The Essential Spike - 5

Kept inside by the sun, it was only later the following evening that Spike was able to make his way to Giles' apartment. More suitably dressed, and wearing his duster, he tried to resurrect the Big Bad. He suspected this was a futile effort: he hadn't been very big or very bad lately. He knocked hesitantly on the door, unsure of his reception. Distanced from the events playing out around him all day, Spike had had time to reflect on the intensity of the previous night.

He had never allowed humans to see him like that before: he did not often allow himself to be like that any more. The pain had overwhelmed him, stripped him of his humanity, and made his demon beg for relief. It had been sublime: all he had wanted was orgasm and release. So he had let Giles take him. They had done it. The quiet, bookish watcher that he had watched and studied for years had whipped and then penetrated him. Human sperm had filled his body. He had shown the watcher the extent of his subjugation. Where would they go from here? Spike doubted that Giles would cope as easily with his behaviour as a vampire could. Spike clung to his excuse that he was a demon - how could Giles rationalise what had happened between them? He had to see the watcher now though, for he had heard no news and could no longer bear his forced idleness.

Being kept waiting at the door did not bode well for this meeting. Spike fidgeted on the doorstep and debated leaving, but the door was suddenly opened a crack, and Giles peered out. 'Oh, it's you.' He opened the door wide and beckoned with his head for Spike to enter. When he was in, Giles shut the door and turned to him. Spike grinned. Giles was wet, dripping onto the tiles with a towel clasped around his waist. 'Sorry, I was taking a shower.'

There was a distinctly awkward pause. To cover, Spike shed his coat and prowled into the kitchen, looking for a drink. 'Well?'

Giles perched on one of his bar stools. 'They got it back.' At Spike's delighted expression, Giles continued swiftly, 'You can't keep it, Spike.'

Spike put his drink down carefully on the counter, studied it for a moment then glanced up with an unreadable look. 'And why would that be? Given that he is mine, not yours.'

'I know. But I can't trust you not to train it, Spike. When I thought it was just a puppy, I was happy for you to keep it... but now... I'm sorry.'

'Ah. I see.' Once more he looked down, and Giles could sense the tension radiating off him, could see it in the edgy lines of the body he now knew so well. 'So....' Spike's voice was deceptively light. 'My improvements extend to shagging me, but not to trusting me, hey?'

Giles felt himself to be at a dangerous crossroads. He wasn't afraid of the vampire; it was not that sort of danger. He wanted him. It was as simple as that. Since that urgent penetration in the blood and the sweat, all his thoughts, all his desires, had revolved around Spike. Giles wanted Spike, and he did not want this brewing argument to interfere. He tipped his head back slightly, considering his options. Slowly, he got off the stool and came around to Spike's side of the counter. He advanced steadily. Spike glanced behind him angrily, judging distances and space, but realised he couldn't fight him anyway. He stood his ground with a mutinous look on his face. Suddenly, Giles grabbed his face and thrust him back hard against the refrigerator. He savagely took Spike's mouth, grinding his knee into Spike's groin. With one hand he ripped off the towel around his waist and forced Spike's hand onto him. 'There, you fool, that's how much I trust you... I trust you with my body... but I'll be buggered if I'm going to be glancing over my shoulder every time I cum in you, to see if your bloody hound is about to savage me! So, choose now. You've got ten seconds. You can keep the dog, or you can have me whenever, wherever, we feel like it. Choose.'

Spike deliberately took the whole ten seconds, drawing out the ecstasy and the agony until the very end, but finally gave his answer by sinking to his knees and taking Giles' cock reverently into his mouth. Giles threw back his head with pleasure. He had not felt a mouth around him for many years, and he had forgotten how exquisite it was. He was not fully hard, so Spike sucked gently on him and played with his balls until they both felt the satisfying swelling of his penis. It did not take Giles long to remember that the creature bringing him off did not breathe. He sucked his own breath in at this startling realisation, grasped the blond hair and thrust into Spike's mouth. It was superb; he could grind and rub the tip of his cock against Spike's throat. More, he could push it down and feel Spike swallowing him until the throat muscles stimulated even the thick column. He couldn't hold out. With a force that made his legs buckle, he emptied straight down Spike's throat; his entire body was suffused with pleasure and radiating waves of intense orgasm. Giles began to pant: a ragged, hoarse drawing of breath that sounded loud in the quiet apartment. He pulled out of Spike and sank to his knees, too. He put his hands down on the floor, still panting. Spike sat back against the fridge, watching him with amusement. 'Good?' Giles could do nothing but nod.

Eventually, Spike stood up and, catching hold of Giles' arms, pulled him up the stairs to the bathroom. He cast a rueful look at the familiar bathtub then began to peel off his T-shirt and jeans. Giles watched in awed delight as Spike's naked body was revealed to him once more. He ran his hands over Spike's back, as the vampire bent to undo his boots. 'Healed.'

''Course. Vampire. Told ya... enjoy it.'

