Scented Oils Prompt - 13

Giles moved swiftly to the door as the unrelenting pounding reverberated through the room.

"What do you know about this new person in Buffy's life?" Angel demanded even as Giles opened the door. The large brunette snarled in irritation as the barrier that kept him outside held. He was truly getting sick and tired of people keeping him out because Angelus had been a little less than friendly. Didn't anyone understand that it wasn't his fault?

"Oh, yes, Angel. It is a lovely evening, and I am quite well, thank you," Giles offered facetiously, his lip twitching with unexpressed mirth.

Angel rolled his eyes in annoyance. "Fine. Hello Giles. Nice night. You look well," he deadpanned and then, without waiting for a reply, he barrelled on with a string of rapid fire questions. "Did you even know Buffy was going out on a date? Do you know where in L.A. he's taking her? Who he is?"

"Yes, yes, and I believe that would be Buffy's news to share," he replied, thoroughly enjoying himself.

"Where?" the dominating brunette demanded.

"Oh, I believe 'The Arena' was mentioned," Giles smiled helpfully, then watched as the vampire rapidly retreated into the night.

Giles closed the door still smiling. As he moved back to his chair he snickered with evil glee. "I must thank Joyce for her warning call and Xander for suggesting that particular nightclub."

Visions of the expression on the face of the vampire when he entered the notorious gay bar filled the watcher with much joy.

~*~*~

"Mawidge...mawidge is what bwings us togewer today..."

With a wide eyed look at each other at the timing and delivery of the minister's words, Buffy and Spike burst into laughter.

The moment of shared amusement managed to cover the potentially awkward moment that Buffy felt sure that one of them would have blown way out of proportion by doing or saying something equally stupid. More likely him than her she assured herself - only to have the Slayer snort at her in disbelief. 'You keep telling yourself that, Barbie!'

Snuggling deeper into her position on Spike's lap, Buffy chose to ignore her slayer side and settled in to watch the rest of the film.

'Um...excuse me...poncy git? Why exactly am I sitting here with a lap full of slayer surprise and not shaggin' the girl senseless?' Spike's demon sarcastically asked his William side, positive that the little wanker would come up with some lame-arsed, fucked up excuse that basically meant Spike was not going to get lucky even though the little minx had just creamed her nickers and the smell alone was going to drive him insane.

'Heathen!' William hissed in disgust. 'You will learn patience even if I have to beat you into submission! To win this lady you need to earn her trust. Now, behave yourself and follow the plan.'

Spike slightly tightened his hold around the beautiful blonde's waist as he pulled her back a little closer to him and rested his chin on her shoulder, his inner warring carefully concealed from the skittish teen.

'Okay, snuggling is good...I wonder if I should feel guilty that I got a happy and he didn't?' Buffy mused.

'Pfft,' the Slayer snorted indelicately. 'We got ours...let him get his own!'

Buffy giggled.

Spike thought she was laughing at the movie.

~*~*~

Buffy couldn't keep the grin off her face. She happily recounted her wonderful evening- well, most of it anyway- to her mother and then to Willow. She wasn't sure either of them were ready for the unabridged version.

She'd relived the tender goodnight kiss over and over again. Her dreams turned her evening into something that made her Slayer side purr.

Her mother and then Giles had happily informed her of their own event filled evenings. Her watcher had giggled...yes giggled! at his diversionary destination for Angel. The fact that the brooding vampire had rung Giles from L.A. to lament the 'mistake' the librarian had made had only fuelled the Brit's laughter further.

Giles had further informed his slayer that apparently Angel's car had broken down and he would be forced to stay in L.A. until the following Monday for repairs.

To Buffy, this of course meant two Angel-free days to happily pursue her nummy blond mate to be. Yay, breakdown!

Now she just had to find the blonde pain in her butt.

~*~*~

Buffy groaned as she entered the house. An unusually hard patrol had left her whole body aching. The fact that the vampire she actually wanted to see had been a huge no show did nothing to improve her mood. 'Stupid damn peroxided pest, never around when you wanted him!' she grumbled unhappily to herself.

Her mother greeted her with barely suppressed glee that she desperately tried to hide behind concern. "You look exhausted, honey. Bad night?"

Buffy squinted crossly as she regarded her mother suspiciously. "You look all bouncy," she accused, pouting. "Bouncy is not good with cranky Buffy!"

~*~*~

Earlier

Spike watched as Buffy left for her evening patrol, careful to stay out of her range. He really didn't want her finding out about his plans this early. As soon as she moved out of sight, he moved closer to the house and let out his senses, easily locating Joyce in the kitchen. Moving with swift determination, he headed for the back door and knocked.

"'Lo, Joyce," he greeted the mother of the girl that was quickly taking over ownership of his heart.

