to carry the weight of unraveling of where we went wrong
it's all I can do
to keep from falling into all familiar shoes
He waited there for nearly an hour before she finally showed and even then she wasn't dressed in what he'd required. No, instead the silly bint was still in her earlier attire, smelling of grass and was that horses?
Curiosity warred with his desire to take her to task. Despite running roughshod with her tongue towards him, Hunter had reported that their day was civil, pleasant even. Not for the first time Spike felt a sense of unease. Very rarely did women ever speak to him in the manner she had, and then they had never rejected his advances. It was a new experience that he wasn't quite sure he was enjoying.
"Where have you been?"
Buffy turned, surprised to find him in the outer room. Her bedroom door was firmly closed and she wished that she could just ignore him and walk straight past. "Where do you think?" Her hands unconsciously found their way to her hips. "I'd of thought your giant lackey would tell you exactly where we went."
"I'd personally like to hear it from you, pet." Spike took in her annoyed frame, deciding that maybe it wasn't so bad she was wearing the tight top. All it would take would be a few hard tugs and he could rip her out of it.
"We walked, I saw horses, Hunter was boring, the end." Her eyes caught the feast on the table before Spike. Gods she was hungry. "Were you waiting for me?"
He smile seemed to grow bigger. "Yes and no, I've decided to move back upstairs." He leaned forward conspiratorially, "can't expect the boys to house me forever when there's a perfectly good bed here."
"Uhhhh, no there's not. There's my bed and the couch and you can't have my bed."
"It was my bloody bed first, pet." The nerve of her, claiming something that was totally his, made him want to hold her close and proclaim that she was his as well. Snap out of it, Spike! Spike gestured to the seat across from him as he speared a rib eye. Warren always did select the best cuts of meat for him. "Besides, you must get cold, up here by your lonesome." He leered at her chest, delighting as her folded arms pushed her breasts together.
Buffy stared at him aghast. This was quickly descending into dangerous territory. She ignored the way her stomach fluttered at his teasing tone. The separation had renewed her appreciation for company even his arrogant company. "I'm no going to comment on the state of my bed." She settled into the seat, thankful that he couldn't easily reach across and grab her.
"You're in my home" he held up a hand to stave off any argument, "and whether you like it or not, you are my property. Since I don't like marring women's tongues or faces, we have to learn to get along some how. I'm willing to give you some leeway pet, but don't you bloody dare take it for granted." Something dangerous glinted in his eye then. "Angel may have a dark history but I can rival him for bloodshed any day."
"What are you talking about?" Buffy asked, forgetting his threats as the Brit's face turned stormy.
Aghast Spike put down his fork and stared at her. "You mean you never saw Peaches' dark side?"
Buffy rolled her eyes, unwilling to slander him, even as her training suggested the real truth. "He never did anything illegal in front of me, if that's what you're implying. And frankly I don't think he would."
"Yeah, bet you think that sod still has a soul." Spike ignored her confused expression and gestured towards the food. He didn't speak again until she had had her fill.
Spike sighed, realizing that maybe he didn't want the chit to know what kind of man she had given herself to. Wesley still was investigating how far their relationship had gone, but he was sure it wasn't deep on the tosser's part. Angel could never hide his true self for long.
"Look, we need to talk." His voice had a stern tone but his eyes conveyed a totally different message, perhaps something close to affection. Buffy felt her muscles contract with something not quite fear but just as intense. What was he doing to her?
"As far as I'm concerned we have nadda to say to each other."
"Nadda?" he queried, a ghost of a smile hovering over his lips.
"As in nothing, zip, zero" she paused, "nadda."
"Right then. So what were you planning to do here, besides eat my food and act like a general pain in the arse?"
Buffy frowned. He really didn't understand her situation at all. "Generally just that, since you won't let me go, which by the way, totally doesn't make with the sense. Couldn't you just ransom me, or something?" She hated suggesting it but she knew that Riley would pay and she at least had a half a chance at surviving then.
Spike chuckled, although it was mirthless. "All that would do is make you a mark for the next time we wanted anything from the sodding Captain. You're too easy to take out and forgive me for saying this, but your training means that anyone could kill you in a heartbeat. Plus there's the fact that we don't want money."
"What do you want then?" Exasperated by his games, Buffy shoved her chair back from the table. "I mean, you've left me up here for a week, twiddling my thumbs and braiding my fucking hair! If there was any intelligence value, you would've tried to get it already."
Spike stood up and swiftly moved until he was kneeling before her. But for the grace of God go I "I want you Buffy." He paused as he noted the fear wash over her face. "I want to keep you here as my mistress, I guess you could call it." He steeled himself for her angry words, but was surprised when none came. Instead a look of horror was creeping over her beautiful face.
Hoping to stave off her anxiety, Spike continued on. "Whilst I have you, and by that I mean having you in the fullest sense of the word, I have control over Riley sodding Finn, Angel and the circle to a large extent." Still she says nothing. "That and you have a fabulous arse." She didn't bother to glare at him.
"But why your mistress" she mumbled. "You could have anyone."
"Angel doesn't love any other girls, but you." Spike chided her. He noted the shocked expression which seemed to be a permanent fixture of her face and grimaced. "I can't tell you everything, but he took something from me and I mean to have my revenge."
The urge to kiss her was overwhelming as a tear trailed down her cheek.
"Namely me." Buffy felt herself slump into the chair. She didn't even notice when Spike's hands caught her own. Or the thumb that unconsciously rubbed against her skin in soothing motions. "And if I say no?"
Spike looked at her in the eyes, dark blue filling with dread. "Then Drake will kill you."