Touched

by
Virtual Personal

Part Seven

Click Here To Find Out Whether There is Character Death

Spike had enough. One week - seven days and nights had passed. Each time he went to the temple to try to see the boy, the answer was the same. He could bloody well quote them now. “A warlock must be kept in seclusion from all but his teachers until he achieves a measure of control.”

Warlocks might have control. Vampires didn’t.

Especially once they figured out what was at stake. Every bleeding day, he missed him that much more. Missed his stupid jokes. Missed fighting over the remote. Missed winning the remote. Yeah... even missed some of that kissing they’d gotten into after dancing at that poofter club, whatever it was called.

Every day, he’d grown more irritable. Less human. Yeah, that’s what the boy did to him, brought out his old humanity. And the vampire... another voice whispered. The vampire wanted his boy out and at his side, rules be damned. If he had to, he’d stay at the temple, but there would be no more seclusion... not from him.

He was still calling himself all sorts of fool for letting the warlocks take Xander, when he landed on the garden side of the high stone wall surrounding the temple property. The grappling hook hung from the top of the wall, but he left it and headed for one of the arched entrances.

On the way, he passed an ancient-looking well, with a bucket hanging over it. At least the place had a peaceful air about it. Maybe Xander did like it here. That might relieve a measure of the guilt he’d been carrying around.

Big golden statues of men with animal heads guarded the doorways. Inside, the bamboo flooring gleamed warmly under the light cast by torches lining the yellow stone walls textured with fingers of moss that grew from the cracks. Prayer mats were scattered around various alcoves and altars, here and there.

Spike inspected the room and the only thing that bothered him was the annoying bee-like humming sound – as if people were doing yoga. He hoped it wasn’t something Xander had taken up.

No, there was something else that bothered him. The absence of all other sound. He stilled. He couldn’t hear anything else... not laughter, not the sound of breathing, and not the sound of a single heartbeat.

Eyes narrowed, he looked at another row of arched doors leading to the inner parts of the temple. The first was locked, as were the next several.

Another thing. Vampires weren’t known for their patience.

Morphing without thought, he pulled the last one open with a snarl, breaking one of its' hinges and tossing it ... pushing it aside so that the skewed door now lay against the wall. The sound of snapping wood was followed by other sounds. Lots of heartbeats. Curses. Plaintive cries.

“What the fuck...” Everything was different in here. Cold. Stone walls. Stone floors. Harsh fluorescent lights cast a blue pall on the long corridor. Doors with hatches at the top and bottom. Trays of food. A prison? Soundproofed from the front areas?

Spike's blue eyes turned as chilly as the room as he started to narrow his search, listening for the heart beat he knew so well.

“Help.... you there...”

Spike ignored her and single mindedly kept walking, but she called again, he thought it would be better to know what he was walking into. Two minutes, that’s all it would take. In a few strides, he was at her cell and opened the hatch the rest of the way.

“Please open the door... get us out.”

Immediately suspicious, he drawled, “How would you know I’m not one of them?”

“Not an ounce of power coming from you.”

He slammed the hatch and started to walk away.

“Wait... what’s the matter with you?” she hissed, pressing against the door.

“Didn’t come here to get insulted, did I?”

“I just meant... I just meant if you’d had powers... you wouldn’t have gotten in, now open this, please... before it’s too late!”

Metal scraped against metal, and then the door was pulled open. A young girl, probably Dawn’s age walked out, rubbing her arms and looking warily around. “Help me get the others out. My boyfriend, and the other warlocks.”

He gripped her shoulders and forced her to stand still. “What is this place? It’s supposed to be a school... to train warlocks... to help them ..,.” A cold fist squeezed his gut every time she shook her head ‘no’ to his questions.

“ ... speak,” he shook her slightly, “what is this place. What have they done to Xander?” he snarled.

“That’s what I was trying to tell you,” she said indignantly, trying to pull away. “It’s a cult. They find young warlocks...”

“You’re a warlock?”

“No you idiot, I’m a witch... my boyfriend’s a warlock, they have him... and a few others.”

“What do they want?”

“They... they don’t believe in free will and emotion. They take it away,” she said, her voice filled with horror. “They train you... but they zap you if you have any feelings, until you’re just part of their machine. That’s why ...”

“Get everyone out, I’m getting Xander.”

“I can’t... I mean we can’t leave, there’s a spell field around this place, it keeps others like us out, and us in.”

“We’ll see about that. Meet in the garden, there’s a rope hanging from the wall,” he said and strode away, leaving her to deal with releasing the other warlocks.

He reached the door at the very end of the hall and opened it. On a thin pallet on the floor of the small, dark room only eerily lit with that blue light, he saw Xander stir and sit up.

“I’ve come to–“ Spike took a few strides, then sailed into the air and hit the corridor wall behind him. “What the bloody hell?!?” He looked around, expecting the cult leaders, and then approached the room.

