Staying

Xander/Wesley

FRT

Summary: Xander goes to Vegas to deliver a package and is surprised.

Spoilers: Everything for both Buffy and Angel

Disclaimer: Not mine never will be mine, no profit, no infringement intended, just for fun.

Distribution: My LJ, my site, anywhere else, just ask.

Feedback: is better than chocolate. Well almost.

Warning: slight violence, but nothing you wouldn’t see on the show.

Author’s Notes: Written for the second Xander round at maleslashminis and for bethynyc who wanted something post graduation in a non-CA setting. I threw in h/c for free.

Xander sighed as he turned down another dark alley. Stupid cabdriver refusing to come down here. Not that Xander blamed him. He hadn’t believed it was possible to be in any part of Las Vegas that wasn’t covered in neon, but here he was. There were no streetlights so he squinted at the scrap of paper in his hand. This had better be the right place or Giles was going to get an earful. He had a plane out to Cleveland tomorrow. Faith would kill, or at least severely maim, him if he missed her birthday bash.

Of course Xander was taking the long way to get there, no thanks to Giles. Mr. Head Watcher-man had sent him on some errands before he got to party on the new Hellmouth. A couple of stops in Europe to assure families that the Watcher’s Council was for real and that no their daughters were not freaks. He gave the usual speech---yes, he had a speech---followed by the video Buffy had made for all min-Slayers. It was almost getting to be routine, which Xander found entirely too weird, he’d never thought of himself as the kind of guy who’d have a routine.

A side foray to Australia to pick up the package he was now delivering to Las Vegas. He patted his pocket to reassure himself it was still there. Xander had been glad he wasn’t near a window while he flew over California so he couldn’t see the hole that had been Sunnydale or the burning remains of LA that the news people were insisting had been caused by riots. Yeah right.

A noise to his left made Xander turn. Stupid blind side. Stupid evil priest guy. Nothing there but the numbers on the wall told him this was the building he was looking for. Giles hadn’t said who the package was for, just that it was important and needed to get there safely. Another noise had Xander withdrawing the stake from his jacket pocket. Vampires, three of them, emerged from the shadows.

Not great odds, but Xander had fought with Buffy, been trained by her, he could handle them. One stepped forward with a growl and Xander lunged. The other two joined as he staked the first, dust landing everywhere. Xander was feeling better about his odds when three more appeared. He was surrounded. He took a deep breath, screamed out his best battle cry and swung out at the nearest vamp.

Xander managed to dust that one but then the stake was knocked from his hand and he found himself on the ground. He looked up but the figures in front of him were blurry. He scrambled for the stake and was rewarded with a boot to the kidney. More blows came before he was dragged upright. He closed his eye and waited for the fangs on his neck. Instead he heard the familiar poof and whoosh of a vampire dusting.

There wasn’t time to brace himself as he hit the ground again, harder this time. The vamps were on the run, but from whom? There was another poof and whoosh and then the approaching of his rescuer. Xander couldn’t remember if there was a Slayer in this area and he didn’t want to contemplate any other possibilities. He forced his eye open. The face was scruffy and older but familiar.

“Wesley?”

The face nodded. Xander closed his eye again and let the pain take him away.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

When Wesley had reached out to the new Council, to Rupert, he hadn’t exactly expected a response. By all accounts he was dead. Even he wasn’t quite certain how he’d survived Vail’s stabbing, but he wasn’t one to question Fate. When word came that his request was being fulfilled and the package would arrive in a few weeks, Wesley was pleasantly surprised. Perhaps he’d made the right decision after all.

The package would undoubtedly be delivered by some minor lackey. A long distant relation of a former, now deceased, colleague. So when Wesley was returning from his nightly walk---well, patrol really---and saw the tussle, he was astonished to find Xander Harris in middle of it. Why on Earth would Rupert have sent one of the inner circle?

Wesley shook his head and leaned down, hooking his hands under Xander’s arms and pulling him to a standing position. Then he slung one of Xander’s arms around his own shoulder, letting Xander’s body lean against his, half dragging him towards the building. Once inside and in the elevator, he propped Xander against the wall, taking stock.

