*****

Giles was furious; Xander had to take him. He'd put up with having the obnoxious vampire chained in his bathtub for over a week now. He had company coming. Xander had to take him.

Xander pleaded poverty. Xander pleaded parents. Xander, all the time thinking about sex and the lack of it, pleaded general incompetence and incapacity.

Fury turning to seething hatred, he tried Buffy. He didn't get past his first, watcher-like, mature, calm argument. She flatly refused.

So, he was stuck with him. He went up and leant in the doorway, looking murderously at the sleeping vampire.

`I'm hungry.'

`Bloody hell! Don't do that!'

`I'm bloody hungry. Feed me!'

Giles sighed. He thought about the slim body even now flying across the miles to be with him. He'd just have to explain to her. She'd understand; she worked for the Council. Giles was sure she'd understand why she couldn't shower or bathe, why she had to wash in the kitchen, why.. Bloody hell! Why did he have to have a vampire chained in his bathtub?

`Are you gonna feed me or fuck me?'

`What?'

`Well. leaning there, all. seductive like. I just wondered.' Spike smirked and then pouted, but Giles only turned pointedly and went to warm up some blood.

He sat, revolted, feeding it to the irritating dead thing. She'd understand but would. it?

`I have someone coming from England for a few days. You are utterly forbidden to speak to her, attract her attention, or make yourself known to her in any way. Do you understand, vampire?'

`You ashamed of me, Rupert?'

`Do grow up, Spike. I want your promise. If I don't get it, well, you won't get any more of this.' He pulled the straw away from Spike and held it just out of reach. `I'll shut that door and leave you in here for the whole five days. Your choice.'

`You have no idea how loud I could shout and scream if I got real hungry.'

`Not with duct tape over your mouth, you couldn't.'

`You wouldn't.'

`Try me.'

`I plan to one day, but you ain't ready for it.'

`I shan't even acknowledge that with a reply. Promise.'

`Yeah, yeah. So..' Spike slipped into his mature, helpful vampire expression. `Who is she then? Old flame? Internet-buy-a-bride?' He giggled at his own joke, stretched out in the bath and, with a lazy wave of his hand, added, `Turn on the telly, pet.'

Giles looked at him, knew this wasn't going to work, but did as he was asked.

He checked over the apartment one more time for dust and general bachelor grime and, satisfied that it was fit for his infrequent, female guest, went to the airport to collect her.

Spike heard them come in. He could hear everything in the apartment. He grinned. This was going to be fun. If you were chained in a bathtub, unable to get off yourself, listening to other people was a pretty good substitute..

Spike pouted slightly as he played with this thought. It brought back unpleasant memories of another time, listening to another couple having sex when he couldn't. Angelus had always made sure that Spike could hear what he was doing with, and to, Drusilla.

Suddenly, listening to the watcher and his bint from England didn't seem so appealing, and Spike listened to the low murmur of voices with annoyance. The clink of wineglasses pissed him off even more. Laughter made him so mad he began to work at the chains once more, pulling his wrists against them until they bled. The chatter stopped, and a long period of quiet followed it. Spike could picture what they were doing: soft lips exploring, tasting, enjoying. It was too bloody much, and he couldn't even put his hands over his ears to stop the silence. Voices rose again, amused voices, more fucking clinks, and another silence. Spike dashed the heel of his hand across his eyes but cursed when he saw the blood on his wrists, now presumably across his face. He licked softly at his torn skin, enjoying the comfort of the blood. It looked as though it was the only comfort he was likely to get for a long while. The silence ended once more, and then he heard soft footsteps on the stairs. No. that was just too much again. He couldn't lie here and listen to them shagging. He didn't want to hear Rupert Giles coming in her.. Spike did a quick rewind. He didn't want to hear him coming at all! Much better!

It got quiet; Spike held his breath - which was cheating, somewhat, as he held it all the time anyway. Music was turned on. Spike relaxed. Poncy fucking classical that it was, at least it drowned out the squidgy noises.

He leant back and tried to sleep, but sleep would not come. How could it? He spent his unlife fighting and fucking, running like a blur through. life, and now he couldn't. Now he was chained up like an animal.

The noises began in his head again: rage like a maddening roar; impotence, a scratch of nails on blackboard; fear, a maniacal giggling in his head. Like any chained wild beast, captivity began to overwhelm him, and he began to sink under the despair and the fury. Tears threatened to come, but this only tipped him the other way, back to the uncontrollable rage that made him tug at his chains, desperate to rip them from their secure fastenings. Unable to break them, he started to gnaw on the pale flesh of his wrists, willing to bite through to the bone if only he could free himself from this restraint.

Blood began to flow down his forearms. The bracelets became loose and slippery - but still not enough to pull free. The blood invigorated him. Although it carried the flavour of a pathetic vampire reduced to drinking its own blood, it gave him the strength to attempt to break free once more, straining his whole weight and strength against the chains, tugging them, jerking them, frantic to be free.

`Stop it! Will you please stop that.! Good God, what have you done, Spike?'