The room might be sparse, but every item in it, the pallet, Xander’s sneakers, a book and a few other sundries were circling around Xander who now stood. “Get out.”

“Xander—“

“I said fucking get out. You let them take me... you promised...”

Spike tried again, and this time not only did he slam into the wall, but a sneaker nailed him on the forehead. “Owwww.... that hurt!”

“I don’t ever want to see you... go...”

“I’m sorry, I’ve got to get you... Xander stop it!” he ducked the other shoe, and found his face slammed into the door. It opened and moved toward him again, but he put his hands out and stopped it.

“Don’t wanna hear your promises... don’t wanna hear anything... from your lying mouth,” Xander approached the door, eyes wild with anger, with pain ... eyes that damned Spike’s already damned soul.

“What have they done?” Spike saw the bruises on the boy’s cheeks, noticed how he limped. “They hurt —“

“You hurt me more.” Xander put his hands out, as if to physically push Spike out.

“Wait...” Spike started to unbutton his shirt.

Xander’s gaze fell to the vampire’s chest, then traveled back to his eyes.

“It’s what you want, right... look, you like me without clothes. I’m quite sharp, I notice these things...” tossing his shirt to the ground, he moved slowly into the room, “you also like being kissed, yeah... by me... hard?”

Though angry, Xander was mesmerized by the sight before him. One of his many dreams coming true, even if it didn’t mean anything. But the minute he felt Spike’s arms around him, the room went wild again. “I told you I hate you!” He tried to throw Spike, but Spike held him so tight, they both hit the wall together.

“But not this, you like this... and this...” Spike kissed his neck, rubbing his mouth back and forth over the squirming boy’s neck, “and this....” he slid his leg between Xander’s, “Shshsh...”

“Bastard, you tricked me,” he arched his neck under Spike’s tongue, “oh God, I hate you... I hate this...”

“Mmmmm, I can see that,” Spike moved his mouth over Xander’s and kissed him, nipping his lower lip, and then soothing away the savage beast.

The wind stopped blowing around them, items fell to the ground. Xander leaned against him, greedily sucking on his tongue.

“Are you calm now?”

“Yes,” Xander whispered breathlessly.

“Good.” Spike broke away and picked up his shirt, “then put your shoes on and let’s get out of here.”

“Let’s... you... this was all... you...”

“Do you want to stay here?”

“No.”

“Right then. Shoes.” Spike had them in his hands and dropped down next to Xander, helping him put them on.

“I hate you.”

“No you don’t.”

“Don’t need your help.”

“I want to give it.” Spike tied Xander’s shoe laces and got up. “Let’s go home,” he reached a hand out and pulled the boy up to his feet.

That was when the shaking started. And the crying. Spike pulled Xander into his arms again and held him.

“This isn’t a school...” Xander pressed his face into the crook of Spike’s neck, trying not to cry anymore, but the angry wall he’d built around him had already broken... all because of one gesture. Had a bigger idiot ever been born?

“I know it isn’t...”

“They wanted me to do things... I couldn’t... couldn’t control my powers....”

“Shshsh, it’s alright, we’ll find another way,” Spike put his chin on Xan’s head, knowing time might be running out.

“Hurt.... they hurt my mind when I couldn’t use the metals...”

“Use the metals?”

“To ground me.... they’re supposed to ground me.”

Steel bands suddenly tightened around him too hard, making Xander yelp and look down into eyes so hot with anger, it made him flinch. At that moment, he realized what Spike already had. Metal didn’t ground him, Spike did.

Outside, an odd medley of teenagers waited for them. All males, except the one Spike had freed himself. In whispered voices, they told him they’d tried to climb the rope but couldn’t get over the top of the wall.

“So there’s a spell... extending the wall?”

“Yes.”

“No way for you to get over?”

They shook their heads. “Maybe you can go find our folks... maybe...they can do something ...”

Raising his hand, Spike halted the speculation. “There are what, twelve of you here? Break the wall down.”

“He’s right... the wall’s not magicked,” the girl chimed in.

“Course he’s right,” Spike said with a smug look. “Now hurry up, don’t have all night.”

“Yeah they get here early in the morning,” she whispered.

“Let’s not wait for morning.”

The kids dug into their pockets and their shoes, or socks, pulling out metal blocks, or smooth stones. Just as Spike wondered what they were up to, Xander grasped his hand. Ahhh.

The air stirred around them as the teenagers concentrated. “Make sure you hit the wall and not me,” Spike shouted in Xander’s ear, “that’s usually where everything ends up...”

“That’s cause you’re usually doing something you shouldn’t be ... Just stand there and be a good grounding prop.”

“Grounding prop! I’ll give you--”

The trees shook leaves all around them as the power level built up. Then, with no warning, the wall exploded and left them in a cloud of dust.

They dropped off the teens, made sure they were safe with their families or relatives and Spike grilled one of the parents for information about Jagards and what to do with Xander’s late blooming talent.

“Embarrassing much?” Xander asked when, at last, they were on their way.

