LAST ORDERS




CHAPTER 7




Dawn drummed her fingers on the sink as she waited for Buffy to stop vomiting. She couldn't believe she'd been so close to seeing the reunion she'd dreamed of only to have it disappear due to Buffy's inability to process alcohol. Dawn just hoped Spike would be waiting outside when they returned.




“You alright?” Dawn queried when the sound of retching had stopped. “Buffy? Are you done?”




The door to the stall opened and a white-faced slayer tripped unsteadily out, her face beaded with sweat. “I'm done...I think...” Buffy muttered, wiping her mouth before leaning over the sink and splashing her face. When she looked in the mirror, she gasped. Her eyes were puffy and red-rimmed, hair lank and sticking to her face, and her skin was all blotchy. Add to that the fact that she'd just caught a whiff of her own breath and the whole package added up to yuk. “Oh my god! Look at me!”




Dawn checked her watch; they'd been in there ten minutes already and she was anxious to get Buffy back outside. “You look great, come on,” she volunteered as Buffy patted and prodded at the skin around her eyes.




“Liar. I look like a Snarluk demon.”




Dawn shrugged and grinned. “Yeah...you do look kinda skanky, but I've seen worse.”




Buffy raised her eyebrow at her sister, before looking back at the mirror. Thank god that her slayer metabolism had burned off the alcohol, but it hadn't helped with the aftermath of tears. It was no good; there was no fixing this level of damage without a full on facial and a serious amount of cosmetics, and she didn't have either on hand. In a rush of panic, Buffy spoke to Dawn in leaden tones. “Did I...did I really see Spike outside?”




“Uh huh,” Dawn replied with a grin.




“So...he's gonna be waiting outside, and I look like the before photo in a makeover?”




“Noooo, you look fine,” Dawn giggled. “Pinch your cheeks; they do that on old films, maybe that'll get rid of the grey skin.”




“Gee, thanks. Now I feel great,” Buffy deadpanned, trying it just the same. “Lovely. Now I look like a clown. Good tip, Dawn. Well, wish me luck,” she said, gripping the door handle.




“Luck,” Dawn replied, following Buffy out of the restroom and wishing with everything she could that things would be alright.




+ + + +




Spike was pacing, having started as Buffy disappeared to the ladies room. The adrenaline of the tussle had worn off now, and he was left with the usual post-fight angst and needed to move. He was still confused; one minute he and Buffy were doing the double slay act, the next he was about to taste her lips for the first time in over a year, then nothing. He'd gone all snarly before Willow reassured him it wasn't him Buffy was running away from and that she'd sent Dawn after her sister to check.




Xander was in shock, sitting in the booth shaking his head and muttering. “Looked like a girl, had all the girl parts up top. Smelled like a girl. Doomed, I'm doomed .” He was nursing a bruised throat and cut eyebrow, and he hadn't found it amusing when Spike had pointed out that they'd probably end up with matching scars.




“I told you before, Will – gay me up. Had enough of that double-x thing, gonna get me some x-y action. Can't hurt...”




“Ya think?” Spike smirked, letting off steam by taunting Xander as usual. “What?” the vampire said off Willow and Giles' shocked looks. “Oh, don't give me that, Rupes. You've studied vampire lore, you must have read about Sire’s rights.”




Giles blustered. “Ahem...well, yes, I believe I did...there were some references about...but I wasn't aware...”




“Yeah, been buggered royally by Angelus back in the day. Doesn't mean anything – and why the fuck am I telling you anyway?” Spike started pacing faster.




Xander wasn't quite keeping up, brain lagging a few seconds behind Spike's revelation. When he figured it out he moaned. “I need a drink. And I'll become a monk instead, it's easier...” He wandered off to the bar, leaving Willow and Giles avoiding each other's eyes as Spike wore a hole in the floor.




Buffy and Dawn passed Xander in his search for drink, looking at each other quizzically as he shouldered past them muttering about stupid vampires and not being his type anyway. They came to a halt in front of the booth, Spike spinning round to face them and finally stopping, eyes fixed on Buffy.




“Hello, love.” His voice was soft, uncertain.




Buffy burned under the intensity of his gaze, hand trying in vain to smooth down her hair. An epic reunion, long lost love resurrected, and here she was looking like dog's vomit and with a mouth that tasted of sweaty sneakers. Hardly the romantic ideal she'd dreamed of, and not really paying due respect to the manner of their parting in the hellmouth.




“Sorry I'm such a mess,” Buffy murmured, dipping her head.




