Mission Implausible

Part Four: The Mission - Initiation

Xander and Spike returned to the club the next night. Xander was wearing a pair of copper-colored leather pants with an off-white lycra t-shirt that had shiny metallic bits and fit like a second skin. Spike was wearing a pair of black - surprise, surprise! Xander thought - leather pants with a white poet’s shirt that had long-sleeves with ruffles at the wrist. Spike complained that he looked like a poof, but Xander thought he looked hot. Not that he’d ever tell him that! And he was sure the thought was burning a hole into his brain at that very moment.

Before they left, Xander made a point of telling Buffy, Willow, and Tara that Giles had failed to inform them that there would be demons at the club. The three girls looked at the Watcher aghast, and Xander felt vindicated as the other man squirmed under the combined weight of their stares.

"I didn’t know!" he finally admitted. "I mean, the club is billed as being for those with ‘alternate’ life-styles, I had no idea that included humans who love demons!"

"Sounds like an episode of Jerry Springer," Buffy commented "Not that I’d ever watch that," she added as everyone turned to look at her.

Spike, who hated to be left out, and who loved to make Xander’s life miserable, spoke up. "Yeah, and it turns out, Harris really *is* a demon magnet!"

"Shut up, Spike!" Xander turned on him.

Spike, who never knew when to stop, kept on. "As soon as we walked in, the line started to form..."

Xander grabbed Spike’s new leather jacket and shoved him back against the counter, pinning him with his body. "Shut...up," he growled.

Spike was suddenly struck by the heat radiating off Xander, and the long yearned-for feel of a hard body pressed against his. "Or what?" he whispered so only Xander could hear.

"You promised not to say anything about that!" Xander hissed.

Spike couldn’t miss the pain in Xander’s voice. He rolled his eyes and looked away from the hurt he saw in Xander’s. "Sorry," he said reluctantly. "Hey! It’s your own fault for believing me!" he said suddenly, looking back at Xander, who’s eyes were now filled with amazement.

"What?" he yelped.

"I’m *evil*! You should have known I was lying!" Spike defended himself.

Xander opened his mouth to tell Spike he was full of shit, and then closed it. "You’re right," he said sadly, letting go of Spike’s jacket and stepping back. "I guess I forgot for a minute there that we were only pretending." He leaned against the counter beside Spike, making sure there was at least a foot of space between them.

"So, uh, did you recognize any of the demons?" Giles asked, trying to break the tension.

"No," Xander replied sulkily. "But I’d remember them again if I saw them!" he added with feeling. "Especially that one with the..." He stuck his arms out to his sides and swung them about wildly, hitting Spike as he did so. Instead of the snarky comment he expected, Spike burst out laughing.

"What?" Xander asked ominously.

It took Spike a minute to stop laughing enough to speak. "Re-remember up on the balcony...wi-with the pus demon?" he asked, bursting into laughter again.

Xander tried to keep a straight face, but cracked a smile, and then he was laughing as hard as Spike was. Through their laughter, they told the story of the four-not-all-arms demon dancing on the floor, and then making it with the pus demon in the balcony. As expected, all three girls ‘euww’d’, which sent Spike and Xander off on another peal of laughter.

***

Now that they knew the layout of the club, and what to expect with Xander’s appeal to the demons there, Spike and Xander had a plan. When they first arrived they headed straight to the bar for a drink, and then to the dance floor, making themselves as conspicuous as possible. They alternated between dancing, both fast and slow songs, and refreshing their drinks.

Xander made sure he was never more than an arm’s length away from Spike on the dance floor, and Spike always took a tight grip on Xander’s hand before they fought their way through the crowd between the dance floor and the bar.

Spike found he liked having Xander’s hand in his, and appreciated the heat emanating off the boy. He didn’t find the feel of Xander pressed up against him and beneath his hands off-putting, either. For his part, Xander found he liked being held by Spike. He felt cared-for and protected when Spike had his hand, and oddly aroused when Spike moved them to a slow song. At one point he’d opened his eyes and looked down into Spike’s, and felt a disorienting sense of deja vu.

After several hours of drinking and dancing, Xander was getting tired. Spike suggested they get one more drink and head up to the upper level. This time they leaned against the railing and studied the dance floor.

"Wish I knew what this bugger looked like," Spike said, throwing his arm companionably over Xander’s shoulders, which was a little awkward, since Xander was a bit taller. "You’d think if he was such a swinger, he’d have a crowd around him, yeah?"

"You’d think," Xander agreed.

After a while, Xander gave up looking. He kept getting distracted by all the demons who were looking back at him. Afraid to catch their eyes, because they didn’t need any encouragement, he stared into his glass, and sighed deeply.

"What?" Spike asked.

"Huh?" Xander looked up at him.

"What was the sigh for...sweetums?" Spike asked with a grin.

Xander rolled his eyes. "I don’t want to be a demon magnet," he pouted.

"What brought this on?" Spike asked.

Xander indicated the lower level, and Spike looked. Now that he wasn’t searching for Kormac, he saw what Xander had seen, almost every demon was darting glances up at them.

