Part 7
After catching them in the cellar of the store, the witches gave up all
pretenses and set about asking the most inappropriate questions. At least
Red did; Blondie just blushed and smiled, seeming to enjoy the slightest
display of Spike's allegedly Victorian attitude. Xander was apparently quite
used to having sweet young girls ask with wide-eyed innocence if he were a
top or a bottom. That remark, launched pointedly by Red when they had
finally emerged from the storage room, had been greeted by his smirking
lover with the reply of, "It doesn't matter, either way you don't get the
toaster." *I understand one hundred and sixty two languages which includes
most demon tongues and I still can't crack the Sunnydale code.* If shopping
at the mall and Xander's snuggling at Red's birthday dinner hadn't outed
them to the rest of the group, their frequent uncontrollable need to touch
or taste each other would have broken the news sooner or later. Xander told
him to expect some sort of explicit threat from Willow on what she would do
to him if he broke the boy's heart - the boy had called it ‘S.O.P.' for the
witch. Spike was sure Rupert's Watcher instincts would have him lecturing
the boy on what a bad idea their being together was, and how he couldn't
trust Spike, but neither happened.
Xander had asked - asked, Spike if he would move in to his apartment with
him. He had said he knew Spike had a lot of stuff at the crypt, but pointed
out that his new place was larger than it looked. He added that he hardly
used the basement storage area assigned to the unit and watched for Spike's
reaction. Spike had been too stunned by the offer to react in a visible or
audible way; he had just sat there dumbstruck in the flickering blue light
of the television. Xander seemed to take that as a sign of reluctance so had
sweetened the deal by offering to get satellite. "Six channels of ESPN,
Spike. Proper English football." Spike had caved at the first bat of those
gorgeous eyes and jumped at the chance to wrap himself in Xander's warmth on
a daily basis. So they were lovers, and roommates, and sometimes it all
seemed just too perfect, too human. As a result, they were hosting their
first dinner party. Not counting Red's bash, because no one knew they were
shacking up at the time. Xander had invited the witches over for English
food and flicks. The Watcher had been clever enough to invent other plans
and Dawn actually had other plans. Spike had mostly just sat back and
enjoyed the boy's nervous excitement at being what he had referred to as
being ‘such an adult.' The witches were going to pick the movies and said
they were bringing a lemon tart, although why they thought that was
particularly English Spike didn't know, dessert. Spike shuddered to think
what their reaction to Xander's meal would be and hoped they weren't too
hard on his boy. For his part Spike was just glad he was drinking his
supper.
Spike had wandered into the kitchen after cleaning the bathroom and
straightening up the living room. Apparently he had agreed to do both
sometime during the blowjob when they had showered earlier, but had no
recollection. When he had pointed his lack of memory out to Xander, his
lover had said, "Too bad, must be the chip," and smacked Spike's bare ass on
the way out of the shower stall. Xander was currently bouncing, literally,
around the kitchen. The boy thought he was Martha Stewart - he was using two
pots, had preheated the oven and had purchased a gravy boat for the
occasion. Spike leaned against the frame of the kitchen entrance and watched
Xander cook. Cook being a relative word in this instance. Xander dumped two
packages of frozen vegetables into the pot, which already contained cooked
ground beef. He put a lid on it and turned off the heat. Springing over to
the counter he unwrapped two prepackaged, already baked piecrusts and put
them and their foil pans on a metal baking sheet. He paused on his way over
to the stove to kiss Spike so quickly that he was stirring the pan of
instant mashed potatoes before Spike could fold him in his arms. Spike
watched in fascinated horror as Xander spooned the mixture of cooked beef
and thawing vegetables into each of the pie shells and shuddered when the
boy topped this with the mashed potatoes, smoothing it over the top of the
pie like a meringue. He was distracted briefly from his question as Xander
bent over to place the pies under the broiler and in doing so presented
Spike with his ass, firmly packed in the black jeans Spike had insisted he
get during the Scoobys' adventure in shopping for Xander.
"Er…Em.. Pet?" Spike's mind was freed for higher thought processes when
Xander straightened and turned to face him.
Xander gave him another quick kiss and said, "They'll be here any minute.
Did you set the table?"
"Pet? What the hell is that?" Spike asked nodding toward the oven.
"Shepherd's pie, it's English, " Xander said over his shoulder as he bounced
over to the cupboard to take out the plates.
*Right. I've been living with him less than a month and he's already got me
doing the blinking thing.* "That's not shepherd's pie."
