Chapter 45
As soon as Spike heard the front door open and close, his attention was miles away from the man sitting on the other side of the desk.
Should he act as if nothing had happened? Be casual? Act like a cocky bastard? Nah, Buffy would see right through him. Sodding great.
“William!”
His head swivelled around to look at Giles whose left eye was starting to twitch. “If you’re just going to sit there and stare at the door, you might as well leave. We won’t accomplish anything when you’re so distrac—”
But Spike was already up and striding out of the door. The last thing he heard from Giles was a burdened sigh.
And there she was, smiling at Joyce, talking.
He leaned against the doorjamb, wishing she’d smile like this all the time. It took her a few seconds to notice him and when she did, he had to wipe his sweaty palms on his jean-clad thighs. Ridiculous.
“So, how was your trip?”
She blinked, took a step closer as Joyce disappeared up the stairs. “Oh. We were at the gallery. It was really cool. I wish I could make stuff like some of those people.”
Didn’t she realise she was so much better than the sorry excuse of human kind combined? “You look lovely.”
She bit her bottom lip, glanced at him from beneath those thick lashes. “Thank you, kind sir.”
She was still too far away and it was making his skin itch, so he told himself not be a bloody pansy and closed the distance. No glaring or nervous twitching on her part. A part of him relaxed.
“Kind enough to deserve a kiss from you, milady?” She grinned and he couldn’t help but brush a stray wisp of flaxen hair behind her ear.
“Hmm… maybe.”
“Maybe?” He cupped the back of her neck and nuzzled her soft cheek. “Is that all I get?”
She finally kissed him then and it felt as though it had been forever since he last tasted her. Her soft lips had become an addiction and he craved her like a junkie craved the next shot of heroin. Only she made him better rather than worse. Just a look, a touch, a glide of her lips across his made him wish he could be a better man. Gave him hope that he could be.
When he tilted his head and suckled on her tongue, she gasped and pressed herself against him as if he was the only thing keeping her upright. If it wasn’t for Rupert and Joyce, he’d have Buffy propped against the nearest wall, halfway to happy land.
Pulling away was a Herculean effort.
“I was thinking,” he said.
“Oh no. That sounds dangerous.”
He nipped her jaw in warning and whispered against her skin, “Want to have a tour of the basement? We could get in some rough and tumble.”
“As in… sexy time?”
She had to be the most adorable thing ever. “Why, Summers? Fancy getting your naughty on?” His hands slid down her back to rest on her bum and squeezed. It was involuntary. He had nothing to do with the naughty touching in the middle of the hallway at all. “But I meant more of the fighting variety.”
She smacked him on the chest hard enough for it to sting. “You always do this on purpose, don’t you? Go all innuendo guy and then make me look as if I’m the horny one.”
“You said ‘horny’,” he said smugly.
“Oh, shut up.” She smiled. “Like you’re a candidate for priesthood.”
“Hardly.” He pulled her tightly against his groin to prove his point. “So, what do you say? You up for some grunt work?”
“And get to kick your ass in the process? Count me in.”
“Cheeky little thing. Might have to punish you later.” He deliberately let his voice drop a couple octaves just because he knew it made her knees tremble.
“O-okay.”
He couldn’t help it. He gave her a quick, deep kiss before dragging her off to the basement.
*******
“These are not the best workout gear.” Buffy pointed at her jeans. “I’ll get all sweaty and gross.”
“’M wearing jeans too. It’s not so bad.” He hooked his thumbs in the belt loops while he watched her put her hair up into a bun. “But you can always take yours off, though fighting in your skivvies would give you an unfair advantage.”
She sighed, kicked off her shoes then dropped the ghastly flannel shirt she insisted on wearing. Still too much clothing in his opinion. She should have taken his advice, even though she’d probably kick his sorry ass in a minute while he’d be busy staring. “What colour are you knickers?”
“Spike!”
“Buffy.” He licked his lips.
“Fine.” She rolled her eyes. “Red.”
His gaze dropped to her crotch as though he could magically see through the fabric of her jeans. “Can I see them?”
“If you win,” she said with a shrug as they both fell into a fighting stance.
Well, that was a hell of an incentive. “You’re on.”
“But what do I get?”
