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Cicirossi
Joss Whedon is God and owns all. It's still his world, although we like to sneak in the side door and cover Xander with chocolate sauce and whipped cream when no one's looking.
The slow rise to consciousness wasn't accompanied this time by chills or shakes. Just a bone deep exhaustion. Xander felt like he would never move again. He wanted to, he really did, because he could hear them. Buffy, angry with an edge of fear. Sometimes she really was such a guy, because fear made her mad. Willow was worried again, and incredulous. As a matter of fact, that's what she kept saying, "How could you?" and he could hear both Spike and Buffy defend themselves, which was weird, because Buffy hadn't done anything to him.
And Spike, well, Spike had taken advantage of him, but he'd be a big, fat liar if he said he didn't like it. Spike's voice was snarky defensive, all sneer underlaid with something Xander couldn't quite place. Maybe he could if he wasn't so very tired. So tired. If there was any doubt about the chocolate in his own mind (and let's face it, there had been) it was gone now. The need for it was absolutely desperate. But he just couldn't move, couldn't even lift his head.
"Spike?" Oh, that was a weak attempt. But he figured if anyone could hear him over the shouting it would be Spike. "Spike? Please?"
"Shut up, you lot. Xander?" It worked. Spike heard him. Spike was there, touching his face and his hands were so cold. Like ice. Making a little protesting noise, Xander turned his head as much as he could to get away, but it was like swimming through syrup.
"Hurts."
"You hurt him!" That was Willow, and now she sounded mad too, and it was making his head pound. "I can't believe you did that to him Spike."
"Hurts. Please, Spike? Chocolate?"
"Right, pet. Be right back. Get off, will you? I need to get his chocolate."
If his eyelids weren't made of lead, Xander would crack them open and look, because it sounded like there was a really undignified scuffle going on. But those little weights tied to his eyelashes were really heavy. So he just stayed there, waiting, mouth open like a baby bird. Finally, finally he felt warm, gooey chocolate against his lips, and he ate it down as Spike fed it to him, bit by bit. Mmmm, soft, silky caramel. The surrounding chocolate was a little grainy, as only truly American chocolate could be. It melted against his tongue and when it reached his stomach it was better than a whole bottle of Pepto Bismol. Instant calm.
"Better now?"
"Mmmmm." Spike's hand was back, resting briefly against his cheek, soothing now rather than hurty. "Much."
"Then tell them that."
Blinking against the light, Xander opened his eyes. Buffy and Willow were there, as Spike moved away and lit a cigarette. They had identical expressions of solemn concern on their faces, and oh that was bad. Because those were "one of us is in dire trouble" Scooby looks. Usually reserved for apocalypse and or death type situations. Might as well take it like a man, which meant sitting up at least.
Flailing, Xander reached out for something solid, and managed to push himself to an upright position. The dizzyness passed really quickly, and there was no nausea this time, thank god. Good chocolate. Happy chocolate. Wonder if there's anymore chocolate? Whoa, everything was really fuzzy around the edges.
"Okay. So what's this news Buffy has for me?"
The simple question had a remarkable effect on the other inhabitants of the room. Buffy looked guilty. As in really, really. As in Angel at his worst kind of guilt. By contrast, Willow's look turned angry. At Buffy, if the sidelong glare was any indication. When Xander turned a questioning face to the undead one, Spike just snorted and said, "Don't look at me, pet. For once I had nothing to do with it. Ask the Slayer."
"I did. Buff? What's going on?"
"Well, it's really sort of... I mean, I had no idea it was magical. I mean, there was nothing sinister about it, really. We just thought, you know, you'd been so down..."
Okay, now his head hurt again. "Spit it out, Buff."
"I sent you the chocolate. I mean, we did. Me and Dawn. As a surprise."
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