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Tried for an emo boy kissing ficlet and missed...
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![[info]](http://www.spanderfiles.net/userinfogif.gif){kind=small}
Spring Break
by
SunnyD-lite
Part One
Spring break. Those magic words which mean so much more than days off school. Especially when coupled with the words: road trip.
"Ohh sexy wheels, Liam."
"Shut up, Harris, least we all fit since I'm not the one who failed my driver's test and couldn't caravan." Yup, Liam tried for sarcastic and humorous but tended to miss worse than that guy who William Telled his wife. And his teachers said he never paid attention in class, huh.
Xander wasn't really complaining about the mini-van, only doing what was expected. This way everyone would know what happened on the trip and they're be no "you had to be there" moments. He was sick of hearing about all the things he missed with the gang. And he bet Spike, their newest member, was too.
"Get your ass in here, Harris. Time to motor." Faith grabbed his arm and hauled him into the dark recesses of the van. The girl had grip, years on the gymnastics team led to muscles, which she'd kept up after been tossed off for punching out a judge for a low score.
"Xan-man reporting with snacks! The vital ingredient to a successful road trip."
He looked around at the usual suspects, Buffy, unsurprisingly, was up front with her boyfriend Liam. Willow and Anya were giggling in the middle seat over a Cosmo mag, and poking at a blustering Spike.
"No I'm not bloody well going to answer one of those moronic sex quizzes," Spike huffed.
"Here, have a Twinkie," he offered. "Could solve that pesky middle east peace issue if you gave 'em enough Twinkies."
"Is sugar your answer for everything, Harris?" Those electric blue eyes targeted him, holding him still, but luckily no power on earth could turn off his mouth.
"Not just sugar, there's the lovely fat family, and don't forget the wacky world of salt." He replied and then proffered a can of Lays salt and vinegar chips as proof.
"Funny, those aren't the food groups I remember from health class," Willow said, turning to face Xander. "But it does sound a lot like your lunch choices. Where's the caffeine?"
"At your service, mi'lady." He handed his oldest friend a Jolt cola. Probably not the best thing for a long drive, but hyper-Willow was vastly entertaining, in a Pinky and the Brain on speed kinda way.
"And there's nothing wrong with a little sugar, blondie. I just prefer the more active kind." Smacking her lips, Faith flirted with Spike the way cats sought out sunbeams, instinctively. The group, even the girls, had been recipients of her attention whenever she was 'between'.
Still it was fun to watch the pale Brit blush. Spike had transferred to Sunnydale High a few months ago, and had somehow fallen in with their crowd. Not that Xander was complaining. Spike was the one friend he could count on to get his Monty Python and Discworld references, AND he liked Trek so Spike was beyond fine in Xander's books.
"Stop teasing the newbie, Faith." This lofty pronouncement came from the seats at the front where Princess Buffy deigned to chime in. She was the de facto leader of them. Came up with some fun plans and managed a lot of the details--like finding the Super 8 motel near the Six Flags park that would take cash not credit. She'd also scored some coupons so the parks entrance fee was only half price. And she said she had another surprise, but that's all she'd tell them.
Faith only rolled her eyes. Xander would swear the two were sisters, the way they interacted. Completely different in the looks department, if you ignored the fact they were both on the small side, and hot. Buffy was all California surfer girl bubble gum blonde while Faith had more of a rocker chick vibe. Actually, looking at the group, the only two who looked slightly alike where him and Liam and that was a scary thought.
Some of the groups at school were easily identified by their appearance. The Cordettes looked like they colour coordinated their outfits each morning. And he'd even place a bet that they did. His crowd was a bit more rag-tag, and he was comfy with that. This way he knew no one else would be wearing the same Hawaiian shirt as him. Ever.
"Hey doughnut boy, what about..." He could hear Liam's pout. The guy was broody, Spike had muttered something about Bryon, but Xander wasn't sure what he meant.
"No worries. Have a dozen of the crispiest kremes around, just for you mini-van guy."
"Don't call me that!"
Spike turned back and both of their eyes gleamed with mischief. He picked up the challenge. "Whatever you say, mini-van boy."
"Stop that!"
"Whatever, mini-van lad." Xander loved winding Liam up. He was a year older and took everything so seriously. Plus, if he did it right...
"Oh don't let them fluster you. Here, I'll put on some driving music..."
