Tough Love

Chapter 9: Here with me


He wasn't kidding about the "not letting go" part. As the night became darker he just held her tighter. He’d never felt anything more wonderful then her naked form in his arms, her golden heir spread across his chest. He inhaled her scent deeply and told her the most stupid things he never thought he’d ever tell anyone. Not dark secrets or life revealing details, no, nothing like that, just trivial things about himself, silly anecdotes that made her smile because he didn't see her smile a lot, so it just made him go on and on…until they both lost track of time. When it got to the point that Buffy looked at the clock they were just so far wrapped up in each other they knew neither of them could let go, not this night anyway, so Spike took her home and lingered some more at her door , making her laugh and then scowl at him for making the neighbors hear. and for making her worry that her dad might be still awake. Spike chuckled lightly as she became almost serious and told him that if he wouldn't let go of her she would find some powerful spell to keep him far away from her door and her life for good.


"Alright" he said, and let her go without even a goodnight kiss or one last persuasive glance.


It affected her so deeply that she just stormed to her room and crashed on the bed. Staring at the ceiling she considered dwelling on her well-familiar morbid thoughts,


But that plan came to end when he knocked on her window and came in from the fire escape.





***


"Wake up, sleeping beauty" she whispered in Spike’s ear. Lying on her side, she gazed at him.


"Ummm…what time is it?" His face was still buried in the pillow as he spoke


"It's 6:30."


"You're evil." He faced her, his voice much clearer.


God, this was great. His eyes were dark and his lips swollen, and his hair all messy and curly. He looked adorable, like one of those cuddly bears, a strong cuddly sexy bear…. She thought.


"I get that a lot," she smiled and patted his head lightly. She hated herself for what she was about to do.


"You're all dressed," he pouted.


"You need to go…my dad will wake up soon."


"We have time." He got closer to her and started kissing her neck.


"No…we really don't," she mumbled - why am I protesting?


Spike rose up on his elbows and took the alarm clock that was next to her bed.


"What are doing?" She stared at him as he played with it.


"Giving us time," he smirked, resuming his kisses and putting the clock away.


"It doesn't work like that."


"It does in my world." He kissed feather-light kisses down her neck and moved on to her breasts.


"Y-your world is too simple." She started panting, at the feeling of his tongue circling her most sensitive parts.


"Are you saying my world is shallow?" he said with a leer.


"Stupid is more like it."


He raised his head. "Who are you calling stupid Summers?"


"You, you big goop," she teased.


"Oh you're in for it now pet." He started tickling her.

"Ho!, stop it…" she giggled and tried to escape, but he caught both her wrists and held them above her head with one hand while the other continued tickling her ribs.


She wriggled on the bed and tried to free herself from his grasp, but it was pointless, Spike had her pinned her to mattress with his weight on her body.

"Say you're sorry." He continue tickling her, a big smirk on his face.


"No," she said between giggles, panting hard.


"Stubborn bint." He moved his hand under her arms and tickled her there.


"Ah!" Buffy laughed, shifted and twitched under his hands , she had no plan of giving up.


Spike chuckled. He knew he should stop, but he really didn't want to, she was glowing, her face was all shiny and he couldn’t get enough of the feeling of her body struggling beneath him.


Buffy let out a gasp and Spike loosened his grip a bit to gaze at her face.


"Sorry luv…wasn't planning on hurting you…much" he grinned.


"Please…" Buffy snorted still laughing lightly. "You haven't even come close to hurting me." She glared at his face and panted.


"Oh yeah." He resumed tickling her and she writhed.


"Not afraid you'll give big bad a chance?"


"BIG BAD," she mocked and wriggled which only made Spike increased his tickling.


"Not afraid I'm gonna- Christ!


Spike held his breath, gazing at Buffy’s shining eyes.


"You were saying?" she teased and tightened her grip on his shaft.


"Buffy" he murmured and closed his eyes.


"You right about the big part, I'm not sure about the bad part," she smiled.


"Who are you really Spike?"



"Right now?" he groaned and opened his deep blue eyes to gaze at her.


"Right now I'm your willing slave." He leaned to kiss her.



"Buffy?" Hank's voice came from behind the door.


Not again! They both froze, looking at each other.


"Quick!" Buffy got up from the bed "Get in the closet!"


"In the closet?!" Spike protested quietly, raising a brow.


"Now!" she pushed him from the bed and closed the closet door behind her after giving him a little shove.


"Come in dad." She hastily picked up the empty condom wrapper and hopped back into her bed.


Hank entered, his eyes wandering around the room and then at Buffy's lamb-like face.


"How was your night hun?"


"Okay." Buffy gave him a tiny smile.


"Didn't hear you come in."


"I came in pretty late."


"Yeah I figured." Hank stared at her. She looked different somehow, he thought. Different in a way he hoped he would witness again.


"AA meeting was pretty boring yesterday…came back exhausted from boredom…. so I probably wouldn't have heard you anyway…" He smiled.


"Ha-ha." She gazed at him, trying to keep her eyes from the closet.


