Xander groaned and struggled to open his heavy eyelids. "Willow?" He was handcuffed to a stone wall in the Mansion, arms over his head, and it confused him that his best friend did nothing about it. She reclined on a mattress with her lover, watching him.
"Xander's awake," said Willow. "But are you sure about this, Tara?"
"I've read their auras," the blonde witch said. "They might be able to handle it themselves in time, or then again they may never find their way to each other. But could you stand years of them sniping?"
Xander realized Spike was handcuffed next to him. The vampire was staring at the witches with glittering golden eyes.
"Well, I know you can't." Willow gazed at her lover. "You'd be emotionally drained in no time."
"Let them go," said Tara.
Willow wiggled her fingers and muttered something under her breath, and two sets of handcuffs released.
Xander collapsed to the ground, aware that Spike had leapt to his feet and was stalking toward the witches with murder in his eyes. Bad idea.
"Way to go, Fangless," he rasped at the vampire. It would be fun to watch Blondie ball up in pain from the chip effect. After that, Xander could talk to the witches and find out what the fuck was going on.
The witches sighed in unison and Willow did the finger-waggling, muttering action again.
To his horror, Xander was compelled to drag himself toward the vampire and grab his ankle to prevent a confrontation with the witches. He pulled Spike down on top of him.
Spike stared down at him like he'd never seen Xander before. His gaze flickered for barely a second toward the witches, then honed in on the man under him.
Xander met Spike's mouth, his hands mimicking the vampire's in exploring the other's body. Intense waves surged through his body, and he had no choice but to surrender.
Xander groaned and struggled to open his heavy eyelids. "Willow?" He was handcuffed to a stone wall in the Mansion, arms over his head, and it confused him that his best friend did nothing about it. She reclined on a mattress with her lover, watching him.
"Xander's awake," said Willow.
"Let them go," said Tara.
"But—"
"Let them go."
Xander looked around and there was Spike, staring daggers at him.
"Your bloody friends!" he spat as their handcuffs sprang off and gravity temporarily took them down. "And why the fuck aren't you wearing any clothes?"
They both remembered, and Xander erupted in a nuclear glow. "Right back at you," he returned bitterly.
"Red!" Spike roared.
Willow sighed and spelled again.
And Xander bent under Spike's mouth and questing hands, realizing he liked being 100% of the vampire's focus.
Xander groaned and struggled to open his heavy eyelids. "Willow?" He was handcuffed to a stone wall in the Mansion, arms over his head, and it confused him that his best friend did nothing about it. She sat on a mattress with her lover, watching him.
"Xander's awake," said Willow.
The witches were eating popcorn. Popcorn! And Xander felt like a cheap afternoon matinee. He became aware of Spike, head bowed, handcuffed next to him.
"They're getting there," said Tara. "Let them go."
When the handcuffs released, Xander watched Spike slump to the floor, heavy lids almost concealing his bruise-blue eyes. And the fight going out of the blond bothered him more than the witches' wacky behavior.
"Willow!" Xander dragged himself to his feet and across the room, ready to smack her.
"Oh yeah," she said, "they're getting there." And she murmured another spell.
Xander found his arms wrapped around Spike, comforting the vampire with his mouth.
Xander groaned and struggled to open his heavy eyelids. "Spike? Are you all right?" He was handcuffed to a stone wall in the Mansion, arms over his head, and it confused him that his best friend did nothing about it. She lay on a mattress with her lover, watching him.
"Xander's awake," said Willow. "But they're so . . . so . . . oh goddess, Tara, they're so beautiful together. Don't know how I never noticed before. I don't want to let them go."
"I know, baby," murmured Tara. "But this is for them, not us."
Xander groaned and struggled to open his heavy eyelids. He was handcuffed to a stone wall in the Mansion, arms over his head, but they came free almost as soon as he was aware.
"Xander? Xan-love, are you all right?"
He curled into the vampire's embrace, turned his face up for a kiss.
"Handcuffs are a good look on you," murmured Spike.
The corner of Xander's mouth quirked up. "You too."
"OK Willow, we can all go home now," said Tara, smiling softly. "Our work here is done."