Chapter Thirty-Six
False Impressions
“Oh bugger off Slayer, the pervert deserved it.”
Spike turned to Angel who grunted his agreement.
“I really hate that perfect aim thing of yours, it’s very…annoying.”
Angel grinned.
“Why can’t you just for once make a mistake? Then you could have put us all out of our misery.”
“Spike, that’s not funny. Xander did not deserve to almost die!” Cordy admonished the demon with a playful slap on his arm.
“So you say.” Spike answered her.
“Oh shut up!” Buffy scolded him then left the three of them as she once more started to pace restlessly in the hospital hallway.
She had been in this hospital too many times for her taste in the past two months and if she never had to step in here again for the rest of her life, she’d be more than happy.
She walked past the closed doors once more, peering down the corridor waiting for the doctor to come out of Xander’s room. She still couldn’t believe what happened and how quickly it happened.
She turned her head just slightly and looked over at Angel.
He was sitting down, his arms were lifted over his head, and his hands cradled his head as he leaned back against the wall. His long, strong legs were stretched out before him with his ankles crossed. He was listening to Spike and his eyes were sparkling with mirth at something the younger demon said – most likely some derogatory comment about poor Xander – and there was a smirk on his full lips, gracing his face in the utmost relaxed and sexy position.
He felt her scrutiny and turned his gaze to hers. The smirk disappeared but that satisfied gleam was still shining brightly in his brown orbs.
She huffed and turned away once more stretching her neck to see what was happening down the silent hallway.
She couldn’t believe how cavalier Angel was being about this. It was plain to see that there was not one iota of remorse in his body for what he did, and he couldn’t have cared less what anyone thought.
As far as he was concerned, he had every right to do what he did and he was not ashamed about doing it. In fact, she knew exactly what he was feeling…pride…arrogant pride, steeped in vampire principles, that he put the lesser mortal in his place and where he belonged.
She knew she had been kidding herself thinking that the two of them would get along. They hated each other, always had and always would. She just never understood the depth of Angel’s resentment toward Xander until the bond. Now it coiled inside of her like an angry python ready to strike whenever Xander was near. It was very disconcerting, at least for her, because she never had that immense hatred toward her friend but feeling Angel’s made her feel like it was hers too. And Xander, well she didn’t need a bond with him to know how much he loathed Angel. That had always been obvious. Still she had hoped that they would find a way to get along. It was clear now that that was never going to happen, and she started to wonder if she needed to keep them a part entirely.
She sighed, and her shoulders slumped as she recognized her own startling emotions, which were nonplussed.
She thought about it all the way to the hospital. Sitting in the back of Spike’s DeSoto as he rambled on and on about what happened. Leaning over and slapping Angel on the shoulder for his good deed done.
Cordy had sat next to Buffy quietly chiding him, knowing that Buffy was upset about the whole thing, and trying to keep the Slayer’s emotions down to a minimum. After all they had, over the past months, seen what a raging Slayer’s emotions can do and they were ever mindful to not tempt her anger, at least until she learned to control it better than she did now.
But what Cordy didn’t know was that Buffy really wasn’t upset at all. At least with what happened to Xander.
A part of her agreed with Angel and felt that Xander got exactly what he deserved. He had after all intruded upon them in the most intimate of moments, something no one should ever be privy too except the two participants. Then because of his perpetual distrust of Angel he had assumed the worse and tried to kill the love of her life. And that was what really pissed her off.
Taking a deep breath she exhaled, trying to ascertain how she should react when Xander finally woke up. Should she be the coy, embarrassed girl? Or should she stand tall with pride?
Her pace quickened, her mind working diligently…just what was she supposed to do here?
Nothing, you did nothing wrong.
She didn’t even turn around to look at him.
That’s not what it looked like to him.
There was a deep sigh, as if he was getting tired of explaining this to her.
Buffy, you have nothing to be ashamed about. It is what you are now. It is what I am. There is no shame in experiencing such…pleasure together.
She scoffed.
Yeah, pleasure for us, horror to them
Them, it was said with just a touch of scathing retort to it that it made Angel’s lip curl up in a smirk. She had changed so much over the past months, becoming something entirely different than what she used to be.
