Chambers had abandoned the heat detecting equipment in favor of a high powered digital camera that would do any paparazzi proud. What he saw through the extended lens was two beautiful men enjoying a holiday, hardly the ‘non human hostiles’ their group was out to capture. He snorted loudly, at the same time registering the click of the door behind as his replacement came in. It was one thirty in the afternoon. He was back on surveillance at eleven tonight. Just enough time to eat, shower and sleep, before doing it all again.
“Bourke.” He welcomed his taller comrade without looking up.
“Chambers… So what have we got this time? Bunch of Australian twenty something’s trying to avoid homesickness by drinking themselves into a stupor? Or a couple of try-hard fourth generation Italians from New York throwing their greenbacks around and trying to ‘find their roots’?”
“Neither. We seriously need to widen our sweep, but you didn’t hear that from me of course! Check this out…”
“Of course.”
Chambers pulled away from the camera and indicated to his colleague to use the view finder.
The blonde squatted down and took in the vista below. Seeing a virtually clear apartment he mumbled, “This is *pointless*!...”. He then paused to observe two men with low slung towels emerge from a steaming bathroom. The taller of the two snaked a hand around his partner’s waist and pulled the blonde into a passionate kiss. “Ohhh!! Geez, are you serious?? Why are we spending our time watching fags f#@k?!.... What’s the boss…?.... Man!... Actually that blonde… far out! Have you see his…” The soldier blushed, and shot an embarrassed look to his partner-in-arms.
“Yeah I did… figure he must work out pretty hard. But you know those guys, into perfection, that sort of thing... Bigger guy not too bad either..” Chambers wiggled a suggestive eyebrow at his smirking friend, but then became serious, “Seems to have lost an eye at some point – and I mean totally. American, wouldn’t be surprised if he’s seen some action – looks like an old injury – could be the Gulf? I’m just guessing but seems he lost it ‘in combat’ and is now into building and project management, according to what info we have. Probably with CIA given the lack of info. Dates and age matches though, so makes sense if he was ex-undercover engineer.” His friend grunted his agreement but kept his eye firmly on the view finder.
“Who’s his young friend?”
“Rich kid, daddy’s money probably. Boston. Typical! Seems he’s pretty much the ‘recluse’, and now we know why. Wouldn’t think the Murdoch media would leave that one alone if he were ‘out ‘n about’! Batchelor of the year not really into breeding? Make a great story… all warm receptacle, money under the table and a very large syringe!”
Both men sniggered a little, still focused on their ‘targets’. Chambers looked across at his erstwhile companion, noting for the first time the younger soldier’s finely honed physique, *and*, despite the derisive words, his obvious arousal at what he was watching. He grinned at the thought that there might just be someone else ‘jacking off’ in the shower after watching the ‘queer eye’ couple for a full shift!
Xander and Spike were now fully aware of their observers. Spike’s acute hearing even picked up the ultrasonic whine of the camera recharging on occasion. Risking a short ‘nude session’ rather than replacing the heat suit proved an excellent decision. Spike bound his partner with a broad leather strap and a whispered “If you’re *really* good, I’m sure I can track down some ‘Boston beads’, oh RA o’ mine.”
The heightened arousal and resultant heat from Xander was more than enough for full body contact to transfer adequate heat should anyone be taking readings. Spike’s apparent licking and determined hickey ‘away from camera’, allowing warm blood to flow unobserved from consort to vampire, causing Xander to moan, and the instant Spike opened the cock ring, both partner’s to release.
Their observer attempted to adjust his *very* tight uniform for a third time in ten minutes, the simple touch causing him to come in his clothes for the first time since high school. He was just thankful that Chambers had left for the day.
Spike eventually retreated to the bathroom once more, donned the suit that had Xander deliberately binding himself again in an effort to deal with the new sensation of his warmed partner. Though the reason was actually twofold, clad in the sharkskin-like suit, Spike’s form was arguably more stunning than when he was nude. Xander mused that the body definitely spelt athlete but that “vampire” probably was not a country on the international circuit, and certainly would not have passed the Olympic drugs testing (on account of the whole ‘not able to provide a sample’ thing obviously!).
The warm suit seemed to have its own affect on the wearer… and the link made it no easier for the wearer to control arousal… Xander grinned knowingly, and enjoyed the rather blissful look on his partner’s face as the suit hugged and heated the lithe, and now very obviously aroused, figure.
Pulling his lover down onto the rather small lounge, he pinned Spike under him and proceeded to rub his silk boxer clad erection against his partner’s rather obvious interest, “Gahh… You are *so* beautiful… you know that!”
