•••

Angel parked the car and the two vampires silently made their way inside the hotel, checking for surprise visitors. The place was deserted, however. Angel caught his childe before the younger vampire could make his escape to his room.

“Wil…” Angel began. The scene reminded him of a day several weeks ago. Perhaps this time he could form words.

Wil watched his Sire stare at him. Apprehension knotted in his gut. He had a sudden, irrational fear that Angel would make him leave, exile him to solitude and suffering far away from him.

Angel smelled fear suddenly emanate from Wil. /Fear?/ Was Wil afraid of him? He took a step closer. The blonde didn’t flinch or tense up, but the acrid tang of that particular emotion grew. Angel peered into icy blue eyes filled with apprehension. He reached up to Wil’s face, sliding gentle fingers over his childe’s prominent cheekbones to rest on his neck.

Wil leaned unconsciously into the caress. He couldn’t break his Sire’s gaze, even though it was so intense he felt like he was shattering. The blonde felt arms pull him forward and he moved with no resistance.

The brunette pulled his childe to him, wrapping strong arms around his back. He nuzzled Wil’s cheek, turning his head to capture those soft lips. He tentatively kissed the blonde, savoring the taste of his beloved childe. A low cry escaped Wil’s throat and Angel abruptly deepened the kiss, sampling his childe’s mouth for the first time in over a hundred years.

Relief and something stronger swept through Wil. He brought his arms up, holding Angel tightly against him, fending off the dizziness that came with his Sire’s consuming kiss. It had been so long, far too long, and he needed his Sire, more than he needed life-giving blood.

The kiss continued, lengthened due to vampires’ lack of breathing. Wil started when he felt Angel pull away, but relaxed when he realized that his Sire was simply directing them into a bedroom. Angel leaned him against the wall, closing the door beside them. He pinned Wil there, placing a hand on either side of the shorter man’s head and pressing their bodies together.

Angel looked at his childe carefully. This was not simple fucking; he wanted, no, needed, to reclaim his childe. Angelus would have simply done so, raping Wil with gleeful abandon. Angel, however, couldn’t simply take.

Wil knew what Angel was thinking. A high, keening sound escaped his mouth as he tipped his head back, baring his neck in supplication. “Sire, please.”

The older vampire roared, screaming his pleasure. Despite all the years and harsh memories, his childe had submitted, without so much as a word from him. The demon couldn’t have been more satisfied. Instead of immediately taking his childe’s blood, Angel began stripping off his clothes. Wil pushed both of them off the wall, and then returned the favor for his Sire.

Angel caught Wil, throwing him on the bed. He climbed in after, pinning the blonde under him. He ran his tongue down the center of Wil’s pale chest, swirling around his navel. Wil bucked, writhing under the larger vampire. Slender hands pulled and tugged at Angel’s shoulders, but he ignored them in favor of torturing his childe.

The sensation of his Sire’s mouth closing over his aching erection elicited a howl from Wil. His face morphed, eyes turning a glowing yellow. Angel glanced up, smiling around the flesh in his mouth. His childe was a beautiful sight, arched back, racked with pleasure, snarling at him. The brunette gave no quarter, throwing his childe headlong into orgasm. He savored Wil’s essence as it poured over his tongue. Giving one last caress, Angel released the cool flesh, moving back up to lay against Wil.

The younger vampire slowly recovered, his reflexive panting slowing. He had not been intimate with his Sire in over a hundred years, and it had been longer than that since he’d been given any pleasure from it. He felt Angel wrap him in his arms and curled into the embrace, tucking his head into Angel’s shoulder, simultaneously offering up his own neck.

The simple gesture weakened Angel. It was so easy to fall back into old patterns. No, not old ones—new ones with a comfortable familiarity. He rolled Wil onto his back, running one hand down his body to rest low on one hip. He pushed Wil’s legs apart with one knee, clearly implying his next desire.

Wil smiled, shifting his body until it was open for Angel’s perusal. His head fell back when Angel separated his cheeks and massaged the hidden opening there. He was very tight, having had no male lovers enter him since his Sire. Suddenly, Angel disappeared from the bed. Wil looked around frantically, and then saw Angel in the bathroom. The brunette returned a moment later with a bottle.