Yup, the Buffster intervened right on schedule. It was fun to watch a linebacker rely on a five foot next to nothing as his defense, but that's what happened every time. Spike glanced back again and this time they shared their "mission accomplished" look.
Xander sank back into the seat, grabbing one of the doughnuts for himself, when he felt more than heard Faith's snort. He figured it was about the Crossroads soundtrack, just cause a movie had a road trip didn't make it road trip music, but he wasn't about to argue with Buffy.
"Agree with you. So what would your musical selection have been?" he asked Faith.
"That's not what I was commenting on, but given Blondie's musical tastes, not sure why I hang with you all. Gotta go classics with road music."
"How classical?" inquired Spike.
"The Doors, the Eagles, something with a pulsing beat that's just out of reach, driving you on, forcing you to let go and just feel the moment."
Xander felt his eyes begin to glaze at the pictures her words were creating. He heard a slight hitch of breath from Spike and figured he'd been enwrapped as well.
"Course that would work better in a Convertible, and not a soccer mom van." Her voice was pitched loud enough to carry over the music to the front seat. Xander turned in time to see Liam's neck stiffen.
"But Faith, I thought you said sex is better in a van, something about more room to ride?" Anya was never shy about details, or about remembering other's sharings.
"NO sex in the van! We just got it steam cleaned and detailed."
"Party pooper," huffed Faith. "It's not like anyone will be getting laid with us three and four to a room."
"And you were so first in line when I mentioned the discount coupon," muttered Buffy in a stage whisper that could wake the dead. "You'll just have to satisfy your urges with adrenalin rushes."
"Liam, I'm feeling sorry for you, if your girl doesn't know that adrenalin is just foreplay, I'm more than--"
"FAITH."
Xander watched Faith do a full body stretch, easily seen in the rear view mirror and how did girls get their boobs to move like that?
"FAITH!" Buffy sounded like a trainer, calling a dog to heel.
"Just joking, god doesn't sound like you're getting any at all. Sure you guys aren't planning on using the van? Might ease the tension."
Buffy just turned up the tunes, effectively cutting the back of the van from any conversation. Faith shrugged her shoulders and picked up her Gameboy. The other girls were still flipping through the magazine, so Xander poked Spike in the shoulder.
"I've got the new Star Trek mag. Come back here and see this article about the schematics on the Voyager shuttle."
Spike fiddled with his seat belt and moved to the larger seat in the back. As they poured over the article, Xander was sure he heard Faith snort again. Must have been something with her game, he thought and then tuned out the real world in favor of the world according to Roddenbury.
Part Two
Off the Road
"Buffy, did you know they didn't have broadband?" Willow might seem quiet and easy going, but that's until someone tried to deny her her internet. Xander suppressed the urge to duck and cover, at least this time the Wrath of Willow(TM) was directed elsewhere.
"Damn, and I was hoping to view some of those porn sites. There's some hot guy/guy stuff I'm just dying to see." Faith flopped down on one of the beds, her army green tank top surprisingly not clashing with the late seventies oranges and browns of the bedspread. And how did he know it was a seventies bedspread? ?Cause it was the same colors as his parents, and theirs had been a wedding present. He was never sure if they liked the tasteless thing, or preferred to spend the money on beer than the decor.
"Phooey, it's only for a couple of days. Surely you can deal with dial up for a few days. Anyway I've got my surprise."
Vintage Buffy, when things didn't go as plan, divert attention elsewhere.
"But I'm following a few stories on my LJ AND the new Keanu movie trailer is coming on line," Willow pouted.
"Keanu's a wimp," was Faith's addition to the discussion. "I could so take him out if we went hand to hand, 'I know Kung fu' yah right."
"What-EVER," Buffy retaliated. Yup, Xander thought, sisters.
They were settling into their lodgings, as Spike had called it. They'd teased him about it, but Xander liked the way the word felt on his tongue. Sophisticated, and a hell of a lot better than motel. He'd thought the game plan was to split up between two rooms, Liam and Buffy had other ideas. Still two rooms, but instead of girls and guys, it was couple and singles, making it two in one room and FIVE in the other.
Not that it bothered Faith. She just ran her eyes over Spike bottom to top and back again and said, "You can share bed space with me, anytime, English."
