Supple
By Shakespeare's Girl
A/N: For the Challenge. Gratuitous use of leather as a sexual metaphor. Yum. Best Friends verse, although not in any sort of continuous way.
He fingered the coat on the rack, feeling the way it moved under his fingers, the way the leather felt warm and alive. Liam liked it, liked the way it felt, the way it smelled. He liked the way it reminded him of Spike.
Spike wore a similar coat, one he'd found in his attic a few years after he moved in. Spike's was longer, what most people thought of when they heard the word "duster." This one was shorter than Spike's, newer, even though this was a second-hand shop. It was broken in just enough that it looked comfortable. Liam kept getting drawn back to it, even though he wasn't here to find a coat. Shoes were the order of the day. He forced himself to concentrate and found a cheap pair of black work boots. If he bought these, he'd still have just enough to get that coat if he wanted.
He drifted back to it, boots in hand. It was a gorgeous coat, just the right leather-black, and a style that he'd bought numerous times before, a flattering cut for his body. But this coat was different. This one was . . . alive, almost. It had personality. A little "look at me" a little "back off."
"You can try it on if you want," a store clerk offered.
"Yeah, thanks," Liam nodded, setting down the boots and taking the coat off the hanger. He slipped it on, and it felt like he'd found a long-lost friend, or come home to his lover. The leather hugged and flowed and shaped to his body. He moved around to find something wrong with it.
There was nothing wrong. The coat moved with him, lithe and supple, stretching just enough to be comfortable while holding it's shape.
Supple and yielding and firm. Pleasant to the touch. Soft and silky-buttery smooth. All of which reminded him of Spike.
"It looks good on you," the clerk commented, smiling. "You should definitely get it."
"Yeah, you're right," Liam agreed.
Liam wore the coat home, it's fit like having someone's arms around him--Spike's arms.
"Nice coat," Spike said when he saw it the next day.
"Yes," Liam agreed. "It really is."