*********
Part 29 - It's Okay
"'Lethal Weapon'," Xander insisted.
"'While You Were Sleeping'," Buffy retorted.
"Stop!" Joyce intervened, laughing. "You two are going to argue
until it's too late to watch anything. And then what good is
that?"
"You said you weren't going to subject me to a girl movie,"
Xander replied, ignoring Joyce.
"I said nothing of the sort," Buffy replied, also ignoring Joyce.
"I said that we weren't going to rent _only_ girl movies, but I
did not promise _no_ girl movies."
"I hate 'While you were Sleeping!" Xander whined.
"Well, I don't!" Buffy said. "And I wanna watch it!"
"Time out!" Joyce yelled again, grinning at the childishness of
the two. "Why don't you flip a coin?" she suggested.
"Well...." Buffy hesitated.
"Fine with me," Xander said.
"Fine," Buffy nodded. "Gimme a coin."
"Oh, no you don't," Xander replied. "Joyce flips the coin. That
way it's fair."
Buffy gave him an exasperated look, but shrugged.
"Heads or tails?" Joyce asked Xander.
"Tails," Xander said.
"Yes!" Buffy yelled, as the coin landed 'heads'.
"Well, you still have to watch 'Lethal Weapon' afterward," Xander
said, pouting.
"That's fine," Buffy replied. "It's the principle of the thing, I
won." She stuck out her tongue at him, sending Joyce into another
laughing fit. "What?" she gave her mom a puzzled look.
"I haven't seen you in such a good mood, in a long time," Joyce
said. "It's great."
"Oh," Buffy replied. "I guess you're right," she agreed. She
stood to put the video in the VCR, and then settled on the couch
next to Xander.
"I'll go make popcorn, that's what I'm forgetting," Joyce
offered. "Go ahead and start the movie."
*********
Three Hours Later
Xander looked down to see that not only was Buffy sound asleep,
she was using his shoulder as a pillow. A small smile slipped
onto his face. *I have no intention of moving her. If I died, I'd
die happy. Geez, I'm so pathetic, it's not like this is a
conscious thing on her part.*
Buffy stirred, and realized she was drooling. On Xander's
shoulder. "Oh, gross," she mumbled. She heard Xander chuckle, and
looked up at him. "Sorry, Xan. Buffy drool," she wrinkled her
nose.
"No big," Xander shrugged. He reached over to brush a stray lock
of hair out of her eyes, and she closed her eyes and
almost-unconsciously leaned into his touch. When she opened her
eyes, she saw the depth of emotion in his, and it took her breath
away. He leaned in toward her...
"Xander do you want more--" At the sound of her mom's voice,
Buffy and Xander sat back up quickly, and looked back at the
television, where Lethal Weapon was still playing.
"Oh, Buffy, you're awake," Joyce said.
"Yeah, mom. Guess I dozed off," Buffy smiled at her mom. *Good
timing. Or bad?*
"Well, I was making more popcorn, do either of you want some?"
"Sure," both said simultaneously.
Once Joyce had retreated to the kitchen, Buffy took a deep
breath. *You're just tired, and not quite alert, that's all* she
told herself. *That's it, right?* As no quick answer came, she
sighed. *You've got to figure this one out. For your sake and
his.* She stole a quick sideways look at Xander, who was also
refusing to look at her. *He doesn't deserve any mixed signals.*
*Good one* Xander was mentally berating himself. *She's half
asleep, and you try to kiss her. That's just great, Xander.
That's up there in your most stupid things of all time list.*
"Sorry," he mumbled.
"S'okay," she smiled over at him, and patted him on the knee in a
comforting gesture.
*Okay, was that an 'It's okay, I wanted you to kiss me', or an
'It's okay, I understand, but don't do it again or I'll break
your nose?'* Xander wondered.
***********
Part 29 - It's Okay
"'Lethal Weapon'," Xander insisted.
"'While You Were Sleeping'," Buffy retorted.
"Stop!" Joyce intervened, laughing. "You two are going to argue
until it's too late to watch anything. And then what good is
that?"
"You said you weren't going to subject me to a girl movie,"
Xander replied, ignoring Joyce.
"I said nothing of the sort," Buffy replied, also ignoring Joyce.
"I said that we weren't going to rent _only_ girl movies, but I
did not promise _no_ girl movies."
"I hate 'While you were Sleeping!" Xander whined.
"Well, I don't!" Buffy said. "And I wanna watch it!"
"Time out!" Joyce yelled again, grinning at the childishness of
the two. "Why don't you flip a coin?" she suggested.
"Well...." Buffy hesitated.
"Fine with me," Xander said.
"Fine," Buffy nodded. "Gimme a coin."
"Oh, no you don't," Xander replied. "Joyce flips the coin. That
way it's fair."
Buffy gave him an exasperated look, but shrugged.
"Heads or tails?" Joyce asked Xander.
"Tails," Xander said.
"Yes!" Buffy yelled, as the coin landed 'heads'.
"Well, you still have to watch 'Lethal Weapon' afterward," Xander
said, pouting.
"That's fine," Buffy replied. "It's the principle of the thing, I
won." She stuck out her tongue at him, sending Joyce into another
laughing fit. "What?" she gave her mom a puzzled look.
"I haven't seen you in such a good mood, in a long time," Joyce
said. "It's great."
"Oh," Buffy replied. "I guess you're right," she agreed. She
stood to put the video in the VCR, and then settled on the couch
next to Xander.
"I'll go make popcorn, that's what I'm forgetting," Joyce
offered. "Go ahead and start the movie."
*********
Three Hours Later
Xander looked down to see that not only was Buffy sound asleep,
she was using his shoulder as a pillow. A small smile slipped
onto his face. *I have no intention of moving her. If I died, I'd
die happy. Geez, I'm so pathetic, it's not like this is a
conscious thing on her part.*
Buffy stirred, and realized she was drooling. On Xander's
shoulder. "Oh, gross," she mumbled. She heard Xander chuckle, and
looked up at him. "Sorry, Xan. Buffy drool," she wrinkled her
nose.
"No big," Xander shrugged. He reached over to brush a stray lock
of hair out of her eyes, and she closed her eyes and
almost-unconsciously leaned into his touch. When she opened her
eyes, she saw the depth of emotion in his, and it took her breath
away. He leaned in toward her...
"Xander do you want more--" At the sound of her mom's voice,
Buffy and Xander sat back up quickly, and looked back at the
television, where Lethal Weapon was still playing.
"Oh, Buffy, you're awake," Joyce said.
"Yeah, mom. Guess I dozed off," Buffy smiled at her mom. *Good
timing. Or bad?*
"Well, I was making more popcorn, do either of you want some?"
"Sure," both said simultaneously.
Once Joyce had retreated to the kitchen, Buffy took a deep
breath. *You're just tired, and not quite alert, that's all* she
told herself. *That's it, right?* As no quick answer came, she
sighed. *You've got to figure this one out. For your sake and
his.* She stole a quick sideways look at Xander, who was also
refusing to look at her. *He doesn't deserve any mixed signals.*
*Good one* Xander was mentally berating himself. *She's half
asleep, and you try to kiss her. That's just great, Xander.
That's up there in your most stupid things of all time list.*
"Sorry," he mumbled.
"S'okay," she smiled over at him, and patted him on the knee in a
comforting gesture.
*Okay, was that an 'It's okay, I wanted you to kiss me', or an
'It's okay, I understand, but don't do it again or I'll break
your nose?'* Xander wondered.
***********