Work Text:
Meeting John Barrowman
by Lilithangel
"Come on Spike, we'll be late." Dawn tugged on the arm of the reluctant vampire.
"Alright..." Spike let himself be dragged to the taxi. "This is the last time I let you pick anything you want for your birthday."
"It'll be fun," Dawn insisted.
"It's a musical." Spike slumped in his seat.
"About murderers and prisons and girls in their underwear," Dawn reminded him.
"It's still a musical," Spike said, "theatre was always Angel's gig not mine." It was easier to say the name now and despite everything he was happy that Angel had a real life now.
His own life was pretty good too. Working as a contractor for the Watcher Council, sharing a flat with Giles - boy that had been a surprise, and avoiding Dawn's efforts to set him up with somebody. And his other business, which was much more lucrative than what the Watcher paid him and allowed him to indulge his vampiric nature when fighting demons wasn't enough.
Wasn't the classiest gig and he doubted that the slayer or Angel would have approved, but it paid well and sometimes he even felt like he was helping.
He continued to sulk even as the first act started showing the barest interest in the scantily clad dancers on stage. Dawn was surprised when he perked up at the entrance of the lawyer and snagged the program off her.
Dawn wasn't surprised about the fact that it was a guy that grabbed Spike's interest; he was incredibly attractive and she had gotten over her shock at catching Spike and Giles that day in Giles' office. It was the fact that Spike called the guy Peter and she was pretty sure the character was called Billy and the actor was a John somebody.
"He was in a show I used to watch," Spike said at the interval after sitting enthralled for the first half, "show was crap, but he was great." He flicked through the program and found the artist blurb. "John Barrowman, that's him." Spike laughed suddenly, "he ran like a girl, but I loved that jogging scene."
"Worse than Buffy?" Dawn said.
"Nobody runs worse than your sister, but he was close. Always figured he was gay, although his kisses smoked up the screen."
"They had guys kissing on television?" Dawn said in shock.
"No," Spike snorted, "he was kissing a girl."
Spike refused to talk for the rest of the show and dragged Dawn to the stage door afterwards, ignoring her giggles.
There were a reasonable number of people there by the time the performers came out. The conversation among those gathered suggested John was always generous with his fans. Dawn had to stifle more giggles at the sight of Spike bouncing on his toes, clutching a program and watching the stage door intently.
She had to agree the man was attractive although her tastes ran to a more compact frame.
Spike was waiting almost patiently in line for John's autograph and trying to look cool and collected about it.
"Hello there," John said with a smile for the handsome blond.
"Oh, hi," Spike managed, mentally berating himself for sounding like an idiot, and thrust the program at John. "It's for my little sister, she was too nervous to meet you," he lied.
"So you're not a fan?" John smiled, "that's too bad."
"You were alright in Titans," Spike said, watching the big hands deftly sign his program, "musicals aren't really my thing."
"I didn't think anyone remembered the Titans." John laughed.
"A few years back I watched a lot of telly," Spike said, "never missed it. Anyway, cheers for the autograph..." Spike could tell Dawn was getting restless and probably about to come over and meddle. "See you around." As he took the program back their fingers brushed and he tried to stay cool.
"I certainly hope so," John said with another of his blinding smiles.
Spike backed away grateful he couldn't blush at the suggestive tone. Dawn grabbed his arm and waved cheerfully at John who was watching them as he signed another autograph.
"Take it easy," Spike hissed at her, "I told him you were too scared to meet him." Dawn rolled her eyes, but pretended to hide her head in Spike's shoulder when John waved at her.
"We should Google him when we get home," Dawn said as Spike hurried her away, "find out if he has a boyfriend."
As the crowd dissipated John was able to get away and join the rest of the cast at the pub. Paul handed him a drink and looked at him oddly.
"What?" he said, half laughing.
"That blond chap at the stage door, do you know him?" Paul said.
"No, he just wanted an autograph, why?" John was intrigued. The blond had been very attractive but Paul's reaction was more than that.
Paul blushed and looked around before thrusting a business card into John's hand. John glanced casually at it and couldn't conceal his surprise.
The card had a silhouette of a man holding what appeared to be a coiled whip. Underneath was written "Your fantasies made flesh" and a phone number. He looked at Paul quizzically, grinning at the blush on the older man's face.
"So, he's good is he?" John couldn't resist asking.
"Very..." was all Paul would say, shifting uncomfortably in his seat and not looking at John.
When John went home from the bar he had the card tucked into his pocket.
Next time: Spike gets a new client...
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