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 16
on 2004-11-16 06:04 pm (UTC)“You can’t be.”
Xander let go of Spike and moved from the vulnerable position. He eased backward until his back rested against the other bed, wrapping his hands around his knees.
“Can’t?”
“Or, are you… how? How is it possible? If you didn’t cheat…”
“I didn’t. Ever.”
“Then how?”
Xander shrugged. “It had to be someone… before.”
“But how could you not know? All that time? We were together for a bloody year.”
“I know. I’ve been through it all.” Xander’s leaned his head forward, running his hands through grungy, unwashed hair and then let them rest on the back of his neck. “You were the one always worried about getting checked. So worried about being safe.”
“Xan…”
“I was so fucking stupid. Never went with you.” His voice carried on in a whisper. “Each time they said you were okay, I figured I was too.”
He finally looked up to see Spike staring down at him, his own tears wetting his cheeks.
“Remember that cold I got right before… the one I just couldn’t seem to shake?”
Spike nodded. Xander had been sick with the flu for three weeks straight with Spike shoving every over-the-counter medicine he could get his hands on down his lover’s throat. He had vowed to make him well, knowing their trip was fast approaching and telling Xander he wasn’t having a honeymoon with a sniffling, sneezing, walking Niquil commercial.
“I finally went to the doctor thinking I could get something stronger, you know?”
Spike nodded again.
“He said he didn’t like the way it was lingering. Asked me if I had any history of immune deficiencies, or anything…”
Spike’s body tensed at the thought again. Xander. Positive.
“I think he was trying to hint without actually saying it. I told him no but that I hadn’t been tested… recently.”
Xander glanced up again to see Spike’s hands shaking as he tried to light a cigarette. He was about to remind him of the No Smoking rule again but then shrugged and continued his story. “He said I could have been infected for a few years without any symptoms.”
Spike wiped at the tears with the back of one hand, while holding his burning cigarette in the other. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I couldn’t. I couldn’t stand the thought of you having to deal with it.”
Spike’s face took on a whole new look. He was angry and he wasn’t going to hide it.
Re: Part 16
on 2004-11-16 11:19 pm (UTC)Yes! You tell him off, Spike! Let him know how silly he was to pull a stunt like that to chase you out of his life.
Lovin' this! more, please!