Shame the Devil (cont.)

Chapter Twelve

*****

Xander leaned against the bar and swirled the chardonnay in his glass, watching the light glint off the pale liquid. He looked out over the room appraisingly. Spike, Buffy and Dawn were in the receiving line with the other three graduates who were the party’s honorees and their parents. Buffy was by far the youngest, and Spike was by far the coolest, so Dawn was glowing happily. Willow and Tara were off seeing to last minute details.

The hotel ballroom was a large rectangle, its lines softened by sumptuous drapes along the walls and subtle lighting. The room had been dotted with large potted trees, each one awash with white fairy lights. The table linens were in jewel tones accented with rich gold, the centerpieces were masses of cream-colored roses and deep green leaves nestled into cut crystal bowls that reflected the pillar candles burning on each table.

At one end of the room stood a small stage with a black grand piano, fronted by an ample dance floor. A DJ was set up off to the side. Classical music played as the first guests arrived and walked through the receiving line. Xander gave up his perch at the bar as the new arrivals streamed in that direction. He found Ace, Carl and Isha standing at the back of the room, each holding a glass of wine and scanning the room warily. Jack was parked discreetly behind Spike in the receiving line. 

“At ease, fellas, I think we’re safe here,” he joked as he approached the bodyguards. They all smiled sheepishly. Xander led them to a table, intercepting Willow and Tara along the way. After kissing the blonde witch on the forehead, Xander whispered praise for her slinky crimson gown into her ear to make her blush and giggle. Once they were all settled and introduced they started chatting animatedly about current music and movies. After a few minutes, Xander drifted away.

He circled the room, watching and listening. He found himself back at the bar, where he traded in his untouched wine for a beer. He laughed at himself a little when he realized that he’d automatically requested Spike’s brand. As he turned from the bar, he almost ran into Willow. 

“Hey, Wills. Have I mentioned how gorgeous you look tonight?” He looked her up and down suggestively. Her shining red hair was piled on top of her head, with long tendrils hanging down from her temples. Her gown was a deep amethyst color. It draped from her shoulders to hang in gentle folds to the floor. A slit ran up the side, showing a glimpse of one long leg as she walked. Her shoes were black with tall heels that added a couple of inches to her petite height. At his comment, her green eyes glittered and a delicate blush stained her cheeks.

“You’re pretty dashing yourself, Mr. Harris,” she replied. He turned back to the bar and ordered her another glass of the red wine she’d been drinking earlier. She smiled and accepted the drink, linking her arm through his to lead him across the room. Along the way, she introduced him to several people; a couple of Dawn’s classmates, one of her professors, and various other guests. She noticed that he gave them each the same smile and direct look, making them feel as if they had his complete attention for the brief time they spent together.

“How do you do that?” she asked, once they were again walking slowly toward the front of the room. 

“Do what?” he replied, depositing his empty bottle onto a tray set up to the side. He took her empty glass and disposed of it also.

“Make every person you talk to feel like they’re the most important person in the room,” she explained.

He laughed, and his eyes twinkled. “I picked it up from Spike. He’s the master of it; I am but his lowly apprentice.”

As they reached the front of the room, the receiving line began to break up. Buffy and Spike walked toward them, with Jack following in their wake.

“Hi, guys,” she said, blowing her bangs off of her forehead. “My face hurts from all the smiling. Poor Spike, all the ladies want to know what he was thinking when he wrote this song or that song. They were all just crushed when he told them he doesn’t write any of them.” She was wearing a floor-length black silk sheath that left her arms and shoulders bare. Her long neck was accented with a cameo pinned to a black silk ribbon, and her hair was swept up into a sleek chignon. “When does the dancing start?” she continued. “I have a groove thing just begging to be shaken here.”

As if in answer to her query, the classical music turned to louder dance music, and Dawn twirled onto the dance floor with Isha in tow. She was wearing an ice-blue strapless gown with a full ball skirt, and she looked like a fairytale princess. Her long hair was worn in soft curls that tumbled down her back. She had one hand resting lightly on Isha’s shoulder, and his loosely clasped her hip as they gyrated. Xander heard Spike let out a very quiet rumbling growl.

“Down, boy,” he said, laying a hand on Spike’s shoulder. “It’s called dancing – all the young people are doing it these days. It’s much less like sex than it looks.” The girls giggled, and Spike had the good grace to look sheepish.

