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Ch. 17: The Perfect Gift

Buffy slid her fingers over the bookshelves, her brow furrowed in thought. "But I'm just not sure whether a book is what I want to get him."

Willow sighed. They'd been shopping for 2 hours already, and still Buffy had no idea about what to get Spike. She patted Buffy's back reassuringly and said, "I'm sure he'll love whatever you buy."

"Yeah, but that doesn't mean it's a good present. You know how much I obsess over presents. I just want it to be perfect."

"Maybe we should sit down and get some sort of game plan going so we're not just wandering aimlessly around the mall," Willow offered, her feet starting to ache.

"Okay. Coffee?" Buffy asked, moving away from the books.

"Yes, please. The caffeine will surely help you figure things out." Willow smiled, and the two girls tiredly left the book store.

***

"Tell me you did buy something," Anya demanded. "You guys have been at the mall for four hours." Anya had met up with the girls at the diner for dinner, and they were now seated in a booth drinking milkshakes and eating burgers.

Buffy glared at her, letting her eyes do the talking. She chewed on a fry, keeping her eyes on Anya.

"Oh my god. It's a Christmas present. How hard can it be?"

"Clearly, you do not understand the importance of a Christmas present," Buffy answered sullenly.

"Oh come on. He's a guy. Buy him some clothes. Or better yet, buy yourself some clothes. You know, like a pretty lingerie piece. That way it's for him, but you get something in the deal as well." Anya smiled, happy with her idea.

"No, you don't understand. I just want this gift to be really thoughtful, honest, just plain wonderful. This is the first time I've ever had a boyfriend to give a gift to. It's gotta be perfect," she stated.

Willow smiled sympathetically. "I know you want it to be perfect, but you can't kill yourself over this. Do you see how happy he is with you? You're perfect. You're the gift. He really is going to love anything you give him."

Making designs in her ketchup with a fry, Buffy sighed loudly. "I guess. I mean, I guess I know that, but it doesn't change my mind. I just have to go back to the stores. You don't have to come with, Wills. You've been around enough with me." She shrugged and then popped the fry into her mouth.

"So then what are you going to do?" Willow asked, rubbing her sore feet.

"I think I'm just gonna go home. We're exchanging gifts this weekend, so I still have some time. When are you and Xander leaving?" Buffy asked as she turned to Anya.

"Oh! We're leaving Saturday morning for Cancun. Isn't it exciting? I'm so glad my parents finally relented and let me bring a friend. Xander's supposed to be sharing a room with Andrew, but I'm sure we'll be able to work something out. Our rooms are adjoining, and my parents are on a different floor because they wanted a luxury suite and didn't feel like splurging on us. It'll be fabulous!" Her eyes sparkled in anticipation.

"That's really cool that you guys are going to be together this break. I wish Spike didn't have to go to London," Buffy said wistfully.

"It's only a week, and you can come hang out with me and Oz," Willow offered.

"But you guys will want to hang out alone. I would," Buffy whined. She didn't want to whine, but the thought of Spike being in a different county the entire break was just starting to wear her down.

"Really, it'll be fun. Don't hole yourself up the entire break. We'll have fun."

The girls continued to chat lightheartedly and finish their burgers, and Buffy tried not to obsess about Spike's gift.

***

Saturday finally came, and Buffy was getting ready for her date with Spike. She was a little edgy, her gift hiding in her purse with unspoken expectations. Would he like it? She shook those questions away and tried to focus on her present dilemma. Still clad in her robe, she stood in front of the closet, wondering what to wear. Something fancy? No, they were going to the beach. Casual? Yes, but not sloppy. Mini-skirt? That always worked. She pulled out the pink mini-skirt that flounced prettily and showed off her tan legs. Now what to wear on top?

The doorbell rang. "Mom, could you get that?" Buffy yelled from her bedroom, holding her skirt in one hand and rummaging through her shirts with the other.

"I'll get it!" Dawn yelled out, clambering down the stairs. She knew Buffy still wasn't ready, and of course Spike wouldn't want to wait all alone. She had to enjoy his hotness sometimes. Smoothing her hair back, she flung open the door and put on her best, bored teenager look. "Hey."

Spike flashed a charming smile at the girl and didn't let on that he could see her nervous blush spreading across her young face. "Hey there, Nibblet."

