Need

Angel struggled to refocus his thought on finding Xander to check on the boy’s well-being, not an easy task when his cock demanded finding Xander for an entirely different purpose. Chris took in the vampire’s clenched jaw and grinned to himself as he sauntered over.

“Find who you were looking for?”

“Not exactly what I expected,” Angel admitted. “How long has he been doing that?”

“Oh, like I said, this is Raoul’s usual gig. Would you believe Alex has never actually been on stage before. He’s a natural. Of course, I think he’s seen Julian and Raoul’s act more than once,” he winked knowingly. “You still looking to see him?”

More than ever, he thought, but aloud he settled for a terse “Yes.”

“Well c’mon then, I’ll get you back to the dress{oomrooms.” Chris wiped his hands on a bar towel and indicated to the other bartender that he was taking a quick break. He came out from behind the bar and headed toward the side of the stage. Angel shifted uncomfortably as he moved to follow, willing his cock to lie back down before he embarrassed himself. They walked through a beaded doorway, and Chris nodded at the bouncer who stood in the hall. The overly muscled bouncer let them pass without a word, and Angel continued to follow the bartender down the dimly lit hallway.

“This is the dressing room Raoul uses, so he’ll be in here.” Chris knocked briefly before poking his head in the room. “Alex? Someone here to see you.” He opened the door wider and turned back to Angel, sn’tsn’t look like he’s back yet. He must be talking to Julian, but you can come on in and wait for him here. I should get back to the bar. There can be a rush between numbers.” Without waiting for the other man to answer, Chris loped back toward the main area of the club.

Angel walked into the dressing room crowded with a makeup table and mirror and racks of mostly leather costumes for both men and women. The smell of makeup, cold cream, sweat, and sex permeated the room. Unsure of what to do and unwilling to touch anything, he settled on leaning against the far wall, arms crossed over his chest. Within moments he heard voices outside the door.

“You’re a natural, kid. I mean it. Almost as good as Raoul already. You really could have a future in this.” The first voice insisted.

“Nah, one time deal here,” Xander joked back.

“C’mon kid. What d’ya got going on that you can’t give this a chance. Just imagine it, me, Raoul and you. Master and slaves. We would make a killing.”

“Sorry, man. I’ve got people waiting for me, so once I get my car fixed I’m blowing this popsicle stand and heading back home. Besides, you know Raoul’s not interested in sharing the spotlight or anything else with anybody but you.” By this time, Xander had opened the door and stepped in the room. He kept his attention on Julian, however, and didn’t notice the other presence in the room.

“Yeah, I knowuliaulian sighed. He ran his hand over Xander’s cheek and lowered his voice suggestively. “But he’s not here now. Shall we finish this little scene somewhere a little less publicly?”

The waves of pheromones fairly poured off Xander, and Angel could hear the boy swallow.

“Nah,” he answered casually. “I’m beat. Okay, bad pun. Not beat as in ‘whip me one more time master,’ but beat as in of the tired kind. You know, four shows tonight. All that being on public display kinda wore me out. So I’m just gonna go home and turn in.”

“Alex, relax,” Julian laughed. “Go home, jack off, get a good night’s sleep. It was just an offer. After the shows we put on tonight, I’m sure I won’t have any trouble finding a taker in the audience if there’s not one trying to bribe his way past Tony already.” He winked and walked away. Xander closed the door and leaned forward, forehead resting against the wood.

“Like I’m gonna be able to hom home like this,” he glanced down at his prominent erection held in check by the cock-ring that kept him from cumming on stage. He sighed and let his eyes fall closed. After each performance, he found himself increasingly aroused. The fantasies of being dominated that had plagued him since first seeing Julian and Raoul perform paled in eroticism next to actually acting out that fantasy. The problem was that it left him with a painful, throbbing cock each time, and he d thd the thought of returning to the bathroom to take care of it by himself one morme tme tonight as much as he feared the thought of taking Julian up on his offer. All night he had wondered if his fellow dancer would make an advance, but the spell broke as soon as they walked off the stage, and Julian no longer commanded but joked around. Xander had never had sex with a man, and he knew that he couldn’t initiate it. His fantasy required obeying commands, not taking up a companionable offer.

Angel took in the almost bitter comment and the slump of those broad shoulders. He could sense the boy’s conflict. The scent of his arousal filled the small room, but his babbling refusal of his dance partner’s offer indicated his fear. Both spoke directly to the vampire’s own cock, which filled fur further at the thought of stepping into Julian’s place in Xander’s aborted fantasy. He remained silent for a moment longer, watching and waiting to see what toy woy would do, unwilling to startle him and unsure of the reaction he would get.

