Sweet Memories
by Kayla
Part One Part Two Part Three
Part Four
Part One
With a sigh of relief, Xander tossed the last of his things into his beat-up
car. Slamming the door shut, he walked back into his home of almost 20 years.
Making his way into the living room, he stopped in front of his mother, who was
currently absorbed in her soaps as she finished off yet another bottle of gin.
"Well, Mom, I'm outta here." He waited, getting only a grunt in response. "Yeah,
um, it was...nice." Stuffing his hand into a pocket, he pulled out a sealed
envelope, placing it on the table next to the drunken woman. "Mom? Anya is
supposed to be by later tonight, give this to her, please?"
Glazed eyes turned to him, then looked at the envelope blankly.
"You know, Anya? Short, blonde, good looking? Just...give her that, ok?"
A wobbly nod was his answer.
Shrugging, Xander left the house, feeling lighthearted. Finally, free at last!
Not long after sunset, Spike slammed out of the Watcher's place, muttering under
his breath.
"Bloody stupid git, what's the idea givin' the whelp my entire supply? Just
'cause his little fuck buddy is visitin' is no call to be treatin' me like
this!" He kicked violently at a can as he strode briskly down the deserted
sidewalk. Damn! Hate havin' to depend on these humans for my dinner. S'not
bloody fair!
Not too much later, he arrived at the Harris residence. He stared at the front
door. About to knock, he was slightly startled as it was flung open and a
bedraggled head poked out. Bloodshot eyes looked him up and down, lingering on
his hair. Then a grimy hand appeared and shoved something against his chest. The
head withdrew, and the door slammed shut.
Spike blinked. What the hell was that...thing? He shuddered. Looking down at the
crumpled item in his hand, he turned it over. Blank. With a shrug, he ripped the
envelope open, and a key dropped into his palm. He pulled out the enclosed note,
reading it.
Hey, babe! Finally made it out of the basement!
Why don't you bring your gorgeous blonde self
over to my new place? We can...celebrate. Here's
the key, just come on in.
342 North Briary Way, Apt. #313
Love and kisses
Spike snickered. Boy must have meant this for the demon chit. Aw, too bad. But,
looks like I got myself an official invite! He headed for the boy's new
apartment, fangs tingling a bit with hunger. Hope he's still got my blood!
Xander grimaced as he tossed a stack of bloodbags into the back of his
refrigerator. Geez, why do I always end up having to feed the pet vamp? He
sighed, then turned to the rest of his things. Basic groceries were quickly
unpacked and stored in the small kitchen.
Next, the bathroom stuff was put away, and Xander smiled as he laid out two
toothbrushes next to the sink. On to the bedroom, where he unpacked his
assortment of baggy shirts and pants, putting them away. Boxers in once drawer
of the dresser, socks in another, shoes lined up on the floor. And of course,
condoms and the assorted lubes that Anya prefefrred were neatly deposited in the
bedside table. In the corner, he left a stack of boxes containing junk that he
wanted to keep. Those could wait for later.
Out in the living room, he set up his TV and VCR, then unpacked his stereo.
Plugging it in, he flicked it on, tuning in to a station playing soft music.
Finally, he collapsed on the sofa, staring around his apartment. My apartment.
Wow, cool!
He had been shocked when he'd checked the place out. Due to low rent charged,
he'd figured the place would pretty much be a dump. But it was...nice. Not huge,
but way better than the basement. And for not too much more. Even better, he'd
managed to save enough to be able to afford the place for a couple of months
before he really had to worry about income.
Good thing, too, considering I just got fired...again! But no way was I staying
in that basement any more! He smiled as he looked around his new place.
The bathroom wasn't too big, but it had a bathtub and shower. Small kitchen
area, which wasn't really a problem considering he wasn't much of a cook. The
living room was mid-sized -- just large enough for a couch, an easy chair, a
coffee table, and the entertainment center for his TV and such. And damn, he was
proud of that entertainment center! Who knew Goodwill had such nice stuff?
And so what if the place wasn't exactly located in the greatest part of town?
Not like it can be much worse that living with my oh-so-loving parents! Sure,
some of his neighbors looked a bit...iffy. But hey, live and let live, right?
A knock on his door made him look up. Visitors? Anya would have just come in,
and none of the other Scoobies knew of his change of address yet. Curious, he
went to the door, unlocking it and cracking it open. "Yes?"
A beaming, middle-aged woman stared at him, eyes glowing with humor. "Alexander
Harris?"
"Um, yeah. Who are you?"
"Oh! I'm Mellie, I live three doors down, in number 307. Noticed you moving in
today, thought I'd bring you some pie. Sort of a welcoming present." She kept on
grinning.
Shrugging, Xander opened his door wider, accepting the pie that was thrust
toward him. "Thanks. Oooh, apple! I love apple." He sniffed it appreciatively,
mouth already starting to drool.
"Well, it's nice to have you here. We don't often get humans who want to live
with us, you must be a very interesting person."
"Yeah, well I -- woah, wait a sec! Um, what exactly do you mean by 'us'?" Damn,
I knew this was too good to be true!
"Oh, well you know. Us. Hmm, let's see." She looked thoughtful as she began to
tick of the residents on her fingers. "There's a couple of Marqel demons, some
V'lorns, the occasional vampire, we even had a werewolf stay here for a while."
She smiled in rembrance. "He was such a sweet boy. Dyed his hair the oddest
colors, though."
Xander stood there openmouthed as Mellie continued to list the various non-human
residents of his apartment building. When she paused for a breath, he managed to
get a word in. "So, you know, just out of curiosity, what exactly are you?"
"Me? Oh, I'm just your regular run-of-the-mill half-breed. My dad was human, and
my mom was Kcsterk."
"Gesundheit."
Mellie chuckled brightly. "No, Kcsterk." Her features blurred, turning light
blue. Soft, feathery tendrils replaced her hair, and her eyes became
slit-pupiled, changing to a luminous violet color. Then she shifted back, once
more looking completely human.
Shit! Shitshitshit! Someone fucking tell me I am not living in an apartment
surrounded by demons! He blinked furiously, trying to reign in his shock.
Now-normal eyes peered at him in concern. "Are you ok? You look a
little...pale." A tiny frown graced Mellie's face. "Oh, no one told you about
any of this, did they? You thought we were all..." She trailed off, sadness
flooding her features. "Oh dear, you're not...scared of us, are you? We demons
need homes, too. And everyone here gets along so well, you don't have anything
to worry about. No one's going to pick on you because you're human."
Xander stared into that earnest face, unable to see anything fear-inspiring in
it. "Um, no! I mean, you seem really great. It's just...I've kind of had some
bad experiences with people of the non-human variety. You know, all wanting to
kill me, rip my heart out, tear me to shreds. That sort of thing."
Mellie sniffed. "Bullies. You always run into that type, wherever you go. No
need to judge the rest of us by those standards." She had a faintly superior
look on her face.
"Yeah, right, I'll be sure not to do that."
"Well, good! Anyway, suppose I'll be off. You probably have plans what with the
whole first night here and all."
Xander grinned sheepishly. "Um, kinda." He flushed slightly.
Giggling, Mellie grinned knowingly. "Let me guess...short, brunette, and
gorgeous!"
"Blonde, actually, but yeah."
"Well, I'll just toddle on off, then. You have fun now, hear?" Winking, she
turned and made the short trip back to her own apartment.
Shaking his head in bemusement, Xander went back into his own apartment,
carrying the pie into the kitchen and placing it in the fridge. Sweet lady. Kind
of strange, but seems nice.
He stretched, yawning. He wrinkled his nose in distaste as he caught a whiff of
himself. Ew. Probably should do something about that if I want some Anya lovin'
tonight. Whistling softly, he headed for the bathroom.
Anya knocked on the front door, waiting impatiently. She frowned when no one
answered. Moving to the side, she peered in a window. "Hello? Person waiting out
here. You're supposed to answer the door when I knock."
