Shot in the Dark

* * * * *
Chapter 38: A Bit of the Rough and Tumble
* * * * *

“Spike?”

Buffy’s voice cracks the brittle silence of the dark room. Both were lying still, nowhere near sleep, nowhere near rest.

“Yes?”

“Where did you really go?”

Spike sighs, running his hands up and down her bare arms. “Thought I was a good liar, luv.”

“You may be, but I know you.” Buffy props herself up on elbow, looking down at Spike’s face. He struggles to not meet her eyes, gazing off into the room. “Not sure how I know you so well, but I do. It’s like looking in the mirror sometimes…” She waits. “Not answering the question, Spike.”

Finally, he turns his eyes back from the shadows and looks up at her. His eyes are bottomless, so many emotions swirling in the depths. “Went for a walk…” Buffy lifts an eyebrow and Spike continues. “…to see your Watcher.” He stops there.

Buffy blinks. She’s not sure what she thought he would say, but somehow that wasn’t it. She figured he went and got in a bar fight or staked a few vamps to get out some frustration, some extra energy. Without her, which bugged her. But talking to Giles? She searches his face, eyes dancing back and forth over it, looking for a hint. She sees it. A small twitch in the mouth, slight tightening of his jaw. Buffy feels herself go cold all over. He’s scared. It’s the only reason he would go to Giles in the middle of the night. And with that thought, all her bravura, all her confidence, all her belief in things turning out right drops, falls away from her with a sickening, crunching thud. Ever since leaving Giles’ house tonight, she had found a way to push further and further back from reality, unwilling to consider the alternative. Trying to get lost in Spike and not the possible loss of him. Fights to the death were her thing. If that was the challenge Giles had thrown down, she would have been fine. Even a little excited to get it done. But being asked to watch her love, the one she just found by a twist of fate, to watch him suffer and die on her behalf. Without being able to help? No. That was something she could not process, could not possibly accept. The Slayer is a woman of action, not of standing around. So she put her fear in a spot somewhere deep and locked it up. Pretended whatever got her through the next few hours – that Giles was wrong, that it wouldn’t actually happen that Spike was not the one in the prophecy.

But Spike’s fear slices through her carefully constructed fortress like a blade through paper. Releasing her fear, her abject terror, into the open. It’s all real. Buffy starts to shake, reliving the nightmare she just woke from. The heat from the bonfire burns her, his scream echoes in her mind.

Spike’s brow knits instantly at the tremors running through her body. “Buffy? What is it? Why…” He tightens his grip on her arms as she starts to shake harder and gasps for air. Spike can see her eyes glaze over, as if she is somewhere distant. He takes one hand and gently caresses her cheek. She swims back to the surface and looks into his concerned face, willing herself to not go completely to pieces. She draws on her innate ability as the Slayer to face adversity and remain strong. She bites her lip, trying to pull the tears back inside. He sees them threatening to tip over the edge and shakes his head. “No, luv. Don’t cry. I just had some questions for old Ripper, eh? Sounds like a pretty big deal tomorrow and I was just…wanting to be prepared is all.”

Buffy tries a smile in the face of his attempt at soothing her. “Not usually a blubbering kinda girl, Spike. Look what you bring out of me.”

“’m sorry, pet.” He looks genuinely worried.

Buffy cocks her head at him, at this demon in man’s clothing. Or is it a man in demon’s clothing? Yes, definitely the second one. She aches. Her heart beats hard, her skin feels much too tight. Just looking at him makes her whole body throb in time with her accelerating heart. She’s just about given up questioning the intense physical and now emotional reaction Spike elicits. Better to go with it. Action, reaction. It’s all instinct for her.

The silence lengthens as the two study each other. Both torn up inside over the possible end of this short passionate time together. Fear mixes with desire and anger with lust. Muscles twitch in anticipation of…well, they are not sure. The bodies of two warriors ache with the uncertainty. Both would rather be pointed at a big ugly foe rather than a bunch of words in a musty old text. What kind of enemy was that?

Buffy’s jaw sets, a familiar sight to the vampire across from her. She always looks that way when she…

“Wanna fight.” Buffy is not surprised at the completely confused expression that washes over Spike. Before he can question her abrupt declaration, she gets up from the bed and starts pulling on tight black workout pants. “I need to…I need to go on patrol.”

Spike sighs, thinking maybe Buffy is pulling away, running from her emotions into her sacred duty. Her voice cuts through his thoughts, “Are you planning to fight naked? I mean…I don’t mind, but…” He turns to see her wriggling into a white tank top and tucking her hair into a low ponytail. “You are coming, right?” She comes over, taking his arm and snapping him out of his confusion.

“’course, luv. Mind if I ask why the sudden need for violence?” Spike finds his clothes and starts to get dressed., relieved that she is not retreating.

“Not violence that I need exactly, Spike. A fight. I need to win a fight.” She tightens her jaw and he understands. She is feeling helpless in the face of the upcoming badness. She wants to beat something up. This is something he has always understood.

