Anton had to return to Italy for business again. Xander knew that his ‘Sire’s’ time apart from Buffy was always a challenge. The clans were settled at least for a time, yet the discussion prior to the Immortal’s departure was a serious one.
Xander sat in a large leather chair opposite Anton to begin their discussion while Gregor carefully transferred a stack of contractual agreements and memos from the desk into a travel case. Anton shook his head as the vampire moved to pack in the laptop.
“Master?”
“Leave that out for a moment I wish to show Alex something. Gregor would you mind arranging some afternoon tea… I have a frightful headache.” Xander frowned and felt through the link, receiving back… pain. He had thought Spike was sleeping but it seemed not. Anton also felt the original source of pain and made a quick call to the nurse.
Gregor nodded at his master and acknowledged Xander with a reverent almost imperceptible bow then departed.
“You have the house indefinitely, you do know that I hope, Alexander? It is one of the original European Master’s homes, and therefore of course is one of the Aurelian estates.”
“Yeah dad… and promise we won’t throw *too* many wild parties while you’re gone.” Xander couldn’t exactly wink (it just didn’t have the same effect when there was only one eye to ‘play with’ in the first place) so he did his best wicked grin instead. He was rewarded when the Immortal’s eyes lit up and the ancient friend smiled broadly, offering his wrist. As Xander knelt and accepted the Sire’s gift, Anton retorted, “If you do then I might just have to come back… wouldn’t want to miss anything.”
Xander quickly licked the wound and offered his own, saying, “Oh Sire, I think we may have finally corrupted you. What would your lovely partner say?!” Xander’s wrist was also laved closed lovingly.
He retook his seat, and the meeting fell to business matters.
“I believe the clans were well satisfied with yesterday, congratulations.”
“But most of it was your…”
Anton staid him, “You were acting as the Master yesterday. Your reputation is fast building to equal the status of your High Master, this is an unexpected but significantly positive development… surely you noted the respect with which you were treated?”
Xander nodded a little.
“That is not my primary reason for asking you to meet me formally before I go, however. And I will ask William’s forgiveness for not including him when he is fully recovered.” Xander felt a tear threaten at the ‘when’ of Anton’s statement.
“I beg your forgiveness if I have overstepped my role, but while you were recovering, I have been in discussion with your employer, Jim, and also the investors for his company, and we have come to an agreement.” Xander’s face fell… it had been the only time he had *ever* ‘got on’ in a work place, but now could not fault Jim for letting him go… After nearly three month’s absence, it was to be expected. He knew he would not leave Spike now… or the clans…
Having just exchanged blood, Anton felt the Consort’s distress acutely, and quickly clarified. “We have been negotiating now to establish an arm of his building group on European soil. It will likely be based in Czechoslovakia or Belgium for tax reasons and will be semi independent. Where the European Manager is based is of little consequences as I am sure you and William will want to travel and visit the clan courts in the near future.
“I believe this really does allow for some interesting innovations.. and a real win, win, … I think you will find many of the clans willing to patronize the group simply because of you… Many have interests in high end real estate investment and construction, especially in the north… so much to be done and won in the old soviet union!”
“Wait… Manager… me? I thought you said it was between you and Jim!?”
“Jim and I spoke, he suggested you to lead this…. Not I…. and his suggestion was based on your professionalism and his trust in you… nothing else. Congratulations”
“He would trust me to do that?”
“Of course. As would I… You have only to perform the role… but it seems that project management, from what Jim told me, is quite your forte. He and Sandy will fly here next month to meet with you and visit William.”
Xander was a little overwhelmed, “Oh g… Thanks, thank you!”
“There are two other matters of importance before I must depart. One is that, if you consider William ‘well enough’ please let him know that I will deputize for him in Boston. He has some investments that need seeing to. I will fax the relevant documentation to you. I am still unclear if he is able to sign his name… but if you consider the decisions reasonable and he is able, then it would be wonderful to continue to build on his fine portfolio… Please let me know if the signature is a problem, I have not seen our dear William read or write since… Please just let me know?”
