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Author's Chapter Notes:
Another two-parter. It's a miracle when I'm able to come in under the word limit lol

Banners by Edgehead and xoChantelly
Buffy and Spike had both engaged in some self-pleasure last night -- Buffy did it when she went to bed, and Spike did it as soon as he closed the crypt door behind him. They thought about each other as their hands rubbed and stroked their heated flesh.

And then, of course, there were the requisite naughty dreams.

In Spike's dream, Buffy was dressed like Raquel Welch in the movie 'One Million Years B.C.', and even more strangely, Spike was wearing a white spacesuit like an astronaut. They didn't speak the same language, Buffy only spoke in inarticulate grunts, but that didn't stop them from getting to know each other. Cave Girl Buffy was direct and to the point, she'd shredded Spike's spacesuit and ravished him.

Buffy's dream had more of a plot than Spike's. It took her back in time to a little over a year ago, back when Spike had first gotten chipped and was being kept tied to a chair in Giles' apartment. In the real world, Buffy had staunchly hated Spike back then, but she felt quite a bit differently in the dream version of events. She surprised Spike by 'taking advantage' of him while he was tied up. Spike had protested and told her to get away from him at first, but he'd changed his tune real fast when Buffy unzipped him and started sucking his dick. They had some hot, wild dream-sex that caused Buffy to wake up all hot and sweaty and in need of a shower. Thank goodness Dawn wasn't standing over her bed when she woke up this time...

Buffy loved the confidence she'd felt in that dream -- Dream Buffy had no worries about whether she would be able to satisfy Spike, she knew she could. Now if she could just feel a little of that confidence in the real world...







Buffy smiled to herself as she got ready to go to the Magic Box and thought about her crazy, passionate dream. Her subconscious was apparently determined to get some action since she was being stubborn about it. How very kinky she was in that dream -- she wouldn't take no for an answer, she took what she wanted and seduced Spike, she'd made him beg for it... A blush spread over Buffy's face as she looked in the mirror and brushed her hair.

The waiting to be intimate with Spike was hard, but it was kind of nice in a way too. She knew Spike wanted her, but he was trying to be patient, which she thought was very sweet and admirable. Restraint was not something Spike was known for. Waiting gave them a chance to really get to know each other as individuals, and so far they were getting along very well and liking all the new things they discovered about the other. It also gave them both time to change their minds about being together before they got in too deep...

Tonight would be their second official date. If all went well, Buffy had a feeling she'd be that much closer to being ready to take their relationship to the next level. She was liking Spike more and more, and she certainly lusted for him, love couldn't be that far behind... could it?

Her cell phone started ringing, playing the 'I Wanna Be Sedated' ringtone. Buffy grinned and picked up the phone from her nightstand. "Hiya, handsome," she answered. "You're up early, did you sleep at all?"

"Hello, pet. Yeah, I slept for a few hours. Did you sleep well?"

"Mmhmm." Buffy chewed on a thumbnail. "And I had a very pleasant dream..."

"Did you now?" Spike smirked, holding the phone between his ear and shoulder while he changed a tire on the DeSoto. That she was dreaming about him was a very good sign. "Anything 'bout it you want to share with me?"

"Well..." Buffy said, looking out into the hallway, and then closing her bedroom door for some privacy, "it was dirty... but, oh... I'm too shy to talk about it," she said coyly.

"Can you at least tell me if I was with you in the dream?"

She laughed, "Yes, of course you were there! Would've been pretty mean of me to tell you about it if you weren't in it. You had a big part in it."

"I'm intrigued now. I want to know more about this naughty dream of yours... Were there costumes or props?" There was a metallic sound, followed by Spike shouting, "Motherfucker!" And then she heard some loud thumps, like the phone was just dropped on the ground.

Buffy's eyes widened, wondering what was going on. Was he being attacked? "What's wrong?! Spike?" She heard growling and more muttered curse words.

"Sorry, luv, I dropped the phone. You still there?"

"Yeah, I'm here. What happened?"

"Nothin'... just caught my finger with the bloody wrench."

"Is your finger okay?"

"It's alright -- still attached," he flexed his finger, "just smarts a bit."

"Making any progress on the car?"

"Yeah, that's what I was callin' to talk to you about. But you got me all flustered and distracted with all that dirty dream talk."

"Sorry," Buffy giggled. "You shouldn't've been trying to multitask. Put down the tools and step away from all heavy equipment next time you're talking to me."

"That's true, you should come with a warnin' label -- I shouldn't use tools, operate heavy machinery or motor vehicles while talkin' to you," Spike said, only half-joking. It was dangerous for him to be doing anything when Buffy even hinted at anything sexual, his mind tended to wander under those circumstances. "Listen, luv, I won't be able to make it to the shop this afternoon like we planned. I need to put more time in on the car."

"Oh... that's okay. It's probably a good idea to wait a day or two, anyway." Buffy assumed he'd reconsidered coming because of her friends' disapproval. It pissed her off all over again that her friends were being so suspicious of Spike's motives... well, it was mostly Xander.

"We could stop in together on our way back from the coffeehouse tonight. Would that be alright with you?"

"Yeah, we could do that if you want." Buffy smiled, glad that he wasn't chickening out about facing the Scoobies again so soon. "I've got some stuff I need to do this afternoon, going to the shop this evening would work better for me, too."

Buffy wanted to go about her daily routine as normally as possible, which included spending time at the shop surrounded by her friends, partly so they would see that Spike wasn't trying to keep her away from them, or have them think she might be shirking her responsibilities because of her new relationship. They didn't need any extra shit to accuse Spike of doing wrong.

"Right. I'll pick you up at your house 'round 7:30?" Spike asked.

