A wild New Year's Eve Partaaaay
Happy New Year to everybody! This is a ficlet I posted as a contribution to the New Year's Eve Party at nekid_spike. Hope you all like it!
Title: Costumes and Confessions (Part 1)
Pairing: Spike/Angel, along with some minor ones
Rating: R for language, for now
Disclaimer: The characters belong to Joss. I'm just the insane babysitter.
Summary: For the traditional New Year's Eve Party at W&H, Lorne insists on a Heroes and Villains theme. Everyone decides to take the opportunity to reveal sides of themselves normally unseen. Confessions are made and lovers are found. Who will end up spending the new year together?
Fucking. Blood. Fucking. Torture. Fucking. Mayhem. Did he mention fucking?
Angel groaned. New Year’s Eve parties were supposed to be about all those things but what was this whole thing about heroes and villains?
He blamed Lorne. The green demon had apparently downed one seabreeze too many and decided to let loose his evil, demon side. Who knew that Lorne had it in him to be this cruel?
Angel hated dressing up as somebody else. After all, why dress up as somebody inferior when he could be himself, the Almighty Scourge of Europe, feared by demons and humans alike across five continents?
Ex, he reminded himself reluctantly. He was souled now.
A sudden thought hit him but he dismissed it as soon as it occurred to him. Dressing up as himself would have been cool since nobody could be bad like Angelus but he was liable to get staked.
Jeez, this was such a killjoy. Maybe he shouldn’t have cut the budget for the last few ideas Lorne had. This was revenge, plain and simple.
Everybody had to show up to the party in a costume in order to be admitted and as CEO, he was required to be there.
Angel groaned. He had ten hours until the party tonight. What the hell was he going to be?
Wait a minute...Angel hurriedly re-read the invitation.
It just said that he needed to be in costume to be admitted, it didn’t say he had to stay in costume the whole time…
************
“C’mon, do your laugh,” Fred insisted.
“No, petal. Not until he’s here.”
Fred pouted.
“Don’t pout, pet. It doesn’t go with your outfit.”
“How about this then?” Fred smiled coyly.
“That’s more Catwoman than Batgirl,” Gunn commented with a chuckle as he walked up to the two, dressed in his Ra’s Al Ghul costume. “Where’s Angel?”
“Probably trying to find a way not to get hat hair or some such,” Spike remarked sarcastically.
Fred giggled.
Just then, an uncomfortable looking Wesley arrived. Spike noted with appreciation how well the tights hugged his legs.
Wesley’s own self-consciousness was forgotten upon seeing the girl of his dreams clothed in tight leather.
“You look good, Fred,” he murmured breathlessly.
Gunn’s glower went unnoticed.
“So do you…Robin,” Spike leered at the former Watcher and licked his lips lasciviously, smearing his lipstick a little.
“Now look what you’ve done,” Fred chided.
She rummaged through her tight leather suit and somehow managed to produce a tissue. Carefully, she began wiping off the smear.
“Anyone seen Angelcakes?” Lorne asked, wandering up to the group. “I heard from the ushers that he’s arrived already.”
“Dude, what are you wearing?” Gunn couldn’t resist asking.
“A tuxedo,” Lorne replied matter-of-factly.
Wesley looked outraged. “Didn’t you say this was a costume party? If I had known…” He gestured angrily at his own skin tight outfit.
“Relax, Stud Muffin, you look fine,” Lorne said soothingly. “Besides, I am in costume.”
Spike snorted. “As what? Alfred the butler?”
Lorne was delighted. “How did you guess?”
“Man, if Angel doesn’t show up as Batman…” Gunn murmured with a sad shake of his head.
Four pairs of eyes turned to regard Wesley expectantly, who cowered a little.
“Hey! I suggested it to him. I cannot control whether or not he’s going to follow my suggestion,” Wesley protested.
“Tall, dark and broody. Hell, Peaches doesn’t even have to dress up to look like the stupid ponce.”
“Hey!”
All five heads turned to regard the newcomer. It was Harmony, dressed in some ridiculously skimpy outfit, carrying…a plastic stake?
“I resent that,” Harmony stated petulantly. “Christian Bale is way hotter than Bossy.”
A frowning Fred looked about to argue but Spike was quicker than her.
“What are you bloody wearing?” Spike demanded in confusion. This was a Heroes and Villains party and she looked like a vapid bint in distress trying to play at being tough.
Harmony visibly preened and lowered her eyelashes coyly. “You sure you can’t guess, Blondie Bear?”
Staring at the plastic stake in her hand, an inkling of realization surfaced in Spike’s mind.
“Bloody hell, no. You didn’t!” Spike roared.
The people around them scurried away nervously.
Harmony looked a little disconcerted. “You don’t like it?”
Wesley rubbed his forehead tiredly. “You’re not actually Buffy, are you?”
