Waffle House Part 2

Xander woke the next morning to the familiar smell of coffee. Disoriented at first, he reached over to the nightstand for the steaming mug he was sure to find there…only to realize that he had no nightstand. No, he wasn’t in Spike’s bedroom. Where was that divine smell coming from?

He stumbled out into the main room, peering at the kitchen. There, on the counter, was his electric coffee maker, filled with freshly brewed coffee. He hadn’t set it the night before, had he? It didn’t matter, since the coffee was there, it was hot, and he wanted some.

Three cups later, Xander was feeling more human. His body started to wake up, telling him in great detail what it thought of the work he’d done yesterday. Ignoring the aches and pains, Xander pulled on some work clothes and went downstairs to get back to the job, carrying a couple of bananas for breakfast.

Xander couldn’t help but laugh at some of what he found in the yard. In addition to a lot of yard furniture and the like, he gathered up and threw away several articles of clothing, some of it quite intimate, a large number of Dixie cups, at least a dozen small American flags, and a mail box. He piled the garbage up where the service would pick it up, when they began to run again.

He worked like that all day, mucking out the gardens and surveying the damage. If he could get mature plants from one of the local nurseries, the place would be ok for the party. He’d have preferred to grow them himself, but it wasn’t going to happen.

Xander was just stepping out of the bathroom after a nice, hot shower, when he saw Spike lounging on his beaten-up couch. “Um, hi.”

Spike nodded. “You eaten?”

“Not yet,” Xander replied, toweling off his hair. Spike got up and went into the kitchen.

“Didn’t think so,” He muttered under his breath. Curious, Xander followed him in.

The vampire was heating up something dished out of paper containers. Xander sniffed, identifying the food as Chinese take-out. “Where’d you get that?”

Spike smirked. “Strange place called a restaurant. You give them money, they give you food. Novel concept, that.”

“Smart ass,” Xander shot back, digging plates out of a cupboard. Soon they were engaged in eating dinner, all conversation ceasing for the more important activity.

“Doing ok?” Spike asked after they were done.

Xander shrugged. “Tired, that’s all. It’s a lot of work.”

“You should sleep, then,” Spike said quietly, getting up to leave. Xander was surprised to see the vampire walk out the door, shutting it behind him. He’d expected Spike to stay and try to coerce him into bed. Then again, it wouldn’t have been much fun for the vampire; Xander really was exhausted.

•••

Through a lot of hard work, begging and threatening, Xander had Spike’s property ready for the upcoming garden party. Until just yesterday, when the last of the replacement orchids had arrived, he wasn’t sure he could pull it off. But standing in the middle of the garden, Xander felt a rush of satisfaction wash over him. The place looked perfect.

Now if only he could convince Spike that he didn’t need to attend. The vampire had been very considerate of Xander while he’d been working so hard. After only a couple of days, Xander had figured out that it was Spike making him coffee in the mornings and keeping his refrigerator stocked with food. The good deeds contradicted Xander’s notions about Spike, but he kept those thoughts to himself.

Spike had, at one point, taken the high road concerning Xander’s state of physical exhaustion. It took perhaps three days for him to get impatient and show up just as Xander was getting into bed. The boy thought about complaining, but couldn’t think of a very good reason to do so.

Despite the view of vampires as insanely selfish creatures, Spike was a considerate lover. Xander had to give him credit for that, at least. The vampire hadn’t once hurt him, although he did love to torture Xander by making him wait. He never would have pegged Spike as the type for delayed-gratification.

“Looks good, pet,” Spike said from the shadows.

“Thanks. All ready for your party,” Xander replied. “Speaking of which…”

Spike smiled. “You have to go.”

Xander frowned. “I don’t recall that being part of my job description. Gardener, yes. Doorman, no. Astor could get away with that. You can’t.”

“Who said anything about doorman?” Spike replied.

“Oh? Then what am I supposed to go as?” Xander returned.

Spike grinned. “I’ll think of something.”

“I should be afraid,” Xander muttered.

“Probably,” Spike said, reaching out to snag Xander’s arm. He pulled the boy back into the house, out of the dying sunlight. “But don’t think about that now.”

Xander let Spike lead him upstairs, into the vampire’s lushly furnished suite. Spike seemed to love seeing Xander sprawled out on his midnight dark sheets; every time they were in the bedroom he stripped the boy naked and threw him on the bed. Then, Spike would just stare for a minute or two. At first, it made Xander uncomfortable. Now, though, he was used to it.

This time, Spike crawled onto the bed, leaning back against the headboard. He pushed a pillow behind his back and got comfortable. After he was settled, he patted one thigh and shot Xander a knowing glance. “Come here, Xander.”

Xander considered refusing. After all, he wasn’t a slave, or some sort of bed toy, no matter what Spike thought. “Why should I?”

Spike thought for a moment. “Because you’ll like it?”

“Maybe not,” Xander replied. Spike growled and reached forward, grabbing Xander and pulling him into his lap. “Or maybe yes.”

“Much better,” Spike growled. He softened his grip, caressing instead of bruising. Xander pulled away slightly to look at the vampire’s face.

“What is it you want to do tonight?” He asked, getting straight to the point. If Spike wanted sex, he was going to get it.

Spike grimaced fleetingly, and then resumed his normal, half-bored expression. Reaching over to the night stand, he picked up the lube. “Ride me.”

Xander nodded and straddled the vampire’s lap. Spike reached for Xander’s hand, applying lube to it. “What?”

“Prepare yourself for me,” Spike replied, smirking. Xander looked at his hand for a moment, and then complied. Once he had gotten two fingers worked up inside himself, Spike stopped him. He pulled Xander’s hand away and levered him into position.

Xander hissed as Spike entered him. He could have used more preparation than that, so it stung a little. Spike settled him all the way down onto his lap, resting his hands gently on Xander’s hips. “Move,” he hissed.

Starting slowly, Xander lifted himself, and then moved back down. Spike guided his motions by keeping hold of his hips, preventing Xander from moving very quickly. Xander moved his hands to the headboard, using it for leverage.

“Let go, Spike,” Xander panted, trying to move a little faster. Spike just held him harder and kept the pace steady. The vampire’s face was set in stony, almost grim lines and Xander couldn’t tell if this was pleasuring him or not. “Spike?”

Spike didn’t respond. He kept Xander moving just as he was. He, too, wanted to move more quickly, to race toward climax in a headlong rush. But that wasn’t what he really had in mind for the evening. To that end, he made sure Xander didn’t up the pace one notch.

Xander moaned as Spike’s cock brushed against his prostate again. He reached down to jerk himself off, only to find Spike holding his hand away from his cock, placing it back on the headboard. He would have protested, but the look on Spike’s face shut him up.

Spike watched carefully as Xander’s control began to crumble a little. The boy probably didn’t even realize he was beginning to shake inside, his muscles quivering around Spike’s erection. Once Xander was steadied again, Spike shifted down just a little bit, making Xander lean further over him. At this new angle, Xander couldn’t easily get up or move around, other than how Spike wanted him to. Too much of his weight was on the headboard.

Xander heard himself gasping for air. Damn it, he was supposed to keep some semblance of control in bed! After a couple more minutes of Spike brushing that sweet spot deep inside, he felt orgasm begin to stir at the base of his spine.

Spike felt it too, and reached over to clamp his fist around the base of Xander’s cock. Xander squealed, both angry and disappointed. “Spike!” He whined plaintively.

Spike leaned over just enough to brush his mouth against Xander’s ear. At the same time, he let Xander’s hip go, letting the boy set the pace. As he’d expected, Xander began a furious, driving rhythm.

“You’ll go to the party, Xander,” Spike whispered. Xander jerked his head to the side, not really hearing what Spike said, but orienting on the sound of his voice. Release was so close, but Spike kept him from coming. “You’ll mingle, and talk to people like a good boy,” he continued in a whisper.

Xander pressed down hard, trying to make himself come despite Spike’s hand. In response, the vampire clamped down harder. “Everyone will look at you and want you, want to shag this sweet ass you’ve got,” Spike hissed into Xander’s ear. “But they can’t, because you’re mine.”

Xander whined, a high-pitched noise that should have hurt Spike’s ears. It didn’t, though. Instead, Spike arched off the mattress, meeting Xander’s down stroke. He let go of Xander’s cock, feeling the ripples begin as Xander climaxed. “Mine, mine,” Spike chanted into Xander’s ear as he joined the boy in ecstasy.

•••

Xander woke the next morning alone. Spike was nowhere to be seen, although the customary mug of freshly brewed coffee was on the night stand as usual. When he finally forced himself out of bed, Xander found clean clothes laid out for him. He showered first, then dressed and ventured downstairs. The staff was cleaning furiously, and the newly hired kitchen staff was busy polishing silver and creating various party food masterpieces.

Xander, without any real job to do concerning said party, left the house for his own apartment. He noted how the staff had begun setting up tables and chairs according to his previous instructions. It was only those detailed directives that kept him from nosing about in the preparations—he didn’t want anything to do with the party, but he also didn’t want to see all his work get ruined.

Inside his apartment, he found waiting for him a garment bag. Inside the bag was a set of clothes, obviously new and expensive. He knew instinctively that it was from Spike. The vampire was insistent that he attend the party that evening. Looking down at the clothes, the best thing he could come up with was that he was grateful he didn’t have to wear a tux. Hanging up the clothes, Xander decided to spend the day out on the town. There was no reason for him to hang around the house, since he didn’t have anything to do.

It was absurd, but Xander found himself sneaking off the property, trying to make sure Spike didn’t see him leave. Once he noticed what he was doing, Xander straightened out and fairly marched away from the house toward his car. There was no reason for him to be afraid of leaving without telling Spike first.

Xander spent the day wandering around downtown, drinking espresso and ducking into neat little shops. He picked up a couple of books (comic book artwork) and a new aloha shirt (hibiscus and monkeys). Finally, though, he realized that it was time to go back and get ready for the damned party.

He waited until he heard people mingling in the garden below before descending the stairs and exiting his apartment. From the looks of things, about a third of the invited guests had shown up already. The event was sure to be a success.

Xander skirted the edges of the crowd until one of Lavinia’s ‘bluehairs’ saw him. She shrieked a greeting and he found himself drug into conversation about the garden. That discussion, and the tangents that flowed from it, distracted Xander for almost an hour. By that time, most of the rest of the guests had arrived. It was then that Xander noticed that the partygoers were of a different makeup than the ones at Lavinia’s affair. Oh, the same matrons and socialites were there, of course. But there were also lots of younger folk hobnobbing with the elderly people. A couple of the bolder ones approached Xander.

“Hi there. I don’t recall meeting you at one of these little soirees before,” A tall, dark-haired man said. Xander blushed. He wasn’t used to being flirted with.

“Um, this is the second one I’ve been to,” He replied.

“I see,” The man said, chuckling. “So, what brings you to Charleston? I know you’re not from around here.”

“Gardening,” Xander said.

The man looked surprised. “Gardening?”

Xander waved his arm around. “Yeah, you know, the garden? You should have seen this place a week ago. The hurricane really did a number on it.”

Realization struck his conversation partner. “You’re the gardener! Oh, how pleasant. Do you hire out?”

Xander shook his head. “You’d have to ask Spike, I work for him.”

The man fluttered his hand. “Oh, I’m sure Spike wouldn’t care, not one whit.”

“Actually, he would,” Spike said from behind the man. While the guy sputtered, Spike walked over to join Xander. “He’s mine, and I don’t share, Tom.”

