Quantum Xander II: In Wake of the Curse
folder
BtVS AU/AR › Slash - Male/Male › Spike(William)/Xander
Rating:
Adult ++
Chapters:
65
Views:
20,514
Reviews:
119
Recommended:
0
Currently Reading:
0
Category:
BtVS AU/AR › Slash - Male/Male › Spike(William)/Xander
Rating:
Adult ++
Chapters:
65
Views:
20,514
Reviews:
119
Recommended:
0
Currently Reading:
0
Disclaimer:
I do not own Buffy the Vampire Slayer (BtVS), nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.
~PART 2~
Part 2
Xander called in sick the next day. He showered, quietly sneaked into his room and liberated some clean clothes from his dresser, dressed and then headed out to procure some blood for Spike so he’d have something to eat when he woke up. He went by Willy’s as well as the butcher’s, figuring that human blood was better for the vampire than animal; and seeing how thin Spike looked, he could probably use it.
Once he got home, Xander quickly put the blood in the refrigerator and went into the bathroom. In his haste, he had forgotten to perform his scent-masking spell before he left. It wouldn’t do him any good to confuse Spike more than he already had, by smelling like him.
It was a relatively simple spell. A few words and a couple drops of a mixture of herbs and pomegranate juice applied to his throat where the scar was. The only drawback was that he had to do it every morning, and with Spike now living with him, he’d have to be extra careful not to forget again.
Xander cracked his bedroom door open and peeked inside. Spike was still sleeping, though it looked as though it hadn’t been a completely peaceful night for him by the way the sheets and blanket were tangled around his legs. He still had a few things to do today, so he backed away and closed the door.
The en suite storage in his apartment was almost as big as a second bedroom except without the closet or window that would usually be found in a bedroom. In other words, it was perfect for a vampire.
Xander moved everything out of the storage room and carried it to the living room. There wasn’t a whole lot in there to begin with, just some tools for around the house, the Christmas decorations and a few boxes of comic books. He figured he could easily store these things in his bedroom closet now that he didn’t need the space for all of Anya’s things.
Once the room was empty, Xander swept it out and washed down the floor. He knew Spike was sensitive to strong smells, and the room reeked of dust and newsprint. He propped the door open with one of the kitchen chairs and then sat down at his desk and logged on to the Internet.
It was easy enough to order a bed and dresser on-line and arrange to have it delivered. He figured he had time to run out to Wal-Mart for sheets and pillowcases for Spike’s bed before the vampire woke up. Just in case, he left a note on the coffee table telling Spike where he went and that there was blood in the fridge.
Wal-Mart was hellish, as usual. He smiled at the old man in the blue frock and accepted a shopping cart. The one bright spot to being practically guaranteed a short life and a painful death was that he wouldn’t have to be that guy when he was old.
Xander stood dumbfounded in the linen aisle. He had no idea what kind of sheets to buy. Obviously plain white cotton was out. Spike would practically disappear on white sheets. If it were his Spike, it would be obvious - blood red silk sheets, or even black. Hell, if it was the Spike he knew before the soul, it would have been the same. Now he had to wonder what William would like to sleep on.
He decided against the typical vampire colors and settled on two sets of cotton sheets - one in navy and one in a deep hunter green. Manly colors, but not vampy.
He headed to the checkout before realizing that Spike had no clothes other than the set he’d been wearing. Xander shook his head at the strange turn of events and headed for men’s wear. He never would have pictured himself willingly buying clothes for Spike. At least not before his entire world was turned upside down.
He wasn’t sure what a newly-souled vampire would want to wear, so he picked up two pairs of jeans - one black, one a faded blue, a package of black t-shirts, a few pairs of boxer briefs - just in case - and a jean jacket - also in black - since he hadn’t seen the vampire’s duster anywhere.
Having picked up everything he thought he needed, Xander headed for the cashier and got in line. He had just finished emptying his cart when he was touched on the shoulder by a small feminine hand. He spun around to see an amused slayer and younger sister.
