The Witch, The Warrior, and the Vampire

Author’s Note: Contains explicit m/m slash. Song Lyrics belong to Sarah McLaughlin, no infringement intended.

Chapter Two
The Art of Submission

There were dozens of questions running through Rupert Giles’ mind; how did the sun come up, who was spying on them, what was the Master’s grand plan, what would they do with the geeks now tied to chairs in the dining room, who was behind the Master’s resurrection, and most importantly, why was Willow lying unconscious on the couch? Worry clouding his features, he hurried to Willow’s side.

“What happened to Willow?”

“W-we had a spell back-fire on us and it knocked Willow out. She’ll be okay in a couple of hours. C-could you carry her to a bedroom, I don’t think she’d like being out here for everyone to see.” Tara’s overly worried expression made him smile.

“Of course I will, Tara.” Giles slid his arms underneath Willow’s body and cradled her to his chest. With no effort he carried her upstairs to one of the many bedrooms and gently lay her down on the bed.

“T-thank you Mr. Giles.”

“You’re welcome Tara. Please let me know if you need any help or if there’s a change in her condition.” Giles watched with a smile as Tara nodded her head in agreement then turned back to the bed, ignoring him completely. Giles closed the door behind him when he left the room.

Tara lay down beside Willow taking her hand in her own, she softly began to sing.

~*~

“They’re at home, probably having hot monkey sex right about now. Wanna go watch?”

The earnest expression on Anya’s face did nothing to quell the fury building in the Slayer. Her fists clenched tightly at her side she paced back and forth on the sidewalk muttering, “How could he? After what happened between us tonight? How could he just go off and screw someone else? I’ve been scared to death thinking he’d dusted and the bastard is at my house, having sex with someone who isn’t me.” Stopping in her tracks she glared at Anya. “That’s it. I’m dusting them both.” Then the Slayer turned on her heel and stalked towards her house.

Anya watched Buffy working herself up and couldn’t understand what was wrong with her. She knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that Buffy was heading home to dust both vampires, the Slayer didn’t give empty threats. Anya chased after the Slayer calling out to her. “Buffy! Buffy! Wait up, stop!” When she didn’t even slow down, Anya knew she had to do something drastic. With a running leap, she tackled the Slayer from behind.

Anya quickly straddled Buffy and pinned her down by her shoulders. “I will not let you dust my husband.”

With little effort Buffy reared up and tossed Anya off of her back. Anya regained her footing as Buffy settled into a defensive stance. “Don’t make me kill you too, demon.”

Moving within striking distance Anya desperately tried to reason with the Slayer. “Buffy, what is wrong with you? I don’t want to fight you, but I will if I have to. You’re not dusting Xander or Spike. I won’t let you.”

Laughing out loud the Slayer began to circle the demon. “You won’t let me? That’s rich. What are you going to do to stop me?”

Forcing the circling in the opposite direction, Anya pressed Buffy off the sidewalk and into the grass, much better on the skin during falls. “I’m over a thousand years old, I have my strength and skill back. I may not be as good as Spike, but I’m better than Xander.”

Buffy moved the circle towards a small hill; she needed the height leverage if this was going to be over quick. “Xander wouldn’t last two minutes against me.”

Anya nodded her head in one sharp motion. “You’re right he wouldn’t, but I’m not Xander. What is wrong with you? Why are acting all kamikaze?”

Buffy didn’t want to throw the first punch but all this talking was getting old. Fast. She hadn’t had one fight all night, she was sexually frustrated, enraged that her man was sleeping with someone else while she was wasting time with this fool. That was it, she was ending this. Now. Buffy aimed a round-house kick to Anya’s head and fell to the ground when it didn’t connect.

Laughing, Anya stood behind Buffy; teleportation came in so handy. “Are you going to tell me what’s wrong with you or not?”

In one fluid motion Buffy was on her feet and throwing a series of punches where the demon was standing. Or had been standing; at the lack of connection the Slayer once again lost her balance.

Buffy struggled not to fall; suddenly Anya was standing in front of her. The demon punched, aiming directly for Buffy’s mouth, putting everything she had behind it; Buffy flew backwards and landed hard against a tree knocking the breath out of her, blood trickled out the side of her mouth.

Anya calmly walked towards the Slayer sitting in front of the tree gasping for breath. “I can fight you like this all night long, Buffy, and never get tired. This is utterly ridiculous, tell me what your problem is.” She knelt in front of Buffy clearly expecting an answer.

Buffy kicked up, steel-toed boot connecting directly under Anya’s chin, snapping the demon’s head back, and knocking her down. She lay on her back with the Slayer standing above her. Buffy was bending over to pick Anya up by her shirt when Anya retaliated, kicking her in sto stomach and tossing her into the tree. Again

Both women quickly gained their footing, and Buffy charged, again. Anya sighed and teleported to the other side of the Slayer,; it was going to be a long night.

~*~

“Bitch.” Willow yelled at the spot where Cordelia had been sitting just a second ago.