They stood naked together in the harsh fluorescent light, and Giles reached for another towel. Spike stilled his hand. 'What?'

'I can't compete, Spike. I'm a middle-aged human.'

'Where's the competition, watcher? I'm a reanimated dead body; you win on that score.' Giles smiled and allowed Spike to push him gently back against the wall. Spike raised his leg slightly as he rubbed against Giles' body. 'And you're warm, Giles; I'd swap you two inches, just to be warm.'

'No, you wouldn't, you vain liar. And there's not two inches difference!'

'Ah, well, I have vampire acuity, pet. I see things clearer than you... so....'

'What?' Giles slid away from Spike and switched the shower back on. He turned round with his hand extended to Spike.

'Where is he then? Me dog... what did you do with 'em? Not that I'm bothered, like, but in case I... well... anyway, where is 'e?'

Giles smiled. 'I gave him to two humans that I want very much to keep safe from vampires.'

'Oh.'

'You joining me?'

Spike grinned and stepped into the shower. Giles ran his hands over Spike's chest, flicking lightly at the nipples until Spike groaned. The water cascaded over them both, warming Spike's skin, making Giles' skin blush slightly from the intense heat.

'Spike....' Spike opened his eyes and found Giles watching him thoughtfully.

'Yeah?' Spike's answer was lazy and sensuous; he turned his face from side to side under the stream of water.

Giles smiled at the languorous vampire. 'Do you remember the story I told those fools... about your chip? That if they didn't show pain....'

Spike eyes came back to focus and his body tensed.

'Feel like testing my theory again?'

Spike twitched his eyebrow up in surprise, but quickly turned Giles to face the wall. He ran his hands for the first time over the human's naked back. He pressed into the firm muscles and delighted in the warm skin. He sank to his knees and pressed his face into Giles' thighs, opening his legs and nuzzling into the soft cheeks. Slipping one hand through, he began gently kneading Giles' sac, rubbing it between his fingers as if testing grain. Giles groaned.

'Watcher… make those groans full of pleasure, hey?'

Giles chuckled. 'I'll laugh all the way through, shall I?' He looked down, thoughtfully, at Spike and chuckled again. 'But, you know, I've been wondering something....' He pulled away slightly, so Spike was not touching him at all, looked him straight in the eye, then said quite distinctly, 'Ow.'

Spike's eyes flew open in outrage at the same time as he clutched his head with a low scream of pain. Contrite, Giles sank to his knees and pulled Spike to him. 'Sorry. I just wanted to know.'

'Bloody hell, wanker. You really are a dark one, ain't ya?' Spike gave him a mock thump on his arm but then grinned. 'Seeing yer down 'ere.' He pushed Giles fully onto his back and pushed his thighs wide open.

'Err... a little undignified, Spike!'

It was Spike's turn to chuckle. 'If you wanna keep yer dignity intact, mate, don't fuck vampires, hey?'

Giles pursed his lips thoughtfully at this, as Spike leant down to explore the exposed entrance.

Suddenly, he pushed Spike away slightly and sat up, out of the stream of water.

'Fucking hell! What now?' Spike sat back on his heels annoyed. Giles stood and offered him his hand.

'I don't want to err… fuck a vampire, Spike; I want to fuck you.' He looked down shyly for a moment. 'I haven't actually thought of you as a vampire much recently. Let's do this the non-vampire way; what do you say?'

Spike tipped his head to one side, curious, but got to his feet and followed Giles into the bedroom. Giles dimmed the lights and started to light some candles that were strategically placed on windowsills and bookcases. He saw Spike's face and laughed.

Spike bristled. 'Hey! Don't get carried away with this human shit, watcher. Flames and vampires don't mix and…' he screwed up his face as if pained. 'Ain't this a bit bleedin' poofy? Candles? Beds? Bloody hell, you'll be buying me a fucking friendship ring or summat next.'

'It's called atmosphere, Spike.'

'Ah, atmosphere… where's the blood, the manacles, and the bleedin' pliers then?'

'Come here.'

'Hey!'

'Spike, I can say 'ow' as easily as I can say 'come here,' and next time I'll put proper effect into it.' Giles opened his mouth theatrically to shout the word. Spike laughed, and climbed onto the bed.

'You've really surprised me lately, Rupert, and that ain't easy to do these days. So, come here yourself, and let me get back to what I'm good at, yeah?'

Giles came slowly towards Spike. The candlelight created exactly the right ambience in the room: he felt languid and suffused with desire. Spike reached out and caught at his hand, entwining fingers. Spike pulled, and Giles did not resist the entreaty. He was manoeuvred gently onto his back, and Spike straddled him, his hands braced on Giles' shoulders.

Spike pursed his lips and tipped his head to one side, studying the body beneath him. 'You ready then? Cus if you moan or groan or croak or any other bleedin' thing in pain, I'm gonna.... ' He stopped and grinned, and they both knew there was little he could do. 'Don't test me, mate; I could always just stop.'

