How to Treat Your Lover (A(us)/S, A(us)/S/B) NC-17 14/?
Title: How to Treat Your Lover
By Tami (tabrandt @ hotmail.com)
Disclaimer: The characters from ATS / BTVS are owned by Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy, and Fox studios. This story is not meant to infringe upon anyone's rights, only to entertain.
BETA: Myself, lexa4227
Rating - NC-17
Pairing - M/M, Angelus/Spike, Angel/Spike
Timeline - After IN THE DARK (Angel: The Series, Season 1)
Summary - Feeling disheartened with the events in HARSH LIGHT OF DAY, Spike follows his holy grail to LA only to have the Sire claim reinitiated by his grandsire, who then sent him back to Sunnydale to look after the damn Slayer. Now, he not only has to deal with the Slayer, but the effects of a renewed Sire claim. Angel(us)/Spike; Buffy/Spike/Angel(us)
Feedback - It would be appreciated. My plot bunny has been lagging lately.
Author's Note - This story came to me after watching how Buffy treated Spike in SMASHED - AS YOU WERE (BTVS, Season 6). I wondered how Angel would truly feel, if he really knew how Buffy mistreated Spike. Yes, Spike is the Big Bad, and he and Angel normally don't see eye-to-eye, but they are family nonetheless
Word Count: 9,488
( Previous Chapters )
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I'm building a soundtrack for this fic, so if you think of a song let me know in comments. :)
Chapter 14: Step 1 - Infatuation (Part 14)
A Week Later
“That wasn’t the best way to kill a Roxlar beast!” Angel said.
“Why? Because it had to be killed via Wesley’s instruction from a centuries-old book?” Spike countered.
“Those books have been very useful. Why can’t you ever do anything by the book, Spike?” Angel asked.
“Because, I’m a rebel, mate! Besides it got the job done,” Spike said defensively.
“Making it a hood ornament for Cordelia’s car was not the best way to kill it!” Angel grumbled.
“It was going to attack you! I had no other choice! How was I supposed to know you had to impale the head after you chopped it off?” Spike asked petulantly.
“If you had listened to Wesley in the first place you would know that! So, what did you do? You impaled it on the hood emblem of Cordy’s car!” Angel said.
“Still killed him, didn’t I?” Spike said.
“And earned yourself a bill for detailing Cordelia’s car, which by the way, she fully expects you to pay,” Angel reminded him.
Spike looked at his Sire and batted his eyes. Angel shook his head emphatically. “Oh no, you don’t. You’re not making me pay the bill. You damaged the car; you’re paying for the detail.” Angel said sternly.
“I’ll pay for it. But, why couldn’t she get a gem of a car? Like my car?” Spike asked.
“She drives something she can afford, not some 1950s gas hogging jalopy that she stole from someone she ate,” Angel replied.
“It is not a jalopy! She purrs like a kitten and she’s a classic!” Spike said in defense of his car.
“Well, it sure as a hell doesn’t get more than twelve miles to the gallon,” Angel accused.
“Now you’re criticizing my car? Let’s talk about the junk heap you drive,” Spike said.
“It’s not a junk heap. It’s a 1967 Plymouth GTX. Now, this is a classic car.”
“My jalopy got me and Dru out a few tight situations. What’s yours done, floor model in a showroom?”
“I’ll have you know this car as gotten me through . . . burglarizing a vampire’s estate, saving damsels in distress, a few high speed chases through the canyons, getting kidnapped and rescued from a demon gladiator ring, uh . . . and other things I can’t remember right now!” Angel said defensively.
“Uh huh,” Spike said nodding. He patted his pockets in search of his cigarettes. Finding them, he shook one loose, wrapped his lips around it and pulled it out. Then, he had to hunt for his lighter. Finding it, he lit up, took a long drag and blew it out.
“Ech! Do you have to do that in the car?” Angel cringed.
“Do what? The hood’s down and it’s not like you can get cancer,” Spike said.
“I knew there was an upside to this vampire gig,” Angel muttered.
“What’s that?” Spike asked, even though he had heard.
“Nothing, just keep doing your part to kill everyone through secondhand smoke,” Angel said tiredly.
“Cheerleader’s been making you watch commercials, hasn’t she?” Spike chuckled.
“Only when she finds me brooding,” Angel said miserably.
“Fancy that. Never took you as the type to brood. More of a deep thinker, you are.”
WELCOME TO SUNNYDALE!
Thank God! Anymore of this and I’ll have to stop the car and make him walk, Angel thought.
I can still hear you, peaches, Spike’s inner voice said.
The first hour of the trip was spent with Spike turning the dial on the radio and stopping to listen and sing along to every punk song he came across. When he was bored with that, he turned the radio off and they started discussing fighting dynamics which led to the Roxlar beast discussion.
Angel looked over at Spike and cringed as they drove through Sunnydale. His boy had his dirty, scuffed boots on his nice, clean dashboard. Why did his childe always insist on doing everything the opposite of what you ask him? He tried to tell him the best way to kill a Roxlar beast, even shouted it when Spike was busy fighting the thing. Angel didn’t think Spike heard a word he had said until the end. Then, while they were driving to Sunnydale, Spike made him listen to that horrible punk music and listen to the even worse singing. Cordy thinks I sing badly, she hasn’t heard Spike sing the Ramones Sheena Is a Punk Rocker. At least, I think it was the Ramones.
They drove through town to the abandoned mansions in what used to be the ritzy side of Sunnydale. Angel pulled up in the drive and looked at Spike expectantly.
“What?”
“Get out and open the garage door,” Angel said, annoyed.
“You get out and open it yourself,” Spike said.
“Damn it, would you just get out and open the fucking door? Why have you been so difficult this entire trip? You knew we had to come back. You have to watch out for her and I have to apologize to her for what I said to her in LA,” Angel said.
To avoid answering, Spike got out of the car, walked to the garage and pulled the door up. When Angel drove in, he followed and closed the door. Then, he went about unloading the car of all the things he accumulated while staying in LA. This, after two weeks, was a fair amount of junk as far as Angel was concerned.
Going into the house with the first load, Angel headed toward Spike’s old room, whereas Spike headed toward Angel’s old room. When he discovered that the blonde hadn’t followed him, he went in search of him. Finding him dumping a box on the floor by the king size bed and then turning to walk out and get more, Angel followed suit wondering why Spike had chose this room.
The furniture and bed had a year’s worth of dust covering the surfaces. The whole house needed a deep cleaning experience. Angel knew a couple of cleaning services he could hire for the job. Cordelia would love it when the bill came. Wouldn’t have to worry about his destiny then, would he? Nope. He’d be able to fit a neat little ashtray after she staked his ass literally while giving him a lecture on how Angel Investigations needed the money more than Spike.
“So, why did you pick this room?” Angel asked, following him back into the room in question with another load.
“Bigger bed,” Spike answered as he dropped another box on the floor.
“That’s all?” Angel was curious.
“It’s not like you’ll be living here with me. I’ll be living here by myself so why shouldn’t I have the master bedroom?” Spike asked, annoyed.
“Okay,” Angel said, holding his hands up in surrender.
He looked at Spike and stepped closer to him. Reaching out, he cupped his hand over the younger vampire’s cheek and rubbed his thumb over the sharp cheekbone. His childe was such a contrast in beauty. The sharp edge of Spike was at the forefront now, complete with his snarky ways. But, Angel could still pick out traces of what he once was. William, the aristocrat in the way he held his body in straight posture, William, the shy poet in the way he sometimes let his guard down and talked so eloquently. William the fledgling was still looking for acceptance and approval from his Sire. Yes, Spike was a very different vampire. There was not one way to describe him, he was many things.
Unconsciously, Spike pressed into Angel’s touch. “Are you going to be all right living here?” Angel’s voice sounded a little hoarse.
“Yeah, mate, been living with your ghost for a century now. I think I can manage living here,” Spike assured him.
“Okay, I’m going to go take care of the thing I came here to do and be right back. Try not to get into too much trouble,” Angel said.
“Who? Me? I never get into trouble, it just sort of finds me,” Spike replied.
Angel looked at him skeptically. “William . . .”
“What?” Spike asked innocently, blinking his big blue eyes at his Sire.
Angel’s lips curled up at the corners before he turned and left. Spike shook his head. What did his Sire think he was going to do? He just got into town and had to unpack everything again. He had not only brought back clothes and essentials, but books, comic books, poetry books, a few classic novels that he remembered from when he was still human. It figured that Angel considered it junk. But then, Spike had accumulated junk since the 70s. Stuff he would have to abandon decades later, like when he and Drusilla went to Prague and he couldn’t take everything. He didn’t even get the Desoto until they decided to stay in the States.
Sometimes he missed her babble. It wasn’t like she made sense at all; it was just background noise to him really. But it was still stabilizing for him. It meant that there was someone who needed him. She may have been his elder sister, but she needed his protection and his companionship. It kept her grounded and he indulged her.
Now, he had Angel in his life again. Reclaimed by his Sire and even mated to him. Those two things were an anchor for him. Angel wanted him bad enough to renew a Sire-claim and lusted after him enough to mate with him. The connection went deeper than that though. Spike could feel it in his blood.
**************************
The Containment Area of the Initiative
The cells on either side of a narrow walkway are full to capacity with demons. They were flinging themselves at the electrified glass in madness and growling in irritation. Colonel McNamara walked down the passageway with a young lieutenant to the control room.
“Cell capacity maxed out three days ago, sir,” the lieutenant informed his superior. “We keep up this pace and there will be nowhere left to contain the hostiles.
“They’re animals, lieutenant,” McNamara stated coldly with a sneer. “We pack them in until we’re out of room and then we pack them in some more.”
The lieutenant turned a worried expression on his companion. “They’re going to start tearing each other apart, sir.”
“I don’t see anything wrong with that scenario, do you?” McNamara said nonchalantly.
“No, sir, if you say so, sir,” The lieutenant stuttered.
As they reached the other side of the containment area, they intently ignored the two demons in the last cell fighting with their claws at each other’s throats. Walking into the communications room, their attention was immediately drawn to one of the tech officers in the process of receiving distress calls from one of the squads in the field.
“Back-up team! Request immediate back-up! Over!” a static-voice was heard over the radio. “They’re tearing us apart over here! Two men are down! From out of nowhere! Mayday! Repeat! Mayday!”
**************************
Riley Finn was holed up in the ruins of Sunnydale High School. He was sitting on a sleeping bag, eating out of a tin can, listening to his former peers over the radio. When the report of hostiles in the area came over the airwaves, he put the can down and picked up his rigged cell phone to listen more closely.
“Team Epsilon requesting immediate back-up! We’re in the alley behind the school building! Where the hell is - Fall back! Fall back! It’s coming --” a commando ordered over the phone. Just then, the transmission was cut. Riley jumped up and grabbed his commando gear.
Riley ran down an abandoned street. In the next alley over he could hear the sounds of fighting. As he rounded a corner, a commando went flying across the alley and hit the wall, knocking him unconscious. He heard more struggling and punches further down the alley. He raised his flashlight and shone it on the back of a figure in a long black coat. As soon as the light hit Angel, he whirled around and glared at Riley.
Angel turned and faced off with the young commando, with three unconscious bodies lying at his feet. Riley lowered the flashlight.
“Riley Finn,” Angel stated flatly. So, this was Buffy’s boyfriend. Good, wholesome, farm boy appearance. Pseudo-tough stance. Heh, she could have done better.
