Getting On...

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PART 19

Of all the things William had hoped and feared having happen that night, being summarily grabbed and escorted from the ballroom by two older men hadn’t even been on his list.

He’d panicked a bit at first, his legs refusing to move, but when he found himself being literally lifted an inch or so and carried with the appearance of accompanying them, he’d finally managed to get his mind to operate.

That was when he’d gotten a good look at one of the men absconding with him, and…

“Bloody hell,” he groaned. “Rupert Giles. And I’m assuming your partner in crime to be Ethan Rayne, yes?”

Ethan snorted and leaned in closer, speaking into the blond’s ear. “Believe me, young Aurelius. If there were a crime being committed here, you’d be bound and gagged by now. Even in the midst of a gathering such as this.”

There was something about the way the man said it that convinced William of exactly that, and while his own certainty had his heart skipping a beat, it was the calm and affectionate tone of the other man’s voice that set him at ease.

“Really, Ethan. There is no need to frighten the child into an apoplexy. Control yourself or I shall be forced to do it for you.” Rupert smiled slightly when his words were met by a disappointed sigh. “Now, then. We haven’t been introduced as yet, but as we are all quite aware of each others’ identities, a bit of cooperation on your part would be most welcome, Mister Barrington… or do you prefer Aurelius? No matter. I’m afraid that any more of a scene might draw my son’s attention and I don’t believe that would be at all welcome at this particular moment.”

William frowned even as his body began moving as directed by the men flanking him. “I am actually here in order to see him, uh, Mister Giles. And Barrington is fine. It’s my name, after all. I… that is, I was under the impression that he had… mentioned me?”

William bit his lip worriedly. Willow had said that her family knew about him but maybe Xander hadn’t been as open as she’d thought, but if that were the case, then why were Xander’s father and ‘Uncle’, for lack of a better term, making him leave the room he’d been told his love was in?

Unless, he realized, they thought he was there to create some sort of drama between Angel and Buffy.

It was possible, he supposed. After all, they had no way of knowing that he had no interest in ever controlling ATS and if his brother was to marry Buffy, as seemed likely, then there might be some concern that he had shown up to cause problems.

Yes, that must be it, William decided with a small sigh of relief. But once he’d spoken with the men—explained that he was entirely thrilled for Angel and Buffy and had no designs upon Aurelius Technology Systems—he was certain they’d understand and allow him to pursue the one thing he did have designs upon. That being Xander.

His certainty was entirely derailed almost immediately, however, when the somehow sinister but still pleasant voice of Ethan Rayne responded to his question.

“Oh, he’s mentioned you alright, boy. Fancies himself in love with you, even. I wouldn’t let that make you feel too smug, though. We’re a very close-knit group, you know… and even with Xander in Texas, of all places? Most of the time,we look after our own.”

Rupert Giles found himself smiling softly as he heard his lover’s words although he worried just a bit that William Barrington might take them as a threat. Of course, Ethan likely meant them to be taken in just such a fashion, but that was neither here nor there.

One thing Rupert had learned many, many years earlier was that he had to choose his battles, and… if the worst that happened was his long-time partner convincing William that Xander’s Uncle Ethan was a dangerous man, well… that constituted fair warning.

That didn’t mean he wasn’t going to try to soothe the young man’s obviously jangling nerves, though.

He walked the young man down the hallway, ignoring the fact that Ethan had become uncharacteristically silent, and finally opened the door to his private office. “Please… have a seat, Mister Barrington. We have much to discuss.”

* * * * *

For his part, Ethan found himself unwillingly impressed by the young blond.

After the way this William had initially frozen at their manhandling and then accompanied them—obviously reluctantly—he’d expected his words to make the young man shiver, at the very least.

Instead, he’d implied that William might come to a bad end because Ethan took his family’s happiness and wellbeing so seriously, and… and the young man had simply swallowed hard and nodded, an entirely unexpected stubbornness firming his chin and making it clear that no matter what happened to him, William wouldn’t be scared off.

