#xaudio

"Okay, you're great to cuddle in the summer months, but it's not summer, Xander, please get off."

The moley, freckled youth mumbled something against his shoulder, tightened his grip around his waist, and clung on all the tighter. Claudio shivered involuntarily, head twisted around to glare at the 'shifter with little heat.

Not that he had much left, mind. Xander was leeching it out of him.

"Seriously. Babe. I love you but I can't feel my feet."

Another mumble, and then the blanket was scrunched up between their legs, creating a barrier between Xander's frozen toes and Claudio's chilled ankles. The entire blanket was between then, actually, creating a thin and vaguely effective barrier between the two of them. But while Xander had made an attempt, Claudio was still frozen stiff, and he still wanted the 'shifter to let go.

Finally, after what seemed like an hour of pure shivering, Xander let go and turned away from Claudio, curling onto his side and into a tight little ball. Claudio sighed a little as slowly, he felt warmth return to his extremities. He then felt a little bit guilty, because he had probably chased Xander away by his grouching.

He turned towards Xander, reaching out to wrap an arm around his waist - and was roughly pushed away. Blinking, he stared at the sleeping 'shifter, eyebrows raised towards his hairline. He reached out again, and the same thing happened.

Cautiously, Claudio scooted a little closer, and Xander shift, pushed him away with his foot, and sprawled out; preventing Claudio from getting any closer.

"What the fuck."

Claudio sat up, surprised and a little bit hurt by this new kind of coldness from Xander. He hadn't meant to push him completely away, Xander had to know that--

He paused. His eyes narrowed somewhat, and then he reached out, carefully, once more.

Xander flapped his hand and grunted in his sleep, mumbling something indistinctive. He then turned on his side and promptly rolled off the bed completely.

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Why not?"

Claudio fell silent, chewing the corner of his mouth before nodding and giving Xander that one. The teen grinned victoriously and shoved his hands into his pockets, shuffling forward in the line-up as Christmas music played on repeat over the mall's speaker system. Kids in front and behind them were fidgeting, squalling, or asking to go home, too impatient to wait much longer to see Santa and tell him what they wanted for Christmas.

And though they were not the only fully-grown adults in the line-up, they were, so far, the only men.

This would not deter Xander, however, which amused Claudio and made the whole situation worth it.

They moved up a few steps, and Xander stood on his toes, smiling widely. "I can see the first elf, we're getting close."

"You're so ridiculous."

"Hey, I've never actually done this before," Xander interrupted, rubbing at the side of his nose and hopping on his toes. He pulled his winter coat closer to him; something sleek and expensive looking, like what Claudio would nab for himself if he didn't think he'd actually get caught. It amazed him, sometimes, all the things Xander hadn't done in his life that were common for most other people.

It was like, why have all that money if you don't do something fun and mundane with it?

"Seriously?" Claudio asked, though he knew Xander was telling the truth. This was the guy who had never sledded down a proper hill before while avoiding trees. That had been both exhilarating and terrifying.

"Yeah - parents didn't exactly tell me Santa Claus was coming to town or anything. The staff tried to, but... well, bit hard to believe that when I could hack into my dad's bank account and see what he bought, y'know?"

Claudio frowned and shook his head, forever turning more and more disappointed in Xander's parents and their lack of real presence in their child's life. He'd at least had his mom, even if near the end there they got a bit.. hostile with one another.

The line moved again, and they were suddenly standing in front of a woman dressed as an elf. She grinned at them knowingly, shaking her head and winking. "I guess we're all kids at heart, eh?"

"That, and this one's never visited Santa before." Claudio said, nudging Xander's shoulder with his own.

"Seriously?" Xander nodded, smiling vaguely, and the girl looked shocked. She then turned to see the twins who had been before them leave, before walking over to Santa herself. She whispered something to him, and he nodded, before the elf girl waved them over. Walking over, Claudio grinned easily and sat on the proffered knee like he did so all the time. Xander hesitated before sitting down carefully.

"I know your face," Santa said, smiling with his eyes. "I'm glad you've finally come to visit me."

Xander blinked widely, before grinning, shaking his head a little. The two turned to face the camera, grinning, and they were given candy canes. Just as they were about to leave, Santa stopped Xander, looking at him seriously.

"Keep an eye out for me, would you?"

And, smiling even wider, Xander nodded.

"Will do, big guy."

As they were leaving, Claudio shoulder-bumped Xander as they headed to one of the mall's stores.

"Do you believe in Santa Claus now?"

