A Little, Black Thing
Season 9 fanfic. Nothing special about it. Not so much spuffy. Spike makes a phone call to Dawn.
Mostly a short drabble. And yes, I've gone MIA again. :(
__________
It was a black evil thing, filled with all the terrifying possibilities that could utterly destroy the world in little bits of agony. His world at least. It sat on the counter, nondescript yet utterly taunting him. The silent and empty apartment, still and white like a morgue, only echoed the silent mockings it fired his way.
Spike hated his new phone.
It was old too. He couldn’t afford one of those fancy newer ones, with all the little gadgets, features and flashing lights. The new ones were thin, this one was a brick he could kill someone with. Not that he would. And it wasn’t even a cellphone, but a landline. He had never owned a landline phone before.
This phone he bought the second he signed the lease on the apartment. His new home.
A home.
This was what he wanted and Spike was terrified. No, terrified was too weak of word. He didn’t have a word for what he was feeling. Words. That was what he needed and he had none. He had to pick up that phone and dial a few numbers. No big deal really.
He reached out to grab the receiver with a total look of ease and nonchalance. The second his new found warm skin touched the glossy and hollow plastic he stopped. Seconds went by as again he stood still. He began to feel the wetness of his palms, the slickness of the sweat gliding over the smooth surface of his nemesis.
No, he could do this. It didn’t matter what the outcome was.
With the swiftness of his old vampire reflexes, Spike put the receiver to his ear. He dialed with both eagerness and false confidence. On the last number, he faltered. His finger shook and hovered over the digit. After shaking himself, his finger pressed down and he waited.
The phone rang. And rang.
Maybe he should just hang up. The moment his tense hold on the phone eased someone picked up.
“The great and awesome Dawn speaking.”
As Dawn’s voice filtered through Spike’s momentary relief was replaced with silly nervousness. He wasn’t a soddin’ school boy.
“Dawn, it’s me. Spike.”
Silence followed and Spike wondered if Dawn could hear his stupid nerves battling his will.
“Spike? You’ve been MIA for months. Why the sudden call? You’re not in trouble are you? I won’t bail you out.”
“Uh, no. No trouble. I wouldn’t be calling if I needed a knight in shining armor.”
“Buffy isn’t here. Did you want me to call her for you or something?” Dawn’s annoyance and impatience was clear enough that Spike could see it.
“Not why I’m calling.”
“If you’re not in trouble and if you’re not calling for Buffy, why are you calling?”
Spike swallowed. Words, where were those bleedin’ words. “Yeah. Right, the reason I’m callin’. Uh...How are you?”
“How am I?” Dawn’s incredulousness vibrated in Spike’s ear. “Did you hit your head? Or are you some weird Spike impersonator?”
“I think I might have when...wait. No, I'm peachy niblet. And it’s really me. Haven't talked to you in awhile and I-”
“Spike, what’s up? Why are asking about me?”
“What? I can’t call and ask? Thought that’s what people do when they care.”
“Riii-ght. Look, I’ll let Buffy know-”
“No, don’t tell Buffy. Look...forget I called.” Spike’s gnawing and building frustrations wanted him to just slam the phone down. The only thing that stopped him was Dawn.
“Wait! Are you seriously just calling to check on me?”
“Yeah.”
“I could totally lecture you on how I don’t need you to check on me. Me and Xander are happy and perfectly content.”
“School okay?” Spike again felt his stomach churn. He hated his new human body.
Dawn was silent for longer than Spike would have liked. But when she began to speak again, something in her voice caused his stomach to settle and his heart to feel light. “School’s okay. I got really good grades this semester.”
Spike felt himself nod and didn’t even think to react at how stupid he felt by doing so. “Good to hear.” He didn’t know what else to say. “Well, I won’t keep you. Nice chat.”
“You can call again.”
It was ridiculous how happy that made him and Spike wanted to kick himself for being such a pansy. “Sure.”
“And Spike?”
“Yeah?”
“Buffy misses you. You should stop by, you know, for a visit.”
“I’ll think about it. Let me know if the great Xander isn’t being Mr. Perfect and I’ll come hang him by his toes.”
“What? No ripping of spines and drinking from skull chalices? And again, I don’t need you to play big brother.” Dawn’s humor, her ease, caused Spike to smile.
“Not playing big brother. And figured the blood and gore themed threats were getting old.”
“Bye Spike.”
“Bye bit.”
When his fingers lifted from the phone after hanging up, Spike felt he won this battle with the evil little black thing.
And maybe it wasn’t so evil after all. Just bloody ugly. Maybe he would take it back to the store once he had some more money and buy the nicer looking one? Maybe that would liven up his home.