Giles shook his head. 'Smiling and laughing, see?'

'Yeah, well, that's gonna put me off completely. Just don't do anything; that's best.'

Lying on his back and being penetrated by a vampire was not the easiest situation for Giles to do nothing in. He tried his best, but as Spike eased a first finger into his hole, he couldn't help let out a groan of deep, intense pleasure. Spike grinned and slipped in a second. He stretched Giles open even further and, effortlessly, pushed them deeply into his anus. Spike probed gently and found the spot he was looking for. He had assumed Giles to be fairly experienced in this area, and had made allowances for the urgency of his entry the previous night, but looking at Giles' face now, Spike was not so sure that the watcher had ever been shown the true delights of such penetration. He brushed the tip of one finger over the swollen prostate gland, scratching to one side of it with his other. Giles gasped and reared up slightly. Spike looked warningly at him, and Giles said between clenched teeth, 'Bloody good chip that, Spike, seems to know the difference between... oh, my, God... between... uh.' Effectively silenced by the increasing pressure of Spike's finger, Giles could only dig his nails painfully into Spike's arm and jerk his hips up slightly on the embedded fingers.

Spike saw that Giles was very near release and gently withdrew. He laughed lightly at the human's face. 'Patience, watcher, patience.' He looked warily down at the slightly stretched entrance, considered his chip, but then thought 'fuck it' and placed the tip of his penis against the indentation. He pushed in. Spike knew he was large; he knew he was hard; he suspected that Giles had not done this for many years (if at all), so he was impressed with the watcher's stoicism. Not a flicker of pain crossed his face: he looked only eager, pleased and, when Spike began a soft pushing against his prostate, utterly blissful. Relieved, Spike began to enjoy himself. He allowed impressions of Giles to ease into him, savouring each one individually. He'd had human women under him - softer and more pliant; he'd shagged numerous male demons - some who could even pass for human in low lighting and with a few drinks - but he'd never experienced the intense pleasure of sharing this physicality with a man. Spike liked that he knew what Giles was feeling - he felt it made the experience more intimate and intense for both of them.

Spike smiled down at Giles as he gently worked in and out, but saw that Giles had his eyes closed. He drew a finger slowly down Giles' cheek; the eyes opened, and Giles locked his gaze with Spike's. He was sweating slightly; the salty clear drops ran off his temple and into his hairline. Spike wiped them away with his hand but then bent low and, seeking permission with a look, licked them away. Giles groaned at the feel of the cold tongue on him, and his hand crept to his penis, as a flood of desire hardened it once more. Spike sat back on his heels slightly and began to watch intently as his cock moved in and out of Giles. He was fascinated by the stretch around him, the tightness of the ring, and the pleasure this intense grip gave him all around the shaft of his erection. He noted that Giles was bleeding slightly and glanced up at the human, impressed. The smell of the blood made Spike feel faint. It stirred longings deep within him that were even more powerful than his desire for release. He stilled his movements for a moment and put a hand to his face.

Warm fingers slipped around his wrist. 'What's wrong?'

Relieved that he was still in human form, Spike looked sadly down at the human. 'I'm not a man, Giles: I have different… needs.' He closed his eyes and began to push in and out again, trying to recapture his delight in the sex.

Suddenly, as if jolted by a powerful current, Spike came alive. The smell of blood gushed over him and overwhelmed him with its potency. He opened his eyes in disbelief and saw Giles calmly drop a pair of scissors back onto the bedside table. Blood seeped from a slightly ragged scratch just to one side of his cock where the pale, soft skin stretched to become inner thigh. Spike touched a finger to the oozing and placed it to his mouth. He paused, then looked up with an expression of worship and love. He pulled out, prostrated himself between Giles legs, and began to feed from the human's groin. He played with the blood like a cat teasing a helpless animal. He licked, nibbled, let it get away from him, then captured it and fed. He held the drops still, let them think they had escaped, tormented and hunted the infinitesimally small beads of crimson fluid.

Giles thought he would explode from the sensation of Spike nuzzling at him. He had never seen the attraction of cunnilingus - had refused to give that pleasure - but he regretted that selfishness now. Spike made unconscious, soft, snuffling sounds as he fed; his hands moved restlessly over Giles' inner thighs; his nose pressed hard into the root of Giles' cock; his teeth and tongue played over the sensitive skin making Giles swell and lift his hips fractionally. Giles looked once more at the scissors, grinned, and picked them up. Where to cut? It was a delicious decision, and he savoured it, feathering the sharp tip over his chest, swirling it around his nipples as each area was considered and rejected. Cutting himself was nothing new: it was an old indulgence that returned like a familiar friend. He felt humbled that he had such an appreciative audience for his artistry and wondered whether his whole dark life had been preparing him for this vampire. He tipped his head back slightly at the seductiveness of his selection and, pushing Spike to one side, pulled his sac tight and split the skin in one bright red arc of gratification. Spike moaned. He pressed his face to Giles' hand as if kissing at a ring, then fell to the new feeding place. As he was meant to do, he took Giles' entire sac into his mouth and sucked it. Like a man in the desert who sucks on pebbles, Spike's mouth was filled with life-giving fluid. The metallic flavour lapped over his tongue and trickled down his throat. He pulled the sac tight away from Giles and heard a high-pitched gasp of desire. He crushed it into the root of Giles' shaft, and the watcher swore quietly. The mutual sensuality of Spike's feeding amazed them both. With his cool mouth entirely filled with the warm wobbly balls, Spike eased his finger once more into Giles' anus. He found the swelling he sought, and as he stretched and rolled and pulled and sucked and pressed and licked, he also scratched with his nail.

