SECRETS AND CHRISTMAS PRESENTS
by Edibbea
Notes

 

"Xander! Come in."

"Hey, Giles. Not busy?"

"No. I was just thinking of getting some lunch. Care to join me?"

"That'd be great, thanks." Xander shrugged off his jacket and hung it on the peg by the door. Giles headed into the kitchen, and Xander followed him, casting an eye at the piles of heavy books lying around the loungeroom. Looked like Giles was having a one-man research party.

"Not working today?"

"No. Stan's closed the workshop this week. Marlene insisted that he help her get organised for Christmas. Said she wasn't doing it all on her own this year."

"Oh?" said Giles, as he began pulling packages out of the 'fridge. He placed them on the table and began assembling sandwiches.

"Well, her and Stan kinda have an open house at Christmas, you know? Marlene says nobody should be alone, thinking about how everybody else is having fun. Stan sort of grumbles about it, but he wouldn't have it any other way. They're good people, Giles."

Giles looked up from slicing tomatoes and smiled at Xander. "Yes, I'm sure they are. So, are you enjoying the work there?"

"Oh yeah," said Xander, a huge grin on his face. "Stan says I have a natural talent with wood, you know? There's something so satisfying about making something yourself, with your own hands. And Stan's actually sold a couple of small pieces that I've made. He said people really like my work."

"That's wonderful, Xander," said Giles. He poured himself a cup of tea and passed Xander a can of soda, then they picked up their sandwiches and took them into the loungeroom. Giles put his plate and cup down on the coffee table, and pushed a pile of books out of the way to clear some space for Xander.

"And how's everything else?"

"Really good, Giles. Since we got back from LA, well, things have settled down, you know?"

"You went to LA? When?"

Xander froze. Crap. He really needed to engage his brain before opening his mouth. He'd forgotten that he had kept this from Giles.

"Um. Few weeks back, just before I started working with Stan."

"You went to see Angel," said Giles. His voice sounded - flat. "The ritual, I assume? I thought you were going to avoid that."

"Um, yeah," said Xander, staring at the floor. "Turned out it was kinda unavoidable, in the end. But hey, it was fine, really. No big deal, I'm fine, Spike's fine, everybody's fine."

Giles sighed. "That bad?"

The smile slid off Xander's face. He wasn't a good liar at the best of times, and trying to lie to Giles, well...

"It was scary, Giles. You know what the ritual involves, right?" At Giles' short nod, he continued, "The blood bond sort of brought Angelus out. 'Cos Angel couldn't have done it. But - well, he didn't hurt me any more than he had to, you know? And Spike was with me the whole time. I wasn't in any danger from him or anything."

Giles gasped. He reached forward and gently turned Xander's face towards him, and Xander could see the shock in his eyes. "Angelus? Dear Lord. And he hurt you? Oh God, Xander, you must have been so scared." Xander felt a lump rise in his throat at the look of concern on Giles' face. Xander swallowed hard and forced a bright grin.

"I'm fine. Really. So, anyway, we did the ritual, came home again. Spike stopped acting all psycho-vamp, and I... Well, I'm sorta different too."

The expression on Giles' face became grim, but he listened intently, his eyes never leaving Xander's face. "Go on."

"Apparently I've somehow merged with Spike's demon. So, all vamp super-powery, without the whole 'grr' and blood drinking thing. Well, not from anyone but Spike, anyway." Xander bit his lip. "You... You gonna be okay with this, Giles, cos, you know, if you're not, I..."

"Oh, Xander," said Giles, as he pulled the boy into a hug. He patted Xander's back from a few moments, then released him again. Leaning back, he looked Xander in the eye again. "Of course I'm all right with this. You're still you, Xander. And I still...care about you. It's not going to change anything; it might make things even more complicated with Buffy, however."

"Yeah, I know," said Xander. Buffy was still avoiding him, and it hurt that she continued to act this way. "But there's nothing I can do about that, Giles. I mean, even Joyce is okay with it, but Buffy just won't listen..." His voice trailed off miserably.

"She'll come around eventually, Xander. She's rather busy with school and Riley just now, so she doesn't seem to have much time for anyone else at all." It was Giles' turn to look dejected.

"Sure she will," said Xander, his cheerful tone sounding fake even to his own ears. They both jumped at a sudden knock at the door. "It's Wills, and somebody else," said Xander, without thinking. "Her friend Tara, I think. Don't know her that well."

"How do you..." Giles' made a vague gesture at the door.

"Vamp senses," said Xander. "Comes in handy at times." They shared a genuine smile, and Giles got up to answer the door.

"Hey Giles, Tara and I were wondering if you could... Xander!" Willow squealed, and she bounced across the room to give Xander a hug. "How are you? Haven't seen you in ages. Have you been avoiding me, mister, cos -"

"No, no, I swear," said Xander, laughingly cutting off the Willowey word avalanche. "Just been busy with work. Actually, I'm glad you're here, too. I came to ask you and Giles if you wanted to come over on Christmas Eve, spend the day with me and Spike, if you're not doing anything. I mean, I know you guys will be at Buffy's on Christmas Day..."

Willow squealed again. "I'd love to! I haven't been to your new place yet, big secret keeping guy! Oh!" She turned to Tara. "Oh, we're supposed to be -"

"Th-that's okay, Willow. You go to your friend's place. I'll be fine."

