Musical Wars
Chapter 5 -- Training
When he woke in the morning, he tried to turn off that part of his brain that constantly tried to analyze everything; he didn’t want to think about how much it hurt that one more person had walked away from him. With Gunn turning on him, he probably couldn’t set foot in Safari again, so he could add T and Carlos and Charlie to that list too. Damn, that list was getting entirely too long.
He felt the arm draped over his back, and he wondered how long it would be before he added one more name to that list. He blinked to keep the threatening tears from dropping. The thought of losing Spike tore at something so deep in his soul that he couldn’t imagine surviving it. The good news was that he probably wouldn’t survive it. What had Spike once told him? Something about turning or even killing but not mentally breaking him? At least he knew he wouldn’t have to survive this pain of always being left behind since Spike's departure would probably be the last straw for his already teetering mental balance. Gunn certainly wouldn’t care--he’d said that last night, hadn’t he.
“Pet?” inquired a sleepy voice.
“Just thinking about how many people want me dead,” he cheerfully replied even though cheer was the last thing in his heart.
“Oi, no one wants ya dead pet.” Xander stopped and thought about that. Spike was probably right about that, but no one really wanted him alive, either.
“Just feeling sorry for myself here, sorry. I'll try to keep the pity volume down.”
“Ya had a hard night, pet, not totally unwarranted.”
“Unwarranted? Since when do you talk all collegey?” He turned to look into pure blue eyes.
“Oi, not an idiot, and neither are you.” Spike pointed out.
“Nope, I just play one on T.V.” Spike’s eyebrow rose at that comment.
“And when, exactly did you play the idjit?”
“Um, last night. I just stood there helpless while you and Gunn went after each other.”
“Really? I seem to remember a certain git jumpin’ right in the middle until ordered back.”
“Yeah, exactly. I accomplished exactly zero, and then Angel threatened you, and I was left considering a table lamp as a weapon. Shit, I’m worthless. Most of my fighting moves come straight from Itchy and Scratchy.” He turned over so that he lay staring at the ceiling. Spike’s arm withdrew at the movement, but now the strong, lean hand pressed in on his chest.
“Not worthless,” Spike said with a nearly growling ferocity.
“I sure felt it in that room. I wanted to rip Angel apart, but I sat there utterly helpless and wondered if I was going to have to watch you turned to dust.”
“Peaches couldn’t do it, pet--even if he does want to sometimes.”
“But if he did, I’d just stand there,” he quickly pointed out, and Spike’s silence spoke volumes. He could feel the demon squirm; the demon didn’t want *master* to think him worthless, but Xander just pointed out to the voice in his head that if he didn’t make Spike see truth, someone was going to get hurt, probably Spike himself. Hell not even Gunn ever trusted him to be a fighter. No, he was more of the demon bait, sidekick type than a fighter. Isn’t that what Gunn meant with the whole, ‘don’t come trying to hang out with the *real* vampire hunters’ comment?
“Don’t believe that,” Spike finally declared, blue eyes refusing to release his gaze. “Think you’d fight through hell with me.”
“I’d try, Spike, I really would,” he wanted to drop his eyes in shame, but he couldn’t seem to escape the ice-blue gaze. “But trying isn’t doing, and no matter how much I tried, I’d never be able to do. Just don’t count on me in a fight, Spike.”
“Why would ya even say that pet? Ya took out two vamps in the theater and killin’ Cassidy the way ya did took more moxy than that wanker Gunn has.”
“No,” he closed his eyes in frustration. Why couldn’t Spike understand? “I’ve never been able to fight; you can’t count on me, Spike.”
“Oi, don’t talk bollocks.”
“I don’t want you to die, please, if you count on me, I’ll just get you killed.”
“Bloody hell, are we back to Frederick? Not your fault.”
“Just don’t count on me,” he whispered his new mantra.
“Mind if I ask a question or two before ya condemn yourself to the home for the worthless and forgotten?” Spike asked with a touch of annoyance in his voice. “How much trainin’ you got in fightin’?”