Riley, not knowing or caring what the other man thought of him, slipped the flashlight into the pocket of his cargo pants. He studied the tall man, didn’t recognize him, and judged that he wasn’t from Sunnydale. “Do I know you?”
“We have a friend in common,” Angel said.
Riley thought for a minute. He still didn’t recognize the guy so what friend could they have in common? Tall, dark, broody, can hold his own in a fight from the looks of things. Must be the guy Buffy went to go see the other day. It took him a moment before he remembered the name Buffy called him. “Angel.”
Angel gave a curt nod, took a step forward and glanced down at the commandos still lying unconscious on the ground. “Welcoming committee your idea?”
Riley ignored the question. He was too bothered by the fact that Buffy’s ex-boyfriend vampire was standing right in front of him. What exactly were this guy’s plans anyway? Did he come to take Buffy back? If he did, he had another thing coming, Riley wouldn’t allow him to just swoop in and steal his girl.
“The way I heard it, you’re all peaceable now,” Riley said as he carefully stepped closer to his rival. “You didn’t by any chance go and lose that pesky soul again, did you?”
What the hell did Buffy tell this kid? It was one thing for Spike to push his buttons. Who the fuck did this kid think he was? What did he know about his soul? “Don’t push me, boy,” Angel said in a dangerously calm voice.
A nervous tick started working in Riley’s jaw. This vampire was making him feel uneasy and he didn’t like it. How dare this thing come into his town and challenge him for his position and his girl? Buffy had glossed over her relationship with this man - demon - but he knew she had left things out. He knew, because Xander had filled him in on a lot of things. The fact that this demon touched Buffy in the most intimate way; that this demon was the thing she gave her virginity to - willingly, set his anger off even more.
“Now what possibly could have happened with Buffy that would make you lose your soul?” Riley asked through teeth clenched in anger.
What kind of question is that? Angel furrowed his brow as he walked a slow path around Riley. “That would be between me and her,” he said coolly.
Riley stepped in front Angel blocking his path and hit the release on the asp in his hand, extending it to a baton. “Where do you think you’re going?”
Angel’s eyes hardened. This boy was pushing his limits. “I’m going to see an old girlfriend.”
He stepped aside to go past the boy, but Riley continued to block his way. If the kid didn’t move soon, he would move him. At the moment though, there were a couple of feet apart glaring at each other.
Riley sneered. “Oh, you really think I’m going to let that happen?”
“You think you’re going to stop me?” Angel challenged.
“I surely do,” Riley replied matter-of-factly.
Angel threw a right cross at Riley’s face but he deflected it with his free hand and struck Angel in the face with the baton. The commando quickly spun into a backhanded swing, but Angel caught his arm, forcing him down on one knee, and slammed a knee into Riley’s face. Still holding onto the arm, Angel pulled him back to his feet and swung him around, throwing him through the air. Riley flew backwards into a large pile of trash and cardboard boxes next to the loading dock of a warehouse.
Riley scrambled out of the trash heap, onto the loading dock and picked up his baton where it had landed when he was thrown. Angel watched his progress before he leaped high in the air and landed on the dock before the kid could get to his feet. When Angel kicked out at him, Riley used the baton to block it, but the weapon was knocked out of his hand and the vampire punched him across the face.
Still on his knees, Riley retaliated with a fist to Angel’s groin and the vampire bent over in pain. The commando used the distraction to get to his feet. He grabbed an empty liquor bottle, and smashed it over the dark head. Then, he grabbed Angel by the coat and rammed a knee into his back, which sent him against the building. Angel swung his hand back to hit the kid, but Riley blocked it and slammed the same knee into his stomach. The vampire quickly recovered and grabbed his opponent by the flak jacket, slamming him back against a heavy door.
Riley swung and hit Angel in the face with a left cross, but Angel slammed him against the door again, and wrapped his hands around his throat. As Riley was forced down under the vampire’s superior strength, he retaliated by pulling out a tazer and shoved it into Angel’s chest. The electric shock threw the vampire back into the trash heap. Riley watched the pile warily as he rose to his feet and jumped into the heap after him.
Just as Riley was about to launch into him again, Angel raised his head and growled at him in full vampire visage. The commando planted a hard kick into his chest and Angel tumbled out onto the pavement.
Standing over him, Riley tried to hit him with the tazer again, but Angel caught his wrist, forcing him to drop it, and drove a fist into his stomach. He lifted Riley over his head and growled as he ran with him across the alley and sent him crashing into a group of storage drums against the side of the warehouse. Riley tumbled to the ground where Angel grabbed him again and sent him flying to the other side of the alley. He landed on a pile of large metal conduit tubes, which failed to break his fall and he flopped to the pavement.
A sound made Angel snap his head up to look out to the mouth of the alley. The sound of an approaching vehicle was getting closer. As much as he would like to spend the rest of the night pounding the kid into the ground, he had things to do, such as apologize to Buffy and get back to Spike before his childe caused trouble.
Hearing the vehicle get closer, Angel quickly climbed up the side of the warehouse and disappeared over the top. Riley got to his knees shakily and looked up in time to see the hum-vee round the corner. He managed to get to his feet and hurried down a narrow passage between the warehouses on unsteady legs before the headlights swept the alley.
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UC Sunnydale, Buffy’s Dorm
Buffy stepped inside her room looking like hell from her run-in with the demon cyborg Adam. Shutting the door, she removed her jacket as she walked over to the mirror on the wall. An ugly bruise was forming around the gash on her forehead and she winced as she barely touched it with her fingers. Just then, she was sidetracked by a knock at the door. She opened it and was surprised to see -
“Angel,” Buffy breathed.
“Hi,” he greeted. “Can I come in?”
“I guess,” Buffy said softly as she stepped back to allow him entrance and then closed the door. When Angel turned to face her, she took notice of the blood on his temple and his split bottom lip. Old feelings of worry kicked in and she nearly ran to hug him but stopped herself. “You’re hurt.”
“You too,” Angel pointed out.
Buffy raised her hand to her forehead again before dismissing it. “I’ll live.” More interested in his bruises she said, “You want to tell me who ran your face into that doorknob?”
Angel winced. He didn’t come back to talk about her boyfriend’s insecurity issues. Though he could now see why bringing Spike back was a good idea if the bruise and gash on her forehead were any indication. “Not really. It’s not world-in-peril stuff.”
Buffy shrugged. “Let me guess. You thought of something else really hurtful to say and, well, you couldn’t tell me on the phone because the funniest part is that look on my face --”
“Buffy!” Angel said, breaking into her train of thought. “I really don’t have a lot of time.”
Hearing the slight urgency in his voice, she asked, “What’s going on?”
“I brought Spike back with me,” Angel said.
“You brought Spike with you? Like he’ll be a lot of help,” Buffy scoffed.
“He can be a great help, Buffy. That’s what he’s done the last two weeks with me in LA. Mostly . . . and aggravate Cordelia and insult Wesley and desecrate Cordy’s car with a Roxlar Beast’s remains,” Angel winced at that, “but for the most part he’s helped.”
“So you brought him here to what? Insult me and ruin my life?” Buffy said sardonically.
When did talking to Buffy become so hard? Angel growled softly. “No, Spike’s --”
Just then, the door burst open and a determined Riley walked in, steadying himself against the shelf of Willow’s desk. He raised his arm and aimed a Baretta at Angel, thumbing back the hammer.
“I told you, you weren’t coming near her,” Riley said angrily.
Buffy took one look at her boyfriend’s battered appearance and Angel’s injuries and was livid all over again. “You’ve got to be kidding me. This is why you came?”
“No. This was an accident,” Angel said.
“Running a car into a tree is an accident! Running your fist into somebody’s face is a plan! What the hell are you doing Angel?” Buffy yelled.
Angel didn’t answer her; he was staring at Riley holding the gun on him. When he brought Spike back he didn’t expect this circus. He was beginning to second guess his decision to leave his boy here. Obviously it wasn’t safe for man or beast in Sunnydale. For now though, he had the pressing matter of trying to stop Buffy’s crazed boyfriend from shooting him.
“Put the gun down,” Angel said calmly.
“It’s pretty much all I got left, so I’m thinking not,” Riley sneered. He continued to stare and point the gun at Angel as he told Buffy, “He attacked four of my men. I think he’s up to his old tricks.”
“He won’t hurt anybody,” Buffy said. She turned to Angel, “Tell him!”
Angel started to move toward Riley and with a restrained voice, said, “I might hurt you.”
Riley accepted the challenge and stepped forward. “Please try.”
Angel gave an Angelus smirk. “Heh. Some threat, you can barely stand.”
Riley brandished the gun in front of Angel’s face. “My trigger finger feels okay.”
Angel glanced sidelong at Buffy. “You actually sleep with this guy?”
While his head was turned, Riley took a cheap shot and punched him in the face. Angel responded with a punch back.
“Okay, stop it!” Buffy stepped between them and shoved them apart. Riley slammed back against Willow’s desk and Angel went flying onto Willow’s bed. “That’s enough! I see one more display of testosterone poisoning and I will personally put you both in the hospital!” She glanced back and forth between them. Riley gave the impression that he still wanted to shoot Angel. “Anybody think I’m exaggerating?” Buffy challenged.
“He started --” Angel said petulantly. I’m starting to sound like Spike now.
Buffy pointed a warning finger at him and he shut up. She gave him an irritated expression and walked over to Riley.
“Riley,” she said softly to get his attention and then glanced at the gun.
“I’m sorry,” he said before holstering his weapon. “I just wanted to know that you were safe. Who’s Spike?”
“Spike is a nuisance in the form a vampire,” Buffy said annoyed.
“Like him?” Riley indicated Angel.
“Yes, well no, Spike doesn’t have a soul.”
“Then I can kill him, right?” Riley asked.
Angel growled at that. No one was touching Spike. After going a round with this boy, the commando just threatened his childe and mate? He had a set of balls on him daring to threaten something like that to a Master Vampire. The old pattern of being the dominant one started to come so easily since he claimed Spike, and the blonde, once he was claimed, subconsciously bowed to him.
Of course he did, he’s a natural bottom, Angelus said.
I wondered what made you go silent, Angel said.
You seemed to be handling your own with the Slayer’s toy soldier, I didn’t want to interrupt, Angelus said.
You mean I was doing fine until he tazered me. My ribs still hurt. Then, there was the interruption and I was trying to apologize to Buffy when he showed up, Angel pouted.
You’re a complete nancy boy, you know that. You should thank me for Spike being back in your life. You need a little fun. Why are you so worried about apologizing to her anyway? You did nothing wrong. Angelus said.
I am not -- You’ve been hanging around Spike too much you know that, you’re starting to use his insults a lot more these days. And, yes, I do need to apologize to her for what I said, Angel said.
So, you kicked her out of LA, it’s your town anyway. She had no right to come down and tell you how to do your job. Do you think I ever let Darla tell me how to torture and kill someone? Okay, so she tried to, but did I ever listen? No! Angelus said.
Angelus never let anyone tell him what to do. A bloody killing marvel he was, no need to perfect something like that, Spike’s inner voice popped in.
Angelus preened under the praise.
So, what are we talking about? Has he apologized to the Slayer for everything real or imagined yet? Spike asked with feigned interest.
No, he’s letting that commando freak and the Slayer argue it out, Angelus said.
Will you two stop! There will be no family conferences in my head unless I’m alone, which I’m not! Angel growled.
Oh, come on, peaches. It’s quite nice in here. Lots of space and very gloomy, Spike said.
Well, we’d meet in Spike’s head but I don’t think there’s anything worth it there, Angelus said dryly.
