Xander pulled into the parking lot and parked Giles’s car as far away from the other cars as he could. He looked around. “Well,” he said. “Here we are.”

“Thank all that’s unholy,” Spike said as he opened the door and staggered out of the car. “Where in bleedin’ hell did you learn how to drive?” he demanded.

“Oh, please!” Xander responded distractedly. “Remember, I’ve seen you drive.” He put up the top before turning off the ignition, and then got out and locked the doors. He pocketed the key and turned towards the club. “Well,” he said again. “Here we are.”

“Let’s go,” Spike said, taking a deep drag on the cigarette he’d just lit. “I need a drink.” He started towards the door, not waiting to see if Xander would follow him. He wasn’t really that shaken by the drive, but he had to have something to ride Xander about. Plus, alcohol was always of the good.

Xander shook his head and trailed after the vampire. When he reached the front door, Spike was already handing over the money for the cover charge. “C’mon,” he said, inclining his head towards the closed door from behind which loud music spilled.

Inside the club the noise was deafening. Spike tried to tell Xander he was heading for the bar, but the sound of the voices trying to compete with the music was too loud, so he just pointed. When Xander nodded his understanding, Spike took off, clearing a path, and Xander followed in his wake.

At the bar, Spike found an empty stool and sat on it, and then ordered two drinks. Xander stood next to him and watched in surprise as Spike pulled out cash. “You’re paying?” he asked in unfeigned shock.

“‘Course not!” Spike looked at him as if he was nuts. “Watcher’s bankrolling us.”

Xander, having never been in a gay club before, took this opportunity to look around. Same-sex couples were mixing it up on the dance floor with...demons! Demons dancing with other demons...and humans. Holy canoli, Batman! Giles didn’t say there’d be demons here! He suddenly realized that he’d attracted the attention of several demons who were standing near the bar.

“Spike.” He tugged on the vampire’s leather sleeve. Spike, busy chatting up the fellow sitting on the other side of him, ignored Xander. “Spike!” he tried again.

“Wanna dance?” One of the demons walked up to Xander and assumed what it probably thought was a seductive pose. And Xander might have been tempted if it wasn’t for the pus oozing out of the holes in its neck. Not.

“Um, no, not really,” he said. “We just got here and, uh, and ordered a drink!” He picked up his drink and took a large gulp.

The demon was joined by another. “We don’t get many unattached humans,” it said. Xander wasn’t sure it had even spoke until he realized its mouth was in its forehead.

“Unattached?” Xander responded. “I’m not unattached. Well, I mean, I’m not married, or anything, but I am here with someone. On a, erm, date! Yes, that’s it. We’re on a date. Right, Spike?” Xander tried again to get Spike’s attention. Spike didn’t reply.

“He doesn’t look like he’s being very considerate of you. Some date,” the first demon scoffed.

“Want us to take him out for you?” the second tried to outdo the first.

“What?” Xander nearly shrieked. “No! Spike!”

Spike turned around and glared at the two demons. “Sod off,” he said. “The human’s with me.”

“I don’t think you deserve him,” the pus demon challenged.

“Oh, no, he does!” Xander exclaimed as he backed up even further, practically crawling into Spike’s lap as he clutched at his leather jacket.

Spike vamped and growled. “Mine!”

When the two demons reluctantly backed away, Xander turned to Spike. “Demons!” he cried. “Giles didn’t say there’d be demons!”

Spike just raised an eyebrow and tilted his head.

“Other demons, I mean,” Xander said. “Demons who might want to kill me.”

Spike’s expression didn’t change.

“And actually be able to kill me,” Xander dug himself deeper.

Spike’s eyes narrowed.

“Now, I mean, and not after the chipectomy.” He smoothed Spike’s leather jacket.

“They don’t want to kill you, moron, they want to shag you,” Spike said with an evil grin.

“Sh-shag me?” Xander asked in disbelief, not even paying attention to the insult, which just seemed natural. “Nuh uh!” He frantically shook his head ‘no’.

“Don’t worry, that won’t last long. After they get to know you, they’ll wanna kill you, too,” Spike assured him.