Giles stumbled into the room, rumpled, sleepy, dressed only in soft pyjama bottoms. He stared at the blood sprayed across the back wall. He stared at the ghastly figure in the bath, coated in blood, streaked with. were they trails of tears? Oh, and the wrists, the torn skin with a glimpse of white beneath..

Giles nearly heaved but held it in and softly closed the door behind him. Without further comment, he took the towels off the rail, soaked them in water and brought them over to Spike. He perched on the side of the bath and tentatively offered them to the vampire, but Spike only turned his head away, closed his eyes, and appeared to be trying to escape from the moment into his own thoughts.

Giles sighed and took one wrist in his hand. He dabbed gently at the blood and the ripped skin; he washed down the forearm as far as the bare skin fetched, pausing at the edge of Spike's T-shirt sleeve. He picked up the other wrist and gave it the same treatment.

He paused and looked at Spike's face, then gently washed that, too.

`Let me go.'

Giles hesitated in his washing. Inches from the vampire's face, the soft, pleading voice seemed more affective, more genuine, somehow. He moderated the tone he would have used and replied softly, `You know we can't, Spike. You need to tell us about the Initiative; until you do, we can't let you go.'

Spike did not reply to this but opened his eyes suddenly, and stared at Giles. Giles was taken aback by the intense blue. This was the closest he'd ever been to Spike, and he was not sure he had ever had real eye contact with him before. He was astounded by the humanity of the person he saw looking out from those eyes. He would have expected a soulless, flat expression - more insanity perhaps. The look confused him, and he defended himself from the confusion by going on the attack. He sat back and glared at Spike. `The bloody rattling woke me! I told you: no disturbance!'

Spike jerked his head back, his expression bitter now. `Interrupt your fucking orgasm, did I human?'

`I beg your pardon?' Giles actually winced at this suggestion.

Spike gave him a `yeah' look. `Pretty fucking obvious what you were doing, mate - music to drown it out?'

`I was asleep - on the couch! And why I should be explaining myself to you.. So, I would appreciate no more crude aspersions, thank you very much, Spike.'

Spike looked puzzled. `On the couch? Uh huh. I thought..'

`No, you are not thinking anything about any of this. It is none of your business. You are something dead that I have in my bathtub, nothing more. I'm not explaining myself to you. I'm not even talking about this with you.'

`Couldn't get it up, hey?'

Giles clenched his jaw. He debated just leaving but didn't want soft, painful laughter to follow him out. `She had come a long way, Spike. She was tired.'

Spike tipped his head on one side a little. `So. she went up on her own, cus she was tired?'

`Spike! I'm NOT discussing this with you! No, I thought she might want to. recover. and that is as far as I'm prepared to discuss this with you!'

`Uh huh. So, she comes all this way to see you; she's all riled up and `appy; she's full of wine and soft music, and you. suggest she sleeps alone. Oh, good one, mate.' Spike began to laugh, but there was no particular malice in the sound. He shook his head softly. `What a waste.'

`I'm not having this conversation with you, but don't speak of her as if she were a snack or something.'

Spike twitched up an eyebrow. `I wasn't talking `bout her and, seeing we're having this conversation like, bet she ain't asleep now.'

Distracted by the image the in the second half of Spike's comment, Giles entirely missed the first. `Err. what?'

`Well. if I woke you up. bet I woke `er up, too. Why not go in an' see if she's okay - not scared by the scary clanking noises from the bathroom.'

Giles squinted at him. `Go in?'

`Well, duh, watcher. She'll be lying in that big double bed of yours, all warm and cosy like, all soft and malleable, and probably wondering what you're doing.'

`I doubt that.'

`Trust me; she'll be thinkin' of ya, maybe wondering why you don't come in!'

Giles looked askance at him. `As if I can now. knowing you'd be in here. listening..'

Spike's expression lost the amused, teasing confidence, and he suddenly seemed very young, very. vulnerable? Giles shook himself lightly. This vampire was very, very clever.

Spike merely said quietly, `Yeah, put the music on again, pet, will you? Promise, no more chain rattling. Bit tired now.'

Giles stood up and threw the blood-soaked towels in the bin. He put a hand on the door, but then turned to Spike once more. `Err. is there anything you want before I.?'

Spike shook his head, his eyes closed, his expression weary.

`Right. Well, I'll see you in the morning.' Annoyed at the ridiculous formality of this adieu, Giles shut the door behind him a little too firmly. He paused outside the bedroom door then, with a soft knock, went in.

By the time the morning came, Spike was so depressed he didn't even care that he was sitting in blood-soaked, smelly clothes, chained in a bathtub with very, very sore wrists. He didn't open his eyes when the door opened but only said with some venom, `Enjoy your shag?'

`Err. who told you?'

`Harris?'

`On feeding roster for the dead. And holding of the straw not going to happen.'

Spike grinned, cheered up by someone sadder than him. `Hold something else for me then, pet? Cus, like, all horny now, and can't do it with these on..' He held out his manacled, scarred wrists in a seductive gesture but rolled his eyes when he saw it was completely lost on the boy. `Don't you play bondage with the demon? Jeez, what a waste; she'd tie up so nice!'

