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Title: Nobody Better
Spoilers: Through ep 18 “Dirty Girls”
Rating: R
A/N: For the ladies (and gentlemen) in chat. You guys are great, and I hope you like this. Also, if this is too mushy for you, don’t worry. Faith is left to imagine what happens, but you will not be. There will be a sequel called “Nothing Better”.
Buffy didn’t have time to deal with this shit. She knew that. She had to deal with the fact she lost her job and all her income and she had an army to house and feed. She had to deal with the fact that the Ultimate Evil was gunning for them. She had to deal with the fact that Giles betrayed her trust and went behind her back—Giles. But she did not have time to deal with Faith and Spike.
She shouldn’t even spare them a second thought. They were both free and over 21, they could do whatever they wanted. And if that included each other, well, who was she to complain? Just because Spike was supposed to love her didn’t mean that she owned him, right?
And besides, they would be good for each other. Faith certainly had more in common than she did with Spike, what with the evil killing and all. And hey, Spike was her boyfriend, which made him even more attractive to Faith. Whatever Buffy had, Faith wanted. Friends, family, watcher, and boyfriends. Want. Take. Have.
Spike certainly had every right to flirt with Faith, with his naked chest and tousled hair. He had a thing for Slayers, that much was obvious anyway. A thing for Slayers. Not a thing for Buffy. A thing for Slayers.
And fuck, why was she even thinking about it? She was supposed to be patrolling. It’s not like she loved the guy. It’s not like she spent the last several months taking care of him and worrying about him and looking for him and saving him. It’s not like he got a soul for her, after all.
She hated them both for putting her through this when she didn’t have time for it.
And she hated the fact that was nothing to slay. She really needed to get this out of her system before she went home and had to put up with the whole gaggle again.
“Hey Slayer,” Spike said softly from behind her. She spun around, but not before the anger could be wiped from her face. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.”
“It doesn’t look like nothing,” he observed.
“I’m fine.”
“Ok, just from the way you rushed out of the house as soon as the sun set, I thought maybe something was up.”
“Nothing is up. I just wanted to patrol by myself for awhile.”
“Mind if I join you?”
Yes. “Go ahead.”
Spike fell in step beside her. “Is it something to do with Faith?”
“What?”
“The rushing out?”
“Kind of.”
“ A lot of tension there.”
“You can say that.”
Several tense minutes passed as Buffy tried to ignore Spike’s presence completely. She didn’t look at him or speak to him. She went patrolling by herself because she wanted to be alone. Which meant sans Spike.
“I can go if you want me too,” Spike offered.
“No, you’re fine.”
“That’s why you are doing your level best to ignore me?” Spike asked.
“I’m not very talky right now. If you don’t like it, you’re welcome to go.”
In response, Spike lit a cigarette.
“I thought you quit those.”
He shrugged. “I guess I have an oral fixation. You’re mad at me, aren’t you?”
“I’m not mad.”
“Buffy, I’m well acquainted with your angry face. If I did something…”
“You haven’t done anything everybody else hasn’t done.”
Spike looked confused, “What do you mean?”
“Nothing.”
“Goddamnit Buffy! Could you please talk to me, just once? Just tell me what I did, and I’ll fix it.”
“You didn’t do anything wrong, Spike.”
Spike stopped and took a deep breath. “You know, I would believe you if you weren’t glaring daggers at me.” Buffy turned and glared at him. “Yeah, like that.”
“It’s about Faith,” she said softly.
“What about Faith?”
“She comes to town and tries to steal my life, and that usually includes killing me, and…”
“Faith tried to kill you?”
“Duh. Didn’t anybody tell you the stories?”
“No one really talks to me Buffy. They mostly pretend I’m not there.”
“That’s not true,” Buffy began to protest, but she stopped. It was true, and just last week there was a conspiracy to kill him. Right. “Well, anyway, yeah there’s been lots of attempts to kill each other. We’re not exactly friends. Also, there’s the whole thing with Angel and sleeping with Riley.”
“I’m assuming that has something to do with the body-swap.”
“Yeah. It doesn’t bother me so much anymore, but at the time it stung. A lot.” Then as an after thought, “She always wants what’s mine.”
Spike sat down on the ground against a tree and tapped the grass next to him in an invitation. “Let’s sit a spell.”
She sat beside him, and a question bloomed in her mind, but she had no idea how to ask it. Finally she just blurted, “Do you like her?”
