"And you honestly thought I didn't know? All this time?" Dawn asked incredulously.
The pair before her nodded mutely.
"Oh *c'mon!*" she scoffed. "I've been watching you hide bite marks for six years! The Master, Angel, Dracula c'mon!"
Spike's head whipped around. "*Angel* bit you?! Dracula that tosser BIT you?!" He threw his hands up in the air. "What the bloody hell is this? Why'd you get all upset about it if you've already been a lunchable for three other vamps? For crying out loud, Slayer, you're a fourth helping now!"
Dawn watched with characteristic teenage amusement as Buffy's anger slowly burst forth.
"Are you *kidding* me? The Master _killed_ me, Angel was _dying_, and I was under Dracula's _thrall_! There was very little choice in the matter when it came to biting, Spike!"
"Yeh, well, a vamp bite's a powerful thing, love, and you've had _four_ of em - no wonder you're so daft in the head!"
"Daft? I'll show *you* daft, you stupid, sodding -- " Buffy stopped short. "Wait. I *did* not just say 'sodding,'" she swore under her breath.
The smirk that was plastered over Spike's face was priceless. And annoying. Mostly annoying. Especially since it was illuminated by the lamp behind him, so he there was a shine on his face that gave him this odd glowy quality. But it got worse. He started to laugh.
So Buffy hit him.
Of course.
They soon forgot that Dawn was a member of their little group, currently leaning against the doorjamb as they fought. She just rolled her eyes and thought to herself, "Foreplay."
" ... Spike, you stupid ..."
" ... try that again, Slayer, and I'll put the daft back into your futile attempt to hurt me ... "
" ... I did NOT say sodding .... and futile? please ... "
" ... you did so say sodding, you sodding chew toy ... ow! watch the nose ... "
" ... CHEW TOY? ... "
Eventually they had gotten each other into a choke hold, which was really only a problem for one of them. Specifically, Buffy, who was not pleased at all to be pinned to the ground beneath Spike's knee, elbow, and that idiot smirk. She snarled at him, which only made him grin more.
"C'mon Slayer ... you'll get the hang of British slang soon enough. Surprised you haven't gone at it before, having Ripper around all that time."
"Yeah, well, Giles was a *polite* Englishman, unlike some I might ... wait. We weren't even arguing about that. It was about the bite marks, dammit."
A shadow crossed Spike's face, but he shrugged it off as another thought passed through his mind. "Right, well, whatever. Why don't we go shag now and I'll give you some bite marks to be truly proud of?"
"Spike! What about Dawn? She's -- "
"Apparently gone, love. Shag?"
Buffy really didn't complain from that point on.
words © SA. characters, show, and people not mine. no infringement is intended.