“I train with the guys,” he defended himself.
“Right, how many times a week is that?”
“They’re always training--god, probably four or five times a week.”
“Don’t give a shite about how often they train, how often did you get up, weapon in hand, and practice a move?” Xander blushed.
“A couple times a month,” he admitted.
“Right, thought so.”
“The guys, they just knew I wasn’t big with the fighting. I mean, I did manage to drop a stake in the middle of staking a vampire. Haven’t really inspired trust what with the amazingly lower than average fighting skills.”
“Already said that wasn’t you, pet. The demon wanted a master and tried to keep ya from dustin’ the candidates. Not a problem now because that demon in ya better soddin’ well know who his master is now and stake any poachin' vamps.” He could feel the happy turning in his mind, like a dog circling a favorite spot before lying down, and he couldn’t help but smile.
“He likes that,” Xander confessed.
“Wot?” Spike asked, the reversed V wrinkle apparent in his brow as he pulled his eyebrows together in confusion.
“The demon, he likes you telling him who his master is.”
“He tell ya that?” Spike asked, his voice sharp enough for Xander to look up in concern.
“No, not in words; I can just feel him.”
“Ya feel him without him fightin’ or pushin’ ya to do something?” Oh shit, here came the abnormal speech again, he could tell from the way Spike tilted his head to one side with one eyebrow higher than the other.
“Spike,” he said in a tone that carried a clear warning. “Remember what I said about the whole not getting sex thing?”
“Oi, not fair, you didn’t stake Peaches,” Spike returned with a quick laugh.
“If I’d had a stake, I would have considered it.”
“Bloody hell, you didn’t even have a stake?” Spike’s eyes grew wide at that.
“Um, I left it in my bag?” At that, Spike froze, his eyes wide, for a good minute. Slowly he closed his eyes and shook his head in obvious disbelief.
“Lesson one: Remember your soddin’ weapons," he said in a voice half pleading and half exasperated. Spike practically jumped out of bed, flipped on the overhead light, and stalked over to the far end of the room.
“Geez, warn a guy,” Xander complained as the sudden light stung his eyes. He squinted in order to watch naked, bouncing Spike standing in the shadows of the empty far end of the room.
“Oi, come on, then. Let’s see if ya can dump me on my arse,” Spike said as he made a come hither gesture with both hands.
“We’re naked!” Xander nearly squeaked. “Not that naked is bad in and of itself, but…we’re naked. And the odds of me knocking you down are right up there with Voyagers' writers having the nerve to show Paris and Chokotay having hot monkey sex on the bridge.”
“I'm going to ignore the whole lustin' over other men for your sake, but as for the naked part, think I noticed. Enemies don’t always give ya time to get ready. ‘Sides, the Greeks wrestled starkers all the time. Now get your arse over here and let’s see what you got.” Xander rose from the bed and fought the urge to pull the sheet around his waist. He tentatively approached Spike, and stopped about four feet away.
“Okay, I’m going to come at ya with a right punch, what are ya goin’ to do?” Spike bounced in clear pleasure at the fight to come.
“Fall down and bleed?” Xander used his best pleading eyes to escape the humiliation that was to come.
“Oi, enough of that.” Spike stepped forward and moved in slow motion with his right arm coming up in a slow arc. Xander started backing up, his eyes darting around for something to use as a defensive weapon.
“Lesson two: don’t back up, pet. In a real fight, ya never know what’s behind ya, and ya don’t want to back yourself into a corner. So try again.”
“Okay, I guess I have to either block or duck,” he said as Spike stepped up and repeated the move. He tried ducking, leaving Spike standing over him. He quickly realized that he had limited options and even less ability to move away from an attack from above.
“Funny, that usually works with vampires,” he laughed when Spike put hands on his shoulders effectively trapping him on the ground. He struggled for a few brief seconds before settling down on his haunches, waiting for Spike to let him up.
