Xander woke the next morning alone. Spike was nowhere to be seen, although the customary mug of freshly brewed coffee was on the night stand as usual. When he finally forced himself out of bed, Xander found clean clothes laid out for him. He showered first, then dressed and ventured downstairs. The staff was cleaning furiously, and the newly hired kitchen staff was busy polishing silver and creating various party food masterpieces.

Xander, without any real job to do concerning said party, left the house for his own apartment. He noted how the staff had begun setting up tables and chairs according to his previous instructions. It was only those detailed directives that kept him from nosing about in the preparations-he didn't want anything to do with the party, but he also didn't want to see all his work get ruined.

Inside his apartment, he found waiting for him a garment bag. Inside the bag was a set of clothes, obviously new and expensive. He knew instinctively that it was from Spike. The vampire was insistent that he attend the party that evening. Looking down at the clothes, the best thing he could come up with was that he was grateful he didn't have to wear a tux. Hanging up the clothes, Xander decided to spend the day out on the town. There was no reason for him to hang around the house, since he didn't have anything to do.

It was absurd, but Xander found himself sneaking off the property, trying to make sure Spike didn't see him leave. Once he noticed what he was doing, Xander straightened out and fairly marched away from the house toward his car. There was no reason for him to be afraid of leaving without telling Spike first.

Xander spent the day wandering around downtown, drinking espresso and ducking into neat little shops. He picked up a couple of books (comic book artwork) and a new aloha shirt (hibiscus and monkeys). Finally, though, he realized that it was time to go back and get ready for the damned party.

He waited until he heard people mingling in the garden below before descending the stairs and exiting his apartment. From the looks of things, about a third of the invited guests had shown up already. The event was sure to be a success.

Xander skirted the edges of the crowd until one of Lavinia's 'bluehairs' saw him. She shrieked a greeting and he found himself drug into conversation about the garden. That discussion, and the tangents that flowed from it, distracted Xander for almost an hour. By that time, most of the rest of the guests had arrived. It was then that Xander noticed that the partygoers were of a different makeup than the ones at Lavinia's affair. Oh, the same matrons and socialites were there, of course. But there were also lots of younger folk hobnobbing with the elderly people. A couple of the bolder ones approached Xander.

"Hi there. I don't recall meeting you at one of these little soirees before," A tall, dark-haired man said. Xander blushed. He wasn't used to being flirted with.

"Um, this is the second one I've been to," He replied.

"I see," The man said, chuckling. "So, what brings you to Charleston? I know you're not from around here."

"Gardening," Xander said.

The man looked surprised. "Gardening?"

Xander waved his arm around. "Yeah, you know, the garden? You should have seen this place a week ago. The hurricane really did a number on it."

Realization struck his conversation partner. "You're the gardener! Oh, how pleasant. Do you hire out?"

Xander shook his head. "You'd have to ask Spike, I work for him."

The man fluttered his hand. "Oh, I'm sure Spike wouldn't care, not one whit."

"Actually, he would," Spike said from behind the man. While the guy sputtered, Spike walked over to join Xander. "He's mine, and I don't share, Tom."

Tom blanched and stepped backward. "Oh." A moment later, he was gone, making a beeline for the other side of the garden.

"Why'd you do that for?" Xander asked angrily. "I was talking to him."

"Yeah, and he was propositioning you," Spike shot back, looking equally furious.

"As if. You're paranoid." Xander taunted.

Spike pulled Xander to him. To anyone else, it looked like they were in close conversation. To Xander, it felt like they were back in Spike's bedroom, about to tumble between the sheets. "You're mine."

"Yours," Xander echoed dazedly.

Spike let him go then, watching like a hawk as Xander drifted around the party, making light conversation here and there. The boy didn't notice all the stares he got, or the sheer number of offers that came his way. Spike did, though. He also noticed how Xander managed to not take anyone up on those offers. It pleased him to no end; his training was going nicely.

Daylight was breaking when Spike carried Xander up the stairs. He undressed the boy carefully, making sure not to wake him. Once they were unclothed, he curled them up together under the covers, soaking up the warmth that radiated from Xander's body.

