“Mmm…” Elizabeth murmured against Spike’s lips as the two of them staggered back towards the bed. Her hands grazed across the strong outlines of his body, brushing his clothes aside as she did so.

“Been too long,” Spike agreed, his lips abandoning hers to trail feather-light kisses down the side of her throat. His mouth latched onto one particularly sensitive spot, right over her throbbing pulse point, and began to suck and bite vigorously.

“Oh, god!” The buttons she was trying to unfasten suddenly became too complicated, and she yanked at the fabric, pulling his shirt open at the cost of two of the white buttons that zinged about the room before falling to the floor.

“I liked this shirt,” he protested half-heartedly. His own hands strayed to the zipper at the back of her strappy little dress and slowly pulled it all the way down…

“I’ll fix it for you later,” she assured him, slipping out of her dress and allowing it to pool on the floor about her feet. Instantly, she leapt up into his arms, her legs wrapping around her waist as she ground her aching need against his.

“Cor, luv, you tryin’ ta kill me or what?” His accent always roughened with passion. It was one of the things she liked most about jumping him.

“Mmm-hmm,” she agreed unabashedly, grinding her hips down into his still-clad ones.

“Christ!” he gasped, his eyes rolling back in his head as he finally staggered backward and crashed into the edge of the bed.

They fell onto the mattress in a mass of tangled limbs, kissing and petting all the while.

“Way, way too long,” Elizabeth repeated Spike’s sentiments from earlier. Her hand slipped between their bodies and began fumbling with his belt.

He assisted her and then lay back with a contented smile on his face as she pulled his jeans down his thighs, slowly and sensuously.

Elizabeth looked up at his fully erect penis and only flushed slightly. He was so comfortable being naked. He was seemed confident, in control…

“C’mere,” he practically purred, holding one hand out to her.

She crawled up his body, moving to curl up in the crook of his arm, but he redirected her so that she was straddling his stomach instead, sitting fully atop him. She gave him a questioning look.

“Just figured you might wanna drive tonight, pet,” he answered. “Seein’ as you’ve been through the most stress this past week…”

She gulped slightly. OK, so she’d thought about it. A lot. But it had been pretty clear from the beginning that Spike had a lot more experience than she did. After all, she’d only had two quick (and dull) one-night stands prior to him. Whereas Spike… Well, he must’ve picked up all those skills from somewhere. And it wasn’t just from Dru.

“I-I’ve never…” she confessed softly.

“Shh,” he cradled her head on his breast, stroking her body in a way that reassured as well as stimulated. “’ll take the lead if you want…”

She felt that overwhelming burning sensation rise in her womb once more. She ventured to look up at him with a cautious smile. “No chance in hell,” she informed him. “This is my night.”

He chuckled at that, brushing aside the strands of hair that stuck to her sweat-slicked forehead. “S’pose that’s a matter ‘f opinion,” he teased.

She rolled her eyes and batted him playfully in the shoulder. “God, you are such an asshole!” she teased, humor shinning in her eyes.

“Din’t think you’d be up for that for a quite a while yet,” he taunted, a mischievous smile on his face.

Elizabeth’s eyes widened when she realized what he was referring to.

“Just kiddin’,” he quickly reassured her, noting the slight panic – and was that…curiosity? – in her eyes.

“Humph,” she grumbled before flicking her tongue out against his lips lightly, demanding entrance.

It was immediately granted, and she scootched up higher on his body in order to put her full power behind the kiss. Her tongue found his to be more passive than usual and so carefully began outlining his mouth, making sure she knew every nook and crevice intimately.

He moaned and clutched at her body, but she brushed his hands aside, pinning his wrists firmly to the mattress on either side of his head. His hips bucked in response, obviously enjoying being her willing captive.

She found herself enjoying it surprisingly well, too. Despite her exceptional fighting skill, Spike’s superior strength always became apparent in the bedroom. Hell, she wasn’t surprised; the guy was built. But it was nice to feel powerful, in charge…

“Let me know if I’m riding you too hard,” she teased before slipping down onto his erection and squeezing her internal muscles as tightly as she could around him.

His eyes crossed in response, and his head lolled back against the pillows. “Christ, Summers!” he gasped out raggedly. At that moment, the only thing he was aware of was her searing warmth surrounding him, holding him, caressing him… “So hot!” he babbled. “So bloody perfect!”

Elizabeth’s mouth had flown open as well. It was always startling just how well he fit inside her, as if her contours had been molded exactly to his size. He was warm and soft and hard and gentle and violent all at once, and she couldn’t help but crave more of him. Cautiously, she began to rock her hips.

