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Chapter 2 - 6 days until Christmas
Xander woke and found that for once his heart wasn’t pounding and his body wasn’t shaking with fear. He had woken too many times to find his father inches away, ready to yank him from his bed and abuse him.
~Why haven’t you done the washing up, boy?~
~Where were you last night? Your mother was worried sick!~
~Need your rent, boy. Get your ass out of bed and get it.~
The scenarios were endless. But on this morning… He checked his watch…But on this evening, he knew there was no such scenario waiting for him. He rolled onto his other side and froze. Spike was in bed with him. Right on the edge of the bed, admittedly, but there he was, regardless.
~gulp~
<i>Ok, Xan-man. No need for panicking. This *is* Spike’s bed after all. Where else was he going to sleep?</i>
Xander willed himself to relax. It was difficult. His bladder was filled to the brim and too much relaxing could prove disastrous.
“Spike?”
Spike buried his face in the pillow and murmured a half asleep reply.
“Mrphh.”
“Spike?”
“…”
“SPIKE?!”
Spike jolted awake and promptly fell off the side of the bed. He sprung back up and stood in a naked fighting stance.
“What?! Where?! I got it! Stand back, Xan. I’ll kick its ass!”
Xander really wasn’t too sure what to do or where to put himself. Spike was stark bollock naked and Xander was having a nightmare of a time trying not to stare. He couldn’t believe what a beautiful body Spike had. So firm and compact, defined flexing muscles and smooth flawless skin. Whoa.
“Um, Spike? There’s no-one here. I think you were dreaming. And I also think that you’re naked.”
Spike glanced around the room suspiciously. He could have sworn there was a demon hovering over them with a sword in one hand and a tea pot in the other. He’d just been right in the middle of giving Xander a Chinese foot massage and they were very pushed for time. The queen was coming to tea.
<i>Ah. Must have been a dream. And oops, I am naked. And I’m just standing here. My bits and bobs are hanging about everywhere, and I’m still just standing here. And, oh great, I’m hard as a rock. Why am I not moving? Am I trying to freak out the human? The human who can’t seem to stop staring. Why isn’t he looking away? It’s like we’re stuck like this.</i>
Xander finally managed to tear his eyes away from the fantastic vampire body that had hypnotised him.
“Spike?”
“Yeah?”
“Naked.”
“Oh.”
Spike grabbed up the towel that Xander had used the previous night and quickly wrapped it around himself.
“Sorry about that.”
“That’s okay…Do you normally sleep…in the buff?”
“Yeah. I can’t get comfortable otherwise. You didn’t mind me...you know…sleeping with you…no, not *sleeping* with you. Sleeping in the same bed as you?”
“I guess not. It’s a big bed. Spike? Where’s the bathroom?”
Spike laughed.
“Bathroom? This is a crypt, pet. You expecting to find a toilet?”
“Well, yeah. What do you use then?”
“I go outside.”
“Outside? Out there? You *go* out there? What if you need to, you know, do something, a little more time consuming?”
“I go outside.”
“You just go outside and drop your pants?”
“Yup.”
“What if someone sees you?”
Spike rolled his eyes.
“Gimme some credit here, pet. I don’t just go out and randomly drop my kecks. I make sure no-one or nothing is nearby first. My vampire senses come in real handy.”
“Oh.”
“You need to go?”
“Uh-huh. Just the little thing though. No dropping of anything needed.”
“Right you are, then. There are some slippers over there. Stick ‘em on and I’ll come with you.”
Xander wasn’t sure what was more disturbing, the fact that Spike owned a pair of slippers or that Spike was going to escort him while he peed. He put on the slippers.
<i>Hmm, comfortable. Might have to pick up a pair.</i>
“Really, I can manage by myself. There’s no need to put yourself out. I’ll just take this sword for company.”
“If that’s what you want. Make sure you holler if something rips your throat out while you’re taking a piss, though.”
“I will,” Xander said, missing the point entirely.
Spike sighed and let the towel drop. He’d keep an ear extended just in case. Now, what was to be the plan for this evening? A small shopping trip would probably be in order. Xander would be needing a few essentials. And there was no way Spike was going to allow Xander to go back home, he might be tempted to stay there. He needed time away. Time to heal and reflect. Xander seriously needed to sort his life out, before he fell into a bigger black hole than he was in now. That boy needed sorting, fast.