Xander turned around, eyes still closed and leaned back against the door. He slid his right hand over the leather bodysuit from shoulder to crotch, where his hand hesitated on the zipper over his cock. He kneaded his rigid length with the palm of his hand, letting out a low groan. Angel struggled to remain silent as his erection strained violently in response to the wanton display.

Suddenly Xander’s hand dropped away and his shoulders slumped again.

“Shit.” The sighed expletive conveyed disappointment, exhaustion, and frustration. He knew that jerking off would get rid of the raging hard-on that came with performing, but it wasn’t what he wanted. Stepping out on stage tonight had been like stepping out of his life for a few hours and he didn’t want the fantasy to end. Taking off the leather bodysuit and trudging back to his dingy motel room would effectively bring him crashing back into the real world, albeit the real world with a few more dollars in his pocket than usual after a night’s work. He opened his eyes and began to move away from the door with a jerk when his brain registered that he was not alone in the room. He froze. Angel regarded him calm Xan Xander closed his eyes, swallowed, and opened them again. Nope. Not a hallucination. There was still a large vampire standing on the other side of the room.

“Shit!” Xander shook his head and then glared. He stalked over to the dresser and yanked open a drawer. He pulled out a leather collar that had small jingle bells interspersed with steel spikes, and he tossed it at Angel.

“Here. I’ve been wanting to give you one of these for years.”

Angel caught the collar reflexively. He studied it and then looked back up at Xander with a gleam in his eye.

“Collars look better on you than they do on me.”

“Um, can I say ‘gulp’ here? What do you want Deadboy?” Xander glanced around, trying to locate anything that might function as a serviceable stake, figuring he must be facing Angelus since Angel wouldn’t be caught dead in a place like the Fabulous Ladies Night Club talking about Xander wearing collars.

“I might ask you the same question. Although,” he gestured sy toy to Xander’s attire, “it’s rather obvious what you’ve been doing tonight. Is there something you wto tto tell me, Xander?”

“Nothing you need to know about. Now you want to tell me why you’re in here? I certainly didn’t invite you.” He began edging toward the dressing table with the thought that one of the make-up brushes might have a wood handle.

“That nice guy at the bar showed me back. Besides, this isn’t exactly your home, so no invitation necessary.” Angel shrugged.

“Great,” Xander muttered, “I’ll keep that in mind.”

“I saw you dance.” Angel blurted out. He still wasn’t sure exactly why he was in Xander’s dressing room or where he expected this conversation to go. Once he found out that Xander wasn’t stripping for a living but washing dishes, he should have left the boy there and gone back to LA, but he couldn’t resist the pull of seeing Xander. In the weeks since he had left Sunnydale, the vampire had had no interaction with anyone familiar. Over the last few years, he had almost grown accustomed to the idea of having friends after a century of solitude, and leaving Sunnydale had meant leaving that kind of connection behind as well as leaving Buffy. At the same time, Angel knew that more than loneliness drew him to Xander’s dressing room. The boy had been so beautiful in his submission, and he wanted more.

Xander groaned and covered his face with his hands.

“About that, could you maybe just forget that you ever saw any of this? I don’t need to hear any commentary about leather fetishes or boy-toy losers on leashes, and the gang would never let me live this down.” He sighed heavily. “I swear this is the last time I try to help out a friend.”

Angel crossed the room and removed the hands from Xander’s flushed cheeks.

“No mocking.” He moved one Xander’s hands to the hard flesh pressing against his trousers to emphasize his comment, “You were very, very good.” He released Xander’s hands and stepped back, enjoying the rush of pheromones that his action engendered. “Besides, I don’t talk to anyone in Sunnydale, so they won’t hear about this little adventure from me.”

Xander swallowed heavily. His night kept getting more surreal. First acting out one of his more questionable fantasies, then finding Angel in his dressing room, then holding Angel’s cock while Angel told him he was good. Rational thought couldn’t handle the situation, so it took a hiatus, promising to be back when the real world came crashing in, but until then Xander was on his own.

“I was good?” Xander squeaked.

“Very, very good,” Angel corrected.

“Um, okay. You are Angel, right? As in not the evil soulless bloodsucker out to suck the world into Hell?” He stared at the vampire, but Angel didn’t appear inclined to do anything more than nod. “Okay, can I just tell you that I’m having a very weird night?” Angel continued to gaze at him. “Could you not stare at me? I’m feeling a little naked here.” He moved to grab a black silk robe hanging on the clothes rack and shrugged it on. “So what now?”

