coming out post "The Wish Effect" & 10 yrs. post "Fisi Mtima"-verse
I did a Time Stamp meme on my personal journal and got two ficlets written in response. Here they are!
Coming out post The Wish Effect
Xander wasn't sure if this was a good idea. Hell, he wasn't sure if he even wanted to do this. But after lying and lying and lying some more about why Spike was hanging around him so much, Xander thought it was best to just come clean. Buffy, Willow, and Giles were looking at him expectantly as they all sat around his living room in perfect silence.
Perfect, annoying, and nervous silence. Xander cleared his throat.
"So...there was something you wanted to tell us?" Willow asked, smiling. Next to her, Buffy was looking at the ash tray on the coffee table with narrowed eyes, like it was going to jump out and bite her.
"Er, well, you see," Xander began. He paused to gulp down some water, hoping to stall. "There's something I've probably...have, something I have been keeping from you. I didn't want to tell you, not really, but the other guy in question was all 'what are you ashamed of me' and I just don't want to have to listen to him whine like this anymore. So. I'm telling you. Yeah. Here I go."
His friends stared. Behind him the door opened and Spike pranced in, not even noticing the three extra humans in his home.
"Xander Harris!" Spike yelled, slamming the door. Xander jumped, then got to his feet and rushed over to Spike, hoping to stop him from making this whole scene even more embarrassing.
"Spike, shh!"
"No, I won't shh!" Spike snapped. "That, that, that, mongrel was downstairs again today. Yes, you know the one I'm bloody well talking about. Always sniffing around your arse, he is. I've told that damn human time and time again that you belong to me, but he just isn't listening. Which is making--" Xander squawked, realizing where this was going. "--me very angry, pet. You don't want me angry, now do you?"
"Spike," Xander said in a soothing voice. "I don't know why that guy won't leave me alone. It's probalby just a crush or something, he'll get over it."
"Or you're leading him on."
"I am not!" Xander protested.
"Perhaps," Spike purred. "But maybe it's time to remind you who you come home to, love." That said, Spike grabbed his arm and dragged him toward the bedroom.
In the living room, Willow cleared her throat and looked at the others. "Umm, do you think that had something to do with what he wanted to tell us?"
10 years post Fisi Mtima
Xander rubbed at his forehead, eyes straining as he looked at the young girl before him. He didn't even know her name, but what he did know of her made him uncomfortable. He hadn't worked with a Slayer in years, since Buffy...since Faith. Slowly, he felt Spike gentle arms encircle his waist and he nearly rolled his eyes. He might be getting old, but he wasn't fragile. Spike couldn't get the idea past his head, though.
"I'm not so sure about this," Xander admitted.
"Got to admit pet, never thought we'd stay in Sunnydale this long. It's been ten years since...well, you remember," Spike said.
Ten years. Fuck, had it been that long? Ten years of fighting to keep the Hellmouth under control, a task that took more than it gave even when Faith showed up to help. And now standing before him was the next generation of Slayer and Watcher.
"We've got the family to think of now," Spike whispered into his ear.
Xander glanced over at Tara and Oz. Tara looked weary, a bone deep tired, as her hand rested on her growing stomach. Right, the family. Children. A pup would be joining their pack soon and the Hellmouth was no place to raise him or her.
"This is going to be dangerous," Xander told the Slayer, who was staring at him with wide eyes. Innocent eyes. Had Buffy ever looked like that? Had he? Xander turned his back to her and looked at Spike. "Angel won't be happy to see us."
"He never is," Spike shrugged. "But he'll let us stay until Tara's baby is born, then we can find a new territory. Where ever you want to go, love."
"It'll be nice to have a change," Xander said, smiling.
(as pointed out by coniraya, this now leaves the fisi-verse open for crossovers. dude.)
Coming out post The Wish Effect
Xander wasn't sure if this was a good idea. Hell, he wasn't sure if he even wanted to do this. But after lying and lying and lying some more about why Spike was hanging around him so much, Xander thought it was best to just come clean. Buffy, Willow, and Giles were looking at him expectantly as they all sat around his living room in perfect silence.
Perfect, annoying, and nervous silence. Xander cleared his throat.
"So...there was something you wanted to tell us?" Willow asked, smiling. Next to her, Buffy was looking at the ash tray on the coffee table with narrowed eyes, like it was going to jump out and bite her.
"Er, well, you see," Xander began. He paused to gulp down some water, hoping to stall. "There's something I've probably...have, something I have been keeping from you. I didn't want to tell you, not really, but the other guy in question was all 'what are you ashamed of me' and I just don't want to have to listen to him whine like this anymore. So. I'm telling you. Yeah. Here I go."
His friends stared. Behind him the door opened and Spike pranced in, not even noticing the three extra humans in his home.
"Xander Harris!" Spike yelled, slamming the door. Xander jumped, then got to his feet and rushed over to Spike, hoping to stop him from making this whole scene even more embarrassing.
"Spike, shh!"
"No, I won't shh!" Spike snapped. "That, that, that, mongrel was downstairs again today. Yes, you know the one I'm bloody well talking about. Always sniffing around your arse, he is. I've told that damn human time and time again that you belong to me, but he just isn't listening. Which is making--" Xander squawked, realizing where this was going. "--me very angry, pet. You don't want me angry, now do you?"
"Spike," Xander said in a soothing voice. "I don't know why that guy won't leave me alone. It's probalby just a crush or something, he'll get over it."
"Or you're leading him on."
"I am not!" Xander protested.
"Perhaps," Spike purred. "But maybe it's time to remind you who you come home to, love." That said, Spike grabbed his arm and dragged him toward the bedroom.
In the living room, Willow cleared her throat and looked at the others. "Umm, do you think that had something to do with what he wanted to tell us?"
10 years post Fisi Mtima
Xander rubbed at his forehead, eyes straining as he looked at the young girl before him. He didn't even know her name, but what he did know of her made him uncomfortable. He hadn't worked with a Slayer in years, since Buffy...since Faith. Slowly, he felt Spike gentle arms encircle his waist and he nearly rolled his eyes. He might be getting old, but he wasn't fragile. Spike couldn't get the idea past his head, though.
"I'm not so sure about this," Xander admitted.
"Got to admit pet, never thought we'd stay in Sunnydale this long. It's been ten years since...well, you remember," Spike said.
Ten years. Fuck, had it been that long? Ten years of fighting to keep the Hellmouth under control, a task that took more than it gave even when Faith showed up to help. And now standing before him was the next generation of Slayer and Watcher.
"We've got the family to think of now," Spike whispered into his ear.
Xander glanced over at Tara and Oz. Tara looked weary, a bone deep tired, as her hand rested on her growing stomach. Right, the family. Children. A pup would be joining their pack soon and the Hellmouth was no place to raise him or her.
"This is going to be dangerous," Xander told the Slayer, who was staring at him with wide eyes. Innocent eyes. Had Buffy ever looked like that? Had he? Xander turned his back to her and looked at Spike. "Angel won't be happy to see us."
"He never is," Spike shrugged. "But he'll let us stay until Tara's baby is born, then we can find a new territory. Where ever you want to go, love."
"It'll be nice to have a change," Xander said, smiling.
(as pointed out by coniraya, this now leaves the fisi-verse open for crossovers. dude.)