“You’ll get to see my knickers?” He waggled his eyebrows as they circled each other, looking for a weak spot.
“You don’t wear any. And even if you did… been there, done that.”
“Hey!” He pouted, ducked to the side to avoid her punch. “You know you want my tight little body.”
“Not so little,” she replied and jumped as he dropped to the ground to sweep her legs from underneath her.
“Why, thank you, pet. Flattery will get you in my pants.”
They traded a few hits, warming up.
“Anything will get me in your pants. You’re pretty easy.”
High kick. Duck. “Touché.”
“Spike?” She blocked his elbow hit and kicked his thigh.
“Yeah?”
“Can we do it… from behind next time?”
Freezing mid-swing wasn’t the best idea, especially not when her fist was coming towards his face. “Ow!”
“You were supposed to duck!”
“Well, you can’t expect my brain to work properly after what you said. Not much for multitasking here.” At her worried look, he said, “I’m fine. Really. Let’s pick it up, shall we?” He wiped a drop of blood from his bottom lip and sucked his thumb into his mouth then retaliated with a kick that almost tripped up her balance. “Did you mean it though?”
“That’s for me to know,” she said, bracing against his hit on her shoulder, “and for you to find out.”
It was all he could think of now. The expanse of her bare back arching under his hands, that lovely bum pressed against his pelvis, the length of her neck offered in supplication.
Bloody hell.
The next fifteen minutes was torture as neither of them came close to giving up, but he caught her by surprise when he tackled her to the carpeted floor with a burst of speed. Their limbs tangled as she tried to roll them over but he held fast, leaning in to bite her neck.
“I win.”
“Shut up and kiss me.”
Had there ever been sweeter words spoken? He didn’t think so.
Clothes flew everywhere around the room that was a cross between library and gym. He heard something crash; probably his T-shirt knocking over a table lamp. He couldn’t care less because Buffy was licking his chest, her teeth skimming his nipple, her hands busy unbuckling his belt.
“It’s soundproof,” he said, fingers unwinding her hair from the bun.
“What is?” Her tank top and bra were tossed to the side and his mouth hungrily followed the uncovered territory.
“The basement.” His pants dropped to the ground and he gladly kicked them off so he could strip Buffy’s down.
“Why?”
“You probably don’t want to know.”
A shrug. “Does that mean we can be loud?”
He sank to his knees, panted against her navel as he drew her red knickers down her thighs. “As loud as you want.”
Ah, there it was. That whimpering sound she made when he’d lick her as if she was an ice-cream sundae.
“No teasing. Want you now,” she said, joined him on the floor and kissed him until his head was spinning.
“Wait, wait.” He stilled her questing hands and fought to clear his mind. “Protection.”
If she kept nibbling on his neck as if it was hard candy, he’d probably do something stupid. “Buffy.”
“In my bag. Bought them when I went out today. Made an appointment with a doctor too so I can get on the pill, but it won’t be until next week.”
He couldn’t bloody wait. Just the idea of it… Fuck, but it was hard to stop touching her long enough to go rummage through her bag. “Got it.”
Even naked and looking halfway ravished as she knelt on the floor, watching him as if he was prey, she still managed to pull off demure. He was dropping on his knees to take her in his arms, couldn’t resist stealing a kiss.
It felt as if her hands were everywhere at once and he’d never felt more urgency to be inside a woman than he did now, especially when she sucked the sensitive spot on his neck and dug her nails into his upper arms.
“Thought you wanted to punish me,” she breathed out the words, her eyes wild and challenging.
“Oh, I will,” he said with a growl and spun her around. Her head dropped back on his shoulder as he dragged his hands up her belly to cup her breasts, teasing, possessing every inch of her flesh as they darted down again to urge her legs further apart. “On your hands, kitten.”
He half-expected her to refuse him, but she leaned forward with a moan, probably as wired from the fight as he was.
“What are you waiting for? An engraved invitation?”
There she was, the impish vixen even as she was asking him to take her. “What the lady wants,” a long, deep thrust, “the lady gets.”
Her arms buckled until she was resting on her elbows and he had to grit his teeth to keep himself from flying too close to the edge too soon.
“God, you’re hot.” He started up a slow tempo to usher his libido back under control.
“So d-deep,” she mumbled, half-drunk, pushing back against him.