“What do you want, Xander?” The intensity in Angel’s voice sent shivers down the boy’s spine.

“What do I want?” Dumb repetition seemed the only feasible response. No way was he going to tell Angel that what he really wanted was to keep playing the role he had on stage, to put the whip in A’s h’s hand and prostrate himself at the vampire’s feet, to feel that cool skin slide against the heat of raised welts on his body. He hated Deadboy, he reminded himself. Vampire. Not of the good. And no, he was not staring at Angel’s broad shoulders and imagining being beneath those strong hands.

“As you said, it’s been a weird night. How do you picture it ending? Tomorrow we both have other places to be, other lives. What do you want tonight?” Angel placed the flat of his hand on Xander’s chest. He wanted to feel, not just hear, that pounding heart. The confusion and arousal poured off the boy, but it was the yearning that spoke to the vampire. The human wanted him, and that alone was an aphrodisiac that filled the room with promise.

Xander closed his eyes and concentrated on the solid hand pressing into him. This was Angel’s hand, touching him, grounding him. The vampire hadn’t mocked him and had told him that he was good, maybe, just maybe he could trust him with this fantasy. Xander felt himself slip into the role that he enjoyed on stage. His head lowered and he clasped his hands in front of him.

“Please,” he whispered.

“Please what? What do you want, Xander?” Angel moved closer and spoke low against Xander’s ear.

“Please, Master. Tell me what to do.” He felt himself give up control to Angel. He didn’tt tot to make any decisions or be responsible. Instead Xander wanted to let go and let someone else lead him to places that his body screamed out to go, places that his encounters with Faith and Cordelia never took him. He wanted the vampire to show him what his body could do, could endure, could enjoy, and judging by what he knew of Angelus, Xander knew Angel would be a true master at exerting control.

Angel shuddered as he heard the words fall from the boy’s lips. Master. His demon surged at the appellation, and the dark vampire decided to let go of his rigid self-denial for one night and give in to the arousal and desire and swirled through the room. He leaned closer and pressed his hard cock against Xander’s, rubbing the lengths together through the layers of material. His motion elicited a groan from the human, and Angel had to back up to prevent himself from cumming immediately.

“Do you have a room near here?”

Xander nodded without opening his eyes.

“Xander, look at me.” Angel commanded. The dilated brown eyes struggled to focus as the boy blinked. He hated to break the building mood, but he needed some indication as to how to proceed. “How new is this for you?”

“The master/slave thing? Or the guy thing?” A flush crept into his cheeks.

“Both.”

“Um, completely new on both. Well, except for the whole dancing thing tonight. And I’ve, um, read stuff.” Blood continued to suffuse his face nec neck as he began to berate himself for getting into this situation. There was no way that Angel was going to want some inexperienced, scared high school kid. Okay, so maybe he was technically a high school graduate, but still, completely insecure and ignorant. He felt the fantasy quickly slipping away along with his erection in the face of his embarrassment, and he couldn’t meet the vampire’s gaze any longer.

“Xander, look at me.” Angel cupped the boy’s chin and refused to let him duck away. He could see the boy’s shame and self-doubt causing him to close in on himself. His voice grew gentle as he continued. “I don’t want to hurt you—at least not more than you want me to—so I needed to know a little bit about your experience.” He rubbed his thumb against Xander’s cheek. “There’s no judgment. Besides,” he continued in a sultry voice full of promise, “I enjoy teaching virgins.”

Xander swallowed heavily. His breathing increased as blood rushed south once more.

“Now, since you’ve been so good and told me the truth, as a reward, I want you to pick one toy that you want me to use tonight.” Angel stepped back and gestured to the shelf of props used by the dancers.

“Huh?”

“What have you always wanted to have done to you? What image was playing in your head as you stood on that stage? What did you think of when I asked you what you want?” Angel walked over to the shelf and picked up one item at a time as illustration. “Do you see me spanking you with a leather paddle? Or maybe you want to feel the strips of leather slapping across that warm skin as I whip you? Hmm, or there’s always the cane.” Angel carefully monitored the unconscious reactions of the human as he picked up and set down each item. Therefore he was completely unsurprised by Xander’s choice.

“The whip. Please?” Xander met his eyes with a look of
pure lust. Angel grinned. Unlike the single-strand bull-whip that Julian had used for effect on stage, the flogging-whip the vampire played through his fingers had a dozen eighteen-inch suede leather tresses. Although Angel had no doubts about his ability to handle the longer single-lash whip, he knew this flogger would be better suited for Xander’s inexperience.