Giles shouted and pulled at Spike's hair; he flung himself back, keening a high-pitched delight, and a shot of warm sperm plopped onto his chest. Giles' hands flew to his cock to work it for more. Spike sucked and scratched harder, and the sperm continued to flow. Finally, Giles put a hand to Spike's hand and stilled him. Spike removed his fingers, but continued to suck at the drying cuts. Eventually, he sat back on his heels and looked at Giles with a puzzled expression. Giles cupped the back of his head and pulled him closer. Spike made as if to kiss him, but dipped down and licked at the sperm on his chest. Giles groaned as if disgusted, but his smile belied the emotion. Spike gave him a cocky shrug and cleaned him off entirely, even sucking cheekily on the softening cock, and slipping his tongue under the foreskin briefly. He sat back once more and shook his head at Giles, indicating the scissors. 'You're kinky. You know that, mate?'

Giles started to laugh. He tried to stop, but he looked at Spike's outraged expression and was lost. He shook his head in disbelief at Spike's naivety. Wiping tears from his eyes, he calmed enough to say, 'Oh, Spike, you never cease to delight me with your endless capacity to pervert the truth.'

Once more, he cupped behind the back of the vampire's head and pulled him down. This time he got the kiss he was planning on. The coppery taste of his blood was still strong in Spike's mouth, overlaid with the saltiness of the cum. He grimaced slightly and kissed up Spike's face instead, raining kisses into his hair and around his ears. 'Hey! Too poofy, too poofy.'

Giles pushed Spike's face away laughing. 'I suppose that would have been difficult to say with your mouth full of my balls, Spike.'

Spike gritted his teeth. 'The only reason I had any balls in me mouth, mate, was cus they were bleeding.'

Spike turned onto his back, and Giles copied him. He reached down and pulled the duvet over them both. Spike was wondering what Giles was thinking when he felt a hand creeping across his belly. He grunted with amusement, but Giles only said quietly, 'It's two nil at the moment, Spike. That seems a little… unfair. Not quite cricket.'

Spike chuckled. 'Yeah, well, I'm a little dubious at your stoicism coping with me getting off, watcher. Take a harder ass than yours, I'm 'fraid. And… oh, yeah, hold it, Giles.' Spike arched back as Giles' hand brushed his exposed tip.

Giles pushed the covering off Spike and looked in awe at the vampire's penis. Without hesitation, without invitation, he took the soft knob into his mouth. He held the foreskin back and rolled his tongue over the surface as if licking a lollipop. He half expected to taste the intense fruity flavour of the sweet and was surprised by the cool, salty drops he found on his tongue.

Spike lay back and folded his arms behind his head. It was intensely satisfying to have the watcher sucking him off. He allowed their history to play though his mind; every slur, every jibe, and every time this man had pissed him off or belittled him... had come to this: his cock was now inside the watcher's mouth. He put his hands to Giles' hair and stroked softly. The working on his cock increased. Spike brought himself back to focus, surprised at just how good this blowjob was. Giles' strokes were long and tight around his shaft; the warm human tongue made an expert counterpoint across the round tip. Spike sat up a little and watched the intense concentration on the watcher's face. He groaned as Giles' teeth scrapped along the vein on the underside of his erection. He suddenly started to pant, tried to stop, but couldn't. He felt his balls swelling, gasped at the unlooked for and unexpected intensity of the orgasm that was crashing through him. He urged it on, focused on the throbbing, felt his sac harden and become tight. Jets of cold cum travelled along the glistening shaft; he tried to warn Giles, tried to push him away, but only cried out and emptied himself totally into the willing mouth. Spike pulled himself to sitting; he flung himself back on the bed; he thrust his hips up; he dug his fingers into Giles' scalp, but still the human sucked him; still the human brought him to a crashing, intense release. Spike thought the pleasure would finish - he felt drained - but still orgasm throbbed within him. Finally, he had to push Giles away, and the human sank onto the bed next to him. Spike turned and buried his face into the hollow of the warm shoulder. Giles thought he heard a faint, 'Bleeding hell,' but put it down to the fact his blood was surging in his ears and making him feel dizzy.

