Nexus Chapter 7

Conventional wisdom held that vampires were oblivious to cold; any Watcher could confirm it. Of course, like so many things that Watchers knew for sure, it was wrong. It was more much more accurate to say that vampires became reluctantly accustomed to the cold. Warmth was not a necessity; it was a luxury.

He hissed instructions to the two guards, then bent and lifted his sleeping boy while the minions hurried to bundle the mattress out of the room and close the door behind them.

Still nettled, the vampire was nevertheless gentle as he laid Xander in his bed and pulled the covers up over him. The boy was pale, with circles under his eyes nearly as dark as the swelling that adorned his jaw line. The whispered report he had received from the minions on his return contained the information that the boy had requested a cheeseburger and fries, little of which he had eaten, and that he had been restless until just an hour ago, his movements about the chamber clearly audible to the sensitive ears of his guards.

Without adequate food and rest, the boy would be making himself ill, and the last thing Angelus needed was a sick mortal on his hands. So he moved softly as he undressed himself and settled in for the night, sliding naked into the bed beside the boy.

Xander lay on his back, the little frown line between his brows hinting at bothersome dreams. As he had done before, Angelus reached out and stroked a light finger across the crease. The little furrow smoothed itself out, and, a moment later, with a soft murmur, Xander turned his head toward Angelus, then rolled toward him, burying his face in the vampire´s chest. His good humor immediately restored, the vampire draped a protective arm over the sleeping boy, and was drifting into slumber when Xander began to fidget.

Angelus stilled, listening for the change of breathing and heart rate that would indicate waking; there was none, only a fitful scratching. The vampire´s scent, lying heavy all around the boy, intensified further. Having the boy steeped in his scent appealed to the most primitive part of his demon, and Angelus was pleased that the boy had understood and obeyed him, but!.Xander twitched and rubbed at his belly, and Angelus sighed, lit the small lamp by the bed, pulled back the covers and rose from the bed to fetch what he needed.

Xander awoke abruptly to the delightful sensation of something warm and wet and soothing stroking his irritated skin. The sight that met his eyes when they fluttered open was Angelus, face shadowed and impassive, carefully washing his dried and flaking spendings from Xander´s body with a warm wet cloth.

Xander took it all in in silence–the vampire´s patient tending, the beauty of his naked body in the soft light, the disconcerting length of the dark eyelashes shadowing the high cheekbones–then spoke in a light conversational tone “Y´know, I just never know what in the hell is going on anymore.”

“Aye, well that´s both of us, then.” One final stroke of the cloth up Xander´s throat, from collarbone to jawline, then Angelus discarded the cloth and gravely pulled the covers up to the boy´s chin.

Trying to regroup, Xander watched the vampire move around the room. Two mutually exclusive activities, of course. Xander was increasingly aware that he was fighting a losing battle; the sight of the vampire increasingly had the effect of liquefying Xander´s brains, especially when the vampire was naked. But that was only because he was fucking perfect.

Angelus, aware of Xander´s reaction to him, stood in the lamplight and stretched lazily, arching, catlike; showing off shamelessly, then meeting the boy´s dark eyes with a calm “like–what–you–see?” look. Xander returned his gaze evenly, ignoring the tent that was appearing in the bedclothes in the vicinity of his groin. Obviously, there was no hiding, from himself or from Angelus, the effect the demon had on him.

And it was getting worse. Xander was in the grip of a desire that was unlike anything he could ever have imagined. The pure erotic power of it was terrifying, breathtaking. But it was, unfortunately, about more than sex; somehow, Angelus had become the focus of every unfulfilled desire that had ever lodged in Xander´s soul. Xander was hesitant to put a name to it, but it was there; every need for affection, recognition, love, security–all of it was now, incredibly, sadly, focused on the unlikely figure of Angelus.

At that moment, lying there looking at the vampire through a careful mask of indifference, Xander fully faced the truth. He was going to give in. He had already given in in the ways that mattered most. Angelus had become what he said he would; the center of Xander´s universe. And Xander would, without a doubt, have had more of a chance at happiness if he had gone down to the zoo and randomly picked an inmate of the monkey house to be the object of his adoration.

Love was supposed to make you happy. Xander, it made feel like the losingest loser in Loserville. He couldn´t imagine anything he could have done that would have more definitively and permanently labeled him as a sad pathetic bastard. He was fucked, and he was going to give in.

But not yet. The way Xander saw it, his chance for any kind of happy life was now right at zero. Living, as he now was, with the X–rated demon version of the Dread Pirate Roberts, who would probably kill him tomorrow, possibly by fucking him to death, meant that survival itself was in question. Beyond that, he was obviously not going to be happily playing house with his psychotic vampire, and, hard as it was to face, Xander now sadly acknowledged that he was never going to be happy without Angelus, either.

So–and it bore repeating–he was fucked. And he was, inevitably, going to give in. But not yet. The one single thing he still had–that one thing that he had always had–was his ability to bear anything without knuckling under. And, as much as he wanted Angelus, he wasn´t yet prepared to be left with nothing at all.

Angelus, surreptitiously watching the boy´s reaction to his preening, soon intuited that, the boy´s growing arousal aside, the situation was somehow deteriorating, and the realization did much to spoil his mood.

The vampire, well into his third century and complacently jaded, was having trouble getting re–accustomed to being surprised. And Xander was turning out to be full of surprises. He certainly hadn´t been prepared for was the sensitivity he was developing toward the boy´s moods. All vampires could identify basic emotions by scent; this was something else, and Angelus didn´t like it.