Tom blanched and stepped backward. “Oh.” A moment later, he was gone, making a beeline for the other side of the garden.

“Why’d you do that for?” Xander asked angrily. “I was talking to him.”

“Yeah, and he was propositioning you,” Spike shot back, looking equally furious.

“As if. You’re paranoid.” Xander taunted.

Spike pulled Xander to him. To anyone else, it looked like they were in close conversation. To Xander, it felt like they were back in Spike’s bedroom, about to tumble between the sheets. “You’re mine.”

“Yours,” Xander echoed dazedly.

Spike let him go then, watching like a hawk as Xander drifted around the party, making light conversation here and there. The boy didn’t notice all the stares he got, or the sheer number of offers that came his way. Spike did, though. He also noticed how Xander managed to not take anyone up on those offers. It pleased him to no end; his training was going nicely.

Daylight was breaking when Spike carried Xander up the stairs. He undressed the boy carefully, making sure not to wake him. Once they were unclothed, he curled them up together under the covers, soaking up the warmth that radiated from Xander’s body.

•••

When Xander woke up the next morning, he automatically reached for the cup of coffee he knew would be waiting for him. The heady stuff perked him right up and just a few minutes later he was conscious enough to notice that Spike wasn’t around. Both the coffee and Spike’s morning absences were becoming regular parts of Xander’s morning rituals. He’d figured out that the vampire made him the coffee, but still wondered why he disappeared before Xander woke up.

Xander finished off his coffee while he thought about the night before. The party hadn’t been bad, he guessed, although these society get-togethers really weren’t what he was used to. The only thing that niggled in his mind was Spike’s behavior. The vampire had been moody all night, following Xander around and glaring at everyone. If Xander didn’t know better, he would have said Spike was jealous.

He was certainly possessive. Xander couldn’t talk to people without Spike either knowing about it or being there. Gods forbid Xander go anywhere with someone. Spike would be right there, nosing out what was going on. The way he’d acted at the party fit right in to how he acted in bed—totally in control. Spike was master of his domain, and apparently he thought that those privileges extended to Xander as well.

The idea that Spike was trying to control him irked Xander to no end. He decided that a day away from the house would be in order, since thinking about Spike just made him mad, and he didn’t want to be tempted to stake the jerk the next time he saw him.

The Waffle House was nearly empty when he got there, so he took up an entire booth for himself and ordered a huge breakfast. The waitress was new, so she didn’t try to chat him up as much as the regular one. Xander stared into his coffee for a long time, trying to figure out how he’d gotten himself where he was.

The getting to Charleston part of that equation was easy enough. What Xander couldn’t really explain was why he was still in Charleston, sharing Spike’s bed. It didn’t make any sense to him. For years, he’d hated vampires with all his being, but now he was bedding one that had tried to kill him several times. Of course, he actually liked Spike, found his sense of humor grotesque but funny, and enjoyed spending time with him. It was pretty much a normal relationship once you overlooked the whole undead-master-of-the-city gig Spike had going on.

After breakfast, Xander drove around Charleston, still thinking. The more he considered the situation, the more questions he had. Since he wasn’t paying attention to where he was going, he was only partially surprised to find himself in front of Lavinia’s house a couple of hours later.

“Fleur!” Lavinia cried joyfully. Xander ducked and smiled at the older lady. “What brings you here?”

Xander shuffled his feet. “Um…Wanna have a cup of tea?”

Lavinia raised one eyebrow but didn’t comment. Once the tea was poured, she began her interrogation. “So, why are we having tea this afternoon, Fleur?”

“Can I ask you something?” Xander said cautiously.

“Of course, dear,” Lavinia replied.

“How do you know Spike?” Xander asked her.

“Spike?” Lavinia repeated. “Oh, Daisy killed my first husband.”

“What?!?” Xander squeaked. Spike had killed this lady’s husband, and she liked him?

Lavinia smiled. “And good riddance, too. He was a good-for-nothing layabout. But that was a long time ago, in New York. Probably before you were born.”

“But…you like him, and he…” Xander sputtered.

“One does what one must, Fleur. Besides, I really don’t miss the jackass,” Lavinia said lightly. “But I don’t think that’s why you came here today.”

Xander shook his head. “It’s Spike. He’s going to drive me insane.”

“Do tell, dear,” Lavinia murmured.

Xander told her about Spike, how possessive he was and how annoying he could be. Lavinia listened quietly, not commenting at all.

“It’s nice and all, getting attention, but I feel like a toy or something. It’s like I’m not even alive, like he can just do whatever he wants with me,” Xander finished.

“Hmm…what is it you want from Spike, Fleur?” Lavinia asked.

“Want? Nothing, nothing at all,” Xander replied.

“I see. What does he want from you?”

Xander shrugged. “I don’t know, a warm-blooded bed bunny is my best guess,” Xander said finally.

“You don’t think he cares for you?” Lavinia inquired.

“If he did, why would he treat me like that?” Xander asked.

“What were you expecting, hearts and flowers?” Lavinia shot back. “He’s not human, Xander. Don’t forget that.”

“So vampires get to treat their lovers like property because they’re vampires?” Xander said shortly.

Lavinia shook her head. “No. Think about it, Xander. What would you do if you liked someone and were involved with them and wanted to show your affection? Flowers, dates, dances.” Xander huffed. “Now, imagine that your lover is really sick. Wouldn’t you bring them things, try to make them feel better?”

“Yeah, but what does that have to—“ Lavinia cut Xander off.

“Or what if your lover was in trouble with someone and you had to protect them from getting hurt. Xander, to Spike, what he’s doing is showing affection. You don’t need flowers; you can grow them yourself. You’re healthy, not sick. But to Spike, you’re fragile, easily damaged. So for him, the only real way he’s got is to protect you, and that’s what he’s doing.”

“How, by enslaving me?” Xander cracked.

Lavinia scowled. “You’re not getting this too well. He’s a Master vampire. Even though Charleston’s a peaceful town, things happen. Also, he is one of the most powerful people in the city. What else can he give you that you’d appreciate?”

Xander sank back down into the chair. What was he supposed to say? According to Lavinia, Spike was being nice to him. Okay, hmm.

“That’s just weird,” Xander said. “Mrs. Astor, I’m gonna have to go now. Thanks for the tea.”

Lavinia stood up with him. “Any time, Fleur, and call me Lavinia.”

•••

The sun had almost set by the time Xander got home. He’d had some more time to think about what Lavinia had said. The more he worked over it, the more he saw how what Spike was doing might be considered affection—in a weird, vampire sort of way. Xander liked the idea of Spike liking him; that meant he wasn’t just a toy. But he was definitely going to have to tweak some of Spike’s methods.

When Xander looked out his bedroom window, he saw Spike looking back at him from the house. Spike looked almost forlorn, like Xander was punishing him. While it amused him to no end, Xander decided that he should probably go talk to Spike.

“Have a nice day?” Spike asked casually as Xander walked into the kitchen. Xander nodded and poured himself a glass of water.

“Went to Lavinia’s for tea. She’s a great lady, you know?”

Spike nodded his agreement. “Thanks for going to the party last night. I know you didn’t want to.”

Xander looked at Spike in surprise. He hadn’t been expecting gratitude, or even acknowledgment. “Not a problem. You’re not planning on throwing very many of those things, are you?”

Spike grinned. “Nah, they’re too much trouble.” He walked around the kitchen, circling Xander. When the boy would have stepped aside, Spike caught him by the arms. “No running away now, Xander.”

Xander snorted. “Right. What makes you think I’m running away? Maybe I’m plotting to throw you over my shoulder and ravish you.” That made Spike laugh.

“You wouldn’t. You don’t have it in you,” The vampire taunted.

Xander quirked an eyebrow. Didn’t have it in him? That sounded like a challenge. Twisting his arms out of Spike’s hands, he bent down and hefted the vampire over his shoulder, ignoring Spike’s indignant cursing.

Carrying Spike up the stairs was a chore. The vampire wasn’t as light as he looked. “You need to lay off the blood, Spike.”

“Sod off!” Spike swore. Xander just grinned. He knew that Spike could get away at any time, so the vampire’s protestations meant little. When they got to the bedroom, Xander dropped Spike onto the bed, ordering him to strip. Spike began to protest, but when Xander pulled off his own shirt, Spike decided to follow along, doing what Xander asked.

Xander might have been mistaken, but he could have sworn he saw worry in Spike’s light blue eyes. Brushing aside the suspicion as an overactive imagination, Xander joined him on the bed. Spike immediately rolled Xander beneath him, rubbing against him suggestively.

Xander smiled at Spike, nipping at the vampire’s sensitive neck. Spike could be a lot of fun like this, when the day hadn’t driven him into frustration by business dealings and the like. Xander reveled in the few moments when Spike seemed almost normal.

That was when Spike let go of a little of the iron control he kept in the bedroom. Most of the time, Spike led and Xander followed. What they did varied, but who was in charge did not. Some times, though, when Spike first woke up, Xander could sneak in a kiss or two, a touch here and there, which Spike hadn’t planned on. Then the vampire would wear him out and disappear before morning.

Right now, Spike seemed unusually indulgent. Xander took advantage of the situation, rolling Spike over until he was on top. After a moment, Spike relaxed into the new position. Xander grinned reassuringly at the vampire.

Then he began to lick his way down Spike’s body. The pale skin was nearly hairless and incredibly smooth. It held a faint coppery taste that Xander wasn’t really surprised to find. After all, most of Spike’s sustenance was blood. It was an intriguing contrast to what Xander was used to, namely human skin.

Spike didn’t seem to be in any hurry to take control back from Xander, so he continued his leisurely path down Spike’s body. An appreciative moan greeted him when he bit lightly into the sculpted muscles of Spike’s abdomen. Before going lower, Xander urged the vampire to shift his legs. Spike resisted for a second, and then complied.

Satisfied with how exposed Spike’s body was, Xander bent down to trace the vein on the underside of Spike’s cock with his tongue. Spike hissed and bucked, obviously not minding the sensation. Xander grinned and repeated the action until Spike was panting breathlessly.

He then turned his attention to the soft skin of Spike’s thighs, sucking here and there to leave quickly fading marks. The vampire writhed underneath Xander’s ministrations. Once or twice, Xander felt Spike’s hands on his shoulders, as though to stop him. But Spike never did, always drawing back.

Once he’d gotten up the nerve, Xander lowered his head, running his tongue over Spike’s testicles and back to his perineum. Spike inhaled sharply, trying not to arch too harshly into Xander. His reaction to that was nothing compared to what he did when Xander ran his tongue across his puckered hole.

Xander grinned when he heard Spike’s undignified squeak. Well, he certainly hadn’t been expecting that! Xander tongued and sucked more quickly, ignoring Spike’s gasped pleading for him to stop. He dimly felt Spike reach for him, but he just shrugged off the searching hands.

Spike closed his eyes, trying to block out some of the exquisite sensations he was suffering. He hadn’t expected Xander to pick up on that technique quite so quickly, but he was certainly rather good at it now. Unfortunately, the position they were in made Spike feel very exposed and insecure. He tried to stop the boy, but Xander ignored him, brushing off his hands with no real effort. A particularly hard jab made him shudder violently. As he was coming down from it, Xander pushed one finger into his now moist and loosened hole. Spike was about to protest that when Xander expertly crooked his finger and pressed on his prostate.

Xander nearly crowed in triumph when Spike arched off the bed, howling. That was worth doing again, so he did, relishing how easy it was to make Spike writhe. He’d never been able to make Spike react like that before.

