New Year's Resolutions: part fourteen

New Year's Resolutions: part fourteen
by Josie_h
Notes

Xander woke to a snuggling vampire lying half way onto his chest and the thundering coo of several pigeons, apparently so enthusiastic regards their window box vantage point, that they felt obliged to share the joy as loudly as possible.

Xander didn’t recall the end of their lovemaking but registered that Spike must have ‘slipped out’ some time during the night. He hugged the sleeping blonde closer and petted the long hair, removing the ribbon that had been holding it back in the process. Splaying his fingers, he combed it out to fall around Spike’s slim shoulders, and continued to stroke the silky strands until an urgent need to use the bathroom focused his attention elsewhere. Shifting off the bed, he watched with amusement as the cooler body immediately claimed his vacated warm (and he noted, a little wet!) patch.

Ablutions complete, Xander wandered around the suite, momentarily lifted the curtain to tap loudly on the window and remove the noisy ‘flying rats’ (as Spike liked to call them) from their perch, then slid back into bed to spoon his companion again in a warm cuddle.

Spike roused an hour or so later, realizing that the hand gently stroking the length of his torso was owned by a very awake Xander. He wriggled a little, then rolled to face his companion lifting a hand to pet the cherished jaw-line and run it across the broad chest. He surreptitiously made small circles around the areoles before sliding ‘south ward’ to engage the hair line just below his partner’s navel, then returning to the adored face.

A still sleep laden voice offered, “Hey, sweetheart.”

And as his hand began to move again, he replied simply, “Mornin’ luv.”

“’S still morning Spike, you wanna sleep more?”

“Nah, pet – it bein’ New Year’s Eve n’ all, figured to do a little more experimentin’ with me RA prior to celebratin’ the coming year. But first up pet…Time for you to have some breakfast, yeah?”

Xander’s stomach growled on cue.

“Right then!” But as Spike moved to sit up, his companion pushed him back and ‘scooted down’ the bed to engulf his partner’s waking cool erection in a ‘very’ hot mouth.

“Oh Gahh…. Xan!!!”

It was a mere few minutes of expert tongue and decent (if only human strength) suction with Spike fisting his hair, before Xander felt his lover arch, moan and shoot his cool seed into a welcoming mouth. He swallowed quickly then licked his now entirely relaxed partner clean, watching with amusement as the flesh twitched with semi interest at every caressing pass of his tongue.

Spike lay with his eyes closed and a rather enigmatic smile firmly in place until he was able to slow his breathing again to nothing. Xander was simply content to lie with his head at his lover’s hip level, gently stroking around the belly button of the sated friend until they were both ‘still’.

Spike reached down to pet Xander’s hair then cupped the unshaven chin and looked down to the as the loved face lifted to meet his gaze. “Shower and breakfast pet?”

Xander snuggled back down, “Hmmm, ‘S nice here though.”

“C’mon mate, your chin feels like you’re trying to sand me hip ready for a lick of paint! And unless I want you knawin’ on me arm, I reckon we’d better feed you pretty soon.” With that he pulled the boy to his feet and shoved him in the direction of the bathroom, giving the retreating behind an affectionate slap and receiving the obligatory indignant “Hey!” in return.

Some forty minutes later and it was the first time Xander had been down to breakfast for days so he took full advantage of the ample self serve choices on offer.

Spike piled his plate with lashings of bacon, eggs and several slices of toast despite having eaten his own liquid repast prior to coming down.

Xander had been sitting watching his partner enjoy the morning meal for several minutes, utterly mesmerized as Spike slowly licked a dribble of yoke from the corner of his mouth, before he realized with a little embarrassment that his own tongue had unconsciously mimicked the act. He had just begun to blush furiously when a bright Texan drawl pulled his attention to the next table, and he desperately hoped that none of the guests had been watching him too closely.

“Well howdy Mr! We figured y’all must have headed back west!” Mitchell K. ’s petite girlfriend Candy, from the night at the Jazz Club, had spun in her chair and was looking past Xander to eye Spike with some interest.

“Who’s your friend then?”

“Oh um yeah, um this is S… William. He’s an old colleague.”

Candy leaned over to offer Spike her hand.

“Well Hi, I’m Candy and that there is my husband, Mitchell K. We all met y’r Xander a few days ago.”

Spike carefully dabbed his mouth with his linen napkin, stood politely and, using his original upper crust English accent, said “Charmed madam, William Aurelius at your service,” and lightly kissed the back of the proffered hand.