A beaming Harmony turned to him. “It’s perfect, don’t you think?”
Spike’s jaw ticked. “I need a drink,” he ground out and spun around, stalking off without another word.
Harmony burst into tears after she left and Fred’s heart ached for the vampiress. She pulled the normally bubbly blonde into an awkward embrace, trying to offer whatever comfort she could.
“I thought he would like it!” Harmony sobbed.
Fred didn’t know what to say but when she looked to the others for help, they had vanished. Men, she thought disapprovingly.
************
Spike downed his drink angrily. Stupid bint. She was a vampire for god’s sake! Dressing as a Slayer?
What the hell was she thinking?
He barked at the bartender to give him another drink, trying to chase away images of Buffy with alcohol. Now was not the time to be reminded of his failures at love. Not tonight.
Just then, his senses tingled. The poof was nearby.
Despite his earlier nonchalance, he was nervous as hell and his grip on the glass tightened. It was New Year’s Eve and he thought he would take the chance to start over with his Sire.
It was time for them to stop dancing around the issue and admit that they needed each other. Or at least, he was going to do that tonight. He could only hope that Angel felt that the same way.
He took another gulp of liquid courage. There was no going back. He was determined to confront his Sire tonight.
After all, he was already dressed the part - Joker to the tosser’s Batman. They were perfect complements and couldn’t exist without each other. Before, he had thought briefly about being Robin or any other of Batman’s numerous sidekicks but he was nobody’s underling.
He was a Master Vampire, for Christ’s sake! In every way, he was Angel’s equal and it was time the bloody plonker realized it.
Angrily, Spike got up. Angel couldn’t dodge it anymore. They were going to talk about their…relationship…tonight. Surely, even Angel couldn’t miss the obvious signs that Spike was sending out?
Then again, this was Angel they were talking about. The broody git knew nothing about pop culture. Expecting him to get the Joker-Batman thing?
Spike sat back down on the barstool. This was hopeless.
From across the room, Angel surreptitiously watched Spike from the shadows. Spike might not have seen a mirror for over a century but surely the younger vampire realized that the purple suit and green hair didn’t look good on him. What the hell was he thinking?
Angel brooded as he thought of his own costume, stashed in the wardrobe room somewhere. Could he risk it?
From the way Spike kept jerkily getting up from his stool and sitting back down, he appeared more mentally imbalanced than usual tonight. Perhaps it wasn’t the best night to approach him.
But if not tonight, then when? Angel might not get another chance (or the courage) to show his costume to Spike. Surely, once Spike saw the costume, he’d get it, no matter how out of his mind he might be?
God, Angel needed whiskey.
After having a few drinks with Harmony, a slightly tipsy Fred finally caught sight of Angel, marching purposefully toward the bar like it would be his salvation. She frowned as she realized that he wasn’t wearing a costume.
He was such a spoilsport. She had so hoped to see him in his Bat suit. All that tight leather would look so good on him.
No worries though, she did have Wesley to look at. Besides, without Batman around, she could have Robin all to herself. Didn’t Batgirl get together with Robin or some version of Robin? She wasn’t too clear on the details but she knew what she wanted.
Wesley.
She was going to settle things with him once and for all. No more hinting, no more subtleness. This time, she was going to make sure he got the point.
Her eyes scanned the room for her target. There he was…being mauled by some overenthusiastic skanks!
Fuming, she flew across the room to stake her territory. Those girls were in for a rude awakening.
She wasn’t just wearing this Batgirl suit for show, you know.
************
They had both noticed each other sitting at the bar but were pretending not to. There was always a buffer of three or four people between them and that suited them fine. They weren’t ready yet.
“Another,” Angel shouted as he slammed his almost empty glass on the table.
His coordination was little off and some of his drink sloshed over onto the hands of another patron, who looked about to complain but immediately backed off at the sight of Angel’s vamp face. Angel was too far gone to care about being nice to people.
Good, he thought to himself, he was almost at the point of not caring about losing his dignity.
He sneaked a peek at the other vampire, happy to see that Spike was getting pretty inebriated too.
Just a few more drinks…
A commotion broke out behind them, somewhere around the ballroom. The other nosy patrons left their stools to go see what that was all about, leaving Spike, Angel and two other patrons at the bar.
Feeling exposed, Spike surreptitiously glanced at Angel from under his eyelashes. He was irrationally displeased that Angel didn’t even notice him.
What was the point of wearing this garish costume if it didn’t even get him noticed?
Maybe he should just go back and eat the bloke who sold him the costume. The man had assured him that it was the best Joker costume ever made.
Just then, he noticed Harmony sitting a bit further away from them, talking to Gunn of all people.
“He hates me!” she wailed while knocking back another margarita.
