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CHAPTER SEVEN

The rest of the patrol was uneventful. Buffy staked the few fledgling vampires she found and then began walking home. Spike gave a little squeak of inquiry and she responded as if he’d asked a real question.

“I think you’ll be safer at my house,” she said. “Mom’s not there tonight, she’s in LA on a buying trip and Dawn’s staying at Dad’s while they’re there. But I’ll be home, so if Riley tries to do something he’ll live to regret…. well, he won’t be able to do anything that stupid, because you’ll be with me all night. And if I think I have to, I’ll just stay home tomorrow.”

Spike squeaked something again and nibbled on her neck, pretending to be biting her jugular.

“What the hell are you—Oh, is this your way of reminding me there’s no blood at my house?”

He nibbled some more and she twitched her shoulder. “Except for me. I got it. Stop trying to chew on me! We’ll go by your crypt and get your blood.”

He licked her apologetically and nodded his approval. Reluctant to admit how much she liked his licking, Buffy muttered, “You must think you’re a dog or something with all the licking.”

She felt his little chuckle, and had some idea what his accompanying chirps meant. “Did you just say something piggy? You did, didn’t you?”

His only reply was another quick lick, followed by some aerial acrobatics that had her laughing as they approached the crypt. Only to find the doors both standing open. “Didn’t we close those?” Buffy muttered, shrinking behind a large bush. There was an answering growl from Spike. They watched for a few seconds, but there was no sign of life. Suddenly, Spike took off, almost invisible against the dark sky and trees. He ignored Buffy’s hissed, “What are you doing?” and swooped down into his crypt.

Growling under her breath, and calling him every kind of moron she could think of, Buffy approached cautiously and peered in the door. To her surprise, there was a faint light coming from a small flashlight that was lying on the floor. And Spike was sitting next to it, caught in a net that had apparently dropped over him. Buffy grabbed the flashlight and shined it around the room, ignoring for the moment, Spike’s indignant squeaking that was reaching inaudible levels as she walked past him to look around more. As she bent to light a candle, another net dropped down onto her head, causing her to swear and tear at it. The net clearly wasn’t meant to hold an adult human, never mind an angry slayer, and she was soon out of the tattered pieces. Focusing the flashlight’s small beam on the ceiling, she noted two more pieces of netting dangling precariously over the fridge and the couch.

She grabbed a sword from the weapon closet and slashed them both down, then turned her attention to Spike, who was still swearing in bat.

“Calm down,” she said as she lifted the netting off him. “I’m letting you out.” She sighed and glanced around the room. “I guess Riley doesn’t know I usually walk in here with you when I bring you home. Those nets wouldn’t hold anything much larger than you.”

High-pitched bat snarling was the only response for some time, as Spike flew around the crypt checking out his belongings. Buffy finished lighting a few candles and turned the flashlight off before going to the doors and shutting them. She put Spike’s rarely used bar across the inside door before walking back to the fridge to see how much blood was there. She counted the bags, saying, “Guess we need to get some more tomorrow. Probably should start keeping more in Mom’s freezer, just in case. Meanwhile, let’s take these with us.”

She started to put the blood packets into a bag, only to have Spike land on her shoulder, shaking his head.

“Why not? You can’t stay here! And I want to get some sleep tonight. I’ll take care of Riley tomorrow, but I need to know that you’re going to be safe.” Spike flew from her shoulder to his trap door and back, waiting for her to acknowledge what he was saying. “No, you can’t stay down there. You’re just as vulnerable there as you are up here. You’re coming home with me, and that’s it. Do you have clothes at Mom’s?”

He shook his head and again pointed downstairs. “Okay, we’ll go down and get something for you to wear tomorrow, but then we’re going to my house where you’ll be safe and I can sleep peacefully without worrying about you.” He gazed at her with his surprisingly expressive little eyes, then nuzzled her neck, leaving little bat kisses on it. Telling herself it was no more inappropriate than any other pet that might be cuddly and licky, she smiled and pulled the rug off the trap door. As soon as she opened it, he flew into the dark hole, and she followed down the rickety ladder/stairs holding a candle in one hand. She used it to light another once she was down, then gazed around.

“Whoa!” she exclaimed as she saw the big four-poster bed with red linens and a black comforter on it. Her gaze went to the matching dresser with a mirror she knew he couldn’t use, and a chest of drawers. A bookcase against one of the dirt walls contained several shelves of books, as well as a row of what appeared to be music tapes. The mud floor was covered in soft oriental rugs, and one of the walls was also concealed behind heavy drapery.

“No wonder you’d rather be here! I almost think I’d rather be here than in my basement.” The whole large area was surprisingly neat, only an extra pair of boots by the bed to clutter the floor. Buffy walked over to the bed and sat on it, bouncing slightly to test its softness. “Tempting….” she said as she stretched out on it. “If you had a bathroom, we could just stay here. No Mom at home to worry about where I spent the night.”