"Uh-huh. Last time you told me to dress fancy, any recommendations this time?"

"Hmm... yeah, wear pants."

Buffy laughed. "Well, I wasn't going to go all pants-less and naked below the waist. I don't think they'd let me in the coffeehouse that way."

"I meant, wear pants rather than a dress or skirt." Spike licked his lips, his voice got huskier. "You bad girl... now you got me thinkin' of you bein’ half-naked..."

"We'd better stop talking like this or you'll end up injuring yourself again. I'll see you at 7:30. And be careful with those tools, I want to go out and have fun tonight with a fully-intact boyfriend."

"I'll be careful, pet." Spike took a five minute break after he hung up. He wouldn't be able to get anything accomplished if he didn't get the image of a half-naked Buffy out of his head.

He had to get back down to business to get everything he wanted to accomplish done. Spike had to finish up replacing the tires on the car, and then he had plans to meet Clem, and then a stop or two to make after that. It was going to be another busy day.

He smirked as he washed up, wondering what exactly Buffy had dreamed. Was it as erotic (and strange) as his had been?

Spike had dreams and fantasies where he was the one in charge, ripping Buffy's clothes off and fucking her senseless. But some of the fantasies that turned him on the most had Buffy as the aggressor -- there was just something about Buffy burning with so much passion for him that she had to have him right then and there...

Spike shivered with arousal, hoping those dreams would come true someday... hopefully someday soon.







Buffy called Tara and asked if she and Willow wanted to go shopping with her at the mall, since the witches both had the day free from classes. Buffy included Willow in the outing, trying to be more optimistic that her best friend was going to be more supportive. The girls agreed to meet Buffy near the big clock at the mall's entrance.

Buffy borrowed the Jeep from a hesitant Joyce (despite passing Driver's Ed., the Slayer's driving skills left much to be desired), and drove to the mall for an afternoon of shopping fun. As she walked from the car to the meeting place, she spotted Tara and Willow standing near the clock and looking up at the sky.

"That one kinda looks like a seal balancing a ball on its nose," Tara observed.

"Yeah?" Willow squinted. "Looks more like a lion with a... cowboy riding on its back to me."

Buffy went to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Willow and looked up. "Hey, guys. What're you looking at?"

"Hi, Buffy. We're just cloud gazin'," Willow replied. "Settle the argument -- does that cloud look like a seal or a lion to you?" She pointed to the cloud in question.

Buffy thought the cloud clearly resembled Spike lying naked in a pool of honey... but she didn't want to say that out loud. "Um... just looks like a shapeless blobby thing to me. Does that mean I'm crazy?"

"Aw, you have a better imagination than that..." Willow looked at her. "Why are you blushing?"

Buffy ducked her head to hide her pink face. "I'm not blushing. It's just... hot out here." She fanned herself with her hand. "Aren't you hot? I mean... look -- sun! I'm not used to it... we better go inside, I might combust out here in the daylight."

Tara smiled, having a feeling she knew what was on Buffy's mind. "The cloud looks like Spike?"

Buffy shrugged, but couldn't help smiling. "I won't confirm or deny that." She put a hand over her eyes. "It's so weird, it's hard to stop thinking about him. I haven't felt like this about a guy... for a long time."

Willow nodded. "Mmhmm, that's how it is at the beginning -- you see their face everywhere. Like those miracles where people see the Virgin Mary or Jesus in all kinds of bizarre places. Let me know if you see Spike's image in a tortilla or a piece of toast."

"So far it's just been Cloud Spike... and I may have seen his likeness in my bowl of Cheerios this morning."

The girls laughed.

Buffy smiled at Willow, thankful that her best friend was obviously trying to be cool about her dating Spike. There was no grimace or worried frown on her friend's face, just Willow's usual pleasant smile. "Will, thanks for... being more accepting. I know me and Spike is hard for you to understand... I'm still getting used to the idea too."

Willow shook her head. "I should've been supportive from the second you said it was what you wanted. I'm sorry I was being a poop-head... Spike did save your life, for that alone he deserves a chance to prove he's really on our side now. I just worry about you, Buffy." She sighed and looked down. "I was totally encouraging about you dating Angel... and then Riley, and... I was afraid to cheer you on this time. If things didn't work out with you and Spike, I'd feel so guilty..."

Buffy hugged her, it made her feel a bit better to be okay with Willow again. "I understand. And you shouldn't feel guilty about the other guys. I needed my best friend to talk to when things were good... and especially when things went bad. You were just being my friend and wanting me to be happy. So don't feel guilty, okay?"

Willow sniffled and nodded against Buffy's shoulder, hugging her tighter for a moment.

Buffy continued to say, "I realize you guys are just worried about me getting burned... again. But I think I might have a real shot at being happy this time..." She let Willow go and stepped back. "When Spike's kissing me or just holding my hand, or when we're talking, it's like... I feel this... rightness. Like this is what Spike and I were supposed to be doing from the beginning instead of fighting... Does that make sense?"

Willow and Tara chuckled and nodded, knowing that feeling very well themselves.

"So, what are we shopping for today?" Tara asked with a grin. Her shyness had prevented her from making more than a few good friends all her life, she was thrilled that Buffy was feeling more comfortable with her. Knowing how much Buffy meant to Willow made Tara more determined to be good friends with the Slayer.

Buffy went over a list in her mind. "Well... all kinds of stuff, but mostly for some nice things I want to have for a special occasion... like new lingerie. Will, I was wondering if you could burn a music CD for me today? I don't know how to do that stuff."

