The bedroom was dark and quiet. Xander lay flat on his stomach, his skin still damp from his shower, and let himself drift. He was exhausted from two weeks of uninterrupted work, and the day had been an endless and not really very funny comedy of errors. And there would be more tomorrow.

All he wanted to do was slip into sleep and forget about everything in his life.

He didn't move when Spike slid into bed next to him and draped himself over Xander's back. Usually the smooth slide of Spike's skin on his would rouse him, but Xander just felt drained, empty. He kept his eyes shut and tried desperately to avoid thinking.

"You didn't give me a kiss when you came home," Spike said, tracing one finger down Xander's spine.

"I'm sorry. I'm tired."

"You barely said hello and you didn't give me a kiss."

Xander felt the bands of desolation clench more tightly around his chest.

"Spike, I really don't want to -"

"I'm feeling neglected," Spike said petulantly. He shifted slightly to lie entirely on top of Xander and began to stroke his hands up Xander's arms.

"Look, I'm sorry. It's not like I'm happy working so much, but I'm really, really tired. Let me get some sleep, and I'll give you two kisses in the morning."

"Not good enough," Spike said.

Xander heard a familiar jangling noise and suddenly found his arm pinned to the mattress. He struggled as Spike latched the lined metal cuff around Xander's wrist, but he wasn't nearly strong enough to dislodge the determined vampire. In a matter of seconds his hands were fastened above his head by handcuffs looped around one of the sturdy metal bars of the headboard.

"I'm not in the mood, Spike!" Xander snapped as he tugged at his restraints.

"They were made for me, pet. You won't be getting out of them," Spike said, sitting back on his heels. He only grinned more widely as Xander glared at him.

"Get these fucking things off of me."

Spike licked his lips and shook his head.

"I don't think so," he said. "Do you have any idea how delectable a picture you are, lying there all chained up and helpless?"

Xander had a pretty good idea of how much Spike was enjoying it; he had a close view of the vampire's already-weeping erection.

"Do you have any idea how angry I am about being chained up and helpless? I don't want to play your games today!"

"Who said anything about games, pet?" Spike asked, his grin disappearing. "I'm upset, and I'm going to do something about it."

Xander closed his eyes and leaned his forehead against the mattress.

"You want to fuck me so you feel better? Fine. Get it over with. Just use plenty of lube."

He felt the bed shifting, and he tensed as Spike's hands drifted from the backs of his knees up his thighs. Instead of parting Xander's legs, Spike moved upwards, sliding over Xander's buttocks and back, calming, soothing, petting.

The caresses lasted for several long minutes, and Xander found himself drifting back into the darkness, sliding away...

Xander yelped and thrashed at the stinging pain.

"What the f-"

"Fuck, Spike! That hurts!"

"That's rather the point."

Xander tugged against the handcuffs again and tried to squirm away as Spike's hand fell on his unprotected buttocks. When he got too far, Spike snagged his ankles and pulled him back into position before continuing his unrelenting assault.

Swearing and bucking as blow after blow fell, Xander wrapped his fingers around the bars of the headboard and gritted his teeth. His skin felt like it was on fire, and each crack only increased the sensation. Whimpering with the pain, he squeezed his eyes shut and tried to endure. Spike would be done when he was done.

"Your skin is as red as a cherry, Xan," Spike said, and Xander could hear the arousal in his husky voice.

Spike's hand fell again, this time a glancing blow across Xander's upper thigh. Xander inched himself upwards, the sheets rubbing against his growing erection and sending ripples of pleasure through his body.

Another blow, this one hard across already sensitive skin, and Xander arched away from the pain.

"Fuck, Spike!"

He couldn't keep his body still as Spike continued the spanking, and the friction from the sheets and the aching glow of his back combined into a spiraling vortex of sensation. Pain became pleasure became pain became pleasure as he submitted to the vampire, and time melted and blurred until he found himself arching into the blows and panting with arousal.

Even though the room was only lit by the light from the living room windows streaming through the partially-open doorway, the darkness was gone. Xander's mind felt sharp and clear for the first time in weeks. All of his senses were focused on the slap of skin on tender skin, and he bucked and moaned, sobbing Spike's name on each exhalation.

"You're so pretty like this, Xan. All of that blood just rushing to the surface. I can smell it," Spike said, running his hands along Xander's sides and gently urging him to his knees. "I can almost taste it."

Xander sighed as Spike's wet tongue dipped into the small of his back, gliding along his spine and then drifting downwards. The vampire tasted the sweat covering Xander's buttocks and then glided into the exposed crack between them.

"Fuck!" Xander's hands now gripped the headboard for leverage, desperate for more not for escape. He pushed backwards as that skillful tongue darted over his sensitive pucker, and he groaned as Spike's hands spread him wide open. Helpless and achingly aroused, he could only drop his head between his arms and chant Spike's name as the vampire's tongue plunged into him, working the ring of muscle until it loosened and then diving fully inside.