Joyce took one look at his shy smile and beamed at him. As she ushered him in, she briefly wondered how she could help her daughter snare this wonderfully sweet and absolutely gorgeous male specimen. She was not really surprised that he would be a perfect match for her headstrong daughter. He was a lovely combination of innocent boy and strong man, the existence of his vampire side added just the right touch of dangerous temptation that would turn any woman's head. The fact that his last relationship lasted more than a hundred years was the cherry on top that any disillusioned divorced woman would find irresistible.

"Hot chocolate?" she asked as she automatically moved to gather the ingredients, sure that he would accept.

Spike nodded eagerly all the while wondering how the broach the subject he wanted to discuss with her.

"I think I'm falling in love with your daughter," he blurted out nervously, his William side momentarily gaining control, only to have his demon side berate him for being a complete and utter ponce.

"Well, I knew you had taste. It's nice to know you have the intelligence to go with it," Joyce commented mildly as she continued to work.

Spike frowned at her apparent lack of concern.

"You do know that I'm a vampire, right?"

"Yes, dear. Marshmellows?"

Spike was stumped. Completely floored. Here he was telling this woman that he, dangerous creature that he was, was falling in love with her underage daughter and she was offering him marshmallows? What the bloody hell was wrong with this woman?

"Shouldn't you be getting out your axe about now, Mum?" the floundering blond asked. 'Tellin' me to 'stay the hell away from your daughter'?"

"It's at the school, but I can call Rupert up if you like," she grinned.

"You don't believe me," he surmised dejectedly.

With gentle kindness, she requested he look at her. "What I believe is that in the last few days, you have realised that you deserve more than you received in your last relationship...and you're right. I believe that you're special, and as I also believe that Buffy is special, I think you would be good together. I know that you're a vampire, Spike, but just as Buffy is the Slayer, that's not all either of you are."

Joyce swallowed the lump in her throat at the look of utter awe on the face of the emotional blond.

Handing him is hot chocolate and grabbing one for herself, she took a seat at the counter opposite him. "Now, let's come up with something for you to woo my daughter with."

~*~*~

Buffy's breath caught in the back of her throat as she entered the bathroom as ordered by her mother. Joyce had then happily informed her daughter that she was just on her way out to spend the rest of the evening with a friend.

Joyce had no plans on telling her daughter that she was actually going to visit Rupert so that they could make some more plans to protect Buffy from Angel. With a quick kiss on Buffy's cheek, Joyce headed out the door. She might be happy with Buffy's choice for a mate, but that didn't mean she wanted to listen to anything that might be about to happen. She'd be keeping her illusions about her daughter's chaste virtue for a while longer, thank you very much!

Buffy couldn't believe her eyes. The decadent beauty of the transformed room brought to mind fanciful images of Arabian nights and bodice rippers. Soft silken curtains of gold had replaced the normal boring plastic. Candles and crystals littered all surfaces. Lavender and vanilla wafted through the air and interwove with the gently lilting tones of pan pipes that emanated from the portable CD player on the sink. The bubble filled tub beckoned enticingly.

A champagne flute filled with pale liquid sat waiting on the bath shelf, and within the glass a single strawberry was slightly jostled by the carbonated bubbles. Next to the glass sat a small plate holding a single chocolate, beside it a small velvet jewellery box waited for eager hands to open.

With a deep sigh of delight, Buffy slipped off her clothes and settled into the pleasant heat of the thoughtfully prepared bath. The heat did as much to soothe her aching body as the scented oil in the water that further softened her velvety skin.

Innocent curiosity prompted her to pick up the black velvet box. She opened it and gasped. Nestled in a bed of silk rested a pendent. It was circular in structure, crafted of fine white gold. The unique setting was of two crystals that seemed to be entwined. Mounted in yellow gold which was etched with tiny symbols, the clear yellow-green of one stone was made all the more striking by the faultless purity of the other.

"How beautiful," she whispered in awe.

"And yet it pales in comparison to you," a husky baritone assured from the open doorway.

Buffy, startled at his unexpected entrance, blushed at his words and her position, while her slayer side yelled out in excitement, 'Hell yeah, now this is more like it! Get him to join you!'

While Buffy's slayer side coerced, Spike's inner William almost fainted. 'Good Lord! She's naked!'

Spike's demon metaphorically rolled his eyes, 'Course she'd naked, you git, she's in the bleedin' bath. What did you think- she'd be getting in there dressed?'

Buffy shyly addressed him, not quite ready for a co-ed bath, but not wanting him to leave either. "Do the symbols mean anything?"

With a boyishly excited grin Spike moved fully into the room and sat on the edge of the bath.

