•••

Buffy and Dawn returned from arguing with the electric company about the replacement of the hotel’s circuit breaker box to find Lorne and Willow crouched over Cordelia’s computer. “What gives?” Buffy asked as she peered over Willow’s shoulder.

“We’re trying to figure out this encryption program,” Lorne replied. “I’m thinking we need to take a breather, though. Red here’s starting to growl at the damned thing.”

Willow grinned. “It’s a mean computer.”

“It’s Cordy’s,” Buffy reasoned. “What else do you expect? How’d it go with the spell thingy?”

“Just dandy,” Lorne snapped.

“What happened?” Dawn inquired.

Lorne sat back from the computer. “The furies got a better offer.”

“Explain,” Buffy demanded.

“Apparently someone managed to find something the furies wanted more than Angel,” Lorne replied. “They rescinded all the wards on the hotel just before the attacks.”

“Damn. So this place isn’t protected at all?” Dawn inquired.

“Language, pipsqueak,” Lorne murmured. “At the moment? No. I do have a lead on another source for wards, so we should be ok.”

“Maybe this time they can’t be bought?” Buffy said.

“I hope not,” Lorne stated. “I think a lot will depend on how we act.”

“Yeah,” Buffy muttered darkly. It rankled her that she had to tone down her slaying because of those lawyers. Still, it protected Dawn, Willow and Lorne.

“So, what’s for dinner?” Dawn inquired. “Cafeteria lunch was so nasty today. I think it was liver.”

“Lasagna,” Willow said quietly. “I made lasagna.”

“Great!” Dawn exclaimed. Willow was getting better at the whole interaction thing. She’d done so well with Lorne, particularly in therapy, that they’d pretty much given her free reign of the hotel. The redhead’s therapist was optimistic that she’d be ready for less frequent visits before long.

•••

“You got everything?” Oz asked Wil as the vampire made one last sweep through the hotel room.

“I think so,” The blonde replied. “We’ll… well, we’ll deal with it if we forgot something important.” The non-werewolf components of the investigative group were preparing to go elsewhere for a few days so that Oz and Cordelia could deal with Gunn and Fred during their first full moon. It wasn’t easy, leaving them alone at the hotel, but it was necessary. They couldn’t trust the new werewolves not to attack Xander and Wesley—or the vampires, for that matter.

“Come on, blondie. Your blanket awaits,” Xander said from the door. He held out one of the hotel’s ugly yellow thermal blankets for the vampire. Wil took it with a grimace and used it as cover, running the short distance to the car. He joined Angel in the back seat, ignoring Wesley’s smirk. The faun threw another blanket on top of them and started the engine. Once Xander joined them, they took off.

“Where are we going again?” Wesley inquired when they got on the interstate.

“It’s written on the top of the map,” Xander mumbled around a Twinkie. “They said on the phone that we wouldn’t be able to miss it.”

“Ah,” Wesley murmured. He got back off the interstate a few miles later, turning left onto another highway.

“There it is!” Xander said, pointing down the road.

“Dear lord,” Wesley whispered.

“What?” Angel asked from underneath the blankets.

“It’s very…pink,” Wesley explained. “Extraordinarily pink.”

“Pink?” Wil echoed. “The hotel is pink?”

“And teal,” Xander said as Wesley pulled in. “But it’s got one of those valet-overhangy things, so you two get to walk in like regular people!”

“How lovely,” Angel said, sitting up. He and Wil pushed the blankets into the foot wells and fixed their hair before exiting. “This place is appalling. Why here?”

“Good rates,” Xander replied. “Really good rates.”

“Wonder why,” Wil muttered.

“If you have to ask…” Angel whispered.

“Children,” Wesley intoned. “Angel, Xander made the reservations in your name.”

Angel nodded and went up to the counter. Soon they had keycards for two non-adjoining rooms on the top floor. Angel handed one over to Wesley and Xander, frowning severely.

“What’s wrong?” Wil asked as they went to the elevators, bags in tow.

“This place smells wrong,” The dark vampire said. Wil inhaled deeply.

“Maybe. Or they might have a mold problem,” He replied. “Come on, the blood won’t stay cold forever.”

Angel and Wil ensconced themselves in their small, dingy room. “Do you think Xander and Wesley will want to go out tonight?” Angel asked hopefully.

Wil shrugged. “Probably not,” He replied. “But that doesn’t mean we can’t.”

“I just don’t like this place,” Angel murmured.

“Fine, we’ll head out as soon as the sun sets,” Wil reasoned. “Call Xander and make sure, though.”

•••

“Cordy.”

“Hmm?” Cordelia murmured. Oz waited another moment. “What, Oz?” She said when he didn’t continue.

“Here.” Oz held out a set of chains.

“Where did you get these?” She asked, taking them. Oz picked up a second set.

“Found a fetish shop downtown. They’re strong enough,” He answered.

“What are we going to chain them to?” She couldn’t see anything in the room that would work.

“Each other,” Oz said. “It’ll work; I’ve seen it.”