“Good enough for me. Shall we?” Spike holds out his hand to his Slayer and she takes it with a small smile. Moments later, they hit the cool night, bodies thrumming with anticipation. Buffy cuts her eyes to Spike, seeing the confident smirk, the swagger in his walk that gives her thoughts of the downright dirty variety. The connection between them is alive, muscles moving under clothing in smooth cadence to an unheard beat. Spike feels her eyes on him and gives her a look, eyes smoldering. Two things he loves, this little firecracker and a good fight. Tonight, he gets both and he almost feels sorry for the first vamp they find, aside from himself, of course.

Buffy feels a delicious warmth fill her, just being next to him as they stride across town to the cemetery. Going on patrol is not usually quite this sexually charged for her, but tonight, it is positively electric. She knows him, knows his body and his fighting style, and a small secret part of her admits that she always thought it was hot, long before she felt the sting of Cupid’s arrow. Just as they finally enter the cemetery, she slows down enough to fall back a few steps, eyes dropping down his back, watching the ripples of muscle under his black t-shirt and tight jeans. Buffy is grateful he left the duster at her house so she could get the rear view she rarely sees. Eyes locked on his ass, her tongue touches her bottom lip, wetting it.

Feeling Buffy drop her pace, Spike cuts his eyes over his shoulder without slowing down and catches her checking him out. He grins.

“Like what you see, luv?”

Buffy blushes slightly at being caught, but is still fairly unabashed in her admiration. “Yep.”

Spike stops and turns, amused by Buffy’s small frown that her view has been taken away. He hooks one thumb in the front of his jeans, tugging them down just enough to reveal a sliver of pale skin. Buffy decides the view has actually improved.

“I’m always up for a sudden change of plans, pet, but I did think you were keen on a fight, bit of the rough and tumble?” He lifts his eyebrows, loading every word with double meaning.

Buffy puts her hands on her hips, studying the cocky figure in front of her. “Sounds like two different things to me, Spike. A fight is one thing…but a bit of the rough and tumble…” She slips closer to him, but not quite touching. Buffy leans in, her lips mere inches from his, breath hot on his skin. “…that’s a whole other thing, eh, Spike?” Her tongue darts out to wet her top lip.

Just as Buffy starts to lean into Spike, eyes slipping closed, her internal warning bells start ringing. Over his shoulder, she sees the reason for it. Two vamps approaching slowly from behind Spike, still about twenty yards off. They don’t notice that she sees them and Buffy gets an idea. Playing dumb worked great the other night when some vamps tried to sneak up on she and Spike. This will be fun. With barely a hitch in her movement, Buffy brings her lips closer to Spikes and then whispers to him at a nearly inaudible level, “Play along, Spike. Two vamps coming up behind.”

“I know, Slayer.” He winks at her and before she can respond, grabs her against him and slams his lips down on hers. Briefly startled, she recovers quickly and finds herself falling deeply into the kiss. She can tell he is getting off on this as much as she is. Teasing, dancing on the edge of danger. As proper as she may try to be by the daylight, this is when she feels well and truly alive. And he loves it as much as she does. Buffy moans and bites into Spike’s bottom lip, her body reacting mightily to the hard form pressed against hers as well as the dangerous game they are playing. Her hands slide down and around, taking a tight grip on his jean-clad ass.

Spike smiles against her mouth. That’s his girl. Ever since he heard the vamps approaching, he watched her body for a signal. Before she even realized it, her body temperature started to rise, her heartbeat picked up. Reacting to the fight, the kill, by coming to full alertness. God, it made him insanely hot to see her light up like that. A low growl rumbles up from his chest, sending delicious vibrations through both their bodies. Releasing her mouth, he dives down to nip at her neck. Buffy throws her head to the side, easing his access to her bare skin. She risks opening her eyes a slit to see the vamps taking flank positions to their left and right. Clearly, they think they’ve found some stupid kids making out in a cemetery. Easy prey. How wrong they are. Well, except for the making out part, of course.

Buffy turns her head back to Spike, putting her lips against his neck. With one slow lick, she travels up his neck to his ear. Another soft whisper, “You want the one on the right or left?” Before he answers, she bares her teeth, taking a sharp hold on the lobe. Spike jumps, the pain just enough to get his full attention. His left hand slides up cup Buffy’s breast over her tank top. He takes her nipple between his thumb and forefinger and pinches, enjoying the sharp intake of breath as she reacts.

His mouth still against her neck, he replies, “The one to my right, luv.”

Buffy’s rolls her hips against his, sending an engraved invitation to his throbbing erection. Spike uses all his willpower to not throw her down on the hard ground and shag her senseless. Sod the stupid vamps. She was driving him mad. Mouth covering the line of his jaw, she whispers, “I’m going around and over your back, okay? On my count?”

Spike nods, almost imperceptibly, leaning down to kiss along Buffy’s collarbone. His traveling right hand finds the stake tucked in the back of her waistband. He leaves it for now. A little hand to hand first. For fun.

Buffy kisses back down his neck, lips brushing lightly across his skin. “One.” He can almost feel her more than hear her. She leans back enough to take his mouth with her again, tongue dancing across his lips. Breaking contact for a breath, “Two.”

Spike’s hands move to her arms, gently skating over her bare flesh. He knows – and loves - the move she wants to do. Not enough to just kick the crap out of a vampire, she’s gotta make it hot, too.

