Chapter Four

Someone was tugging on his toes. Xander shook his foot to make the annoying contact stop, but it came right back. He drew his foot up and under the covers. As he slowly came awake, he realized that he was lying in a strange bed. It was a really nice strange bed, though. The linens were soft and warm, and he was wrapped in a fluffy down comforter. The room was very dim. He pulled the covers away from his head and finally opened his eyes to look up at the strange ceiling. He probed with his foot, looking for whatever had touched his toes earlier. His toes encountered a leg, and in one swift motion, he swept his foot up Spike’s body and dug his toes into the surprised vampire’s ribs, tickling him mercilessly. Spike gave a very unmanly shriek and tried to escape off the end of the bed. Xander settled for one last dig in the ribs and let him go, throwing his long body back into a vertebrae-popping stretch.

He jackknifed into a sitting position and looked at the indignant blond vampire seething at the end of the bed, fists planted on his narrow hips. Both men burst out laughing, each raising a hand to their own hair.

“So, I’m guessing we both look like haystacks, huh?” Xander asked, trying to smooth his rumpled hair. He couldn’t help but think how cute Spike looked, with his bleached locks falling in soft waves over his forehead. He shook his head at the odd juxtaposition of “cute” and “vampire” in the same thought as he gave up and just ran both hands through his own messy mop.

“Nope,” Spike replied, “You look like a lion. You want breakfast?”

Xander consulted his stomach, which voted in favor of food. “What time is it?” he asked. “It’s 5:30.” Spike responded. “PM.” He added the second response before the question could be asked.

“Huh.” Xander snorted. “One day back in Sunnydale and I’m on vampire time again. Go figure.”

Xander climbed out of the bed and stretched some more. Spike preceded him out of the bedroom. Xander turned into the bathroom, waving the other man to the stairs.

Spike walked down the stairs and to the kitchen in the gloom of the well-shuttered and curtained house. He started cooking breakfast and thought about what had just occurred. After awakening, Spike had knocked at the guest room door, not terribly surprised when Xander hadn’t answered. The boy had always been a heavy sleeper, plus Spike was sure that the emotions of the previous day had taken their toll. Realizing that knocking wasn’t going to work, Spike had entered the room. He was happy to see Xander sleeping peacefully, the bed showing no evidence of tossing and turning. Only tufts of hair and one foot were outside the covers, so Spike had tugged the tanned toes. He had first spent a good five minutes just looking at the still form on the bed, wondering at the myriad feelings running through him. Then, realizing that he was brooding, he had shaken it off and woken the boy. The attack had been a surprise, but the laughter and goofing had been a much better way to begin the day than the embarrassment Spike had feared Xander would feel, so he counted himself lucky.

By the time Xander appeared in the kitchen, still in his sleepwear but with his face washed and teeth brushed, Spike was finishing placing omelets and crisp bacon on the table. Xander bounded over to the refrigerator and poured himself a glass of juice, checking to see if Spike already had a mug of blood in the microwave, which he did. As he passed Spike on his way to the table, he playfully kicked the vampire in the back of the knee. Spike’s knee buckled slightly before he regained his footing, and he twisted his body to lightly butt his shoulder against the larger man’s side. Xander absorbed the blow and dropped into his chair. As Spike moved to slide into his own chair, Xander pushed it away from under the table with his foot. Spike caught the chair easily and slid into it, flinging a piece of toast at Xander in a smooth move. Xander fielded the toast and took a bite out of it. The two men looked at each other across the table and each raised one eyebrow.

Spike took a deep drink of his blood. “Looks like someone is feeling cocky after wasting six Horta demons last night.” He observed. “That, or you finally got some sleep.”

Xander grinned, and Spike was relieved to see some life in his brown eyes. “That’s the best I’ve slept in a while,” he admitted. “And, though workouts and sparring are good, I’d forgotten how therapeutic a good fight to the death could be.” He smirked. “And it was seven – you killed six.”

“Oh, no whelp – that last one was a joint effort – you aren’t taking all the credit for him … her … it just because you wound up holding the larger piece.”

“Oh, OK,” Xander conceded with a sigh. “Six and a half each then.”

Spike grunted in reply and began eating. After a few bites, he looked across the table, waiting until Xander met his eyes. He cleared his throat, and then began speaking hesitantly.

“OK, Dawn knows you’re here. She wants to see you. We can go there, or she and Jase and Sara can come here.” Spike hesitated, watching for Xander’s reaction when he said Sara’s name. He noted that the other man flinched but did not drop the eye contact. “All she knows is that you are here. You can tell her whatever you want and I’ll back you up.”

Xander looked down at his plate, and both men finished their breakfast in silence. Xander drained his juice glass and pushed himself away from the table. He sighed and looked at Spike. “Let’s have Dawn and her family here tonight – we can get pizza and hang out and swap stories. Before that, I need to work out – is there any clear floor space around that I can use?”

Spike nodded. “Yeah – go get your workout gear on and I’ll show you the basement.”

Xander picked up their plates and placed them in the sink, adding his juice glass and Spike’s mug. He glanced at the back of Spike’s head as the other man remained at the table and bit back the urge to thank him yet again as he turned and left the kitchen.

Spike stepped aside and let Xander precede him into the large open basement as he flicked the lights on. Xander let out a low whistle as he took in the layout of the space. The walls were painted black, the floor carpeted in steel grey. One corner held a heavy bag, a speed bag and a complete set of free weights. Part of one long wall was covered with shelves and racks that held boxing gloves, jump ropes, sparring pads and assorted martial arts weapons. With a clatter, Xander dropped the long black bag he had carried in from the car and walked quickly to the weapons. He had changed into loose black drawstring pants and a black tank, his feet still bare. He looked around the well-appointed room and tried to put his finger on what was missing. He laughed when he realized that it was the expected wall of mirrors.

