One week later- Wednesday
"So, what about Scott Hope?" Willow asked. "A little birdy told
me he asked you out today, but you haven't mentioned it yet."
"I haven't mentioned it because it wasn't something worth
mentioning. I said no as nicely as I could," Buffy replied.
"Yes!" Xander yelled. Everyone turned to him in shock, and he
reddened. "I'm looking into the possibility that I might have
Tourette's," he mumbled and walked away.
"Buffy, could I talk to you for a minute?" Willow asked, watching
Xander disappear. Oz got the silent message and said, "I'm going
to go... away." He kissed Willow on the cheek and went in search
of Xander.
"Yeah, what's up, Will?" Buffy asked.
"You don't get it, do you?" Willow asked.
"Get what?" Buffy replied, sipping her coffee.
"The way Xander reacted just now. Doesn't it tell you something?"
Willow asked, trying to get the message across subtly.
"That he doesn't like Scott?" Buffy offered. "Or is that any guy
who shows a slight interest in me," she frowned, trying to figure
it out.
Willow sighed in exasperation. "Buffy, he's head over heels."
"With?" Buffy said densely.
"AAGH!" Willow screamed. "You're as bad as _he_ is," she
muttered. "Xander is in love with you, Buffy."
"No he isn't," Buffy replied.
"I think I'd know," Willow insisted. ."He's been my best friend
for ten years. True he's not into the 'pull the girls braids and
run' behavior anymore, but I can see it just as plainly."
Buffy just looked at her in shock. "I.... don't know what to say,
Willow. I guess it never even occurred to me that it was a
possibility."
Willow sighed, and said, "I just wanted you to know, Buffy,
because I care about Xander. I don't want to see him get hurt.
Which he will, unless you feel, or think you could feel the same
way?"
Buffy looked at her coffee. "I'd never hurt him, Will. He's a
great friend."
"I know you wouldn't, purposely, Buffy. But if things kept going
like this, and you didn't know, he could.... misunderstand
things," Willow said.
"Thanks for telling me, Willow," Buffy said. "I won't rat you out
to Xan, don't worry." She looked around then, and added, "I think
I'll find him and try to convince him it's safe to come back."
She stood as she spotted Xander and Oz in a corner across the
room, talking. She walked toward them, making her way through the
crowd of dancing kids.
"She didn't answer my question," Willow realized then, frowning.
**********
"I'm going to glue my lips shut," Xander muttered. He was so
mortified at his behavior, he didn't think he could face Buffy
ever again.
Oz chuckled, and replied, "I thought it was funny. And if it
makes you feel any better, I don't think Buffy has figured out
how you feel."
"_You_ know?????" Xander said in horror. "Oh, God. Forget gluing
my lips shut, I'm going to go join the circus."
"It's not a big deal, Xander," Oz said calmly. "You like Buffy,
you're probably not the first guy to feel that way. Have you ever
considered just going for it?"
Xander looked at him in shock.
"Okay, I'll take that as a no," Oz added. "Stop looking at me
like that, I'm not kidding. Why don't you just ask her out?"
Xander continued to look at him in shock.
"It wasn't a rhetorical question," Oz said.
"I... I couldn't," Xander replied.
Oz gave him a questioning look.
"I know that look, that's a 'why not' look," Xander guessed.
"Well, I'll tell you why not. Because I already know how it would
go. I say, 'Hey, Buffy. Would you like to go out with me on a
date?' And when she gets up off the floor where she fell from
laughing so hard, she tells me I'm just Xander, her really good
friend and nothing more. Then I _do_ have to go join the circus."
"There will be no circus-joining by anyone," Xander heard Buffy
say from behind him. He groaned, and said, "See, these are the
times when, if life was fair, the earth would swallow me whole."
"There will be no earth-swallowing of anyone either," she added,
and walked around to stand in front of him. She smiled and asked,
"Now why would you think it was more fun over here by yourself
than over at the table with the rest of us?"
"Speaking of the rest of you, I'm going back to Willow," Oz said,
and walked away, ignoring Xander's pleading look after him.
Xander watched him walk back to Willow, and finally turned to
face Buffy.
"Hi," he said sheepishly.
"Hi," she replied. "Let's go back."
"Fine with me," Xander said, glad she appeared to still be
unaware of the situation.
"Oh, and Xander," Buffy stopped him, laying a hand on his arm.
"You do realize we're going to talk about this later."
"Oh. I suppose I don't have a choice in the matter?" He asked.
She merely responded with a raised eyebrow, and he added, "I
didn't think so," and followed her back to the others the others.