Spike shrugged, “Not so much anymore.”
“What do you mean?”
“She was nice enough to chat with, but that was before I had all the information. I didn’t mean to make you jealous.”
“I’m not jealous,” she hastily informed him.
“Of course not.”
“I’m serious Spike.”
“I believe you,” he said mildly.
“Maybe a little,” she confessed.
“There’s no reason to be, Buffy. I love you.”
“I know.”
“Do you?” He moved closer to her, until they were touching. She didn’t pull away. He placed a feather-light kiss on her temple. He waited for her to push him from her, but she didn’t move.
“I think so.”
“Because I do.” Another oh-so-soft kiss on her temple. Then a second on her cheek, and a third on her neck. They were tentative, and Buffy knew that Spike would back off the second she told him to, but she didn’t want to stop him. This was nice. “More than anything.” He swept her hair back from her face and kissed her jaw.
“How come?” Normally Buffy wouldn’t ask, but she didn’t think it would hurt to get a little ego stroking. She relied on him, isn’t that what Giles was so worried about? She could rely on him for a bit of reinforcement.
He pulled her onto his lap. “Because you’re smart, and strong, and absolutely beautiful. You’re amazing in so many ways, I can’t even count them. Resourceful, stunning, brilliant…”
“I’m not brilliant,” Buffy interrupted.
“You’re the most brilliant woman I’ve ever met. Who else can save the world so many times, so many different ways?” He stroked her hair has he outlined the many ways and reasons his heart belonged to her, and she relaxed against him, lulled by the soft, deep timber of his voice.
Spike held his breath when his fingers grazed the soft skin of her back under her shirt, but she didn’t react negatively, and this emboldened him. He traced small patterns on her back, gently massaging the knots away. She turned to pudding under his touch, and it never even occurred to her to protest. Why should she? This felt so good.
Goosebumps broke out on her skin and Spike whispered in her ear, “Are you cold, luv?” She shook her head and felt her eyes grow heavy. She hadn’t been sleeping well since Chloe died. Well, not much at all, actually.
“That’s nice,” she murmured.
“You’re a tense girl, Slayer.”
“Lotta stress in my life.”
“I know.”
He continued his gentle exploration of his skin, moving across her ribs and flat stomach.
“Spike?”
“Hmmm?”
“I just want to tell you that I…well…I…don’t really know how to say it.”
“You don’t have to say anything, Buffy.”
“No, I do. I really do.”
Spike waited patiently for Buffy to gather and sort her thoughts. Honestly, he would be more than happy to sit there and rub her all night. Just being close to her again, feeling her amazing warmth again and smelling the sweet aroma from her shampoo and lotions and sweat, was like a piece of heaven on Earth. A delicious, delectable piece of heaven.
“Spike, Giles did what he did because he was worried that we’re too close, that we rely too much on each other. He said he wanted better for me. But I don’t think he’s right.”
“What do you mean, luv?”
“I think there’s nobody better.” The admission was soft, but she looked at him directly in the eyes, and tried to express all the things she could put into words.
Spike tried to blink the tears away that suddenly formed. It wouldn’t do to let her see him be all soft. But the tears were beginning to fall from her eyes, due to the weight of her admission and her own fear.
“That’s…” Spike swallowed. “That’s…” His voice hitched again.
She gave him a watery smile, and then kissed his lips softly. He wrapped his arms around her and held her tightly as the kiss deepened. It wasn’t exactly an admission of love, but it didn’t have to be. Spike saw everything he needed to know in her eyes, and felt her feelings pour from her in the kiss.
“Love you, love you, love you,” he said against her lips. Buffy pushed the coat off of his shoulders, and he shrugged it off completely. He let go of Buffy only long enough to lay the coat out, and then gently lowered her onto the ground. His hands were now free to trace the contours of her body and she desperately grasped for him.
He pushed her shirt up and trailed kisses across her stomach, as one hand gently cupped her breast. Through the soft silk, he rubbed her nipple until it was hard. She arched towards him in encouragement, needing him to touch her everywhere.
“Do you want me touch you here, Buffy?”
“Yes. Yes. There.”
“How about here?” He pushed her skirt pass her hips and caressed her thigh.
“Mmmm, there too.”
She lost herself to his touch, and with each caress she lost her capacity for logic thought. She only had disjointed thoughts of gold and white and flowers and rain washing over her trembling flesh. But soon even the disjointed thoughts fled as pleasure suffused her entire body. He was touching her arms, stomach, thighs, legs, neck, face, and yet she was being swept away with a longing she didn’t have a name for.
