just_muse_me | 32.4. Incapacitate
Co-written with Xander [actuallybye]
[Follows THIS]
Xander was fighting that moment where his brain was trying to wake up and the rest of him wanted to stay asleep. He even mumbled something in protest - or perhaps something more to do with the giant hot dog chasing him in his sleep - and would have rolled over if he didn't slowly realise he was very nicely tucked up behind a warm body. A warm, soft, female body. The night before was starting to come back to him, and this time Xander didn't fight waking up so he could crack open his eye and check to make sure there was flaming red hair right in front of him.
There was.
He could remember the foreplay vividly, but everything after that seemed to just... fade. Maybe he'd lost himself in a haze of lustiness and the sex had been so good, he'd already forgotten it? It could happen, right? But he was sure if he had sex with Airlie, he would have remembered. He would have taken mental images and wanted to memorise every second because she was amazing, and sexy, and Scottish, and she wanted him.
Xander frowned just a little as he tried to force himself to remember the rest of the night, but all he got was the before. There was coming to her apartment after meeting at the pub. There was the kissing, and the definite lusty feelings. There was a slight moment of hesitation because he wasn't so sure that sex was like riding a bike and he would automatically remember everything. But then there was more kissing, and her hand went--
Xander stopped himself before he finished that train of thought. He was tucked up behind a sexy redhead and he really wasn't sure she'd appreciate a boner poking her in the back. This time he did roll away, even if it was reluctantly. He straightened his eye patch and looked down at his mostly naked body. There was still one sock attached to his foot and he really did refuse to go without the eye patch. No one needed to look at the damage underneath. Healed or not, it was not a pretty sight. He turned his head to look over at Airlie again, surprised to see she'd rolled over without him noticing and her green eyes were looking at him. "Hey," he greeted her hoarsely.
Airlie didn't answer immediately. She held his gaze, her tongue trailing just briefly across her lower lip. Unlike Xander, the memories of the previous night were vivid in her mind, and it was taking all of her self control not to press him back against the bed and go immediately for his throat. Again. She couldn't help it. This was the hardest part for her. She was only a child, in the language of the Kindred. She had only been embraced about a year prior and she was still very much learning how to cope with her urges and the hunger. Sometimes, it got the better of her. In the midst of a deep passion, it was almost unbearable and impossible to fight. It was the very reason why Rory didn't let her sleep with him anymore. Sure, they had a friends with benefits thing once. Just the once. But when she was embraced and went to him for help, by the time he had done all the research and absorbed everything her Sire could tell a mortal about Kindred, Rory threw up a hands-off policy quicker than one could say 'Dracula'. She respected that and she respected the fact she couldn't feed off her closest friend. If she did, she would get a taste for him and want it all the time, but she had to learn to cope on her own without him because one day, he wouldn't be there.
This was different, though. Xander was fun, he intrigued her and amused her. It played right into her desires, and she just had to have him. Even before her Embrace, she was never shy. She loved to flirt with the best of them and he reacted in the most sweetly naive ways that it just had her even more hot. He was fun to play with, but it was more than that. Once they got going, it turned out he more than knew what he was doing. It got heated and intense quickly, especially once Airlie's arousal and desire kicked in, inevitably closely followed by her hunger. The sex was amazing, and she wouldn't deny the fact she used her power of presence and allure as a Toreador to maybe kick things up a few voltages. He was a tiger in bed once she indulged in that. The feed was better than any orgasm, especially considering the fact he didn't protest. Oh no, he didn't protest at all. In fact, once she bit down on his throat and tasted him, he had begged her for more and there was no turning back.
It really did take all her effort to pull back, though. She could have gone the whole way, but she knew the rules. She knew the consequences. He didn't know what she was, and she had no intentions of telling him. She stopped, breathless as she watched, mesmirized, at the trickle of blood from the two punctures on his throat as she had licked her lips in the wake of it. She really had no choice but to stop, to heal him and to make him forget. Kindred were furnished with the ability to wipe a mortal's mind of certain events that revealed their kind... for the purpose of the Masquerade. She lapped softly at the wounds, and they healed over in the blink of an eye and then had to take his memories of everything beyond the foreplay when she started to lose control. Now she was lying there looking at him and she reached over to put her hand over his forehead. "How are you feeling, laddie? You've been out for hours, like. Been worried about you."
"Been out?" Xander repeated, his frown turning to one of confusion. "I'm... sick?" He touched his hand to his stomach as he tried to work out what he was sick from. He hadn't felt sick before. It wasn't like he just engaged in foreplay and sexy times with women when he thought he would wind up barfing all over them. He gave her another look as he ran his tongue over his lips. "What's wrong with me? Did I... Did I pass out when we were... Oh my god..."
Airlie cleared her throat and nodded as she reached over him to get a glass of water from her nightstand, handing it to him. She had nearly drained him, so he would be feeling on the dodgy side anyway. It worked. This was actually the first person she had fed from other than her Sire that she stuck around for an encore with. "Aye, you sure did, darling. You dinnae mind? You were real sick, felt like crap you said. I offered to take you home, but you werenae feeling good enough. Best to just stay here. But the fever seems to have broken now, so it's all good. Promise you didnae talk in your sleep... much," she added with a cheeky smirk.
Xander sat up, still wondering why he was naked and in her bed when he'd been feeling like crap. He ran his fingers through his hair and took a sip of water before he cleared his throat. "And you didn't mind? You still wanted to... sleep with me? I'm so sorry for killing the mood. It must have been really sudden. It's not like I make a habit of this. It was a great night. It felt like it would have been a great night, I mean. Are you okay? Did I... I don't know, did I snot on you, or anything?" Xander tugged the sheets up a little, feeling very vulnerable all of a sudden. And embarrassed. Now that he was a little more conscious he was starting to realise that he did feel crap. "I should go."
Airlie rested her hand on his arm. "Ach, laddie. I cannae be letting you go. Nay yet. Just take it easy. What's the rush, anyway? You got a party to get to or something?" She swallowed, feeling a pang of guilt in her chest that she had made him forget it. She had all the memory of it, and he had none. She just had no choice, though. If she didn't zap his memory, it would have opened a whole can of worms, especially considering his BFF was a Slayer. Airlie was not ready to play with fire like that. She didn't know if she had enough strength as a vampire to fight off the threats they faced every day.
Xander gave a shake of his head. "Party? Me? Nope. No party. There's been a distinct lack of parties lately. At least of any that don't involve a bunch of screaming girls who have an unhealthy liking of anything Gaga. I just didn't want you to feel like you had to look after me, I mean, it's not like you're... We're not... It was meant to be fun, right? Just some fun and now it's all with the me being sick and that just makes things a bit more... um, serious."
"It makes it whatever you want to make it," Airlie pointed out. She was sitting beside him now, legs crossed and completely lacking in shyness about the fact she was naked. With the things they had done the night before, she had nothing to be bashful about... and neither did he. She reached over and brushed her hand over his chest, and then his bare stomach, her fingertips tickling over his skin. "It was fun. It was very fun. Then you just werenae well, and I dinnae mind about any other lassies you've been with in the past, but I dinnae turf my laddies out just because they're poorly. Far from it."