"Un huh." Was Xander's comment as he brushed by his lover on his way to set
the table. He was back in a flash to peer into the oven before filling water
glasses.
"Luv, shepherd's pie is a stew." Spike called after Xander's bustling figure
as he took the glasses to the dinning area.
Xander paused on his way back into the kitchen and blinked twice at Spike
before reasoning, "Then why would they call it pie?"
Not having an answer, Spike set out the flatware. The doorbell chimed and
Xander bounced off to greet their guests. Red surprised Spike with a hug
before handing him the movies while Tara handed Xander the dessert box.
*Angelus thinks he spent time in hell; we have three, count them three, Hugh
Grant movies.* Spike was treated to another view of Xander's backside when
the boy stooped to sprinkle cheese on his creations. Even the Cheddar was
packaged pre-grated. While he was thankful he had a blood option for dining
he worried that the girls would hurt his sweet pet's feelings when they saw
just what he was serving. Xander put the glass jar of gravy into heat with
Spike’sblood and then dashed out to see the girls to their seats. After the
bag of salad, Xander served the pies with the flare of a showman. He
pointedly offered each of the girls gravy, having made a special trip to the
resale shop that day when he decided he shouldn't just dump it in a bowl.
Red, of course, made a great fuss over the hot, home cooked meal. Not only
did she dig in but she asked for seconds.
Blondie then shocked Spike by addressing him, "Did you help?"
"I beg your pardon?" Spike asked.
"With the authentic English cuisine. This is good." She sounded sincere.
Spike blinked at her. He looked at Red. She looked back, expecting an
answer. He looked at Xander.
Xander beamed at him and said, "He gave moral support."
"Xander." Spike didn't want to squash his pet's enthusiasm but was having
nothing to do with this meal. "Shepherd's pie is a stew."
"Then why is it called pie?" Red asked. Blondie helped herself to another
slice. It looked like Xander was going to need both pies. This was
unbelievable. And six hours of Hugh Grant... Spike was in hell.
After they had cleared the table, Xander whipped the peach shnapps he had
had Spike procure the night before into a milkshake for the girls. Spike
refilled the whiskey he had been downing since he saw what the movies
title's were. Xander opted for a beer and in a nod to the formal occasion
used a glass. As Willow and Xander loaded the dishwasher, Spike eavesdropped
until he discerned the conversation was about Dawn and what to do about the
Summers' house. He turned his attention back to the witch sitting across the
table from him. She frowned while consulting a book. Then Tara handed Spike
a deck of cards, what there was of it. The cards where huge, about five by
nine inches and there were only a few, maybe twenty or so.
"What do you want me to do?" He asked.
"Just shuffle, and think about you and Xander," she said, then blushed.
"Not sure I want to know the future." Spike surprised himself by the
confession to the quiet blond. "Got a lot to lose."
"This is just a way to get insight, don't think of it as prophesy….think of
it as a tool for contemplation."
"You do know I'm a demon, right?" He was already uncomfortable by how much
she did see.
"Yeah, I know. Remember, I'm the one who spent most of my life thinking I
was too. Sometimes you have to look past all the labels we put on ourselves
and just decide who we are and what we want. That's what the cards do." She
looked down at his hands, then met his eyes, "I…you don't have to do this. I
can practice on someone else." Spike thought that little speech might have
been the most he had heard Willow's girlfriend say at one time to anyone
except Willow.
"No, pet, just tell me what to do."
"I'll point where you put them, you deal out four cards. This is you, this
is Xander, this is your relationship, this is the future." She indicated
three spots side by side on the table, and one centered above them.
Xander and Willow came in from the kitchen. Willow sat next to Tara. The
movies apparently forgotten, she eyed the cards with interest. Xander
circled around to Spike's side of the table but hung back and asked, "Is
this private? We can…"
Spike snagged the boy around the waist and pulled him into his lap in a
lightening-quick move and said, "She's reading us."
Willow giggled, "Which one is Spike?”
"One of these is Spike?" Xander perked up and turned his attention to the
cards. "Tell me it's not the pregnant lady. You…ah, you can't….I know
there's a lot of freaky vampire shit I don't understand….but you…"
"Stop sputtering whelp. That's me." Spike pointed to the card Tara had told
him was him.
"Spike's an angel?" Willow squeaked.
"An angel with black wings, yeah, I can see that." Xander kissed him and
tightened his grip on the arms that held him.
