WHAT BROUGHT US HERE 2
by Spikedluv

In the fall of that year Willow flew to China to bring home her and Tara’s baby girl, Alexandria Joyce, whom they called Joy for short. She was gone for eight weeks and Tara, lonely and worried, spent most of her free time with Spike, Xander, and Jess. When Willow returned, they all drove down to LA together in the minivan Tara had purchased for their new family, picked up Dawn at UCLA, and headed to the airport to greet Willow and the newest addition to their growing family.

Jess was thrilled to have someone near her own age to play with and took to Joy immediately. Xander was promoted to Foreman and, after discussing it with Spike, began looking at houses again. Realizing the importance of family, they decided to look for something close to Willow and Tara. Together they walked the block Willow, Tara, and Joy lived on, but nothing was for sale. They walked a couple blocks in each direction, finding nothing, then resorted to checking the local listings.

Christmas that year was going to be the most joyous celebration of all, as Jess was now old enough to enjoy it, and it would be their first with Joy. Also, it was their first as a couple, and with Dawn home, their family was complete. Willow and Tara were hosting the festivities that year, and Spike already had their bags packed so they could spend the night when Xander arrived home early on Christmas Eve Day. While Jess was napping, they took a ‘nap’ of their own.

When they arrived at the old Summers house, Giles’ car was already parked in the driveway. Xander unhooked Jess from her car seat and carried her inside to Willow’s waiting arms before hurrying back out to help Spike with their bags. But Spike wasn’t unloading the car, he was staring off down the street. He turned to Willow and demanded, "Did you do that?"

"Do what?" Willow and Xander both asked at the same time.

"That!" Spike said, pointing a shaking finger in the direction he’d been staring.

Willow handed Jess off to Tara and followed Xander down the steps. All three of them stood staring down the street. Finally Willow found her voice. "No, I...I didn’t do that! Xander?"

"Get inside before you catch cold," Spike told her brusquely, tossing his jacket over her shoulders and twirling her around, giving her a gentle shove towards the house.

He turned to Xander who was still staring at the ‘For Sale’ sign stuck in the lawn two houses down. "Xan?"

Xander didn’t respond. "What’s going on?" he heard Dawn ask from inside the warmth of the house.

"Xan, luv?"

"Is it real?" Xander asked. "Do you think it’s a sign?" His eyes never left the sign that hadn’t been there the day before.

"‘Course it’s real," Spike said. "And yep, it’s a sign. A ‘For Sale’ sign," he added cheekily. Xander turned on him with a scowl, and Spike grinned. "Think it’s close enough to the witches?" he asked.

"Do you think... Do you think it’s meant to be ours?" Xander asked.

Spike nearly choked when Xander said ‘ours’. "Not ours yet," he said, "but it could be."

"What do you think of it?" Xander asked.

"Hard to tell in this light," Spike said. He closed his eyes and sifted his memories of their walk up and down the block for an image of the house. A good-sized one-story ranch with a porch in the front and an attached garage. "From what I can remember, it’s nice enough, and what I can see from here looks all right. That porch is saggin’ a bit, though. Good thing we know a good carpenter."

"We need to contact the realtor," Xander said. "The porch is really sagging?" he asked, taking a step towards the sidewalk.

"Realtor, right," Spike agreed, pulling Xander back and into his arms, and placing a light kiss on his lips. "After Christmas, yeah?"

"Yeah," Xander agreed with one last look at the house. He returned Spike’s gentle kiss with one that turned hungry, greedy for more. "Our place," he whispered against kiss-swollen lips. "Our home."

Despite the chill air Spike felt warm all over. "I think it’s a brilliant idea to give Jess a real house with a lawn and everythin’, and being close to the witches, but Xan..." He paused. "It’s just... I want you to know, wherever *you* are, that’s home. For me and Jess. We don’t need a house with a big lawn and saggy porch. We just need you."

Xander stared at him wide-eyed, lower lip trembling. "Really?" he asked.

Spike rolled his eyes, embarrassed at his display of emotion. "Don’t be a git," he said. "And I ain’t repeatin’ it, either." Then he pressed his forehead against Xander’s. "Love you."

Xander gave a watery grin. "Love you, too."

"Let’s get inside before Dawn can’t take it anymore and has to come out and see what we’re doing."