Dawn closed the door after he entered the house and internally squealed at the way his voice and his pet name for her. She followed him into the living room and sat in a chair nearby, showing off her long legs as she crossed them and then sat back to stare at him without shame.

"So, crashed any good parties lately?" Spike asked, referring to that night of Questions where she and Andrew had burst in on their little get together.

Dawn blushed and was about to reply with some witty comeback when Buffy came down the stairs--and Spike stopped paying attention to her. Huffing, she left the room quickly, trying not to stomp, and muttered some unintelligible insult while passing Buffy on the stairs.

Buffy stared at her sister's departing form in confusion and then turned to Spike. "What did you say to her?" she asked, motioning towards the girl as she neared her boyfriend. Pulling him in for a quick kiss, she added, "She looks a little annoyed. You know she has a crush on you. Did you tease her? "

"Only a little, but wait." He kissed her again, fully and thoroughly, lazily playing with her tongue.

"Ooh, what did I do to deserve such a nice welcome?" she teased, drawing back and caressing his cheeks.

He leaned in and kissed the tip of her nose. "You just look so lovely, in your sexy mini-skirt. I just had to show you." He was about to lean in and kiss her again until he realized that Mrs. Summers had entered the living room. "Hi, Mrs. Summers. How are you?" He tried to pull away a little, slightly embarrassed by their closeness.

Buffy turned and smiled at her mom, her hands intertwining with his to keep him from going too far. "Hey, Mom. We're about to leave for the beach. Probably won't be back till late." She started towards the door, taking Spike with her.

Joyce smiled at the two, remembering the excitement of young love. "Just make you're not out too late. Call if you need anything."

"Okay. Bye!" Buffy called out as she left.

"Bye, Mrs. Summers. I'll make sure she's not back too late." He waved awkwardly, Buffy dragging him out the door.

"I know you will. Have fun," she said, closing the door behind them.

***

"So, what do we have here?" Buffy intoned as she noticed all the stuff in the backseat of his car. "Guitar, picnic basket, blankets...Are you trying to seduce me?" She giggled, throwing her head back and letting the wind brush her hair back.

"Trying? I don't have to try," Spike teased. "I just brought a few things for us to play with. Nothing big." He glanced at her, the way she was totally relaxed with him, her smile bright and warm. He grinned broadly, appreciating the sight of his girl, and snaked his hand over to hers.

When they arrived at the beach, they grabbed their things and headed for a more deserted area. It wasn't too crowded, but there were enough people to force them to wander around a little before finding a semi-solitary area.

"Wow, looks like a lot of people are taking advantage of the great weather." She plopped down the blanket and her bag before plopping down herself.

He arranged his guitar and basket on top of the blanket to avoid getting sand everywhere and then joined her, kicking off his shoes. "I guess I won't be able to go through with that seduction after all, unless you're into people watching," he kidded.

She blushed and then hit him. "Hey, who said I was going to let you seduce me?"

Spike gave her a pointed look before pouncing on her. He started nibbling on her neck, making her make kittenish whimpers at the sensations his tongue was creating. "Make me stop," he murmured, his head buried in her scent.

"Stop," she protested weakly, thoroughly enjoying his fluttering touches.

He sat back on his heels and grinned at her. "Yeah, I can see how you don't want me." He chuckled at her pouts and then turned to unload the picnic basket. "Just give me a sec to get out all the goodies. I know you're hungry."

"Fine." She reached forward to help him, squealing at all the goodies she found: strawberries, chocolate, little sandwiches, chocolate, vegetables with dip, chocolate...

He smiled as she oohed and aahed over all that he had packed--and he had packed a lot. "Yeah, I know there's enough for an army, but I figured it's always better to have more than less."

"Definitely!" Buffy exclaimed, her mouth already smudged with a chocolate bonbon she'd stolen while unpacking the basket.

"God, you're so adorable." He watched as she licked her lips and then sucked on her fingers for every last remnant of chocolate. "And if I weren't so hungry, I'd be eating you right now."

"Glad to know where I stand in your list of priorities," she said dryly. "Does that mean I can dig in?"

He handed her a paper plate and a napkin. "Go for it, pet." He piled his own plate with food and then settled comfortably next to her. The sun was bright, but a cool breeze kept it from being too warm. The soft sounds of the ocean, the muted chatter of other beach bums, and the occasional squawk of seagulls simply created the soundtrack for his time with Buffy. It was wonderful, being with her on this beautiful day.

