ethrosdemon & Lar ||| Buffy & Angel

Damnation V - Devil's Due
by ethrosdemon & Lar

EMAIL: naturallycalm@yahoo.com & HERE
DISTRIBUTION: List archives, people who beg, you know the routine.
DISCLAIMER: Joss and Mutant Enemy own the boys, we just pretend that we do. We have nothing of value, do not sue us.
PAIRING: Xander/Lindsey
RATING: NC-17
SPOILERS: Shanshu
SUMMARY: The End.
AUTHOR'S NOTES: This is the last part of the trilogy of series we have written about the boys. We want to thank all of you who have threatened to kill us, offered us bribes, suggested plot devices, told us how your concept of the characters varies from our own, demanded sex/angst/happy endings/Angel to die/Anya to be presented more lovingly/Lindsey not lose his hand, etc. There will be an epilogue. That will be IT. No more. Finis.

=====

Weeks pass, and it's time for Lindsey to go back to the firm. First day of work, Xander watches him leave feeling like a parent on the first day of kindergarten.

"Don't let any of the other kids make fun of your plasto-hand, baby. Their hands were accidents, yours was * chosen.*"

So used to the tasteless quips at his infirmity, Lindsey actually laughs. Deflected every time he tries to raise the school issue, he gives up for a while and decides to give it a month, if Xander still resists, he's going to get him a job with the firm. A month is about his limit on Xander as Donna Reed.

Later when he comes home, exhausted and irritated with the suit and tie he's gotten so used to not wearing, Xander is waiting for him with a cold beer, a warm kiss and a seriously needed neck rub. Lindsey reconsiders that Xander at home might not be the worst thing in the world. Lets the thought carry him as Xander extends his definition of relaxation to something much more hands-on.

Clever fingers undoing the buttons of his shirt, easing the sleeves down and off. T-shirt follows the button-down, and Xander's hands smooth the skin of Lindsey's torso. Firm, elegant strokes, as much about muscle relaxation as about enjoyment of the act itself. Reminding them both that Xander has seen, touched, and kissed every part of him. Lips following hands, moist open mouthed trails, until Lindsey gets a handful of shaggy black locks and tugs him up for kisses that lick and nip and make them both rush to remove the rest of their clothes. Clutch and hold and stumble towards the bedroom, wrinkled suit and t-shirt and jeans trailed out behind them. Fall into the need and let it take them where it wants to go.

=====

Laying on top of the bed covers because Lindsey couldn't wait for him to take another second and pull them back, Xander rests his head on Lindsay's shoulder and asks, "What do you want for dinner?"

"Let's go out." Lin feels like celebrating, getting Xander out of the place he's been stuck in for so long. That combined with the thought of Xander cooking again is strong argument for leaving the apartment.

"You're just gonna watch the game over my head on the TV." Fingers tracing patterns on Lindsey's hip, belly, chest. Impossible to be together and not touch.

"You're just gonna look down the waitress's shirt and read the obituaries." Easy smile in the voice, neither caring about the personal habits of the other, just displaying awareness.

"Right, so, The Foster Grill it is!" Toothy grin, surprisingly ferocious kiss from Xander before he rolls off the bed and begins to dress.

Lindsey watches him for a minute, enjoys the sight of the lithe body. Xander's gained back the weight he lost and it's more natural. Not as defined as he was when they met, no more three-times-a-week to the gym. Rounded flesh over muscle, familiar and just so *fine* that he can't keep himself from watching the rest of the process with a self-satisfied smirk on his face.

Xander catches the look. "You look like the cat that ate the canary. Spill." Snaps his watch on his wrist as he grins, the light refracted from the face hitting Lindsey in the eye.

"Well, technically..." Lindsey leers at him. Stands up, takes another kiss and a full body grope, both of which Xander returns with enough enthusiasm to make them consider skipping dinner altogether. Lindsey pulls away reluctantly.

"OK, see now we need to make some kind of rule here," Xander says, taking his turn to watch the strip-show-in-reverse. "No molesting of the partner unless we're going to complete the initiative."

"We completed it about fifteen minutes ago. Don't you think we can manage to refuel between missions?"

Saved from any kind of military themed reply by a knock at the door, Xander heads out to see who it is. Calls over his shoulder. "Lin, I told you not to be so loud in bed, it's Mrs. Crenshaw again."

"Two days later? That's a huge gap even for her." Lin's voice muffled as it comes from the bedroom and Xander crosses to the door, puts his hand on the knob.

