A Little something for you, Love. (Season 7 spoilers)
By: Lycanthrope
Summery: A picture frame in one of Xander's old packed away boxes reminds him of the past, making him want more in the future.
Disclaimer: I don't think I have to go over this. lol, I DON'T OWN ANYTHING, as much as I would like to add Spike and Xander in my personal collection of BWoC's Merton Dingle's Silky shirts and.... ;) :D
---
Running his fingers through his hair, Xander couldn't bring himself to look at the mess he had built up in his closet over the years. When he had moved out of his parents basement, he hadn't had all that much, while living in the apartment with Anya, he had gathered a few things of his own, but mostly her stuff cluttered the shelves. When the hell mouth was destroyed, and took their town with it, everything but what he had in storage in LA was lost.
He thanked Anya silently for suggesting they did so before the closet to his room began to spread its insanity outward. She wasn't the brightest, but when she had a good idea, it was usually worth looking into. She'd been gone now for over 3 years, yet he wasn't sure he was quite over her, there was things he wished he had said, and others, he hadn't.
His train of thought was lost, when his roommate decided it was time to watch tv. Xander sighed, and turned to Andrew, who seemed to ignore him completely. "You wanna help me out here, or is this couch potato hour?" Andrew jumped at his voice, and glared at him angrily.
"Why do I have to help *you*?" He asked, his voice as serious as it was going to get.
"Because. Look, just help me clean out the closet. It has your crap in it too, you know." Xander pointed absently at the mess already spilling from the bottom of the closet, and watched as Andrew sighed, considering the thought.
"Fine." He said finally, rising from his seat. "Its not that hard." He stood at the door, and scanned the heap of crap. He reached out, and took a hold of what looked like a shirt sleeve, and pulled on it. When the whole lot of stuff avalanched on top of the two, all either of them could do was laugh.
Xander had regretted letting Andrew room with him. At first it was only going to be for a month or two. He wasn't sure who let time slip, but either way a month or two had passed long ago. He had considered living on his own, but rent would be too much. With him working at a local Carpentry, and Andrew serving up Burgers at one of the many Burger Kings their pay combined got through a month of rent, and put food on the table.
When Xander dug his way out of the mess, he snorted as he watched Andrew flail his arms about helplessly. When he got to his feet, he pulled on one the boy's arms, yanking him from the tangles of junk. When they were both to their feet, Andrew sighed. "Missed one." He said, pointing to a large box on the top shelf.
"Guess so." He said, pulling a chair from behind the smaller boy, and placing it in front of him.
"Where'd all this come from?" Andrew asked, picking up an empty tissue box.
"Mostly from storage..." Xander said, glancing over his shoulder at the blond. "But, Some of it just... kind of appeared." He laughed as he grabbed the box, and threw it to Andrew, who barely caught it, stumbling backwards into the table behind him.
"Well," Xander said expectantly, nodding toward the box. "Open it." Andrew furrowed his brows, and stepped back from the box.
"No way, what if something jumps out at me? Like... some little left over of Sunnydale." Xander rolled his eyes, and opened a corner of the box, screaming, and jumping back. This caused a reaction from Andrew, sending him off into the bathroom screaming as well. Xander laughed, and opened the box the rest of the way.
"Oh, my bad. Its just Mr. Cuddles." He said teasingly as he pulled a little pink rabbit from the box. Andrew rounded the corner, sighing.
"That was so not funny." He looked down at the rabbit for a moment, then back to his roommate. "How'd that get passed Anya?" He asked curiously.
Xander shrugged. "I gave it to her on our first date." He laughed. "Lets just say that didn't go over to well." Xander took it from him, and set it back down on the table. He began rummaging through the box, finding a bracelet that looked oddly familiar. He stared down at the little silver ID tag with the engraving, 'Yours Always' and shook his head. He set it down on the table as a flash back hit him.
(Xander and Willow approached Buffy, who seemed to be enjoying the campus scenery. "Here." Xander tapped on her shoulder, dangling a bracelet from his fingers. Buffy smiled brightly, and took it from him, clasping it to her wrist. She turned the little tag over, and read it aloud. "Yours Always?" Xander Laughed nervously. "They all came that way, really." Buffy nodded, her smile returning.)
"Ah, the good ole days." He found himself saying as he pulled a small wooden picture frame from the box. He furrowed his brows again, running his fingers of the glass that covered a picture. The picture was of him and Willow taken long before Buffy had blown into town. He guessed it was taken sometime in Jr. High, for Willow still had her long red hair, and cute smile.
