But I Love You 7 &ndash 8
New Years Eve,
The Vestal Gardens
11.15 pm
The decent sized restaurant was packed to the gills with loud music, singing, alcohol and a multitude of drunken Alaskans. The owners of the Gardens, Helen and Mi Wai as well as Ling Mai and Quong De, were hosting the noisy gathering as an apology for the resteraunt being closed for two weeks over the Chinese New Year. So far, it was the first time it had been hosted in Pennington and all was going well. The half demons had opted for a totally unique Alaskan theme for the night. The Gardens was decked out with various stuffed animals, curtesy of Cecil, and two huge Native Alaskan handwoven rugs.
Both Spike and Xander were huddled close to the trestle table that was so loaded with food, it was almost groaning. There was spam sandwiches, Pilot bread, smoked salmon, chum pate, whale blubber in three forms (raw,pickled and boiled) and lastly, Eskimo icecream, something that Xander had taken to with a relish until Spike had told him what he could smell in the mixture. As tasty as it had been, the brunette hadn´t been able to work out why the vampire was horrified each time he had tried to to get the blond to eat some. Finally, Spike had written him that the mixture contained at least four different animal fats and that finely shredded stuff wasn´t coconut, it was some sort of meat. Spike was certain that it was caribou, his blood had the same smell. Xander had shoved his half empty bowl onto the nearest table on his way to the bathrooms, displaying his green face for all to see. Spike just grinning and nodding at the queries of if his boyfriend had tried the icecream, the next question was if he had just found out what it contained.
Laughter all around and numerous mutterings of ´cheechako´, an Alaskan term for tenderfoot, and the attention was diverted again by Helen setting up a display of towering champagne glasses. Each tier was watched closely, applause thundering around the silk screen panneled main eating room as she placed the last glass, completing the 12 tier stack. Spike glanced around the room, not too worried about where Xander was at the moment. He was still a little nervous about being with such a lot of people even with Xander by his side, his last party experience leading to being shaken by Stan. Thankfully the arsehole wasn´t anywhere around tonight.
A few of the gathered were the same people he had been introduced to at Mac´s house on the night of the Auction. Both he and the whelp had gone around the room together, shaking hands and nodding at the familiar faces from the previous party. The vampire was amused that Xander and himself were considered part of Mac´s group of friends. The whole group contained the restaraunt owners and wives, the Fitzmaurice brothers (Spit and Fitzy), the two Fijians, Stephanie and now the vampire and his claimant. He was sure that the other humans would die of shock if they knew just what they partied on with on a regular basis. Then again, this was Alaska, home of the weird. They just might take it all in their stride along with an offer of a Spam sandwich.
~ Fucking Spam! Better than that whale shit though. ~
Xander and the vampire had been flabbergasted when much to their horror, everyone bar them, had rushed the table in an effort to get at the traditional food. Thankfully, Helen and Quong De had put out some Spam sandwhiches as a joke. Everyone had just smiled at the two men when they had gone straight for the Spam and bypassed everything else, Xander only going for the icecream in the mistaken idea that it was made only with dairy products. The brunette had dared the vampire to eat some of the boiled whale blubber and Spike had taken him up on his dare, taking two huge bites before placing the still full plate on the floor underneath a chair. Mac had seen the smaller man try the whale blubber and in sympathy for a first winter newcomer, had tried to feed him some Pilot bread to soak up the oil. The red haired man had wandered off laughing when his offer was refused, something that was starting to worry the vampire.
Not quite ill this time, Xander continued to hang his head over the porcelian bowl, just to make sure that he didn´t embarass himself by throwing up in the party. After a few minutes, he straightened up and flushed the toilet, proceeding to wash his hands in the unisex bathroom. He was feeling both a little queasy and annoyed. The brunette had really liked the taste of the icecream but had been instantly horrified at what Spike had said he could smell in the combination. He had thought that it really was coconut, still appalled that it was shredded moose meat. At that thought, his stomach roiled again in rebellion of what he had just eaten.