The candles burnt low. Giles made a valiant effort and pulled the covers back over them both. He was hot, sweating, and he revelled in the way the vampire snuggled into him, seeking the warmth. Spike turned and twisted and rolled and curled until he was completely nested. Within a few seconds, he was asleep. Giles was not. He felt incredibly energised. He wanted to shout, to run, or to fight. If he could have sustained the slightest erection, he would like to have penetrated something again. All of this kept him restless and awake and, within a few minutes, he wanted a drink. Dismissing this idea, he then thought about needing to pee. This need started to fill his mind, and he could not shake it off. With a groan of frustration, he disentangled himself from Spike and crept from the room. The light was still on in the bathroom, and the harsh fluorescence made him squint. He went over to the sink and took a long drink of water. He studied his face in the mirror, looking to see if he recognised the man looking back at him. He wasn't sure. Finally, he went over to the toilet bowl and took himself gratefully in both hands. His heart nearly stopped when two more hands slipped around to lie over his. 'Bloody hell! Get off! I'm peeing! Private bodily functions here! For God's sake, Spike!'

Spike's body was warm from the bed, and he pressed himself to Giles' back. His voice was warm, too, silky and seductive, and it slid sensuously around the human body. 'Yeah, I know…. '

Unable to hold back, Giles released a steady stream into the bright light and closed his eyes to the discovery that Spike's helping hands excited him.

When he felt that Giles was finished, Spike slid his hands onto the warm human belly and hugged tightly. 'Bed. Sleep. Vampire wants to be at rest….'

Giles smiled at the reference, and Spike pulled him laughingly back to bed.

Spike went through his impressive and thorough nesting routine, and when he was still, Giles spooned against him. Spike's body was fluid, his skin silky. Giles wondered how such preternatural flesh could be so seductively soft. He glanced at the clock and realised, with a sense of deep gloom and foreboding, that only a few more hours of this idyll were left: tomorrow he would return to the shop; Buffy would come over; Willow and Xander would be there; Anya would need him. Where was Spike going to be in that everyday world? Giles rubbed the heel of one hand wearily into his eyes. He had no answer to that question. He looked down at Spike's blond head; he ran a hand right down his body from the shoulder to his hip; he wrapped his arms tightly around Spike's thin torso and knew, beyond the slightest doubt, that his initial desire for this vampire had grown into some more, far more. Two days ago he had thought it odd to find himself fond of Spike; now he could not bear the thought of losing him. It was partially physical; he was self-aware enough to know that: his body felt alive for the first time since he had sought his sexual satisfaction in much more dangerous ways. There was so much he wanted to do and explore with this invulnerable body. Giles knew, however, that his body did not rule him; his clear and focused brain drove most of his actions. Rationally, he wanted Spike too. He had not had so much amusing conversation for a long time - partially his fault for associating with teenagers all day - but Spike had proved to be a stimulating companion. Giles suspected he had still not really got beneath the veneer and seen the real Spike, despite their sharing over the last few days. He knew Spike was all front and bravado, and he desperately wanted to be the one to crack him open and explore the depths. Giles smiled into Spike's soft hair. All this rationalising, all this angst... he just wanted Spike to want him. It was simple really. He knew he had the answer to his own question. Only Spike could say how they would be in the morning.

Spike lay still, sensing Giles' restlessness. It was good being a vampire: no one knew if you were asleep or not. His body felt replete and satisfied. He had tasted human blood once more - human blood freely given. Giles was amusing; he was an excellent shag, and he offered up his blood from interesting body parts: Spike felt he'd fallen on his feet for once. He pushed to one side and ignored thoughts that made him cringe with their wussiness. Good mate, good shag, potential food supply... that was all. That Giles' arms were wrapped around him possessively, and he felt safe... wussy. That Giles made him feel wanted... wussy. That he wanted Giles... well, he wasn't even going to go down that path. Unlife had taught him that what he wanted was usually the least likely thing to happen.

When Giles ran his hand down from his shoulder to his hip with a deep sigh, Spike knew he was thinking of the coming day. How was this going to survive that harsh unforgiving light? Spike couldn't survive it himself... he had no idea how love might escape its destructive rays... and if he had just used the 'L' word then he was gonna take himself out and do something painful with a stake. Wuss.

They both slept, finally, for they both woke. Giles woke to the feel of his hand being rubbed around Spike's erection. It was novel, and an improvement on the World Service. He turned Spike over and propped himself up on an elbow, looking down at him.

'I'm guessing I don't look as good as you in the mornings?'

Spike shook his head. 'If I wanted flawless, mate, I'd have stuck to demons. Rumpled is good.'

Giles fell back on the pillow with a groan. 'I have to get up.'

'Giles, I already am up.'

'Yes, well, I should think that would be a fairly regular occurrence for you, Spike, no?'

Spike slid seductively onto Giles, straddling his chest. 'Not 'specially. Waking up alone's a bit of a pisser, ain't it?'

