Two vamps, a girl, and a prophecy

Summary: What happens to Spike (and Angel) after ‘Not Fade Away.’
Rating: NC-17 Explicit sexual descriptions (later on), some language.
Pairings: Dawn/Spike, with a small side of Buffy/Xander.
Feedback: Yes, please. This is my first time posting a fic, so be gentle!
Archive? : Ask me first.
Beta: I need one!
Disclaimer: I don’t own ‘em. I’m just borrowing them for a while since Joss isn’t using them anymore.

Chapter 23

Spike turned to Dawn, his eyes wide with amazement. “Wow, that went better than I expected.”

“Xander wasn’t here,” Dawn pointed, cringing a bit at the thought.

Spike shivered and nodded thoughtfully. “It’s probably a good thing we’ll be moving to London soon.”

Dawn gasped, staring at him incredulously. “You’re going to move with me?” She tried unsuccessfully to squelch the ridiculously doofy grin his words had spawned.

Tossing his t-shirt back on the floor, Spike stalked slowly back to the side of the tub. Kneeling in front of her, he took her head in his hands and looked into her eyes. “Wherever you go, you’re stuck with me. Like it or not,” He winked, cocking his head to the side playfully.

“Like it…” Dawn breathed, leaning forward to brush her lips softly against his. “Love it, actually.”

“I love you, Dawnie,” Spike’s lips moved against hers before he pulled her even closer, forcing her mouth firmly against his in a hard, possessive kiss.

Before they could get too carried away, Dawn’s stomach suddenly, and loudly, reminded her that she still hadn’t had anything to eat. “Sorry,” She muttered, pressing her reddened cheek against Spike’s chest.

“Let’s get you back in your room so you can eat properly,” Spike suggested, not bothering to hide his amusement when Dawn’s stomach growled again. “And quickly…” He added, pretending to cringe in fear.

“Not my room,” Dawn complained as she stood up and stepped out of the tub. She arched her brow challengingly at Spike, who merely looked slowly up and down her body before reaching out to grab her a towel.

“Where to, then?” He wrapped the fluffy material around her and snagged another, which he used to carefully dry her arms and legs before wrapping it around her hair and rubbing gently.

“The roof,” Dawn replied. “There’s-”

“The garden,” Spike nodded knowingly, startling her for a moment until she remembered that he had been here for a month. “Good idea, Pet.” Finishing his task, he dropped the towel on the nearby vanity and stepped in front of her. “You should probably put some clothes on; as much as I like you like this.” His tongue curled behind his teeth and he looked up at her through his eyelashes as he trailed a finger along the top of the towel wrapped around her torso, causing her stomach to lurch deliciously.

The loud rumble that immediately followed helpfully reminded her to focus on the task at hand. Get. Food. Now. Smirking slightly, she glanced to the side and reached out to snag half of the sandwich from its place on the tray. “Food…clothes…roof…then play time.” She spelled out her plans for the rest of the evening around a mouthful of what had to be the most delicious grilled cheese with bacon and tomato sandwich that had ever been made.

“Sounds perfect, luv,” Spike scooped up his shirt, picked up the tray and gestured for Dawn to precede him back to her bedroom. The sandwich was gone by the time he closed her bedroom door behind them. “Hungry, pet?” The vampire stuck his lip out in mock sympathy when Dawn glared accusingly at the empty plate.

“The next time you go a month without eating, you can tease me,” Dawn grumbled. Dropping the towel, she tried to look casual as she rifled through her dresser drawers, pulling out a red t-shirt, a red, lacy bra with matching underwear that she had always hoped to model for someone special some day, and a pair of cute, but comfortable, black cotton shorts. She proceeded to dress as quickly as she thought she could without too obviously hurrying.

Spike rolled his eyes slightly and strolled toward her from the side of the bed, where he’d placed the tray. Resting his hands gently on her shoulders, he dipped his head slightly and forced her to meet his eye. “I don’t want you to do anything you’re not comfortable with, luv.”

“What do you mean?” Dawn’s voice shook slightly, and she gave a mental cringe.

“I can hear your heart,” Spike smirked, sliding his right hand down to rest on her chest, just above her breast. “Thought you were going to have a heart attack during that little show.”

“I wasn’t…” Dawn began, then trailed off sheepishly. Sighing heavily, she stepped closer to him and rested her forehead on his chest, directly under his chin. “Why doesn’t the earth ever open up and try to swallow you whole when you actually want it to?”

Spike chuckled and wrapped his arms around her tightly. “Hey, believe me, you have nothing to be embarrassed about…”

“But?” Dawn stiffened slightly.

“I’m not sure you’re ready for this,” Cool fingers under her chin forced her to meet his concerned gaze. “I know that you know about my…history…with Dru, and…Buffy.” He swallowed uncomfortably. “I don’t want you thinking you have to…to move too fast, just for my sake. That’s not what I want from you, baby.”

