Ethan groaned a little as he woke up, rolling over from the edge of the bed where he inexplicably found himself and draping himself much more comfortably over Rupert. He had a headache, and the day hadn't even started.

Murmuring sleepily, Rupert moved to accommodate him, one arm going around him. Ethan groaned again and more pointedly, hoping for some sympathy. He got another sleepy murmur and an equally sleepy kiss to his forehead, but Rupert remained mostly asleep.

Sighing, Ethan sat up. He was probably dehydrated and was definitely experiencing a form of hangover from yesterday's emotional excesses. He cringed at the thought of his behaviour. Buffy arriving had knocked his equanimity flying. A cup of tea and a Neurofen or two were called for, and if he couldn't persuade Rupert to fetch them, he'd do it himself, although he hadn't quite given up on the first just yet.

"Ethan?" Voice rough with sleep, Rupert blinked up at him. "Something wrong?"

"Headache," he replied in a thick voice which wasn't at all put on.

Rupert sat up, pressing up against Ethan's back, gentle hands coming up to rub at Ethan's temples, sending out small tingles of magic that felt as sleepy as Rupert did. It felt good though, better than ibuprofen.

Ethan leant back against Rupert and moaned gratefully. "Thank you."

"Welcome." He dropped a kiss on Ethan's shoulder. "Come lie back down. We've a couple of hours yet before we have to start scrambling around."

"Just don't stop doing that," Ethan said, doing as he was told. Tea could wait; this was better. He snuggled close again, kissing Rupert with slightly cracked lips.

Rupert's tongue darted out and licked gently at Ethan's lips, even as he got them both settled down in the blankets again.

After chasing Rupert's tongue with his own for a few moments, Ethan pulled back enough to focus and smile wearily. "I suppose yesterday wasn't all a bad dream?"

"Buffy's still here in London," Rupert confirmed, leaning in to kiss him again. "And I still love you."

He thought he managed to hide his automatic reaction to the B-word. "I am sorry about yesterday. I... I got caught by surprise."

"It was a bad time for her to show up." Rupert sighed, pulling Ethan closer. "I know we're inevitably going to have our disagreements, but I don't like it when we fight. Brings back too many bad memories."

That was all too true. "It rather knocks me for six as well," Ethan understated. "I wear your ring. I'm in your heart, and we're pretty much dependent on each other. Exactly when is this all going to filter through to my apparently mentally deficient insecurity?"

Rupert stroked his fingers against Ethan's cheek, his gaze on them instead of meeting Ethan's eyes. "Considering everyone you've ever relied on before this, including me, has left, I'd say you've been showing remarkable courage in trusting as much as you do."

It felt good having that acknowledged. Ethan smiled gratefully. "I dreamt about my Nan," he admitted. "Weird, that. Unexpected."

Rupert's fingers slid upwards, through Ethan's hair. "Good dream?"

Ethan frowned a little as he thought about it. "Yes. Well, certainly not a nightmare anyway. It was... comforting but sad, I'd say."

"Do you want to tell me about it?"

"I don't remember a lot really. Just that she was there, watching over me the way she always did before they took her away. I remember the feel of her hands on my face and feeling sad because even in the dream I knew she was long lost to me. That's it."

"I'm sorry you lost her," Rupert murmured, his fingers still stroking comfortingly through Ethan's hair.

He shrugged slightly. "It was over forty years ago, dearheart. I imagine she symbolises something to my subconscious, that's all."

Rupert leant in and kissed him. "I'm still sorry."

After savouring the kiss, Ethan thought for a while. "I often wonder where she went. I know an ambulance took her. I watched it from across the street, but no one ever told me where or why. I always presumed she'd died, once I was old enough to think it through anyway, but I don't know."

"We could find out if you want," Rupert offered. "With the Council's resources and connections it shouldn't be too hard to track down records."

Ethan rubbed his hand over his lips, very uncertain how he felt about the idea. He'd opened his mouth to ask Rupert to let him think about it for a while, when the phone began to ring.

Sighing and giving Ethan a rueful smile, Rupert rolled over enough to answer their upstairs extension. "Giles speaking."

Ethan sat up and started to arrange pillows for them both as he listened in.

