Fic: Collide - Chapter 3/?
Here's the next chapter. If you missed the first two chapters, I posted them together in this entry.
Collide
Pairing: S/A (eventually), S/others and A/others along the way
Rating: NC17 overall
Warning: Teenage high school kids doing things high school kids do.
Disclaimer: Not mine, not for profit...just borrowing them to get the plot bunny that invaded my brain to shut up already.
Beta'd: by thatotherperv
Summary: Human AU. Growing up is difficult enough. Being yourself while doing it is damn near impossible.
Chapter 3
The next day at school, Spike ducked into the toilet between classes. There were a couple of other blokes in there too, but by the time he'd finished, they were walking out. Spike crossed to the sink and washed his hands, trying to hurry so he wasn't late for his next class. He'd just finished up and wiped his hands when he was grabbed by the arm, spun around and shoved up against the wall, a hand at his throat pinning him there, another fisted in his shirt.
"What the fuck," Spike said as he found himself staring into Angel's pissed off face.
"You turned Buffy against me," Angel said, voice low and dangerous.
Spike's gut clenched in fear and he was glad he had already relieved himself, or he wasn't so sure he wouldn't have just then. He didn't have a clue how to defend himself, never had, and he'd been on the receiving end of enough beatings to know another was headed his way. Suddenly he wasn't Spike anymore. He was William again, the kid afraid of his own soddin' shadow.
Angel pulled him away from the wall by his shirt and slammed him against it again. Pain exploded in Spike's head and just as suddenly as the fear had taken hold, anger took over, chasing away the fear. He was fed up with being a punching bag. Whether or not he knew how to defend himself, he decided he wasn't going to just stand there and take it this time.
"Fuck you, Angel. I didn’t turn her against you. Did that all on your own," Spike threw back, reaching up to grab the hand at his throat by the wrist.
Spike struggled in Angel's hold until Angel stepped in so close that their bodies were practically touching.
Angel leaned in, stopping with his face inches from Spike's. "I should beat the attitude right out of you. Teach you a lesson."
Spike froze and swallowed hard. Staring into Angel's eyes, he bluffed, "Bigger blokes than you have tried. Hasn't worked yet."
Angel's lip curled as he snarled. When his hand started to tighten on Spike's throat, Spike realized he needed to do something now if he didn't want to get choked to death. He tightened his hold on Angel's wrist, trying to pull him off, while with the other hand he took a swing at the side of Angel's head. Unfortunately, Angel saw it coming and blocked it, and then Spike found his arm slammed against the wall next to his head, Angel pinning it there with his other hand.
Spike struggled, trying to get free, but Angel's hand only kept tightening. "Stop fighting or I'll keep squeezing," Angel warned.
Realizing he was getting nowhere fast and in fact, was beginning to see spots, Spike stilled and gasped for air. Angel held on tight another few seconds before easing his hold on Spike's throat.
Spike sucked in several deep breaths, then said roughly, "You're bloody well going to be sorry for this, arsehole."
Angel leaned in and said next to Spike's ear, voice cocky, "Somehow, I don't think so."
Spike sucked in another deep breath and suddenly his senses were assaulted with Angel's scent. He could smell his aftershave, and underneath, he could smell something earthy, something musky. Unbelievably, he felt himself start to harden.
Spike swallowed, praying Angel didn't brush against him or look down, or he was sure that would be the end of him. He had no doubt that despite Angel's pathetic attempt the night before to act alright with Spike's sexuality that he wouldn't appreciate him getting turned on by him. Not to mention it was just twisted, really, that he was getting hot while being pinned to a wall and threatened.
Angel started to pull back, but suddenly hesitated. Spike turned his head slightly to look up at Angel, only to find their mouths barely an inch apart. Spike's eyes flew to Angel's and something … shifted between them. Suddenly Spike wasn't so sure Angel was as straight as he came off, least, not considering the heated look he was leveling at him.
Spike's lips parted slightly and Angel's hand on his wrist tightened in reaction. It could have been a trick of the eye or maybe wishful thinking, but Spike was almost sure Angel was about to kiss him. Unfortunately, he'd never know because just then the door burst open and someone Spike didn't know walked in, fumbling with a stack of books and his iPod.
Instantly Angel released Spike as if burned and backed up several steps. The guy, oblivious to what had just been going on, walked past them and into a stall. A second later, Spike heard the door click shut and a thud, presumably the books being set on the floor.