.........

When Xander woke up the next morning, he automatically reached for the cup of coffee he knew would be waiting for him. The heady stuff perked him right up and just a few minutes later he was conscious enough to notice that Spike wasn't around. Both the coffee and Spike's morning absences were becoming regular parts of Xander's morning rituals. He'd figured out that the vampire made him the coffee, but still wondered why he disappeared before Xander woke up.

Xander finished off his coffee while he thought about the night before. The party hadn't been bad, he guessed, although these society get-togethers really weren't what he was used to. The only thing that niggled in his mind was Spike's behavior. The vampire had been moody all night, following Xander around and glaring at everyone. If Xander didn't know better, he would have said Spike was jealous.

He was certainly possessive. Xander couldn't talk to people without Spike either knowing about it or being there. Gods forbid Xander go anywhere with someone. Spike would be right there, nosing out what was going on. The way he'd acted at the party fit right in to how he acted in bed-totally in control. Spike was master of his domain, and apparently he thought that those privileges extended to Xander as well.

The idea that Spike was trying to control him irked Xander to no end. He decided that a day away from the house would be in order, since thinking about Spike just made him mad, and he didn't want to be tempted to stake the jerk the next time he saw him.

The Waffle House was nearly empty when he got there, so he took up an entire booth for himself and ordered a huge breakfast. The waitress was new, so she didn't try to chat him up as much as the regular one. Xander stared into his coffee for a long time, trying to figure out how he'd gotten himself where he was.

The getting to Charleston part of that equation was easy enough. What Xander couldn't really explain was why he was still in Charleston, sharing Spike's bed. It didn't make any sense to him. For years, he'd hated vampires with all his being, but now he was bedding one that had tried to kill him several times. Of course, he actually liked Spike, found his sense of humor grotesque but funny, and enjoyed spending time with him. It was pretty much a normal relationship once you overlooked the whole undead-master-of-the-city gig Spike had going on.

After breakfast, Xander drove around Charleston, still thinking. The more he considered the situation, the more questions he had. Since he wasn't paying attention to where he was going, he was only partially surprised to find himself in front of Lavinia's house a couple of hours later.

"Fleur!" Lavinia cried joyfully. Xander ducked and smiled at the older lady. "What brings you here?"

Xander shuffled his feet. "Um.Wanna have a cup of tea?"

Lavinia raised one eyebrow but didn't comment. Once the tea was poured, she began her interrogation. "So, why are we having tea this afternoon, Fleur?"

"Can I ask you something?" Xander said cautiously.

"Of course, dear," Lavinia replied.

"How do you know Spike?" Xander asked her.

"Spike?" Lavinia repeated. "Oh, Daisy killed my first husband."

"What?!?" Xander squeaked. Spike had killed this lady's husband, and she liked him?

Lavinia smiled. "And good riddance, too. He was a good-for-nothing layabout. But that was a long time ago, in New York. Probably before you were born."

"But.you like him, and he." Xander sputtered.

"One does what one must, Fleur. Besides, I really don't miss the jackass," Lavinia said lightly. "But I don't think that's why you came here today."

Xander shook his head. "It's Spike. He's going to drive me insane."

"Do tell, dear," Lavinia murmured.

Xander told her about Spike, how possessive he was and how annoying he could be. Lavinia listened quietly, not commenting at all.

"It's nice and all, getting attention, but I feel like a toy or something. It's like I'm not even alive, like he can just do whatever he wants with me," Xander finished.

"Hmm.what is it you want from Spike, Fleur?" Lavinia asked.

"Want? Nothing, nothing at all," Xander replied.

"I see. What does he want from you?"

Xander shrugged. "I don't know, a warm-blooded bed bunny is my best guess," Xander said finally.

"You don't think he cares for you?" Lavinia inquired.

"If he did, why would he treat me like that?" Xander asked.

"What were you expecting, hearts and flowers?" Lavinia shot back. "He's not human, Xander. Don't forget that."

"So vampires get to treat their lovers like property because they're vampires?" Xander said shortly.