"I'm talking about fifteen minutes later, do you have A.D.D.?" Swings the door open and just stops. Knew this was coming, but has rationalized it away as the days turned to weeks and life moved on.

Buffy's standing in front of him, Riley holding her arm and whispering to her. Willow and Giles right behind her, satchels and carryalls full of their stock and trade - herbs and potions, crystals and candles overflowing from Willow's arms. Giles tilting under the weight of the books stuffed into the bag on his shoulder. Various expressions from anger on Buffy's face to the gentle concern on Giles', dropping off at embarrassed protectiveness for Riley and oh, Willow's pain-filled and teary eyes.

Xander steels himself and calls out, "First sign of the apocalypse, go stand in a doorway, Lin."

"What? Who's there?" Lindsey comes back out of the bedroom, jeans and boots and no shirt. Xander picks up the tiny falter in his step when he sees who's come calling - vigilante kidnappers but they've both been waiting for it.

"Get your stuff, Xander, you're coming home." Buffy shoots a wicked glare at Lindsey, and Xander sees her eyes tracking the prosthesis, the thin ridge where the flesh and non-flesh meet.

"There's a glitch, I'm currently standing in my home." Sets his jaw, and keeps his hand on the half open door. Makes them aware that they're all uninvited, despite the fact that he really wants to bring Willow in for a hug so she'll lose that strained expression on her face.

"I told you he was possessed." Willow's voice is shaking, has the mousy squeak that signals she's left the end of her rope several yards behind her.

"You may, in fact, be correct." Giles voice is quiet, and Xander just stares. Thinks of Ripper and Ethan and wonders if he tells himself he was possessed long before they ever summoned Eyghon. Behind him, Lindsey laughs harshly.

Buffy's hand reaches out to snatch at Xander's shirt, but Riley catches her elbow and deflects her. Ignores the dirty look she shoots at him, gazes at Xander with a mute appeal to make things go smoother. "Xander, I won't even pretend to know what's going on here, but could we all just come in, and talk about this?" Pure Riley, collected, reasonable to the end.

Sarcastic and bitterly forced cheer as Xander swings the door open, stands aside. "Yeah, come on in gang!"

"Which one's the girlfriend?" Lindsey still stands in the doorway between the living room and the hallway. His face is hard, clenched jaw and glittering eyes. Xander winces at the question, and this is not going to be easy. Lindsey and Buffy in one room, Xander thinks apocalypse might actually be a pretty accurate term to use.

"'The girlfriend' is not here, she's having a nervous break-down. We left her at home. But, thanks for showing interest." Buffy snaps the words out, and Riley moves to put a hand on her shoulder. Soothe her by touch, or possibly keep his grip on her to prevent bloodshed. Xander wonders idly what the hell happened to the doorman, and hopes that he didn't get the full brunt of Pissed Off Slayer With A Mission.

"Slayer, right? You and Angel, match written in the stars, you have the same sense for witty rejoinders."

"Lin, what are you doing? Stop poking them with sticks!" Plea in his eyes //let me handle this, ok, i know them, let me do it// and he holds his breath until Lindsey moves. Into the room, towards him, then past him to the bar. Makes himself a drink, and if that's going to keep him quiet, it's fine by him.

"Xander, we've been here long enough, get your things, we're leaving, and you're coming with us." Buffy's patience, never much of an asset, is long gone. Xander sees how her hands clench and unclench, how she shoots little darts of hatred from her eyes at Lindsey every time he moves.

"Buff, I appreciate you coming down here. I know you did it out of love, but you should've picked up that new-fangled contraption called the telephone first." Biting down his own anger, knowing it will make nothing that happens here any better if he loses it. Knowing for a fact that if he snaps, Lindsey will go right behind him, one temper triggering the other.

"Xander, what's going on? Why haven't you called *me*? This is the longest we've gone without speaking since we were five. Are you ok? Hit in the noggin?" Willow, the only one to talk to him as if he's still him, still the Xander that she knows and loves. She looks so torn, need to bring him back to their 'family' at odds with the desire to make sure he's OK. Her eyes flicker to Lindsey and back, and Xander wonders if she's learned to read auras or see into people's minds since he left.

"Wills, please. Don't cry. I wanted to call you, I just didn't know what to say, I mean, after, well, you know?"

Xander steps towards her and Willow makes a stabbing motion with her right hand. Sniffles, wipes her eyes on the back of the same hand she used to mime the staking incident.