"Does this mean I get another run at it when I feel better?" Xander couldn't help but ask. "And I'm your laddie? I suddenly feel very special. And... not so crap." He watched her fingers trail over his body and bit the inside of his cheek to stop himself from reacting too obviously. He always felt like his penis had the ability to ruin the sweet moments. He looked over her body as he smiled, more than appreciating the view. "Sure that you don't have anything better to be doing?"
Airlie shook her head slowly, her eyes still watching his face closely. "Call me a night owl. I prefer the nightlife better than the day. It's why I work in the evening. Rock star's life, and all that..." She leant in a little closer to him, her body language more than emphasising that she really didn't want him to go anywhere. "I have a completely free schedule. You shouldnae be alone when you arenae feeling well, anyway. Dinnae be thinking it's so out of the blue, either. Look at our Rory. He was practically snotting all over you two the other night."
Xander reached out to touch his hand against her arm, smoothing his palm over it before he rested it against her hip. "Rock star? Closest I ever got to knowing a rock star was Oz. He was a guitarist for a band back in Sunnydale. Cool as cool... My best friend's ex. He was one guy I could talk to, you know? It was nice having him around. A little testosterone to balance out all the chick stuff. Not like Giles was ever really a guy. He was always... British. And old. No offence to this fine country. I like Scotland a lot. And the Scottish people. Yeah, I didn't exactly miss Rory not looking so great. Sure you don't want to be looking after him?"
Airlie gave a dry laugh. "Ach, god no. Laddie. He doesnae even want to look after himself, he isnae going to let me do it for him. He's all infected and diseased, running aboot Edinburgh looking for scary monsters with his work pals. I cannae stop that. When he gets set on something, he follows it through, nay matter what. Then ends up in hospital on a blood transfusion because of it. Too head strong, that laddie. But I love him to bits." She touched his hand, linking her fingers with his. "I miss that life, but it got too intense. It's a whole other world on tour. Almost like nothing else exists."
Xander leaned forward to press his lips to the corner of his mouth before he sat back again. "In that case, I'll be grateful that you consider me worthy enough to be looked after. Or even more embarrassed that you think I'm not as tough as your friend. Granted, I don't wear kilts or look like I probably could take monsters in a brawl but I've done some things over my time... I can be tough. So you're not all out there and famous? No hordes of fans following you?"
"You're overly sensitive, you know that? I didnae mean he was a good tough. I mean he's a reckless tough. He's a stupid bugger sometimes. In fact, I didnae even say tough, I said head strong, and that isnae always a good thing. You know what I dinnae like? Pissing contests," Airlie told him with a pointed look. "If I wanted Rory, I would be in Rory's bed. I wasnae ever directly famous myself. Maybe could have been. I was just a back-up singer, and it was amazing... for awhile. Until it just wasnae. Home is where the heart is and all that."
"And you're... overly... overly. I can't help it. I always was the heart of the group. Buffy was the muscle, Willow was the magic, Giles was the brains. I'm just used to watching, being on the outside. I'm not trying to have a pissing contest. I'm just making observations that's all. I'm glad you're here with me. And thanks for still wanting me around after I flaked on the sex. I'm sure it would have been amazing. You're amazing, Airlie. But you still sing?"
Airlie laughed and pushed her hair out of her face. "An overly overly? Well, I havenae ever been called an overly before, so first time for everything," she teased and then nodded. "Oh aye, of course. Couldnae live withoot my music. It's in my blood and part of what I am. I play most nights at a wee piano bar in town. It's open all night, but most of the crowds hit between around nine and one, especially on a weekend. It's a wee bit trendy, nay everyone's cup of tea, but I love it. Right up my alley. My time in the rock star spotlight just came up and I needed a change."
Xander pulled Airlie a little closer as he chuckled, and ran his fingers through her hair. "I can't profess I'm the greatest of word smiths when greeted with a beautiful naked woman who I almost had sex with. Trendy bar? Guess I better think about dressing up a bit then, huh? Doesn't sound like they appreciate the nudist dress code. When are you playing again? I'd like to watch."
"Oh, I dinnae know... the owners have seen a lot of things, trust me," Airlie replied with a smirk. She tilted her head a little further into his hand, enjoying the way he was playing with her hair. "Tonight. I play tonight. But dinnae you be thinking you're going anywhere. You'll have to wait for another night. You need to rest. When you feel up to it, I'm going to call Buffy so she can come and get you. You dinnae need to be alone when you arenae well. I'll reluctantly hand you over into her hopefully capable hands when I need to go, but that isnae until around six tonight."
"Just what kind of piano bar is this again? Why haven't I heard of it before..." Xander bit back a grin as he met her gaze briefly, his fingers still combing through her hair. "But I still get you for another... six hours? Don't suppose you have a nurse outfit stashed anywhere, do you? I promise I'll rest. I'll be a good boy..." He raised an eyebrow at her comments about Buffy before cupping her cheek and bringing their faces close together. He could still taste her on his lips even after a brief kiss. There was no doubt this particular lassie was addictive. Xander was already in trouble and he knew it. He just didn't know it if it went both ways. "Do I detect the slightest hint of jealousy already?"
Airlie shrugged with a laugh. "I dinnae know, laddie. You arenae into piano music, maybe? It's a little deceiving a description, though. It's just a really trendy bar with awesome interior decorating. Someone is playing the piano all the time, but some of us sing too. It's in the Old Town, nay too far away from the Castle. Oh aye... jealously..." She flashed him a brief smile, but it didn't linger. If only jealousy was all she had to worry about. She just wasn't ready for the whole 'Well, you know your BFF? Aye, she'd be wanting to all roll with the stake in the heart thing and I'm sorry, but I just cannae let her do that, sweetness' conversation. "She'll have to drag herself away from the French laddie for a wee while and look after her pal."
Xander tugged on hair lightly before he kissed her softly and slowly, letting it linger. Seeing as how felt crap he could take it slow and he still wanted to indulge in the fact that he had a naked woman in bed with him. He was still a guy at heart. "Then it's a date for when I'm more up on my feet and out of my BFF's care. Out of your care..." He kissed her forehead before he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into his lap. "Well, last I heard the French laddie wasn't anywhere near her, so maybe she's got enough time on her hands to put up with me needing a nursemaid. She doesn't know who he is besides a name. Although I do think she was Googling him, so there's a chance it's still a serious infatuation. I'll only worry if she starts rummaging through his garbage and stealing his laundry."
"What's his name?" Airlie asked, wondering why anyone would actually Google a person. But then, stalking people wasn't really much of a favourite past time of hers. She had been more than infatuated with her Sire, before and after the Embrace, but she already knew him and there had been no urges to rummage through his garbage. It could be because it was a totally reciprocated situation. "All that time spent chasing vampires. Are you sure she can fit you into her busy schedule?" She couldn't stop the bite to the edge of her tone, but she figured she was entitled to a little bitterness when the little blonde ex cheerleader was getting around trying to kill her kind.
