Ooshy-Gooshy
He woke up with his face plastered against Spike's ass again.
Cross-eyed, Xander groggily stared at the half-rounded lumps he was drooling
on. [Comfy. No! Not comfy. Bad pillows. Squishy pillows. Comfy pillows. Sleep
more.]
Fifteen minutes later, Xander woke again, sat up, and rubbed his eyes. Bugs
and Elmer were involved in an aria on the television [seen it a billion times.]
Yawning, he absently scratched his thigh as he tiredly studied the vampire
sprawled across his sofa bed. Clad in only his jeans, Spike was soundly sleeping
on his stomach, his blond head turned to the side and his thumb stuck in his
mouth. [Still stressing. Although last night was pretty stress free.]
When they had arrived back at the Harris Hellhole, also known as the
basement, the night before, things could've been awkward, but they weren't.
Spike had stripped down to his jeans and flopped across the end of the fold-out
bed that Xander had opened. Xander had turned on the television, turned off the
lights, changed into a pair of shorts, and plopped down beside the vampire, as
if watching movies with Spike was an everyday occurrence.
Erica Eleniak still had the tits to give Xander a boner, and it hadn't been
until he caught Spike wiggling, too, that he'd ceased to be embarrassed about
it. The two had exchanged knowing grins, adjusted themselves, and continued
watching the movie.
About mid-way through the flick, Xander had gotten up to use the facilities.
When he'd returned, he'd rejoined Spike on the fold-out, only turning so he was
laying with his feet on the pillows and his head propped on his hand near
Spike's hip. It had taken the Brave Little Toaster several failed attempts
before Xander had laid his hand on Spike's lower back. The vampire had stiffened
and looked back at Xander. Spike had studied him for what had seemed like an
eternity, his blue eyes unreadable in the light coming from the television.
Finally, Spike had given him the tiniest smile, turning the Big Bad into Shy
Little Boy, and the blond had returned his attention to the television and
arched against Xander's hand. A soft purring had underscored the remainder of
that movie and the one following, until Xander had succumbed to sleep.
[And woke with my face stuck to Spike's ass again,] Xander thought. He was
waiting for embarrassment to hit him, but it didn't seem to be forthcoming. With
a shrug, he leaned down, kissed the soft skin of Spike's lower back, climbed out
of bed, and headed for the bathroom. He hit the bathroom light, shut the door
behind him, clicked the lock, and stared at himself with horror in the mirror.
"I just kissed Spike," Xander whispered. The embarrassment attacked then,
coloring his entire face, ears, neck, and upper chest a lovely shade of pink.
Kissing Spike had been as natural as breathing, just like putting his hand on
Spike's lower back at Giles's house the prior evening. That he didn't notice
what he was doing until after the fact only testified to how normal and right
the actions felt. [And I'm going out of my mind!]
*****
After a shower that left him with frostbite, Xander felt much more
clearheaded. So, he kissed Spike. So what? The vampire had been asleep, and no
one else had been witness to Xander's illicit smooching. Xander could [would!]
pretend it never happened.
With that mind-set, Xander left the safety of the bathroom. He took one look
at the sleeping blond, panicked, and fled.
*****
Several fruitless hours of job-hunting later, Xander gave up pretending that
he wasn't freaked by kissing Spike and threw himself upon the mercy of the gods.
The gods laughed. Xander whacked them over the head with a rubber mallet. He won
a can of green slime. [Interesting message, oh Whack-A-Mole gods. Don't know
what it means...]
With a sigh, Xander pocketed his slime and headed out of the arcade. His
stomach rumbled, reminding him that food was of the necessity and yummy
goodness. [What type of grease shall I pollute my body with today, huh?] Mark
Pi's Chinese was right next door to the arcade, and Xander's stomach directed
his feet into the establishment. Then Xander's stomach took control of his
mouth, ordered double of what he could usually eat, and used his hands to pay
for all the food. He attempted to give his stomach a stern talking to about the
value of money and his lack of said commodity, but his stomach ignored him in
favor of making his feet walk him home.
Xander caught on to what his stomach was doing and he preempted the hostile
takeover of his mouth before his stomach asked Spike if he liked Chinese. [I can
handle my own affairs, stomach, thank you very much.] Wait a minute. Affairs?
[Ack! No! I am not having an affair!] Anya would eviscerate Xander if
there was even the hint of infidelity. [And, besides, why would I want to have
an affair with Spike, of all affairees? Aside from the fact that he
looks kinda cute in a sexy, ruffled way all snuggled in the blanket like that...