Spike finally managed to get a hold of Xander and yanked him up over his body. Xander landed with a soft whoosh of air, catching himself with one arm. Spike held onto him with both arms, keeping Xander from moving even a little.

Xander lay very still for a moment, until he felt Spike start to relax. “Problem, Spike?”

Spike growled. Instead of answering, however, Spike rolled them onto their sides. When Xander would have protested, Spike kissed him softly, picking up one of Xander’s arms to drape over his waist.

Xander felt the implicit invitation in the gesture and resumed his petting. Perhaps he’d triggered a bad memory for Spike. Gods know, he had a few of his own. One thing Xander knew for sure, he and Spike wouldn’t be delving into the world of strangulation-as-foreplay anytime soon.

Spike arched into each caress Xander gave. Now that he didn’t feel so completely out of control, he could fully enjoy what they were doing. Xander obviously wanted a little control and Spike was in the mood to humor him. So, when Xander’s hands drifted back down and resumed stretching him, Spike didn’t object.

Xander latched onto Spike’s mouth, humming contentedly. He loved being able to explore Spike’s body without the vampire interfering, and Spike didn’t seem to feel like stopping him. Xander wrapped one hand around Spike’s cock, stroking him in time to the thrusts of his other hand.

Spike moaned as Xander began to jerk him off, the fingers inside him prodding at his prostate. Xander began to move faster, keeping Spike off balance with his erratic pace.

Xander felt the instant when Spike began to come. His body froze, and then arched back as cold semen shot out over his hand. Xander gently removed both his hands, wiping them on the sheets. Spike collapsed against him, sinking deeper into the mattress.

***


When Xander woke up the next morning, he was surprised to find Spike next to him. The vampire was still sound asleep, laying motionless on his side of the bed. Normally, he was gone by this time, off somewhere in the house, either working or sleeping. Xander never knew which, since Spike seemed to avoid him at that time.

Since Spike was still asleep, no welcoming mug of coffee waited for him on the night stand. It didn’t bother him, since instead he got to wake up Spike. He didn’t want to do that just yet, though. Instead, Xander wanted to spend a few minutes enjoying the memory of the night before.

At first, Spike hadn’t wanted to give up control. It didn’t take long, though, for him to sit back and enjoy not being in charge for once. There had been a couple of moments where Xander had been afraid that Spike would stop him; the vampire had seemed uncomfortable, even downright scared. Still, with just a few adjustments, Spike had let him do what he wanted.

Of course, what had come after that had been equally thrilling. Spike had immediately retaken control of their coupling, driving Xander into the mattress with ferocious intensity. By the time the blonde was done with him, Xander was a quivering mess lying bonelessly on the bed. All control issues aside, Spike knew what he was doing, and Xander had no major issues with being the focus of that expertise.

Even now, though, the question of why Spike had given up control nagged Xander. It wasn’t in the vampire’s nature, unless he was playing with Xander’s head, and he just didn’t see Spike going that far just to mess with his bed toy. Morning before coffee wasn’t the best time for these types of mental conversations, so Xander pulled himself out of bed and went downstairs to find something to drink. Once he got the coffee brewing, Xander began to poke around the kitchen. Since he’d been spending more time in the main house, Spike had begun to stock a broader variety of human foods, expanding beyond the usual junk food he kept around.

Considering that, it came as no surprise to Xander when he found a huge chocolate cake in the ice box, just waiting for him to demolish it. Chocolate went so well with coffee, too. Xander gleefully sat down with a generous helping of each, working his way through both together.

Once he was done, Xander washed up the dishes. Before going upstairs, he thought about maybe taking something up to Spike. The vampire probably would appreciate a meal…blood in all likelihood. Suppressing the slightly nauseous feeling he got around the stuff, Xander heated up a big mug of blood and took it upstairs. He didn’t know what kind it was, and he didn’t want to. Blood was blood.

Spike was awake when Xander returned. Actually, he’d woken up as the boy had gotten out of bed, but he hadn’t wanted to get up just yet. Having Xander bring him his breakfast was an added bonus to laying about for once. He smiled as Xander handed him the warm blood, noting that it was actually quite close to the temperature he usually heated the stuff to. While he sipped the beverage, he wondered if Xander knew it was human blood. Probably not, since he’d actually brought it upstairs.

“Sleep well?” Xander asked Spike.

“Mmm…yes, thank you. And you?” Spike returned.

“Not bad at all. What’s on your agenda for the day?”

Spike grimaced. “Business. It never slows down very much around here, you know.”

Xander nodded. “I’ve got some errands to run, so I’d better be going. See you later.”

Spike nodded and watched as Xander found the rest of his clothes and left. He wished that the boy had stayed a little longer, but then again he understood having things to do. Last night was the first time he’d stayed all night with Xander; usually he left after the boy fell asleep to do the sorts of business that weren’t handled in daylight hours.

Stretching, Spike forced himself out of bed. Normally, he’d be sleeping right now, and despite getting a lot of rest last night, he was tired. He was happy he’d stayed though, since it was obvious that Xander had appreciated it.

Xander had also appreciated being in charge for a little while last night. That wasn’t something that Spike minded either…as long as it was only an occasional thing. Lavinia had called Spike as soon as Xander had left her place, fussing and cussing about how he was steamrolling her Fleur. After quite a long conversation about his behavior toward Xander, Spike agreed to let the boy have a little more control, a little more freedom, and to try to make his own techniques a bit more subtle. Once all the chiding had been done, Lavinia expressed great delight that he’d taken to the boy so well. She was the only person in Charleston who knew about their previous acquaintance, so it was nice to have her in the know about the new aspect of their relationship. It also helped that she approved wholeheartedly.

So Spike had let Xander lead in bed, and he was planning to try very hard not to just order him around all the time. It would be difficult, though, because that’s what all of Spike’s instincts told him to do. He had to make sure Xander stayed put, and he couldn’t do that if the boy was off gallivanting around Charleston. Apparently, the learning would occur on both sides, not just Xander’s.

•••

While Spike was ruminating over what to do with Xander, the boy in question was acquiring a library card. As he filled out the paperwork, Xander laughed silently. Who would have guessed that one day he’d be standing in a public library, willingly getting a library card and looking forward to using it?

The ladies at the desk were extremely nice, although a bit dull. Finally, he had to go around the divider and type in all his information himself, with them standing nearby watching how he did it. Something about a new system, they’d said. Xander knew better, but said nothing. If they wanted to ogle, fine by him. They definitely didn’t want to tangle with his current significant other, however.

After he’d extricated himself from the librarians with nothing better to do, Xander used a computer to look up garden design books. He had found quite quickly that the design and construction of gardens interested him much more than the day-to-day upkeep of them. To that end, he wanted to read up on design stuff, since he was pretty much flying by the seat of his pants where his work was concerned.

A few hours later, Xander sat back, dazed. He had no idea so much effort could be put into designing a yard. Fortunately, he hadn’t found too many big mistakes he’d made yet, and he got the impression that a lot of it was still a matter of personal taste, regardless of what the books said. However, they did have some great information on plant compatibilities and explained just why his hydrangeas weren’t ever going to turn out the color he wanted, regardless of how much acidic plant food he used.

All his reading had spawned an idea in Xander’s head. Despite all of Lavinia’s misgivings about professional landscapers, the business had merit, especially in Charleston. One of the things he had found out during the course of his work was that there weren’t many businesses specializing in what Lavinia, Spike, and others wanted. Oh, they could do the work if asked to, but they also spent a lot of time and energy making ends meet by doing little things here and there, getting big public contracts to renovate parks, and refurbish the local college campuses. No one, however, was exclusively dedicated to gardens and yards.

Xander saw an opportunity to fill a niche. With a bit more reading and training, he would be at least knowledgeable, if not absolutely expert, on all the major topics he’d need for his business. With that out of the way, the major hurdle would be financial; how would he afford it? He’d need equipment, a location to house it that could also house plants, and people to help do the work. It was all well and good for Xander to work alone on one garden at a time—and he would prefer to keep that method. But doing virtually everything by himself took way too long. It would limit him to one or two gardens a season, which wouldn’t make ends meet.

As he was driving back to Spike’s, books piled in the passenger seat, he decided that the vampire was the person to ask about starting a business. After all, Spike had the Waffle House, book stores, and god knew what else, and they all seemed to be doing quite well.

When he got home, Xander found Spike standing in the kitchen, half naked, stirring a pot on the stove.

“What’s that?” He asked, peering down into the stuff.

Spike grinned. “Chocolate ‘n blood.”

Xander grimaced. “Ok, um…I’m gonna have a glass of water now. Way over here on the other side of the room.”

Spike laughed at him. “So, pet, how’s your day?”

“Fine. Went to the library, did some reading,” Xander answered. He poured a glass of water and hopped up on the counter, watching Spike decant his blood and take a sip. “How’s the disgusting ruination of chocolate you’ve got there?”

“Excellent. You should try it sometime,” Spike responded.

“I’ve got a question, Spike,” Xander said.

“Yeah?” Spike replied, quirking an eyebrow.

“How hard is it to start a business?”

Spike looked surprised. “Depends, I guess. Do you mean start from scratch, take over an existing business, or buy into one?”

“Oh…hmm…” Xander hummed. He hadn’t thought about it that way. He’d just figured he’d have to start from the bottom and work up. “I dunno, really. I just had this stupid idea, never mind.”

Spike set his glass down and walked over to where Xander sat. “What idea?”

Xander looked away; suddenly embarrassed he’d brought it up. “Nothing.”

“Xander,” Spike said in a warning tone. “What idea?”

“Gardening,” Xander said softly. There, now Spike could laugh at him.

Spike thought for a moment. “General landscaping, or the specialty stuff you’re doing here and at Lavinia’s?”

Xander glanced down at the vampire. “The specialty stuff, I guess. There doesn’t seem to be anyone in Charleston that does a very good job of it, not that I do much better.”

“You do fine, Xander,” Spike said absently, his mind already racing. Business really was his forte, and a new project was a new project, regardless of what kind of business it actually was. Also, having something like this would give Xander the freedom he seemed to crave. That might keep him from chafing at Spike’s possessiveness. “You’d probably do best to take over one that’s going out, just for the equipment and space.”

“Huh?” Xander murmured, still waiting for Spike’s mocking laughter.

“You’d want to buy out some company here in town, one that’s going out of business or something. That way you’d get a better deal on equipment and maybe a break on the lease,” Spike explained.

“Oh. It doesn’t matter, though, because I don’t have any money for it,” Xander said. “And who’s going to give me a loan? There’s not a bank in the world that crazy.”

Spike just looked steadily at him. “Money’s not an issue, Xander.”

Xander’s eyes widened. “I’m not taking money from you, Spike. No way. That’s…”

“A loan, Xander. You’d be paying me back, at current interest rates. I do that sometimes, you know. Loan money to people on the side, that is. I know you’re good for it, so it’s worth the risk,” Spike said, careful not to tread on the boy’s sensitive pride.

“I see,” Xander replied. Well, that wasn’t what he’d expected, not at all. Still, there was a lot to think about. “Um…thanks for the info. It’s gonna help a lot.”

Spike backed off, seeing that Xander was through with the subject for the time being. He really did think that Xander could do what he wanted to, if he could get over the wide streak of low self-esteem he had running down his back.

“Did you eat?” Spike asked lightly, changing the subject. Xander shook his head.

“I forgot to,” He replied.

Spike grinned. “Come on, we’ll go out.”

Xander jumped off the counter. “You are getting dressed first, right?”

Spike snorted. “I suppose so.”

“Where are we going, anyway?” Xander asked, following Spike upstairs.