“Do you… like it?”
“Uh huh.”
The carpet was plush enough to spare both their knees, but he reckoned they’d still have a few rug burns when all was said and done. He couldn’t find it in himself to care. Not when she was scalding hot, pulsing, soaking wet.
He gripped her hips, one hand sneaking around to massage that little spot that would provoke the whimpering sound he loved, the other hand giving her a light spank.
“Oh!”
“All right?”
“More.”
He obliged, picked up his pace, hips rolling, colliding with hers. He couldn’t stop if the room caught fire. When she jerked and spasmed so hard around him he could hardly move, he had to start reciting the alphabet so he could make her do it again. She was limp, mumbling his name as he massaged the reddened globes of her ass. It didn’t take long for him to work her up again and push her over the precipice for the second time. This time, he couldn’t hold the tide back, couldn’t deny the tingle that sparked his every nerve ending to life and soared through his veins.
His release was so strong he almost blacked out and was barely aware of tugging Buffy up and burying his face in her messy hair.
Inhale. Exhale.
His toes were numb.
“Buffy.”
“Yuh huh.”
“Buffy.”
She giggled.
“I think my brain is dead.”
“Then we can be brain-dead together,” she said and stroked his arm where it was locked around her waist.
The floor wasn’t the most comfortable post-coital place as they lay down, but the company certainly more than made up for it.
“Wasn’t too much, was it? The spanking?”
She hid her face in his chest, a puff of air warming his skin. “I liked it.”
“Yeah?”
“I really liked it.” She glanced up at him. “You don’t think I’m weird, do you?”
“More like my personal wet dream come to life.”
Her cheeks flushed and he wondered whether the sight of it would ever stop making him love her even more.
He was just about to kiss her when there was a knock on the door.
“William?” came Rupert’s muffled voice. “If you two are done exercising, do come up. I’ve got some news.”
“I thought it was sound proof?” she whispered, as if Giles was right there to hear her.
“It is. You can’t hear anything that’s happening in here, but you can hear what’s happening outside. It’s a magic thing.”
“Good. I’d really hate to have him hear all that… again.” She grimaced.
“Well, at least he didn’t come in in the middle,” Spike noted, earning himself a painful pinch to his nipple.
*******
“So, where’s the fire, Rupes?” They followed Giles to the living room and he didn’t have the heart to tell Buffy she was sporting ‘just got shagged’ hair. He probably didn’t look much better, come to think of it.
“I discovered something new in the translation,” Giles said, taking off his spectacles with a nervous twitch. The fact Giles had failed to reprimand him for calling him Rupes made the bells in Spike’s head ring in alarm.
“What is it?”
Giles heaved a sigh and rubbed his forehead.
Buffy glanced between the two men, sensing the brewing tension, feeling the dread one always felt before bad news smashed everything to pieces. When Giles’s gaze fell on her she felt as though she’d just been tossed under a spotlight in the middle of a stage without her clothes on.
“Giles?” she asked, bemused, glancing at Spike to gauge his reaction, but he seemed to be as confused as she was.
“The weapon you gave to Spike. I’m sure he’s told you it is crucial in the impending fight against Angelus,” he said with a questioning tone, to which she nodded. “W-well, I—”
“For God’s sake, mate, just spit it out,” Spike said, his features wrought with tension.
“Very well,” Giles said. “The weapon is meant to be wielded by ‘her’, the one in waiting. The weapon will tap into the Potential to defeat the undefeatable. Only ‘she’ can unlock the blade’s true power.”
For a few seconds there was nothing but a pulsing silence, one that escalated until her ears were buzzing from it. The funny thing was, she wasn’t shocked or fumbling to grasp the implications of Giles’ word spillage. Somehow, the first time she’d touched the blade, she knew it belonged to her. That it called to something within her, filling a missing piece she never knew she’d been lacking. But it wasn’t fully sinking in yet, what it meant, not even when Spike finally broke the silence, arguing that Giles must have gotten it wrong, as though Spike’s will alone could change the outcome.
“It doesn’t have to be her, does it? There’s plenty other girls who can step up to the plate,” Spike said, springing to his feet to pace around the living room like a caged animal.
