One More Look at the Ghost [MorningStar!] [M]

[Rhindeer]

Spike literally bolted off of her, and for a moment Fang just lay there, shakily catching her breath and trying to get a hold of herself. Oh goddess, she was an idiot! Had she scared him off? She started to lift up onto her elbows when he was at her side, cupping her face and--oh dear. Saying quite a lot of things, including a worrisome one that just wasn't true. Was he bad at it?! Did he think--?

Oh...oh right.

Hadn't he said he'd not really been around women in any meaningful sort of way?

Maybe he legitimately didn't know how things worked.

Covering his one of his hands with her own, Fang used her other to help her sit up, if a bit gingerly.

"No, no, you were...Spike, you are wonderful. I'm just a little...overwhelmed, I think," she said with a wince, and scrubbed a hand over her eyes before adding quickly, "It's okay, really! I, ah, I should have told you to slow down. But I think we were both a little, well, lost in the moment and...and I didn't want it to be disappointing..." 

Another deep breath and she reached out to stroke his face, thumb brushing along his jaw. "It's okay, though, honestly. It can be, um, kinda painful for some women at first, so I heard from my friends, and you're a little..." She cleared her throat, looking away with a flush. "Big. To me." Another steadying breath. "I think I just got nervous."

Her shoulders hunched as she sat awkwardly on her knees, sore, flustered, and despite everything--still desperately craving him. She wanted this to go right. And even though it had hurt, there had been those little sparks of pleasure, a teasing taste of what could be. She chewed her lip, looking away. "We could try again," she said quietly. "Maybe in a different way?"

[MorningStar]

A wave of relief washed over Spike as Fang's words assured him he hadn't disappointed her. A subtle blush, barely discernible on his already heated face, graced his features as she complimented him, though the term "big" went clean over his head.

Despite his genuine happiness, Spike couldn't shake a sense of uncertainty – he knew little about the female body, and sex, other than what he could see and what he could touch. He was unaware it could be painful for some women, which was in stark contrast to how he was feeling. It felt incredible to him.

"You could never disappoint me, Fang," he replied sincerely, his fingers gently caressing her hair.

As she suggested trying again, he echoed her words, his expression filled with curiosity. "In a different way?" he inquired. "How so?"

[Rhindeer]

Fang leaned into his caress, waves of relief washed over her as he reassured her. She let out a breath, some of the tension easing out of her--except of course she'd opened her mouth with her idea, and now she actually had to explain it.

She swallowed, folding her arms over her chest with sudden insecurity. "Right, so, um. About that," she said, ducking her head and staring at the blankets. Why was saying it so much more difficult than doing it had been?! Probably because at a certain point, she stopped thinking with her head so much as instinct and need took over.

"So those things I read. In one of them the, uh...the woman, she...she was on top? So maybe...?"

[MorningStar]

Spike's grin held a blend of playful teasing and being genuinely impressed. "You've certainly read quite a few things," he remarked before settling onto the bed beside her. "I had no clue you were such an aficionado of... literature."

With a mischievous spark in his eyes, he gently pulled her into his embrace, reclining on his back and granting her the reins of control.

[Rhindeer]

"Shush," Fang said to his teasing, a finger against his lips--but the way she shifted her eyes away guiltily ruined the effect. "I had some extra time on my hands and a priestess gets curious. That, um...that stays between you and me."

And then she found herself in a fresh new pickle: the fact that this had been her idea and she had stage-fright already. Why? For all things holy, he'd already seen everything--he'd been inside her. She'd even had to use a goddess-forsaken chamber pot in his presence. At this point, there were no secrets between them.

But as she met his eyes with a "deer in torchlight" sort of look that screamed now what?!, she suddenly understood, perhaps, how he felt. She was in control.

And that was intimidating in a whole new way.

Spike certainly seemed to be enjoying this, from the glint in his eye!

"R-right," she breathed, meeting his eyes, hesitating. "Just...just kiss me." And then, summoning her courage, she leaned in and pressed her lips to his, hard and demanding, and as she did she shifted her body until she was straddling his hips. But she didn't take him. Instead, still gently exploring his mouth with her lips and gentle flicks of her tongue, she settled against him and let his cock rest against the lips of her sex--and then she just stayed like that, not quite ready to go further. She kissed him--his lips, his jaw, his neck, remembering the way his mouth spread goosebumps over her skin and hoping he could feel it, too.