"Hey, no. You can come too, Tara," said Xander. "I mean, if you want to. Any friend of my best friend is - my best friend, too, I guess," said Xander, a mock-confused look on his face. Both girls began laughing, and Tara smiled shyly and nodded at Willow.

"We'd love to, Xander," said Willow, smiling brightly. Xander turned to Giles.

"What about you, Giles? We'd really love you to come, you know." Giles seemed to be considering the invitation seriously for a moment. Then he nodded. "Of course. I'd love to, Xander. If you want to give me your address, the girls can meet me here and I'll take them. What time do you want us to arrive, and is there anything we can bring?" Xander thought for a moment. If they arrived in the morning, he would maybe get to spend some time with them on his own before Spike woke up.

"How about late morning some time? We can have lunch and stuff? And you don't need to bring anything. I've got it all under control." Giles rolled his eyes and the girls giggled. "What? I have! I can be organised, you know!"

"Of course you can, Xander," said Giles, a small grin playing about his lips.

*****

Xander took the dirty crockery into the kitchen while Giles moved piles of books so that the girls could sit down. He made a fresh cup of tea for Giles and got out some sodas from the fridge. Once they were all sitting down, Willow said, "Um, Xander, we need to ask you something."

"Okay," said Xander, looking nervous as Willow and Giles exchanged glances. Giles cleared his throat and Willow sat back.

"Buffy has been seeing this Riley boy now for a while, and... Well, not to put too fine a point on it, she's started to neglect patrol somewhat."

"She's not patrolling?" asked Xander in surprise.

"No, she still patrols, as do Willow and I, and Tara has been helping us, too," said Giles, smiling at the blushing girl. "But she has started to cut patrols short, and has asked that we take over a little more so that she can have some 'down' time."

Xander's jaw dropped. This didn't sound like Buffy at all. "But...but she's the Slayer!"

"I am aware of that," said Giles dryly. "But she insists that there's less and less to do on patrol these days, and that she's just wasting her time when there's nothing to slay. I have to admit, demon and vampire activity has fallen dramatically in the past couple of months. But nevertheless, this does not mean that duties can be shirked." Giles was now polishing his glasses, and Xander could see that he was upset by Buffy's new attitude. "So we were wondering if you would consider resuming patrolling duties with us, Xander," said Giles. "I would understand if you said no, given your current, um, status. But we could really use your assistance."

Xander took a drink of his soda, and considered his words carefully before he spoke. As much as he really, really wanted to help his friends out, a lot had changed.

"Of course, I'd love to help you guys. But, and this is a big but, you have to understand that my view of all things oogie in the night has changed over the past few months, okay? Not all demons are evil, guys. Sure, we've come across our fair share of those who want to kill, maim and destroy, but they're not all like that. I'm happy to help slay the dangerous and homicidal, and the suck the world into hell type bad guys. But I'm not gonna kill anything without a damn good reason. Just 'cos something isn't human doesn't automatically make it the bad guy, you know?"

Willow's mouth had fallen open as Xander spoke, and she shook her head slowly. "Wow, Xander, you sound so... You've changed," she said.

"Yeah, guess I have," said Xander, smiling gently at her. Giles nodded slowly, and Xander continued, "There's one other thing. I'll need some time to talk to Spike about this first, and he may well want to come along, too. But, if you're okay with that, then great, let's do this thing."

"Thank you, Xander. That sounds perfectly reasonable," said Giles. His expression became pensive, and he continued, "Er, you think Spike would want to come on patrol with us?"

Xander laughed. "Wandering through a cemetery with me in the dark, looking for something to kill? He'll probably think I'm being romantic."

*****

The rest of the afternoon passed pleasantly, with Xander chatting, laughing and just enjoying spending time with his friends. He was getting the distinct impression that Willow and Tara were more than just friends, but figured he'd wait for her to tell him herself. When Willow finally exclaimed at the time, Xander said he needed to get home, too. He left his new cell phone number, address and directions with Giles, with instructions to park in the underground car park and ring the number when they arrived, so that Xander could come out and get them. "We have a lot of security," he explained at Giles' puzzled glance.

*****

The next few days flew past in a hectic blur. Xander bought a tree, decorations and presents for everybody. He'd managed to find several things that were just perfect for the girls, and Spike's gifts were all organised. But apart from a bottle of good, single malt whiskey and a couple of CD's, he was at a loss for something special for Giles. Spike said that he knew where he could lay his hands on a book that Giles would kill for, and Xander happily left it in his hands.

Spike had collapsed into hysterical laughter when Xander had announced that he was going to cook lunch for everyone. He then had the good grace to apologise to his offended mate, before assuring Xander that lunch was under control. As Spike and Xander had volunteered to help out with the kids at Stan and Marlene's on Christmas Day, Marlene had said she'd make sure they had a lunch they could be proud of on Christmas Eve.

Sure enough, the day before Christmas Eve, Marlene had arrived at the apartment with a couple of her older children in tow. They were weighted down with bags and boxes, and Xander hurriedly cleared the kitchen table and benches as Spike helped bring more boxes in from the car.

"Right, boys," said Marlene. "Here's your lunch, complete with a list of instructions and times, okay? Think you can manage?" Xander got sodas for the children and made Marlene a cup of tea while Spike went through the list with her, making sure everything was clear. By the time Marlene had finished her tea, Xander's head was whirling, but Spike seemed to have everything under control. They saw their visitors safely out to the car, and waved them off.