“Where do you think, whelp?” Spike said, rolling his eyes.

“Waffle House? Not again!” Xander said, his frown grossly exaggerated.

“Oh, shut up. You love it,” Spike muttered, pulling on a shirt.

“Can I drive?” Xander pleaded.

Spike’s eyes widened. “No, you cannot drive. You never get to drive. That is not negotiable.”

“But—“

“No.”

“Fine. Pushy bastard.”

“Whiny, puling baby.”

“Feeling the love here, Spike.”

“Come on, you stupid git.”

•••

“Christ, you reek.”

Xander looked over at Spike, who was leaning against the stove, his nose wrinkled. Thank you, Spike. Without your insightful commentary, I never would have noticed that I spent the last five hours spreading fertilizer.”

Spike smirked and handed Xander a glass of water. “Go take a shower—down here, though. I don’t want that stuff tracked all over the house.”

Xander flipped Spike off as he walked back to the bathroom attached to the kitchen. He understood the vampire’s motives; after all, who would want a smelly creature like Xander dragging himself through their pristine home? It was going to take a long time to get himself clean enough to suit Spike, however.

Not that it bothered Xander at all to be this filthy. It was just another sign of his success. After a few weeks of thinking, reading and talking to Spike, he’d decided to take the vampire up on his offer of a loan. Not long after that, the pair had found an older man selling off his landscaping business so he could retire. Xander scooped it up at a real bargain, gaining not only equipment but an ideal location.

Now, more than a year later, and thanks to Lavinia’s connections, Xander was doing quite well. His customer waiting list was more than a year long and growing quickly. Due to the people he knew, and their tight-knit community, he had saved a fortune on advertising. Not once had he put out a flyer, bought radio time, or gone door-to-door hawking his services. Nope—Lavinia, Spike and all their buddies had taken care of that.

Lavinia even continued to use him for her yard, although she’d replaced him with another fresh-faced young lawn boy before very long. Xander still managed the general upkeep, reminding her of when to replace this or that. Of course, he took care of Spike’s place at no charge. It was in exchange for his room and board, even though he lived in the main house all the time now, leaving the servants’ quarters empty.

Half an hour into his shower, Xander felt a brief draft that signaled that the door had been opened. He smiled as he saw Spike step into the shower, blocking the water briefly. “I guess I smell ok now, huh?”

Spike grinned. “Better, but you could use some help.” The vampire pushed Xander back up against the far wall of the shower, pinning him there.

“Um, how is this helping?” Xander murmured, distracted as always by a pair of slender hands groping here and there.

He got no answer other than a long, slow kiss. After enjoying that treat for a few minutes, Xander pushed on Spike’s shoulders, trying to turn him around. The vampire growled for a second before complying. He’d gotten much better about sharing control, but that didn’t mean he didn’t protest it when Xander took charge.

Xander grinned at Spike’s automatic reaction. Sometimes he was so predictable. Like, now, for instance. Xander knew exactly what Spike would sound like the second he swallowed him whole. In an effort to prove his point, Xander dropped down to the floor of the shower, licking his way down Spike’s abdomen. He was treated to a low growl as he took the blonde’s cock into his mouth, sucking gently.

Spike rested his hands on Xander’s head, slowly fucking the boy’s mouth. Between the wet heat on his cock and the hot water raining down on him, he was in heaven. If this was what Xander wanted to do, fine by him. Most of those thought fled quickly, however, because Xander knew what he was doing.

Xander focused on Spike, listening to the howls and moans avidly. He ran his tongue over the head of Spike’s cock, pressing the tip closed against the roof of his mouth. He let go, only to repeat the action. Then he closed his lips around the head, squeezing, before drawing the rest in deep and swallowing.

After a few more minutes, Xander felt Spike tug him up, so he stood, finding himself pushed back into the wall and kissed as a result. Spike pushed him until he was hard up against the tile, pressing their bodies together. Xander felt the fine tremors in Spike’s body and could see how Spike’s eyes flashed from blue to yellow and back again.

Xander arched forward, reveling in the drag and slide of their bodies against each other. Spike, too, hissed as he thrust toward Xander. He found Xander’s mouth and suckled on his lower lip while they slid and fumbled toward orgasm.

“I need a shower,” Xander mumbled several minutes later, feeling semen dripping down his stomach. Spike looked down, and then grinned.

“Yeah, you stink to high hell of sex,” He replied shaking his head. “But don’t take as long this time. You promised we were going out.”

Xander managed to hit Spike with his towel just as the vampire walked out of the bathroom.

•••

“I’m driving.”

Spike shook his head. “No. We’ve been over this before, Xander. I drive.”

Xander grinned. “I’m driving, and we’re taking the Aston Martin.”

“Fuck no! You’re not getting near my baby!” Spike exclaimed, staring in shock at Xander.

“Spike, it’s daylight out, and it will be for another two hours. And besides, like I told you, this is a nice event. The Subaru and my shitbox aren’t going to cut it,” Xander reasoned.

“Then we won’t go,” Spike decided.

“The hell we won’t!” Xander shot back, a bit frustrated at Spike’s stubbornness. “Spike, I’m not going to hurt your precious car. You promised to come with me, remember?”

Yeah, he’d promised…without knowing where they would be going. “But…”

“Spike, let me drive,” Xander ground out. Honestly, some people…

Spike wilted. He was going to regret this, but… “Get some blankets, would you? I can’t fit in the trunk.”

Xander waited until he’d turned around before grinning. It had only taken a year to get Spike to let him drive the little sports car. This was going to be so much fun!

Spike lay silent under a mountain of blankets and covers as Xander drove them up the coast. The boy was considerate enough to have thought of giving Spike a set of headphones and a cd player, since Xander himself had the top down and was enjoying the sunset. Spike, completely covered up and strapped down, probably resembled a mound of washing Xander was taking home to his parents. While his lover basked in the dying sunlight, Spike listened to Le Nozze de Figaro. He’d kill the whelp for playing opera later; for now, he’d listen and try to stay awake. He loved the stuff, but it put him to sleep in no time flat.

It was nearly dark when Xander pulled into a rest stop and freed Spike. Before the vampire could start complaining, he thrust a garment bag at him and pointed toward the bathroom. Xander followed with his own bag of clothing.

“Bloody hell, Xander, why do I need this?” Spike shouted. Xander grinned.

“Because it’s a formal occasion, dipshit.”

Once they got back outside, Spike demanded the keys. “You can tell me where to go, Xander. I’m driving.”

Xander shook his head. “Nope, that’s my job for tonight.”

Spike shrugged and reached into his pocket. “Fine.”

Xander watched, mouth open, as Spike slid behind the steering wheel, spare key in hand. “Coming?” Spike sang out.

Xander jumped in before Spike could leave him. “Go left up here.”

•••

Spike watched as Xander mingled with the other guests, weaving in between statuary and live oak trees. The looked at home here, in dark, almost eerie gardens filled with sculpture of all kinds. While he was quite sure Xander was enjoying himself, he wanted to play.

He waited until Xander was off to one side, studying a statue of an antelope of some sort. Then he struck. Before Xander had a chance to protest, Spike had them through a doorway and into a small, walled off garden. No one else was in it, because the lights were off. The only illumination was spillover from the party and the pale glow of the moon.

“Spike!” Xander hissed. “What the hell are you doing?”

Spike grinned wolfishly. “Great party, pet.”

“Yeah, I think so to. In fact, I’ll just be getting right back to it, ok?”

“In a minute, hmm?” Spike busied himself removing Xander’s clothing—not an easy job when the wearer of said clothing was trying to stop him.

“Not here, Spike! They’ll find us and throw us out, and I like it here!” Xander whined.

“They won’t catch us if you be quiet, will they?” Spike answered. Once Xander was mostly naked, he stripped off his own clothing. The air was warm and humid, making their unclothed state more comfortable than the other way around.

Spike slowly kissed Xander, shutting off the boy’s whispered protests. After a minute, Xander relaxed and returned the kiss. Xander ran his hands up Spike’s arms to grasp his neck, pressing on the sensitive vein he found there.

That elicited a low hiss from Spike as he broke off the kiss to suckle at the same spot on Xander’s throat. Once a dark bruise had been raised there, Spike moved down to gently bite each of Xander’s nipples, before dipping his tongue a few times into his navel, grinning at the choked off moan that caused. When Xander’s knees began to wobble, Spike stood back up and pushed Xander toward the sculpture behind him. The shock of cold bronze on his naked skin made Xander jump.

“Gah! Spike…” Xander began. Spike turned Xander around and pushed him forward, until he was straddling the sculpture. Xander absently thought that they probably made quite the pornographic picture standing like they were with a statue between their thighs.

Spike snapped open the lube he’d managed to carry with him from Charleston. Xander jerked when he smoothed the slick stuff against his hole. “Relax, Xander,” Spike hissed into his ear.

Xander tried to relax, although it was a bit difficult when he knew there were a few hundred people just over the wall. Spike slipped one finger inside him, crooking it until he jabbed Xander’s prostate. After a few pushes here and there, Xander was propped forward on the statue, pushing back against Spike’s hand. The vampire only had to remind Xander once to remain quiet; after that the boy managed to muffle his groans.

Still, it was difficult for him to remain silent when Spike pushed into him, thrusting him forward. His cock slid over the still-cold bronze, an odd sensation in combination with being stretched and filled. Xander pushed back, taking more of Spike inside himself. The vampire grasped Xander’s hips and began to thrust hard, making his lover ride the bronze statue just as he was riding the boy.

Xander bit his tongue as each thrust grated his erection on the textured bronze. At the same time, Spike prodded his prostate and thrust savagely, creating twin sensations that were quickly driving him mad. He couldn’t do anything about it, though, because he needed both hands to keep himself somewhat upright. It wasn’t uncommon for Spike to get him into odd situations, but this was a bit more than he’d ever expected.

Spike arched back, staring up at the night sky as he continued to plunge into the hot body under him. The combination of Xander’s tight heat, the unearthly darkness of the garden, and the bright moonlight was intoxicating. It felt like he and Xander were the only people on earth, surrounded by an unreal world of fantasy. The statues glinted dimly in the moonlight, looking like real, if frightening, creatures instead of stationary artwork.

A soft cry from Xander caught his attention once again and Spike moved faster, knowing that the boy was close. And, in fact, just as soon as he started thrusting harder, Xander began to come, his body convulsing against Spike’s. The vampire held on tightly, keeping him from sliding around too much and losing his balance. The cruelly tight grasp of Xander’s body called to him, however, and within seconds he followed, clamping his mouth down on Xander’s shoulder to keep from howling into the night air.

Xander tried to respond verbally when Spike pulled him off the statue and set him down on a nearby bench. The vampire cleaned off the statue with some convenient leaves from a nearby shrubbery. After he’d done that, Spike cleaned up the boy in a similar fashion, and then dressed them both. By the time he’d finished all of that, Xander was pretty much back to his normal self.

“I’m going to kill you for that, Spike,” Xander said as they re entered the party. No one seemed to notice where they’d walked in from, so Xander relaxed a little.

“Why?” Spike asked innocently.

“This is a world-renowned art collection, and you just fucked me against one of the sculptures!” Xander hissed into Spike’s ear.

Spike grinned. So he had, and hadn’t it been fun? “And why is that a bad thing?”

Xander shook his head. “You, Spike, are evil.”

“I believe that’s been well-established, pet,” Spike said, taking two glasses of champagne from a passing waiter.

Xander took one glass and sipped it. “I can’t take you anywhere, can I?”