Lavinia shook her head. "No. Think about it, Xander. What would you do if you liked someone and were involved with them and wanted to show your affection? Flowers, dates, dances." Xander huffed. "Now, imagine that your lover is really sick. Wouldn't you bring them things, try to make them feel better?"

"Yeah, but what does that have to-" Lavinia cut Xander off.

"Or what if your lover was in trouble with someone and you had to protect them from getting hurt. Xander, to Spike, what he's doing is showing affection. You don't need flowers; you can grow them yourself. You're healthy, not sick. But to Spike, you're fragile, easily damaged. So for him, the only real way he's got is to protect you, and that's what he's doing."

"How, by enslaving me?" Xander cracked.

Lavinia scowled. "You're not getting this too well. He's a Master vampire. Even though Charleston's a peaceful town, things happen. Also, he is one of the most powerful people in the city. What else can he give you that you'd appreciate?"

Xander sank back down into the chair. What was he supposed to say? According to Lavinia, Spike was being nice to him. Okay, hmm.

"That's just weird," Xander said. "Mrs. Astor, I'm gonna have to go now. Thanks for the tea."

Lavinia stood up with him. "Any time, Fleur, and call me Lavinia."

.........

The sun had almost set by the time Xander got home. He'd had some more time to think about what Lavinia had said. The more he worked over it, the more he saw how what Spike was doing might be considered affection-in a weird, vampire sort of way. Xander liked the idea of Spike liking him; that meant he wasn't just a toy. But he was definitely going to have to tweak some of Spike's methods.

When Xander looked out his bedroom window, he saw Spike looking back at him from the house. Spike looked almost forlorn, like Xander was punishing him. While it amused him to no end, Xander decided that he should probably go talk to Spike.

"Have a nice day?" Spike asked casually as Xander walked into the kitchen. Xander nodded and poured himself a glass of water.

"Went to Lavinia's for tea. She's a great lady, you know?"

Spike nodded his agreement. "Thanks for going to the party last night. I know you didn't want to."

Xander looked at Spike in surprise. He hadn't been expecting gratitude, or even acknowledgment. "Not a problem. You're not planning on throwing very many of those things, are you?"

Spike grinned. "Nah, they're too much trouble." He walked around the kitchen, circling Xander. When the boy would have stepped aside, Spike caught him by the arms. "No running away now, Xander."

Xander snorted. "Right. What makes you think I'm running away? Maybe I'm plotting to throw you over my shoulder and ravish you." That made Spike laugh.

"You wouldn't. You don't have it in you," The vampire taunted.

Xander quirked an eyebrow. Didn't have it in him? That sounded like a challenge. Twisting his arms out of Spike's hands, he bent down and hefted the vampire over his shoulder, ignoring Spike's indignant cursing.

Carrying Spike up the stairs was a chore. The vampire wasn't as light as he looked. "You need to lay off the blood, Spike."

"Sod off!" Spike swore. Xander just grinned. He knew that Spike could get away at any time, so the vampire's protestations meant little. When they got to the bedroom, Xander dropped Spike onto the bed, ordering him to strip. Spike began to protest, but when Xander pulled off his own shirt, Spike decided to follow along, doing what Xander asked.

Xander might have been mistaken, but he could have sworn he saw worry in Spike's light blue eyes. Brushing aside the suspicion as an overactive imagination, Xander joined him on the bed. Spike immediately rolled Xander beneath him, rubbing against him suggestively.

Xander smiled at Spike, nipping at the vampire's sensitive neck. Spike could be a lot of fun like this, when the day hadn't driven him into frustration by business dealings and the like. Xander reveled in the few moments when Spike seemed almost normal.

That was when Spike let go of a little of the iron control he kept in the bedroom. Most of the time, Spike led and Xander followed. What they did varied, but who was in charge did not. Some mornings, though, when Spike first woke up, Xander could sneak in a kiss or two, a touch here and there, which Spike hadn't planned on.

Right now, Spike seemed unusually indulgent. Xander took advantage of the situation, rolling Spike over until he was on top. After a moment, Spike relaxed into the new position. Xander grinned reassuringly at the vampire.