Spike slipped on his jeans and threw on a plain dark blue shirt. Leaving it unbuttoned, he made his way up the ladder and towards the kettle. He stopped at the couch on the way and lifted his duster. Rummaging through the pockets, he came up with a small bundle of notes. Not bad. Could do with a little more. Yep. It was collection time.
“All done. Peeing complete and no demon interfering to be seen…You know what I meant by that, right?”
Spike looked up and grinned.
“I got the gist, yeah. So, you up for an outing?”
“Outing? I take it you don’t mean a trip to the zoo?”
“Nope. Need to stop by Willy’s. Gotta see a man about a dog. Then it’s off to do some shopping.”
“Okay, I’m not even going to ask about the dog,” Xander said, taking Spike literally. “And shopping? I didn’t take you for a shopping kind of vamp.”
“I’m not. But you’re gonna need some stuff if you’re going to be staying here for a while.”
“Oh.”
Xander suddenly looked embarrassed and he flushed brightly. Turning away from Spike, he spoke in a voice that was almost inaudible.
“Maybe I should just go home. I’ll probably end up going home anyway…”
“No!”
Xander looked up, startled by Spike’s sudden interruption.
“I mean, you don’t want to go home. I know you don’t. What’s up?”
“Nothing's up.” Xander’s face burned a little brighter. “It’s just…you don’t want me hanging around cramping your style.”
“Crikey, I thought we covered that! You are not in the way...that isn’t it, is it? What’s wrong?”
Xander toed the floor.
“Nothing.”
Spike rolled his eyes
“Spit it out.”
“I just...I should just go home. Not to stay. Just to get some stuff.”
Spike’s face hardened.
“Is that what you want?”
“No.”
“Then why suggest it?”
“…”
“Look, just say it, Xander. Whatever it is, just say it. I ain’t gonna laugh, or get angry or whatever it is you’re thinking.”
Xander looked up at Spike and he was more than a little surprised to see nothing but honesty painted across his pale face.
“Spike...I haven’t got any money.”
Spike laughed.
“Hey! You said you wouldn’t laugh!”
Spike quickly approached the affronted human.
“Sorry, pet. But you can be so daft sometimes. *I’ve* got money. Enough to get a few bits and bobs. And we’re going to Willy’s to get some more. Bloke there owes me.”
“But, Spike. I can’t expect you to...”
“Shut it. No more. I can see this argument dragging on for several hours. We are going shopping. I *am* paying. You are going downstairs to dress and wash; there is some running water down the corridor. Be back here in ten. Got it?”
Xander was tempted to argue. He wasn’t used to all this being looked after business. Still, you shouldn’t mock something until you’d tried it. He gave Spike a small grateful smile and made a beeline for the ladder.
Spike watched Xander disappear down to the bedroom. He wondered why he felt so warm inside. He hadn’t touched a drop of whisky.
**
“MERRY CHRISTMAS!”
“It ain’t Christmas for another six days.”
“Oh.”
The drunken Tixielix turned away from Spike and faced Xander.
“MERRY…”
“He ain’t interested either.”
“Oh.”
The Tixielix barged Xander out the way and crashed through the door onto the pavement outside.
“MERRY CHRISTMAS!”
“You alright,?”
“Fine. Did you really have to be so rude? He was only saying Merry Christmas. What was the harm?”
Spike folded his arms.
“No harm, eh? Well then, you go outside and say Merry Christmas back to him. Let’s just see where it gets you.”
Xander looked over his shoulder at the door and flinched at a blood curdling scream that suddenly came from outside.
“What was that?”
“Someone’s Christmas present.”
“Ah. Shall we move on?”
“One minute, pet. Go tuck yourself in the corner over there. Let me just take care of some business and then we’ll move on.”
Xander complied and sat in the corner. He watched with much curiosity as Spike made his way to the bar and sat on a stool next to a tall blue frog-like creature. What kind of business could Spike have with a weird demon like that? Any kind. Xander’s curiosity grew as an argument seemed to break out between Spike and the slimy demon. Voices were raised, teeth were bared and the frog demon actually got up at one point and beat its chest with its fists. Strange.