Things were going badly wrong. How could it be that a simple plan to possess a mortal boy, to break his will and spirit and crush him into submission, had turned into something so twisted, so unnatural? How was it that the great Angelus, the Master of the House of Aurelius and the leader of the scourge of Europe, now found himself obsessing over the brat´s moods like some limp–wristed troubadour sighing over a capricious maiden´s whims?

With a soft growl of frustration, the now–scowling vampire abandoned his floor show and slid between the sheets. Immediately, as though the two of them were fixed to either end of a spreader bar, the boy slid towards the other edge. Resisting with difficulty the urge to drag the boy back by his hair, Angelus caught a tanned forearm instead and drew Xander into the center of the bed, where he leaned over him, one long leg thrown across his thighs to hold him.

“Going somewhere?”

“If you don´t want me to? Probably not.” Xander replied levelly, relaxing into the mattress.

“Good answer.” Smirking, the vampire bent for a kiss and found Xander´s lips still and unresponsive. The smirk wiped away, Angelus pulled back to look down into the boy´s impassive face, then bent again for another kiss. This time he brought out the big guns. He began with light teasing strokes of his tongue, followed up with coaxing nibbles; finally he pulled the unresisting body into a tight embrace and settled into a deep, torrid kiss with a lot of tongue, as soulful a kiss as a soulless being could manage.

And!..nada. Zip. Nothing. Oh, sure and the boy´s heart rate speeded up like he was being chased by bears, he was panting like a steam train and sporting an erection that could break rocks, but still he lay passively in Angelus´ arms like a frigid wife. With a roar, the vampire shoved the unresponsive body away and catapulted himself out of the bed.

Xander, outwardly calm but inwardly a roiling sea of hormones, watched and waited as the vampire paced the length of the room a couple of times, then crossed back to the bed in two long strides to growl into the boy´s face. “Y´ little idiot! Are y´ after thinking that you can fool me?”

Xander´s reply was maddeningly calm. “No. I know I can´t fool you. But I can refuse to play along. That´s my choice. You can make me stay here and sleep in this bed, hell, you can torture and kill me if you decide that´s what you want, but you can´t make me cooperate.

“At least you´re suggestin´ some attractive options,” the vampire ground out nastily. “and the more you talk, the better torture and killin´ sounds. But until I decide to go with that, you will indeed stay here, in this room.” The vampires sneered. “But I won´t force myself on yer precious self. Sleep where you like.”

“What a fucking prince!” Xander grabbed a pillow and the topmost cover and stepped to the foot of the bed, only to be brought up short by the absence of the mattress he expected to find there. Startled, he looked up to find Angelus watching smugly.

Xander set his jaw, shrugged, and laid himself down on the hard floor, wrapped the blanket around himself, and closed his eyes to at least pretend to sleep.

“HEY!” No more than five seconds had passed before Xander found himself plucked up off the floor like a kitten.

“Sorry to disturb your rest again, lad.” The vampire´s voice was grimly determined.

“HEY! HEY!” Shocked into near–speechlessness by the abrupt move, Xander began to struggle wildly as Angelus, having seated himself on the side of the bed again, positioned the squirming youth across his lap. “Pay me no mind. Only I´m feelin´ the need for a little relaxation, and I´m not in the mood for meditation. But this should do wonders.”

With that, Angelus brought his palm down forcefully on the boy´s enticing buttocks. Outraged, Xander struggled harder and, vocabulary returning, began cussing a blue streak at the top of his lungs.

Feeling better already, and not a little impressed with Xander´s unexpected command of the language, the vampire settled himself into a long, satisfying spanking session. It wasn´t fucking or maiming, but it was still good. The lad had a beautiful arse, and the vampire was mesmerized by the extravagant scarlet that his hand was producing on that perfect skin. That, combined with the boy´s delicious wiggling, soon had Angelus achingly hard, his cock delightfully buffeted by the boy´s flailing hips.

Xander, for his part, hardly knew how to react to this new development. It was for the most part a fresh experience for him; in the monument to corporal punishment that was his childhood, he could remember many an ass–whuppin´ with belts, paddles, etc.. He also recalled any number of open handed slaps to face and head. But no bare–handed, over–the–knee spankings. Not even when he was at the age for it, which was under ten years of age, Goddammit, and someone ought to clue this stupid vampire in to that fact, preferably before Xander had to fully absorb the fact that he was lying across Angelus´ lap getting his bare ass spanked, and thereby die of humiliation and embarrassment.

Plus, it hurt. The vampire was strong, and he didn´t seem to be holding back much. Three short sharp blows to each cheek, and Xander was already swallowing back pained groans. Also some groans of another sort. Actually, maybe it would be better if it hurt a little MORE, because, hello–hard on! Hard enough to hurt, and bopping about exuberantly between the vampire´s spread thighs with each blow of that iron palm, Xander´s cock hadn´t gotten the message that this was NOT FUN. And speaking of hard ons, there was a huge one digging a hole in his hip, while not in any way adding to Xander´s peace of mind.

Consistent with his statement that the purpose of this little exercise were to relax him, the vampire kept an uncharacteristic silence, letting the rhythmic “slap!slap!slap” of skin on helpless skin be the only sound in the room.

When his best attempts at fighting were effortlessly countered by Angelus´ grip on the small of his back, Xander gave up struggling and hung awkwardly across the vampire´s hard thighs, now concentrating on just keeping himself together. Twenty–five or thirty hard smacks to his increasingly sensitive ass, and Xander´s cock was starting to lose interest.

Not gonna cry. No matter what! It must be close to fifty now, and Xander gripped Angelus´ ankle to ground himself and scrunched up his face, desperate to stave off the tears that were threatening, and God forbid that he should start to cry out loud or beg. Not gonna. Not gonna cry, even if you spank me all night, just please, talk to me, say something, wanna hear your voice, Angelus!.Oh, HELL! Where did THAT thought come from? Xander shook his head and set his teeth, determined to get through this somehow with some shred of dignity intact.