"Yeah, sure, Buffy!" Willow said enthusiastically. "That's a piece of cake!" She liked being asked to do computer related tasks, that kind of thing was easy for her. She'd fight vamps and demons if she had to, but computers and magick were Willow's fortes and the areas she felt most comfy. And she was eager to do a favor for Buffy to make up for not being in her corner for the last week. "Is the music for that same special occasion you'll be wearing the new lingerie for, by any chance?"

Buffy giggled and nodded, her blush returned. "I want to have everything ready for when... I'm ready. Spike and I are... waiting to get close, we're getting to know each other better and all that good stuff first -- you know, with actual words instead of fists."

Willow and Tara tried hiding their surprise that Buffy and Spike hadn't had sex yet -- they'd just assumed (along with the rest of the Scoobies) that sex had been on the agenda for the blond couple's first date (if not before it). It was hard to believe Spike could be made to wait -- he was known for his lack of patience. Buffy had to have a truly powerful influence over him if she could make him wait for sex.

The Wiccans mused that if Buffy was planning her sex outfit and music to boink by, she was closer to being ready than she wanted to admit.







As Buffy had hoped, the three of them had a fun afternoon together. They shopped, and snacked, talked and laughed a lot, and then they shopped some more.

She didn't ask them to, but the girls were kind enough to pay when some things she wanted to buy were too expensive. They understood that the Slayer didn't have an income, all the money she had came from either Giles or her mother, neither of whom were rolling in dough. Willow's parents were both professionals and well-off financially, they never said 'no' when Willow needed money, they'd give it to her with no questions asked (the one drawback to it was that her parents tended to throw money at her in lieu of actual good parenting and communication). And Tara worked a few days a week in the anthropology department at school, so she had some money coming in too.

Buffy felt guilty for being a charity case, but who was she to say no if her friends wanted to do something nice for her? Her pride stung a bit by accepting freebies from them, but she could bear it if it meant she got what she needed and it made her friends happy about being able to help her.

Buffy gave Willow a list of songs she wanted to have on the special CD, and Willow promised to get it finished by tomorrow. And then Buffy would have just about all the things she'd wanted to make a very special evening with Spike. She didn't know exactly when she'd feel 'ready', but she sensed it would be soon -- seeing a cloud vision of Spike naked in a pool of honey was surely a sign from God.







It was almost 7:30, Buffy was nearly ready and looking at herself in the mirror. Dawn, who had helped her get ready again, was sitting on her bed and flipping through Teen People magazine.

Buffy was going for a casual yet stylish look tonight, wearing a green silk blouse, a pair of form-fitting blue jeans, and black high heeled boots. Her long, blonde hair hung loose around her shoulders, curling slightly at the ends; she'd achieved her goal of 'shampoo commercial' hair.

Buffy turned and looked over her shoulder at her backside in the mirror. "My butt looks great in these jeans." She patted the sides of her butt.

"Everybody's butt looks great in jeans," Dawn said, glancing up from her magazine. "Even I look like I have junk in the trunk when I wear a pair of tight ones."

"Well, this pair makes my butt look especially good." Buffy wiggled her hips to see what it looked like when she moved, she thought Spike would approve.

"Could we talk about something besides your ass?" Dawn joked, putting her magazine aside. "What jacket are you going to wear?"

Buffy went to her closet and got out a green suede jacket. "How about this one?" she asked as she pulled it on and modeled for her sister.

Dawn nodded. "Yeah, go with that, it looks good."

"And," Buffy said, going back to the mirror and turning around again, "it shows off my butt." She wiggled her hips again.

Dawn rolled her eyes and blew out a breath. "So sad. You're obsessed with your own skinny butt."

Buffy's brows knit. "Hey, it's not skinny!"

"Whether it's plump or bony, waving that thing around with Spike behind you will be like dangling red meat in front of a lion. You sure you want your butt looking too good?" Dawn had pressed for details about the first date, making Buffy admit that kissing was as far as it went, and that she and Spike were 'waiting'. Dawn thought, if she were Spike's girlfriend, she would've jumped him before they got the check at the restaurant.

"Hmmm..." Buffy wondered if Dawn was right. Would showing off her assets be too tempting for poor sex-starved Spike? She wanted to look good for him, but...

The loud rumbling of a motorcycle could be heard from outside. Dawn hopped up from the bed and went to the window. "Oh... I think your ride's here."

It seemed that Buffy would have to take the risk that her shapely, denim-clad posterior would drive Spike wild. "Perfect timing," Buffy said as she checked her makeup one more time in the mirror. "He's on a motorcycle?"

"Yep." Dawn watched as Spike walked up to the front porch and thought, 'My God, he's so hot... Buffy better appreciate my sacrifice.' Dawn opted to stay upstairs until they left again, there was no way she could possibly hide how yummy she thought Spike looked.

Buffy finished up, and then went quickly downstairs and answered the door a few moments after Spike knocked. She took a step back to admire his new clothes. Her eyes moved over him from head-to-toe and back again. "My, my, my... you look very..."

Spike was dressed like the classic 'bad boy' your parents warned you about, one of those rebellious troublemakers that were secretly appealing to so many women. He was wearing a black leather jacket with a plain white t-shirt underneath, slightly faded blue jeans, a black belt with a silver buckle, and black motorcycle boots. His hair looked great too -- a sea of platinum blond waviness with minimal use of styling gel; it looked so soft, Buffy could already see herself running her fingers through it.

Buffy again wondered how she'd kept from hardcore perving on Spike in the past, no matter how much she'd hated him. Had she been completely blind?! Whether he was wearing an Armani suit or a t-shirt and jeans (or naked and lying in a pool of honey), he was the sexiest, most gorgeous, incredibly edible man she'd ever seen.

