Shadows across the heart

Buffy the Vampire Slayer/Angel the Series
TITLE:
AUTHOR: Willie J
EMAIL: wmj166@yahoo.com
ARCHIVE SITE(S): http://parrot.nearheralways.com/index.php; http://www.brain-insane.com/beyondcanon; http://www.adult-fanfiction.org
PAIRINGS: Eventual A/X
RATING: NC-17
DISCLAIMER: I don't own any part of Buffy et all, nor Angel the Series.
FEEDBACK: Oh please send me feedback, privately or through the list
DISTRIBUTION: List Archives
SPOILERS:
BETA'D BY:
SUMMARY:
A/N: Those of Buffyverse are naturally Joss' creations, however, any and all other characters mentioned are my own.

Chapter 4


Angel swam to consciousness at the sound of a door softly clicking shut. Briefly he wondered where the hell he was, then remembered the night before with a groan. He sighed and turned his head, expecting to see Xander. Then he sat up in a rush at the sight of blood dotting the sheets. Flipping the covers back, he was even more horrified to see more blood marring the white sheets. Cocking his ear he could just make out fierce whispering going on outside, then the faint ding of the elevator.

Hurriedly he threw on a pair of pants before rushing out the door. Glancing out the door, he was just in time to see the elevator needle stop on the third floor then he ran for the stairs. Bursting onto the third floor, he began tracking the scent of his mate's blood until he came to a closed door. Angel stood outside and listened unashamedly to the conversation, his stomach churning at the revealing words the two exchanged…

“...tell him what he's doing!” Fred shouted angrily. Her thin cheeks were flushed with fury at both Xander and Angel. Tenderly she doctored the gouges in Xander’s back.

“I said that I'll talk to him...” Xander repeated wearily.

“When?! When he breaks your other arm?! Or better yet when he gives you another black eye! He broke your wrist! And your back was clawed up! Why didn't you...” and she broke off as the door opened revealing a grim faced Angel.

Angel swallowed heavily, sickened at the healing gouges on the boy's back before Xander got swiftly to his feet and whirled around, tucking his wrist behind him.

“Fred...out..” Angel ordered without looking away from Xander's blank face. But there was a scent pouring off the boy in waves. The smell of fear.

Fred looked back and forth between the two men. Torn by her need to protect Xander and her instinct to live, because Angel was looking pretty mean. Lifting her chin defiantly to the vampire, she stiffened her shoulders. Determined to stay and protect hrienriend.

“Go…I'll be okay...” Xander looked at her as he spoke. He gave her a tired grin. “It's okay.”

With dragging feet and backwards looks, Fred left reluctantly. In the hall, her face hardened grimly. Figuratively cocking her hat and squaring her shoulders, all she needed now was a six-shooter riding low on her hips as she stormed downstairs. It was time to give a couple people a few hometruths.

Arriving in her usual silent fashion and unnoticed, Fred paused on the last step and studied the three friends. Seeing the strong bonds of friendship that tied them together, the love and loyalty to one another. They were a proud and generous bunch of people. Her mouth thinned to a flat line. And they needed a good hard kick in the pants.

Cordy perused the lasted gossip magazine, a donut in one hand and a double espresso on her other side. Gunn and Wesley shared the morning paper, the younger male smiling at the news that his favorite team had won the game last night and Wesley frowning at the news over in the middle-east.

Fred drifted down into the lobby. “Ya know, ya’ll really disappointed me,” she drawled quietly in the silence. Cordy looked up, a questioning look on her face while Gunn and Wes slowly lowered their paper.

“Excuse me…?” Wes raised a brow curiously. He exchanged puzzled looks with the other two before directing his attention back to the slightly built girl.

“I said, ya’ll really disappointed me,” Fred repeated, dolefully shaking her head. “I used t’think I was a good judge of character, ya really gotta be if you wanted t’survive in Pylea. Never know which one of the slaves ya was a-talkin’ to would wind up stickin’ a knife in ya back. But ya’ll fooled me. My daddy always told me that you could tell a lot by a man’s actions. I guess since ya’ll acted all noble, that’s how you were.”

Cordy’s eyes narrowed. “Let me guess, this is about Xander,” she retorted sarcastically, a twist to her lips.

But to her surprise Fred shook her head. “It’s not really about him, it’s just that I ain’t never seen a bunch of people act like a bunch of dumbasses,” the Texan responded calmly. She held up a hand imperiously when that brought angry cries of outrage from the trio. “Nah, ya’ll been yippin’ n’ yappin’ for days, now I’m gonna say my piece! Cuz, Lord have mercy, I’ve been listening to a bellyful from ya’ll and had t’put up with getting the evil-eye from the three of you!”

Fred took a deep breath, her eyes traveling to the furious faces on the three people that she thought she knew. “When I first set eyes on Angel, I saw his beautiful face. Then he tried to protect me from them other demons, and his true face came out. And he was uglier than sin, but inside, where it counted he was still beautiful to me. Cuz, he tried to help me and he kept trying to save me, even when I didn’t want him to save me. Then I met you-all. Gunn, so big and strong; Wesley, so proud and smart; and you Cordy, all sassy and spicey. Every one of you was beautiful, I thought. Not as beautiful as Angel, because he was a demon. And I felt he had to work extra hard to be noble. To be nice and all. But all ya’ll were humans, so I thought it shoulda been easier. For you to be nice and generous.”

She took another deep breath, studied the faces opposite hers. Watching for their reactions to her words. Her heart sinking at the closed looks. But still she tried to reach them. “Then Xander came here. Hurt so bad, he can’t even walk. Hurt so bad, he can barely talk. Begging for help. Everything back where he come from, his friends, his lover…everything a slave to something evil. Evil wearing his friends bodies to hurt him. And ya’ll spit him. Why? Cuz, he somehow got himself tie-up to Angel? Did he even ASK to be shotgunned to Angel? ‘Pears to me, that I heard him and that Spike fella was sparking,” she said with assumed calm.

“And ya’ll did worsen than them that took over his friends bodies. Ya’ll supposed to be the good guys,” she cried, her voice taking on a pleading sound. “Yous supposed to be noble and…and…help people! It wasn’t his fault, can’t ya’ll see that? Or are ya’ll too blinded by your pigheadedness to see that?!” Her face held a look of disgust mixed with disdain.

“Gunn, I can understand, what with him not knowing Xander and all, but you,” she said looking at Cordy then at Wesley, “And you shouldna known better!”

“It’s because I know Xander for the screwup he is,” Cordy shot back defensively. Fred looked thoughtfully at the dark-haired Seer.

“Do you? Do you really know him? Or are you just rememberihe bhe bad? ‘Cuz, if what he says is true about Sunnydale, about what ya’ll used to do a few years back is true then I think you must have a memory problem! Who was it that stayed back to allow you to escape when Dru came a’callin’? Who was it that helped organize the patrol of Sunnydale when Buffy was gone? Who was it that led your entire student body in hand-to-hand combat against vampires?” Fred’s face softened as she looked at the discomforted girl. “From the way he tells it, you were right in the thick of things! He ain’t got ing ing but good things to say about you.” She swung to Wesley, her gaze direct and frank. “And you. You’re smart and intelligent, all the things he knows he’s not.”

“You can talk all you want, girlie, but Xander stole ole English here man,” Gunn growled.

“No, he didn’t,” Fred responded with calm composure.

Cordy shook her head slightly, a pained half-smile on her face. “You almost had me, there. You just los,” s,” she murmured, then she raised her voice. “Everybody here knows, that Angel was Wesley’s man, and vice versa.”

Wesley simply gave Fred a cold look, disdai to to answer. “And apparently what ya’ll seem to be forgetting is that Angel is not a man,” Fred replied softly. “Angel is a demon. Here’s something else for you to think about. Angel would have still been a demon even without Xander coming here. I hate to say this, Wesley, but by the time a way would have been found around the curse, you would have been long dead. You would have lost Angel anyway.”

The English man opened and closed his mouth several times. His expression furious as he sought to refrute her words. Unfortunately, nothing sprang immediately to mind. Growling, he turned his back on her and picked up his paper. With an angry shake, Wesley proceeded to ignore the girl’s presence. But her words still rang in his mind.

Uneasily Cordy and Gunn glanced at each other, then at Fred who waited with annoying patience for them to speak. When they remained silent, she turned and walked over to the box of donuts. With every appearance of calm control, Fred began eating. Inside she was a bundle of nerves. She just hoped they thought long and hard on her words. Because, it was the truth.


Upstairs in the bedroom, Angel and Xander stared silently at each other. But when Angel moved towards Xander, the young man immediately backed away with a look of alarm flashing in his eyes. The older man stopped, his face becoming blank.

“How long have I been hurting you?” Angel said quietly as he reached for the boy again, freezing when the young man pressed further away from him. “I just want to see your wrist.”