"Whoa, that picture much be ancient." He heard Andrew say, the fog in his mind clearing. He looked to the boy, his gaze blank. "What?" Andrew asked defensively, raising an eyebrow. Xander shook his head.
"Nothing, nothing." It was odd how way back then, he had nothing to worry about, how life seemed so simple. No worries aside from homework, and your usual teacher or parent hounding you to do your homework. He touched the eyepatch covering his nonexistent eye, remembering the day he lost it. He remembered the last thing he saw from that eye was Buffy doing her best to help him.
Now she was off, living with Willow, Kennedy, and Dawn at a house that much resembled her old one. All the other potentials had gone off, back to England, or where ever else they had come from. When he visited, it felt like old times, once and a while he expected Willow to round the corner with Tara strung to her arm instead of Kennedy. Or Spike to crawl out of the basement when daylight hit.
He had actually come to somewhat like the guy, after he proved his worth. When he had tried to rape Buffy, and ran off to return to his normal ways, he hadn't exactly hoped for a soul. Xander laughed at the thought, watching Andrew's confused expression. "What's so funny?" Andrew finally asked, running his finger along the side of the table, expecting to be scorned.
"Nothing." Xander found himself saying again. He sighed when the other boy's eyes read disappointment. "The picture brought back memories," He explained, moving his gaze from the blond to the bracelet on the table. He could have sworn that thing had been gone for ages, not all that long before the brush with the way too attractive bug lady. "Before you and your buddies showed up, when Buffy first moved in." He said after a long pause. "Didn't expect anything like this..." His voice trailed off, remembering the battle he faced in the school his last day in Sunnydale.
"Xander," Andrew choked, tapping on the other boy's shoulder. Xander blinked, and shook his head. He must have blanked out for a moment, because Andrew seemed a little more amazed than usual. "Its all over, you know." He began. "I know there's still the memories. I was there too you know." He sounded different now that he made sense, more grown up. "Besides, that was three years ago." He laughed nervously, turning away from his semi friend.
Xander nodded after Andrew had retreated back to his overstuffed arm chair. Looking at the picture, he wished everything was like it was then. At least in high school, when Giles was still around, and everything was a little less confusing. For some reason, it seemed dealing with demons and evil was easier than dealing with the past.
Suddenly, the apartment shook violently, sending the box off the table, falling to the floor. When he bent down to pick it up, he found himself in the Library of the original Sunnydale High.
TBC
By: Lycanthrope
Summery: A picture frame in one of Xander's old packed away boxes reminds him of the past, making him want more in the future.
Disclaimer: I don't think I have to go over this. lol, I DON'T OWN ANYTHING, as much as I would like to add Spike and Xander in my personal collection of BWoC's Merton Dingle's Silky shirts and.... ;) :D
---
Running his fingers through his hair, Xander couldn't bring himself to look at the mess he had built up in his closet over the years. When he had moved out of his parents basement, he hadn't had all that much, while living in the apartment with Anya, he had gathered a few things of his own, but mostly her stuff cluttered the shelves. When the hell mouth was destroyed, and took their town with it, everything but what he had in storage in LA was lost.
He thanked Anya silently for suggesting they did so before the closet to his room began to spread its insanity outward. She wasn't the brightest, but when she had a good idea, it was usually worth looking into. She'd been gone now for over 3 years, yet he wasn't sure he was quite over her, there was things he wished he had said, and others, he hadn't.
His train of thought was lost, when his roommate decided it was time to watch tv. Xander sighed, and turned to Andrew, who seemed to ignore him completely. "You wanna help me out here, or is this couch potato hour?" Andrew jumped at his voice, and glared at him angrily.
"Why do I have to help *you*?" He asked, his voice as serious as it was going to get.
"Because. Look, just help me clean out the closet. It has your crap in it too, you know." Xander pointed absently at the mess already spilling from the bottom of the closet, and watched as Andrew sighed, considering the thought.
"Fine." He said finally, rising from his seat. "Its not that hard." He stood at the door, and scanned the heap of crap. He reached out, and took a hold of what looked like a shirt sleeve, and pulled on it. When the whole lot of stuff avalanched on top of the two, all either of them could do was laugh.
Xander had regretted letting Andrew room with him. At first it was only going to be for a month or two. He wasn't sure who let time slip, but either way a month or two had passed long ago. He had considered living on his own, but rent would be too much. With him working at a local Carpentry, and Andrew serving up Burgers at one of the many Burger Kings their pay combined got through a month of rent, and put food on the table.
When Xander dug his way out of the mess, he snorted as he watched Andrew flail his arms about helplessly. When he got to his feet, he pulled on one the boy's arms, yanking him from the tangles of junk. When they were both to their feet, Andrew sighed. "Missed one." He said, pointing to a large box on the top shelf.
