Greetings from busy busy land
I come bearing fic!
Title: I’m not Angelus
Author: Darkspace99
Pairing: Spike/Gunn, mentions of Spike/Angel(us)
Rating: R
Disclaimer: I wonder if Joss would leave the characters to me in his will. Maybe if I beg really nicely?
Summary: Written for liliaeth, who requested Gunn comforting his slave Spike, trying to settle him in after Spike's just lost his freedom. With Spike struggling a bit, but Gunn being firm but certain about his ownership. I’m not sure if this is exactly what she wanted since this took a little angsty turn. Anyway, I hope you all like it! My Gunn voice isn’t too great.
The crowd waited with abated breaths.
“And the winner is…”
Hearts pounded and hands almost slipped while holding their chains.
“Master Gunn and his slave Spike!”
The crowd burst into rapturous applause. Angel, Fred, Wesley and Lorne watched incredulously as Gunn, in his best suit, walked across the stage to the award presenter with his obedient blue eyed slave in tow.
“Congratulations,” the presenter said with a smile, giving Gunn a firm handshake. “I’ve never seen a better trained slave than yours.”
She then passed the plaque over to a grinning Gunn and the two posed for a picture with Spike kneeling submissively next to his master.
As cameras flashed left and right, the reporters buzzed with questions.
“Mr. Gunn, can you tell us what is the secret to your success with your slave?”
************
A month earlier...
“Should’ve kept your mouth shut,” Angel said smugly.
Spike merely glared at the older vampire while yanking at his ugly collar in frustration.
“If you had kept your mouth shut,” taunted Angel, “the Qichtar demons might not have demanded that you be enslaved in order for them to sign the contract.”
Spike fumed but remained silent.
“Angel, give Blondie a break. He’s doing us a favor,” Gunn admonished. “The demons would have demanded something in exchange, even if they hadn’t gotten angry with Spike.”
Angel snorted. “Right,” he said sarcastically. “It’s been a long day. I’ll see you two tomorrow.”
The black man nodded and got up to leave with Spike.
“Good luck!” Angel shouted after them. “You’re gonna need it!”
The elevator doors closing blocked out the sound of his snickering.
Gunn breathed a sigh of relief. Sometimes, he just couldn’t stand Angel.
“You can speak now, Spike,” he said gently.
Spike felt the pressure around his vocal chords loosen.
“Hate the bloody wanker,” he muttered.
“Yeah,” Gunn echoed. “He can be a bit annoying at times.”
The elevator arrived at the garage and the pair walked toward Gunn’s car.
“It could be worse, you know. Angel could’ve been your master,” Gunn consoled him.
Spike scoffed. “And that’s supposed to comfort me?”
“Spike,” Gunn said warningly.
The blonde vampire had to struggle not to make a rude gesture. He didn’t want his voice getting taken away again. Instead, he ducked his head and mumbled a sullen apology.
He hated this, being all submissive to another man. For the longest time, he had been his own vampire and he just couldn’t get used to being under someone else’s control again, especially since that someone else happened to be the bloody food. Or ex-food, anyway. But, as Gunn said, it was better than the alternative - having Angel as his master. Or at least, that was what he told himself.
All during the car ride, he stayed silent, watching the passing scenery without seeing it. Gunn seemed nice enough so he didn’t really want to annoy the black man to death. Besides, it wasn’t really Gunn’s fault anyway.
Spike tried to think positively. Ever since Doyle, er, Lindsey had been recaptured by the Senior Partners, he had no place to go. He ended up kipping down on the couches of various people’s offices at Wolfram and Hart. At least, now he would have a place to stay.
“I only have one bedroom,” Gunn announced as he opened the front door to his apartment. “I can set up a cot for you in the living room or you can sleep on the sofa.” He paused, trying to discern Spike’s reaction. “Or if you don’t mind, the bed’s big enough for both of us.”
Spike stiffened.
“Hey, man. Don’t get me wrong,” Gunn said, correctly guessing what Spike was thinking. “I’m not hitting on you or anything.”
Spike relaxed though the wary glint in his eyes didn’t go away. “Seeing as we’re on the subject, you uh gonna make me,” he gritted his teeth, “service you?”
Gunn sighed as he plopped down on the sofa. “I’m not gonna say that I won’t make you do anything you don’t like ‘cause I’d be lying if I said that,” he told Spike honestly. “Thing is, I gotta act like your master or else the contract would be null and void.”
Spike looked away, jaw set angrily.
“Look, Spike,” Gunn continued earnestly. “I’m not a power junkie. Ain’t gonna rape you or anything. All I’m gonna do is act by the master’s handbook.” He held up a heavy, leather bound book. “It basically calls for me to make sure you’re obedient and to discipline you when you’re not. Otherwise, everything’s up for grabs.”
The blonde vampire exhaled heavily. “’S not gonna be easy, Charlie boy,” he said reluctantly. “I’ve been me own vamp for over a century. ‘S gonna take some time for me to get used to the bloody situation.”
Gunn smiled. “Well, you can start by calling me Master,” he suggested. When Spike’s gaze snapped to his sharply, he tapped the handbook innocently. “Said so in here, Blondie,” he stated, holding his hands up helplessly.
Suspecting he was being played, Spike glared intently at Gunn for a few moments.
“Fine, Master,” he finally ground out, clenching his teeth.
Gunn refrained from saying “Good boy,” knowing that the vampire would probably tear his throat out, Master or not, if he did. As he got up, he gave Spike’s shoulder a reassuring squeeze.
“You hungry?” he asked.
