Nathan
Nathan stared at Spike. What was it that sunlight boy saw? He looked away as the vampire jerked his head up and moved his head from side to side, searching for whatever had its eyes on him. Vampires were predators, but they could be hunted too. Nathan glanced away, and Spike relaxed. Soon, Nathan's eyes had drifted back. What? What did that child see,that he with his talent did not? What made him willing to look past the human mask and face the demon that lurked just within, wanting to rip and tear and kill? Becuase it was still there. Caged. But still there. If the soul ever came loose...but maybe not. Nathan shuffled his cards, and then froze. Caught. Blue eyes met his and Spike stalked over, ripplerippleflare of annoyance and anger screaming through him.
"What the bloody hell are you staring at?" Nathan shrank back into the wall as the thing he had run from every night of his life when his powers woke gets up in his face and angry. "What the hell do you think you're playing at?"
"N-n-nothing." Damn stutter. "I was just..."
"What?"
"Wanted to see. It's what I do, look. Watch. See things. But..."
"What?" Feral growl there, and a glimmer of yellow.
"I wanted to see if I could see why sunlight sees you different."
"What?" Spike looked at the cowering Nathan, very confused. "What are you on?"
"Sunlight, shadow's boy. Golden hair, and dark eyes. You'd have seen him, surely?"
"Vort?" Spike leant back and looked down at Nathan. "What are you babbling on about?"
"You don't see it either...not many do. It's what I am, the seeing. Come. Look. See." Nathan got to his feet and walked away to the garage. Spike followed, curious and maybe just a little bit annoyed. He'd had enough of crazy people, really. Nathan opened the door carefully, looking for Vortigern. There. Asleep, curled up beneath his painting looking like a little boy. Paint streaked and just wearing those paint dabbed sweatpants. He looked at Spike. Yes, definite interest and then the flare of repression. "Paints you, he does," Nathan said quietly as he stepped across the room to where more of Vortigern's paintings were drying.
"Kid's good. Got talent," Spike offered, crossing his arms. "So, what did you want me to see?"
"This. And this. And this. Oh, and yes, this. I didn't know he'd done this one." Nathan got out the paintings and stood back to let Spike look. One based on the quick drawing Vortigern had done when he first arrived, of Scott, Spike and Dawn. Spike looked closer. There were two...two women's faces barely visible behind both his and Scott's shoulders. Buffy and Joyce. Smiling. He blinked back sudden tears. One of him in gameface, eyes yellow and fangs flashing. One of him and Nyx sparring, Nyx having just run at him, and he lifting her towards the ceiling, her hands on his shoulders and his on her waist as he looked upwards and her hair touched his shoulders. A contemplative one of him, fading away into the darkness, duster on his shoulders, and just a trickle of crimson coming from the corner of his mouth. "He sees something I don't. I wanted to see if I could see it as well." Nathan regarded the paintings thoughtfully, and then looked at Spike. "Sometimes my talent is itself a hindrance."
"Yeah..." Spike reached forward, then took his hand back again, not wanting to disturb the paint.
Nathan, Vortogern and Mordred
"So." Nathan didn't know what to say. God, he hated talking to people.
"Yeah." Spike couldn't take his eyes off the paintings.
"Almost makes you look like a nice guy."
"'M a nice guy. Now. White hat 'n all." Spike leaned in to study the one of him in gameface.
"Ngh." Vortigern got to his feet behind them, shaking his head clear of sleep and stretching the kinks that come of sleeping on concrete out of his back. And then he saw Nathan and Spike. "Ah!" He looked at them wide eyed. "You, what?"
"Seraph brought me in fer a look see. You're good. I like this one." Spike pointed at the one of him with Scott and Dawn. The kid just stared at him with the look of a deer caught in headlights.
"That..." Vortigern took a breath, "that one's Dawn's. She earmarked it. Gave me a photo for her mum and her sis." He ducked his head. "Others are yours, if you want them, though Nyx might want that one of you and her." He bit his lower lip hard. MORD!
Bloody hell, what?! Don't bleeding yell so hard, you arse!
Gah, Spike, here, looking at the paintings, and what the bloody hell do I do?!
Notice, the more upset you get, the more you sound like me?
Not in the mood, wolf. What do I do?
Talk, yeah? You can do talk. Vortigern felt Mordred leave and looked up again to see Spike staring with those blue eyes that made him feel like he was drowning. And Nathan was smirking behind Spike's shouder. Dammit.
Vortigern and Nathan
"You're very good," Spike said abruptly, anything to break the silence. Vortigern flushed slightly and ducked his head as he ran a hand through his hair.
"Thanks. I don't know...Nyx says she thinks she can get a few galleries to show my stuff."
"Yeah, and she'd make a killing on it too." Spike quirked a grin. Vortigern could've melted. Nathan snorted through his nose, and Vortigern gave Spike a wounded doe look and ran out of the room. "Oh, bloody hell!" Spike turned on Nathan, pleased to scent the fear rising from the dark haired man as the vampire stalked forward. "What did ya havta go and do that for?!"
"You see now..." Nathan stood his ground. "He wants you. You at least desire him. Is seen. Good. My turn now to leave. Why don't you go and chase your deer, hunter?"
"You little, grrrrr!" Spike flashed his gameface at Nathan, and the mutant still stood there. "Is this a game for you?"
"Did you laugh at your princess when she saw? She would be most upset, sweet boy, if she knew..." Spike flinched back a little, then turned on his heel and stalked after Vortigern, black duster swirling around his ankles. Nathan took one more look at the paintings, and then left to find his bed.
Vortigern
"Vort? Vortigern!" Spike walked quickly to catch up with the blond teen. He reached out and grabbed his arm, spinning him around. "Now, what the bloody hell did you run for?"
Vortigern stared at Spike. "Oh, please. I'm sure you can put one and one together to get two."
"Why'd you go and listen to that idiot? He's worse then Dru sometimes." Spike relaxed his grip slightly. "Actually, I'd say a lot worse."
"Yeah, maybe. God, he said he wouldn't tell you." Vortigern looked away, and Spike lifted his chin up again with a finger.
"Wouldn't tell me what, pet?" Blue eyes met brown.
"That I've got a rather extreme teenage crush on you. But you know now. So you'll probably never want to talk to me again for ages." Vortigern's eyes went dark. Spike wondered what was it with kicked puppy children that he always found himself with them? "God, I feel so embarrassed."
"Why, pet?" Spike moved in a little closer, hand cupping Vortigern's face and not making it possible for him to look away. "Cos you think I wouldn't want you back?"
"Yeah, well, why would you? You could have anyone here. They'd fall over themselves if you just crooked your finger."
"But what if I don't want them, pet? What if what I want is you?"
"Don't say stuff like that unless you mean it." Vortigern cleared his throat. "I mean it."
"And I meant what I said." Spike leant his head down. "Do you?"
"Spike..." Spike kissed him and Vortigern's hands went up to the vampire's head. "Maybe I won't kill Nathan after all," Vortigern said when Spike remembered humans had to breathe.