For a long moment, Spike and Angel stared at each other, and then Angel stepped in close again, grabbing Spike by the front of his shirt. "Leave Buffy alone. Quit trying to turn her against me or you and I? Are going to have a big problem, understand?"
Spike jerked free of Angel's hold and straightened his kit. "What I understand is that you're barkin' mad, mate, so piss off. Your problems with her have nothing to do with me. Like I said, I didn't turn her against you, ponce. Did that all on your own."
With a braveness he didn't really feel, Spike turned his back on Angel and headed out of the toilet, hoping that Angel wouldn't attack him again with someone right there. Nonetheless, once he was down the hall a ways and had turned a corner out of sight of the toilet, he collapsed against the wall, arms and legs shaking, heart beating clean through his chest in a delayed reaction to the fear and arousal.
Still somewhat hard, he glanced down at himself and blinked, wondering what kind of twisted freak he was turning into. Deciding the whole thing was Angel's fault, Spike made a vow right then and there to stay as far away from him as possible.
~*~
His vow lasted all of two hours.
In some cruel twist of fate, Spike ended up sitting next to Angel in the cafeteria. Turned out, Buffy wasn't just friendly with Xander and the gang, she was best friends with them. Apparently, she usually sat with them, and by extension, so did Angel. And because Spike's life sucked just that much, Buffy sat next to Willow and Oz, leaving the only seat available the one next to Angel.
So there Spike found himself, sitting next to a bloke that had choked him against a wall just two hours prior, then nearly kissed him. Maybe. Spike tried to act like everything was normal and he wasn't having an internal war over whether he should run from Angel or jump him. Spike's fidgeting must have given him away because eventually Xander asked if everything was alright.
Spike swallowed the bite of food he was attempting to eat and shrugged. "Fine, mate."
"It's just … you seem jumpy," Xander pressed.
Spike shrugged again. "Had too much caffeine this morning. Makes me jittery."
"You sure?" Xander asked, looking skeptical.
Before Spike could answer, Angel said, "Leave him alone, Xander. If he says it's caffeine, it's caffeine, okay?"
Xander, and everyone else for that matter, looked at Angel oddly. Angel just shrugged and said, "It's bad enough sitting next to him while he twitches every which way. Asking him the same thing over and over's just annoying."
Xander rolled his eyes. "Sorry to annoy you so much, Your Highness."
Angel opened his mouth to respond but Buffy stepped in then. "Stop! Can't we have a civilized lunch for once without the two of you trading insults?"
Both Xander and Angel looked at her sheepishly. Having had enough of Angel's presence and unable to stomach any food because of it, Spike stood. "I'm off. Need to grab something from my locker before next period so I'll catch you all later, yeah?"
Xander frowned but said, "Sure thing, Spike."
~*~
Spike got halfway to his locker before he was grabbed from behind. Jerking away, he spun around to see who it was and found himself face to face with Angel. Again.
"Soddin' hell. What now? Didn't say barely two words to your precious Buffy. Can't seriously be mad about that, so what?" Spike asked.
Angel cleared his throat. "Yeah. About that. I kind of overreacted this morning."
Spike's eyes widened. "You think?"
Angel winced. "Anyway, things are alright between me and Buffy now, so uh, you don't need to be jumpy around me."
Spike waited a beat, then narrowed his eyes as realization dawned. "She put you up to this, didn't she?"
"What? Who?" Angel asked, feigning innocence.
Spike took a step forward and poked Angel in the chest. "Buffy. She sussed out something was off and sent you to apologize."
Angel shoved Spike's hand away and said, "You don't know what you're talking about."
Spike grinned, enjoying getting Angel on the defensive. "Sure I don't. Did you tell her what happened?" Angel glared at him, but didn't respond. Heady with the power he suddenly felt over Angel, Spike stepped close and dropped his voice, asking, "Did you tell her about how you had me pressed against the wall?" Angel swallowed, the glare dropping away in favor of something else. Something heated. Angel's reaction emboldening him, Spike leaned in even closer and asked, "Did you tell her how much you liked it?"
Angel's face contorted in anger instantly and he shoved hard at Spike's shoulders, sending Spike stumbling back. Spike chuckled, fairly certain Angel wouldn't risk Buffy's wrath by actually beating him up in the middle of the hall. Or his spot on the football team for that matter, since the school had a zero tolerance policy for violence.
"Shut up, Spike, or I'll-"
Spike jumped forward, getting in Angel's face again as he interrupted, "You'll what, mate?"
Angel clamped his mouth shut and just glared.
