Chapter 9
Buffy followed Brian through the tunnels until they entered the cavern where the scaffolding rose to the ceiling.
“He’s up in there,” Brian half-whispered, pointing to the barely visible hole. Buffy caught snatches of voices being raised and recognized Spike’s distinctive snarl. She turned back to Brian. “Thanks, it’s been great,” and plunged her stake in his chest before he could react. She shook her head. She hated to back out on a deal, but too many vamps and only one Buffy, not odds she liked.
She quietly made her way to the scaffolding and climbed to the opening where she slowly raised herself into the wonderland of gems and gold. Her eyes widened as she slipped behind a chest to assess the situation before making her move. It was like finding a treasure ship.
Her eye caught on a cross made of some oddly colored stone and she snagged it, slipping it around her neck. She’d forgotten the small one she normally wore this morning and a little extra vamp protection wouldn’t hurt. She turned her attention to what she now realized was a domestic dispute in progress.
Spike was tugging something off Harmony’s finger as she yelled about him being a big freak. And was that something about France? Just as Buffy was about to make her move, Harmony whirled and stomped towards the edge of the tomb. “If that’s all that matters to you, just take it,” she screeched as she dropped through the opening, pulling the metal door shut behind her.
“Harm, no wait,” Spike lunged across the crypt as he suddenly realized what she had done. He banged on the metal cover.
“Harmony, kitten, pet, come back. I’ll take you to France. I’ll take you anywhere you bloody want, just open the sodding door!”
He sank to his knees as he continued to mutter expletives under his breath. Buffy slowly rose from behind the chest that had shielded her from view.
“Well, well, well, looks like poor widdle Spikey had a fight with his widdle girlfriend,” she mocked as she slowly moved into position, stake at the ready.
Spike turned and groaned. “Slayer? How did you get in here?”
Buffy shrugged. “Your pal Brian. Not the most loyal minion there Spike. But don’t worry, I took care of him for you.”
“Thanks ever so. Well, this is just what I needed. Stuck with the Slayer.” He glanced down at his hand at the ring now firmly affixed. “On second thought, exactly what I needed. This has been a long time coming.”
Buffy nodded. “Agreed. I’m going to kick your ass Spike, and they’re never going to find your ashes.”
He smiled at her tolerantly. “Sure thing, luv, you just keep telling yourself that. I think you’ll find this is a new and improved me.”
He made the first move, impatient as always and Buffy held back, circling, searching for his weakness. He’d always led with his left and she thought, yep, if she came from the right, she could get an opening when he dropped his guard. She danced on her toes, suddenly exhilarated as he recoiled from her successful blow.
Her little victory dance distracted her and he landed the next punch. After that, they settled into a rhythm, weaving and twirling around amongst the glowing items of the tomb. She realized after they had been fighting for some time that he was grinning. “Something funny, Spike?”
He shook his head. “Not at all, just nice to have a worthy opponent again, luv.”
She acknowledged the compliment for what it was, ignored the endearment and renewed her attack. Finally she saw it, the opening she needed, and she slammed him against the wall, his arm twisted behind him.
Spike gasped as he felt the cool stone pressed against his front. She had him in the exact position of that last vivid dream which continued to haunt him. He felt the wooden tip of the stake trace down his neck and come to rest under his shoulder blade.
“Well, Spike, guess this is good-bye. But I will say, you’ve also been a worthy opponent. In a strange way, I’m kinda going to miss you.” Buffy took a breath, then plunged the stake in a quick motion.
To her dismay, Spike only laughed as the hole closed up almost immediately. As she stared at his back in shock, he suddenly whirled around and pinned her against the wall, her stake clattering to the floor as he trapped her arms above her head and pressed the weight of his body against her.
“Ohh Slayer, that tickled. Wanna do it again?”
She stared mutely in dismay at him as he laughed. “Luv, your Watcher didn’t tell you what the Gem does, did he?” She shook her head. “I’m invincible. None of the things that kill vamps can touch me. Staking, holy water, look, I can even touch crosses.”
