There’s Always a Sneer in Vegas (76/?)

[stillrose]

Title: There’s Always a Sneer in Vegas (76/?)
Fandom: BTVS; Spike/Xander
Warnings: Slash,AU, Post Apocalyptic, violence,non-con, slavery, tentacles,
Rating: NC-17
Summary: It’s been seven years since Angelus killed Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Seven years after Angelus opened a portal to hell on Earth. Humans are food, slaves or on the run. There’s hope only in small band of resistance fighters. However, that’s a hope Xander Harris no longer has. It’s been six months since he was taken in a raid. At first Xander thought he was lucky the demons didn’t know who he was; but then that was before he became property to an Azora demon.

As always: Feedback makes my heart go pitter-patter.

UNBETAED

Previous parts here.

***********************

Xander lie there for several long moments just breathing and trying to reconnect to his body. Eventually he rolled over slightly and faced Spike. He smiled and feebly tried to lift Spike’s hand. The vampire grinned and cooperated offering the knuckles of both hands to Xander.

Never taking his eyes off Spike’s eyes, Xander laid a delicate kiss on each hand.

“Punishment’s over,” Spike whispered.

Xander snapped his finger.

“Permission ta speak, pet.”

“Spike I…” Xander said emotion welling up inside him so strong and powerful he suddenly found he couldn’t. Instead all he could do was just stare at Spike.

The vampire leaned forward, kissed the tip of Xander’s nose then curled up around him.

“It’s ok, pet. It’s ok. I’ll never take more than you can give. Promise.”

***********************

Spike woke first his vampiric senses alerting him first to someone approaching the back of the truck.

“Pet,” he whispered into Xander’s ear. “Time ta wakeup.”

“Mmph chocolate with Spike sprinkles on top,” Xander mumbled into their makeshift pillow.

Spike arched an eyebrow and wondered just exactly what his pet was dreaming about.

“Pet,” he said a little louder with a hint of a command. “Up.”

Xander’s long eyelashes fluttered and his lids lifted. He rolled to his side saw Spike and groaned.

“That’s hardly the way ta greet yer Master, is it?”  Spike asked.

“Sore, tired and was dreaming of ice cream,” Xander replied. “If you’re gonna punish me just make it a good old fashion paddling and let me go back to sleep.

Spike laughed and leaned down to kiss the tip of Xander’s nose then sat up.

“Nope, no punishment. Just tryin’ ta save ya from a bit of humiliation. Someone’s comin'.Thought you might want to get dressed. Didn’t think ya wanted to wave yer meat and veggies at whoever it was.”

“What?! Oh!” Xander said suddenly beginning to move and dig himself out from under the blanket Spike had covered him with. “How…what time is it?”

The truck was much darker. The light from the lanterns seems to be even more faint then it had been earlier.

“After dark,” Spike said as he casually stood up and slid into his jeans.

“Just after dark? Can’t be any more specific than that…master?” Xander said as he tried to stuff a leg through the wrong pant leg.

“I’m a vampire, not a bleedin' clock,” Spike laughed as he tapped Xander on the shoulder. “Need a hand?”

“I uh…” Xander said still sleepy and sore.

“Pet, I’ll do it,” Spike said as he stripped Xander’s pants off him, turned them right side out and handed them back to him. “Hold this.”

Then he dug around for Xander’s belt and keys. Xander’s heart couldn’t help but speed up a little seeing his belt in Spike’s hand. He smiled and blushed. Spike grinned.

He’s a right proper Pet and still somehow the White Knight and Donut Boy he’d always been, he thought as he helped Xander into it and then helped him finish dressing. Wouldn’t want him any other way.

“Safe to enter or do I have to find an excuse to sniff around the truck again and please say no because…whoa…all I’m saying.. pheromones..is the least of what I’m smelling..,” Oz’s voice drifted from the back of the truck from behind the door.

Xander didn’t think it was possible to be anymore embarrassed. Spike just puffed out his chest and winked.

“All the good bits are covered,” Spike barked out. Xander rolled his eyes and Oz unlatched and swung open the door.