“You think that’s bad?” Gunn slurred bitterly, tossing back his own drink. “My girl doesn’t even notice me anymore, too busy making eyes at English.”
“At least you had her for a while,” Harmony hiccupped piteously. “I was just convenient!”
Gunn snorted. “Like I wasn’t. At first it was Angel and I could stand that. I mean, he’s Angel. Everyone checks out his ass!”
“I don’t!” Harmony protested.
“Good on you then, girl,” Gunn giggled, clinking glasses together with her.
“Blondie bear’s ass is waaay hotter,” Harmony insisted loudly.
Spike couldn’t help a goofy smile from spreading across his face but he quickly tucked it away in case somebody was watching.
“That’s not the point,” Gunn murmured with a belch. “See here…the point is…why is nobody checking out us, huh? We ain’t superheroes but we’re damn hot ourselves.”
“Too right!” Harmony yelled, punching her fist in the air in agreement and nearly toppling over from her stool.
Gunn caught her and put her back in her seat.
“Maybe we oughta give them a little demonstration on what they’re missing out on, you know?” he whispered conspiratorially.
Harmony grinned sloppily. “What did you have in mind?”
Angel’s eyes swiveled over to the pair when he heard the sound of Harmony’s heels clambering on to the bar table.
Despite the bartender’s protests, Gunn and Harmony were now standing on the table, stripping their clothes off and dancing.
Gunn started belting out a song in a loud voice, as he took his suit jacket off and flung it into the crowd.
That attracted the crowd’s attention and people started shuffling over to watch the striptease instead of the source of the commotion before, which turned out to be Fred, in a catfight with the other girls who tried to molest Wesley.
As if on cue, Fred started letting out some wild shrieks of her own and attacking the other girls with renewed vigor while a drunken Wesley tried to either grope or pull everybody off each other.
Which event caused more noise, it was hard to tell.
In the chaos, Angel came to a decision. Forty five minutes until midnight and he’d be damned if he had to spend the new year alone.
Pushing away from the bar, he got up and strode purposefully toward Spike, or as purposefully as he could manage while being drunk. Luckily, Spike was halfway gone himself and hence, was in no position to judge on the gracefulness of Angel’s movements.
Even intoxicated as he was, Spike still felt a frisson of fear as his demon innately sensed the determination emanating from its Sire.
Angel, in his befuddled state, let some of his inner Angelus slip out as he bent down to whisper in Spike’s ear.
“Fifteen minutes. My office.”
Spike stared at the brunette’s retreating figure, his alcohol drenched mind trying to figure out what the older vampire’s angle was. Then again, what does it matter anyway? This was the perfect opportunity to confess and confront.
Getting up unsteadily, Spike began to wade his way through the boisterous crowd, oblivious to everything except Angel.
Meanwhile, Angel had hurriedly made his way to his office and changed back into his costume. In his haste and drunken state, he just left his clothes where he flung them.
The journey had sobered him enough to prevent him from falling unconscious but he still had enough alcohol in him to ensure him courage to follow through with his confession of love.
“Where the hell are ya, poof?” he heard the other vampire holler.
Showtime, he thought. Standing up from his resting place on the sofa, he got up and stepped toward the younger vampire, the enormity of what he was about to do further clearing his mind.
Spike turned toward him and nearly fell over.
“What the buggering fuck is this?”
Angel faltered. This was not the reception he expected. But the whiskey made him relentless and he proceeded until he was directly in front of the younger vampire.
“Tonight, Will, is the night all your dreams come true!” he announced grandly.
A snigger followed by full fledged laughter burst from the blonde. He collapsed on the floor, tears streaming out from his eyes.
Angel frowned. It seemed like a good idea at the time. Maybe Spike was too drunk for this?
Spike calmed himself down enough to ask, “My bloody dreams are you, dressed in a bad train robber’s kit? What parallel universe have you landed in, git?”
“You stupid idiot!” Angel hissed, starting to get angry at how his plans didn’t come to fruition. “This is a Robin Hood costume!”
“So?”
Angel ignored him and started ranting. “I can’t believe you didn’t notice. After I spent so much money on this stupid fucking thing!”
“Did you get it from Manny’s then?”
Angel paused, a look of confusion on his face. “Yes…how did you…”
“Cause it’s the same place I got mine.”
“That ugly thing? You paid good money for that stupid piece of shit?”
Suddenly angry, Spike, from his place on the ground, grabbed Angel’s ankle and yanked. The older vampire crashed to the ground, nearly falling on Spike but he managed to dart away in time.
“You know what the problem with you is?” Spike yelled.
“What?” Angel demanded furiously as he quickly got up and into Spike’s face.
“You never appreciate other people’s bloody efforts,” Spike shouted. “Do you even know who I’m pretending to be?”
“A lunatic?” Angel shot back. “Oops, my mistake. You already are one!”