Spike grinned and backed up a step, saying, "Way I see it, whether you get in Buffy's pants again anytime soon depends entirely on whether she's happy with you. And right now, seems like the only way to keep her happy is by making nice with me, yeah?"
"What's your point, Spike?" Angel asked through clenched teeth.
"My point is," Spike said, relishing having the upper hand for a change, "You'd better keep me happy or I might just have to get 'jumpy' again and start taking off whenever you show up."
Angel didn't answer right off, and when he did it was to say, "You're enjoying this, aren't you?"
Spike grinned ear to ear. "Immensely, mate."
"I'm not your mate, Spike," Angel ground out.
Spike made a tsking noise. "Uh-uh, Angel. Talk like that might make me twitchy. Try, 'Thank you Spike, for not telling Buffy that I attacked you.'"
Angel glared, but bit out, "Thank you Spike, for not telling Buffy that I … attacked you."
Satisfied, Spike started past Angel, patting him on the shoulder as he went. "That wasn't so hard, was it?"
Under his breath, Angel muttered, "Fuck off."
Spike chuckled, continuing down the hall as he said, "I'll pretend I didn't hear that."
~*~
Later that evening, Spike was sitting in his room listening to music and working on his Calculus homework when there was a knock on his door.
" 'S open," Spike called out, head bopping to the music.
The door cracked open and his uncle stuck his head in. "Xander's here to see you."
Spike's head stopped bobbing and his eyebrows arched in surprise. He hadn't known they'd moved on to the home visit portion of their friendship. Not that he was complaining, it was just a novel experience, having a friend visit. Hadn't happened since he was a kid in England.
"Ta. Send him in, yeah?"
Giles nodded and a moment later Xander walked in, smiling overly-brightly. "So, is this a welcome visit? Or an awkward go-away-before-the-tension-chokes-us-both visit?"
Spike laughed, whatever awkward tension there might have been evaporating instantly, something he was fairly sure Xander had intended. "A welcome one." Glancing around, Spike added, "Don't have much place to sit. Got a desk and chair on order, but they're not here yet. You'll have to sit on the bed with me."
Xander nodded and walked over, sitting on the opposite side of Spike's full-sized bed as he glanced at the book and papers strewn in front of Spike. "Calculus, huh? I was lucky to make it through Geometry last year. Someone with power thinks I have more math skills than I do because they stuck me in Trig this year even though I didn't sign up for it. It's day two and I'm already lost."
Spike chuckled. "Bring your work over sometime and I'll see if I can get you pointed in the right direction. Isn't that hard, really."
Xander looked at him like he'd grown another head. "Maybe not for you, but I'm pretty much math challenged. A plus 2 equals 3 is like rocket science."
Spike snorted. "Don't sell yourself short. You might surprise yourself if you just gave it a chance."
"Oh my God," Xander said in mock horror. "You're channeling Willow. You've only known her for a day and you're channeling her."
Spike grinned. "See? She's been your best friend since what? Birth? And she believes in you. Got to be something to it."
"Or maybe she's just a glass half full kinda girl when really, the glass is empty and it's just a hard water ring playing tricks on her eyes," Xander countered.
Spike rolled his eyes. "Whatever. Bring your book over and if you're still lost afterward, I'll… I'll…"
"Be my bitch for a day?"
Spike's eyes widened. "Come again?"
Xander grinned, obviously knowing full well how Spike had taken that. "You know, follow me around, carry my books, throw away my trash at lunch, wash my car…"
Spike relaxed slightly and laughed. "Let me get this straight. I offer to help you and I get punished if you're right and you can't be helped."
Xander grinned. "Sounds about right to me."
Spike shook his head but said, "Alright. On two conditions."
"Yeah?" Xander asked, rubbing his hands together. "Because I'm already picturing my car with the new wax job you're going to give it."
Spike snorted. "First condition is, you have to give it an honest shot. No deciding beforehand you're going to fail or want to fail just to get me to do your bidding. Second condition? I win, you're my bitch for a day. Deal?"
Xander sighed and twisted, flopping back on the bed so that his head ended up near Spike's knee. "Jeez. You're taking all the fun out of it. I might actually end up learning something."
"Yeah," Spike said dryly as he wadded up a piece of paper and bounced it off Xander's forehead. "What a tragedy that would be."
For a while they were silent, Spike working on his Calculus while Xander lay there staring at the ceiling, until finally Xander broke the silence, asking, "So … going to tell me what lunch was all about?"
Spike tensed and glanced at Xander's upside down face still near his knee. "What about it? Had something at my locker to get before class."
