One week later
Friday night
10 pm
"Well, either I've killed all the demons in Sunnydale, or they're
just choosing to avoid me," Buffy said with a grin. She and Xander
were walking in the cemetery, patrolling. She let go of his hand
briefly to sit on a headstone to rest.
"I doubt you've killed them all," Xander chuckled, moving to stand in
front of her, putting his hands on her waist to steady her. "You are
good, but nobody's that good."
Buffy gave him a look. "Fine, just shatter my self-confidence why
don't you."
"I love you?" Xander offered with a grin.
"And you think that makes it all okay," Buffy sighed
melodramatically. "Oh don't look at me like that," she added frowning.
"Like what?" Xander asked, feigning innocence.
"That puppy-dog look, it's not fair," Buffy pouted. "You know I can't
resist it."
"Yeah?" Xander grinned, "That's why I use it," he added, leaning in
to kiss her. The kiss was gentle at first, but Buffy threw her arms
around his neck, and pulled his head closer. Xander smiled against
her mouth, and she took advantage of the opportunity to slip her
tongue inside his mouth, deepening the kiss. Xander groaned in
pleasure, and it was Buffy's turn to smile. Xander responded by
taking control, and slipping his tongue inside her mouth. They
continued like this for what felt like forever, until Xander finally
broke the kiss and they grinned at each other for a moment.
Buffy finally spoke, "Now I know why Cordelia kept you around for so
long. If I'd known you kissed that well I wouldn't have taken so much
time making up my mind about us," she teased.
"So the truth finally comes out," Xander faked a wounded
sigh. "You're using me."
Buffy giggled. "Yeah, that must be it," she said, rolling her
eyes. "You know, this is definitely one of the perks of having you
for a boyfriend." She smiled wider, "Hey I like the sound of that."
"Me too," Xander replied. "Although I occasionally feel like I'm
going to wake up from this dream."
"It's not a dream," Buffy said, kissing him softly. "If it is, I'll
stay in that dream. We're together, and there's no other place I want
to be."
Xander gave her a thrilled smile at that, and said, "I feel the same
way, so I guess we're stuck with each other." He felt her tense up,
and knew what that meant. "Trouble?"
"Slay time," Buffy nodded. He helped her to her feet, and she looked
around, quickly scanning the area. She pulled a stake out of her
jeans pocket, and said, "Whatever it is, it wants to play. So let's
humor it, but keep an eye out."
"Okay," Xander nodded, and they walked down one of the paths, hand in
hand. Buffy heard the growl first, and turned to face the demon. It
was a slime demon, and it tackled her before she could react. "Hey!"
both she and Xander yelled, and Xander staked it quickly. "GROSS!"
Buffy yelled, still pinned under the now-dead demon.
Xander pulled the body off her, and helped her to her feet. "Green
looks good on you," he joked.
Buffy merely raised an eyebrow at him, then tackled him.
"Hey!" Xander yelled in protest, but her kiss silenced him. "Well, I
hope green looks good on me, too," he said.
"If I have to be slimed, you are going to share in the joy," Buffy
told him. She rolled off him and said, "I guess we'll have to change
before we can go to the Bronze."
"Unless the slime-look is in, I'd have to agree with you on that
one," Xander replied. He stood, and helped Buffy up, asking, "So are
we done now? Have we paid our Slaying-dues for the evening?"
"Yeah," Buffy agreed. "Let's go."
*********
Buffy had taken a quick shower, and changed into the black leather
skirt she knew made Xander drool. She then slipped on the new blouse
she'd bought the day before, it was red, low-cut, with a single strap
holding it up around her neck. She giggled at the next thought, *I'll
probably have to tell him to pick his jaw up off the ground.* She
heard the doorbell, and the sounds of her mom and Xander talking
happily. "Only the second boyfriend that she's ever liked, it's a
nice change, though."
She walked to the top of the stairway, and smiled at Xander's
reaction. His eyes would have popped out of his face if possible. He
recovered quickly, though, and gave her his patented Xander-
grin. "You look incredible," he said.
"You clean up pretty good yourself," she smiled. He was wearing black
pants and a black silk long-sleeved button down shirt.. She walked
downstairs, and wrapping her arms around him for a hug and a quick
kiss. "I'll be home late mom, don't wait up," she said, turning to
her mom.
"You know I will anyway," Joyce replied. "But have fun, you two. I'll
see you later, Xander."
"Bye, Joyce," Xander said, as the two walked back outside. Xander
took her hand as they walked to the Bronze.
