The Way We Were

Chapter 6

Angel decided to put his unlife on hold to care for Spike, surprising everyone at Wolfram and Hart when he had asked for family leave. Business would have to wait, he told the stunned humans and demons, explaining that the small vampire was not only his childe, but he was also his soul mate and the last of his line; losing him once again was not an option. He put Wesley in charge of everyday operations and requested not to be disturbed, asking for understanding and privacy before he left for the penthouse to nest with Spike.

Angel lay naked in the comfortable pillows and blankets that he had arranged in his own huge bed, tightly spooned against Spike’s equally nude body. Getting the blond out of the smaller bedroom and the hideous hospital bed that he had occupied for several weeks was the first step in getting his childe back to some sort of normalcy and Angel hoped that the soothing scent of sire surrounding Spike while he was in his bed and in his arms, would comfort him.

He cooed words of love to Spike, making sure to reward the small vampire with tender kisses and kind, caring caresses over his painfully thin frame every time he took more blood from his wrist. As he watched Spike feed, Angel knew that it would be inevitable that one night Spike would cry out with need, half hard while laying in his arms and he was prepared to do whatever it took to heal his lost childe. The mutual exchange and sharing of blood with his childer had always been highly emotional and extremely erotic for both of them and Angel did not take the act lightly, so when the night arrived that Spike needed him, he was ready.

Spike fought the paralysis in his throat to accept Angel’s offerings of blood every few hours, sometimes gaging and drooling more than he could swallow. He was humiliated that he was reduced to a feeble invalid, having always had the ability to take care of himself, but was now relying on a sire who had disowned him years ago to care for him. But, he knew he would have to bury his pride and the more he took of the healing blood, the better he would feel, so he struggled.

The day that Angel had dismissed Aschicca, Spike’s T’pau demon nurse and told him that he would care for him exclusively, confused the blond vampire at first. But when Angel had bundled him up and taken him to his bed to nest, Spike shed silent tears of joy.

Angelus had done the same for William when he was just a fledgling, broken and bleeding from an unavoidable meeting with a much stronger vampire than himself. He had been beaten to within an inch of his unlife, and if Angelus hadn’t found him and intervened when he did, he would have been dust. Angelus had taken him home and took him into his bed, soothing him and strengthening him with sires' blood until he was well enough to stand on his own two feet. Now, here was Angel, over a century later, healing him once more and Spike was touched.

Angel watched over Spike continuously, only leaving his bed to feed and quickly return. Spike would sleep most of the time, but when he was awake, Angel talked to him while he rocked him in his arms or just purred as he gazed into soulful blue eyes when there was no need for words.

At times, after Spike had fed, he would whimper with need and Angel would gently take him in hand and silently ask permission with his eyes to bring him release. Spike had refused at first, but finally demurred to Angel’s persistence to take care of him, crying softly in relief and gratitude when he came.

~ * ~

Spike huffed as he took wobbly steps around the penthouse, hands grasping at pieces of furniture for support. Little by little, the blond vampire was getting his strength back and was allowed out of Angel’s bedroom and into the living room to watch television or play video games. He was even strong enough to be left alone for an hour or two while Angel attended to W&H business and for that, Spike was grateful.

But, despite Angel’s willingness to help him heal, Spike still didn’t feel whole. Angel had given him everything that he had asked for over the past few weeks, except for the one thing that the small vampire needed desperately. Angel had given him his blood and his time and had even marked him when he had asked him to. Unfortunately, the one thing that Spike really needed to feel himself again was for Angel to reclaim him as his childe, to make him complete again, and he felt that it was not his place to ask. It was only Angel who could give it of his own free will but so far, he had not.

With one baby step at a time and a litany of curses under his breath, Spike made his way to the leather sofa in front of the television and flopped into it ungracefully. He panted hard to catch unneeded breath and was surprised to look around and see Angel standing in the doorway with a big grin on his face.

“Come to tap-dance on the patient, have we, doc?” Spike glowered over his shoulder. “I’d give you the finger, but apparently I don’t have the motor skills to do that at the mo’.”

“Any pain?” Angel ignored Spike’s snide remark, knowing he was filled with frustration as he walked over to the sofa and sat down next to the blond vampire.

“A little more than I’d like. But not as much as you would”

“I didn’t say that,” Angel sighed as he put an arm around Spike’s shoulder. “Do you need anything? More blood, maybe?”

To Angel’s surprise, Spike didn’t say anything before he suddenly wrenched himself away from his arm and started to cry, folding into himself as he tried desperately to disappear into the corner of the couch.

“Spike...? What’s wrong?” Angel was stunned to see the sobbing vampire next to him and looked on in shock, afraid to touch the shuddering form.

“Can’t you feel it, Angel?” Spike sobbed into hands that were covering his face. “Can’t you feel the blood claim that binds us to each other for eternity?”

