FIC : Family Bonds chapter 30 WIP

  CHAPTER 30

Spike woke just after midday, kissed Xander, who responded without waking, and got dressed. He wrapped himself in a blanket and ran for the sewer access outside the apartment next door. Xander would be out of it for a long while yet, sleeping off the after effects of a night of loud, athletic sex. Normally Spike would still be sleeping too, would prefer to be wound up in Xander’s long warm arms, but damned if he would leave the boy unprotected on night patrol. He had business to take care of today so it would have to be done in the daylight.

His coat had taken a beating on last night’s patrol, some small tears, a few stains, nothing of import. He had a good arrangement with the Zeeum, his coat was repaired, sometimes while he waited, always gratis, and in return Spike would chase up a few accounts. If the work on his coat was minor, he sometimes walked away with a little cash for the collection jobs, just to keep things on an even keel between him and the Zeeum. Times past, the money was small, maybe a carton of smokes, maybe a bottle of Jack. This last week though the couple of visits he’d made had paid off nicely. Apparently there were more blow-ins looking for one-off jobs from the Zeeum, then trying to scarper.  Made sense if the watcher’s idea of more demons in town was true.

He dropped down into the tunnel and slung the blanket over his shoulder. He wouldn’t be needing that again for now, the Zeeum was located in central Sunnydale with direct access from the tunnels. Spike knew that most of the jobs he would be sent on would also be accessible from the tunnels. It was a popular route for the Zeeum’s clientele.

It was a quick visit with the Zeeum; he did his thing, Spike’s coat was restored to its former battered and worn splendour, minus the holes and gunk. Spike was then given a list of defaulters to ‘encourage’ a payment out of and had a bloody fine time doing it thankyou very much. All were demons, most were easy targets and Spike returned to the Zeeum with his pockets full of recovered payments. He left a short time later with a small bundle of cash and a contented swagger in his step. A magnificent night of shags sandwiched between two outings chock full of bloody and violent stoushes; what more could a vampire want? Images of naked Xander flashed through his mind and Spike grinned to himself. Yeah that’s what he could want; more of that.

The boy was a goer that was for sure. Spike was certain the bedtime stories Angelus had told him were true. He had no doubt that if he hadn’t needed to sleep, Xander would still be at it now. He wanted to rush, to get back as soon as he could, not just for the damn fine sex he knew he would get but because he missed the closeness they had been sharing. Spike berated himself for acting like a sappy teen, but couldn’t deny his feelings. Xander bloody Harris of all people had inched his way into the unbeating heart of William the Bloody.

Spike picked up on a familiar scent and realised he was near the access point for the Bear and Lion. He paused, fingering the money in his pocket. Xander had been happy to take care of the blood but Spike hated feeling like a kept man, even though he knew full well Xander didn’t intend it that way. He veered off at the next turn and headed for the access hole behind the pub. Once inside he waved off the offer of a beer in favour of a quick exit and gave assurances to Rose that he would bring ‘that lovely boy’ for a meal very soon. On his way out he spied a cowering Bilarl and in full game face sent an audible growl the young demon’s way, sending him toppling off his stool. He left to the sound of Tom’s chuckles and Roses displeased muttering, his pockets considerably lighter having paid Tom for the next few weeks’ blood deliveries.

All up, a productive afternoon that left him free to watch over Xander on the patrol tonight. Of course he would not tell Xander that’s what he was doing, and truth be told the lad was able to handle himself pretty bloody well these days, if only he could build up some strength to match his coordination. But if Spike was right, and all the signs pointed that way, then patrol was one of the least safe places for Xander to be. With the slayer slipping off her rocker around him, she couldn’t be relied on to help if he got in a situation.

Spike emerged from the sewers and was surprised at how dim the light was. Not one for watches, he’d not been keeping track and it was now only minutes away from sundown. He was able to make the short trip to Xander’s front door without needing the protection of the blanket. Xander’s car was still there, but there were no lights on upstairs so Spike assumed he was still in bed. Good. Save having to drag him back there. 