Angel could see fear in the widening eyes war with Xander's need to obey him. Slowly a strong corded arm was hesitantly extended to him for his observation. Taking the afted ted limb gently in his hands, Angel delicately manipulated the bones, aware of the boy creeping closer to him. Seeking comfort from him until the young man was almost pressed to his side. Xander was shivering with stress; yet oddly enough the fear scent was dissipating from the room. He could feel the bond working on them both, stroking gently across their jagged nerves. Soothing them.

“I'll wrap it after you take a bath...” he finally stated, raising his head. His face hardening when Xander flushed and looked away. Muttering about 'Not a bath'. He silently cursedselfself. He saw the stiff way Xander was moving, he doubted if the boy could even bend the necessary degree to sit down into the tub.

“C'mon, a shower then,” he urged the boy softly. “Let's get you washed up.”

Standing under the hot, refreshing water, with no hint of the harsh burden on his actions reflecting on his face, Angel washed the dried blood off of Xander. And he was pathetically grateful to see the boy’s nervous tremors easing, and he tried to be as gentleposspossible. With the heavy weight of a wary brown stare firmly fixed on him, he felt like he had cruelly set a bag of squeaking, squirming puppies on fire.

“You didn't answer my question...”

Angel's mouth quirked in a bitter self-mockery when the wide dark eyes immediately shifted away from him.

“Question? Uhm, what question? I don't remember you asking any questions,” Xander replied nervously, looking everywhere but at the man in front of him. His words tumbling over each other in his haste to avoid answering Angel.

“I'm sure that if I ask Fred she will be more than happy to tell me what I want to know,” Angel responded evenly. “I hurt you. Now how many times?”

“You didn't *hurt* me,” Xander answered fiercely. Horribly aware of the one word they were both trying not to say.

“Is that what your mother used to tell you, to explain away her black eyes and bruises?”

“You leave my mother out of this!” Xander shouted, then blinked and swallowed hard. “I'm not like her...and this...this…didn't happen like that...I enjoyed...” he haltingly tried to say.

It was no longer just water from the shower trailing down Xander’s face.

Angel pulled the shuddering body to him. d, Xd, Xander!” He whispered into the boy's ear, hugging the crying young man to him. Trying to offer what measure of comfort he could for the damage he had caused.

“You looked like Angelus on crack every time you came through the door!” Xander sobbed into Angel's neck.

“So you fought...” Angel guessed, stroking the shaking back soothingly. “Why didn't you say something?”

Xander pulled back. “You were never here. Me and Fred didn't know where you were,” he answered accusingly.

At his words, a cold light glittered in Angel's eyes, making Xander try to draw back fearfully. But with easy strength, the pale arms tightened about him.

“Cordy and Gunn always knew where I was,” he tossed out just to see Xander's reaction. Which was immediate when the boy suddenly gazed at the opposite wall with fascinated interest.

However, at the startling hiss, Xander's attention jumped back to a golden-eyed vampire in full demon face. To his great surprise, he didn't feel like clubbing Angel over the head and taking off running and screaming from the savage face. Maybe it was because he knew he wasn't gonna be the one to get his ass kicked this time.

“Hey Deadboy, they were just trying to protect you and Wes from my incredibly alluring body,” he tried to tease gently.pingping to wring at least a half-hearted smile from the vampire. Though why the hell he was trying to protect them he had no friggin' idea considering what they had been putting him through.

Angel cut off the water without replying. His jaw was tight as he urged Xander from the shower. He roughly dried the now silent young man, then ripped a towel and wrapped it tightly around Xander's wrist to ensure less jarring.

“How long does it take for you to heal?”

Xander eyed the calm face the vampire presented with misgiving. He wasn't convinced of Angel's control despite the brown eyes and human face. Those eyes were a little too light, almost amber, for his comfort.

“Uhm, six, seven hours depending on how bad it is,” he shrugged as Angel helped him pull on a pair of sweat pants. He held up his wrist. “This'll be good as new in about two more hours,” he said insistently.

“Er...I've been doing some research in the library. About the shadow things,” Xander offered hesitantly, abruptly trying to change the subject away from him.

“Good, bring it downstairs when you come down for breakfast. We can go over what you have and put it together with Wes' information,” Angel rep dis distantly. His eyes were slowly fading to a frozen golden state.

“I don't wanna eat breakfast downstairs,” Xander protested. Then closed his mouth quickly when Angel flicked icy, gold eyes over his face.

“Today, you will eat downstairs,” Angel enunciated very carefully. His temper was strained to the limits at how badly they, he had treated the boy.

“Capital idea!” The young man exclaimed with nervous haste, trying out a trembling smile hoping to ease the stormy fury in the vampire’s eyes.

“I want you in my office in 45 minutes,” Angel commanded in an eerily quiet voice before he left the room. Going to the elevator, he was soon back in his room. Dressing casually, he was downstairs within 15 minutes.

“Gunn, Fred, Wes, Cordy...my office now...” he ordered with glacial calm.

Giving each other puzzled looks they strolled after vam vampire, and lounged with studied carelessness on the couch and chairs as Angel sat behind his desk.

He shifted his eyes to the nervous looking Fred and a grateful smile broke his remote blank face. “First of all, I want to thank you Fred for looking after and taking care of Xander. Last night won't ever happen again. I promise.”

Fred sagged in relief as tension and worry disappeared from her fine bone face.

Cordy’s eyes were curious, a troubled look in her eyes when she looked at the slight girl. Fred nervously avoided the other girl’s stare, preferring to study the floor instead.

The dark-haired vampire regarded his team with a blank, unreadable expression. “I'm aware of your extreme dislike for Xander's presence here in the hotel. And I take full responsibility for a situation that I allowed to get out of hand. But it ends…now.” His voice was icy with finality.

“Are you giving us an ultimatum? That either we accept HIM or ...” Gunn voiced his question harshly in the ringing silence. Despite Fred’s words, he came from Old School. A man stuck by his friend. Even if they’re wrong? he asked himself silently.

Angel studied the intense, angry youth before leaning forward in his chair. “No, it'll be your choice to stay or go. I apparently didn't explain things clearly to you a few days ago. Because of the pairbond there is a certain time that Xander and I must be... together. No ifs, ands or buts. We MUST be together. This urge will gradually override us; override me beyond anything you know. It's like trying to hold your breath in a room filled with poisonous gas. Eventually the need to breathe becomes unbearable. Your mind knows that if you breathe you'll die, but your body simply can NOT not inhale.”

“So what are you saying? That you and Xander need to fuck like a couple of rabbits?” Cordy’s voice was acid as she threw the question out. She knew she was out of line, but that miserable expression on Wesley’s face was killing her.

Angel looked at her stonily. “What I'm saying is when I'm late getting back home, I'm dangerously out of control. Xander refers to it as Angelus on crack. He's scared...so we fight.”

Cordy and Wes' instinctively winced and paled alarmingly.

“Xander can take care of himself,” the Seer tried to say. But even to her ears, her words sounded unconvincing.

“Fred...what do you think? Do you think Xander can defend himself against me?” Angel prompted the slender young woman.

She shook her head vehemently. Still looking at the floor she spoke hesitantly. “The second night you broke two of his ribs; the third night he had a black eye and a broken finger; the fourth night you broke his arm.”

Cordy felt the room swim and she felt sick to her stomach at the implications of what Fred was saying.

There was stunned silence as the other three humans looked at Angel with horrified faces. “And last night I broke his wrist. It was the first time I ever fell asleep beside him. Usually I get up and leave. I don't even bother leaving any money on the nightstand for his ‘services’,” Angel smiled bitterly.

Gunn grabbed Cordy hastily when she tried to jump across the desk to get at Angel.

“If I had known, I would have...” she raged furiously at the vampire.

“Maybe told Fred where I was? Maybe not have made him too scared to walk down the stairs to eat?! What the hell would you have done?!” Angel thundered at her, shocking them all into an uneasy silence.

“Why would he let you treat him like that? I mean...damn!” Gunn burst out, pacing back and forth.

Angel closed his eyes, his anger subsiding. He was far more guilty than they could ever be. “Between the bond and other...issues, he didn't think he had much of a choice.”

Cordy froze, remembering a scene from when she and Xander dated. “I remember going to his house unexpectedly one time…his father was not pleased to see me. I never went back again,” she stated quietly. Gunn, Wes and Fred gave her puzzled looks but Angel nodded slightly when she met his eyes.

Wes had remained silent throughout the whole thing. “So what is it that you want us to do? Despite the circumstances, welcoming him with open arms is a bit beyond me.” He said with pretended calm.

Angel sighed. “I'm not asking for that. I'm simply asking you to ease up on the tar and feathers you guys got boiling in the back. This situation is not something he's too fond of either. Look, he's going to be here in a few minutes. He's been researching in the library on the shadow things by himself, so just let up on the hostility.” He pleaded just before a hesitant knock sounded on the door.


