Sweet Memories   part 23
by Kayla



~~~~~~~~~~

"Look miss, I just want to know if you've been missing any shipments of blood! It's not a difficult request!" Giles glared at the receptionist, who seemed remarkable unperturbed by his outburst.

"All medical information of any nature is kept strictly confidential," she informed his frostily.

Giles threw his hands up and spun around, walking back to where the witches were watching him.

"No good?" Willow bit her lip when Giles shook her head. Then, her face brightened. She whispered something to Tara, who nodded excitedly.

"What? What is it?"

Almost bouncing now, Willow answered, "I think I can -- we can get the information we need. If you can distract the ice queen, I'm pretty sure Tara and I can use our...special talents to search the computer database. They should have records of everything, including an inventory listing."

"Are you sure?" At their nods, Giles steeled himself. "Well then, let's have another go." Giles used his fingers to comb his hair back, then walked calmly back to the desk.

"Yes?" the receptionist asked coldly, her eyes hard.

Giles smiled. "I'm terribly sorry, ma'am," he said smoothly. "I've had a rough day, and I was taking my frustration out on you. I do beg your pardon. And I can certainly understand your position in this matter. In fact, I must commend you for your stalwart stand in assuring the well-being of this clinic and its patients."

While Giles continued to ply the unsuspecting receptionist with compliments, Willow grabbed Tara's hand and sidled up to the desk, staring intently at the computer monitor. The screen flickered wildly, then data began scrolling across in at an unbelievable speed.

In less than a minute, the witches broke off with a low cry, slumping slightly. Before the receptionist could voice any suspicions about their behavior, Giles deftly snatched her hand and gave it a kiss, then quickly gathered up his young charges and led them out of the building.

Once outside, Tara leaned against a wall to catch her breath, and Willow rested against her.

Giles watched them expectantly. "Anything?"

Wearily, Willow shook her head. "We found the information we were looking for, but...no luck. Wherever Spike's been scrounging up dinner, it hasn't been here."

"Damn." With a deep sigh, Giles pulled out his map and crossed off another dot.

~~~~~~~~~~

"Hello? Hello! Anybody in there?" Cordelia pressed her face against the glass while she banged loudly on the door.

"I do believe they're closed." Wesley pointed to the small sign in the window that stated the hours of business.

"9:00? It's not 9:00! Hey, butcher man! You have customers!"

Wesley gently grabbed her hand before she could start pounding on the defenseless door again. "It's almost midnight, Cordy," he said reasonably. "We'll have to try back when they open in the morning."

"But I--"

"Cordelia."

Cordelia let out a shaky sigh. 'I know," she said in a soft voice. "But...what if tomorrow's too late? What if something happens to Xander tonight, and it's all our fault, because we couldn't get into some stupid, closed butcher shop!"

"Cordelia, calm down. Nothing is going to happen."

On a small, almost childlike voice, Cordelia asked, "How do you know?"

Wesley took hold of her shoulders, turning her to face him. "Because there are many people who care about him that are looking for him. People like you, who won't let anything stand in their way."

"Yeah?" She gave him a tremulous smile. "You think?"

"I most certainly do." He brushed her cheek lightly with the back of his hand.

"Oh. Ok." She stared at Wesley for a moment. "Um, you're not going to try that kissing thing with me again, are you?"

Wesley chuckled as he drew his hands back. "No, I think we've managed to fail spectacularly with that already."