Xander looked up to see the younger girl’s face at the window and grinned at Spike. He was still smiling when they got their luggage into the house and down the basement steps where they’d be staying the night. Dawn got to keep her own room, and Joy was going to sleep with her mothers so Giles could use the twin bed they’d left in Buffy’s old room when they’d converted it into the nursery.

In the kitchen, Willow and Tara were piling platters with food that Dawn was carrying into the dining room. Spike tugged on Xander’s arm and drew him into the hallway, out of the path of scurrying females and into an all-too-brief moment of privacy. He just stared at Xander, smiling at the other man. Xander smiled back, and he felt so damned happy at that instant.

He had Xander and Jess, Dawn, the witches and their little one, and even the watcher. His family. And they were all here, home, sharing the holiday, but mostly, just being together. Despite not celebrating Christmas as part of their religion, the witches were willing to do this for Dawn, Xander, Jess, and Giles, though he insisted he didn’t need anyone to fuss over him. That, Spike thought, was what family did. He kissed Xander, and then took his hand and led him down the hall.

When they stepped into the living room, Giles was ensconced on the couch with Joy in his lap and Jess leaning against one leg, her bony elbow poking into his thigh, her pointed chin resting in her palm. One hand was waving theatrically, and they looked to be in a deep and serious discussion. The room was decorated with lots of fresh greenery and red bows, and a live tree in it’s pot of dirt stood in the corner. It had been covered with colored lights that blinked, shiny balls of blue and red and gold, and silver tinsel that Dawn insisted was supposed to resemble icicles.

Spike sighed as he remembered falling into one of the deep, comfy chairs the witches had purchased for the living room and pulling Xander down with him. The brunette had laughed gaily, a sound that made Spike’s heart glad, and turned to him with a gorgeous smile that he didn’t get to see often enough. Too much loss, heartache, and responsibility weighed on his lover. He resolved then to see that smile, and to hear that laugh, as often as he could.

The day after Christmas Xander had called the realtor and arranged to view the house that evening. They’d dropped Jess off with Tara, who was home with Joy that evening, and walked down to meet the realtor. After she’d shown them through the house, Xander asked if they could have some time alone. When she left, he reached out for Spike’s hand and pulled him close.

"What do you think?" he’d asked with some trepidation.

"That wallpaper in the livingroom *has* to go, Xander!" Spike said. He’d almost vomited when he’d seen all those little roses. The house itself seemed to be in good shape, and luckily there were no other decorating disasters. "The master bedroom’s big enough for a king-sized bed." He leered at Xander. "The back yard is perfect; I can just picture Jess and Joy splashing in the kiddie pool." He nodded his head, smiling. Then frowned. "I just sounded like a girl, didn’t I?" he asked.

Xander fought to hide his grin. "What? No!" he said unconvincingly.

"Right," Spike said sadly. "Well, since my rep is already shot to hell, can I just say that those cupboards in the kitchen are also hideous and way too modern for the rest of the house?"

"So, you’re going to actually cook in this kitchen?" Xander asked in pretend shock.

"Don’t be bloody ridiculous!" Spike scoffed. "Will need to get m’ blood out of the fridge, and Jess’s treats, though."

That night Xander, Spike, Tara, and Willow talked about the house. The next night the realtor came back and took them all through, including the babies. Jess picked out the room she wanted. Xander made an offer. Despite Xander’s insistence that without bad luck he wouldn’t have any luck at all, everything went smoothly and they closed on the house before the end of January.

Xander took a week off and shored up the porch, then everyone chipped in to help clean the house from top to bottom. They painted the room Jess had chosen a pale yellow, and Willow and Tara stenciled the walls while Spike and Xander papered the livingroom. Spike didn’t have the patience for it, but each glance at the tiny roses on the wall steeled his resolve.

They moved into the house in early February, just before Jess’s second birthday. Dawn came home for the weekend to see the new house and attend the birthday celebration. To Spike’s delight, she was no longer seeing Deke. He was even more surprised when she presented him with a housewarming gift. He told her she didn’t need to get them a gift, but she pushed the envelope into his hand.

