Shopping's done. Lunch time.

[wesleysgirl.livejournal.com]

Continued from here.

"That's not the same thing at all," Wesley said. "The spell is important. This is just... food."

Comments

[flaming-muse.livejournal.com]

"Which is also important," Spike said. "Keeps your brain working, makes you strong, not to mention tasting good."

[wesleysgirl.livejournal.com]

Wesley smoothed the paper out with the flat of his hand, then picked up the sandwich. "That doesn't mean I have to know exactly what's in my sandwich," he pointed out, taking a bite.

[flaming-muse.livejournal.com]

"Then you run the risk of it not tasting good." Spike pulled out a chair and sat down at the table, seeing no need to stand while Wesley ate.

[wesleysgirl.livejournal.com]

Swallowing, Wesley took a sip of coffee and watched as a piece of lettuce escaped the sandwich and fell onto the paper that was serving as a plate. "I already know it tastes good -- I've had it before." He gestured at the refrigerator and another bit of lettuce dropped out of the sandwich. "Don't you want to have anything?"

[flaming-muse.livejournal.com]

Spike stretched out his legs and said, "Maybe later." The knot of tension that had been coiling in his stomach had begun to loosen with Wesley's presence, and he didn't really feel like getting wound up again thinking about blood, hunger, and the need to brush his teeth before he could kiss Wesley again.

[wesleysgirl.livejournal.com]

It seemed clear that Spike didn't want to talk about his conversation with Dawn, and also that it had upset him. Wesley chewed another bite of sandwich thoughtfully, grateful that he had an excuse not to talk while he sorted out what the best thing to say might be.

[flaming-muse.livejournal.com]

"Is there anything you need to do for the spell before tonight?" Spike asked, looking for something else to talk about that didn't involve him.

[wesleysgirl.livejournal.com]

Wesley shook his head. "No -- now that I have all the ingredients, all we need is the subjects."

[flaming-muse.livejournal.com]

"That's good. Gives you more time to worry about it," Spike said with a grin.

[wesleysgirl.livejournal.com]

Pretending to scowl, Wesley aimed his foot beneath the table and kicked Spike's. "I'd threaten to hit you with my sandwich, but I want to eat it." He contemplated it and grinned. "Well, that and the fact that it's rather phallic in shape. Do you think that's deliberate?"

[flaming-muse.livejournal.com]

"Usually I'd accuse someone of desperately needing a shag if he saw a sandwich as a sexual object, but I know that's not the case with you," Spike said, smirking. "And I don't really want to think about what it means that you're biting bits of it off."

[wesleysgirl.livejournal.com]

"What we ought to avoid thinking about is what the person who decided this type of sandwich would be the next big fad was thinking," Wesley said, then he took a rather large bite and chewed it innocently.

[flaming-muse.livejournal.com]

Spike tried to hide his wince as he watched Wesley's teeth cut through the sandwich. "Maybe he's got a less perverse mind than you," he suggested. "Or he could be the one needing a shag."

[wesleysgirl.livejournal.com]

"Probably the latter," Wesley agreed when he'd finished chewing.

[flaming-muse.livejournal.com]

"Does it taste good, anyway?" Spike asked.

[wesleysgirl.livejournal.com]

"Yes," Wesley said. "And additionally, I can tell myself I'm having vegetables. Although to be perfectly honest I'm not sure lettuce counts."

[flaming-muse.livejournal.com]

"It's green," Spike said without much conviction. "I've never been fond of it, myself. Too limp and bland. Not enough texture."

[wesleysgirl.livejournal.com]

Wesley looked into the wrap again. "This isn't limp," he said. "It's rather spiny, actually. But it's good. Are you sure you don't want some?"

[flaming-muse.livejournal.com]

Spike shook his head, since the sandwich didn't look particularly exciting. "It's your lunch."

[wesleysgirl.livejournal.com]

"I'll be having dinner in a couple of hours," Wesley said, although it wasn't really his intention to argue. He looked at Spike, thinking. "You do know it doesn't bother me to see you drink blood, don't you?"

[flaming-muse.livejournal.com]

"I've done it in front of you before," Spike replied. "I'm not hungry." That wasn't exactly true, since part of being a vampire was always being hungry, but he wasn't hungrier than usual.

[wesleysgirl.livejournal.com]

"All right," Wesley said mildly. "I just wanted to make sure you knew." He took another bite of his sandwich.