“Joker, you fucking ponce! The Joker to your fucking Batman!”
Angel sneered. “And that’s supposed to mean what exactly? That you’re being your usual crazy pain in my ass?”
“Better than wannabe train robber!”
Angel punched him wildly. “It’s Robin Hood, boy!”
************
“Get off my boyfriend, you slut!” Fred screeched, pulling hard at some girl’s long hair.
Wesley paused. “Boyfriend?”
************
Harmony flung her dress out at the enthusiastic crowd. “Who wants a piece of me tonight?” she screamed as millions of hands grabbed at her.
A hand yanked her into a hard chest clumsily.
“Harm baby, you going home with me tonight,” Gunn breathed into her ear before they were both smacked in the head by the irate bartender.
************
“Do I look like I care what you wanna dress up as?” Spike shouted.
“It’s ROBIN HOOD!” Angel roared as he grabbed Spike and started shaking the younger vampire as if that would help.
“I know who Robin Hood is!” Spike tried to get out of Angel’s grip but end up entangling his legs with his Sire’s.
They both fell over, Angel landing on top of Spike. The younger vampire shoved him off.
“Don’t you remember?” Angel asked, almost desperate as he clawed at Spike’s legs, succeeding in shredding Spike’s costume.
Spike tried to fight him off. “Remember what, tosser? You’re the one who needed to remember to wear your soddin’ Batman costume!”
Angel fumed. Damn alcohol was preventing him from getting the words out.
“What is with you and Batman?” he demanded in exasperation.
“If you ain’t Batman, how can I be Joker?”
Angel didn’t know whether to laugh or sob. All this had gone to hell. “So you got a new hero!” he hollered, feeling upset.
Spike didn’t like being confused. “What are you nattering on about?”
“You no longer like Robin Hood!” Angel whined.
“Huh?”
“It was all for nothing! You don’t even care!”
Angel shuffled away and promptly burst into maudlin, somewhat alcohol-induced tears.
Spike felt like he had been hammered in the head. What was going on?
Whenever he felt unsure, he tended to go on the attack and that was what he decided to do now.
“Like you’re one to talk. I dressed up as Joker and you didn’t even have the bloody courtesy to come as Batman!”
Angel ignored him and continued sobbing.
“I mean, how’s all this symbolism supposed to work if you won’t cooperate? How can I tell you how much Joker and Batman need each other if you ain’t gonna be Batman?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about!” Angel wailed.
Spike got up and began pacing.
“I’m bloody talking about you ruining my plans! You always soddin’ do that! Our costumes were supposed to complement each other and then you were supposed to notice and we were supposed to profess vows of undying love or some such rot and shag happily ever after. But noooo, you had to come as a train robber Robin Hood wannabe and now, instead of shagging, you’re crying like the nancy boy you are and I’m not getting any nookie tonight!”
Angel blinked. “You want to profess vows of undying love?”
************
“Yes, Wes is my boyfriend!” Fred snarled. “So back off, bitches!”
Wesley suddenly leapt into action and knocked the other girls away from Fred.
“You mean that, Fred? You…like me?”
Fred hiccupped. “Kiss me, stupid.”
************
Harmony’s lips trembled. “Y-you want me?”
The knocked out bartender lay on the counter forgotten.
“Hell yeah, babe,” Gunn proclaimed.
A determined glint entered Harmony’s eyes. “Then I say hell with those losers. You and me are going to partaaaaay!”
She vamped and growled at the onlookers who backed off before grabbing Gunn and drunkenly dragging him off to an empty room.
************
Spike growled. “I wanted to, Peaches, but you kept getting into the soddin’ way!”
Angel felt defensive. “Like you didn’t!”
“I’ve been trying to get it through your Neanderthal forehead all night, plonker!”
“Oh yeah? Well you obviously haven’t been trying hard enough!”
Spike looked livid. He grabbed a paperweight and threw it at Angel’s head. Thanks to the alcohol, Spike’s aim was off and Angel was unharmed.
“I’ll have you know that I’ve been trying plenty hard! It just you ain’t listening!”
Angel snarled. “Why should I listen to you when you don’t listen to me?”
“Like you’ve got anything important to say!”
“You bet I do, boy!”
Spike got right into Angel’s face menacingly. “Then why don’t you say it!”
“I! LOVE! YOU!” Angel ground out, eyes bleeding to amber.
A little fazed, Spike was nevertheless determined to win the argument, though he didn’t even remember what exactly they were arguing about.
“Well,” he countered, “I love you more!”
“No, I’m the one who loves you more!”
“No you don’t!”
“Yes I do!”
“No you don’t!”
“Why don’t we take it to the bedroom and I’ll show you that I’m right!”
“Or I show you I’m right!”
“Fine!”
“Fine!”
Both stormed toward the elevator and got in.
