Safe

2 Hours Later:

Angel pulled up to his large, gothic hotel and parked in the underground garage just as the sun started to peak over the horizon. Moving gently, he lifted Xander and cradled the limp body to his chest. He walked through the hotel and up to his room with careful steps, not wanting to cause the boy in his arms any more pain. Pulling back the blood red satin sheets, he laid the softly stirring boy down.

Angel sat next to the moaning boy and began stroking the hair off his sweaty forehead. Xander opened his eyes with a small whimper and big brown eyes filled with sadness and pain gazed up at Angel.

“Hurts.”

“I know, I’ll make it feel better but I need to look at your back.” Angel helped Xander sit up then pulled a small but sharp knife out of his bedside drawer. As soon as Xander saw the glint of steel, he pulled back in fright.

“I’m not going to hurt you.” Angel set the knife back on the table and started in a soothing voice, “I just need to cut your shirt off so you don’t have to lift your arms and hurt your ribs. Ok? I promise not to hurt you.” Angel leaned down and kissed him firstthe the lips and then on the forehead.

At Xander’s small nod, Angel picked up the knife and started to gently cut away the shirt. Having slit the front and sleeves, he started to pull the bloody shirt away from Xander’s back. With every inch that was revealed, Angel’s anger increased. By the time the shirt was totally off, Angel had vamped. Het tht the need to kill something, to rip it limb from limb and listen as it begged for mercy. Only Xander’s whimpers of pain brought Angel back to himself.

“Shhh, I think a nice warm bath will make you feel better. Then I can re-stitch those cuts. Ok?”

Xander gave a small, pained nod. Angel went to the bathroom and turned on the water in the bath, testing the temperature on his wrist.

“Now how about that bath?” he asked when he reentered the room. Without waiting for an answer, Angel picked Xander up and brought him into the bathroom, gently setting him down on the toilet seat. Angel pulled Xander’s blood tinged sweatpants down and off his legs. Xander turned an interesting shade of red as he placed his hands over his crotch.

Angel, pretending not to notice, picked Xander up and placed him in the warm water. Xander closed his eyes in enjoyment and let out a small sigh. Angel turned of the tap and quickly stripped off his clothes. While Xander’s eyes were still closed, he gently got into the bathtub behind Xander.

Xander froze and the sent of fear rolled off him. “W…what are you doing?”

“I need to make sure your back gets clean and this is the easiest way to do it.”

“Oh…ok.” Fear still poured off the boy.

Angel lay his hands on Xander’s shoulders, “What’s wrong?”

“I…nothing….”

“You can tell me anything. I will not laugh, I will not judge. Don’t worry, you are safe here.” Concern, safety and love radiated from Angel, calming the boy a little. Xander started to relax and leaned against Angel’s chest. Angel’s hands began to try to calm him with gentle movements, one hand combing through his dark brown hair and the other resting on his chest.

Xander wrapped his arms around the hand on his chest and closed his e kno knowing he was safe. “My d…dad used to take baths with me…h…he made me do…stuff. He always…It hurt but he wouldn’t stop…I said no, he wouldn’t listen…” Xander got quieter with each word until he broke off into broken sobs.

Angel pulled him up his body until he was laying on his chest. He gently stroked Xander’s side and neck as he murmured nonsensical words in the boy’s ear. As he started to purr, Xander calmed and slipped into a relaxed sleep, feeling safe for the first time in a long time.

Angel gently leaned Xander forward and braced him with one arm as he started to wash away the blood on his back. He stood and lifted Xander into his arms and carried him to the bed, not caring about the water the dripped everywhere. Laying Xander down, he began to towel the boy off, being extremely gentle around his ribs and back. Once Xander was dry, Angel quickly dried himself and set about getting the supplies he would need for Xander’s back. Supplies gathered, he rolled Xander onto his stomach. Grabbing a cotton ball and alcohol, he started to clean all the wounds. Xander started to wake only to have Angel restart the purr and lull him back to sleep. The next part was going to be the most difficult. Threading the needle with the black thread, he bent over boy boy and made his first stitch. Xander’s back twitched and a small moan escaped his lips but he did not wake. Angel continued making small, precise stitches when Xander awoke in pain and started to cry.

“I’m sorry, I know it hurts but I need to do this before you get an infection. I’m st dst done. Can you hold on for a little while longer?”

Xander nodded once and buried his head in the pillow.

Angel bent down and placed a gentle, loving kiss on the uninjured skin between his shoulder blades. Then, using his vampiric speed, he quickly finished the rest of the stitches.

“I’m done. I’m sorry I hurt you.” Angel leaned down and kissed each cut that he had just stitched. Turning Xander over gently, he pulled him into a sitting position. Seeing that Xander was crying, he pulled him back into his strong arms and kissed his tears away. “I think you will feel better after we wrap your ribs and take your pills, ok?”

Xander looked up at Angel with unfathomable trust in his eyes, “Ok.”

Angel smiled a warm smile and quickly and tightly wrapped Xander’s ribs. Laying him back on the bed, he went to the large kitchen and grabbed a glass of water and the many pills for Xander, counting out the ones he needed then headed back to his room. “Swallow these and you will feel better soon.” Angel pulled Xander up a bit so he could drink the water.

Xander swallowed the pills with a grimace. “Thanks.”

“No problem. Now get some sleep.” Angel pulled the covers over Xander and tucked him in, making sure he was comfortable. Flicking off the bedside lamp, he started to leave the room. The suddenly strong smell of fear stopped him. He turned the light back on and looked down into the wide, frightened eyes.

“What’s wrong?”

“Don’t leave me…” Xander’s eyes started to tear up and his chin started to shake.

“Don’t worry, I’m not leaving.” Angel stood up and removed his clothes, revealing his marble-like body. Sliding into bed next to Xander, he spooned in tight next to him. Placing a chaste kiss at the nape of his neck he asked, “Better?”

“Yes, thank you.”

Angel listened as Xander’s breathing evened out, signaling sleep. Angel started to drift off when he heard the tiny whispered words, “Why does he hate me?”

“Aww, baby, he doesn’t hate you. I’m sure he loves you but maybe he just doesn’t know how to show it.”

“No one loves me…”

“I love you.”

“Why?”

“Lots of reasons. You are incredibly brave and will do anything for your friends, even sacrifice your own life if need be. You have a wonderful sense of humor and the biggest smile that lights up any room. You’re sexy. Your eyes truly are the windows to your soul and you don’t try to hide it. You have had to deal with a life full of horrible things but you still go on and try to make the best of it, you survive. You are a great person, you just need to learn to see that.” Angel pulled Xander tighter to him. “I love you.”

Xander turned in Angel’s embrace so his head was lying on Angel’s chest. Giving the hard chest beneath his lips a kiss he said, “Is it true?”

“Yes, Xander, I will never lie to you.”

“Ok.” Xander snuggled into Angel and fell asleep, his gentle snores the only sound in the room.


TBC…