A/N: Written as a Multifandom Drabble 2018 exchange gift for pessi_mista.
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Defiance
The barrage of bullets skim the rooftop. They run in the pelting rain, hearts beating in sync.
Spike sees the last one from the corner of his eye. The man fires. He bounds towards Julia; they skid and tumble. The bullet grazes Spike's back. In retaliation, he wildly shoots, and the man gurgles blood.
The crows caw, signaling the end.
The silence is deafening. They lay there, contemplating, their breath warm despite the cold.
"Do you think we woke up yet?" Julia asks.
"We will," Spike assures her, high on the adrenaline in his veins, "after the final curtain falls."
Aftermath
The final bullet resounds in his ears. Vicious collapses, and Spike staggers out into the blinding outside light. Step, sway, crunch.
The blood oozes from his wound. With every passing moment, he is weaker than the last.
He must live.
The world spins. Arms embrace him. Her face projects a thousand years' tale of the treacherous road they had traveled to survive.
Pounds of regret shed from his body. He is weightless. He feels like he can do anything with her, and he has a future that isn't shrouded in darkness.
"Sorry I'm late," Spike says.
"Welcome back," Julia whispers.
Family
The apartment is small. It isn't much to brag about, but it's their precious little something tucked away from violence.
Late at night the baby cries. Begrudgingly, he hauls himself out of bed and wanders in front of the crib. It's suddenly worth it, then, to feel the red-nosed baby clench his fingers.
The fluffy cat at the foot of their bed meows when he returns. He shushes it, reluctant but more adaptable to pets. Julia had insisted the battered, abandoned cat needed a home.
Once he crawls under the warm covers with her, the dreams are delightful.