As the elevator doors slid close, the clock struck twelve, heralded the beginning of a new year.
TBC in PART TWO
Title: Costumes and Confessions (Part 1)
Pairing: Spike/Angel, along with some minor ones
Rating: R for language, for now
Disclaimer: The characters belong to Joss. I'm just the insane babysitter.
Summary: For the traditional New Year's Eve Party at W&H, Lorne insists on a Heroes and Villains theme. Everyone decides to take the opportunity to reveal sides of themselves normally unseen. Confessions are made and lovers are found. Who will end up spending the new year together?
Fucking. Blood. Fucking. Torture. Fucking. Mayhem. Did he mention fucking?
Angel groaned. New Year’s Eve parties were supposed to be about all those things but what was this whole thing about heroes and villains?
He blamed Lorne. The green demon had apparently downed one seabreeze too many and decided to let loose his evil, demon side. Who knew that Lorne had it in him to be this cruel?
Angel hated dressing up as somebody else. After all, why dress up as somebody inferior when he could be himself, the Almighty Scourge of Europe, feared by demons and humans alike across five continents?
Ex, he reminded himself reluctantly. He was souled now.
A sudden thought hit him but he dismissed it as soon as it occurred to him. Dressing up as himself would have been cool since nobody could be bad like Angelus but he was liable to get staked.
Jeez, this was such a killjoy. Maybe he shouldn’t have cut the budget for the last few ideas Lorne had. This was revenge, plain and simple.
Everybody had to show up to the party in a costume in order to be admitted and as CEO, he was required to be there.
Angel groaned. He had ten hours until the party tonight. What the hell was he going to be?
Wait a minute...Angel hurriedly re-read the invitation.
It just said that he needed to be in costume to be admitted, it didn’t say he had to stay in costume the whole time…
************
“C’mon, do your laugh,” Fred insisted.
“No, petal. Not until he’s here.”
Fred pouted.
“Don’t pout, pet. It doesn’t go with your outfit.”
“How about this then?” Fred smiled coyly.
“That’s more Catwoman than Batgirl,” Gunn commented with a chuckle as he walked up to the two, dressed in his Ra’s Al Ghul costume. “Where’s Angel?”
“Probably trying to find a way not to get hat hair or some such,” Spike remarked sarcastically.
Fred giggled.
Just then, an uncomfortable looking Wesley arrived. Spike noted with appreciation how well the tights hugged his legs.
Wesley’s own self-consciousness was forgotten upon seeing the girl of his dreams clothed in tight leather.
“You look good, Fred,” he murmured breathlessly.
Gunn’s glower went unnoticed.
“So do you…Robin,” Spike leered at the former Watcher and licked his lips lasciviously, smearing his lipstick a little.
“Now look what you’ve done,” Fred chided.
She rummaged through her tight leather suit and somehow managed to produce a tissue. Carefully, she began wiping off the smear.
“Anyone seen Angelcakes?” Lorne asked, wandering up to the group. “I heard from the ushers that he’s arrived already.”
“Dude, what are you wearing?” Gunn couldn’t resist asking.
“A tuxedo,” Lorne replied matter-of-factly.
Wesley looked outraged. “Didn’t you say this was a costume party? If I had known…” He gestured angrily at his own skin tight outfit.
“Relax, Stud Muffin, you look fine,” Lorne said soothingly. “Besides, I am in costume.”
Spike snorted. “As what? Alfred the butler?”
Lorne was delighted. “How did you guess?”
“Man, if Angel doesn’t show up as Batman…” Gunn murmured with a sad shake of his head.
Four pairs of eyes turned to regard Wesley expectantly, who cowered a little.
“Hey! I suggested it to him. I cannot control whether or not he’s going to follow my suggestion,” Wesley protested.
“Tall, dark and broody. Hell, Peaches doesn’t even have to dress up to look like the stupid ponce.”
“Hey!”
All five heads turned to regard the newcomer. It was Harmony, dressed in some ridiculously skimpy outfit, carrying…a plastic stake?
“I resent that,” Harmony stated petulantly. “Christian Bale is way hotter than Bossy.”
A frowning Fred looked about to argue but Spike was quicker than her.
“What are you bloody wearing?” Spike demanded in confusion. This was a Heroes and Villains party and she looked like a vapid bint in distress trying to play at being tough.
Harmony visibly preened and lowered her eyelashes coyly. “You sure you can’t guess, Blondie Bear?”
Staring at the plastic stake in her hand, an inkling of realization surfaced in Spike’s mind.
“Bloody hell, no. You didn’t!” Spike roared.
The people around them scurried away nervously.
Harmony looked a little disconcerted. “You don’t like it?”
Wesley rubbed his forehead tiredly. “You’re not actually Buffy, are you?”
A beaming Harmony turned to him. “It’s perfect, don’t you think?”