"Hello, Lucy." Rupert paused, smiling at Ethan as he settled back against the pillows. "No you didn't wake us." Another pause. "No, you didn't interrupt anything else either."

Ethan laughed and said, "Yet," loud enough to be heard as he snuggled back up to Rupert in their new positions.

"Was there something in particular you wanted?" Rupert asked Lucy, moving the phone so that Ethan could hear her end of the conversation as well.

Lucy's voice sounded a little tinny, listening to it like this, but Ethan appreciated being allowed to join in. "Well, to be frank, Rupert," she was saying, "I've been expecting you to call me for several days now."

"So you decided to call us at the crack of 'oh my God it's early' to find out why not?" Rupert was using his driest of tones.

"I've been up at least two hours already. I suppose you two slugabeds thought you were going to have a Sunday lie-in."

"I still think it, actually," Rupert told her pleasantly. Ethan chuckled and began to play his hand over Rupert's chest as he listened to Lucy's reply.

"Well, let's make this a quick chat then. I've been waiting for a report on the progress you've made with the exercises we set you."

"Yes, that's a rather interesting question," Rupert told her. "We've made very little progress with the exercises themselves, but we have with their goal."

There was a huffing noise on the other end of the line before Lucy asked, "Which means?"

Rupert smiled at Ethan, sliding a free hand along his arm. "We're a bit too connected to have much success at doing the exercises as assigned."

She sighed. "So you've been shirking? And no, Ethan, that wasn't a euphemism for anything." Ethan stuck his tongue out at the receiver and continued to amuse himself with Rupert's upper body, teasing a nipple by circling around it with the edge of his nail.

"It isn't so much that we've been shirking as that the exercises are proving to be irrelevant," Rupert told Lucy, giving Ethan a stern look.

Ethan decided that the look was clearly a request for more, so he took the hardened nub between his fingers and pinched just firmly enough to be felt.

"Rupert, the exercises are far from irrelevant," Lucy was saying. "I'm surprised at you taking these things so casually."

"I'm not," Rupert said, sounding just the smallest bit wounded at the accusation. "But the exercises aren't... We don't need them."

"Of course you need them."

Ethan sighed and stopped his far more pleasurable activities to place his mouth closer to the phone. "Lucy, sweetheart, we know your intentions are nothing but the very best, but with all kudos and respect due, you don't know what we need."

"I understand the whole train and practice regimen, Lucy," Rupert put in. "Lord knows I've been preaching it to a variety of Slayers over the years, but some things can't be trained. They're instinct, they're... like breathing. You just do them when you have to."

Ethan pulled back enough to look at Rupert. He felt... proud. He grinned hugely and didn't even bother to listen to Lucy's reply, which he could well imagine anyway, deciding that it was more important to reward Rupert for grasping the concept so thoroughly, which was, after all, quite alien for him. Moving down the bed, Ethan wriggled half over Rupert and began to lick the nipple he'd just been playing with.

Rupert gave him another look, equal parts exasperation and affection. "Some things are that simple," he said, answering whatever it was that Lucy had said to him.

Ethan let a touch of his magic travel through his tongue as he flicked at Rupert's nipple. In the meantime, his hand was moving down, circling Rupert's belly and teasing the edge of his pubic hair.

Ethan saw the reaction to the touches flash over Rupert's expression, but Rupert's voice remained steady. "We appreciate all the help you've given us, Lucy, really, but we've just reached a place where we have to branch out on our own."

Dissatisfied with the reaction he was getting, Ethan bit, just hard enough to hurt a little. In response, Rupert's free hand came down and yanked on Ethan's hair, pulling him away.

"Yes, Lucy, we're absolutely sure."

That hurt somewhat, but more importantly, it made Ethan hard. He lifted himself up on an elbow to protect his scalp, and with a very evil grin, reached his other hand, charged up with magic, further down to slide across Rupert's cock.

"We really do know what we're doing, I promise. The next time we come down, you can test us if you'd like." Rupert yanked on Ethan's hair again, then pushed him over until he was lying on his back. Ethan felt magic circling his wrists, tugging both his arms over his head, and holding them in place by invisible shackles. "Now if there's nothing else, I have a bit of a situation coming up here that I have to deal with."

