Rating: NC17
Warnings: not-quite-human Xander, some lightish d/s
Feedback: It is my oxygen. Or something equally important. It is my chocolate.

Mastering a Desire

by
Markedxup

Part One

The moon was pale and bright and big and Xander had yet to lay eyes on it. He’d like to, but Giles just kept droning on and on and --

Hey, a sound!

No one else reacted to the *thump* he’d definitely heard outside. Then again Buffy was sleeping behind a propped up book and Anya was recounting the money in the cash register. Willow was the only was paying the slightest attention to Giles’s speech on how to tell if a Bigs’carylong’named demon had been through a place. Poor nerdy, without-a-life Wills.

*thump*

There it is again!

Xander glanced around but Buffy snored on, Anya sniffed the money, and Willow nodded periodically at Giles’s carrying on.

Someone should definitely investigate the strange sound, outside away from the books. Yes, the sound could prove to have a very significant meaning, outside away from the books. Because something made the sound, obviously. Sounds don’t just go around thumping themselves.

“Well!”

Buffy’s head snapped up and the book fell to the table in a rustle of papers. “Seventy-three! Ancient Rome! Two times five!” She blinked and rubbed her eyes sleepily. “Were any of those right?”

“We-we aren’t in school, Buffy,” Willow said, smiling.

“Oh,” the blonde rested her head back in her arms and closed her eyes.

“...Anyways,” Xander stood and clapped his hands together. “I need to go.”

“And what, may I ask, do you feel needs your immediate attention while I am discussing such a very important and useful demon recognition procedure?”

“A sound,” Xander waved lamely in the general *thump* direction.

Giles stared dully at him. “A sound?”

“Yes. A very urgent, investigation-needing sound,” he edged carefully toward the door. “Which I, with no further thought of myself and my own safety, will volunteer to explore and defeat.”

“Very well,” Giles sighed, taking off his glasses and wiping them with the hem of his shirt. “Go defeat your...sound if you must.”

The door clicked shut before he had finished polishing.


~*~


“Ah, sweet freedom,” Xander stepped onto the sidewalk through the warm California air. “Tastes almost as good as chocolate.”

Xander glanced around and, without seeing anything that might issue a loud *thump*, continued down the street through the town. A handful of store lights still glowed but flickered out as the big bright moon climbed higher above them. Xander quickly contemplated a beer at the Bronze, but without his friends the idea seemed too lonely and he really just wanted to get home.

*thump*

Xander did his best impersonation of a person frozen in his tracks.

Investigating mysterious sounds? Not my best evasion technique.

Xander weighed the pros and cons of his situation.

Find out what is making loud thumping noise: possibly get eaten and/or slimed on. . .or, run home like a girl and eat all the ice cream before it melts in my defective freezer.

A louder, nearer *thump*

Xander did his best impersonation of a person fleeing a scene.

Until next time, scary noise!


~*~


Xander arrived at his house and was surprised to see the living room lights off and no blue flicker of the TV through the windows. Usually his dad would have drunk himself into a paralyzed stupor where the only movements his body allowed were throwing beer cans at the TV and slurring insults at the football players. Just wouldn’t be home without it.

Xander cautiously opened the door, making sure to push up on the handle so it didn’t squeak. He stepped into the house and carefully shut the door behind him. Xander didn’t hear anyone or any objects hitting the wall, and he wasn’t sure if he should be relieved or worried.

They just went out tonight.

Xander kicked off his shoes and walked past the kitchen.

“Alexander?”

He jumped about a foot in the air at the soft voice and whipped around to look into the kitchen. His mom sat nervously at the table, soft yellow light from the lamps accentuating her worry lines.

“Mom? What’s wrong?” He walked into the kitchen but paused when he spotted his dad slouched in a chair. His eyes were cold and hard with sobriety. Xander felt a bucket of fear douse his stomach. “Is- what happened?” He stammered, eyes flickering between his parents.

His mom sighed and looked at the table then up at her husband who didn’t show any emotion besides annoyance, probably from being denied his evening drinks. “I don’t really know how to say this, honey.”

Xander felt his stomach twist up into a knot. His mom hadn’t called him ‘honey’ since Aunt Kathy died when he was eight. He ran through a mental list of his relatives but couldn’t think of any he’d miss if they died, except maybe his little cousin, Adam, who’d given him a sucker last time he’d seen him.

“We were going to tell you sooner, but...Well, things just kept happening and we couldn’t find the right time to do it...” She kept using the word ‘we’ but Xander could hear the lonely ‘I’ underneath it. He suddenly felt very sorry for her.

She sighed and her shoulders drooped a bit. “Xander...you’re adopted.”


~*~


Xander found it ironic his friends were more shocked than he was.

“You are?!”

“Why didn’t they tell you?!”

“Does this mean you might have other parents who have lots of money?!”

They all turned to stare and blink at Anya for a moment before returning to gape at Xander. He shrugged.

“It’s not that shocking. I mean, I’m not even like either of them.”

They all murmured their agreement and thought this over.

“So, like, do you know who your real parents are?” Dawn asked, sipping her milkshake and brushing her hair back.

“Nope,” Xander swallowed a big mouthful of his double fudge and peanut butter sundae. “Apparently I was found as a baby.”

Willow’s brow furrowed. “Found?” She asked nervously and nibbled at her banana split.

Xander nodded. “Yup. In an abandoned house. Some neighbors heard me crying and called the police. Evidently my real parents were actually less thoughtful than my foster ones.” He paused to reflect on this while licking the backside of his spoon. “And that is just scary.”

Another round of murmurs swept through the booth, along with some sympathetic noises.

“I’m sorry, Xan,” Buffy said, licking her strawberry cone before a drop of sticky melted ice cream could drip onto her hand.

“Why?” Xander asked, cocking his head in confusion. “It’s not like I miss them or anything. I don’t even know them! Probably wouldn’t like ‘em if I did.” He sucked a fudge-slicked finger into his mouth then pulled it out with a loud pop. Dawn giggled and he grinned at her. “And I already have a great family. Who needs another one?”

The girls around him smiled and blushed happily and Xander steered the conversation away from the topic.

“Did you ever find out what was making that noise last night?” Willow asked, chewing thoughtfully.

Xander shook his head. “Nah. Was probably just Spike poking around for more money.”

And the girls giggled again and dropped it before Xander could consider it anything other than that.


~*~

Spike sipped his blood and monotonously glanced around the bar. A small group of B’vardian demons were playing some odd type of card game at the table in the corner, but other than that the stray vamp made up most of the customers.

I really do have to get an unlife.

Spike was about to pay the tab and leave, maybe find a nice demon to kill at the cemetery, and pulled out his wallet.

“Yeah, they don’t know who it is yet.” A low voice confided to his left. Spike paused with the money half out of his wallet.

Gossip? Well, this could be interesting.

He imperceptibly leaned toward the speaker who was talking to the bartender. “A Darklore, you say?” Asked the bartender, wiping clean a glass.

“Yeah,” mumbled the demon unhappily. “I don’t know much about those guys or anything but I don’t think he’s gonna be good news.”

Spike mentally ran through his List o’ Demons. Darklore? Nope.

I’ll have to find out from one of the Watcher’s books.

While the thought of digging through dusty books with stupid teenagers glaring at him made him shudder, the temptation of information he could withhold from said teenagers made him wriggle with glee.

“They say he’s looking for some Chosen One. That he has some offspring or something that he sent to the Hellmouth and now is gonna pick ‘im up again. Bad news, sounds like.” The demon downed a glass of blue liquid. “Hey, you see that game last night?”

Spike slapped the money onto the counter and slid onto his feet. He strode out the door into the night and flicked open his lighter. He popped a cigarette into his mouth. He’d been having a bad day, a bad bloody week actually, but the conversation he’d just overheard threatened to brighten it considerably.

Chosen One? Mysterious demon that could cause an uproar?

Spike felt a touch of savage joy at the thought of the Slayer and her groupies faced with a big bad monster.

Sounds promising.

Part Two

Xander glanced up to glare at the vampire lounging and smoking at his table. “Don’t you have old women to glower at and babies to steal from?”

Spike leered and blew a puff of smoke at him. “But watching you trying to sound out the words is so much more entertaining.”

“Giles!” Xander called. “The stupid vampire insulted my intelligence!”

“You don’t have any to insult, whelp.”

“Giles! The stupid vampire-”

“Oh, do shutup both of you,” Giles sighed, wearily massaging his temples. The two resigned themselves to making faces and obscene hand gestures at each other while Dawn watched and giggled.

“Why are you even here, Spike?” Buffy asked irritably.

“Yes, you are evil. You shouldn’t be around Dawn because you’ll set a bad example for her.” Another collective glance at Anya (whom everybody had wisely chosen to also collectively ignore) followed by a glance at Dawn, who sneered. Xander felt a pang of horror.

Oh no, she’s already perfected the sneer! We better separate them before she learns the leer and the smirk!

“Actually-” Spike stood and made a show of brushing off his duster. “I might have information you lot would want.”

Buffy’s eyes narrowed. “Spill, bleach breath.”

Spike held his hands up in a show of mock astonishment. “How rude! Now I feel absolutely compelled to withhold this precious information.”

Giles sighed, “Spike, although I know how much you enjoy watching us-”

“Suffer.” The vampire said gleefully.

“-squirm, I have a feeling you have an ulterior motive here? Money, perhaps?”

Spike shrugged. “Not really, have a bit of dosh put away now. Just like seeing you -- squirm.” He grinned and snubbed out his cigarette on the table. Xander swore he saw Giles bare his teeth.

“Go back to your crypt, Captain Peroxide, some of your roots are showing.”

Spike glared at him but swept a defensive hand over his gelled hair. “Go back to your basement and cry to your mummy, little boy.”