“Oooh Y’all ‘r English! I just looove your accent.” Xander rolled his eyes and shot a withering look at Spike, while Candy swung back to her own table, only to grab her partner’s hand and insist they both join the other party.

The men stood as chairs were rearranged and the second couple joined their, until that moment, pleasantly private meal.

“So Will, how d’yall know Xander”

Xander’s bemused look quickly dissolved into a deep blush as Spike, still sounding awfully like Giles, gave Candy a shy smile and began to explain, “We originally worked together, then unfortunately lost contact after our last project. Fortuitously Xander and I happened upon each at a poetry reading a few nights back on the Common, and after some discussion, he has graciously agreed to assist me with some research I’m currently undertaking.”

“So y’all a professor or somethin’”

“Oh no dear lady. I’m merely an amateur writer with a modicum of success of late, currently in search of more accuracy for my stories.”

Mitch (‘to his friends’) joined the conversation at this point. “Can’t be much money in that caper?”

Spike gave a tight smile at the rather derisive note in the man’s words and decided to finish what was fast becoming a tedious conversation. “I write for pleasure. My income derives from investments here and in Europe.” Spike looked to Xander and tried to indicate his intention to leave, but Xander was staring at his friend with amazement. He had never really considered how Spike paid for things, assuming the oft referred to ‘Half inching’ by the vampire provided what he needed. He made a mental note to ask about it once they were alone.

However Mitch’s interest had been piqued and Spike was not to be released from the conversation quite so easily.

“We’re in transport – retail mainly. Five outlets round the south of the state, six by mid year. Started with single car yard south of Houston, few years on and here we are, multi million dollar stock base ‘n a whole herd of employees. So what ya into? Property? Futures? Venture capital?”

Spike was obviously supposed to be impressed by Mitchell B’s achievements, but barely managed to conceal his boredom with the conversation. He had been raised (both as a human and by Angelus) that a ‘gentleman’ did not discuss their financial affairs with strangers and decided to conclude their ‘Texan encounter’ as swiftly as possible, then get his boy upstairs for a good hard shagging.

“Balanced portfolio naturally. Now if you’ll excuse me, I really must insist that Xander and I resume our research.” With that, he pushed his chair back, stood and nodded to Candy, “Pleasure to meet you, I trust you both enjoy the remainder of your stay.” He then left the table, only barely pausing at the door, while Xander said his own polite farewell.

Hardly in the door of their suite, Spike grabbed his partner, shoved him against a wall and plundered Xander’s mouth with a series of possessive kisses in between mumbled insulting comments regards ‘crass colonials’ and ‘bloody car salesmen’.

Eventually Xander pushed him off a little, took the beautiful face in both hands, and actively stilled his partner then kissed him with all the gentle reassurance and quiet passion he could convey in that single act. “C’mon sweetheart…. S’ OK, we’ve got all day, yeah? Let’s just….”

He dropped one hand to take Spike’s, led him across to the bed and sat him on the edge then knelt up between the knees.

“Think it might be my turn to please you yeah? If we’re talkin’ research? Shouldn’t we explore options other than Xander the ‘puddle of goo’ guy!?”

“What are you suggesting pet?”

“Well… as you are the head of this here research team, I thought that maybe you could do the instructing, and I could do the doing…?” There was a very long pause, as Xander watched the crystal gaze turn to a dark blue and a knowing smirk emerge…

Spike’s voice dropped to a seductive rumble, “How far do you want to take it pet?”

“Anything – well mostly anything….. but I won’t hurt you Spike… I’ve read the watcher’s...” Spike cut him off gently by pressing a finger to his mouth.

“Shh shhh luv. Would never ask… vampire stuff not for the feint of heart, and not really what we’re on about here is it?! Yeah?... You with me?....”

It was Xander’s turn to brighten and give a sly smirk… “OK… Awaiting directions...”

Spike’s demeanor and tone suddenly altered as an idea took hold. In a flurry of movement he reversed their positions, then head lowered said quietly, “I wish to put on music, is orchestral acceptable to you, master?”

Xander was still reeling from the swiftness of the reversal, but quickly picked up on the ‘experiment’. He had only ever read about this sort of thing (*whatever this is*) in stories of S&M and hoped he was doing the sort of thing Spike had anticipated... (*and could I be more naive guy?*) But Xander’s muse seemed to have ‘cottoned on’ as Spike would say, and was working overtime. Xander for his part, hadn’t been all that ‘inattentive’ when research lead to watcher diaries and vampire relations, and (to his greater embarrassment) ‘Little Xander’ seemed to be rather interested by the myriad of possibilities!

