The End of The Beginning XX
Title: The End Of The Beginning
Part: XX
Title: Pride for the prideless
Pairing: Xander/Spike (eventually)
Overall Rating: NC17
Chapter Rating: PG-13
Beta: shakatany
Disclaimer: I just play with them.
AN: So I've got a choice here, I can either wrap this up in the next chapter or two, or let my muse continue on it's merry, slightly angsty way. What do you think?
Previous Chapters
Xander was still in shock hours later at work. Stabbing his hand on his own pen for the third time in as many minutes he cursed both the blueprints in front of him and himself. Still muttering to himself he stuck the slightly bleeding digit in his mouth.
He'd left the house shortly after Spike's offer, saying something so non-committal that five minutes later he couldn't even recall it. If he thought about it without letting in any of his own misgivings, moving in with Spike seemed like a smart idea. Dawn wouldn't have to walk unprotected when she wanted to visit the blond, he wouldn't have to worry so much about money, and a vampire was the world's best guard dog.
Frowning, he realised the only reason he was so shaken up by the idea of moving in with Spike was that it would prove once again that Xander couldn't take care of himself, let alone Dawn. Disgusted at himself for letting his pride get in the way of what was best for the teen, he resolved to stop by the vampire's place on the way home from work and hope that the blond hadn't decided against the idea after Xander’s less-than-grateful reception. Decision made, he ignored the small voice in the back of his mind telling him pride wasn't the only reason he was hesitant to move in with a distinctly attractive vampire who had a habit of walking around only partially dressed.
*~*~*
Shifting the warm beer to his other arm, Xander knocked quickly then placed his hand under the bottles to keep them from falling. Waiting a moment he couldn't help but smile as a familiar curse sounded from the other side of the door. When it was jerked open, the brunet couldn't help but just look for a moment. Hair dishevelled, black jeans with the top button undone and bare feet, Spike looked like he'd just rolled out of bed and sleep hadn't been on the agenda. Blinking when he realised that it was quite possible that was exactly what was going on, Xander gave a hesitant smile.
"I'm not uh... interrupting anything, am I?" he asked with a his trademarked goofy grin.
"Nothin' but my beauty sleep, whelp. What d'you want?" Spike's voice was still heavy with sleep, proving the truth of his words.
God, Xander thought unbidden, if that's what he looks like when he's just been sleeping what would he look like when -. Cutting off that train of thought before it could embarrass him, he held out the beer in his arms.
"I just wanted to talk, thought it would go over better with beer," he said, Xander-grin firmly in place.
The put-upon sigh that was his answer made him flinch slightly but he nonetheless walked into the living room after a pale arm waved him inside. Listening to the hiss-pop of newly opened beer, he had to grin at the surprised/pleased sound that made its way out of Spike's throat at the first swallow. Although Xander drank what Spike called “American piss-water”, he did know good English beer, though in his own opinion they all tasted horrible.
Sitting on the couch he gave his own surprised sound when he realised just how comfortable the piece of furniture was. Taking a good look around the room he discovered that the entire place was aimed at comfort. The two couches didn’t match but fit the room anyway. The entire house was a mish-mash of eras and styles, but somehow they worked, even in their disharmony, to create a place that felt like home the second you walked inside.
"Don't look so surprised, whelp, you helped move the furniture in." Xander could tell that the comment was said out of habit rather than necessity since they both knew when he'd helped the vampire move he was lucky if he could remember his own name, let alone care what the house looked like.
"It's really nice, Spike. Homelike." Normally he would have bitten his tongue on the last word but he figured that after all the vampire had done for him and Dawn, he deserved honesty.
As the brunet watched, surprise and just a hint of a genuine smile flicked across the pale face before Spike sat across from him with an expectant look. The blond didn't have to talk for Xander to feel the question pressing against him, crowding against his skin.
"Did you mean it?" Wasn't quite what he'd meant to ask, but he supposed it got the conversation started.
He was grateful when the vampire didn't try to misunderstand and was surprised by the honesty of the answer, "I'd go to hell for the Bit, and I know you would too. I know you've been trying, Harris; watched you come home just about falling over from exhaustion and still make time for Dawn. You've grown up boy, and I wouldn't mind having a bit of company about the place. S'ides, Nibblet just about lives here half the time already, laid claim to one of the spare rooms and all."