“She’s not his mom. Xander was adopted,” Anya announced loudly.

“Anya!” Everyone save a grinning vamp turned to glare at her.

“What?” She asked, cocking her head.

Xander stared angrily at the table as Spike laughed softly above him. “Well, that’s just precious. Almost puts a tear in my eye, that does.” He smirked at the boy before turning and walking toward the front door. “I’ll be at my crypt when you come begging for answers,” he called over his shoulder and disappeared into the night with a swirl of his duster.

Damn vampires and their damn dramatic exits.

Xander ducked his head and angrily flipped through the pages of his book.


~*~


Buffy barreled through the door breathless and slimy. Xander decided it was a good look for her. “Giles!”

“What? What happened?” His head poked out from the back room.

“Giles!” She ran up to him. “Something bad’s gonna -- there’s a-”

“Calm down, Buff!” Xander put a hand on her shoulder. She took a deep breath and green slime dripped onto the floor. “Okay, I was fighting this big green slime demon-”

“Hence the drippage,” Xander removed his hand from her shoulder and wiped it on the nearest chair, ignoring Giles’s ‘tsk’ing.

“-and then it sort of exploded-”

Xander took two more steps back.

“-and then these little bubbles-”

“Just tell us what’s got you so upset!” coughed Giles at Xander’s paling face.

“Okay, well, I was walking home and came across this nest of vampires and was slaying them, when one of them -- I guess he was the leader or something, he was big and had a weird hat on -- stopped the others and said like ‘just wait, the blahdittyblah will get her and all the others when it comes’ and then they all sort of laughed and went away and it definitely didn’t sound of the good.”

Giles stared at her. “What type of demon did you say he mentioned?”

She bit her lip. “Umm...I can’t remember.”

He sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

“I was slaying!” she protested, stomping her foot and causing some green goop to splatter on the floor.

“Yes, yes, how about you go home and get cleaned up,” he turned to the others. “Start seeing if there are any rituals or apocalypses that need to be performed around this date.”

“Aye aye, Cap’n,” Xander saluted and turned, but Giles stopped him with a hand on his shoulder. “Xander, actually I have a different job for you.”

“You can rely on me, boss-man.”


~*~


DAMNIT!

Xander kicked a headstone and then desperately wished he hadn’t.

Why me?

He sighed and brushed the dust off his pants from his earlier vamp encounter.

I’m the last person he should send. I hate that undead creep! But of course he sends the Zeppo to go beg bleach-brain for answers. Damnit, I wish I had a moustache. People with moustaches are never sent to get information. They just stand around and sneer...

He stopped in front of the crypt, dull gray stone and shadows making him feel oddly chilled in the warm night. “Stupid Spike,” he grumbled, knocking on the door.

Why am I even knocking? I should just barge in. Actually, I don’t want to see what he does when no one’s watching.

The door opened with a creak and the vampire poked his head out. “Oh great, they sent you.”

Xander plastered a sickly sweet smile on his face. It made his stomach lurch. “And how’s our favorite Child of the Night doing?”

Said Child barked a laugh. “Still evil and loving it, mate.”

Xander dropped the act and sighed. “Spill what you know, blood breath.”

“Aren’t you going to come inside first?” He swung the door open and swept his arm dramatically.

Xander gritted his teeth and took a step inside the dark crypt. “There. I’m inside. We done?”

The vampire smirked and lit a cigarette. “Can’t say I’m real jealous of your demon bint, right now.”

Xander growled, “So sorry for that, can we finish here?” He really didn’t want to be here.

Spike shrugged. “What was it you needed again?” He grinned and watched as Xander turned red and barely restrained spitting and hissing.

He’s cute when he’s flustered. Soddin’ hell. Did I just think ‘cute’? I’m a bloody Master vampire, things aren’t cute.

“What’s this demon that’s coming to town and what do you know about it?” Xander asked, managing to keep his voice reasonably calm.

Dusting him won’t help, dusting him won’t help. Well, at least not for the impeding demon doom. For my own enjoyment, it’d be a kicker.

“Oh, the big monster,” Spike feigned realization. “The one that’s going to come and kill you all? The one that’s going to beat the Slayer’s bloody arse?”

Xander just barely restrained from wringing Spike’s pale neck and clenched his fists at his sides. “Yes, that one.”

“Never heard of it.”

Xander’s eyes bugged and before he knew it he had reached forward and grabbed Spike’s duster, yanking them chest to chest. Xander felt for the first time like he towered over the vampire. “Tell me. What. The fuck. It is.”

Spike’s cool blue eyes were wide in shock. He couldn’t help but be a bit impressed as he felt the tip of a stake digging into his chest. “Darklore,” he said after a moment. “Don’t know much about them or what they do. Don’t know when it’s coming except soon. Looking for some Chosen One or something.”

He stumbled back a few steps as Xander released him.

The door was swinging shut before he had time to recover. “What, no bloody ‘thanks?!’”

Long after the boy had left Spike’s finger stayed at the tiny bruise on his chest and his cock stayed hard in his pants.


~*~


Giles hadn’t known much about the race of demon either, so they did the research dance and learned a bit about Darklores.

“Erm...Let’s see, it says here that there are few Darklores left, but the ones alive are used for protection.”

“Do they come in different flavors and glow-in-the-dark?”

Giles glared at Xander. “This says that a human or demon will choose a Darklore to protect them from enemies, much like a bodyguard I’d presume. ‘Darklores are extremely faithful to their Masters and protect them with their life...’” He slid his finger down the page. “Aha. ‘When a Darklore chooses a human to be its’ offspring or Childe, it must first mark the human with the sign of its ancestry then perform a ritual where it takes the life of the human. The Chosen individual will then be reborn again as a Darklore that appears to be human, which its’ master will claim when it has reached the age of it’s previous death.’”

The group soaked this in and was quiet for a moment. “Why do they have to go through with the whole kill-and-be-reborn-again thing?” Willow asked. “Why can’t they just like, turn them into a demon the first time?”

“Darklores are simply born, not turned, like vampires,” replied Giles, setting down the book. “They are much different than other demons.”

“All the same to me,” said Buffy in her patented I-Am-The-Slayer-I-Rule-All Voice. “Dead, soulless, and evil.”

“Quite the contrary,” said Giles. “Darklores do, in fact, maintain their souls. It is necessary in order for them to differentiate what is good or bad for their Masters. They also have heartbeats and breathing patterns in order to blend in with their Masters, who are often human.”

Xander blinked. “Demon with a soul? Is it just me or is that becoming one giant nauseating deja-vu?”

“So...they aren’t evil?” Buffy asked, confused and not a bit shaken that her so-called invincible standards had been chipped.

“Buffy, many humans with souls have performed deeds a great deal worse than any demon could,” Giles said quietly. Buffy sort of stared into space.

“B-but, they aren’t evil by nature?” Tara asked timidly, in her usual place just behind Willow.

“No.” Giles assured her.

“Well that’s...good to know?” Xander looked around. “But I thought this guy coming to town was much of the bad?”

“It is,” said Giles. “Just because Darklores aren’t evil in nature doesn’t mean they don’t become cruel and domineering over the course of their existence, like anyone could. This one appears to hold a, erm, grudge against this particular town, for one reason or another.”

“Who doesn’t?” groaned Xander.

“You said Darklores have Masters,” said Anya sensibly. “Can’t we just tell this guy’s Master to stop him?”

“Apparently if a Darklore reaches a certain level of power he breaks free from the need of a Master and becomes one himself.”

“Lovely,” Xander contributed usefully.

“Wait...did this Darklore make a Childe?” Willow asked nervously.

Giles blinked. “Oh. I didn’t think of that.”

“And we wouldn’t be able to tell who it is, coming back looking human and all,” Buffy sighed. “This is starting to look pretty hopeless.”

“You said something about a ‘mark of ancestry’?” Willow asked again.

“Yes, indeed,” Giles began flipping through the book again. “Each Darklore is descended from one of the original seven. Each of the seven had their own particular sign, like a trademark. When a Darklore makes a Childe, the human is born with the sign of its predecessor imprinted somewhere on its body.”

“So we go through the entire town and ask people to strip for us to see if they have an ancient marking on their ass?” Buffy asked scornfully.

“Ooh! I call girl dorms!” Xander waved a hand in the air. Anya slapped him.

Giles sighed. “We’ll just have to come up with a list of candidates and eliminate each until we find the Childe. We must locate him before the Darklore does.”

The Scoobies were quiet for another minute then Buffy broke the silence by standing and announcing she had to get dinner for her and Dawn. The rest quickly agreed they had places to be and shuffled out of the Magic Box, certain they’d eventually find a way to stop the new trouble. They always did.


~*~


Xander had just finished the rest of the ice cream in his malfunctioning freezer and was seated firmly in front of the TV with a beer in his hand when he realized that before, in Spike’s crypt, the vampire had immediately told him the information after Xander had grabbed him, and hadn’t lied about a thing. That they knew of, at least.

Strange, Xander mused, sipping more lukewarm liquid and staring glassily at an old sitcom rerun. Then again, I’ve seen stranger.

Part Three

Xander woke to the unpleasant feeling of his covers being ripped off his body.

“Wha-?” He flailed around for the disappeared warmth.

“Xander, we need to talk.”

Xander blinked and stared up into the stern face of Anya. Not exactly what I wanted to see first thing in the morning -- er, early noon.

“Whu -- need to -- okay...” He decided just to agree with everything she said. Then she’d go away.

“We haven’t had sex in a week.”

He blinked again.

“What’s wrong with you?”

“What wrong with -- wait, huh?” It’s too early for this!

“Why haven’t we had sex in a week?”

