Sorry Can't Go Swimming; Aunt Flow's Come to Visit
by Quwinntessa Starber
Spike awoke to the feel of Willow moving away from him. He reached
for her, catching her elbow in the half-formed shadows of early night.
"LET GO!"
Startled by her command, his hand dropped, and Willow bolted from the
bed, ran into the bathroom, and slammed the door.
For a moment Spike just laid there, completely baffled by her
reaction this evening. He thought they'd managed to break ground earlier,
come to some kind of understanding. Willow had poured out her heart to
him, and he'd listened. In the end, before the last time they'd drifted
off, he thought she'd finally done it. She'd told him why she'd called out
to him that night, and now he knew without a doubt that she'd always
planned for him to take her, to turn her into one of his kind. The Slayer
had fucked up royal, and now Willow was his.
But that didn't explain why she'd run from his touch!
Following an instinct as old as his twenty-three year life had been
when he'd been turned, he drew in a deep breath to sigh--and fell into full
game face as a subsonic growl emanated from his chest.
His golden eyes widened at the scent on the air, and without
hesitation, Spike pulled the covers that had been wrapped around Willow's
body, up to his nose and inhaled. Gold disappeared as the intoxicating
scent caused his eyes to roll to the back of his head in erotic pleasure.
He inhaled again, the sweet smell filling his nostrils and focusing
his brain on only one thing--Willow. Dropping the blankets, he threw the
covers off himself and stalked the room, locking all the doors and window's
as he went. He examined every shadow before coming to stand in the middle
of the room, his body poised for a fight, every muscle taunt and ready for
any command his demon gave it to protect what was his.
The door of the bathroom opening sounded a thousand time louder, and
the smell of Willow came on the air in a rush only a predator could
comprehend. Spike turned in her direction, noting that the sound of her
gasp at his facial features only heightened his desire for her.
She looked so tiny standing in the doorway, a heated flush on her
cheeks where her body temperature had risen during the night. One silk
covered breast peaked over the doorframe, as did one pale leg. She was the
image of a temptress--and it was probably the only duality that shocked
Spike's brain back into focus.
By Satan himself, she didn't understand! This wasn't in any of the
Watcher Journals, not a single bloody volume, because to a vampire, this
was more sacred than even a turning. This was life and death, the very
essence of woman that was so directly hers, that only a vampire could
appreciate the glory and sacristy of what it really was.
"spike?" Even her voice was tiny.
With more effort than he thought he could stand, he moved to the
glass door that opened onto the glass balcony. He didn't look at her when
he spoke, only unlocked the door and walked through, closing it tightly
behind him. "Go to your room, Willow, bathe and dress in something
completely covering. I'll come see you when you're done." He didn't wait
for her reply.
From the other side of the door, he could almost feel Willow's worry
and fear. He'd never been so cold to her, never so withdrawn, and he knew
she was suffering. But he'd explain it all, everything, once she'd washed
at least some of the scent away, some of that heady mixture that was only
female, that meant both life and death.
* * *
Willow wanted to cry.
What had she done?
Oh, she knew what she'd done, knew exactly what was wrong, knew the
very sight of her must disgust him. She covered her eyes, drawing deep
breaths as she tried to quell the tears that threatened to spill onto her
cheeks.
Goddess, what was she going to do?
Running from the bathroom, Willow tore out of the bedroom, down the
hallway, and into her room. She slammed the door behind her, running into
the bathroom before stripping her nightshirt and turning the bath water on.
She twirled the hot dial without consideration as she ran to the sink and
opened the cabinet door. From inside, she withdrew a grocery bag
containing all the girly items she's been embarrassed about the night
they'd put groceries away.
From within, she pulled out a single tampon. Unwrapping it, Willow
followed the instructions written on the box by memory and then turned back
to the tub, tears trickling down her face in shame.
She'd wondered how she'd escaped nearly seven weeks without her
period, but had chalked it up to stress. Now, as the tears fell unchecked,
she wanted nothing more than to hide herself from Spike for the rest of her
life.
