Drifting

It's late and I'm tired, too tired to sleep. There is a pleasant weight on top of me, one that shifts occasionally as she dreams. A slender leg is draped across my waist as she lays half on, half off me. Her naked skin is cool and soft against mine, which is somewhat colder and harder.

My nostrils are full of her scent, perfume, shampoo and her skin. I never knew how much I could love someone until she came to me that night and I had surrendered myself to her completely in that moment without looking back.

Almost as if she could read my thoughts in her sleep her hand slides over my stomach to the fist-sized scar under my ribs and then down to my waist. I well remembered the agony of that wound, a human impaled on the end of a hardwood stake, screaming and unbelieving that this had actually happened to me.

I can feel her breathing, something I hadn't done since that night, but she always has. She breathes slowly and deeply, in and out, her body moving against mine. Her cheek rests on my shoulder, the fingers of my left hand running slowly through her copper hair. She sighs and snuggles closer to me, my other hand tracing her spine, like a string of pearls below the skin.

With a moan she turns her head, her mouth on my neck then away a fraction. Her breath is sweet and warm as it flutters against my throat. I kiss her soft lips gently, so she wouldn't wake, but firmly enough so she responds.

I finally begin to drift off when she whimpers in remembered pain as the nightmare surfaces in her again. Her fingers dig into my skin. There is a sting and the familiar sensation of drawn blood but I don't flinch. Spike once told me that Drusilla used to do the same thing, but Dru had always done this. It was only recently that Willow had started having recurring nightmares.

I knew exactly what it was about too, had seen the things they had done to her. I'd made them pay a thousand-fold for it, but still I felt the pain as she did.

"Sshh�" I soothe, but she whimpers again. I feel the warm wetness of tears against my flesh.

" Please�stop�" She murmurs. " Hurts�Stryx, where are you?"

"I'm here. I'll never leave." I promise

I feel my face change, my fangs sinking into my lip as I try and fight back my anger. I sing softly to her, no words, just a tune.

She settles again, her breathing becoming slower and more relaxed. " Love you." She mumbles, still asleep.

My fangs clench as she says that, the bitter taste of my inability to protect her rising like bile in my throat. I shouldn't have been so careless, I shouldn't have let myself be taken. I shouldn�t�

" Stryx?" It's a whisper.

I open my eyes and see her looking into them, her warm hazel-green eyes full of concern.

" Willow?"

" Did I dream again?" She moves fully on top of me, then sits up, candlelight gleaming off her naked skin. Her hands run over my chest. " Did I scare you?"

My own fingers trace her curves. " A little." I pull her down on top of me.

Her lips press to mine, then move over my throat and chest. " I'm sorry."