Then he began to lick his way down Spike's body. The pale skin was nearly hairless and incredibly smooth. It held a faint coppery taste that Xander wasn't really surprised to find. After all, most of Spike's sustenance was blood. It was an intriguing contrast to what Xander was used to, namely human skin.

Spike didn't seem to be in any hurry to take control back from Xander, so he continued his leisurely path down Spike's body. An appreciative moan greeted him when he bit lightly into the sculpted muscles of Spike's abdomen. Before going lower, Xander urged the vampire to shift his legs. Spike resisted for a second, and then complied.

Satisfied with how exposed Spike's body was, Xander bent down to trace the vein on the underside of Spike's cock with his tongue. Spike hissed and bucked, obviously not minding the sensation. Xander grinned and repeated the action until Spike was panting breathlessly.

He then turned his attention to the soft skin of Spike's thighs, sucking here and there to leave quickly fading marks. The vampire writhed underneath Xander's ministrations. Once or twice, Xander felt Spike's hands on his shoulders, as though to stop him. But Spike never did, always drawing back.

Once he'd gotten up the nerve, Xander lowered his head, running his tongue over Spike's testicles and back to his perineum. Spike inhaled sharply, trying not to arch too harshly into Xander. His reaction to that was nothing compared to what he did when Xander ran his tongue across his puckered hole.

Xander grinned when he heard Spike's undignified squeak. Well, he certainly hadn't been expecting that! Xander tongued and sucked more quickly, ignoring Spike's gasped pleading for him to stop. He dimly felt Spike reach for him, but he just shrugged off the searching hands.

Spike closed his eyes, trying to block out some of the exquisite sensations he was suffering. He hadn't expected Xander to pick up on that technique quite so quickly, but he was certainly rather good at it now. Unfortunately, the position they were in made Spike feel very exposed and insecure. He tried to stop the boy, but Xander ignored him, brushing off his hands with no real effort. A particularly hard jab made him shudder violently. As he was coming down from it, Xander pushed one finger into his now moist and loosened hole. Spike was about to protest that when Xander expertly crooked his finger and pressed on his prostate.

Xander nearly crowed in triumph when Spike arched off the bed, howling. That was worth doing again, so he did, relishing how easy it was to make Spike writhe. He'd never been able to make Spike react like that before.

Spike finally managed to get a hold of Xander and yanked him up over his body. Xander landed with a soft whoosh of air, catching himself with one arm. Spike held onto him with both arms, keeping Xander from moving even a little.

Xander lay very still for a moment, until he felt Spike start to relax. "Problem, Spike?"

Spike growled. Instead of answering, however, Spike rolled them onto their sides. When Xander would have protested, Spike kissed him softly, picking up one of Xander's arms to drape over his waist.

Xander felt the implicit invitation in the gesture and resumed his petting. Perhaps he'd triggered a bad memory for Spike. Gods know, he had a few of his own. One thing Xander knew for sure, he and Spike wouldn't be delving into the world of strangulation-as-foreplay anytime soon.

Spike arched into each caress Xander gave. Now that he didn't feel so completely out of control, he could fully enjoy what they were doing. Xander obviously wanted a little control and Spike was in the mood to humor him. So, when Xander's hands drifted back down and resumed stretching him, Spike didn't object.

Xander latched onto Spike's mouth, humming contentedly. He loved being able to explore Spike's body without the vampire interfering, and Spike didn't seem to feel like stopping him. Xander wrapped one hand around Spike's cock, stroking him in time to the thrusts of his other hand.

Spike moaned as Xander began to jerk him off, the fingers inside him prodding at his prostate. Xander began to move faster, keeping Spike off balance with his erratic pace.

Xander felt the instant when Spike began to come. His body froze, and then arched back as cold semen shot out over his hand. Xander gently removed both his hands, wiping them on the sheets. Spike collapsed against him, sinking deeper into the mattress.

.........

When Xander woke up the next morning, he was surprised to find Spike next to him. The vampire was still sound asleep, laying motionless on his side of the bed. Normally, he was gone by this time, off somewhere in the house, either working or sleeping. Xander never knew which, since Spike seemed to avoid him at that time.