Those things that Cordelia had shown her couldn’t possibly be true. She wasn’t capable of that kind of evil. Or was she? She had mind-wiped Tara twice and her friends once. If that wasn’t proof of being evil, or at the very least wicked, Willow didn’t know what was. She shivered and tried to wrap her arms around herself for warmth, but with Cordelia gone she was incorporeal again. Great. No magick, no body, no nothing, lost in a pit of blackness, she may as well be in an oubliette. Willow let herself be completely still, which actually wasn’t hard considering she didn’t have a body, then she cleared her mind and opened herself to the void surrounding her.

She heard something soft, sweet, and melodious calling to her pulling her away from the darkness if she could just concentrate on it hard enough… Tara.

~*~

Anya surreptitiously glanced at her watch; great, they’d been fighting for twenty minutes, if this wasn’t over soon she was going to miss all the good stuff; Spike was a master at foreplay and could keep Xander on the knife-edge forever. It was time to cheat. She teleported just out of Buffy’s grasp for what seemed like tilliillionth time. As she rematerialized, she shot a bolt of energy at the Slayer, immobilizing her but allowing her to talk.

Anya tsked as Buffy struggled against the bands of energy wrapped around her. “This is getting old, Buffy, and I want to get back to Xander so we’re going to do this my way. It is within my power to force you to talk. It is also within my power to force you to tell the truth, neither of which would be a very fun experience for either of us. Tell me what the hell is wrong with you.”

Buffy quit struggling and bowed her head in defeat. “Let me go and I will.”

Laughing, Anya shook her head. “I wasn’t born yesterday; I’m not letting you go until I get what I want, and I want you to tell me what’s going on. Don’t make me use anymore of my powers.”

It was all too much, no matter how hard she tried; she couldn’t keep it inside anymore. The moment of connection between them, the fear of his dusting, the vision, making up her mind that she was ready for Spike, not having a good slay in days, fearing for his and Xander’s life once again, and to top it all off Anya beat her. Tears of frustration started leaking out of Buffy’s eyes against her will.

Anya didn’t think she’d ever seen the Slayer cry, not even when her mother died. Her concern ratcheted up another notch. “Buffy, talk to me. I can’t help you if you don’t tell me what’s wrong.”

“I- I,” The Slayer within had quieted for the moment, Buffy took a deep shuddering breath and tried to speak again. “I made up my mind tonight that I was ready for Spike, that I accepted the demon in him, and now he’s off having sex with Xander. I thought they were finished with all… that. How can I be with him, if he’s going to be with someone else?”

Anya would have laughed out loud but the pain and confusion in Buffy’s eyes made her re-think her response. Silently, she tried to understand what the problem was. Spike was a vampire, Xander was his fledgling, of course they had sex. “Buffy, why did you think they wouldn’t have sex again?”

“B-because Xander has his soul, he’s not gay, Anya, and he doesn’t even like Spike. He needs him, yeah, but he doesn’t like him. Why would they keep having sex?”

Til her her head to one side, Anya studied the girl in front of her. Was Buffy really that dense, or did she truly not understand? “Spike and Xander having sex has nothing to do with being gay, it’s because they’re vampires, sire and fledgling.”

Buffy shook her head in denial. “That’s not true, it-it can’t be. Angel and Spike don-- ”

“Oh Buffy, are you really that naïve? I guess it could be because you’re American, I’ve never understood why there’s… ”

Buffy ground her teeth together and interrupted Anya before the demon took off on a tangent. “I am not naïve.” Anya laughed. “I’m not naïve; don’t you think I would know it if my two vampire boyfriends were sleeping together? They’re not gay. Spike had Drusilla for sex and Angelus had Darla and Drusilla. They didn’t sleep together, so why are Spike and Xander?”

Anya had to sit down she was laughing so hard. “Oh, Buffy that’s rich, really rich. Do you really think they would have told you?”

Buffy’s face crumpled in confusion. “But I don’t understand why would they have sex? They’re not gay. And would you let me go?” Buffy struggled against the energy barrier again.

Sobering up, Anya asked, “Will you promise not to run off and try to kill them before we finish talking?”

Buffy nodded, “I promise.”

Anya released the energy bonds that held the Slayer and was pleased when Buffy sat on the ground across from her. “Buffy, I’m positive that Angel and Spike don’t have sex now, but when Spike was a fledgling they did. It’s a fact of life--err unlife, vampires have sex with their fledglings.”

“Why?” She truly didn’t understand. She’d read those books while they were waiting for Xander to rise, but nothing in them said it was mandatory. She’d just thought Darla was a sadistic bitch.

Anya puzzled over the question, trying to find an analogy Buffy could understand. She smiled broadly when she found one. “Buffy, think of a sire and fledge like a mother with their newborn. The blood they share between them is the milk.”

“Mothers don’t fuck their babies, Anya, that doesn’t make sense.” Her face twisted in revulsion, “And it’s really, really, wrong.”

Anya nodded. “But they are compelled to hold their baby and have physical contact with them; it’s instinctual for them both. The baby neeontaontact and so does the mother, it strengthens the relationship between them, makes the baby stronger, healthier, grow faster. Do you see the connection?”

