“What’s the matter, Harris? Can’t stomach fine cuisine?”
“You’re disgusting. Why are you here?”
“Well, pet, you’re the one with the microwave and the Wheetabix. Watcher’s gone and run out, and I didn’t fancy complaining enough to get myself chained back in that bathtub. Figured I’d come by, nick some cereal, maybe watch a little telly. Got a problem with that?” Spike waited.
“Yes, I have a problem with that!” Xander snapped. He was SO not in the mood. Anya had been gone a month. He hadn’t really expected her to take D’Hoffryn’s offer to regain her powers, but she had, without hesitation. So she was gone. Back to eviscerating. And he was NOT happy.
Spike watched the boy over his mug of blood. He didn’t really care that much for the Wheetabix. But it was definitely worth it. The blood may feel clotted and curdled, but it tasted the same, and the look on the humans’ faces when he drank it made up for any discomfort. It was all he could do not to burst out laughing at the expression on the whelp’s face.
//Whelp?// Spike thought. //Where did that come from? I never called him Whelp before. That was something Angelus used to… No. Not going down that train of thought today. Bloody Poof.// The last bit was thrown in half-heartedly, as an afterthought. Almost rebellious.
“Well, why didn’t you just say so? Woulda come sooner,” Spike replied, flopping unceremoniously down onto the ratty old couch. It protested loudly under even his meager weight, and he winced, truly expecting the couch to give out and break under him. When it didn’t make any more noise, he settled down and grabbed the remote.
“Please, let the naughty neutered vampire melt into my couch and stay longer,” Xander replied sarcastically, looking at the TV as he plopped into the rickety armchair. Discovery Channel. Umm….why?
“The female is attracted to the male with the brightest and largest ornaments,” the announcer was saying. Spike and Xander snickered. Then a commercial came on for Wal-mart’s new 24-hour garage service.
“24-Hour Lube service,” said the announcer. Spike laughed out loud.
*~*~*
It was hard to believe, but Xander Harris was sitting at the kitchen table of his new apartment, playing cards with a vampire. And, no less, a vampire who he was apt to call friend as often as he called him annoying. And he was enjoying it.
“I told you, Xan, you’re going to have to learn to bluff or you’re never going to be any good at these games,” Spike told the dark-haired boy patiently.
“Some of us don’t get to be expressionless vampires, Spike.”
“Oy! I have expressions!” Spike cried defensively.
“Oh yeah. Stoney, smirky, and angry. You’re worse than Rice Krispies.”
“Speakin' of which, you got any?”
“Not if you’re planning to put them in with your blood. Because that’s still gross.,” Xander informed him.
“Bloody right. Why d’ya think I do it?”
Xander just rolled his eyes and laid his cards on the table. Spike smirked and laid his down. Naturally, the vampire had a full house. Just when Xander’d been dealt a good hand, the vampire still managed to beat him. Xander shoved his chips in the vampire’s direction, then stood up. “What time is it, anyway?”
“Dunno. Look at the clock.”
Xander did. It said 7:06 am. Wait. That couldn’t be right. He looked again. 7:07 am. He stepped to the window and peaked out. Sure enough, the sun had already risen slightly above the horizon.
“Oh God. Do you realize we played that stupid game all night? And the sun’s up, by the way, Mr. Snarky I-Can-Smell-the-Sunrise-Vamp. Looks like you’re sleeping on the couch. Again.”
“Why do I always have to take the couch? It’s in worse shape now than it was back before you moved out of the old Basement of Doom, anyroad.”
“Ah, yes. But if I got a decent couch, you would probably just stay here all the time, and then I’d get annoyed with you and stake you, and Dawn would kick my ass.”
“I stay here all the bloody time, anyway. I don’t stay for the comfort, mate.”
“Yeah, yeah. You stay for the company. And the free food. Which you don’t need, so you’re really just wasting it.”
“Oh, hush up and go to sleep. Bloody wanker.”
