"Wills?" Buffy hollered in order to be heard over the hairdryer.
"Yeah?" her best friend replied.
"Are you really over Xander?"
Willow turned off the dryer and stared at her friend's reflection in the mirror. "Of course I am. I am happy with Oz. My crush on Xander died out years ago." Buffy smiled slightly, satisfied with Willow's answer. "Um Buffy?"
"Hmmm?"
"What made you ask that?" the witch asked. "You haven't worried about that in a long time. Are you and Xander having problems?"
Buffy noticed the worry in Willow's eyes. "No," she assured the redhead, recalling patrol the night before. The memory brought a smile to her face. "There's just this thing bothering me lately."
Willow watched as Buffy put the final touches on her hair. She could sense that something was bothering her. "Well..." she prodded. Getting no response, she continued, "Do you want to talk about what's really bothering you?"
"It's this dream I've been having," Buffy began. The doorbell interrupted, breaking her train of thought. "That's probably Xander," the Slayer said, quickly standing. Her hands fluttered about, smoothing her dress and hair. Suddenly nervous, Buffy turned to her best friend, "How do I look?"
Willow laughed, "You look beautiful," she assured her. "Now relax. I want details later." Willow headed out the door toward the stairs, "And we'll talk about that dream, too."
Buffy glanced at her reflection in the mirror. 'Why am I so nervous?' she wondered. "It's just Xander," she muttered to herself. Taking a deep breath, she followed the path Willow had taken moments before.
Xander's voice carried up the stairs. Buffy heard his familiar laughter and her heart began to race. "Oh god," she whispered, frozen in place halfway down the stairs.
Xander stood at the base of the stairs, laughing easily with Willow. He wore black slacks and a deep green dress shirt. The top two buttons remained unbuttoned, giving Xander a relaxed appearance. Buffy was mesmerized by his dark good looks.
Sensing Buffy's stare, Xander looked up. He stopped mid-sentence as he caught sight of his girlfriend on the staircase. Each time Xander believed he had seen Buffy at her best, she went and proved him wrong. His eyes traveled from her head to her feet, taking in every detail. Her hair was swept up in an elegant bun, accented with small, jeweled clips. The black fabric of the dress clung to her body in all the right places. She was gorgeous. She was his.
"Wow!" Xander exclaimed.
"Is that all you can say?" Buffy asked with a smile, moving down the stairs.
"No, um," Xander stuttered. "Wow!"
Willow giggled and moved toward the door, "Bye guys. I'll see you later."
"Bye, Will," Buffy called after her friend, her eyes never leaving Xander's. She reached the bottom of the steps and offered her hand to Xander. He accepted it, bowing down and kissing it in a romantic gesture. Buffy blushed, unsure of how to act with this Xander.
"You look absolutely beautiful," Xander murmured into Buffy's ear.
She smiled and pulled back, giving him a quick once-over. "You look pretty amazing yourself. Those clothes are simply mah-ve-lous, dah-ling."
Xander spun around, giving her a better look. "I aim to please. But then again, you picked them out, so how could they not? And I must say I picked the perfect dress out for you." Buffy was amazed to find out Xander had bought the dress for her. "Fair Buffy, your chariot awaits." Xander held out his arm. Buffy accepted, entwining her arm with his as they headed out the door.
Buffy came to a halt once on the porch. Sitting in the driveway was a red convertible, mint condition. She was impressed. "So, what's with the wheels?"
"Uncle Rory's mid-life crisis solution," Xander explained. "He's being generous and I'm taking full advantage of it."
Buffy moved to the passenger side and waited for Xander to open her door. Xander, however, moved to the driver's side and climbed in.
"It's not locked," Xander's voice was muffled through the car window. Buffy sighed and climbed in. Some things never change.
The drive passed quickly. Buffy was surprised once more when Xander pulled into the parking lot of a fancy Italian restaurant.
"You sure you can afford this place, Xan?" Buffy worried. The place oozed of elegance and wealth.
Xander briefly looked offended, but covered quickly with his trademark grin. "Hey! I'll have you know that I'm a working man now," he replied. "Besides, tonight is a 'no-holds-barred' situation."
" A no-holds-what?" Buffy asked.
"Nevermind," Xander quickly covered, unsure himself of what he said. "All I meant is that nothing is too good for you."
Buffy blushed as the couple entered the restaurant. Xander approached the hostess.
"Hi, we have reservations for 7 o'clock," he motioned toward the book on her counter.
