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Long Day in the Universe -- by Echo
Rating: NC-17
Description: Spike proves how well he's gotten to know Buffy and Willow in a very interseting way. WARNING - very slight angst, but only for a minute.
Disclaimer: This is Joss Whedon's world. I just live here. The poem belongs to the amazing Daisy Martin.
They were chasing him. They were just vampires - like him. Well, not exactly like him. He didn't know too many vampires who didn't feed on humans. Normally he'd stay to fight, but being around the slayer and her friends had made him cautious. More often than not it paid off. It would be dawn soon. Fighting it out was no longer an option. He darted into Stevenson Hall with them right on his heels. He took the stairs two at a time. All he had to do was make it to 214.
Willow bolted out of sleep as Spike burst into her dorm room. He slammed the door behind him and leaned on it. It was all familiar to her. He did it at least once a week now. They'd even resorted to keeping bags of blood in their small refrigerator for when he had to sleep there during the day. Last week Buffy had nearly pitched him back out into the hallway because he'd run in right as she had stripped to her bra and panties. The look on his face had been priceless. Much funnier than the time that spell she did to have her will done had gone horribly wrong and they'd been kissing when she reversed it.
"Long night again, Spike?" Her tone was very dry. She didn't look pleased.
"What?" He flopped onto Buffy's bed, which hadn't been slept in.
"I have a class at nine, and I won't be able to go back to sleep with you here."
"Why not? I can't bite you."
"You can do other things though."
"Like what?"
"Oh, come on, I know it wasn't Buffy that drew on my face with the magic marker, and she didn't put the foaming shave gel on my hand then tickle my nose. She didn't tie my feet to the bed. She didn't put toothpaste in between my toes. She didn't tape my eyes shut, and she didn't paint my toenails and fingernails all different colors then hide the polish remover. Add it all up and it says - I don't trust you, Spike."
"That hurts, Pet." He rolled off of Buffy's bed and pulled out the heavy blanket she kept under it. He hung it on the hooks above the window as he had done so many mornings before. He wondered where the slayer was. Probably at Riley's shagging. Just when he thought no two people could be worst than Anya and Xander, Buffy and Riley had come along. Just like bloody rabbits. When the blanket was secure, he laid back on Buffy's bed and closed his eyes aware that Willow was watching him. "Don't fret, Love. I'm too tired to bother you. Go back to sleep."
Willow laid back and closed her eyes. She was asleep in no time.
Spike woke up. He looked at the clock beside Buffy's bed. Seven AM. He had plenty of time. He'd been thinking about this since the shave gel thing. He slid out of the slayer's bed and crept up to Willow. She had the covers pulled up to her chin. He pulled them down. He was glad she was on her back. That made it easier. He turned her head and exposed her throat. He leaned in and began to suck. It was so easy he almost wanted to laugh.
Willow was having the most erotic dream she'd ever had. It was dark and someone was making love to her, slowly. It was good. She was tingly all over. This was what it was supposed to be like. She just knew it. He was everywhere. He lifted his head and looked into her eyes. She gasped.
Willow jerked awake and looked at the clock. "SHIT!" It was 8:30. She jumped out of bed and grabbed the pair of jeans slung over her chair. She looked at Spike. He was fast asleep on Buffy's bed. She pulled a sweatshirt over the T-shirt and sports bra she'd slept in. She looked for shoes. She stuffed her feet into her sneakers. She grabbed her backpack and a pop tart off her desk and ran out of the room. A slow smile spread over Spike's face as the door closed.
Willow slid into the seat next to Buffy and immediately noticed the slayer was wearing the same pants she'd worn yesterday with a shirt she'd seen Riley wear hundreds of times. "Nice shirt."
Buffy looked at her. Her eyes widened. "Nice hickey."
"WHAT!"
She was gonna kill him. Her hair was too short to cover it and she owned no turtle necks. People had stared at her neck all day. She was gonna turn him into a rat like Amy. She was gonna use that talisman to call D'Hoffyrn just so she could play vengeance demon with him. How dare he do that to her neck! Willow stopped outside her door. She'd dreamt he did more than that last night. Maybe it wasn't a dream. But it had to be, right?
