DailyDrabble(ish) # 12 - For Loyalty, 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: For Loyalty
Pairing: Spike/Xander
Fandom: Buffy
Rating: PG
Words: 657
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: Spike looks after his things.
Notes: Written for ladyvirgo1956, who gave me the prompt "Spike watching Xander as he tries to help the Scoobies while they ignore him."



Spike stood quietly in the shadows of the Pierson family crypt and watched the Slayer's little band do their thing.

The witches were back to back firing off short-lived squibs of flame, torching anything dumb enough to get within three feet of them. It was a smart enough tactic, holding off the attack until Wondergirl could come to their aid.

The Slayer herself was in the thick of things, spinning and kicking and mouthing off, wasting so damn much energy. Any vamp with half a brain and the ability to wait a while could watch her wear herself out on the fledges and the back flips and the backchat, and then dive in for the kill before she knew what was happening.

His neck and back muscles tightened instinctively, waiting for the chip to kick in at the glorious image of her lying at his feet, bleeding out, begging for mercy. It didn’t fire.

A flurry of movement at the corner of his eye drew his attention to the real reason he was here - the sidekick, who was currently pinned to the ground beneath a very hungry, dirt-smudged vampire. Spike watched for a while, ever aware of just how close some other vamp's teeth were to his property.

And, no mistake about it, Harris was his property. He wasn't the sharpest knife in the drawer by any means, and he was stumbling about out there like a pup that hadn't yet grown into his feet, but he had good instincts, a hint of cunning and guile.

As Spike watched, Xander's struggles weakened and faded away to nothing. The idiot on top of him laughed victoriously and drew back to make a showy lunge for his jugular. The stake in his chest was an unwelcome surprise.

Playing dead when you had a grave-fresh fledge at your throat, on the off-chance that he'd watched the same bad movies as you had and couldn't resist the urge to grandstand before draining you dry - that took balls, and a convoluted way of thinking that reminded him of Dru, and wouldn't his princess get a kick out of that when she found out.

He always fell hardest for brunettes, Spike thought ruefully. Dru, with her mass of heavy ringlets and her addled way of looking at the world, who had stolen his heart while cutting him free of his soul. Then Angelus, who'd stepped in and taught him how to be a demon, a hunter, something - someone - to be feared. Who'd also taught him about the limits of his no longer mortal body.

And now Harris.

He was easy on the eyes, in a gangly puppy kind of way, all long limbs, tight arse and ever-widening shoulders; dark eyes and hair that had a tendency to curl when it got that bit too long. If Spike had his way - and he would, eventually - he'd keep that hair long and loose so he could bury his hands in it and use the locks like reins.

But it wasn't the looks or the cunning and guile that Spike really hungered after. It wasn't even the hint of animal instinct that never failed to pique his interest when it flashed in Harris's eyes.

What Spike really wanted, what he craved, was to have that boundless loyalty focussed solely on him. To see those eyes filled with an eagerness to please him, the need to make his sire proud - that was what kept Spike lurking in the shadows, making plans, and watching out for his property while the slayer did her usual song and dance, quite oblivious.

Pretty soon it would be time to stake his claim, do a bit of house-cleaning, tidy up loose ends, and then knock the grave dust of Sunnydale off his boots forever. And he'd be leaving with a hat trick of Slayers under his belt or he wouldn't be leaving at all.

Comments

[knitty-woman.livejournal.com]

oooh! Even though I don't love slayer bashing particularly, this was really good. Loved Xander's trick, and that he's so loyal.

[darkhavens.livejournal.com]

Thank you! I think his loyalty would be very attractive to Spike.

I'm not big on Buffy bashing either, but I did want to try and stick to the prompt, so I just made it more 'watching' than 'bashing'. :D

BTW, as first commenter, you get to provide the next prompt. The rules are at the top of the post. happy prompting!

[knitty-woman.livejournal.com]

Wow! I feel honored. Let's hope I don't blow it with my prompt - Spander and Strip Scrabble.

kw

[darkhavens.livejournal.com]

Oh, that should be fun! I can just see them arguing now about American vs English spelling and whether or not slang should be allowed. I shall think on it! :D

[knitty-woman.livejournal.com]

(squeeee....) Thank you ! Can't wait!

kw

[lit-gal.livejournal.com]

Oh god... that is just lovely. And it's a wonderful description of Xander and those traits which would (of course) attract Spike. I love it.

