The two men stood in the hall outside apartment #313, staring nervously at the door.

Alex glanced sideways at his companion. "Well? You've got the key, open it already."

"Maybe we should knock first." The blonde licked his lips, trying not to fidget.

"Oh, for--" Alex reached over and plucked the bit of metal from the other's hand, inserting it in the lock. A faint 'click' sounded, and he turned the doorknob, pushing the door open. He gave a half-grin to the blonde. "After you."

Swallowing hard, he stepped inside the dark apartment, fumbling along the wall for a light switch. He flicked it on, and the room brightened.

Alex scooted in behind him, closing the door firmly. He looked around. "Not bad. Anyone home?"

"Don't think so. I don't hear anyone." He prowled through the few rooms, confirming the absence of anyone else. "Looks like it's just us."

"Huh. That's strange." He noticed the answering machine that was placed on a small table flashing. Walking over to the other man, Alex gave him a nudge. "There's a message on the machine. Maybe it's for you."

The blonde chewed on his lip. After a moment's hesitation, he walked over and pressed the 'play' button.

"Alexander! It's Mellie down in 307. I noticed you going out earlier and thought I'd just leave a message so I didn't disturb...anything when you get back." There was a muffled giggle at this point. "Anyway, I wanted to let you know about Friday night. All the residents here like to have a kind of welcoming party for the new people, make them feel at home. That, or we just like an excuse to party! So, you're the guest of honor. We were planning on this Friday, about 9:00 in the evening. Is that good? Stop by and let me know." A brief pause, then in a hushed voice, "Oh, and I ran into your blonde. You're right, he is gorgeous!" Another giggle, then the message ended.

Both men were wide-eyed, gaping at each other.

Alex fiddled with his shirt. "Ok, I'm wigging here."

"Yeah, well, I think that bird made it bloody obvious that this is *your* apartment." He sounded a bit put out.

"You figure? So why did *you* have a key?"

"And why did that bird call me *your* blonde?" came the rejoinder.

More staring ensued, then they both raced for the bedroom. The room gave little indication of anything out of the ordinary. No obvious signs of any...prior interludes.

Alex tilted his head. "You don't think that we're...?" He trailed off, leaving the rest open for interpretation.

"Dunno. I don't *feel*...you know."

"I think maybe she got the wrong idea."

"Um..."

"What?"

"That doesn't explain this." He pulled out the by now rather crumpled note. "See?" He thought for a moment. "Hold up." A quick trip back to where the phone was, then some rummaging around in the drawers. Brandishing the pen and notepad he found there, he walked back over to Alex. Thrusting the utensils at him, he said, "Here. Write something."

Bemused, Alex complied. Then they compared handwriting.

Alex heaved a sigh. "Ok, so I wrote the note. And gave it to you, apparently, although it would have been helpful if I'd put your name on it. And I'm...flirting. Or making veiled suggestions, at any rate."

"So, I mean, we probably are..."

Alex swallowed, but forced the word out. "Gay."

The blonde nodded wisely. "Bent."

"Queer."

"Nancy-boys."

They were both grinning a bit at this point.

"Fags."

"Poofs."

Alex opened his mouth, paused, then chuckled weakly. "Sorry, all out here."

Grinning, the blonde went on, ticking them off on his fingers. "Arse bandits, pansies, sausage jockeys, shirtlifters, pillow biters, bum boys, --"

"All right! We've established that you have a much more extensive vocabulary than I do. Geez." He ran a hand through his hair. "You did leave one thing out though."

"What's that?"

"Together. Us. From all indications, anyway."

"Oh. That."

An uncomfortable silence descended as the two looked at everything except each other.

Finally Alex cleared his throat loudly. "Ok, if I live here, then I say we just put this on hold, clean up, then get some sleep. Maybe things will look better in the morning."

"Sounds good to me. You gonna shower first?"

Wrinkling his nose, Alex shook his head. "No offense, but you look worse off than I do."

