"For Better or for Worse," "The Hand that Feeds," and "Turn Over an Old Leaf"
Rated: ADULT
For Better or For Worse
Xander knocked on Spike's door more nervous than ever. Okay, so Spike had never been one for the warm and touchy-feely feelings, but the last week, he'd been so cold that Xander had considered just calling the whole thing off. The only thing that had kept him from just asking Spike to take off the cock cage was the fact that Xander felt so much more centered wearing it... well, that and he had a feeling that Spike was making-a-point vamp, and Xander did not like getting manipulated. So, if Spike thought he'd just give up, that vampire had another thought coming.
He knocked again and tried the doorbell once or twice before leaning against the door. Okay, so Spike was being stubborn. Xander really wasn't sure what the rules were for this, but he was fairly sure that if he wanted to do this, screaming at the top and trying to pound the door down would be bad. Satisfying, but bad. His stomach rolled, and Xander endured another wave of panic and doubt, and then self-hatred and doubt because he was way too old to be this screwed up.
He didn't know how to do relationships... any kind of relationship. He'd watched Buffy and her mom with a sort of detached confusion because he and his parents had more of a 'you stay out of my way and I'll stay out of yours' vibe going on. He and Willow had been friends for years, but their friendship ebbed and flowed according to her needs. They hadn't even spoken during fifth and sixth grade because she'd found herself a new friend, and they grew close again only after Angela moved. And now, Xander could feel her sliding away, and he had no idea what to do or say to stop that. Last time he'd been this afraid of losing her, he'd just gone and kissed her and ruined their lives, and he was pretty sure that was out.
He'd even gone to Africa thinking that maybe they didn't want him around at all, that he could make a nice, clean, masochistic break and then suffer in silence. But then he got sick, and Buffy and Willow came to be with him, and when he came home, he was in this same half-limbo hell where he almost understood the rules and not quite. Part of him just wanted to find a nice apartment and board the door over so it was just him and his insecurities because he was just so tired of always trying to figure out where he fit. It was only with Spike that he felt comfortable. He couldn't hurt Spike no matter how bad he fucked up because Spike was just Spike. And with Spike, the rules were pretty clear.
And that was why he was standing at Spike's door, butt plug in place as he waited for the vampire to answer. He had a nasty feeling that Spike was right on the other side of the door making Xander wait and possibly seeing if Xander would just give up and walk away. If that was the case, Spike was going to be big with the disappointment because no way was he leaving. Yeah, Spike was testing him, but he could survive any test Spike could throw at him... or at least any test the souled version of Spike could throw at him. Spike minus the soul was pretty terrifying, which was why it was pretty strange that fantasies of pre-soul Spike kept creeping into his dreams.
Xander finally just sat on the step outside Spike's place, his legs stretched out in front as he watched people wander by. No one could out stubborn him, so Spike had better just figure that out. He was nearly asleep, his head resting against the door jam, when the door finally came open.
"Right then, we're off," Spike said as he rushed past in a swirl of leather that left Xander rushing to keep up. Spike jumped in his car, and Xander had to wait at the curb as Spike sat behind the wheel and let his hand hover over the door lock without unlocking it. All sorts of very non-subby words wanted to boil over, but Xander sat on them. If Spike wanted to prove a point or test Xander or just drive Xander a little crazy before taking him on... well, Xander could handle that. Eventually, the lock clicked open, and Xander silently got in the car.
A piece of leather smacked him on the chest and fell into his lap. "Put it on," Spike said as he steered them into traffic. Swallowing, Xander considered the gag in his hand. It had a half-moon bit for his mouth that wouldn't force his mouth too wide and it had a padded back, so Xander guessed this one was built for long-term wear. Okay, he could do this. Xander reminded himself that he trusted Spike. This was the man who had died to save the world... who had gotten tortured and still didn't rat out Dawn, who walked into an alley with Angel thinking he was going to his death. Spike and trust so went together. Xander reminded himself of that and the fact that the windows were tinted illegally dark before he slipped the gag over his head and got it settled in on his face. The front piece was curved so that it lay pretty comfortably against his lips and cheeks as he tightened the buckle.
Spike took a corner fast and then reached out and stuck a finger under the leather. "Tight enough," he said as he reached for the center console and pulled out a small padlock. "Put it on," he said.
Xander took it and used his fingers to find the loop on the buckle for the lock. After all this, Spike had better be really, really good because this was... okay, this was hot, Xander had to admit as he sat in the seat plugged and gagged. Spike headed out of town, and Xander was saved from having to make any inane comments as he watched the landscape change. If anything, he found this relaxing, he realized. Of course, he couldn't relax too much because he still had that probationary feeling with Spike, like the vamp was just waiting for Xander to snap and decide that he had made a mistake and he didn't get off on submitting after all. Not that it would ever happen because Xander was entirely too happy to submit.
Eventually, they pulled into a long driveway that led to an industrial-looking building with an underground parking lot. Spike opened the trunk from inside. "Get out, strip, and put all your clothes in the truck and close it."
Xander raised an eyebrow at Spike who continued to just sit behind the wheel. A little, tiny, itsy, bitsy part of Xander wondered if he was about to get abandoned in some very cruel practical joke, but Spike and trust went together, he reminded himself. And if he could trust Spike to save the world, he could almost certainly trust Spike to not abandon him naked and gagged. Naked, maybe; naked and gagged, no. He got out and did exactly as ordered. He was putting his underwear in the back when Spike finally got out and brought a bag with him. Xander slammed the trunk and lost access to any clothing.
"Hands behind your back," Spike ordered without much emotion, and Xander turned and offered his hands, not even worrying as Spike used heavy cuffs and then turned him by just shoving him where Spike wanted him. He added a leather cord to the ring at the front of the gag and then threaded the other end through one of the cock-cage pieces. When he pulled, Xander's head was forced down, his neck arched and his eyes pointed down as Spike tied the cord off. "Come on then," Spike said as grabbed his bag and started walking.
Xander had to scramble to keep up, and he couldn't see very far in front of him with his gag tethered to his cock, but he managed to make it to the elevator on step behind Spike. Spike hit a button, and Xander took a deep breath through his nose and prayed that whoever was upstairs knew they were coming. Just standing there behind Spike, Xander could feel his cock harden and press against the sides of the plastic prison. With his head tied, Xander had nothing to watch except his cock filling the space and darkening as it struggled valiantly to harden. Spike didn't seem to even notice though as he stood a step ahead so that all Xander could see was the bottom of his black leather coat and his Doc Martins.
The doors opened, and Spike was out so fast that Xander really did have a moment of panic as he hurried to follow. Purple legs and blue jeans and tentacles and things that looked like a cross between legs and tentacles all crossed his line of sight as he struggled to keep up with Spike's coat, but he lost sight of the duster in the busy room. Truly panicked now, Xander froze, his teacher's advice from third grade echoing in his mind. If you're lost, just stay where you are. He wondered if she'd had this particular circumstance in mind when she'd taught him that rule. Demons and leatherboys and pretty whores all in a row, he thought to himself as he caught random flashes out of the corners of his eyes. A hand caught his arm, and Xander yelled, the sound muffled by the gag.
