~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
'Checkmate.'
'What? You've cheated.'
Spike looked down at the board, seeing the few red pieces dispersed around the edges. Two white knights and a rook surrounded his King. It was annoying, was what it was. And it didn't help any that Angel had laced his hands in that patient way of his, waiting for Spike to realize the inevitable, that he had won.
Again.
He let out a sigh.
'I'm not playing you again, you're too boring to beat.'
'Right, Spike.' Said Angel impassively and moved to put the pieces away.
Spike sniffed and picked up the cig he'd been smoking. He was feeling a whole lot better, his body had healed nicely, and with the exception of a dodgy patch on his belly, he was as healthy as an undead guy could be. The problem was that he was restless and Angel refused to go and beat demons up for fun. No one had come in the office in days and Cordelia had hinted in Day-Glo letters that she wanted some time off to go visit some friends. Angel had consented given the lack of business and Doyle had eagerly offered to accompany her. Spike had offered the little Irishman pointers on getting her knickers off, grinning like mad when he walked away, stumbled over the waste bin and half-fell out of the door.
Chat up lines from the undead - known to cause clumsiness and red cheeks.
Worth knowing.
The upshot was that he and Angel had been left alone for the weekend, whilst Spike supposedly finished healing and Angel got some.well you could just leave that sentence hanging there as far as Spike was concerned. After the whole Beacon thing he'd been unable to act on want as much as he would have liked. Which for the most part meant that he'd been suffering with blue balls for days, unable to get himself off and Angel, worrying about interrupting the recovery process, refusing to indulge in anything too heavy.
The thing was, Angel was also walking around with this great big hard on. Spike knew for certain that he'd done nothing about it, whether out of some penance or because he wouldn't get any satisfaction out of his own hand. In some ways, Spike could understand that. It was like wanking off when you had a perfectly good lover there who was more than willing to do it for you. Only his lover, wouldn't.
So they'd been playing board games and pretending not to be thinking about shagging, Angel being better at it than Spike, but not by much. Spike had purposefully let his bad mood sweep over everything. He'd insisted on Angel letting him listen to an English radio station, only to discover that it only played easy listening. He'd managed a whole hour's growling over that until Angel had tired of listening to him complain and switched the damn thing off. Which left them with the games.
Angel had finished tidying away the chessboard and had reached for the paper, no doubt looking for something; anything that would take his mind away from the irritated childe that sat in front of him. He was reading every line with such concentration that Spike was sure he wasn't even seeing the words. He needs to lighten up, he thought, but then, when wasn't that true? Surely there was some way that Spike could convince that big hulk of a vampire that spending these few days shagging their brains out was an absolutely brilliant idea?
Hmmm.
Angel studied the line in front of him - Cops find suspicious packages in boiler room - and still couldn't get his mind to actually think about it. Not that it was important or anything, but there had to be something to take his mind off fucking Spike. Ohhh, he really wished he hadn't thought that. His cock was beginning to throb again. Not that it hadn't been hard since he woke up.and all of yesterday too. He had to be able to think about something else. He didn't even have Xander's excuse - he wasn't a teenager, he should be able to just not think about it. Just read the paper and.not think about the way Spike's body had felt pressed against his own whilst they slept.
And there had been another problematic time. The injuries Spike had sustained had been deep and, whilst they had both known they would heal, Angel had been concerned that any pressure he applied to his lover would result in reopening something and it taking even longer before he could sink his cock inside that wonderful firm flesh. And thrust in and out and.oh man! He really had to think about something else. Why on Earth was Spike grinning? Oh, that's okay, he's just found some cards. That's all right. We can play cards. I do a great poker face after all. As long as it isn't strip poker. He wouldn't do that would he? What am I thinking about, this is Spike and I know he's as horny as I am, of course he's going to play strip poker.which means that he's going to wind up naked. That's bad, right? Spike getting naked is bad?
Yeah, keep telling yourself that.
Angel put his paper down and then watched in amazement as Spike started to build a house of cards. His mouth dropped open in surprise and before he could shut it again, Spike glanced up and grinned innocently.
'What?'
Angel shook his head and bent to pick up the paper again.
'Nothing, I was just.'
'Just what Pet?'
The grin on Spike's face could have melted even the cleanest thoughts and the amount of will power that it took Angel not to say; "please fuck me now" was admirable. He opened the paper again and started not to read about suspicious packages. Spike chortled and made the house up to three stories high before he got up and walked over to the kitchen area. Angel refused to look, but he could hear him clattering around, searching in cupboards for whatever it was. After a few moments, he started to hum, which grew to singing level very quickly.
'You'll always find us out to lunch oh we're so pretty oh so pretty we're vacant, yeah!'
Great, more Sid.
'Spike?'
'We're so pretty.what?'
'What are you looking for?'
'Food.'
Okay, but the blood was where it always was.
'What kind of food?'
'Chocolate syrup.'
Oh man. Angel had never actually tried the whole chocolate syrup shebang, but was vaguely aware that humans used it for waffles and sex. Though presumably not at the same time. He had no idea if they had any in - he didn't eat it at all, but Cordelia had put various things in his cupboards since he started feeding them after an all nighter. Plus Spike had asked for some fairly obscure things when he was completely laid up. He wished he hadn't just said laid. It was possible that he could have asked for a bottle. But for what purpose?
His cock twitched.
Why do I keep asking these questions?
The cupboard door banged shut and Spike came back into the living area, where the man formally known as Dead Boy didn't read the paper.
'What are you going to do with that?'
Spike sat down and knocked the cards down with one hand, picking them up and shuffling them deftly. He watched Angel's body position carefully, noticing that the vampire was trying to detract attention from the thumping great hard on which practically begged to be sucked. And he was obviously not going to mention it until Spike forced him. And the idea of forcing Angel to beg him to suck it did appeal, but Spike had a devious mind long before he had been turned and there were ways and means to bring this particular vampire to his knees.
And whilst he was on his knees.
'Thought me and you could play a game, Peaches.'
Angel raised an eyebrow, trying hard for adult and serious.
'Poker?'
Spike snorted.
'No thanks Love, you've got stoic face down to a tee. No, I was thinking more along the lines of snap.'
'Snap?' asked Angel, recalling the name, but unable to remember the game, 'Isn't it a children's game?'
Spike tilted his head mischievously and blew smoke out at his sire.
'Depends how you play it.'
'Spike,' warned Angel.
'Give over Peaches, you're just dying to get that seen to.' He gestured to the hard bulge under Angel's jeans.
'You're injured,' said Angel uncomfortably, more aware of the urge to fuck Spike.
'And you're hard. So am I. Let's just play.'
He pitched the cig and started to deal out the cards, wondering if it would be more fun to explain the rules to Angel, or just let him learn as they went along. Angel just watched, trying not to think how many articles would come off Spike before he'd have no choice but get down on his knees and make the man come hard enough to shut up for a while.
'Right,' said Spike when he'd finished, 'What you do here Pet, is to put your cards down in turn, you then me, on top of each other and when two are the same, you say "snap".'
'That's it?' asked Angel, wary that he was going to sound stupid
'Aye love, it's that simple.'
Angel sighed and picked up his cards.
'It doesn't sound very taxing.'
Spike snorted again.
'It's supposed to be a game, Love! Anyway, when did you get this highbrow about stuff? Back in the old days.'
'Back in the old days I didn't give a shit about anything. Now I do.'
Spike held his hands up.
'Someone's feeling touchy.'
Yeah, that's right Spike, touch me. Please.
He put down the first card.
Ace
Two
Five
Seven
Eight
Eight
'Snap!' yelled Spike.
He grinned and picked up the cards, putting them to one side. He looked up at Angel with a grin.
'Right, Peaches, take something off.'
Angel frowned.
'You never said anything about this being strip snap.'
'I never said exactly how I was going to use the chocolate syrup either, Love, but I'm sure you're just dying to find out. Strip.'
Angel waited a moment, letting Spike register his annoyance at the way he was caught, then kicked a shoe off.
'Doesn't count.' Said Spike, that shit eating grin plastered on his face.
'Oh come on!' said Angel, 'You wear it - it's got to be classed as clothing.'
'Nope, it's a shoe. Take something else off.'