“Yeah, but what does that have to do with sex?” She understood the milk and blood comparison that made sense, but the physical contact part was really squicking her out.

Anya’s eyebrows furrowed in frustration. Was Buffy purposefully being dense? She hated explaining anything to the Slayer; it always took far too long. Taking a deep breath, Anya tried again. “Sires and fledglings have the compulsion to touch; they need the physical contact just like a mother and a new-born. The four most important things in a vampire’s life are family, feeding, fucking, and fighting. With vampires the physical contact they need turns to either fucking or fighting, usually both.”

Buffy blushed bright red; there were some things in the world she didn’t want a better understanding of. This was one of them. “Doesn’t it bother you that Xander’s having sex with someone that isn’t you?”

So that was it, Buffy was jealous of Xander; this would have been so much easier if Buffy had just said she was jealous. “If Xander was human and I caught him having sex with someone, I’d wreak vengeance on him so fast he wouldn’t know what hit him. But he’s not human, Buffy, and neither is Spike. You said that you finally accepted his demon aspect tonight, obviously you didn’t. The intimate relationship he has with Xander is part and parcel of what being a vampire is.”

Buffy stubbornly shook her head. “But he wasn’t like this before! I was enough for him, why am I not now?”

Anya had enough. She abruptly stood and wiped the seat of her pants clean; looking down at Buffy she coldly told her the blunt and honest truth. “Spike was the most miserable creature I’d ever seen when I first met him. He had no family, Drusilla left him and Angel had abandoned him a century ago. He couldn’t feed because of the chip. He had no one in his bed, he was tied up in your Watcher’s bath tub for Pete’s sake. It took him weeks to realize he hadn’t lost the ability to fight. It wasn’t enough for him, Buffy, it was what he had to do to survive.”

“But that was… ”The blonde started to protest.

Anya held her hand up stopping Buffy from continuing. “He adapted to your human rules, and he survived, yes, but he was still the most miserable creature I’ve ever known. Spike has family now, he’s chip-free. He can finally be everything he was meant to be. But he still holds himself back for you, because it’s what you want. You can’t have it all, Buffy, you say you accept him, but obviously you don’t. If you try to bond with him like this, it’ll fail and one of you will die in the circle. You need to understand that no matter how much Spike has changed for you, he is still a vampire. Personally, I think it would do you good to see him be a vampire. Right now he’s performing his role of sire, and it’s something you need to witness before you make any more judgments or so-called decisions. I smelled it when you saw them kiss, you’re not objecting for any real reason. You’re objecting because you’re jealous, and because it turns you on, and you think that’s wrong. It’s not wrong, Buffy. It’s perfectly right and natural.”

Buffy’s lower lip was quivering from the tears she was holding back. She hated it when people showed her how self-centered she was.

“Now, you think really hard on what I’ve said. I’m going to be with Xander. They’ll probably ignore me but being there and seeing them is far better than sitting on my ass, crying like a baby and being jealous.” Anya spun on her heel and headed for the Jeep.

~*~

Willow let the familiar voice wash over her, comfort her. With each phrase sung, she could hear the voice getting closer. A feeling of peace and contentment filled her, made her smile. Let me surround you my sea to your shore She could make out the words now, the voice was closer drawing her in and the darkness faded just a bit. let me be the calm you seek Oh and every time I'm close to you there's too much I can't say and you just walk away Louder now, she recognized the song, it was one Tara sang to her when they were lying in bed at night and she was having trouble falling asleep. The darkness was almost completely gone everything was a light shade of grey, slowly fading into white.

And I forgot to tell you I love you and the night's too long and cold here without you Willow’s eyes fluttered opened. She didn’t recognize where she was, but she knew who was there.

Tara stopped singing when the hand she was holding twitched. “Willow?”

“Tara?”

Overcome with relief that Willow was back safe and sound, Tara gathered Willow into her arms and rocked her gently. “Oh Tara, it was so dark. And I didn’t know where I was, or how to get back and I was so scared I was going to be stuck there forever.”

Tara kissed her forehead. “I’ll always find you, Willow. Always.”

~*~

Sitting on the Summers’ back porch, Spike brought the whiskey bottle to his lips and took another swig. He’d sent Xander downstairs over an hour ago, and he’d yet to follow. He’d actually left and went to Willy’s to get the bottle of whiskey. He’d already drank more than three-quarters of it and picked up a couple packs of smokes too. He lit another cigarette. He was no closer to a decision that he’d been when he’d sent Xander to the basement with strict orders not to speak or move.

Did the boy know what he was doing? Did he really want to re-initiate the sexual ties between them? Was this just a reaction to his sire’s near-death? And god, what would Buffy do when she found out? She’d probably dust them both. Spike loved the Slayer with everything he was, but he knew her flaws. She liked to pretend he was a super-strong human with a sun allergy.