"It's me, you nit," a familiar voice snapped, and Xander cocked his head to catch sight of Spike next to him. His heart beat slowed again, and for a second they just stood there, Spike's hand on his arm as the demons wandered by.
After a second, Spike gave his arm a tug, and Xander moved in the direction he indicated. Spike let go, but this time, he walked slow enough that Xander could keep him in sight and follow behind, which was evidence enough that Spike was looking out for him. If he were as pissy as he was pretending, he would have left Xander behind and never noticed, which would have left Xander in a very, very awkward position. So, since this was obviously a test, Xander was going to go along with whatever Spike asked.
They reached a hall and then a private room where Xander had a nice view of red carpet and not much else. Spike pressed on his shoulder, and even though they hadn't talked about this, Xander could pretty much figure out that Spike wanted him on his knees. He carefully got down, but he still ended up banging one knee and pulling his cock hard enough to make his eyes water. He might be a fan of submission, but pain was just pain, he decided as he tried to blink away the tears. They waited for several minutes, and Xander could feel Spike's hand absent-mindedly petting his curls. He leaned into Spike's leg and the hand on his head disappeared. Xander froze, not understanding what he had done wrong to lose that comforting touch, but he couldn't ask.
Another door came open. "Is this him?"
"Yeah, it's him."
"We're ready." Something banged on the floor, and Xander was pretty much dying of curiosity at this point, only not so much with the actual death. "Put it here," the voice ordered. Spike pulled him up, and Xander tried to get his legs moving fast enough to get where Spike wanted him. When Spike stopped him in front of a bed, Xander wasn't exactly surprised. Whatever Spike had planned as his little test, Xander could do it. He wasn't as weak as Spike seemed to think, and he just had to prove that.
Xander stood still as Spike untied the cord from his cock and then removed the cock cage. Now that his head wasn't forced down, Xander could catch a few glimpses of the room. The other demon was tall and sort of spindly, but he might pass for human if he had a bulky coat. And the bed was the only thing in the room except for a wheeled cart the demon had, and that was draped with a white sheet.
While Xander had been afraid early that he would come the second the cage was off, the addition of this third demon pretty much killed his desire. His cock had shrunk to nothing as Spike lowered him onto the bed. Only the bed wasn't really a bed. A wedge-shaped pillow supported his chest and shoved his ass up into the air. The bedding was some sort of soft netting pulled tight over the mattress, and the sides had metal rails an inch higher than that.
Spike tied the cord from the gag to the rail so that Xander couldn't pull back when Spike reached over to pet his cheek, not that he would have anyway. He blinked at Spike and tried to stay calm. Spike unhooked his wrists and then pulled his one arm to the side and locked it to the rail. The cord on the gag prevented Xander from turning his head to the other side to watch as Spike pulled his other arm to the far side of the bed and locked it in place.
The grip on his ankle pulling his legs apart was no surprise, and Xander let Spike tie his ankles to the rail as well so that he was spread eagle and ass-up on the bed. The panic was just starting to truly make inroads on Xander's trust when Spike crouched down in front of him.
"Ya think you can submit? Let's try this pet. Close your eyes. If you open them, I'll know that this is too much and you need to stop." The voice, soft and cautious, told Xander everything he needed to know. Yeah, Spike was testing him, but there was caring behind that tone. He closed his eyes and waited for whatever was going to happen. He just really, really hoped that it was going to be Spike using his ass because the thought of another demon going up there really wasn't on his list of 'hot' things to try.
With his eyes closed, Xander could only listen to the bumps and whispered words around the bed as at least two people moved around. Something warm and wet and soft settled over his foot, and Xander nearly opened his eyes just in surprise, but he pressed them closed again at the last second. The feeling wasn't uncomfortable at all. If anything, it reminded him of the time Buffy and Dawn had dragged him unwillingly to a spa and they had done a massage thing, only with the spa massage, his naked and plugged ass had not been shoved up in the air.
Fingers trailed over his cheek, tracing the top edge of the gag, and Xander could smell the nicotine that clung to Spike's skin. He used to hate that smell, but now it was comforting, and he relaxed as more warm cloth was laid on his legs. The warmth made his skin tingle and his muscles relax, and Xander found himself just sinking into the feeling.
By the time the cloth had reached his ass, Xander could feel prickles in his feet, and he tensed at the idea of that right on his asshole. Oh, he'd handle it, but it worried him.
"Shhh, pet," Spike said, and Xander relaxed again. The demon skipped Xander's butt, leaving it naked and ready as he started laying strips across Xander's back and then over his arms. By now, Xander could feel prickles in his feet and calves, but the deep, tingling heat now soaking into his back and shoulders relaxed him so much that he really couldn't care less. This was a 'no' on the sexy scale, but the demons could make a killing in the spa industry. Xander's whole body felt like one giant relaxed noodle, and Spike's fingers brushing through his hair just made him want to melt into the bed.
"Relax your hands, pet," Spike nearly whispered, and Xander unfisted his fingers and let his open palm rest on the soft netting. Warm cloth enveloped first one hand and then the other. Oh yeah, Xander was about two seconds from falling asleep. He wondered if Spike would wake him up before the grand finale or if Xander would just wake up with Spike's cock in him. That thought made his quiet cock twitch a little.
Spike's fingers worked the buckle on the gag, and Xander relaxed his jaw so Spike could pull it off before more strips went on his neck and then over his forehead. Now Spike stroked Xander's cheek, and Xander could only smile. See, he could be good. He could be so good that Spike got to let out the tender side the vampire tried to hide from the world, only he didn't hide it that well. Xander had seen him with Dawn and with Buffy when she cried. He'd even seen the careful way Spike stood between him and the world after he'd lost the eye. Even if he never wanted to admit it, Spike was a caretaker. And maybe Xander needed that, too.
His feet started to really itch, and Xander tensed his leg trying to shake off the feeling. The demon clicked something, and Spike's voice whispered so close to Xander's ear that he could feel the puff of air. "Lay still. Can't have you move at all right now, so just relax," Spike ordered.
Xander almost nodded, but caught himself in time as he just relaxed and waited. Spike's finger went back to stroking, so he focused on that, and not the increasing itch in his feet and now his calves. The warmth had faded in his back, but the pleasant tingles were still there, and every time Spike's finger traced a new path over his cheek, he could feel the heat gathering in his face.
"Comfortable, pet?" Spike asked, and Xander almost nodded, but Spike's hand caught his chin and held him immobile. "You can talk now, but no moving any other part."
"Yeah, weird and my ass is cold, but comfortable," Xander said as he checked in with his body. The itching certainly wasn't enough to make him give up a chance at proving his point with Spike.
"We'll heat that up a little later," Spike said, and Xander could almost hear the smirk in his words. Any response Xander planned skittered out of his brain when Spike stroked his ass, caressing the cheeks before mapping a trail from his asshole over his perineum and down to the back of his balls. Xander's cock filled immediately, and Xander gasped for air.
"Relax and stay perfectly still," Spike said firmly, and Xander knew this was going to be the hardest test yet. He focused on not even moving a finger as Spike weighted his balls in his palm and stoked the vein on the backside of his cock. He tried to just breathe through the lust as Spike pulled his cheeks apart and blew on the sensitive skin between. And then Spike pulled the plug out, and Xander's eyes popped open against his will, giving him a clear view of his arm covered in white cloth so thin that he could see every hair and curve.
