"Piss off, Spike," Xander shouted at Spike. "Dear God, I swear you are more annoying to me right now than Andrew rambling on about Dragon Ball Z!" Spike and Xander were researching together while Buffy took the potential Slayers out for patrol. Dawn and Willow were doing homework and Andrew kept hitting on Dawn. Of course, he also kept hitting on Xander and Spike, but at the moment, he was off hitting on Dawn.

"Look, Harris," Spike spoke calmly, looking into Xander's eyes. "I don't think you're understanding me. Listen carefully. I'm willing to give you one FULL hour. One hour to get it all out. Insult me, beat me, torture me, what have you, with the one stipulation that I'm not dust afterward. One hour and we start fresh. After that, you stop throwing it in my face that I had sex with Anya, that I… hurt Buffy." The words caught in his throat. After a few moments, Spike shook his head and continued, not looking up. "I know that I've left nothing but damage and destruction in my wake. I am trying to change. I'm trying to start fresh. Give me a chance. One hour to do what you will and then we start over." He looked up, catching Xander's gaze, "Please, Xander. Please do this."

Xander saw the pain and pleading in Spike's eyes. "Fine," he sighed. "But not right now. If we're going to do this, we're going to do it right." The blond looked at him questioningly. "I want to make the most of my hour," he laughed. "My parents are going out of town tomorrow for a week or so and they wanted me to keep an eye on the house. Meet me in the basement tomorrow night at ten. We won't be disturbed there and none of the neighbors will call the cops because of the noise. They're all used to the screaming and yelling from that damned house." Spike nodded and returned to researching. Xander started making plans for the following night and his hour of nearly-free reign over the vampire.

*****

9:35 PM

Xander carried a box of supplies down to his former basement apartment. The sofa-bed was still down there. It was the perfect place to carry out his plans. Opening the box, he pulled out the enchanted ropes and tied them to the corners of the bed. He left loops to tie Spike spread-eagle on the bed. On the side of the bed away from the door, he placed a few items he would need for his hour. Xander brought a cross, holy water, a small flogging whip, a box of matches, a couple of the more interesting looking sex toys Anya had left, some lube and a first aid kit. He was ready for a little payback, but he wasn't a heartless bastard. He wasn't sure if he would use Anya's toys on Spike, but he would bandage the vampire up after the hour was up, if he would let him that is. He also had an old thermos filled with his own blood, to help with quick healing. There was no sense in letting everyone know what had to be done to gain peace between them.

Of course, the thought of having Spike splayed out, naked and spread-eagle on the bed, waiting for punishment, had Xander half-hard. Part of why he helped Buffy with slaying was the sexual thrill he got inflicting pain. He wondered if he had time to go to the bathroom and jerk off before Spike got there. A quick glance at his watch told him there wasn't time. Ten 'til ten and knowing Spike, he'd be there a little early. Xander groaned and adjusted himself, resigning to the fact that he would be at least half-hard for at least two hours. A knock at the door brought him out of his thoughts.

9:55 PM

Xander opened the door to see Spike flipping his cigarette into the driveway. "Good, you're here. Come in, Spike." The blond nodded and walked through the door, nervous about being in the basement again, especially with the scent Xander was giving off. He did his best to put it out of his mind.

Taking in the set-up of the room, Spike shivered. "Right, I'm here. Let's do this," he said with false bravado. "Sixty minutes. You say it, I do it. You dish it, I take it."

"Straight to business, I like that," Xander grinned. "Strip and lay down on the bed." Spike silently did as he was told. He knew not to talk back to Xander. He learned well from another handsome, dark-haired creature how to take punishment, that talking back only made things worse. "I won't tie you up, unless I need to. Do I need to, Spike?" The vampire shook his head, although he knew that before long, the ropes would be on his wrists and ankles. He always did have trouble staying still.

"You know, Spike," Xander spoke in a low voice as he walked to the items beside the bed. "When you proposed this, I thought you were nuts! But, after I thought about it for a while, I knew you were right. We both need this to get past the past." He picked up the spray-bottle of holy water and squeezed the trigger. A fine mist fell to Spike's chest, causing it to singe slightly. The vampire cringed and swallowed hard, but remained still and silent.

