Musical Wars
Chapter 16
Xander stretched, the click of chains reminding him that things had changed a bit. Well, that and the comfortable bed and the fact that Baby curled in the back of his head instead of doing the whole large and in charge bit like when he'd tried to bite Faith. And oh god, he'd tried to bite Faith. Xander groaned.
"Mornin', pet." Spike said a second before the stereo speakers screamed with the wails of one of Spike's favorite CD's.
"Gahhh," Xander yelped as he clapped his hands over his ears and clocked himself with a length of chain at the same time.
"Problem there, pet?" Spike asked as he landed on the bed with a bounce, looking at Xander with a smirk.
"Not funny. I think I gave myself a concussion," Xander complained as he felt the bump on his head. Unfortunately, that left his ears undefended as a punk singer screamed through the speakers.
"Have Baby do somethin' about it then," Spike shrugged without much sympathy. Then he reached out and tweaked the nipple ring Xander had forgotten getting. A shiver traveled his whole body and Spike waggled an eyebrow. "Knew you'd like that. Thought of you the minute I saw it."
"Please tell me that's saw it as in 'spotting it the window of some kinky shop' and not saw it as in 'taking it off someone's body after having them for dinner,'" Xander said as the thought struck him. "Please?"
"Oi, like I'd get you some used bobble," Spike snorted. Xander noticed that Spike skipped the whole eating of people part as he rolled his eyes and then headed out into the main room, leaving Xander chained to the wall and listening to music that made his ears throb. Rubbing the sore spot on his forehead, Xander tried doing what Spike had said, calling Baby up the way he would call up his vision. His head started throbbing worse, and then it evened out, the swelling shrinking under Xander's fingers.
Xander could feel Baby's eagerness to do more, almost like an anxious puppy, and really that might not be such a bad comparison considering how the demon responded to encouragement, pressing forward.
"Yeah, yeah, like you've done a great job lately," Xander said sarcastically as he shoved at Baby. Rather than yielding, Baby growled and slid forward until Xander could feel the pressure like when he and Jesse used to dare each other to dive to the bottom of the deep end of the pool where the water pressed against them.
Pulling against the chain that kept him on the bed, Xander locked his jaw and fought until he could hear the blood thumping through his skull. Baby sent up thoughts of being strong and hunting with sire, feeding. The image of Baby sinking teeth into prey sent Xander off the bed, but with his wrists still chained to the wall, he ended up twisting around and falling so that he sat on the floor with his arms up in the air, the chain tight between his wrists and the wall.
"Not even," Xander said through gritted teeth as he pulled up memories of his own in their silent battle. He remembered the first time Gunn had taken him out hunting without Xander having to follow the guys into the night.
"You keep your head down and stay away from any fangs," Gunn had ordered as he passed over a stake. Xander remembered the feel of the warm wood as he followed the guys, Luther shooting him dirty looks the whole way. Gunn wasn't prey. Humans weren't prey.
Baby retaliated with thoughts of Riley, fantasies of flesh pulping under his hands and the feeling of bones snapping. Riley tried to take their place. Riley was rival.
Xander took a deep breath as he tried to find a way to fight that one since he did feel more than a little Riley-hatred. But he couldn't just kill humans who annoyed them. If he started down that path, his mother would be near the top of the list. He still flinched at the memory of his last birthday dinner. His mom had peppered Spike with questions that bordered on rude until she'd gone over into all-out rudeland with the whole question of protection.
"You seem old enough to know which side of a condom goes on the inside. I do hope you two are taking precautions," she had said, her fork gesturing in the air with a piece of chocolate cake impaled on the end. Xander had fairly well felt like he was the one impaled on the fork as his face blushed dark red.
"I'm always careful, missus," Spike had answered around the cake in his mouth, and Mrs. Harris had frowned unhappily.
"You don't strike me as the careful sort," his mom had started in again, but Spike interrupted her.
"I'm careful when it's important. I even make sure that when I tie him spread-eagle over the bed that I check the circulation in his hands and feet." His mother had dropped her fork, cake and all, and Xander choked so badly that he ran for the bathroom, leaving Spike looking slightly concerned and his mother in clear shock. Yep, if he was going to start killing people who annoyed him, his mother and Spike would both be high on that list, but he still loved them. He loved Spike charging into Cassidy's lair looking for him without any backup. He loved the way, back in his glorious days of unemployment, his mother used to slip a couple of dollars into his wallet at night when she thought he was asleep. They were annoying, but he loved them anyway.
