Hot Pizza and Cold Beer
Xander's mouth watered as the waitress set the pizza and cheese bread on the
table. Steam rose from the round pizza dish, the scent of melted cheese, tomato,
and toppings heaven to his nose. He flashed a brilliant smile at the waitress.
"Thanks."
"Do you two need anything else?" she asked, passing out small plates and
silverware wrapped in napkins.
"Another round of beers would be nice, thanks again," Xander said, turning on
the charm. The pizzeria was getting full, and he didn't want to be ignored
because of it. A little light flirting would prompt the waitress to check on
them often, in spite of the crowd.
Spike dished out the pizza, and took a tentative bite of his piece. He
relaxed. "They didn't bollix it up," he said around his mouthful.
"Good." Xander sank his teeth into the garlic-less pizza. Flavor exploded in
his mouth, making his tastebuds very happy. Xander knew of nothing better than
hot pizza and cold beer.
"So, pet, are we camping still?" Spike asked, joyfully munching as well. The
waitress returned with their beers and moved off quickly to serve other
customers.
"I think that would be best," Xander replied. "My freaky power suckage might
react differently on the hellmouth."
"Has it yet?"
The plate glass window at the front of the Sunnydale Pizzeria shattered
suddenly. Screams raised as a decapitated human body sailed into the restaurant.
It hit one of the occupied tables, upending it, and sent dishes, pizza, and
drinks crashing to the floor.
"Not that I noticed," Xander answered. He reached for the Parmesan cheese.
"But I've been pretty isolated the past few days."
"Well, make sure you pay attention," Spike said. "I'd like to be far away if
you're going to explode."
"And here I though you'd want a front row seat to my demise."
The door to the pizzeria slammed open, and a very large, very ugly
yellow-spined demon stomped inside. Red-eyed, its gaze travelled over the
screaming patrons. A forked tongue slid out to taste the air. Clutched in a
clawed fist was a severed head, dripping blood and other fluids onto the floor.
"I would watch, if there wasn't a possibility of my being hit with a billion
gigawatts of electricity," Spike confessed. He pulled a napkin out of the
dispenser and wiped his mouth. "Having you push it into me now isn't all that
pleasant."
"I could stop..."
"Hell, no! Don't do that."
Xander chuckled knowingly, and sipped his beer.
The demon roared and people scattered. Tables and chairs were knocked over in
the hurry to escape. Children's piercing cries blended with the shattering of
plates and bottles as they were knocked to the ground.
The severed head flew across the pizzeria and hit a fleeing patron in the
back, sending her sprawling. Snarling, the demon stalked towards her, toenails
clicking on the floor.
"So, you like being practically invulnerable," Xander teased. He set his beer
aside and attacked his slice of pizza.
"I don't necessarily like it. It's more that I don't have to worry about
being dusted," Spike admitted, swallowing a piece of cheese bread. "I do right
by you, and the rest of the time I'm free to pursue anything at all, without
limitations."
The demon picked up the woman by her hair, snarling and hissing. The woman
shrieked, crying for help. The demon's forked tongue shot out and brushed over
her cheek.
Xander's dark gaze flicked to the demon, then returned to his table
companion. "At least you don't have a Supervamp complex."
Face streaked with tears, the woman briefly looked at Xander and Spike
sitting casually in a booth, glanced down at the yellow-spined demon that had
abruptly collapsed, then fled from the otherwise empty pizzeria out into the
night.
"Somehow I can't picture myself wearing tights and trolleys," Spike chuckled,
tilting his beer to his lips.
Xander grinned wickedly, black eyes glittering in the pizzeria's low lights.
"I can."
End