"Buffy told me about that night at the church. You wanted to fuck her then too, didn't you? When she turned you down, you draped yourself over a cross. You like crosses, Spike?" Xander picked up the cross and showed it to Spike. "My mother gave me this when I was eight. Such a small, little thing." It was a pendant on a chain, only about one half inch in length. "I wonder how much damage this little thing would do." He laid it gently on Spike's bare right thigh and watched as a small curl of smoke wafted up. Spike's hands fisted in the sheets and, against his will, his leg twitched, knocking the cross off and onto the bed. He whimpered in both relief and fear. The offending object was off his skin, but he knew the ropes were about to go on. He also knew the pain was getting arousing, as was the look in his punisher's eyes.

"I knew it wouldn't take long," Xander sighed. "Time for the ropes. You know, these are the same ones we used to tie you up when you first got chipped." Spike panted unnecessarily through his nose as Xander slipped the ropes over his wrists and ankles. "I always knew there was a reason I kept them." He cinched them tight, then pulled out the box of matches. Spike's eyes went wide with fear. Xander smiled and walked over to the pile of clothes and pulled out a cigarette. "I never smoke them quick enough. The pack always goes stale by the time I get halfway through it," he said, taking a drag off it. "But sometimes, I do like a good smoke."

Xander picked up the flogger and showed it to Spike. "Nice, isn't she? The outer tresses are bullhide and the inner tresses are suede." He smacked it down, with a crack, on the inside of Spike's left thigh. The sting of the leather, followed by its soft caress, caused Spike's cock to twitch. Xander stroked his hand lightly over the tiny welts the flogger left behind. He shook his head sadly as Spike's cock got steadily thicker and longer. "Hmmm…. not leaving quite the mark I want, but you seem to be enjoying this." Spike swallowed hard and looked intently at Xander, as if he wanted to say something.

10:20 PM

The leather flogger, now doused in the holy water, cracked in Xander's hand. Tiny droplets splashed and sizzled on Spike's chest. "I just realized that you've been awfully quiet through all of this and I know why." He brought the leather down one the pale stomach first one way, then the other, creating smoldering criss-crosses on the lithe body. He leaned down and whispered in the vampire's ear, "I haven't given you permission to speak yet." Xander stood and tossed the flogger back in the box. "I'm guessing that Angelus taught you that. Dru never seemed the type stable enough to train a slave. I probably should thank Angel for this. What do you think?"

Spike looked at Xander with pleading eyes. He wanted to beg that his Sire not be told. He was ready to promise anything, just so long as Angel didn't find out what he was doing at that moment. All he could do, however, was plead with his eyes and whimper softly. "Now, Spike, I'm going to give you the chance to answer one question, and I want you to be completely honest, or I will have a little chat with Angel. From the look in your eyes, my talking to your Sire is probably the last thing you want me to do." He reached down and trailed a finger softly down the length of Spike's cock, noting the slight thrust of his hips. "My question is, what is turning you on more at this very moment, me or what I'm doing to you?"

Xander gripped Spike's testicles when the blond didn't answer immediately. Spike hissed then ground out, "You. You're what's turning me on." He released Spike's balls and bit his own lip.

"Fuck," Xander sighed. He thought for a moment, then stood tall and faced the bound vampire. "OK, I just want you to shake your head yes or no. You're not allowed to speak. Do you know why I agreed to do this?" /No/ "Because of two women and a vampire. You fucked Anya, my ex-fiance, then tried to rape Buffy, my best friend. Was it just the sex I was mad about, in your opinion?" /Yes/ "Wrong. Believe it or not, I was fucking jealous of them. Buffy because she got to have your love and Anya because she was the one you turned to when that love wasn't returned." Xander stopped talking as he untied Spike's ankles. "I wanted so much for this to work. I know you just gave up a lot of your dignity to do this, but I can't continue." He untied Spike's wrists. "You can talk, say whatever you want. I brought a first aid kit and some blood for you." He sat dejectedly on the foot of the bed.

