Bewitched, Chapter 3

[thismaz]

Title: Bewitched, Chapter 3
Pairing: S/X
Rating: PG for this chapter. Touches of NC-17 later.
Summary: When Valentine's Day arrives, Dru dips her finger in the brew and gives it a stir.
Word Count: 1,820
Betaed by sparrow2000 and DJ, with many thanks. Thanks also to Sparrow for her help with conflabbing on plot twists and forms.
Comments: Are greatly appreciated, loved and cherished.
Disclaimer: here.

Prologue here, with a link to the other chapters, or you can find the whole thing, in reverse order, in tags.

Note: sparrow2000 pointed out to me a rule of the road in America, about not being allowed to park against the traffic. So, rather than re-write this whole scene, I went back and added one phrase to the end of chapter 2, so that it is clear that the car Dru is pushing Xander towards is pulled up against the curb, facing the wrong way for the traffic.



Chapter 3

The back door of the car opened as they approached and Spike leant out. "What the fuck was that all about, Dru?" he asked. Then he looked up into Xander's eyes and Xander looked back.

For the second, third, fifth time that night, Xander froze. Spike's eyes were so vivid. Xander's head spun and for a moment he thought he was falling. Then the world snapped back into focus and Spike was reaching out to him. "Come on, quick," he said. "Get in."

Xander took Spike's hand and was pulled with surprising strength right out of Drusilla's hold and into the back of the car, landing sprawled across Spike's lap. A strong grasp on the waistband of his jeans lifted him bodily and shoved him further across, and he scrambled to get his legs inside. Behind him, he heard an indignant, female squeal and a grunted, "Bugger off!" from Spike, as Spike's upper body moved, dislodging Xander's feet from Spike's lap and causing him to tip over the edge of the seat, onto the floor of the car. The car door slammed shut and Spike muttered, "Good bloody riddance!" followed immediately by an order to "Move! Just bloody drive!"

Busy trying to get his arms and legs into some semblance of order and haul himself up off the floor, Xander still spared a thought for how he was supposed to drive anything from where he was. Then the car jerked into motion, throwing him off balance again, and he realised that there was a driver behind the wheel and that was who the instruction had been aimed at.

He managed to twist around awkwardly in the confined space, until he was sitting on his ass in the foot well. Looking up, he saw that Spike now had both hands gripping the edge of the open window and his head stuck out through the gap. "I don't fucking care!" Spike yelled. "Think I don't know that look? You're not double-crossing me. You bloody promised..."

As Spike's shouted imprecations trailed off, Xander silently cursed the way his arms and legs never seemed to do what he wanted them to do, but he did manage to grab the top of the front passenger seat and haul himself up and around, until he was kneeling backwards on the seat, next to Spike. Looking out of the rear window, he caught a final glimpse of Drusilla, sitting on the ground and screaming as she watched them drive away, before the car turned a corner and he lost sight of her.

Letting out a huge sigh of relief, Xander squirmed around to sit facing forwards and grinned at Spike. "Thanks," he said. "I think she was going to kill me."

Spike turned to look at him, and for Xander it was like a welcome drowning in a pool of blue. He'd never seen eyes that colour before. He felt like he could gaze into them forever and never stop falling.

"Nah," Spike said, with a soft snort, breaking the spell of the moment. "No way was I gonna leave you with her; she's crazy." He smiled and Xander watched, fascinated by the way his eyes crinkled at the corners. "Angelus gave you to me. Don't know what she was on about, trying to keep you."

Xander nodded dumbly in agreement and Spike's smile faded. "You alright, pet?" he asked. "All catching up on you, is it?" He lifted his right arm along the back of the seat. "Come here," he said. "It's okay. You're safe now. I won't let her hurt you."

"No, no, it's not that," Xander said. He felt dazed, with relief and with something else, something he didn't recognise but knew to be more important than anything he'd ever felt before. "You have the most beautiful eyes," he murmured, edging a little closer along the seat towards Spike.

Spike laughed and brought his arm down, around Xander's neck, pulling him into a one armed hug. "I've got you," Spike whispered, nuzzling Xander's hair. "I've got you. You're safe now."

Xander slipped his own right arm across Spike's stomach, and hugged back. Relaxing for the first time that day, secure in the knowledge that Spike would keep the monsters away, he allowed himself to enjoy the sensation of being held.

It couldn't last, of course. All too soon, he began to think again, about Willow with an axe, and Buffy in nothing but a skimpy coat, and Buffy as a rat, and Cordy, and Drusilla, and Mrs Summers. He tilted his head, where it lay against Spike's shoulder, so he could look up into Spike's face. "It's been a very bad day," he said.

Spike relaxed his hug, running his hand along Xander's shoulder and down his arm to his waist. "Come here," he whispered. "Come closer. I'm not as mobile as I was."

Xander hitched himself up a bit and slid across the last few inches of the seat, until his hip was flush up against Spike's, bringing their faces level. Spike smiled again. "That's better," he murmured, as he leant over and their lips met.