Taking in Spike's expression, somewhere between affronted and terrified but quickly covered up with a leer that matched his punk hairdo, Xander put in his two cents. "You three barely take up any space at all, what with you being size zeros, Spike and I will take one bed and the three of you can cuddle up on the other." Ha, finally a chance to use the fat card in HIS favour. If they complained after that, they'd be at each like Alien and Predator!
"She snores," countered Willow poking at Anya.
"Do not."
"Do too."
"Well if you do, I'll just kick you."
Funny how threats were more effective when Faith said them so matter of factly.
It was at that point that the horror of road side accommodation made itself clear to Willow, and she asked, "Um, where's the broadband connection or is it wireless?"
Knowing how that discussion was going to go, Xander threw both his and Spike's bag on the bed closest to the door, just to clarify the sleeping arrangement. Not that he'd been looking forward to bunking with Liam but, hey anything could happen on a road trip and following the game plan? Obviously not part of it.
"So have you told them?" asked Liam, still dripping from his shower, but with his hair gelled into place. Xander caught Spike's gaze and they both rolled their eyes. If the end of world was about to happen, Liam would find time to gel his hair first.
"I was just about to, once Willow here stopped complaining about lack of highspeed..." And it was Buffy's turn at the eye roll. Xan had to give her credit, she did do it well, adding the sigh of the completely exasperated.
"So what is it already?" Faith had as much patience as, as, well, as a teen on spring break.
"I've got peach and peppermint schnapps!"
"God, what are we, like seventh graders?" The distain in Faith's voice was equal to that of Paris Hilton's being told to buy shoes at Payless, and to wear them.
"Hey I like peppermint, and if you add o.j. to the peach, you can make fuzzy navels," Buffy defended her surprise huffily.
"The only fuzzy navels I like are on guys." Faith let a heated look pass over all three of them. "I've seen you two in swim suits, but British, do you have a fuzzy navel, with a luscious little treasure trail? Come on show us."
She moved forward, like a panther on the hunt, liquid grace and dark menace. Xander expected Spike to back away, but the boy got his punk on, and returned the leer and growled out, "Not gonna strip unless you do."
Spike just issued a challenge. To Faith. What the hell was he thinking?
"Oh, the boy thinks he's a play-ah," Faith practically purred.
Xander didn't like the grin that she was sporting. It was sharper than any blade on his Swiss Army knife. And, given Faith's shy and demure-- what the hell was demure anyway?-- disposition, looked like it was about to be naked flesh time.
"Did you mean 'you' singular, like just Faith or 'you' plural, like all of us?"
Anya's question broke the tension as everyone turned to look at her. She was sitting on the bed, fixing her nail polish. Noticing everyone's attention, she asked, "What? It was a logical question. I, for one, don't mind going topless, but just thought we should go for dinner first. You do remember that whole 'No shirt, no service' rule?"
"And I am hungry. I vote food." Again, expected role, but anything to buy time. He didn't think Faith would let this drop but it was worth a shot. Not that he was against naked flesh, but he got the feeling it hadn't turned out as Spike had expected.
Willow chimed in, bless her, "Xander! I saw how much you ate in the van. It could have fed an African family for a week."
"Luckily I'm not an African family, then. And that was food for the road, THIS is supper. And Spike's never been to a Denny's, we have to assimilate him!"
Buffy invaded Spike's personal space, "Is that true? Never?"
Sliding back, just a bit, Spike replied, "Might have been some in London, where the tourists hung out. But not the usual thing. What's so bleeding special about this Denny's? Xander wouldn't shut his gob about it all last week. Sounded more important than the roller coasters."
"Greasy breakfast food. Eggs, pancakes, sausage. Coach will give me hell if he catches me eating that stuff." Liam finally started to participate in the conversation.
"All the comforts of home, without the actual home part. Plus Sunnydale's too small to have one so I only get there on road trips. And you can order Onion Rings with your pancakes! All forms of greasy goodness." He knew he was bouncing like a Mexican jumping bean, actually more than a Mexican jumping bean, but hey, Denny's!
"Ugg!" said Anya, Willow, and Buffy simultaneously.
Faith, however, just looked intrigued. "Hmm haven't tried that combo, normally a red meat gal myself but, hey it's a road trip, willing to branch out."
"Fine." Liam sighed, trying to act like the mature one. "Denny's it is.
