SDF 75: Brotherly Wisdom
Segment: Brotherly Wisdom
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William was perfectly aware that speaking to Spike about his problems wasn't the smartest idea in the world, but at that particular moment he didn't care. It was because of Spike -- or so William told himself -- that he was having relationship issues to begin with. If he had it his way he would have preferred to spend his Saturday curled up with a good book and a spot of jazz music. But, no, Spike had to interfere with his lonely life, thus bringing Oz with him.
"Spike?" William asked, nervously, as he tapped lightly on his twin's door. The punk music, which threatened to knock his mother's family portraits off the wall, continued to play, showing no indication that Spike had heard him. Letting out an annoyed sigh, William knocked harder. "Spike!"
"Bloody hell, what?" Spike snapped as he threw open the door. William frowned at his state of undress. While it was true that it was the weekend and Spike had no place to go, did he really need to walk around in only a pair of worn-in black sweats? "Well?"
"Spike, I..." William trailed off, blinking in horror when he spotted a glint of metal. "Is that a nipple ring?"
Spike calmly looked down at his right nipple. "Oh, that? Nah. It's fake."
"Why are you wearing a fake nipple ring?" William found himself asking as he stepped into the room. He carefully turned down the punk music and then picked a space clean on the bed, nose scrunching up at the dirty clothes.
"I was thinking of getting one, is all." Spike admitted, carefully prying the piece of metal off his chest with a wince. "I wanted to see what it looked like first."
"That's... An oddly intelligent plan, testing it first." William admitted.
"Shut up." Spike growled. William smiled. "What did you want, anyway? I'm not going to another poetry reading with you."
"Actually, I was hoping to talk to you..." William took a deep, nervous breath. "About Oz." Spike cursed from across the room and William briefly contemplated dropping the whole subject. But he had come in here for a reason and he wasn't about to back out now. "I'm simply... Well, I'm a bit confused to be honest."
"Of course you are." Spike said, bitterly. "Why are you talking to me about this? Can't you bloody well ask Oz, if it's so important?"
"Look, Spike, could you for one second pretend you're my brother and that, in some miniscule portion of your heart, care about me?" William asked, tiredly. Spike scowled at him, then walked over and sat down on the bed.
"Fine. What is it?"
William paused a moment, before speaking. "I don't claim to know Oz like you do. It's quite obvious that he likes me, in some form, but I'm not entirely sure I understand what he... What he wants from me."
"Oh, bloody hell." Spike muttered, turning to look at him. "Are you even listening to yourself? What he wants from you... Oz doesn't want anything from you!" Spike mumbled something rude under his breath. "Look, I don't know where you get the idea that Oz is--"
"I didn’t mean it like that." William interrupted. "I just don't know what I'm doing here, okay? Oz and I are... We're very close, disturbingly close, to forming a relationship and I don't know what I should do about it."
"So, what are you asking?" Spike demanded, his eyes narrowing. "Do you want me to tell Oz to back off? To play matchmaker? What?"
"No! I just..." William covered his face with one hand. "I just want some advice. Please."
"All right, look." Spike said. "It's your choice. I can't tell you what you should do... If you can't bloody well decide? Then do nothing. Let Oz do all of the work. Of course, considering this is Oz we are talking about? You'll be single for the rest of your life if you leave it up to him."
"Gee, thanks." William frowned. Spike shrugged, clearly indicating that he didn't care one way or another. "Is that all, then?"
"Yeah." Spike stated, as he stood. He calmly walked over to his door and gestured for William to leave. As William walked past, feeling more confused than before, Spike grabbed his arm. "Hey, just one thing? Don't break his heart. You're my brother and I'll protect you, but Oz is... Well, he doesn't look it, but you could easily hurt him. Don't."
"I... I'll try." William promised.
