The Gift

Chapter Four

Buffy looked up as she saw the Harley Fat Boy fly by the Magic Box. Intrigued, she looked out the window. The bike had pulled over a few doors down and the rider was stepping off of it, his back to her. She whistled low.

"What?" Willow dashed to the window to get a glimpse of what her friend had seen. The man was tall, well muscled, in tight jeans and a dirty brown leather jacket. Dark hair flowed down to his shoulders in gentle waves, soft blond highlights lightening the effect. The heavy boots on his feet gave a dangerous air to his look. He turned, looking up the street and both women gasped. He was gorgeous.

Thick silver jewelry surrounded his neck and wrists, large silver loops dangled from his earlobes and they could see that he had several rings on each hand. His bronze skin sparkled with sweat as the man pulled off his jacket, his tights jeans bulging handsomely. He adjusted his sunglasses and walked down the street away from the shop.

Willow and Buffy looked at each other. "Whoa."

---

Xander looked down the main street of Sunnydale. It had been four years since he and Spike had left and he was surprised at how much looked the same. The only real change he could see was the name on the magic shop.

He stripped off his jacket and slung it over his shoulder, wiping his hair away from his face. His white t-shirt was soaked with sweat and he grimaced at the feeling. No big deal, he'd be done soon. Walking along the street, he made metal notes of various potential hideouts but he couldn't sense anything.

He stood for a moment, basking in the heat of the day. Finally, he turned and walked back to his bike.

Reaching into the saddlebag on the side of the motorcycle, he flipped open a phone and dialed. Receiving no answer, he stretched, pulled on his jacket and climbed back on the bike, heading back to his love.

---

Spike could feel Xander approaching long before he heard the roar of the motorcycle. He grinned and continued to lie in the middle of the bed, the heady scent of his mate surrounding him.

Xander walked in the door and flung his jacket towards a chair before peeling off the rest of his clothes. "Shit, Spike. It is fucking hot out there! You didn't answer when I called." He climbed into bed next to his mate and snuggled into his coolness. "Much better
"W
"Was too comfortable to get up. Did you find anything, pet?" Spike laved at Xander's neck, cooling him with his touch. Xander lifted a hand toke'ske's loose, sandy curls, wrapping them tightly around his fingers.

"Nope. No sign of Angel. You sure he's here?" Spike nodded and rolled on top of his mate. He wrapped a hand around their erections and stroked hard.

Xander continued his commentary, teasingly urging Spike on by talking. "The only g thg that has changed is the nan thn the magic shop. Did you know that the owners of that shop have a bad habit of dying?" Xander moaned at the next stroke and quit trying to talk.

Spike slipped a finger into Xander's channel, marveling at the tightness. "I am always amazed at how tight you are, love." He thrust his fingers in and out, drawing out some of his previous spendings and coating his cock. He pushed Xander's legs out of the way and pressed into the welcoming heat of his lover.

"Oh, yeah, Spike, been too long."

Spike snorted. "It's been two hours, pet."

Xander spun them in the bed, straddling Spike and riding him hard. "Like I said, too long." He grinned and leaned in for a kiss, happily chasing Spike's tongue with his own.

Spike reached down and grasped Xander's cock, fisting it harshly between their bodies. Xander groaned and rode harder, driving Spike's cock against his prostate over and over again.

Too quickly, it was over. Warm semen chilled on Spike's chest as cool seed pooled out of Xander. Finally, Xander drew away from Spike, collapsing beside him and wrapping a large warm arm around him.

"Why'd we have to come back here, Spike? You know he's not going to be happy to see us!" Spike shrugged. He really had no reason to return to the Hellmouth, he had simply felt drawn to it.

"I don't know, pet. All I know is that we need to be here. Now sleep, it's the middle of the afternoon." Xander yawned and snuggled up against Spike, heedless of the dampness covering them both.

---

Buffy stretched and groaned as she finished her trainingsionsion. "Why do I have to keep doing this?"

Giles frowned at his charge as her younger sister laughed. "Because, Buffy, you are the Slayer and must keep in shape."

Dawn snorted, "Yeah."

"Shut up, you little twerp." Her head shot up as her boyfriend peeked his head into the room.