In the vision they’d shared, the Slayer said she’d accepted the demon, and while their meta-physical counterparts may have reached a decision, Spike knew Buffy hadn’t. Most stubborn bint he’d ever met. She’d argue that blood wasn’t red, grass wasn’t green if she didn’t want to believe they were.

Spike had kept the link between him and Xander partially open since the incident in the kitchen. His fledge had been patient far longer than he’d expected. He was getting restless, frustrated and if Spike wasn’t mistaken there was a bit of fear there too. Probably afraid Spike had changed his mind. He hadn’t changed his mind, not really. He was just trying to figure out what the consequences would be. Spike snorted, him figuring out consequences was a bloody riot. Would Xander hate him in the morning? Would he once again step away from him? He didn’t think he could take rejection from his fledge again, it had hurt too much the first time around.

All this waiting and wondering was bollocks. Spike picked up the cordless phone beside him and called Anya.

~*~

Buffy leapt to her feet and followed Anya, her mood almost worse than it been before the fight. “Why don’t you just teleport since you’re so good at it?”

“Teleporting is a power you only use when you really need it. I don’t really need it right now, I could easily walk or drive.” Anya unlocked the Jeep, climbed into the driver’s seat and cranked the car as Buffy got in the passenger seat. Anya shifted into drive and was headed towards Revello when her cell phone rang.

She hated driving and talking, but checking the screen she realized the call was from Buffy’s house. This was a call she had to take. “Hello?”

“Hello, kitten.” Spike’s rich baritone brought a smile to Anya’s face; the more time she spent with him the more she liked him. Spike was a good vampire and a good man. Some people really needed to figure that out.

“Hello Spike, is everything okay over there?” Anya glanced over at Buffy, but the Slayer was stubbornly staring out the passenger window, pretending to ignore her.

Spike took a long drag from his cigarette letting the smoke out of his lungs as he spoke. “Really don’t know. Do you have any idea what Harris did tonight?” Without waiting for a reply Spike kept right on talking. “He offered himself to me, just handed over the bloody reins. Does he understand what he did?”

Anya nodded her head even though Spike couldn’t see her. “Oh yes, we’ve been discussing that for a while. Xander hadn’t made up his mind about what he was going to do yet, I expect you almost dying made it up for him.”

“That’s what I’m afraid of, kitten. I don’t want him to change his mind about this in the morning.” Spike took another swig of whiskey, wishing he’d bought more than one bottle.

Anya made a left hand turn and glanced over at Buffy again, she was still staring out the window. “He won’t change his mind, S, he, he was heading in that direction anyway. I can’t believe you didn’t jump at the opportunity.”

“Well, I had to think about it didn’t I? Don’t rightly want to be rejected again. And what about the bloody Slayer? She’s not going to like this one little bit.’

“You’re certainly right about that, Buffy’s a bit of a bigot when it comes to vampires.” Anya smiled smugly when Buffy stiffened in the seat beside her.

Spike flicked away his cigarette butt and lit up another one, followed by another swig of whiskey. “Don’t know what to do about this one, kitten. Either way I let one of ‘em down.”

“You really are the most amazing vampire I’ve ever known. Spike, do what you want to do. If Xander changes his mind in the morning, he’ll probably change it back by evening. And don’t you think it’s time Buffy started considering what makes you happy?” Anya smiled brightly when Buffy turned and glared at her.

“Don’t talk like that about Buffy.” Another puff, another swig. “But you’re right, I guess. I’ve kept him waiting long enough. Thanks, kitten, see you in a bit?”

Anya made another left hand turn, away from Revello this time. “Of course, I’ll wait around a bit more.”

“Don’t know why you’d do that, s’not like you haven’t seen it all.”

“That’s true, but Buffy hasn’t and she’s with me right now.” Buffy wrenched the phone out of Anya’s hand and held it to her ear.

Spike leapt to his feet. “Bloody hell, why didn’t you say so? I wouldn’t have talked about this shit if I’d known she was around.”

“Maybe you should be talking to me and not Anya, Spike.” Buffy turned to stare out the passenger side window again.

“Had to know, didn’t I? Had to know if Harris knew what he was getting into.” Spike turned up the bottle of whiskey and chugged what was left.

She knew it was self-centered but she could stop herself. “What about me? What about what I think?” Buffy whispered, but Spike heard her anyway.

“Well yeah, there’s that too. Haven’t done anything at all, have I?” He could feel Xander getting even more restless; he had to do something, before the boy lost all trust in him.

“I don’t know, have you?”

“Bloody hell Buffy, just tell me what you want me to do, and I’ll do it. You know that. It doesn’t matter what Xander wants or needs you come first. Always.” Spike sat down in defeat, he could practically feel his fledgling slipping away.

Buffy looked at Anya and wondered how good her hearing was now that she was a demon again; at the speed Anya took the next turn, she figured it was pretty damn good and she’d heard everything Spike had just said. She knew in her gut what she had to do,, what was the right thing to do, even if she didn’t like it. “Go ahead, Spike, I shouldn’t be standing in the way of what you have to do. I won’t.”

