Spike Runs Away and Joins the Circus 2/3
 
Author: Lilithangel
 
Website: www.livejournal.com/users/lilithbint
 
Fandom: AtS
 
Characters: Spike/OC, Angel, OC’s
 
Genre: slash
 
Rating: NC17
 
Summary: Post NFA, Spike finds a new family but his past is always there.
 
* * * * *
 
Shoulders secured Spike swung out into the air one arm hooked into Ryan’s.  As they spiralled down their bodies slowly entwined until they were face to face.  Then they spun around separated as far as their hands and released the fabric bound around their bodies.  Like large ribbons they flowed behind them.
 
Now came the most difficult part of the act.  Ryan wrapped two loops of Spike’s ribbon around one arm and released his sling.  Spike held him tightly as he arched his back out and they flew around the ring as Ryan bound more of the ribbon around.
 
Throughout, they kept their eyes locked on each other ignoring the people watching them.  Ryan slid down the ribbon until they were only holding on by their fingertips.  To the viewers on the ground it was as if Ryan was losing his grip so when he let go and tumbled to the end of the ribbon there was a collective gasp of shock.
 
Then Spike flipped upside down in the sling and started to pull the ribbon up hand over hand as Ryan rolled upwards to meet him.  Finally Spike pulled Ryan into his arms and twisted around to wrap them both in the ribbon.  A spotlight revealed the two tightly entwined figures as the sling slowly dropped them to the ground.  It was impossible to tell who was who inside the fabric cocoon one head rested on the shoulder of the other as the light dimmed and the pair disappeared from sight.
 
They hit the ground and rolled out of the ribbon bounding to their feet and looking out anxiously at the small audience.  There was a pause and then the clapping started at the lights came up.
 
“Bravo,” Luc came forward, “that was very well done, and you two should be proud.  Just a bit more work and it will be ready for a live audience.”  He shook their hands and slapped them both on the back as the others came forward to congratulate them.
 
Spike slung his arm over Ryan’s shoulder as they headed back to the dressing room to clean up and change.  Ryan was buzzing with excitement and as soon as the got into the dressing room he pushed up against Spike and kissed him.  Spike lifted Ryan up not letting the kiss go letting the young man wrap his legs around the slender vampire. 
 
The two had become close as they had rehearsed and after one particularly difficult session Spike had demanded to know why Ryan was so distracted and he had blurted out his attraction to the blond.  Spike had been taken aback by the declaration, but had started to look at the boy in a different light.
 
Like Spike, Ryan’s youthful frame and demonic heritage belied his actual age.  While not quite having 120 years under his belt he had seen a good fifty of them and would have been considered a young adult by his family.  Neither pretended that it was more than just friendship with benefits, but it was something they both wanted.  Ryan could tell that Spike was scarred from previous relationships despite how tenderly the vampire treated him.  For Ryan Spike was his first real lover teaching him how good it could be between two males giving him a maturity that would stand him in good stead for future relationships.
 
Their physical relationship had lifted their performance to another level as well letting them both trust each other even more.
 
Spike had received a visit from Marie after the first night Ryan had spent in his room.  Spike had expected accusations or a scolding instead he had been treated to another of her searching gazes and then a nod of satisfaction.
 
“You will not hurt him that is good, but do not let yourself be hurt William,” she told him sternly.  The human woman was the most powerful psychic Spike had ever met and despite his unease he liked and respected her.
 
When he and Ryan went to the café together for the first time nobody said much.  Vivian smiled approvingly at them and they just slipped into the usual Friday night activities.  For Spike it was an unusual feeling to be accepted that easily.  Sure there were some who pulled away from them but it wasn’t anyone that mattered.  The one almost physical challenge had come from Ryan’s ex-partner Erik who cornered Spike one night.  It was easy enough to tell it was jealousy talking and Spike only had to use a few well placed comments to send Erik running.
 
Occasionally Spike would think of those he had lost, but the sharp sting of pain that had sent him fleeing L.A was gone and he was able to remember them fondly.  Even Angel and Spike admitted to himself that he had overreacted after the battle, but he couldn’t regret finding the school and the friends he had made.
 
Ryan rubbed up against Spike’s crotch humming with pleasure at the hardness there.  “Is that for me?” he asked with a grin.
 
“What do you think?” Spike grinned thrusting harder.
 
“I think we should get changed and get back to your room before we give the others another floorshow,” Ryan laughed.
 
“Race ya,” Spike said dropping Ryan suddenly and heading for the tables.
 
“Cheater,” Ryan got his feet his under before he hit the ground.
 
Laughing they jostled each other at the table getting cold cream everywhere.  When Spike had started training with Ryan the younger performer had shown him the special mirrors at one end of the room.  Three of the back mirrors were actually flat screen projectors connected to small web cams which allowed Spike to see his face in the mirror and at a distance fooled any strangers in the room.
 
