Buffy pulled out everything she’d need in order to make a salad shortly after five o’clock, knowing Spike would be home any moment. And sure enough, just as she’d finished breaking apart the lettuce into bite size pieces to rinse them in the colander, she heard the door being unlocked.
“Hey there, Mr. Giles,” she called out to him, looking forward to their plans of staying in and spending the evening together.
“Hey there yourself, Miss Summers.” Setting the brown bag he carried in one hand on the coffee table and his briefcase on the floor, he took his coat off, hanging it up before removing two Styrofoam containers from the paper sack and heading into the kitchen.
“What’s that?”
Placing the boxes on the counter next to the sink where she was working, he explained, “Decided to pick up dinner.”
“But I thought you were going to cook?” He shook his head and sighed.
“Wanted to, planned to, but after today `m a little worn out.”
“I’m sorry, Spike.” He did look tired and she felt guilty for staying home. “I should have gone back to the office with you this afternoon when you said you needed me. I promise I’ll be there tomorrow.”
“No-no, I already said you could take the day off.” And he meant it.
After he gave her a quick kiss on the temple, she smiled but insisted, “I don’t need to, honest. Besides, what kind of partner would I be if I wasn’t there to help?” She placed her hands on her hips and faced him.
“I meant what I said, luv.”
“And so do I, so there, hmmph,” she said with a sassy grin then began sniffing the air curiously. “Mmmmm, what smells so good?”
“Oh, right.” He almost forgot about the food he was so enamored with her cute little display of defiance. Opening the cover of one container, he revealed two huge pieces of lasagna and watched her face light up.
“Oooooo, you definitely get major points for this. I could eat Italian every night.” Grabbing a cucumber, she got back to work and swiftly began removing the skin over the cutting board.
With a triumphant smile on his face, he opened the other box. “Then I think you’re really gonna enjoy what I got for after supper.”
Glancing over to get a peek at what else he bought, her eyes widened. The dessert he chose looked positively sinful with all the sugar it had to contain. “Wow, look at all that whipped cream. Is that fellatio?” she inquired, remembering the time when they were in the Jacuzzi and he asked if she was into it.
More than baffled, he raised an eyebrow at her and asked, “You're kiddin’ me, right?” She had to be.
"I'm just guessing,” she defended herself while picking up a second cucumber to peel it.
“Really?” No way, she had to be playing him. But she kept herself busy while shrugging innocently.
“Yeah. I mean, it sounds Italian to me, and that’s what you brought home… so, yeah."
“Buffy, ahhh…… you really don’ know what fellatio is, do you?” And again, she simply shrugged her shoulders.
“I’m guessing no based on your tone of voice.”
Bloody hell, it was obvious she wasn’t joking and it made him wonder about her ex-boyfriend and her friends, too, for not educating her on the word. Well, he supposed it wasn’t unreasonable to believe there were people out there in the world that weren’t familiar with the term and what it meant.
“Uhmm,” he started, not really knowing how to break it to her gently without sounding crude. “The word itself is new Latin based in Indo-European roots, but… it has nothin’ to do with food. Er, well, I suppose that depends on how one looks at it when considerin’ the, the-” he coughed nervously. “-cream fillin’.” And he wasn’t trying to make a joke about it either, rather an innuendo he prayed she’d ‘get’ so he wouldn’t have to explain any further.
Turning the faucet on, she began rinsing one of the two freshly peeled vegetables. “So what is it then if it’s not food but still considered food?” Glancing at him, his expression appeared somewhat anticipatory, piquing her curiosity. “Well? Care to explain?”
“Right then.” He shook his head, deciding to go on with the scholarly explanation. “Etymologically speaking, fella-”
“I thought that was the study of insects,” she interrupted him then noted his odd reaction, his laughter seeming uneasy, making her even more interested over what this fellatio meant and why it had him acting so weird.
“Entomology `s the study of insects, luv.” God was she ever adorable… adorably clueless! “Etymology is the study `f the source and development `f words.”
“Oh,” she said sheepishly. “Go ahead then, sorry.”
“`S okay, pet. Phonetically they do sound similar. Anyway, fellatus is the Latin past participle of fellare which means to suck. So you see-” And didn’t she cut him off again?
“Ohhhh, I get it.”