Spike’s jaw ticked. “I need a drink,” he ground out and spun around, stalking off without another word.
Harmony burst into tears after she left and Fred’s heart ached for the vampiress. She pulled the normally bubbly blonde into an awkward embrace, trying to offer whatever comfort she could.
“I thought he would like it!” Harmony sobbed.
Fred didn’t know what to say but when she looked to the others for help, they had vanished. Men, she thought disapprovingly.
************
Spike downed his drink angrily. Stupid bint. She was a vampire for god’s sake! Dressing as a Slayer?
What the hell was she thinking?
He barked at the bartender to give him another drink, trying to chase away images of Buffy with alcohol. Now was not the time to be reminded of his failures at love. Not tonight.
Just then, his senses tingled. The poof was nearby.
Despite his earlier nonchalance, he was nervous as hell and his grip on the glass tightened. It was New Year’s Eve and he thought he would take the chance to start over with his Sire.
It was time for them to stop dancing around the issue and admit that they needed each other. Or at least, he was going to do that tonight. He could only hope that Angel felt that the same way.
He took another gulp of liquid courage. There was no going back. He was determined to confront his Sire tonight.
After all, he was already dressed the part - Joker to the tosser’s Batman. They were perfect complements and couldn’t exist without each other. Before, he had thought briefly about being Robin or any other of Batman’s numerous sidekicks but he was nobody’s underling.
He was a Master Vampire, for Christ’s sake! In every way, he was Angel’s equal and it was time the bloody plonker realized it.
Angrily, Spike got up. Angel couldn’t dodge it anymore. They were going to talk about their…relationship…tonight. Surely, even Angel couldn’t miss the obvious signs that Spike was sending out?
Then again, this was Angel they were talking about. The broody git knew nothing about pop culture. Expecting him to get the Joker-Batman thing?
Spike sat back down on the barstool. This was hopeless.
From across the room, Angel surreptitiously watched Spike from the shadows. Spike might not have seen a mirror for over a century but surely the younger vampire realized that the purple suit and green hair didn’t look good on him. What the hell was he thinking?
Angel brooded as he thought of his own costume, stashed in the wardrobe room somewhere. Could he risk it?
From the way Spike kept jerkily getting up from his stool and sitting back down, he appeared more mentally imbalanced than usual tonight. Perhaps it wasn’t the best night to approach him.
But if not tonight, then when? Angel might not get another chance (or the courage) to show his costume to Spike. Surely, once Spike saw the costume, he’d get it, no matter how out of his mind he might be?
God, Angel needed whiskey.
After having a few drinks with Harmony, a slightly tipsy Fred finally caught sight of Angel, marching purposefully toward the bar like it would be his salvation. She frowned as she realized that he wasn’t wearing a costume.
He was such a spoilsport. She had so hoped to see him in his Bat suit. All that tight leather would look so good on him.
No worries though, she did have Wesley to look at. Besides, without Batman around, she could have Robin all to herself. Didn’t Batgirl get together with Robin or some version of Robin? She wasn’t too clear on the details but she knew what she wanted.
Wesley.
She was going to settle things with him once and for all. No more hinting, no more subtleness. This time, she was going to make sure he got the point.
Her eyes scanned the room for her target. There he was…being mauled by some overenthusiastic skanks!
Fuming, she flew across the room to stake her territory. Those girls were in for a rude awakening.
She wasn’t just wearing this Batgirl suit for show, you know.
************
They had both noticed each other sitting at the bar but were pretending not to. There was always a buffer of three or four people between them and that suited them fine. They weren’t ready yet.
“Another,” Angel shouted as he slammed his almost empty glass on the table.
His coordination was little off and some of his drink sloshed over onto the hands of another patron, who looked about to complain but immediately backed off at the sight of Angel’s vamp face. Angel was too far gone to care about being nice to people.
Good, he thought to himself, he was almost at the point of not caring about losing his dignity.
He sneaked a peek at the other vampire, happy to see that Spike was getting pretty inebriated too.
Just a few more drinks…
A commotion broke out behind them, somewhere around the ballroom. The other nosy patrons left their stools to go see what that was all about, leaving Spike, Angel and two other patrons at the bar.
Feeling exposed, Spike surreptitiously glanced at Angel from under his eyelashes. He was irrationally displeased that Angel didn’t even notice him.
What was the point of wearing this garish costume if it didn’t even get him noticed?
Maybe he should just go back and eat the bloke who sold him the costume. The man had assured him that it was the best Joker costume ever made.
Just then, he noticed Harmony sitting a bit further away from them, talking to Gunn of all people.
“He hates me!” she wailed while knocking back another margarita.
“You think that’s bad?” Gunn slurred bitterly, tossing back his own drink. “My girl doesn’t even notice me anymore, too busy making eyes at English.”
