Tangled Hearts *Now COMPLETE*

Why do I let it get to me? Two days later and Xander was still irritated. He was used to Spike bringing home anonymous guys and having to listen to the sounds of fucking through the paper-thin walls. While that didn’t bother him too much, for some reason, Angel did. He couldn’t put his finger on it, but something was always off when Angel was there. Spike was different, and Xander became the third wheel instead of the best friend. Once they’d had their fill and Angel was gone, Spike would join him in whatever he was doing and pretend again, that he was the center of the universe. And being the friend he was, he’d always let him do it.

“C’mon, Xan, you have to go. Not the same without you,” Spike whined, as he stepped behind him to wrap his arms around his waist. He rested his chin on Xander’s shoulder and turned his head toward him, giving his most pathetic pout.

“Don’t give me that look, Spike.”

He batted his eyelashes and smiled. “What look would that be, pet?”

“Like you just lost your puppy or your favorite dildo.”

Spike pouted a little harder and became a bit more serious. “Bloody horror that’d be.” He grinned and lowered his tone, “The dildo, that is.”

Xander pulled away, giving Spike a teasing smile and plopped down on the couch. “You have no shame.”

“Too right, pet. Wouldn’t have it any other way. Now hurry up and get dressed, they’ll be here any minute.”

Xander crossed his arms in front of him, looking very much like a stubborn five year old, and pushed the button on the remote control. “Not going.”

Spike reached for his hand, trying to pull him off the couch. “Yes, you are.”

Xander pulled back hard, causing Spike to lose his balance, leaving him lying ass up across his lap. Through their laughter, they missed the knock at the door and the footsteps that followed afterward.

“Oh! Looks like we came at a bad time, you two lovebirds wanna be alone?”

They both looked up to see their friends staring back at them. “Fuck,” Xander laughed, “Spike, get off.” He pushed, trying to roll a resisting Spike off his lap, doing more to tangle them as he finally managed to climb out from underneath.

Spike sat up, still playfully pouting and turned his expression on Lorne. “Will you tell this wanker he’s coming with us?”

Lorne’s overdramatic look of devastation caused Xander a second glance. “Not coming with us!? Of course he is, aren’t you cupcake.” He sidled up close, taking Xander’s arm in his own. “Now you just go on and get all dolled up. We’ll wait for you.”

“You guys go ahead, I’m good, really.”

Gunn shook his head and left Wes’s side, a rare event ever since they’d finally admitted to everyone else that the'd been fucking for months. “What’s wrong with you, man? It’s Speedo night!”

“Three years and you’ve never missed it,” Lorne interrupted. “And you’re not missing it tonight. Now go shower, and I won’t take no for an answer.”

“Says the sub in the flowery pastels,” chuckled Gunn.

Lorne puckered, blowing a kiss in Gunn’s direction as he slapped Xander’s ass and scooted him toward the hallway. “Go.”

“Alright, alright. But this is under protest.” Glancing back at his friends, Xander didn’t fail to notice the victory smirk on Spike’s lips.


~*~


Same club, same guys, different night. Xander held his beer and watched the crowd, wishing he were anywhere but here. There were a million other things he could be doing that didn’t involve hard, naked bodies of men that didn’t want him, unless of course, they were just trying to get to Spike. And that was just about everyone on the dance floor.

He leaned against the rail, nursing his Miller Lite, wondering why he couldn’t be more like Spike and just not give a fuck. Watching him out on the dance floor as he went from one hot guy to the next, grinding and rubbing against them, always managing to be the most sought after person in the club. Xander couldn’t help but feel a tinge of jealousy. He’d learned a long time ago that while Spike’s lifestyle worked for him, Xander just couldn’t be so carefree and casual. He’d met, he’d fucked, and he’d felt guilty after. Several repeats and he realized it was always more than sex for him, even though the general consensus of people who came to these places would be quick to argue.

“Don’t you just look the picture of morbid despair.”

He shifted his eyes as Lorne came up to stand beside him, scooting over to give him a little more room and then returned to his hawk-like watch over the dance floor.

“Cheer up, sugarplum. Your mood is contagious and I for one am here to ogle sweaty, muscled bodies and have a fabulous time.”

