****************
Friday,
Buffy's House
Buffy and Danny were in her room. She was putting the last touches on
her makeup before they left for the Bronze. He was pacing, impatiently
waiting for her to finish. He finally sat on her bed, and
asked, "Buffy, could we talk about something?"
*I was afraid of that* "Sure, about what?" she asked.
"Well, I've been thinking," Danny said. "Spending time with you this
past week has reminded me of back at Hemery. It's been just like old
times. We had fun, didn't we?"
"Sure we did," Buffy shrugged. "Why would you ask that?"
"Well, have you ever wondered what would've happened if we'd stayed
together?"
"Um, yeah. I think that's normal, though."
"And?"
"Danny, it wouldn't have worked," Buffy said. "It still wouldn't," she
added. "We did have good times, but a lot of _what_ we were was
because of _who_ we were back then. We were expected to date, Danny,
so we did. And I'm not saying it was all for show, of course it
wasn't. I did care about you, and I know you cared about me. But we
were both really young and I don't think either of us knew what love
was back then."
"Maybe not, but I think we've grown up a lot. Don't you think there's
a chance we could give us another try?"
*I hate this part* "Danny, when you mentioned the other night about
how I was down lately, well, there's a good reason for that. When I
came to Sunnydale, I met someone. His name was Angel. We dated for a
while. He died about a month ago."
"Wow," Danny said. "Buffy, I'm so sorry."
"I loved him, and I still do," she continued. "But that's just one of
the reasons that we can't be together. I don't want you to think you
should wait for me, because it won't do any good. I need you to
understand that what we had is over. It's no good to try to bring it
back. What we have now is a really good friendship, and it means alot
to me. I hope you can be okay with that."
Danny looked at her sadly for a few moments, before replying. "Well, I
guess that answers that question. Thank you for being brutally honest
with me, though."
"I'm sorry. The last thing I want to do is hurt you," Buffy said
earnestly.
Danny smiled at her. "I'll live. We could do a whole lot worse than
'Just Friends'. I just want you to be happy."
"I'm working on it," Buffy said honestly. So you ready to go?"
"Yeah," she said, smiling at him. "Let's go."
************
Friday Night
"I still don't see why I have to be here," Xander muttered. "Ow!" he
added, as Willow kicked him in the shin.
"Because Buffy asked, silly. She wants Danny to meet all of us, and
vice versa," Willow replied. "Oz and I met him earlier this week,
he's a really nice guy."
"So you said," Xander said morosely. "Wills, stop doing that!" he
frowned and scooted his chair away so she couldn't kick him again.
"I would if you'd stop moping!" she returned. "He's leaving tomorrow,
will you at least _try_ to be civil to him?"
"Civil? I'm always civil," Xander shrugged. At Willow's skeptical
expression, he added, "Hey, the last one was deadboy, remember? I'll
be civil to liveboy, I promise." He saw Buffy and the boy he could
only assume was Danny approaching.
*Gag me now. Perfect blond hair, he's the all-American boy. I bet he's
even got perfect teeth. This is just too much.* Xander tried to smile,
not wanting to spoil the evening for Buffy.
"Hi, guys," Buffy greeted her friends with a warm smile. "Danny,
you've met Oz and Willow, and this is Xander," she introduced them.
A competitive look passed between Danny and Xander that Buffy didn't
catch, since she was occupied by talking to Willow about
something. "Hi, Danny, nice to meet you," Xander offered his hand in
a handshake, giving what he hoped was a genuine-looking smile. *Ow*
he added mentally, as Danny chose to demonstrate his strength through
the handshake.
"Same here," Danny replied, with a smile of his own. Xander watched
with not a small amount of irritation as Danny put his arm around
Buffy's shoulders possessively. Danny then asked Buffy to dance, and
the two walked onto the dance floor.
"Can I go now?" Xander begged.
"No," Willow said. "Try to have fun, for Buffy's sake?"
"Fine," Xander sighed. "This is me, having fun." He looked over at the
dancing couple, and was sorry immediately. Buffy was laughing, and it
looked as if they were having a wonderful time. *That's great* Xander
tried to convince himself. *Buffy deserves a little happiness.*
******
Buffy and Danny started dancing, and at some point, Buffy looked over
at her other friends. Willow and Oz looked happy enough, but Xander,
on the other hand....*He looks like a lost puppy dog* Buffy thought.
*What's with him?*
Buffy was pulled away from her musings by the need to reign Danny in.
His hands had wandered away from her waist, and she stopped that
activity with a simple look. "Sorry," he shrugged, and she rolled her
eyes in response.
*I've got you figured out,* she thought. It took me a few, but you're
_trying_ to irritate Xander! Which is silly, since he's nothing but a
friend. ... It is silly, right?* She looked over at Xander, and the
expression on his face made her uncertain as to the answer.