"All right." She gave the door, which had remained obstinately shut, a final glare, suppressing the urge to kick it. "So, back to the Magic Box?"

~~~~~~~~~~

Gunn peered down the dark alley dubiously. "Hey Angel, where are we? This isn't on the map, is it?" He squinted at the map, holding it close to his face so he could see in the dim light.

"No, it's not," Angel replied curtly. He stood still for a moment before shaking himself and striding toward a partially concealed doorway.

Gunn sighed. He folded up the map and hurried after the vampire. "Why are we here then?" he hissed when he caught up to him.

A muscle in Angel's jaw jumped as he gritted his teeth. "Spike might have...visited here."

Gunn continued to stare at him. "And?" he prompted after a moment.

Not meeting Gunn's eyes, Angel answered, "It's a...feeding spot."

"What, where vamps jump their victims? I thought he couldn't do that?"

"Not...exactly."

Gunn was getting a bit annoyed with Angel's evasion. "Look, just spill it already!"

Haltingly, Angel told him. "Some humans...crave what a vampire can give them. Enough that they'll willingly sell themselves for it."

Blinking in confusion, Gunn shook his head. "What, vamps are that good in bed? And I did not just ask you that."

"Not sex. Blood." He looked at the building. "They'll allow, even pay vampires to bite them. Feed on them."

"That's...really sick, man." A thought struck him. "You think this Spike guy might have been using them to get his meals?" At Angel's reluctant nod, he asked quietly, "Did you ever do that? Is that how you know about this place?"

Angel looked genuinely shocked. "No! I wouldn't...I never..." He tried to calm himself. "These places aren't exactly a secret. Not from vampires. Almost all of us know about them; news about them tends to spread."

"Ok." Gunn nodded. "So, let's raid this joint."

~~~~~~~~~~

"Oooh, look who we get!" Buffy pointed excitedly at the map.

Riley looked over her shoulder. "Willie's? We already tried him, didn't we?"

"Well...sure. But we were asking about Xander that time. This time, we get to squeeze him for stuff on Spike." A feral grin appeared on her face.

Riley smiled and kissed her cheek. "You're so cute when you get that bloodthirsty gleam in your eye," he teased.

Buffy laughed softly, tilting her head so she could get a kiss on the lips. "Well, you're cute all the time," she retorted. "Although, when you do that thing with your--"

"Buffy!" Riley's voice was shocked, but his eyes glinted with humor. "You're a naughty girl," he growled playfully.

"Am I?"

"Oh yes. You know what that means, don't you?"

"Ooooh." Buffy wriggled against him, then pulled away. "After we see Willie," she admonished.

Riley sighed. "Right."

~~~~~~~~~~

"...and I got there, and all his stuff was just gone! He didn't even have the guts to break up with me properly, he just left!" Anya sniffled miserably.

Harmony patted her arm in commiseration. "I'm telling you, men are the worst. I mean, look at me! I was so good to him; I fixed his place up, took care of him, and what does he do? He tried to kill me! Shoved a big ol' pointy piece of wood through my chest!" She thumped the top of the bar, making the empty shot glasses rattle. "And if that wasn't bad enough, he had the nerve to come back acting all manly like I was just going to jump at the chance to be with him again, and then he does nothing but go on about the damn Slayer!"

"See, when I was in the vengeance business, I would have never let a man get away with that! And what is it with people always going for Buffy? I don't know what Xander ever saw in her. I'm much prettier."

Harmony choked on her drink. "Xander? Xander Harris? You dated Xander Harris?" She started giggling uncontrollably.

Anya glared at her drinking companion. "I'll have you know Xander is a Viking in the sack! And he's got all these rippling muscles from construction work, and...and...well, like you could do better! Who were you dating?"

Harmony looked away, shrugging. "Spike," she said wistfully. "My little blondie-bear." Now it was her turn to start sniffling.

"Spike? The vampire with the terminal case of peroxide abuse? That Spike? You dated him?" Anya snorted, then started snickering.

"Shut up!" Harmony shoved Anya, almost tipping her off her stool. "You dated Xander!"

"Well, he's gone now, isn't he?" Anya snarled angrily.

"Yeah." Sighing, Harmony stared into her empty glass, then called for another drink. "I...I went to see Spike last night," she admitted quietly.

"Oh. Not go well?"

"He was...he was gone. The whole crypt was all dark, and smelly, and there were cobwebs and mildew everywhere." She pouted. "The jerk."

"Spike's gone, too? Huh, that's strange. Both him and Xander disappearing like that." She straightened, her eyes growing large. "You don't think...?"

"What?" Harmony's forehead wrinkled.

"Maybe...they're together?"

"Yeah? So, what if they are?" She continued to frown, then gasped suddenly. "You mean together? Like...together?"

"Like...together. Leaving us poor, mistreated girls behind so they can have naked, sweaty orgasms with each other."

The two women stared at each other, unblinking, as those images ran through their heads.

After a silent minute, Anya swallowed. "I need something stronger to drink," she choked out.

Harmony nodded frantically. "Yeah."

