Catcratch Club Opening Night

[thedemonmagnet]

Xander sat back in the 'backstage' area of the newly opened Catcratch clubbed, arms wrapped tightly around his knees and head buried in them. Why was he doing this? He knew he'd worried the Emcee, the guy kept making puking jokes around him. Xander almost wished he could puke, maybe he'd feel a bit better. Why had he agreed to do this? He hadn't even wanted Buffy and Wills to know about this and now he was stripping in front of a bunch of people that he could actually know this time. Of course, he knew why, he didn't want to let Helen down. It was the white knight in him, unable to not help a lady. Of course, he didn't know about her making him the main male act when there were others who had to be better. Not that he'd paid attention when the others were practicing. He'd been keeping his distance from Dick, Christmas kiss not withstanding.

He listened to the music as each person performed, getting closer and closer to his turn and the tension just kept building his shoulders. He didn't know how he was going to move, much less dance. It took everything he had to just keep breathing.

---

When the first beats of the song started, Xander closed his eyes, took a deep breath and let himself drift down to the place he'd found in Oxnard. A place that disturbed him for the fact that it even existed inside of him but was there all the same and gave him a skill he'd never thought he'd ever have to admit too. When he opened his eyes again, he felt almost like a different person. Normal!Xander had just about checked out.

While most of the other dancers had gone the costume route, Xander had decided to go the other direction. His costume were a loose pair of jeans and a loose hoodie, complete with sneakers. He moved and bent his body, just like he was expected, but the loose clothes kept his body hidden. Like he was hiding. Invisible. But then he began to tug and pulled at the clothes, exposing a bit of hip here, a flash of back there, until finally in one smooth, practiced motion, thehoodie was over his head and his jeans undone. But a t-shirt and the jeans remaining on his hips continue the tease. Somewhere in the song and movement his sneakers are off, the jeans fall down his legs unaided and t-shirt is pulled up and over. It seems almost natural, how they fall around his feet as he never stops moving. Finally, he's all uncovered except for the g-string...and the song is done. A tease from start to finish.

---

Once the song was done, Normal!Xander returned in force almost as soon as the last beat sounded. He bit his lip to stay composed as he gathered his clothes and moved off the stage. He exchanged a quick glance with Helen, saw that she seemed pleased and with a small smile to himself, moved off to find a place he could get dressed in private and then bolted as quickly as he could from the building. He'd meant to watch Helen perform, but at the moment, he couldn't think of anything besides panic. Finally, he stopped by a nearby palm tree, still in full view of the club but at least it wasn't completely obvious that's where he had come from. That is, unless they had just seen him dance. Oh god. He couldn't think about that and breath at the same time.

Why did he think this was a good idea? Why had he let Helen get this secret out of him? Oxnard was one thing. It was a matter of survival in place where he was another face in the crowd so he could get home to his girls. Here? What if Giles saw him? Or Clark? It was bad enough Spike worked with him. Why did the one thing he was good at had to be taking his clothes off? It wasn't like he even liked sex. Faith had terrified of the very word.

He sank down into the sand and just buried his head under his arms, resting against his knees. Why was he doing this? He had a blank slate to work with and this is what he did with it. He had to take a few deep breaths before he hyperventilated.

Find him before, during, or after he dances, just let me know.

Comments

[scoobys-heart.livejournal.com]

Now Xander just blushed. Did he? Did he do it because he felt it was the only way for people to look at him like that? It's not like he'd ever had much luck with it any other way..."I...I guess."

[fangyandgrr.livejournal.com]

"Listen, Harris," Spike continued in that same quiet, serious voice. "You're not in Sunnydale any more. The rules don't apply here. Don't let anyone tell you you have a single sodding thing to be ashamed of up on that stage, yeah? Because I saw you up there, and you're bloody good. An' that's something. You hear me?" He gently gripped Xander's chin, forcing the other to look at him, their faces close enough together to kiss, practically. His solemn face broke into a faint smile as he finished softly, "I know I wanted you..."

[scoobys-heart.livejournal.com]

Xander had been about to protest to the part about rules in Sunnydale, because as far as he knew, there hadn't been. Places sure and his was sidekick and that was okay. Buffy was the hero, not him.

But everything was forgotten as Spike made him turn to face him, and was so close and said he... Xander could only just blink and stare for a moment. "You...you did?" His stomach was tight and he was finding it hard to breath for a moment...

[fangyandgrr.livejournal.com]

Spike had meant the rules of morality, which Sunnydale had as much of as anywhere, though he'd personally always ignored them. But that wasn't important at the moment.

What was important was the look in Xander's eyes, making it clear he didn't believe him--but also that at least some part of him wanted to. "Oh yeah," he breathed, and then decided sod it. He closed that last bit of distance and kissed him, a surprisingly light and gentle kiss.

[scoobys-heart.livejournal.com]

In all honestly, Xander was too shocked to reply, much less react. Heck, he swore he even stopped breathing for a second. Spike was kissing him! Kissing him.

When Spike pulled away, Xander could only gap and lick his lips in awe. "I...umm...wow." When he'd gotten up on stage that night, this had definitely not even been in the scop of what he thought might happen.

[fangyandgrr.livejournal.com]

"You think that's wow, you should see what else I can do," Spike drawled, smirking with amusement. "Just trying to prove my point."

[scoobys-heart.livejournal.com]

Oh boy. It was a good thing Xander's brain had short circuited with the kiss or else he was afraid of what his brain would supply for that thought. "I uh..." He swallowed compulsively, "I'd say you proved it rather well in fact."

[fangyandgrr.livejournal.com]

"I could prove it again, just in case," Spike offered, arching an eyebrow. "Wouldn't want there to be any doubt or anything...got to have you doubt-free and all."

[scoobys-heart.livejournal.com]

"I uh...no I think I get your point." It wasn't that Xander didn't want Spike to kiss him again...it was that he did. And tonight was already weird enough thanks without dealing with realizations and come ons that could possibly be nothing. Because come on! It was Spike.

Though it had been a nice kiss from Xander's limited experience.

[fangyandgrr.livejournal.com]

"Good, then." Spike sat back and took a deep breath. "You going to keep being an idiot about this whole thing?"

[scoobys-heart.livejournal.com]

Xander couldn't help a small startled laugh. "I'm not making any promises. I mean, this is me we're talking about. But I'm on the road to not being so wigged out by this." And he was amazed at the fact that he was.

Not to mention he was still reeling from Spike kissing him but that was another story.

[fangyandgrr.livejournal.com]

Spike nodded. "Right then. That's something, anyway." He smirked and stretched, getting to his feet. "I'm going back in. You coming?" He held a hand out to Xander, eyebrow arched inquisitively.

[scoobys-heart.livejournal.com]

Xander took the hand to help himself to his feet, but shook his head. "No, I think I'm done with the Catscratch for the night. I think I'm going to take a walk down to the beach, then head home." Because curling up in bed sounded like a fantastic idea.

[fangyandgrr.livejournal.com]

"Suit yourself," Spike said, helping him up and letting his grip on Xander's hand linger a second or two more than necessary. "See you round, Harris." He winked and turned to head back toward the club.

[scoobys-heart.livejournal.com]

It was a while before Xander moved from that spot, glancing between his hand and the vampire's lingering back. Said hand then went up to touch his lips...until he realized what he was doing and he jerked it down and into his pocket, before setting off for that walk down the beach. He needed some head clearing and he needed it /fast/.