Title: The Babysitter

Author: Azure K Mello

Part: 4?

Pairing: Angel/Spike

Rated: R

Type: AU

Summery: Clubs are fun. Unless of course you see someone you actually know.

Thank you to Snowpuppies for the plot bunny inspired by the glorious and frightening On the Other Side. You're the hep-est cat I know.

Disclaimer: I don't own BtVS or The Well of Loneliness which was written by Radclyffe Hall.

The Club was loud, dark, and safe. Will knew no one in the Well of Loneliness: he wasn't a regular at Sunnydale's gay nightclub. The barman didn't card and Will wanted to be drunk. He had taken her to dinner. And when he had softly, sadly told her that they couldn't be together Cordy had cried. Then she hit him for making her eyeliner run. She had agreed to stay friends when he cried to, causing his own kohl to smudge. Friendship overcomes love. Thankfully, they had never slept together. Will would have felt even more guilty about his actions if they had. Oz was in the corner chatting up some blond guy proving, yet again, that he could have anyone he wanted. And as the guy looked up Will had the horrible realization that he knew the boy. He looked down at the bar hoping that the senior boy hadn't seen him. But even as he prayed Larry walked over to him.

Larry was one of the two people who had told Will that he was beneath them. Will had had the biggest crush on him. It had always seemed like Larry knew himself; was happy with who he was. Who wouldn't be happy being the star of the football team? They had been friends when Will had arrived in the states during his freshman year. But when Will kissed him Larry had punched him in the face and told Will that he was disgusted. Larry, Mr. So-out-my-grandmother's-setting-me-up-with guys, didn't like him. The proof of what a loser Will was stood, walking towards him.

"Hey," said Larry softly while speaking directly into his ear over the music. "How've you been?"

"Fine," Will tried to not shrink back, "how've you been?"

"Your band is amazing. And you've got a great voice." Larry touched his hand.

Will lost the battle of wills with his body and shirked away from the touch. As he opened his mouth to reply a voice suddenly broke in sounding authoritative. "Please stop touching him."

Will had never thought he would be so pleased with seeing Angel. "Hi, Angel."

"Hey," there was anger in his voice and fire in his eyes. He glared at Larry who looked between the pair and proceeded to leave quickly. Turning back to Will he asked, "What are you doing here?"

"The band's trying to get a gig," lied Will.

"Bull."

Sighing Will saw that he was wrong when thinking of Angel as his savior he said, "Fine. Cor and I broke up and I didn't want to see anyone I knew. . . so I came here and got accosted by Larry."

"Who is he?"

"A senior from school. . . I kissed him once." Angel just nodded. So Liz had been right about Will's sexuality, Angel thought he might be able to fly in that instant. Will asked a question that quickly had Angel back on the ground. "Why are you here?"

"My friend's here with her girlfriend. You shouldn't be here."

"Are you gonna tell my mother?" Will asked raising a scared eyebrow.

"Sunnydale is dangerous at night."

Rolling his eyes Will pulled a stake out of his boot, a cross from under his shirt, and a spray can of garlic Pam out of his other boot. "Like a boy scout I am, prepared and ready." He blushed deeply, "That sounds really bad."

Eyes wide at this sudden burst of information Angel shook his head, "You shouldn't be here. I'm taking you home."

Angel took his arm but Will just pushed him off. "I can't go home. Mum thinks I'm sleeping at Oz's."

"Are you?"

"I wasn't planning on sleeping anywhere."

Silence stretched between them and finally Angel said, "Come home with me."

"Are you picking me up?" asked Spike with a mixture of coyness and disgust that he had to congratulate himself for. With Angel standing so close he wanted to melt into the older boy but instead he managed to keep a slight tone of loathing in his voice.

"Would you like that?"

"I just broke up with him girlfriend."

"Who did the breaking."

"I did," said Will looking down to the ground. Angel's gaze was making him feel funny. Like an animal in a cage, being studied. "I don't love her. And it wasn't right."

"That adult of you."

"Stop that!" said Will suddenly angry, "'M not a lit'le kid!"

"No you aren't. That's the problem," Angel reflected for a moment, "come stay at my place."

Confused by Angel's words Will looked the man up and down. "Ok. Thank you. Just let me-"

"Spike!" shouted a young girl. She waved at him and dragged another girl by the hand.

"Oh fuck, brace yourself."

"What is it?"

Swallowing convulsively Will said simply, "Fans."

"Wow, you guys are so skilled! You're the best band ever! I love your voice! I have your tee-shirt and everything!"

"That's sweet. What am I signing?"

"Will you sign my belly?"

He rolled his eyes and took her sharpie. Turning to his companion he said, "Just hold on one second, Angel." Leaning in Will smirked as he signed the girl's stomach.

"Spike, always the ladies' man," said Oz as he walked over. "who's your friend?"

"Angel, Oz. Oz, Angel," he introduced then but didn't look up from the girl's stomach where he was drawing a mic stand and a drum kit. He handed her pen back and said, "Have a nice night, girls." And as they left Will asked softly, "How's Larry?"

"I'm sorry, Will. He wouldn't leave me alone."

"S'ok, Gonna go crash at Angel's."

"So why do they call you Spike?" Angel leered at the younger man.

"Long interesting story or short one?"

"Long."

"There was this guy in the Bronze. He was at least 30. And he was hittin' on this little, little girl, He was so pushy. And she was really uncomfortable. And he was an arse. Totally drunk. Wouldn't leave her alone. He tried to grab her and as he did so he put a hand on the bar. So I slammed a railroad spike through it."

"Short?"

"I had blue spiky hair."

Laughing Angel said, "So which is the truth?"

"You pick," Will smiled slightly.

The night was dark as they walked along. Angel's apartment was about four blocks off campus. Willow's parents had refused to let him pay rent. They had nearly come to blows over tuition. The Rosenburgs had wanted to pay but he told them that if they did he wouldn't go. Before they died his parents had been quite wealthy, loaded some might say, and they had set up 12 different trust funds for their son. Now he owned the whole estate and would never have to work a day in his life. The Rosenburgs wanted to take care of him. They loved him like a son.

After all they had been in such an awful state before adopting him, they had been practically blind to their daughter. But his problems had to put theirs into perspective. Shelia used to call him her little angel, the nickname had stuck and the scared, lonely Liam had become Angel, Willow's common law brother. But their kindness always made him feel slightly uncomfortable. He wasn't their son. He had his own parents. And yes, they were dead but that didn't stop them from being his parents. He still loved them. And they had made sure he'd be ok.

"It's the second one on the left." He rested a guiding hand on Will's arm as they walked up the stairs. Angel had conveniently forgotten about the elevator as this gave him a better view of Spike's bum. The boy leaned into the touch. And Angel smiled: the night wasn't a waste.