Title: Evil Christmas Tree
Author: Forsaken2003
Pairing: Spike/Xander
Rating: R
Disclaimer: I own none.
Comments: Always welcomed!
Summary: Xander finds out the kinds of trees evil vampires and they aren't pretty. (Crappy Summary)
Spoilers: Season 4
Beta'd by: Unbeta'd
Prompt #544 from tamingthemuse- Grotesque
Note: From now on most of my tamingthemuse stories will be named as the challenge.
Note 2: This week I've apparently gone to a disturbing place.
Spike turned his head away from the T.V and looked over his shoulder to see Xander dragging in the most pathetic look tree he'd ever laid his eyes on. "A pathetic Christmas tree for a pathetic loser," Spike said before turning back to the T.V. He flexed hands. His muscles were sore since he couldn't move thanks to the whelp tying him to the stupid chair.
Xander ignored Spike's insults. He happened to love his tree. It was a Charlie Brown Christmas tree and Xander happened to love that movie! Plus it would look fantastic once he had it decorated. Xander set it up in a free corner that he had cleaned out. He stepped back and nodded satisfied.
Spike watched Xander wrap lights around his sad looking tree from the corner of his eye. "Me and Dru used to decorate a tree each year. No one had a tree like ours."
"Mmm hmm," Xander replied concentrating more on the tree than Spike.
Not one to be ignored Spike continued on. "It was our first Christmas after Angelus got his soul and Darla left us. Dru had been upset the family wouldn't be together that year so I decided to get her a Christmas tree."
"That was nice of you," Xander commented. He looked at Spike. "Did it make her feel better?"
"Once she saw it all decorated, it did," Spike said with a smile. "She said it was the prettiest tree she'd ever seen."
Xander abandoned the tree. "What made it so pretty?"
An evil grin appeared on Spike's face. "Well we had eyeballs and bollocks as ornaments, large and small intestines wrapped around the tree. Oh and popcorn on string but instead of the popcorn it was drilled teeth on a string. I even had a skull as the topper. It was grotesque and beautiful at the same time. Drusilla loved it. We kept it up until the smell got so bad we couldn't stand it."
Xander felt himself turning green. "You're kidding. Please tell me you're kidding."
"Nope." Spike's grin got wider. He was enjoying himself. "It became our tradition. Once Christmas lights were invented decorating got easier. The fucking candles kept cooking the decorations."
"That's so gross!" Xander exclaimed. He fell onto his couch slash bed as images of the horrible tree filled his head. Even though he was disgusted Xander couldn't help but feel bad for Spike who had spent the last Christmas alone and this year was stuck in Xander's basement. "Did... did you keep up with the tradition last year?"
Spike no longer looked amused. It still hurt him that Drusilla up and left him. "No. I decided to have my own Christmas."
"Which was?" Xander asked curiously though he knew he would regret the question.
"Getting drunk and stuffing myself with happy meals on legs," Spike answered. "I ate so much I was puking the blood back up. Let me tell you it doesn't taste as good coming up than it does going down."
Yup, Xander was right he regretted asking. Even though he regretted it, it didn't stop him from feeling bad for Spike. Not that he would tell Spike that. So being the white hat that he was Xander stood up and pulled a knife out of his boot. He wasn't stupid, going out without a weapon in Sunnydale you were begging to be demon chow.
"What are you doing with that?" Spike asked wary. He knew the knife couldn't off him but he wasn't in the mood to be tortured.
Instead of answering Xander showed him. With experience with the knife Xander cut the ropes holding Spike hostage with ease. He stepped back giving Spike room.
"Why?" Spike asked confused as he stood.
"Consider it a Christmas gift." When Xander saw Spike give him a look of disbelief. "Look you've been chained in a bathtub and tied to a chair for over a month. None of us can keep living like this. You can stay in town, find yourself your own place or you can leave and get away from this hellhole. If the others have a problem with it I'll deal with it. If their plan is to keep you living with one of us, tied up the rest of our lives we might as well of staked you on Thanksgiving."
Spike hadn't considered that. He'd never thought what the end game would be for him. "Maybe your skull isn't as empty as I thought."
"Thanks... I guess." Xander frowned. "So do you know what you're going to do?"
That was the question, wasn't it? "I have no bloody idea."
Xander sighed. "You can stay here until you figure it out. When I'm at work you can have the bed. I'm sure you'll find something to do during the night that hopefully won't get you into too much trouble."
Damn it Spike actually felt grateful! That was new. "Thanks." He watched as Xander went back to his tree. "I should tell you I lied about the Christmas tree. Me and Dru never had a tree."
"Why did you tell me in gross detail about it than?" Xander asked confused.
Spike snorted. "I'm evil."
The End