Since Spike was still asleep, no welcoming mug of coffee waited for him on the night stand. It didn't bother him, since instead he got to wake up Spike. He didn't want to do that just yet, though. Instead, Xander wanted to spend a few minutes enjoying the memory of the night before.

At first, Spike hadn't wanted to give up control. It didn't take long, though, for him to sit back and enjoy not being in charge for once. There had been a couple of moments where Xander had been afraid that Spike would stop him; the vampire had seemed uncomfortable, even downright scared. Still, with just a few adjustments, Spike had let him do what he wanted.

Of course, what had come after that had been equally thrilling. Spike had immediately retaken control of their coupling, driving Xander into the mattress with ferocious intensity. By the time the blonde was done with him, Xander was a quivering mess lying bonelessly on the bed. All control issues aside, Spike knew what he was doing, and Xander had no major issues with being the focus of that expertise.

Even now, though, the question of why Spike had given up control nagged Xander. It wasn't in the vampire's nature, unless he was playing with Xander's head, and he just didn't see Spike going that far just to mess with his bed toy. Morning before coffee wasn't the best time for these types of mental conversations, so Xander pulled himself out of bed and went downstairs to find something to drink. Once he got the coffee brewing, Xander began to poke around the kitchen. Since he'd been spending more time in the main house, Spike had begun to stock a broader variety of human foods, expanding beyond the usual junk food he kept around.

Considering that, it came as no surprise to Xander when he found a huge chocolate cake in the ice box, just waiting for him to demolish it. Chocolate went so well with coffee, too. Xander gleefully sat down with a generous helping of each, working his way through both together.

Once he was done, Xander washed up the dishes. Before going upstairs, he thought about maybe taking something up to Spike. The vampire probably would appreciate a meal.blood in all likelihood. Suppressing the slightly nauseous feeling he got around the stuff, Xander heated up a big mug of blood and took it upstairs. He didn't know what kind it was, and he didn't want to. Blood was blood.

Spike was awake when Xander returned. Actually, he'd woken up as the boy had gotten out of bed, but he hadn't wanted to get up just yet. Having Xander bring him his breakfast was an added bonus to laying about for once. He smiled as Xander handed him the warm blood, noting that it was actually quite close to the temperature he usually heated the stuff to. While he sipped the beverage, he wondered if Xander knew it was human blood. Probably not, since he'd actually brought it upstairs.

"Sleep well?" Xander asked Spike.

"Mmm.yes, thank you. And you?" Spike returned.

"Not bad at all. What's on your agenda for the day?"

Spike grimaced. "Business. It never slows down very much around here, you know."

Xander nodded. "I've got some errands to run, so I'd better be going. See you later."

Spike nodded and watched as Xander found the rest of his clothes and left. He wished that the boy had stayed a little longer, but then again he understood having things to do. Last night was the first time he'd stayed all night with Xander; usually he left after the boy fell asleep to do the sorts of business that weren't handled in daylight hours.

Stretching, Spike forced himself out of bed. Normally, he'd be sleeping right now, and despite getting a lot of rest last night, he was tired. He was happy he'd stayed though, since it was obvious that Xander had appreciated it.

Xander had also appreciated being in charge for a little while last night. That wasn't something that Spike minded either.as long as it was only an occasional thing. Lavinia had called Spike as soon as Xander had left her place, fussing and cussing about how he was steamrolling her Fleur. After quite a long conversation about his behavior toward Xander, Spike agreed to let the boy have a little more control, a little more freedom, and to try to make his own techniques a bit more subtle. Once all the chiding had been done, Lavinia expressed great delight that he'd taken to the boy so well. She was the only person in Charleston who knew about their previous acquaintance, so it was nice to have her in the know about the new aspect of their relationship. It also helped that she approved wholeheartedly.

So Spike had let Xander lead in bed, and he was planning to try very hard not to just order him around all the time. It would be difficult, though, because that's what all of Spike's instincts told him to do. He had to make sure Xander stayed put, and he couldn't do that if the boy was off gallivanting around Charleston. Apparently, the learning would occur on both sides, not just Xander's.

.........