`Hey! Stop with the. and what do you mean?'

`Oh, come on.. Don't tell me you've never thought of how good it would be to take her when she was all tied up and struggling like. Maybe for real?' He twitched up an eyebrow. `That's the best: when they struggle for real. Nothing makes you hard like it. the power..'

Xander threw the mug of blood at him and stormed out. Spike would have grinned but, instead, he pursed his lips at the destruction of his breakfast and leant back with a sigh.

It was a very long day. No one came in at all. They just left him there all day in the empty apartment, getting hungrier and hungrier and angrier and angrier. Neither did him much good, he just had to lie there against the hard porcelain, chained. Finally, he heard voices downstairs: soft laughter, murmuring, television being turned on then off, music, sounds of cooking, silence, more laughter. He wanted to shout out and tell the human that he hadn't been fed, but did not doubt that he would make good on his promise and tape him up. Being taped up for three days was less appealing than being hungry, so he kept quiet and began to count the tiles again, just for something to do.

It grew late. Spike heard footsteps once more on the stairs. This time they were accompanied by soft voices; there was no doubt the watcher had taken him up on his suggestion. They were going into the bedroom together.

Spike swore under his breath and waited desperately for the music to come on. It didn't. He heard. noises that he didn't want to hear, and began to hum. More noises made him start to sing. He hadn't sung for a long time and couldn't remember anything he liked, so ended up singing commercials to himself. Surprisingly, the noises stopped fairly quickly. He'd only reached "You Take My Breath Away", which sort of amused him, when silence made itself rather noticeable from the bedroom.

Spike had never slept with a human, but he thought that one trip of the car around the burning sugar plantation was a little. short. for an orgasm of any sort. He listened with interest as soft steps sounded on the stairs once more, as the kettle was put on, and then at the silence. No one came back up.

He mulled this over for a while then shrugged and tried to will himself to sleep. At least in sleep he could pass some of this interminable time. He woke instantly when the door was opened and watched Giles through lowered lids. It was dark in the bathroom, and the human made wearily to the sink and leant on it, his head lowered. After a few moments, he looked up and peered at himself in the mirror. Spike could see the haggard expression and looked amused at the apparently empty bath behind it. He couldn't resist, and rattled the eerily suspended chain a little.

Giles jumped as if he'd been shot. He whirled around. `Fuck!'

Spike laughed. `You allowed to say that? Being all English and fucking mature like.'

`I forgot! I forgot I had you chained in here. Bloody hell, what a bloody awful day.'

`Forgot. Forgot! Well, that explains a lot then.' Spike wriggled to try and get comfortable, gave up the effort, and sighed despairingly.

Giles bristled a little at the vampire's tone. `I have had other things to think about, you know. You, chained in here, are not my number one priority, Spike.'

Spike whipped his head around, his expression furious. `Well, maybe it should be, mate. I'm not a fucking. thing! Well, okay, maybe I am, but I'm still alive. Well, okay, I'm not, but I still need stuff! I've `ad no bloody food since yesterday; I'm sitting in foul fucking clothes that are bloody smelling, and I've been left on me own ALL bleedin' day with no one to talk to!'

Giles came over and sat on the very end of the bath. `Xander was supposed to feed you.'

Spike merely nodded at the smashed mug pieces all over him. Giles sighed. `What happened?'

Spike shrugged. `'He can't take a joke, I guess.'

`No, Spike, it's just that your sense of humour isn't funny to anyone else.'

`You think I'm amusing.'

Giles hesitated at this. He'd been about to contradict Spike forcibly, but the sudden and unexpected thought had slipped in that he did, indeed, find Spike rather amusing - occasionally, when he was in the right mood. Instead of the bitter reply, he only smiled slightly, and they both felt the subtle change of atmosphere in the room. Giles looked at him. `You're a mess.'

Spike smiled. `Yeah. Need a shower and some fresh clothes. How `bout it, hey?'

Giles nodded. `Tomorrow, I'll go and fetch you some, and we'll see.' Spike nodded then picked thoughtfully at a small chip on one nail. `So. how's it going?'

Giles pursed his lips and looked down for a moment, smoothing the material of his pyjama trousers over his thighs. `Fine. And, once again, I'm not having this conversation with you.'

`No, course not, granted. But fine ain't much of a recommendation.'

Still not looking up, Giles only raised an eyebrow. `It's. complicated.'

Spike did not reply and the silence encouraged Giles to add a soft, `I.. I've been a little distracted, I think, and it's so long since..'

`Since you had someone? Yeah, know that feeling.'

`I was going to say, since we last met.'

`Oh.'

`And you can hardly claim celibacy! What about that hideous, blond girl you were. seeing? Some friend of Cordelia's?'

`Seeing? Seeing? Okay, yes, I was seeing Harmony - she was, is, called Harmony - but believe me, Giles, she don't count. I was meaning proper. seeing.' He smiled a little as he said this last, and Giles finally looked up, smiling a little, too.'

`Bummer when you can't get off, ain't it?'