“Yeah – eye of the beholder an’ all that… We goin’ out?” Spike grinned, enjoyed the warmth and matched the delicious pressure from his partner’s erection with a push upward.
Despite their ‘mutual interest’ Xander registered his lover’s awareness of their observers – and was more than a little concerned that that they might be taken in regardless of heat readings. “Later….. God Sp..Will The curtains are open!”
“So…. Let the observers be informed!... Good lord pet, in a city that, in ancient times, treated women as breeders, and male partners as completion… enjoy… You obviously being the … completion part o’course!”
Spike wiggled an eyebrow and felt the suit respond to the heat of his lover…
Their observer lost his shot but found his own completion, spilling into his uniform a second time as his two subjects found their ‘tipping point’ and groaned their pleasure into the heat of the afternoon.
....................
Justin Chambers was wandering from the bathroom of the small apartment the ‘New’ Initiative had requisitioned. He’d slept, ate, his teeth were now cleaned, towel secured, and hair combed back, somewhat dry, when the work mobile rang.
“Bourke?...Yeah well our orders are to stay put. What do you think they were?... C’mon man… it sounds like they’re just going clubbing doesn’t it? I mean… Look I’ll be there in 10. Sounds like a quiet night for once… Yeah… Can’t have everything. Catch you soon.”
..................
They were on their way out. Xander was happy to stand back and watch his charismatic partner woo the landlady, and her ‘nephew’, their driver for the evening.
Spike had dressed him. Soft leather pants that matched his hair, a collarless off white shirt and honey brown cotton jumper that he was told to tie around his neck *not* wear. Spike seemed to have gone all out for the ‘rich boy’ look, skin tight designer jeans, up market black boots and an elegant deep blue button down shirt concealing his lycra suit. They had agreed the suit had to stay on… though more for their return to the apartment than any immediate need in the mass of writhing bodies they expected at the club.
As Xander climbed into the luxury new Mercedes, he began to seriously ponder again, just how ‘low’ Spike had gone after his Initiative experience. In his current incarnation it was obvious that the Master Vampire had been part of the ‘elite’ of his race for over a century, and used to moving in high society in the human world as a matter of course. It brought home the cruelty of the chip and conjured images of torture that must have driven his elegant, well educated and highly intelligent partner to seek help from a bunch of modern day teenagers, put up with being locked into baths and basements, and accept ‘charity’ blood from Kiss the Librarian’ cups. Each time he probed Spike’s memories through the link it shut down. He feared for what they might find if captured once again.
Banishing negative thoughts, Xander watched as his vampire made Yanos, the twenty something driver, feel particularly special. Spike had chatted easily in Italian as they drove around the darkened streets of Rome – Spike dropping hints as to how many times he had been there, and commenting on the appalling state of the old city due to ‘all the new development’. Yanos had promised them a wonderful night according to Spike, and true to his word, delivered them to an upmarket café within sight of the amply lit Coliseum. Xander looked on with amusement as Spike downed his extra strong short black coffee from what looked like an egg cup, then ate an enormous piece of honey cake utterly oozing with the sweet liquid. A dribble of golden syrup escaped the corner of Spike’s and Xander’s hand whipped forward before he could think, catching the errant drip on his forefinger and feeding it back to his partner. Spike held the digit in his mouth, swallowed quickly then all but made love to the finger, laving and sucking until Xander was so hard he was almost certain that a part of him was about to raise their tiny table inadvertently. Spike noted the desire, grinned wickedly and pulled off his mouth with a ceremonial plop.
“You are *so* going to pay for that!”
“Countin’ on it pet.” Xander felt his non-sucked hand grabbed and pulled toward his partner’s crotch, then thanked the gods of Rome for the dark evening and their secluded spot in the café as his hand was pushed over a hard object that mirrored his own. Just as Xander decided they might have time to take it to the men’s room, Yanos beeped the horn from the other side of the street causing Spike to stand, throw money onto the table and direct his flustered lover back to the car.
A half hour later, Yanos delivered them to a classy gay nightclub in the north of the old city. Xander smirked as his blonde companion handed the boy the equivalent three days’ wages in Euro to guarantee there would be a car there when they came out, then smiled openly as Spike completed the deal by leaning in to the driver, grasp the back of the now obviously besotted youth’s head, and kissed him on both cheeks in fine Italian tradition.
The queue for the nightclub was lengthy but Spike, true to form, walked to the front, whispered something in the *female* door person’s ear and led Xander through the door to the incensed cries of other patrons who had been waiting their turn.