“You’re too tight. It will hurt otherwise,” He explained, setting the bottle down on a night stand. Wil nodded his appreciation. Hells, Angelus had never shown such consideration. Angel returned to his task, this time with cool, slick fingers that slid around with ease. He worked one finger inside his childe’s body, reveling in the feel of that flesh clenching around him. Wil pushed against him, demanding more.

“Please, Sire, don’t tease,” Wil moaned, writhing under Angel. He’d wanted this for too long, waited for a century for this moment, and now Angel was taking his time.

Angel relented, speeding up his preparations. He didn’t want to hurt his childe in the process of claiming him, although such brutality was traditional. He helped Wil turn on his side and curled around him, pulling the smaller vampire tight to his chest. He guided himself to Wil’s slick opening, pausing before pushing inside. “Mine,” He growled as he thrust inside that cool, tight body.

Wil arched back, forcing Angel deeper inside him. He then clenched his internal muscles, holding Angel’s cold erection inside his body. He felt his Sire snarling behind him as they thrust against each other. They soon set a rapid pace, neither able to restrain themselves after so long a separation.

Wil felt himself approaching climax. It was hurtling through him, setting fire to his nerves. He held his head back and to the side in supplication, demanding that Angel claim him.

The older vampire slammed into Wil’s body, stroking the blonde’s prostate. His childe was screaming now, working himself on Angel’s invading shaft. Angel reached down with one hand, grasping Wil’s erection and fisting it in counterpoint to his thrusts. He then placed his mouth carefully at Wil’s neck, feeling both of them near orgasm.

Angel thrust once more before biting down on Wil’s neck, sucking deeply on his childe’s sweet-spicy blood. Ecstasy raced through him, freezing his body. He dimly heard Wil scream his release and felt his childe spill into his hand.

Long minutes later, Angel gently pulled both fangs and cock out of Wil’s unresisting body. He turned his childe to lie on his back, watching as the blonde returned to earth for the second time that night. Soon bright blue eyes captured his. He smiled down at his childe, who returned the gesture with one of his own.

Wil was shocked when Angel pulled him into his arms and tilted his head back, offering his childe Sire’s blood. After an endless moment, Wil took what was offered, drawing deeply of that rare gift. Angel moaned, and then thrashed under his childe’s mouth, the erotic feel of Wil’s fangs, lips, and tongue on his body arousing him yet again. He twisted, sinking his own fangs into Wil’s neck a second time. They held each other in an iron grip, thrusting their groins together as they fed off each other.

Wil pulled back from Angel’s neck, howling his release. A moment later, Angel came as well, letting go of Wil’s flesh. They collapsed back into the bed, lazily licking any lingering blood from already-healing skin. Angel caught Wil’s mouth, savoring the taste of their blood mixed together.

The blonde pulled the covers from underneath them, burying the lovers in blankets and silk. Angel gathered Wil to him, wrapping arms and legs around the slim body, immobilizing his childe. Wil relaxed into the embrace, returning it by tying his Sire to him with lithe arms and legs.

“Sire?”

Angel cracked open one eye. “Yes, childe?”

Wil grinned against Angel’s shoulder. “Just Sire.”

Angel laughed at the statement, one of Wil’s terms of endearment. “Go to sleep, Wil.” He took his own advice, joining the blonde in slumber as the sun rose outside.

•••

When the human employees of Angel Investigations arrived the following evening, they found Wil and Angel curled up on a couch, reading the newspaper.

“Oh, look. Aren’t they so cute like that? A couple of puppies,” Cordelia oozed, grinning mischievously at the vampires.

Wil smirked at her, while Angel smiled and blushed, although only Wil could see that. Angel had told him that the gang wouldn’t mind the two of them together, and Wil trusted him to keep Angel’s pet humans from staking either one of them.

Wesley watched the two vampires closely. “Angel?”

The dark-haired vampire looked up from the paper. “Yeah?”