“Let’s go show them how it’s done, Slayer,” Spike said, twirling Buffy expertly. “Plus I can go scare the piss out of Isha.”

Xander grabbed Willow’s hand and led her after the departing couple. “Let’s go try and save Dawn from the embarrassment, shall we?” He smiled down into her face and swung her into his arms in a smooth move.

*****

“… and we just couldn’t be any prouder of our little girl,” the florid woman finished her speech with tears running down her face. Xander clapped politely, while trying to stifle a smile. Spike had been repeating the woman’s words in a pitch-perfect imitation of Patsy from “Absolutely Fabulous” in his ear throughout her speech. Xander elbowed the vampire sharply in the ribs as Buffy walked onto the stage and stopped in front of the microphone.

“I know you guys are probably tired of the speeches, our guests of honor most of all. So to them I just wanted to say that we apologize for embarrassing them, and it’s almost over – but not quite.” She grinned at Dawn, who shot her an exasperated look.

Buffy looked out over the crowd for a moment, and then continued speaking. “Most of you know Dawn, and by extension, me. So you know that our family is a little bit on the unconventional side. Dawn and I lost our Mom a lot of years ago, and we had to build a new family. The members of that family have stuck with us through some rough times, and Dawn and I are lucky to have had them by our sides for so long.

When Dawn was about fifteen, under extremely trying circumstances, I made a promise to my sister – I promised to show her this world. What I didn’t realize at the time was that she was going to be the one to show it to me. She showed me the meaning of love, the meaning of family, and how to do the most important thing in this world – live in it.” She wiped a tear from her cheek and smiled brilliantly, catching her sister’s eye.

“I love you, Dawnie, and I am so thrilled to stand up here today and see the woman you’ve become. On behalf of the whole family – myself, Giles, Willow, Tara, Xander, Spike and Sia – we love you and we are in awe of your accomplishments.” The crowd applauded, and Dawn blew her sister a kiss.

“I’m going to shut up now, because I’m sure that most of you are much more interested in what Dawn’s honorary Dad has to say.” She smiled at Spike and Xander, and gestured for the vampire to join her at the microphone. He did, and Xander heard a ripple of whispers run through the crowd. Buffy leaned up and kissed Spike lightly on the cheek then walked to stand next to Xander.

“I spend a fair amount of time behind one of these,” the vampire said, gesturing to the microphone, “but usually I just have to sing and say things like ‘Hello, Cleveland!” There were laughs throughout the crowd, and he ducked his head shyly. “Back in the old days, I made a promise to a lady - that one over there,” he gestured toward Buffy. “I promised that I’d take care of Dawn until the end of the world. I’m still at it, and I intend to be for quite some time. And, yeah, that is a warning to anyone intending to date my little girl.” He shot Dawn a discreet two-fingered salute when she stuck her tongue out at him.

“That’s enough of me talking,” he said. “I’m gonna stick to what I do best, if you don’t mind.” He gestured to Xander, who walked onto the stage with the black guitar in hand. He pulled out the piano bench and sat on the end of it, settling the guitar in his lap. Spike removed the microphone from its stand and walked over to stand beside Xander.

“Ladies and gentlemen, in his public debut, Mr. Xander Harris.” The crowd applauded, and Xander could hear his girls cheering. Spike said, “Little Bit, this is for you – better than we could ever say it.” He looked down at Xander, who nodded and began to play. After the opening chords, Spike began to sing.

Lying in my bed I hear the clock tick,
And think of you
Turning in circles 
Confusion is nothing new
Flashback to warm nights--
Almost left behind
Suitcase of
memories,
Time after--

Sometimes you picture me--
I'm walking too far ahead
You're calling to me, I can't hear
What you’ve said--
And you say--go slow--
I fall
behind--

The second hand unwinds

Spike leaned in closer to Xander, careful not to interfere with his playing. He looked out over the crowd and locked eyes with Dawn as he sang the chorus of the song.

If you're lost you can look--and you will find me
Time after time
If you fall I will catch you—I will be waiting
Time after time
If you fall I will catch you--I will be waiting
Time after time

Time after time

Xander played the bridge, and Spike sank down onto the piano bench behind Xander, leaning lightly against the other man as he played.