Immediately, Xander closed his eyes again, but he could hear Spike chuckle. His guts knotted. "Spike, I didn't mean to. This isn't too much, really," Xander promised.
"I figure this is right up your alley. That's alright; you can open your eyes now. If ya have a problem, you can just shout it out," Spike said. Xander slowly opened his eyes and looked at his arm. He could see fingernails and even the hangnail he'd been chewing earlier. Patches of the white cloth were drying and turning a milky color, and Xander realized that those were the spots that itched. He could resist the urge to scratch, especially since the chains were still on under the draped fabric, but it itched enough that he couldn't quite ignore it.
"So, what are you feeling right now?" Spike asked. Normally Xander was all for diverting and joking and making with the elaborate cover stories. Right now, he didn't have the energy for any of that.
"Slightly scared, totally horny, and really hoping I pass this test because I haven't been this worried since I thought Mrs. Wright's math test was going to potentially keep me from graduating."
"Test?" Spike sounded confused, but even worse, he pushed the plug back in and stopped playing with Xander's ass. The only good part was that he walked around and squatted so that Xander could see him. "What test?"
"The test of whether I'm serious. I am, you know. This is me being all with the serious," Xander answered as he watched Spike's frown slowly fade into a blank expression.
"I know you're serious, pet. You've needed this for a long time. Anya kept you in hand good, but since her, I don't think you've been with anyone."
"Hey, I never publicly admitted to anything kinky. I was so far in the closet, I could smell moth balls. I smelled of moth balls," Xander joked. He only stopped when Spike rested a finger against his lips.
"There's nothing wrong with needing to submit, pet. I spent a good chunk of my unlife the youngest in the clan, so I've been there."
Xander frowned, not quite understanding where that was coming from. "You know I trust you, right? I mean, you don't need to be giving the qualifications speech, and even if I was nervous, knowing you played bottom boy to Darla and Angelus is really not big with the comforting. They did things that I'm pretty much totally sure I don't want done to me."
Spike chuckled. "I never thought you would." Xander watched Spike's hand reach up and rest against Xander's forehead for a second. "Everything about ready then?" Spike asked as he looked over Xander to the other side of the room. A series of clicks answered him. "Just make sure ya treat him right," Spike said, and Xander's stomach did a flip.
"Spike?"
"I'll be right downstairs, pet. You'll like this." Spike stood up, and Xander jerked. Okay, he tried to jerk. The white fabric held him utterly immobile. He couldn't even bend a finger. The only part of him that could move was his cock, which shrank in on itself.
"You're leaving?" Xander just about yelled.
"Quor'ta are the best, pet. You just relax and enjoy this, and they'll make you come so bloody hard you'll pass out." Spike patted his ass and then vanished, and Xander found that he couldn't even move his head. The damn things on his forehead and neck kept him completely immobile.
"But," Xander really struggled, fighting with everything he had but even though he could feel the sweat gathering on his skin, nothing budged, "you're not leaving. Spike, you can't leave me."
"I'm not leaving, ya pillock, just calm down." Spike was back, and Xander gulped air and tried to fight back the sting in his eyes. Of course Spike wouldn't leave him. "I'll just be gettin' a drink; you're safe as houses." Which was sounding a lot like Spike was leaving him.
"Please," Xander begged, willing at this point to give up on any illusion that he had any pride. "Please, I thought you were going to... you know." Xander could hear Spike sigh as the vamp stood near the end of the bed, but he couldn't see anything other than his own arm and a white wall. "I know I said I'd do what you told me, but please just don't... don't leave. If you want to share me, I'll do it, Spike, I promise. You don't have to do this to me." Xander could hear his own voice go girly high, but he'd already given up on pride, so what did he care.
"You like this."
"Liked. Past tense, Spike. I liked it when I thought it was going to be you." Xander gave up fighting and sagged, his body totally out of his control so that tensing or sagging was pretty much all he could do.
"Bloody fucking hell," Spike exploded, and Xander could feel the panic burning his guts now. He was on the verge of throwing up. "What the fuck do you want from me, Harris? I'm trying to help you through this without making a total cock up of this whole thing. You fucking want a little bondage in your life; I'll help you with that, but don't go trying to pull me into your fucking needs."
"'Red,' Spike, 'red'... or 'no' or 'uncle' or whatever word you want me to use. If you want me to give up, this is me giving up. Just get me the fuck off this thing, and I'll leave you the fuck alone. Point made," Xander snapped, and then after he finished with the snapping, his brain processed the fact that he probably shouldn't be getting angry at the guy who was standing between him and a demonic rape. "I'm sorry," Xander blurted. "Please, just get me up," he said, struggling to control the fear and the anger and the shame that slammed into him. Hey, if Spike wanted to convince him that bondage wasn't his thing, he might have succeeded because right now, Xander wanted to forget he even had a cock. He'd give up sex forever given the choice.
"Get the fuck out," Spike snarled, and Xander would have been happy to oblige if he could have moved a muscle. He only realized the other demon had been ordered out when he heard the little squeaky wheel on the cart as the thing hurried away. The door closed and then Spike was pacing in front of Xander. Four steps up and four steps down, and then Spike lit a cigarette, and Xander was pretty much about to die of a heart attack. Spike was supposed to be the one who had things figured out, only this was not feeling very well figured out.
"Please, Spike, just let me up," Xander whispered as he closed his eyes.
"I can't. Those bloody things last for an hour."
"An hour?" Xander's voice broke, and he swallowed a couple of times and reminded himself that he'd done stupider in his life. Great. He was officially stuck with Spike for an hour when the dumb vamp wasn't even particularly turned on by Xander. The whole getting hard thing was probably just hard-wired into vampires the minute they saw chains and Xander had to go and get stupid and think that just because Spike got hard after chaining him up that the vampire actually liked him. Stupid and stupider. And wasn't the next hour going to just be a joy?
Xander felt hot tears slide over the bridge of his nose and fall to the table, and there wasn't a thing he could do to stop them.
"Bloody hell," Spike sighed. Xander opened his eyes and held his breath, afraid that Spike would leave and then Xander would just have a door keeping the demons away, but instead of walking out, Spike put his back to the far wall and slid down. His arms were braced on his knees, a cigarette dangling from one hand. "I thought you'd enjoy yourself. Quor'ta cost a pretty penny to hire."
Xander swallowed a couple of times and cleared his throat as he tried to decide if he could talk without breaking down and bawling. "I'll pay you back," he managed, and he even got his voice to rise a little above a whisper.
"You'll pay me back for tryin' to set you up for a rape?" Spike snorted and let his head fall back against the wall. "I always tell Peaches that he can't count on a soul to keep him from going off the moral rails. Need to listen more to my own advice, don't I?"
Xander really didn't have an answer for that. In fact, he didn't feel much like talking at all. Heavy minutes crawled by and Spike stared at the ceiling and Xander stared at Spike since he couldn't move his head enough to look in any other direction. His butt was really cold, and his thighs were starting to ache from the strange position, but Xander figured he could live with it until the hour passed and they could get these things off him.
"We're a pair," Spike said to the ceiling, but Xander figured he was included in that 'we.' "I was trying to show you that the chains were what was turning you on, not the person on the other end. Maybe I should have taken you to a human whorehouse. There's a nice dungeon in London. I'll give you the number."