Spike nodded grudgingly.
“I’ll order some blood from the firm’s suppliers,” Gunn said. “Why don’t you take a shower in the meantime?”
Sulking, Spike moved to do as his master bid.
“Oh and Spike?” Gunn called out after him.
Spike halted but didn’t turn around.
“You’ve got my permission to take the collar off,” Gunn said neutrally.
Spike’s shoulders tensed and he stomped the rest of the way to Gunn’s bedroom. It seemed that this Master/slave business was being taken very seriously.
Sighing, Gunn made the call and then, sat down to wait for the delivery of the blood, all the while thinking about his situation.
If he allowed himself to be honest, he wasn’t as unaffected by Spike being his slave as he let the vampire think. Ever since he had broken up with Fred, he had been lonely and not only that, he had discovered that he was attracted to guys as well as girls. After Spike’s appearance at Wolfram and Hart as a ghost, he had found himself aroused by the blonde. Especially after that mortifying bathroom incident, which he refused to think about.
Spike was beautiful, for a man. The lively blue eyes and razor sharp cheekbones drew attention to him like moths to a fire. His whipcord lean body and grace often had Gunn fantasizing about him at inappropriate times of the day. It was lust at first sight.
But gradually, Gunn came to appreciate more about Spike than his outward appearance. As a ghost, the vampire had been lonely and had sought company with anyone he could find. Sometimes, in quiet moments, they would sit together and talk about guy things.
Inevitably, the talks revolved around sex in some way. They were men, after all. Gunn learned more about Spike than the vampire wanted to reveal. Though Spike had never specifically come right out and admitted to it, all the hints he dropped, combined with the bitterness between the two vampires, made Gunn quite sure that there had been something between him and Angel.
Naturally, it stirred up his curiosity. From Spike’s file in Files and Records, he found out more about the relationship between the two vampires as well as Spike’s other relationships. He flipped through pages and pages of heartbreak and loss, trying not to stare too closely at the bloodshed and mayhem. It was surprising how intensely loyal the vampire could be and how far he would go to please his lovers. Yet, in the end, they always left him.
The selfish part of Gunn was glad that nobody else appreciated Spike because that meant that he would actually have a chance with the vampire. But the other part of him pitied Spike. The blonde had done so much and received so little in return. Why did no one ever take the time to give something back?
Loud footsteps heralded the arrival of a wet, bare-chested Spike with a towel slung low over his hips. Gunn wanted to jump him right then and there.
“Like what you see, Master?” Spike sneered.
Gunn sighed inwardly. Looked like the defenses had gone right back up.
Sometimes, Spike was just so difficult to deal with. Maybe that was why all of his lovers rejected him. Who wanted a defensive, prickly boyfriend? More importantly, who would take the time out to work their way to the man inside?
In the file, it had said that William had been a gentle man in life. The hard shell had only developed after his turning. Gunn was willing to bet that Angelus had played a huge part in that.
“Spike,” he said tiredly, “I’m not Angelus.”
The blonde stiffened. “What do you bloody mean by that?” he growled.
Gunn’s answer was interrupted by the ringing of the doorbell. It was the blood.
Spike stared at the packages in astonishment.
Gunn chuckled. “You like otter, right?”
“How…?”
“Harmony.” Gunn smiled and took the packages into the kitchen.
Dumbfounded, Spike followed after him silently.
“You asked her about me?” the vampire questioned disbelievingly.
“I take good care of my business, Blondie,” Gunn replied firmly. Taking a deep breath, he then added, “Unlike Angelus.”
“What?!?” Spike’s voice went way high.
Gunn snorted. “All the pheromones flying around the office? Man, I’d have to be dead to not get it.”
“There’s nothing-“
“Why’d you allow yourself to be enslaved?”
Spike fell into a stubborn silence.
Gunn continued. “You could’ve walked away and left Angel to deal with the consequences but you didn’t. Time and time again, you stepped in to take one for the team. And you stayed even though Angel’s never been anything but unwelcoming. So you tell me, if there isn’t something between you two, what is it?”
“None of your business, that’s what it is,” Spike stated coldly. “’M going to bed now, if that’s alright with you, Master.” He turned around dismissively.
Gunn sighed again. “Fine, go ahead. But I thought you were hungry?”
“Funny that,” Spike remarked sardonically as he walked away. “Seems like I’ve lost me bloody appetite.”
“Spike…”
“I’ll sleep on the soddin’ sofa.”
And that was the end of the conversation. Gunn shook his head slightly and finished placing the bags of blood into the fridge.
************
Gunn frowned. Fred seemed to have gotten better at giving blowjobs. She had managed to take all of him inside her mouth, even deep-throating him like she didn’t need to breathe.
He groaned again when she moved her talented mouth off him. Wait, where was she sticking her tongue?
The black man flew awake with a gasp, yanking the covers off his waist to reveal the smirking face of his platinum blonde slave.
“What the fuck are you doing?” he demanded.
Spike sneered. “My bloody job. What else do you think ‘m doing, Master?”
Gunn struggled to control his temper and his libido. This was not how he planned for things to pan out.
“New rule,” he stated in a tight voice. “You don’t touch me unless I give you permission to.”
Spike lifted one eyebrow mockingly. He grabbed Gunn’s erection and gave it a hard tug. Gunn moaned, hips nearly jackknifing off the bed.
“Still need permission, Master?” Spike asked with a smug grin.
No, go right ahead, Gunn’s body screamed but Gunn forced himself to turn down the temptation that was Spike.
“I’m not Angelus,” he repeated through clenched teeth.