"As if Spam wasn´t bad enough. Oh well, at least I didn´t eat the whale."
Xander snickered at the memory of what the vampires face had looked like when biting into the gelatinous mess. The youth had been sure that the blond was going to run straight to the bathroom. Spikes face had been a cross between him trying to sneeze and cough at the same time. Two bites and the plate had been discreetly hidden out of the way. Mac had come across with tears in his eyes at the scene and had told Spike to eat some Pilot bread so that the excess oil would be soaked up but after the whale blubber, the vampire was having none of that and had steadfastly refused. It had been then that Xander had started to try and get the blond to eat some of the delicious icecream.
Hands dried, the brunette made his way back into the main room, the noise hitting him full force. Almost wincing at how loud the party had become, he admired the large tiered display sitting in one corner. Making his way back to the opposite side of the room, he glanced at the clock, nearly 20 to 12. He sighed as he reached Spikes side, taking his beer from the other man. The party was loud but somehow it was lacking the ´fun´ from last year. He had Bronzed it with Buffy and the rest of the Scooby gang, leaving Spike at the apartment. The blond had been teary all day, in the end Xander had welcomed the opportunity to just get away and forget about him for an evening.
Mi Wai caught everyones attention again as she hollered over the music that it was five to twelve. The petite half demon popped the cork on a bottle of champagne, the room bursting into loud cheers and clapping as the first of the golden liquid was poured into the top glass. Xander rested his right hand just above Spikes buttocks as he watched the flowing fountain. He hoped that it wouldn´t taste too bad, the brunette really didn´t see what the great fuss was with champagne. It had only ever tasted bitter and smelt little better than urine on the few occasions he had had the chance to consume some.
The vampire pushed back into Xanders warm hand, he liked that his claimant was touching him in public even if it was ever so discreetly. He was also watching the pouring, thankful that at least something moderately interesting was happening. Ever since Xander had beaten up Stan at Mac´s house, the few other people he did know were a bit hesitant to come over and make a conversation with him if Xander wasn´t anywhere near. The memory of an unconcious Stan was still fresh in everyones mind, those who hadn´t seen it, had heard about it the next day. While the brunette had been in the bathroom, he had almost run from an approaching Lukas and had headed straight for Stephanie and her gaggle of work mates, joining in the conversation about the latest Fisher Paykel toys for toddlers. The vampire had just nodded and smiled along with the various comments, frowning when it was indicated that all should do so.
Almost purring from the feel of the large hand, he hoped that all the ´excitement´ wasn´t going to set off another flash. It had been hard enough to convince the brunette to go the party, almost two days of pleading and finally, a few lines of how it wouldn´t look too good to refuse an employer´s invitation. He was flattered that the youth was worried that he would collapse or worse yet, collapse and then get another bit of his game face back in the middle of the party and be unable to hide it again. After getting off the phone to the Watcher, he had been alone in a dark cabin for four more hours until the weary whelp had come home. The dark hadn´t bothered him as he had turned off the lights when Lukas had informed him his type of demon was more accustomed to the dark, it had been the sheer time wasting of waiting and wondering if he would have another more serious flash before the youth got home.
Xander had been happy for him and after a phone call to Giles, he had been constantly worrying about another series of flashes. After a thorough discussion with the shop keeper, it had been decided that Spike shouldn´t drive and for him to stay out of any stressful situations until all of his gameface was back. Spike had been upset at that until he realised that if he had a flash when driving, he would most likely kill both himself and the whelp. The brunette had decided to get a beeper once the shops were open again so that the vampire could call him if he had an ´episode´ while Xander was at work. The vampire had been repeatedly told that if anything happened, he should call, no matter what. The excuse would be complications from the car accident that the blond had been involved in.
The golden waterfall finished after three giant bottles of champagne and Spike wondered if it would taste like crap. During the ´roaring 20´s´, Dru had developed a passion for the stuff, the blond vampire had never seen the charm himself. The filled glasses were handed around, both men taking a small sip before hurridly joining in the countdown.
8 7 6 5
Xander slid his arm around the slim waist, clutching his adored tightly, pleased and flushing when the vampire nestled against him firmly.
