Title: Mugging

Author: Forsaken2003

Pairing: S/X

Rating: R

Disclaimer: I own none, all belong to Joss Whedon

Comments: Always welcomed!

Summary: Xander's had a bad day and it only gets worse.

Warnings/Spoilers: Season 5

Beta'd by: Unbeta'd

Buffy and Willow crashed the caffeine wasn't enough to keep them awake. Spike couldn't be mad at them for that if he could he'd want to sleep and get away from this nightmare. Giles placed his jacket on Buffy while Tara had Willow's head resting on her shoulder.

"You need to tell him," Tara said quietly so she didn't disturb Willow.

"Tell who what?" Spike asked playing dumb.

Giles rolled his eyes. "For God's sake, man anyone who is paying attention can see you care for him more than a friend."

Spike looked at them. "He hasn't noticed and he sees more than anyone."

"Xander doesn't see things when it comes to himself," Giles said. "He doesn't think anyone is ever watching him. But that's not true, now is it?"

Spike's jaw set and turned his head away from the staring eyes.

Giles chuckled causing both Tara and Spike to look at him.

"What?" Spike barked not in the mood to be laughed at.

"It's just funny." Giles wiped an imaginary tear away. "William the Bloody afraid that a human boy might reject him."

Spike growled and his face shifted to his demon. "I'm not afraid of anything!"

"W-what's wrong?" Buffy asked groggily. She sat up waking up Willow. "Is it Xander?"

"It's nothing," Spike said clenching his jaw.

Tara spoke up. "I-It's okay. Mr. Giles was just trying to get S-Spike to admit his feelings for Xander."

Buffy's eyes widened. "His what?"

Willow who was still trying to stay awake. "What kind of feelings?"

Giles pinched the bridge of his nose. How were they so clueless? "Spike is in love with Xander."

"Stop saying that!" Spike was about to make a run for it before Buffy decided to stake him.

"Spike's in love with Xander? Our Xander? Xander who is a man?" Buffy asked clarifying they were talking about the same person.

Spike felt a headache coming on. "Do you know another Xander you dumb bint!"

Buffy went to reach for Mr. Pointy but she left it at the Magic Box. "If you want my permission to date Xander I suggest you can the attitude."

"Permission?" Spike barked out a laugh. "It's 2001. Besides I don't think Xander would appreciate you thinking you get a say in who he does or doesn't date."

"Well, he doesn't have that great of track record when it comes to dating," Buffy said defending herself.

The scar eyebrow went up. "Because the rest of you have done so well with dating." Spike sent an apologetic to Tara. He hoped things worked out with her and Willow.

With a huff Buffy crossed her arms.

Giles was about to end the argument, Xander was an adult and he could make his own decisions but was stopped when a man in green scrubs came out. There was some blood splattered on the scrubs.

"Alexander Harris family?" The doctor asked.

"Yes," Giles said standing up.

"I'm Dr. Granger, I'm the one who operated on him."

Spike had to control his temper. Of course he was the one to operate on Xander. Why else would he be talking to them? "How is he? Why did he need to go into surgery?"

Dr. Granger sat down. "The knife severely ruptured Alexander's spleen so we needed to do a Splenectomy."

"Splenectomy?" Buffy asked. "Was that really necessary?"

"It was. He'll be find though. He'll have to stay in the hospital for a couple days before going home we just want to watch for any infections. Does he have anyone to help him? The last thing we want is for him to pop open his stitches."

Spike spoke up before anyone could make plans for Xander. "I've lived with Xander before. I'm sure he won't have a problem with me sleeping on his couch for a few days."

"Great," Dr. Granger replied. "Now Alexander is awake but groggy. Only one of your can see him right now."

Tara stood and grabbed Spike's arm forcing him to stand. "Spike really needs to see him." She knew Willow would want to see Xander but Xander was okay and Spike needed this more.

"Before you go," Giles stopped them. "You kept Xander's clothes for the police? Before Xander passed out he mentioned that he was able to fight his attacker wounding him as well." It was a lie but how could they explain that Spike could smell two different types of blood on Xander?

"We did. I will also check with the ER about all the people who have come in for help before and after Alexander was brought in," Dr. Granger replied helpfully. "If he's come in we'll have all of his information to give to the police."

Giles nodded relief filling him. If the police couldn't find him Ripper would be coming out and he knew Spike would help him find the bastard who did this to Xander.

Spike seemed to read Giles's mind because he nodded at him before following the doctor.

Dr. Granger left Spike at the door. He had other patients to check on.

There were tubes and wires connected to Xander. He was wearing a hospital gown, his clothes were in a plastic bag waiting for the police to collect it.

"Hey," Xander said sleepily. His eyes were half closed trying to stay open. "What are you doing here?"

"Where else would I be?" Spike questioned as he pulled a chair closer to the bed. "You thought I'd just go back to my crypt after you collapsed into my arms?"

Xander snorted. "No, I was just expecting Willow to be in here crying her eyes out telling me I need to be more careful."

"Glinda and the watcher thought I should see you first," Spike said as he sat down.

Xander frowned. "Did they send you in to be the one to tell me what an idiot I am? I know I should have just given up my wallet but I was in a bad mood and I thought if I could face off against Angelus I would be fine with a human."

"Yes, you are an idiot but no that's not why they sent me in here. From now on if you are working past dusk I will be coming to pick you up and if anyone even looks at you funny I will make them think I'll pull their spine's through their arsehole."

