Buffy was ablaze with lust.

From across the room, Riley eyed her suggestively as he sipped his beer.

To hell with this party, to hell with her friends. To hell with slaying. All Buffy wanted was to be in her boyfriend's strong arms again. To once more feel the intense heat they'd generated that morning in his bed. Maybe more than once more...

She noticed that Willow and Xander had left her side, and Riley's friends had given up on trying to engage their preoccupied housemate.

Smiling saucily, Buffy crossed the divide between them.

His beeper went off. "Damn."

Now? "What is it?"

Apologetic and helpless, he said, "I have to go."

"But... we were gonna go upstairs," Buffy said, hoping that would make his Initiative meeting go away.

"I know," Riley said, just as overheated, "and we will. I'll be back."

"Let's go, Finn," Forrest said.

She pouted as she watched him go. What was she supposed to do now?

"Buffy!" Xander's voice.

She turned her head towards the den. Xander, Anya, Willow and Tara were sitting on the floor with a few other partygoers.

"Come on, Buffy!" Willow said. "Come sit down!"

Buffy shot a last forlorn look at the stairs Riley had ascended, and reluctantly trudged over to the gang.

Willow patted a place beside her. Buffy absentmindedly sat, and before she knew it, an empty beer bottle was pointing straight at her.

"Score!" a luggy boy exclaimed. "Come to Papa!"

Buffy gave him a blank stare.

"The bottle points to you," Anya explained brightly. "Now you have to kiss him."

"Wait," Buffy said, incredulous. "We're playing Spin the Bottle?"

"Uh-huh," Xander said without irony.

"And... how old are we?"

"Oh come on, Buffy, it's fun!" Willow said.

"Um," Buffy said, surprised at Willow's enthusiasm. This definitely wasn't like her. "I have a boyfriend."

"It's just a game," the boy who leered at her said. "Lighten up."

"Yeah, don't worry about it, Buff," Xander said with a wave of his hand.

Xander wanted her to kiss this guy? Protective, big brotherly Xander?

"Fine." She leaned over and gave the guy a closed-mouth peck.

"Hey!" he complained.

"Oh, you're not following the rules, Buffy," Anya said. "You have to kiss him for at least seven seconds."

"And there has to be tongue," he added.

"Excuse me?" Buffy asked, preparing to deck this half-wit.

"It's true," Anya confirmed with a nod.

Buffy silently pleaded with the gang for an exit strategy, but nobody got the message.

It was as if her friends had been possessed... by normal college students. Was there something in the beer again? Were they just When-in-Rome-ing it?

"Go for it," Willow said, nudging her.

Well, Buffy figured, I keep saying I want to be normal...

Hoping he wouldn't slobber all over her, she went for it. When their lips touched, the circle started chanting, "One! Two! Three!"

Spike turned in his chair to see what all the commotion was about. Red was sitting on the floor, the other witch beside her, and... He got up to get a closer look.

The Slayer. Making out with some flush-faced frat prat?

"Seven!"

Buffy sat back on her heels, an undisguised look of revulsion on her face. She wiped her mouth with her sleeve and lied, "You know, I think I just saw Riley, I'll be--"

"But it's your turn, Buffy," Willow said.

"My turn? But--"

"The last one chosen is the next to choose." Anya, human instruction booklet.

"Whatever." With a frustrated sigh, Buffy touched the bottle. On contact, an exhilarating charge coursed up her arm and down her center. Ooh, tingly.

So that was it: the bottle! An enchanted bottle? "Guys, there's something wrong with this--"

Black leather flashed at Buffy's eye level, confusing and distracting her, as it was the kind of black leather most commonly associated with the long jacket, heavy boots, nailpolish hue and similarly tragic fashion choices of the last person she needed to see right now.

He sat down indian-style directly across from her.

"Spike," Buffy retracted her hand from the bottle, not wanting to associate him with the feelings she was having. "What are you doing here?"

"I expect this is fair game," he said, peering at the circle of tasty-looking humans. "Alright with you?"

A cute blonde girl on the far end practically moaned, "Totally."

He grinned at the girl, then at Buffy. "Go on then, love. Give it a spin."

"If it points at you, I quit," she said, hatred mingling with the lust she couldn't contain.

"Why? We've lip-locked before, you and me."

"Exactly."

"Ooh, burn!" the boy exclaimed, and tried to high-five her. Feeling Spike's glare, he dropped his hand and coughed.

She spun the bottle, and around it went... to Anya.

Xander's eyes widened.

"Oh," Anya said, suddenly flustered. "Well, I suppose that would be me."

"Sweet!" the frat boy cried. "Girl-on-girl action!"

More spectators gathered around.

"Okay," Anya readied herself. "It's not as if I've never done this before..."

Xander stuttered, "You...?"

Anya shrugged.

Buffy, wanting to escape before Riley returned, leaned across the floor to press her lips to Anya's.

No different than a man, she told herself. Just... softer. And... soft...

"Dear God," she heard Xander pray, "please don't let this be a dream."

As they uncoupled, almost everyone burst into applause.

First girl kiss, Buffy thought proudly. Surprisingly okay.

She noticed Spike appraising her with amusement. "What?"

"Starting to enjoy yourself, Slayer?"

"No." Then she turned to Anya. "I mean -- you know what I mean."

"Yes, of course. You're not a lesbian, and neither am I. Not that it was unpleasant." Anya cleared her throat. "Well. It's my turn now! Go, me."

The bottle slowed down at Spike. Now she could really show Xander...

Catching the jealousy that flickered through Xander's eyes, Willow quickly used her telekinetic powers to nudge the bottle.

Somehow, she nudged it too far and it landed on... her. Whoops!