After your picture fades and darkness has
Turned to gray
Watching through windows--I'm wondering
If you’re OK
Secrets stolen from deep inside
The drum beats out of time--

If you're lost you can look--and you will find me
Time after time
If you fall I will catch you--I will be waiting
Time after time
If you fall I will catch you--I will be waiting
Time after time

Xander picked out the melody one more time, and Spike rested a hand on his shoulder as he finished the song, repeating the last line.

Time after time

Time after time

Time after time

Time after... time *

The final note faded, and the small crowd applauded wildly. Dawn ran onto the stage and wrapped her arms around both men. Xander barely got the guitar out of the way in time.

“I love you guys,” she said, squeezing them tightly. The dance music started up again, and Spike used his enhanced strength to pull the three of them upright and lead them off the stage. As soon as their feet touched the floor, they found themselves engulfed by Buffy, Willow and Tara.

 “OK, OK, let me breathe,” Spike groused, fighting his way out of the tangle of arms. “Stop bloody Scoobying me to death.” Trying desperately to get away from the emotional scene, he took Dawn by the hand and led her out onto the dance floor. 

*****

As the evening wore on, the character of the party morphed and changed. Innocuous dance music gave way to what Dawn called “Tunes for Geezers”. Spike shocked her to near speechlessness by twirling her around the dance floor in a flawless classical waltz. Xander took her for the next dance, his waltz only slightly less expert, while Spike was systematically besieged by every woman over the age of fifty in the room. The vampire exhausted his ballroom dance repertoire with humor and charm, while the rest of the gang proceeded to get tipsy, watch and periodically join in. 

Xander and Buffy danced the most, using their forays around the floor as cover for delivering a series of glasses of Jack Daniels to the vampire, who slugged them down gratefully without missing a step. Finally, Dawn walked over and had a word with the DJ. When the song changed, she strode onto the dance floor and claimed Spike for the final waltz. Xander and Buffy, Tara and Jack and Willow and Isha followed, laughing. 

“You’re pretty good at this old-school stuff,” Buffy said, smiling up into Xander’s face. 

“I’m a man of many talents,” he grinned. 

She pulled him closer. “I remember,” she murmured against his chest. 

Xander allowed his hands to slide from the traditional waltz positions to curl around her slight body, gliding over her exposed back. Holding Buffy in his arms felt comforting and familiar; he automatically dropped his head to rest one cheek against her temple, breathing in the spicy-sweet scent of her perfume as they swayed together. 

Across the dance floor, Dawn whispered into Spike’s ear, “This is the last oldie. Are you ready to really dance after this?” 

“More than ready,” the vampire said tightly, looking over her shoulder. He deftly steered them closer to Xander and Buffy as the song came to a close. The last notes faded as the two couples came side by side, and a throbbing dance beat started. The lights dimmed, and colored spotlights hidden in the rafters began to revolve, bathing the room in streaks of red, blue and green. 

Dawn leaned over. “Can I cut in?” she asked. Xander released Buffy with a squeeze and a smile and stepped back. He held an arm out to Dawn, and then barked a short laugh when the two sisters began dancing together, leaving Xander and Spike facing one another. They exchanged a grin and a shrug, and then threw themselves into the dance. 

The change in music sent the older couples scurrying to the sidelines, but brought everyone else onto the floor, and Spike and Xander found themselves crushed close in a press of bodies. Both were excellent dancers, feeling the music in their bones and letting their bodies move sinuously with the beat. The people around them shot them admiring glances, and Xander couldn’t help the grin that split his face as he watched Spike lose himself in the music. 

The vampire really was a joy to watch, all tight pants and loose hips, sex on wheels for sure. He tossed his head, blond hair sparkling, eyes flashing. His face wore his patented evil grin; all lips, no teeth. He moved like a snake – Spike looked every inch the predator when he danced. 

Xander moved to the beat, no longer the awkward teen he had been, dancing at The Bronze in high school. Strife, success and age had seasoned him and made him comfortable in his own skin; he exhibited a loose-limbed grace and sense of abandon that drew admiring stares from all quarters. The sight of the two men dancing together seemed to bring about a shift in the attitude of the room. Over the course of the next few songs, jackets were shed, sleeves were rolled up, collars were loosened, and Spike and Xander each found themselves partnered with a variety of men and women. 