"Wow, Spike. I wasn't expecting all this..." Xander's eyes swept over the overflowing surfaces in the kitchen. Marlene had prepared and stuffed a turkey, which was in an aluminium baking tray, ready to go into the oven. The vegetables were peeled, ready to be cooked, and sealed into plastic bags. There was a large container of gravy and a smaller jar of cranberry sauce. Marlene had even made them a 'proper' English plum pudding with brandy sauce and Christmas cake for dessert. A box containing nuts and other snacks sat on the kitchen table.

"She's a proper treasure is Marlene," said Spike. "I've got the list of instructions here. If we follow it, we've got nothing to worry about, right?"

Xander groaned. "Why does that sound like tempting fate, Spike?" Spike just grinned at him. "It'll be fine, Xan. You worry too much. Now, let's make some space in the fridge for this lot."

After much cursing, rummaging and rearranging, they finally managed to get everything squeezed into the fridge and cupboards. Xander was just about to get himself a cold drink when his watch began to beep at him.

"Damn. I forgot about that. Spike, I have to go out and pick something up. Won't take long," he said. Spike raised an eyebrow in query, but Xander just smiled mysteriously at him. Spike laughed, guessing it was a surprise for him for Christmas.

"Yeah, sure. Take your time, love. I might hit the sack for an hour or two. Been keeping human hours this week, and it takes a lot out of me, being awake at... Bloody hell, 4 pm. That's the middle of the night for me!"

Xander smiled. Spike had wanted to make the most of Xander's time off work, so he'd taken to staying awake during the day and sleeping at night. Except that the sleeping at night thing wasn't working out too well, and Xander knew for a fact that Spike had gone hunting several nights this week already. Xander really appreciated Spike wanting to be with him, but the silly vampire was asleep on his feet by mid-afternoon. He dropped a kiss on Spike's cheek.

"Good idea. You catch some sleep. I'll wake you up in a couple of hours, okay?" Spike nodded and made his way into the bedroom, while Xander grabbed his wallet and keys and headed out to the car.

*****

It took Xander longer than expected at the Mall. The shops were crowded, parking spaces were as rare as hen's teeth, and it was almost 7pm by the time he got home. Spike was still in bed, but the tousled blond head turned in his direction as he walked into the bedroom.

"Get everything okay, love?" Spike asked in a sleepy voice.

"Yeah. It was unbelievably busy out there, Spike. You've got no idea. These people are insane. I saw two women fighting, literally throwing punches, over a doll!"

"Yeah, gotta love that Christmas spirit, peace on earth and all that," sniggered Spike. Xander grinned.

"Well, not everybody's like that, thank God. Spike? Did I say thank you?"

"What for, love?"

"For helping to organise things for tomorrow. I'm really looking forward to having my friends over, you know? You sure you don't mind?"

"They're your friends, Xan, and this is your home. They're welcome if you want them here."

"Thanks, Spike. I really am grateful, you know, for arranging the lunch and everything."

"Well then, why don't you get naked, come here and show me just how grateful you are, pet?" said Spike, sounding more alert now. His eyes seemed to twinkle in the dim light as he watched the impromptu strip show Xander put on for him. Xander turned his back as he shimmied out of his pants, bending forward to allow Spike a good look at one of his favourite views. Xander straightened slowly and turned. His skin seemed to glow, and Spike licked his lips as he watched his lover slink towards him. The light glinted off the gold nipple rings, and as Xander crawled onto the bed, Spike reached towards them and tweaked them, hard, causing Xander to gasp loudly as his cock jumped in reaction to the stimulus.

"Definitely one of your better ideas, pet," said Spike, as he pushed Xander onto his back and sucked one nipple into his mouth, flicking the ring with his tongue as his fingers toyed with the other one.

"Gah, oh yeah," panted Xander. He couldn't believe how much more sensitive his nipples seemed to be now, and just remembering the night Spike had pierced him was enough to make him instantly hard.

"Enjoyed me piercing you, didn't you, pet? You know, I can always take them out. You'd heal real fast, then I could do it again."

"Oh, fuck," breathed Xander as a shudder ran through him. Spike chuckled around the ring in his mouth. He gave it a final flick of his tongue and lifted his head. "Oh yeah, we'll definitely do that, then. But I've got something else in mind for you tonight. You've been a very good boy, and I think you deserve a special Christmas treat." Spike reached down and tapped the blunt end of the butt plug that Xander had worn all day.

"Tonight?" asked Xander, hopefully. Spike nodded. He looked thoughtfully at Xander for a moment.

"Xan? This first time, it'll be just for you, okay? It can be very..." Spike paused and chewed at his bottom lip for a moment. "You've read up on this, right?" Xander simply nodded, and Spike continued, "Even with sharing my demon, it can a bit much; the feelings can be overpowering, and I'll need to stay in control. I want this to be good for you, love."

Xander stared into Spike's eyes. He felt their connection; felt Spike's love, and his concern, and knew that his mate would make it good for him, for both of them. And he wanted to do this, so much. He wanted - no, needed, to give himself to Spike in this way.

