Spike stared at the two outfits laid out in front of him and shook his head in disgust. What the hell was wrong with him that he was standing here contemplating what to wear?
He pulled the light green towel tighter around his hips as he looked from one outfit to the other.
One was his usual black jeans, black t-shirt combo that he had been wearing for years. The other was an outfit he had bought a week ago. It had been a spur of the moment decision to buy the outfit and since then the clothes had been hiding in his closet.
The silk blue dress shirt and Armani black slacks screamed of a change he knew he was ready for. He ran a hand through his freshly dyed dirty blonde hair as his other touched the fine silk of the shirt. He would never admit it out loud but the days of being Spike were gone.
He now apathetically understood why Angel hated being called Angelus.
He was as much his soulless counterpart Spike, as Angel was Angelus.
The angry, careless punk he was only five years ago, before the chip and soul, was long gone. He was changing, and as he picked up his old black outfit and placed it his bedroom garbage can, he knew it was time to stop pretending. He may not say it out loud but maybe the clothes would say what he couldn’t.
After he got dressed in his new clothes he turned on the high end webcam on his laptop and looked at the video feed. The full screen was click on and he raised an eyebrow at the young man staring back at him.
He wasn’t William James Pratt the third anymore than he was Spike, but looking at his image he looked more like the ensouled vampire he had fought to become. He fixed the collar on his shirt and undid the first two buttons.
As he got closer to the screen he could see how the color brought out not only his eyes but the scar on his neck as well. He rubbed the ever present scar and purred at the tingles it created. Even after two hundred years Angel’s mark still affected him. The scar that caused his death also brought with it his only true love.
He turned off his webcam and shut down the computer as he took unneeded calming breaths. He wasn’t going to think of Angel today, he was for once going to just simply enjoy the present.
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Angel played with his platinum cufflinks nervously as he watched the limo cruise through the old familiar streets. It had been too many years since he had last visited London but as much as things changed, some things never did. Angel was surprised, but being back in London was like coming back home.
He heard a sigh from the seat next to him and turned to face Wesley. The ex-watcher was staring out the window with the same expression on his face Angel had. They both felt it, they both felt at home here.
“Wes,” Angel said smiling as Wesley jumped as if he had forgotten Angel was even there.
“Yes, Angel,” Wesley said as he straightened out his suit.
Angel opened his mouth to speak but stopped short when Wesley raised his eyebrow and looked at Angel’s hands.
Angel looked down and noticed he was still nervously fiddling with his cufflinks and forced himself to stop. He could feel his face flush and cursed. No vampire should be able to blush but it seemed he was cursed not only with a soul but also the annoying habit of letting people know when he was embarrassed.
Wesley gave him an amused smile, “yes, Angel,” he repeated.
Angel clenched his hands into fists to stop all nervous habits, “I don’t know if I can do this…see him again,” he said.
Wesley was now the one getting nervous as he saw the knowing look in the vampire’s eyes.
He and Giles had agreed that they wouldn’t let either of the vampires know what their intentions for this evening were. In fact Giles had informed him that Spike didn’t even know they were coming.
He had simply told Angel that he and Giles had become friends and that he was going to the gallery opening. Wesley admits that he blatantly used the best friend card and his best pouty face to get the vampire to come, but it had worked. Now that they were only half an hour away it looked like his excuse to get the vampire here, didn’t go as well as he thought.
“You don’t have to talk to Spike if…”
“Wesley,” Angel said shaking his head, “please don’t insult my intelligence.”
‘Angel knows,’ Wesley thought shuffling in his seat.
“Ok, you know I want you to talk to him, but you came anyways, right? So a part of you must be ready for this.” Wesley said giving the vampire a nervous smile.
Angel shook his head, “Wes, maybe I though I could but…”he trailed off and looked out the window. They had stopped at a red light and something had caught his eye.
Across the street was a couple slowly walking hand in hand. Their shoulders were touching and the man had his head raised to the sky as he laughed whole heartedly at something his lover had just said. Angel touched the window as if the simple action would help him become apart of that moment. He kept his eyes on them as the limo started moving again and noted that all he had achieved was feeling the cold night air against his palm. He clenched his hand into a fist and closed his eyes tightly.
“Fuck,” he cursed and softly pounded his fist on the glass once. He could feel and hear Wes move closer but kept still. With his eyes still closed he took a deep breath and then let it out slowly.
“Did you know that most vampires celebrate their death day?” He asked opening his eyes and turning to look at Wesley.
Wesley looked confused by the sudden change of topic, but let it go and shook his head, “no, I didn’t, Angel.”
Angel nodded his head and looked back out the window. Wesley could tell by the way Angel’s eyes were unfocused that he wasn’t really seeing anything out there.
Angel placed his hand back on the window and let the cold spread through his palm.
“I haven’t celebrated it since I got my soul but before…” he stopped and paused for so long Wesley thought he wasn’t going to tell him anymore. Wesley opened his mouth to say something when Angel began to speak again.
