Hands
by velja
Pairing: Spike/Fred friendship (nothing more)
Setting: Season Five; Episode "Destiny"
Disclaimer: They belong to Joss & Co. and I'm just playing with them (as always)
Summary: After suddenly being corporeal again Spike doesn't go off to have a nooner with Harmony but goes to the lab to find Fred.
Author's note: I just watched "Destiny" for the fourth or fifth time and suddenly I noticed that something was missing. Because of the Harmony-thing and the phone-disturbance Spike and Fred don't get to have a mutual scene in which they rejoice over Spike's newfound condition. And I just wanted them to share a happy moment because in former episodes (when Fred was trying to recorporealize Spike) they were getting along so well and they started to be friends. So I let my mind come up with a short fluffy scene between them. Enjoy it.
The first part's dialogue is taken from "Destiny" but then it travels down a different road (the way I would have taken it).
Dedication: Do I have to say it? Again, as always, this is for my sister Chris with big thanks (especially for giving the Angel DVD's to me).
Spike's face slammed forcefully into the wooden door of Angel's office and the impact drove him down onto his ass. He lay there, stunned, and covered his aching nose with a hand. What the hell…?
"Ouch, that hurt!"
Suddenly the door was ripped open and Angel came out looking for the cause of disturbance. His subconscious registered the phones all over the lobby ringing persistently but his eyes were focused on Spike sprawled at his feet.
"What…"
Spike jumped up and started patting his body all over.
"Hey, I can feel!" he wondered and extended a hand to start touching Angel's broad chest over and over.
"Stop touching me!" Angel ordered but Spike didn't listen. He was too busy tasting the nose blood that had started running down to his lips.
"Mmmm…"
The blond vampire suddenly grabbed the mug of blood Angel was holding and gulped it down his throat.
"Mmmm, mmmm. Oh God! It's bloody ambrosia!" he exclaimed and glanced at his grand-sire with joyful eyes. "Is this otter?"
Before Angel could open his mouth to ask what the hell had happened, Gunn approached the two vampires. With a nod towards the phone-induced noise all over the lobby he asked:
"Hey, what's going…?"
Before he could finish he was suddenly pulled into an enthusiastic hug from Spike.
"I'm back, Charlie-boy! That's what's going!"
"He's corporeal!" Gunn said stunned. "When did this… I mean, how?"
"I don't know!" Angel growled, "He just…"
"I got it!" Spike let out, "Must have been that box of flashy I got in the mail!"
"You got? From who?" Angel wanted to know.
"Don't know, don't care!" Spike answered unimpressed. "But if you find out give him a bloody kiss on the mouth for me."
Angel sighed deeply. This was not good. Spike annoying him constantly as a ghost had been bad enough but now… just two minutes with the newly corporeal Spike and he was getting a headache. And the damn phones not shutting up were not helping at all.
"Harmony!" he shouted for his assistant. When the vampire girl arrived Angel asked:
"What's going on with the phones?"
"Nobody knows," she admitted, "it's like all over the office! And all there is is…" she demonstrated a high-pitched scream, "on the other end. Plus, now my computer's freaking!"
Spike's eyes had lightened up at the sight of his ex-girlfriend.
"Harm!" he said coyly and rushed up to give her a big kiss on the lips. God, this was bloody great!
"Get off!" Harmony screamed and pushed Spike away.
"That's the idea," he muttered and grabbed for the girl's arm. "Need to borrow your gal Friday for a bit," he threw Angel and Gunn a knowing glance and started dragging Harmony off.
"Permission denied," Angel growled.
"Wasn't asking!" Spike answered cocky and kept struggling with Harmony. But the vampire broke free of his grip and shouted:
"Oh my god, oh my god! What? You think just because you're all… solid now… that I'm gonna…"
"That's a very pretty skirt you're wearing," Spike flirted and tried to put on a coy but convincing smile. He could see Harmony's resolve starting to crumble but the next thing Angel said brought Spike forcefully back to reason.
