Title: The Babysitter

Author: Azure K Mello

Part: 28?

Pairing: Angel/Spike

Rated: Adult

Type: AU

Summery: The aftermath

Disclaimer: I don't own BtVS

Will stood mute and shocked. Tara didn't know who Cathy was and he had just spoken about her. Not knowing how to explain he was relieved when Willow said, "Y'know, the cartoon character? There was a whole series about her and a dead duck." She stood and said, "Do you want a drink, baby?" Tara shook her head and turned back to the show they'd been watching on TV. In the safety of the kitchen Willow whispered, "You know about Cathy?" He nodded. "He doesn't talk about Cathy." Again Will nodded this time more slowly and understandingly. Willow rolled her eyes and said, "He never talks about her. I haven't heard that name since I was eleven."

Blinking before speaking Will said, "I found some drawings of her so he explained."

"There are drawings of her?"

She looked so hurt and Will turned from her to the fridge wanting to give her a moment to compose herself. He pulled out the sodas and turned to face her again. "I have no idea how you feel right now. Some high schooler storms into your life and home and starts demanding the time and affection of your best friend. That must suck. But I want you to know that I care about him and I'm not trying to take him away from you. There's no plan to get him all to myself in the works. I don't know you yet and I wouldn't care about hurting you but he loves you. You're his family and I would never want to take that from him. Maybe someday you and I will be friends but until then I hope you can respect how I feel about him and accept that I'm going to be around."

Willow suddenly felt for the apparently honest boy. "Will, that's incredibly thoughtful of you but. . . Angel doesn't do long haul. You're going to get hurt if you plan a future around him."

Tired, he forced a smile, "It's alright, I know exactly how he feels about me. We talked about it."

Thinking that Angel had informed the boy that it was only casual Willow frowned worriedly. It was obvious that Will was love sick but, to the best of her knowledge, for Angel it was infatuation and idolatry which would fade. When Angel had spoken at the table about being able to love someone he had been talking in a vague sense. "I just want someone who I can love without being completely broken by it," he had said. And he hadn't really specified who that someone should be. Willow was pretty sure that Will was a dry run. Angel was seeing if he could have that type relationship but was auditioning Will for the role of "my nice lover". She sighed and nodded, "It best for you to be open with one another."

"Yeah," Will wasn't entirely sure what she meant and quickly added, "I'm going back to bed. Goodnight."

He gave a slight wave to Tara was he passed by the couch and got back into the safety of Angel's room. Smiling, the dark boy asked, "How was woman country?"

"Hideous. Remind me not to go there without a sherpa ever again."

"What happened?" asked Angel as Will unbuttoned and then stepped out of his jeans. The boy handed Angel one of the sodas.

Silence washed over them as they each drained their cans. Will finished first and said, "It's scary. Willow is intimidating and I say stupid things."

Emptying the tin Angel grinned, "What did you say?" he asked drawing the teenager under the covers.

"Tara asked what we were laughing at and I said-"

Angel cut if off saying, "It's okay, Will. I never told you she was a secret."

"Willow covered, amazing as she can't lie. And in the kitchen she asked and I mentioned the drawings. I'm such an idiot. I'm sorr-"

"You have nothing to apologize for. Tara doesn't know because I just don't talk about Cathy. Willow thinks that, because I don't talk about her, she's a taboo subject. She isn't; I just. . . I can't talk about her. Willow thinks that you can heal a wound by pouring salt into it. I never say her name because I don't want Willow to talk about my dead baby sister analytically. She would mean well, but it would hurt. I just, honestly, I can't talk about her."

"You told me about the duck."

Angel stroked Will's hair and rested his chin on the top of the blond's hair, "You're different from everyone. Maybe it's because of Drusilla, I don't know. You don't try to comfort me or make me examine it. You can just talk about it."

Unsure of how to reply Will said, "Your sister killed a duck."

Laughing Angel said, "Yeah, well, yours murdered a ginny pig." He reached over to turn out the lamp.