Frustrated at the lack of response, she went around to the back of the house,
knocking at the basement door this time. "Xander? It's your girlfriend. I'm
coming in now." She opened the door and went inside.
"You told me you had a surprise for me. What's the surprise?" At the bottom of
the steps, she stared around the room in amazement. Gone! Everything was gone!
Well, not everything, but all of Xander's things were conspicuously missing.
"Xander? Is this a game? I'm not finding it very fun. Can we stop playing now?"
Still she received no answer. She searched the room, trying to find some clue as
to what had happened.
Nothing. Not even a note. Tears welled up in her eyes. Oh my god...I've been
dumped! That could be the only explanation as to why her boyfriend had vanished
without a trace. He'd ditched her and moved on to greener pastures. And he
didn't even have the balls to tell me to my face! Ooooh! Men...pigs! She stomped
back up the stairs, wiping furiously at her eyes.
Well, I don't care. I don't! Who needs him anyway? I can find somebody else to
give me orgasms. I wonder if Giles is doing anything...?
Spike stood outside Xander's apartment building, staring in mild disbelief.
Wonder if the whelp knows what kind of place he's roomin' in? He snickered
softly. Bet he'll just love gettin' to know his neighbors!
He went inside, making his way down the short hallway. The elevator was out of
service, so he walked up the two flights of stairs. 313, 313, where the bloody
hell is 313? A door opened and a short woman came out into the hall. Eyes on a
book, she didn't notice Spike and crashed into him.
"Oh, dear! I'm so sorry!" She bent to pick up the book that had dropped,
brushing herself off as she straightened. "Are you all right?"
"Yeah, fine. Hey, where's 313?"
"Three doors down, on your right, sweetie."
"Thanks, luv." Spike made his way to the door indicated, fishing out the key
he'd confiscated and letting himself in.
Mellie watched with a small grin on her face. Well, well. Looks like young
Alexander doesn't have quite the problem with non-humans as he makes out! And he
was right...blonde and gorgeous!
Xander stepped out of the shower, wrapping a towel around his hips. Dripping, he
left the bathroom, heading back to his bedroom. "Hey, Spike."
He stopped abruptly, whirling to face the smirking vampire. "Spike! What the
hell are you doing here? And how'd you get in?"
"Came for my blood, didn't I? Wasn't gonna starve. And you invited me."
"What? I did not! I think I would remember inviting a vampire into my new
apartment. Especially you."
"Did too. Got proof. You gonna keep drippin' on the floor like that? Might ruin
the rug."
"I...you...what?" Xander blinked in confusion.
"The floor, pet. Of course, if you really enjoy standin' in front of me
half-naked, feel free to continue." Trust me pet, I don't mind. You're not half
bad on the eyes.
Xander looked down at his scantily clad form, then back up at Spike with a
glare. "You wait here. Don't move." He turned and strode into his bedroom,
slamming the door shut behind him.
Spike shrugged and began to walk around the apartment, exploring. Walking into
the bathroom, he rolled his eyes at the neatly arranged things. Aw, ain't that
cute. Matching toothbrushes. Gag me. He looked into the steam-covered mirror,
noting the lack of even a blurred reflection.
With a snort, he reached out and began to write on the normally reflexive
surface. Stepping back, he admired his handiwork. 'William the Bloody was here'
was now proudly scrolled over the mirror.
Oh, yeah, real threatenin' there, mate. Scoffing at himself , he headed for the
kitchen. Pulling the refrigerator open, he smiled when he spotted a stack of
bloodbags. Pulling one out, he emptied it into a glass he'd pulled from a
cupboard. A brief stint in the microwave, and he had a nice warm meal. Well, as
nice as pig's blood can get, anyway.
Back in the living room, he sat on the sofa, propping his feet up on the coffee
table as he drained his glass. Looking around, he spotted the remote control and
used it to turn on the television. He was flipping through the stations when
Xander emerged from the bedroom.
Xander glared at Spike. "I thought I told you to stay put!" He gestured
meaningfully toward the mostly empty bloodstained glass on the coffee table.
"What? I was supposed to starve while I waited for you? Not bloody likely,
mate." He leaned back, arms behind his head. "You know, this place ain't half
bad. Could use a few bodies, maybe some cobwebs or something, but otherwise, not
bad at all."
"Gee, thanks. I was hoping for your approval. I would hate for my apartment not
to meet your exacting standards." He stomped his way across the room, looming
over the seated vampire. "Now, how the hell did you manage to get in here?
Without an invitation?"
Smirking, Spike pulled a folded piece of paper from one of his pockets. "See,
handwritten by you, inviting me over."
Xander snatched the note. "Hey! Where'd you get this? This was for Anya!" Oh
shit, Anya didn't get the note. I am so screwed!
"This really horrid looking bint shoved it at me when I showed up over at your
place -- old place I guess I should say." Spike shuddered in remembrance.
"Really seemed to like my hair, though."
Oh, god. Can my life get any worse? My mom thinks I'm dating him? "Spike," he
started calmly. "She was supposed to give this to Anya. Not you. Absolutely not
you. So, since we've cleared that up, why don't you go away now, while I try to
find Anya and fix this."
Spike refused to budge. "Could've fooled me. Here," he pointed at the note,
"says 'gorgeous blonde self' -- me obviously -- and here says 'come on in'.
Ergo, you invited me, and I'm stayin'," he finished smugly.
Xander gritted his teeth. "You--" he stopped as he remembered something. "Spike,
give it to me."
"What?"
"The key."
"What key?"
"The key that was in the envelope with this note!" He thrust a hand out. "Give
it."
Spike sighed, then tossed a key at him. "You're no bloody fun at all, mate.
Don't see what the fuss is about."
"The fuss, as you so lightly put it, is that I just moved here and haven't
exactly told anyone yet. It was going to be a surprise. Anya was supposed to get
the note so she'd be the first to find out. You messed that up, and by now she's
probably been to the basement, found that I've left without a trace, and jumped
to some very incorrect conclusions. How's that for a fuss?" By the end of this,
Xander was fairly yelling in frustration.
"Psshh. Whatever." Spike shrugged.
"Argh!" He tugged at his hair. Taking a deep breath, he went back into his room,
grabbing his jacket, wallet and keys. Pulling the jacket on, he slipped the
wallet into the back pocket of his pants, and the note and key he'd reclaimed
from Spike inside one of the jacket pockets. Then he went back out to the living
room, where he yanked Spike off the sofa, ignoring his protests. "Let's go,
bleach-boy."
"I wasn't done with my dinner!"
Xander picked up the glass, stomping into the kitchen and emptying the remains
into the sink. After rinsing out the glass, he turned around. "There. You're
finished."
Spike pouted. "That was very rude."
Xander gaped at him. "You have got to be kidding! You...you break into my
apartment, make yourself at home, and, let's not forget, completely ruin my
chances of getting lucky anytime in the near future, and you're talking about
rude?" He struggled to remain in control, grabbing one of the vampire's arms and
dragging him out of the apartment. "Not. One. More. Word!"
Spike snickered.
Xander stared at his car in dismay. Ok, one flat I can deal with, but three? I'm
cursed. That settles it, I'm totally cursed.
"Looks like you need new ride, pet."
"I am not your pet. And my car runs fine, thank you. It may look like crap, but
the engine is good."
"Yeah, well, obviously the tires weren't."
"Oh...shut up." With a weary sigh, Xander turned and walked across the street.
Spike caught up with him. "Where you off to?"
"Hello? Must find Anya, grovel. Car broke, must walk. Simple enough?"
Spike fell in beside him. "I'll just keep you company, then."
"Oh, goody. The thrills."
The two fell silent, briskly walking down the sidewalk. Casting a sidelong
glance at his reluctant travelling companion, Spike silently and unobtrusively
slipped a hand into Xander's jacket pocket, easily removing both the note and
the key, once more storing them on his person. He assumed a nonchalant look as
Xander glanced over at him.
"You're up to something. What are you up to?"
"What makes you say that?"
