Title: To Give Up Sunlight
Author: Azure K Mello
Inspired by Zinny's SIG. Thank you, love.
Setting: Ten years after the final episode of Angel.
Spoilers for the ends of both Buffy and Angel.
Part (2/2)
Pairing: A/X
I stood outside on the balcony, smoking a cigarette and watching the sunset. He didn't want to see it, didn't want to be reminded that he would never see it again. Generally he gave me a stern look whenever I smoked but we'd both been smoking all day. At this point it wasn't going to do much harm to our lungs. I was scared witless. But I'd done a good job hiding it. I knew already that he felt guilty for letting me die. He thought that this was his fault. So I didn't want to add to his angst by telling him how frightened I was. Silly really, I knew what to expect. The sky was pitch black and I wanted to cry. I would never see another sunset. And suddenly Spike was standing beside me. He'd jumped off the roof and looked cool as a cucumber. He silently wiped my face. "Where is he?" he asked. I knew he didn't like me. My lover always assured that he did but I just felt deep down that Spike disliked me.
"Inside, asleep."
"Does he know?"
"Of course he knows, that's why you're here." He just stared at me, waiting for me to answer his real question. I should have guessed that he would have been able to smell it on me. My childe's always been bright. "He doesn't know that I have AIDs. He thinks I have HIV, but really under the circumstances there isn't much of a difference and he's scared enough." Spike just nodded. "You've never sired a childe, have you?" He shook his head again. He'd sired minions but that wasn't the same. "So you'll turn Xan first and I'll talk you through it just in case. That way I won't be unconscious if anything goes wrong."
"I'm not an idiot, Angel." He said touchily.
"I wouldn't even think of letting you sire him if I thought you were." I reached out and touched his face. He looked at my wrist where the blood was pumping. "It's just been an awfully long time since I was turned."
"You'll be fine. You'll both be fine. Is Willow here yet?"
"Yeah, she's asleep with Xander."
"How'd she react?"
"She was very calm, didn't shout. Just said that everything would be ok. And then she caught the first plane out here. She's understandably sad. I mean, Xander being turned is for her what my being human is for you."
"I won't have that problem much longer." He smirked slightly and I rolled my eyes and walked back inside. "You'll have to call the glaziers in have them fix you up with some of that clever glass for your windows." He said as he looked around the apartment which was practically one big window.
"I've missed you," I said softly. He turned slowly and just nodded. He isn't good with his emotions. Maybe that's because I spent twenty years beating them out of him. "I hated that you couldn't talk to me." He shrugged. "And I'm glad you're here now. I wouldn't have anyone but you."
"And you've had me enough times to know." He joked weakly but then smiled slightly, "I'm glad I'm here. Are you're sure you want me to sire you both? You could sire the boy."
I'd thought about it a lot and I wasn't surprised that he asked. "I don't want to have any power over him." He nodded again. "I never treat my childer very well. I don't want to ever be able to treat him like I treated you. I want him as an equal."
"I get it." He opened the bedroom door slowly and quietly and then leapt on to the bed screaming, "Wake up!" My childe never changes, it's comforting really. Xander just rolled over while Willow jumped out of bed making an "eep" sound. Spike climbed on top of Xander and spoke directly into his ear. His bad American accent made me smile, "Hi, this is Will, from the department of motor ve-hick-les. We're repossessing yer car 'cause you're a ponce."
"Go 'way," said Xander sleepily as he batted at Spike.
"Oh, ok, I'll leave and let you die from the hiv." Spike laughed as he went to get up and my boy caught his wrist. "I see how it is, use Spike when he's useful throw him aside when he's not. It's just like when we were dating!"
"No, when we were 'dating' as you call it, you bitched about Buffy not loving you and then screwed me and left. I ended up feeling, well, kinda like you."
Spike sat silently for a minute and then leaned down and kissed the edge of Xander's mouth and whispered something. I wished I had my vamp hearing. As it was I just heard Xander laugh. I knew that they had, in the past, had a thing. But Xander never spoke about it. So I didn't press for details.
"Let's get this show on the road, kiddies." Spike said as he climbed out of bed. And then shook his head and climbed back into bed. It's always easiest to turn someone when they're comfortable. "Red, are you all set up? I saw the stuff in the other room. You'll have about 10 hours after I drain them."
Willow smiled weakly and nodded. She was scared. Not as scared as me. Xander smiled at me and I smiled back. I didn't want to watch him die. But I had to make sure Spike did it correctly. I walked over and kissed him one last time while he had a pulse. He was so warm and he smelled so good, of warm blood and a little sweat, Xandery. "I love you." I say softly, "Now shut your eyes and think of England."
Laughing at my stupid joke Spike pulled at Xander and asked, "Ready?"
Xander squeezed my hand so hard I thought it would pop. "Spike's done this thousands of times." I assured him even though it was an out right lie. A very long time ago Xander told me that if something little would upset him then I should just lie about it. And I knew he was safe. Spike bit his neck quite low, I suppose he was thinking ahead, he knew that Xander and I would want to claim each other. And a claim mark must go above a sire's bite. Brown, chocolate eyes never left mine as Spike drank from him. Spike ripped his wrist open in his hast to get his blood into Xander. The brown eyes flickered open and shut. "Stay with us Xander, just a few minutes more. You're doing great."
Spike tried to force quite a lot of blood down the boy's throat and I stopped him explaining that once the prospective childe started to gag they were probably done. Xander had already swallow about two pints of it. My childe laughed when he went to turn me. He couldn't find a good place to bite. The only place that wasn't marred was perfect for a claim bite. In the end I told him to cover the master's mark, I'd never liked the bastard anyway. And as I drank his blood I couldn't help but smirk. It was a mirror image that had been 120 years in the making. The liquid was slick and thick in my throat and felt so foreign and yet so familiar. And as I fell unconscious I felt him get up off the bed and heard he call distantly, "Hey, Red? Get your mojo on!"
I woke to cool hands on my forehead. "Angel? You were screaming."
"I was scared," I answered without thinking, but it was true. Fear had taken over my head while I was unconscious and I had convinced myself that I was dead and wouldn't see him again. I look into worried russet eyes. "You're cold."
"Side effect of the deadness." He laughed and I can't see the humor.
"Spike?" I call softly.
"Still here, Sire," he said from somewhere near the door.
"Thanks. Is Willow?"
"She left after I woke up. I think she didn't like seeing me dead."
"I get that," I said as I ran my hands over his skin, there was no pulse. I missed it already.
Xander looked at me and then meaningfully glanced at Spike. I just nodded too tired to say anything. "Sire?" said Xander softly. Spike walked to the bed and leant down to hear his childe's words. "I'm cold." Spike started to rearrange the blankets. With vampiric speed I grabbed his wrist and pulled him into bed between us.
"Oi! No bloody fair!" he shouted indignantly.
"Shut up, Childe," I said fondly as I peppered his face with kisses. "Thank you."
Spike reached behind himself and grabbed Xander's hand. "I have a childe," The blond stage whispered to me. And Xander thwacked him with his free hand. "Hey!" Spike shouted indignantly, "I'm your sire and I will have your respect!"
"Have you met Xander?" I asked laughing. I watched Spike kiss his childe possessively, lovingly. And I was surprised that I wasn't jealous. I was just happy to see them both together, both safe.
The End