"Yeah. Your locker, which is near mine, which I was able to get to before my next class even though I left the cafeteria a good ten minutes after you."
Spike sighed and leaned back on his pillows. "Was nothing, really. Just a … thing."
"An Angel thing, right?"
Spike nodded.
"Do you have a crush on him or something?"
Spike sat straight up and said, "What? Hell no."
Xander nodded. "Then Buffy was right and he did something."
Spike scowled. "I've known you for all of two days, mate. Must have missed the part where that gives you the right to pry into my life."
Immediately Spike regretted saying that. Doubly so when Xander got up off the bed and headed toward the door saying, "O-kay. I get it. Won't happen again."
Spike sighed. "Xander, wait."
Xander paused with his hand on the knob, looking back at Spike expectantly.
Spike studied him for a moment, then said, "Sorry. It's just… Buffy's your friend and I don't want this getting back to her. I tell you, it puts you in an awkward position."
Xander seemed to consider that. "Buffy didn’t send me over here, if that's what you're thinking. As far as she's concerned, she told Angel to apologize at lunch time, and at some point in the afternoon he came back to her and told her he did, so all's peachy in Buffy's world. I was just concerned about you. Angel's not a pushover. He wouldn't have agreed to go apologize if he didn't think there was something to apologize for, no matter how much it pissed Buffy off."
Spike tilted his head and studied Xander curiously. "You really mean that, don't you? You give a damn about me?"
Xander looked at him in confusion. "Why wouldn't I? I thought we were friends."
Spike shrugged. "Me too. I just…"
When he trailed off, embarrassed, Xander walked over and sat down next to him on the bed. "Just what?"
Spike stared at him and thought seriously about telling him about what a loser he'd been until recently, about how he hadn't had an honest to God friend in years. But even though he was fairly certain Xander wouldn't laugh at him and walk out, Spike just couldn't do it. He'd gone through a lot of work to put that part of his life behind him, to create a new persona, and telling Xander would undo some of that.
Instead, he said, "Just … didn't expect to find a friend so fast here."
Xander smiled and bumped shoulders with him. "Well, you did. And not just me. The whole gang likes you. Even Cordelia, and she's usually the hardest to win over."
A warm glow spread inside Spike. He had friends. It was a nice feeling.
After a moment, Xander ventured, "So … Angel? What happened?"
Spike leaned back against his pillows. " 'S bloody embarrassing. That's the other reason I didn't want to talk about it."
"Hey," Xander said. "You want to talk embarrassing? Try crashing a frat party because you're trying to protect your friends, only to have it backfire and you end up in a bra, skirt and makeup dancing around like an idiot."
Spike's eyes widened. "You're fucking with me."
Xander shook his head. "It's the truth. Buffy and Cordelia were invited to this frat party last year. I mean, come on. College guys inviting high school juniors to their party? There had to be a reason. A shady reason, you know? So I crashed it and tried to pass myself off as a pledge. Unfortunately, they figured it out and made me dress up like that. Let me tell you, getting your bra snapped repeatedly? Leaves a mark. After, I went back and apologized to all the girls I'd done that to in junior high."
Spike stared at Xander, bemused that he was admitting that to him. Finally, he said, "Bloody hell."
Xander chuckled. "Yeah. That's one way of putting it. So … I tell you mine, you tell me yours?"
Spike sighed, then admitted, "We had a run-in in the toilet this morning. Apparently he took exception to Buffy blowing him off last night and blamed me."
"Shit. What'd he do?"
Spike swallowed, embarrassed to talk about it, but fortified by Xander's own embarrassing revelation. "Had me up against the wall and started choking me. Tried to fight him off, but couldn't."
Xander cursed, his eyes dropping to Spike's neck as he asked, "But you're alright?"
"Yeah. He backed off, we traded insults, he threatened me again and I walked away," Spike said matter-of-factly.
"And this afternoon?" Xander asked.
Spike grinned. "This afternoon I got some of my own back. This time I threatened him . Told him if he didn't keep me happy, I'd play the victim in front of Buffy. Get him cut off."
Xander chuckled and leaned back on the pillows next to Spike. "Wish I'd been there. I'll bet he was foaming at the mouth."
Spike chuckled. "Don't know the half of it. Was brilliant. Don't think I'll be having any more problems with the bloke, least as long and he and Buffy are together."
"And when they break up?" Xander asked. "Which is something they do a lot, by the way, just to warn you."
Spike shrugged and tried to sound nonchalant about it, even though the thought made him nervous, "Cross that bridge when I come to it, mate."