Angel growled softly and removed both shoes and one sock.
'There, happy now?'
'Not yet Peaches,' said Spike through yet another puff of smoke, 'Give me an hour.'
'Huh!'
Seven
Six
King
Four
Nine
King
Five
Five
'Snap!' said Spike gleefully. 'Other sock, love.'
'Fine!'
Six
Three
Four
Four
'Snap!' Spike chuckled, 'You're not very good at this are you?'
'It's a kids game,' sulked Angel, 'I prefer poker.'
'Tough titty,' grinned Spike, 'Something else, please.'
Angel rolled his eyes and pulled his sweater over his head. If it hadn't been for the look of appreciation on Spike's face, he would have got up and left. But his cock was playing a different game and growing more insistent by the second. If he had to get down to his boxers before Spike took a single thing off, the English vampire would know that he wasn't wearing any underwear and that all the veins in his cock were standing as prominent as they could be. And then.he didn't think his hard on could cope with and then.
'Problem Love?'
'Just deal,' said Angel, ignoring the come-to-bed look that Spike was wearing. Well it could be classed as come-to-bed, but it was a lot closer to let-me-shag-your-brains-out.
Five
Five
'Snap! Ha!' said Angel triumphantly, '<You> take something off!'
'With pleasure' said Spike and stood up with the cig clamped between his teeth. He pulled his T-shirt over his head and flung it onto the kitchen table. Muscles rippled beneath the pale skin and Angel saw to his ever-aroused pleasure that he was healing quicker than he'd thought. Spike took the cigarette out and stubbed it out in the ashtray before leaning over and kissing Angel hard on the lips. Angel closed his eyes and tasted.chocolate syrup. He could feel that judder all the way down to the souls of his feet. He'd had no idea that the sticky substance could be so erotic.
Spike sat back down, picking his cards back up. He grinned at the slightly stunned and pleasantly aroused look on his lover's face.
'Come on, Love, anyone would think you were distracted or something.'
'Snap. Right.' Said Angel and leant forward, determined to win.
Ace
King
Queen
Queen
'Snap!' 'Snap!'
'That was too close,' grinned Spike, 'We'll both have to take something off.'
He stood up, unembarrassed, and undid the button-fly of his jeans, easing them down over lean hips and the thick stony cock that bounced happily in its freedom. He kicked the denim off and watched as Angel slowly stood up and unfastened his own jeans. His eyes met Spike's and the wary lust that was visible was reflected eagerly there. He felt the denim being pulled gently down his legs and he kicked them off, wondering how he'd had the strength <not> to do this days ago.
Spike stood back up, naked and happy, pressing his lean length against Angel's and feeling the throbbing cock pushing against his thigh. Angel almost seemed to be shivering, his fear of hurting Spike as responsible as his desire. Spike inclined his head against the firm shoulder and felt some of the tension in Angel's body leave, but the dark vampire worried too much about everything to relax so completely.
Okay, so hugging is out for the moment.
Maybe I should bring on the syrup?
Grinning at Angel, seeing the obvious discomfort there, Spike led him back toward the kitchen. His sire followed silently, seemingly content for Spike to take the lead and for the moment, that suited the would-be punk perfectly. He brought Angel to the kitchen table and tested its strength before pressing the backs of Angel's hips against it. The older vampire bucked at the sudden pressure and in the instant he opened his mouth, Spike caught the back of his neck and slid his tongue deep inside Angel's mouth.
Angel moaned, feeling the intensity of his lover, the pressure around his thighs now unbearably good. He lifted his arms to hold Spike, feeling the defined shape of his spine as his broad hands covered the sleek back. His cock was rubbing blissfully against Spike's, velvety texture sliding up and down, tenderness and tingliness interchanging as his hips tried to buck. But the table wouldn't let him, restricting his movements until he was so desperate to fuck that he grabbed Spike and whirled him.
Well that was the plan.
Spike anticipated the moment when Angel could hold on no longer and stepped back, watching as Angel's face shifted and he was staring down yellow eyes. A low growl in his throat, Spike morphed and picked up the syrup, squirting a long line down Angel's chest and belly, stopping just at the tip of Angel's now dribbling, penis. As Angel growled and reached for him, he stepped forward and lay the flat of a long tongue at his chest. The older vampire howled and Spike grinned, teasing his way across firm pecs, lowering his mouth and fags around erect nipples, swirling sticky syrup across until the howl had dimmed to a prolonged groan.
He drew his tongue lower and lower, reaching his flat belly, sticking the tip into his navel, tickling the first of the tiny dark hairs that grew there. Angel's hands were on his shoulders and he could almost hear the pleading he was certain was taking place within that tortured mind.
'Say it,' he hummed by the sticky tip.
'What,' managed Angel, 'Say what?'
Spike looked up, his tongue flickering millimeters from the pulsing column.
'You want me to suck it?'
Angel growled softly and his face shifted between its human and vampire version, unable to settle. He nodded.
'Then say it,' exerted Spike, allowing a drop of saliva to drip from his tongue onto Angel.
He moaned.
'Suck my cock Will.'
'The magic word?'
'Fuck, Will! Please?'
'Well I was going to say now, but if you're feeling polite...'
He traced the tip lingeringly and then slid its long length into his mouth, feeling Angel lean forward, unable and unwilling to pull away from Spike's mouth. He eased his lips further and further down the velvet skin until it hit the back of his mouth. Feeling Angel's hands tensing, wanting to push further, but not wanting to hurt him, Spike moaned and let it slide past the natural resistance of his throat. No point not having to breathe and not making use of it, he thought cheerfully to himself. Angel groaned hard and pushed forward, his body needing some escape, his cock being devoured willingly by this beast with the educated mouth. His hands slid up to Spike's hair and held him, letting the vampire ease up and down the pulsing length, feeling the intoxicating sweetness as the other hand came up and started to gather the sticky syrup that slid down his balls.
Spike eased the coated fingers against Angel's ass, feeling him push faster into his mouth as the digits slid around the puckered hole. He started to pick up the pace, feeling the blood in Angel's cock pulse harder, his balls rapidly tensing and starting their job. And all the time his fingers sought access to the tender flesh inside Angel's ass. As his index finger slid suddenly up to the knuckle, Angel yelled and Spike thought he actually felt the cum travelling up the length of his cock as it spilled deep inside his throat. His hips bucked after each load throbbed from the tip, pressing back madly on the finger that stimulated his prostate. It felt so damn good and he just wanted to come like that forever, feeling Spike's mouth round his cock and his finger up his ass.
When he was spent, Angel drew his lover up to his face and started to kiss him eagerly, human face to the front, tasting himself on Spike's fangs. It was a delicious pleasure and he groaned as he felt Spike's hard cock pressing against his semi-wilting one. Only semi-wilting, because the presence of his lover, combined with his vampire's endurance allowed for almost immediate recovery. Spike growled and pushed at Angel's elbows, needing his own release, wanting to put into practice the idea he had come up with earlier.
Angel willingly turned round and wasn't surprised when Spike bent him over the wooden table. He could feel his lover's erection press against him briefly and then the syrup was back, the sticky substance sliding slowly down his spine heading towards the firm cheeks of his ass. He was slightly less prepared when he felt the nozzle edge against the opening and the warm liquid fill his body.
'Oh God!'
'Don't think God does this Love,' came the mischievous answer and then Spike's tongue was on him again, licking up the syrup and chasing quickly down to his ass, sucking as Angel's body pushed dribbles out. Angel moaned hard and tried to push back, but suddenly Spike's mouth was away and he moaned, wanting to feel that slick moveable probe inside him. Instead of sliding in and out again, the vampire moved up slightly, tracing the last of the syrup across the cheeks of his ass, licking and sucking before suddenly, before Angel had any suspicion what he was up to, Spike sunk his fangs deep inside the firm cheek and sucked.
The dark vampire howled again and bucked backwards against the mouth, needing more o something he wasn't quite able to quantify. He pushed harder, his cock back up to full mast and the table not providing enough friction. He could feel the blood flowing from his ass into Spike's mouth and he growled deeply, his demon face ready to feed, his cock needing something, his ass ready for Spike's cock, needing, needing.