4 3 2 1
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!!
All glasses were held aloft for a moment before everyone, bar Stephanie, took giant swallows. Xander greedily drank down the fairly pleasant liquid before gently pecking at the pale cheek of the blond. With a grin, Spike clutched the back of the brunettes head, dragging his head down for a deeper kiss. Much to the vampire´s amusement and Xander´s embarrassment, the kiss had been watched by about everyone in the room. Lots of catcalls later, the youth felt the heat from the alcohol start to seep away as he once more made the rounds of the room, giving the women a quick peck and shaking hands with the men. A good ten minutes later, he felt like his hand was going to fall off. He glanced at the blond who was trailing behind him, Spike just finishing off his round of well wishing. With a shake of his head, Xander found the sight hilarious. Only two years ago, the blond would have chewed off his own arm rather than go to an ´inter–bred hoedown´ as he so cutely termed it.
Xander took in the sight of the vampire smiling and softly grunting in what was his laughter. The brunette was slightly amazed at how much the other man had changed. Away from Sunnydale, he was no longer so weepy and was actually making an effort to get to know people rather than lift the finger automatically. The vampire still had his days of crying but moving away from the Hellmouth had been good for them both so far. With that, he decided that once the snow eased up a little, they should have Mac and a few of the other guys over for a game of cards. Lukas, Josessi and the Fitzmaurice brothers included.
A cool hand on his forearm shook him out of his thoughts. With a smile Xander told the vampire that they would be leaving pretty soon. They wouldn´t be the only ones. Mac, Spit and Fitzy were headed off to Chena Hot Springs at 6 that morning. Although both Xander and Spike had been invited to go along for the full four days, the youth had made an excuse of Spike´s work in the restaraunt being the reason for not spending the full time at the camping grounds. The brunette had placated a disappointed vampire with the compromise of an overnight stay. Xander was pretty sure that with him there, the vampire wouldn´t get into too much trouble. It would be pretty much a drive through Fairbanks, then almost another hour to the camping ground, a bit of pottering around then a BBQ for dinner, liquid supper with lots of drunken talk. Hopefully they wouldn´t be too intoxicated to experience the famous hot water springs.
Spike nodded his agreement to leaving soon, as unexciting as the evening had been so far, he just wanted to get home for a shag and some sleep before leaving in a few hours. It had been nice to just get out of the cabin for a little while. He knew that he was lucky the whelp had even given in about the party and the trip to Chena. The vampire was disappointed that they wouldn´t be seeing any bears due to the hibernation of the large land dwellers. A spreading warmth squarley on his buttocks and Spike decided that it was definately time to go. With luck he would get a decent handjob before a nice hard screw. He pushed back into Xanders hand and with a jerk of his head, he indicated towards the front door of The Gardens.
Both men made their goodbyes, telling Mac to stop by their cabin around 6am so that they could follow in the commadore. Promises of people catching up, nights out for beer and a sunday dinner at Stephanie´s, the two relatively sober men made their way into the oppressive coldness of the night air. Xander unplugged the sidewalk engine warmer from his white car and walked around to the drivers side, hoping that his tyres hadn´t frozen. Both he and the vampire had almost had a heart attack when they had learned that on some days it got so cold, tires froze onto the road´s surface and actually ripped off the wheel rim if not thawed out properly. With a nod, Spike gave each tire a kick and seeing that they were all pretty much supple, he threw himself into the still cold car interior.
All through the slow drive home, the landscape was painted with a myriad of colours from the Northern Lights above them. Spike was fascinated with them and occassionaly, with a twinge of regret, he thought that Dru would have been in her element in Alaska. He wondered what his dark princess would have heard from the colourfull display dancing above the earth´s surface. He listened to Xanders quiet breathing as the youth shivered in the barely warm car. The vampire could feel the car swerving slightly in reaction to the shaking hands on the steering wheel and hoped that there wasn´t too much ice on the road.