Xander looked up to a worried expression on Anton’s face, smiled a little then said, “Of course.”
“The other thing I wish to alert you to, is some pending business with the Watchers’ Council. They have some issues with us and we may need to call upon your old alliances. But that can wait, I will send you the details at the end of today.
“For now dear Alexander, adieu, be well and kiss my dear William for me. May he heal swiftly.”
“Thank you Sire.”
And with that the meeting was finished.
Anton and Gregor left by helicopter less than a half hour later.
…………
The following afternoon marked the day Spike was to finally be released from his back brace. Ten weeks to the day after the accident. The vampire seemed not to register the enormity of what it meant, or perhaps needed not to. The blank expression on Spike’s face in itself was painful, but Xander took his friend’s hand as he was helped up from the surgical table and smiled.
They slowly wandered toward the spa and sauna, Xander quietly explaining how proud he was of his partner and sending loving messages through their link but there was no response. He eventually gave up in preference to concentrating on guiding the still dazed vampire around the pool, preventing the rather unsteady recovering vampire from stumbling over inconsistencies in the paving.
Eventually Spike was at the pool’s edge. Gentle assistants helped him out of his sweat pants and eased him into the spa and the waiting arms of his Consort. Spike somehow knew that the removal of the brace was significant, but really was still a bit confused. It wasn’t the event that confused (the ‘no body armor’ definitely felt nice), but the doctor and therapists had all been talking at pace to him for the entire afternoon. They seemed to forget that he struggled with words… even when they came from others… he was getting better he knew that … but he struggled. He sighed and decided for now he would just be happy to be rid of the hurtful restraints and not worry that he really had not been able to comprehend even half of what was said.
The vampire was so full of human and Consort blood that he should have been buzzing… but instead he felt quite… dazed. Once comfortable in the warm bubbles, he managed “Taaa” and a teary wave for the attendants helping him into the spa.
Xander stood in the centre of the spa and supported Spike’s head and lower back carefully so he might float, little fat and no air in lungs not conducive to a floating body! As his still damaged beauty lay blissfully in the warm swirling water, Xander ventured a finger to brush gently over the gap in the skull. It too was healing slowly and the hair was now beginning to populate the scarred area. He slowly moved the pliable and relaxed figure back and forth through the jets, but ultimately ended up simply sitting with Spike barely conscious, resting gently in his lap. He stroked the soft regrowing curls with one hand and ran his fingers through Spike’s darker curls down below. It wasn’t an arousing act particularly for the recipient, just comfort… and consort… and quiet time for both.
The nurse and another of Anton’s staff remained close by for the evening. They noted the Master’s fatigue toward the end of the second hour as he tried to stand and depart the warm water, wavered and was caught by his partner. The nurse briskly obtained the wheelchair from the gym/therapy room and noting the distressed look on the Master’s face as she returned, so moved forward to assist when the Consort looked to be struggling to lift his partner from the pool. Spike was eased up then lifted clear of the water, wrapped in fluffy white towels and tucked into a wheelchair. His distress seemed to increase as he tried *so* hard to tell his Consort what he wanted. When the words simply would not come, he finished the rather pleasant evening by burying his face in one of the copious towels draped around his neck and wept.
Xander felt helpless, it had been a good day, he thought anyway and he struggled. All he could do was to walk silently beside his defeated lover holding the limp hand as the now listless figure was wheeled to the base of the staircase, then the chair carried up the stairs. As they approached the bedroom Xander staid their progress, thanked the assistants and continued on alone.
He pulled back the covers before lifting his friend out of the chair, noting that someone had thought to turn on the electric blanket. He remembered Spike’s heat suit hanging in the cupboard and was surprised that he hadn’t thought of it since before Christmas… three months ago… it felt like a lifetime away.
