Ame's Insanity (amejisuto) wrote in ames_weirdness, @ 2009-09-18 14:11:00 |
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Entry tags: | buffy tvs, crossover, highlander, xander/methos |
The Great Pretender -- Xander/Methos Rated PG 1/1
Title: A Kind Of Magic: The Great Pretender
Claim: Xander Harris
Author: amejisuto
Prompt for crossovers100: Hours
Fandom: Buffy tVS/Highlander
Pairing: Xander/Methos
Rating: PG
Disclaimer:Not mine, never will be. No harm, no foul, no money made.
Warnings/Squicks: None really.
Summary: Methos considers his new companion during a long flight.
Find all of A Kind of Magic here.
Written for spring_with_xan and posted at my own lj, crossovers100 and highlander_fic.
Beta'd by the wonderful kitty_poker1. Thank you dearest!
Notes: I wanted to do something different and thought it would be nice to get someone's else's pov on Xander. Someone who also hides behind masks the way I think Xander does at times. Who better than the Really Old Guy himself? Hugs to eyezrthewindows for checking my Methos voice. You're a doll!
Oh, this follows Breaking Free, but if you've not read that Xander and Methos met up in a bar in London and are traveling back to the States together.
The Great Pretender
Methos looked over at his new companion. The boy was asleep finally, his head cocked to one side and a small string of drool coming out of the corner of his mouth. He thought for a moment about taking the eye patch off and making the lad more comfortable, but figured that he'd be even more uncomfortable when he woke up and got odd looks from the other passengers.
Modern mortals were so uneasy about such things. It was stupid. From what the boy had told him about how he lost his eye, Xander should wear his blemish like the proud battle scar it was. The Romans in particular would honor a warrior who had such a proud scar on his face; it meant that Xander had gone into battle and not turned and run when things got cocked up. Instead, Xander had hair grown overly long and had a habit of ducking his head that set Methos's teeth on edge.
Then again, Methos got the feeling that Xander had done that even before the loss of his eye.
How the young pre-Immortal survived as long as he did, not just on one of the many Hellmouths but on one of the more active ones and helping the Slayer, Methos didn't know. He either had incredible luck or an amazing mix of heroism and survival skills. Mac would like Xander; so would Joe, for that matter. He had a gregarious disposition that even Methos had succumbed to. Otherwise why had he invited the boy to come to Seacouver with him?
He'd gotten old and tired in the past year, that was why. Being away from Clan MacLeod made him soft in the head. Then again, it could be said that the Scot was the one that had made him that way to begin with. For centuries he had managed to keep his true identity hidden and then came this brooding Scot that was and probably still is too damned good looking for anyone's good and he's doing stupid things like offering his head and telling MacLeod his real name.
Thinking back on it, Methos always alternated between bemusement at his situation and absolute horror. On one hand, it was nice having people who actually knew his name. On the other hand, they were his weakness. After 5000 years he should know better to get so involved with other people, mortal and Immortal alike.
Yet here he was, taking on a student, for god's sake. Well, officially he'd be MacLeod's student but it wasn't like he wasn’t going to have a hand in Xander's training. Not that the boy knew he was in need of training. He'd give it a few weeks and let him settle in before springing the fact that there was a good possibility that Xander could live forever.
Somehow he didn't think that Xander would be all that thrilled with the news. Methos just hoped he didn't go on another bender. It would be embarrassing to admit that your First Death was due to alcohol poisoning.
Still, Methos thought that Xander would do well as an Immortal. From what little he knew about Xander he had a blend of his own survival skill and MacLeod's tendency to go tilting at windmills.
Methos reached into his carry on and pulled out a book. He still had about four hours of their eight hour flight to kill. At Heathrow he'd called the elder MacLeod to make a few arrangements. If Xander wanted to disappear, Methos would help him. It wasn't like he hadn't done that himself several hundred times in his lifetime. They'd have a one night layover in New York, he'd get Connor's opinion on Xander and he'd give the young pre-Immortal his first lesson-- how to change identities.
Xander Harris would arrive in New York and get lost in the crowd. Alex Dawson would be accompanying him to Seacouver.
Because if there was one thing Methos had learned in over five thousand years of life, it was how freeing a change of identity could be sometimes.