Cool fingers lifted her chin, forcing her to look into burning blue eyes. “Beautiful,” Spike said softly, repeating himself when Buffy tried to shake her head, silencing her response with a finger on her lips. “Beautiful.”




Dawn was holding her breath, gripping onto Willow's arm; Willow doing the same with hers as they watched anxiously. Dawn swore, if Buffy messed this up again, she'd personally see to it that Buffy's head parted company with her stupid body.




And finally there was the kiss.




Dawn let out her breath squealing happily, Willow joining her in a spontaneous jig. Xander returned with a shot glass, downing it in one as he watched, raising the empty glass in salute. Giles sat smugly, grinning like an idiot, knowing that when all had settled he'd be able to claim the glory for bringing his slayer and the vampire together, albeit belatedly. If he got a twinge of discomfort from that thought, it didn't show.




It wasn't a kiss to stop the heavens revolving, nor to ignite a forest fire with its passion. It was brief and gentle, softly relinquished by the two holding onto each other so that while their lips no longer touched, their foreheads remained resting together.




A second kiss followed, then a third, a fourth; Giles tried clearing his throat to no avail, Dawn throwing in a Summers sigh and pout, but that didn't work either. Willow's whispered 'Buffy' and 'Spike' had no effect, so it was left to the less than gentle shove from Xander to break the two apart when the rating threatened to go up from G to NC17 right there in the middle of the pub.




Buffy leaned against Spike, her eyes closed in happiness and the vampire's grin was dazzling. There'd be explanations, no doubt about it, but the first step had been taken, and by them both together and that was just as it should be. Equals both: warriors, heroes, lovers.




“Shall we get a pizza?” Dawn asked, breaking the trance. “I'm starving!”




Spike chuckled, giving Buffy's shoulder a squeeze. “Lead on, Bit. Reckon we've had enough entertainment for one night.” He glanced down at Buffy looking up at him with shining eyes. “Besides, big sis and I have a bit to chat through and this isn't really the place. Back to yours, Watcher?”




Giles suddenly had a vision of having to hide his head beneath his pillow to smother the sounds coming from Buffy's bedroom and sighed. He really did have only himself to blame...and he'd do it again in a heartbeat to see Buffy smile as she was doing.




“Come on then, if we must. I don't suppose you'll stop nagging at me until we do. And I'll drive, Xander, thank you.”




They all trooped out following Giles as he led them to the car.




“Oy! Vampires don't nag!” Spike shouted as he realised belatedly what Giles had said.




Dawn smirked as she brought up the rear. “Oh you so do...”




+ + + +




“Better?” Spike asked as Buffy shut the bedroom door behind her, wrapped in a fluffy white towel and a matching one on her head.




“Much. I felt like a total skank. All clean now!”




Spike growled, the sound rumbling in his chest. “Not for long – c'mere.”




“Nooo – down boy,” Buffy giggled as she skipped back out of range of his suddenly grabbing hands. “Not before we've done the dialogue.”




Spike pouted. He knew they needed to get things sorted out between them, but she was so close, so wet, only wrapped in a towel...




“Ah, ah!” Buffy shushed as he opened his mouth to speak, the gleam in his eye familiar to her. “I'll put something on. That way you’ll be able to drag the blood away from your groin and get it circulating back in your brain for a little while.” Her smile was like sunshine to him, and he nodded in agreement, shifting himself so that he sat up straight against the headboard and utilising enormous restraint when the towel disappeared and he got tantalising glimpses of her toned and tanned body as she pulled on a pair of pyjamas.




When she snuggled up next to him on the bed, smelling of Buffy and memories, her right hand linking his and resting on his thigh, he allowed himself to hope that finally, after all they'd been through, they'd gotten it right.




“I do love you,” Buffy whispered against his chest, nuzzling him and inhaling his scent. “I wish I could remember when I started to love you, but I do love you.”




Spike almost burst; she'd said the words before, held his hand and his gaze as their entwined fingers burned, but this time it was different. This time he believed her, felt the truth of it in her touch.




“I know, love.”




“You do?” Buffy turned and leaned up on her elbow, looking up at him and studying his face. “You really do this time?”




“Yeah, even my thick skull has to give sometimes. I believe you; think I did back in the hellmouth really. But you had to get out, and I'm not sure I wouldn't have begged you to stay if I'd let myself hope that we had a future – even if it was only for the next ten seconds.”




Buffy kissed him, nipping his lip so that he shouted out. “That's for lying to me,” she said before nuzzling back down onto his chest.




The silence between them was comfortable for a minute or two, until it grew too long and it was a yawning gap that needed filling. Question was, who was going to fill it first?




