She couldn’t help but giggle. “Spike stop it. I wanna sleep.”

“No, can’t sleep. You have to start classes this morning.” He said then got out of her way as she sat straight up.

“What time is it?” Buffy wiped the sleep from her eyes and turned toward the clock. When she saw that she still had plenty of time she swatted Spike on the arm. “Why are you waking me up so early for? The alarm isn’t even going to go off for another hour.”

He had that little smart ass smile that always pissed her off. It was his evil Cheshire grin and it meant he had a secret. After being home for almost two weeks she was slowly becoming comfortable with both of them and them with her. Their lives were falling into routines and roles and a sense of belonging. The resentments and jealousies seemed to be slowly abating and they were all freer in their affections for the other two.

“Well, if you don’t want your surprise then sleep until the alarm goes off,” Spike purred as his hand caressed his stomach.

“You woke me up for sex? My God, Spike, you’ve had sex four times in the last eight hours. Do you ever have enough?”

He laughed as he yanked gently on a lock of her hair.

“I can’t help it that you and Angel kept passing me back and forth last night like I was a damn sex bot.”

“Nymphomaniac is more like it. Now, I’m going to get some more sleep.” Buffy said as she pulled the comforter over her head and curled into a ball. She groaned when Spike rolled over and covered her.

“Sex wasn’t the surprise. The surprise is still waiting for you.”

“A real surprise? Why didn’t you say so? What is it? Where is it?”

Spike lay back again as she grilled him.

“Humph, woman, only been having sex for a few weeks and thinks she’s an expert. No surprise in sex, I could still show you…”

“Spike,” Buffy wailed.

“Fine, the deal is, get ready for school. It’s waiting downstairs for you but you have to be ready to go.”

She rewarded him with a kiss before she dashed toward the shower.

Buffy dropped her bag and books on the chair before heading toward the kitchen. Spike had thoroughly kissed her good-bye, wished her luck on her first day and told her the surprise was in the kitchen. Angel hadn’t been around this morning but that wasn’t an unusual occurrence so it hadn’t bothered her. In anticipation she tiptoed into the kitchen while the tempting smell of bacon frying tickled her nose and made her stomach growl. In the doorway she froze as she watched Angel stand at the stove cooking.

The table was set with china that she and Spike had found in the attic and there was a crystal wine glass filled with orange juice and in the center of the table was a vase with roses and her eyes filled with tears.

“Angel, thank you,” she said as she ran to give him a hug. A few days ago she had mentioned that she would miss having breakfast with her mother every morning and apparently he had remembered.

“You’re welcome,” he answered as he turned her face up to kiss her quickly before turning back to his chore. “Sit, it’s almost ready.”

Soon she was eating a full breakfast while Angel kept her company. Even the morning paper was there for her.

“I can’t believe you did this,” Buffy said.

“I wanted you to have a good first day and I know it can be lonely getting up by yourself so I decided to do something about it.”

“It is the best way to start the day. Thank you.” She grabbed one more bite of her eggs and went to sit on Angel’s lap. “Or maybe this way is.” Her lips met his that were already on their way toward hers. She always felt safe and loved when she was in his arms. Like there was nothing she couldn’t do and he didn’t fail her this time either. His tongue sweetly played with hers as he held her close to him. “I love you so much.”

“I love you, too.” He kissed her quickly one more time and then smiled.

“What?’

“If you happen to mention your best ways to start the morning list to Spike you had better include him in there somewhere.”

Buffy laughed, “Yeah, sex with him in the morning is already on there somewhere. But I’ll make sure he knows. We wouldn’t want his feelings to be hurt.”

“Hey, Buffy,” Xander’s voice called out from the living room.

“In here, Xander.” Buffy answered then kissed Angel one more time before standing. “I’ll see you this afternoon.”

With one last lingering look around and a smile for Angel, Buffy hurried out to meet Xander who had offered to give her and Willow a ride to the first day of class. And it wouldn’t do to break the tender bonds of their truce by being late.

It was uncomfortable. He kept staring at her and it made it hard for her to concentrate on what Professor Walsh was lecturing on. Everyone once in awhile her eyes would meet his but she couldn’t read what was going on in his head. Finally they were dismissed and she grabbed her bag and followed Willow out of the lecture hall but he was waiting.

