Getting On

by
Tisienne Blue

Part Twenty-One

Dear God, Xander was in… well, he didn’t know. Either heaven or hell, but his ability to distinguish between them was entirely shot. In fact, he didn’t even know how or when he’d ended up where he was.

William. Check.

Much of the long, hard, steamy man-loving. Check.

That tighter than sin hole wrapped so firmly and silkily around his stabbing cock…? Check.

None of that explained how he found himself bent over the side of his bed, his hands clenched tightly together as he moaned and sighed and begged for more.

“William,” he nearly yelped as the fingers within him twisted, scraping too gently against the sensitive nub inside him. “Will! Please, I…”

Blue eyes sparkled wickedly in the moonlight coming through the window as William added a fourth finger to the trio dancing so delicately within his bloke’s ass.

He wanted Xander to be desperate but not gone when he finally took him.

A small part of his psyche was afraid, simply because it had never gone well when he’d tried to be dominant before… and even the few times he’d been inside Xander, it had been the brunette riding him, and what if he was just no good at topping and Xander finally noticed and decided that they shouldn’t do that again because it wasn’t fun, wasn’t fulfilling, wasn’t… good?

But the rest of him… oh, the rest of him knew for a fact that it would be good. Good enough that neither of them would ever want to stop trading off, in any case, or at least doing so whenever they wanted to, and that was good enough—perfect enough—that William wasn’t complaining.

Instead, he slipped his fingers deeper, harder into his love’s bum, stretching the tightness until he was sure there would be no more than a slight burn when he…

“Going to break you wide open, pet,” Will murmured wantonly. “Going to slam into you… so hard and deep, Xan… just like we’ve both wanted.” His fingers pulled away from the grasping hole and found the remains of the tube they’d started with earlier, emptying it into his free hand.

Xander gasped loudly as he listened to the sounds of William’s shaky breaths and the oddly exciting ‘spurt’ of the lubricant.

He wouldn’t have found the latter to be at all arousing if he hadn’t known what it signaled, but as it was, he was nearly vibrating when he felt the slick head of Will’s hard cock at his opening.

Brown eyes opened wide, even as Xander pressed his body up to turn his head, looking over his shoulder. “W-will…? Y-you’re sure she said…”

William swallowed hard as he met those begging brown orbs. “Swear it, pet. Long as… what were her words?” He clenched his entire body in order to refrain from sliding deep right then. He needed to confirm what he’d already said, after all, and the last thing he wanted was for Xander to worry while they were being… intimate.

“Right,” William groaned. “Long as we don’t get airborne without a harness. Think that was it.”

Another loud, deep moan as Xander’s fingers suddenly disentangled and slid back, grasping and holding his own cheeks apart demandingly. “N-now, baby. Just… please!”

And as William had promised himself never to deny his love, what could he do other than tighten his hands on Xander’s hips and drive himself deep, finally shoring up against the younger man’s ass with a cry that could likely be heard even two floors below… but was hopefully drowned out by the music still being played.

“God… God… do that again…”

William bit his lip hard as he tried his best to follow the demand, and it was a demand, regardless of the begging tone of the words.

His hips snapped back and forth, stabbing roughly and deeply into the hot, slick depths of his love’s body, a wild moan springing from him when Xander cried out loudly but wordlessly.

Fingers tightened on flexing hips and Will broadened his stance, toes digging into the carpet for traction as he slammed repeatedly in and out of his bloke’s rear, the wanton and helpless cries driving him on.

“You… like that, don’t you, pet? Like feeling me so deep and hard in you… been wanting to… do this for months, Xander… fill you up, ride h-hard into you.”

He wasn’t sure of where the words were coming from but he had a sneaking suspicion that it was the ‘Spike’ portion of his psyche coming out.

“Ages, I’ve wanted this, Xan,” William murmured, his eyes locked on the sight of Xander’s hot, tight little hole taking him in. “To be behind you… bloody hell, want to be above you later… not the same as being in you when you’re in charge, is it? Feels…” He groaned. “Better. Different. So fucking good, yeah?”

The only possible response Xander could make was with his body, and it involved pushing back roughly onto the long, thick cock that was spearing him so perfectly, and…

Yes. This was exactly what he’d always wanted to feel; at least since the moment he’d been inside William.

His William, he reminded himself while he bucked and heaved in counterpoint to the motions of his lover’s body.

His lips moved soundlessly for a good few seconds before he managed to actually make himself speak.

“Y-yes… God, b-baby. So m-much better!”

William couldn’t help the smirk that crossed his lips then, even though he was entirely floored by Xander’s agreement.