“We don’t have time or means to search for someone else, even if there were, in fact, ‘plenty’ of girls to do it instead, which there aren’t,” Giles said as they glared at each other and she felt as though she didn’t exist at all.
“You said you tracked a couple of them down to protect them. Where the fuck are they now?”
“One of them is bloody twelve and the other is afraid of her own shadow,” Giles said rising to his feet too. “Buffy is the best choice. She can fight—”
“You don’t care about the danger she’ll be in, do you?”
“Of course I do!” A vein popped on Giles’ forehead and she had an irrational urge to giggle.
“It wasn’t supposed to be her!” Spike’s jaw twitched, his hands twisting into fists, his entire body taut and ready to spring. And spring he did. The half-filled glass sitting unassumingly on the table became a victim of Spike’s wrath as he picked it up and threw it against the wall with a shattering impact. Solitary drops of water dripped down the wall while Spike and Giles got into a screaming match. She felt strangely calm in the face of all the boiling emotions.
“Would you calm down?” Giles gave him a reproachful look, tossing the book in his hand on the table. “This isn’t helping anyone!”
“Because I am always so bloody useful aren’t I? I’ve been ready for him and I know I could win! And now I can’t do anything but stand there and watch her walk straight into his arms? How the fuck am I supposed to calm down?”
When he kicked the sofa and let out a string of curses, she decided enough was enough.
“Spike,” she said, standing up. “Stop.”
He swung around to face her, blinking at her, as though he only now realised she’d been sitting there all this time. The anger prowling in his eyes dimmed but the remnants still lurked around the edges. Was he angry at the destiny or her for stealing his only chance to avenge the ones he’d lost? Was it both?
“Please stop,” she said, “It’ll be okay.” She hoped.
“Buffy…”
“Are you so angry because you’re afraid that I’ll steal all your glory?” She tried for a smile, felt the strain it put on her muscles. After all, she wasn’t exactly joking.
He stuck his hands in the pockets of his jeans, took a step closer. “Can’t say I’m not a bit miffed. Killing Angelus has been… Fuck, it’s been the only thing I’ve known ever since I can remember. Before you…” He cleared his throat. “Why are you taking this so calmly?”
She was anything but calm. But if she gave in, she’d probably start shaking and panicking would only make the matters worse. “I’m the best option we have, right? It’s already decided, we just have to make it work.”
“There’s always a choice,” he said, closing the distance, cradling her cheeks. She noted distantly that his hands were a bit colder than usual. “I’ve got your back if you want to do it. But you don’t have to.”
Giles started to speak when Spike sent him a murderous glare over his shoulder. “As I said, she doesn’t have to.” He turned back to her, eyes softening. “We can go anywhere you want. Get the hell out of here.”
“You forget I wanted to help you all this time. Not exactly this way, granted, but…” she said, surprised how blasé she sounded. “Running away would kinda defeat the whole point, wouldn’t it?”
“I know, but this is different. You’d have to be the one to actually face him.” His thumbs traced tingling circles on her skin. “You want to do it then? Tell me the truth.”
“As long as you’ll be there to help tag-team him.”
“No place I’d rather be,” he said, leaning his forehead against hers and she heard Giles walk out of the room.
“Then yes.” There was no one else. She could fight. She could do this.
“I’ve got your back,” he said, pulling her fully into his embrace. “If there’s anyone who can kick the Poof’s giant ass, besides me of course, it’s you.”
Right as he leaned away and looked into her eyes, she knew he wasn’t lying. If she had Spike at her side, believing in her, there was no way she’d let him down.
Angelus was dust, no matter the cost.
TBC
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Author's Chapter Notes:
I think there is one more chapter before the final showdown, which means we're nearly at the end! I honestly can't believe you guys are still sticking around lol. You are freaking amazing, and incredibly patient!!!
Beta'd by the awesome All4Spike! I tweaked the last scene quite a bit after her feedback, so I'm hoping there aren't any horrible errors. If there are, don't hesitate to let me know. :)
Beta'd by the awesome All4Spike! I tweaked the last scene quite a bit after her feedback, so I'm hoping there aren't any horrible errors. If there are, don't hesitate to let me know. :)
Chapter End Notes:
The last bit was a pain to write, so I hope it came across true to their characters. Let me know if you liked the chapter. :)