Got to ask, Angel struggled to think, he won't do it until I.
'NOW! GET INSIDE ME NOW!'
'Keep your hair on Love,' grinned Spike and then, Oh God, he was sliding the bulbous head against his ass and with less than three circles around its opening, he was inside, slick past the tight muscle, Angel pushing back at the same time, moving fast as Spike moved and pulled and throbbed inside his body. He could feel the hand creep round the front, grasping Angel's hard cock, starting to massage it, pumping its length along with his fucking. Spike grunted and growled and thrust as deep as he could inside Angel's body, sensing that Angel needed more and lifting his wrist to Angel's mouth, urging its veins against the fangs.
Angel felt the soft skin against his mouth and bit down, realizing that he was drinking from his lover, not caring about anything else, anything he had ever been, but this moment when he could feel the link between them. He was sire and lover, a match for the vampire inside his body, a slave to the passion that drew them here. Everything was in focus and he screamed loudly as he came, spilling semen over Spike's hand, feeling the blood trickle down his throat. Spike shuddered against his back and as his fangs finally withdrew, Angel felt his bowels fill with the vampire's cum.
They collapsed forward, both unable to do more than lay there, not breathing. Spike's cock finally softened and slid from his body and Angel was a little sad to feel the connection broken. He kissed the wound at his lover's wrist and Spike chuckled lightly at his shoulder.
'What? What are you laughing at?'
Spike lay a gentle kiss on the tattoo and grinned.
'Well, you're not treating me like an invalid any more Love. I take it that you won't mind a good shag whenever the mood takes from now on?'
Angel snorted in amusement.
'I guess so.'
Spike nipped the skin.
'Ow!'
'Just guess?'
Angel rolled over with difficulty and lay down on the table, pulling Spike on top of him. He smiled and kissed his lover tenderly, fangs forgotten for the moment, love remaining.
'Yeah, we can fuck whenever we feel like it.'
Spike raised an eyebrow.
'Language, Peaches!'
Angel rolled his eyes.
'And this is coming from you!'
Spike grinned and kissed him lightly.
'Yeah, but I've got an image to keep up.'
'Right.'
Bang Bang Bang
'Hello! Is there anybody here! I've got problems! Paying problems!
Both vampires moaned.
'No rest for the wicked,' sighed Spike.
'No, there never is,' said Angel slipping into suspiciously broody speech.
'Hey! None of that,' said Spike, 'You're not being morose on my time.'
'Hello!' said the voice from upstairs again. 'Is there someone here?'
Spike rolled off Angel with unwilling ease.
'Go on, go pay the bills.'
'Hmm, easy for you to say.'
'Why's that?'
'Hey! Anyone here,' came the voice, 'I'm looking for the vampire with a soul!'
'Well,' said Angel, pulling his clothes back on, 'You don't have to
deal with a client whilst chocolate syrup leaks out of your ass.'
*
Angel appeared through the office doors, looking less disheveled than he felt. There was a demon there, or so it seemed. He looked non-human anyway. Angel held his hand out to shake and felt the exuberance and fear coming off this thing in droves.
'You're him?'
'I'm Angel.'
'Great, I've got a problem, someone's after me. You have to help me.'
'Okay,' said Angel warily, sitting down briefly and then standing back up and cursing Spike and loving him in the same thought, 'What's the deal?'
'Oh great, you'll help,' said the demon, 'My name's Barney.'
'Okay,' said Angel, wondering quite where this conversation was going. Barney continued, oblivious.
'Okay, so, First off you should know right away before there is any misunderstanding: I'm a demon.'
Angel took in the four horns poking out of his forehead and wondered what on Earth else he could be.
'Preciate your candor,' was what came out.
'Secondly, I just realized its 3:45 in the afternoon. If you're a vampire, why aren't you in your coffin?'
Angel cast his eyes to the ceiling briefly and thought about the delicious naked vampire lying on a table and how this annoying creature had come and spoiled what had promised to be a night of lust and food exploration. It wasn't fair. He fought the good fight, he did, and he rarely asked anything in return. All he wanted now was to go back downstairs and see how Spike felt about trying raspberry sauce and ice cream and this, this bizarre demon wanted to know how come he wasn't in a coffin. It wasn't putting him in a good mood.
Neither was the fact that chocolate syrup was continuing its merry way down and onto his boxers, gluing them to his leg.
He took in Barney's self occupied expression and suppressed a growl.
'Coffin. I hate that stereotype. You're a demon and you don't know anything about vampires?'
Barney shrugged, 'Only what I've learned from TV.'
'Vampires don't sleep in coffins. It's a misconception made popular by hack writers and ignorant media. In fact you know, we can and do move around during the day, as long as we avoid direct sunlight. Got it?'
Barney held up his hands.
'Got it. Sorry. I didn't want to push any sore spots.'
'Who's this asshole?'
Spike was standing in the doorway, wearing unbuttoned jeans and nothing else. Angel tried not to let his gaze follow the line of fine hairs down his belly and stared deliberately at Barney.
'Spike, this is Barney - a client.'
'Oh,' Spike said and sat down easily on Angel's chair. 'What's his problem?'
'Someone's chasing him,' said Angel, ignoring the puzzled look on Barney's face.
'Who's he?' the little demon asked.
'Spike,' answered the vampire before turning to Angel, 'Here love, why don't you have a seat?'
Angel shot him a glance and saw the big grin that still bore the telltale signs of chocolate above his lip. I'm not telling him, he thought, he can find out later, when Cordelia tells him about it.
'Right,' said Barney, 'You work for Angel?'
'Not bloody likely,' began Spike, before catching Angel's pleading glance, ' Er, I'm more what you'd call, er.'
'Spike's the muscle,' said Angel quickly, before Spike could say anything incriminating. Cordelia would kill him if they lost a client because of his lover's sanguine nature.
'Right,' said Spike, 'The muscle, I'm it and all that.'
Barney took in the comparative size of the two vampires.
'Well, you'll forgive me for saying so, but you look a little, how can I say this? Short.'
'Why you little.' began Spike, rising from the chair.
'Who's following you?' asked Angel, surreptitiously leaning one hand down on Spike's shoulder.
'I don't know,' gestured Barney, 'but he's been after me since Phoenix. He's unstoppable, like a machine. Pull out all the stops to shake him but he keeps on coming.'
'Must be your irresistible charm,' said Spike, toying with the urge to bite down on Angel's hand.
'Hey, am I paying for this hostility?' asked Barney.
'It comes with the service,' said Angel. 'What makes you think he means you harm?'
'Oh come on Peaches, no one chases someone to tell them they'd like a big snuggle. He wants to kill him.'
'Is he a demon?'
Barney shrugged his shoulders.
'I don't know, he could be. He knows all the hangouts. It seems wherever I go he's just a step or two behind. It's a miracle I've avoided him this long.'
'Not what I'd call it,' muttered Spike, 'What did you do to piss him off?'
'That's it, I don't know!' said Barney, 'I'm nobody.'
'Got that right.'
'Spike!'
'Well come on, he's chasing after him and he says he's done nothing? Not buying that, even if I did care, which I don't.'
Barney looked at Angel.
'Are all your employees so welcoming?'
'He's right,' said Angel, 'What did you do?'
Another shrug.
'I'm an empath demon, I can read emotions. It gives me a slight advantage at cards.'
'He's a cheat,' chortled Spike.
'Look, I never said I was a Boy Scout,' said Barney, 'I'm a demon, you know, I'm evil, but I'm not,' he hooked his fingers, 'Evil.'
'Too bad,' muttered Spike and Angel squeezed his shoulder hard.
'So you can't think of anyone in particular who could be after you?'
'No. So you'll help me?'
Spike rolled his eyes as Angel nodded.
'I'll see what we can do.'
There was the sound of approaching voices from outside and they turned to the noise.
'I've said I was sorry.'
'Yeah, well they'll probably never call me back again.'
'Sorry Princess.'
'I mean, do you have any idea how embarrassing it is to be in front of a board for a National and someone comes in and tells you that your so called moral support is having a fit?'
'It's not like I meant to do that.'
'No? Well couldn't you just have your little vision thingies on your own time?'