“With fledges or minions, maybe. They sometimes get in a blood rage when they fight, can’t soddin’ see anything except the next big enemy they want to gut—tend to miss the smaller targets. That’s good to keep in mind if ya know they’re fledges, but don’t trust every vampire to fight like that.” Spike pulled back his hands, and Xander stood.
“I guess that leaves blocking,” he mused as Spike took the stance again. This time he raised his left arm so that Spike’s slow-motion swing hit his arm instead of his body. Spike’s left hand then came up and grabbed his hair, pulling him into a close hug, head pulled to one side in order to expose the throat. Spike nipped at the vulnerable throat before letting go.
“And we’re back to my original suggestion that I bleed,” he quipped as he watched Spike take the stance again.
“Don’t put yourself between my arms…well leastwise not when we’re sparrin’,” Spike quickly amended himself. He studied Spike’s posture carefully before stepping forward so that Spike would start another attack. This time he grabbed the attacking arm and pushed it so that it went past him and he ended up standing by Spike’s right shoulder with both of Spike’s arms pushed to the side. He knew that the vampire could easily counterattack, but it still felt good to earn the look of approval in Spike’s eyes.
“That’s it, now ya can hit the exposed kidney,” Spike said. “Let’s try that a mite faster, and this time try for a hit of your own.” The session went on with Spike modeling one attack after another while he tried different defenses. Spike peppered the workout with commands:
“Don’t try to knock me down, pet. Try to get me off balance, move at the last minute so that I have to reach too far to hit ya…. Stop fightin’ like you’re tryin’ to win a bleedin’ video game. Doesn’t matter if ya hit me a thousand times and I only get in one hit, if my one hit kills ya, I bloody well won…. The closer ya stay, the less room I have to swing hard enough to knock ya on your arse; keep close and to the side of your enemy.”
Xander fought until he felt sweat dripping down his body despite the fact that he knew the basement tended to be rather chilly. Spike moved in for an attack from the rear, and he waited as Spike had taught him, playing dumb so that he could catch the attacker off guard. When he felt Spike’s presence directly behind him, he stepped to the left, toward the center of the room, even as he spun with a fist already throwing a fast punch. After all, as Spike pointed out, it's better to knock a friend on his arse than risk letting an enemy get the first hit.
Rather than feeling his punch connect as it had the previous three times they’d practiced this move, he felt a firm grip close over his wrist as he felt himself tugged into the vampire’s embrace so that his back was pressed up against Spike’s front. Following earlier instructions, he pulled up his legs and so that the weight of his body would pull the attacker off guard, but Spike simply held more tightly until he struggled to breath. Suddenly he felt a presence at his backside, and he felt Spike drawing heavy, unneeded breaths.
Almost instantly, he felt his own cock twitch in anticipation. He could hear Spike sniffing at his neck, and without hesitation, he dropped his head to one side so that Spike could scent his throat. With a low growl ringing in his ear, he felt himself half dragged, half carried over to the bed and thrown like a doll so that he hit the bed and bounced, struggling to catch himself before he bounced off the other side. Spike tore open the door to the cabinet with inhuman speed, and before he could truly regain his balance from being thrown, he felt Spike pounce on him like a tiger landing on a mouse. Okay, not the manliest image, but he certainly felt rather mouse-like with Spike straddling him in full game face.
"Mine," Spike snarled, and he could feel an answering growl reverberate in his own chest. Without warning, Spike drove fangs into Xander neck, piercing the skin with such speed that he didn't even have time to react. He arched his back in pleasure and wrapped his arms around the strong shoulders, but Spike pulled out with little licks and kisses to the two tiny wounds.
"Oi, not this time. Time for me to explore my prezzie, after all, ya gave yourself to me and I haven't taken time to properly inspect ya." Spike held up the leather restraints he had used once before, and Xander trembled. He felt his skin tighten as Spike fastened a heavy padded cuff around each wrist before buckling them together. When he looked from his now restrained hands to Spike, he could see hunger in the vampire's eyes.