"What's the verdict: good or bad?" Spike asked when she didn't finish her sentence. He held his arms out and did a little turn for her to get the full effect.

She was sorta mesmerized by his hotness... and his tight butt looked great in his jeans too. "Hmm? Oh, I think you look good... very good." Buffy dabbed at the corner of her mouth to make sure she wasn't drooling. Spike was also wearing more jewelry than she'd seen him wear before -- a thick, silver chain necklace and matching bracelets, as well as a few silver rings. "I like the bling, too."

Spike chuckled. "Thanks, I wanted to sparkle for ya." He stepped over the threshold and put one hand on her waist. He put his other hand to her hair, winding one of her blonde locks around his finger loosely. "And you look ravishing, as always, Goldilocks."

They leaned forward and kissed softly. Their lips were brushing together with little pressure, but the tingles they got from the contact were electric.

Buffy couldn't resist running her fingers through his hair, it felt just as soft and inviting as she'd imagined it would. She tickled at his mouth with the tip of her tongue, getting a bit carried away already. Spike moved his hands around to her back and was about to slide them down to her ass, when Joyce cleared her throat from the doorway to the living room.

The kissing blonds dropped their hands and took a step away from each other, attempting to look innocent.

Joyce gave him a friendly smile. "Hi, Spike."

"Hello, Joyce." Spike smiled back, thrusting his hands into his jacket pockets. He was still a little nervous around her after last night.

"I wanted to tell you I was... sorry if I was too hard on you yesterday. I didn't know Buffy's friends had put you through the wringer once already."

Spike shook his head. "No need to apologize, Joyce. That was a talk we needed to have, it's good that we got it outta the way."

She nodded, relieved he wasn't holding a grudge. "Buffy was pretty steamed at me after you left... I felt bad for insisting on having the talk with you last night."

Buffy gave her mother a hug to show all was forgiven. "I was only mad when I thought you'd chased my hunky boyfriend -- who's been extra touchy lately -- away. Everything's alright now. Spike was brave enough to come back to pick me up at the lion's den, he didn't run away with his tail between his legs."

Joyce looked back to Spike. "You really should've told me you weren't in the mood to chat last night. We could've put it off a while longer."

"I didn't think that'd go over too well,” Spike explained. “You had important things you needed to discuss with me, and if I'd said no or tried makin' excuses to get out of it... well, that probably woulda worried you even more. Thought it best just to do it on your terms and hopefully put your mind to rest on a few matters."

"I appreciate how honest you were, and that you were willing to hear me out." Joyce could see Spike was getting a little uncomfortable again, shifting a bit from foot to foot. "Well, why don't you two get going? As much as I know you'd love to, you can't stay here just gabbing with me all night."

"Okay, Mom. You have my cell number, call me if you need me. I'll probably be home late so... don't wait up. And try to just relax tonight, alright? You've been trying to do too much lately."

Joyce rolled her eyes, and Spike noticed a distinct family resemblance between her and her daughters at that moment. "I'm fine, Buffy. It's good for me to start getting back into my old routine."

"Yeah, but you're still technically recovering. So... take it easy," Buffy insisted.

Joyce sighed at her daughter's over protectiveness, but promised, "I will, honey."

Buffy gave her mother a kiss on the cheek before going out the front door with Spike.

Once they were halfway down the walkway, Buffy looked back at the house to make sure her mom or Dawn wasn't peeking out a window, then put her arm around Spike's waist, letting her hand brush over his butt. "You know when I said you looked 'very good' before?"

"Yeah."

"You look a lot better than that... you look extremely hot tonight." Buffy couldn't take her eyes off of him, she just wanted to look at him... and then look at him some more. Well... looking wasn't all she wanted to do -- there'd definitely be some fondling included too. And she'd been concerned Spike would get too turned on by seeing her tight jeans? At the moment, she was the one having trouble containing her lust. The erotic dream she'd had, followed by the vision of naked, pool of honey lounging Cloud Spike, had put her libido in overdrive.

"Why, thank you, Miss Summers." Spike smirked, getting an ego boost (as well as a different kind of boost from her hand making contact with his ass and her saying she thought he looked hot). "'M glad you approve of this outfit, too. So far I'm battin' a thousand, fashion-wise."

“Is this one of the outfits you promised to model for me?”

“Mmhmm.”

“I’m definitely looking forward to more fashion shows... Don’t stop wearing your regular clothes too -- I’m gonna start missing the ‘Classic Spike’, man in black, look.” She finally tore her eyes away from him as they got to the motorcycle parked at the curb, it was a black and silver Harley Davidson. "Cool hog, man," Buffy said jokingly.

"I should've asked if you'd be comfortable riding one before now, but... I really need to start askin’ first an’ not just assuming you’ll like something."

Buffy smiled and poked lightly at his taut abdomen. “Well, that’d probably be a good idea, but so far I’ve loved every surprise you’ve sprung on me.” She patted the bike’s seat. "I've never ridden on one before, but it always looked like fun. Where'd you get it?" Buffy asked in a curious, nonjudgmental way. She trusted that he'd kept his 'no stealing for their dates' promise.

"Bloke at the garage lent it to me for the night. I’d kill to have one of these babies for my own... not literally, ’course. Ain't she a beaut?" Spike ran his hand reverently over the body of the bike.

Buffy nodded, not knowing much at all about motorcycles, but thinking it was cool. As Spike mounted the bike, she had to stop and concentrate to get her hormones back under control again. The motorcycle somehow amplified his hotness; he looked even sexier straddling the powerful machine.

Once Buffy could think straight again, she said with a touch of anxiety, "Um, you do know how to drive one of these, right?"