“I’m not going to go to sleep, Spike. I am going to go and have a shower and then I am going to go to work. It’s Monday.”
“You’re going to work? You didn’t even get any sleep. Can’t be healthy for you. Don’t you humans get all wonky and psychotic when you don’t get your forty winks?”
“And whose fault is it I didn’t get those winks?”
“Your own. You’re the one who thought he could win if we played JUST ONE MORE GAME.” Spike smirked again. “But seriously. Couldn’t you just call in sick?”
“Aww, I’m touched, Spike. Really, I am. Thank you. However, I need the money in order to keep you in the style to which you’ve grown accustomed. And it won’t be the first time I’ve pulled a few days without a nap. I do help Buffy with the all-night patrols sometimes, too, you know.”
“Right then. Don’t crash your car. I think I left my favorite shirt in there.”
“See you tonight, Viagra boy.”
“Have a good time being manly, Puppy boy.” Spike settled in on the couch, then waited until Xander had showered and dressed. When the lock clicked closed, Spike stood up and headed for the bedroom, where he curled up on the comfortable bed, and fell asleep surrounded by the scent of the boy.
*~*~*
Xander rolled over again. Why was he having so much trouble sleeping? For the last week, he’d slept like a log each night, never awakening, never having any trouble drifting off. Suddenly, tonight, he couldn’t fall asleep to save his soul.
What was different? He hadn’t had to work today, which was nice, but didn’t explain anything. Willow had baked cookies and brought them over for he and Spike, and Xander had already eaten most of them. //Wait. I didn’t see Spike today.// Xander paused. //So? What does that mean? I didn’t get to insult him today. Am I going through withdrawal?// But no. He hadn’t even talked to Spike today. He hadn’t gone a day without at least talking to the blonde vampire in months. Was that why he couldn’t sleep? After all, it was almost…four in the morning.
Spike had managed to get a cell phone a few months ago. He never received a bill, yet he still had service, which none of the Scooby gang had figured out, but he wouldn’t tell them what was happening. Xander wondered if he would answer at this time of night. It wasn’t that he didn’t think the vampire would be awake. He knew he would be. He mostly wondered if Spike had been in a fight or was at a bar somewhere drinking himself into a stupor. And Xander wondered why he would be doing that. Nothing had happened in Spike’s unlife recently to make him want to get drunk. But maybe there was something today, which was why Xander hadn’t had the chance to speak to him.
*~*~*
Spike paced in his crypt. Why was he doing this to himself? Xander was his friend. JUST his friend. Spike had slept in the boy’s bed the other day, and had smelled him all day long. Xander hadn’t been there, but his smell was strong. When Spike woke up, moments before the boy actually walked into the apartment, he had felt amazingly calm and happy. It was the smell.
Spike knew his friend well, and knew that lusting after him was no way to keep that friendship. Xander was a construction worker. And not the Village People kind of construction worker. He only slept with women, and Spike hadn’t noticed any signs that the boy might be attracted to him. There was nothing. So why did he have to go and want the boy so much?
Spike jumped when his cell phone began to ring. He looked at the tiny display window and saw that it was Xander calling him. He debated whether or not to answer the phone, or if he should just let it ring. //The boy will just worry. You don’t want that.// And he didn’t. So he picked it up on the fourth ring.
“Xan,” Spike said gently.
“Hey Spike. Just wondering…is everything all right?”
“Yeah. Why wouldn’t it be all right?” Spike was confused.
“Well, I just…I don’t know. Just wondering.” Spike waited for the mortal to say something, anything else. “Well. See you tomorrow?”
“I guess so,” Spike replied, still confused. The line disconnected. Spike stared at his mobile for a moment before flipping it closed. Then he put it in the pocket of his duster and headed back out into the night. He needed to beat something up before dawn.
*~*~*
Xander felt dumb. Really dumb. Why had he called? Spike had spoken to him like he was crazy. Why had he felt the need to call? But now, he realized, that he knew Spike was all right, Xander could drift off into sleep easily.