The Twelve Days of Spander

Six Geese a-Laying
by Lisa O
Notes

 

 

Oh, this was so very bad. Even worse than bad. Xander counted his money again, his brain churning, no solutions in sight. He needed a plan and he needed one now.

"'s that for me?"

"Huh, what?" Xander stuffed his loot away, startled and then annoyed at the intrusion. "No, Spike, it's not for you! Why would anything I have, be for you?"

Spike sauntered over, grinning with his usual mirth. "Well, I didn't mean for just handing over, Harris" he noted. "I meant, are you going to buy me something."

Xander glared, and then he snorted. "Like I'd buy something for you. In case you missed the memo, Spike, I don't like you."

Spike considered, head tilting as he said, "Well,...fine then," and, "just make sure it's not too small. And don't forget, pet. you only have 6 days to get whatever it is. After all, Christmas is next week."

"I am not getting you a present, Spike!"

"Yeah, I know," Spike answered, grinning. "And I'm not getting one for you either."

"Good."

"Good."

"Fine!"

"Fine"

Glaring occurred, the light words from Spike now ones less pleased, and Xander echoing the feeling.

"I have to work."

"You do that. Xander."

Spike waited and Xander growled.

Xander left to get ready.


***********************


Five days to go and he had not a clue. Xander had more money, having cashed his work check, but what did that matter when the ideal present still wasn't coming to mind? What he needed, was a list. And suitable ideas for Christmas presents. Hmm, who did he want to buy for?

1. Buffy. Wood is good but...nah. Have to think about that one.
2. Willow. Jewish, not wanting Christmas presents, but would get something that wasn't for Christmas actually but was a present still.
3. Giles. Moldy books? Too smelly.
4. Tara. Something magical
5. Dawn. Something teenagery
6. Anya. She wasn't speaking to him, that one was easy.
7. Spike...

No, not Spike.

"I am not getting him a present."

"Talking to yourself again, Xander?"

Xander groaned, but he didn't put his money away. "Are you following me?" he asked. "Look, I'm kind of busy, so just go away, okay?"

Spike didn't go away. He moved right over to Xander, looking into the store that the human had been staring into for the last 20 minutes. "Kind of hard to buy me anything out here," Spike noted.

"I'm not getting..."

"Just saying." Spike dug his hands into his pockets, squinting his eyes, thinking hard. "Something I've always wanted,' he said. "I think you'd know. I've mentioned it before but you don't really pay attention, do you."

"Spike!"

Who else was he buying for? Xander ignored the blond, getting back on track as he fingered the green. Buffy...had her..um..parents? Should he buy them something? They'd just return whatever it was and go get something else. Angel? Oh, like that would ever happen.

"Well, gotta go." Spike patted Xander on the back, taking a cigarette out and lighting up as he left, softly singing something the human couldn't hear.

"God, he is annoying." Xander sighed, putting his money away as he finally gave up and finally just entered the store, wondering why he'd not done so in the first place and saved himself the trouble. And why was Spike showing up all the time anyway? Xander stopped just inside, getting a cart as he frowned. There was something he was missing, something he needed to know. What? Spike. Something about Spike.

"Hi. Can I help you?"

"Umm. yeah. I'm looking for presents."

"Well, this is the place to be then." The girl smiled, motioning around. "Big sale right now. Anything in particular?"

Xander thought, and then thought some more. Oh. He blinked and then rolled his eyes upward, wondering if he was losing his mind. List. Must stick to the list. Must find things for the list that wasn't a list but at least he had the names.

*sigh*

"Do you have anything in leather?" It wasn't for Spike. Not getting anything for that blond annoying...grrr, not. Buffy liked leather too. Really, Who didn't like leather?

"You do? Oh, umm..I guess, lead the way."


************************************


"On the sixth day of Christmas..hmm, hmm, hmm, hmm, hmm."

"Lovely song," Spike commented, watching Xander wrap presents, just coming in from the night.  "But it's less than that you know."

"Go away, Spike."

"Yeah, I missed you too. Got me anything?"

Xander took a deep breath, looking up. "Why? Did you get me something too?" Too?? "I mean...Damn it Spike! I did not get you a present! Go. Away!"

"Only four days left, Xander." Spike said, sitting on the couch. "And, what's all that then?"

"I do have other people that I like."  Why wasn't Spike calling Xander on the slip? "I mean, I don't like you at all."  Xander frowned, looking for the tape.

"Suit yourself." The TV was flicked on and Spike watched. Five minutes later, he turned it off, sitting up. "Going to bed. You staying up?"

"Spike."

"I know. It's night. I should be out, drinking, biting...can't bite, but you know, having fun.  Pathetic really. No life at all. But, here I am with you."

"Why are you with me? You don't live here. I kicked you out!"