Continued here.
Collide
Pairing: S/A (eventually), S/others and A/others along the way
Rating: NC17 overall
Warning: Teenage high school kids doing things high school kids do.
Disclaimer: Not mine, not for profit...just borrowing them to get the plot bunny that invaded my brain to shut up already.
Beta'd: by thatotherperv
Summary: Human AU. Growing up is difficult enough. Being yourself while doing it is damn near impossible.
Chapter 3
The next day at school, Spike ducked into the toilet between classes. There were a couple of other blokes in there too, but by the time he'd finished, they were walking out. Spike crossed to the sink and washed his hands, trying to hurry so he wasn't late for his next class. He'd just finished up and wiped his hands when he was grabbed by the arm, spun around and shoved up against the wall, a hand at his throat pinning him there, another fisted in his shirt.
"What the fuck," Spike said as he found himself staring into Angel's pissed off face.
"You turned Buffy against me," Angel said, voice low and dangerous.
Spike's gut clenched in fear and he was glad he had already relieved himself, or he wasn't so sure he wouldn't have just then. He didn't have a clue how to defend himself, never had, and he'd been on the receiving end of enough beatings to know another was headed his way. Suddenly he wasn't Spike anymore. He was William again, the kid afraid of his own soddin' shadow.
Angel pulled him away from the wall by his shirt and slammed him against it again. Pain exploded in Spike's head and just as suddenly as the fear had taken hold, anger took over, chasing away the fear. He was fed up with being a punching bag. Whether or not he knew how to defend himself, he decided he wasn't going to just stand there and take it this time.
"Fuck you, Angel. I didn’t turn her against you. Did that all on your own," Spike threw back, reaching up to grab the hand at his throat by the wrist.
Spike struggled in Angel's hold until Angel stepped in so close that their bodies were practically touching.
Angel leaned in, stopping with his face inches from Spike's. "I should beat the attitude right out of you. Teach you a lesson."
Spike froze and swallowed hard. Staring into Angel's eyes, he bluffed, "Bigger blokes than you have tried. Hasn't worked yet."
Angel's lip curled as he snarled. When his hand started to tighten on Spike's throat, Spike realized he needed to do something now if he didn't want to get choked to death. He tightened his hold on Angel's wrist, trying to pull him off, while with the other hand he took a swing at the side of Angel's head. Unfortunately, Angel saw it coming and blocked it, and then Spike found his arm slammed against the wall next to his head, Angel pinning it there with his other hand.
Spike struggled, trying to get free, but Angel's hand only kept tightening. "Stop fighting or I'll keep squeezing," Angel warned.
Realizing he was getting nowhere fast and in fact, was beginning to see spots, Spike stilled and gasped for air. Angel held on tight another few seconds before easing his hold on Spike's throat.
Spike sucked in several deep breaths, then said roughly, "You're bloody well going to be sorry for this, arsehole."
Angel leaned in and said next to Spike's ear, voice cocky, "Somehow, I don't think so."
Spike sucked in another deep breath and suddenly his senses were assaulted with Angel's scent. He could smell his aftershave, and underneath, he could smell something earthy, something musky. Unbelievably, he felt himself start to harden.
Spike swallowed, praying Angel didn't brush against him or look down, or he was sure that would be the end of him. He had no doubt that despite Angel's pathetic attempt the night before to act alright with Spike's sexuality that he wouldn't appreciate him getting turned on by him. Not to mention it was just twisted, really, that he was getting hot while being pinned to a wall and threatened.
Angel started to pull back, but suddenly hesitated. Spike turned his head slightly to look up at Angel, only to find their mouths barely an inch apart. Spike's eyes flew to Angel's and something … shifted between them. Suddenly Spike wasn't so sure Angel was as straight as he came off, least, not considering the heated look he was leveling at him.
Spike's lips parted slightly and Angel's hand on his wrist tightened in reaction. It could have been a trick of the eye or maybe wishful thinking, but Spike was almost sure Angel was about to kiss him. Unfortunately, he'd never know because just then the door burst open and someone Spike didn't know walked in, fumbling with a stack of books and his iPod.
Instantly Angel released Spike as if burned and backed up several steps. The guy, oblivious to what had just been going on, walked past them and into a stall. A second later, Spike heard the door click shut and a thud, presumably the books being set on the floor.
For a long moment, Spike and Angel stared at each other, and then Angel stepped in close again, grabbing Spike by the front of his shirt. "Leave Buffy alone. Quit trying to turn her against me or you and I? Are going to have a big problem, understand?"
