Ophelia@juba.freeserve.co.uk

Buffy shrieked, bucking underneath Spike. He morphed, fighting the desire to sink his fangs into her beautiful pale neck. Buffy realised, after she calmed down enough to think, that Spike had not come, and soon guessed why. He was turned away from her, his face averted in desperation to keep control. Gently, she reached up to grasp his face between her hands, and tugged him round to face her. Her breath caught at the sight of his game face, blazing yellow eyes that seemed to be burning a hole right through her.

'Spike,' she murmured, pulling his mouth down to hers, 'drink.'

Spike growled and tried to pull away, but she forced her tongue through his clenched teeth, seeking out a fang. She teased it slightly, amazed at his self-control, and then nicked her tongue on it. The smell of her blood filled his mouth and her growled again, low and deep, and then sucked on her bloody tongue. Swallowing a small amount of her blood, he could feel her arousal, and he came, spilling his cold seed deep within her.

She smiled fondly at him and rubbed his back soothingly until he relaxed, his body moulding to hers.

'Thank you, Slayer,' he murmured into her ear. No breath tickled her flesh, and she held back a sigh. Much as she loved Spike, much as she had wanted to do this with him, for him, it had not been what she expected. She'd expected the wild passion of their fights together, energy and ferocity mingled together as her world was ripped apart and rebuilt around him.

Instead, he'd climbed on top of her, thrust a few times, and then vamped out on her. The only reason she'd come was because for an instant, with her eyes closed, she allowed herself to pretend she was with Angel. She was only lucky she had not screamed his name out, or Spike might have become very angry. He was still a demon, after all. Cold and dead.

Angel had never needed to bite her in their night together. She had a feeling that was because his soul allowed him to gain completion the human way, whereas vampires obviously needed blood.

Rubbing her neck gingerly, she reflected that if this happened regularly, she'd have to invest in a couple dozen turtle-neck sweaters.

A strange noise emanated from Spike, and for a moment she believed he was purring, and was touched, but then she realised he was snoring. Doesn't breathe, but can snore. Go figure. She pushed him off and he rolled into the corner of the bed, wedged between the wall and the duvet. She dismissed the idea of trying to make him more comfortable, he could move himself if he really needed. She sat up, the covers falling to her waist, and that was when the door opened.

Buffy was frozen, unable to make a move to hide her nudity. or Spike.

Then Willow stepped in, reaching for the light.

'Cor, Slayer, turn that bloody light off,' Spike muttered.

It was Willow's turn to behave like a deer in headlights, and she stood stock still, her eyes downcast. Spike? In here? With Buffy? Not wanting to look, but knowing she had to see, she raised her head, praying, Let it be a Slaying thing. It wasn't. Buffy was naked, her beautiful breasts swaying gently. Spike, what little she could see of him, was also naked. Buffy and Spike naked in bed together. Willow begged her mind not to come to any conclusions, but it was too late.

Buffy would never see her best friend, never want her the way she wanted Buffy. Not while there were vampires to fuck.

Willow turned and darted for the door, desperate to escape before Buffy saw the tears falling.

Buffy sat in the bed a moment longer, and then made a split-second decision. She leapt out of the bed, only just remembering to grab her gown on the way. She was still fastening it as she dashed out of the room, heading after the redheaded girl in front of her. Willow tried to run, but the tears were blinding her, and she finally simply collapsed to the floor, sobbing loudly.

'Will?' Buffy said, shocked at her friend's reaction. 'I'm sorry about that, but. why are you so upset?' Oh god, Buffy thought, she has a crush on Spike. 'Look, Will, I'm sorry. I didn't know.'

Willow refused to look up; Buffy had obviously guessed her secret. And didn' t care.

'I mean, if I'd known you liked Spike, I never would have. it was a big mistake. He's not the person I really want.'

Buffy slid a finger underneath Willow's chin, raising her face. Willow sniffed. Not only did Buffy think she liked Spike, but Buffy had her eye on someone else.

'I'll just bet it's another demon,' she muttered quietly.

'What?'

'Nothing, Buffy. Look, I don't like Spike. As far a I'm concerned, he's an evil monster that tried to kill me.'

'But then. why were you upset?' Buffy seemed genuinely puzzled.

Angry at her friend's denseness, Willow stood up.

'I'm angry because of you, Buffy!' she exclaimed. 'I'm angry because I've fallen for you harder than I've ever fallen for anyone, and you can't even see it. Can't see me. I'm angry because you slept with another demon instead of turning to the person who loves you more than anything. And I'm angry because I know you can never love me like that, and it hurts a lot, but it hurts even more when I find you in bed with someone you really want - no, actually, when I find you in bed with someone you don't even really care about!'

Willow shook off Buffy's comforting hand and stormed off, having no idea where she was going, only that she had to get away from here.

'Willow, wait!' Buffy caught up with her friend and grabbed her arm, spinning Willow to face her.

Willow loves me, she thought, happy beyond words. Willow actually loves me!

'Will, if I'd known.'

'You would have requested a new roommate,' Willow replied, cutting her off. 'You would have been shocked and horrified and hurt. You would start avoiding me. You would-'

Realising logic or reasoning would get her nowhere, Buffy stopped Willow's words with a kiss.

'I would have done that,' she whispered, tugging Willow into her arms. 'I would have picked you up and carried you off to bed, and never let you leave.'

So saying, she swept Willow's body into her arms and began to walk back to their room.

'I would have kissed you and hugged you and loved you. Because, Willow, I've wanted to tell you I loved you for so long I can't even remember when I first started feeling this way.'

'Really?' Willow asked in a small voice, contented beyond belief to be where she'd longed to be for so long: Buffy's arms. 'Even when you were with Angel?'

'Sometimes I think I fell for you before I fell for Angel,' Buffy confided. 'Sometimes I wish I'd realised it then, and saved us all this heartache. But I didn't even understand my feelings myself; how could I explain them to you. And we were only just becoming friends, I was afraid I'd lose you if I told you. And then there was Angel, and Oz. And Xander and Scott. And Faith. '

'Did you have feelings for Faith?' Willow asked, jealous.

'I didn't love her, if that's what you mean. But I thought she was sexy, and that was when I first accepted that I could find women as well as men attractive. And then I began to realise that I loved you as more than a friend. and that you loved me only as a friend.'

Willow smiled. 'I guess I should thank Faith,' she said.

'Don't you think there are more important matters to take care of?' Buffy asked.

'Like the vampire in our room?'

'I was thinking more along the lines of what comes after turfing the vampire out of our room,' Buffy said, using her grip on Willow to lightly caress her ass. Willow sighed happily, wriggling in Buffy's arms.

'Hey! I'm gonna drop you if you keep wriggling like that,' Buffy complained light-heartedly.

'Wouldn't want that,' Willow replied.

Minutes later, a very confused, very naked, very drunk Spike stood outside the girl's room, listening to the sounds of pleasure emanating from within.

'Operation get the Slayer and the Witch together worked,' he remarked. 'And I don't intend to complain about the side-effects.'

Dressing quickly, oblivious to the admiring and envious stares he was attracting, Spike sauntered away, grinning to himself. Recalling the richness of Buffy's blood, he decided that the side effects were perhaps the best part.

END

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