The ex-Watcher sighed in relief. “The binding spell worked then.”

Cordelia jumped. “What? How did you know? I mean, oh. Angel got a happy.” She turned beet red in embarrassment.

“A happy? But Angel gets happy all the time,” Fred said, perplexed.

Angel choked while Wil burst out laughing. Wesley just beat his head against the counter a few times. Wil recovered first. “So, Angel…anything you want to tell me?”

The older vampire glowered at his child, and then smiled. “Nope.”

“Why do I get the feeling that the whole ‘keep Wolfram & Hart from bringing back the Scourge of Europe’ was just a cover for ‘let Angel get some’?” Gunn commented, unimpressed by his vampiric coworkers’ happiness.

“Lighten up, Gunn,” Cordelia replied, frustrated by the young man’s cynicism. “They deserve to be—aaarrrgh…” she screamed in midsentence as a vision hit, hard. Wil leapt off the couch, catching her as she fell.

“What is it?” Wes asked, examining Cordelia for signs of injury. Ever since Lilah had sent Cordelia false visions, the gang had been hypersensitive about their side effects. No one wanted the girl to suffer unduly.

Cordelia picked herself up, shaking off the headache that was quickly forming. “Club downtown. Vampires, picking people off the dance floor. Very messy.”

“Right. Fred, stakes?” Wil said, shrugging on his new coat. He’d traded in his beat-up duster for a similar but classier model.

“How many vamps are we talking about here?” Gunn asked, collecting his axe.

Cordelia thought for a minute. “At least twenty, maybe more. How are we going to get them out of there?”

“We?” Gunn said. “We are gonna go in and kick vampire ass. You, well…”

“You will be accompanying us as usual,” Wesley finished, glaring at the young man. Gunn’s perpetually harsh treatment of Cordelia hadn’t gone unnoticed.

“Seriously, how are we going to get the vamps out of there?” Cordelia asked, smiling weakly at Wesley. Everyone stared at the floor for several minutes. Dusting them in a crowd was a bad idea.

“I know!” Fred exclaimed, running into a storage room. She returned with a box of hardware and a milk jug.

“Dare I ask?” Wesley asked.

“Probably not,” Wil replied, smiling. Actually, once he’d seen the jug and the large spanner he’d known where Fred’s mind had wandered. It wasn’t a bad idea—very innovative.

“Enlighten us, Fred?” Angel muttered.

“It shouldn’t be too hard to tap into the sprinkler system. Then we just bypass part of the pipes with this and this,” she held up several pieces of hardware. “And then fit this into the system,” the girl held up yet another piece of equipment. “And then someone sets off the sprinklers.”

“Holy water shower?” Gunn said, smiling. “Guess that means Batman and Robin can’t play.”

Wil growled. He hated being called Robin, and the black man seemed determined to use the nickname at every opportunity. “We’ll cover the exits.”

“Where did you get that stuff?” Angel asked, peering into the box.

“Oh, when I was renovating my room. I replaced the water system with one that wouldn’t ruin my computer equipment when it went off,” Fred replied, closing up the box.

•••

“Where did she learn that?” Cordelia asked, watching Fred finish bypassing the high-pressure sprinkler system.

“This isn’t the first time I’ve done this. Once, in college, I used disappearing ink in the dining hall,” Fred said over her shoulder. “It was classic.”

Gunn shook his head. “Never would’ve pegged her for a practical joker.”

“It’s ready. Better make sure Angel and Wil are out of the way,” Fred cautioned, wiping her hands.

“No problem. They’re outside,” Gunn reassured her.

“Well then…” Fred turned on first one valve, then another. “Anybody got a light?”

Within seconds, the dance club was filled with screams of pain and outrage. The humans were furious over being rained on and the vampires were being burned by the holy water. Wesley, Cordelia, Gunn and Fred staked anything that caught on fire, their actions going unnoticed by the distracted human dancers. The continued rain showers served to minimize the clouds of dust that arose from each executed vampire.