 

Upstairs, Spike tried the door and found it unlocked so he let himself in. Dropping his coat over the couch, he found Xander sitting in the dim light, head bent over some papers.

“Mate you’ll go blind trying to read like that, why didn’t you turn the light on?” Spike flipped the switch, bathing the table in a soft glow.

“Dunno. Just got into this and didn’t notice.” Xander leaned back in the chair and stretched. He tilted his head back against Spike’s chest and groaned when Spike’s strong fingers worked at his aching shoulders.

He leaned down and nipped gently at Xander’s ear. “There’s something better you can get into.”

Spike took Xander’s hands and led him through to the bedroom. He stood Xander next to the bed and slowly peeled off his old Tshirt. He loosened the cord at Xander’ waist and slid his sweat pants down and off. Spike was pleased to note the boy had forgone his usual underwear and was already sporting a full erection. Spike leaned up against him, laying soft kisses along Xander’s shoulder and up his neck. He slid his lips over Xander’s jaw and kissed the willing mouth. His hands roved over Xander’s back and down to grip his arse pulling Xander closer to rub against him. When he felt Xander’s hips begin to move, he pushed him down on the bed, stripped himself quickly and straddled Xander’s thighs. Reaching under the pillow for the tube he’d left there earlier, Spike slathered a handful of the gel over Xander’s length then positioned himself over it. One hand holding Xander’s cock steady, Spike slid himself down with a long sigh until he was flush against Xander’s warm groin.

This was what he’d been waiting for. Xander deep inside him, stretching and filling him, the burn of entry slowly giving way to the heat of passion. Spike threw his head back and breathed deep letting the scents of this boy overwhelm him. The pheromones, the natural heavy musk, the faint spicy soap from a recent shower, all of these flowed around Spike and combined with the sounds of their pleasure into one image. Xander. He rode Xander at a slow leisurely pace, raising and lowering himself in a controlled way. Xander took hold of Spike’s cock and lazily rubbed his palm over the tip, around the ridge and just as slowly stroked the length. It felt like hours but was probably no more than minutes when they both came with long moans of release. Spike fell to Xander’s chest and felt the warm arms encircle and hold him. He could feel the thumping of Xander’s heart and listened as it slowly wound down to its normal rhythm, the echoes of Xander’s panting breaths calming to his regular pattern.

Spike slipped off Xander and lay up against him, pulling the blankets back over them both. He lay with his head on the pillow next to Xander, wondering how to go about talking to the lad about how he felt. He was fairly certain that he and Xander were of the same mind, but just in case, he wanted to give him room to back out if that’s what he wanted. Spike hoped to hell it wasn’t.

Xander propped himself up on one elbow and watched as tiny lines furrowed Spike’s brow. “I can hear the wheels turning. Problem?”

“Nah, mate, no problem.” Xander’s hand was stroking over Spike’s hip, he caught it and brought it up to his lips, lightly kissing the long fingers. “Was just thinking.”

“About?”

Spike considered backing out, making up something else but knew he would kick himself later if he let it go. “I was wondering if you were still okay with this. You know, with us. If you maybe wanted to back out.”

Spike knew he’d been misunderstood when he saw the confusion and hurt in Xander’s face.

“You want out?” Xander tried to pull his hand out of Spike’s but Spike held tight.

“No! No mate, not at all. Far from it in fact.”

“You think I do then? Why are you asking?”

“Harris, look we said before that this thing was going somewhere and I have no doubt of that. None. But before it goes any further I just wanted to make sure you weren’t having second thoughts.”

“God no, Spike, no. You don’t really think that do you?”

“No mate, but it’s a big step for you, getting into it with a vampire.”

Xander nodded. “Sure maybe it is, and maybe there’ll be some issues later on but we can deal then. For now, no, I do not want to back out. You get it? I want in.”

“Got it mate, don’t need to be told twice.”

