Once More With Slash

Copyright Disclaimer: I own none of these characters or the Buffy universe. All material relating to Buffy The Vampire Slayer and Angel belong to Joss Wedon and WB. No copyright infringement is intended and I make no profit from this story.



Author's Note: I plan to play around with the time-line and canon events a little (to suit my own nefarious purposes! Mwhahah!) At this stage assume that everything is the same as canon up to Season 6, episode "Once More With Feeling" with the exception of Spike falling for Buffy (the thought just gives me the screaming heebie-jeebies!) Obviously I am planning to take some of the characters in very different directions to the canon so if something doesn't quite fit the canon time-line there is probably a reason for it (can we say "convenient plot device" people!?*Grin*)



Description: Xander finds himself being dumped by his fiancé just weeks before the wedding and his friends too busy with their own lives to pay him much attention. Life sucks and now he finds himself thinking more and more about a certain bleached blond vampire.



Warnings: Slash/Homoerotic Relationship! (Xander/Spike) NC-17 rating for graphic bedroom & battle scenes. Possibly some Giles, Buffy & Willow bashing (as pertaining to the intended story line) for the first few chapters. I promise . Enjoy!







Part 7



Xander woke up suddenly from his light doze on the couch to the sound of someone pounding on his front door. Getting to his feet he briefly noticed the credits running on the television screen from whichever Star Trek episode had just finished. Who the hell is that?! Sounds like the door is about to come off its hinges! ...Wonder how long I have been asleep? He thought fuzzily. He opened the door a little apprehensively and his jaw dropped when he saw Spike standing in the hallway, bouncing a little on his toes.



“Spike! What the hell are you doing here?” Xander asked as he opened the door a little wider and leaned on the door frame, still a little dizzy from his abrupt awakening.



“Whelp” Spike said as he leered appreciatively at the sleep-tousled man standing in the doorway. “Just thought I’d pop by an’ see if you were up for a game of pool at the Bronze or somthin’.”



“What? Why would I want to go to the Bronze with you Spike?” Xander asked incredulously, crossing his arms in front of himself defensively when he saw the way the vampire was looking at him. Xander could feel his face warm up at the thought of Spike checking him out.



“Dunno mate. I thought maybe the demon bint had buggered off and left ya and figured you could do with some distraction. Nothin’ better than getting pissed to get a woman out of your head!” Spike had been thinking about the young man all afternoon and figured that if the boy’s real friends were too busy to cheer him up, then Spike would help out…all in the name of free beer of course. S’not like I want to be mates with him or anythin’. It’s just that, well…I know what it feels like to have ya heart ripped out by a woman and the whelp isn’t so bad once he relaxes a bit an’ stops that bloody ‘bumbling idiot’ thing he does when he’s ‘round the other white hats.



“H-how did you know that Anya had…Wait! Why the hell would you care if I need distracting!?” Xander demanded loudly as he started to get angry. Spike is gonna rub this in my face for ever, I just know it! Bastard undead vampire guy! Xander raged to himself.



“Don’t care mate. Just figured you might be good for some free beer is all.” Spike replied as he took a half step back from the angry young man. “An’ as for knowing she left ya, well it’s not every night I see you pissed as a fart and offering to share ya grog with a vampire mate. Thought somethin’ was up and I haven’t seen the demon girl around so figured it was her who got ya in such a tizzy last night.”



“Oh.” Xander said “I can’t go out tonight Spike, I am supposed to be….SHIT! What’s the time?” Xander looked around frantically at the digital clock on the end-table next to the couch. “Damn! I was supposed to be at Giles’ place ten minutes ago for the surprise cheer-up party they’re throwing me! Crap! I gotta get dressed and go!” Xander turned and started to hurry back into the apartment, completely forgetting the vampire standing at the door.



“Oi! What about me pet? Not gonna just leave me here waitin’ are ya?” Spike called to the retreating figure.



“Wha?” Xander said as he glanced over his shoulder at the vampire. “Oh…right. Um…Look I don’t care what you do. You can come with me to Giles’ place if you wanna, just….shit! If you are coming with me, call the pizza place and order four large pizzas ok? Oh and some of those cinnamon bread things for Giles. I gotta get dressed and if I have to put up with you tonight then the least you can do is call for pizza.” Xander turned back and practically ran to his bedroom, slamming the door behind him.