"O.k. hun" he turned to the door "I'll make us some breakfast."


"Great." She smiled at him again as he glanced in her direction.


"Umm hun…" he held the door's knob.


"I never thought I'd say this but…tell Spike to come out of the closet."


Buffy was stunned again… she opened her mouth and closed it, each time taking a deep breath, not sure what to say so she began to mumble.


"B-B-but I was all covered and everything…an-and… you should have been all passed out with the boredom and stuff…how did yo-"


"Keep the volume down next time." He smiled and went out the door.


"And tell Spike to come out for breakfast." she heard him yell.


Buffy got up quickly from her bed and opened the closet door to find Spike standing completely oblivious to her presence, surrounded by her clothes and holding a few items in his hands.


"What do you have to say for yourself?" she scolded playfully


Spike gazed at her as if he’d just noticed she was there and held an item in front of her face.


"Can I use your black nail polish?"




***



Breakfast went better then she thought it would. There were a few awkward moments when Hank caught them staring at each other and, at times, it felt like he was watching their every move.


It made her nervous, but Spike seemed to enjoy it, in some juvenile way, as if it was the most normal thing in the world, Or like he and her father had some secret code and eating breakfast together was Hank's way of telling him that things were okay. Sitting around the table it really felt much like it, like they were a family, albeit a very unusual family. A recovered alcoholic. His daughter the ex-student who was now supposed to be…what? And her new boyfriend, the one that got her dad back on his feet. A boxer with a poet’s heart. He really was unusual…special…and did she just refer to him as her boyfriend? Buffy gazed at Spike who was talking with Hank.


Later, as the three of them arrived at Hank’s office they sat and began planning their day and it felt like forever since he’d last looked at her.


"…No drinking, no smoking, no fried, no salt, no sweets, not the little onions things you like-"


"What's wrong with onions?"


"Do I really need to say this?" Hank scolded.


Spike caved and sat in his place.


"And no sex," Hank added with leer. He couldn't help sending Buffy a brief glance.


Buffy’s cheeks grew red and Spike raised a brow at Hank.


"You're kidding right?"


"Not before the fight." Hank came from behind the desk and headed to the door.


"So that is your evil plan?" Spike smirked behind him.


Hank took a quick look at him and opened the door. "I work in mysterious ways."


As soon as Hank closed the door Buffy snapped. "This is too weird!"


"What's that pet?" Spike gazed at her.


"He's too okay with this." She glared at the door and then stared at him.


"Oh… what's the matter baby?" Spike approached from across the room and sat on Buffy's desk. "Did you want it to be like in those romantic novels?... where I sweep you off your feet and we sneak out because daddy doesn't approve 'cause I'm the wrong side of the track kidna guy who's gonna do all short of nasty things to you?" His eyes started to glitter as he continued with a low voice. "Make you join me on the dark side where I think you belong, away from the sad bleak world you know? You'll leave your noble morals behind you and let me please you for eternity." He leaned towards her, saying the last words to her face.


Buffy gazed at him and seemed to be thinking about his words.


"Yep, that could be nice."


Spike smirked.


"Come here." He took her hand and pulled her off the chair, sitting her on his lap. Buffy looked at him, amused.


"You know…" he nuzzled at her neck and then looked up at her. "We can still do the sneaking part."


"We can?" She curved her neck towards him and pouted.


Spike smiled and got her on her feet. Taking her hand he led her out of the office without saying a word.



"Good Gracious Gunn! What are you doing here?" Hank looked at the bruised young man who came through the gym's door.

"I guess I missed you Hank," he smirked.


"I highly doubt that." Hank smiled and approached him.


"Shouldn't you be with you sister? Letting her take care of you?"


"Take care of me? That’s a joke," Gunn said with a bitter smile. "To tell you the truth Hank, I don't know where my sis hanging these days."


"Come on to my office." Hank put his hand on Gunn's shoulder. "Tell me all about it."


"No, I have something more important to tell you, that's why I'm here." He stood still and gazed at Hank with a frown on his face.


"Well, what is it?"


"I've Been over at Willy's , heard a couple of guys talking, they said Combs has been arrested."


"Arrested?"


"Apparently he beat up some guy in a dark ally. The police spotted him, they’ve been kinda waiting for something like that."


"Yeah." Hank sighed and gazed around the room.


"But I think the fight is still on."


"How come?" Hank looked at him, surprised.


"The guy that got beat up,well he kinda fled the scene, they didn't find him. And since then no one’s pressed charges…"


"Alright…" Hank clapped his hands together. "So the fight is still on."


Hank turn to go to his office when Gunn stopped him.


"Hank" he gave him a worried stare.


"Relax Gunn… come to my office. Let's talk about you sister, it's much more important."


And with that he turned and made Gunn follow.



***



"Mmm…" Buffy arched her back, her mind was in a cloud. Twisting her neck, she opened her eyes and blinked, amazed by the intensity of two blue orbs staring at her.


"Liked that pet?"




"Huh-ha" she tried to form more words, but just mumbled as she leaned back to his chest.

