Summary: Spike is Buffy's swimming coach. He has been hateful to her since day one, a fact that hurts her because she is in love with him. Little does she know that his behaviour only serves to hide his own feelings. Tragic circumstances bring them closer together.
“So Buffy honey, you’re still training hard in preparation for LA?”
“Yeah mom, but actually I wanted to talk to you about that.” Buffy shot an apologetic look towards Spike who was sitting on the other side of Joyce’s hospital bed. They had already discussed her concerns about the upcoming swim meet in LA.
“We don’t know how much longer you’re going to be in hospital for, and I really don’t want to go to LA while you’re still here. It’s next week, there’s every chance they won’t have let you leave yet.”
“Buffy Summers, you’ll do no such thing. I know just how hard you’ve been working for it and you’ll only be there for two nights. I absolutely won’t allow you to stay so don’t even try.”
“But mom, I can’t…I couldn’t bear it if…” Buffy looked down at the ground, fighting back tears. She figured that Spike was probably starting to think she was some bawling nutcase.
Joyce’s tone softened when she saw how distraught her daughter was becoming. “Buffy, listen to me. I know you want to be here, and seeing you everyday cheers me up more than I could ever tell you. But honey, this opportunity doesn’t come round all the time. It would make me feel so much better to know that you’re out there doing what you do best, not sitting here beside my bed.”
Buffy finally looked up at her mother in quiet resignation. “Fine mom. We’re leaving on the Friday morning and we’ll be back Sunday night, but it’ll be late so I’ll come in and see you on Monday morning okay?
“Okay honey. I know you’ll make me proud. But its so late now and they’re about to kick you out so give me hug and I’ll see you tomorrow okay?”
***
Making their way out towards his car, Spike took hold of Buffy’s hand and kissed the inside of her palm. “Where to tonight, sweetheart? What strikes your fancy – Chinese? Italian? Thai? You tell me, honey.”
Buffy beamed adoringly up at him. God, the man was just too sweet. How had she ever thought he didn’t have a caring bone in his body? Every night since their first dinner he had taken her out to a different restaurant to eat after visiting her mother. And the morning after he made breakfast for her she woke up to a fridge and pantry stacked full of food. He was almost too adorable for words.
Buffy kept insisting that she would pay him back for everything once she was able to, something Spike scoffed at. He asked her why on earth he should be paid back for the privilege of having a date with a beautiful woman each night? Buffy could only giggle and blush at his loving remarks. It seemed he was trying to make up for years of insensitive behaviour in the space of a few weeks with copious declarations of affection and countless compliments, an endeavour she definitely wasn’t trying to put a stop to. She had never felt so treasured in her whole life, and the fact that it was Spike, a man she had silently yearned for these past few years only made it a hundred times better.
However, since her impromptu blow job at the pool, Spike hadn’t pushed for anything else. Each night after dinner he would drop her at home, and although they would spend at least fifteen minutes kissing and groping every night he would always leave her with a tender kiss on the hand and whispered words imploring her to have sweet dreams. Buffy was having dreams alright, but she doubted they could be called sweet. Raunchy maybe, and definitely of the sweaty kind.
She was starting to ache for Spike in ways she’d never felt before and decided that since she couldn’t exactly put her feelings into words, she’d have to subtly maneuver them into such a position where maybe he could make some of her dreams a reality.
“Ummm, what about we don’t go to a restaurant tonight? I feel like staying in, so maybe we could pick some things up at the store and eat dinner at my house.”
Spike opened the car door for her and smiled. “Sounds good kitten. We’ll swing by on the way home.”
Oooh. Buffy liked the idea of them having a ‘home’ together to go to. Some of her friends from uni were living off campus with their boyfriends or girlfriends, so it wasn’t like the idea was completely absurd. After all, Spike was twenty-seven. She’d never been to his place though. Maybe it was a dump? Or a complete bachelor pad? Hmmm. Next mission, get invited over to his house. Placing a hand on Spike’s thigh from the passenger seat, watching his eyes light up and a sexy smirk appear, Buffy didn’t think the task would be too hard.
***
Wisps of steam rose from their plates of beef bourguignon and wild rice as Buffy and Spike sat across the table from one another, sipping from their wine glasses.
“Mmmm. Oh God Spike, is there anything you can’t cook? I think I might keep you as my personal slave.”
“Baby, I’d pay to be your…slave.” Spike’s leer and voice dripping with innuendo left Buffy in no doubt as to what sort of slave he was imagining. Her cheeks immediately heated up with a pleasant tingling sensation and he chuckled. Buffy decided she needed to break up the tension that had sprung up.
“Yeah, um, so, are we all set for the competition on Friday? You know, everyone prepared and all?” It was the Sunday night before the meet and Buffy was growing quite excited about it, now that she had her mom’s blessing to go.