Even though Harmony had shown him a similar set up with a camcorder Spike was still fascinated by his appearance.  He had not had a lot of time at Wolfram & Hart to spend in front of the camera so he took the chance in the dressing room as much as he could.  It still amazed him that it was not William or Spike looking back at him.  William had never paid his own appearance much attention and Spike never got the chance but he knew how people reacted to him.  Even in demon face he could pull a bird or bloke without breaking a sweat.
 
This new William was different.  He smiled a lot more for a start.  His hair was slicked back but without the harsh colour in he looked younger and softer.  Ryan put his chin onto Spike’s shoulder and smiled.  The screen showed two apparently young men, makeup accentuating their similarities.  It was a bit spooky but did nothing to dampen Spike’s attraction to Ryan. 
 
They grinned at each other and wiped the cold cream off.  Ryan nuzzled at Spike’s neck.  He had discovered early on how sensitive that area was for the vampire and took great pleasure in driving Spike crazy with it.
 
“Catch me if you can,” he said racing away from the table as Spike closed his eyes in pleasure.
 
“Little beggar,” Spike jumped up and gave chase.
 
They tumbled through Spike’s doorway and made it as far as slamming it shut behind them before Spike pinned Ryan to the wall and claimed his mouth.  Spike slipped his hands into Ryan’s loose pants and pushed them down over slim hips.  Ryan’s hands had snaked under Spike’s tee shirt and played with his nipples.
 
Ryan pushed and they stumbled towards the bed still locked in the kiss.  They had done this many times so avoided the obstacles and bounced onto the bed with Ryan on top.
 
Ryan straddled Spike’s hips and pulled the blond’s tee shirt up over his head pinning his hands.  Spike smiled and left his hands where they were, he was happy to indulge Ryan’s dominant kinks since they always resulted in mind-blowing head.  Ryan kissed and nibbled his way down Spike’s body.  He knew how much the biting turned Spike on and was always happy to oblige.
 
As he used one hand to undo Spike’s jeans Ryan stripped off his own clothes hurriedly.  His own cock hard and leaking Ryan ignored it while he sucked Spike’s down easily.  He loved sucking Spike’s cock, the silky hardness the length that fitted down his throat and the firm ripe head he loved to run his tongue around. 
 
More than all of that Ryan loved the way Spike responded to him.  Always vocal normally dirty, but with an almost innocent surprise every time Ryan did something for him with no ulterior motive other than mutual pleasure.
 
Ryan knew Spike was a different sort of vampire, not that his kind feared them anyway.  Ryan’s blood was not attractive to vamps at all, but what he did know of them did not include blooming onions, crash bandicoot and passion.  Ryan had never been the focus of anyone’s passion before.  He knew it wasn’t love but it was intense and wild and safe all at once.
 
As much as he loved sucking Spike’s cock he loved riding it more.  Spike fingers had left his hair and were deftly preparing him so that when he finally and reluctantly lifted his head he was ready for Spike to lift him up and position him.
 
Spike could never get enough of Ryan’s enjoyment of him.  It was a drug to be wanted for himself for once.  To be desired and to see that desire in public as well as private.  To have kept the friendship when the relationship started, and feel like he mattered.  And the body was pretty enjoyable too, the hot warm mouth that swallowed him down strongly but without pain and the tight slick arse that was sliding around him like a glove.
 
Spike lifted his knees to bring Ryan down for a searing kiss.  The angle allowed his prostate to be hit with every stroke and trapped Ryan’s cock between their bodies to rub and squeeze in time with him.  He stroked Ryan’s bare arms smoothing the soft quills that decorated them.  They were as sensitive as Spike’s neck and the reason Ryan kept his arms covered except around Spike.
 
Release when it came was as intense as it always was, hot and wet and sticky.  This was the moment Spike enjoyed most.  When Ryan came down off the release and the expression on his face was still one of happiness as he let his body fall limply against Spike’s.  The first few times Spike had tensed expecting Ryan to roll off and put distance between them.  Finally he had accepted that Ryan enjoyed the quietness as much as he did.  When he could hear the half-demon’s heart beating and smell the sex between them and know there was no regret.
 
Finally they stirred and made an effort to get up and meet the others for a celebration drink at the café.  It took a bit of time to get ready, sharing a shower was not a method for getting ready quickly but it was a lot of fun.
 
Hurrying to the café Spike felt a prickle on his skin that indicated there were vampires nearby.  He was not prepared to put Ryan at risk or his other friends and decided to ignore them for now and do a quick patrol later.
 
