Angel caught up to Spike just beyond Willow's house. "Spike," he said, watching the other man's back stiffen as he recognized his voice. He knew that he was even more despised by Spike than Buffy herself, and in truth, Angel disliked Spike almost as much.
Spike was a constant reminder of everything that Angelus had been -- the blond vampire held the knowledge of hundreds of the atrocities that he had committed. He was a part of Angelus, past and present. Created by him, ally, enemy. Oftentimes, Angel wished that Spike would run into the sharp end of a stake, taking away the constant reminder of the past with him.
"What the hell do you want?" Spike growled as he turned around. His eyes were dark with anger as they met Angel's. The rage and humiliation that he had felt during Angelus' return was bright in them, and Angel saw in them the fervent wish that he was still rotting in Hell.
"We need to talk," Angel said. "Now."
Spike sneered at him, the last vestiges of his good humour slipping away as he contemplated discussing anything with his sire. The almost laughably serious look that Angel sported left Spike with little doubt about what the topic of conversation would center around.
It felt like he had been justifying his relationship with Willow to everybody - the Slayer, her friends, Drusilla, himself -- and now that things were finally on track once and for all, the thought of having to talk about it once again made him want nothing more than to snuff the life out of somebody.
"I'd much rather be tearing your throat out," he said, turning his back on his sire and his disgusting, worried face. He drew a cigarette out from his pocket, pausing to light it before continuing down the street. Spike scowled as he heard the steady thump of Angel's feet against the pavement as he followed him.
"I want to know your intentions towards Willow," Angel told him as his long strides brought him to Spike's side. He ignored the string of curses that poured past Spike's lips as they continued down the street.
Spike's eyes glinted in the moonlight as he turned to glare at Angel. "Well, I was planning on becoming her friend, gaining her trust, fucking with her mind and body. And then, I'd leave, after telling her what an idiot she had been for trusting me. All to hurt the Slayer, of course. Not quite as polished as your bloody moronic plots, but I think it has a certain charm to it."
Angel growled low in his throat, barely resisted the urge to lash out at the other man. Even though he knew that wasn't what Spike was planning, the thought of what it would do to Willow made his protective instincts howl in protest. He owed the girl everything, and he would damn well make sure that Spike wouldn't hurt her in any way whatsoever.
And that led to the particulars of his questioning of Spike. Angel forced a breath of air through his lungs, far from looking forward to where the already tense discussion was about to turn. "Are you planning on... being intimate with Willow?"
He hated having to ask. Willow's first time shouldn't be with a demon. It should have been with someone who could love and cherish her as she deserved. It should have been someone who could share sunlight with her, someone who she could dream about spending her life with. Even Xander would do.
Spike snorted in amusement. "Being intimate? What happened to the good old days where people just enjoyed a good fu--"
Angel's eyes narrowed. Spike was attempting to deliberately annoy him, and in normal circumstances, Angel would have merely ignored the attempt. But he would not tolerate such crude references in regards to Willow. "Answer the question, Spike."
"Are you really getting so little these days that you have to settle for hearing me talk about something that hasn't even happened -- yet?" Spike asked, his eyes glinting with vindictive humour.
Angel's teeth gnashed. "Do you _want_ me to pound your head into the street?" he growled. The guilty part of him whispered that he deserved everything that Spike was saying, while the part of him that longed to feel Buffy's warm body next to his again grumbled in protest.
"I'd like to see you try, you whiny little pansy."
Another deep breath made its way into Angel's lungs. He leashed his irritation firmly before continuing. "What are your intentions?" he repeated, stressing each word.
Spike rolled his eyes. "I heard you the first time," he snapped. He wondered how upset Willow would be if he pounded on Angel, just a little bit.
"Well? I'm not leaving until you answer me, Spike." Angel's voice was firm and determined.
The thought of having Angel tagging after him for hours nearly made Spike shudder. "Maybe. I don't bloody know!" The memory of Willow pressed up against him as they danced flashed through his mind, and Spike silently amended that answer. 'Your bloody stupid if you think I won't.'
Angel's eyes stated quite clearly that he knew exactly what Spike's real answer was. He'd had his guilt holding him back and had still made love to Buffy. Considering that Spike had no such constraints, he was surprised that it had taken him so long to even kiss Willow.
"Okay, then. There's a few things that you should know..." At that moment, Angel felt uncomfortably like a father discussing sex with his child for the first time.
The comparison had obviously surfaced in Spike's mind, also, for he rolled his eyes once again. "Gee, 'dad', you're a bit too late for this particular discussion. Been there, done that -- lots of times."
"With Drusilla. And we both know that what she liked isn't something that Willow could--"
Angel's words were cut of as Spike rounded on him, his clenched fist smashing into Angel's face. "Don't you dare even mention her, you bloody sadistic fuck!" Spike hissed, his face wavering between human and vampire form as he struggled for control.
Angel blinked up at his enraged childe from the ground, carefully rubbing at his aching jaw. He rose to his feet slowly, careful to keep out of Spike's immediate striking range. "It's... different with a mortal, Spike. That's all I was saying. Your used to Drusilla..."
"I've done mortals before. I didn't need to point out the differences for me."
Angel's eyes narrowed dangerously. "What you did with them is something you shouldn't even _think_ about doing with Willow--"
Spike cut him off angrily, "They bloody well enjoyed it. You were always the one who left the chits bloody and broken."
The shock of pain that ran shot through Angel at those words was worse than the pain that had accompanied Spike's physical blow. He could feel the guilt bubbling just beneath the surface of his thoughts, waiting for the chance to spill out and bring him to his knees with the power of it. He hated Spike and his memories of the past. He hated always being forced to stare it face to face whenever he was with the younger vampire.
"You could hurt her, Spike," Angel said softly. "Even if you don't mean to. You might bite her--"
"Do you have any idea how strange it is to be hearing this from _you_? I seem to recall you saying that it isn't over until the blood starts flowing."
"If you hadn't noticed, I've changed since then!" Angel hissed, torn between the desire to strike out at Spike until the smug expression on his face was drowned away by a flow of blood, and the desire to let the guilty tears fall.
"With all the whining and brooding you do it's bloody impossible to miss it," Spike replied, his voice slipping back into his initial, calm, mocking tone. "And don't try to tell me that you didn't take a nip from the Slayer when she was helpless and screaming beneath you." He looked at Angel consideringly, a smile forming on his lips. "I'll bet she enjoyed it, didn't she?"
A warning growl erupted from Angel. "Shut up, Spike."
Spike's smile turned triumphant as he saw the conflicted emotions playing out across his sire's face. "You're the one who wanted to talk."
Angel leaned forward, his snarling face inches away from Spike's. "I'm warning you, be careful with Willow -- or what Angelus did will seem like child's play when compared to what I'll do to you."
"Right, I'm bloody terrified now." He backed away from Angel, dropping the cigarette he had been holding and grinding it beneath his boot. "I'm not going to hurt Willow. And considering your record with women, the next time you think about giving me advice, just sod off."
~End~