"You hungry? You want to eat first?" Xander shook his head. "Right then. Better go and get ready. Take your time, make sure you do a good job, but don't bother lubing up, okay? I'll take care of that, need to use something a bit different," said Spike. Xander swallowed hard. This was it. Spike had had him wearing the butt plug for the past couple of days to get him ready for this. And Xander couldn't wait.

*****

By the time Xander was securely fastened into the sling, and Spike had made sure he was comfortably but firmly restrained, Xander was panting, shaking, and hard as a rock.

"Shh, calm down, pet. You need to relax, okay?" said Spike, slowly rubbing his hand in soothing circles on Xander's stomach. Spike tipped some massage oil into his hand, and then began slowly and firmly kneading the muscles in Xander's arms and legs, taking his time, until Xander's breathing slowed and the tension left him.

Xander jerked as he felt a cool tongue begin to lick at his balls, then moaned as Spike sucked first one, then the other into his mouth. That wicked tongue then began circling, licking and jabbing at his entrance, slowly opening him up. After a few minutes, Spike pulled away and Xander felt something hard slide into him, followed by a cool, flooding sensation.

"Wha..."

"Shh, love. Just getting ready to start, okay? If you open you eyes, you can see what I'm doing," said Spike.

Xander opened his eyes and saw Spike standing between his legs, holding a large plastic bottle that had a nozzle at the end. Then his eyes widened. Spike had placed a large mirror on a stand next to him, angled so that Xander could see himself. He watched Spike put the bottle down, and then adjust the cockring Xander was wearing until it was very tight.

"Just making sure we've got plenty to start with, need lots of this stuff. And we can't have you coming too soon, or it'll all be over before the interesting stuff starts. You all right?" asked Spike. Xander nodded. "You can close your eyes again if you want, or you can watch what I'm doing in the mirror, up to you. Whatever you need to do, love," added Spike.

Xander thought about it for a moment. He looked at Spike, and then looked at his reflection in the mirror. He could see Spike's finger circling him. Being able to see it as well as feel it was so hot. He smiled at Spike.

"I want to watch," he said.

"Thought you might like that," Spike said with a grin. He put the bottle of lube on the table and dipped his hand into the large bowl full of lube he'd placed there.

Xander was surprised how quickly and easily Spike was able to ease three fingers into him. Spike massaged the muscles, stretching and loosening them for a minute or so, then pulled out slowly and dipped his hand into the bowl again. He began to rub small circles on Xander's stomach with the other hand as he said, "Okay, Xander. We've done three before, so nothing new there. Now we need to take our time, love. Tell me if you need to stop."

Xander watched as Spike began to push four fingers into his entrance. He pumped slowly, going slightly deeper each time, and Xander began to feel the burn as the muscles stretched. This felt familiar, reminded him of the large butt plug Spike had made him wear. After a couple of minutes of gentle pumping the burn eased, and Xander guessed his muscles must have relaxed further, because Spike removed his hand, dipped it into the lube bowl again, and said, "bit more now, love," before pushing the four fingers back in. But this time, Spike had tucked his thumb under his fingers, and was pushing that in as well. Xander felt the familiar burn and breathed through it. It didn't really feel much different until Spike reached the widest part of his hand. Spike pumped a couple of times and then began to push in.

"Fuck," Xander groaned. This hurt. A lot. He was panting, hard, and he felt himself tense up, which of course made the burning worse. He tried to move away, but Spike's hand was on his stomach, holding him still, and Spike was whispering to him, "Shh, Xan, shh, baby, it's all right, it's all right, love, nearly there," as he slowly and steadily pushed in. "Breathe, love, remember to breathe."

Xander dragged his attention back to this breathing. He found himself groaning loudly; couldn't seem to stop, but somehow it helped him to focus. The pressure seemed to build and build until he really thought he couldn't cope, was just about to say, 'stop'; and then, suddenly, a bright flash of burning pain and the pressure eased a little on his abused muscles. It should have been a relief, but it wasn't. The sudden feeling of fullness and pressure inside was overwhelming.

"Stop, just stop," he moaned. Spike stilled instantly, and he could feel Spike's other hand rubbing gentle circles on his stomach.

"It's okay, Xander. We'll just stay still like this for a while, wait for you to get used to it, love," said Spike in a low, soothing voice. "Just breathe, slow and steady."

Xander lay gasping for a moment, willing his breathing under control again, and then peeled his eyes open. He looked at the mirror in shock. Spike's hand was inside him. Damn. He looked up and saw Spike watching him, his concern clear on his face. Xander gave him a shaky smile.

"I'm okay, Spike," he said, trying to reassure his worried lover. Spike gave him a relieved smile.

"Good. That's good, baby," said Spike. Xander watched as Spike began to slather lube absolutely everywhere. "Close your eyes now. Just feel. Are you ready?"

'No', thought Xander. He couldn't imagine anybody ever being ready for this. But he wanted it. So he nodded slowly and closed his eyes. Spike began to move his hand.

The feeling was indescribable. Xander was shaking and finding it difficult to catch his breath. He should be taking slow, steady breaths, he knew that; but it was too much. This was too much. He felt Spike rotate his hand, very slowly, back and forth. He felt fingers sliding inside him, and then bright flashes as his prostate was hit again and again. Spike's knuckles, a detached part of his brain informed him. This part seemed to be keeping track of what was going on, which was good, thought Xander, because the rest of him was floating away.