Everything about her, from the way she spoke to the way she moved, even the most simplest of thoughts were derived in a completely different way. Her thinking was freer and clearer, as if there was nothing holding her back anymore. She saw the world differently, even the way she viewed her friends had changed. It was like they were something foreign to her now and she couldn’t understand their mortal thoughts and feelings anymore. It amused him for some reason, and as she turned and fixed him with a hard stare he shrugged his shoulders.
Buffy turned away from him again, trying to put that invisible wall up and keep him out of her private thoughts, wondering again how she should be when Xander woke.
How did she explain herself?
Did she even have too?
How did one explain what Xander walked in on?
******************
Two hours earlier…
The soft supple leather of the bullwhip came down against the sensitive flesh of her belly. It stung, mercilessly so, as it tore a thin long line across her skin. It was the latest stroke of many that had touched her body in the past hour. If she let her eyes wander down her slight frame she would see the many marks that covered her otherwise flawless skin that had yet to fade. They were not deep, nor did they hurt too much, it was just the whips first kiss to her skin that was shocking.
Her teeth clenched together in pain as her breath hissed out sharply. Her hands flexed against the metal restraints that kept her arms lifted above her head and against the cold stone walls of the mansion. And for the twentieth time in the past hour she screamed.
“I swear, never again…”
She was naked.
Tied like a naughty pet in the dungeon of the mansion. Sweat glistened on her body, obscenely shimmering in the low light of the old fashioned lamp that hung on the wall. Her body was tingling and throbbing with no reservations. Showing her captor how incredibly uncomfortable yet erotically stimulating his punishment was.
And he knew it.
He felt everything she was feeling, just as she felt everything he was feeling.
She didn’t have to have her eyes open to know that he would be standing there, half naked, with only a black pair of loose fitting sweat pants on, and sporting a huge erection.
“You keep saying that Buff, yet we constantly find ourselves in this same position.”
He moved closer to her and leaning down he ran his tongue over the fresh mark he just made, quickly lapping up the blood and sealing the wound. He didn’t want to scar her he just wanted to pleasantly punish her.
Buffy moaned with earnest at the feel of his wet tongue on her sore skin, it was a balm, and she lifted her hips toward his mouth seeking more loving attention from that very skillful mouth.
But he pulled away.
“Not that I don’t love seeing you in this position. So vulnerable…”
He ran a finger through her neatly trimmed curls.
“…so open to me and my desires…”
He touched her engorged clit, causing her to groan in pure ecstasy, then he curled his finger down and around to her anus, pushing it inside just enough to cause slight pressure and increase her stimulation.
“…but your continued refusal to obey my commands is really getting tiresome.”
With that said, he released her heat and stood back, bringing his weapon of lascivious lust down on her left thigh.
Her breath hissed out again. God that hurt…a lot, but the pain she felt could not eclipse the hungry expectation of how he would assuage that pain. She waited for it, his soothing touch, when it didn’t come she knew he was waiting for her to answer him.
“I’m sorry baby, please it’s not my fault. I’m trying.”
And she really was, it was just harder than she ever thought it would be.
Oh Lord, who was she kidding? She wasn’t trying…at all.
The truth was she loved this.
She loved being chained to the wall. She loved the delectable anticipation that coursed through her as she waited for his next move. She loved his dominance and pure masterful control over her body and over his own rampant emotions.
It completely turned her on.
Angelus or Angel - she wasn’t quite sure who was in charge because she could barely distinguish the difference between the two of them anymore, not that it mattered – she loved them both - looked at her, a smirk on his face as he walked up to her. He grabbed her hair and slammed her head back against the wall, not too hard just enough to show he was in charge.
Eyes of hot liquid moss obediently stared into his intense gaze.
“No, you’re not trying at all are you Buff? You love this too much, don’t you? In fact, I would even go so far as to say that you instigate my anger on purpose, just so I can punish you.”
Her eyes bulged for one quick second, acknowledging the truth to his words, but he saw it, hell he felt the truth in her soul. Frankly, he didn’t care. He loved having her this way, loved exerting his control over her. It was quickly becoming an addiction.
He had always loved kink and bondage, and he had enjoyed it many times over the years as a vampire without a soul. Now, with Buffy, the pleasure he got from it was almost unbearable, strikingly stimulating in all the right places. Unfortunately it never lasted long, simply because he couldn’t control his own powerful lust at having her so.