That sort of acceptance and determination in the face of an obvious threat had convinced Ethan of the young man’s feelings for Xander, entirely against his will.

“You’re not even remotely brain damaged,” he announced as he perched on the edge of Ripper’s desk and gave the blond a hard stare. “And yet you allow that story to be put about.”

“Ethan,” Giles began, casting a concerned gaze at the man his beloved had addressed, “show a bit of compassion for once! Mister Barrington may not be entirely…”

“No,” William said stiffly, cringing on the inside at ignoring his love’s father but somehow feeling that Ethan Rayne was the larger concern at the moment. “And yes.”

He leaned back in the chair, stretching his bad leg out in front of him as he forced his usual self to the back of his mind and dredged up as much of ‘Spike’ as he could manage.

“I’m not crazy or retarded or brain damaged… or any of the other things I allow society to believe me to be. And yes, I do let people believe it to be truth. I have no interest in changing that, either, so perhaps you will do me the kindness of letting what is spoken here remain here.”

And Rupert was blinking, even as he made his halting way to the chair behind his desk and slowly took a seat. He wasn’t sure of what was going on between his lover and his son’s lover, but it was… fascinating. Fascinating and disturbing, equally.

One sculpted brow rose and Ethan found himself smiling with just one side of his mouth. “Of course. Though you must know that if anything you say here will harm Xander, he will have to know about it.”

Spike-William smiled and nodded without a moment’s thought. “Works for me, mate… and right back at you, yeah? Won’t lie to Xan if you say anything that’s likely to hurt him, either.”

The half-smile became full and Ethan’s head dropped back as he let loose one loud, delighted bark of laughter.

“Done,” he agreed once he’d returned his gaze to William’s. “Now, I believe you have a story to tell… of brothers and accidents and all manner of fell beasts.”

William chuckled, easing further into the Spike persona and making the two parts of himself less fractured; more one. “Fell beasts… remind me of that phrase when I get to the part about Lindsey.”

And so, he spoke.

* * * * *

The upshot of it all—after William had told his tale and apologized profusely to Mister Giles for ignoring him earlier—was that neither of the older men had thought it to be a good idea for William to return to the ballroom that night.

Of course, they’d also disliked the idea of him trying to find a hotel room, even if there had been one available, and that was how Will found himself tucked away in what had once been the servant’s quarters, but considering how full the house was, he didn’t truly have an issue with that.

“It’s still bigger than my Xan’s place,” he muttered to himself, exaggerating just a little bit.

Of course, speaking his love’s name had him thinking even more about that very person and when William stripped the clothes from his body and left them in a hurriedly tangled heap, he didn’t much care about the clothing.

In fact, all he did care about was his cell phone, which was on the edge of the bed when he flung himself down completely naked.

One hand wrapped gently around his half-hard shaft while the other grabbed desperately at the electronic device and opened it, selecting the proper prompt.

He listened to the first two rings with his teeth clenched anxiously, but he couldn’t help that.

He was in Xander’s family’s house. He was naked. And he needed to hear his love’s voice. Needed to know that he hadn’t been shunted off to the attics because Xander wouldn’t want him nearby.

Intellectually, William knew that wasn’t true, but emotionally… he was a mess.

He’d just spent more than an hour talking to Xander’s father and the incredibly scary ‘Uncle Ethan’… and now he needed to know that his bloke still loved him.

William swallowed hard as the seventh ring started, knowing the next unanswered tone would bring voice mail, and while he didn’t mind leaving a message, he hated knowing that when he did it would be because his love was downstairs… dancing or chatting or… any number of things that William wasn’t doing with him.

Of course, that was when his bloke’s voice came to him, sounding both thrilled and breathless.

“Will!”

* * * * *

Xander had been going insane with watching his sister draping herself all over the bulky, looming form of Liam Aurelius.

Hell, he’d been hoping she’d suddenly wake up and realize just how crazy it was for her to actually want someone who was obviously a good hundred-thousand years regressed from modern humans.

