Post by shred on Jan 30, 2007 11:32:54 GMT 10
Title: "Beer"
Setting: Season 7
Rating: G
Beta: None so beware of spelling and grammar mistakes!
Author's Notes: BtVS does not belong to me, yada, yada, yada. You know the drill.
Xander stared up at the ceiling above his head, not feeling a least bit sleepy. He was tired, yes, but he just couldn’t seem to close his eyes and drift off into la-la land. Sighing in frustration, he threw the covers off himself and got out of bed.
Xander trudged out of his room and headed straight to the refrigerator in the kitchen. He didn’t bother turning on the lights when he entered the kitchen. He fumbled around in the darkness as he made his way towards the fridge. Thankfully, he managed to reach it without snubbing his toe on anything.
Throwing the door of the refrigerator open, he bent down and squinted against the orange light at the limited contents. There was only some Chinese leftovers and a carton of beer. Without much deliberation, he took out a bottle of beer. He slammed the door shut, went over to one of the drawers and pulled out a bottle opener.
Using the bottle opener, he pried open the beer bottle and took a swing from it. The cold liquid poured down his throat, making him feel a little relaxed. He dumped the cap and bottle opener into the sink and sat down at the counter.
A few sips of beer later, Xander heard the front door open. Someone entered the apartment and the door slammed shut. A moment later, Spike sauntered into the kitchen. He stopped short when he saw Xander sitting in the dark. He looked startled.
“Oh, it’s you,” Spike said, relaxing a little.
“Who do you think it was? Brad Pitt?”
Spike scoffed. “Like Brad Pitt would be in a dive like this.”
Xander narrowed his eyes at him over the rim of the bottle. “Watch it, Nimrod, you live in this dive as well.”
Spike yanked open the refrigerator, took out a bottle of beer and joined Xander at the counter, sitting across from him.
“You’ve been here the whole night?”
Xander swept a hand across his face before replying, “I couldn’t sleep.”
“And you think that bottle would help?” Spike asked, pointing to the nearly empty bottle in Xander’s hands.
Xander scowled at the vampire. “What are you? My shrink? Does it matter to you if I’m trying to find sleep at the end of the bottle?”
Spike shrugged. “It doesn’t. I’m just…concern.”
Xander let out a bitter laugh. “Right. Concern. I forgot you can feel now that you got a soul.” He spat the word ‘soul’ out like it left acrid aftertaste in his mouth. Xander shook his head, chuckling, before taking another long swing.
“I didn’t come here to start a fight –”
“I didn’t want you here at all,” Xander pointed out, cutting him off.
“– I just wanted a drink,” Spike finished. Xander looked at Spike for a moment before muttering a “whatever” under his breath. The two of them fell silent, staring at their bottles, lost in thought. The silence was comforting to Xander and it was for that moment and that moment only when he didn’t mind Spike being around him.
As long as he’s not talking, I’m all good.
Spike shifted slightly in his seat. He was still wearing his coat and he didn’t make a move to take it off. He leaned back in this chair and stared at the wall behind Xander. For a brief moment, Xander wondered what the vampire was thinking about. The murders he had done during his pre-soul days? The many times he tried to kill Xander and his friends? The attempted rape on Buffy?
Or is he hearing voices again?
Xander unconsciously looked over his shoulder. Taking a mental note that there was nothing out of ordinary behind him, he turned back to his drink. He caught Spike smirking at him.
“What?” Xander asked, scowling a little.
“I’m not insane.”
“First sign of insanity? Denial.”
Spike chuckled. “Believe what you want.”
“I believe you’re insane,” Xander said. And nothing’s going to change that belief.
Spike shook his head, looking bemused, as he took another sip of his alcohol. He pushed his chair away from the counter. “I’m taking this to my closet.”
“Why?”
Spike blinked, confused. “What?”
“Your soul,” Xander said, his gaze boring into Spike’s. “Why did you get your soul back?”
Spike cocked his head at the younger man. “You know perfectly why.”
“Maybe. But I guess I wanted you to say it. I think my brain is having a hard time wrapping around the fact that William the Bloody got his soul back.”
Spike didn’t reply immediately. He looked away from Xander and dropped his gaze to his hands. “I did it for her. You know that.”
