"So, when did he say he was going to be back in town?" Mellie passed a tray of cookies to Sophia before taking a sip from her tea.

"Thank you, dear." Sophia nibbled at a cookie before replying, "Daniel told me he'd drop by the day after tomorrow. He didn't mention how long he'd be around this time, but I'm hoping I'll be able to convince him to stay for a while." She sighed wistfully. "I do miss that boy something dreadful. He's just so...refreshing!"

Mellie nodded. "But he does have that streak of flightiness, haring off all over creation in search of the elusive 'answers'. Still, it's understandable, I suppose. He's not exactly had the easiest life, you know."

"Oh yes. The poor dear. He just needs to come back home where he belongs. I'd take proper care of him."

"Mmm, yes, I imagine you would." Mellie's eyes twinkled merrily.

Sophia grinned back and opened her mouth to retort. A frantic pounding on the door interrupted her, though, and she held her tongue as Mellie got up.

"My, who in the world could that be?" Mellie shot Sophia an apologetic glance as she made her way to the door. She opened it, then stepped back in surprise as a barely dressed Alex stumbled inside. "Alex? Whatever is the matter?"

Alex clutched at Mellie despairingly. "Wil. Is he here? Have you seen him? I can't...I have to find him!"

Mellie frowned. "Why, no. He hasn't been by here. Why, what's happened?"

Alex shook his head, backing away from her. "No, I have to find him. It's...it's daytime, he wouldn't have gone outside, would he? Oh god, I don't know where he is, Mellie. It's wrong, something's wrong, I have to find him!"

Concerned, Sophia stood and approached the distraught young man. "What is it, Alex?" she asked in a gentle tone. "What's wrong?"

"I don't...” Trembling, Alex collapsed to the floor. He leaned into Mellie's arms as they wrapped around him, rocking. In a tiny, almost childlike voice, he said, "I don't know. Mellie, he *ran*! Everything was so nice, and we were...and then he just *changed*. He was all *vampy*, and the he just *ran*. I have to find him. What if he's hurt? God, what if he ran outside, and he's all burned, and hurting, and, and, and..." He gasped for air, his eyes wild with terror.

"Hush, now." Sophia knelt next to him, stroking his back to calm him down. "You'll be no good to him in this condition. Take a deep breath. That's it. Everything will be fine."

"But--"

Mellie's head jerked as her phone started to ring. She made no move to answer it, and after a few more rings, the answering machine picked up.

"Mellie? Are you there? Um, ok. It's, um, Jenna. I just...well, Wil's here, and he's really upset, and I was going to call Alex but he won't let me, so I called you instead. I don't know--"

Swiftly, Mellie picked herself up off the floor and grabbed the receiver. "Jenna? You said Wil's there?" With her other hand, she fended off Alex's determined scrabbling for the phone.

"Uh-huh. I see. Oh, wait a second, dear. I'm going to put you on the speaker, all right?" She pressed the button, then hung up the receiver.

From over Mellie's shoulder, Alex shouted toward the phone, "Wil? Are you there? Talk to me! Is he there, Jenna?"

"Yeah, he's, um...hold on a sec." There was a muffled noise and a few clicks as Jenna switched over to her speakerphone.

Very faintly, Wil's voice could be heard. "No. I can't...tell him to stay away. I won't hurt him!"

"Wil! Wil, talk to me. Damn it, I'm coming up there." He turned with every intention of going to Jenna's apartment and retrieving his boyfriend, even if he had to carry the stubborn vampire out to do so. He was stopped only by Wil's sad, miserable voice.

"Alex? Please...don't. I'll hurt you. I don't *want* to hurt you. I couldn't...I couldn't bear it if I..."

Alex's face crumpled. He allowed Sophia to lead him to the couch, where he sat as close to the phone as he could get. "Wil," he whispered brokenly, "you wouldn't hurt me, I *know* you wouldn't. Please, just...come back home, ok? I...I need you there."

Wil growled in frustration. "I *would* hurt you! You don't know what was happening, what I was going to do! I wanted--" He broke off with a strangled cry.

Confused, Jenna asked, "Why do you think that, Wil? I can't imagine you ever hurting Alex. Everyone in the whole *building* knows how much you two love each other."

Wil let out a bitter laugh. "I'd think you of all people would understand. *You* know what we are! We...we're freaks! Bloodsucking, murderous freaks! How can we even be capable of love?"

The sound of a hand striking flesh seemed loud in the silence that followed that impassioned statement.

"How dare you?" Jenna hissed. "How *dare* you?" Her voice was thick with unshed tears. "I loved Alicia with all my heart, dead *or* alive. She was...she was my *everything*. And you tell me I'm not *capable* of love? That what we had wasn't real?"

"Jenna, I--"

"No. *No*. I won't stand here and listen to you say things like that. I am not a monster, Wil. *You* are not a monster. We may not be human any more, but damn it, we can still feel! We can be happy, and sad, and hurt, and-and in love. Being a vampire doesn't take that away. Everyone...every*thing* is capable of love! And don't you *ever* say otherwise!" Jenna was so upset by this time that she was panting harshly, on the verge of bursting into tears. In almost a whisper, she finished, "I would give anything to be with Alicia again. Wil, don't screw this up. Don't throw away what you and Alex have just because you're afraid he might get hurt. That's a chance we all take when we fall in love."

There was a moment of heavy quiet, then Wil said, "You don't get it. I'm not afraid he'll get hurt. I'm afraid *I'll* hurt him. Me! I can't do that!"

Alex let out a groan of frustration. "Why do you keep saying that? You won't hurt me, I know it!"

"Sweetie, let me talk to him, ok?" Sophia nudged Alex away from the phone. "Wil? It's Sophia, you remember me, don't you?"