While Spike was ruminating over what to do with Xander, the boy in question was acquiring a library card. As he filled out the paperwork, Xander laughed silently. Who would have guessed that one day he'd be standing in a public library, willingly getting a library card and looking forward to using it?

The ladies at the desk were extremely nice, although a bit dull. Finally, he had to go around the divider and type in all his information himself, with them standing nearby watching how he did it. Something about a new system, they'd said. Xander knew better, but said nothing. If they wanted to ogle, fine by him. They definitely didn't want to tangle with his current significant other, however.

After he'd extricated himself from the librarians with nothing better to do, Xander used a computer to look up garden design books. He had found quite quickly that the design and construction of gardens interested him much more than the day-to-day upkeep of them. To that end, he wanted to read up on design stuff, since he was pretty much flying by the seat of his pants where his work was concerned.

A few hours later, Xander sat back, dazed. He had no idea so much effort could be put into designing a yard. Fortunately, he hadn't found too many big mistakes he'd made yet, and he got the impression that a lot of it was still a matter of personal taste, regardless of what the books said. However, they did have some great information on plant compatibilities and explained just why his hydrangeas weren't ever going to turn out the color he wanted, regardless of how much acidic plant food he used.

All his reading had spawned an idea in Xander's head. Despite all of Lavinia's misgivings about professional landscapers, the business had merit, especially in Charleston. One of the things he had found out during the course of his work was that there weren't many businesses specializing in what Lavinia, Spike, and others wanted. Oh, they could do the work if asked to, but they also spent a lot of time and energy making ends meet by doing little things here and there, getting big public contracts to renovate parks, and refurbish the local college campuses. No one, however, was exclusively dedicated to gardens and yards.

Xander saw an opportunity to fill a niche. With a bit more reading and training, he would be at least knowledgeable, if not absolutely expert, on all the major topics he'd need for his business. With that out of the way, the major hurdle would be financial; how would he afford it? He'd need equipment, a location to house it that could also house plants, and people to help do the work. It was all well and good for Xander to work alone on one garden at a time-and he would prefer to keep that method. But doing virtually everything by himself took way too long. It would limit him to one or two gardens a season, which wouldn't make ends meet.

As he was driving back to Spike's, books piled in the passenger seat, he decided that the vampire was the person to ask about starting a business. After all, Spike had the Waffle House, book stores, and god knew what else, and they all seemed to be doing quite well.

When he got home, Xander found Spike standing in the kitchen, half naked, stirring a pot on the stove.

"What's that?" He asked, peering down into the stuff.

Spike grinned. "Chocolate 'n blood."

Xander grimaced. "Ok, um.I'm gonna have a glass of water now. Way over here on the other side of the room."

Spike laughed at him. "So, pet, how's your day?"

"Fine. Went to the library, did some reading," Xander answered. He poured a glass of water and hopped up on the counter, watching Spike decant his blood and take a sip. "How's the disgusting ruination of chocolate you've got there?"

"Excellent. You should try it sometime," Spike responded.

"I've got a question, Spike," Xander said.

"Yeah?" Spike replied, quirking an eyebrow.

"How hard is it to start a business?"

Spike looked surprised. "Depends, I guess. Do you mean start from scratch, take over an existing business, or buy into one?"

"Oh.hmm." Xander hummed. He hadn't thought about it that way. He'd just figured he'd have to start from the bottom and work up. "I dunno, really. I just had this stupid idea, never mind."

Spike set his glass down and walked over to where Xander sat. "What idea?"

Xander looked away; suddenly embarrassed he'd brought it up. "Nothing."

"Xander," Spike said in a warning tone. "What idea?"

"Gardening," Xander said softly. There, now Spike could laugh at him.

Spike thought for a moment. "General landscaping, or the specialty stuff you're doing here and at Lavinia's?"

Xander glanced down at the vampire. "The specialty stuff, I guess. There doesn't seem to be anyone in Charleston that does a very good job of it, not that I do much better."

"You do fine, Xander," Spike said absently, his mind already racing. Business really was his forte, and a new project was a new project, regardless of what kind of business it actually was. Also, having something like this would give Xander the freedom he seemed to crave. That might keep him from chafing at Spike's possessiveness. "You'd probably do best to take over one that's going out, just for the equipment and space."