Xander worked his way across the floor, arrowing toward one of the bars. He ordered and moved to the side, leaning on a wall to cool down and sip his beer while watching the dancers. He easily picked out Spike’s halo of blond waves, and then lost him again in the frenzy. Willow and Tara were dancing together, as were Buffy and Jack. The other bodyguards had no shortage of partners – both Carl and Isha had pretty girls on their arms, and Xander noted with a smile that Ace had a pretty boy on his. Dawn was happily gyrating in a cluster of her classmates, a broad smile on her face.

“She still looks about fourteen to me,” Spike said, leaning on the wall next to Xander and taking a sip from his glass of JD. “Then again, sometimes I forget that you’re not sixteen or seventeen anymore.”

“That’s OK,” Xander replied, smiling fondly. “Sometimes I forget, too.” The music was loud, and it was difficult to talk, so the two men simply stood quietly, shoulder to shoulder and watched the dancers. They finished their drinks and worked their way back across the floor to join their friends.

*****

* Time After Time Cyndi Lauper, et al. The version that inspired me was Matchbox Twenty’s.

*****
Chapter Thirteen
*****

Xander was standing in Buffy's front yard, under the streetlight. He had one hand on the ornate iron post, the other in his pocket and his face tilted up at the full moon. From his shadowy perch on the back corner of the porch rail, Spike thought he looked otherworldly. The vampire could see his friend clearly as the yellow light poured over the strong profile and glinted off of the silky dark waves that flowed down to brush the shoulders of his shirt. 

Xander had left his jacket in the car, and the sleeves of his untucked shirt were rolled up to his elbows. His collar and the top two studs were open. He was a tiny bit drunk, and he swayed just a little on his feet as he swung himself around the light post. 

Spike watched as Buffy crossed the lawn. When he noticed her, Xander stopped swinging on the lamp post and held his hands out. She placed both of her hands into his, and he lifted them to his mouth, kissing her knuckles. Spike watched as they whispered quietly, noticing the way Xander inclined his dark head attentively, not releasing Buffy's hands. He bent his elbows to draw her closer, placing her hands on his shoulders. She curved one around his shoulder, the other came up to the back of his neck. 

Spike could see Xander's lips move against Buffy's cheek, but couldn't tell what was being said. She pulled back a little and looked up into his eyes. With a small nod, she tilted her head, eyes slipping languidly shut. Xander wrapped an arm around her slim waist and let his hand splay on her hip. The fingers of the other hand caressed her back. Their lips touched lightly, almost playfully, and then Spike saw Xander take possession of Buffy's mouth, opening her lips with his own and sliding his tongue inside. The vampire turned and walked slowly into the house. 

***** 

"Told you so," Xander said, as they broke apart. They each took a small step back. "Just like kissing my sister. Huh." 

"Me, too," Buffy said, absently touching two fingers to her mouth. "Weird." 

"Yeah," he replied. "The dancing felt right, and holding you in my arms was good, but the kissing..." 

"Kinda wrong?" she supplied. 

"Very wrong," he said. 

"Friends?" 

"Looks like." He wrapped an arm around her shoulders, and they turned to walk back to the house. 

"Cool," she said. "In that case, I feel no obligation to stay up any later entertaining you. I'm beat, I'm going to bed." 

Xander pressed his lips to her temple. "Sleep tight. Love you."
"You, too," she said, slipping into the house. 

Xander stood on the porch for a moment with his hands in his pockets, smiling. He jumped when the door flew open and Spike stepped out. 

"Cell phone," the vampire said shortly, holding out his hand. 

Xander handed it over. "Who are you calling?" 

"Bill. Thought I'd go back to the hotel - you can call him back when you're ready." 

"Why are you leaving?" Xander asked. It wasn't like Spike to flake out before dawn, and that was still two hours away. 

"Figured you and Buffy would want some privacy," Spike said, looking down at the phone. 

"Spike, Dawn and Willow and Tara are staying here tonight and what would Buffy and I need privacy for?" 

The vampire wouldn't meet his eyes. "Oh, I get it," Xander said with a chuckle. "You were watching us and you think we're gonna go upstairs and get it on with a houseful of guests, right? Thanks for giving me so much credit for classiness." 

Spike looked up then, and Xander's smile dropped from his lips. Spike looked hurt. His eyes looked soft and vulnerable, and he looked like he was waiting for someone to hit him again. Suddenly, Xander understood. 