“Hi, Buffy,” Riley greeted her.

“Hi, Riley. How are you?”

Willow just looked from one to the other. “I’m going to meet Oz. Catch up with us?”

“Yeah, I’ll be right there.” Buffy said before she turned to look back at Riley.

“What did you think of your first class with Professor Walsh?”

“It seems really interesting. It’s going to be tough but I think I can handle it. I’m smarter than I look.”

“Or act.” Riley said as he studied her. “What was with the act the other night? It’s obviously not how you really are.”

Buffy laughed, “Come on, I was caught in the woods making out with my boyfriend. I was embarrassed and just wanted out of there.”

“He really is your boyfriend? Seems a little old for you.”

His insistent questioning was beginning to make her Slayer senses take control and she straightened up. “Yes, he is really my boyfriend. Anything else is none of your business.”

Buffy turned on her heel and went to find Willow. One of the guys must have recognized Spike from the way Riley was acting. As far as she was concerned the creep had better stay out of their way because she hadn’t lied to Spike when she said she would go down fighting for him.

As she approached Willow and Oz she heard them discussing going to the Bronze that night. They hadn’t really hung out together since she had been back and she smiled at the thought of them all having fun again.

“So, we are bronzing it tonight?” Buffy said as she got close enough.

A chill ran through Buffy as her two friends exchanged a look that clearly indicated that they were going but that she wasn’t going to be invited.

“Well, sure, Buffy, it would be great if you could join us.” Willow said.

“Forget it. Obviously I wasn’t going to be invited being the social scourge that I am.” Tears filled her eyes as she turned and walked away. As long as they didn’t have to deal with Angel and Spike being around then they would put up with her. Maybe if it was just her and Angel they would deal but throw Spike into it and everything changed. Couldn’t they see that this was the only way she could be happy?

“Buffy, wait,” Willow called.

She kept going to her next class. Willow had the same class but she would try to find a seat where the red head couldn’t sit next to her but since she was early the class room was empty.

“Buffy, listen to me, please.”

“What?”

Willow sighed at her rudeness but she was tired of this. It was time to move forward.

“Look, we didn’t know if you would…oh, you’re right, we weren’t going to invite you. It just seemed like an uncomfortable time to be had by everyone.”

“Its okay, Will, I understand.”

“Buffy, come and bring the guys. We aren’t ever going to get comfortable around each other unless we spend time together.”

“Thanks, I’ll see what they want to do and if we can we’ll be there.”

Buffy settled back as the professor took his place at the head of the class. It was time to stand by her decision and if they wouldn’t go then she would stay home with them.

Every sound made Spike turn toward the door in anticipation of her walking through it. He couldn’t help it. The room was finally finished and they were going to surprise her as soon as she got home.

It was funny he had never really had friends, as a human or a vampire. The closest creature to him had been Drusilla and even she didn’t qualify as a friend. But, surprisingly, Buffy was slowly becoming one to him. Since the night she had threatened to stake him, he had been opening up a little more every day with her.

They had explored the mansion together, finding furniture or things of interest and cleaned them for it to be used. So, the place was actually beginning to have a homey atmosphere to it. They had started playing cards at night or watching television together and sometimes they just talked. When she relaxed Buffy could be a lot of fun to be around with an innate goofiness to her that he enjoyed.

“Spike, settle down. She’ll be here soon.” Angel said as he took a seat in his chair.

“I know. I just can’t wait to see the look on her face.”

“I can’t either. And I can’t believe we’ve kept it from her this long.”

The sound of a car door being shut set both on alert and they stood waiting for her to enter. Angel settled into his usual brooding look while Spike tried to look fierce but there was too much of a twinkle in his eyes. As soon as she walked into the room, Spike knew his demeanor had let her know that something was going on.

“How were your classes?” Angel asked.

“They were fine.” She glanced between the two noting the nervousness that pervaded both of them. “What is up with you two?”

“Another surprise for you.” Spike said as he approached her with a scarf in his hand.

“What’s that for?”

