Title: Crazy
Fandom: Buffy The Vampire Slayer
Characters: Xander/Spike
Prompt: crazy
Word Count: 1225
Rating: Adult
Warning/Spoilers: Umm, S4 roughly, but no real spoilers and definitely no warnings.
Summary: Xander's getting confused and receives an unexpected proposal and an unexpected visitor.
Unbeta'd, so heck yeah, concrit welcome!! Totally.

Previously:
Buffy shook her head. “You’ll go now. It’s down that street, take your first left. He’s on the second floor.”

Spike gaped at her. “Slayer, you alright? You realize you’re directing me toward one of your precious friends.”

She rolled her eyes. “Go. He’s miserable without you. I’m sick of seeing that. I may not be overjoyed at you two together, but I like to see my friends happy. I’m not that much a bitch, I don’t think.”

Spike started walking backwards down the street, away from Buffy. “No worries, Slayer. Bit o’ practice, ‘m sure you’ll be just as bitchy as ya want to be.” He tossed a wave in her direction, then turned, heading toward Xander’s apartment.


Pipes were a pain in the ass, Xander thought, staring down at Jake as he twisted the falange. “So, what’s the damage, there, Jake?”

He heard a sniff, and then a monkey wrench was waving before his vision. “Not much, Mr. Harris, just need to tighten this up a bit, throw on some sealant, them maybe get some stops for your faucet and you’ll be good to go.” Jake’s muffled voice drifted out from underneath the cabinet.

Xander had to chuckle at the title, though. “Whoa, Jake. Mr. Harris is my father. Call me Xander. Working stiff’s gotta stick together, ya know?”

One last twist with his whole arm, and Jake grunted in satisfaction. “All done here.” He slid out from beneath the sink and tossed the wrench into the toolbox at his hip, smiling up at Xander.

“Offer you beer? Got some imported stuff, some Amberbock,” Xander said when Jake looked up at him.

“Beer’d be great, thanks.” Jake hoisted himself off the floor, and bent over the sink to check the drip that had started the day after Xander had moved in. “Yeah,” he said, twisting the water off again, “This’ll be an easy thing.” he turned and leaned on the sink, looking over Xander. “Working stiff, Mr...ah, Xander?” He asked, taking the proffered beer.

“Um, yeah, actually. Been working construction last few months. Hard work, but I’m good at it, finally - suck at pretty much everything else - and oddly enough, coming from one of the laziest people you’ll ever have the misfortune to meet, I enjoy it.” Xander smiled, taking a sip of his beer.

“That’s good. Nothin’ worse’n hatin’ your job but still havin’ to do it every damn day, right?”

“A chorus of ‘hell yeah’ just sounded in my head, but you didn’t hear it, cuz there’s only me. I’ve had so many jobs of the uber suckage, I don’t even want to remember them.”

Jake laughed, and they sat in silence sipping on their beers for a few minutes. Time enough for Xander to wonder a little crazily why he was sipping on beer with a strange guy in his kitchen. Jake was a good looking guy, tall, dark hair and tanned skin. And Xander was unattached - anymore. It’d been few weeks now since Spike decided he was better off without Xander, and that meant that Xander was free to flirt if he wanted to.

He frowned, because that was the problem. Hot guy, gainfully employed, sipping his beer in his kitchen and the truth of the matter was that Xander didn’t want to. Wrong hair. Wrong skin. Wrong accent. Wrong temperature.

“So what does your girlfriend think of the apartment, Xander?”

“Huh?” Jake’s voice jerked him out of his thoughts, and Xander stared blankly for a minute, until his brain processed Jake’s question. “Oh. No girlfriend. Not for a long time. My ex decided that my choosing this place without any input was intolerable.”

“Whoa.” Jake shook his head. “Big mistake there, man. Ya don’t go movin’ a chick’s life without at least gettin’ her input, ya know?”

“But I picked the place specifically for him.”

“Him?”

The sound of a bottle being set down jerked Xander’s eyes back up to Jake’s.

“Uh, yeah. My ex is a he.” Xander swallowed, heavy, eyebrows inching up slowly on his forehead, as he wondered if he’d have to get all self-defensive. “Is that a problem?”

Jake just smiled, the corner of his mouth lifting slightly. “Nah.” Then he met Xander’s gaze with a level stare. “Well, maybe. It can be a big problem.”

Xander was sure Jake could hear the gulp he took, and the rapidly increasing pace of his heartbeat. “Ho-“ his voice squeaked, and he cleared his throat. “How is that a problem?”

Jake crossed the kitchen to step in front of Xander. “I thought there was a, and my mama would kill me for sayin’ this, vibe earlier.”

“A vibe? What vibe? I felt no vibe here..in the kitchen. In fact, I’m pretty sure my whole place is vibe free.”

Jake stepped up a little closer, his height now beginning to intimidate Xander a little. “Yeah.” Jake placed a hand over Xander’s cheek, and it was warm, slightly callused, rough against his skin. Unfamiliar. Before he had a chance to step away from Jake, the man was kissing him.

Granted, it wasn’t forceful, more questioning and exploring and man, did this guy taste pretty good or what? But his mouth was warm! And Xander could feel the thrum of a pulse in Jake’s fingers, feel Jake’s hot breath on his skin, and though he thought he might be able to like the kiss, it all felt just so wrong.

He pushed at Jake’s chest and was relieved when Jake backed off without a fuss. “Jake. Guy. Man. I,” he paused to lick his lips, and gasped when he saw the reaction in Jake’s eyes as they flared and dilated. “I’m really sorry you got vibed here. It so wasn’t my intention.” He cleared his throat, “And while I possibly, might, someday in the distant future consider kissing you, right now is really not that time. Nice and friendly and, yeah, I can admit it, hot as you are.” He swallowed. “I hope you’re not angry or feeling at all vengeancy with the rejection. It honestly has nothing to do with you, I mean look at you!” Xander’s hand began to flutter on Jake’s chest. “And look at me! Of course I’m flattered, but-”

Jake pressed a finger against Xander’s lips, silencing him. “I get it, Xander. Don’t worry about it.”

“Really?”

Jakes chuckled. “Really. No biggie. And Xander, don’t sell yourself short, man. You’re hot. Wouldn’t have kissed ya otherwise.” He turned to pick up his tool box. “I’ll just be heading on out now, to get your faucet stops, and I’ll be back tomorrow to install ‘em.”

Xander followed him to the door, walking him out. “Thanks, Jake. And really, I’m totally sorry.”

Jake stepped outside, and turned back to smile at Xander. “Don’t worry about it, really. I’m just lucky, I guess, that you didn’t punch me in the face. Even luckier that you liked the kiss.” He pulled a card out of his pocket and handed it to Xander. “Call me, if you ever change your mind, though.”

Xander grinned at him, taking the card. “Definitely. I’ll definitely do that. If - or when - I change my mind.”

“Good.” Jake said. “Bye, Xander. See ya later.”

“See ya, Jake.” Xander said, and watched Jake walked down the hall a ways before shutting the door. Just as he stepped fully back into the apartment, he thought he saw a flash of white and ducking around the corner, so he checked the corridor one last time before shutting the door.

He wandered back into the kitchen, scanning the floor and the open cabinet and spied a small crescent wrench that he knew didn’t belong to him. He stooped to pick it up just a knock sounded at the door.

He trotted back to the door, and swung it open, saying, “You forgot your wren-”

“Looks like tall dark and dumb’s not the only one what forgets things.”

“Spike,” Xander gasped, the crescent wrench in his hand forgotten. “What...what are you doing here?”