Xander sighed and smoothed out his (thankfully, superhero-less) boxers. “It’s just...There’s been a lot going on lately...”

“You mean finding out you have no parents?”

Gotta love Anya Bluntness.

“Yeah, Ahn. It’s been kinda...unsexy for me.”

“Oh. Well as long as something isn’t really wrong.” She sat down beside him on the bed. “But...you sure you don’t want to have sex right now?”

Xander grinned. “My parents are right upstairs, Ahn. And it’s way too early.”

“It’s 12:15.”

“Exactly.”

She sighed. “Oh well.” She stood up and began to walk away, but stopped. “Oh yeah, Giles said to come to the Magic Box. He needs us to get started on looking for the Chosen guy.”

Xander nodded, “Okay, see you there.”

“Bye Xan,” she closed the door behind her.

Xander stared at the door for a while after she left. He felt bad lying to her.

But it’s sort of true. The adoption thing did come as a bit of a shock.

He sighed and began to pull on whatever smelled freshest.

And what else am I supposed to say? ‘Sorry Ahn, but I keep having these sexy dreams about the evil vampire we all hate.’ Yeah, that’d go over well. Best case scenario...she’d ask to have a threesome.

Xander shuddered.

And that’s just disturbing.


~*~


“We’ve narrowed the list down to a few dozen potential candidates,” Giles said when the Scoobies had all arrived. “We will split into groups and examine each one, and then we’ll return here to compare results.”

“What exactly are we looking for here?” Buffy asked, flicking specks of dirt off an axe blade.

“Here are pictures of the markings of the original seven Darklores. If you find anything resembling them on the person’s body then come immediately to me.”

He spread out a few papers between them. Xander snatched one up. “’Kay, I call the witches!” He grabbed onto Willow. “We will be searching all the females.”

Willow elbowed him, but was smiling, “Xander!”

“The people you will be inspecting are determined by their relation in walking distance to each other, not their gender,” Giles replied, casting an evil eye on Xander.

Ooh scary, English.

“Well, we best get going.”

Willow, Tara, and Xander set off in one direction and Buffy, Anya, and Giles in another.

“How’d Giles come up with this list anyways?” Asked Xander, peering down onto the thin stack of paper.

“Using the wonders of the internet,” beamed Willow.

“Ah. So in other words, you did everything.”

“Every last name. Although I haven’t had time to even go through them all, so who knows who’s on it.” Willow stared hard at their sheet. “Okay, first stop is on Elizabeth Street.”

“Oh, damnit,” Xander mumbled, stuffing his hand into his pockets.

Just my luck.

“What, Xander?” Tara asked, concerned.

“Nothing...just we have to go by his place.”

“Spike,” Willow said to Tara’s confused expression. “It’s not like he’ll even be awake, Xan.”

“Yeah, I guess.” Just the thought of him makes me so mad, for some reason. Oh well.

He glared at the cemetery as they trudged past it. Die, evil fiend!

They arrived at the first address, a modest house with a few overgrown weeds peeking around the bushes. “Um...you wanna knock?” Willow smiled sweetly at Xander.

He scowled. “That’s hardly a fair way of getting what you want,” he grumbled, stepping up to the door. “Stupid puppy dog eyes...”



By the fifth house they’d made absolutely no progress. Half the people had refused to let them in and the ones who did weren’t exactly keen on taking off their clothes in front of strangers. They also tended to give strange looks when asked if they had any odd markings on their body. One man, however, quickly began to show him all of his numerous tattoos. By the time he’d gotten to his lower abdomen the three were mumbling good-bye and scampering out the door.

“Giles is gonna be mad,” Willow whined. “We didn’t find anything out.”

“Well, let’s just see who else is on the list.” Xander grabbed the papers and flipped to a random page. He trailed his finger down the rows of unfamiliar names and addresses. “Seth Parks, Nancy Kramer, Mark Davis, Alexander Harris, Robert-”

He stopped at the intense stares focused on himself. “What?”

“Do you even know what you read?” Willow asked, very distressed.

“Um...actually I haven’t soaked in a word I’ve read since kindergarten. Nothing past then seemed important enough.”

Willow snatched back the paper. “Oh my God!” she cried, looking back up at him. “You’re on the list!”


~*~


Spike was on his second bottle before he noticed the boy outside his crypt. He had an odd heartbeat, a bit too fast like he was constantly waiting for something bad to happen.

Great, just what I need.

“Whad’ja want, whelp?” Spike slurred, ripping open the door.

“Uh. . .” The boy stared at his feet and shuffled them in the dirt.

Spike sighed tremendously and stepped outside, meaning to stomp right up to the boy and grab him by his collar, but finding himself with a nice view of the dirt patches surrounding his crypt instead. Really should cut this grass more often.

“Spike!” The vampire felt hands tugging him upward into a sitting position. He saw two Xanders lean down close to his face. “Are you okay?”

“’Course’m bloody okay! Why wouldn’t I be? I’m -- perfect!” He spit significantly on the first syllable of that word. Xander grimaced and wiped it off his face with the sleeve of his shirt.

“Yes. I can see how perfect you are. So how about you get your perfect ass up here and we can talk about your perfect information.” More of those hands pulling him upwards, and wasn’t this just a fun night?

“Think my arse is perfect, do you?” Spike leered then realized he was leering at a headstone. He readjusted his leer-aimer and pointed it at Xander. Leer!

“. . .That might be insulting if you weren’t smiling at a naked stone angel.”

Spike twisted towards the voice. Damn alcohol-impaired senses.

“Anyways,” Xander seemed to have recovered from whatever had had him worried before. “Are you sure you don’t know anything more about the Darklore?”

“No! I’ve told you all I bloody know and still you lot come begging for more. Sheesh, can’t a bloke get a break?” Spike stumbled toward his crypt door. And he might be more accurate with his stumbling and his leering if the world would stop that stupid spinning trick.

Once again, strong hands caught him before he got another nose-full of dirt. “Yeah, I think you need a little help there.”

“Don’t need your bloody help! M’fine!” But before he knew it, Spike was being guided through the door and settled onto his couch. Not so bad, actually. Could get used to this.

“Alright, I’ll just tell them you don’t know anything.” Spike watched through slitted eyes as Xander ran a trembling hand through his hair. What’s this? “Now, what’s you your knickers all in a twist? Something to do with your parents, yeah?”

Xander glanced down at him. “My parents? No. For once. It’s just. . .nothing.” The boy seemed ready to say more but didn’t, and turned and walked out of the crypt. Spike stared after him for a moment before settling back down and closing his eyes. Whatever. Not my problem.

Part Four

“Xander, please remove your shirt.”

...

Excuse me? Did I hear that right? Did Giles really just ask me to strip in the middle of the Magic Box?

“Xander, did you hear me?”

Yes, yes I think he did.

“Forgive me for asking this, but say what?” Xander took a defensive step back. I’d really like to stay fully clothed today. Which is usually the opposite of my philosophy but I think I’ll make an exception in any cases where Giles is involved.

“Xander. Remove your shirt.”

“Really, I love you like a brother, G-Man, or maybe like a father ‘cuz your kinda old, but still, I really don’t think of you that way.” Xander was almost to the door.

Giles let out a pained sigh and scrubbed his glasses furiously. “Xander, I need to inspect you to see if the Darklore’s mark is anywhere on your body. This is very important.”

Well at least he’s not trying to get into my pants.

“Wait. . .anywhere on my body?” Xander asked nervously.

Giles sighed again, though there was a faint reddish tint around his ears. “I seriously doubt I will need to inspect, erm, anywhere below the waist.”

“Well, that’s a relief.”

“But I will be happy to inspect Xander’s groin!” Anya chimed in cheerfully. Buffy snorted.

“Why thank you Anya, that is very helpful,” Xander replied, a bit red around the ears himself now.

“Anyways,” Giles coughed. “Please remove your--”

“Yeah, yeah I got it, G-Man,” Xander pulled off his shirt. There was a round of applause from the girls at the table and one interested glance from a male customer shopping for newts’ eyes. Eep!

“Yes, very well. How about we take this into the back room,” Giles quickly herded him through the door. Xander saw Dawn wink at him out of the corner of his eye. Oh! Dirty girl!

Xander evaded a mountain of boxes. “Please, be gentle!” He held out a limp wrist and turned his head away. Giles gave him a withering glare.

He let Giles scan his chest, wishing it wasn’t so cool in the back room, and turned around so the man could see his back. “Any ancient markings I should know about?”

“No, there doesn’t appear to be a–”

Xander waited. “A what?”

“Hold on,” he heard Giles shift a little nearer.

“Hey, getting a little close there buddy,” Xander warned.

“There appears to be. . .” Xander suddenly felt the waistband of his jeans being pulled away.

“Eek!” Xander slapped Giles’ hand away and turned his back away from him. “What do you think you’re doing, mister?!”

“Xander! There’s some sort of symbol on your lower back.” Giles informed him angrily. “I would never try to -- ‘get in your pants,’ as you children so eloquently put it, although–” he frowned. “I suppose I was technically trying to get into your–”

“You know what, forget it.” Xander sighed and turned around, yanking his jeans down so they stopped just above the crease of his ass. “Look away. See if I care.”

“Very well, then.” There was a pause then Giles mumbling to himself. After a moment, the man stood back up. “Thank you very much. I believe I now know what we’re looking for.”

“You sure? You don’t need me to flash you a bit, too?” Xander called after him. “Maybe do little dance?”

“I’m afraid that won’t be necessary,” Giles replied.

“Yeah, I bet you are,” Xander grumbled to himself. He pulled his shirt back on as Giles walked out of the room. “Stupid Watchers and their. . .watching.”