"I know it’s gonna seem like it’s all for you, but I figure it’ll be good for Xander, too, since you won’t need heavy curtains and stuff, and you won’t have to worry about whether you forgot to pull the shades," she babbled, attracting the attention of the others who wandered over to watch Spike open the envelope and pull out the single piece of paper.

He read it over, then read it again. It looked like a recipe at first glance, but was a spell, with all the necessary ingredients listed. "Bit?" he asked, waving the paper at her.

"It’s a spell," she said quickly.

"I figured that out," he drawled. "What’s it for?"

"To sun-proof your windows," she said. "And it really works, too," she assured them.

Willow grabbed the paper out of his slack grip and she and Tara pored over it.

"How do you know it works?" he asked.

"Angel?" Willow supplied.

Dawn nodded, her eyes darting from Spike and Xander to Willow and Tara. "Cordy said something about tapping the resources of an evil law firm, or something. I didn’t really get it. But she wanted you both to have this."

"Wait," Xander interjected, "Cordy knows about us? How?"

Dawn flushed guiltily. "It’s not a secret, right?" she asked worriedly.

"Well, no, of course it’s not," Xander said, absently curling his fingers around Spike’s nape and stroking his neck with his thumb. "Just seems odd that... I don’t know. I haven’t seen her in years, and suddenly she knows all about me."

"But I told you all about her and Angel, and Angel and Wesley," Dawn offered.

"Yeah," Xander agreed with an ‘euww’ face, "but I really wish you hadn’t."

***

Dawn stayed in LA that summer. She said she’d gotten a summer job, and the witches let slip that she was seeing someone named Connor. What kind of poncy name was Connor, anyway? Spike thought, and his eye started to twitch when he realized that she was growing up and away from them. She’d be graduating next year, and then maybe moving away for good and starting a family of her own. Change. How he hated it. Then he remembered how change had conspired to bring Xander and Jess into his life.

That summer they went to the carnival held two towns over. The four of them took Jess and Joy on all the kiddie rides, Spike won them both teddy bears, and then Willow & Tara held onto the girls while Spike dragged Xander to the Ferris wheel so they could make out during the ride. As soon as they disappeared from sight, he stuck his tongue down Xander’s throat and his hand down the other man’s pants.

When they slid back into view, he withdrew his hand and waved to the witches and the babies, nudging a dazed Xander with his elbow, and then returning to his fun as soon as they rose high enough. By the time the ride was over, Xander was needy and desperate. As the operator unlocked their seat, Spike whispered, "Don’t worry, luv, gonna do you good when we get home."

Xander rushed them home and got Willow and Tara to keep Jess for the night. Tara gave them a knowing look as she unbuckled Joy from her seat, and then the four girls disappeared into their house while Spike and Xander raced across the lawns to their own. Spike let Xander take him down to the floor in the foyer, both men struggling to get their pants down so they could feel the other as they rubbed together.

Three rooms and an hour later, they staggered to the shower, and then to bed. At four o’clock they were wakened by the doorbell. Xander stumbled down the hall, with Spike right behind him, and pulled the door open to reveal a sleepy and rumbled Willow holding a teary-eyed Jess.

"What happened?" Xander asked worriedly, reaching out to take the child who was sobbing piteously and holding her arms out to him.

"She woke up," Willow said wryly. "Homesick. Goodnight." She turned and shuffled down the sidewalk, her housecoat swirling around her ankles over the fluffy tails of her bunny slippers.

***

That Christmas season held bittersweet memories for Spike. It was the first Christmas in their new home, which he and Xander were looking forward to, and the anniversary of the fight Spike feared had ended their relationship.

When it came time for the company’s annual Christmas party, Xander told Spike that he had to put in an appearance now that he’d been promoted. No one had actually said anything about his absence last year, but he claimed to have received *vibes*. They’d been together about a year and a half by that time, and though he wasn’t blatant about it, Xander made no secret of their relationship, but Spike was still surprised when he casually asked, "So, ya wanna go?"

"Me?"

"Who else would I take?" Spike’s face must have shown his surprise. "What, you thought I’d go alone?"

Spike immediately realized he needed to backtrack, and quickly. "Just wasn’t sure they were ready for the reality of...us."

"You’ve met Todd and Bill...!" Xander began heatedly.

"I know, luv," Spike said soothingly, pulling a slightly-resisting Xander into his arms. "Meant the big muckity-mucks. ‘Course I want ta go with you. Only way to make sure they keep their hands off my honey, yeah?"