“At least you had her for a while,” Harmony hiccupped piteously. “I was just convenient!”
Gunn snorted. “Like I wasn’t. At first it was Angel and I could stand that. I mean, he’s Angel. Everyone checks out his ass!”
“I don’t!” Harmony protested.
“Good on you then, girl,” Gunn giggled, clinking glasses together with her.
“Blondie bear’s ass is waaay hotter,” Harmony insisted loudly.
Spike couldn’t help a goofy smile from spreading across his face but he quickly tucked it away in case somebody was watching.
“That’s not the point,” Gunn murmured with a belch. “See here…the point is…why is nobody checking out us, huh? We ain’t superheroes but we’re damn hot ourselves.”
“Too right!” Harmony yelled, punching her fist in the air in agreement and nearly toppling over from her stool.
Gunn caught her and put her back in her seat.
“Maybe we oughta give them a little demonstration on what they’re missing out on, you know?” he whispered conspiratorially.
Harmony grinned sloppily. “What did you have in mind?”
Angel’s eyes swiveled over to the pair when he heard the sound of Harmony’s heels clambering on to the bar table.
Despite the bartender’s protests, Gunn and Harmony were now standing on the table, stripping their clothes off and dancing.
Gunn started belting out a song in a loud voice, as he took his suit jacket off and flung it into the crowd.
That attracted the crowd’s attention and people started shuffling over to watch the striptease instead of the source of the commotion before, which turned out to be Fred, in a catfight with the other girls who tried to molest Wesley.
As if on cue, Fred started letting out some wild shrieks of her own and attacking the other girls with renewed vigor while a drunken Wesley tried to either grope or pull everybody off each other.
Which event caused more noise, it was hard to tell.
In the chaos, Angel came to a decision. Forty five minutes until midnight and he’d be damned if he had to spend the new year alone.
Pushing away from the bar, he got up and strode purposefully toward Spike, or as purposefully as he could manage while being drunk. Luckily, Spike was halfway gone himself and hence, was in no position to judge on the gracefulness of Angel’s movements.
Even intoxicated as he was, Spike still felt a frisson of fear as his demon innately sensed the determination emanating from its Sire.
Angel, in his befuddled state, let some of his inner Angelus slip out as he bent down to whisper in Spike’s ear.
“Fifteen minutes. My office.”
Spike stared at the brunette’s retreating figure, his alcohol drenched mind trying to figure out what the older vampire’s angle was. Then again, what does it matter anyway? This was the perfect opportunity to confess and confront.
Getting up unsteadily, Spike began to wade his way through the boisterous crowd, oblivious to everything except Angel.
Meanwhile, Angel had hurriedly made his way to his office and changed back into his costume. In his haste and drunken state, he just left his clothes where he flung them.
The journey had sobered him enough to prevent him from falling unconscious but he still had enough alcohol in him to ensure him courage to follow through with his confession of love.
“Where the hell are ya, poof?” he heard the other vampire holler.
Showtime, he thought. Standing up from his resting place on the sofa, he got up and stepped toward the younger vampire, the enormity of what he was about to do further clearing his mind.
Spike turned toward him and nearly fell over.
“What the buggering fuck is this?”
Angel faltered. This was not the reception he expected. But the whiskey made him relentless and he proceeded until he was directly in front of the younger vampire.
“Tonight, Will, is the night all your dreams come true!” he announced grandly.
A snigger followed by full fledged laughter burst from the blonde. He collapsed on the floor, tears streaming out from his eyes.
Angel frowned. It seemed like a good idea at the time. Maybe Spike was too drunk for this?
Spike calmed himself down enough to ask, “My bloody dreams are you, dressed in a bad train robber’s kit? What parallel universe have you landed in, git?”
“You stupid idiot!” Angel hissed, starting to get angry at how his plans didn’t come to fruition. “This is a Robin Hood costume!”
“So?”
Angel ignored him and started ranting. “I can’t believe you didn’t notice. After I spent so much money on this stupid fucking thing!”
“Did you get it from Manny’s then?”
Angel paused, a look of confusion on his face. “Yes…how did you…”
“Cause it’s the same place I got mine.”
“That ugly thing? You paid good money for that stupid piece of shit?”
Suddenly angry, Spike, from his place on the ground, grabbed Angel’s ankle and yanked. The older vampire crashed to the ground, nearly falling on Spike but he managed to dart away in time.
“You know what the problem with you is?” Spike yelled.
“What?” Angel demanded furiously as he quickly got up and into Spike’s face.
“You never appreciate other people’s bloody efforts,” Spike shouted. “Do you even know who I’m pretending to be?”
“A lunatic?” Angel shot back. “Oops, my mistake. You already are one!”
“Joker, you fucking ponce! The Joker to your fucking Batman!”