"You know," Spike said conspiratorially, sidling closer. "Being a demon magnet isn’t a bad thing. Just means they can sense your...innocence."

"I’m not a virgin!" Xander denied hotly and loudly, and then looked around in embarrassment.

Spike couldn’t help the smirk. "So I’ve heard. Viking in the sack. I remember," he said.

Xander blushed.

"‘Sides, that’s not the kind of innocence I’m talking about," Spike clarified. "They can sense your...goodness, for lack of a better word. It’s like an aphrodisiac to a demon."

"Well, how come it never affected you?" Xander asked.

"Who said it didn’t?" Spike asked.

Xander blushed again.

Spike continued, "Back when Angelus first offered you to me, if I hadn’t had other things on my plate, I’d have tasted you then. At the time, I was a little more concerned about killing the Slayer and the fact that Angelus thought he could lie to me. And, of course, now I hate you," he added lightly.

"Of course," Xander agreed. "I hate you, too."

***

Giles agreed that showing up at the club during the week would look too suspicious, so Xander spent the week working and hanging out at The Bronze with Spike. Sometimes they played pool, and others they just sat at a table drinking and talking. On some nights they were joined by the girls. Once, when Willow commented on how they seemed to be getting along, Spike and Xander stared at each other in horror and assured the girls they were just practicing for their ‘mission’.

On Friday night they were back at the Magic Box getting dressed for another night at Sin City. Xander only had one pair of leather pants he hadn’t yet worn, the lace-up red ones. He held them in hands that shook and stared at them. He really didn’t want to wear them. Especially since the shirt that came with them wasn’t a shirt at all, but a matching leather vest. He really was going to kill those girls.

When he was dressed, he walked out into the shop, his leather coat wrapped tightly, protectively around him.

"Let’s see," Buffy demanded.

"No," Xander replied firmly.

"Xander," Buffy said, a hint of steel in her voice. "Let us see."

"No," he stated even more emphatically.

"Come on, sweetums, let the girls get a peek," Spike teased as he emerged from the bathroom wearing his new duds.

"Sweetums?" Buffy asked. "Never mind. Don’t make me have to come over there and take that coat off you myself," she warned.

"Buffy, please, can’t you just let it go?" Xander wheedled.

"Absolutely not! That was my favorite outfit, and I want to see how it looks. Now. Take off the coat."

Xander hesitated, and Buffy stood up.

"All right, all right!" he cried, taking the jacket off. He angrily threw it on the back of one of the chairs, held his arms out to his sides, and rotated. "There, happy?" he snarled.

"Oh, very," Willow moaned.

"Yep," Tara squeaked and nodded.

Buffy just opened and closed her mouth without making a sound.

Xander grabbed his jacket and put it back on, then looked at Spike, who was still staring at him with heat in his eyes. Xander thought it must be a trick of the light. "Are you ready?" he asked.

"For what?" Spike asked.

"To go to the club," Xander said, speaking slowly.

"Oh, yeah, ‘course." Spike pushed past Xander and tossed his clothes onto the couch, then threw on his jacket.

Now that he wasn’t the center of attention, Xander took a moment to replay the image of Spike wearing black...all black. Tonight he was wearing a black silk t-shirt that hugged his body and showed off firm pecs and toned abs. He shivered.

***

On the ride to the club, Spike was unaccountably quiet. "What’s wrong with you?" Xander asked.

"Nothin’!" Spike barked. Inside he was melting, and cursing. There was no bleedin’ way he was attracted to Xander Harris. No...bleedin’...way! It was the outfit and nothing more. Leather had long been a turn-on for him, it was just...coincidence...that it was leather on Xander Harris that was turning him on this time. And red leather...the color of blood...

When they got to the club, Spike ordered three drinks, immediately downing one of them before handing one to Xander. On the dance floor, Spike was tense. He knew the bloody DJ was going to play a slow song soon, and he didn’t know what he’d do once Xander was in his arms. He’d dodged the bullet the first time the DJ had played a block of slow songs because he and Xander had been at the bar, but he didn’t think his luck was going to hold out.

Two fast songs later the DJ started a slow block. Spike sighed, and pulled Xander to him roughly.

"Hey!" Xander protested his treatment.

"Shut up and dance," Spike snarled, trying to keep as much distance between them as he could. By the end of the block, Xander was pressed tightly against him, and his hands were cupped firmly over the boy’s bum. "Hush," Spike said when Xander had started to complain. "We’re being watched," he lied.

Hours later, Spike led a sweating Xander up the stairs to the balcony. Again they leaned against the railing and surveyed the crowd below. Spike finished his drink and set the cup on the railing. As if in a trance, he reached out and ran his fingers along the lacing on the side of Xander’s pants, feeling the warm flesh of Xander’s skin where the leather purposely gaped.

"Stop it!" Xander slapped his hand. "I know I look ridiculous. I don’t need you pointing it out."

"You don’t look ridiculous," Spike denied. "They look good," he said in gross understatement.

"Yeah, the pants are fine," Xander said. "They’d look great on someone else."