"Um, no offense, Spike, but I think I'll pass. My cock is going on a little hiatus," Xander answered. Slowly Spike brought his head down and frowned at Xander.
"Won't make the need go away, Harris."
"Hey, I've been living very happily with just me and my hand, and I figure we'll be a very happy couple for the next fifty or sixty years."
"Fuck," Spike sighed.
"No thank you," Xander tried joking. It didn't seem to improve Spike's mood at all. "I didn't mean to suck you into something you didn't want to do," Xander said, and he just hoped that Spike heard the apology in there because that was as close as he was coming.
"It's not that I didn't want to do it," Spike said as he stood up and resumed his pacing. "Ya don't know what you want. I didn't want to get pulled too deep into that before you figured it all out. I've been down that bloody road too many times."
The minute Spike said those words, the pieces clicked together in Xander's brain so fast he was surprised it didn't hurt. Drusilla needing Spike to play Daddy. Buffy needing Spike to play punching bag. Harmony... Xander was going to pretend that Harmony just never happened because Spike and Harmony was high on the creepy scale.
"It wasn't the chains as much as it was you," Xander said quietly. Spike froze mid-pace. "You're confident, and you do the right thing even when the rest of us totally fuck up. You're the only one who followed Buffy after we kicked her out, and we were all debating whether or not Angel had gone all Angelusy when you were standing next to him stopping one more apocalypse. I don't always know what I'm doing, and yeah, the chains are an old sock-puppet of love fantasy of mine, but the person behind the chains isn't interchangeable. I mean, if Angel walked in right now, I can almost promise you I would die of a stroke or something on the spot, but I shouldn't have just assumed..." Xander watched as Spike slowly turned to face him, a frown on his face. He swallowed as he totally lost track of his words.
"Only now, I'm totally getting that you were just trying to help as a friend, and can I say that you go way above and beyond in the friend category, and I will so never put you in this spot again. I promise. Me and my weird little kinks will stay on the far side of any room that we're in together." Xander could feel the tightness in his chest that was becoming a physical pain, and another tear escaped before he could blink fast enough. Xander closed his eyes tightly as he tried to just not cry. "Just, maybe you could be a good enough friend to not mention this?"
The touch on his face made him yelp and open his eyes again. Spike was there, crouching next to the bed, and Xander's chest shrank another two sizes as he looked at the confusion in Spike's eyes. That's what Xander Harris did best: fuck up the people who tried to care about him.
"Not that weird, your kinks. I'm the one with the toys," Spike pointed out.
"So, hey, we people with the mutually weird kinks will just not mention to the non-kinky friends that we had this little descent into weirdness," Xander said hopefully.
"Is that what you want?" Spike asked.
Xander closed his eyes. He didn't know what he wanted any more. Having the earth swallow him up was pretty high on his list right about now.
"I've fucked this up right and proper," Spike said, and Xander couldn't help but cherish the feeling of Spike's fingers against his cheeks. "I convinced myself that ya were using me to get what you wanted, only you were always more for the self-flagellation than anything else."
"And if I knew what that meant, I might or might not agree with you," Xander said quietly. He had no idea that shame and loss could make the body hurt so much. The last time he'd been in this much pain, he'd been standing next to a hole that had swallowed Anya, only then, they were all so grateful that the world was still standing that the grief had been muted. Here, he was wallowing in the pain with nothing to dull it.
"Ya might want to reconsider your choice, pet, because if you're looking for me to know what I'm doing, I think I just proved that I'm not the best choice."
Xander frowned because that sounded like he still had a choice, but he thought he'd been pretty much turned down with a capital T... and a capital D. "Spike, you're still with the hot, but..." Xander bit his lip as he tried to figure out how to say the next bit.
"But I've fucked up enough to turn ya off. I got that," Spike nodded.
"No! No, you're still hot, but the thought that you're just doing this to make me happy is very much with the not-hot. It's like when I called the wedding off. I could see major badness coming, and I'm not trying to use you or pretend you're someone else, but if you're doing this because you think you need to because I'm going all weird in the head and Willow told you to fix me, there's major badness coming. I'll stay away from the dungeons and the demons and the tentacles if you just get me out of here. You don't have to babysit me."
Spike backed up and studied Xander for a second, and Xander could feel himself blush in places he didn't normally blush. "Babysitting's not the first word that comes to mind."
"Look, I misunderstood things. I thought the fact that you got hard in the basement meant that you were into it, but I really don't want you to do this because you think I need this," Xander said as the anger started to rise up in place of the shame of a second ago.
"I was into it. I bloody near raped you myself."
"Can't rape the willing," Xander pointed out, and Spike frowned at him.
"Yeah, pet, you can. You get someone into the right space, and they'll say pretty much anything. I knew you had a kink for the chains, for being in someone's control, and anything you said there in chains was suspect. If I'd have done it, it wouldn't have been any better than rape. I'm a bastard, through and through, but I'm not a rapist. You had to make the choice when you weren't in chains. You had to come to me."
"And I did," Xander pointed out, and Spike blinked a couple of time in surprise. "And small flaw in your logic, oh greatly flawed one: you have me totally under control and I still called a time out with the spindle demon."
"Quor'ta."
"Not caring here. The point is that I said 'no' when I meant 'no.'"
"But you said I could share you, so I'm not sure you're logic is entirely trustworthy, pet," Spike said, but at least he came close again, those fingers stroking Xander's cheek.
"Hey, I already decided on my limits, and that was on the yellow list, but if you really wanted it, I can live with it, and I'm not saying I'd ever like it, but..." Xander tried to shrug and totally failed. Now that Spike was stroking his cheek again, that was a little hot.
"You'd decided you'd let me share you?" Spike asked, clearly incredulous.
"I was hoping you wouldn't much, but Giles' books said vampires weren't generally monogamous. His books even said you and Drusilla took other partners, and you still loved each other."
Spike snorted dropped his cigarette onto the floor and crushed it. "The watchers also thought that vampires couldn't love, so don't trust what those wankers thought."
"So, is that a 'no' to sharing?" Xander asked.
"Pet," Spike sighed, and Xander just waited. Okay, so Spike hadn't totally been on the same track he had, but they seemed to be getting close now... hopefully... maybe. "I don't let go easily," Spike warned, but Xander could tell from the expression on Spike's face that he'd won.
"Oh yeah, like I didn't know that before I went and fell in lust with you. I'm not exactly well-balanced in that department, either. In case it's missed your radar, I'm still clinging to my grade-school best friend."
"If this goes wrong, we're going to make a bloody cock up of this."
"You mean as opposed to my wedding that wasn't and how it drove Anya back to demonhood? Or hey, how about when I just about ruined mine and Willow's life and almost got Cordelia killed with a piece of rebar? I think I know something about fucking up relationships, so if this goes bad, I am one half responsible for any fuck-upingness."
"Bloody hell, how was Cordelia your fault? The wood gave way."
"Which she was standing on watching me kiss my best friend."
"That's the worst bit of logic I've ever heard. If anything, I'm more at fault for lairing up in a burned out building," Spike said as he poked at Xander's shoulder.
