London Calling

The song used in this chapter is Laika's "Black Cat Bone".

Chapter 4

"I don't know what's wrong with me!" Buffy wailed into her non-fat Mochaccino.

Willow smiled indulgently. "Buffy, you've been in love with the guy for YEARS. You're naturally upset by Cordy and Faith's grabby antics."

Buffy pouted. "I know. But WHY?! He's so rude and arrogant and annoying... and sexy and perfect and still completely oblivious to the fact that I exist. Why can't I just let go of this whole thing? It's driving me nuts! I mean, I have a great guy... Angel's terrific."

Willow raised an eyebrow.

"OK, OK... so he's not such a great conversationalist. Maybe he DOES think that Moby Dick is the title of a porno. And his kissing leaves much to be desired... God, the other day it felt like I was in the movie Jaws. I mean, could his mouth get any wider?!" Buffy asked, laughing.

Willow grinned. "Buffy, if you think that Spike wasn't noticing you, you're blind. The way he looked at you while we were talking was so full of... pent-up sexual desire! He was like, 'I'm going to bend you over a table and have my naughty way with you!'"

Buffy looked shocked. "Willow!"

"I know, I know... Oz has been out of town now with the band for two weeks and I'm kinda getting a little sexually frustrated." Willow explained with a shrug.

Buffy smiled at her friend. Willow was the one person she trusted implicitely. They'd grown up together. Even though Willow had gone on to be popular in high school, she'd always made time to hang out with her. She'd also been pretty involved in Buffy's new college transformation, from geek to chic. She was so grateful to have at least one friend she could talk to about this situation.

Buffy sighed.

"Buffy..." Willow started. "I know that Angel is good-looking and rich and popular, but that doesn't necessarily mean he's the one for you. You don't seem happy. And it's obvious to everyone around you that you'd rather be off pursuing other bleached-blonde matters. Why don't you just call it quits?"

Buffy fiddled with her straw. "I don't know, Will. I just feel so young and horribly pretentious when it comes to this situation with Spike. It's like, when he walks in the room, I lose all control over myself. I turn back into the giggling, nervous fifteen-year-old that used to make moon eyes at him and write in her journal all day. With Angel it's not like that. I feel in control. I feel like..." She trailed off.

"You feel like you don't have any real feelings for him." Willow replied sagely.

Buffy nodded. "I guess so. I know it's wrong to lead him on like that, it's just... it makes me feel special, you know? Like I'm not that horribly insecure little girl that I used to be. I mean, quarterback of the football team, woohoo!" She shrugged. "Who knew that I'd rather be with someone who's actually literate?"

Willow patted Buffy's hand. "Don't feel bad. If it'll make you feel any better, I have the sneaking suspicion that Faith's been boinking Angel behind your back. So I guess it's a good thing you never did it with him, huh?"

Buffy grimaced.

"Thanks, Wills. You always know how to cheer me up." She replied wryly.


***


"Buddy, you need to cheer up. What's with you? Is this some residual Drusilla trauma?" Xander quipped.

Spike scowled. "No, it's not. I've decided that me and Dru are quits. Can't take it anymore, her constant cheating and lying. If I wanted to get beat down daily, I'd bloody well go out and pay for that service!"

Xander grinned. "Drusilla did seem a little nutty the few times I met her. Didn't she always carry around that doll and talk to it?" He affected a high, girlish voice. "Spike, Miss Edith needs her bottle. Can you warm it for me?"

Spike rolled his eyes.

Xander continued. "You've always hine ine taste in women. Remember when you dated Cecily back in high school and she tried to drag you to all those Take Back the Night, Women Power seminars? She had a mean vengeance going on for all humans with a Y-Chromosome. Who knows why she chose you. You'd dated half the girls in school and dumped them all!"

Spike lit a cigarrete. "She wasn't so bad. Now Kennedy on the other hand, she was a nut. Always wanting us to do three-ways with other girls." Spike paused. "Actually, that part was rather nice, as I recall."

Xander laughed. "Yeah, I'm sure it was, until she dumped you for one of them!"

Spike grinned. "Yeah. It was fun while it lasted, though. Remember when-"

He was cut off when a hand came in and snatched away his cigarette.

"No smoking in the house! Do you want us to all get cancer and die before the wedding?! Why is everyone trying to ruin my big day?" Anya cried, putting out the cigarette in Spike's Guinness.

"Ahn, I highly doubt cancer from smoking can develop after one cigarette." Xander replied.

Anya scowled. "Xander Harris, you are impossible! First, you won't let me do the "Under the Sea" Little Mermaid theme for the ceremony - you know Disney films are very couture right now. Then, you wouldn't let me get that drag guy who impersonates Cher to sing for the reception! Now you want to give me cancer?!"