He thought he’d be able to maintain it tonight though because he was really pissed off.
She had, against his direct command, gone after a Sylar Demon. They were dangerous, fast and lethal. He knew from experience how brutal they were and he told her not to go after it alone. As usual, she didn’t listen to him and instead chased it to the Shady Tree Graveyard. She killed it but only after it had sunk its claws into her flesh and poisoned her.
Afterwards, he had paced restlessly in the living room as Willow, Tara and Giles had performed the magic spell that cleansed her body of the toxins. When they were through they finally let him in the room to see her sleeping peacefully. He had been petrified that he was going to lose her, which led them to where they were now.
“I do.”
Her quiet acknowledgement that was so husky and passionate, dripping with desire just as her desire dripped down her leg snapped his control. His groan was that of a starving animal.
Dropping the whip he fell to his knees and wrapped his arms around her waist as he laid his head against her stomach. His voice was low and husky, all of his emotions were revealed as he spoke the fear that had settled in his heart while he paced and waited.
“Don’t ever do that again Buffy, please…you scared the hell out of me.”
She smiled as her heart burst with love from his heartfelt plea and the deep anxiety she heard in his voice and felt in his soul. She wanted to run her fingers through his hair, and hold him to her as she soothed his worries but she couldn’t, the iron manacles would not allow it.
She felt bad for causing him stress but that guilt was fleeting.
She felt his breath against her hot skin and the way his damp hair skimmed over her sore flesh, tickling it and sending tiny shock waves rippling through her. His hands slowly and expertly massaged the round globes of her ass, squeezing them, then spreading them and then pushing them together again.
It was stimulus incarnate.
She wanted to pacify him but his actions only increased the darkness inside of her. Increased her raw carnal needs that demanded he give them his utmost attention once more.
She was on the verge of growling.
Placate later…enrage now.
She needed it. Her body needed it.
She couldn’t take it anymore and decided that she could calm his distress and still get what she wanted all at the same time.
“I’m sorry Angel, I’ll try harder next time, I swear.”
He mumbled something against her skin that sounded like a ‘yeah right’, and she smiled as she felt the growing peace in his soul with her apology.
A wicked grin crossed her lips; her words got the reaction she was looking for, he felt more at ease now. The fear of losing her was gone, for now at least.
One emotion addressed; now it was time to address the other.
“Then again, I’m such a naughty slayer that I may just do it again.”
His arms stiffened around her, a bolt of lust shot through her veins as he stood up, all business again.
He smirked at her but he didn’t speak; he didn’t have to. He knew exactly what game she played, what her body was unashamedly crying out for…his, and he had no problem giving it to her.
He pulled his pants down, grabbed her head keeping it still so she couldn’t look away from him, then holding his cock in his other hand he guided himself into her, sinking his hard length deep inside of her, all nine and half inches.
“Then I’ll just have to keep fucking you good and hard, until you finally get it right.”
She smiled at him, her mouth watering with every delicious thrust he made. “I guess so.”
So that’s where they were, going at it like two sex-starved animals, fucking hard and fast in the cold dungeon of an old mansion.
She felt her orgasm approaching and on a hungry howl of need she dove into the crook of Angel’s neck. Her teeth broke skin and as his potent blood flowed down her throat she hummed with the unique sensation this intimacy caused in her body and soul.
Despite the mind-boggling bliss Angel received from her love bite, he never let it go on for long. This aspect of the bond still bothered him it reminded him of all the changes that had occurred, and how in spite of how much of the demon he actually was these days, that he still felt a small measure of guilt for this.
On a roar he tore his neck away from her mouth.
He looked at her, she was panting heavily, blood coated her lips and dripped down her chin, she was the most desirable creature that had ever graced his vision.
He grabbed her hair and yanked her head to the side. “My turn.”
His hips slammed against her pelvis, hard and without remorse, as his teeth sunk into her neck. He drank her blood as quickly as his hips pistoned against her. Fucking her body and drinking her power.
It was exquisite.
It was perfection personified.
It was a resplendent moment of pure intimacy between body and soul.
It was also a brutal and bloody scene that Xander unknowingly walked in on.