"Because you're trying to look innocent. It's not something you pull off well,
and it kind of gives you away." He narrowed his eyes at Spike, staring
searchingly.
"I'm not up to anythin', mate. You're too paranoid."
"Yeah. Sure." He was about to continue when he saw Spikes eyes widen, appearing
to be drawn toward something behind him. "There's something behind me, isn't
there?"
Spike nodded mutely.
"Big? Nasty looking? Slimy, perhaps." More vigorous nodding. "Right. Well, why
don't I take a look-see." He turned, yelling as he jumped back and clutched at
Spike, who didn't even bother to shake him off. "Spike? What the hell is that!?"
"Well, judging from the glowing red eyes, four arms, numerous slimy tentacles
growing from various parts of its body, and really bad temper, I'd have to say
it's a Grun-thak demon." As he spoke, Spike backed slowly away.
"Uh-huh. Not nice guys, I'm assuming." He joined in the vampire's retreat,
trying not to spook the monster that was glaring at them.
"No. Not really."
"Great. So...what do we do?"
"I dunno 'bout you, pet, but me?" Spike turned and began running.
"Right. Good plan." Very quickly, Xander caught up with the vampire. They
pounded down the street, aware of the heavily breathing monster following them.
Making a quick turn, they found themselves in a short alley facing a large brick
wall. "Ok, so what now?"
"Truth?" He thought briefly, then shrugged. "We die probably. Don't worry, it
only hurts the first time." Sighing, Spike turned to face their attacker.
"Yeah, easy for you to say. You've already done it once!" He yelped as the demon
drew closer, snarling and muttering harshly.
"Um, better watch it, mate. They got some serious mojo, don't let him point at
you."
"Great. Thanks." He dove to the side as the demon lifted a scaly hand in his
direction. "Spike! Do something!"
"What exactly is it you'd like me to do? Ask it nicely to go play somewhere
else?" He jumped away as a burly arm lashed out at him.
"You're the vampire! Hurt it! Make it dead!" Xander punched and kicked
ineffectually as a grasping tentacle wound its way around his torso, pulling him
closer to a snarling face full of extremely pointy teeth. "Ack, bad demon!
Didn't your mother teach you to brush?" He gagged at the stench that washed over
him as a blast of warm breath hit.
"Well you're the Slayer's pet. Didn't she show you anythin' useful?" He punched
a tentacle that had latched onto his leg. "Hey, while you're up close and
personal like, go for its eyes!"
"Thanks," Xander grunted as his ribcage was squeezed tightly, "for the advice."
He gasped for breath, then lashed out, managing to poke through one of the
demon's eyeballs. He grimaced as he felt it pop around his finger, pulling back
quickly. He was dropped, landing painfully on his butt, covering his ears at the
high-pitch shriek that echoed in the alley.
"Hey, good job, mate!" Spike barely moved out of the way of the two arms that
tried to catch hold of him. Listening to the creature's pain-filled hissing, he
looked around for a weapon. "Hate to tell you, pet, but I think you made it
mad."
"Oh goody. You mean it wasn't before?" He sighed, then launched himself back at
the furious Grun-thak. Clinging to its back, he managed to get an arm around the
demon's neck, attempting to strangle it.
"Um, this may not be the best time to mention it," Spike shouted as he dodged
the writhing tentacles, "but Grun-thaki don't," he grabbed a tentacle, wrenching
the demon forward, "breath through," grabbing a rusty bar from nearby, he
punctured the appendage, "their mouths!"
Xander was tossed from the creature's back as it screeched in pain. He grunted
when he came into contact with an unyielding wall. "Great. Thanks for telling me
earlier!" A discarded piece of broken plywood became his next weapon of choice
as he bashed a reaching arm. "Hey, watch where you point that thing, mister!"
Spike pulled the bar back, and quickly moved out of the way of the bright ichor
that gushed from the wound. "Ooh, nasty that. You should get it seen to."
"So how," whack, "exactly," whack, whack, "do they breathe?" Whack, thunk, thud.
Xander picked himself up off the ground, shaking his head to clear it before
once more going after the many tentacles undulating around him. "And while
you're at it, how do you kill this fucker!?" His pitch of his voice was raised
in desperation.
"Gill type things. In their sides. And puncture its heart, only way to kill
one."
"Great," Xander muttered, making his way closer to the demon's body. Yelling
loudly, he threw himself at it, shoving the piece of wood through its chest.
The Grun-thak snarled, reaching down and grabbing Xander by the neck, flinging
him away. It pulled the makeshift stake out of its body, tossing it aside.
"Didn't work! New plan!" He scrabbled back from a hand, doing his best to avoid
it.
"Bloody hell," Spike sighed. "Its heart, moron, not its liver!"
"What? I did!" He grabbed onto a few tentacles of his own, trying to keep them
from moving too much. He blanched as he heard the sibilant murmuring start up
again.
Spike dropped his bar, snatching two tentacles and quickly tying them together.
Picking up the bar again, he jumped at the demon. "Actually," he brought the bar
down hard on an arm, the snap clearly audible, "you didn't. Its heart," a quick
movement, and another arm was decommissioned, "is about...here!"
The Grun-thak continued muttering quickly as it struggled to free itself. It had
almost finished when Spike shoved the iron bar through it's stomach. The demon's
eyes bulged out, and it made a grating, rattling sound, then toppled, unmoving.
As the corpse lay there, a wave of iridescent fog burst forth from it,
enveloping its victorious foes.
When blue tendrils wrapped themselves around his ankles, Xander yelped. "Spike!
What's happening?" He tried to brush them off, but they clung tenaciously.
"Dunno. I bet the mojo got buggered when we killed it!."
"No, you think!?" He tried to back out of the alley, but his feet were held in
place. "Spike, get this stuff off me! Ow!"
"Hey, I got enough problems to take care of!" Spike cursed as the same foggy
tentacles clutched at him. He could feel something jolting his skin wherever it
touched, like little pinpricks of energy.
Xander looked up, having just enough time to see a large plume surround Spike's
head. Then, as he gasped in a breath, the mist invaded him, sending sparks of
electricity shooting through his veins. Pain struck him, and the last thing he
heard before darkness hit was Spike's howl of agony reverberating through the
alley.
Then, all was quiet save for the soft hissing as the Grun-thak slowly melted,
bright orange ichor puddling around its corpse. Both men lay still as the
sparkling mist slowly receded.
The brunette stirred, shaking his head. "Oh, man, what hit me?" Grunting, he
pushed himself into an upright position. His hand slipped in something, and he
lifted it up, peering through the dim light. "Eew." Grimacing, he wiped his hand
on a clean patch of concrete.
At a moan, he looked around, seeing another figure sitting up. Making his way
gingerly over to the blonde, he grasped a shoulder. "Hey, you all right?"
"Gah. My head feels like someone shoved a spike through it, and I've got the
most vile taste in my mouth." Blue eyes blinked up into brown, and equal looks
of confusion appeared on both faces. They both looked around the alley, noticing
the rapidly spreading puddle of orange goo. They looked back at each other
again.
Simultaneously, both men asked, "Who are you?"
They stared blankly at each other, frowning. They opened their mouths at the
same time, about to speak. Then the brunette held up a hand. "Me first."
The blonde nodded.
"Ok, who are you?"
The other man blinked a few times, a confused expression washing over him.
"I...I dunno. I...can't remember."
"Oh, boy. That doesn't sound good. All right then, I'm--" he paused, thinking.
"My name is..." He scratched his head. "Shit. What the hell is my name?"
The two stared at each other again. Finally, the brunette straightened, holding
out a hand to the blonde. "Come on."
"Where we goin', mate?"
"Beats me. But anyplace has to be better than here." He cast a glance at a
twitching green tentacle, which chose that moment to fizzle away into another
orange mess. "And I so don't want to know what that was."
The blonde shuddered. "That's something I wouldn't mind forgetting, myself."
"Tell me about it." Glancing up and down the street, the two quickly made their
way to a nearby bench. Seating themselves, they commenced staring once more.