Spike jerked free of Angel's hold and straightened his kit. "What I understand is that you're barkin' mad, mate, so piss off. Your problems with her have nothing to do with me. Like I said, I didn't turn her against you, ponce. Did that all on your own."
With a braveness he didn't really feel, Spike turned his back on Angel and headed out of the toilet, hoping that Angel wouldn't attack him again with someone right there. Nonetheless, once he was down the hall a ways and had turned a corner out of sight of the toilet, he collapsed against the wall, arms and legs shaking, heart beating clean through his chest in a delayed reaction to the fear and arousal.
Still somewhat hard, he glanced down at himself and blinked, wondering what kind of twisted freak he was turning into. Deciding the whole thing was Angel's fault, Spike made a vow right then and there to stay as far away from him as possible.
~*~
His vow lasted all of two hours.
In some cruel twist of fate, Spike ended up sitting next to Angel in the cafeteria. Turned out, Buffy wasn't just friendly with Xander and the gang, she was best friends with them. Apparently, she usually sat with them, and by extension, so did Angel. And because Spike's life sucked just that much, Buffy sat next to Willow and Oz, leaving the only seat available the one next to Angel.
So there Spike found himself, sitting next to a bloke that had choked him against a wall just two hours prior, then nearly kissed him. Maybe. Spike tried to act like everything was normal and he wasn't having an internal war over whether he should run from Angel or jump him. Spike's fidgeting must have given him away because eventually Xander asked if everything was alright.
Spike swallowed the bite of food he was attempting to eat and shrugged. "Fine, mate."
"It's just … you seem jumpy," Xander pressed.
Spike shrugged again. "Had too much caffeine this morning. Makes me jittery."
"You sure?" Xander asked, looking skeptical.
Before Spike could answer, Angel said, "Leave him alone, Xander. If he says it's caffeine, it's caffeine, okay?"
Xander, and everyone else for that matter, looked at Angel oddly. Angel just shrugged and said, "It's bad enough sitting next to him while he twitches every which way. Asking him the same thing over and over's just annoying."
Xander rolled his eyes. "Sorry to annoy you so much, Your Highness."
Angel opened his mouth to respond but Buffy stepped in then. "Stop! Can't we have a civilized lunch for once without the two of you trading insults?"
Both Xander and Angel looked at her sheepishly. Having had enough of Angel's presence and unable to stomach any food because of it, Spike stood. "I'm off. Need to grab something from my locker before next period so I'll catch you all later, yeah?"
Xander frowned but said, "Sure thing, Spike."
~*~
Spike got halfway to his locker before he was grabbed from behind. Jerking away, he spun around to see who it was and found himself face to face with Angel. Again.
"Soddin' hell. What now? Didn't say barely two words to your precious Buffy. Can't seriously be mad about that, so what?" Spike asked.
Angel cleared his throat. "Yeah. About that. I kind of overreacted this morning."
Spike's eyes widened. "You think?"
Angel winced. "Anyway, things are alright between me and Buffy now, so uh, you don't need to be jumpy around me."
Spike waited a beat, then narrowed his eyes as realization dawned. "She put you up to this, didn't she?"
"What? Who?" Angel asked, feigning innocence.
Spike took a step forward and poked Angel in the chest. "Buffy. She sussed out something was off and sent you to apologize."
Angel shoved Spike's hand away and said, "You don't know what you're talking about."
Spike grinned, enjoying getting Angel on the defensive. "Sure I don't. Did you tell her what happened?" Angel glared at him, but didn't respond. Heady with the power he suddenly felt over Angel, Spike stepped close and dropped his voice, asking, "Did you tell her about how you had me pressed against the wall?" Angel swallowed, the glare dropping away in favor of something else. Something heated. Angel's reaction emboldening him, Spike leaned in even closer and asked, "Did you tell her how much you liked it?"
Angel's face contorted in anger instantly and he shoved hard at Spike's shoulders, sending Spike stumbling back. Spike chuckled, fairly certain Angel wouldn't risk Buffy's wrath by actually beating him up in the middle of the hall. Or his spot on the football team for that matter, since the school had a zero tolerance policy for violence.
"Shut up, Spike, or I'll-"
Spike jumped forward, getting in Angel's face again as he interrupted, "You'll what, mate?"
Angel clamped his mouth shut and just glared.
Spike grinned and backed up a step, saying, "Way I see it, whether you get in Buffy's pants again anytime soon depends entirely on whether she's happy with you. And right now, seems like the only way to keep her happy is by making nice with me, yeah?"