Hey! What’s with the insult to my noggin? I rather like it inside my head. There’s just more people inside Angel’s. It’s like a small party, Spike grinned. Oh, we could meet in Angelus’ head, ought to be something interesting there.
There was a mental slap to the back of Spike’s head. You are in my head, idiot. I’m just not the one driving. More like simulating steering gestures. Not that soul boy ever goes the way I want, Angelus grumbled.
Lucky me, Angel thought. Can you two at least keep it down? I have a situation going on at the moment, Angel said as he put his palms against his eyes and shook his head to clear it. Now was not the best time to be in a discussion with your childe and suppressed inner demon. Angel refocused on the scene before him. Buffy had her hand on Riley’s arm and was talking softly to him.
“I need to talk to Angel for a minute,” she told Riley.
“What?” Riley asked, exasperated. He couldn’t believe that she wanted to be alone with this evil thing. He still hadn’t figured out why she wouldn’t let him dust the vampire. Now, with this Spike in town . . . Who were these vampires and what were they to Buffy? She said Angel was her ex, but he could still see the furtive looks that passed between them even now.
“Riley, please,” Buffy pleaded with him. She had to find out what Angel and Spike were up to. She couldn’t do that with her ex-boyfriend and her current boyfriend bound and determined to kill each other.
Riley looked over at Angel who’s sitting on Willow’s bed, uncaring of the discussion between him and Buffy, arms on his knees as he flipped through one of Willow’s magic supply magazines. How can he feel so comfortable? Riley looked down at Buffy again. “I’m not leaving this room,” Riley said firmly as he crossed his arms. “I mean it.”
Riley continued to glare at Angel and Buffy looked over her shoulder. When she got his attention, she gave him a slight tilt of her head, and then walked past Riley to the door. Angel stood up to follow her and didn’t even bother to hide the smirk on his face as he passed Riley. Then, he thought about what Riley had said about Spike and turned back.
“You ever think about going after Spike with the intent to harm him, I will know about it and if he hasn’t killed you first, you can bet I will. You think tonight was bad, you haven’t met my evil side,” Angel said firmly. He turned and walked out and closed the door, leaving Riley alone.
A tick started working in Riley’s jaw again. Angel’s threat infuriated him. It was just one vampire, and he had taken on 16 vampires so far. But, this one vampire had kicked his ass all over the alley. Somehow, even though Buffy said she had dated him for three years, it didn’t sink in that Angel was an old vampire, much older than those the Initiative captured around Sunnydale.
Out in the empty hall, Buffy turned on Angel just as he shut the door.
“Okay. I come to see you, to help you, and you treat me like I’m just . . . your ex,” she said angrily.
“Well, technically --” Angel started to say.
“Shut up! And then you order me out of your city and then you come here and start pounding on my boyfriend?! I would really like to know what the hell you are trying to do?!” Buffy yelled angrily.
“I was trying to make things better,” Angel said sincerely.
She regarded his expression and couldn’t help but laugh. Seeing her laugh made Angel smile at the situation they were now in. Here he was worried about the awkwardness of seeing her again and telling her that he brought Spike back to watch out for her and now they were in an awkward moment because of her overzealous boyfriend.
“Well,” he chuckled. “It’s a . . . going pretty good, don’t you think?”
Buffy leaned against the wall with a smile. “Swell.”
“You know -.” He sobered up and became serious. “I couldn’t leave it like that. The way I spoke to you - I came to apologize. I . . . I had no right.”
“What about Riley?” Buffy inquired.
“I got jumped by some soldiers. He showed up in the middle and wasn’t real forthcoming with the benefit of the doubt,” Angel explained.
Buffy pursed her lips and looked at her ex-boyfriend. “Put yourself in his place.”
Angel took a moment to consider it, not the fight, but the statement of going to see an old girlfriend. That would throw him too. Especially since he had Spike, but he wasn’t coming to see her to reconnect with her, only to apologize and tell her about Spike. “I get it.”
Buffy looked down at the floor while she decided the best way to make her own apology. “Look . . . you weren’t entirely wrong about you said in L.A.” She looked up at him. “We don’t live in each other’s worlds anymore. I had no right to barge in on yours and make judgments.”
“I’m still sorry,” he said.
“Thank you,” Buffy said. She wanted to thank him for a lot of things since he came into her life, but their moment was already lost. They couldn’t bring it back.
“And, next time . . . I’ll apologize by phone,” he told her.
Buffy laughed softly. “What about Spike? Why did you bring him back? It’s not safe for anyone here, Angel, most of all for vampires. It’s not just me they have to worry about anymore.”
“Things do seem pretty tense around here,” he agreed.
Buffy rested her head back against the wall tiredly. “They really are.”
“Can I do anything?” Angel asked.
“Honestly . . .” she looked at him, “I think the best thing you can do right now is --”
Angel understood her message. “Okay.”
“It means a lot that you came,” she said sincerely. “But why Spike of all people?”
“Let me ask you this: you once told me you were always going to be my girl. Then, you come down to L.A. and tell me that you met this great guy who you love and trusted more than you did me. It’s great you found someone, Buffy. Whatever we were or are to each other will be always be there. But, you aren’t the only one that gets to move on. I brought Spike back to look after you. He’s here to help you, because I can’t. You could use his help,” he said. He looked at her for a moment and then started walking down the hall. Buffy headed to her door when Angel turned around again. “Oh and . . . Riley.”
“Yes?”
“I don’t like him,” he confirmed.
Buffy nodded. “Thank you.”
Angel turned and continued down the hall. Buffy watched him for a couple of seconds, remembering all the things she loved about him. She loved how he carried himself even with all his burdens. She turned back to her door and remembered that Riley waited on the other side. Her life with Angel was long past, her future with Riley lay just beyond her door. With that thought she opened the door and walked inside.
**************************
Crawford Street Mansion
After the little inner discussion with Angel and Angelus, Spike resumed unpacking. That was until he found a bottle of Château la Tour. He didn’t remember packing the liquor. Angel must have put it in there moments before they left his place. He set the bottle aside and unpacked the rest of the box. Looking at the clock on the bedroom’s fireplace mantel he noted the time and thought Angel should have been back by now.
He didn’t feel any negative vibes in the bond so he knew that his Sire wasn’t currently fucking his soul out with the Slayer. That gave him a sense of relief. Damn, these claims were really turning him into a sensitive ponce these days. I’m still the Big Bad damn it!
Spike put the bottle down and went to sit in the wing-backed chair in front of the cold fireplace. Angel had left a lot of furniture at the mansion when he left for L.A., the dark mahogany bedroom set being one of the many items. He sat back and contemplated the turns his un-life had taken in the last year. He contemplated, he didn’t brood. Brooding was Angel’s thing.
It was how Angel found him when he came into the room, still in deep thought. The dark vampire walked in and closed the door softly behind him. Taking in the room, he saw that Spike had finished packing. Then, he noticed the wine bottle sitting on a table. So, he found it. That thought made Angel smile, and then frown. Why was he sitting there is silence? He went over to the chair and watched Spike.
“I thought it was too quiet in my head with only Angelus there. What are you thinking about? You can’t possibly be brooding,” Angel said.
“I don’t brood, and it’s nothing, just thinking,” Spike said dismissively.
“Well, this can’t be right. You’re here thinking about nothing after you found the bottle of wine and didn’t drink it in the next minute?” Angel put his hand to Spike’s forehead to check his temperature. “Are you feeling all right? You’re not sick are you?”
Spike pulled away from him. The very idea! Can’t a bloke just sit and think without there being something wrong with him? “You’re not funny. Vampires don’t get sick.”
Angel tapped on his arm. “Come on. We’ll open up that bottle and sit by the . . . unmade fire? In all that brooding you couldn’t have built a fire?” He walked over to the huge fireplace and started working on getting some warmth in the room.
“I don’t brood!” Spike said petulantly. He got up and searched through the cabinets in an armoire until he found Angelus’ best glasses. He kept them here to drink at his leisure without being disturbed. Then, he collected the bottle and sat on the rug in front of the hearth, watching Angel work.
This sense of connection still felt odd. Spike should be fighting Angel’s dominance at every turn. But, here they were about to sit in front of a blazing fire, enjoying each other’s company, like what? Lovers? He wasn’t some tenderhearted, sappy girl who needed to be romanced. So, what was this? The Big Bad in him cringed at what this might mean. The William in him enjoyed the reminder of the old days when it was Angelus and not Angel that was in his company. But, it was Angel now, and they hated each other, right? They shouldn’t be this intimate without killing each other. The claims were bringing new dimensions to their relationship and Spike didn’t know if he liked it. It was strange.
Angel stoked the fire a few times and then turned and sat beside Spike. He opened the bottle and poured them both a glass of wine, and then quietly watched the flames. He wasn’t thinking so much of life’s little turns like Spike. His thoughts were more on tonight’s events. Meeting Riley for one; what did Buffy see in that boy?
Angel had spent the last four years helping Buffy, teaching her that the world wasn’t always black and white and here she was dating a boy who only thought it was black and white. That all demons should die because they were different, not because of their nature or integrity. Riley wanted to kill him with or without a soul. It didn’t matter that he was trying to redeem himself of his past sins. Buffy told him last Christmas that he could make amends, but this boyfriend of hers had no knowledge of the tremendous effort undertaken to do something like make amends for 150 years of killing for food and pleasure. This same boy wants to kill Spike just for being a vampire.
Angel looked over at Spike. The blonde was watching the fire, giving his Sire a profile view of his features. Angel admired the angular face. The way firelight made his boy’s cheekbones look sharper and the cheeks more hollow was striking. He was a beautiful youth when Drusilla found him in the barn that fateful night. But now, he had such an amazing artistic beauty. ‘Beautiful’ wasn’t always used to describe a man, but that’s what Spike was. This creature had consented to the claims. He expected Spike to fight it harder than he did. It was puzzling to him that the blonde hadn’t pulled against them. He bet Spike was even more perplexed, even if he hadn’t put a voice to it yet.
Angel wanted to test the bond a bit to see if Spike was truly in synch with him. He took Spike’s half empty glass and his own and set them aside. The blonde vampire turned a confused expression on him. Putting thoughts of Buffy and Riley aside for now, he took his shirt off and motioned for Spike to do the same.
“What are you up to, peaches? Did the Slayer get you all worked up? Or was it the fight with her new boy toy?” Spike asked.
Angel shook his head at the mention of Buffy and growled at the mention of Riley. He watched silently as Spike pulled the black t-shirt over his head. His chocolate gaze roamed over the alabaster skin. Then, he gave a predatory growl.
Spike knew his Sire, as Angelus, was a jealous demon. But, he never took Angel for being jealous over him. He could feel the other vampire’s eyes rake over his torso like hot coals. Whatever happened in Buffy’s dorm had caused this change in Angel. Not that he was complaining about it but he wondered what set him off. He had just taken the shirt off when he heard Angel growl. Looking at his Sire he saw that Angel was naked to the waist as well. He wasn’t as thin as he was when they first met in Sunnydale. He had filled out quite nicely and was all muscle, which was just how he had remembered Angelus.
Angel moved to his hands and knees and started a slow prowl toward Spike. The blond followed suit and moved until they were circling each other. Angel growled again as he stared at his childe. Spike could feel the other vampire on the edges of his mind and he growled back before opening his mind.
Angel shifted a bit closer toward the center and continued to prowl the imaginary circle. Every so often he would catch Spike’s eye and they would growl low at each other. They continued to move as he gently slipped inside the blonde’s head. The outside world, the room they were in, the predator-circle, dropped away.
