Research! Hurrah!

[flaming-muse.livejournal.com]

Continued from here.

With a small sigh, Spike sat on one side of the couch and set the books on the floor next to him. Slouching down until he was comfortable, he picked the top one off the pile and opened it. "What should I be looking for? Just spells about memory loss or ones about replacing anything that's missing?"

Comments

[wesleysgirl.livejournal.com]

"What?" Wesley asked distractedly as he added another book to the small pile in his arms, then he forced himself to turn and look at Spike. "Oh, sorry. Either one. Anything that might seem relevant."

[flaming-muse.livejournal.com]

"All right." If he wasn't going to have fun he might as well be comfortable, so Spike slouched a bit further, his head against the back cushion and his legs spread wide, and flipped to the first page of text. It was in English, which was at least something.

[wesleysgirl.livejournal.com]

Deciding he had enough books for the time being, Wesley went over and balanced them on the arm of the couch furthest from Spike, then sat down beside him, quite close, so that their legs were pressed against each other. "Is this all right?" he asked, reaching for a book.

[flaming-muse.livejournal.com]

Spike looked up with a surprised smile as soon as Wesley sat down. Moving over slightly so that they were even closer, he said, "Might distract me a bit, but it will definitely make the reading a lot more enjoyable."

[wesleysgirl.livejournal.com]

"As long as we don't get too distracted," Wesley agreed, stroking his hand along Spike's thigh for just a moment before opening his book.

[flaming-muse.livejournal.com]

Since the research was important, Spike was willing not to be deliberately distracting... at least not yet. Far happier than he had been just a few moments before simply due to the reminder of Wesley's leg against his that he hadn't been forgotten completely, Spike went back to his reading. While the text was in English it seemed to have been written by someone with an imperfect grasp of the language, so it wasn't easy even to skim the pages.

[wesleysgirl.livejournal.com]

After he'd gone through the first few chapters of the book he was holding, Wesley leaned back a bit more, put one foot up onto his opposite knee so that he could use his leg as a book-prop, and raised his free hand to the back of Spike's neck, rubbing his thumb across the hairline idly.

[flaming-muse.livejournal.com]

Pulled out of his reading by the feel of Wesley's hand on his neck, Spike glanced over to find him still caught up in his book. There was something about that casual touch that left Spike a bit shaken; not only was it still somewhat of a shock to him that Wesley would touch him deliberately and not sexually but it was also a physical indication that there was a connection between them even when they weren't focused on each other. It made him feel both a foolish lightness in his chest and a nagging worry that he was in way over his head with what was happening between them, and he looked down at his book again to ignore them both.

[wesleysgirl.livejournal.com]

Only vaguely aware that he was touching Spike, Wesley continued to page through his book slowly, half his mind on what he was going to do. He was finding it nearly impossible to imagine not returning the others' memories, but he couldn't help but wonder how they'd react once he had, not just to the fact that he'd returned them, but to their actual memories.

He sighed and set the first book down next to him, reaching for another.

[flaming-muse.livejournal.com]

Spike paused in his reading as Wesley moved. Thus far, the only information of interest he had found so far was an extended passage about the same sort of spell that Willow had used to remove their memories a few years previously, but it didn't seem relevant. He ran his hand down Wesley's thigh and gave him a small smile.

[wesleysgirl.livejournal.com]

Wesley settled back again, his fingers now gently rubbing the far side of Spike's neck as he began to go through the next book. "Are you horribly bored?" he asked after a moment.

[flaming-muse.livejournal.com]

"Not horribly," Spike said, leaning slightly into Wesley's hand. "But no one ever said doing good was going to be fun."

[wesleysgirl.livejournal.com]

"That's true," Wesley said. He turned another page, then asked, "But there are parts of it that you enjoy?"

[flaming-muse.livejournal.com]

"Parts of reading books so dull they make the instructions on a container of dental floss look interesting or or parts of doing good?" Spike asked.

[wesleysgirl.livejournal.com]

"There are instructions on containers of dental floss?" Wesley said, turning and looking at Spike. He smiled. "No, I meant doing good."

[flaming-muse.livejournal.com]

"Yeah. 'Wrap ends of floss around index fingers and insert between teeth. Rock gently in a sawing motion until someone comes to tell you you're too bloody stupid to live because you had to read the instructions,'" Spike said and then looked vaguely embarassed. "I got really bored chained up in Giles' bathtub." He cleared his throat. "And, yeah. I still get to hit people, which is good, and there's that warm glow you get from saving the world. Of course, that could've just been me being on fire."

[wesleysgirl.livejournal.com]

Wesley didn't like to think about that last part, so instead he leaned over and used his hand on Spike's neck to pull him in for a quick kiss. "You're wonderful," he said, before returning to his previous position and turning another page.

[flaming-muse.livejournal.com]

Spike blinked at Wesley for a moment, unsure whether he had been serious or was just humoring him. "Thanks," he said tentatively, turning his attention back to his book.

[wesleysgirl.livejournal.com]

Another few minutes passed nearly silently, then Wesley asked, "Should I tell them?"