He would never give up the sensation of his bloke riding his cock; there was no question of that. But this… oh, this was definitely different, as he’d said to his dark-haired lovely. It felt like he could direct every single moment, just by changing the angle of his thrusts.

His fingers tightened even more on Xander’s solid hips and William sounded the best growl he could manage before letting himself go and just doing his lover the way he’d always wanted to but had never had the opportunity to accomplish.

He slammed in and out, hips circling roughly when he was flush against that glorious ass; he flexed his digits willfully against silken skin.

He let one hand slide around Xander’s body to grip the long, hard shaft just dangling in the air and he stroked it in time with his own thrusts…

And when he felt his beloved tense and heard the first soft keening that quickly became a demanding command, William… came.

His entire body tightened, his eyes slamming shut.

His hands clenched on solid flesh, though one was more careful than the other.

His teeth found and held the top of one tight, tensing shoulder… and when that bite had his bloke crying out, William bit harder, nearly drawing blood as he emptied himself fully within his lover’s straining, vibrating form.

“Xander…” he groaned against skin, pleased beyond bearing when Xander cried ‘Will!’ in response, hot seed hitting the mattress below them.

It had taken a good few minutes for both of them to calm enough to separate, but even then it was with softly moaned disappointed sighs.

“Bloody hell,” William murmured, collapsing on the mattress after crawling up his love’s body and beyond it, “never thought it’d be…” He swallowed hard as dark and tangled silken locks came to rest on his chest.

“Jesus-fuck…” Xander tried desperately to find some way of putting what he was feeling into words but finally just shook his head against pale, perfect skin. “Jesus-fuck.”

If he hadn’t been so completely worn out from both taking and giving, Will would have had some sort of comment to make, and he was sure it would have been both clever and witty. As it was, though, he couldn’t manage to do anything but raise one hand to tangle in his bloke’s already messy hair while he hummed softly and contentedly. “Mmmm… Jesus-fuck, indeed, luv… indeed.”

And if they drifted off slowly, feeling the heat and comfort of each others bodies in the aftermath of what was definitely the most intimate time they’d ever shared, well… neither of them was planning to make an issue of it.

By the same token, plans were always subject to change, as they discovered when they woke hours later in the deep dark of the night.

Part Twenty-Two

William woke to an odd feeling.

Not that he felt odd, but he had a sense that something wasn’t exactly… right.

It took him a good minute or two to figure out what it was, but when he did, he opened his eyes to discover that he wasn’t wrong.

He was still in Xander’s bed, and that was part of the oddness because there was no long, strong body stretched out beside him or against him or on top of him… but there were eyes. There were dark eyes. Dark eyes that were locked on his face with such confusion and betrayal clear in them that Will just wanted to shudder… or maybe hide until that look went away.

He’d known this was coming. He’d pretty much expected it as soon as he’d started to fall asleep earlier without breaking the news to his lover that he knew who he was… and before telling Xander of his own identity.

Of course, he’d expected to have more time once they woke, but that was clearly not going to happen and he truly wished he’d forced himself and his love to resist the lure of napping, but he hadn’t and now… well, now he would have to pay the price.

“Xan…?” he mumbled, one hand stretching across the sheets towards his bloke’s lax fingers and he frowned when that hand pulled back. “Xander,” he tried again, sitting up as hopelessness flowed through him.

What had he been thinking when he’d listened to Ethan Rayne? That sex would make everything better? Well, maybe, but that clearly wasn’t a good theory because his bloke was looking at him like he was some sort of demon and William figured he maybe deserved it.

Still, he had to try.

He loved Xander. Always would. There was no question about that; not even a tiny inkling of a minuscule doubt. And while the brunette was obviously upset, William couldn’t be sure of why. Not until Xander actually spoke, anyway, so that was his goal—get Xander to talk to him.

“What is it? What’s wrong, luv?”

For his own part, Xander was stunned. Stunned and frightened. Stunned and horrified. Stunned and wondering whether there’d ever been anything between him and Will to begin with, because…

It had been maybe thirty minutes that he’d dozed the doze of the sex-muddled and content when his unfettered brain had realized exactly what had been bothering him about what William had said earlier, and…

He’d never wanted to pry into his lover’s business. Hell, he’d always figured that Will had told him everything that mattered.

Okay, so the blond was deliberately vague about his job. Xander understood that. He’d known that Will basically talked to people and charmed them for his brother because Angel wasn’t very good with people in general, from what he’d gathered when William had spoken of his brother, which wasn’t often, in fact.

That was fine. He hadn’t cared about that. Hell, he hadn’t cared about much of anything aside from the fact that William was with him; was his.

But… ‘… ran into your sister and couldn’t tell her no when she invited me’.

That was what Will had said.

‘Ran into your sister.’

But ‘Xander Harris’ didn’t have a sister.