Bloody hell it was about time because if she hadn’t, it would only make this more difficult for him to get through.
“So I’m supposed to suck the cream out of it, right?”
GULP!!! Christ almighty it was getting hot in here as the unbidden image of Buffy performing that act - whether on the cannoli or him - had him loosening his tie and undoing the first two buttons of his dress-shirt. “N-no, not… exactly.” Fuck it, he thought, he may as well come out and give it to her straight while remaining as polite as possible. “Do you know what a BJ is?” He certainly hoped so or this conversation would become even more complicated.
What the… Her eyes went wide thinking he couldn’t possibly mean what she thought he meant. “You don’t mean BJ-” she lowered her voice to a whisper. “-as in… blow job, do you?”
“Yes, actually. And why are you whisperin’?” It was only the two of them here, but he didn’t wait for her to answer, he simply explained the rest, blunt and quick like. “Fellatio is the technical term for givin’ a bloke hea, er, a BJ.”
Her hand was wrapped around the cucumber, stroking it up and down under the stream of running water in a suggestive manner she wasn’t even aware of. But as her eyes followed the direction of Spike’s gaze to the sink, she looked down at what she was doing and dropped it with a small ‘eeep’ before turning her head very slowly in his direction. “You’re, you’re really serious, aren’t you?”
“Quite.” He nodded; his face devoid of any emotion though he was wringing his hands together. “I didn’ know you weren’ aware `f the meanin’, I swear.”
She could tell, it explained why he was fidgeting over her reaction. Blinking several times as it all sunk in, she picked the cucumber back up, deciding it was clean enough. "Honestly? I've never heard it referred to as that."
“So `s safe to assume you don’ know what cunnilingus means either?” Hey, if she didn’t know one, it was likely she didn’t know its partner term either.
Averting his gaze, she could only surmise it was the reciprocal act performed between a couple. “Hopefully I’m correct in thinking it’s what the male does to the female, i-in the same sort of capacity.”
“Correct.” To see her face aflame with such embarrassment was a relief, and downright gorgeous if he did say so himself. He was grateful she didn’t go all uppity-bitch on him over the subject. Which led him to ask just one more not-so-innocent question. “How `bout the acronym S and M?”
"Given the subject of our conversation so far? I’m guessing it doesn’t mean supper and a movie.” He began laughing his ass off which brought her to wheel on him, one hand perched on her hip and a knife pointed in his direction with the other. “Okay, here endeth the lesson if you value your vocal chords.”
“Alright-alright, `m sorry, pet. `S jus’…” He chuckled once more before continuing, “Your innocence is… refreshin’.” He almost said ‘adorable’ but refrained lest she twist the word’s implication and think he meant she was stupid.
~~~*~~~
With the awkwardness of that conversation over, they sat down to enjoy their meal, though when it came to dessert, Buffy chose to use a fork on her cannoli while Spike picked his up with his fingers to eat. They shared the duties of cleaning up the kitchen and then went to get changed into more comfortable clothes before coming back into the living room.
Spike made it there first and was already sprawled on the couch, one leg straightened out flush against the back, the other dangling off the edge. As soon as he spied her, he smiled and patted the spot between his thighs, indicating he wanted her to sit and lean against his chest. She almost said no, but then that would seem silly since they’d done this before. Besides, she really enjoyed the feel of being in his arms. And this time, she could do so without feeling any guilt over Angel now that he was history.
After settling into his embrace, he asked her what she wanted to watch, pointing at the screen’s pay-per-view choices.
“How about something funny? Something we can both agree on?”
“Sounds good. Le’s see here. We have Mr. Beans Holiday, Scary Movie Four aaaaaaaaand-” he scrolled down to the last page. “-looks like Balls `f Fury are the only comedies.”
“Can we watch Balls of Fury? That’s the only flick I haven’t seen out of the three. Unless you prefer one of the other two?”
“Doesn’ matter to me. Whatever makes you happy, kitten.” With the press of a couple buttons, he purchased the movie then asked, “Speakin’ `f kittens, where’s that fur ball `f yours?”
As if on cue, Sebastian meowed as he came crawling towards them and attempted to scale the side of the couch.
“Oi!” Spike reached down and picked him up, bringing him eye level with his face. “We’re gonna have to get you de-clawed there, mate. Can’ have you wreckin’ the furniture, now can we?” But all he got for an answer was a resounding mewl.
