Cat Magic
by
Amejisuto
Part Seven
“Will you two stop doing that?!”
Xander blinked from his position on Giles' couch where he and Spike were currently curled around each other. “Stop what?”
Buffy gave him a dirty look. “Stop looking so damn cute! It's unnerving.”
It had been weeks now but they were still trying to research just how and why Xander had changed. No answers had been found yet, but Xander found he really didn't mind. Every morning at dawn he returned to his human form so he was able to work and do other things like grocery shopping in the mundane world, and every night when the sun set he morphed into his more feline form. He still had opposable thumbs, though, so that was good, and for the most part he had his human intellect.
Xander chose to ignore what had happened the week before when Oz showed up the night before the full moon. It had taken both Spike and Buffy to keep the two of them from fighting and ever since they had tried to keep away from each other. Oh, Xander still liked Oz, especially since the other man wasn't the least bit bothered about Xander's relationship with Spike. No, they had to keep apart because, even in the daylight, if Xander got too close Oz's control of the wolf would slip. Xander was no better; he would get a feeling of anger from having another large predator in his vicinity. It was better if they kept apart.
Other than that, Xander was becoming used to his predicament. In fact, in a way it was fun. Finally he was able to match Spike's skills on patrols. It was exhilarating, being able to sneak just as quietly and to have the speed and strength necessary to keep up. Not only that but the sex was fantastic. He'd always known in the back of his head that Spike had held back to keep from hurting him, but Xander hadn't realized how much his lover had held back.
Three nights previously, after a fight with a Fyarl, they'd ended up in one of the parks, horny and triumphant. At first Xander had pounced on Spike, all but rutting against him and slamming him into a tree. Then they'd fought for dominance for a good half hour and the only reason that had ended was because they'd accidentally knocked down one of the larger oaks. Xander had burst out laughing at the irony of it and hadn't stopped until Spike used his laughter to his advantage and bent Xander over the trunk of the tree and fucked him until he couldn't stand.
That had been fun. And apparently his feline form had good healing properties because the only aftereffect was the tendency to whistle and grin goofily the next day at work.
Then there was George, as both he and Spike insisted they call Xander's tail – much to Giles's annoyance. His tail was just over four feet long, a rather impressive length, and if Spike was anywhere in the vicinity it ended up wrapped around him, one way or another. The only time it didn't was when they were fighting and then Xander either wrapped it around his waist to keep it from getting pulled or used it to trip his opponents. Otherwise, George wrapped itself around Spike any way it could. Right now, Xander's tail was wrapped firmly around Spike's waist, the tip of it going up over his shoulder to caress his cheek.
This was what was probably getting Buffy's panties in a twist. While both she and Willow were getting used to the idea of him and Spike being a couple, both girls made uncomfortable noises when they cuddled too much or really kissed. Spike told him privately that it was because both girls found it a turn on but Xander always covered his ears and refused to hear more about it. He SO did not need to know that Buffy and Willow were getting off on watching him and Spike.
What made Xander just about as uncomfortable was the fact that he was beginning to think he didn't want to get changed back to normal. After he got used to the change, well, Xander liked it. Thanks to the fact that he returned to human with the dawn, he didn't feel like a freak anymore. Well, anymore of a freak than someone who had a vampire for a lover. Still, he was happy, but Xander knew if he told the others that, they wouldn't understand. Well, Giles might but Buffy wouldn't and Willow would give him that teary anime face that made her eyes look five times bigger than they actually were.
Xander really couldn't handle it if she started crying so hard tears came spurting out her eyes. In fact, he'd like to avoid tears all together. Which was why they were all still trying to research what had happened.
Well, the others were researching. He and Spike were trying to grope each other and were using the large books to block everyone’s view of them. Although Giles probably had a clue since the man kept on glaring over at them.
Suddenly Spike stiffened. Xander glanced at his lover and then he heard it: a sound that reminded him of fingernails on a chalkboard. Xander gave a rumbling sound deep in his chest and could feel his ears flatten even as his tail unwound from Spike's middle and started lashing. The others noticed and both Buffy and Giles stood up and looked around the room.