~*~


Willow slammed the book down on the table and everyone’s head looked up at the surprisingly violent action from the usually so quiet girl. “Found it!” The redhead called out triumphantly.

Giles hurried to her, reading over her shoulder. “Yes, I believe this is it,” he murmured. Willow practically glowed. “Xander, come here.”

Xander looked up from the tower of pencils he was building. This better be good.

“Drop your pants please.”

“God, G-Man, warn a guy first!” But Xander obediently turned around and slid his pants down a fraction. Again, a burst of applause from his loyal audience. Thankfully it was nighttime and the store was closed, so all the people had gone home. All the sane ones at least. He glanced around at his sleep-deprived zombie-like friends.

“Yes, this is definitely the marking.” Xander pulled his pants up again.

“How did I not notice a marking on my own skin?” Xander asked, twisting his head around to see. He did a fairly good impression of a dog chasing its tail before getting dizzy and having to sit down for a moment.

“For the exact reason you just demonstrated for us,” Giles replied, smiling amusedly. “Also, it could have easily been mistaken for a birthmark.”

“But how did I not see it in the mirror?” . . . “Not that I stare at my ass in the mirror or anything.”

“It’s barely detectable, just a faint imprint on the flesh. There’s not any type of ink.”

“How did I not notice it?” Anya asked suddenly.

“. . .Not that she was looking at me from behind much, either.” Xander was beginning to find this conversation very awkward.

“Except for that one time--”

“That’s really enough now, Anya,” Xander interrupted loudly, cheeks burning. How was I supposed to know what she meant by ‘experiment?’

Ignoring the looks from the rest of the girls, Xander bravely plowed on. “So Giles, what does the marking mean anyways?”

“It is indeed the sign of a Darklore.” Giles polished his glasses.

Five pairs of jaws dropped.

“What?!” Buffy cried. “Xander is a demon?”

“Yes, it appears so,” Giles replied coolly.

“But – how did I not sense it?”

“He hasn’t been claimed yet. He is still human by all rights until the Darklore who killed him comes to claim him.”

“So. . .we kill the Darklore and Xander goes on being human?” Willow asked hopefully.

“I’m afraid not. Terminating Xander’s Sire will in turn, also kill him.”

Xander still hadn’t grasped what the Watcher had originally said. “You mean -- I -- There’s a--”

After which, he promptly passed out.


~*~


Spike took another drag from his cigarette, dully throbbing head still cradled in one hand. The last dredges of the terrible hangover were just beginning to wear off, and where else did he go to celebrate but Willy’s. It was an especially slow crowd tonight; only a few lonely vamps hung around the dusty bar. Most others seemed to sense that something was coming.

Oh, I sense it all right. Something big and bad and terrible. Will probably cause mass-murder and bloody mayhem.

Spike was ecstatic.

Let’s see the Scoobies escape this.

Maybe he would make acquaintances with this big baddy.

...

Just after this hangover went away.


~*~


“Get him some water!”

“Another pillow, Giles!”

“Where’s that ice, Buffy?”

Xander opened one bleary eye. “Mmphg?”

“Mphrg mmrg mmphrgm.”

...

“What? He said ‘Where are the potatoes?’ in Mr’phg.”

Ah yes. Anya is making so sense. I must be back in the real world.

“Ugh. Water.” That doesn’t mean I can’t play this up for all it’s worth.

A glass of cool liquid rested against his lips. After a few long gulps, he coughed and finally sat up. “What happened?”

“Giles told us you’re a demon.”

“Anya! Do you want him to faint again?”

“I did not faint!” Xander protested. “Fainting is for girls! I was. . .momentarily conscious-impaired.”

“Yeah, okay. So, before you collapsed like a little girl, Giles was telling us how we could stop the Darklore from claiming you.” Buffy summarized.

“Yes, of course.” Giles picked up a heavy book, flipping a few pages. “I believe, the only way to stop the demon from claiming Xander as his Childe is. . .to let him.”

...

“Yeah, not seeing the great plan here, G-Man.”

“No, you see, Xander will have to be claimed to keep on surviving. When he reaches the age of his previous death, he must become a Darklore or he will perish. He does not, however, have to stay in the command of the demon that turned him.”

“I’m listening. . .”

Giles cleared his throat. “All Darklores need a Master, someone whom they will protect with their life, and in return gain infinite care and guidance from. Darklores and their Masters form a very strong bond, that is only broken once either of them dies or a mutual agreement that a new Master is needed has been reached. Usually, a fledgling Darklore’s first Master will be the Darklore who sired it, though this isn’t always the case. If the Sire has perished or is unable to care for its offspring, the new Darklore will be adopted by a human or other creature to be its Master. It is considerably harder for the fledgling Darklore, without its Sire to teach it about its new demon state, but it isn’t impossible.”

The group soaked that in for a moment.

“So, what you’re saying. . .” Xander started. “Is that I need this Darklore to claim me and help me turn into a full demon, then you guys will kill it and. . .find me a new. . .Master?” Xander could barely bring himself to say the words. It sounded so. . .bondage-y.

“Yes, that is the shorthanded version,” Giles replied.

“Oh. That’s--” Xander suddenly felt very light-headed.

“Giles! He’s fainting again!”

“Somebody get the pillow!”

Part Five

Xander was trembling, and not because of the imaginary chill in the air. They’d been reading up all week as much as they could about Darklores and their habits and Claiming rituals. Giles had said that there were seven types of Darklores, and less than a hundred in each category. They all had the same basic principles of protecting their Masters and such, but they had different physical characteristics depending on where their ancestors lived.

Apparently the marking on Xander’s back was the symbol for ‘air.’ Whatever the hell that meant. Xander had checked it out in the mirror the night after his passing-out fiasco, and discovered what looked like three elongated sideways Z’s on his lower back. Upon closer examination he came to the conclusion that he appeared to have been branded. Yes, like a cow. Wasn’t this just getting more fun every minute?

As for the other aspects of his about to be newly-demonized self, they needed to find him a ‘Master.’ Eep! Of course the first candidate would be Anya, but Giles had said she wasn’t fit to be a Master, on account of the way she tended to. . .use people for her own intentions. Which weren’t always exactly the good moral things they should be.

Willow was Xander’s second choice, but again, Giles had said she wasn’t right. She just didn’t have the passion for dominance that was needed. Which ruled our Tara, also.

‘Buffy is dominant!’ Xander had exclaimed. But of course Giles had to find something wrong with that too. Apparently it was written in the Demon Handbook or whatever that Slayers can’t have a Darklore as their protector and can’t be the Master of one.

Which left Giles. Who assured him that he most definitely would not make a good Master for Xander, and that was all Xander needed to hear to agree. There was just something way too weird about that picture.

So he was a human that was about to be not human who had to have a Master but didn’t. Xander’s life sure wasn’t what he’d expected it to turn out to be when he met Buffy that first day.

Anyways. On the whole Darklore issue. That was why Xander was standing in the middle of the cemetery this fine night. They had traced Xander’s death in his previous life down to this day. This was the night that he was going to die by the hand (or claw) of a demon.

He suddenly wished he’d gone to pee before he came out here.


~*~


Spike inhaled the warm night air and surveyed the full, cheery moon. Great night for killing, he decided.

Might as well take a sweep around the cemetery. Not like I have anything better to do. And it’s not like I’m actually helping the Slayer by killing demons. I’m just doing it for fun. So actually, I’m defying her yet. Me, a demon, enjoying myself on her watch. Ha. Take that, Decency.

Spike strode confidently towards the headstones and promptly spotted the Harris boy slouching awkwardly against a large marble cross. None of his fellow Scoobies were in sight.

What’s this? A lone white knight? Now what could he be doing by himself in a cemetery on such a lovely night for slaughter? Perhaps. . . An evil grin curled the corners of Spike’s mouth upwards. He did always seem to fancy me a bit, yeah? Starin’ at me a little too long, arguing with me just to have a conversation. And I won’t even get into the whole bondage scene in his basement. Yeah, he’s just begging for it.

With a slight skip in his step, Spike began walking towards the nervous boy.

I just love crushing hopes.


~*~


Xander heard a noise behind him and jumped a foot into the air. He spun around, heart pounding erratically. Oh shit. I don’t want to die!

A smirking bleached vampire lounged against a headstone, looking quite pleased with himself. Xander breathed a loud sigh of relief. “Oh, Spike, it’s only you.”

The smug grin slipped right off the vampire’s face. “Only Spike? I’ve heard myself called a lot of things in my time, whelp, but none of them was ‘only.’” Spike scowled at him.

Xander rolled his eyes. I have much more important things to worry about than a self-centered vampire right now. Like when the demon that’s supposed to turn me is going to show up.

“Go away, Spike. I’m busy waiting for someone who’s actually scary.”

Spike frowned and blinked as if thinking this over. Then his shoulders dropped a fraction of an inch, before the conceited grin blossomed back onto his lips and he shrugged. “Sure. Make sure you tell the guy behind you to shove off, too.”

It was Xander’s turn to frown. “Guy behind–”

!!!

A strong hand suddenly gripped the back of his shirt and yanked him backwards. Xander coughed and flailed his arms, trying desperately to free himself of the powerful grasp. Xander was then treated to an upside down view of what he presumed was going to be, if Buffy and them didn’t pull through, his new Master.

An upside down smile stretched across the face. “Hey baby.”


~*~


Spike was about to turn on his heel and leave (how dare the whelp say ‘only’) when he realized that the large man standing behind Xander was in fact going to capture him. He turned around to see the boy being dragged over and pressed against the side of a crypt. Then the large man leaned forward to talk to Xander, who didn’t appear to be enjoying his imprisonment all that much.

Don’t see what he’s complaining about. The bloke’s a bit of a looker.