“Okay then.”  Xander raked his eyes slowly down Spike’s body and back up to Spike’s smirking face. “You know, we still have enough time for me to show you how exactly how much I want in.”

 

They arrived, hand in hand at the Magic Box; Xander squeezed Spike’s fingers a final time before he reluctantly let go when he saw Buffy through the window.

As they entered, Buffy unobtrusively shifted away to a safe distance with a sad, resigned sigh when Xander received a hug of welcome from Willow and warm hellos from the others. Spike was awkwardly included in the greetings but merely nodded to the room in general before taking up a position at Xander’s side.

Giles got straight to business, organising teams and discussing strategy. It was his plan that they would work together in one particular cemetery to flush out any lingering demons and hopefully find the Fewoi.

Xander interrupted Giles’ instructions. “Why can’t the demons gather in the mall, or a nice restaurant? Why has it always got to be the dark, dirty, nasty bone yards?”

He gave Xander a withering look and continued. “We’ll go in with two teams again, that seemed to be quite effective on our last outing. Obviously Buffy and Xander we need to keep you separated for the moment.”

Xander looked over at Buffy who was hovering behind the counter. “Sorry Buff.”

“Not your fault Xan,” she said. “Not mine either. As soon as Tara and Willow can find out what it is I’m gonna kick something’s ass for doing this to us.”

“Yeah you and me both.”

“Right then, in the meantime there are many things, I’m sure, that are awaiting your kicking, so shall we?” Giles indicated the pile of weapons and the girls began arming themselves.

 

Xander and Spike had successfully avoided having Anya join their group again but this evening had Willow as their magical back up. Giles had elected to stay with his slayer. They’d moved through to the north end of the cemetery and were beginning their sweep back towards the main gates. Buffy’s group were further away to the left, working back in the same direction.

 “Now mate, if you are with me on this theory of mine then do I need to tell you to keep your eyes open and stick by me? You too Red.”

“Spike its not like I was planning to go off on my own and patrol with my eyes shut. And yes I’ll be careful and no I probably won’t be hiding behind you.”

“Not asking you to hide Harris, just asking you to keep in a group,” Spike stopped and stared at him. “And must you be so bloody stubborn every time we patrol?”

“Hey, no domestics; save it for later pal.” Willow pointed at Spike, her finger shaking slightly.

“Right then Red, watch where you point that thing.” Spike held his hands up. “Just making sure you and the lad here are on the ball.”

“So Spike, anything? Your spider senses tingling?” Xander asked him.

“My what? My spi-?” Spike rolled his eyes at Xander. “No, nothing yet, but with the amount of noise you’re making, it either won’t be long till you attract every bloody thing here, or scare them all off.”

“Well I don’t know about you guys but I’m all for scaring them off.” Willow said.

“Well I’m not,” he spoke with faked patience. “I want to fight, I like to fight and if you scare away the baddies, I can’t fight, then I get pissed off, then Harris here doesn’t get his end away.”

Xander stopped dead and stared at Spike with his jaw flapping. It took a couple of goes to get the words out. “You- I- that- could we please not mention my end in front of my friends.”

Spike merely looked from Xander to Willow and back again, snorted and walked off waving for them to follow along behind.

Willow avoided Xander’s eyes, looking everywhere but, as they moved through the darkened grounds.

Further into the burial plots, Spike stopped, checked to make sure they were not too far away and held up a hand to silence them. “Something coming.”

Xander took Willow’s hand and waited.

Spike turned in a slow circle, listening and peering into the darkness. Suddenly he tensed, his eyes narrowed and he reached for Xander.

“Mate, stick close, and you Red.” Spike lifted his axe. “They’re coming fast.”

“No, no, no! Pronoun usage!” Willow said with mild panic. “They? Don’t you mean it? They?”

“Its sounds like a they Will, sorry,” Xander said with his head cocked. Spike shot a quick glance at him then focused back on the darkness ahead of them.

“What does? I can’t hear anything yet.”

“Here they come.” Spike warned.