"Blazer Croissant? No, no... Um, Blaze Richadoodle? Gimme a sec, it'll come to me... Oh, I know! Blaise Richesomething. It's definitely French. And just a little too gay sounding. I mean, really, who calls their kid Blaise these days?" Xander made a face at the idea of anyone naming their kid Blaise. He couldn't help it, there was just something about the sound of the guy's name that he didn't trust. It wasn't like he'd actually met the Frenchman. Xander blinked at the bite of Airlie's tone, his good eye studying her for a moment. "Hey, what's the deal? Do you just not like blondes, or is this an American thing? I thought you and Buff were talking okay back at Rory's?"
The thing was, Airlie's rock star had toured in France - and Paris - for sometime, therefore Airlie had been with him. In the wake of her Embrace, she learnt a lot of things in a very small space of time and right now, she just watched Xander, working forcefully not to show any reaction externally. What she did know, was that no one called a kid Blaise these days. Not really. She actually almost corrected the surname, but caught it on the tip of her tongue and bit down on her lower lip. If Buffy was pursuing Blaise Richelieu, Kindred Prince of Paris, things may well be about to get extremely messy... and Rory was involved in that. A flare of protectiveness flared up in Airlie and she nearly leapt off the bed to go directly to her best friend, but fought that urge, too. Instead, she heightened her presence, switching it on so Xander would be hit with a wave of allure and lust for her and she leant in close, trying to distract him but holding her gaze as her green eyes darkened just a little. "I dinnae know what you mean, sweetheart. We hit it off like Shrek and Donkey. Friendship made in heaven..." She locked his eye contact, making it impossible for him to look away.
Xander nodded, images of Shrek and Donkey not even deterring him from the surge of lust he felt for Airlie. He pushed his fingers into her hair and pulled her a little more into her lap as all the blood in his body seemed to rush south and his dick was definitely starting to show signs of arousal. He couldn't even bring himself to be embarrassed as his other hand travelled up her side before he brushed his thumb against the underside of her breast and his lips twitched in a smile as he cupped the perfect mound. "I really don't want to wake up and find out that you're just some dream induced by an overdose of chocolate and Slushies. Even if I am wondering how I got so lucky with you. I really wanna finish what we started last night, Airlie. Let me make it up to you."
Airlie switched the allure off by blinking her eyes and breaking the eye contact. She gave him a soft push to get him to flop back down on the pillows. "Maybe in a wee while, cutie. I dinnae want you passing oot on me again. I hate hospitals and I want to avoid them as much as I humanly can. Rest, I'll make you something to eat if you feel up to it. Then I might see what we can do..." Her breath hitched a little, however and she felt an empty sense of loss when his hand dropped from her breast and their embrace broke a little. She was feeling too connected to him. She just didn't know if that was a good thing or a bad thing. All she knew was if they had sex again right now, she would want to be sinking her teeth into that neck all over again, and he didn't have the strength.
Xander sighed as he made himself comfortable again, not sure why he was feeling like there was something he was missing. Like he should actually know why he was feeling crap. He threaded his fingers through Airlie's and tugged her down next to him as he wrapped his other arm around her waist to hug her against him. "Mm, maybe food in a little while. I just want to cuddle for a minute. If you wanna make me wait for sex, you're just going to have to make do with this incredibly new age sensitive guy act instead. Just ignore the tent pole impression my body's doing with the sheets, okay?"
"What about without them?" Airlie asked mischievously and tugged the sheets from his body to curl them around herself. She rested her head on his shoulder, looking down his body and admiring the view. "Mmmmmmmm... Paris has nothing on your landmarks, laddie. Very impressive. Cannae have a clue right now how you seem so shy aroond lassies. Or tongue-tied. Just whip this puppy oot and you'll be home free every time."
"Probably because my Mom... No wait, it was Willow. Willow always taught me that flashing strange girls was an offence and could land me in jail. I don't think this puppy is really going to help me out in jail, do you?" Xander joked as he rubbed his hand against her hip. He licked his lips as he watched her gazing at his body and knew the erection wasn't going to go away any time soon. If he wound up with blue balls it was going to be a fair price to pay. "Personally I'm just glad you approve of my landmarks. And that is officially one of the weirdest things I have ever called my own penis."
Airlie smirked and shrugged against his shoulder. "I dinnae know. I think it's way more freaky when a laddie names his penis a man's name. Weird as all fuck that, and I never understood. I dinnae want my mouth wrapped aroond something he called Roger while his own name is, like, Bryce or something. It's too confusing. Fecks with a lassie's head, like. You talk a lot aboot all these people, yet you're only here with Buffy? Why's that?"
Xander scrunched up his nose. "I did go through a phase when I was a teenager where I thought naming it could be call, but nope. Definitely uncool. Especially when people assume you're not actually talking about your penis. No, we're here with the others. Just they don't exactly get out much. Too much work, not enough play... You know how it goes. Me and Buff just seem to be the two that are getting castle fever."
"Understandable. Castles are overrated anyway. See one, you see them all. Mind, Edinburgh Castle is amazing. Have you been? I remember going there when I was wee and thinking how much I wanted to be a princess when I grew up. Before I discovered the big canon there. The Mons Meg. Then I wanted to be a pirate," Airlie said and laughed, putting a hand up to her face in embarrassment at her naive younger self. It felt like another lifetime ago now, when she was so innocent. That was all gone now, taken from her without her permission. She felt a burst of anger inside that nearly had her growling. She would love her Sire endlessly forever, but there was still a tiny part of her that hated him for doing what he did to her, even if she had come to accept it and survive it. "Rory's my closest friend. Has been for many years. Got me oot of some messes over the years."
"And now you're just sleeping with a pirate, argh!" Xander offered in his best fake accent. He chuckled at himself before he kissed the top of her head and gave her an affectionate squeeze. "Always was a fan of pirates. Even dressed up as one for Halloween one year. We haven't exactly done much sightseeing, so no, never been. Guess that's another thing you could always show me. Willow's mine. We grew up together in Sunnydale. Always been there for each other. Buffy came to the town when we were in high school. Then it was three of us, you know? I can't imagine life without either of them, even if Buffy just changed everything for us. We've been through a lot, and it's made our friendship stronger. Will's just got a lot of her own stuff going on now. She's, ah... She's a witch. Gay witch. Not that the gay part really matters, but she's got a Slayer girlfriend that keeps her busy."
"Gay BFF, huh? Nay urges to mow the grass on the other side of the fence yourself? Do you know, some people actually think it's catching?" Airlie said with a snort of disgust. "Rory is as straight as those arrows he has a liking for. He has a gay pal, though. Funny bastard, he is. He's a Hunter too, just you wouldnae ever pick it. Gets aroond in leather pants and likes to give a running commentary on his latest bed partners. So, your BFF is here too? What do you do all day in that castle? Seriously, like. There is only so much training you can do. Cannae say the Scottish vampires are going to let you lot in on their secrets, either."