Under other circumstances Spike might have felt compelled to screw the daylights out of him. ‘Other circumstances’ meaning the man wouldn’t have chosen Xander as a boy to take home. Obviously the man must be under a heavy alcoholic influence or just plain daft. Anyone with ears would know Xander was most definitely not a fine choice. Now, if Spike could cut those vocal strings. . .

During his mental dialogue Spike had failed to notice just how close the man was getting to Xander, until a muffled squeak brought his eyes back to the scene. Bloody hell! The man was kissing Xander!

Real, tongue-action, mouth-raping, kissing! And judging by the aromas drifting his direction, the boy wasn’t taking it too badly. I don’t know if I should save him or congratulate him.

Then the man’s mouth drifted to Xander’s neck and Spike could clearly see him mouth ‘I’m sorry’ into the soft flesh there. Spike’s eyes widened as fangs suddenly grew in the man’s mouth and punctured the skin. Xander’s terrified howl echoed over the cemetery.

Oh, sodding hell. The boy can’t get snogged without someone trying to off him. Spike sighed and slid into game face. Might as well help him. Slayer would kick my arse bloody well if I let him get drained right before me. And the whelp might even be thankful enough to repay me a bit. Shame to let that hard-on go to waste, as it is.

Spike leaped over a headstone and reached out to grab the demon’s shirt, pulling a stake out of his pocket. The demon turned to face him, lips cherry red, and Spike suddenly realized that this wasn’t a vampire. There were no ridges on this man’s forehead.

Uh. . .

The not-vampire growled and the sound of fabric splitting reached Spike’s ears.

“Well, shit.”


~*~


Xander had found himself thrown uselessly against the wall of a crypt, then had his personal space very much violated.

Ah! Man tongue! There’s man tongue in my mouth!

And when the stranger had pulled away from him, leaving Xander gasping and about to cry out for help, he had leaned forward and whispered in his ear. “I’m sorry that I could not have a proper Claiming ceremony for you, Alexander, but there is simply no time. I hope you understand.”

Then he had dropped his head to Xander’s neck and, after mouthing another apology, slid fangs into his flesh. Needless to say Xander screamed like a girl, hoping Buffy would hurry up when the mouth was suddenly ripped away from his shoulder. Xander opened his eyes to see a very surprised Spike holding a stake in one hand like a little girl might hold a lollipop.

“Well, shit.”

The larger demon smacked the piece of wood out of Spike’s hands. “How dare you interrupt the Claiming ritual,” the demon who held Xander growled.

“Uh. . .right. . .” Spike just stood there blinking, not really sure what to do.

Come on, Spike!

“Now leave before I kill you!” The demon barked, and for the first time Xander noticed the shirt slipping off his captor’s chest. And then he saw the large black leathery wings unfurling behind him.

Ho-ly fuck.

Spike blinked comically at the dragon-like wings. “Erm. Right, then. Nice meeting you, luv.” He turned and fled in the opposite direction.

Damnit!

Xander’s fear returned with a vengeance as the dark head turned back to face him. “Now then,” he sunk his teeth deep into Xander’s shoulder and within a few painful moments, Xander was floating through a dark, dark tunnel.

Part Six

Spike waited until he saw Xander go limp in the demon’s arm before getting ready to attack. He had tried to time it perfectly so as soon as the creature’s fangs were removed from Xander’s neck, he would catch him by surprise. He hadn’t anticipated the demon knowing his exact plan, however.

“Oof!” Spike ran right into a wall of leathery skin and fell backward. Then demon had thrust out a wing at the last moment.

“You do not have the most thought out plans, do you?” the demon grinned from above him. Spike snarled and scrambled to his feet, but during the short time it took his to prepare for another attempt at an attack, blood already flowed from a new gash in the demon’s arm into Xander’s open mouth. Spike watched with mounting horror as the boy reflexively swallowed.

Bloody hell, no!

But his vicious assault was again blocked effortlessly. “It is no use, vampire. It has already been premeditated, long before you knew him.”

Spike shook his head in confusion and panic. The whelp’s been turned! Where will I get my free beer from?!

Xander’s body suddenly convulsed and rippled like pond water, jaw clacking dreadfully, before finally settling down and lying still in the demon’s arms. Spike felt a sort of great disappointment. It somehow seemed a shame for the brave boy to end like this.

“Well, we best get going. Much to do before he begins his training.” The demon turned to leave, slinging Xander over his shoulder. I go to all that trouble to save him, and now I have no whelp and a cut in my duster. He fingered the cut sadly. Suddenly a loud blast sounded from the other end of the cemetery and the demon froze in his tracks. The boy fell from his shoulder and the demon crashed to the ground, wings crumpling uselessly. There was the fuzzy end of a dart protruding from his right shoulder.

What the hell?

Spike turned to see Buffy squatting behind a gravestone and reloading a crossbow, the rest of the gang crouched down behind her. Never thought I’d be happy to see that lot.

“It’s too late,” Spike called. “He’s already been turned.”

“We know,” Buffy replied, standing up after she’d shot the winged demon a second time. “That was the plan.”

Spike watched in bewilderment as the Scoobies rushed over to gather the fallen Xander and place him in their car. “Excuse me?”

Buffy sighed, sliding into the passenger seat. “Get in, bleach brain. We’ll explain on the way.”


~*~


Xander woke to what appeared to be Hangoverzilla.

Unghhh. Why does it feel like a gang of those toy monkeys with the cymbals is having band practice inside my head?

He attempted to move his arm then instantly abandoned that effort.

What did I do last night? And why didn’t someone stop me?

“Harris?” A voice above him asked.

Ah! No! Loud noises!

“Uh, I think he’s awake.” Xander finally recognized the voice. Oh shit. I’m in hell aren’t I? I’m sorry God, for whatever I did! Damnit, I knew I shouldn’t have watched that Paris Hilton video! It was Anya’s idea I swear!

There was a soft poke in his ribs. “Whelp?”

Xander felt like biting the finger off. And I would if I could move my teeth. But even they ache.

Xander bravely opened one bleary eye. A fuzzy disoriented Spike came into view.

“Watcher, get over here! Your boy’s awake!” Spike called. Xander’s eardrums screamed in protest.

“Ughh. . .”

“Lovely, Harris. You’re so articulate when you’re unconscious.”

“Unnngghhh. . .”

“Mm hm.”

“Fughhh yughh.”

“Why Xander, watch your tongue. If i didn’t know any better I would have thought you said--”

“I believe that quite enough, Spike.”

Yay, Giles.

“Please stop taunting Xander and return to your. . .evilness.”

Go G-Man.

“And Xander, I’d really appreciate if you stopped calling me that in your mind. I can tell by your smirk.”

Whoa, freaky mind-reading powers.

Giles pressed a glass of water to Xander’s lips and he drank it enthusiastically. Once his vision had cleared and the throbbing in his head had gone down some, Xander glanced around to see that he was lying on Giles’ couch and could hear the girls puttering around in the kitchen like it was happening in his head, even though they was across the room. Bright light streamed through the window.

The night before came back to him in a rush. The demon catching him and shoving him against the wall, Spike stepping in to save him then chickening out, and the last thing he remembered, the demon sucking on his neck. He instinctively brought a hand up to his neck and felt a thick bandage there.

Ouch.

So what had happened? Had Buffy stepped in at the last moment and saved him. Or
had. . .

Xander’s heart jumped.

Had he been turned?

“Giles?” Xander suddenly spoke up, his voice sounding hoarse. The man jumped.

“Yes, Xander?”

“Did I – How – What happened?” Xander’s brow furrowed and Giles quickly reached for his glasses.

“Well. . .everything went according to plan.”

‘According to plan.’ Oh.

“But. . .I don’t really feel any different. Except that like my body just went through a blender.”

“Yes, well, Darklores do retain their heartbeat and breathing patterns. I doubt you’ll feel much different unless you switch to your demonic form.” And the hem was just flying over that glass now.

“Oh. . .”

Demonic form? Shit.

“So, uh, the Darklore is dead now?” Really don’t feel like we needed a second date.

“Yes, Buffy killed him last night.”

“Good.”

“I doubt you’ll be saying that in a little while.”

Xander looked at him strangely. “What do you mean?”


~*~


Once the full body ache had worn off and Xander was feeling like his old self again, he began to figure out what Giles had meant. It started out like a toothache.

Giles had deemed him ready to return home after a few nights of intense care spent on his guest bed. Darklores didn’t need to drink blood or anything, unless as an energy booster or during a Claiming ritual, so he didn’t have to begin any strange new habits for the demon or anything.

After a few days of feeling absolutely nothing different about himself, Xander was beginning to feel optimistic about this. Maybe Giles had been wrong. Maybe killing his Sire had stopped him from turning into a demon. Maybe none of this had ever really happened.

Then the urges started kicking in. They were just instinctive impulses at first, like stepping in front of Buffy when a vampire was lunging at her, or positioning himself between Willow and the suspicious-looking guy next to her in the line at the supermarket. He didn’t really think much of them at the time, except that they seemed like the right thing to do.

Then the ache started. It was dull, like a mild craving for chocolate. Only instead of candy, Xander found himself craving company. He began to spend more time with the girls and Giles, and it got to the point where they were tired of his constant companionship. They started to avoid him.

Then the anger started. It first came in an inexplicable burst at something stupid like a video game. And then he was really pissed and found it aimed at Buffy. He found himself wishing that she hadn’t killed that demon after all; that she’d let him live so he could teach Xander about what he was going through and what to expect. Maybe even keep him company.

Giles said this was natural for a fledgling Darklore. Great, Xander thought bitterly. I don’t have to deal with sunlight bursting me into flames, just never-ending loneliness.

“It’s time,” Giles said one afternoon while Xander was feeling particularly crappy, “That we found you a proper Master.”