Relief washed over Spike, but he still didn’t believe her. “You sure you’re okay with this?”

Chewing on her bottom lip, she knew she had to tell the truth or their relationship would never get anywhere. “No, I’m not okay with it. But it’s part of accepting what you are and that’s something I have to do if this is going to work.”

“All right then, that I’ll believe. It’s nothing against you, Buffy, you have to know that.” Spike flicked his cigarette butt away, grabbed the empty whiskey bottle and went inside.

“I do.” Buffy ended the call and looked at Anya, “Happy now?”

~*~

Spike hung the phone up, put the whiskey bottle in the trashcan and headed for the basement door. Opening the bond between them, Spike paused at the closed door. Xander knew he was coming, and that inkling of fear disappeared, anticipation in its place. Spike pulled off his t-shirt and his belt while he walked down the steps. When he reached the bottom he toed off his Docs, with one hand he undid the button and the zipper on his jeans.

Xander was naked, lying face down on Spike’s bed, without moving or talking, just like he'd been instructed to do over an hour ago. Good boy, deserved a treat for that. Spike traced one finger up the back of Xander’s leg starting at his heel; he’d stiffened at the contact, but hadn’t moved. Spike’s finger ran lightly over thigh, buttocks, back, shoulder, neck, and when it reached hair, he grabbed a fist full of it and pulled Xander’s head up. Xander’s deep brown eyes were open but looking submissively down. Spike smiled, boy’d been listening to his demon and learning a bit about proper behavior.

“Roll over onto your back.” Without any hesitation, Xander did as he was commanded, rolling over, exposing his belly and genitals to his sire. It was the most submissive gesture Spike had ever seen Xander do and it made him hard as steel. Straddling Xander’s thighs, Spike leaned forward, hands on either side of Xander’s face, mouth hovering a hairs-width from touching. Spike waited, teetering on the edge of touching, waiting to see what Xander would do. When minutes had passed and he hadn’t so much as breathed, Spike rippled into game face. Xander followed his example less than a second after.

Spike lowered his entire body parallel to Xander’s, keeping that hairs-width between them, teasing them both. “Gonna teach you some new tricks tonight, boy, and you’re gonna learn fast, ‘cause I expect skilled reciprocation.” Spike chuckled when Xander’s eyebrows shot up. “That’s right, boy, you’re the one who gets to have all the fun, but if you move or so much as make a sound without permission, you’ll be punished. Think you can handle that?” No reaction at all came from Xander; good, the boy had some brains after all.

Still hovering above him without touching, Spike did that thing where he undulated like a wave than had made Xander’s knees turn to jelly earlier that night. He’d waited so patiently for Spike to come downstairs and give him what he needed. Naked, face down, he felt exposed but more aroused than he’d ever been. Then Spike had left the house and the first wave of doubt and fear crept into his mind. The demon inside him knew this game, it was a test. A test to see if he was strong enough to obey, to trust. So Xander had waited imagining what would happen tonight because if he fell asleep, there would be hell to pay. The temptation to touch himself had grown too great with those fantasies, so instead he thought about the battle they’d waged that night. It didn’t make his erection go away, but the desire to touch it was lessened.

Then he heard Spike come back, he walked around the kitchen and went out on the back deck and stayed there for what felt like years. With each minute that went by Xander’s uncertainty grew. Straining, he could tell Spike was talking to someone, he couldn’t hear the other voice so Xander knew he was on the phone. Xander’s frustration and fear grew with each word Spike said, but he knew if he moved one muscle it would be over. For good.

As he was about to give up hope, he felt Spike open the bond between them. His sire was coming. Relief greater than any he’d ever known crashed over him, he closed his eyes anticipation replacing fear. And now Spike was above him laying down the rules. Rules he needed. He wouldn’t move, he wouldn’t speak, he’d learn what Spike had to teach him. He nearly shot his load when he realized he was going to learn by example, but that was against the rules, in this game he couldn’t come without permission. Shifting into game face took some of the tension away; it was one less thing he had to concentrate on. Right now, his entire world was not moving, not speaking, paying attention, following the rules.

His boy was doing so well. Spike had never been good at this game, he couldn’t keep still, could never be quiet. Spike stayed hovering over Xander, never touching him with anything but his mouth, tongue, teeth, and fangs. He ran his tongue along Xander’s fangs. He cut his tongue but it didn’t matter, there was going to be a lot of blood spilled tonight, Spike teased his gums then sucked one fang into his mouth, then repeated the process on the other one. It was a sexual act that only another vampire could properly perform. Spike smiled as he felt the fangs extend even farther with his ministrations.

It was so hard not to move, so hard not to moan while Spike toyed with his fangs. He had no idea that they were an erogenous zone. When the first drops of Spike’s blood landed on his tongue, it took every bit of concentration Xander had not to moan. He felt Spike smile; it reinforced his control.

Spike shifted his attention from his boy’s fangs to his facial ridges. Using his teeth again, Spike nibbled the crest of each ridge flicking his tongue into each of the valleys. When he’d addressed each crest and valley with nibble and tongue, he alternated the nibbling with sucking, before returning his attention to the fangs.

