Buffy stretched her
arms over her head; the movements relaxed and slow. Her back arched as her
shoulders and elbows popped. Oh, that felt so good. And, um yes, her bed was
nice and toasty this morning. She rolled over onto her side and opened her eyes
to glance at the window and try to guess what time it was. Except there was no
window. She frowned in consternation. Where did that pesky frame of glass and
wood go?
She lifted her head
off the impossible softness of the pillow to look around. Blue satin surrounded
her. Satin? Blue satin? She ran her hand over the sheet. It was so soft and.
slippery! Ooh. Slippery good! She sat up, suddenly noticing her nakedness as
the sheet fell away from her body. Surely she wasn't completely� She glanced
down. Yep. Naked as the day she was born. She fell back and wiggled her body,
luxuriating in the feel of the silky material against her skin. Nothing could
get her to budge from this spot. Not even�
"Spike!"
She shrieked and jumped out of the bed, pulling the top sheet with her.
"Oh my god oh my god oh my god!" She looked around, panicked. She was
alone. Where had he gone? What had she done? What had they done? She searched
back in her memory to the night before. She remembered the big fight with the
Washubu demons, side by side with Spike. It had been a long, hard battle. There
had been knives and swords, punches and kicks, biting and blood. And that had
just been her contribution. Spike had fought just as hard, with all his heart
and soul. Yes, the new souled Spike was as much a warrior as the old demon
controlled version, perhaps better. He fought each of her battles as though
they were his own. Last night had been no exception. They had triumphed despite
being out-muscled and out-numbered. Exhausted, they had turned toward each
other. She had seen the hunger and passion in his eyes, and answered them with
her own hot gaze. Then�
Then nothing. Her
memory was blank after that. Carefully, she re-approached the bed. It was big.
California King. She reached out and quickly flicked the fluffy comforter off,
expecting something to jump out at her. Nothing. No one. She sighed in a
frustrated puff of air and sat back down on the mattress. So where was she and
what had she done? She was sore and bruised, but then she'd had a major battle
the night before. That was nothing new. She squirmed. Ouch.
She turned suddenly
when the door opened. Spike walked in stark naked. "Oh my god."
"Finally awake,
are you?"
"Where are
we?"
"Clem's."
"We're naked at
Clem's?"
He glanced down at
his pale body, then looked back up at her, amusement dancing in his eyes.
"Yeah."
"Oh!" She
turned away, cheeks flaming.
"So now you're
bashful. Didn't see much of that last night." He lifted a brow and
inclined his head toward her.
"Where are my
clothes? I can only find my boots."
"I took
'em."
"What?"
She stood up, eyes blazing. "What is this, one of your crazy schemes to
get me to cave in to your..." she looked him up and down. "Your
limited charms?"
She paled as he
laughed at her. Laughed! "That the best you can do Slayer? If so, I think
I can prove you wrong in short order."
She turned away
again. "No thanks. Just give me my clothes and I'll go."
"Can't,"
He replied airily, then plopped down on the bed, tucking his hands behind his
head. "They're a bit wet."
"Wet? Like,
with water wet?"
"Wet like in
the washing machine wet." He glanced over at her, smirking as she
continued to avert her gaze from him. "They were all covered with Washubu
blood. Makes an awful stain if you don't get it out right away."
"Oh." Her
shoulders were stiff and her neck rigid. "So, how much longer?"
"Give 'em an
hour in the dryer, you'll be set to go."
"An hour?"
"'Bout the size
and shape."
"Um, Spike. If
we're going to be here for an hour..."
"Yes, love?"
"Would you...
would you." She blushed again and gestured in the general vicinity of his
crotch.
"Oh, is this
botherin' you?"
"Please?"
"Sure,
love." He plucked up her pillow and deposited it over his lap.
"Better?"
She gave him an
irritated glare. "It'll do."
"Glad to hear
it."
"Did you have
to use my pillow?"
"Thought you
were done with it. Besides, it's Clem's pillow."
Buffy closed her
eyes and took a deep breath. "Spike, what are we doing at Clem's?"
"You don't
remember?"
"Would I ask if
I remembered?"
"Ooh. Touchy
touchy."
"Spike!"
"You don't
remember anything?" He sounded genuinely surprised.
Buffy softened.
"I remember our fight, then...nothing" she frowned. "Except my
butt is really sore."
Spike smirked.
"It would be."
"Ewww!"
"You didn't
think so last night," His voice trailed off and he wagged his eyebrows at
her.
"Oh my
god." She clutched the sheet more tightly around her. Tentatively she
raised her eyes. "I don't know why this is bothering me so much. I mean,
its not like this is the first time we..."
"Woke up naked
together?"
"Well, maybe it
is the first time for that. I mean, the waking up part."
"Yeah." He
nodded his agreement, then rolled over to face her, dislodging the pillow in
the process. He picked it up to cover himself again. "Buffy, what is it
that you think you need to be ashamed about?"
"It's... I...
we..." She took a deep breath. "This wasn't supposed to happen
yet."
"Yet?"
"Before we
could, you know, talk."
"Hmm. Now this
is gettin' interesting. What did we have to talk about?"
"You know. You.
Me. How we were. How we are."
"Oh you talked,
sweetheart."
"Why don't I
remember?"
