Xander’s eyes were glazed, less
human than before and Spike wondered, fleetingly, just what had been done
to him. Did it matter? Well, maybe. Spike didn’t fancy waking up all furry.
He’d forgotten the blood that lay in an intricate webbing across his
cheek. Xander hadn’t. He leaned forward and nuzzled against Spike’s neck,
making the vampire flinch before his arm came up to circle around Xander’s
shoulders, pulling him closer. Xander’s busy tongue explored every contour
of Spike’s face, finding and cleaning every dried droplet. His breath was
blood scented and every exhalation was surrounding Spike with a cloud of
mingled scents.
Finally, Xander began to pull back, his job done. Spike’s arm held him
in place and his eyes, gleaming with arousal, told him wordlessly that he
had gone too far to retreat. Spike’s other hand came up and his thumb
traced a line across Xander’s eyebrow and down to the strong clean lines
of his jaw. Finally, it hooked under his chin, tilting Xander’s head up
slightly, exposing his throat.
“You scared I’m going to bite you, pet?” Spike said in a throaty, humming
voice that wriggled inside every opening Xander’s body had and made itself
at home.
Xander shook his head. He was scared but not because of that. He was
frightened because his body wasn’t quite his any more. Forces were moving
within him, reshaping emotions and desires, simplifying and refining all
he was.
“It’s good to be a little scared, you know. I won’t mind.” The voice
was insinuating now, mocking but not unfriendly. Xander wanted it to stop
it talking. He was having trouble with words; trouble making them fit what
was inside his mind. He was shedding concepts as a snake sheds skin and he
had a feeling that if he thought about what he was doing he might find a
reason to stop. He didn’t want to stop.
“Going to have you now. Last chance to run. I’ll catch you, of course,
but I’ll let you try.”
Xander grinned, feeling assurance flood back, as though the very idea
of running away had freed him from fear. It was his lips that took Spike’s,
a simple hard press of skin on skin at first. He’d kissed girls before –
not many, but some. They had giggled, noses and teeth bumping his own awkwardly,
mouths gaping like foolish fish. He had done his best to match their movements
but he couldn’t say that it had been as much fun as he’d expected. This
was different. The lips against his were cool and firm, opening up just enough
to let their tongues meet. The kiss deepened and suddenly Xander was moaning,
little whimpering noises, wrapping his arms around Spike, feeling Spike’s
hands move down his back, palms flat, stroking him through his cotton shirt.
The hands pulled impatiently and his shirt came untucked. When Spike’s hands
slid against his skin Xander felt his hips jerk forward reflexively. When
the vampire’s nails scored his back, raking it from shoulder blades to waist,
he threw back his head and howled, the sound torn from him, leaving him
emptier of humanity than he had been before.
Spike laughed, eyes sparkling with appreciation. This was going to make
up for the long journey and all the crawling he’d had to do. The lad was
such an intriguing mix of naivety and lust. No time to teach him much, but
Spike decided that he wanted more than he could take in an alley. He thought
of Drusilla but she was far away and this – this was nothing. It didn’t
count.