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Spike wants their sixth month anniversary to be special. He doesn't have much experience in the field - Dru was barely aware of what room she was in, let alone how many decades they had been together - but he knows roses are a classic.
He may have gone a bit overboard - who knew 200 roses took up so much room? He has laid them on the bed, scattered petals on the floor and stuffed any cup-shaped object with a mini-bouquet. He smiles proudly, lighting a few candles as a finishing touch.
He hears Xander's keys jangle outside the apartment. He sucks in a breath he doesn't need and waits patiently, leaning against the wall because his legs suddenly feel weak.
"You won't believe what happened at work! Someone dared Andy to stick his hand in the cement mixer and - "
He stops in his tracks. Doesn't speak. Spike grins.
"Hello, lover." Spike purrs, feeling smugger by the minute.
But Xander doesn't move.
Despite the aforementioned inexperience of anniversary surprises, he thought Xander would at least have cracked a smile by now, or shown an ounce of appreciation, but he is still standing awkwardly in the doorway.
After a few beats of silence that make Spike regret all of his life choices, he asks uncertainly, "Do you... not like roses?"
Xander seems to wake up from his trance. He closes the door behind him and promises his boyfriend, "No! No, I love roses. Of course I do."
"Okay. I thought this was gonna be a thing of I like roses, not love 'em, so I'm glad I got the right ones. But you're not exactly jumpin' for joy, here, Xan."
"No, I love them, I do! It's just..."
Xander falters, doing a weird thing with his face.
Just as Spike's about to ask what the bloody hell he's playing at, Xander lets out a massive sneeze.
"I'm allergic."
"Oh." Spike watches Xander scramble across the room for a tissue. "Right you are."
Xander sneezes about ten more times before Spike can get a word in.
"Sorry, love. I should've checked."
Xander looks droopy. "No! It's not your fault! This was a really nice thing to do and I'm very grateful but I think," he sneezes, "I need to leave."
Out in the hallway, Spike grabs Xander by the waist and pulls him in for a kiss.
"We can still celebrate, yeah?"
"Yeah." Xander agrees, resting his head on Spike's shoulder.
"Hotel?"
"Hotel."