Once again, Xander felt like he was drowning, and it was the most wonderful sensation ever. Without his conscious intervention, his right arm snaked up Spike's body to his shoulder and around the back of his neck. He clung to Spike as the kiss deepened. Spike's lips were firm, but soft and mobile and something tight in Xander's soul relaxed and let go. He whimpered for the sheer overwhelming amazingness of it.

He had never, ever, ever, felt anything like this before. It was as if his every fantasy had come true. He had never realised that kissing could feel so good, but, he thought hazily, Spike had had years to practice. With that realisation came the sudden fear that what was so wonderful to him, might be a disappointment to Spike. It wasn't as if Xander had much practice in kissing. Even as he sank into the sensation of being joined to someone else in such an intimate way, he worried that Spike would realise how inexperienced he was, and laugh at him.

Instead, Spike let out a stifled moan, as he pulled his lips away. "Oh, pet. You are so beautiful," he whispered.

His insecurities temporarily banished by Spike's words and tone, Xander grinned at Spike with delight. ‘This is what 'joy' is’, he thought.

Spike leant forward in his seat and tapped the driver on his shoulder. "Sunnydale Hilton," he instructed.

The driver turned his head, looking back at them, and Xander caught a glimpse of gameface. But Spike was obviously respected, because although the vampire looked surprised, all he said was, "Yes, boss," before turning back to face the road ahead. Spike shifted slightly, jostling Xander as he fumbled in the pocket of his coat with his left hand. He pulled out a stake, which he shoved into the waistband of his jeans and then a wallet, which he flipped open. He needed to use both hands to inspect the contents and he wasn't letting go of Xander, so Xander ignored the jostling and rested his head against Spike's neck.

It didn't take Spike long to check whatever it was he was checking, because in a few moments he gave a satisfied snort, flipped the wallet closed again and shoved it back in his pocket. "Right," he murmured. "Where were we?" He brought his left hand up under Xander's chin, nudging him into lifting his face. "Ah, yes," he said. "We were doing this," and once again they were kissing and once again Xander's brain decided that he didn't really need it to do anything at the moment and it left him to sink into the glorious sensation of lips and stroking hands.

It felt like moments, or maybe hours, later, that the car began to slow down and the driver grunted, "We're there, boss."

Spike broke the kiss. "Drive past and pull up," he instructed. "Then get the chair out.”

Sitting up as the car came to a smooth halt a few yards beyond the impressive portico of the hotel, Xander straightened his shirt, which appeared to have come loose from his waistband at some point. He watched as the driver jumped out and ran around to the front passenger door, opened it and pulled a mess of metal from the front seat. He dumped the tangle on the ground and fiddled with it, until it expanded into a wheelchair. Pushing the chair around the front of the car, he stopped it next to Spike's door and engaged the wheel brakes, opened the door and reached inside to help Spike swing his legs out.

Xander sat still, watching as the driver slipped one arm under Spike's knees, the other around his back and picked him up.

Once Spike was safely out, without getting his head banged on the top of the door frame, Xander climbed out onto the road on his own side and walked around to watch as Spike was settled into the chair. The driver lowered Spike carefully into the seat, while Spike made sure his coat tails were pulled to the sides so he didn't end up sitting on them, and lifted each of Spike's feet onto the footrests. Before he could straighten up, Spike grabbed him by the front of his shirt. "Keys," he demanded. The driver handed them over. "Cheers, mate," Spike said. "You've been a good servant."

The driver grinned and almost sounded embarrassed when he mumbled, "Thanks, boss," through his fangs.

"Which makes this a bit of a shame, really," Spike continued. His left arm flashed up and he buried his stake in the driver's chest.

Xander gaped as the cloud of dust slowly settled to the ground. "Wha... why?" he asked.

Looking up at him, Spike smiled. "Can't have him going home and tattling to Dru and Angelus about where he left us, now, can we?" he asked. "Come on, pet. We need somewhere quiet and private to hole up, while we work out what we're going to do. Give us a push, will you?" He pointed towards the plate glass doors of the hotel. "Sooner we get inside, sooner we can get settled," he added, with a conspiratorial grin.

Xander found himself smiling back. It didn't matter. It was one less vampire haunting the town. He walked around to the back of the chair, took hold of the handles and pushed Spike towards the doors, which opened invitingly as they approached. Spike tossed the keys to the valet. "Car's just up there," he said, as if it were perfectly natural for them not to have stopped in front of the entrance

The valet caught the keys out of the air and gave a slight bow. "Yes, sir," he replied. "I'll look after it." Which, Xander decided, either suggested that it was normal behaviour, or The Hilton had particularly well trained staff.


Next

Comments

[sparrow2000.livejournal.com]

This chapter sets things up so beautifully. As always the whole thing flows very nicely but a couple of phrases really stand out for me.
"welcome drowning in a pool of blue" and "This is what 'joy' is" - both gorgeous, evocative phases.

Very much looking forward to what happens next.

Goes off to look at your tweak on the last chapter.

[thismaz.livejournal.com]

Thank you, hon. That 'joy' line is one of my favourites too.
Your input was invaluable, as you know.