"This is Temperance, she's a symbol of dynamic change. She blends both
animal and human attributes." Tara said after checking her book.
Xander twisted in his arms and poked Spike with his index finger. "She
nailed you." Spike mock growled and morphed to his demon face to nuzzle the
boy's neck with his fangs.
Tara cleared her throat and continued with a shy smile. "What she says about
you is that you are aware that you don't have all the answers and you are
willing to seek them through others. You are drawn to groups and desire
interaction and the establishment of ties."
"Which one's Xander?" Willow nudged her girlfriend, and nodded at the cards.
"The Sun." Tara pointed to the card in question.
"Told you you taste like sunlight, pet." Spike purred into Xander's ear.
"Tell me about me." Xander prompted the shy witch.
"You symbolize all that is glittering, great, and joyful." She smiled. "And
indicate optimism and prosperity." Spike continued to purr as Xander
laughed.
"It's a good card for you, Xan." Willow said.
"It says that your love has brought light to Spike's life or um…death,
unlife." She blushed and added. "Since he's the one who cast the card, I
mean."
"Go on, little bit, now I'm curious." Spike said and shifted back to his
human visage.
"It says that Xander's quiet optimism and happy nature make him a joy to
live with. It says he has a constructive approach to life and he is on
course with his destiny and will follow his true path. His love is simple
and infinitely strong." She shared a smile with Willow before turning back
to them.
Xander was blushing and quickly diverted the attention from himself by
asking "And the pregnant chick?"
"Xander," Willow teased, "there's this spell I've been wanting to try."
"Pay attention." Tara firmly admonished. Xander and Willow shared
conspiratorial smiles. Spike had noticed them both making an effort recently
to get the blond to assert herself. They often took her rare outbursts as
personal victories.
"I'm sorry. It says she's the Empress. What does that mean?" Willow said.
"She is abundance and fertility incarnate." The blond witch winked at
Xander. "In the position of the relationship card, she symbolizes long term
commitment, lasting love and enduring pleasure." Spike purred loudly and
squeezed his lover. "Harmony, " Tara continued. Xander snickered, and Willow
tried to kick him under the table but connected with Spike instead. Tara
shot Xander a stern look and raised an eyebrow. " Of mind, body and spirit
prevail. You complement each other and your physical relationship is
absorbing."
"And the future?" Spike eyed the last remaining card with reluctance - it
looked foreboding.
"That's an odd one." Xander picked up the card and traced the picture with
his finger. "Who is she?"
"Hecate. This book says she's the goddess of death, but she's much more."
Tara said.
"Isn't she the one who turned Amy into the rat?" Xander asked Willow.
"The Moon isn't a bad card." Willow looked to Tara for confirmation. "I've
done a lot of reading on Hecate, to help Amy. She is unusual, but not evil."
"No." Tara added quietly. "The Moon symbolizes uncertain forces, visions and
the flux of life and death. In this position it emphasizes enhanced
imagination and intuition - new approaches and ideas. It seems to say that
uncertainty will come, but don't panic ultimately you will benefit."
~~~~
Spike noticed that like soldiers the Scoobies tended to rest when they
could. They spent so much time scrambling to save the world that inevitably
on their rare quiet evenings they fell asleep. This time it wasn't just
Xander who couldn't keep his eyes open. Red was spooned against Tara and
both were sound asleep on the couch. When they had moved from the table to
the living room area, Xander had sat in front of the couch and patted the
spot of floor between his spread legs. Which was how Spike ended up propped
comfortably back against the chest of the sleeping boy, wrapped in his warm
arms and the only one awake to suffer through ‘Notting Hill’. Upon hearing
first one then three rhythmic sounds of breathing, Spike began to plot a way
to avoid watching the movie. He stealthily extricated himself from the boy's
embrace and scooped up his tall lover, moving slowly to prevent his waking.
Once in the bedroom, Xander groggily drifted awake and blinked in confusion.