Spike rubbed her with concentrated care, narrowing his eyes and touching each sensitive spot with just enough pressure to make her squirm. He knew exactly what she wanted where she wanted, and he didn’t lose himself in the moment. He couldn’t afford to. He needed to show her everything that he wanted to tell her for the past year. His love, his devotion, and how grateful he was to her, how much he needed her, and would always need her.
Spike took it slow, afraid to push her, afraid to ruin the moment. He didn’t want anything from her, except for her to look at him just like that. Heavy-lidded, with trust and love and joy dancing in the green depths of her eyes. He could smell her arousal, heavy in the air around him and he inhaled the scent deeply, saving it, savoring it. She wanted him; all of his senses picked up on this fact. He could see her skin flush a lovely shade of pink, could hear her heartbeat and breath quicken, could taste her salty desire all over her skin, and felt the blood pump and her pulse jump under his exploring fingers.
“Please Spike, please touch me,” she murmured, guiding his hand to the wet curls between her legs. He slipped his finger into her silky, soft folds and gently caressed her hard clit. She jumped and moaned, begging for more with each small whimper that escaped her throat.
Spike massaged her clit in slow, circular motions that built the fire and pressure in her until she was nearly ready to explode. Spike feasted her eyes on her body while she had her head thrown back, her eyes closed. The moonlight was soft on her sweet skin, and she looked a pearl in the gray and white hues that washed over her.
She trembled and tensed around him, and he increased the pressure of his touch as he captured her lips, exploring her fresh mouth gently. She came around is hand, screaming and gasping her release against his mouth, rocking and vibrating and already craving more from him.
“Oh God, Spike. That was….wow, I want more.”
He laughed softly. “Just tell me what you want, pet.”
She wrapped her arms around his neck and nuzzled against his throat. He smelled so good. Faint traces of cigarette smoke and leather and cinnamon gum. His smooth skin looked like porcelain and felt like silk. She ran her hands down his back and the muscles jumped and quivered beneath her touch. She needed to feel his entire lean, hard body against hers. Suddenly her clothes was restrictive and uncomfortable, and every place he didn’t touch her ached with need.
“Take me home,” she whispered.
He leaned back slightly, “Are you sure? Not much privacy at home…”
“Can’t do what I want here,” she explained. “I’d rather a potential walk in on us than a vampire or a demon that wants to rip our spines out.”
He smiled, “I think we have a better shot with the demons.”
She rubbed against the bulge in his pants and he groaned in response. “I’ll tell Faith she can have the basement to herself.”
Spike didn’t respond immediately. The sensitive spot on her neck, just below her ear, distracted him. She liked it when he nibbled and sucked on that spot, and her response was immediate. She turned to pudding in his arms and momentarily forgot all about stopping and going home.
“You belong in silk sheets, Slayer,” he said into her ear, “on the softest feather beds, being hand fed the finest foods.”
This was comfortable, familiar behavior. He loved to whisper sweet nothings into her ear, promising her that he would take care of her, treat her like a Princess, dote on her. Before she wouldn’t allow it, but now she would bask in the warmth pouring from his heart and out of his eyes.
“Take me home, Spike.”
“Right.” He stood up, holding her tightly against his chest.
She laughed, “Put me down Spike. I didn’t mean you had to carry me.”
He complied, then picked up his duster and wrapped it around her shoulders. “So you don’t get cold,” he explained.
“Thank you.”
“My pleasure.”
Spike walked beside her, his hand resting slightly on the small of her back. He was loath to lose contact with her. They walked in silence. She had never invited him to her bed before, and doubts tormented him with each step they took.
But Buffy had her resolve face on, and so he was slightly mollified.
“Why don’t you go get your stuff from the basement while I kick Faith out of my room,” she suggested when they reached the house.
“Ok.”
Spike didn’t have many belongings to pack. And he was in a big hurry. In less than two minutes he was bounding up the stairs to his room, and he ran right into Faith.
“Finally out of the dog house, big guy?” She asked playfully.
“Something like that.” He didn’t even spare her a glance as he tried to move past her. Even Faith knew when to take a hint, and she wisely let him pass.
Buffy greeted him at the bedroom door with a smile. He smiled back, warmly. The door clicked closed softly behind them, and Faith was left to imagine what followed.