Giles raised his eyebrow. `Remembering that I'm not having this conversation. yes, it is.'

`What you tried then?'

`Spike!'

`Oh, come on, human. It's just sex, just physical, just what we all do. I reckon diffidence and embarrassment's your main problem, mate.'

`Uh huh, you've come to that conclusion lying here thinking about my sex life, have you?'

Giles only meant this an as ironic sort of joke and was a little taken aback when Spike nodded. `It's obvious, ain't it? I mean, look at you that first night. She was probably waiting for you to leap on her an' ravish her, and what did you do? Friggin' slept on the couch!'

`Ravish?' Giles started to chuckle. `Ravish? Disturb her petticoats? Rip her bodice and ravish?'

`Hey! Shut up!' but he began to laugh, too, and they felt that subtle shift of atmosphere once again.

Spike considered Giles through lowered lids. `So, come on, tell me; what did you try?'

`Shut up, Spike. How many times do I have to tell you: I'm not having this conversation with you? And just the usual. you know. err . what do you mean?'

Spike tried not to smile and ruin the mood. `Well, how long did you get her ready for like? That's the key to women, you know.' He had the grace to smile slightly at this implied boast, but continued, `Get `em so they want it more than you then just take `em.'

Giles nodded wisely. `I am now being given sexual advice from a vampire. Yes, this is one of those moments I am going to put on my list - my quite considerable list - of things I do not admit are actually happening to me.'

`Oh, don't give me that. You know damn well I know what I'm talking about. I've been shagging for over a hundred and twenty years.'

`You are only one hundred and twenty six, Spike. Had an interesting childhood, did you?'

`Fuck you. Look, all I'm saying is, I know what I'm talking about. And hey! Remember, I had to shag the dead. Shit, your foreplay's gotta be bloody good to make an inroad there, I can tell ya.'

Giles winced. `I don't even want to know, Spike. And I'll thank you for not concerning yourself any more with my love life. I am quite capable of. getting someone ready.'

Spike groaned. `You can't even talk `bout it, can you? How the hell can you do it, if you can't say it? Fuck, cunt, clit, balls, cock, cum.. Giles, you've gotta loosen up. say `em!'

`I most certainly will not, and to quote the ghastly Americans, I am SO not having this conversation with you.'

`Bet you didn't go down on `er.'

Giles frowned. `Go down on her what?'

Spike spluttered. `You're joshing me now. Giles? I'm serious; tell me that was a joke?'

Giles smiled and raised an eyebrow. `Had you going for a moment though, didn't I?'

Spike laughed, impressed. `Yeah, you did, an' that don't happen often. But I'm glad like, cus `least I know you're going `bout it right.'

`I know what it is; I didn't say I actually did it.'

`Uh huh. And that would be.?'

`Spike! I utterly refuse to discuss my sexual preferences with you! No nice girl would ever countenance that sort of behaviour.'

`What! What? Oh, how sad are you? I guarantee she'd be eating out of your hand - who wouldn't? Fucking hell, mate, they love it!'

`Not having this conversation, Spike. You are a demon. You are dead. What you do with your hideous female companions is entirely your business. She is a very special young woman; I would never treat her like that. And, besides, I find it rather distasteful.'

`Oh, now we're getting to it. You don't like it.'

`No, I don't. It's all rather. fleshy.'

`Not hard and smooth?'

`Exactly. What? No! What do you mean?'

`Nothing, pet, nothing. So, you didn't get her ready; you did the `bis, but it weren't much cop.. That about the gist of it?'

`No, Spike, I'm not discussing this anymore. I told you; I've been very distracted. and having you in here listening didn't help.'

`I wasn't listening.' Spike held up his still bruised and torn wrists. `Remember?'

`Oh, yes. Well, whatever, it was all ghastly, and I'd rather not talk about it.'

`But you went back up tonight.'

`Yes. She insisted.'

`Oh. Bit of a passion killer that, ain't it? Havin' to perform on cue like.'

Giles shuddered. `Impossible.'

`So. you left?'

`Told her I needed some tea, yes.'

`Long cuppa, mate.'

`I was rather hoping she'd fall asleep.'

`They never do. They lie awake, keeping themselves going like, waiting for you, planning how they're gonna humiliate you some more.'

Giles shuddered again. `You think?'

`I know. Not that I've `ad a human one. But Dru never let up on me sometimes. Even when I was shagged from shagging An. an other things.'

Giles heard the save but was too caught up in the image of the reception waiting for him in the bed to ponder its provenance.

`So, I have to go back in then?'

`If you want your life to be worth living, yeah.'

`Oh God. I'm just not - and remember, I'm not actually saying this to you - in the mood.'

Giles knew it was coming, had scant time to consider his reply before the soft, seductive words wrapped around him. 'I could help..'

*****
Part 2:

Strangely, the reply Giles had prepared didn't emerge. Instead, he leant back a little and rested against the wall. 'I suppose I have to make allowances for the fact you can't see yourself in a mirror, Spike. But - I have to say - you are hardly at your most attractive. You're dirty, sticky and, frankly, rather smelly.'