Spike cursed and jerked away from him, stumbling off the bed.
Dragging his boxers up his waist, Gunn then leaned over to turn on the lights. He wanted to be able to see the vampire’s reaction as he talked.
“I’m not going to make you do the things that he made you do,” Gunn said, brown gaze boring into blue. “But if you think that I’m going to sit here and let you provoke me, you’re wrong. I will chain you up if I have to, Blondie.”
“Fuck you, mate!” Spike shouted angrily.
Gunn made a motion and the pressure tightened around Spike’s vocal chords, cutting off his voice.
“Man, it’s late and I don’t wanna listen to your taunts all night,” Gunn said solemnly. “If you wanna talk civilly, you gonna have to wait ‘til the morning. Now, go back to bed.”
Spike fumed, eyes spitting fire at being dismissed like a naughty boy, and stalked back out to the living room. Gunn closed the bedroom door and locked it, knowing that if Spike really wanted to get in, he would be able to do it anyway. Lying back in bed and pulling the covers over himself, he tried to fall asleep again.
Meanwhile, a furious Spike glared at the ceiling from his position on the sofa. Gunn’s words echoed in his mind. I’m not Angelus. Spike snorted. Like he would believe the black man. One minute, Gunn said that he wouldn’t do anything bad to Spike and the next, he pulled out the Master card. It set Spike’s mind spinning. He didn’t know what to expect. Gunn seemed not to want anything except the basics so far, but Spike’s experiences told him that power corrupted even those who were most innocent.
So, Spike decided to hasten that process. No point in allowing himself time to actually get to know and like the man because Gunn would eventually turn on him. Everyone always did. They abused the power that he gave them. Angelus, Drusilla, Buffy - his love kept him a slave to all of them. They all ended up taking advantage of him and discarding him when he was no longer useful.
He was pretty sure that Gunn would be no different. It didn’t matter that he had actually been kinda fond of the man before all this happened. There was no more chance of friendship, not with the power balance being so tipped in favor of Gunn. Besides, Gunn had already shown himself to be a pretty firm dom and it wouldn’t be long before he decided to exercise all his rights as Master.
Not that Spike would go down without a fight.
The next day and many days after that, Spike did everything he could to annoy Gunn, forcing the black man to discipline him. It was better this way, he told himself. He wouldn’t have to harbor any delusions as to how this relationship would play out.
Every chance he got, he continued to accost the man sexually. He could smell the arousal pouring off Gunn and it scared him a little. The man was bound to do something about it sooner or later. Better that he get it over with rather than dreading the encounter for ages until it came.
This constant war he fought with Gunn took its toll over him. Every night, he slumped into the sofa exhausted. But he was sure that the black man didn’t feel much better than him and it gave him a vicious thrill to think of the other man suffering like he did. He needed all the fun he could get before Gunn snapped and used the collar’s other functions (torture, torture and more torture) on him. It was what Angelus would’ve done, in addition to playing all those mind games with him.
One night, after about two weeks, Gunn walked into the apartment tiredly as usual. Spike watched the man combatively from the chair to which he had been chained.
“Had a good day then?” he asked, arching one eyebrow.
“Not now…Blondie,” Gunn said with a heavy sigh.
It had been a long day. That morning, the office had just received an invitation to take part in the Best Slave contest, to be held two weeks later. Apparently, all the important demons entered the contest and it was expected that Wolfram and Hart send one of their own and a slave as contestants. Seeing as nobody else on the senior staff had a slave except Gunn, he was expected to be the lucky participant.
Gunn hadn’t wanted to do it, still uneasy in his relationship with Spike. Strangely enough, Angel had been very vocal in his objections as well. He kept stressing how Spike was bound to mess it up and make them the laughingstock of the demon world. Gunn had found himself taking offense at Angel’s derogatory comments toward Spike and not for the first time since Spike’s enslavement, they had a big argument over the blonde vampire.
Now, all Gunn wanted to do was take a long shower and go to bed. But, he had to take care of Spike first. He was tempted to just leave the vampire like that.
However, his compassion won out and he unchained Spike from the chair, allowing the blonde to move freely.
Spike promptly sauntered into the kitchen to heat some blood for himself, ignoring Gunn. The black man followed, all the while racking his mind for a way to broach the matter of the contest.
“Spit it out, Master,” Spike murmurred suddenly before taking a big gulp from his mug.
Gunn grimaced. Spike was too intuitive. “Look, there’s this contest…”
“I don’t do contests.”
“We kinda have to.”
Spike rolled his eyes. “Nope. You can go on your own. I didn’t bleedin’ sign up to be paraded around like some fucking animal.”
Gunn massaged his temples. He could feel a headache coming along. “I can’t go without a slave. It isn’t exactly ‘The Best Master’ contest.”
Spike choked. “What?” he yelped. “You want to enter me into a contest!?!”
“Duh. What did you think I was talking about?”
“I thought you wanted me to accompany you, not be one of the bloody participants!”
“Spike, I can make you go and I’ll do it if I have to. This is important to the firm.”
Spike froze. “Did Angel put you up to this?” he hissed.
A strange feeling coursed through Gunn’s body and he found himself saying “Yes.”
He caught the hurt flickering across Spike’s face before it was shuttered away.
Anger surged through him. All this time, he had been so good to Spike, not trying to take advantage of the vampire and Spike had given him nothing but trouble. Angel or rather his alter ego, Angelus, had mistreated Spike in every way possible and yet earned the blonde’s lasting loyalty. Spike had even allowed himself to be enslaved so that Angel could sign a contract. It just wasn’t fair.