"That's me, bad-logic boy who definitely feels better with a strong hand around," Xander said hopefully.
"Even if I fuck up every now and then?" Spike asked, and suddenly Xander could see the insecurity and the pain floating just there under the surface. He really was a moron for never noticing that before... for thinking that Spike could get through a hundred years of relationships and never get a crack in his armor.
"Feel free to fuck up. It just makes it easier for me to admit it when I'm a moron," Xander admitted. "Like when I should have told you that I was attracted to you... not the chains. Or," Xander corrected himself, "I'm attracted to you and the chains. The chains alone are a nice masturbation fantasy, but Willow and chains is like weirdly disturbing, and Buffy and chains... okay, I could do Buffy and chains," Xander teased. Spike gave him a slap on the ass.
"Be nice, pet, I still have a good forty minutes on the bindings."
"Whatever will you do with me?" Xander asked as he tightened his ass muscles and made the plug wiggle. His cock was starting to get back into the game, too.
"Whatever I want," Spike said as his hands stroked over Xander's raised ass. "Whatever you want."
Xander managed to actually think about his answer before he just blurted something dumb this time. "I want to know that I'm making my partner happy," he said first because that was the most important to him. Spike's hand, which had been stroking his butt, stopped. "Maybe it's healthy and maybe not... I don't know, but I know I'd do a lot if it made you happy. And I really do want to play with all those toys you have."
"So, you do like the cuffs and chains," Spike said as he finally continued with the strokes along Xander's bare skin.
"Oh yeah, and the gags. It's good to not be tempted into saying something stupid."
"I think maybe we need to do a little more talkin' for a while, pet," Spike said seriously, and Xander didn't argue. This had been a near-disaster. "For example, what do you want right now?"
"For you to get what you want," Xander answered immediately. Spike's fingers had been tracing the vein on Xander's cock, making hot shivers of lust travel up into Xander's helpless body, and again, he paused.
"If it made me happy to bite you?" he asked seriously.
"That's on the green list."
"Fuck you?"
"Um, is there a list more green than green?" Xander asked. He could feel the cushion give slightly as Spike crawled up between his open legs. Xander's cock was painfully hard. "Oh fuck yeah," he whispered.
"I was going to bloody explode, walking away and letting someone else have you," Spike admitted as he pulled the plug out and slipped a finger inside.
"Um, not so much green on that plan," Xander said.
"Yeah, I caught that, pet," Spike answered as he twisted a second finger into him and pressed deep into Xander where the plug didn't quite reach. Xander hoped that the squeal that came out was manly, but he suspected it wasn't. He tried to react. He struggled to squirm or thrust or twitch, but he only wore himself out and sagged against the cushion as Spike worked fingers in him.
"You look interested, pet." A slick hand caught Xander's cock and slid up it once, and Xander gasped for air as he nearly came. Finally Spike was pressing against Xander's hole, the head of his cock much bigger than the plug and pressing forward. Xander gasped for air as the muscle stretched and burned. He couldn't escape it or press back into it, and he genuinely didn't know which he wanted to do.
By the time Spike was pressed up against Xander's thighs, Xander had lost all coherent thought. The burn and the pressure in his cock became the center of his world. Slowly, Spike pulled out and then pressed in again, and Xander felt a shiver even though is body still couldn't do so much as twitch. With each stroke, Spike went faster until Xander breathed in time with the thrusts, blowing out air each time Spike slammed into him until Xander couldn't hold out any longer and he screamed and came all over the table.
His muscles turned to water, and now Spike's fucking came even harder, and Xander rode the waves of lust until Spike growled and thrust in one last time. Strong hands landed on his shoulders, and Xander wished he could see Spike's face. Then again, being so totally tied down was seriously hot.
"Spike?" Xander asked.
"Yeah, pet?"
"Just... did you like it?" he asked softly. Yeah, it was the most pathetic question in the world, but after all this, he just needed to know.
"I bloody loved it, pet." Spike promised. Xander closed his eyes and just let himself enjoy how his body felt. It was enough.
The Hand that Feeds
"Gin," Xander said as he put the cards down.
Clem glared at him. "You're cheating, aren't you?"
"Would I cheat?" Xander asked innocently.
"You're Spike's partner. You would definitely cheat," Clem said as he reached through the bars to gather the cards back up.
"Oi, that's my lover you're insultin' there," Spike said. Xander looked up to see Spike leaning against the wall.
"Spike!" Xander exclaimed with a lot of relief and just a little hint of lust already starting. He was definitely Spike-addicted.
"And I would never say anything against him," Clem said without even trying to make himself sound believable. "And since you're back, I'm going to go get cheated by someone else."
"Thanks for babysittin'," Spike said as Clem stood up.
"Any time," Clem agreed as he headed out of the room, handing the key to the cage to Spike as he left.
"So, how ya feeling?" Spike asked as he stepped forward and looked Xander up and down. Under the jeans and flannel shirt, Xander had any number of straps that might be considered uncomfortable. And there were places that were definitely chafing. And he'd just spend three hours locked in a rather small cage in his own basement.
"Horny," Xander answered as he leaned against the bars of the cage. He had just enough room for a chair and a small table and a spot to stand up. When Xander had suggested that he was only staying behind if Spike caged him, he hadn't actually expected Spike to take the game so far. The fact that he had installed a Xander-cage in the basement was more than a little hot. "So, what did Willow say about me missing the hunt?"
"She asked if you were feeling alright. I told her I wasn't having you hunt cockatrice."
Xander nodded, not offended at all, especially not since he and Spike had taken out a half dozen of the ugly little buggers on their own yesterday. "And I bet she was surprised to hear that I'd agreed to just... stay behind," Xander said as he rapped a knuckle against the cage.
"She was a bit surprised, yeah," Spike agreed. "I might have suggested that she butt out of our business."
"Oh great, so I should expect an intervention soon," Xander said with a sigh. "You know, considering that she was all rah-rah girl when I was thinking of going after you, she really spends a lot of time worrying about me now."
"She cares about ya. Of course, if she sees you in there, she's going to worry more," Spike said as he pursed his lips and considered Xander.
"You wouldn't." Xander crossed his arms over his chest and then yelped when he hit his newly pierced nipple. "Okay, ow."
"Git," Spike said with a resigned shake of his head.
"Spike, you're going to let me out of here, right?" Xander said with his best puppy eyes.
"Don't know," Spike offered with a smirk. "What bargaining chip have you got?"
Xander groaned as his cock cage grew suddenly tighter. "Um, you could..." Xander tried to think of something he could give Spike permission to do, but Spike pretty much did what he wanted. "You can't touch me if I'm in here and you're out there," Xander finally pointed out as he backed up to the far wall and used the iron bars as his weapon to deny Spike all the touching the vamp loved so much.
"Ya think I have that little control?" Spike asked with some amusement.
"Yep," Xander said as he ran his hands over his shirt and then started on the buttons. Humming the tune from Knight Rider, he rocked his hips from side to side and pulled one button after another free, revealing the leather harness underneath. Licking his finger, Xander ran it along his newly pierced nipple, making it pebble and the bar through the piercing rose.
Xander could see the yellow flashes in Spike's eyes now as he slowly let the shirt fall off his shoulders. Still moving to the music in his head, he caught his thumbs in his jeans and traced the skin along his stomach, going for the tease instead of the immediate reveal. Spike walked up, the cage key in hand as he leaned against the bars.