“Thanks... Hey!”

And that’s how Spike and Xander going undercover as a couple guys hanging out turned into Spike and Xander going undercover as a couple guys on a date.

The stool behind Xander eventually opened up, but he eschewed it in favor of remaining standing beside Spike. He did, however, manage to keep from clinging to the vampire in an unmanly display of...unmanliness. Spike, for his part, allowed Xander his proximity because, as it turned out, the boy really was a demon magnet.

After the first two demons buggered off, there was a steady stream of demons stepping up to the bar to ask Xander if he wanted to dance. Spike thought it would be funny to abandon Xander to their designs, but knew the Slayer would stake him if anything happened to the boy. Plus, Rupert probably wouldn’t let him keep the posh new kit.

Xander, who was pressed tightly against Spike, shuddered as his last suitor drifted away. “I don’t think this is a good idea,” he whimpered.

“No, you’re right,” Spike said, finishing his beer and setting the empty bottle back on the bar.

Xander sighed in relief. He just wanted to get out of there. His butt hurt where a couple of the grabby demons who hadn’t wanted to take ‘no’ for an answer had managed to sneak in a grope.

“We’ll never find Kormac this way. Though he’s probably seen us, what with the line of demons forming to the left,” Spike groused.

Xander quickly looked to make sure there really wasn’t a line.

“There’s no help for it. We need to mingle,” Spike said, sliding off the stool and heading into the crowd. At the last moment he reached back for Xander’s hand and nearly jerked the brunette off his feet.

“Mingle?” Xander yelped. “I thought we were leaving!”

Spike dragged Xander around the perimeter of the entire lower level of the club, turning heads as they passed. Unfortunately, none of those heads belonged to Kormac, as far as they knew. Giles had tried to procure a picture of the man, but his efforts had failed. Kormac was too smart to allow his image to be captured on film.

Spike growled to himself as he pulled Xander onto the dance floor. He let go of Xander’s hand and began to dance to the pounding beat. Xander just stared at him.

“What are you doing?” he asked.

“Dancing,” Spike replied.

“I can see that,” Xander said, trying to remain calm in the face of obvious insanity. “Why?”

“Because Kormac will have to find us, and he’s probably not looking for two blokes hanging out at the bar and not enjoying themselves. So here we are,” he held his hands out to his sides as he gyrated his hips, “enjoying ourselves.”

He smirked as Xander continued to stare at him in disbelief. “C’mon, mo—, er, sweetums, shake your booty.”

Xander didn’t want to dance. He wasn’t very good. It was okay to make a fool of himself at The Bronze, in front of everyone he knew, but he didn’t want to look like an idiot at this swank club. Besides, had Spike just called him ‘sweetums’? “Sweetums?” he asked, and shook his head to clear it of the sound of Spike’s voice saying ‘sweetums’ to him. “I don’t...I don’t like to dance,” he said softly, as if confiding a secret.

“I don’t like to bowl,” Spike threw over his shoulder as he turned and twisted to the music. “But I did it,” he added when he once again faced Xander.

“And you sucked,” Xander reminded him, continuing quickly when Spike growled at the reminder. “Well, I suck at dancing.”

“Oh, please, at least you’re used to sucking at stuff,” Spike said.

“Hey!” Xander objected.

Spike paused in his movements as he stared at something behind Xander. “But you couldn’t possibly suck at dancing more than that...that...thing,” Spike said. Then looked at Xander in horror. “Could you?”

Xander turned to see the demon Spike was talking about. It had two stalks with eyes growing out of the top of its head and four arms that it was swinging wildly about.

“Uh, noooo, I don’t think so,” Xander said.

The rhythm changed to a slow song, and Spike’s arm snaked around Xander’s waist.

“Now what are you doing?” Xander squeaked.

“Slow song,” Spike said.

“So we should maybe go get another drink,” Xander suggested, trying to pull away from Spike or, in the alternative, lead him off the floor.

“No,” Spike said, easily halting Xander’s withdrawal. “We should maybe act like two guys who are on a date. Sweetums.”

“I don’t wanna be on a date,” Xander whined as Spike pulled him closer. “Snookums.”