Rupert was demonstrating exactly how well he'd learnt Ethan's lesson about spontaneity and instinct in magic, and Ethan couldn't have been more pleased, or indeed, aroused. It had been a while since they'd played a game like this, and he'd missed them. The magic shackles, which tingled and sent small shocks down his arms when he struggled, only added to the excitement.

"Bye Lucy," he said happily, loud enough hopefully to be heard.

Rupert listened for a moment longer and then let out a sharp bark of laughter. "Don't worry, I will," he said and pressed the button to hang up. Looking down at Ethan, he remarked, "You are incorrigible."

Ethan wriggled pleasurably, tugging at his invisible bonds. "You like me this way."

"I like you any way," Rupert pointed out. "That doesn't mean I want to encourage your bad behaviour."

Feeling as incorrigible as he'd been named, Ethan grinned. "What are you going to do to discourage me then?"

"What do you think I should do?" Rupert ran a hand trailing magic down Ethan's chest.

Gasping quietly, Ethan briefly shut his eyes. "Show me the error of my ways?"

Rupert straightened up, regarding Ethan thoughtfully. "I think," he said slowly, "I want to hear you beg. And," he smiled in a way that sent a shiver down Ethan's spine, "I want to hear you scream."

"That's nice," Ethan said, still smiling despite both his excitement and trepidation. "I'm sure I'll be able to oblige with the right incentive." He slowly pushed the covers the rest of the way off himself with a foot.

Rupert slid his hand over to tweak one of Ethan's nipples with magic. He pulled his hand away, but the magic remained behind.

Ethan inhaled sharply. "God." He struggled a little more sincerely in his bonds, needing a more physical touch where the magic tingled and stung. It was tugging somehow at his own magic. "I'm beginning to think you have learnt your lessons a little too well."

"I believe I've mentioned before that I've always been a quick study," Rupert replied in a conversational tone. His hand moved to Ethan's other nipple and repeated its action.

Ethan could of course reach out with his own power and tweak Rupert's arousal, doing to Rupert pretty much what Rupert was doing to him. Ethan could use his own magic to break the restraints around his wrists. He would do neither thing; the game was not played that way. He had no intention of using his own magic at all, unless of course he was told to.

Mind you, the way his power was responding to Rupert's touches might make that resolution a little hard to follow to the letter.

"This is much more convenient than having to fumble for actual physical implements." Rupert trailed his hand down over Ethan's stomach.

"Yes," Ethan agreed, trying and failing to relax into the constant sensations from his nipples. "Very handy." Rupert's fingers, still lightly charged with magic, trailed down Ethan's cock. "God..." Ethan moaned, pushing up to try to prolong the contact. "Ripper."

He got a smile for that, one that was very familiar from the old days. It gave Ethan a half-second of warning before Rupert's hand closed around the base of his cock, leaving a tight circle of magic behind when he let go again.

"Fuck!" Ethan didn't swear much and preferred a more humorous coarseness when he did, but there were times when only one word would do. His hips thrust uncontrollably up. "Take it off!" A magic cock ring was too much. It throbbed and pulled at his own magic and was basically set to drive him quickly crazy.

The smile was back, or, more accurately, still there. "No," Rupert said.

Writhing and panting, Ethan stilled enough to meet Rupert's eyes and beg, "Please?"

"No," Rupert repeated, lightly tracing Ethan's features, his finger hovering over the skin so only his magic touched Ethan. "Not yet."

Ethan could tell by Rupert's expression that he meant it, and if Ethan persisted with his complaints and demands, the whole exciting game would be over. He closed his eyes and tried to calm down as much as he could with the constant tight thrum of magic around some of his most sensitive areas.

He felt Rupert's fingers trail magic all over his skin: up and down his arms, over his chest, down his legs. It was almost lazy, gentle, except for the touch of the magic accompanying it. It pulled his own magic out; he was helpless to stop it. He knew Rupert would be able to feel the answering tingle in his fingertips.

"Oh," he groaned. "Ripper. You're going to break me." He wasn't, of course, but appealing to Rupert's concern might shorten this torture. Not that Ethan truly wanted it to stop, but this was part of the game.

