Coercion 23
Never Say Never
Again
A week later,
Xander came bounding into the basement just after dark. “Spike! Spike! We
finished the job early!”
Spike just glanced up from the Bond movie he’d been trying to catch all month.
“Yeah, so?”
Xander grinned and pulled a deposit stub from his pocket. “I got a bonus. A
big one,” he whispered.
Spike took it, and his eyes widened at the amount. “So. First, last rent.
Deposits, all that noise?”
“Yep. I’m movin’ out.”
Spike did his best to hide his disappointment. He shrugged, handed the slip back
to him and went back to his movie. “That’s great. You’ll have a place you
won’t be ashamed to bring dates now.”
“If I can get dates that aren’t demons or dead. Or both,” Xander giggled.
“I went today and signed the papers on a place I’ve been scooping out.” He
opened the fridge and rummaged inside. Unseen, Spike closed his eyes and
composed himself. Bugger. Now he’d never get what he wanted.
“That’s nice,” he mumbled.
Xander opened a beer and brought his plate of cold pizza to the couch. “It’s
great. It’s mostly furnished. There’s a king sized bed. It means I can’t
use the sheets you got me any more, which is too bad. But the bedroom is huge!
And the living room has a great view and a little balcony.”
“You’ll be wanting help moving then. Gonna ask the Slayer? She’s
strong?” Spike couldn’t keep himself form sounding a little bitter.
“No. I’d rather you helped.”
Spike shifted in the chair of numerous blow jobs. “Gonna throw this out? Can I
have it for my crypt? It’s ugly, but more comfortable than a sarcophagus for
sleeping.”
“Crypt? What crypt?”
“I’ve been scouting locations. There’s a nice one over…”
“Spike, do you want to live in a crypt?” Xander was thoroughly puzzled. He
had had no clue Spike wanted to leave.
“No. Who does? But I can’t leave town until I find a way to get this sodding
chip out. Can’t very well afford a place of my own. For what some places
charge, I’d be better off in a crypt. Being a college town always drives up
prices. Oh! Here’s where he blows up the Russian.” Spike turned up the movie
slightly.
Xander woodenly ate his pizza as explosions bloomed, horns blared, and Spike
cheered Bond on. When the movie cut to Bond phoning in his report, Xander took
the remote and muted the movie. “Hey! I’m watching that!”
“Can I finish telling you about the apartment?”
Spike sighed and propped his head on a fist, adopting an overly-attentive look.
“There is a space they call a closet, just because it doesn’t have windows.
I say it’s 10 by 10 and plenty big enough for a bedroom.” Xander watched
Spike’s brow crinkle and fought down a laugh. “The view faces East, so after
I come home in the evenings, we can open the curtains and enjoy it.”
Spike blinked, slowly. “We?”
Xander shrugged and unmuted the TV. Spike took the remote and silenced it again.
“I said, ‘we?’”
“If you want to. I mean… I like your company, such as it is. And there will
be rules.”
Spike snorted. “What, hang a sock on the door if I’m getting some?”
“Well, now that you mention it, unless it’s me you’re getting it from at
the time, you’re not getting it in my place.”
Spike cocked a brow. “So it’ll be your place?”
“I’ll be paying the rent. You’ll have a room.”
“A closet. Where I can’t bring girls. Are you wanting me to be a kept
vamp?” Spike’s tone was teasing.
“Aren’t you now?”
“Nope. I’m a moocher.” Spike leaned back and brought his arms up behind
his head.
“So now you’re going to be a closet moocher?”
“Never had a reason to be before. ‘Sides. I haven’t decided if I want to.
Haven’t heard the rest of your rules.”
Xander sat his empty plate aside and gestured with his beer bottle. “There’s
only one bathroom, so I get first showers and no leaving wet towels around.”
Spike shrugged. “You don’t have to pay rent at this point, but if you can
use your… poker winnings to keep yourself in blood and smokes it will make the
time before my next review not so lean. Do your share of the housework, or at
least clean up your own messes and I don’t have a problem with you hanging
out.”
Spike looked up at the ceiling as if thinking it over. “What about booty
rights?”
“Booty rights?”
“Yeah, if I’m kept, am I expected to be at your beck and call when ever you
get horny?”
“What, you mean like now?”
“Well, yeah. And who’s bed we gonna mess up? If my ‘room’ is that small,
I can only have a single bed, and that’s not comfy. And no room to avoid the
wet spot. So that means your bed. Will I get kicked out every night?”
“I think we’ll have to negotiate some of these things. Why don’t you come
over here and state your case?”
Pretty soon, Spike was stating his case to the point Xander was making by
sucking his cock.
Afterwards, they lay in a sweaty heap. “I think your proposed terms are
acceptable,” Spike said, pushing Xander’s hair out of his eyes. “When do
we move?”
“Oz is coming over tomorrow with some boxes around noon if that’s all right.
He said we could use his van. The recliner’s the only big thing I’m taking.
I don’t know if Oz’ll help pack.”
“Sounds great, Pet. I can’t wait.”
On to Chapter 24
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