Spike shifted to his game face and ran to the door before anyone could stop him. He threw it open, snarling the entire time. “What the fuck are you doing here?”
There stood Drusilla, in a long gown of pure white. “Hello, Spikey. Can you and your Kitten come out to play?”
Part Eight
Just hearing Drusilla's voice made Xander's hackles rise. While they didn't avoid mentioning their exes, he and Spike didn't really talk about them either. The fact that she'd shown up at Giles' condo was unnerving. He couldn't help it; he growled.
Spike took a step in front of him and for a moment Xander wondered if it was to protect him or Drusilla. Spike must have sensed that somehow since he backed up till they were touching and Xander's tail wrapped around his middle. “What do you want, Dru?”
Drusilla was wearing a dress that looked like it came out of the movie Emma that the girls always forced him to watch. All floaty and delicate. It gave Dru a bluish tint to her pale skin and made her seem even more otherworldly than usual. “Is that any way to talk to me, my William? After all I've done to give your pretty Kitten his claws?”
“I'm not yours, not anymore. You threw me away…and what did you do to Xander?”
Xander kept quiet but forced himself to loosen his hold on Spike. The others were staying quiet for now and he hoped Giles would be able to keep the girls from interfering. Since Spike had gotten snarly over him, Xander had relaxed just a fraction. His lover could handle the mad vampire; after all, he'd done it for over a century.
“The Little Tree opened a window and I snuck in, quiet as a mouse. Your dark boy needed courage so I gave a lion to the Heart.”
“You did this to Xander?” Giles had joined them at the door and had his angry Ripper-face on.
“Oh! Aren't you pretty, all anger and chaos?” Drusilla came up to the edge of the doorway and made snapping noises with her teeth as if she were a dog. “Wouldn't you like to come out and play with us?”
Spike snarled. “I am going nowhere with you, Dru, and neither is Xander! Just go back to Miss Edith and your tea parties and leave us the fuck alone!”
“Spike!” Buffy sounded as if she was having trouble holding herself back. “She has to end the spell on Xander.”
“No, she doesn't.”
Everyone was looking at him suddenly and Xander fought the urge to growl. With the exception of Spike, everyone's expression was of anger or confusion. His boyfriend was doing that leering thing with this tongue behind his teeth that made Xander want to either kiss him or hit him, sometimes both.
Willow's eyes seemed huge in her face. “Xander, you can't mean that.”
He took a deep breath. “Yeah, I do. I mean, even if it had been your spell I'd come to that decision. I was just waiting for you guys to give up. I just...like myself this way.”
“This way? Like a freak?”
Spike turned and snarled at Buffy. “Shut your fucking trap, Slayer!”
Xander felt his muscles tensing. “I'm not a freak. Look, I can be all...Joe Normal during the day. Go to work, get groceries, stuff like that. And at night I can keep up with Spike. Not like that!!” He glared at his boyfriend, whose leer was getting out of hand. “I mean, we're on a more equal footing. He doesn't have to worry about me getting killed when we're hanging out in some of the, uh, more demony type places in town.”
It was nice being equals on the sex front, too, but he was NOT saying that in front of Giles and Willow. Buffy, maybe, if only to annoy her a bit. As for Drusilla, if the others weren't here, he'd rub it in her face. She'd left Spike and if she thought she was getting him back, he'd use her as a scratching post.
Spike stepped even closer to him and Xander realized that he must have been growling or putting out some scent that let his boyfriend know he was feeling extra jealous. Xander welcomed his presence, and tried to remain calm. “Look, I've gotten used to my new...predicament, okay? And this way I'm much less of a demon magnet. No, I wasn't happy at first but I'm okay now. And I'm sure as hell not going to ask Drusilla to do a damn thing for me!”
The last sentence was said with a growl but Drusilla just giggled. “Ooh! Kitten doesn't want to play with me?”
“No!! Just go play with yourself!!” Xander paused and tried to ignore Buffy's snickering. “And I don't even care if you play with yourself that way! Just leave Spike and me the fuck alone!”
Drusilla growled, sounding like a deranged poodle to Xander. “William was mine before you were even born, Kitten. Miss Edith and I have a prior claim; his heart is in a jar on my shelf!”