"So, you ready for some breakfast?" Spike's voice interrupted, and Xander opened his eyes to find Baby had retreated. Now Spike stood in front of him with a key in hand.
"Food would be of the good, just as soon as I pee. You know humans with human needs," Xander answered as Spike came over and unlocked the chain from the leather cuffs buckled around his wrists.
By the time Xander wandered out to the main room, buttoning his jeans as he went, Baby circled in the back of his mind, nervous around Spike but no longer radiating fear. Spike sat on the table, his bare feet braced on the arms of a tall chair as he cleaned a handgun, various shining metal parts laying on the table next to him.
Xander glanced down at this own shining metal, touching the nipple ring and feeling the tingling down through the center of his body. "Thank you, Spike," he said as he dropped into a chair near his sire and grabbed the sack of food sitting in the middle of the table. He pulled the fries out first, shoving them in his mouth before they had a chance to get cold.
"Looks good on you, pet. So, are you and Baby sorted out then?" Spike slipped two parts back together with a click and then slid the new piece into the back of the gun.
"Uh, strangely yes. I think he's oddly okay with the whole dumping Angel plan," Xander said as the thought of Angel didn't cause more than a grumble.
"Not so strange, pet. I asked you last night if you'd figured out why I'd like to kick the great broody one off the Aurelius family tree, and last night, Baby was probably about as frustrated with you." Spike put the gun down and picked up a long knife, checking the blade as Xander unwrapped a cheeseburger. He wondered if Spike had some hidden minion who did the food run of if he'd just bribed some McDonald's worker. Xander looked at his sire suspiciously, but Spike just waited for his answer with that one eyebrow up expectant expression.
"The dots still are kind of dot-like instead of picture like," Xander shrugged as he bit into the burger. God he was hungry.
"In the morning, I can hear you pulling at those chains, making sure they're tight," Spike commented, and Xander swallowed quickly, a blush making his face hot as Spike turned to look at him. Yeah, Xander liked the chains plenty, but it wasn't something he exactly wanted to talk about.
"Hey, how about that Hellmouth," Xander tried distracting, but Spike just cocked his eyebrow up even higher. The vampire jumped down from the table and walked around to behind Xander, and Xander could feel his heart speed up when strong hands landed on his shoulders. Spike ran his hands down Xander's arms and then stopped at the leather cuffs still buckled around Xander's wrists.
"When I put things on you, I like that you don't take them off. If I want the cuffs or the ring off, I'll take them off." Spike reached up with one hand unbuttoned Xander's shirt, tracing a fingernail over the exposed skin before reaching in and flicking the nipple ring. "But I'm sire, and I make that decision for you," Spike said with a tug to the nipple ring, and Xander groaned. But just when he expected to get thrown stomach down on the table and taken, Spike stopped. The hands disappeared and Spike went back to his original spot, a malicious grin on his face.
"So not nice," Xander complained. And then the dots seemed suddenly closer. "And that would be the point. I—" Xander paused, blushing as he forced himself to ignore the embarrassment, "I like when you're in charge, and Baby wants me to be in charge, only I went and made him take over, so now he thinks he should be in charge, only he isn't because then I took over again."
Xander knew he was right from the smile, but one part still didn't make sense. "But what does that have to do with you being annoyed with the big broody one?"
Spike had been sharpening his knife and now he paused. "He was my sire," Spike started. "He had a right ta do what he wanted with me and Dru, just like I have a right ta do what I want with you." Spike stopped, but suddenly the dots were very pictury.
"But he left you alone," Xander finished. Spike started sharpening his knife again.
"Wouldn't even mind that as much except he comes in and plays sire. He turned up in China and again during one of the big wars. And then in L.A., he promises to help me get you back, and asks for my help takin' out Cassidy, and then he turns around and tries to shove me off. Can't rightly just call him a bastard and ignore him or submit to him, and I sure can't dominate him even though I did give it my best. Just feels wrong to have things so unsettled."
Xander watched Spike check the edge of the knife. A long red line appeared in his thumb and Spike licked it.
