Haunted
Megan@Midnight
Sequel to Two by Two, Eyes of Blue
Agent Sheldon Sands has the ghost of a souled vampire who died to save the world haunting his apartment at night. The blond former person won't leave. Well he does leave during the day, saying "Have to go bug Peaches, love. Be back later." Sands throws a shoe through him the first time. The second time he shoots Spike through the back. Spike ignores both, fading through the door like nothing happened. Sands thinks he hears snickering through the door. Spike's caught the sunrise with him a couple of times. Sands never misses one. "Dunno what you're doing up so early, pet." The former vampire complains the first time.
Sands glances over at him. Spike is watching the sunrise with just a hint of amazement in his expression. At least until he catches Sands watching him. "You were up first, 'Pet'." Sands isn't very fond of Spike's choice of soubriquet for him.
"Dead here," Spike says. "No wait, was already dead. Ghost here. Don't have to sleep." The former Big Bad looks almost disappointed at this. He was bit surprised the first time he spent the night in Sands' apartment to find the CIA agent slept with the lights on. All the lights. Every light in the place was turned on before the sun set. "It's bloody bright, mate," he commented then.
Sands gave him a half smile, no teeth. "I find I'm not very happy waking in the dark these days." He didn't explain further. Spike let it ride. He's picked up bits of the story from listening to Sands while he's sleeping. Bits and pieces, a woman's name, betrayal, and the fact that whenever Sands wakes up screaming he claps his hands over his face first thing. And curses Mexico for the country's worth.
When the dead vampire leaves Sands' apartment he thinks about the look on Sands' face in the mornings. When Sands opens his eyes, even when he's slept without nightmares and screaming dreams, when his blue eyes catch on the bookshelf or the window or just the ceiling he looks surprised for just a moment, then he smiles in genuine pleasure. It's the same smile he had after he killed those two vampires. It's the same smile he gets after he's killed anyone. Sands is a killer. Spike knows this just from looking at him and he can't help but think that Sands would have made a hell of a vampire.
Sheldon Sands has woken to find a vampire ghost watching so often he's not surprised any more. He's woken to the sight of a vampire ghost and that still surprises him. Fuck, waking to the sight of his bookcases still surprises him and he expects it always will.
Spike rarely comes back before dark, though Sands makes sure his place is never dark. Never again. After the first time Spike doesn't ask questions about it. Or the screaming nightmares full of dark and pain. Sands appreciates it. He's being haunted and not just by a sarcastic dead vampire with severely bleached hair. But the nightmares are coming a little less often, and while he still can't leave Los Angeles he will. He's sure of that. And being stared at by a pair of blue eyes is easier to take than say, having a pair of brown ones ripped out of his head. But when he looks in the mirror he's not sure whose eyes he means.