Title: Tangled
Author: Wicked R
Disclaimers: Whedonverse. Lyrics by Crowded House.
Please email for comments and criticism. Cynicism is allowed too.
Genre: Angst, h/c, classical sickfic (in more ways than one), slash.
Rating: R
Summary/Set/Pairing: With Fred gone and the rest of the team still mourning, Angel has nobody to turn to when getting into trouble. Except…mild A/S slash. Buffy suddenly arrives to catch them in bed!
Approximate reading time: half on hour.
Note: English is still not my first language, but I'm getting there…
"Why do I need to come with you?" Spike asked from the passenger seat of the less eye-catching dark blue Honda Stream, also property of W&H that Angel was driving, "do you enjoy me being annoying again?"
"It is our responsibility to prevent the misuse of artfacts," Angel said firmly and with a certain imperative.
"It's maybe your destiny to spend endless times on the bottom of the ocean looking for some dubious knick-knack," Spike snorted, "but it's certainly not mine."
Angel cringed at the memories of the summer he spend deep down, but he certainly wouldn't let Spike know anything about that, "because you need to earn your rent, that's why. Not to mention the amounts of swine blood you pig out on."
"What? Being Illyiria's pummel sack is not big enough of an undead cost for you?"
"Besides," Angel ignored him," we aren't looking for just any knick-knack. It is actually called the Summit Jewel and if in the wrong hands, they could order all creatures from Hell into one place with it."
"Why don't we leave it in the ocean then?"
"You know just as well as I do," Angel glared at his childe, letting his instincts drive him on the windy road, "that it would be better if we destroyed it. The sooner the better."
"You can do that alone. The pixie gave you an approximate location. You undress, you swim in, you go underwater, you search for soddin ever and there you are, a summit peach sparkler in your hands!"
"I need someone to perform a locator spell."
"Why isn't Wesley performing the locator spell? He needs to get out. You know, away from Highness Blue."
"Wesley can't do a locator spell while underwater, Spike," he narrowed his eyes, "at least not for long. That's why it has to be us, not to need to come up for air, equipment, whatever…"
Spike stayed quiet for a few moments, "just you and me. Away from everybody, all distractions, together alone, above and beneath," his voice turned into a singing pitch while glancing at Angel to have a look at the annoyance degree he was causing, "together alone, shallow and deep, Earth and sky, Moon and sea, Anei ra maua, E piri tahi nei, E noha…"
Spike didn't have a bad singing voice, but him singing meant a constant listening to him and he knew it too. Angel stepped on the accelerator. First, because that would help with getting to their destination quicker, and second, because then he would have to concentrate more on the road. So he did his very best to take no notice of the loud baritone next to him. This time, he tried to keep it in mind that Spike's fun was all the more enjoyable if he gave in and let himself annoyed. Nevertheless, he was slowly, but definitely getting a headache. And not just because of Spike. He hoped his childe didn't notice that he was tired. As a vampire he could endure a few nights of shorted sleep without physical effects, but nothing stopped him from getting irritable. He had to watch it with him or he was going to realize that he acted tired when he was not acting tired, if that made any sense. To show weakness to the enemy is to show them an opening. Somehow he could never get used to the fact that Spike wasn't supposed to be his enemy anymore.
Right enough, Spike didn't leave it laying, "c'me on, lighten up. For sure you haven't changed that much. You used to like to have fun. Call it a challenge, if it doesn't go any other way," the younger vampire grinned.
"Sorry, I don't play games with you," Angel parked the car on the beginning of a quay, only feet away from the water and hurriedly got out before Spike could retort.
"Anymore. Ever? Ever?" Spike was right in front of him when he reached to trunk to get their watertight clothing out.
When Angel finally let out a short growl, Spike took it as success in getting his Sire pissed off. Again.