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3 Inches 06
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vampirellabites*hugs and cuddles you*
beta'ed by
joolzmp7 and mygothangelthanks to both of you, hugs!
previous parts
Xander busies himself for a moment by getting his duffle bag and looking through its contents. A sad Spike is not a Spike he can handle. He feels for the little vampire and wonders just again if it’s because of his size or because it’s Spike. They had their differences in the past but lately they grew kinda closer to each other, not that they would ever admit it.
“So, blondie, wanna go see my new castle?” Xander asks and turns around. He is relieved that Spike seems more in control of his emotions again. Spike’s always the tough guy, why does he show so much emotion now? Is it the size that makes him so vulnerable or is Spike like this all the time just nobody watches close enough?
“Sure, mate. Can’t imagine anything worse than your previous habitation. Wait, have to correct that. At least you had a telly!” Xander relaxes slightly, when Spike is in mocking mood again. Things can’t be that bad.
The door is shoved open by Garld carefully. “Hey boys, are you decent?” She laughs lightly and Xander feels warmth spread in his chest. Family.
“Wouldn’t call this decent, luv.” Spike gestures to his screaming yellow night-shirt.
“He’s right, yellow so isn’t his colour!” Xander agrees and Garld holds up some black fabric, she had hidden behind her back.
“Oh well, what a luck then, that I have some brand new clothes with me, which happen to be just your size!” She smiles and winks at Spike who grins back.
“Really, luv? This fast! Give me, give me!” Spike gets excited like a kid on Christmas morning and Xander can’t suppress the laughter when Garld makes William the Bloody say please.
Without hesitation Spike strips off the yellow night-shirt and starts pulling on the black slacks and the black cotton shirt Garld had sewn him.
“I haven’t finished the jeans yet, the converting of jeans fabric isn’t easy when you do so small sized clothes.”
“Don’t worry ‘bout it, luv. You’ve done great on these already.” Proudly, Spike turns and twists as if posing in front of a mirror. “Don’t you think, Xander?”
Xander bows forward to take a real close look. The trousers and the shirt fit perfectly to the small body and once again Xander adores Garld’s sewing skills. “Yeah, really well done, Garld. Spike looks really ...good. Handsome and smartish.”
Both Garld and Spike stop their movements and stare amazed at Xander, who - after a second realizes just what he said and then blushes furiously.
“Guess, I better believe you, whelp, since I haven’t seen myself in a mirror for over one hundred years. Beggars can’t be choosers, eh?” Spike winks at Xander who fiddles around nervously. “What about showing me this new flat of yours now, mate?”
“Oh, yes, that’s a good idea. You still have to settle in. I cleaned up a bit. Take up your clothes and stuff, but don’t forget about the work that still has to be done. Wouldn’t be good to upset Broum.”
“’Course not. I just bring up my stuff and give Spike the tour. I’ll be back down soon. Promise.”
“All right boys, until later!” With that, Garld leaves the office. Xander gets together his things, then offers Spike a ride in his chest pocket again. This time he doesn’t need to put Spike in the cigarette pack because the stairway up to his new flat begins in the workshop in the behind.
Spike looks around in the workshop curiously when Xander goes through it to the stairway. There is a lot of different wood, pieces of furniture in varying states of progress and to Spike’s big surprise a lot of wooden toys. He sees doll houses and hobby horses and wooden building blocks, trees and cows and little cars. Spike wonders if Xander is the one building all this things in devoted detail work.
Finally they’re up the stairs and Xander fumbles with the keys. Screeching the old brown door opens and all Spike can see is a small hall. It’s dark and on the sideboard there is a layer of dust. Didn’t Garld say she cleaned up a bit? Looks like dust wiping isn’t her idea of cleaning up. Three doors lead from the hall to other rooms. Xander turns on the light and the small hall is enlightened by a single bulb hanging down from the ceiling.
“At least you’ve got electricity.” Spike comments and Xander snarls at him. “Just shut up until you saw everything!” Hearing Xander’s tone Spike actually shuts up. He doesn’t intend to hurt the boys feeling. At least not as long as he’s depending on him with his pure shrunken existence. Xander mumbles a short invitation for the vampire and enters the hall.
