Making it Work, Chapter Three

Chapter Three

The hard bulge in his jeans pressed between her thighs, and she was soon rubbing herself against it, whimpering in her throat as the sensations interrupted earlier in the evening came back. Spike’s attempts to get her to wait for him to get their clothes off went unheeded as she worked herself against him until she was muffling a cry, biting his shoulder and shuddering all over. When her body stopped quaking, she buried her flaming face in his neck refusing to respond to his chuckling attempts to get her to look at him.

When his chuckles turned to pleas for her to talk to him, and she could feel the proof of his need still nestled against her, she finally raised her head and gave him an embarrassed smile. “Well, now we can add ‘selfish ho’ to ‘vamp chew toy’, I guess. I’m sorry, Spike.”

He rolled over, pulling her with him so that she was lying on him and free to move away if she wanted to. He lifted one hand and pushed her hair out of her face. “We can add incredibly responsive, passionate woman to battle-scarred warrior,” he corrected. “And if you think getting yourself off on me is something you need to apologize for…” He snorted and ran the hand down her cheek. “You and me are going to have a lot of fun getting to know each other.”

Buffy gave a shaky laugh and sat up, straddling the hips that pushed up against her even as the hands on her waist held her gently in place. “I’d kinda planned on maybe getting to know each other better before we were getting anybody off anywhere,” she said, blushing at the admiring look on his face.

Before he could respond, the door burst open and Willow and Oz tumbled into the room, followed by Giles and Xander. With a startled “eep!” Buffy rolled off the bed, landing with a thump. Spike came up on his elbows and glared at the humans staring at them. “This better be good,” he muttered, bring one knee up in an attempt to hide the way his cock was pressing against his zipper. “Or somebody’s going to die.”

“Not funny, Spike,” Buffy said, running a hand through her hair in an attempt to look less like she’d just been ravished. “What’s up, guys?”

“You’re all right,” Giles said, somewhat unnecessarily.

“I am. Was there some reason you thought I wouldn’t be?” She remained on the floor, pretending she’d been sitting there all along, as if she had no idea they’d come into the room in time to see her diving off Spike’s body – which was still sprawled across her bed.

Willow looked around, but when no one else spoke up, she said, “I got the weirdest phone call from Riley. He said… well, he was trying to say that you were with a vampire, except that he kept saying ‘hostile’ and ‘sub terrestrial’ and it took me a while to figure out he meant Spike.”

“Still not getting the why everybody came crashing into my room,” she grumbled, standing up and pushing Spike over so she could sit on the bed. “Riley saw us tonight, right after I dusted that nest. I was sorta hoping he didn’t know that Spike—”

“Who is this “Riley” person? And why was he there?” Giles’s didn’t try to keep the worry from his voice.

“Oh, he’s one of those commandoes we’re been wondering about. And I think they were there for the same reason I was, except that there was nothing to see but dust by the time they came in.”

“And when were you planning to tell me you knew one of these men?” Giles asked stiffly, earning a small growl from Spike.

“Tomorrow,” Buffy snapped back. “You know, after I got a night’s sleep, went to my classes, and did some other stuff that’s more important than telling you one of the ninja-guys is our psych TA. It’s not like he’s going anywhere, or like we can do anything about it tonight.”

“Still doesn’t explain what you’re all doing here,” Spike grumbled, sitting up beside Buffy. The looks on Giles’s and Xander’s faces made him very grateful that he and Buffy had both been fully clothed when the group burst in. He began weighing his options for getting out of the room in one piece past an experienced Watcher and the boy he usually dismissed as pathetic. Without ruining his chances with Buffy, who would undoubtedly take it amiss if he killed or maimed either of them…

“We were afraid Riley was on his way here,” Willow said. “And we didn’t want him to catch Buffy with… weapons… or something….”

“Or something.” Spike’s sneer including all four of the humans staring at him. “That would be me, I’m guessin’.”

Giles spoke stiffly. “It would not be in Buffy’s best interest to be seen again in the company of something that these men clearly understand to be non-human and dangerous. Even if she has to explain about being a slayer, there is no reason for her to let them know she has a… friendship—” Spike’s scoff interrupted Giles’s stumbling attempt to put a name on the obvious attraction between Buffy and William the Bloody.

Buffy’s hand on his silenced Spike more easily than words could have; he subsided, leaning back on his elbows again and waiting for her to speak. She looked at him as she said, “Giles has a point, Spike. We don’t know anything about these guys yet, except that they know about vamps and demons.” She gave him a pleading smile. “I’ll be able to find out more about them if they don’t have any reason to think I’m something… something I’m not.”

To everyone’s surprise, he nodded before sitting up, kissing her forehead, and getting to his feet. “You’re right, pet. Whatever they are, I’m guessing it’s not friendly to vamps. I don’t want them thinkin’ you’re one of their ‘hostiles’.” He stretched and looked at the staring Scoobies. “What? I’m going. That’s what you came here for, isn’t it? To get me away from the Slayer before she gets so covered in vampire cooties the soldiers can’t tell how good she is?”

“Exactly,” Giles said, staring pointedly at the door.