“He wanted me to go?” Spike whispered disbelievingly.
“Do you think I entered us myself?” Gunn shot back nastily.
Spike sat down heavily on the sofa, mind still tumbling over the implications of what Gunn had just told him.
Angel wanted him to be paraded around as someone else’s property.
Even at his worst, Angelus hadn’t allowed anyone else to touch what was his but it seemed that that no longer applied to Spike. He had been disowned. Not that he should care.
Tears welled up in his disobedient eyes and he turned away so that Gunn couldn’t see them.
Seeing Spike’s reaction, Gunn felt a pang of remorse. Perhaps, he shouldn’t have said what he said. But then again, why should he allow Spike to harbor any illusions about Angel? Angel wasn’t the one who was taking care of Spike now. The blonde was under Gunn’s care and it was time Spike realized that nobody else wanted him. Nobody but Gunn.
Hardening his heart, Gunn left the vampire alone and retreated into his bedroom. After a shower, he retired to bed early but his overactive mind denied him rest. He wondered what Spike was thinking. Was the blonde also tossing and turning, unable to sleep like him?
A sudden noise came from the living room. Gunn sat up in bed sharply. What was that?
Cautiously, he tiptoed over to the door. Opening it slowly, he peered outside. He sincerely hoped that Spike hadn’t decided to wreck the living room in anger (again).
He heard the sound again. This time, he realized what it was - a sob. He padded out toward the sofa and the sound immediately ceased.
“What’s wrong?” he asked with concern.
“Go away” was the mumbled reply from underneath the blanket.
With a sigh, Gunn sat down on the sofa next to the huddled lump. “If you really don’t wanna do the contest, I’ll talk to Angel,” he offered tentatively.
“’S not that.”
“Then what is it?”
Spike threw back the covers, revealing his red-rimmed eyes. “Am I disturbing your sleep, Master?” he sneered as best as he could. “Don’t worry, I’ll stop bawling then.”
“Spike,” Gunn began. “That’s not what I mean and you know that.”
“Do I?”
Ignoring Spike’s words, Gunn pressed onward. “Is this about Angel?”
“This has nothing to do with that git!” Spike yelled angrily. “Why don’t you go back to bed so your slave can get his beauty sleep? Don’t want me to embarrass you in front of all the other tossers at the contest, do you now?”
“Will you fucking stop?” Gunn demanded in frustration. “I’m trying to be your friend here but all you do is throw shit at me. I don’t need this.”
“And I do?”
“That’s not what I mean!” Gunn bellowed. “Why are you acting like this? Is it because Angel didn’t want you?”
“Shut the fuck up!” Spike jumped up indignantly. “Stop dragging the poof into all this!”
Gunn smiled viciously. “Oh, it is all about him, isn’t it? You’ve been all sullen and moody ever since Angel decided not to take you on as his slave.”
Spike snorted. “Has it ever occurred to you that it’s not about who my bloody Master is? I just don’t like being a slave!”
“Unless Angel is your Master, that is!”
“Piss off!”
“You know what? I could go right now and break the contract. That way you won’t have to be a slave anymore. All that will happen will be that Angel gets dusted. That’s no big deal to you, isn’t that right?”
Spike stiffened. He opened his mouth but couldn’t say anything.
Gunn chuckled mirthlessly. “What is it about him that makes you so loyal to him?”
“’M not gonna talk about this.”
“Oh…but we are. I’m not leaving this room until I get answers.”
“Did you bloody forget that you’re human? You need food, water, loo breaks. And you think you can soddin’ outlast me?”
Gunn smiled beatifically. “Oh, I’ll definitely outlast you. The contract, remember? You don’t talk and poof! It’s gone.”
“And you say you’re not like Angelus,” Spike said sarcastically.
“I’m not. I’ve never mistreated you, have I?”
“What do you call chaining me up then?”
“Discipline. You need it so I’ll provide it. But thing is, I ain’t Angelus and I won’t punish you unless I have to. I want to help you, Blondie.”
Spike’s eyes widened. “Help me?” he demanded incredulously. “Do I look like I soddin’ need help? No! You’re the one who needs help, Master!”
Silence filled the room all of a sudden.
Spike looked uncertain. Had he gone overboard?
“Maybe I do,” Gunn whispered finally.
Spike was taken aback. “What?”
“Maybe I do need help.”
Spike stared at him suspiciously. “What game are you playing?”
“Not a game, Blondie,” Gunn said softly. “Sometimes, it’s hard to go through everything alone and I want what you once had with Angel. Not the pain and the belittlement and the torture but the loyalty, the friendship and…the love.”
“You…” Spike uttered, eyes widened, “love me?”
“For someone who claims to read people so well, you ain’t doing such a good job.”
“I…”
“If you take care of me, I’ll take care of you. That’s all I ask.”
Spike turned away, struggling to hide his emotions at the sudden influx of information that he didn’t want and certainly didn’t need. Gunn could read the fear in his stance.
“I mean it,” the man murmured. “You’ve come a long way alone. Don’t you wish that you had someone to lean on?”
Spike lifted blue eyes to him, hope and doubt warring in them.
“I’m not Angelus,” Gunn whispered again.
************
“Mr. Gunn, can you tell us what is the secret to your success with your slave?” the reporter asked.
Gunn remained silent for a moment as he gazed around the room, catching the reluctant eyes of all his friends. Especially Angel. This was the reason he had joined this contest.
He tugged Spike up to stand next to him and turned to face his lover before murmuring only one word.