[darkhavens.livejournal.com]

Thank you!

I've always been convinced that Xander's loyalty would be one of the biggest draws for Spike. Spike has so many abandonment issues. *g*

[lit-gal.livejournal.com]

Exactly!!! That's why I love them together... it's also why Spuffy makes me spit and hiss. She turned on him. She made fun of him knowing all his abandonment issues. Spangel gets me less spitty and hissy because while Angel abandoned Spike, he sure passed up many, MANY opportunities to humiliate/stake him.

[darkhavens.livejournal.com]

Spuffy had me hissing at the screen for all sorts of reasons. I can't read Spangel at all. Historical stuff (pre-abandonment, pre-soul) might work, but I'd know that it was only temporary, and I'm a happy-ever-after kinda girl. And post-Chosen doesn't work for me either, because I can't get past Spike's abandonment issues. :P

I guess I'm just a rabid OTPer at heart. Spike+Xander makes me happy. ;)

[lit-gal.livejournal.com]

Yeah, me too. I really do prefer those two together, even if I let Angel in on the act as a third wheel every now and then

[iadorespike]

Butting in, but oh man...I feel the same way about S/A. I can't read it - not at all, and now I know I'm not the only one. *hugs you* I'm always surprised about how many people read/write/ship S/A. I am a total Spander-ho and proud of it. *eg*

I did start out Spuffy (because of the show,and I wanted her to actually love Spike), but even then, I always felt that Buffy didn't really deserve Spike. He should have someone who really loves him, too...not be someone's dirty, little secret. :(

Joyfully, I discovered slash. *winks* Love my S/X. :D

[katbcoll.livejournal.com]

Oh. Ohhhh. Niiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiice!

[darkhavens.livejournal.com]

Thank you! :D

[iadorespike]

Ooohhh...lovely. I know that Spike's been accused of being ADD Vamp, but when he really wants something he never loses sight of it. Xander? Definitely focus-worthy. *LOL* Thanks so much for this. :)

Anna *hugs*

[darkhavens.livejournal.com]

Thank you!

Oh, I agree that Spike is definitely the poster vamp for ADD, but some things deserve that extra bit of focus. *g*

[literati.livejournal.com]

wow! lovely stuff. I've missed your Spander so much.

[darkhavens.livejournal.com]

Thank you, baybee!

You missing Spander, whoever woulda thunk it? ;)

[entrenous88.livejournal.com]

Oh, this kind of S/X story really gets to me, and I really like what you did with it here. More S/X from you is always a good thing!

[darkhavens.livejournal.com]

Thanks! *smooch* (And welcome back to LJ after your weeks in the wild!)

School Hard is one of those episodes that keeps dragging me back to write more fic. Spike is so damn hungry for someone to want him instead of what he can do for them/be for them, and Xander is such a pretty, loyal morsel. *g*

[realpestilence.livejournal.com]

Is it wrong of me that I really wish Spike *had* attained his hat trick? *is wistful*


Pesti

[darkhavens.livejournal.com]

Hee! I have that wish sometimes too, but only if it would have got us 'The Spike and Xander Show'. *g*

Thanks!

[ladyvirgo1956.livejournal.com]

Thank-you I really loved what you did here. Spike is so much more observant than the Scoobies give him credit for. As for loyalty that is all Spike ever wanted only to be denied it.

[darkhavens.livejournal.com]

Thank you!

Spike saw (and heard!) a lot more than he ever let on, I'm quite sure of that. And yeah, loyalty was the one thing he wanted more than anything else and he never actually got it. That's what fic's for! :D

[suki-blue.livejournal.com]

Yeah, baby!!

Love it. Spike and Xan together forever, just as they should be.

[darkhavens.livejournal.com]

yessss! Spander 4evah! :D
Thankee, darlin'!

[mysticsoblivion.livejournal.com]

Yummmmmmmm, I love it when Spike is being evil, or, well, evil like that- it's a happy thing! *G* And it's almost schmoopy that what he wants/needs is the loyalty, bloody Victorian romantics. *sigh*

[darkhavens.livejournal.com]

He is a very bloody Victorian romantic. it makes writing him so much fun!