Angelus vaguely knew that he was going a little farther than he meant to, but hell, this was sweet. The boy´s beautiful backside was now a stunning purplish scarlet, and the vampire could smell the blood so near the surface. He could also smell the boy´s feelings; arousal, shame and pain made Angelus´ head spin, and inspired him to rain down blows faster, harder. He began to slow down when he noticed that Xander´s erection had begun to soften, even as his own continued to get, if possible, even harder.

He should stop. He should, but he still wanted–needed something. A sound, a sign, something, and he wouldn´t stop until he got it. He soon had it. A single, soft whimper, then the faint but unmistakable ocean scent of tears.

Instantly, Angelus stayed his hand. Xander, hurting, humiliated, and still a bit turned on in spite of the pain, found himself too weak to resist as the vampire handled him like a ragdoll, turning him and seating him on his lap. Xander let out a shuddering sigh as the vampire drew him into an embrace, one hand gently soothing what it could reach of the abused skin, the other, unnaturally warm from its exertions, stroking his hair and shoulders.

I shouldn´t, God I know I shouldn´t but I need it so bad!Just for a minute. Just a minute, that´s all. Another soft sigh, and Xander melted against the vampire, one arm sliding diffidently up to curl around the powerful neck. Ignoring the tears on his cheeks, and hoping that the vampire would too, Xander pressed his face into the vampire´s throat and wished he could just stay.

Now THIS, thought Angelus, was progress. Content again, the vampire cuddled his sweet, tearful little pet, and, surprising himself, let a low, purr–like growl of satisfaction rumble up out of his chest. No human, as far as he knew, had ever heard that soothing sound, certainly not from him. This particular human went still, then snuggled a little closer, unconsciously pressing harder against the vampire´s increasingly urgent erection.

SHIT! Was this damn vampire EVER going to run out of new ways to torture him? Beguiled by the purr–which Giles and Buffy had both authoritatively classified as an old wives´ tale–Xander wanted to sink farther into the vampire´s embrace and let the vibration carry him into oblivion. But it just wasn´t that simple.

Move now, asshole, or you never will. With those bracing words to himself, Xander pulled away, unwinding himself from the vampire with slow deliberation and resuming his spot on the cold floor at the foot of the bed.

Incredulous, the vampire sat frozen, yet again abandoned with a throbbing bitch of a hard on and seriously contemplating eviscerating his boy, that stubborn little bastard. A really nice spanking, delivered with centuries´ worth of skill, and then, if that weren´t enough, he, Angelus, had actually PURRED in front of the little shit, and it STILL wasn´t enough.

Indignant, the vampire sat for a full minute glaring at the lump under the quilt on the floor, then shot to his feet so fast that Xander, watching from under the cover on the sly, nearly jumped out of his skin.

Stamping to the door, Angelus threw it open and snapped out a low command to the minions outside then crossed the room and flung himself into the armchair and stared moodily into the fire. No more than a minute passed before Xander heard footsteps pelting down the hallway followed by a soft knock at the door.

“GET IN HERE!” Xander jumped again at the harshness of the vampire´s tone, then pushed the blanket further aside to get a look at the first new face he´d seen in days. The man that entered–a vampire, Xander assumed–was tall, dark, young. Xander didn´t give much notice to the resemblance until the stranger, reacting to a gesture from Angelus, dropped abruptly to his knees in front of the seated vampire and began eagerly to suck the master´s very hard cock.

Angelus, aware that Xander was watching, enjoyed the blowjob extravagantly, smiling and moaning, stroking the minion´s dark hair. Wildly aroused from his earlier session with Xander, feeling his boy watching him, and surrounded by his scent, Angelus came soon, holding the fledge´s head still as he pumped his essence into the eager mouth.

Xander had lain frozen, sick to his stomach, from the instant the minion had swallowed down Angelus´ cock. Now, having seen the vampire´s pleasure as he came down the stranger´s throat, Xander finally squeezed his eyes shut, but he couldn´t shut out the vampire´s words.

“You´re a good boy, Jacob. You´re getting better and better at that.” A soft sound that could only be a kiss, then Angelus, all good humor now, was telling the fledge to “run along.”

Xander, curled into a ball of agony on the floor, didn´t see Angelus´ long, shrewd look in his direction, nor the stunned delight of the minion at the incomprehensible gentleness of his master. Xander flinched when the door clicked closed behind the starry–eyed fledge, every sensory experience at the moment painful. He lay awake for hours on the hard, cold floor; Angelus, on the other hand, slid quickly into dreamless slumber, lulled there by the sweet scent of secret tears.

Xander hurt, inside and out. He didn´t mind the bruised ass so much, but he could have done without the persistent ache in his heart. An ache that was, he reminded himself, totally irrational. He didn´t want the damn vampire, but!. Dammit, he did want the damn vampire, and, even though he wouldn´t admit it, it hurt like hell to see someone else touching him, tasting that wonderful, big, beautiful!No! Will you quit, already! Miserable, Xander shifted his body on the hard cold floor and accepted that he was in for a long, uncomfortable, sleepless night.

Angelus, flushed with victory, had managed one good hour of sleep before his strange and unbidden sensitivity to Xander´s feelings got the better of him, waking him. So, for the last forty–five minutes or so, he had been lying awake, listening to the boy shifting about uncomfortably, acutely aware of his unhappiness. He wanted to go back to sleep, which meant finding a way to make Xander more comfortable. He thought it over, considering his words carefully before speaking:

“Xander.”