“Don’t want a ‘proper Master,’” Xander grumbled, “Just don’t see what was wrong with the first one I had.” He shot a death ray at Buffy who shook her head incredulously.

“You were practically begging me to kill him before!” She exclaimed. Xander was about to reply but Giles held up a hand.

“That is quite enough. Xander, your Sire would have caused us nothing but trouble and would have trained you to work for evil. We are going to find you a suitable Master that will give you the correct attention.”

Great, now I’m a dog. No, dogs get to poop anywhere they want. I’m restricted to the toilet. I am now less than a dog.

“Woof,” Xander muttered crossly. Everyone stared at him.

“Anyways,” Giles coughed. “Who would be a possible candidate? Someone who we are sure wouldn’t hurt Xander and would have ample time to spend with him. Obviously someone who is aware of demons and such, and would be fine with the idea of being a Master.”

The door burst open and a flurry of heavy blankets and black leather scampered through it. The blanket fell in a heap to the ground and Spike pushed his wild hair back to its original shape. “Bloody hell it’s hot out there!”

Buffy rose to protest the vampire’s appearance but Spike silenced her with a stern pointing finger. “Sit.”

She sat. Grudgingly.

Xander watched the exchange with wide eyes, his gaze quickly becoming adoring as he recognized the dominance in Spike’s posture.

“Now,” Said the vampire. “Anyone got anything else to say?”

...

“Woof!”

Part Seven

“What?!” Buffy yelped.

“Well, it does make a bit of sense. A very, very small bit.” Giles said dryly.

Willow just stared at him, wide-eyed.

Xander continued to stare at Spike across the store. He was leaning over to pick up his fallen lighter. Damn, when did his ass become so sexy? Well, when did I start to think of his ass as sexy, is more like it. “Hm? You say something?”

Willow followed his gaze and her face became even redder, if that was possible. “Xander!” She squeaked. “A-are you sure you really want that? I mean, I thought you hated Spike!”

He shrugged. “It’s not that I don’t still hate him. It’s that he’s obviously the perfect guy for the job.” He was still gazing lovingly at the bleached vampire and Willow found herself having to look away.

Buffy was still in shock. “What?! Xander, you can’t be serious! I mean it’s Spike! A vampire! Not to mention someone you’ve hated for like, ever. He’s evil, Xander!”

“Yeah, but he can’t hurt me,” Xander protested. “Not with the chip.”

“Even though Xander’s a demon now?” Willow asked, furrowing her brow.

“I believe the chip only differentiates humans from demons by a heartbeat and pulse. The Initiative obviously wasn’t thinking of the few exceptions to the demon rules,” Giles replied, slightly smug that he knew something a government project hadn’t.

“See? And he’d make a great Master! He’s already all dominating and powerful and. . .intense. . .What?” He glanced at the speechless face surrounding him. “Well, he is!”

“I think you’re in love with him,” Buffy said, awed.

“I am not!” He snapped, cheeks flushing bright red.

“Giles, what’s happening to him?” Buffy pleaded.

“Xander, you’ve been feeling very protective of people lately, haven’t you?” Giles asked.

Xander nodded. “Yup. Almost bit that kid’s head off who ran over Willow's foot with a skateboard.”

Willow looked at him strangely. “Xander, he was on the other side of the street.”

“Yeah, well it was close.” Xander was getting very distracted from this discussion by the way Spike was biting his lip as he furiously tried to get his lighter to ignite.

Buffy snapped in front of his face. “Hey! Lover-boy! Get back to the conversation. We’re trying to figure out why you’ve gone insane-o on us.”

“Not insane, Buffy,” Giles reprimanded. “He’s just following his basic instincts.”

Yes. And my basic instincts are telling me to go roll over at Spike's feet.

“However,” Giles added. “We must make sure you make the correct choice.”

“My choice is fine, thank you.”

“Excuse me?!” Buffy exclaimed. “You want to become the property of William the Bloody!”

Spike’s head turned quickly in their direction. “What? I heard my name!”

“Nothing!” The group replied in unison.

The vampire’s eyes narrowed. He slunk towards the table. “Nothing, eh? Well that doesn’t sound suspicious.” He glanced around at the faces. “Come now, spill it!”

Giles sighed, wearily rubbing his temples. “Well, as you know, Xander has been, erm, ‘reawakened’ as a Darklore.”

“Yeah. It’s old news, Harris.” Spike sneered at him. Xander’s face fell. Spike blinked in confusion.

What? Where’s the snappy comeback?

“Do you know what a Darklore is, exactly, Spike?” Giles asked him. The vampire shrugged. “Not really, ‘cept what you lot have told me.”

“Well, they are protectors by nature. Sort of like a permanent bodyguard, except a bit more. . .intimate. Like a Sire and his Childe, I’d presume.”

Spike nodded slowly the last sentence. “’Kay. Guess I get it.”

“Yes, well, Xander here needs, erm, someone to. . .look after.” Giles finished awkwardly. “He won’t survive very long without a bond of that form.”

Whoa, excuse me? Won’t survive very long? When exactly were you planning on telling me this, Giles? Xander shifted uncomfortably at this new information.

“Right. So what’s this got to do with me?” Spike flicked the ashes off the end of his cigarette and Xander could see Giles turning red.

“Ahem,” the Watcher coughed irritably. “We’ve deemed none of us a
proper candidate to be Xander’s. . .Master.”

Once again, Spike’s eyes narrowed to dangerous slits. “And what exactly do you mean by ‘us?’”

“Anya, Buffy, Willow, Tara, most certainly not Dawn, or myself.”

There was an expectant silence as Spike ran those names over in his head.

“Wait a minute. . .”


~*~


“No!” Spike snarled, turning his head away from the girl. “For the last time, I will not be that boy’s bloody keeper!”

“But you’d be perfect for it,” Buffy whined. She’d finally come around at the threat of Giles pretending to be considering giving Xander to Dawn. “And you’d be a Master vampire again!”

“Only a fake one!” Spike barked a laugh. “And like I’d even need the whelp’s help protecting myself. You should be protecting him from me!”

“Yeah, ‘cuz falling down in pain whenever you pinch him is really scary.” Buffy grabbed his arm. “Besides, if a human tried to hurt you there would be nothing you could do to stop it.” She shook her head, not noticing Spike’s face as she hit a very raw nerve.

Bloody hell I was hoping they wouldn’t think of that. Now I get to be pitied. Hoo-bloody-rah.

“And he’s not really bad looking,” Buffy offered with a sheepish grin.

Yeah, like you’ve ever noticed.

Spike felt like growling at her. But still, maybe there was something to this Master idea. After all, I deserve to boss someone around for a bit. And I do still have to get back at him for tying me to that chair.

Buffy continued grinning.

And he isn’t that bad looking.

She kept grinning.

“Oh, bloody hell.”


~*~


“So. . .how does this work again?” Xander asked nervously. I still can’t believe he said yes!

Giles sighed tiredly. “It’s still the same as the last twelve times I told you.”

“I know, I just want to make sure I do it right!” He glanced over at Spike who was standing nervously off to the side. They were in Giles’ basement and the girls were upstairs.

“It’s very simple, Xander. You two exchange blood then Spike will write a symbol in his blood on top of the Darklore mark on your back.”

“So there’s no specific symbol then?” Spike asked suddenly from the corner. Xander nearly jumped at his voice; he’d been uncharacteristically quiet the whole time.

“No, it can be anything you wish, although people usually write their name or a symbol that would represent them, as to let other people know who see the mark that they are their Master’s.”

“Right then. Symbolic marking.” Spike raised a brow in thought.

Oh no.

“Um. . .I really could do without any word over a PG rating, and anything phallus-shaped.”

Spike smirked at the last one. Hee. I made him smile. Kinda.

Xander wasn’t sure why he had recently become obsessed with Spike. Giles said it was because he recognized the dominance in the vampire and was naturally drawn to it. Which explained why he had started to make small talk with demons they were trying to slay and was beginning to become more interested in those mild bondage toys Anya had insisted they buy.

Speaking of Anya (and toys), the girl had recently broken up with him. She wanted to live a fully normal human life and having a demon boyfriend that was owned by a punk vampire didn’t really live up to those standards. Xander hadn’t taken it too hard, though; he’d already moved onto bigger and blonder things.

“Okay then. . .” Giles said nervously. “I suppose I’ll leave you to it.” He patted Xander on the shoulder and shuffled up the stairs.

Leaving Xander alone. With Spike.

If we don’t hurry up I’m going to pee my pants.

And wow, I’m becoming more like a dog every day. Woof.

Spike awkwardly stepped up to him. “Um. Might as well get started then.”

Xander nodded, gulping. Spike bit his lip like he’d been doing with the lighter and Xander had to smile at the expression.

Think he’d kill me if I thought he was cute?

Spike saw it and his eyebrows crept toward his hairline, but he returned a small smile.

Xander’s heart did a little backflip that earned a 10.0 on the judges’ board.

“Anyways,” Spike cleared his throat and looked away for a moment. Xander sighed and rolled his eyes. Okay, this is getting ridiculous.

“Here.” He unbuttoned his shirt halfway and pulled it away from his neck. The wound from the Darklore had long healed (due to his nifty magic-demon-healing-power-thingies) and faded. Spike’s eyes flickered yellow at the exposed neck and Xander felt a little shiver travel down his spine.

I guess he likes that.

Spike shifted to game face and Xander felt his pants get a bit too tight.

I guess I like that.

Spike stepped closer, so much so that their chests were nearly brushing. He suddenly lifted a hand and pushed Xander’s chin up. “You still sure you want this, whelp?”

It sounded to Xander like he wanted to say something other than ‘whelp.’