At the same time, Angel and Wil were positioned at the front and rear entrances to the club, easily picking off any vampire that managed to escape their human coworkers. By the time the fire department showed up to investigate, the employees of Angel investigations were regrouping back at Angel’s car and Gunn’s truck.

“We are never doing that again,” Cordelia said, wringing out her sodden shirt.

“Why? It worked great,” Gunn asked, also trying to dry off.

“Watch it, would you?” Will snarled, dodging drops of holy water as they flew off of the humans’ clothing.

“Look at us. We’re grimy. Vampire dust and holy water so do not mix.” The humans looked down at themselves. Sure enough, they looked like they’d rolled in the streets.

“Well, we’re off,” Wil said, sliding into the car with Angel, locking the doors as he sat down.

“Wait a minute! What about us?” Cordelia screamed, knowing that Angel was about to leave her to Gunn’s mercies.

Angel poked his head out the window. “I don’t fancy getting burned every time I get in my car. We’ll meet you at the hotel—there are plenty of showers and spare clothing there.” With that, the vampires sped off, leaving the four humans to get back via Gunn’s truck.

“Everybody in the back,” Gunn said, starting the engine.

“But there’s room in the front, even with your ego,” Cordelia said in return.

“Yeah, but you’re nasty. Said so yourself.”

“Fine.”

•••

Despite more than an hour’s worth of threats and promises, when the humans returned to the Hyperion they eagerly took Angel up on his offer of a hot shower and dry clothing. Of course, the fact that Wil had hot chocolate liberally laced with kahlua waiting for them when they finished helped greatly to smooth things over.

“Almost makes getting caked in ash worth it,” Cordelia said, pouring another mug of chocolate. “Almost.”

The younger vampire had curled up on the stairwell with a large book, tuning out the casual chatter in the lobby. “What book is that?” Wesley asked the blonde.

Wil looked up after a minute, blinking. “What? Oh, Of Human Bondage.” The ex-Watcher’s face twisted in disgust. “You don’t like?” He asked, grinning. “Actually, neither do I.”

“Why are you reading it, then?” Wesley asked.

“Must be exploring my masochistic leanings. Intellectual torture," The vampire replied, marking his place before setting aside the book.

A high-pitched scream from Fred caught everyone’s attention. They turned to where she was pointing, only to see Angel sliding down the banister. He landed gracefully at the foot of the stairs, bowing.

“Oookay…Something we should know, Angel?” Cordelia said, eyeing her friend warily.

“Nope,” Angel replied, smiling. He eased himself down onto the stairs next to Wil, pulling the younger vampire against him with one arm.

The ex-cheerleader grinned. /So that’s how it is./ “Mm hmm. Anybody else hungry?”

“Why don’t you all go out?” Angel suggested, reaching for his wallet. “My treat, since I did leave you with Gunn.”

“Hey!” Gunn said indignantly.

“Passing up free food?” Cordelia shot back, grabbing the cash. “Chinese?”

Wil watched the humans hurry out the door, still arguing amongst themselves. The blonde moved away from Angel, taking his novel to the lobby counter. Angel followed, pulling the younger vampire back into a gentle embrace. Wil stilled as Angel wrapped him in his arms.

“You alright?” Angel asked, concerned at Wil’s sudden stiffness.

“Mm.” Wil stifled a smirk. He then spun around, catching Angel by surprise. He used that to his advantage, knocking the older vampire off balance and pushing him face first into the floor. Wil followed him, pinning the larger man as suddenly wicked fingers searched for and found Angel’s well-concealed ticklish spots.

Angel’s hands moved just as quickly, trying to capture Wil’s slender fingers. The task was made much more difficult by his childe’s unerring accuracy; it was hard to keep hold of him when he was reduced to gasping laughter. Angel tried to turn over, but Wil tightened his hold on the vampire’s sides. Pale hands pushed Angel’s shirt up, baring the brunette’s sensitive spine. A feathery touch there reduced the vampire to a series of soft moans.

“Like that?” Wil asked, grinning. He balanced his weight on his knees and lifted his feet, tucking them onto the backs of Angel’s knees. The older vampire bucked as Wil rippled his toes across the sensitive flesh there.