"What's the name?" the hostess asked him.
"Harris," Xander replied. "Alexander Harris."
The girl skimmed the list of names. "Here you are. Party of two?" At Xander's nod, she grabbed two menus and motioned for the two to follow her. "Right this way."
"Wow, reservations," Buffy murmured in Xander's direction. He tossed her a confused look as they followed the hostess through the maze of tables. "You actually had a plan," the Slayer rushed to explain.
Xander smiled. "You have no idea." They came to a halt as they reached their table. Buffy was happy with the selection. It was a small table, slightly secluded, with a window view.
"Your server will be right over," the hostess handed the couple their menus and headed back to her station.
"I'm starving," Xander commented, opening his menu.
Buffy smiled, "Oh yeah, like that's surprising."
"What does that mean?" Xander asked.
"Well, you know that expression, 'I can eat a horse?'" Buffy asked.
"Yeah."
"I don't think a horse is big enough for you."
"But I'm a growing boy," Xander argued. Buffy's laughter could be heard throughout the room, causing other diners to turn and stare. Embarrassed, she dropped her head, struggling to contain her giggles. She didn't know why she found his argument so funny, she just did.
"Ahem," the waiter cleared his throat to get the couple's attention. "Hello, my name is Riley, and I'll be your server today." Buffy's head shot up as she stared at the familiar man beside her. It was Riley, her Riley.
"Could I get you anything to drink?" Riley asked.
"I'll have water for now," Xander replied.
"And you, miss?" Riley turned to Buffy. She sat there, shocked.
"Buffy?" Xander asked, curious about her reaction to the waiter.
"Hmmm?" Buffy replied. "Oh, I'll have water, too." She paused for a moment. "Don't I know you from somewhere?"
Riley looked at her, no recognition evident on his face. "Maybe you were in one of my classes. I'm a TA for Professor Walsh," he replied.
"She's still alive?" Buffy asked, startled.
"Yeah, she's alive," Riley looked hard at the girl, memorizing her features. He walked off to fetch their drinks.
"What was that all about?" Xander asked Buffy.
Buffy stared at Riley's retreating back. "I don't know," she lied. "He just reminds me of this commando I saw one time. And it wasn't Halloween."
"You saw him commando?" Xander asked, mouth open. "Buffy! I'm shocked!"
"What? No, I saw him dressed..." Buffy realized Xander was teasing her. She threw her napkin at him.
"Oooh, frisky!" Xander laughed.
"Here you go," the waiter said, placing the glasses of water on the table. "Are you ready to order?"
"First, I have a question," Xander replied.
Riley looked at the boy. "Ok, shoot."
"Were you ever in the military?"
"Yes, I was," Riley replied. "Why?"
"Well, Buffy here thinks of you commando," Xander said. Buffy kicked her boyfriend under the table, earning a yelp from his direction.
She smiled sweetly at Riley. "What he means to say is that you remind me of a guy I saw in the military."
"Oh."
"Well, I'm ready to order," Buffy said, changing the subject. Riley looked at her, waiting for her instructions. "I'll have the pasta con broccoli with an order or garlic bread."
"Would you care for soup with your order?"
"No thank you," Buffy looked at Xander. "You ready?"
"What kind of soups?" Xander asked.
"We have a chicken noodle, cream of broccoli, and a spicy potato and sausage." Riley recalled the day's specials.
"Ok, I'll have the spicy potato and sausage soup, an order of garlic bread, a small salad, Canneloni, and Chicken Parmigiano," Xander decided.
Riley looked at him shocked. "Is that all?"
"For now," Xander admitted, closing the menu. Riley took the menus and walked off.
"Pig," Buffy said, pretending to be disgusted.
"Yeah, but you love me," Xander replied. Buffy glared at him, but the corners of her mouth turned up in a smile, giving away her true feelings.
Their food came and dinner progressed. Buffy felt so comfortable with Xander. He had a way of making her feel good about herself, just by being there. It's easy to see why she fell in love with him. Buffy stopped with that thought. She loved Xander. She knew that she did, with all of her heart. Was that the purpose of her dream? To make her realize her true feelings for Xander?
Buffy didn't want to think about that right now. "I'm so full," she said, pushing her chair slightly back from the table.
"Hey! Gotta leave room for desert," Xander motioned at the small cake their waiter was carrying over to their table.
Buffy looked at her boyfriend, amazed at his voracious appetite. "Xander, you couldn't possibly eat any more!"