By the Goddess, he was a vampire! She'd seen he and his kind use
scent as a means of tracking people before, knew from the Watcher Journals
that the olfactory senses of Vampires were some of the most acute of all
the demon world. And she'd been right next to him!
Willow knew she'd been lucky, avoiding any kind of accident that
could have resulted from her being unprepared for this monthly event. But
how disgusting! The scent of one's own body often propelled girls to take
two or more showers a day during this time of the month and Willow was
often no exception. But for a vampire, the smell must have been--Willow
covered her mouth in a sob.
The tub was full then, and Willow shut off the water numbly. She
raised her foot and sunk it in, hissing at the scalding temperature. It
didn’t matter though, maybe if the water was hot enough it'd strip her body
of scent, of blood that was pointless to a woman who had never really
wanted children in the first place.
She cried for a long time, letting the tears release some of her
morbid embarrassment. How could she face him again she wondered, as the
tears found a new question to fall over?
Willow didn't hear the door open, didn't hear the deep in draw of
breath as Spike saw her leaning against the side of the Victorian tub, her
shoulders shaking slightly with the effort to hold in her sadness.
"Pet?"
Startled, Willow looked up, her eyes puffy, as she pulled her body
closer to the side of the tub, hiding herself in shame. She couldn't bear
to look at him, and turned away, her eyes focusing at the floor by his
feet.
"No, Willow." His voice was filled with such self-loathing, but
Willow didn't hear it, all she could hear was the disgust.
She spoke hurriedly. "I'm sorry. I didn't--I didn't know it was, it
hasn't come since I've been here. I'm sorry, please, please just leave.
Please." She knew he was staring at her, knew it from the burning
sensation she felt in her cheeks. She wanted to crawl under the water and
hide, keep herself hidden for the five days of hell she'd go through as
soon as her body realized what was going on. "Please don't look at me."
She wasn't at all prepared when he came and knelt by the tub. Wasn't
ready when he poured the liquid soap into his hands and gently began to run
it through her hair. She tried to pull away, but he just gently tugged her
back by the roots until she was facing him, her green emerald eyes locked
with ice blue.
Spike didn't say a word, just continued to gently scrub her hair,
occasionally caring a cup full of water to rewet her hair. Finally,
without words he got her to turn just slightly so that her body was now at
length with the tub, before he tipped her chin back and washed away the
suds. She wasn't conscious of her breasts peaking tautly over the crest of
the water, didn't really care as she watched him pour water over her hair,
working the soap out.
It should have been erotic, but it wasn't, it was horrible, watching
him do this for her, and knowing all the while he knew a secret females
told males only when backed into a corner. It was their secret, their
private curse, and they bore it knowing it would pan out someday, that the
suffering would be worth while. This wasn't a thing to be shared with
males, and Willow felt her cheeks flush as his eyes found hers.
Again Spike turned her wordlessly, so that now her back was to him.
He applied the silky conditioner to Willow's hair, massaging it into the
strands with agile fingers. She was grateful he'd turned her away, she
didn't think she could stand looking at him anymore. When their eyes had
met, his had flashed a golden color, and the only thing she could think of
was that he was doing this for her just to make sure it got done properly--
that he was angry.
When the conditioner had been worked through, Spike urged her to sink
more fully into the tub before he drained half the water away, filling it
with fresh, more comfortable water. Distraught, she tried to turn around,
tried to send him away again, but her movements only caused him to push
gently on her shoulders, locking her in place. Willow felt the tears of
frustration fall down her cheeks, but they were quickly lifted away as
Spike brushed them aside.
Then Spike did a very strange thing, against the same portion of the
tub Willow was leaning against, Spike did as well, so that the side of his
head could just barely touch the side of hers if he leaned just to the
right. He lit a match then, bringing the flame to a single candle until it
sputtered to life; and then with a kick of his outstretched foot, he
slammed the bathroom door closed. Willow jumped at the bang of door
against frame, but Spike gently shushed her; and then he told his tale.