 

They stood in a clearing. Old, large headstones to their left and right, thick trees in front them, concealing what approached. The sounds of heavy thudding feet and cracking, snapping, rustling of underbrush grew louder.  Xander hefted his axe, nudging Willow, who whimpered but lifted her short sword.

“Shouldn’t we run?” Willow suggested.

“And let them get you in the back while you’re not looking?” Spike asked.

“A good point.”

Spike and Xander both tensed their bodies and took up a fighting stance, keeping Willow between them as two vampires crashed through the trees and into the clearing.

“It’s just vampires?” Willow giggled in a nervous voice. “We can do two vampires.”

The two males ran growling at the group, separating themselves and flanking Xander, Spike and Willow. The vampires didn’t pause; no threats, no snappy banter. Just a lunge, a grab, and one had Xander by the neck, pulling him away from the group, Willow was knocked to the ground and Spike was engaged in a fight with the larger of them.

Xander twisted and struggled, kicking out behind him and jabbing back with the handle of his axe in the soft gut of the vampire that was trying to pull him away towards the trees. He tried letting his legs go from under him, hoping to drop them both to the ground. The vampire only stumbled, didn’t fall.

Willow had found her feet and was circling, trying to swing her sword at the legs of the vampire Spike was fighting. It kicked out at her as though shooing a bug, catching her shoulder and knocking her back down.

Xander’s arm was pinned so he couldn’t swing properly, but he managed to let the axe fall and using his hands and wrists, guided the blade to pass by his leg and connect with the lower leg of the vampire behind him. There was little power to it, but gravity, along with the weight of the blade and the handle gave sufficient strength for the sharp metal to cut into the leg.

Spike manoeuvred himself around so that he could scan the area and see where Xander and Willow were while swinging his axe at the vampire. Seeing Xander being dragged away drew a loud growl from him, his face rippled and changed. He easily dodged a few blows, quickly skirted around behind the vampire and swung at its neck. The dust was still drifting when he turned and ran for Xander.

Willow had rolled away and was sitting against a tall headstone, looking around the area for any more vampires, making sure there had been only to two. Seeing none she quickly crawled along the tree line towards Xander, digging into her bag as she went.

Spike charged for the trees where Xander was trying to pull his axe from the vampire’s leg, still held fast by one arm around his throat. “Xander!” He bellowed.

The other vampire swung around, ignoring the weapon buried in its leg, and put Xander between himself and Spike.

“Back off, I’m keeping this one,” the vampire warned Spike and tightened it arm around Xander’s neck.

“Like fuck you are. He’s mine.”

The vampire sniffed at Xander, then in Spike’s direction. “Not completely.”

Spike inched forward and saw the vampire jerk its arm threateningly around Xander’s neck. “If you want to keep him, you’re not gonna do that now are you?”

The vampire used its other hand to snatch at Xander’s hair and jerk his head to the side, licking and scraping his fangs over Xander’s neck. “Could always turn him.”

Xander thrashed. “Get the fuck off me.”

Spike flicked his eyes to the side and behind the vampire. It caught his movement and laughed. “You won’t be fast enough to get behind me before I bite.”

Spike leaned, seemingly carefree, on his axe handle. “You might be right, but I’m not your biggest problem right now.”

As the vampire turned to glance over his shoulder, Willow pounced from behind him, plunging the stake through his back, into his heart.

Spike was there in an instant, catching Xander as he stumbled from the sudden release. Xander scrubbed at his neck with his shirt sleeve. “Oh, geez, it was gonna bite me,” he looked at his shirt seeing the dampness. “It licked me, gross it licked me Spike. I have vampire lick on me and it’s not yours, that’s just disgusting.”

“C’mere mate, hold still.” Spike licked and sucked at his neck, spitting on the ground every now and then.

Xander clung to him, leaning into his mouth and letting out little groans of delight as Spike worked to remove any trace of the other vampire.

Satisfied, Spike kissed him, filling his mouth with Xander’s taste and running his hands over Xander’s body, checking for injuries.