He grinned. "Oh, but I could. And so can you."
Riley placed the cake directly in front of Buffy. On top was written, "Happy Birthday, Buffy!"
Buffy looked at Xander in confusion. "My birthday isn't until next week," she reminded him.
"Yeah," Xander shrugged. "But in honor of your usual birthday disasters, I thought we'd trick it this year. Try to have a good one for once." Buffy felt tears threatening to fall. She couldn't believe he did all of this for her. Xander leaned over and handed her a knife. "Take the honors, birthday girl. Feed me."
Buffy smiled and accepted the utensil. Leaning in to cut the cake, she noticed a small cluster of restaurant employees standing in a corner, not far from their table. "They're not going to sing, are they?"
Xander followed her gaze and shrugged. "Nah, I knew I'd be in a lot of trouble if I went that far. It's just getting close to closing time." Buffy nodded her head and sliced into the dessert. She sliced into the cake a second time, but something was in the way of the knife.
"There's something in this cake," Buffy muttered, digging her fingers into the spongy texture, trying to find the culprit. She felt metal and pulled the item out. After brushing off cake crumbs, Buffy revealed a small ring. She looked at Xander, shock written all over her face.
Xander smiled. "Double chocolate with a hint of diamond," he said. "Just the way you like it."
"Does this mean?"
Xander moved over to stand in front of Buffy. Kneeling down, he popped the question. "Buffy Anne Summers, will you marry me?"
Buffy could no longer fight the tears. "Yes, I'll marry you!" She leaned forward, falling not-so-gracefully into Xander's arms. But she didn't care. Applause broke out all around them. Buffy and Xander both glanced up to find all eyes on them. A few diners stood up, applauding their good news. Buffy laughed and gave Xander a quick kiss. "Now, how about that cake?"
Buffy couldn't believe everything Xander had done for her tonight. It was going to go down in history as the best Buffy Birthday ever. Not that there was much competition in that department, but still. "Xander, where are you taking me?" Buffy reached up to touch the blindfold, but Xander grabbed her hands.
"No peeking," he instructed. "We're almost there." Buffy heard him open a door and felt his gentle touch leading her into a room. The door clicked shut and the Slayer felt Xander's hands fumble with the knot of her blindfold. The fabric fell away to reveal a beautiful apartment. The only items in the room were a stereo system and a blanket laid out on the floor. And candles. Lots and lots of candles that provided the only light.
"It's beautiful," Buffy whispered.
"It's ours," Xander replied. Buffy's gaze locked on his. "I closed on it yesterday." Buffy threw her arms around him, almost knocking him to the ground.
Xander slowly pulled away from Buffy's grasp and moved to the stereo. Turning on the CD in the player, he moved to stand with his fiancee once more. "Would you like to dance?"
"Here?"
"Where else?" Xander glanced around. He held out his hand. Buffy placed her hand in his and he pulled her into his arms. Buffy closed her eyes and listened to the music. They began to sway slightly, barely moving at all. The music filled the rooms and the words touched their hearts.
*Find me here
Speak to me
I want to feel you
I need to hear you
You are the light
That is leading me
To the place where
I find peace again
You are the strength
That keeps me walking
You are the hope
That keeps me trusting
You are the life to my soul
You are my purpose
You are everything
And how can I
Stand here with you
And not be moved by you
Would you tell me
How could it be
Any better than this
You calm the storms
You give me rest
You hold me in your hands
You won't let me fall
You still my heart
And you take my breath away
Would you take me in
Would you take me deeper now
'Cause you're all I want
You are all I need
You are everything
Everything*
The song ended and Buffy stared up at Xander. His eyes were filled with love. "That song is perfect," she said. "That's exactly how I feel about you."
"And that's how I feel about you," he replied. They leaned in and their lips met. The kiss was gentle at first, but soon gave way to the passion sizzling between them. Buffy ran her hands over Xander's arms, trying to pull him closer to him. Their tongues waged a war as hands attempted to remove clothing. Xander broke free and began to unbutton his shirt. Buffy quickly helped him, rushing to remove all barriers between them, wanting only to feel Xander, to join with him. Wanting only him.
And that night, they celebrated their love. Over and over again until neither one could muster the energy to move. Buffy curled up against Xander, her hand brushing his stomach. "Xander," she whispered.
"Yeah?"
"I love you."
"I love you, too."
Buffy smiled and closed her eyes, falling asleep in the arms of the man she loved.