"Um, no offence, but this is getting sort of weird. I mean, are we just gonna
stare at each other all night?"
The blonde shrugged. "You got anything better to do?"
"Well, we should probably try to figure out who the hell we are."
"Ah. Any suggestions?"
The brunette shrugged, thinking. Then he brightened. "Empty your pockets."
"I -- what? Why?"
"Well, we must be carrying some sort of identification, right?"
"Sure. Unless we got mugged."
"Just...do it."
They each went through their clothes, pulling everything out of their pockets
and laying them on the bench between them. With a crow of success, the brunette
held up a wallet. "Jackpot!" He opened it, flipping through until he found a
driver's license. "Alexander Lavelle Harris." He looked up, dismayed. "Lavelle?
God, my parents must've hated me!"
"So, you got a name. What about me? I didn't find a wallet or nothin' like
that." He plucked through his things, pouting slightly.
"Well, what do you have?"
"Um, some smokes, a lighter, a bit of quid, a key, and this note." He held up
the slip of paper.
"Does it say anything?"
"Hold up." He unfolded the paper, then read it. "Got an address -- 342 North
Briary Way, Apt. #313. No signature, no name." He looked up. "Not much help."
The other man looked at the note. "I wouldn't say that. I mean, someone there
obviously knows you, your girlfriend by the looks of things. She can help you
figure everything out. You should head over."
"What about you?"
"Well, there's an address on my driver's license. I'll go there, see what I can
find."
They sat for a few more minutes, replacing their things. Then the blonde looked
up. "Hey, Alexander."
The other man wrinkled his nose. "I don't like that -- doesn't sound right."
"It's your name, innit?"
"Yeah. I dunno, maybe I go by something else...Alex most likely." He thought
about that, turning it over in his mind. Then he nodded. "Yeah, that sounds
better."
"Well, Alex then. We still have a problem. I mean, we got these addresses,
but...where the hell are we now and how do we get to them?"
"Oh." He looked up and down the street. "We need to find a gas station or
something. Someplace where we can buy a map. We can figure it out from there."
"Sounds good to me."
The two men traced lightly over the map of Sunnydale that was unfolded between
them as they sat on the curb under a streetlight.
Alex pointed. "Ok, we're here. And about here," he pointed to a spot on the
other side of town, "is the address on my license."
"Right. And the other address is 'round here." The blonde pointed to a spot
about a half-mile from their current position. "Looks like I'm closer."
"Yeah." Alex sighed, looking discouraged.
"Hey, look. Why don't you come with me, and we'll see if you can crash there for
the night. I don't fancy the thought of someone walking so far this time of
night. 'Specially with nasties like that thing back there lurking about."
"You sure? I don't want to be any trouble."
"Well, yeah. I mean, we must be chums or something. We did wake up in that alley
together."
"Right, with that hideous gunk everywhere."
"You know, I hate to break it to you, but your clothes have seen better days."
He looked at his own attire. "So 'ave mine, for that matter."
"All right then, let's go. Maybe we can shower or something when we get to your
girlfriend's."
"Right, then."
The two men stood in the hall outside apartment #313, staring nervously at the
door.
Alex glanced sideways at his companion. "Well? You've got the key, open it
already."
"Maybe we should knock first." The blonde licked his lips, trying not to fidget.
"Oh, for--" Alex reached over and plucked the bit of metal from the other's
hand, inserting it in the lock. A faint 'click' sounded, and he turned the
doorknob, pushing the door open. He gave a half-grin to the blonde. "After you."
Swallowing hard, he stepped inside the dark apartment, fumbling along the wall
for a light switch. He flicked it on, and the room brightened.
Alex scooted in behind him, closing the door firmly. He looked around. "Not bad.
Anyone home?"
"Don't think so. I don't hear anyone." He prowled through the few rooms,
confirming the absence of anyone else. "Looks like it's just us."
"Huh. That's strange." He noticed the answering machine that was placed on a
small table flashing. Walking over to the other man, Alex gave him a nudge.
"There's a message on the machine. Maybe it's for you."
The blonde chewed on his lip. After a moment's hesitation, he walked over and
pressed the 'play' button.
"Alexander! It's Mellie down in 307. I noticed you going out earlier and thought
I'd just leave a message so I didn't disturb...anything when you get back."
There was a muffled giggle at this point. "Anyway, I wanted to let you know
about Friday night. All the residents here like to have a kind of welcoming
party for the new people, make them feel at home. That, or we just like an
excuse to party! So, you're the guest of honor. We were planning on this Friday,
about 9:00 in the evening. Is that good? Stop by and let me know." A brief
pause, then in a hushed voice, "Oh, and I ran into your blonde. You're right, he
is gorgeous!" Another giggle, then the message ended.
Both men were wide-eyed, gaping at each other.
Alex fiddled with his shirt. "Ok, I'm wigging here."
"Yeah, well, I think that bird made it bloody obvious that this is your
apartment." He sounded a bit put out.
"You figure? So why did you have a key?"
"And why did that bird call me your blonde?" came the rejoinder.
More staring ensued, then they both raced for the bedroom. The room gave little
indication of anything out of the ordinary. No obvious signs of any...prior
interludes.
Alex tilted his head. "You don't think that we're...?" He trailed off, leaving
the rest open for interpretation.
"Dunno. I don't feel...you know."
"I think maybe she got the wrong idea."
"Um..."
"What?"
"That doesn't explain this." He pulled out the by now rather crumpled note.
"See?" He thought for a moment. "Hold up." A quick trip back to where the phone
was, then some rummaging around in the drawers. Brandishing the pen and notepad
he found there, he walked back over to Alex. Thrusting the utensils at him, he
said, "Here. Write something."
Bemused, Alex complied. Then they compared handwriting.
Alex heaved a sigh. "Ok, so I wrote the note. And gave it to you, apparently,
although it would have been helpful if I'd put your name on it. And
I'm...flirting. Or making veiled suggestions, at any rate."
"So, I mean, we probably are..."
Alex swallowed, but forced the word out. "Gay."
The blonde nodded wisely. "Bent."
"Queer."
"Nancy-boys."
They were both grinning a bit at this point.
"Fags."
"Poofs."
Alex opened his mouth, paused, then chuckled weakly. "Sorry, all out here."
Grinning, the blonde went on, ticking them off on his fingers. "Arse bandits,
pansies, sausage jockeys, shirtlifters, pillow biters, bum boys, --"
"All right! We've established that you have a much more extensive vocabulary
than I do. Geez." He ran a hand through his hair. "You did leave one thing out
though."
"What's that?"
"Together. Us. From all indications, anyway."
"Oh. That."
An uncomfortable silence descended as the two looked at everything except each
other.
Finally Alex cleared his throat loudly. "Ok, if I live here, then I say we just
put this on hold, clean up, then get some sleep. Maybe things will look better
in the morning."
"Sounds good to me. You gonna shower first?"
Wrinkling his nose, Alex shook his head. "No offense, but you look worse off
than I do."
The blonde shrugged, then made his way over to the bathroom. Before the door
closed, Alex called after him, "I guess just put on something of mine when
you're done, since most likely none of your stuff is here." The response was
muffled, but affirmative.
Picking at his shirt again, Alex poked through the kitchen, looking for
something to eat. Opening the fridge, he shoved some food aside. A deep
ruby-colored object caught his eye, and he pulled out the package.
Oh, dear god, tell me this isn't... He stared in distaste at the packet of what
appeared to be blood. Do I even wanna know?
Stunned, he let it drop onto the counter, sinking onto a stool and contemplating
the possible meanings behind its presence.
A crash from the bathroom drew his attention, and he stood. Tapping on the door,
he called, "You ok in there?" Not hearing anything, he cracked it open. "Hey?
What's going on?"
"I think you better get in here, mate."
Worried at how upset the man sounded, he stepped into the small room. "Hey,
what's wrong?"
Mutely, the towel-clad man pointed a finger at the fogged-up mirror.
Alex looked. He could barely make out the words scrawled on the surface.