She threw open the door and he was laying on her bed leaning against the headboard. She looked pissed. Spike got off the bed and walked towards her as she slammed the door. He tried to move around her. She shoved him hard. He hit the night table next to her bed knocking a few things off. She walked up to him slowly.
"You have a choice. I'm gonna kill you. That's a given. Now, you can die a slow tortuous death, or you can apologize. What's it gonna be, deadboy?"
Spike didn't fail to miss the irony of the situation. "I'll scream."
Willow looked confused for a second then she remembered. Six months ago. It seemed like an eternity. What was it he'd said to her? She narrowed her eyes. "Bonus."
He screamed. It was high pitched and girlie. She clapped her hand over his mouth and flicked on the radio. She flung him onto her bed. She laughed as she straddled him. She knew she should be mad. She should be furious, but it was so hard to stay mad at him for some reason. She knew he was letting her do this. He could have overpowered her easy.
Spike looked at the redhead sitting on top of him. He was glad she could laugh at the situation. He knew he'd scared the hell out of her that night. He liked her. She was fun to tease. She was genuinely nice to him, even though he'd threatened her life a number of times.
"Would you still bite me?"
"What?"
"I was wondering if you'd still bite me if you could."
"No."
"No?" She looked disappointed.
"Well, maybe a taste, but I wouldn't drain you or anything."
"Oh?"
"I enjoy your company, Willow." She shifted her weight. Spike felt his pants get uncomfortable. His body began to react to her in strange ways. He tried to move her off of him. She grabbed his wrists and held him to the bed, much like he had done with her. She leaned over him and put her lips on his neck. He bucked trying to get her off him. If she didn't get off of him, he was going to take her right here on her bed. Spike froze. Where did that thought come from?
"Let's see how you like it." She bit him. He lost it. He wrapped his arms around her and rolled her onto her back. He yanked her sweatshirt off taking the T-shirt with it. She gasped as the cold air hit her body. For once, she was glad she slept in a sports bra. "S-spike, I'm sorry I-I d-didn't mean to b-bite you." He threw off his duster. Willow was scared, and then he started kissing her.
"What are you doing?"
"If you have to ask........ Remember when I tried to stake myself and you said there were other fun things I could do?"
"Yes."
"Was this what you had in mind?"
"Well, no."
"Do you want me to stop?"
Willow looked at him. "You want me?" She had the most shocked look on her face Spike had ever seen..
"Why do you think I barge in here at least once a week? 'Cause I like catching the slayer in her knickers? Believe me, Pet, it's you I want to catch."
"You do?"
"No, I don't. That's exactly why I just yanked your shirt off." He got off of her an started to pace. She sat up. She was confused.
"Spike, I-"
"You what?"
She put on her resolve face. "Take your shirt off."
He whipped around and looked at her. "What?"
She stood and grabbed the hem of his shirt. She yanked it off his head and threw it across the room. He grabbed her around the waist and started kissing her. They fell onto Buffy's bed. They bounced and rolled off onto the floor. Spike's hands were everywhere. They rolled across the floor knocking over the trash can. Willow was trying to kick off her shoes and kicked Buffy's chair into her closet instead. Spike moved off her and took off his boots. Willow slid out of her jeans. Spike smiled. Her cotton briefs had little smiley faces on them. The both stood at the same time their eyes locked. He was barefoot in just his jeans. She only had her bra and panties on. They just stared for a minute. Willow was breathing hard. She jumped into his arms. He caught her. She wrapped her legs around his waist. He stumbled with her to her desk and sat her on it. She reached out to steady herself and knocked several books and papers off the desk. She pushed him away. She was flushed and breathing heavy.
"Pants. Off. Now."