~~~~~~~~~~

Alex brushed his hair away from his face, wondering idly if he should get it cut. It was starting to get a little long, but Wil seemed to enjoy running his fingers through it so much. Alex smiled.

"Here, let me get these. You go...take a break." Frankie reached for the bottles Alex was holding.

"Huh?" Alex looked at the bottles, then at his boss. "Oh, no, I'm fine. I already had my breaks for the night."

Jon seated himself at the bar, ice pack held carefully to his wrist. "Listen to the man, Alex. Just take a break like a good boy." He smirked. "You're gonna need it. Trust me."

"No, really, I'm fine, I--" Alex broke off as the stage lights dimmed and throbbing, sensual music began to play. His mouth dropped open as Wil came out on stage.

Frankie chuckled and grabbed the bottles as they slipped from Alex's loosened grasp. "Go. Get." He shooed the dumbstruck bartender away.

In a daze, Alex moved from the bar, pushing his way to the edge of the stage. He stared at Wil in awe as the vampire began to sway his hips, unable to believe what his boyfriend was wearing.

A harem boy. Wil was dressed as a harem boy.

A small vest with sheer sleeves covered his chest. Barely. It was laced up the front so it left an inch-wide patch of bare flesh, and it covered about half of his torso, ending a few inches above his stomach.

The pants were also sheer, but they were open at the sides, allowing tantalizing glimpses of more smooth, pale skin. Apparently, the flimsy material was held in place only by thin strips of cloth tied around the ankles and lower hips. And underneath the material, the...naughty parts were obscured by what was possibly the smallest excuse for underclothes Alex had ever seen.

The entire outfit was in shades of blue, complementing Wil's eyes, which were heavily rimmed with kohl. The darker than usual shade of his lips hinted at the possible application of lip-gloss. Somehow, the makeup served to accentuate Wil's sharp cheekbones, making him seem almost fragile.

As if all this weren't enough, Jon must have decided to heighten the effect with jewelry. Around Wil's neck was a delicate silver choker, dangling with small chains, to which were affixed tiny blue stones. A matching chain circled his waist, with a large blue stone centered directly over Wil's navel. With every slight movement Wil made, the chains swayed hypnotically, bouncing against his skin.

Alex was drooling. He knew he was drooling, but quite frankly, he didn't care. His head moved with every graceful motion Wil made, following each twist and bend with hungry eyes.

And Wil saw him. His face lit up with a seductive smile, and he began to unlace his vest. He watched Alex with a heavy-lidded gaze, tongue slipping out to moisten his lips. He didn't even notice the rest of the screaming, cheering crowd gathered around the stage, begging him to come closer so they could touch. He danced solely for his lover.

As the laces that had held Wil's vest together dropped to the floor, Alex's eyes remained glued to Wil's chest. He couldn't help but gasp when he caught a glimpse of the glinting bits of metal that adorned Wil's nipples. He was sure he must be seeing things.

Then Wil knelt, head thrown back in simulated ecstasy as he slowly peeled the vest away and let it slide down his arms.

Alex's attention was totally riveted by Wil's tiny nipples, which were indeed sporting rings of silver and blue to match the rest of his jewelry.

Wil could smell Alex's arousal. The scent sharpened considerably when he began to play his hands over his chest, circling his bejeweled nipples. With a moan of matching lust, Wil dropped forward and began to crawl across the stage towards Alex.

Alex began to pant harshly as Wil drew closer. His eyes were dilated hugely, and his fingers tightly gripped the edge of the stage. Then, Wil was directly in front of him.

Wil growled softly at Alex, then darted forward and licked him across the mouth. He moved away before the man could grab hold of his head, kneeling up again. He inched forward, swiveling his hips teasingly just in front of Alex, and again began to touch his upper body.