This reply pleased Spike on a number of levels, so he didn't rise to what was intended to be a rejection. Instead, he leant back, too, and only said softly, 'Close your eyes then.' He was almost hypnotic, the eyes huge in his face. There was no hint of irony or malice, only a soft earnestness, almost.. Giles hesitated. Was Spike. aroused?

The intense blue eyes fastened on his made Giles' tired eyes flutter closed. He resisted, but it was easier just to close them for a moment. just to rest.

'You've got to picture her, human. Picture her naked on the bed. Her skin is so warm in the candlelight..'

'There are no candles.'

'Giles! Don't ruin it. you have to use yer bloody imagination - and can I just say, mate, maybe invest in some bleeding candles tomorrow? Birds love that shit. So. She's warm in the soft candlelight, and when you come in, she's lying on her back. She don't see you cus she's got her eyes closed, and she's thinking things. 'bout you. an' her fingers are working themselves in that dark mound. You want to get closer, to look closer, so you slide onto the end of the bed. She feels you then and grins, so you get closer and blow on her hand. It stills, and she moves it away. You capture her fingers and suck on them..'

'Oh, good God, bloody hell..'

'YOU SUCK ON THEM, and she moans, so you part her and bend down, smelling her muskiness, wanting it, wanting to taste it. You run your tongue up from 'er hole to 'er clit and swirl it around and around that soft tip. It's leaking slightly, and you can taste the salty. and you delve back into that soft wetness and reach a hand up to catch 'er tit. Her nipple's erect, and you graze the back of your 'and over it; it feels so good against the hard flatness. soft mound, and then you start to work her with ya tongue: slipping in, working around, pushing to find that. licking back to 'er clit, up, down, bite her, make her bleed.. Okay, don't bite 'er maybe, but she's ready; she's moaning for you, Giles; she wants you.. Oh, you off, pet?'

Giles left in a hurry, and Spike was about to grin at the excellent game that had staved off boredom for a while, when he looked down. He tipped his head back and cursed softly. He desperately, desperately needed a wank, but the chains were wrapped too securely around his waist to get access. Oh! Fucking hell! He'd forgotten to get some food, too!

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

When he woke thinking about Spike, Giles remembered his promise. He didn't know where Spike had been living so decided he'd better just buy him a few things. He'd never, ever, bought clothes for another man but found the experience strangely pleasant. He imagined he was just feeling paternal and didn't dwell on it too much. He tried not to spend too long wondering what colour shirt to buy. He tried not to spend too long looking at the jeans and thinking about Spike's waist or Spike's inside leg measurement. In the end, he asked for advice and took the size the girl suggested when he described Spike to her.

He left the clothes in the bags just inside the door and eyed the bathroom in the morning light with distaste. It really did need cleaning: the vampire in the bath even more so. He undid the padlocks fastening Spike's chains and, keeping a wary distance from him, allowed Spike to climb out of the bath. Spike did so slowly. He was obviously very stiff and took a while stretching off and massaging sore limbs. He turned to Giles. 'So?'

'So, take a bath.'

Spike sat on the rim. 'No, I meant. so?'

'Oh. Well, better I suppose, but I can't say. memorable.'

'You're underselling yourself, mate. I've been listening for the last hour - she's been moaning like a bloody trooper! You're doing something right.'

Giles gave him a look. 'Thank you. I've not actually been here for two hours. But thank you for that anyway.'

'Oh. OH! Hey, there ya go! See? She needed it after you'd got her all..' Even Spike knew that wasn't one of his best lies. 'Sorry, mate. I was all glad for you, but did think you were a bit quiet like at the time..'

'Just shut up, Spike. Take a bath. When you're ready, shout, and I'll. err..' He waved a hand vaguely at the chains once more, and Spike pouted slightly. Giles went out and locked the door.

Spike stripped, bundled up his clothes and, after a moment's hesitation, stuffed them in the laundry basket with some of Giles'. He ran the deepest bath he could lie in without splashing over the side - as hot as even his cold body could stand - and submerged under the water, just zoning out for while. His erection from the previous night had subsided into a pleasant semi-hardness that ached softly. He began to wash around, cupping himself and soaping over the shaft. Instantly hard once more at the touch, he lay back and just enjoyed the moment. Images flickered through his head: people, him, sounds, smells, skin, candlelight, soft laughter, surrender, manacles around strong, tanned wrists. He came to a shuddering orgasm and sat up in the bath, working himself off, his cum plopping softly into the water.

He hadn't realised how long he'd been until a soft voice just outside the door asked, 'Finished?'

Spike groaned and lay back, still overcome by the orgasm. 'Yeah..'

Giles came in.

'Bloody hell! Fucking get out!'

'Oh! God! You said finished!' Giles beat a hasty retreat and leant on the door, his heart racing. After a few minutes, he heard a soft ''K' from the other side of the door. He opened it to find Spike sitting on the edge of the bath, dressed in the new jeans and shirt he'd bought for him. They seemed to fit well, and Giles nodded, pleased with the colour on him. and why the hell did he just think that? 'Get back in the bath, Spike.' He knew he'd spoken unnecessarily harshly, but really, Spike could be so irritating sometimes!