There was an air of mystery to his voice, as if he were telling her
some fantastical story that was so engrained in him it was like speaking
about the gods. There was reverence in there, and a deep respect that
resounded in every word he spoke, and by the time he was finished, Willow
knew everything he said was true, no matter how it made her feel.
"It's a sad fact of life that men are bloody well stupid. The worst
is, they don't even know it. They prance around in their dignified
clothes, poking their willies where they don't belong, all the while making
sure everyone knows, they're the ones that run this whole place. Well,
maybe I should have said, human men think that; vampires are a lot smarter.
"What's life and death? It's a question a vampire asks himself all
the time. Am I alive, or am I dead, and if this is dead, was it any
different than being alive? Those kinds of deep questions plague the
immortals all the time. Who are we, why are we here? That sort of thing.
The smarter of the vampires figure it out right quick. We're the
harbingers of death, extensions of the hand of that death. Maybe we're the
fallen angles as some poets like to think, but me, I think we've got less
to do with god and more to do with the cosmic balance of the whole thing.
We're creatures just like everything else, with needs and desires just like
humans. We live, we work, we play, and we do it all the way nature
intended us to do it. Humans think they're at the top of the food chain,
but we're the ones that hunt the humans, and likewise they hunt us. We're
equals and we're the same. So that answers those questions.
"But the one that gets us, the one that really makes the blood run
cold in our veins is the question, 'What's life and death?' That one's not
so easily answered, and that's the question that keeps us up during the
day, wondering and worrying. It's a hard question to answer, but that
doesn’t mean we don’t have one."
Spike paused, and Willow wondered briefly at what was to come.
"A long time ago, vampires, the old kind, sat down to really think
about this question. What was life and what was death? We seemed like
death, we brought it, we carried it in the fangs we used to kill with, in
the way we toyed with our pray to heighten our pleasure. We killed for
necessity and we killed for sport; but those things were done by humans as
well. So if we weren't death then were we life? Was being a vampire the
actual source of life, of immortality? Humans died if not turned, they
withered away like the fruit on the vine, but being a vampire was to pick
the fruit, to make it last forever. But we became like dust if killed, so
how could we truly be called immortal?
"In the end, it was a wise female vampire that said we were the
balance, neither living nor dead. And to justify this claim she brought in
a female human." Spike stopped suddenly, savoring the memory as it coursed
through him. Even Willow understood that this was a very important story
for vampires.
Spike confirmed it. "Vampires don't share this story with anyone,
Willow. It's as good as our bible for lack of a better term. It's the one
thing vampires hold sacred, more than the Sire/Childe bond, more than the
blood that ties us to clans. We only share the story with those we plan to
make into a Childe, a vampire with the strength of twenty fledglings, both
in muscle and will to survive.
"Understand, that after last night I will make you my Childe, Willow, the
strongest I've ever made in fact. You'll be my Queen, my mate--and my
every desire will come to rest with you. I can't tell you how I know
you're the one, Pet. Angelus once told me I'd know the one I'd give the
gift to when I met him or her, but I never really believed him." Spike
paused. "How could I believe him when he said that's why he made me?"
It was a sad, heart wrenched confession from the vampire by her side, and
without meaning too, Willow turned over in the water and wrapped her arms
about his neck from behind, nuzzling her lips into his hair and kissing his
temple.
For a long moment, Spike just allowed the contact, soaking it in. Finally,
he lifted one of her hands from his chest and kissed the inside of her
wrist. When he pulled it away from his lips he held it, examining the
white unmarred flesh.
"When I'm finished with this story, Willow, I'm going to drink from you
again. It'll be the only way for me--but I'll explain in a moment." And
he kissed her wrist again before gently pushing it back towards her. She
pulled her arms back into the water and returned her body to its original
position. She never said a single word against becoming his Childe.
