Part Ten

Spike is snuggly and curls around his human heater. He is content and will be happy if he never has to move.

"Wait a minute, you love me!?" Spike is abruptly tossed as Xander sits up in shock. "You can’t love me, I love you. Nobody ever loves me back. I’m never that lucky. You love me? No way! Tell me you don’t love me. You just can’t! Why would you love me, Xander Harris, a nobody? No super powers, no strength other than normal human. I’m nobody special." Xander trails off and looks down at his lap.

"Pet, can’t tell you I don’t love you. Don’t care that you have no super powers. To me you are something special. Wasn’t going to talk to you about this yet but I think you need to hear it. Luv, you are mine. My Pet, my human, my Xander, my special mate. Mate as in mine. Never leave you and never let you leave me." Spike sits up and gathers the much bigger youth into his lap. Since Spike is on the small side and Xander is... not, this should look pretty awkward. It looks like a vampire comforting his mate. He starts up a rumbling purr and is rather startled when Xander starts petting his hair.

"Nice kitty. My kitty."

Spike snorts.

"Spike, if I didn’t need you so much this little talk would terrify me. I’ll wig later. I’m still mad at you, you know." Xander tucks his head under Spike’s chin and rests against his chest. He’s never stopped petting.

"Whelp, you can be as mad as you like if you just keep petting me. No wonder you like this so much." He has this overwhelming urge to stretch in contentment like a cat.

Giles is sitting down in his living room secretly watching Passions. He looks at the clock occasionally. He’ll give them some time but they do have things to discuss still. He’s glad the girls took the summer off and went on some kind of a retreat. The men can handle whatever may come up and the LA Team is on standby. The credits rolls and Giles sighs. After a quick glasses cleaning he starts up the stairs reluctantly. He’s glad Spike handled their little situation but he wishes that meant everything was fine again. It is not all better and while Xander will heal, his life will never be the same. How is his ‘son’ going to handle being told he’s Spike’s mate when all Giles wants to do is cremate the vampire. Yes he’s been there for the boy but no father or even father figure wants a vampire for an in-law. He was a bloody Watcher! He stakes vampires, he doesn’t plan family dinners around them. Ah well, what’s done is done. Now is for Xander. He does not ever want to admit this out loud but it seems Spike is actually the best thing for him. Shaking his head in consternation he knocks on the door.

Since Spike is so busy reaping the benefits of a Xander petting he actually is caught unawares. As a result Giles first sight of the two is not the warm cozy scene but Spike rubbing his chin and Xander clutching his head.

"Nice move, blondie! Man, vampires have sharp chins!" Xander glared at Spike.

"Pillock! Your head’s the hardest thing in this room. Didn’t do it on purpose, you git."

"Gentleman," Giles begins

"What happened to super vamp reflexes and super vamp senses, Fangless? You so should have known G-Man was coming," Xander spat back.

"Don’t call me that wretched name. Spike, Xander," Giles tried again.

"Even a Master Vampire can be startled! Didn’t see you complaining none before we collided," Spike snarled in return.

"Really you two, this is absurd," Giles tries a final time. Honestly, they are like two children and Spike is over 100 years old.

"I don’t know why I ever cuddled you. You’re about as soft as a hedgehog, Spike!"

"Hedgehog’s got a higher IQ than you, whelp!"

"That’s bloody well enough out of you two!!!"

"Wow, Spike, Giles’ face is really red."

"Yeah, Pet, better sit down, Watcher."

"I don’t need to sit… William." Xander snickers. "Something amusing, Alexander?" Spike smirks and Xander glares at him.

"Now, gentlemen, and I use that term loosely. If you two are quite finished, we need to talk." Giles looks at both of them pointedly and they sheepishly sit down.

"Sorry, G-Man," Xander chirps.

"‘Pologies, Watcher," Spike mutters after a Xander glare hits him full force.

"Quite," Giles is a bit taken aback. They were fighting with what seems like real venom in their words and in just a few short moments he has a contrite vampire. Was the Hellmouth opening?

"Oi, Rupes, can we hurry up a bit? Gonna miss Passions," Spike whines.

"It was over ten minutes ago, Spike, and don’t call me that, Alexander," Giles replies absentmindedly.

"Whoa, way to multi-task, G-Ma-," Giles glares. "I mean Giles," Xander cringes.

"Hey, don’t yell at my mate, Watcher! That’s my job. So, Rupes was watching Passions, eh?" Spike snickers.

"I was merely watching the show as part of my task," Giles sniffs in derision.

"Wot? Watchin’ Slayers and stakin’ vamps, what’s that got to do with my show?" Spike is confused and a bit suspicious.

"Simple, it pertains to the entertainment habits of one very infamous vampire - the name is William the Bloody," Giles finishes triumphantly.

Spike snorts but decides not to push his luck and gives Giles that point.

"Right, well, if you want to watch this vamp there’s another showing on channel fifteen in," quick clock check, "Ten minutes."

"I don’t want to interrupt vampire playtime, G-Man. We can all watch Passions then have a chat. I don’t mind waiting," Xander quickly adds.

Giles sighs, "Very well. But we are going to have this talk."

Giles follows a happy vampire and his relieved mate down into the living room. He rolls his eyes when Spike immediately flops down and gathers Xander into his lap.

"Xander, aren’t you a little big to be sitting on Spike’s lap?"

"Wot’s your point, Rupes? ‘M comfortable," Spike replies before Xander even opens his mouth.

"As long as you are quite cozy, Spike, all is right with my world," Giles says sarcastically.

"Ta, Watcher," Spike snickers, totally ignoring the tone it is said in. He picks up the remote and finds the channel.

"Not quite on, thought we’d catch the end of the news. Like to hear about all the new deaths," Spike smirks.

"That’s not exactly a shocker, Fangless," Xander snickers.

Giles’ sigh and eye-roll heavenward is postponed as the last news story comes on.

All three men sit there, stunned.

"Knew I should’ve drained that wanker, too," Spike snarled.

"Spike, shut UP!" Giles hissed.

"Wha-What are you talking about, Fangless? Did you have something to do with this?" Too late.

"Very good, Spike, I knew I was underestimating your keen intellect," extreme Giles sarcasm.

"Watch it, Watcher," Spike snapped.

"Guys, guys! What’s going on? Spike couldn’t have had anything to do with this, he’s chipped! He’s still chipped, right? He didn’t kill anybody, he can’t! Tell me he didn’t-G-Man, Spike?"

Giles is too distraught at the return of the lost sound in Xander’s voice to comment on the nickname.