In Xander’s mind he was writhing, moaning, thrusting against his sire. Spike was hitting erogenous zones he didn’t know existed, which was exactly the point. His sire was showing him what he liked, what he expected to be done to him. It was his job to learn.

Spike turned his attention to Xander’s neck. He traced one of his fangs from the top of Xander’s jugular to the bottom, then repeated the process several times. When he felt the blood rush to the skin he sank his teeth over the pulse point, or what would have been the pulse point, he didn’t draw blood, just applied pressure with his teeth and sucked. Slowly he worked that sucking/biting/pressure across Xander’s neck until he reached his Adam’s apple. Spike brought his tongue back into play, drawing circles around it. Like his fangs had done, the Adam’s apple stood out more with the attention. Spike lightly put his teeth just to the outside of the protrusion, just enough to hold it into place and sucked as hard as he could.

Xander’s cocked twitched helplessly against his belly; still the only point of contact between them was Spike’s mouth. He had traced fangs along his jugular before, but the thing he was doing to his Adam’s apple was insane. How could that be such a hot spot? With each sucking draw Xander’s cock twitched more. He prayed that movement didn’t count, it was involuntary. Finally Spike dragged his mouth in that sucking/biting/pressure to the neglected side of his throat and repeated the process of tracing the jugular and sucking on the pulse point.

Spike smiled with pride, Xander was being so good he really did deserve aat. at. He drug his fangs down the long creamy column of neck until he found his mark. The death mark that other vampire had given him was gone, only Spike’s mark remained. He traced the scar with first one fang then the other. Xander’s body was tensing beneath his, but not moving. He was such a good boy. Spike traced the mark with one fang, drew the mark into his mouth and sucked hard enough to draw blood to the skin, then traced the mark with his other fang and sucked again. The hickey grew larger with each repetition.

His cock was twitching uncontrollably, steadily dripping pre-come onto his belly. Xander felt his entire body tighten like a bowstring, but he couldn’t/wouldn’t move. That had to be his scar Spike was working on. Anya had paid attention to it before, but it had been nothing compared to this. Slowly his awareness of his body disappeared until all he could feel, all he was, everything he would ever be, was Spike tracing, sucking the mark.

Spike took his time, using the open bond between them to time it perfectly, Spike sank his fangs directly over his mark and whispered a command, “Come.” Spike drank deeply from Xander, feeling his orgasm as if it were his own.

The bite, the first real bite Spike had given him tonight, took him to the edge and he was going to fall off, he couldn’t stop himself then he had permission and his body exploded over that edge. Xander’s mouth opened in a silent scream. With every pull Spike took of his blood, another wave of pleasure crashed through him.

Slowly, Spike withdrew his fangs from the mark laving his tongue across it to close the wound. Xander was still completely silent and still beneath him, his erection hadn’t even flagged after he’d come. Still without touching his boy with his hands, Spike got up from the bed and crossed the room.

Xander felt Spike’s absence like a physical blow, but he trusted. Trusted his sire would come back, would take care of him, would never abandon him. The demon inside knew what was going on aandeander himself had a small inkling. Tonight the boundaries of their relationship were changing. There would be nothing from Xander but trust from now on. Knowing this gave him a feeling of peace and contentment like he’d never felt before. So he continued to lie perfectly still and silent on the bed waiting for Spike’s return.

Spike rummaged through his trunk; if he was going to do this properly, Xander had to be allowed to move, but not too much. He’d often wondered why there were manacles attached to the Slayer’s basement wall, tonight he quit wondering and was thankful. He found what he was looking for and returned to the bed.

“Raise your arms above your head.” Again no hesitation. There was a rush of power in that one act. Spike was beginning to understand a little bit of Angelus’ actions. Paying attention so wouldn’t he inadvertently touch Xander, Spike frowned as he attached the manacles to each of Xander’s wrists; he wasn’t Angelus, didn’t want to be. He would bring Xander’s demon to heel in his own way, and would succeed where Angelus had never succeeded with him.

There was no way of completely securing the second set of manacles into the floor without breaking out power tools. He hooked one end to the bed frame near Xander’s feet, careful not to touch him he attached the other end to his boy’s ankles. “Raise your knees.” Again he felt that rush of power when he was obeyed. “Pull your knees to your chest.” Spike smiled to himself, there was just enough length on the chain to suit his purpose. He returned to his trunk, he needed a few more things.

On the bed, Xander lay with his knees pulled to his chest in complete and utter satisfaction. There was a voice deep inside that kept asking what the hell was he thinking, but it was growing quieter. With every action Spike took that didn’t hurt him, the soul grew more complacent with what was happening.

Spike found what he was looking for and closed his trunk. As he returned to the bed he heard the kitchen door open and two pair distinct footsteps, Anya and the Slayer. Anya immediately crossed the kitchen and came downstairs. The Slayer had stayed in the kitchen. Spike tried to ignore her presence even though it drew him like a moth to a flame, tonight was for Xander. He ignored Anya and continued his task.

