Pro-Active

Rating: G

Pairing: Willow/Xander Required: I do not own any of this 'cause it belongs all to Joss.

Song Credit goes to Jessica Simpson for the song "Did you ever love somebody?", Chantal Kreviazuk for "Feels Like Home", and Rooney for "Stay Away"

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"What are you thinkin' about, Will?" Buffy asked sliding into the seat next to Willow.

"Same as always." She shrugged.

"Xander will get a clue someday. Don't worry." Buffy replied in her supportive voice.

"But I want someday to be very close today, not when you or Cordelia, or whoever turn him down for the 500th time." Willow glanced towards the dance floor where Xander was talking to a pretty girl who was sure to be his next infatuation.

"Well then, Get with the pro-active!" Buffy said pointing toward the dance floor.

"One, I am not good with the pro-active, 'cause I'm not good at any type of active. Two, the word rhythm has absolutely no effect on me." She glanced away as Xander made his way back to the table.

"Hello, my beautiful women." He said throwing one arm around Willow and the other around Buffy. Buffy shrugged the arm off.

"Maybe you forgot," she said. "But slayer strength is a perk to my life that I will be forced to use on the most important of your protruding limbs if you ever call me your woman again."

Xander gulped and imagined his life without his manly part, while Willow marveled at the amount of big words Buffy had used in that statement.

"You do realize that I have the utmost respect for you and that I really would like to keep my parts intact, and now I will ask you if would like to get down on the dance floor?"

"Yes, but I apparently am not as good at the whole sarcasm thing as you are, and there is either a vampire or a James Dean-in-a-fake-leather-jacket- wanabee that needs my attention. So I'm going to have to pass on the dance."

Willow silently imagined that she was Buffy and that Xander was asking her to dance. Of course in her version she didn't say no, but instead smoochies ensued.

"Will, Will." Xander's voice brought her back to reality. "You want to dance?"

Buffy's voice rang in Willow's head 'Get pro-active'. Willow realized if she was ever going to get Xander she was going to have to make the first move.

"Give me a minute." she told him and then caught up with Buffy who was at the bar.

"So, false alarm?" Willow commented on the disappointed look on Buffy's face.

"I can't believe that some people actually have that bad of a fashion sense. They don't realize that people haven't worn those out fits in, like, 60 years?!"

"I'm taking your advice." Willow said.

"What? You're going to update your closet?" Buffy asked confused.

"No. I'm going to be pro-active." With that she turned and headed toward the d.j. After that was taken care of she headed back toward Xander.

"What's up Will? You've been acting kind of weird lately. You okay?" He asked as the first strains of the song Willow had requested played. Willow snuggled into Xander's arm and laid her head on his shoulder.

"Please, listen to the song. Right now can we just dance?" she asked. Xander just stroked her hair. He had never seen her like this before. Something was different and it scared him. They settled into a comfortable rhythm and moved with each other to song.

Did you ever love somebody?

So much that the earth moved

Did you ever love somebody

Even though it hurt to?

Did you ever love somebody?

Nothing else the heart could do.

Did you ever love somebody

Who never knew?

Did you ever lay your head down

On the shoulder of a good friend?

And then have to look away somehow

Had to hide the way you felt for them.

Have you ever prayed the day would come

You'd hear them say they feel it too?

Did you ever love somebody

Who never knew?

And if you did,

Well, you know I'd understand

I could I would

More than anybody can

Did you ever love somebody

So much that the earth moves?

Did you ever love somebody

Even though it hurt to?

Did you ever love somebody

Nothing else your heart could do?

Did you ever love somebody

Like I love you?

Like I love you?

Like I love you?

Willowed pulled back from his arms. "Did you get it?" Xander looked at her with a confused look on his face. Willow turned and ran out the door.

Buffy ran up to Xander who was still standing stunned in the middle of the dance floor.

"What happened?" she asked.

"She said she wanted to dance and told me to listen to the song, and then after she asked me if I got it? Did I get what?" He shook his head still trying to figure it out.

"Did you listen to the song?"

"Yea."

"And what was it about?" Buffy asked, trying to get him to realize it all on his own.

"A girl who loved somebody but never told him. So what?"

"Did you ever think that there was a reason that she asked you to listen to the song?"

Finally everything clicked for Xander "You mean she-"

"Yea, she definitely does but do you?" Buffy asked hoping Willow wasn't going to have her heart crushed yet again by Xander.

"I -it's Willow. She's my best friend since forever; I just can't believe I was so stupid."

"So you love her?" Buffy asked already knowing the answer.

"I do." He answered, glancing towards the door wondering if he could catch up with Willow.

"Well, then go!" she said pushing him towards the door. Xander took off and didn't stop running till he reached her house.

"Ms. Sheila, is Willow here?"

"I'm sorry Alexander; she hasn't made it home yet. I can let her know when she gets home that you stopped by."

"That's okay; I'll get in touch with her later. Thank you!" he yelled over his shoulder as he raced off again.

He didn't want to spend anymore time in the open than necessary, because all the big bads that tend to be spotted in Sunnydale. He mentally ran down the list of places she could be: school-closed, her house-nope, Buffy's house-all the lights were off, and so the last place was his house. He didn't bother asking his parents if she had come here, he could already tell from the half empty bottle they were way past noticing anything.

Xander ran down the basement, sighing happily when he saw Willow sleeping on his bed. He carefully positioned himself next to her so that he wouldn't wake her. Finally he just couldn't wait anymore.

"Wake up, Will. I need to talk to you."

She pushed away from him. He was the last person she wanted to see at that moment.

"I took a chance today, and you didn't get it, and then I felt stupid, and I couldn't go home crying, and nobody was at Buffy, so I came here, and then I fell asleep, and now I'm rambling, and I really need to go!"

Xander did the first thing that came to his mind. "Will, wait. Just stay a few minutes." With that he rummaged through his old cd's and put one in his player. He grabbed her arm. "Dance with me, And I know you have to go, but just listen."

Once again Willow positioned herself in his arms. "This better be good, Xan."

He smiled and played with her hair. "It'll be worth it."

Stay away from my friends

They're smooth operators

Looking for a way in

Stay away from me tonight

I've made other plans

And you'll just be distracting me

In a good way

She doesn't know

That I love her

Yes I love her

Make a move on me baby

I can't be the one

Who's always taking chances

See me down

So you get down

No you've got me all wrong

I just want to kiss your lips

And you kiss back

She doesn't know

That I love her

Yes I love her

Leave us alone

Your friends and my friends should go far way

"Did you get it?" He asked. Willow nodded, trying to keep the tears back.

"The part with the I love you, that's true Will. I'm just sorry it took me so long to realize it."

"Yea, well you're pretty stupid sometimes. But I love you and you're stupidity."

"That's what your here for, to call me on my stupidity." With that he kissed her until she finally pulled away.

"How did you figure it out?" she asked

"I always kinda knew it, but it took a hint, well a big hint, from Buffy before I realized that that was it. I know, Xander Harris, not the brightest crayon in the box."

"Well I want to dance at the Bronze, with you, in front of everyone." Willow said stroking his face.

Xander chuckled. "You want to show off your fine looking boy toy don't you!"

"I didn't know that when I said that I loved you, that it meant that your ego could run wild!" Willow laughed.

"I love you means everything." Xander said softly. She pulled him towards her and kissed him the way she had dreamed for.ever.

The End