He stepped out of his jeans so quick he nearly fell over. He was wearing black boxers. How typical. Willow jumped off the desk and threw herself at him. They bumped into her dresser knocking a pile of clothes she had yet to put away all over the floor. Her hand caught the Dingoes poster she'd been meaning to take down since Oz left. It ripped off the wall leaving tiny pieces where the thumb tacks held it up. They fell onto the bed and rolled right off to the floor. Spike hit his head on the night stand. Willow giggled.
They managed to make it back onto her bed. Things didn't slow down. It was all frenzy. He was kissing her neck and rubbing her hip just above the waist of her panties. He pulled the sports bra off and started kissing her breasts. Willow felt her pulse quicken. Her panties went next. He tossed them away. They landed on the lampshade where they stuck. He settled himself between her legs and slipped a hand between them. Willow gasped when he touched her. He started a rhythm that made her crazy.
Just when Willow thought she wouldn't be able to stand it any longer. He ripped off his boxers and buried himself in her. She screamed in pleasure. Spike turned up the radio. It was on some local station, and the commercials blared out, but he didn't care as long as people didn't think he was killing her in here.
He tried to move slowly, but it just didn't happen that way. She gripped the headboard with both hands. Just looking at the sweat on her face and in her hair Spike could feel himself going over the edge. He put his hand back between them. His touch sent her spinning. He pumped into her until he thought his eyes would roll back in his head. She was all heat. Willow gripped her legs around him and screamed at the top of her lungs. He yelled and fell on top of her. He'd never been like that. Usually he took his time. She'd made him go up in flames like some novice.
He rolled off of her and pulled her comforter over them. She was still shaking. He put his arm around her, and she snuggled up to him. That's when he noticed the opera music coming out of the radio. He laughed and turned the radio off. She stayed in his arms for a minute. Then she got out of the bed and walked to the small fridge in the room. Spike watched her bare backside and felt himself get hard again. She held up a bottle of chocolate syrup.
"I don't want to know why you and the slayer have that in that refrigerator, do I?"
"Chocolate milk." She ran at him squirting the syrup. It hit him in the face.
"Oh, baby wants to play." He lunged at her. She squirted him again. He grabbed the bottle and squirted her with it. She squealed. He tackled her to the floor. The comforter came with him. They were rolling around on it on the floor giggling. He turned the radio back on this time making sure it was on CD. Iggy Pop screamed out at him. He looked at Willow. She licked a big glob of chocolate off his face. How could he have missed this side of her? She was a very naughty little girl.
Willow peeked into the hall. No people. Stepped out and motioned for Spike to follow her. He did. Boy, did they make a picture. They had wiped the chocolate off their faces with the handiwipes Willow had in her night stand, but it was still in their hair and other places. Just then, the guys from two doors down rounded the corner. They looked at her. She grabbed Spike's hand. Spike noticed her blushing and the way the two boys looked at her. She tried to pull him off. He yanked her into his arms and kissed her forcefully right as the boys passed them.
"Go Willow." They smiled and entered their room.
She pulled away from him. "What are you doing?"
"I don't want you to be embarrassed or shy around me, Pet. It doesn't matter what anyone thinks about us except us." She smiled at him. Spike didn't remember the sun, but he was sure this is what it had felt like.
Buffy wondered what had happened. She'd stayed away on purpose, not wanting to be in the middle. It was after sunset, so she was sure Spike was gone. She opened the door, and her breath caught. The room was a disaster. What the hell happened in here? She stepped into her room and took in the horror. Willow's clothes were all over the floor. The trash can had been knocked over. Trash was everywhere. Willow's desk looked like a tornado hit it. Her poster was ripped off the wall. Buffy bent down and started picking up the trash and putting in back into the trash can. There was a slight knock before Xander stepped into the dorm room. Buffy looked up at him.
"Buff, what happened?"
"I have no idea."
"And what's on your carpet?"
"Huh?" Xander pointed. Buffy looked. There were little brown droplets and smudges everywhere between the beds, and then she saw it. She reached under Willow's bed and pulled out an empty bottle of chocolate syrup. Xander quirked an eyebrow at her. It did smell awfully chocolatey by Willow's bed. Buffy tossed the bottle into the trash can and stood up. She eyed Willow's bed. The comforter was just thrown over it sloppily. Buffy looked at Xander. She grabbed the corner and yanked the comforter back. Xander jumped. Buffy gasped. The bed was covered in syrup, and two brown hand prints were on both sides of the pillow, and they were much larger than Willow's hands.