Spike snorted, shrugging. "So? What's your point? I'm evil so I can stay where I want to. Plus, I won't look. I promise."

Xanders attention jerked up, not believing. "You better not," he huffed, folding up an end and taping down. "And I didn't get anything for you. And....and...."

Spike smirked, waiting. "And??"

Xander turned red, but he went on still. "Just don't steal the covers again. And...stay on your own side of damned bed, or you're going straight out that door."

"Whatever you say, Harris. Fine by me."

"Good."

"Fine."

"Fine."


*****************


Three days to go. Xander was at the store again, not sure why he was there. He'd gotten presents. He didn't need any more.

"Can I help you?"

"Just looking." Xander picked up something fuzzy, touching and not looking at the gothic looking teenager who waited and then walked away. He brought up the item, smiling as someone filled his head. "You're too cute," he said to the thing. "He'll hate you." Just right then. Xander's eyes darted around, making sure he wasn't followed. So what? So he was getting a present. Another present. It wasn't a crime, was it?

Xander moved through the store, something else catching his eyes which he picked up on the way to the register. Xander paid out and left...and ran right into Spike who almost gave him a heart attack as well. "Stop following me!"

Spike was stuffing something into his pocket, looking around and then back to Xander again as he worked to gather his cool. "'M not," he said. "You're following me!"

"What?" What was Spike hiding? Xander moved in quick, trying to make a grab for something sticking from Spike's pocket. "Are you getting presents for people?" Spike didn't buy things for anybody. He just took things and ran away...except for sometimes, of course. Like when he was helping out and getting beat up to save the world along side the rest of them. Xander pushed the thought away, annoyed.

"I'm not." Spike said, dodging and pushing the things deeper. "What are you buying?"

"Nothing for you."

Both men fidgeted.

"I heard that Giles got that demon information."

"Yeah. We're going to fight them when I get over. It's a Glarian demon. He says they only come out on Christmas Eve, so we'll have to do some spell to get him out early so we can get it before he does the whole rampagy, evil killing thing."

"Yeah? Sounds fun. Dangerous? Lots of blood and stuff?"

"Probably." Xander hid his bag in his coat, trying to be subtle. "Why?"

"Guess, I'm in. Better get going. Time to save the world...again."

"Don't think just because you're helping that it means I decided to get you something for Christmas."

"Course not." Spike indicated the way. "So, going?"

"Yes," Xander started moving. "I am."


*************************************


"So, what are we doing for Christmas? Going to Buffy's house?"

Willow shook her head. "Tara's. And...Jewish, Xander. Remember? I don't do Christmas."

Xander grinned, not worried. "Giles?"

"I believe I have plans," he noted. "A friend is coming by for dinner." He smiled, adding. "I do have gifts, but if you don't mind, I'd like to drop them off later today."

"Oh." Xander pondered, thinking of his back yard and so not wanting to go there again. "Buffy?"

"Mom, tree, girl movies. Pop corn. Nothing big."

Girl movies. Xander coughed, the back yard looking better all the time.

"Have a good night. Thank you for giving us your money. Merry Christmas. Come back soon." Anya locked the door to the shop, grinning like a fiend as she mentally counted what they had made, having taken some from the drawer. She even didn't get mad at Xander even if he didn't understand how things should work in the lovely money filled world.

*slam*

Spike entered from the basement, grinning as he walked in and then faltered as everyone glared. "What?"

"Spike? What are you doing here?"

Spike shrugged, walking over to stand close by. "Just seeing what's what. Find out of there's any fighting going on and such."

"No, there is not." Giles turned away, attention on the others. Spike was ignored as the discussion went on. "It seems we will simply have to plan earlier next time," he decided. "What with the Hellmouth almost opening 4 times this month, I'm afraid I've just been...rather busy."

Xander sighed, but part of him had expected as much. "Well, I have the remedy for that." Going to the back, he grabbed his bags and came back, noting Spike had gone. "I brought these." He put them on the table and then stopped. "Hey. Who's is this?"

Everyone came over, seeing other bags as well.

"I didn't put them there." Xander puzzled, looking toward the basement exit. "Spike?"


*************************


"Wake up, pet."

"hmmm?"

Xander opened one eye and then the other. He looked around, memories of the night coming back in a painful way. He shouldn't have given into his parents' almost commands, but somehow he had. Drinking. Bad idea. Drinking too much because dad kept handing over another bottle and he'd not been able to get outside.

Spike pushed on Xander again, working to rouse the young man. "Feeling any better?"

Where was he? Xander frowned, more memories coming to mind. "Spike?"  This wasn't the basement. Spike brought him to this...room and...that was interesting. Xander did feel better. He managed to sit up and to be stunned. The curtains were drawn but there was light everywhere. Candles. "What was that stuff you gave me?"