"You mean after you viciously attacked Angel while he was taking a nap?" Buffy piping up, and as usual no thought for anyone else when Angel's concerned. Xander sees the look of pain that flutters over Riley's face //how much does it suck to be him, always in that huge angelshadow?//.

"What? Nap? He was on his feet, looked awake to me." //nice cover story there, angel, remind me to send you a thank you note for this//

"I mean, did *he* put you up to it?" Buffy points at Lindsey, who tips his glass at her and takes a sip. "Too afraid to go after his enemy on his own, he sends his brainwashed 'lover' to do the job?"

"Buffy. Calm down." Riley adds another hand to her other shoulder and squeezes gently. She shrugs him off, annoyed.

"No, Riley, I won't calm down. I mean, look at him, he's not even stepping in here to defend himself *or* Xander? What kind of man is he? Not only that, but his first response to a crisis is to drink! Evil guy and an alcoholic!"

"Defend myself? Ok I'm not evil, I'm misunderstood!" Lindsey snorts, the sound muffled by his setting his glass on the bar top. Xander's ears pick up the southern slide of the vowels, his fear kicking up that Lin might break any second.

Xander steps closer to Buffy, tamps down the frustration and chooses his words carefully. Feels his jaw begin to ache with the strain of keeping it shut and not letting loose with everything he wants to say, everything he's kept to himself because they never noticed him before now, no one gave a damn until he went and skewered the almighty Angel. "Buffy, you better watch what you say. Some things can't be taken back. Remember that."

"How could you do this to us, Xander? We love you!" Buffy, ever the poster child for tough love, looks more likely to begin kicking ass than hugging and sharing. He's not going to tell her that this is the first time she's said it or shown it in so long that he wasn't even sure she knew what the words were about.

"Xander, we just want to talk to you, we are concerned for your safety." Giles seems to have decided that Buffy's ways are not going to elicit results. He's been watching everything with a keen eye, and he's looking less Watcherly and more dad-like as this conversation drags on. Apparently the thought of possession is not an option, not for Giles anyway, no matter what pat words he doled out to Willow minutes before.

"I know you guys are worried, but there was no reason for the big show-down. This is about Angel, not me." Tries to explain without getting into the whole story, without pointing to Lindsey and saying that he has a whole hell of a lot to stand on in his defense for the attack. Knows that they're just never going to get it, that it's not about his reasons, never was.

"No, it's not about Angel, it's about the fact that you're living with the kind of person we fight on a daily basis." Cold voice, hands on her hips as she faces off against him, and he wants so badly to throw Angelus in her face. He knows he can't -- different situation, different timing, but still she should remember that she's living in a glass house of her own, and no one ever throws a pebble.

"Buffy, this has nothing to do with you guys. I have to do my own thing." Hands out in a placating gesture, Xander steps towards her.

"Why does 'your own' thing have to include dating the devil's legal council? I mean, why? Why? Are you the woman in this relationship? Anya wasn't enough like your Daddy? Does he beat you, too?" The words are barely out of her mouth, and already she looks like she regrets them, split second of surprise on her face that she has actually spoken aloud. Gone in an instant, so fast that Xander may have only imagined it as he reaches out to grab her shoulders in anger and shock.

Slayer reaction time, *pow* right in the mouth, Riley too slow on the uptake to catch her until it's already too late, and her fist is coming back to rest at her side. Giles' and Willow's voices mingled in out-rage and disbelief - "Buffy!"

Lindsey running over from behind the bar to catch Xander's shoulders and turn him around to see the damage; there's already a bruise rising, and his lip is split. Puts his hand up to cup Xander's face, gentle, barely touching, sliding around to tangle in the curls at the back of his neck. Voice low, words meant just for the two of them, he asks, "Xan, are you going home with them?"

Xander blinks at him. "Do I have a concussion, because what you said didn't make any sense."

"Of course he's leaving with us. We're not going without him." Militant anger and no regret for what she's done, and Lindsey has had enough. He walks towards the group and points at Buffy, closer than Xander would have dared to get considering the way she just reacted, the way her hand's still in a loose fist at her side.

"You had best watch your tone. This is our home, and you just assaulted my lover. The only reason I'm not reaching for a weapon is that he cares about you." No more legal speak, no more rich lawyer overtones, his voice is low, deadly. //don't fuck with what's mine//

"Are you threatening me?" Smile on Buffy's face, and she wants her reason to be that clear, that cut and dried.