That comment elicited a truly evil look. “Actually, you can take me anywhere you like. You just never take me up on the offer, luv.”

Xander rolled his eyes. “Yeah, right. Like I’d ever pull that kind of stunt.”

“You know, you can be quite the nag when you want to,” Spike commented.

Xander looked hurt. “Sorry.”

Spike looked back, a soft smile on his face. “Come on, I’m sure Lavinia’s around here somewhere.”

Xander perked up and followed the vampire through the crowd, trusting his superior senses to find the elderly lady amidst a bunch of old people.

“Daisy!”

Yup, he’d found her. Spike smiled at the matron. “Hello, luv. How’s the party?”

Lavinia smiled knowingly. “Not dull, not dull at all. You?”

Xander stepped up next to Spike. “Fascinating, and so many sculptures. I’m glad you told me to drag him up here, Lavinia.”

Lavinia nodded her head. “I knew he’d find something here that would catch his interest. And, if you really find something you’re…taken with, you can commission a reproduction for your own garden.”

Xander blushed, knowing that there was no way Lavinia knew what they’d been doing, but still embarrassed by it. Spike, however, had no such reaction.

“Really? I found this one boar particularly fetching,” Spike said, gesturing toward the darkened garden.

A pig? Spike had fucked him against a pig? Xander scowled at the thought. Why couldn’t it have been anything else?

“Indeed. You should have one made, Spike. I’m sure Xander can find just the place for it,” Lavinia remarked.

“Yeah, like his bedroom,” Xander said sharply.

“Oh, that’s a grand idea,” Spike answered, ignoring the tone of Xander’s voice. “I’d love coming upon that lovely thing every morning.”

Xander rolled his eyes even as Lavinia giggled. “You two! I can’t take you anywhere!”

That comment only got more choked laughter from Spike and a stare from Xander. How did she do that?

Several hours later, Spike poured an exhausted Xander into the car and began to drive them home. The boy had held out well, but after a full day’s work, he’d just run out of gas.

Once he’d gotten Xander tucked safely in bed, Spike stripped off his clothes and joined him. As he lay there falling asleep, Spike wondered how he’d get that pig statue up into the room. It would definitely be worth the look on Xander’s face. The boy would just die.

***


“Hey, Spike?”

Spike looked up from his computer. “Hmm?”

Xander slung one leg over his office chair. “Do you ever think about Sunnydale?”

“What?” Spike asked, leaning forward on the desk. “Sunnydale? As little as I can get away with. Why?”

“Well, I mean, it’s been almost three years since I left and…I wonder about them, you know? Willow, Tara, Dawn, Buffy…”

“Anya?” Spike asked quietly.

Xander shook his head. “Only in that, ‘oh, look, big mistake there’ way.”

“I see. Hmm, I don’t think about them. Sorry,” Spike replied, turning back to his computer.

Xander sighed and returned to his own work. Landscaping had turned into a full-time venture for him and he spent hours each week keeping up with payroll, inventory, taxes and insurance. Spike had shown him the ropes in most areas, but now that Xander had figured out the basics, the vampire left him to learn the finer points on his own.

“Do you think they’re doing ok?” Xander asked a few minutes later.

Spike sighed. He’d been wondering when this day would come, ever since he’d first met up with Xander. The boy had held out a lot longer than he thought he would, though. He opened a desk drawer and drew out a small black book. Picking up one of the cordless phones scattered around the office, he placed both in front of Xander. “Just call them, alright?”

Xander looked down at the book. Spike had kept their phone numbers? Curious, he picked up the book and began to flip through it. As it turned out, it contained only California phone numbers, most of them in Los Angeles. Oddly enough, Buffy’s phone number wasn’t listed. Dawn’s separate line was there, however. Xander didn’t know who to call. After all, they’d obviously moved, since they weren’t in Sunnydale anymore.

“I looked them up, pet,” Spike murmured.

Xander looked at the vampire. “Why?”

Spike looked up but said nothing. He’d started keeping up with them once he’d taken up with Xander. He knew that if something happened to the boy, they should know about it.

Once he realized that Spike wasn’t going to say anything, Xander picked up the phone and dialed Willow’s number. He got up and wandered out of the room, as was his habit when talking on the phone. He just couldn’t keep still, for some reason, when he was conversing over a telephone.

“Hello?”

Xander jumped when he heard Willow’s voice. “Willow?”

There was a brief pause. “Xander?” He heard muffled shoving and whispering. “Xander? Where are you? Are you in trouble? Where have you been?” Willow asked rapid-fire.

Xander grinned. “I’m at home, I’m not in trouble, and I’ve been here for a while.”

He heard a thump as Willow banged the phone against something soft. “That’s not funny, Xander. You’ve been gone for three years, without a word, nothing! We thought you were dead!”

That made Xander feel guilty. “Not dead, Willow, just resting.”

“Hah hah. I mean it, Xander. You’ve got some explaining to do.”

“Um…I had to leave, Willow. Anya and I weren’t anything, Buffy didn’t need me around, and I was dying in Sunnydale,” Xander said.

There was another brief pause. “So you just ran out on us?”

“No, I took a road trip, only this time I didn’t break down in Oxnard,” Xander replied.

“So where are you? My caller ID says you’re blocking it,” Willow asked. Xander could tell she was still pretty pissed.

“Does it matter?” Xander replied.

“Yes, because if you’re close enough, I can come over and beat you about the head and ears for running away!” Willow shouted into the phone. Xander heard someone whispering in the background. He thought it might have been Tara. She hadn’t been listed in the book.

“Who’s that?” Xander asked. “Tara?”

“Nn-o,” Willow replied. “That’s Cordelia.”

“Cordelia?” Xander squeaked. “Ok…I missed some things, sure, but Cordelia?”

“Hey, you walk out, you fall out of the circle, you don’t hear the news, babe. Live with it,” Willow said shortly.

“And you’d better stop making Willow sad, mister, or I’m going to find you and kick your ass,” Cordelia hissed. Xander held the phone away from his ear for a second.

“Cordy? Um, hi. How’s it going?” Xander asked cautiously.

“Fine, until you called. You really upset a lot of people when you left,” She said.

Xander was getting tired of hearing that. “I wasn’t the only one who left that year, you know.”

Silence greeted him. Finally, Cordelia spoke. “No, you’re not. Tara died.”

“Oh, Willow. I’m sorry…” Xander said slowly.

“He didn’t know about that, did he?” Willow said over the phone, but clearly talking to Cordelia.

“I didn’t think so. Did you, Xander?” Cordelia asked.

“Um, no. I meant Spike,” He replied.

“Oh, yeah, Spike did go away. What of it?” Willow said back.

“Nothing, obviously,” Xander said softly.

“Besides, unlike you, we can get an update on Spike through Angel. He keeps up with where his kids are,” Cordelia said. “And the bleached one is off making himself cozy somewhere else.”

“Angel told you where Spike was?” Xander said incredulously.

“Um, no, since Buffy would have wanted to track him down. For some reason, she thinks he’s dead, and Angel figures it’s safer for everyone involved if she keeps thinking that,” Cordelia replied.

“Ah.” So Angel knew where Spike was. That probably meant that Angel knew that Xander was with him…and the vampire had said nothing to his friends. He probably knew how much his disappearance bothered them, but he said nothing. He’d never liked Angel anyway.

Willow rejoined the conversation. “Will you let us come see you?”

Xander thought about it. That seemed like a very, very bad idea. “Um…maybe I can come see you?”

“We’d like that, Xander. I’m sorry I got so mad at you, but…”

“I do understand, Wills. If you’d disappeared, I’d have been the same way. My capacity for idiocy knows no bounds, you know,” Xander said.

“When can you come?” Willow asked hopefully.

Xander sighed. He should probably consult with Spike. The vampire was not going to like this at all. “I don’t know. I’ve actually got a good job that I don’t want to lose,” He said, evading the subject of him being an actual business owner. “But I’ll find the time soon, ok?”

“Alright. Anytime, though. Can I tell the others that you’re ok?” Willow said, disappointment evident in her voice.

“Sure, and I’ll visit very soon, ok?” Xander said before hanging up. How was he going to break this to Spike?

He walked back into the office, where Spike was still bent over his computer. Xander was about to say something when Spike interrupted him. “We can leave next week.”

How had he known? Oh yeah, Xander had been out in the hall for most of the conversation. Spike would have been able to easily eavesdrop. “Is that ok?”

Spike sighed. “Not really, but there’s not much I can do about it now.”

“You don’t have to go, you know,” Xander said, lounging against the doorframe.

Spike got up and stalked over to him, pressing Xander up against the wall. “The hell I don’t. Do you really think I’m going to let you go over there by yourself, when Broodboy knows you’re with me? He won’t let you go, you know. He’ll tie you up and try to make you ‘listen to reason.’ Hells, the only reason he’s not here now trying to drag you away is that Buffy is keeping his bed and his cock nice and warm.”

“Oh. And he’s not…umm, bad?” Xander squeaked.

Spike pressed harder, thrusting his thigh against Xander. “Willow’s a resourceful little witch, and she figured she owed him one when he let Cordelia go so that Red could have her. Angel likes keeping a pretty girl around, but Buffy’ll win out over the cheerleader any time. Now they’re all happy in Lala land.” The vampire scraped his fangs down Xander’s neck, making him shiver. He never actually bit the boy, since Xander was a bit scared of it, but he didn’t seem to mind the threat of those sharp teeth. “And you and me are going to show up and make a right mess of things, aren’t we?”

“Um, yup. It certainly looks that way,” Xander choked out.

Spike abruptly backed away, letting Xander sink to the floor. “And we can see Dawn. From what I’ve heard, she’s turned into a regular little hellraiser!”

“Spike…” Xander moaned.

The vampire turned around. “Yes?”

“Get back over here. Now,” Xander ordered.

Spike decided to humor him. Walking back over to Xander, he knelt by the panting boy. “Yes?”

Xander glared at him. “Do you want to get laid at any point in the next six months or so?” The look on Spike’s face told him the vampire definitely understood. Spike reached over and helped Xander stand up.

“Bedroom?” Spike asked, pulling at Xander’s shirt.

“The study’s closer,” Xander said, heading that way. There was an absolutely divine settee in the study, one that made sex very acrobatic, and Xander was in the mood to drape Spike over something and fuck him into the next county.

Spike shivered as he followed Xander down the hall. The study was Xander’s favorite place to fuck him; for some reason he reserved the bedroom for Spike topping him. He said he felt a bit weird taking control there, since it was, to him, Spike’s domain. The study, though, was a place that Xander loved to play in. The vampire didn’t care what happened where, but if it made Xander happy, so be it.

When they got to the study, Xander wasted no time in taking charge. He stripped Spike down, his own clothes following. “Stay there,” He ordered. Spike stood where Xander had left him, in front of the settee, while Xander started a fire in the fireplace.

Once the fire was crackling merrily, Xander returned to Spike. He pulled the blonde up for a long, slow kiss, tracing every one of the vampire’s teeth with his tongue. Spike mewled and cried as he thrust against Xander; once the boy had learned how sensitive his teeth were he tortured him unmercifully. After a couple of minutes, Xander pulled away and pushed Spike onto the settee. Xander climbed on top of him and pressed Spike back, resuming the kiss.

Spike wrapped his arms around Xander, letting his fingers roam up and down the warm skin of the boy’s back, counting his vertebrae. He knew where this was leading, and was quite sure that foreplay would be kept to a minimum. They were both more than ready.