And as she kissed him and that restless heat within her rose, it soon became impossible to sit still. Slowly, gingerly, she began to rock her hips on instinct, grinding herself against him, slicking him up--and then letting out a sharp whimper against his neck when he rubbed against her clit. That was new. So she did it again, shuddering, chasing the fresh new sensation as she focused on just feeling instead of thinking for once.

"Spike..." she breathed, trembling, her hands braced against his chest as she adjusted herself so she could sit up more. Eyes closed, she rode him without even taking him inside her, feeling a fresh new sensation building, tightening, growing until--

She got a little too enthusiastic, and when she slid back--he slid in.

Fang cried out sharply, clapping a hand over her mouth as her body went taut with surprise, but it was not a cry of pain. She was still sore, yes, but this time...

Oh goddess, he was perfect.

[MorningStar]

Who am I going to tell? Lawrence?

Spike could be oblivious, but thankfully he had enough tact not to say that out loud. Still, he found her comment cute in more ways than one.

But somewhere along the line Fang became more than cute. Sure, she maintained that endearing, awkward charm that mirrored his own, but there was an undeniable allure to her. It wasn't just about the cute fumbles; she embodied a stunning woman beneath the quirks. Her curves, the way her body moved, and the lingering looks she shared — it all awakened a sense of desire in Spike. Fang had become more than just cute; she was undeniably sexy in a way that went beyond the initial awkward charm, creating a magnetic pull that intrigued and captivated him.

And she was full of surprises. His body tingled with goosebumps as her lips gently explored him, waves of pleasure rippling through him. The ache of his cock intensified as she sensually moved her hips, teasingly grinding against him in what felt like torturously slow movements. A muffled groan escaped him, captured by the softness of her skin, and another erupted when he felt the intimate connection between them once more.

The overwhelming sensation triggered a primal urge within him, a desperate desire to be intimate with her even more, to lose himself in the relentless passion, to fuck her relentlessly. However, he resisted the intensity, maintaining a pace he believed she found comfortable. Guiding her with gentle hands on her hips, he let her take the lead, respecting the rhythm they had established.

"Fang," he gasped in pleasurable agony, lifting himself to press their chests together, "you've read some damn good books."

[Rhindeer]

"Poetry," Fang managed to gasp out between her fingers, her hand still over her mouth to cover the sounds that wanted to escape her as they moved. "I-it's poetry. From The Egret's—a-ah!"

She looped her arms around Spike's neck and crushed her body against his, breasts pressed to his chest and mouth finding his again to muffle her cry of pleasure. Goddess, it was perfect; she had been nervous, but this was working. She was slow and ginger at first as her body adjusted and the tenderness eased, rocking with shallow strokes that slid him just a little further each time, but with his hands on her hips guiding her and his cock hitting new, sensitive spots that made her shiver and tighten around him...well, she wasn't sure when exactly it happened, but soon enough she had taken him as deeply as he would go, their bodies flush together.

Inima must have forgiven her as quickly as She had punished her—perhaps because she was soon singing Her praises.

"Spike...oh goddess, you feel so—!" She cut off with a trembling whimper and cling to him tighter, rocking against him harder, needing more. With their pelvises flush together he was also grinding against her clit with each stroke, and it was getting harder to breathe, harder to think, as that tight coil of pleasure and tension only grew. She chased the sensation desperately, pressing her lips to his neck as her gasping cries took on an almost pleading pitch, and soon she was begging him, though she didn't know for what, slipping into Thanati as thinking became impossible—

"Oh goddess, Spike, I—!" Words failed her as the pleasure mounted, crested, and she let out a cry that was close to a scream. Her nails dug into him as she trembled all around him and lightly bit his neck to muffle it, and she couldn't move, couldn't think, as for a moment nothing else existed.