(silence.)

“Xander! I know you´re awake.”

(sigh) “What?”(pause) “Get your ass up here in this bed, you little shit.”

“You´re the last of the old fashioned romantics, y´know that?”

“What I am is unwilling´ t´ listen to you heave sighs and toss and turn all night. So get up here, dammit.”

“No way in hell. Not even at gunpoint.”

When the vampire spoke, his tone was reasonable. “I´ve made up my mind that you are going to sleep this day in this bed. I realize that your pride is at issue an´ all, but my mind´s made up. That said, and considerin´ that it´s been a long night, and that we´re both tired, could we possibly just skip the ensuing set–to and get some sleep? Maybe take a rain check on the drama, or somethin´?”

“I am not getting in that bed with you.”

“Well, shit.” The vampire sighed. Mother o´ God, why were mortals always so damned unreasonable? He sat up, scrubbed one hand over his face, and scratched his chest pensively before surging to his knees then dropping down on to his belly, settling with his feet on the pillow and his head hanging over the foot of the bed. He peered down into Xander´s set countenance. “Yeah, y´ are. Y´r goin´ to be getting´ in this bed, one way or another, so, tell me; will y´ settle for a threat or two, or do y´ intend to put me through the inconvenience of havin´ to expend energy on some road of violence? Late as it is?” His plaintive tone made it very clear that Xander was being a great deal of trouble.

Unimpressed, Xander gazed levelly up at the vampire, considering his next move and trying to ignore the hand that had wandered off the bed to draw idle patterns on his chest.

“Listen. Cause I´m only gonna say this one!..EEP!” Xander squeaked as the apparently aimlessly wandering hand focused suddenly and launched a sneak attack on his left nipple. “DAMMIT! Would you leave those ALONE? What is it, some kind of fetish with you?”

Undeterred, and laughing at Xander´s indignation, the vampire skillfully evaded Xander´s now defensively waving hands to seek the other nipple, pinching it hard between finger and thumb. “Not as such, but yours are so pink and pretty. And so very sensitive.” The rough fingers gentled, massaging until Xander was breathing jerkily. “I just can´t seem to resist them.”

“Stop that.” Scowling, the boy pushed the hand aside. “You´re definitely not going to get me into your bed that way. Not tonight.”

Angelus picked up on that interesting “Not tonight,” which was a great deal more heartening than “not ever.” Encouraged, he continued, “Well then, what is it going to take?”

“Look, if I do get in bed with you, it´s not to be in any way taken as an indication that I´m anywhere close to giving in!.”

The vampire grimaced in mock dismay. “Negotiation, is it to be then? I´m no good at this diplomacy crap.”

“The hell you say!” Xander muttered snidely.

“Shall I just fracture a clavicle instead? Be quicker, y´know.”

Xander sighed, rolled his eyes, and bowed to the inevitable. “I´ll get in the bed, but keep your damn hands to yourself.”

“Don´t press your luck, boy.”

Glaring, Xander rose and stalked to the head of the bed, flung back the covers and plumped himself down beside the vampire, who had righted himself, head back on the pillow. After a few moments of silence, Angelus reached for Xander. Xander slapped the outstretched hands aside.

Unfazed, the vampire sidled over, pressing close.

“Fuck off.” Xander flounced over onto his side, facing away.

Angelus spooned against his boy.

Xander twitched his shoulders irritably, trying to shrug off the embrace.

Angelus cuffed him lightly on the head, waited a moment, then asked cheerily, “Are you done yet?”

“Fuck you.” Sulkily.

“Shhh. Go to sleep.”

Xander tried to keep his wits about him, but the bed was so soft. Comfy, even.

He frowned, fighting it.

A large cold hand slid sneakily under the covers and lightly cupped his throbbing ass.

Xander went still.

After a moment, the hand began to move, lazily stroking his burning, battered flesh, soothing with its coolness.

Xander privately conceded the victory just before he fell into a deep sleep.

Angelus´ victory was short–lived.

Enjoying the feel of Xander´s hot, silky flesh under his hand, he had lain awake for a while, and was rewarded when the boy, now deeply asleep, relaxed back against his larger body with a soft sigh, snuggling contentedly when the vampire tightened his embrace.

“Your mouth says one thing, and your subconscious another, sweet boy.” The vampire whispered into the boy´s ear, then pressed a kiss there. “Won´t be long now.” With that happy thought, he pressed his face into the nape of Xander´s neck and went to sleep.

He woke up alone. Registering Xander´s absence, he located the boy by his heartsounds before he got his eyes opened. Sitting up, he rubbed his eyes open and peered at the teenager huddled in the opposite corner of the room, arms around updrawn knees. “What are you doin´ over there?”

“Leave me alone.”

“Feckin´ HELL, but ye´re exhaustin´” Angelus bounded out of bed and across the floor to stand towering over the boy, who went back to brooding, ignoring the naked vampire. Not an easy thing to do, especially since Xander´s position on the floor provided a spectacular closeup view of some of the more interesting bits. Xander wisely began studying his own toes.

Angelus stood and glared down at him for a time, then turned on his heel. Snatching up last night´s clothing, he dug into the pockets for the key to the locked wardrobe, opened it and chose fresh clothing, then dressed himself quickly and headed for the door.

He paused with his hand on the knob. “Do you want anything?”

Xander hadn´t moved from his spot against the wall. Now he looked up, face neutral. “Yeah. I want to go home.”

The vampire answered back, equally impassive. “This is your home, boy. Your only home. Anything else? Food?”

“I´m not hungry.”

“I´ll send in some food. Fuckin´ eat it.”