“Hey, Buff. Dawnie. Shouldn’t you guys be at the high school? Making with the learning and the earning?”
“It’s a P.D. day, Xander; no school for me.”
“I’m not exactly a professional so it doesn’t apply to me. So, whatcha doing?”
“Oh, just a bit of shopping. You?”
“Same thing. I sort of ruined an entire load of towels the other night. I got that orange goop from the demon all over my hands and my hair, and well, let’s just say water and demon slime? So not a good combo in this instance. Oh, that reminds me. You think you could come by later and look at the washing machine?”
Xander smiled.
“Sure, Buff. I’ll be by after dinner.”
“Okay. Hey? Since when did you start dressing like… Oh. My. God. Xander, tell me you are not buying clothes for Spike.”
“I’m not buying clothes for Spike.”
“Are you lying?”
“Yes.”
Buffy sighed and looked at Xander in confusion.
“This isn’t what I expected from you, Xander. I thought you’d be angry, that you’d want to stake him.”
“Hey, Dawn? You want to go out to my car and get the package out of the glove box? I was going to give it to you later, but since you’re here…”
“And since you so obviously want me to go away.”
“I’m sorry. You’re right. But I do have a present for you in the glove box.”
Dawn smiled and took Xander’s keys and rushed for the exit. Xander watched her go with a wistful smile on his face. He wondered what had happened to the Dawn of that crazy mixed-up world. Had she survived after Halfrek put them back there?
The cashier began to ring up Xander’s purchases and put them in bags. Xander handed over his credit card, signed the slip and then collected his shopping bags. Buffy walked him out of the store.
“You should really watch what you say in front of her, Buffy. She’s a lot like you; she’ll hold onto a grudge tighter than Anya holds onto a dollar.”
“When did you get so wise, Xander Harris?”
“I did a lot of growing up over the past year, er, two and a half months, Buffy. A lot of things happened while I was away.”
“Like what? Why won’t you tell us? We’re your friends, Xander; we love you.”
“I know, I’m just not ready to talk about it yet.”
“Okay. But clothes shopping for the evil undead? What’s up with that?”
“Not so evil anymore, Buffy. I know about the soul.”
Buffy sighed in frustration.
“And what? It changed your whole opinion of Spike? Angel has a soul; I don’t see you out shopping for him.”
“I couldn’t afford to shop for him. The bill for hair products alone would break me.”
Buffy shook her head and smiled fondly at Xander. She saw Dawn approaching and quickly asked, “Is he okay, Xander?”
“Yeah. He just needs some time.”
“Okay.”
Dawn was grinning like a kid at Christmas. She threw her arms around Xander and kissed him on the mouth. Buffy and Xander both gaped in shock and then closed their mouths at the same time. Buffy looked at Xander and quirked an eyebrow at him.
“What did you buy her?”
“Just a little gift.”
“A little gift? She smooched you, Xander. That must have been some gift.”
“Go on, Dawn. Show her.”
Dawn pulled an envelope full of gift certificates to some of the trendiest stores in town out of her coat and handed them to Buffy. Buffy looked through them, adding them up mentally and gaped at Xander.
“Xander! There’s $500 worth of gift certificates here!”
“I know.”
He threw an arm around Buffy’s shoulders and walked her a few feet away from Dawn before bending to whisper in her ear.
“I know things are rough for you right now, financially as well as emotionally. I just thought… well, I don’t have to spend money on An anymore and I had the extra cash. Look at her, she’s happy. I did that. And if it takes some stress off you, then all the better, right?”
“Xander…”
Buffy’s eyes welled up with tears and she buried her face into his chest. Xander stroked his hand through her hair, offering her comfort the only way he knew how.
“I love you, Xander. You’re the best friend a girl could ever have. I missed you so much.”
“I missed you too, Buffy.”
Xander was amazed to realize that for the first time, there was no ache - no tinge of jealousy at being called ‘the best friend’ from the girl he had loved since high school. He was happy that she loved him as a friend and nothing more, for as much as he loved her, she was no Spike. And all he wanted now was Spike.