"This vampire was a Queen. Watcher Journals don't talk about Queens
because vampires don't talk about Queens. Humans are foolishly ruled by
men; but vampires are a matriarchal society. Women rule all the old clans,
as they should. The transformation does something to them, makes them
stronger and wiser than their male counterparts. The original vampire was
a woman, some say the Slayer's twin sister who was possessed by a demon
during some kind of Neanderthal ritual. Some say she still lives, hidden
away, sleeping, waiting for the time to rise.
"Female vampires preserve the species. Males are a lot like humans, brash
and filled with the need to prove themselves better than the rest. They
wage war against each other, kill one another, for little more than the
notion that they can. But the females, those are the ones to beat.
They're smart, too smart, I sometimes think. They plan with the devious
nature of true killers. Men were born to be human, to kill without cause
and with blunt objects; but women, graceful and stealthy, they were born
for the hunt. They kill only when provoked, otherwise, living with the
land, with their surroundings. They blend with the ease of knowing they
belong there as much as the rest. And as humans they had the one secret
that even males--through their constant battles--will never possess--they
had the ability to bring forth life from their very bodies."
Willow cringed, knowing before this started it had something to do with
this female activity, but enthralled none the less by the way Spike was
talking about it. She kept her comments to herself, listening intently.
"I think I know what you're thinking, Luv, and you can stop right there.
I'm not planning on leaving you alone, or avoiding you, or locking you in
the basement until the bleeding stops. I should have explained better when
I sent you away…but in all honesty, I didn't think I could control myself."
Stunned by his frankness and his admission, Willow turned around again,
staring at the back of Spike's blond head. "Control himself," what did he
mean by that?
Spike didn’t answer Willow's silent question, just continued the story.
"This human female the Queen brought to the council was young, perhaps
fourteen or so. Back then she wasn't so young though, a good marrying age,
even better for birthing. The Queen had bought the girl from her family
for a few gold pieces, quite a bit of money I'm told.
"It was during the girls monthly--period, in the States, right?" She
nodded and the feel of her hair against his must have supplied his answer
because he continued. "They say it was like nothing anyone had ever seen
before. A council consists of at least ten vampires, all leaders of clans,
and at this time, in this place, the leaders happened to be mostly male;
seven to four I’m told, were the odds that night. It's said the males fell
into full game face immediately, smelling the air like rabid dogs. In
animals, menstruation's a sign of fertility, in humans too, only it's an
indication that the last month was unsuccessful, and some bloke better
stake his claim fast. But these males, the cream of the crop you might
say, fell all over themselves to get at this one female girl.
"Lucky for the little chit, the Queens stopped them, held them back long
enough for them to get their senses about them. When they'd settled the
bloodlust, the poor creature was huddled against the Queen who'd brought
her, frightened out of her mind. The Queen pointed to the girl and said,
'This is the human girl, who's body brings both life and death. The
evidence of this is the blood that flows between her legs. It is the thing
of life to all humans, and yet it symbolizes death as it leaves her body.
Humans find her weak and disgusting, shun her from her community during
what they see as a symbol of their own mortality. But I say to you this,
to us, to vampires, she is death only when her body is taken by child, and
life only when there is no child to be had.' And then to prove her point,
she drank from the child, not from the pulse of her neck, but from the
cavity of her body that supplied freely without harm. Then she said to
them, that the blood of life and death is purer that the most crystal
water, warmer than the fires of an inferno; that this blood, and this alone
could sustain a vampire for a month without further feeding. But the
others didn't believe her--it's a pretty bold claim to a vampire that
usually has to feed every other night or so. The very idea of feeding only
once a month would be like a miracle. Vampires got killed on the hunt,
from lucky humans to the Slayer. If what the Queen was saying was true,
then a vampire could get himself a willing woman and pursue things other
than feeding the demon. So the council made her prove it. For twenty-
eight days the council sat in the same small cave. Every few nights, some
would leave the cave to hunt while the others watched the Queen and her
human girl. Not once did the Queen feed from the girl, and not once did
she leave to feed in the night. For a month this continued, and still the
Queen did not feed, nor show any signs of needing too. Finally, on the
twenty-eighth day, the human girl began her cycle again, and it was from
this the Queen indulged. From that moment on, vampires learned that human
females were only a source of life, life to humans and life to vampires.
