Title: Inappropriate Favour
Author: Forsaken2003
Pairing: S/X
Rating: R
Disclaimer: I own none, all belong to Joss Whedon
Comments: Always welcomed!
Summary: Buffy asks one of the biggest favour you could ask anyone especially from one of your best friends.
Warnings/Spoilers: Post NFA
Beta'd by: My sister

Buffy asked Xander to meet her at a local coffee shop that they went to regularly. Buffy was addicted to their mocha frappuccino iced coffee. Xander found it weird that she didn't invite Willow. Coffee dates always consisted of all of them unless one of them were out of town which Willow was not.

Xander beat Buffy to the cafe and ordered himself a coffee with three sugars and took a table by the window. It was a rainy day and he loved to watch the rain hit the pavement. He was startled when Buffy sat across from him her iced coffee in one hand and an umbrella in the other.

"Hey, Xan. Thanks for meeting up." Buffy set her umbrella against the wall before taking a sip of her drink.

"You know I'm always up for a visit with the Buffster."

Buffy had a serious look on her face. "This isn't a normal visit, Xan. I have a really big favour to ask."

"What's up? Is everything okay?" Xander became worried. Buffy never asked for favours unless it was serious.

"I've been having a hard time lately. First with the Immortal dumping me and then with Dawn going back to the States to go to college. It's been a lot of change and we both know I don't deal well with change," Buffy explained as she fiddled with her straw.

Xander still wasn't over the initial shock of Buffy actually dating the Immortal after Andrew deceived Angel and Spike with that lie. "I still can't believe he dumped you. You were way too go for that jerk. Especially after the stories Spike told me about him." He felt bad for Buffy. She'd never been away from Dawn except when she had been dead. She had tried to convince Dawn to go to school at University Of Edinburgh but Dawn missed the States and was accepted into Columbia in New York. She worked hard to get in and she wouldn't let anything stop her including Buffy.

"It's still weird not having Dawn around. But she'll be back for Christmas," Xander replied as he squeezed Buffy's hand. Xander had only told Spike that he was glad Dawn left. Not because he wanted her gone but because she deserved to have her own life away from her big sister. He knew how hard it had been on Dawn when she found out that she wasn't a slayer. That she was just an ordinary human now that she wasn't the key to destroy the world. Xander had talk to Spike about this and he agreed that he wanted Dawn to shine bright instead of being stuck in the shadow of Buffy.

"I know... it just feels like I'm spiralling and that scares me." Buffy looked miserable.

"What can I do to help? You know I'd do anything for you."

Buffy grabbed Xander's hand and squeezed to the point of causing pain. "I need you to let me sleep with Spike."

Xander almost missed what Buffy said because he was trying to pull away from her hold. "What? What did you say?"

"I want you to give me permission to sleep with Spike," Buffy repeated her eyes closed not able to look at Xander.

"No."

Buffy's eyes flew open, They were full of shock. "What?"

"You actually thought I would say yes to you sleeping with my boyfriend? I can't believe you even have the nerve to ask that." Xander was in shock about her request especially when she knew how hard it had been for him to even get into a relationship with Spike.

It had taken Xander months to agree to go out with Spike when he first showed up in Scotland. Xander didn't believe that it hadn't been some sort of ploy to make Buffy jealous or that he was gonna be some rebound. It wasn't until one night when Spike cornered Xander and asked him what he could do to prove once and for all that he was one hundred percent head over heels for Xander. So Xander thought that if he told Spike to shave his head that it would be the end of it. The next night Spike walked into the living room, his head no longer covered in blonde locks replaced with a buzz cut. An hour later they were at a nearby pub for their first date.

"Xander, please. It was Spike that helped me when I came back from heaven," Buffy explained sounding like she believed that was the truth.
"Are you serious? What you and Spike had was messed up and toxic. You used him knowing how he felt about you and he wanted you so badly that he was trying to pull you into the darkness. It wasn't until Willow almost destroyed the world that you realized that you wanted to actually start living again." Xander couldn't even try to hide his anger. "Just because things are changing in your life that you don't like doesn't mean you can sleep with my boyfriend!" He said that louder than he intended gaining the attention of everyone in the cafe.

Buffy's face flushed with embarrassment but her eyes showed determination. "I asked you as a friend, Xander, but you don't own Spike. I can ask him and if he says yes that is his decision."

Xander couldn't believe what he was hearing. "Buffy, you would really ruin one of your best friends relationship because you want to get off? Buy a vibrator." There was some laughter and a few claps from the other patrons.

Buffy slammed her hands on the table as she stood up. "I am going to ask Spike whether you like it or not!" She grabbed her umbrella and stormed out.

Frozen in place Xander didn't know what to do. Did that really just happen?

"Dude!" a teenage boy at the next to him said louder than need be. "She's gonna try to steal your guy. Get off your ass and stop her!"

It was like a light switch flipped on and Xander was up and out of his seat and out the door in record time. He jumped into his car and sped off home. He had no idea how long he had stupidly sat there and giving Buffy a head start.

Xander got to their apartment building, not bothering to wait for the elevator he ran up the stairs taking two at a time. He tripped a couple times but kept going. When he got to their apartment he almost broke the door when he flung it open. "Spike! Buf-"

Spike eyes widened at Xander's sudden appearance. He was on the couch while Buffy sat on their coffee table in front of Spike. The coffee table Xander hand carved himself as an anniversary present for Spike. "Get away from him!" Xander didn't think he'd ever been so angry before.