10:35 PM

Spike slipped quietly off of the bed and on to his knees. The hour wasn't up yet. He wasn't ready to put his well-formed attitude back on. On hands and knees, Spike crawled over and sat at Xander's feet. He nuzzled his head into the warm thigh, waiting for a response. Xander's hand instinctively fell to the bleached locks, fingers combing through it. Spike nuzzled again. "Hmmm? What is it, Spike?"

"Please," Spike whispered. "I promised you an hour to say whatever you wanted to me, do whatever you wanted to do. Please, let's finish this." Xander looked down into the blue eyes and was lost.

"Yes," he said nodding. "I do want to finish this. I can understand using Anya's body. It's a nice body and very talented. And Buffy, well, I understand that too. Not the attempted rape, but the loving of the Buff. I just don't get why you passed over me." Xander stood and started to pace. "Angel offered me to you the first time we met. Then you kidnapped me the next year, OK, so you were drunk out of your head and aching to get Dru back. When you came back again and were living in this very room, you still ignored me. Did you think I wandered around here in my boxers for my health?"

Spike looked up at Xander with lust in his eyes. He was kneeling on the floor, his cock jutting out from his body. "I was in denial." He dropped his head, "When we first met, I was concentrating mostly on Drusilla. The next year, I barely remember even being back on the Hellmouth, but again, I was thinking of getting Dru back. After I got chipped, I was so bloody pissed off that I even had the chip, that nothing got through. Plus the fact that I had to constantly watch you and Anya together." He kept his voice soft and low, expressing not anger, but regret.

"What are you saying, Spike? I mean, I figured out from various conversations with Angel and research in the Watcher's diaries that even as a human you swung both ways. I also know that you are very devoted." Xander kneeled down, facing Spike. "Are you saying that this is more than to make our peace so that we can stop distracting Buffy with our arguing? That it's about us?" Spike nodded. Xander brushed his lips lightly across the vampire's.

10:45 PM

Spike's trembling fingers unbuttoned Xander's flannel shirt, as their lips pressed together. Xander pulled back when cool fingers caressed a nipple. "Wait, Spike," he panted. "There's still fifteen minutes left. I don't want you doing this just because it's part of the hour you've given me. If this happens, I want it to be because we both want it." He looked nervously at the vampire, "Will you still want this after?" Spike nodded enthusiastically, making both men smile. "Good, so, let's get you cleaned, bandaged, clothed and fed. Then we can get out of here and into someplace more comfortable and less mildewy."

Together, they rinsed and cleaned any left over holy water and the singe marks on Spike's chest and thighs. A bandage was placed on the cross burn on his thigh. The rest of the marks would heal up quickly, once Spike drank the blood in the thermos. He slid on his jeans, socks and boots. The shirt stayed off because Spike's chest was still tender. Xander handed him the thermos and Spike's eyes went wide when he unscrewed the lid and smelled the thick, red fluid inside. "This is your blood." Xander nodded. "You brought me your blood. Why?"

"Peace offering, when I thought this was about making peace," he said. "OK, OK. I… I wanted a part of me to be in you," Xander cringed as he said it. "It sounds so cheesy to say it out loud. But…" He was hushed by Spike's lips brushing lightly. "Just drink it."

11:05 PM

The hour was over and the two men had a better understanding of each other. As they put Xander's supplies back in the box, Spike raised a scarred eyebrow at the lube and sex toys. "You were planning a bit more than what you did, weren't you, Harris?" Xander blushed. "I think we can put some of this stuff to good use. Why don't we go?"

The End

The Challenge:

PAIRING: Spike/Xander (duh!)
RATING: up to you

SET: Season 7

In order to make peace with Xander (or at least a kind of ceasefire) Spike offers Xander an opportunity to get even: One hour of payback for past insults and Spike's involvement with Anya.
“Sixty minutes. You say it – I do it. You dish it – I take it.”
What does Xander do with his one hour of power?