SECTION 4 - HOME SWEET HOME

Take me to your heart
Feel me in your bones
Just one more night
And I'm comin' off this long and winding road.

.My heart's like an open book
For the whole world to read
Sometimes nothing - keeps me together
At the seams

I'm on my way
Well, I'm on my way
Home sweet home
Tonight tonight
I'm on my way
Just set me free
Home sweet home

(Motley Crue, Album Decade of Decadence)




Chapter 4.02
Wednesday, May 8th, 2002

Spike wasn't entirely sure about the division of labour when it came to getting the flat ready. For the most part Dawn's role seemed to consist solely of unpacking the things they'd bought and going "Oooh" or "Ew" depending whether she approved or not and leaving Spike and Buffy to deal with the piles of debris she filled the living room with.

"Can I have these curtains when you move into the basement?" asked the teenager as she pulled the dark violet drapes from their packaging.

"Maybe, if you stop making it sound like I'm going to be living under Harris's drunken parents again." Spike called through from where he and Buffy were in the process of making up the bed. A task which was made more complicated by the fact that Spike's brain was far more occupied with what he and Buffy could do to mess it up, and how she would look naked between the layers of silk.

"It's okay, our basement's a lot bigger, and less dank and no-one's going to tie you up."

Spike shot a questioning glance to Buffy across the bed and she flushed bright red. "Maybe," she whispered, "if the soundproofing works and the doors are locked. Now behave."

"Where's this lamp for?" Dawn stood in the doorway between the two rooms and held up a banker's lamp.

"It's to go on the desk that we haven't built yet and won't be building tonight. Why don't you find the mugs and the kettle or the coffeemaker and see if you can make something to drink?" said Spike as he threw the last pillow into place on the bed.

"Okay. Are you going to have a sofa and a TV and a fridge and microwave and everything in your room when it's finished?" the teenager asked.

"We won't really know till all the building work's done whether there'll be space for a sofa, but I'll pretty much need the rest of the stuff unless the rest of you are going to leave the kitchen curtains shut all day, pet."

"D'you think if you do have space you'll use the one that's in the living room now?"

Spike looked over in Buffy's direction as she froze on the spot with the armful of curtains she had been bringing back to the bedroom. "Dawn, when you opened up all the curtains what did you do with the packets of hooks that were in the bag with them?" she asked.

"I didn't see them. I've been using the carrier as a bin bag. I'll find them. It's all just cellophane and cardboard."

Dawn headed back into the main room as Buffy came in dropping the curtains on the bed and pushing the door shut behind her. Spike quickly took her in his arms, his eyes searching her face.

"Okay, what's up? You know I took the packets out the bag before." He nodded in the direction of the bedside table, whispering so that Dawn wouldn't hear what was said.

"I can't sleep in the same room as that sofa," Buffy answered.

"I've seen you fall asleep on that sofa, pet."

"No. You don't get it. That's where I found mom. It's where she died. I can't have it in our bedroom." Tears welled up in her eyes and she hid her face in Spike's shoulder.

Spike's grip tightened, drawing her as close as possible. "It's okay. You don't have to. Love, if it makes you happier, get yourself out tomorrow and buy a new one, a new suite, have them take the old one to the dump, whatever you want. You can redecorate the whole house, top to bottom, inside and out, for all I care as long as it doesn't get in the way of you going back to college and sorting out the wedding."

Spike heard Dawn moving in the main room and called through the door, "Bit, we've found the hooks they're in here. We'll be out in a few minutes if you stick the kettle on."

He brought a finger up under Buffy's chin, tilting her head so they could see each other's eyes. "Pet, I don't know if I'm going to be putting my foot in it here, and if I do, don't stake me. I know there are going to be things of your mum's that you're always going to want to keep, and that's fine. More than fine. I was fond of your mum and I know you're always going to want to have reminders of her around you, but you and Dawn need to make the house your own. It's been over a year. It's time to move on."

"And you. It's your home too, or it will be," Buffy added softly.

"I'll help, but it's got to be between you and Dawn to work out what furniture and stuff has sentimental value. You'll know what you want to use, whether there's any you want to put in storage for when you're older and what you want to get rid of." He pulled an only slightly creased cloth handkerchief from his jeans pocket and dabbed at her eyes, before he pulled her close once more.