Xander looked up from the book he was reading, staring at the paint-splattered Claudio with a quirked brow and a tilted head. The cambion-'wolf had his hands shoved into his back pockets; his jeans having seen better days. Most of the things he owned had seen better days, though, unless Xander had gotten him something.

He didn't get him stuff often, but once in a while he liked to get him a shirt or a pair of jeans. There was faded and then there was being able to see his boxer-briefs, after all.

"That I am, mon chiot. What about it?"

"Have you ever had to teach someone how to shift?"

Xander put down his book, which was apparently open invitation for Claudio to plop himself on his lap; straddling his hips and taking off his glasses while waiting for the spiritwalker to answer him. Xander let him, hands resting on Claudio's thighs while he looked at him; thumbs tracing idle circles along the tops of his thighs.

"You want me to help you?"

"Can you?"

"...werewolf transformations aren't exactly the... same, as spiritwalker shifts," Xander said delicately. Claudio leaned his head into Xander's shoulder, his back tensing, and Xander sighed a little. "But we can try on the full moon."

"...Thank you." He nuzzled against Xander's jaw, kissing his neck and smiling faintly into his skin. "Now, then, to get away from such serious conversation..."

Xander snorted as he was lightly pushed back, flicking Claudio's nose. "You're the worst."

"You obviously meant the best."

"Obviously."

~+~

He came over to Claudio's shabby apartment in Seaside Town just like he did every full moon.

Unlike in Mountain Town, where it was starting to threaten snow and Xander felt completely in his element, Seaside Town was still relatively warm for the winter. He opened the unlocked door and shut it with his heel, making his way to Claudio's room where he knew the 'wolf would be sitting waiting for him.

The cambion was drinking from one of the water bottles he kept on hand for these nights, breathing heavily and already sweating a bit. Xander frowned, dropped his backpack, and wernt over to Claudio, running his fingers along his scalp and pressing cool skin to a heated scalp. Resting his forehead to Claudio's, he smiled at him.

"Mon amour, tu es comme de la merde."

"Tryin' to butter me up with pretty French words calling me shit, babe?"

Xander smiled, bumping his nose to the other's. "Maybe. Is it working?"

"Yep." Claudio closed his eyes tiredly, before shaking his head. "Shall we?"

"So eager to go," Xander mumbled, shaking his head and pulling back. "Try shifting."

"Xander--"

"I need to see it, Claudio, just humour me."

Rolling his eyes, the cambion nodded and sat back. He closed his eyes, then, breathing in deeply before he seemed to fall into some sort of deep concentration. Xander looked at it like he was staring at one of Xander's advanced math equations and his brain had momentarily shut down.

"Relax your shoulders, babe," Xander said quietly; softly enough so that he wouldn't interrupt Claudio's concentration. "Your neck, too. And your back. Just relax - you're tensed up like a coiled spring. I'm waiting for you to go flying." He reached out when Claudio wasn't relaxing like he shoulder, rubbing at his shoulders, neck and back to push him into loosening up.

"Shifting isn't just turning from human to wolf - shifting is a fluid thing. You gotta imagine yourself changing over. You don't have hands; you have paws. And these paws have claws. Your body is different. Everything is different, and you have to slide into that new body. Don't jump - glide."

"...that's the dumbest advice," Claudio muttered, and Xander smiled, shaking his head.

"Take it anyway, it's what you're getting."

He stayed close to the other, feeling his muscles tense and relax. Shoulders shifted and a whine sounded from Claudio's throat, but Xander merely pressed his face to his neck and pressed cool fingers to heated skin, urging him to keep trying.

As the moon rose higher up in the sky, the heat under Xander's hands seemed to intensify, and he was about to give up and tell Claudio to stop trying when something changed. Shifting back, the 'walker watched as the cambion seemed to almost melt from his human guise, adopting a more lupine one with a crack of bone and a growing howl in his throat.

He scrambled back as Claudio changed, eyes widening and smile growing on his lips. When golden eyes stared at him with a vague sense of comprehension, Xander held out his hand. The 'wolf weakly leaned forward and nosed his palm, and Xander lurched forward, wrapping his arms around him tightly.

He felt him abruptly change back, but neither seemed to care; Claudio clinging to Xander tightly and Xander grinning like an idiot.

He'd done it.

Recording of my string duo from the Either/Or show in May.

Erin Wight, viola Alex Waterman, cello

Improvisation for Bathroom Door and Oscillating fan.

(and, regrettably, cell phone.)