Thankee. :D

[zandra-x.livejournal.com]

I love your S/X stories. 8 ]

[darkhavens.livejournal.com]

Thank you! :D

[tabaqui]

Playing dead when you had a grave-fresh fledge at your throat, on the off-chance that he'd watched the same bad movies as you had and couldn't resist the urge to grandstand before draining you dry - that took balls, and a convoluted way of thinking that reminded him of Dru, and wouldn't his princess get a kick out of that when she found out.

Yisssssssss.
:)
*luff*

[darkhavens.livejournal.com]

Thank you! :D

That'[s my favourite bit of this piece because not only is it a very Xander-y thought process, but it's Spike knowing that that's the way Xander's brain works. It says so much about them both. :D

[thedabara-cds.livejournal.com]

Ooh, I like this!

[darkhavens.livejournal.com]

Thank you! :D

[(Anonymous)]

I'm not even taking the time to log in. This is a brilliant piece. I love the characterization. Spike is subtle, but in a pompous, blatant way. You play on his two contradictory aspects perfectly. Muy bueno.

Rose

[darkhavens.livejournal.com]

Spike is subtle, but in a pompous, blatant way. You play on his two contradictory aspects perfectly.

Thank you! He can do subtle when he works at it, he's just usually too impatient. *g*

[vinniebatman.livejournal.com]

Oh man, I loved this!
See, I would so pick Xander, too.
And I liked that this wasn't Buffy Bashing, too.
Buffy and Willow simply got caught up in what they could do and college life, leaving Xander at loose ends, which you showed well.
I liked this!

[darkhavens.livejournal.com]

Thank you!

I must admit to enjoying a bit of Buffy-bashing (and Willow-bashing) on rare occasions, but it didn't feel right in this and I'm glad that the difference came across. :D

Xander is the pick of the bunch, rom Spike's point of view.

[thismaz.livejournal.com]

Very nice development of the prompt and a very nice look at Spike's thought. I loved the promise in it and the recognition in the final line that it was not a foregone conclusion.

[darkhavens.livejournal.com]

Thank you!

Spike takes obsessive-possessive to new heights (depths?) and it makes him so much fun to write when he's deep in the middle of it, especially when the target is as totally oblivious as Xander is here. :D

[http://users.livejournal.com/_beetle_/]

What Spike really wanted, what he craved, was to have that boundless loyalty focussed solely on him. To see those eyes filled with an eagerness to please him, the need to make his sire proud - that was what kept Spike lurking in the shadows, making plans, and watching out for his property while the slayer did her usual song and dance, quite oblivious.

Yes, this is Spike, mega-possessive, but patient, waiting, spinning like a spider. And one day, everything'll fall into his web.

I love that the things he admires about Xander and the things he wants from Xander are two different things--things that none of the Scoobs recognize or appreciate, but that Spike will gladly take and hone. That he's willing to wait for.

Pretty soon it would be time to stake his claim, do a bit of house-cleaning, tidy up loose ends, and then knock the grave dust of Sunnydale off his boots forever. And he'd be leaving with a hat trick of Slayers under his belt or he wouldn't be leaving at all.

That, coupled with the fact that the chip didn't fire . . . oh, that last line was strong and perfect. Down to the contemplative, evilicious smile I can all but see on Spike's face.

[http://users.livejournal.com/_beetle_/]

What Spike really wanted, what he craved, was to have that boundless loyalty focussed solely on him.

Typo, focussed. Unless it's a British spelling thing, in which case ignore me and mail me pie.

[darkhavens.livejournal.com]

it's one of those either/or things. Single S spelling is more common (at least at Google), but I was brought up to spell it SS so...

*smooches you for catching the possible faux pas.* I appreciate being alerted to goofs in my work so I can edit their little arses into oblivion. :D

[darkhavens.livejournal.com]

Yes, this is Spike, mega-possessive, but patient, waiting, spinning like a spider.

Yessss! he is so obsessive-possessive about what he loves, and Xander is so damn needy and hungry for love. And so under-appreciated!

oh, that last line was strong and perfect. Down to the contemplative, evilicious smile I can all but see on Spike's face.

That line was a last minute addition, so I'm very glad that it worked! And yeah, you know he's got his 'I'm evil and you love it' smile on. *g*

[stretfordditto.livejournal.com]

Totally excellent.

[darkhavens.livejournal.com]

Thanks!