"What's your point, Spike?" Angel asked through clenched teeth.
"My point is," Spike said, relishing having the upper hand for a change, "You'd better keep me happy or I might just have to get 'jumpy' again and start taking off whenever you show up."
Angel didn't answer right off, and when he did it was to say, "You're enjoying this, aren't you?"
Spike grinned ear to ear. "Immensely, mate."
"I'm not your mate, Spike," Angel ground out.
Spike made a tsking noise. "Uh-uh, Angel. Talk like that might make me twitchy. Try, 'Thank you Spike, for not telling Buffy that I attacked you.'"
Angel glared, but bit out, "Thank you Spike, for not telling Buffy that I … attacked you."
Satisfied, Spike started past Angel, patting him on the shoulder as he went. "That wasn't so hard, was it?"
Under his breath, Angel muttered, "Fuck off."
Spike chuckled, continuing down the hall as he said, "I'll pretend I didn't hear that."
~*~
Later that evening, Spike was sitting in his room listening to music and working on his Calculus homework when there was a knock on his door.
" 'S open," Spike called out, head bopping to the music.
The door cracked open and his uncle stuck his head in. "Xander's here to see you."
Spike's head stopped bobbing and his eyebrows arched in surprise. He hadn't known they'd moved on to the home visit portion of their friendship. Not that he was complaining, it was just a novel experience, having a friend visit. Hadn't happened since he was a kid in England.
"Ta. Send him in, yeah?"
Giles nodded and a moment later Xander walked in, smiling overly-brightly. "So, is this a welcome visit? Or an awkward go-away-before-the-tension-chokes-us-both visit?"
Spike laughed, whatever awkward tension there might have been evaporating instantly, something he was fairly sure Xander had intended. "A welcome one." Glancing around, Spike added, "Don't have much place to sit. Got a desk and chair on order, but they're not here yet. You'll have to sit on the bed with me."
Xander nodded and walked over, sitting on the opposite side of Spike's full-sized bed as he glanced at the book and papers strewn in front of Spike. "Calculus, huh? I was lucky to make it through Geometry last year. Someone with power thinks I have more math skills than I do because they stuck me in Trig this year even though I didn't sign up for it. It's day two and I'm already lost."
Spike chuckled. "Bring your work over sometime and I'll see if I can get you pointed in the right direction. Isn't that hard, really."
Xander looked at him like he'd grown another head. "Maybe not for you, but I'm pretty much math challenged. A plus 2 equals 3 is like rocket science."
Spike snorted. "Don't sell yourself short. You might surprise yourself if you just gave it a chance."
"Oh my God," Xander said in mock horror. "You're channeling Willow. You've only known her for a day and you're channeling her."
Spike grinned. "See? She's been your best friend since what? Birth? And she believes in you. Got to be something to it."
"Or maybe she's just a glass half full kinda girl when really, the glass is empty and it's just a hard water ring playing tricks on her eyes," Xander countered.
Spike rolled his eyes. "Whatever. Bring your book over and if you're still lost afterward, I'll… I'll…"
"Be my bitch for a day?"
Spike's eyes widened. "Come again?"
Xander grinned, obviously knowing full well how Spike had taken that. "You know, follow me around, carry my books, throw away my trash at lunch, wash my car…"
Spike relaxed slightly and laughed. "Let me get this straight. I offer to help you and I get punished if you're right and you can't be helped."
Xander grinned. "Sounds about right to me."
Spike shook his head but said, "Alright. On two conditions."
"Yeah?" Xander asked, rubbing his hands together. "Because I'm already picturing my car with the new wax job you're going to give it."
Spike snorted. "First condition is, you have to give it an honest shot. No deciding beforehand you're going to fail or want to fail just to get me to do your bidding. Second condition? I win, you're my bitch for a day. Deal?"
Xander sighed and twisted, flopping back on the bed so that his head ended up near Spike's knee. "Jeez. You're taking all the fun out of it. I might actually end up learning something."
"Yeah," Spike said dryly as he wadded up a piece of paper and bounced it off Xander's forehead. "What a tragedy that would be."
For a while they were silent, Spike working on his Calculus while Xander lay there staring at the ceiling, until finally Xander broke the silence, asking, "So … going to tell me what lunch was all about?"
Spike tensed and glanced at Xander's upside down face still near his knee. "What about it? Had something at my locker to get before class."