Realization of Spike's vampire strength swept across his expressive face and
he cuddled back into his broken sleep. Spike lay him on the bed and went
back to the living room to shut off the telly and cover the witches with a
decorative throw. He returned to Xander and with little effort removed his
clothing and picked the sheet up off the floor to cover the boy. While
shaking the sheet free of wrinkles and carpet lint, Spike drank in the sight
of his sleeping lover. Xander's dark hair was tousled and his lashes swept
across his tanned face. The boy lay lax and looked like a work of art. His
cock nestled against one well-muscled thigh, emerging from a thick patch of
dark curls. His stomach was flat and Spike could discern the faint six pack
of his abdominal muscles - not the cut look of a gym addict but sinew
earned by hard labor and frequent physical activity. *Tonight, if I may
guess, thy beauty wears a smile of such delight as brilliant and as bright
as when with ravished aching vassal eyes lost in a soft amaze I gaze, I
gaze![1]*
It wasn't yet ten thirty. Time was he would have been just starting to look
for trouble at this time of night. He was spending too much time with
humans. He considered going out, hunting a bit, but Xander tossed in his
sleep and for the third time in as many hours presented Spike with his ass,
this time unhampered by the black denim. Decision made, Spike skinned out of
his clothes and tossed them with abandon. He slid into bed, pulling Xander
close, and was rewarded by the boy wrapping him in his warmth. Spike lay
inches from his lover's face, each breath bathing him in warmth and scent.
This wasn't the first time he had forgone a hunt to hold vigil over his
sleeping boy. Each time, he was torn between knowing that eventually, a
rival would come to town and if he were not alert the newcomer would have
him at a disadvantage, and the knowledge that because of that inevitability
that time with Xander was fleeting and he should grab any opportunity while
he could. He wondered if what he had said in the shower, about wanting to
claim Xander, mark him so all would know he belonged to Spike was enough. It
was important that the boy not think that he was second choice. Not to
diminish his feelings for the late Slayer, but what he felt for Buffy could
not be compared to this. He had loved her, but it was unrequited. Unrequited
love was like a seed never planted. This struggling sapling that he and the
boy nurtured between them was far more precious.
Again, Xander had taken the lead. When he had first stammered out his
concerns for and admitted the pain caused by his ex, Spike had been too
absorbed in what the boy had been feeling to process his own reaction.
Xander admitted that he had hoped to marry the silly demon bint and was
still worried about her. He knew what Xander had shared with Anya had been
real and grounded in the human world. Xander still tended the love that had
grown between him and the ex-demon, but as always, when only one person
cared for it, the love mutated. Instead of becoming bitterness or obsession
that Spike had seen most often in the past, it had become the nurturing
concern Xander offered all his friends tempered by both pain and insight.
~~~~~~
Due to his weekday hours, Xander, much to his own mortification, had started
to wake early even on weekends. Spike sensed the change in his breathing
immediately, just as the intricate dance of the boy's fingers along the cool
flesh of Spike's stomach became knowing and started to drift down. Spike
stretched, luxuriating in his mate's warmth, then turned, pulling Xander
close against his morning erection. A radiant smile spread across the boy's
face as his hips bucked forward into the contact.
"Spike." Xander packed a wealth of emotion and meaning into the single word.
Spike kissed him long and slow, thrusting into the touch of their cocks.
"Sunlight. You taste like sunlight, and laughter pet. Glittering, great, and
glorious."
Xander blinked and asked with bubbling laughter, "I light up your life?"
Spike nodded, showing a trace of suspicion.
"Spike?" The boy batted his lashes and tried to stop giggling. "Am I the
wind beneath your wings?"
Spike pounced with a growl and pinned Xander underneath him. He couldn't
maintain a straight face even in his demon visage, so he buried his face
against the boy's stomach. Spike reveled in the feel of the boy's body
shaking with silent laughter. Xander wrapped him in a warm embrace and
pulled him up to feather kisses across his ridged brow. He then dropped down
to slip his tongue in and deliberately cut it on Spike's fangs. It no longer
even set the chip off it had become such a regular occurrence. It was almost
part of their morning routine to blend blood in each other's mouths. Spike
bit his own tongue and Xander swept his mouth with long deep licks even as
Spike morphed back to his human face. Spike renewed his efforts to grind
against his lover. Xander broke the kiss and rolled on top of him. Looking
down with mirth-filled eyes, he was youth incarnate. Tara really had been
right - the boy was joy personified, his love was simple and infinity
strong.
Xander appeared to have had enough of Spike's rapt attention and swooped
down for another kiss. Spike reached for the lube, groping blindly through
the drawer of the bedside stand, not willing to break the kiss. Once found
he lifted them both to a kneeling position, taking shameless advantage of
Xander's gasp of surprise to plunder the boy's mouth once again. Before
Xander could question the sudden change in position Spike slapped the tube
into his hand and turned to grip the headboard. Immediately in tune with his
lover's demand, Xander set about thoroughly preparing Spike. Ignoring the
vampire's growls of impatience the boy lovingly coated and slowly stretched
his mate's entrance. Spike had been a virgin when he died, and thanks to
vampiric healing would remain that way until he was dust. Though he had told
Xander that he needn't be so careful, Spike was touched by his lover's
tenderness. In life and in death no one had shown such attention to his
feelings. While he took his time preparing Spike, Xander teased him with
caresses and gentle pinches and bites. Just before he moved into position,
Xander leaned forward, spreading warmth across Spike's back, and stole a
kiss.