"William the Bloody? What's up with that?"
"S'not the point. Look."
Alex peered closely, then shook his head. "What? I don't see anything."
"Exactly. See, I got out of the shower, saw that little message, and went for a
closer look. Watch." He swiped a hand over the mirror, rubbing a clear spot. He
left his hand next to the glass. "See? No reflection."
Alex felt his jaw drop as he realized that the only person reflected was
himself. His mind began to make a few subconscious connections. "No reflection.
No reflection?"
"Don't look like. Something is really strange here, Alex."
"Geez, you're telling me, William."
"Who? William?"
"Duh." Alex indicated the smudged remains of the message on the mirror. "I'm not
William, and as far as we know, you're the only other one who's been here."
"Huh. It's just...William. It sounds kind of poncey. Sort of familiar, but not
like...me."
"Maybe you have a nickname. Like Willie."
"Um, somehow I think not."
"Will?"
A brief pause, then a decisive, "Wil."
"That's what I said."
"Now, you said 'Will', clearly with two 'l's. I said Wil. One 'l'."
Alex rolled his eyes. "Fine. Wil, then."
The newly dubbed Wil nodded, then turned back to the mirror. "I'm still not
liking this part. You think the mirror's broken?"
"I...don't think mirrors actually break down like that. And besides, you think
that's weird? Come here." He led the way over to the kitchen, pointing out the
red baggie on the counter.
"What's that?"
"Best guess? I'd say its blood. Don't know whose, though."
"Blood." Wil frowned, studying the object. "Alex? Why do you have a bag of blood
on your counter?"
Alex snorted and wrenched the refrigerator open, displaying the stack of similar
bags lined up on a shelf. "Do you have any idea the major case of wiggins I got
when I saw this?"
Wil carefully set the bag back down, going over to stand by Alex. "Maybe...maybe
it's not really blood. I mean, maybe it's that fake stuff, or something."
"Why do I doubt that?"
Wil was about to reply when something tickled at his nose. Sniffing the air, he
slowly rotated.
"Wil? What is it?"
"I dunno. There's something..." He cocked his head, then bent down over the
trash bin. Reaching inside, he fished out a crumpled plastic baggie.
A baggie that still contained a few drops of drying, scarlet fluid.
Catching sight of it, Alex grimaced. "Ok, major ick factor here."
Wil said nothing, just sniffed the baggie. Something began to gnaw inside the
pit of his belly, and he turned to Alex, holding the nearly empty packet out.
Alex gasped, eyed growing huge.
"Mate? You don't look so good."
Something clicked into place, and Alex edged back slightly. "I...may have
figured something out. About the mirror, and the...blood."
"Well, spill."
Breath quickening and heart pounding, Alex gulped. "I...I think you're a
vampire."
Giles wrung his hands as Anya sobbed brokenly on the sofa in front of him. The
ex-demon had dropped by unexpectedly a few hours before and done her best to
kiss and grope him. She'd then proceeded to fall apart when he'd fended off her
advances and demanded an explanation for her behavior. Unsure of how to cope
with it, he hurried to make a phone call to Willow, hoping she and Tara could
come over and sort this out.
He squinted anxiously at the clock, then turned his attention back to the sofa.
Hesitantly, he patted Anya's shoulder. "There, there." Another quick peek at the
clock. What the bloody hell is the holdup! He heaved a sigh of relief when his
door flew opened, admitting the witches.
Willow and Tara gaped at the distraught woman. The redhead turned to Giles.
"What's wrong? Did something happen?"
Giles shrugged helplessly. "I haven't the foggiest. She just showed up and
started this. I've been unable to get anything coherent out of her."
Tara sat down beside Anya, tugging her sideways and wrapping her arms around
her. She rocked gently, murmuring words of comfort.
After a few minutes of continued weeping, Anya calmed a bit, raising her head
and sniffling loudly. Willow held out a wad of tissues, which she accepted
gratefully, dabbing at her blotchy face.
Sitting next to Anya, Willow stroked her arm softly. "You wanna talk about it?"
Anya sniffled some more, then blew her nose. Her hands dropped into her lap as
she looked down. Her breath hitching, she began to speak in a scratchy voice.
"I-I...Xander d-d-dumped me!" Her lower lip began to tremble as she shredded the
tissues clutched in her hands.
Willows eyes widened. "But...why? I mean, he really likes you!"
Silent tears began to flow once more. "I...I don't know. He...he told me to come
over tonight, that he had a...surprise for me." She wiped a hand over her cheek.
"And I got there, and no one was there. All his s-s-stuff was gone from the
basement. And he didn't even leave a n-n-note!" Harsh sobs ensued.
Willow started to get even more worried. "Gone? Everything?" She looked over at
Giles, who was doing his best to pretend there wasn't an ex-demon breaking down
in the middle of his living room. "Giles? Do you have any idea what this is
about? Have you spoken with Xander lately?"
"Well, I-I saw him yesterday, and he did seem inordinately happy. Said something
about the 'freedom of a new life', but wouldn't give specifics." His brow
furrowed. "You don't suppose he's...skipped out?"
"Who's skipped out?"
Everyone turned to the doorway, where Buffy stood with Riley. "Was there a
meeting tonight I forgot about?" Buffy frowned thoughtfully. "No, that's not it.
And why is Anya crying?" She tugged her boyfriend inside, kicking the door shut
behind him.
Anya turned her tear-stained face toward the newcomers, then slouched down
miserably.
Giles went over to her and whispered, "Domestic strife. It appears that Xander
has...vacated his basement and left no indications of his whereabouts."
Buffy blinked. "Um, you mean he's gone, and you don't know where he is?"
"I believe that's what I said, yes."
She rolled her eyes. "Why don't you ask his parents, I'm sure they could tell
you."
"Um, well actually Buffy, you see--"
Buffy waved her hand, cutting Willow off. "Oh, I'll do it." She went over to the
phone, putting it on speaker and dialing the number for Xander's house. After
about seven rings, the line was picked up.
"What?" a gruff, masculine voice rasped out.
"Hello? I'm looking for Xander. I'm a friend of his."
"So? Think I care?"
"Could I talk to him. Please." She bit the words out.
"He don't live here no more. And good riddance."
Hands on hips, Buffy glared at the phone. Through gritted teeth, she hissed,
"Well, could you tell me how I can get ahold of him?"
"How the fuck should I know? I finally got that pansy boy out of my house, why
would I care where he is now?" There was a derisive snort, then a click as he
abruptly hung up.
Buffy snarled and turned the speaker off. She made her way over to the sofa,
trying to look sympathetic. "Don't worry, Anya. We'll figure out what's going
on, and get you and Xander back together."
"What the bleedin' hell do you mean, I'm a vampire!?" Wil gaped at the brunette
in blatant disbelief.
Alex kept inching away. "Well, you um, your eyes, they're kinda...all yellow.
And your face...sort of bumpy. And...well, you...you've got...fangs." He reached
into the drawer behind him, fumbling around and pulling out a wooden spoon. He
stared at it a moment, then held it up threateningly.
The plastic bag fluttered to the floor as Wil reached a hand up to his face,
running it hesitantly over the ridges on his brow, then lightly touching the
tips of his fangs. "Holy Christ!" he yelped. Focusing on Alex, he finally
noticed the other man's defensive posture. "What are you doing?"
"Um, defending myself?"
Wil stared at Alex's chosen weapon. "With a spoon?"
Alex shrugged. "It's wood, isn't it? Wood, vampires...bad combo."
"So what, you're gonna try to kill me?"
"Well, you are, you know, a vampire. Vampires are bad."
Wil's bottom lip trembled slightly. "You...you don't like me?"
Alex sighed, lowering the spoon a bit. "Ah, Wil. You seem like a great guy,
but...hello? Vampire? Aren't you gonna try to, I dunno, suck my blood or
something?"
Wil thought about that. "Can't say as I have any great desire to, no." He felt
his face sort of...relax, and noticed Alex become a little less tense.