]
The vampire was, indeed, snuggled in a blanket, curled up in the corner of
the sofa bed with his blond hair sticking up every which way. He was sitting up
but asleep, his cheek resting against the back of the couch, his left thumb in
his mouth, his fingers hooked over his nose. [He must've woken up and fallen
back to sleep watching tv. And I've got a squooshy feeling in my chest. This is
of the good that is not. Ho-boy.]
As he dished the Chinese onto two plates and settled on the other end of the
sofa bed, Xander told himself that in no way would Spike look as adorable
sucking his thumb awake as he did asleep. Then Spike opened his eyes. He was
still adorable. [Whimper.]
"Hey," Xander said as if it was normal to have the Evil Thumb-Sucking Monster
wake up in his bed. He picked up the second plate and offered it to Spike.
"Chinese?"
Big blue eyes stared at Xander, and the brunette wondered why there wasn't a
law against vampires that would eat your liver for breakfast looking so young
and innocent. All Xander wanted to do was take Spike in his arms and snuggle the
badness away. [Again -- whimper.]
Spike's thumb came out of his mouth with a small slurp. His nose crinkled as
he rubbed the back of his knuckles over his eyes, and he made sleepy childlike
noises. Then the thumb went back into his mouth, two fingers hooked over his
nose, and those big blue eyes focused on Xander again for a short moment before
drifting shut.
Xander set the second plate of Chinese down, picked up his fork, and resumed
eating. He pointedly ignored the ooey-gooey, ooshy-gooshy feeling in the center
of his chest.
*****
The next time Spike woke, Xander was paging through the local newspaper. The
extra Chinese had been covered and stuck in the refrigerator, waiting to be
nuked and eaten. Xander still sat on the pull-out opposite from where the
vampire was curled up. The brunette just sort of knew Spike was truly awake this
time, even though the other man hadn't moved.
"I was thinking about catching the 5:30 show at the Sun," Xander said without
preamble. "Gladiator's playing, and I feel the need to see maiming and
bloodshed outside the normal course of slaying." He glanced over at Spike.
"Wanna join me?"
Those innocent blue eyes looked more aware as they steadily met Xander's
gaze. The thumb slipped out of Spike's mouth which immediately turned up in a
grin. "Xander Harris, are you asking me out on a date?"
Heat suffused Xander's face, and he dropped his eyes to the newspaper.
"No," he replied emphatically. "I'm going no matter what. I just though
you'd might want something to do, since I doubt you'll be going bar-hopping."
Silence. Xander didn't dare look at Spike, for fear he would do something
embarrassing, like admitting that maybe he was asking the vampire on a date.
[Mother Mary and Joseph, maybe I should've used the Whack-A-Mole mallet on my
own noggin.]
"Does this flick include popcorn?"
Xander's gaze whipped to Spike in surprise. The blond was studiously picking
fuzzies from the blanket that was around him. [Cute.] Ugh! Spike was
not cute! He had to stop thinking that! [Must see blood, violence, and
death.] "Yeah, popcorn's included. So are Ju-Ju Bees, if you're good."
Spike looked up at him from beneath insanely long eyelashes. One corner of
his mouth quirked. "Believe me, pet, I'm always good," he said coyly.
[Now there's the Big Bad I know and lo-- hate! Hate! Know and
hate!] Xander cleared his throat, crinkled the newspaper, and nodded.
"How nice to know," he said as blandly as he could. "We'll leave at five."
*****
Spike stared up at the marquee with an expression akin to awe. The bright
lights of Sun Cinema's sign cast a garish glow on the vampire's platinum hair.
High school students [and the unemployed] stood in line for tickets to the 5:30
show, shivering under their winter coats. The sun set early in the winter
months, making it seem colder than it really was in Sunnydale.
"I haven't been to a show in a bloody age," Spike said, looking around as if
he were visiting Disneyland for the first time, rather than going to the movies.
"The films have sound now," Xander commented with amusement. "And they're in
color."
Spike shot him a look that read: 'when I get rid of this chip, I will do bad
things to you.' Xander only laughed as he stepped up to the ticket window.
"Hiya, Max," he said, recognizing the theater employee behind the plexiglass
window. "Two, please."
"Two?" Max looked past Xander as he took the brunette's money. "I don't see
Anya."
"That's because Anya's not here."
Max gave him a sly look. "You got a little sumthin-sumthin on the side?"
"Hey, pet," Spike appeared at Xander's side, glanced at Max, then looked up
at the taller man. "This theater have those stadium seats I've read about?"
"This is Sunnydale, Spike," Xander said. "They don't have stadium seats.
Heck, half the seats don't even have backs."
The blond vampire's lower lip thrust forward in a pout. Xander chuckled and,
without realizing what he was doing, tapped the tip of Spike's nose in a plainly
affectionate gesture. "Some of the seats do rock," he placated. "Although I
don't think they're supposed to." He took the tickets from a stunned-looking Max
and partially saluted. "Later, man."