In a stunning example of his inability to communicate and think about sex
Xander asked, "Good? Now? Yes?" Not the most eloquent of lovers, the boy was
most often reduced to incoherent grunts, moans and whimpers in the middle of
sex. Xander had been making a concentrated effort to overcome this
disability, but privately Spike hoped he didn't succeed. He was rather fond
of his boy's delicious babble; no matter how little sense he made Xander's
comments always came from his heart.
"Ready, love." Spike thrust back on the moving fingers and steadied himself
as Xander replaced his slick fingers with his equally slippery cock. With
infinite slowness Xander entered his body. Spike reveled in the feel of his
lover's heat impaling him and spreading out through his body. Once fully
seated inside Xander stopped, stroked Spike's sides, carded his hair and
murmured nonsense in his ear. Xander's pulse throbbed from the center of
Spike's being, making him feel almost alive himself. For one brief moment it
felt as if they were one person, then the boy moved. Slowly back, slowly
forward, it was hardly more than a rocking of his hips. Xander eased Spike
into the sensation of movement. Gradually, he increased the length of his
thrusts and the speed of the rhythm. Xander held onto Spike's hip with one
hand and snaked the other around to tease at Spike's heavy cock. He began to
pump Spike's erection in time with his thrusts, and Spike lifted his head
back and his purr became loud and feral. Eventually, Spike felt Xander's
rhythm slip and knew he was about to come.
"Xander!" he hissed, needing more. Xander, in another display of his ability
to read Spike's mind, leaned into his orgasm and bit hard into the muscle
along Spike's collarbone. Spike came with a howl. Xander pulled him back
into his lap as he slowly softened and slipped out. Xander licked at the
bite and watched fascination as the blood slowed and began to stop before
his very eyes. Spike had turned his head to watch Xander and grasped both
hands around the warm arms, which embraced him. *Watching makes my heart
beat fast because, seeing little, I imagine much*
Xander seemed to sense his attention and looked over with a grin. "No work
today." He whispered suggestively. "We can stay in bed all day."
Spike snorted and couldn't resist saying, "You do remember Red and her
snuggle bunny are on the couch, don't you?"
Staggered, Xander sputtered. "Willow! I had sex with Willow in the next
room? Loud sex! I am so gonna burn." He buried his face in Spike's neck and
mumbled. "You're evil."
There was a tentative knock on the door and as Spike called out, "Come in."
Spike shifted to his human face and Xander frantically scrambled to cover
the best parts of both of them with the rumpled sheet. Willow stuck her head
in the room.
Blushing, she tried to look anywhere but at the bed. "Xan, we didn't want to
leave without saying goodbye and thank you for the home cooking. Sorry we
crashed like that, it's been a long week…" She had been unsuccessful at
avoiding the sight of the sweaty, sticky, naked men, and froze with her
mouth open. A look of anger crossed her face and she walked into the room
and over to the bed. "Spike? My God! Are you…? Xander, you bit him!" Whack.
She slapped Xander's bare shoulder, sounding loud but obviously not really
hard. Spike growled but maintained his human visage. "Oh?" Willow said and
looked baffled.
"Ah…Just kinky sex, Will." Xander volunteered and Spike felt the heat of a
blush spread across the boy's body. And, although Spike hadn't believed it
was possible, she turned redder.
"Oh? Oh! Well thanks for dinner it was great. And thanks for tucking us in.
I'll call you." Willow backed out in full babble mode.
"It didn't cross your mind to even mention that they were here, did it?"
Xander hissed.
"Oh, it crossed my mind." Spike purred and leered at his mate.
"You're evil." *But, of course.*
part seven
1. John Keats ‘To Fanny’
2. Sappho
***FYI all you Wiccans and Tarot fans, Tara used ‘The Lovers’ Tarot’ by Jane
Lyle for her reading of Xander and Spike. Yes it was a real reading, my
Spike muse shuffled the cards and those were the ones that came up - first
try.
Part 8
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