"Gonna do something different now, love." Spike's voice drifted over him. Xander felt a shifting inside him, more pressure, and then movement, a pumping action rather than rotating now. Xander forced his eyes open again, and watched Spike push his arm in a little way, then pull out again. That's what it is, he thought. He closed his eyes and drifted away again. The strangest sensations were building inside him. More pushing, more pressure, and suddenly he felt as though he was flooded with some sort of warm, golden light. And it all just felt - right, somehow. That he could give this, give himself so completely to the beautiful man that he loved so much. Spike, who truly was his master, and who loved him in return. He felt at peace, wonderfully happy. Except, someone seemed to be making an awful lot of noise. Xander eventually figured it was quite probably him, but he couldn't seem to stop himself as ripples of intense pleasure coursed through him. He shuddered violently as a slick hand was wrapped around his neglected cock, and he opened his eyes again to see Spike slowly jacking him off, staring intently at Xander's face.

"Need to come now?" Spike asked. Xander nodded, as coherent speech seemed totally beyond him at this point. If Spike thought it was time, then it was. He felt Spike remove the cockring, and then his hand was back on Xander's cock, and the hand inside him did - something - and suddenly Xander was coming, and coming...

Xander opened his eyes to see Spike standing next to him, releasing his wrist cuffs.

"Spike?" he croaked out. Spike held a sipper bottle of water to his lips and Xander drank the icy water gratefully. His throat felt as though he'd swallowed a cheesegrater. Spike placed the bottle in one of Xander's hands, then leaned down and kissed him deeply. Xander wrapped his arms around Spike and hugged him. He was surprised to feel himself crying. So he held on tighter. Spike squeezed him back, then pushed away. He finished releasing Xander from the cuffs, helped him out of the sling, and then carried him to the bed. He put Xander carefully under the covers, stripped quickly and climbed in next to him, gathering the shaking man into his arms.

Xander tried to speak again, but words eluded him. Spike seemed to understand, though, because he held Xander close, rubbing circles on his back while he talked to him.

"Shh, baby. It's all right. I'm here. It's all a bit overwhelming, isn't it, the first time? Lots of feelings, emotions, hard to cope with; just let them out. Don't try and think about it now. Just close your eyes and rest here with me. You gave me a beautiful gift, and I love you so much."

Xander felt himself choking up, and tears ran down his face again. Why the hell couldn't he stop crying? But Spike cradled him close, patted his back and whispered soothing nonsense to him, and he felt himself drifting off to sleep.

*****

Xander opened his eyes to find Spike, propped up on one elbow, watching him.

"Hey."

"Hey yourself," said Spike, and Xander felt something flip flop inside him at the smile Spike gave him.

"Have I told you that I love you lately?"

"Might have mentioned it in passing, earlier on," said Spike, the soft smile widening a little.

"That's good. I'd hate you to forget," said Xander, pulling Spike down for a kiss, which slowly deepened. They lazily thrust against each other, sharing kisses, stroking and petting warm, sensitive flesh. Spike's hand crept down and curled around their aligned cocks, and he slowly jacked them both off.

"We desperately need a shower, you know," said Xander, several minutes later, aware of just how sticky he was even before they'd come all over each other.

"In a second, love. You need to drink first, and so do I," said Spike. He morphed into game face and sliced his wrist open. He pressed it to Xander's mouth and then sank his fangs into Xander's neck. Spike only took a couple of mouthfuls, but he allowed Xander to drink for longer.

"You didn't take much," said Xander, as Spike licked the wound on his wrist to heal it.

"No. Only need a few mouthfuls for the bond. You needed a bit more to make sure you'll be able to sit down properly tomorrow. Got a busy day, don't forget." He grinned as Xander yawned widely, and then dropped a kiss on his forehead. "Right," said Spike, pulling back the covers and getting out of bed, "come on then. Shower and bed for you. I'll clean up in here. Won't be far behind you, love."

*****

Xander groaned as the alarm went off, batting his hand ineffectually in an attempt to turn it off. Finally peeling his eyes open, he glared at the clock, picked it up and threw it across the room. It hit the wall with a satisfying crashing noise, and the alarm abruptly stopped.

"And a good morning to you, too, my little ray of sunshine," said Spike in an altogether too cheerful sounding voice.

"Shutup Spike," Xander mumbled, burying his head in the pillows and pulling the covers over his head. A few seconds later, the covers were unceremoniously yanked away.

"Spiiike, it's 6 am. I'm still asleep here."

"Well, unless you're talking in your sleep, you're awake now," said Spike. He ran a hand down Xander's back, then moved to kneel next to him. "Xan, just wanna check that you're okay," he said, as he gently parted Xander's cheeks. The little pucker was still a bit red, and he swiped his tongue across it then dropped a kiss on it before releasing the cheeks and kneeling upright again. "How does it feel, love?"

Xander wriggled and flexed a little. "Surprisingly, not bad at all. I mean I can feel it, you know, but I just feel well...you know..." Spike could almost hear Xander blushing. He was still amazed at how coy the boy was sometimes.

"Well fucked?" Spike asked. Xander laughed softly.

"Yeah, very well fucked." Xander turned his head to look at Spike, and the sleepy, adorable look on his face made Spike melt. 'I am such a sucker,' he thought to himself. He leant forward to give Xander a gentle kiss.