Angel looked at Spike stupidly, unable to comprehend what the blond was asking for. “Spike... Will... I... don’t understand...”

Spike looked up at Angel through tear soaked lashes. “The claim, you stupid git! Can’t you feel it anymore? I... need... ”

A look of stunned realization came over Angel’s face when he was able to finally understand what Spike was asking him and his gut clenched. In all the weeks that he had let Spike feed from him he had tamped down his own need to reclaim his childe, denying the small vampire the one thing that would truly heal him and make him feel whole once more.

“Oh gods, Will...” Angel began to weep as he gathered Spike into his arms and showered his face with tender kisses. “I’m sorry... so sorry... I love you... need... you...”

With shaking hands, Spike touched Angel’s face, his thumbs wiping away the tears that ran freely down the big vampire’s cheeks and looked into his eyes. “Claim me, Angel?” he whispered. “Make me your childe again? Please...”

Without a word, Angel nodded, then kissed Spike hard on the lips before he picked him up and carried him into the bedroom, gently laying him down on what was now their shared bed. He locked eyes with Spike as he quickly undressed then crawled over him and straddled his small, trembling form.

“Take me, Angel... make me yours again...”

“Mine...” Angel growled as he let his starving demon come to the fore, hurriedly stripping Spike of his tee shirt and sweat pants and throwing them onto the floor. He looked at Spike with lust filled eyes and the look he got in return from under hooded lashes went straight to his cock, making him groan with need.

Spike trembled in anticipation of what was to come and it had already made his erect, dripping cock ache. He boldly bucked his hips against Angel ’s groin and was rewarded with another savage growl from the big vampire.

Angel smashed his lips against Spike’s and swallowed the gasp that gave him permission to pepper his childe’s skin with hard, needy kisses, nips and bites making Spike moan with need and pleasure.

“Please, Sire...” Spike moaned. “I... need...”

Without stopping his assault on the blond’s skin, Angel reached over to the night stand and fumbled in the drawer for lube. This wasn’t the way he had intended to reclaim his childe, but deep down inside, he knew that this was the only way that would prove to Spike that he was wanted and loved. There would be another time when their renewal would be more tender and sweet, but for now, this desperate claiming was what they both needed.

After minimal preparation, Angel threw Spike’s legs over his shoulders and pushed into his tight hole, both men crying out in the need and relief of their joining. Angel fed their starving demons by staking his claim on Spike, pounding into the small vampire with abandon.

Spike shook and moaned and bucked against Angel in thrall as he raced toward the point of no return, feeling the claim renewing as he was enveloped in a sensory overload. His demon was singing behind his yellow speckled eyes as it connected with Angel’s, making his teeth itch and he was ready to die the little death.

Angel panted and moaned as he slammed into Spike without mercy and when he felt the familiar tingle in his balls signaling his impending release, he dropped his fangs and roared.

“Mine!”

“Yours...” Spike whispered in ecstacy as he closed his eyes and bared his throat for Angel. “Forever...”

~ * ~

Spike stood nervously beside Angel’s leather chair in the meeting room at Wolfram and Hart, watching his friends and colleagues file in silently. Fred, Wesley and Gunn all smiled warmly when they saw the blond vampire and he had acknowledged each with a shy smile of his own and a nod of his head. When all were seated, Angel closed the door and went to stand beside Spike, taking his hand in his.

“I know you’re all wondering as to why I’ve called you here,” Angel began softly. “I have an important announcement that I’m going to make and I wanted you, our closest friends, to hear it first.”

“I know I haven’t been the best of sires to Spike and I’m not going to excuse or try to justify what I’ve done in the past. I just want everyone to know that from now on, William...”

“It’s Spike, luv, remember?” Spike smiled shyly as he got a reassuring squeeze of his hand from Angel.

“From now on, Spike and I are going to be the couple that we should’ve been a long time ago. He’s already moved in with me and we’ve renewed our bond.”

Applause and heartfelt congratulations came from the trio in front of them and Angel and Spike seemed to blush. Angel held up his hand for quiet so he could continue.

“There’s an envelope in front of you that contains air fare and accommodations to a demon friendly island where Spike and I intend to formally renew our bonding claim in front of kith and kin and we’d like you to join us as our witnesses and friends.”

All hell broke loose as Fred jumped up and bounced over to Spike and Angel, wrapping herself around the two vampires as best as she could. “You guys!” she gushed as she smothered kisses over both her friends. “This is so great!”

“Quite...” Wesley smiled as he held out his hand to congratulate the happy couple and Gunn did likewise as Fred calmed.

“I guess we finally got what we deserved,” Spike said softly before Angel smiled at him with love in his eyes and drew him in for a tender kiss.


The End