“Why?” Xander asked again. He folded his arms across his chest.
“Why I did it for her? Kinda obvious, init?”
Xander pretended to think it over. “Hmm…not really.”
Spike rolled his eyes. “Because I love her alright? That satisfy you? Can your brain deal with it now?”
Xander scoffed. “And here I thought you got your soul back just to say you’re sorry for raping her!”
Spike glared at Xander. “I am sorry for that but getting my soul has nothing to do with that.”
“So you’re not sorry that it happened?”
Spike opened his mouth to retort but thought otherwise and snapped it shut. “I’m not going to explain this to you. I don’t owe you anything.”
The two men fell silent again. Xander started fiddling with his beer bottle, unsure what to say or do next. There were many things he could say but did he really want to? Just thinking about it made him feel more exhausted. Besides, it’s not like Spike would give him the time of day and give him the answers Xander wanted. Spike would probably just insult him and leave.
He just wasn’t in the mood to get into a fight with Fangless.
Is he called Fangless now that he has a soul? I need to find another name for him.
Xander took another drink from his bottle and straightened in his seat. He pointed a finger at the vampire across from him, hoping to drive a point. “Just so you know, this doesn’t change anything between us. Having a soul doesn’t mean I’ll hate you any less.”
Spike smirked. “Shocker.” He finished his beer and slammed the bottle down.
Xander nodded towards the empty bottle. “Want another?”
Spike shrugged. “The night’s still young.”
Xander stood up and went over to the refrigerator. He plucked two bottles out and went back to the counter, grabbing the bottle opener on the way. He popped the bottles open and slide one towards Spike.
Xander noticed that Spike had his coat off and was hanging it neatly on the back of his chair.
Spike nodded his thanks as he took the beer. He lifted his bottle towards the other man. Xander hesitated. He was a bit surprise with the gesture and for that moment, he didn’t really know how to react. He looked at Spike who was waiting for his response. There was a blank expression on his face and eyes avoided his. Xander couldn’t tell what the vampire was thinking.
“Cheers,” Xander murmured as he clinked his bottle with Spike’s. The two of them took a swing of the alcohol before settling into a comfortable silence in the dark.
Setting: Season 7
Rating: G
Beta: None so beware of spelling and grammar mistakes!
Author's Notes: BtVS does not belong to me, yada, yada, yada. You know the drill.
~*~
Xander stared up at the ceiling above his head, not feeling a least bit sleepy. He was tired, yes, but he just couldn’t seem to close his eyes and drift off into la-la land. Sighing in frustration, he threw the covers off himself and got out of bed.
Xander trudged out of his room and headed straight to the refrigerator in the kitchen. He didn’t bother turning on the lights when he entered the kitchen. He fumbled around in the darkness as he made his way towards the fridge. Thankfully, he managed to reach it without snubbing his toe on anything.
Throwing the door of the refrigerator open, he bent down and squinted against the orange light at the limited contents. There was only some Chinese leftovers and a carton of beer. Without much deliberation, he took out a bottle of beer. He slammed the door shut, went over to one of the drawers and pulled out a bottle opener.
Using the bottle opener, he pried open the beer bottle and took a swing from it. The cold liquid poured down his throat, making him feel a little relaxed. He dumped the cap and bottle opener into the sink and sat down at the counter.
A few sips of beer later, Xander heard the front door open. Someone entered the apartment and the door slammed shut. A moment later, Spike sauntered into the kitchen. He stopped short when he saw Xander sitting in the dark. He looked startled.
“Oh, it’s you,” Spike said, relaxing a little.
“Who do you think it was? Brad Pitt?”
Spike scoffed. “Like Brad Pitt would be in a dive like this.”
Xander narrowed his eyes at him over the rim of the bottle. “Watch it, Nimrod, you live in this dive as well.”
Spike yanked open the refrigerator, took out a bottle of beer and joined Xander at the counter, sitting across from him.
“You’ve been here the whole night?”
Xander swept a hand across his face before replying, “I couldn’t sleep.”
“And you think that bottle would help?” Spike asked, pointing to the nearly empty bottle in Xander’s hands.
Xander scowled at the vampire. “What are you? My shrink? Does it matter to you if I’m trying to find sleep at the end of the bottle?”