"Yeah," Wil grumbled. His voice hardened. "Keep your bloody claws off my Alex, you hear?"

Sophia chuckled softly. "If you insist. Wil, can I ask you a question?"

There was a pause, then, "S'pose so."

"What happened that made you think you'd hurt Alex here? From what I've seen of you two, I find it very difficult to imagine you causing him any pain."

A distant thumping sound came over the line, as if someone was rhythmically kicking a piece of furniture. Finally, Wil responded, "We were...I was kissing him, y'know? An'...I started sucking on his neck, nibbling just a bit."

Alex flushed and reached up to cover the faint mark on his neck.

"Um, I just...my teeth were there, and I could hear his pulse, an' I wanted...I wanted to *bite*. And I could feel something happening to me, and then I had fangs, an'...an' I knew if I didn't get away, I'd...bite him. Hurt him." Wil almost choked on the words, but forced them out, "Kill him."

Alex turned pale from shock. "No," he breathed. In a firmer voice, "No. You wouldn't do that. *Never*. I don't believe it!"

Wil snarled. "You daft git! How the bloody hell can you--"

"Oh...my...god." Jenna snorted softly, then started to giggle.

"What is so funny?" Alex demanded angrily.

"I'm...I'm sorry, it's just...I think I understand now."

"Understand *what*?"

Jenna calmed herself. "Wil," she asked patiently, "how did you feel? When you wanted to bite Alex, tell me what you *felt*."

Wil didn't see how that mattered, but humored her request. Thinking back, he struggled to put into words the emotions that were running through him at the time. "I felt..." He sighed loudly. "I dunno...possessive? Protective? Um...completed?" Another sigh. "That doesn't make sense. If I felt like that, why'd I try an' hurt him?"

"You didn't try and hurt me, Wil! Jenna, he didn't--"

"Alex, would you stop--"

"Both of you, shut up!"

Stunned, they obeyed, waiting to see what she had to say.

"Wil, Alex is right, you *didn't* try to hurt him." She held up a hand to forestall any further protests. "Trust me on this one, Wil, I've been there. What you felt wasn't a desire to...well, to kill prey, it was a desire to claim your mate. To mark him as yours. To...to marry him."

Alex gasped. "M-marry?"

"Mmm. That's basically what it amounts to. If Wil had bitten you then, while you were...um...you know...well, it would have left sort of an imprint, a-a signature. You would have had a visible sign that a vampire had claimed you as his mate, his...consort. And very few people have the guts to will mess with a vampire's consort."

"Of course." Mellie smacked her forehead. "How silly of me. We should have known something like this would happen and prepared the two of you. It's not like we haven't all seen bonded vampire/human couples before."

"Y-you have?" Alex stared at her and Sophia.

"Well, it's not exactly *common*, but it's certainly not unheard of," Sophia told him.

"I wouldn't have killed him?" Wil's voice was pleading, begging for affirmation.

"No, dummy," Jenna said affectionately. "You would have wed him. And he would have been yours. Forever."

"Oh."

Sophia heaved an aggravated sigh. "Well, what are you waiting for, you silly vampire. Get down here and make an honest man of Alex. Or I might just snatch him up while you're not looking."

There were rustling noises, then a door slammed. "Oh, thank you," Jenna breathed. "You boys have fun making up. *I'm* going back to bed. It's not even noon yet!"

"Sleep well. And thank you." Mellie smiled and hung up the phone.

Alex stood hastily. "Um, I have to..." he waved his hand toward the door.

"Of course you do. Shoo!"

With a grateful smile, Alex opened the door and backed out. When the door closed, he turned and leaned against it, staring intently down the hall. A moment later, the door to the stairwell opened, and Wil timidly poked his head out.

"Hi." Alex folded his arms over his bare chest, watching the vampire nervously.

Wil crept a little closer. "Hi." He shuffled his feet as he walked slowly, coming to a halt inches away from Alex.

lex held out a hand, sighing in relief when Wil took it. He squeezed it, then leaned forward. "I love you, y'know. Even if you are a dummy," he whispered, then kissed him.

The tension drained from Wil, and he kissed back eagerly. "Love *you*," he mumbled when their lips parted. "An' I'm *not* a dummy!"

"Oh yeah?" Alex let go of his hand and started walking backwards toward their apartment. "I'm still not an 'honest man'. Maybe I should go back and talk with Sophia. I think she has a few openings..." He trailed off at the look on Wil's face. Grinning, he turned and darted back into their apartment.

With a matching smile, Wil raced after him, growling playfully.

*****
Part 26:

Anya groaned and flopped over onto her side. She smacked her lips, grimacing at the cottony, sour taste in her mouth. Not even close to being ready to get up, she burrowed her way back under the covers. One of her legs brushed against something soft and cool, and she pressed closer.

"Ugh. Who was playin' hockey with my eyeballs?"

Anya froze as the cool thing she was curled against began to move, limbs tangling with hers.

"Oh god, tell me I didn't pick up some loser freak at that bar." The covers were pulled back, and Harmony gaped at her rather frazzled looking bed companion.

"Um, hi?" Anya waggled her fingers at the vampire.

Harmony's brow furrowed. "Hey, aren't you--?" She smacked her forehead, then yelped and rubbed it tenderly. "Anya, right? Xander's girlfriend?"

"*Ex*-girlfriend," Anya clarified. She sat up gingerly, and the sheets pooled around her bare form.

Harmony stared at her, then looked down at her own unclad body. "Oh no. *Way* no."

Anya cleared her throat. "Um, did we...?" She waved a hand between them.