Xander smiled placatingly and pulled her into his lap. "Ahn, if you want me to dress like Sebastian the Crab I'll do it. I want this day to be happy for you."

Anya snuggled into Xander's chest. "That's all right, honey. I've already decided against the crab suit. However, I am going to need more money for the Male Strippers I'm having at the bachelorette party next week."

Xander jolted in his chair. "Male Strippers?! I don't think so!"

Anya smiled and kissed her fiancée. "Just a few... nine or ten."

"NINE or TEN?!" Xander yelled.

"Well, I'll leave you two lovebirds to your discussion." Spike said, already exiting the room. Those two were exhausting.

He rounded the corner and ran smack into Buffy.

"Oof!" She cried, catching her nce nce on the entryway sidetable.

He righted her and then just stood there gawking. God, she was stunning.

Buffy's long blonde hair was lighly curled and hung over her shoulders. She was wearing a barely-there red strappy backless top that exposed much of her midrift. A short denim mini covered her delicious looking backside, and strappy wooden sandals adorned her feet. She was a golden goddess.

"You look beautiful, Pet." Spike said, still staring.

Buffy blushed. "Thanks."

She turned to grab her bag and opened the door.

"Where are you to tto tonight?" He asked.

"Oh, I'm going Bronzing with a few people. There's a big game tomorrow, so all the guys get free drinks for being on the football team. Cheerleaders, too." She replied, shifting her bag to her other shoulder. His very presence disconcerted her. God, the way he was looking at her right now...

"Not another night out with the magnificent poof!" Spike growled.

Buffy squared her shoulders and headed out the door. "I'll be with Angel if I want to be with him. It's not like you're going to be there to chaperone." And with that, she rounded the corner and was gone.

Spike smirked. That had sounded like an open invitation to crash the party.

"Xander," He called over to the next room. "I'm going out for a bit. Don't wait up."

It was time to step things up in his plan to seduce Miss Summers.


***


Buffy yawned into her Rum and Coke. If Angel told that story about how he'd thrown the game winning touchdown against Pennbrooke University one more time, she was going to scream bloody murder.

"...And the clock was ticking, so I turned and pulled back my arm..." Angel droned on.

Buffy stared down into her drink and sighed. She really needed to end this with him. She couldn't remember the last time she'd actually had a conversation that didn't involve the words football, beer or keg stands.
She downed the contents of her glass and stood.

"I'm going to go get myself another drink. Be right back."

Angel briefly nodded and turned back toward his audience. "So, with 8 seconds on the clock, I threw the ball down the field to Morris..."

Buffy stumbled her way through the crowd to the bar and set down her glass. "Another Rum and Coke, please."

"God Buffy, alcoholic much? Isn't that like your fifth drink of the night?" Cordelia questioned, suddenly appearing at Buffy's side.

Buffy smiled. "Yeah. I decided I needed to get suitably trashed to listen to anymore football talk. I should be nice and hungover for the game tomorrow."

Cordelia laughed. "Oh yeah, there's nothing hotter than watching a cheerleader vomit on the field!"

"You know it!" Buffy slurred in reply. Besides Willow, Cordy was probably the only person on the squad she ever really got along with. Miss Cordelia Chase might be snotty and superficial, but she always told it like it was, and Buffy respected her for that.

Cordelia tugged on her arm. "C'mon, let's go dance. I love making all the freshmen boys drool. It's like a sport!"

Buffy laughed and allowed herself to be led onto the floor. She hadn't been dancing for weeks, and the alcohol had suitably numbed her brain. She felt ready to bust loose. She felt sexy.

Moving her body to the beat, Buffy thought of Spike. God, she wanted him. She casually ran her hands up and down her body, unaware of the stares she was getting. The music rushed through her.


Must have been the devil who changed my mind.
Must have been the wind blowing, not me crying.
Half the joy of leaving was the space I left behind.
Now I'm back, angelheaded and hollow-eyed.


Spike stared at Buffy from his place at the bar. God, she was like fire, moving out there on the dance floor like a living flame. He was trapped in it, just like a deer caught in headlights.

Buffy threw her head back and ground her hips to the beat. She thought about all the times she'd been alone in bed and imagined Spike was there with her. Running his hands up and down her body, worshipping her neck with his tongue. Buffy sighed and brought her hands up over her head, slowly lowering them down her body to the rhythm of the music.


Placed myself at the eye of the storm.
Just didn't see the signpost to scorn.
The blue sky wrinkled through my tears,
Then darkness grounded all my fearI gaI gave him my sugar; he switched it for salt.
Should have seen him coming, that's always my fault.


Spike got up and moved towards her, transfixed by her undulating body. He had to touch her. He wanted to...