"This is actually my very first time on a bike," Spike said casually as he raised the kickstand. "I think I got the hang of it on the way here, I only dropped it twice." At Buffy's nervous, wide-eyed stare, Spike cracked a smile and laughed loudly. "Kidding, luv. Yes, I know how to drive a bloody motorbike, 've been on one hundreds of times. I wouldn't risk takin' you for a ride if I wasn't sure I could handle it."

She smiled sheepishly and swatted at his arm. "You're bad, you had me going there for a second... Ooh, can I try driving it later?" Her eyes were wide with excitement this time; she’d always wanted to see what it was like to drive a motorcycle.

Spike was taken by surprise by her request. He didn't want to deny Buffy anything she asked of him, but he couldn't let her drive it. Besides the fact that she was a novice, he'd heard about Buffy's notoriously bad driving. Spike stammered as he tried to think of a good excuse to say no. "Uh... If... um... if it was mine, I'd say yes... but like I told you, it’s a loaner. First timers usually dump their bikes at least once, and I don't want you gettin' hurt or scratchin' up the Harley. Sorry, I gotta say no this time, pet."

"Oh... okay..." Buffy's bottom lip jutted out in a pout, she looked down at the ground.

Spike groaned. "Don't give me the pout... you know what that does to me..." He caved rather swiftly. "Maybe you can try takin' it for a spin... we can talk about it later." He gave himself a mental kick in his Slayer-whipped ass.

Buffy's frown turned upside-down. "I thought I'd have to power-snog you to get you to say yes. Just the pout works, huh? Good to know."

Spike groaned again and rolled his eyes, but smiled. "Got me wrapped 'round your little bitty finger, you do. Just try not to wrap the bike 'round a telephone pole later, yeah?” He grasped the handlebars. “Hop on, little mama."

"I'm packin' tonight," Buffy said as she swung her leg over the seat and sat behind him.

“Packin’?”

Buffy patted her jacket. "I made sure to bring a stake with me this time in case we run into any unfriendly types in or around the coffeehouse, and for patrolling afterwards.”

"That’s my li’l Girl Scout; always prepared. You ready?" Spike asked, getting ready to start up the bike.

Buffy made sure she was comfy and wrapped her arms around Spike's middle. She had a hunch she was going to like the necessity of having to hold onto him like this. It was going to be hard to not take advantage of her position and touch him in inappropriate ways... Though, with her luck, Spike would crash the bike if her hands got too... busy.

“Let's ride."







Spike parked the motorcycle in a lot a short walk from the coffeehouse.

“Wow, that was so much fun!” Buffy exclaimed as they dismounted, her loins still thrumming from the Harley's signature rumble... with maybe a little extra boost from having her body pressed against Spike's back the whole way.

Spike took out a cigarette and put it between his lips, the cigarette bobbed as he talked. "I love m' car but nothin' beats the freedom you feel when you're roarin' down the road on a Harley."

“My hair’s a tangley mess now... but it was worth it." She finger-combed her hair, hoping it didn't look frizzed out like she'd stuck her finger in a light socket. "I can’t wait to drive the bike myself.”

Spike bent his head to light his cigarette, looking warily up at her. “I said we’d talk about that, pet.” He inhaled, and then exhaled a stream of smoke, taking care to blow it away from Buffy.

“Don’t make me pout at you again,” Buffy teased with a smile.

Spike sucked in his cheeks and puckered his lips, smiling back at her. “Think you’re the boss of me, eh? I might just have to even the playing field a bit.” He started walking out of the lot, puffing on his smoke.

Buffy fell into step beside him. “Oh yeah? And you plan on doing that, how?”

"I could try pouting at you, too..." He turned his face to her, giving her an exaggerated pout.

Buffy giggled. "Aww, don't be sad."

"So you'd give me what I want if I do that?"

"Hmm... maybe, maybe not. I kinda just want to cuddle you."

"Well... gettin' my way would be good, but I'd take a cuddle." Spike flicked the cigarette away.

Buffy looked at him, her forehead creasing slightly. "I've noticed, several times, that you throw a cigarette away after only a few puffs... that's kinda wasteful, isn't it?"

Spike shrugged. "I'm a busy man, I don't always have time to finish a smoke. Sometimes a few hits is all I need to tide me over."

"You'd save some money if you just put it out and saved it for later." She looked at him with a bright, hopeful smile. "Better yet, you could stop smoking altogether!"

Spike shook his head and put an arm around her as they walked. "I'll give up evil for you, but you'll have to pry my smokes outta my cold, dead hands. A man's gotta have his vices."







There was a good-sized crowd at the Java Cafe for the poetry readings. Spike and Buffy managed to get a good table (cozy enough to give them some privacy, but close enough to hear the poets), and made themselves comfortable.

Along with their coffees, Spike suggested that Buffy get a cheese danish, and ordered a biscotti for himself. "If you're hungry for more of a meal, we could stop somewhere after the Magic Box," he said after the waiter left.

Buffy thought it'd be easier just to have dinner here, since they were here and everything... But she only nodded, thinking perhaps Spike couldn't afford the food here. Or he might just want to do things a certain way; he seemed to enjoy planning their dates. He got so mopey when unexpected things popped up last time. Spike the anal-retentive vampire... who'da thunk it? Was this the same guy that crashed Parent-Teacher night 'cause he couldn't wait for St. Vigeous? But she did think it was sweet that he wanted everything to go smoothly and be perfect for her.

They settled in and enjoyed the amateur poets, even if some of them weren't very good. It took guts to get up there and read something personal to a roomful of strangers.