“If you say so,” Cordelia replied. “So…”

“Let’s go.” Oz led the way into the other bedroom. Gunn and Fred were sleeping—not unexpected by any means. Werewolves often got very sleepy before their first change. He gently woke up Fred, nudging her on her shoulder. “Wake up.”

“What?” She asked, rubbing her eyes. “Where did you get those?”

“In town,” Oz said, not elaborating. “It’s better this way.”

Fred grimaced but nodded. She understood the risks. “Ok. What about Gunn?”

“I’m not liking this any more than you,” Gunn said from the other bed. “Kink is most definitely not my thing.”

“Aw, you mean you haven’t been fantasizing about getting naked and bound up with Fred?” Cordy joked. Gunn scowled.

“You weren’t supposed to mention that, Delia,” He said darkly.

Fred’s eyes goggled for a moment before she realized they were joking. “Hah hah,” She muttered. Oz looked at her pointedly and she stood up.

“We don’t have much time,” He stated as Gunn and Fred started to strip down. “You’ll want to be on the floor.”

Fred and Gunn obediently sat on the floor, following Oz’s directions. Cordelia helped Oz wrap the pair in chains, using the manacles to secure their wrists and ankles. When they were done, it was obvious that the two new werewolves wouldn’t be going anywhere. After they were finished, Cordelia and Oz took up positions on the two now-empty beds. Cordy wouldn’t change, but instead would meditated and keep watch over the others, in case something happened. Oz needed to change, to keep control of the two werewolves on the floor. They didn’t want to attract attention by having a lot of howling and snarling going on.

Fred whined when she felt the first twinges running down her arms. It hurt, more than she’d thought it would. Gunn, too, was uncomfortable, not liking how tight his skin felt. Oz calmly removed his clothes and let the wolf out, not showing any signs of discomfort. Once he was changed, he jumped down and paced the floor next to Gunn and Fred. They quieted down immediately, automatically subservient to their alpha. Once or twice Gunn looked like he might rebel, particularly once he was fully changed, but between the chains and Oz’s dominant manner, he settled down.

•••

“Thanks,” Angel said as Wil set a bottle of beer in front of him. The two vampires were sitting in a dark, smoky bar somewhere in San Diego, as far away from both hotels as possible. They’d left the pink monstrosity as soon as it was dark enough, choosing to walk so that the others could have the car.

Wil drank his beer contentedly. Angel hadn’t been too sure about this place at first, but the ambience was just what Wil wanted. It had a sort of tense anonymity about it; the patrons all looked a bit too desperate to be anyone but themselves. It fit nicely with their current predicament; namely being in hiding. Besides, it was nice to be alone with Angel. Their brief moments in the bathroom were not really enough for the blonde’s tastes. And of course Xander felt beholden to comment upon their activities.

All of that kept Wil from being aggravated by having to leave their first hotel for the new one for a few days. At least now he and Angel really had some time to themselves—something they’d not had much of in months. First they were split up because of Xander’s visions. Then when Angel finally arrived, they were too busy, in too close quarters, to really be alone. And once they’d returned, the business of getting business back to normal took up far too much time—and Buffy was there, which was enough to put both men in bad moods. They might have loved her, but she still got on their nerves.

And now—well, now they were sharing quarters with their colleagues—again. In truth, Wil was surprised the eight of them hadn’t resorted to orgies. Then again, the idea of being intimate with any of their coworkers made Wil cringe. He loved them like a human would their siblings, despite vampire norms regarding sex. “So, got anything else you want to do tonight, now that we’re away from *that place*?” Wil asked Angel.

“Not really,” Angel replied. “Sit. Drink. Hadn’t planned beyond that,” He admitted.

“Ah,” Wil murmured. “You know, we’ve been trying to get some time alone, and here we are sitting in some crowded bar, not being alone at all.”

Angel drained his beer. “We could remedy that. Rather easily, in fact.”

Wil grinned. “I’m listening.”

Angel stood up and pulled Wil to his feet. “Come on.” Wil cocked an eyebrow, but followed. Angel led him out of the bar and onto the street. “Where are we going?” Wil inquired after a few minutes.

“Just follow,” Angel said softly. He’d been to San Diego before and remembered a thing or two about the city. Before long he’d led Wil into a picturesque park, complete with walking paths, benches and playground equipment.

“You want to play?” Wil inquired. Angel shook his head and kept walking. Eventually he stopped under a rather impressive tree.

“I thought we’d climb a tree,” Angel said, looking up into the tree’s massive, thick canopy. “Unless you’d rather do something else.”

Wil stared up at the night sky, studying the broken line where the tree’s leaves masked the stars. “No, this is fine.” Hells, Angel could say they were going to chase sewer rats and he’d go along with it… for a while anyway.

Angel hoisted himself up before reaching down for Wil. The shorter vampire used Angel’s hands for the last bit of height he needed to make it to the first branch, which was at least twelve feet up. Once he was securely on the branch, Angel continued his climb.

Wil followed silently, copying Angel’s path through the branches. The dark vampire came to a stop on about three-quarters of the way up, just high enough to be able to see the sky through the leaves. Wil sat in front of him, balanced sideways on the branch. “Now what?” He asked.