"Teasin' yourself, too. I'm willin' to bet I can hold out longer than you can," Spike pointed out with a smirk.
"But it's so much more fun if you don't hold out," Xander pointed out as he unbuttoned his jeans and pushed them down just far enough to show a few wisps of hair.
"Cheeky little brat," Spike complained.
"If you want me to be," Xander answered as he opened the zipper a little and let his jeans slide down another inch. He swung his hips farther and let his hands roam over his chest, fingers exploring each seam where leather or steel rings pressed into flesh. He turned to face the wall, giving Spike a nice view of the buckles right between Xander's shoulder blades where he couldn't reach them.
The vampire hissed, and Xander could smell victory. Slowly he eased his jeans down just far enough to show the padlock that kept his chastity belt firmly in place. Swinging his hips slowly, he sank low enough to reach his shoes and pull the laces free. When he rolled his back and rose again, he could hear Spike breathing heavily. Xander half turned toward the cage door and smiled at Spike as he toed out of his shoes and raised his hands and did his best imitation of a belly dance. He might have felt self-conscious if not for the fact that Spike's eyes never left his hips as the jeans slowly gave way to gravity. Once the jeans dropped, Xander ran a thumb over the harness that held the plug in and locked around the cock cage.
"I let you out, you spend the week in the harness," Spike said.
"Week? Come on, three days," Xander negotiated as he pinched his unpierced nipple and gave his best sexy look.
"Two weeks, and if you argue any more, it'll be three and I'll use the biggest plug," Spike threatened. Xander studied Spike for a second, and then sighed.
"Only because I don't want Willow to see the cage," he said as he stepped out of his jeans and then bent over to grab all his clothes.
"You'd find some way to misbehave and get sentenced to that harness anyway, wouldn't ya, pet?" Spike asked. For a half second, Xander considered denying it since he still occasionally felt less than manly with just how much submitting he did, but then Spike had his own stories of being bottom boy for the Aurelius line.
"Probably," Xander admitted as Spike unlocked the door. "The cage isn't bad either. But having a babysitter is a little on the embarrassing side."
"Forget it, pet. The way you attract trouble, the soddin' house would catch on fire if I left you in there alone," Spike said as he caught Xander by the back of the neck and pulled him close for a kiss. Xander let Spike take control and waited a second before he kissed back with just as much passion. However, Xander had to pull back first with his human need for oxygen.
"Seems like the cell did you some good," Spike said, running a finger over the clear cock cage where Xander's cock was making a respectable if useless effort to escape.
"Once I saw Willow hadn't gotten you killed, yep," Xander said. "When I was playing cards with Clem, not so much."
"Can't say I want you getting all hot and bothered around Clem, and as long as Red is going through another break up, I'm a lot more spell-proof than you are, pet. One of these days, she's going to turn one of the slayers into a potted plant. And just for complaining after I put in all the work of installing that cell, I'm going to fuck you raw and never take off that cock cage," Spike whispered into Xander's ear. Xander groaned in desire and allowed Spike to pull him out and door and upstairs to their bedroom.
Turn Over an Old Leaf
Spike came down the narrow stairs and stopped at the bottom. Someone had hung a giant soddin' sun with a smiling face and gold rays above the couch, and Spike had a pretty good idea who. The gold Christmas balls tacked to the windowsill and the African statue with a gold ribbon tied around the ankles was fairly... odd.
Xander practically came dancing out of the kitchen. "Happy Saturnalia!" Xander thrust a red sugar cookie at him and he took it out of surprise more than anything else.
"Pet?" he considered Xander with more than a little suspicion.
"It's our holiday!"
"Our holiday?" Spike asked as he looked around. A pile of gold Hanukkah coins lay on the coffee table and one of their chip bowls had been filled with dirt and pine cones. It looked like Red had gotten her hands on their flat keys.
"Well, yeah," Xander said as he took a big bite out of his own round sugar cookie. "Christmas and Hanukkah seem a little hypocritical of us at this point, especially since you and religious symbols can be a little non-mixy," Xander shrugged, "and the last time I made a big deal out of Solstice or Solace or whatever witchy thing Willow has in December, I got a lecture on not cheapening her holiday by turning it into an excuse to exchange tacky presents. Oh, and for the record, my gifts are not tacky."
"Never thought they were, pet. Anya always complimented your tackle and your gift giving," Spike agreed absentmindedly. His vamp senses were picking up on something, and he was not so much love's bitch as to miss noticing that Xander had a bit of deviousness to him. And right now, Xander wasn't being particularly subtle about it either.
"Anya was easy to shop for," Xander said, his mouth half full of cookie. "She gave good hints... if you thought that the sales brochure with a sticky note, an arrow, and her ring size written on it was a hint."
"Took some of the surprise out of it, I suppose." Spike still couldn't quite figure out the game here. "So... Saturnalia? You're not goin' to summon some god by accident, are you?"
"What? No! Well, hopefully not," Xander amended himself. "But these are all human customs, no demon rituals involved, and it's more about giving thanks to the universe for having a really good year!" Xander said as he pulled Spike toward the table.
Spike tried to take his normal seat only to have Xander tug him to the far side of the table. "Nope, Saturnalia is like backwards day."
"Backwards?" Spike asked suspiciously as Xander ducked into the kitchen.
"Yep, you do everything differently. The parents become the kids and the kids get to rule the house, that kind of stuff."
"Don't have kids," Spike pointed out as he sat in Xander's chair at the table. Xander came in, and Spike half thought that he'd get stuck with human food, but he still got his mug of blood. The first sip nearly made Spike choke. "Bloody hell. That's M'ra blood," Spike said as the demonic blood gave him a good buzz. The stuff was hard as hell to find, and it was actually more alcohol than blood. He took another drink, and closed his eyes as the warmth filled him.
"Well, I had to have something special, and I really didn't think giving you otter blood would be in the spirit of the holiday," Xander pointed out. "Oh, and since we're changing everything, you have to take off the belt," Xander said as he pushed his pants down far enough to show the padlock on the back of his harness. Spike frowned at it for a minute.
"Why?"
"It's Saturnalia," Xander said with a heavy sigh. "We do things backwards. Come on, Spike, get in the mood."
"Bloody hell, fine," Spike said as he pulled the key out of his t-shirt, bending down so he wouldn't have to pull the chain from around his neck. He opened the lock. "Now, you go wanking, and I'm going to have a whole new prezzie for you," Spike warned.
"Okay, you do know that's not exactly going to discourage me, right?" Xander asked.
Spike smirked. He did like the way his boy thought. "I'm hoping it won't," Spike admitted as he took another drink of the M'ra blood. The shite was bloody wonderful, but he now was more suspicious than ever because Xander never wanted out of his harness. The tighter Spike held, the more Xander settled down. He was turning into a fine fighter and he actually listened and didn't go running hell bent for the center of the action without thinking about how he was going to get back out again. Bloody fuck. Prezzies. Spike thought about the stash he always kept for when Xander did something particularly good, and he had a thing or two stashed away that would make an appropriate Saturnalia gift.
By the time Xander reappeared, Spike was feeling mellow and very pleased with himself. He had himself a good life.