During breaks in the readings, Spike told Buffy funny stories about attending poetry readings and salons over the years -- leaving out any parts where he bit people, of course. In the old days, he'd mingled with legendary figures such as Oscar Wilde (who was, according to Spike, a truly magnificent poof who wrote some equally magnificent plays and poems). He'd also frequented cafes during the late 1950s-early '60s to listen to the Beat poets. Spike informed her that Beatniks used to applaud by snapping their fingers instead of clapping, which Buffy thought was strange.

From his trip down memory lane, Buffy saw that Spike had always sought out the people who were 'different' and lived by different rules than the rest of society, and whom society mostly frowned upon. The people who lived on the fringes of society (or were looked down on for one reason or another) were the ones Spike felt most at ease being among. She could understand why Spike might've felt drawn to her and the Scoobies. Buffy felt like an outcast, a freak who didn't fit in anywhere, sometimes too... that was another thing they had in common.

"Ah, almost forgot again. I have a little somethin' for you," Spike said, smiling and taking a small gift box out of his pocket.

Buffy grinned and took the wrapped gift from him. "Aww, Spike, you didn't have to get me anything this time."

"I couldn't give you jewelry like I wanted to for the first date... better late than never. Go on and open it." He held his breath needlessly, waiting to see if she liked it or not.

Buffy tore off the paper and opened up the box, revealing a gold charm necklace with a round piece of amber set in the center, and a separate little baggie full of gold charms. "I love it, Spike, thank you." She smiled and leaned across the table to give him a little kiss.

"I thought about gettin' you a ring... but figured it would get lost or broken with all the punches you throw in a day. Then I was gonna make it a charm bracelet, but then thought it could be broken or lost easily too. A necklace seemed the best bet -- you can tuck it into your shirt before a fight."

"There's a ton of charms in here," Buffy laughed, opening up the baggie and taking a few of them out.

Spike slid his chair around the table to be closer to her. "I thought you'd rather pick which charms you want on the necklace. They all have a significance."

"What's the hummingbird for?" Buffy asked, holding the charm in the palm of her hand and showing it to him.

Spike chuckled. "That's 'cos I've thought of you as... my little hummingbird."

Buffy giggled. "Me, a hummingbird? I can safely say you're the first person to ever think of me like that. I see myself as more of a bull in a china shop."

Spike put his arm around the back of her chair and leaned over to kiss to her cheek. "You're dainty, graceful, and beautiful. Granted, you're a hummingbird who could kick my ass with one wing tied behind your back... but still."

Buffy was delighted as she went through the charms with Spike and he told her why he'd chosen them. He'd obviously been paying attention when she'd mentioned things she liked. Her favorite foods were represented by a little box of chocolates and a triangular slice of cheese. Other charms represented activities she enjoyed: a seashell for her love of the beach; an ice skate; a horse, because she mentioned how she used to love horseback riding; and a tiny book with "Poetry" in raised letters on the cover.

Some charms signified things about their first date: a little gold cell phone (the first gift he ever gave her); a man and woman holding each other and dancing (for the first time they danced together); and a champagne bottle (for their first dinner together). There was even a little cup and saucer charm to mark the coffeehouse date they were currently in the middle of.

There was a charm of two people hugging, which Spike told her represented her friendships. Spike was well-aware that it was Buffy's ties to the world that had kept her alive this long. And as much as he wanted to beat the shit out of her friends sometimes, he was grateful to them for having Buffy's back all these years.

Of course, he'd included a stake charm (which was actually a chili pepper, but it was the closest thing he could find that looked like a stake) to symbolize her Slayerness.

And there was a charm of a frog playing an electric guitar, just for a touch of whimsy.

Spike touched the piece of amber in the center of the necklace. "You like the amber bit?"

"Mmmhmm, it's so pretty. And it's warm to the touch, that's neat." She rubbed her finger against his atop the amber.

"I reckoned it was a good stone to give you, amber means lotsa different things. Some people thought it warded off evil spirits -- which would come in handy in your line of work. Some thought it was solidified sunshine. Some think it promotes healing and attracts joy. It also symbolizes new beginnings, as well as protection... and eternal love."

"I didn't know it meant all those things... I just thought it was pretty. You're chock-full of fun facts and titillating trivia."

"Titillating, eh? You used to think I was only full of shit," Spike said with a smirk.

Buffy laughed. "Yep, I did. But I'm big enough to admit I was wrong." She put her hands on the sides of his face and kissed him tenderly. "You are just so thoughtful and romantic," Buffy purred, brushing her lips against his.

"Mmhmm, ain't I sweet? You bring that out in me, pet. I'm Mr. Thoughtful when it comes to you. Turn me into a magnificent poof, you do."

Buffy leaned back in her seat. "Spike... how could you afford the necklace? It had to be expensive, and you said just the other night that there weren't any jewelers who owed you favors. Please don't spend every penny you manage to scrape together on me."

"Don't you fret 'bout that." Spike took out his wallet and opened it, showing her that it was full of cash.

Buffy's eyebrows went up. "Wow... how much is in there?"

"Enough to take care of my basic needs and buy you pretty things when I want," he said, taking out a $20 and laying it on the table, and then tucking the wallet back into his jacket.

"Okay... I'm not being accusey, so don't get defensive -- but where did you get all that money?"

"It's an advance on a paycheck... or two. I'm going to be working for Clem from time to time. I met with him earlier today and accepted his offer."

"Oh... well, that's great!" Buffy was surprised Spike had actually taken a job. Did he get a job just to buy her things and take her on dates? She hoped that wasn't the only reason, though it was flattering. "You're not working just to buy me stuff, are you?"

"Well... yeah," Spike said simply.

Buffy sighed. "That's really sweet of you, but it makes me feel guilty..."