“Me neither,” Spike snarled. “But you’re the one who announced to the entire bar that we were on a date, so suck it up and dance.”

So Xander allowed Spike to lead him in a slow dance. Or pretended to allow, since he really didn’t have any choice. He gingerly placed his hands on Spike’s shoulders and moved stiffly.

“Loosen up,” Spike said. “You look like a statue. Feel like one, too.”

Xander tried to relax, and then gave up. “I can’t,” he said. “This just feels so weird.”

“‘Cause it’s a guy?” Spike asked. “It’s really no different. Just close your eyes and pretend I’m a bird.”

Xander attempted to do as Spike had suggested. He closed his eyes and relaxed against Spike as the vampire twirled him around the floor. Xander was almost there when he felt Spike’s hands on his ass. His eyes popped open.

“What are you doing?” he squealed as Spike tugged him closer.

“Don’t fight me,” Spike whispered against Xander’s neck. “I think we’ve caught someone’s attention.”

“What?” Xander squeaked. “Who?”

“Could be our man,” Spike said. “Or another demon who’s taken a shine to you.”

“Please let it be our man,” Xander begged.

The slow song finally ended and Spike whispered into Xander’s ear, “Follow me. I’ve got an idea.”

“An idea, or a plan?” Xander tried to clarify as Spike led the way back to the bar.

“What’s the difference?” Spike asked after ordering two drinks.

“Your plans never work!” Xander cried.

Spike glared at him. He paid for the drinks with Giles’s money, and then handed one to Xander. Holding his drink in one hand, he took Xander’s hand in the other, just so he wouldn’t lose him, he told himself, and guided him to the stairs that led to the upper level of the club. He had observed couples disappearing up the stairs where plush chairs and dim lighting set the mood. He dragged Xander to an unoccupied couch and sat down, pulling the boy down beside him.

“What are you doing now?” Xander hissed.

“Acting like a guy on a date,” Spike replied calmly as he leaned back, keeping Xander’s hand in his. “Now sit back and act like you’re happy to be here,” Spike said.

Xander shifted back on the couch. He was sitting close enough to Spike that their shoulders brushed. He guzzled his drink, and then set the empty cup on the low table in front of the couch. He swallowed nervously and looked around. He could make out other couples sitting in intimate groupings, some of whom were talking while others were being more physical.

“We don’t have to do that, do we?” Xander asked worriedly.

“Not unless you want to,” Spike teased.

“Euww, no!” Xander cried.

“Don’t get your knickers in a twist, sweetums. Not like I’d want to do you, either,” he assured the boy.

“Oh, you would!” Xander responded automatically, and then frowned as he realized what he’d said.

Spike let go of Xander’s hand so he could drape his arm over the boy’s shoulders. He placed his glass on the table beside Xander’s, and took the brunette’s hand in that one. In this position, he was able to surreptitiously scope out more of the upper level.

“See anything?” Xander asked, nervously squeezing Spike’s hand.

Unconsciously, Spike reassuringly squeezed back. “Yeah,” he whispered, leaning closer to Xander to speak into his ear. “Remember that demon we saw dancing downstairs, and that first demon who asked you to dance?”

“The four-armed-stalk guy and the pus demon?” Xander asked.

“Yep. They’re over there in the corner, and I would’ve bet they weren’t anatomically compatible.” He paused. “Looks like I’d’ve been wrong.”

Xander looked at Spike as if he thought the vampire was lying to him. Which he very well could have been. But wasn’t, unfortunately. He turned on the couch to look, and Spike stopped him.

“I wouldn’t, if I were you. It’s...soddin’ disgustin’ is what it is. Oh, hell, I’m never gonna be able to get that image out of my head.” He turned around and faced forward. “Turns out...those weren’t all arms.”

Xander thought about that for a minute. “Euwww!”

And so Spike and Xander’s first night of their undercover mission ended rather uneventfully, other than the hand-holding and slow dancing, which Xander thought might give him nightmares. Also, the image of the pus demon and the four...appendaged...demon doing the nasty was gonna be with him for awhile.