"Good." Spike replied, right before slamming the door in William's face. The sound of Spike's music quickly began to pound through the door once again. Realizing that this hadn't fixed his problem at all, William slowly trudged downstairs to make some tea.
the cast | the story list
William was perfectly aware that speaking to Spike about his problems wasn't the smartest idea in the world, but at that particular moment he didn't care. It was because of Spike -- or so William told himself -- that he was having relationship issues to begin with. If he had it his way he would have preferred to spend his Saturday curled up with a good book and a spot of jazz music. But, no, Spike had to interfere with his lonely life, thus bringing Oz with him.
"Spike?" William asked, nervously, as he tapped lightly on his twin's door. The punk music, which threatened to knock his mother's family portraits off the wall, continued to play, showing no indication that Spike had heard him. Letting out an annoyed sigh, William knocked harder. "Spike!"
"Bloody hell, what?" Spike snapped as he threw open the door. William frowned at his state of undress. While it was true that it was the weekend and Spike had no place to go, did he really need to walk around in only a pair of worn-in black sweats? "Well?"
"Spike, I..." William trailed off, blinking in horror when he spotted a glint of metal. "Is that a nipple ring?"
Spike calmly looked down at his right nipple. "Oh, that? Nah. It's fake."
"Why are you wearing a fake nipple ring?" William found himself asking as he stepped into the room. He carefully turned down the punk music and then picked a space clean on the bed, nose scrunching up at the dirty clothes.
"I was thinking of getting one, is all." Spike admitted, carefully prying the piece of metal off his chest with a wince. "I wanted to see what it looked like first."
"That's... An oddly intelligent plan, testing it first." William admitted.
"Shut up." Spike growled. William smiled. "What did you want, anyway? I'm not going to another poetry reading with you."
"Actually, I was hoping to talk to you..." William took a deep, nervous breath. "About Oz." Spike cursed from across the room and William briefly contemplated dropping the whole subject. But he had come in here for a reason and he wasn't about to back out now. "I'm simply... Well, I'm a bit confused to be honest."
"Of course you are." Spike said, bitterly. "Why are you talking to me about this? Can't you bloody well ask Oz, if it's so important?"
"Look, Spike, could you for one second pretend you're my brother and that, in some miniscule portion of your heart, care about me?" William asked, tiredly. Spike scowled at him, then walked over and sat down on the bed.
"Fine. What is it?"
William paused a moment, before speaking. "I don't claim to know Oz like you do. It's quite obvious that he likes me, in some form, but I'm not entirely sure I understand what he... What he wants from me."
"Oh, bloody hell." Spike muttered, turning to look at him. "Are you even listening to yourself? What he wants from you... Oz doesn't want anything from you!" Spike mumbled something rude under his breath. "Look, I don't know where you get the idea that Oz is--"
"I didn’t mean it like that." William interrupted. "I just don't know what I'm doing here, okay? Oz and I are... We're very close, disturbingly close, to forming a relationship and I don't know what I should do about it."
"So, what are you asking?" Spike demanded, his eyes narrowing. "Do you want me to tell Oz to back off? To play matchmaker? What?"
"No! I just..." William covered his face with one hand. "I just want some advice. Please."
"All right, look." Spike said. "It's your choice. I can't tell you what you should do... If you can't bloody well decide? Then do nothing. Let Oz do all of the work. Of course, considering this is Oz we are talking about? You'll be single for the rest of your life if you leave it up to him."
"Gee, thanks." William frowned. Spike shrugged, clearly indicating that he didn't care one way or another. "Is that all, then?"
"Yeah." Spike stated, as he stood. He calmly walked over to his door and gestured for William to leave. As William walked past, feeling more confused than before, Spike grabbed his arm. "Hey, just one thing? Don't break his heart. You're my brother and I'll protect you, but Oz is... Well, he doesn't look it, but you could easily hurt him. Don't."
"I... I'll try." William promised.
"Good." Spike replied, right before slamming the door in William's face. The sound of Spike's music quickly began to pound through the door once again. Realizing that this hadn't fixed his problem at all, William slowly trudged downstairs to make some tea.