(no subject)

[thedemonmagnet]

To say Xander was nervous was an understatement.

He kept pacing the small clearing where he'd asked Spike to meet him. It had taken him a while to talk himself to even bid on Spike at the auction, but he knew that he'd never get the opportunity, or work up the nerve, to ask the ex-vampire this otherwise. It was kind of embarrassing in a way, that Spike was the only person he felt comfortable asking this of, but that's how it was.

Still, he was afraid Spike wouldn't want to do it and just laugh in his face. It was...kind of pathetic really, but then what else was new for him right? Just add it to the ever growing list. The worst Spike could do was laugh after all. Or tell Buffy. Oh yeah, telling Buffy was worse.

He was getting himself so worked up that he almost chickened out a couple times, but at the moment, he was just pacing and hoping Spike would just hurry up already.

Comments

[fangyandgrr.livejournal.com]

Spike walked into the clearing with an impassive expression. Normally he would have a snarky comment ready, but today was different. Xander had won him fair and square, and while he fully intended to get a reason out of him when it was his day (since he'd won the bloke right back, ironically), for today he would do his best to be...nice.

"All yours, mate," he called out to Xander's back, slipping the leather duster off and draping it over a tree branch. "What d'you have planned?"

[scoobys-heart.livejournal.com]

Xander wasn't even thinking about the fact that Spike had won him as well. Wouldn't even let it enter his mind. It was cue for instant hyperventilation. His imagination was unfortunately too hyperactive but still, this was Spike and while they were friends...there was still an ingrained fear of the Big Bad from high school left in him, not that he would EVER admit it to Spike.

Spike's sudden presence in the clearing caused Xander to start in surprise despite the fact the other was expected and he had to paused and take a few deep breaths to compose himself. Then he gave the other a bashful grin. "Hey Spike. I uh...." Great now that is the time to ask, he clammed up.

Taking another series of deep breaths, he gave Spike an honest look. "Okay, so bare with me okay?" He took another deep breath in pre-babble anticipation. "I totally won't blame you if this is something you don't want to do or feel comfortable doing but this is the only way I would ever get up the nerve to ask. And believe me, it's very weird that I only feel comfortable asking this of you, but I'm not sure how Buffy would take it and I don't think I could do it properly coming from Jill or Bart and Tim...he just plain terrifies me. For a little guy, very much with the creepy. And I don't think he likes me very much." Lost in his train of thought, he totally didn't even realize he hadn't asked waht he wanted yet.

[fangyandgrr.livejournal.com]

Spike stood patiently listening to the babble at first, but as it went on his eyebrow started raising. "How long am I supposed to be bearing, then?" he interrupted as Xander's tangent started drawing further and further from the point, he was fairly sure. "Look. I'm yours to do whatever you want. That's the deal, innit? So just sodding spit it out so we can get started." He crossed his arms over his chest, watching Xander impassively.

[scoobys-heart.livejournal.com]

"Oops sorry." Xander ducked his head bashfully for a minute before biting his lip and looked up at the other through his bangs. "I was hoping...well...that you could give me some basic training. For fighting, ya know? I know I never really learned at home, but I thought, now might be a good time to change that, since it seems to be what everyone else does and well, I'd kinda like to know more about what's going on." He couldn't help a small embarrassed flush and fidgeted with anticipation.

[fangyandgrr.livejournal.com]

Spike listened in amused silence that he let drag on after Xander stopped talking, just to make him squirm a bit more. Finally he cocked his head and spoke. "Let me make sure I understand you. You want to use your day with me as your slave, when you could have me do anything you liked, to let me kick your arse repeatedly?" Oh, he'd make sure Xander learnt from it, of course, but he couldn't resist phrasing it that way. It was far more amusing than just saying yes, he would teach him to sodding fight.

[scoobys-heart.livejournal.com]

Xander just shrugged his shoulders with a bashful look, though he was smiling as he realized that was the closest thing to a straight 'yes' he was going to get out of Spike. "Basically? Yeah. Odd I know but when have I ever done the smart thing?"

And yeah, it had been tempting to have a day of the Big Bad doing whatever he wanted, but this seemed more productive and he had been completely honest when he said it was the only way he would get up the nerve to make this request. Plus, if he used his day productively...Jill wouldn't mind the idea of the whole thing so much.

[fangyandgrr.livejournal.com]

Spike shrugged and peeled his shirt off. "S'your day, mate. Do whatever you like with it." He approved of Xander's choice, both for Xander's sake and his own, but he wasn't going to say that. "Let's get started then."

[scoobys-heart.livejournal.com]

Okay, so he totally couldn't help staring as Spike pulled his shirt off. The guy was fit! But when he realized what he was doing, he suddenly got self-consious and nervous. His fingers played with the hem of his shirt as he wondered if he should follow suit and blurted out to cover himself, "how can you still be so pale on a tropical island?"