"Yeah, right!" the elder vampire mocked, "go and jump the first body you can find. Shows just how much your 'love' for Buffy is worth!"
"What?" Spike turned instantly towards Angel and let go of Harmony in the process. "What was that?"
"Oh, nothing Spike, go ahead!" Angel answered. "I'm sure Buffy won't mind that the first thing you did with your corporeal self was fucking my secretary instead of go running to your so-called 'love of your un-life'!"
"Hey!" Harmony protested at being titled only a secretary.
Spike hesitated and thought about it. Bloody hell, the sodding poof was right! Winning Buffy back after all that had happened wouldn't be a walk in the park. And shagging the first female that had crossed his path would surely not help with it.
"You're right! Good point," Spike admitted good-naturedly and stepped back from Harmony to walk up to his grand-sire. "Never thought of you as the type to come up with helpful instructions to win my girl back… come to think of it, never thought of you being helpful at all…" Spike smirked and continued, "but that's actually some pretty good advice! Thanks, you poofter!" He turned around and shouted over his shoulder while walking along the corridor:
"Think I'm gonna go to see a girl," and to himself he added, "and maybe find a spare room to have a good wank before."
Angel watched Spike saunter away and sighed:
"Did I really just prevent Spike from doing something stupid? Something that would have ruined his things with Buffy?"
"Guess so," Gunn answered reluctantly, "but, hey… you can blame it on the damn noise. Everyone's going crazy around here I guess."
"Yeah," Angel sighed again and turned to his assistant. "Harmony, I want you to find out what's going on and… right now would be good!"
Spike hopped out of the elevator and bounced along the corridor. Un-life was bloody great! He'd just bullied a poor lawyer out of his office (and not without slapping him around for the fun of being able to do it) and then he'd done a bloody great hand-job on his cock to relieve the tension in his tight jeans. And it had felt… well, Spike had always known his cock to be of pretty good material but that wank… after all that time… god, he'd never come that hard, or that quick. It had felt bloody marvelous!
Now Spike was swaggering aimlessly up and down the hallways; his hands always touching along the walls to relish in his newfound ability to actually feel the fabric slide along his fingers.
He hadn't noticed the direction his bouncing feet had taken him to and therefore he stopped in surprise when he suddenly ended up in front of the lab. Through the glass door he saw several employers scurrying around in panic and suddenly a happy thought pierced his mind.
"Now there's someone I'd like to sweep off her feet," he grinned and watched Fred hurrying up the stairs to her small office.
Spike entered the lab and made his way to the feet of the stairs, careful not to make too much noise. It would spoil the whole fun if she would hear him coming now, wouldn't it?
But he needn't have to worry about being noticed because the whole lab seemed to be in a hell of confusion. The workers were running around, trying to get the chaos under control. But phones kept on ringing, computers were busy beeping madly… the place was a mess.
Spike looked up to see Fred standing in front of her desk. She was crouched over a stack of papers studying them intensely; her back turned towards the door and therefore to Spike as well.
Good, she hadn't seen him yet.
Spike grabbed the handrail and rushed up the stairs taking three steps at once. Then he flew towards the scientist and grabbed her from behind around her slim waist. He lifted her into the air easily and spun her around several times.
"Arrgh!" Fred cried in shock and looked down at two strong and pale hands holding her tightly. Hands that stuck out of a black leather duster. She knew but one person (or vampire) clad in black leather. No, that's wrong; Angel wore black, too. But these slender hands, they could only belong to…
"Spike!" the astonished woman screamed and tried to turn her head. But Spike held onto her slender form too firmly for her to move. All she could do was feel his strong and surprisingly corporeal arms around her waist and his face buried deeply in her hair.
"God, Fred! You feel bloody fantastic!" Spike murmured and finally stopped twirling the girl around to inhale the scent of Fred's skin, her excitement and surprise, even her shampoo-smelling hair. And her warmth, god; her warmth!
"Mmm!" he relished, "God, pet. You've no idea how badly I've wanted to do this!"
"Spike, let me down!" Fred pleaded, "Please! I can't breathe!"