“Just going to blindfold you and lead you to your surprise.” Angel said as he took her hands while Spike tied the scarf around her eyes. “Come on.”

Angel led her upstairs with Spike following behind. He took her into the middle of the room before he nodded for Spike to take the scarf off.

Spike darted around so that he could watch her face as she took in the room. Her face lit up when she saw the bed. It was a four poster with iron work as an added headboard with leaves woven in. After consideration the two vampires had chosen a totally feminine hand embroided Battenburg Lace Coverlet for it and had decided that as long as Buffy was in the bed they could care less what covered it. By the windows was a white chaise lounge with fluffy pillows just waiting for her to sink into it for reading or just to dream.

“Do you like it?” Angel asked when Buffy just stood there for a minute without saying anything.

Finally she squealed and turned around to envelope them both in a hug, “I love you, guys. You know that right? I love you, thank you so much.” Then she was off to first climb onto the bed, wiggling around on it to check to comfort factor and inhaled the new clean smell of the sheets. As she took off for to test the chaise lounge she didn’t even realize what she had said to them and the impact that it had left.

Angel and Spike were staring at each other as Angel acknowledged that his Childe had stolen part of Buffy’s heart and Spike stood in disbelief and fear. There was no way that Buffy had been serious. She couldn’t love someone like him, a soulless vampire, could she? And there was fear because of the Angel was looking at him. If she did love him then it added a new level of competition between them. As long as he just cared about her, was just friends with her, and Angel had all of her heart then everything was balanced.

“She didn’t mean it, Ang, not like that.” Spike whispered.

Angel gave him one last look before nodding and they turned their attention back to where Buffy was cavorting on the lounge lost in a play act of being a grande dame. They both laughed at her antics and the tension was broken for the moment.

“There’s more, Buffy,” Angel said.

“More? How can there be more?”

“The bathroom.” Spike said as he pointed to a door on the left side of the room.

With a huge smile the Slayer headed toward the door with the two of them right behind her but she stopped cold in the entrance.

“Holy crap,” she muttered as she took in the bathroom that was half the size of her bedroom.

Buffy slowly wandered in to the huge bathroom and ran her hand over the wicker vanity that was in one corner that the vampires had put all her makeup and stuff on then she moved to the pedestal sink. She made her way to the toilet, flushed it and then finally stopped at the large corner tub.

“The people who lived here before must have had the bathroom redone before they left because that’s the most modern thing in the house.” Angel informed her as she sniffed the bath products they had gotten her. There was a large assortment because they weren’t sure what she would want.

Suddenly she turned to grin at them. “Let’s test it out. It’s big enough for all of us.” Buffy turned the water on after stopping the tub then poured some bubble bath in. When she was done she started stripping but Angel and Spike just stood there not quite believing she was serious until, “Come on, guys, vamoose, strip, let’s test this puppy out. Last one in is a rotten egg.”

Buffy ended up being the last one in because Angel picked her up and held her aloft until he was in the water then let her settle between his legs in the hot bubbles. And when they finally got out there wasn’t a drop of hot water in the house.

To keep from falling asleep he started to replay the events of the afternoon from Buffy’s look of joy at the room they had given her to the bathtub games. He smiled as he thought of her squeezed between them as she rode Spike to madness. Her moans as their soapy hands traversed her skin and the way she had leaned back for him to kiss her as Spike suckled at her breast and Angel’s hand had fondled the other. The more comfortable she became with living with them the more uninhibited she was. Her total trust that they wouldn’t do anything to make her feel uncomfortable was a head rush for both of them as she came undone in their hands. But in the end it had left him frustrated and a little angry that it wasn’t just him in her life like it always did when he joined in their fun.

Which only brought him back to her declaration of love for both of them and that was something he wasn’t ready to deal with yet. He wanted to ask, to know for sure if he was still the only one in her heart, but could he demand totalitarian possession of her heart when he wasn’t sure if he could offer the same anymore.

His eyes looked for the object of his confusion and found those cerulean eyes starting at him with open lust. He watched as Spike turned and headed for the bathrooms and he smiled in anticipation. Leaning over he kissed Buffy on the cheek, “I’ll be right back,” he whispered before he followed Spike.