"Tell you what, I'll get up and make a start. You catch up on a bit more sleep. But you owe me, Xander. No complaining if I decide to grab a bit of kip this afternoon, okay?"

"Really? Thanks, Spike," yawned Xander. Spike pulled the covers up again, and Xander was asleep within seconds.

*****

By 10 am, Xander was up, dressed, and feeling much better. Spike had let him sleep for several hours, and had the cooking under control, thanks to the detailed instructions they'd been left. Spike gave Xander a cup of coffee and a couple of pieces of toast, and then shooed him out of the kitchen. So Xander decided to organise some Christmas music for while they ate lunch, and DVD's for them all to watch later. Then he helped Spike decorate the dining table. He was just wondering what to do next when his cell phone rang.

"Spike, they're here," Xander called as he made his way out to the underground parking garage. His stomach felt as though a flock of butterflies were just taking off and had discovered there was no way out. He'd successfully conquered his nervous feelings all morning, but suddenly - they were here. This would be the first time Willow and Giles had spent time with Spike since before they bonded. He sent a quick prayer to any deity that cared to listen that it would all go well, please, and helped the girls with the bags they were pulling out of the trunk of Giles' car. Then he pinned a smile firmly to his face and took a deep breath as he led Giles and the girls into the apartment.

One guided tour of (almost) the whole apartment later, the suitably impressed visitors settled into the chairs in the loungeroom while Xander saw to drinks. Spike had simply nodded and returned their Christmas greetings, cordially, before returning to supervising lunch preparations. Xander breathed a sigh of relief, and hoped this was a sign that the day would go well. Spike had promised to be on his best behaviour. Well, what he'd actually said was that he wouldn't eat anybody unless they really pissed him off. It was the best Xander could hope for, all things considered.

"So, um, Spike is cooking?" said Willow. The look of surprise on their faces as they saw Spike bustling around the kitchen had almost made Xander laugh out loud.

"Well, it was either that or pizza for lunch," said Spike as he walked into the loungeroom carrying some bowls and packets. Willow stared in disbelief as Spike arranged bowls of snacks and coasters on the coffee table, took the beer that Xander handed him and dropped a quick kiss on his lips before heading back to the kitchen. She looked up and saw Giles grinning at her. Tara appeared to suddenly choke, and Xander grinned at her attempt to tactfully cover up her fit of giggles.

Spike walked back into the loungeroom and glared at the suddenly too-innocent faces smiling at him.

"One word, and you can all bugger off home now," he snarled at them.

"Wouldn't dream of it," said Giles.

Spike sat on the arm of Xander's chair. "Right, lunch won't be long now. So, killed anything interesting lately, Watcher?" he asked. Giles stared at him for a moment, obviously trying to decide if this was the vampire equivalent of discussing the weather, and then said, "As a matter of fact, there was a very odd demon the other night..."

*****

Lunch was a complete success. Even though Marlene had prepared everything beforehand, and left idiot-proof instructions, Xander had expected something to go wrong, and was still in shock. The food had been perfect. The table had looked wonderful, the conversation over lunch had been amusing and friendly, and everybody was still alive, or undead, at any rate. They were now all slumped on the lounge suite, groaning. Xander had put the 'It's a Wonderful Life' DVD on, but nobody was paying much attention to it.

"I can't remember the last time I ate that much," said Willow. "I don't think I can move."

"Too tired to open your presents then?" said Spike. This comment was treated with the disdain it deserved as Xander and Willow made an undignified dive at the pile of presents under the tree. Tara simply smiled as Giles shook his head at their antics.

The gifts were quickly distributed, and the pile of torn wrapping paper in the centre of the room grew quickly. Giles was the only one who showed any restraint, and that was simply because he'd opened the book that Spike had found for him first. It was an extremely rare, first edition of Daemons Maleficus by Ravensthorne. Giles had uttered an undignified squeak when he unwrapped it, and had refused to put it down long enough to unwrap any of his other gifts. He said he recognised good whiskey among the unopened packages by the shape of the bottle, and that if he unwrapped it, it may not make it home unopened, casting a meaningful look in Spike's direction. Spike sighed at the less than subtle hint and got out the whiskey and glasses.

Willow was the first to unwrap a painstakingly hand-carved and finished wooden stake.

"Oh, Xander, it's beautiful," she said. "And my name is carved in it!" Everyone reached for their stake-shaped gifts and opened them.

"Really, Xander, these are wonderful. I shall certainly treasure mine," said Giles. Xander blushed. He'd put a lot of work into carving and personalising each one.

"Yeah, I made one for each of us. Figured they'd come in useful, you know?"

Spike unwrapped his and looked at it in bemusement. "You trying to tell me something, pet?" he said, then burst out laughing as Xander began to babble apologies, thinking that he'd upset his mate. Spike wrapped his arms around Xander and dropped a kiss on his cheek, and then grinned widely at the "aww, sweet," comments coming from the girls. At Spike's glare, as he suddenly remembered he was the Big Bad, they hurriedly picked up another present each and began unwrapping them.