Spoilers: Through ep 18 “Dirty Girls”
Rating: R
A/N: For the ladies (and gentlemen) in chat. You guys are great, and I hope you like this. Also, if this is too mushy for you, don’t worry. Faith is left to imagine what happens, but you will not be. There will be a sequel called “Nothing Better”.
Buffy didn’t have time to deal with this shit. She knew that. She had to deal with the fact she lost her job and all her income and she had an army to house and feed. She had to deal with the fact that the Ultimate Evil was gunning for them. She had to deal with the fact that Giles betrayed her trust and went behind her back—Giles. But she did not have time to deal with Faith and Spike.
She shouldn’t even spare them a second thought. They were both free and over 21, they could do whatever they wanted. And if that included each other, well, who was she to complain? Just because Spike was supposed to love her didn’t mean that she owned him, right?
And besides, they would be good for each other. Faith certainly had more in common than she did with Spike, what with the evil killing and all. And hey, Spike was her boyfriend, which made him even more attractive to Faith. Whatever Buffy had, Faith wanted. Friends, family, watcher, and boyfriends. Want. Take. Have.
Spike certainly had every right to flirt with Faith, with his naked chest and tousled hair. He had a thing for Slayers, that much was obvious anyway. A thing for Slayers. Not a thing for Buffy. A thing for Slayers.
And fuck, why was she even thinking about it? She was supposed to be patrolling. It’s not like she loved the guy. It’s not like she spent the last several months taking care of him and worrying about him and looking for him and saving him. It’s not like he got a soul for her, after all.
She hated them both for putting her through this when she didn’t have time for it.
And she hated the fact that was nothing to slay. She really needed to get this out of her system before she went home and had to put up with the whole gaggle again.
“Hey Slayer,” Spike said softly from behind her. She spun around, but not before the anger could be wiped from her face. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.”
“It doesn’t look like nothing,” he observed.
“I’m fine.”
“Ok, just from the way you rushed out of the house as soon as the sun set, I thought maybe something was up.”
“Nothing is up. I just wanted to patrol by myself for awhile.”
“Mind if I join you?”
Yes. “Go ahead.”
Spike fell in step beside her. “Is it something to do with Faith?”
“What?”
“The rushing out?”
“Kind of.”
“ A lot of tension there.”
“You can say that.”
Several tense minutes passed as Buffy tried to ignore Spike’s presence completely. She didn’t look at him or speak to him. She went patrolling by herself because she wanted to be alone. Which meant sans Spike.
“I can go if you want me too,” Spike offered.
“No, you’re fine.”
“That’s why you are doing your level best to ignore me?” Spike asked.
“I’m not very talky right now. If you don’t like it, you’re welcome to go.”
In response, Spike lit a cigarette.
“I thought you quit those.”
He shrugged. “I guess I have an oral fixation. You’re mad at me, aren’t you?”
“I’m not mad.”
“Buffy, I’m well acquainted with your angry face. If I did something…”
“You haven’t done anything everybody else hasn’t done.”
Spike looked confused, “What do you mean?”
“Nothing.”
“Goddamnit Buffy! Could you please talk to me, just once? Just tell me what I did, and I’ll fix it.”
“You didn’t do anything wrong, Spike.”
Spike stopped and took a deep breath. “You know, I would believe you if you weren’t glaring daggers at me.” Buffy turned and glared at him. “Yeah, like that.”
“It’s about Faith,” she said softly.
“What about Faith?”
“She comes to town and tries to steal my life, and that usually includes killing me, and…”
“Faith tried to kill you?”
“Duh. Didn’t anybody tell you the stories?”
“No one really talks to me Buffy. They mostly pretend I’m not there.”
“That’s not true,” Buffy began to protest, but she stopped. It was true, and just last week there was a conspiracy to kill him. Right. “Well, anyway, yeah there’s been lots of attempts to kill each other. We’re not exactly friends. Also, there’s the whole thing with Angel and sleeping with Riley.”
“I’m assuming that has something to do with the body-swap.”
“Yeah. It doesn’t bother me so much anymore, but at the time it stung. A lot.” Then as an after thought, “She always wants what’s mine.”
Spike sat down on the ground against a tree and tapped the grass next to him in an invitation. “Let’s sit a spell.”
She sat beside him, and a question bloomed in her mind, but she had no idea how to ask it. Finally she just blurted, “Do you like her?”
