Title: Interruption
Author: tarotgal
Fandom: Buffy (post-series)
Rating: PG-13
Pairing: Spike/Xander
Disclaimer: I do not own these characters or their world. Wish I did, but I don’t!
Summary: Spike and Xander are on the hunt.
Notes: Written for the Sneezefic Fest 2011 Prompt words: shiver, sodden, seduction

Interruption

 They sat on a park bench at a quarter to midnight, kissing as if they were school boys. Xander had his hand buried in Spike’s hair. The man hadn’t completely gotten used to Spike’s hair now that it wasn’t bleached and wasn’t heavy with product. But Spike hadn’t completely gotten used to Xander’s new fake glass eye, so they were sort of even. Spike had to fight the urge to lose himself in the involved kisses. They were doing bad things to his body and mind right now, threatening to take him over completely. He let his body respond appropriately, but he had to keep his mind alert, otherwise they would be victims, not bait.

Xander’s other hand kept sliding up Spike’s thigh. It was a bold move that made Spike nervous out here in public where anyone could see. Xander’s idea of first base was just staying put for a home run. He might be wonderful, but Xander was a long way from the elegant art of seduction.

A toothy, hissy growl brought a good amount of clarity. His mouth parted from his partner’s and he turned his head to see a vampire standing there. Spike instinctively leaned closer to Xander while Xander pulled out a gun. It wasn’t the sort of gun that fired bullets. It didn’t even fire flares. What it fired were wooden stakes.

Xander’s actions were smooth as he raised the weapon, aimed, and fired. The stake struck the vampire squarely in the center of the chest… missing the heart by an inch. This wouldn’t have been such a problem had the gun not jammed at this point, a stake stuck in the custom-build clip.

The gun wasn’t supposed to malfunction; it never had before, not even during the extensive tests that now seemed to be not quite so extensive. They’d grown so reliant on it that they didn’t even carry backups nowadays. And that, Spike realized, made them so stupid they pretty much deserved to be killed.

“Damn it!” Xander gripped Spike’s hand. They look at each other, and then decided without having to speak a word, that their next task was to run for their lives.

There was a pain in Spike’s side as he ran, the crisp wind stinging his cheeks as he ran through the park and into the cemetery. He felt drops hit him and realized too late that it was beginning to rain. It wasn’t a light drizzle like you got in Sunndydale. And it wasn’t a short-lived burst like in London. Instead, it came down in buckets, hard and cold and fast and not at all inclined to let up any time soon. Spike felt Xander pull him to the side, and Spike followed as they took cover in a crypt.

They blocked the door as soon as they were inside. Then Xander bent at the waist, hands on his thighs, trying to catch his breath. “Think… we lost… ‘im…”

Spike nodded and shivered, sort of wishing he had his duster. It had been a status symbol, sure, and it had made him look cool. But it had also been thick and warm and somewhat resistant to water. Standing in the cold, empty crypt, dripping wet, Spike couldn’t help but shiver. He looked over to Xander to share his misery, but saw the man smiling at him. It was so disconcerting it made him growl, “What?”

“Just remembering when I first saw you in this drenched rat state.”

“Oh yeah? When was that?”

“Remember when you were staying with me and there was that earthquake that burst the pipes open? It was back when you were…”

“Yeah,” Spike interrupted. That phrase could have been finished any number of ways: a vampire, evil, chipped, in love with Drusilla. But they didn’t talk about those times much. It wasn’t that they were avoiding their pasts, though that wasn’t a bad idea especially considering how long and bloody a past Spike had. It was just that they’d both been through so many changes and seen so much shit that there wasn’t much use in thinking about anything but the present.  “Sodden shirt, trousers…” Spike said slowly. “Yeah, I remember, pet.” The tone of his voice made it clear that he also remembered trying to kill himself shortly thereafter. He shivered again and made a move toward Xander. “Look, I know I’m quasi-human now, but do you have any body heat I can borrow?” Assuming the answer to be ‘yes,’ he nuzzled up against Xander’s chest, closing his eyes.

Xander wrapped his arms around Spike. “Shit, you’re really cold.” He rubbed his hands up and down Spike’s back. “Hey, Spike, are you all right? You’re not sick again, are you?”

Spike couldn’t lie; he’d made a promise to Xander months ago. Problem was, he didn’t know if he was sick or not. He was chilled, that was for sure. And given how frequently he caught colds, another one was certainly possible.

“Spike, if I feel your forehead right now, will I find that you have a fever?”

“No,” Spike insisted. He knew he should pull back so Xander wouldn’t have the opportunity, but he was sure he wasn’t feverish. However, he was still freezing and wet and Xander was warm and comforting. And then there was a kiss on the top of his head and Spike relaxed.

His nose tickled a little bit, and he rubbed his face against Xander’s chest and shoulder, trying to rub the tickle away. But that didn’t help. “ehh-Tshhhh! ehhTShoo! Huh… huh… snffff… I…”

“It’s all right,” Xander told him, holding him close, despite having just been sneezed on. Not that that was anything new. Been there, done that, had the bottle of Nyquil at home to prove it. “We’ll just stay here until dawn.”

There was no joy in the idea of hiding out for the next four hours in a cold crypt. Unless… Spike raised his head and let his lips find Xander’s. Warmth traveled through him at that, along with a tingle in his gut and groin. He felt Xander’s grip around him tighten with affection, wanting the kiss to never end. And this time, with the door locked tight and blocked with stone, there would be no interruptions.

“heh-Chihxxxt!” Except perhaps for that.