“Very good. Now, let’s find a more private place to use this.”

Xander quickly shed the robe and pulled jeans and a flannel shirt on over his bodysuit. He led Angel to the dingy motel where he had rented a room that would put the least strain on his meager finances as he saved up to get his car fixed. Fighting down anxiety at what was to come and embarrassment at his living arrangements, he carefully watched Angel’s reaction, but the vampire said nothing about the faded and worn carpeting or rumpled bedding. Instead he deliberately turned and locked the door before setting the whip and tube of lubricant that they had snagged from the dressing room down on the one chair in the room.

“Is there anything else you want to ask or say before we begin?”

“Do we need one of those safewords or something?” Xander shifted his weight and didn’t meet the vampire’s eyes. Suddenly his dingy room brought back visions of another dingy motel room with a psychotic slayer choking him into unconsciousness as she writhed above him. Before he could register that Angel had even moved, the vampire was behind him and murmuring in his ear.

“Because you’ve never done this, we’ll play by human rules. You can have your safeword, but trust me, you won’t need it. I’m not Faith.” Xander felt a cool hand reach underneath his shirt to rest over his heart. “I can feel when you’re afraid. I can smell your pain and your desire. Not even you know how far you can go. Let me show you.” Angel pressed his erection against Xander’s ass and at the same time pinched a nipple through the leather of the bodysuit. Xander gasped.

“Now, what word shall we use?” Angel mused. “Something that can be easily grasped if you need it.” He continued to pinch and pull at the erect nipple with one hand while the other slid down to unbutton Xander’s jeans. “ Say your full name for me.”

“Alexander Harris,” Xander managed to grind out.

“Ah, ah. Your full name.” Angel teased.

“Alexander Lavelle Harris.”

“That is what you will say if you need me to stop.” By this time, Angel had his hand fully inside Xander’s jeans and had grasped his erection through the leather of the bodysuit. “Say it one more time.”

“A..Alexander Lavelle Harris.”

“Good boy,” Angel breathed in his ear before stepping away, leaving the boy swaying slightly. He walked around to stand before Xander and take in the look of open lust that played across his features.

“There are only two rules: one ‘do’ and one ‘do not.’ Do not speak without permission. Do obey each command I give you. Do you understand?” Xander nodded. “Good. Eyes down. Hands at your sides.” Angel watched Xander gracefully obey and grinned slightly as he heard the boy’s heartbeat speed up. He paused to stare at the form that fairly quivered with anticipation and allowed himself to stroke a palm across his own erection as he considered where to begin.

“Now, let’s get you more properly attired. Stand still.” Standing directly in front of the boy, Angel ghosted his hands over Xander’s chest, before working one button at a time and then sliding the flannel shirt over the broad arms before letting it fall to the floor. In silence, he slid his hands to grasp Xander’s narrow waist. Het tht the boy take a deep, steadying breath. He slid his hands inside Xander’s jeans and eased them down over muscled thighs to drop to the floor. Carefully, Angel lifted one foot and then the other, removing shoes and socks and helping Xander step out of his jeans. This left Xander clad only in the leather bodysuit.

Angel sucked in an unneeded breath. “So beautiful.” Xander hadn’t moved except as the vampire directed. He gently cupped the boy’s cock in one hand before he slid the zipper on the pouch down to free the hard column of flesh. A leather cock-ring explained why the human had managed to hold back from orgasm for so long. Precum dripped down the side of Xander’s cock, and Angel stroked the shaft before swiping a thumb over the weeping slit and bringing his hand to his mouth to taste the promise the sunlight and innocence that seemed to permeate this man. Xander shuddered under the gentle torture. He yearned to move, to thrust forward into that touch, to feel Angel’s skin under his fingertips, but he had been told to stand still so he forced himself to obey.

Suddenly the cool hands disappeared altogether from his body, and Xander could see Angel’s shoes disappear from view. Anticipation grew along with the silence and his whole body yearned for the vampire’s touch.

Angel stood behind Xander and toed off his shoes and socks before removing his shirt. He set the socks and shoes on the dresser with the shirt folded neatly on top. He left his linen trousers on, although he paused to adjust his erection in an attempt to relieve the pressure. This night was about Xander, and he didn’t want to cum too soon. The thought startled him for a moment, but he shook it off, deciding that he didn’t want to question why he felt so compelled to respond to this man with whom he had such an antagonistic history. Xander wanted, and Angel could give. They both needed this. It was enough exatioation for the moment.