Buffy turned in time to see him briefly nuzzle the kitten’s face and scratch the purring feline’s ears. The cute display made her want to ‘awwww’ out loud but she thought better of it, knowing Spike was a man’s man and wouldn’t appreciate her commenting on his ‘soft spot’ for her pet. She found it absolutely endearing though, and insisted that he leave Sebastian on his shoulder where the little tyke had crept up on while Spike hissed from the tiny claws breaking through the cotton of his shirt during the creature’s ascent.
As the movie began, Spike laid the remote aside and casually wrapped his arms loosely around Buffy’s waist, hoping she didn’t mind. She was fine with it during the weekend they’d watched Blood Ties together, but things were different now and he didn’t want to make her feel uneasy or pressured by his actions in any way. Much to his delight – and relief – she molded herself more firmly against him. And it felt so good, so natural, so… right when she placed her arms over his as if to keep him there, resting her hands atop his. It was in that moment he realized that the wish he’d made on that falling star the other night was starting to come true. Never before had he placed any stock in such a ridiculous notion, but now that he was getting closer to what he wanted, well, he’d never doubt it again.
The film was decidedly amusing in its own unique way, sort of a combination of parody-slapstick and dry humor, making them both laugh in unison during the funny parts. And as the film continued, Buffy truly didn’t notice that she started lazily trailing her fingertips up and down Spike’s right forearm… but he did.
The subtlety of her gentle touch suddenly had him paying more attention to her than the telly. Goosebumps formed in the wake of her delicate strokes and his skin hummed with excitement from her ministrations. He couldn’t stop from getting hard because she had him feeling like a geeky teenager with a huge crush on the most popular girl in school who he was lucky enough to have in his arms right now. And just like a teenager, he responded hesitantly, hoping she would allow what he was about to do.
Moving cautiously, he twisted his left hand which lay beneath hers upright, and ever so slowly intertwined the tips of their fingers. His heart skipped a beat when she clasped his hand in hers to hold it properly and wiggled her body a few inches lower to tuck her head just beneath his chin. To make more room for her he bent his knee near the back of the couch, planting his foot flat on the cushion, smiling when she turned onto her side completely and nestled her cheek against him with a whispered ‘thank you’. He was emotionally high, perfectly happy with the simple contact they were sharing - and also thankful her hip bone was to the opposite side of his erection lest she feel it and actually put an end to this moment of theirs. He brought their joined hands up to kiss the back of her knuckles before lowering them back to her waist. And after playing with her fingers for a few moments, his smile started to fade somewhat as he thought back to their previous discussion.
She said she needed time to process what she was feeling before making a decision. And although he didn’t know how long it would take her, he did know the choice she would ultimately make concerned them both. Of course if the connection he felt right here, right now with her was this strong already, he knew he could win her over. He’d stay right by her side, take every opportunity to show her he was the man she both needed and wanted. Hell, she’d made him into that man, a better man, one that was deserving of her. And when the day arrived that she chose to be with him, he’d never give her up and would finally know what it meant to make love for the first time.
All the wonderful, idyllic thoughts of the future running through his head made him unable to resist leaning down to settle his nose on top of her golden tresses just to bask in her scent. It was a potent aphrodisiac, the aroma soothing him while at the same time exciting his senses and - much to his dismay - increasing his arousal. He recognized the floral bouquet of her shampoo, but past that was the underlying fragrance that was pure Buffy… honeyed spice, ice and fire, the very essence of her being. It called to him like a Siren to a drowning man, luring him to become forever and blissfully lost with her.
When Buffy became aware of what Spike was doing, she feared for a second that maybe her hair smelt funny and was about to ask if it did. But when his free hand glided up her arm, his thumb slowly creating small circles on her shoulder in a ghostly caress, the question died on her lips. His actions were simply that of affection, and they instantly had an effect on her she wasn’t prepared for. It brought out every emotion she had that revolved around him, the ones she swore not to dwell on until she was sure of his feelings for her. But oh, how futile it was to even try and fight them back now.
She knew she should tell him to stop, figuring he was innocently unaware of exactly what he was doing to her. But the pleasurable sensations his light touch produced in her quieted those protests while she bit her lip to stifle a moan. All he was doing was showing her that he cared, and this was part of what she needed to know. So she relaxed, soaked up what he offered and how he surrounded her in every way: the warmth of his body, his hot breath on the crown of her head and how well she fit in his arms.