Car parked in its usual spot, Xander wrapped his arms around the slender figure, both men sharing a cold kiss before making their way into a chilly cabin. Twatcat flung herself at her parents, trilling and mewling for some attention. Despite how hard Spike was, the first thing to do was to start the wood heater so that they didn´t freeze in the early hours of the morning. While he was doing that, Xander fed Twatcat and refilled her hot water bottle, replacing it in her wicker basket. The brunette really didn´t know just why he bothered, the kitten was usually found somewhere in the middle of the bed in the mornings. With a grin, he thought back to that morning when the vampire had been asleep with the kitten nestled firmly on his white chest. Xander had felt his heart jump at the cute sight, it had been perfect poster material. If he had only had a camera, he was sure millions of teenagers around the world would have paid to have such a picture upon their bedroom walls.
The next task wasn´t so pleasant, emptying the kitty litter tray. Something that the blond flat out refused to do, not that Xander could blame him. Lots of nose holding later, the kitten had a fresh tray full of litter placed in one corner of the bathroom. Almost running to the heat being thrown off the small heater, Xander took in the sight of the vampire laying naked on the bed. Spike gently stroked his hard on, thumbing at the weeping slit. He was waiting for his claimant to tell him what to do, not wanting to make any presumptions that might destroy the youth´s good mood for the night.
Quickly shucking off his own clothes, the brunette crawled up the bed until his face was in direct line of the white penis. After a second of hesitation, he ignored the solid member, preferring to give each erect nipple a kiss. With a smile, Xander thrust his tongue into the cool mouth of the blond, his hand wrapping around the smaller one. He picked up the speed of the strokes on the cool cock, taking over the handjob. The youth continued to lick his way down the smooth neck, sucking on the Adams apple until the vampire started groaning in delight.
Eyes rolled, Spike couldn´t decide which was the best, the warm hand around his achingly hard cock or the wet tongue tracing the contour of his throat. He briefly wished that the brunette would bite him, the sensation would make him cum harder than he had for the past months. Spike gasped in shock as his right nipple was rolled between blunt teeth, small sparks of pleasure shooting across his chest. Another harder bite and his stomach was coated with cool semen, fingers shoved into his fanged mouth. The vampire slowly sucked his essence off the warm digits.
Xander was suprised at how quickly the vampire had cum, normally he would have lasted at least a few minutes more. He looked into the gold eyes, his own cock begging for release. The vampire let the last finger slip from his lips and placed his hand at the back of the thick brunette hair, pulling down his claimant for a long hot tongue duel. He felt himself being rolled over onto his left side, looked like it was going to be the ´spoon´ tonight. The lazy man´s shag as he liked to call it. Spike actually really enjoyed this position, it was only good for a long slow screw, something he didn´t mind at times.
With his eyes closed, the vampire moaned in delight as warm fingers spread cool gel over his puckered entrance. One, then two large digits swirled the gel into his relaxing hole. He sighed as a large blunt head replaced the skilled fingers. His right leg bent forward, he opened himself up for Xander. The brunette pulled away his sticky fingers, guiding his cock to the prepared blond. A fierce thrust and he was buried up to his balls in the cool body. Slowly he drew back, eliciting gasps from both of them.
Spike rocked back to meet each slow thrust, his eyes golden as his prostrate was hit time and time again. Grunting filled the small cabin, Xander pumping into the tight channel, one hand wrapped in the soft hair. His other hand was clencing tightly to the slender hip, a smaller hand holding onto his larger fingers. The vampire had his own two fingers shoved into his mouth, running them along his elongated fangs, a few drops of blood falling onto his tongue.
"Fuck Spike, I´m gonna cum! Gonna cum sooo hard!"
Speeding up his thrusts as much as the position would allow him, Xander pounded hard into the slender body, the small whines of the vampire encouraging him. In one hard thrust, Spike was almost on his front, hissing from the uncomfortable angle. His prostrate no longer being hit, he was finding the thrusting starting to bruise his insides. The hand in his hair tightened roughly as with three more immense pumps, Xander bellowed his release to the room, the vampire´s whimpering quietening down into unneeded pants.