“Love.”
The End
Title: I’m not Angelus
Author: Darkspace99
Pairing: Spike/Gunn, mentions of Spike/Angel(us)
Rating: R
Disclaimer: I wonder if Joss would leave the characters to me in his will. Maybe if I beg really nicely?
Summary: Written for liliaeth, who requested Gunn comforting his slave Spike, trying to settle him in after Spike's just lost his freedom. With Spike struggling a bit, but Gunn being firm but certain about his ownership. I’m not sure if this is exactly what she wanted since this took a little angsty turn. Anyway, I hope you all like it! My Gunn voice isn’t too great.
The crowd waited with abated breaths.
“And the winner is…”
Hearts pounded and hands almost slipped while holding their chains.
“Master Gunn and his slave Spike!”
The crowd burst into rapturous applause. Angel, Fred, Wesley and Lorne watched incredulously as Gunn, in his best suit, walked across the stage to the award presenter with his obedient blue eyed slave in tow.
“Congratulations,” the presenter said with a smile, giving Gunn a firm handshake. “I’ve never seen a better trained slave than yours.”
She then passed the plaque over to a grinning Gunn and the two posed for a picture with Spike kneeling submissively next to his master.
As cameras flashed left and right, the reporters buzzed with questions.
“Mr. Gunn, can you tell us what is the secret to your success with your slave?”
************
A month earlier...
“Should’ve kept your mouth shut,” Angel said smugly.
Spike merely glared at the older vampire while yanking at his ugly collar in frustration.
“If you had kept your mouth shut,” taunted Angel, “the Qichtar demons might not have demanded that you be enslaved in order for them to sign the contract.”
Spike fumed but remained silent.
“Angel, give Blondie a break. He’s doing us a favor,” Gunn admonished. “The demons would have demanded something in exchange, even if they hadn’t gotten angry with Spike.”
Angel snorted. “Right,” he said sarcastically. “It’s been a long day. I’ll see you two tomorrow.”
The black man nodded and got up to leave with Spike.
“Good luck!” Angel shouted after them. “You’re gonna need it!”
The elevator doors closing blocked out the sound of his snickering.
Gunn breathed a sigh of relief. Sometimes, he just couldn’t stand Angel.
“You can speak now, Spike,” he said gently.
Spike felt the pressure around his vocal chords loosen.
“Hate the bloody wanker,” he muttered.
“Yeah,” Gunn echoed. “He can be a bit annoying at times.”
The elevator arrived at the garage and the pair walked toward Gunn’s car.
“It could be worse, you know. Angel could’ve been your master,” Gunn consoled him.
Spike scoffed. “And that’s supposed to comfort me?”
“Spike,” Gunn said warningly.
The blonde vampire had to struggle not to make a rude gesture. He didn’t want his voice getting taken away again. Instead, he ducked his head and mumbled a sullen apology.
He hated this, being all submissive to another man. For the longest time, he had been his own vampire and he just couldn’t get used to being under someone else’s control again, especially since that someone else happened to be the bloody food. Or ex-food, anyway. But, as Gunn said, it was better than the alternative - having Angel as his master. Or at least, that was what he told himself.
All during the car ride, he stayed silent, watching the passing scenery without seeing it. Gunn seemed nice enough so he didn’t really want to annoy the black man to death. Besides, it wasn’t really Gunn’s fault anyway.
Spike tried to think positively. Ever since Doyle, er, Lindsey had been recaptured by the Senior Partners, he had no place to go. He ended up kipping down on the couches of various people’s offices at Wolfram and Hart. At least, now he would have a place to stay.
“I only have one bedroom,” Gunn announced as he opened the front door to his apartment. “I can set up a cot for you in the living room or you can sleep on the sofa.” He paused, trying to discern Spike’s reaction. “Or if you don’t mind, the bed’s big enough for both of us.”
Spike stiffened.
“Hey, man. Don’t get me wrong,” Gunn said, correctly guessing what Spike was thinking. “I’m not hitting on you or anything.”
Spike relaxed though the wary glint in his eyes didn’t go away. “Seeing as we’re on the subject, you uh gonna make me,” he gritted his teeth, “service you?”
Gunn sighed as he plopped down on the sofa. “I’m not gonna say that I won’t make you do anything you don’t like ‘cause I’d be lying if I said that,” he told Spike honestly. “Thing is, I gotta act like your master or else the contract would be null and void.”
Spike looked away, jaw set angrily.
“Look, Spike,” Gunn continued earnestly. “I’m not a power junkie. Ain’t gonna rape you or anything. All I’m gonna do is act by the master’s handbook.” He held up a heavy, leather bound book. “It basically calls for me to make sure you’re obedient and to discipline you when you’re not. Otherwise, everything’s up for grabs.”
The blonde vampire exhaled heavily. “’S not gonna be easy, Charlie boy,” he said reluctantly. “I’ve been me own vamp for over a century. ‘S gonna take some time for me to get used to the bloody situation.”
Gunn smiled. “Well, you can start by calling me Master,” he suggested. When Spike’s gaze snapped to his sharply, he tapped the handbook innocently. “Said so in here, Blondie,” he stated, holding his hands up helplessly.
Suspecting he was being played, Spike glared intently at Gunn for a few moments.
“Fine, Master,” he finally ground out, clenching his teeth.
Gunn refrained from saying “Good boy,” knowing that the vampire would probably tear his throat out, Master or not, if he did. As he got up, he gave Spike’s shoulder a reassuring squeeze.
“You hungry?” he asked.
Spike nodded grudgingly.