His face turned white with fear as he saw that Buffy’s eyes were closed, her face pinched in shock and fear as Angel drank from her. There was blood everywhere on the walls and on them, and on a bloody whip that lay next to them. From Xander's viewpoint, it looked as if his friend was being sadistically brutalized by the monster just as he'd always feared would happen. Without stopping to consider the friend he wanted to protect was far stronger than he, he grabbed an old fireplace poker that was leaning against the stairs. Screaming at the top of his lungs he lunged forward and plunged the poker into Angel’s right shoulder, just missing his heart.
Startled, Angel jumped back, blood dripped down his fangs and his chin; his angry snarls filled the dungeon as black eyes leveled on Xander’s pale stricken face.
Buffy somewhat in shock over the sudden loss of Angel’s teeth in her flesh and his cock in her body, looked up in confusion, until she saw the poker sticking out of Angel’s chest and Xander standing in front of her, then she got mad.
“Xander, what the hell are you doing?” She yelled, her anger coming out in full waves with the intrusion and from the blood she saw coming out of Angel’s chest, which wasn’t hers.
Xander didn’t even look at her. He was so incensed, so afraid for her life that he didn’t hear her anger. Instead he heard only a plea for help. “Don’t worry Buffy, I’ll protect you.”
He said it without turning around to look at her so he didn’t see the incredulous look of disbelief on her face.
Angelus threw his head back and laughed. The boy had guts he would give him that. But his humor didn’t last and it was quickly replaced with raw hot fury as he looked back at Xander.
With black feral eyes on Xander’s frightened but determined gaze, he grinned; finally redemption would be his.
Completely unabashed in his nudity, Angel reached back and grabbed the poker. Keeping his eyes on Xander he pulled it out, his face showing no signs of discomfort as the metal rod slid out of his body, only unforgiving anger.
Buffy had no problem distinguishing who was in charge now, she felt his wrath, it boiled unmercifully inside of her, and she knew that Xander had sealed his fate.
“Angelus, please…don’t…”
Her plea fell on deaf ears.
In one quick second, Angelus had the poker out of his chest and rammed it into Xander’s.
Buffy screamed, truly afraid for her friend as she watched his body fall to the floor and blood spill out in a pool around him.
Meanwhile, Spike was upstairs in the living room, feeling quite amorous himself. It was hard not to considering the flow of yummy horniness that was tingling through the connection he had with Angel and now Buffy. His mind could only dream of all the delicious kinky shit they were doing down in the basement.
He had just slid closer to Cordy and thrown his arm around her shoulders. He was still slowly seducing her to his bed, he had yet to actually taste those voluptuous breasts that were currently torturing him, but he had kissed her ravenously lots of times already. He was sure tonight would be the night that she would finally give in to her darkened desires.
His mouth opened, and he just took a nibble on her delicate earlobe when he heard a boyish screech.
“What was that?” Cordy asked as she rubbed her ears. That scream was high pitched and went right through her.
Spike’s head instantly shot up.
Who the hell was that?
He knew Angelus, that demon never screamed, and if he did, it would not sound like someone who just had their nuts stepped on.
A loud feminine scream followed next.
That was Buffy, and it was definitely not the scream of a woman having an orgasm. That was a scream of fright.
He jumped up and ran down the stairs, with Cordy on his heels. When he got there he stopped in his tracks.
Angel was butt naked, blood covered him and he had a hole that was slowly closing on his chest. He picked up a blanket and walked over to cover a naked, bloody, and chained to the wall, Buffy. He said a few words in Latin and the iron manacles that held the Slayer captive opened.
She grabbed the blanket and ran over to the still and barely breathing body of Xander on the floor.
“Oh my God, what the hell happened?”
Cordy yelled as she ran around Spike and dropped to her knees just as Buffy did. Both women were cooing over the still boy. Their fear for their friend’s life evident on their beautiful faces.
Spike looked back at Angelus. He pulled up his pants, leaned against the table, pulled out a cigarette and lit it.
He was the embodiment of calm and poise.
“Bloody hell, I missed it! I wanted to see that!” Spike whined.
After that things happened quickly.
The ambulance came and took Xander away. They followed - Angel and Spike reluctantly – behind it to the hospital, which is where they currently were.
Buffy heard the heavy footsteps as they ran down the hall toward her and she groaned. The only thing that didn’t totally make this situation suck was the fact that Wesley had gone back to LA yesterday. So her humiliation would only be in front of Giles. Not that that made it easier to face the man who she considered her father, just slightly better.