Part Three
Fine Dining at Denny's
"Target in sight. All fighters ready? Go Go GO!"
"Jeez, why can't you just ASK for the round booth, Xander?"
"But Faithy, that takes all the fun out of it," said a quickly dodging Xander. He knew THAT nickname was often rewarded with a punch.
He'd spent the ride over to Denny's repeating all of its advertising slogans from the last fifteen years. By the end of the short trip he'd received the death glare from everyone BUT Spike. He didn't care. Some people had big dreams, like saving the world or curing cancer. His hero was the guy behind Project: Denny's, whose goal was to visit as many different Denny's as he could before he died. Now that was an achievable task, and an honorable one. 'Course his Xander-babble (TM) might have been caused by the sugar high he was riding, it was kinda hard to tell.
The gang filtered into the round booth with the usual level of pushing and complaints. Liam had headed to the left side, followed by Buffy and Willow, while Anya and Faith wiggled in on the right side.
He plunked himself beside Willow, then turned to Spike who was still standing. "Choose a side, buckaroo, you need the most time to see the menu, what are you waiting for?"
"Left handed, I need to sit at the end. So which of you is going to shove over, eh?"
"Plenty o'space here," Faith practically purred. Oh, she so hadn't forgotten that striping dare. Xander judged her "come hither" leer as 7 out of 10 on the must get lucky soon scale.
"FINE," Spike huffed.
Xander sent him a commiserate glance, he'd been the "recipient" of a rather focused Faith before, and, while there'd been up points, it wasn't something he'd like to repeat. Ever. Knowing Spike's love of sympathy, he covered by thrusting the menu at him, saying, "They've got pancakes and eggs and omelets and burgers and"
"I think he can read, Xander," Willow interrupted with a rueful smile. "Give the boy a moment. Me, I'm thinking of a salad."
"Wills! You can't! Are you feeling all right? Fresh vegetables? HERE? In the home of the greasy grill? Why it's sacrilegious!"
"Calm down, Xander. I wouldn't have had to have a salad if you hadn't seduced me with the Ho-Hos, Krispy Kremes, AND chips in the van. It was only a two hour trip and you had provisions for an army for a week!" Willow's lower lip stuck out in her cute "I'm not really mad, but I'm going to make you suffer anyway" look.
"But what if there'd been traffic, or if Liam got lost? Or a tornado or earthquake hit? Who'd have been the smart one then when all others were fighting it out in groceries stores for the last bits of food and we"
"Breathe, disaster movie freak, I think the waitress wants our order." Faith interjected while playing with the salt and pepper shakers. It was eerie how she sensed when someone new approached. Helped when they cheated in chemistry class though.
She was right, a perky looking blonde stood in front of their table wearing the requisite polyester uniform and Skechers.
"Hi, my name is Anne and I will be your waitress. So, waters to start? Or are you ready to order drinks?"
There was a general muttering of assessment.
"Great, if there is anything I can help you with, just call out! I will be right back with those waters!" The petite waitress, who was about their age, wandered off to wherever missing waitstaff go.
"Looks like our waitress is getting some. Any more chipper and she'd be her own pep squad."
"Faith, that's not fair." Willow always leapt to anyone's defense. She had started a writing campaign for save the Australian rabbits, on the ground that they hadn't asked to be imported. Anya had taken the side of the farmers and viewed them as pests. "Harmful to the economic foundations of certain areas." No one in the group mentioned non-chocolate bunnies on pain of them starting up again.
"But she's right." All heads turned to look at Buffy. SHE was agreeing with Faith? Must be one of those seven signs or something.
"What? Remember when I was back at my Dad's in LA that summer? I was waitressing at a diner. Dad thought it would build character or something. AND he wouldn't let me use the credit card, and I SO needed shoe money. It was when the rounded toes where coming back in and"
"Buffy, darling, I love you, but before we hit the fashion highlights, was there a point?" Liam sweetened his comment with a brief kiss to her temple.
"Oh, yeah. A table like this? Not so big on the tipping. So, offering water? She's not human!" Buffy sat back as if she'd just solved the mystery behind that DaVinci code thing, instead of passing judgment on waitressing styles.
"Here is your water, and I brought some sliced lemon for it. Is anyone ready to order? Or do you need a few more minutes?"