As they pushed through the sea of bodies toward a packed bar, Spike pushed his mouth to Xander’s ear and all but yelled, “Pays to know the owner, pet. Introduce you later,” then nodded toward a balcony area. Xander simply shrugged and shook his head in disbelief. Of *course* Spike would know the owner… ‘as you do’!
The club was noisy, sweaty and utterly arousing. Beautiful male forms surrounded them, Xander guessing that the crowd averaged late twenties early thirties… he and his beautiful ‘boyfriend’ certainly did not look out of place. Two drinks and several gloriously arousing dances later, Xander was ready to throw his partner against the nearest wall and engage in what seemed to be the national sport… tongue hockey. Spike had other ideas, grabbing his partner by the wrist and literally dragging him up to the mezzanine floor overlooking the frantic clubbers.
It was marginally quieter which was a relief, and Xander’s good eye appreciated the lack of spinning colored spotlights and strobes. He was, however amazed to be drawn into what appeared like a bohemian ‘den’ of the fifties. Chrome fixtures, plush red rug and black leather couches dominated.
Spike nodded to an immaculately dressed man who, Xander estimated, was in his mid forties and surrounded by a full entourage of a dozen or so highly attractive twenty-somethings.
“Stefano.”
“William! I heard you were in town! It must be what? Fifty years. Of course I am not counting that few days here courtesy of Wolfram ‘e Hart! Crazy business with that head, always the same with Di Capa. Too much panic… but then they’ve always loved a drama.” The slightly graying, slim man chortled heartily and stood to kiss Spike. “But my friend, you didn’t even call?! Ahhh well… I heard about Angelus. You have my deepest sympathies, I know you were his favourite…” A genuine look of pain and understanding passed between the two and Xander felt a jolt of hurt through the link.
“But here you are… and with a *consort* no less! Congratulations!” Stefano held out his hand to Xander in a gesture not unlike a church elder. Xander, after a furtive look at his partner to confirm his approval, took the hint and kissed the back of the hand. It was cool and felt slightly scaly for some odd reason, though Xander could see no evidence of the same when he looked at the gent.
Spike smiled at the club owner enigmatically as Xander withdrew, at the same time taking his consort’s hand and squeezed it approvingly.
After the encounter, Xander concluded that Stefano was not human, or at very least, not a *normal* human… but then, he mused, neither was he anymore.
“You always did like the boys, hadn’t picked you for one to take an older lover though… would have offered my services had I known.” A lascivious grin gave the club owner’s face the lines that defined his age and underlined his point. Spike smiled innocently.
“Guess I found experience and endurance wins in the end, mate. Don’t see your boys complainin’.”
“So… The Aurelians don’t travel without good reason… You came here for business or pleasure?” The question was delivered pleasantly enough, but Xander noted the coldly calculating look now leveled at his partner.
Xander admired Spike’s suddenly unreadable ‘poker face’, and knew in that moment that the exchange was not as jovial in the least. “Little of both,” Spike broke the tension a little by reaching into his pocket finding his cigarettes, lighting one with a quick click of a gold Zippo and blowing the first flume over the heads of his audience. “Needed to show my consort here the pleasures of Stefano’s Rome and takin’ ‘im to the country in a couple of days. Business side involves the Initiative… ”
Stephano sobered and turned a cold eye on the pair. “So you are bringing your problems here Spike?”
The vampire leant back and held up his hands in supplication. “Oi! Not mine, nor me consort’s hassles… Strictly favor for a friend that we’re involved. This is already here on your doorstep mate. And don’t start with the innocent, you have the intel. Yeah?”
Some of Stefano’s group shifted uncomfortably and Spike smirked a little, perhaps for once he was better informed. “Got the Immortal and his Slayer squeeze spooked ‘n all. Anyways figure my boy here and I are gonna lead them a merry chase for a short while then scarper. Meanwhile,” Spike leaned forward and growled conspiratorially, “let’s you and I keep all our people safe, yeah? Old times?”
Stefano seemed to brighten at the last statement, pulling back and grinning, “Indeed friend… Old times!” Stefano stood as did Spike. The meeting was obviously over though Xander was still a little confused as to what had been decided.
“Should you succeed we are deeply in your debt William, Master of Aurelius and consort Alexander. You have our support while in this city.” With that Stefano kissed Spike on both cheeks, nodded at his consort and departed through an almost invisible black door in the wall, his entire entourage at heel.
Spike stubbed out his half smoked cigarette on a hand rail, looking, for just a moment, very tired. “C’mon pet, let’s get home.”