“Why are we here, Angel?” Spike asked.
“Angelus said there was nothing worth it inside your head. I wanted to see if he was right,” Angel replied.
Angel looked around and saw that they were in some sort of parlor or drawing room. The room was decorated in 19th century furnishings. There were real candelabras on the walls and fireplace mantel. The chairs had high backs with wings. There was even a settee. There was nothing modern about this setting and Angel knew how much Spike loved modern inventions.
“This is your ideal place?” Angel asked in awe.
“Yes,” Spike said simply.
“Why is it decorated like this? You were always on about the great modern world,” Angel said.
“Just because I love some things in the modern world, doesn’t mean I don’t miss the places I’ve been. I may be evil and soulless, Sire. But I still have a memory and favorites, just like anyone else,” Spike said.
“I didn’t mean it like that Spike. It’s just surprising. For as long as I’ve known you in the Spike persona and how hard you try to push that to the forefront, I sometimes forget what you were like before you were turned,” Angel said.
“You mean as William the Weakling and a bloody awful poet besides? Being turned did a wonder for my personality don’t you think?” Spike asked quietly with a bit of cynicism.
“Spike, I didn’t come here to argue with you,” Angel said as he turned to face Spike. But, Spike had moved to a bureau where a lot of crystal decanters were lined up.
“Will you be having a Brandy, Sire?” Spike asked in the proper English that William once used.
“Sure, I’ll have one,” Angel said.
Spike poured two glasses and handed one to Angel. They each took a sip and moved to stand at the fireplace. The elder vampire set his glass on the mantel and reached out to turn his childe toward him.
“Buffy’s tin soldier said something to upset you. That’s why you got possessive when you started the circle. Why would what a human says about me bother you now? I’ve been well enough on my own since you left us in China. I don’t understand what you are doing with the claims, Sire,” Spike said.
“You’re my childe and I’ve been very neglectful in my duties as your Sire. Riley Finn has threatened what belongs to me. You may tell the humans what you will, but you know it is true, William. I have claimed you in every way that I know. I took you from Drusilla with a Sire-claim. I’ve since renewed that claim and placed a mating claim on you. You are mine. Yet, you still don’t know your place in here. I think that being apart between cities has a bit to do with that. Our day will come again, Spike. But, right now we have other obligations. You have to be here for Buffy. Your strength can help her when she needs it,” Angel explained.
“And then what? She uses me until there’s nothing left?” Spike quipped.
“Not nothing. You’ll have me. It’s why we’re here,” Angel said.
“Why we’re here? You know you’re as confusing as Dru to follow. All these cryptic messages, I can see why Buffy is a bit crazy. Between you stalking her and the limerick nonsense, it made her loopy,” Spike said.
The corners of Angel’s mouth quirked up in a half-smile.
“Okay, now I know we’re in a dream state. You’re smiling with a soul,” Spike said.
“Hey, I smile. It’s just not very often. Besides, from what Angelus has been telling me, I need some fun in my life,” Angel said.
“Okay, but we can’t have fun in here. It’s just an illusion. So, again I ask . . . why are we here?” Spike asked.
“For this,” Angel said.
He stepped up to Spike, grabbed the back of his head and pulled him close for a kiss. He invaded his childe’s mouth with his tongue and explored the recesses. Then, he pulled away and let go of Spike.
Spike’s eyes opened and he sounded indignant when he said, “You brought us here for a kiss? We couldn’t have done that out there?”
“It wasn’t just any kiss. I was--” Angel was about to explain when Spike’s eyes widened.
Spike could feel something work through him. It was like a slow crawl through his body as it spread. What had Angel done to him? He flexed his hands, clenching them into fists and stretching them out again. He felt . . . stronger. He looked up at the other vampire and saw him differently. There was a blue screen around his Sire. Spike looked down at his own body again until the rush was over and then refocused on Angel and saw the screen had vanished.
“What happened to me?” Spike asked.
“I gave you a part of my strength. After this we can’t be any more connected. Everything we feel, every nuance, every impression we have, the other will experience it,” Angel explained.
“Why?”
“You belong to me as much as I belong to you with the claims in place, and I want to keep you as safe as I can. I know you don’t completely understand the connection we have. But, for me it’s stronger than anything I ever felt. I want to continue to explore it . . . with you,” Angel said.
Spike nodded because he had lost the ability to speak. The whole experience had him floored. Angel, his Sire, the ponce with the fluffy soul had just done something that Spike never imagined in his wildest dreams that he would do.
“Are you ready to go back?” Angel asked.
“Yeah,” Spike said, still in awe.
Angel led the way out of the room with a mystified Spike following.
As the room shifted back into focus, they were still circling each other, only this time they were in the center and mere inches apart. They stared at each other in full vampire face; each growled and attacked the other. They rolled on the floor until Spike straddled Angel and pinned him to the floor.
“So, I am stronger than you,” Spike observed from his position atop his Sire.
“No, you’re stronger than you used to be,” Angel said. He bucked against Spike, threw him off and switched position. “But, you’re not stronger than me.”
Spike looked up at him. “Is it the fact that you know I would win if we ever truly fought? Or is that you just can’t stand the thought of me topping you better?”
“I’m your Sire, you can’t top me,” Angel stated.
“One of these days, Sire. We’ll see about that,” Spike promised.
“All prophetic now are you?” Angel inquired.
“No, but I know you. I can slip inside your mind now; find out all those hidden secret fantasies of yours,” Spike smirked.
“Ah,” Angel nodded. “Well, along with that little trick you learned, you forget that I can do that too. But, the difference is? You have to go searching for mine, when I’ve known yours since the day Dru brought you home,” he stated confidently.
“And what’s that, Angel?” Spike asked as he raised the scarred brow.
Angel leaned down close to his face until they were eye-to-eye. “You want to be dominated, by Him and by me.”
Before Spike could process what he just said, Angel swooped down and buried his face in the curve of his neck and was tearing into the flesh with his fangs. His Sire had started this in a possessive mood and by the feel of the teeth digging deeper into his neck, it didn’t look like that feeling had abated any. Not that he was complaining, though he growled when Angel first struck.
Spike grabbed for the other vampire’s shoulders and dug his nails in next to the gryphon tattoo. Four small streams of blood slowly trickled down Angel’s back and side. The scent of Sire’s blood teased Spike until he raised his hips and rubbed his jean-covered erection against Angel’s. His elder was still bearing down though.
When Angel finally buried the top set of his fangs in to the gum line, he relaxed against Spike. He wasn’t just tasting his childe’s blood or even renewing the claims. It was more primal than that. It was a possessive bite, fitting Angel’s mood. Spike knew the scar would be deeper with teeth indentations and it wouldn’t heal and disappear to thin lines like the others had. This one may as well be a beacon with a sign that said: PROPERTY OF ANGEL.
Spike reached down between them, opened Angel’s pants, reached inside, and wrapped his fingers around the huge appendage. It didn’t just feel huge, it was huge. If there was one thing that didn’t change when his Sire got a soul, it was the monster between his legs. Spike smirked inwardly at that thought.
“Sire!” Spike gasped when he started to feel drained.
Angel eased his fangs out of the blonde’s neck and licked the wounds of any escaping blood, letting it heal on its own. When he refocused on where they were, Angel felt Spike’s hand stroking his cock. He rose up a little and reached down to open Spike’s jeans, thanking Spike silently for never wearing underwear.
Spike jerked under his touch when Angel took hold of his dick and started to work him over. He tightened his grip on his Sire’s shaft and matched the other vampire’s pace. Soon, all that could be heard were growls and groans as they strained against each other in a vain attempt to come.
Why do we always end up on the floor with this? Ever since that first time after I healed, this has always ended up on the floor, when there is a perfectly good, big bed to be used. Spike mused over their present situation.
If you want it on the bed, it means I’ll have to stop what I’m doing and I really don’t want to do that, Angel’s inner voice answered.
It doesn’t have to be a problem. I’m sure we could work around it. All we have to do is get up and move to the bed, Spike said.
And you said I’ve gone soft. Look at you. Two weeks of staying with me and you want sex in the bed. Angel teased.
Yeah, well your place had real wood flooring with rugs. This is stone and very uncomfortable. I bet there are crypts with better flooring. Spike said dryly.
Angel reluctantly let go of his childe’s cock and helped him up. Once they were both standing, he immediately started to remove the last articles of clothing. Then, he pulled the covers down and pushed Spike back on the bed. Angel lay over him and ground his cock up against Spike’s. The movement was so forceful; it sent the other vampire sliding across the bed.
“Angel, you have to stop with the possessive streak. I’m not going anywhere,” Spike moaned. He didn’t know what Buffy’s commando told Angel, but this possessiveness of his was killing the mood.
Angel grunted an acknowledgment. He tried to ease up since he started this, but he kept seeing Riley Finn and hearing his voice as he asked Buffy if he could kill Spike. No, no, no, that wasn’t happening. That fucking boy toy of Buffy’s isn’t going to lay a hand on my boy. I’ll break his fingers if he does.
In his frustration, Angel didn’t realize he was tightening an already tight grip on Spike’s wrist on the pillow. He looked down at Spike who looked up at him. Yellow eyes had melted back into blue and were staring at him, trying to discern his mood.
Spike felt the link between them. He now used it to see why his Sire was completely bent. Still staring up at Angel, he relaxed and slipped inside the dark vampire’s mind. He found the memories from earlier tonight:
“Spike is a nuisance in the form a vampire,” Buffy said annoyed.
“Like him?” Riley indicated Angel.
“Yes, well no, Spike doesn’t have a soul.”
“Then I can kill him, right?” Riley asked.
Angel growled when he felt Spike push the memory to forefront of his mind. Spike reached over to the night stand where he had placed the lube when he unpacked and held it in front of his Sire’s face. Angel snatched it and popped the top on the bottle. Sitting back on his heels, he went about preparing himself and Spike. Throwing the lube to the side, he immediately leaned over and thrust his cock inside his boy.
Spike grunted at the slick, rough entry. He figured that he should count his lucky stars that Angel had even used the lubricant at all in his state of mind. Though, he now understood the reason behind his mood. He bucked against the dark vampire’s thrusts, clenching his ass around the cock that was moving in and out in long, hard strokes. Angel rose above him, grabbed his hips, and angled them.
“Fuck yeah, Angel,” Spike groaned when his Sire started thumping against his prostate.
“Is it right there? Am I hitting it just right? Hmm, Spike?”
“Yessss,” Spike hissed. “Angel.”
Angel complied by lying over the blonde and pounding into him. Spike raised his legs up to wrap around his Sire’s waist and proceeded to pull him as deep as he could. Angel reached between them and stroked Spike’s cock to the tempo of his thrusts as he nipped at his boy’s shoulder.
Spike rocked his hips between his Sire’s fist and cock pounding into him. He clawed at Angel’s back as he strained toward his impending orgasm. “Fuck me, Angel!” he growled in sexual frustration.
Angel felt Spike squirm under him trying to find the quickest way to an orgasm. He tilted his head and offered his neck as his reopened his claim mark on Spike. The blonde dove for the bared throat and sank his fangs in deep before drawing on Sire’s blood. He growled against Angel’s neck as his orgasm rushed over him and it spurted out all over the other vampire’s hand and their stomachs. Then he felt his Sire’s come flood his bowels. Angel collapsed on him and they groaned before the purring started in unison.
You’re mine. I’ll protect you any way I can, Will, was the last thought Spike remembered before he drifted off.