The blonde shrugged, then made his way over to the bathroom. Before the door closed, Alex called after him, "I guess just put on something of mine when you're done, since most likely none of your stuff is here." The response was muffled, but affirmative.

Picking at his shirt again, Alex poked through the kitchen, looking for something to eat. Opening the fridge, he shoved some food aside. A deep ruby-colored object caught his eye, and he pulled out the package.

//Oh, dear god, tell me this isn't...// He stared in distaste at the packet of what appeared to be blood. //Do I even wanna know?//

Stunned, he let it drop onto the counter, sinking onto a stool and contemplating the possible meanings behind its presence.

A crash from the bathroom drew his attention, and he stood. Tapping on the door, he called, "You ok in there?" Not hearing anything, he cracked it open. "Hey? What's going on?"

"I think you better get in here, mate."

Worried at how upset the man sounded, he stepped into the small room. "Hey, what's wrong?"

Mutely, the towel-clad man pointed a finger at the fogged-up mirror.

Alex looked. He could barely make out the words scrawled on the surface. "William the Bloody? What's up with that?"

"S'not the point. *Look*."

Alex peered closely, then shook his head. "What? I don't see anything."

"Exactly. See, I got out of the shower, saw that little message, and went for a closer look. Watch." He swiped a hand over the mirror, rubbing a clear spot. He left his hand next to the glass. "See? No reflection."

Alex felt his jaw drop as he realized that the only person reflected was himself. His mind began to make a few subconscious connections. "No reflection. No reflection?"

"Don't look like. Something is really strange here, Alex."

"Geez, you're telling me, William."

"Who? William?"

"Duh." Alex indicated the smudged remains of the message on the mirror. "I'm not William, and as far as we know, you're the only other one who's been here."

"Huh. It's just...William. It sounds kind of poncey. Sort of familiar, but not like...me."

"Maybe you have a nickname. Like Willie."

"Um, somehow I think not."

"Will?"

A brief pause, then a decisive, "Wil."

"That's what I said."

"Now, you said 'Will', clearly with two 'l's. I said Wil. One 'l'."

Alex rolled his eyes. "Fine. *Wil*, then."

The newly dubbed Wil nodded, then turned back to the mirror. "I'm still not liking this part. You think the mirror's broken?"

"I...don't think mirrors actually break down like that. And besides, you think that's weird? Come here." He led the way over to the kitchen, pointing out the red baggie on the counter.

"What's that?"

"Best guess? I'd say its blood. Don't know whose, though."

"Blood." Wil frowned, studying the object. "Alex? Why do you have a bag of blood on your counter?"

Alex snorted and wrenched the refrigerator open, displaying the stack of similar bags lined up on a shelf. "Do you have any idea the major case of wiggins I got when I saw this?"

Wil carefully set the bag back down, going over to stand by Alex. "Maybe...maybe it's not really blood. I mean, maybe it's that fake stuff, or something."

"Why do I doubt that?"

Wil was about to reply when something tickled at his nose. Sniffing the air, he slowly rotated.

"Wil? What is it?"

"I dunno. There's something..." He cocked his head, then bent down over the trash bin. Reaching inside, he fished out a crumpled plastic baggie.

A baggie that still contained a few drops of drying, scarlet fluid.

Catching sight of it, Alex grimaced. "Ok, major ick factor here."

Wil said nothing, just sniffed the baggie. Something began to gnaw inside the pit of his belly, and he turned to Alex, holding the nearly empty packed out.

Alex gasped, eyed growing huge.

"Mate? You don't look so good."

Something clicked into place, and Alex edged back slightly. "I...may have figured something out. About the mirror, and the...blood."

"Well, spill."

Breath quickening and heart pounding, Alex gulped. "I...I think you're a vampire."

*****
Part 6:

Giles wrung his hands as Anya sobbed brokenly on the sofa in front of him. The ex-demon had dropped by unexpectedly a few hours before and done her best to kiss and grope him. She'd then proceeded to fall apart when he'd fended off her advances and demanded an explanation for her behavior. Unsure of how to cope with it, he hurried to make a phone call to Willow, hoping she and Tara could come over and sort this out.