"Oh, no," Spike said, moving around behind Xander and lifting his jacket out of the way so he could see his bum wrapped up tight in the leather. "They look good on you."

Xander froze, and then slowly turned his head to look at Spike over his shoulder. "Are you drunk?" he asked.

Spike grinned. "Maybe," he said, reaching out to cup Xander’s ass.

"Eep! Stop that!" Xander swatted at him.

Spike spun him around and pressed him back against the railing. He ran his hands up Xander’s chest, rubbing the leather over him, and then leaned in and sniffed him. Spike ran his tongue up Xander’s neck, catching a bead of sweat. The taste of Xander exploded on his tongue, and he was filled with desire. He began to suck on Xander’s neck as he pinched his nipples through the leather vest.

"A-are we being watched?" Xander squeaked.

"Oh, we are most definitely being watched," Spike replied, knowing the eyes of almost every demon in the club were focused on them.

"Th-this is just pretend, for the mission, right?" Xander asked, his voice breaking as Spike continued to suck on his neck and play with his suddenly too-sensitive nipples.

"If you need it to be," Spike replied enigmatically, and then pulled Xander’s head down and claimed his lips. Xander groaned when he felt Spike’s velvet tongue move over his lips. He parted his lips and Spike’s tongue slipped between them. Dropping his cup, Xander wrapped his arms around Spike and returned the kiss.

Spike kept one hand on the back of Xander’s head, his fingers tangled in the sweat-soaked strands, and slid the other down Xander’s body. When he reached the laces at his hip, he slipped his fingers beneath the material and squeezed. Xander bucked against him.

"Ahem."

Spike growled into Xander’s mouth at the creature that attempted to interrupt them. Xander shivered.

"Excuse me," the creature spoke.

"You’re excused, mate, now beat it," Spike snarled, and then returned his lips to Xander’s.

The creature grabbed Spike’s arm and pulled him away from Xander. Spike vamped out, and Xander reached for him, wrapping his arms around the vampire before he could start a fight. "What do you want?" he asked the creature breathlessly.

"My master would like to speak with you," he said.

"Well, tell your master to sod off," Spike said. "We’re busy."

Xander pinched Spike. "Uh, who’s your master?" he asked the creature.

Spike, finally realizing they might be about to make contact, relaxed against Xander. ‘Sides, it felt good to have the human’s arms wrapped around him.

"Come with me," the creature said without answering Xander’s question, and then walked away without looking back, as if it expected them to follow without question.

Xander looked down at Spike, who had his head tilted back so he could look up at Xander. "Should we follow him?" Xander asked.

"S’pose we should," Spike said with a deep sigh. Things had just been getting good.

***

Kormac was a half-human, half-demon hybrid. He looked completely human, other than his size, which made him look like a giant, but Spike could smell the demon. Kormac indicated that they should take a seat with an exaggerated flourish of his hand. Spike sat, pulling Xander down beside him. He needn’t have worried, Xander nearly sat on his lap and clutched his hand.

"Your Consort?" he asked Spike, paying little attention to Xander.

"Not yet," Spike replied after a brief hesitation. He’d been about to just say ‘no’, knowing the half-demon part of Kormac could sense that he hadn’t bitten the boy, but then decided Xander would be safer if he indicated a plan to claim him. "This your club?" he asked as he relaxed into a sprawl. "Nice place," he drawled.

"Yes, it is," Kormac responded. "Would you like another drink?" he asked, playing the genial host.

"Would really like to get back to what we were doing ‘fore we were so rudely interrupted," Spike said, glaring at him.

"I apologize," Kormac said. "I haven’t seen you around before, and I thought I should introduce myself."

Spike paused a beat. "And you are?" he asked.

Kormac smiled. "I am Kormac, and yes, I own this club. Welcome to Sin City," he said, raising his glass in a toast.

Spike nodded his acknowledgment. "I’m Spike," he said. "This is Alexander."

"Ah, William the Bloody, childe of Angelus. How exciting to have you join us," Kormac gushed.

"Yeah, whatever," Spike responded.

"Does your...friend...know what you are?" Kormac asked.

Spike frowned. The other man/demon must have seen him vamp in front of the boy, so he wondered why he was asking. "Of course he knows," Spike replied.

"And you plan on biting him?"

"Thought about," Spike said in a bored tone, and it wasn’t a lie. He’d often thought about biting Xander, only then it was with the intention to drain him, not claim him.

"Good," Kormac replied gleefully, rubbing his hands together. "I’m having a party tomorrow night, and I’d like you both to attend."

"We already have plans for tomorrow night," Spike said, not wanting the other man to think they were overeager.

"Change them," Kormac said, and then waved them away. "Gregho’r will give you directions to my home."

After Spike and Xander had been sent on their way with directions to his estate, Gregho’r turned to his master. "They are too new," he said. "You don’t know if you can trust them."

"No, but that’s part of the excitement," Kormac replied with a laugh. "Besides, the Circle will pay good money to see a vampire claim his Consort." He turned to Gregho’r. "Make sure we have enough of the drug on hand."

Part Five: The Mission - Infiltration