Alex wanted to touch. That was all he could think of. He wanted to reach out and stroke that smooth, silky, compact body that was on display for him. And then he wanted to toss Wil over his shoulder, carry him back to their apartment, and thoroughly ravish him until they were both exhausted.

He stretched out an arm to follow through with that train of thought, but it was rudely blocked by another grasping hand.

Snarling, Alex knocked the hand away from its target, turning to gowl threateningly at the one who had dared try and touch Wil. The offending individual gaped at him in astonishment, then backed away hastily. Just to make sure, Alex fixed the other people gathered nearby with a deadly glare, the promise of a painful, bloody end written clearly on his face.

The noise of the crowd died slightly, and many trembling hands were drawn back from the stage. Satisfied, Alex fixed his attention once more on Wil, who had continued with his dance during the brief interruption.

The only difference was, now he was on his back, legs drawn up towards his butt, hips thrusting shallowly. Wil fingered the sides of his pants, plucking at the laces that held the ankle cuffs in place.

Alex watched breathlessly as slim fingers deftly untied the laces. The material they had held in place slipped away, pooling on the floor as they revealed his well-formed legs. He almost whimpered when Wil tugged at the laces that secured the pants around his hips.

Wil was totally absorbed in his dance, if it could still be called that at this point. His mind was replaying images of the night before, making him shudder with arousal. He pulled open the last laces on his pants and, arching his back off the stage, shoved the material away from himself.

Alex could feel his heart stop, then restart, pounding wildly in his chest. Wil, his Wil, was laying there, practically naked, adorned only by bits of jewelry and a tiny, shimmering scrap of cloth. And he was still thrusting, shamelessly displaying his body to Alex's avid gaze.

With a low cry, Alex surged up onto the stage, covering Wil's body with his own as he crouched over the vampire. Blue eyes snapped open, piercing him with the intensity of their gaze. Groaning, Alex lowered his head and sealed his mouth to Wil's.

Wil wrapped his arms and legs around Alex, jerking the man down on top of him. Their hips were grinding together as they devoured each other, careless of anything around them.

Finally, the whistles and catcalls broke through the haze of Alex's thoughts, and he released Wil's lips, much to the other man's dismay. Alex shook his head. "Get dressed," he said firmly, his voice strained and husky.

"Hmm?" Wil blinked up at his lover, not understanding.

"Get off the stage, and go get dressed." Alex kissed him again, briefly. "Then, I'm going to close the bar and let Frankie kick everyone out. And then, I'm going to take you home and spend the next few hours with you in bed. Not sleeping."

"Oh." Wil grinned. "Ok." He wriggled, groping around for the bits of his costume.

Alex clenched his jaw shut, closed his eyes, and pulled back. He watched as Wil scrambled for scattered pieces of material, hurrying off the stage with them.

Then, he very calmly stood, brushed himself off, and jumped down off the stage. When he reached the bar, he came face to face with the very smug looking Jon.

"You know, I've had that costume for ages, and it never did fit me. And blue's not one of my best colors, anyway. I just knew it would look stunning on Wil, though. And of course--"

"Jon."

"Um, yes?"

Alex grabbed Jon by the shoulders and pulled him close, kissing his forehead. "I really, really like you, Jon."

"Oh." Jon grinned. "Cool. You owe me, huh?"

"You will never know how much."

"Eh, I'll take a rain check." Chuckling under his breath, Jon walked back to the dressing room to collect his things.

Alex stepped behind the bar, reflexively taking the towel Frankie handed him.

"Not bad, huh? Boy's got talent."

"Hmmm." Alex smiled dreamily as he began to mechanically wash down the countertops.

Frankie let out a bellowing laugh and smacked Alex on the back good-naturedly. "Guess somebody's gonna get lucky tonight."

Recovering from the blow, Alex looked at Frankie very seriously. "Not tonight. Every night. Every moment we're together."

Frankie sighed happily. "Ah, young love. It's a wonderful thing." He went back to his office, leaving Alex to finish up at the bar.

Alex's mind drifted once more to Wil's performance, and he finished up his shift on automatic, a blissful, faraway look in his eyes and a dopey smile on his face.