baudown: (Default)
baudown ([personal profile] baudown) wrote2011-08-20 04:36 pm
Entry tags:

Found (Spike/Xander, PG)

wka-2012-shower

R32quickie2
Title:  Found
Author:  baudown
Pairing: Spike/Xander
Disclaimer:  I don't own them or make money from them, but that would cheapen my relationship with them, anyway.
Feedback:  Crave it!
Summary:  Post-series (BtVS and AtS).  They run into each other by chance.
Note:  I went looking for a challenge, to see if I could write in response to a prompt, which I hadn't done yet.  I found one, which turned out to be even more challenging, because it had the additional restriction of a specific word count.  When I finished and went to post, I realized that it was actually a crossover challenge. (It was at TtHdrabbles).   Oops.  So, I figured I'd post here, instead.  The prompt was "Three Truths," 300 words.







Found

They meet, years later, unexpectedly. Startled greetings exchanged over the huffing noises of a train. Each wandering, alone, and for some time now. It's not discussed, but they start wandering together.



This is how he falls in love: hard, and without warning. The demon couldn't change that, nor the soul, nor time. This is his nature. This is his truth, and it's enduring. The only thing that's changed is a resolve to keep his silence. To keep his distance. To love without expecting love returned. He loves Xander in this way.



It’s a smile that makes Xander finally see. "You're so beautiful," he says, wonderingly, before he has a chance to think. It's a funny thing to say about a man, to a man, but it's true. Spike smiles, and his face is like a sunflower opening to the light. That face hasn't seen sunlight for more than a century, and it never will again; and the thought is like a knife-twist in Xander's heart. Spike's face deserves sunlight.



Xander's steady stream of whispered words, the look in his eye, the beckoning beat of his heart. Spike doesn't believe it, won't let himself. Too much, too dangerous, deadly, even, to hope, again. These are things to be examined, explained, and set aside. Xander is lonely, of course. They've shared a history, and now, a kind of friendship. There's the insistence of desire, the body's yearning. He thinks that Xander must mistake these things for love.



Xander despairs of making himself understood. Words are ignored, or denied. He tries another way. The truth, spoken in his touch, and in his kiss. He feels it: the moment Spike believes him.


This is how he speaks to me, Spike thinks. The truth in his heart, a flutter of wings, before it settles.






[identity profile] chaoskir.livejournal.com 2011-08-20 09:11 pm (UTC)(link)
*sigh*
That was beautiful! Terrific!
Thank you!

[identity profile] baudown.livejournal.com 2011-08-20 11:03 pm (UTC)(link)
Thank you! They make me sigh, too.

[identity profile] sparrow2000.livejournal.com 2011-08-20 09:26 pm (UTC)(link)
Wow! If I quote every line I loved about this, I would have cut and pasted the whole thing.

I love when someone writes a piece that proves that you don't have to write an epic to write an epic. This was very, very beautiful.

[identity profile] baudown.livejournal.com 2011-08-20 11:11 pm (UTC)(link)
Oh, I'm so glad to hear you felt this way.

It was a very interesting exercise to write with the word count restriction -- frustrating in some ways, but ultimately kind of satisfying. The stripping away and stripping away until you're left with just bare bones, and everything that's left has to mean something (you hope).

Thank you!

[identity profile] sparrow2000.livejournal.com 2011-08-21 01:45 am (UTC)(link)
The word count restriction can be really hard. I'm currently trying to write some drabbles in my Perceptions 'verse and it's killing me, because as a writer I'm naturally verbose. But hey, it's a good learning curve.

As for leaving something that means something, with this, you hit the bullseye.

[identity profile] baudown.livejournal.com 2011-08-21 10:51 am (UTC)(link)
I think I tend to be a more-is-more kind of gal myself. Sometimes I feel like I need a writing-cop to stand over my shoulder and say, "Ma'am, step away from the words."

Thx again.

[identity profile] whichclothes.livejournal.com 2011-08-20 09:41 pm (UTC)(link)
That was terrific! Beautiful.

[identity profile] baudown.livejournal.com 2011-08-20 11:13 pm (UTC)(link)
I'm really glad you liked it. Thanks so much for letting me know.

[identity profile] forsaken2003.livejournal.com 2011-08-20 10:02 pm (UTC)(link)
Loved it =)

[identity profile] baudown.livejournal.com 2011-08-20 11:16 pm (UTC)(link)
I'm so happy that you did, and so happy that you commented. Thank you!
tabaqui: (s&xcomic2byliterati)

[personal profile] tabaqui 2011-08-20 11:30 pm (UTC)(link)
This is how he falls in love: hard, and without warning. The demon couldn't change that, nor the soul, nor time. This is his nature. This is his truth, and it's enduring.

