Need by RogueSpike

Riley sometimes wonders about the pleading look in the vampires eyes, the vampire that is sitting just across the room from him. He's sprawled across the stairs leading to the top floor of the Magic Box, legs spread comfortabley apart, resting on his elbows. Even while relaxed, Riley thinks he looks like a predator. Sapphire eyes continually scan the room for potential threats and even in the lazy pose Riley can see the muscles bunch in Spike's arms, ready to pounce.

Those eyes begin another scan of the room. They stop on Riley. Riley stares back and the pleading is there again, pleading for what Riley still can't figure out but it makes his skin tingle and not in a bad way.

'Why are you looking at me?' Riley silently questions. He starts to turn his eyes away and back to Buffy when Spike moves slightly, as though trying to keep Riley's gaze on him. A soft sound reaches his ears, almost too soft for Riley to hear. He realizes it is a whimper. He frowns at Spike before forcing his eyes back to his ex girlfriend.

A loud slam causes the friends to look up. Spike has left the stairs and gone into the back room. Riley can hear a strange song start up through the door. He tells himself to stay put, to not go into the other room to see what Spike is up to but his body's not listening to him.

The training room is dark except for a single light on the other side of the room. Riley closes the door as his eyes search for Spike. He is standing in the middle of the room with his back to Riley. The stereo set on the table is cranked loud, so loud that Riley can feel the beat pulsing throug him.

He watches as Spike's hips begin to move. Thoughts of speaking are wipped from his mind as he watches. The vampire lifts his arms above his head and moves with the beat. His movement is unlike anything Riley has ever witnessed. It's like watching liquid, like watching the stolen blood coursing through Spike's veins come alive.

Spike turns. His eyes are closed as he brings his hands down and runs them over his own chest. His hips continue their almost unreal swaying as he caresses his throat with one hand. The beat of the music picks up and Spike throws his head back.

Riley can't tear his eyes away, nor can he stop the thought that he has never seen anything more beautiful. The thought doesn't bother him like it should and it disturbes him slightly.

Finally, Spike's eyes open. He doesn't look surprised to see Riley, yet a sudder runs through him when he sees Riley is watching and suddenly Riley understands. Spike wants...no, needs to be watched. He needs someone's gaze on him, watching him, assuring him he's real.

So Riley watches.

The song eventually ends and Spike stops his dance. His eyes are pleading again but in a different way then before. Riley frowns at him.

"What do you want?" Riley asks.

Spike doesn't anwer, instead he walks towards Riley. He stops when he is only inches from him and looks up at the taller human.

"You need to be needed," Spike murmurs suddenly. He reaches up and places a hand over Riley's heart. "It's why you couldn't keep the slayer. She doesn't need you."

Riley's skin is tingling where Spike's hand is touching. He reaches up and puts his own hand over it, his intention to pull it away but now that his hand is there he doesn't really want to.

"How do you know that?" Riley asks slowly.

"I can feel it," Spike says. "I can feel it because I need."

Spike's eyes lock with Riley's and an understanding passes between them. For a moment neither moves. Then Riley leans down and captures the vampire's lips with his own.

Riley doesn't know what he expected but it wasn't this. It wasn't this explosion of sensation, this sudden, desparate hunger that had them both clinging to each other like life lines. Somewhere along the line Riley has backed Spike against the wall. His arms are wrapped around Riley so tightly that Riley is surprised the chip isn't going off. His own hands are wrapped into Spike's hair, which is surprisingly soft.

Eventually Riley has to pull away to breath. He rests his forehead against the smaller man's and looks into his eyes. The pleading is gone, replaced with an exceptance that is mirrored in his own eyes.

"I never saw this coming," Riley murmurs, causing Spike to chuckle softly.

"And I did? Bloody hell, you helped put this chip in my head!"

"Didn't," Rileys says. "I brought the demons in. I didn't have any say in what the scientists did."

"Oh." Spike smiled slightly. "Guess that makes it a little better, then."

For a moment there's silence. Then Riley kisses Spike again. Once more they are clinging to each other and Riley thinks that at that moment, there was no place he'd rather be.

.End