He squinted anxiously at the clock, then turned his attention back to the sofa. Hesitantly, he patted Anya's shoulder. "There, there." Another quick peek at the clock. //What the bloody hell is the holdup!// He heaved a sigh of relief when his door flew opened, admitting the witches.

Willow and Tara gaped at the distraught woman. The redhead turned to Giles. "What's wrong? Did something happen?"

Giles shrugged helplessly. "I haven't the foggiest. She just showed up and started this. I've been unable to get anything coherent out of her."

Tara sat down beside Anya, tugging her sideways and wrapping her arms around her. She rocked gently, murmuring words of comfort.

After a few minutes of continued weeping, Anya calmed a bit, raising her head and sniffling loudly. Willow held out a wad of tissues, which she accepted gratefully, dabbing at her blotchy face.

Sitting next to Anya, Willow stroked her arm softly. "You wanna talk about it?"

Anya sniffled some more, then blew her nose. Her hands dropped into her lap as she looked down. Her breath hitching, she began to speak in a scratchy voice. "I-I...Xander d-d-dumped me!" Her lower lip began to tremble as she shredded the tissues clutched in her hands.

Willows eyes widened. "But...why? I mean, he really likes you!"

Silent tears began to flow once more. "I...I don't know. He...he told me to come over tonight, that he had a...surprise for me." She wiped a hand over her cheek. "And I got there, and no one was there. All his s-s-stuff was gone from the basement. And he didn't even leave a n-n-note!" Harsh sobs ensued.

Willow started to get even more worried. "Gone? Everything?" She looked over at Giles, who was doing his best to pretend there wasn't an ex-demon breaking down in the middle of his living room. "Giles? Do you have any idea what this is about? Have you spoken with Xander lately?"

"Well, I-I saw him yesterday, and he did seem inordinately happy. Said something about the 'freedom of a new life', but wouldn't give specifics." His brow furrowed. "You don't suppose he's...skipped out?"

"Who's skipped out?"

Everyone turned to the doorway, where Buffy stood with Riley. "Was there a meeting tonight I forgot about?" Buffy frowned thoughtfully. "No, that's not it. And why is Anya crying?" She tugged her boyfriend inside, kicking the door shut behind him.

Anya turned her tear-stained face toward the newcomers, then slouched down miserably.

Giles went over to her and whispered, "Domestic strife. It appears that Xander has...vacated his basement and left no indications of his whereabouts."

Buffy blinked. "Um, you mean he's gone, and you don't know where he is?"

"I believe that's what I said, yes."

She rolled her eyes. "Why don't you ask his parents, I'm sure they could tell you."

"Um, well actually Buffy, you see--"

Buffy waved her hand, cutting Willow off. "Oh, *I'll* do it." She went over to the phone, putting it on speaker and dialing the number for Xander's house. After about seven rings, the line was picked up.

"What?" a gruff, masculine voice rasped out.

"Hello? I'm looking for Xander. I'm a friend of his."

"So? Think I care?"

"Could I talk to him. Please." She bit the words out.

"He don't live here no more. And good riddance."

Hands on hips, Buffy glared at the phone. Through gritted teeth, she hissed, "Well, could you tell me how I can get ahold of him?"

"How the fuck should I know? I finally got that pansy boy out of my house, why would I care where he is now?" There was a derisive snort, then a click as he abruptly hung up.