"Buffy, be quiet." Giles voice barks out with an authority Xander rarely, if ever, hears him use when he speaks to her. Riley's softer tone comes right on the tail end of it, "Honey."

Willow walks up to Xander, whispers, "Did she hurt you?" Wipes the blood away from his face with the sleeve of her shirt.

"Not too bad, Wills, I'll be ok." His voice is so tired, even to his own ears.

She's crying, tears running down her face. "I'm sorry, Xander. You should've called us." From her bag she pulls out a small parcel wrapped in pink, sparkly paper. "Buffy wouldn't let Dawn come, she told me to give you this." Presses the package into his hand.

Lindsey speaks up again. "I'm telling you it's time to leave. Saddle up and head out. Don't knock my doorman out next time, or tie him up, whatever you did. Just buzz up." Unspoken words, he's not going to keep them away from Xander if he still wants to see them after all this.

"Xander, I hope you know what you're doing. I'm afraid you have no idea." Giles looks sad, older by years than the last time they saw each other, and it's only been a few weeks. Xander and he stare at each other for a moment, and it passes. Xander feels there might be understanding in Giles' eyes, commiseration on similar choices.

"It was a sleeping spell," Willow suggests half heartedly, but no one pays her any attention.

"Xander, I would have never thought it would be you. Never." Hint of defeat in her eyes, Buffy turns away. Riley wraps an arm around her shoulders, and she lets him herd her to the door.

Willow hugs him one last time, tighttighttight, like she's memorizing his shape with her arms, and whispers in his ear "Call me, ok? I love you."

Giles waits for her, nods to Xander, and they walk out together, both of them with their heads downcast, Giles pulling the door closed with a soft click.

"Let me put some Neosporin on that lip." Lindsey's voice is soft, his hand catching Xander's, fingers winding them together. Leads him down to the bathroom, both of them silent. Flips on the light, gets Xander settled on the seat of the toilet. Looks down at the package in his arms.

"Whatcha got? A bomb?" Smiling, but not really kidding.

"It's from Dawn." Clutching it tighter in his hands.

Lindsey wets a washcloth with cold water, and hands it to him, makes sure Xander presses it to his face before Lin turns to find the tube of Neosporin in the medicine cabinet.

"Lin?" Such a small voice, it doesn't even sound like Xander. Lindsey peers around the corner of the open cabinet door.

"Yeah?"

"You want me to stay? Right?" Wide guileless brown eyes staring it him, weight of everything he's just walked away from just pressing down everywhere, and Lindsey feels his heart stutter and roll over, rush of protectiveness hitting him hard. Tries to make light of it.

"Now you get insecure? I was gonna hand you a cardboard box right after I doctored up your lip. Why don't you open your present so I can see what you got." Xander nods. Pulls the tape away from the perfectly wrapped rectangle piece by piece making sure not to tear the paper.

Inside is a note taped to the glass of a picture frame.

"Xander,
I really hate her sometimes! Ok, over that now. Willow told me she would give this to you. You did what you had to do. I understand, and so does mom. She says hello too. We just want you to know that we love you, and we will no matter what. I mean, we forgave Her Royal Slayness, didn't we? Not that you have to be forgiven, just, you know what we mean. Next time I come to L.A. to see dad, can I meet him? Is he cute? Mom picked out the gift.
Love you like a sister,
Dawn (and Joyce)"

Purple ink on seafoam paper. Under the note, a framed picture of the gang from senior year, one without Angel.

"Wow. I see your taste in clothes has actually IMPROVED." Wiping Xander's tears away with the back of his hand, Lindsey scrutinizes the picture. Xander with his arm around Cordelia sitting at a long wooden table; the redhead from today sitting on the lap of a green-haired boy; the older man to the side slightly, smiling broadly in tweed; Buffy pulling a face wearing a super short skirt. The backdrop appears to be a library.

Xander's old life, freeze frame.

Lindsey takes the picture from him, takes the note and the carefully preserved wrapping, sets it on the floor. Tips Xander's face up so he can see into his eyes, cups his chin and uses his thumb to wipe another tear track away. "You wanna talk about it?"

Shake of his head, no talking.

"Come here, baby." Tugs at Xander's shirt, gets a hitched in breath as a response. "Come on, let's get out of this room." Takes his hand and leads him into the bedroom. Pulls him in, tight hug, feels Xander shaking against him. Strokes his hair, his back, other arm pressed lightly around his waist.

