Family Matters

[divineviolinist]

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[knowsit]

So

Vampires?

[divineviolinist]

To say the least.

Get your 'sucks' and 'bites' jokes in now.

[knowsit]

And Buffy slays them?

Like some sort of bloody super hero?

[divineviolinist]

She does. She is, yes. Just missing a cape. She's very impressive. Best I've seen.

[knowsit]

Right. Shit. Okay.

So why didn't anyone bloody well tell me? I nearly died.

[divineviolinist]

Because the goal is to protect normal people from it all. Keep them safe and ignorant.

My boyfriend was taken by a vampire, back in Paris. That's when I found out.

[knowsit]

Oh, right.

So you are gay? ... And I assume single. I mean yeah, tragically single but still.

[knowsit]

Spike hadn't slept well, not really. He'd been up all night, pacing, fidgeting, smoking, drinking and watching trash TV until half the channels shut down for shopping TV. He ended up watching some Spanish news show in the hopes of not accidentally falling asleep and becoming prey for some kind of monster under the bed.

He didn't speak to his uncle during the drive to school either, he just smoked out the window and regarded every attempt at small talk with a frown. He wasn't mad any more, he was mostly just tired. Really tired.

When he finally managed to track down Nicki, he was still smoking despite all the school rules against it, unsure what Nicki even had for a gift. Seemed weird to him. "All right, Nicki? How's it going?" He didn't want to seem tired or over-eager or anything so he tried his best to keep things as cool and as casual as possible.

[divineviolinist]

"Same old. How about you?"

Spike looked like hell. Not that Nicolas planned on telling him that, but of course he took note. He could hardly blame him. He'd barely survived the last night, almost been killed by something he didn't even know existed. He had seen Buffy die, had discovered a multitude of dangerous secrets kept from him and Nicolas would have been surprised if he looked like he slept a wink.

He was smoking himself, looking as at ease as he usually did. Last night had been dangerous for him too, but in just a few years, danger had become something common for him.

"Want your present?"

[knowsit]

"I'm great, bloody marvellous. Couldn't be better." Spike moved over to a nearby bench and dropped down, too tired to stand around. He looked up at Nicolas instead with a half arsed smile, which was more effort than he'd put into anything else today. So monsters and vampires were real, his maybe-sister was a slayer and he nearly died, at least Nicolas was finally talking to him. Sure they'd hung around each other before but they'd never had anything close to a proper conversation.

He found all he could talk to Nicolas about was music or to ask for a smoke. And now he was getting gifts? That was pretty good progress.

"Go on then, may as well show me what it is."

[divineviolinist]

"Come on, man, you could act more charmed. I never give anyone anything." It was actually true, even if it had just occurred to him this very moment. The last gift he'd given had been for Lestat and, no, better not to go down that path. He put a hand into his pocket and pulled out the silver necklace it held. A glass vial held with delicate silver ornaments, filled with holy water. He dropped it into Spike's palm.

"That with your cross and you're all set."

It wasn't a sure-fire thing, no, but it was a lot better than nothing. He didn't want Spike to get grabbed again. He had looked utterly terrified and rightfully so. Nicolas couldn't hold him, but he could make sure he'd be safe in the future.

[knowsit]

"Sorry, I'm tired. I am pretty bloody excited, I could skip for joy," Spike tried for his benefit, smiling in a rather mocking sense but there was at least a degree of humour and a smile there. He held out his hand and caught the gift, looking it over curiously. It was pretty cool actually, he studied it for a few moments before shaking the water with a slightly amused smile. "Emergency supply of holy water? How romantic. I love it."

With a playful raise of his eyebrows, he put it around his neck and leaned back on the bench, trying to look more cocky and amused than sleep deprived and scared. "Fortunately I got no shortage of crosses. I'll have to root through my drawer tonight and find one. I could only find my skull one."

He pulled the upside down cross with a skull free from behind his shirt, not really good for repelling vampires but it was all he could get on short notice. He had been too busy sitting in the corner with his knife last night, no time to hunt for crosses.

[divineviolinist]

"Oh yeah. I know all about romantic gifts." Nicolas rolled his eyes and watched Spike, smiling just a little. Good, he was looking a bit less terrified. Maybe? Hard to tell. Maybe someone could hug him. Giles? Seemed unlikely. Too British. "What, doesn't everyone think holy water is romantic?"

He stepped closer when Spike showed his cross, frowning before reaching up to his own neck. He had to swipe his hair to the side over one shoulder, but then he could pull the cross he wore free. Silver and heavy and still warm from being against his chest. Nicolas didn't hesitate, he just carefully put it over Spike's chest, so he could wear it in his stead.

He was leaning above him now, one hand against the backrest of the bench, eyes on Spike's face. They were close, so he could speak softly. "Be safe, yeah?"

[divineviolinist]

"...might be best if you stay back unless there's no choice. And if I tell you anything, act on it first, ask questions later." Maybe he shouldn't have agreed to take Spike along, but sometimes there was this look in Spike's eyes, an expression on his face and suddenly it was virtually impossible to deny him anything.

