Part 9

(Angel's POV)

Fun. Spike has given the word a whole new meaning. I'd be embarrassed about what happened, about how I totally lost it, except Spike won't let me. He calls it therapeutic. Maybe he's right. I feel good. Apparently, so does he.

He lights two 'post-shag' cigarettes, and forces one on me, claiming it's part of the 'fun' and should endanger neither my health nor my redemption. Okay, why not. So, we sit and smoke, and stare at the sea.

"Dru always liked the ocean," Spike says. He sounds cheerful, seeming to draw strength from the memory rather than sadness.

"I know."

"One time she wanted to see the sun set in the sea," he continues. "So we drove here durin' the day. We watched from behind the blackened windscreen as it set like a great ball of fire. Wasn't the real thing, not the way we had to hide from the light. Even so, it was sort of grand."

I nod. Yeah, I get that. I watched the sun set before I destroyed the Gem of Amara. I still dream of the radiant colors and the blinding brightness.

"I think the fact that it had the power to turn both of us into walking torches," Spike muses, "Just made it better."

I smile. Some things never change. I'm beginning to think that part of him has always been ready to fall in love with a Slayer.

I turn around to scan the eastern sky. Still dark. Even so, I should be getting back to the Hyperion. I try to brush some sand off my thighs. That stuff is everywhere. Messy.

"What is it?"

"No shower."

"So what. There's plenty of water right there," Spike nods at the waves. He's joking. "Come on, mate, let's go for a swim." Or maybe not. He jumps to his feet and tosses his cigarette butt away. Oh no. No way. He grabs my hand and tries to pull me to my feet. Spike is crazy! If I didn't know it before, now I do.

"No, Spike, let go. No!"

"Come on, Angel, when was the last time you did something on the spur of the moment?"

"Tonight."

"Yeah, you got me there," he concedes. "So let me rephrase that. When was the last time - other than tonight - that you did something purely for the fun of it. Sod the karmic payback?"

Oh no. I won't be drawn into that discussion.

"Come on, don't be a spoilsport," he exclaims. "A spot of skinny-dipping's not gonna be the death of you."

I shake my head. Nothing on earth will make me take a swim in cold saltwater. I want a steaming hot shower, not this.

"Come on, Angel," Spike gives me another tug. "You don't expect me to go down on you when you've got spunk and lube sticking to your dick, do you? Not to mention all that sand."

Um. Did I really say nothing on earth?

(Spike's POV)

Sometimes he's such a ninny!

Looks like I found the right bait though, cause he's tentatively wading into the water, lifting his feet high in a stork-y gait that looks utterly silly for a man of his powerful frame.

I wait till the water comes up to his thighs. He bends down to scoop up some water in his hands and splash it on his sticky privates. Hee hee. When I barrel into him there's a hoot of surprise, then he splashes into the waves. What can I say, I'm evil. I jump after him and push his head under. Bye bye, nancy boy hair gel.

He splutters and wildly flails his arms, hitting me squarely against my injured ribs. Ouch! Now that hurts! I gasp and almost swallow a pint of seawater. This calls for revenge. I dive at him and bite his bottom, causing him to gasp in surprise. I press my advantage and capture him in a tight embrace. We sink to the bottom in a tangle of limbs, groping and holding. It's pitch-black and I can't see a damn thing but I find his lips anyway. No thinking, no talking, just kissing and feeling - and being tossed around by the tide. So what. Don't need to breathe, now, do we?

Even so he struggles, like he's about to drown. I let go and he shoots back to the surface. "Spike, you idiot," Angel pants as he frantically scrambles through shallow waters back towards the beach. But I sense mirth under the indignation.

I just laugh at him and cause him to trip and fall. I quickly pin him underneath me. We end up somewhere in the no-man's-land between land and sea. The Pacific is pushing and pulling. Angel's on his back, and I'm lying on top of him.

"Admit it Angel," I yell as a wave washes over us with enough force to lift us off the sand for a second. "This is fun!"

"This isn't fun. This is madness!"

"Same thing, Angel, same thing!"

I crouch next to him and make good of my promise. I bend down and take his cock into my mouth. It's soft and limp. I lick and suck, tasting the salt of the sea on my tongue, causing it to swell and harden. Every cold wave throws countless grains of sand at us that swirl and tickle against our skin and get caught in our hair. Feels great. And that feeling when the waters retreat with a rush, when they drag the sand from beneath you - really neat!

I'd laugh out loud, but I've got Angel's cock between my lips. I start pumping him with one hand while fondling his balls with the other. Soon I have him thrashing like a stranded fish. I haven't felt so good in a long time.

(Angel's POV)

When I look at Spike I wonder: How can a vampire have such a zest for life?

(Spike's POV)

"Now that was fun," I say as we wade out of the water.

"Now we're wet," Angel states the obvious.

"Want me to lick you dry?"

"Not today."

"Your loss." I shrug. "How 'bout this then: let's ride our bikes at full speed an' let the wind dry us."

Angel doesn't even reply, just gives me a pitying glance. I take it that's a no. I walk to our pile of clothing and pick up my shirt. "Dry yourself with this," I suggest and toss it his way. "Prissy." I light myself a fag, then grab my trousers and put them on. Who cares if I'm still wet?

He takes a lot longer to get ready and dressed. Then he kneels in the sand to pack his stuff into his bag, even the empty jar that held the pig's blood he gave me. Can't litter, can we?

We walk in silence to our bikes.

"Angel?"

He looks up.

I hunt for the right words to say. God, can't go all sentimental now, can I. But there's no need. Angel just smiles. "Any time, Will."

And with that he turns the ignition key and his engine roars to life. I do the same. We race back to the highway where we stop. He nods. I nod back. Very manly and all. And then we speed our separate ways. But tonight, neither of us was alone. Nothing else matters.
 

THE END
 
 

Author's Note:
Many thanks to Xanpet, Cimmerdeux, VampRapunzel and Marguerite, for betaing, input and encouragement. Also thanks to everybody who left such awesome feedback. What can I say? I'm a feedback junkie.
Even more thanks to my husband, who looked after the kids whenever I told him I just HAD to work on this story... even during our vacation.