Set of 4 drabbles for ![[profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
open_on_sunday's challenge #82 - Shakespeare
Oct. 19th, 2004 01:30 amdarkhavensAuthor: darkhavens
Title: Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow
Pairing: S/X
Rating: PG-13 (erring on the side of caution)
Disclaimer: Not mine, never will be. No harm, no foul, no money made.
A set of four drabbles, quotes acting as titles of sorts. (I'm not a Shakespeare fan, so I garnered inspiration from the quotes themselves, not the work from whence they came.)
~~~~~
And since you know you cannot see yourself,
so well as by reflection, I, your glass,
will modestly discover to yourself,
that of yourself which you yet know not of.
Julius Caesar, Act 1 Scene 2
Xander leaned across and planted a swift kiss on a mouth open in shock, pulling back before he got lost in the feel of satin soft skin against his lips.
"You have no idea what I see when I look at you. You think I see a cold, harsh, punk who doesn't give a damn? No. I see the beauty in you, the caring in you. I see the loneliness, the love, the need to have someone to call your own, someone who'll call you theirs in turn. I want to be that someone, Spike. Let me be that someone..."
~~~~~
I have immortal longings in me.
"Antony and Cleopatra", Act 5 scene 2
It was a conversation Xander could only imagine having in the dark, curled beneath the bedclothes with his lover in his arms. He'd thought long and hard about what to say if Spike came out and asked. He never thought he'd be the one to voice forbidden words.
"It's been on my mind since Jesse died. Since Angel proved a vampire could be more than death and fangs, I've wondered... And then there was you and your love for Dru. And now there's us, and the choice is easy. Make me yours, Spike. Let me love you forever. Turn me."
~~~~~
The sands are number'd that make up my life.
Henry VI, Part 3, Act 1, Scene 4
...so I decided to write you instead. I'm sending everything to you, G-Man, (and I'm not apologising for that, either) because I know you'll be there for my girls to cry on when they learn why I won't be around any more. Spike didn't talk me into anything, I swear. I asked him, and the truth is, he turned me down at first. He said I didn't know what I was getting myself into, but I learned a lot from those books you never believed I actually read. He understands now.
So...
This is the last will and testament of..."
~~~~~
To-morrow, and to-morrow, and to-morrow,
Creeps in this petty pace from day to day
To the last syllable of recorded time,
And all our yesterdays have lighted fools
The way to dusty death. Out, out, brief candle!
Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player
That struts and frets his hour upon the stage
And then is heard no more: it is a tale
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,
Signifying nothing.
Macbeth, Act 5, Scene 5
One hundred years and never a night apart. Two halves made whole, two hearts unbeating, one soul shared between them both. They lived well in the darkness, kept each other safe from harm. They watched as all they'd known slowly turned to dust and faded memories, but never once regretted what they'd done, though tears were spilt. They honoured long gone friends and watched their progeny grow up, so sure the bedtime stories were all make-believe and jest. They made their presence felt wherever demons roamed the earth. They revelled in the violence and the blood.
Their love was true.
~~~~~
Part 9
on 2004-11-02 03:27 am (UTC)“To spend the rest of my life with someone? Forever? I guess I got cold feet. I was just too stupid to talk to you about it.” It sounded like a good a story as any and Xander was hoping Spike would buy it.
“Forever was the bloody point. I thought its what you wanted! One week later and we would have been in Hawaii, properly committed, ‘til death do us part. Instead, I find you shagging that nancy-boy Aaron, Adam, whatever the bloody fuck his name was when we should have been packing our sodding suitcases!”
“Andrew.” His eyes were focused on the table, too ashamed to meet Spike’s.
Spike shook his head and picked up his cigarettes, tapping one out, letting Xander see the shakiness as he tried to light it. “Right. Andrew,” he repeated venomously.
Xander waited. He watched while Spike smoked, knowing the cigarette would calm him and then finally said, “It didn’t mean anything.”
The heated look Xander received could have melted metal. “Oh yeah, he was just the bloke you’d been shagging behind my back. The reason you threw away an entire bloody year.”
“Wil.”
“Unless, maybe you were talking about me…or us. Is that it, Xander? What we had didn’t mean anything to you?”
Xander’s eyes widened. “God, no! How could you even… of course you meant something! You were everything!”
“Funny way of showin’ it, mate.”
“I just… really screwed it up, didn’t I?” Xander asked with a sigh. “Didn’t know what I was doing.”
“Guess it doesn’t much matter now. Two years is a long time. Nearly forgotten about it before you showed up,” Spike lied.
Xander nodded. “I’m glad things are good for you, Spike.” He gave a half smile, not at all how he was really feeling. “Spike.” He let it slip off his tongue. “That still sounds weird.”
“But it was Spike that got me my first role. Not William.”
“Yeah. I know.”
The blond head tilted.
“I saw it,” Xander answered, staring into his coffee cup. “Actually,” he looked up, “I’ve seen ‘em all.”
With a raise of the eyebrow, Spike smiled.
“Everything except this one. I really didn’t know you were gonna be here.”
“Would you’ve taken the part if you’d known?”
Xander contemplated for a moment and then smiled. “I didn’t think so at first, but yeah,” he nodded, “I’m glad I did. At least for the chance to say I screwed up. And maybe for a chance to win your friendship back?”
“You don’t have to win anything, Harris. As bad as it was after…” Spike sighed and then took another deep breath. “Not being there was harder.”
“I never would’ve imagined my life without you, and you know what?”
Spike shrugged and Xander answered.
“It pretty much sucked.”
Re: Part 9
on 2004-11-02 03:59 am (UTC)::sniffles::
He's gotta tell the truth eventually cos I'm dying of curiosity!
Thank you so much for sharing this fic like this. *smooch*