Xander had melted under his touch, at his words, and a reluctant smile curved his lips before he leaned in to kiss Spike senseless. Spike had no idea then how prophetic his words would turn out to be.

The night of the party Willow and Tara took Jess and they both got dressed up in new suits Xander had purchased for the occasion. Spike figured he must look all right, ‘cause Xander wouldn’t let him out of the house otherwise, but Xander looked smashing. Spike grew hard just watching him stand before the mirror, nervously smoothing his jacket and adjusting his tie. He stepped up behind Xander, slipping both hands beneath the jacket to cup his lover’s groin.

"You’re gorgeous, Xander," Spike told him.

"So are you, Spike," Xander said, and then leaned back with a moan as Spike’s hands moved. "You’re gonna wrinkle me," he complained without much heat.

"Gonna do more than wrinkle you," Spike promised.

Even so, they were only twenty minutes late to the party, and Spike assured Xander that they’d make a grand entrance that way. Xander just shook his head and grasped Spike’s fingers as they walked into the ballroom of the Sunnydale Country Club.

Xander spent most of the night at his side, introducing him to co-workers, to Todd and Bill’s wives, and at one point, to his bosses. Everyone was polite, if not downright friendly—and he didn’t think it all had to do with the booze, and Spike was enjoying himself. The only dark spot on the evening was Mrs. Henry W. ‘Call me Clara’ MacDonald, the wife of the man for whom Xander’s company was building a multi-million dollar hotel on the site Xander was managing.

Seemed *Clara*, even mentally Spike spat the name, had taken a liking to Xander on one of her husband’s weekly visits to the site for a progress report. Xander had mentioned her before in passing, but Spike hadn’t realized how...tenacious...she was. Like one of those ugly yappy beasties, he thought, wishing uncharitably that she looked like one as well, instead of being a sexy, long-legged brunette.

The fact that Xander was already seeing someone didn’t deter her, nor did finding out that Xander swung the other way. In fact, Spike was sure her eyes flashed at the challenge, and he had a nearly uncontrollable urge to scratch them out.

It was late in the evening when Xander left Spike with Todd and his wife Bev to go to the bathroom. When he hadn’t returned by the time Bev was making noises about leaving, Spike went in search of him. Without his preternatural senses, he might never have found him. Them.

Clara had trapped Xander in a dark, shadowed corner of the balcony. Spike had to fight his demon down when he saw Xander being...pawed...by that bitch in heat. Snarling as he stalked across the balcony, Spike ignored the woman rubbing against Xander as best he could, reached between them to grab Xander behind the neck, and pulled him forward.

"Thought you got lost, luv," he growled against Xander’s lips, slowly easing him out of Clara’s clutches and replacing her body with his own. He knew he couldn’t just toss her away from his lover like he wanted to do—preferably over the balcony railing—without the chip firing. Unless she was a demon, he thought hopefully, and then quickly squelched it. Xander might be a demon magnet, but Spike’s luck argued against it.

"Spike!" Xander yelped.

"Missed you," Spike said, his voice full of warning.

"It’s not wha—"

"I know, you were just talkin’, right?" Spike purred.

"Not for much longer," Clara replied cattily.

"I was just explaining to, uh, Mrs. MacDonald that we were..."

"Together? Exclusive? Gonna fuck like mink later?"

Xander’s eyes widened.

"What’s the matter, *Spike*? Worried about a little competition?"

Spike looked her over and made sure his smirk showed that he was neither impressed with what he saw, nor worried. "Not a bit, pet," he said. "‘Cause my hole’s tighter than yours, I’d wager, especially if you keep farmin’ it out like this, and besides, my Xan likes a nice fat cock up his ass."

"Jesus Christ, Spike!"

Spike ignored him. "Don’t you have a husband you ought to be...talking...with?"

Clara’s face turned purple, whether from embarrassment or anger Spike didn’t know. Nor did he care. "Is that a threat?"

"Does it need to be?" Spike asked, flashing amber eyes at her.

Clara blanched, and then turned and stormed off, but not before glaring at them both. Spike turned back to Xander, whose eyes were dark and stormy, but not with lust. He pushed Spike away from him.