[MorningStar]

As she increased her tempo, the sensations enveloping Spike bordered on ecstasy. He sensed a rise in his testicles, a warmth spreading around his crotch and throughout his body. His heart rate accelerated, blood surged through his veins, breath quickened, and his entire body tensed with an escalating pressure building relentlessly within him.

In the culmination of their pleasure, she cried out, her nails digging into him while her body trembled. Her slowdowns teased and tortured Spike, fueling a selfish desire for more. Recognizing her pleasure in this position, he maintained it, succumbing to primal urges. Elevating his waist, carrying her with him, he tightly gripped her ass to keep her afloat before plunging into her with an unrelenting pursuit. Driven by a wild, almost animalistic fervor, he claimed her repeatedly until the familiar ache and pressure built up in his cock, and their skin collided in electrifying union.

A soft moan slipped past his lips, followed by another.

"F-Fang," he managed to breathe out, pulling her head into him, a desperate need for the feel of her breath on his skin and her teeth biting into him. "A-Ah, s-something, ah! Oh no! Something is about to happen!"

Of course, as a man, Spike was well aware of what was about to occur. It wasn't a revelation that eluded him; rather, expressing it verbally seemed challenging, and he grappled with whether he even wanted to. I'm about to cum, Fang! just didn't feel right to say in front of her. Yet, he also recognized that remaining inside her during this moment might not be the best idea for them right now. It might not be what Fang would want at all.

With one last surge through the insatiable cravings, his body tightened like a coiled spring, back arching akin to a drawn bowstring. His cock slipped out of her, pounding against her backside in tandem with an explosive release. A stream of his fervent and white-hot passion cascaded onto her skin as he groaned loudly and unabashedly.

Then, he sank back onto the bed, his body relinquishing all tension in a state of blissful disorientation.

[Rhindeer]

Fang never had a chance to come down from her release, for Spike kept her locked right in it when he took over—and then he truly claimed her.  

She was so high on pleasure, so lightheaded from holding her breath as her body shook, that when he gripped her and truly began to plunge up into her—oh goddess, she really did scream then. There was no pain, no discomfort; there was only heightened ecstasy as his wild pounding kept her going, as it drew out her bliss until she swore she couldn't feel her legs. Fang was powerless to do much more than cling to him hard as her sharp, desperate cries and pleading moans filled the room, punctuated by the wet slap of skin on skin. She would never in a million years have thought herself loud (and never in a million years would have thought she'd be in this position at all), but with Spike she found she just lost all control.

Hopefully no one was trying to sleep next door.

One release rolled into the next as his powerful thrusting brought on a fresh wave of gasping trembles, and goddess she loved it, and could have never predicted something so rough, so wicked, could feel so good. She bit his neck hard enough to leave a mark and arched into his thrusts, begging with him with her body for everything he had to give.

And then he breathed out that something was going to happen, and she didn't have long to be curious. She got her answer quite quickly when he abruptly pulled out, and she felt something hot splash against her skin.

Panting for breath, Fang fell forward onto him as he collapsed backward, limp and boneless and utterly drained. Her body was still absolutely thrumming, tingling clear down to her toes, and she couldn't have moved if Inima Herself commanded her. Chest heaving, she turned her face enough to press a lazy kiss against his skin before she nuzzled into the crook of his neck, breathing him in. Salt, sweat, the heady scent of sex. It felt...unreal.

But as she traced her fingers along the scars on his chest, she knew it very much was not a dream.

[MorningStar]

A loud and rapid knocking echoed against the side of the wall.

"Would you two shut up?! Kia's name! I'm trying to sleep!" came the voice from the other side, followed by a grumble that sounded something like "haven't gotten laid in months."

Spike couldn't help but laugh—a breathy sound, one of delirious bliss as he descended from the intense high. "That... was... amazing," he finally managed between heavy pants. "You... are amazing."

He meant it, not just about the sex but her as a whole. Everything about her—the personality, the smile, the selflessness—was special. Though Spike had never known love or its intricacies, he felt a burgeoning sense of it. Maybe he... He swallowed those thoughts, choosing to keep them to himself, much like he opted out of announcing his sticky surprise from earlier. Instead, he kissed the top of her head and gently massaged her scalp with his fingers. Being with her just felt right.