Rather than loosen his grip, he laid his cheek against the cross that lay against her chest and relished the sound of the Slayer’s pounding heart and rushing blood. Oh, this was going to be so delicious.
She watched as he lifted his unmarred face for her inspection. The smooth skin and perfect cheekbones were still there. She closed her eyes and turned her head away as her brain tried to process what to do.
“Now, now, Buffy, it was a battle well-fought. Just for that luv, I’ll give you a choice. Do you want me to turn you, or would you rather stay dead? You’d make a very foxy vamp, I suspect.”
She cursed at him and made another attempt to break free, but his body weight and her awkward position kept her pinned firmly in place. Maybe if she could just get her leg between his and catch him off guard … Oh…Buffy suddenly realized that that wasn’t a stake in his pocket. Her fury reasserted itself.
“You know very well the answer to that Spike. Just do it. You’ve won, you’ve got your third slayer, now let me die with some dignity.”
“Very well, Slayer.” He smirked at her before lowering his head and slowly beginning to worry the unmarred left side of her neck. As his tongue traced up and down her vein, Buffy fought to suppress a shiver. Alright, Faith had been on to something, a really good fight did make her horny, but generally she managed to take care of that little problem herself. No vampires needed for that, no sir, no matter how nice that cool tongue felt teasing her sensitive flesh. She clenched her teeth. Damn him, why couldn’t he be a normal vamp and just bite already?
She wriggled again, trying to shift him or gain some leverage to push him off. He responded by rotating his hips and pinning her more firmly against the wall. Buffy successfully suppressed a moan as he shifted again, but just barely.
It had always struck her as wrong that killing things turned her on, and now was no exception. This was wrong, 100% badness, and she so should not be way more excited to be trapped against the wall by this killer than she’d been in Parker’s arms last night. But she really, really was, and if he didn’t stop licking her neck like that and do something, she was going to scream.
She shuddered slightly as the merest hint of a canine grazed her neck. When Angel had bitten her, the orgasm that had rushed through her body had put every one before or after to shame and she had to admit she felt the slightest twinge of anticipation. Besides, maybe he’d get distracted once he bit and stopped this annoying incredible worrying of her neck and she could get him off her then. Yep, might as well just wait for then. She shivered as he worked his way up to her jawline.
Spike grinned as he felt the change in her body. So the little goody two-shoes liked to be bitten? He’d noticed the scars on the other side and wondered if Angel was to blame for that. He continued to lick her neck, then softly bit down with human teeth, not quite breaking the skin, just worrying the flesh and sucking lightly as the blood rushed nearer the surface. He fought to keep control as he felt her soften against him.
A tiny moan slipped past the Slayer’s lips and he renewed his efforts, sliding a hand down between them as he used his body weight to keep her pinned. He found the clasp to her trousers and deftly flicked it loose. He was surprised by her sudden shimmy that aided him in pushing them down just enough to give him access.
As he returned to her neck, his fingers slid into her wetness and began to stroke softly. This was so incredible. Was it possible that the Slayer was as hot and bothered by him as he was by her? He raised his head slowly to watch as she gasped when he hit a particularly sensitive spot, increasing the pressure as her breaths grew more ragged. He shifted against her again, wishing he had another free hand. If he didn’t loosen his jeans soon, he was sure he’d burst out of them.
Buffy cursed herself for being so weak. She could not believe she was letting him do this but he’d found exactly what Parker had been missing all last night and it felt so right. She bucked her hips, urging him on, giving in and letting the little murmurs and groans freely flow past her lips. She had no idea why he was doing this, why he hadn’t already sunk his fangs into her and drained her dry, but it was so very, very good.
“Spike,” she managed to gasp out.
“Mmm, yes luv.”
“You realize I’m going to have to kill you for this?”
He grinned as he met her gaze. “Wouldn’t expect anything less, Slayer.”
She nodded at the understanding in his glance, then every so slightly bucked her hips against his weight, smirking slightly as he cocked an eyebrow at her that seemed to say, “Well, well aren’t you the little minx.” She fluttered her eyelashes at him and he began to stroke her again. Buffy tried to stay focused, sooner or later he’d let his attention shift and then she’d push him away. But until then, she might as well enjoy the ride.
