The Long Summer 14
Xander blew out a breath as he eyed the former librarian across the sawdust littered floor and wondered why he felt like he'd just arrived at the principal's office. He saw Spike's expression change as he stared at his fellow Brit.
Giles took another step forward and surveyed the changes Xander had wrought over the last few weeks. "Xander? Spike?" He prompted.
"Working on getting some measurements." Xander gestured to the area he was standing in. "I was going to get a new counter measured out and built tonight."
"I see." Giles gaze slid to the blonde vampire. "And you?"
"Just carrying in the wood. Trying to be helpful." There was something deeply subdued in Spike's voice. Xander looked at him askance once or twice, but the vampire seemed to be looking anywhere but at him.
"Ahh." There was a wealth of meaning in that sound. "Well, Spike would you excuse us, please. I'd like to have a word with Xander."
"Right then. Like me to nip down the corner for a spot of tea?"
"I'm not sure anywhere around here is capable of making a decent cup of tea." Giles demurred.
"Probably not, but there's a new pub opened up called The Mucky Duck. They seem to have the fish and chips down, I reckon they might shake up a decent cuppa." Spike grinned sheepishly.
Suck up, Xander thought and glanced down at the notepad in his hand. He decided to double-check his measurements while the two Brits argued out the philosophical offering of a decent cup of tea. The tape snapped back into its canister and Xander stood, noting that his initial measurements were sound.
"Xander," Giles spoke quietly. He turned to see the watcher standing a couple of feet away, his hands resting inside the pockets of his slacks. "Do you mind taking a small break so we can chat?"
"Actually, I do." His answer appeared to surprise the unflappable Brit. "I've got a lot to do and the interruptions just slow me down. So if you don't mind talking, I'll just get the wood set up to cut."
"All right." Giles nodded slowly. He waited for Xander to head into the backroom. He was silent while Xander set aside his notepad and started sorting through the pile of wood.
Xander was happy enough for the peace and quiet while he picked out the boards he would use to frame up the base. They would only need to be trimmed rather than cut. He worked in silence for several minutes and it wasn't until he set up the power saw and locked down a board to cut that Giles spoke again.
"Willow tells me you haven't answered her letters."
He went very still and took a deep breath, which was a mistake. The cuts on his chest protested the force of the inhale. He chewed his upper lip and took several smaller, shallow breaths before marking the line he wanted to cut.
"I've been a bit busy."
"Too busy to write?"
"Constructions at an all time high in Sunnydale." Xander quipped. "You know, the more the merrier."
"I see."
"Well, you will in a few months. We have a new housing development going in and we've even rated another Starbuck's. This one's at the mall." Xander chuckled. "So I guess we're a two Starbuck's town now."
"Xander - Willow's been through a great deal. She's making progress in Devon, but I think it would help her to hear from her old friends - " Giles seemed to hesitate and Xander used the opportunity to drop the saw into place and turn it on. It whined its way through the quick slice of wood.
"I'll try to get a postcard out this weekend." Xander looked up from the wood as he discarded the cut piece to the side. "You think we could play catch up later? I really want to get this counter rebuilt."
"Why are you doing it?" Giles asked, a small frown wrinkling his brow.
"Insurance company denied the claim. Didn't Anya tell you?" Xander shrugged and winced simultaneously. "So I figured that I'd get a head start on the majority of it."
"She mentioned - something along those lines. But she didn't tell me you were going to retro-fit the building."
"She doesn't know." Spike was back. Would the joy ever end? "Here you go." He was handing a Styrofoam cup to Giles.
"Right - thank you - Spike." He turned his head to look at the vampire and Xander was glad the heat was turned off of him.
"Why don't you two go bond over some Earl Grey and let me get some work done?" He asked. He didn't wait for an answer and ignored the nearly mirrored expressions they studied him with as he carried the wood back into the main shop. All he wanted was his hammer, nails and the smell of good wood.
He could understand that.
Thankfully, they seemed to have taken his advice, because when he went back for more supplies the backroom was empty and the alleyway entrance locked.
Finally.