He nodded.

Spike searched his face for a moment then grinned, fangs and golden eyes and ridges making that already creepy expression almost terrifying. “Well, good on you.”

He turned and sunk his fangs into the side of Xander’s neck.

Part Eight

Spike held both of Xander’s arms tightly in his grip. The boy jerked and braced himself for the pain.

But it didn’t come.

Another demon perk? Immunity to pain?

Xander peaked open his eyes and glanced over. Spike hadn’t even bitten him yet. At the fear of another painful encounter with fangs, Xander had just imagined it. Actually, Spike was just sort of. . .sucking on Xander's neck. . .and. . .ugh, licking it. . .and. . .oh god. . .

Xander let out a gasp as Spike sucked harder on his flesh, bringing his blood close to the surface.

Oh fuck. He does realize what this is doing to me, right?

Xander’s already tight pants became even more uncomfortable as Spike continued to nibble on his neck. Just little nips; nothing that would even break the surface yet. Xander’s hand reached out to seize Spike’s duster and involuntarily pulled him closer. He thought he felt the vampire grin against his neck. “Like that then, Harris?”

Xander blinked and refused to look down at himself and witness his own body’s betrayal. “Um, well, it isn’t terrible.”

Spike snorted. “I’m sure it’s not.” Then he blew over the wet flesh and continued to tease it. Xander let out an almost inaudible moan at the burst of cool air. This was quickly becoming quite a dilemma. Because if Spike didn’t stop doing that –

“Oh!” Xander’s whole body jerked as Spike’s fangs suddenly pierced his skin. Only it wasn’t like the pain from before, with the Darklore. Spike was making sure to be careful and slow and – wait a minute, how did his hand get down there?

Xander tried not to squeak as he realized one of Spike’s hands had found its way down Xander’s side and was now gently cupping his ass. Okay, I can honestly say I wasn’t expecting that. Not that I’m complaining! It’s just – wow! He sure hits those bases fast!

Xander felt a very erotic pulling sensation start in his neck and he shivered as it twisted its way down his body. Although a good portion of blood was escaping the pull and quickly moving lower. It was like a tug of war of sensations in Xander’s middle.

“Ah,” he breathed as Spike moved closer and began to draw on Xander’s blood a little harder. Xander could now distinctly feel Spike’s own enjoyment of this little exchange against his leg and the pressure of his hand on his ass increased. Xander gulped and his breathing quickened as Spike moaned against his neck. When the vampire pulled away he stopped Xander before he protested.

“Gonna get out of control if I take any more.” Already his eyes were looking wilder. A faint pink flush caused his usually pale skin to glow slightly. “Your turn now.”

Xander nodded, feeling a bit light-headed. “Yeah, okay.” Spike let his duster slide to the floor and unbuttoned his own shirt. Xander gulped as more and more pale skin was revealed. Spike apparently wasn’t one to go halfway. He threw his shirt and t-shirt to the ground beside his duster.

Xander discreetly readjusted himself in his jeans (though not discreetly enough, judging by Spike’s grin) and stepped closer. “Okay. . .What should I do?”

Spike flipped a handy dandy pocket knife out of his jeans (I didn’t know vampires could be boy scouts) and slit a thin line along his wrist. Xander stared at it as blood, unusually dark against the pallor of his skin, welled up to the surface.

Lately, Xander had been feeling these really weird things going on with his teeth and back, usually when he was fighting or watching porn. After about the second time he’d realized that it was his demon face trying to show up. And that just terrified Xander, so he tried to avoid any situations that would bring it up and repress the feelings when they did come up.

It was becoming very hard at this point.

Xander felt like his teeth were too big for his mouth and there was a sort of tickling in his back, like moth wings against his skin. Xander focused on making the two sensations go away, and slowly but surely, they did.

Spike watched him with one scarred eyebrow cocked, blood beginning to dribble down his arm. “Go on, then.”

Xander glanced up at him and nodded, grinning sheepishly for a moment. He leaned down with a bit of apprehension and darted his tongue out to taste the smeared red line.

It wasn’t disgusting like he’d thought it’d be. It tasted pretty much like his own blood. Considering Spike had just taken a lot of it, it probably was. Xander ran his tongue slowly down the line to get a better taste.

There was a sharp hiss above him and Xander looked up, afraid he’d hurt Spike. But, if the intense expression on the vampire’s face was anything to go by, he definitely hadn’t.

Xander’s cheeks flushed and he quickly looked back down at Spike’s arm. He licked the line once more then fastened his mouth to the skin, sucking and pulling more blood to the surface. He swallowed the fat drops as they began to spill onto the surface of the vampire’s skin.

Spike let out a ragged moan and yanked Xander away from his arm after only one more mouthful of blood.

“Why did you-”

Spike smashed their mouths together with such force that their teeth clacked. Xander made a little surprised noise but quickly began kissing Spike back and closed his eyes. It was a bloody, almost brutal kiss, like Spike was trying to dominate Xander’s mouth by beating his tongue into submission. Xander loved it.

When Spike pulled away Xander gasped for breath, and at the sight of that the vampire’s eyes widened. “You have fangs!” With a shock, Xander realized he did. He clamped his mouth shut and desperately willed them to go away.

Damn it!

“No.” Spike reached over and touched his face. He grinned. “They’re hot.”

Oh. Well, okay.

And then Spike was kissing him again, cool tongue sliding possessively into his mouth and curling around one of Xander’s fangs. Wow, I could get used to that. Xander arched into the touch.

And while all of this was happening, Spike’s naughty hand that had been cupping his ass had magically moved into an even naughtier place. Xander moaned into Spike’s mouth as Spike squeezed his erection through the denim. Oh sweet Jesus! Too bad I’m a demon and that doesn’t apply anymore. Oh bitter Satan!

“Fuck,” he gasped as Spike’s mouth pulled away from his.

“No time for that yet, pet. But we will as soon as we get home. And you can even call me Master if you want.” Spike grinned with an evil gleam in his eye.

Xander whimpered, pathetically aroused.

Spike chuckled low in his throat and ran a finger down Xander’s encased cock. “Now turn around.”

Huh?

For a moment Xander didn’t know what he was talking about.

Oh yeah, the ritual thing.

He’d forgotten what they were doing here in the first place. Eagerly, Xander turned around and slipped his shirt off. Spike stepped back to survey the marking already on Xander’s skin.

“Pull your trousers down a bit.”

Aye aye, cap’n, Xander thought happily.

“Hmm. . .”

“Yeah, so you done admiring my marking?”

“Marking?” Hands suddenly gripped his ass and Xander could hear the smirk in the Spike’s voice.

“Ha ha.” But Xander didn’t remove the hands. “What are you going to draw, anyway?”

“Oh, I know what I’m going to do,” the vampire replied confidently.

Uh oh.

"Just remember if we do...what you said we'd do later..." Xander stopped, feeling his face flush. "Well, then you'll have to stare at whatever you drew the whole time!"

Spike laughed. “Pet, I think I’ll have other things to pay attention to. But still, I won’t draw a bloody smiley face if that’s what you’re afraid of.”

“Uh huh.”

Xander looked behind him and saw Spike gathering his own blood from his wrist onto his finger. Then a cool hand was painting it onto his flesh. When Spike was done, there was a hot, almost burning sensation on his lower back, then nothing.

He shuffled over to the full-length mirror Giles had provided them with and turned around to inspect Spike’s work. The Darklore marking had just faded away as Spike painted, and in its place was a red, fairly detailed railroad spike.

Spike smiled proudly at his namesake now permanently imprinted on Xander’s ass.

“It’s still kind of phallus-shaped.”

Spike rolled his eyes.

Suddenly a strange feeling overtook Xander and his body shook for a moment. Spike grabbed his arm worriedly. “Xander? You okay?”

“Yeah,” he replied, gasping slightly. He wasn’t sure what had just happened but he suddenly felt like the constant loneliness that had troubling him since his turning was gone. In its place was a strong warm feeling. A connection. With Spike. Like they were twins or whatever and had that twin-speak thing.

Xander could see Spike’s eyes widen so he figured the vampire felt it too. “Wow.”

“Yeah.” Xander smiled at Spike, who after a moment did the same back. “Let’s go home.”

“Okay.”

Part Nine

When they arrived home at Spike’s crypt (and since when did he think of this as home?) Xander was immediately shoved against the wall and kissed breathless. Xander decided that if this was what happened here, then he could definitely get used to calling it home. Anywhere that Spike was now felt like home.

“I’m gonna fuck you so hard you’ll taste me when I come,” Spike murmured into his ear. And if that was what happened here, Xander really wanted this to be home.

“Guh.”

“Guh, indeed,” Spike grinned, leading him towards the bed. He pushed Xander down and leaned in to kiss him passionately until both were fumbling eagerly with their zippers. Spike pulled the offensively bright shirt off of Xander and began to kiss down his exposed chest. He flicked his tongue out to taste each hardened nipple, eliciting excited moans, then down his quivering abdomen until he was flush with the boy’s freed cock.

Spike trailed a finger up the hard shaft, tracing little patterns into it as he took his sweet time studying and getting acquainted with this part of his new boy. Finally he glanced up at Xander with a wicked grin and swallowed the whole thing down to the root.

“Ah! Fuck!” Xander hands came up to grasp Spike’s gelled hair and yank him closer. The vampire licked up the sides of his cock, tongue doing wonderful little things that Xander didn’t want to end. His half choked-off moans only seemed to encouraged Spike, who had apparently made it his personal mission to make Xander lose control as he sucked delightedly on the leaking head.