“I’ll order some blood from the firm’s suppliers,” Gunn said. “Why don’t you take a shower in the meantime?”
Sulking, Spike moved to do as his master bid.
“Oh and Spike?” Gunn called out after him.
Spike halted but didn’t turn around.
“You’ve got my permission to take the collar off,” Gunn said neutrally.
Spike’s shoulders tensed and he stomped the rest of the way to Gunn’s bedroom. It seemed that this Master/slave business was being taken very seriously.
Sighing, Gunn made the call and then, sat down to wait for the delivery of the blood, all the while thinking about his situation.
If he allowed himself to be honest, he wasn’t as unaffected by Spike being his slave as he let the vampire think. Ever since he had broken up with Fred, he had been lonely and not only that, he had discovered that he was attracted to guys as well as girls. After Spike’s appearance at Wolfram and Hart as a ghost, he had found himself aroused by the blonde. Especially after that mortifying bathroom incident, which he refused to think about.
Spike was beautiful, for a man. The lively blue eyes and razor sharp cheekbones drew attention to him like moths to a fire. His whipcord lean body and grace often had Gunn fantasizing about him at inappropriate times of the day. It was lust at first sight.
But gradually, Gunn came to appreciate more about Spike than his outward appearance. As a ghost, the vampire had been lonely and had sought company with anyone he could find. Sometimes, in quiet moments, they would sit together and talk about guy things.
Inevitably, the talks revolved around sex in some way. They were men, after all. Gunn learned more about Spike than the vampire wanted to reveal. Though Spike had never specifically come right out and admitted to it, all the hints he dropped, combined with the bitterness between the two vampires, made Gunn quite sure that there had been something between him and Angel.
Naturally, it stirred up his curiosity. From Spike’s file in Files and Records, he found out more about the relationship between the two vampires as well as Spike’s other relationships. He flipped through pages and pages of heartbreak and loss, trying not to stare too closely at the bloodshed and mayhem. It was surprising how intensely loyal the vampire could be and how far he would go to please his lovers. Yet, in the end, they always left him.
The selfish part of Gunn was glad that nobody else appreciated Spike because that meant that he would actually have a chance with the vampire. But the other part of him pitied Spike. The blonde had done so much and received so little in return. Why did no one ever take the time to give something back?
Loud footsteps heralded the arrival of a wet, bare-chested Spike with a towel slung low over his hips. Gunn wanted to jump him right then and there.
“Like what you see, Master?” Spike sneered.
Gunn sighed inwardly. Looked like the defenses had gone right back up.
Sometimes, Spike was just so difficult to deal with. Maybe that was why all of his lovers rejected him. Who wanted a defensive, prickly boyfriend? More importantly, who would take the time out to work their way to the man inside?
In the file, it had said that William had been a gentle man in life. The hard shell had only developed after his turning. Gunn was willing to bet that Angelus had played a huge part in that.
“Spike,” he said tiredly, “I’m not Angelus.”
The blonde stiffened. “What do you bloody mean by that?” he growled.
Gunn’s answer was interrupted by the ringing of the doorbell. It was the blood.
Spike stared at the packages in astonishment.
Gunn chuckled. “You like otter, right?”
“How…?”
“Harmony.” Gunn smiled and took the packages into the kitchen.
Dumbfounded, Spike followed after him silently.
“You asked her about me?” the vampire questioned disbelievingly.
“I take good care of my business, Blondie,” Gunn replied firmly. Taking a deep breath, he then added, “Unlike Angelus.”
“What?!?” Spike’s voice went way high.
Gunn snorted. “All the pheromones flying around the office? Man, I’d have to be dead to not get it.”
“There’s nothing-“
“Why’d you allow yourself to be enslaved?”
Spike fell into a stubborn silence.
Gunn continued. “You could’ve walked away and left Angel to deal with the consequences but you didn’t. Time and time again, you stepped in to take one for the team. And you stayed even though Angel’s never been anything but unwelcoming. So you tell me, if there isn’t something between you two, what is it?”
“None of your business, that’s what it is,” Spike stated coldly. “’M going to bed now, if that’s alright with you, Master.” He turned around dismissively.
Gunn sighed again. “Fine, go ahead. But I thought you were hungry?”
“Funny that,” Spike remarked sardonically as he walked away. “Seems like I’ve lost me bloody appetite.”
“Spike…”
“I’ll sleep on the soddin’ sofa.”
And that was the end of the conversation. Gunn shook his head slightly and finished placing the bags of blood into the fridge.
************
Gunn frowned. Fred seemed to have gotten better at giving blowjobs. She had managed to take all of him inside her mouth, even deep-throating him like she didn’t need to breathe.
He groaned again when she moved her talented mouth off him. Wait, where was she sticking her tongue?
The black man flew awake with a gasp, yanking the covers off his waist to reveal the smirking face of his platinum blonde slave.
“What the fuck are you doing?” he demanded.
Spike sneered. “My bloody job. What else do you think ‘m doing, Master?”
Gunn struggled to control his temper and his libido. This was not how he planned for things to pan out.
“New rule,” he stated in a tight voice. “You don’t touch me unless I give you permission to.”
Spike lifted one eyebrow mockingly. He grabbed Gunn’s erection and gave it a hard tug. Gunn moaned, hips nearly jackknifing off the bed.
“Still need permission, Master?” Spike asked with a smug grin.
No, go right ahead, Gunn’s body screamed but Gunn forced himself to turn down the temptation that was Spike.
“I’m not Angelus,” he repeated through clenched teeth.