Uncomfortably full, Xander took a deep breath before knocking softly on the door. He gave Angel precisely two seconds before he assumed no one was there and turned cheerfully to bounce away to the safety of the library.

“Xander...come in.” Angel yanked the door open and snagged him gently by the arm. Drawing him effortlessly into the tension riddled office before releasing the dark haired youth and returning to his seat.

Xander sidled uneasily into the room. His face flushing at the cool look Wes gave him. His breath started coming faster, nervous tremors visibly shaking his lanky form. His eyes darting frantically around the room, unable to settle on anything or anyone as his fears began to get the best of him.

“Over here...” Angel quietly said, watching with hidden pain as the young man darted to his side, damaged arm held protectively against his stomach. In a room of humans, the fact that Xander sought protection from him filled him with shame. “Now let's see what you managed to find...” he added tolerantly once the boy was closer to him.

Cordy's brows rose in surprise at Xander's swift retreat away from them. She could see the panic welling in his wide eyes, and she would have bet money on the fact that he was seriously about to freak out. That is until he got close to Angel. And calmed. Trusting his former nemesis over humans. Over them.

This fearful, almost silent person wasn't the Xander she used to know, she finally realized with a hint of sadness. The last time she ever remembered Xander being this quiet and withdrawn was when Willow wound up in the hospital after Drusilla attacked them.

Had she really became that much of a bitch that she would willfully ignore his pain? What about her friendship with Wes? Thoughtfully, her eyes slid to his dit fat face.

“Uhm, I wasn't trying to step on anybody's toes because that would be so not good and in real life would hurt like hell but I thought that since I saw 'em, the shadow thingies, that is, maybe I could spot something you may have missed what with me being like there and you were all...uhm, not. Not there in Sunnydale I mean, cause like you were all here which is where you should be naturally, fighting evil because evil’s like all over and we need lots of evil fighters. Not that you’re evil, just that you are fighters AGAINST evil. But since I'm not a G-man or a Willowbrain, so big whoop-de-do to me trying to do this on my own.” Xander had started off slow but under their fixed steady stare, he had rapidly descended into babblemode.

Gunn blinked. “That sounded like English, but...” he said with a confused shake of his head.

“He just said that he tried to research on his own. Hoping that maybe he might be able to spot something that we overlooked. But since he's not a Watcher or as smart as Willow
he doesn't feel too sure about what he's found,” Cordy explained to him.

“You understood that?!” The large dark-skinned fighter looked at her incredulously.

Cordy felt a real smile come on her face for the first time in days. She patted Gunn's cheek and smirked. “I took a couple of courses in Babblespeak. It wasn't safe to be around Willow and Xander when they hit their stride.”

Angel, Cordy and Xander exchanged shared smiles of remembrance before Cordy’s smile faded and she looked away. Torn between her friendship with Wes and sympathy for Xander.

Xander sighed and gave the four legal notepads to Angel, filled with his scrawling script. “This was the best I could do. I can't make the connections or know where to look like Giles and Willow or you and Wes can do.”

Angel was leaning back in his chair, studying the information. “That's okay,” he responded absently, his attention suddenly riveted to the notes Xander had written. Slowly he sat forward and flipped rapidly through the first pad. “You got this information out of the library? My library, right?”

“Uhm, yeah...I wrote the names of each of the books I used just in case you wanted to get back to it,” Xander pointed out helpfully. Though he was starting to get a strange vibe that something was wrong. Big time wrong.

“Wes...take a look at this one, willya?” Angel tossed one of the pads to the ex-Watcher, who looked surprise and a bit disgruntled at the request. Then shrugging, he began to read. His face becoming just as intent as Angel. He sat up straighter in his chair.

“But you don't...” he began but stopped when Angel raised a hand.

“Xander, why don't we go and take a look at these books. Maybe you're right...we'll find some additional information once we buckle down,” the vampire smiled. But there was a look in his eyes that had Xander eyeing him uneasily.

“Okay...Arun said that it was kinda hard for them to know what and where to look. I mean they all tried but I think maybe I wasn’t explaining things right.” The young man grimaced as he led the way upstairs. He didn't see the surprised looks that crossed the others faces at the direction they were taking.

“Gunn, Cordy could you go and grab some of my *special* research equipment from the cabinet?” Angel turned and gave the two a meaningful look.

“We'll wait for you. Lead on Xander,” the vampire looked back at the uncertain young man.

Okay, not my imagination, Xander thought to himself. There's definitely weirdness going on. He eyed Angel suspiciously, convinced that whatever it was, the vampire knew something. “It's on the fifth floor. Which is kinda neat. I bet Giles...” he faltered, then smiled with determined cheer. “Giles would sell his soul for your library.”

“You think so?” The vampire replied noncommittally.

“Bet on it,” the boy smirked at the thought of the older ex-librarian drooling over Angel's books.

Gunn and Cordy swiftly joined them at the elevator and slid neatly to the back. There was some jostling and Xander thought he heard metal clinking back there, but when he turned they all had innocent faces. He snorted, they were definitely up to something.

Stabbing the button, the elevator rose smoothly. Stopping at the fifth floor with a gentle ding. When the doors parted, they could all see a room stretching the length and width of the hotel. A bustling library, filled with tall, pale gray demons reading and writing as they sat at tables.

Some were working at computers, some were laughing and standing around just talking, and some were busily climbing up and down ladders to reach various levels of shelves. Opposite the elevator, they d mad make out a wide double staircase with figures going up and down. Trailing his eyes upwards, Angel could see the sixth and seventh floors, wall to wall with books. Nothing but books and more books. And lots of robed demons wandering around.

“Something tells me we are not in Kansas anymore,” Gunn muttered to Fred.

“I wonder if we're still even on earth,” she murmured back sotto voice.

“Ahhh, Lord Xander...” cried a tall, elegantly robed demon when he caught sight of them. His vivid blue eyes, with the cat slitted yellow pupils, widened joyfully at the sight of the young man.

“That's Arun,” Xander whispered to Angel. “He likes callie Loe Lord Xander. Ain't quite figured out why yet, though.” Xander smiled widely at the welcoming expression on Arun’s face.

The slender demon hurried over, a wide smile on his face. “I see you've brought Master Angel as well! My goodness!” Arun exclaimed with a delighted twinkle in his eyes. Then his smile and eyes clouded over when Master Angel abruptly pushed Lord Xander behind him. When the four other humans drew long knives, his brow furrowed in confusion.

“Angel...!” Xander yelped in surprise when he found himself abruptly pushed into the background.

“Xander, this is NOT part of the hotel. Its not, I repeat, NOT my library. Last count, I had only about 100 books. And while I'm no mathematician, I can guess that there's about a million books here,” the vampire responded tightly, not relaxing his protective stance one bit.

Arun looked at Master Angel in surprise then embarrassment darkened his face to slate gray. “Forgive me, my Lord and Master Angel,” he bowed respectfully to Angel, then again to the hidden Xander. “I simply assumed that when Lord Xander arrived in the Library that your fellow Guardians had informed you of our existence and presence. Again, my apologies for my err.”

Angel glanced over his shoulder at Xander and they groaned simultaneously. “They did...we just thought they were talking about MY library, not this one.” The vampire replied ruefully.

Arun's face brightened immediately. “Ah...that does explain matters, then.”

Then there came the sound of tramping feet. Marching down the wide staircase came a grim, hard-faced Amazonian demon followed by twelve other equally stony faced men and women.

“Wow...!” The six Hyperions blinked, their jaws dropping open in open mouth appreciation. All thirteen demons were in physical, chiseled perfect condition. Beautiful hard bodies moved with easy, effortless grace. Other than the sleek night black skin, and the huge slanted purple eyes, they could have easily passed for human. That is if the average human height varied between eight and nine feet tall.

Coming to a noisy, tramping stop before Angel, they knelt, their heads bowed in submission. Then the lead female came smoothly, gracefully to her feet. Saluting Angel, she folded her hands neatly behind her back, her legs spread in what they belatedly recognized as parade rest.

Inclining a sleek black gold-streaked head she spoke, “Greetings Master Angel. I am Captain Jahna, of the Western Defenderate and yourond ond in command. If it pleases you, requesting permission to disperse the troops throughout the hotel, Sir.” She thumped a clenched fist against her breastplate and waited.

“Who...” was all Angel could stutter out, his eyes wide in sheer astonishment.

Jahna blinked, then understood. “I apologize. All Guardians have their own standing force to defend and protect their spheres of interest. We answer only to the Defender of that particular Guardian.”

“Hot damn...” Xander breathed softly, his eyes glowing. “I got my own army!”

Jahna bent her attention to the young Guardian and raised a brow. “I beg your pardon, Lord Xander, we are not YOUR army. Arun and his people answer solely to you as we answer solely to Master Angel.”

“Not mine?”