At his words, Dawn stood up straighter, pulling away from him, every muscle tensing further as she stared at him in confusion. “You don’t want…but, before…” She gestured slightly toward Buffy’s room, across the hall. “I thought you…” Feeling her lip begin to quiver, she abruptly turned away from him, crossing the room to look for something…anything…in her cluttered closet.

“Dawn!” Spike’s sudden appearance in the closet door caused her to jump a mile, and she immediately turned away again to hide her hurt and confusion. “Dawn!” Refusing to let her block him out, Spike zipped around her again and caught her shoulders in his hands before she could turn again. “I didn’t mean I don’t want you that way. I do. I really, really do. What I meant was…I don’t want to push you into a physical relationship with you. That’s all I’ve ever done...jump right in. When Dru turned me, she…” He trailed off, rolling his head back slowly to gaze at the ceiling. “Well, that was mostly physical, right from the start. I didn’t know her at all when we started…and she didn’t care if we had anything in common, or if I wanted the same things…vampires just aren’t like that. Normal vampires, anyway. It was all about ownership, about her having power over me. Later, we were more equal, and I did love her, but it was never just about our feelings for each other. And…and your sister…”

“Enough! I get it!” Dawn raised her hand, covering his mouth gently with her palm. Smiling sheepishly, she said, “You’ve never had a chance to develop a real relationship with someone before you slept with them. Even though you had feelings for Buffy, she didn’t really give you a chance, or get to know you for you until way after she started sleeping with you.”

“Not even then,” Spike shrugged dismissively. Pulling her closer, he wrapped his arms around her, rested his head on her shoulder, and began gently stroking her damp hair. “You’re the one, Dawn. You’re my chance to get things right. I don’t want to risk messing that up by pushing you…”

“But what if you’re not pushing?” Dawn jumped in, pulling back slightly to look him in the eye. He raised a questioning eyebrow, and she smiled slyly, shaking her head ever so slightly. “Spike…I…I did feel nervous. And a little embarrassed. But not because I’m not ready, or uncomfortable with this…with us. I just got nervous because I’ve never dated anyone I was actually going to sleep with before…I was a little worried that maybe you wouldn’t like what you saw. It wasn’t that I felt like I had to strip for you, I just wasn’t sure how to do it so you’d think it was sexy…” She was suddenly cut off by a harsh but nonetheless passionate kiss as Spike pushed her up against the frame of the closet door. He proceeded to explore her tonsils with his tongue for several minutes before he finally stepped back to allow her to catch her breath. “H-holy cow!”

“Don’t ever doubt that I find you sexy, Dawn,” His serious expression lightened when she blushed and squirmed under his intense gaze. “I want you so much it hurts…so don’t ever doubt that.” Catching her trying to check out the front of his tight blue jeans, he rolled his eyes and smirked at her. “We’ll take things as fast or as slow as you want, pet. I’ll do whatever you want.”

Dawn immediately broke out in a huge grin. “What if I want you to run down the street to Ennio’s and get me some eggplant parmesan? I’m still starving!” Giggling, she ducked under Spike’s arm and scrambled to the far side of her bed when he growled in mock annoyance and tried to grab her by the waist.

“You’re a brat,” He smirked sexily at her, and she felt her knees weakening.

“Yeah, well, I spent my tender developmental years hanging out with this really obnoxious thug…” She winked playfully.

“Is that so?” Jumping across the bed in another startling display of speed, he hooked one hand behind her neck and brought his other hand to her hip, tracing small circles there with his thumb. “A thug?”

“Well, that’s what he wanted everyone to think,” Dawn murmured as he leaned in, pressing her against the wall beside the window, and began nuzzling her neck. “It turned out he was really Prince Charming in disguise.”

Spike growled, low in his throat and gently nipped her neck. “Let’s keep that our little secret, eh, Pet? I have an image to uphold.”

“Ah…” Dawn gasped. Spike was suckling on her neck, and she forgot for a moment what they were talking about. “I don’t think…mmm…anybody’s fooled anymore.”

“Hey, I’m still bad,” He pouted, pulling away from her a little bit so she could see his face.

“I’m sure you are, sweetie,” Dawn giggled. “Why don’t you go get me something else to eat, and then maybe I’ll let you show me what a bad boy you are.”

Spike’s eyes widened slightly and he struggled to fight back a beatific smile. “Really?”

“Well,” Dawn looked at the floor shyly. “Not, like, everything…no, um, major felonies, yet. I was thinking a few minor misdemeanors?”

Spike chuckled and shook his head, smiling affectionately at her. “That is the most bizarre metaphor I have ever heard, but I think I get it. Let’s go call Ennio’s and then we can have a little moonlight picnic on the roof.” As he spoke, he began pulling her toward the door.

“You are the best boyfriend ever!” Dawn squealed, hugging him tight enough to knock the wind out of a human man. “I love you!”

“Aren’t I the only boyfriend you’ve had?” Spike snorted skeptically, but his eyes betrayed his happiness at her words. When she released him, he pulled open the door with a flourish. “Oh, bloody hell! We don’t need you anymore! Get out!”

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Edited a bit for continuity 1/21/06