Kindness, Love, and Acceptance

Part 13

After their shower - in which more playing than washing had occurred - Xander plied Connor with sugary breakfast cereal and sat him down in front of the TV. He couldn't believe that he had never heard of Cartoon Network. Spike sipped his blood and watched in amusement as Xander explained the finer points of Dragonball Z to the younger man.

After the cartoons were finished, or at least Connor’s education had been broadened sufficiently for one day, Xander switched off the TV. "So, I was thinking."

"Uh oh; 's 's never a good thing." Spike winked at his lover to take the sting out of the barb and Xander smiled.

"Anyway", Xander turned to Connor and looked at him seriously. "I was thinking that maybe you would like a job. I work at a construction company; hard work but it's good pay. It would keep you in shape, give you something to do during the day and you'd have ymonemonemoney. What do you think?"

Connor blinked. He hadn't really thought about a job before. He just killed demons, lived where he could, and took what he needed. A job sounded like a good idea. It would help him to learn how to fit in with other people. "What exactly would I be doing?"

"A lot of lifting, at first. I'll show you how to use the tools and stuff and then you'd be put on a crew. Probably carpentry, it's where I started and what I know. So, what do you think?" Xander tried not to let his nervousness show; he didn't want to seem pushy, but he hoped Connor would take him up on the offer. He thought the job might help him to feel more useful; he knew it had helped him when he was younger. Gave him a sense of purpose.

"Yeah, okay. Why not? I've never had a job before." Connor smiled at Xander and then turned to look at Spike who was sprawled out in the armchair. "What do you do all day? I mean, while Xander is at work?"

"Sleep mostly, watch the telly; sometimes I go out." Spike did get bored during the day, and he had thought that maybe he should see about getting a hobby or something. "Why do you ask?"

"I was just curious. I don't really know a lot about vampires. Angel always tried to act like a man around me, like he wasn't a demon. I think it would have been easier for me to accept him if he had have been himself."

Spike looked away guiltily. He had done the same thing that morning. He hid his true face, wanting to spare Connor from the sight of it. He snorted at his own stupidity, the young man had grown up in a hell dimension - one of the worst ones at that - and he thought what? That his fangs and yellow eyes would traumatise him?

"You’re probably right, but in Angel’s defence - and I can't believe I'm defending that wanker - he acts that way with everyone. Except me, of course. Me, he just beats the tar out of on sight. He thinks that if he acts like a man, it'll make him less of a demon. Doesn't work that way; I have a soul but I know what I a kno know what I did. Doesn't change anything, just makes me think about my actions. I don't kill anymore, not because I can't but because I don't want to. That doesn't make me a man, just makes me different than before." Spike looked Connor dead in the eye and then let his demon face come out. "This is who I am. This is what you shared a bed with, what you shared your body with. Does it bother you?"

Connor stood and walked to Spike before dropping into a crouch before him. He lifhis his hand toward Spike's face and then stopped. "May I?" He asked, and then reached out again when Spike nodded. He lightly traced the ridges on Spike's forehead and down the bridge of his nose. He lifted his face, turned it from side to side and then when Spike opened his mouth, he investigated his fangs.

"Xander had a mark on his throat. You did that?"

"Yes."

"You feed from him?"

"No. It's not that kind of mark."

"A claiming then?"

Spike was startled that Connor knew about claiming bites. He assumed his knowledge didn't come from Angel, but he didn't know where else he would have learned about this. "Yes, he's mine."

"Like property?"

"No! Not property. He's my... mate would be the best word for it."

"And me? Will you bite me?"

Spike wasn't sure if that was an invitation, or what to do with it if it was. "Do you want me to?" He waited while Connor seemed t think about it. A part of him was hoping he'd say yes, but another part - likely the soul - was hoping he said no. It was too soon for him to make such a huge decision. Xander and he had been together for months and he had only claimed him the night before.

"No. It's not that I don't accept the fact that you're a demon, it's just too soon for me to think about that. I understand the ways of beasts - when they mate, it's for life. I don't know you well enough for that." Connor realised that what he said could be taken as an insult and quickly back-peddled to try and explain. "Oh! Uh, not that I was calling you a b. I . I mean, I know you're a demon but you’re not an animal. You're intelligent... Um, you have a soul, and... and... "

Spike couldn't help but laugh. "Easy, luv. I get it; no need to babble. We get enough of that around here with Xan."

Xander tried to look outraged but couldn't quite pull it off. He looked at Spike and Connor and then smiled sheepishly. "It's true. I babble." He shrugged his shoulders and then tilted his head and studied Spike. He hadn't seen him stay in game face this long before. "Is it more comfortable this way?"

Spike looked at him questioningly and Xander pointed. "Your face. Is it more comfortable for you to be like that?"

"Nah, feels fine either way. It's not like wearing a mask or anything. I have two faces, one human and one demon. They just suit different purposes. Can't bite properly in my human face, and can't blend into the crowd in my demon one." Spike smiled softly at Xander and shook his head fondly. "Sometimes you ask the most bizarre questions, love." Spike reverted back to his human face and Connor smiled.

"Cool."

~!~

They spent the day talking; getting to know each other better. Xander was both stunned and outraged at some of the things Connor had told him about the way he had been raised. His own upbringing was less than stellar, but this was downright abusive. What kind of monster left a five year old tied to a tree and then left him to escape on his own and then have to track his parent by scent alone. And that was one of the milder tales he had shared. It made him want to wConnConnor in cotton and keep him safe from the world.

Spike had shifted into game face and began growling about halfway through the first story. By the time Connor told them of his trip through the portal that had brought them back here to this dimension, he was pacing the room and snapping his teeth. Xander didn't blame him; if he had fangs of his own, they'd be itching to rip Holtz' throat out. Lucky thing the man was already dead.

There was a scooby meeting that night, and Spike and Xander convinced Connor to come along and meet the gang, but told him it was probably best if he left Angel's name out of it. Spike briefly explained Buffy's involvement with Angel and Connor understood. He was nervous about the meeting though; he wasn't sure how these people - these friends of Xander's would take to him being involved with both Xander and Spike. He knew it was an odd occurrence - three people being together in a sexual relationship, but both Spike and Xander refused to hide the truth about them. They said that the others would have to cope and deal. They were tired of keeping secrets.

As the time to leave grew closer, Connor became more and more nervous. He had never fit in well with large groups; his father's friends had proven that. They never liked him - well, except Fred, but then she had turned on him as well.

Xander pulled Connor into his arms. "Relax, it'll be fine. They won't hate you; yeah they'll find this whole threesome thing a bit weird, but they'll deal. It'll be okay, trust me."

Spike wrapped hims ams around both of them and sighed. He only hoped Xander was right. The scoobies could be an accepting lot, but they were fiercely loyal to their own and didn't take to intruders too kindly. He knew they still had issues with him and Xander being a couple. Adding Connor to the mix was likely to stir things up for a while. "Come on, pets. Time to face the inquisition."

~!~