Spike shrugged. “It doesn’t. I’m just…concern.”
Xander let out a bitter laugh. “Right. Concern. I forgot you can feel now that you got a soul.” He spat the word ‘soul’ out like it left acrid aftertaste in his mouth. Xander shook his head, chuckling, before taking another long swing.
“I didn’t come here to start a fight –”
“I didn’t want you here at all,” Xander pointed out, cutting him off.
“– I just wanted a drink,” Spike finished. Xander looked at Spike for a moment before muttering a “whatever” under his breath. The two of them fell silent, staring at their bottles, lost in thought. The silence was comforting to Xander and it was for that moment and that moment only when he didn’t mind Spike being around him.
As long as he’s not talking, I’m all good.
Spike shifted slightly in his seat. He was still wearing his coat and he didn’t make a move to take it off. He leaned back in this chair and stared at the wall behind Xander. For a brief moment, Xander wondered what the vampire was thinking about. The murders he had done during his pre-soul days? The many times he tried to kill Xander and his friends? The attempted rape on Buffy?
Or is he hearing voices again?
Xander unconsciously looked over his shoulder. Taking a mental note that there was nothing out of ordinary behind him, he turned back to his drink. He caught Spike smirking at him.
“What?” Xander asked, scowling a little.
“I’m not insane.”
“First sign of insanity? Denial.”
Spike chuckled. “Believe what you want.”
“I believe you’re insane,” Xander said. And nothing’s going to change that belief.
Spike shook his head, looking bemused, as he took another sip of his alcohol. He pushed his chair away from the counter. “I’m taking this to my closet.”
“Why?”
Spike blinked, confused. “What?”
“Your soul,” Xander said, his gaze boring into Spike’s. “Why did you get your soul back?”
Spike cocked his head at the younger man. “You know perfectly why.”
“Maybe. But I guess I wanted you to say it. I think my brain is having a hard time wrapping around the fact that William the Bloody got his soul back.”
Spike didn’t reply immediately. He looked away from Xander and dropped his gaze to his hands. “I did it for her. You know that.”
“Why?” Xander asked again. He folded his arms across his chest.
“Why I did it for her? Kinda obvious, init?”
Xander pretended to think it over. “Hmm…not really.”
Spike rolled his eyes. “Because I love her alright? That satisfy you? Can your brain deal with it now?”
Xander scoffed. “And here I thought you got your soul back just to say you’re sorry for raping her!”
Spike glared at Xander. “I am sorry for that but getting my soul has nothing to do with that.”
“So you’re not sorry that it happened?”
Spike opened his mouth to retort but thought otherwise and snapped it shut. “I’m not going to explain this to you. I don’t owe you anything.”
The two men fell silent again. Xander started fiddling with his beer bottle, unsure what to say or do next. There were many things he could say but did he really want to? Just thinking about it made him feel more exhausted. Besides, it’s not like Spike would give him the time of day and give him the answers Xander wanted. Spike would probably just insult him and leave.
He just wasn’t in the mood to get into a fight with Fangless.
Is he called Fangless now that he has a soul? I need to find another name for him.
Xander took another drink from his bottle and straightened in his seat. He pointed a finger at the vampire across from him, hoping to drive a point. “Just so you know, this doesn’t change anything between us. Having a soul doesn’t mean I’ll hate you any less.”
Spike smirked. “Shocker.” He finished his beer and slammed the bottle down.
Xander nodded towards the empty bottle. “Want another?”
Spike shrugged. “The night’s still young.”
Xander stood up and went over to the refrigerator. He plucked two bottles out and went back to the counter, grabbing the bottle opener on the way. He popped the bottles open and slide one towards Spike.
Xander noticed that Spike had his coat off and was hanging it neatly on the back of his chair.
Spike nodded his thanks as he took the beer. He lifted his bottle towards the other man. Xander hesitated. He was a bit surprise with the gesture and for that moment, he didn’t really know how to react. He looked at Spike who was waiting for his response. There was a blank expression on his face and eyes avoided his. Xander couldn’t tell what the vampire was thinking.
“Cheers,” Xander murmured as he clinked his bottle with Spike’s. The two of them took a swing of the alcohol before settling into a comfortable silence in the dark.
~*~
