Homecoming pt. 12
Xander stared down at the couple on the bed. "But I thought ..."
"I am not breaking up with Spike." She patted the space beside her. "Sit."
"Not with Captain Octopus wrapped around you like that."
Spike was getting fed up. "Now, listen here ..."
"Spike." Buffy looked at her lover, and he shifted, sitting up beside her on the bed. "Bloody hell," he grumbled, still clasping her tiny hand in his.
"I won't have this," Buffy sighed. "You are two of the most important men in my life." She gestured to Xander again, and he sat beside her. "The other one is out there," she pointed to the door, "but I don't think there's room for Giles to sit here too. Besides, I want to talk to you two."
"What is it, pet?" Spike asked.
"I'm so tired. I want to get well, I want to get out of this bed. But how can I get better when the two men I love are at each other's throats?"
"He started it," Spike muttered.
"Very mature. Xander, why do you hate Spike? I mean, I know there were things in the past, but why now?" Buffy looked up at her best friend. "Is it Anya? Because if I could get past that ..."
"No, it's not that. If it were, I'd be tearing a strip off Giles. That's worse; she's in love with him. It's just," he glared at Spike, "I don't trust him. I don't want to see you get hurt."
"I would never hurt her," Spike insisted. "Never again."
"I've loved three women in my life. Four, if I count my mom." He noticed Spike nod to that. Did Spike have a mother? "I loved Anya, I loved Willow, and I love you, Buffy. Not the same way, but deep. I hate to see you like this. I know it's his fault."
"It's not, though. I drove him away. And what happened after ... I couldn't handle it. But don't blame Spike."
"I've lost Anya, and Willow. I can't bear losing you too." He refused to cry. "He did hurt you. It is his fault."
She thought for a moment. Flashed back to the wedding; the debacle with the guests, her friend in retreat. "Xander, I'm not your mother, Spike isn't your father." She patted her friend's hand. "And neither are you."
He felt like she'd punched him in the stomach. When did she get so smart? "I've missed you so much, Buffy. And, God, I miss Willow. There must have been something, anything I could have done." He wiped his eye with the back of his hand. "Spike's easy to blame."
"I get that, Harris. I do." Spike looked at the other man with concern. "But don't ya see, blaming me is hurtin' Buffy. I never meant ta hurt her. I never want to again. I love her too." He smiled, "So, see, we've got sommit in common after all. Now, tell her about the crypt. If you're still gonna help me."
Xander was grateful for the distraction. "I've got some ideas. I've read some articles ... Don't look at me like that, vamp boy, I do know how to read. Anyway, there are people who've built homes in caves, and the sides of hills. I can adapt some of those concepts. Spike's already set up a basic bathroom, but I have some ideas for expanding it. As spaces go, the crypt's not that bad. The cave below's really solid. And did you know Giles put your furniture in storage? So we don't need to worry about that. I figure I can set up one bed upstairs for Spike, and put yours in the underground chamber."
"Xander," Buffy warned.
"Yeah, I didn't think that would get past you. But hey, a guy can hope."
Spike raised an eyebrow. "That he can, mate. It's workin' out for me."
Xander stared down at the couple on the bed. "But I thought ..."
"I am not breaking up with Spike." She patted the space beside her. "Sit."
"Not with Captain Octopus wrapped around you like that."
Spike was getting fed up. "Now, listen here ..."
"Spike." Buffy looked at her lover, and he shifted, sitting up beside her on the bed. "Bloody hell," he grumbled, still clasping her tiny hand in his.
"I won't have this," Buffy sighed. "You are two of the most important men in my life." She gestured to Xander again, and he sat beside her. "The other one is out there," she pointed to the door, "but I don't think there's room for Giles to sit here too. Besides, I want to talk to you two."
"What is it, pet?" Spike asked.
"I'm so tired. I want to get well, I want to get out of this bed. But how can I get better when the two men I love are at each other's throats?"
"He started it," Spike muttered.
"Very mature. Xander, why do you hate Spike? I mean, I know there were things in the past, but why now?" Buffy looked up at her best friend. "Is it Anya? Because if I could get past that ..."
"No, it's not that. If it were, I'd be tearing a strip off Giles. That's worse; she's in love with him. It's just," he glared at Spike, "I don't trust him. I don't want to see you get hurt."
"I would never hurt her," Spike insisted. "Never again."
"I've loved three women in my life. Four, if I count my mom." He noticed Spike nod to that. Did Spike have a mother? "I loved Anya, I loved Willow, and I love you, Buffy. Not the same way, but deep. I hate to see you like this. I know it's his fault."
"It's not, though. I drove him away. And what happened after ... I couldn't handle it. But don't blame Spike."
"I've lost Anya, and Willow. I can't bear losing you too." He refused to cry. "He did hurt you. It is his fault."
She thought for a moment. Flashed back to the wedding; the debacle with the guests, her friend in retreat. "Xander, I'm not your mother, Spike isn't your father." She patted her friend's hand. "And neither are you."
He felt like she'd punched him in the stomach. When did she get so smart? "I've missed you so much, Buffy. And, God, I miss Willow. There must have been something, anything I could have done." He wiped his eye with the back of his hand. "Spike's easy to blame."
"I get that, Harris. I do." Spike looked at the other man with concern. "But don't ya see, blaming me is hurtin' Buffy. I never meant ta hurt her. I never want to again. I love her too." He smiled, "So, see, we've got sommit in common after all. Now, tell her about the crypt. If you're still gonna help me."
Xander was grateful for the distraction. "I've got some ideas. I've read some articles ... Don't look at me like that, vamp boy, I do know how to read. Anyway, there are people who've built homes in caves, and the sides of hills. I can adapt some of those concepts. Spike's already set up a basic bathroom, but I have some ideas for expanding it. As spaces go, the crypt's not that bad. The cave below's really solid. And did you know Giles put your furniture in storage? So we don't need to worry about that. I figure I can set up one bed upstairs for Spike, and put yours in the underground chamber."
"Xander," Buffy warned.
"Yeah, I didn't think that would get past you. But hey, a guy can hope."
Spike raised an eyebrow. "That he can, mate. It's workin' out for me."