Once Wil's face had returned to looking human, Alex felt more comfortable. Then
he narrowed his eyes. "You don't?"
"Um, not really."
Alex set the spoon down on the counter, then folded his arms over his chest.
Head tilted to the side, he gave Wil a measuring glance. "Really?" A hand moved
up to his neck, stroking the smooth skin. As his fingers danced along his
jugular, he watched the other man. "You mean you have absolutely no desire to
bite me? Drain me dry? Hold me down and make a meal out of me?"
As he watched Alex caress his neck, Wil's eyes dilated. He started panting
lightly as he listened to those suggestive words pronounced in a husky voice. He
shifted as his growing erection began to press uncomfortably at the rough towel
covering it.
Alex felt a glimmer of triumph as he noticed the intense hunger that was
directed at him. "Ha! See, I knew it!" He frowned as Wil shuffled, his gaze
drifting down. He caught his breath at the bulge evident beneath the towel. His
face flushed a fiery red, and his eyes snapped back up to meet brilliant blue
ones.
"Sorry," Wil whispered, turning away in shame.
Mentally smacking himself, Alex was quick to move to Wil's side. "No,
it's...it's ok. Um, I just...I didn't mean to...jeez, I'm so sorry!" He chewed
his lip, worried.
Wil lifted a shoulder in a casual-seeming shrug.
"Don't be mad, please? It was just a bit of a shock to see you like that, I
think I got carried away." Tentatively, he laid a hand on Wil's bare shoulder,
rubbing gently.
Wil relaxed, turning around and looking up at Alex. "I would never hurt you,
Alex. Never."
Alex smiled. "No sucking on me?" His eyes widened at Wil's groan. "Um, I mean,
eating m--er..." He ran a hand through his hair, flustered. "Are there any ways
of saying this without sounding suggestive?"
"Feasting on your blood until there's nothing left of you but a withered,
desiccated corpse?"
"Uhhh, yeeeah. That'll work. So...no desiccated-corpse-making?"
"Nah. Well, not of you, anyway." Wil grinned at Alex's pensive look. "Joking."
He stepped back from the other man, trying to regain his composure. "'Sides,
looks like I stay pretty well fed with whatever kind of blood you got stocked in
there." He pointed at the fridge, grimacing a little at the thought of drinking
blood.
"Oh yeah, right. Ok, then."
They stood staring at each other, both feeling vaguely uncomfortable. Finally,
Wil cleared his throat. "Ah, I should probably, um, get...dressed." He saw
Alex's eyes flicker down, and another blush spread over the man's cheeks.
"Um, yeah. Good idea. I'll just...go take a shower. In the bathroom. Yeah." He
turned and rushed to the bathroom, nearly tripping in his haste.
Wil looked down at the floor, noticing the discarded bag. He picked it up and
returned it to the trash can, then went into Alex's bedroom. Rummaging through
the closet, he pulled out a white t-shirt and a pair of black silk boxers.
Pulling them on, he went back into the living room, seating himself on the couch
and leaning back, staring at the blank TV screen.
After about ten minutes, Alex came out of the bathroom, walking silently to the
bedroom. When he reappeared, he too was clad in a t-shirt and boxers, although
his were blue. He sat on the opposite end of the sofa, glancing over at Wil.
"So, um, guess we should probably hit the sack now. Been a tough day...well, at
least what I can remember."
"Yeah, good idea mate."
They sat there, unmoving.
"I...I guess I can sleep on the couch here. I just need a pillow, some
blankets."
Alex frowned, examining the piece of furniture. "It's kind of small. It wouldn't
be very comfortable."
Wil shrugged. "I'll manage."
Alex struggled with himself briefly, then stammered out, "You, uh, you could
sleep with me." He flushed deeply. "I-I-I mean...shit, that didn't come out
right." He groaned, covering his face with his hands. Voice muffled, he
continued, "I meant, you could share the bed. It's a king, so it's plenty big."
He winced, but lifted his head determinedly.
"Well I...I mean, if you don't mind. Yeah, sure."
Nodding, Alex stood, leading the way back to the bedroom. Once they were both
inside, he shut the door, then frowned. He pulled open a dresser drawer, then
shut it, repeating this process until he emerged with a heavy blanket. Going
over to the window, he draped the blanket over the curtain rod, arranging it to
cover the window completely.
Wil watched these strange antics. "What's that for?"
Alex tossed him a look that clearly stated his low opinion of the question. "You
vampire? Sunlight bad. At least I think I remember that much. Unless you want to
fry?"
"Oh. No, no frying. Um, thanks."
"Don't mention it." He picked up the pad of paper and the pen that had been left
on the bed earlier. He tossed them to Wil. "Here, stick those in the bedside
table there, would you?"
Wil grabbed the items, and pulled the indicated drawer open. Looking at the
contents, he froze.
"Wil? What is it?" Alex went around to the other side of the bed, peering over
Wil's shoulder. "Oh." He could feel his face heat up again as he stared at the
jumbled assortment of lubes and condoms residing in the drawer. He swallowed
hard, then reached out and briskly shut the drawer. "N-never mind." He plucked
the pen and paper from the blonde's lax grip, dropping them on the top of the
little table. Doing his best to act nonchalant, he threw back the covers and
climbed into bed, scooting over to the far side. "Hit the light before you get
in, would ya?"
Wil nodded, eyes still glued to the closed drawer.
"Wil?"
His head twisted around, and he stared dumbly at the brunette who was snuggled
down under the covers. "Huh?"
"Lights. Off. Makes the room dark, easier to sleep."
"Oh." Dazed, Wil walked over to the light switch, flipping it off. His eyes
adjusted rapidly to the darkness, and he had no trouble getting back to the bed.
Climbing in, he pulled the covers over him, turning on his side to face Alex.
"Uh, night Alex."
"Night, Wil."
Alex yawned and rolled over in bed. He curled around the person beside him,
throwing his arm over the cool, still chest.
His eyes flew open and he sat up, scrambling to turn on the lamp by the bed.
"Aaaahhh!" Oh god, dead person. Cold, non-breathing dead person in my bed!
Wil jerked as the yell pierced his sleep-muddled brain. "Huh?" He leaned up on
an elbow, blinking fuzzily at the hyperventilating man sitting next to him,
staring at him with disbelieving eyes. "Alex? What happened?"
Alex scooted to the far end of the bed. "Y-Y-You were...dead. All cold, and not
breathing. Extremely corpsey." He squinted closely. "You're still not
breathing!" he accused.
Wil looked down at himself, noticing for the first time that Alex was right
about his lack of respiration. He thought about that, then shrugged. "Correct me
if I'm wrong, mate, but don't vampires generally tend to be
rather...non-living?"
Alex's jaw dropped as he gazed at the blonde. "Oh. Um, right. Sorry, forgot
about that." His face reddened sheepishly. He cleared his throat nervously as he
looked again at the blonde sprawled out in his bed, then tore his eyes away.
"So...um, morning."
Wil tilted his head as a strange, spicy scent wafted past his nose. It made
him...hungry. He shook his head to clear it, then shoved the covers away,
climbing out of bed. "You know, now I think about it, it'd prob'ly be a good
idea if we figured out what this whole 'vampire' thing includes. Things I should
avoid, and whatnot."
Alex nodded briskly. "Good idea. We can find a library or something, get some
books." He hurried to the bedroom door.
"Pet? Daylight? Me? Don't wanna burn, y'know."
Alex paused. "Well, you know, we don't really know if the whole sunlight deal is
true. I just thought it would be better to play it safe last night."
"Forgive me if I'm a bit hesitant about testing these things, would you?"
"Nonsense." Alex waved a hand dismissively. "We can just do some tiny
experiments, nothing major."
Wil grimaced. He rubbed at his stomach as it gurgled unpleasantly. "Can it at
least wait until after breakfast?"
Alex grinned. "S'pose so." He headed for the kitchen, making sure to close the
drapes on the windows and turn on the lights instead. "I'm cooking. Whattaya
want?"
Wil followed. "Gee, lemme think about that," he deadpanned.