And ‘Xander Harris’ had never said anything about Sunnydale, really… except Will knew that was where he knew Cordelia from… and maybe that explained it because he had said he was going home to see his Dad, and maybe Cordelia had let something slip except he didn’t think she’d really ever do that and…

‘Ran into your sister.’

The thoughts had whirled and spun in his head for what had felt like ages before Xander had had enough and finally did the one thing he’d promised himself he’d never do.

He’d crept from the bed and pulled on his robe, then booted up his computer and typed ‘William Martin Barrington’ into the search engine, and now…?

“How long have you known,” he whispered brokenly, sheer force of will keeping him from running… or crying like a baby, but he refused to do either in front of this… Aurelius.

“Tell me, Will. When did you find out who I was? Was all this…” he gestured jerkily between them with one hand, “just your way of getting back at me for hating your family…? I… God, I’m such an idiot! I actually thought… believed… that someone like you could really… and you don’t even… you never… it was just a game and I’m so fucking STUPID! I should have known, should have figured… why else would a guy like you get all hooked up with someone who was a construction worker? Jesus! You knew all along, didn’t you? And I was never… never anything to you but a fuck, was I? Just some lonely, pathetic guy who didn’t know any better, right? And shit! I told you about Larry! I never told anyone about Larry, or not the truth, and… and I… God, I loved you enough that I really thought we were something special and I… fuck, Will! I loved you enough—even in the beginning—that I wanted to feel you bare and unsafe and… and it was all just some revenge thing, wasn’t it? I should have known! Should have expected it! Why else would someone so fucking beautiful want me, other than to hurt me? Or to hurt my family? I…”

“NO!”

The roar surprised William just as much as it did Xander, and maybe more so, despite the fact that it had come from his own throat.

“No! Xander, no! Please, pet, please! You can’t possibly believe that! I…” William was nearly sobbing as he flung himself across the three or so feet of mattress, ignoring his bad leg; ignoring everything but his own need to strip that horribly pained look from his love’s face, along with the angry tears that had pooled in the brunette’s deeply wounded eyes.

“Xan… Xander… Xan!” He was aware of the fact that he was speaking too fast; that his words were tripping over each other and not necessarily making much sense, but William didn’t care. He couldn’t—wouldn’t—let this happen. Not when he’d finally found a sort of happiness that he’d never imagined existed for him after the way he’d acted during his Spike phase.

“Love you, Xan… love you, pet… never lied about that, yeah?” He forced his way into the broad, solid lap, his legs wrapping around Xander’s waist although the weaker leg gripped less tightly.

“Won’t lie to you. Can’t. Not now, not when I could lose you… lose everything that matters to me, luv.”

Xander gasped, his eyes closing when the familiar weight settled on his thighs, but even so, he couldn’t quite manage to accept what it sounded like Will was saying. “No… you still have…”

“Nothing!” William nearly shouted, though his love’s ears were mere inches away. “Don’t have a single-bloody-solitary thing without you! And yeah, maybe I knew who you were a while ago! So what? Never mattered to me, Xan! Never bloody well cared! Xander Harris…? Alexander-bloody-Summers-Giles…?” He snorted disgustedly; worriedly. “Never loved your name, Xan. Loved you. LOVE… YOU!”

It was a mere moment later that Xander’s tight, tense form seemed to melt, flowing against William’s as every muscle released helplessly.

“But you never told me,” Xander heard himself whispering against William’s naked chest. “You knew who I was and you never told me that you were an Aurelius… you knew how I felt about your family and…” He swallowed hard as it suddenly hit him. “You didn’t trust me. However long ago it was that you found out, you checked because you didn’t trust me, and then you really didn’t because you never said! I... how can I believe you now, when I found out myself and you never said a word?”

“I…” Will began, but he couldn’t deny the accusation; wouldn’t tell his love some lame and transparent story. He wouldn’t lie to his bloke… refused to. Still, there was truth… and then there was truth.

“Trusted you enough to want to drink you down before we knew we were negative, didn’t I?” he offered hopefully. “Never done that before. And… trusted you enough to tell you how I feel. Enough to meet your friends and hold you tight when you were worried or sad; enough to let you see how bloody weak I was, yeah?” He swallowed hard.

“Knew you hated the company, but I’m not the company, Xan! I’m just William. I’m just…” His lips twitched into a sad, wistful half-smile. “I’m just yours. Couldn’t stand it if you decide we’re through, luv. Own me, you do. Never want anything to do with ATS again, alright? Rather have you than any bloody fucking company, yeah…? And it’s Angel’s, anyway. Never became real family, what with his Da and my Mum disappearing like they did before I was more than a step-. Only work there, right?” He blushed. “Might own a good bit of the stock through Mum, but still… don’t care, pet. I’d sell it all tomorrow if it meant I could have you forever, yeah?”