“Where will you go?” Buffy’s anxious question brought the attention back to her, and his expression softened to the warm smile she was still trying to get used to.

“Dunno yet. Found myself a decent crypt a couple of days ago. I guess I’ll stay there. It’s got a lower level and a bunch of old sarcophagi, so plenty of hiding places if I need them. And double doors.”

“Okay. First thing tomorrow, I’m going to find out what the hell is going on with these guys…” She glanced at Willow. “Now that I think about it, all those guys at the frat party….” Willow nodded vigorously.

“Oh my God, yes! They were all big and buff and had those short haircuts, and…. We were there! Right at the same party. With the mysterious commandos guys.”

Buffy nodded her agreement. “I guess it’s time to test your theory about Riley and me,” she said to Willow. “I can only think of one quick way to get to know more about him….” Behind her she felt, rather than heard, the rumble from Spike’s chest as he figured out what she was planning. Before the rumble could erupt into a full-blown snarl, she hustled her friends to the door. “Okay, thanks, guys. Now I’ll know what to watch for and so will Spike.”

“Shouldn’t he be leaving with us?” Xander planted himself stubbornly in the doorway, refusing to budge while he exchanged glares with the vampire.

“I have to… I need to explain something to Spike. Then he’ll leave. It’ll be okay. It’s getting really late, I doubt they’re out there watching my dorm. He’ll be fine.”

“I wasn’t worried about Captain Peroxide,” Xander said, still not moving. “I just don’t want them catching you with him again.”

“I appreciate that, Xander,” Buffy said, her teeth beginning to clench. “But I have to talk to Spike… privately… before he goes. So the longer you stand there, the longer it’ll be before he leaves.”

With a final glare at the vampire, whose eyes were flashing yellow, Xander allowed himself to be hustled out the door. Buffy turned to look at Spike, now in full game face.

“Are you going to listen to what I have to say, or are you just going to go all ‘stupid guy’ on me?”

“If by ‘stupid guy’ you mean am I going tell you that you will snuggle up to that lummox for information over my dusty body, then, hell yes. I’m going to be so bloody stupid you’ll be wishing you’d kept that stake handy.”

“I have to find out what they are!” she argued before she remembered where she was. Lowering her voice, but not changing her tone, she said, “And hanging out with Riley is going to be the easiest way to do that. What don’t you get about that? It’s my job, Spike. It’s who I am.”

“The Slayer’s job is to dust vamps and behead demons. Nothing in that handbook that you’ve obviously never read is about going undercover to spy on a bunch of wannabe commandos.”

“They’re in my town, and they’re hunting vampires on my turf. How is that not my business? Huh? How, Spike?” She advanced on him, pushing against his chest with each question, ignoring the snarls that were increasing in volume and frequency.

“And what are you going to do if they decide that a slip of a girl who is stronger than any of them and who hangs out with a vampire could be a ‘hostile’?”

“Then they’ll find out exactly how much stronger I really am,” she said, turning her back and walking to the bed to take off her shoes. “I don’t know why you’re making such a big deal out of this,” she said, glancing up at him. “It’s not like I’m going to jump into bed with him or something. I’m just going to get to know him a little bit outside of class and see what he’ll tell me.”

She threw her shoes across the room, barely missing Spike. “You’re the one who needs to keep a low profile. Obviously they could tell what you are. They might be looking for you.”

“I hope they find me,” he said, his intent clear.

“I don’t,” Buffy said, her voice softer and less challenging. “I don’t want them to find you. Not until I know more about them and why they’re here.” When there was no response from Spike, except to shake off his vampire mien, she continued, “I won’t be able to do my job if I’m worried about you all the time. I need for you to promise me you’ll hole up somewhere and stay there until I know what’s what.”

“I don’t do ‘hole up and hide’ very well, Slayer.”

“I don’t do ‘losing someone I care about’ very well, either.”

They stared at each other from opposite sides of the room until Spike sighed and nodded. “Alright, luv. I’ll stock up on blood and stay in my crypt for a few days. But if I don’t hear from you every bloody night….”

“I’ll check in. I promise. Where will you be?”

Spike grabbed a sheet of paper off her desk and began to sketch a crude map. “It’s in the old part of Restfield,” he said, drawing quickly. “Got a name over the door, but I wasn’t paying any attention to who the former owners were, so I don’t know what it says. But you shouldn’t have any trouble finding it.”

He set the map down on the desk and sighed again. “Guess I’d best be on my way if I’m going to stop by the butcher’s and get home before daylight. I’ll see you tomorrow, luv.”

Buffy looked puzzled and hurt as he turned to open the door. “No goodnight kiss?”

He laughed softly, shaking his head. “You know as well as I do, pet, if I go over there and start kissing you, I’ll never leave. Be stuck here all day tomorrow, trying to keep the sun coming in those windows from frying me.”

“Good point,” she admitted with a wistful smile. “Okay. Goodnight, then. See you tomorrow.”

“Goodnight, Buffy. Be careful.”

“You too. Don’t get dusty.”

 

Originally posted at http://seasonal-spuffy.livejournal.com/451745.html