Angel sneered. “And that’s supposed to mean what exactly? That you’re being your usual crazy pain in my ass?”
“Better than wannabe train robber!”
Angel punched him wildly. “It’s Robin Hood, boy!”
************
“Get off my boyfriend, you slut!” Fred screeched, pulling hard at some girl’s long hair.
Wesley paused. “Boyfriend?”
************
Harmony flung her dress out at the enthusiastic crowd. “Who wants a piece of me tonight?” she screamed as millions of hands grabbed at her.
A hand yanked her into a hard chest clumsily.
“Harm baby, you going home with me tonight,” Gunn breathed into her ear before they were both smacked in the head by the irate bartender.
************
“Do I look like I care what you wanna dress up as?” Spike shouted.
“It’s ROBIN HOOD!” Angel roared as he grabbed Spike and started shaking the younger vampire as if that would help.
“I know who Robin Hood is!” Spike tried to get out of Angel’s grip but end up entangling his legs with his Sire’s.
They both fell over, Angel landing on top of Spike. The younger vampire shoved him off.
“Don’t you remember?” Angel asked, almost desperate as he clawed at Spike’s legs, succeeding in shredding Spike’s costume.
Spike tried to fight him off. “Remember what, tosser? You’re the one who needed to remember to wear your soddin’ Batman costume!”
Angel fumed. Damn alcohol was preventing him from getting the words out.
“What is with you and Batman?” he demanded in exasperation.
“If you ain’t Batman, how can I be Joker?”
Angel didn’t know whether to laugh or sob. All this had gone to hell. “So you got a new hero!” he hollered, feeling upset.
Spike didn’t like being confused. “What are you nattering on about?”
“You no longer like Robin Hood!” Angel whined.
“Huh?”
“It was all for nothing! You don’t even care!”
Angel shuffled away and promptly burst into maudlin, somewhat alcohol-induced tears.
Spike felt like he had been hammered in the head. What was going on?
Whenever he felt unsure, he tended to go on the attack and that was what he decided to do now.
“Like you’re one to talk. I dressed up as Joker and you didn’t even have the bloody courtesy to come as Batman!”
Angel ignored him and continued sobbing.
“I mean, how’s all this symbolism supposed to work if you won’t cooperate? How can I tell you how much Joker and Batman need each other if you ain’t gonna be Batman?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about!” Angel wailed.
Spike got up and began pacing.
“I’m bloody talking about you ruining my plans! You always soddin’ do that! Our costumes were supposed to complement each other and then you were supposed to notice and we were supposed to profess vows of undying love or some such rot and shag happily ever after. But noooo, you had to come as a train robber Robin Hood wannabe and now, instead of shagging, you’re crying like the nancy boy you are and I’m not getting any nookie tonight!”
Angel blinked. “You want to profess vows of undying love?”
************
“Yes, Wes is my boyfriend!” Fred snarled. “So back off, bitches!”
Wesley suddenly leapt into action and knocked the other girls away from Fred.
“You mean that, Fred? You…like me?”
Fred hiccupped. “Kiss me, stupid.”
************
Harmony’s lips trembled. “Y-you want me?”
The knocked out bartender lay on the counter forgotten.
“Hell yeah, babe,” Gunn proclaimed.
A determined glint entered Harmony’s eyes. “Then I say hell with those losers. You and me are going to partaaaaay!”
She vamped and growled at the onlookers who backed off before grabbing Gunn and drunkenly dragging him off to an empty room.
************
Spike growled. “I wanted to, Peaches, but you kept getting into the soddin’ way!”
Angel felt defensive. “Like you didn’t!”
“I’ve been trying to get it through your Neanderthal forehead all night, plonker!”
“Oh yeah? Well you obviously haven’t been trying hard enough!”
Spike looked livid. He grabbed a paperweight and threw it at Angel’s head. Thanks to the alcohol, Spike’s aim was off and Angel was unharmed.
“I’ll have you know that I’ve been trying plenty hard! It just you ain’t listening!”
Angel snarled. “Why should I listen to you when you don’t listen to me?”
“Like you’ve got anything important to say!”
“You bet I do, boy!”
Spike got right into Angel’s face menacingly. “Then why don’t you say it!”
“I! LOVE! YOU!” Angel ground out, eyes bleeding to amber.
A little fazed, Spike was nevertheless determined to win the argument, though he didn’t even remember what exactly they were arguing about.
“Well,” he countered, “I love you more!”
“No, I’m the one who loves you more!”
“No you don’t!”
“Yes I do!”
“No you don’t!”
“Why don’t we take it to the bedroom and I’ll show you that I’m right!”
“Or I show you I’m right!”
“Fine!”
“Fine!”
Both stormed toward the elevator and got in.
As the elevator doors slid close, the clock struck twelve, heralded the beginning of a new year.
TBC in PART TWO