Mostly a short drabble. And yes, I've gone MIA again. :(
__________
It was a black evil thing, filled with all the terrifying possibilities that could utterly destroy the world in little bits of agony. His world at least. It sat on the counter, nondescript yet utterly taunting him. The silent and empty apartment, still and white like a morgue, only echoed the silent mockings it fired his way.
Spike hated his new phone.
It was old too. He couldn’t afford one of those fancy newer ones, with all the little gadgets, features and flashing lights. The new ones were thin, this one was a brick he could kill someone with. Not that he would. And it wasn’t even a cellphone, but a landline. He had never owned a landline phone before.
This phone he bought the second he signed the lease on the apartment. His new home.
A home.
This was what he wanted and Spike was terrified. No, terrified was too weak of word. He didn’t have a word for what he was feeling. Words. That was what he needed and he had none. He had to pick up that phone and dial a few numbers. No big deal really.
He reached out to grab the receiver with a total look of ease and nonchalance. The second his new found warm skin touched the glossy and hollow plastic he stopped. Seconds went by as again he stood still. He began to feel the wetness of his palms, the slickness of the sweat gliding over the smooth surface of his nemesis.
No, he could do this. It didn’t matter what the outcome was.
With the swiftness of his old vampire reflexes, Spike put the receiver to his ear. He dialed with both eagerness and false confidence. On the last number, he faltered. His finger shook and hovered over the digit. After shaking himself, his finger pressed down and he waited.
The phone rang. And rang.
Maybe he should just hang up. The moment his tense hold on the phone eased someone picked up.
“The great and awesome Dawn speaking.”
As Dawn’s voice filtered through Spike’s momentary relief was replaced with silly nervousness. He wasn’t a soddin’ school boy.
“Dawn, it’s me. Spike.”
Silence followed and Spike wondered if Dawn could hear his stupid nerves battling his will.
“Spike? You’ve been MIA for months. Why the sudden call? You’re not in trouble are you? I won’t bail you out.”
“Uh, no. No trouble. I wouldn’t be calling if I needed a knight in shining armor.”
“Buffy isn’t here. Did you want me to call her for you or something?” Dawn’s annoyance and impatience was clear enough that Spike could see it.
“Not why I’m calling.”
“If you’re not in trouble and if you’re not calling for Buffy, why are you calling?”
Spike swallowed. Words, where were those bleedin’ words. “Yeah. Right, the reason I’m callin’. Uh...How are you?”
“How am I?” Dawn’s incredulousness vibrated in Spike’s ear. “Did you hit your head? Or are you some weird Spike impersonator?”
“I think I might have when...wait. No, I'm peachy niblet. And it’s really me. Haven't talked to you in awhile and I-”
“Spike, what’s up? Why are asking about me?”
“What? I can’t call and ask? Thought that’s what people do when they care.”
“Riii-ght. Look, I’ll let Buffy know-”
“No, don’t tell Buffy. Look...forget I called.” Spike’s gnawing and building frustrations wanted him to just slam the phone down. The only thing that stopped him was Dawn.
“Wait! Are you seriously just calling to check on me?”
“Yeah.”
“I could totally lecture you on how I don’t need you to check on me. Me and Xander are happy and perfectly content.”
“School okay?” Spike again felt his stomach churn. He hated his new human body.
Dawn was silent for longer than Spike would have liked. But when she began to speak again, something in her voice caused his stomach to settle and his heart to feel light. “School’s okay. I got really good grades this semester.”
Spike felt himself nod and didn’t even think to react at how stupid he felt by doing so. “Good to hear.” He didn’t know what else to say. “Well, I won’t keep you. Nice chat.”
“You can call again.”
It was ridiculous how happy that made him and Spike wanted to kick himself for being such a pansy. “Sure.”
“And Spike?”
“Yeah?”
“Buffy misses you. You should stop by, you know, for a visit.”
“I’ll think about it. Let me know if the great Xander isn’t being Mr. Perfect and I’ll come hang him by his toes.”
“What? No ripping of spines and drinking from skull chalices? And again, I don’t need you to play big brother.” Dawn’s humor, her ease, caused Spike to smile.
“Not playing big brother. And figured the blood and gore themed threats were getting old.”
“Bye Spike.”
“Bye bit.”
When his fingers lifted from the phone after hanging up, Spike felt he won this battle with the evil little black thing.
And maybe it wasn’t so evil after all. Just bloody ugly. Maybe he would take it back to the store once he had some more money and buy the nicer looking one? Maybe that would liven up his home.