"Oh, Spike - no. That's not it at all. Buffy and I were just figuring something out." The vampire tried to look down, and Xander reached out to catch his sharp chin with the fingers of one hand, tilting his head up so their eyes could meet. "Earlier tonight, she and I started feeling comfortable together. We didn't know if it was our friendship coming back or the... other. So we kissed, to see if there was anything there." He stopped talking then, because the look in Spike's eyes literally stole his voice. 

"And?" Spike said, his voice husky. "Was there? Anything there?" 

Xander smiled gently. "Yeah - friendship. Nothing else." 

They stood in silence, looking into one another's eyes. "That's good," Spike said slowly, "That you're friends again." 

"Uh huh," Xander replied, and he couldn't stop looking from the vampire's eyes to his lips and back again. Spike's eyes mirrored the motion, slipping from Xander's bright brown eyes to his mouth and back. Xander's fingers were still holding his chin lightly, and the points of contact burned with the human's body heat. Xander blinked lazily, and then very carefully and very deliberately slid his fingers back along Spike's face until they curved around his jawbone, pressing lightly into the hollow. 

The door opened behind Spike, and Dawn stood there in a pair of pajama pants and a tank top, barefoot, with her hair in a ponytail. "Come on," she said. "Buffy and Tara both crashed, but Willow and I want to spend some time with you guys, OK?" 

Xander didn't look away from Spike's eyes and didn't drop his hand. "We'll be right there, Dawnie," he said. She shut the door softly. Xander tightened his fingers against Spike's skin for a second, and then let the touch fall away. 

"We're talking about this later," he said. 

Spike leaned forward and touched his lips to Xander's with no pressure; just close enough that the other man could feel them move when he spoke. "Yes, we are, pet. Count on it." And then the touch was gone, and Xander shivered at the loss as he followed the vampire inside. 

***** 

Willow was on the sofa, dressed much the same as Dawn, with her hair falling loose around her face. When the two men walked in the door, she gave them a big smile. 

"Kick off your shoes and get comfy. Dawnie went to get drinks and stuff," she said. 

Xander toed off his loafers and leaped on top of her, catching his weight on his hands and growling playfully into her neck, making her laugh out loud. Spike sat in the armchair to wrestle his boots off and smiled fondly at their antics. Dawn came back into the room with a tray, which she set carefully onto the table. It held two bottles of tequila, a bowl of lime wedges, a saltshaker and four shot glasses. She looked from Spike to Xander and then over to Willow. "Now," she said, her lip curling into an evil smile, "we're ready to talk." 

Thirty minutes later, the girls had each had three shots, Xander four and Spike nine. The first bottle was empty, and the second was going fast. The vampire set the glasses up again and licked the back of his hand, sprinkling salt onto it before he slid the shaker across the table to Dawn. They were all seated on the floor, men on one side of the table, women on the other. Xander leaned down and licked the salt off Spike's hand before expertly tipping a shot into his mouth and then biting into a lime wedge. The girls tossed down their own shots, and Spike took the opportunity to place his hand on Xander's thigh under the table and squeeze the firm, warm muscle. He was gratified when the human shifted under his hand and angled himself a little closer. 

Dawn bit her lime and made a face. "Blurgh!" she exclaimed, slamming the shot glass onto the table, grimacing when Willow shushed her. "OK, let's talk about sex." 

Xander goggled at her. "I'm thinking 'wildly inappropriate' here," he said. 

"Bullshit," she replied. 

"OK, then," he said, reasonably, "what did you want to know?" 

She smiled. "I wanna know if you're bi." 

Xander's mouth fell open, and he looked shocked. The look fell off of his face almost immediately, and he grinned. "Yeah - I'm bi. Have been for a long time, though I'm sort of..." 

"Cherry?" Spike helpfully supplied. 
 

Xander turned to face the vampire. "I think 'inexperienced' may be a better word. I've just played on the straight side of the fence a lot more, is all." 

"Cherry," Spike repeated. 

"Don't make fun of me, fang-face. It's not my fault you vamps will fuck anything." Xander really thought that he'd be better able to look angry if Spike weren't so damn cute. 

"Almost anything, pet," Spike said, looking mildly affronted. "It's a fine distinction, but a distinction nonetheless. There are at least a dozen species of demon I wouldn't fuck with your dick." 