He decided to continue as best he could, answering in the firmest voice he could muster, (*and now I take that leap*) “Fledge?! Will it please me?!!”

Spike, who had been expecting a mildly sub/dom role play from the former Scoobie, was suddenly and completely thrown by the words and their delivery. He looked up in shock as his demon automatically began to respond. Before his conscious self had time to regroup, he was on his way to a more ‘proper’ submissive position. He then happened to glance up, and saw the face of his ‘sire’ and remembered… with a mixture of grief and relief that…. this was his lover… this was Xan… it was only an ‘experiment… it was a ‘game’…. It was only a game… (*but god, at some level I miss this…. Sire… my sire… *)

Unexpected tears tracked down the defined cheeks. His gaze fell to the ground and salty drips followed…“I believe so, it is pleasant and… I wish to please you, sire”

Xander was desperately trying to remember everything Spike had said about himself pre-turning. The man who knelt in front of him now, appeared ten years his junior at least, all angles, slim, and face bordering on androgynous in its beauty.

It would have been late 1800s, when William was a virginal, stunningly attractive, upper-class Victorian, who (from all accounts) was fascinated by women but was still drawn to dark, tall, foreign… seductive….men. And though initially drained by Dru, was still sired by…‘him’.

Xander couldn’t help himself, he leant down and whispered “G…. You sure about this Spike?” Then saw the unmistakable nod accompanied by an begging, almost black, lust filled gaze of his partner flashed up at him for the briefest of moments, and was further reassured by the whispered “Please let me have this Xan… ‘s only a game…. ‘research’ ‘n all… but please let me have this.”

So the command came, “I approve. Put the music on, then wash yourself and present to me.”

Xander was still rather reluctant to refer to himself as ‘sire’ even in the ‘name of research’, but Spike complied with a look approaching both joy and relief.

Xander heard the shower running and began to wonder how this might play out. His primary concern was that he might not be able to deliver what Spike was hoping for, but then remembered the ‘shopping trip’.

The duffel bag held no joy, but behind it, the plain white shopping bag revealed a number of possibilities.

Spike certainly appeared to have gone ‘all out’. A remote control plug, fluffy cuffs(!), several different cock rings, chocolate lube, and a stunning glass dildo that looked like it belonged in an art gallery.

Placing all the supplies on the side table – along with the rope from the previous night, Xander thought for a moment. Vampires and blood play was simply a given – but… a quick decision was made and Xander went to the bar fridge to extract a couple of ‘O pos’.

As Xander opened the door of the tiny fridge, he stalled in his search for blood. A twin to the glass object now proudly standing on the side table was ‘winking at him’ from its position in the tiny ice box. Xander smiled and began to formulate a ‘plan of attack’. He quickly discarded thoughts of anything battery powered in the name of ‘historical accuracy’. Instead he flicked on the coffee maker and took the ‘wash jug’ from its matching bowl. He emptied the tiny tray of ice into the jug and buried the already cool glass item amongst them.

Filling the bowl with steaming water from the ‘coffee jug’, he let it sit for a minute then pushed two of the blood bags below the surface to warm.

A very pink and obviously thoroughly scrubbed, Spike entered the room and stood near the entrance door, shifting from foot to foot and appearing genuinely (?) nervous.

Xander placed the bowl and jug beside the bed and turned the music down on to a quiet background hum. Channeling his ‘inner Angelus’ (or at least what he thought the bastard might have been like) he spun around to stare at Spike snarling a low, “Are you *so* ill informed that you do not know your correct position in front of your sire?”

Spike’s body again reacted before he registered the owner of the voice. He dropped to his knees, head down, and mumbled “Forgive me sire.”

Xander strode around behind his ‘fledge’, quickly opened the door and placed a ‘do not disturb’ sign on the outer door handle, then grabbed hair at the nape of Spike’s neck, tugging hard and forcing him to arch and look up at the dark figure standing over him.

“You will not speak unless I permit it; you will not touch yourself unless I demand it; and you will not come until I *command* it... You need training childe, and it begins now. Present yourself!” With that, Xander shoved Spike’s head forward to touch the floor.

Spike complied, taking on a fully prostrated position and simply waited. It had been more than a century, since the master vampire had experienced (indeed ‘allowed’) himself to be so ‘controlled’… Neither human nor demon side had dared to pretend this with anyone… And that he should be *given* such an opportunity to remember…*now*… with this human… his rediscovered lover… his beautiful, dark, ‘foreign’ Xan. It was not just extraordinary, it bordered on miraculous.

