Quantum Xander II: In Wake of the Curse

Part 21

Spike was disoriented when he awoke. He couldn’t remember where he was; at first he hadn’t remembered Buffy and Xander coming for him. He thought he was still being held captive by the First. Of course the nightmares could have had a lot to do with that.

He sat up in bed and grimaced. He was alone and the room smelled like tears and semen. He wondered where Xander was, if he was okay. It was obvious the boy had been crying.

“Probably dreaming of his Spike - good dream too, I’m betting, by the smell of things.”

Spike got up and pulled his jeans on. He left the bedroom and stopped in the hallway. Xander had left the bathroom door open and was now just standing in front of the mirror wearing only a towel.

Spike took in the appearance of the man in front of him. Xander had filled out nicely, had muscles in all the right places. His hair was damp and fell in tousled waves around his face, the ends curling where they rested on his shoulders. He was touching his neck with the first two fingers of his right hand, right over the scar Spike had seen the night Xander fell asleep on the couch with him.

Not knowing what was going on, Spike scented the air and his eyes blazed as he picked up the fresh blood smell. Xander’s blood. He raked his gaze over the man but didn’t see any injuries; needing to know that he was okay, Spike walked into the bathroom and stood behind Xander.

Xander was still staring off into space, his eyes fixed on the mirror, so he didn’t see the vampire come in and take up position behind him. He was trying to work out what had happened. How he had been bitten. It could be a coincidence; maybe Spike had bitten him in his sleep - he might have been having dreams about claiming Buffy. It might be one of those manifestations - like stigmata, or an hysterical pregnancy. He almost laughed at that - remembering pregnant-woman Xander. He didn’t dare hope that it was his mate’s bite - that what they shared in his dreams was real - that Spike wasn’t really gone for good.

Absently, Xander pulled his fingers away from his wound and looked at them. Without even thinking, he sucked the bloody digits into his mouth. He heard a strangled groan from behind him and turned to see Spike looking at him. The vampire’s eyes were flecked with gold and he had a hard on that could pound nails. For a minute he stupidly wondered what had happened to cause such a reaction. Then of course he realized. He was bleeding, and had just licked blood from his own fingers in front of him.

“Er, morning, Spike.”

Spike blinked and tried to find his voice. He couldn’t. His demon was screaming at him that his mate was bleeding, that he should be allowed to taste - to clean up the enticing trail of blood that was slowly making a path down over Xander’s shoulder and heading for his nipple. He tried to fight it - he really did - but instincts overruled his better judgment and with a growl he grabbed Xander by the waist and hauled him close.

Xander gasped as Spike’s mouth latched onto his chest, sucking and licking a trail up to his shoulder. He couldn’t suppress the moan that escaped as those cool lips ran over his wound. He tilted his head back and grabbed the vampire - tugging him closer as Spike sucked on the mark, bringing more blood to the surface.

Somewhere deep down - buried under the force and need of his demon - William was crying out that this wasn’t right. That they were jeopardizing the only true friendship they had ever known. Unfortunately for William, the demon wasn’t listening.

Xander was lost in a haze of sensation. He wrapped his arms around Spike and pulled him impossibly closer. He could feel Spike’s erection pushed hard into his hip; his own cock was throbbing in need as well. He knew it was wrong, so very wrong, but he did it anyway.

“Spike, please.”

Xander cradled the blond’s head and pushed it further into his neck, hoping Spike would understand what he was asking for. He groaned as he felt the tiny pinpricks of pleasure-pain as Spike morphed and sank his fangs into his neck. He felt the vampire thrusting against him and wrapped one leg around him to get a better angle on his own aching need.

Spike was mindlessly humping against Xander as he drank from him. It had been so long since he had tasted blood this good. He was in no danger of draining him; his demon recognized that the man in his arms was not food, but rather his mate - his claimed. He savored the last mouthful of blood, tasting Xander’s orgasm, then removed his fangs, threw his head back and roared as he came in his jeans.

Panting, he rested his head on Xander’s shoulder. He could still smell his blood and looked at the wound. It was still seeping slowly so he dragged his tongue over the holes, closing them with his saliva. He came back to himself with a start as he realized what he had just done.

Spike leapt out of Xander’s arms.

“Xander. Oh hell, luv. I’m sorry - so sorry.”

Xander shakily took a breath and looked up at Spike through his tousled bangs. He looked the very picture of satisfied debauchery and Spike felt himself begin to harden again.

“I don’t know what came over me. The blood and the smell and then you sucked your fingers…”

Xander chuckled weakly and shook his head.

“It’s okay, Spike. It was my fault just as much as yours. Maybe more.”

“I bit you, Xander. How is that your fault?”

“You’re chipped, Spike. You couldn’t have forced me, I wanted it; hell I asked for it.”

Spike thought that over and then looked at Xander closely.

“Why did you do that? And why were you bleeding in the first place? And more importantly, did you know what would happen? That this would happen?”

Spike looked pointedly at the stain on his jeans and then the matching one on the front of Xander’s towel. The towel that must have magical properties to have remained on during all that humping and thrusting.

“Yeah, sorta. I… God. I’m sorry. I wasn’t thinking - it just… when you grabbed me and starting licking my chest…”

Xander dropped his eyes and blushed as he thought about the way that had felt.

“It felt good. Really good, and I sorta just stopped thinking at that point. I’m sorry.”

Spike leered playfully at Xander.

“I do tend to have that effect on people, Xan. You can’t be blamed for finding me irresistible. After all, you’re just a man.”

Xander laughed and then let out a relieved breath.

“So, we’re okay then? This isn’t going to be a problem?”

“Yeah, we’re good. But we have to be more careful, pet. This can’t happen again - I love Buffy, and I’m not the Spike you want, anyway.”

“I understand. So, still friends?”

“Yeah, luv. Still friends.”

“Okay. Well, I need a few minutes in here to clean up and then you can have the shower.”

“Right. Try to be quick, eh? Not looking forward to peeling these jeans off if this mess dries.”

Xander laughed and watched as Spike grimaced in distaste as he left the bathroom. He cleaned up quickly and decided to forgo shaving today; he didn’t want to take any chances that he might slip and cut himself.

Spike stood outside the bathroom door and frowned as he realized that Xander had skirted the question of how he had come to be bleeding in the first place. Oh, he knew he’d been bitten - it was obvious, as was the fact that it was his bite. But how did it get there? He certainly didn’t remember biting Xander, well not that time anyway.

Spike licked his lips; he could still taste Xander in his mouth. It was causing all sorts of reactions in him. He wanted to taste him again - he wouldn’t because it would only confuse both of them. He wanted to fall at his feet and beg forgiveness - he assumed this was the soul’s influence as the demon didn’t think it had done anything wrong. Mostly, he just wanted to ask if Xander loved him. If he could still love him after what had just happened.