Anya had felt the sexual energy like a heat wave the second she’d entered the house. She could tell from the breath that Buffy sucked in that she could too. She ignored the Slayer and headed downstairs, she’d done everything she could for the other girl. It was up to Buffy now. As she descended the steps Anya’s breath caught when she saw Xander. He looked so perfect in manacles, knees drawn up to his chest. Oh, how she wanted to play, she knew she couldn’t until she was invited, but she could appreciate it. Anya quietly settled into the only chair in Spike’s room. She drew her knees up to her chest and rested her chin on them.

Paying no attention to Anya, Spike finally shimmied out of his jeans. “Put your legs flat on the bed.” Again that rush, he’d never get used to that. Never. After tonight, he had to be man enough to use it in a way that Xander would never grow to hate or resent him. But those were thoughts for another time. Spike had ideas, plans, shaping in his mind. He knew how he wanted to this to go, but wondered if it would be a mistake. “Spread your legs.”

Spike knelt between Xander’s legs and looked at his boy. He was still, silent, behaving perfectly. It was time to give him another reward. “You can move as much as the manacles allow you, and make sounds, but you still can’t speak, understand?” Xander nodded his head and Spike grinned. This was so much fun.

Xander turned his wrists and ankles in the cuffs, testing how tight they were, they were tighter than he liked but he could deal. He tested the chains on his arms, he could reach completely over his head, and down to his hips. He’d already discovered the range of motion for his legs. Spike had practically given him free license, he must be very pleased with his behavior. The satisfaction grew if that were possible and his soul quieted down a little more. Spike was good to him, would alwae goe good to him. He glanced quickly at Anya, he knew it would be best to pretend she wasn’t there. Spike wanted one hundred percent of his attention, and he would get it.

With one finger Spike traced the length of Xander’s erection. Immediately he moaned and hips jerked trying to move closer to the touch. Spike traced every vein, every ridge of Xander’s cock. Each feather light touch made Xander’s erection grow. Xander watched Spike pay special attention to those ridges he only had in vampire form and thrust helplessly against the touch. His cock had never been so big or so hard in his entire life.

When Xander’s erection was as large and painful as it could be, Spike slipped the cock-ring on him. “No matter what I do to you for the rest of the night, you are not to come without permission. I put the cock ring on you to help you out, but you still have to control yourself. Understand?”

Xander nodded furiously. What was Spike going to do to him that could make him come even with the cock ring on? Xander’s body tingled from head to toe in anticipation.

Spike ghosted his fingers along Xander’s chest, tweaked nipples and continued to explore. “Remember what I said earlier, that I was going to teach you new tricks and you’d better learn fast, ‘cause I expect skilled reciprocation?”

Xander’s entire body shuddered in anticipation while he moaned his acknowledgment.

“Have you learned anything new yet?” Spike traced his mark; tonight’s bite had already faded. The boy healed fast, which brought another smile of pride to his face.

“Mmmmph.” Xander leaned into Spike’s touch, trying to get more contact, but Spike continued to deny him.

Abruptly, Spike dug his fingertips hard into Xander’s flesh and drug them down Xander’s skin, from his collarbone to his hip bone. Again Xander pushed himself into the touch; there could never be enough contact between them. Spike repeated the action until one of his ragged nails drew blood. He leaned forward, still careful not to touch and licked the blood away. Xander closed his eyes and shuddered beneath him.

The demon within him craved pain, reveled in it. He felt something cold and flat trace over his nipple. Xander’s eyes flew open, his mouth dropped in anticipation as he watched Spike lightly draw the flat side of a dagger across his skin. An act of ultimate trust and submission, the only thing that could have upped the meaning would have been if Spike had used a stake. Xander stilled beneath Spike. This wasn’t a moment to push this was a moment to trust.

Spike drew patterns on Xander’s chest and abdomen with the dagger, carefully watching his reaction. He’d stilled beneath him, but it was obvious he enjoyed what was happening. With a twist of his wrist, Spike let the sharp edge of the knife trace the patterns, careful not to break the skin. Over nipples, around his pecks, tracing his abs, then back to the center again. Slowly he drew the knife down to Xander’s hips, drawing stars just to the inside of his hip bone. Up around the cock and to the other hip, repeating the pattern. When Xander growled in frustration, Spike chuckled and traced the length of his cock, down and around the balls with the flat of the dagger.

Xander was so close to the edge he didn’t know if he could bring himself back; he growled in frustration yet again and started biting his lips, anything to distract him from the knife on his dick and his balls. The cold edge of steel made the butterflies in his stomach dance in anticipation, made the orgasm that had never stopped building at the base of his spine grow a little larger. He knew without being told this was something he’d never in a million years get to do to Spike, but he still enjoyed it and memorized exactly what was happening. It might be a skill that would come in handy some day.

