Daily(ish) Drabble(ish) #10 - The Big One, Spike/Xander

[darkhavens]

First commenter on the day's drabble(ish) gets to provide pairing and prompt for the next one. You can choose from Spike/Xander, John/Rodney and Sam/Dean or choose one of them as a solo character. Give me a word, or mood, or something to think on and I'll see what I can do. I may expand the possible selection if this works and I actually get my mojo firing on all cylinders. (Nobody gets two drabbles in a row. If you get one today, you don't get to have one tomorrow, even if your comment is up first.)

Author: darkhavens
Title: The Big One
Pairing: Spike/Xander
Fandom: Buffy
Rating: PG
Words: 973
Concrit: darkhavens @ slashverse.com. If you spot a typo, please feel free to tell me in comments. I want you to!
Disclaimer: Not mine, never will be. No harm, no foul, no money made.
Summary: Xander and Spike are about to seal the deal of a lifetime, but nature intervenes. Futurefic.
Notes: Written for reremouse, who requested "The Spike and Xander from this story again - five years in the future. Your prompt is 'captain of industry' and I want a necktie involved."


Xander dropped to his knees and scrabbled around in the shadows beneath his desk for his other sock, wasting precious seconds before finding it tangled around one of the gleaming casters of his new office chair.

New office furniture - in just about any of their offices - called for lots of celebratory, energetic, furniture-christening sex with his terminally hot undead business partner.

He tugged the misshapen silk over his anklebone, slipped his foot into its hand-crafted, carefully polished brown leather shoe, and turned to see if Spike was fully dressed yet.

He wasn't.

What he was was naked.

Pressed, from nose to toes, belly up against the necro-tinted south-facing solid glass wall of Xander's office, Spike was gloriously naked save for Xander's second favorite raw silk tie - a geometric print of gold and bronze with real silver thread, a Christmas gift from Giles the year before.

Forty floors below, the traffic looked like Matchbox toys and the people looked like tiny plastic men from model train sets. Spike didn't even bother glancing down, so intent was he on watching the final shimmering fingernail of reddish gold sun sink slowly beneath the waves of the Pacific.

"Fuck, Spike!"

Spike's eyes slid closed and his forehead bounced once off the vampire-proof glass before he turned to look at Xander, who was looking back at him with eyes brim full of panic and frustration, with his arms brim full of Spike's discarded clothes.

"Jesus, Spike, hurry up and get dressed! Jurgensen will be here in fifteen minutes for the signing!"

The thrown clothes hit Spike's chest and fell unheeded to the carpet, partially covering his polished toenails - bronze and gold to match the tie.

"Nah, he won't." Spike flexed his toes in the deep, grey wool of the carpet - the only outward sign of guilt he dared allow himself. "The phone went just before I came in here; Rebecca took the call and I said I'd tell you. Wasn't my fault you jumped me for some hot and sweaty office action. Nice chair, by the way."

Xander blinked once, then twice, looked over his shoulder at the door, and then back at Spike, uncomprehending.

"What?"

"Jurgensen's not coming, luv. His assistant called to let us know he wouldn't be able to make it today."

Xander's face went completely blank, and with a sigh, Spike began to wriggle his way into his jeans.

"Rebecca pulled one of her snake-charming tricks and got the bloke to admit that Jurgensen had called from a taxi on his way to the airport. Seems his little girl's gone into labour two months early and he's flying up to hold her hand and scare the doctors into treating her right, or some such rot."

The news broke Xander's rigid control, a deep furrow appearing between his eyebrows as the worry set in.

Spike held up a hand before he could even take a breath.

"I've already told her to track down whoever we've got up in Washington State and to get them over to the hospital with a gift basket. I figure something pretty but comfortable for the new mum and some of those tiny doll-sized clothes for the little one, like the girls got for Ellen when she had her preemie at the Portland house."

Spike stepped up into Xander's personal space, hooked his forefingers into Xander's nearest belt loops and gave them a tug.

"He's not backing out of the contract, Xan. He hasn't suddenly found another firm that can do what we do, as well or as fast as we can do it for the prices we charge. He's more worried about his little girl and her little girl to even remember what his name is right now, much less think about us. And tomorrow, Rebecca will call that daft assistant of his and charm him into giving her a heads-up when Jurgensen's ready to deal."

