Honorable
Sons: 20
by Josie_h
Notes
Spike heard the key in the lock turn and felt his partner stir. He began to pull from the encircling arms but was stopped by a slight squeeze and low growl. “No sweetheart. Don’t move, just feel it, just for a moment. Stop and feel it!”
The blonde snuggled back down, eyes closed, against the chest of his maker and now mate, and let sensations take him: The profound contentment; the sense of completion, of wholeness; the sense of fathomless unconditional love pulsing through his inner core. This was the background now coloring everything in afterglow of being ‘completed’, of belonging.
As the wash of feelings subsided, he smelt salty tears and sensed a confusing range of emotions flowing from the brunette in his arms. Then noted that he too was crying… Tears of joy and sadness, highs and lows intertwined, memories and hopes mixed and confused - some fulfilled, others now deemed irrelevant.
Spike did the only thing he could conceive might help and pulled Angel’s mouth to his, kissing him passionately, soundly, lovingly, and was deeply moved that he was given everything from his ‘other’ in return.
Connor stepped into the open door of the guestroom and politely cleared his throat.
The two vampires broke their embrace and gave their next of kin dual smiles. There was a small jolt of pleasure through the link. Spike recognized it as the response from Connor seeing his two closest relatives so very happy in each others’ arms. What surprised Spike, was the profound sense deep devotion and barely contained youthful delight permeating the link as the boy continued to smile at the tableau on the bed.
Sitting up, it was Angel who held out a hand to his son, once taken he pulled the young man down to lie on top of the covers, flanked by his (apparently nude under there!) vampire relatives on both sides. Once ensconced, he was soundly kissed on each cheek, from both sides and reassured of his place in their lives. ‘Boy lost’ became, on so many levels, ‘boy found’.
For Angel, the Sire, and now mated vampire, there was something powerful and fundamentally different transpiring. William/Spike, his eternally mated partner, had joined with him very literally, on so many levels (physically, vampirically, soulfully, emotionally)… but that now apparently meant that they shared *all* the memories of Connor, and *all* the paternal connection with the miraculous full blood… and somehow that evoked tears of joy for Angel. To share such pain and pleasure with the person to whom he was joined forever… such a privilege. The tears were shed in thanks to whoever was responsible for his son’s existence. The same tears thanked the powers for the extraordinary blonde in front of him, and tears silently begged that this time, the blessing might be one that truly lasted.
Connor felt his father’s grateful joy, watched as the brunette allowed a silent tear of happiness escape and be seen, then accepted another of his father’s chaste kisses to his forehead. He decided to lighten the mood a little, so turned to Spike.
“So what do I call you now? Technically (and ahhh, Jerry Springer moment) you’re my half brother who is now my father’s mate… soooo let’s see… could go with ‘Dad and Papa’, or how about ‘Father and Daddy Will’, or Mistress Will and …”
“You cheeky sod! I’ve a mind to exercise m’ parental rights and put you over m’ knee for a good seein’ to. Second thoughts…”
Willow and F’Iaid heard a strangled scream and flew to the doorway of the bedroom to be graced by the scene of two sets of fangs, three squirming bodies and six hands in full attack mode. Apparently all three were intensely ticklish. No sooner had one of the wriggling, giggling males tipped off the bed in pseudo agony than he jumped back on to take advantage of his attacker. Connor seemed unreasonably ticklish on his feet, while it was obvious that Spike’s weakness was his neck. But the previously restrained, post-soul-reluctantly-tactile Angel, seemed vulnerable to these two just about… everywhere!
Willow rolled her eyes and grabbed F’Iaid by the hand, leading her out to the kitchen. “They’ll be a while honey. Trust me, Queen of the Tickle fest here, Xander and Jesse never stood a chance… *Yay for small fingers and girly flexibility!* She gave her partner’s hand a squeeze, “Hee hee… it always ended in tears… the kind that happen ‘cause you can’t laugh any more. By the looks that’s already close… which is… really nice. ” Willow turned to her new lover, smiled a dazzling 'they'll be a while, come hither' smile then reached up and kissed her regal companion with such passion and warmth that she fancied feeling F’Iaid melting completely into her arms.
The redhead witch broke the kiss, tugged her sister witch by the arm, and led her to the broad couch in the lounge room to continue reducing her lovely friend to a blob of F’Iaid shaped ‘goo’.
Spike was the first of the three 'lads' to stop laughing – or strictly speaking, panting. The tickle game had fast become a domination-submission exercise only three hyperactive (quite feral!) brothers/fathers/mates/sons could come up with. The mated blonde rolled off the bed to admire his Sire/mate pinning Connor to the bed, arms locking the boy’s arms above his head, then changing to his human form to giving the still smiling youth a heartfelt, and utterly loving, kiss to the forehead. What Spike did not anticipate was the wicked grin that following, and the overly-dramatic collapse of the bigger body onto his son, along with a mirth filled grunt of “Squash*er* wins.”
The end of the game came when a still fully dressed (though somewhat disheveled) Connor took back control, virtually tossing his father off the bed into Spike’s waiting arms. Then with a grin and a “Tag you’re it”, sprinted past them the pair, still grinning wildly, to lock himself safely in the guest en suite.
Spike maneuvered his partner back to the bed, lay on top of him and kissed him soundly, letting the excitement of the past few minutes simply wash away in an exchange of tongues and loving touches. It was a ‘coming down’ rather than a precursor to more, and as such felt wonderfully comfortable and relaxed.