Met with a stunned silence, she replied, "I will be back in a few then!"
"Sliced lemon? Are they going to charge us extra? That is not part of the normal practice and it would be an extra cost. The profit margins in a place like this are good, but you don't expect repeat clientele -"
"ANYA, we know you're kicking butt in your biz course, do you know what you want to order yet?"
"Oh, yes! I'm having the club sandwich on dark, toasted, hold the mayo and extra pickles. With a side salad. But if each waitress did what she'd doing, well the profits would go down. It's a bad initiative and I'd fire her." Anya dropped the menu and settled back into the seat, or at least as far back as Liam and Faith's bodies would let her. The booth was great for five and a bit crowded for seven.
"What about you, Liam?" This had been Xander's choice and he wanted everything to be perfect. The gang didn't listen to him often, and he needed them to like it.
"Hmm just a burger and a milkshake, I think. Vanilla."
"Vanilla, figures," muttered Faith, rather quietly for her. She generally wasn't shy about sharing her opinion or anything else for that matter.
"Honey, that won't go well with the schnapps. Remember last time we went drinking after mixed ice cream and"
A chorus of ewes, icks, and grosses harmonized around the table. Time for Xan-man to come to the group's rescue.
"Okay, a little TMI, but Buffy, captain my captain, your selection this evening will be?"
"Waffles with fresh fruit. And extra whipped cream," was the prompt reply. "I just love waffles and these are way better than the Eggos my mother buys."
"I'm sticking with my normal burger. Can't go wrong with the classics."
Buffy snorted. "And you, Faith, are such the traditionalist."
"Just doing the unexpected, which, for me, can be the expected."
"Anybody else worried that that almost made sense?" Xander set his sarcasm level for "defuse". He then focused his attention on Spike. He'd been silent during the banter, which wasn't unlike him. But he normally was able to throw in a few zingers. On closer inspection, Xander recognized the wrinkled brow as Spike's WTF expression. It was nice to see the normally confident persona a little ruffled.
"So Spike, what gastronomical delight will you be partaking of this evening?"
"Xander!" Interjected Willow. "Multi-syllabics! Good for you! Are you studying for the SATs?"
"NO SCHOOL TALK," chanted the table at her. She made a show of ducking and covering, but, given the twinkle in her eye, she wasn't that put out.
"Harris, I thought the goal was to assimilate him? I'll help assimilate him." Faith's voice was as sultry as a New Orleans August night. Spike tried to wiggle further away from her, but had run out of bench. "My vote's for the Grand Slam. Almost as good as a home run."
"Not bloody eating two fried eggs. They stare like eyes."
Xander watched the blush creep up Spike's face. He had a feeling that tidbit of intel wasn't for public knowledge.
"No worries, you can have the eggs scrambled! Good call, Faith. Your assimilation work is done." Xander decided to ignore her pissed off expression. This was Spike's first road trip, and, unless he wanted a side helping of Faith -- heavy on the innuendo, much?--, Xander was going to protect him from it.
With either inhuman or Swiss precision timing, their waitress turned up to take the orders. She didn't even blink when he ordered a side of onion rings with his pancakes, even if the rest of the table shuddered. The rest except for Spike, he just glared at them and began reciting a recipe for blood pudding.
"But I thought you guys called dessert pudding." Buffy's forehead was puckered, like when she was in math class.
"We do."
"Then why would it be bloody? And for breakfast?"
Spike let out a long suffering sigh and, after muttering, "Heathens," proceeded to over-share on England's traditional foodstuffs. The up-side was it made Xander's own choice look innocuous, and maybe that SAT studying WAS paying off.
Just as Spike was reaching the glories of haggis, Anne turned up with their food. Willow was looking as green as her salad wasn't. Deciding on grace over gloating, Xander merely slid his plate of onion rings her way, earning a grateful smile.
Discussion halted, as when provided a choice between food and chatting, this time the teen scale tipped in the favor of food and they tucked into their meals. Looked like his version of Project Denny's was a success.
A/N: Project Denny's is a real website and can be found here: http://www.p7a77.net/dennys/ As creative as my muse is, real life sometimes trumps it.
A/N: I know that haggis is Scottish, but on the freaky food meter? It works well!