Minutes passed unnoticed before he spoke again. "You ready to face your little sister before she comes to the conclusion we're trying out the bed?" Buffy nodded and he took her hand, leading her through to the kitchen where Dawn was finishing making instant hot chocolate for three.

"Just in time, but then you could probably hear the click when the kettle switched itself off." She picked up two, passing one to Buffy before they returned to the main room.

"Maybe," answered Spike. He went to the brown paper sack that was sitting on the kitchen bench and emptied it putting teabags, instant coffee and instant hot chocolate in a cupboard above the kettle. Ground coffee and sodas went in the fridge and picking up his mug on the way, he took the double-chocolate chip cookies through to the living room area and gave them to Buffy.

She opened them and took one before passing them to her sister. Spike sat on the arm of the slayer's chair, his hand automatically dropping to rub Buffy's back. She took a couple of bites from the super-size cookie, washing them down with even more comforting chocolate goodness before she broached the subject her sister had brought up.

"Why were you asking about the sofa before?"

"What? Mm-m." The teenager paused to swallow the chocolate flavour chunk that was making it so difficult to talk. "I was kinda hoping we might get a new one. Something less .brown."

"So you wouldn't mind if we got rid of it?"

"Heck no."

"How do you feel about redecorating in general? I mean we'll keep some of mom's stuff, but just the bits we want and we can sort of make it a fresh start. Treat it as if we'd just moved in, change the bits that aren't us." Buffy was tentative, not wanting to let Dawn think the decision had already been made.

When her sister had finished, Dawn sat quietly nibbling on her cookie for some time before she replied. "It seems sort of wrong in a way, as if it's disrespectful or something .but I think it's time. If we don't it's never going to be ours. And there's a lot that mom didn't even redecorate when we moved in."

Buffy nodded. "Okay, so it's probably best to wait till after the wedding's over and the basement's sorted out, but after that we'll see what we can get done before I go back to college and you go back to school, starting with the front room. Deal?"

"Deal."

Spike looked at the clock on the wall. "I think when you finish your drink, I better take you home, pet. Me 'n' your sister'll finish up here and then do a quick patrol."

"But I can come over and see it when it's done?"

"You know you're welcome any time as long as it doesn't involve you walkin' around on your own after dark." He turned his attention to the slayer. "Do you want to go home to change or anything?"

"No, if you take Dawn home, I'll see what I can get done here." Buffy drained her cup and gave Dawn a goodbye hug before heading off to do battle with the heap of curtains.

Vampire and key made a brief appearance to say they were leaving. Spike's goodbye kiss in front of his future sister-in-law being far more restrained than when he kissed Buffy goodbye in front of Cordy.

As soon as the pair left, Buffy grabbed her gym bag and headed for the bathroom, which had no windows due to the way the building had been split into flats. An extractor fan whirred into action as soon as she put on the light, startling her slightly. She changed as quickly as she could, made a couple of minor touch-ups on her make-up and was soon sitting cross-legged on the bed once more while she fitted the hooks onto the curtains and adjusted the header tapes. When all the curtains were ready to hang, she was expecting Spike back any minute.

She might have tried to find something to stand on to put them up, but she was worried about flashing anyone who might happen to look up. Instead, she took the curtains laying each set on the floor next to the windows they were intended for and climbed in between the silken silver grey sheets, rolling around like a cat begging for attention. She nuzzled into the pillows till they smelled of her shampoo and rubbed the smooth material of his sheets between her thighs, imagining its cool touch was that of her lover's hand.

"Havin' fun, pet?" Spike leant against the doorjamb his left leg crossed over the right just below the knee, the thumb of his left hand hooked through the belt loop at his hip and his right arm raised so that it rested against the frame from wrist to elbow. His body was a series of sensuous lines.

She was totally hidden under the bedclothes except for her head, and decided that perhaps this might be for the best, for the moment.

"Not as much as we can have once you put the curtains up. You were the one who said you wouldn't sleep unless the bed smelled like me. And I still owed you lingerie, but you don't get to see until you get those curtains up."

"Not even a peep?" Spike already had two hands and one knee on the bed.

"Back. If you stand by the door, I might give you a preview," she conceded, "but after that you have to put up all the curtains so I know you won't get dusty in the morning. No touching until all the rooms are done." Her smile told him it would be worth his while and he reversed his movements until he leant against the doorframe again. "At least you don't get to touch. I might let you watch."