And then there was the knowledge that he was in fact a demon magnet. He never thought he’d be glad to have Spike at his side, but he’d never been happier than when the vampire had vamped out to protect him from the demons that were interested in dancing with him, and who knew what else? And he’d also never felt like more of a girly-man to need the protection, but he didn’t let that stop him from accepting it.

When he and Spike returned to the Magic Box to change their clothes and turn the car back over to Giles, who was waiting for them despite Xander’s suggestion that he not wait up, Giles drove him home. On the way, he gave Giles a rundown of the evening, leaving out the line of demons vying for his attention, the slow dancing with Spike, and the hand-holding. He told him that, although they hadn’t been approached, Spike was certain they’d been noticed.

After he fell asleep, he dreamed about slow dancing. To his surprise, his partner had a hard, firm chest, rather than a soft, curvy one. His dream-partner nibbled and sucked on his neck, tickling him. A laughing dream-Xander looked into the eyes of his dream-partner. He woke with a gasp as he recognized the blue eyes staring back at him.

Xander and Spike returned to the club the next night. Xander was wearing a pair of copper-colored leather pants with an off-white lycra t-shirt that had shiny metallic bits and fit like a second skin. Spike was wearing a pair of black—surprise, surprise! Xander thought—leather pants with a white poet’s shirt that had long-sleeves puffy with ruffles at the wrist. Spike complained that he looked like a poof, but Xander thought he looked hot. Not that he’d ever tell Spike that! And he was sure the thought was burning a hole into his brain at that very moment.

Before they left, Xander made a point of telling Buffy, Willow, and Tara that Giles had failed to inform them that there would be demons at the club. The three girls looked at the Watcher aghast, and Xander felt vindicated as the other man squirmed under the combined weight of their stares.

“I didn’t know!” he finally admitted. “I mean, the club is billed as being for those with ‘alternate’ life-styles, I had no idea that included humans who love demons!”

“Sounds like an episode of Jerry Springer,” Buffy commented “Not that I’d ever watch that,” she added as everyone turned to look at her.

Spike, who hated to be left out, and who loved to make Xander’s life miserable, spoke up. “Yeah, and it turns out, Harris really is a demon magnet!”

“Shut up, Spike!” Xander turned on him.

Spike, who never knew when to stop, kept on. “As soon as we walked in, the line started to form...”

Xander grabbed Spike’s new leather jacket and shoved him back against the counter, pinning him with his body. “Shut...up,” he growled.

Spike was suddenly struck by the heat radiating off Xander, and the long yearned-for feel of a hard body pressed against his. “Or what?” he whispered so only Xander could hear.

“You promised not to say anything about that!” Xander hissed.

Spike couldn’t miss the pain in Xander’s voice. He rolled his eyes and looked away from the hurt he saw in Xander’s. “Sorry,” he said reluctantly. “Hey! It’s your own fault for believing me!” he said suddenly, looking back at Xander, who’s eyes were now filled with amazement.

“What?” he yelped.

“I’m evil! You should have known I was lying!” Spike defended himself.

Xander opened his mouth to tell Spike he was full of shit, and then closed it. “You’re right,” he said sadly, letting go of Spike’s jacket and stepping back. “I guess I forgot for a minute there that we were only pretending.” He leaned against the counter beside Spike, making sure there was at least a foot of space between them.

“So, uh, did you recognize any of the demons?” Giles asked, trying to break the tension.

“No,” Xander replied sulkily. “But I’d remember them again if I saw them!” he added with feeling. “Especially that one with the...” He stuck his arms out to his sides and swung them about wildly, hitting Spike as he did so. Instead of the snarky comment he expected, Spike burst out laughing.

“What?” Xander asked ominously.

It took Spike a minute to stop laughing enough to speak. “Re-remember up on the balcony...wi-with the pus demon?” he asked, bursting into laughter again.

Xander tried to keep a straight face, but cracked a smile, and then he was laughing as hard as Spike was. Through their laughter, they told the story of the four-not-all-arms demon dancing on the floor, and then making it with the pus demon in the balcony. As expected, all three girls ‘euww’d’, which sent Spike and Xander off on another peal of laughter.