Spike cursed and jerked away from him, stumbling off the bed.
Dragging his boxers up his waist, Gunn then leaned over to turn on the lights. He wanted to be able to see the vampire’s reaction as he talked.
“I’m not going to make you do the things that he made you do,” Gunn said, brown gaze boring into blue. “But if you think that I’m going to sit here and let you provoke me, you’re wrong. I will chain you up if I have to, Blondie.”
“Fuck you, mate!” Spike shouted angrily.
Gunn made a motion and the pressure tightened around Spike’s vocal chords, cutting off his voice.
“Man, it’s late and I don’t wanna listen to your taunts all night,” Gunn said solemnly. “If you wanna talk civilly, you gonna have to wait ‘til the morning. Now, go back to bed.”
Spike fumed, eyes spitting fire at being dismissed like a naughty boy, and stalked back out to the living room. Gunn closed the bedroom door and locked it, knowing that if Spike really wanted to get in, he would be able to do it anyway. Lying back in bed and pulling the covers over himself, he tried to fall asleep again.
Meanwhile, a furious Spike glared at the ceiling from his position on the sofa. Gunn’s words echoed in his mind. I’m not Angelus. Spike snorted. Like he would believe the black man. One minute, Gunn said that he wouldn’t do anything bad to Spike and the next, he pulled out the Master card. It set Spike’s mind spinning. He didn’t know what to expect. Gunn seemed not to want anything except the basics so far, but Spike’s experiences told him that power corrupted even those who were most innocent.
So, Spike decided to hasten that process. No point in allowing himself time to actually get to know and like the man because Gunn would eventually turn on him. Everyone always did. They abused the power that he gave them. Angelus, Drusilla, Buffy - his love kept him a slave to all of them. They all ended up taking advantage of him and discarding him when he was no longer useful.
He was pretty sure that Gunn would be no different. It didn’t matter that he had actually been kinda fond of the man before all this happened. There was no more chance of friendship, not with the power balance being so tipped in favor of Gunn. Besides, Gunn had already shown himself to be a pretty firm dom and it wouldn’t be long before he decided to exercise all his rights as Master.
Not that Spike would go down without a fight.
The next day and many days after that, Spike did everything he could to annoy Gunn, forcing the black man to discipline him. It was better this way, he told himself. He wouldn’t have to harbor any delusions as to how this relationship would play out.
Every chance he got, he continued to accost the man sexually. He could smell the arousal pouring off Gunn and it scared him a little. The man was bound to do something about it sooner or later. Better that he get it over with rather than dreading the encounter for ages until it came.
This constant war he fought with Gunn took its toll over him. Every night, he slumped into the sofa exhausted. But he was sure that the black man didn’t feel much better than him and it gave him a vicious thrill to think of the other man suffering like he did. He needed all the fun he could get before Gunn snapped and used the collar’s other functions (torture, torture and more torture) on him. It was what Angelus would’ve done, in addition to playing all those mind games with him.
One night, after about two weeks, Gunn walked into the apartment tiredly as usual. Spike watched the man combatively from the chair to which he had been chained.
“Had a good day then?” he asked, arching one eyebrow.
“Not now…Blondie,” Gunn said with a heavy sigh.
It had been a long day. That morning, the office had just received an invitation to take part in the Best Slave contest, to be held two weeks later. Apparently, all the important demons entered the contest and it was expected that Wolfram and Hart send one of their own and a slave as contestants. Seeing as nobody else on the senior staff had a slave except Gunn, he was expected to be the lucky participant.
Gunn hadn’t wanted to do it, still uneasy in his relationship with Spike. Strangely enough, Angel had been very vocal in his objections as well. He kept stressing how Spike was bound to mess it up and make them the laughingstock of the demon world. Gunn had found himself taking offense at Angel’s derogatory comments toward Spike and not for the first time since Spike’s enslavement, they had a big argument over the blonde vampire.
Now, all Gunn wanted to do was take a long shower and go to bed. But, he had to take care of Spike first. He was tempted to just leave the vampire like that.
However, his compassion won out and he unchained Spike from the chair, allowing the blonde to move freely.
Spike promptly sauntered into the kitchen to heat some blood for himself, ignoring Gunn. The black man followed, all the while racking his mind for a way to broach the matter of the contest.
“Spit it out, Master,” Spike murmurred suddenly before taking a big gulp from his mug.
Gunn grimaced. Spike was too intuitive. “Look, there’s this contest…”
“I don’t do contests.”
“We kinda have to.”
Spike rolled his eyes. “Nope. You can go on your own. I didn’t bleedin’ sign up to be paraded around like some fucking animal.”
Gunn massaged his temples. He could feel a headache coming along. “I can’t go without a slave. It isn’t exactly ‘The Best Master’ contest.”
Spike choked. “What?” he yelped. “You want to enter me into a contest!?!”
“Duh. What did you think I was talking about?”
“I thought you wanted me to accompany you, not be one of the bloody participants!”
“Spike, I can make you go and I’ll do it if I have to. This is important to the firm.”
Spike froze. “Did Angel put you up to this?” he hissed.
A strange feeling coursed through Gunn’s body and he found himself saying “Yes.”
He caught the hurt flickering across Spike’s face before it was shuttered away.
Anger surged through him. All this time, he had been so good to Spike, not trying to take advantage of the vampire and Spike had given him nothing but trouble. Angel or rather his alter ego, Angelus, had mistreated Spike in every way possible and yet earned the blonde’s lasting loyalty. Spike had even allowed himself to be enslaved so that Angel could sign a contract. It just wasn’t fair.