Xander cleared his throat and almost considered pushing Airlie out of the bed. "Please, enough with the gay. I'm not gay. Never been gay. Never had the urge. I may have made many a joke about it, but my mower is strictly staying on the womanly grass. Gay hunter? Well, sure, I can see that. Nothing wrong with a manly gay man. They can't all be stylists and snobby head waiters. Yeah, she is. Mostly we just try and keep an eye on the Big Bads. Train up the new Slayers, organise search teams to track down the ones we haven't got a hold of yet. When you're suddenly in possession of a lot of power for no apparent reason - it's disconcerting to say the least. We're just trying to give the girls the best starts we can. We're not really here for them. I think a castle just seemed to be the best place for a base of operations. Pretty sure it was a Giles idea."
"Good, more for me," Airlie replied smugly with a devious and possessive grin before she could stop herself. She couldn't help it that with her Embrace came a fierce jealousy towards who she set her sights on. She laughed and waved her hand. "Who said he was manly? I think he's more of a girl than me some days. He is a massive bitch, puts my snobby bitch act to shame. But man, does he rock the trendy kilts. Very tasty." She fell quiet again, listening closely to every word out of his mouth as her eyes narrowed slightly. "How many of these Slayers are there, just out of curiosity? How does it feel to be training a hoard of murderers?"
"Shame his tasty ass doesn't want you, huh?" Xander asked, his own jealousy flaring up even if it was over a gay man. His jaw dropped through at her second question, Xander just staring at her dumbly for a long moment. "What? They're not... They're not murderers. They don't just go around randomly stabbing things. Okay, there's this one chick from Greece that has a worse fetish than Faith ever did, but she's getting treatment for that. And lots of objects made out of foam to play with, nothing pointy. There's a couple hundred of them, and to be honest the training part is just weird. Sometimes I wonder what the hell it was we did, but it needed to happen to defeat the First, and to destroy the Hellmouth. Both of which probably mean nothing, but trust me... Apocalypse would have been an understatement."
Airlie didn't visit talk of the Hellmouth or Apocalypse. She didn't particularly have an interest in hearing about the end of the world or whatever the hell it was truly supposed to mean. All she wanted to know about was threats to her, her family, and her kind. "So, what exactly is a Slayer's job description, hm? I would think it involved, you know, slaying." The word felt like it should be spat out, but she kept a hold of her emotions. That was another thing she still struggled with in her new form. The anger could be there in the flick of a switch, a rage that could turn to blood lust without her control. It was something Rory had been training her to control after he worked directly with Alistair to better understand Kindred so he could help her. "A couple of hundred people slaying. That's a lot of slaying. Fancy name for murder if you ask me."
"She exists to stop the forces of darkness. Evil... Not that I'm saying everything fanged, horned, tailed, clawed, or gooey is evil. Just the stuff that is. You're making them sound like their Terminators when they're not." Xander struggled up into a sitting position as he rubbed the heel of his palm against his eye, his arousal well and truly lost. This conversation really did seem to be a mood killer, and he wasn't even sure why it was exactly. "Why do you hate her when Rory's a Hunter? I didn't come up with the title, okay? Some old men writing a prophecy did. Probably the same guys that meshed the demon blood with a young girl when the first Slayer was created. Maybe we did mess up with the spell and kickstarting all these girls into Slayerhood but it's done now. We're training them so there isn't a lot of murdering."
"Who decides what is evil and what isnae?" Airlie shook her head and got up out of the bed. She found her bathrobe and pulled it around her shoulders, tying the sash at her hip. As far as she was concered, training hundreds of chicks to stop the forces of 'darkness' sounded a lot worse than Arnie in a leather jacket. Especially in her home country, which wasn't very big to start with. "You should eat something. I'll make it for you."
Xander looked from the bed she'd vacated to where Airlie was now standing and shook his head. "No, I'll... I should go. I can probably get enough energy together for a cab. I didn't mean to... I still don't know why we're arguing. Your best friend hunts things, and you're asking me who decides what is evil, what isn't? It's the things hell bent on ending the world, sacrificing little kids, or murdering just for the fun of it. It's their actions that decide it, not us. Again, I didn't say we made the right choice with the girls, but it's done now..." Xander moved to sit on the edge of the bed, and stopped for a moment as he felt a head rush. "I don't want to intrude any longer."
"Lie doon, Xander," Airlie told him quietly. There was no missing the pallor of his face. There was no way she was letting him get into a cab. "I have heard of perfectly innocent people being murdered because people take it upon themselves to assume they are evil, or something makes them evil. My best friend is a Hunter. My eyes are open to the world too, aye? Eyes that dinnae have to be happy aboot an army of people being trained in something like this. Hopefully they dinnae come to use those skills in ways that you havenae trained them to. Cannae possible fathom something as odd as defecting in an army. That never happens," she said sarcastically and then went over to him give him a nudge back onto the bed. "I'm nay letting you go, laddie, so you better stop with that bullshit right now."
"You first," Xander found coming out of his mouth before he could stop it. He closed his eye as his head hung in shame and he reached up to rub the back of his neck. "I'm sorry, but I'm not an idiot. Of course I know there could be defecting Slayers. There could be more Faiths. More anything. But we're doing the best we can. This is the side of things I know, okay? I'm sorry I'm not your best friend the Hunter. I'm sorry I'm not Scottish and don't wear a kilt and clearly know the world better than an American ever could. For the record, Slayers have come from every country. And there's probably been more in England and in Europe than where we're from. But whatever..." Xander lay back down when he realised he really didn't have the energy for a storm out, but he didn't look at her as he tugged the sheets back over in his his direction.
It was the first time in his presence Airlie actually felt completely threatened. Like she couldn't trust him. She swallowed and tied the sash tighter around herself, hoping it could act as some sort of shield. "Maybe you should go. In fact, aye, I think you should go. Call Buffy to come and get you. This was stupid." It really was stupid, letting her guard down with someone so close to all these Slayers, no matter how much Rory said he would protect her. Suddenly she was terrified for her own life and she had to move away from him before she did anything she regretted. She didn't have the skills of older and more experienced Kindred to know how to protect herself.
Xander licked his lips as he battled to get up into a sitting position again, wondering why the hell he was still feeling so drained. He stumbled out of the bed, nearly losing footing as he stooped for his pants to find his cell in it. He had no idea when things had gone horribly wrong, but apparently a Slayer wasn't as noble as her little Hunter, and Xander just felt like there was no moving past it. His best friend wasn't good enough for Airlie, and neither was what he did. Which meant he wasn't. Now he knew why he never let himself believe a woman wanted him. Because somehow it always seemed to turned to shit. Xander mumbled out a message to Buffy when his friend picked up before he worked on getting dressed, ignoring Airlie as much as he could. Stupid didn't even begin to cover how he felt about what had happened, and it hurt him more than he could have imagined. He just needed to get out of her place as quickly as possible.