Xander lifted up the foot pads and squatted down so his partner could lean forward, as they had done many times in the last month, allowing him to ease out of the chair, as much as possible, ‘under his own steam’. But the tears were too many and the day had been long. As soon as he had the smaller figure upright he divested them both of their towels and scooped his lover up, placing him gently on the warm bed. Then flicked the reading lamp by their bed down to low and joined him.
They were finally lying nude, without foreign objects separating them for the first time in months. Xander spooned his smaller partner, relaxing into the welcome skin against skin feeling before realizing that Spike was still silently shedding tears. He began to stroke Spike’s arm gently. “Hey now sweetheart, hey shhhhh…. What’s up? Can you tell me? We had such a nice afternoon… got rid of the brace and then with the bubbles… What’s happened?... Please try to tell me… I love you so much… Is it something I did?”
Spike kept thinking of words but, was too upset and just could not seem to make them come… yet he owed it to Xander. He felt the touch, always so kind and loving, so he cried a little more tried to work the words to tell him… very, very slowly, how much he loved him, how it wasn’t his fault, how he still felt so frustrated by his slow recovery… He wanted so much to tell his Xan because he knew with his whole being, that this man.. ‘his Xan’ would wait while he told him. He wriggled a bit then rolled to face the beloved features and began, slurred and slow and despite his tears. Xander still held his partner close and stroked the arm. The Consort waited patiently as the words came.
“I…m…bahhh! [sob… hic…] I’m…..um… sssssooo [hic…. Xander stroked the beautiful face and encouraged him with an expectant smile] …. L…hmm…[rolls eyes in frustration and a tear drops] Hmmm… Ahhh pet!! [hic, stares directly into Xan’s good eye *willing* the words to come]… Love you soooo much ‘n....[game face emerges] bloody chair!... I’m… shamed…still useless …. Bloody chair…. [game face gone again] I…too slow!.... no good…. Love you sooo much…. Should… jus… stake…” He trailed off having made the longest speech since the accident and tears started anew. The wonderful, worthy, convalescing Master of Aurelius sobbed into his pillow.
“No…. honey! No! Oh god I should have known the chair was… Oh sweetheart, please, please look at me.” Teary, desperate blue eyes finally lifted from their hiding place. He cupped the chiseled features and kissed his Master Vampire firmly on the lips, forcing entry and sending adoration through the link. This time it was reciprocated, then was replaced by what could only be described as fear and self loathing. Spike pulled away and buried his face again.
As Xander collected his thoughts, he stroked over the still healing head, over the shoulder and down the pale torso a few times… on the third pass his hand ventured further down and he realized something shocking. For a whole plethora of reasons, they had not been able to make love since before that fateful night. Spike’s back was still fragile and Xander figured ‘go slow’ to be the best option. He rolled Spike onto his back, kissed the cool lips then the chin then the throat… and worked his way down the now brace free torso… nipping each nipple then sucking it… attending both with such love that he heard their owner whimper a little. He stopped and lifted his head (and the covers with him) catching Spike’s attempted words… “Xaaa… Pllll… Ohh…Gnuuuu…FFFPleeeee…. Xaaaa…”
He licked down to his lover’s navel, swirled his tongue and was rewarded with a subtle lean into the pressure. His greatest joy however was when he scooted down further, pushed legs apart a little and dived to collect two fuzzy sacs in his mouth to the swirl of a tongue and hard suction.
The word “Yesss!” was heard clearly. By the time he had worked the semi interested member to a frenzy with enthusiastic ministrations, his ‘patient’ had found the words he needed, few but effective! And when Xander breached his tight ring of muscles with a well lubed finger and brought him to the edge. Xander swallowed against the hard flesh in his mouth, Spike screamed his full name then “F#$% Yeah!” to announce his first completion in ten weeks. Xander drank the evidence of their partnership and rejoiced as Spike pulled him up and *clearly* said “Thank you… Love you.”
Xander didn’t bother to ‘finish’, it was enough to hold his sated and mending lover in his arms and enjoy the thought that things might just be OK in the end.