Spike paused for a moment to send a silent 'thank you' to miscellaneous deities that might have had a metaphoric hand in allowing even one moment of such quiet contentment.
Connor emerged from the bathroom a short time later to observe his two blood relatives, his true father and his father’s mated Childe, sitting with their backs against the headboard, chatting quietly. Angel had his arm thrown around Spike’s shoulders while the younger vampire held his other hand, idly stroking the fingers. The domesticity of the scene brought a loving smile to the young man’s face. For all the angst and torment and craziness that had been their lives before, this just felt right. Not wanting to interrupt he began to move to the door of the bedroom, but Spike extended his free hand. “C’mon pet, after the fun, we all deserve a bit of calm yeah?”
Connor sat on the edge of the large bed, a little unsure of his place in such an intimate scene.
Spike noted the young man’s concern, “Come here sprog”, immediately rectifying the situation by grabbing the young man’s hand and tugging until Connor had no choice but to join his ‘fathers’ against the headboard.
“Thought you might want some time… you know… alone.”
“Yeah well… just figure ‘s nicer to share the alone with family.” Spike gave his younger relative a dazzling smile.
Angel reached across Spike a little further, connecting with Connor’s shoulder and gave him a reassuring squeeze, then kissed his partner’s hair with all the gratitude that might be conveyed in such a simple move.
They sat for a few moments in silence, simply enjoying the company. Contentment was an unfamiliar and most extraordinary feeling for all three men. It ebbed and flowed through the blood link between mates and less strongly, but still present, with the son. Without conscious thought Angel began to purr.
Connor grinned and studied his hands intently, and tried not to ruin the moment by giggling at something that was obviously a ‘vampire thing’, but when the answering rumble started in Spike’s chest, he could no longer restrain himself. He laughed openly and rolled toward his father(s) noting the continued affectionate and chaste stroking happening between the two.
“That is *so* cool! You think I could purr too?”
Spike turned to give the boy a lascivious grin, “You ever had a reason to pet?”
“Gahhh! Personal or what?!! And TMI if that’s what you two… when I…” Connor tried to look shocked as he indicated the bathroom, but ruined the image of pious dismay by breaking into a knowing grin.
“Not just talkin’ bout shaggin’ you cheeky pup, ‘s about bein’… content, happy, sated.”
Connor’s expression immediately shifted to one of seriousness, affection and more than a little longing.
“You think I’ll ever feel that? You know… completely?”
“Not about complete pet, ‘s just about enjoyin’ the moment and lettin’ your body do the talking.”
“In that case, I guess right now probably comes close for me too, at least with the content and kinda happy stuff. Maybe not sated but… What?”
Spike smirked and raised a scarred eyebrow as his eyes pointedly drifted toward the bathroom door.
Connor’s sat up abruptly, “Hey! Not *everyone* jacks off whenever they wander in there!”
Angel had been silent but for the purring rumble during the entire exchange, though could not prevent a snigger at the last comment, Spike’s slightly guilty look and the jovial (if a little defensive) reply, “Oi! Not *every* time, whelp!” The blonde’s slim fingers began to repeat their tickling attack on the human.
Connor rolled into a protective ball, “OK! OK!!”
Spike ceased the wriggling fingers and petted the young human to calm the mood again. He leaned over to kiss Angel, reaffirming their mutual desire to recapture the previous peaceful moments.
“So what’s it like?”
“The what?” Spike turned to stare at the boy again
“I mean I get the being in love and the whole gay thing. And I think I understand the Sire/Childe stuff. But what does the mate thing feel like?”
Angel squeezed Spike’s on the thigh and answered for them both. “It’s like… completion. Nothing can be hidden anymore, memories, thoughts, feelings, all shared willingly, unconditionally. It’s just feeling… whole, strong, loved… And now with you too…” Angel trailed off, stared into an imagined distance, and continued, “It’s like a tiny corner of what I imagine… heaven to be like…”
Overcome with the moment, a glistening tear tracked down the dark vampire’s face. Spike leaned over to nuzzle his lover’s neck, kissing and licking the claim mark, and rolling a little to press himself closer to his mate.
Angel could just touch Connor and with Spike’s move, reached over to smooth and stroke his son’s hair with a gentle hand.
“But I thought you had the whole curse thing, you know, if you were perfectly happy… and…”
“The last time Willow secured it, it was for good. No malice. No clauses. But at the time… well you were there…”
“Yeah… although Jasmine, and happy, and…”
“And it just goes to prove, but I guess things have been such a mess since then, that I never thought about it… But now…” Angel paused, withdrew his hand from Connor’s hair and pulled Spike up to place a feather-light, but no less passion filled, kiss on the beloved lips.
Connor sat up, swung his legs off the bed and turned with a genuinely affectionate smile in place. “Well, I’m really pleased for you, and for us. But you know some of the lecturers give extra credits at Stanford if I can introduce them to my gay dads.”
Angel’s looked up in horror, “They wha’?!!”
Spike used preternatural speed to retrieve a pillow from underneath himself, and soundly walloped the boy in the stomach. “Cheeky blighter!” Despite the pillow, Spike grinned into the remorseless, sparkling blue eyes with an expression that meant some more Angel baiting incidents were not altogether unwelcome.
“Well, I better head off. Congrats and all that again. See you Friday?”