"Guess so." He said, pulling a chair from behind the smaller boy, and placing it in front of him.
"Where'd all this come from?" Andrew asked, picking up an empty tissue box.
"Mostly from storage..." Xander said, glancing over his shoulder at the blond. "But, Some of it just... kind of appeared." He laughed as he grabbed the box, and threw it to Andrew, who barely caught it, stumbling backwards into the table behind him.
"Well," Xander said expectantly, nodding toward the box. "Open it." Andrew furrowed his brows, and stepped back from the box.
"No way, what if something jumps out at me? Like... some little left over of Sunnydale." Xander rolled his eyes, and opened a corner of the box, screaming, and jumping back. This caused a reaction from Andrew, sending him off into the bathroom screaming as well. Xander laughed, and opened the box the rest of the way.
"Oh, my bad. Its just Mr. Cuddles." He said teasingly as he pulled a little pink rabbit from the box. Andrew rounded the corner, sighing.
"That was so not funny." He looked down at the rabbit for a moment, then back to his roommate. "How'd that get passed Anya?" He asked curiously.
Xander shrugged. "I gave it to her on our first date." He laughed. "Lets just say that didn't go over to well." Xander took it from him, and set it back down on the table. He began rummaging through the box, finding a bracelet that looked oddly familiar. He stared down at the little silver ID tag with the engraving, 'Yours Always' and shook his head. He set it down on the table as a flash back hit him.
(Xander and Willow approached Buffy, who seemed to be enjoying the campus scenery. "Here." Xander tapped on her shoulder, dangling a bracelet from his fingers. Buffy smiled brightly, and took it from him, clasping it to her wrist. She turned the little tag over, and read it aloud. "Yours Always?" Xander Laughed nervously. "They all came that way, really." Buffy nodded, her smile returning.)
"Ah, the good ole days." He found himself saying as he pulled a small wooden picture frame from the box. He furrowed his brows again, running his fingers of the glass that covered a picture. The picture was of him and Willow taken long before Buffy had blown into town. He guessed it was taken sometime in Jr. High, for Willow still had her long red hair, and cute smile.
"Whoa, that picture much be ancient." He heard Andrew say, the fog in his mind clearing. He looked to the boy, his gaze blank. "What?" Andrew asked defensively, raising an eyebrow. Xander shook his head.
"Nothing, nothing." It was odd how way back then, he had nothing to worry about, how life seemed so simple. No worries aside from homework, and your usual teacher or parent hounding you to do your homework. He touched the eyepatch covering his nonexistent eye, remembering the day he lost it. He remembered the last thing he saw from that eye was Buffy doing her best to help him.
Now she was off, living with Willow, Kennedy, and Dawn at a house that much resembled her old one. All the other potentials had gone off, back to England, or where ever else they had come from. When he visited, it felt like old times, once and a while he expected Willow to round the corner with Tara strung to her arm instead of Kennedy. Or Spike to crawl out of the basement when daylight hit.
He had actually come to somewhat like the guy, after he proved his worth. When he had tried to rape Buffy, and ran off to return to his normal ways, he hadn't exactly hoped for a soul. Xander laughed at the thought, watching Andrew's confused expression. "What's so funny?" Andrew finally asked, running his finger along the side of the table, expecting to be scorned.
"Nothing." Xander found himself saying again. He sighed when the other boy's eyes read disappointment. "The picture brought back memories," He explained, moving his gaze from the blond to the bracelet on the table. He could have sworn that thing had been gone for ages, not all that long before the brush with the way too attractive bug lady. "Before you and your buddies showed up, when Buffy first moved in." He said after a long pause. "Didn't expect anything like this..." His voice trailed off, remembering the battle he faced in the school his last day in Sunnydale.
"Xander," Andrew choked, tapping on the other boy's shoulder. Xander blinked, and shook his head. He must have blanked out for a moment, because Andrew seemed a little more amazed than usual. "Its all over, you know." He began. "I know there's still the memories. I was there too you know." He sounded different now that he made sense, more grown up. "Besides, that was three years ago." He laughed nervously, turning away from his semi friend.
Xander nodded after Andrew had retreated back to his overstuffed arm chair. Looking at the picture, he wished everything was like it was then. At least in high school, when Giles was still around, and everything was a little less confusing. For some reason, it seemed dealing with demons and evil was easier than dealing with the past.
Suddenly, the apartment shook violently, sending the box off the table, falling to the floor. When he bent down to pick it up, he found himself in the Library of the original Sunnydale High.
TBC