Buffy slowly folded back the duvet, down as far as her waist, letting him see the plum coloured satin robe she wore. As she rose to her knees he could see the robe ended an inch or two above mid-thigh. She turned to give him a three quarter back view, her head turned so that she could watch him over her shoulder, her eyes never leaving his face. Her hand pulled the sash loose and she let the material fall into its natural line before she raised her hands to inch it from her shoulders. At first all he could see as the robe descended were two ribbon-thin deep purple straps traversing her tanned shoulders. Her arm hid the side of the slip from view and as the robe drifted slowly lower those straps seemed to continue impossibly far. Finally, just a few inches above the small of her back they crossed each other.

As she dropped her arms to the side and slightly back to let the robe fall away altogether he could see the side of her breast and a glimpse of the shadow underneath. The slip only just covered her buttocks, the back scooped out as low as possible without showing cleavage. The material then flared out slightly so that it fell in soft ripples over her curves, the hem barely skimming the tops of her thighs. She turned her body to face him again. From the front the garment appeared fairly demure except for its skimpy length, but what he could see was no longer as relevant as what he knew.

The pressure in Spike's jeans shifted from uncomfortable to painful. Still, she watched his face, enjoying the evidence of his struggle as he debated whether to play her game, or dive on top of her immediately.

"Make your mind up, Will. Play nice, and we can christen every room in the flat tonight." That did it. Buffy had never seen Spike use his vampiric speed to do housework, but then apart from making the bed earlier, she'd never seen him do any housework, even though his crypt was normally tidy and clean. Maybe that was because he did use his speed to do the housework. She padded towards the kitchen area where she could hear him working. She wiggled her way onto a seat on the counter, which separated the kitchen from the living room area.

He knew without turning round exactly where she was. "Did anybody ever tell you that you're a vicious tease, pet?"

"Not in so many words, but I do remember something about revving motors and marinade and an ice queen .or was it princess?" she answered as she swung her legs up onto the counter. She lay back. If he was going to call her a tease she might as well live up to the name. "All I did was kiss him." She sucked on her index finger, pulling it from her mouth with an audible pop, even if you didn't have vampire hearing.

"I think that was my complaint at the time .Actually, no, it was that you wouldn't even kiss me." She slid her hand in the side of the slip, using her damp finger to graze circles around her nipple until it began to come erect.

"Xander didn't call me a tease." She switched to squeezing softly on her nipple as he finished hanging the first pair of curtains. "Not even when I came onto him wearing nothing but a little short mac and a pair of stilettos." Spike snarled and leapt from the stool he'd been using to gain the extra reach necessary to hang the drapes. He landed on the floor by her head, bending over her so that their faces were inches apart.

"Tell me that git never laid a hand on you!" his eyes blazed with hurt and anger, gold flecks swirling in the blue.

Her unoccupied hand automatically came up to cup his face as she spoke soft words to him. "No, baby, you know about everybody. No surprises. It was just a spell and Xander didn't take advantage of it. We didn't even kiss. I forgot you didn't know the story." She raised her head to brush soft lips across his. "Now, do I go back to teasing you mercilessly or do we go straight to the make-up sex?"

"If I go for the make-up sex do we still christen all the rooms?"

"I guess we could see how persuasive you were on a room by room basis."

"So we're going from a yes to a maybe?" Spike posed the question.

"With your silver tongue I'd say it's a probably, unless we end up taking too long on some of the individual rooms. but that wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing, would it?" She gave him a half-smile.

"I can think of worse," he agreed. This time he brought his lips down to hers for a kiss that started just as gently as the one she had recently bestowed on him. Soon, however, their mouths moved together in a frantic dance. Somehow Spike found himself lying on top of Buffy. He slipped the straps of her gown down off her shoulders baring her upper body, ready for his touch. Strong fingers cupped her breasts and his thumbs brushed over her nipples sending tingles of electricity down to her core.

Buffy's hands pulled impatiently at his shirt until it was freed from his jeans. She ripped the front of the shirt open, neither of them caring whether the buttons came undone or were torn off so long as her hands could move against his flesh. When the shirt parted only for her to be obstructed by another layer of fabric, she ripped the black T-shirt from neckline to hemline in one move.