"Damn, good as always!"
A kiss was dropped onto the pale cheek as his spent cock slid out of the loosened channel. With his arms wrapped around the slim body, Xander nuzzled into the soft hair, content to just drop off to sleep, relying on the alarm to wake them at 5.30am. Spike waited for the brunette´s breathing to even out before checking his heart rate to make sure he was asleep. This was his own time. For about half an hour after the brunette had fallen asleep each night, the vampire completly relaxed and was free from the constant worry as to when the youth would have another hissy fit and start the slapping. The blond turned his thoughts as to the little adventure beginning in only a few hours.
Febuary 5, 2001
With just a week to go until the sign language course started, Spike was getting fidgety about staying for a few days in Fairbanks. It wasn´t that he hadn´t been to the city before, it wasn´t who was going to look after Twatcat. It was that the class was the final acknowledgement that he was disabled. The blond vampire was horrifically ashamed that he had to be taught how to speak again using his fingers.
~ Already know how to use me sodding fingers! Really don´t need to know much more. ~
Last of the breakfast dishes put away, the slender male snorted to himself when he thought of just how many obscene gestures he knew and most weren´t the normal human ones either. Blood packet ripped open and the contents poured into a mug, Spike programmed the microwave for one minute and 30 seconds. Any longer and he risked burning the top of his mouth on the over heated blood, nevermind the vile taste. While his breakfast heated, the blond couldn´t help but wonder how Steph was going with her labour. He had been a little suprised at how much he genuinly liked the group of people he had come to know since moving to Alaska. Out of them all, he liked Steph the best. He had liked Lukas to begin with but after those damn pamphlets, he didn´t want to be anywhere near the other demon.
Both himself and the whelp had been woken early that morning by a phonecall from a pretty upset and drugged out Steph informing them that she had gone into an early labour. By all rights, she should have had another month and a half of pregnancy. The phonecall itself had apparantly been pretty incoherant, Xander hanging up in the end after telling her that they both wished her good luck, the vampire nodding along to the words. Spike had cooked a full breakfast that included the usual bacon, tomatoes and eggs since they were up early enough anyway. A blowjob in the kitchen and then the whelp had dashed off to work complete with a few sandwiches.
~ Wow, never thought making fucking sandwiches would be the highlight of my day. Can´t wait until I get some wood so I can start this course. ~
Shaking his head at the cat that was demanding to go out, Spike hoped that Steph wouldn´t want the kitten back now that the baby was almost out. Xander and the vampire had both grown attached to the small creature, Spike liking the time he spent alone with Twatcat just purring together to a fuzzy Jerry Springer. Kitchen bench given another wipe with the cloth, he knew that he couldn´t put it off any longer. He was going to have walk to the post office and see Lukas for some more blood. Now that the snow had eased up some, Xander had told the blond that he could resume going himself to get his blood. Not even bothering to argue, he had just nodded along, shuddering at the thought of seeing the prying demon again.
~ Hope he keeps his fucking mouth shut, don´t want to have to rip his head off. ~
The vampire hadn´t had to fight anyone since the crypt incident and was actually uncertain of how a fight would go if he attacked the other demon. He knew that if he had been full up on human blood, only his Sire and a few other demons would get the better of him. Spike really didn´t want to test it out, since having the accident that damaged his chip, he hadn´t felt the desire to even try and fight something. It seemed that with the emergence of his overly tender emotions, his demon traits had diminished to the point where he really didn´t think about them anymore. The only things he wanted were his full demon face back and for Xander to tell him that he was loved.
~ Sodding poofy fucking ponce! ~
A frown adorned the pale face as the vampire counted his available cash, deciding that he would pay by debit card via electronic transfer. Check jacket grabbed, he did all his buttons up while putting out the wood heater. At the last minute, he double checked that the kittens hot water bottle would be warm enough until he returned. Once satisfied that everything was in order and that he could no longer put it off, the vampire stepped out into the cold air of the darkened day. Growling in frustration, he started to jog after the small cat that had dashed out of the warm cabin in an attempt to follow him. Weaving a lunatics dance across the powdery snow, he couldn´t help but grunt in laughter as the black feline tried to avoid the coldness touching her tiny feet. The result was a small kitten leaping stiff legged into the air every few steps while a grunting blond attempted to grab at her.