Spike flew to the bed and curled up next to her, purring with a high pitched hum. She stroked his fur absently as she sent her gaze over the ceiling and walls. “I was just kidding, you know. I’m human. I need a bathroom, and lights, and my stuff. This is all your stuff. And it’s very nice stuff,” she added as he growled softly. “But I like my own stuff, and it’s all at my house.” He whined and bumped her hand with his nose when she stopped petting him. “Come on, let’s get you some clothes to wear tomorrow. I can pet you at my house too.”

Giving a tiny sigh, he flew to the dresser and waited there for her. Buffy rolled off the admittedly comfortable bed, and walked over to start opening drawers. She took out two tee shirts from the first drawer, which seemed to contain dozens of the exact same black tee, and a pair of black jeans from the bottom drawer. Adding socks and the boots to the stack, she blew out the candles and started back up the ladder, using the light from the candles left burning up there to guide her. Spike flapped his way past her and was waiting by the door when she got up.

“Easy there, batboy,” she said. “I need to close this up.” She looked around and grabbed the old rug, putting it over the door. “I guess if Riley was already in here, he could have noticed it, but if he didn’t, this might keep him from finding it.” She put out the remaining candles, carrying one of them all the way to the door before blowing it out and setting it down just inside. “I guess we can’t keep anybody out if we’re not here to bar the door, but—what?” Spike circled the room, squeaking in what she recognized as frustration. She shook her head, and lifted the duffle carrying his clothes and blood. “Come on. You can tell me what you’re yelling about tomorrow when you can talk again.” She walked out and waited until he was on her shoulder, still muttering, before shutting both doors tightly.

XXX

They reached Buffy’s home without incident and were soon settled on the couch in front of the TV. Buffy yawned and stretched. “I’m going to get ready for bed, see if you can find a good movie. If you can’t, I’m just going to sleep. I’ll leave the door to the basement open so you can go down there whenever you want to.”

She came down a little later, pajamas on, teeth brushed, and ready for bed. She found Spike sitting on the remote and clearly glaring at her. “Oops! I forgot you can’t change channels. Sorry!” Her apology was accompanied by a giggle, so the glare only lasted until she’d sat down and clicked through until she found a Bruce Lee movie. “Here, want to watch this? There might be bloodshed involved.”

She leaned into the corner of the couch, making a little dent in the pillow for him to land in without even thinking about what she was doing. They settled in to watch the old movie, Buffy’s thumb moving back and forth over Spike as he nestled quietly against her.

Buffy dozed off, waking up in the wee hours to find the TV still on and Spike sleeping on her chest, his little claws hooked to the fabric of her pajamas so he wouldn’t fall off. His back rose and fell slowly with her breathing and she found it very soothing to have his little warm body lying on her, his nose touching her collarbone. She stroked his soft warm back, enjoying the vibration from his purring until she realized what it was, and that he was awake. With a whispered, “Sorry”, she turned on her side so she could reach the remote to turn the TV off.

Rather than moving away from her as she’d expected him to, Spike just snuggled into his normal place next to her neck, clearly prepared to go right back to sleep. With a sigh, she held him in her hand long enough to nuzzle his little chest, then set him down on the couch and sat up. “I’m going to finish the night in my own bed,” she said, wondering why she felt she needed to explain or apologize to Spike. “I’ll open the basement door for you, ‘k?”

His ears drooped and he made squeaky little complaining noises, but he nodded and gave his “ok” nudge to her hip. “You’ll be fine,” she said. “You’re a big boy—bat—and can sleep by yourself just fine.” She stood up, then bent down and kissed him on his furry little head. “Good night, Spike,” she said. “See you in the morning. Watch out for the sun coming in these windows.”

She walked to the kitchen, opened the basement door, and then went upstairs without going back into the living room. After a quick visit to the bathroom, she got into her own bed and was asleep again within minutes.

XXX

When Buffy awoke in the morning, she almost expected to find Spike snuggled into her neck. She was sure she hadn’t been dreaming when she felt him crawl into bed with her, but laughed at herself for thinking he’d still be there.

“Even if he did, he couldn’t be here now that the sun is up,” she assured herself. “If he’d stayed here long enough to change, I’d have noticed.”

“You sure about that, pet?”

Buffy shrieked, sat up, and stared at the barely-clothed man standing near her closet. Spike was laughing at her, wearing nothing but his loosely zipped jeans hanging on his hips. In spite of herself, Buffy almost licked her lips at the sight of his torso disappearing into the denim. She quickly went on the attack, beginning with scolding herself for thinking out loud and moving on quickly to scolding Spike for being in her bedroom and barely dressed.

“You… what? When? How? How did I not—You’re dust, Spike!”

“Relax, Slayer. I’d already moved to your closet before I changed. Had to run downstairs to get my kit, but your virtue’s intact. You spent the night snuggling with a bat, not a naked man.”

“You were supposed to go to the basement!” she said, for lack of any better comeback.