After a few minutes of Spike’s sweet torture on his cock, Xander couldn’t hold still any longer and his hips pumped back and forth, sliding between Spike’s pink lips and into the cool cavern of his mouth. Spike glanced up at him with his luminous eyes beginning to turn gold around the edges, like the sun peeking around the sides of a blue moon. Xander bit his lip in an attempt to withhold a cry or moan of some sort as he watched Spike swirl his tongue around the rim of his cock. Then, without further warning, the vampire pulled away and flipped him onto his stomach, ignoring the high-pitched protests.

“Unh uh,” he scolded at Xander’s objections, only half-jokingly. He reached over to the nightstand for the small tube placed there. “I’m your Master now, boy. Gotta do what I say.”

At those words, even with their lacking of seriousness, Xander let out a pained whimper and tried not to grind excitedly against the sheets. It's official. I'm pathetic. Spike chuckled evilly in his throat and coated a finger with lube. Xander watched him over his shoulder and tried to ignore the pangs of fear beginning to jab at his stomach. But at the first prod of Spike’s finger against his entrance, Xander froze up. “Come on, now. Relax,” Spike ordered in his best Master vampire voice. Xander relaxed.

Out of the corner of his eye, Xander saw Spike smirk and flushed.

Spike slowly worked a cool finger into Xander and began stretching the tight ring of muscle squeezing it. As Spike was entering him with a second finger, a low moan escaped Xander. He tentatively began to push back as Spike penetrated him a little faster and a little deeper. “That’s it, Xan,” Spike encouraged. At Spike’s words (and the new ‘Spike knows everything!' voice in his head) he thrust back again, beginning to slowly fuck himself on Spike’s fingers, and gaining speed as it started to feel better and better.

Spike moaned, pumping himself a few times with his free hand as he imagined Xander starting to push back onto his cock instead of his fingers.

The vampire quickly pulled out of Xander, who loudly disagreed with that, and slicked himself up. He rose to his knees and pulled Xander backwards, lining the head of his cock up with Xander’s puckered opening. “Relax,” he ordered once again, running a soothing hand over the quivering back before eagerly pushing a just a little inside.

Xander moaned sharply, this time not quite because of overwhelming pleasure. “It’s okay,” Spike leaned down to kiss him once on his back. Finally Xander relaxed and Spike pushed further in, more slick heat encasing his cock. Xander began to find himself enjoying the sharp twinges of pain almost as much as the hot pleasure when Spike hit his prostate for the first time.

And I’m really hoping that’s the demon and not the masochist in me.

Suddenly Spike pulled out swiftly and pushed back in, hard dick breaching tight muscle with less resistance and more enthusiasm. Xander groaned; only half of it from pain. “Fuck,” he hissed.

By the way Spike’s fingers were trembling on his legs, Xander could tell it getting more and more difficult for the vampire to keep himself from just ramming inside him. Suddenly Spike glanced up at him, blue eyes almost vulnerable. “Pet, I don’t want to hurt you. But–” His eyes flickered yellow and he bit his lip. “I want you to trust me, you know.” His voice was becoming a bit strained. “I mean – I want to be a good Master.”

Xander nodded, touched. “Thank you, Spike. That means a lot. But, you know, you can go a bit hard—”

“Fuck yes!” Spike thrust hard into him once but stopped as Xander got bolder. “That’s it,” he encouraged, panting now as Xander tentatively pushed back onto him. The boy moaned loudly as more of Spike’s hard cock slammed into his ass.

“Oh fuck, move!”

“I don’t think those are the magic words, Xan,” Xander could almost hear the smirk in Spike's voice, even before Spike delivered a stinging slap to his spread thigh.

“Unghh. Please, Spike.” Xander was now trying to push back harder, desperate to get more friction and more of Spike inside him.

“Nope, still not good enough.”

The boy stilled beneath him as the vampire’s words registered.

“Please, Master,” he whispered, chest rising and falling rapidly. Spike felt himself shift into game face and with a snarl, shoved forward. Xander cried out and pushed back, legs spreading apart to get more leverage and hands tightly gripping the sides of the bed. Spike fucked him harshly, hands clenching Xander’s shoulders and fingernails leaving little bloody half moons. He hit Xander’s prostate again and again, causing him to jerk and cry out the vampire’s name along with desperate gasps for breath. When Spike finally came, orgasm sweeping blissfully through his body, he leaned down and sank his fangs into the recent wounds already on Xander’s neck.

That sensation, along with the repeated hitting of his prostate, along with using his hand to jerk himself off whenever he had the presence of mind to reach for his cock, brought Xander over the edge. He felt his balls tighten and thick spurts of come landed messily on the sheets below him. They were followed quickly by his own boneless body.

Spike fell beside him, gasping for breath he didn’t need.

When his brain was once again producing coherent thoughts, Xander felt a little internal woohoo that he had reduced the vampire to a mass of sticky, happy flesh. And there was a new feeling; satisfaction that he’d pleased his Master.

Woof.

Spike turned to say something to him, but stopped with a speechless expression, one that Xander was getting increasingly used to. “Bloody hell.”

“What?” Xander looked down at himself. Large black wings were folded neatly around his sides. He hadn’t even felt them emerge. “Shit!” He sat up with a start. The wings followed behind him.

Spike reached out to run a finger over one, his expression awed. “Bloody hell,” he said again. Xander flushed, suddenly embarrassed.

“How do I make them go back in?” He asked, looking desperately for a clean sheet to cover himself with.

“What for?” Spike asked, incredulous. He reached out to touch one again but Xander smacked him away. He immediately felt bad for hitting his Master, though. But it was Spike. If hitting him was going to make Xander feel guilty, then he was in for a rough ride.

“Because they’re ugly,” he mumbled, glaring at the extra appendages.

Spike shook his head. “What do you mean? They’re wonderful. I wish I had some.” He pouted for a moment but got over it pretty quickly.

“You don’t mind them?” Xander asked a bit shyly. For some reason he’d thought Spike would be upset by them.

“Bloody hell, no! Besides, they’ll definitely help your fighting skills. Ooh! Can you carry two people?” Spike asked excitedly, fairly bouncing up and down on the bed with childish excitement and fantasies of late-night flights.

“I don’t know. In haven’t used them yet,” Xander admitted. He felt something flick down by his legs. Both of them looked down to see a thin leathery tail curling around Xander’s right leg.

...

“Well, that’s – different. And oddly arousing.” They looked at each other for a moment then burst out laughing. Spike leaned over and kissed him. “You look beautiful, Xander.”

“Thanks. . .Master,” he replied, blushing. It still sounds way bondage-y. Then they laughed some more and admired each other some more and fell asleep with a big black wing blanketing them.


~*~


The rest of the Scoobies were just as shocked and excited as Spike about Xander’s new demon form. Giles wanted to study him, Willow wanted to ride him (‘But not in the dirty way ‘cause she’s a lesbian, you know?’ Xander had quickly assured a possessive Spike), Anya wanted to pimp him out for birthday parties and charge a hundred bucks a ride. Buffy wanted him to spy on demons from above. ‘I’m a demon,’ he reminded her, and she replied with an eye roll and a ‘You know what I mean.’

The other new thing, that Spike and Xander were now bonded and having hot dirty sex, just wasn’t as interesting compared to possible Xander-rides. So they didn’t talk about it as much. But nobody commented when Xander snuggled up to Spike at the end of a patrol.

As it turned out, Xander was a big use to Spike, for reasons other than the hot dirty sex. Spike trained him well in fighting using his nifty new appendages. And humans did have a tendency to voice their opinions when they saw a bleach-blonde guy walking down the street with another boy on his arm, and a few even took their opinions to the next level. Thankfully, Xander had also been blessed with demon strength. Spike never failed to let him know how grateful he was, even if he didn’t use words.

Xander still had a tiny ache whenever he thought of what his Sire could have taught him, but Spike had assured him in a voice that sounded a bit too understanding for Xander’s liking that he would eventually come to terms with it. Xander believed him.

As for Spike, he just seemed happy to be in control again. Life as a Master was treating him well. It wasn’t as if he’d been having especially low self-esteem (Buffy could assure you of that), it’s just that now, Xander suspected, he felt like he had more of a reason to keep fighting the ‘good fight’ instead of his weak money excuse from before. His relationship with Xander had only validated his reason for continuing to be friends with the Scoobies. Or at least non-enemies.

All in all, the whole Master/Bodyguard/Hot Dirty Lovers thing was working out pretty well on both sides. Xander got someone to protect and care for and be instructed by, and Spike had someone to protect him and care for him and to boss around. Symbiosis at its dirtiest.


~*~


Xander leaned his head against Spike’s arm, cuddling even closer to the vampire. “Pet, you know we have the whole couch to ourselves,” Spike pointed out.

“So?” Xander replied, frowning.

“So, you’re bloody hot.”

“Why thank you, Master,” Xander grinned, pressing harder into Spike’s body.

The vampire let out an exasperated sigh.

“I thought you liked my heat,” Xander pouted.

“I do. Just not when its ninety degrees outside.”

“But you’re a vampire. Aren’t you always cool?”

“Well I heat up if a bloody fireplace sits on top of me.”

“I’m not a fireplace.”

“Well you might as well be with the-”

“God, I can’t stand it anymore!” Buffy jumped up. “You two are terrible! Like – like an old married couple! It’s disgusting!” She stomped out of the crypt, waving her hands erratically as she went.

Spike and Xander silently watched her leave until she was out of sight.

As soon as her footsteps had faded, Spike jumped on top of him. “Bloody hell I thought she’d never leave.”

“Me too.”

“She never suspects a thing. Good thing we have the arguing down perfect.”

“Yup. Good thing.” Xander grinned against Spike’s cheek. “Love you.”

“Love you too, whelp.”

They kissed, and, standing with her arms crossed outside the doorway, Buffy rolled her eyes.

The End

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