Buffy snarled and turned the speaker off. She made her way over to the sofa, trying to look sympathetic. "Don't worry, Anya. We'll figure out what's going on, and get you and Xander back together."

~~~~~~~~~~

"What the bleedin' hell do you mean, I'm a vampire!?" Wil gaped at the brunette in blatant disbelief.

Alex kept inching away. "Well, you um, your eyes, they're kinda...all yellow. And your face...sort of bumpy. And...well, you...you've got...fangs." He reached into the drawer behind him, fumbling around and pulling out a wooden spoon. He stared at it a moment, then held it up threateningly.

The plastic bag fluttered to the floor as Wil reached a hand up to his face, running it hesitantly over the ridges on his brow, then lightly touching the tips of his fangs. "Holy Christ!" he yelped. Focusing on Alex, he finally noticed the other man's defensive posture. "*What* are you doing?"

"Um, defending myself?"

Wil stared at Alex's chosen weapon. "With a spoon?"

Alex shrugged. "It's wood, isn't it? Wood, vampires...bad combo."

"So what, you're gonna try to kill me?"

"Well, you *are*, you know, a vampire. Vampires are bad."

Wil's bottom lip trembled slightly. "You...you don't like me?"

Alex sighed, lowering the spoon a bit. "Ah, Wil. You seem like a great guy, but...hello? Vampire? Aren't you gonna try to, I dunno, suck my blood or something?"

Wil thought about that. "Can't say as I have any great desire to, no." He felt his face sort of...relax, and noticed Alex become a little less tense.

Once Wil's face had returned to looking human, Alex felt more comfortable. Then he narrowed his eyes. "You don't?"

"Um, not really."

Alex set the spoon down on the counter, then folded his arms over his chest. Head tilted to the side, he gave Wil a measuring glance. "Really?" A hand moved up to his neck, stroking the smooth skin. As his fingers danced along his jugular, he watched the other man. "You mean you have absolutely no desire to bite me? Drain me dry? Hold me down and make a meal out of me?"

As he watched Alex caress his neck, Wil's eyes dilated. He started panting lightly as he listened to those suggestive words pronounced in a husky voice. He shifted as his growing erection began to press uncomfortably at the rough towel covering it.

Alex felt a glimmer of triumph as he noticed the intense hunger that was directed at him. "Ha! See, I knew it!" He frowned as Wil shuffled, his gaze drifting down. He caught his breath at the bulge evident beneath the towel. His face flushed a fiery red, and his eyes snapped back up to meet brilliant blue ones.

"Sorry," Wil whispered, turning away in shame.

Mentally smacking himself, Alex was quick to move to Wil's side. "No, it's...it's ok. Um, I just...I didn't mean to...jeez, I'm *so* sorry!" He chewed his lip, worried.

Wil lifted a shoulder in a casual-seeming shrug.

"Don't be mad, please? It was just a bit of a shock to see you like that, I think I got carried away." Tentatively, he laid a hand on Wil's bare shoulder, rubbing gently.

Wil relaxed, turning around and looking up at Alex. "I would never hurt you, Alex. Never."

Alex smiled. "No sucking on me?" His eyes widened at Wil's groan. "Um, I mean, eating m--er..." He ran a hand through his hair, flustered. "Are there any ways of saying this without sounding suggestive?"

"Feasting on your blood until there's nothing left of you but a withered, desiccated corpse?"

"Uhhh, yeeeah. That'll work. So...no desiccated-corpse-making?"

"Nah. Well, not of you, anyway." Wil grinned at Alex's pensive look. "Joking." He stepped back from the other man, trying to regain his composure. "'Sides, looks like I stay pretty well fed with whatever kind of blood you got stocked in there." He pointed at the fridge, grimacing a little at the thought of drinking blood.

"Oh yeah, right. Ok, then."

They stood staring at each other, both feeling vaguely uncomfortable. Finally, Wil cleared his throat. "Ah, I should probably, um, get...dressed." He saw Alex's eyes flicker down, and another blush spread over the man's cheeks.

"Um, yeah. Good idea. I'll just...go take a shower. In the bathroom. Yeah." He turned and rushed to the bathroom, nearly tripping in his haste.