***************
"So, what about Scott Hope?" Willow asked. "A little birdy told
me he asked you out today, but you haven't mentioned it yet."
"I haven't mentioned it because it wasn't something worth
mentioning. I said no as nicely as I could," Buffy replied.
"Yes!" Xander yelled. Everyone turned to him in shock, and he
reddened. "I'm looking into the possibility that I might have
Tourette's," he mumbled and walked away.
"Buffy, could I talk to you for a minute?" Willow asked, watching
Xander disappear. Oz got the silent message and said, "I'm going
to go... away." He kissed Willow on the cheek and went in search
of Xander.
"Yeah, what's up, Will?" Buffy asked.
"You don't get it, do you?" Willow asked.
"Get what?" Buffy replied, sipping her coffee.
"The way Xander reacted just now. Doesn't it tell you something?"
Willow asked, trying to get the message across subtly.
"That he doesn't like Scott?" Buffy offered. "Or is that any guy
who shows a slight interest in me," she frowned, trying to figure
it out.
Willow sighed in exasperation. "Buffy, he's head over heels."
"With?" Buffy said densely.
"AAGH!" Willow screamed. "You're as bad as _he_ is," she
muttered. "Xander is in love with you, Buffy."
"No he isn't," Buffy replied.
"I think I'd know," Willow insisted. ."He's been my best friend
for ten years. True he's not into the 'pull the girls braids and
run' behavior anymore, but I can see it just as plainly."
Buffy just looked at her in shock. "I.... don't know what to say,
Willow. I guess it never even occurred to me that it was a
possibility."
Willow sighed, and said, "I just wanted you to know, Buffy,
because I care about Xander. I don't want to see him get hurt.
Which he will, unless you feel, or think you could feel the same
way?"
Buffy looked at her coffee. "I'd never hurt him, Will. He's a
great friend."
"I know you wouldn't, purposely, Buffy. But if things kept going
like this, and you didn't know, he could.... misunderstand
things," Willow said.
"Thanks for telling me, Willow," Buffy said. "I won't rat you out
to Xan, don't worry." She looked around then, and added, "I think
I'll find him and try to convince him it's safe to come back."
She stood as she spotted Xander and Oz in a corner across the
room, talking. She walked toward them, making her way through the
crowd of dancing kids.
"She didn't answer my question," Willow realized then, frowning.
**********
"I'm going to glue my lips shut," Xander muttered. He was so
mortified at his behavior, he didn't think he could face Buffy
ever again.
Oz chuckled, and replied, "I thought it was funny. And if it
makes you feel any better, I don't think Buffy has figured out
how you feel."
"_You_ know?????" Xander said in horror. "Oh, God. Forget gluing
my lips shut, I'm going to go join the circus."
"It's not a big deal, Xander," Oz said calmly. "You like Buffy,
you're probably not the first guy to feel that way. Have you ever
considered just going for it?"
Xander looked at him in shock.
"Okay, I'll take that as a no," Oz added. "Stop looking at me
like that, I'm not kidding. Why don't you just ask her out?"
Xander continued to look at him in shock.
"It wasn't a rhetorical question," Oz said.
"I... I couldn't," Xander replied.
Oz gave him a questioning look.
"I know that look, that's a 'why not' look," Xander guessed.
"Well, I'll tell you why not. Because I already know how it would
go. I say, 'Hey, Buffy. Would you like to go out with me on a
date?' And when she gets up off the floor where she fell from
laughing so hard, she tells me I'm just Xander, her really good
friend and nothing more. Then I _do_ have to go join the circus."
"There will be no circus-joining by anyone," Xander heard Buffy
say from behind him. He groaned, and said, "See, these are the
times when, if life was fair, the earth would swallow me whole."
"There will be no earth-swallowing of anyone either," she added,
and walked around to stand in front of him. She smiled and asked,
"Now why would you think it was more fun over here by yourself
than over at the table with the rest of us?"
"Speaking of the rest of you, I'm going back to Willow," Oz said,
and walked away, ignoring Xander's pleading look after him.
Xander watched him walk back to Willow, and finally turned to
face Buffy.
"Hi," he said sheepishly.
"Hi," she replied. "Let's go back."
"Fine with me," Xander said, glad she appeared to still be
unaware of the situation.
"Oh, and Xander," Buffy stopped him, laying a hand on his arm.
"You do realize we're going to talk about this later."
"Oh. I suppose I don't have a choice in the matter?" He asked.
She merely responded with a raised eyebrow, and he added, "I
didn't think so," and followed her back to the others the others.
***************