"What in the hell?"
Giles stepped into his apartment and immediately noticed something was off. He sat his keys down and picked up his crossbow. He checked the kitchen, the bedroom, the he noticed it. The mirror in the bathroom was fogged up. He aimed the crossbow in the bathroom. No one was there. He was confused. Someone broke into his apartment to shower? That's when he saw the smudge on the edge of the tub. He looked closely. Chocolate?
They were sitting on a park bench outside the coffee shop. He'd bought her a mochachino. She sipped it. They were just sitting there in silence, but it was comfortable silence. He felt like he'd waited forever for her to be like this with him. "What should we do now, Pet?"
Buffy busted into Giles' apartment with Xander right behind her. "GILES!" He stepped out of the bathroom with his crossbow.
"Yes?" He looked strange.
"What's with you?"
"Someone broke into my apartment to shower."
Xander looked at Buffy. "Was there chocolate syrup anywhere?"
"Yes. Yes, there was. How did you know that?"
They were laying on the grass near the student union building looking at a cloudless night sky. A couple of guys were in the quad area playing acoustic guitar. It was nice. They hadn't talked about any of it. They hadn't really talked at all. They didn't have to. She sighed. Spike propped himself up on his elbow and looked at her. "What are you thinking about, Pet?"
"Stuff."
"What sort of stuff?"
"This has been the weirdest year for me. Quite a few long days in my universe. Lots of changes."
"Good or bad?"
"Some good. Some bad. Mostly just unexpected."
"And where do I fall?"
She put her hand on his cheek. "Good." He leaned down and kissed her.
"You HAVE had a long day in the universe today, haven't you, Love?"
"One of the longest. Care to make it even longer?" His answer was to kiss her again.
Buffy was stomping across the campus so fast Xander was having a hard time keeping up. Buffy trusted Spike, deep down, way down. She thought his little pranks on Willow were funny, and they seemed to take her mind off all the bad things that had happened this year. He took her mind off Oz. And as much as she hated to admit it, Buffy was starting to like Spike. He was funny, and he always 'had her back' in a fighting crisis. But she was worried about Willow. What if Spike was able to bite again? Would he? And what was with the chocolate? She could hear the sounds of acoustic guitar. She walked past a couple making out on the grass, and she froze.
"Willow?"
Spike rolled off of her, and Willow was staring into the wide eyes of Buffy and Xander. She blushed. "Hi, Buffy. Hi, Xander." Her voice came out really high and squeaky.
Xander's brow was wrinkled. He looked mad. "Hey, Will, what's new with you?"
Spike looked at the slayer and the boy. They were making Willow nervous. "She's fine, ducks."
The slayer eyed him.
"What happened to the room? It looks like, well, I don't know what. It's like... like...."
Spike raised an eyebrow. "Like someone had sex all over the furniture with chocolate syrup."
"WHAT!" Buffy and Xander yelped.
Willow looked at him. He sounded so unmoved about it. There were tears in her eyes. She shoved him away and ran off. Buffy glared. She grabbed two handfuls of leather duster and yanked Spike to his feet.
"Did you sleep with her?" Her teeth were gritted.
"Maybe." She started shaking him. Spike thought his teeth were going to rattle out of his head.
"Did you force her?" Spike's eyes showed shock and hurt.
"I would never..... I couldn't...... Not to her. Not ever. How could you even ask that?"
Buffy felt instant remorse from the look on his face. She didn't know what to do now.