Wil looked down at the floor, noticing the discarded bag. He picked it up and returned it to the trash can, then went into Alex's bedroom. Rummaging through the closet, he pulled out a white t-shirt and a pair of black silk boxers. Pulling them on, he went back into the living room, seating himself on the couch and leaning back, staring at the blank TV screen.

After about ten minutes, Alex came out of the bathroom, walking silently to the bedroom. When he reappeared, he too was clad in a t- shirt and boxers, although his were blue. He sat on the opposite end of the sofa, glancing over at Wil. "So, um, guess we should probably hit the sack now. Been a tough day...well, at least what I can remember."

"Yeah, good idea mate."

They sat there, unmoving.

"I...I guess I can sleep on the couch here. I just need a pillow, some blankets."

Alex frowned, examining the piece of furniture. "It's kind of small. It wouldn't be very comfortable."

Wil shrugged. "I'll manage."

Alex struggled with himself briefly, then stammered out, "You, uh, you could sleep with me." He flushed deeply. "I-I-I mean...shit, that didn't come out right." He groaned, covering his face with his hands. Voice muffled, he continued, "I *meant*, you could share the bed. It's a king, so it's plenty big." He winced, but lifted his head determinedly.

"Well I...I mean, if you don't mind. Yeah, sure."

Nodding, Alex stood, leading the way back to the bedroom. Once they were both inside, he shut the door, then frowned. He pulled open a dresser drawer, then shut it, repeating this process until he emerged with a heavy blanket. Going over to the window, he draped the blanket over the curtain rod, arranging it to cover the window completely.

Will watched these strange antics. "What's that for?"

Alex tossed him a look that clearly stated his low opinion of the question. "You vampire? Sunlight bad. At least I think I remember that much. Unless you want to fry?"

"Oh. No, no frying. Um, thanks."

"Don't mention it." He picked up the pad of paper and the pen that had been left on the bed earlier. He tossed them to Wil. "Here, stick those in the bedside table there, would you?"

Wil grabbed the items, and pulled the indicated drawer open. Looking at the contents, he froze.

"Wil? What is it?" Alex went around to the other side of the bed, peering over Wil's shoulder. "Oh." He could feel his face heat up again as he stared at the jumbled assortment of lubes and condoms residing in the drawer. He swallowed hard, then reached out and briskly shut the drawer. "N-never mind." He plucked the pen and paper from the blonde's lax grip, dropping them on the top of the little table. Doing his best to act nonchalant, he threw back the covers and climbed into bed, scooting over to the far side. "Hit the light before you get in, would ya?"

Wil nodded, eyes still glued to the closed drawer.

"Will?"

His head twisted around, and he stared dumbly at the brunette who was snuggled down under the covers. "Huh?"

"Lights. Off. Makes the room dark, easier to sleep."

"Oh." Dazed, Wil walked over to the light switch, flipping it off. His eyes adjusted rapidly to the darkness, and he had no trouble getting back to the bed. Climbing in, he pulled the covers over him, turning on his side to face Alex. "Uh, night Alex."

"Night, Wil."

*****
Part 7:

Alex yawned and rolled over in bed. He curled around the person beside him, throwing his arm over the cool, still chest.

His eyes flew open and he sat up, scrambling to turn on the lamp by the bed.

"Aaaahhh!" //Oh god, dead person. Cold, non-breathing *dead* person in my bed!//

Wil jerked as the yell pierced his sleep-muddled brain. "Huh?" He leaned up on an elbow, blinking fuzzily at the hyperventilating man sitting next to him, staring at him with disbelieving eyes. "Alex? What happened?"

Alex scooted to the far end of the bed. "Y-Y-You were...dead. All cold, and not breathing. Extremely corpsey." He squinted closely. "You're still not breathing!" he accused.

Wil looked down at himself, noticing for the first time that Alex was right about his lack of respiration. He thought about that, then shrugged. "Correct me if I'm wrong, mate, but don't vampires generally tend to be rather...non-living?"

Alex's jaw dropped as he gazed at the blonde. "Oh. Um, right. Sorry, forgot about that." His face reddened sheepishly. He cleared his throat nervously as he looked again at the blonde sprawled out in his bed, then tore his eyes away. "So...um, morning."