Spike grinned, but didn't say. Instead, he went over to the little tree and grabbed something colorful and brought it over for Xander to see. "Here."

"What's this?"

"What's it look like, you git?"

"But.." Xander stared at the gift, and he thought about the bag left on the table from the night before. "I thought you didn't get presents." Xander winced and then said. "And I didn't get anything...."

"Not fooling anyone," Spike said, leaving and coming back with a bag of stuff. "Kind of more than I expected, but I'm not complaining."

Xander couldn't reply. He didn't mean to buy anything for Spike. He needed to get back into denial. "How do you know those are yours?"

"You said so."

"I did?"

"Yeah." Spike put the bag under the tree, nicely lit by the candles and blinking lights on the evergreen above them. "Last night. Said you didn't want to leave without my stuff."

"Oh." Xander shook his head, letting himself be led over to the tree before he sat down in front of it to pout. "This doesn't mean I like you."

"Course not. No reason to." Spike gestured to the present, adding. "Well, open it up. I want to see if you like it or not."

"Spike..." Words were failing Xander and he found he didn't understand. "Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why did you get us presents? How? Did you steal something?"

"Did not." Spike huffed. "I don't always get stuff by stealing. "

Xander doubted that, but he was confused all the same. "Just tell me why, okay?"

Spike took another box from under the tree, this one with geese on it, wearing sparkly hats and blowing horns as they sat on little eggs. "I don't have to have a reason, " he said after a moment's thought. "I'm bad, remember." Spike played with the tape at the corner of one of the folded edged before he went on. "So, the world's safe from that Glarian demon, I take it?"

"Yeah. We went and killed it. You were there, Spike. I don't know what that has to do with anything." Xander looked down at his package, sighing heavily before he started opening it with care. He found a box inside, and stopped, trying to imagine what could be inside.

In the mean while, Spike had uncovered a smaller box and opened it to find a little fuzzy bear. "This is different," he noted, and Xander blushed. "Don't see vamp teddy bears too often."

"It was on sale." Xander concentrated but his mind was going to other things. Things like, Spike snuggling up to him in the bed, and then pretending he did not. Spike getting bandages after a battle, and putting them where Xander could reach them before a word was said. Spike coming over more and more, watching TV and helping out. Spike saying words to Xander, when he was mostly asleep, but just awake enough to hear. Spike...

Oh, God, this was stupid. "It was on sale! Really!" Xander said, looking up to see Spike watching with concern. "I got other things too," he said. "What?"

Spike grinned, pointing to the present Xander still held in his lap.. "Yeah, but they can wait. Just open that one in your hands. Then we'll worry about the rest."

Xander opened the box and then he stared. "What...how the?" Inside, was a picture of Spike and Xander together. "We've never posed for a picture together," he said, stunned.

Spike just grinned, saying. "I know. It's amazing what you can find on the Internet though."

"Huh?"

Spike's smile grew. "Willow helped,' he said. "Said there were people who liked to put pictures together, like from stories and fiction or some such. Course, we're both real, but same kind of deal. they use some photo thing, you know." Spike shrugged, going on.  "So, she took one of me and one of you and then we found someone to put us together.."

Xander gawked. "Willow knew?" How had he missed that one? And what was the writing on the bottom? Xander looked closer, reading with a frown.

"They all knew, you twit." Spike waited again, wanting Xander to read. "What? You think they'd really just turn you away? Told them I'd be getting you later on. They agreed to behave."

What? Xander looked up, the words burning into his brain. "But they don't like you either."

"Guess they figured they'd forget that for today."

Oh. Xander looked down again, touching the picture of them with their arms around each other, looking almost too friendly. "I guess." His fingers moved over the words, saying. "You made this.."

"Just read it."

Xander nodded, doing just that. "Six days early, three years late." What did that mean? Xander glanced up, working to sort the meaning.  "You mean..."

Spike grabbed another box, not looking up as he said. "Just because they don't see what's in front of them, doesn't mean I haven't had the clue."

"But...you never."

Spike quirked a brow, blue eyes coming to gaze into brown. "Guess not," he said. "But, now I will."

"You will."

And then Spike was close up to Xander, the present put aside. Xander felt cool lips on his own, and he found himself kissing back as well. "Three years?"

"Hmm."

Oh boy. Xander kissed again, presents forgotten along with everything else. Except. "I'm going to kill Willow."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah." Xander licked his lips, looking around. "This doesn't make us buddies, you know."

"I know." Spike kissed Xander on the cheek, adding. "Hungry? I'm getting breakfast."

Breakfast?  Xander opened his mouth and closed it again. "Okay." Why not? Half a dozen of one, and six of the other. They were here now and denying this strange weird crazy oddness, wasn't doing them any good. "Breakfast sounds good."

"Good."

"Fine."

"Great."

"And Xander?"

"Hmm?"

"Merry Christmas."

 

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