“Who am I?”

Every part of Spike’s being wanted to believe the fantasy, even for a little while and responded instantly…“My Sire”

“To whom do you belong?”

Without intent, Spike’s true face came to the fore, “You, Sire”

Xander registered again, the very seriousness of the game they were playing, and with that, continued as best he could, “To whom are you loyal?

“To the House of Aurelius, sire”

“And who is it you obey?”

Spike, now with his demon completely to the fore and ridges pressed to the floor, answered automatically.

“Only you, sire. I serve only you.”

The section of Spike’s mind that was still operating in the current time frame noted, that he was extraordinarily hard, and that the ‘research’ had moved so far out of his control, that he had little choice but to simply ‘enjoy the ride’…

Xander changed modes, and held out his hand, “Come Childe, your Sire is well pleased.”

He pulled Spike to standing and led him to the bed.

“You are a beautiful boy… And I know you will not disappoint me…. You won’t disappoint, will you William!?”

“No Sire”

“Then shake off your true face boy and let me look at you”

Spike complied instantly.

“Are you familiar in the way of vampire ‘relations’ William….?”

This was almost too close to history repeating itself for Spike, he began to take long, deep and unnecessary breaths…“Umm, No sire”

Xander felt the stress in his partner and observing the still lowered head, decided to shift the game a little…

“I intend to have you tonight William. Have you ever been pleasured by another man?”

Spike shook his head furiously.

“Excellent then we will have some virginal fun shan’t we. Lie on the bed and grasp the headboard….”

Spike did as instructed, made his way to the centre of the four poster and lay corpse like in posture, with his hands over his head. Xander noted the vampire’s erection was now marble hard and resting proudly against his stomach, and also, that he continued to breathe.

Xander took the handcuffs and fixed his ‘fledge’s’ wrists to the headboard. He then picked up an adjustable cockring, licked the full length of the swollen member and slid the leather on. “I will assist you tonight, but in time you shall win control over this body.” Spike groaned and arched into the touch, so much so that his ‘sire’ slapped the trussed flesh and growled “Be still!”

Xander then straddled the beautiful torso, caressing the pale skin as he moved toward his target. He leaned down momentarily to lave one dark nipple whilst twisting the other lightly, swapped mouth for hand and continued his gentle ministrations until pebble hard nubs remained. Switching back to the original position, Xander flicked his tongue over the tiny lump of dark flesh then bit down hard, causing his charge to arch off the bed again, gaining another slap for the error.

Xander then moved up the vampire’s body until his fuzzy sac brushed a perfect chin and demanded, “Open, boy.” Grabbing the head board himself now, Xander leaned forward and slid his erection into the waiting mouth.

He growled out “Pleasure me and you will be rewarded.” And with that began to thrust, gently at first, but increasing pace and pressure until he plundered the mouth with abandon before shooting his seed far down Spike’s throat. Spike for his part licked and sucked the member clean as it slowly withdrew. Then said dutifully,“Thank you sire.”

The larger man patted the fine boned cheek as he climbed off the prone figure.

“Good boy, even without schooling you have a talented mouth.”

Spike shivered at the words and actions as they mirrored exactly those of more than a century ago.

“Now, on your knees childe”

Spike awkwardly rolled and scrambled into a kneeling position facing the wall – hands now crossed courtesy of the cuffs.

Xander who had been ‘fishing’ for something at the side of the bed, slapped the waiting pale cheeks with a resounding crack, after he turned to realize his boy’s error.

“What the *hell* do you think you are doing?? You’re not here to sing hymns boy! Kneel properly - ready for me.” With that he pushed Spike’s head to the bed, but rather than the beating Spike was expecting (as Angelus would have metered out), strong hands began to massage his backside and a cool (*??*) tongue trailed down his crack.

Xander knew the ice in his mouth would only last seconds, but grinned as he registered the full bodied shudder and stifled whimper when Spike felt the now cooled muscle begin its task. He placed his hand that had been in the ice bucket, midway up Spike’s back and stilled him.

“Steady childe, remember the rules.”

The rimming was at once excruciating and wonderful. The tongue heated up as the act progressed, finishing hot and fully embedded, laving and preparing the soft inner walls of Spike’s channel with promises of ‘bigger things’ to come. It was all the vampire could do to remain still, refusing to give in to the temptation of pushing back onto the invasion. His groan as the tongue withdrew would not be contained and gained him yet another smack – the punishment itself only serving to heighten his arousal.