Tara frowned, keenly aware of her girlfriend's witchcraft. Why did Willow want to kiss Anya so much?

Willow whimpered helplessly at Tara.

"Go on, kiss her," Tara said, jealousy shading her words.

Xander's eyes glazed over. "This is the best dream ever."

Encouraged, Anya grabbed Willow by the face and plowed her tongue into the witch's mouth.

Willow tried not to kiss back for fear that Tara would get even more upset. And also because... Anya.

"Well, that wasn't so bad either," Anya said, brightening. "I think I'm getting the hang of this!"

"Please... please do," Xander croaked, images of Scooby orgies dancing through his head.

Willow realized it was her turn. "Oh."

Both she and Tara magically directed the bottleneck to the same spot.

Finally chosen and determined now, Tara kissed her girlfriend with intense fervor, proving once and for all to whom Willow really belonged.

"Whoa," Xander said as the girls settled back in their spots. "Have you two been practicing?"

They ignored him.

"My turn," Tara said, shooting a triumphant look at Willow. Using her own powers, she purposely made it settle on Anya.

"Wow," Anya said, ribbing her boyfriend. "I'm gettin' a lotta action tonight, aren't I?"

Tara moved in on Anya, and kissed her with ostentatious sensuality.

"Okay," Xander resolved in a squeaky voice, shielding his crotch, "going now." He took Anya's hand and hastily dragged her away from the group.

Tara and Willow exchanged angry and apologetic glances.

The frat boy said, "Well that sucks. Who goes now?"

"I haven't gone yet," the cute blonde girl piped up, staring pointedly at Spike.

"Well then," Spike said, flashing her that charming vampire smile. "Guess you'd better."

Buffy wasn't sure why it bothered her so much, seeing him flirt with someone else. But it did.

She really hoped Slutty's spin would end at Slobber Boy, but no such luck. Either this girl was a Spin The Bottle pro or she was a witch too, because it stopped right smack in front of Spike.

"Must be my lucky night, love," Spike said rakishly to the girl.

Buffy cringed. "Oh, please."

He sent her a smirk as he bent towards the girl.

It was like rubbernecking at a train wreck. Buffy couldn't tear her eyes away.

As Spike brushed his lips against someone else's mouth, Buffy felt a sudden inexplicable desire to be that someone else -- anyone other than the Slayer -- who had no reason to care who or what she kissed. This girl could sleep with Spike right now if she wanted to, no higher power to answer to, no moral responsibility, no guilt; just a quick, hot -- wrong, never, can't -- roll in the hay.

Bitch.

"Time's up, Lolita," she said, peeling the girl off of the vampire she could never have. Want, she corrected herself. That I'd never want.

"Oh, sorry," Slutty said. "Is he your guy?"

"No!" Buffy scoffed. "It's just -- your time was up."

"Well," Spike said, looking straight at Buffy. "Must be my go then."

He gave it a gentle spin. It landed... right between Buffy and Willow.

Not wanting to kiss anyone else in front of her girlfriend now, Willow used her power to nudge the bottle one last time.

"Hey!" Buffy said to Willow, who shrugged sheepishly.

"Dude," the frat boy said. "Either I'm way wasted, or that shit just moved by itself."

Buffy pointed at Spike, who had a cocksure grin on his face. "I am not kissing him."

"You gotta," Slobber Boy said.

"You heard the boy," Spike said seductively as he leaned in. "You gotta."

The hem of his coat fanned across the floor as he reached out to wrap a cool hand around her warm neck.

Buffy looked around wildly to make sure Riley was nowhere in sight.

Everything seemed to be moving in slow motion. Her face reached his. He paused, feeling her hot breath on his skin.

When their lips finally touched, fire to ice, something seemed to erupt. Between them, around them, a sense of right chaos loomed.

They pulled apart, staring at each other with identical expressions of fear.

Quickly, they met again with fierce passion.

The kiss deepened. The room shook.

"Earthquake!" Willow and Tara ran for the doorway.

Buffy didn't run. Neither did Spike. Oblivious to the madness around them, he tugged her closer. She unwittingly straddled his lap.

This was all she wanted. All she needed. Don't care don't care don't care

Their kiss continued as he stood up with Buffy attached to him, legs coiled around his waist. They brushed past Willow in the doorway.

"Um... Buffy?" Willow called out, and looked to Tara in bewilderment.

That's when they heard the screams.

The house seemed to be alive with energy. People were panicking, fighting and fucking everywhere.

"Oh my God," Tara said.

"What's happening?" Willow shrieked, barely missing the trajectory of a falling bookcase.

"It's the house," realized Tara. "We've got to get out of here!"

"But -- Buffy -- where did they go?"

"Come on, Willow, they probably left too!"

* * *

Spike stumbled up the stairs, a hot slayer in his arms, mouth fused to his.

He kicked open the first door on his right. An ardent couple writhed on the bed.

"Out!" he growled at them, revealing demonic features. "Now!"

The couple screamed and ran. Spike pushed Buffy against the door to close it, kissed her against it, then made way to the bed, breaking the bedside lamp in the process. The room was shrouded in darkness.

"Spike," Buffy whispered as he tore at the fabric of her shirt.

"Slayer."

"Now," she said, on her back, legs dangling off the bed, "I need you now."

Her pants were peeled away, his shirt was off, now his jeans couldn't be unbuttoned fast enough.

Taking hold of his cock as he stood at the edge of the bed, he panted, "You got me."

Buffy spread her legs and guided his hips forward.

Spike nudged against her opening. Tight resistance threatened to push him out, but her welling slickness invited him in.

Finally, he forced it home and was sheathed in her.

"Yes," they elated together, eyes tearing.

Vampire and Slayer, mortal enemies, perfect match.