There was no one else in the bathroom when he entered and he quickly scanned the stalls before he saw his boots in the one on the end. A quick knock and the door opened. He noted that Spike had already taken his duster off and had laid it on the windowsill as he joined him in the stall. Their eyes met and Spike started to fall on his knees but Angel stopped him.

“No,” Angel said before he turned Spike to face the wall. Angel’s hands traveled around his waist to the fastenings of his jeans and slowly undid the buttons as his mouth nuzzled the back of Spike’s neck. With a quick push he brought his Childe’s pants down his hips exposing his ass to him. “Did you bring something?”

“In my duster.”

Angel rummaged through the pockets until he found what he wanted. Quickly he spread it over himself then after fondling the muscled cheeks began to prepare Spike.

“There’s no romance left,” Spike groaned as a third finger stretched him. “It’s just wham, bam, thank you sir. You don’t kiss me anymore.”

“Later, I’ll kiss you all you want,” Angel whispered in the ear of the blonde as his cock replaced his fingers. “Right now want to get lost in that tight ass of yours.” They both groaned in appreciation as he sunk all the way in. Angel’s hands moved to clutch at his hips as he began a slow leisurely thrusting. “Do you like this? I hope so because I’m loving it.” The brunette’s hand moved to encircle his waist as the other covered Spike’s as he kneaded the wall.

“Touch me, please,” Spike begged as he took his Sire’s hand and moved it to his own cock. Soon they were both beyond anything but guttural sounds as they became lost in the pleasure.

The bathroom door opened and they both froze as they waited for whomever to get done and out. The scent of Xander and his cologne made them look at each other and Spike grinned as he thought of Buffy’s friend only a few feet away from them. He was almost tempted to open the door just to watch the expression on his face but instead leaned his forehead against the wall. He had sworn to have Buffy’s back and somewhere along the line it had come to include not embarrassing her. They waited until Xander had left before they laughed.

“My God, now that would have caused trouble.” Spike said.

“Yeah, really,” Angel said before he thrust deep into his Childe to indicate he wanted to return to where they were before the interruption. This time he didn’t take it slow because he was afraid of another interruption and he quickly brought them both to fulfillment.

When they had untangled themselves, Spike turned to look at Angel.

“What Spike?”

“Has Buffy ever gone down on you?” Spike asked as he looked down at his hands fastening his jeans.

“Excuse me?”

“Come on, has she ever…”

“I know what you meant but why are you asking?” Angel asked but he realized that it was taking a lot for Spike to ask and he sighed. “I take it then she hasn’t with you?”

“No, her mouth has been everywhere but on my cock.”

“Maybe she doesn’t want to and I’m not going to try to force her into anything she doesn’t want to do.” Spike finally looked back up at him and Angel realized that he had insulted him by inferring that Spike would. “I know you wouldn’t either. I’m sorry.” Angel kissed Spike gently. “You’ve been really good with her and for that I’m grateful.” When he leaned against the wall again he thought he saw a momentary flash of guilt on his Childe’s face but figured he imagined it when it quickly disappeared.

“I was thinking maybe she just doesn’t know what to do and doesn’t want to look like a fool and maybe if she watched me giving you one and the subject was brought up then she might.”

Angel laughed, “You want me to give blow job lessons to my mate so she can use them to please you.”

Spike opened the door of the stall and pulled his duster on as he headed for the door leading to the main floor again. “Yeah, why not?”

“You’ve got balls, definite balls.”

“I’m the baby, gotta love me.” Spike smirked as he led the way back to the table. There were two empty chairs that they quickly occupied.

Angel avoided the looks of curiosity that flashed their way but he looked up in horror when Buffy delicately sniffed a few moments later.

“Does anyone else smell cherries? I think I smell cherries.” She asked as she sniffed again. Her eyes were twinkling as she looked around. “Oh, gee, it’s me, the grenadine in my drink. Sorry.”

The others at the table just looked confused as Spike broke out laughing and reached over to hug Buffy. Angel heard him as he whispered in Buffy’s ear. “Doesn’t work. We save the flavored ones for you.” Spike kissed her quickly before he sat up again and pressed his leg to Angel’s.