Sex101
Chapter Three
It was several days before Willow saw Spike again. He was loitering outside Giles' apartment one night when they all showed up to research. He was smoking a cigarette and when Buffy wanted to know what he was doing there, he complained that the watcher wouldn't let him smoke inside.
He'd avoided the larger question of course, but Buffy didn't seem to notice or care. Spike came in and sat with them as they researched - making snarky comments all the while - and during his occasional smoke breaks, Willow dug desperately for a plausible reason to join him outside but none came to her. She had no way to go and talk to Spike without the others wanting to know why she was going outside in the first place. If her lessons were going to be this hard to organize, maybe she'd better forget the whole thing.
No, this was too important - she had to be ready for Oz. She'd figure out another way.
She practically begged Buffy to let her patrol with her one night, hoping they'd run into Spike along the way - and consequently she could talk to him while Buffy was killing a fledge or two - but he was nowhere to be found. She wished she didn't have to but she had to go with Buffy because she didn't feel comfortable going into his cemetery at night alone to talk to him, though she knew she'd have to if he agreed to the lessons - they certainly couldn't hold them in her dorm room.
It was then that it occurred to her to have them at her parents' house - it solved the problem of her having to go into the cemetery by herself at night and also avoided the possibility of Buffy stopping by Spike's crypt and catching them… doing whatever it was they'd be doing.
It was that uncertainty that almost made her thankful she hadn't run into Spike. Exactly how would he want to conduct these lessons? Would he just talk her through it? Draw diagrams? Suggest books she could read? She'd have to get him to buy the books of course - she'd be too nervous to do it. Even if the clerks didn't already know her by sight, just the thought of someone knowing she had bought a book like that was unthinkable.
All of these unanswered questions made her more and more hesitant about approaching Spike. Then one night at the Bronze, while the others were dancing, Spike solved the problem for her.
He walked up nonchalantly and sat at the table with her. He lit a cigarette before speaking.
"Demon Girl - what'sername - Anya - said you wanted to see me."
She realized she had been terrified of this moment and now was unsure of exactly what to say.
"Oh, I um, well I - I wanted to ask - um, -"
"Spit it out, Red, haven't got all night."
"Right." Willow took a calming breath and remembered that this was just a business deal.
"I wanted to ask you if you'd help me - in exchange for blood of course, I wouldn't ask you to do it for nothing. I mean, you might be busy or something so I understand if you can't. And I don't want to take up your poker night or your - whatever it is that you do at night. We could do it during the day if you like, but then you'll be sleeping, won't you? Of course you will, so night would be better. Or evening I guess. Evening sounds so much better than night for this kind of thing. Because night would make it seem like - and it's not that; its just a business deal. A nice, straightforward exchange of goods for services - or knowledge, not services because I wouldn't expect you to service - I mean… what do I mean?"
Spike smiled, enchanted by her nervous babble. The girl wanted something and wanted it pretty badly if she was willing to go through all this to get it.
"So what knowledge is it that you want?"
But Willow found that she just couldn't make herself say it. She kept opening and closing her mouth and nothing was coming out. She looked everywhere except at Spike as her face blushed a bright red.
Spike saw the others coming back and decided retreat was the only option right now. If it was that embarrassing, she certainly wouldn't want her friends knowing about it.
"Look, you decide what you want, you come to the crypt and we'll talk. Before sunset, mind, I don't want the slayer saying I lured you to my crypt so something nasty could take a bite out of you."
Willow nodded, thankful for the reprieve.
* * * * * * * *
It took her four days to build up the courage to come to his crypt. Four days spent worrying and brooding. Four days where she continually sought out Anya to make sure this was a good idea. For the first time in her life, she was thankful that Xander had hooked up with Anya; it gave her someone to talk to about all this, she knew she'd never have been able to do it alone. She kept talking herself out of it; Anya would talk her back in. This was a good idea - or necessary anyway - and Anya helped her to see that.
When she finally got up the nerve to knock on the crypt door, Spike was there before she had rapped even once and opened the door for her.
Spike didn't say anything, afraid that whatever he said would be the wrong thing and he couldn't afford to scare her away. The loss of his chip depended on it.
"I need to ask you something, but I need to tell you something first and I need you to promise me you won't tell anyone."
"You trust my word?"
Willow looked thoughtful for a moment before confessing, "I think I do. I know you've double crossed us before but I do - I trust you. I trust the man I see inside you sometimes."
With a vow like that Spike couldn't help but promise.
"You have my word, Red."
"It's like this -" she stopped, took a deep breath and then blew it out. "Oz left me, left Sunnydale. To get his wolf under control. And I want to be ready for him when he gets back. See, there's one thing that I wasn't any good at in our relationship and I need you to help me get better at it. Well, Anya said I should ask you. I asked her but she said I need a male perspective."
Spike was starting to get an idea what this was about. There was only one thing Anya was good at, so that had to be what Red went to her for help with. No wonder the chit was nervous. It did seem a bit odd, Anya throwing the girl into his lap so to speak, but demons - some of them anyway - were a pretty fair lot and this was probably just a case of one demon helping out another. Besides, if he didn't get an in, Anya couldn't get his coat (not that he intended to lose).
"It's…" Willow couldn't quite get it out.
"Sex," Spike finished for her.
Willow blushed and nodded.
Spike ran a hand through his hair. "And you expect me to help you with this - how?" He was beginning to see Anya's plan. She really had helped him along with this. Here he was, trying to win a bet to teach Willow about sex and here she was asking for him to do just that. Demon girl was pretty smart. She must have another motivation for this - all this wasn't happening just so she could get her hands on his coat. He'd figure out her motives later; right now he had to talk Willow into not going back on this plan. He could see the wheels turning in her brain, just trying to think of a way to take it all back.
"I'll do it. You said something the other night about payment?"
She looked relieved. "Payment - yes - payment. Um, would blood be good or, or cigarettes or… I don't want to give you just money 'cause that feels too much like - like - like well, prostitution. Even though we won't be -" she very quickly glanced down at his crotch and back up again. "We won't be - you know, getting physical. There will have to be rules about stuff like that. But still, I don't want anyone to get into trouble."
They would be getting physical alright - Red just didn't know it yet. They had to, in order for him to win his bet - and because he wanted to. But he'd play by her rules for a while. Let her get comfortable before he took a bite.
His mouth watered at the thought.
"If we're not going to get naked, how do you expect me to teach you anything?" He figured he'd better see what she had in mind so he could figure out ways to circumvent it.
"Well you could just tell me - or maybe get some books for me to read?" This sounded silly even as she said it - but the alternative was unthinkable.
He smiled in a way that he hoped was reassuring. "Why don't you let me think of the how, all right, Red? Just meet me here tomorrow just before sundown."
"H-here?" Willow enquired, looking around the damp and dirty crypt. "I was thinking we could do this at my parents' house. They're never home and we -" but Spike interrupted.
"We'll discuss that later. But tomorrow we're going on a field trip."