As soon as he felt more controlled, he moved back to the trembling human and cupped the bare buttocks, squeezing gently and then with increased pressure. Red handprints appeared as he let go.

“Stand still,” he instructed once more. He allowed a full minute to pass and then without warning slapped Xander’s left butt cheek with an open palm, earning a gasped “Oh.”

“Ah, ah. I didn’t give you permission to speak.” He punctuated his comment with a resounding slap to the other cheek. This time Xander bit his lip to keep from making a sound, which was a fortunate choice as he found himself assaulted by the near-hysterical recognition that this was Angel—Angel!—slapping his bare ass.

“Good boy.” Angel delivered several more smacks to each cheek, feeling the heat of Xander’s skin transferred to his own palms. He felt his own lust rise as he watched the boy’s skin redden, and he grasped the enticing ass hard, adding pressure to the sting. After squeezing, he released Xander and moved to stand in front of him once more. Precum continued to drip onto the carpet, and the boy’s fists clenched and unclenched as he struggled for control over the sensations.

Angel sucked in a deep breath and raised his hands to Xander’s shoulders. In a powerful motion he grasped the bodysuit and ripped the leather in two before letting it fall to the floor. Xander stood before him, head bowed, cock nearly pressed against his flat stomach, chest heaving and heart pounding. The vampire slid cool fingers over the tanned chest, teasing nipples to erectness before pinching and twisting. Pheromones poured off the boy as his body leaned into the harsh touch. Angel chuckled and moved away. His boy responded so quickly and completely. He doubted that Xander could have formed a coherent thought at the moment if his life depended on it. He had given control over to Angel, and trusted the vampire to meet the confused yearning that strummed through his body.

“On the bed. Face down.”

He kept his eyes lowered and strained to hear Angel’s movements. The anticipation heightened the sensation when the vampire finally touched him, but that didn’t prevent him from trying to predict Angel’s next move. The sting of the skin on his ass had settled into an even warmth, and he yearned for more. The pain allowed him to let go and just feel the sensations rolling through his body without thought for anything beyond the moment. He had never been so aroused, nor felt so alive and aware of his body.

Angel watched the still form on the bed. He listened to Xander’s even breathing and slightly increased heart-rate. It had been so long since the vampire had inflicted desired pain on a partner. Memories of torturing Giles threatened, but he pushed them away. Tonight was not about torture, and he reminded himself to pay strict attention to Xander’s reactions in order to retain control. He slid the whip through his hands and stood next to the bed. Without warning he brought the lashes slapping across the reddened skin of Xander’s ass. The boy hissed and pushed himself into the mattress, away from the whip’s sting. Angel searched for signs that would indicate a change of heart now under the application of the whip, but a rush of arousal belied the seeming resistance.

“Do you need to say something?” Angel offered as he teasingly trailed the suede lashes down Xander’s spine.

Xander shook his head.

“Tell me, Xander.”

“No, Master,” he murmured into the pillow.

At that, Angel applied the whip once more, this time to the backs of Xander’s thighs. In silence, he continued to place deliberate stinging blows that covered the backs of Xander’s legs and over his buttocks. He set a constant pace that would allow Xander to anticipate when the whip might fall, but not where. As red lines appeared, Angel worked to his own aesthetic satisfaction, criss-crossing blows in pleasing patterns. Throughout, he continued to carefully watch Xander’s reactions, and grinned as he watched the instinctive movement away from the blows shift to a yearning toward them.

When he sensed that Xander’s arousal hit a fever-pitch, Angel set the whip back on the chair and quickly divested himself of his trousers and grabbed the lubricant before crawling on the bed to straddle Xander’s prone form. He slid his hands around the boy’s waist.

“Up. On all fours,” he commanded.

Xander’s pain/pleasure-fogged brain had trouble obeying immediately, but Angel’s strong hands tugging at him helped him along. He felt every nerve alive and zinging within the cushion of pain. The cool vampire flesh provided a welcome contrast to the warmth of punished skin as Angel’s thighs and chest pressed against him. He felt the hard shaft of Angel’s erection press against his ass, and his breathing hitched.

“Shh. Trust me.” Angel crooned in his ear. He moved his hands around to stroke Xander’s cock. The vampire felt the boy’s shaft twitch violently and knew he was close to orgasm. As much as he wanted to draw this out to last all night, he knew that Xander couldn’t hold out much longer after the hours of arousal that came with performing, and his own long period of abstinence pushed him to move quickly as well. He moved one hand down the shaft to grasp firmly around the root of Xander’s cock.