“Thrucken blacken starken?”
“Thrucken starken blacken!”
“Starken blacken thrucken?”
“THRUCKEN THRUCKEN THRUCKEN!!!!”
Okay, so the argument seemed to be getting a little more heated.
Xander leant his elbows on the table and rested his chin in his hands. Spike was really good at all these languages. It was amazing. The other scoobies hadn’t been all that impressed with Spike’s aptitude.
~He is 126 after all. He’s had plenty of time to pick up the numerous demon languages~
Xander snorted to himself. He was barely out of his teens and he only knew one language: American, well, technically English. So if he was 126 then at the current rate he would pick up a total of six languages, maybe seven. But Spike, he knew hundreds of demon languages. He must have a talent for it. Xander wondered if he had the same talent for human languages. He’d have to remember to ask.
Spike sat down with a thump next to Xander.
“There we are, all taken care of.”
Spike had obviously won the argument while Xander had been lost in thought.
“And what exactly did you take care of? Actually, forget it. I’m best off ignorant, right?”
“Got that right, pet.”
“So, you got some more money?”
“Yup. *Plenty* more. Time to hit the mall.”
Xander groaned.
“Do we have too? The Mall’s scary.”
“Agreed. But you need stuff.”
“I guess. We’ll be quick though, yeah?”
“We’ll be as long as it takes.”
“Good. Then it’ll be quick. I don’t need much. Toothbrush….err…actually just a toothbrush will be fine.”
Spike rolled his eyes for the five hundredth time that night. He stood and offered his hand to Xander.
“C’mon, idiot. You’ll get what you’re given.”
Xander relented with a sigh and took the offered hand, allowing himself to be pulled up.
“Okay. You win. But no shoes! I refuse to go shoe shopping with you!”
“Got yourself a deal, there, pet.”
**
“God this is seriously scary, Spike.”
“Yup.”
“So many people.”
Spike looked at Xander sympathetically.
“Christmas rush, pet.”
“Well, why do they all have to rush here?”
Spike chuckled and pulled Xander into the department store.
“Sooner we do this thing, the sooner we can go back home and put our feet up.”
“Right. Quick in and out.”
“That’s the ticket! Now, what first? Clothes,” Spike said, answering his own question.
Spike dragged his reluctant shopping partner towards the clothes section of Dillard’s.
“I feel like a pinball.”
Spike ignored him and dragged him up and escalator.
“Here we are. Bit quieter up ‘ere.”
“I guess everyone is downstairs in the toy section.”
Xander got that sad look again, and it overwhelmed Spike with the need to make things better. But how? He could try to make him feel safe and give him a roof over his head, but what else? Damn it! A soul would come in real handy right now. How was a simple Master Vampire supposed to know these things?
Suddenly Spike felt some resistance and he realised that Xander had come to a complete halt.
“What…?”
Xander had stopped at the top of the escalator and was gazing up at fifteen foot Christmas tree.
“Wow! Look at that!”
Spike wasn’t sure what to say without completely demolishing his big bad image.
“It’s, err, pretty impressive. Lots of nice lights ‘n stuff.”
“Spike, it’s gorgeous.”
Spike nodded. It did look rather splendid. “I quite like the bows,” he admitted.
Xander turned to him with a big happy grin.
“I like the bows too.”
All at once the smile was gone.
“I always wished I could have had a tree like this one. Not as big as this, obviously. But a real one. All decorated nice and stuff.”
Xander shrugged and walked away.
Spike had a thought.
**
Spike checked off the items in the trolley.
“Right. We have trousers, shirts, underwear, socks, jacket, gloves, scarf, hat…”
“Spike, I’m going to end up looking like frosty the snowman. It’s cold, but it's not *that* cold.”
“Can’t be too careful. Pajamas, bed socks…hm, need to get you a robe…slippers, toothbrush, deodorant, hairbrush…I think that’s it.”
“Thank god.”
“Oh, hang on…”
Xander hung his head. “Oh, Jesus.”
“You take this lot to the check out. I’ll be right back.”