As his senses slowly returned, he caught a whiff of something pungent in the air. His eyes glazed over their sweaty bodies and the mess he had left on Fang's backside. With another satisfied exhale, he asked, "How about that bath?"

[Rhindeer]

The knocking on the wall and yelling jolted Fang back to reality. She went rigid, her face lighting up like a flame, and quickly buried her face against Spike to hide as a full-body cringe went through her.

Ohmygoddesstheyheardeverything.

Spike laughed, but she wanted to die, and she was already starting to wonder how on earth they were going to leave this room now when everyone would know. But Spike's breathy compliments calmed her a little, making her chest squeeze with affection, and she pressed a kiss to his neck.

"No, you are."

And it was true. He might not realize it, for if she had noticed one thing it was how little he seemed to think about himself. But she could see past the self-loathing; there was genuine kindness there, kindness she had felt from day one, a drive to be better and do better—even if he didn't realize it yet. Because why else would he have left everything that was safe and familiar, everything he knew, to start all over the moment he realized it was wrong? It took strength to escape indoctrination like that.

And he had been nothing but respectful toward her, and considerate of her needs. Even his panic earlier over hurting her in the midst of his own pleasure—he could have been selfish, he could have pretended not to notice—or even genuinely not noticed at all. But he was attentive to her needs, noticing the little cues when things were off. And he always had. Those were not the actions of someone who lacked a moral compass, and the only violence he'd committed was to protect her from violence.

And then there was the laughter, the teasing, the awkward charm that made her...

Her thoughts trailed off as he brought up the bath, and Fang couldn't help but laugh against his skin. "Oh...oh no...that room's probably such a mess," she said, and she started to lift herself—only to flop back down.

"O-oh Inima...this is all your fault," she breathed. "My legs aren't working."

[MorningStar]

He wrinkled his nose at her, finding her expression cute. "I guess I better carry you then," he replied, a soft and proud smile gracing his lips. This added a whole new dimension to the phrase "not being able to feel their legs" — something he was genuinely proud of this time around.

Spike cradled Fang in his arms, carrying her back into the bathroom with a sense of gentle determination. The room was indeed in disarray, but he seemed unfazed, choosing to focus on the more immediate need at hand. Demonstrating with a flourish, he adjusted the faucets with practiced precision, ensuring a perfect blend of hot and cold water to create a comfortably warm bath.

Maintaining his hold on her, he carefully lowered Fang into the tub, the soothing water enveloping her form. The sound of the flowing water created a serene ambiance in the room, providing a brief respite from the intensity of their earlier activities. Spike decided to join her in the bath, carefully maneuvering to find his spot opposite her. The warmth of the water brought a welcomed sense of relaxation, and he couldn't help but exhale a contented sigh.

Once settled, Spike reached for some towels from the open cabinet, strategically placing them to absorb any lingering moisture and water on the floor. The towels also served as a makeshift rug, offering a non-slip surface for when they eventually emerged from the bath. The steam rose around them, creating an intimate atmosphere as they shared the soothing waters, finding solace in the quiet comfort of each other's presence.

"So..."

Now that it was over, what was there to say? Would this alter the relationship they had built together so far? Could it possibly strengthen it? Was it a one-time thing, or could he have another go at it? His mind swam with these thoughts, and he blurted out the first thing that came to his mind. "Should I meet your parents?"

[Rhindeer]

It was nice, really, being carried like this. Something about it made her feel safe and cherished, and it felt...right. He'd carried her from the bath to bed, and now they were going in reverse. Fortunately, this time Spike showed how to work the knobs and when he lowered her into the tub, it was warm and soothing instead of an icy deathtrap. She sank down into the water, sighing gratefully, wincing only a little as she realized how sore she was. And not just the obvious place; her legs ached and even her butt was sore. How, she had no idea.

Spike joined her, settling in across from her, and she stretched her legs out so they were on either side of as she sank down to her chin. This was almost as good as the sex. Almost. And she had just started to close her eyes, content and warm, when Spike opened his mouth.

Cold hard reality struck her like a slap to the face and her entire body recoiled, spilling water over the sides of the tub as she jerked upright. 