“Don’t want any more snafus, do you? You need to get control over your powers, and these are the people who can help. You heard what they said.” Without bothering to stop at the light, Spike made a left turn. There were no cars any way at this late hour.

“Heard that before,” he held onto the arm rest. “Okay, these people looked normal, not like the robots you gave me to.”

“I didn’t give you to anyone... Alright, I took you back.”

Seeing Spike’s face darken as if he had some serious mayhem on his mind, Xander was immediately sorry to have brought it up. He’d rather talk about them... their future.

“We’re going to the crypt then?” He gripped the handle.

“No.”

“No?” Xander bit his lip. He no longer had his apartment in Sunnydale, and if they weren’t going to the crypt... they made a turn and he sucked his breath in. “Giles! You’re dropping me off at Giles’? Spike?”

Parking the car at a crooked angle in the driveway, Spike left without another word, not even bothering to shut the door.

Xander rushed behind him as Spike banged on the door and yelled, “Come on, open up.”

“I don’t wanna stay here, Spike I wanna go to ...”

The door opened, revealing a newly awakened Giles pulling his robe together and squinting at them. “What’s going on? Spi–“

Pulling back his arm, Spike punched the watcher in the face. “That is a wake-up call,” he shouted, following Giles inside and pulling him up off the ground.

“Good Lord, what is happening,” as he tried to protect himself, Spike’s fist slammed into Giles again.

“That’s for not doing your bloody homework, and...”

“No... enough, Spike enough!” Xander tried to pull the vampire back, and he was shaken off twice. The third time, he held on and closed his eyes. Please let this work

Spike dragged Giles to his feet again, “And this..,” just as he pulled his arm back once more, Giles’ robe and pajama top disappeared, leaving him in striped pajama... shorts. Both men looked down as the shorts started to shake and tearing sounds came from them.

“Noooo... no....”

The shouts were unanimous, as Spike backed out of the house with a distinctly unvampiric ‘ewww’ and Giles held his bloody nose with one hand, covered his shorts with the other, and backed away toward the kitchen.

“S...sorry ‘bout that,” Xander started to appologize but left when the watcher motioned for him to just get out. He followed Spike to the car and got in. “That wasn’t nice.”

“He wasn’t very nice, was he? Put you in that place with all the torture and the--“

“It’s okay, he didn’t know, he thought... what?” Xander turned to look at Spike as the vampire slammed the brakes and turned to him.

“It took me twenty minutes to get you to talk to me, and that’s after you bloody well knocked me on my arse a few times, and when it’s Giles... you go all soft. It’s his fault you were in there...”

“I know but...”

“But what?!?”

“I don’t know... he’s not the one who promised to ...”

“I let you go because he said he’d looked into it, he’s a watcher–“

“I know... I know.... but... well ... We’d been together all that time, you know, in the car and the motels... the drive, and I just... you made me feel safe, and I was scared when we got to Buffy’s and you promised you’d stay, and then you didn’t, and it hurt ... it hurt because it’s you, I don’t love him, I ...” Xander hung his head. “I want to go to the crypt with you.”

“I...” Spike hit the gas pedal. “We’re going to Buffy’s, crypt is no place for you,” he stole a glance at Xander, “and this isn’t the place to talk about anything important.”

Did he mean...? Biting his lip, Xander looked over at Spike, but now all he got was a view of his impassive silhouette.

Buffy and Dawn moved into Buffy’s room for the night, Xander hovered in the doorway of Dawn’s room. Spike seemed to be doing the same in front of the other room.

Their eyes locked. And then Spike had Xander in his arms and was kissing him breathless. “Shshsh,” he warned when a groan escaped the boy’s lips. “Sleep now, I’ll see you in the morning.”

“Spike! You leave me in a perpetual state of....” Xander gave a dramatic sweep of his hand to draw attention to his aroused state.

“Yeah... I do, don’t I?”

Xander caught the decidedly smug smile before the door closed and he was all alone in the hall. Slowly, he went inside and climbed into Dawn’s bed, wishing for the days when they’d been on the road. Just the two of them. One bed. Whether they got along or not, when he needed him, Spike had been there.

Now he needed him. How could the guy get him so hot so fast? And then leave him like this! Hello... he could be soundless if he needed to, couldn’t he? He’d even stuff something in his mouth so he’d be noiseless and... okay... yeah... Spike probably wasn’t the quiet type... or the type to let him stuff his mouth with something. The thought of gagging the vampire had him laughing as he rolled on his side and punched the pillow into shape.

It was a dark, windless night in the desert. For a small Southern town that didn’t take too kindly to ‘his type,’ there sure were a lot of men cruising for boys in this part of town. Xander looked good, and he knew it. His tight sleeveless shirt showed off his arms and chest. On occasion, he’d move just so, and his shirt would creep up, revealing his abdomen.

There it was, a whistle. He turned and laughed, “sorry pal, you can’t afford me.” He swivelled his hips and strode away, earning himself a bit of begging. “Dancer, not hooker. Friday night... at The Joint.”