“Tha’s it, baby,” he hissed through clenched teeth. “You got me, you got me…”

“I’ve got you,” she agreed, bracing her hands in the center of his chest and beginning to ride him slowly.

And, god, was it wonderful! She swirled her hips so that he struck the most sensitive spots within her, lingering on the areas that sent little sparks of delight shooting up her spine.

He moaned and thrashed beneath her, his hips bucking up to increase the strength of their union. His pale, hard body formed a shimmering sheen of sweat that looked pale silver in the dim light.

“God, you’re beautiful,” she gasped, picking up her pace. The intensity of the friction of the meeting of their two bodies was so great that she generally couldn’t form any other coherent thoughts. “Gorgeous. Want you. Even now. Always want more…”

He let out a contented little murmur, smiling at her newfound verbosity. Usually, he was the one to whisper the sweet nothings during sex, but it wasn’t a job he minded handing over to her at all. “Tell me more,” he pleaded.

She leaned forward slightly so that she hovered right over him, her long, golden locks curtaining his face. They both let out a hiss of pleasure at the new angle before she increased her pace once more.

“You make me feel so good,” she whispered just loudly enough that he could hear her over the slapping of their bodies. “It’s like there was some part of me missing…until I met you.” She placed a tender kiss on his lips.

His hands moved from where she’d left them on either side of his head for the first time since their coupling began. Gently, they caressed her sides, stroked her back, increasing their pace until it matched that of their hips. “Oh, Elizabeth…” he practically whimpered when she finally broke their kiss.

“Spike…” Her fingers reached up to stroke the scar that trisected his eyebrow, and she squeezed her eyes shut tight, feeling her pleasure ready to explode within her.

The sound of his name was all Spike needed, and he let out a roar as his pleasure flooded up into her womb, her name on his lips.

Elizabeth’s eyes widened at the sensation, and she kept her hips moving, clenching him tightly within her body and holding him deep inside as he came.

She watched his face contort with pleasure, his eyes unfocused, his cheeks sucked in, breath hissing between clenched teeth. It was quite possibly the most gorgeous expression she’d ever seen on his expressive face, and in that moment all she wanted in life was to make him look like that as often as possible.

“’Lizabeth…” he murmured once last time before his eyelids fluttered closed.

“Shh,” she soothed softly, placing gentle kisses all over his face. She slid her arms around him and held him close as she felt him soften within her before slipping out once more. Her own body lamented slightly that it wouldn’t achieve its own pleasure anytime soon, but right now all she wanted to do was enjoy the newfound closeness between them.

She couldn’t quite put words to it, but it felt like a barrier had just been crossed and a new level of intimacy established between them. And, right now, it made her just want to melt against his chest. Well, that and the fatigue from her recent exertions. She certainly had newfound respect for Spike’s stamina now…

“Luv,” Spike practically purred against her throat, stirring for the first time.

“Hey, there,” she smiled down at him, placing a gentle peck on his lips.

A goofy, delighted grin split his own face. “Hey, yourself,” he countered softly.

“So, whattaya think?” she asked with a coy smile, already knowing what his answer would be. “Did I do all right?”

“ ‘All right’?!” Spike repeated in disbelief. “Pet, that was your bleedin’ calling!”

She mock-pouted. “That’s not much of a calling,” she protested.

“ ‘Not much’?” he protested, gesturing to the nether regions of his anatomy.

She giggled. “Compared to the entire world out there, no,” she informed him, “not much.”

He mock-sulked. “I believe ‘ve been insulted,” he countered.

“Aw,” she patted his hair lightly, mussing the slicked-back locks into wild curls, “does your ego need stroking?”

He gave her a lascivious grin. “No, but somethin’ else does,” he teased.

“Hey, Mister Selfish,” she countered, poking him in the chest for emphasis, “at least you already got off tonight.”

An immediate frown marred his brow. “You din’t…?” he began.

She felt embarrassed for bringing it up now. “It’s O—” she started to speak and then squealed when she was abruptly flipped over onto her back.

“My woman’s never gonna be left needin’ in my bed,” he informed her matter-of-factly before rolling his body on top of hers and sliding back down so that his head was between her legs.

“Spike?” she asked, confused. She tried to close her thighs, but he caught them in his powerful hands and gently pried them apart once more.

“Shh, luv,” he soothed her, leaning in so that his nose just brushed her wiry curls. He breathed in the heady scent of her arousal and felt himself growing hard once more. “Just relax…”

She tried to do so, but thoughts of what he was about to do made it very difficult for her. And then the tip of his tongue brushed her throbbing clit for the first time, and she was too awash in ecstasy to care anymore.