"Yeah?" her best friend replied.
"Are you really over Xander?"
Willow turned off the dryer and stared at her friend's reflection in the mirror. "Of course I am. I am happy with Oz. My crush on Xander died out years ago." Buffy smiled slightly, satisfied with Willow's answer. "Um Buffy?"
"Hmmm?"
"What made you ask that?" the witch asked. "You haven't worried about that in a long time. Are you and Xander having problems?"
Buffy noticed the worry in Willow's eyes. "No," she assured the redhead, recalling patrol the night before. The memory brought a smile to her face. "There's just this thing bothering me lately."
Willow watched as Buffy put the final touches on her hair. She could sense that something was bothering her. "Well..." she prodded. Getting no response, she continued, "Do you want to talk about what's really bothering you?"
"It's this dream I've been having," Buffy began. The doorbell interrupted, breaking her train of thought. "That's probably Xander," the Slayer said, quickly standing. Her hands fluttered about, smoothing her dress and hair. Suddenly nervous, Buffy turned to her best friend, "How do I look?"
Willow laughed, "You look beautiful," she assured her. "Now relax. I want details later." Willow headed out the door toward the stairs, "And we'll talk about that dream, too."
Buffy glanced at her reflection in the mirror. 'Why am I so nervous?' she wondered. "It's just Xander," she muttered to herself. Taking a deep breath, she followed the path Willow had taken moments before.
Xander's voice carried up the stairs. Buffy heard his familiar laughter and her heart began to race. "Oh god," she whispered, frozen in place halfway down the stairs.
Xander stood at the base of the stairs, laughing easily with Willow. He wore black slacks and a deep green dress shirt. The top two buttons remained unbuttoned, giving Xander a relaxed appearance. Buffy was mesmerized by his dark good looks.
Sensing Buffy's stare, Xander looked up. He stopped mid-sentence as he caught sight of his girlfriend on the staircase. Each time Xander believed he had seen Buffy at her best, she went and proved him wrong. His eyes traveled from her head to her feet, taking in every detail. Her hair was swept up in an elegant bun, accented with small, jeweled clips. The black fabric of the dress clung to her body in all the right places. She was gorgeous. She was his.
"Wow!" Xander exclaimed.
"Is that all you can say?" Buffy asked with a smile, moving down the stairs.
"No, um," Xander stuttered. "Wow!"
Willow giggled and moved toward the door, "Bye guys. I'll see you later."
"Bye, Will," Buffy called after her friend, her eyes never leaving Xander's. She reached the bottom of the steps and offered her hand to Xander. He accepted it, bowing down and kissing it in a romantic gesture. Buffy blushed, unsure of how to act with this Xander.
"You look absolutely beautiful," Xander murmured into Buffy's ear.
She smiled and pulled back, giving him a quick once-over. "You look pretty amazing yourself. Those clothes are simply mah-ve-lous, dah-ling."
Xander spun around, giving her a better look. "I aim to please. But then again, you picked them out, so how could they not? And I must say I picked the perfect dress out for you." Buffy was amazed to find out Xander had bought the dress for her. "Fair Buffy, your chariot awaits." Xander held out his arm. Buffy accepted, entwining her arm with his as they headed out the door.
Buffy came to a halt once on the porch. Sitting in the driveway was a red convertible, mint condition. She was impressed. "So, what's with the wheels?"
"Uncle Rory's mid-life crisis solution," Xander explained. "He's being generous and I'm taking full advantage of it."
Buffy moved to the passenger side and waited for Xander to open her door. Xander, however, moved to the driver's side and climbed in.
"It's not locked," Xander's voice was muffled through the car window. Buffy sighed and climbed in. Some things never change.
The drive passed quickly. Buffy was surprised once more when Xander pulled into the parking lot of a fancy Italian restaurant.
"You sure you can afford this place, Xan?" Buffy worried. The place oozed of elegance and wealth.
Xander briefly looked offended, but covered quickly with his trademark grin. "Hey! I'll have you know that I'm a working man now," he replied. "Besides, tonight is a 'no-holds-barred' situation."
" A no-holds-what?" Buffy asked.
"Nevermind," Xander quickly covered, unsure himself of what he said. "All I meant is that nothing is too good for you."
Buffy blushed as the couple entered the restaurant. Xander approached the hostess.
"Hi, we have reservations for 7 o'clock," he motioned toward the book on her counter.