“Great this is just what I needed now.” She mumbled, right before Giles skidded to a halt in front of her
“Buffy, what happened? Is Xander alright? What kind of demon was it?”
She turned to see Giles’ concerned father face staring anxiously at her, and she nodded dumbly at him.
Ah…sex-crazed lust demon?
Angel chuckled and she scowled at him.
What the hell am I supposed to tell him?
Nothing, unless…you want your Watcher to know that you enjoy getting whipped.
Her eyes blackened and he felt her mental punch, but it only made him smile more.
Grrr…I love it when you’re rough.
She ignored him and turned back to Giles who was watching the two of them keenly. “Buffy is there something going on that I should know about?”
Buffy took a step closer to him, her voice lowering as her face turned pink from embarrassment, not that it matter the two vampires sitting in the hall still heard every word.
“Giles, it wasn’t a demon, it was um…an accident. Xander, he walked in on Angel and me while we were…um…”
Fucking like animals…
Angel said turning her face even redder.
Mmm…beautiful, I bet your whole body is that beautiful shade of pink right now, the same shade it turns when my whip lands on your silken flesh…
Stop it!
“…making love.” She finally spat out.
Ha!
She pushed Angel away and out of her mind, his words were driving her body into overload by reminding her that they were doing anything but making love, and that they didn’t get a chance to finish. Which, considering Angel’s promiscuous words and ardent mood, was something he wanted to conclude.
Giles looked at her blankly; obliviously there was more to this story than what she was saying.
“Buffy, I don’t understand, Xander is a big boy he knows what sex is. I can hardly see him being frightened by walking in on you and Angel making love. So my question remains, how on earth did a fireplace poker end up in his chest?”
Her eyes fumed from the mortification she felt and resentment toward Angel for putting her in this position to begin with. It couldn’t have gotten any worse.
How wrong she was, as Spike opened up that big stupid mouth of his.
“Cause they wasn’t making love Rupert, they wuz shagging the way vamps shag…rutting away like two bloody animals, taking little tastes here and there, if you know what I mean.”
He winked his meaning with a sly grin on his face at the Watcher whose mouth hung open in shock.
Cordy looked away from Giles, her face now as red as Buffy’s but with an amused smile on her lips nonetheless.
Giles didn’t know what to say as he turned back to look at Buffy who was fidgeting with her fingers.
Angel finally took mercy on her. He stood up and walked over to them, lowering his voice as he explained.
“Harris walked in on a very private and very intimate moment that occurs between two demons when they…make love, Rupert. Since he doesn’t like me, he naturally assumed that I was hurting her and he tried to kill me. I was simply returning the favor.”
He stepped back, his arm flung possessively around a still red-faced Buffy, and smiled at him as if he just told him that the rain had stopped.
Giles wasn’t sure how to answer or if it even required an answer. He could easily picture the scene in his head, though he didn’t want too, and he understood both Xander’s protective reaction toward Buffy and Angel’s pissed off reply.
Thankfully he didn’t’ have to answer because the door swung open and the doctor walked out.
“Every thing is fine. Mr. Harris is resting now and should be able to go home in a few days.”
“Thank you Doctor.” Buffy answered, Angel smiled at the man, then leaned in and whispered in Buffy’s ear.
“Thank God. Now can we leave and go back to what we were doing before we were so rudely interrupted.”
She slapped him away, still a little perturbed by his insensitive attitude, and turned back to Giles. “Look Giles, it won’t happen again, I promise.”
Spike stood up, pulling Cordy with him, all this talk about sex was driving him nuts. It was time to get back to seducing the gorgeous ex-cheerleader.
“Don’t worry Rup; Harris is probably still pissing his pants after what he saw. I doubt he’ll be back for seconds.”
He snickered as he walked out of the hospital with his arm around Cordy’s shoulder.
Buffy, Giles and a very impatient Angel waited for Anya and Willow to show up. Once they did, Giles explained that Xander had a run in with a vamp, and that he was lucky Buffy had found him when she did.
Anya was so thrilled that Xander was still alive and okay that she really didn’t care about the explanation, which Giles was very thankful for. He didn’t think it would be a good idea for the Ex-Vengeance Demon to know the truth.
With sunrise not that far away, they left Willow at the hospital with Anya and made their way back to the mansion.