Xander opens the door to the left and goes into the room. “Here’s the kitchen.” Spike looks around and takes in the white kitchen cupboards, the stove and fridge and sink in silver. “Not bad.” He says. “Yes, and see here”, Xander turns a bit and gestures to a bit of open space to the right, “is enough space for a table and a few chairs. I could actually invite people over and have dinner with them!” Spike hears the excited tone and decides he likes this side of Xander. “Sure, mate, just one question: Who’s going to cook you that dinner you’re talking of?” Spike grins and Xander huffs. “Well, maybe, ordering pizza would work, too.”
Xander goes back to the hall and opens the middle door. Spike finds himself looking at a bathroom with a huge washstand with a mirror over it. The toilet is hidden behind a half high wall and on the other side is a big tub. It just looks great. “That’s more like it, mate.” He tells Xander, who smiles proudly. Spike notices that the bath is very clean, the same as the kitchen was. He’s sure that’s Garld’s work. She just left some things like dusting for Xander.
From the hall they go through the third door and for a moment Spike is completely taken aback. The room they just entered is huge. To the left two big double doors are open and behind them he can see a big bed and a big cupboard for clothes. The rest of the room is meant to be the living room. It’s sparely furnished with an old couch and a table. A big cabinet is on one wall, just waiting to have a big TV placed on it. The far wall is completely covered with a dark red curtain which looks very new and therefore a bit out of place.
“Oh wow, what a curtain!” Xander says. “Garld must have set it up. It wasn’t there when I saw the apartment last time. But wow, it’s great. Great colour.”
“And what’s behind the curtain?” Spike asks.
“Oh, two very, very big windows. You’ve got to see it. The sun shines right in the windows and the sunbeams even reach the bed!” Xander nearly yells totally thrilled, that he could exchange the dark basement against this light place.
“Well, isn’t that just great. Congrats to the new flat!” Spike sneers, not even trying to be nice in the face of the whelp’s enthusiasm. “Sun’s the last thing I want to shine into the bed!”
“Oh.” Spike’s inability to be in the sun hasn’t even crossed Xander’s mind before. He just saw the apartment and loved it from that moment on. He just thought about getting out of the basement, he never thought about anything else, like taking Spike with him. Now, he feels bad about it. “Spike, I didn’t plan on taking you with me. I’m sorry. I thought you’d find something for yourself. I never thought you’d even want to come with me, since we weren’t on the best terms before you went through this, erm, transformation.”
“As if I didn’t know that. If I weren’t like this, I’d never need you, Harris.” Spike snarls, surprised he’s so hurt by Xander’s words. Of course, he would never go with the whelp if he weren’t like this. He’s not a person who likes to depend on someone. Harris basement had been a place to watch telly and eat the fridge empty. Never anything more than that.
“Since you’re here now, until we solved your problems, the curtains just stay closed as long as it’s light outside. Okay?”
“Sure.” What else should Spike say?
Xander puts Spike carefully down on the table of the living room. “I’ll just get my things and put them away. Then we’ve got to decide where you want to sleep and get you what you need. We’ve got to talk about how we’re going to get you back to your old self. Maybe you know someone who could help with this?”
“Spike shrugs. Got to think about it a bit. Wish I had a fag.”
“Actually, I’m pretty happy there aren’t any cancer sticks in your size. Wouldn’t want you to smoke in here.”
Since this is the first update for a long time, I'd even more appreciate some comments.
Inspiration and concrit welcome as always.
Thanks for reading! Hope you enjoyed!
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Really enjoyed this chapter, as I did previous ones.
Hope you write more soon!
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One "transalation" word that is funny: in the US the only thing we tend to call a cammode is a toilet. We would call it a cabinet
hee.
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Really good chapter, picks up from the last chapter seamlessly. Loved this line.
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(Anonymous) 2006-10-09 04:49 pm (UTC)(link)no subject
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So cute! Just read all through up to now. I like how Spike's change is causing the re-evaluation of how they relate to each other.
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I love this fic... terrific to see it back... Poor little Spike!
L
J
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Hee, it's fun to write. You have to think about so many things. *lol*
(And it is updated.)
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Okay, so I am a bit sensible today. Still, I am more the The Emerald City of Oz fan.
I hope Spike is not too whiny.
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I don't think he's too whiny. I think he'd be more belligerent than ever, being so small and "impotent" (how he hates that word! :)
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