"On the Hellmouth, more females die than males, because only fledglings and
fools walk the Hellmouth. The old vampires, the ancient ones that make me,
in human standards, only a few days old, they know the value of a female
life, that in her body rests the ability to sustain a vampire for forty
years if kept right. So they hunt men for sport and sport alone, caring
for a small group of women they provide for and in exchange visit monthly
to drive off the hunger."
He turned then, and their eyes met, Willow's large with a mixture of horror
and appall, and his with a desperate need to make her understand. "Think
of it like this, Luv, the human world views this as a sign that you've
failed, that you've managed to go one more month without fulfilling your
life's mission; on the other hand, to a vampire, you're the real source of
life only if you bear no children."
At her still mixed look Spike sighed, running his hand over his face, and
smelling her scent between his fingers. He groaned, closing his eyes
against the fragrance of her that was beyond the smell of even the most
advanced human. It was the scent of human chemicals on the air, of the
duality of life and death. He could feel his face shifting, feel his need
for her almost overwhelming, but he staved it off, forcing himself to
remember that she was still very much in need of him to stay in control.
When he opened his eyes, they were gold rimmed. "Willow, right now, your
body is the most sexy, enticing, erotic thing I can think of. You're scent
fills the room, and while you can't smell it, it's like the most alluring
perfume. To a vampire--to me, I want nothing more than to take you,
alternate between feeding from you, and making love to you until the very
thought of leaving me drove you closer to me. I want you right now, more
than I've wanted any woman, human or vampire, ever in my entire life.
You're the one I'll make into my Childe, my mate, and it's taking all my
self-control not to just turn you now and make you mine. That's how
powerful this is, how strong my desire for you is. It's almost more than
one can stand, more than I want to stand. It feels like I need you just to
live, just to survive a few more seconds. You don't disgust me, Willow--no
Luvie, the very scent of you drives me mad with desire for you." And to
punctuate that point, he wrapped his hand into Willow's slippery hair, and
crushed her mouth to his in a bruising kiss that brought every truth he'd
told home.
Her whole life, this cycle had been considered a let down, as if she'd done
something wrong by being cursed with it. It was painful and restricting,
seeming to cut her off from the rest of the world. But here she was, in
Spike's crushing grip, tasting for herself his need for her in this state
of removal. As his hand kneaded the flesh at the back of her neck, Willow
knew that to Spike she was nearly divine. In this state, her body was like
a fountain of life for him, and her confidence soared at that thought, that
she could give something back to him.
She eased away from him, feeling him moan at the loss of contact. But
years of teaching could not be completely erased in a span of minutes, and
Willow turned to look down at her breasts as she spoke.
"I-I can't say the idea doesn't gross me out--a lot--but I think I
understand. Intellectually…menstrual fluids are rich in all kinds of
things needed to support a growing human life. I guess, if vampires use
blood for nutrients, then…then that would be the kind of blood they'd
want." Spike's index finger found it's way under her chin then, and with a
bit of gentle pressure he made her look at him.
"You think too much, have I told you that?" She shook her head. "Well I
should have. It doesn't matter why it is, or what makes it so, all that
matters is that it is."
Suddenly a question that had been gnawing at the back of her mind pushed
out from between her lips. "But if that's true, if your story's true, then
why do so many vampires kill at all? Why don't they just…just get
a…willing girl to…oh, you know!" She pulled her chin away from his fingers
as the blush stole over her cheeks again.