“Well, we all are, but I completely forgot we’ve got a new chit coming to join us tomorrow. She’s from uh, God I can’t really remember, some small town somewhere. Her coach sent me over her times a little while ago and the girl is definitely a good swimmer. Name’s Harmony or something. She’s starting at your uni too. Anyway, we’ll test her out tomorrow and see. It’ll be good to have some new blood around.”
Buffy nodded in agreement. There had been the same old people in their swim squad for a while and it’d be nice to have a new girl there. A sudden feeling of drowsiness came over her – damn that wine. It always made her sleepy. She tried unsuccessfully to stifle a yawn, but Spike still noticed.
“Tired kitten? Oh, poor baby. You’ve got so much on your plate right now, I know. Listen, I’m just going to clean up so you can go to bed.”
Huh? Nuh uh. She wasn’t letting him go home tonight. “No Spike, I’m only a tiny bit tired. Can we just snuggle in the living room a little bit first?”
Spike smiled affectionately at Buffy and pulled her gently over to the couch, laying back slightly on it and pulling her so that she lay against him in the V of his legs. He started gently massaging her shoulders and neck so that she moaned in pleasure.
“This is what you need baby, you’re a bit tense from everything. Just sit back and let me take care of you.”
Buffy didn’t answer him but just continued to whimper as he continued his pleasurable ministrations. She smirked to herself when she felt the evidence of his arousal pressing against her ass. Obviously he wasn’t unaffected by their proximity to one another. She pressed back slightly and started to rotate her hips, rubbing him until she heard him groan huskily in her ear.
“Spike? Do you want to maybe stay the night tonight?” Buffy whispered with her eyes still tightly shut.
“God baby, more than anything. But Buffy, for tonight I just wanna hold you in my arms while we sleep.”
As nice as that sounded, Buffy was throbbing all over with need. She wanted him. “Spike, I need you. It aches.”
Her hoarse statement made him grow harder than he thought possible, but he didn’t want their first time to be tonight.
“Listen baby, I want our first time to be really special and I don’t want to come off sounding like I expected anything but I’ve booked us a beautiful suite at the hotel in LA. So for tonight, just let me take care of you, okay sweetheart?”
Buffy didn’t care if it did come off as him expecting something, because she sure as hell did too. But his magic hands were still moving over her body so she just nodded in assent and leant back until her whole body was completely pressed against his, her head cradled on his shoulder.
“Such a sweet girl, my baby. Gonna make the ache go away for you.”
Spike moved his hands around to her front so that they were lightly rubbing her abdomen. He deftly undid the buttons running up the front of her top and spread the material open, so that looking down over her shoulder he could see the swell of her breasts rising out of her bra and her taut stomach leading down to her black skirt. Running both hands up the smooth skin of her tummy he popped open the front clasp of her bra and revealed her creamy breasts to him.
“So beautiful Buffy, like strawberries and cream you are.”
Both hands came up to fondle her nipples, raising them into tight little buds as she thrust up into his palms.
“Oooh, Spike!” Her gasp made him rub harder as he bent down further to lightly suckle on her neck where it joined her shoulder.
Realizing that she needed more, one hand ventured softly down until it reached the border of her skirt and slipped in under her panties as well. Buffy pressed up towards his delving hand so Spike moved the other one down from her breasts and placed it firmly on her stomach, keeping her in place.
“Relax and enjoy, darling. I’m gonna make you see stars now.”
He traced one finger up her wet opening, then slipped it inside to find her completely drenched with desire. He found her clit throbbing with need and circled around it with more and more pressure until finally he massaged it, causing Buffy to moan loudly. He chuckled and sucked on her earlobe.
Spike slipped a finger into her small channel, relishing the feel of how tight she was, and quickly added another one. He began thrusting in and out of her at the same time as pressing on her clit with his thumb with varying pressure, feeling her muscles beginning to clench down on his fingers. Moving his mouth up next to her ear, he pressed down hard on her clit and whispered, “I love you Buffy.”
Buffy came immediately, bucking on his lap and clenching hold of Spike’s hand that was resting on her stomach. It was the most intense thing she had ever felt; even though her eyes were closed all she could see were bright lights shooting through the darkness. She didn’t realize until a bit later that the loud keening sound was coming from her own mouth. Minutes later she slumped back against him, eyes still closed in bliss.
“You in there baby? You okay?”
She opened her eyes languidly and stared up into his passionate eyes. “You love me?”
“Mmm hmm. You’re amazing Buffy. Your strength and kindness, talent and courage. ’ve never met anyone like you pet.”
Oh shit, more tears. Surely he couldn’t think she was too courageous if she kept bursting into sobs every five seconds. However, she managed to hoarsely answer him.
“I love you too Spike. For longer than you could even know. You say I’m kind, but you don’t even give a second thought to going out of your way to help people. You’re the amazing one.”
He smiled down at her and gently wiped away the few tears that had gathered under her eyelashes.
“Time for bed now darling. Big day of training tomorrow.” And with that he scooped Buffy up in his arms and followed her directions to the bedroom. They both quietly got undressed and slipped under the covers, Spike enveloping her in his strong embrace tenderly.