After minutes of soothing, Xander comes back to him. His hands tighten on Lindsey's shoulders, he presses a soft kiss against the side of his neck, another up higher, tongue trailing up to Lindsey's ear, licks the crease there. Lindsey sighs, rolls his head and gives Xander the bare expanse of his jaw line. Xander's mouth, wet and eager, burns its way to his mouth, and Lindsey's opens under the assault. Deep thrust of tongue, Xander's hands sliding down his back, and his hips buck, thrust, roll. Heat and hardness pressed together.

Xander steps back, skins off his shirt, reaches out and tugs at the button on Lindsey's jeans. Jerks roughly, zipper sliding down with the force of it, and Xander's hand slides inside, fingers rubbing over the silky hot head of Lindsey's cock as he pulls the other man up against him. Lindsey groans against Xander's mouth, presses him back towards the bed. Sacrifices the pleasure of Xander's hand holding him for just long enough to get them both naked, shoving jeans over hips and tugging off sneakers and boots before dropping onto the bed and pulling the boy down with him. Full body press, and every part of Xander seems to fit against him so perfectly, indentation of his hipbone accommodating the swell of Lindsey's cock as he thrusts up, arching into the friction of skin on skin.

Xander raises himself on his elbows, tangles his hands in Lindsey's hair and works at the swelling, pink lips. His own mouth already suffused with blood, Xander skates it across Lindsey's, brush of heat, teasing. Again and again until Lindsey grabs a hold of Xander's neck and presses him down, catches Xander's bottom lip in his teeth gently, licks the captured flesh. Releases his lip, licks up into the open mouth, feels Xander's hips buck against him and the warmth of precome coat them both.

Hand slipping between them, fingers trailing in the wetness there, and Lindsey's back arches when a slick finger presses into him. Gentle push and crook of the knuckle and he groans out Xander's name. Another finger joins the first, slide and push and Lindsey is stretched wide, pleasurepain and need racing through him.

"Need you, Xan," he gasps out, and Xander responds with another slide, press, crook of his fingers before he lets Lindsey move again.

"Turn around." Xander's voice is harsh and breathless as he straddles Lindsey and gets to his knees. His hand on Lindsey's shoulder as he rolls, and then around his waist, pulling him up tight, hand fisted around the other man's cock. Lindsey moans, lets his head loll back and his eyes fall closed as the warm hands hold him, stroke him.

Xander pulls back, fumbles in the covers for the astroglide and stokes it over his own cock. Leans forward again, presses himself in, one long hard thrust, and it's just so hot and *tight.* Lindsey's hand on himself, touching and teasing himself all along the length of it while Xander pushes in and in and in. Slick heat of a mouth on the back of his neck, and the arms around his waist tightens, Lindsey just melts into it.

"Wait for me, baby," Xander whispers in his ear, and that's almost enough to cause Lindsey to not be able to accommodate the request. Hand stutters to a stop as Xander moves inside of him, every stroke nudging him right *there* and making him gasp and moan, bite his lip and whimper. Thrusts himself back hard against Xander, and they both shout. Xander trails his hand down Lindsey's chest, belly, brushes the hair and the base of his cock before he wraps his hand around it, sure of the touch.

Lindsey's hand reaches back, finds Xander's thigh and clenches there. Shuddering breath and Xander is moving again, pushing him forward into his hand, fucking him, stroking him, taking him right to the wall. Lindsey comes with a guttural moan, coating his belly, chest, covering Xander's hand. Sways forward, heavy in Xander's arms and they both go down on the bed. Momentum of the tumble pushes Xander in deeper and he comes, mouth open wide over Lindsey's shoulder, teeth nearly breaking the skin.

Stillness as the panting breaths slow and even out. Slide and roll of bodies until they're face to face, legs tangled and arms holding each other, net of sweaty limbs holding their breath in the dips between them. Kissing until they start to drowse with lips still touching.

Xander nuzzles under Lindsey's chin, his words spoken against smooth salty skin there. "I'm evil-Xander now."

"If you say so." Lindsey's hand on Xander's hair, stroking through the sweaty tangles.

"I think I should look for a job. Something I know about, maybe an occult book store. Or a Dunkin' Donuts." Drifting-mind talk, Xander settling in for sleep. Lindsey listens to his breathing pattern deepen.

"Xander?" Lindsey whispers into his hair.

"Yes?"

"I love you, I hope you know that."

"I hope so, 'cause you're stuck with me now."

=end series=

More? You sure about that? Fine... Epilogue: Revenge



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