[fangyandgrr.livejournal.com]

With a soft snort of amusement Spike jerked his head toward the leather duster. "Not a lot of UV action gettin' through that, is there?" He kind of liked the paleness; it was a point of pride almost that he'd managed to keep his vampiric pallor nearly intact even on a tropical island.

[scoobys-heart.livejournal.com]

Taking a deep breath, Xander pulled his shirt off over his head, figuring with the heat and what they were going to be doing it couldn't hurt. All the swimming and stuff he'd been doing with Clark had been helping, not that he noticed when compared to Superman-lite. And of course he kept talking to keep his nervres at bay. "Yeah, I was wondering about that too. I know it's probably a stupid pride thing or something but isn't that leather just cause you to burn up?" He chuckled, "well not literally of course, not anymore."

[fangyandgrr.livejournal.com]

Spike chuckled, rolling his shoulders and stretching to loosen his muscles. "Jus' habit, I guess. I like the look. It's hot sometimes, but you get used to it, after a bit."

And then he spun on his heel and lunged at Xander, tackling him around the waist and slamming him to the ground. "First lesson: Always be ready for an attack," he drawled as he pulled back, smirking down at him.

[scoobys-heart.livejournal.com]

Xander had had a wonderfully witty comment to make about the duster he really did.

If he could remember it when he caught his breath. Which wasn't looking like it was going to happen. "....ow!" Was what he finally managed to blurt out as he sat up, rubbing his back and wondering if taking off his shirt had been the best idea. "Noted." His voice was slightly strangled as he glared weakly at Spike.

[fangyandgrr.livejournal.com]

Spike chuckled and got to his feet, holding out a hand to help Xander up. "Good. Now we'll get down to the basics."

[scoobys-heart.livejournal.com]

Taking the offered hand, Xander managed not to wince as he got to his feet. "Right. Basics. Can't be too hard right?"

[scoobys-heart.livejournal.com]

Hard was an understatement.

While Xander was keeping up better then he expected, after an hour or so of working with Spike, he was tired and sweaty and in desperate need a drink. After calling a time out, he moved to one of the trees nearby and uncovered two soda bottles filled with water. Flopping down under the shade of the same tree, he held out the other bottle to Spike as he took a drink from his, staying quiet for once as he drank and caught his breath.

[fangyandgrr.livejournal.com]

Spike wasn't quite as worn out as Xander but a break was still welcome, as was the water. He sank down next to Xander with a quiet sigh and took a sip of water. "Not too bad, for a beginner," he said grudgingly after a minute of silence between them.

[scoobys-heart.livejournal.com]

Xander turned to look at Spike in slight surprise, the bottle still at his lips. Once he'd finished his drink, he couldn't help asking, "Really?" One, he never though he'd be any good at this kind of thing and two, a complement from Spike was definitely not something to frown at.

[fangyandgrr.livejournal.com]

"Well, you are still alive, so I suppose that's something, innit?" Spike chuckled and looked at him sidelong. There were a few areas that Xander was obviously going to struggle in when it came to hand-to-hand fighting, but overall he thought there was hope for him yet.

[scoobys-heart.livejournal.com]

That earned a soft snort and chuckle of his own. "I always though it was just luck. Or the Hellmouth had something particularly nasty saved up for me some day and couldn't let me get myself eaten before then." Still, he couldn't help feeling a small bit of warm pride in his chest at Spike's words.

[fangyandgrr.livejournal.com]

"Right. Probably a little of both, but maybe if you're lucky, there's a little bit of skill mixed in, too." Spike chuckled and took another drink of water. "Shall we keep finding out?" he asked as he climbed to his feet.

[scoobys-heart.livejournal.com]

"Well my luck always proved to be good, well, in the stay alive department anyway, I'm not so sure about the demon magnet thing I had going on, but yes, let's hope so." Xander had obvious caught his breath and after another drink of water, he returned the two bottles back into the shade so they'd still be kind of cool for later. Then he stood up with a small groan. "Ow..okay so maybe the sitting thing wasn't so much of a good idea..."

[fangyandgrr.livejournal.com]

"That's all right. I'll make you forget all about that bit of pain," Spike promised with an almost evil grin. "C'mon, then. Let's see how much you've learned, so I know what I have to repeat." He certainly wasn't going to go easy on him, especially from here on out. A crash-course in fighting was what he wanted, and it was exactly what he was going to get. And when he couldn't move tomorrow, well...that was Harris' problem, wasn't it?

[scoobys-heart.livejournal.com]

Xander could only answer that with a roll of his eyes. "Oh I'm sure you will and enjoy it far too much." But he was grinning and hoping to prove to Spike that he'd recalled more then the blond thought he would.

Oh it would hurt...but it was so worth it.

He just hoped that when he asked Spike later if they could possibly do this again, he wouldn't regret it...