"Goin' to make sure I know every inch," Spike promised and then he felt his hands pulled up toward the headboard as Spike pulled the attached leather lead through the slats of the heavy wood and tied it off. Oh yeah, Xander Jr. had earned full points for participation, he thought as he felt a drop of moisture hit his stomach.
"Spike," he hoarsely whispered as he wrapped his own legs around Spike's legs, pulling the vampire down onto his erection and gaining for one precious moment the friction and pressure he needed.
"Oi, my turn to explore, pet," Spike complained as he pulled himself free. Xander trembled when he felt the restraint close around his ankle before Spike disappeared at the end of the bed, probably tying the restraint to the leg of the bed. Spike reappeared on the other side and he felt his left leg similarly restricted so that he now lay on the bed with his legs opened, completely helpless. He panted, trying to get in enough air, and he could feel the demon in his mind stirring to life, inching forward as Spike took control.
He looked at Spike, waiting for the feel of those hands, but the vampire simply stood there at the side of the bed watching, his own erection hard against his stomach. Suddenly, Xander felt self conscious, certain that he must look like a fool tied like this, but Spike was at his side instantly.
"Sh, pet, let me have my fun then, right?" Xander felt a hand slide over his chest, the sweat from the training making the passage slick. The hand continued down to his right hip where he instinctively jerked, but the restraints held tight and he couldn't move more than an inch in any direction. Spike chuckled.
"Go on, then. Pull away, but you aren't goin' anywhere until I say," Spike whispered as he leaned over Xander's chest. Xander shivered at the feeling of helplessness as Spike slid down and sat cross-legged at the foot of the bed between his own legs. Again with the staring. He just wished he could read Spike's mind at times like these. He pulled against his bonds, but he couldn't move, and Spike wouldn't move. After a good two or three minutes, Spike reached out and ran a gentle hand up the outside of his thighs, and he could feel every nerve come alive at the touch. Unable to reciprocate or object or even shift, he couldn't do anything except feel as Spike's hands crept up to his hips and then down the inside of his thighs, causing him to buck even harder as every nerve in him demanded that he act.
He felt ready to rip the headboard off the bed when he felt the tongue on the inside of his knee: tasting, kissing, and finally a sharp dragging sensation across his skin. The movement traveled upwards until a sharp sting and drawing sensation on the inside of his right thigh made him cry out in pleasure, pulling wildly while his cock twitched in sympathy with his bucking body. He called out for Spike to let him go so that he could grab the vampire and return the passionate exploration, but Spike continued unhurried and Xander could do nothing but experience every moment. Spike ran a sharp tooth down the length of his right leg, causing every nerve in his body to fire as he writhed and pulled against the bonds.
His fists clenched helplessly as he felt Spike's fangs descend again into the soft flesh on the outside of his left leg, two little pinpricks that became volcanoes of lust when Spike sucked a slow mouthful of blood out of them. Then he felt the licks and kisses over the spot as Spike moved downward toward his feet. He didn't know what he expected, but the feeling of strong thumbs pressing into the balls of his left foot surprised him. Spike held the pressure in place for a moment before working down into the arch with firm strokes. Every inch of his body suddenly relaxed as if Spike had total control of his nerves. Well, almost every inch: Xander Jr. still bobbed madly. Spike then repeated the process on his right foot, and he decided that even if Spike untied him, he would never be able to move from the bed again.
He unexpectedly gasped, sure that he would pass out from lack of oxygen when Spike's mouth closed in on his nipple without warning, the sensitive skin instantly puckering at the touch. He could feel a sharp tooth teasing the edge and he struggled, but even he didn't know whether he wanted to escape the fang or throw himself onto it. He felt Spike's weight pin him to the bed, and he closed his eyes in an effort to avoid screaming in frustration. He wanted to come so bad that he could hardly breathe. Just when he hoped Spike's wandering hands might finally touch his cock, all sensation disappeared.