Wil tilted his head as a strange, spicy scent wafted past his nose. It made him...hungry. He shook his head to clear it, then shoved the covers away, climbing out of bed. "You know, now I think about it, it'd prob'ly be a good idea if we figured out what this whole 'vampire' thing includes. Things I should avoid, and whatnot."

Alex nodded briskly. "Good idea. We can find a library or something, get some books." He hurried to the bedroom door.

"Pet? Daylight? Me? Don't wanna burn, y'know."

Alex paused. "Well, you know, we don't really know if the whole sunlight deal is true. I just thought it would be better to play it safe last night."

"Forgive me if I'm a bit hesitant about testing these things, would you?"

"Nonsense." Alex waved a hand dismissively. "We can just do some tiny experiments, nothing major."

Wil grimaced. He rubbed at his stomach as it gurgled unpleasantly. "Can it at least wait until *after* breakfast?"

Alex grinned. "S'pose so." He headed for the kitchen, making sure to close the drapes on the windows and turn on the lights instead. "I'm cooking. Whattaya want?"

Wil followed. "Gee, lemme think about that," he deadpanned.

"Oh. Right." He shuddered as he opened the fridge, plucking out one of the bloodbags and holding it between thumb and forefinger as he offered it to the blonde.

Wil took the bag, then watched Alex rattle around the kitchen, pulling out pans and scrounging through the food in the fridge. Bacon was set to sizzle, and eggs were cracked into a bowl to be mixed together with some shredded cheese. The concoction was dumped into the frying pan after the bacon was done, and within minutes, Alex had a mound of steaming, fluffy scrambled eggs.

He stared mournfully at his bag of blood, sighing heavily. //S'not bloody fair.// Wil trudged across the kitchen, opening cupboards until he found a mug, then tore open the bag and poured the contents into it. He looked at the thick, dark liquid, then tentatively stuck a finger into it. Wrinkling his nose, he lapped at the coated finger. //Bleh. Needs...// He stuck the mug in the microwave, then waited for it to heat.

Alex poured himself a glass of orange juice and took his things to the table. He seated himself next to Wil, watching in amusement as the other man sipped from his mug. "Good?"

"Hnn," came the noncommittal reply.

"I'll bet. Now me, I'll stick with these delicious eggs and crispy bacon, rounded off by a cold glass of citrusy goodness." He reached for his fork, yelping as it was snatched away from him. "Hey!"

Wil used the fork to spear some of the eggs, easily evading Alex's hovering hands that he used in a vain attempt to protect his breakfast. He popped them into his mouth. "Mmm. These're good."

"Gimme my fork back, you egg-stealing...vampire guy!"

"Aw, don't be like that, pet." Wil grinned. "Didn't anyone ever teach you to share?" He leaned over for another forkful of eggs, pausing a moment before dunking them into his mug of blood.

"Eew!" Alex watched disgustedly as Wil slurped the dripping eggs into his mouth. "That is about the grossest thing I've ever seen!"

Wil swallowed his mouthful, licking his lips. "Don't knock it 'til you tried it." He snagged another bit of egg, letting the fork hover over his mug. "You should, you know."

"What, try *that*? Are you nuts!?" He shook his head violently. "Huh-uh. No *way*."

"S'only fair, mate. Make you a deal. You want me participate in your little experiments, you gotta taste this." He dipped the fork, then held the blood-coated morsel out toward Alex.

Alex gulped as he stared in mild horror at the fork. "I--"

"Ah! Gotta try it."

Alex wavered, then looked into bright blue eyes that were sparkling with amusement and...challenge? He narrowed his own eyes, then leaned forward and scraped the food off of the fork. Sitting back, he hastily chewed, stomach quailing slightly at the heavy metallic tang.

"So?"

Swallowing, Alex ran his tongue around the inside of his mouth. "Kind of salty. Actually, the taste seems sort of...familiar. Which is *not* a thing I want to examine right now."

Wil shrugged. "Makes sense if you think about it, though."

Alex arched an eyebrow before getting up to get himself another fork. Back at the table, he started shoveling his breakfast down. Mouth full, he mumbled, "Wha' y'mean?"