"Not break," Rupert countered. His hand stole up Ethan's inner thigh. "Bend a little perhaps."

That made him chuckle. "Fait accompli, dearheart."

"Oh, I've barely started, love." Rupert's hand had reached his balls, and cupped them gently, sending a slightly higher concentration of magic through them.

Clenching his jaw, Ethan tensed his muscles and tried not to cry out. "I meant, as I'm sure you realise," he said through his teeth, "that I was already... oh God... thoroughly bent."

"You know, that was one of the first things I noticed about you." Rupert's hand slid back, brushing over the perineum.

Ethan bent his knees up and opened his legs, giving Rupert better access. "Was it the glitter that gave me away?" he asked with a rather desperate laugh.

"The glitter was certainly a clue, but what clinched it was you sitting in that tosser's lap." A finger slid inside Ethan.

He grunted, and then, as the finger sparkled with magic inside of him, he groaned deeply. "Are you sure," he staggered out, "that it wasn't... oh... the way I was looking at you?"

"That just made me think you were stalking me." Another finger was added. "Until later at least."

"I was stalking you," Ethan pointed out. "Ripper, please..."

Rupert smiled. "Is that begging I hear?"

As the answer was obvious, Ethan didn't bother to confirm or deny; he just continued, "Please. I need more. Really."

"What do you need more of? All you need to do is ask me. I'll give you anything you want."

"You." Just one word, but it was said emphatically. Rupert looked at him for a long moment, expression intense, then leant over and kissed Ethan breathless. He was panting when Rupert drew back. "More," he demanded, quickly adding a sincere, "please."

Shifting position, Rupert pushed Ethan's legs up and slid into him on a stream of magic.

Ethan's head tipped back between his raised arms, and he gasped. "Yes. Oh bloody hell, yes."

Rupert fucked him slow and steady, hard and deep. "God, do you have any idea what you look like right now?" he asked, voice low and rough with arousal.

"Like a spatchcock hen, I imagine," Ethan replied between appreciative moans. Rupert felt so damn good inside him.

"Abandoned," Rupert told him, kissing him. "Beautiful. Wanton." Each word was accompanied by another hard thrust and followed a long lingering kiss.

Ethan stared up, his breath ragged, and added the single word "yours" to the list.

Rupert's eyes fluttered shut for a brief moment at that, but quickly opened again, as if he were afraid of missing something. "Yes," he agreed, thrusting a little faster. "Mine."

When Rupert spoke the word, all the magic restraints on Ethan flared up, sending a sharp spike of power through his entire system. Ethan's body jolted in reaction, and he held his breath, but the sensation continued on at this more intense level.

"Breathe," Rupert murmured, leaning over to kiss him.

"I..." Ethan heaved for just enough air to speak, but no more. "I can't."

"Breathe," Rupert ordered in that tone of voice that always sent shivers down Ethan's spine, and he found himself dragging in breath after ragged breath, his clenched muscles also inadvertently relaxing. And without the rigid hold on his reactions, all Ethan's self-control, such as it was, vanished. He was lost to the sensations wracking his body, moaning incoherently and writhing. "That's it." Rupert fucked him harder, his voice becoming huskier as he moved. "Breathe. Feel. Feel me. Loving you."

Overwhelmed by the pressures growing inside him, Ethan wailed a word that might just about have been, "Please." He had lost control of his magic and could feel it joining with Rupert's, not just within and around his own body, but moving into Rupert's as well. He was desperate for release, but the tight band of magic around his cock, as well as Rupert's will, made an unpoppable cork. "Ripper... please."

"I want you to remember this," Rupert told him, slowing briefly. "When you start doubting, I want you to come back to this moment and remember me moving in you, claiming you, possessing you. You're mine. Nothing's going to change that."

Then Rupert was slamming into him, and Ethan simply couldn't think. His whole body was throbbing; it seemed swollen with an almost unbearable flood of sensation ready to damburst and probably obliterate Ethan's consciousness upon Rupert's word. He had heard the words; he even understood them, but he seemed to have no facility left with which to frame a reply.