'Look, it's not I like I try and have brain-splitting headaches you know! They just come. Now let's just find Angel and tell him what I saw.'
'More employees?' asked Barney.
The door opened and the couple entered, Cordelia still decked in her best, nice little wife costume. Doyle looked bad, as he usually did when he'd just suffered the mind numbingly painful messages from the Powers that Be. He glanced up at Angel and smiled grimly in acknowledgement. Cordelia flung her clothes down on the chair and glared at Doyle.
'Go on then, tell him!'
'Cordelia.'
'No please, tell him why I won't be the Stain be Gone girl on my way up, hmmm?'
She noticed Barney for the first time.
'Are all our clients demons now?'
Barney blinked and then was back.
'Hi, I'm Barney and you're,' he held his hand out and then acknowledged her annoyed stance, 'wayyy pissed off. So I think I'll just go wash my.something whilst you talk to the Boss.'
He walked past her to the bathroom, trying to keep a certain distance between them.
Angel waited until the door closed and gestured to Doyle.
'What did you see?'
'I'm not sure, it was some really big.ugly.grey blobby thing.
'That's it?' yelled Cordelia, 'I take time to bring you here for "some ugly grey blobby thing"?' she glared at Doyle who gaped and nodded slightly. 'Okay, this is officially the depth to which I've stooped. My life cannot suck more.'
'Can be arranged you know!' said Spike as she walked into the back to get changed.
'What kind of thing?' asked Angel.
'I don't know, man, it was grey and blobby.' He shrugged, 'I'll give drawing it a go, see if that brings up any clues.'
'Who are these Powers that be,' asked Spike, 'Cryptic crosswords R us?'
'Not helping here, Spike,' said Angel, 'Maybe this vision's to do with whoever's after Barney.'
'Someone's chasing him?' asked Doyle.
'Yeah,' Angel looked at the restless Spike and made a decision, 'Look, maybe Spike and I should go check out his apartment - if someone's after him, they may be there. You and Cordelia can baby sit Barney.'
Doyle huffed.
'I'm not sure I can take madam down there when she's in this kind of mood.'
'Stop talking about me!'
They looked down to the office where obvious clothes changing was going on and even Spike winced.
'Better you than me mate,' he said and got up. 'I'll be downstairs getting some clothes on. Get you some too Peaches?'
Angel rolled his eyes, 'I'll be there in a minute.'
The blond vampire walked out. Doyle noticed Angel following his lover's ass longingly and shook his head. That led to thoughts the little half demon didn't want to think about. Especially not when he was going to spend the best part of the day looking after a pissed off beauty Queen and a somewhat irritating demon. Angel turned back to him.
'Look, whoever's after this guy, he seems very persistent. Just be careful, okay?'
Doyle laughed dryly.
'With those two for company, I'll be lucky if my brain doesn't collapse from the all the nagging before any assassin even gets close.'
Angel half smiled.
'You'll be fine Doyle,'
He winced.
'I have to get out of these pants.
*
'So you charge him for breaking into his room?'
Angel nodded and moved on silently.
'This is a little too Hardy Boys to be any fun, Why don't we just say "Come out, come out wherever you are"?'
'Spike, just be quiet, I'm trying to listen for something.'
'What? Rats?' he shook his head, 'There's none here, would've smelt them.'
Angel turned round, looking into the mischievous face of his lover.
'This,' he said, indicating the sneaking, 'is how we pay the rent and get dinner, now are you going to shut up until we find this demon or do I have to gag you?'
Spike grinned and traced a finger down Angel's chest.
'I knew you'd get to bondage sooner or later.'
Angel let out a defeated sigh and turned round. He was pretty sure he'd heard something, but in this squalid apartment building, it was hard to tell a threatening sound from the humdrum. A maid backed out into the corridor and smiled at him. He smiled back and almost throttled Spike when he gave an amused little wave in return.
'If you won't behave, I won't bring you again.'
'What? Won't bring me to fight for the force of Good? Saints preserve us, anything but that!'
He was still laughing when someone pushed them both from behind and they fell forward into Barney's apartment. Spike fell on top of his lover and was mildly pleased to find that Angel had braced his arm to protect him. It would be nice to stay here and see what kind of bondage his sire liked these days, but someone had after all, pushed them and they ought to find out who it was.
They got to their feet and turned to see the silhouette framed in the doorway, as tall as Angel, but a little less broad. And apparently wearing black leather.
Nice.
The stranger stepped forward into the light and smiled.
'Hello Angel.'
'Wesley.'
'He knows you?' asked Spike, watching as the crossbow was raised to Angel's face. 'Who is this wanker?'
'He's a Watcher,' said Angel, his hands suddenly in his pockets, facing down the bespectacled Englishman.
Spike groaned, 'Oh great! They're sending them on reconnaissance now!'
Wesley ignored him, his gaze never wavering from Angel.
'I'm no longer with the council.'
'They fired you,' asked Angel.
'On the contrary,' said Wesley, 'I.anyway, I ask the questions here. I'm not afraid to fire.'
Angel batted the crossbow away harmlessly. Wesley stumbled and pushed his glasses back up his nose.
'Right, you had a question?'
Spike snorted, 'Nice image Pet, the leather really works for you. Everyone fired from the Council should have a set.'
'I was not fired, I simply decided that since there were no Slayers willing to take guidance, I would be of more use working autonomously.'
'He was fired,' confirmed Spike to Angel.
'I was not!' struggled Wesley, 'I just decided that I'd be of more use as a rogue demon hunter.'
'A demon hunter?'
'Rogue demon hunter,' corrected Wesley.
'Oh yeah Love, don't forget the Rogue part. Spoils his day if you do that.'
Wesley frowned and looked at Spike.
'Who *is* this?'
'Why are you here Wesley,' asked Angel, ignoring the question, knowing that telling him William the Bloody was in the same room might just disturb the ex-watcher a tad. He wondered how he'd react if he knew that not only was Angel keeping company with such a psychopath, but was even now thinking seriously about flinging him down on the bed and shagging him blind. How would the straight-laced Englishman cope then?
Wesley looked back to Angel.
'Oh, I'm er.' he paused a second and seemed to gather himself together, a hard task considering Spike's unwavering grin. 'I'm on the trail of particularly nasty demon right now, so I suggest you stay out of my way.'
Angel chuckled and Spike snorted.
'What? Not that little tit back in the office?'
'Sorry, what?'
Angel smiled and held his hand out to indicate Barney's size.
'Someone about this big? Ruddy complexion?'
'Oh no, this bugger was huge, powerful looking and more of a yellowy green. And whatever it is, it's left a bloody trail in its wake.'
'Bloody? Cool. Tell all, Pet.'
Wesley gave a confused glance to Spike and then turned back to Angel.
'He's left a trail of corpses, human and demon, all mutilated. Each of the victims possessed some unique power - telepathy, poison tongues, healing hands. Whatever the physical source of their power it was ripped, gouged, torn from their corpses.'
'All right!' said Spike, 'Sounds like my kind of demon!'
Wesley looked at Spike again, a disgusted expression on his confused face.
'Who *is* he?'
'He's collecting powers' said Angel to himself, 'but why?'
'I don't know,' said Wesley, 'but I've tracked it into this building, it secretes a yellowish sticky substance.'
He and Angel watched as said blob dripped on Spike's hair.
'Hey!'
'Something like that?' asked Angel.
They all looked up to where the demon was waiting. It growled and launched itself down at them, flattening Wesley instantly. Angel sung easily at the creature, catching it quickly and ducked as it scratched back. Spike roared and went into gameface, snarling and fighting as only a vampire could. And this particular demon was messing with his mate.
Not a good idea.
As Angel was batted away, Spike ripped and tore at the demon, causing as much damage from willpower as from the blows themselves. He growled happily as it fought back, a worthy and powerful opponent, already game for a fight. As he battled, he didn't notice Wesley sitting up and seeing him, truly seeing him for the first time.
'Good Lord he's a vampire!'
He picked up the crossbow only to have it snatched out of his hand by a very feral Angel.
'Don't even try it.'