Spike lay on his stomach propped up on one elbow between Xander’s legs. He was pleasantly surprised at how much Xander was enjoying the knife-play. With the flat edge of the dagger he slapped Xander’s balls. The growl that emanated from Xander’s chest at that one action, encouraged him even more. Spike slapped his balls four more times, before he twisted his wrist and used the sharp edge of the knife to trace his cock again. Up and down the length, along the sac, a slap with the flat edge, sharp edge around the sac again, up the length,a slap to the glans with the flat edge and back down again. Spike repeated the action without variation.

Xander was panting helplessly, arms tugging at the chains. God this was, it was unlike anything he’d ever experienced before. He so desperately wanted, no needed Spike to draw blood. A growl that bordered a purr erupted from his throat, he couldn’t have stopped it if he tried. The demon was as satisfied as he’d ever been. Helplessly Xander bent his knees and twisted his ankles in circles.

It had been so long since Spike had been able to give in to his darkest desires, he was teetering on the edge of orgasm. Spike ground his hips into the bed, dragging his cock furiously against the sheets for friction. He increased the pressure just a bit and made a tiny shallow cut on the glans, another on the middle of the shaft, and finally one at the base of Xander’s cock.

Xander wanted the pain, needed to feel the knife bite into his flesh, but he had to trust Spike to give him not what he wanted but what he needed. Without any warning, he felt the knife cut his head. Xander’s eyes shot open, another cut on his shaft, his mouth opened, and a final one at the base of his cock.

In a lightning move, Spike took Xander into his mouth, for the very first time. All. The. Way. To. The. Root. He swallowed once, savoring the blood and pre-come, then licked his way back up. He studied his boy eyes wide, mouth hanging open, eyes completely dilated, such a good, good boy. He sliced a shallow cut from the tip of his cock all the way to the root. His boy arched helplessly towards the knife his body demanding more. Spike was careful not to let Xander cut himself, no matter how hard he arched. There was a steady line of blood, exactly what he wanted.

“Look at me.” Xander’s eyes flew to Spike’s but he knew his boy was blinded by painful ecstasy. Spike slapped Xander’s balls with the flat edge five times in quick succession using more force than he had before. Xander’s response was even stronger, face contorting with pleasure, arms tugging helplessly at his chains, back arching, hips thrusting searching for the edge of the blade.

Poised scant inches above his cock, Spike kept his eyes on Xander, never looking away, using all his senses and the bond between them to judge how far he could go. When the blood welled into one tiny stream and Xander was thrusting his hips in the air, Spike took pity on his boy and himself. With one thrust against the sheets Spike uttered the word they both needed. “Come.” He swallowed him to the root savoring the come and blood cocktail that flooded his mouth. Spike worked him deep in his throat milking every last bit of blood and come from his boy, his own hips finally slowing their constant thrusting, his orgasm taking the edge off.

With the whispered command Xander shattered, despite the cock ring. Control snapped, synapses fired all along his body, an orgasm unlike any he had ever had before took total control of him. He thrust instinctively into Spike’s mouth, riding wave after wave of pleasure, he tried to scream out his release, but his throat wouldn’t work. There was nothing left of him but his cock in Spike’s mouth. Finally, Xander blacked out.

Spike released the cock ring and worked Xander back up to full erection. Only to slip it back on before Xander came around. Xander gave him a dopey grin he’d seen but never been on the receiving end of before. Spike’s chest expanded with love for his fledge. Using two fingers on each side of his penis, Spike laved the tiny cuts until they closed completely.

Xander stared in blissed-out ecstasy as Spike licked him again and again. He had no strength left to thrust against him, and he had no idea on earth how he still had an erection.

Kneeling between his legs Spike smirked at Xander. "Ready for more?"

His eyes widened in surprise, expression clearly saying there’s more?

"One thing you’ll learn about being a vampire, Xander, there’s always more."

The door to the basement opened and Buffy silently walked down the steps. In one long glance she took in Xander chained to the bed (figures), Anya sitting in the chair across the room (surprising), the blissed-out expression on Xander’s face (more surprising) and Spike’s back tense with the knowledge she was there.

Anya scooted to one side of the chair, making more than enough room for Buffy. She took a deep breath; sex and blood were heavy in the air. Finally she sat down beside Anya and mirrored her position, knees drawn up to her chest, chin on her knees.

The thoughts were spinning furiously in Spike’s head. There were things he’d planned to do next some he had planned from the beginning, others that he hadn’t been sure of before. They tested the power structure of sire and childe, but were things he wanted to do, teach Xander, show by giving. With the Slayer’s arrival he was frozen in place. Unsure of himself for the first time since he’d walked down the stairs. Muscles tense, almost ready to flee, Spike looked Xander in the eyes. There, that look of complete and utter trust, total satiation, desire and love, that was what he was there for.

Damn the Slayer, maybe she’d learn something about him from this. Maybe this could be what would make her love him, or it could be what sent her screaming away from him forever. With a wink to his boy, he leaned forward, still careful not to touch bodies, and kissed him fiercely. Fangs sliced carelessly into lips, tongues sucked into mouths. With a sucking pop Spike pulled away. "Knees to your chest, boy."