“No offense, but I don’t want to think about Xander’s bits,” Oz said smiling from the doorway.

“Oi, Why not? They’re nummy!” Spike said snaking a hand around Xander’s chest.

“Don’t answer that,” Xander said. “There’s no winning with him. If you did think about them..which by the way…wiggins…but if you did he’d just go all growly and start in with the threats then you’d have to go all growly and maybe furry…”

“Then it’s Wolfman versus Dracula,” Oz interrupted.

“With an Abbot and Costello slapstick,” Xander finished.

Both Scoobies laughed and it was Spike’s turned to look confused.

“Oi…there a reason you interrupted our nap?” Spike asked uncurling himself from Xander but not moving away from him.

“Yeah…now that me and the pack have arrived Willow’s calling a Scooby meeting.”

“She sent ya ta fetch us?”

“I drew the short straw,” Oz teased.

Xander knew better. Faith was probably the only girl really ready to risk seeing Spike and Xander in a compromising position but he knew she was smart enough not to be the one given her and Xander’s brief history. No need to tweak Spike’s possessive side. Larry wasn’t even an consideration. Wes was still probably buried in a book.

“Well then what are we waitin’ for,” Spike asked as he headed for the door. Xander followed. Oz stepped back and then made a face.

“Oi, now what?”

Xander sniffed and then made the same face. He looked at Spike and wrinkled his nose.

“Wot? So were a bit manky! Shagged ya good and proper! Proud of it.”

“Human world…human rules,” Xander said trying not to flush a bright red.

“And…wot…ya see a shower around here?”

“Actually there’s a small stream just about a half mile to the east,” Oz said.

Xander flashed his best puppy dog look, the one which always got Willow to give him her chocolate jello-pudding snack.

“Ain’t they hot fer a meetin'?”

“Given the circumstances, I think they’ll be happy for the delay,” Oz said.

Xander added just a hint of a whine.

“Oi! Go get the soap from the bag, ya git!” Spike said with a feigned growl.

Big Bad Master Spike..no match for puppy Xan-man!­ Xander thought as he happily bounded back into the truck to dig through the duffel bag. As he jammed his arm past two pairs of socks, a t-shirt and his toothbrush he turned his head to look at Spike.

Spike and Oz were talking quietly. Then Spike looked around, made a quick hand gesture as if to say “not now.” He looked up and saw Xander staring at them.

“Got the soap?” he asked.

Xander’s fingers curled around the bar and he drug it out of the bag. He held it up so Spike could see it.

“Let’s get a move on then.”

Xander nodded and trotted back out to them. He studied Oz for a moment sending a silent, Whaz up?

Oz only shrugged before moving forward and leading them off into the woods.

***

Xander didn’t get a chance to talk to Spike or Oz on their walk to the spring. Of the three he was the only one without the ability to see well in the dark. So it took all his concentration to keep from tripping over the rocks and branches the other two so easily avoided.

He was also not blessed with their stamina and coordination. Still with a steadying hand, from time to time, from Spike he managed to keep pace and about twenty minutes later they came across a shallow flowing body of water. It was smaller than most rivers but larger than the average stream.

The bottom was sandy and at it deepest it was only up to Xander’s waist. Both vampire and human stripped down and waded out into the cool water. Oz kept watch while Xander and Spike bathed.

“Ya ok, Pet?” Spike asked as he listened to his Xander’s breathing and heart rate for signs of distress.

“I’m good,” Xander said. Getting in the water was never exactly easy but it wasn’t the terror inducing ordeal it had once been.

Thanks to Clem, he thought and wondered about the floppy eared demon.

Spike leaned over and gave Xander a brief kiss then began to soap them both down. Their bath was quick and perfunctory.

They held hands as they submerged under the water, Spike attuned to the slightest sign of panic from Xander. When they surfaced, his pet smiled at him.

“Gettin’ too soft,” Spike said softly.

Xander nodded as he pulled his vampire closer than wrapped his arms around Spike’s neck.

“Gonna get a reputation,” he warned.

