The Long Summer 22
Xander let himself into the apartment with a whistle. He tossed the keys into the air and caught them in time to his tune. He juggled a pair of bags over one shoulder and carried them toward the bedroom with a half jaunt in his step.
"Spike, why are you lurking in the kitchen?" He called as he pushed open the bedroom door.
"I am not lurking." The vampire protested and as expected wandered as far as the bedroom door. "Where've you been? I came by last night but you never showed up."
"Things to do. People to see." Xander replied as he hung a clean shirt on a hangar. "Why are you persisting in this farce of hanging out?"
"I didn't see it as a farce. You needed a hand. I was trying to extend one." Spike sounded sincere. But that was his trap, wasn't it? He pretended to be the good guy? He looked after the best interests. Then when you start to trust the son of a bitch, he stabs you in the back.
"Oh, is this like the hand you were dealing out with Adam?" Xander asked. He slid out a pair of slacks and smoothed them out neatly before hanging them in the closet.
"That was a while ago, mate. I made up for that. I showed up to help."
"Only when you realized you threw in with the losing side."
"I always knew Adam was on the losing side. It wasn't about winning or losing."
"Yeah?" Xander shrugged and took out a second pair of pants, smoothing them equally. "Could have fooled me."
"I did fool you. What is all of that?" Spike was staring at the pair of leather loafers Xander extracted from a shoebox.
"They call these shoes." Xander held them up. He couldn't help the unrepentant grin when Spike glared. "I went shopping."
"I can see that."
Xander grinned as he finished putting away his purchases. He thoroughly enjoyed perplexing the vampire. Nothing like having the upper hand. He brushed past him and made his way out into the front room.
"So what's this soul business? Aspiring to be Angel Jr.?" Xander found a pot of coffee sitting fresh in the kitchen. He debated a beer and decided the coffee fit the bill. He poured himself a cup and carefully cleaned up any spills on the laminate counters. He glanced at Spike's frowning face framed by the doorway.
"So? Going to tell me all about it or do I have to go pester Buffy?" The dart struck the mark quite neatly.
"She doesn't know."
"Well, now isn't that absolutely fascinating." Xander leaned against the counter, sipping the brew.
"Look, I'll leave you to your business. You're obviously getting it all together."
"Oh, please don't leave on my account. I was just beginning to enjoy our little tete a tetes." He smiled once more.
"Be careful when you play with fire, mate." Spike did not smile. "It can burn."
"You have more to worry about from fire than I do."
Nothing more was said between the two as Spike retreated from the apartment. Xander swirled the coffee in his cup once and then moved to the kitchen table. He eyed the stack of unopened letters from England. He selected one at random and eyed the return address.
It was definitely time for him to drop Willow a lifeline.
Yes, definitely time.
Xander let himself into the apartment with a whistle. He tossed the keys into the air and caught them in time to his tune. He juggled a pair of bags over one shoulder and carried them toward the bedroom with a half jaunt in his step.
"Spike, why are you lurking in the kitchen?" He called as he pushed open the bedroom door.
"I am not lurking." The vampire protested and as expected wandered as far as the bedroom door. "Where've you been? I came by last night but you never showed up."
"Things to do. People to see." Xander replied as he hung a clean shirt on a hangar. "Why are you persisting in this farce of hanging out?"
"I didn't see it as a farce. You needed a hand. I was trying to extend one." Spike sounded sincere. But that was his trap, wasn't it? He pretended to be the good guy? He looked after the best interests. Then when you start to trust the son of a bitch, he stabs you in the back.
"Oh, is this like the hand you were dealing out with Adam?" Xander asked. He slid out a pair of slacks and smoothed them out neatly before hanging them in the closet.
"That was a while ago, mate. I made up for that. I showed up to help."
"Only when you realized you threw in with the losing side."
"I always knew Adam was on the losing side. It wasn't about winning or losing."
"Yeah?" Xander shrugged and took out a second pair of pants, smoothing them equally. "Could have fooled me."
"I did fool you. What is all of that?" Spike was staring at the pair of leather loafers Xander extracted from a shoebox.
"They call these shoes." Xander held them up. He couldn't help the unrepentant grin when Spike glared. "I went shopping."
"I can see that."
Xander grinned as he finished putting away his purchases. He thoroughly enjoyed perplexing the vampire. Nothing like having the upper hand. He brushed past him and made his way out into the front room.
"So what's this soul business? Aspiring to be Angel Jr.?" Xander found a pot of coffee sitting fresh in the kitchen. He debated a beer and decided the coffee fit the bill. He poured himself a cup and carefully cleaned up any spills on the laminate counters. He glanced at Spike's frowning face framed by the doorway.
"So? Going to tell me all about it or do I have to go pester Buffy?" The dart struck the mark quite neatly.
"She doesn't know."
"Well, now isn't that absolutely fascinating." Xander leaned against the counter, sipping the brew.
"Look, I'll leave you to your business. You're obviously getting it all together."
"Oh, please don't leave on my account. I was just beginning to enjoy our little tete a tetes." He smiled once more.
"Be careful when you play with fire, mate." Spike did not smile. "It can burn."
"You have more to worry about from fire than I do."
Nothing more was said between the two as Spike retreated from the apartment. Xander swirled the coffee in his cup once and then moved to the kitchen table. He eyed the stack of unopened letters from England. He selected one at random and eyed the return address.
It was definitely time for him to drop Willow a lifeline.
Yes, definitely time.