“By my sixtieth death day I didn’t really make a big deal out of it anymore. I had expected a small party that Darla would have pre-arranged. No doubt all the higher members of the top vampire clans would attend. It was how all powerful vampires that were close in blood with clan masters celebrated the day.”
Wesley kept the excitement off his face as he listened to Angel talk. He had never dreamed that vampire clans were so organized. For a split second he let himself be appalled by the lack of information the watcher’s council truly had on the demons they hunted.
Angel kept his face turned away from Wesley as he got lost in the memory.
“It had been cold and rainy that night and I remember that I was rushing home after a hunt had gone longer than I expected. I wasn’t rushing home because of the party but in fact it was because of the seven year old vampire bleeding in my arms…
“Talk to me, baby,” Angelus said as he ran faster, “I wanta’ hear that beautiful voice.”
He looked down and winced at the badly beaten face of his love and clenched his jaw. He didn’t even want to think about what that damn slayer would have done if Angelus hadn’t gotten there when he did.
He had let William go off on his own for the first time tonight, after his love begged him all week for just an hour or two by himself. After an hour Angelus couldn’t stand it any longer and had set off to look for the young vampire.
He had howled in fury at the sight that greeted him when he turned the corner of Fifth and Bernard. His William was being repeatedly kicked in the head by a young new slayer.
Without even realizing he had moved, he snapped the slayer’s neck in two and was leaning down to access his love’s wounds. William had cuts and bruises everywhere and for the first time since Angelus had been turned, he let tears fall freely from his eyes.
Angelus shivered and held his boy tighter as they got closer to the mansion. William had still not opened his eyes nor spoke and Angelus tried to remain as calm as he could. He knew as he got to the doors of the estate that the party had starting and cursed that today had to be his death day.
He kicked in the front door and ran up to his room ignoring the questions that were being called out as he flew past all the guests.
He ran up the stairs barking orders at minions to draw a bath and ignored his sire’s orders to stop.
When he got to his room he gently placed his love down on the bed and began to remove his shirt, “William, baby, please say something,” he whispered.
He took the shirt off with more care then anything he had ever done in his existence. “Please, love,” he said kissing each bruise and cut that he saw, trying to will them away with only his love.
He was just about to take off William’s pants when he looked up to see bright, blue eye staring back at him. “Angelus,” William whispered softly his voice higher then usually and inducing how much pain he was in.
Angelus felt every part of his body relax and hadn’t realized until that moment how tense he had been.
“Baby,” he said softly getting closer and looking to those blue eyes that held Angelus’s entire world, “I’m here, my love, I’m going to take care of you.”
William’s eyes unfocused for a moment and Angelus could see the pain radiated off his childe.
“I’m sorry,” William whispered as he closed his eyes.
Angelus shook his head fiercely, “you have nothing to apologize for,” he hissed.
William opened his eyes and Angelus could see the tears building in those morning blue irises. “I wanted to make it special,” he whispered.
“What special?” Angelus asked.
“You death day, sire,” William said and clenched his jaw tight as another attack of pain ran through him. Angelus moaned and ran his hand up and down William’s chest, “Oh, my love, just being with you makes it special.”
William shook his head and tapped his pants pocket, “it’s in here,” he said the last word coming out a mere hiss as he passed out from the pain again.
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Angel turned and looked at Wesley, “it was that night that I made a vow, Wes.”
Angel once again began to play with his cufflinks, Wesley looked down and looked at them more closely and noticed that they had W and A engraved on them.
Angel looked down and nodded, “I could have staked him myself,” he laughed without a trace of humor, “he almost died that night to buy me these cufflinks.” He said rubbing his thumb against one of them again and again.
Wesley unconsciously reached out and ran his index finger against one then the other, “what was the vow, Angel?” he asked after a while.
Angel looked out the window and touched the glass one final time, “to always make sure he knew the true,” he said then turned as the limo had stopped.
Angel looked past him to see the galleries front entrance, “I vowed that night, that no matter what, William would know that all I would ever need or want was him.”
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Spike leaned against the wall watching people as they walked in. The champagne in his hand was too sweet and he gulped it down fast to get rid of it. He could see Giles talking to group of people and made his way over.
“How are you feeling?” Giles asked after he excused himself away from the group and stood next to the vampire. Spike shrugged his shoulders as he looked around the room of stranger.
He met Giles eyes and gave a bit of a sigh, “Do you think they like them?” he asked He looked over at his pieces of art work and saw the slight imperfection he hadn’t noticed before.
Giles moved closer and placed a hand on Spike’s shoulder, “they’re blown away,” he whispered and smiled at the hopeful look in Spike’s eyes.
Giles took a sip of his champagne and looked over at the door feeling a nervous bubble grow in his chest.
Spike turned to look at him and saw where Giles was looking, “that is the tenth time you have done that,” he said looking at Giles closely, “it almost like you’re waiting for something to happen.” He said
Giles gave a nervous chuckle, “me…no, just seeing how many people have come see your work,” he answered giving Spike a half smile.
Spike narrowed his eyes and moved closer, “I can tell when you’re lying, Rupes, so tell me what’s going on?” he said becoming suspicious because of Giles’s behavior.