Spike only chuckled before recapturing her chin and bringing her up for
another kiss, this one soft and alluring. "Like I said, it's a sacred
story to vampires, and one definitely not told to fledglings. I first
heard the story from Angelus, who heard it from the Master himself. Now
that bloke was old, but not nearly as old as some. The old vampires are in
Europe and the surround; they're the ones that follow the old ways, blend
into human civilization so seamlessly that only another Vampire can tell
them apart from the rest. It's the old ones that use the story to their
advantage, and they've come up with a few tricks to make it all the more
easier.
"Vampire saliva is a very strange thing. It has one very distinct
property; it thins the blood. You can't really see them with your naked
eye, but our fangs inject saliva into our victims. This cute little trick
that the masters use, is they bite their females on a certain set of nerves
along their lower spinal column, here lean forward and I'll show you."
Willow did without hesitation, and Spike breathed easier knowing she was
taking this so well. "Anyway, a Master will bite you there and it's like
getting the whole week long process over in a single night. Most of the
females think this is a pretty good deal, I'm told. They feed their
benefactor for one night and they spend his money for the other twenty-
seven. The drawback is it's pretty painful, all that cramping and such, I
assume you know what I mean." She nodded. "Well, that was pretty much
taken care of when they introduced opium to the scene. Masters give the
chits opium and the girls lay there for a night long high that's less
embarrassing I guess than the alternative. Though, to a vampire, it's so
strange to think of feeding this was as vulgar and not completely erotic."
He pulled her forward again, this time kissing his way to the hollow of her
throat. "Not embarrassing at all."
Easily aroused during her period anyway, Willow was a tingle with
conflicting emotions of need and flight. The way he was touching her,
tasting her flesh with his tongue, she couldn't hold back the moans, and
that only seemed to fuel him forward. She wasn't delusional, she wanted
him, had for a long time now. Willow knew she'd be with him for longer
than one lifetime, she'd made that decision on a very bleak night back in
Sunnydale. If these were the circumstances she was supposed to lose her
virginity under then so be it, she was more than willing. Her dripping
hands came out of the water to encircle his neck and instinctively, Spike
pulled her half out of the tub and against his chest.
The kisses were hungry and demanding, and for the first time, Willow opened
her mouth to receive him. Tongues played together in a litany of attack
and surrender. She rubbed her breasts against him, desperate for the
contact until his hands found her and molded against her flesh. Willow
sighed loudly as his mouth moved down the column of her neck, until his
tongue was licking at her collar bone and then lower, to the parts of her
that stretched taunt for him to taste.
Her breath caught as the ridges of his demon rubbed against her breasts,
but she didn’t care. This was a part of him as much as the mask he wore
for her as a human. He was a monster that could love, and Willow was
prepared to love him no matter which face he chose to wear.
Her hands held him close to her heart, forcing his mouth where she needed
him the most, and he obliged, following her every silent instruction to
bring her satisfaction.
And then suddenly, Spike pulled away, his hands dropping away from her body
as he forced himself to stand and move across the room, to lean against the
counter on the far wall.
For her part, Willow as once again stunned. Had she done something? Did
she do something wrong? She hadn't had much experience in this; she and Oz
had always been a little too self-conscious. But it hadn't felt wrong,
it'd felt right, so very, very right.
Leaning back into the rapidly cooling water, Willow watched the man's back
because she could not see his reflection in the mirror. Spike's shoulders
were tense, his whole body was tense, and Willow had a pretty good idea
why. His head was bent, but she could tell he was watching her watch him,
and that slightly unnerved her. She decided to speak first.
"I-I know I didn't do anything wrong, but, would you just say it so I know
for sure."
She could almost see him smile. "You didn't do anything wrong, Willow Luv,
I'm the bastard in this situation. The last thing you need is for me to
shag you three ways to Sunday." Her giggle interrupted him.
Willow watched him turn then, gaze back at her with shock as her giggles
turned to full out laughs. When she'd gotten herself under control, she
looked up at him and smiled. "I think that might be the only thing I need
right now. You shouldn't tease a girl like that, it could get you into
trouble someday." It was the complete reversal of sex roles that had kept
more than one girl safe from date rape over the years, this time it only
served in making Spike flash his notorious evil grin.