Spike shrugged, “Not so much anymore.”
“What do you mean?”
“She was nice enough to chat with, but that was before I had all the information. I didn’t mean to make you jealous.”
“I’m not jealous,” she hastily informed him.
“Of course not.”
“I’m serious Spike.”
“I believe you,” he said mildly.
“Maybe a little,” she confessed.
“There’s no reason to be, Buffy. I love you.”
“I know.”
“Do you?” He moved closer to her, until they were touching. She didn’t pull away. He placed a feather-light kiss on her temple. He waited for her to push him from her, but she didn’t move.
“I think so.”
“Because I do.” Another oh-so-soft kiss on her temple. Then a second on her cheek, and a third on her neck. They were tentative, and Buffy knew that Spike would back off the second she told him to, but she didn’t want to stop him. This was nice. “More than anything.” He swept her hair back from her face and kissed her jaw.
“How come?” Normally Buffy wouldn’t ask, but she didn’t think it would hurt to get a little ego stroking. She relied on him, isn’t that what Giles was so worried about? She could rely on him for a bit of reinforcement.
He pulled her onto his lap. “Because you’re smart, and strong, and absolutely beautiful. You’re amazing in so many ways, I can’t even count them. Resourceful, stunning, brilliant…”
“I’m not brilliant,” Buffy interrupted.
“You’re the most brilliant woman I’ve ever met. Who else can save the world so many times, so many different ways?” He stroked her hair has he outlined the many ways and reasons his heart belonged to her, and she relaxed against him, lulled by the soft, deep timber of his voice.
Spike held his breath when his fingers grazed the soft skin of her back under her shirt, but she didn’t react negatively, and this emboldened him. He traced small patterns on her back, gently massaging the knots away. She turned to pudding under his touch, and it never even occurred to her to protest. Why should she? This felt so good.
Goosebumps broke out on her skin and Spike whispered in her ear, “Are you cold, luv?” She shook her head and felt her eyes grow heavy. She hadn’t been sleeping well since Chloe died. Well, not much at all, actually.
“That’s nice,” she murmured.
“You’re a tense girl, Slayer.”
“Lotta stress in my life.”
“I know.”
He continued his gentle exploration of his skin, moving across her ribs and flat stomach.
“Spike?”
“Hmmm?”
“I just want to tell you that I…well…I…don’t really know how to say it.”
“You don’t have to say anything, Buffy.”
“No, I do. I really do.”
Spike waited patiently for Buffy to gather and sort her thoughts. Honestly, he would be more than happy to sit there and rub her all night. Just being close to her again, feeling her amazing warmth again and smelling the sweet aroma from her shampoo and lotions and sweat, was like a piece of heaven on Earth. A delicious, delectable piece of heaven.
“Spike, Giles did what he did because he was worried that we’re too close, that we rely too much on each other. He said he wanted better for me. But I don’t think he’s right.”
“What do you mean, luv?”
“I think there’s nobody better.” The admission was soft, but she looked at him directly in the eyes, and tried to express all the things she could put into words.
Spike tried to blink the tears away that suddenly formed. It wouldn’t do to let her see him be all soft. But the tears were beginning to fall from her eyes, due to the weight of her admission and her own fear.
“That’s…” Spike swallowed. “That’s…” His voice hitched again.
She gave him a watery smile, and then kissed his lips softly. He wrapped his arms around her and held her tightly as the kiss deepened. It wasn’t exactly an admission of love, but it didn’t have to be. Spike saw everything he needed to know in her eyes, and felt her feelings pour from her in the kiss.
“Love you, love you, love you,” he said against her lips. Buffy pushed the coat off of his shoulders, and he shrugged it off completely. He let go of Buffy only long enough to lay the coat out, and then gently lowered her onto the ground. His hands were now free to trace the contours of her body and she desperately grasped for him.
He pushed her shirt up and trailed kisses across her stomach, as one hand gently cupped her breast. Through the soft silk, he rubbed her nipple until it was hard. She arched towards him in encouragement, needing him to touch her everywhere.
“Do you want me touch you here, Buffy?”
“Yes. Yes. There.”
“How about here?” He pushed her skirt pass her hips and caressed her thigh.
“Mmmm, there too.”
She lost herself to his touch, and with each caress she lost her capacity for logic thought. She only had disjointed thoughts of gold and white and flowers and rain washing over her trembling flesh. But soon even the disjointed thoughts fled as pleasure suffused her entire body. He was touching her arms, stomach, thighs, legs, neck, face, and yet she was being swept away with a longing she didn’t have a name for.
