Willow knelt on the floor in her dorm room and pulled
back the flaps on a rather large cardboard box. She
heard the familiar creak of the door opening, and she
gasped in surprise and shoved the box underneath her
bed, sending white styrofoam peanuts flying in every
direction.
"Oh, it's you," she breathed as Spike came into the
room.
"Nice to see you, too," he grinned, eyeing the mess on
the floor around her.
"I didn't mean it like that. It's just--" she stuck
her hand under the bed and pulled the box back out.
"I've been trying to put this together for three
days."
"What is it?" he asked.
She reached inside the cardboard container and lifted
out a wooden object.
"It's a coffin!" Spike's eyebrows shot up.
"It's a chest," she explained. "It's my Christmas
present for Buffy. I thought she could put her slayer
stuff in it. Pretty neat, huh?"
The vampire laughed, "I'll bet she won't get another
one."
"Yeah," she smiled happily. "I don't really celebrate
Christmas--"
"Don't celebrate--" he paused to heave a forced sigh
of exasperation. "No fat men in red suits? No Randy
the Red-nosed Reindeer--"
"It's Rudolph!" she giggled.
"Yeah, him," Spike shrugged. "You don't know what
you're missing, pet. Have I ever told you about the
Christmas that Angelus, Dru, and I spent in London? We
came across this group of carolers and--oh, wait.
Maybe you'd better not hear that one."
She laughed even harder, "You're probably right. I
just like the 'buying presents for people I care
about' part. So, anyway, are you any good with your
hands?"
He waggled his eyebrows at her, "What did you have in
mind?"
She blushed and gestured at the chest, "No. See, it
came unassembled. I've tried following the
instructions, but I can't get tab A to go into slot B,
and I can't even _find_ slot C! It's hopeless!"
"Let's have a look," he pulled the chest toward him
and examined its rather lopsided state, "Well, it _is_
for the slayer. Maybe you ought to just give it to her
like this."
"Don't be mean," Willow laughed. "It's her Christmas
present, after all."
"Yeah, well," he said, reconsidering the coffin. "You
need a few nails, or a power drill, or something."
"Well, I can check my sock drawer, but I'm pretty sure
I don't have any of those things," she replied dryly.
Spike chuckled and placed the chest back in its box
and lifted it with him as he stood up.
He reached for her hand, "Come on. We'll have this
thing together in no time."
"Really?" she asked hopefully. "Oh, thanks, Spike!"
She opened the door and followed him out into the
hallway.
"So, what did you get me?" Spike asked, sounding
remarkably like a kid.
"That would be telling," she scolded him.
He pressed the elevator button, his eyes fastened on
the redhead, "You really got me something?"
"Of course I did!" she grinned.
"That's good," he nodded as they entered the elevator.
"Why?"
"Save you the embarrassment of standing there
empty-handed when I give you yours," he answered.
Her eyes widened in curiosity, "You got me a gift? As
in going into a store and buying me something? I can't
even imagine! Where did you--"
"That would be telling," he echoed her earlier words.
"Oh, right," she agreed and linked her arm through one
of his box-laden ones, squeezing it slightly. "I could
get to like this whole Christmas thingy."
He bent his head to give her hair a soft peck, "You
will if I have anything to say about it."
End.