"Yeah. Your locker, which is near mine, which I was able to get to before my next class even though I left the cafeteria a good ten minutes after you."
Spike sighed and leaned back on his pillows. "Was nothing, really. Just a … thing."
"An Angel thing, right?"
Spike nodded.
"Do you have a crush on him or something?"
Spike sat straight up and said, "What? Hell no."
Xander nodded. "Then Buffy was right and he did something."
Spike scowled. "I've known you for all of two days, mate. Must have missed the part where that gives you the right to pry into my life."
Immediately Spike regretted saying that. Doubly so when Xander got up off the bed and headed toward the door saying, "O-kay. I get it. Won't happen again."
Spike sighed. "Xander, wait."
Xander paused with his hand on the knob, looking back at Spike expectantly.
Spike studied him for a moment, then said, "Sorry. It's just… Buffy's your friend and I don't want this getting back to her. I tell you, it puts you in an awkward position."
Xander seemed to consider that. "Buffy didn’t send me over here, if that's what you're thinking. As far as she's concerned, she told Angel to apologize at lunch time, and at some point in the afternoon he came back to her and told her he did, so all's peachy in Buffy's world. I was just concerned about you. Angel's not a pushover. He wouldn't have agreed to go apologize if he didn't think there was something to apologize for, no matter how much it pissed Buffy off."
Spike tilted his head and studied Xander curiously. "You really mean that, don't you? You give a damn about me?"
Xander looked at him in confusion. "Why wouldn't I? I thought we were friends."
Spike shrugged. "Me too. I just…"
When he trailed off, embarrassed, Xander walked over and sat down next to him on the bed. "Just what?"
Spike stared at him and thought seriously about telling him about what a loser he'd been until recently, about how he hadn't had an honest to God friend in years. But even though he was fairly certain Xander wouldn't laugh at him and walk out, Spike just couldn't do it. He'd gone through a lot of work to put that part of his life behind him, to create a new persona, and telling Xander would undo some of that.
Instead, he said, "Just … didn't expect to find a friend so fast here."
Xander smiled and bumped shoulders with him. "Well, you did. And not just me. The whole gang likes you. Even Cordelia, and she's usually the hardest to win over."
A warm glow spread inside Spike. He had friends. It was a nice feeling.
After a moment, Xander ventured, "So … Angel? What happened?"
Spike leaned back against his pillows. " 'S bloody embarrassing. That's the other reason I didn't want to talk about it."
"Hey," Xander said. "You want to talk embarrassing? Try crashing a frat party because you're trying to protect your friends, only to have it backfire and you end up in a bra, skirt and makeup dancing around like an idiot."
Spike's eyes widened. "You're fucking with me."
Xander shook his head. "It's the truth. Buffy and Cordelia were invited to this frat party last year. I mean, come on. College guys inviting high school juniors to their party? There had to be a reason. A shady reason, you know? So I crashed it and tried to pass myself off as a pledge. Unfortunately, they figured it out and made me dress up like that. Let me tell you, getting your bra snapped repeatedly? Leaves a mark. After, I went back and apologized to all the girls I'd done that to in junior high."
Spike stared at Xander, bemused that he was admitting that to him. Finally, he said, "Bloody hell."
Xander chuckled. "Yeah. That's one way of putting it. So … I tell you mine, you tell me yours?"
Spike sighed, then admitted, "We had a run-in in the toilet this morning. Apparently he took exception to Buffy blowing him off last night and blamed me."
"Shit. What'd he do?"
Spike swallowed, embarrassed to talk about it, but fortified by Xander's own embarrassing revelation. "Had me up against the wall and started choking me. Tried to fight him off, but couldn't."
Xander cursed, his eyes dropping to Spike's neck as he asked, "But you're alright?"
"Yeah. He backed off, we traded insults, he threatened me again and I walked away," Spike said matter-of-factly.
"And this afternoon?" Xander asked.
Spike grinned. "This afternoon I got some of my own back. This time I threatened him . Told him if he didn't keep me happy, I'd play the victim in front of Buffy. Get him cut off."
Xander chuckled and leaned back on the pillows next to Spike. "Wish I'd been there. I'll bet he was foaming at the mouth."
Spike chuckled. "Don't know the half of it. Was brilliant. Don't think I'll be having any more problems with the bloke, least as long and he and Buffy are together."
"And when they break up?" Xander asked. "Which is something they do a lot, by the way, just to warn you."
Spike shrugged and tried to sound nonchalant about it, even though the thought made him nervous, "Cross that bridge when I come to it, mate."
Continued here.