"It's more than the symbols, pet," he started. "The way I figure it, the only true weakness slayers have is magic. You can pretty much fight any other nasty that comes along. So I got this bloke I know to make up a pendant with a long chain so you can wear it under your clothes if it wasn't something you liked the look of, ya know. The crystals in the pendent are peridot and quartz. Peridot provides a shield around the body and quartz amplifies energy. Now, you combine that with the protection runes on the bugger and what you have there is a necklace that makes bloody well sure that no bastard can use a spell on you."

"Serious?" she asked with the wide eyed innocence of a child. "That is so cool!" she squealed with delight at his affirming nod.

Slipping the chain over her head she gifted him with a full and brilliant smile.

In that moment Spike felt himself fall.

Spike the Vampire was unequivocally in love with Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

Momentarily overwhelmed with his newly discovered feelings, even Spike's demon was struck by a sudden bout of shyness. Underneath his new timidity, however, lay a steely determination unparalleled to anything before in his existence; to not only win this girl, but to fight for her if need be. Something deep within warned him that he would need to fight to keep her.

"Do all the candles and other stuff in here have meaning too?" Buffy asked curiously. Her question brought her an indulgent smile from the blond seated on the tub edge.

"The vanilla candles heighten the scent of the lavender bath oil," he informed her before moving up the bath to seat himself behind her left shoulder. "Scoot forward, kitten," he urged. He then proceeded to gently massage her shoulders after she repositioned herself following his instruction without question. Her innocent trust made his chest ache.

"I picked that oil 'cause it's s'posed to help with cuts and scratches, anxiety or stress," he explained as he tended to her shoulders, skilfully manipulating her muscles and releasing the tension her hard patrol had caused.

"The different crystals have healing properties, too. Like that one," he said, pointing to the large blue-green stone at the end of the ledge. "That's a turquoise. It helps with communication and developing natural powers. It's a grounding stone, so it helps to balance all the rest. Now, that smoky colored clear one on the toilet is a quartz tabby. It activates all the other crystals and the turquoise grounds its power. The garnet..." He indicated the small ruby coloured crystal on the bath ledge. "Promotes health. That group over there on the sink are a citrine, for happiness and laughter, the bloodstone for courage, stress, and friendship- but also excellent for healing.  Which brings us to the Amber, which brings good luck to warriors, the agate, and the amazonite, which enhances communication concerning...love." The last word was whispered into her ear.

The combination of his whisper and the continuing heavenly manipulation of her shoulders and now upper arm muscles almost caused her to miss the omission.

Almost.

"Um...Spike? What did you say the agate was for?"

Bugger.

"Oh! I almost forgot." He abruptly changed the subject and his position so that he could sit facing her. Shyly, he lifted out the chain of the pendant that hung around his neck and showed it to her. "It's a ruby. It discourages violence."

For a moment Buffy was unable to speak. The solid lump seemed to have lodged deeply in her throat. That he'd done something so thoughtful and clearly for her brought tears to her eyes. Even though Jesse had told her that Spike was a demon who could love, nothing could have prepared her for the emotions that swam through her. She had thought she knew what love was, but the feelings that the blond cutie brought out in her just by his tender actions far surpassed anything she had ever felt for Angel...and that terrified her.

'Don't you dare, Miss Thang. You will not run from this boy. We are keeping him!' her slayer side snarled.

Buffy blinked back her unshed tears and whispered a tremulous thank you.

As her bottom lip wobbled, Spike felt himself drawn to her. Unable to resist, he leaned in to capture the slightly protruding morsel and nibbled. With her throaty groan of desire, he captured her lips fully. His ardour was deep but tender, his passion captivating, and Buffy was quick to respond. Her hand moved to the back of his neck, holding him to her as he perched precariously on the rim of the bath, neither foot touching the floor.

As the fire within her built with each beat of her racing heart, she pulled him closer still, her lust addled brain protesting when his lips slipped from hers. For a moment she was unable to comprehend his spluttering indignation, then she realised that she was no longer alone in the bath and the individual she was now sharing her bath with was fully clothed.

"That is so not my fault!" she blurted, panicking.

Spike chuckled and shook his head in amusement. "Way I figure it, pet, we either both get out, or we both stay in, but either way, I'm gettin' naked."

'Naked Spike, naked Spike,' her Buffy side silently screamed with monotonous regularity and in slowly rising hysteria. 'Nekkid Spike, nekkid Spike,' her slayer side chanted with glee then proceeded to wrestle her softer side into submission. .

One glance at the naked breast the jostling of the water had exposed and William lost the will to fight.

Taking her silence as acquiescence, Spike pushed himself back out of the tub and tugged off his sodden tee-shirt and jeans. He stepped back into the tub, but this time behind Buffy. He gently nudged her forward and then positioned himself comfortably before pulling the unresisting girl back into his arms, her back firm against his chest.