What an utterly perfect, and a little heartbreaking, truth about Spike. Gorgeous piece - really enjoyed it.

[identity profile] baudown.livejournal.com 2011-08-21 01:27 am (UTC)(link)
Thanks for this wonderful response.

This is what breaks my heart, and fills my heart, about Spike.

[identity profile] treadingthedark.livejournal.com 2011-08-21 03:27 am (UTC)(link)
Beautiful. Every word poetic.

[identity profile] baudown.livejournal.com 2011-08-21 10:36 am (UTC)(link)
Can I get you to love Spander? Can I?

And thank you.

[identity profile] treadingthedark.livejournal.com 2011-08-21 08:41 pm (UTC)(link)
Hee. Maybe me and Spander can be friends with benefits!

[identity profile] raynejelly.livejournal.com 2011-08-21 07:55 am (UTC)(link)
Spike is such an idiot. A sweet, gun-shy idiot.

"This is how he falls in love: hard, and without warning." - I think that's absolutely true of him, and just beautifully phrased. I clicked this link thinking "Yay! new Baudown!" and am walking away inspired, so thank you for sharing.

[identity profile] baudown.livejournal.com 2011-08-21 10:44 am (UTC)(link)
Inspired to write more RaPH? If so, my work is done. *g*

Thank you for reading it, and for liking it, and for your kind words.

[identity profile] theladymerlin.livejournal.com 2011-08-21 02:21 pm (UTC)(link)
Very nicely done! Really beautiful.

It can be a very difficult thing to write with a word count restriction but as you say it can strip away the extraneous and, hopefully, you are are left with the truly meaningful. In this case it produced a truly stunning piece. :)

[identity profile] baudown.livejournal.com 2011-08-21 04:11 pm (UTC)(link)
Thank you so much. Very happy you liked it.
I think the word restriction was good for me -- I'm kind of blabby!

[identity profile] thismaz.livejournal.com 2011-08-22 09:44 am (UTC)(link)
That is really beautiful - beautiful words, perfectly put together.

[identity profile] baudown.livejournal.com 2011-08-22 11:03 am (UTC)(link)
I'm happy you thought so and happy you let me know. Thank you!
ext_30023: (Default)

[identity profile] laazikaat.livejournal.com 2011-08-24 12:49 pm (UTC)(link)
It's very poetic, very nice, and very hard to write when there's a word restriction. Thanks for sharing.

[identity profile] baudown.livejournal.com 2011-08-24 04:23 pm (UTC)(link)
Thank you! Glad you liked it!

[identity profile] dragonyphoenix.livejournal.com 2011-10-10 04:18 am (UTC)(link)
Oh my GOddess, that's beautiful! I love the sunflower bit. I just reread Ginsburg's Sunflower Sutra, which is one of my favorite poems, and any references to sunflowers reminds me of it.

The truth, spoken in his touch, and in his kiss. He feels it: the moment Spike believes him. Amazing.

The flutter of wings image, also wonderful. ;-)

[identity profile] baudown.livejournal.com 2011-10-10 12:11 pm (UTC)(link)
Thank you so much! Your comments have made me very happy. Thinking of you and wishing you a good day!

[identity profile] comlodge.livejournal.com 2013-01-26 07:47 am (UTC)(link)
'Spike's face deserves sunlight' and your writing gives it to him.

'This is how he speaks to me, Spike thinks. The truth in his heart, a flutter of wings, before it settles.'

Bloody lovely:)

[identity profile] baudown.livejournal.com 2013-01-26 02:40 pm (UTC)(link)
Oh, that face. He's so beautiful. I can't do him justice.

You've been a ray of sunshine for me today. I feel very grateful.

[identity profile] singedbylife.livejournal.com 2013-07-27 04:32 am (UTC)(link)
Woot! I'm so happy right now. Am really enjoying your fics.

This was perfect. Loved the angst and the love and making Spike happy. :) ! God knows he deserves it.

[identity profile] baudown.livejournal.com 2013-07-28 06:24 am (UTC)(link)
I'm happy, too, and you're responsible!

And yeah -- I'm a happy endings kind of girl, even though I need to put them through the hell first. Angst makes the happy that much sweeter!

[identity profile] feliciacraft.livejournal.com 2015-08-30 06:48 pm (UTC)(link)
Just beautiful! Don't know how you could stuff so much FEEL into a mere 300 words, but wow! Kudos!

[identity profile] baudown.livejournal.com 2015-08-30 10:36 pm (UTC)(link)
Thank you so much! And yeah, it was kind of a big story to tell in a small space, so I'm really glad it worked for you.