They managed to get there without incident, and walked inside. While
they stopped to look for Oz and Willow, Xander wrapped his arms
around her waist, and pulled her back against him. She leaned her
head back, tilting her face up to see if he'd take the hint. Never
being one to protest that activity, he obliged, kissing her softly.
"Get a room," they heard the unmistakable voice of Cordelia Chase
pass by them. They looked up to see her and her Cordettes breeze by,
laughing.
"What did I see in her?" Xander wondered.
"She wasn't that bad, when she was with us," Buffy replied kindly. At
Xander's shocked expression, she said, "Hey, I'm capable of finding
something nice to say about almost anyone."
"Anyone?" Xander asked skeptically.
"I said _almost_ anyone," Buffy reminded him. "There are exceptions
out there." She looked away to scan the room for Willow and Oz
again. "There they are!" she pointed to the couple on the dance
floor. "Which would be why we couldn't find their table."
"I think they have the right idea," Xander suggested.
"I agree," Buffy said. She pulled him out onto the dance floor, and
put her arms around his neck, as he held her close, arms around her
waist. She smiled as she realized what song was playing. It was so
perfect for them.
I had a good life
Before you came
I had my friends and my freedom
I had my name
Still there was sorrow and emptiness
'Til you made me blessed
Oh and this love
I've found strength I never knew I had
And this love
Is like nothing I have ever known
Take my hand, love
I'm taking you home
Taking you home
She tugged on his head, and asked, "Now where were we when we were so
rudely interrupted?"
He smiled, and replied, "In the middle of what's quickly becoming my
favorite past-time," as he leaned down to kiss her again.
There were days, lonely days
When the world wouldn't throw me a crumb
But I kept on believin'
That this day would come
And this love
Is like nothing I have ever known
Take my hand, love
I'm taking you home
Taking you home
She looked up into his eyes, and smiled. "What?" he asked.
"Just thinking, that's how I feel about you," Buffy said.
"How's that?"
"You feel like home," she said with a smile.
"I feel the same way about you," he replied, before leaning down to
kiss her again.
I'm taking you home
Where we can be with the ones who really care
Home, where we can grow together
Keep you in my heart forever
And this love
Is like nothing I have ever known
Take my hand, love
I'm taking you home
Taking you home
***********
THE END
(Lyrics - Taking you Home - Don Henley)
Friday night
10 pm
"Well, either I've killed all the demons in Sunnydale, or they're
just choosing to avoid me," Buffy said with a grin. She and Xander
were walking in the cemetery, patrolling. She let go of his hand
briefly to sit on a headstone to rest.
"I doubt you've killed them all," Xander chuckled, moving to stand in
front of her, putting his hands on her waist to steady her. "You are
good, but nobody's that good."
Buffy gave him a look. "Fine, just shatter my self-confidence why
don't you."
"I love you?" Xander offered with a grin.
"And you think that makes it all okay," Buffy sighed
melodramatically. "Oh don't look at me like that," she added frowning.
"Like what?" Xander asked, feigning innocence.
"That puppy-dog look, it's not fair," Buffy pouted. "You know I can't
resist it."
"Yeah?" Xander grinned, "That's why I use it," he added, leaning in
to kiss her. The kiss was gentle at first, but Buffy threw her arms
around his neck, and pulled his head closer. Xander smiled against
her mouth, and she took advantage of the opportunity to slip her
tongue inside his mouth, deepening the kiss. Xander groaned in
pleasure, and it was Buffy's turn to smile. Xander responded by
taking control, and slipping his tongue inside her mouth. They
continued like this for what felt like forever, until Xander finally
broke the kiss and they grinned at each other for a moment.
Buffy finally spoke, "Now I know why Cordelia kept you around for so
long. If I'd known you kissed that well I wouldn't have taken so much
time making up my mind about us," she teased.
"So the truth finally comes out," Xander faked a wounded
sigh. "You're using me."
Buffy giggled. "Yeah, that must be it," she said, rolling her
eyes. "You know, this is definitely one of the perks of having you
for a boyfriend." She smiled wider, "Hey I like the sound of that."
"Me too," Xander replied. "Although I occasionally feel like I'm
going to wake up from this dream."
"It's not a dream," Buffy said, kissing him softly. "If it is, I'll
stay in that dream. We're together, and there's no other place I want
to be."
Xander gave her a thrilled smile at that, and said, "I feel the same
way, so I guess we're stuck with each other." He felt her tense up,
and knew what that meant. "Trouble?"
