*****

What was that about?� Anya asked as the door slammed shut behind the trio from LA.

Xander ignored the question to hurry after the departing vampire. He caught up to Angel at the vampire�s car. �Angel, wait,� said Xander, gripping the dark haired man�s shoulder. Xander felt a moments surprise at the feel of sleek muscles rather than thinly covered bone under his hand. �We should talk about what happened, without an audience.�

�It�s ancient history,� Angel replied coldly. �What�s to talk about.�

�You�d think I�d get enough of this with Anya,� Xander muttered. �Look Angel, I know it was decades ago for you, and how I�ve acted for the last four years makes this very weird, but it was only last night from my point of view. I couldn�t have said this before, you know I didn�t have time then, and until today I didn�t even know there was anything to talk about. Please Angel, be fair about this.�

�I�m tired of being fair,� Angel said quietly, shrugging off Xander�s hand. �I�ve been fair for years Xander. Now you�ll understand if I just don�t feel like it anymore.�

Xander watched in frustration as Angel got into the car and drove off.

Reluctantly Xander started back toward Giles� apartment, but the thought of all the questions that he wasn�t ready to answer yet stopped him.

Quickly Xander turned and walked home, memories of the last few nights in Chicago playing in his mind...

________________________________________________________________________

Xander was jerked out of sleep with a shout by a nightmare that seemed all too real.

�What is it?� Angel asked approaching the younger man.

�I�m never getting back am I?� Xander asked hopelessly. �I�m going to be stuck here forever. I�ll never see Sunnydale or my friends again.�

Not knowing what to say Angel wrapped a comforting arm around the time lost boy�s shoulder and began to purr.

The deep rumbling sound calmed Xander, creating a safe, secure haven within the circle of the vampire�s arms. Xander relaxed against Angel, letting the comforting sound of the vampire�s voice lull his fears and loneliness.

They remained that way for several minutes, then Xander said sleepily. �I�ve never heard a vampire purr before. Growl and snarl, sure, but not purr.�

�It doesn�t usually come up in human-vampire relations,� Angel replied, the rumbling purr still audible below his words.

�I�ve never heard you purr before,� Xander said.

�It�s not very human,� Angel admitted. �I try not to act like a vampire as much as possible.�

�It�s nice,� Xander commented resting his head on Angel�s shoulder. �But truth, is there any hope of me getting back to the year 2000?�

�There�s a place we could check tomorrow evening,� Angel said slowly. �We�ll need to get cleaned up, I keep some clothes so they won�t throw me out of the library. We could steal some things for you. There�s a gym that�s fairly easy to break into, we can shower and get cleaned up there.�

�Why all the bother?� Xander asked.

�We�re going to the Watcher�s area library. They wouldn�t like me there, so we�re demon hunters wanting to do a little studying up on our lore,� Angel explained. �We should look successful enough not to stand out, beside they kind of know I exist, but the Slayer�s elsewhere and I�m not really worth bothering about. If I dress differently they probably won't recognize me and I�d just as soon keep the Watchers thinking of me as a non-entity.�

�Look Angel, I don�t want to get you staked,� Xander said.

�This is your best hope of finding a way back,� Angel said. �We�ve checked all my safe sources.�

�I�ll go on my own,� Xander said. �Just give me the direction.�

�Do you read Latin?� Angel asked. Xander shook his head. �Come on, it�s several hours before dawn, we can get ready now.�

Angel disappeared deeper into his lair, a few seconds later he returned with a battered knapsack. On the way to the gym they broke into a department store and picked-up some appropriate clothing for Xander.

At the gym Xander luxuriated in his first opportunity to get clean in weeks. He remembered all the times as a child when he�d wished he would never have to take a bath again, but after experiencing days of caked on grime, he couldn�t imagine what the appeal had been.

After he�d gotten dressed Angel handed him a straight razor and a cup of lotion. �Shave,� he instructed.

�With this?� Xander asked, examining the blade dubiously.

�What else would you use?� Angel asked.