As he looked around, Spike told Xander about outfitting this space, as well as the complete gym located in Angel’s hotel. Spike proudly explained to Xander how he’d assisted Angel in picking out all of the equipment along with Buffy’s help.

As he reached the far corner of the room, Xander reached out to lift a long weapon from where it leaned in the corner rack. Before his hand closed on it, he looked back at Spike and asked, “May I?” Spike nodded, and watched as Xander lifted the long staff that had a wicked looking curved vertical axe-head attached to one end. Spike’s smile broadened as the other man stepped to the center of the floor and began twirling the weapon in an intricate pattern. He enjoyed the show, watching Xander’s back and shoulders ripple as he swung the weapon in arcs in front of and behind his body. He was amazed that this lithe, graceful man before him could be the doughnut-boy of old. He moved like a jungle cat, prowling forward and back, thrusting and parrying with an imaginary opponent. Xander ended his form with a quick downward thrust of the weapon that brought him to one knee. He bounced back onto his feet and carried the weapon back to Spike, who was still waiting at the door.

Spike couldn’t help but return the grin Xander turned on him. “That was nice.” He said. “You know Kwan Dao” he named the long weapon.

Xander nodded toward the bag on the floor, “Get mine out of there and we’ll play.”

Spike dropped to his knees and unzipped the long bag. It was full of weapons. He sifted through them carefully, noting a straight sword, a broadsword, a pair of sai, a pair of hand axes, several daggers, a bo, a triple jointed fighting stick and several things he didn’t recognize before his hand closed on the smooth handle of Xander’s Kwan Dao. A zippered, padded sheath covered the axe head, and the staff itself was highly polished. It was completely smooth except for three Chinese ideograms carved near the center balance point. Spike rubbed his fingertips over the carving and looked up, questioningly.

Xander touched each character as he named them. “Strength. Balance. Violence. It’s our unofficial school motto.” He removed the cover from the weapon and exchanged the one he held for his own, dropping the cover on the floor. As he turned back toward the practice floor he said over his shoulder, “I’d let you use mine, Spike, but it was made for my height and you’re so much shorter …” He spun around and caught the expected thrust against the handle of his Kwan Dao and the battle was on.

Metal rang on metal as the two whirled and struggled across the floor. Xander was pleased to see that he was holding his own with the vampire; though he knew Spike was not exploiting his superior strength. The two men snarled, grimaced and laughed out loud at each other as they crossed and recrossed the floor, each taking and losing the advantage numerous times.

Xander lost himself in the fight, in the primal joy of taking on a new opponent. He’d sparred with everyone in his own school so many times that the bouts had become predictable, but Spike was something completely different. Spike felt no need to conform to the dictates of the martial arts form, so he mixed in street fighting moves, low blows and outright cheats. Finally, with a burst of preternatural speed, the vampire pinned the larger man to the wall, the Kwan Dao’s blade pressed against his throat. Their eyes locked as Spike grinned triumphantly. “Ha!” he crowed, “I win.”

Xander grinned back at him and gave a little whistle as he tapped the blade of his own Kwan Dao where it rested just below the blond’s crotch. They both looked down and then back up at each other. Spike’s grin faltered and he said in a small voice, “Draw?” Laughing, they both sank to the floor and set the weapons aside.

An hour later, they had fought with the Kwan Daos again, bo staffs, broadswords and had each logged a little time with the heavy bag. Xander had taken a hard shot to the arm from Spike’s bo, and was bruising nicely. Spike’s cut lip and black eye were already healing as they put the weapons away and peeled the tape off of their knuckles. Spike noted with satisfaction that Xander did not return his weapons to the bag, but placed them next to Spike’s own on the shelves and in the racks, tossing his folded weapons bag onto a low shelf.

Trudging upstairs, Xander walked into the kitchen and opened the fridge. Standing in the blast of cool air, he peeled off his sweat-soaked tank and wiped his face with it. Draping the garment over one shoulder, he pulled an unopened beer out and applied it to his bruised arm. He looked up to see Spike standing in the doorway with his back to him, pulling his tee shirt off over his head, leaving him clad in only his drenched, low hanging sweat pants. Taking a long look at the pale muscled back in front of him; Xander immediately stuck his head back into the refrigerator to cover up his surprise at having rediscovered his inner babble, which he thought he had silenced years ago.



Xander was distracted from his inner monologue by Spike’s voice. It took him a moment to realize Spike was on the phone.

“Yeah, Bit – in about an hour. We just got through working out and we need to clean up.” He paused, and then grinned at Xander. “Yes, half-naked and sweaty. No, you can’t come over now.” He paused again and Xander could practically hear Dawn whining. “Bit ….. Bit….. Dawn! Knock it off; you’re being a bad example for Sara.” Spike held the phone away from his ear and Xander really could hear Dawn’s raised voice. He choked on a laugh as Spike frowned at the phone and waited for it to fall silent before returning it to his ear. “Dawn, could you cut the vampire hearing some slack, here? OK. Thank you. An hour. What do you want on your pizza? That’s disgusting. Bye.” He hung the phone up and shared a glance with Xander. “She’s pretty excited about seeing you.”

Xander grabbed another beer and tossed it to Spike as he closed the refrigerator door. He popped the top off of his own beer and drank a little. “You know what, Spike, I’m excited about seeing her, too. “ He drank a third of his beer in one long swallow. “I’m gonna go clean up.”