He chuckled deep in his throat at the little mewling noises that were escaping her lips, allowing the vibrations to run right up her sensitized nerves.

“P-Pig!” she managed to gasp out when she realized that he was laughing at her. She spread her legs wider for him, however.

That merely caused him to chuckle some more and begin nibbling lightly at her. She didn’t mind, though. The chuckling actually felt really good. Not to mention the way his teeth twisted…Right. There!

“Spike!” she cried out, collapsing back onto the mattress in a puddle of Jell-O.

The aftershocks of her orgasm caused the muscles of her thighs to twitch against his face, but that didn’t stop him from continuing his exquisite torture.

“Again?” she asked in disbelief, looking down at the peroxide head between her thighs.

He turned his head to rest against her stomach for a minute, looking up at her with mischievous eyes. “Figured I owed ya twice for makin’ you wait so long,” he agreed.

She gulped. “Less talk; more tongue.”

An amused little smile quirked at the edges of lips before he returned to the task at hand.

Elizabeth let out a contented little sigh as his tongue probed her inner folds before finally plunging deep inside her. She’d always heard rumors about how good this felt, but she could never imagined… No one had ever… God, he was…

“Incredible…” she whispered raggedly. “God, you’re incredible…”

Her body shook around him once more in climax, and he took the opportunity to crawl up over her like a jungle cat stalking its prey, all lean, taut muscles.

She watched him through lazy eyelids as he covered her body with his own, his narrow thighs slipping between hers until the tip of his arousal rubbed up against the entrance to her womb.

“Incredible, am I?” he whispered against her ear, nibbling it lightly.

She gasped at the sensation and returned the favor, her tongue seeking out the silver ring in his ear and playing with it.

“Have I mentioned lately how much I love that?” he inquired.

“Show me instead,” she challenged.

A practiced swirl of their hips, and they were joined once more.

“Oh, luv!” Spike cried out when he was sheathed within her once more. Every time they were together, he felt like he was finally coming home, that this was where he belonged above all else.

“Incredible…” she repeated her sentiments from earlier, her lips trailing across his throat as she wrapped her arms around him. The smooth muscles of his chest pressed her breasts flat, their nipples rubbing erotically together with every joint thrust of their hips.

“You’re so beautiful,” he murmured against her cheek. “So lovely…”

“So sexy,” she replied.

He giggled slightly at that, that strange feeling of giddy euphoria that sometimes came over him when they were together overtaking him. It made him feel like his heart was trying to break free of his chest to extol the sheer amazing-ness of the woman that was Elizabeth Summers to the world. It made him want to hold her against him and never let her go, keep her safe, worshipped…loved…

She couldn’t help but smile as well. Spike had that bright grin on his face that she loved so much. She reached up to stroke his cheek affectionately, looking deep into his eyes as they finally reached the peak together, screaming out each other’s names as they fell into the infinity below…

It was several minutes before they stirred again and noticed the banging sounds on the wall.

“Oh, yes, yes, Xander!” Anya was crying out in a high-pitched whine. “Your penis is so much larger than Spike’s, and you’re making me come even harder than Elizabeth just did.”

Spike and Elizabeth exchanged an embarrassed look.

“Uh…think they heard us?” Spike winced slightly.

“There’s no way Xander’s penis is larger than yours!” she retorted defensively, a wicked smile curling at the edges of her lips.

“Oh, yes, Spike!” she started yelling as well, right into the wall. “You’re so much more manly than Xander because he can only make little girls like Anya come, not real women like me!”

“Hey!” Two outraged cries sounded out in unison on the other side of the wall.

Spike laughed and spooned up against Elizabeth’s back. “Enjoy the sentiment, luv,” he teased lightly before raising his own voice in what was turning into quite the battle.

“Yes, Elizabeth! You’re so much sexier’n Anyanka ‘cause you don’t talk about money during sex!” he yelled.

“Oh, Xander!” Anya’s voice called back. “You don’t wear black nail-polish that makes you look gay!”

“Oh, Spike!” Elizabeth called back. “You actually gave me a real orgasm, instead of pretend orgasms being shouted through the wall!”

The sound of muttering voices could just barely be heard through the wall. Spike pressed his ear up against it and smirked.

“What are they saying?” Elizabeth demanded, trying to shift so that she could listen as well, but finding Spike’s tangled naked limbs in the way of her moving. She debated whether to pout this fact or beam about it, and finally settled on the later.

“Anyanka’s pointin’ out that you’ve got ‘em there,” Spike answered with a little smirk. “I think she’s tryin’ to clue Harris in on the fact that he should give her some orgasms, too. That’ll prob’ly preoccupy ‘em enough that they’ll leave us alone.”