Both Tara and Willow were absolutely speechless at the delicate gold necklace and bracelet sets that Xander had bought for them, and insisted on wearing them immediately, both heading to the bathroom in search of a mirror so they could admire themselves. Spike gave Xander a beautiful set of woodworking tools, and Xander gave Spike a new silver lighter, with their entwined initials engraved on it. The girls gave them some hand-made scented candles and an intricate dreamcatcher from the three of them, saying that Giles had the other present from them all. Xander gasped when he opened it, and wordlessly passed it to Spike. It was a charcoal and pastel portrait of the two of them, carefully wrapped in plastic. Xander sitting in a chair, with Spike standing behind him, his hands on Xander's shoulders, looking every bit the Master Vampire with his Consort. Spike looked at Giles, a query in his eyes, and Giles nodded.

"How the hell did you manage to get him to do it?" Spike asked.

"He owes me," Giles said simply. "Actually, he was quite happy to do it. Said he owed it to you." Spike simply nodded at that statement. Xander caught Spike's eye and said, "Angel?" At Spike's nod he turned to Giles.

"Thank you, guys. It's beautiful. It's the most wonderful present - and I know just the sort of frame I'm going to make for it," said Xander. He got up and propped the portrait up on one of the shelves behind the bar.

"While you're there, Xan," said Spike, holding up his empty glass. Xander grinned and refilled everyone's glasses. He then raised his glass.

"A toast, to friends," he said. Everyone raised their glasses, and returned the sentiment.

"Oh, hey, the movie's finished. Wanna help me pick another one?" Xander asked Willow and Tara. The three were soon rummaging through DVD's, each one lobbying for his or her favourite as the next movie to be watched.

"I'm gonna have a smoke, Xan," said Spike, picking up his new lighter and slipping it into his pocket. At Xander's absent "uhuh", he turned to look at Giles. "Need some ice for this whiskey, too. Wanna join me, Watcher?" he added, as he picked up the whiskey bottle and his glass and headed towards the kitchen. The tone of his voice left no doubt that this was not a request.

*****

Spike led Giles to the small table and chairs near the back door that led to their private underground parking area. He put the bottle and his glass on the table, then sat down, took out his cigarettes and lit one, inhaling deeply.

"Want one?" Spike said, offering the pack to Giles.

"No, thank you," said Giles.

"I'll just leave them on the table anyway. You might want to change your mind in a minute," said Spike. He refilled both their drinks, then took a good swallow of whiskey. Spike leaned back in his chair, drew deeply on his cigarette again, and blew a stream of smoke towards the ceiling.

"So. You're suddenly bosom pals with Angelus, eh?" said Spike, still staring at the ceiling. "You just called him up, out of the blue, asked him to do the portrait and he agreed, just like that."

Giles picked up his glass and sipped his whiskey for a moment. "Well, not exactly. I simply thought it would be something that Xander would like."

"Right. Xander. Of course," said Spike. He turned his head and stared thoughtfully at Giles. "Seems to me, my Sire would be the last person you'd want to be talking to. And as for commissioning him to do a portrait, well..." Spike drew deeply on his cigarette again, sending another steam of smoke heavenwards.

Giles sighed. "If you have something to say to me, Spike, just say it. I'm not in the mood for games."

"I don't play games, Watcher. Never had the patience; not my style, you know? The boy told me that he let slip about our little visit to LA. He didn't want to tell you; thought it'd worry you. So, what was going on in that head of yours, eh? Wanted a blow-by-blow account, did you?" Spike ignored Giles' affronted, "of course not!" and continued, "Should have just asked me, Watcher. 'Cos I know for a fact that that ponce Angel didn't tell you a bloody thing." Spike dropped his cigarette butt to the floor, crushing it underfoot. "He'll be too busy trying to convince himself that it never happened."

"That wasn't what I..." Giles paused for a moment. "He did refuse to discuss it when I called him, you're right," he admitted. "So you can imagine how surprised I was when he turned up at my door the other night, totally unexpectedly, and gave me the picture to give to you."

"Did he say anything?" asked Spike.

"Well, nothing really. He didn't ask to come in. Simply knocked, and when I answered, he said, 'Give this to them. It's the least I can do for you, and I owe them something.' Dropped it on the doorstep and walked away."

Spike drained his whiskey and lit another cigarette. "Swept off into the night after being all enigmatic, did he? Sounds about right. Always did have a flair for the dramatic, stupid git." Spike poured himself another drink, and topped up Giles' glass. "Still doesn't explain why you phoned him in the first place though, does it?"

"I was merely concerned. I care about Xander -" Giles stopped abruptly as Spike snorted. He glared at Spike as the vampire waved his hand in a 'carry on' gesture. "No, you seem to find something I said amusing, Spike. I wasn't the one who placed Xander in the hands of Angelus. I'm sure you had your reasons, though I can't imagine what they would be. Please, enlighten me."

Spike sprang to his feet and morphed into game face at the exact moment that Xander walked out the door. His startled cry of 'Spike!' froze him in place. Spike closed his eyes and forced himself to change back. He opened his eyes again to find Xander standing in front of him, watching him closely, a look of concern on his face.

"Spike?" Xander said again. "I could feel you getting upset. What's wrong?"

Spike ran his hand through his hair. Took a deep breath and exhaled loudly. "Sorry, love. The Watcher and I were having a bit of a heated discussion, that's all. No harm done."

"Well, maybe you guys should come back in now. You're missing the movie." The cautious plea in Xander's voice was enough to calm Spike down. He knew he wouldn't make the same mistake again. But he needed to finish this.