“Damn it, Wil, stop teasing!” Angel managed to bite out. He’d been hard before Cordelia and the others had left; that was why he’d paid them to go eat. The feel of Wil’s cool body weighing him down and those maddening fingers had sent his arousal to new heights. He twisted, trying to right himself, but couldn’t manage to turn over.

The blonde, meanwhile, was immensely enjoying himself. Angel’s wriggling was pushing his erection into the older vampire’s lower back. “Had enough?” He got a low growl in response. Leaning forward slightly, he saw that Angel had slipped into full gameface. “You want me to stop?”

“Get on with it,” Angel snapped, bucking up again. Wil’s eyes widened as he realized what Angel had meant. Looking around quickly, he spotted a possible source for what he needed. Reaching up, he snagged the first-aid kit Cordelia had left open on the counter. Angel took his distraction as an opportunity to get free and bolted, grabbing his childe and rolling over the floor.

The pair engaged in several minutes of mock fighting, pulling off each other’s clothing as they nipped and bit at pale skin. Finally, Angel pinned Wil to the floor, sealing his mouth on the younger vampire’s neck. Wil fell back in surrender.

Angel reared back slightly, grinning. This was fun, but he was growing impatient. He reached over, picking up the discarded tube of antibiotic ointment Wil had retrieved earlier. He slapped it into one of Wil’s open hands, watching in great amusement as his childe’s eyes snapped open. The blonde stared at Angel, disbelief clear on his face. “Changed your mind?” Angel asked, smirking.

Wil wasted no more time, flipping Angel over onto his stomach. The blonde ran trembling hands down that sensitive spine, relishing how his Sire shook and moaned at the caress. The touch continued, separating pale cheeks as Wil tested the puckered opening there. He quickly slathered his fingers in the makeshift lubricant, stretching the hidden passage with great care. Angel thrust back against him, silently demanding greater haste.

The blonde shifted around, positioning himself. Angel groaned in loss as Wil removed his questing fingers, a sound that was repeated in pleasure as the younger man thrust inside him. Wil stilled, waiting for Angel to relax and accommodate him. After a moment, he pulled out, and then thrust forward.

Angel’s head snapped back as he met Wil thrust for thrust. He howled softly as one of his childe’s hands reached underneath him, firmly grasping his straining erection. The feel of Wil inside him was overwhelming; he’d not let anyone have such control over him in more than a century.

“Gods, Angel. So tight,” Wil growled, caught by his Sire’s cool, tight body. He twisted his hips, smiling at Angel’s snarl as he prodded the older man’s prostate. He was close; the excitement of being dominant over his Sire took away any endurance he might have had. He increased his pace, thrusting viciously into Angel, forcing the vampire’s cock into his fist. So close…

Wil bent down further, bringing his mouth close to Angel’s ear. The brunette was panting as he strained against his childe. “They’ll be back soon, you know. Then they’ll see you here on the lobby floor, bent underneath me. What’ll that do for your lovely friends, hmm?”

Just as he’d known it would, the whispered comments drove Angel over the edge. The older vampire came with a howl, spurting cool semen over Wil’s still-moving hand. The blonde joined him, unable to resist the clenching muscles milking his cock. He moved slightly off to one side before collapsing next to his Sire.

Angel moved faster than lightening, pulling himself over Wil. Snarling harshly, he left the younger vampire only a second to tilt his head before sinking his fangs into his neck, reestablishing his dominance over his childe. After a moment, he retracted his fangs, licking the small wound to aid its healing. That done, he looked down at Wil, knowing that the dozy smile he found there was a mirror of his own.

“We’d better clean this up,” Wil said, not wanting to move. Angel nodded but made no effort to get up either. They curled up together, petting idly. The lobby was soon filled with the contented purring of sated lovers.

After several more minutes of snuggling, Angel and Wil reluctantly retrieved their clothes and righted the lobby. It was none too soon; barely five minutes after Wil had reclaimed his seat on the stairs, with Angel pinning him to the wall as he had before, their coworkers returned.