Spike grunted in pleasure as the demon hit him hard, giving him the momentum to kick back and floor it. It screamed in his face and he could see the sticky liquid seeping over its face, wondering why it was weakened when he pinned it. The thing roared again and attempted to push him off, but its strength was gone and Spike noticed the hole on its forehead where the goo was coming from.
'Oh fuck!' he yelled and held it down.
'What is it?' asked a slightly calmer Angel.
'He's dying!' said Spike, 'And I didn't kill him!'
The demon struggled weakly beneath Spike's grip and began making sounds.
'He's making a noise,' said Wesley.
'Nice one from the Public School Boy. Anything more helpful.'
'No,' said Wesley, 'I think he's actually speaking, I think I might even know the dialect.'
He knelt down next to the demon and listened. Spike looked up at Angel and gestured to the hole.
'Someone broke something off his head and it can't live without it,' he said, 'it must be after its killer.'
'Fair guess,' said Angel. 'What's it saying Wesley?'
'I'm not sure, but, yes, stick, no,' he shook his head, 'Not stick. Horn. Someone broke his horn off.'
Spike glared at him, human face presiding and Wesley decided that it might be better to come up with something more helpful. He turned back to the demon.
'Ah, the horn was,' he paused as the demon tried to say more, 'taken, yes, the horn was definitely taken for something. The.no, I don't know that word.'
The demon grasped him tighter.
'Fish will die. Right, yes, fish will die. Not fish. Ah! More, umm, more will die.'
Spike glanced at Angel.
'Is he making this up?'
Angel shook his head, 'I don't think so. Who's doing this Wesley?'
'Look, don't get snappy, he's dying and I'm hardly fluent.'
Spike growled.
'Well yes, that's .hmmm, good point.'
The demon gasped again and fell still.
'Slam the cherry, no, stop. Stop the cherry? No, the demon. Stop the demon red heart. Reader.'
'He's dead,' said Spike.
Wesley shook his head and stood up.
'I think he was trying to describe his killer. Demon. Heart. Reader.'
Spike snarled.
'It is the little tit back at the office!'
Angel growled and stood up.
'He's there with Doyle and Cordelia.'
Wesley looked at him.
'Sunnydale Cordelia?'
Spike dropped the demon and inclined his head to Wesley.
'Picks up on things quickly doesn't he?'
Wesley looked at him indignantly.
'At least I'm not a fiend from Hell.'
'I'm not French,' snapped Spike.
'Hmmm? I meant I'm not a vampire.'
As if remembering something he reached in his pocket for a crucifix, pulling it out and held it out at Spike who raised an eyebrow.
'Back foul beast!'
Angel lay a hand over Wesley's arm and lowered it.
'Relax Wesley, he's not going to hurt you.'
Spike cried out.
'Are you going to tell everyone about this?'
'What do you mean?' asked Wesley of Angel, discomfiture very evident on his face.
Angel sighed and ignored the angry look on his lover's face.
'He can't hurt humans anymore. Somebody did something to him and he's.safe.'
Spike threw his hands up and walked out. Wesley just stood there a moment, completely confused at the situation. As a Watcher he'd been trained to think of vampires as the ultimate curse from Hell. But here he was, listening to two of them bicker, one with a soul and the other with some kind of safety device. For some strange reason the situation didn't scare him at all.
Just mildly reminiscent of his school days.
*
The apartment was empty - vague signs of a fight visible on the furniture, but otherwise, completely free of life.
'This isn't good,' said Angel flatly.
'No?' asked Wesley, 'It isn't normally like this?'
'What he means,' said Spike, edging past the Watcher, 'Is that we're short one annoying girl and a half pissed Irishman.'
'Cordelia and Doyle,' said Angel, looking around for a sign of where they'd gone.
'You do realize what this means, don't you Pet?' said Spike, looking at Wesley, 'Your Rogue demon skills have sent you in a merry dance after the wrong demon. You're so busy looking at outward appearances, it never occurred to you that something less lethal looking could be doing the damage.'
'Spike, that's a little harsh.'
'No,' said Wesley, sitting down on the step. 'It's not. I came all the way after the wrong bloody demon! The council was right to sack me.'
'Told you,' said Spike, picking up a piece of paper.
'I mean I had two, two Slayers in my care and what did my guidance do? One of them turned evil and now vegetates in a coma and the other is a renegade. Fire me? I'm surprised they didn't cut my head off.'
'Does everyone you know brood?' asked Spike, 'Cause I'm getting some earmuffs if all I get is whine all day and night.'
Angel raised an eyebrow and received a blown kiss in return. Wesley meanwhile was finishing his tirade.
'I'm a fool.'
'Yep,' said Spike, glancing at the piece of paper and handing it to Angel.
'I'm a great sniveling.'
'Ugly grey blobby thing,' said Angel looking at the drawing.
'Ugly grey blobby.what?'
'It's called a clue,' said Spike helpfully, 'Thelma here tends to use them to figure out how to keep everyone alive.'
'I know this. It's a sculpture by Van Gieson, Maiden with Urn. Doyle saw this in a vision. It could be telling us where Barney took them,' said Angel, heading upstairs to the computer.
'So we ascertain its whereabouts, your friend's whereabouts and you two an go and rescue them.'
'Hey!' said Spike, 'I'm not rescuing anybody. That wasn't the deal at all.'
'Barney's got them, Spike.'
'Oh right, yeah,' said Spike, recovering his grin, 'Ass kickings a plenty to that interruptive tit.'
'And I shall stay here and try and figure out what that word was,' said Wesley sitting down. He looked so defeated and even Spike couldn't bear anyone looking that down. The idea had been to keep Angel on a happy, not add to the misery with this British git!
'Look mate, come along, we'll.I don't know, let you give the final blow to this thing. Take its head off, however you want it.'
'I'd be in the way,' brushed off the Englishman.
'Wesley, they needed that horn for something, and you have the key to that.'
'klukk(click)kah.'
'Well yeah, and you're the only one here who can translate it.'
Spike watched as his lover managed to get some juice going in the ex-watcher. Wesley practically rippled as he realised he could still have a use. He stood up and followed Angel to his book collection, intellectual mind at the ready.
Spike snorted and sat back, relaxing in the chair until Angel came back in and urged him up.
'What?'
'You want to kick Barney's ass?'
He nodded.
'Then you help me find where they are.'
Spike groaned.
'Not on the net.'
Angel shrugged, 'You type and I'll.'
'What?'
The dark vampire grinned.
'Massage your shoulders.'
Spike got up slowly and headed for the office.
'I was looking more for "suck my cock".'
'That's what you get if you're a good boy.'
'Huh. Sexual favors went out with the Victorians, Pet.'
'You complaining?'
'What if I do?'
Angel smirked and slapped his ass.
'Then I'm going to have to fill that dirty mouth with something.'
Spike grinned.
'Promises Pet, give me more of those.'
*
'It means Caller sale.'
'Oh right, what's that then?'
'Hmmm, I don't know.oh yes, yes I do!'
'Well? Don't make me wait!'
'Hold your horses, I think I have it.'
'Can't you just kill him?'
'No Spike. What is it Wesley.'
'It means auction.'
*
'Where's the auction?' asked Angel of a doorman.
'We have no auction.'
Angel morphed and grasped the hapless man by his lapels.
'Where is it?'
'The tulip room!' shrieked the terrified employee.
Spike and Wesley exchanged glances as Angel stormed off in the direction of his friends. He was striding with a firm determined pace.
'He's quite impressive isn't he?'
Spike grinned, allowing his own vampiric feature to come forward.
'Even more than you guess, Peaches.'
'Well, shall we get on?'
'After you,' said Spike, casually glancing at Wesley's clean neck.
'Oh no,' said the cautious demon chaser, 'After you, I insist.'
Spike snorted.
'Afraid even though I can't bite?'
'No, I.' stammered Wesley, 'I just don't like taking unnecessary risks.'
'Wimp.'
'I'm not, I just don't see that letting a vampire and especially one with as bloody a history as yours, stand behind me is anything other than.'
Spike walked off.
'Wait up!'
*
Spike hadn't enjoyed beating the crap out of anyone so much since he and the Slayer had faced off the last time. Barney had this empathic ability to read emotions during a fight, but that didn't mean doodly squat when his opponent was a vampire. It was like thoughts and reflections - they existed, but you couldn't see them. So whilst Angel had fought off the annoying side kick, Spike had found Barney rapidly trying to get away from him and the restricted vampire wasn't going to let any little bugger do that to him.
