Xander could hear a fly buzzing somewhere in the next room as everyone in the room, with the exception of Spike, turned to stare at him in shock. He looked around at his friends and saw horror, disbelief, bewilderment, and surprise.

"I think I speak for everyone when I say, huh?" Buffy glanced from Spike to Xander, a questioning look on her face. "When did you two start defending each other?" She turned to the others. "Is this another weird dream? Is the First Slayer going to make an appearance with the weird Cheese guy?" Willow and Giles shrugged and Dawn looked confused.

"Spike and I have buried the hatchet...so to speak." Xander stumbled over the last part of the explanation as a naughty smirk crossed Spike’s face fleetingly. He glared at the blond. Little pervert. "We’ve decided that as the only guys in the group..." Giles cleared his throat loudly and gave Xander a pointed look. "Uh...the only non-Watcher guys in the group...that we should forgive and forget and just try to get along." He turned to Spike and saw the vampire’s sudden hurt, angry look. Oh, shit. Mt. Spike was about to combust. He just knew that Spike was going to say something they'd both regret.

"So, that’s it, is it? That’s just bloody great, that is! Bleedin’ little hypocrite, that’s what you are! Thought you were going to tell them about...us. ‘Spike and I have buried the hatchet.’ Why not be honest with your mates?" He saw Xander shake his head, making little gestures to shut him up and his eyes flashed gold. "Right, let’s not listen to Spike. Might get a bit of truth on you. So do you shag all your mates, pet, or just the expendable ones? You won’t be shoving me into a closet every time you want to feel all hetero! You got that, Harris? I’m no one’s dirty little secret!" Spike’s face rippled as he fought the demon back. Collective gasps all around the room erupted as Spike made it clear to everyone in the room just how well he and Xander were getting along. Xander looked annoyed and glared at Spike from beneath his lashes as the vampire slowly realized what he had done. Spike closed his eyes, groaning. Bloody buggering fuck! Once again, his infamous temper got the better of him and all of his insecurities came pouring out of his mouth.

"Why don’t you say it a little louder, Spike? I don’t think they heard you in China!" Xander growled at the blond. "Jesus!"

"You had sex with Spike? Are you crazy?" Buffy shrieked, startling the bickering couple into silence.

"Xander, you never told me that you were gay." Willow said, sounding extremely hurt that her best friend didn’t think he could tell her something so important.

"I’m not gay!" Xander protested, his voice rising.

"Okay, now I’m confused." Dawn wrinkled her nose and her brow, trying to understand how a man could have sex with another man and not be gay. "You just said you had sex with Spike, right? But you're not gay? Oh! Are you bisexual?"

"Oh, dear Lord." Giles groaned, popping a lens out of his glasses that he was furiously polishing. He needed a drink...hell, he’d settle for a case of Jack Daniels right about now. Buffy’s once peaceful living room was now utter chaos.

"He didn’t have sex with me, Slayer. I reamed his sweet little cherry ass and he loved it. Begged me to take him harder...you should have heard him scream for me." Each word out of Spike’s smirking mouth made Buffy and Giles cringe. Horrified at Spike’s crudeness in front of the girl, Willow covered Dawn’s ears, but the teen shook her off.

"Spike! God, will you just shut up!" Xander thumped him really hard on the shoulder. He would have gladly strangled his lover if Dawn hadn’t spoken up.

"It’s about damn time, you two!" Now, all eyes turned to stare at her. "Oh, come on! All the snarling and snarky comments back and forth...I used to think it was competition that was making them growl at each other. Willow, how did Xander act around Cordelia before you all found out they were an item?"

"They fought like...cats and dogs..." Willow’s eyes widened as she realized where Dawn was headed with her theory. "Oh!"

"See!" Dawn announced happily, "Foreplay!" Xander’s mouth dropped open and even Spike looked embarrassed. "From how they’ve been reacting to each other, I’d say it was lots and lots of foreplay." Xander looked mortified and Spike seemed a little dazed.

"Dawn!" Buffy gasped, but her sister just rolled her eyes.