“No, my Lord. We belong to Master Angel. We will, however, comply with any REQUEST from you, save those that conflict with Master Angel's order.” She hid a smile at the crestfallen look that appeared on the young human's face. At the mutinous look he directed at his Defender, she was sure that the coming years would be interesting indeed.

“Uhm, proceed to disperse the troops,” Angel ordered. He and the others jumped in shock when six of the demons behind Jahna shouted, their voices and undulating echoing scream. Then Angel and the humans stepped hastily aside as 70 males and females ran down the stairs heading for the elevators.

“Perhaps the gracious Sirs would kindly step this way,” Arun suggested tactfully, gesturing them away from the elevator that the demon soldiers were patiently waiting to come back up. The Hyperion crew wandered to a long table and took seats around it. Jahna and five others followed behind, taking up guard positions around Xander, who was sitting between Angel and Fred. Wesley sat on the young woman’s right.

“It is my understanding that you are searching for a shadowy creature, is that correct?” Arun folded his hands into his robe as he watched them curiously. He signaled a few aides over to listen and be prepared to serve.

“Yes, from what Xander says and from our own observance these creatures are made of shadows or dark cloud of sorts. We've all heard mention of a Dark Queen, a Dark Lady, a Dark Mistress...and also Blood and Shadows. He's also mentioned Shardts and Guardians which we've somewhat puzzled out already and have had the pleasure of the other Guardians presence.” Wes spoke up quietly. Visible excitement showed in his eyes at the temporal anomaly of the Library. He wondered what else this place held.

“I'm sorry, I did not youryour name,” Arun smiled and bowed politely to the human. His eyes darkening with curiosity.

“Oh, I do beg your pardon,” Wes started, and extended his hand. “I'm Wesley Wyndham-Price...” He faltered to a stop, as the temperature in the Library abruptly became subzero. You could practically see the ice covering everything in sight. Hostility sat heavily in the air and death was imminent.

Jahna’s head turned slowly, then the rest of her body turned. She looked down at him with dead, frozen eyes. Then reaching out a long arm, she yanked a startled Xander out of his chair and put him behind her as the other five demons closed in on either side of him.

Arun took a step back, his lips lifting as his teeth began elongating in his mouth. Thick, dark claws emerged from his hands. There was a noisy rumble of chairs as the scholars clumped together around Xander, facing outward with cold, dangerous faces.

Facing the Hyperions.

Watching Cordy, Gunn and Wesley with unnerving intensity.

“Oh, mannnnn...” Xander quivered out faintly. Then he began struggling against the restraining hands. Finally, managing to shrug them off, the young man made his way back to Angel's side. Flustered and red-faced, he stood side-by-side with his Defender, glaring angrily up at the menacing demons.

I'm I'm supposed to be the Western Guardian and you're supposed to listen to me, then I say chill out!” His eyes narrowed at the unmoving expressions on the soldiers' faces. “Angel, tell them to chill out!” he ordered harshly.

Angel already had his mouth opened to tell the others to back off when Xander snapped at him. He slanted a cool look at the boy, then returned his attention to threatening demons. “Back up...now.” His voice was a low, rumble. A prelude to violent storm.

“Master Angel, forgive my presumptuousness but HE is an enemy of Lord Xander,” Jahna replied calmly, though she did step back.

“Is that what he said?” Angel asked harshly, without looking at Xander.

“I...” and tark-ark-haired youth shut his mouth with a snap when Angel tossed him a hard look.

Arun hesitated, looking puzzled. “Noooo,” he said slowly, his brow furrowing in thought. “But whe's e's up here, we can sense emotional...turmoil within him. But he had never inferred by word or deed that there is or has been any animosity between he and they. However, there is sadness and fear whenever he arrives. It lessens when he's surrounded by us, but it recurs when he need must return to the hotel. In addition, Wesley, Cordelia and Gunn are the only ones that he has never repeatedly mentioned save once. We know much about Fred, about her kind generosity, her intelligence and so much more. We also know of you and your struggles for redemption and as a Warrior for the Powers that Be. As for the others...” Arun shook his head.

Then the Librarian continued in a flat voice and with eyes of steel. “However, we are Librarians. It is our sworn duty to seek and ferret out the truth. We are scholars; we are also astute readers of the human body and facial expressions since we have more dealings with the human aspect of your joining. For, unlike the warriors, we, in the service of Lord Xander are quite capable of descending yon elevator without his permission. Master Angel, your hotel has many places where a clever scholar can watch yet remain hidden.”

Angel and Xander glanced at each other. “It was a simple misunderstanding and argument,” the vampire stated firmly. “That's all.”

Jahna blinked, her eyes thoughtful as she regarded the white bandage wrapped around Lord Xander’s wrist. Her eyes shifted to Master Angel’s golden stare. Then barking a sharp order to her people, she backed off even further, inclining her head.

“Lord Xander…?” Arun asked softly, not budging one inch. He and his people did not answer to Master Angel. His eyes were still and icily distant as he regarded the Hyperions.

Xander flicked a glance behind him at Gunn, Wes and Cordy. Then he glanced at Angel. Sighing, he ducked his head. “Like he says, it was a simple misunderstanding,” he muttered.

He heard Angel’s quiet whisper of ‘Thanks’ as Arun and the scholars’ claws disappeared. Urbane civilization once again ruled the Library.

“As you wish, Lord Xander. Perhaps you would care to take a tour of your home,” the head Librarian offered. But his eyes were cool and watchful as he regarded the three, now discomforted humans.

“Home…there’s more to this place? And for that matter, how in the hell is it here?” Xander stuttered, his eyes widening in surprise.

Arun smiled at the light of excitement shining in the young lord’s dark eyes. “When new Guardians are invested, wherever they currently reside, space is…folded and a cotiontion is made to allow him or her access to their domain.” He explained easily as he led the way to the wide staircase. Even Gunn was listening in fascination and looking around with huge eyes.

They came to a large, wrought iron elevator and entered. “A Guardian wouldn’t be much good wit ret ready access to their homes and areas of knowledge,” Arun added with a tiny grin.

“Once the connection is formed, the entrance will remain opened until the property is either destroyed or passes from the Lord or Lady’s hands.” Arun continued as the elevator came to a stop in the center of a long white hall with four doors. North, East, South and West Angel realized.

“The other doors will take you to the entrance of your fellow Guardian. This door will take you to the abode of the Guardian of the West.” Arun stated quietly, gesturing to the engraved door, stenciled with the word West. He stepped back, allg thg the young Guardian to be the first to open the door.

“Holy shit…” Cordy breathed, her eyes rounding incredulously. Stunned, they could only wandered helplessly with mouths hanging open.

A huge, airy vista greeted their awestruck eyes. Gauzy white drapes waved gently from a balmy wind, blowing in from large arched windows. White chairs, sandy colored couches dotted the huge room, creating smaller conversational areas throughout the enormous room. Brilliant, colorful rugs decorated the floor, and even Gunn could see the serious money that went into designing the room.

“Rembrandt…” Wesley breathed softly as he studied a painting on the wall. Arun nodded calmly. “I believe the one they have in the Louve is merely a duplicate. The previous Guardian was very fond of that particular piece.”

“He stole it?!” Wesley asked in astonishment. The head Librarian looked insulted.

“Don’t be silly! He was a very good friend of Herr Rembrandt and sincerely mourned the passing of the painter. When a friend of his questioned him about it, he simply had a copy commissioned and allowed it to be ‘found’.”

Arun looked around at the wondering humans in surprise. “Everything here is an original,” he explained. “Now it all belongs to Lord Xander and Master Angel.”

Xander felt like he was going to faint. Going from a shabby, bug infested basement to an apartment of his own was great. But this, his eyes wandered over the wide expanse of his kingdom, now this was even better.

“How many bedrooms?” Cordy demanded to know, whimpering softly at the casual reply of ‘only 57’.

“If you would come this way…” Arun urged them along up a staircase and a long hallway. They bypassed several doors along the way. “This, Lord Xander is your bedroom…” he said, opening a door and gesturing expansively. “Through that door is a connecting living room.”

“Urk…” was all the young Guardian could say. Those crowding behind him echoed the surprised squeak.

“Xander, if I solemnly swear on my LIFE to be the sweetest, nicest person in the whole fuckin’ world to you, would you let me sleep a week in your bed...preferably without you in it...one of these days?” Cordy asked without taking her eyes off the wide monstrous bed. “Hell, just one freakin’ day would do for me!”

“All I need is an hour…” Gunn muttered, his eyes rapt on the high, plushy looking bed.

Xander and Angel walked carefully into the room, silent and avoiding each other’s eyes.

Their room. Their bed.

“Omigawd, there’s a beach down there…” Cordy screamed as she stepped out of the hugely arched windows onto the balcony. The others, attracted by her cry, raced outside to see. Distracted, Xander met Angel’s eyes, and hastily looked away. His eyes falling inadvertently on the bed before he jerked his gaze away.