“I’m going to remove this now,” he whispered as he trailed fingers over the cock-ring, “but you won’t cum until I tell you to. Do you understand? Tell me.”

“I…I…understand.” Xander managed through panting breaths.

“Good boy.” Angel released the cock-ring, but kept his grip on Xander’s cock, knowing the boy wouldn’t have self-control enough to keep from cumming after being aroused for so long. With the other hand, he picked up the lube and snapped open the top. He drizzled a copious amount on his impatient erection and slickedselfself before taking the excess on his fingers and sliding them in the crack of Xander’s ass. At the gasp this engendered, Angel decided that he wanted to hear Xander’s reactions.

“From this point on, you can make as much noise as you want.”

Xander responded with a deep groan. He was still floating from the sensations created by the whip and now having Angel stroking over his puckered hole sent waves of need rolling through him.

“Please, Master,” he begged. He needed more, even if he couldn’t articulate that more.

“Please what, Xander,” Angel teased as he slid a finger through the tight ring of muscle into the smooth warmth of the body beneath him. He felt his control slip as he explored that warm wet opening, and he took a deep breath and stilled himself.

“Need you. Need something. Please.” Sweat dripped from Xander’s forehead, and he pressed back against Angel’s finger.

In response, Angel pulled out his finger and added another, scissoring them deep inside Xander before adding a third finger. He moved slower with three fingers inside and stroked the smooth walls as he searched for Xander’s prostate. An incoherent shout let him know when he hit it.

“Oh God, Angel, please. I need to cum. Please. Fuck me now. Fuck me. Fuck me. Fuck me.” Xander chanted brokenly.

Angel gently slid his fingers out and placed the head of his cock against the loosened entrance with his free hand. His other hand remained around Xander’s cock. He carefully pressed the head of his cock through the muscled ring and slid forward achingly slowly until he was fully engulfed. Xander shook with need.

“Pleeeease. Master.” The prolonged groan shot straight to Angel’s groin, and he began moving, gradually increasing speed and force as Xander met him thrust for thrust. As he felt himself getting closer to release, Angel began a rough pulling ondernder’s cock in time to his thrusts.

“Now, Xander. Cum with me.” He panted out the command and almost before he finished speaking, he felt Xander’s balls contract and semen shoot over his hand and onto the sheets beneath him. The orgasm that rolled through the body beneath him brought Angel to edg edge and without thinking he curled over Xander’s back and sank the fangs that had suddenly appeared into a warm tanned shoulder. As the vibrant, thick blood splashed over his tongue, he slammed into his orgasm and shot spurt after spurt of cold cum into the heat of Xander’s body. The vampire held them upright as he sucked another mouthful of blood until every drop of cum had been expelled and then he carefully extracted his fangs and laved his tongue over the wound to close it. He gently rolled them onto their sides so that he was spooned up against Xander’s back, carefully sliding out to avoid hurting his partner. He pulled the blankets over them.

“Xander?” Angel asked worriedly. He berated himself for losing control at the end and biting. He had no intention of feeding from the boy, but the iron control faltered under the eroticism of Xander’s utter submission.

“Hmm.” Xander struggled to stay awake. He hadn’t been given permission to sleep, and at the same time he knew that sleep would only lead to waking and the real world.

“Are you alright?”

“You couldn’t tell?” Xander chuckled.

“About the biting…”

“Hmm. Good.” Xander offered through a yawn.

Angel struggled to accept that, knowing the boy was too exhausted for anything resembling a conversation. He stroked his fingers down Xander’s arm.

“Sleep now, boy. You were very, very good.” He continued the stroking as he sensed Xander’s heart rate slow and breathing grow deep and even. The warm body felt wonderful against his cool skin, and he curled closer, allowing the heat to burn through him.

A little over an hour before dawn, Angel extracted himself from the warm cocoon of the bed. He dressed hurriedly and then paused by the edge of the bed, watching the sleeping human. He considered waking Xander to say goodbye, but on reflection, he had no idea what he wanted to say. Nothing changed, and he was headed back for LA, not Sunnydale. Guilt threatened, and he began to wonder if he had simply used this boy for his own ends, taking advantage of needs that Xander probably didn’t fully understand. In the end, he settled for a hastily scrawling his address and phone number in LA on a receipt he found in his pocket before hurrying back to his car to make it back to the city before sunrise.

fin