And Xander just melted more, this time falling back on the bed but pulling Will with him as those words had him reeling still more… for a few moments, anyway, before he started really thinking.

His mind raced, going over the details of his investments as well as the total of his shares in GSI… and he tried to estimate the value of William’s shares in ATS.

His hands roamed slowly, sliding up and down Will’s spine as he thought, and somehow the firm, steady motion helped him to form an idea.

William frowned against Xander’s silk-covered chest. He’d thought that maybe his words had gotten through to his love, but the man wasn’t speaking; wasn’t doing anything other than lay there and run those big, strong hands over his back, and… it felt good but it didn’t really tell him whether Xander had accepted his words… or ever would.

“X-xan…?” he tried softly, only to be hushed.

“Ssssshhhh… I’m thinking.”

And that could be either very good or very bad, William figured. But still, those hands were stroking his skin, holding him closer and closer, and if this was what happened when Xander ‘thought’, then… William was all for the thinking. As long as it went on with more of the same, anyway.

“Did you really mean that?” Xander asked softly a good fifteen minutes later. “About being done with… ATS.” Even knowing that Heinrich hadn’t screwed his family as badly as he’d always believed, it was hard to speak of that particular company.

William smiled slightly, his lips twitching against the robe. “Done with everything but you, luv..” His smile faded. “Would rather not have to disown my brother, but… if that’s what it takes…” He bit his lip.

Xander blinked. “William…”

“ ‘s alright, Xan. I… look, I know you’ve issues with my family, yeah? I… I can try to just… ignore him, and maybe…”

Strong arms tightened around William’s slender form and Xander shook his head. “No. That’s not what I mean, okay? I don’t want you to lose your brother. I mean, I know…” Xander blushed slightly. “I know he’s all you have left, and God knows how you two managed to stay close while you were in school in England for all those years after Darla and Heinrich went missing. But you did and… No. I’d never ask you to push him away, Will… no more than you’d ask me to leave my sisters forever, right? But I was thinking…” He blushed more.

And maybe… maybe everything was going to be alright because Xander wasn’t pushing him away; wasn’t giving him that betrayed look anymore; wasn’t demanding that William choose between him and Angel.

He let himself curl even more around the slightly larger, stronger body and nodded against the dusky skin peeking from the neck of Xander’s robe. “Right, then,” he murmured. “What’s rattling about in that stunning noggin of yours, pet?”

The idea, when it finally emerged, had William’s eyes going wide and a loud laugh flying from his lips. “Oh… they’re all going to hate that, luv… with the possible exceptions of your Da and that ‘Uncle’ of yours… and Willow.” He smirked. “Count me in, yes? Assuming this means we’re not breaking up, of course… because I really do love you, Xan. Would rather live poor than lose you.” He smiled sappily. “Mean that, too. Voting for love over money here, Xan. Sodding cash never made me smile the way you do.”

And that… those words, spoken so sincerely…?

Well, that was the last nail in the coffin of Xander’s suspicions about Will’s reasons for being with him.

A slowly growing grin spread across his lips as he rolled, tucking Will beneath him then looking down into those wide and loving blue eyes. “So can I make you smile again, baby…? Now?”

And thank God that Xander was finally calling him ‘baby’ again, William thought, because he’d been so bloody worried. Not that being called by his name was a bad thing, but ‘baby’ just made him feel… right.

“Yeah… yeah, luv. Make me smile… make me scream your name. Make me shatter into a thousand pieces, even.” William purred low and deep in his throat. “Just promise me, Xan… whatever happens, we’re in this together. The two of us. Never leave you, never stop wanting you. Not even if you get all scarred and unsightly. Promise you that. You swear the same to me, pet, and… never going to let you down.”

God, that Lindsey had a lot to answer for, Xander told himself, even as he pressed his lips softly to Will’s, promising exactly that in both broken words and long kisses.

Lindsey could wait, he told himself… but not for long.

Still, he had better things to think about at the moment and… Lindsey’s loss was Xander’s gain, wasn’t it?

In fact, if the guy hadn’t hurt his lover’s feelings so much, Xander would have been willing to forget all about the shit’s phone-game from before. As it was, though… now that he and William had come clean with each other?

Oh, Lindsey was going down.

“You could be completely paralyzed and bald and bright green, baby,” Xander whispered, “and I’d still want you… still need you.” He pulled back slightly, meeting suddenly wet sapphire eyes. “Never felt this way before, Will. Never knew I could.”

Lips met and words stopped as bodies rocked and rolled together, Xander’s robe discarded on the floor.