[flaming-muse.livejournal.com]

"You didn't turn your back or start to vomit, so I took that as a good sign." Another bit of vegetation fell onto the sandwich wrapper, and Spike wondered if Wesley knew he was eating alfalfa sprouts as well as lettuce. He decided not to mention it. "Can't think it's all that appetizing for you, though."

[wesleysgirl.livejournal.com]

"It really doesn't bother me," Wesley repeated, giving up on the sandwich and setting it down in favor of his coffee. "It's not all that different from a rare steak, or sushi."

[flaming-muse.livejournal.com]

Spike made a sound of disbelief. "That's not what you said when you talked about drinking it, yourself."

[wesleysgirl.livejournal.com]

"I don't like sushi either," Wesley said. "But I don't mind watching other people eat it."

[flaming-muse.livejournal.com]

"Except that people eating sushi aren't wishing they were having bits of raw human flesh rolled up with seaweed." Spike made a face. "I could've lived without that image."

[wesleysgirl.livejournal.com]

Wesley smiled. "So could I."

[flaming-muse.livejournal.com]

"Sorry," Spike said, still grimacing. "And you weren't trained to hunt down sushi-eaters, but you get my point."

[wesleysgirl.livejournal.com]

"Don't be sorry," Wesley said. "You haven't upset me. I'm sorry -- I was the one who brought the topic up in the first place."

[flaming-muse.livejournal.com]

Despite or perhaps because of Wesley's earnest tone, Spike found himself chuckling. "We're full of apologies today, aren't we?" he said. "Don't worry about it, pet. There's no problem."

[wesleysgirl.livejournal.com]

"I just wanted you to know," Wesley said again, deciding that he was done with the sandwich and wrapping the remains back up in the paper, twisting it into a smaller shape that seemed reasonable.

[flaming-muse.livejournal.com]

Spike suddenly realized why it didn't bother Wesley, and it made the ease that he felt by the statement turn somewhat sour. "You've had lots of time to get used to it, haven't you? But it's good to hear."

[wesleysgirl.livejournal.com]

Wesley sighed, turning his coffee cup in little circles on the tabletop. "Would it be better if I weren't used to it? I hardly see how that would make things easier." Inside his head he was cursing silently -- he didn't want to argue with Spike at all, but especially not now, and especially not about this.

[flaming-muse.livejournal.com]

"Did I say I'd rather you weren't all right with it?" Spike asked, his heel bouncing slightly against the floor to vent some of his displeasure with the situation. "It makes things easier, doesn't it, you being used to having a vampire in your life."

[wesleysgirl.livejournal.com]

"Angel was never in my life in the way you are," Wesley said.

[flaming-muse.livejournal.com]

"I know that," Spike said, but the old concern that he was simply a substitute for Angel reared its head again. Attempting to tamp it down, he added, "I probably should be thankful he was a part of your life long enough for you to get used to the blood, but I've got a rule never to be grateful to him."

[wesleysgirl.livejournal.com]

"I don't expect you to be." Wesley stretched his arm across the table, palm facing up near Spike. "There's something I should tell you."

[flaming-muse.livejournal.com]

"Are there any good conversations that start like that?" Spike asked, suddenly wary.

[wesleysgirl.livejournal.com]

"Quite possibly not." Wesley didn't want to start it, not really, but he thought Spike should know, and it was better done sooner than later. "I've fed Angel. My blood. It didn't... well, I suppose saying that it didn't mean anything sounds ridiculous, doesn't it."

[flaming-muse.livejournal.com]

Looking sharply away from the table, Spike clenched his jaw as pain and jealousy flooded through him, filling his veins. Dozens of nauseating images of Wesley and Angel flashed before his eyes. "Yeah. It does."

[wesleysgirl.livejournal.com]

"I'd be lying if I said there was no part of me that enjoyed it," Wesley said, lowering his eyes from Spike's face to the surface of the table. "But there weren't a lot of options at the time. He was delirious -- had no idea what was going on. I don't even know for sure if he remembers it."

[flaming-muse.livejournal.com]

"Oh, even better, a noble sacrifice on his behalf." Spike couldn't quite keep his voice even.

[wesleysgirl.livejournal.com]

"He was starving," Wesley said sharply, still not looking up. "I'd brought other blood -- animal blood -- but it wasn't enough." He reminded himself that Spike was upset, and that he had a right to be. "It was after Connor. Angel said... he said he should have killed me."

[flaming-muse.livejournal.com]

Continues here (http://www.livejournal.com/community/reality_bends/62850.html).