And so it was really no surprise that the words which did make it out of his gasping mouth were ambiguous to say the least. "Need... more..."

"You always do," Rupert said, but fondly. His hand slid up until they were resting on Ethan's inner bicep. "And I always give you what you need." With that, Ethan was shocked to feel their combined magics burning into his arm. At the same time, Rupert released the cock ring.

Ethan had no idea what Rupert was doing to his arm, but it felt like branding, and oh God... Pain merged with acute physical and emotional pleasure, and he gave Rupert the scream he had wanted as his cock, free at last and unattended, pulsed repeatedly between their sweat-damp bodies, spilling all he had to give.

The pain peaked and then trailed off, and Rupert froze above him as he came, buried deep within Ethan's body.

The pair lay together, shuddering and shell shocked, until there was an urgent knock on the bedroom door. It was more than possible that Ethan had been a little too loud. "Everything's fine, Megan," he called out hurriedly, before their Slayer could walk in on them.

Rupert chuckled breathlessly and released the rest of the magical restraints. "We may need to consider looking into soundproofing," he said, as he rolled over to lie on his back beside Ethan.

They heard Megan walk away, but then an inevitable scrabbling began. "Don't let the monster in," Ethan complained, rubbing his wrists. "I want a little more just you time, if only to find out what wonderful thing you've done to my arm."

"I'm not sure I could get up and walk as far as the door right now anyway," Rupert said wryly.

Chuckling, Ethan lifted his arm and studied where it was still burning. There was nothing to be seen with normal vision, but his magic sense revealed what was indeed a brand. "Oh God." It was about one inch by two inches and a perfect golden glowing image of a badger.

Emotion filled him, despite his post-orgasm lassitude. "Rupert. Oh God." Rolling to his side, Ethan hugged his husband tightly. "I love you so bloody much."

Rupert wrapped his arms around Ethan in return. "I hope it helps," he said softly.

Ethan didn't answer, couldn't really. When Rupert made gestures like this, it cut Ethan's feet from under him in the most wonderful possible way. He nuzzled softly into Rupert's neck.

The scrabbling at the door increased briefly, but then they heard a shout from Megan, and it stopped altogether. "That should buy us a few minutes," Rupert said wryly.

"Are you feeling smug, dearheart?" Ethan asked lazily, his voice muffled as he didn't move his head back from the crook of Rupert's neck. "If not, you should be."

"Perhaps just a little. It's been a while since I was able to make you scream."

Ethan chuckled as he pulled back a small way. His body was still tingling slightly, and there was a certain rather pleasant soreness, but... "I didn't mean that. I was referring to how well you've absorbed my words regarding the way our magic works together. Everything you did to me magically used our combined power, you know. I heard no Latin; that was all pure improvisation on your part."

Rupert seemed a bit startled at that, and Ethan could see by his expression that he was reviewing what he'd done. "I suppose I did. I wasn't really thinking about how I was doing what I was doing. I just... did it."

"Perfect." Ethan smirked. "Ten out of ten. A-plus." His fingers were tracing the new design on his arm as he spoke.

"With you, it's easy," Rupert told him. "Well, easier at least. You've always brought out my instincts, good and bad."

"A good pointer, that, had we but known."

"We weren't ready to see it. Not then."

Ethan turned to lie on his back and stretched his sore muscles. "Should I call Lucy back and tell her that by George, he's got it?"

Rupert smiled and traced a finger along the grin on Ethan's face. "It looks good on you," he admitted.

"You look good on me," Ethan corrected, and although he had meant the innuendo, he lifted his arm to show off his badger sigil again.

"It turned out rather well, if I do say so myself," Rupert said, moving to brush a hand over it.

"It's a ring I can't foolishly take off in a fit of pique," Ethan told him, becoming more serious. "I'm going to need that over the next few days, dearheart."

"I was hoping it would help." He met Ethan's gaze. "You've nothing to worry about; Buffy being here doesn't change anything between us."

Ethan still knew it would actually change things, at the very least while Buffy was here, but he also knew that Rupert really meant a deeper level of 'things' than that. Feeling how he currently did, Ethan had to admit that he was now more secure in the continuance of their perfect little idyll.

Dark Chaos permitting, of course.