Sniffing delicately at the bed, Harmony nodded. "Smells like. Huh. Well, *that's* new."

"Damn it." Anya lurched from the bed and hobbled across the cold stone floor.

"What? It wasn't that bad...was it?" Harmony frowned, trying to piece together her hazy, scattered memories of the previous night.

"That's just it; I don't remember!" She growled in frustration. "I mean, that's my luck, isn't it? My first experience with lesbian sex, and I don't even remember it! It's not fair!" Hands on hips, Anya glared at the vampire who was still sprawled indolently on the messy bed.

"Oh." Harmony eyed Anya's heaving chest and let her eyes wander down across a trim belly to the swell of thighs and... "Um, we could always give it another go." She licked her lips.

Anya blinked. Oddly enough, her headache seemed to have become much less debilitating. Slowly, she studied Harmony's lush curves, noting the slim hand that had slid through golden curls and started a steady stroking. She nodded curtly. "Good idea."

~~~~~~~~~~

Back in the sanctuary of their apartment, Alex and Wil settled next to each other on the couch, hands linked together. After a moment, Alex chuckled softly and peered up at Wil. "So...wanna get hitched?"

Wil gave him a tremulous grin and squeezed his hand. "Think I pretty much killed the mood for now, pet," he answered with quiet regret.

"Oh." Alex tried to hide his disappointment. "Well, how about some breakfast, then?"

Wil blinked at the change of subject. "Um, ok." He let Alex help him up, and they made their way into the kitchen.

While Wil busied himself scrubbing out the pans they'd never gotten around to washing the day before, Alex scrounged through the refrigerator. "Wil? We're out of milk. Did you use the last?"

Wil rolled his eyes. "I'm not much of a milk person, Alex. You finished up the last yesterday when you just had to have a glass of chocolate milk before we left for work."

"Oh yeah." Alex sighed. "I suppose I should go pick some up."

"How's the blood supply?"

Alex shifted a few things around. "Um, down to two packets. I can swing by Sophia's, see if she has any good stuff in."

"Ta. Here, let me make you a bagel to eat while you're out." Wil leaned over and kissed his cheek. "Wouldn't do to have you withering away from lack of proper food. You want cream cheese on it?"

"Oooh, yeah." Alex grabbed the container of cream cheese from the fridge and opened it. Shuddering, he held it at arms length as he walked to the trashcan. "On second thought, make that butter."

"What's wrong?"

"In case you ever wondered, cream cheese is *not* supposed to be green and fuzzy."

~~~~~~~~~~

"This is ridiculous." Cordelia slammed her book shut. "How are we supposed to find out anything about this Sophie person if we don't even know what kind of demon we're looking for? Or if she even *is* a demon? Or if she even is a *she*?" She glared at the book as if to force it to give up its secrets.

"Well, we can't very well just give up, now can we?" Giles leveled his best authoritarian look at her, and she sighed and opened the book again.

In Cordelia's opinion, the day of researching had *not* gone well. Leafing through Giles' collection of books was like looking for a specific needle in a haystack-sized pile of other needles. She glanced around the room. "What's holding up Willow and her girlfriend? Weren't they supposed to be surfing the net to find stuff?" She wrinkled her nose. "On second thought, I don't really want to know what's holding them up."

Gunn looked up from his book with a wide grin. "I do!"

"Shut up, Gunn," chorused Cordelia and Wesley, and even Angel spared him a withering look.

Giles sighed. "I'm sure they--" The bell above the door jingled, interrupting him. Tara and Willow walked in, flushed and smiling.

"Bad mental images. *Bad* mental images." Cordelia thumped her temples repeatedly, refusing to look at the witches.

Willow blinked in confusion. "Did we miss something?"

"Ah, no," Giles answered quickly. "Did the two of you find anything?"

"Um, maybe?" Willow held up a small printout. "We looked through all the city records we could find, but nothing turned up. Then, we tried newspapers, magazines, stuff like that." She handed the paper to Giles.

"Interesting," he murmured as he scanned the article.

"What? What is it?" Cordelia waited impatiently for a response.

"Well, we didn't find any referenced to 'Sophie', but we did manage to turn up an article about the mysterious death and dismemberment of a prominent businessman." She reached around Giles and pointed. "See? One of the people questioned was a, um...Madame called Sophia."

Cordelia scowled. "Madame?"

"Proprietress," Wesley clarified.

"Pimp," Gunn offered, then wilted under the glares he received. "What?"

"What else does it say about her," Angel asked.

"Nothing. That's it. Well, it does mention that she was living in East End at the time."

"East End." Angel shook his head. "The demon side of town. It won't be easy to find her there."

"Excuse me?" Buffy stared at him, eyes narrowed. "The 'demon side of town'? As opposed to over here where we live blessedly demon-free?" She snorted. "I was over there not too long ago asking about Xander, and *I* didn't notice anything strange."

Angel stared at her in disbelief. "Buffy," he explained calmly, "just about everyone who lives there is non-human. Most of them look normal, but they're demons. And they're a very close-knit group."

Buffy gaped. "You're serious, aren't you?" At Angel's nod, she whirled to glare at Giles. "And why didn't I ever know about this? Aren't you supposed to tell me these crucial bits of information?"

Giles spluttered, trying to form a response, but Buffy had already turned away.

"But..." Buffy looked confused. "All of them? Demons?"

"The majority."