Giles ran a hand through his hair and was about to speak when he saw the cause for his entire nervousness walk in the door.
His breath caught in his throat and he turned to Spike and nodded to the door, “Spike, I want you to talk to him,” he said as Spike slowly turned around and saw Angel walking in.
He snapped his eyes back to Giles, “what the bloody fuck, Rupert,” he hissed taking a quick look back at Angel before looking at his friend.
“Why did you ask him to come?” he barked trying to keep his voice low and just barely succeeding.
Giles touched Spike’s shoulder and almost sobbed when the vampire rip out of his embrace. “Why, after everything I told you, did you ask him to bloody come, Watcher?” Spike hissed through clenched teeth.
“Spike he wants to talk to you, I swear it, I did this because I care about…”
“Watcher,” Spike snapped interrupting his friend, “Angel bloody hates me, and this night was about new beginnings and…” he trailed off looking at his friend with an expression of deep hurt and betrayal.
“No, Spike, he doesn’t hate you,” Giles said pleadingly wanted to reach out but knowing the vampire would pull away again.
Spike was about to storm off when some placed a hand gently on his shoulders, “William,” he heard being said close to his ear.
He turned around to see the one person that could break or make him with one single word.
He stood frozen to the spot as Angel looked him over with shocked filled eyes, “you look so….”
Spike pulled away roughly, “what, different, weaker, not the same?” he hissed pushing away emotional before the vampire could rip him apart.
Angel looked down and shuffled his feet, “I was going to say gorgeous,” he whispered softly and not daring to look back up at the man he loved.
Spike was so stunned that he took a step back and shook his head. He must’ve heard Angel wrong. Angel didn’t just say…
No, Spike was just hearing things, good things like that didn’t happen to him.
After a long silence he noticed Angel withdraw and look around the room in despair. Spike took a step forward but stopped short when he heard a harsh intake of breathe come from the other souled vampire.
Spike noticed that Angel was staring intently at something and turned to see what it was.
He was staring at the paintings and more importantly at the middle one. Spike began to panic and stuffed his shaky hands in his pockets.
Angel turned to him with a shocked expression on his face.
“Is that what I think it is?” he asked in amazement
Spike cleared his throat and nodded his head slowly. “Yeah,” he said as he looked deep into those dark, brown eyes. He could tell Angel was lost in the same memory.
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William began to shake violently as he held on to the tree trunk, “we’re dust, Angelus, we not getting out of this,” he said looking at the coming dawn in dread.
Angelus came up behind him and held on to the thin vampire’s waist. He placed his head in the crock of William’s neck and nuzzled the soft, silky skin where his mark was.
“We’ll be fine, baby,” he whispered running his hands up and down William’s chest.
William turned his head and looked at his love, “Angelus, the sun is coming up,” he whispered as if saying it too loud would make it more real.
Angelus looked up and could see that they were completely shaded by the large tree and knew they were safe.
“I swear to you, William, we’ll be fine,” he whispered turning and looking as the deadly sun began to rise. William started to whimper and watch the spectacle of color.
“Oh, gods,” William moaned as he began to shake. His vampire senses going crazy and he grabbed Angelus upper arms tightly.
“I wouldn’t lie to you, William,” he whispered kissing that sweet neck again. “Just watch the sun…just watch it and know you’re safe in my arms.”
William began to relax and for the first time in just under seventy years he saw the sunrise. He watched the red mingle with the dark blue and the orange bled into the yellow. He watched every last second of that sunrise, believing it to be his last He then turned to Angelus and noticed he wasn’t even looking at the glorious sight but instead staring at him.
“Why aren’t you watching, Angelus?” he whispered his mouth close to his love’s.
Angelus looked at the sky for a moment before shrugging his shoulders, “why do I need to look at the sun when I have something far more beautiful to look right in front of me.”
William kissed him with all that was left of his human heart that he swears grew even larger when he was turned into a demon.
They spent the whole morning holding each other, they talked about nothing…they talked about everything. In the morning sun they weren’t demons or vampires that hunted the night for blood…they we’re nothing but a part of the scenery, simply two men madly in love.
When the sun began to set William turned to Angelus and stared straight into those beautiful brown eyes.
“Angelus,” he whispered, “do you think we’ll ever come back here?” He asked.
Angelus leaned down and kissed him sweetly, “I’m not sure but…my heart will always be here, my love.”
---------------------------------------------------
Angel moved closer and reached out slowly to touch his true love’s face, “Spike,” he said softly, “why aren’t you there with me?” he asked nodding over to the painting.
Spike closed his eyes and leaned into the touch, “because,” he said clenching his eyes tight to fight back the tears, “you left me, Angel, but no matter what, no matter where you were… I always hoped you where there,” he said whispered moving a bit closer, “waiting for me.”
Angel moaned and quickly dove in for the kiss he had waited a hundred years to receive.
And as two ex-watchers turned their tear stained eyes to each other they both knew nothing else was needed to be said.
The End
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