Title: From Out of the Darkness 8/9
Author: Forsaken2003
Pairing: S/X
Rating: R
Disclaimer: I own none, all belong to Joss Whedon
Comments: Always welcomed!
Summary: Spike finds Xander living in New Orleans. What could have happened to caused him to up and leave his friends?
Warnings/Spoilers: Post Season 2 Becoming Part 2
Beta'd by: My sister
Part Eight
It had been a couple months since Spike moved into Xander's small apartment. Saying it was a tough adjustment for Xander was putting it mildly. Sharing a bed with someone else was weird. He had always been a sprawler. There has been more than a couple occasions where Spike had been kicked and/or slapped in the face with a hand. He never complained, not even once even though Xander would have if he was the one being abused while trying to sleep.
A few weeks after Spike moved in they had sex for the first time. Spike respected Xander and let him be the one to initiate anything sexual. Spike had been so proud of his own restraint because he hadn't had sex since Drusilla dropped him like a bag of potatoes. So when the night finally came Spike would deny that he didn't last nearly as long as he would have liked but he made sure to make that up to Xander multiple times that night.
It was Sunday so Xander's day off. Both him and Spike were still in bed. Spike had been awake for hours but Xander was curled up by his side and Spike didn't want to wake him. So he grabbed his book of poetry and read.
Spike was just about done his book when there was a low moan from under the blankets. Xander buried his head an hour ago. That moan always meant that Xander was awake. His head popped out from under the blanket, his hair an utter and adorable mess. Xander blinked multiple times before his eyes finally focused. "Morning," he murmured as he rub a hand over Spike's chest. "You been up long?"
"Long enough to finish my book." Spike set it down and grabbed Xander's hand and placed a kiss on the palm. "You ready to get up."
"Ugh," Xander whined. "Coffee?" The smell of coffee was really the only thing in the world that could lure Xander out of bed.
With a pat on Xander's arm Spike replied, "if you get out of bed I'll put a pot on for you." He refused to drink coffee. Tea was clearly superior.
"Okay." Xander pressed a kiss on the side of Spike's mouths before throwing the blanket off of his body and all but falling on the floor to get up before stumbling to the bathroom.
Spike got out of bed and walked out of the bedroom stark naked to the kitchen. A few short minutes later the coffee was being brewed and Xander was coming in. His eyebrows both went up as he saw Spike taking a mug out of the cupboard completely naked. "Is this your way of telling me I need to do laundry?" Not saying anything Spike poured Xander a cup of coffee and handed it to him. "Okay, okay. I'll go down to the basement and do a load."
"Thanks, pet!" Spike made himself comfortable on the other chair. Doing chores was still something Spike was getting used to. In the past he had minions that did all that but Spike didn't have those anymore because Xander put his foot down on that and thought it was dumb to pay someone to come in a clean for them when the apartment wasn't that big and not hard to keep clean.
"I guess there are worse ways for you to let me know." Xander took a sip of his coffee while enjoying the view.
Spike smirked. "What can I say? I'm a great communicator."
"I love the way you communicate with me," Xander replied with a grin of his own.
"I love you." The words fell out of Spike's mouth before he had a chance to stop them. He heard Xander say the word 'love' and his mouth got a mind of its own.
The declaration almost made Xander drop his coffee. "Did... did you just say what I think you said?"
Spike was saying every curse word he knew in his head. He didn't want to be the first one to say those words! He didn't want to be in this vulnerable position. Unable to open his mouth Spike just sat there in silence.
Sliding his hand across the table Xander grabbed a hold of Spike's. "I love you too."
"You don't have to say that."
"But I do. I wanted to say that a thousand times but I was scared."
Confused Spike asked, "why were you scared?"
His grip on Spike's hand tightened. "Because this still feels too good to be true. To be this happy."
"I make you happy?" Spike asked shyly. He felt like William.
"Of course you do! Before you showed up I was a shell of myself, just living to survive. But now I'm living because of you. Because there is more to life than just working. I want to do more with my life and the reason for that is you."
Spike didn't understand what Xander meant. "What are you thinking?"
"I want to get my GED. I don't know what I'll do after that but I think it's a step in the right direction."
It took Spike a minute to realize what Xander was talking about but caught on. "I think that's a great idea, Xan."
Spike saying it was a good idea made Xander decide that that's exactly what he was going to do. "Will you help me study? I'll probably bomb hard."
"I'll do whatever you need me to do," Spike promised. While he wanted to tell Xander that he never had to worry about money again he also didn't want to discourage Xander.
"Thanks, Spike. I'm gonna talk to Cole about taking a couple extra days off for the next few weeks so I can have more time to study."
Spike didn't think he ever felt so proud of someone before.
*
Studying for the GED had been hard and frustrating for Xander but Spike was so damn patient it was insane. When they were at the club every time Xander came to Spike's table he would be quizzed on one question or another. There were times where Xander wanted to smack Spike but when he finally took the GED and passed on the first try it had been worth it.
Being so proud of Xander, Spike took him out to a celebratory dinner. A steak dinner which Xander was so excited about because he had never had a steak at a restaurant before. Xander felt under dressed but Spike assured him that he looked delicious.
After placing their orders, Xander with a medium rare New York Strip and a double baked potato and Spike ordered a rib eye blue rare and fries.
"I can't believe I'm at a fancy restaurant!" Xander was so excited.
"It's not that fancy, Xan," Spike replied amused. "We could always go to that French restaurant a few blocks away if you want fancy." He made it look like he was about to get up and leave.
"No, no, no!" Xander stopped him. "Steak is perfect!"
Spike settled back down. "Next time."
"Sure," Xander agreed. He grabbed Spike's hand and look around in wonder. There was a guy who you could watch grill the steak. "That is so cool!"
These were some of Spike's favourite moments. Seeing Xander like this made his heart swell. This was how Xander should be all the time. This carefree.
"Well, well, well. Lex is out with his sugary daddy." Paul came out of nowhere looking unhappy to see Xander and Spike.
"Ugh." Xander's head fell back. "I thought trash was supposed to be taken out of the restaurant not brought in." When Paul had found out Xander was taking the GED he made constant snide comments about it. Assuming that Xander dropped out of school because he was an idiot when there were a ton of reasons someone would drop out of school.
Paul glowered at Xander. "Says the guy using someone for expensive dinners."
"We're celebrating Xander for passing his GED." Spike grabbed Xander's hand and gave it a squeeze. "I just wanted to let him know how proud I am of him."
"If he wasn't such an idiot he would have stayed in school and finished it like everyone else. It's like celebrating a kid 'graduating' out of pre-school. Spike, you really could do better."
Spike growled as Paul not only insulted Xander's achievement and also thinking he had the right to address him like that. "Call Xan an idiot again and I will take your head and cook it on that grill. Just accept that Xander is better than you in every way. If you keep harassing him you'll end up regretting it."
Paul just rolled his eyes thinking Spike was just trying to look scary. "Whatever. You'll get tired of him sooner or later." He then stormed away to a table for one.
"He couldn't even get a friend to come to dinner for him," Xander commented.
"Ignore that git. Tonight is about you." Spike placed a kiss on Xander's hand.
Xander blushed. Spike could be so soft and it always turned him to mush. "You are amazing."
"I know," Spike said cockily.
"You are also humble," Xander responded sarcastically.
The food arrived and Spike popped a fry into his mouth with a grin.