Buffy entered the room quietly. Willow was asleep. Buffy'd been stepping lightly all week. That's how long it had been since she'd seen Spike. She'd tried to find him, but he'd just vanished. It was making her edgy. Willow only added to it. Ever since that night near the student union, Willow had been very quiet. She only spoke when she was spoken to, and even then, it was a one or two word response. It was eerie. And she'd taken to listening to the creepy local opera station and crying. Buffy was pretty sure Willow and Spike had slept together, but Willow refused to talk about it. Two nights ago Buffy had woke up to find Willow gone. Buffy had went out to look for her. She found her in a wooded area near a cemetery burning some of her bedding. Buffy had recognized them as the sheets with the chocolate on them. Willow had held onto her and cried as she watched them burn. Buffy just didn't know what to do. This was worse than when Oz left.. She changed into her pajama pants and a tank top. She wanted to make it better, but she didn't know how.
He was getting drunk again. He knew the slayer'd been looking for him. He'd been avoiding her. It hurt him for some reason, her thinking he'd forced the little witch. He didn't have unwilling women in his bed. He wasn't that sort. Sure maybe he tortured a girl or two, but they were usually into it. He leaned against the tombstone and drained the rest of the bottle. She regretted him. He could feel it, and when he'd spotted her burning the sheets, he knew. It hurt. It hurt worse than when Dru left him for the chaos demon. He'd gone to his little witch to help him get his Dru back then. That's when it'd all started. The seed had been planted in his brain. He never forgot how she had smelled. He'd dreamt of that smell when he'd gotten back with Dru. He'd longed for it when he'd been with Harmony, and it came back to him in smell-a-vision when he'd tried to attack her in her room all those months ago. Even after everything, when he'd tried to stake himself, she wouldn't let him. She wouldn't even let Xander do it for him. He'd even said some pretty nasty things to her to make her mad enough to do it, but she'd seen right through him. And later he'd actually felt bad about the things he'd said to her. Things about the wolfboy. He'd been way out of line, so he'd done his best to get close to her, to become a trusted friend, to atone for the wrongs he felt he'd done her. And now he'd gone and screwed it all up.
Buffy was just out patrolling when she saw him. Relief filled her and then confusion. She was glad Spike was ok? Hell MUST have froze over. Now where were the flying pigs? As she approached the smell of whiskey hit her. <Oh great, he's drunk.> He was slumped to his side on the ground. Buffy leaned over him.
"Spike?" She slapped his cheek. "SPIKE!"
He jerked awake grabbing her waist. "Don't go."
"Not really an issue, Spike."
"Slayer?"
"Inebriated vampire?"
"What are you wearing here?"
"What?"
"Doing here you?"
"Patrol."
"I miss that smell." He was still holding onto her.
"Huh?"
"She's like the air right before it rains. So fresh." Buffy didn't know what to do. She knew Willow thought Spike had used her, but she was beginning to think Willow was wrong. "Her skin is soft and warm."
Buffy lifted Spike to his feet. "Come on, Spike let's find you a place to crash."
"Why you being so nice to me?"
"I like you, dammit all to hell." She gritted her teeth. Maybe he wouldn't remember she ever said that.
"Really? Why?"
"Now is so not the time for this conversation, Spike."
Spike's head hurt. He opened his eyes. The view was fuzzy, then it spun into focus. The slayer was staring at him with an amused look on her face.
"Wakey. Wakey, whiskeyman."
"Sod off."
"So cranky with our hangover."
"What am I doing here?" He looked around Giles' apartment.
"Would you rather I left you passed out in the graveyard to become a crispy critter?"
He'd had a dream about her saying she liked him. He remembered that much, and well, buying the four bottles of whiskey.
"We have to form a plan."
"A plan for what?"
"For you getting Will back, dummy."
"What makes you think I want her?"
"Oh please 'she's like the air right before it rains'. You were only about to cry."
"I was not!"
"Whatever."
"Why are you wanting to help?"
"I thought we covered this. Don't make me say it out loud, 'cause that makes it true."
"What in the bloody hell are you babbling about?"
"I like you, ok! I consider you a friend, ok!" It wasn't a dream. If only Angel could hear this.
"Can I get that in writing, Pet? I'd like to send it to the poof in LA." She socked him in the arm. "Ouch! That hurt."