“He wanted me to go?” Spike whispered disbelievingly.
“Do you think I entered us myself?” Gunn shot back nastily.
Spike sat down heavily on the sofa, mind still tumbling over the implications of what Gunn had just told him.
Angel wanted him to be paraded around as someone else’s property.
Even at his worst, Angelus hadn’t allowed anyone else to touch what was his but it seemed that that no longer applied to Spike. He had been disowned. Not that he should care.
Tears welled up in his disobedient eyes and he turned away so that Gunn couldn’t see them.
Seeing Spike’s reaction, Gunn felt a pang of remorse. Perhaps, he shouldn’t have said what he said. But then again, why should he allow Spike to harbor any illusions about Angel? Angel wasn’t the one who was taking care of Spike now. The blonde was under Gunn’s care and it was time Spike realized that nobody else wanted him. Nobody but Gunn.
Hardening his heart, Gunn left the vampire alone and retreated into his bedroom. After a shower, he retired to bed early but his overactive mind denied him rest. He wondered what Spike was thinking. Was the blonde also tossing and turning, unable to sleep like him?
A sudden noise came from the living room. Gunn sat up in bed sharply. What was that?
Cautiously, he tiptoed over to the door. Opening it slowly, he peered outside. He sincerely hoped that Spike hadn’t decided to wreck the living room in anger (again).
He heard the sound again. This time, he realized what it was - a sob. He padded out toward the sofa and the sound immediately ceased.
“What’s wrong?” he asked with concern.
“Go away” was the mumbled reply from underneath the blanket.
With a sigh, Gunn sat down on the sofa next to the huddled lump. “If you really don’t wanna do the contest, I’ll talk to Angel,” he offered tentatively.
“’S not that.”
“Then what is it?”
Spike threw back the covers, revealing his red-rimmed eyes. “Am I disturbing your sleep, Master?” he sneered as best as he could. “Don’t worry, I’ll stop bawling then.”
“Spike,” Gunn began. “That’s not what I mean and you know that.”
“Do I?”
Ignoring Spike’s words, Gunn pressed onward. “Is this about Angel?”
“This has nothing to do with that git!” Spike yelled angrily. “Why don’t you go back to bed so your slave can get his beauty sleep? Don’t want me to embarrass you in front of all the other tossers at the contest, do you now?”
“Will you fucking stop?” Gunn demanded in frustration. “I’m trying to be your friend here but all you do is throw shit at me. I don’t need this.”
“And I do?”
“That’s not what I mean!” Gunn bellowed. “Why are you acting like this? Is it because Angel didn’t want you?”
“Shut the fuck up!” Spike jumped up indignantly. “Stop dragging the poof into all this!”
Gunn smiled viciously. “Oh, it is all about him, isn’t it? You’ve been all sullen and moody ever since Angel decided not to take you on as his slave.”
Spike snorted. “Has it ever occurred to you that it’s not about who my bloody Master is? I just don’t like being a slave!”
“Unless Angel is your Master, that is!”
“Piss off!”
“You know what? I could go right now and break the contract. That way you won’t have to be a slave anymore. All that will happen will be that Angel gets dusted. That’s no big deal to you, isn’t that right?”
Spike stiffened. He opened his mouth but couldn’t say anything.
Gunn chuckled mirthlessly. “What is it about him that makes you so loyal to him?”
“’M not gonna talk about this.”
“Oh…but we are. I’m not leaving this room until I get answers.”
“Did you bloody forget that you’re human? You need food, water, loo breaks. And you think you can soddin’ outlast me?”
Gunn smiled beatifically. “Oh, I’ll definitely outlast you. The contract, remember? You don’t talk and poof! It’s gone.”
“And you say you’re not like Angelus,” Spike said sarcastically.
“I’m not. I’ve never mistreated you, have I?”
“What do you call chaining me up then?”
“Discipline. You need it so I’ll provide it. But thing is, I ain’t Angelus and I won’t punish you unless I have to. I want to help you, Blondie.”
Spike’s eyes widened. “Help me?” he demanded incredulously. “Do I look like I soddin’ need help? No! You’re the one who needs help, Master!”
Silence filled the room all of a sudden.
Spike looked uncertain. Had he gone overboard?
“Maybe I do,” Gunn whispered finally.
Spike was taken aback. “What?”
“Maybe I do need help.”
Spike stared at him suspiciously. “What game are you playing?”
“Not a game, Blondie,” Gunn said softly. “Sometimes, it’s hard to go through everything alone and I want what you once had with Angel. Not the pain and the belittlement and the torture but the loyalty, the friendship and…the love.”
“You…” Spike uttered, eyes widened, “love me?”
“For someone who claims to read people so well, you ain’t doing such a good job.”
“I…”
“If you take care of me, I’ll take care of you. That’s all I ask.”
Spike turned away, struggling to hide his emotions at the sudden influx of information that he didn’t want and certainly didn’t need. Gunn could read the fear in his stance.
“I mean it,” the man murmured. “You’ve come a long way alone. Don’t you wish that you had someone to lean on?”
Spike lifted blue eyes to him, hope and doubt warring in them.
“I’m not Angelus,” Gunn whispered again.
************
“Mr. Gunn, can you tell us what is the secret to your success with your slave?” the reporter asked.
Gunn remained silent for a moment as he gazed around the room, catching the reluctant eyes of all his friends. Especially Angel. This was the reason he had joined this contest.
He tugged Spike up to stand next to him and turned to face his lover before murmuring only one word.
“Love.”
The End