"NO!" she said, and clapped a hand to her mouth as she realized how forcefully she'd exclaimed it. Sucking in a breath, she hunched her shoulders and cleared her throat, looking down into the water. "Ah, ahem, I mean...no. That wouldn't be a good idea. At all."

Now her heart was pounding for a new reason altogether, anxiety creeping in and chilling her blood. Everything came rushing back in: she had broken so many rules already. She was supposed to stay close to the Temple, but her mother had given her leeway to explore Kunata to help the local spirits after a long, passionate argument: how was she supposed to use her gift by staying in one place? Yiroa was skeptical; she knew her daughter and her questionable decision-making, and she had nearly gotten herself stabbed once already. But she had relented, giving her a chance, on the condition that she was to write her weekly so she knew she was still alive and hadn't done anything stupid.

Her last letter had been sent just before they boarded the ship. A ship she was very much not supposed to board, and she had been assaulted and nearly killed not a day in.

And now she was in Serendipity.

Naked.

In a bath, washing off the evidence of what she'd just done with a Serenian man. Wait. Evidence. Oh. Oh goddess.

Her thoughts spiraled, her eyes going wide as she replayed what they had done. He had spilled his seed, wasted Inima's gift. Their sex had been for fun—which was all she wanted from it, she certainly wasn't prepared to carry a child! But in that moment it was just one more transgression in a growing list of them and she pressed a hand to her mouth in realization, guilt spreading through the euphoria. 

"I would be in so much trouble if they knew," she said, and sank down into the water again. "They...they're not...it's complicated."

[MorningStar]

Fang's unexpected response left Spike in a state of bewilderment, his confusion palpable in the furrow of his brows and the subtle crease on his forehead. Beneath the surface, however, a tinge of hurt lingered in his expression, not because of the rejection itself, but rather the uncertainty of having inadvertently caused discomfort.

Had he said something wrong? Did he do something wrong?

It was because of who he was, right? An ex-assassin?

"Oh, I'm sorry," he muttered, the words carrying a weight of regret as he allowed himself to sink a little lower into the tub. His attempt to articulate his feelings stumbled, "It's just that... I thought, when you do this, it's customary for..." He hesitated, his voice trailing off as embarrassment overcame him. "Well," a little deeper, "you know." Finally, he surrendered to the water, submerging himself completely, a physical manifestation of his discomfort and desire to escape the awkwardness that had enveloped the moment.

[Rhindeer]

"Hey!" 

Fang lunged forward which, in the small space, soon had her straddling him again. She wasn't sure what had just happened or what this customary stuff he was talking about was, but she had a feeling it was another cultural thing she just wasn't savvy to.

Hooking her hands under his armpits, she tugged at him, trying to pull him back up before he committed some sort of ritual suicide because...who knew why!

"Hey, wait, come back!"

[MorningStar]

Fang might not have been strong enough to pull him up on his own, but her touch regardless prompted him to rise. As she grabbed hold of him, he emerged from the bathwater, a cascade of liquid streaming from his hair, dripping around his face, and trickling onto his shoulder. His flushed face revealed a blend of embarrassment and vulnerability.

And she was straddling him again.

His expression underwent a gradual transformation—slight hurt, vulnerability, off-guard surprise, followed by curiosity and a hint of excitement. In spite of this emotional rollercoaster, he managed a smile, gesturing toward his waist before locking eyes with her once more. "I'm sorry, it is a bit sore. Could we perhaps revisit that in the morning instead?"

[Rhindeer]

He resurfaced, thank Inima, and Fang watched in confusion as so many expressions played out across his face until. She opened her mouth, about ready to ask for an explanation because what had gotten into him?!

But he spoke first.

"It"?

Fang glanced downward—and more water sloshed over the edge as she moved off of him, splashing back down into the water on her side of the tub. "Sorry, sorry, I didn't—I wasn't trying to—!" she sputtered out, and her blush only grew when the full weight of his words hit her: revisit this in the morning? He...he wanted to do it again? Well, obviously! And it wasn't like she wasn't hoping to try it out again, but saying it out loud was a different thing altogether!