“Let’s see you move.”

Well why not? Xander swung his hips around and slapped his thigh, moving to the side. “Cowboy gear is my specialty,” he said, pushing an imaginary ten gallon hat down over his face. More cat calls. “Friday nights boys,” he repeated and started one encore move when he heard an “Oh shit, cops!”

The truck pulled away from the side walk and careened around the corner. Xander started to make a break for it when a blue light was trained on him from behind. He could see the red lights flashing.

“Hey look, man...”

“Stay where you are, don’t turn around,” a decidedly British accent ordered over a speaker.

“Fuck!”

“Put your hands up where I can see them.”

The car door slammed. Xander’s heart beat against his chest. He started to turn.

“I said don’t move, you have a hearing problem, boy?”

“N...no.”

“No, sir,” came the clipped answer.

“No... sir.” Fuck... what was going on? Xander felt a hand clamp on his shoulder.

“Walk.”

Xander did as he was told, he had no choice. “Officer....”

“Shut up. Up against the car. Put your hands on the trunk.”

He started to move closer to the car but was prevented by a leg that suddenly blocked him. Leaning forward, as if doing a push up, he felt very vulnerable. If he let go of the car, he’d stumble.

Lifting his head, he could see the cop in the rear view mirror. Dark uniform, tight. Short hair cropped close to his head, almost platinum. Shit, the way he looked, he could be one of the dancers at The Joint.

“Open your legs. Wider,” Xander felt a leg inserted between his, kicking from side to side until he obeyed. For an instant, he felt the press of firm muscle against his inner thigh, then it was gone. His skin tightened, his cock pressed against his zipper. Shit! This was no time to get excited... and yet, when he stole another look at the rear view mirror at that stern face, images of dancing for this guy raced through his mind... dancing until that controlled look was replaced with uncontrolled need.

Hands started patting him down. His neck and shoulders. Back. Fuck, they slid around him and were splayed across his chest. His heart was hammering so hard, the officer would know.

“Made a lot of money tonight, did you?”

The hands swept over his abdomen, making him even more aware that a sliver of skin was now exposed. His gut tightened under the cops touch. “No.”

“No what?”

“No sir, I’m a dancer, not a...”

“How much did you take from those men?” The hands started patting down his ass. Thoroughly. Xander swallowed and just about let go of the car. “Hold still, boy.”

“I told you... nothing. Sir.” Xander arched his back as those hands stroked the insides of his thighs. Circles, so close... fuck so close to his aching cock.

“You like that, do you?”

He didn’t know what to say, but when he felt cold hard metal suddenly pressed against his zipper, he answered. “Okay... yes... yes, I like it.” A downward glance showed him it was the cop’s gun. “Oh God are you going to...” he croaked as the gun was rubbed more firmly against him at the same time as the cop pressed up against his ass. He could feel how hard the guy was, so hard, so ready, sliding against his crack. “Fuck!”

“How much?”

“What... nothing... just fucking fuck me.”

“I don’t want a freebie.”

Xander recognized the feel of money getting shoved into his pocket. He didn’t ask how much, or care, or demand the cop take it back. Instead, he strained alternatively against the gun and against the cock at his rear, panting lightly, ready to beg.

The silence was broken by the sound of the cop unbuckling his belt. When Xander tried to move to undo his own pants, a crisp command in his ear stopped him. He felt his button get popped open, then his zipper get pulled. The hands at his hips pulled his pants down below his ass cheeks.

The cop immediately closed the gap between them, rubbing up against him. Xander caught the sound of a groan and imagined that the sight of him going commando must have drawn the reaction. The man’s hot and throbbing member was slowly driving him crazy, and he wanted him inside. “C’mon...”

He’d expected roughness. Instead, the cop slipped his hand between them and prepared him, his touch firm but gentle. Xander held his breath... expecting the invasion, but crying out with pleasure when the cop started fondling him alternatively with the gun, and the back of his hand that held it. They both started to move, back and forth, each time a little harder, a bit sharper, and then the cop was in him, thrusting against his ass, pulling him back with the gun and hand, driving him wilder.

Delirious, Xander looked into the rear view mirror and groaned at the sight of the pale hands on him, the contrast between his dark uniform and the alabaster skin of the cop’s hip jerking forward, fucking him into the car. “Harder,” he urged, throwing back his head and biting his lip as the cop rammed into him, and grunted near his ear as he reached his climax. “More... more...”

“Yeah... oh yeah....” the cop shouted his release, out of control, so out of control, firing his gun left and right, hitting the car... a tree....

The sound of a door opening and hitting a wall woke Xander. Just as he lifted his head, the hallway light was turned on. His heart dropped at the sight of Spike...

...Butt naked and waving his hands around, index fingers pointed straight out and his thumbs making up and down motions, as if he were cocking a gun. Clearly, he was fighting his body and trying to stop it.

Oh my god... the dream... only this Spike was shooting with both hands and looking very un-cop-like.