"Oh. Right." He shuddered as he opened the fridge, plucking out one of the
bloodbags and holding it between thumb and forefinger as he offered it to the
blonde.
Wil took the bag, then watched Alex rattle around the kitchen, pulling out pans
and scrounging through the food in the fridge. Bacon was set to sizzle, and eggs
were cracked into a bowl to be mixed together with some shredded cheese. The
concoction was dumped into the frying pan after the bacon was done, and within
minutes, Alex had a mound of steaming, fluffy scrambled eggs.
He stared mournfully at his bag of blood, sighing heavily. S'not bloody fair.
Wil trudged across the kitchen, opening cupboards until he found a mug, then
tore open the bag and poured the contents into it. He looked at the thick, dark
liquid, then tentatively stuck a finger into it. Wrinkling his nose, he lapped
at the coated finger. Bleh. Needs... He stuck the mug in the microwave, then
waited for it to heat.
Alex poured himself a glass of orange juice and took his things to the table. He
seated himself next to Wil, watching in amusement as the other man sipped from
his mug. "Good?"
"Hnn," came the noncommittal reply.
"I'll bet. Now me, I'll stick with these delicious eggs and crispy bacon,
rounded off by a cold glass of citrusy goodness." He reached for his fork,
yelping as it was snatched away from him. "Hey!"
Wil used the fork to spear some of the eggs, easily evading Alex's hovering
hands that he used in a vain attempt to protect his breakfast. He popped them
into his mouth. "Mmm. These're good."
"Gimme my fork back, you egg-stealing...vampire guy!"
"Aw, don't be like that, pet." Wil grinned. "Didn't anyone ever teach you to
share?" He leaned over for another forkful of eggs, pausing a moment before
dunking them into his mug of blood.
"Eew!" Alex watched disgustedly as Wil slurped the dripping eggs into his mouth.
"That is about the grossest thing I've ever seen!"
Wil swallowed his mouthful, licking his lips. "Don't knock it 'til you tried
it." He snagged another bit of egg, letting the fork hover over his mug. "You
should, you know."
"What, try that? Are you nuts!?" He shook his head violently. "Huh-uh. No way."
"S'only fair, mate. Make you a deal. You want me participate in your little
experiments, you gotta taste this." He dipped the fork, then held the
blood-coated morsel out toward Alex.
Alex gulped as he stared in mild horror at the fork. "I--"
"Ah! Gotta try it."
Alex wavered, then looked into bright blue eyes that were sparkling with
amusement and...challenge? He narrowed his own eyes, then leaned forward and
scraped the food off of the fork. Sitting back, he hastily chewed, stomach
quailing slightly at the heavy metallic tang.
"So?"
Swallowing, Alex ran his tongue around the inside of his mouth. "Kind of salty.
Actually, the taste seems sort of...familiar. Which is not a thing I want to
examine right now."
Wil shrugged. "Makes sense if you think about it, though."
Alex arched an eyebrow before getting up to get himself another fork. Back at
the table, he started shoveling his breakfast down. Mouth full, he mumbled,
"Wha' y'mean?"
Fidgeting, Wil looked around the room, taking occasional sips from his mug. Then
he sighed. "Well, you know. If we're...together. I mean, we probably snogged
some, and I bet sometimes I'd just...eaten. So the taste wouldn't seem so
strange."
"Snogged?"
The blonde drained his glass, moving away from the table to place it in the
sink. "Yeah. You know? Swapped spit? Made out? Kissed?"
Alex nearly choked on his food and stopped chewing, blush rising to his cheeks
once more. Coughing, he reached for his glass, chugging down about half of the
drink. Then he wiped his mouth, obviously struggling for a casual attitude. "Um,
yeah. That's...that's probably it." Not thinking about kissing him, not thinking
about kissing him.
Wil sniffed the air delicately, once more detecting that tantalizing aroma. God,
what is that? He shook his head, ignoring the shuddery feeling in his belly. A
loud clatter caught his attention, and he turned to see Alex dumping his dishes
into the sink. "Experiment time now, I s'pose?"
Wiping his hands on the cloth by the sink, Alex nodded. "Yeah. From what I can
vaguely remember -- in a fuzzy, amnesiac sort of way -- vampires can be hurt by
sunlight, garlic, crosses, holy water, and wood. We should probably test the
sunlight thing first. No use keeping this place in the dark if we don't have
to."
Wil blinked. "You...you mean you want me to stay here?"
"Um, duh? Where else are you gonna go? It's not like you know where you live,
and apparently, you're my...significant other, so I'm not gonna toss you out. Of
course you're staying here!"
The blonde smiled timidly. "Ok." He went to stand by the curtain in the living
room, making sure to stay well away from the sliver of sunlight peeking through.
"Well, let's do this then."
"Right." Alex stood next to him, watching as Wil extended a hand until the beam
of light hit it. It immediately began to sizzle and smoke, and Wil pulled back
with a sharp yelp.
"Ow! Bugger it all!" Pouting as he examined his slightly blistered hand, he used
the other hand to whap Alex upside his head.
"Ouch! Hey, what'd you do that for?" Alex rubbed his head, glaring at the
blonde, who returned his look unwaveringly.
"It bloody well hurt, you git! And this was your idea."
"Well, would you have rather figured it out when you walked out for a breath of
fresh air this afternoon?" He softened as he noticed how Wil was cradling his
hand to his chest. "Is...Is it really that bad? Lemme see it." He took Wil's
hand, turning it over and brushing his fingers across the pale skin.
Wil's eyes widened as he sucked in a breath, shivering at the whispery touches
of warm flesh gliding over his. "I-I'm ok."
"You sure?" Alex reluctantly released the abnormally cool hand. He stepped back
a pace, reaching up comb his fingers through his hair.
"Yeah. No problem. Just...let's not do that bit again, ok?"
"Right. No more sunlight. Sunlight bad."
"Look, not to ruin your fun or anything, but can we skip the rest, too?"
Alex snickered. "What, I can't try staking you?"
Wil's eyes dilated, unconsciously drifting down to the other man's crotch before
he pulled them away.
Alex winced, biting his lip. "Fuck. I did it again, didn't I? Sorry. I...I don't
mean to keep saying stuff like that, it just sort of pops out." He closed his
eyes, groaning. Gritting his teeth, he forced himself to continue. "Look, forget
I said any of that, all right? And we'll forgo any more potentially painful
tests and just assume that all that stuff will hurt you."
"Sounds good."
They stood awkwardly, neither one sure what to do next.
Then Wil rolled his eyes. "Oh, sod this. You wanna watch the telly?"
Relieved, Alex agreed. "Sure. But I get the remote."
Wil snatched it before Alex had a chance to, flipping on the TV and surfing
through the stations.
"Hey! I called it first! And it's my apartment!"
"Yeah, well I'm the guest, so I get visitor's privileges." He clutched the
remote to his chest, sticking his tongue out at the human.
"Ha! You're not a guest, you're my boyfriend, so hand it over!"
They both realized what he'd said, and stopped arguing, staring deep into each
other's eyes.
"We can share," Wil offered softly.
Alex grinned shyly. "Ok."
Wil and Alex sat next to each other on the sofa as they watched cartoons, legs
barely touching and hands occasionally brushing up against each other. They'd
had a little chat -- full of blushes and stammering -- and decided that, no
matter how close they'd been 'Before', they should probably take things slow
now. It was obvious that there was an attraction between them, but neither
wanted to rush into something unprepared. So they were...dating. While living
together, sleeping together, and not having sex together...at least not yet.
Sex. There was another big blank for them both. Here they were, healthy adult
males, and as far as they could remember, they were both virgins. Which,
granted, wasn't really likely. But for all practical purposes...
So there they sat, almost-but-not-quite holding hands. Occasionally peeking at
each other before turning back to the television. This went on for about an hour
as they watched their program, carrying on trivial conversations during the
commercials. Which wasn't exactly as easy as it sounded considering the state of
their memories, but they managed.