"Later," Max said faintly.
Walking inside the theater, Spike passed by the ticket taker without pause.
But before the kid could tackle Spike for non-theater etiquette, Xander handed
him their tickets. "He's with me," Xander said. [I can't believe I just admitted
that in public.]
"Next time, tell him to wait," the taker said with all his pimple-faced
authority. "Be sure to keep your stubs."
Xander gave him a wan smile and pocketed one of the ticket stubs as he walked
into the main lobby. He joined Spike in the concession line, ignoring the glares
from the patrons who stood behind the vampire. "Here," Xander said, giving Spike
the second ticket stub. "Hold onto that. Some of the employees take their jobs a
little too seriously."
Spike stuck the ticked stub in his duster pocket without looking at it. His
focus was concentrated on the lighted board above the concession counter,
listing the products and [aack!] prices. They were next, and as they stepped up
to the counter, Xander unconsciously put his hand on the nape of Spike's neck.
He looked up at the lighted sign and answered the concession girl's query.
"Yeah, we'd like two medium popcorns, extra butter. Unless you don't want
butter, Spike." Xander turned to the blond... to find Spike staring somewhat
dazedly at him.
Xander frowned. "Spike? Butter? No butter? Parkaaaaay?"
Slow blinks from Spike. [Did the prices blow his mind, too?,] Xander
wondered. "Hello? Earth to bleach boy? Do... you ... want... but... ter?"
Spike suddenly grinned brightly, and it was Xander's turn to blink from the
blond's abrupt change of demeanor. [This vampire is so weird.] Right, and all
other vampires were normal.
"Extra butter for me, luv," Spike addressed the concession girl. "And a large
Pepsi."
Xander shook of his confusion over Spike's behavior and added to the order.
"And a box of Ju-Ju Bees and SweetTarts." [Goodbye, money.]
A few minutes later, loaded down with goodies and a small cup full of
butter-salt ['Cause you can never have enough salt on popcorn], Xander led the
way into the screening room and chose a seat, back row center. The theater
wasn't very large -- being in the back row at the Sun was like sitting in the
middle row of an L.A. theater. Plus, the back row center seats had the most
stuffing left in them.
Spike dropped down beside Xander and immediately put his feet upon the seat
in front of him. Another giddy [weird] grin at Xander, and the blond dug into
his popcorn with gusto.
The lights dimmed shortly thereafter. Xander munched his own popcorn and let
the movie draw him in. He had no more thoughts about kissing Spike. Or about how
cute he was. Or about how normal and comfortable it felt to touch him. [Nope, no
Spikey thoughts here. My mind is Spike-free.]
Then Spike started commenting -- loudly -- and cheering -- even louder --
every time someone on screen was killed. There was much shushing from the others
in the show. Xander, in fact, told him to shut his mouth several times. Finally,
enough was enough. Xander didn't want to get kicked out [not after all the money
I spent!], and Spike's insistence that there'd be more blood if hit that
particular way, was rapidly leading to theater ejection.
"Spike," Xander hissed, leaning over so his mouth was inches from Spike's
ear. "If you open your yap one more time, the employees will have to sweep you
up in order to throw you out of here."
Spike turned his head to reply, only Xander hadn't move away yet. The
brunette's lips scraped across Spike's cool cheek and came to rest against
Spike's lips. Their noses cracked together, but Xander felt no pain. Eyes wide,
Xander stared into the equally large blue eyes centimeters away. [Oh... my...
God... my lips... Spike's lips...]
Neither of them moved as the movie played on. The whole Roman Army could've
marched off the screen and into the theater, and still neither of them would've
moved. Then, finally, slowly, Xander tilted his head a little, sealing his mouth
completely over Spike's, and tentatively kissed him.
It should've been Xander who was completely flustered when the soft kiss
ended. But it was Spike who dropped his chin and gave Xander a tiny, wary smile
before moving as far away in his seat as possible. It was Spike who fumbled with
his popcorn and drink until he put both on the floor. And it was Spike who was
now almost, but not quite, sucking his thumb. The back of his thumb pressed
against his lips and his fingers hooked over his nose as he stared resolutely at
the screen.
[Adorable,] Xander thought, covertly watching the blond. He'd admitted to
himself that he'd just kissed Spike and liked it. A lot.
[Understatement, Xan-man.] And it hadn't even been a knock-out, drag-down,
passionate smooch. Just a gentle meeting of the mouths [that left me wanting
more. It's official -- I've truly lost my mind. Ooshy-gooshy feelings, do what
you will. I'm just gonna sit here and enjoy the ride.]
End