"But...she was so nice. And she gave me *fudge*!"

~~~~~~~~~~

"Well, that was...interesting."

Wil glared at Alex, smacking him on the chest. "Shut up," he muttered.

"What?" Alex grinned. "It was! You practically have a cult following now, 'harem boy'." He leered at his boyfriend.

"Shut up!"

Laughing, Alex pulled Wil to him and spun him around the room in a brief dance. Wil resisted only briefly before giving in with a small chuckle.

Breathless, Alex led Wil into their bedroom and tumbled him onto the bed. He lay beside him and wrapped his arms around him. "I know you were a big hit filling in for Jon last night," he said, "but I don't think you should dance any more."

Wil frowned. "Why not? Liked it, didn't you?"

"That's the point!" Alex groaned. "I almost stripped you bare and-and *humped* you onstage! And everyone wanted to touch you." He shuddered. "They can't touch you, Wil. They *can't*."

"Git." Wil snorted in amusement, then grabbed one of Alex's wandering hands and kissed it. "Think I want them touching me? Undressin' me with their eyes like they did tonight?" He growled. "Don't know how Jon stands it."

"Well, for one, Jon isn't half as hot as you are." He kissed Wil's nose. "Then again, at least his hair is natural."

"Hey!" Wil shoved at Alex's chest, glaring.

"Mmm, I love the way you look, though." Alex nuzzled the sensitive spot behind Wil's ear. "Your roots are really showing, now," he commented offhandedly.

Eyes wide, Wil reached up and pulled at his hair in horror. "It looks that bad?" he asked.

Alex cocked his head. He shivered. "Looks damn sexy," he growled. "Dark at the roots, turns blonde, then almost white at the tips. Just a bit of a curl..." He growled again, then nibbled on Wil's earlobe.

Wil gasped. "Oh...oh, yeah..."

Releasing the bit of flesh with a slurping sound, Alex propped himself up on an elbow. "Wil? You wanna...you know, try that marking thing again?"

"I..." Wil toyed with the buttons on his shirt. "I s'pose we can try," he said softly.

"Ok," came Alex's equally soft response.

With trembling fingers, Wil reached over and pulled Alex's shirt off. He stared for a moment at the other man's chest, letting his gaze slowly move up to his exposed neck. He swallowed.

Alex arched his back and let out a tiny whimper when cool lips descended and began caressing his throat. Then teeth began to nibble, and he bit back a gasp.

Wil licked and nibbled at the salty skin, sucking at times until faint marks arose. Alex tasted delicious, and Wil never wanted to stop running his tongue over his boyfriend's quivering flesh.

Alex writhed under Wil for long minutes. A strangled cry escaped him when Wil finally pulled away.

"It's not working," Wil informed him dejectedly.

"Hmm?" Alex shook his head to clear it. "Oh. No biting?"

Wil shook his head.

"Well...that's ok. We can still cuddle." Again, Alex felt a slight sting of disappointment, but he knew how much Wil had been freaked by it happening the first time. He wasn't going to rush the vampire. It happened once, it was sure to happen again. Eventually. He hoped.

"Mmmmm, an' kiss?" Wil wiggled out of his own shirt, then spooned his body up beside Alex's.

"Kissing is of the good. And licking too. I like licking." To prove his point, Alex licked the sharp line of Wil's cheekbone.

"Oh yeah, I like licking."

"All over licking is a good thing, too." Alex snickered and licked the bridge of Wil's nose.

"A-All over?" Wil squeaked out.

"*All* over."

*****

A cough wracked Velius' body, and he huddled deeper into the small cave, trying desperately to conserve some warmth. The tiny fire he'd managed to produce wasn't doing much to heat the area, but it was better than nothing. Barely.

Alone. Gods, it was so quiet. The sound of the blizzard outside should have been deafening, but all Velius could hear were his own raspy breaths and thumping heartbeat.

He'd had a feeling about this campaign. Something in him knew things would go wrong. Who needed an oracle to give tidings of impending doom? He'd been able to figure it out just fine for himself.

Velius let out a bitter laugh. Just his luck, though. Here he'd only come on this campaign to keep an eye on his younger brother, and what happens? *He* ended up being the one separated from the others, forced to hole up in this wretched crevice, sick and slowly freezing to death.

A twig snapped, the sharp sound echoing loudly through the enclosed space. Shivering, Velius stared wildly into the swirling whiteness outside. Something was coming.

A dark, bundled shape loomed in the opening. Velius gripped his short sword tightly, uncertain who -- or what -- would be about in weather like this.

The figure moved inside, shaking itself. A limb came up, pushing back the hood covering its face.

"By the gods, it's *cold* out there!"

Velius gaped, his sword slipping from nerveless fingers. "Aecus? How did you--? What are you doing here?"

Aecus grinned at his brother. "You thought I'd let you slip away from me that easily?"

Velius shook his head. "You fool," he muttered.

Offended, Aecus retorted, "Fool? Who's the one who got trapped in the middle of nowhere in the worst snowstorm I've ever seen?"

"Both of us, now!" Velius glared. "Why didn't you stay with the others? You were safe!"

"Yes, well, you're welcome." Aecus crept across the uneven floor and settled next to his brother. "Gods, you're cold. Here." He removed his coat and draped it over the two of them.

Against his will, Velius relaxed as his brother's body heat and the insulation of the coat warmed him slightly. "Thanks," he said softly. Another cough shook him, but it wasn't as severe as the previous one.

"You would have done it for me too, you know." Aecus moved his arm around Velius, pulling the other man closer."

"Of course I would have. That's what *older* brothers do." He twisted his head and tried to give Aecus another glare, but it was rather half-hearted. He sighed. "You do know we're both going to die now, right?"

Aecus shrugged. "Probably," he admitted softly. Then, in a lighter tone, "Well, at least the good senator doesn't have to worry about having someone to follow in his footsteps; he still has Primus and Quintus just waiting to fill his sandals."

"Don't talk about father that way," Velius admonished. "You know he cares for us."

"Ah, of course." In a mutter, he continued, "As much as the man can care about two sons who went against his wishes and became common soldiers."

"Stop it."

"Sorry Velius."

They huddled together in silence, shivering as the cold seemed to grow more intense.

"Do you really think we're going to die?"