Immediately Spike's arms loosened their grip and he let the girl slide down to stand on wobbling legs. But he wouldn't withdraw his arms completely. So when Fred turned around she found herself still in Spike's embrace and instinctively put her arms up to his shoulders to hold onto him, too. He had good shoulders to cling to, she noticed.
"Oh my god!" Fred exclaimed breathlessly and looked into his face. They were both of the same height, so Fred was able to gaze directly into his bright blue eyes. Brightened with joy, she could tell.
"Oh my god, Spike!" she repeated and a big smile crept onto her face, "You're corporeal! What happened?"
"Don't know, pet!" Spike said smiling as brightly as the woman in front of him. "Got some flashy in the mail and the next thing I know I bump into the poof's wooden door!"
"Wow, this is… wow!" Fred breathed and pulled Spike into another close embrace. Then she stepped back a little and looked the vampire over once again.
Not that he looked that different at all, no. But feeling his strong arms around her, breathing in his scent of leather and something that was definitely Spike… Fred felt like she saw him for the very first time.
The scientist's hands had unconsciously traveled up Spike's arms towards his neck and she'd started to pull her fingers through the bleached hair at the back of his head. She ruffled through it some more and smiled:
"It's all soft and fluffy!"
"Oi," Spike replied and tried to pull away from her touch, "it's not bloody fluffy!"
"Yes it is!" Fred insisted, "Just like I thought it would be."
Spike smirked: "Thought about me, have you, pet? Dreamed about me?"
"Oh yeah, Spike." Fred answered with a sarcastic glint in her eyes. "I lie awake every night dreaming about ruffling your fluffy hair!"
"It's not fluffy!" Spike shouted and stepped back to straighten his tousled hair.
"Yes, it is! Spike has fluffy hair!" She started to sing-song over and over: "Spike has fluffy ha-air, Spike has…"
A hesitant cough disturbed Fred's mocking dance. "A-hem… excuse me, Miss Burkle." A skinny scientist stood in the door watching the scene with a frown.
"Sorry to interrupt this…" he threw a glance at Spike, "…whatever. We have a problem with the computers again. Could you perhaps have a look at it?" He gave Spike another look over and added: "That is if you're not too busy hugging this…"
"Hey!" Spike growled and shot an annoyed look at the employer. Then he turned back to Fred and asked:
"Can I knock some respect into this git?"
"Spike, no!" Fred shook her head but kept on smiling nevertheless. Then she let out a sigh. "I guess I should go back to work."
"Oh," Spike's smile faded quickly, "okay. Important work for the scientist and all that. I get it. Go ahead, pet."
The skinny employer turned in the door to walk down the steps and Fred started to follow him. On the edge of the stairs she turned back to Spike. He stood there looking pretty much defeated with his shoulders slumped and his eyes downcast to watch his boots intensely.
"Spike," Fred tried to get his attention.
The vampire looked up and forced a smile onto his pale face. "No, it's okay, pet. You've got work to do. So have I." He shrugged helplessly and added: "I think I'm gonna head back upstairs to annoy the poof. You know, use my new corporeal self to rummage through his office or something…" his voice trailed off insecurely.
"Spike, I…" Fred tried again, "I'm really happy for you."
"Thanks, luv." the vampire smiled and followed her out of the office down the steps. He walked over to the glass door but when he reached out to open it Fred's voice stopped him.
"Spike, do you know how to type?"
"Huh?" he asked bewildered and turned to face the scientist again.
Fred send him a shy smile and said:
"I could use a hand over here, you know?"
"Oh," Spike glanced down at his hands and flexed his fingers. Then he smiled sheepishly and answered: "I figure these could use a little exercise after all that time of not-being-able-to-touch anything. Could lend you those, I guess."
"That would be nice." Fred smiled and waited for Spike to walk over to her."Thanks, Spike."
"You're welcome," the vampire mumbled and sat down in front of the still beeping computer. "So, now... care to tell me what to do with these hands of mine, pet?"
THE END
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