“Oh my God!” Buffy exclaimed from somewhere beyond Xander’s view, followed by Dawn’s “Eeeeps!” A door slammed shut.

Incensed blue eyes locked with his. Xander squirmed. “I’m trying.. It was a dream...”

“Xander.” Spike turned his body fully toward him, thrusting his hips as he made circling motions in the air with his ‘guns.’

But only one thing held Xander’s attention. “Holy...” his mouth dried. “You’re not helping me want you dressed.”

Part Eight

Click Here To Find Out Whether There is Character Death

Xander sat in “warlock class” feeling quite out of place. He was the only one who was over twenty for fuck’s sake... all the others were still teenagers trying to get control over their magic. He would be the one to experience late-breaking puberty!

It had been two weeks since Spike had come to his senses and broken him and the other kids out of that ‘prison’ type place. Now he was in school – the real deal. Studying, learning about his heritage, though he couldn’t even imagine which of the Harris parents was responsible for something so cool as magical powers. Well... it would be cool once he got control over them. Until then, he had to stop wondering about things like what would it be like for Giles to be a gay man. That incident with Giles’ hand running over the mail man’s ass, despite the Brit’s valiant fight to control his hand and keep it to himself, had almost ended badly. It was no wonder that Giles was now avoiding him.

As the teacher droned on, he thought about his very strange relationship with Spike. Was it a relationship? The vampire was damn slippery, and so far Xander couldn’t figure it out. Since the night he’d inadvertently made Spike do the naked cowboy dance, Spike hadn’t slept over. He came over to see him every night -- watched t.v., even cozied up. And sometimes ... sometimes things got heated between them.

Xander sucked in his breath at the thought of last night. They’d sat on the Summers’ porch swing, drinking beer and talking. Then he’d felt Spike’s firm thigh press against his own. Something small like that was all it took. His stomach tightened, his heart started pounding. He was pretty sure he’d given Spike a couple of longing looks, but the vampire appeared not to notice... coolly drinking his beer. That was until Spike bent toward the table on Xander’s side to put the bottle down. They’d almost bumped noses. Xander moved to the side, at the same time Spike did. Their lips touched, at first by accident.

And then Spike’s mouth was moving over his, so hard and firm, so demanding. His arms had come around Xander’s shoulders, one hand on the nape of his neck, his thumb sliding up and down the side of his throat. Delicious feelings swamped Xander’s senses as he fought to get closer. This was what he wanted... for the vampire to assert himself, to hold him like this, to master him. This was what he dreamed about.

Groaning lightly, Spike pushed Xander back against the cushions, twisting his body around so they were chest to chest, so he was half crawling over the boy. Xander squirmed under him, fighting to get closer, sending heat flooding through Spike. The feel of the boy’s warm palms stroking his chest, alternately kneading his flesh, quickly made him hot and hard.

As Spike’s tongue delved deeper into his mouth, Xander shuddered. He shifted, rubbed his erection against Spike’s, and started whispering mindlessly. Begging Spike to go upstairs with him. This was it... tonight... he just knew it... he needed it so bad.

Abruptly, Spike broke the kiss and stood up.

The porch swing and side table started shaking and rattling as Xander looked up. “Don’t go... Spike...”

“Hush... calm down.... gonna break something.”

“No I won’t ... I promise... Spike...” Xander licked his lips, trying to catch his breath.

“I’ll see you tomorrow, luv.”

The pencil in Xander’s hand broke into two. He quickly dropped it onto his table. Spike was so infuriating. He called him ‘luv’, then left. He kissed him like he was getting ready to fuck him... then nothing.

“Well?”

Xander blinked at the teacher. “What?”

“Well, we’ve gone around the room describing each of our... safety blankets, for lack of a better term. The item that grounds us. Jake has a teddy.” There were snickers at that. “Bobby brought a lighter, why anyone his age should own one... but you can never tell with magic why a particular item works for you. Please don’t tell me yours was that pencil.”

“Pencil... no... I... well ...” Xander looked at his watch. Spike was supposed to be here already.

More laughter. Then silence.

“Well what is your item? Your teddy bear, or pillow? What is it?” the teacher repeated.

Feeling a cool hand on his shoulder, Xander pointed up. “This is my it” Was it his imagination, or was that hand squeezing his shoulder a touch too hard?

The rest of the class was assembled outside the classroom, but due to Spike’s ‘sun sensitivity’, Xander was relegated to standing at the doorway inside the classroom. Still, he could hear the teacher loud and clear. Too clearly.

“Alright... I want all of you to give your grounding item a name... a nice, personal name. Something that gives you nice, warm feelings inside and makes you feel safe. For example, a long time ago... decades ago, I called my little blue towel, my wuzzy. Alan, I know you already have a name for your truck, tell everyone what you’re calling it.”
.
“Raptor.”

“Nope... that won’t do, let’s go for something softer.”

“Trucky?”