Word Count | 6,372
[Follows THIS]
Xander was fighting that moment where his brain was trying to wake up and the rest of him wanted to stay asleep. He even mumbled something in protest - or perhaps something more to do with the giant hot dog chasing him in his sleep - and would have rolled over if he didn't slowly realise he was very nicely tucked up behind a warm body. A warm, soft, female body. The night before was starting to come back to him, and this time Xander didn't fight waking up so he could crack open his eye and check to make sure there was flaming red hair right in front of him.
There was.
He could remember the foreplay vividly, but everything after that seemed to just... fade. Maybe he'd lost himself in a haze of lustiness and the sex had been so good, he'd already forgotten it? It could happen, right? But he was sure if he had sex with Airlie, he would have remembered. He would have taken mental images and wanted to memorise every second because she was amazing, and sexy, and Scottish, and she wanted him.
Xander frowned just a little as he tried to force himself to remember the rest of the night, but all he got was the before. There was coming to her apartment after meeting at the pub. There was the kissing, and the definite lusty feelings. There was a slight moment of hesitation because he wasn't so sure that sex was like riding a bike and he would automatically remember everything. But then there was more kissing, and her hand went--
Xander stopped himself before he finished that train of thought. He was tucked up behind a sexy redhead and he really wasn't sure she'd appreciate a boner poking her in the back. This time he did roll away, even if it was reluctantly. He straightened his eye patch and looked down at his mostly naked body. There was still one sock attached to his foot and he really did refuse to go without the eye patch. No one needed to look at the damage underneath. Healed or not, it was not a pretty sight. He turned his head to look over at Airlie again, surprised to see she'd rolled over without him noticing and her green eyes were looking at him. "Hey," he greeted her hoarsely.
Airlie didn't answer immediately. She held his gaze, her tongue trailing just briefly across her lower lip. Unlike Xander, the memories of the previous night were vivid in her mind, and it was taking all of her self control not to press him back against the bed and go immediately for his throat. Again. She couldn't help it. This was the hardest part for her. She was only a child, in the language of the Kindred. She had only been embraced about a year prior and she was still very much learning how to cope with her urges and the hunger. Sometimes, it got the better of her. In the midst of a deep passion, it was almost unbearable and impossible to fight. It was the very reason why Rory didn't let her sleep with him anymore. Sure, they had a friends with benefits thing once. Just the once. But when she was embraced and went to him for help, by the time he had done all the research and absorbed everything her Sire could tell a mortal about Kindred, Rory threw up a hands-off policy quicker than one could say 'Dracula'. She respected that and she respected the fact she couldn't feed off her closest friend. If she did, she would get a taste for him and want it all the time, but she had to learn to cope on her own without him because one day, he wouldn't be there.
This was different, though. Xander was fun, he intrigued her and amused her. It played right into her desires, and she just had to have him. Even before her Embrace, she was never shy. She loved to flirt with the best of them and he reacted in the most sweetly naive ways that it just had her even more hot. He was fun to play with, but it was more than that. Once they got going, it turned out he more than knew what he was doing. It got heated and intense quickly, especially once Airlie's arousal and desire kicked in, inevitably closely followed by her hunger. The sex was amazing, and she wouldn't deny the fact she used her power of presence and allure as a Toreador to maybe kick things up a few voltages. He was a tiger in bed once she indulged in that. The feed was better than any orgasm, especially considering the fact he didn't protest. Oh no, he didn't protest at all. In fact, once she bit down on his throat and tasted him, he had begged her for more and there was no turning back.
It really did take all her effort to pull back, though. She could have gone the whole way, but she knew the rules. She knew the consequences. He didn't know what she was, and she had no intentions of telling him. She stopped, breathless as she watched, mesmirized, at the trickle of blood from the two punctures on his throat as she had licked her lips in the wake of it. She really had no choice but to stop, to heal him and to make him forget. Kindred were furnished with the ability to wipe a mortal's mind of certain events that revealed their kind... for the purpose of the Masquerade. She lapped softly at the wounds, and they healed over in the blink of an eye and then had to take his memories of everything beyond the foreplay when she started to lose control. Now she was lying there looking at him and she reached over to put her hand over his forehead. "How are you feeling, laddie? You've been out for hours, like. Been worried about you."
"Been out?" Xander repeated, his frown turning to one of confusion. "I'm... sick?" He touched his hand to his stomach as he tried to work out what he was sick from. He hadn't felt sick before. It wasn't like he just engaged in foreplay and sexy times with women when he thought he would wind up barfing all over them. He gave her another look as he ran his tongue over his lips. "What's wrong with me? Did I... Did I pass out when we were... Oh my god..."
Airlie cleared her throat and nodded as she reached over him to get a glass of water from her nightstand, handing it to him. She had nearly drained him, so he would be feeling on the dodgy side anyway. It worked. This was actually the first person she had fed from other than her Sire that she stuck around for an encore with. "Aye, you sure did, darling. You dinnae mind? You were real sick, felt like crap you said. I offered to take you home, but you werenae feeling good enough. Best to just stay here. But the fever seems to have broken now, so it's all good. Promise you didnae talk in your sleep... much," she added with a cheeky smirk.
Xander sat up, still wondering why he was naked and in her bed when he'd been feeling like crap. He ran his fingers through his hair and took a sip of water before he cleared his throat. "And you didn't mind? You still wanted to... sleep with me? I'm so sorry for killing the mood. It must have been really sudden. It's not like I make a habit of this. It was a great night. It felt like it would have been a great night, I mean. Are you okay? Did I... I don't know, did I snot on you, or anything?" Xander tugged the sheets up a little, feeling very vulnerable all of a sudden. And embarrassed. Now that he was a little more conscious he was starting to realise that he did feel crap. "I should go."
Airlie rested her hand on his arm. "Ach, laddie. I cannae be letting you go. Nay yet. Just take it easy. What's the rush, anyway? You got a party to get to or something?" She swallowed, feeling a pang of guilt in her chest that she had made him forget it. She had all the memory of it, and he had none. She just had no choice, though. If she didn't zap his memory, it would have opened a whole can of worms, especially considering his BFF was a Slayer. Airlie was not ready to play with fire like that. She didn't know if she had enough strength as a vampire to fight off the threats they faced every day.
Xander gave a shake of his head. "Party? Me? Nope. No party. There's been a distinct lack of parties lately. At least of any that don't involve a bunch of screaming girls who have an unhealthy liking of anything Gaga. I just didn't want you to feel like you had to look after me, I mean, it's not like you're... We're not... It was meant to be fun, right? Just some fun and now it's all with the me being sick and that just makes things a bit more... um, serious."
"It makes it whatever you want to make it," Airlie pointed out. She was sitting beside him now, legs crossed and completely lacking in shyness about the fact she was naked. With the things they had done the night before, she had nothing to be bashful about... and neither did he. She reached over and brushed her hand over his chest, and then his bare stomach, her fingertips tickling over his skin. "It was fun. It was very fun. Then you just werenae well, and I dinnae mind about any other lassies you've been with in the past, but I dinnae turf my laddies out just because they're poorly. Far from it."