'It's all wet.'

'Oh. bloody hell!' Giles picked up the discarded wet towel and threw it at the annoying vampire. 'Dry it then!'

Spike picked up the cloth between two fingers distastefully. 'Me? I'm your bloody prisoner, and I 'ave to dry me own prison?'

'Stop being melodramatic.'

Spike sighed and wiped the bath down then made a big show of climbing back in. Giles, ignoring the histrionics, chained him up again. 'How's about some food, pet?' This quiet request, inches from Giles' ear, was accompanied by a huge growl from Spike's belly. Giles chuckled at the sound and shook his head, but he went down and made an extra large mug of blood. He sat on the edge of the bath as usual and fed it to Spike. From this angle, Spike's eyelashes were huge. Giles had never noticed anyone's eyelashes before, but these were incredibly long. They brushed against the razor-sharp cheekbones as the vampire fed. Suddenly, Giles shook himself and coughed slightly. 'Err. would you like some books or something?'

Spike stopped sucking and sat back, licking his lips. 'Yeah, I would. Ta. What'ya'got? No intellectual shit like. Something with lots of explosions.'

'Uh huh. Lots of explosions. I'll take a look.'

That's how Spike spent another day of his captivity: still alone, but now with a stack of relatively interesting books. With that and the television, he was amazed how quickly the evening came.

This time, Giles appeared with more food early on, just before bedtime. He was still dressed and sat rather self-consciously feeding Spike. When Spike finished, he sat back and picked up his book, ignoring Giles. Giles took off his glasses and cleaned them on his shirttails for a moment. He played with the mug; he toed the pile of books.

Finally, without looking up from his reading, Spike said, 'You only have to ask, pet.'

'I think it's the least likely thing I would ever do, Spike.' Spike looked up at this and into the troubled eyes. He gave a small nod of recognition at the other's pride and said very softly, 'Close them again, Giles; you don't have to ask.'

Giles slid down to the floor and rested back against the bathtub. He closed his eyes and tipped his head back, waiting for the soft voice to begin. 'She's getting ready for you now, Giles. She's undressing. You're watching her though a crack in the door. Can you see how slim she is, how pale? Run your eyes down the spine as she reaches up to take off her T-shirt. See how the whole body aches for your touch? She waits for you, standing, and you know what she wants, don't you? You slide in behind her and push her against the wall. She spread-eagles her arms and lets you mould to that hard body. And it's so cold: the muscles so hard and perfectly formed. You kneel down and part the cheeks. It's where you've wanted to be for so long, isn't it? Lick it, Giles. Lick that small, puckered hole. Does it taste good? Listen to the moaning. Slide your hands around and feel for the sharp hipbones; slide further into soft hair and run your fingers up the hard. wall until you reach the nipples. Play with them, Giles, as you suck at that hole. They've never been played with, and the moaning just gets louder and louder. There's a trail of dampness on the wall now - run your finger into it, trace its path, push harder, push in. There! You're inside that cool passage, and it's so sweet, so tight. Do you want to use something else, Giles? Do you stand and push your hard shaft in? I think you do, and I think you like the feel; I think you like the cool grip on your heat. Bury your face into the soft blond hair; say how good it feels, Giles; I want to hear you say it. Now push in, right in; push until you grind against that hard backside. You can't possibly hurt it. Thrust, Giles, work that hole; find that spot that'll send us both over the edge. Work Giles: sweat, groan if you have to.. Are you coming? Feel the swell..'

Spike debated whether to finish his story to the empty room, but there didn't seem a lot of point. He prayed the music would be turned on again but cursed when it was.

This time, Giles didn't wake to thoughts of Spike, for he didn't sleep at all and thought about him all night. He was thinking about Spike as he stood pressing into the wall with a warm, soft, dark-haired body in front of him. He thought about Spike as he pushed through a too tight ring of muscle and heard a hiss of pain. He thought about Spike when he pulled out, utterly unable to cum in that soft body, and he thought about Spike as he took himself to a swift release whilst fingering soft, fleshy folds. Mostly, he thought about Spike as the body next to him slept curled away from him, shut off, and angry.

Spike woke up to find Buffy looking down at him. He desperately wished he could find some privacy; he was so tired of being. on display. He grimaced at her. 'What the fuck do you want?'

'Information.'

'Oh, bloody hell. Piss off, Slayer, and where's Giles?'

Buffy raised an eyebrow. 'Busy.'

'Uh huh. Too busy to feed me?'

'Yes.' Then she added as an afterthought entirely to herself, 'Too grumpy.'

'Why?'

She hadn't expected Spike to be the slightest bit interested in Giles so, caught off-guard a little, said, 'Woman troubles. And did I just say that? Trouble with women. He's all bad-moody - at you too!'

'Me? Why me? What 'ave I done?'

'That's what I want to know. Spill. What have you been saying?'