“Too generic. Come on, dig deep. Part of being a Jagard Warlock is that you have to be in touch with your feelings. The new-agers have it partially right, you know. Come on.... what does it want to be called?”

“Um.... my little ‘bleep bleep’.”

Everyone laughed, but Spike’s scowl and intense look sobered Xander up. As the teacher picked on other students to give the names of their items, he quickly discussed it with Spike.

“Hugger?”

Spike raised an eyebrow and stared.

“No then? How about.... fluffy tribble? Fluffy tribblet?”

“Nothing fluffy about me, yeah?”

Seeing that Spike was getting edgy, Xander kept thinking. “Smunchkin? My.... boobalah? Oh, fuck... I’m trying! Its supposed to come from deep inside.... how ‘bout blondie tail?”

“Blondie tail, that’s good. I’m sure ‘blondie tail’ has some deep personal meaning for you, so blondie tail he is,” the teacher pronounced, from outside.

“Deep personal meaning... I think I’m going to kill you.”

Xander winced. “I could call you ‘BT’ sort of like ‘JT’ and it’s way cooler... I....”

“Now, I want you to feel out your grounding item, Touch it, stroke it, feel every niche and groove, close your eyes and call it by name, over and over until it becomes second nature. Go on, I’ll keep talking, you follow instructions.”

As Xander moved toward Spike, Spike stepped back. “Spike... I mean blondie tail, come on...” He moved closer, away from the doorway. A bit nervously, he ran his palms up and down the vampire’s chest, feeling him tense underneath his touch. “Blondie tail... blondie tail.... bl.... blondie tail.” It wasn’t his imagination, Spike was getting more tense by the minute.

“By now everyone should have their eyes closed... repeat your item’s name, feel it, know it, touch it, rub it....”

“What the bloody hell is he, some sort of pimp?”

“Shush!” Cheeks burning, Xander followed the instructions, feeling extremely foolish as he repeated “Blondie tail, blondie tail, blondie tail,” over and over.

Gritting his teeth, Spike tried to pretend he was anywhere but in this mad place, getting felt up and being called that ridiculous name. It worked for a bit. Then Xander’s hands moved around to his back, and sides, and swept over his manhood -- his ‘now hardening’ manhood.

“Learn every nook and cranny...” When Xander touched him again, instinctively, Spike gripped Xander’s hips. If the boy had had his eyes open, he might have seen the anguished ache behind the anger in Spike’s gaze.

“Smell your item... know its scent. Taste it. Feel its contours...”

“Blondie tail,” Xander whispered huskily before joining their mouths. Feeling ... memorizing the shape of Spike’s lips with his own... dipping his tongue inside to taste him.

Then Spike was kissing him back, and it was last night all over again. Wave after wave of desperate desire crashed over him as the vampire took control of the kiss, dragged him up hard against his body, and cupped his ass. Fighting to get closer, fighting to learn Spike’s body, fighting to get what he’d wanted for so long, Xander forgot about class and teachers and lessons. The feel and taste and scent of Spike was all that mattered. “Blondie tail...” he whispered.

The teacher cleared his throat. “I can see how it can get complicated when your item is a person. We’ve moved on to the next lesson.”

“Huh? Oh....” Xander tried to pull away, but Spike was holding onto his ass. “Spike.... Spike... you can let go now. Spike... stop enjoying yourself!” he hissed.

“Not me, mate... I’m bloody glued to you, yeah?” Spike shot the teacher a look filled with blame.

“Uh oh....”

“Ah.... you’ve bonded with your item, excellent. Come on in class, Xander’s done it. As has Allen. The rest of you will have to work towards it.”

“Bloody...fucking... hell... Xander!” Spike bit out as they were surrounded by giggling teenagers. Of course they were laughing when he was struggling to get his hands off Xander.

“You’re gonna tear my pants!” Xander protested, moving closer to the vampire before that happened.

“Those of you that have bonded with your item... take deep breaths and visualize yourselves separating from them. Once you’re done, we’ll move on to doing magic while relying on your item to ground yourself.”

Hours later it was evening, and they left the school. “It wasn’t that bad. I did lift the table.”

“You did. And then you dropped it on me.”

“Oops... yeah, it’s a good thing you’re a vampire.”

“Then you froze me... didn’t like that one bit.”

“I didn’t mean to...” It was a good thing Spike didn’t know it had happened when a particularly curvaceous girl had passed, and Xander had a momentary fear of Spike staring at her like the other guys in class had been. “It could have been worse.”

“How?”

Silence. There were a lot worse things that could have happened, but Xander wasn’t about to list them. He needed blondie tail to go to at least 5 more classes with him! It was time to change the subject, definitely.

“So... the bad guys. When are we gonna go get ‘em? You know, the ones who held me prisoner for a week, the ones you forced me to go with, those guys....”

“They won’t be bothering you or anyone else again.” Spike gave Xander a meaningful look. “It could be that Buffy and I and some of these warlocks of yours took care of them.”