"Does this mean I get another run at it when I feel better?" Xander couldn't help but ask. "And I'm your laddie? I suddenly feel very special. And... not so crap." He watched her fingers trail over his body and bit the inside of his cheek to stop himself from reacting too obviously. He always felt like his penis had the ability to ruin the sweet moments. He looked over her body as he smiled, more than appreciating the view. "Sure that you don't have anything better to be doing?"
Airlie shook her head slowly, her eyes still watching his face closely. "Call me a night owl. I prefer the nightlife better than the day. It's why I work in the evening. Rock star's life, and all that..." She leant in a little closer to him, her body language more than emphasising that she really didn't want him to go anywhere. "I have a completely free schedule. You shouldnae be alone when you arenae feeling well, anyway. Dinnae be thinking it's so out of the blue, either. Look at our Rory. He was practically snotting all over you two the other night."
Xander reached out to touch his hand against her arm, smoothing his palm over it before he rested it against her hip. "Rock star? Closest I ever got to knowing a rock star was Oz. He was a guitarist for a band back in Sunnydale. Cool as cool... My best friend's ex. He was one guy I could talk to, you know? It was nice having him around. A little testosterone to balance out all the chick stuff. Not like Giles was ever really a guy. He was always... British. And old. No offence to this fine country. I like Scotland a lot. And the Scottish people. Yeah, I didn't exactly miss Rory not looking so great. Sure you don't want to be looking after him?"
Airlie gave a dry laugh. "Ach, god no. Laddie. He doesnae even want to look after himself, he isnae going to let me do it for him. He's all infected and diseased, running aboot Edinburgh looking for scary monsters with his work pals. I cannae stop that. When he gets set on something, he follows it through, nay matter what. Then ends up in hospital on a blood transfusion because of it. Too head strong, that laddie. But I love him to bits." She touched his hand, linking her fingers with his. "I miss that life, but it got too intense. It's a whole other world on tour. Almost like nothing else exists."
Xander leaned forward to press his lips to the corner of his mouth before he sat back again. "In that case, I'll be grateful that you consider me worthy enough to be looked after. Or even more embarrassed that you think I'm not as tough as your friend. Granted, I don't wear kilts or look like I probably could take monsters in a brawl but I've done some things over my time... I can be tough. So you're not all out there and famous? No hordes of fans following you?"
"You're overly sensitive, you know that? I didnae mean he was a good tough. I mean he's a reckless tough. He's a stupid bugger sometimes. In fact, I didnae even say tough, I said head strong, and that isnae always a good thing. You know what I dinnae like? Pissing contests," Airlie told him with a pointed look. "If I wanted Rory, I would be in Rory's bed. I wasnae ever directly famous myself. Maybe could have been. I was just a back-up singer, and it was amazing... for awhile. Until it just wasnae. Home is where the heart is and all that."
"And you're... overly... overly. I can't help it. I always was the heart of the group. Buffy was the muscle, Willow was the magic, Giles was the brains. I'm just used to watching, being on the outside. I'm not trying to have a pissing contest. I'm just making observations that's all. I'm glad you're here with me. And thanks for still wanting me around after I flaked on the sex. I'm sure it would have been amazing. You're amazing, Airlie. But you still sing?"
Airlie laughed and pushed her hair out of her face. "An overly overly? Well, I havenae ever been called an overly before, so first time for everything," she teased and then nodded. "Oh aye, of course. Couldnae live withoot my music. It's in my blood and part of what I am. I play most nights at a wee piano bar in town. It's open all night, but most of the crowds hit between around nine and one, especially on a weekend. It's a wee bit trendy, nay everyone's cup of tea, but I love it. Right up my alley. My time in the rock star spotlight just came up and I needed a change."
Xander pulled Airlie a little closer as he chuckled, and ran his fingers through her hair. "I can't profess I'm the greatest of word smiths when greeted with a beautiful naked woman who I almost had sex with. Trendy bar? Guess I better think about dressing up a bit then, huh? Doesn't sound like they appreciate the nudist dress code. When are you playing again? I'd like to watch."
"Oh, I dinnae know... the owners have seen a lot of things, trust me," Airlie replied with a smirk. She tilted her head a little further into his hand, enjoying the way he was playing with her hair. "Tonight. I play tonight. But dinnae you be thinking you're going anywhere. You'll have to wait for another night. You need to rest. When you feel up to it, I'm going to call Buffy so she can come and get you. You dinnae need to be alone when you arenae well. I'll reluctantly hand you over into her hopefully capable hands when I need to go, but that isnae until around six tonight."
"Just what kind of piano bar is this again? Why haven't I heard of it before..." Xander bit back a grin as he met her gaze briefly, his fingers still combing through her hair. "But I still get you for another... six hours? Don't suppose you have a nurse outfit stashed anywhere, do you? I promise I'll rest. I'll be a good boy..." He raised an eyebrow at her comments about Buffy before cupping her cheek and bringing their faces close together. He could still taste her on his lips even after a brief kiss. There was no doubt this particular lassie was addictive. Xander was already in trouble and he knew it. He just didn't know it if it went both ways. "Do I detect the slightest hint of jealousy already?"
Airlie shrugged with a laugh. "I dinnae know, laddie. You arenae into piano music, maybe? It's a little deceiving a description, though. It's just a really trendy bar with awesome interior decorating. Someone is playing the piano all the time, but some of us sing too. It's in the Old Town, nay too far away from the Castle. Oh aye... jealously..." She flashed him a brief smile, but it didn't linger. If only jealousy was all she had to worry about. She just wasn't ready for the whole 'Well, you know your BFF? Aye, she'd be wanting to all roll with the stake in the heart thing and I'm sorry, but I just cannae let her do that, sweetness' conversation. "She'll have to drag herself away from the French laddie for a wee while and look after her pal."
Xander tugged on hair lightly before he kissed her softly and slowly, letting it linger. Seeing as how felt crap he could take it slow and he still wanted to indulge in the fact that he had a naked woman in bed with him. He was still a guy at heart. "Then it's a date for when I'm more up on my feet and out of my BFF's care. Out of your care..." He kissed her forehead before he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into his lap. "Well, last I heard the French laddie wasn't anywhere near her, so maybe she's got enough time on her hands to put up with me needing a nursemaid. She doesn't know who he is besides a name. Although I do think she was Googling him, so there's a chance it's still a serious infatuation. I'll only worry if she starts rummaging through his garbage and stealing his laundry."
"What's his name?" Airlie asked, wondering why anyone would actually Google a person. But then, stalking people wasn't really much of a favourite past time of hers. She had been more than infatuated with her Sire, before and after the Embrace, but she already knew him and there had been no urges to rummage through his garbage. It could be because it was a totally reciprocated situation. "All that time spent chasing vampires. Are you sure she can fit you into her busy schedule?" She couldn't stop the bite to the edge of her tone, but she figured she was entitled to a little bitterness when the little blonde ex cheerleader was getting around trying to kill her kind.