“Guys, sorry but I think we need to work on solving the shadow thingie, then we can come back and play,” he said desperately. Anything to get his mind off of tonight.

Grumbling, Cordy tore her attention away from the white sandy beach and grudgingly followed the others out the door.


Later that evening, after the others had left the Library, Xander hesitantly made his way back to the castle. Then even more slowly, back to The Room. The BEDROOM. He stood gazing at the bed, biting his lip worriedly. He jumped at the feel of a hand touching his shoulder.

“Angel…”

Angel regarded the wary, stiff back of his...husband? Was that what they were? “I thought that perhaps instead of waiting until the need was on us that maybe we could…”

Xander swallowed heavily, his heart racing when cool palms began stroking slowly up and down his arms. He trembled, his breath becoming ragged as firm lips nuzzled gently at his neck. His mind was clouding in a haze of confusion. On one hand, there was Spike...and Angel sure as hell did NOT, was NOT in love with him. But on the other hand, after this morning, after waking up next to Angel...after everything that had happened today, he just didn't think he could go through another night of being hurt.

Shivering, he tilted his head to the side, tacitly giving permission. Closing his eyes, he sighed softly when a gentle, tentative kiss was placed on his pulsating jugular. Then when a liquid caress washed over his Claim Mark, his stomach clenched in sudden, heavy arousal. His head fell back on Angel's broad shoulder and he shivered, torn between relief at not having to fight and the same guilt he felt every time he and Angel had sex. Because that’s all it was. Sex. No love. No feeling.

Just sex and the damn pairbond that drove them together.

Vaguely he was aware of his shirt being unbuttoned and slid down his arms, just as he was aware of long nimble fingers sliding up his chest. He couldn’t help but arch into the caress with a helpless cry as his nipples were plucked teasingly and the heat kindled in his veins. His arms came up, almost without his will, and his hands threaded in Angel’s bowed head. Anchoring the vampire firmly against his neck. Moaning softly, he writhed in pleasure as cool lips worried gently at his neck.

He groaned harshly, his hips twitching restlessly when a hard palm slid down his belly and cupped his swelling sex firmly. Possessively. Then the sweet grip was gone and he squirmed in displeasure. Nobody told Angel to move his damn hand. Since he was the Guardian, he was ordering Angel to put his hand BACK! But before he could give the command, to his happy surprise, he felt his pants and underwear pool around his hips, then drop to the floor. Xander hadn’t even felt them being unzipped.

Magic.

Xander felt Angel fumbling behind him, and rocked backwards impatiently. He hissed in surprise at the feel of cool nakedness against his buttocks. And that broke the lustful daze his mind had sunk into.

Whirling around with a gasp, he backed away, almost falling over as his pants tangled around his feet. Kicking them away, he stumbled backwards with wide eyes. His eyes dropped, then shot back up to Angel’s aroused yet patient stare with disbelief.

“Oh, hell no! You are not getting near me with that THING!” Xander swiftly darted over to the bed and pulled a sheet around his nakedness.

Angel hid his amusement. “Xander, trust me it’ll fit. We’ll fit. The proof is that you’re still standing.”

“But very stiffly…” the other pointed out, then flushed as he recalled just how many times Angel had been in him.

The vampire took a step forward, encouraged that the young man didn’t back away. Only watching him with wary, troubled eyes. He carefully crossed to the other, trying not to spook the boy any more than he already was. Angel tossed the tube of lube he had taken out of his pants onto the bed behind Xander.

“Xander, I don’t want you to hurt. I don’t want us to hurt anymore…this morning hearing how badly I hurt you made me want to die. I mean, really die. Here I am, supposed to be YOUR Defender, but who protects you from me?” He asked softly, touching the boy gently on the cheek. Then with calming hands, he urged the young man to sit before settling beside Xander. “Who can you go to for help when I hurt you?”

Xander swallowed hard and looked at Angel. “I don’t need anybody’s help. I can stand on my own. I am not my mother!” He exclaimed fiercely, his eyes glittering with tears of anger. “She never fought back! She would just lay there and let him beat on her! But not me! You may be able to beat me down, but I’ll be damned if I’m gonna let you or anybody else try to hurt me without hitting you back!”

Angel smiled. “Good!” He allowed his hands to stray where they will. Slowly easing the sheet away from Xander's body, granting him free access to warm mortal flesh.

The young man faltered, looking uncertain and becoming even more aroused since Angel apparently had a problem controlling his hands. “Good? Uhm…why?” His hands fluttered, not sure whether to stop Angel or encourage him.

The dark-haired vampire looked down, one hand idly petting the hard warm organ that was jutting upwards, preening under his touch. “Because you mean something to me. You mean something to me as a person, as a human being. You are my…” he paused, searching for a word, “…Caomhach.”

“What’s a c…?” Xander asked suspiciously, stumbling over the word.

“There are various meanings. In the old days in Ireland, during war, men that went into battle developed a extremely close friendship with another male. They were…caomhach. The bond between caomhachs were very tight. This was a person closer to you than your own wife or lover. This was someone you trusted implicitly to watch you back. A man that you would protect and defend against anything and everything. As a war continued, and the craving for a warm familiar touch called, sometimes that bond deepened and the two became…more,” the vampire said quietly, his head was bowed slightly. He watched, his blood beginning to burn as his hands brought the boy’s strong shaft to life.

Angel had a wry grin on his face when he looked at Xander, changing the direction of the conversation. “Do you know, I've spent the past 80 odd years defending innocent humans against demons. Somehow, I just never thought that it would be me that a human would need defending. Though I must confess that at one time or another I did have fond thoughts of you falling in a puddle of mud or a vat of horseshit. With me standing innocently at some distancf cof course.”

Despite his arousal, Xander felt an answering grin tug at his lips. “Of course,” he echoed. Then both their smiles faded as...something stirred between them. Not the pairbond urge but something...different.

“I just want...” Angel started to say, then broke off uncertainly. His eyes lowered, focusing on his hand, softly caressing the erectioat wat was standing tall and proud under his stroking palm. “Once we cross the threshold of our bedroom door, I want us to become Guardian and Defender. Leaving Xander and Angel on the other side of the door and just be the Guardian and his Defender. Whatever happens in HERE stays in here. Out there, vampire and human exist, but in here...only the Guardian and Defender exist.”

His head came up and he gazed into Xander's aroused yet troubled brown eyes. “Maybe in time vampire, Angel and Defender will be able to exist in here and out there, just like human, Xander and Guardian will belong out there and in our bedroom. I know that this is difficult, for both of us...I just want us to be able to function the way I know we are supposed to work together, ciallach.” Angel placed a delicate kiss on one hunched shoulder; he nibbled gently at Xander's jawline, then at the lobe of an ear. Layering a series of kisses downward, he nipped at the side of the golden neck with his teeth. Then drawing back, he waited nervously for Xander's response.

One way or the other, things needed to be settled between them. He couldn't, WOULDN'T continue to hurt Xander. He didn't struggle all this time for his redemption only to fall victim to his inner demon. There had to be a way!

Somehow after that disturbingly passionate speech, Xander found himself easing backwards on the bed. A shattering feeling racing jusder der his skin from Angel's touch. His breath becoming ragged as the bulkier body came over him and hands gently nudged his legs apart. A cool body settled between his parted thighs. Drawing a gasp from them both at the skin-on-skin contact. This time they were each in full command of their senses. If he went through with this, it was in full knowledge of what was going to happen.

Angel held Xander's widening eyes until his lips touched a flat male nipple. At the gasp that movement brought his gaze flashed upwards to the young man's wondering eyes again. He could feel the answering throb in the warm hard shaft resting between their bodes. Then, lowering his head, Angel feasted for a long time on one of Xander's succulent nipples. Laving at the delicate morsel, tugging it into a hard pebbly peak with his tongue, groaning at the feel of desperate fingers clutching at his hair.

“But we're supposed to hate each other...” Xander wailed out softly, writhing under Angel's touch. But he couldn't protest, caught up in his body's primitive response to pleasure. He wasn't even sure he had a valid protest to make, because what was stirring between him and Angel didn't even have a passing relation to common sense or even sanity.

Angel paused for a moment, understanding what the boy was saying. But there was no out for them...it was either rape his.his. He...they had no choice. Angel shifted his attention to the other straining peak and treated it to the same greedy attentiveness. Becoming increasingly encouraged by the strangled, hitching gasps from above.

With each sweet kiss he placed on his choice bit of flesh, Xander moaned and arched beneath him, while the other peak seemed to pout prettily at being ignored. Not wanting to cause it to be neglected, Angel diverted his attention back to it. His mouth and lips conquering the fleshy nub thoroughly with his ue aue and lips, convincing the sweet thrusting peak of his fond regard. And while it glistened appetizingly wet in low low light from the windows, his fingers were busy attending to the other nipple. Pinching, squeezing the pert nipple, assured of his mastery over it at the prompt obedience.