Spike laughed then wrapped his arms around Xander’s neck.

“Guess I’ll just have ta go on a disembowlin’ spree..just ta prove I’m still the big bad.”

“Do the world a favor, start with Angelus,” Xander said before leaning down and claiming Spike’s lips for his own.  

They stood there for several minutes held together by arms, water, moonlight and passion. Their lips meshed together until Xander’s need to breathe finally forced them apart. Then their foreheads rested against one another. Heat rose between them.

“I think we lost the soap,” Xander finally said.

Spike laughed.

“Think the puppy on the shores getting’ a bit impatient.”

Xander nodded.

“You need a few more minutes?” Spike asked with the barest hint of a leer in his voice.

“Belt’s not gonna let me sport one, master,” Xander answered.

“Not what I asked,” Spike said pulling back a bit and lifting Xander’s chin with a fingertip. “The boy back there maybe yer friend but he’s still a wolf. Can still smell yer need..yeah?”

Xander blushed.

“Yeah…gotta it. Might need…uhm..a moment to cool down.”

Spike nodded and stepped out of the circle of Xander’s arms.

“I’m gonna head back ta shore. You take a few moments. Follow up when yer cooled down.”

Xander nodded. Spike kissed the tip of Xander’s nose then headed back for shore. Xander sighed then leaned his head back. He looked up at the sky. The moon was nearly full. He marveled Oz was as much of himself as he currently was.

He is Oz though, Xander thought. Probably adds a ‘dude’ after every growl.

He smiled at the thought and turned to look back at Spike and his friend. Spike was jerking on his clothes and once again the two were talking. It was hard to see in the dim moonlight but again the talk looked serious.

Oz pointed to the woods. Xander couldn’t help but look around. He couldn’t see or hear anything. He looked back. The two had their heads together then finally Oz gave a terse nod. Then he lifted his head and gave a long howl.  It didn’t take long before there were several quick answering howls.

Chills raised down Xander’s spine. He was definitely cooled down. Quickly he headed back to shore the world going eerily silent around him as he did. When he stepped sopping wet close to Spike he saw that Oz had already moved off a few feet. He looked at Spike.

“Master?” he asked softly.

“Leave it. It’s a demon thing,” he said without looking Xander in the eye. Instead he shoved Xander’s clothes at him. “Get dressed.”

Xander looked at Oz. Oz looked back at him.

“Pet, leave it and get dressed,” Spike ordered.

Xander quickly began to dress a small knot of dread forming in his stomach wondering just what it was he was supposed to ‘leave.’

***

The knot had still not untied itself by the time they had settled around the fire with the girls and Wes. Oz was still quiet and while that was not unusual for the stoic young man Xander knew it was something different.

Spike sat close to Xander and Xander could feel his master watching and listening to him. Xander stared across the fire at Dawn and Willow.

“So uhm…what’s….I mean..the gangs all here…well all that’s left of us anyway,” Dawn finally said.

“Well..it’s more than we’ve had in a long time,” Willow said with a smile to Xander. It was a peace offering. Despite the knot he smiled back.

“Do we know how…what I need to do..to open the portal?” Dawn asked looking to Wesley.

“Almost,” Wes said. “Well, almost in theory. I believe we need to cut you with the sword Angelus used to in his ritual to open the portal.”

“The sword still stuck in the Acathla wanker?”

“The one in the statue..yes,” Wes said.

“The sword Angelus used?” Dawn said shivering.

“I’m sure it doesn’t have to..to be a big cut right?” Tara said quickly assuring the other girl.

“It’s not that..it’s just…eww..Angelus cooties!” Dawn replied.

The others laughed. Xander looked at Spike.

Yeah, Angelus ruins just about everything he touches but not you, he thought the knot in his stomach easing just a little. He trusted Spike. He did. He just didn’t like it when the vampire kept secrets.

Spike squeezed Xander’s knee.

“So how we gonna get there?” Faith asked. “To the island.”

“I..I could do a spell and levitate us.”

“Uh..again magical ‘we’re here sign,”” Oz said.