He’d heard Xander had suffered an injury during the last days of Sunnydale, but hadn’t realized it was so severe. The patch made the boy, well it made him a man now, or perhaps Xander had been a man for many years now. Gone was the skinny, uncoordinated, badly dressed boy Wesley had known back in Sunnydale. In his place was a tougher, more defined and battle hardened warrior. There were lines on his face that hadn’t been there before and Wesley could only guess at what Xander had gone through. He could see three faint white lines on Xander’s cheek as well as numerous ones on his hands. Wesley was sure there were bound to be more scars hidden under the better-looking clothes as well as those of a psychological nature. No, this Xander Harris was not the one Wesley had known.

A sharp ding alerted him that the elevator had reached his floor.

He hauled Xander to his apartment, juggling the dead weight while attempting to reach his keys. When the door swung open, Xander was safely deposited on the sofa. Wesley went to the kitchen to unearth his med kit. Too many patch-up jobs on Gunn, Angel and…. Wesley dampened down those memories and concentrated on his current patient.

After retrieving his package from Xander’s jacket, Wesley methodically stripped the younger man. With a warm washcloth he washed away blood, frowning at bruises old and new. He took no notice of lean limbs, muscled abs or anything else for that matter. He took a moment to shake any sexual thoughts from his mind. It had been too long, but now was not the time, not was it appropriate given that Xander was not even a friend.

Xander was bandaged and re-dressed in some of Wesley’s pajamas. Now all he could do was wait. Wesley decided he would make some tea and go over the information on the disc Rupert had sent. It contained information on the new Council, their hunt for all the activated Slayers and their continuing search for Watchers to train them. Wesley wanted it to decide if he should offer his services to the organization that had spurned him in his time of need. He poured hot water into a cup and gave one last look to the sofa. His office wasn’t far so he would hear when Xander woke.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The pain woke him, it always did. Xander stifled a groan. Listening for clues to where he was. He could hear his heartbeat. Not a vampire, which was always a plus. The pounding in his head suggested he’d hit it when he’d been let go by the vamps. Xander concentrated and could almost feel the bruises forming along his ribs, but it didn’t hurt when he breathed which meant nothing was broken. There was the familiar scent of medical tape and the tug of bandages when he moved his shoulder. He attempted to flex various muscles and felt twinges here and there, but nothing major. He could move his fingers and toes and probably his arms and legs if he wanted to sit up, so that was good. Nothing hospital worthy and with any luck he’d be up and about in a few hours.

He concentrated on the sounds around him. There was the muffled tapping of keys from a computer and not much else. Xander ignored the headache and dared to open his eye. He was inside an apartment. But whose? It took a moment, but it clicked. Wesley. Alive.

No wonder Giles hadn’t been big with the deets. The light was off but there was enough light from the other room for Xander to see that he wasn’t wearing his own clothes. That meant that Wesley had…. Okay, so not going there. Xander attempted to sit up. This time he couldn’t hold back the moan. Xander heard the scrape of a chair and the sound of footsteps getting closer. He wished he could look over the back of the couch.

“Ah, well, at least you haven’t suffered permanent damage.”

Xander sputtered. “Permanent damage? If you call having the vamps shoe size forever imprinted on my chest not permanent.” He glared at where he thought Wesley was. “Aren’t you supposed to be dead?”

Wesley came around to the front of the couch. “Rumors of my demise are…well, I’m sure you know the rest,” he smiled. “How are you feeling?”

“Like I’ve been beaten.” Xander gave Wesley his best ‘duh’ expression. Then he panicked. “The disc! Did it…?”

Wesley laid a calming hand on Xander’s chest.

“It’s fine, no damage done. You on the other hand are not fit to go anywhere. You’ll be a guest on my couch for a few more days.”

Xander tried to sit up again and instantly regretted it. Wesley’s hand on the back of his neck helped guide him back down again. It was comforting and not at all weird. Which should have been weird but wasn’t.

“I can’t stay,” Xander finally managed to squeak out. “I’ve gotta get to Cleveland.”

Wesley removed his hand from Xander’s neck and patted his hand. Xander looked at him.

“Worry not. I called Rupert to let him know you’d arrived and he told me of Faith’s party. He said he would call and explain your absence. So you are in no danger.”

“Yeah, right,” Xander muttered. “She’s still gonna hurt me for not getting her present on time.”