Peace and quiet.
Xander blew out a breath as he eyed the former librarian across the sawdust littered floor and wondered why he felt like he'd just arrived at the principal's office. He saw Spike's expression change as he stared at his fellow Brit.
Giles took another step forward and surveyed the changes Xander had wrought over the last few weeks. "Xander? Spike?" He prompted.
"Working on getting some measurements." Xander gestured to the area he was standing in. "I was going to get a new counter measured out and built tonight."
"I see." Giles gaze slid to the blonde vampire. "And you?"
"Just carrying in the wood. Trying to be helpful." There was something deeply subdued in Spike's voice. Xander looked at him askance once or twice, but the vampire seemed to be looking anywhere but at him.
"Ahh." There was a wealth of meaning in that sound. "Well, Spike would you excuse us, please. I'd like to have a word with Xander."
"Right then. Like me to nip down the corner for a spot of tea?"
"I'm not sure anywhere around here is capable of making a decent cup of tea." Giles demurred.
"Probably not, but there's a new pub opened up called The Mucky Duck. They seem to have the fish and chips down, I reckon they might shake up a decent cuppa." Spike grinned sheepishly.
Suck up, Xander thought and glanced down at the notepad in his hand. He decided to double-check his measurements while the two Brits argued out the philosophical offering of a decent cup of tea. The tape snapped back into its canister and Xander stood, noting that his initial measurements were sound.
"Xander," Giles spoke quietly. He turned to see the watcher standing a couple of feet away, his hands resting inside the pockets of his slacks. "Do you mind taking a small break so we can chat?"
"Actually, I do." His answer appeared to surprise the unflappable Brit. "I've got a lot to do and the interruptions just slow me down. So if you don't mind talking, I'll just get the wood set up to cut."
"All right." Giles nodded slowly. He waited for Xander to head into the backroom. He was silent while Xander set aside his notepad and started sorting through the pile of wood.
Xander was happy enough for the peace and quiet while he picked out the boards he would use to frame up the base. They would only need to be trimmed rather than cut. He worked in silence for several minutes and it wasn't until he set up the power saw and locked down a board to cut that Giles spoke again.
"Willow tells me you haven't answered her letters."
He went very still and took a deep breath, which was a mistake. The cuts on his chest protested the force of the inhale. He chewed his upper lip and took several smaller, shallow breaths before marking the line he wanted to cut.
"I've been a bit busy."
"Too busy to write?"
"Constructions at an all time high in Sunnydale." Xander quipped. "You know, the more the merrier."
"I see."
"Well, you will in a few months. We have a new housing development going in and we've even rated another Starbuck's. This one's at the mall." Xander chuckled. "So I guess we're a two Starbuck's town now."
"Xander - Willow's been through a great deal. She's making progress in Devon, but I think it would help her to hear from her old friends - " Giles seemed to hesitate and Xander used the opportunity to drop the saw into place and turn it on. It whined its way through the quick slice of wood.
"I'll try to get a postcard out this weekend." Xander looked up from the wood as he discarded the cut piece to the side. "You think we could play catch up later? I really want to get this counter rebuilt."
"Why are you doing it?" Giles asked, a small frown wrinkling his brow.
"Insurance company denied the claim. Didn't Anya tell you?" Xander shrugged and winced simultaneously. "So I figured that I'd get a head start on the majority of it."
"She mentioned - something along those lines. But she didn't tell me you were going to retro-fit the building."
"She doesn't know." Spike was back. Would the joy ever end? "Here you go." He was handing a Styrofoam cup to Giles.
"Right - thank you - Spike." He turned his head to look at the vampire and Xander was glad the heat was turned off of him.
"Why don't you two go bond over some Earl Grey and let me get some work done?" He asked. He didn't wait for an answer and ignored the nearly mirrored expressions they studied him with as he carried the wood back into the main shop. All he wanted was his hammer, nails and the smell of good wood.
He could understand that.
Thankfully, they seemed to have taken his advice, because when he went back for more supplies the backroom was empty and the alleyway entrance locked.
Finally.
Peace and quiet.