“We could be fast. In and out before Angelus knew what we were up to,” Willow argued.

“I don’t think he’d leave the island without defenses,” Wes said.

“What do we know about the island?” Xander asked looking at Spike.

“Peaches doesn’t like ta talk about it,” Spike said with a shrug. “I think the only way were gonna find out is if we take a look.”

“Recon,” Faith said nodding.

“I don’t know. I don’t think we should make a move on the island until we are ready to hike the ball,” Larry said from the dark.

“Oi! Thought you were on watch,” Spike growled.

“You think I’m gonna do a better job than Oz’s pack?” Larry laughed. “That’s high praise. Thanks! Spike!”

Xander laid a hand on Spike’s knee as the vampire’s mouth twisted then snapped shut with a loud snap for once lacking an appropriate retort.

“While that is one tactic,” Wesley interjected trying to keep peace, “I agree that more information is needed not only about the area around the island but about how best to approach. If we are not going to use magic to cross the water than it stands to reason we will need a boat. Where will we get one and how will we get it to the lake without drawing attention?”

“Back to basic recon,” Faith said scooting over so Larry could take a seat around the fire.

“Right then, so who goes?” he asked. “And who stays?”

Several hands went up around the circle.

“OI! We can’t all bleedin go!”

“Right and we already know two who won’t be going,” Faith said looking at the vampire and Xander.

“Hey!” Xander cried stubbornly keeping his hand in the air even as Spike lowered his.

“Most demons are inactive in the day,” Willow said. “We recon during the day. Spike can’t go.”

“And if I can’t…” Spike said.

“Hey….no!” Xander said as Spike laid a hand on Xander’s arm and gently pulled it down.

“’No,’ Pet?”

“Uhgh…ok fine,” Xander relented but he stared mutinously across the flames at his friends.

“So that’s who can’t,” Oz said.

“You should,” Spike said staring at Oz. Oz stared back. The others looked at them.

“He’s a wolf…he slipped through my defenses in the city easily enough without detection,” Spike explained looking back at everyone.

Wesley, Faith, and Willow nodded.

“Yeah…but they were cra…”

“Don’t say it,” Spike warned. Oz grinned.

“I think someone familiar with magic should go as well,” Wesley said.

Willow smiled.

“Not you, Willow,” Wesley said.

“What? Wes? I…”

“If something goes wrong. We need you, Willow, back here at the camp. You are our best defense. Our best offense.”

“So you’ll be going?”

“No,” Wesley said shaking his head. “I have more research to do.”

He looked over at Tara.

“M..Me?” she squeaked.

“Oi..why not you, ducks?”

“You are a witch,” Willow said squeezing Tara’s hand.

“But..I’m not nearly as powerful as Willow,” she argued.

“We don’t need you to be,” Wes explained. “We just need you to sense what magic you can in the area.”

Tara looked at Willow then back at Wes. She looked at Xander and he gave her thumbs up.

“Ok,” she said. “I’ll…I’ll do it.”

“Then that leaves me,” Faith said.

“Faith..” Wes began to argue.

“You know I need to go. Right now you just have Oz, his pack and Tara. If anything goes down…”

Wes nodded. “Just because I know doesn’t mean I have to like it.”

Faith grinned.

“So..it’s decided?” Xander asked.

Everyone nodded.

“We’ll leave at dawn,” Oz said.

“That doesn’t give you and yours much time to rest,” Spike said.

“Gives us plenty of time,” Oz said standing and stretching.

“I say the vamp gets watch tonight,” Larry said yawning.

“And Xander…since they slept all day,” Dawn added.

“I didn’t hear much sleeping going on,” Faith teased.

Everyone but Xander laughed. He just tried not to glow as red as the fire. There were a few more moments of good natured ribbing, some quick sharing of rations and then quiet good nights as everyone left the small campfire to go sleep leaving Spike and Xander alone together one watch.

“Sp…” Xander started.

He just lay a finger to Xander’s lips then whispered.

“We’re on guard. Time to watch and listen, pet. Watch and listen.”

TBC