"Jokes like that will make me retract my olive branch."
"Sorry, Buffy." She gasped. "What?"
"That's the first time I've heard you call me by my name. It's usually pet, ducks, love, cutie, or slayer. Never Buffy. I didn't think you knew what my real name was."
"Ha. Ha. I know more about you than you think, Buffy Summers."
"Oh really?"
"I've been hanging about you and yours going on six months now. You don't think I've picked up a few things in that time? It may not look it, but I've been paying attention."
"Prove it."
Buffy walked the hallway of her dorm in a daze. She was glad she hadn't run into anything creepy on the way here because she was so out of it, she probably would have been killed. Spike had told her things. Things about her. Things about Will, Xander, and Giles. Things about Riley and Anya. Even things about her mom. But he'd known the most about her and Willow. She supposed it was from all the time he'd spent in their room lately. It was kinda freaky, someone who was her worst enemy not so long ago knowing such trivial details about her. He probably knew more about her than Riley did. He knew her dietary quirks. He knew her favorite song and color. He knew hear fears. The most shocking thing was he knew about her nightmares about Faith. And he'd looked at her and said, 'It wasn't your fault, you know.' She'd almost cried. She knew it wasn't, but that didn't make the guilt go away. And he'd known that about her.
Willow was in the campus library. It was large and quiet. She just couldn't study in her room lately. It made her think of Spike when she sat at her desk. She looked at her watch it was almost ten. She should go, but she wasn't quite done yet. She grabbed two of the books she'd been looking through and went to put them on the reshelf cart.
She was walking back to her cubicle when she stopped. There was a cup from the coffee shop with steam rising from it sitting by her bag. Next to the cup was a single daisy. Willow looked around. Everyone was just minding their business and studying. She sat down and smelled the cup. Mochachino. How weird.
Willow's alarm went off. She went to slap it off, but her hand came in contact with something else. She looked. There was a black velvet box sitting on top of her alarm clock. She switched off the alarm and grabbed the box. She sat on her bed and slowly opened it. She gasped. It was a sterling silver pentacle on a figaro chain. She sat there frozen staring at it. Who? Spike? It couldn't be. He didn't like her like this. She'd never gotten jewelry from anyone. Not even Oz.
She pulled the necklace out of the box and looked at it. It was beautiful. Whoever had gotten her this really knew her.
Willow slid into her seat next to Buffy. Class didn't start for another five minutes. "Thanks."
Buffy looked at her. "For what?" Willow pulled the necklace up from her neck. Buffy looked at it. "It's pretty."
"I know. Thank you for giving it to me."
"Uh, Will, not guilty here."
"What?"
"That's not from me." A small shiver traveled up Willow's spine. She knew who it was from. Deep down she'd known all along. This was going to be the longest class.
The day had gone by so slow. Some guy had walked into her Lit class right before it started and handed her a package. She unwrapped it while everyone stared. It was a leather-bound spell book. It was gorgeous. The blank pages crisp, and on the inside was an inscription....
She falls like no other
His daisy red
Her inner mystery
Every thought in his head
Is it the witch within
No, the woman calls
For all she is
Like her he falls
- a short verse by Daisy Martin
It made her heart skip. Willow busted into her room and stopped. There was a dress on her bed. Dark green velvet. It was so beautiful. The was a card on top of it with her name written on it. She opened it. It had Giles' address and seven o'clock on it. Willow looked at her clock. It was 4:30. She tossed her books on the bed and grabbed her shower stuff.
Spike was nervous. He couldn't believe Willow thought he'd used her. When Buffy had let that slip, he'd just gone crazy. He further couldn't believe the slayer, of all people, was helping him get her back. They'd only argued about the dress. Buffy thought he should have chosen something shorter, but Spike had stuck to his guns. He just knew the long green velvet would suit his Willow. Buffy had helped him cook the dinner. He was glad she was a little less frantic than when she'd cooked her Thanksgiving dinner. That had been the longest day. That's when it'd all started. They'd taken him in. And now he and the slayer had stood side by side in Giles' kitchen cooking a feast he didn't intend to eat any of. Buffy looked at him.