'Are you trying to tell me something, Spike?' Giles wasn't sure if he could bear to hear the reply to this and busied himself with finding his glasses from the nightstand. Spike stilled his hand, seemed about to say something, but changed his mind and rolled off, laughing. 'Go watch, watcher. That toad's calling ya. I'm going catch up on me missed sleep. Might see ya later, hey?' Foregoing his nest building, Spike turned onto his belly and effectively feigned sleep.

It was the worst day in the shop that Giles could remember for a long time: he made some money; there were no catastrophic endings of the world; no one sang - but every ring of the bell, every opening of the door, every voice made him ache to see Spike.

It was so unlike how he had thought about the vampire the last time he was at work that the abrupt change confused him. So, when he looked up from measuring out some ingredients to find Spike leaning in the training room doorway watching him, he actually felt himself shaking with suppressed desire. Buffy, Willow and Xander were at the research table; Anya hovered at the door looking for potential customers. Spike merely nodded at Giles in his usual way and sat down on the ladder. He took out a cigarette and, ignoring Buffy's look of disgust, lit it, and smoked steadily, not speaking to anyone, and apparently not taking much notice of what was going on around him. Giles tried to return to his work but found himself utterly unable to concentrate. He kept looking at Spike. The only awareness the vampire gave of this intense scrutiny was an unusually stringent air of ignoring everyone: he stared ahead; he looked at his feet… only when he was passed a book did he cast a glance at Giles. Giles was looking at him, and for a brief moment their eyes met. Giles was stunned to see as much confusion and desire in Spike's eyes as he felt there must be in his. He made an excuse to come over to the table. He stood facing Spike and pointed some things out to Buffy in one of the books. He moved slowly around the table so he was leaning nonchalantly on the rail of the ladder. When no one commented on this, he sat down just below Spike. Immediately, Spike's foot pressed into his back. He groaned and everyone looked up.

'Rheumatism... everything's aching this morning.' The teenagers looked aghast, as if he had said he was about to croak.

Xander offered his usual useful opinion. 'You've gotta start taking it easy ... stop with the late night activities!'

'Err... what...?' Spike's foot increased its pressure against his back.

'Patrolling, Giles… in that damp cemetery. Early night… be of the good, you know?'

Giles heard Spike's quiet laugh from behind. He started to swirl the toe of his boot in a small circle on the small of Giles' back. They both knew they were thinking about what fun could be had with early nights.

'Yes, well, maybe I will. Look, hadn't you all better get about your business? I'm closing early today... stock taking.' Giles saw Anya's surprise. 'And no, I can manage alone... you and Xander do something nice together.'

It still took Giles over ten minutes to persuade everyone to leave. He could feel Spike's presence on the steps like a hotspot in the room. His very blood seemed to want to travel towards the vampire. He was so hard he could hardly walk to the door to lock it after the last of the visitors left. He pushed the bolt across with a sigh of frustration and was about to turn when he was slammed back against the door. The bell clamoured as his lips were claimed by desperate cold ones. He pushed Spike back against the display counter, and things spilled to the floor around them. Spike pushed back, and they smashed into shelves; the sound of breaking objects filled the shop. Giles wove his hands into Spike's hair and ravished his mouth. He forced Spike's neck back and bit at the cold, lifeless throat. Spike groaned and brought his knee up to press into Giles' groin. Giles spread his legs slightly and lifted the knee into him, pressing it harder.

Unable to get the purchase he wanted, Giles suddenly dragged Spike over to the research table. With one violent sweep of his hand he cleared the books. They fell to the ground and were trodden on as dominant was fought for. Giles forced Spike face down onto the table; Spike resisted slightly, but could not fight back with any of his preternatural strength. Giles kicked Spike's legs apart and cupped at his balls through his jeans. 'You still owe me a hundred and fifty dollars, Spike. I'm collecting the debt in kind.'

Spike was almost laughing too much to reply, 'Fuck off, watcher, you almost bloody whipped me to death; I'm cancelling the debt.'

Giles leant over him, rubbing his erection into Spike's backside, forcing Spike's erection against the table. 'I saved your bloody life, Spike, in case you missed that fact.' He bit into Spike's hairline, and Spike flicked his hand up to swat him away. 'So, I'm adding another fifty now.' Giles' hand crept around Spike's waist to undo the jeans. Spike attempted to wriggle away, but they both chuckled at such a pathetic escape attempt.

'I'm not a bleedin' object, mate, remember? Can't buy and sell me.' Spike went for aggrieved and abused vampire, but that didn't impress Giles either.