“Oi! I’m not some bloody slave y’know Harris!” Spike yelled out. Ah bugger it. Might as well call, least that way I have an excuse to go with the boy and annoy the Slayer. Maybe hassle the Watcher for some more blood too. Grinning evilly Spike walked into the apartment and picked up the phone and the pizzeria brochure on the coffee table. Dialling the number for the pizza place he quickly ordered three meat-supreme pizzas and a vegetarian as well as the cinnamon bread. I can’t bite any more but I can still piss the Slayer off! He thought to himself as he contemplated the Slayer’s face when she saw which pizzas he had ordered. Not my fault if the wench doesn’t like meat-supreme or veggie pizzas. Might make Her Buffyness think about ordering her own damn pizza for a fuckin’ change! Unsure why he was getting annoyed at the White Hats for making Xander pick up the pizza, After all, the boy does it all the time…should be used to it by now! Spike perched on the arm of the couch and pulled a smoke out of his pocket. Lighting it, he inhaled and blew the smoke at the ceiling whilst waiting for Xander to finish dressing.



A few minutes later Xander re-appeared in the lounge room with his flannel shirt still half undone and jamming his feet quickly into his sneakers.



“C’mon Spike! We gotta go! I hope Giles isn’t going to be too annoyed at me.” The brunette grabbed his keys and jacket from the hook near the front door and gestured to the vampire who was slowly wandering towards the front door, smirking at the irritation on Xander’s face. “Come ON Fangless! Where is that vamp speed eh? Getting a bit old huh Spike?” Xander taunted the blond in a vain attempt to hurry him up.



“Yeah ‘cause that was so subtle pet.” Spike shot back sarcastically as he finally slid past the man in the doorway.



“Shut-up Spike.” Xander growled even as a grin threatened to break through his irritated scowl. “Just come on already. I really don’t need a lecture about punctuality as well as the one I’m gonna get for bringing you.” The man heaved a sigh and started to jog down the stairs to the garage and his car.



“Why would it matter if you were late to your own party Harris?” Spike asked as he sped up a little to catch up with the taller man as he slid behind the steering wheel of the car. Wrenching the passenger door open Spike quickly ground his cigarette butt out on the ground with his boot and slid in next to the boy. “S’not like the Watcher can complain if you decide to have a bit of a lie-down before your own pity party eh?” Spike raised one eyebrow as he glanced at Xander who was concentrating on driving and hadn’t answered yet.



“It’s not a pity party Spike, it’s to cheer me up. I’m not even supposed to know about it, it’s a surprise but I figured it out when Willow didn’t call all day and Giles didn’t mention anything about Anya over the ‘phone this afternoon. They wouldn’t have really forgotten to call me even if Anya and I breaking up isn’t the end of the world.” Xander said confidently but deep inside he wasn’t quite so sure. Since the girls had started collage he had been feeling more and more on the outside of the group and Anya hadn’t really helped by encouraging him to stay home with her instead of going out on patrol with Buffy most nights like he used to.



Spike snorted inelegantly as he scented the slight whiff of uncertainty mixed in with the smell of stale pizzas, gym socks and gasoline which made up the stuffy air of the car. They drove in silence to Giles’ apartment stopping only once for Xander to pick up the pizzas from the pizzeria.



As Xander parked the car out on the street and set the hand brake he turned to Spike and scowling at him, said “Don’t make me regret asking you to come Spike. I don’t feel like eating dusty pizza if Buffy gets stake-happy with you.”



“Yeah mate, whatever you say. Let’s go and get this party started eh?” Spike replied with an evil grin. He had no intention of getting himself staked tonight, not when unlife was starting to look interesting again. I wonder if the whelp even knows that I can smell his lust? Probably not, the Watcher has never been particularly forthcoming with that sort of information. Only ever telling them the bare basics, enough for them to go after which ever demon is threatening that week. Spike thought is was pretty daft to send these mere children off with only half the story but considering it was precisely that lack of knowledge which had saved him from the pointy end of the Slayer’s stake on more than one occasion he wasn’t going to argue with the ex-librarian.