As Spike could hardly tell her that he'd been spinning Giles intense sexual fantasies every night so the flaccid human could get off. or could he? Why not? That'd cause a stir in the chickens. That'd make 'em take notice of the fox. He sighed and just said neutrally, 'He's probably a bit sick of not bein' able to wash an' stuff.'

'I suppose.'

Spike was surprised - but pleased - when Giles made a reappearance again just before bedtime. He looked at the human's defensive expression and the mug of blood he carried.

'Didn't think I'd see you 'gain. Slayer said you were pissed at me.'

'I am, and you're not seeing me. There was no one else to bring you this, and I don't approve of cruelty - even to the dead.'

'Ah. Not liking my stories any more? Getting off without 'em?'

'I won't discuss this, Spike. Drink your blood, and shut up.'

Spike took a sip but leant back, rolling it around in his mouth for a moment. 'Maybe you should play a game instead.'

'Be quiet, or I'll take this back downstairs.'

'You want to punish her for last night - she wants to be punished.'

'Shut..'

'Just in fun, pet. No harm like. But think how she'd love to feel scarves softly binding her wrists. Tie her to the bedrail, yeah? That's it, pet, close your eyes and think how good it would be to look at that body all tied up. Do you think she'd struggle for you if you asked her? Watch the writhing; put a hand to the arms, Giles; feel those steel-hard biceps stretch and contract. They're yours now. All those muscles yours to control. Why not start to lick across that smooth chest? Find a nipple under your tongue and bite it to hardness. Does it graze you? Make it harder then; lick down to the belly button, and play there a while. Now part the legs, Giles. Find that soft, hanging. yer head down to look at the pale flesh. Take it in your mouth; you know you want to. Suck, Giles, taste that unique taste that binds you to this body. You know how to touch; just do it from instinct; give pleasure like you'd like to be given it. But think, Giles. What's really wanted? Not just pleasure. Bite! Yes! That's right! Again! Bite! Shit, that feels so good; can you feel the straining against those bindings? Bite again; make me cry out. I need the pain, Giles; I want it. And look, push my legs higher; it's just there, just where you want it. Thrust in, and let me enjoy the pain. Jerk off, Giles, and know you can never hurt me.. Harder, harder, cum for me, cum in me. I want you..'

Cold blood splattered and ran across the floor, as the mug shattered against the hard tiles. Giles started up with a cry. He looked at Spike. Spike looked back, but then jerked his face away, trying to hide his need. Giles looked down, astonished - not at Spike's need, but at his own. He fled with Spike's imagery filling his mind. He didn't even go into the bedroom but paced the living room all night, fighting incorporeal demons that he thought he'd long buried in the peace of a celibate life.

There was only one more night. The whole visit was something of a disaster. Although nothing of their night time failings was ever discussed or even alluded to - both being English, after all - the strain of the failure affected them all through the day.

Tiredness, worry, embarrassment, all took their toll on Giles, but worst of all was the almost uncontrollable fury he felt toward Spike. Conveniently forgetting the vampire's evident sincerity and his all too obvious pain at the sudden breaking of that last story, Giles told himself that Spike was manipulating him: making him impotent in a way.

He didn't know what to do. He couldn't go into that bathroom again, but Spike needed feeding. Suddenly, Giles smiled and rummaged under the sink. He held the tape in his hands. It was repugnant to his nature, but so were the images of Spike's body that had plagued his mind all day! As the lesser of two evils, Giles decided to tape up that seductive mouth.

He carried the blood in one hand, keeping the other with the tape out of sight. Spike did not look at him when he came in but kept his face averted. 'Not hungry.'

'Of course you are; you're always hungry.'

'Fuck off.'

'Err. it's my bathroom, Spike.'

''Xactly. So what the fuck am I doing in it? I wanna go home.'

'You don't have a home.' This seemed unnecessarily cruel, and Giles immediately wished he could recall the words. Spike just closed his eyes and refused to turn his head. Giles felt a little foolish now. He could hardly tape Spike up if Spike wasn't saying anything anyway. He sat on the edge of the bath and handed him the straw. 'If you don't drink this, there won't be any for a few days. I'm not running a bloody hotel here, Spike: feeding you only when you feel like it. I've made it for you now - so drink it.'

Surprisingly, Spike twitched up the corners of his lips. ''Pose you'll be telling me to drink it all up, or you'll send it to the starvin' kiddies in Africa, hey?'

Giles couldn't help a small smile. 'I might. Now drink up.' Spike did. This time, keeping his eyes raised to Giles' face.

'What's wrong?' Spike spoke around the straw in his mouth.

As much as he wanted to, Giles was unable to reach for the tape, given he was holding the mug.

'Don't speak, Spike. I won't hear it tonight.'

'I'm sorry 'bout last night, pet. I was just joshing you, 'k? It were all a load of shit. Shall I do it proper for you? Last night an' all. She'd like that; I know she would. She really, really wants you, Giles.'

'You've not even seen her; how can you be so transparently manipulative, Spike?'

'I don't need to see her - I see you, don't I? I mean..' Spike trailed off, sure of what he meant, but not sure that the human needed to hear it. 'Come on, promise, proper like.'