At the end of the show, they both reached for the remote control, and their
hands collided. Wil stared at the warm hand resting on his own, and lifted his
head to look into Alex's dark eyes. His own widened at the veiled heat he found
there, and he unconsciously licked his lips.
Alex drew in a quavering breath as he saw the pink tongue emerge to moisten full
lips. He swallowed hard, then leaned marginally closer to the other man. Just a
kiss. That's slow. It's not like we're going to do anything else.
Wil gasped softly as their faces inched closer together. He could feel warm
puffs of breath caressing his cheeks, and that spicy, tantalizing scent was in
the air again. His lips parted slightly.
A loud knocking on the door startled them, and they scrambled off the couch,
jumping apart. They stood there, staring ruefully at one another, listening to
the knocking continue.
Alex forced out a chuckle, wiping his palms on the front of his boxers.
"I'll...I'll go get that."
As he went to the door, Wil watched closely, admiring the muscular curves of his
back and how his boxer seemed to perfectly frame the round globes of his--
Bloody stop that! Groaning, he flopped back down on the sofa, pulling a small
pillow into his lap and curling up around it.
Alex opened the door, taken aback by the cheerful, bubbly woman there. "Yeah?"
"Alexander! Good, I didn't wake you. I was hoping I could talk to you about the
party Friday night. You did get my message, didn't you?" She slipped past Alex
into the apartment, not seeming to notice his attire, and looked around
curiously. Her eyes lit on the blonde huddled on the sofa. "Oh, your boyfriend
is still here. I didn't...interrupt anything, did I?"
"Um, no, we were just, you know, watching some TV."
"Good. That would have been so horribly embarrassing." She bustled over to the
sofa, extending a hand. "Hi, I'm Mellie, I live just down the hall from
Alexander. We bumped into each other last night."
Wil took her hand, giving her a bashful smile. "I'm Wil."
"That's 'Wil', not 'Will'. Only one 'l'," Alex added with a roll of his eyes.
Mellie gave him a strange look. "Well, of course it is. I heard the distinction
clearly." She beamed at Wil again. "My, you are a handsome one, aren't you?
Alexander certainly is a lucky young man." She made herself comfortable next to
the vampire, leaving Alex to take the chair nearby. "You are coming to the party
with Alexander Friday, aren't you?"
Wil shrugged. "I-I dunno. I guess, if Alex wants me to."
"Geez, what kind of idiotic this is that to say? Of course I want you with me!
You're not leaving me alone with a bunch of strangers." He glanced at Mellie.
"Um, no offense."
Mellie waved a hand. "Pish. None taken. Besides, you two make such a cute
couple, it would be a shame to separate you even for one night." She slapped her
hands, rubbing them together. "Now, you boys don't have to do anything, just
show up. It'll be in the lounge room downstairs. We figured 9:00 would be a good
time, since we have more than a few residents who prefer the night life, and
Wil's not the only vampire who'll be coming. There's one living on the 5th
floor, her name's Jenna and she's shy around strangers, but she does like a good
party!" She narrowed her eyes. "Between us, I think she had a bad experience
with the Slayer, and it really got to her."
Alex and Wil gaped at the woman. Shock clear on his face, Wil sputtered out,
"V-v-vampire? I-I don't understand. How did you...?"
"Slayer?" Alex broke in. "What's a Slayer?"
Mellie blinked. "You don't know about the Slayer?"
Both men shook their heads.
"Oh dear." She frowned, then settled back into the sofa. "Didn't your Sire tell
you?"
"My...Sire?" Wil looked at her in confusion.
"The...the vampire who turned you." She looked incredulous at the continued lack
of comprehension on Wil's face. "Oh, my. This isn't good. Are you...are you a
fledgling? I mean, if you're new, it's understandable, but..."
"I...I don't..." Wil slouched down, miserable.
Alex heaved a sigh, moving so he sat on the arm of the couch, gently rubbing
Wil's shoulder. He gazed earnestly at Mellie. "See, it's just...something
happened last night." He smiled as Wil snuggled back against him, shifting so
the vampire's head practically rested in his lap. "There was this...thing. And
we woke up in an alley, and we....sorta...couldn't remember anything. So, see,
we kinda don't actually know about Sires or Slayers or even vampires, really. I
mean, we were able to figure some things out, stuff that was obvious, but the
rest? Total blank."
Again Mellie blinked. Staring intently at them, she sensed that Alex was telling
the truth. "Well. Dear me, that is a fix." She thought a moment, then asked,
"What happened? What do you remember from yesterday?"
Wil glanced up, careful not to dislodge the had that had begun to stroke the
back of his neck. "Slime. Lots of disgusting orange slime."
"Yeah, and these wiggling tentacle things that kind of melted. And it smelled
bad."
Mellie closed her eyes as she tried to think of what it could have been.
"Tentacles and orange slime. You know, it sounds rather like you met up with a
Grun-thak demon."
"A what?" both asked simultaneously.
"A Grun-thak demon. Nasty creatures, they like to eat internal organs." She
shuddered. "Plus, they're magic users. Usually very powerful. It's amazing that
you came out of an encounter with one of those intact."
"Well, not quite." Alex tapped his head.
"Hmm. I've never actually heard of this happening. There must have been a pretty
powerful spell involved, especially if the effects have lasted after the death
of the one who cast it." Her expression grew regretful. "I'm sorry, I don't
really know how I can help. Magic isn't my thing. You might just have to wait
until it wears off."
"But..." Wil glanced up at Alex anxiously before continuing. "What if it
doesn't? What if we never remember?"
"I don't know. I guess you'll have to adjust."
Alex leaned down and hugged Wil encouragingly. "Hey, we'll manage. We've done
pretty good so far."
"But there's so much we don't know about! Like this whole vampire thing, and--"
he broke off, shooting Mellie an accusing glare. "How did you know I was a
vampire?"
"Well, dear, it's one of those things my kind is sensitive to." She chuckled at
the blank looks on their faces. "Oh, right, you forgot about that. How do I put
this?" She scooted closer, taking hold of one of Alex's hands between her own.
"Alexander -- or, Alex I guess you prefer -- currently, you are the only human
in residence in this building. Now, don't get upset. We're friendly; not like
that demon who did this to you." She smiled gently. "I know it's a bit much to
absorb, but I can introduce you to everyone tomorrow night at the party. I'm
sure they'll love you."
"Um, right." Then Alex frowned again. "Ok, back up now. What was that you
mentioned about a Slayer? Sound dangerous."
Mellie's nose wrinkled as she stood with a disgusted sniff. "The Slayer. Yes.
Brief version, she's a human girl with special abilities who goes around killing
vampires and other demons."
Wil gasped, bolting forward. "K-k-killing? Vampires?" He turned worried blue
eyes on Alex, who slid down to pull him close.
"Oh, now don't you fret about it. We stick up for our own, she'll have to go
through the lot of us to get to you." She patted Wil's cheek soothingly. "Now, I
don't know much about vampire lore and all that, but I'm sure I can persuade
Jenna to fill you in. In the meantime, it might be safer for the two of you to
stay around the apartment complex. No telling what trouble you might run into
and not remember how to handle."
All smiles once again, Mellie stood, leaning over to give both men a peck on the
cheek. "Don't get all gloomy, now. Take it easy today and tomorrow, rest up for
the party. Tomorrow night, 9:00. Just bring yourselves, we'll take care of
everything else." She let herself out, looking back with a wink. "Have fun,
boys!"
The door clicked shut, leaving Alex and Wil staring bemusedly. Then Wil cleared
his throat. "I like her. She interestin', don't y'think?"
Alex laughed, nodding in agreement. "She's definitely unique. Very...motherly.
In a wiggy sort of way."
"Hm." Wil settled back against Alex, who still had his arm draped loosely around
the vampire's waist. He tilted his head up to look at the brunette. "Alex?"
"Yeah?" Alex turned his head, his nose brushing up against a soft cheek before
he was captured by the startling blue gaze.
"Can I kiss you?"
Part Two