Trying to diffuse everything Spike was eliciting within her, Buffy tried for a different tactic. Every man is ticklish...somewhere, I just gotta find out where. Raising her right hand, she placed her index finger on his shin to trace a path upwards. But as she rose higher to where his thigh began, he suddenly let out a most girlish giggle, taking her by surprise.
“Ticklish are we?” she asked teasingly.
“A li’l bi-ahhh, stop that!” he commanded, giggling harder and jerked when she pinched the flesh above his kneecap, sending Sebastian to seek the highpoint of the couch to avoid being jostled.
“Looks like the Big Bad has a-hey!”
He retaliated by tickling her ribs and making her squirm until she backed off, raising her hands in a show of surrender. “No-more, no-more, please?” she begged, looking up to give him her best pout.
“Can’ take your own medicine, eh?” He laughed when she swatted him, but as she laid back down into her original position, he took the opportunity to draw her even closer against him and planted a lingering kiss to her head.
“Mmmmm, that’s better.”
“Wha’s that, pigeon, me holdin’ you... or kissin’ you?”
“Both,” came her answer, riding on a whispery exhale. Then her eyes went wide when realizing what she’d said. She hadn’t lied, she just hoped he didn’t misinterpret it as in ‘on the lips’, though you can’t deny you were thinking it. But his only reply was another kiss to her head after muttering ‘good’, and hearing that made her muscles go lax. Of course now, her mind was wandering down a path it really, really shouldn’t… remembering what it was like to kiss him full on the mouth, what that plump bottom lip had tasted like as she caressed it with her tongue, worried it between her teeth. “Mmmmm,” she moaned again, but this time from the memory, though she tried to banish it by burrowing deeper into his strong embrace, reminding herself it was too soon to entertain the idea of doing that again.
Not for Spike. He was sure he understood what she really meant and was desperate to do it again, to kiss her breathless. But that would land him in hot water and it definitely wasn’t worth risking what he had with her right now… her, lying willingly in his arms, cuddling up to him. So he resolved to divert his wayward thoughts by running his fingers leisurely through her long locks, over and over in a methodical, calming fashion while trying once more to focus on the movie.
Wow! If this was how Spike would behave on a daily basis should they ever become a couple, she could easily get used to being spoiled like this. He was so tender with her it made her melt, made her want to give in and just tell him that she was falling for him. Would it be too soon, turn into a disaster from her acting on impulse? Or would it open the flood gates to something greater than either of them had ever experienced, washing away all her fears with it?
The TV was long forgotten, her eyes drifting to stare at the rise and fall of his chest. She took a few moments to think seriously on the subject of her growing emotions for him, but relishing Spike's every loving touch made the effort quite useless. Her hand skimmed up to the indentation where Spike’s collarbone branched out into his chest, spreading her over the bare patch of skin above the hemline of his shirt, dipping the nail of her middle finger beneath it to graze the soft hollow of his neck. She smiled to herself when he reacted by swallowing, watching his Adam’s apple bob, his…
And that’s when she heard it.
From beneath her ear, she heard his heart begin to race wildly and the suddenness of this happening made her wonder. Was it possible that he too, had been thinking about the same things as she? And if that was true, could it be that maybe, maybe...he was equally as nervous, just as scared?
Lifting her head to face him, she froze when his gaze locked with hers. She recognized the look within those soft baby blues - drawing from all her past encounters with him - and what he wanted. But he didn't move. His lips parted as his breathing increased and the seconds kept ticking by. He just stared back at her, an achingly deep longing in his eyes. It was the longing she’d glimpsed at that made her want to say the hell with the logic of waiting. She wanted to just take a leap of faith and pray he’d be there to catch her.
The heightened silence became unbearable, and yet Spike remained motionless until she whispered his name. "William?"
But he said nothing, just held her eyes with his until she became mesmerized by the way he was communicating without words, his thoughts seemingly echoing hers. Neither noticed the gravitational pull that slowly, oh so slowly drew them inexorably closer, lips so near they could already feel the power of the kiss they were about to share that would undeniably change their lives forever.
Until the phone rang.
tbc………