Buffy’s eyes cut left and right. The vamps are making their move, closing in from both sides at the same time. She brings her gaze back to center and locks into Spike’s for a split second. Words unspoken, their look says it all. Time for action. Without a sound, Buffy mouths the word both their bodies are coiled and ready for.

Three.

In the space of a breath, Buffy steps to the side and around, throwing herself back to back with Spike, as he leans down, letting her legs pinwheel above her. Both feet come down in succession on the vamp leaping toward them from Spike’s left, knocking him to the ground. Free of the Slayer on his back, Spike shoots out his right leg, cracking the other vamp just below the knee, shattering the bone and dropping him instantly. Now facing their opponents with their backs to each other, Buffy and Spike take a moment to enjoy the look of shock on the two writhing vamps’ faces.

Buffy cocks her head, hands on hips. “Hellooo, boys. Slayer here. Not too…”

“…bloody bright if you ask me.” Spike cracks his neck, fists up and ready. “Now, come on! Get up and…”

“…take a shot. You know you want to. I’ll even let you…”

“…get all the way up before I knock you on your ass this time.” Spike’s grin spreads as the vamp at his feet growls, yellow eyes flashing up at him. Spike gestures for him to get up with both hands, egging him on. Buffy’s vamp continues to pant on the ground, holding his head and groaning. She looks over her shoulder to see Spike bouncing on the balls of his feet, like he always does during a fight. Rocking back and forth, waiting for his opponent to blink. Not wanting to get caught up in admiring her lover’s fighting ability, Buffy turns her attention back to her vamp. She has a split second to curse as the vampire leaps at her, knocking her to the ground beneath him, off to the side. Buffy lets out a small ‘oof’ as they land. Mad at herself for letting her guard down, she growls at the vamp. “You are so going to regret that. Do you know how hard it is to get grass stains out of this top?” Buffy curls up, shoving her feet into the vamp’s midsection and kicking him clear over her head. Popping to her feet, she spins on him. She hears Spike’s voice.

“Too right, mate. You’re in trouble. She hates to do the washing.” She cuts her eyes at him, catching him kick his vamp under the chin, sending him sprawling on his back in the grass before throwing a dashing grin her direction.

Buffy rolls her eyes at Spike before returning her attention to her opponent. No sense getting knocked on her rear again because of the distraction of Spike. He gets to his feet, looking at her warily, body slightly hunched.

“Gonna kill you, Slayer,” the vamp growls at her.

Buffy puts one hand on her hip, the other to her mouth, covering a mock yawn. “In all the time it took you to rise, THAT was the scariest thing you could come up with to say to me?” Buffy swings her right leg up and over, cracking the vamp across the cheek. She follows with a quick left to the face and a right to the stomach, doubling him over. “’Cause I hate to break it to ya, but no. You’re not.” Her next left, a sharp uppercut, sends him flying through the air. He comes down on a tombstone, cracking his back. Keeping one eye on him, she turns to watch Spike.

His vamp back on his feet, Spike lays into him with a series of punches, spinning like a whirling dervish. The vamp’s body bounces back and forth, buffeted by the force of one punch after another. She can tell that he would likely drop if Spike only stopped hitting him for a second. Which he does and she watches the vamp tip forwards, unconscious before he hits the ground. Spike frowns at the still form in front of him before turning to the Slayer. Her chest heaves, partly from the mild exertion of her fight, but mostly from the sight of him in action. Behind her, he sees the vamp scramble up from the tombstone he landed on. Buffy sees him start to speak, to warn her, but she stops him by mouthing ‘I know.’ Spike runs his tongue over his front teeth, wondering if this girl could be any more blazing hot. As the vamp increases speed and leaves his feet to tackle her, Buffy finally breaks her eye contact with Spike, ducking forward. Startled but unable to stop his motion, the vamp starts over her head. Buffy’s arm shoots up, grabbing him by the shirt and using his momentum to carry him to the ground. In the same smooth motion, her other arms pulls the stake from the back of her pants. Dropping to one knee, she brings the stake down and plunges it straight into his heart, dusting him. Spike chuckles, both hands on his hips, shaking his head.

“Slayer, have I told you lately that you are bloody amazing?”

Buffy takes the tip of the stake in her hand and waves Spike down. “Spike, get down!” Dropping instantly to a crouch, Spike watches Buffy zing the stake through the air, straight through the heart of his newly recovered opponent coming up behind him. When the cloud of dust clears, he turns to see the stake quivering in the bark of the tree ten feet behind him. He turns back to grin at Buffy, who is getting to her feet, brushing her hands off on her pants.

“No, Spike. Not lately.” She grins at him, skin flushed with excitement.

“Well, you are. Happy now? You got the fight you wanted.”

Buffy saunters closer to the black clad vamp. “Yeah, but now I want that bit of the rough and tumble.”

Spike laughs, deep in his throat. “Girl after my own heart.” Buffy’s mouth on his ends any further conversation.

***********
Author's Note: Thanks for reading and leaving reviews!! Feedback is welcomed with open arms. :) Tiana