Xander surrendered to the pleasure sweeping through him. He gave a shuddering, hungry moan before tangling his hands in Angel's hair, drawing the vampire even closer to his throbbing teats.

Something that the dark-haired immortal was in total agreement and Angel positioned his body accordingly, then began a greedy consumption of the thrusting peak. Wincing at the painful tugs on his hair, Angel reach upwards and seized both wrists in one strong hand. Then applying gentle pressure, he managed to pull the desperate hands from his hair, and maintained a secure grip on Xander's wrists. Then slowly he pressed them down and held them above the wildly tossing head with gentle restraint, still coing ing the hard peaking fleshy nubs with hungry relish. Xander's nipples stood at proud rigid attention, rising and falling with the boy's rapid, shaky breaths.

Lifting his head, Angel gazed into Xander's aroused, dazed eyes. “This is me,” he rasped out. He wanted there to be no confusion as to who was occupying Xander's bed or was soon to take up residence within that golden, limber body.

“I know,” the young man whispered hoarsely in reply. He lay still in the bed, making no move to free his captured wrists. Xander's eyes were glittering at the glistening wet sheen on Angel's lips.

Then Angel lowered his head to tease one luscious nipple, tugging voraciously at it with just his lips. “No more illusions, nor pairbond forcing us to mate. This is us. And I'm not Spike,” he stated huskily, drawing circles around the tempting morsel with the point of his tongue. “No illusions about who I am.”

“I do...oh, God, I do. And I'm not Wes,” Xander managed to gasp out, his eyes equally fierce.

Angel lifted his head from his banquet to search the boy's fierce eyes. “Fair enough. I just don't want to hurt you anymore. Say yes...” Angel he watched as a furious blush sifted over Xander's face. A wild riotous color that he could see easily in the dim light.

Then with his wrists still stretched above him, Xander’s eyes slowly closed, silently acquiesced to the increasing surges of need. His body was continually rippling, shuddering under the scorching waves of pleasure that washed over him. With soft despair, he knew it was no use fighting, this wasn't a battle he would ever hope to win. Tormented by his own body's overwhelming powerful need, he couldn't help but to agree. A stone statue would have agreed. And with a soft sigh, Xander tilted his head even further back, arching his back, so that Angel could, once again, devote ravenous attention back to his ry try throbbing nipples.

Angel went back to the pouting morsels of flesh that so intrigued him. He played teasingly at the taut nubs that begged so sweetly for his attention. He was willfully determined to make things up to Xander, so he began nipping at the rigid peaks with gentle teeth. Pleased to hear his sensual assault rewarded by a yelp of pleasure from the boy. Then a much louder cry spilled from Xander's hoarse throat when a cool hand wormed between their bodies and began fondling his aching stiff length.

The dark-haired immortal limited himself to one succulent nipple. He worked his dark magic on the throbbing nub, putting it through its paces even as he enticed its surrender with the sweet fervor of his lips and tongue. Angel continued his increasingly successful attempts to wreck sensual havoc on Xander's mind and body with greedy abandon.

Angel began layera sea series of ardent kisses over Xander's torso, gradually working his tow towards the flexing, heaving stomach. Chuckling softly at the soft wail from the boy when he reached his objective. The rigid, turgid organ that wept for his attention. After kissing the drooling shaft gently, Angel extended his tongue and sleekly licked the drops of pre-cum from the throbbing head with relish. Then slowly he took Xander fully into his mouth, easily following the instinctively bucking hips. At lustlusty scream from his Guardian, he smiled.

A violent ripple of agonizing pleasure swept through Xander's already pulsating body and he drew up his shaking knees, parting themplesplessly for Angel. He felt like he was made of jello, dissolving into a sea of pure ecstasy. With frantic uncertainty, he tangled his nervous fingers in Angel's hair with a choked cry.

“Stop...” he panted hoarsely. Even as he writhed under the engorged suckling, he pressed Angel's head tightly to his swelling length. But Angel had no intention of stopping his rapacious feasting upon the turgid length. Ignoring the weak cry, he simply went right on consuming the thick, fleshy rod. Sliding his hands under Xander's knees, he lifted them higher and pressed them even further apart. Then reaching out, he grabbed the tube of lubricant and with one hand unscrewed the cap. Coating his fingers with a generous helping of the slick stuff, never once letting up on his wet stimulation of the pulsating member gliding between his lips.

Xander squirmed anxiously, his breath harsh and burning in his throat, tormented by the sleek caresses of Angel's tongue. Then he arched with a hoarse shout and his hips bucked upwards in startled delight when a thick finger stroked over, then slowly eased within his quivering nether hole. His vision blurred, his body on fire from the raging need that scoured him from within as another long thick digit joined the first. Stretching him with a sweet burning sensation. He groaned at the increased fullness, and wiggled eagerly, his eyes dazed to everything but the riotous passion searing through his veins. Burning him alive in ecstasy. A sheen of gleaming sweat began coating his body as he rippled between the dual carnal caresses.

Angel backed off slowly from the throbbing length, one hand still continued to pump in the boy's rippling, silken sheath. He gazed up along the length of Xander's glistening twisting body and inhaled at the sleek body that was tossing upon the bed with alluring abandon. For the first time, realizing the winsome attraction that Spike must have seen in the boy's invitingly masculine body.

No one could have ever mistaken Xander for anything other than male. Every muscle was sharply deliniated, gleaming in the low light of the room. Lowering his mouth again, Angel began nursing at the succulent shaft. A smoldering look was in his eyes as he watched Xander's body gyrate on his fingers. Allowing the boy to use his mouth, he continued playing in the rippling passage that clenched and unclenched in a frenzy of need. Without the pairbond riding them, urging him on, he could feel for the first time, the steamy pull of the golden-bronzed body like a fiery magnet. There was an incredible eroticism and carnality in watching Xander move with such sleek and lascivious passion. Totally abandoned to the waves of amorous lust that visibly washed over him.

He was masculine beauty incarnate.

Angel deliberately added a third finger into the slickened passage, then slowly he introduced a fourth finger into the spasming center. Watching with entranced rapacious eyes as first Xander froze at the expanded fullness, then eased slowly downward with a mewl of gratification. He could feel the boy's body opening even more, muscles relaxing around the increased thickness within his ass.

Beautiful. Captivating. Seductive.

Lowering his mouth fully around the luxuriously, silky stem, Angel devoted his intensely sensual attention to making Xander succumb to the raging, ecstatic storm razing through the limber body. He could feel the boy holding back, struggling not to lose himself in this passionate coupling. But the vampire knew he could accept nothing less than complete and utter surrender, only that way could they hope to have a chance of making the joining of their bodies less than all out war.

Xander was soon gasping short open-mouthed cries, his hips undulating with carnal grace, twisting at the ripples of pleasure as Angel bumped against his fleshy pleasure center. Each touch spread waves of ecstatic sparkles of bliss throughout his entire body. And Angel's mouth...God! Centuries of experience just had a way of improving a person, Xander thought hazily as he arched deeper into Angel's mouth.

When he came down heavily on the thick fingers he groaned as each movement forced the long fingers deeper into his spasming core. Every brush of the thick digits against his prostate had him craving more...and more. Just more.

With a harsh cry of almost despair, he yielded. Raised the white flag. Submitted. Bowed to Angel's knowledgeable, and unmistakably, superior skills.

Where before he struggled away from the storm, now he soared. Trying to immerse himself in the center of the lightening storm that he could see just off ie die distance. Writhing, striving he soared towards the wild, thunderous storm building within him. Each time Angel's fingers thrust between his legs and stroked his prostate, or his dick was caressed he was struck again and again with small bolts of electric ecstasy. And with wide eyes, he could see a huge lightening streak coming. Twisting lazily in the air a s a snake. There was no doubt what it was aiming for. Coming for him.

No matter the twists and turns it took in the air, it never deviated from him.

Closer...closer...swelling to mammoth proportions to his wondering, startled eyes...

...and he screamed, arching as huge arcs of lightening slammed into him. Mindlessly he drove his body relentlessly back and forth between the twin sensations as he came with the force of a raging thunderstorm. The kind tpickpicked up people, cars and tossed them in the air like playthings.

Shattering. Unstoppable.

It seemed like a thousand bolts of white-hot lightening crackled, raged through his body. He jerked, convulsed with pleasure. His body arched in a torturous bow of tormented pleasure as an undulating wail of sheer rapture exploded from his mouth. The needle-like rain of delight eased, becoming a sheeting rain of bliss that poured over him, soothing him. While none of the bolts were as large as the biggest one, still they were enough to keep his body quivering, jerking in reaction.

