Modes of Silence
Sep. 5th, 2007 11:21 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
sevendeadlyfunPairing: Spike/Xander
Rating: NC-17 overall
Summary: Buffy's dead. Xander, Spike, and Dawn try to move on.
Previous Chapters
“Spike,” Xander said, aiming for calm and reasonable, “I know you’ve been dead awhile, but you don’t just leave an emotionally traumatized teenage girl sitting alone in her room.”
Spike didn’t bother to look up from the large glass bowl he held in his lap. Damn beggars had gotten all good stuff. He eyes the remaining choices in disgust. The Milk Duds™ got stuck in his teeth and the raisins were just pathetic.
He’d caught Red sneakin’ the dried fruit into his candy bowl and when he’d bitched, she gave him an oral hygiene lesson. Twenty sodding minutes on how sugar rots tooth enamel. No demon could withstand that kind of torture, so she got her way. Now he was stuck with the nasty buggers and not a Reese Cup™ in sight.
“Why not,” he finally sighed, setting the bowl aside.
Xander goggled at him, mouth open. Spike grimaced, sensing another Scooby lecture. He was one the receiving end of these daily spews almost as much as the Niblet.
“Because,” Xander sputtered. “Because she needs support. We have to talk to her about this, make sure she understands…”
“Oh bloody hell!” Spike growled. “Bit doesn’t need an encounter group session. That’s the trouble with you Scoobies. It’s all hand holding and hair braiding. No little talk’s gonna make her feel better.”
“It might,” Xander retorted. “It’s not healthy to keep that stuff in.”
“She’s grieving,” Spike said flatly. “She’s grieving for her mum and her sis and the life she might have had. Mr. Happy Hands is just the tipping point for that. She wasn’t aching for those fangs ‘cause she loved him. She wanted to not hurt anymore.”
“That’s my point,” Xander spat. “She’s got a death wish and we need to help her deal with it.”
“There’s nothing you can do,” Spike yelled, leaping to his feet. “This isn’t some fairytale, Xander. No magic wand to wave, no fire-breathing dragon to defeat. The only thing wrong here is life and you can’t make life better!”
Xander shrunk back, staring at Spike. The blonde’s face had shifted mid-shout, and his demon face contrasted bizarrely with the neat, homey living room. How the hell did this happen, Xander wondered. I’m arguing with a demon about raising a mystical teenager.
Spike was still now, eyes closed. The ridges and fangs had faded away, leaving a seriously pissed off man behind. Xander stepped forward, figuring that the sooner they finished this the better.
“I’m sorry,” he offered quietly. “I just…she’s so young and…I don’t want to…”
Spike took a deep breath, but didn’t open his eyes. His entire body quivered, and his hands were clenched by his sides. Xander reached out a hand, tentative and unsure. He stroked a finger down Spike’s cheek, willing the vampire to understand what he couldn’t bear to say.
“You can’t fix it for her,” Spike whispered. “No matter what we do, we can’t keep her safe.”
“I know,” Xander replied, moving closer. “Doesn’t mean I won’t try.”
Xander put his arm around Spike’s waist, tugging the vampire closer. The vibrating tension seemed to just ooze out of that lean frame, as Spike melted against him. Xander shivered, fear and excitement duking it out in his gut.
“Don’t,” Spike rasped. “Not up for another round of ‘push me pull me’, pet.”
“Not what I had in mind,” Xander replied, voice light.
He leaned forward, Spike’s lips pulling him in. Spike froze as Xander’s lips ghosted over his. It was barely a kiss, so soft and light that it was possible to believe he’d just imagined it.
Xander licked his lips. He couldn’t taste Spike and right now, that’s what he wanted. Maybe even needed, because he couldn’t remember ever feeling this dizzy and excited from just the touch of someone’s lips. He dove in again, tongue sliding out to tease the corners of Spike’s pale pink lips.
Spike groaned, parting his lips. Xander sent up a quiet shout as he plundered Spike’s mouth. If having a boneless, needy Spike in his arms was part of the gay benefit package, Xander figured he was ready for a big gaying up.
A sharp tapping sound echoed through the living room, startling them both. They pulled apart, panting. Spike stared at Xander, eyes hooded.
“Bugger off,” Spike yelled. “Halloween’s over, candy’s gone.”
“Spike,” Xander hissed, trying not to laugh. “No tormenting chocolate crazed kids. That’s too cruel even for you.”