“Did you guys move at all?” Cordelia asked as Fred, Gunn and Wesley looked on.

“Of course we did,” Angel said, turning the newspaper. “I got a paper to read.”

Not even looking up from his novel, Wil said, “Had hot, mad sex on the lobby floor.”

Wesley choked on his drink. “What?” he screeched hoarsely.

“You did not,” Gunn said, eyeing the vampires.

“Was it good?” Fred asked innocently. The other humans stared at her in shock. “What?”

Wil looked up at her. “’Course it was, pet,” He replied, straight faced. “Isn’t it always?”

“Enough,” Angel said. He’d rather not discuss his sex life with his friends, and at the moment they still thought Wil was joking about the lobby. “Wes, what needs to be done?”

The ex-Watcher smiled gratefully. “Bills, Angel.” The dark vampire groaned, following Wesley into the office as the others resumed their usual activities.

•••

Angel wearily climbed the stairs. In some respects, he was no different than a human—paying bills left him tired and cranky. He stopped in front of Wil’s door, wondering if the younger vampire had retreated there. Angel wasn’t sure what Wil would do now that their relationship had progressed. Sighing softly, he went on toward his own quarters. He wouldn’t push his childe; despite their camaraderie, their relationship was too new.

He was pleasantly surprised, then, to find Wil bundled in blankets in one of the cushioned chairs in his own room. His childe made a lovely image, swathed in cream and burgundy silk, his hair tousled down around his face. Wil hadn’t acknowledged his entrance and was still bent over his journal, lower lip caught in his teeth as he continued to write. He paused only to push his glasses up from where they’d slipped down his nose. Angel left him there while he undressed, then leaned back on the bed to watch his childe write.

After several more pages, Wil closed the book and set it aside. He rose from the chair, stretching, and then stopped when he saw Angel. “Sorry. Forgot you came in,” He apologized, blushing.

Angel pulled the blonde to him, catching up the blankets as well. Smiling softly, he pushed Wil back into the bed, following him down. Angel’s smile grew as Wil burrowed into his embrace, tucking his head into Angel’s shoulder. The older vampire drifted off to sleep, his childe’s whispered “Sire” lingering in his ear.

- - - - - - - - - - - -

15 November 2001

If someone had asked me a month ago the likelihood that I would ever share Angel’s bed again, I would have laughed in their face, shortly before crying myself to sleep. I was, of course, proven wrong by Angel himself. I still cannot believe he drew me in, giving me comfort again. Yet my surprise at that action is nothing compared to what I felt when he reclaimed me.
I was afraid of letting Lorne read me, knowing that he would immediately see just how hard I had fallen for my Sire—again. And, of course, that is exactly what he saw. I simply never imagined that Angel would renew his claim over me. Yes, our relationship has improved since I arrived in Los Angeles; he seemed to accept me as his childe as I accepted him as my Sire. But during these past weeks I never thought once that he would want to fully resume that relationship. He seemed content to look after me and instruct me. Not that I am complaining; far from it. Even before I was ensouled, I missed my Sire. I even missed him once I had met his souled version. The fact that he can forgive so much, so many betrayals on my part, astounds me. I do not know that I could do the same were I him. But then, he is the Sire and I am the childe. I can forgive him his betrayals of me, it only follows that he forgive me mine.
All of that pales when I remember how he felt, what it felt like to be his childe again in the truest way. I had almost forgotten the ecstasy of having my blood flow into him as he fills me, marking me as his own. Those lost pieces of my heart are returned to me. It would shame me that I require this approval to be a whole being, if I were not dizzy from euphoria. We are one, Sire and childe.
Things are different now. Before, Angelus would have never let me dominate as I did this evening—I would have been soundly tortured for such antics. But then, my unsouled self would not have simply been toying with Angelus—it would have been a power play. Perhaps we are both changed for the better by our souls, that I can simply love my Sire and he can let me, without either of us having to protect ourselves from our own natures.
I can only hope that I am not dreaming. To be taunted with one’s fondest desire is unjust cruelty.

Wil