Silently lying together they each thought the other was drifting off but instead they were both thinking about the day. And after a half hour Will asked, in a very soft voice, "Angel?"

"Yes?" replied the boy with no trace of sleep in his voice.

"Are you alright?"

The question was a good one and Angel understood it. After over a decade of silence about his sister and the details of that night it did feel odd. Thinking about his answer for a long time, Angel finally commanded, "Say my name."

"Liam," said Spike. "Good, beautiful Liam."

And it didn't seem awful. It didn't sound like the name of a dead woman's son. It didn't read like a curse. It felt like a strong, lyrical name. He would have liked for Will to scream it until he was hoarse. And he said, "I think I'm quite a bit better than alright."

"Good," said Will. And for an age they were silent again until he asked in that same faint tone, "Can you sleep?"

"No. Hot sex?" suggested Angel, "it empties the mind and I already miss having you inside of me."

When they were finally collapsed in a lump, covered in sweat and shivering slightly from the cool air, Will asked again, "Okay?"

"I feel," said Angel with a lazy smile, "like a towel that's been rung out six times but is still soaking wet. I know we said no scoring, but that was a twenty-six."

With a tired chuckle Will asked, "Out of what?"

"I think ice-skating is done on a scale of one to seven. But the Greek said it was a twenty-six. And it's the Greek, he refuses bribe money."

With an eyebrow quirked Will repeated, "Ice-skating?"

"It seemed suitably gay," justified Angel.

"Poof," snorted Will but then asked, "So if that was a twenty-six what was the other one?"

Angel regretted bringing up the scoring but said honestly, "Well that was a different scale, much more complicated: increments of a fourth from zero to ten. And it was a six billion."

Will laughed and pulled Angel closer as they both passed out.

Warm lips against his neck brought William back into the waking world. "Liam?" No reply came save for a huffed breath of humid air against his skin and a soft snore. "Right," he said and stroked Angel's flanks as he tried to go back to sleep.

"I'm 'wake," murmured Angel.

"Sure, pet, if you say so." Spike was happy to agree.

The hand that had been resting on his hip moved and Will heard Angel sniff before saying, "Fuck, it's nearly noon."

He opened his eyes and said, "Great, we can lie about for another three hours before going out there."

Looking at the boy with mirth in his eyes Angel said, "You stay in bed until three?"

"On the weekends," justified Spike.

"You could do so much with all those hours," Angel sounded totally bemused at the prospect.

"Do you iron your pants, tee-shirts, and socks? Because at times I really do think you're a middle-aged woman."

"But you love me," he spoke with a happy, teasing tone and kissed his boyfriend cheerfully.

"You taste of sleep," Will smiled.

"So do you. . . let's stay here."

A tap came at the door then Tara said, "Knock-knock," and opened the door. Will scrambled to cover up while Angel just smiled. "Morning. Doughnuts: cinnamon and glazed." She put the plate she was carrying on the bedside table. "Coffee's ready. Will, do you take sugar or milk?"

"Milk would be great," he said feeling slightly shocked that the girl was acting as though this was normal.

"Great, be right back." She left but returned in moments, handing Angel a mug of black coffee and Will one of white. "I'm going-" Tara got cut off by will's phone ringing.

He sighed, "It's Oz." A look was exchanged between Tara and Angel and Will asked, "What?"

"Nothing, he used to be friends with Willow," said Tara speaking only the truth.

Will looked at the phone as it rang, "I haven't seen him all week and he's going to want to go out to breakfast."

"So go," replied Angel.

Hesitant Will asked, "You won't be upset?"

"He's your best friend," Angel assured him but the statement almost seemed to be directed at Tara.

As he answered the phone Spike was met with the question, "Breakfast?"

"An hour," he smiled into the phone.

"Cool," said Oz and hung up.

Looking at Angel Will said, "Come shower with me?'

Angel didn't reply but just stood up. He seemed completely at ease with his nudity in front of the blond girl. Seeing Will's surprise Angel explained, "Tara's a lesbian earth child, it seems stupid to be embarrassed in front of her."