Spike growled and left Xander's side, crossing the threshold and grabbing his Sire by the throat and slamming her against the side of the house. Xander and the others followed, none of them wanting to miss out on the show. Xander himself was torn between wanting to see how his nifty new claws would make Dru's face look and wanting a tub of popcorn to enjoy the show with.
“Whatever claim you had on me ended when you threw me away the last time. For over a bloody century I followed behind you, jumping to do your bidding at the slightest twitch of your petticoats, and yet I was never enough for you. Darla, bloody Angelus, countless other demons had you. You may have made me, but you don't own me, not anymore.”
By that time, Dru was sobbing and cursing all at once and Spike let her go. She slid slowly down the side of the house, but still reached for Spike. Spike stepped out of her grasp and came to stand by Xander, grabbing his tail and winding it around his fist. “Sorry, Dru, but you're beneath me.”
~*~*~*~*~
It was late and they were all tired. It had been a long night. Dru had run off, finally, and Buffy and Willow had all been for dragging her back and making her undo the spell she'd cast on Xander. Spike and Xander had said they just wanted to be left alone. At one point, Giles said he didn't care what the bloody hell everyone did as long as they stopped yelling and aggravating his headache.
To make matters worse, Willow was demanding an apology for the assumption that she'd been the one to transfigure Xander. Of course, Giles had pointed out that Drusilla herself had said that the “Little Tree” had made her spell possible so it had originally been Willow's fault for performing magic on one of her friends without permission.
Xander groaned and threw up his hands. “Willow, I'm sorry I assumed it was you, but it was you in a way. Either way, I'm happy so can we all just be satisfied and get along.”
“Yeah, luv,” Spike said with his patented leer. “Let’s you and me go get satisfied. What do you say?”
Xander blushed to the roots and carefully avoided his friends’ interested gazes. “Spike, I’m trying to be sensible here. Do you have to make things worse?”
Spike smirked at him. “Of course. You know I'm incorrigible.”
Xander laughed and let Spike pull him down on his lap as they settled on the couch. “You're a hundred and twenty year old brat, is what you are.”
“Here, here!” Giles looked the worse for wear as he walked over to his bar and poured himself a drink. “Now that the crisis has past and Xander here has decided to embrace his inner Furry, can all of you please leave?”
“Ewww! I don't want to think of Spike and Xander yiffing each other.”
Xander made a face. “Buffy, I don't have a clue what yiffing is.”
Willow raised her hand. “It's when people dress up in costumes like animals and sniff each other for sexual pleasure.”
“Red!! You kinky thing, you!”
“Eww! No, not me. I saw it on some crime show. Sheesh.”
“When you've been around as long as I have, luv, you know it's always the quiet ones.”
Xander laughed as Willow blushed as red as her hair at Spike's words. He knew his friends would take a while to accept him like this, but they would eventually. They were probably more thrown by the whole Spike and Xander thing than the Xander is now a werejaguar thing.
“Really. I wasn't kidding. Could you all please leave?”
“Look, Giles is being all grumpy. What's the matter, Giles, should we have let Drusilla take you out on a date?”
Spike chuckled and shoved Xander off his lap and they both stood up. “Nah, that Ethan bloke is supposed to be in town some time this week. I think ol' Ripper here is anticipating getting his end away.”
Buffy made an ick face. “Okay, I think we should all make a pledge not to talk about our sex lives. Any of us. Because there are just some things about my friends that I so don't want to know.”
“Well, I was gonna buy some catnip and see what me and Xan could get up to but if you don't want to know...”
Xander quickly slapped both a hand and a tail over Spike's big mouth, effectively cutting his boyfriend off. “Right. I think we all agree. Goodnight. Everyone have fun doing whatever.”
The girls were snickering and Giles was going for a refill on his drink as Xander dragged his protesting lover out. As soon as the door closed behind him, Xander removed his hand and tail from Spike's mouth and replaced it with his own. He kissed his lover until even he needed to breathe and broke away with a gasp. “Wow. Now, what was that about catnip?”
The End
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