Fic: The Boy Next Door, Spike/Xander, Prompt #23- Osmosis

[strickens-girl.livejournal.com]

I've decided to use this storyline as the basis for my tamingthemuse prompts. We'll see how it goes. *g*

Title: The Boy Next Door: Intervention
Pairing: Spike/Xander
Fandom: Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Prompt: Osmosis
Rating: Mature/Adults Only
Spoilers: None, all human AU
Word Count: 1,195
Warnings: Underage sex, manipulation, dark!fic, overall dirty!bad!wrongness. May be considered crack!fic. You've been warned.
Summary: Xander needs help to make it through his junior year of high school. His new neighbor is volunteered to help, but Spike helps himself to Xander.
Author's Note: This chapter is dedicated to _sharvie_ who made me the wonderful banner for this series under the cut. You're the best, honey!!





Intervention

It had started out innocently enough, as most evil things did.

Xander sighed and looked around the very large, very quiet library. He was here as a punishment, part of the conditions of the release, the only reason he was still allowed to be in school at all. He stared down at the text before him on the table. He was supposed to be reading. At least that's what the new librarian, Mr. Giles, had told him before the Englishman left to go to Xander's faculty-parent conference.

Just the thought of all those teachers and assorted disciplinarians, sitting around and discussing Xander's academic future at Sunnydale High, maybe him shiver. He wondered idly if his parents had bothered to show up. He could imagine his mother coming, what with the notice delivered by a uniform truancy officer, but he doubted his father would take the time out his busy drinking and passing out schedule.

Looking around the vast library, Xander wondered how he ended up here. It wasn't like he was a bad kid. He didn't start fights, he didn't smoke in the bathroom, and he didn't pull pranks like slipping a used condom into his science teacher's coffee mug. No, that was Jesse, but Xander refused to give up his best friend and the hysterical laughter was a dead giveaway that the sable-haired boy knew something.

Of course, this all might have something to do with the fact that he was failing every single class, including PE. Or it might be because he'd already missed twenty-nine of the first seventy days of school. There were all legitimate reasons for his absences and he always was able to bring a note from home excusing him for this and that, but apparently the California Board of Education didn't care that he'd had an earache for an entire week. They'd decided he was student and he needed to be in school.

Great.

Xander shifted in the hard wood seat. You'd think a library would have nice comfortable chairs to sit in. You know, so you could be comfortable while you read, but not Sunnydale High. No, they had to have heavy, unforgiving torture devices so students wouldn't fall asleep while they were reading the super boring textbooks.

Reading the same paragraph for the fourth time, Xander rested his head on his fist before slowly sinking down to rest his chin on his crossed hands. Maybe he'd even rest his eyes a little. What could it hurt, right?

A loud shout of his name and a smack to the back of his head woke Xander abruptly. Startled, he rubbed his face, not at all surprised to discover he'd been drooling in his sleep.

Perfect.

He looked up at the disapproving librarian towering over him.

"I believe we need to talk, Alexander."

"Xander, Mr. Giles," the boy corrected the older man. "It's just Xander, ok."

"Very well," the librarian said with a small smile. "Then it's Giles, alright?"

Xander nodded and returned the small smile.

"And just what do you think you were doing, Xander?" Giles asked with a hint of mirth.

Xander thought hard for a long moment. "Learning by osmosis?"

Giles chuckled and asked, "Do you even know what that means?"

"Sure," Xander replied. "It's the tendency of a semi-permeable membrane to diffuse a solution to equalize the concentration of the solution on either side of the membrane. The idea being that the words would soak in through my skin because the War of 1812 sure wasn't soaking in through my eyeballs."

The Englishman stared at young boy for several long moments before he broke out in laughter. "See?" he said, seemingly talking to himself. "This is what I'm talking about. You're an intelligent boy. Not nearly as dumb as Principal Snyder thinks you are, apparently. At least you were able to pay attention in Biology."

"Ummm…thanks? I guess."

Giles pulled out the chair next to Xander and sat, looking both sad and uncomfortable. That made Xander more nervous than anything else.

"I suppose you're wanting to know what was discussed in the meeting, then?"

"Uh, yeah," Xander said sheepishly, ducking his head and hiding behind the fringe of curly brown locks. "I'd kinda like to know if I have to come to school tomorrow or not. I'd hate to read all about this boring war for nothing."

Giles shook his head before continuing. "You're being allowed to remain in school but you've got a lot of work to catch up on. Your marks in every class is completely unacceptable but we all believe that you can and will catch up to the rest of your class...mostly."

"Mostly?" the boy asked quietly. "Let me guess, Snyder was willing to boot me without a second thought."

"Well, yes, the principal was rather vocal that he did not want you to continue here, but your other instructors and I were able to convince him that expulsion was not in your best interest."

"And my parents?"

"Your mother agrees with our plan."

So his mother had shown but his dad was probably still at home. He probably wasn't even worried about all of this, assuming he even remembered it at all.

"So, what is the plan?"

Giles sighed and ducked his head before turning to look the boy in eyes. "You will attend school every day. Before you protest, your mother explained most of your absences and you will be expected to attend, regardless of the situation at home. You will come directly to the library following your last class of the day were you will work on your school work with a tutor who will report directly to me. The quality of your work will determine if you will be allowed to continue here or if you will be transferred to the Abraxas Continuation School."

The young boy shuddered just thinking about the "school for bad kids". He might have been bullied at Sunnydale High, but at Abraxas, he would probably have a permanent wedgie and bruises to match the ones he received at home.

Obviously, for Xander, it wasn't a valid option.

"So, who's this tutor I've got to deal with?"

"He's actually the son of an old friend of mine who has recently moved to town. His name's Spike."

"Spike!?" Xander burst out laughing. "My tutor's named after a dog?!"

"Not quite," Giles replied with a smile. "He's actually quite bristly and has hair that matches his name. He's very intelligent, received excellent marks while in England, but he's very...firm, I guess is the word I'm searching for. I believe he will be good for you."

Xander wondered. It's not like there haven't been others that had tried to help him in the past; Willow, Jesse, hell, even the new girl, Buffy had given a shot at trying to help him with his studies. Nothing, so far, had worked.

"Whatever you want," Xander agreed, not seeing as if he had a choice in the matter. "When do we start?"

"Spike will be here when you come tomorrow. I suggest you be prepared."

The boy nodded, sealing his fate.

Tomorrow would be the beginning of the end of his innocence.

tbc...

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