After a few minutes, Spike realised that they heading in the right direction anyway. Giving up, he continued to walk to the post office, knowing that the kitten would follow him eventually.
Sure enough, after a couple of paces, he felt a solid thump against his lower leg as the small feline attached herself to him. Grunting again, he gently unhooked the sharp claws and popped her down the front of his jacket, relishing the instant warmth that spread across his chest. It would take longer to walk back to the cabin than to continue towards Lukas. Spike was sure that if he turned back, he wouldn´t be leaving the cabin again. Forcing himself to continue foward into the icy air, he surveyed the winter wonderland ahead of him. He had to admit that the scenery was beautiful, his ability to see better than humans in the dark came in handy at times.
While he strode towards his blood, he smiled as he remembered how he had been able to find Spit wandering around drunkenly lost after volunteering to get more firewood for the campsite BBQ. He had heard the others calling out for the missing man about half an hour after he had gone off into the darkness. Idly hoping he would see some wildlife other than the moose that grazed around where he and Xander lived, the vampire had accompnied his claimant in trying to find the drunk man. With his nightvision restored, it had only taken a few minutes before he had found the heat signature of Spit. The lean man had been telling off a tree that continued to drop snow on him despite his impassioned pleas for it to stop. The whelp had just looked at the vampire and had cracked up, Spike only two seconds later in adding to the laughter. Guiding the irate Spit back to the campsite had been easy, Spike just concentrating on the large flare of heat coming from the flames not to mention the delicious smell of almost done sausages. The other man had been too drunk and annoyed at the tree to notice the vampires gameface.
With a groan, the vampire saw the post office building getting closer. All his running after the mental kitten had shortened his journey by a good six or seven minutes. Good was the thought, the sooner he got his blood, the sooner he could be gone and not see the other demon for a few days. Xander was going to use the enhanced esky while they were in Fairbanks, keeping the container in the boot of the car so that housekeeping wouldn´t find it and then call the police. The youth´s book from Joyce contained assorted vouchers that entitled the holder to numerous discounts and freebies around the state of Alaska. Keeping the offers in mind, Xander had been able to get them a discounted room for Sunday night to Friday morning in a bed and breakfast that was within walking distance to the college. Thankfully the days were still pretty dark so that the vampire would be inside during the lengthing periods of sunlight.
So far, the barely sunny hours were from around 11am to just after 3pm. According to Spike´s watch, it was only about quarter past nine, plenty of time for him to get his blood and get home before he encountered the deadly sunlight.
"Hey Spike, good to see you again. You here for a social visit, come on. Got some good beer out the back, English, none of this American crap."
Barely able to hold back a snarl with his shaken head, the blond vampire indicated that he was only here for his weekly blood order. With another shake of his head, he halted Lukas´ questions of if he wanted to talk about his relationship with Xander. A cough later saw both men disappear down the steps leading to the large fridge and engraved door. Spike had seen the door often since getting his own blood but it never ceased to fascinate him. The door was solid metal with odd squiggles and runes carved over it and according to the Fijian, it was a sentient being in its own right. The vampire wasn´t sure but sometimes he could feel a slight buzzing on his chipped side of his head whenever he came near the strange metal. It was so fleeting that he really wasn´t sure whether he had even felt it.
In silence, Lukas got out the vampire´s usual weekly order. The vampire had three traditional meals a day, not including his indulgence for human foods. Twenty–one bags of blood were divided into four plastic shopping bags and held out for the smaller male to take. Caribou, moose and cow, the vampire absolutly refusing anything to do with pigs blood. Mouth almost watering at the sight of the numerous bags of human blood, the vampire steeled himself and turned around so that he could´t see them. He reminded himself that he would be getting a bag a day during the summer, something that he was starting to dread.