Angel carefully pulled free of Spike and lay on his side with his head propped up on his elbow watching his boy for the longest time before sleep took him as well.
By Tami (tabrandt @ hotmail.com)
Disclaimer: The characters from ATS / BTVS are owned by Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy, and Fox studios. This story is not meant to infringe upon anyone's rights, only to entertain.
BETA: Myself, lexa4227
Rating - NC-17
Pairing - M/M, Angelus/Spike, Angel/Spike
Timeline - After IN THE DARK (Angel: The Series, Season 1)
Summary - Feeling disheartened with the events in HARSH LIGHT OF DAY, Spike follows his holy grail to LA only to have the Sire claim reinitiated by his grandsire, who then sent him back to Sunnydale to look after the damn Slayer. Now, he not only has to deal with the Slayer, but the effects of a renewed Sire claim. Angel(us)/Spike; Buffy/Spike/Angel(us)
Feedback - It would be appreciated. My plot bunny has been lagging lately.
Author's Note - This story came to me after watching how Buffy treated Spike in SMASHED - AS YOU WERE (BTVS, Season 6). I wondered how Angel would truly feel, if he really knew how Buffy mistreated Spike. Yes, Spike is the Big Bad, and he and Angel normally don't see eye-to-eye, but they are family nonetheless
Word Count: 9,488
( Previous Chapters )
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I'm building a soundtrack for this fic, so if you think of a song let me know in comments. :)
Chapter 14: Step 1 - Infatuation (Part 14)
A Week Later
“That wasn’t the best way to kill a Roxlar beast!” Angel said.
“Why? Because it had to be killed via Wesley’s instruction from a centuries-old book?” Spike countered.
“Those books have been very useful. Why can’t you ever do anything by the book, Spike?” Angel asked.
“Because, I’m a rebel, mate! Besides it got the job done,” Spike said defensively.
“Making it a hood ornament for Cordelia’s car was not the best way to kill it!” Angel grumbled.
“It was going to attack you! I had no other choice! How was I supposed to know you had to impale the head after you chopped it off?” Spike asked petulantly.
“If you had listened to Wesley in the first place you would know that! So, what did you do? You impaled it on the hood emblem of Cordy’s car!” Angel said.
“Still killed him, didn’t I?” Spike said.
“And earned yourself a bill for detailing Cordelia’s car, which by the way, she fully expects you to pay,” Angel reminded him.
Spike looked at his Sire and batted his eyes. Angel shook his head emphatically. “Oh no, you don’t. You’re not making me pay the bill. You damaged the car; you’re paying for the detail.” Angel said sternly.
“I’ll pay for it. But, why couldn’t she get a gem of a car? Like my car?” Spike asked.
“She drives something she can afford, not some 1950s gas hogging jalopy that she stole from someone she ate,” Angel replied.
“It is not a jalopy! She purrs like a kitten and she’s a classic!” Spike said in defense of his car.
“Well, it sure as a hell doesn’t get more than twelve miles to the gallon,” Angel accused.
“Now you’re criticizing my car? Let’s talk about the junk heap you drive,” Spike said.
“It’s not a junk heap. It’s a 1967 Plymouth GTX. Now, this is a classic car.”
“My jalopy got me and Dru out a few tight situations. What’s yours done, floor model in a showroom?”
“I’ll have you know this car as gotten me through . . . burglarizing a vampire’s estate, saving damsels in distress, a few high speed chases through the canyons, getting kidnapped and rescued from a demon gladiator ring, uh . . . and other things I can’t remember right now!” Angel said defensively.
“Uh huh,” Spike said nodding. He patted his pockets in search of his cigarettes. Finding them, he shook one loose, wrapped his lips around it and pulled it out. Then, he had to hunt for his lighter. Finding it, he lit up, took a long drag and blew it out.
“Ech! Do you have to do that in the car?” Angel cringed.
“Do what? The hood’s down and it’s not like you can get cancer,” Spike said.
“I knew there was an upside to this vampire gig,” Angel muttered.
“What’s that?” Spike asked, even though he had heard.
“Nothing, just keep doing your part to kill everyone through secondhand smoke,” Angel said tiredly.
“Cheerleader’s been making you watch commercials, hasn’t she?” Spike chuckled.
“Only when she finds me brooding,” Angel said miserably.
“Fancy that. Never took you as the type to brood. More of a deep thinker, you are.”
WELCOME TO SUNNYDALE!
Thank God! Anymore of this and I’ll have to stop the car and make him walk, Angel thought.
I can still hear you, peaches, Spike’s inner voice said.
The first hour of the trip was spent with Spike turning the dial on the radio and stopping to listen and sing along to every punk song he came across. When he was bored with that, he turned the radio off and they started discussing fighting dynamics which led to the Roxlar beast discussion.
Angel looked over at Spike and cringed as they drove through Sunnydale. His boy had his dirty, scuffed boots on his nice, clean dashboard. Why did his childe always insist on doing everything the opposite of what you ask him? He tried to tell him the best way to kill a Roxlar beast, even shouted it when Spike was busy fighting the thing. Angel didn’t think Spike heard a word he had said until the end. Then, while they were driving to Sunnydale, Spike made him listen to that horrible punk music and listen to the even worse singing. Cordy thinks I sing badly, she hasn’t heard Spike sing the Ramones Sheena Is a Punk Rocker. At least, I think it was the Ramones.
They drove through town to the abandoned mansions in what used to be the ritzy side of Sunnydale. Angel pulled up in the drive and looked at Spike expectantly.
“What?”
“Get out and open the garage door,” Angel said, annoyed.
“You get out and open it yourself,” Spike said.
“Damn it, would you just get out and open the fucking door? Why have you been so difficult this entire trip? You knew we had to come back. You have to watch out for her and I have to apologize to her for what I said to her in LA,” Angel said.
To avoid answering, Spike got out of the car, walked to the garage and pulled the door up. When Angel drove in, he followed and closed the door. Then, he went about unloading the car of all the things he accumulated while staying in LA. This, after two weeks, was a fair amount of junk as far as Angel was concerned.
Going into the house with the first load, Angel headed toward Spike’s old room, whereas Spike headed toward Angel’s old room. When he discovered that the blonde hadn’t followed him, he went in search of him. Finding him dumping a box on the floor by the king size bed and then turning to walk out and get more, Angel followed suit wondering why Spike had chose this room.
The furniture and bed had a year’s worth of dust covering the surfaces. The whole house needed a deep cleaning experience. Angel knew a couple of cleaning services he could hire for the job. Cordelia would love it when the bill came. Wouldn’t have to worry about his destiny then, would he? Nope. He’d be able to fit a neat little ashtray after she staked his ass literally while giving him a lecture on how Angel Investigations needed the money more than Spike.
“So, why did you pick this room?” Angel asked, following him back into the room in question with another load.
“Bigger bed,” Spike answered as he dropped another box on the floor.
“That’s all?” Angel was curious.
“It’s not like you’ll be living here with me. I’ll be living here by myself so why shouldn’t I have the master bedroom?” Spike asked, annoyed.
“Okay,” Angel said, holding his hands up in surrender.
He looked at Spike and stepped closer to him. Reaching out, he cupped his hand over the younger vampire’s cheek and rubbed his thumb over the sharp cheekbone. His childe was such a contrast in beauty. The sharp edge of Spike was at the forefront now, complete with his snarky ways. But, Angel could still pick out traces of what he once was. William, the aristocrat in the way he held his body in straight posture, William, the shy poet in the way he sometimes let his guard down and talked so eloquently. William the fledgling was still looking for acceptance and approval from his Sire. Yes, Spike was a very different vampire. There was not one way to describe him, he was many things.
Unconsciously, Spike pressed into Angel’s touch. “Are you going to be all right living here?” Angel’s voice sounded a little hoarse.
“Yeah, mate, been living with your ghost for a century now. I think I can manage living here,” Spike assured him.
“Okay, I’m going to go take care of the thing I came here to do and be right back. Try not to get into too much trouble,” Angel said.
“Who? Me? I never get into trouble, it just sort of finds me,” Spike replied.
Angel looked at him skeptically. “William . . .”
“What?” Spike asked innocently, blinking his big blue eyes at his Sire.
Angel’s lips curled up at the corners before he turned and left. Spike shook his head. What did his Sire think he was going to do? He just got into town and had to unpack everything again. He had not only brought back clothes and essentials, but books, comic books, poetry books, a few classic novels that he remembered from when he was still human. It figured that Angel considered it junk. But then, Spike had accumulated junk since the 70s. Stuff he would have to abandon decades later, like when he and Drusilla went to Prague and he couldn’t take everything. He didn’t even get the Desoto until they decided to stay in the States.
Sometimes he missed her babble. It wasn’t like she made sense at all; it was just background noise to him really. But it was still stabilizing for him. It meant that there was someone who needed him. She may have been his elder sister, but she needed his protection and his companionship. It kept her grounded and he indulged her.
Now, he had Angel in his life again. Reclaimed by his Sire and even mated to him. Those two things were an anchor for him. Angel wanted him bad enough to renew a Sire-claim and lusted after him enough to mate with him. The connection went deeper than that though. Spike could feel it in his blood.
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The Containment Area of the Initiative
The cells on either side of a narrow walkway are full to capacity with demons. They were flinging themselves at the electrified glass in madness and growling in irritation. Colonel McNamara walked down the passageway with a young lieutenant to the control room.
“Cell capacity maxed out three days ago, sir,” the lieutenant informed his superior. “We keep up this pace and there will be nowhere left to contain the hostiles.
“They’re animals, lieutenant,” McNamara stated coldly with a sneer. “We pack them in until we’re out of room and then we pack them in some more.”
The lieutenant turned a worried expression on his companion. “They’re going to start tearing each other apart, sir.”
“I don’t see anything wrong with that scenario, do you?” McNamara said nonchalantly.
“No, sir, if you say so, sir,” The lieutenant stuttered.
As they reached the other side of the containment area, they intently ignored the two demons in the last cell fighting with their claws at each other’s throats. Walking into the communications room, their attention was immediately drawn to one of the tech officers in the process of receiving distress calls from one of the squads in the field.
“Back-up team! Request immediate back-up! Over!” a static-voice was heard over the radio. “They’re tearing us apart over here! Two men are down! From out of nowhere! Mayday! Repeat! Mayday!”
**************************
Riley Finn was holed up in the ruins of Sunnydale High School. He was sitting on a sleeping bag, eating out of a tin can, listening to his former peers over the radio. When the report of hostiles in the area came over the airwaves, he put the can down and picked up his rigged cell phone to listen more closely.
“Team Epsilon requesting immediate back-up! We’re in the alley behind the school building! Where the hell is - Fall back! Fall back! It’s coming --” a commando ordered over the phone. Just then, the transmission was cut. Riley jumped up and grabbed his commando gear.
Riley ran down an abandoned street. In the next alley over he could hear the sounds of fighting. As he rounded a corner, a commando went flying across the alley and hit the wall, knocking him unconscious. He heard more struggling and punches further down the alley. He raised his flashlight and shone it on the back of a figure in a long black coat. As soon as the light hit Angel, he whirled around and glared at Riley.
Angel turned and faced off with the young commando, with three unconscious bodies lying at his feet. Riley lowered the flashlight.
“Riley Finn,” Angel stated flatly. So, this was Buffy’s boyfriend. Good, wholesome, farm boy appearance. Pseudo-tough stance. Heh, she could have done better.
Riley, not knowing or caring what the other man thought of him, slipped the flashlight into the pocket of his cargo pants. He studied the tall man, didn’t recognize him, and judged that he wasn’t from Sunnydale. “Do I know you?”