"Xan, what's going on?" Spike went to stand but was stopped by Buffy's hand on his leg.

"Spike," Buffy said in a soft voice, her hand moving up to his thigh. "I want to have sex with you again. I need to stop feeling like I've been abandoned by the people I care about."

Now Xander was pissed and insulted. "I'm sorry, when did Willow, Giles and I abandon you? I'm pretty sure we've been here helping you deal with your break up and Dawn moving away."

"That's not the kind of help I need, Xan. I need Spike's help."

"Don't call me Xan. Only people who aren't trying to sleep with my boyfriend gets to call me Xan. You're lucky if I let you still call me Xander!"

Spike stood up causing Buffy hand to fall. "What the bloody hell is going on?"

"Buffy is self destructing and she's decided that she wants to betray our friendship so she can sleep with you!" Xander felt like his whole body was vibrating. And not in a Spike bought a new toy kind of way.

"Xander, stop taking this personal!" Buffy replied annoyed. "This isn't about you."

Xander scoffed. "Of course it's not about me. It's not about Spike either. It's about you. It's always about you."

For someone who always had something to say Spike for once was speechless. He just looked from Xander to Buffy back to Xander.

"Spike, remember all the good times we had together. That abandoned house that we destroyed?" Buffy stood and ran her hand over Spike's chest. "I bet we could find another abandoned house and do that again. I can give you the sex your demon craves."

Xander insecurities were reappearing. This was why he had turned Spike down constantly. Because at any moment he could not be as good as Buffy. Spike had to always be careful while they had sex so not to hurt Xander while with Buffy he didn't have to be safe and gentle. The demon could be released.

Spike bent over laughing, "you guys almost had me believing this way real. Is this why you went for coffee? For this absurd prank? Like I would believe Buffy would really risk her friendship with you just for a shag with me."

Buffy's face turned completely red with shame. Why was it when Spike said it that it sounded horrible? "I'm gonna go."

"The hell you are!" Xander said stepping in front of door stopping her from leaving.

Wiping a stray tear away Spike noticed that neither of them were laughing with him. He looked at Xander and he looked like he was about to vibrate right out of his skin. "This was a joke... right?"

"The only joke is Buffy throwing away our friendship. Not really a funny joke, is it?"

"Xan, I-" Buffy was about to apologize but was stopped by Spike's snarl. Her eyes widened when she saw that Spike's face had shifted into his demon. "Spike?"

Spike was trying not to go feral. Trying so hard not to attack Buffy in their home. "You came here to ask me to fuck you? In Xander's and my own home? What the bloody hell is wrong with you?" Buffy opened her mouth but Spike didn't let her get a word out. "I had to fight tooth and nail to get Xander to even go on a date with me. I shaved off my sodding hair for him and you thought just because we used to have sex that degraded both of us years ago that I was going to throw away the one good thing in my unlife? What is the matter with you?"

"I-I don't know. I'm sorry. I don't know what I was thinking," Buffy meekly replied. "I just haven't been doing well lately."

"The council has provided us a counsellor we can go talk to. Maybe you should make an appointment with him," Xander advised. His arms were crossed over his chest.

There were tears in Buffy's eyes. "Xan, I'm sorry. I don't know what's wrong with me."

"I don't care, Buffy. I really don't. You crossed a line no real friend would cross. If Spike's okay with it I think I want to be transferred to work with the slayers in Cleveland."

"Xander, no! You can't leave!" Buffy wailed.

Spike walked around Buffy and stood beside Xander. "Yeah, I think that's a good idea."

"We can tell Giles we are looking for something new but if you try to stop us from leaving I will tell Willow, Giles and even Dawn why we made this decision." Xander knew bringing Dawn up was a low blow but Buffy needed to realize how serious they were.

She wiped her nose with the back of her hand. The others could never find out how bad she messed up. "Can you forgive me, Xan?"

"Honestly? I don't know. But I need to be away from you because if I stay I never will. Besides it's not just about me. You betrayed Spike as well."

Buffy simply nodded. After an awkward minute she slinked passed them and out the door without another word.

Xander stood there until he knew Buffy was gone and then his legs gave out. Luckily Spike was there to keep him upright. "You okay?" Spike asked.

"No," Xander's voice broke.

Spike pulled Xander into his arms. "I'm sorry."

"Thank you."

"For what?" Spike was confused. He really didn't do anything.

Xander pulled away to look Spike in the eyes. "For choosing me over her."

"You make it seem like it was actually a hard choice to make. There was never a decision to make." Spike poked Xander in the forehead not too gently. He hugged Xander again. "So, Cleveland?"

"Cleveland," Xander confirmed. "I'll phone Faith to let her and Robin know we'll be there in the next week."

Spike groaned. He had forgotten about Robin. "I really did think she'd have better taste than that."

"I think they're good for each other. Faith needs someone who can take it as much as she can dish it and Robin really likes to take it and dish, especially from her." Xander kissed Spike. "Besides it's not like we're gonna live with them. And I won't make you go on double dates with them."

The thought of double dating with Robin Wood made Spike almost lose the blood he had for lunch. "Let's call the watcher and tell him we need to talk."

Xander wasn't looking forward to this talk. He had to also prepare for Willow finding out they were leaving. Besides her going to England with Giles years ago and Xander going on his not so road trip they'd never not lived in the same place before. But he wasn't changing his mind. Moving to Cleveland was the best thing for them.

The End