Pretty When You Break
Hot mid-summer‘s night and Spike was out looking for a fight. Restless he’d been through 3 cemeteries already and was starting on the University grounds - prime spot to hunt for co-eds. Hearing a scuffle Spike took off through some trees. when he hit the clearing he stopped in his tracks. There was Harris axe swinging and two lumpy green demons. Xander fighting - all out - teeth bared, blood and steel fighting. It took his breath away, the feral grace, power, bloodlust shining for all the world to see. And he wanted it, wanted his boy.
Shaken by the possessive thoughts Spike had left the clearing. The next day Spike watched the boy all through the meeting and patrol. Back was the clumsy cheerful boy, like last night had never happened. It puzzled him, it enraged his demon. Where was his beautiful, deadly mate?
Unable to let the image of Xander blood splattered and triumphant go Spike started following him. Got himself invited into the human’s home and stayed. In his own space Xander relaxed, some of that fool mask washed away. As he became used to Spike’s presence he let if fall completely.
Spike wormed his way into every part of the boy’s life until Xander came to expect it. It was Spike he turned to for advice, it was the vampire he patrolled with, went out to the bronze with, came home and bitched to after a bad day. All the while Spike watched looking for glimpses of that primal part of Xander. He saw it first when Willow was in danger or when he was in a mood and threatened.
But the pattern changed. Willow and Buffy fell back into college life and pushed at Xander. Pushed him away, pushed at his tolerance for their jibes for their thoughtlessness. They pushed and Spike pulled him closer. He took to teaching Xander fighting moves and how to handle weapons, introduced him to cultural things. Let the human see a bit of William.
As for the feral part, Spike encouraged it, subtly peeling back the layers of doughnut-boy and son of the town drunk. Leaving the beast a little closer to the surface, till it was right under the skin. Xander was more confident, no longer holding back. He walked taller, moved like he owned his body - like any room he walked in was his.
Tactile Xander craved touch and Spike gave him that. Half hugs and brushing limbs sitting on the couch. Massages when the boy’s day job and his nights of patrol tensed and tore muscles painfully. Addicting him to the feel of cool skin against his own. A double edged sword because Spike was soon addicted to the heat of Xander.
The day Xander broke was the most beautiful thing Spike had ever seen. Unwavering, flushed and near tears, anger plain in his stance Xander backed down the slayer. If he’d still been William he would have wept at the beauty of his boy. As it was Spike got instantly and painfully hard, demon howling at the sight of his mate reborn. They fought over Spike, ironic that the slayer feared he’d corrupt the boy, taint him, change him. He’d already been tainted before Spike found him and the boy had change too much to go back now. Xander let them have it and walked away.
He cried that night, a handful of tears dampening Spike’s shirt where Xander hide his face. But the grief soon passed as Spike whispered of far away places. Bright cities and forgotten lands, of new beginnings. Xander looked up at the vampire eyes wide and eager, Spike couldn’t resist and leaned down to kiss his mate.
They’d leave the next night, see the world - settle down where ever they took a fancy. Spike hide a smile in the Xander’s sable locks. They’d be a thing of legend - William the Bloody and his beautiful feral mate.
-END-
Written for Jossverse Undercover
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