He’d fielded more than one attempt at dragging him into conversation, though he was fairly certain he’d be hearing about it later from his Dad and Uncle Ethan… both of whom had disappeared for more than an hour earlier, and had only just returned a short while ago wearing smug and very satisfied smiles.

Xander tried not to feel any jealousy over the fact that they’d obviously just gone off to have… fun, but how could he help it, considering?

That was when his phone suddenly started vibrating against his thigh, and Xander…

Forgot entirely about everything other than his need to get somewhere quiet and private… where he could talk to Will without having his lover hear the sounds of the party, or even random remarks, as might be found in the gardens.

He made his way rudely to the edge of the crowd, then dashed down a hallway that was closed to non-family, pulling the mobile from his pocket as he rounded the corner.

“Will!” He gasped, breathing slowly to disguise his need for fast, deep gulps of air. “Baby… I miss you! I… God, I must sound so fucking gay, but… God, Will! I love you so much, I… what are you’re wearing…?”

* * * * *

“Nothing at all, Xander… I’m just laying here on these cold, crisp sheets, wishing you were here with me…”

“Oh, fuck. Just… give me a minute, Will. I’m not… I mean, I’m still…”

“Take your time, luv… or do you want to call me back, Xan?”

“NO!” the sound of a throat being cleared “No. Just… God, baby. Don’t hang up, okay?”

A soft snort. “Not bloody likely, pet. Getting harder by the moment, aren’t I?”

A deep groan accompanied by the sound of a door slamming, then quiet rustles as fabric was shed.

“Okay… okay, Will. I’m naked too, baby… and I’m right there beside you, crawling into bed and wrapping my arms around you…”

“And I’m holding you too, pet… running my hands up and down your spine. You know, the way I like to do…”

A groan. “God… I love it when you do that, baby… makes me feel like I’m your world…”

“You are, Xan… everything to me, yes? Want nothing more than to feel you on me. Love the weight of you. Can’t stand it when you pull away to spare me, can I?”

A soft moan. “God, baby… never gonna do that again, okay? I’ll just let you tell me when I have to move. Never loved anything the way I love covering you after we’ve…” Another moan.

“Never loved anything the way I love feeling that, luv…” A sly pause. “Are you hard for me, Xander? Because I’ve been throbbing since I dialed you. Even before…please, Xan… tell me you want this…”

“Oh, fuck. Always want you, Will. Always. I just… fuck, I need you so badly, baby…”

A deep, hard swallow before the words will come, but when they do… “Right, then.”

“Slicking you up, Xan. Got one finger deep in you already.”

“Oh… hell, Will. Don’t tease.”

“Never, pet.” A small chuckle. “Squeeze more lube over that tight little hole of yours before I slide another finger deep.”

Gasps answered the words before a shaky “y-yeah…”.

“Know two’s enough… know you like a bit of pain when I slide deep into you, luv, but I don’t want any pain this time. Not this first time when I can take you hard and deep like we’ve been wanting, so I force another finger inside… feels so good, Xan. Know it’s going to feel even better when it’s my cock in you, but I can’t help twisting my fingers, sliding them against that spot in you, precious…”

Another gasp, followed by the sound of a hand sliding roughly on straining flesh. “A-and…?”

A loud swallow. “And I’ve had enough, haven’t I?” The voice broke wildly, almost desperately. “Need to be in you, pet… feel you around me. Drag you up and turn you over, bring you to hands and knees… and you’re slick enough from the stretching that when I slam into you, you’re ready, and…”

Two voices cried out in harmony, completion found in less than a moment.

“Bloody hell… want to do that, Xander.”

Shaky breaths then a sound that was clearly agreeable followed by a softly hissed ‘yessss...’.

“Soon, love… Cordy said…” A very audible smirk. “Cordelia says we can have at it as long as we don’t get too… acrobatic.”

A loud, long, heartfelt groan. “The minute I see you again, baby. And I mean that.”

A soft purring rumble. “Bloody hell, I hope so.”

* * * * *

tbc... soon.