Title: Rock'n' Roll Lifestyle Author: Janet Lynn (janet324@comcast.net) Rating: NC-17 Pairing: Spike/Angel sort of Previous parts at: http://www.geocities.com/stricken_girl/FortheFaithfulEntrance.htm < >indicate thoughts Authors Note: I wanted to get another chapter of something out for our ailing list daddy, Ghost's Forge. *pets list daddy* I didn't think it would take a week to get it done, though.sorry. AN2: There is a line from the movie "Chance" in this chapter. It's a line that Simon says, now it's Will's. I hope you catch it if you've seen the movie. Chapter Three The two men wandered down the quiet Sunnydale streets, chatting amiably. They had seamlessly slipped into a safe conversation about music. They argued as they made their way to Gunn's apartment over which bands were the most influential to modern rock. Will argued for The Sex Pistols, The Rolling Stones and Nirvana. Angel thought U2, The Clash and Green Day were better than Spike's choices. The brunette really surprised Will when he tried to tell the blonde that Spike was heavily influenced by The Doors. "The Doors?" Will yelled indignantly. "How do you figure?" "Please," Angel snorted. "Jim Morrison defined the image of a rock god and you, my friend, are following the dress code to a tee." Will cocked an eyebrow questioningly, waiting for the rest of the explanation. "Leather pants, unruly, slightly curly hair, and the shirt that can easily hang open as stay buttoned" Angel said as he ran his approving gaze over the smaller man. "Sounds like Jim Morrison to me. Not that I'm complaining or anything, mind you. It's obviously working for you." Will practically sagged with relief. When Angel first started talking about his outfit, he was worried that the brunette didn't like it or was making fun of him. Now it seemed the opposite might be true. The thought brought a small smile to the blonde's face. "It better be working for me," he said as he smoothed his hands over the butter-soft material. "Da paid a pretty penny for this kit." The blonde suddenly stopped and shoved his hands deep into the pockets of his duster. "Just a mo," he said to Angel before he turned his back and pushed the speed dial button on the phone. "Hello Da," he said into the small cell phone. "Yeah, it was a good show. Look, I'm goin' to stay at Gunn's tonight, yeah? No Da, tomorrow's Saturday. I don't have class. I'll be home before 2. Ten? No way. Noon. Alright. See you tomorrow, Da. Yeah, me too. Ta." He stabbed off the phone and turned back to a smiling Angel. "Calling your father?" he asked. "Yeah," Will said, ducking his head slightly in embarrassment. "He worries about me if I don't check in. Ever since it's been just the two of us he worries about me. I try to humor him." "I think it's nice that you're close with your father," Angel said softly, looking at the younger man's flushed face. "What happened to your mother, if you don't mind me asking." Will sighed heavily before looking the taller man in the eyes. "She was an archeologist on a remote site in Indonesia. It was some really big deal for her. Mum had been searching for this artifact for years. She finally found Acathla but the tomb collapsed and killed everyone inside, including her." "God, Will. I am so sorry." Angel reached over and squeezed the leather covered shoulder. "How old were you?" "Eight," the blonde said softly. He was trying not to concentrate too hard on the warm hand on his shoulder. "Da took it really hard. That's why we moved to the States. He couldn't stand seeing places and people that reminded him of her." "What's he do?" the brunette asked. "He teaches history over at UC Sunnydale," Will explained as he continued walking to his friend's apartment. "That's where I'm going now. It's weird attending a school where everyone knows your father," "What's your major?" Angel asked. Spike was slightly confused at why Angel was asking so many questions. He figured the man was just curious about him. "English," he said with a smile. "I thought it would be easy, being English and all, but it's been a lot of hard work." Angel snickered for a moment at the younger man's answer. "Things worth doing are usually hard. That's what makes them worthy of our time." Will turned his head quickly to look at the brunette. "What are you, some sort of poet?" he asked. Angel just chuckled. "Nope, just a fan." By that time, they had reached their friend's apartment. Angel reached into his pocket and pulled out the keys. Stepping into the quiet room, Angel turned on the light and walked into the kitchen. Spike stripped off his duster and hung it on a hook by the door. He had been here a couple of times, but it still seemed odd being alone with this stranger in the drummer's apartment. Angel walked in and handed the blonde a beer. As the two men settled on the soft, ratty couch, the brunette said, "So, tell me all about yourself." The two men sat for hours talking about everything they could think of. Angel talked about his art classes and his passion for drawing. Will talked about the band and his thoughts for the future. He admitted to the brunette that he had aspirations to become a writer, although he doubted himself about being able to pull it off. "Don't say that, Will," Angel chided as he playfully ruffled the blonde hair as he stood, before plucking the empty beer bottle from the boy's hand. If his fingers lingered a little too long in the curling locks, neither man mentioned it. As he came back from the kitchen, he paused before handing the beer to the other man. "How old are you? I'm not going to get in trouble for contributing to the delinquency of a minor, am I?" Will