All during the celebrations Spike was edgy and felt like he was being watched.  He knew the café was a safe zone and that helped him relax, but the feeling was still there.
 
He had promised Luc that trouble would not find the school and he had a feeling that this could be that sort of trouble.  He didn’t want to leave, but he would if this was more than another master vampire trying to move in on his territory.  The city had become his territory even if he didn’t have a court.  Most of the demons in the city actually had ties to the school and weren’t a problem beyond the occasional poker game.
 
He walked Ryan home and tucked his young lover into bed with a promise not to stay out too long.  Ryan knew he patrolled the city and had no desire to join him, but was happy for him to do it.
 
The prickling started again when he reached the gates to the school.  Scanning the shadows he noticed an extra patch of darkness across the street.
 
“Not that it’s not flattering to have a stalker and all,” he said to the shadows, “but I’ve got a warm bed waiting for me so why don’t we get on with it?”
 
The shadow morphed into Angel.  Spike knew he shouldn’t have been surprised. But he had simply never expected Angel to come looking for him.  Without realising it he stood up straighter, kept his threat stance and his normally relaxed features tightened.
 
“Spike,” Angel said in greeting.
 
“Angel,” Spike said, “what do you want?”
 
“You disappeared.”
 
“And it’s taken you this long to notice?” Spike scoffed to hide the hurt.
 
“It’s taken me this long to find you,” Angel answered with a frown.  “You weren’t exactly obvious about your destination.  You didn’t even give me any warning.”
 
“Figured it would be easier if I just left, save you the effort of kicking me out.”
 
“But I wasn’t…” Angel subsided under Spike’s glare, “it was safer if we all split up.  The Senior Partners were after me not anyone else.”
 
“So you said to Gwen and the others,” Spike said with a scowl.
 
“Enough people had been hurt because of me,” Angel said with his own scowl, “including you.”
 
“Well I’m fine, so you can just piss off back to whoever and cross me off your guilt list.”  Spike was going to turn around and leave when he noticed how Angel was holding himself.
 
The elder vampire was hunched over more than normal and looked almost haggard.
 
“What the hell have you done to yourself?” Spike demanded.
 
“It’s nothing,” Angel said, “the past few months have been a bit rough.  You look like you’ve landed on your feet as usual,” he added with a hint of bitterness.
 
“Not as usual,” Spike said as he thought of his friends, “more like the first time.  You hungry?” he asked, surprising them both.
 
“Won’t your boyfriend mind?”
 
Spike blinked at the pettiness in Angel’s voice and grinned.  “Ryan would love to meet you but I won’t force that on him, he’s sleeping.  I’ve got blood in the fridge and a bottle of whiskey on the shelf that needs opening.”
 
Angel hesitated for a moment and then nodded, following Spike into the school.  He looked around curious about the place Spike was calling home.  It was certainly not what he had expected when he had finally caught up with the blond, a true blond now Angel noted.
 
Ryan stirred when Spike slipped into the bedroom.  “Got some company,” Spike said to him, “you don’t have to get up.”  Ryan murmured something and rolled over making Spike grin.
 
Angel looked around the small apartment Spike inhabited.  It was as sparse as Spike’s homes always were, but there were small hints of domesticity.  Pictures of people rather than old bands, a guitar propped up against a wall within easy reach of the sofa, and even a couple of straggly plants.
 
Spike didn’t comment on Angel’s scrutiny he just put some blood on to warm and poured some whiskey.
 
“So what happened?” he asked perching on the sofa.
 
Angel sat down carefully, “nothing much, just some vamps over the border.”
 
“It’s been a bit longer than that so how about you start with L.A, did the others disappear okay?” Spike sipped on his whiskey.  He had often thought about the others who had fought in L.A beside him and hoped they’d made it.
 
Angel nodded, “all safe and accounted for.  It was hell for a while but we survived.  I left as soon as I was sure it was safe, figured it was me the Senior Partners wanted and everyone was safer without me around.”
 
“You would, wouldn’t you?” Spike said in frustration.
 
“What do you mean?” Angel glowered.
 
“You always know best don’t you?  You just never bother to ask what anyone else wants.”
 
“You made your opinion very clear when you disappeared,” Angel retaliated.
 
“Figured I’d save you the bother,” Spike said.
 
“I wasn’t…” Angel stopped at Spike’s look of disbelief, “Okay I was going to suggest we split up, but only long enough to lose our trackers.”
 
Spike snorted, “Well then, what’s your problem?”
 
“I didn’t know where to find you,” Angel said, “I looked everywhere I could think of but you weren’t there.”
 
“You actually looked?”  Spike couldn’t believe Angel.
 
“I even got in touch with Lorne,” Angel said, “he wasn’t pleased to see me.  Not even Buffy had seen you.”
 