'Yes, I can, Spike. You're anything I say you are. Now, strip off and bend over; there's a good chap.' Together they took off Spike's jeans. His pale cheeks were flawlessly smooth under Giles' hands. The urge to penetrate and embed and thrust overwhelmed Giles. He grabbed the bottle of oil he had been using to mix the potions and slowly undid his own trousers. Spike turned his head to one side and spread his arms on the table, waiting. Giles poured the oil over his erection in a liberal stream of sweet-smelling slickness, and then dropped the bottle carelessly to the floor. He parted Spike's cheeks, and as he pushed in, he leant over Spike's back. They groaned in unison at the delightful sensation. The oil seemed to urge Giles to thrust and work the tight passage - it coaxed him on. He gripped Spike's shoulders, braced his knees, and let the pleasure come. Each thrust forced a wave of desire into his balls; each pull back released that wave into his cock making him swell. He looked down at his red, glistening shaft sliding in between the pale cheeks. The sight made him groan again. He pulled right out to marvel at the deep plum-purple tip and smiled at Spike's hissed disbelief. Giles leant over him and slipped a finger in instead. 'Where is it?'

Spike knew what the watcher was seeking and stilled his slight movements on the table. The exploratory finger worked around the oily, cool walls until it found the slightly soft, spongy swelling it sought. With a smile, Giles tested his find. Spike squirmed and made a hoarse, ragged cry. 'Oh, you fucking littl' genius, mate, 'xactly right.' Encouraged, Giles bent Spike's leg up onto the table and, with the improved stretch and access, worked the spot for him with increasing urgency.

He leant in and whispered against Spike's ear. 'Tell me when you're going to cum. I want to be inside you.' Spike nodded as best he could then buried his face into his folded arms. Only the sound of Giles' soft grunting could be heard. He kept himself hard as his fingers disappeared in and out of Spike's hole until Spike suddenly lifted his head and moaned, 'Now, bastard, now.'

Giles slammed back into Spike. He almost rode up on top of him with his thrusting but, unable to cum off, he pulled Spike to standing and thrust him hard onto the steps. Spike spilled himself over them and Giles, braced on both sides of Spike's body, thumped into him even harder.

The pressure in his balls made him start to grunt, as he tried to will his orgasm to fruition. He moved his hands and braced them on Spike instead, digging his fingers into the hard, slim waist. He watched as Spike's hands disappeared to find and release his own pleasure, and a sketch came into Giles' mind of those hands on that long, slim, throbbing penis. The image he conjured up tipped him violently over the edge of his orgasm. It hit him like an express train: painful, unavoidable, and taking away all thought, as it raced through his entire body. He vaguely heard a high-pitched scream, heard low male grunting, but felt only deep intense gratification.

Giles' legs buckled before his spurts of hot sperm had finished. He pulled out of Spike, still releasing and still twitching. He tumbled to his knees, his shaft in his hand and worked himself to the end of his pleasure. Spike stayed prostrate on the stairs. Giles looked up and could see Spike's hand still clasped around his erection; Spike's sac swung and seemed to pulse as he watched. He lifted one shaking hand and placed it delicately on the soft, corrugated skin, and was rewarded by one more groan from Spike.

Eventually, Spike slid off the stairs and lay on his back next to Giles. He stared unseeing at the ceiling. Giles stretched his legs out more comfortably and leant back against one of the overturned chairs. He glanced around his shop at the havoc they had wreaked and heard a soft voice from the floor. 'Tell 'em you got attacked by a soddin' big demon.'

'One that spilt a large pool of semen on the floor behind the steps?'

'Get Harris to clear it up; 'e won't even know what it is. More fun than researching though, innit?'

'Quite.'

'What ya gonna do now?'

Giles chuckled. 'I'm not sure I can do anything.' He passed Spike his jeans and, with an amused twitch of his eyebrow, Spike wriggled into them. 'Why don't you tidy up a bit, Spike? I could knock some more off your debt then.'

'Fuck you, watcher. You've just had at least a hundred and fifty dollars of my ass… debts off.'

'I distinctly remember you saying I could have your… err… ass… for a hundred dollars.'

'Lick, mate… lick… not stuff your dick up it.'

'Again, I think you should owe me for that service, Spike. In fact, I think we've gotten back up to the original amount. So, two hundred dollars… and then there's the interest, of course.'

'If I could be bothered, watcher, I'd smack you one, chip or no.'

'Pity. I had rather more interesting things in mind; although, smacking might have come into it.'

Spike sat up and looked at him curiously. 'Jees, you are a dark one, watcher. So, what you got in mind?'

'Well, your place for a start. Seeing as you've already smashed that up.'

Spike laughed and stood up, offering a hand to Giles. 'You ain't got it in ya, pet. You'll be needing hospitalisation if you go on like this.'

Giles tutted but took the offered hand and was pulled to his feet. Spike looked at him, hesitated, turned away, but then turned back and kissed him. He wrapped his hands around the back of Giles' head, lifted his leg slightly, and rubbed gently on Giles, as his tongue slipped in through the soft, warm lips. Giles pulled away, amused. 'This isn't like you, Spike. Isn't this a bit too… poofy?'

Spike shrugged, sat back down on the stairs, and lit a cigarette. 'I do what I feel like.'

Giles came hesitantly towards him. 'And… you felt like kissing me?'