So he'd enjoyed himself, punching and ducking and bouncing against the stupid little twit until Barney had practically begged to be killed. At that point, Spike had grasped him by the hair and flung him at Wesley, who had promptly shoved his fist into the demon's gut, wrenching out sounds that even Spike was impressed with. Barney had attempted to fight back, but he was wasted, his strength having left long ago. Nobody had been prepared for Cordelia to stab the annoying creature with a part of Barney's power stealing collection. They had watched, intrigued and disgusted as Barney shriveled into nothing, the Tak demon the vampires had watched die earlier finally getting his revenge.
Doyle had been badly beaten up, caught unawares by Barney whilst Cordelia ranted on. She was the first to attend to his wounds however and Spike winked at him, commenting that he was on a promise tonight. The blush his comment elicited went unnoticed as Cordelia saw Wesley, dropping the half demon as she hugged the ex-watcher. Spike grinned as he noticed the sickened look on Doyle's face as he realised that he wasn't the only one with the hots for Miss Chase.
They had all gone back to Angel's for breakfast once it was established that Doyle was a little roughed up, but not deeply hurt. For some reason, the vampire had insisted on making them breakfast, inviting Wesley once he'd noticed the man lingering before he left. Wonderful, thought Spike, another distraction for Angel. Someone else who can make a claim on his time and stop me getting my wicked way.
Which was, naturally, very wicked.
Angel noticed Spike's frown and winked, making eggs and toast, along with other popular breakfast food that they all seemed to enjoy. Spike had wolfed down most of the eggs and was currently wondering at the taste of buttery toast. It seemed to lack something. The humans and half humans seemed to be enjoying Angel's cooking and devouring it almost as quickly as the vampire.
'Pass the salt, please?'
'Sure.'
Spike tipped back from the table, sickened at the way he was now not only 'helping' humans, but also sitting at a table and eating with the damn things!
'You okay Spike?' asked Angel.
'Sure,' said the vampire and got up, heading for the bedroom and hopefully some time away from his companions. He lay down on the bed, staring at the ceiling and wondering why he was cursed to spend what seemed like an eternity in the company of mortals. He could still hear their inane chatter from here.
He groaned and buried his head under the pillow.
Spike could sense rather than feel Angel looming over him and reached out one hand to grab him.
'You know, this is much easier if you come out from behind the pillow.'
'Not for me.'
He could feel Angel lie against him, stroking along his bare arm with that damnably erotic hand.
'What's the problem?'
Spike tossed the pillow off and stared into annoyingly sexy brown eyes.
'The problem is that we're spending quality time with a load of mortals.'
'Well, they're part of what I.'
'Sod it all Angel, I'm a vampire, I'm not supposed to make nice with the meat.'
'I do,' pointed out Angel.
'Yeah, but you're.' he gestured, 'Chosen. Souled up and all that.'
Angel nipped lightly at his neck.
'They'll be gone in an hour.'
'So?'
Angel nuzzled closer into his neck.
'I promise I'll make it up to you then.'
Spike sniffed.
'What, sexual favors and that?'
Angel started to kiss his neck and Spike squirmed, trying to get closer.
'Yeah, if you like. I was thinking that we could see how ice cream and raspberry sauce felt.'
Spike chuckled.
'Liked that did you?'
Angel stayed silent and moved his mouth over Spike's, kissing him teasingly, dipping his tongue in and out of his soft mouth. Spike started to respond, pressing his body up against Angel's when Cordelia's laugh came shuddering through, breaking his concentration.
'Grrr!'
'What are they eating in there anyway?'
'Waffles.'
'Oh. Right.'
More kissing.
'Angel? You know what they eat on waffles?'
A nip
'What?'
Spike grinned and smooched him some more. He could hear them taking
things out of the cupboards, hear as each one requested something different.
He buried his mouth against Angels and tasted his tongue, choking in what
might be called a happy manner when he heard Wesley greedily state that
this had to be the best chocolate syrup he'd ever tasted.
*
'So he turns up quite out of the blue and Angel just took him in?' asked Wesley, 'It a little odd, given their somewhat truculent history.'
Cordelia shrugged.
'That's Angel, always surprising you with his generosity and.hey Doyle! Did you get the video camera I asked for?'
Doyle plonked said item down on the desk and looked up at her.
'I got it Princess, but I'm pretty sure Angel's not going get all dressed up for some advert.'
She waved her hands about in an unconcerned way.
'It's not like he can afford to be picky. I mean look at us - completely client free!'
She gestured around the empty office, accidentally including both Doyle and Wesley. Wesley didn't seem to notice, as he was reading from a text which she could only assume was WEO - watcher's eyes only - and didn't hear most of the insults thrown his way. Doyle however did, and he scratched his head, wondering when she was going to tell Angel that wearing tights was their ticket to more clientele.
'I don't know Cordy, Angel in tights.'
He was still struggling with the idea when he noticed Wesley look up from his book and stare at him.
'What?'
Doyle indicated the camera.
'This thing! Cordelia's got this idea that we could attract more customers if we advertise'
'Well duh!'
She grinned pleasantly at Wesley and started to detail her ideas.
'I mean, just picture it, we fade up on an aerial shot, downtown, skyscrapers, lights, yada, yada, yada. We hear a narrator, preferably famous - maybe that bald Star Trek guy or one of the cheaper Baldwins, and he says: 'it's a big, bad city out there.' Cut to a woman walking down a dark, spooky street - alone. We'll cast some beautiful, young actress, maybe an up-and-coming starlet whose carrier is on the verge of taking off.'
She paused and Doyle tried not to grin as she gestured wildly. He noticed Wesley gazing in rapt attention and frowned, determined to concentrate.
'Anyway, she's all-nervous, right? Mucho vulnerable. The voice guy says: 'danger lurks around every corner.' Boom! She's attacked by a big, ugly goon, with a knife. She screams: 'help! Is there no one to help me?' 'Well now there is someone to answer your call.'
Doyle raised his eyebrows.
'He'll protect you, catch you when you fall! You can count on it.'
She paused; watching both their faces in what she took to be stunned admiration.
'Okay and then we do a close up on Angel and he says,' and she dropped her voice to Angel's, 'And you can count on me, because I'm the Dark Avenger.'
Silence.
'You know it's funny,' said a barely dressed and suddenly visible Spike, 'but I always thought of him more as Spiderman.'
Cordelia shot him a look and as Spike walked further into the office, Doyle looked at the ceiling, the floor, anywhere but catch the eye of his boss's lover.
'I mean, I like the whole girl getting attacked thing, but couldn't we have a bit more blood spillage before she gets rescued?'
'You know, you're getting obvious with that whole I'm so violent and blood thirsty thing,' said Cordelia, 'I only have to mention someone getting in trouble and it's "Oh please, tell me all the gory details".'
'Yeah, so?' asked Spike, suddenly defensive, 'I'm a vampire, I'm supposed to be blood thirsty, it's what I am.'
'What you are,' said Cordelia, picking up the camera and pointing it at him, 'Is incapable of biting me and way too noisy when you have sex.'
Wesley blinked and Doyle bit down hard on his lip, praying he could hold the giggles in until they went away.
'You're only saying that precious, because you know I'd make a hell of lot better impression on that camera than you with your little, "oh help me, I'm so lost and vulnerable" routine' he added, 'Anyway, Angel won't do this and you know it. You're just that desperate to get on the box.'
'I am not,' snapped Cordelia, 'I was second in line for that Mr. Washo commercial and if it hadn't been for that one little line problem.'
'What was the line?' asked Wesley, unable to stifle his curiosity.
'Mr. Washo is a wish for the Wash.'
'Don't tell me,' said Spike, 'it came out wash for the wish.'
'Well actually I told them it was a stupid line and that I wouldn't say it, but my career is going fine. I'm going to be someone big'
She stomped off into the back and began to make coffee.
'She'd have been perfect for silent movies,' observed Spike.
'Oh yes,' breathed Wesley, his eyes still following her 'All that smoldering passion and.'