"I'm guessing
that would be the demon blood."
"What about the
demon blood?"
"You were
covered in it, pet."
"So were
you."
"So you don't
remember falling either?"
"Falling?"
"Yes," His
voice was a study in patient lecturing. "We finished off the Washubus.
Next thing I knew you were charging toward me with intentions of compromising
my honor and�."
"Compromising
your honor?!"
"Technically,
poor William is a virgin, you know."
She rolled her eyes.
"Oh brother."
"And there you
were, ready to jump my bones with nary a by your leave."
"I. Did.
Not."
"No you didn't,
because you picked that moment to slip on a pool of demon blood and you fell on
your..." He bit his lip and attempted to peek under her sheet. When she
drew the sheet more tightly around her backside he lifted his gaze back to her
face. "That's when you started in with the babbling."
She drew back and
frowned at him. "What kind of babbling. I don't babble."
"Right."
"Sometimes I
have trouble explaining myself, and I try to clarify what I meant to say when I
didn't really say what I meant, but I don't babble."
"Right."
"Stop it!"
"Stop
what?"
"Agreeing with
me like that."
"OK." They
looked at each other, and dissolved in laughter.
She reached out and
touched his face. "You know what? I like you."
"I know."
"You
know?"
"You told me.
Last night."
"Oh." She
dropped her hand self-consciously. "What else did I tell you?"
"That your
favorite color is bubblegum pink, that you'd rather buy clothes than eat, that
killin' demons really is a turn on for you, and..." He smiled evilly and
she glimpsed the tip of his tongue, "that I'm the best sex you've ever
had."
"I didn't... I
couldn't... Why did I tell you all that?"
"Demon blood.
Washubus have a special power to make people tell secrets. You took a bath in
it."
"When I
fell?"
He nodded.
"And I hurt
my�?" She glanced toward her backside.
"Now you're
getting' it."
"Oh." She
looked at him. "Did I say anything else?"
"Love, you
talked for four hours straight. I dare say you have no secrets. The striptease
was nice too."
"Strip�?"
She couldn't quite squeak out the word.
"You shoulda
seen me tryin' to get your knickers down from the ceiling fan so I could wash
'em."
She smacked his arm.
"Stop it!"
"I was just
sayin'."
"Shut up."
She pulled her arms tightly around her and turned her back to him again.
"Where's Clem?"
"My place. He's
a bit shy about these sorts of things. Doesn't much like seeing so much tight
flesh."
"His place is�
nice."
"Only the best
for my boy Clem."
Buffy fell silent
and stared at the wall uncomfortably. Finally she spoke up. "How much
longer? For the clothes, I mean."
"Half hour,
give or take." Spike nudged her. "We could maybe do something to make
the time pass faster."
"No!"
Buffy was emphatic. "No doing anything like that."
"Like
what?"
"Like you and
me and naked sweaty body stuff."
"Thought you
liked it. In point of fact, last night you said�"
"I don't want
to know," She groaned.
"Wasn't so bad,
you know," He told her lightly. "You were very specific about exactly
what you do like. Demanding, even."
"De�
demanding?"
"Emphatically."
Buffy looked at him
in mortified panic, "Spike, please tell me that I didn't ask you
to..." She broke off and narrowed her eyes at him. "Wait a
minute."
"What?"
Big blue eyes fastened on her face innocently.
"Where are your
bumps and bruises?" She scowled and turned around to stare at the mostly naked
body lying beside her. "Where are your scratches and hickeys and
things?" She ran a hand across his chest and up to his shoulder. "All
I see are day-old demon fighting marks. Where are my nail prints?" She
rose up on her knees, her voice growing steadily louder. "Where are my
bite marks?"
"Ah, Pet. Well
that."
"We didn't do
anything last night, did we?" She bent over and glared into his face.
"Did we?"
"Wasn't for
lack of trying," He muttered.
"I don't
believe you!" She backed up and scrambled off the bed and stood across the
room, her chest heaving in indignation. "You try to convince me that
you're different now, that your soul has taught you right from wrong, and the
first time you get a chance to take advantage of me you go and� and take advantage
of me!"
"What?!"
He sat up, completely offended.
"Don't you
'what' me you� you Vampire," She spat.
"Now you listen
here, missy."
"I thought
you'd changed." Her chin wobbled and she blinked back the tears that were
stinging her eyes. "I thought that finally we could, we might be able to�
to�" She couldn't say the words
His expression
softened and he tilted his head, "Fall in love, pet?"
She turned away,
unable to stop the tears. He rose from the bed and stood behind her, his hands
resting gently on her shoulders. "It's okay Buffy," he whispered
softly in her ear. "Nothing happened."
She sniffed
inelegantly. "What do you mean?"
He turned her to
look at him, his hands still gentle and caressing. "I mean we
didn't�" He nodded toward the bed.
"We didn't?"
"You did your
little sexy dance and babbled all your secrets, then fell asleep. I collected
up the clothes and that's all."
"Really?"
"Really."
He lowered his lips to hers and barely touched her with a soft kiss.
"Spike?"
"Hmm?"
"I love
you."
"I know,"
he answered smugly. "You told me."
As her arms rose to
wrap securely around his neck, her last barrier fell to encompass their feet in
the silky softness of blue satin sheets.