20
by Mickey M.
© January 2004

for synecdochic

It shouldn't have been as relaxing as it was. Truly. The one day a month Chris took off from wherever he was - he'd like to say he snuck out, but it's hard to sneak with 300 pounds of bodyguard following you - to head for Sunnydale, California, to hang for a couple of hours with someone he by rights shouldn't even know, much less have struck up a friendship with. Shouldn't have been, but it was. It was, as JC liked to call it, his bitch-hour.

Chris preferred to call it catching up with a friend, but whatever. Once a month he did it, hanging out in 'Java Joe's Coffee Hut', shooting the shit with Xander.

Today, apparently, was going to be comparing notes on who had it worse. Chris sipped his coffee and grinned. He didn't have any doubts in that arena.

"Ethros demons, man." Xander pulled his shirt to one side and Chris got a glimpse of a white line snaking over his collarbone. "Got me with its claws." He grimaced. "It took weeks to heal-kept draining this greenish gunk."

Chris shuddered. "That sucks, man. Clawmarks are the worst, yeah." He'd heard a lot of demon-claw stories over the years, and knew Xander wasn't kidding. "But hey, get this: I had my bank statements stolen from my trash and sold on eBay."

"No way, dude." Xander shook his head. "That bites." His eyes glinted. "Vampires trying to take over the world - or at least this corner of it. Possessed Halloween costumes."

"Teenies sneaking into our hotel rooms hidden in room service carts."

"Vampire - snarky-assed, bleached-blond vampire - living in my basement for months."

"Cramped-as-shit tour bus, with four others...and then, okay, two others."

"Did I mention living with me? As in, I was there, too?"

Chris bit his lip to keep from smirking. "Okay, fine, you get points for that one." He cleared his throat. "But. Living on said tour bus with Justin while he was dating Britney."

Xander hollowed his cheeks sucking in air. "Ouch, man."

"Yeah." Chris nodded. "But, still. Living with you. That would suck."

"It sucked a lot." He turned his cup around and around until Chris had to look away, feeling dizzy. "Got over my fear of the dark real quick though-when you're always crawling through windows into dark places, like, say, the morgue."

"Hah." Chris drained his cup. "Heights phobia, dude. And they never missed an op to string me dozens of feet up in the air, on flying harnesses and shit like that."

"Morgue, Kirkpatrick."

"Dangling above thousands of screaming fans who would rip you to pieces if they got a hold of you."

"Huh. Kinda like the demons and vamps of Sunnyhell, I guess?" Xander snickered and Chris joined in.

"Kinda like, yeah." He checked his watch. "Damn, I gotta head for the airport pretty quick. Catch back up with the tour. Time for one more."

Xander pursed his lips, clearly thinking it over. "Okay. Power-hungry god-type creature, nearly impossible to kill - damn impossible, if you're not the slayer - who's decided you and your friends are standing between her and the entire universe as hers."

Chris considered that, picked at the edge of his cup while he thought about it, then grinned. "Dude. I can top that." He paused for emphasis. "I date JC."