Sure enough, Xander pulled away again and clambered over the low back of the settee. Spike felt Xander push him forward. “Come on, Spike,” Xander whispered into his ear.

Spike pulled his legs up onto the settee and knelt up on them. Then he bent down and forward until he could grasp the middle leg of the settee under him. It was a precarious position; he couldn’t shift around much or he’d fall forward onto his face. That was the point, though. The position left pretty much all of the control in Xander’s hands, both literally and figuratively.

The vampire hissed when he felt the first cold touch of Xander’s lubricated fingers circling his hole. For all his haste earlier, now that they were this close Xander took his time, stretching Spike slowly and carefully, prodding his prostate now and then. By the time he withdrew his hand, Spike was practically begging.

Xander closed his eyes, a smile on his face, as he pushed into Spike. He kept a firm grip on the vampire’s hips, to keep him from falling forward. The only movement Spike could make was to rock backward. Xander’s thrusts were powerful enough to send him almost over onto the floor, and only the human’s hands kept him on the settee. Xander quickly set a brutal pace, slamming into Spike again and again.

Spike focused on the fire in front of him, knowing that despite the fierceness of Xander’s thrusts that they weren’t going to be finished any time soon. Sure enough, after a moment, Xander slowed down dramatically, almost stopping. One warm hand released his hip and curved under him, grasping his cock in a cruel grip. When a hot, wet tongue traced a path down his spine, Spike moaned uncontrollably.

Xander resumed thrusting into Spike, angling to stroke against his prostate. He moved oh so slowly, sucking on the skin of Spike’s back in time to his movements. He could feel Spike shiver under him, arms quaking under the strain of bearing most of Spike’s weight and a good deal of Xander’s as well. Spike shifted a little, trying to get Xander to do something with his hand besides hold back his orgasm, but Xander ignored him.

The fire blurred as Spike’s eyes went out of focus. Xander was, as usual, taking his sweet time. The lack of control, being at the mercy of his sometimes mischievous lover, was intoxicating to Spike, since he was usually the one to do the torturing. He never knew what Xander would do next, only that it would probably drive him insane and take forever to make him come.

Sure enough, several minutes of slow suffering later, Xander leaned back, pushing Spike forward a little. “Lean over,” Xander ordered softly. Spike did so, putting one hand, then the other on the floor to brace himself. He had no idea what Xander was doing, but he couldn’t stay in the position he had been in and move forward that far.

Xander grinned as he swung one leg over the settee. Once he had his balance, he brought the other leg over and sat down, draping his legs on either side of Spike. The vampire was bent in half, with his legs folded up under him. “Push back, Spike.”

Spike obediently pushed back, using only his arms for leverage, since his legs were pinned by Xander’s. Xander didn’t help him any, other than to steady him with the one hand on his cock and the other on his hip. Soon Spike was pushing back as fast as he could, fucking himself on Xander’s cock as the human laid back and let the vampire do all the work.

Xander’s head fell back as Spike’s cool, silken body encased and released his aching flesh. He was so tight, yet took him so easily. He could fuck Spike in more…interesting ways than Spike could do him, since the vampire was not only stronger but more resilient. Not that Spike didn’t think up rather creative ways of making Xander scream. Oh, when Spike got an idea in his twisted mind, Xander could count on going insane before he was finished. The vampire just had to keep in mind that Xander was fragile, something that didn’t worry Xander about Spike. The vampire could keep screwing himself on Xander like this for at least an hour, maybe more, and he would, since Xander wasn’t going to let him come. At the awkward angle Spike was working from, the sensations were great but not enough to bring Xander off.

After nearly an hour, Spike was shaking uncontrollably, partly from the strain on his arms and partly because he would have come several times already had Xander not held him back. Xander saw how he was quaking and took pity on him. Moving his hand from Spike’s hip to his chest, he pulled up on the vampire, urging him to sit up. Spike straightened himself and leaned back on Xander with a groan of relief. Xander loosened the hand pinching Spike’s cock and began to thrust up into the vampire with increasing force.

Spike pulled his legs out from under Xander’s, the new position allowing him the freedom to do so. He pushed off from the floor, rocking to meet Xander’s thrusts. Soon the settee was groaning under the strain of their coupling as they raced toward oblivion.

Xander butted his head against Spike’s back as he arched up and shot deep into the vampire, jerking uncontrollably. Spike slammed down, howling, as he spilled cold seed on his belly and Xander’s hand. They collapsed, held upright by the settee and their legs, which somehow had managed to stay on the floor. After a minute, Xander leaned over, pulling both of them onto their sides. A conveniently placed pillow cushioned their heads as they lay down to rest in front of the fire.

It was several more minutes before either of them had the energy to speak. “So, are there Waffle Houses in L.A.?” Xander asked groggily.

“What?” Spike muttered. “I don’t think so.”

“Damn. What are we going to eat?” Xander whined.

“Shut up and go to sleep. We’ll figure it out later,” Spike said, nudging Xander with his elbow.

Xander patted Spike gently on the arm and complied, drifting off to images of Buffy’s shocked expression when they arrived in Los Angeles.

•••

“Shouldn’t I call or something?” Xander asked as he and Spike walked across the tarmac. Spike shook his head.

“Nope. Better this way. Besides, everybody love surprises, right?” The vampire said as they boarded the charter jet that would take them to Los Angeles. Spike didn’t actually own a plane, since he didn’t travel much, but Lavinia did, so she lent them hers. On the condition, of course, that they christen the bathroom during the flight. Spike dutifully promised to do so, while Xander tried to crawl under the couch in embarrassment.

Xander was nervous, and not just because he’d be getting on an airplane for the first time since his parents had bought him a ride at the state fair. Most of his anxiety was focused on his old friends. How would they react?

He wasn’t going to fool himself; despite Willow’s honest invitation, they were all probably pissed as hell that he’d walked out. He didn’t blame them, but he was still a bit worried about their reactions. He didn’t want Buffy staking Spike on sight, and he didn’t put it past her. That was why they were going to see Willow first, then Angel…and maybe Buffy if they couldn’t avoid it. He hoped to talk Willow into rounding up Dawn so that Spike could visit with her. The girl was the one that Spike missed from his old haunt.

“Stop worrying, pet. You’re giving me a headache,” Spike remarked. “Either they’ll be good sports about it or they won’t, but you biting your nails off all the way cross country won’t change it.”

“I know,” Xander sighed. “But I can’t help it.”

Spike rolled his eyes and laid back, waiting for them to take off. The flight leaving just before dawn, so he was planning on sleeping through a good part of it, despite all the opportunities to shag Xander high in the sky. The boy was simply too nervous to be any good, or to enjoy it properly.

•••

Spike put a restraining hand on Xander’s shoulder as they got into the taxi. The boy was practically vibrating, and the vampire was truly afraid he’d bounce right out of the car before they got anywhere. He wasn’t sure where Xander got his energy; after a few hours of napping, Spike had fucked him for two hours straight. After that they’d gone at it off and on until the plane landed, and he was sure Xander hadn’t eaten anything, and certainly no caffeine.

Xander started to give Willow’s address to the taxi driver, but Spike stopped him and directed them to a hotel instead. Xander frowned but agreed, knowing that they should get cleaned up and whatnot before going to see the witch.

“Which one, Spike? The blue with grey stripes or the green with blue stripes?” Xander asked, holding up a pair of polo shirts. “And the khakis or the blue jeans?”

Spike stared at Xander. He’d never had the boy actually ask him for fashion advice. Most of the time, Xander dressed himself in whatever god-awful stuff he had laying around. The times when he needed to look good, Spike simply laid something out for him, no questions asked.

Shaking his head, Spike grabbed Xander’s bag and began pulling out articles of clothing. “This, this, with this and these.”

Xander looked down at the pile of clothes. “Let me see. Black slacks, black socks, ooh—black boxers, and wait—“

“Charcoal. The shirt is Charcoal,” Spike finished.

“Ah, Charcoal. How silly of me to assume you’d go monochromatic,” Xander quipped.

“Fine,” Spike growled. He reached over for one of the four bags Xander had laughed at him for packing. “Wear this.”

Xander took the velvet shirt with a tentative hand. He’d never seen it before. The color was odd, a sort of rich, dark red-orange. “This definitely doesn’t match black, Spike.”

“Yes, it will. Go put it on, Xander, and stop mincing around like a drag queen,” Spike said, walking to the shower.

Xander glared at the vampire but obeyed. The clothes did in fact work well together, so Xander wasn’t disappointed. He was just finishing combing his hair into place when Spike emerged. The vampire pulled on his usual attire. It was the same dark colors he was partial to, although the quality was a lot higher than his old stuff.

“Can we go?” Xander asked. Spike smirked and gestured for Xander to lead the way. The boy picked up a bag of things he’d brought for Willow, which included several photographic books of Charleston.

Unfortunately, Xander’s temporary good mood wore off when they reached Willow’s apartment building. Spike almost threw Xander over his shoulder to get him upstairs, because the boy was ready to run off. “They’re not expecting us, Spike. What if they’re…”

“I’ll hear it before we knock and we’ll ask if we can join in,” Spike replied.

Xander paused in front of the door. Spike rolled his eyes and knocked several times. “I can hear them in there; they’re watching the telly.”

A moment later, Xander heard the door lock click. A familiar face peeked through the chain. “Xander?” A second later the door flew open and Xander came face to face with a very surprised Cordelia. “What are you doing here?”

Willow ran up to the door, having heard Cordelia’s exclamation. “Xander? You’re here!”

Spike watched as the witch drug Xander inside the apartment, hugging him fiercely. “You didn’t call! We didn’t clean!”

“What is it with women and cleaning?” Xander joked. “I’m glad to see you, Wills. Um, could you invite him in?” Xander asked, pointing to Spike.

Willow frowned. “Spike? What’s he doing here?”

“He’s with me,” Xander said.

“With you?” Willow echoed, confused.

Cordelia raised an eyebrow. “With you as in ‘met at the airport and shared a taxi,’ or ‘got on the plane together and shared a hotel room’?”

Xander grinned nervously. “The second one.”

Willow’s jaw dropped. “Spike?”

Spike leaned against the doorframe, wondering if anyone would actually invite him in. Xander could, now that he was inside the apartment, but Spike knew that the boy would wait for one of the girls to do it, out of courtesy.

“Is he…” Cordelia murmured. “Still chipped?”

Xander shook his head. “Nope, but he doesn’t do bad things anymore, do you, Spike?”

Spike grinned. “Only when you ask me nicely, pet.”

Willow nodded. “Angel said you weren’t causing any trouble, so you can come in, Spike. But you know I can have you flat on your back in like two seconds if you try anything.”

“I doubt Xander would like that, Red. He’s a bit possessive,” Spike replied.

“I’m sure he is,” Willow shot back. A frown crossed her face. “Wait a minute. If Angel knows where you are, and what you’re doing, then he knew where Xander was! That bastard!”

Cordelia scowled. “He really can be an ass. Why didn’t he tell you? You and Buffy were worried sick.”

Xander looked over at Spike. “I think why he didn’t is fairly obvious, guys. I’m with Spike.”

Willow nodded. “Yeah, that might have been a shock; actually, it still is one, but that doesn’t make it right.”

Spike shrugged. He thought that Angel had made the right decision. After all, there was no way Willow could have stayed away from Charleston if she knew that Xander was there, and the witch was sure to drag Buffy along with her. That would have been a total disaster.

“So…you have a lot of talking to do, buddy,” Willow said to Xander.

“Long or short version?” He asked back.

“Short for now, but I expect details later,” Willow replied.

