All Things Considered... I Think Things Turned Out Well
Pairing: Spike/Xander (mentions of Willow/Tara)
Characters: Spike, Xander, Giles, Willow, Tara, Dawn, Buffy
Warnings: M/M slash, Sexual situations, Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Swearing, Pathetic!Xander (for a while anyway), Anya bashing, Buffy bashing.
Chapter 1 – Chase-age and Rescue-age and Kissage... Oh My!
Xander raced through the cemetery, fearing for his life, his pursuer hot on his heels. He'd never been this scared before. He wasn't exactly sure just what was following him, but he wasn't about to look back and check. Above the sound of his own panicked breathing, he could hear the rustling of the fall leaves that scattered the grounds, lumbering footsteps and fierce growling. He really didn't need to look back to know he was in trouble.
How the fuck do I get myself into these situations? He asked himself. He knew why, really... He was the Zeppo, the Goofball, the Demon Magnet. Yup, well done Xander, outstanding as always! Even when Sunnydale isn't in danger from an apocalypse, or some other nasty trying to lay claim to the Hellmouth, you still seem to attract trouble. This was supposed to be a regular patrol night; he had to go on his own since Wills and Tara were patrolling another of Sunnydale's vamp haunts. Since Buffy wasn't around the Scoobys were relatively thin on the ground and Dawnie was still sheltered from all things evil, much to her chagrin.
Still running like his ass was on fire and water was a thousand miles away, Xander vaulted over a fallen tree, brought down during the storm a couple of nights ago. As he landed, he faltered slightly on the still wet earth and skidded almost falling flat on his ass. Panic set in as he had to stop and steady himself. God almighty, thought Xander, does anyone up there even like me just a bit?
"Fuck!" he cursed out loud and took a quick look back. His eyes bugged out of his head as he saw a huge behemoth appearing out of the mist that engulfed the cemetery. "I'm gonna die!" he muttered resignedly as he prepared to be torn limb from limb by the huge demon that was now only a few feet from him. His life seemed to flash before his eyes, the final image being his friends; Buffy, Willow, Tara, Dawn and Giles.
As he thought of his friends, he cried out like a warrior preparing for battle, his war cry echoing into the night "not tonight, asshole!" He took off, running as fast as his aching legs would carry him, heading to the nearest crypt hoping beyond anything that it would be unlocked and unoccupied.
He reached the crypt and frantically jiggled the handle. It rattled and squeaked, but didn't budge one iota. Locked tight. Xander wasn't entirely surprised. His luck just wasn't there for him tonight. Nope it hat packed it's bags and fucked off on vacation. Well, whaddya know? Locked. Xander would have laughed had he not heard the scraping sounds coming from behind. Shit! The demon! Now he was trapped. Now he was going to die.
He sent a final 'farewell and I love you guys' to all those who mattered most to him, his girls and Giles. And Spike.
Spike? Where the hell had that one come from? He had no time to think about that as the large purple demon lunged at him, with what seemed like a gleeful smirk. Grimace. Look. Smirk Xander decided as he let out the most unmanly shriek of his life.
Spike prowled though the cemetery, hoping to stake a few fledges, as was his wont, when he heard a scream. He was in two minds as to whether to go and help the obviously stupid woman who had decided to walk through one of Sunnydale's most notorious cemeteries alone, at night.
"Daft bint," he muttered to himself, "should just let you get eaten by whatever's eatin' ya." But since the chip and being made an honorary Scooby, which when he thought about it, did make him feel quite nice, and if you tell anyone I thought that, I will bleed you all dry, he just couldn't let some innocent woman be killed.
He set off at preternatural speed in the direction of the distressed, but highly stupid damsel, ready for a fight.
He slowed down as he approached the scene, scenting the air he smelled first the demon, recognising it as a Rignamie. Piece of piss, spike thought as other scents invaded his senses: fear and acceptance. But he wasn't accepting that, he would help her and kick this demon's scaly ass. He leapt, without preamble onto the purple demon, and with a quick twist, snapped it's neck. It fell with a giant thud and melted into the ground. Seemed as though the thing was never there in the first place.