Spike took a deep breath, opened his mouth, then stopped. Buffy waited. She inhaled, moved away from him, trying to find words – but nothing, so she settled back down. She was grabbed around her arms as Spike shifted to face her.




“This is ridiculous! Look, I'm stupid, I know it. I don't know why I didn't come and find you once I could. God knows I tried enough times when I couldn't. Kept leaving the building, getting as far as city limits then twanging back, and don't think that didn't piss me off. Pissed Angel off too though, so it wasn't all bad.”




Buffy giggled at the mischief in Spike's eyes. “Remind me to kick Angel's butt for keeping all this a secret when I see him next.”




Spike's smile faded, his tone sombre. “I...I thought you knew, Buffy. Angel's gone.”




“No...I thought...he's always fine, I would have known...” Her words tailed off, her eyes beseeching Spike to tell her it wasn't true.




“I was the only one to make it through the fight. Not by choice, just lucky I guess. One minute we're battling demons and devils, and a bloody dragon – did you know about the dragon? Big fucker, not like the pretty little green things in fairy tales. Big fangs too, razor-sharp, not to mention the gouts of white-hot fire the beast blew.” Spike dipped his head, his brow furrowed. Buffy rubbed his arm, tears trickling down her face. “That's what got him in the end. He threw himself at it, managed to get a few slashes in, but nothing fatal. He was down on the ground and I was racing towards him but...the heat was fierce, blinded me. When I could see, all that was left was a pile of ash. That's when Blue opened a doorway, dragged the bastards through a portal. Something caught me with a talon on the way out – and that's the last I knew. Came to in the alleyway with the Watcher's friend leaning over me, then I was out again. Don't know how long. Giles'll probably know more.”




Buffy sniffled, trying to hold it together. “Are you sure? Maybe he got away, maybe he's somewhere...” Her voice was thick with emotion. She hadn't even thought much about Angel lately, even more so because her mind had been full of Spike, missing Spike, yearning for Spike. Her first love had gone, and she hadn't even noticed.




“I'm sure, love. I'm sorry. Would've taken the flame if I could, but...”




“NO! Don't say that! Don't ever think I'd rather...just don't. But...I never thought he'd be gone, you know? It feels weird. Shouldn't I have known or something, when he...died?”




“You're the slayer, love, not Gipsy Rosalee. You weren't mated, how could you have known?”




“I just feel...” Buffy shuddered, hugging herself. “I don't really know how I feel, to be honest.”




“Been there. Felt like that for a while, felt like I should have gone, not him. He was a hero, you know, at the end. I know you'd had a falling out, the Council, Giles and Angel – but he knew what he was doing. Bloody pillock.” Spike smiled softly in remembrance, and Buffy looked at him quizzically.




“You really miss him, don't you? After all that you said, you miss him.”




“Yeah, I do. We shared blood, after all. Blood is everything.”




A solitary tear trickled down Spike's face and Buffy's heart almost broke, her own grief rising to meet his. They clung to each other, whispering their memories of Angel and settling him into their shared history. Soft kisses followed softly spoken words until there were no more words and the kisses grew more ardent.




By unspoken agreement and persuasive hands, Buffy lost her pyjama top, Spike his t-shirt. Spike shucked off his jeans and dragged Buffy's bottoms off on his way back up her body, and they were bare to each other, raw with the need to reaffirm their existence in a world where they'd lost so many people. Buffy hesitated for a second as Spike cupped her breast, feeling like a betrayer as they lay still reflecting on Angel's ending, but Spike knew.




“Live, Buffy. He'd want you to live, with me even. He loved you, I'll give him that. Stupid bugger loved me too in his way, I reckon. He'd want us to be happy.”




Buffy nodded, her throat too thick to speak. Spike was right, that's exactly what Angel would want. He'd brood over it probably, self-sacrificing and all. She giggled, a high pitched sound that signalled the tenuous hold she had on her emotions, and Spike leaned in to kiss her and swallow down the panic.




As they kissed, all but the taste of each other's mouth, the gentle sweep of their tongues, disappeared.




“I missed you so much,” Buffy murmured around the kisses, gasping a breath when Spike remembered to let her, his lips never leaving her skin but busying themselves elsewhere. He nibbled at her throat, his teeth grazing the tender skin and raising goose-bumps. Buffy was clinging to him with her arms and her legs, wrapping him close but not feeling close enough.