“Could I have some pants?”

Taken by surprise, the vampire raised his eyebrows. “What in the hell for? You´re not goin´ anywhere.”

Xander snapped out his answer. “My ass is cold.”

“Yeah? Need me to warm it for ye again?”

If looks could kill!.

Angelus shrugged, returned to the wardrobe, found a pair of black cotton pajama bottoms and flung them at the boy, then turned on his heel without another word.

When he returned in the cool hour before dawn, Xander was in the same mood, and in the same position. The minions reported that he had eaten a little and taken a nap, but not moved around much.

Angelus tried for a time to engage him in conversation, but his patience was short, and the boy was apparently determined to try it to its limit. Half of an hour, more or less, and Angelus was slamming out of the room to seek his rest elsewhere.

Twenty–four hours, and the boy seemed to have decided to make his stand once and for all, continuing to grow ever more sullenly obstinate. Angelus would have been prone to admire the little bastard´s sheer bloody–mindedness had he himself not been at the business end of it. As it was, he lost his temper and ended up in a tussle with the brat that he, Angelus, ended up calling off, simply because the little shit was obviously feeling stubborn enough to let himself get hurt rather than give a fuckin´ inch.

Maddened, Angelus gave in to the temptation to do the worst thing he could have done under the circumstances: flinging open the door, he bellowed for Jacob, stripped himself naked and flung himself down on the bed. All the while, he glared challengingly at Xander, who stared unflinchingly right back. Jacob arrived within moments, exuding a new confidence, and Angelus yanked down his pants, bent him over the writing table, and fucked him vigorously under Xander´s unblinking stare. When it was over, and the minion had been sent away (flashing a contemptuous look at the master´s revolting little human on the way out), Xander´s glare burned into the vampire until the demon slammed out of the room with a snarled vow not to return for a good long time. That had been three days ago, and for all that Angelus couldn´t get the brat out of his mind, he hadn´t gone back. Let him stew, the little sod.

The vampire was true to the threat he had flung out; he hadn´t been back since that night. Alone day after day, Xander sank further and further into his fearful depression. It wasn´t fear of Angelus, exactly. At least not in the obvious sense. Some unshakable instinct still insisted that he was relatively safe in the vampire´s presence. Rather it was the primal, shadowy fear of losing some essential part of himself. Worst of all, it was all for something that couldn´t possibly end well. Soon, the only thing that Xander feared more than Angelus´ return was his continued absence. With no one to talk to and nothing to do but brood, Xander very much feared that he was going a little mad.

How long had it been? Three days, four? A week? Xander couldn´t be sure. Like the time before that Angelus had stayed away, the days ran together. And, like the last time, abstract desires gradually faded away in the face of one growing, gnawing need. The last time, Xander´s thoughts had soon focused entirely on food as his hunger grew. This time, Xander had access to food, although he ate little. This time, his hunger was all for Angelus. As the long days passed, Xander found that he could think of little else. Finally, he acknowledged his need, and admitted to himself that he was near the end of his pride.

He had lost. He WAS lost. He wanted Angelus desperately; and not just sexually; his absence became unbearable, and Xander found he could neither eat nor sleep without the vampire nearby. Again and again in sleep, he reached for Angelus for comfort during troubling dreams, only to wake when his questing hands found the empty bed beside him.

Later, he could never say exactly what he was thinking at that moment; what made him act. It started with him standing with his ear pressed against the door, listening to the voices of the group of vampires that drifted up the stairs. From the sound, they seemed to be in the foyer, near the foot of the stairs. Xander was straining to hear if the long–absent Angelus was among them. He couldn´t make out the familiar voice, but surely, with that many of them gathered together, he must be among them, the alpha at the middle of his pack. Suddenly, something seemed to snap, and without planning or apparent volition, he was flinging open the door and dashing past the surprised Chip and Dale. Xander was at the head of the stairs before they regrouped to follow him, but when they did run, they came fast, their shoes thundering on the hardwood floor of the corridor, loud after the quick, soft thuds of Xander´s own bare feet.

They caught him midway down the stairs, but they were hampered by their fear of damaging the master´s pet, and Xander, powered by sheer adrenalin now, broke free easily, barreling into the clutch of demons in the foyer below. There were six or seven of them, and Xander soon discovered that Angelus was not among them. Belatedly coming to his senses, Xander realized that it was probably a good thing, for God knows what the master vampire would do to him for such a display of rebellion in front of his minions. At least, Xander was sure, none of these would dare to hurt him.

Trembling as reaction set in, Xander let Chip lead him back toward the stairway.

“STOP.”

Xander and his guards turned back toward the vampire who had spoken, a youthful Angelus wannabe, right down to his black clothing and arrogant swagger. With a burst of hatred so bitter he could taste it, Xander recognized Angelus´ little undead fucktoy. Before he could react, the young vampire shoved Chip and Dale roughly aside and threw Xander to the hard stone floor.

In a flash, Chip was between Jacob and Xander, jaw set.

“Get out of my way.” The fledge pushed against Chip, but the older vampire was bigger and heavier. Xander got to his feet slowly, watching the face–off warily.

“I´m to keep him safe.” As always, the guard sounded like he only spoke once a year, his voice rusty, rasping.

“Are you claiming authority over ME?” The contempt in the fledge´s voice was palpable.

“What an asshole.” At Xander´s muttered words, Jacob sidestepped Chip quickly and struck Xander hard enough so that the teen stumbled and would have fallen had not some of the minions caught him and helpfully set him back on his feet.

In the meantime, Chip had interposed himself again between Xander and his tormentor.

“I´m to keep him safe”, he repeated, his expression set.