Xander sat back on the couch. “I already told you why I left. For a year, I just drove around the country, doing odd jobs here and there and taking in the view. Eventually, I hit the east coast, Charleston to be exact.”

“South Carolina?” Cordelia asked.

“Yup. The night I arrived, you’d never guess who I ran into at Waffle House,” Xander continued. “The not-bleached-anymore menace himself.”

Spike dipped in an exaggerated bow. “Ruined my dinner, he did.”

“Right. So anyway, I decided to stay a while in the city, since it’s so nice. We hooked up, I opened a business, and we live together,” Xander finished.

Willow closed her mouth. “I think that goes beyond ‘short’ to ‘very short, bullet points only.’ You know I’ve still got loads of questions.”

“Like what kind of business do you have?” Cordelia asked.

“What’s Charleston like?” Willow added.

“Is Spike good in bed?”

“Cordelia!” Willow admonished.

“Landscaping, beautiful, classy and genteel, and incredible,” Xander answered. Spike knocked him on the shoulder. “What?”

“Incredible? That’s the best you can come up with?” Spike whined.

“On short notice? Yeah. I’m not the poet in this relationship,” Xander replied. Spike snorted.

“Yeah, it’s love,” Cordelia remarked. “They sound like a married couple.”

“But the chip doesn’t work?” Willow asked Spike.

He shrugged. “It stopped working in Sunnydale.”

“Is that why you left? Buffy thinks you’re dead, you know.” Willow said.

Xander and Spike looked at each other. Should they tell her?

Willow, though, picked up on their silent conversation. “What? Tell me, guys.”

“Sort of. Buffy wasn’t too happy about the chip not working, so she tried to kill me. I left town after that, so it’s no wonder she thinks I’m dust,” Spike said.

“Did you…” Willow began.

“Do anything to provoke her? Not that I know of,” Spike answered. “I think she snapped, between me hounding her about love and the chip not working and her being back from the dead and whatnot.”

“Still, that’s just wrong! I’m so sorry, Spike,” Willow said sadly.

“So, do you think we can see Dawn?” Xander asked hopefully.

Cordelia frowned again. “Not likely. She’s grounded until she dies, according to Buffy. They’re not getting along very well right now, and we’ve been declared a bad influence on her.”

“Bad influence?” Xander echoed. “Methinks there’s a story or three you need to tell me, Wills.”

Willow grimaced. “A lot, you know.”

“Like why you’re living in L.A. and not Sunnydale?” Xander asked.

“And more. We’re here because there’s more need for Buffy here than there. Two and a half years ago, a clan of demons tried to open the Hellmouth. Instead, they shut it up tighter than a drum. After that happened, Sunnydale kind of dried up, demon and vampire-wise. Angel was still faced with a lot here, so we joined up,” Willow said.

“There’s more,” Xander guessed.

Willow took a deep breath. “Yeah, a lot more. Remember some of the funny stuff that went on before you left, with the geeks? Well, one thing led to another and Tara ended up getting shot. She died.”

Xander didn’t know what to say.

“I went kind of bonkers for a while. When I came back down, nothing was quite the same between me and Buffy. When Angel called for her help with these demony lawyers he’s always fighting, she jumped at the chance. I followed because there wasn’t anything for me in Sunnydale.” Willow said.

“And you hooked up with Cordelia?” Xander asked.

“We needed each other,” Cordelia replied. “Angel had just dumped me for ‘love of his life Summers,’ and Willow here was in serious need of good therapy. Me, I’m the kind of demon to give it to you.”

Spike grinned. “I knew there was something off about you.”

“Demon?” Xander said.

Cordelia nodded. “Yup. The Powers did it so that I wouldn’t die from the visions I get.”

Xander nodded. “Sounds like a good deal to me. So you two are happy and all?”

“Yeah,” Willow said.

“And you work with Angel? After he dumped you?” Xander asked Cordelia.

She shrugged. “Not much choice. The visions are for him, and they keep coming whether I work for him or not. And ever since Willow fixed the ‘no sex’ clause in his curse, he’s been busy keeping Buffy happy. That and convincing Connor he’s not a bad guy.”

“Connor?” Xander asked Spike, who hadn’t been surprised with as much of the news as he had.

“Search me,” Spike replied.

“Angel’s son,” Cordelia said. Heading off questions, she continued. “Long story, Cliff Notes version, Angel fucked Darla, who got pregnant because a prophecy said so. A demon rewrote said prophecy and brought back an old enemy of Angel’s to help kill the kid, because the kid was supposed to kill the demon. Wesley tried to help out, but got confused by the altered prophecy and sent Connor to a demon dimension with Angel’s enemy. The kid came back with a serious chip on his shoulder and Angel’s been spending three years straightening him out.”

“Well, that sucks,” Xander said.

“Understatement of the year. Now we have to deal with a bratty kid, a horny vampire, a snotty Slayer, and no Wesley,” Cordelia summarized. “At least Gunn and Fred are still around.”

“Gunn? Fred? No Wesley?” Xander murmured.

“Gunn and Fred work for Angel. We’ll explain later. Angel kicked Wesley out and he disappeared,” Cordelia replied.

“Went home to England, is shacking up with Ripper,” Spike filled in.

“He is? Giles never mentioned that! I thought he and Anya were…” Willow squeaked.

Spike nodded. “Why would he? Anya's not long-term material.”

“Point,” Xander said. “Can we continue this over dinner? I’m starved.”

***


Unlike the evening before, this time it was Xander dragging Spike along. The vampire did not want to go see Angel. Actually, Xander didn’t want to see Angel either, but in order to see Buffy, or Dawn, they had to at least acknowledge Broodboy’s existence. Thus, they had to go to Angel’s rundown hotel and talk to him.

“Spike,” Xander warned. “Nothing is going to happen, ok? We’re going to meet Angel, Dawn, and Buffy. Willow and Cordelia promised that they’d be there as well. We’ll be ok!”

Spike kept dragging his feet. “I know, it’s just that…”

“Trust me, I know what you mean. Come on, though. I want to get this over with too,” Xander replied.

When they got to the hotel, however, the place was deserted.

“Angel?” Xander called out into the darkened lobby.

“Where are you, you bloody poof?” Spike shouted after him.

“Xander?”

Xander turned toward a small voice. “Who’s there?”

“Xander! Spike!” Dawn came rushing out of the shadows. Xander caught her as she hurtled toward him. After a moment, Dawn turned and graced Spike with the same rib-cracking hug.

“Glad to see you too, pet,” Spike wheezed out.

Xander frowned at the tears on Dawn’s face. “What’s wrong, Dawn?”

Dawn wiped her face and grinned. “You’re here! I didn’t think I’d ever see you again, and Buffy said Spike was dust!”

Spike frowned at the teenager. She’d grown a lot and was now nearly his height. “Sorry about that, little bit, but I had to go away for a while.”

She punched him affectionately. “Right, and leave me with the Wicked Bitch of the West?” Spike chuckled at her nickname for Buffy. “Aw, she’s not that bad,” Xander admonished. Dawn scowled at him. “And how would you know? You’re not even here!”

Xander winced. “Dawn, honey, I’m…”

Dawn continued right over him. “She grounded me for two years! I haven’t seen a movie or listened to an album, at least that she knows about, for two years, and it’s hard to sneak stuff around the Slayerbitch and her lapdog Broody. Do you know why she grounded me? For dusting a vampire that was attacking me!”

Xander and Spike looked at each other. It was probably a really bad idea for them to get involved in domestic disputes in the Angel/Buffy household. “Dawn, she’s just trying to protect you.”

“Then why does she leave me here all the time, when she knows this place draws trouble like a magnet?” Dawn replied harshly. “She won’t let me train, she won’t let me work with Willow on computer stuff because she thinks Willow will fall off the wagon and start practicing magic again, she still doesn’t really like Cordelia so that’s out, and there’s a ‘no fraternizing with Angel’s employees’ clause in my life. That leaves me with Buffy and Angel, and Buffy’s made it clear that I’m not her style. Angel, well, he just drools over Buffy and ignores me.”

Xander shifted from foot to foot. This wasn’t what he was expecting. Not that he minded what Dawn said as long as he got to see her, but he wasn’t expecting Buffy to have become so intolerable. This was different from the ‘she doesn’t get me’ stuff from Sunnydale. It sounded like Dawn was becoming some sort of caged-in black spot on Buffy’s otherwise wonderful life. That pissed Xander off. “Speaking of slayers, where is Buffy?”

Dawn scowled. “Cordy got a vision and the gang headed off to deal with it, maybe three hours ago. They’ll probably be back soon.” She thought a minute. “I’m not sure she’s going to be happy to see you, Spike. After all, she did name her heavy bag after you… all six of them she’s gone through since she moved down here.”

“I’m honored,” Spike replied gravely.

Xander took a seat on the stairs to wait for Buffy. In the meantime, he and Spike filled Dawn in on their lives in Charleston, enduring the squeals and yells when she figured out they were together. Apparently she was happy for them, if the number of hugs and smiles they got were any indication.

•••

“You’re dead.”

Spike and Xander turned toward the doorway, where Buffy was standing. She had a blank look on her face as she stared at Spike.

The vampire grinned. “Not quite, Slayer. How’s tricks?”

Angel and the others crowded into the hotel lobby. “Spike?” Angel murmured, looking at his childe. He really wished they’d called ahead.

“In the flesh, Angel. We were in the neighborhood and thought we’d stop by,” Spike replied.

“You’re dead,” Buffy repeated.

Xander looked oddly at the Slayer. “Um, nope, Buffy, he’s, well, technically he is dead, but not the way you mean.”

She turned to look at him. “Why are you here with Spike?”

Xander grinned. “I’m with Spike because I’m with Spike.”

Willow, Cordelia and Dawn smirked while Angel grimaced. Maybe he could talk Xander out of that, since he was here.

Buffy grinned. “You’re dead, Spike.”

“Can it, Buffster. That line’s getting old,” Dawn remarked.

Buffy ignored her sister, pulling out a stake. Everyone watched in horror as she launched it toward Spike. Her joy was cut short, however, when Xander knocked the stake out of the way. “Buffy, that’s not nice,” Xander chided her.

Buffy scowled and started forward, only to find herself held back by Angel. “Buffy, let it go.”

“Let ME go, Angel. He’s a soulless vampire and he’s dust. Xander’s dust too, come to think of it, for protecting him,” Buffy snarled.

“What’s your problem, Buffy?” Xander asked. “He hasn’t done anything.”

“He’s my problem and he’s gone. Let me go!” She said, struggling against Angel. Spike looked at his Sire in confusion, really not knowing why Buffy wanted him dead so badly.

“Maybe we should leave,” Xander said. Spike nodded.

“Come on, we’ll go grab a bite while Angel talks reason to Buffy,” Cordelia offered. Xander nodded and he and Spike went to join them, nodding at Gunn and Fred in passing.

“Wait up!” Dawn said, running after them.

“You’re grounded!” Buffy screeched. Dawn flipped her off and ran out of the hotel with the others.

After a couple of minutes, Angel let Buffy go. “Do you want to tell me what that was all about?”

•••

“Well, that was stressful,” Xander said as they closed the hotel room door.

Spike nodded. “That it was, pet. She’s really lost it.”

“I wonder why? I mean, I get that being a Slayer is hard work and all, but still,” Xander replied.

Spike shrugged. “Then again, she’s, what, five years older than any other slayer ever was? No one knows what happens to them when they grow up.”

“I suppose not,” Xander said. “This was way too tiring, you know? I need to go back to work just to get some rest.”