“You spoke to Buffy?”
 
“Yeah, she wasn’t pleased either.  With you or me.”
 
“Girl really should make up her mind about what she wants,” Spike grumbled, “figured she was better off without the complications, especially after the whole Italy debacle.”
 
“Yeah well she figured we should have allowed her to make up her mind with all the facts, like your return for starters.”
 
“Don’t tell me that Andrew didn’t run straight back and tell her,” Spike said with a snort.
 
“You think?” Angel said in confusion.
 
“It would have just been easier to wait for me to call her, she probably expected me to,” Spike sighed.
 
“Why didn’t you?  I know you got her number from my desk.”
 
“We all made our choices,” Spike said, “seemed better to just leave it as it was.”
 
“You were hoping she’d call,” Angel guessed.
 
“Water under the bridge,” Spike said finishing his whiskey and getting up to fetch the blood.  He poured Angel a large mug and handed it over.
 
Angel frowned at the first mouthful.  “Human?”
 
“Gifted freely from the clinic here,” Spike said defensively, “better than throwing it out.  It’s better for us to drink what we’re designed to drink.”  He frowned at Angel.  “We heal faster for a start.”
 
Angel sighed and kept drinking.  Spike was right about the healing.  He should have been back to full strength by now, but intermittent feeding while he was on the run had weakened him.  He was tired of denying his needs anyway.  Even stale and stripped of emotions the blood sang through his system and he could feel the smaller wounds closing up.
 
“Got to do my rounds,” Spike said when Angel finished, “you up for a wander?”
 
Angel nodded and followed Spike out of the room.  They walked through the darkened corridors, occasionally someone would slip past and Spike would nod in greeting, but on the whole it was very quiet.  Angel’s senses told him there were non-humans in the building but Spike didn’t seem to be worried.
 
Finally they stopped in the main gym and Spike flipped the lights on.  Shedding his shirt Spike released the ropes and swarmed up to the ceiling.  “Come on old man,” he challenged Angel, “getting slow?”
 
Angel sighed and then grinned.  He took off his jacket and over shirt and followed Spike’s lead.  He wasn’t as agile as the blond but he knew he was still stronger even with Spike on a diet of human blood.  Angel couldn’t help but notice how good the diet was for Spike.  The strong lithe body was defined with muscle, as smooth and sleek as a big cat.
 
Spike was pleased that Angel was almost keeping up and he realised he had missed the physical competition with another vampire, being pushed to his limits and not having to worry about lasting damage.  Ryan did very well to keep up but he wasn’t a vamp.
 
Angel found he was grinning as he swung from the ropes to the ladders mounted to the walls.  Stretching his body for the sheer pleasure of it, taking it beyond what he had ever been able to do as a human.  Spike had always loved that part of being a vampire, but Angel had not allowed himself to.  It had taken a futile battle, losing everyone he cared about and roaming the country for months just in case the Senior Partners were still after him, and finding Spike safe and healthy to make him remember.
 
Spike launched his body off the wall and grabbed a rope.  He swung lazily around and then climbed effortlessly down.  Angel took the easier path down the ladder, but did it with only his hands, jumping the last bit to land next to Spike.  He winced slightly as his wounds pulled but not enough to slow him down.
 
“It’s going to be light soon,” Spike said, “you got a place to stay?”
 
“I booked into a motel,” Angel said.
 
“You staying long?” Spike kept his voice casual.
 
“Thought I might,” Angel said just as casually.
 
“The Senior Partners, they still after you?” Spike got serious, remembering his promise to Luc and Marie.
 
“I don’t think I matter to them now,” Angel said, “haven’t seen anything in months.”
 
“Good.” Spike nodded.  “Meet me and Ryan tomorrow night, then we can patrol or something, if you like.”
 
“Isn’t he a little young for you?” Angel couldn’t help asking.
 
“Well he is only in his fifties,” Spike said, rolling his eyes.  “Half demon you plonker,” he added at Angel’s confusion.
 
“I’m sorry,” Angel said, “it’s not my place to say anything.”
 
“You’re right it isn’t,” Spike said, “we get along okay and he’s good company.  We’re not pretending it’s anything more than that.”
 
“I said I was sorry,” Angel said defensively, at Spike’s anger.
 
“Don’t need you judging me,” Spike added.
 
“I’m sorry alright,” Angel said with a sigh.  “Bad habit I know.”
 
Spike sighed, he wanted a new relationship with Angel, more like what they had started to develop in L.A., but he couldn’t seem to stop being defensive.  “Yeah, well we all have bad habits to shake.”
 
“So, tomorrow night?” Angel asked.
 
“Yeah, we’ll meet at the café you followed me to tonight,” Spike said, unable to resist a last dig.

 
TBC…