"You need to change. You clothes are laid out on Giles' bed." He looked at her. "What?" Spike leaned in and kissed her cheek. Buffy's heart nearly stopped. He had the lightest touch. If Angel could see her now.
Willow stepped into the apartment cautiously. It was dark except for the glow of candlelight. There were candles everywhere. She closed the door. "Spike?" He stepped into the room, and her breath caught in her throat. He had on a suit. No jeans. No T-shirt. A solid black suit and tie with a royal blue shirt. He was absolutely stunning.
He couldn't stop staring. He knew the green velvet would look good on her. It's V-neck set off the silver pentacle he'd given her perfectly. She was staring at him. He was nervous about the suit, but Buffy had insisted he looked 'damn handsome' in it. He walked towards her slowly, giving her every opportunity to run. She didn't. "I'm glad you came, Love."
He was looking at her like no one had ever looked at her. It made her feel pretty. "I had to."
"Things went badly with us, and I didn't mean for them to. I never wanted you to be hurt."
"I thought you didn't want me."
"Why would you ever think that?" He put his hand to her face and caressed her cheek.
"You were being so unemotional about it."
"Because you were emotional enough for the both of us. I knew you were nervous about your friends catching us, so I tried to lighten the mood."
"I thought you didn't care."
"I didn't care what they thought. Only what you thought."
"Why'd you stay away?"
"I thought you regretted me."
"No." She put her hands on both sides of his face. "I never regretted you for a second." He leaned down and kissed her lightly.
"You look beautiful, by the way."
"Thank you. And so do you, in a guy way."
"Alright, Pet, if we don't quit staring at one another, your food will get excessively cold."
"My food? You cooked?"
"With a little help from a good friend."
"I can't believe I let you talk me into this." He'd complained the whole way to the theatre. They'd bought their tickets and now they were waiting in line for snacks at the concession stand.
"Giles, you never get out."
"They're probably shagging on my bed right now. It's too horrible to think about."
"They are not going to 'shag' on your bed. Spike promised."
"Oh yes, and he's known as the keeper of promises."
"I trust him. Are you going to be like this the whole time we're watching the movie?"
"No."
"Good, 'cause I'm very interested in seeing Ben Affleck without clothes on. My focus will be there."
"Ben who? What movie are we watching?"
Spike threw open the door and ran in. He slammed it behind him. Neither of them moved. Sound asleep. He walked over to Willow's bed. He stared at her peaceful face. He jumped when she threw back the covers. She inched over and patted the space next to her. He tossed his duster onto her chair and sat on the edge of the bed to remove his boots. He eased in next to her, and she wrapped her arms around him. He caressed her hair. His days were so long without her. But she was here now, her arms around him. He felt content. He fell asleep almost instantly.
Buffy woke just before dawn. She looked over and saw Spike and Willow in Willow's bed. <When'd he sneak in?> She was glad they'd worked out whatever it was that had went on between them. She knew Spike was the faithful type. Hell, he'd stayed with Drusilla for over a hundred years, and she was a thundering loony. That was their Spike. Faithful almost to a fault. And the way Buffy saw it, Willow needed a little of that in her life. She sighed and pulled the blanket from under her bed. She hung it over the window and crawled back into her bed.
Spike woke when Buffy's alarm went off. Willow was walking back into the room. She still wore her pajamas. Buffy moaned.
"Too early."
Spike laughed. The slayer was definitely not a morning person. Willow sat on the bed and started kissing him. She tasted like mint. He looked at her with the question on his face.
"Toothpaste. It's not just for in between toes."
"Oh." He laughed.
Buffy threw her legs over the side of the bed. She sat up only to fall over to her side with a moan. "Noooooooooooooo."
Spike laughed again. He never felt out of place with them. He belonged here. With the two of them. His friend and his lover, two girls he would have gladly killed not even a year ago. Buffy moaned again. It was going to be another long day in the universe. He could feel it.
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