As the demon's stink dissipated, a very familiar scent assailed his nostrils – chocolate and sunshine. Can only be one person smells that way, Spike thought, smirk firmly in place as he recognised that Xander was the screaming woman.
Spike really couldn't stop the bark of laughter that burst from him. The Whelp. The Zeppo. The White Hat. Screaming like a bloody chit.
At Spike's laughter Xander wished that the thing had killed him. He was mortified beyond belief that Spike had found him, rescued him and now had a lifetime to mock him. He could do nothing else but curl in on himself and cry, utter humiliation flowing from him in great waves.
Spike found the scent intoxicating, then became disgusted with himself. Xander was his friend, dammit. Well maybe not, but they were generally on good terms if you failed to count the million times Spike had set out to humiliate the boy and belittle him at every opportunity. And Xander being Xander, there were plenty of opportunities. Shaking himself, he knew he had to get Xander home; he couldn't just leave him here.
"Harris..." Spike spoke quietly, suddenly feeling extremely guilty at his mocking laughter. There was no sound coming from Xander, nothing.
"Xander... Xan?" Spike sniffed and was shocked by the salty scent of tears.
Slightly panicked now, Spike rushed to Xander and fell to his knees; he gently reached out his hand and nudged the weeping man. Xander didn't shrug the hand away; feeling emboldened by this, Spike moved his hand and began rubbing small circles on Xander's back and whispered words of comfort into his ear.
Xander shuddered as he felt cool puffs air around his ear and neck, his sobs abated slightly. Shock didn't quite cover what he was feeling as Spike's breath gave him gooseflesh. He couldn't bring himself to look at Spike and see the pitying look he knew would be there. He didn't need it and he certainly didn't want it from the snarky vampire.
"Xander, look at me... Please?" Spike pleaded with the man in front of him. He needed to see that Xander was okay, well. As okay as anyone could be when they'd just been pounced on by a Rignamie demon. He didn't know why he needed to see him so badly. He just did.
"Xan... Please?" He really was begging Xander now, desperate to see anything in those deep brown eyes. Yes he liked Xander, more than liked if you got really down to the nitty gritty of it all. He hated that Xander wouldn't even give him the time of day most times. That probably went some way to explaining why Spike snarked right back at him all the time. Thin line between love and hate and all that rot.
Again Xander made no movement, aside from the steady up and down of his breathing. Spike was beginning to freak out, thinking the demon had hurt Xander more than he initially thought. Rignamie demons are known for their scaly purple skin and slight yeasty odour, they have paralysing spit which can be projectile so it's best not to be anywhere near one if you can help it. At 7 feet tall it's kinda hard not to spot one from a distance. Trouble is, when they catch a whiff of something they like; usually the victim is dead within minutes. Rignamie demons are incredibly swift considering the size of them.
Spike stood then, ready to haul Xander over his shoulders and run to Giles' place. He shifted his hand from Xander's back and suddenly Xander's hand shot out and grabbed onto Spike's retreating one.
"Don't" Xander murmured.
"Don't what?" Spike asked confused, I haven't bloody done anything, Spike thought idly.
"Don't leave me," Xander raised his head to look at Spike, his eyes shimmering with more tears, "please don't leave me Spike."
Spike could do nothing more than stare into Xander's eyes, he saw the hurt, the humiliation and the fear. To him Xander looked like a broken man who had lost everything and everyone he ever loved. Spike could relate to that after Drusilla left him after all those years they spent together. He felt himself break into a million pieces at the desperation in those chocolate orbs, felt himself falling a little bit more in love with Xander.
It was at that moment he realised that he could have lost Xander tonight. Scared beyond belief at that point he did the only thing he could think of. He slowly leaned forward, closed his eyes and placed a soft kiss on the boy's lips. It was barely there, but he put everything he was, is and would be into that kiss.