For a short while, Buffy's only conscious thought was a silent whimper of 'yum'.

Spike feathered kisses and nips along her neckline, heeding William's urging to take it slow.

"I need to know that it's over between you and...her," Buffy whispered urgently.

Spike rested his chin on her shoulder and answered her quietly but firmly. "It was over as soon as Angelus came back, luv. It just took me a while to get that, is all."

"I'm so sorry, Spike," she responded with sad guilt. The girl within silently sobbed in mourning for another wrong her relationship with Angel had caused.

Twisting her shoulders slightly, he placed a hand under her chin, lifting her head and ducking his so their eyes could meet. "Here, none of that, kitten. T'wasn't your fault she preferred him," he gently assured her. Waggling his eyebrows he grinned. "She was a nutter, pet. Any sane bird would never choose that wanker over yours truly, 'cause you know I'm a stunner and he has a cliff formation for a forehead."

With her little giggle at his antics, Spike moved her back to her original position, but his own insecurities soon got the better of him.   

"What about you, Buffy? Can you let him go? Will you ever be able to find a place in your heart for me?" His voice got softer with each question, his last words a fear filled whisper. He held himself still as he waited for her answer.

Buffy's fear and desperation kept her from facing him. This was it. Leap of faith time. Taking a deep breath she clutched at the strong arms that were wrapped around her waist. "The fantasy that I thought I was in love with never really existed, Spike. If it did, then he would have loved me even when he lost the soul. I don't think I've ever really known him, so...yeah, letting him go was easier than I ever thought it would be. Love that's one sided doesn't have the same sort of hold that love that's returned has, I mean, it's not like I'd really know, and that's not to say it didn't hurt, 'cause it did. But I think it hurt more knowing that he didn't love me like I thought I loved him than it did getting over him, if you know what I mean. And feel free to jump in anytime here, 'cause I'm rambling. Also, if you keep nibbling on my ear like that, I'm not gonna be able to answer your last question," she commented with mild amusement. His sinful ministrations had begun as soon as she'd mentioned not really knowing Angel and her ability to let him go because of it, consequently her confidence had bolstered immeasurably.

When he froze immediately she smirked as only a woman who knows she got her man whipped can.

"Okay, so where was I?" Buffy grinned inwardly at his whimper of frustration. "Oh, yeah! With the caring. You know, I should be totally pissed at you that you'd think that I wouldn't care deeply about a guy that was my boyfriend."

"Boyfriend?" he spurted in surprise.

"Well, yeah," she snarked with facetious mockery. "You don't really think I'd be having a bath with someone who wasn't at least my boyfriend, do you?" She turned her head and narrowed her eyes as if daring him to disagree.

With a slow spreading smile of the purest sin, Spike replied with a husky whisper as he tightened his hold and reached for her lips, "Hell, no, kitten. Boyfriend sounds just about perfect...for now."

As he plundered her lips with passionate abandon, he lifted and turned her so that she could straddle him, her heated center firm against his turgid length.

Buffy sank further into his embrace as his urgent kisses made the rest of the world disappear. She arched her back in delight, exposing her vulnerable neck to him as he nipped and sucked his way from her lips to her throat.

Spike's hands spayed across her back, stroking her and setting her nerve endings aflame. As one hand rose to hold her head in place, the other swept up her arm to grasp her hand. He gently but insistently tugging it away from his hair and dragging it back to his chest, showing her exactly where he wanted to be caressed.

His arm tightened around her waist as he lifted her slightly, allowing his seeking mouth to find the rosy tips that had so tempted his taste buds when he had watched her pleasure herself.

She whimpered in need as the tip of his rock hard cock nudged at her entrance, her rocking motion allowing it to brush over her needy nubbin and fuel the fire within.

"Oh, Gods, Buffy. What you do to me," Spike mumbled against her aching nipples. "Please, pet, let me in?" he begged.

Need demanded to be sated. It had been too long. Their dance called for completion. With a cry tinged with more than a little desperation, Buffy lowered herself onto him.

Home.

With a sob of relief, Spike held her to him. Her tightness clutched at him, her heat burned. He silently prayed to any deity that would listen to let him keep this. Keep her.

Buffys heart sang as he filled her. This was what it was meant to be like. The way her very cells seemed to hum with delight. He was the missing piece in the jigsaw puzzle that was her life. She couldn't imagine being without him any more. She would do whatever it took to keep him and she would kill anyone that tried to take him from her.

They moved together as one. One being. One soul. United.

They rose together, flying through the heavens, imploding only to become whole again, but as something entirely new. Something special. Destined.

They shared a tender kiss and held each other, basking in the joy of their union.

Around them the water cooled.