Xander shrugged and tried to change the subject. There was only one body he was ogling and it was neither sweaty, nor muscly. In fact, he’d say it was perfectly lean and compact, just the right amount of everything. “Where’d Wes and Gunn go?” Like he really had to ask.

“You really have to ask?”

He chuckled and answered, “Somewhere enjoying each other’s company?”

“Well don’t sugarcoat it, honey. They’re off fucking their brains out, which by the way is something it looks like you are in serious need of.”

Xander took another drink. Leave it up to Lorne to know him better than anyone else. “That obvious, huh?”

“It couldn’t be more obvious if you had a neon sign saying ‘please fuck me’ in bold, flashing lights!”

He leaned down, resting his elbows on the rail, cradling his beer and said, “God, I’m pathetic.” Sighing, he exhaled a deep breath and asked, “It’s just that, do you ever want to not do this anymore?”

“And what exactly would this be sweetkins?”

“This. The clubs, the guys.”

Lorned grabbed onto him, squeezing his arm so hard he almost yelled out. “Not do guys?! I’d think you’d better sit down, honey, you’re talking crazy talk.”

Xander smiled and shook his head. “No, I mean the whole club scene. Fucking guys without even knowing their name first.”

“I don’t need to know their name. Shoe size works alright for me.” Lorne grinned and watched a definite size 12 walk past them. “Mmm, nope. No name needed.”

Xander’s attention shifted from where Lorne was looking back to Spike, and then sighed when he saw him swagger off the dance floor with a cocky, young stud wrapped tightly around him. When they disappeared beneath the catwalk, he finally noticed Lorne’s worried stare.

“Or you could know his name, his address and his shoe size but never be willing to take a chance. Are you ever gonna tell him?”

Xander tried his hardest to play it off, giving his best impression of confusion and asked, “Tell who what?” And if Lorne’s expression was any indication, the gig was up.

“If you really think it’s a secret, the only one you’re fooling is you. It’s not like he doesn’t already know.”

“Know what? Spike’s my best friend, that’s all.”

“A best friend who you spend your time pining over. If it weren’t for him, you know you’d be having a lot more fun. He knows you’re not going anywhere, and you let him take advantage of that.”

“He’s not taking advantage. He’s just a shameless slut and I’m just the one guy he’s never found interesting enough to wanna fuck.” He glanced down, fidgeting with his bottle and mumbled, “Works out well.”

“For who? Spike’s downstairs having his cock sucked and you’re sitting here moping about it. Doesn’t sound like it’s working out to well to me.”

“I’m not moping,” he pouted, “It’s what he does and I know that. No big deal.”

“Make your excuses and act like it’s all peaches and crème. The next time he breaks your heart, I won’t be… okay, maybe I will be here to lean on because I’m a softy and don’t like to see my friends upset. Just, don’t let him get to you and try to cheer up a little, will you?”

Xander smiled and took another gulp of his beer. “Look at me being cheery. Cheery guy here.”

“And what’re you two chatting about up here all alone?”

Cheery guy deflated immediately when Spike’s arms wrapped around his waist.

“Discussing the weather,” Lorne answered.

Spike chuckled, sending a warm breath down the back of Xander’s neck. “Hot, hot and getting hotter.” He pushed against him hard, making Xander’s knees weaken under him. And how did he always manage to do that? “Let’s go dance, luv.”

Xander tried to resist. Really. “Plenty of other guys here for you to dance with, Spike. What about the guy I saw you with a few minutes ago?”

“Nice mouth, small dick.” The devious tongue snaked out, making Spike’s smirk even sexier. “I came, he went. Now I wanna dance with you.”

And just like that, Spike had him by the balls, although not the literal ones and led him to the dance floor. He could see over Spike’s shoulder Lorne’s told-you-so expression, but ignored it as soon as Spike pushed their bodies together, doing to him what he’d done to countless others while Xander watched. They danced and rubbed, almost melting together they were so close. Xander bit back a moan when hands gripped his ass to pull him even tighter and if Spike happened to notice the hardness pressing against his hip, he didn’t let Xander know about it.

He wanted Spike. God, how he wished he could just taste a little bit of what everyone else was getting. When Spike’s lips moved over his, Xander closed his eyes, pretending it was real, and not just a kiss between friends.

“See Xan? Told you you’d have a good time. Now aren’t you glad you came?”

And pathetically, he was. As much as he hated to admit it, he’d take Spike however he could get him.