Elizabeth rolled her eyes. “God, are all guys this clueless?” she wondered.

Spike gave her a mock-hurt look. “What? You think ‘m like that?” he demanded, wide-eyed.

“You seemed to have a lot of difficulty understanding the sentence ‘I have a boyfriend’,” she retorted.

“Humph.” He got this adorable little pouty look on his face, complete with jutted out lower lip.

Elizabeth gulped. She didn’t know if she could handle any more tonight – she was already feeling a bit sore between the legs…undoubtedly due to the lack of practice during finals. However, if that lip kept being so damn bitable, she really couldn’t be held accountable for her actions…

A sly grin broke across his face at that moment, however, silencing her musing. “You din’t really have a boyfriend,” he countered. “Wanted me all along, after all.”

She gave him an evil little smile. “Full of yourself much?” she countered.

“You so did,” he retorted. “All that ogling my sexy bod every chance you got…”

“Mmm…sexy bod…” She really couldn’t argue with that. Her fingers outlined a flat, dusty-rose nipple.

He gave her his characteristic smirk. “’Lizabeth wanted me all along,” he sing-songed.

She shrugged and snuggled in closer to him. “Are you questioning my taste?” she inquired.

“As I recall, you tasted quite exquisite,” he whispered softly.

She blushed at the memory of what they’d done. And then felt really stupid for it. ‘Cause, hey? Boyfriend? Not supposed to get embarrassed about the sex.

“That was the first time anyone…?” he trailed off obligingly at the darkening of his cheeks.

“Yeah,” she whispered softly, burying her head in the crook of his neck.

“You liked it?” he inquired.

A little smile curled the edges of her lips. “Yeah.”

He caught her chin in his palm, and she lifted her eyes up to his in response.

“You don’t hafta be embarrassed,” he assured her. “From what ‘ve heard, most guys aren’t so…obligin’.”

She smiled. “Then it looks like my taste is better than I thought,” she teased lightly, feeling the weight on her chest lift a little.

“Be hard-pressed to find somethin’ I won’t do with you, pet,” he agreed. “Got yourself a willin’ slave.”

“Always a good thing to have in bed,” she agreed with a little sigh. She ventured to look up into those impossibly blue eyes of his and bit her lower lip. “Spike…” she began.

“Anythin’, luv,” he assured her.

“You’re OK with me being…?” she trailed off, her cheeks flushing.

“Embarrassed?” he inquired. “’Cause that’s actually kinda cute what with the latent dominatrix moves you were pullin’ on me earlier…”

She whapped him playfully in the head. “I mean, I know I’m not…” she gulped, “experienced…”

His brow instantly furrowed. “Don’t be silly, Elizabeth,” he said emphatically, his voice losing its usual coarse drawl. “It has never been like this for me before…even with Dru.”

She nervously looked down. “It’s just that I’m—”

“The best ‘ve ever had,” he insisted, leaning in so that his forehead rested against hers. “You’re amazin’, luv. The way you make me burn for you…”

A sly smile twitched at the corners of her lips. “I guess you’re not half-bad, either,” she teased lightly.

“ ‘Half-bad’?” he repeated incredulously. “You’ll never find anyone better.”

“Ego much?” she said sarcastically, snuggling against him as she did so.

“Yes, but that’s not why,” he agreed with a cheeky grin. His expression softened then, however. “Tell me you haven’t noticed how well we fit together,” he began in a rough whisper, “that you don’t feel more’n you ever have in your life when we’re like this…” He stroked her hair gently.

“I’ve noticed,” she agreed.

“Don’t know what it means for sure,” he had that shy, vulnerable smile on his face now that made her want to hold him and protect him forever, “but ‘d like to think it means we’re meant to be.”

“I thought you didn’t believe in fate,” she countered.

“No,” he agreed, “but I believe in us.” A gentle kiss graced her lips. “You make me feel alive, luv. Like I can do anythin’.”

“Even face my dad?” she teased. “’Cause you can handle that confrontation for me.”

He smiled. “Yeah,” he agreed, “but ‘m thinkin’ we should get through the easy parent meetin’ first.”

She grimaced. “You’re sure your dad’s gonna like me?”

“Positive,” Spike insisted. “After all, I l—”

“Oh god!” The exclamation suddenly sounded through the wall.

Elizabeth frowned and stared at the wall pointedly. “Are they faking it again?” she demanded.

“Oh god, oh god!” was her only response.

An amused smile quirked across Spike’s lips. “Think they’re actually goin’ at it, luv,” he said with obvious delight.

“Oh, yes! Xander!”