“Go to sleep,” Spike ordered, watching Xander nod off.

“Join me?” Xander asked. Spike did so, curling up around Xander for the day.

“Traitor.”

Spike’s eyes flew open when he heard the whispered word. He watched as Buffy glared down at Xander and drove a stake toward his heart. Spike reached over, pushing the stake to one side. He wasn’t fast enough, though, and the weapon plunged into Xander’s lungs.

Buffy grabbed at Spike. The vampire, enraged, picked her up and tossed her across the room. The Slayer regained her footing and went after him again, a second stake in her hand. He easily dodged her advances and got in a few punches. He had no time for a long fight, though, because Xander lay dying on the bed. After another minute of dancing around, Spike simply grabbed the girl and tossed her through the sliding glass door that led through the balcony. He could hear her outraged scream as she fell fifteen floors down to land in the swimming pool, movie-style.

Spike rushed over to Xander. The boy was coughing up blood, pain clouding his eyes. The vampire knew he was dying, knew that no doctor would be able to save him. The stake had ripped through his lungs, puncturing both of them and tearing the delicate tissues to shreds.

“Spike,” Xander wheezed, almost unable to speak.

Spike rocked slowly next to Xander, tears in his eyes. This was not how it ended. Xander was not supposed to leave him, certainly not at the hands of one of his former best friends. “I want to turn you,” Spike murmured.

Xander blinked and stared at Spike. “Spike, I…”

Spike looked at him. “It’s the only way, Xander.” He reached over the boy, shifting into gameface and sinking his teeth into Xander’s neck. He’d lost enough blood that there wasn’t much for Spike to take. After a moment, he pulled away and ripped a tear in his tongue, using one sharp fang. Then he sealed his mouth to Xander’s, feeding the boy the only cure he knew.

Sitting back, Spike watched as Xander’s body died. It was a messy affair, but Spike had no desire to move him somewhere easier to clean. Once it was over, he would wash Xander and get him to the plane. They would be gone from L. A. before the sun rose.

•••

The first sensation Xander felt when he woke was hunger. Before he could get himself out of bed to find something to eat, however, Spike loomed over him, pressing him back. A mug of something warm was raised to his lips and he drank deeply of the dark, rich liquid. Blood. Funny, he’d always thought he’d dislike the taste of it.

“Xander?” Spike murmured, watching his lover gulp down his first meal. It was human, since Spike wouldn’t torture any vampire with animal blood. He wasn’t about to drag a live person in the room for Xander to feed off of, however. The human Xander would have been horrified.

“Hmm…not bad. I’d expected it to be worse,” Xander said, looking at the bottom of the mug. He was still hungry. Spike replaced the empty mug with a full one and watched as Xander drained that one, too. In all, he drank almost five pints of blood before he was satisfied.

“Why did you turn me?” Xander asked. He had a lot of questions besides that one, such as why he wasn’t a raving lunatic hunting down humans right now.

Spike looked down at the floor. “I couldn’t lose you, Xander. Not this soon.”

Xander looked at the worried vampire. He hadn’t suspected that Spike’s feelings ran that deep. “Why am I not hunting people right now?”

Spike looked up quickly. “You have your soul.”

“How?” Xander asked, confused.

“Willow. I called her from the hotel, told her what happened and that if she wanted to do the spell, she had to meet us at the airport,” Spike said. “It’s the only spell she’s done for almost two years, ever since she made Angel shag-proof.”

Xander digested that for a moment. “I didn’t wake up on the flight back here?” He’d been surprised to wake up in Charleston.

Spike shook his head. “No. Not that unusual, though.”

“Oh.” Xander thought for a moment. “What about Buffy?”

Spike’s face froze. “She survived.”

Xander’s shock showed. “What? How? You threw her out the window!”

“The water saved her life, but it shattered her spine. They think she’ll be paraplegic,” Spike explained. The last he’d heard, the Slayer was still in surgery.

“How did she know where we were?” Xander asked. He certainly hadn’t told her.

“Angel,” Spike spat. “She weaseled it out of him, and he knows everything about that damned city.”

“Is he going to…”

Spike shook his head. “We won’t be going back to L.A. any time soon, but he’s not coming here after us. He can’t justify it, not when she staked a human in cold blood.”

Xander lay back on the bed, watching the moon throw shadows through the window. This wasn’t how he expected to have his visit home play out.

•••

Xander watched the rain batter Spike’s yard as yet another storm rolled through the city. He didn’t mind them as much now, since he no longer had to endure overcast days when he couldn’t see the sun. Actually, having the extra cloud cover made it easier to move around.

Being a vampire wasn’t how he had expected to live out his life, but he was coping. The only reason he even thought about it was that he had a soul. He’d wondered why Spike had done it, why he'd called Willow to have the spell cast. Spike had replied that he loved Xander—as a human. People’s personalities were often warped by getting turned. Xander was glad the vampire had thought about that and had decided to keep Xander’s mind intact instead of creating a new hunting companion. It was also the only reason why he thought about his life, though. Had he been soulless, he wouldn’t be pondering whether or not it was a good thing. Spike assured him that it was a part of having a soul—Angel did the same thing, after all.

Xander shivered at being compared to the dark vampire. He hated Angel, now more than ever. The guy’s lust/love for Buffy had blinded him many times, but in this instance it cost Xander his life. He had yet to hear from Angel, and wasn’t holding his unneeded breath for an apology.

He was surprised to find that he wasn’t the least bit sorry for what happened to Buffy. She got what she deserved; actually she deserved a lot worse because most people spent a lot of time in jail for murder. Being in a wheelchair wasn’t so bad, although Spike had told him that a wheelchair-bound Slayer was a sitting duck for any nasty that wanted to build a reputation. Xander replied that protecting her would give Angel something to do.

Cordelia and Willow were similarly disgusted with Buffy, but they couldn’t leave L.A. because Cordy was still having visions for Angel. After what happened, though, neither woman would step foot in Angel’s hotel. They called him when she had a vision and met him at the scene. To make Angel’s job even harder, Gunn had moved himself and Fred back to his old neighborhood, taking up with his old gang. They were doing a pretty decent job of keeping that part of town clean, but it was clear that Angel was only welcome there when Cordy’s visions sent them that way. The vampire hunter was angry with the vampire for letting Buffy kill Xander.

To his former coworkers, Angel had been blinded by Buffy, foolishly trusting her when she said she just wanted to apologize. He steadfastly refused to admit that he might have been in error, and even came up with several scenarios where what Buffy did was justified. That made them so mad they didn’t help him for weeks. Cordelia faxed him descriptions of her visions and left him to work on his own.

Xander was pulled from his reverie by a knock on the door. Jogging through the house, he opened it, finding a rain-soaked teenager on the other side.

“Xander?”

Xander looked down at Dawn, the last person he expected to see on their doorstep. “Dawn?” He stepped back and let her into the house. “What are you doing here?”

Dawn shivered from the rain and wind. “I can’t live with her, Xander. She’s crazy. She accused me of trying to seduce Angel.”

Xander pushed her toward the closest bathroom. Once there, he handed her a bunch of towels. “Do Willow and Cordy know where you are?”

Dawn shook her head. “Not yet. I didn’t tell anybody. Angel would’ve come after me. He’s Buffy’s legs now.”

Xander grimaced. Spike showed up at the bathroom a moment later. “Niblet?”

Dawn grinned. “Hi, Spike. I was in the neighborhood and thought I’d stop by!”

Spike looked at Xander, who shook his head. They’d talk about it later.

After quite a bit of arguing, they got Dawn ensconced in a spare bedroom, having fed her and shoved her into dry clothes.

“What are we going to do with a seventeen-year old girl?” Spike asked. “I love her to death, but we’re bloody vampires, Xander.”

Xander nodded. “But like she said, she’s got nowhere to go.”

Spike sighed. “Fine. What are we going to tell Willow?”

“Let me handle that,” Xander replied.

•••

“And then Lavinia and I went shopping! It was great. I mean, she’s got pretty cool taste for an old lady,” Dawn said happily.

Xander and Spike sat across from each other at booth at Waffle House, listening to Dawn in amused bewilderment. The teenager had taken to Charleston like a duck to water, teaming up with Lavinia almost immediately. The elderly lady had adopted her as her granddaughter, and never looked back. Right now the matron’s goal was to get Dawn ready for college, which was just around the corner. The young lady was attending the College of Charleston in the fall and needed everything for the event, even though she was going to live at home for the duration.

“So you had fun?” Xander asked over his dinner. Unlike him, Dawn had no problems being around a lot of blood, so he and Spike fed during their requisite daily family meals. Since the diner was owned by Spike, nobody commented on their beverages. Dawn occasionally ordered herself a glass of cranberry juice and played around with them. Spike just laughed at her antics.

“Yup. It was ‘Tiger, that doesn’t suit,’, ‘Tiger, why buy that when this one is so much better?’. I’m glad you all have a lot of money,” Dawn said.

Xander rolled his eyes. It figured that the only Summers gene that got passed down was that shopping thing. Dawn loved to spend Spike’s and his money. “Well, Tiger, eventually you’re going to have to earn your own, you know that?”

“Yeah, but why not have fun while I’ve got someone else’s?” Dawn replied.

“That’s my girl,” Spike murmured. He never got onto her about anything except getting her homework done. He was simply overjoyed she was here, and knew that she was safe from almost anything in the city. Nobody dared to mess with the kid the Master of the city considered his own child.

“Did you hear from Willow?” Dawn asked casually. It was Saturday, the normal day for the weekly phone conference with the witch and her girlfriend.

“Yeah. Not much has changed over there,” Xander said, “Although they’re pretty hopeful about the medication.” Eventually Angel had conceded that something was wrong with the love of his life and had taken her to a psychologist. After a few months of testing and several referrals, she was diagnosed as schizophrenic. Willow had helped out, knowing that it would be difficult to get an accurate diagnosis when Buffy really was a Slayer, and wasn’t hallucinating it. In the end, though, it made sense, considering some of the other paranoid thoughts she’d been having. Ever since then, they’d been trying to find a medication that would work despite her odd metabolism.

“Good luck. I still say she’s sane. Just a real bitch,” Dawn said. Unlike the others, she wasn’t so convinced that Buffy had problems. She just loved the attention she was getting. “Anyway, you all are still going to see the movie with me, right?”

Spike groaned. “Harry Potter, four, right?”

Dawn nodded. “The Goblet of Fire. It’ll be fun! Besides, it is at the dollar theatre.”

Xander grinned. He knew that Spike liked the series, but preferred to hide that behind a façade of disgust. Unfortunately, everyone knew he was just acting.

“The snake boys win in that one, right?” Spike asked. Dawn shook her head. “No? Hells, do they ever?”

“They’re the bad guys, Spike. Bad guys never win,” Dawn replied. “It’s the natural order of things, you know,” She continued, using her best Buffy voice. “Of course, they do get a couple of good hits in by the end of it.”

Spike tossed a piece of toast at her. “You did clean your room, right? Because if you didn’t, I’m going to sic Xander on you.”

Dawn giggled and pitched the toast back at Spike. “Yes, I cleaned my room. Speaking of bedrooms, I’ve got a question, Spike, because Xander won’t answer it.” Xander’s eyes widened and he motioned for her to stop talking. She ignored him completely. “Why is there a big bronze statue of a pig in your bedroom?”

“Well, Niblet, It’s like this,” Spike started. “Me and Xander were at this party in Brookgreen Gardens…

Xander’s howl of outrage could be heard halfway to Sunnydale.

The End