As they meandered the streets of Sunnydale, Spike tried not to be distracted by the heat and arousal radiating from the body he supported. He had to keep an eye out for danger. His leather-clad arm held the boy tighter as he spotted a vamp lurking in the shadows ahead.

“Perk up, boy. Looks like we have company,” he whispered to his human.  The trembling began immediately, and Spike again wondered what was going on with the Scooby. He disengaged himself from the whelp and stood in front of him. The cool façade already in place, Spike pulled his smokes and lighter from his duster. He took his time lighting his cigarette, the picture of nonchalance as he tilted his head toward the creature in the darkness.

“Bit of advice, wanker.  You’re stalking a pro here, so you might as well come out….” Spike straightened his cuffs out distractedly while he taunted the fledge. After a moment, a scraggly brunette vampire emerged from the dark.  Spike merely regarded it with a raised eyebrow, but he turned his head to meet eyes as more emerged from the alley ahead.  The blonde counted seven vampires, and he glanced to the frightened human behind him.  Ordinarily, he would have loved to catch a spot of violence, but the wounded human was too vulnerable to risk in a full-out brawl.

“Evidently, you don’t know who you’re dealing with,” Spike started, having decided to start the show with bravado. 

“That’sh a lot of tough talk from shomeone who shmells like gahbage,” lisped the fledge closest to him. By now, the creatures had gathered directly in front of Spike, and he quickly calculated that the closest three would be the easiest to take out. 

“Oi! I just got back from the dump—what’s your excuse?” Spike’s face morphed to show the demon, yellow eyes glittering in the moonlight. His expressive eyes met each face as he looked around, straightened up dramatically, and his voice rose a notch. “Do you know how *sad* this is? I’m a hundred and sodding twenty-seven years old!  And you! Barely turned and you can’t even speak around your bloody fangs yet! Now listen up, mates, and I might let you live.”

The fledges glanced at each other in confusion.  With bowed head and hands in a praying gesture he leaned in, duster swirling like a cape.

“Don’t suppose you’ve heard of the Order of Aurelius...the line of famous vamps that cut a swath of death and destruction through Europe a few centuries back? Regular royal family they were.” Baffled stares. This crowd was going nowhere and playing right into his hands. 

“Alright, I’ll give you poor sods the short version of this history lesson. Let’s see, there was the Master and that bint, Darla.” He counted on his fingers as he said this. “She made Angelus, better known as the ‘Scourge of Europe’.” The name-dropping was working and recognition lit up some faces. “Well, he sired a crazy psychic named Drusilla and together they created the Slayer of Slayers.  This vamp made a name out of mutilating the bodies of anyone who crossed him with railroad spikes…and, here’s the best part, mates, who do you think I am?”

Spike was fully in his role now, the center of attention. The gang looked at him in shock. His hands dropped and he squared his shoulders. His voice dropped to a dark seductive, menacing level –almost a growl-- as he raised an eyebrow.  “Three words: William. The. Bloody.” A gasp fluttered through his captive audience.  The campfire tale atmosphere reminded Spike of when he told scary stories to Dawn in his crypt.

All were affected save for the two chits in the very front, who looked at their companions, incredulous.  Spike knew they were coming before they could reach him. All anyone around them saw was a flurry of leather and dust as Spike caught one mid-air by the throat and twisted her head off. The second was lunging at him as he finished with the first, but Spike was ready.

With fluid movements, he took her down with a dazzling spin kick and broke her back with a resounding *crack* as she came down.  As the Master Vampire brushed off his jacket, the rattled fledges stood in awe of him. Spike smirked at the remaining vampires, staring down each of them.

“I’ll be off now, don’t have time for this. Tell you what. Look me up when you’ve been around a few decades.” Spike turned to Xander, seeing that there was no more threat from the cowed vamps.

“Wait! What about the human? We’re shtill hungry!” The first dark--haired vamp stammered. 

“This one is mine, boys. Find your own if you don’t want to join your mates.” All Big Bad now, the blonde regarded all of them, eyes burning. He took his boy’s hand and walked through the middle of the group confidently, stopping only to stake the paralyzed bint on the ground. Then he gathered Xander into his arms and strode off. 

 “I can’t believe that bloody worked!” Spike chuckled into Xander’s ear as he carried Xander like a bride towards the Recreation Center.  He felt the boy’s face burrow into his neck, hot breath coursing along his pulse point to his ear. The tingly sensation nearly made Spike stumble, so he brought them to a stop. All the while, the nuzzling increased as Xander whispered softly in his ear. Spike set Xander down so they could stand face to face.

 “Gods, you were so smooth back there!  It was so…hot….”

 Spike rocked his hips, feeling the irresistible human’s rock hardness against him.  He pulled away from the boy, tempted by Xander’s full lips before shaking his head and speaking.  “We’re never getting cleaned up at this rate, whelp.” With that, Spike heaved the shocked mortal over his shoulder and trotted the rest of the way.

`*^~--.;'.--~^*`*^~--.;'.--~^*`

Xander slid down the wall against the Rec Center while he watched the blonde.

 Spike’s talented fingers worked at picking the lock to the Rec Center as he talked.  “No sense breaking windows when we can get in more quietly, mate. I come here to freshen up all the time.” 

Xander rubbed his abdomen and winced.   “I don’t care how loud we are, I feel like I’ve been hit by a bus.”  He whined audibly because of the pain, and silently because of the growing need for Spike. The door opened with a soft click and blue eyes met brown. //We’re about to get very naked!// Xander thought nervously. Spike lifted him off the cement and led him through the wide sterile corridors of the Rec Center. They passed through the workout facilities to the grey-tiled shower area. 

They stopped at a long aisle of showers. A bench that ran the length of the room separated the tile stalls on each side.  In each large cubicle, a worn bench and towel rack sat across from the nozzles.  Spike sat Xander on one of these benches and kneeled down to gently remove the human’s shoes.

Xander stared down, mesmerized by Spike’s actions.  He was losing in his battle to control himself in front of the vampire.

“Be right back, pet.” Penetrating blue eyes met his, and Xander could only stammer a response. Spike disappeared and Xander heard a crash, then the shower being turned on in the stall next door. The vampire reappeared, sans jacket and shoes. The shower room filled with the sweet scent of generic hand soap.

“Had to get the garbage smell off the leather--it’s steaming next door.”  Spike indifferently jerked a thumb toward the sound of running water.

“--And what was the loud noise?” Xander was almost afraid to ask.

“Just nicked somethin’ to clean up with is all. Now stand up, mate,” Spike justified as he produced a bag of liquid soap. Xander was struck by how much like a blood bag it looked, except with pink viscous goo inside instead of blood. The vampire plopped it on the bench and casually removed his own black T-shirt.

Eyes roved the pale, firm chest and Xander’s breath caught in his throat. Suddenly Spike was nose-to-nose with him. He had this beautiful //did I just think beautiful?// man bent over him as if to kiss him.

BLISS TOOK HOLD 4