“We have a friend in common,” Angel said.
Riley thought for a minute. He still didn’t recognize the guy so what friend could they have in common? Tall, dark, broody, can hold his own in a fight from the looks of things. Must be the guy Buffy went to go see the other day. It took him a moment before he remembered the name Buffy called him. “Angel.”
Angel gave a curt nod, took a step forward and glanced down at the commandos still lying unconscious on the ground. “Welcoming committee your idea?”
Riley ignored the question. He was too bothered by the fact that Buffy’s ex-boyfriend vampire was standing right in front of him. What exactly were this guy’s plans anyway? Did he come to take Buffy back? If he did, he had another thing coming, Riley wouldn’t allow him to just swoop in and steal his girl.
“The way I heard it, you’re all peaceable now,” Riley said as he carefully stepped closer to his rival. “You didn’t by any chance go and lose that pesky soul again, did you?”
What the hell did Buffy tell this kid? It was one thing for Spike to push his buttons. Who the fuck did this kid think he was? What did he know about his soul? “Don’t push me, boy,” Angel said in a dangerously calm voice.
A nervous tick started working in Riley’s jaw. This vampire was making him feel uneasy and he didn’t like it. How dare this thing come into his town and challenge him for his position and his girl? Buffy had glossed over her relationship with this man - demon - but he knew she had left things out. He knew, because Xander had filled him in on a lot of things. The fact that this demon touched Buffy in the most intimate way; that this demon was the thing she gave her virginity to - willingly, set his anger off even more.
“Now what possibly could have happened with Buffy that would make you lose your soul?” Riley asked through teeth clenched in anger.
What kind of question is that? Angel furrowed his brow as he walked a slow path around Riley. “That would be between me and her,” he said coolly.
Riley stepped in front Angel blocking his path and hit the release on the asp in his hand, extending it to a baton. “Where do you think you’re going?”
Angel’s eyes hardened. This boy was pushing his limits. “I’m going to see an old girlfriend.”
He stepped aside to go past the boy, but Riley continued to block his way. If the kid didn’t move soon, he would move him. At the moment though, there were a couple of feet apart glaring at each other.
Riley sneered. “Oh, you really think I’m going to let that happen?”
“You think you’re going to stop me?” Angel challenged.
“I surely do,” Riley replied matter-of-factly.
Angel threw a right cross at Riley’s face but he deflected it with his free hand and struck Angel in the face with the baton. The commando quickly spun into a backhanded swing, but Angel caught his arm, forcing him down on one knee, and slammed a knee into Riley’s face. Still holding onto the arm, Angel pulled him back to his feet and swung him around, throwing him through the air. Riley flew backwards into a large pile of trash and cardboard boxes next to the loading dock of a warehouse.
Riley scrambled out of the trash heap, onto the loading dock and picked up his baton where it had landed when he was thrown. Angel watched his progress before he leaped high in the air and landed on the dock before the kid could get to his feet. When Angel kicked out at him, Riley used the baton to block it, but the weapon was knocked out of his hand and the vampire punched him across the face.
Still on his knees, Riley retaliated with a fist to Angel’s groin and the vampire bent over in pain. The commando used the distraction to get to his feet. He grabbed an empty liquor bottle, and smashed it over the dark head. Then, he grabbed Angel by the coat and rammed a knee into his back, which sent him against the building. Angel swung his hand back to hit the kid, but Riley blocked it and slammed the same knee into his stomach. The vampire quickly recovered and grabbed his opponent by the flak jacket, slamming him back against a heavy door.
Riley swung and hit Angel in the face with a left cross, but Angel slammed him against the door again, and wrapped his hands around his throat. As Riley was forced down under the vampire’s superior strength, he retaliated by pulling out a tazer and shoved it into Angel’s chest. The electric shock threw the vampire back into the trash heap. Riley watched the pile warily as he rose to his feet and jumped into the heap after him.
Just as Riley was about to launch into him again, Angel raised his head and growled at him in full vampire visage. The commando planted a hard kick into his chest and Angel tumbled out onto the pavement.
Standing over him, Riley tried to hit him with the tazer again, but Angel caught his wrist, forcing him to drop it, and drove a fist into his stomach. He lifted Riley over his head and growled as he ran with him across the alley and sent him crashing into a group of storage drums against the side of the warehouse. Riley tumbled to the ground where Angel grabbed him again and sent him flying to the other side of the alley. He landed on a pile of large metal conduit tubes, which failed to break his fall and he flopped to the pavement.
A sound made Angel snap his head up to look out to the mouth of the alley. The sound of an approaching vehicle was getting closer. As much as he would like to spend the rest of the night pounding the kid into the ground, he had things to do, such as apologize to Buffy and get back to Spike before his childe caused trouble.
Hearing the vehicle get closer, Angel quickly climbed up the side of the warehouse and disappeared over the top. Riley got to his knees shakily and looked up in time to see the hum-vee round the corner. He managed to get to his feet and hurried down a narrow passage between the warehouses on unsteady legs before the headlights swept the alley.
**************************
UC Sunnydale, Buffy’s Dorm
Buffy stepped inside her room looking like hell from her run-in with the demon cyborg Adam. Shutting the door, she removed her jacket as she walked over to the mirror on the wall. An ugly bruise was forming around the gash on her forehead and she winced as she barely touched it with her fingers. Just then, she was sidetracked by a knock at the door. She opened it and was surprised to see -
“Angel,” Buffy breathed.
“Hi,” he greeted. “Can I come in?”
“I guess,” Buffy said softly as she stepped back to allow him entrance and then closed the door. When Angel turned to face her, she took notice of the blood on his temple and his split bottom lip. Old feelings of worry kicked in and she nearly ran to hug him but stopped herself. “You’re hurt.”
“You too,” Angel pointed out.
Buffy raised her hand to her forehead again before dismissing it. “I’ll live.” More interested in his bruises she said, “You want to tell me who ran your face into that doorknob?”
Angel winced. He didn’t come back to talk about her boyfriend’s insecurity issues. Though he could now see why bringing Spike back was a good idea if the bruise and gash on her forehead were any indication. “Not really. It’s not world-in-peril stuff.”
Buffy shrugged. “Let me guess. You thought of something else really hurtful to say and, well, you couldn’t tell me on the phone because the funniest part is that look on my face --”
“Buffy!” Angel said, breaking into her train of thought. “I really don’t have a lot of time.”
Hearing the slight urgency in his voice, she asked, “What’s going on?”
“I brought Spike back with me,” Angel said.
“You brought Spike with you? Like he’ll be a lot of help,” Buffy scoffed.
“He can be a great help, Buffy. That’s what he’s done the last two weeks with me in LA. Mostly . . . and aggravate Cordelia and insult Wesley and desecrate Cordy’s car with a Roxlar Beast’s remains,” Angel winced at that, “but for the most part he’s helped.”
“So you brought him here to what? Insult me and ruin my life?” Buffy said sardonically.
When did talking to Buffy become so hard? Angel growled softly. “No, Spike’s --”
Just then, the door burst open and a determined Riley walked in, steadying himself against the shelf of Willow’s desk. He raised his arm and aimed a Baretta at Angel, thumbing back the hammer.
“I told you, you weren’t coming near her,” Riley said angrily.
Buffy took one look at her boyfriend’s battered appearance and Angel’s injuries and was livid all over again. “You’ve got to be kidding me. This is why you came?”
“No. This was an accident,” Angel said.
“Running a car into a tree is an accident! Running your fist into somebody’s face is a plan! What the hell are you doing Angel?” Buffy yelled.
Angel didn’t answer her; he was staring at Riley holding the gun on him. When he brought Spike back he didn’t expect this circus. He was beginning to second guess his decision to leave his boy here. Obviously it wasn’t safe for man or beast in Sunnydale. For now though, he had the pressing matter of trying to stop Buffy’s crazed boyfriend from shooting him.
“Put the gun down,” Angel said calmly.
“It’s pretty much all I got left, so I’m thinking not,” Riley sneered. He continued to stare and point the gun at Angel as he told Buffy, “He attacked four of my men. I think he’s up to his old tricks.”
“He won’t hurt anybody,” Buffy said. She turned to Angel, “Tell him!”
Angel started to move toward Riley and with a restrained voice, said, “I might hurt you.”
Riley accepted the challenge and stepped forward. “Please try.”
Angel gave an Angelus smirk. “Heh. Some threat, you can barely stand.”
Riley brandished the gun in front of Angel’s face. “My trigger finger feels okay.”
Angel glanced sidelong at Buffy. “You actually sleep with this guy?”
While his head was turned, Riley took a cheap shot and punched him in the face. Angel responded with a punch back.
“Okay, stop it!” Buffy stepped between them and shoved them apart. Riley slammed back against Willow’s desk and Angel went flying onto Willow’s bed. “That’s enough! I see one more display of testosterone poisoning and I will personally put you both in the hospital!” She glanced back and forth between them. Riley gave the impression that he still wanted to shoot Angel. “Anybody think I’m exaggerating?” Buffy challenged.
“He started --” Angel said petulantly. I’m starting to sound like Spike now.
Buffy pointed a warning finger at him and he shut up. She gave him an irritated expression and walked over to Riley.
“Riley,” she said softly to get his attention and then glanced at the gun.
“I’m sorry,” he said before holstering his weapon. “I just wanted to know that you were safe. Who’s Spike?”
“Spike is a nuisance in the form a vampire,” Buffy said annoyed.
“Like him?” Riley indicated Angel.
“Yes, well no, Spike doesn’t have a soul.”
“Then I can kill him, right?” Riley asked.
Angel growled at that. No one was touching Spike. After going a round with this boy, the commando just threatened his childe and mate? He had a set of balls on him daring to threaten something like that to a Master Vampire. The old pattern of being the dominant one started to come so easily since he claimed Spike, and the blonde, once he was claimed, subconsciously bowed to him.
Of course he did, he’s a natural bottom, Angelus said.
I wondered what made you go silent, Angel said.
You seemed to be handling your own with the Slayer’s toy soldier, I didn’t want to interrupt, Angelus said.
You mean I was doing fine until he tazered me. My ribs still hurt. Then, there was the interruption and I was trying to apologize to Buffy when he showed up, Angel pouted.
You’re a complete nancy boy, you know that. You should thank me for Spike being back in your life. You need a little fun. Why are you so worried about apologizing to her anyway? You did nothing wrong. Angelus said.
I am not -- You’ve been hanging around Spike too much you know that, you’re starting to use his insults a lot more these days. And, yes, I do need to apologize to her for what I said, Angel said.
So, you kicked her out of LA, it’s your town anyway. She had no right to come down and tell you how to do your job. Do you think I ever let Darla tell me how to torture and kill someone? Okay, so she tried to, but did I ever listen? No! Angelus said.
Angelus never let anyone tell him what to do. A bloody killing marvel he was, no need to perfect something like that, Spike’s inner voice popped in.
Angelus preened under the praise.
So, what are we talking about? Has he apologized to the Slayer for everything real or imagined yet? Spike asked with feigned interest.
No, he’s letting that commando freak and the Slayer argue it out, Angelus said.
Will you two stop! There will be no family conferences in my head unless I’m alone, which I’m not! Angel growled.
Oh, come on, peaches. It’s quite nice in here. Lots of space and very gloomy, Spike said.
Well, we’d meet in Spike’s head but I don’t think there’s anything worth it there, Angelus said dryly.