Xander thought for a minute, watching the other man closely. He saw those blue eyes shift around the room in twitchy movements, obviously unused to being observed so closely. Eventually Xander gave a barely perceptible nod.
"My lease is up in three weeks." He said the words lightly, trying to hide just how much the offer had meant to him.
The sentence had barely left his lips when the blond was up and moving. Beer in one hand, he fastened cool fingers around Xander's wrist and dragged him towards the back of the house.
"Right," Spike said, sounding like there was no other way that conversation could have gone. "Study is on the left, Bit's room is on the right, has its own bathroom, so you don't have to share with her, my room is the last door on the left, you've got a choice of the two spares, both on the right. Have a look around and let me know if there's anything you think you'll need."
Standing in the hallway, he watched the blond disappear into what Xander assumed was his room and felt like he was drowning. Taking a deep breath he poked his head into Dawn's room, smiling when he saw clothes, books and magazines strewn around the room. Looking into the two spare rooms he noted there was a slight size difference but other than that they were fairly similar. Deciding the one at the end of the corridor was probably a better idea, leaving a room between himself and the teen, he poked his head into the study.
Walking further into the room he found himself smiling. Books lined all of the walls, even covered the windows, and there was an honest-to-god fireplace in one corner of the room, two overly-large arm chairs placed near it. Comments like bat cave came to mind, along with concepts like safe and protected. Sliding into one of the chairs Xander let his head fall back and soaked in a feelings he hadn't realised he'd been missing until now.
*~*~*
Half an hour was enough time for the whelp to have a good nose around Spike decided as he set aside the book he'd been reading and rolled off the bed. Following the sound of a heartbeat wasn't hard when the rest of the house was so quiet but the blond was still surprised to find Xander in the study, his arms and legs curled about him as he slept in one of the chairs.
He wasn't lying when he said that the brunet had grown and just then he realised that not all of that growing was the good kind. There was a faint frown on Xander’s face, and exhaustion seemed to have etched itself under his eyes, so that even as he slept he looked tired, worn out.
Pulling one of the blankets off the back of the other chair he laid it over the man-child who was now more man than child and went to get Dawn, sure that she wouldn't mind spending the night at her soon- to-be-home.
Next Chapter
Part: XX
Title: Pride for the prideless
Pairing: Xander/Spike (eventually)
Overall Rating: NC17
Chapter Rating: PG-13
Beta: shakatany
Disclaimer: I just play with them.
AN: So I've got a choice here, I can either wrap this up in the next chapter or two, or let my muse continue on it's merry, slightly angsty way. What do you think?
Previous Chapters
Xander was still in shock hours later at work. Stabbing his hand on his own pen for the third time in as many minutes he cursed both the blueprints in front of him and himself. Still muttering to himself he stuck the slightly bleeding digit in his mouth.
He'd left the house shortly after Spike's offer, saying something so non-committal that five minutes later he couldn't even recall it. If he thought about it without letting in any of his own misgivings, moving in with Spike seemed like a smart idea. Dawn wouldn't have to walk unprotected when she wanted to visit the blond, he wouldn't have to worry so much about money, and a vampire was the world's best guard dog.
Frowning, he realised the only reason he was so shaken up by the idea of moving in with Spike was that it would prove once again that Xander couldn't take care of himself, let alone Dawn. Disgusted at himself for letting his pride get in the way of what was best for the teen, he resolved to stop by the vampire's place on the way home from work and hope that the blond hadn't decided against the idea after Xander’s less-than-grateful reception. Decision made, he ignored the small voice in the back of his mind telling him pride wasn't the only reason he was hesitant to move in with a distinctly attractive vampire who had a habit of walking around only partially dressed.
*~*~*
Shifting the warm beer to his other arm, Xander knocked quickly then placed his hand under the bottles to keep them from falling. Waiting a moment he couldn't help but smile as a familiar curse sounded from the other side of the door. When it was jerked open, the brunet couldn't help but just look for a moment. Hair dishevelled, black jeans with the top button undone and bare feet, Spike looked like he'd just rolled out of bed and sleep hadn't been on the agenda. Blinking when he realised that it was quite possible that was exactly what was going on, Xander gave a hesitant smile.
"I'm not uh... interrupting anything, am I?" he asked with a his trademarked goofy grin.