"What's the name?" the hostess asked him.
"Harris," Xander replied. "Alexander Harris."
The girl skimmed the list of names. "Here you are. Party of two?" At Xander's nod, she grabbed two menus and motioned for the two to follow her. "Right this way."
"Wow, reservations," Buffy murmured in Xander's direction. He tossed her a confused look as they followed the hostess through the maze of tables. "You actually had a plan," the Slayer rushed to explain.
Xander smiled. "You have no idea." They came to a halt as they reached their table. Buffy was happy with the selection. It was a small table, slightly secluded, with a window view.
"Your server will be right over," the hostess handed the couple their menus and headed back to her station.
"I'm starving," Xander commented, opening his menu.
Buffy smiled, "Oh yeah, like that's surprising."
"What does that mean?" Xander asked.
"Well, you know that expression, 'I can eat a horse?'" Buffy asked.
"Yeah."
"I don't think a horse is big enough for you."
"But I'm a growing boy," Xander argued. Buffy's laughter could be heard throughout the room, causing other diners to turn and stare. Embarrassed, she dropped her head, struggling to contain her giggles. She didn't know why she found his argument so funny, she just did.
"Ahem," the waiter cleared his throat to get the couple's attention. "Hello, my name is Riley, and I'll be your server today." Buffy's head shot up as she stared at the familiar man beside her. It was Riley, her Riley.
"Could I get you anything to drink?" Riley asked.
"I'll have water for now," Xander replied.
"And you, miss?" Riley turned to Buffy. She sat there, shocked.
"Buffy?" Xander asked, curious about her reaction to the waiter.
"Hmmm?" Buffy replied. "Oh, I'll have water, too." She paused for a moment. "Don't I know you from somewhere?"
Riley looked at her, no recognition evident on his face. "Maybe you were in one of my classes. I'm a TA for Professor Walsh," he replied.
"She's still alive?" Buffy asked, startled.
"Yeah, she's alive," Riley looked hard at the girl, memorizing her features. He walked off to fetch their drinks.
"What was that all about?" Xander asked Buffy.
Buffy stared at Riley's retreating back. "I don't know," she lied. "He just reminds me of this commando I saw one time. And it wasn't Halloween."
"You saw him commando?" Xander asked, mouth open. "Buffy! I'm shocked!"
"What? No, I saw him dressed..." Buffy realized Xander was teasing her. She threw her napkin at him.
"Oooh, frisky!" Xander laughed.
"Here you go," the waiter said, placing the glasses of water on the table. "Are you ready to order?"
"First, I have a question," Xander replied.
Riley looked at the boy. "Ok, shoot."
"Were you ever in the military?"
"Yes, I was," Riley replied. "Why?"
"Well, Buffy here thinks of you commando," Xander said. Buffy kicked her boyfriend under the table, earning a yelp from his direction.
She smiled sweetly at Riley. "What he means to say is that you remind me of a guy I saw in the military."
"Oh."
"Well, I'm ready to order," Buffy said, changing the subject. Riley looked at her, waiting for her instructions. "I'll have the pasta con broccoli with an order or garlic bread."
"Would you care for soup with your order?"
"No thank you," Buffy looked at Xander. "You ready?"
"What kind of soups?" Xander asked.
"We have a chicken noodle, cream of broccoli, and a spicy potato and sausage." Riley recalled the day's specials.
"Ok, I'll have the spicy potato and sausage soup, an order of garlic bread, a small salad, Canneloni, and Chicken Parmigiano," Xander decided.
Riley looked at him shocked. "Is that all?"
"For now," Xander admitted, closing the menu. Riley took the menus and walked off.
"Pig," Buffy said, pretending to be disgusted.
"Yeah, but you love me," Xander replied. Buffy glared at him, but the corners of her mouth turned up in a smile, giving away her true feelings.
Their food came and dinner progressed. Buffy felt so comfortable with Xander. He had a way of making her feel good about herself, just by being there. It's easy to see why she fell in love with him. Buffy stopped with that thought. She loved Xander. She knew that she did, with all of her heart. Was that the purpose of her dream? To make her realize her true feelings for Xander?
Buffy didn't want to think about that right now. "I'm so full," she said, pushing her chair slightly back from the table.
"Hey! Gotta leave room for desert," Xander motioned at the small cake their waiter was carrying over to their table.
Buffy looked at her boyfriend, amazed at his voracious appetite. "Xander, you couldn't possibly eat any more!"