"Jeans. Now." Buffy gasped as she pulled back to draw breath. Spike shifted back to kneel between Buffy's legs long enough to unfasten his belt and pop the buttons on his fly before pushing the denim down round his knees. As he moved back over her again she reached down stroking his newly freed erection. His whole body trembled at her touch and he moaned her name. She gripped him with her fingers, using her thumb to spread his pre-cum over the head. His mouth claimed her nipples taking turns left and right as he drew her closer to her peak, his lips holding each bud in place while his hard tongue flicked back and forth across it. She arched her body up off the counter in response and guided Spike's dick to it's hot, wet home within her.

He shifted his hips to glide slowly in to his hilt. As always they fitted together perfectly, their bodies seemingly designed for the other's pleasure. Buffy sighed as she felt her muscles stretch around him. He used his hands to give extra support to her raised buttocks as he moved slowly in and out of her heat. Their eyes locked for an eternity as their bodies danced to a languid rhythm. He felt his balls tightening and lifted her hips further. His mouth covered the scars on her neck, and the pair finally lost eye contact. He stiffened his tongue using the tip to probe the marks caused by his demon teeth. The sensation sent electric tingles all through her body and caused her to tremble all over, only his hands holding her up as her inner muscles convulsed around him. He pushed in as deep as he could go one last time and let her involuntary spasms milk him dry before he lowered her to the counter.

He propped himself up on an elbow, switching to stroking her neck over the claim marks with his other hand, drawing out the tremors throughout her body albeit at a less intense level.

"I love you so much, pet," he said his voice hoarse with emotion.

"Mmmmm-mmm," was the best Buffy could manage in reply until Spike turned his attention from her neck to brushing away stray hairs from her sweat-soaked face. As she regained some control of her body once more, she pushed against his chest. "I love you too, but right now, kinda squished."

"Oh .right. Sorry, pet," Spike withdrew from her warmth and after contemplating the lack of space either side of her moved to dismount from the counter only to fall to the floor in a tangle of limbs.

"Bloody buggerin' bollocks!"

"Spike?" Buffy's head appeared over the edge of the counter. "Are you okay?"

"Course I am. I was practising my alliteration 'cause I was bored." He sighed. "I'm fine, pet. Just forgot my jeans were down round my knees."

"Good. 'Cause I don't think my legs would work yet for me to come help you."

He looked up from his reclining position on the living room floor, his deep blue eyes glittering up at her filled with amusement. "Guess that means at least I did something right."

Some minutes later Spike considered the uncovered windows in the main room and decided it was probably best to pull his jeans back on rather than take them off. Task accomplished, he discovered Buffy, still lying on the counter where he left her.

"Maybe I should be askin' if you're okay, luv?"

"Mmm-hmm," her response sounded to him like warm summer nights or a cosy library with an open fire. "Still floaty."

"O-kay, pet. Think you'll be comfier bein' floaty in bed." He scooped her up in his arms and carried her through to the bedroom, sliding her legs under the covers and lowering her gently to the mattress. He pulled up the bedding and made sure it fitted snugly around her so that she would be free of draughts.

"Buff?" He waited till she looked up at him before continuing. "I'm just goin' to put up the rest of the curtains, so we don't have to worry about scarin' the neighbours. You just rest but if you want me, you just have to say and I'll be here. 'Kay, pet?"

"'Kay. Hurry back?"

Her request prompted him to bend over her again, brushing his lips against her cheek and running a finger over her neck. "Course, love."

Less than five minutes later she opened a sleepy eye to see him carrying the stool from the kitchen into the bedroom. He picked up the curtains from the floor draping them over an arm before he leapt onto the stool and started hanging them. It would have been too high for most humans to jump onto, or if they managed the height they would have tipped the stool over with their momentum, but even in heavy boots Spike was as graceful as a very refined cat. Buffy watched him from under drooping eyelids. 'Pretty vampire. MY pretty vampire. Or he will be once Giles finishes his research. Then I can make HIS legs all wobbly and he can be all sleepy.'

He swiftly finished what he was doing and crawled onto the bed. His fingers gently stroked the planes of her face, his touch enough to gain her attention but not enough to pull her from her post-orgasmic haze. "Pet, if you're up to it, you said you'd ring the watcher when we got back home."

"Later. Ring later. Come bed, now. Just for little."

Spike shucked off his boots and socks and put out the light before crawling in next to her. As soon as he was in, she rolled over and shuffled backwards till she was spooned against him. "Night, love," he whispered in her ear, his arm around her waist drawing her even closer. Minutes later both were asleep.