They ate, chatted, and enjoyed each other's company and the food.

"So, when are we going to do presents?" Buffy asked, biting into a luscious strawberry.

"You're doing that just to tease me, aren't you?" Spike said with a glazed look on his face.

"Hey, you brought the food. I'm just eating it." She sexily swept her tongue over her lips to catch the red juices--and then began giggling.

Cuteness and sexiness all rolled up in one--he leaned in and kissed her gently, tasting the strawberries on her mouth. "Okay. Before I get carried away, presents it is." He kissed her one more time and then reached for his guitar.

"Ooh, musical present?" Buffy asked, wiping her hands on her napkin and putting their trash into a bag. "Are you going to serenade me?"

"Do you want me to?" he asked as he opened the case and pulled out his instrument.

"You know how much I love your voice," she said, sitting with her legs crossed, eagerly awaiting what he had in store.

"Well, I do have a little something for you, a kind of pre-present song, if you will." He grinned while tuning his guitar, going through those natural motions that all musicians did to prepare. He cleared his throat, shifted the guitar in his lap, and then looked at Buffy.

She blushed under the intensity of his stare. He hadn't even begun to play, and she was already turned on. She ran her fingers nervously through her hair.

"Well, I wrote this song. For you, actually." He looked a little nervous, fidgeting with the pick in his hand. "I don't want you to think I'm this total sap or anything, but the song just came to me. I've never written a song for anyone before."

"Really?" Buffy commented, hugging her knees to her chest. He was so adorable, stuttering timidly. For her! She bit her lip and tried not to attack him with kisses; that would be for afterwards. Instead, she held herself tightly and waited to hear his lovely voice.

He strummed his guitar a few times, wanting to dispel the nerves that were making his fingers slightly shaky. Silly that he was so nervous, since he'd been playing the guitar for so long, but he'd never written a song that was so intimate to him, to his own personal feelings. He glanced at her and she smiled back, urging him on. Taking a deep breath, he began to sing.

I carry your picture with me everywhere
Sun-ripened lips, silky hair tickling me
Eyes of soft yearning and body of sweets
Fingers of tenderness, arms holding me

You make me
Warm with affection
Hot with desire
Lazy with loving
And
Roaring with fire

It's not poetry
Necessarily
But I can't help wanting to
Love you with words that are
Only the shadows of
All that you are
To me

Buffy's mouth was slightly parted, in complete and utter awe of the man before her. He had written that for her? For nerdy Buffy Summers? She had to blink away the tears that were starting to creep up on her--and to remind herself that this was her reality and not some dream that was taunting her. How long had she wanted Spike to just look at her--and now he was writing a song for her! She was totally speechless.

Letting the final note ring out over the ocean's crashing waves, he kept his eyes closed a little longer. As much as he'd wanted to see her reaction throughout the song, he just wasn't strong enough. He'd sang his heart out with his eyes shut, and now that the song was over, he was starting to feel even more nervous than before. Did she not like the song? Keeping his head down, he carefully opened his eyes. Still, she said nothing. Clearing his throat, he said cautiously, "Uh, did you like it?"

She muttered something inarticulate, still unable to form words. She closed her eyes, breathed in to suppress the tears that were threatening to spill, and then murmured, "Like it? Are you kidding? It's the most beautiful thing I've ever heard. You wrote that for me?" She crawled forward as she spoke, needing to be nearer to him.

"I did. I know we haven't been dating for that long, but I don't know...it just feels so right. I'm falling in love with you." He finally got the courage to look up, and he was met with two damp hazel eyes gazing at him with amazement and love. His breath caught in his throat, and he felt his own eyes watering in response.

"I can't even begin to tell you how much this means to me," she breathed, cupping his face with her hands. She brought him closer and kissed him tenderly, her entire spirit embracing him with her gentleness.

His entire body felt suffused by her love, his skin just tingling with that precious yet curious ache of feeling loved. It roiled in his stomach and swept over him. He put aside his guitar and pulled her fully into his arms.

She gasped as her body came in contact with his--that spark of desire never ceased to surprise and delight her. Every time he touched her, she felt that inner fire flaming and rising up to meet his touch. Her insides trembled and her skin sang. She loved the way he made her feel.