Xander started to say something else but instead just closed his eye and hoped Wesley would think he was going to sleep or something. The sound of retreating footsteps told him Wesley has taken the hint.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Four days passed quickly. They’d been awkward that first day, a lot of silences. Then they’d started to open up. Xander told Wesley how Buffy and Willow and Giles were doing. Wesley had briefly talked about his time with Wolfram and Hart. Other than that they left each other alone, except during meals. They ate together, Xander on the couch, Wesley on the floor in front in case Xander needed help.

Wesley was surprised that they now had so much in common. They talked about languages, demons and other general supernatural topics. Xander also turned out to be quite the chess player. Wesley continued to suppress any thoughts he had of a sexual nature. Just because Xander had a, well, great looking body, it didn’t mean that he was feeling the same way. But that didn’t prevent Wesley from looking when the opportunity arose.

Xander was stifled at first, with the not leaving the couch. Wesley had to help him to the small bathroom when nature called and for daily showers. Xander had convinced him that he could stand on his own for those, thank you very much. Of course, leaning on Wes let Xander figure out that the guy wasn’t as skinny as he had been. Plus, small apartment, so he’d seen Wes in a towel a few times. Not that Xander was intentionally looking or anything. Okay, maybe once.

He wasn’t going to ask Wes about the small round scar near his stomach that looked vaguely like a bullet hole. Nor did he mention the faint line around Wesley’s neck. He got a good look at that when Wesley was changing the dressing on his shoulder. In return Wes didn’t ask about Xander’s scars. It was a thing. The enclosed space was also affecting his dreams. He’d woken up one night, his borrowed boxers sticky and wet, the images of Wes naked and sweaty fading.

They had both avoided the subject of Faith’s party. Wesley suspected that Xander had other reasons for wanting to go to Cleveland, but figured Xander would talk when and if he wanted to. Now it was time for Xander to leave, for London this time, back to the welcoming arms of his friends. He had no bags so all Wesley had to do was call a taxi.

Xander was waiting on the sofa, not really enthusiastic about leaving. All that he had to go back to was more training of Slayers and being sent on trips by Giles. Being a Watcher wasn’t all it was cracked up to be. Wesley understood that. Maybe he should ask him for advice on what to do. He looked up when Wesley sat down next to him.

“It was more than Faith’s threats of bodily harm that made you want to go, wasn’t it?”

Xander glanced at him before nodding.

“Would you care to tell me?”

Xander mumbled. “Buffy was going to be there.”

Buffy, of course. “I see.”

Xander shook his head. “I don’t think you do. Not that it would have mattered anyway, she wouldn’t have noticed I was there. I’m in love with my best friend and she’d rather be with dead guys than be with me.”

Wesley reached out and patted Xander on the back. Xander seemed to lean into the touch.

“I understand more than you know.”

Xander glared and started to speak but Wesley held up his hand.

“I am also in love with my best friend. He’s with a werewolf now. And quite happy, but not too happy.”

Xander’s eye was wide as what Wesley said sunk in.

“He? You mean…oh. He survived?”

Wesley nodded. “He shanshued.”

“Shanshoobie what?

“Shanshued. Became human.”

Xander took a moment. “So Angel became a real boy huh?”

“Rupert didn’t tell you?”

“No, guess it didn’t matter what with the world not ending and all.”

“Perhaps it didn’t. And perhaps it was for the best given his history with Buffy.”

“Yeah.”

They sat in silence contemplating their wretched love lives. Xander’s thoughts turned to the dreams he’d been having and wondered what being with a guy was like. It wasn’t like Wesley was the worst choice in the world. Wesley understood where he was coming from and maybe that was something to hold onto. Plus he’d seen Wes looking at him. Maybe….

“Stay,” Wesley said suddenly.

“What? Huh? Why?” Xander was shaken from his thoughts.

“I would like the company. I’ve been…alone for far too long. You don’t really need to go to London do you?”

Xander thought about it. Buffy would be there. Why subject himself to further heartache? He didn’t mind hanging with Wes. It was kind of….nice. And he did have three weeks of vacation coming. Maybe they could see the rest of Vegas. Or not.

He shrugged. “Why not?

Wesley smiled and Xander grinned back. Neither mentioned that Wesley’s hand was still on Xander’s back.