'I can't take much more..'

'She's sad, Giles, cus of what's been happening, and you want to make 'er feel better 'fore she goes. You want to show her that it's not her - that's it you. or me, maybe. And I'm sorry for that. I only wanted to help. don't know why, but I did. So, you take in a bottle of wine and just sit on the bed, talking. You know? That sense of it being just the two of you? Saying anything that comes into your head and knowing it'll be appreciated, thought about, and everything is funnier, everything is more serious, everything profound. You drink the whole bottle of wine between you; you feel so mellow, so happy for once, and the demons are all asleep. Who cares if you are different? Under the skin you're just the same - you're just need, and loneliness, and having so much to give to another. You take her in your arms, Giles, apologise about the 'oliday. Tell 'er 'bout me if you like - laugh together. It's important to laugh, Giles. Life's just a joke really, and if you don't see that, you'll always be the sad fuck who don't get the punch line. So, laugh, roll, play - let yourself go, Giles. Don't think 'bout me, cus that won't do you any good. You've gotta think 'bout her. You can 'ave her; you can't 'ave me. would never let yourself 'ave me, I think. So, go to her now, Giles.. Have her, just bloody have her, okay? Please, go to her. Giles, please, just go.'

Giles opened his eyes to find Spike silent with his arm thrown up over his eyes.

He left. If Spike thought any of that would help, he was very, very mistaken. Giles tried. He took up the wine. He tried to talk, but found her strangely boring and predictable. He didn't laugh, her sense of humour too obvious. He tried to roll, but she was too. herself.

They parted the next day at the airport like strangers. Giles was mortified. He could not look her in the eye. They did not kiss or exchange pleasantries, and Giles knew that he had lost an old and dear friend.

This nagged at him all day. He got increasingly angry and morose at the thought of her sadness and at the thought of the acute embarrassment he'd felt as she'd tried to stiffen him enough to push in, but could not. He was utterly humiliated by his impotence. He felt unmanned, unable to face even Buffy. How could he look her in the eye and advise her, when he was not really a man? How could he defeat evil, when he could not do the fundamental thing that even a vampire could do? By evening, Giles was not only angry, he was drunk - very drunk. Angry, drunk, full of suppressed hatred - it was not a good way to go up and feed Spike.

Spike recoiled slightly when Giles burst in spilling the blood and slamming the door back.

'Go away, Giles, now. Before things happen you'll regret.'

'What?' Giles was getting sick of this clever vampire manipulating him. 'Nothing is going to. happen, Spike. Don't flatter yourself. You're chained up and..' Giles seemed to notice the manacles around Spike's wrists for the first time and stared at them, clearly picturing something.

'Stop, human. Stop now, while you can. Giles! Shit. Listen. fuck!'

Whatever Spike had been about to say was lost in the blow to his head. Giles hit out, forgetting he had a mug full of blood in his hand. Bright red fluid went everywhere, ran down every surface, drenched Spike. Once more, Spike tried to calm Giles, but before he could even form a sentence, Giles caught hold of his chained wrists and dragged him out of the bath. He could not go far, caught by the chains, but far enough to lie pathetically over the edge.

Spike wasn't stupid; he'd been in similar situations often enough with someone far stronger, far angrier, and usually far drunker, and it never ended well for him. This time, he couldn't even fight back. but he still had his mouth, so he used it. 'Now, pet, come on. think, hey? Think what Buffy would..' It was worse than he'd feared. Even Angelus had never gagged him. Angelus had always let him scream.

The tape pulled at Spike's skin; it utterly sealed his mouth. He couldn't move, couldn't fight back, and now he couldn't even talk himself out of the situation either. There was only one thing he could do. He closed his eyes to the inevitable and waited for the rape to begin.

Surprisingly, he was suddenly hauled to his feet. Giles, undoing the chains that held him to the bath, pulled Spike out of the room. 'Come on. You wanted this, so I'm going to give it to you, and you know what, vampire? I want it just like you described.' He dragged the resistant vampire toward the bedroom, when Spike pulled back, giving hard, out of control jerks on the chain to hasten them to his goal.

'There. How does that feel, tied to the bedrail? Like that? Good.'

Giles undid Spike's jeans, chatting pleasantly to him the whole time. He was still soft, and this maddened him. What if he failed even this? It was unthinkable, intolerable. Giles became too frustrated trying to peel the jeans off and just ripped them down, revealing the long, pale legs, and that intriguing dark patch between them. Giles was surprised how dark Spike was, and then laughed at his own naivety. Spike didn't seem to like the laughter, and he began to writhe slightly on the bed. Giles grabbed the nearest thing that would cause pain and twisted, hard. Spike's leg shot out in an automatic response to the agony of having his balls twisted and caught Giles an unlucky blow to his groin. Giles winced in pain, but it was nothing to the muffled cries of agony from Spike, as the chip seared into his brain tissues. Tears on his face running down to soak the gag, Spike tried pleading with his eyes. Giles just made sure he didn't catch Spike's look and pushed his legs up, just as the fantasy demanded.

*****