Kissing her was his newest favourite activity. 

Thankfully, it was an activity that she seemed to enjoy as well – if her breathing a soft ‘hey’ before capturing his lips with hers was any indication. As her tongue slipped into his mouth – very much an indication of her enjoyment – a groan rumbled in his chest. 

Their kisses often led to more, but tonight it was about this – there wasn’t much time for more.  There especially wasn’t enough time to carry her to the bedroom.  Sure he could pick her up and press her against the wall, bury himself within her…but a quickie wasn’t something either of them wanted. 

So he kissed her.  And she kissed him back. 

A promise of more to come – when she returned…to him, to his home.  Or their home, considering she spent more nights with him than she did in her own bed.  He was fine with that.  More than fine, actually.

As much as he knew he would yearn for her return, he wanted to savour this moment.  The feel of her mouth on his, the sensation of her skin under his fingers as they carefully edged under the hem of her shirt, the sound of her soft moans, the tingle of arousal that danced along his spine as she lightly scratched her nails along the back of his neck.

He could kiss her for hours – and not have one minute’s care of any chapping.  Balm was made for that specific ailment. 

She ended the kiss slowly, moving back only slightly.  Her lips brushed his as she whispered.

“I should go…”

“I know.”  He whispered back, fingers tightening gently against her skin.

“I don’t want to go.” 

“I know that as well.”

“Kiss me again.” 

He inhaled deeply, the warmth of her breath against his lips only increasing his arousal.  He said nothing…he held still for a moment.  Her bottom lip quivered into a pout.  And then he sighed.

And kissed her again. 

As if he could ever deny her that request.  Obviously, she knew that he didn’t have that capability.  He denied her very little.  He’d always been victim to her pout – the way her eyes would glisten lightly, her bottom lip pushed forward…sometimes, like tonight, accompanied by a slight quiver.  That pout had enticed him for longer than he cared to admit.  In fact, it had been her pout that had pushed him over the line that he’d been tapdancing around for the past year. 

It had been a pout over something insignificant, really.  He’d run out of Jaffa Cakes – she’d been standing there, holding the pantry door open with a pout on her face that she’d apparently hoped would make him feel guilty for eating the last one.  He’d laughed – after all, they were his biscuits.  And she’d stuck her bottom lip out a tad further. 

And that was when he had stopped laughing.

He’d slowly walked over to her and lifted his hand to her face – and then he’d swallowed the rather large lump in his throat as he gently ran the pad of his thumb over her bottom lip.  When she gasped, his eyes had darted to hers in concern that he’d massively overstepped a boundary. 

And then he’d given a soft gasp when her lips pressed a soft kiss to his thumb. 

It had taken him nearly forty-five seconds to lean down and kiss her.  It had taken her less than three seconds to respond.  At that moment, nothing in his life had seemed any clearer.

Four months later, they were stealing kisses and more when they could – certain that their friends hadn’t caught on.  That certainty was shattered one night when she came to him after patrol…her shirt ruined from the blood dripping steadily from a wound just below her collarbone.  They had helped him take care of her – bringing him supplies from the kitchen, the linen closet, the first aid kit in the bathroom.  But, she had refused to let anyone but him touch her. 

And once he had sutured her wound closed, she met his eyes…and he had given her a nearly imperceptible nod in response to her silent question. 

When she kissed him, there were no gasps of surprise coming from their friends.  No exclamations of ‘what the hell?!’.  Basically, because they had known the entire time.

That had been six months ago and while they still had moments of stealing passionate kisses that could easily venture into ‘not safe for work’ scenarios, they no longer hid their sweet, soft kisses before they parted ways for whatever reason.  They were in a full-fledged relationship and neither wanted to hide it from anyone – so they simply didn’t.  And when he called her ‘love’ or ‘darling’ and she called him ‘babe’ or ‘Ru’ or ‘lord marmalade’, their friends didn’t bat an eye.  Well, that wasn’t quite true.  There was a lot of eye batting and snorting over ‘lord marmalade’ – which was merely a joke…that had been shared that one time and never again. 

But the kisses that they were currently sharing were shared with no one else.  These kisses were the type of kiss that could delve into the territory of desperation at any given moment.  The type of kiss that was making him want to beg her to stay. 

He had never begged anyone for anything.

Not until her.

His hand slipped under her shirt, curling around her side.  He ended the kiss this time, pulling back enough to look into her eyes. 

“Please don’t go.”  He whispered, stroking her skin with his thumb. 

She smiled, lifting her right hand to his chest.  “My Watcher…asking me to not go out to do my job…what would the Council think?”

“Fuck if I care.”  He murmured, licking his slightly swollen lips.  “Please, Buffy…stay tonight.”

She tilted her head slightly, glancing at his lips before looking into his eyes.  “Are you worried about something happening?”

“No more than I worry each night you go out.”  He swallowed, blinking slowly.  “It has nothing to do with whatever awaits you out there – and everything to do with me just wanting to kiss you.”