“God, why did I ever think I could be without you?” Spike whispered against her flesh, kissing down the column of her throat and moving down to her breasts, biting and sucking to sooth the red marks he was leaving. “You burn me, Buffy. Hotter than hell, you are and tempting as the devil himself.” Buffy gasped as Spike swirled his tongue around a nipple, sucking it into his mouth and nuzzling against her. He slowly ran his fingers along her right flank, down past her hip and across the front of her thigh, parting her legs wider so that he could settle himself with his head on her stomach, inhaling deeply. Buffy had her eyes closed, living only for the sensations rippling through her body at his touch, seconds passing before she realised he was still, his chin digging into the flesh of her abdomen. She raised herself up to look at him.




“What?” she queried as he stared at her.




Spike reached up to interlace his fingers with hers, resting their linked hands alongside Buffy's prone body. “Just looking, making up for lost time. Kettle's boiling over a bit, if you get my drift, and that's all from just a sniff of your delicious self. Once I've prowled up and settled in, can't guarantee what's gonna happen, love. Demon's being feisty, he wants a bite of you just to reacquaint with your taste and the way I'm spinning out of control...”




“Let him,” Buffy stated with a smile. “Time I got to know him too, don't you think?”




Spike was awestruck, quite literally, dazzled by this woman lying beneath him and looking at him like he was the answer to her prayers. And she wanted all of him, good and bad, soul and monster, it seemed. He was a lucky fucker...




He couldn't help a growl as he released her hands and slid down, gripping her thighs with bruising intensity, blowing cold air across her clit just to see her jump. Buffy writhed and moaned, a fresh surge of arousal scenting the air and overpowering his senses until his head was swimming with her, he was drowning in her. He rasped his tongue along her slit from front to back, gathering the moisture on his tongue and drinking her down, dipping his head for more and burying his face against her heated pussy. Buffy squirmed with pleasure, her breathing shallow and gasping, her hands locking against his skull and holding him tight against her, rocking her pelvis to gain friction and ease the ache that had been building inside her since before Sunnydale imploded.




Her release was almost instantaneous, and very, very noisy. She screamed Spike's name, threw in a couple of dozen 'oh god's' and almost wrenched off his head with the force of her bucking against him. Spike grinned against her mound and carried on licking her, fucking her with his tongue, until she climaxed again and released a string of curse words that had even him blushing. Belatedly, he wondered where the Bit was, as this definitely wasn't for her ears.




Buffy was shaking, her heart beating out a staccato rhythm and she was struggling to breathe when Spike finally took pity and crawled up her body. His dick was throbbing painfully, digging into her hip as he kissed her neck and along her throat, up to her lips that were parted and swollen where Buffy had bitten them.




“That was...wow...” Buffy gasped, her eyes glazed.




Spike smirked and raised his scarred eyebrow, full of swagger and pride at giving his woman a happy. “And I didn't even get to give you a nibble; have to save that delight for another time, Slayer. You up for more?” He grinned and curled his tongue, laying down a challenge that he knew she'd have no problem accepting.




Strong arms pushed his shoulders, until he bounced back on the bed, Buffy jumping quickly to straddle him and pin him with his arms above his head. She leaned close to his ear and whispered, “Lie down, vampire, and shut up. Slayer's about to show you what stamina is.”




Spike all but passed out as Buffy slid down his torso and her hot, wet mouth engulfed his cock, moving slowly up and down his length. He was struggling to keep still, the taste of her on his lips and the feel of her tongue swirling around the head sorely testing his self-control. But much as he'd like to flood her throat, he'd much rather feel her tight pussy clenching around him as he reminded her just exactly how good they were together.




He grabbed her roughly, dragging her up so that her burning heat was searing his groin, his orgasm fast approaching as she wriggled her hips against him. “Buffy...” he snarled, as she teased him by sliding his cock along her wet slit, taking in the very tip, but never allowing his bucking to penetrate her further. Spike was about to explode, vamping out when his control was focused elsewhere.




Buffy took pity and sank down onto him, gasping at the feel of his girth as it stretched her, her body remembering and accommodating him and making her feel whole, finally. She rocked with him, matching his upward thrusts with downward thrusts of her own, Spike sitting up to wrap her body tight against him, reluctant to allow even an inch of empty space between them. He felt his balls tighten signalling his impending release, and Buffy wrapped her legs around his waist, grinding against him as she lost herself to the ecstasy her orgasm brought. Hesitantly, she leaned forward to caress his demon features, shaking her head no as Spike tried to melt back to his human visage. She wanted him to know that she truly loved all of him, having no doubts as her lips met his, ignoring the sharp fangs that sliced her tongue as she kissed him fiercely. The taste of her blood in his mouth tipped Spike completely over the edge and he abandoned her kiss in favour of a feral roar that echoed down the stairs to the ears of the blushing quartet, even over the noise of the hastily turned up TV.




tbc