�A safety razor,� Xander replied. �Something I can�t slit my throat with.�

Angel�s blank look told Xander that safety razors were yet another thing that either hadn�t been invented yet or that Angel simply wasn�t aware of at this time.�

�Okay, Okay, with this,� Xander said applying the lotion. Awkwardly and gingerly Xander raised the razor.

�Let me help,� Angel offered seeing that the younger man was in serious danger of injuring himself.

�I don�t see how you manage this without a mirror,� Xander said gratefully surrendering the razor.

�Practice,� Angel replied, stepping in front of Xander and gently tilting his head back. �Mirrors weren�t common or very good when I had a reflection, you just started with a dull blade and learned not to do too much damage.�

Angel�s touch was cool and feather light, Xander swallowed harshly, shocked by the feelings Angel�s careful fingers were creating. It had been way too long since he�d seen Anya, Xander thought uncomfortably. Either that or the sex-crazed ex-demon was having too much of an effect on him. That had to be why he was thinking about this, Xander told himself, which was the only reason he was reacting like this to the vampire�s touch. He was just going to ignore this Xander decided.

______________________________________________________________

�There wasn�t any place else we could have spent the day?� Xander asked, trailing behind Angel through Chicago�s public library.

�I like it here,� Angel said. �No windows to worry about and it�s peaceful.�

Xander watched Angel�s fingers brushed over the spine of the books. He�d never noticed before now careful the vampire�s touch was. Now Xander couldn�t think about anything else. Undoubtedly it was a response to a vampire�s increased strength that made Angel so conscious of the breakability of everything around him. Xander wondered how long it would take Buffy to become like that or if she would be smashing alarm clocks in careless moments for the rest of her life.

�We could have gone to a movie,� Xander suggested.

�A motion picture?� Angel asked uncertain that he�d interpreted Xander�s slang correctly. �I went to one once, I didn�t see what all the fuss was about. They�re probably a fad.�

�You�re kidding right?� Xander asked.

�The story had to be so simple and the script cards break things up badly,� Angel complained.

�Wait till they add sound,� Xander replied.

_______________________________________________________________________

�This is really it?� Xander asked.

�I think it will work,� Angel said. �I need to translate the spell, then there will be ingredients to be collected, but it should do it. Additionally it looks like it�s within my casting abilities, I won�t screw it up.�

�I�m really going home,� Xander said excitedly. �I�d pretty much given up.�

�I promised I�d get you home,� Angel replied smiling shyly.

______________________________________________________________

�Please sit down,� Angel said several hours later. �I can�t concentrate with you pacing all over.�

�Sorry, it�s just� home, I can�t believe it, I�m going home,� Xander babbled.

�Look, I�ve got the ingredient list translated. Why don�t you start collecting the items, I�ll finish up here then join you after the sun sets,� Angel suggested. �The spell needs to be cast as dawn breaks, we probably won�t be ready by tomorrow so don�t worry about hurrying.�

______________________________________________________________

Xander returned to the lair an hour before sundown. �I am the king of scroungers, I got everything on the list.�

�You�ll be in your own time by tomorrow,� Angel said quietly, looking up from the book he was reading. �The translation�s all done. I guess we�re just waiting for the timing� or you could wait another day, I could find some else to check my translation, it would be safer that way.�

�Naw, I trust you,� Xander said. �And I want to get back.�

Angel�s brief smile disappeared as he turned back to the book. �It won�t work till dawn, you have to stay till then,� He said.

Xander was ready to explode with energy. He was going home. They needed to celebrate, as soon as the sun set, they were going to do� whatever it was that people did to have fun in this time.

Xander bounced about the lair, prattling about everything and anything that came to mind, but gradually he became aware the Angel�s silence wasn�t his normal listening in bemusement silence.

The vampire sat cross-legged near the fire; huddled over his book, head down shoulders pulled in. His posture accentuated the prominence of his bone structure. Even after two week of feeding properly the ridges in his spine could still be seen through both skin and shirt. Despite everything Xander knew about vampires, at that moment, Angel looked horribly fragile and in need of protection.

Slowly Xander walked over to him. �Angel? Are you all right?� he asked.

�You�re leaving,� Angel said softly. �I�ll be alone.�

�Startled Xander knelt beside Angel, returning the comforting embrace Angel had offered him two nights ago.