Velius sighed. "Most likely. The snow isn't letting up, and we haven't got much fuel for the fire. Chances are, we'll freeze before too long."

"Oh." Aecus drew in a deep breath. "I love you, Velius."

Velius smiled. "I know. I love you as well, Aecus."

"Velius..." Aecus set cold fingers on his brother's face, turning it towards him. "I really...love you." Before he could change his mind, he pressed his lips to Velius'.

Velius held himself rigid. Then, with a low groan, he reached up a hand and brushed it along Aecus' face, moving back to tangle in his hair. "Ah, Aecus," he sighed. He returned the kiss with another, then pulled Aecus' head down to his chest, stroking his hair gently. "I love you too, Aecus," he murmured, staring again into the unforgiving wall of snow outside. "I love you, too."

*****
Part 27:

Wil woke curled up against Alex, and he smiled. Slowly, he stretched his limbs out and sat up. He pulled the covers down, then just lay there and stared at Alex. Everything about this man was beautiful. His perfectly muscled chest and arms, that little indentation at the base of his collarbone, that lock of hair that constantly fell in front of his eyes.

His eyes. Oh, those were the best of all, the way they sparkled when he laughed, and the little crinkles at the corners when he squinted. The look of love and wonder in them whenever he saw Wil. They way the turned almost black with passion when Wil kissed him. And the way they sought him out in the dim light when Alex was still muddled from sleep...

"Wil?"

With a smile, Wil leaned over and kissed Alex. "Afternoon, luv," he said quietly.

Alex grinned at him sleepily. "S'dark. Can' see."

Wil laughed and reached over to turn on the bedside lamp. "Better?"

Blinking to clear the spots from his eyes, Alex nodded. "Mmm, I can look at you now," he said appreciatively. Moving lazily, he pulled Wil back towards him, nibbling on his lower lip when it came into range.

Wil groaned as Alex's tongue teased against his lips without ever slipping inside. When Alex pulled back, Wil stared at him heavy-lidded. "You taste delicious," he said, eyes sparkling with pleasure.

Alex gave him a nervous grin. "Wil? Do you think you...I mean...would you..." Alex paused and cleared his throat. "Do you want to...you know...do it?"

Wil stared at him blankly. "'Do it'? Do what?" He watched in fascination as Alex's face turned bright red.

"You know. Uh...f-fucking? You, um, d-do me?"

A strangled noise escaped Wil, and he bolted upright. "Y-you mean...with the...and the...?"

Alex nodded. "I mean, we don't have to, if you don't want to. It was...I was just thinking, I might...want you to?"

"Oh." Wil stared at him in awe. "You'd let me...do that? You want me to?"

"Well, yeah. Sure." Alex blushed again. "I, um, like the thought of you touching me...there."

Wil whimpered. "O-ok," he whispered. "If-if you want."

Alex let out a relieved sigh. "Yeah," he said with a tender smile. "I want."

"Right." With shaking hands, Wil stripped out of his sweatpants, then reached to tug off Alex's. "Do you...um...how should we...?"

Alex rolled onto his stomach and tucked his knees up under him. "Will...will that work?"

Wil snapped his mouth shut, wiped the drool off his chin, and hastily said, "Yeah. It's...it's fine." He took in a lungful of air to steady himself, then crawled up behind Alex. He crouched over him, a hand on his back. "You're sure?"

Alex snorted. "I'm sure." He twisted his head so he could see Wil out of the corner of his eyes. "I want this. I want *you*."

Wil closed his eyes briefly. Bending forward, he began to kiss the back of Alex's neck, moving down until he was licking right between his shoulder-blades, making him squirm.

"Wil!"

Grinning, Wil stroked a hand over Alex's ass, probing hesitantly between his cheeks until his fingers brushed over the tight ring of muscle. He groaned softly, lining the head of his cock up to the tiny opening.

Alex hummed happily as the first tentative thrust skittered along the sensitive nerves. He arched his back a bit.

Growling, Wil tried again, gasping at the intense heat the gripped his erection when the head popped in.

Alex gasped as well, then turned his face and bit into his arm. He hadn't thought it would hurt like this. It burned, like a thousand needles pricking inside him, and he couldn't help tensing. Another thrust sent a searing pain up his spine, and he was unable to completely muffle his agonized cry.

Wil froze. "A-Alex?" He swallowed hard, shuddering at the vice-like grip around his cock. "Are...are you ok?"

Alex panted hard, trying to still his shaking. "I'm fine," he gasped out, squeezing his eyes shut.

Wil frowned. He moved slightly, and his eyes widened at Alex's whimper. He was positive it wasn't a good whimper, either. "Alex?" He pulled back a bit, and a new scent teased at his nose. So very familiar...

"Oh god." With a low cry of horror, Wil wrenched himself away. Stunned, he stared at the trickle of blood that followed his exit. He shook his head and stretched out a trembling hand. "A-Alex, I...oh god, you're bleeding." He snatched the hand back and scuttled away, almost falling off the end of the bed.

Biting back another cry of pain, Alex forced himself to roll over. He reached out a hand imploringly. "Wil, don't...don't leave. Please, don't run again."

Wil's face crumpled in despair, but he reluctantly crept back to Alex. "I hurt you," he muttered, grief-stricken. "I'm *so* sorry, Alex, I didn't mean...I *never* wanted to...oh god." He curled up next to Alex, head on his chest. "Please, I'm sorry, I'm sorry Alex," he chanted, fighting to hold back tears.

Alex wrapped himself around Wil, wincing at the stab of pain from his nether regions. "Wil, it's ok. I know you didn't mean to hurt me. It's not that bad, really. I'll be ok."

"I shouldn't be allowed to touch you," Wil mumbled. "I should--"

"Wil, listen to me." Alex tilted Wil's face up so he could stare him in the eyes. "Look, something went wrong. We screwed up. It's my fault as much as it is yours, ok? I shouldn't have asked you to do this when we weren't ready yet. Don't go all broody on me; we'll figure this out. We probably just need practice or something."

Wil said nothing, just continued to clutch at Alex.

Alex sighed, then forced a smile. "You know what else we need practice doing? That showering together thing. Remember? I think we should give that another try."

Wil sniffled. "I'll probably just hurt you again," he answered despondently.

"Won't know until we try it!" Alex retorted brightly. He sat up, winced again, then jerked Wil up as well. "Come on!"