“Angelus will have your head for defying me” bragged Jacob, and some of the onlookers automatically fell back a step when the fledge invoked their master´s name.

“Hold him.” Jacob caught the eyes of the nearest of the minions and gestured at Jacob. They hesitated, trading looks among themselves. “DO IT!” shouted the fledge. “Who do you think Angelus is going to side with? Me, or HIM?”

They had seen Angelus´ favor given publicly to the young fledge; after a moment, two stepped forward to restrain Chip; he struggled wildly, and a third came forward to aid them.

Xander had been standing frozen as it all played out. Now, Jacob turned his attention to the human, knocking him down again. Xander groaned as he landed heavily on his hands and knees. Before he could defend himself, Jacob dropped down behind him and grasped Xander´s wrists, jerking the human´s hands behind his back. The teen grunted as his face impacted the stone floor.

“YOU! Come here; hold him.” Dale was backing away, shaking his head. “No way, man. I don´t care what you say. Angelus´ll eat our guts if we let his pet get hurt.” Chip stopped struggling against his captors to nod in agreement.

Jacob sneered. “Have you both been so long up there in Siberia, dog–sitting!” indicating the top of the stairs with a jerk of his chin, “!that you don´t know anything of what´s going on down here in the real world?”

Jacob saw Dale waver and hurried to press his advantage. “Besides, I´m not going to hurt the creature, but it tried to run and must be punished. I´m only going to administer the discipline that my master would mete out if he were here.” Reluctantly convinced, ignoring Chip´s protests, Dale came slowly forward.

“Good. Kneel at his head; hold his hands and keep his head and shoulders down.” Xander felt Dale grasp his wrists and rest one knee lightly on his head, keeping it pressed hard to the stone floor.

His own hands now free, Jacob positioned himself behind Xander and tore the teen´s pants down to his knees. Xander gasped as the air struck his bare ass, and he felt a flush of humiliation rise as the minions saw the fading bruises that still decorated his skin, responding with lewd comments and laughter.

Xander didn´t worry long about that; he had bigger problems than just embarrassment. He felt Jacob´s large hands on him, palming his cheeks, the thumbs spreading him open. Xander´s blood turned to ice as he realized the fledge´s intent. He swallowed his rising nausea as he felt a cold, blunt something poking blindly at him, then pulling away; braced himself against the coming pain as he felt Jacob´s hands tightening their grip in preparation, felt the fledge´s body tense, preparing to launch his attack.

Avid at the prospect of witnessing the human´s punishment, the minions crowded noisily forward. Attention riveted on the spectacle, no one heard the front door slam against the wall as the master, alerted to trouble by the scent of his pet, entered his house at a run. But an instant later, having taken in the situation at a glance, Angelus flung himself into the fray with an earsplitting, panther–like scream of rage that froze everyone in the room and rattled the glass in the windows. In the time it took Xander to blink, the hands on his hips disappeared, and the minion formerly known as Jacob fell to the floor in a fine dry rain without ever knowing how badly he had miscalculated. Before Xander could turn his head, Angelus, snarling and swift as flashfire, had slaughtered six more of his minions and was descending on Dale, vibrating with rage.

Dale backed away slowly, raising trembling hands. “M–m–master. Please, I´m sorry, but Jacob said!.”

“JACOB said? Jacob said to manhandle my property, so you did?” Angelus´ voice was deadly soft, his eyes burning orange in a paper white face.

“He said we´d answer to you if we didn´t obey him!”

Angelus had stopped, thunderstruck. “You thought that I´d allow that!THING to! By Hell, you did! Fools, all of you!.and you two, worst of all.” His scathing glance took in both of the remaining minions. “I TOLD YOU TO PROTECT HIM!” Angelus´ voice rose to a roar.

Dale fell to his knees and knocked his forehead against the floor; Xander saw Chip hang his head, as much shamed as frightened.

“Get up.” At the clipped words, Dale scrambled to his feet.

“Just doing as you were told, were you then, holding him down like that?” The vampire had calmed abruptly.

Seeing some hope, Dale nodded vigorously.

“Hmmm. Let´s see. You had hold of his wrists!.” Dale screamed as Angelus quickly and efficiently snapped the minion´s wrists like twigs. Angelus continued calmly, ignoring the din the guard was now making.

“You had your knee on his neck!” A blur of movement from the master, and the minion´s left knee shattered with a sound like gunshot.

Holding the whimpering minion up effortlessly with one hand, Angelus turned and ran his eyes over Xander, who stood trembling, holding up the torn pants with one hand, hugging himself with his other arm. A long shallow scrape, received when his face was pressed against the rough stone floor, bled sluggishly on his cheek. Angelus contemplated the wound levelly for a few seconds, then spun back and swung a clawed hand at the minion´s face, one, two, three times, until the flesh was laid open and the eyes rolled wildly in a sea of blood.

“Please!.” Angelus, hearing the traumatized boy´s soft whisper, looked back again at Xander and realizing that he had finally made the boy really afraid of him. “Please!.,” again and the vampire closed his eyes for a moment, nodded once, and offered the boy the only atonement he could, plunging his hand into Dale´s chest then stepping away from the resultant burst of ash and dust. Then the master vampire turned toward the last remaining minion, his duty clear even though his bloodlust was by then much diminished Chip stood quietly awaiting his fate, and Angelus felt a twinge of regret; this was his best minion, the only one who had any glimmering of intelligence or loyalty. It was the reason he had been assigned to guard Xander in the first place. But he had failed, and he had to die. Angelus raised his hand, then stilled at the sound of Xander´s voice, stronger now, and urgent.

“Don´t, Angelus. Please don´t. He tried to protect me.”

