Title: 4th of July

Author: Forsaken2003

Pairing: S/X

Rating: PG

Disclaimer: I own none, all belong to Joss Whedon

Comments: Always welcomed!

Summary: It's the Fourth of July!

Warnings/Spoilers:

Season 5

Beta'd by: Unbeta'd

Note: I know the 4th of July came and went but better late than never, right?

Xander decided to sleep in. He was curled up at Spike's side snoring away. Today was the Fourth of July and they had plans to meet up with the others at the beach that night for their own celebration. He had been working late hours at work with patrol on top for the last week It was going to be a late night and Xander didn't want to end up being a party pooper.

The phone started to ring and Xander cursed putting one in their room. He groaned as he tried to roll over to grab it but before he could move Spike was off the bed and in the living room. Spike was a saint, not that Xander would ever say it out loud. Xander heard Spike talking in a hushed voice even though Spike had to be annoyed by the early phone call. After a few minutes Spike returned to the bedroom, climbed back into bed and rearranged Xander so his head was resting on Spike's chest.

"Who was it?" Xander asked, his eyes still closed.

"Red, she wanted to know if you picked up the weiners, hotdog buns, the drinks and chips for tonight," Spike replied as his hand ran through Xander's hair.

Xander groaned again. "How did I get stuck supplying all the food?"

"Because you're the only one with a paying job," Spike reminded him.

Xander turned his head and placed a kiss on Spike's chest. "Right, I forget that besides Giles I'm the only one really doing the adult thing." He got a hard poke in his arm. "Baby, I love you but playing poker for kittens and then selling said kittens for money once a week is not a real job."

"Pays for my blood though," Spike pointed out.

"Touche," Xander mumbled. "I'm excited about tonight."

Spike kissed the crown of Xander's head. "Sleep."

"Okay," Xander managed to get out before he started to snore.

Xander finally climbed out of bed at two in the afternoon. Spike had been up for an hour, already showered to make sure there was warm water left for Xander. With a quick shower Xander was dressed and in the kitchen making a sandwich for lunch. He noticed that the dishes from the night before were washed and put away and that the counters were wiped down. Walking back into the living room where Spike was watching Passions he saw that the weapons were put away in the chest and any blood or goo that had been left was gone. He sat down, his thigh pressed against Spike's. "You've been busy," Xander commented before taking a bite out of his sandwich.

"You have no idea," Spike replied with a smirk.

"Did you have shower sex without me again?" Xander glared at Spike accusingly.

Spike snorted in amusement. Xander had been so mad at him the last time. Xander had raged for over an hour. It had been hilarious, not that Spike would tell Xander that. "No, luv. I just made a call."

Xander was about to ask who Spike called when there was a knock at the door.

"Be a lamb and get the door?" Spike asked his eyes not leaving the TV but there was a small smile on his face.

Shooting Spike a suspicious look Xander placed his plate on the table before standing up. He made his way to the door just as there was another knock. When he opened the door he was surprised what he was met with. It was a delivery man holding bags of groceries awkwardly in his hands. "Um... hi?"

"Xander Harris?" the deliver man asked.

"That's me," Xander said confused at what was happening.

"You placed an order?" the delivery man asked who was now also looking confused.

Xander looked over his shoulder to see Spike look at him nodding his head. "Uh... yeah. I guess I did." He looked back to the man.

"Great, can you take your bags? I've got more deliveries. The reciept is in one of the bags."

Taking the bags Xander was about to ask how much everything was but the man just disappeared. Using his foot to close the door Xander turned just as Spike appeared in front of him taking some of the bags and headed to the kitchen. Following after him Xander asked, "you ordered groceries for tonight? How did you pay for them?"

"I did and the manager owed me a favor. I saved his daughter from a vampire attack outside his store a few months back. Figured this was as good as time as any to cash it in. A couple hundred dollars worth of goods seemed like a good trade."

"You used your favor just so I wouldn't have to do the grocery shopping for tonight?" Xander asked as he saw three packages of weiners, hot dogs buns, ketchup, mustard and relish, five two liter bottles of assorted sodas, 10 bags of various chips. There were even paper plates and red solo cups. Spike really did think of everything.

Spike started going through the bags. "Well that wasn't all I got." He pulled out five packaged of Marlboros and a box of Twinkies.

Xander pulled Spike into his arms. "Has anyone ever told you how amazing you are?"

"Only you, pet," Spike replied before pecking Xander on the lips. "Only you."

Xander sat on the sand in between Spike's legs. They had brought a chair for Spike so he could keep his distance from the open fire while Xander sat on a blanket. They were all chatting about nothing important, enjoying the downtime they rarely got. Giles opted out saying that if they were going to have a quiet night he was going to spend it in his home drinking scotch and reading a book that didn't have a bloody thing to do with demons.

"Thanks for picking up the food," Willow said as she passed Tara a hotdog.

"It wasn't me," Xander replied before stuffing his mouth with sour cream and onion chips. Once he swollowed his continued. "It was my gorgeous vampire." He leaned his head back to smile up at Spike.

Spike rolled his eyes glad he wasn't able to blush. He's been with Xander for over a year and he still found compliments like that embarrassing. Taking his thumb he used it to wipe the crumbs from the side of Xander's mouth.

Buffy who was about to take a bite out of her hotdog that was smothered in mustard and ketchup stopped. "Please tell me we are not eating stolen food!"

"It's not stolen. And if it was you've already had your fair share stuffed in your gob," Spike shot back. He'd wished that Xander would have taken the credit for the spread provided but Spike should have known better. Xander was always trying to show everyone how amazing Spike was when Spike didn't really care what they thought of him. Xander's opinion was the only thing that mattered to him.

Anything else that was going to come out of Buffy's mouth was silenced by the crackling sounds from the fireworks. As they watched the colors take over the dark sky Spike played with Xander's hair. The explosive noises made his sensitive ears rings and he needed something else to focus on. Xander being the one to notice everything started to rub Spike leg trying to soothe him. This was why Spike loved this goofy human. Leaning forward he pressed his lips against Xander's ear and whispered, "I love you."

The fireworks were so loud that you'd think Xander wouldn't have been able to make out the words but he did. How could he not? Those three words from Spike are everything to him! He turned his head to look up at Spike. "I love you too, blondie."

The End