Angel reached for Wil, pulling him back and over to lean on his chest while straddling the branch. Wil relaxed against the dark vampire, placing his head on Angel’s shoulder. They lay like that for several minutes, watching the stars twinkle. “Now we’re alone,” Angel murmured. “There’s no one else anywhere near here.”

Wil listened carefully. It was true; there wasn’t a single person in the park. That was surprising considering how temperate the weather was. “And that’s relevant why?”

The dark vampire grinned. “Oh, no reason.” Then he tugged on Wil’s coat, hiking it up over his hips. Wil lifted up enough for Angel to be able to move the garment out of the way. Once it was draped on a nearby branch, Angel reached around and slid his hands under Wil’s shirt. The blonde shuddered as Angel caressed his stomach with light, fluttering touches.

“If we fall, I’m going to stake you,” Wil warned when Angel increased the intensity of his caresses.

“If we fall, we’ll probably get staked on the way down,” Angel replied. “So we won’t fall.”

“Good plan,” Wil gasped. Angel had moved up to his nipples and was pinching them sharply.

“Reach into my coat pocket,” Angel ordered. Wil fumbled back for a bit, trying to locate the pocket. “No, the other one.”

“You brought lube. I love you,” Wil murmured when his hand closed around the tube.

“That’s a new one,” Angel said lightly. “Love and silicone.” He dropped his hands down to Wil’s waist and began to unfasten the blonde’s jeans. Wil wriggled a bit, giving Angel more room to maneuver. Once Wil’s jeans were down around his knees, Angel lifted him up and sat him back down on the older vampire’s lap, protecting pale skin from rough tree bark. It wouldn’t do to have to tweeze splinters from his lover’s body afterwards. Once Wil was steadied, Angel returned his hands to the blonde’s torso, teasing him with light touches and tickles.

Wil groaned hoarsely when Angel’s hand brushed over his cock. He arched back, unable to suppress a moan when Angel curled his fingers around his erection and stroked him from base to tip. “Angel…”

“Hmm?” Angel hummed idly. He used his free hand to pull Wil’s shirt completely off, dropping it on top of the blonde’s coat. Angel wondered if Wil knew what he looked like, glowing pale skin reflecting the light of the full moon. The fact that he was three-quarters naked, thrusting his cock into Angel’s fist, only made the picture more striking.

“Please fuck me,” Wil pleaded. He wasn’t in the mood for drawn-out games and Angel could on occasion take all night.

“Lean forward then,” Angel said, taking the lube from Wil’s hand. Wil complied, balancing himself on the tree branch using his hands. His half-rucked jeans protected his legs as he knelt in front of Angel. The fact that they were alone became quite important when Angel’s now-slicked finger breached Wil’s body. Angel found that first moan quite gratifying.

Wil thrust back, working himself on Angel’s fingers. He bloody well loved what his Sire could do to him. Just a few touches, a well placed jab, and he was putty. When Angel found that wonderful spot and pressed so, Wil screamed softly and jerked back. “Now,” He cried, not wanting to wait.

Angel pulled away gently and reached for the blonde, helping him back up from his precarious position. He used the lube left on his hand to slick himself up, then guided Wil down to accept his cock. Wil threw his head back and panted as he was split open. Angel used one hand to press the blonde back against his chest as he sank deeper into his lover’s body.

Once he was fully seated, Angel traced his tongue down Wil’s throat. The younger vampire was still gasping for unneeded air, the muscles of his throat twitching rhythmically. Angel thrust up, making Wil whimper. The blonde caught on and began rocking back slowly.

Angel enveloped Wil’s cock in his hands and began a slow pull, just faster than Wil’s own thrusting. Wil picked up the rhythm and moved faster, letting Angel set the pace. Wil felt like he was flying, as though the only thing keeping him from falling was the constant, invading presence of Angel’s body inside him. Pleasure flowed through him in waves, like a warm breeze across his skin. He felt Angel start to shake as he neared orgasm. The sensation of his Sire’s face shifting into its demonic form was further proof of his arousal. Wil, too, lost control and slid into gameface, watching in awe as the night sky took on a new dimension through his demon’s eyes.

Angel thrust harder and faster, dangerously close to his pleasure. He bent forward enough to sink his fangs into Wil’s neck, just as the blonde’s body contracted around him. He felt Wil’s orgasm flowing through his fingers just as his climax rushed into his lover’s body. He bit down harder, cruelly, anchoring Wil to him with cock and fangs.

Wil was flying. The sharp ecstasy of Angel’s teeth boring into his flesh just propelled him higher. Pleasure flowed through him, lifting him up. He shuddered and twitched against his Sire, eyes wide and unseeing.

The vampires stayed like that, tied together, for many long minutes as they recovered. Eventually Angel released Wil’s neck and Wil gathered Angel’s arms in his and wrapped himself in his Sire. The blonde had no desire to move, and no real reason to either. The sun wouldn’t rise for hours and they had nowhere better to be.