[flaming-muse.livejournal.com]

"You have to, love," Spike said quietly. He placed his hand on Wesley's thigh and squeezed it sympathetically. "You know you do."

[wesleysgirl.livejournal.com]

Wesley sighed and turned another page. At least the sections in this book meant he didn't have to look through the entire thing. "I know," he said.

[flaming-muse.livejournal.com]

Spike squeezed Wesley's leg again. "It'll be easier for them than it was for you," he said. "They'll have some warning, and they won't be alone."

[wesleysgirl.livejournal.com]

"I wasn't alone," Wesley said, looking at Spike in confusion. "You were there."

[flaming-muse.livejournal.com]

"I know I was, but I'm sure it would've been easier for you with your friends, people who had gone through it and understood better." Spike shrugged.

[wesleysgirl.livejournal.com]

"I'm glad that it was you," Wesley said honestly, setting his book aside for a moment and moving so that he could slip his arms around Spike's waist instead.

[flaming-muse.livejournal.com]

Spike was more than happy to put his book down on the arm of the sofa and slide his arms around Wesley in return. "At least you knew I was out of it."

[wesleysgirl.livejournal.com]

"I knew I could trust you. That's been... invaluable to me."

[flaming-muse.livejournal.com]

"I'm glad I could help," Spike said, though it wasn't like he had done anything but been there at the right time and not have had his memories altered like the rest of them.

[wesleysgirl.livejournal.com]

"I don't want to have to be the one to tell them," Wesley said quietly, kissing Spike's shoulder. "I just... I don't understand why Angel can't do the right thing."

[flaming-muse.livejournal.com]

"Because he's a selfish git who doesn't deserve the title of Champion," Spike said, holding Wesley more tightly. "Which is a bloody stupid thing to be called if you ask me. Is he supposed to be on a box of Wheaties or something?" Growing more serious, he leaned his forehead against Wesley's and said, "You shouldn't have to clean up his messes, but he's not going to, and this one's too important to be ignored."

[wesleysgirl.livejournal.com]

"I know," Wesley said, as if he might convince himself that way.

[flaming-muse.livejournal.com]

"Why don't you want to tell them? Afraid they'll try to shoot the messenger?" Spike asked.

[wesleysgirl.livejournal.com]

"Not so much that as a desire not to be the bearer of bad news," Wesley said. "I'd like to think they won't blame me." Not for telling them about the memory alterations, at any rate.

[flaming-muse.livejournal.com]

"I know they won't. If they've got brains in their heads they should thank you for giving them back the truth." Spike stroked his fingers over the nape of Wesley's neck. "I'd be grateful if it were me."

[wesleysgirl.livejournal.com]

"Even if there were things that made you unhappy? Things that you might not have wanted to remember?" Wesley realized that he sounded anxious, but he wanted the reassurance enough that he asked anyway.

[flaming-muse.livejournal.com]

"I'd be angry the truth was taken away in the first place, not that it was given back," Spike said firmly. "Reality can be nearly too bloody painful to bear sometimes, but at least it's not someone else's fantasy."

[wesleysgirl.livejournal.com]

Wesley leaned in closer to Spike for a brief moment, then he pulled back and picked up his book again. "Right," he said, trying to sound matter of fact. "We'll find a way to do this, preferably without needing to go back in to the office, and we'll take care of it."

[flaming-muse.livejournal.com]

"We will," Spike said, opening his book with a sigh. He wanted to find some way to make Wesley less unhappy, but he suspected the only lasting way to do that was to solve the bigger problem, even if it meant more research and less touching. "And then we'll go on holiday somewhere and forget about everything else for a little while."

[wesleysgirl.livejournal.com]

"God, that sounds good," Wesley said, sliding down on the couch a bit so that he could lean his head against Spike's shoulder as he turned pages.

[flaming-muse.livejournal.com]

"And the only people knocking on the door will be room service." Spike's attention was caught by a reference to restoring memories, but it turned out to be a way to remember one's dreams for analysis.

[wesleysgirl.livejournal.com]

Wesley knew that his mind was only half on the book in front of him, but he also knew from previous experience that that was sufficient for his current purposes. "And we'll spend at least half of every day in bed."

[flaming-muse.livejournal.com]

"At least," Spike agreed. "They can bring the room service to us there." He flipped to the next page of his text.

[wesleysgirl.livejournal.com]

"What do you like?" Wesley asked, flipping quickly through the next section as it wasn't relevant. "To eat, I mean?"

[flaming-muse.livejournal.com]

"Pretty much anything, but especially things with a kick. Hot wings, spicy curries, flowering onions, garlic bread, those Texas barbeque crisps. I had these brilliant chili slaw dogs down in Atlanta a few decades back... Anyway, I like things with strong tastes or a good crunch." Spike finished his book and picked up the next one. At least this one had pictures, but the text was miniscule. "I know you don't care much about food, but what about you?"

[wesleysgirl.livejournal.com]

Continues here (http://www.livejournal.com/community/reality_bends/34178.html).