"I cannot *fucking* believe you just *did* that! Besides being way too much information, she could convince her husband to pull out, or maybe pull strings that get me fired!" Xander yelled.

"That’s not what I was worried about her pulling!" Spike yelled back. "Maybe you should have thought of that before you ended up in a corner with her. Or is that what you wanted? Did you enjoy having her rub up against you like that?" Even as he said it he knew it was a bad idea, but that didn’t slow his mouth down.

"You know it’s not," Xander ground out. "I was trying to get out of it with a small amount of tact. Jesus, Spike, don’t you ever fucking think?"

"What about your dignity?" Spike spat back.

Xander brushed past Spike without answering.

"Xander!" Spike yelled after him, but the brunette didn’t slow. "Xander!" Spike ran after him, pushing his way through the remaining crowd until he reached the door. He raced across the lobby, dodging drunk couples, and reached the door just as Xander pulled out of the parking lot. He slumped against the doorway, watching the taillights disappear down the drive.

A hand on his shoulder made him jump. "Did you find Xander?" Todd asked.

"Yeah," Spike said, not taking his eyes off the driveway Xander had disappeared down, "I found him."

"Clara MacDonald is livid," Todd continued in a light tone. "You didn’t have anything to do with that, did you?" He clapped Spike’s back.

"Might’ve," Spike said. "Xander’s not too happy, either," he admitted.

"What’s he worried about?" Todd asked seriously.

"The hotel, his job. The fact that I told Clara my hole was tighter ‘n hers." He felt like crying, and was trying damned hard not to.

"You’re kidding!" Todd barked, laughing. "Spike?" he said, when he realized Spike wasn’t laughing with him.

"Xander left," Spike said.

"Oh," Todd said. "He was that mad, huh? Don’t worry, I’m sure he’ll get over it soon," he said, trying to cheer Spike up, but he wasn’t in the mood for cheering up.

"Need to call a taxi," he said. "Gotta talk to Xan."

"We’ll give you a ride," Todd said.

"You don’t have to..."

"It’s no bother," Todd interrupted. "We’re going that way. And besides, what are friends for, huh?"

"Thanks," Spike whispered, wondering if his jealousy and his big mouth had lost him the one...two things he loved most in the world.

When Todd and Bev dropped him off at home, Xander’s car wasn’t in the drive. There were no heartbeats from inside the house, so Spike knew without checking that it wasn’t in the garage, either, but he checked anyway. He trudged into the house, wondering where Xander could be. His first thought was Willow, but the car wasn’t parked in their driveway, or on the street in front of their house.

He changed his clothes and decided to go out looking for Xander. He walked the entire town twice, checking The Bronze and every other bar he could think of, the bowling alley, the movie theater, Giles’ apartment, and the cemetery where Anya and Buffy were buried. There was no sign of him.

Worry turned to anger, and Spike easily, if brutally, dispatched the nest of vampires he found living in his old crypt. Anger soon turned to despair when he couldn’t find his lover. Disheartened, Spike slowly made his way back to their house and sat on the front steps, waiting for Xander to come home.

He wondered if he’d done it this time. Irreparably damaged their relationship. He thought about packing, but was too lethargic and depressed to bother. He let his mind drift over the last couple years since Jess’s birth and knew he didn’t want to go on without his family. If Xander broke up with him he’d just as soon greet the sun. He buried his face in his hands and laughed bitterly, knowing he sounded melodramatic even in his own head, but his heart ached so damned much. The last time, when Buffy had died, he’d survived for Dawn. But Dawn didn’t need him anymore. She was all grown up.

If Xander didn’t want him, he had nothing. Sure, the witches liked him well enough, but if they had to choose between him and Xander, he knew who they’d choose. The thought that the only family he had left was Angelus and Dru didn’t bear thinking about. Sunrise was about half an hour away. If Xander didn’t come home soon...

Rough hands grabbed his shoulders and lifted him, throwing him across the porch. "What in hell do you think you were doing?" Xander raged. "The sun’ll be up in..." He hesitated, looking down at the guilty look on Spike’s face. "You son of a bitch," he grated. "Of all the *stupid*...!" He stormed across the porch and pulled Spike to his feet, slamming him back against the wall. "What were you *doing*?" he demanded.

"Waitin’ for you to come home," Spike said truthfully.