He grinned. "Oh, but I could. And so can you."
Riley placed the cake directly in front of Buffy. On top was written, "Happy Birthday, Buffy!"
Buffy looked at Xander in confusion. "My birthday isn't until next week," she reminded him.
"Yeah," Xander shrugged. "But in honor of your usual birthday disasters, I thought we'd trick it this year. Try to have a good one for once." Buffy felt tears threatening to fall. She couldn't believe he did all of this for her. Xander leaned over and handed her a knife. "Take the honors, birthday girl. Feed me."
Buffy smiled and accepted the utensil. Leaning in to cut the cake, she noticed a small cluster of restaurant employees standing in a corner, not far from their table. "They're not going to sing, are they?"
Xander followed her gaze and shrugged. "Nah, I knew I'd be in a lot of trouble if I went that far. It's just getting close to closing time." Buffy nodded her head and sliced into the dessert. She sliced into the cake a second time, but something was in the way of the knife.
"There's something in this cake," Buffy muttered, digging her fingers into the spongy texture, trying to find the culprit. She felt metal and pulled the item out. After brushing off cake crumbs, Buffy revealed a small ring. She looked at Xander, shock written all over her face.
Xander smiled. "Double chocolate with a hint of diamond," he said. "Just the way you like it."
"Does this mean?"
Xander moved over to stand in front of Buffy. Kneeling down, he popped the question. "Buffy Anne Summers, will you marry me?"
Buffy could no longer fight the tears. "Yes, I'll marry you!" She leaned forward, falling not-so-gracefully into Xander's arms. But she didn't care. Applause broke out all around them. Buffy and Xander both glanced up to find all eyes on them. A few diners stood up, applauding their good news. Buffy laughed and gave Xander a quick kiss. "Now, how about that cake?"
Buffy couldn't believe everything Xander had done for her tonight. It was going to go down in history as the best Buffy Birthday ever. Not that there was much competition in that department, but still. "Xander, where are you taking me?" Buffy reached up to touch the blindfold, but Xander grabbed her hands.
"No peeking," he instructed. "We're almost there." Buffy heard him open a door and felt his gentle touch leading her into a room. The door clicked shut and the Slayer felt Xander's hands fumble with the knot of her blindfold. The fabric fell away to reveal a beautiful apartment. The only items in the room were a stereo system and a blanket laid out on the floor. And candles. Lots and lots of candles that provided the only light.
"It's beautiful," Buffy whispered.
"It's ours," Xander replied. Buffy's gaze locked on his. "I closed on it yesterday." Buffy threw her arms around him, almost knocking him to the ground.
Xander slowly pulled away from Buffy's grasp and moved to the stereo. Turning on the CD in the player, he moved to stand with his fiancee once more. "Would you like to dance?"
"Here?"
"Where else?" Xander glanced around. He held out his hand. Buffy placed her hand in his and he pulled her into his arms. Buffy closed her eyes and listened to the music. They began to sway slightly, barely moving at all. The music filled the rooms and the words touched their hearts.
*Find me here
Speak to me
I want to feel you
I need to hear you
You are the light
That is leading me
To the place where
I find peace again
You are the strength
That keeps me walking
You are the hope
That keeps me trusting
You are the life to my soul
You are my purpose
You are everything
And how can I
Stand here with you
And not be moved by you
Would you tell me
How could it be
Any better than this
You calm the storms
You give me rest
You hold me in your hands
You won't let me fall
You still my heart
And you take my breath away
Would you take me in
Would you take me deeper now
'Cause you're all I want
You are all I need
You are everything
Everything*
The song ended and Buffy stared up at Xander. His eyes were filled with love. "That song is perfect," she said. "That's exactly how I feel about you."
"And that's how I feel about you," he replied. They leaned in and their lips met. The kiss was gentle at first, but soon gave way to the passion sizzling between them. Buffy ran her hands over Xander's arms, trying to pull him closer to him. Their tongues waged a war as hands attempted to remove clothing. Xander broke free and began to unbutton his shirt. Buffy quickly helped him, rushing to remove all barriers between them, wanting only to feel Xander, to join with him. Wanting only him.
And that night, they celebrated their love. Over and over again until neither one could muster the energy to move. Buffy curled up against Xander, her hand brushing his stomach. "Xander," she whispered.
"Yeah?"
"I love you."
"I love you, too."
Buffy smiled and closed her eyes, falling asleep in the arms of the man she loved.