But it was only a flash, and then it was gone, replaced by a look that was
near self-loathing. "It's a lot to take in all at once Pet, and I don't
doubt that you find it all a little…shall we say unappetizing. Besides,
the act of the feed is very strong, usually only Masters can resist the
need to change a female during the act, a mind goes crazy during the whole
thing, a bloodlust unlike any other."
Willow nodded. "It is, well, all kinds of ick for me, but it's obviously a
good thing for vampires, and well, you're a vampire, so it's a good thing
for you right?" Spike hesitantly nodded. "Well, I want to do a good thing
for you. You've done so much for me, and I know as time goes on you'll do
a lot more for me too. If-if this is something I can give you, something I
can give you back for everyth--"
She wasn't ready for how fast he moved, wasn't prepared for the two fingers
that were suddenly blocking her lips from moving. His eyes were slightly
pained when she looked. "You don't owe me anything, Willow. Don't ever
think that again. I told you once before, you belong to me, and I take
care of what's mine. You are mine. I will take care of you, without
obligation, or requirements in kind. Please, Willow, for me, don't think
that thought again."
She could only nod as he pulled his hand back and stood. "I'll lay out
some clothes for you to wear. For both our sakes, the easiest thing is if
you do just a few things. First, bath at least twice a day, it'll make it
easier for me to be close to you without trying to shag you. Second, wear
thick clothes, pants would be better. I'm fighting your scent now, and
stop looking like it's something to be ashamed of! It's not as if you
smell bad, you smell like a chit in need of a really good shag and it's
driving me insane! Help a bloke out, would you Luv? Be merciful?"
And she nodded, forcing herself not to be self-conscious about the
pheromones her body was giving off that he could sense.
Then Spike was kneeling at the lip again, this time holding his hand out to
her, and suddenly, Willow knew what he was asking for. Without hesitating,
she gave him her wrist and then leaned forward, making it easier for him to
draw the delicate bit of flesh and bone forward.
He skipped her wrist for a moment as he bent to bring their lips together
in the most erotic kiss she'd ever received. "You need time to adjust, and
so do I, but when the time is right my love, and it will be right soon, I
will claim you as no man could ever claim you, and you will be mine for
eternity."
She moaned at his words. Silently he pulled back, before settling her back
once again against the side of the tub closest to him. With light kisses,
Spike moved from her shoulder, down past her elbow and along her forearm.
She moaned again at his gentleness, and then felt a rush of near orgasm as
he bit gently into her wrist. There was more pleasure in that act than any
other that had come to pass in Willow's short life. Every nerve ending was
alive with the feeling of her flesh slowly tearing under the puncturing
bite. Her breath came in desperate gasps of air, and she couldn't help but
cry out in absolute wanton desire as he softly began a slight suction. Her
world focused on him, and she knew he was her world now, her present as
much as her future.
Suddenly, one of his hands stole into the water, and his cool fingers
quickly found her center. It was the briefest touch, the slightest caress
exactly where she needed it, neither intrusive, nor unwanted, and with it
came the released of her sudden passion. She cried out his name, calling
it over and over as wave after wave of pure bliss fell across her warm
body.
She heard him growl a moment later as he released her wrist, and she sighed
sadly when his stroking fingers left her as well. Gently, Spike maneuvered
her wrist back into the water, and kissed a path from her shoulder to her
neck and then invaded her parted lips.
When he pulled back, Willow's eyes were heavy with spent passion. His
voice was gentle as he caressed her face. "I will never, ever have enough
of you, not even after a thousand lifetimes." He kissed her again, before
standing. "Finish. I'll be in the room to help you get dressed. And
Willow?" She looked up at him. "It may be sooner than either one of us
thought."
As the door closed, Willow sank back into the water and shivered with
delight.