Their kisses melted into a warm, tight embrace, and Spike murmured, "Merry Christmas."

"I love you, too," she whispered. They shared an intimate smile, foreheads touching and arms embracing. "Oh, but I have to give you your gift!" She reached awkwardly for her bag, not wanting to leave his arms, and pulled it close.

"I still have your gift. That was just a pre-present song, remember?" His body was finally starting to unwind, though there were still thrills reverberating in his body.

"How am I supposed to compete with you? I don't have a pre-present song," she moaned, pouting.

"Oh, I'm sure we'll figure something out." He smirked at her and then nipped her lightly on the neck.

"Down, boy. Let me give you your gift." She reached into her bag and pulled out a small box.

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a similarly sized box. "Hmm. Hope we didn't give each other the same thing.

Buffy's eyes widened in surprise. "Whoa. Coincidence? You open yours first." She held it out to him and held her breath. She'd obsessed so much about the gift that she was sure he would hate it.

He placed her gift on the blanket and then opened what she gave him. It was a jewelry box, and he cocked one eyebrow. "Shouldn't you be on one knee?"

"Just open it," she retorted. His slow movements were only dragging out her torture. Biting her lip out of habit, she watched him open the lid. "It's a Thai spin ring. And the design is of Celtic knots," she babbled before he could even react to the gift.

He slid the ring on a finger, and it fit perfectly. It was a large silver ring with intricate designs, and the outer ring spun around. "Wow, that's really cool. And it looks so cool on my hand, don't you think? All manly and hot. And I just lost my favorite ring." He held out his hand for her to see.

"Yeah, I know. So I thought I could give you one to replace it." She still wasn't sure if he liked it or not, so she sat stiffly, trying to perceive his real reaction. She added, "A Thai spin ring is supposed to be calm and meditative--they believed that when you spun a wheel the gods would hear your prayers. And so it's supposed to bring luck or something. And the Celtic knots? Well, there's no confirmed meaning of them beyond the idea that everything is connected. So I figured I could just make up my own meaning for it. I remember the first time we kissed, how we walked under the stars and talked about the beauty of the world and I was just remembering that and thinking maybe when you spun the ring and saw all the knots you'd think of how we were connected and--"

Spike interrupted her ramblings with a kiss. "Buffy, I love it. It's perfect. And I will think of you, and how lucky I am, and how our lives are intertwined. It's really perfect." He kissed her again, allowing his lips to reassure her of how much he treasured her thoughtful gift.

"Really?" Buffy whispered, still a bit incredulous.

He kissed her again and stared intently into her eyes. "Really. I love what it means--even though I don't need a ring to think of you--I love that there's such beautiful thoughts behind it. I really do love it," he reassured her.

She played with his fingers, letting the ring spin around. "It looks nice on you."

"You have impeccable taste. And it fits perfectly." He watched her expression, wanting to know that was at peace.

"It does, doesn't it?" she commented, a genuine smile finally breaking across her face.

He kissed her cheek and then said, "Now you have to open my gift." He handed her the box.

"The song was such a wonderful gift by itself," she murmured, carefully pulling off the tape and unwrapping the gift meticulously.

"Oh, just rip it already," he complained.

"Patience." She finally pried open the lid--and revealed the very ring she'd been pining over since the craft fair. "Oh my god! Oh my god!" she squealed, throwing her arms around him and giving him a huge, sloppy kiss. "How did you know? Oh my god!" She slid the ring onto her finger and then flashed it around, loving the way the sunlight caught in its pattern.

He enjoyed her excitement and simply held her in his lap. "Oh, I'm sneaky like that. It was pretty hard not giving it to you early, though."

"Wait, you bought it all the way back then?" She stared at him in astonishment. "You thought we'd..." Her voice trailed off as she gazed at him.

"Luv, look at my track record. I don't date for fun. I date when there's someone I want, when I think things will work out. You, baby, are the one I want." He leaned in licked that luscious lower lip. "I wasn't going to let you get away that quickly."

She caught his lip and sucked on it before kissing him fully and then snuggled in his lap. "I have the best boyfriend in the world."

He smiled down at her and memorized the way her body molded against hers. It was going to be a long week without her. Not wanting to dwell on that, he simply held her in his arms and watched the beautiful sunset before them.





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