“Ahem! Company here people.” Willow was brushing herself off, shaking dust from her hair and trying not to look at her best friend being devoured by an apparently very hungry blonde vampire.

Xander pulled away from Spike, panting. “Okay, sorry Will. And hey! Go you with the stakeage.” Xander hugged his friend.

“Good job Red.”

Willow gave Spike a tentative smile.

“Right then, onwards.” Spike pointed with his axe towards the pathway. “Fall in troops; we’ve got us some demons to see to.” He spun in a swirl of leather and led them on.

As they walked, a smile played over Xander’s face as he recalled Spike’s words. He’s mine. Xander had no doubts now that Spike had meant every word earlier. The smile slowly faded as he thought about the need for Spike to say that. Another attack. Target? Him. There was no two ways about it this time. Xander felt the heavy weight pressing in on him again.

 

They’d made a few circuits of the crypt areas, looking in doors, behind walls, dusting the odd solitary vamp unlucky enough to be lurking in a darkened corner.

It was accidental, stumbling across the group of demons behind one crypt. There were six, a little on the large side, beefy, dressed in intricately patterned heavy robes which did nothing to disguise their obvious strength. Shining and pulsing with its own light, a large horn began on one side of their heads, curled over the top and down the other side of their neck, protruding with a wicked looking point several inches in front of their body.

Spike, Xander and Willow stopped dead in their tracks as they rounded the building. The demons were lined up, side by side facing the group. Spike spread his arms, forcing Xander and Willow to step back with him. As they inched away, the lights from the demon’s horns grew dimmer and they became agitated; shuffling and twitching.

“I know about these blokes, they’re too strong for us to take, we need back up.” Spike scanned the area, looking for escape routes. “They’re not that fast. Get ready to run.”

“But our backs. What about our backs?” Willow asked.

“Better to take the chance, than have these things get hold of you, Red.”

The two centre demons took a small step forward, their horns again glowing stronger.

Spike indicated with his head which way they would go. “Let’s high tail it folks.” He turned and ran, Willow close behind. Xander moved less quickly.

Spike glanced back and saw that Xander was not behind him and stopped. “Harris, move it.”

Xander looked at him with a glazed expression. “Yeah, I’m coming. Spike, see their horns? That’s beautiful, that light.” Xander reached out a hand towards it.

“No! Harris run, c’mon.”

“In a minute.” Xander’s voice was vague, wondering.

As the demons stepped closer to him, the light from their horns shone brighter.

Spike growled, ran and grabbed Xander around the waist yanking him away. He took Xander’s hand and pulled him along as they ran. “Those lights are not as pretty as you think mate.” Looking over his shoulder he saw the lights again dimming. The demons did not run after them, but reformed their lines and marched slowly but determinedly forward.

Xander shook his head as they ran. “What the hell? That was bad and wrong. What did those things do to me? I didn’t want to move.”

“Something like a vampire thrall mate. Like hypnotising but with a bit more class.” Spike told him as they ran and caught up with Willow.

“Xander what happened? Couldn’t you move?” she asked.

“No not couldn’t, just didn’t want to. But now I do, let’s go.”

They ran back towards where they had begun their patrol then followed the path of Buffy’s group calling loudly as they went.

“They’re up ahead.” Spike said pointing. “Slayer! Watcher!” he yelled.

Within a few moments they heard the sounds of feet running along the path. Xander lifted his axe.

“Its okay mate, it’s them.” Spike told him with a hand on Xander’s back.

“What is it?” Buffy asked looking around with her weapon up.

Giles rounded the corner behind her at a sprint. “You found the Fewoi?” he panted harshly.

Anya and Tara were close behind, also breathing heavily.

“No, not the Fewoi.” Spike shook his head, looking directly at Giles. “Behind us, not far away. We’ve got a clan of Erhijii sages.”

“The whole clan?” Giles asked disbelievingly. “All six?”

“Every last one of them Rupert.”

Giles looked around at the group and silently wished for more weapons.

TBC