When Spike left the bed, he wanted to cry, but he couldn't find enough air in his lungs to do more than whimper. He heard a soft chuckle, but Spike didn't immediately return. As strong hands settled in over his hips, he prayed for a quick end to the teasing torture, but instead, he felt himself rolled. He hadn't even realized his legs had been freed, but now Spike flipped him as easily as a child. It took a few seconds for Xander Jr. to actually get through to the brain with the distress signals as his cock was trapped between his body and the mattress leading him to struggle up onto his knees.
A finger snaked down and gave his cock a quick stroke causing him to whine in frustration and try to hump, but he found himself urged back down. He struggled for a minute before he realized that Spike had positioned pillows to keep him from crushing himself. Allowing Spike to push him back down, he couldn't resist a whimper when he felt his leg pulled straight and restrained again. Spike returned to the other leg, securing it as well so that now he found himself helpless. He felt the mattress dip as Spike sat next to him.
"Bloody beautiful," he heard Spike whisper as he felt hands slide across his back, strong fingers kneading his shoulders even as a tongue darted over the expanse of his back. "Not a bit of fear in your smell, pet," Two points of fire descended on his right flank, and he screamed and thrashed as he felt a burning lust spread from his flank outward until it encompassed his whole body.
"You're mine, pet. Never goin’ to let ya go," Spike murmured when he finished his traditional licks and kisses on the skin he had just bitten. "Don't care what ya think, you're mine and I don't walk away from what's mine." He felt Spike's body sink onto his own back. "Never goin' walk away, never goin' let anyone take ya; never going to let ya leave," Spike promised in his ear as fingers ran through his hair, and he couldn’t' do anything to move away from those words. He could feel a tear run over the bridge of his nose to fall on the pillow. "Mine," Spike muttered slightly louder this time. He could feel his cock twitch with every repetition of the word. "Mine," Spike muttered again, almost as if he knew the lust that single word could inspire. He began to twitch and struggle against both the bonds and the weight as the need to come built up in him like a fire. "Mine," Spike said again before rolling off the bed altogether.
Suddenly, he succeeded when he pulled at his bonds, his right leg freed moments before his left. He began to madly hump, but he had only managed one mighty thrust before he felt himself flipped again.
"Not bloody polite to finish before your partner, pet," Spike commented airily even though his own cock was hard and dripping and erect and quickly turning a deep red. Xander dared a single peak at his own cock, and the sight slightly frightened him. He had no idea that his cock could turn such a dark color, but then he had never teased himself to near insanity before either.
He watched as Spike settled in between his legs with a bottle in hand.
"Relax, pet," Spike murmured, and he felt slick, cool fingers circle his hole before the first one darted in. He planted his feet flat on the bed and pushed up in invitation, unable to even form the words despite mentally screaming 'hurry up.'
"Oi, someone's ready," Spike laughed, and he felt Spike's second finger enter almost immediately. This time the fingers brushed his prostate, and the tingling, tickling sensation made him jump and curse. The third finger and then a fourth, the last one stinging a little until he could relax into the feeling. "Goin' to show ya how a vamp does it," Spike promised, and then the fingers disappeared as Spike finished preparing himself before tossing the bottle to the side. He watched as Spike knelt and then lifted his butt so that Spike could slide under. His butt was supported by Spike's knees, and now Spike grabbed his feet and held them up as he felt Spike thrust into him in one push and begin slamming into him immediately.
He grabbed the headboard to keep from being pushed up the mattress by the force of Spike's drives, each one running the full length of the prostate, leaving him trembling and screaming. He desperately wanted to reach down and grab his own cock, but Spike simply drove in harder and harder until Xander was sure he would die from lack of coming. He felt Spike's trembling muscles announce the beginning of the vampire's ejaculation, and without a thought, he dropped his head to one side, pulling his arm out as far as he could while still tied. Spike's gold eyes met his a mere moment before his legs fell to the bed and he felt Spike's weight drop onto him, Spike's fangs penetrate him. Spike gave two more pushes and then came even while he began to feed, causing a fiery lust that started at both ends and flowed back and forth through Xander's body. Even pinned under Spike he managed his own thrust into Spike's sweat soaked body and he felt his own orgasm explode between them.