Xander's arms came up to loop around Spike's back as he dropped his head to bring their foreheads together. He curled his fists around the dangling tail of the tie that followed the line of Spike's spine.

"I know. I know, it's just..." He broke off with a sigh, and Spike echoed it.

"This was going to be 'The Big One', yeah, I know that too. And it will be, eventually. We just have to not go crazy before everybody's signed on the dotted line and promised the souls of their first born to the lawyers. After that, we've got what - four? five? years to earn the one point seven billion dollars he's paying us, and then we're out of here, free and clear, everybody wins."

Spike tilted his chin and angled his head to bury his nose in the sprinkling of silver at Xander's temple.

"You're starting to look all dignified and masterful now, luv. A little bit longer and you'll be perfectly aged, just like that cognac my dealer found last month - smooth and dark, all woodsmoke and spices, with a hint of molasses and cinnamon, honey sweet. Perfect."

A gentle knock at the door broke the mood and Xander eased back to roll his eyes at Spike.

"It should probably creep me out that you're comparing me to your third favorite beverage in the world, after blood and hot chocolate, but all it does is get me hot." He chuckled. "You've ruined me for anyone else, Spike. Looks like you're stuck with me."

There was another tap-tap-tap at the door and then it opened. Captains of industry apparently weren't allowed to go home and pout when a billion dollar deal got postponed. Not when they had an assistant as scarily efficient as Rebecca and a conference call scheduled for nine p.m.

Life went on, regardless.

Well, for another four or five years, at least.

Comments

[tabaqui]

Heeeeee.
I love the image of Spike pressed up against the glass, utterly naked except for a tie.

And matching toenails!
Heeeeeeee.

[darkhavens.livejournal.com]

Thankee! :D

The matching toenails are a big clue to Spike's character in this. He didn't just wake up and decide to wear Xander's tie to this meeting, he chose his outfit in advance and then went out and bought matching nail polish for his toenails. And I'm pretty sure that half of the reason was just so Xander could laugh at his colour co-ordination later, and mellow out the 'OMG!1.7BILLIONDOLLARZ!!!' buzz. *g*

[tabaqui]

Heeeeeee!
Dude.
I can so see that.
:)

Ah ha!
Was i first? I think i was first.

I want *more*.

More of a Spike who schemes to match toenails to ties.
Heh.

Hrmmmmmmm...how about...creme brule and green grapes and...black cherry kool-aid.

Don't ask. Run with it!
:)

[darkhavens.livejournal.com]

You were indeed first and... wow. Your mind is a very odd place. *g*

Creme brule, green grapes and black cherry kool-aid it is.

This Spike is fun!

*puts thinking cap on*

[tabaqui]

*twirls you*

Can't help it, my brain is like a rabbit. Jumpy.
:)

[shakatany.livejournal.com]

Am I the first? Then more S/X pleasean

Shakatnany

[shakatany.livejournal.com]

Woops I was in such a hurry I mispelled a couple of words including my name *headdesk*

Shakatany

[darkhavens.livejournal.com]

tabaqui got in just before you, but she also requested more S/X, so you both win. :D

[iadorespike]

Ooohhh...I was so hoping we'd see more of this after the first bit. Loved this sooooo much.

"You're starting to look all dignified and masterful now, luv. A little bit longer and you'll be perfectly aged, just like that cognac my dealer found last month - smooth and dark, all woodsmoke and spices, with a hint of molasses and cinnamon, honey sweet. Perfect."

I love that Spike is getting Xander just the way he wants him, before...you know. ;) Thanks so much. :)

Anna *hugs*

[darkhavens.livejournal.com]

Thank you! And there is more to come, as per Tabaqui's request. :D

Xander is Spike's work in progress. He's introduced Xander to a lot of the good things in life, kept him fit and healthy, doesn't allow him to buy his own clothes unsupervised - and Xander's enjoying every minute of it. :D

[reremouse.livejournal.com]

Yeah - still totally with the incoherent squee here. I so wanna see more of these two. Am I gonna have to stalk your daily drabbles? Huh?

[darkhavens.livejournal.com]

Incoherent squee is a wonderful compliment, thankee!

