Chapter 19: Routine
Buffy was amazed at how a little money could accomplish so much. Joyce, regardless of Buffy’s protests, hired a decorator to fill the apartment. The occupants were only needed to supply personal tastes on various items and never once even opened a box. Reenrolling had been a strange experience for Buffy. Since she registered so late she lost the chance to pick up most of the classes she had dropped. Luckily she was allowed in Professor Walsh’s Psych 101 with Willow. Since she was about to enter her fifth month of pregnancy, she spoke to all of her teachers about taking a slight leave in case she had the baby early. Luckily, all had agreed to allow her to take any missed tests in the testing center with no lost points.
Life with Spike soon turned into a comfortable routine. Mornings were spent sharing a quiet breakfast at their new table followed by Spike driving Buffy to school before he went to work at his father’s investment company. After her last class, Buffy met Spike at the campus quad; and every evening while Buffy studied, Spike supplied the dinner. Considering Joyce’s nonexistent cooking abilities, Spike was surprisingly adept in the kitchen.
Smelling the seafood pasta he was working on, Buffy got up from her desk in the study, or at least she tried to. With a long groan Buffy glared at her stomach. In just a few weeks her waist had expanded so much she was forced to leave the top button of all her pants undone and wear large loose shirts to cover the undone buttons and zippers. Finally managing to get herself out of the chair Buffy began to pull off her pants to change into a comfortable pair of sweats. After a few moments of struggle to pull the tight jeans down her legs, Buffy admitted defeat. “Spike!” she bellowed. She must have called out more desperate than intended because Spike came running down the hall.
“What’s wrong?!” Blue eyes open so wide in alarm, Buffy thought they might pop out.
“Calm down, I am just having trouble with my pants.” Buffy gestured to the offending garments. “I guess you get your wish of helping me undress.”
Spike eyes shot down to her pants. ‘How’d she know about that?’
“Spike? Are you just going to stand there or help me? I can’t get them off!”
Spike tried to hide his embarrassment by smiling warmly towards her.
“Come on love, jump on the bed.” Buffy followed his instructions with a suspicious look. She leaned back on the bed, with her legs hanging off the end.
“Ok, now what?”
“Just lay there, I’ll do all the work.” ‘God am I flirting with her?’ Spike moved next to her on the bed. He gently pushed his fingers inside her pants, then tugged on them. “Lift up a little love.” Spike tried to remain unaffected but when she lifted her bottom for him he had to move over her to grab the other side of her jeans. Spike found himself nestled in her thighs, with his face ever so close to her enlarged breasts. Calm down mate, became a running mantra in his head as he willed himself to stay aloof. Feeling himself beginning to harden he quickly began pulling the jeans over her hips and down her legs. Pulling the jeans over her feet he stared at her socks.
“What’s wrong?” Buffy, also feeling aroused by the feeling of Spike so intimately covering her body, was beginning to feel self conscious by his stares.
“Guess I get to start dressing you along with undressing you.” Spike yanked off her socks revealing one blue and one white.
“Just feeling patriotic,” she said laughing.
****
A few nights later Spike found himself shooting pool at the Bronze with Oz. “So I bet the sex is amazing?” Spike about dropped his beer. One thing the two old friends rarely talked about was each other’s sex life. ‘Hell, I don’t even know if he and Red are at it.’ Remembering to keep up the ruse of all being happy in the marriage department, Spike answered with a softly mumbled, “Sure.”
“My cousin Chris said that after his wife hit her fourth month, he couldn’t seem to keep her off him.” At Spike’s confused look Oz added, “Hormones.”
“Oh…yea. Can’t seem to walk through the door without being attacked.” Spike took a long drink from his beer, looking away. ‘Ok man, what’s the game?’ Spike knew something had to up with Oz. The multicolored haired man never said more then a few words at the pool table, or anywhere else for that matter.
“Must be nice.”
“Red not enough for you under the sheets?” Spike smiled at his friend’s dreamy eyed expression. “Maybe she’ll put on a little show for you when she and Buffy get back from their shopping spree.”
“Hopefully,” was his answer as Oz took his next shot.
Across town Willow and Buffy were taking a break from their shopping attack, to munch on mall pretzels and smoothies. “So how come you don’t want to surprise Spike with that racy little red number from Victoria Secrets?”
‘Crap where did that come from?’ Buffy thought as she racked her brain for some plausible excuse. “I…just think it would look kinda silly right now. Maybe after the baby is born. No need to waste money on it when I’ll only be able to wear it a few weeks or so anyway.” ‘Please believe it.’
“I don’t think Spike would mind. Red is his favorite color,” Willow smirked at her squirming friend. “And he did say not to worry about the money. So why not? Get it girl! You two need to enjoy this time before the baby comes. Who knows how much alone time,” Willow waggled her eyebrows “you two will have afterwards.”
“I know Spike said to get anything I want, but I just don’t want to… do stuff like that right now.” ‘yea buy that please, Wills’
“Stuff like that? Like what, sex?”
“NO! Of course we do stuff like that! I mean sex…can’t seem to make it through the door without us running to the bedroom. Or the living room… you know newlyweds.” ‘Oh God, I sound like a sex fiend!’
“Ok then that settles it.” Willow grabbed Buffy hand and pulled her from the plastic foodcourt chair.
“What are you doing?”
“WE,” Willow emphasized, “are going to get you that sexy red thing. And you are going to surprise your husband.”