"Huh?" Xander murmured, still waiting for Spike's mocking laughter.

"You'd want to buy out some company here in town, one that's going out of business or something. That way you'd get a better deal on equipment and maybe a break on the lease," Spike explained.

"Oh. It doesn't matter, though, because I don't have any money for it," Xander said. "And who's going to give me a loan? There's not a bank in the world that crazy."

Spike just looked steadily at him. "Money's not an issue, Xander."

Xander's eyes widened. "I'm not taking money from you, Spike. No way. That's."

"A loan, Xander. You'd be paying me back, at current interest rates. I do that sometimes, you know. Loan money to people on the side, that is. I know you're good for it, so it's worth the risk," Spike said, careful not to tread on the boy's sensitive pride.

"I see," Xander replied. Well, that wasn't what he'd expected, not at all. Still, there was a lot to think about. "Um.thanks for the info. It's gonna help a lot."

Spike backed off, seeing that Xander was through with the subject for the time being. He really did think that Xander could do what he wanted to, if he could get over the wide streak of low self-esteem he had running down his back.

"Did you eat?" Spike asked lightly, changing the subject. Xander shook his head.

"I forgot to," He replied.

Spike grinned. "Come on, we'll go out."

Xander jumped off the counter. "You are getting dressed first, right?"

Spike snorted. "I suppose so."

"Where are we going, anyway?" Xander asked, following Spike upstairs.

"Where do you think, whelp?" Spike said, rolling his eyes.

"Waffle House? Not again!" Xander said, his frown grossly exaggerated.

"Oh, shut up. You love it," Spike muttered, pulling on a shirt.

"Can I drive?" Xander pleaded.

Spike's eyes widened. "No, you cannot drive. You never get to drive. That is not negotiable."

"But-"

"No."

"Fine. Pushy bastard."

"Whiny, puling baby."

"Feeling the love here, Spike."

"Come on, you stupid git."

.........

"Christ, you reek."

Xander looked over at Spike, who was leaning against the stove, his nose wrinkled. Thank you, Spike. Without your insightful commentary, I never would have noticed that I spent the last five hours spreading fertilizer."

Spike smirked and handed Xander a glass of water. "Go take a shower-down here, though. I don't want that stuff tracked all over the house."

Xander flipped Spike off as he walked back to the bathroom attached to the kitchen. He understood the vampire's motives; after all, who would want a smelly creature like Xander dragging himself through their pristine home? It was going to take a long time to get himself clean enough to suit Spike, however.

Not that it bothered Xander at all to be this filthy. It was just another sign of his success. After a few weeks of thinking, reading and talking to Spike, he'd decided to take the vampire up on his offer of a loan. Not long after that, the pair had found an older man selling off his landscaping business so he could retire. Xander scooped it up at a real bargain, gaining not only equipment but an ideal location.

Now, more than a year later, and thanks to Lavinia's connections, Xander was doing quite well. His customer waiting list was more than a year long and growing quickly. Due to the people he knew, and their tight-knit community, he had saved a fortune on advertising. Not once had he put out a flyer, bought radio time, or gone door-to-door hawking his services. Nope-Lavinia, Spike and all their buddies had taken care of that.

Lavinia even continued to use him for her yard, although she'd replaced him with another fresh-faced young lawn boy before very long. Xander still managed the general upkeep, reminding her of when to replace this or that. Of course, he took care of Spike's place at no charge. It was in exchange for his room and board, even though he lived in the main house all the time now, leaving the servants' quarters empty.

Half an hour into his shower, Xander felt a brief draft that signaled that the door had been opened. He smiled as he saw Spike step into the shower, blocking the water briefly. "I guess I smell ok now, huh?"

Spike grinned. "Better, but you could use some help." The vampire pushed Xander back up against the far wall of the shower, pinning him there.

"Um, how is this helping?" Xander murmured, distracted as always by a pair of slender hands groping here and there.