Now that they knew the layout of the club, and what to expect with Xander’s appeal to the demons there, Spike and Xander had a plan. When they first arrived they headed straight to the bar for a drink, and then to the dance floor, making themselves as conspicuous as possible. They alternated between dancing, both fast and slow songs, and refreshing their drinks.

Xander made sure he was never more than an arm’s length away from Spike on the dance floor, and Spike always took a tight grip on Xander’s hand before they fought their way through the crowd between the dance floor and the bar.

Spike found he liked having Xander’s hand in his, and appreciated the heat emanating off the boy. He didn’t find the feel of Xander pressed up against him and beneath his hands off-putting, either. For his part, Xander found he liked being held by Spike. He felt cared-for and protected when Spike had his hand, and oddly aroused when Spike moved them to a slow song. At one point he’d opened his eyes and looked down into Spike’s, and felt a disorienting sense of deja vu.

After several hours of drinking and dancing, Xander was getting tired. Spike suggested they get one more drink and head up to the upper level. This time they leaned against the railing and studied the dance floor.

“Wish I knew what this bugger looked like,” Spike said, throwing his arm companionably over Xander’s shoulders, which was a little awkward, since Xander was a bit taller. “You’d think if he was such a swinger, he’d have a crowd around him, yeah?”

“You’d think,” Xander agreed.

After a while, Xander gave up looking. He kept getting distracted by all the demons who were looking back at him. Afraid to catch their eyes, because they didn’t need any encouragement, he stared into his glass, and sighed deeply.

“What?” Spike asked.

“Huh?” Xander looked up at him.

“What was the sigh for...sweetums?” Spike asked with a grin.

Xander rolled his eyes. “I don’t want to be a demon magnet,” he pouted.

“What brought this on?” Spike asked.

Xander indicated the lower level, and Spike looked down. Now that he wasn’t searching for Kormac, he saw what Xander had seen, almost every demon was darting glances up at them.

“You know,” Spike said conspiratorially, sidling closer. “Being a demon magnet isn’t a bad thing. Just means they can sense your...innocence.”

“I’m not a virgin!” Xander denied hotly and loudly, and then looked around in embarrassment.

Spike couldn’t help the smirk. “So I’ve heard. Viking in the sack. I remember,” he said.

Xander blushed.

“‘Sides, that’s not the kind of innocence I’m talking about,” Spike clarified. “They can sense your...goodness, for lack of a better word. It’s like an aphrodisiac to a demon.”

“Well, how come it never affected you?” Xander asked.

“Who said it didn’t?” Spike asked.

Xander blushed again.

Spike continued, “Back when Angelus first offered you to me, if I hadn’t had other things on my plate, I’d have tasted you then. At the time, I was a little more concerned about killing the Slayer and the fact that Angelus thought he could lie to me. And, of course, now I hate you,” he added lightly.

“Of course,” Xander agreed. “I hate you, too.”

Giles agreed that showing up at the club during the week would look too suspicious, so Xander spent the week working and hanging out at The Bronze with Spike. Sometimes they played pool, and others they just sat at a table drinking and talking. On some nights they were joined by the girls. Once, when Willow commented on how they seemed to be getting along, Spike and Xander stared at each other in horror and assured the girls they were just practicing for their ‘mission’.

On Friday night they were back at the Magic Box getting dressed for another night at Sin City. Xander only had one pair of leather pants he hadn’t yet worn, the lace-up red ones. He held them in hands that shook and stared at them. He really didn’t want to wear them. Especially since the shirt that came with them wasn’t a shirt at all, but a matching leather vest. He really was going to kill those girls.

When he was dressed, he walked out into the shop, his leather coat wrapped tightly, protectively around him.

“Let’s see,” Buffy demanded.

“No,” Xander replied firmly.

“Xander,” Buffy said, a hint of steel in her voice. “Let us see.”

“No,” he stated even more emphatically.

“Come on, sweetums, let the girls get a peek,” Spike teased as he emerged from the bathroom wearing his new duds.