"Blazer Croissant? No, no... Um, Blaze Richadoodle? Gimme a sec, it'll come to me... Oh, I know! Blaise Richesomething. It's definitely French. And just a little too gay sounding. I mean, really, who calls their kid Blaise these days?" Xander made a face at the idea of anyone naming their kid Blaise. He couldn't help it, there was just something about the sound of the guy's name that he didn't trust. It wasn't like he'd actually met the Frenchman. Xander blinked at the bite of Airlie's tone, his good eye studying her for a moment. "Hey, what's the deal? Do you just not like blondes, or is this an American thing? I thought you and Buff were talking okay back at Rory's?"
The thing was, Airlie's rock star had toured in France - and Paris - for sometime, therefore Airlie had been with him. In the wake of her Embrace, she learnt a lot of things in a very small space of time and right now, she just watched Xander, working forcefully not to show any reaction externally. What she did know, was that no one called a kid Blaise these days. Not really. She actually almost corrected the surname, but caught it on the tip of her tongue and bit down on her lower lip. If Buffy was pursuing Blaise Richelieu, Kindred Prince of Paris, things may well be about to get extremely messy... and Rory was involved in that. A flare of protectiveness flared up in Airlie and she nearly leapt off the bed to go directly to her best friend, but fought that urge, too. Instead, she heightened her presence, switching it on so Xander would be hit with a wave of allure and lust for her and she leant in close, trying to distract him but holding her gaze as her green eyes darkened just a little. "I dinnae know what you mean, sweetheart. We hit it off like Shrek and Donkey. Friendship made in heaven..." She locked his eye contact, making it impossible for him to look away.
Xander nodded, images of Shrek and Donkey not even deterring him from the surge of lust he felt for Airlie. He pushed his fingers into her hair and pulled her a little more into her lap as all the blood in his body seemed to rush south and his dick was definitely starting to show signs of arousal. He couldn't even bring himself to be embarrassed as his other hand travelled up her side before he brushed his thumb against the underside of her breast and his lips twitched in a smile as he cupped the perfect mound. "I really don't want to wake up and find out that you're just some dream induced by an overdose of chocolate and Slushies. Even if I am wondering how I got so lucky with you. I really wanna finish what we started last night, Airlie. Let me make it up to you."
Airlie switched the allure off by blinking her eyes and breaking the eye contact. She gave him a soft push to get him to flop back down on the pillows. "Maybe in a wee while, cutie. I dinnae want you passing oot on me again. I hate hospitals and I want to avoid them as much as I humanly can. Rest, I'll make you something to eat if you feel up to it. Then I might see what we can do..." Her breath hitched a little, however and she felt an empty sense of loss when his hand dropped from her breast and their embrace broke a little. She was feeling too connected to him. She just didn't know if that was a good thing or a bad thing. All she knew was if they had sex again right now, she would want to be sinking her teeth into that neck all over again, and he didn't have the strength.
Xander sighed as he made himself comfortable again, not sure why he was feeling like there was something he was missing. Like he should actually know why he was feeling crap. He threaded his fingers through Airlie's and tugged her down next to him as he wrapped his other arm around her waist to hug her against him. "Mm, maybe food in a little while. I just want to cuddle for a minute. If you wanna make me wait for sex, you're just going to have to make do with this incredibly new age sensitive guy act instead. Just ignore the tent pole impression my body's doing with the sheets, okay?"
"What about without them?" Airlie asked mischievously and tugged the sheets from his body to curl them around herself. She rested her head on his shoulder, looking down his body and admiring the view. "Mmmmmmmm... Paris has nothing on your landmarks, laddie. Very impressive. Cannae have a clue right now how you seem so shy aroond lassies. Or tongue-tied. Just whip this puppy oot and you'll be home free every time."
"Probably because my Mom... No wait, it was Willow. Willow always taught me that flashing strange girls was an offence and could land me in jail. I don't think this puppy is really going to help me out in jail, do you?" Xander joked as he rubbed his hand against her hip. He licked his lips as he watched her gazing at his body and knew the erection wasn't going to go away any time soon. If he wound up with blue balls it was going to be a fair price to pay. "Personally I'm just glad you approve of my landmarks. And that is officially one of the weirdest things I have ever called my own penis."
Airlie smirked and shrugged against his shoulder. "I dinnae know. I think it's way more freaky when a laddie names his penis a man's name. Weird as all fuck that, and I never understood. I dinnae want my mouth wrapped aroond something he called Roger while his own name is, like, Bryce or something. It's too confusing. Fecks with a lassie's head, like. You talk a lot aboot all these people, yet you're only here with Buffy? Why's that?"
Xander scrunched up his nose. "I did go through a phase when I was a teenager where I thought naming it could be call, but nope. Definitely uncool. Especially when people assume you're not actually talking about your penis. No, we're here with the others. Just they don't exactly get out much. Too much work, not enough play... You know how it goes. Me and Buff just seem to be the two that are getting castle fever."
"Understandable. Castles are overrated anyway. See one, you see them all. Mind, Edinburgh Castle is amazing. Have you been? I remember going there when I was wee and thinking how much I wanted to be a princess when I grew up. Before I discovered the big canon there. The Mons Meg. Then I wanted to be a pirate," Airlie said and laughed, putting a hand up to her face in embarrassment at her naive younger self. It felt like another lifetime ago now, when she was so innocent. That was all gone now, taken from her without her permission. She felt a burst of anger inside that nearly had her growling. She would love her Sire endlessly forever, but there was still a tiny part of her that hated him for doing what he did to her, even if she had come to accept it and survive it. "Rory's my closest friend. Has been for many years. Got me oot of some messes over the years."
"And now you're just sleeping with a pirate, argh!" Xander offered in his best fake accent. He chuckled at himself before he kissed the top of her head and gave her an affectionate squeeze. "Always was a fan of pirates. Even dressed up as one for Halloween one year. We haven't exactly done much sightseeing, so no, never been. Guess that's another thing you could always show me. Willow's mine. We grew up together in Sunnydale. Always been there for each other. Buffy came to the town when we were in high school. Then it was three of us, you know? I can't imagine life without either of them, even if Buffy just changed everything for us. We've been through a lot, and it's made our friendship stronger. Will's just got a lot of her own stuff going on now. She's, ah... She's a witch. Gay witch. Not that the gay part really matters, but she's got a Slayer girlfriend that keeps her busy."
"Gay BFF, huh? Nay urges to mow the grass on the other side of the fence yourself? Do you know, some people actually think it's catching?" Airlie said with a snort of disgust. "Rory is as straight as those arrows he has a liking for. He has a gay pal, though. Funny bastard, he is. He's a Hunter too, just you wouldnae ever pick it. Gets aroond in leather pants and likes to give a running commentary on his latest bed partners. So, your BFF is here too? What do you do all day in that castle? Seriously, like. There is only so much training you can do. Cannae say the Scottish vampires are going to let you lot in on their secrets, either."
