Buffy smiled when she heard the doorbell. Although it hadn't been
mentioned, she'd known Xander would show up to walk her to school
this morning. She made her way downstairs, and opened the door to
him. "I'm almost ready," she said hurriedly. "Sit, I'll be back," she
added, running back upstairs.
She gathered the rest of her books together in her bag, and ran
downstairs again. "'Kay, now we can go," she said. She looked at her
watch, and realized they had ten minutes before school started, and
took a deep breath. "I'm usually running late," she said, explaining
her hurried mood. She walked over to where he was standing, and
said, "Hi." She wrapped her arms around his waist, hugging him.
He held her close, arms around her waist, and she felt him breathe a
sigh of relief. At her questioning look up at him, he said, "The
pessimist in me has been telling me that you'd decide last night was
a mistake."
"Not likely," Buffy said confidently. "I've had no second thoughts
about this, Xan. This is one of the few things in my life that I've
done that feels completely and totally right."
She watched the worry disappear from his face, replaced by hope, and
smiled. "That's more like it," she said, letting go of him and
stepping back. "I guess we should go to school now?"
"I suppose," Xander sighed.
"You mean you don't want to tell everyone we're together?" Buffy gave
him a look.
"Let's go," Xander said quickly, practically dragging her out of the
door to the sound of Buffy's laughing.
*******
Homeroom
Buffy and Xander walked into class hand-in-hand, and Buffy was the
first to notice Willow's expression of complete shock, quickly
replaced that with a thrilled grin. Buffy smiled back. "I think she
figured it out," she said to Xander, nodding to Willow.
"Oh," Xander shrugged with a grin. "She usually does spoil all the
surprises." He sighed melodramatically.
"Hey, you can tell me, and I'll act surprised," Willow offered.
"That's not the same thing," Xander pouted.
"Well, if it makes you feel any better, we'll get a much better
reaction out of Giles," Buffy said. "He never notices anything like
that..."
*****
Two hours later
"That's nice," Giles murmured from behind the book he was reading on
the history of the Hellmouth.
"That's nice???" Buffy stared at Giles in utter disbelief, "You're
not surprised at all?" She'd just told Giles that she and Xander were
together, and he'd replied in typical Giles-fashion.
"Hm?" Giles looked up at her, and realized she had expected a much
more profound reaction. "Oh, of course. I'm shocked! I'm completely
dumbfounded! There, is that better?" he questioned.
"You are just impossible!" Buffy screamed in frustration. She caught
the twinkle in his eye, then and shook her head. "Who would've
thought _you'd_ develop a sense of humor?"
"It was inevitable, spending so much time with all of you," Giles
replied calmly. "Regardless, as your friend, I'm happy for you,
Buffy. As your Watcher--"
"I know, I know," Buffy rolled her eyes. "Don't let it interfere with
my calling, my duty to the world, blah blah blah."
"More or less," Giles replied.
"Well, I know all that," Buffy said. "And us being together is not
going to get in the way of me being the Slayer. One thing that
usually gets in the way when I'm dating someone is how to tell them.
Well, Xander already knows. Another thing is they usually feel
neglected because I spend so much time patrolling."
"If that happens, I'll just help you patrol," Xander offered with a
smile.
"There, see?" Buffy said. "Nothing to get in the way of my calling."
"Speaking of your Calling," Giles replied, "I'll be here tonight. The
night before the full moon, and apparently Willow's family is having
a family get-together. She can't get away for Wolf-watching, so I
agreed to do it."
"Okay, so I'll stop by before Patrol, okay?" Buffy smiled at him, and
took Xander by the hand, leading him out into the hallway.
*********
mentioned, she'd known Xander would show up to walk her to school
this morning. She made her way downstairs, and opened the door to
him. "I'm almost ready," she said hurriedly. "Sit, I'll be back," she
added, running back upstairs.
She gathered the rest of her books together in her bag, and ran
downstairs again. "'Kay, now we can go," she said. She looked at her
watch, and realized they had ten minutes before school started, and
took a deep breath. "I'm usually running late," she said, explaining
her hurried mood. She walked over to where he was standing, and
said, "Hi." She wrapped her arms around his waist, hugging him.
He held her close, arms around her waist, and she felt him breathe a
sigh of relief. At her questioning look up at him, he said, "The
pessimist in me has been telling me that you'd decide last night was
a mistake."
"Not likely," Buffy said confidently. "I've had no second thoughts
about this, Xan. This is one of the few things in my life that I've
done that feels completely and totally right."
She watched the worry disappear from his face, replaced by hope, and
smiled. "That's more like it," she said, letting go of him and
stepping back. "I guess we should go to school now?"
"I suppose," Xander sighed.
"You mean you don't want to tell everyone we're together?" Buffy gave
him a look.
"Let's go," Xander said quickly, practically dragging her out of the
door to the sound of Buffy's laughing.
*******
Homeroom
Buffy and Xander walked into class hand-in-hand, and Buffy was the
first to notice Willow's expression of complete shock, quickly
replaced that with a thrilled grin. Buffy smiled back. "I think she
figured it out," she said to Xander, nodding to Willow.
"Oh," Xander shrugged with a grin. "She usually does spoil all the
surprises." He sighed melodramatically.
"Hey, you can tell me, and I'll act surprised," Willow offered.
"That's not the same thing," Xander pouted.
"Well, if it makes you feel any better, we'll get a much better
reaction out of Giles," Buffy said. "He never notices anything like
that..."
*****
Two hours later
"That's nice," Giles murmured from behind the book he was reading on
the history of the Hellmouth.
"That's nice???" Buffy stared at Giles in utter disbelief, "You're
not surprised at all?" She'd just told Giles that she and Xander were
together, and he'd replied in typical Giles-fashion.
"Hm?" Giles looked up at her, and realized she had expected a much
more profound reaction. "Oh, of course. I'm shocked! I'm completely
dumbfounded! There, is that better?" he questioned.
"You are just impossible!" Buffy screamed in frustration. She caught
the twinkle in his eye, then and shook her head. "Who would've
thought _you'd_ develop a sense of humor?"
"It was inevitable, spending so much time with all of you," Giles
replied calmly. "Regardless, as your friend, I'm happy for you,
Buffy. As your Watcher--"
"I know, I know," Buffy rolled her eyes. "Don't let it interfere with
my calling, my duty to the world, blah blah blah."
"More or less," Giles replied.
"Well, I know all that," Buffy said. "And us being together is not
going to get in the way of me being the Slayer. One thing that
usually gets in the way when I'm dating someone is how to tell them.
Well, Xander already knows. Another thing is they usually feel
neglected because I spend so much time patrolling."
"If that happens, I'll just help you patrol," Xander offered with a
smile.
"There, see?" Buffy said. "Nothing to get in the way of my calling."
"Speaking of your Calling," Giles replied, "I'll be here tonight. The
night before the full moon, and apparently Willow's family is having
a family get-together. She can't get away for Wolf-watching, so I
agreed to do it."
"Okay, so I'll stop by before Patrol, okay?" Buffy smiled at him, and
took Xander by the hand, leading him out into the hallway.
*********