~~~~~~~~~~

Alex walked into the club, staring around the deserted interior. "Hello? Frankie?"

Frankie walked out of his office. "Alex? You're early."

"Yeah, um...I had some things to do. Wil's gonna be in later."

Frankie nodded, then went back to his office.

Quickly, Alex walked towards the back, hesitating when he came to the dressing room. He took a steadying breath, then pushed inside.

The three men inside paused their conversation and turned to stare at him curiously.

"Hey." Alex blushed. "Um, Jon? Can I talk to you for a sec?"

The redhead nodded and walked over, waving at his companions to go back to their conversation without him. "What's up? Where's your sexier half?" He grinned.

"I...kinda wanted to talk to you about that. Sorta. Is there, um, someplace private we can go?"

Jon studied the tense young man. "You're not going to make a pass at me, are you?"

"What? No!"

Jon snorted. "Ok, crush a guys dreams." He chuckled as he led Alex to a small room down the hall. He ushered the other man inside. "So, what's the scoop?"

Alex looked around the mostly bare room, then pulled out a chair and sat at the table. "I-I wanted to talk to you. It's...it's about...uh, sex."

"Sex." Jon blinked. He turned, locked the door, then walked over and sat on the edge of the table. "Shoot."

Alex's face turned pink. "Well, see, Wil and I, we tried...that is, we wanted to...oh man." He steeled himself, then blurted it out. "Wetriedtohavesex."

"Tried?" He leaned forward, eyes twinkling.

"It didn't work too well," Alex mumbled, not meeting Jon's steady gaze.

"How exactly did it not work?"

"It...it hurt. And...there was some blood."

"Ok. Um, what can I say, it does hurt a little sometimes. Wouldn't think Wil would mind the blood, though, being a vampire and all."

"No, see...he freaked! And it hurt a *lot*! Like, talking agony, here!"

Jon arched an eyebrow skeptically. "Oh, come on. It couldn't have been *that* bad. I mean, it's not like he just tried to shove himself in dry."

Alex groaned and covered his face.

"You...you're..." Jon sat there for a moment, taken aback. "You're kidding. He did?"

Face still hidden, Alex nodded.

"Damn. That's...geez. Even *I* would think twice about doing that, and I'm certainly not a blushing virgin here." Jon shook his head.

Alex dropped his hands and glared. "Well, what were we *supposed* to do? It's not like we came with instruction manuals!"

Jon chuckled. "You want instructions?" He tought about it, then nodded sharply. "Ok, just make sure Wil doesn't come kill me when he finds out you talked to me about this." He settled back into a chair of his own, making himself comfortable. "Well, first off, anal sex can be one big party, but it's definitely BYOL."

Alex blinked in confusion. "Huh?"

Jon sighed good-naturedly. "Bring you own lube. Nature didn't exactly equip us to take something the size of a cock up our asses on a regular basis.

A picture flashed in Alex's mind of Wil opening the nightstand that first night, unearthing a jumble of lubes and condoms. He could almost smack himself. "Um. Ok. Lube. Got it." He stared fixedly at the far wall, not really having the guts to look Jon in the face. "What about...condoms?"

"General rule, always use 'em. I dunno, though. You won't have to worry about STDs or anything since vampires are technically dead and can't carry or transmit diseases. Might want to use them to avoid any...er messes, though."

"Messes?" He snuck a glance at Jon, who gave him an amused grin. Light dawned. "Oh!" His face heated so much, Alex was surprised his eyeballs didn't melt out of their sockets. And that imagery was enough to distract him, giving Jon the opportunity to continue Alex's impromptu sex education.

Jon found himself starting to enjoy this lecture, as well as Alex's reactions. "The key is relaxation. No matter how much you prep your partner, if he's not relaxed, it's *not* gonna work."

"Relaxation." Alex considered that. "Ok, I can see how that's a good thing."

"Uh-huh." Jon snorted. "Also, there's no such thing as too much lube. If you're not sure, add more. Now, you're probably going to want to start with just a finger. Once you can move that in and out pretty easily, you can try for two. When you can get two inside, the real stretching starts. Just keep scissoring your fingers apart gently to loosen the muscles. Some people also use rimming to help with this."

This got Alex's full attention, and he stared at Jon quizzically. "Rimming?"

"Tongue, Alex. You use your *tongue* instead of fingers."

"Oh. Oh!" Alex blushed fiercely and let his head drop onto the table with a thud. "You do realize that after this I will never be able to look you again, don't you?"

Jon laughed loudly. "Whatever. Anyway, however you start, you'll probably want to work up to three fingers. Keep adding lube if you need to, and be gentle." He paused and eyed Alex speculatively. "How big are you?"