“Took care? Without telling me! I wanted to be a part of it. It’s my ass that got jailed, and tortured and...”

“And it’s my ass that got yours out,” Spike stuffed his hand into Xander’s pocket. “Try not to glue me this time, yeah?” He blew in the boy’s ear and kissed him lightly.

“That’s like a diversionary tactic. I know one when I see one.”

“Do you?” Spike stopped.

“What...” Xander looked around and for the first time noticed they’d walked to the graveyard rather than Buffy’s. “Spike?”

“You like it?”

Xander stared at what used to be Spike’s crypt. Now, instead of one, it looked like three crypts were joined together. “Whoa... but...”

“No ‘buts’,” Spike kissed the boy, then dragged him inside. “This is what I’ve been working on. Thought you might want to stay here some nights, instead of at the girls.”

Mouth hanging unattractively open, Xander walked around the remodeled crypt.

“Two rooms, a bathroom with a running shower and a kitchen,” the vampire said, leaning proudly against the wall with his arms crossed in front of him.

“You did all this by yourself?”

“Don’t be a git... I blackmailed a couple of blokes... don’t look at me like that, they were thugs anyway. I did steal some marble from the Thurston-Howells’ crypt... but they won’t notice, none of them are dead yet.”

Expressions of reproach, amazement, and amusement chased over Xander’s face. “Let me get this right... you did this for me?”

“Yeah.”

“What... what do you say to a boyfriend who steals crypts and makes a house out of them for you?”

“Thank you would be a good start.”

“Boyfriend. I mean... you are... we are?”

“I didn’t go about changing the place for my good friend, Clem did I?”

“Spike!” Filled with frustration, Xander rounded on him and trapped him against the wall. “Just a simple ‘yes’ or ‘no’... you’re confusing me, and that’s so not good.”

“Not bloody kidding, are you?” As the ground rumbled under their legs, “Xander.... come on, look at me, call me your bloody blondie tail,” he spit out, disgusted that those words left his mouth.

Pictures, so carefully hanged on the walls, now flew around the crypt, some crashing and falling to the ground. A futon bounced across the marble floor. The VCR fell off the shelf.

“Oh no.....” closing his eyes and touching Spike all over, Xander chanted blondie tail. “Sing ... please...”

Folding his arms around Xander, Spike started, “Beautiful boy—“

Xander cut him off, “no, sing blondie tail... please...”

Spike half hummed, half said the words over and over through gritted teeth, until the swirling items all fell to the ground.

“Sorry... I.... guess I have a lot to learn.”

“Yes. And.... yes.”

“Huh?”

“Don’t know if an old vampire qualifies as a ‘boy’... but yeah... boyfriend.”

Seeing the beautiful smile that lit up Xander’s face, Spike was glad he’d answered the question.

“So this...” Xander swept his arm around the room, “is why you’ve disappeared every night.”

“That... and not wanting to end up in the altogether at the girls’ place. I may be wrong, but I think Bit was enjoying it.”

“No... you’re not wrong,” Xander growled as he started to pick things up off the floor. “Huh... what’s this?” He touched the soft, cushiony frame around a picture, then saw that the dvd player was encased in the same stuff. Eying the vampire, he strode across the room and picked up a vase... “plastic!”

“Not made of money, am I? Thought I’d baby-warlock proof the place until you have control.”

“Baby,” Xander frowned, miffed at the thought of Spike baby-proofing the room. “Not a very sexy thing to think about your boyfriend.”

“Unless you’re really old and about to rob the cradle,” Spike drawled, giving the boy a heated look.

Oh yeah... that got Xander’s blood going again. “Spike, I want...”

“Food? Plenty in the fridge. Even have a microwave,” he pointed.

“No, not hungry. I want you to... I want us...”

“To go for a stroll? I could use a smoke,” as the vampire strode toward the door, his leather pants gave way. By the time he looked down, his legs were bare, and a triangular piece of leather covered his manhood.

“What’s this? Xander, I want my clothes back.”

An instant later, his tee shirt was gone, and a scrap piece of leather was wrapped around his wrist. “You’d bloody well better not make me dance.”

Horrified, Xander watched as Spike was forced to bend down and pick up a long piece of leather that looked so much like a whip. “Oh God... Spike, it’s not...,” he sat down and put his face in his hands, ready to cry. He’d ruined everything. Everything. “I just... I just keep wanting you to ... you know, come on to me ‘strong’. Opposite of that stupid Spike-bot thing,” his voice started to shake. “I looked in a magazine, trying to figure out if maybe I have a dom/sub kink... I don’t think so, but... that’s what they were wearing and, Spike,” he looked up, “I’m so sorry...”

The last thing he expected was for Spike to laugh. “Just a joke mate, I found your magazine.” He swept the tee shirt off the ground and threw it at Xander, so the boy could inspect it while he got dressed.

“You... this... you made me think I....”

