"Buffy, squeak me. Pwease squeak me," Spike said, giving a high, trilly voice to the rubber ducky he waved in her face. "I'm so wonewy."

"You're such a freak," Buffy laughed, swiping it from his hand.

"But dat's why you wuv me."

"Yeah," she agreed with a sigh. "Buffy the Fweak Wuvver. That's me."

"Know why I love you?" he asked in his normal voice.

"Why?"

"Because. You feel bad for the ducky."

She realized she was petting the plastic toy and scoffed. "Well, it was lonely!" She squeaked it and sent it to coast over a bubbly landscape.

He squeezed a sponge over her shoulder. Her back against his chest, she relaxed into him and craned her neck to kiss him softly. As he rumbled into her mouth, she felt him harden against her.

He dropped the sponge and started to maneuver her hips.

"Spike. Honey? Mmph. No, not here."

"Why not?"

"Too splashy," she said. "You know, there's this thing they call a bed. We should try it."

"Beds are overrated." He pulled at her again.

"Spike! This is supposed to be a relaxing hot bath. Emphasis on relax."

"I'll relax you," he urged. "Promise."

"The last time I relaxed around you I got penetrated in a very naughty place."

"You loved it." He traced a finger along her neck. "Naughty girl."

"So did you, as I recall."

"Yeah." His breath caught and his eyes began to glaze over.

Buffy sensed the danger in this. "Alright, Mr. Freaky," she said, pushing him backwards, "there will be no naughty penetration tonight. And no penetration of any kind unless we're in a snug, dry bed."

"Right. Come on then. Bedtime for Buffy." He propelled her up and stood.

"Hold on, gotta shower off first."

"You can't shower in front of me and expect me not to ravage you."

"Get out, then," she shrugged as she drained the tub.

He sighed, stepped out and grabbed a towel. "I'll be waiting for you."

"Don't start without me," she said with a wink.

He opened the bathroom door and strutted out into the hall. "Wouldn't be any fun without you, pet," he said lustily, getting a last eyeful before closing the door.

Draping the towel loosely in front of him as he dried his front, Spike turned.

"Dawn!" he yelped, jumping backwards and frantically fastening the towel behind him.

"Spike," the younger Summers said with a smirk.

"Didn't know you were here." He shot a nervous glance at the bathroom door.

"Obviously." She put a hand on her hip and asked casually, "Buffy in there?"

"Wh -- No!" he said, the very picture of astonishment.

She looked at him askance. "Then... who were you talking to?"

"Uh. Meself." He lifted his chin.

"Do you usually call yourself 'pet'?"

The water shut off and the stall shower door slid on its hinges.

Spike was at a loss. "It's uh, it's not what you think--"

"It's not," she repeated in disbelief.

The door opened and Buffy walked out in a towel. "Dawn!"

"Slayer! I was, I was just tellin' Dawn here, how this isn't what it looks like." He turned to Dawn. "It's, uh -- it's a funny story, really."

Both sisters, amused, folded their arms in wait.

"You see, not knowin' big sis was here, I stepped in to take a shower -- and uh, there she was."

"So," Dawn raised her brow, "you decided to take one together?"

"Uh... no--" he looked to Buffy for help.

"Spike." Buffy couldn't prolong his agony any further. "It's okay. She knows."

"She knows?"

"I know," Dawn confirmed, nodding. "But hey, good cover-up."

Spike exhaled and smiled disdainfully at the girl. "Thanks."

Dawn strolled into her room. "And cute butt," she said before she closed the door.

"Hey!" Spike said. He looked at Buffy and pointed at her sister's room.

Buffy chuckled. "She's not wrong," she gently patted his behind, "It is pretty cute. But try to keep it away from my sister?"

"Well she--! I didn't--!" Spike gave up and sighed as Buffy took his hand and led him away.

Foiled by the Summers clan yet again, he thought, then brightened as the eldest dropped her towel on her bed.

Wouldn't have it any other way.

* * *

"Five! Four! Three! Two! One--"

The entire crowd joined in. "BLACK OUT!"

As if on cue, every light in the Bronze went out. Candles, torches and lighters illuminated the club and hand-held flashlights lit the stage.

"Another Bronze blackout night!" the bandleader shouted over the whoops and hollers. "Courtesy of our good friends over at Pacific Gas and Electric."