“I have to get going; I have a delivery coming this afternoon I have to be home for. You want a ride home?”
“Nah, I still need to buy those towels, and I think Dawn’s just dying to spend your money.”
Xander kissed the girls and then jogged off toward his car. He hoped he got home before Spike woke up or the delivery guys arrived with the furniture for the vampire’s room.
Xander called in sick the next day. He showered, quietly sneaked into his room and liberated some clean clothes from his dresser, dressed and then headed out to procure some blood for Spike so he’d have something to eat when he woke up. He went by Willy’s as well as the butcher’s, figuring that human blood was better for the vampire than animal; and seeing how thin Spike looked, he could probably use it.
Once he got home, Xander quickly put the blood in the refrigerator and went into the bathroom. In his haste, he had forgotten to perform his scent-masking spell before he left. It wouldn’t do him any good to confuse Spike more than he already had, by smelling like him.
It was a relatively simple spell. A few words and a couple drops of a mixture of herbs and pomegranate juice applied to his throat where the scar was. The only drawback was that he had to do it every morning, and with Spike now living with him, he’d have to be extra careful not to forget again.
Xander cracked his bedroom door open and peeked inside. Spike was still sleeping, though it looked as though it hadn’t been a completely peaceful night for him by the way the sheets and blanket were tangled around his legs. He still had a few things to do today, so he backed away and closed the door.
The en suite storage in his apartment was almost as big as a second bedroom except without the closet or window that would usually be found in a bedroom. In other words, it was perfect for a vampire.
Xander moved everything out of the storage room and carried it to the living room. There wasn’t a whole lot in there to begin with, just some tools for around the house, the Christmas decorations and a few boxes of comic books. He figured he could easily store these things in his bedroom closet now that he didn’t need the space for all of Anya’s things.
Once the room was empty, Xander swept it out and washed down the floor. He knew Spike was sensitive to strong smells, and the room reeked of dust and newsprint. He propped the door open with one of the kitchen chairs and then sat down at his desk and logged on to the Internet.
It was easy enough to order a bed and dresser on-line and arrange to have it delivered. He figured he had time to run out to Wal-Mart for sheets and pillowcases for Spike’s bed before the vampire woke up. Just in case, he left a note on the coffee table telling Spike where he went and that there was blood in the fridge.
Wal-Mart was hellish, as usual. He smiled at the old man in the blue frock and accepted a shopping cart. The one bright spot to being practically guaranteed a short life and a painful death was that he wouldn’t have to be that guy when he was old.
Xander stood dumbfounded in the linen aisle. He had no idea what kind of sheets to buy. Obviously plain white cotton was out. Spike would practically disappear on white sheets. If it were his Spike, it would be obvious - blood red silk sheets, or even black. Hell, if it was the Spike he knew before the soul, it would have been the same. Now he had to wonder what William would like to sleep on.
He decided against the typical vampire colors and settled on two sets of cotton sheets - one in navy and one in a deep hunter green. Manly colors, but not vampy.
He headed to the checkout before realizing that Spike had no clothes other than the set he’d been wearing. Xander shook his head at the strange turn of events and headed for men’s wear. He never would have pictured himself willingly buying clothes for Spike. At least not before his entire world was turned upside down.
He wasn’t sure what a newly-souled vampire would want to wear, so he picked up two pairs of jeans - one black, one a faded blue, a package of black t-shirts, a few pairs of boxer briefs - just in case - and a jean jacket - also in black - since he hadn’t seen the vampire’s duster anywhere.
Having picked up everything he thought he needed, Xander headed for the cashier and got in line. He had just finished emptying his cart when he was touched on the shoulder by a small feminine hand. He spun around to see an amused slayer and younger sister.
“Hey, Buff. Dawnie. Shouldn’t you guys be at the high school? Making with the learning and the earning?”
“It’s a P.D. day, Xander; no school for me.”
“I’m not exactly a professional so it doesn’t apply to me. So, whatcha doing?”
“Oh, just a bit of shopping. You?”