Fidgeting, Wil looked around the room, taking occasional sips from his mug. Then he sighed. "Well, you know. If we're...together. I mean, we probably snogged some, and I bet sometimes I'd just...eaten. So the taste wouldn't seem so strange."

"Snogged?"

The blonde drained his glass, moving away from the table to place it in the sink. "Yeah. You know? Swapped spit? Made out? Kissed?"

Alex nearly choked on his food and stopped chewing, blush rising to his cheeks once more. Coughing, he reached for his glass, chugging down about half of the drink. Then he wiped his mouth, obviously struggling for a casual attitude. "Um, yeah. That's...that's probably it." //Not thinking about kissing him, *not* thinking about kissing him.//

Wil sniffed the air delicately, once more detecting that tantalizing aroma. //God, what *is* that.// He shook his head, ignoring the shuddery feeling in his belly. A loud clatter caught his attention, and he turned to see Alex dumping his dishes into the sink. "Experiment time now, I s'pose?"

Wiping his hands on the cloth by the sink, Alex nodded. "Yeah. From what I can vaguely remember -- in a fuzzy, amnesiac sort of way -- vampires can be hurt by sunlight, garlic, crosses, holy water, and wood. We should probably test the sunlight thing first. No use keeping this place in the dark if we don't have to."

Wil blinked. "You...you mean you want me to stay here?"

"Um, duh? Where else are you gonna go? It's not like you know where you live, and apparently, you're my...significant other, so I'm not gonna toss you out. Of course you're staying here!"

The blonde smiled timidly. "Ok." He went to stand by the curtain in the living room, making sure to stay well away from the sliver of sunlight peeking through. "Well, let's do this then."

"Right." Alex stood next to him, watching as Wil extended a hand until the beam of light hit it. It immediately began to sizzle and smoke, and Wil pulled back with a sharp yelp.

"Ow! Bugger it all!" Pouting as he examined his slightly blistered hand, he used the other hand to whap Alex upside his head.

"Ouch! Hey, what'd you do that for?" Alex rubbed his head, glaring at the blonde, who returned his look unwaveringly.

"It bloody well hurt, you git! And this was your idea."

"Well, would you have rather figured it out when you walked out for a breath of fresh air this afternoon?" He softened as he noticed how Wil was cradling his hand to his chest. "Is...Is it really that bad? Lemme see it." He took Wil's hand, turning it over and brushing his fingers across the pale skin.

Wil's eyes widened as he sucked in a breath, shivering at the whispery touches of warm flesh gliding over his. "I-I'm ok."

"You sure?" Alex reluctantly released the abnormally cool hand. He stepped back a pace, reaching up comb his fingers through his hair.

"Yeah. No problem. Just...let's not do that bit again, ok?"

"Right. No more sunlight. Sunlight bad."

"Look, not to ruin your fun or anything, but can we skip the rest, too?"

Alex snickered. "What, I can't try staking you?"

Wil's eyes dilated, unconsciously drifting down to the other man's crotch before he pulled them away.

Alex winced, biting his lip. "Fuck. I did it again, didn't I? Sorry. I...I don't *mean* to keep saying stuff like that, it just sort of pops out." He closed his eyes, groaning. Gritting his teeth, he forced himself to continue. "Look, forget I said any of that, all right? And we'll forgo any more potentially painful tests and just assume that all that stuff will hurt you."

"Sounds good."

They stood awkwardly, neither one sure what to do next.

Then Wil rolled his eyes. "Oh, sod this. You wanna watch the telly?"

Relieved, Alex agreed. "Sure. But I get the remote."

Wil snatched it before Alex had a chance to, flipping on the TV and surfing through the stations.

"Hey! I called it first! And it's my apartment!"

"Yeah, well I'm the guest, so I get visitor's privileges." He clutched the remote to his chest, sticking his tongue out at the human.

"Ha! You're not a guest, you're my boyfriend, so hand it over!"

They both realized what he'd said, and stopped arguing, staring deep into each other's eyes.

"We can share," Wil offered softly.

Alex grinned shyly. "Ok."

*****