"Ex*cuse* me?" Alex squeaked.

"Your dick, Alex. How big is it?"

"That's...that's kind of private, man." Oh look, there was the nice wall again.

Jon sighed. "Look, I'm just trying to help here. If you're bigger than average, you're going to need to be extra careful, maybe even try and get four fingers inside him before you try anything else. And if you're...not so large, you could maybe be able to get away with just a little stretching later on."

He laughed at the expression on Alex's face, and continued. "Position. Let's see. Spoons would be your best choice. It tends to make for slower lovemaking, and the penetration isn't quite so deep. Not a bad idea for the first time. Not that there's anything wrong with hot, hard, sweaty sex..." He licked his lips, eyes taking on a far off look. Then he shook himself. "For something like this, though, you're going to want something slower and gentler. First times are special, man, no sense in rushing things. Plus, it's really easy to cuddle in that position. And it takes a lot of strain off the other guy because he doesn't have to support your weight. And you don't have to worry about crushing him."

"That's...that's good." He almost wished he'd thought to bring something to take notes, but figured it would be hard to write while staring at the wall like he seemed intent on doing.

"Hey." Jon reached over and tapped Alex's arm, waiting until the other man looked at him. "Don't be embarrassed, man. I wish I'd had the guts to talk to someone about this stuff before I started. You guys will be *fine*. Just take it slow. Don't rush things. And if either one of you is uncomfortable, take a break. It's not like you have a time limit or something."

Alex sighed and gave him a shaky grin. "I know. Thanks. It's just...I feel like we should have been able to figure this our for ourselves."

"No prob. That's what buds are for. Besides, now you're somewhat better informed, the two of you should be able to have a grand old time." Jon leered.

Alex blushed again, but smiled. "Really, thanks. But, um, don't take it personally when I avoid you for the next couple of years, ok?"