"And that's what I did to Baby," Xander said softly.
"Yeah, ya did, pet. However, that doesn't change the fact that Baby had a duty to me, and he wasn't strong enough to stand on his own and wait for me. You're both my childer even if you're my favorite. So, Baby and I will still need to come to some understanding," Spike added. Xander could feel Baby stir, but there wasn't the blind panic of earlier. "Right now, though, we have to go play nice with the slayer. Vahrall demons aren't the kind to play by the Annoyin' One's rules, and if that Hellmouth comes open, we're going to have to find ourselves some other dimension to set up shop."
"Another dimension?" Xander asked, panic sending his voice into frighteningly girly tones. "But what about my mom, and Willow, and Gunn, and Angel, and Aunt Betty who's not really my aunt but who does have a whole lot of cats?" Spike shot him another look bordering between confusion and concern.
"If we have time, we'll gather up your mum, but my first choice would be keeping that Hellmouth shut." Spike paused. "Considering the alternative is having your mum live with us, I'm willing to do what it takes to stop the Annoyin' One and his half-arsed plan for the Hellmouth." Spike shoved the sharpened knife into a sheath strapped to his leg before pulling the jeans over it.
"Living with us?" Xander considered the true horror of having his mother in the next room. As a teenager, he had to play sock puppet of love in the middle of the night to keep his mother from pounding on the door and asking if he needed more bran, and having her in the same house with his current sex life… Xander shuddered in horror.
"So, let's talk about the others," Spike said as he pulled on his boots. Xander shoved the last of his cheese burger into his mouth and looked at the table. The others. Okay, Angel thought he was out of control, Faith had to think he was a nut job, which was actually okay with him as long as she didn't try jumping him again. And Willow…. Oh yeah, she must think he'd slipped round the bend.
"Ya can't ask Baby to take charge, not when that means dealing with a slayer and a slightly off-bubble watcher and more stress than a new fledge can handle," Spike said as he pulled on his second boot. Xander swallowed and nodded unhappily.
"Out with it," Spike said as he jumped to the floor and picked up the gun, shoving it into the back of his waistband.
"Um, no, I can do this. Just… I don't know… stick me with an elbow or something if I start babbling."
"Just what?" Spike stopped, cocking his head at Xander in that adorable 'I don't know what the hell you're talking about' expression. Xander sighed.
"I babble."
"Yeah, I noticed, pet."
"But when I babble people tend to look at me, and normally this is good because I perfected the whole class clown act where I can be the center of attention and still not have anyone actually pay attention. I'm good at that. Normally." Xander stumbled to a stop, not sure how to explain.
"And you don't want people to look at ya?" Spike asked. "You're a treat to look at, and now that we got you out of those bloody awful clothes, you're going to catch some looks, pet."
"Yeah, but those looks are from people who don't know some of the things I've done, and Angel and Willow know that I'm different. Angel saw me try to bite Faith."
"Bloody hell, you tried to take a slayer?" Spike practically bounced forward, his eyebrows up in an expression of glee that made Baby growl his pride. "Get in a few good hits then?"
"I sat on her and almost bit her before Angel pulled me off and choked me into oblivion," Xander said, leaving out the part where Faith had offered to thrown him down and ride him around the curves. He really didn't want to see her end up Spike's next meal.
"Good on you!" Spike offered with a slap on the arm that left Baby ecstatic and Xander feeling a little pride, and then a little guilty at feeling proud of nearly biting someone.
"Okay, this is what I mean. You think this is great, but Faith and Willow and Angel, not so much with the cheering. And now they're going to give me the look for picking you over Angel and Willow is going to give me the disappointed face, which is nearly as bad as the resolve face, and I'm going to get all flustered and say something incredibly stupid," Xander blurted as he stared at the table. "I didn't let Baby up because he's smarter because really, not so much. Baby just babbles less than I do, and I really don't know how to even start some of the explanations they're all going to demand."
"Pet," Spike sighed, and Xander cringed.
"Yeah, Patheticsville. I know this Spike, but Willow's going to say something like, 'How could you,' and I'm going to say something incredibly stupid, and then Angel's going to give me that disappointed look, and… okay, I have no idea what to say to Angel, but that's the point. I don't know how to talk to these people, at least not without making myself sound like either a loon or someone in need of serious therapy. Of course, they may be right on the whole me needing therapy part."