Hey! What’s with the insult to my noggin? I rather like it inside my head. There’s just more people inside Angel’s. It’s like a small party, Spike grinned. Oh, we could meet in Angelus’ head, ought to be something interesting there.
There was a mental slap to the back of Spike’s head. You are in my head, idiot. I’m just not the one driving. More like simulating steering gestures. Not that soul boy ever goes the way I want, Angelus grumbled.
Lucky me, Angel thought. Can you two at least keep it down? I have a situation going on at the moment, Angel said as he put his palms against his eyes and shook his head to clear it. Now was not the best time to be in a discussion with your childe and suppressed inner demon. Angel refocused on the scene before him. Buffy had her hand on Riley’s arm and was talking softly to him.
“I need to talk to Angel for a minute,” she told Riley.
“What?” Riley asked, exasperated. He couldn’t believe that she wanted to be alone with this evil thing. He still hadn’t figured out why she wouldn’t let him dust the vampire. Now, with this Spike in town . . . Who were these vampires and what were they to Buffy? She said Angel was her ex, but he could still see the furtive looks that passed between them even now.
“Riley, please,” Buffy pleaded with him. She had to find out what Angel and Spike were up to. She couldn’t do that with her ex-boyfriend and her current boyfriend bound and determined to kill each other.
Riley looked over at Angel who’s sitting on Willow’s bed, uncaring of the discussion between him and Buffy, arms on his knees as he flipped through one of Willow’s magic supply magazines. How can he feel so comfortable? Riley looked down at Buffy again. “I’m not leaving this room,” Riley said firmly as he crossed his arms. “I mean it.”
Riley continued to glare at Angel and Buffy looked over her shoulder. When she got his attention, she gave him a slight tilt of her head, and then walked past Riley to the door. Angel stood up to follow her and didn’t even bother to hide the smirk on his face as he passed Riley. Then, he thought about what Riley had said about Spike and turned back.
“You ever think about going after Spike with the intent to harm him, I will know about it and if he hasn’t killed you first, you can bet I will. You think tonight was bad, you haven’t met my evil side,” Angel said firmly. He turned and walked out and closed the door, leaving Riley alone.
A tick started working in Riley’s jaw again. Angel’s threat infuriated him. It was just one vampire, and he had taken on 16 vampires so far. But, this one vampire had kicked his ass all over the alley. Somehow, even though Buffy said she had dated him for three years, it didn’t sink in that Angel was an old vampire, much older than those the Initiative captured around Sunnydale.
Out in the empty hall, Buffy turned on Angel just as he shut the door.
“Okay. I come to see you, to help you, and you treat me like I’m just . . . your ex,” she said angrily.
“Well, technically --” Angel started to say.
“Shut up! And then you order me out of your city and then you come here and start pounding on my boyfriend?! I would really like to know what the hell you are trying to do?!” Buffy yelled angrily.
“I was trying to make things better,” Angel said sincerely.
She regarded his expression and couldn’t help but laugh. Seeing her laugh made Angel smile at the situation they were now in. Here he was worried about the awkwardness of seeing her again and telling her that he brought Spike back to watch out for her and now they were in an awkward moment because of her overzealous boyfriend.
“Well,” he chuckled. “It’s a . . . going pretty good, don’t you think?”
Buffy leaned against the wall with a smile. “Swell.”
“You know -.” He sobered up and became serious. “I couldn’t leave it like that. The way I spoke to you - I came to apologize. I . . . I had no right.”
“What about Riley?” Buffy inquired.
“I got jumped by some soldiers. He showed up in the middle and wasn’t real forthcoming with the benefit of the doubt,” Angel explained.
Buffy pursed her lips and looked at her ex-boyfriend. “Put yourself in his place.”
Angel took a moment to consider it, not the fight, but the statement of going to see an old girlfriend. That would throw him too. Especially since he had Spike, but he wasn’t coming to see her to reconnect with her, only to apologize and tell her about Spike. “I get it.”
Buffy looked down at the floor while she decided the best way to make her own apology. “Look . . . you weren’t entirely wrong about you said in L.A.” She looked up at him. “We don’t live in each other’s worlds anymore. I had no right to barge in on yours and make judgments.”
“I’m still sorry,” he said.
“Thank you,” Buffy said. She wanted to thank him for a lot of things since he came into her life, but their moment was already lost. They couldn’t bring it back.
“And, next time . . . I’ll apologize by phone,” he told her.
Buffy laughed softly. “What about Spike? Why did you bring him back? It’s not safe for anyone here, Angel, most of all for vampires. It’s not just me they have to worry about anymore.”
“Things do seem pretty tense around here,” he agreed.
Buffy rested her head back against the wall tiredly. “They really are.”
“Can I do anything?” Angel asked.
“Honestly . . .” she looked at him, “I think the best thing you can do right now is --”
Angel understood her message. “Okay.”
“It means a lot that you came,” she said sincerely. “But why Spike of all people?”
“Let me ask you this: you once told me you were always going to be my girl. Then, you come down to L.A. and tell me that you met this great guy who you love and trusted more than you did me. It’s great you found someone, Buffy. Whatever we were or are to each other will be always be there. But, you aren’t the only one that gets to move on. I brought Spike back to look after you. He’s here to help you, because I can’t. You could use his help,” he said. He looked at her for a moment and then started walking down the hall. Buffy headed to her door when Angel turned around again. “Oh and . . . Riley.”
“Yes?”
“I don’t like him,” he confirmed.
Buffy nodded. “Thank you.”
Angel turned and continued down the hall. Buffy watched him for a couple of seconds, remembering all the things she loved about him. She loved how he carried himself even with all his burdens. She turned back to her door and remembered that Riley waited on the other side. Her life with Angel was long past, her future with Riley lay just beyond her door. With that thought she opened the door and walked inside.
**************************
Crawford Street Mansion
After the little inner discussion with Angel and Angelus, Spike resumed unpacking. That was until he found a bottle of Château la Tour. He didn’t remember packing the liquor. Angel must have put it in there moments before they left his place. He set the bottle aside and unpacked the rest of the box. Looking at the clock on the bedroom’s fireplace mantel he noted the time and thought Angel should have been back by now.
He didn’t feel any negative vibes in the bond so he knew that his Sire wasn’t currently fucking his soul out with the Slayer. That gave him a sense of relief. Damn, these claims were really turning him into a sensitive ponce these days. I’m still the Big Bad damn it!
Spike put the bottle down and went to sit in the wing-backed chair in front of the cold fireplace. Angel had left a lot of furniture at the mansion when he left for L.A., the dark mahogany bedroom set being one of the many items. He sat back and contemplated the turns his un-life had taken in the last year. He contemplated, he didn’t brood. Brooding was Angel’s thing.
It was how Angel found him when he came into the room, still in deep thought. The dark vampire walked in and closed the door softly behind him. Taking in the room, he saw that Spike had finished packing. Then, he noticed the wine bottle sitting on a table. So, he found it. That thought made Angel smile, and then frown. Why was he sitting there is silence? He went over to the chair and watched Spike.
“I thought it was too quiet in my head with only Angelus there. What are you thinking about? You can’t possibly be brooding,” Angel said.
“I don’t brood, and it’s nothing, just thinking,” Spike said dismissively.
“Well, this can’t be right. You’re here thinking about nothing after you found the bottle of wine and didn’t drink it in the next minute?” Angel put his hand to Spike’s forehead to check his temperature. “Are you feeling all right? You’re not sick are you?”
Spike pulled away from him. The very idea! Can’t a bloke just sit and think without there being something wrong with him? “You’re not funny. Vampires don’t get sick.”
Angel tapped on his arm. “Come on. We’ll open up that bottle and sit by the . . . unmade fire? In all that brooding you couldn’t have built a fire?” He walked over to the huge fireplace and started working on getting some warmth in the room.
“I don’t brood!” Spike said petulantly. He got up and searched through the cabinets in an armoire until he found Angelus’ best glasses. He kept them here to drink at his leisure without being disturbed. Then, he collected the bottle and sat on the rug in front of the hearth, watching Angel work.
This sense of connection still felt odd. Spike should be fighting Angel’s dominance at every turn. But, here they were about to sit in front of a blazing fire, enjoying each other’s company, like what? Lovers? He wasn’t some tenderhearted, sappy girl who needed to be romanced. So, what was this? The Big Bad in him cringed at what this might mean. The William in him enjoyed the reminder of the old days when it was Angelus and not Angel that was in his company. But, it was Angel now, and they hated each other, right? They shouldn’t be this intimate without killing each other. The claims were bringing new dimensions to their relationship and Spike didn’t know if he liked it. It was strange.
Angel stoked the fire a few times and then turned and sat beside Spike. He opened the bottle and poured them both a glass of wine, and then quietly watched the flames. He wasn’t thinking so much of life’s little turns like Spike. His thoughts were more on tonight’s events. Meeting Riley for one; what did Buffy see in that boy?
Angel had spent the last four years helping Buffy, teaching her that the world wasn’t always black and white and here she was dating a boy who only thought it was black and white. That all demons should die because they were different, not because of their nature or integrity. Riley wanted to kill him with or without a soul. It didn’t matter that he was trying to redeem himself of his past sins. Buffy told him last Christmas that he could make amends, but this boyfriend of hers had no knowledge of the tremendous effort undertaken to do something like make amends for 150 years of killing for food and pleasure. This same boy wants to kill Spike just for being a vampire.
Angel looked over at Spike. The blonde was watching the fire, giving his Sire a profile view of his features. Angel admired the angular face. The way firelight made his boy’s cheekbones look sharper and the cheeks more hollow was striking. He was a beautiful youth when Drusilla found him in the barn that fateful night. But now, he had such an amazing artistic beauty. ‘Beautiful’ wasn’t always used to describe a man, but that’s what Spike was. This creature had consented to the claims. He expected Spike to fight it harder than he did. It was puzzling to him that the blonde hadn’t pulled against them. He bet Spike was even more perplexed, even if he hadn’t put a voice to it yet.
Angel wanted to test the bond a bit to see if Spike was truly in synch with him. He took Spike’s half empty glass and his own and set them aside. The blonde vampire turned a confused expression on him. Putting thoughts of Buffy and Riley aside for now, he took his shirt off and motioned for Spike to do the same.
“What are you up to, peaches? Did the Slayer get you all worked up? Or was it the fight with her new boy toy?” Spike asked.
Angel shook his head at the mention of Buffy and growled at the mention of Riley. He watched silently as Spike pulled the black t-shirt over his head. His chocolate gaze roamed over the alabaster skin. Then, he gave a predatory growl.
Spike knew his Sire, as Angelus, was a jealous demon. But, he never took Angel for being jealous over him. He could feel the other vampire’s eyes rake over his torso like hot coals. Whatever happened in Buffy’s dorm had caused this change in Angel. Not that he was complaining about it but he wondered what set him off. He had just taken the shirt off when he heard Angel growl. Looking at his Sire he saw that Angel was naked to the waist as well. He wasn’t as thin as he was when they first met in Sunnydale. He had filled out quite nicely and was all muscle, which was just how he had remembered Angelus.
Angel moved to his hands and knees and started a slow prowl toward Spike. The blond followed suit and moved until they were circling each other. Angel growled again as he stared at his childe. Spike could feel the other vampire on the edges of his mind and he growled back before opening his mind.
Angel shifted a bit closer toward the center and continued to prowl the imaginary circle. Every so often he would catch Spike’s eye and they would growl low at each other. They continued to move as he gently slipped inside the blonde’s head. The outside world, the room they were in, the predator-circle, dropped away.
“Why are we here, Angel?” Spike asked.