"Slay time," Buffy nodded. He helped her to her feet, and she looked
around, quickly scanning the area. She pulled a stake out of her
jeans pocket, and said, "Whatever it is, it wants to play. So let's
humor it, but keep an eye out."
"Okay," Xander nodded, and they walked down one of the paths, hand in
hand. Buffy heard the growl first, and turned to face the demon. It
was a slime demon, and it tackled her before she could react. "Hey!"
both she and Xander yelled, and Xander staked it quickly. "GROSS!"
Buffy yelled, still pinned under the now-dead demon.
Xander pulled the body off her, and helped her to her feet. "Green
looks good on you," he joked.
Buffy merely raised an eyebrow at him, then tackled him.
"Hey!" Xander yelled in protest, but her kiss silenced him. "Well, I
hope green looks good on me, too," he said.
"If I have to be slimed, you are going to share in the joy," Buffy
told him. She rolled off him and said, "I guess we'll have to change
before we can go to the Bronze."
"Unless the slime-look is in, I'd have to agree with you on that
one," Xander replied. He stood, and helped Buffy up, asking, "So are
we done now? Have we paid our Slaying-dues for the evening?"
"Yeah," Buffy agreed. "Let's go."
*********
Buffy had taken a quick shower, and changed into the black leather
skirt she knew made Xander drool. She then slipped on the new blouse
she'd bought the day before, it was red, low-cut, with a single strap
holding it up around her neck. She giggled at the next thought, *I'll
probably have to tell him to pick his jaw up off the ground.* She
heard the doorbell, and the sounds of her mom and Xander talking
happily. "Only the second boyfriend that she's ever liked, it's a
nice change, though."
She walked to the top of the stairway, and smiled at Xander's
reaction. His eyes would have popped out of his face if possible. He
recovered quickly, though, and gave her his patented Xander-
grin. "You look incredible," he said.
"You clean up pretty good yourself," she smiled. He was wearing black
pants and a black silk long-sleeved button down shirt.. She walked
downstairs, and wrapping her arms around him for a hug and a quick
kiss. "I'll be home late mom, don't wait up," she said, turning to
her mom.
"You know I will anyway," Joyce replied. "But have fun, you two. I'll
see you later, Xander."
"Bye, Joyce," Xander said, as the two walked back outside. Xander
took her hand as they walked to the Bronze.
They managed to get there without incident, and walked inside. While
they stopped to look for Oz and Willow, Xander wrapped his arms
around her waist, and pulled her back against him. She leaned her
head back, tilting her face up to see if he'd take the hint. Never
being one to protest that activity, he obliged, kissing her softly.
"Get a room," they heard the unmistakable voice of Cordelia Chase
pass by them. They looked up to see her and her Cordettes breeze by,
laughing.
"What did I see in her?" Xander wondered.
"She wasn't that bad, when she was with us," Buffy replied kindly. At
Xander's shocked expression, she said, "Hey, I'm capable of finding
something nice to say about almost anyone."
"Anyone?" Xander asked skeptically.
"I said _almost_ anyone," Buffy reminded him. "There are exceptions
out there." She looked away to scan the room for Willow and Oz
again. "There they are!" she pointed to the couple on the dance
floor. "Which would be why we couldn't find their table."
"I think they have the right idea," Xander suggested.
"I agree," Buffy said. She pulled him out onto the dance floor, and
put her arms around his neck, as he held her close, arms around her
waist. She smiled as she realized what song was playing. It was so
perfect for them.
I had a good life
Before you came
I had my friends and my freedom
I had my name
Still there was sorrow and emptiness
'Til you made me blessed
Oh and this love
I've found strength I never knew I had
And this love
Is like nothing I have ever known
Take my hand, love
I'm taking you home
Taking you home
She tugged on his head, and asked, "Now where were we when we were so
rudely interrupted?"
He smiled, and replied, "In the middle of what's quickly becoming my
favorite past-time," as he leaned down to kiss her again.
There were days, lonely days
When the world wouldn't throw me a crumb
But I kept on believin'
That this day would come
And this love
Is like nothing I have ever known
Take my hand, love
I'm taking you home
Taking you home
She looked up into his eyes, and smiled. "What?" he asked.
"Just thinking, that's how I feel about you," Buffy said.
"How's that?"
"You feel like home," she said with a smile.
"I feel the same way about you," he replied, before leaning down to
kiss her again.
I'm taking you home
Where we can be with the ones who really care
Home, where we can grow together
Keep you in my heart forever
And this love
Is like nothing I have ever known
Take my hand, love
I'm taking you home
Taking you home
***********
THE END
(Lyrics - Taking you Home - Don Henley)