Two Weeks Later
Spike had spent the last two weeks doing everything he could for his Xanluv. Cooking, cleaning, showing him just how much he loved the brunet.
When he wasn't doing that he was trying to figure out what the hell had possessed him to call his Xanluv, "Angel".
Hell, he had even talked to Angel to figure it out.
Then it happened, it hit him like a freight train as he watched Xander sleep after a night of wicked sex. He had brushed a lock of sweaty hair away from his boy's closed eyes and wondered not the first time how he had ended up with an angel. With this brave, loyal, strong, warrior angel.
He didn't know whether to laugh or cry. All that pain over a half voiced sentiment.
'We are both the fool,' he sighed as he kissed Xander's temple and he vowed to tell Xander in the morning as he let sleep claim him.
\*/
The next morning Xander woke to half voiced words of devotion as Spike licked and nipped at every part of Xander.
He froze as he finally heard what Spike was saying, or rather only one word "angel".
He started to shake, he thought they were passed this, that it didn't matter, that Spike was his as much as he was Spike's.
Spike was up and cradling Xander as he tried to get his words through the thick skull of his beloved.
'My beautiful, loyal, loving, confident, brave angel,' he whispered, 'my angel, my warrior angel, mine,' he whispered.
'Spike,' Xander whispered, afraid of what was happening.
'My stubborn, thick-headed, insecure, infuriating angel,' Spike replied, a little louder this time.
'Hey!' Xander gave an indignant cry as he gave Spike a half-hearted swat.
'I wasn't calling you "Angel" I was calling you an angel.' Spike replied with an exasperated fondness.
'Oh,' came Xander's elegant reply.
Spike gave a low chuckle as he kissed him gently, affectionately.
'Well, how was I supposed to know?' he asked with an innocence that only he could achieve, as he settled against Spike.
'Well,' the blonde smirked, 'you could've asked.'
Xander sighed, 'I could have, but I didn't want to lose you sooner than I had too,' he admitted with a fierce blush that Spike found irresistible.
'I'm not going anywhere pet,' Spike replied as he ran his hand along Xander's spine.
'That's what they said,' Xander replied with a pout.
Spike growled softly and Xander felt something being pushed onto his finger, 'you're stuck with me for as long as you'll have me, the only way I'm leaving is if you tell me to,' he vowed.
Xander stared stupidly at the ring that Spike had slid onto his left ring finger, 'Spike,' he started, as he tried to stand, but Spike pulled him back down, not letting him go.
Spike looked like he was going to say something incredibly deep and profound and poetic but Xander didn't care, it was his turn.
He did the only thing he could think of, and really it seemed like the best idea at the time, he kissed Spike, like Spike had kissed him. Fiercely, passionately, affectionately.
It left Spike panting.
Xander grinned, 'don't move,' he instructed before he ran into the bedroom.
He was back a few minutes later and straddled Spike's lap. He wordless took Spike's left hand and prayed to whoever was listening that it would fit and he cheered as he slid the ring he'd kept hidden from the world onto Spike's finger. It fit perfectly.
'I love you,' he said as he cupped the stunned blonde's chiselled cheeks and kissed him again.
'Xander,' Spike pulled away so he could speak.
'I had it appraised years ago, he was surprised when he examined it, told me it was white gold and that these,' he ran his fingers over the stones softly, 'are real sapphires. It was my grandfather's, my Nana gave it to me when he died. Told me to protect it with everything I had and to not let my bastard parents get it. I don't have her ring, though she wanted me to have it, my father hawked it the day of her funeral. I've looked for it but...' he trailed off and shrugged.
Spike stared at Xander for a moment before studying the ring, it was a thick band of white gold and there were three flat sapphires embedded in the band.
'I love you,' he said, he didn't know what he had been going to say but that's what he had said and Xander beamed.
Xander settled into Spike, 'so we talk when we think something's wrong,' he stated.
Spike gave him a squeeze, 'yeah, whelp, we talk.'
Xander nodded against Spike's chest as he flipped on the television. Spike wasn't paying attention to what was on he was too focused on the man in his lap and Xander had fallen asleep with Spike petting his hair.