Angelus wavered. “He failed.”

“He tried, though. He stood up to Jacob. Please!.”

Angelus paused, thought. There was another matter to consider; this minion was the only remaining witness, and Angelus hadn´t been able to see, to be sure!.

He turned to look Xander full in the face. “Y´ want me to spare his existence?” Xander nodded, decisive.

“Alright, then!.”

Xander yelped as he was grabbed and flung down over the back of a nearby chair, his pants once again ripped down to his knees.

“WHAT THE HELL IS THIS? NATIONAL MOLEST A HUMAN DAY?” The boy yelled, kicking wildly. Angelus controlled him easily, holding his with grim determination while spreading the bared cheeks.

“Stop it! STOP IT!” Xander felt tears rising in his throat as it occurred to him that he was about to pay a price for Chip´s life, and he squeezed his eyes shut against the coming pain, devastated by Angelus´ sudden betrayal. A fingertip probed lightly at his virgin hole, and Xander sobbed.

“Master, I know you couldn´t see from where you stood, but you got here in time. He wasn´t harmed.” Carefully diplomatic, the minion confirmed what Angelus´ examination of the boy had already told him. Angelus released the boy and turned to his servant. He noted that the minion had turned his face away from Xander´s humiliation, and felt real satisfaction at sparing him.

“There will be a reckonin´ for this day.” Angelus addressed his minion. “and fail again, and your existence will be over. But until that day, y´ owe yer existence to the boy.” The minion shot a grateful glance at Xander as he fell to one knee before them.

“I thank you both for your mercy.”

Angelus nodded. “Wait here until I return.” Then the master turned and spoke to his mortal, his voice low, controlled. “Come, boy.”

Angelus started up the steps, then stopped and turned when the boy didn´t follow. Xander stood as before, holding up the ruined pajama bottoms, hugging himself, eyes cast down.

“Will ye follow me? Or will I carry you?” The vampire´s voice was very low. After a moment, Xander shuffled forward without raising his eyes.

They mounted the stairs and traversed the corridor in silence. Xander flinched as the bedroom door closed, shutting them inside. He went to stand in front of the fire, gazing intently into the flames. “Look at me.”

Silence.

“Xander!” a low growl.

“GO AWAY!” The vampire almost stepped back as the boy rounded on him. “Do you even have an idea of how much I hate you? No, I take it back. I´d have to like you BETTER for it to qualify as hate; it´s something much, much worse.”

Fear forgotten, Xander stood toe–to–toe with the vampire and translated all his hurt, fear and humiliation into rage, directing it at the obvious target. “What I wouldn´t GIVE for a STAKE right now, you undead fuck, you evil.!”

“HAVE A CARE, BOY! I granted your request!”

“What do you want, a MEDAL? You MURDERING. !”

“SHUT UP!” The vampire´s voice dropped to a furious hiss. “I had to kill my good minions because of you!.”

Xander flinched as though he had been struck. “How the FUCK do figure it was my fault? I didn´t ask you to!.”

“You caused it. You tried to run. You tried to leave me, and you deserved what almost happened to you.” The vampire´s words burned Xander´s skin like drops of poison. “I should have let it happen. Should have let them have you. You´re nothing but trouble, and I should have just let them do as they would with you.”

Xander had turned his back to hide his hurt, but the vampire could smell it on the air, bittersweet. “Maybe you should have. You were done with me anyway, right? I mean, you stopped coming in here!.Hell, for all I knew, you were never coming back. I thought!”

Angelus´ eyes widened as Xander´s voice faltered, faded away. A moment later, the boy went still as large hands fell lightly on his shoulders, turning him. Eyes intent, Angelus cupped the boy´s chin, forcing him to raise his face. “You weren´t trying to run away, were you? You were trying to find me!”

Xander shrugged and looked away again, so Angelus gave him a little shake. “You were, weren´t you?”

“Alright, dammit! I was looking for you. Happy now?” Xander asked petulantly.

“It´s a start.” Good humor returning, Angelus leaned forward as though to steal a kiss. Xander stepped back, glaring at him.

“Nay, now don´t be that way. Come, sweet, let´s make up,” Xander grimaced at the cajoling tone, but wavered when the vampire added on a low purr “I´ve missed ye!.”

“Shit.” Xander dropped his head wearily, resting his forehead against the vampire´s sternum. Pushover. His eyes slid closed as the vampire´s hands came up to rest on either side of his head, holding it steady to drop a series of kisses on top.

“Are you hungry?” Changing the subject, the vampire released him with obvious reluctance. “What? Oh, no. Not hungry.”

“Good. I have to go have a talk with your Chip.” He had heard Xander´s name for his guards, and been amused although he didn´t know the reference.

Xander frowned, his eyes searching.

The vampire willfully misunderstood his concern. “It´s alright, there´ll be another guard, you´ll be safe.”

Xander was unwilling to be distracted. “What are you going to do to him?”

“I´m going to leave him alive, as I promised you.”

Xander just stared, his eyes sad. Angelus cursed himself for his own weakness, then turned back toward the boy.

“Vampire discipline is harsh, but I´ll not be givin´ him more than he can bear.”

“Do you have to do any thing?”

“Yes! Yes, I do!” A little more heat, now. “And why do you care? Need I be remindin´ ye that you´re a vampire slayer´s helper? He´s a vampire; shouldn´t y´ be after encouragin´ me to kill him?”

Xander stared, nonplussed. “Uh, I´m no genius, but can I just say that I´m detecting a thing called irony here?” He paused, then continued more softly. “He tried to protect me.”

Angelus sighed. “Can y´ not just trust me on this?”

“And still with the irony!”