“Sweetums?” Buffy asked. “Never mind. Don’t make me have to come over there and take that coat off you myself,” she warned.

“Buffy, please, can’t you just let it go?” Xander wheedled.

“Absolutely not! That was my favorite outfit, and I want to see how it looks. Now. Take off the coat.”

Xander hesitated, and Buffy stood up.

“All right, all right!” he cried, taking the jacket off. He angrily threw it on the back of one of the chairs, held his arms out to his sides, and rotated. “There, happy?” he snarled.

“Oh, very,” Willow moaned.

“Yep,” Tara squeaked and nodded.

Buffy just opened and closed her mouth without making a sound.

Xander grabbed his jacket and put it back on, and then looked at Spike, who was still staring at him with heat in his eyes. Xander thought it must be a trick of the light. “Are you ready?” he asked.

“For what?” Spike asked.

“To go to the club,” Xander said, speaking slowly.

“Oh, yeah, ‘course.” Spike pushed past Xander and tossed his clothes onto the couch, and then threw on his jacket.

Now that he wasn’t the center of attention, Xander took a moment to replay the image of Spike wearing black...all black. Tonight he was wearing a black silk t-shirt that hugged his body and showed off firm pecs and toned abs. He shivered.

On the ride to the club, Spike was unaccountably quiet. “What’s wrong with you?” Xander asked.

“Nothin’!” Spike barked. Inside he was melting, and cursing. There was no bleedin’ way he was attracted to Xander Harris. No...bleedin’...way! It was the outfit and nothing more. Leather had long been a turn-on for him, it was just...coincidence...that it was leather on Xander Harris that was turning him on this time. And red leather...the color of blood...

When they got to the club, Spike ordered three drinks, immediately downing one of them before handing one to Xander. On the dance floor, Spike was tense. He knew the bloody DJ was going to play a slow song soon, and he didn’t know what he’d do once Xander was in his arms. He’d dodged the bullet the first time the DJ had played a block of slow songs because he and Xander had been at the bar, but he didn’t think his luck was going to hold out.

Two fast songs later the DJ started a slow block. Spike sighed resignedly and pulled Xander to him roughly.

“Hey!” Xander protested his treatment.

“Shut up and dance,” Spike snarled, trying to keep as much distance between them as he could. By the end of the block, Xander was pressed tightly against him, and his hands were cupped firmly over the boy’s bum. “Hush,” Spike said when Xander had started to complain. “We’re being watched,” he lied.

Hours later, Spike led a sweating Xander up the stairs to the balcony. Again they leaned against the railing and surveyed the crowd below. Spike finished his drink and set the cup on the railing. As if in a trance, he reached out and ran his fingers along the lacing on the side of Xander’s pants, feeling the warm flesh of Xander’s skin where the leather purposely gaped.

“Stop it!” Xander slapped his hand. “I know I look ridiculous. I don’t need you pointing it out.”

“You don’t look ridiculous,” Spike denied. “They look good,” he said in gross understatement.

“Yeah, the pants are fine,” Xander said. “They’d look great on someone else.”

“Oh, no,” Spike said, moving around behind Xander and lifting his jacket out of the way so he could see his bum wrapped up tight in the leather. “They look good on you.”

Xander froze, and then slowly turned his head to look at Spike over his shoulder. “Are you drunk?” he asked.

Spike grinned. “Maybe,” he said, reaching out to cup Xander’s ass.

“Eep! Stop that!” Xander swatted at him.

Spike spun him around and pressed him back against the railing. He ran his hands up Xander’s chest, rubbing the leather over him, and then leaned in and sniffed him. Spike ran his tongue up Xander’s neck, catching a bead of sweat. The taste of Xander exploded on his tongue, and he was filled with desire. He began to suck on Xander’s neck as he pinched his nipples through the leather vest.

“A-are we being watched?” Xander squeaked.

“Oh, we are most definitely being watched,” Spike replied, knowing the eyes of almost every demon in the club were focused on them.

“Th-this is just pretend, for the mission, right?” Xander asked, his voice breaking as Spike continued to suck on his neck and play with his suddenly too-sensitive nipples.