Part Four
Life is Great at the Super 8
After hitting a Dairy Queen for desserts, the gang returned to the motel, passing all of the front units on the way to their end rooms. Faith, as usual, was checking out the scenery.
"My, my, what have we here?"
Xander could almost see the drool dripping from her recently glossed lips.
When the minivan stopped, she hopped out saying, "Gotta grab some Cokes to go with my Jack. BRB!"
"What? I told her no alcohol! What's she doing with Jack Daniels?" huffed Buffy, obviously still stinging from Faith's lack of support on the schnapps front. She slammed the front door shut (and where in the rules did it say that the girlfriend always got shotgun? wondered Xander. Shouldn’t they all get a turn?)
Being good little minions, or at least full and contented friends, the rest of them just followed her to the rooms. Well, almost all of them. "Those guys were cute. I'll check them out, too. If anyone has money, I'll bring them back a soda."
And there went Anya. At least Willow wasn't planning on deserting her bestest bud… at least not for cruising guys, Xander concluded as Willow raced into the room and connected her laptop to the phone line. Or rather not cruising guys in the flesh. Virtual was a whole other ball game.
He noticed that Buffy and Liam had headed to their room, and that left him and Spike.
"Want to see what channels we get? They promised HBO on the sign outside, " he offered. It seemed a little weird that the group thing had disintegrated so quickly, but he shrugged it off. It was Spring Break. The gang was on a road trip. This was the life, and he thought he might have some more Twinkies in his backpack.
He and Spike were sprawled on their bed, midway through a movie they'd both seen before when Buffy and Liam sauntered into the room.
"Where is everyone?" she said with almost concern. No sooner had she uttered that query then Anya wandered in carrying two cans of Coke, still beaded with condensation. "No one gave me money, so these are Faith's."
A feeling of both titillation (and that word made him grin all on its own) and foreboding crept over Xander as they all heard a door slam next door, in Liam and Buffy's room. Then there were other, less innocent, noises.
"She isn't, she couldn't, SHE WOULDN'T!" Buffy's face got redder and redder.
"Come on, Lindsey, I've always wanted to ride a cowboy," a very familiar voice was heard through the thin walls.
Spike rolled over on the bed to face Buffy, "Sounds a bit like she did, and that's she making use of those gymnastic skills, too." This commentary was paired with a loud thump against the adjoining wall.
Liam was shuffling his feet. Buffy looked a bit like Mount St. Helens and even Willow was cringing. Anya was looking at the walls of their room critically.
"Where is he holding her? 'Cause it looks like there's mirrors or pictures everywhere. Wonder if they'll break anything?"
Did he say Mount St. Helens? Looking more like Vesuvius from that history class.
Time for that old Xan-magic.
"So, did someone say something about schnapps? Let's play the 'Sexual Tension on Trek:The Next Generation' game. A shot of schnapps for each time there's a remark that's suggestive, like 'Make it so.' And it's judge's call what's suggestive."
"So who are the judges?" Thank god for Willow as his straight man.
"That would be whoever is drunkest!"
"Great! A drinking game for geeks," muttered Buffy as she pulled out the plastic glasses from the bathroom.
"Nope, the drinking game for geeks is 'Beat the Quote' or 'Name that Klingon House.' I thought I'd go easy on those with a shallower appreciation of true art." He was a geek, but he was their geek, plus he knew that only Spike, or maybe Willow, would have given him a run for his money. The goal here was distraction, not competition. And, despite the rolled eyes, Buffy's presence on the bed proved that it was working.
"Fine, geek boy. Peppermint or peach?"
So, when Faith, sporting several hickies, waltzed in a half hour later, it was to find them huddled on the beds like a pile of puppies, giggling every time Riker opened his mouth.
"I can't believe you all starting drinking without me. Not that I'd touch schnapps with a ten-foot pole."
"How big WAS your cowboy's pole?" Anya inquired with the seriousness of a drunk, or the normal bluntness of an Anya.
"Yeah, we may have started, but it sure sounded like you finished first. Is the room still in one piece?" Xander was glad he wasn't at the other end of Buffy's glare. It could put Superman's heat vision to shame, plus he would have been six shades of red and purple at this point. Faith just licked her lips and smirked like she had canary feathers in her mouth.
"Hey, B, thanks for leaving the condoms handy. You do have more, don't you?"