"Good cause there are more wonderful things that Spike's hands can do for you," he whisper in her ear. "Back rubs aside."


"Here, on the bench? I don't think so."


"Alright then…let's go to my place."


"Aren't you the greedy one?" she turned to look at him.


"Can't help it luv, you bring out the worst in me," he whispered to her lips, giving them a quick peck.


"Didn't you get enough last night?" Buffy nuzzled his neck.


"No," he stated simply and then a smirk formed on his lips when he saw her scoff.


Buffy quickly turned around and straddled him, her legs coming around his waist keeping him in place.


"What are you-?"


Buffy's hands came to the buttons of his jeans. Tugging on them she met his gaze. "If you can do it in a public place, so can I."


"Trying to prove your perverseness is up to my standards pet? I think it's a bet you're gonna lose."


"Damn you," she held her hand back, and gazed at him from a slight distance.


"You can't do it can you?" he smirked.


Buffy just gazed at Spike blankly for a second, making him think that she might stand up and leave any minute but then threw herself at him.


"Umm..Buf," Spike mumbled against her mouth and put his arms around her, holding her close to his body.


Buffy gave it all she had. She slipped her tongue into his mouth and deepened the kiss, making Spike body vibrate from the heat she created. She moved her hand up his arms, to his shoulders and brushed her fingers in his hair when she held his head trying to control the rhythm of his movement, but he didn't let her, and she realized again that Spike's passions was something she couldn't control, nor did she want to.

Taking over, Spike rose from the bench, pulling Buffy who was wrapped around his waist with him.


"Mmm…" Buffy broke the kiss. "Where are you taking me?"


"Storeroom," he said almost as a question and resumed kissing her.


"Okay…." She mumbled to his mouth.




***




All he wanted right now was too take a vacation, some place far away, where no one could ever find him or reach him. He should never come to L.A. Should have stayed in Sunnydale. He was someone there and at least there he got some respect and people feared him. Here…

"Another one!" he shouted at the bartender.

"Don't you think you’ve had enough-?"

"Another one!" he sent him a glare.

The bartender shook his head and poured him anther drink, which he drank in one shot.


"Seeking the stars my Angel?"




He recognized the voice, but just kept his eyes on the bar.


"Are you still cross with me?" Drusilla sat beside him, meeting his angry stare.


"You belong in a mental institute Dru."


"Daddy already locked his little girl at the attic…" her gaze wandered to the mirror behind the bar "Took her favorite toys away…" she pouted.


"My point exactly" he searched for the bartender again.


"I have news you might want to hear…" She gazed at him suddenly.


"What?... another vision" he scoffed and glared at her.


"A vision I saw with my bare eyes." She waited to get his full attention.



"Your ball of sunshine paying my William a visit….they're lovers, there's no doubt in my mind."


"Well, I have plenty of doubts about your mind Dru…" he said and then paused thinking about her words.


Drusilla watched him as he rose from his chair and took a bill from his pocket. Putting it on the counter, he gazed at her.


"But if what you say is true…it changes everything."


With a smirk forming on his face he turned for the exit.




***


"Ahh Spike," she was panting hard, legs wrapped around him, feeling the length of him slip inside of her , letting the burning sensation fade slowly as she come to her senses.


Spike held her tightly, still pressing her against the wall of the storeroom, he buried his face to her neck murmuring her name.


Letting her legs fall down she felt his hold of her loosen. She shivered from the loss of contact and gazed at his face.


"We should probably head back," she whispered.


"Yeah," he said, but still didn't make a move and watching her closely with a little smile on his face. Not the usual smirk she’d got use to. Just a happy smug-free smile.



They straightened up their clothes quickly, trying to avoid each other gaze, knowing that if they didn't, they would never leave this room.


A few steps before they got to Hank's office door, they slowed down, hearing two familiar voices argue.


"He's a killer Hank!"


"Nothing has been proven."


"He's dangerous and you know it…and Spike knows it two, but you should have explained to him-"


"Explain what Charles? Spike wants to do it, he want to take off this guy, and he has a good reason. This guy holds a title he doesn't deserve."


"It's suicide," Gunn muttered.


"You know Spike, he always says he’s got nothing to lose." Hank sighed "and who am I to tell him otherwise...I used to feel the same way…"


Spike turned to look at Buffy who was deeply involved with the conversation in the next room.


"Come on luv," he grabbed her arm, but she brushed him off, staring at him blankly.


"Luv-" he took a step forward.


"Don't" she flinched.


Buffy paused and then gazed at his eyes.


"Do you still feel that way?" she asked warily.


"Like what?" he know what she was talking about, but wished he didn't have to explain himself.


"Feel like playing against the odds! Feel like it doesn't matter if you die or live" she said angrily.


"Well a very wise man once said live fast, die young-"


"Don't joke!" she raised her voice and stared at him, but before he could react, she turned to leave.


"Buffy." He followed her quickly.


"Just leave me alone Spike," she said without looking at him, quickening her steps.


"I need to think," she said and shut the gym door behind her.


Gazing at the door shutting in front of him, Spike sighed


Bloody hell…

Tbc