Xander wiggled out of Spike’s arms, picking up the candy bowl on his way to the door. He’d drop a few treats into their bags and hussle them off. He had some serious kissing to do tonight.
“Happy Hallowe…” Xander trailed off, staring at the very un-kidlike person on the other side of the door.
“Hello, Xander,” Giles said softly. “Sorry to barge in like this, but we’ve got rather a bit of a situation.”
Xander stood to one side, but didn’t offer Giles an invitation. He might be in shock, but he hadn’t lost his mind. Giles swept in without a problem, so that let out the undead theory.
“Oi, Xander,” Spike called out. “Give’em their bloody candy and get back here. Got a few things I want to…”
Spike too went silent, eyes fixed on the Watcher. Giles didn’t exactly quail under Spike’s gaze, but he did keep a healthy distance between them. Xander watched them nervously, trying to calculate if he could reach the weapons before they did.
“Watcher,” Spike finally spoke. “Apocalypse?”
“Not quite,” Giles said, inclining his head towards the vampire. “We’ve found the new Slayer.”
Rating: NC-17 overall
Summary: Buffy's dead. Xander, Spike, and Dawn try to move on.
Previous Chapters
“Spike,” Xander said, aiming for calm and reasonable, “I know you’ve been dead awhile, but you don’t just leave an emotionally traumatized teenage girl sitting alone in her room.”
Spike didn’t bother to look up from the large glass bowl he held in his lap. Damn beggars had gotten all good stuff. He eyes the remaining choices in disgust. The Milk Duds™ got stuck in his teeth and the raisins were just pathetic.
He’d caught Red sneakin’ the dried fruit into his candy bowl and when he’d bitched, she gave him an oral hygiene lesson. Twenty sodding minutes on how sugar rots tooth enamel. No demon could withstand that kind of torture, so she got her way. Now he was stuck with the nasty buggers and not a Reese Cup™ in sight.
“Why not,” he finally sighed, setting the bowl aside.
Xander goggled at him, mouth open. Spike grimaced, sensing another Scooby lecture. He was one the receiving end of these daily spews almost as much as the Niblet.
“Because,” Xander sputtered. “Because she needs support. We have to talk to her about this, make sure she understands…”
“Oh bloody hell!” Spike growled. “Bit doesn’t need an encounter group session. That’s the trouble with you Scoobies. It’s all hand holding and hair braiding. No little talk’s gonna make her feel better.”
“It might,” Xander retorted. “It’s not healthy to keep that stuff in.”
“She’s grieving,” Spike said flatly. “She’s grieving for her mum and her sis and the life she might have had. Mr. Happy Hands is just the tipping point for that. She wasn’t aching for those fangs ‘cause she loved him. She wanted to not hurt anymore.”
“That’s my point,” Xander spat. “She’s got a death wish and we need to help her deal with it.”
“There’s nothing you can do,” Spike yelled, leaping to his feet. “This isn’t some fairytale, Xander. No magic wand to wave, no fire-breathing dragon to defeat. The only thing wrong here is life and you can’t make life better!”
Xander shrunk back, staring at Spike. The blonde’s face had shifted mid-shout, and his demon face contrasted bizarrely with the neat, homey living room. How the hell did this happen, Xander wondered. I’m arguing with a demon about raising a mystical teenager.
Spike was still now, eyes closed. The ridges and fangs had faded away, leaving a seriously pissed off man behind. Xander stepped forward, figuring that the sooner they finished this the better.
“I’m sorry,” he offered quietly. “I just…she’s so young and…I don’t want to…”
Spike took a deep breath, but didn’t open his eyes. His entire body quivered, and his hands were clenched by his sides. Xander reached out a hand, tentative and unsure. He stroked a finger down Spike’s cheek, willing the vampire to understand what he couldn’t bear to say.
“You can’t fix it for her,” Spike whispered. “No matter what we do, we can’t keep her safe.”
“I know,” Xander replied, moving closer. “Doesn’t mean I won’t try.”
Xander put his arm around Spike’s waist, tugging the vampire closer. The vibrating tension seemed to just ooze out of that lean frame, as Spike melted against him. Xander shivered, fear and excitement duking it out in his gut.
“Don’t,” Spike rasped. “Not up for another round of ‘push me pull me’, pet.”
“Not what I had in mind,” Xander replied, voice light.
He leaned forward, Spike’s lips pulling him in. Spike froze as Xander’s lips ghosted over his. It was barely a kiss, so soft and light that it was possible to believe he’d just imagined it.