Xander cleared his throat and almost considered pushing Airlie out of the bed. "Please, enough with the gay. I'm not gay. Never been gay. Never had the urge. I may have made many a joke about it, but my mower is strictly staying on the womanly grass. Gay hunter? Well, sure, I can see that. Nothing wrong with a manly gay man. They can't all be stylists and snobby head waiters. Yeah, she is. Mostly we just try and keep an eye on the Big Bads. Train up the new Slayers, organise search teams to track down the ones we haven't got a hold of yet. When you're suddenly in possession of a lot of power for no apparent reason - it's disconcerting to say the least. We're just trying to give the girls the best starts we can. We're not really here for them. I think a castle just seemed to be the best place for a base of operations. Pretty sure it was a Giles idea."
"Good, more for me," Airlie replied smugly with a devious and possessive grin before she could stop herself. She couldn't help it that with her Embrace came a fierce jealousy towards who she set her sights on. She laughed and waved her hand. "Who said he was manly? I think he's more of a girl than me some days. He is a massive bitch, puts my snobby bitch act to shame. But man, does he rock the trendy kilts. Very tasty." She fell quiet again, listening closely to every word out of his mouth as her eyes narrowed slightly. "How many of these Slayers are there, just out of curiosity? How does it feel to be training a hoard of murderers?"
"Shame his tasty ass doesn't want you, huh?" Xander asked, his own jealousy flaring up even if it was over a gay man. His jaw dropped through at her second question, Xander just staring at her dumbly for a long moment. "What? They're not... They're not murderers. They don't just go around randomly stabbing things. Okay, there's this one chick from Greece that has a worse fetish than Faith ever did, but she's getting treatment for that. And lots of objects made out of foam to play with, nothing pointy. There's a couple hundred of them, and to be honest the training part is just weird. Sometimes I wonder what the hell it was we did, but it needed to happen to defeat the First, and to destroy the Hellmouth. Both of which probably mean nothing, but trust me... Apocalypse would have been an understatement."
Airlie didn't visit talk of the Hellmouth or Apocalypse. She didn't particularly have an interest in hearing about the end of the world or whatever the hell it was truly supposed to mean. All she wanted to know about was threats to her, her family, and her kind. "So, what exactly is a Slayer's job description, hm? I would think it involved, you know, slaying." The word felt like it should be spat out, but she kept a hold of her emotions. That was another thing she still struggled with in her new form. The anger could be there in the flick of a switch, a rage that could turn to blood lust without her control. It was something Rory had been training her to control after he worked directly with Alistair to better understand Kindred so he could help her. "A couple of hundred people slaying. That's a lot of slaying. Fancy name for murder if you ask me."
"She exists to stop the forces of darkness. Evil... Not that I'm saying everything fanged, horned, tailed, clawed, or gooey is evil. Just the stuff that is. You're making them sound like their Terminators when they're not." Xander struggled up into a sitting position as he rubbed the heel of his palm against his eye, his arousal well and truly lost. This conversation really did seem to be a mood killer, and he wasn't even sure why it was exactly. "Why do you hate her when Rory's a Hunter? I didn't come up with the title, okay? Some old men writing a prophecy did. Probably the same guys that meshed the demon blood with a young girl when the first Slayer was created. Maybe we did mess up with the spell and kickstarting all these girls into Slayerhood but it's done now. We're training them so there isn't a lot of murdering."
"Who decides what is evil and what isnae?" Airlie shook her head and got up out of the bed. She found her bathrobe and pulled it around her shoulders, tying the sash at her hip. As far as she was concered, training hundreds of chicks to stop the forces of 'darkness' sounded a lot worse than Arnie in a leather jacket. Especially in her home country, which wasn't very big to start with. "You should eat something. I'll make it for you."
Xander looked from the bed she'd vacated to where Airlie was now standing and shook his head. "No, I'll... I should go. I can probably get enough energy together for a cab. I didn't mean to... I still don't know why we're arguing. Your best friend hunts things, and you're asking me who decides what is evil, what isn't? It's the things hell bent on ending the world, sacrificing little kids, or murdering just for the fun of it. It's their actions that decide it, not us. Again, I didn't say we made the right choice with the girls, but it's done now..." Xander moved to sit on the edge of the bed, and stopped for a moment as he felt a head rush. "I don't want to intrude any longer."
"Lie doon, Xander," Airlie told him quietly. There was no missing the pallor of his face. There was no way she was letting him get into a cab. "I have heard of perfectly innocent people being murdered because people take it upon themselves to assume they are evil, or something makes them evil. My best friend is a Hunter. My eyes are open to the world too, aye? Eyes that dinnae have to be happy aboot an army of people being trained in something like this. Hopefully they dinnae come to use those skills in ways that you havenae trained them to. Cannae possible fathom something as odd as defecting in an army. That never happens," she said sarcastically and then went over to him give him a nudge back onto the bed. "I'm nay letting you go, laddie, so you better stop with that bullshit right now."
"You first," Xander found coming out of his mouth before he could stop it. He closed his eye as his head hung in shame and he reached up to rub the back of his neck. "I'm sorry, but I'm not an idiot. Of course I know there could be defecting Slayers. There could be more Faiths. More anything. But we're doing the best we can. This is the side of things I know, okay? I'm sorry I'm not your best friend the Hunter. I'm sorry I'm not Scottish and don't wear a kilt and clearly know the world better than an American ever could. For the record, Slayers have come from every country. And there's probably been more in England and in Europe than where we're from. But whatever..." Xander lay back down when he realised he really didn't have the energy for a storm out, but he didn't look at her as he tugged the sheets back over in his his direction.
It was the first time in his presence Airlie actually felt completely threatened. Like she couldn't trust him. She swallowed and tied the sash tighter around herself, hoping it could act as some sort of shield. "Maybe you should go. In fact, aye, I think you should go. Call Buffy to come and get you. This was stupid." It really was stupid, letting her guard down with someone so close to all these Slayers, no matter how much Rory said he would protect her. Suddenly she was terrified for her own life and she had to move away from him before she did anything she regretted. She didn't have the skills of older and more experienced Kindred to know how to protect herself.
Xander licked his lips as he battled to get up into a sitting position again, wondering why the hell he was still feeling so drained. He stumbled out of the bed, nearly losing footing as he stooped for his pants to find his cell in it. He had no idea when things had gone horribly wrong, but apparently a Slayer wasn't as noble as her little Hunter, and Xander just felt like there was no moving past it. His best friend wasn't good enough for Airlie, and neither was what he did. Which meant he wasn't. Now he knew why he never let himself believe a woman wanted him. Because somehow it always seemed to turned to shit. Xander mumbled out a message to Buffy when his friend picked up before he worked on getting dressed, ignoring Airlie as much as he could. Stupid didn't even begin to cover how he felt about what had happened, and it hurt him more than he could have imagined. He just needed to get out of her place as quickly as possible.
Word Count | 6,372