Some guy yelled out, "FUCK PG&E;!!"

"Well, tonight," the bandleader continued, "I've got good news... and I've got bad news. The good news is: that murky, shitty heat wave has officially moved out of Sunnydale!"

The crowd cheered, and the Scoobies shared a conspiratorial glance.

"The bad news?" He paused, then shouted, "We're still fuckin' here!"

Everyone roared together as the drummer counted in and the band broke out in a festive, uptempo tune. An upright bassist plucked away, three horn players accented the downbeat, and the leader strummed madly at an acoustic guitar. The whole band then sang at the top of their lungs:

Whenever I'm with you
Something inside
Starts to burning
And I'm filled with desire

Could it be a devil in me
Or is this the way love's supposed to be?
It's like a heat wave
Burnin' in my heart

"Hey!" Xander yelled to the gang as he avoided a flying mosher. "What'd I say? Martha and the Vendettas!"

Giles complained, "Bloody awful rendition. They're tearing the song apart."

"Giles. It's stuffy enough in here already," Buffy said, patting his arm.

"Sorry," he said, and made an effort to loosen up. He didn't much care for the original anyway.

Tara looked around at the commotion. "I can't believe we've been missing this!"

"Guess it was all that pesky evil we were fighting!" Willow shouted happily.

Spike returned from the bar and handed out bottles. "Alright, Coronas for you two, Buds for you, Guinness, and a root beer for you, little bit." Dawn happily accepted her drink.

"Aren't you drinking anything?" Buffy asked him.

"I got you to attend to," he said, wrapping his arms around her from behind. "Gotta stay on my toes."

Some of the gang looked away awkwardly.

Buffy understood that their relationship was still too new to fully accept, and she really wanted to give them time. But she also really wanted to make out with Spike.

Buffy turned to her lover, said, "Let's dance," and led him into the dark crowd.

Has hot love pressure got a hold on me
Or is this the way love's supposed to be?
It's like a heat wave
Burnin' in my heart

"I never figured this for a slow song," Spike said to the girl who was pressed against him.

"Romantic Motown-turned-Ska?" she ventured as her lips grazed his.

"Yeah," he said, his undead heart racing. "I see what you mean."

Their mouths fused.

Can't explain it
Don't understand it
Never felt like this before
This funny feeling has me amazed
Don't know what to do
My head's in a haze
It's like a heat wave

"Is it hot in here?" Buffy asked, eyelashes coyly sweeping upwards.

Spike shook his head slowly. "It's just you."

He turned her so her back was flush against him. His hand creeped up her bare midriff as he spoke seductively into her ear. "Remember? Me cold... You," he wormed his way under her halter top, "hot."

Buffy closed her eyes and arched into him. "Maybe I will miss that heat wave after all."

"I know I will," Spike said as he kissed her neck. "Those demons got you all hot and horny for me."

"How many times do I have to tell you, baby," she led his hand inside her panties, "it wasn't the demons?"

His eyes widened along with his grin.

She spun around to face him and looked into his eyes as she touched a finger to his lower lip. "Spike?"

"Love?"

"It's way dark in here, isn't it?" she said with a wicked smile.

"I can see just fine."

"But nobody else can..."

"No," he said, looking about. "Not unless they're vampires."

She breathed in deeply. "Need you."

Temptress. She knew what those two words did to him.

"Now," she said.

Shivering with desire, he said, "I got you."

"Find us a place to sit," she whispered. "Where no one can see."

Spike spotted an empty stool in a dark corner. Good enough.

Buffy snaked her arms around his neck and kissed him. He picked her up by her thighs, pushed through the crowd, and sat with her in his lap.

Still kissing him passionately, she yanked open his belt buckle, freed him and pulled her panties aside. He pulled his coat around her in case some schoolboy dared turn his flashlight her way.

Looking into his dark eyes, she sunk down.

Buffy felt her skin prickle with goosebumps.

A young man grazed past them.

"Mine," Spike growled instinctively, features changing.

Her eyes rolled back in ecstasy. "Uh-huh."

He grinned. Victory.

Then she tightened her muscles around his cock, arched her back and proclaimed, "Mine."

I feel it
burning
right here
in my heart

"Yeah," Spike agreed.

It's like a heat wave...

Defeat never tasted so sweet.