"Alright, that's not the only reason I took the job, but it is a big one." In a softer voice, he said, "I want you to be proud of me... and havin' a man who gets his money by mooching and scheming off of others doesn't exactly inspire pride in a woman... I will make you proud of me someday, pet," he promised with determination.

"I'm already very proud of you," Buffy said sincerely. They smiled softly at each other for a few moments. "Though it does kinda make me feel stupid that my vampire boyfriend has a job and I don't..."

"You've already got a job, Buffy. The pay sucks, but slaying doesn't leave you time to join the workforce. I don't like that my job will take up time I could be spending with you... You can still call me at any time of the day or night, though -- if you need me, I can drop everything and be there in a flash."

"What will you be doing for Clem? Driving the hansom cab?"

Spike shook his head. "He's got a few different business ventures up and running at the mo', not just the cab business. And I'll be in a supervisory position, not doing grunt work, 'cos Clem knows I'd be bloody rotten at taking orders from anyone else. He also knows I bore easily, so I'm gonna alternate where I work and what I do from week to week."

Buffy nodded, thinking that sounded like a pretty good deal. "That was really nice of Clem."

"He felt guilty for sending Spicoli to pick us up at the restaurant, and wanted to make it up to me."

"I thought you weren't mad about that anymore? You still yelled at Clem about sending Dave to pick us up?" Buffy asked disapprovingly. "Clem was just trying to do something nice for us, he didn't know Dave was one of Dru's minions... And it's not like it turned out bad."

"I wasn't going to bring it up, but I'd already left a really brassed off message on his voice mail. He felt awful 'bout it." Spike smiled, thinking what a wonderful thing guilt could be. Clem had been eager to make it up to Spike by offering him a very cushy job. "So now I've got a job where I'm the boss an' I'll have money to buy you nice things." Spike also planned on just giving Buffy money to do with as she liked, he didn't say so right now, though -- he just knew she'd find some problem with taking money from him, and he didn't want to argue with her tonight about anything.

"The businesses Clem owns are all legal? You're sure?" she asked as she attached some charms to her necklace.

"It's all on the up and up; I won't be involved with or doing anything illegal, no worries," Spike assured her.

Buffy nodded, believing Spike was being honest with her. She attached another charm to the necklace which needed no explanation, a heart with the words 'I Love You' in raised letters. They shared a little, flirty smile as she attached that one. "So... you used your own money to buy the necklace?"

"Mmmhmm, that I did. And don't ask how much it cost, 'cos I ain't tellin'." Spike fidgeted slightly. "You, uh, really do like it, right? You're not just sayin' that to spare my feelings?" he asked a little nervously. "I'd rather you be honest with me..."

"I swear, I really do love it, Spike," Buffy reassured him with a warm smile. "It's the nicest thing anyone's ever given me."

The Cheshire cat grin that spread across Spike's face made her grin too. He was so adorable at times like these, when something she said or did would make him instantly happy and he'd get a big, exultant smile on his face, looking more like a little boy than a 121-year-old vampire. Buffy thought Spike went a bit overboard by giving her so many charms all at once, but her heart swelled with affection for him to know he thought enough of her to go so overboard. The attention he'd given the necklace and each individual charm both astounded and moved her -- had anyone else ever put that much thought into something they gave her? She doubted it.

"Want to help me put my necklace on?" Buffy turned halfway around in her chair and lifted her hair up in the back.

Spike took the necklace and fastened it around her neck. He rested his hands on her shoulders, gently massaging them, and placed a soft kiss to the back of her neck.

Buffy shivered at the touch of his lips, her eyelids fluttering for a moment, her womany place involuntarily clenched. She swallowed hard, knowing they were going to makeout when they were alone later and hoping she was strong enough to not give in to temptation.

Buffy turned back to face him, her face pink from blushing. She looked down at the necklace, admiring it and giving herself time to get unflustered. "It's beautiful."

"It pales beside your beauty, luv," Spike said, smirking because he knew how corny it was to say that.

Buffy looked up at him and snorted softly, also smiling. "I got you a little somethin', too."

Spike's smile broadened further, threatening to split his face in two. He sat up straight in his chair, his eyes alight with excitement. "You did? What is it?"

He looked so thrilled that she'd gotten him something, it made Buffy want to say 'Awww!' There was that adorable, boyish grin of his again. But then she started to second-guess her purchase. Buffy had wanted to get something for him this afternoon, but she couldn't come up with a good gift idea. And then she'd seen something she thought he'd like and bought it on impulse at the mall... but it sucked when taking into consideration the great gifts he'd given her and all the thought he'd put into them.

Buffy started backpedaling. "It's... um, it's not really that good a present. It's cheap..."

Spike's smile didn't waver. "I don't care how much something costs, pet. Just 'cos something has a low price tag doesn't mean it's not still good. I don't need nothin' posh."

"It's très crappy compared to the necklace and cell phone and all the other great stuff you've given me and done for me... I should wait until I can get you something really nice..."

"Uh-uh," Spike shook his head and held out his hand, wiggling his fingers, "I want my bloody present. Give it here. Gimme, gimme!"

Buffy laughed anxiously, but took a ring box out of her pocket, and placed it in his hand. "I used one of my own old ring boxes... 'cause what I got you is cheap and didn't come with one... so don't get too excited."

Spike was beaming as he went to open the box. He paused before opening it, looking up at her through his lashes. "Are you going to propose?" He batted his eyes shyly and put a hand to his chest. "Why, Buffy... this is so sudden!"

Buffy laughed again. "Um, no... no proposing. Come on, open it, already." She put her hands over her face, peeking through her fingers to see his reaction to the gift.