He got no answer other than a long, slow kiss. After enjoying that treat for a few minutes, Xander pushed on Spike's shoulders, trying to turn him around. The vampire growled for a second before complying. He'd gotten much better about sharing control, but that didn't mean he didn't protest it when Xander took charge.

Xander grinned at Spike's automatic reaction. Sometimes he was so predictable. Like, now, for instance. Xander knew exactly what Spike would sound like the second he swallowed him whole. In an effort to prove his point, Xander dropped down to the floor of the shower, licking his way down Spike's abdomen. He was treated to a low growl as he took the blonde's cock into his mouth, sucking gently.

Spike rested his hands on Xander's head, slowly fucking the boy's mouth. Between the wet heat on his cock and the hot water raining down on him, he was in heaven. If this was what Xander wanted to do, fine by him. Most of those thought fled quickly, however, because Xander knew what he was doing.

Xander focused on Spike, listening to the howls and moans avidly. He ran his tongue over the head of Spike's cock, pressing the tip closed against the roof of his mouth. He let go, only to repeat the action. Then he closed his lips around the head, squeezing, before drawing the rest in deep and swallowing.

After a few more minutes, Xander felt Spike tug him up, so he stood, finding himself pushed back into the wall and kissed as a result. Spike pushed him until he was hard up against the tile, pressing their bodies together. Xander felt the fine tremors in Spike's body and could see how Spike's eyes flashed from blue to yellow and back again.

Xander arched forward, reveling in the drag and slide of their bodies against each other. Spike, too, hissed as he thrust toward Xander. He found Xander's mouth and suckled on his lower lip while they slid and fumbled toward orgasm.

"I need a shower," Xander mumbled several minutes later, feeling semen dripping down his stomach. Spike looked down, and then grinned.

"Yeah, you stink to high hell of sex," He replied shaking his head. "But don't take as long this time. You promised we were going out."

Xander managed to hit Spike with his towel just as the vampire walked out of the bathroom.

.........

"I'm driving."

Spike shook his head. "No. We've been over this before, Xander. I drive."

Xander grinned. "I'm driving, and we're taking the Aston Martin."

"Fuck no! You're not getting near my baby!" Spike exclaimed, staring in shock at Xander.

"Spike, it's daylight out, and it will be for another two hours. And besides, like I told you, this is a nice event. The Subaru and my shitbox aren't going to cut it," Xander reasoned.

Then we won't go," Spike decided.

"The hell we won't!" Xander shot back, a bit frustrated at Spike's stubbornness. "Spike, I'm not going to hurt your precious car. You promised to come with me, remember?"

Yeah, he'd promised.without knowing where they would be going. "But."

"Spike, let me drive," Xander ground out. Honestly, some people.

Spike wilted. He was going to regret this, but. "Get some blankets, would you? I can't fit in the trunk."

Xander waited until he'd turned around before grinning. It had only taken a year to get Spike to let him drive the little sports car. This was going to be so much fun!

Spike lay silent under a mountain of blankets and covers as Xander drove them up the coast. The boy was considerate enough to have thought of giving Spike a set of headphones and a cd player, since Xander himself had the top down and was enjoying the sunset. Spike, completely covered up and strapped down, probably resembled a mound of washing Xander was taking home to his parents. While his lover basked in the dying sunlight, Spike listened to Le Nozze de Figaro. He'd kill the whelp for playing opera later; for now, he'd listen and try to stay awake. He loved the stuff, but it put him to sleep in no time flat.

It was nearly dark when Xander pulled into a rest stop and freed Spike. Before the vampire could start complaining, he thrust a garment bag at him and pointed toward the bathroom. Xander followed with his own bag of clothing.

"Bloody hell, Xander, why do I need this?" Spike shouted. Xander grinned.

"Because it's a formal occasion, dipshit."

Once they got back outside, Spike demanded the keys. "You can tell me where to go, Xander. I'm driving."

Xander shook his head. "Nope, that's my job for tonight."

Spike shrugged and reached into his pocket. "Fine."

Xander watched, mouth open, as Spike slid behind the steering wheel, spare key in hand. "Coming?" Spike sang out.

Xander jumped in before Spike could leave him. "Go left up here."

*****