With a new pair of pants on but still bare chested, Spike approached him. “I owed you. How many of my clothing have you ruined? And you bloody well tortured me all night when you got me stuck in that picture frame. Thought I’d—“ moving quickly, he grabbed Xander’s fist flying through the air. “It was a bad idea. I’m sorry.”

“It’s embarrassing for me... every time I make you do anything, every time I make you say stuff, or glue you to me... I think of the story you told me, about that love potion. I don’t want to be like this at all, Spike, I don’t want to force you... maybe you did it because I am forcing you.” A few tears sprang into his eyes. Pulling his hand away, he eyed the door. “I should go. Maybe we should both think about this.”

“When and if you ever start to force me to do anything that really crosses the line, you won’t be able to find me,” Spike ran his hand down Xander’s cheek, throat, shoulder and arm. “I’m still here. I want to be.”

Electricity shot down Xander’s arm at the touch. “Are you sure... I mean...” his gaze dropped to Spike’s chest, trailed over the vampire’s corded muscles...

When Xander’s eyes darkened with desire, Spike stifled a groan. “I’m sure.” He started to walk Xander backwards, using his body to force him to take the steps. His expression was that of a predator, ready to blood his kill. His reward, the sound of Xander’s heart pounding harder than ever, the catch in his breath... the shudder of his stomach as his hip brushed over the boy’s.

Xander backed up until the kitchen table cut into the back of his thighs. Suddenly, Spike’s arms were around him, holding him, molding him, not a bit of softness there. Breathless, he started to sway, to pull Spike toward the couch, but the vampire would have none of that.

It was his way, or no way... exactly what Xander had wanted. As the vampire’s teeth scraped over his lips, he groaned, and found himself locked into a hard kiss. They kissed and kissed, until his head swam, and his mouth grew sore. He started to pull back and was met with a warning growl. Not allowed.

Something primal inside of Xander liked it... liked the warning... liked being dominated by the more powerful vampire. He let Spike keep fucking his mouth with his tongue, having his way with every part of his body.

“Look at me.”

Xander looked up. Spike grabbed two handfuls of his shirt, and pulled them apart. The sound of tearing cloth and popping buttons got Xander so hard, he whimpered and tried to get closer to Spike even as the vampire had him shrug out of the shirt.

Covering Xander’s body, a hand on either side of the kitchen table, Spike slowly crawled forward, forcing Xander to bow back under his weight, then lay down on the table. “Won’t be much cooking going on here, not the usual sort anyway,” he said, moving over the boy.

With one hand between them, Spike was stroking Xander’s chest and abdomen while thrusting against him, steadily increasing Xander’s arousal to a fevered pitch. His breaths now labored, he pulled at Spike’s shoulders. Wanting. Wanting so badly to be taken. Scared. Scared something would stop them again.

Then there was the sound of buttons popping. With one hand under Xander’s ass, Spike lifted him, and with the other, he dragged his jeans and shorts off in one fell swoop. Throwing his head back, Xander lifted his hips, rubbing his raging erection over the rough material of Spike’s jeans. Oh yeah. One, two, three... and then Spike moved away.

Oh fuck! Just as Xander started to sit up, he was pushed back again. This time Spike was naked. Flesh against flesh, skin against skin, they moved together, harder and harder, until Xander thought he couldn’t take it any more..

Suddenly, the vampire drew Xander down to the edge of the table and pulled his legs around his waist. Feeling his fingers touching his hole, preparing him, Xander whimpered. “Hurry.”

Spike lined himself up, pulled Xander’s legs higher, and thrust forward. Two small thrusts, and he was inside. The boy was so warm and tight, he fought for his control. But when Xander tightened his ass, moved back and forth... all bets were off.

“Oh yeah... oh yeah... oh fuck yeah...” Xander shouted, arching up to meet Spike thrust for thrust, begging for more as the vampire hit his sweet spot over and over, “oh... fuck... Spike....”

Spike was so lost in the sensations crashing over him, he hardly heard. He knew he was giving pleasure, and getting it, and there were words, but they made no bloody sense. He climbed and climbed, and shouted back, “Come with me...”

Xander succumbed to white hot heat, coming hard against Spike’s stomach, screaming his name. “Oh yeah.... “ he panted against Spike’s ear, then gave a start at the sound of a crash across the room. “Oops... I must have...”

“No worries, everything expensive is bolted down, encased in foam, or non-breakable.” Spike lifted his head and watched Xander slowly come back to his senses.

“What are you thinking?”

“Nothing,” Spike answered.

“Bet I know.”

“What am I thinking?”

“You’re thinking ‘warlocks do it with a bigger bang'.”

“No... I was thinking you’re a bit ‘touched’.”

“Oh yeah? By magic,” Xander grinned and kissed his vampire.

The End

Author's Note: This has been a fun and very different type of story for me. Although I inject some humor in most of my stories, this one was different in that I tried to keep a high level of comedy throughout. Since I have an angsty bent, I have to say it was difficult for me, but I’m glad I gave it a shot. Thank you all for taking this journey with me.

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