'Well I was thinking she could have kept her gob shut, but,' said Spike, 'you take it how you want, Pet.'
He patted him on the shoulder and sat down next to the watcher, unselfconsciously reading over his shoulder.
'What's that then?'
'What? Oh.it's er, Watcher's...'
'It's about me?'
Wesley looked up desperately at Doyle, but there was no help there. Doyle had grown used to having Spike around, and whilst he was badgering the stuttering Englishman, he wasn't giving Doyle suggestions on how to invite Cordelia into his bed. Wesley tried to pull the book away, but a vampire's grip is firm and Spike held on with ease.
'Well, yes, it's a detailed account of your behavior over the last century or so.'
'Cool,' said Spike pulling it off him, 'I'll go and have a butchers.'
'That's council property!' exclaimed Wesley, taking refuge in logic, 'It's not supposed to be read by anyone other than a Watcher!'
'Well you don't tell them and neither will I,' said Spike and walked off downstairs.
Wesley stood up, his mouth open at Spike's attitude.
'Is he always so rude?'
Doyle shook his head.
'Nah.'
'Really?'
'Oh yeah,' added the Irishman with relish, 'sometimes he doesn't ask first.'
Wesley frowned.
'Doesn't it bother you that you're working with someone who's essentially a psychopath on a leash?'
Doyle laughed dryly.
'Not really, at least he's upfront about it.'
'Meaning what?'
Doyle shrugged and gestured to the door.
'Out there, everyone's after something. With Spike, it's either a fight or sex. And he's happy to fight the bad guys at the moment.'
'What about the, er.other?' asked Wesley with some reservations.
Doyle grinned.
'Why d'you think he's gone back downstairs?'
'You mean?'
Cordelia walked back in and Wesley shut his mouth quickly and tried to make out that he wasn't thinking about the two vampires having sex. She looked at him in confusion.
'What?'
'Er, nothing, I was just.my, is that coffee?'
She passed him a cup and turned to Doyle.
'What's with Wesley?'
'Nothing Princess, he's just having a little trouble coming round to Angel and Spike being special friends.'
'Oh what, that they have sex like every other minute we're not working?' she shrugged at Wesley, 'Get used to it, cause it's gonna happen a lot if we don't get this commercial shot.'
'You know?' asked Wesley incredulously.'
'Duh! How can you not know when you can hear them?'
'Hear them,' repeated the baffled Watcher.
'Gee Wesley, don't they have sex where you come from?'
'Well, yes,' said Wesley, 'But I mean..' He trailed off, looking at the empty stairwell, 'You mean they could be down there now.'
'Getting groiny? Yeah, in fact, I'm betting we get three howls and a groan in the next fifteen minutes.'
As if on cue, Spike's harsh English tones echoed up the stairs.
'Oh God Angel, harder!'
'Oh my,' stuttered Wesley.
'Oh please,' said Cordelia and picked up the paper.
There was a pause in which Doyle tentatively tasted Cordelia's coffee. Not bad, could use a little less coffee in it, but still.
'Yes, oh yes, bring on the whip!'
Wesley gaped wider and Cordelia rolled her eyes. There were some cracking sounds and a deep moan, before they heard a howl of what could only be described as pleasure.
'Are they always this aggressive?' asked Wesley eventually.
'Well sometimes chairs get broken, but I think they're only being playful,' answered Doyle, wincing as the aftertaste of the coffee slipped down his throat, 'Someday they're gonna be doing that when we do get a customer.'
Cordelia looked at him over the top of the paper.
'If it gets them to sign on the dotted line, I'm in.'
*
'Spike? What are you doing?'
Angel hefted his boxers up a little and watched as Spike flung himself against the walls of the stairwell. He bashed his hands against the rail and then howled before turning and grinning at his lover. Angel raised his eyebrows.
'And that was because?'
Spike jumped down the remaining steps two at a time.
'Because Weasly was too interested in why you took me in.'
'Oh,' said Angel, his brow furrowed as he tried to understand, 'So you have sex noises by yourself because of Wesley. Should I be jealous?'
Spike growled seductively and kissed Angel's cheek. He walked into the kitchen and lay the tome down on its battered surface.
'What you got there?' asked Angel, removing the mugs from the microwave.
'Biography.'
'Hmm?'
'Watcher's diary or something. Look! Here's where Dru and I took out that Mason's guild!'
Angel glanced at the pages, filled with the blood and guts of everyone who'd had the misfortune to encounter Spike when he was hungry. He couldn't say it bothered him entirely - he still had enough of a vampire urge to want to kill, but the mention of Drusilla shot fresh reminders of his penance through his unbeating heart. Nothing else he'd ever done compared to the torture he had inflicted on her. It had driven her completely mad and she in turn had caused pain and suffering once he'd turned her.
He sunk down in his chair and stared at the mug in front of him, wondering if he'd ever feel he'd done enough to compensate for that atrocity. Spike looked up; sensing something was wrong and closed the book. He took in Angel's drawn face and gently stroked his fingers along the edge of his lover's hand. Angel looked up, seeing Spike's concern and smiled sadly.
'She was the worst, you know?'
Spike nodded, he'd grasped from spending nearly a hundred years in the company of someone who was certifiably insane even if she was dead, that Angelus had broken her before he'd turned her. For a long time he hadn't known whether to hate him for it, or admire his talent for destruction. But he had loved Dru and he had enjoyed most of the years he'd looked after her. How could he have hated anyone who'd given him that?
'It's in the past Love. Forget about it.'
Angel shook his head.
'I can't. It's with me here, every day and I wonder if I can ever make up for that.'
His head hung down and Spike could feel the deep need in his sire for some kind of comfort. But Spike couldn't tell him all was forgiven - it wasn't his role and he had no intention of becoming some advocate for good. Still, seeing Angel so depressed gnawed at something inside Spike and he wasn't having his lover moping about for the rest of the day.
Okay, let's see how we can cheer big and broody up.
'You know, Cordelia's got some plan to make you a super hero in some commercial.'
'Has she?' asked Angel absently, but Spike could tell his mind was elsewhere, reliving past atrocities, making himself suffer more.
'Yeah,' Spike went on, 'She gets to act like damsel in distress and you save her from some wanker and have wild rampant sex on camera.'
'That's nice,' said Angel.
'Mhm, and you promise that every fifth client you save gets a bunk up and a button that says, "I've slept with Angel".'
'Great,' murmured Angel, 'What?'
Spike snorted as Angel looked at him, finally registering what had been said.
'Get out of the past! It doesn't matter any more! You can't change it.'
'I know, I just.'
'Want to spend each and every hour reliving it and wishing that you hadn't been such a bloody hearted bastard.'
Angel smiled sadly.
'Something like that.'
'Well get over it!' said Spike standing up and slugging back his blood, 'You fight the good fight now, got all this remorse under your belt and STILL you keep hitting yourself with the bad Angel stick!'
'I can't forget,' shrugged Angel.
'Then don't,' said Spike, 'But don't do everyday like you have to wear sackcloth and ashes. You fight, you save people and all that bloody stuff that your soul seems to like. So don't spend the time when you have this beautiful body at your disposal,' he twirled, 'wondering if you could have been something different.'
Angel looked at him for a while before allowing a smile to creep slowly to his lips.
'Okay, I'll try.and brood less.'
'There's my Pet,' said Spike, 'Another cup?'
Angel glanced down at his half-finished drink.
'Sure.'
Spike sorted out the microwave, wondering what the inventor would think if they knew it was being used in this way. As he waited for the blood to warm, he felt Angel's strong hands on his waist. He grinned and pushed backwards, feeling Angel's chest against his back.
'Beautiful body, huh?'
'The best, Love.'
Angel bit down gently between his neck and shoulder.
'It's not bad.'
'Not bad? It's a bloody masterpiece!'
Angel pulled him backwards, urging him to feel the hard cock pressed against his ass. Spike groaned and reached his hands round to Angel's thighs, pulling him closer, rubbing some decent friction against the velvety skin of his lover's cock. When the dark vampire let out an 'Mmm' of approval, he chuckled and wiggled his hips.
'Fuck, Spike, that feels good.'