Spike scuffed his boots walking to the Watcher’s front door while Xander got the pizzas out of the back seat and, stacking them in his arms, walked up the path. Shifting the warm boxes to one arm Xander pushed the doorbell and grinned at the vampire who was slouched against the wall next to the door.



Giles opened the door and scowled at Xander and Spike before standing back to allow them entry.



“Ah you are finally here. Just put the pizzas on the coffee table Xander, I have been listening to Buffy’s stomach growling for the past hour.” Giles said pointedly, before turning to Spike and frowning. “I don’t know what made you think you were welcome Spike.”



“Oi! I’m not here for ya company Watcher. You promised me blood if you recall an’ I haven’t seen anywhere near the amount I was promised.” Spike drawled as he started to wander into the kitchen. Giles followed him quickly and digging through the ‘fridge, pulled out a handful of blood bags.



“Here.” He said shortly as he thrust them into the vampire’s arms. “Now you can leave.”



“Thanks Rupes!” Spike said with a smirk as he grabbed a mug off the draining board next to the sink. Ripping into the bag with his teeth he quickly emptied the contents into the mug and walked toward the microwave intent on heating himself up some dinner.



“What are you doing?” Giles asked with growing irritation as he watched Spike pushing buttons on his microwave. “Surely you can do that elsewhere?”



“Sure I could but maybe I wanna do it here.” Spike said as he picked the warm mug up and shifted into game face. “’sides, you got pizza here an’ adding food to this swill is the only thing that makes it drinkable.” Wrinkling his nose in disgust as he raised the mug to his mouth and took a swallow grimacing.



Heaving a long-suffering sigh Giles walked back into the living room with Spike trailing behind. “I don’t suppose you remembered those cinnamon bread things I asked you to get did you Xander?”



“Sure I did Giles.” The brunette replied with a slightly injured air. “They’re just over here next to the…” Xander paused as he noticed for the first time the pile of dusty tomes stacked three or four high on the middle of the coffee table and on the floor of the lounge room, several of them open and pages of writing marking other pages. “…alarmingly high stack of books.” The young man finished with comprehension slowly dawning in his eyes.



“Ah yes. Thankyou.” Giles murmured as he took the bag of sweet bread to the arm-chair in the corner.



“So um…not to sound stupid or anything but are we looking up anything in particular or is this all for show? You aren’t all going to jump out from behind the couch and spring a surprise party on me are you?” Xander asked the room of people he had spent the last few years fighting beside.



“What are you talking about Xander?” Buffy asked distractedly as she eyed the pizza distastefully “and why didn’t you order any chicken pizza? You know I don’t like meat supreme or vegetarian.”



“Oh, nothing I guess.” Xander said “I mean it’s probably better this way. Don’t want to wallow in self pity or anything right?” He finished under his breath.



“Why are you wallowing Xander?” Buffy asked in irritation as she carefully picked the peppers and mushroom off a slice of vegetarian pizza with a look of the deepest concentration on her face. “And again I ask, what’s the deal with these pizzas?”



“Oh…sorry Buff. Guess the pizza place got the order mixed up.” Xander replied, shooting a half-hearted glare at the vampire smirking at him from across the room. “And FYI, I am not wallowing. Anya and I were obviously not meant to be and I’m ok with that now.” He said quickly.



“Oh yeah. Willow mentioned that Anya had left town.” Buffy said off-handedly, still intent on her pizza as she finally decided it was ok to eat.



“Oh!” Willow started guiltily, “Are you ok Xander? Need me to hex her or something for you…though not really ‘cause y’know, I’m off the magic stuff at the moment.”



Tara who was sitting next to her smiled and squeezed her hand before looking up at Xander. Willow smiled at her girlfriend and started flicking through one of the books in front of her, pizza and Xander forgotten as she found a passage about nymphs and started to read intently.



“If y-you need s-someone to t-talk to Xander, j-just let me know o-okay?” The blond witch said quietly before blushing and looking down again.



“Thanks Tara.” Xander said softly before sighing and attacking what was left of the pizza in the box closest to the edge of the book-strewn table.



Giles cleared his throat uncomfortably, “Yes well, if we are all ready to begin I think we should make a start on this catalogue.”



“Huh?” Xander asked with a mouthful of pizza, looking at the man in confusion.