Nicolas stopped to prop a foot up on a gravestone, pulling one pants leg up so he could tighten his boot laces. He was fully decked out of course, which in his case meant weapons - ranging from stakes to a crossbow he wore strapped over his shoulder - and various magic items, like a pocket filled with salt. It probably wouldn't be that exciting a night, but he was taking out Spike and he didn't want any unnecessary risks.

"If you want me to take you home, just say."

[knowsit]

"It's either this or help packing boxes." Spike was moving this weekend and he refused to help with the move. Petty, sure, but he was still frustrated that he was the one that had to move. Rupert was very insistent that he had to have his room packed up by tomorrow and so far, he had one box with three books and a packet of cigarettes. That was about it. The rest remained on shelves, in his wardrobe and nothing had really been sorted. Instead of finishing up what he'd vaguely started, he'd asked to tag along on patrol. More curiosity than anything.

Buffy told him again and again and again to not go patrolling and in the end, he went patrolling just to spite her. No one could tell him what to do, especially not bloody Buffy Summers.

"So we just walk around a graveyard waiting for something to happen? Christ. Do you bring like a gameboy or something?" Spike would have. Standing around in silence in the middle of a graveyard was just a bit of a waste of time, seemed wiser to be a bit productive about the whole thing and do something in the down time. "I guess you have to keep your eyes peeled and all that bollocks."

[divineviolinist]

"Yeah, pretty much." Nicolas straightened back up and took a step closer to Spike, leaning in to whisper conspiratorially. "On slow nights I sometimes draw a protective circle and sit somewhere writing music or practising. Don't tell your uncle, he'd unleash his passive aggressive wrath.

But tonight he evidently hadn't brought an instrument or even just something to write. Everything else was quite enough to carry. He glanced at Spike and reached out to pull at the chains he could see vanishing into his shirt, just to make sure that he was indeed wearing the necklaces that could do a decent job of keeping him at least a bit safer.

"It might be a slower night this time. You never really know, but at least we don't think anything big is lurking, since Buffy took out the Master."

[knowsit]

Whenever Nicolas got that close, Spike felt his stomach flutter away excitedly. He could smell the cigarettes on his breath and he could feel the warmth radiating from him. All he wanted to do was lean in and kiss him but he didn't fancy being rejected and trying to get home safely without upsetting the vampires. "I won't tell him, scouts honour. I don't tell the bastard much if I'm honest, I didn't even bother to tell him about tonight. He'd just worry and I don't fancy dealing with that."

Giles would have wanted to tag along and keep him safe and all Spike wanted was, well, Nicolas. Nicolas alone and all to himself. It felt nice.

"S'all right, we can kill the time." Spike pulled himself up onto a grave and balanced on it carefully so he could sit there, pulling out his pack of cigarettes and putting one in his mouth, offering the others out to Nicki. "So how many vamps have you dusted?"

[divineviolinist]

"Around sixty. Seventy. Something like that. And I've twenty-four demon kills. They tend to be a bigger deal." Nicolas took a cigarette and waited for Spike to light it, turning to the side so he could have a better view of their surroundings. He hoped there'd be at least some action, so Spike wouldn't feel as if this was a complete waste, but obviously he also didn't want things to get out of control. A delicate balance when bringing a civilian along.

"I've done most of this since reaching Sunnydale. I don't think there's a place in the world with more demonic activity." Which made sense, between the slayer's presence and - obviously - the Hellmouth. There was a reason Nicolas had ended up here.

[knowsit]

"Makes sense only dead things would want to be here. Sunnydale is such a dump compared to London, there's literally one place to go and even there, it's not that cool." Spike said as if he ever went out in London, which often he didn't. He was too young for most clubs and he rarely left the house without his mother unless it was to go to school but hell, he didn't have to tell Nicki that. He could pretend he was cooler, no one had seen him before he came here, no one knew what a dork he was.

"So sixty-seventy dead because of you? Huh. Think of all the lives you saved, plenty of good karma there. I mean you could work as a copper or a fire fighter and never hit those kind of numbers," Spike pointed out as he took a long drag from his cigarette. "Think you could ever get paid for it?"

Seemed like a pretty solid idea, charge people for saving their lives, he'd never have to invest in a career or even bother with school.

[knowsit]

You kissed me. Last night. And I checked and double checked, wasn't a dream. So there.

[divineviolinist]

...how did you double check that?

[knowsit]

Sometimes I dream stuff like that but I didn't sleep until 3am last night, which I know for a fact, and on my history book I wrote a note telling myself I really did kiss you in case I got confused. It happens sometimes. I once dreamt I met Johnny Rotten, disappointing to realise that didn't happen.

[divineviolinist]

Did you kiss Johnny Rotten too?

Anyway.

Yes, you and I kissed last night. A lot.

[knowsit]

... Maybe.

Sorry I was a little drunk but that doesn't take away from it, you know? I still meant it.

[divineviolinist]

You're very good at kissing, even when you're a little drunk. Still taste like you underneath it.