Kiss Bingo : Location: In the Rain

Title : Patrolling in the Rain

Pairing : Spike/Xander

Rating : not quite NC17

Summary : Patrolling in the rain can be fun if you're with the right person. Not so much if you're not. An interlude from the Defender!Verse.

The rain totally suited her mood. Pulling the mac tighter around her neck, Buffy sighed, lengthening her stride as she passed some old tombstones. She knew Spike and Xander were supposed to be patrolling Restview that evening and hoped not to run into them. She sighed, flinching as some of the rain managed to sneak between the gap between her hat and her neck, sliding down her in spine in a cold, wet trail.

The argument with Angel had been stupid – she knew it was stupid and so did he – but it was easier than facing the breal/b problem, which was whether or not she would accept his claim. They avoided ithat/i topic assiduously, side stepping it like a giant mess in the middle of the floor, but it was always just there – always in the back of her, and probably, his mind. Him slamming out of the house on Revello Drive, shouting that he was going back to L.A since he obviously wasn't needed in Sunnydale pricking at her. Neither of them were very good at backing down, and more and more lately, that's how their evenings together went. She hated to even think it, but he seemed more and more Angelus-like as time went by and although she bknew/b there was no chance of the demon being unleashed, it still scared her. Perhaps Xander was right, perhaps it was just two alphas fighting it out, but either way it was making life truly suck.

Her mind was in such turmoil, constanting churning over the issue. She loved him, she really did. And she believed he was her soul-mate. But she couldn't forget what Angelus had done when he got free and the Slayer within her couldn't seem to get past the fact that when all was said and done, Angel was a vampire. And it was her job – her sacred duty if you like – to kill vampires. How was she meant to reconcile that to tying herself to one for the rest of her existence? An existence that would be unnaturally long if she let him claim her.

Added to that, there was the fact that he was needed in L.A. - the Powers that Be had made it clear that his path to redemption was pretty much tied to the City of Angels, and wasn't that a pun that left a bad taste in her mouth? Tapping her stake against her thigh, she tried to make a list of the pros and cons but gave up almost immediately. You couldn't, bshouldn't/b make a decision like that based on pros and cons – it was way too important to be done that way. Although sometimes she almost envied Xander – he hadn't had time to panic over the claim, circumstances making things go so quickly he barely had time to say 'I do'. And he seemed happy with that. He seemed happy with Spike. Scowling, she kicked out at one of the tombstones, cursing the lack of vamps. Where was a good fight when you needed one?

The sounds of a scuffle and high-pitched yipping reached her, and picking up her pace she moved towards it, hoping for the chance to alleviate some tension. But once she reached the actual fight, it was obvious that she wasn't needed – Spike and Xander were playing with a group of fledges, kicking, punching and generally tossing them around. Xander's speed and strength had grown amazingly since the claim, and he was really coming into his new powers. That added to the training that Spike insisted on meant that he was a pleasure to watch – all smooth lean kick-ass motion, almost like he was dancing in the rain. Shaggy dark hair gleaming with rain drops, huge white grin in his tanned face as he twisted smoothly and kicked out at the fledge trying to sneak up at him from behind. The kick sent the fledge skidding back into it's original grave, the mud making it difficult for it to get back out again.

Spike scowled, saying "Fuckin' hell, they can't even get out of their friggin' graves now – talk about givin' vamps a bad name!" Xander laughed, staking the last vamp close to him before moving over and putting the one struggling to get out of his grave out of of his misery. Finishing up himself, Spike dusted his hands together, pushing his hair back, eyelashes spiked by the rainwater so that his eyes stood out starkly on his cool white face in the moonlight.

"God, Pet, always gets me so hot watching you fight" he said, manouevring Xander backwards to the nearest crypt. Shoving him up against the wall, he reached up and grabbed the wet strands of Xander's hair, tugging his face down so that he could catch the pouting lips in a kiss.

Completely oblivious or uncaring of the rain soaking through them, they kissed deeply, arms wrapped around each other, hands fighting with clothes. Xander hissed as Spike pulled his jacket up, scrabbling with the material so that he could reach dampened skin, nails scraping down his spine and dragging a moan from him. Hooking one leg over Spike's hip, Xander thrust his groin into his lover's, grabbing his ass in both hands and squeezing as he pulled him forwards.

"Fuuucccck, Pet, ya makin' it hard to remember we're supposed to be on patrol - " Xander giggled, the high pitch revealing how close to the surface the hyena actually was. His eyes flashed an eerie green, fangs gleaming as he threw his head back and laughed.

"We've cleared this place out – we're just taking a little break..." Xander smirked then lurched forward, sucking Spike's tongue into his mouth, tangling his own with it. He tried to slide his hand down the back of Spike's jeans, desperate to touch that silky smooth skin but couldn't get under the sodden material. He pulled back, laughing once more at the dazed look on Spike's face. Looking up to the sky, he grinned, the rain following the planes of his face, drops glinting in the moonlight.

Spike sighed, stroking his hand down Xander's profile. "So fuckin' beautiful you are Pet – and you're all mine."

"Beautiful? Don't think so, Prof – you're the beautiful one in this partnership. Beauty and the Beast maybe?" Cradling Spike's face carefully in his hands, he leaned forward, taking little sips of the raindrops sliding past the chiselled cheekbones, catching them with his tongue as they slid down to his chin. Following them down towards his neck, he nibbled and sucked at the pale column, moving closer to the clear imprint of his bite highlighted against the moon-white skin against the darkness of the teeshirt. The fact that his bite had scarred showed that Spike's demon accepted his claim, and he got so horny just seeing it there for the world to see. He slid his fingertips gently over the mark, laying a soft kiss on it.

"Sod it, let's go home! What I really wanna do we can't do here without you probably catching a fuckin' cold – you humans and all your flippin' illnesses!". Dragging himself away from Xander's grasp, he laid one more kiss on him, then took him by the hand. Grinning as the young man tried to adjust himself in his trousers, Spike turned and began striding in the direction of home. However sexy Xander made the rain feel, he wanted space and warmth to spread out and enjoy his boy in comfort.

"Last one home is bottom!" Yipping with glee, Xander sprinted off, catching Spike off-guard.

"Oi – that's cheating!" Laughing, Spike gave chase – he didn't care who was bottom as long as it was him and Xander together.

Unseen, unnoticed, Buffy watched the two of them – the Big Bad and the former Donut Boy. Seeing them together was all sorts of sexy – they made an incredibly handsome pair, their feelings for each other blazing through for all to see. Spike loved everything about Xander – his geekiness and goofiness, the growing animalistic powers, his loyalty to his Pack. And Xander – who had always hated vampires with such a passion – was obviously completely gaga over Spike. He'd nicknamed him Prof because Spike loved reading to him, sharing his love of poetry and books. He relished the possessiveness of the demon, sometimes deliberately baiting Spike into a heated sparring session that ended quite typically for them, and ensured that everyone knocked before going into the training room now. And he adored the Big Bad, once telling Buffy that there was something about Spike when he was all loud and snarky that drove him wild.

And more than anything, that made her feel so very alone. Would she ever have that with Angel? Claim or no claim? Straightening her shoulders, she wiped the rain off her face, determinedly pretending not to notice that some of the moisture was tears. If Xander and Spike were off home, it looked like she needed to patrol Restview after all. Tough life-changing decisions could wait another night.

Ignoring the rain hammering down, soaking through his great coat and spilling into his eyes as it dripped from his hair, Angel watched Buffy as she walked further into the cemetery. Then sighing, he turned and walked the other way.