Elizabeth rolled her eyes. “It’s about time,” she decided. “Although…do they have to be so loud?”

Spike chuckled. “Sounds like the pot’s callin’ the kettle black,” he teased.

Elizabeth’s eyes widened. “There’s no way we’re that loud,” she insisted. “The entire dorm must be able to hear them!”

“An’ this surprises you?” he demanded. “The walls ‘re thin, ducks.”

“Oh god!” Elizabeth exclaimed in perfect time with Anya, although Elizabeth was doing so out of embarrassment. “That’s it. We can never have sex again.”

“Oi, now!” Spike protested. Vehemently.

Elizabeth patted his hand reassuringly. “Celibacy really is the best option for couples who don’t want to die of embarrassment,” she informed him.

“Then ‘m ready to die,” he countered.

Elizabeth gave him a little smile. “Yeah, me too,” she admitted shyly. “Still,” her expression hardened, “there is no way we’re letting your parents hear us. ‘Cause I would die right on the spot then…”

“Thick walls, rooms far apart,” Spike assured her spooning up against her back as they talked. “Shouldn’t be a problem.”

Elizabeth absentmindedly caught one of his hands and began scraping at the chipped black polish. It was all part of her not-so-subtle scheme to get him to stop wearing it…although, in all fairness, she rather enjoyed his stubborn refusal to cave in to her demands.

“Your parents do know that we’re…?” And there was that embarrassment once more.

Spike chuckled. “Think Mum figured it out when you answered the phone in the mornin’,” he pointed out.

She groaned. She’d had to sit through art that entire day, huddled off with her easel in a corner, too embarrassed to face Joyce’s knowing smile. “God, if my dad knew, he would so kill you.” She still couldn’t believe how lenient Spike’s parents were.

“’m startin’ to think I actually want to meet your dad,” Spike commented. “See why ‘e’s so scary an’ all…”

“He’s scary because he’s my negligent, absentee dad,” she said matter-of-factly. “The one who freaks out whenever I deviate in the slightest from his master-plan.”

Spike snorted derisively. “Bugger his master-plan,” he insisted. “Just do what you want, kitten. He can’t accept it, then ‘s his own bloody fault.”

She sighed. “Sometimes I really envy you,” she informed him.

“How so?” he asked curiously.

“Your independence mostly,” she decided, her eyes drifting shut at the feel of his soft kisses against the back of her neck. “I don’t want to live by my father’s rules…”

“But ‘e’s still family,” Spike agreed. “Hard to abandon that.”

“Especially when I keep hoping—” She stopped abruptly, and Spike felt her body tense.

“What?” he pressed.

“That, maybe one day, we’ll kinda be a real family?” she ventured nervously. “That he’ll suddenly become a real dad. Silly, I know.”

He turned her to face him. “Not silly,” he insisted, his thumb tracing the line of her jaw. “If I hadn’t had my parents… Prob’ly wouldn’t be the maladjusted freak I am today,” he joked lightly.

Her lips twitched in response.

“Knew I could get a grin,” he chuckled before his voice softened once more. “We all wanna be loved. Not be alone in this world.”

She wrapped her arms around his waist and drowned herself in the feel of him. “Even you?” she whispered.

“Especially me,” he assured her. “But, if worse comes to worst,” he began hesitantly, “you’re not alone, luv. You always got me…”

“Yeah,” she agreed with a soft smile. “Thank you, Spike,” she whispered against his lips.

“For what?” he asked curiously.

“Being your wonderful, sweet, snarky self.”

A delighted smile lit up his face, and he closed the gap between them, giving her an almost chaste kiss. “Better get some sleep,” he commented, casting a nasty glare back at the wall and the occasional moans that were still emanating from it, “if you can that is. After all, tomorrow you get to meet the dad.”

“Can’t hardly wait,” she agreed, closing her eyes as she found a comfortable position within the circle of his arms. “Maybe he’ll finally show me all the embarrassing baby pictures…”

Spike chuckled softly as the two of them drifted off into sleep…

I regret to say that this story will be taking a brief break at this point. This chapter marked the end of the first 'section', and I want to finish 'Skull And Dagger' before I start the second section of this story. (There will be three sections, total. See? Told you it was going to be long. ~_^) But, don't worry, this should in no way be taken as a sign that I'm losing interest in this story. I will resume writing it in two weeks at the latest. (My current projection is actually a little closer to one week, but I want to hedge my bets.) Even if I somehow manage not to get through everything else I want to in those two weeks, this one's still coming back. So, don't worry, you'll get Christmas break and the appearance of Giles (and another familiar face ~_^) soon...