"Spike just go home." Buffy rolled her eyes as she made her way up the porch steps.

"I'm trying Slayer," he purred from behind her. "But you won't let me get past the first bloody base." He reached out, grasping her hips and tried to pull her against him. Buffy swiped his hands away and reached for the handle.

"You're quite the challenge, luv."

She turned to him, her face stamped with defiance. "I'm not a challenge. I'm a person, unlike some things present."

"Well la-dee-dah," he chuckled. "You're both."

She slugged him in the face. "You're wrong."

"I'm wrong?" He slugged her right back, and smirked at the absence of pain. "I'd mind throwing stones if I were you."

"I'm going to be kicking stones soon if you don't get the hell away from me, Spike."

"You're a tease Summers," he said with a pout. "How 'bout a quickie then? Right here…no one would be the wiser…" The glint in his eye told Buffy that he wasn't joking.

"You're a pig," Buffy muttered.

"Yeah? Well you're drunk!" he spat out.

Buffy, half-turned to the door, stopped and sighed. "No, *you're* drunk. That's why we're not having sex right now."

"Whassat?" He frowned disbelieving. Then he waved a hand in front of his face and giggled. "Bloody hell! You're right! But I'm stilly fully funct--"

The door slammed in his face before he could finish his sentence. "Right then."

He swaggered off the porch and walked around the house and climbed the tree outside her bedroom. He tapped on the glass quite a few times, before finally it opened.

Hurriedly, he dashed through the window. Tackling her to the ground.

"Um…Spike? What are you doing?" asked an extremely confused Dawn.

"Nibblet!" he exclaimed quite cheerily, grinning down at her. "Where's big sis?"

"I think I just heard her come in, so…maybe in *her* room?"

Spike looked around and realized he'd climbed up the wrong tree. He pushed himself to his feet and extended a hand, helping Dawn up too. He headed towards the door but Dawn stepped in his way. "Wait…"

He frowned. "Whassrong Pidg? Dontcha wanna go back to beddybye?"

"Oh I wasn't sleeping," she said as she shook her head. "I was um…practicing."

Spike stopped. This couldn't be good. When little girls practice things at 2 a.m. they sure as hell aren't rehearsing the piano.

"Practicing…," he repeated slowly.

"Yeah, I have a date tomorrow night and I want to be good."

Now he was really concerned. "Good at what?!"

"Kissing," she explained.

"Oh." He was a bit relieved, that was probably best case scenario. "Well I'll leave you to it then." He took another step towards the door but Dawn moved in front of him. He raised a brow. He tried to go around her, but she took a step to the side, obtruding his path once more. "I'm far too sloshed to be messed around with, luv," Spike warned.

"I-I don't want to mess around with you, I—just want to kiss you."

Now had he not been the creature of the night that he was, had he been a mere mortal, he probably would have had difficulty breathing then, and his heart would have skipped a beat or two in shock. But he was, in fact, a creature of the night, and so his lungs and heart took no notice of the stupor that was invading the rest of his body, namely his brain. Which was already far too intoxicated to be anywhere resembling a good mental place.

"You want to--." Spike chuckled nervously. "I don't think so pet."

Dawn looked a bit deflated. "Why not?"

"You're a great girl, Bit, it's just I don't think that it would be proper for me and you…" he made some twirling motions with his hand.

Dawn crossed her arms over her chest and looked completely unimpressed. "Spike, I told you, it's just a kiss. I really want to be a good kisser for this guy, he's like the cutest guy in the class."

"I'm sure you'll do fine Dawn," Spike affirmed with a smile.

"But I'm not sure!" Dawn pouted. "The only guy I've ever kissed was that vamp at Halloween, and he said I was good but I'm pretty sure he would have said anything to get into my neck arteries."

Spike raised a brow. "I'd love to help you out but I have a prior engagement."

"With what? Buffy's fist?" Dawn snorted.

He smirked. "More or less. Point is I need to find the Slayer and I'm not going to get myself into any wacky situations that could be more misconstrued than a soddin' Threes Company episode."

Dawn's features became much more resolute. "Spike your like way over a hundred. You have got be the best kisser I know and you're pretty much the only guy that has fallen through my window tonight and if you don't help me I'll have to tell Buffy about some embarrassing incident that happened this summer when she was dead."

Spike's eyes widened. "You wouldn't…"

"Teenage girl. Really big date tomorrow. Disgustingly misplaced priorities."

Dawn smiled innocently.

"Bloody hell," he muttered in defeat. "Get on with it then. Just *one* kiss!" He wagged a finger warningly.

Dawn smiled giddily. "Be right back. Major breath issues." She turned and headed out the door to bathroom.

Spike rolled his eyes and took out his flask, taking a long swig. He walked around the room lazily eyeing at the girly things she had lying about.

When Dawn re-entered her room a few minutes later she stopped and wrinkled her nose.

"What are you doing?"

Spike turned the page of the magazine with a frown. "Is this a new issue, pet?"

"Um, yeah…"

"How did you get it so soon?" he pondered aloud

"I have a subscription and, wait…*you* read Cosmo?" Dawn asked skeptically.

"Oh, well, 'read' is an awfully strong word," he began slowly, tossing the magazine back onto her desk.

"Stronger than 'ew'?" said Dawn under her now minty fresh breath. "Okay ready?" She held back a smile.

"Half a mo." He took another quick swig of his flask before replacing it in his duster.

Dawn rolled her eyes and moved over to the bed, sitting on the edge. She patted the empty space next to her. Hesitantly, he sat down at her side, mentally reminding himself that he was the victim here.

Spike leaned in and granted a small peck on her puckered lips. He pulled back quickly and nodded. "Wonderful, Bit. Secret is to always keep'im anticipating. Well I best shove off then."

Dawn rolled her eyes yet again. "So when I tell Buffy the story should I open with the towel part or the part where—"

Spike shut her up by quickly pressing his cool lips to hers. It was softer, less frigid. Dawn forced her tongue into his mouth. She grabbed a hold of his shoulders and pulled herself onto him until she was straddling him. The surprising audacity of her actions pushed him into a reclined position.

Finally he managed to separate their mouths. She was gasping for air.

"Of course anticipation can be highly overrated," said Spike.

Dawn grinned down at him. "Well?"

Spike paused. "If tomorrow night is just the first date, I'm sure as hell not helpin' you with the second one."

* * *

END

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