“Angelus said there was nothing worth it inside your head. I wanted to see if he was right,” Angel replied.
Angel looked around and saw that they were in some sort of parlor or drawing room. The room was decorated in 19th century furnishings. There were real candelabras on the walls and fireplace mantel. The chairs had high backs with wings. There was even a settee. There was nothing modern about this setting and Angel knew how much Spike loved modern inventions.
“This is your ideal place?” Angel asked in awe.
“Yes,” Spike said simply.
“Why is it decorated like this? You were always on about the great modern world,” Angel said.
“Just because I love some things in the modern world, doesn’t mean I don’t miss the places I’ve been. I may be evil and soulless, Sire. But I still have a memory and favorites, just like anyone else,” Spike said.
“I didn’t mean it like that Spike. It’s just surprising. For as long as I’ve known you in the Spike persona and how hard you try to push that to the forefront, I sometimes forget what you were like before you were turned,” Angel said.
“You mean as William the Weakling and a bloody awful poet besides? Being turned did a wonder for my personality don’t you think?” Spike asked quietly with a bit of cynicism.
“Spike, I didn’t come here to argue with you,” Angel said as he turned to face Spike. But, Spike had moved to a bureau where a lot of crystal decanters were lined up.
“Will you be having a Brandy, Sire?” Spike asked in the proper English that William once used.
“Sure, I’ll have one,” Angel said.
Spike poured two glasses and handed one to Angel. They each took a sip and moved to stand at the fireplace. The elder vampire set his glass on the mantel and reached out to turn his childe toward him.
“Buffy’s tin soldier said something to upset you. That’s why you got possessive when you started the circle. Why would what a human says about me bother you now? I’ve been well enough on my own since you left us in China. I don’t understand what you are doing with the claims, Sire,” Spike said.
“You’re my childe and I’ve been very neglectful in my duties as your Sire. Riley Finn has threatened what belongs to me. You may tell the humans what you will, but you know it is true, William. I have claimed you in every way that I know. I took you from Drusilla with a Sire-claim. I’ve since renewed that claim and placed a mating claim on you. You are mine. Yet, you still don’t know your place in here. I think that being apart between cities has a bit to do with that. Our day will come again, Spike. But, right now we have other obligations. You have to be here for Buffy. Your strength can help her when she needs it,” Angel explained.
“And then what? She uses me until there’s nothing left?” Spike quipped.
“Not nothing. You’ll have me. It’s why we’re here,” Angel said.
“Why we’re here? You know you’re as confusing as Dru to follow. All these cryptic messages, I can see why Buffy is a bit crazy. Between you stalking her and the limerick nonsense, it made her loopy,” Spike said.
The corners of Angel’s mouth quirked up in a half-smile.
“Okay, now I know we’re in a dream state. You’re smiling with a soul,” Spike said.
“Hey, I smile. It’s just not very often. Besides, from what Angelus has been telling me, I need some fun in my life,” Angel said.
“Okay, but we can’t have fun in here. It’s just an illusion. So, again I ask . . . why are we here?” Spike asked.
“For this,” Angel said.
He stepped up to Spike, grabbed the back of his head and pulled him close for a kiss. He invaded his childe’s mouth with his tongue and explored the recesses. Then, he pulled away and let go of Spike.
Spike’s eyes opened and he sounded indignant when he said, “You brought us here for a kiss? We couldn’t have done that out there?”
“It wasn’t just any kiss. I was--” Angel was about to explain when Spike’s eyes widened.
Spike could feel something work through him. It was like a slow crawl through his body as it spread. What had Angel done to him? He flexed his hands, clenching them into fists and stretching them out again. He felt . . . stronger. He looked up at the other vampire and saw him differently. There was a blue screen around his Sire. Spike looked down at his own body again until the rush was over and then refocused on Angel and saw the screen had vanished.
“What happened to me?” Spike asked.
“I gave you a part of my strength. After this we can’t be any more connected. Everything we feel, every nuance, every impression we have, the other will experience it,” Angel explained.
“Why?”
“You belong to me as much as I belong to you with the claims in place, and I want to keep you as safe as I can. I know you don’t completely understand the connection we have. But, for me it’s stronger than anything I ever felt. I want to continue to explore it . . . with you,” Angel said.
Spike nodded because he had lost the ability to speak. The whole experience had him floored. Angel, his Sire, the ponce with the fluffy soul had just done something that Spike never imagined in his wildest dreams that he would do.
“Are you ready to go back?” Angel asked.
“Yeah,” Spike said, still in awe.
Angel led the way out of the room with a mystified Spike following.
As the room shifted back into focus, they were still circling each other, only this time they were in the center and mere inches apart. They stared at each other in full vampire face; each growled and attacked the other. They rolled on the floor until Spike straddled Angel and pinned him to the floor.
“So, I am stronger than you,” Spike observed from his position atop his Sire.
“No, you’re stronger than you used to be,” Angel said. He bucked against Spike, threw him off and switched position. “But, you’re not stronger than me.”
Spike looked up at him. “Is it the fact that you know I would win if we ever truly fought? Or is that you just can’t stand the thought of me topping you better?”
“I’m your Sire, you can’t top me,” Angel stated.
“One of these days, Sire. We’ll see about that,” Spike promised.
“All prophetic now are you?” Angel inquired.
“No, but I know you. I can slip inside your mind now; find out all those hidden secret fantasies of yours,” Spike smirked.
“Ah,” Angel nodded. “Well, along with that little trick you learned, you forget that I can do that too. But, the difference is? You have to go searching for mine, when I’ve known yours since the day Dru brought you home,” he stated confidently.
“And what’s that, Angel?” Spike asked as he raised the scarred brow.
Angel leaned down close to his face until they were eye-to-eye. “You want to be dominated, by Him and by me.”
Before Spike could process what he just said, Angel swooped down and buried his face in the curve of his neck and was tearing into the flesh with his fangs. His Sire had started this in a possessive mood and by the feel of the teeth digging deeper into his neck, it didn’t look like that feeling had abated any. Not that he was complaining, though he growled when Angel first struck.
Spike grabbed for the other vampire’s shoulders and dug his nails in next to the gryphon tattoo. Four small streams of blood slowly trickled down Angel’s back and side. The scent of Sire’s blood teased Spike until he raised his hips and rubbed his jean-covered erection against Angel’s. His elder was still bearing down though.
When Angel finally buried the top set of his fangs in to the gum line, he relaxed against Spike. He wasn’t just tasting his childe’s blood or even renewing the claims. It was more primal than that. It was a possessive bite, fitting Angel’s mood. Spike knew the scar would be deeper with teeth indentations and it wouldn’t heal and disappear to thin lines like the others had. This one may as well be a beacon with a sign that said: PROPERTY OF ANGEL.
Spike reached down between them, opened Angel’s pants, reached inside, and wrapped his fingers around the huge appendage. It didn’t just feel huge, it was huge. If there was one thing that didn’t change when his Sire got a soul, it was the monster between his legs. Spike smirked inwardly at that thought.
“Sire!” Spike gasped when he started to feel drained.
Angel eased his fangs out of the blonde’s neck and licked the wounds of any escaping blood, letting it heal on its own. When he refocused on where they were, Angel felt Spike’s hand stroking his cock. He rose up a little and reached down to open Spike’s jeans, thanking Spike silently for never wearing underwear.
Spike jerked under his touch when Angel took hold of his dick and started to work him over. He tightened his grip on his Sire’s shaft and matched the other vampire’s pace. Soon, all that could be heard were growls and groans as they strained against each other in a vain attempt to come.
Why do we always end up on the floor with this? Ever since that first time after I healed, this has always ended up on the floor, when there is a perfectly good, big bed to be used. Spike mused over their present situation.
If you want it on the bed, it means I’ll have to stop what I’m doing and I really don’t want to do that, Angel’s inner voice answered.
It doesn’t have to be a problem. I’m sure we could work around it. All we have to do is get up and move to the bed, Spike said.
And you said I’ve gone soft. Look at you. Two weeks of staying with me and you want sex in the bed. Angel teased.
Yeah, well your place had real wood flooring with rugs. This is stone and very uncomfortable. I bet there are crypts with better flooring. Spike said dryly.
Angel reluctantly let go of his childe’s cock and helped him up. Once they were both standing, he immediately started to remove the last articles of clothing. Then, he pulled the covers down and pushed Spike back on the bed. Angel lay over him and ground his cock up against Spike’s. The movement was so forceful; it sent the other vampire sliding across the bed.
“Angel, you have to stop with the possessive streak. I’m not going anywhere,” Spike moaned. He didn’t know what Buffy’s commando told Angel, but this possessiveness of his was killing the mood.
Angel grunted an acknowledgment. He tried to ease up since he started this, but he kept seeing Riley Finn and hearing his voice as he asked Buffy if he could kill Spike. No, no, no, that wasn’t happening. That fucking boy toy of Buffy’s isn’t going to lay a hand on my boy. I’ll break his fingers if he does.
In his frustration, Angel didn’t realize he was tightening an already tight grip on Spike’s wrist on the pillow. He looked down at Spike who looked up at him. Yellow eyes had melted back into blue and were staring at him, trying to discern his mood.
Spike felt the link between them. He now used it to see why his Sire was completely bent. Still staring up at Angel, he relaxed and slipped inside the dark vampire’s mind. He found the memories from earlier tonight:
“Spike is a nuisance in the form a vampire,” Buffy said annoyed.
“Like him?” Riley indicated Angel.
“Yes, well no, Spike doesn’t have a soul.”
“Then I can kill him, right?” Riley asked.
Angel growled when he felt Spike push the memory to forefront of his mind. Spike reached over to the night stand where he had placed the lube when he unpacked and held it in front of his Sire’s face. Angel snatched it and popped the top on the bottle. Sitting back on his heels, he went about preparing himself and Spike. Throwing the lube to the side, he immediately leaned over and thrust his cock inside his boy.
Spike grunted at the slick, rough entry. He figured that he should count his lucky stars that Angel had even used the lubricant at all in his state of mind. Though, he now understood the reason behind his mood. He bucked against the dark vampire’s thrusts, clenching his ass around the cock that was moving in and out in long, hard strokes. Angel rose above him, grabbed his hips, and angled them.
“Fuck yeah, Angel,” Spike groaned when his Sire started thumping against his prostate.
“Is it right there? Am I hitting it just right? Hmm, Spike?”
“Yessss,” Spike hissed. “Angel.”
Angel complied by lying over the blonde and pounding into him. Spike raised his legs up to wrap around his Sire’s waist and proceeded to pull him as deep as he could. Angel reached between them and stroked Spike’s cock to the tempo of his thrusts as he nipped at his boy’s shoulder.
Spike rocked his hips between his Sire’s fist and cock pounding into him. He clawed at Angel’s back as he strained toward his impending orgasm. “Fuck me, Angel!” he growled in sexual frustration.
Angel felt Spike squirm under him trying to find the quickest way to an orgasm. He tilted his head and offered his neck as his reopened his claim mark on Spike. The blonde dove for the bared throat and sank his fangs in deep before drawing on Sire’s blood. He growled against Angel’s neck as his orgasm rushed over him and it spurted out all over the other vampire’s hand and their stomachs. Then he felt his Sire’s come flood his bowels. Angel collapsed on him and they groaned before the purring started in unison.
You’re mine. I’ll protect you any way I can, Will, was the last thought Spike remembered before he drifted off.
Angel carefully pulled free of Spike and lay on his side with his head propped up on his elbow watching his boy for the longest time before sleep took him as well.