Just Begun

Chapter 2

Angel showed Spike and Xander to their rooms, careful to put them as far away from his room as possible. It was a pity that the Hyperion didn’t stretch over two states.

“Hey, this is great!” Xander declared, sitting on the side of the bed and giving it a hefty bounce. “Plush. Nice soft bed and, oooh, check this out!” Xander hurried to the other side of the room and ran his hands over the surface of a large oak dresser. “Nice workmanship. Imported? Looks Italian.”

“Very astute. I’m glad you like it,” Angel said with about as much enthusiasm as a goldfish in a yoghurt pot. “Kitchen is downstairs. Would you like me to show you?” he added, clearly hoping that Xander would not like.

“No. That’s okay. I’m gonna unpack before I do anything else. I’ll find my way in a while.”

“Sure. When you’re ready just come down the stairs, turn left…”

Xander held up a hand. “No, no, don’t worry. I suck at directions. I’ll just wait ‘til someone starts cooking and I’ll smell my way there.”

Angel nodded and left Xander’s room, shutting the door firmly behind him. He had no doubt that Xander Harris could sniff out any given food product or food preparation facility within a twenty block radius.

“Peaches!” Spike yelled, clapping Angel on the back and striding cheerfully along side him.

“Don’t call me that. Don’t you have to unpack?”

“Done it.”

“Already?”

Spike shrugged. “How long do think it takes to unpack seven pairs of jeans, seven shirts, seven pairs of socks and a bottle of Daniels?”

“Good point.”

“Where are we going?”

“*I* am going to the kitchen.”

“Great. M’starvin. Got any human?”

“Cow.”

Spike screwed up his nose. “Better than pig, I s’pose. Xan not joining us?”

“He’s unpacking. Thankfully, he seems to have brought more stuff with him than you. He might be a while. I hope you two will be going out later?”

“Auuww, Peaches. Anyone would think you didn’t want the pleasure of our company.” Spike chuckled, unsurprised at Angel’s usual ‘leave me to brood’ attitude. “Actually, got a poker game lined up. Gonna take face-ache with me.”

“Thank the gods,” Angel muttered.

“Wanna come?” Spike asked, deliberately not hearing Angel’s muttered relief.

“No, thank you. I have to work on the spell.”

“Suit yourself. So, shagged anyone half decent recently?”

Angel stopped abruptly. He was in no mood for his Grandchilde’s prattle.

“You go on ahead, Spike. I need to make a start. Don’t make a mess.”

“Whatever.”

Angel turned his back and walked away, well aware of the faces Spike was making behind his back.

“If the wind changes, you’ll get stuck like that.”

“Ponce.”

“Annoying Grandchilde.”

**

Xander wandered into the kitchen and leant on the counter. “Where’s Neanderthal-brow?” he asked.

“Fuck knows. Fiddling with the spell, I think. Either that or he’s probably pouring all his woes out in some bloody journal.”

Xander laughed at the vision of brood-boy, bent over a desk, confessing his sins and scribbling his sorrows in a huge parchment filled journal, complete with quill. “He should get a Live Journal. That way he could share his depressing musings with other equally depressed and tortured souls. They could start a community!”

Spike put his third mug of blood in the microwave and roared with laughter. “I’ll suggest it to him. There’s chocolate mousse in the fridge, Xan,” he managed to inform him as his amusement died down to a tame snigger.

“Great! That’ll get my energy levels up for later. I’ll be buzzing all night.”

Spike looked confused. “You won’t need that much energy for poker.”

“While I would agree with that, Spike, whole heartedly, I don’t see what that has to do me.”

“Poker. Tonight. Me and you. I told you. Need to clean your ears out.”

“I clearly remember you saying that *you* were going to play poker. I, however, agreed to no such thing. *I* am looking to score tonight.”

“I thought we talked about this.”

“Yeah, we did.”

“Well, then. I really don’t think that…”

“Spike, I appreciate your concern, but I’m a big boy. I can take care of myself.”

Spike eyed him doubtfully. Xander had a funny way of attracting trouble. “Right, then. Don’t go far. Don’t drink too much and make sure you’re in by twelve.”

“Spike!”

“Okay, one. Now you can’t say that isn’t fair.”

“No, but I can say that you’re beginning to wig me out. Next thing, Deadboy is gonna make sure I’ve cleaned behind my ears.”

Spike laughed. “Have you?!” he asked suddenly.

“Oh, geez!”

**

Xander leaned on the bar and took in his surroundings.

Hot guys.

Lots of hot guys.

Holy cow. Gorgeously hot tall guy at nine o’clock.

Holy mother of all cows. Gorgeously hot tall guy is checking me out.