Spike pulled out and then lay half on, half off him, purring softly. He could feel a purr from his own chest as he lay there and thought about the promises Spike had whispered. He didn't want to doubt, but he had trusted so many people, and so few had ever returned that faithfulness. He had always thought that Willow would trust him, but then she started with her secrets and without Jesse, she turned from him. Then he thought Gunn would stand by him through anything, but now that was gone, so what right did Spike have to ask him to risk that kind of pain again? How could he let himself believe this would be forever? He felt his own purr falter, but a thought from within circled: 'Trust Master.' His purr again matched Spike's as he lay, his arms still tied to the bed.
"Could stay here forever, luv," Spike finally said, the words stopping the purr in both of them.
"I think those human bodily functions you hate so much would get in the way," Xander pointed out. "In fact, when are you planning on letting me up?" he asked with a yank at his still tied hands.
"Never?" Spike asked with a quirk of an eyebrow even as he stood up.
"Spike?" he called as the vampire left the room. He looked up at the various buckles and straps. Given long enough, he probably could free himself, but it would take a heck of a long time and probably result in damaged lips from trying to work the buckles loose. Finally Spike reappeared with two towels.
"What? Don't trust me to take care of your needs?" He watched as Spike settled in on the bed and started cleaning his body with the warm, damp towel. "Could keep ya down here forever, ya know. Not even Peaches knows where this place is."
"Yeah, but then I'd get all moldy from not getting aired out properly and humans start to stink after a while when left in small spaces," he laughed as Spike dropped the first towel on the floor and started drying him with the second one. Spike looked at him with serious blue eyes. "And that wasn't a joke, was it?" Xander asked as he looked into those stunning eyes that could both hide every thought Spike had or reveal them all in perfect detail.
"Don't like ya gettin' hurt," Spike admitted.
"And I don't like to get hurt, but I'm not going to hide from the world," he quickly answered. If Spike decided that he was too fragile to allow out of the lair, he realized that he really had very little choice in the matter. "If you think I have low self-esteem now, wait and see what happens when everyone I know gets killed while my lover keeps me locked in a safe little room because he doesn't trust me."
"I trust ya," Spike objected.
"You trust me not to turn on you, but do you trust me to survive out there?" Xander asked as he nodded toward the stairs.
"Yeah, trust ya to do that too," Spike finally agreed, but Xander could see the hesitation in Spike's blue eyes even as he untied the leather lead and unbuckled the two cuffs.
"You know the old saying, 'That which does not kill me makes me stronger.'"
"You're plenty strong, pet, I just worry about whether you know it." The serious voice suddenly transitioned into Spike's normal snark without even a transition moment between. "Alright, get your arse up because sunset's in thirty or forty minutes, and you've got a job to get to."
"Um, Spike, I don't think that's such a good job since Gunn's probably talked to them."
"Bollocks, they respect ya and want ya around, so ya aren't goin' to walk away assuming they'd reject ya. If they don't want ya, we can always kill them later."
"Okay, please tell me you're joking," Xander demanded as he went to the cabinet to replace the restraints and get himself clothing from his diminishing pile.
"Whatever ya want luv," Spike said as he disappeared through the hallway door. Xander threw the clothes for today on the bed as he opened his bag to put away the few clothes he had salvaged from home. Looking at the second bag, he darted a quick look toward the closed hallway door before he executed his plan. He'd teach the vampire to tease the human, he thought with a laugh as he quickly opened all the CD cases on the shelf and carefully replaced each CD with one of his own: Garth Brooks, Patsy Cline, Tim McGraw, C.W. McCall. He even replaced the CD in the stereo with one of his "Best Of" collections. Taking the stack of punk music, he carefully nestled the disks inside his clothes on one of the cabinet shelves. He smiled in anticipation.