Angel was astonished at the intensity of Xander's fervor when the boy orgasmed. Though he couldn't help feeling a bit of secretive smugness at the surprised look in Xander's eyes. He ran his fascinated eyes over the dark-haired boy's muscular body. And felt ashamed at the amount of greedy possessiveness he felt. The fact that they were hurting Wes by having sex flickered briefly in his mind before he forcefully cast it out before it could bring them pain. He made the rules and it was only fair that he stick to them. No matter what either of them wanted, Spike and Wes were their past. Their future lay within each other. Smiling sadly around his mouthful of flesh, he purred, and his emotions lightened, feeling pleased when the boy convulsed at the vibrations.

Xander groaned softly at the rippling sensation around his shaft and twisted jerkily with a startled shock. He could only lay sprawled in a panting, depleted heap of blissful contentment as Angel came over him again. He could only stare up in wonder at the look of heavy satisfaction on the pale countenance. As far as he knew, Angel didn't cum...

...he arched his back with a hoarse shout of need when a cool mouth began feasting on his nipple again. “An...Angel...” Too soon! Too soon! He wanted to scream, but it felt so fuckin' good!

Angel circled the eager straining peak with a nimble tongue. “Mmmm, what?”

“Never mind...” Xander gasped when his cock twitched and began rising eagerly. His libido staged a coup and set itself up as the Supreme Dictator of his body. Having no choice, and not really sure if he wanted to protest, Xander gave himself up once again to pure sensation of simply FEELING. He felt like Angel, apparently not content with his current level of victory, was determined to score some brownie points with the rest of his body. His Defender was apparently fixated on making sure no part on his body was to be left untouched, unconquered, or unworshiped.

Which in the long run, Xander decided he didn't have a problem with the idea. He allowed pleasure to wash away the last doubtconfconfusion and guilt in his mind. His body becoming pliant under Angel's scintillating caresses. His body dancing, gyrating with simmering, impatient anticipation.

With a hoarse chuckle, Angel began kissing his way up the sweaty, straining body. He began laving and kissing the neat set of fang marks on the arched golden throat, groaning throatily as Xander arched upwards with a harsh cry of passion. Dragging a pillow from the head of the bed, Angel shoved it under Xander's hips and then braced himself above the shaking, quivering young man.

“I'm Angel,” he warned again in a fierce husky whisper as he lifted his head. He knew his eyes, his face had changed by the slight catch in Xander's breath. But to his enormous surprise the boy didn't pull away only drew him closer with quick, feverish hands.

Xander pressed Angel tighter into his neck, and at the slow rasp against his Claim mark, he bucked with sizzling desire, his stomach clenched with scorching need. Gasping a breathless, “I know,” Xander moaned and arched luxuriously under Angel when the vampire, with excruciating slowness slid heavily inside him.

Xander felt his mind began to come apart from the sheer fullness. His ass felt swollen two sizes too large and he wasn't sure if he could take all of Angel. But it just felt so fuckin' good that he craved more. Tightening his arms around the broad back, he buried his face in Angel's shoulder, still unsure how he felt. But when he felt the thick turgid length partially withdraw he abruptly decided that he wanted the pleasure that Angel's touch brought him.

Angel moved slowly, unconsciously sucking in deep gulps of air as he struggled for control. His face showed the shaking effort, the price of his iron will in the finely wrought planes of his face. His demonic face was etched in harsh relief as he fought the twin conflicting force of his need. Torn between the desire to simply slam deep and fast into the hot constricting channel, lose his mind in the silky grasping passage and just fuck and fuck and fuck until neither of them could think any more.

Not about Wesley, not about Spike...not about anything. Then there was the equally overwhelming pleasure of wanting to take this incredible sensation slow. To feel the unmistakably fierce grip the boy immediately locked around his cock on the backswing. He felt like he could spend days, weeks, months even...just plunging in and out of the boy's honeyed sheath. In and out. Back and forth, endlessly thrusting into Xander's snugly constricting heat.

Angel almost lost it when he felt Xander's legs climb up his body, higher...higher until the boy's knees were nearly pressing against his ears, and Xander's heels were locked and braced against his upper back. Tilting that sweet, milking purse at just the right angle. He couldn't help but speed up his slow, measured thrusts, slamming an almost brutal lunge deep within the flexing channel. At the agonizing wail of rapture from Xander, he repeated his movement several times, encouraged by the cries of excitement and pleas for mercy from the boy. But he regained control of himself and resumed his deep, slow thrusts in the narrow passage, smirking at the look of extreme disappointment on Xander's face.

However, when the boy frowned then thrust his hips upwards in a sweetly lascivious movement, it almost shattered his self-control once again. He convulsed again and again, his hips beating a rapid tattoo of cool, blazing passion onto upturned buttocks. Determined to assert his primal dominance over Xander in a way that was at once fierce tendtender.

To Xander, his mind seemed to clear for a brief moment of the rushing currents of passion. Looking at the clenched teeth and ridged face, to Xander it felt like Angel was seeking some magical treasure within his body. That if he dug deep enough, plunged far enough that he would find it...some mythical shimmering thing that he needed desperately to survive. Then he arched upwards with a low moan as pleasure clouded his mind again.

Their hoarse, sighing groans of pleasure filled the room. Breathless appeals for 'Faster', for 'Slower', or 'Deeper' as well as whimpering entreaties for mercy added to the cacophony of erotic sounds of their sexual coupling. The wet slapping sound of Angel's balls meeting Xander's ass; the wet, st sst slushing, sounds of the thick, pistoning organ sheathing and unsheathing within the narrow passage; of the sleek skin-on-skin contact; the creaking of the well-made bed. It all came together, reeking of the potent carnality between the Guardian and his Defender.

Angel's pace began to accelerate as his control slipped from his leash and he allowed the stormy passion to gather, to rage between them. His hips moving with increasing speed as he burrowed reckless into the still tight sheath. Beneath him, Xander moved with wanton, simmering rhythm with him, one with him. His.

In the low light on the room, they were beautiful as they strove towards their release. Their bodies were dappled with gentle, caressing shadows as they moved faster, slid with lascivious agility against one another. Sensual abandon was expressed with uncommon grace on their straining faces in their tumultuous race for their scorching fulfillment.

No longer Me, or I...only Us.

Neither Wesley nor Spike intruded in their minds as the two lovers continued their headlong quest for completion. Together.

Xander panted, his eyes turned inwards, eyeing the lightening that was creeping closer to him...to them. His body gleamed with the salty sheen of his sexual toil, fiercelyouriouring to bring Angel along with him into the raging storm. They were groaning, cries of avarice passion spilling from their lips as they strained, reveling in their hedonistic, sensual gratification. They struggled, trying mightily to t off off the heavy shackles of gravity, to soar upon the rough and turbulent stormy winds to grasp their carnal rewa And And this time, they both knew it would shatter, overwhelm them both.

They reached it. Together they achieved their glorious prize. Their voices crying out, becoming one from the searing pleasure that savaged their minds and bodies. They were flung high into the stormy clouds, feeling the lightening ripped through their bodies, blasting them to pieces...then fusing them together again.

With a mighty shout, they found their release in the brilliant light of each other. Convulsing again and again, as slowly, they made their treacherous descent back to earth, tiny bolts of lightenflicflickered along their nerves. Upon their return to the mortal plane, they found to their drugged pleasure they each had their teeth locked tightly on their individual Claim marks. Which sent additional shockwaves of pure delight speeding along their nerves before they released their grip.

“omigawd...” Xander finally had the strength to breath out.

Then he squawked in surprise when Angel rolled them over, his eyes wide and uncertain at this new position then closed in pleasure as he sank deeper onto the thick rod. Though he was spent, it still felt incredible good. Xander braced his hands on Angel's chest, his eyes coming open slowly. He was balanced on his thighs and was still slightly dazed with the continuing pleasure. Gradually he eased downward onto Angel's chest and simply rested. He mewled softly and arched his back under the stroking palms, smiling tiredly when his comfortable pillow bounced under his cheek.

“Are you a man or a cat?” Angel murmured, trailing the tips of his fingers up and down Xander's spine. He smiled contentedly down at the sweat-matted head. They weren't finished, at least not in his book, but he was perfectly willing to let Xander catch his breath.

“A man, but with cat-like tendencies. Just keep stroking me,” the boy said with a weary grumble. Xander felt hiss cls closing as he rested. He was almost on the verge of sleep when something seemed to change in Angel's touches. The young man frowned then gasped when a finger glided delicately over the thinly stretched flesh of his suddenly pulsating entrance.

Raising his head, he met Angel's heated, arousing stare as passion began a siren's call in his blood. Sitting up, he sighed, his body instinctively undulating with pleasure.

“Ride me,” came the hoarse whisper and cool palms cupped his hips.

“But...I never...” he tried to stammer out, but when Angel raised him up and lowered him back down, a lusty shout ripped from him and he blushed.

“Like that...”

Tentatively, he began raising and lowering himself on the huge shaft. Breathing deeply once again at the incredible sense of fullness he felt with Angel deep inside him. Writhing his hips, he clenched tightly on the upstroke and then dropped heavily on the backstroke. It felt so fuckin' good that he moved faster, gyrating almost wildly atop of Angel. His breath coming out in a desperate sob when Angel took his swelling shaft in hand, stroking him in time with his exotic ride. Fisting him with a stightightening grip.