There was another reason she shouldn't have given him this present which only occurred to her now -- they had fought almost to the death over the Gem of Amarra last year -- Spike had tried to kill her, and she'd tried killing him in return. Then she'd robbed Spike of his hard-earned prize and sent it to Angel... In hindsight, maybe buying Spike a ring wasn't really a good choice...

Spike opened the box to reveal a silver skull & crossbones ring. It looked like biker jewelry, appropriately enough. "Aw, I love it, pet! You shouldn't 'ave!" His face was actually starting to hurt from smiling so much, but he couldn't help it. Buffy had been thinking of him when they were apart and was giving him a gift -- he couldn't stop smiling now if someone paid him to. He put the ring on the middle finger of his left hand and held it up to admire it.

"You really like it?" Buffy asked, still peeking out from between her fingers.

"You thought I wouldn't like a skull & crossbones ring? 'Course I love it!"

"It's probably going to turn your finger green..."

Spike laughed and put his hands on her wrists, gently pulling her hands away from her face. Then he leaned forward and kissed her sweetly on the lips. "I love it, and I love you. This is the first present you've ever given me... I'll treasure it as long as I live."

"It doesn't bring up... bad memories for you?" Buffy bit her lip.

Spike's brow furrowed. "Why would it bring up bad memories?"

"The... Gem of Amarra. You know, the thing that was your ticket to invincibility and walking around during the day... which I ripped off of your finger after we beat the shit out of each other... and then I sent it to the person you hate most in the world..." Buffy knew she'd done what she had to do back then, she didn't regret it. The Spike that existed then wasn't the same man who was sitting next to her now, that old Spike would've wreaked havoc if he possessed the Gem, her only option had been to take it from him. The only thing Buffy felt bad about was that the new, improved Spike might still bear a grudge for what she'd done.

"Oh... I hadn't even thought of that..." Spike blinked, any parallel really hadn't occurred to him until she mentioned it.

"You... didn't? Oh, great... you didn't make the connection, but I had to go and remind you of it," Buffy groaned, bowing her head slightly.

Spike hoped Buffy wasn't dwelling on their fights or harbored resentment toward him for the extremely hurtful things he'd said during their one and only fight in broad daylight. The insults he'd hurled at her that day had pissed her off so much that she was able to rally back from near defeat and deliver yet another spectacular kicking of his ass.

After a moment, Spike shook his head and waved his hand. "Water under the bridge, pet. None of that bollocks matters to me anymore. If I had you and the Gem right here in front of me to pick from, I'd choose you -- no bloody contest." He held her hands and spoke to her softly, looking into her eyes. "You know how... sorry I am for doing what I did and... saying the things I said back then, don't you?" he asked seriously. "If I could take it all back..."

Buffy nodded and grasped his hands. She was trying to let go of all their violent encounters and put them where they belonged, in the past -- including the fight with Spike right after her gigantic mistake of sleeping with Parker. It wasn't even the violence and fighting that bothered her, it was what he'd said as they fought. Spike had always had a way of cutting her to the quick, though she'd always tried pretending it didn't get to her at the time. But she couldn't quite banish the stuff about her being bad in bed from her mind. She'd already been worried it was true (because of Angel, and then that asshole Parker), that day Spike had just poured salt in her festering wound. And now that Riley had left her after having to get his kicks at a vamp whorehouse... all those feelings of inadequacy were back at the forefront of her mind.

But she couldn't talk about all those dumb feelings and insecurities right now, it was embarrassing and Spike would just try reassuring her when he really didn't know, firsthand, if she sucked in bed or not. Why couldn't she be all take-charge and sexually confident like Dream Buffy?

Spike went on, "I only said those things 'cos I was trying to hurt your ego and throw you off your game. We're not the same people who fought that day... we've come a long way since then."

Buffy gave him a firm kiss, then rested her forehead against his. "I know. If I held a grudge against you for anything that happened between us in the past, I wouldn't be out on a date with you right now. But I didn't want to remind you about the whole Gem of Amarra thing, I know how angry you must've been... so what do I do? I buy you a ring..." she sighed, then chuckled sadly. "Wow, I really suck at gift-giving."

Spike chuckled too, then pressed little kisses around her mouth. "No hard feelings here, pet. I'm glad it turned out the way it did. If I hadn't lost the Gem... I wouldn't be holding your hands in mine and kissing you right now... I wouldn't have realized I loved you and you probably would've found a way to kill me by now. The Gem wasn't my destiny, you are my destiny."

Buffy wasn't totally convinced Spike would choose her over the Gem if he were faced with that decision in anything but a hypothetical situation -- 'cause why would any guy choose her over invincibility? -- but oh, she wanted to believe it. Looking into his eyes as he spoke told her that he believed it. Was there anything Spike wouldn't do or sacrifice for her? He was worried about not being worthy of her... but was she worthy of the intensity and depth of his love?

Tears popped up in Buffy's eyes, she felt overwhelmed with emotion, with affection for Spike -- she'd felt that way a lot lately. She put her right hand on the side of his face, caressing his cheek and giving him a kiss that went quickly from soft and sensual to bruising. Spike almost fell out of the chair from her fierce kiss, but was able to catch himself before he could tumble to the floor, and then he kissed her back, pulling her closer to him. Their tongues danced together as the kiss deepened. Soon they were making out and panting for breath like two horny high school kids.

They decided to leave a few minutes later when they were told (by a poet on the stage) to get a room or stop making out because it was distracting. Buffy felt a little embarrassed because everyone had been staring at her and Spike as they tonsil-boxed and felt each other up, but what she felt most at the moment was profound happiness and contentment. And it was kinda fun to be caught doing something semi-naughty...


Continued...





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