"Well, that's all of us then. The bi brigade, even," Willow laughed. She laughed harder when Spike and Xander both turned to stare at Dawn. 

"Hello, modern woman - all about exploring my options," she said, tossing her ponytail over her shoulder. 

Xander looked at Spike, who simply shook his head and gestured toward the tequila. Xander thought about it for a second, and then declined with a shake of his head. 

"I have a question," Dawn said. 

"Swallow," Xander replied. Spike spit tequila all over the table. 

"That's not the question, but it's close," Dawn explained. "I wanna know who gives better blow jobs - girls or boys." 

The two men looked at one another. "Boys," they answered together. Both women looked at them with narrowed eyes. 

Spike held up a conciliatory hand. "Look here - who does better by you - blokes or birds? Birds, right? A girl knows how to touch you, she knows all the little secret spots and where to go soft and where to go rough, yeah? Cause she's running the same equipment, so to speak. Same with us." 

Willow and Dawn considered his comment for a moment, and then both nodded. 

"I get that," Willow said. 

"How often?" Xander quipped, raising an eyebrow at her. 

"More often than you, Cherry," she replied. Xander grabbed her foot and tickled it mercilessly until she managed to crawl out of his reach. 

They settled back into their places, and Dawn poured another round of shots. Xander picked Spike's hand up and licked the palm before sprinkling salt into it. He did his shot nonchalantly, making sure to thoroughly lick the salt from the vampire's hand before tossing his tequila back. 

"OK, I've got another question," Dawn said. She frowned when both men groaned theatrically. "What's your Bulletproof Kink?" 

Willow raised her hand. "I don't think I have any kinks, Dawnie. Vanilla Lesbian here." 

Dawn smiled at her. "Not 'tie me up, tie me down' kink - I mean, what's the one thing that'll get you hot no matter what? The thing that always works." She sat up and held one arm out. "Me, for example, I've got this spot, right inside my elbow. Somebody sucks on that spot, and I'm a goner." She shivered dramatically. 

"Oh, I get it," Willow said. "Mine's hair-pulling." She sat back against the sofa, pleased with herself. "What?" she asked, noticing that both men were staring at her. "Not like 'drag me to your cave' hair pulling," she explained, "just a gentle tug, exactly the right way. Tara's the only one who can do it, anyway." 

Spike leaned across Xander and tangled one hand into the back of Willow's hair, curling his fingers at the roots and tugging. Her eyes immediately closed and a soft moan fell from her lips. The vampire released her and sat back up. Her eyes flew open. "How the... what the..." she spluttered.

Spike looked at her knowingly. "Over a hundred years experience, Red. There's not much I don't know how to do right." He reached over and picked up Xander's hand. He dipped the human's thumb into his shot glass of tequila, salted it, sucked the salt off, and then threw back the liquor. Forgoing the lime, he grinned his evil grin at Willow. Xander sat, dumbstruck. 

"Whoa," Dawn said. 

"See your 'whoa' and raise you a 'guh'," Xander added. 

"OK, Spike," Dawn said, "what's yours?" 

He looked at her and laid two fingers against the side of his neck, where the pulse would be if he had one. "I'm easy, Bit - vampire, neck, biting." 

"Makes sense," Willow agreed. "What about you, Xan?" she asked. 

Xander grinned. "I like talking." 

"You or the other person?" Dawn queried. 

Xander chuckled. "Has to be the other person; I tend to go all non-verbal," he said. 

"What do you like them to say? Dirty stuff?" Dawn asked, and Xander tried not to notice that Spike was listening intently. 

"Not necessarily dirty," Xander explained, "I just like to hear ... stuff." 

"Xander likes the talky sex," Willow singsonged. He nodded. 

"Oh, crap," Dawn said. "It's almost five." 

"Yeah," Spike said. "Sun's up in less than an hour." 

Xander pulled his phone out of his pocket and called Bill while the girls gathered up the shot glasses, lime peels and empty bottles. Xander closed the phone and sat on the couch to put his shoes on. 

While Willow and Spike carried the tray into the kitchen, Dawn came to sit by Xander. She gave him a kiss on the cheek, and accepted one in return. 

"Thank you for the party," she said. "I love you. Now go back to the hotel, and if you don't fuck him, I will." 

She kissed him again, and then trotted up the stairs, leaving him open-mouthed in her wake.

*****

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