“This is great,” Buffy finally beamed, cutting into the awkward silence that had begun the moment Xander told them how they could break the claim.
Spike turned to her, surprised at how excited she suddenly seemed at the idea of being as far away from him as possible. He would have felt if she was faking, but from the anxiousness he was feeling, it seemed that she wasn't. He’d thought they’d had some kind of connection last night, but here they were, apparently back to hating each other. How could he have been so stupid? How could he have thought that the Slayer was starting to like him?
Seething inside, he put on a fake smile and said with almost the same excitement as Buffy, “Yeah. Very.”
“Great…” she murmured as they continued to stroll down Revello Drive. She didn't say anything after that, feeling how pissed off Spike was.
Wanting so badly to strangle the Slayer, he blurted out, “Maybe I should stay with the Watcher tonight.”
Buffy turned to him and stopped walking. “Why? So you can escape? I don't think so,” she said, raising an eyebrow at him.
“Don't you think you're underestimating old Rupes? I believe he can handle himself. Besides, why would I escape? I want this bloody claim undone before I leave Sunnyhell and get the hell away from you lot.”
Shaking her head and rolling her eyes as she began walking again, she said in a resolved tone, “You're sleeping with me tonight. Deal with it.”
“I am?” he mocked as he followed her, still angry with her. He wanted to tick Buffy off just like she had ticked him off by looking forward to breaking the claim when it was obvious he wasn't too thrilled about it.
“You know what I mean. Now shut up or I'll tie you up and gag you.”
Just as they were coming up to her front yard, he stopped and stood in front of her to block her way and curled his tongue behind his teeth. “You'd like that, wouldn't you? Knew you'd like it rough.”
She crossed her arms, wondering how she could have even possibly started to like the most irritatingly rude vampire in the world. “Move out of my way, Spike.” When he didn't, she sidestepped and moved past him.
She thought he would run away. She was walking away from him, totally not looking and not concerned if he left or not. It was perfect timing to run away. To her surprise, he kept walking beside her. He must really want that claim undone if he'd stomach being with her for it.
When they reached the front porch of her house, he immediately moved past her and opened the door for her. Buffy stood at the bottom of the steps and stared at him with her mouth hanging open.
Spike furrowed his brows. “What?”
“Buffy?” Joyce called out as she descended the stairs.
Buffy hurriedly sprinted up the steps and shoved Spike to the ground and out of Joyce's view. She further pushed the door open. “Mom! Hey. I was just-”
Smirking smugly, Spike stood unnoticed behind Buffy. “Hello, Joyce,” he greeted and ignored how obvious it was that Buffy didn't want her mom to see him. Buffy frowned and closed her eyes before turning to glare at Spike.
After telling her mother everything, – everything being that Spike was helping with some demon and he needed a place to stay since the thing was after him - Buffy insisted that Spike sleep on the couch instead of the spare room like her mom insisted. “Are you sure you'll be alright here?” Joyce asked as she handed him a blanket. Buffy rolled her eyes at how welcoming her mother was toward the vampire.
Spike opened his mouth to answer, but Buffy cut him off. “He'll be fine, mom.” From the deathly glare Buffy shot him, Spike reluctantly nodded in agreement.
“Well, alright. Just tell me if you need anything. Goodnight, you two.”
“Night, Mom.”
Spike smiled ever so sweetly at Joyce before turning to Buffy, his genuinely sweet smile turning to an obviously fake one. “Your mum is really nice. I wonder where you get all that bitchiness from?”
Ignoring his comment, Buffy sat beside him on the couch. “Can you not bond with my mom?”
Spike scoffed and looked at her in disbelief. “Fine.”
“So...” she started and he turned to her. “Tomorrow's the big day. You can finally leave town.”
He stared at her for a second, feeling her nervousness and uncertainty. He could have been right all along, that Buffy really was beginning to like him and that what had happened earlier was just a smokescreen. It made sense that, as the Slayer, she'd try to hide or deny if she felt something for a soulless vampire. “Hm,” was his only answer as he scratched his chin with his thumb as he contemplated everything that had happened the past few days.
“Unless you don't want to leave?” she said softly in a questioning tone. Spike turned to her and cocked his head. Buffy quickly covered, even though she knew he could feel her hoping that he wanted to stay through the claim, “I mean, this is where the Hellmouth is. And you being a baddie, you'd want to stay here.” Spike only continued to stare at her. “But that doesn't mean we won't go through with however they're going to undo the claim. I'm just saying-”
A smile crept on his features at how cute the Slayer was rambling and at the thought of her not wanting him to go. “I get it, Slayer. Don't have to be all defensive.”
“I'm not being defensive,” she said as she folded her arms across her chest.
“What if I don't leave? What then, pet?”
“Play your cards right and I won't stake you,” she teased lightheartedly.
“Gee. Thanks,” he replied sarcastically.
Fiddling with the corner of the blanket she was staring at to avoid his eyes, she sighed. “I don't know. Maybe we could be friends or something.”
“Definitely or something. We get along one minute and the next you're disgusted with me.”
“That's because you're an evil, soulless vampire,” she kidded again.
But Spike answered her in all seriousness. “That I am, love. Can't change who or what I am.”
“I know,” she answered soberly, glancing up at him. “I kind of like you the way you are.” When she saw Spike sit up hopefully, Buffy hurriedly covered, “I mean, I don't like like you, but I don't hate you. And I can tell there's more to you than the side we've seen. You're different from all the other vampires I’ve fought and-- I don't know-- I might want to see the real you. The less annoying, less egotistical you.”
“That right?”
