because she understood it, didn’t mean she wanted to see it. Still, she couldn’t help the smile that came to her face. Buffy was finally happy again. And she was finally with Spike. That had been a long time coming, and she was glad it finally had. She got ready for school with a skip to her step.



~*~*~*~*~

A/N: One more chapter!





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