As Buffy began to sputter and Liam's brow furrowed into his worried face, Faith continued, "Thought the plan was to have fun. So, what have you been up to? I could hear the giggling."
Then she prowled over to her bag and pulled out a square bottle of Jack. "Ahn, where's my Coke? Let's get this party started."
"It's in the tank of the toilet." When everyone made an eww-face, she explained, "The tank! I've read it keeps things cold and minimizes water usage."
"Whatever, and didn't someone make me a bet?"
Damn. He'd hoped that the dinner and what he was assuming was random sex might have made Faith forget about Spike's challenge. Should have known better. She had a streak of pit bull in her that never let go of an idea, if it was one she liked. And naked guys? Definitely something she liked!
Spike pushed himself upright off the bed. "Wasn't a bet, nor a wager. No money involved, was there? Anyway, sounds like you'll shuck your top for any Tom, Dick, or Horny. Not really much of a challenge."
"Oh, so you're looking for a challenge?" Stepping into his space, Faith continued, "B. made sure that Wills couldn't download MY porn, why don't you help me out?"
Faith's voice had dropped to a sultry level, a sure sign that naughtiness was about to occur.
"Hey, weren't you just all friendly with your cowboy there? Or didn't he leave you satisfied despite the soundtrack?" Harris tradition number 12: open mouth, insert foot. Guaranteed to make any situation worse.
"Oh good. We have another volunteer, unless you're too chickenshit to help out a friend."
Standing at the foot of the bed -- and when had THAT happened? -- he glanced around the room. Buffy and Liam were sitting against a headboard, or rather Liam was and Buffy was sitting against him. He was squirming a little, but whether it was because of the convo or Buffy, Xander couldn't tell.
Buffy, on the other hand, didn't look disturbed at all. In fact, her gaze was now that of a resting lioness, predatory was the word that sprung to mind. No help there.
Turning toward the small table, he noticed that this discussion was enough to pull Willow away from the magic of the Internet, but not in a "save my best bud" kind of way. Nope, she was looking like that time she'd gotten a chemistry set for her tenth birthday.
With desperation, he looked over at Anya, who was suddenly paying a lot of attention to her Tootsie Pop.
"Help how?" Spike's voice rumbled. He suddenly seemed bigger, and Xander could believe that he'd done martial arts back in England. You could feel both control and disdain emanating -- score one for the SAT vocab -- from him.
Despite outweighing him, Xander almost took a step back, then almost took a step forward. When had his friend Spike become so forceful?
"Nothing to get your panties in a twist, just a little kiss is all."
But that gleam in her eyes belied her innocent tone.
"A kiss, between you and Xander."
Part Five
Daredoing aka The Kiss
"A kiss? Is that all?" Spike sneered. "Thought this was a dare."
"You guys have to kiss for one minute--"
"Only one?" Buffy's speculative look -- the kind she saved for shoe sales -- did nothing to ease Xander's panic.
"B, you're right. Two minutes, with us watching."
"Are they just going to stand there? That's not much fun." This time Anya spoke up." I think they should be on the bed, that way we can see it better. Oh, we can see who'll be on top. Bet it's not Xander; he never was with me."
Great! Anya had gone to the TMI zone, and they'd only gone out for a few months. What would she have done if he'd broken up with her and not vice versa?
"Fine, on the bed." Spike grabbed his arm and dragged him to the unoccupied bed. "Follow my lead," he whispered. He scrambled onto the middle of the bed then flopped onto his side. "You'll hide their view this way."
"Hey, that's so not fair. All I can see is Xander's back!" Yup, Anya grasped Spike's plan.
"Whatever, I bet they don't do it. Are the boys scared of a little smoochies?" Faith continued to taunt them.
"I'm tired of hearing her bitch about this. Ready?" Spike's hand tipped up his chin and he peered into his eyes, wearing a look of determination rather than of interest.
"Are you guys going kiss or what? Time won't start ticking 'til I see some lip-locking there."
Out of the corner of his eye, Xander saw Faith move around the bed for a better view. Most of his attention was still on Spike.
"Just a dare." Spike's words flowed over his face, as Spike's right hand cupped his cheek. With a final glance at his eyes, Spike's hand moved into Xander's hair, then sharply pulled him forward into a harsh kiss, noses bumping, lips and teeth mashing together.