************
End of 10
Friday,
Buffy's House
Buffy and Danny were in her room. She was putting the last touches on
her makeup before they left for the Bronze. He was pacing, impatiently
waiting for her to finish. He finally sat on her bed, and
asked, "Buffy, could we talk about something?"
*I was afraid of that* "Sure, about what?" she asked.
"Well, I've been thinking," Danny said. "Spending time with you this
past week has reminded me of back at Hemery. It's been just like old
times. We had fun, didn't we?"
"Sure we did," Buffy shrugged. "Why would you ask that?"
"Well, have you ever wondered what would've happened if we'd stayed
together?"
"Um, yeah. I think that's normal, though."
"And?"
"Danny, it wouldn't have worked," Buffy said. "It still wouldn't," she
added. "We did have good times, but a lot of _what_ we were was
because of _who_ we were back then. We were expected to date, Danny,
so we did. And I'm not saying it was all for show, of course it
wasn't. I did care about you, and I know you cared about me. But we
were both really young and I don't think either of us knew what love
was back then."
"Maybe not, but I think we've grown up a lot. Don't you think there's
a chance we could give us another try?"
*I hate this part* "Danny, when you mentioned the other night about
how I was down lately, well, there's a good reason for that. When I
came to Sunnydale, I met someone. His name was Angel. We dated for a
while. He died about a month ago."
"Wow," Danny said. "Buffy, I'm so sorry."
"I loved him, and I still do," she continued. "But that's just one of
the reasons that we can't be together. I don't want you to think you
should wait for me, because it won't do any good. I need you to
understand that what we had is over. It's no good to try to bring it
back. What we have now is a really good friendship, and it means alot
to me. I hope you can be okay with that."
Danny looked at her sadly for a few moments, before replying. "Well, I
guess that answers that question. Thank you for being brutally honest
with me, though."
"I'm sorry. The last thing I want to do is hurt you," Buffy said
earnestly.
Danny smiled at her. "I'll live. We could do a whole lot worse than
'Just Friends'. I just want you to be happy."
"I'm working on it," Buffy said honestly. So you ready to go?"
"Yeah," she said, smiling at him. "Let's go."
************
Friday Night
"I still don't see why I have to be here," Xander muttered. "Ow!" he
added, as Willow kicked him in the shin.
"Because Buffy asked, silly. She wants Danny to meet all of us, and
vice versa," Willow replied. "Oz and I met him earlier this week,
he's a really nice guy."
"So you said," Xander said morosely. "Wills, stop doing that!" he
frowned and scooted his chair away so she couldn't kick him again.
"I would if you'd stop moping!" she returned. "He's leaving tomorrow,
will you at least _try_ to be civil to him?"
"Civil? I'm always civil," Xander shrugged. At Willow's skeptical
expression, he added, "Hey, the last one was deadboy, remember? I'll
be civil to liveboy, I promise." He saw Buffy and the boy he could
only assume was Danny approaching.
*Gag me now. Perfect blond hair, he's the all-American boy. I bet he's
even got perfect teeth. This is just too much.* Xander tried to smile,
not wanting to spoil the evening for Buffy.
"Hi, guys," Buffy greeted her friends with a warm smile. "Danny,
you've met Oz and Willow, and this is Xander," she introduced them.
A competitive look passed between Danny and Xander that Buffy didn't
catch, since she was occupied by talking to Willow about
something. "Hi, Danny, nice to meet you," Xander offered his hand in
a handshake, giving what he hoped was a genuine-looking smile. *Ow*
he added mentally, as Danny chose to demonstrate his strength through
the handshake.
"Same here," Danny replied, with a smile of his own. Xander watched
with not a small amount of irritation as Danny put his arm around
Buffy's shoulders possessively. Danny then asked Buffy to dance, and
the two walked onto the dance floor.
"Can I go now?" Xander begged.
"No," Willow said. "Try to have fun, for Buffy's sake?"
"Fine," Xander sighed. "This is me, having fun." He looked over at the
dancing couple, and was sorry immediately. Buffy was laughing, and it
looked as if they were having a wonderful time. *That's great* Xander
tried to convince himself. *Buffy deserves a little happiness.*
******
Buffy and Danny started dancing, and at some point, Buffy looked over
at her other friends. Willow and Oz looked happy enough, but Xander,
on the other hand....*He looks like a lost puppy dog* Buffy thought.
*What's with him?*
Buffy was pulled away from her musings by the need to reign Danny in.
His hands had wandered away from her waist, and she stopped that
activity with a simple look. "Sorry," he shrugged, and she rolled her
eyes in response.
*I've got you figured out,* she thought. It took me a few, but you're
_trying_ to irritate Xander! Which is silly, since he's nothing but a
friend. ... It is silly, right?* She looked over at Xander, and the
expression on his face made her uncertain as to the answer.
************
End of 10