'Told you it was a masterpiece.'
'Certainly fits all the right places,' murmured Angel against his neck, his fangs grazing the skin.
'How would you know? You're still dressed.'
'You're not,' came the reply and then Spike's jeans were off and he could feel the hard length of Angel's cock pressing through silk boxers. Rubbing against that material created all sorts of wonderful tingles up and down his back and the hardened mass which poked his navel was too untouched to be perfect.
'Touch me,' he moaned and then Angel's hand was stroking him, caressing every little ridge and vein in that pulsing column. He took his hands away from Angel's thighs and braced them against the wall, wriggling strongly, feeling the hard cock prodding at his ass, moving back and forth and with some definite purpose in mind.
'Hmm, I'm beginning to think you have got some wicked thoughts in that head, Peaches.'
'Oh?' nibbled Angel, letting his tongue run round Spike's prominent collarbone. He pushed forward and his cock pressed into the crease between the firm cheeks. Spike growled low and deep, his forehead growing ridges and his fangs lowering against his lip.
'Oh yeah, very wicked.'
Angel kissed his way down around Spike's ear down his hairline.
'Mmm, something the Powers that Fuck about definitely wouldn't approve of.'
'You think?' muttered Angel as he caught hold of his own boxers and slid them down. He reached to the sideboard and picked up the raspberry sauce. Smearing it over his hand wasn't easy, since it was a little stickier than he'd been used to. He dribbled some down the tempting crack and bent to his knees, his tongue straying to push the sauce inside, feeling Spike groan and push back against his mouth. He grinned and licked harder, feeling Spike buck his hips before his tongue sank in deep, tasting raspberry sauce and wondering where the ice cream was.
'Oh yeah Peaches,' murmured Spike, spreading his legs, 'Just like that and all's forgiven.'
Angel chuckled and dipped his head, feeling the awkwardness of the angle and not particularly caring. He flicked his tongue between Spike's ass and his balls and wondered for a moment if the sensitive vampire was going to break his neck if he bucked like that again. Spike braced himself and felt that wonderful educated tongue work its way up to the plump globes and suck each one into Angel's mouth, running the very tip over and over until Spike howled with pleasure, his cock needing some kind of friction, needing some release. He groaned hard as Angel backed off, licking his way back up to Spike's neck.
'You want to see how bad I can be?' whispered an incredibly hard Angel.
The tip of Angel's cock hovered just outside Spike's ass and the blond vampire bit his lip, feeling the blood trickle down his chin and hit his neck. Angel was onto it in a second and his fangs sunk in deeply, drinking from his lover whilst he used his hand to guide his cock inside him. Spike groaned and thrust backwards, feeling his blood flow into Angel's mouth, his ass widen to accommodate the heavy cock which slid easily inside.
Spike growled and pushed back further, feeling Angel sink in deeper, his balls slap against his thighs whilst his blood ebbed from his body. He cried out as Angel started bucking harder, feeling his lover's hand slide back round to cup his cock, sliding the sensitive foreskin up and down. It was unbearable, it was heaven and Hell in one movement and Spike howled as he was fucked harder, his head banging the wall, his hips pounding mercilessly against Angel's.
It was perfect and it was unstoppable.
Angel growled and relinquished his bite, throwing his head back as he felt the desire and passion fill him, his cock lost within the body of his lover, touching and feeling everything that Spike would have him remember. You may have done horrendous wrong, but that is the past and you cannot change it. There is only the now and what you do now. Everything else is simply a fragment of an eternal memory. Love and be loved before the Apocalypse comes and Oh God, coming with Spike is the only place I ever want to know. Only here, only with him and forever fucking and sucking and making love and Oh God it's coming, I'm gonna, oh God!
'Spike!' he yelled and felt his balls release, splattering the inside of his lover's ass with cum. Spike howled loudly and Angel felt his cock throb wildly as his own orgasm splattered across the wall. He collapsed against his lover, wondering how on Earth his feet were supporting him at all and panted as he recovered his stamina. Spike was growling softly, feeling Angel slide back out and wondering how, if ever, he could ever be away from this perfect creature who nestled against him.
'Beautiful body,' mumbled Angel, 'should definitely pay more attention to it.'
'Better than brooding,' sighed Spike, enjoying the closeness of his lover, unwilling and for the most part, unable to move.
'Better,' sighed Angel, 'Must put it on my to do list for.'
'This afternoon?'
'Half an hour,' murmured the contented Vampire.
'Nympho,' teased Spike.
'You love it.'
'Frequently,' agreed Spike, 'Now about that video.'
*
It was a dark night, a night like any other in LA. The streets were calm and quiet. But danger lurks everywhere. Whether you see it coming, or it springs out at you, it is there and it is deadly.
Cordelia ran down the street, her heels clicking and a frightened expression on her face. She glanced around dramatically and then hurried on her way. As she approached a dark alley, a thug jumped out at her and she screamed.
'Ow!' yelled Spike; 'Does she have to be so piercing?'
'You're supposed to be attacking her, Spike,' said Doyle from behind the camera.
'Well I would if she wasn't screaming in my ear. It hurts more than if I did try and bite her!'
He growled and turned back to Cordelia.
She was glaring at him.
'I thought you said you could act me off the set?'
'That was before you tried to deafen me. We don't NEED Angel, you can see of any evil with one scream.'
'You're not getting any funnier Spike.'
'I wasn't being funny.'
'Shall we try this again?' asked Doyle, whilst Wesley re-spooled the film, 'Only if we take any longer it'll be day and you and Angel'll go poof!'
'Oh they're already poof,' murmured Cordelia.
'Jealous,' said Spike and headed off back down the alley.
'Okay,' murmured Doyle, turning to Wesley, 'We ready?'
'Yes I think so,' said Wesley standing up, 'although I'm not sure about this idea being good. What if he bites her?'
Doyle shrugged.
'More likely to happen in the reverse.'
He cupped his hands.
'Action!'
Cordelia followed the same path and Spike jumped out at her brandishing a knife.
'Help!' she screamed, 'Will nobody help me?'
Spike grinned up at her.
'Couldn't act your way out of a paper bag.'
She kicked him discreetly and he yelped.
'Bitch!'
'Veggie vampire.'
Angel ran up to them both and delivered a swift uppercut to Spike.
'Come on, I only agreed to do this because of blackmail.'
Cordelia sniffed.
'It's not my fault you have a perverted sex life.'
'You have no idea,' grinned Spike and got back to his feet.
He swung wildly at Angel and the taller vampire dodged easily before kicking him hard.
'I don't remember you being this hard to beat!" he grinned.
Spike growled.
'Don't push me, Peaches!'
Angel bent down, holding his hand behind his back.
'I thought that was the deal?'
Spike growled louder and got to his feet. He swung heavily at Angel and they started exchanging blows and kicks with a passionate intensity. Cordelia watched them and then realised she was still supposed to be acting and assumed her innocent-damsel-in-distress stance.
Spike kicked out quickly and knocked Angel's feet out, which caused the dark vampire to grab at him as he fell. They tumbled to the ground and rolled, Spike pinned beneath Angel and their dusters tangled. There was a moments pause and.
'Oh man! Angel! Spike! Stop that! We're supposed to be shooting a commercial here.'
'Should I stop filming now?' asked Wesley, from behind the camera.
Doyle watched as Angel and Spike kissed, their bodies entwined on the ground and some serious groping going on. He saw Cordelia's exasperated expression and shrugged.
'Yeah, I can't see this one going on the Network.'
Cordelia stormed over and past them, glaring at each in turn.
'They just did this on purpose to make sure I didn't get any exposure.'
Doyle cocked his head sideways and looked back at the vampires.
'I think they wanted exposure all to themselves.'
'So the commercial's over then' said Wesley, 'Ah well, I didn't like to say so to Miss Chase, but I didn't think it was a very good idea anyway.'
'Nah,' murmured Doyle, 'We could go with the low rats one I suppose.'
'It was RATES!'
'Right you are, princess,' said Doyle and sighed. 'You coming Angel?'
No word, just big slurping sounds and the occasional groan.
'Okay,' said the Irishman, cheerfully, 'Suddenly deciding that I don't want the answer to that.'