“If you need it to be,” Spike replied enigmatically, and then pulled Xander’s head down and claimed his lips. Xander groaned when he felt Spike’s velvet tongue move over his lips. He parted his lips and Spike’s tongue slipped between them. Dropping his cup, Xander wrapped his arms around Spike and returned the kiss.

Spike kept one hand on the back of Xander’s head, his fingers tangled in the sweat-soaked strands, and slid the other down Xander’s body. When he reached the laces at his hip, he slipped his fingers beneath the material and squeezed. Xander bucked against him.

“Ahem.”

Spike growled into Xander’s mouth at the creature that attempted to interrupt them. Xander shivered.

“Excuse me,” the creature spoke.

“You’re excused, mate, now beat it,” Spike snarled, and then returned his lips to Xander’s.

The creature grabbed Spike’s arm and pulled him away from Xander. Spike vamped out, and Xander reached for him, wrapping his arms around the vampire before he could start a fight. “What do you want?” he asked the creature breathlessly.

“My master would like to speak with you,” he said.

“Well, tell your master to sod off,” Spike said. “We’re busy.”

Xander pinched Spike. “Uh, who’s your master?” he asked the creature.

Spike, finally realizing they might be about to make contact, relaxed against Xander. ‘Sides, it felt bloody good to have the human’s arms wrapped around him.

“Come with me,” the creature said without answering Xander’s question, and then walked away without looking back, as if it expected them to follow without question.

Xander looked down at Spike, who had his head tilted back so he could look up at Xander. “Should we follow him?” Xander asked.

“S’pose we should,” Spike said with a deep sigh. Things had just been getting good.

Kormac was a half-human, half-demon hybrid. He looked completely human, other than his size, which made him look like a giant, but Spike could smell the demon. Kormac indicated that they should take a seat with an exaggerated flourish of his hand. Spike sat, pulling Xander down beside him. He needn’t have worried, Xander nearly sat on his lap and clutched his hand.

“Your Consort?” he asked Spike, paying little attention to Xander.

“Not yet,” Spike replied after a brief hesitation. He’d been about to just say ‘no’, knowing the half-demon part of Kormac could sense that he hadn’t bitten the boy, but then decided Xander would be safer if he indicated a plan to claim him. “This your club?” he asked as he relaxed into a sprawl. “Nice place,” he drawled.

“Yes, it is,” Kormac responded. “Would you like another drink?” he asked, playing the genial host.

“Would really like to get back to what we were doing ‘fore we were so rudely interrupted,” Spike said, glaring at him.

“I apologize,” Kormac said. “I haven’t seen you around before, and I thought I should introduce myself.”

Spike paused a beat. “And you are?” he asked.

Kormac smiled. “I am Kormac, and yes, I own this club. Welcome to Sin City,” he said, raising his glass in a toast.

Spike nodded his acknowledgment. “I’m Spike,” he said. “This is Alexander.”

“Ah, William the Bloody, childe of Angelus. How exciting to have you join us,” Kormac gushed.

“Yeah, whatever,” Spike responded.

“Does your...friend...know what you are?” Kormac asked.

Spike frowned. The other man/demon must have seen him vamp in front of the boy, so he wondered why he was asking. “Of course he knows,” Spike replied.

“And you plan on biting him?”

“Thought about,” Spike said in a bored tone, and it wasn’t a lie. He’d often thought about biting Xander, only then it was with the intention to drain him, not claim him.

“Good,” Kormac replied gleefully, rubbing his hands together. “I’m having a party tomorrow night, and I’d like you both to attend.”

“We already have plans for tomorrow night,” Spike said, not wanting the other man to think they were overeager.

“Change them,” Kormac said, and then waved them away. “Gregho’r will give you directions to my home.”

After Spike and Xander had been sent on their way with directions to his estate, Gregho’r turned to his master. “They are too new,” he said. “You don’t know if you can trust them.”

“No, but that’s part of the excitement,” Kormac replied with a laugh. “Besides, the Circle will pay good money to see a vampire claim his Consort.” He turned to Gregho’r. “Make sure we have enough of the drug on hand.”