Xander knew his own ‘recovery rate’ was still to catch up with current activities, so made a couple of quick decisions. He reached down for one of the packs of warming blood, and nicked the corner with the tiny blade on his pocked knife, squeezed a small amount into his hand, and dribbled it down Spike’s crack. Spike smelt the blood, realized the lube of choice and began to breathe again as, once more, his face shifted.

With no more preparation, Xander pulled a cooling glass item from its ice bed and plunged it into his partner’s, now crimson, rear entrance. Spike flinched, registering the *cold* invasion with a very decent measure of shock and surprise. He pushed back a little, but Xander stilled the object and the icy feel was allowed to settle into Spike’s tender channel.

Xander then began to move the cool glass with one hand, while he shifted his other relatively hot palm, to stroke Spike’s restrained and now very angry looking erection.

The contradictory temperatures were wonderful and unbearably stimulating in equal measure, and when Xander altered the angle of thrust ‘just so’, Spike could no longer stay silent, crying out his pleasure and begging his sire for more.

Xander pushed the glass object home one more time, then used his free hand to flip the vampire onto his back again. Grabbing the already open blood bag from its warm resting place, he continued to thrust into his charge with the glass member, whilst squeezing almost the entire contents of the bag into the vampire’s welcoming mouth.

Spike was riding on a wave of ecstasy – warm human blood as he was pumped into by a cool shaft.

The bag left his lips and the glass his body, and he was about to protest his loss when he felt a warmer member push inside and take up the rhythm, and a hand begin to stroke his restrained manhood.

“Oh G… Sire please…. please …. Please sire!!”

“Do you wish to come childe?”

“Please sire… Please may I? … Oh G….!!! Please sire!!!”

In one swift move, Xander flicked off the cock ring, pumped the erection three times matching his own thrusts, then bit Spike as hard as he could at the base of his neck.

At the bite, Spike arched off the bed and screamed his release, shooting cool seed between them, his rear channel pulsing and clamping so hard that Xander came for the second time in less than an hour.

They both collapsed boneless for many minutes before the ‘sire’ rolled off his charge and reached up to release the wrists from their restraints.

The released arms flew around his neck and pulled him into a passionate embrace. He began to kiss the cherished face when he noticed silent tears begin. This was followed by his vampire burying a game face into Xander’s chest as deep, heart felt sobbing took over.

“Oh sweetie! Hey! I’m sorry…. I’m sorry…. It was only a game! Did I hurt you?..... Did I hurt you?.... C’mon sweetheart…… talk to me…. Please! I didn’t mean to hurt you!.....”

Between sobs, Xander just managed to discern the whispered “T’was perfect…. T’was so perfect…. Miss him… missed him for so long… missed you…. it was so fucking perfect…..thank you pet …. Thank you….. Oh G….” After which Xander simply held on as his lover ‘cried out’ his grief and gratitude in equal measure.

Xander woke from his light snooze sometime early afternoon, registering a cool hand petting his hair and stroking down his face. Adoring and adored blue eyes met his gaze and a husky voice filled with wonder said simply “You cannot possibly imagine how much I love you at this moment. What you just did for me pet?! It was a gift beyond measure…. There are no words for how much I love you.” A single, and this time joyous, tear tracked down his cheekbone as Spike continued the caress of Xander’s features.

They lay in silence for some time simply content to touch and stroke their ‘significant other’ gently, and with all the care and love that the tender act could imply.

As it became apparent that the sun was on its slide toward setting, Xander struck up an ‘out there’ style conversation, aware that they had been planning to go out and would need to ‘get moving’ sometime soon.

“So… How much are you worth Spike? I mean, am I going to be able to keep you in the manner to which you’re… I don’t know… able to afford? The basement obviously a vamp thing but…?”

Xander stopped as he heard a quiet “No.”

“No?...”

He felt rather than saw the change in Spike’s mood, as though the pain of the past had all descended again, then heard the near whisper tinged by the sheer desperation that evoked the reply, “Basement was loss; basement was sadness; basement is where monsters live; basement’s the only place for the likes of me. Money’s nothin’ to do with it.”

It was Xander’s turn to reassure, “Oh sweetie! No way…. No way! You are a good man, you’ve saved the world, Spike! Far out! You *died* saving the world… then turned around and did it again! No way is a basement your place… no way!” Kiss to the right cheek. “No way!” Kiss to the left cheek. “No *way* now you’re with me…” Kiss to the lips. “Promise … I promise!”

