(No Need To) Be Aggressive
Larry is out. Way out. Far out. So far out, he's practically a freaking Woodstock festival.
While Xander Harris drowns in a sad and pitiful vat of insecurity and self-loathing – which, his choice, but, seriously dude, come out already – Larry's getting more action than he ever dreamed possible.
No more acting like a fucking douche and making the girls cry about it.
No more struggling to conjure up hot Buffy-and-Willow action that doesn't involve his actual favorite fantasy: the three of them snuggled up on top of Larry's bed, eating popcorn, watching Monday Night Football, and talking about cute guys while they check out the running backs' asses.
No more locker-room anxiety. Just a quick smile, a nod and all is cool. And, if it isn't, they don't let it show.
And thank you, Thighmaster! His quadriceps have never looked better.
But, Prom's coming up and, while grandma's the most awesome wingman a guy like him could have – and he knows she's got her eye on a few potential tuxedo-friendly dates – he's decided to go a different route.
Because Larry's been a prick in the past and he figures maybe the best way to make amends is to be the opposite of a prick. To go above and beyond. To do something nice for someone else.
Once he explains the situation, if she still wants to, he'll buy her a corsage, pick her up and promise to have her home at the right time, and offer her his arm when they reach the gym. He'll dance with her (side benefit: good practice for when he meets the sweetest, hottest guy in the world one day), they'll have fun and, at the end of the evening, he'll take her home, kiss her (closed mouth, no tongue) and say goodnight.
And maybe someday she'll remember him as the guy she had a crush on who wasn't a total fucking jackass.
He runs into Willow just when she's coming out of the library and she smiles when she sees him, but there's still a little leftover uneasiness in the way she smiles, like there's a part of her still expects him to try and look up her skirt or leer down her sweater.
"Willow, you know where Amy is? Haven't seen her around for a while."
She hesitates and he just knows she's waiting for him to make a 'joke' about her tits (or lack thereof – Jesus, what an asshole), or start perving over how far she and Oz might have taken things.
"Um … no. I think she's gone away … for an unspecified period of time."
That familiar 'weirdly high Sunnydale mortality rates' look must show on his face, because she shakes her head.
"Oh, no, still alive … she's just not here. I think she's … uh … visiting some relatives. In Canada even. Yup, relatives in Canada."
"Huh. So, think she'll be back in time for Prom?"
"Well, we're trying … um, as in, trying to hope she might be, but I wouldn't count on seeing her there. Why d'you ask?"
"Uh … no reason." He thanks her and walks away, a little disappointed, but maybe he'll get a chance to be nice some other time. Maybe after graduation.
He goes to the payphone in the lobby and dials his favorite number.
"Hey, grandma? How you doing? It's Larry …"