...guide his hands over her breasts and thighs. She quivered and moved more sensually to the beat. The first time she'd ever touched herself, she'd thought of him. Angelic and fierce all at once, she'd imagined he'd hover over her, tracing her face with his fingertips, molding his body to hers. He'd reach out to her and...

...he enclosed her in his arms. Buffy started forward, then relaxed against him as if she'd known all along he was there. Spike leaned in and moved his body with hers. He inhaled the sweet vanilla scent of her hair.


Rocks for my pillow and sand for my bed,
For better or worse I left him for dead.
But two rivers to each other run,
Words that shook me like the kick of a gun.
Had something in my heart ain't got no name.
Turned out he felt the same.


Buffy moaned and brought her hips to his. She didn't know she could feel this way. So alive and aware. She turned her body and brought her arms up around him. She leaned into his neck and breathed in the heady scent that was Spike. So musky and smoky. So masculine. She traced her tongue down the corded column of his throat.

Spike closed his eyes and growled. God, what she did to him. He couldn't get enough of hHe mHe moved his hands slowly down her body, memorizing each small curve and dip. Placing his hands on her hips, he crushed her to him, molding their bodies firmly together.


Ain't it lonesome, ain't it sad?
I was the only happiness he ever had.
By Indian River the vows were said,
In a red devil's dress I was wed.
Bitch's baby round lady
Came to me in a dream.
Then lightning struck and thunder roared,
And nothing was as it seemed.


Buffy ground her hips firmly to Spike's, revelling in the way his body responded to hers. She bit her lip and moved as if intranced, circling her hips trhytrhythm as old as time itself.
Spike lowered his head and nuzzled her temple. God, she smelled like sweat and vanilla and sex. He wanted take her against the wall, on a chair, laid over the bar. He'd never felt so aroused.


A two-headed doctor walked on the water
And buried a lemon outside my door.
He turned and laughed, threw up his hands ask ask asked him what it was for.
He sang, "Ships in the ocean, rocks in the sea,
blond-headed woman made a fool outta me."
Then everything went crazy...


Buffy brought her leg up over his hip, and pulled his hand down to fondle her backside. She threw her back her head and rocked herself to the beat.

Spike grit his teeth. They way she was moving, he was about to come in his pants. His squeezed his hands tightly around her ass and grasped her more fully to him. After tonight, he knew nothing would be the same between them ever again.

My shoes filled with blood.

The water rose, the wind did howl,

The river looked ready to flood.

I left my man asleep to drown

and ran without looking back around.

The world swam before Buffy's eyes. God, he was wonderful. The way he made her feel, the tremors running down her legs... She knew if he let her go right now, she wouldn't be able to stand. Bringing her face closer to his, she looked deep into the depths of his eyes and drowned.

Spike gazed at Buffy's upturned face and felt overwhelmed by emotion. Why hadn't he ever seen her in this light before? God, he was a fool to have stayed away so long. He slowly brought a hand up to her face and traced her lips with his fingertips.

Ring the bells of mercy.

Send the sinnerman home.

The keys to the kingdom are lost and gone,

And I'm left to die alone.

All these girls grown old now All All that long hair in the grave.

Realize what's done is done,

It's far too late to be saved...

Buffy closed her eyes and brought her face in close to his.

Spike grasped her shoulders and brought his lips down to hers.

The song ended abruptly and the lights came on, blinding them.

"All right everybody, 2:00 AM. You don't have to go home, but you sure as hell can't stay here." The bartender called out.

Buffy blinked and stepped back slowly. Shaking her head to clear her senses, she glanced around and noted that her "boyfriend" Angel was engaged in a heavy gropefest with Faith. Instead of feeling rage, she felt shame. How could she be angry with Angel when she'd been doing the same thing with Spike? She closed her eyes and sighed.

Spike didn't know what had happened. One moment, he'd had her willing and in his arms, then next she was ignoring his presence completely. He reached out his hands toward her.

"Buf." ."

She drew away, feeling horrible. She still wanted him, desperately, but not like this. Not when she was drunk and shameless and still obviously attached to someone else, no matter how little she cared for Angel.

Buffy paused mid-thought and looked up angrily.

She wasn't the only one here who was attached.

"Don't you have a girlfriend back home? I thought that was the reason you never came back here." Buffy bit out.

Spike started, unprepared to answer this rapid line of questioning. "Uh, Buffy, love... it's complicated..."

Buffy scowled. "I'm sure it is. Let me know when you've figured it out." She turned and headed towards Cordelia.

"Cordy, can I get a lift home?"

The brunette nodded and put her arm around her friend, helping her outside.

Spike stood there, watching her leave. He'd never felt so lonely in his life.

Then he felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned around.

"Keep your fucking hands off my girlfriend, asshole!"

Angel's fist was the last thing he saw before he blacked out.