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 26
on 2004-12-04 06:04 am (UTC)Xander nodded. “Did you leave a key?”
“Under the mat.”
“They didn’t have to…”
“We’ve had this discussion, Xander. Of course they had to be here.”
Xander closed his eyes and settled back further onto the pillow. Spike sat, rubbing shallow circles against the top of Xander’s hand with his thumb. Soft and loving, just to assure him he was still there.
“I wonder if my mom’ll want to…”
“I’ll take care of it… call her.”
Xander let his gaze fall on their joined hands, resting against the white of the hospital blanket. “I doubt she’ll come. She couldn’t even accept that you and I were…”
“Shhh. Her loss, pet. Her fucking loss.”
“She would have loved you,” Xander whispered.
Spike placed his finger over Xander’s wedding band, unconsciously rubbing back and forth against the gold. Finally, Xander noticed and smiled. “I want you to keep it, okay?”
Spike’s finger stilled. “Hmm?”
“My ring. I don’t want it bur… I want you to keep it, to remind you…”
Spike felt the sting coating his eyes. “Yeah, whatever you want, Xan.”
Xander nodded. “That’s what I want. It’d just be a waste if…” he tapered off, not needing to finish, both knowing what he was going to say.
They were quiet, Spike trying to be strong for Xander, Xander just trying to be strong. But losing.
“But when it’s time, I want you to put it away.”
Blue eyes met dark brown.
“When you meet someone…”
“Xander.”
“No, Spike. It’s gonna happen.”
“No,” he answered bitterly, the hurt more than he could take.
Xander waited, trying to reel in his own feelings. The nagging thought of Spike with someone else, loving someone else. “I don’t want you to be alone.”
“I can’t…”
“Shhh, Spike. Don’t think about it now. Just remember, okay? Remember what I said.”
A tear slid down Spike’s cheek and he wiped it away, taking a deep breath, playing the part of holding it together. A true actor. “So you get to come home. A bit more comfortable than this sodding bed.”
Xander faked a small smile. “I don’t think they expect two people to be sleeping in it, Spike. Kinda what the cot’s for,” he added, gesturing toward the small, untouched cot in the corner of the room.
Spike eyed the monstrosity. “Don’t bloody think so, pet. I belong right here. Can’t sleep without you.” Too soon, they both realized the harsh reality of those words. He would have to learn to do just that, after Xander was gone.
“It’ll be nice to be in our own bed. I guess they figure it won’t be long…”
Spike squeezed Xander’s hand as the pain was released and the sobs began to rack his body. “Xander…”
“I know, Spike. I know.” Xander ran his hand through the blond hair, pulling Spike down, cradling him as best as he could. “I love you,” he murmured repeatedly, crying his own tears, watching them land a drop at a time against Spike’s skin.
“Spike?” he whispered. “I wanna go home.”
Re: Part 26
on 2004-12-04 06:14 am (UTC)It was that this point that my heart broke and my meatballs got salty. ::sniffle::
So saaaaaaaaaaad!