“Really? This is it? We can go home after?”
“Yep. That’s it. Unless you want to do the food shopping on the way home?”
Xander hung his head again. “Oh Jesus.”
“No? That’s okay. Bit much all in one night, eh? We’ll collect a pizza on the way home…”
Xander perked up.
“We’ll do the food shopping tomorrow.”
Xander slumped and groaned.
**
Xander licked his fingers and folded up the pizza box, pushing it firmly into the trash bin.
“I’ll take all the shopping downstairs, then.”
“Good idea, pet. I’ll be down in a sec.”
Xander nodded and scooped up his bags. Dropping them down the hole, he soon followed.
Spike watched him and repressed the urge to smile. It was nice having someone around. But things weren’t right, not yet. That kid had clearly had a hard life and Spike was determined to make it better. Ok, so you couldn’t fix something like that in a couple of nights, but he could most definitely make a start.
Spike grabbed the little bag of items he’d secretly bought while Xander was lining up at one of the main checkouts. From the bag, he pulled out a red, green and blue pen and a small note pad. He had only really needed one pen, a blue one, but hey! It was nearly Christmas and no-one said you couldn’t write notes with festive colours. The final item out of the bag was a small chocolate Santa. Spike twirled it in his fingers and had a quick think. It was time to test the water.
Not bothering to use the ladder, Spike jumped down into the bedroom. Xander was sitting on the bed, removing his new clothes and folding them neatly. Hearing Spike’s boots clomp loudly across the room, he looked up and spoke.
“Thanks for all this, Spike. This was really good of you. You didn’t have to, you know that, right?”
“Course I know it! Wanted to.”
“Thanks.”
“Got you sommit else, too.”
“Spike. You’ve bought me enough. I’ve got everything I need.”
“I know. But you don’t *need* this. It’s just a present. A little one. I spotted it while you were at the checkout. Thought you might like it.”
Spike produced the little chocolate Santa from behind his back and held it out for Xander to take.
Xander peered into Spike’s hand, and his eyes lit up.
“It’s a chocolate Santa!”
“Got it in one, luv. Take it then, it’s for you.”
Xander took it and sniffed it.
“I love these. I never get them at home. Dad says they’re a waste of money cos they’re all hollow. He says that for that price you could buy proper chocolate bars. Course, he wouldn’t buy me those either…Can I eat it now?”
Spike was taken aback. Could he eat it now??! Why does he think I bought it?!? Blinking flip.
“Course you can! Although I’m surprised you can fit anything else in that stomach of yours.”
“There is always room for Christmas treats,” Xander declared firmly, unwrapping the chocolate Santa and biting its head off.
For the first time Spike took in Xander’s appearance.
<i>Had he always been that thin?</i>
So that was another thing to go on the list. Fatten up new roommate.
It was time to ask the question. Spike was pretty sure he knew what the answer would be, but he didn’t want to risk fucking up, like he often did by ploughing ahead regardless.
“Xander?”
“Mrrmmr?” Xander replied through a mouth full of chocolate goodness.
“You like Christmas.”
Xander swallowed and cocked his head with slight confusion.
“Was that a question or a statement?”
“Err, both?”
Xander stared down at his half eaten treat.
“I love Christmas. Kinda.”
“Kinda?” Spike was getting worried now.
“Yeah. I love the Christmases like they have on TV or like the Christmas that Buffy has. You know, with loads of decorations everywhere, nice family bringing presents and not getting drunk and smashing up the house. And the house would be full of cooking smells and I would be helping my dad decorate the Christmas tree…”
Xander trailed off and sighed. “That was the Christmas I always wanted. Never got it, though. Never got anything near it. Anyway, doesn’t matter. No point me whining about it. You wanna share my Santa?”
“No ta, pet. Always preferred chocolate Satans, myself.”
Spike had to hold back the urge to grab Xander, hold him tightly and never let go. One thing a kid should always have, was a good Christmas. Well, maybe it was a little late coming, but Spike was going to give Xander his dream Christmas. Okay, so they were living in a poky little crypt, but Spike had a feeling that it was not going to matter to Xander.
Spike had a plan.
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Suki
Blue Fiction