“You just want to kiss?”

He smiled softly, exhaling a slow breath.  “I don’t feel that we ever just kiss.”

“Mm…yeah, we don’t.”  She grinned, toying with a button on his shirt.  “Your lips look a little sore…”

“Yours look incredibly inviting.  Glossy and plump, tasting of elderflower.”  He murmured, cradling her cheek in his hand.  He ran his thumb over her chin, his eyes gazing into hers.  “I love elderflower.”

“I know.”  She whispered, teasingly biting her bottom lip. 

“Jesus…”  He nearly groaned, sliding his thumb up slightly to glide over her lip.  “The things that does to me.”

“I love you.”  She said, sliding her hand up to rest on the side of his neck.  “And if you want me to stay…I’m pretty sure you don’t have to do much convincing.”

He moved quickly, covering her mouth with his.  When he felt her fingers slide into his hair, he pushed his tongue back into her mouth.  While there was definite intent, the urgency had seemed to pass.  He was quite content to leisurely stroke her tongue with his.  He smiled inwardly when she trembled as the tip of his tongue touched the roof of her mouth. 

He’d found that spot not long after their first kiss – and she had been very confused and surprised that there was an erogenous zone inside of her mouth.  But, there definitely was…and he used it to his advantage often.  Not each time, but often.  Like…now.

He slid his hands to cup her ass and effortlessly lifted her.  She moaned softly as he gently sat her on the kitchen counter and stepped between her thighs.  When she started to lean back, he slid his arm around her.  He pulled from the kiss and shook his head. 

“Not here.”

“Then why – ”

“I’m kissing you.”  He interrupted softly, resting his hands on the counter…either side of her legs.  “Because kissing you makes me happy.”

“Last I checked, sex makes you happy too.”

He smiled, nodding slowly.  “Yes, but this isn’t about sex, love.”

“You seriously just want to kiss?”  She asked, obviously confused.  “You asked me to stay…for lip-smacking fun?”

“I begged you to stay – because kissing you sets me on fire.”  He glanced at her lips, his breath hitching in his chest when the tip of her tongue peeked out.  “I…begged you.”

Buffy’s eyes widened slightly as she took in his meaning.  “Where is this taking us?”

“I’m sure I have no answer for that at this moment.”  He said softly, leaning down to brush his lips across hers once more.  “But, you make me feel things that I thought were long dead.  And yet…I burn for you.”

“Burn?”

“Yearn, ache, impatiently wait…call it what you will, but fuck me, Buffy…”  He jaw twitched lightly.  “…I can’t explain how it makes me feel when we kiss.”

She wanted to tease him for his inability to explain something, when he was well known for his ability to over-explain nearly everything.  But then she watched his Adam’s apple bob as he swallowed, heard his breathing increase, smelled the scent of elderflower on his lips.

“Can you try?”  She whispered, touching the corner of his mouth with her fingertips. 

“Heady…tendency to lose time…desire to fall into you…wish for you to help me crush the remaining bricks of whatever fucking walls I have still standing.”  He answered, sounding more than a little apprehensive.  “Like I can accomplish everything that I once attempted, yet failed.”

He paused for a moment, swallowing nervously. 

“I feel strong…brave…yet weak and somewhat irresolute.  That frightened me at first, but then I embraced the warmth that you surrendered to me…and…I’m simply better for it.”  He closed his eyes as she lightly ran her fingertips along the side of his neck.  “Kissing you opens me.”

“I’m sure I don’t completely understand what you said…but, it was beautiful.”  She replied after a long moment.  “I’m also sure that I would have said nothing like that, but it doesn’t mean that I feel any less when we kiss.”

“I think we should barricade the door, build a fire, open a bottle of wine…because red wine tastes beautiful with elderflower.”  He exhaled slowly.  “Your lips are…killing me.”

“That doesn’t necessarily sound like a good thing…”

“Swollen, from kisses and passion…dark red with arousal…glistening, from lip gloss and…”  His thumb trembled as he stroked her sensitive lip.  “Killing me…with desire.”

“Ru…”

He groaned softly and reignited their kiss.  This time, when she curled her legs around his thighs, he didn’t stop her.  Instead he allowed himself to fall into her…with her…swallowing her moans as he allowed the kiss to topple into desperation.  She followed him willingly, sliding her tongue along his as her fingers curled in his hair. 

She wasn’t sure if they’d actually make it as far as fire and wine, but she was more than happy to follow his lead…and if that’s where it led, she’d happily drink.  When she felt his hand slip under the hem of her shirt and confidently move up to cup her breast, she kissed him harder.

When he picked her up and carried her towards the bedroom, she knew that fire and wine had been swept from the table.  He nibbled her bottom lip as he walked down the hall, causing her to gasp into his mouth.  As they fell onto the bed, his tongue soothing where he’d been nibbling, she was sure that her lips would be sore in the morning.  But, she had a balm for that…it was made with elderflower.

Because he loved elderflower.