“Listen, boy. There´s some things you don´t understand here.”

“No SHIT!” Xander flung himself away, eyes rolling.

“Dammit! Will ye listen to me, boy?” The vampire closed the distance and grasped Xander by the shoulders, giving him another little shake. “If I hadna come when I did, if that minion had gotten inside you, you´d have been lost to me.”

Xander stared, waiting for the rest.

“By all o´ our laws and customs, I couldna keep ye for me own if one of the minions had had y´; ye´d be untouchable.” The vampire was clearly still furious at the idea; as always when his emotions ran high, the brogue had gotten thick enough to cut with a knife.

“Oh!” Angelus watched Xander figure it out. “Oh! That´s why you!did what you did, huh?”

“Aye. That´s why.”

“So, if I´d given it up to old Jacob, I´d be free and clear and on my way home? Well, damn. Wish I´d know that.”

He didn´t mean anything by it; it was just whistling through the graveyard, really. All the same, Xander realized belatedly, this wasn´t a good time to bait the vampire, who shook him harder and snarled into gameface. “Aye? Well know this; if y´ say such things to me again, y´ might find yourself wishin´ you belonged to him instead o´ me.”

Unexpectedly, Xander smiled wryly. “I doubt that. You´re no picnic, but still!Jacob? Yeech! By the way, have I told you that your taste in men sucks?”

Angelus relaxed slightly.“Why, boy, y´ought to have a better opinion o´ yourself.”

Xander grimaced, then surprised himself by asking; “Would you have been sorry to lose me?”

“I wouldna lost you.”

“But you said!”

“Aye. That´s why I made sure before I agreed to let your guard live; he was the last remaining witness, remember?”

Xander looked up at the vampire, suddenly shy. “So, you´d break all the vampire rules to keep me, huh?”

Angelus answered quietly. “I would.” He opened the door to leave.

“Angelus!”

He paused on the threshold, an eyebrow raised in question.

“Are you coming back?”

“Aye.” His expression softened a fraction. “I´m comin´ back.”

A bare hour later, Angelus was mounting the steps again, buoyed by anticipation. Covered with blood from head to toe, he stopped for a shower before going to the bedroom, washing thoroughly and discarding his ruined clothing. The minion had accepted his punishment with admirable stoicism, clamping his jaws on his screams as his master swung the cat o´ nine tails, stripping the flesh off his back down to the bone. Now he hung in the basement, grievously injured, contemplating his crime. He would hang there, his condition unchanging, until Angelus relented and sent someone down with blood so he could begin healing.

Secretly, Angelus was feeling kindly disposed to the loyal minion; three days at most, and Angelus would see him freed, and rewarded, as well. Until then, though, Angelus put him out of his mind. He had other matters to think of.

The bedroom was darkened when Angelus entered, and, for a wonder, the boy was in the bed, asleep. Angelus looked down at him for a time, letting his desire grow as it would. Dropping the damp towel that was his only garment, Angelus slid into bed beside the boy and rested a hand on his warm chest, feeling its gentle rise and fall and looking his fill of soft dark hair and golden skin.

His boy was lovely. He was lucky no one had challenged him for possession before this. For all of his earlier words of angry blame, Angelus knew that much of the fault was his. Even that moron Jacob would not have dared get anywhere close to Xander if the boy had been properly marked and claimed. Master or not, there was a danger in keeping this tempting morsel in a house full of demons, and, to his regret, Angelus had failed to extend every protection available to him.

It was past time, anyway. Angelus savored the anticipation, aware of something that he might have called nervousness, if he didn´t know better. Lightly stroking the silky skin of Xander´s chest, Angelus bent to wake his boy with a kiss.

To Angelus´ great pleasure, the boy responded, kissing back as he came slowly awake, blinking owlishly up at the vampire when the kiss ended.

“Hey.”

“Hey yourself.” Angelus smiled down at him.

“You´re back.”

“Aye.”

A moment´s silence, and a quizzical look crossed Xander´s face.

“What?”

“Just remembering.” He shook his head. “Still can´t believe you just offed all those minions”

Angelus tensed slightly, but Xander didn´t seem upset by the memory; just thoughtful.

“Especially Jacob. Never would have thought you´d part with him.”

Angelus carded his fingers through Xander´s shaggy locks. “He touched my boy.” Stated flatly, as though that explained everything.

“Kind of looked to me like HE was your boy.” Said lightly, but Angelus heard the thread of hurt resentment.

The fingers in Xander´s hair tightened slightly, tugging gently. “You´re my boy.”

Xander had denied it more than once, but this time he just gazed up into Angelus´ eyes and sighed out “Oh.”

Angelus bent and pressed his lips to Xander´s, keeping the kiss soft until Xander began to breath faster, his lips opening slightly to admit Angelus´ questing tongue.

“So you´re awake, are you?” The vampire´s whisper was barely there.

“Wide awake.” Angelus heard the truth of that in the boy´s elevated heart rate.

Angelus bent for another kiss, tasting Xander´s mouth thoroughly first, then his cheek and throat and the sweet spot under his ear, before returning to the boy´s slightly parted lips. Losing himself in the kiss, he shifted his body further onto Xander´s, feeling the boy´s hands clasping his biceps to try to pull him closer. Finally, Angelus pulled away and looked down into the velvety brown eyes.

“It´s time.” He made his voice gentle, but implacable.

Xander studied his eyes, then dropped his gaze to the vampire´s mouth. He lifted his hand and touched Angelus´ expressive bottom lip lightly with his fingertips, then raised his eyes back to meet the vampire´s.

His reply was a whisper, so soft that the vampire could barely hear it.

“Okay.”

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