"Nothin' but my beauty sleep, whelp. What d'you want?" Spike's voice was still heavy with sleep, proving the truth of his words.
God, Xander thought unbidden, if that's what he looks like when he's just been sleeping what would he look like when -. Cutting off that train of thought before it could embarrass him, he held out the beer in his arms.
"I just wanted to talk, thought it would go over better with beer," he said, Xander-grin firmly in place.
The put-upon sigh that was his answer made him flinch slightly but he nonetheless walked into the living room after a pale arm waved him inside. Listening to the hiss-pop of newly opened beer, he had to grin at the surprised/pleased sound that made its way out of Spike's throat at the first swallow. Although Xander drank what Spike called “American piss-water”, he did know good English beer, though in his own opinion they all tasted horrible.
Sitting on the couch he gave his own surprised sound when he realised just how comfortable the piece of furniture was. Taking a good look around the room he discovered that the entire place was aimed at comfort. The two couches didn’t match but fit the room anyway. The entire house was a mish-mash of eras and styles, but somehow they worked, even in their disharmony, to create a place that felt like home the second you walked inside.
"Don't look so surprised, whelp, you helped move the furniture in." Xander could tell that the comment was said out of habit rather than necessity since they both knew when he'd helped the vampire move he was lucky if he could remember his own name, let alone care what the house looked like.
"It's really nice, Spike. Homelike." Normally he would have bitten his tongue on the last word but he figured that after all the vampire had done for him and Dawn, he deserved honesty.
As the brunet watched, surprise and just a hint of a genuine smile flicked across the pale face before Spike sat across from him with an expectant look. The blond didn't have to talk for Xander to feel the question pressing against him, crowding against his skin.
"Did you mean it?" Wasn't quite what he'd meant to ask, but he supposed it got the conversation started.
He was grateful when the vampire didn't try to misunderstand and was surprised by the honesty of the answer, "I'd go to hell for the Bit, and I know you would too. I know you've been trying, Harris; watched you come home just about falling over from exhaustion and still make time for Dawn. You've grown up boy, and I wouldn't mind having a bit of company about the place. S'ides, Nibblet just about lives here half the time already, laid claim to one of the spare rooms and all."
Xander thought for a minute, watching the other man closely. He saw those blue eyes shift around the room in twitchy movements, obviously unused to being observed so closely. Eventually Xander gave a barely perceptible nod.
"My lease is up in three weeks." He said the words lightly, trying to hide just how much the offer had meant to him.
The sentence had barely left his lips when the blond was up and moving. Beer in one hand, he fastened cool fingers around Xander's wrist and dragged him towards the back of the house.
"Right," Spike said, sounding like there was no other way that conversation could have gone. "Study is on the left, Bit's room is on the right, has its own bathroom, so you don't have to share with her, my room is the last door on the left, you've got a choice of the two spares, both on the right. Have a look around and let me know if there's anything you think you'll need."
Standing in the hallway, he watched the blond disappear into what Xander assumed was his room and felt like he was drowning. Taking a deep breath he poked his head into Dawn's room, smiling when he saw clothes, books and magazines strewn around the room. Looking into the two spare rooms he noted there was a slight size difference but other than that they were fairly similar. Deciding the one at the end of the corridor was probably a better idea, leaving a room between himself and the teen, he poked his head into the study.
Walking further into the room he found himself smiling. Books lined all of the walls, even covered the windows, and there was an honest-to-god fireplace in one corner of the room, two overly-large arm chairs placed near it. Comments like bat cave came to mind, along with concepts like safe and protected. Sliding into one of the chairs Xander let his head fall back and soaked in a feelings he hadn't realised he'd been missing until now.
*~*~*
Half an hour was enough time for the whelp to have a good nose around Spike decided as he set aside the book he'd been reading and rolled off the bed. Following the sound of a heartbeat wasn't hard when the rest of the house was so quiet but the blond was still surprised to find Xander in the study, his arms and legs curled about him as he slept in one of the chairs.
He wasn't lying when he said that the brunet had grown and just then he realised that not all of that growing was the good kind. There was a faint frown on Xander’s face, and exhaustion seemed to have etched itself under his eyes, so that even as he slept he looked tired, worn out.
Pulling one of the blankets off the back of the other chair he laid it over the man-child who was now more man than child and went to get Dawn, sure that she wouldn't mind spending the night at her soon- to-be-home.
Next Chapter