Smile, Xander. That’s it, show some ivory.

Nice. Yup, he’s coming over.

Play it cool but hot. Cool but hot, cool but hot, cool but hot, cool…

“Hey there. I couldn’t help but notice you were all alone. Waiting for someone?” the hot tall guy asked.

Xander raked his eyes down and then up the stranger’s body before he answered. “Maybe. Maybe not.”

“What’s your name?”

“Angel,” Xander lied.

“That’s a beautiful name. Would you like to dance with me, Angel?”

“Sure. Why not?” Xander said, taking the offered hand.

The music in the club played a loud, slow thumping baseline that was easy to grind to and Xander allowed the stranger to take the lead, enjoying the feel of the man’s slender hands on his hips. The stranger pulled him closer, pressing groin to groin as the baseline thumped harder and the lights changed to a pulsing red glow. Xander was strangely reminded of heartbeats and blood before his ‘chosen’ fixed him with a seductive stare. Xander gently bit his bottom lip and peered up at the man from under long black lashes.

“You have beautiful eyes,” the stranger purred. “And the most wonderful lips”

Ha, they fall for it every time, Xander thought. He released his bottom lip from his teeth and purred back. “Do I?” he asked shyly.

“Oh yes.” The man bent his head and kissed Xander tentatively.

Xander put up with the tender kiss for a few moments, before he felt his sex drive kick in. He grabbed the back of the stranger’s neck and deepened the kiss, swirling his tongue inside to play and tease. He felt the man’s erection brushing against his own and he moaned into his mouth, bucking and twisting his hips in time to the music.

“Fuck,” the man breathed. “You are so hot. Would you blow me?”

Xander felt his jaw drop and his manbits droop. Would you blow me? How so *not* sexy is that? Could anything be less sexy?

“I want to spread your cheeks and ram my hot rod into you.”

I shouldn’t have asked.

“Um…sorry, I didn’t catch your name?” Xander began.

“Rupert.”

Okay, the mast was officially down.

“Rupert. I just remembered; I have to go and…water my…dog. It was nice meeting you, though.” Xander gave him a cheerful wave before he bolted for the door.

LA was a strange place.

**

Xander didn’t have to look far inside the Hyperion before he found some company. Angel was sitting in the lobby, leafing through a pile papers.

“Hey, Deadboy, watcha doing?” he asked, cheerfully.

“Working.”

“Can I help?”

“Know anything about ancient Brillian plant spells?”

“Um…no.”

“Then no.”

“Oh. I’ll just go to bed, then.”

“If you want.” As soon as the words had left his mouth, Angel knew he had made a mistake.

“Well, I don’t really want. Sure you don’t need some help? I’m good at the research guy thing. If there were an award for the best research guy, I’d definitely be in the running. Actually, I’m quite good with the running too, especially when fleeing for my life. Not so good with the chasing, but…”

Angel sighed. There was only one way to shut Xander up. He picked up a stack of papers and shoved them in Xander’s direction. “Look for anything pertaining to Brillian magic and its reliance on plants. The potion doesn’t smell right; I’m worried that Giles may have incorrectly translated the original working of the spell.”

“Sure! I can do that. Easy.”

“Don’t be so confident, Xander. The original details are very hard to find. I’ve been searching all night and so far I haven’t been able to…”

“Found it!” Xander handed Angel back a crumpled old sheet of parchment.

“That’s it!”

“Don’t sound so surprised, fang features. I am good for some things, you know.”

Angel raised his head at Xander’s slightly hurt tone. “I’m sorry; I didn’t mean…This one is all written in Brillian. How did you know what it was?”

“I only said I didn’t know anything about Brillian plant spells. Didn’t say I couldn’t read Brillian.”

“That you didn’t. Thank you.”

“Pleasure. Glad I could help. Want coffee now. That was exhausting,” Xander said. He made a move to leave, the urge for caffeine tugging at him.

Angel felt slightly bad. He should learn to be more tolerant. Although irritating and way too cheerful, Xander still had a lot to offer. He was smart, strong, brave and incredibly loyal. Just because Angel felt like kicking his ass into Alaska didn’t mean he shouldn’t cut him some slack now and again.

“There’s a pot already made,” he said. “If you want to pour me one too, we could go through this translation together. Make sure we get it right?”

“Sure. No probs. Got any cookies? I’m starving. Bottomless pit again.”

Angel couldn’t help but smile a little. Would Xander ever be full? “I think we can do better than that. Call for pizza. There’s a menu next to phone in the kitchen. My treat.”

Xander only nodded, stunned into silence. Deadboy offers pizza? What next? Spike quits smoking? Giles gets contacts? What kind of alternative dimension is this?

TBC...