*****PreBuffy*****
Two veeeery satisfied looking men strolled back into the Tooth & Nail, heads together, grinning mischievously, having what seemed like an extremely conspiratorial conversation. Every eye in the club followed the two men longingly. Women, wanting them. Men, wanting to be them. They strolled, side by side, to the front of the club and stopped the sultry music that was flowing through the air. The blond picked up a saxophone, seductively fingering the buttons, and the brunette sat behind the piano, running his fingers along the keys. As if connected by some psychic line, they both began to play at once. The sound parted the atmosphere and brought the ladies in the club to near orgasm while they felt the rhythm all the way down to their toes. They swayed and rolled their hips, encouraging the fellows, one at a time, to grab them and lead them to the dance floor. Every man was captivated by the woman in front of him, and all of the women were dreaming the men that held them were the players on the stage. Things went on like that, splendidly, until the morning crept into the horizon.
After a long night of drinking and debauchery, Spike and Angelus slept until the sun set again and the night was ready for its revelers. Before the club officially opened its doors to a whole new crowd of nightcrawlers, Spike went outside to catch a smoke while his sire went over the liquor stock. He had to make sure the moldy, festering demon who made their spirits for them wasn�t cheating them. Since his specialty was fermenting any living thing in less time than it took milk to curdle, he was their best and only supplier. He may have had the upper hand supply-wise, but a good threatening always kept him in check. And after the glorious night before, Spike didn�t feel like getting into it with that nasty wreck. He preferred to let Angelus deal with the business end of things. He was more money-minded. Spike, on the other hand, dealt with the music end of things and decorating the club. Which they did quite often after brawls broke out amongst the drunken men and floozy women. Deep into his thoughts about the club, Spike didn�t even notice he was being watched from a room in the lodging place across the way.
Lorenzo Sprawl stood in a dark hotel room, scouting the nightclub across the street. He fully intended to stay there all night and observe the comings and goings of the clubgoers. The recent disappearances of numerous young girls who had last been seen at the Tooth & Nail was the case he was currently assigned to. He always got the cases that involved the strange and unusual. He seemed to have a knack for solving them. No one knew he possessed that certain flair with abnormal because he, too, was a creature of the night. Not the sleepless detectives of crime novels of yore, like Dick Tracy, but an actual creature known as a Suvati Demon. He possessed a human visage, like a vampire, although without the aberrance to sun and crosses. But underneath the skin lay a goblin who feasted on unhappiness and tragedy. Every time some lonely man cried in an alley, mourning loss or sacrifice, he grew stronger. Like a smart dictator, he used his position of power in the Police Department to feed and garner himself favor. He was able to live under cover of good and still eat, sleep, and walk the walk of the same people he brought to "justice.� In fact, he consumed the pain of the guilty and the suffering of the victims. All the while eradicating all of the competition. Soon, he would rule the day and the night, when he was promoted to Police Commissioner for his years of good service to the department. The only things standing in his way were the two enigmatic vampires who ran the Tooth & Nail. Once he solved these "unexplainable disappearances," he would certainly receive his commendation. He smiled. *Poor, stupid vampires,* he thought. *They don�t even know what they�re up against.* He had sent in the best there was. She was on her way to the hostel at that very moment.
Spike was still standing outside, thinking, smoking, when Angelus walked into the shadows of the building and watched his childe. Of all of the vampires he had known and all the people he had turned, Spike was his favorite. Hot-headed, strong, and alluring, he had known when he first saw him that he was perfect. Of course, he could never let him know that. He was the master vampire, the sire, and he would take no crap from a fledgling. If he showed his affection outright, he was in danger of seeming soft. So, he beat him extra, spoke to him worse, and played with his affections for Drusilla. He would make him stronger than everyone. A successor, since he could never have a son. He silently beamed with pride. His boy would be a leader. Together they could run this whole city, at least until they got bored with it. Then, they could massacre every living being and move on to another place. He smiled again, then caught himself as Spike turned his head and looked towards the spot where he stood. *He can feel me,* Angel thought. *Good. That�s my boy.* He started to walk towards his spawn, but stopped short as a woman came into his line of vision. He stepped back into the contours of the establishment and watched her approach. He liked this one already. The confident way she walked had already made his demon face struggle to the surface. *Let�s see what Little William does with her,* he said to himself, slinking backwards, grinning.
Spike watched the woman walking towards him with interest. The simple swell of her hips and breasts alone would have been irresistible to any man. But the smell of the intensity she exuded was pulling at his other side. He exerted some self-control and continued to stare at her. She, in turn, was looking straight at him, somewhat daring him to move his eyes from her face and down her body. Caramel colored, with large sensuous brown eyes, and short, black hair fashioned in finger waves. The tight, glittery dress clung to every curve and moved when they did, rustling softly and catching the light. He was mesmerized. She sauntered up to him and stood directly in front of him. Like the predator that he was, he simply stood there, ready to make a move, but waiting for her to advance first. She circled him, eyes traveling up and down his body. When she came back to the front, she smiled. He waited, wondering what she would say. But instead of talking, she simply removed the cigarette from his mouth, put in her own, and drew a huge breath. She inhaled, placed her lips over his, opened his mouth with her tongue, and exhaled into his mouth. Cool as a cucumber, he blew it out. She continued to smoke, nonchalantly, still not speaking. Without anything to do with them, he placed his hands in his pockets, watching her from under a furrowed brow. Finally, she spoke.
"I hear you cats are looking for a new act," she said, handing him his cigarette. He continued to smoke. "Well, here I am.� He took a drag. "And you are?" he replied. "Honey," she said. "As in you catch more flies with Honey than you do with vinegar.� He raised an eyebrow at the correction of his earlier statement. "Is that so? Well, Honey, we�re not looking for any new acts right now.� He stepped closer to her, inhaling the scent of roses and gardenias. "But I�m always looking for a performer.� He accentuated the last word, looking at her lustfully and running a hand down her hip. Smiling, she replied, "Why don�t you see how I am, and then tell me if you can work me.� She ran her fingers through his and brought them up to her mouth, where she deftly inserted the middle one, and licked it from knuckle to nail. She dropped his hand and walked right around him and into the doors. He turned to appreciate the back view. She stopped and turned her head, inviting him to join her. He stubbed out the cigarette and followed. |