Once again, Xander began the long flight towards the sparkling storm as it raged off in the distance. Wanting to feel sweet lightening tearing him apart, shattering him and then that long aching glide back to earth.

“Slow down...” Angel gritted out, his teeth clenched in an effort not to follow along mindlessly at Xander's wanton movement.

“Okay...” the boy nodded rapidly. Willing to agree to anything to make Angel shut up.

Distantly Angel was amused to note that Xander never once slowed his headlong race to finish.

“Slow means 'not fast'...”

“NO! Fast and hard is good, faster and deeper is better!” Xander shouted, his eyes fierce as he quickened his increasingly pleasurable movements. Growling angrily when iron hands forced his hips down and stilled them.

“But slow and deep...is much, much better,” Angel whispered huskily. To prove his point, he began guiding the boy’s hips up and down, endlessly up dow down, upon his shaft. By the third stroke, both of them were groaning at the aching pleasure they felt. The dark-haired vampire looked up with savage satisfaction in his eyes at the hard edge of excitement glittering on the boy's face.

“Oooolow.low...” Xander sighed, his eyes becoming vague with pulsating waves of sparkling delight.

“Touch me...”

Cautiously Xander slid his hands over Angel's much broader chest. He splayed his fingers so that he could feel as much of the cool flesh as possible as he continued undulating slowly upon the towering shaft.

Then his trademark crooked grin flashed across his face at the low groan Angel gave when he tugged gently on a masculine nipple. The vampire flung his head back wi lou loud cry. Xander’s eyes were unseeing as his teasing action brought about a swift reaction as Angel seized his hips in an inescapable grip and began hammering upwards with almost rapacious violence. Xander could only moan and gyrate sensually at intoxicating lunges before Angel regained control and resumed their slow cadence of movements. The young man shuddered at the tight, savage grin Angel gave him.

Then it was his turn to lose control and Xander bit his lip to keep the mindless pleas for the aching promise of release that brushed his tormented, spangling nerve center. Angel psed sed release, but wouldn't give it to him.

Instead the dark-haired vampire played with his Guardian’s beautiful body and used his fingers and hands with unmerciful intent. Taking an extraordinary delight in the rocking motion of the boy's body atop his and the soft whimpers that came from Xander's throat.

Angel wondered in a daze of bliss if Xander knew how truly incredible he was in his aroused state. Every muscle was clearly delineated, flexing as the boy rode him with increasing ardor. The dew of their passionate joining glistened on the muscular body above him, adding a beautiful sensuous glow to the sun-kissed young man. Maybe it was the bond between them, but at this moment, he felt that Xander was the most beautiful creature in the world.

As for Xander, the sweet torment became keener, sharper. And he never felt more helpless or needy. Torn between loving and hating how he felt.

“Angel...please...oh, please...”

The broken words finally spilled from his lips. Prompting a hoarse growl from Angel, and to Xander's delight he found himself urged to a much more rapid pace.

“Give it to me...give me all of you...” he whispered breathlessly, staring down into Angel's widening eyes as he sank all the way down on the thick shaft.

Closing his eyes, Angel groaned his surrender and plunged deep within the lusty core of his Guardian. Seeking a measure of release, of solace within the hot, velvety channel.
At first they stayed pressed together for several endless moments, almost afraid to move. But their bodies wanted, demanded more and once again they began their desperate, climb for fulfillment.

With Xander still on the edge from his second release, he came even swiftly. Trickles of cum oozed from his spent organ. However, coming so soon gave hime toe to focus on bringing Angel to an exquisite release. Setting an even slower pace for his Defender, he was gratified by the look of helpless pleasure in Angel's eyes, the abandoned way Angel's head tossed on the pillow. But what pleased him more was the very obvious effort it took Angel to remain still beneath him. Letting him bring the pleasure to his Defender.

Though Angel pleaded for release in a hoarse voice, still Xander was majestically impervious in honquonquering mastery as he guided Angel gently to the crest of pleasure. He reveled in the awesome power that he held over this vampire. It was something wonderful that all Angel could do was press his head back into the pillow and groan. This time it was he that begged for mercy.

Angel's control was the stuff of legend, which it should be, Xander thought with cloudy passion, especially considering how old the vampire was. But still the young man knew it wouldn't last. So he wasn't surprised when Angel began to move slowly then faster beneath him.

Driving upwards into Xander's body again and again, Angel finally cried out and his body spasmed as the boy purposely constricted around him, intensifying his pleasure. His body was wracked with almost crushing passion, his hands clamped on Xander's hips as he plunged into the molten core, cum boiling upwards into his Guardian with a volcanic eruption of rapturous wonder.

His triumphbellbellow of release seemed endless and Xander thought Angel was magnificently beautiful and so much like his namesake. Feeling a warm glow of passion as he watched the waves of pleasure sweep over Angel's trueface. Beautiful.

When Angel was still at last, his eyes closed and his chest heaving from his exertion, Xander tenderly stroked Angel’s spiky brown hair and whispered a shy, “Thank you.”

Angel's eyes slowly opened as he gazed up into Xander's eyes. Then rolling them over gently, he stroked the tumbled hair from the boy's face and smiled. “You're welcome, and while it's pretty much a cliché, I can truthfully say it was my pleasure.” Slowly he eased from the snug constricting passage.

Chuckling tiredly, Xander punched Angel. “I think that I'm definitely going to be the jokester in this family.” Then he grew still and swiftly lowered his eyes. His amusement seeping away like water down a drain. He grimaced in sudden distaste at the dried fluids dotting their bodies.

“Stay...” Angel swiftly said when Xander moved to get up. He, just as much as Xander, needed a few minutes of alone time. Lurching to his feet, he stood for a few seconds, feeling unsettled from their frenetic sexual coupling. Then shaking off his mood, he strode into what he presumed was the bathroom. Though he did gape for a few seconds at the sheer vastness of the room before he hesitantly identified the sink and filled it with water. Grabbing a cloth folded conveniently on a flat rock and soap, he swiftly cleansed himself of their various fluids. Then grabbing another cloth, he quickly soaped it and wrung out some of the excess water.

Hoping that he had regained control of himself. Because as much as he had enjoyed sex with Xander he wasn't fooled by neither his passionate response nor Xander's. For all their enjoyment of each other's bodies there had been an unspoken agreement between them. While their lips could travel the width and breath of each other's bodies there was one place that was off limits: their lips The They were lovers by necessity, but not lovers by choice. And that made all the difference in the world.

Angel paused at the doorway, unaware that his eyes were still golden and his face in demon mode as he ruminated on Xander, lying in the bed with his eyes closed. His eyes traveled up and down the muscular body, or what part he could still see and his ctwittwitched in response. Dear God he wanted to be buried in that boy's ass! He started as he realized Xander's eyes were opened and fixed on him with unnerving intensity.

The older dark-haired male quietly padded back to the bed and began washing the dried residue of their passion and sweat from Xander. His skin almost visibly twitching under the boy's nervous regard.

“The bed freshens itself,” Xander offered that tidbit of news to Angel with a hesitant smile, unnerved by the intentness that the other was washing him. But if Angel didn't stop touching him, somebody wasn't going to be able to walk tomorrow, or sit at a table. And he had a feeling that it would be him.

At that Angel looked with raised brows, then he cast an eye at the bed, his brow furrowing. While the odor of sex still lingered in the air, it wasn't coming from the bed. “Hmmm, do you think we can take this bed downstairs?” he asked, trying to banish that strained look from Xander's eyes, and felt immeasurable relief as the tension seemed to ease from the room.

After cleaning Xander as best as he could, Angel tossed the wet cloth on the floor, and climbed over the boy. Ignoring the slight hitch in the younger man's breathing at his action. Sliding under the covers, he reached out an arm and dragged the boy into his embrace and curled protectively about Xander. Closing his eyes, he began to purr and gradually felt the rigid body loosen and relax. Softening his purr until his Guardian fell asleep.

But long after Xander had fell into a sated sleep, Angel was awake. His eyes were brooding as he regarded the boy's sweetly, exhausted face. There was certainly something to be said about fucking somebody to a boneless state. He was almost sure that whoever said that, had to be talking about Xander.

There was also something about watching that lean writhing body come to life, knowing that it wim tim that Xander was responding to. Wanting...needing his touch. He was surprised that Spike would have let the boy walk around without a Claim Mark on his neck.

However, with fatalistic certainty, he knew that Spike was going to go starkers when he found out. Despite his adversarial relationship with his imprudent grandchilde, he knew that he had to keep Spike from attacking him, hurting him. Because he knew, like he was with Wesley, Xander would do anything to prt hit his Defender.

Anything...including killing Spike.