A shift seemed to occur and the irrepressible Spike he knew was back with a wink and a smirk, “Well won’t be a problem when I’m out of the city of bloody tea parties that changed history then, will it!”

“So… how much *are* you worth? Seriously Spike, I don’t want any of it I’m just curious… C’mon... No secrets yeah?!”

“Truth is… I’m not exactly sure pet. Angelus was a right mean bastard but a rich one, ‘n my family was no harm either back in the day.”

“So what? Secret vamp accounts or s….?” Xander stopped mid quip, “You were serious back there with Mitch weren’t you! OK, Richie Rich… fess up. Do you even know how much?”

Spike snorted, and his eyes narrowed as he seemed to do some mental calculations.

“Dunno, maybe… between 150 - 250K a month ‘spose… depends, sometimes more...”

Xander sat up, dumbfounded, waiting for Spike to laugh and admit it was a joke. When he didn’t, the brunette shifted nervously. “God, Spike! That’s more than most people see in five years and you… and per month??!”

Spike shrugged and looked at his hands, somehow feeling a little embarrassed, “Said before, just depends.”

“How… depends??”

“Difficult to be alive for this long ‘n not accumulate pet. ‘N believe me the old Angelus did a whole lot of accumulatin’. Me? Just inherited the old boys coat tails is all.”

“Yeah but… Oh god *Spike*! You would have to really keep on it, to manage that sort of… And it’s growing?? Geez do you pay tax?”

“Oi! IRS has nothin’ to worry about with *our* accounts pet. ‘M a good corporate *and* global citizen – one of the few with a soul it seems…”

“The profits?”

“Plugged back into the system for the most part. Although I know “The Gift from an Angel Foundation” hands out around two million a year to victims of crime in the US, and another three to children’s help agencies across the rest of the world. But they have their own board and invest separate to the ‘family’….so…”

Xander was struggling to take it all in.

“So the refurbishment of the Council of W. HQ?”

“Funded by Angel pet – though I guess I pushed it a bit – couldn’t have the watcher homeless, though…. I was goin’ to suggest a bathtub with chains… just for a month or two.” Spike winked.

“And Dawn’s Italian University and Oxford education?”

“Oh who do you think pet? Old boy funded the little bit on the grounds that it took the pressure off… and in memory of… Well you can guess.”

“But Spike??...” Xander was struck utterly speechless. The amounts Spike obviously dealt with and referred to so offhandedly, were almost inconceivable – particularly when compared with the image of the chipped and starving Spike of Sunnydale.

“Stop starin’ you git! ‘S not that hard to manage affairs, any fool can make a profit given a bit o’ reading and a good starting point. You want to know if I could buy and sell your boss? Well yeah, I probably could – but that’s hardly the point!”

“Listen luv… everyone has good times and bad. I’m the last of the Aurelius line. If my only problem was money, then…. well we don’t really have a problem… yeah…?? ….. Oh Pet *please* this changes nothing! If it means you work and we go on snazzy holidays well, it’s all good yeah??... C’mon Xan …. *Please*… this is crazy… don’t make *this* the problem…. Please!!”

Xander, who had been staring at the wall in shock, registered that his partner was becoming more and more distressed, and that his own behavior was the direct cause… Damage control engaged.

He pulled Spike into yet another tight hug….

“Hey buddy…. Spike….. you think this is a problem??”

“It is *so* not a problem…. ‘cmon Spike it’s me Xan… donut guy who now has a retirement fund, hand made lamps and ‘neutral furniture’ … Oh please Spike! I was just surprised… not at you managing all that… just… shit Spike….” Xander looked into the unhappy gaze, kissed the nose and asked with a cheeky wink, “Does this mean a Ferrari might be on the cards for the next Christmas list?”

The resounding “No way pet, piece of Italian rubbish… XK Jag or nothin’ pet,” let Xander know that the crisis may if not passed, had at least been adjourned to another time.

“Pigeon pair? Red and Black”

“So long as the black one’s mine”

“Sounds fair….” Xander smiled at his companion, “C’mon Spike… I didn’t want this … we’re good, yeah… It’s not about… You know… cut me some slack here… I was just shocked…”

“Keep your shirt on Harris – already promised you the Jag right – but on second thoughts… keep your shirt off…” A raised eye brow later and the rest of the argument seemed to get confused by certain vampire’s need to pay a ‘visit’ to his partner’s nipples.