Spike smiled as he heard the fall of yet another brick from his protective wall. 'Yeah, I did.' He opened his legs, and Giles came to stand between them. He tipped Spike's face up, removing his cigarette. He saw Spike frown slightly and wondered if the vampire was finding the moment as intimate as he was. He leant down and captured Spike's mouth. He tasted the fresh nicotine and smiled. Spike opened his mouth slightly, but there was none of the urgent taking and biting and needing of any of their previous kisses. This was tender and almost…

Giles pulled away, shocked. He saw a similar emotion flicker across Spike's face. He pulled Spike against him and kissed the blond head. 'I didn't want this, Spike. It's not what I was looking for.'

Spike pulled away and leant back on the steps on his elbows. He eyed the human speculatively. 'Love.'

Giles could not make out if the word was a question, a statement, or just agreement. It seemed rather important somehow. He decided to be circumspect, too. 'Can one ever fuck without it, Spike?'

Spike took another drag of his cigarette and peered at Giles through the smoke. 'Sure you can. I shagged Harmony, didn't I?'

Giles smiled. 'True, but you got fond of her? In the end?'

Spike shrugged. 'Not love though.'

'So, this is just a physical interlude for you, Spike?'

'You're the one who just said you didn't want it, whatever it was. Can't draw love, can you, watcher?'

Giles backed away and perched on the edge of the table. 'But you were hardly looking for it either, Spike. You don't even like me.'

'You're growing on me.'

'Like a fungus, I suppose.'

Spike smiled, but didn't reply.

'Spike… this is important.…'

'Why? Why do humans have to rationalise everything? Think, think, think… it's all thinking with you.'

'Spike, I have to live in the real world; I have to be able to get up in the morning, sleep, go to bed… I can't do any of that if I don't know how things are going to work with… this.'

Spike began to look hesitant for the first time. 'How the hell should I know, Giles? William the Bloody: Specialist Subject: "Love and the fuckin' awful experiences he's had of it." Jesus, mate, I was only a young 'un when I got done in… didn't know much about it then, and I sure as hell don't now.'

Very slowly, as if approaching a wounded, dangerous animal, Giles came back towards Spike. He sat down alongside him on the steps and put out his hand to bum a smoke of Spike's cigarette. Spike huffed, as if discovering another unwanted dark side to the familiar human, but companionably shared the remains of his smoke. 'I thought I knew what love was once… but I was mistaken.' Giles soft words cut through the silence between them.

Spike looked thoughtfully at him. 'That computer lass Angel killed?'

Giles hesitated. 'No. This was before I came here… coming here was like an escape in a way.'

'Huh. Well, don't look at me; I'm a demon; I'm not even sure I can feel love.'

'You loved Drusilla well enough.'

'Yeah, guess I did… do. But it wasn't….'

'Like this?'

Spike chuckled. 'I was gonna say real, pet.'

'No you weren't, Spike, you were going to say like this.'

'I'm not even gonna dignify that with a reply, watcher.'

Seeing his cigarette rapidly disappearing, Spike fished in his pockets and lit two new ones. Giles watched his lips as they closed over them; he watched Spike's strong, slim hand. He took the cigarette and leant back on his elbows. 'Would you kill me, Spike, if you got your chip out?'

Spike choked slightly. 'Bloody hell! Where'd that come from?'

'I'm curious; indulge me.'

'How do I know?'

'It's not a soul, Spike, just a… limiter. You must have all the same desires and urges. If you wanted to kill me, you'd know.'

'I'm a demon, Giles.'

'Yes, I rather think I know that. That doesn't answer my question.'

'Yes, it does. Demons always destroy… wreak havoc… vampires kill what they love the most. I killed my family, Giles.'

Giles looked down at his feet, letting his hands hang down between his legs. 'Have you just told me you love me, Spike?'

Spike turned to him with an amused look. 'Thought I'd just told you I'd kill you… but take it how you like.'

Giles caught hold of Spike's hand and played with the fingers distractedly. Still looking amused, Spike allowed him to. 'I'm not sure I can… lose control enough to… let you in, Spike.'

'You won't need to, pet; I'm a slippery sort of bloke, I'll ooze in… ya know, orifices an' all.'

Giles laughed. 'I suppose I could let one orifice go a little.'

'Like now?'

Giles turned to him. 'I thought you said I wasn't… stoic enough to withstand you.'

Spike grinned. 'Yeah, well… been thinking 'bout that.'

'Oh, have you? Thinking about my orifices?'

'Woke up thinking of them; thinking of them right now. So… you finished up here for the day?'

'What did you have in mind?'

Spike got to his feet and went to his coat. He plunged his hand deeply into one pocket then withdrew his fist and came back to the steps. He opened his hand to show Giles the white pills lying innocently on his palm. 'What are they, Spike?'

Spike twitched up his eyebrows. 'Do you care?'

He held out his other hand. 'My place then? And I'm gonna hold you to the smacking.'