Riley pulled himself up, glaring at Spike. “Not even close.” He ran for Spike again, but Spike was faster, blocking every attempt Riley made to hit him. Even drunk, he was lighter on his feet, and he smirked, confident he’d come out on top, chip or not.
Then, he tripped. It was a stupid move, and even as he was falling to the ground he was mentally berating himself.
This was not how he was going to go out. William the Bloody, Slayer of Slayers, was not going to be taken out by someone as useless as Riley Finn.
When the stake came down, Spike rolled.
Riley missed the heart, but instead, the stake plunged into Spike’s side. Riley twisted it with a grin on his face before pulling it out and moving towards the heart again.
Spike pushed, knocking Riley off him. He tried to ignore the pain in his side as he rose to his feet. Riley jumped up and moved towards Spike again, and this time, Spike knew he needed to do more than be on the defensive. He struck out, hitting Riley, trying to ignore the searing pain in his head as he did.
It only slowed Riley down for a moment, and Spike swore as Finn came towards him again. With his current migraine, the wound in his side, and his less-than-sober state, things were not looking good.
Until suddenly, Riley was tackled to the ground. Spike blinked, unsure if what he thought he was seeing was what he was really seeing as a flurry of blonde flew by.
No, it was her. She was here. Saving his unlife.
She was here, and he knew he was safe. Spike let himself collapse.
Buffy hauled Riley to his feet and slammed him against the wall. His eyes grew wide, afraid, the full extent of Buffy’s strength taking him by surprise as he realized just how much she’d held back in the past.
“You don’t touch Spike,” Buffy growled.
“Buffy, I’m doing this for you,” Riley protested. “Your friends told me about the spell. This monster took advantage of you.”
Buffy slammed Riley against the wall again. “You don’t know anything,” she growled. “And I don’t want you anywhere near me ever again. You just get out of here. Leave Sunnydale and forget about me or Spike.”
“Buffy, what’s wrong with you? I’m trying to protect you!”
“And I don’t need your protection! I told you I was in love with Spike, and this is what you do? I told you I loved him, and you come here and try to kill him. If you really wanted to protect me, you wouldn’t do something like that. You wouldn’t do the one thing that would hurt me more than anything else.”
“Buffy…”
“Get out while you still can, because I swear to god, I will make you suffer if I ever see your face again.”
Riley stared at her for a moment, reading her expression until he believed what he saw in her eyes – she wasn’t kidding. “I never thought this was really you, Buffy. I always thought you were better than this.”
“You never knew me at all, Riley.” Buffy let him go and looked down as he dropped to the ground. “Get out. Come near Spike again, and I will kill you.”
Riley pulled himself up on shaky legs. He was having a hard time believing Buffy would be so protective of a creature like Spike, but he knew without any doubt she was serious.
He supposed she was right – he really never did know her. And if she was this desperate to lie down with a demon…
Riley Finn left the crypt without looking back.
Buffy ran to Spike’s side, examining the wound on his side. “You’re hurt.”
“You said you loved me. You told soldier boy you love me.”
“Come on, we need to get you on the sarcophagus.”
“You said you loved me.”
Buffy hefted Spike up and carried him over to the sarcophagus, setting him as gently she could. “You need blood. Do you have any in the fridge?”
“Nothing fresh I’m sure. You love me?”
“It’s too late for the butcher. You’re going to have to bite me.”
Spike coughed. “Say again, pet?”
She rolled her eyes. “You heard me. How’s the best way to do this? Do you want my neck, or would my arm be easier so you wouldn’t have to sit up?”
Spike tried to move and winced. His side and his head were both aching and slayer blood would go a long way towards helping, but he needed some answers. Buffy had run off on him in Los Angeles, yelled at him to leave her alone when he’d come to her house, and now she was telling whitebread she was in love with Spike and offering up the most delectable meal possible straight from the tap?
“Right, wrist it is then. Can you bite me now, or do I need to cut myself?”
“Buffy, talk to me, pet. Why did you tell me I’m beneath you and then tell the tin soldier you love me?”
Buffy sighed. “Spike, you’re hurt, okay? Just let me take care of you right now, please.”
“I…” Spike winced again as the pain he was feeling made him decide just to go along with her for the time being. “Yeah, all right. Get against my good side, pet.” She did as he said, and Spike wrapped his arm around her waist, trying to situate them. “Give me your arm.”
She offered him her arm without protest, and Spike guided it to his mouth. His other hand rubbed soothing circles against her hip as his tongue darted out to lap at her pulse point.
“Just bite me, Spike.”
“Patience, you pushy bint. Unless you want my head hurting more than it already is, then you’re going to have to let me do this carefully. Hell, I’m not even sure this is going to work.”
“Why not? You bit me before, and it didn’t hurt.”
“Yeah, but that was when you were in the throes of an orgasm, sweetheart. It’s a different thing. And as much as I’d love to be making you come right now, this stab wound in my side is a bit of an issue.”
“I could do that part myself and you could bite me then.”
Spike’s eyebrow arched. “You sure he didn’t stake me?”
Buffy rolled her eyes. “Yes, I’m sure. Look, Spike, you need blood, so let’s just do this, whatever way is going to be easiest.”
His hand crept up from her hip to her back. “Slayer…”
“Dammit, Spike, stop fighting me on this!” Buffy yelled. “You’re hurt, and you’re bleeding, and you…” She stopped short, her eyes tearing up. “Let me do this.”