“Didn’t want to,” he said softly, his laughter gone. “I like sleeping with you. And as long as I’m harmless….”

“What if the curse suddenly broke and you were you again? Then you would have been in my bed… naked! Did you even think about that?”

“Trust me, love, some nights that’s all I think about….” Obviously reading the look on her face, he added, “Probably more than you wanted to know, yeah?” He turned away and picked a shirt up from the floor. He still hadn’t looked at her as he pulled it on and fastened his jeans. “I’ll just be downstairs warming up my blood while you get dressed.”

Buffy stared at the now-empty doorway, mulling over what she’d just learned about Spike and why he was so cuddly as a bat. And, if she was being honest, what she was learning about herself and what seemed to be a growing attraction to him, even when he wasn’t a bat. She got up and headed for the bathroom to shower away her inappropriate thoughts.

XXX

Buffy took her time getting dressed and joining Spike downstairs. He was calmly drinking his second mug of blood, as indicated by the two empty containers on the counter. She absently grabbed them and dropped them into the trash. After realized Spike had apparently made coffee, she got down a mug for herself. She filled her mug, still without saying anything, and sat on a stool. They stayed on opposite sides of the kitchen island, silently drinking their excuses for not talking, and carefully avoiding each other’s eyes. When both mugs were empty and soaking in the sink, she turned to him only to be interrupted before she could speak.

“I’m sorry,” he said. “I didn’t mean to hit you with it like that. I know you think you’re just cuddling your new pet, but I never forget who or what I really am. And it turns out I’m becoming pretty addicted to being that close to you. Want it pretty much all the time now.”

Buffy started to speak, stumbled, then cleared her throat. “I… I think I was kind of starting to get that. So, I guess that makes me the one who should be apologizing, doesn’t it? I mean, I don’t mean to be…but I know I am… and….” She met his eyes for the first time since his confession, not sure what she was looking for there. What she saw made her look away again. She heard him take a deep breath, then blow it out.

“Yeah. Well. Guess we need to figure out what we do now, don’t we? Suppose the watcher might allow me to hide out there for a bit. Once the big hayseed doesn’t see us together anymore, he should get over his need to end my little batty existence.”

Buffy tried not to sound as dismayed as she felt. “I guess that would work,” she said slowly. “If that’s what you want to do….”

“Isn’t that what you want? It’s not like we can go back to oblivious Buffy and her snuggly little pet bat, is it? I don’t see you forgetting what you now know.”

“I don’t want to give you up!” she blurted. “And I don’t mean just when you’re a bat. But, I know that’s not fair to you, so if you want—”

“What I want,” he said, suddenly in her space and close enough to touch, “is to take you back upstairs and make love to you until the sun goes down and I’m just a harmless bat again. That’s what I want. But I know I can’t have it, so the smart thing is just to stay away from you as much as I can.” He reached a hand to her face and cupped her cheek. “I think I’m falling in love with you, Buffy Summers. And that’s not gonna be good for either one of us.”

Buffy found herself blinking suddenly damp eyes. Before she thought it through, she surged toward him and fastened her lips on his, hoping briefly that the coffee had removed all traces of morning breath. He gave a quick, surprised twitch, then banded his arms around her and returned the kiss in spades. Although she knew him to be a good kisser from Willow’s spell last year, those public noisy displays of affection and lust were nothing like what she was feeling now.

In addition to the strong arms around her, holding her to a muscular body that she tried very hard—but with little success—not to compare to Riley’s, the incredibly soft and talented lips on hers carried a message she couldn’t deny. There was desire, and lust, for sure. But there was also a yearning need that she had to admit called to something in her in a way Riley’s kisses never had.

When several minutes of kissing had left her weak-kneed and gasping for air, they tore their lips apart and Spike pressed his forehead to hers. “Bloody hell, love. Give a bloke a bit of warning next time, yeah? I’m too gobsmacked to give you the attention you deserve.”

“I’m not feeling all that deprived right now,” she whispered, barely able to talk properly. “I think you did all right.”

“Tried to bring my A game, but I promise I can do better,” he said with a relieved laugh.

“We’ll see about that, bragger,” she said, holding up a hand for patience as she went on. “But maybe not till after I have breakfast. I think I’m going to need all my energy.” She blushed at her own boldness, but his warm chuckle kept her from feeling embarrassed.

“Breakfast it is,” he said, pulling out a stool for her. “Coming right up.”

Buffy watched with amusement and surprise as he pulled a package of Eggo waffles from the freezer and popped two of them in the toaster. He also poured her another cup of coffee and placed it in front of her while he waited for the waffles to be done.

As Buffy sipped her fresh coffee, and watched him place the waffles on a plate, butter them, and add syrup before setting them in front of her with a flourish, she laughed. “You had me worried there for a minute. I thought you were going to cook for me. Like really cook.”

He cocked his head at her, smiling. “I actually do know how to cook. But one surprise at a time, yeah?” He handed her a fork. “Eat up, love. You never know when you might need some extra energy.”





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