"So, Deadboy says this stuff doesn't really get you drunk as much as just make you really happy," Xander said as he sat in Spike's seat.
"It's like eating a hippy," Spike agreed, "but it takes more to get a vampire really drunk. Some days I wished I could'a got drunk easier, but it comes part and parcel with living forever."
"You know, whoever sits there should so have chains on, you know, in the spirit of doing things backwards," Xander said in an entirely too innocent voice.
"Oh?" Spike asked as he put his mug down and studied his lover.
"You want to do the holiday right... don't you?"
"Don't give a rat's ass about the holiday," Spike pointed out, "but wouldn't mind if it made ya happy, pet," Spike said carefully. The M'ra blood was making the edges a little fuzzy, and he wasn't entirely sure he was tracking everything as well as he should. Xander smiled and then turned and darted out of the room again. When he reappeared, he was panting from having run the stairs, and in his hands he had a set of chains Spike hadn't seen before. The dark manacles were connected by a short chain, and a long lead dangled from the center link.
"Hands out," Xander said with mock cheerfulness, but he could hear the stress. Boy was worried.
"No problem, luv," Spike said as he held out his hands. Xander was locking the manacles around his wrists when he spotted the tiny inscribed charm. Latin. He wouldn't be able to break these chains any time soon. He could either wait until Xander unlocked the manacles or crush his own hands to pull them free. When Spike pulled his hands close, he strained for a moment, checking to see if he was right, and not a single link gave.
"Want some toast?" Xander asked. He was swallowing a lot, his tongue making quick little passes over his lips.
"Sure, pet," Spike agreed. He picked up his mug and awkwardly ran a finger along the inside to catch the last of the M'ra blood. When was the last time he'd been chained? Probably the watcher's in that soddin' bathtub. But the heat gathering in Spike's stomach was a far, far older feeling. Dru was the queen and she'd ruled him, no question, but he'd never worn chains for her. Angelus was the last partner he'd worn chains for.
In the kitchen, he could hear Xander making normal morning noises, and he licked the M'ra blood off his finger. "Marmite or apple butter?" Xander called.
"Might as well get into the spirit of the holiday. Apple butter."
Xander came out with the food and Spike had to figure out how to maneuver in chains again. He watched the way Xander's eyes kept slipping down to the chains, and Spike couldn't help but smirk a little. It was nice to know that his lover was attracted no matter what circumstances. "So, any plans for the big celebration?" Spike asked as he took a bite. He made a face and put the toast down. Bloody Americans had no idea of proper breakfast food. On the other side of the table, Xander was making a face at his own toast with marmite.
"Switch?" Xander offered.
"Any time, pet," Spike said as he pushed his plate and the long chain dangling from his wrists clattered against the edge of the table. There for a second, he thought Xander might choke to death.
"Marmite... seriously with the gross," Xander complained as he finally recovered from his coughing fit. Spike didn't bother commenting as he raised an eyebrow and took the proper toast Xander pushed his direction in return.
"I don't suppose it's to everyone's taste. Me, I'm pretty open," Spike shrugged as he took a bite of his toast. He could taste Xander where the man had bit into the toast already.
"Open. Open is good," Xander agreed as he shoved food in his mouth at a terrifying rate. If it weren't Saturnalia, Spike would know exactly what to do... he'd just get out a nice big gag and give Xander's mouth something to fill it. But obviously today he was following Xander's lead.
Spike leaned back, and found his sprawl check by the chains so he had to shift and lean into the table. "So, ya never said if you had any plans for today," Spike said as he raised his eyebrow.
"You're not freaked out at all, are you?" Xander asked, and he could hear the envy.
"I was the submissive often enough to know how it feels when I'm with someone I trust," Spike shrugged, and he watched as Xander's eyes dilated in lust.
"Want to go upstairs?" Xander asked. "And I am not doing the Saturnalia thing very well," Xander added without taking a break. "Spike, we're going upstairs," he tried again in a firmer voice. "Oh, we are so going upstairs because I am so totally breaking the rule about not coming in so many ways that you're going to run out of punishments," Xander said, and Spike felt his cock harden immediately. Bloody hell, the boy was better at this than Spike would have given him credit for.
Xander stood up and walked over and caught the dangling chain and started for the stairs. Spike followed without comment, curious as to what Xander had planned. They headed for the attic playroom, and Spike mentally catalogued all the toys they might use. Depending on how bold Xander got, this might be interesting.
Opening the heavy door, Xander gestured toward a ladder centered under the main beam. "Up on that. Hook your chain on the clip."
Spike hesitated for just a second, long enough to judge Xander's seriousness before he headed for the ladder. The clip was set deep into the beam, and while Spike would be able to break either the clip or the beam eventually, this was fairly good planning on Xander's part. He reached up to clip one of the links.
"Make the chain shorter," Xander ordered. Raising an eyebrow at his lover's sudden bossiness, Spike did it, and this time his work passed inspection because Xander walked forward and put a hand on the ladder. When he got down, Spike discovered that his arms were pulled tight, so once Xander took the ladder away, he really would have a struggle to get himself free.
"I'm going to come in my pants," Xander whispered as he leaned into Spike's back, warm hands coming around to embrace Spike.
"If you're going to break the rules, I'd rather have your cock somewhere else when you do it," Spike admitted, and he could smell the rusty-salt scent of lust fill the air. He could feel the heat as Xander rested his forehead on Spike's back, his breathing ragged and fast.
"You're trying to break me," Xander accused him before he turned away quickly.
"Don't know what you mean."
"Evil vampire."
"Bloody hell, yes."
"We'll see how evil you are," Xander said as he turned around with a pair of scissors. He gave an eyebrow wiggle before he closed the distance between them and cut off Spike's shirt.
"Still feeling evil, pet."
Xander took a deep breath and studied Spike for long seconds. "Spike, you know that if you said 'no' I'd stop without getting upset, right?"
"Pet, I figure I'm as good as you are at setting my own boundaries, but I can promise you that you aren't going to come anywhere near mine," Spike said with just a little amusement. It might have been the wrong thing because Xander's expression turned very sly.
"We'll see," he said as he turned to the toy cabinet. He came back with nipple clamps. Spike had tried playing with them once, but once he got the nipple ring, Xander hadn't been able to bear them. However, Spike couldn't really fear the small clamps with their rubber edges. "We'll see..." Xander repeated as he clicked the clips in front of Spike's face, and only then did Spike realize that these were new clamps, and the teeth were metal. When Xander rolled Spike's nipple between his fingers and then snapped the clamp into place, Spike controlled his reaction. It was an old habit, older than Xander. It hadn't served Spike particularly well back then, and it obviously wasn't going to serve him well now because Xander tightened the clamps more than Spike would have expected... so much so that Spike couldn't control a hiss.
Looking deep into Spike's eyes, Xander stood silent and chewed on his lip. Spike knew that look well enough. "Wot? That all you got?" he taunted. The uncertainty vanished from Xander's face as he rolled his eyes.
"Show off," he said as he headed back to the cabinet. When he turned around with a cane in hand, Spike couldn't keep the shock off his face. When Xander's face immediately telegraphed his insecurities, Spike schooled his face into a sneer.