"And if I’d been 20 minutes later?" Xander growled.

Spike didn’t answer.

"Damn you! Damn...son of a...fucking... Why?" he insisted urgently. "God damn it, Spike, why?"

"Thought I really screwed up this time, Xan. Maybe you weren’t coming back. And if you did, figured you’d kick me out, anyway."

Xander slammed him into the wall again. "Of all the stupid...stupid...! Don’t you ever, *ever*, fucking leave me, Spike. Ever." And then Xander was all over him—bodies pressed together as if he wanted to merge into one; hands touching, assuring; lips sucking, bruising; teeth biting, marking.

With a moan, Spike’s arms went around him. Xander pulled away and wrenched the screen door open one-handed, and then fumbled with the keys to the front door. Successful, he dragged Spike inside, and both men went to the floor. Demanding hands tore at his clothes and Spike, already hard and aching to have Xander touching him, *wanting* him, did his best to help.

Xander didn’t wait for them both to be naked. As soon as Spike’s duster and t-shirt were off and his jeans pulled down, Xander leaned over him and began marking him. Sucking hard and leaving bruises on his neck and chest, biting around a nipple and leaving teeth marks. He rolled Spike over and pulled him up so he was on his knees.

Spike didn’t think about the fact that they had no lube until Xander’s tongue was on him, in him, slick and firm. He groaned low and deep, and pushed back eagerly, desperate for more. The burn when Xander inserted two fingers and quickly stretched him was exquisite. He trembled at the rustle that meant Xander was lowering his pants. He moaned and shuddered when the blunt head of his lover’s cock was at his entrance. "Yessss, Xander, please," he begged.

Hands gripping his hips, Xander slowly pushed inside him. Once fully seated he began to thrust, mumbling words that Spike could barely make out. "Mine...love you...stupid, stupid argument...leave me...sorry, sorry, sorry." And then he draped himself over Spike’s back, fingers still digging into his flesh as he drove into him.

"Love you," he whispered just before blunt teeth closed on his shoulder and held on tight as he rode Spike’s ass.

Spike was already flying high to have Xander back, and nearly came when he realized Xander was going to bite him. He roared at the sweet pain of Xander’s teeth breaking his skin and the scent of his own blood. Still clinging to him, Xander reached beneath him and wrapped tight fingers around him. He pulled once, his thumb sliding over the moist head, and Spike sobbed as he exploded, barely feeling the pulse as Xander filled his ass.

They slid to the floor in a heap. Xander had to be exhausted, but he didn’t rest. He gently pulled out of Spike and pushed himself to his knees, and then began removing his clothes. Naked, he rolled Spike over and pulled off his boots and jeans, and then lowered himself onto the vampire. He lapped at the blood oozing from the bite on his shoulder, and then slid down his body.

Xander licked and sucked and nipped his way down Spike’s chest and over his belly until he reached his goal. Hot breath teased his reawakening cock, and Spike moaned. Fingers that had danced over Xander’s back and shoulders slid into his hair, tightening when his lover’s tongue flicked the head before his mouth closed over him.

Spike cried out as Xander sucked hard, bucking his hips before Xander planted his hands on them to keep him still. Xander bobbed his head up and down, sucking and licking until Spike thought he’d explode again. Before he could, Xander pulled off and fell to his back, dragging his fingers through the come that had transferred to his own belly. He spread his legs and brought his knees up.

"Xan?" Spike asked.

"My turn," Xander whispered hoarsely as he shoved two fingers inside himself. "Need you, Spike."

"Oh, fuck..." Spike grabbed the base of his cock, staving off his impending orgasm at the sight of his lover preparing himself. "Xander." He rolled to his knees and crawled between Xander’s legs.

"Now, Spike," Xander breathed.

"You’re not ready," Spike said.

"Now," Xander repeated, pulling Spike to him.

Spike wanted to slide into Xander so badly and fuck him into the floor, drive the remaining pain and fear away, and he’d never seen Xander so abandoned. But he didn’t want to hurt him. He pushed two fingers into him, and then a third to make sure he was really ready. The way Xander’s body was writhing and humming beneath him, he stayed away from his prostate. Satisfied, Spike removed his fingers and replaced them with his dick.