"No one's suggested therapy yet, so I don't think you're ready ta be committed." Spike pointed out.
"See, inappropriate sharing of inner fears. Baby doesn't do that. He knows how to keep his mouth shut."
"And you will too, and without confusing the shite out of Baby by shoving him up front to try and deal with the slayer and Peaches."
Xander laughed as Spike headed for the other room. "Spike, I had teachers who would have paid good money to see you teach me how to not talk. I had two modes in high school. Either I sat in the back half asleep, or, when the back row was too scary for even me, I would sit up front and make inappropriate comments about Russian queens and rumors of horses. My history teacher almost had an aneurism, and sadly, I didn't even mean to blurt that piece of totally inappropriate material, although, I would like to say in my defense that the back row paid a lot more attention to history after—."
Xander froze mid-sentence when Spike reappeared. Okay, Spike didn't make him fall silent as much as the leather in Spike's hand. "And that can't be what I think it is," Xander whispered.
"Like I said before, you're my childe, and you'll submit to me, not to Baby or to any other demon on the soddin' planet. So, if you can't control yourself, I'll provide the control."
"I can't go out with that on. Willow would think I was…" Xander couldn't even find the word that would explain this. However, Spike kept coming even as Xander backed away.
"This is the Hellmouth pet, people around here have learned to ignore whatever doesn't fit into their narrow little worlds. Now either come here or I'll add in some punishment for you on top of what Baby's earned," Spike promised seriously. That was enough to stop Xander from backing away even if he couldn't get his legs to move him forward.
Spike quickly closed the distance and wrapped his hand around the back of Xander's neck, pulling him forward and he settled the straps in over Xander's head. Part of Xander said that he should make some form of protest, but at least this way he wouldn't be the one explaining anything, at least not without pantomime, and Xander suddenly had an image of himself babbling in pantomime. So not pretty.
Spike pressed something against his lips, and Xander opened his mouth. A cold metal piece slipped into his mouth, trapping his tongue in the bottom of his mouth as Spike tightened straps. Leather ran from the sides of the bit in his mouth over his cheeks and over the top of his head and down the back. Matching pieces ran from the side around the back of his head and then down and under his chin so that Xander found his mouth held firmly shut.
"There, babbling problem solved," Spike commented as he kissed Xander's closed lips, nibbling on the lower lip. With the bit, Xander couldn't really do much in return. "So, let's go see your little friends and get this world-savin' bit over before I lose all self-respect. Can't believe I'm helping the white hats save the world," Spike commented with a slap on Xander's hip.
Xander headed straight for the bathroom, ignoring sire and his own need to start pulling at buckles. In the mirror, he could see the upside down triangle of leather from the corners of his mouth over his temples and up to a strap around his forehead. Straps went over his head, and the bottom of the muzzle tucked under his chin before connecting to a piece that looked suspiciously collar-like, the soft brown leather dark against his skin and the blue of his shirt.
Xander turned and found Spike leaning against the door, smiling. "Ya look like a right treat, pet," Spike said softly as he came forward. His fingers played with Xander's curls, tugging them out from under the straps so that the leather slowly disappeared under the hair. But unless Xander planned on growing a pretty impressive beard in the next ten minutes, nothing would hide the muzzle around his mouth. Xander reached up and touched the rings at the corners of his mouth where the various straps all connected.
Spike pulled his hand back down and rested his chin on Xander's shoulder, invisible as Xander stared at himself in the mirror.
"Pet, ya let Baby muzzle you, and you nearly lost yourself. If you're that afraid of yourself, ya have to trust me to speak for you." Spike said, reaching up to Xander's still-open shirt and playing with the nipple ring. Xander looked up at the ceiling for a second, struggling with a various fears.
"If it bothers ya that much, we can just go dimension shopping. Mind you, Angel is a tough bastard, and I think he'll probably save the world without us."
Xander took a deep breath before looking around the room for something to write with. He found a big nothing. Slipping out of Spike's embrace, Xander headed for the bedroom and snagged a pen from the nightstand. On the palm of his hand, he wrote, "We'll help."
Spike smiled.