She just kept throwing him for a loop. Now she was crying at the thought of him being hurt?
Spike decided to stop trying to press any issues and just take what they obviously both wanted. He didn’t know why she left him, didn’t know why she’d turned him away at her house, but seeing as she still loved him, he decided that didn’t really matter. If she loved him, then she could be his again. He just needed enough strength to drive home to her how good things could be between them, spell or no spell.
He ran his hand across her back and kissed her wrist. “How do you want to do this, luv? Do you feel comfortable enough getting yourself off in front of me?”
“I think so. I mean, after all we’ve done, I shouldn’t really be embarrassed about that…” Despite her words, her cheeks colored, but she still reached down with her free hand to push up her skirt and slip her hand into her panties.
Spike kissed and nipped at the inside of Buffy’s wrist, watching as her eyes closed and her breathing became labored. “You’re bloody gorgeous, baby,” he told her, his speaking against her skin. “Does that feel good, rubbing your pretty little quim with your fingers?”
Buffy gasped and whimpered, and Spike smiled knowingly. “Fuck yourself with your fingers, baby. Pretend it’s my cock. That’s what you want it to be, don’t you? Tell me you do.”
“I…I do. I…Spike.”
His cock strained in his jeans, seemingly oblivious to the fact he was in no shape to shag the glorious creature at his side. His hand moved down from her back to cup her bottom, and he listened to her sharp intake of breath. “Are you close, kitten?”
“Yeah…”
Spike licked her pulse point and whispered against her skin before his fangs descended and he bit down.
“I love you.”
Buffy cried out in pleasure, clenching around her own fingers, writhing against his body. He snarled, feasted on her blood, felt the tingling in his veins as it flowed into him.
When he felt her weakening, he stopped, lapping the wound closed. Buffy whimpered and slipped her hand out from under her skirt before she wrapped herself more around Spike and drifted off to sleep. She smiled as she did, and Spike felt peaceful again, like he had before the spell had broken.
“I love you, Buffy,” he murmured before joining her in sleep.
Buffy woke when she heard the crypt door open. A familiar sensation tingled at the back of her neck, though it didn’t hold the same meaning it used to.
She moved out of Spike’s arms and adjusted her skirt, glad to see Spike still seemed to be out. Now that he had blood, he needed rest. She got off the sarcophagus and turned to Angel, almost smiling at the look of surprise on his face from what he’d walked into.
Really, like after what she knew he’d smelled in his car, he shouldn’t even be surprised.
Buffy pointed towards the door and mouthed, “outside,” and to her surprise, Angel didn’t fight it. Instead he turned and went out of the crypt, waiting for her just past the door. She followed him out and shut the door behind them.
“What are you doing here?” she asked.
“I came to talk to Spike.”
Buffy put her hands on her hips. “That isn’t going to happen, Angel.”
“What happened to him?”
“Riley,” Buffy replied with a sigh. “He tried to kill him. Luckily, he’s completely incompetent and only managed to stake his side.”
“Riley tried to kill him? He said we were just going to talk to him.”
Buffy’s eyes bulged. “What? You and Riley were here talking to Spike?”
Angel had the decency to look chagrined in light of Buffy’s angry expression. “We both left and didn’t lay a hand on him, Buffy.”
“Well, obviously Riley came back. And what the hell did you think you were doing?”
Her sharp tone caused Angel to switch to the defensive. “Spike doesn’t need to be here, Buffy. He doesn’t need to be around you.”
“That’s my call – not yours.”
“Buffy, would you listen to yourself?” Angel yelled. “Dammit, Spike isn’t the good guy. I don’t know what’s wrong with you. I mean, I understand why you fell for me, but…”
Buffy cut him off with a snort. “Oh my god, you are so full of yourself.”
Angel sighed. “Don’t be like that. I know you’re upset with me, but you know you can’t compare what we had to whatever it is you’ve got going on with Spike.”
“No, Angel, you’re right, there really is no comparison – because whatever that was we had can’t even begin to touch what I’ve shared with Spike. And if you’re going to give me more of that ‘you need a normal life’ crap, just shut it now. You don’t know what I need. You don’t even really care. The only reason you came here is because you knew I was sleeping with Spike and you were jealous. It has nothing to do with worrying about me.”
“That isn’t true.”
“Yes, it is! I’ve figured it out, Angel. You never really loved me. If you did, then you still would’ve without the soul.”
“Oh come on, Buffy. That’s just crazy. Spike can’t love you without his soul.”
“No, you couldn’t love me without one. Or with one, for that matter.”
“Buffy…”
“No. I’m not going to listen to this. Not now, not from you. So you know what?” Her lips curled up in a smirk. “Get out of my town.”
“Buffy…”
She crossed her arms over her chest and met Angel square in the eyes. “I mean it, Angel. You walked out, and when you did, you gave up any say you may have had in my life.” Buffy stepped forward, managing to stare him down even with the height difference. “Now I’m going to say this one more time – get out of my town.”
His mouth set in a grim line, Angel turned around and disappeared into the night.
Buffy went back into the crypt, where she slipped back into Spike’s arms.
See! I told you I didn’t forget it wasn’t all angsty! There’s one more chapter after this one, and I’m hoping to post it early next week sometime.
Please remember to review. It only takes a moment, and it’ll totally make my day.