From what Lukas had told him during their last friendly chat, not counting the one on Boxing Day, vampires and other nocturnal creatures usually went into an almost hibernation state during the long hours of sunlight. They only really woke during the short periods of darkness and were then pretty groggy, using that time to feed and do a few things before falling asleep again.
A shadow of a smile while taking the bags from Lukas and he was once again asked if he wanted a beer. With a hand run through his short hair, the vampire was suprised when the other male apologised for intruding into the blond´s life when he shouldn´t have. A discreet sniff at the demon and Spike hesitantly nodded his acceptance at the other demons apology, he was still upset and embarrassed at what had been suggested but he reluctantly accepted that it had been only tackled because the Fijian was his friend. A bigger smile and a swigging motion with one hand saw him clapped on the back and the kittens head popping out of the vampire´s jacket much to the laughter of Lukas and snorts from Spike. Following the larger demon, he went back up the stairs and into the warmer air that circulated around the ground level dwelling.
It was opressively hot in the main living room, Spike hated to think of how much it must cost the Fijian to heat the room into an almost tropic zone. A grimace at how domesticated that sounded even to himself, the vampire eagerly grabbed at the ice cold beer being held out to him. Spike quickly shed his thick coat, depositing the black kitten on the floor, smirking as a fluffed up ginger furball made its way over to inspect the intruder. He figured that he had time for one beer before he had to leave again and seating himself upon the sofa, he listened to the other demon telling him about how Steph had rung him as well that morning. Lukas promised to ring the hospital later that day on the behalf of Spike, telling him that he would give him an update about her condition after the phone call. The blond honestly couldn´t remember knowing any woman who had given birth since the day he had been turned. When he had been a human, pregnancy and childbirth wasn´t something that was included in any sort of conversation.
Drinking his beer, he nodded and gestured at the wood carvings dotted around the room while keeping one eye on a pair of felines playing hide and seek in the hot room, listening while Lukas described the origins of the traditional South Pacific Island masks and other ornamental shapes. He had a good laugh at the description of how in the days before missionaries, chieftains had a particular way of killing any offenders by basically getting them to kneel with their neck placed across a large stone slab and then dropping a huge rock onto their neck, leaving it there until they died from suffocation. Dropped hard enough, the rock would break the spine, seperating the head from the body almost instantly. Nice, was the thought running through the vampires mind. Sometime the old ways were the best. Beer finished, Spike got up to leave, glad that the subject of his relationship with Xander hadn´t been brought up. With a goodbye to Lukas, he rescued Twatcat from being licked to death by the other kitten, tucking her firmly into his jacket before heading off into the cold day again.
He was a bit embarrassed about carrying the kitten around with him but he was ultimately glad that he had been able to repair his friendship with the other demon. As much as he liked the demons that employed him, it was nice to have a drinking buddy just to himself. He wasn´t too sure but he thought he caught little hints of dislike from the Fijian every time the dark man came into contact with Xander. With a shake of his head, he continued to trudge back to the cabin. Maybe he was just being overly sensitive about his relationship with the youth and imagining things. Spike gave the purring kitten a reassuring pat through the thick jacket, adjusting his hold on the plastic bags. They weren´t heavy to his vampire strength but the handles still cut into his hands, making throbbing lines across his palms.
Blood put away into the fridge once he was back in the cabin, Spike closed all the curtains to prevent the sun from streaming into the cabin. The heavy clouds had started to clear up just as he was only a mile away from the cabin, forcing him to step up the pace. Water boiling for a coffee, he leaned against the kitchen sink while he turned his attention to Xander´s birthday. It was coming up soon, March 27th and the vampire still had no idea of what to do to make it special for the youth. He didn´t want the boy to go through the same disappointment that had occured during Christmas. Sadly, it was all too probable that the youths arsehole parents would be too drunk to remember their son´s birthday.
An idea striking hard, Spike hurridly made his coffee, extra milky with three sugars. Plonking the beverage down on the coffee table, he removed the kitten from his cool lap while he puzzled over just how he should go about his idea.