It was her turn to sink into the water until it was to her chin, but warm water couldn't exactly cool a hot face. "R-right. Yes. Tomorrow. But, um, that wasn't actually what I—wait. Sore? It's sore?" Concern flashed in her eyes. "Did I hurt you?"

[MorningStar]

Her reaction was cute. Her concern was cute. Why was everything she did so cute to him? However, it did create an opening for a bit of playful banter, a much-needed mood lifter.

"Oh very much so" he teased, a mischievous glint in his eye. "Maybe you could massage it a little?"

His hands hovered above the water, a preemptive gesture of surrender. "Kidding! I'm fine! I think that's a good thing in this case."

Refocusing, Spike addressed the earlier subject with a bit of hesitation. "You know, you don't have to introduce me to your parents or anything. I just, well, heard somewhere that when people... you know, make love, it's kind of customary to meet each other's families afterward. Or was it before?"

Shut up, Spike.

"I m-mean, I will if you want me too!"

Spike, shut it!

"Oh! And I didn't mean making love like.. making love.. I meant it more like," he let out an exasperated breath. "Making love."

Boy was he tired. He decided to bathe quickly.

Spike was like a whirlwind in that tub—blink, and you'd miss it. Before Fang could even untangle the mess of his words, he was out, dried, dressed for a slumber party with himself, and lying on the bed, staring blankly at the ceiling.

Next door, a symphony of sniffles played out. Amidst the tears, a voice lamented, "Why does the man next door have to flaunt it? Us single folks are suffering here!"

[Rhindeer]

Massage—?!

Despite their previous intimacy, the visual that induced made Fang sputter, blowing bubbles in the water in the process. Spike was quick to clarify it as a joke, but Fang still sank her face into her hands and rubbed her temples as though trying to purge the wickedness from her brain.

Because, well...it wasn't like she was opposed...

He held his hands up in surrender and she let out a nervous laugh, dunking beneath the water briefly for even considering it—but perhaps that topic would have been much safer to explore, and kept his mouth shut better, than everything that came right after.

Because oh boy.

What followed was a cacophony of words, an outright landslide that started out as a pebble before taking the entire cliff and all the houses with it. Wiping the hair and water out of her face, Fang stared at him, opening her mouth to interject before closing it when he just kept going, getting more and more bewildering by the second. People...people introduced their families when they had sex?! W-what in the Serenian insanity—?! And...making love...but not like making love...? Her head spun. She understood the euphemism as a polite way of saying sex—or so she thought she did. But Spike's emphasis on the words kept changing and it seemed like they meant different things despite being the same words!

And then he was gone, and she was alone in the bath with a dull headache throbbing behind her eyes.

What had she gotten herself into...? Thank the goddess Spike didn't have parents because she would not enjoy showing up on their doorstep to announce their bedroom business! How did that conversation even go?! "Hi mom, dads, this is Spike, we just had sex."

What a nightmare.

She finished up her bathing routine, taking longer than Spike with all her hair, but when she finally stepped from the room her wet hair was combed and braided and she was wrapped in her towel. She gave Spike an awkward sidelong look—he was dressed, she noticed, and she did not plan to be because what was the point?—before she draped her towel over the chair and dove beneath the covers, wrenching them up to her chin.

"So...um..." She stared up at the ceiling.

"Wanna try again?" She blinked, paused, and decided to reframe. "What you said. The conversation. Want to start over?"

[MorningStar]

Spike was never one to sleep in the nude. The idea never really crossed his mind. The comfort of clothes during sleep provided a sense of readiness, a precautionary measure for unexpected situations that might demand quick action. Whether it was the need for immediate response or the instinct to stay prepared, he found solace in the familiarity of clothed slumber. That, and better a knife to the throat than a knife to some other part if he was in a deep cycle. Spike knew well how much of a force he could be - nobody wanted to get their ass kicked from a man with his dong out.

So when Fang entered the room without clothes, and showing no sign of requiring them, it made him second guess his decision.

Was he doing this wrong too?

"Wanna try again?" she had asked.

A hint of confusion furrowed his brow, but amidst the uncertainty, a spark of excitement couldn't be denied. He sat up just a bit and..

"The conversation. Want to start over?

Oh, right.

"Hm?" he responded with a soft tone, feigning ignorance.