Buffy the Vampire Slayer Preferences + imagines/one shots

Spike - Acting pt2

I'm up on the stage, blinding lights shining down like sunbeams onto my made-up face. It's hot and slightly overwhelming, but I have the audience's rapt attention. They hang off my every word as I recite Shakespeare as if it's the only language I know.

Until, suddenly, I'm not.

My mind goes blank. All the words dissipate from my brain and I stare off, scared and stunned. The audience, who once loved me, start to boo and hiss. I'm hollered at to get off the stage! but my feet are rooted to the spot, as heavy as lead. 

Things are thrown. Tomatoes, stones, bricks.

One hits me in the forehead and I tumble back, down and down and down...

I wake up in a cold sweat, my head pounding.

I curse under my breath as I sit up. Of course, when I finally get some sleep, I have to have an unfairly realistic nightmare. I lean over to see my alarm clock reading 7:04 AM in red, so I get out of bed, head to the kitchen and pour myself a glass of water. It's ice cold against my lips.

Just like Spike was.

No. Not today. 

It's opening night in, I check the kitchen clock, twelve hours and that should be the only thing I stress about. Not the lips of Spike. I'm not stressing over him - I will ignore and avoid him like I have been doing for the past month. Avoiding my problems is fine for now - I can deal with them after the play. Or not. Maybe I'll just never talk to him again. 

Do I want that?

----------------------------------------

Before I know it, I'm peeking through the curtains at a surprisingly full theatre of people. It's never a full house: in all the years I've performed here, we get half on our best days. I spy my friends on the front row. Xander is shoving gummy bears into his mouth and Anya is fiddling with a shiny bracelet on her wrist. Willow is gazing off into the distance with Tara's hand in hers and Buffy is chatting to Riley. I skim the rest of the people there and I swear I see Clem - I mean, he's quite unmistakable. I retreat into the wings and bump into Gary.

Spike wasn't there. 

Not that I expected him to be, but I do notice. Unfortunately, despite it all, I care. 

"Are you okay?" Gary asks me, brown eyes big and pronounced with black mascara. His foundation is too orange, but his red lips smile kindly at me.

"Just nervous."

"Me too." he admits, bending down to pull up his socks. "How do I look?" He does a little spin. 

"Splendid." I smile, "You'll be great. We'll be great." 

The director appears out of thin air, whisper-shouting instructions to the crew who look as nervous as I feel. "Places, places, everyone."

I scramble off stage and take a seat in the wings. I'm not in this scene, so it gives me enough time to think about every possible thing that may go wrong tonight. 

But nothing does.

I can't believe it as I'm walking onto the stage for the last time to take my bow and receive the loudest round of applause of the night. I blush as I bow deeply, waving to the audience with a genuine grin as the curtains close. As soon as we're out of sight, I turn to Gary and we embrace.

"That was amazing!" he says into my hair, "I can't believe I didn't fluff my lines once!"

I pull back and before I can say anything back, Gary's being tackled by his girlfriend and the director is patting me on the back.