Rating: NC-17 overall
Warnings: None (updated as necessary)
A/N: Thank you to all the wonderful people who have commented on the previous chapters. This story's been bubbling in my head, but I've been kind of unmotivated lately. So, apologies if this doesn't seem as good as previous chapters. It'll get better next chapter, I promise!
“So,” Spike asked after they’d polished off the first bottle of Jack, “when did you meet her?”
“Who?” Xander stalled, not quite drunk enough to welcome “Sharing Time”.
“Harris, don’t be a bigger git than you are,” Spike scoffed. “You know bloody good and well who I meant.”
“No, I don’t. But,” Xander sighed, “It doesn’t really matter who you meant. I met both of them in school.”
Spike giggled, the ringing sound echoing strangely in Xander’s ears. He picked up the bottle Spike had pushed towards him, slugging back an unhealthy amount of whiskey. He sputtered as it burned down his throat.
“Sorry, mate. Just having trouble picturing your demon bird as a bleedin’ school girl,” Spike explained, waving his hand in apology. “Bet that was a bit of fun.”
“Yeah,” Xander smiled wistfully. “She was fun. Showed up in my parent’s basement, dropped her clothes and said she wanted to ‘interlock parts’. Not the strangest sexual encounter in my life, but definitely not in the top romantic ways to seduce your lover handbook.”
Spike kept plying him with booze, whipping out vodka when they ran out whiskey. As Xander got drunker, Spike got quieter. Xander rambled, weaving in and out of stories. He had a million of’em, he proudly declared. Buffy had been his world, and Anya had been his heart.
“Millions a shtories,” Xander slurred, head slumped onto his chest. “MY girls, th’both of’em. Bestsh girls.”
“Too right,” Spike murmured. “So why don’t you act like it?”
“Wh-what you talkin’ ‘bout, Shpike,” Xander demanded.
“I’m talking about you, you silly sod,” Spike told him quietly. “You’re not grieving, you’re dying. Dying by inches, but it’s death all the same. Those girl, YOUR girls as you just told me, died for you and all you can do is waste away? It’s bloody disrespectful.”
“ ‘S not,” Xander argued, poking Spike in the chest belligerently. “It’s LOVE, you bleashed menash. I LOVE them and now they’re gone. So, I gotta…what’re we talking about again?”
“You, getting off your mopey arse. Made a promise to the Slayer and I keep my word,” Spike said, hauling Xander to his feet.
“Yeah, yeah, “ Xander shoved Spike off, swaying unsteadily. “Promished her you’d take care of Dawn. I know you’re kinda slow, but even you have to know I’m not Dawn.”
“You were hers. Now you’re mine and I take care of my own,” Spike smirked. “That includes helping sloppy drunks off to bed. Come on, Harris, grab on before you fall over.”
“Can do it myshelf,” Xander insisted, making his way to the stairs. “Don’t need some evil…guy helping me to bed. I’m a grown-up, you know.”
“Yeah, you’re a big stroppy boy,” Spike agreed, hoisting Xander up in his arms. “Just let me help you, all right? Won’t kill you to accept a little help.”
Spike carried Xander up the stairs, Xander’s head resting in the crook of his neck. Xander sniffed, letting the clean spicy scent of Spike wash over him. It made him dizzy, and for a brief instant, he wondered if that pale patch of skin would taste as delicious as it smelled.
The thought sent shock waves through him. Taste Spike? Why would he want to taste Spike? Not that Spike was ugly or anything. For a guy, he was damn good looking.
But…Xander struggled to put his thoughts in some kind of order as Spike pushed open the bedroom door. He shook his head, trying to clear some of the fuzziness. It didn’t help and Xander closed his eyes as a wave of vertigo made the room spin.
“There you go, pet. Last stop, the bedroom. Now be a good boy and get some sleep,” Spike instructed.
“Shpike,” Xander whimpered. “Dizzy.”
“Just lay down, Harris. The room’ll stop spinning once you’re flat on your back.”
Xander stumbled to his bed, and lay down. The dizziness didn’t stop. If anything, his head felt even lighter and fuzzier than before. He whimpered again, calling out for Spike.
“What is it, Xander?”
“Shtill dizzy,” Xander explained. “Make the room shtop shpinning. You’ve got those super vampire powers, use’em.”
“Hate to tell you this, but even my ‘super vampire powers’ can’t make you less drunk,” Spike chuckled. “Only time’ll help, pet.”
“No,” Xander said clearly. “Come here and make it stop.”
With a sigh, Spike strode across the room and leaned over the bed. He filled Xander’s vision, the whole world becoming Spike. It was nice, Xander reflected. A world of Spike seemed like a pretty good thing.
Spike placed one hand on either side of Xander’s head. Xander smiled as the room came into focus again. With insistent hands, he dragged Spike onto the bed beside him. Spike came willingly, pressing his body next to Xander’s.
“ Thass nice,” Xander murmured sleepily, wriggling into Spike. “No more dizzy.”
“Good,” Spike replied huskily. “Now go to sleep. It’ll all be better in the morning.”
“Promise?”
“Yeah, Xander. I promise,” Spike said solemnly. “It’ll get better.”
“Good,” Xander yawned, throwing an arm and a leg over Spike. “Stay here. No sneaking out.”
“You sure about that,” Spike asked warily.
“Yep,” Xander told him. “I’m sure.”
As Xander drifted off to sleep, he knew that he was sure. He just wasn’t sure what he was sure about. But,Spike smelled good. Spike felt good. Spike made the room stop spinning. Spike promised him it would be better tomorrow and Xander figured that maybe it was just Spike he was sure about. Putting his faith in vampire, Xander slept peacefully.