smirked as he reached up to pluck the bottle from the brunette's hand. "You're fine, mate," he said after his first sip. "I'm twenty. I'll be twenty-one in just over a month. So as long as I stay indoors until the buzz wears off, you're safe as houses." Angel chuckled at the comment and settled down on the couch next to the smaller man. "If you insist," he said lightly. Will looked at the taller man out of the corner of his eye. "So," he started. "How old are you, if you don't mind me asking." "Twenty-three," Angel replied without a pause. "And still in school. You must be on the five year plan," Will says with a slight smirk on his face. Angel smirks back. "Yeah, actually I am," he said before softly adding, "But I still have a year and a half before I graduate. I took a leave of absence last year." "Why?" Will asked, suddenly very curious about the man next to him. The dark man sighed heavily before reaching into his back pocket to retrieve his wallet. He pulled out a picture of a pretty dark haired girl, smiling at the camera. "This is my sister Kathy," Angel explained. "Last year, she became very ill. My mother called me and said Kathy wanted me to come home. When I got to Galway, I found out she was diagnosed with Hodgkin's disease. We were all a wreak. I went to the doctor and offered to be a bone marrow donor for her, but I wasn't a match. My Da told me I was a failure.again." "Not your fault you're not a match, mate," Will said softly, wanting to help take away the man's pain. He reached over and gently laid his hand on the older man's arm before squeezing in a manner he hoped was reassuring. "How could he say such a thing?" "That's my Da for you," Angel said as he leaned into the gentle touch. "He was furious when I left for the States. That may have upset him more than my announcement that I was going to study art." "What did bring you to the States?" "Scholarship." Will was intrigued but the only sign of it was a single raised eyebrow. "Football," Angel supplied. "I was scouted by several schools, but UCLA has a great art program, so off I went to California with me Da yelling that I was only going to be corrupted." "You play Footie?" Will practically yelled. "Like Beckham?" "I wish," Angel said with a smile. "But I was pretty damn good, if I do say so myself. "Was?" the blonde asked. "Kathy didn't make it," the older man whispered. "After she died, I came back to school, but my heart wasn't in it. During the fourth game of the season, I was distracted and I blew out my knee. It wasn't pretty. Four painful surgeries later and I was deemed unsuitable for collegiate play. Lost my scholarship and was forced to find a job. That's how I met Gunn, actually. His sister Alana and I work together at a local martial arts studio, teaching classes almost every night of the week." Will nodded as he took in the information. It was hard to believe that this man, who was so young, could have lived through so much already. He turned the picture over and read the small print on the back. To Liam, my angel. No matter what Wesley says. Kathy "Who's Wesley?" Will asked with a slightly raised eyebrow. "He's the one who gave me the nickname," the brunette said as he ducked his head slightly. Will was surprised to see a touch of redness on the older man's cheeks. "He thought it was a funny play on my name." "He was your friend?" the blonde asked. "Boyfriend," Angel replied. "Ex-boyfriend." Will was struck silent for several long moments. Finally he broke the tension as he laughed out, "You're gay." Angel didn't know whether to laugh with the younger man or punch him. Once Will stopped laughing and collected himself, Angel said, "Actually, I'm bi. I've had both male and female lovers. It's another reason my father hates me so. I'm a deviant in his eyes." Will instantly sobered. "I'm sorry," he whispered as he reached over to lay his hand gently on the other man's thigh. Once he realized what he had done, he pulled it away sharply. "Sometimes my mouth gets ahead of my brain." "It's alright, Will," Angel said as he reached over to squeeze the hand that had previously been on his leg. "A lot of people have that reaction at first. But it is my personal belief that everyone is bisexual to some degree." The blonde thought that over for a few moments, surprised that he could accept that idea so easily. Before he could make another comment, Angel completely changed the subject. "So, Gunn's got the entire 'Monty Python's Flying Circus' series on DVD if you want to watch," the brunette said as he released the hand he was holding. "No shit," Spike said surprised that the drummer would enjoy a spot of British humor. Angel simply gestured toward the full set of DVDs sitting in the entertainment center. They laughed as he put the first disk in and they settled in to watch. *************** Several hours later, Angel was surprised to notice that Will was not laughing as John Cleese was strolling across the screen as the Minister of Silly Walks. When he looked down, he realized that the blonde was fast asleep. The brunette took a few moments to look at the younger man unguarded. He was amazed at the beauty of him. His blue eyes, sharp cheekbones and pale skin were like a siren's call to the older man. Angel wished he could reach over pull the boy into his arms. Suddenly the blonde sighed and shifted so he was snuggled into Angel's side. The taller man settled himself more comfortably on the couch and shut off the television. Just before he closed his eyes, he reached over and traced the delicate features with a single fingertip. "Goodnight Will," he whispered as he dozed off for the night. Tbc.