Spike rubbed her with concentrated care, narrowing his eyes and touching each sensitive spot with just enough pressure to make her squirm. He knew exactly what she wanted where she wanted, and he didn’t lose himself in the moment. He couldn’t afford to. He needed to show her everything that he wanted to tell her for the past year. His love, his devotion, and how grateful he was to her, how much he needed her, and would always need her.
Spike took it slow, afraid to push her, afraid to ruin the moment. He didn’t want anything from her, except for her to look at him just like that. Heavy-lidded, with trust and love and joy dancing in the green depths of her eyes. He could smell her arousal, heavy in the air around him and he inhaled the scent deeply, saving it, savoring it. She wanted him; all of his senses picked up on this fact. He could see her skin flush a lovely shade of pink, could hear her heartbeat and breath quicken, could taste her salty desire all over her skin, and felt the blood pump and her pulse jump under his exploring fingers.
“Please Spike, please touch me,” she murmured, guiding his hand to the wet curls between her legs. He slipped his finger into her silky, soft folds and gently caressed her hard clit. She jumped and moaned, begging for more with each small whimper that escaped her throat.
Spike massaged her clit in slow, circular motions that built the fire and pressure in her until she was nearly ready to explode. Spike feasted her eyes on her body while she had her head thrown back, her eyes closed. The moonlight was soft on her sweet skin, and she looked a pearl in the gray and white hues that washed over her.
She trembled and tensed around him, and he increased the pressure of his touch as he captured her lips, exploring her fresh mouth gently. She came around is hand, screaming and gasping her release against his mouth, rocking and vibrating and already craving more from him.
“Oh God, Spike. That was….wow, I want more.”
He laughed softly. “Just tell me what you want, pet.”
She wrapped her arms around his neck and nuzzled against his throat. He smelled so good. Faint traces of cigarette smoke and leather and cinnamon gum. His smooth skin looked like porcelain and felt like silk. She ran her hands down his back and the muscles jumped and quivered beneath her touch. She needed to feel his entire lean, hard body against hers. Suddenly her clothes was restrictive and uncomfortable, and every place he didn’t touch her ached with need.
“Take me home,” she whispered.
He leaned back slightly, “Are you sure? Not much privacy at home…”
“Can’t do what I want here,” she explained. “I’d rather a potential walk in on us than a vampire or a demon that wants to rip our spines out.”
He smiled, “I think we have a better shot with the demons.”
She rubbed against the bulge in his pants and he groaned in response. “I’ll tell Faith she can have the basement to herself.”
Spike didn’t respond immediately. The sensitive spot on her neck, just below her ear, distracted him. She liked it when he nibbled and sucked on that spot, and her response was immediate. She turned to pudding in his arms and momentarily forgot all about stopping and going home.
“You belong in silk sheets, Slayer,” he said into her ear, “on the softest feather beds, being hand fed the finest foods.”
This was comfortable, familiar behavior. He loved to whisper sweet nothings into her ear, promising her that he would take care of her, treat her like a Princess, dote on her. Before she wouldn’t allow it, but now she would bask in the warmth pouring from his heart and out of his eyes.
“Take me home, Spike.”
“Right.” He stood up, holding her tightly against his chest.
She laughed, “Put me down Spike. I didn’t mean you had to carry me.”
He complied, then picked up his duster and wrapped it around her shoulders. “So you don’t get cold,” he explained.
“Thank you.”
“My pleasure.”
Spike walked beside her, his hand resting slightly on the small of her back. He was loath to lose contact with her. They walked in silence. She had never invited him to her bed before, and doubts tormented him with each step they took.
But Buffy had her resolve face on, and so he was slightly mollified.
“Why don’t you go get your stuff from the basement while I kick Faith out of my room,” she suggested when they reached the house.
“Ok.”
Spike didn’t have many belongings to pack. And he was in a big hurry. In less than two minutes he was bounding up the stairs to his room, and he ran right into Faith.
“Finally out of the dog house, big guy?” She asked playfully.
“Something like that.” He didn’t even spare her a glance as he tried to move past her. Even Faith knew when to take a hint, and she wisely let him pass.
Buffy greeted him at the bedroom door with a smile. He smiled back, warmly. The door clicked closed softly behind them, and Faith was left to imagine what followed.