Flat Mates

Chapter 33

Buffy met Spike's eyes unwaveringly. "Where do you want to go from here?" she asked him.

He leaned in and kissed her deeply. "I want us to be together, Buffy," he told her when they parted. "I don't want to be apart any longer."

"Spike, have you--?" she averted her eyes, "that is, have you uh been with—not that I
have any right to be jealous or –"

He kissed her again, languidly. When they broke apart, both were breathless. "No," he
told her.

"How--?" she swallowed.

He chuckled. "You're asking me how I couldn't have?"

She nodded.

"Told you I was love's bitch. Despite what I might not have known about myself and
what I'm capable of – there's one thing that's always been constant and always will be: You. I
love you Buffy, that's never changed. Do you love me too?"

She nodded, "I do. I always have I just didn't know or accept it and I never thought . . .
Spike, are you sure you want to?"

He smiled gently and cupped her face in his hands. "I love you, Buffy. I want to be with
you."

"But I hurt you."

"Haven't we been over this?"

She nodded, averting her eyes. "We have."

"Do you plan on leaving me again?"

"No," she shook her head, dislodging his hands from her face. "No, I don't have it in me
to leave you. And I never really left you Spike. I was still there, I was . . . waiting. And
how can you be sure you want to be with me if you're afraid I'll leave you again?"

"I just don't have it in me to be with anyone else when my heart is yours. I can't explain
it Buffy. I just…" he shook his head, "I just know I love you and that . . . this is it Buffy. This is it
for me. Don't ask me how I know that and please, if you don't think this is it for you then you
leave me now because I couldn't go through losing you again. It'd kill me."

This time it was she that cupped his face in her hands. "You're it for me Spike. You
always were, I—I never –I knew someday we'd be together again."

"But we needed some time apart to confirm it, yeah?"

She nodded. "I always knew you were it for me Spike. I just wanted to make sure you
knew I was it for you too. I'm sorry that I put you through all that—"

He shook his head and kissed her, silencing her. "It was good for us. Made us stronger,
don't you think? As much as it killed me and as much as I don't ever want to go through that
again, it felt like it had to be done somehow. Now that I know how you feel Buffy. . . That I'm
the one. . . You're never getting rid of me, do you understand me? You won't ever be able to
leave me and I won't leave you."

"I understand if you can't trust this right away Spike. I can't blame you if you don't,"
she told him honestly. "Just . . . I always did love you. Everything I did – it was for you, it was
because I loved you."

"Just say it, kitten. Tell me you love me, please."

"I love you Spike."

With those words spoken, he pulled her to him and kissed her soundly. "You're with
me then?" He asked, when they came up for air.

She nodded, "I'm with you."

Kissing her hungrily, Spike maneuvered them to the sand on their knees. He weaved his
hand under her blouse and cupped her breast in his hand. She moaned into his mouth and
pressed into his touch, tangling her fingers in his hair.

"Buffy, baby," he breathed, "I want to make love to you."

She nodded, nearly panting. "Not here, let's go to –"

Spike's cell ringing cut her off. "Ignore it," he growled and attacked her lips.

"You better answer it," Buffy breathed, parting from him slightly, "You said Xander
was at a party tonight, remember?"

Spike growled again and grabbed his phone out of his pocket with one hand while
keeping Buffy in place with his other arm wrapped around her. He rolled his yes. Must be
Xander, Buffy thought.

"Yeah? Yes, I am with Buffy. . . Yes, this is a bad time."

Buffy giggled.

"All right Harris, I'm coming to get you. . . I'm not going to have this discussion with
you right now but we will talk tomorrow about this. Good bye."

"He needs to be picked up?" Buffy guessed.

"Yes, of all the sodding times—" he broke off to kiss her again. "I can come back? I can
drop you off at your car and get Xander, drop him off and go to your place, yeah?"

"Honey, I want to make love to you, I do, but—"

He closed his eyes. "No buts please. Buffy, I've waited so long to have you in my arms
again."

She smiled, "I know, but I want our first time together to be something special. I don't
want it to be rushed. I want to take my time and . . . not have to go to work in the morning."

"You know you're killing me, right?"

She giggled, "I know. It's killing me too. Just think how nice it'd be to have the whole
night and then the whole day . . . "

"Friday night seems too far away."

"That's because it is. It's three days. Why don't we go out tomorrow night?"

Spike looked at her, smiling. "Like a date?"

She nodded. "I'd very much like to date you, Spike."

He swooped in and kissed her soundly. "Tomorrow night then. We'll go out for dinner
and some dancing. Sound good?"

"Perfect. Wonderful. I'll be with you, that's all I need."

"Tell me again, Buffy. Say it."

She met his eyes, "I love you Spike."