Walking by His Side

Spike stood in a daze, comprehending what had been said to him by the creature. His mind wandered in contemplation while a song came on the CD stereo that hushed his frantic heartbeat. The lush, bright soprano voice strung out gently over the keyboard.

"I'm so tired of being here
suppressed by all of my childish fears
and if you have to leave
I wish that you would just leave
because your presence still lingers here
and it won't leave me alone"

Spike looked around the flickering, glowing room. It's beauty could never even hold a candle to the smiels he had seen on his slayer's face. Confidence had shown itself to Buffy again, and nothing could be more beautiful.

He walked over to the punching bag, still hanging in the middle of the room, and he smirked at the sketch of his sire on it. How foolish he had been, like a little child. He grasped the chain, and yanked off the lock, casting the bag aside in the dark corner where the boxes were.

"these wounds won't seem to heal
this pain is just too real
there's just too much that time cannot erase

when you cried I'd wipe away all of your tears
when you'd scream I'd fight away all of your fears
and I've held your hand through all of these years
but you still have all of me"

"Hey Spike, no demons were found- oh." Buffy's mouth softened and went slack at the room's decor. Her eyes shone with tears that almost threatened to fall. Her slightly mused bottle-blonde hair flloated down around her face as she pulled her ponytail holder out, then dropped it. Her arms went down at her sides, and her knees turned into butter. Her eyes locked with Spike's...her heart so full, she almost didn't even notice the tears. She watched as Spike sauntered over, and stopped only inches from her. Buffy closed her eyes, feeling her heart pound in her ears while waiting for the kiss. It never came.

Spike got down on his knees, and brought out his hands to her slim ankles, making his way down to her shoelaces on her sneakers. Each hand pulled on a lace, letting the bow slip out and loosening the shoe's hold on her petite feet. One shoe at a time, he slowly and carefully pulled her shoes and socks off. When he finished his task, he slid his hands upward on the insides of her legs, reaching almost to the apex of her inner thighs before sliding his hands around to her outer sides as he got up. When he stood sturdily and levely on his feet again, and stared down into her eyes.

"William..." she murmered, leaning her head on the left plane his warm chest, and letting the soft rose petals beneath her feet tickle her heels. "...why did you do this? God, it'll only make it harder for us to be heros tomorrow."

Spike cupped her face in his warm hands staring into the green orbs. "Buffy, tonight we can be whatever we want to be. Tomorrow we will be heros. But tonight...can we just be...a..._we_? Us? Not slayer and her champion?"

Buffy nodded in agreement. "Yes", she said breathlessly, feeling his lips brush against hers. They moaned, Buffy delighting in his warm embrace and heartbeat, and Spike reveling in his quickening pulse. Their bodies rubbed and writhed against each other until their shuffling feet banged against the foot of the cot.

"Ow!"

"Bloodly-"

Buffy and Spike looked at each other, then fell back onto the bed giggling. Their faces were full of light that was purely t own own, only to be perfected by the glow of the candles and lights. Hands pushed clothing off their partner's warm skin, peeling away unneeded layers of separation.
Their hands roamed each other's skin, with rose petals caressing them as well. The soft, warm, joyous feeling basked them both into estacsy.

Spike's lips trailed all over her breasts, planting lights kisses everywhere, and dipping his tounge into the valley between her breasts. One hand held the back of her head gently as he rolled her beneath him, his thumb stroking her soft, gold-spun hair. He sighed in pleasure as he felt Buffy's hand splayd ove his back, gently following theline a vertebrae down to his lower back, then following the line back up again. Spike's mouth moved down to her navel, dipping into the belly button there. His ears picked up Buffy's soft moan of delight, and his heart soared. He rested his head tentatively on her stomach for a moment before releasing his words.

"I love you, Buffy".

Tears ran down her cheeks. She heard him softly whisper his love for her. Even though she felt the same, she couldn't say it again- she could die tomorrow. He could die tomorrow. They only had tonight, for all she knew.

"William, I believe in you."

Spike tried to hold back his sob. Grinding his teeth together and breathing sharply through his nose, he waited for a moment before responding.

"Right pet. We've only got tonight, I understand." With a sad nod from Buffy, he contd hid his kissing up until he reached her mouth, where they finally met and fused together in a searing heat. Hands continued to stroke their partner's warm body. Theirs scents of vanilla and clove cigarettes melted together, and heartbeats matched each other. Their beats, their hearts, their hopes and fears, their bodies were joined as one together in the same moment when Spike pushed himself into her.

Tears streaked Spike's cheeks. He knew what he had to do tomorrow. He knew sacrsacrifrice. He looked down at Buffy, who's eyes were closed in delight, whose heartbeat was as franctic as his, and her face bore a gentle look of love as he filled her. her inner walls clenched his manhood as he stroked the insides of her.

"William" buffy whispered, clasping his head to her neck and tickling his ar ith her lips. "Please...mark me as yours."

Spike's heart wrenched. For a moment, he paused, wondering if she knew exactly what it entailed. When nibbnibbled on his teethh heh her blunt teeth, all wonder went out the window. His fangs slipped into her soft, vanilla-scented skin and drew small sips of her blood. Buffy moaned in pleasure, arching her back against the bed to meet his grinding hips. Spike thought he was in heaven, until Buffy's teeth bit hard against his neck, barely cutting enough to draw blood. She drank in his coppery taste, relishing their equaility in that moments. He gasped as they moved together in a rythmm, in drinking, hands joining at their sides, and tears finally fell from his chin and onto her face. His eyes were closed by the time Buffy felt her release, and opened her eyes from shock of the feeling, only to see his tears fall down. His tears were joined to hers as they both moaned each other's name in dark night.

"I've tried so hard to tell myself that you're gone
and though you're still with me
I've been alone all along

when you cried i'd wipe away all of your tears
when you'd scream i'd fight away all of your fears
and i've held your hand through all of these years
but you still have all of me"

The last chords of the song echoed and faded out, and the CD stereo ended it's work as the power in Sunnydale shut off for the last time. However, both humans and heros were unaware of it. As their release faded, their wakefullness did as well, and they fell asleep in each other's arms with the partner's blood on their lips, and their head againstir pir partner's beating heart.

**************************************
This chapter has been edited for story arc movement.