She smiled widely at him and the adorable head-tilting thing he did. “Doesn't mean I won't stake you if you try to kill me and my friends.”
“Believe me, I know that. Tried so many times, didn't I?” he laughed. “I think the reason why I haven't been able to do it is because I really don't want to.”
“What do you mean?”
“Thought maybe shagging you would be better.”
Rolling her eyes, Buffy tried to suppress her smile and chided, “Pig.”
One moment they were sitting in awkward silence side by side and the next, she found herself poised on top of him and kissing him with as much fervor as he was kissing her.
“I want you, Buffy,” he hushed and slipped his hands under her top. His fingers seemed to burn her skin as they skimmed the supple underside of her breasts, her taut stomach, and her arched back. But more than the sensations he was making her feel by his touch, what made her tremble in desire was the way he said her name. “I want you so much.”
A throaty moan was all she could come up with, even though she felt the same. She wanted him. She wanted to be with him. And that claim – it had never seemed wrong. It actually felt right. As if it was supposed to happen.
Maybe they shouldn't have searched for ways to undo it after all. Maybe she and Spike were meant to be together.
Maybe it was her arousal talking.
Spike's tongue lapping at her bite mark pulled her out of her musings. Remembering Giles and the Scoobies and what they would say if they found out she slept with him again, and Angel if he found out about everything, Buffy reluctantly pushed herself off him and stood up. Still panting, she stared down at the startled vampire. “I-I should get some sleep. School starts tomorrow and I don't want to fall asleep in class.”
“Right,” was all Spike managed to say.
Buffy smiled bashfully at Spike, spun around, and left him alone in the living room.
With a groan, Spike threw his head back on the couch and covered his face with his hands. “I've gone completely daft,” he muttered.
Buffy slowly trudged up the stairs, already missing Spike's hands on her skin and his lips covering hers. But just like her decision about Angel, whom she still loved, she knew staying away from Spike was the right thing to do.
“Slayer.” Spike's voice stopped her in her tracks. “Buffy,” he called out to her again, and she spun around. He hesitantly walked up the stairs until he was face to face with her. Buffy's heart began to race as he placed his hands on her waist, his fingers caressing her through her blouse. He was staring up at her with lust-clouded eyes, waiting for her to turn away or kick him down the staircase. Buffy stared back at him with the same look in her eyes and he knew she wanted it too. He took her hand and pulled her down the stairs.
He led her into the kitchen and pointed at one of the doors. “Basement?” Buffy nodded and he opened the door.
Upon reaching the bottom of the stairs, Spike looked around and grinned when he saw a cot. He motioned for her to sit down and began to take his shirt off.
“Presumptuous much?” Buffy said with a giggle.
Spike pulled his shirt back down and frowned. “Not with the denial again.”
Buffy smirked, knowing how aroused Spike was and knowing he knew how aroused she was. She bit her lip as her hands traveled from the sides of his legs up to his button-fly. She slowly unbuttoned every one of them and then pulled his pants down until his hardened cock was right in front of her. She wrapped her small, soft hand around his swollen cock. She began to stroke it slowly up and down, flicking the tip of his cock with her tongue, an impish grin on her features while she stared up at him through her lashes. Spike jerked into her hand as he begged for more than what she was giving him.
Buffy obliged, feeling his need herself, and licked the underside of his shaft, tracing the spasming vein a few times before she put the head of his erect member into her mouth and sucked it gently.
“Fuck,” Spike gasped, and shuddered as Buffy rhythmically released and sucked on his throbbing head. He tangled his fingers in her golden locks, grabbing the back of her head as he urged her mouth deeper onto him. Buffy moaned around his manhood as she felt every sensation she was making him feel, sending vibrations through his member and making them both moan.
Spike screwed his eyes shut when Buffy swallowed him as deeply down her throat as she could. He just wanted to feel how tight and warm and wet her mouth was. He wanted to drown out every voice that was telling him how wrong this was. He just wanted to be with her and she wanted to be with him. He felt his balls tighten and he knew his orgasm was near.
Buffy was surprised when Spike pushed her away when she was so close and felt that so was he. “Did I do something wrong? Wasn't I okay? I've never done that before and--”
Spike chuckled in disbelief. He was panting and jerking involuntarily into her just moments ago and she could feel how much it was more than okay, and she had to ask? “Okay? Kitten, I'm about to come from just that.”
“Then--” Her question was cut short when Spike pulled her up, kissed her, and flicked her pants open. He pushed them down and off, along with her underwear. He hoisted her up and she instinctively wrapped her legs around him. He walked clumsily over to the wooden post behind him and pressed her up against it.
“I want to be inside you,” he whispered as the tip of his penis teased her entrance.
Not being able to contain herself anymore, Buffy pushed herself down onto his length. Both of them moaned loudly, never having felt greater pleasure than what they felt as Spike thrust rhythmically into her.
Feeling everything two-fold was too overwhelming. Buffy felt as if she was going to black out as they both came, but Spike's voice kept her awake, though not any less incoherent.
After the waves of pleasure had died down and both of them stopped spasming and shuddering, Spike leaned his forehead against Buffy’s shoulder and said possessively, “Mine.” while he licked her still visible bite mark.
He set her down, still holding her by her arms in case her knees couldn’t hold up. She smiled hazily at him. “That was amazing.”
“Shagging you is definitely better,” Spike chuckled, his eyes still trained on hers. “Maybe we shouldn't go through with it.” His voice was hopeful and scared at the same time.
Buffy's smile soon left her features. She did say she wanted to see the real Spike. She just didn't know the real, vulnerable Spike would scare her more than the evil, soulless vampire she thought he was.
She could only blink in response.