It looks like you and Tabaqui can trade off with the stalking of drabbles. And as the next post will mark the third segment, I think it will be time to give 'Captains of Industry' their own tag. :D

[tykell.livejournal.com]

Oh
My
God
::swoon::
That tie....woah. XD This is great! And when he says 'for the next four or five years' does he mean he's gonna be turned???? Is that it? Or is this a foregone conclusion or some such that I've missed and will have to be reminded about, leading to my embarrassment over missing such an obvious clue/announcement/whatnot?

[darkhavens.livejournal.com]

Thank you! :D

*revives you*

And when he says 'for the next four or five years' does he mean he's gonna be turned???? Is that it? Or is this a foregone conclusion or some such that I've missed and will have to be reminded about, leading to my embarrassment over missing such an obvious clue/announcement/whatnot?

This is a second peek into a universe that was created in Daily Drabble #9 (http://darkhavens.livejournal.com/181108.html), and Spike and Xander's 'plan' was first mentioned in there. ;)

[tykell.livejournal.com]

mmm, I remember now! I had to catch up since I disappeared for a bit and read Harry Potter Book 7 ::slightly sheepish:: Thanks ^.^; ::drools slightly::: So much lovely stuff, so little time XD

[lostgirlslair.livejournal.com]

Hee! That was wonderful, sweetie! *G* I, too, love the image of Spike pressed up against the window!

[darkhavens.livejournal.com]

Thank you, darlin'!

You know those pretty decals you can get to stick on the window for the sun to shine through? I think we should all be allowed to have stick-on Spikes. :D

[literati.livejournal.com]

tie... *thud*

♥

[darkhavens.livejournal.com]

Ha! I told Rere when she asked for it that she'd be feeding into one of your kinks. :D

*smooch* ta!

[viciouscats.livejournal.com]

Aww, so lovely! :)

[darkhavens.livejournal.com]

Thanks! :D

[mysticsoblivion.livejournal.com]

Yeah!!!! *bounces about happily* I adore these things hun, they make Mys happy. And why oh why can I just see the whole cognac comparison, and damn but I have to agree with Xander "all it does is get me hot", yummy.*drools profusely*

[darkhavens.livejournal.com]

Thank you! Spike does like to get Xander all hot and bothered. *g*

[bmblbee.livejournal.com]

Oh the promise of a future of unlife together.
How perfectly perfect.

[darkhavens.livejournal.com]

Thank you! I love giving them a nice long future together. :D

[vinniebatman.livejournal.com]

::drools::
Damn it, I want a naked Spike window treatment, too.
Very lovely, I like how smart the boys are being about eternity.
Hell, they'll by like the Carnegie foundation, which had/has so much money saved that accruing interest in the tens of millions.
They'll be big pimpin'.
Well, big vampin' I guess.
Another lovely fic from you!
Thank you!

[darkhavens.livejournal.com]

Thank you!

I don't think Spike would be patient long enough for them to accrue Carnegie-sized funds, but they're going to be unliving lives of luxury when they finally make the change. :D

[adis723.livejournal.com]

Mmmm... glass wall. Mmm... raw silk tie. And I loved Spike's description of 'perfectly aged Xander'.

Yeah, good stuff.

[darkhavens.livejournal.com]

Thank you!

(Would you believe I actually googled for cognac-specific descriptors? And I had to make do with brandy because apparently the cognac manufacturers each have their own little set of terms so there's no general 'language'. *g*)

[saifai.livejournal.com]

Spike is so subtle. And yet he's also blunt. How he can be subtle in a blunt way is beyond me, but that's what he is, especially when it comes to romance.

His final description of Xander made me laugh, cuz I had the same reaction to it that Xander did. It should be disturbing, but somehow it's just hot.

I get the feeling 5 years for them is the max before Spike preserves his perfectly aged human. But you never know...

Brilliant as usual, my dear.

[darkhavens.livejournal.com]

Spike is so subtle. And yet he's also blunt. How he can be subtle in a blunt way is beyond me, but that's what he is, especially when it comes to romance.

He has skillz! And he's had decades to hone them. ;)

Thankee, darlin'!

[thismaz.livejournal.com]

I love this Spike, he is so scheming, but for all the best reasons. Matching toenail polish *g*
And the mental picture of Xander with the beginnings of silver in his hair? *sigh* Lovely.

[darkhavens.livejournal.com]

Thank you! Scheming Spike is so much fun to write. :D