He lowered his head again, feeling her heart rate speed up in anticipation as he urged her nearer and nearer to the brink of ecstasy. He had to have a taste, just a nip and if her reaction was any indication, it’d send her over the edge in a big way. He shifted into game face and poised for the bite as she stiffened slightly under him, her breath hitching even faster as she realized what he was about to do and he felt her hit her peak as his fangs brushed the soft skin above her jugular.
She shuddered against him as he suddenly stopped. “Bloody hell! I can’t do it.”
“You can’t?” she panted, her eyes slightly glazed as she tried to focus on him.
“No, I mean I can, of course,” he pulled back, fangs in full evidence, “it’s just it’s your skin, it’s like there a force field around it, I can’t seem to sink in.”
He grimaced in confusion, an odd look while he was all bumpy and Buffy giggled at that weirdness. His gaze suddenly dropped to the necklace she wore and he studied the stone it was crafted from. He glanced at the stone in his ring, then back to the cross.
“Buffy, where did you get that necklace?”
He stepped back and released his hold and she dropped her arms, rubbing them, surprised by his sudden release. She leaned back against the wall, legs wobbly from his other ministrations as she tried to remember. “I found it over there in the corner where I crawled through the entrance.”
Spike threw back his head and laughed. “This is rich luv. Someone, somewhere has an incredible sense of humor. Your cross is made from the same stone as my ring and I’d venture to say that it’s the reverse enchantment. You can’t kill me, and sadly, I can’t kill you.”
Buffy stared at him. “You mean this necklace protects me completely from vamps?”
Spike shrugged. “Probably so, Slayer. Certainly won’t let me bite you.”
She started to giggle again as she slowly sank down to the ground, glad to rest her trembling legs. She’d get up and try to kill him again in a minute. “You know, that really is kind of funny.”
He shook his head as he joined her. “Yep, a Slayer and a Master Vampire, trapped in a fight to the death with no way out, but neither can kill the other.”
Buffy snorted, wondering if there were any jokes that started that way. Suddenly she sobered. “What do you mean trapped?”
“Slayer, Harmony shut off the only way out. Damn door closes and opens from the outside only. Guess they assumed whatever was buried in here didn’t need a way to slither out.”
Buffy groaned. “You’re kidding me?”
“Nope. We’re stuck with each other good and proper until Harmony or one of the others comes back.”
“Oh. Well, I, um, kinda killed the one named Brian, remember?”
Spike reflected for a moment. “No real loss there. Besides, your little Slayer pals will probably be along soon.”
Buffy frowned. “Well, I didn’t exactly let them know where I was going.”
Spike groaned. “Wonderful. Left to the mercies of Harmony the imbecile. She’ll probably get over her twit and show back up before too long. Can’t get enough of her Spike, if you catch my drift.” He waggled his eyebrows and Buffy became acutely of the fact that her pants were still unfastened and she herself was sporting some evidence of Spike’s good lovin’. She blushed slightly and quickly refastened her pants.
“Umm, conceited much?”
“Didn’t hear you complaining a minute ago.”
She blushed harder. Okay, she hadn’t been and, she glanced over, he seemed pretty excited still as well. Once they got out of here, she’d have to do something about him, but right now, maybe…no, bad Buffy, not going there again. But his cool fingers had felt so good and she bet that he could be quite imaginative with the annoying tongue of his and ….”
“So, truce Slayer?”
“Truce?”
“Yeah…. until we find a way out of the gloomy little tomb with no view, we call off the fight and just wait out our time. Possibly even find other ways to amuse ourselves?”
He quirked that scarred brow at her, tilted his head just so and Buffy realized she understood what had attracted Harmony and Drusilla to Spike. He had an obnoxious way of crawling under your skin, a sort of magnetism which seduced when you weren’t looking. And who would ever know?
“Alright Spike, we’ll have a truce. But the instant we’re out of here, it’s over and whatever…other ways we amuse ourselves…doesn’t leave this tomb, understood?”