"Is it safe to come in?" Riley looked around the door as if afraid.

"No!" shouted Dawn.

Giles sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Please do."

Buffy bounded over to the young man and kissed him hard, earning a groan of disgust from Dawn.

"You guys are gross!" She raced out of the room, the Slayer hard on her heels.

---

Spike dug through the pockets of the brown jacket, cursing. Xander opened one chocolate eye and peered at his mate. "You ok?"

"Can't find any bloody fags!"

Xander laughed and closed his eye. "You should know better than to think I would hide them in such an obvious place." He grinned as the vampire continued to dig through the deep pockets of his jacket.

"Oi, what's this?" Spike held up a Polaroid he had pulled from the inside pocket of Xander's jacket.

"My grave. Pretty neat, huh?" Spike looked closely at the picture.was was a simple headstone with the words: Alexander LaVelle Harris The Bravest of Us All 1980 - 1997.

"Wonderful. Why didn't you tell me you were dead? Would've cut down on the cost of feeding you." Xr grr grunted and hopped off the bed.

"I am hungry, thanks for reminding me." Xander wandered to the door of their bedroom, the same one that he had given himself to Spike in so many years before. Poking his head out the door, he shouted, "Hey, Rodchester! I'm hungry!"

A few minutes later, a minion came into the room carrying a tray with food, cigarettes and a Zippo on it. Xander tossed the packet of cigarettes to Spike, who was sitting in the middle of the floor emptying the pockets of his duster. He reached out one-handed and snagged the pack, dropping them in his lap to quickly grab the lighter that was flying towards his head.

"Ta, love." He lit a cigarette and lay back on the floor, inhaling the soothing smoke.

Xander lay on the bed, shoving bits of fruit in his mouth, watching Spike's smoke swirl towards the ceiling. When Spike finished, he flicked the cigarette towards the grate and leapt from the floor, landing on top of his smiling lover. "Gimme a bite."

Xander shoved a piece of pineapple into Spike's waiting mouth, then smashed his lips against the other man's, drawing the sugary juices back into his own. "Mmm, good." Xander licked Spike's lips, cleaning any juices that might have escaped. He deepened the kiss, drawing in Spike's tongue, sucking at the strong muscle. Spike grinned into the other man's mouth.

Xander brought a hand up and drew the sharp corner of one silver ring across Spike's neck, opening his skin and allowing his blood to flow. Xander lapped lazily at the scarlet ribbon, enjoying the moans that were escaping from his mate.

"Hungry?" Xander questioned Spike between licks.

"Yeah, pet, I am." Xander placed one tanned finger at Spike's mouth, inviting the vampire to take it in. After his finger was moist, Xander pulled it out of Spike's mouth and smeared the saliva liberally over the cut he had made. He watched, captivated, as the wound sealed and disappeared. Xander licked up the rest of the blood, insuring that his mate was clean.

---

An hour later, Xander was on the dance floor at the Bronze, his eyes closed, grinding rhythmically against the young coed in his arms. He lifted his beer bottle to his lips, looking across the floor into cold blue eyes.

He held Spike's gaze and dropped his head down to kiss the girl, Kayla, Kyler? He hated the feel of hot lips against his. How could people do this all the time? He leaned down and whispered in her ear, making her flush and press closer to him.

Willow danced her girlfriend across the floor to where Buffy and Riley were making out in the middle of the room. Willow poked Buffy and she pulled back, peering at her friend.

Willowed leaned in and spoke into Buffy's ear. "That guy is here!" She nodded towards the brunette they had noticed earlier. Buffy yelled to Riley that she was going to the bathroom; he nodded, frowning down at the pager vibrg ing in his hand.

Willow and Buffy fought through the crowd as Tara wandered back to their table. Buffy wrapped her arms around the redhead and danced them closer to the young man.

"He is totally hot!" Buffy yelled in Willow's hair. Xander suddenly looked up, his improved hearing allowing him to recognize the voice. He glanced around the floor, spotting the two girls moving towards him. He looked back over at Spike and the blond nodded and headed for the door.