Xander licked his lips. He couldn’t taste Spike and right now, that’s what he wanted. Maybe even needed, because he couldn’t remember ever feeling this dizzy and excited from just the touch of someone’s lips. He dove in again, tongue sliding out to tease the corners of Spike’s pale pink lips.
Spike groaned, parting his lips. Xander sent up a quiet shout as he plundered Spike’s mouth. If having a boneless, needy Spike in his arms was part of the gay benefit package, Xander figured he was ready for a big gaying up.
A sharp tapping sound echoed through the living room, startling them both. They pulled apart, panting. Spike stared at Xander, eyes hooded.
“Bugger off,” Spike yelled. “Halloween’s over, candy’s gone.”
“Spike,” Xander hissed, trying not to laugh. “No tormenting chocolate crazed kids. That’s too cruel even for you.”
Xander wiggled out of Spike’s arms, picking up the candy bowl on his way to the door. He’d drop a few treats into their bags and hussle them off. He had some serious kissing to do tonight.
“Happy Hallowe…” Xander trailed off, staring at the very un-kidlike person on the other side of the door.
“Hello, Xander,” Giles said softly. “Sorry to barge in like this, but we’ve got rather a bit of a situation.”
Xander stood to one side, but didn’t offer Giles an invitation. He might be in shock, but he hadn’t lost his mind. Giles swept in without a problem, so that let out the undead theory.
“Oi, Xander,” Spike called out. “Give’em their bloody candy and get back here. Got a few things I want to…”
Spike too went silent, eyes fixed on the Watcher. Giles didn’t exactly quail under Spike’s gaze, but he did keep a healthy distance between them. Xander watched them nervously, trying to calculate if he could reach the weapons before they did.
“Watcher,” Spike finally spoke. “Apocalypse?”
“Not quite,” Giles said, inclining his head towards the vampire. “We’ve found the new Slayer.”
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
on 2007-09-06 07:07 am (UTC)I always love seeing more of this - thank you!
no subject
on 2007-09-07 06:12 pm (UTC)yay
on 2007-09-06 08:28 am (UTC)Re: yay
on 2007-09-07 06:13 pm (UTC)no subject
on 2007-09-06 08:52 am (UTC)Nice chapter, as always.
And new slayer? Didn't the line go through Faith now?
no subject
on 2007-09-07 06:17 pm (UTC)Honestly, this is another of Joss's fails. Supposedly, the fact that Faith is alive means no new Slayer would be called. However, if the whole "living Slayer" thing is what controls whether or not a Slayer is called, then how did Faith get called after Kendra died? And even if the line runs exclusively through Faith, i.e., the Slayer power resides exclusively in her, how was Buffy a Slayer after she was resurrected? Shouldn't she have lost her Slayer mojo? Joss Whedon seems to firmly believe that continuity is for pussies....
Anyways, I was always curious as to why no new Slayer was called, yet the Watcher's Council didn't try to kill or otherwise deal with Faith. They don't seem to be the type to sit back and wait forty more years for Faith to die and a new Slayer to be called. My supposition is that a new Slayer was called and Joss just didn't bother with that storyline. So I'm going with that...
It's not canon, I know. I do try to stick to canon whenever possible, but Joss left so many plotholes...*growls*. Oh well, more room for the fic, right? But anyways, that's my semi-plausible explanation.
Modes of Silence
on 2007-09-06 11:05 am (UTC)Grrr
Great update
Shay
Re: Modes of Silence
on 2007-09-07 06:17 pm (UTC)no subject
on 2007-09-06 05:49 pm (UTC)*Mwah*
no subject
on 2007-09-07 06:19 pm (UTC)Glad you liked it, hon!
no subject
on 2007-09-10 09:48 am (UTC)*Mwah*
no subject
on 2007-09-10 03:56 pm (UTC)*hands you cookie*
no subject
on 2007-09-06 06:06 pm (UTC)Wonder who it is?
And yay for romantic progress!!
no subject
on 2007-09-07 06:20 pm (UTC)Sometimes, I don't like plots...LoL.
no subject
on 2007-09-08 04:02 pm (UTC)Oh god yes. *g*
no subject
on 2007-09-12 01:41 am (UTC)Glad you liked it...
no subject
on 2009-01-10 07:20 pm (UTC)Score.
But it's feeling picaresque, just on the heels of Dawn's vampire date - though you are dealing with a starting ground of episodic television, which needs must be a series of unconnected events. This might be why you feel the story is a bit unfocused?