VIGNETTE THREE
by Raventown74
Notes

The estate they lived on was a sprawling affair. Huge buttresses and pillars made the house a frightful place to live in, if a person were alone. The huge space the estate occupied filled the mind with images of a world where people did not exist.

He stood on the balcony, listening to the sound of horse's hooves upon the cobble stone street leading up to the house. His sire was home. All he could feel was relief.

The apartment he shared with his boyfriend was small. If he had to choose the precise word for it, he would call it cozy. Pizza boxes and open beer cans littered the tables. It was the kind of mess that made the house look lived in. When Xander was away, it made him feel as if a part of the boy were still with him.

Spike stood by the window. He could see the headlights of Xander's car from here, the boy had made excellent time. He worked in the city, which was two hours away, but he still managed to come home as early as possible.

He could hear his sire running up the stairs. William left the balcony, where he had spent hours that night, waiting for the return of his master. Angelus's face was split in a contented smile, it was obvious that he had just fed. He gathered William up when he reached him, throwing him against the nearest pillar.

He leered at William, appreciatively, grazing the tender skin of his neck with his teeth. The younger vampire surrendered gladly, as his sire bit down. After he had taken a mouthful of his blood, he sealed his mouth over William's. The blood flowed from Angelus's mouth into his own. His sire pulled back.

William stared into dancing eyes, alight with mischief and lust. "I missed you," his sire's voice was filled with poorly concealed desire. Not waiting for a reply, Angelus took him into their bedroom, to show him just how much he had been missed.

Xander opened the door, trying to balance two grocery bags in one hand. Spike took them away from him with a laugh. Sitting the bags down in the kitchen, he rifled through them, looking for something for them to eat. Xander shooed him away, pulling a bottle of wine and bread from one of the bags.

Spike wondered what had prompted this. All he could get out of Xander was a mumbled," I missed you." The boy was nervous, clearly scared of being laughed at for his preparations. Spike poured them each a glass of wine, pretending not to notice Xander's shaking hands.

After taking a drink of his wine, Xander set his glass down, pulling the stunned vampire into a kiss. The taste of the boy's mouth and the heady brew mingled on his tongue. They ate the bread in silence, on the couch, each watching the other out of the corner of his eye. Almost shy, the boy took Spike's hand and led him into their bedroom.

After their lovemaking, Angelus propped William up in bed and made him read aloud from a book of erotic poetry. Angelus laughed at his cultured accent, which was always a source of great amusement for the Irishman.

After they had made love, they went back to the living room to finish off the rest of the bread and wine. Xander turned on the television, laughing as Spike mimicked the sotto-voices of the actors on the screen.

Angelus pulled him closer in sleep. William watched the steady rise and fall of his master's chest. He knew the other vampire didn't have to breathe, and yet, his chest still rose and fell.

It was heartbreakingly human. William felt his chest constrict in pain at that thought. He put his head on his sire's chest, letting the motion lull him to sleep.

Xander had fallen asleep on the couch, his head pillowed in Spike's lap. Smiling down at the boy, Spike brushed a kiss over his temple. The boy never stirred, as the vampire lifted him in his arms and carried him into their bedroom.

Looking at the vulnerable column of the boy's neck, Spike felt fiercely protective. He gathered Xander in his arms and held him close. Letting the sound of his lover's heartbeat carry him off into sleep.

He stirred from his slumber, in confusion. The other side of the bed was empty. He ran out of the room, barely conscious of the fact that he was naked.

He made it to the balcony, just in time to catch the last glimpse of his master, illuminated by the moonlight, riding away from him. He sat down hard on the balcony's cold floor, drawing his legs up to his chest.

He was alone once more.

He awoke, looking around him wildly. His breathing erratic, as if he had run many miles. The boy stirred beside him, looking up at Spike, in confusion. "What's wrong?" he croaked, his voice thick with sleep.

"Nothing." He stroked Xander's hair, until the boy sighed and laid back.

He pulled Spike closer, murmuring something that sounded a lot like, "I love you," into the vampire's chest. The night terror that had trapped him in apprehension faded to nothingness, as the boy's arms cradled him, chased away by the present.