Not knowing what else to do Xander laughed and than groaned placing his hand on his stomach. "Ow! Oh, God why does it hurt so much?"

"Because they had to remove one of your bloody organs, did you think it was going to feel like kitten licks?" Spike asked sarcastically.

Xander pouted groggily. "You're mean."

Spike rolled his eyes and petted Xander's mussed up hair. "Cops will be here eventually to ask you questions. Don't forget to tell them you got your licks in too."

"Licks? No, I stabbed him with my stake," Xander corrected him.

"I'm in love with an idiot," Spike said looking up at the ceiling.

Xander frowned. "I'm more drugged than I thought. Maybe I'm not even awake." He brought a hand up that felt like it was encased in cement and poked Spike in the face multiple times. "You feel real."

Spike batted Xander's hand away. "I am real, ya git!"

"And you said you love... me?" Xander asked pointing to himself. "You love me?"

"I did," Spike clarified. "I do. I was trying to stay calm when you came into the shop but I just wanted to throw up. I've got your blood on me and all I want to do is burn my duster."

"I like you're duster. You look sexy in it," Xander said.

Spike did a slow blink. "Huh?"

Xander gave Spike a dopey smile. "I love you too. I've wanted to tell you but when we finally became friends I didn't want to lose you so I decided to have you as a friend than nothing."

"We're a couple of idiots, aren't we?" Spike asked. He ran a thumb over Xander's lips.

"Well, I already knew I was an idiot. It never occurred to me that you'd be one too." Xander's eyes closed. "Can you take me home now?"

As much as Spike wanted to he had to follow the doctors orders. "Not yet but I'll be your nurse when you get home."

"Sponge baths?" Xander mumbled as he started to doze off.

"Of course. I'm a master at sponge baths," Spike replied. "Sleep now."

Xander's hand moved until it found Spike's. "Stay until I fall asleep?"

"Anything for you," Spike responded.

Spike sat their long after Xander fell asleep.

"You really do love him," Buffy mused from the door.

"I do," Spike agreed not looking at her.

Buffy bit her lip. "Sorry, it's just weird. I know that you've changed since the chip but you're still souless."

"Is that why you came in here? To try and make me feel bad about who I am? Xander loves me for me and that's all that matters to me." Spike felt his cheek tick.

"No, I came in to tell you the guy that did this to Xander is handcuffed to a bed," Buffy said changing the topic.

Spike used his vampire stealth to climb out of the chair. "They did? How do you know?"

"Well, he had a gaping wound in his shoulder but the big clue was the idiot still had Xander's wallet on him," Buffy said with a roll of her eyes.

"Thank everything unholy for humans being morons," Spike sat back down and petted Xander's hair. "He'll be relieved to hear that when he wakes up."

Buffy felt like she was in an alternate universe. How could this be the Spike that tried to kill her a few years ago? He had knocked Xander out with a microscope and now here he was being so gentle. She was one hundred percent wigged out. "Look, as much as I want to tell Xander to stay as far away from you as possible but I know that I can't. All I can say is if you hurt him in anyway you will be intimate with Mr. Pointy."

"We hate each other, that's probably never going to change but I think for the sake of Xander we could try and be civil to each other." Spike didn't take his eyes off of Xander. "And none of that petty bullshit about how he acted when you were with Angel. He was a kid that got thrown into this world. His best friend was killed by a vampire he had the right to be angry and worried."

"You're right," Buffy agreed. "The fact that he has feelings towards a vampire shows how much he has grown over the last five years. And while I don't like it I told Willow when I first met her, 'seize the day because tomorrow you might be dead.'"

Maybe Buffy did have a brain after all, not that Spike would ever tell her that. "Why don't you go tell the others to head home and get some sleep?"

"What about you?" Buffy asked. It was only going on midnight but what would Spike do once the sun came up?

Spike pointed to the dividing curtains. "I'll make something work. If need be I'll flirt with a nurse to get them to get a Janitor to rig something up for me."

"Okay," Buffy turned to leave but stopped. "We'll bring you some blood in a travel mug when we come back. And clean clothes."

Looking down at himself Xander's blood had dried. "Thanks."

"You're going to stay here until he's released aren't you?" Buffy asked.

"Where else would I want to be?" Spike questioned back.

Buffy nodded. "Try to get some sleep. You don't want to be cranky when he's awake. Being bed bound he's going to be antsy."

"Go to his place to pick up some of his comics. They're in a box in his bedroom closet. His disc-man is in his night stand. He can't fall asleep without listening to a Backstreet Boy CD,"

"Right." Buffy forgot Xander was a Backstreet Boy fan. "Anything else?"

Spike thought for a minute. "A box of Twinkies. Xander's not going to be happy if he doesn't have sugar coursing through his veins."

"What about you? Anything besides blood and clothes?" Buffy offered.

"I've got what I need right here," Spike replied as he watched Xander's chest rise and fall. Soft beeps came from the machines he was hooked up to.

Feeling like there was nothing else to say Buffy slipped out. While she didn't think her and Spike would ever really be friends but weirdly she trusted him to watch over Xander for them.

Exhausted Spike closed his eyes. There was no way he was going to get a good sleep but he'd take what he could get. He ended up dreaming of a bubble wrapped Xander.

The End