No, this isn't what he wanted. Pulling back, his own hand moved to Spike's chest to push him away, to slow things down. It had been cupped in the unconscious expectation of a breast. He hadn't thought that the muscles in Spike's chest would be so firm. The surprise made him gasp, which gave Spike the opportunity to dart his tongue into Xander's mouth.
"Luckily, we both had the peppermint," was the last coherent thought that passed through Xander's brain as sensations overran logic. He felt a hand ghosting down his back, but then he was distracted by the invading tongue. It was tracing between his lips and teeth before plundering into the main cavern of his mouth. He tried to expel the trespasser but found a building tension in their interplay. A tension that was working itself out through his fingers, tracing the outline of Spike's pecs until, as if under their own power, his fingers tweaked Spike's left nipple.
*gasp*
That distraction allowed Xander's tongue entry into Spike's mouth, something he took full advantage of. The taste was a combination of peppermint, Ding Dong, and something else his brain struggled to identify, only knowing it wanted more.
He was getting hard, faster than any recent make-out session he'd had. He was kissing SPIKE, and it was .. .
a slip-sliding of a non-frontal attack, with Spike's tongue entwining with his. Craving more, he pushed the action further into Spike's mouth, mapping out and memorizing the new territory. His explorations found a spot that pulled a groan out of Spike, who clutched tightly at the fabric of his t-shirt.
As if in response to that pressure, his leg worked its way between Spike's, pulling another groan out of his friend, who edged closer into his leg. The thought "Is that a banana in your pocket?" wormed its way into his mind as his body had other ideas and closed whatever space had been between them.
Another gasp, this time from him, as their lengths pressed against each other. He found his hips moving in a familiar rhythm, and the metal teeth of his zipper biting into him adding a frisson of pain to the flood of pleasure flowing through him.
Spike's left hand tickled him, forcing him up so it could snake underneath. Then both of his hands were tugging at the back of Xander's shirt, exposing a strip of skin to the cool air. He hissed as those hands worked their way up his back. The warmth of Spike's skin spread through his muscles, and all he could think was "closer".
As if in response to his thought, Spike pushed, rolling Xander onto his back. This move had them lying chest to chest with the blond now cradled between Xander's legs. "Yes" The pressure was more, the more he'd been unconsciously seeking.
At no point, beyond gasps, had their lips left each other. That changed when Spike arched his back, grinding them together, then dipped his head and began to trail wet sloppy kisses along Xander's jaw line, and down his neck. Being held down, unable to continue tasting Spike, proved a torture, as if he'd been deprived of air. His hands had moved when they'd rolled and were now exploring the well hidden muscles of Spike's back. The boy was buff! And Xander discovered he liked that. He let his hands wander lower, tracing the top of Spike's jeans, skirting over his denim-covered ass, then pulling it closer to him.
Another gasp, and Spike moved to reclaim his mouth. Which was the way he wanted it. He wanted to remember this, but all he could do was surf the waves of feeling flowing over him. He caught Spike's lower lip and worried at it. Spike, not pulling away, extended his tongue to try and trace his top lip. That gentle brushing -- well, that and the full body contact -- had electric shimmers running through him. So that's what toe-curling meant! And they were still dressed.
"Um, guys? Time's up. Guys?" Willow's voice slowly penetrated the haze surrounding them. Spike lifted his head and gazed at Xander. Xander saw the questions, the uncertainty, the lust, and the possessiveness in the blond's eyes. Taking a deep breath, he made a choice, and gave a brief nod.
"Sod off, Red. All of you get out. NOW! " barked Spike.
They could hear the rustling as the group listened to Spike and departed.
"Ha! I knew those two had the hots for each other." Faith's opinion was heard through the door.
Spike quickly got up.
No, it couldn't have been a trick. Sure, looking at linoleum could make him wanna have sex but, ignoring the hard evidence, those touches and hungry kisses? Had Spike been thinking of someone else? Was he just going to laugh at Xander?
Xander curled into a protective ball facing away from the door. And then he heard a click.
"Figure we've had enough with an audience, want to see you, taste you, and my exhibitionist streak doesn't go that far." His voice was muffled. "Deadbolt's a lovely invention. Are you still dressed?"
A minute later, Xander wasn't.
A/N: What? I promised a make-out scene. Spike wants his privacy and I'm not going to argue with him.
The End
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