“Same thing. I sort of ruined an entire load of towels the other night. I got that orange goop from the demon all over my hands and my hair, and well, let’s just say water and demon slime? So not a good combo in this instance. Oh, that reminds me. You think you could come by later and look at the washing machine?”
Xander smiled.
“Sure, Buff. I’ll be by after dinner.”
“Okay. Hey? Since when did you start dressing like… Oh. My. God. Xander, tell me you are not buying clothes for Spike.”
“I’m not buying clothes for Spike.”
“Are you lying?”
“Yes.”
Buffy sighed and looked at Xander in confusion.
“This isn’t what I expected from you, Xander. I thought you’d be angry, that you’d want to stake him.”
“Hey, Dawn? You want to go out to my car and get the package out of the glove box? I was going to give it to you later, but since you’re here…”
“And since you so obviously want me to go away.”
“I’m sorry. You’re right. But I do have a present for you in the glove box.”
Dawn smiled and took Xander’s keys and rushed for the exit. Xander watched her go with a wistful smile on his face. He wondered what had happened to the Dawn of that crazy mixed-up world. Had she survived after Halfrek put them back there?
The cashier began to ring up Xander’s purchases and put them in bags. Xander handed over his credit card, signed the slip and then collected his shopping bags. Buffy walked him out of the store.
“You should really watch what you say in front of her, Buffy. She’s a lot like you; she’ll hold onto a grudge tighter than Anya holds onto a dollar.”
“When did you get so wise, Xander Harris?”
“I did a lot of growing up over the past year, er, two and a half months, Buffy. A lot of things happened while I was away.”
“Like what? Why won’t you tell us? We’re your friends, Xander; we love you.”
“I know, I’m just not ready to talk about it yet.”
“Okay. But clothes shopping for the evil undead? What’s up with that?”
“Not so evil anymore, Buffy. I know about the soul.”
Buffy sighed in frustration.
“And what? It changed your whole opinion of Spike? Angel has a soul; I don’t see you out shopping for him.”
“I couldn’t afford to shop for him. The bill for hair products alone would break me.”
Buffy shook her head and smiled fondly at Xander. She saw Dawn approaching and quickly asked, “Is he okay, Xander?”
“Yeah. He just needs some time.”
“Okay.”
Dawn was grinning like a kid at Christmas. She threw her arms around Xander and kissed him on the mouth. Buffy and Xander both gaped in shock and then closed their mouths at the same time. Buffy looked at Xander and quirked an eyebrow at him.
“What did you buy her?”
“Just a little gift.”
“A little gift? She smooched you, Xander. That must have been some gift.”
“Go on, Dawn. Show her.”
Dawn pulled an envelope full of gift certificates to some of the trendiest stores in town out of her coat and handed them to Buffy. Buffy looked through them, adding them up mentally and gaped at Xander.
“Xander! There’s $500 worth of gift certificates here!”
“I know.”
He threw an arm around Buffy’s shoulders and walked her a few feet away from Dawn before bending to whisper in her ear.
“I know things are rough for you right now, financially as well as emotionally. I just thought… well, I don’t have to spend money on An anymore and I had the extra cash. Look at her, she’s happy. I did that. And if it takes some stress off you, then all the better, right?”
“Xander…”
Buffy’s eyes welled up with tears and she buried her face into his chest. Xander stroked his hand through her hair, offering her comfort the only way he knew how.
“I love you, Xander. You’re the best friend a girl could ever have. I missed you so much.”
“I missed you too, Buffy.”
Xander was amazed to realize that for the first time, there was no ache - no tinge of jealousy at being called ‘the best friend’ from the girl he had loved since high school. He was happy that she loved him as a friend and nothing more, for as much as he loved her, she was no Spike. And all he wanted now was Spike.
“I have to get going; I have a delivery coming this afternoon I have to be home for. You want a ride home?”
“Nah, I still need to buy those towels, and I think Dawn’s just dying to spend your money.”
Xander kissed the girls and then jogged off toward his car. He hoped he got home before Spike woke up or the delivery guys arrived with the furniture for the vampire’s room.