“Cataloguing the recent batch of demon texts I received from my contacts at the Watcher’s Council is the whole reason I called you here this evening. Do try and pay attention Xander.” Giles huffed. “Now as I was saying, first of all I would like to sort all the books which mention prophesies into alphabetical order according to their title…”



Giles’ voice faded into the background as Xander’s thoughts clamoured for attention. They aren’t going to say anything, not going to try to help or even ask if I am ok. I can’t believe my friends are just moving on like nothing has happened! Gods! I am so stupid! There was never any party...I guess I’m really not that important to them.



Spike watched Xander from beneath his eyelashes as the boy seemed to shrink into himself. He could almost hear the whirling thoughts going through his head and watched as his dark eyes filled with hurt and betrayal. Bloody useless this lot are! Can’t even see that the Whelp is devastated by the demon girl leaving. He’s going to put that bloody class-clown mask on next and let them all think nothings wrong. Spike rolled his eyes What’s the bloody point of having friends if they don’t care enough about you to help when life pisses on ya?



Xander pulled his wayward thoughts together long enough to realize that he was starting to attract attention with his silence. Tara was looking at him with something akin to pity in her eyes and Giles had stopped talking and was staring at him in irritation.



“What was that G-Man?” Xander finally asked when no-one else seemed to be about to jump in with an explanation.



Giles sighed, “I was just wondering if you were actually going to start moving those books you are sitting in front of so we can sort them or whether I should just wait for them to levitate themselves.”



“Yeah, sorry Giles…Wait! Can they do that? Man that would be cool…though also a little wiggy. And what if they decided to hide somewhere right when you needed them? Then you’d have to chain them down or something like in that Terry Pratchett book with the orangatan for a librarian and...” Xander stopped his babbling as every pair of eyes in the room focused on him. “Or y’know, I could just move the books.” He said sheepishly. Xander got to his feet and started to pick up the tall stack of leather-bound books piled on the floor behind him, blushing at all the attention suddenly focused on him. “Move along people. Nothing to see here…” He announced in his best ‘Sunnydale oblivious cop’ voice, goofy mask firmly in place. Tara and Willow giggled and Xander flashed them a grin.



“Now really isn’t the time for your peculiar brand of levity Xander” Giles said reprovingly. “If you would be so kind as bring the red book on top of that pile over to me, I think it has a particularly fascinating account of the counter-spells used by Havolk demons which I have been waiting to read for quite some time.”



“Sure Giles” Xander said as he stepped over the two witches sitting on the floor and handed the book to the older man.



“Well this is shaping up to be a fun-filled evening.” Spike sneered as he pulled a cigarette out of the battered packet in his duster.



“Well no-one asked you to come Spike! Why don’t you go be annoying somewhere else? I’d hate to get really clumsy and accidentally trip and stake your undead ass!” Buffy shot back. Spike snarled at her across the room from his position next to the kitchen door.



“Yes, there really is no need for you to stay Spike.” Giles said mildly already engrossed in the thin red book on his lap.



“Alright, don’t have to ask me twice.” Spike said as he pushed away from the wall and sauntered to the front door. “You comin’ Whelp?” He asked as he passed the young man.



“Um…what?” Xander asked in confusion.



“I said, you comin’? Gonna play some pool, maybe have a few beers.” Spike replied impatiently.



“Er…sure I guess.” Xander said as he put the books he had been carrying on the floor next to the coffee table. “It’s not like you guys need me here. I’m not much good with the sorting and filing type things.” He said to the group sitting in the lounge room staring at him in surprise.



“But Xander... Spike is, well, he’s evil!” Buffy said incredulously. “You hate vampires remember? Why would you go with him anywhere?”



Xander shrugged, “It’s not like he can hurt me Buff. Besides someone needs to keep an eye on him…might as well be me.”



“Oi! I’m not a bloody child Harris! Don’t need some white-knight wanna-be watching over me!” Spike said with a growl.



“Yeah whatever Spike” Xander said as he grabbed a spare stake that was lying on the floor near the door and shoved it into the waist-band of his pants. “See you guys later.” He called as he followed the blond vampire out the front door and into the night.



“Is it just me or was that really wiggy?” Buffy said as the door closed behind the two men. “Since when has Xander voluntarily hung out with Spike of all people?!” The other girls shrugged and Giles went back to reading without comment.