Xander leaned in and nipped at the girl's bottom lip. "Let's get out of here!" She nodded happily and followed Xander out of the club. When they reached the outer door, Xander tugged the girl into the alley, drawing her into another kiss. She couldn't believe her luck. Her friends were going to die when they heard about this guy.

Suddenly the gorgeous man in her arms was yanked violently away from her. She looked over to see him in a passionate embrace with a monster. She screamed and tried to run, but the brunette had one strong hand wrapped around her upper arm. He broke the kiss and jerked her back to him.

"Brouyou you a present. She smells good." Spike leaned in and sniffed at the girl, smelling fear and desperation underneath the cloying scent of her perfume.

"She does smell good, love." Spike growled at the young woman, increasing the scent of her fear.

Xander pulled her tight against him, his strong chest and hardness pressing into her back. The vampire approached the pair, beaming at his beautiful mate.

"You smell better," Xander murmured as Spike wrapped his arms around them both. Spike smiled and dragged his fangs over one side of the girl's neck, allowing the blood to flow. He moved to the other side, clamping down hard. She struggled, but their combined grasp was too much for her.

Xander leaned in and attached his mouth to the wound that his lover had provided for him. He rolled the girl's blood around in his mouth, enjoying the taste of fear. When her heart stopped, he lifted her and threw her body into the dumpster before wrapping his arms around Spike.

"Better now?"

Spike smiled through bloody fangs. "Much."

---

"Do you think that the Slayer saw you?" Spike strong fingers dug into the muscles on Xander's back.

"Yeah, she did, but I don't think they recognized me. Oh, Spike, right there."

Spike dug in harder. "That Red grew into a looker, didn't she?"

Xander agreed. "Yeah, a looker... Now kiss me." He rolled over to his back, dragging Spike down on top of him.

Spike kissed Xander passionately. Gods, how he loved this man.

They had discovered during the last year that Xander was no longer aging. He was young enough that they had almost missed it, but now they were sure.

Something about their mating had changed Xander. Last summer they had been in Brazil. Spike had promised Dru that he would take her there after they finished in Sunnydale, and Xander had encouraged him to go and enjoy it in her memory.

One day, a local kid had noticed Xander wiping away the faint traces of blood after a passionate embrace with his lover. The kid's father was told and by the end of the evening, the locals had decided that Xander was a demon. They had caught Xander alone and strung him up by his neck one afternoon when he had gone to the store for Spike's smokes.

Spike thought back to that awful time, tugging Xander close, knowing that his mate would know what he was thinking of.

---

Spike could feel Xander calling to him, but was trapped by the midday sun. He could hear his mate's screams as he was hung from a branch of the oak tree that stood in the center of town.

After nightfall, a broken Spike staggered out to the village square to retrieve the body of his love. He would bury him and then wait for the sunrise. Their ashes would mix. As Spike pulled Xander down from the tree, he was surprised to feel Xander's heart beating.

Spike looked around, wondering if anyone was watching him. He leaned in and kissed Xander's ear.

"Watch it, buddy, my husband will eat you." Spike almost screamed in triumph. He carried an exhausted and dehydrated Xander back to their hotel room and cleaned his mate, feeding him his blood, healing him.

Xander had hung from the tree for almost six hours before Spike had rescued him. There was no way he should have still been in the land of the living. Xander and Spike packed their things and fled the village.

They spent almost two months searching for someone who could explain the miracle. Finally, in the jungle along the Amazon, they had come across a medicine man whose eyes had grown wide at the sight of the pair.

Xander couldn't understand the man's broken and bastardized Portuguese, so Spike sat close as he translated for his love.

"You are no longer a man. You have become more and yet less."

Spike asked a question that was quickly answered.

Spike looked at Xander. "You're not a demon, love. He says that you are at rest. There is no growth in you."

"But what does that mean, Spike?" Xander squeezed Spike's thin fingers.

The medicine man spoke once again before rising. He walked away from the fire, padding away through the underbrush.

Spike looked at Xander in awe. "He says that you are eternal being, you will age no more."

They had left Brazil after that, too happy to rough it any longer.

---

As the memories faded away, Spike smiled in Xander's arms. Xander poked him. "Quit being sappy."

"I can be sappy if I bloody well want to. How are you going to stop me?" Xander pressed his lips against Spike's in answer.