�I know you need to go back,� Angel continued, a reddish tear streaking his face. �You have friends, your whole life is there, but I�ll miss you.�

Impulsively Xander kissed away the tear. Stunned by his own action Xander simply waited for Angel�s reaction. When it came it wasn�t one Xander was anticipating. Angel snuggled into his embrace, rubbing his cheek against Xander�s; making an oddly feline sound that was definitely encouraging.

The part of Xander�s brain that should have been telling him that this was a bad idea was too busy trying to digest both his action and Angel�s reaction to lodge a protest. The rest of him knew exactly what it wanted and was wishing he had spent less time avoiding Larry in high school, because he wasn�t quite sure of the mechanics of what he wanted to be doing.

Xander shifted to hold Angel closer, kneeling behind the vampire, his knees bracketing Angel�s hips. Angel leaned his head back against Xander�s chest, rubbing his body against the younger man�s in an undeniably erotic manner.

Clumsily Xander unbuttoned Angel�s shirt, skimming uncertain fingertips over the vampire�s pale, cool flesh. The soft sighs and moans that Angel produced let Xander know he was doing something right. Angel�s hands slid up and down Xander�s thighs. Xander moved one hand down to the concavity of Angel�s stomach to press the vampire back more firmly against his erection.

Angel paused to undo his pants; Xander eagerly pushed them down over his hips, and then quickly unfastened his own, uncomfortably tight, slacks. �So good,� Xander sighed, his erection now rubbing directly against the bare skin of Angel�s hip.

Xander felt like his brain-cells were short-circuiting, this was incredible, beyond great, but he needed to be in his partner. Angel seemed to pick up on Xander�s desire and rose to his knees to all Xander access.

Xander guided himself to Angel�s entrance and pressed forward. Tightness, almost painful friction, a cry from Angel that was more pain than pleasure, then a cool liquid was flowing around his cock.

�I did something wrong,� Xander gasped pulling back. �I�m sorry.�

�It�s good,� Angel said pushing back against Xander, taking him in more deeply. Xander groaned, the cool liquid had lubricated Angel�s channel. Slowly Xander pressed forward till his chest was flush with Angel�s back. Wrapping one arm around Angel�s chest and his other hand around the vampire�s cock Xander began to thrust within the tight, cool confines of the souled vampire�s body.

Angel�s hand entwined with Xander�s encouraging him to match the timing of his hand to his thrusts. �You�re so warm,� Angel sighed as Xander came, a few seconds later the vampire followed him over the edge.

Angel twisted in Xander�s arms rearranging them so that they were laying down, Angel�s head pillowed on Xander�s chest. When Xander reached for a blanket to cover them he noticed blood speckling Angel�s hips and the back of his thighs.

�Oh god,� Xander exclaimed, struggling to sit up. �I hurt you.�

Drowsily Angel protested against being disturbed. �It�s okay,� he mumbled. �I wanna sleep.�

Reluctantly Xander settled back pulling the blanket over them. Angel reclaimed his earlier position, wrapping his arms about Xander with a contented purr.

Silently Xander stroked Angel�s soft dark hair until the purring tapered off into sleep. Xander couldn�t believe how stupid he�d been, he didn�t have the first clue about having sex with another guy and now he�d hurt Angel. Xander�s mind evaluated his last thought with new alarm: He�d had sex with Angel!

Xander�s thoughts flew apart in a whirl. After all his worries about what might happen to the future if he told Angel the wrong thing and he went and did the one thing that would inevitably destroy everything, possibly including the world.

Xander looked at Angel�s peacefully sleeping form. Buffy and Angel had broken the curse in ignorance, he�d just been stupidly thoughtless, no excuses. Xander knew he should probably kill Angel now, before he awoke, but he also knew he wasn�t going to do it.

When Angel awoke soulless, decades before Jenny Calendar and her computer would be available to recover the curse, the vampire would most likely drain him. Xander knew that, fatalistically he considered it a fitting punishment.

His eyes glittering with unshed tears Xander resumed stroking Angel�s hair and resigned himself to the inevitable.

end