Jon laughed. "Who, me?"

~~~~~~~~~~

"No."

Alex sighed as Wil turned over. He reached across the space between them, letting his hand settle on Wil's hip. "Wil, come on. It'll be better this time. We just skipped a few steps, is all."

Wil rolled back over and glared at Alex. "I *hurt* you. An' I'm bloody well not gonna try it again!"

"But..." Alex looked away, jaw clenching. "Ok, fine," he said in a quivery voice. "I just...I really want to share that with you, Wil."

"Uh-huh." Wil studied his bedmate. "You still sore?"

Alex twitched at the question. "A little," he admitted.

"And you want to try that *again*? Are you insane?" He sighed at the look of utter desolation that covered Alex's face. "Fine. Ok? Fine. But I'm *not* gonna hurt you again." He kicked off his pants and rolled onto his stomach. "You do me, then."

Alex stared. He hadn't actually considered it this way. "Wil?"

"Look, if it goes wrong, at least I heal up faster. An'..." He sighed. "I dunno, I kinda wanna know what's it's like, too. So long as it ain't *too* awful."

Alex closed his eyes, fighting back the surge of arousal that had overtaken him. "I can...I can do that," he managed to say. Sitting up, he yanked off his clothes and fumbled for the drawer to the nightstand, wrenching it open and spilling most of its contents onto the floor. He scooped up one of the unopened tubes of lubricant, then turned back over to Wil. "Um, could you...just a little..." He used a hand on Wil's hip to guide the vampire onto his side, then scooted up behind him.

Wil tensed a little as he felt Alex's warmth along his back. He struggled to remain calm.

Alex wanted to get Wil relaxed before he started, so he began petting and licking along his back. "I love how you taste," he said. He gently kneaded bunched up muscles, smoothing out the knots of tension. "I love touching you, and kissing you, and running my tongue across your skin."

Wil moaned and felt his entire body loosen. He pressed back, bending his head forward so Alex could get at the spot on the nape of his neck.

Alex grinned and went after it, nibbling and nipping, then soothing the tormented flesh with tiny licks. He moved a hand down, pushing at the back of Wil's thigh until his upper leg was bent up against his stomach. He sucked on Wil's earlobe as he struggled to open the tube, losing the cap somewhere in the tangle of sheets.

Wil sighed as a slippery fingertip rubbed against his opening. It wasn't so bad, felt kind of nice, actually. He wiggled his hips as the finger continued to play around the wrinkled ring of flesh, never pressing inside. The light touches were hardly enough to be satisfying, and were driving him up the wall.

Alex took a deep breath, then pressed his finger cautiously inside.

Wil stilled. He squeezed his muscled around the intruder experimentally. That was...odd. But...not bad. He pushed back.

Relieved at Wil's smooth acceptance, Alex pushed his finger in deeper, moving slowly and carefully until it was in as far as it could go. Gently, he slid it back out.

Wil frowned. "I liked that," he complained. "Put it back."

Alex gave a breathless laugh. He squirted more lube on his finger, then replaced it, rocking it gently in and out. He listened to Wil's tiny moans and grunts of pleasure, glad he was doing this right. Again, he removed his finger, ignoring Wil's protests so he could apply more lube to it and its neighboring finger.

Wil felt more than the one finger seeking entrance this time. He stilled, then pushed back questioningly. The fingers slipped inside a little, and Wil hissed at the slight burn that accompanied the intrusion.

"Is this ok?" Alex asked anxiously.

"Hang on." He lay still for about a dozen of Alex's heartbeats, then relaxed again. "Ok," he whispered.

Ever so slowly, Alex let his fingers burrow deeper inside of Wil's tight opening. He imagined that cool, slick tightness around his cock, then firmly banished that thought before he could lose it.

Wil couldn't believe this was working. There was the smallest moment of discomfort when Alex started to scissor his fingers apart, but he soon became accustomed to the stretching sensation. Only a slight twinge of pain accompanied the addition of a third finger, and Wil was surprised to find himself thrusting back, almost desperate to get the fingers inside him every time they withdrew.

Finally, Alex removed his fingers from the snug, but no longer impossibly tight hole. He squirted out another healthy amount of lube and rubbed it over his cock, then he slid his arm around Wil's waist. "I'm gonna try, now. You ready?"

Wil moaned and nodded, wanting to experience that full, tingly feeling the fingers had given him again.

Alex held his breath and let his cock nudge up against Wil's ass. Ears attuned to any sounds of discomfort Wil might produce, he made a small thrust forward, and the tip of his cock slipped inside.

Wil gasped, his eyes flying wide. That was...big. Bigger than the fingers. He let the sensation wash over him, then wiggled his hips. "Ahhhh..." He couldn't help the drawn-out groan than escaped his lips when Alex's cock began to slide into him.

Alex's groan matched Wil's. He was amazed at how smoothly this was going, how simple it had turned out to be once he knew what to do. He halted his advance, fighting to catch his breath. Oh, he couldn't wait for Wil to do this to him. This time, *with* the lube.

Wil felt so full. So...complete. He felt the brush of wiry pubic hairs against his ass, and realized that Alex was as deep as he could get in this position. It was...heaven. He smiled, reaching down to squeeze Alex's hand. "Move," he coaxed softly.

With a laugh that almost sounded like a sob, Alex did as he was bid. He rocked his hips back the smallest amount, then thrust forward again. Judging by Wil's whimper and moan, this was a good thing. Alex did it again.

Wil grunted softly each time Alex pushed into him. He was being invaded, taken over, consumed from the inside. He loved it. With a sigh of utter enjoyment, Wil arched his back a little.

Alex did his best to keep the tempo slow and steady, not wanting to hurt Wil in his eagerness. Then, Wil let out a high-pitched yell, and he went still, heart pounding in fear. "Wil?"

Eyes wide, Wil stared at the pretty sparkling lights that had appeared. "Again," he groaned. "Do it again!"

Alex frowned, but complied. Again, an almost feminine shriek sounded. Shaken, Alex once more forced himself to stillness. "Wil, what's wrong?"

"Wrong? You stopped! Bloody keep moving!" Wil jerked himself forward, then back, shuddering as that...something inside him was prodded again.

"It doesn't hurt?" He was still unsure, but Wil seemed intent on continuing, and didn't *seem* to be in any discomfort.

"Feels...bloody fantastic. Move, would you!" He wanted that again, wanted that spot stroked.

Alex thrust tentatively, feeling his cock scrape past a tiny lump inside of Wil. He pulled back, then tried nudging the spot repeatedly.

Wil spasmed helplessly as what felt like sparks of lightening danced up and down his spine. This was better than orgasming...almost. He convulsed as Alex decided to try rocking harder, which of course drove his cock even more forcefully against that wonderful, amazing, fanfucking*tastic* spot that Wil was really wishing he'd discovered much earlier.

More confident now, Alex resumed his slow, steady pace, putting just a tad more force behind his thrusts. He was really enjoying the way Wil shivered and twitched whenever he hit that nub of flesh, and made sure to do it often. He pressed feverish kisses to Wil's damp shoulders. Then, Wil's cock bumped against his hand, and he grinned.

Wil yelped as the warm hand enclosed his erection. Head shaking with the intensity of what he was feeling, Wil jerked himself back and forth between Alex's cock and his hand. "Oh god...oh...Alex, I..." Gasping, he stopped moving, and a low, keening cry rose in his throat.

When Wil became still, Alex gave one last thrust, then just held on in wonder as Wil jerked and shook, spurting sticky fluid out over his hand. The rippling sensation around his cock was unbelievable, and he kissed the side of Wil's neck fervently as the vampire continued to whimper and writhe.

It was the most amazingly intense orgasm Wil was certain he had ever experienced, and it seemed to last for hours. When it finally ended, and he was wracked by only a few lingering, minor convulsions, Wil swallowed to moisten his throat. "That was...real good, pet," he said hoarsely.

"Glad to hear it," Alex responded equally hoarsely. "Um, can I...?" He made a tentative thrust.

Wil realized that Alex was still hard inside him, and he smiled. "Go ahead," he whispered, "but don't get too disappointed if I just lay here and catch my breath."

Alex laughed a little. "You don't breathe," he retorted, then started thrusting again.

"Mmmm." Wil stretched a little, enjoying the easy movements inside him, shivering a little whenever Alex brushed over that exquisitely sensitive spot. After a few minutes of this, an evil thought came to his mind and he clamped down, squeezing the muscles of his ass as tight as he could.

Alex grunted loudly. "Ah!" Wil did it again, and again, and Alex couldn't stop it. He buried himself as deep as he would go and came, clutching Wil close to him as he shuddered his way through orgasm.

Wil sucked in a breath at the warmth that seemed to gush into him. As Alex relaxed against him, he once more twined their hands together. "Like that, huh?"

"You...are truly...evil," Alex panted.

"Uh-huh. In a good way though, right?" He let out a hiss as Alex slipped out of him, clenching his cheeks against the empty feeling he was left with. With a sigh, he wiggled around to his other side facing Alex. He kissed the other man's chin. "I really did like it, pet. Lots."

"Yeah?" Alex returned the kiss. "Me too." He yawned.

Wil waited until he was done yawning, then pressed a tender kiss to his lips. "Can we do it again when we wake up?"

Alex yawned again, nodding sleepily. "Lots an' lots," he murmured. "I get a turn, too."

With happy, satisfied sighs, they soon drifted off into a contented sleep.

*****