"Bloody hell. You'll never swing that hard enough to do more than tickle," he said dismissively, and that was enough to push Xander back into his role.
"You're so going to regret saying that," Xander said, and Spike could feel his nerves respond to that tone. Oh, his boy had some hidden talents. He expected Xander to start right in with the cane, but instead Xander circled him, letting the tip of the cane slide over his stomach and back. Spike couldn't resist twitching, and he tightened his arms and fisted the chains. Two, three times Xander circled before he took the cane away and held it in both hands as he considered Spike's stretched body like a painter considering a canvas.
"You're so beautiful," Xander said, awe in his voice. "You're going to be more beautiful with my marks on you." Spike groaned as his cock complained about his tight jeans. He had a feeling his cock was going to hurt much more than his back when this was over. Xander's first hit caught him on the ribs under his left arm, and Spike growled as the pain forced the air out of him. Soddin' hell, the boy had put his weight behind that one. Before he could even gather the breath to swear out loud, Xander's next hit caught him low on the back.
Xander returned to circling, watching Spike carefully. "This is... this is not as hard as I thought," Xander said with a little laugh as he reached up and tugged the chain between the nipple clamps. Spike hissed and flashed into gameface as the pain stirred some deeper part of him, waking up a hunger and a power that had been dulled for so long that Spike had forgotten it. "You are so incredibly beautiful," Xander repeated. Without warning he brought the cane down on Spike's stomach, and a growl erupted.
When Xander brought the cane down on Spike's back over and over, the heat tore through Spike and he growled as he arched his back into the blows. The cane paused, and Xander's finger trailed over the welts and cuts. "Okay, I would have been begging for you to stop by now," Xander said softly.
"I'm not weak," Spike snarled, and he could feel Xander's finger pause as it travelled across his back.
"You're incredibly strong. Sometimes you're so strong that I wonder why you put up with me," Xander said softly, and Spike growled deep and yanked at the chains so that the bolt screeched and bent a little.
"I wouldn't have you if you weren't strong," Spike snapped. "You faced down Angelus and take command of slayers," Spike pointed out, and he studied Xander as he came back around to the front, seeing him differently than he had before. While Xander was human, he was so much stronger than most humans. He hid his strength, but he never acted out of the sort of fear that led others to hide or deny.
Xander brought his hand up to Spike's face, cupping his chin for a second before bringing a finger to Spike's lips. Opening his mouth, Spike sucked the finger in, tasting his own blood before he bit down and tasted Xander's right alongside it. Xander gasped, but waited until Spike pulled his fang out and then licked the wound closed.
"Ow," Xander said softly, and Spike cocked his head at the man. Xander was always doing that, like a predator that mimicked an injury to make itself seem less dangerous. He had dismissed Xander only to have his own plans ruined when the boy escaped the school and fetched Angelus, and then later the boy had provided the plan and weapon to kill the Judge. And Spike had seen Giles' spell for killing Adam. The others directed their energy outward, but the entire spell was powered by the heart, the only person whose attentions weren't on the battle. How had Spike ever missed seeing so much power there in his chains?
"Are you ready for more?" Xander asked.
"Yes," Spike hissed, not even near any of his limits. The cane came down and brought heat and life to his skin, awakening nerve endings that had slept for too long. Sometimes life just wasn't enough, but now Xander brought the cane down again, and Spike shook the sleep away. The world smelled brighter, and the copper of his own blood was a perfume he hadn't smelled in far too long. His growl was constant now, and when Xander reached around and grabbed his crotch, Spike snarled and writhed in the chains. His back was heat, but his cock was fire.
Spike was panting when Xander dropped to his knees in front of him and carefully unzipped him, freeing Spike's heavy cock from the tight prison. When Xander licked up the length, he really started fighting the chains, pulling until the bolt screamed and the beam made ominous creaking sounds, but Xander just continued to tease with his tongue, sucking the head into his mouth before abandoning it to lick at the balls.
"Fucking hell. Bloody fucking hell, pet," he snarled between fangs. "Just fucking do something already."
"I am doing something, Spike," Xander pointed with another long lick at Spike's cock.
He snarled his frustration and twisted in his chains, desperate to break free, but then Xander swallowed his whole cock, and he just threw his head back and surrendered. Xander pulled back a little and then sank down again, swallowing around the head of Spike's cock. At another time and another place, Spike would have fought his orgasm back, afraid of the consequences for coming. Now, he knew he was totally safe. He came with a roar and then sagged in the chains.
Xander knelt between his legs for long minutes, a warm hand stroking up and down Spike's leg. The satisfaction and pleasure still echoing through his nerves distracted him from the smell for a second. Come. Xander's come.
"Had fun then, pet?" Spike asked with some amusement. Xander had shot his come across the linoleum on the floor.
"Oh yeah. You?" Xander asked as he looked up, and that insecurity was back.
"Bloody brilliant, pet. Of course, you came without permission, so there's going to be punishment for that," Spike said as he rolled his head and catalogued a whole new set of scents from the room. The leather and the dust and the musk from Xander was nearly overwhelming.
"Um, Spike, you're being a little extra special demony. Are we sure your soul doesn't come with a happiness clause?" Xander asked.
Spike raised an eyebrow and looked down and the worry on his lover's face. Well, he could fix that easy enough. The struggles had already twisted the clip out of shape, so a quick jerk freed the chain, and Spike was on Xander before he could even get off his knees. "No happiness clause," Spike said, but he had to admit he felt... he felt good. "Just a lot of happiness. And as punishment for being so cheeky with the holiday, you're going to be chained to that bed for days. I'm going to be hand feeding you because you aren't even going to be getting up for meals, and the plug you're going to be stuffed with... oh pet, you're going to learn your place," Spike teased gently, his fingers stroking Xander's hair as the man settled under evidence that Spike's soul was still in control. "But that'll have to be tomorrow since today's still Saturnalia, innit?"
"Um, yep. And I promised that I was going to make you run out of punishments," Xander said as his arm came around Spike's waist and pulled him close. "And you're really okay?"
"Demon woke up a bit," Spike admitted. "Demon likes you about as much as the soul, so no worries, pet. The soul's still in control, and if the demon comes out a bit on Saturnalia, it's not a problem. I have to ask though, Xand, where did you get this idea? I never thought you'd like switching."
"Um, I actually prefer to be bottom," Xander shrugged, and Spike opened his mouth to call the day off right then and there. "But it's fun to just roleplay for a day... fun with a side of completely hot," Xander hurried to add before Spike could say anything else, and he had come all over the floor. Spike studied him trying to see if he was being honest. "And the idea kinda came from Angel," Xander finally admitted with an embarrassed shrug.
"From... Angel?" Spike was downright gobsmacked.
Xander smiled. "Never let it be said that I won't do anything to give a good Christmas present, and the only thing that made that conversation bearable was that he was way more with the metaphorical dying than I was. Angel torture is always a good thing," Xander nodded knowingly.
"You loon." Spike shook his head and pulled his lover close. "You'd bloody well better have that on tape."
"Oh, I do. So, what shall we do for the rest of Saturnalia?"
"Whatever you want, pet," Spike answered happily. He might be too old to live with this as his life, not after fighting so hard to free himself, but he was mighty fond of Saturnalia. "Absolutely anything you want."