"Yeah, we'll be along in a minute, love. Just wanna finish talking to Rupes here. It'll be fine, I promise." Spike felt Xander probing at the link, and let him reassure himself by tapping into Spike's emotions. Xander nodded, then turned to Giles.

"Everything's fine, Xander, I assure you. It's not as if I'm in any danger from Spike. We'll be along presently." Xander caught Spike's eye again and held his gaze for a moment, then said, "Right, of course not. But I'm coming out to drag you both inside if you're not done in ten minutes, okay?" He gave them both a stern look before heading back inside.

Giles sighed and reached for the cigarette packet. "I believe I will have one of these after all," he said. Spike took one too, and lit first Giles' and then his own. They sat for a minute or two, smoking and sipping their whisky.

"I didn't take the boy to LA through choice," said Spike, finally breaking the silence. "Claiming a human, well, it's not the same, see? Turns out the ritual's not optional. Xander faced down Angelus, made me bloody proud. He's fine now; a lot stronger for it. And that's all you need to know, okay?"

"Of course. It's really none of my business. It's just..." Giles' voice trailed off.

"I'm not stupid, Watcher, and I'm not blind," said Spike, softly. "The boy thinks a lot of you. You're a friend he can confide in, and more of a father to him than the miserable bastard he was stuck with. But he's bonded to me; he belongs to me. Don't ever forget that, or overstep your boundaries. You understand me? One wrong move, and it'll be the last one you ever make." Spike ground out his cigarette and finished his whiskey in one swallow. "Right then, we've said what needed to be said, so we'd best get inside and see what the kids are up to, eh?" said Spike cheerfully. Giles looked at him, surprised at the sudden change in mood.

"Er, right. Yes, of course," said Giles. He dropped his cigarette to the ground and crushed it out, finished his whiskey and stood up. As they headed into the apartment, Spike turned to Giles and said, "But here's something for you to think about, Watcher. Angelus was the artist. As far as I know, Angel wouldn't know one end of a pencil from the other. Probably just as well you didn't invite him in." He grinned widely at the shocked look that suddenly appeared on Giles' face.

*****

As they walked into the loungeroom, they saw Xander rummaging around behind the bar.
"Aha! Here it is," he said, dragging out a box. He smiled as he saw Giles and Spike. "You two decided to be sociable, did you? Good, we're going to play Clue. So, who's ready for some detectivey fun?"

Several games, two movies and a lot of snacks and drinks later, Giles declared it was getting late and they had better be going. As much as Xander didn't want the party to break up, he and Spike had to be up early on Christmas Day, so he didn't protest too much.

As they gathered their things, Xander grabbed a bag he'd placed by the door. He handed it to Giles and said, "Can you take this to Buffy's tomorrow, Giles? It's just a few things for her and Joyce, for Christmas. I, er, I made her a stake, too."

"Of course, Xander. I'm sure she'll love it," said Giles, smiling sadly at Xander. "She'll come round, just give her some time," he added.

*****

Xander slumped bonelessly as Spike withdrew gently and rolled off to the side. They lay there panting for a while, then Spike got out of bed and padded to the bathroom, quickly cleaning himself up and bringing in a wet washcloth and towel for Xander, which he flung back in the general direction of the bathroom once his mate had finished with them. He then reached into his bedside table drawer and took out a small, giftwrapped box. Xander smiled, reached into his drawer and pulled out a larger, similarly wrapped box. They laughed and swapped gifts. Spike opened his and looked up at Xander in surprise.

"It's wonderful, pet. Where the hell did you find it?" He held the dagger carefully, and turned the bedroom lights up a bit so he could see it more clearly. It was an antique, and was elaborately carved and engraved. It had obviously been carefully restored.

"You really like it?" asked Xander anxiously. He'd wanted something special, but was at a loss until he'd spotted this in an antique shop. Well, more a junk shop really. He'd bought it and taken it to a specialist in restoration work, and they'd done a wonderful job on it. Especially considering the fact that they'd agreed to do it in only a couple of days, as Xander wanted it before Christmas.

"Yeah. It's perfect," said Spike. He placed it carefully back in the velvet-lined box, and then watched as Xander unwrapped the gift from him. He gasped as he opened the box.

"Oh, Spike. It's beautiful," he said, lifting the heavy chain from the box. As he looked at the heavy links, he realised that every other heavy link was the letter 'S', lying on its side, with the letter 'X' between them. Spike must have had it made for him.

"I love it," he said, as he placed it around his neck. Spike reached over and helped him with the clasp. "I'll wear it always."

"C'mere, love," said Spike, pulling Xander into his arms. They lay, wrapped around each other, with Spike nuzzling Xander's hair.

"Spike? The thing with you and Giles. Is it... I mean, are you guys okay?"

"Yeah, we're fine, love. Just a bit of a misunderstanding, that's all. Nothing for you to worry about, I promise you. Anyway, did you enjoy yourself today?"

"It was great, Spike. It's the best Christmas I've ever had," said Xander. "Thank you." Spike tightened his arms around Xander for a moment.

"Not over yet, love. Still got tomorrow to go. It'll be a mad house, kids everywhere, but you'll enjoy yourself, I promise."

"Love you, Spike," said Xander, and then he yawned widely.

"You too, love. Get some sleep. Busy day tomorrow. Sweet dreams, pet."

 

To Be Continued...

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