"Finally," Xander whispered as his legs went around Spike’s waist and pulled him against him at the same time he lifted his hips. Spike, completely encased by his lover, groaned into his neck. "Please, Spike," Xander whispered.

Spike began to move, slowly at first to keep from shooting too soon, and then more quickly. He licked and sucked on Xander’s neck as he picked up speed, until he was pounding into Xander’s ass like a man possessed.

"Please, please," Xander begged, the fingers of one hand digging into Spike’s back as the other moved to the back of his head.

"I’ve got you," Spike whispered. "Never gonna let you go."

Xander pushed Spike’s head into his neck and tilted his head back. "Please!" he cried.

Understanding caused Spike to falter, and Xander slapped his ass to get him moving again. "Xan, I..."

"Please, Spike, please!" Xander sobbed.

They’d never tried this. Spike had often wished he could bite Xander, taste the sweet blood he could hear and smell as it pumped through his body, but the chip had always prevented him from bringing it up, much less attempting it. And now Xander was begging him to do it. To...to mark him. Claim him. Realization that Xander had already marked him brought the demon forth, and he growled, snarled around his fangs.

Xander was quivering beneath him. Spike licked Xander’s neck, right over the pulse point, and then nicked him with a fang, eagerly lapping up the droplets of blood. "You want this?" he asked.

"Gaaagh, yes!" Xander cried. "So much," he added in a near-whisper.

Spike, surprised he’d had as much control as he did, gave in to his own desire to taste Xander, to make him his, and sank his fangs into the flesh of Xander’s neck, moaning as it parted easily for him, as blood spilled onto his tongue. He swallowed, drinking in the essence of his lover, and then he began to suck.

Xander’s body stiffened and he cried out. His hold on Spike tightened as his body gave itself over to the pleasure of having the vampire buried inside him. When Xander was limp and sated beneath him, Spike withdrew his fangs and roared, the demon reveling in the taste of his lover, in the claim he had made. His hips jerked as he emptied himself inside Xander, and then he slumped over him.

Spike wasn’t sure how Xander had any energy left, but his hands were moving over Spike, soothing, calming, as he whispered, "I’m sorry, Spike. Sorry about the fight, sorry I left you there..."

"‘S all right, luv," Spike assured him, voice slightly slurred from fatigue. All he wanted at that moment was to curl up with his lover and sleep the day away.

"I was angry," Xander went on, "mostly at her, ‘cause she wouldn’t take ‘no’ for an answer..."

"Bitch," Spike muttered.

"...and embarrassed. I mean, fuck like minks? That was..."

"Did, didn’t we?" Spike said, grinning into Xander’s neck, and then darting his tongue out for one more taste.

"And then the thing with the...the hole..."

Spike stiffened. "Guess I could have been a little more...tactful," he admitted.

"I’m not sure tact would have worked with her," Xander admitted in turn. "But, holy moly, Spike, you told her I like a big, fat cock up my ass!"

Spike leaned up on his elbows so he could see Xander’s face, and then wiggled his hips. "Do, don’t you?"

Xander moaned, and then narrowed his eyes. "Yes, but that’s not the..."

"I love you, Xander. Hated seeing her touch you. Sorry I embarrassed you, though."

"I love you, too, Spike." Xander cupped his cheek, and then shuddered. "And I hated having her touch me."

"Wanted to throw her off the balcony," Spike told him.

"Yes, that would’ve... No, no, that would have been *bad*. No throwing women off balconies. Unless they’re demon women." His brow furrowed. "You don’t think she was a demon, do you?"

"Considered it," Spike said. "What with you bein’ a demon magnet and all."

"Ha! Very funny. You know, if Todd or Bill say anything to me about mink on Monday, I am going to spank you until you can’t walk!"

Spike hardened. "Really?" he asked, interested.

More sweet than bitter, he reflected, remembering the look Xander had given him from beneath his eyelashes before landing a stinging blow on his ass. His eyes had widened in surprise at this side of his lover. "Come on, Xander," he whispered, "I’ve been a much more bad boy than that." And then the sounds of flesh slapping against flesh as he fucked Xander into the floor to the accompaniment of stinging smacks on his eager ass filled the house. Good thing Jess was with the witches, he remembered thinking, before all thought fled.

WHAT BROUGHT US HERE 3