"They have been rather snarky, Buff." Willow said, "I thought Xander and Cordy hated each other until I caught them together. Sexual tension all over the place."

"Thanks, Wills...helping out a lot." Xander sighed. "I need to talk to Spike..can we use one of the rooms upstairs?" Spike bit his lip. The boy was going to dust him, he just knew it.

"Yeah, sure, you can use the guest room. Talk as much as you want." Dawn grinned, much to Spike’s embarrassment.

"Dawn!" Buffy yelped. She buried her face in her hands.

"Move it, Blondie!" Xander gave the vampire his best glare and Spike mechanically stood up, silently following the dark-haired boy up the stairs.

"Wow! Xander practically has him trained!" Dawn laughed. A loud growl sounded from above them and the teen slapped a hand over her mouth. Spike didn't growl at her often, but he wasn't joking around when he did. "I bet they’re really hot together. Can't you just imagine? I bet..."

"Dawn, I beg you not to continue." Giles pleaded, not wanting to think about Spike defiling the boy or vice versa. Dawn’s statement quickly brought an image that he wasn’t prepared to deal with...Xander, dressed all in leather, holding a whip and Spike tied to a bed. Make that two cases of Jack Daniels. And a shot of whiskey...and a cold shower.

"Oh, make the bad image go away!" Buffy prayed to no one in particular as Spike’s words echoed in her head. I reamed his sweet little cherry ass...loved it...should have heard him scream. She tried to shake the image out of her brain, not realizing that she wasn’t the only one.

Upstairs, Xander ushered Spike into the room formerly known as Buffy’s. After Tara’s death, Willow had moved into Dawn’s old room and Buffy and Dawn shared the master. Willow had not wanted to sleep in the room where Tara had been murdered. Dawn wouldn’t sleep in there alone, so Buffy moved into the master bedroom with her.

"Are you completely out of your mind?" Xander demanded, wanting to shake the blond until his teeth rattled. "Do you have any idea how much therapy they’re going to need from this? You can’t just go spouting off like that, Spike! I was trying to give us time to discuss how to tell them. I was not shoving you into a closet! Dawn doesn’t need to know what happens in my sex life! She’s fifteen, for Christ’s sake! She probably wants to throw us bare-ass naked in a pool of jell-O and watch us wrestle!" Spike was pouting, his lower lip stuck out a bit. He looked like a sullen four-year old who had been denied a treat.

"I didn’t want to be your dirty little secret. I may be love’s bitch, but I’m not a fool. You have a history for hiding people in closets...Cordelia, for example. Red caught the two of you or I’m sure you never would have gone public with that relationship and you two didn’t even shag! You and Red even had a thing, but you got caught again...by your significant others, no less! How was I to know that our situation would be any different? For once in my godforsaken existence I wanted someone I loved to be proud of me, to care about me enough to let his friends know that I was special, that I was his and he loved me." Spike’s voice cracked, but Xander wasn’t sure anymore if he was the ‘he’ that Spike was referring to.

"Are you talking about me or Angelus?" Xander asked, his voice soft.

"I am not in love with Angelus! What I felt for him is nothing like I feel for you. You...I drown in you, Xander...get lost in your eyes...you warm me from the inside out." Spike reached up, caressing Xander’s face with his fingertips. Xander nuzzled Spike’s hand, rubbing his face against the cool palm.

"I’m not ashamed of you, Spike. I love you. I just didn’t think it was the right time to spring it on them. I was mad because you just threw it out there without warning. You can’t be so careless. I like you the way you are. I can’t kiss a pile of dust." He leaned in and captured Spike’s lips with his own. He let the blond take control and moaned as Spike deepened the kiss, their tongues teased and tasted. Spike tugged him to the center of the room and pulled the boy onto the double bed. "Spike...we...we shouldn’t...they’re all downstairs!"

"Oh, live a little, pet...sex is better when you run the risk of getting caught." Spike gave Xander that naughty smirk again, which caused heat to unfurl in the pit of Xander’s stomach. Spike looked pleased as he heard Xander’s heartbeat accelerate. "Now, strip."

TBC...