Xander was soaring, his muscles locked and his cock leaking all over the sheets. All he could feel was the rhythm of Spike's tongue - plunge, plunge, lick, rub, plunge, probe, rub. It was enough. It was too much. Rocking on his knees, he felt his orgasm building, and his body shook as he raced toward release.

A sharp tug on his testicles hit him like a shower of ice, and he was pulled back from the edge.

"Spike!"

"Not yet, Xan," Spike ordered. His tongue speared into Xander again, and they both groaned at the sensation.

Spike's hand stayed between Xander's legs and stroked over his testicles. The bursts of pleasure from the touches drove Xander back to the brink of orgasm, and again Spike stopped him, this time by clamping his thumb and forefinger firmly around the base of Xander's erection.

"I said not yet." Spike punctuated his sentence with a sharp slap to Xander's left buttock, and Xander wasn't sure if he'd be able to keep from coming even with Spike's grip around him. Spike slapped him again.

"Fuck, Spike. I... Spike... Fuck!" Xander cried, pushing backwards into the pain and feeling tears of frustration mingle with the sweat running down his face.

"I could keep you this way all night, pet," Spike said. He slid himself over Xander's back and purred in his ear. "You know I could. I could use you for myself, fuck you in every direction, and never let you come. Do you want that?"

"No," Xander gasped.

"But you've been ignoring me. Don't you think you deserve punishment?"

"I haven't meant to -"

"Fuck, Spike! Yes! Whatever you want!" Xander cried. His body was burning with need; it was like every nerve was on fire and only Spike could quench the flames. Whatever the vampire wanted, he would give him.

"I want you, Xan," Spike murmured. He pressed a tender kiss behind Xander's ear and sat back.

Xander's body swayed backwards, straining for the touch.

"I'm going to fuck you, love. Now. I can't wait. I'm going to fuck you, and you're going to come for me. You're going to come so hard you're going to want to see stars, but all you'll see is me."

"Yes," Xander moaned.

"Do you want me?"

"God, yes!"

Fingers slicked with lube pressed slowly into Xander's passage, while Spike's other hand snaked around to clamp down on Xander's erection again. Xander locked his arms against the headboard and pushed back hard. Spike's fingers thrust in and out, scissoring gently as Xander groaned and rocked against them.

"I can't wait, pet," Spike said, withdrawing his fingers and brushing the slick head of his cock over Xander's opening. "Do you want me to wait?"

"No. Please, no."

Xander shuddered as Spike pushed into him. He was glad for Spike's hand pinching him tightly, or else he would have come then and there. Instead he spread his legs wider as he was split open. He was drowning in sensation, from the heat of his buttocks to the aching stretch inside of him. As Spike began to thrust, the heat and the stretch melded into one burning flame, and he writhed and moaned as he was impaled again and again. The pain of the slap of Spike's balls against his tender skin turned into a flash of sheer wonder as the head of Spike's cock rode over that perfect spot inside.

Spike's free hand tangled in Xander's hair and pulled his head back sharply. The vampire bent forward over him and rode hard, scraping blunt teeth along his neck and gasping words against his skin.

"Mine, Xan. You're mine. Fuck, you're so hot, and I... Fuck!" Spike's movements got harder and jerkier, and Xander writhed under him, desperate for more friction, desperate for more pain, desperate for more.

"Fuck, Xan! I'm going to... God, I'm going to let you go now, but you can't come until I say. Understand?"

Xander tried to nod but couldn't move his head with Spike's hand holding his hair so tightly.

"Understand, pet?"

"Yes," Xander gasped, and he trembled with the exertion of not orgasming immediately when Spike released his erection. All he could feel was pleasure. All he could feel was Spike, thrusting hard, slamming into him, making him hurt in just the right ways.

It was too much. Xander wasn't strong enough. His fingers spasmed around the bars of the headboard with the strain. He sobbed in desperation as he felt his orgasm building, and this time he knew there'd be no stopping it.

"Spike, I can't... I..."

"Now, love," Spike whispered in his ear.

Xander was dimly aware of Spike thrashing and shouting out his own release as Xander's world narrowed to a single pulse of heat. The ball of flame grew inside of his gut, burning away all of his desolation, stripping him of his melancholy, and blooming into a geyser of flame. His world was this fire, and it exploded out of him, wracking his body with sobs of pleasure as he emptied himself onto the sheets.

Everything faded to white, and when he finally opened his eyes he was lying on his stomach on a dry part of the bed, his hands free once more. Spike was wrapped around him, pressing small kisses against the nape of his neck.

"Feel better, pet?" Spike asked softly.

Xander smiled lazily.

"Yeah. You?"

"Yeah." Xander could hear Spike's grin in his voice.

"I'm sorry I've been so busy," Xander said.

"Me, too. You haven't been yourself." Spike nuzzled his cheek against Xander's shoulder.

"I haven't meant to avoid you."

"I know, but you have."

"Forgive me?" Xander asked.

"Always. Besides, this more than made up for it."

"See? You just want me for my body," Xander said with a grin.

"I just want you, love," Spike murmured and pulled Xander close.

~end~