PART III - "A kiss isn't just a kiss."
As Giles looked on in complete surprise, Buffy continued to kiss Xander deeply, slowly moving her lips over his. After rather quickly getting over his initial shock, Xander placed his hands on Buffy's waist and drew her body to him, virtually eliminating any space between them. Buffy kissed him with a mixture of love and desperation, oblivious to everything but Xander's body pressed against hers. Unfortunately, the need to breathe overcame them both, and Buffy reluctantly broke the kiss, but not before sucking seductively on Xander's lower lip.
Still in shock, Giles leaned over to Quinn and spoke in hushed tones. "I... I see what you mean about those small differences."
Quinn turned away from Xander and Buffy, the latter having buried her face into Xander's neck, and faced Giles. "You mean it isn't like that on YOUR Earth?"
Giles smiled slightly. "Not even close. On our Earth, Buffy and Xander are merely good friends, and that is as far as their relationship has gotten. I believe that is probably NOT the case on this world. But, I am quite certain that you'll have no complaint from Xander on that count."
While Giles and Quinn conversed, Xander was reveling in the feel of having just kissed Buffy Summers, and having her subsequently snuggle herself into his arms. I like this world already! Remind me to thank Quinn for letting us tag along. Xander's pleasant reverie was abruptly broken by the sound of Buffy softly sobbing. Xander pulled back a bit from her to look at her face, and was stunned to see tears streaking down her face. Xander leaned forward and gently kissed a few of the tears away as he brought his hands up to cup her face. He brushed away the rest of the tears streaming down her face gently with his thumbs. "Buffy?" Xander was overwhelmed by the intense sadness he saw as she lifted her eyes to meet his. "Buffy, it tears me apart inside to see you so sad. Please tell me why you're crying."
Buffy leaned her face against Xander's tender caress. "I thought I had lost you... I was so afraid that I'd lost you..." The sadness in Buffy's eyes was slowly replaced by a warm and loving gaze, one that he'd only seen her give to someone else on his world, but never this intense. "But, you're alive... you're alive..." As if to reassure herself, she placed a tender kiss on the side of his neck, and snuggled into his embrace once more.
Giles was at a complete loss at how to handle this situation with Buffy. Obviously, on this world she had an intense and loving relationship with Xander. The problem was that the Xander she was with right now was not who she thought he was. And since it was quite apparent that Xander was not going to voice any protest, it was up to him to be the adult. So he cleared his throat quite loudly.
Buffy slowly turned herself in Xander's arms so that her back was pressed against his chest, making sure that she remained in physical contact with him at all times. Uncertain of where he should place his hands exactly, Xander did what came naturally and wrapped his arms around her, letting his hands rest on her stomach. To his surprise, he found only bare skin. Oh GOD! Buffy's wearing one of her belly shirts... This night just keeps getting better and better. She craned her head slightly to smile her approval at him, and pecked him on the lips before covering his arms with her own.
With every second that his Xander and the Buffy of this world were together, Giles's anxiety grew. Oh dear. When it rains it pours. Several things are apparent here. One, Buffy is madly and deeply in love with Xander. Two, something terrible has happened to her Xander, which seemed to cast her into a deep despair. Three, Buffy has mistaken our Xander for the missing Xander, her Xander, without reservation. Four, I fear for her when she discovers that she has found Xander only to lose him again when the truth is revealed. Giles smiled slightly though at the couple that Xander and Buffy made, and how right it seemed for her to look at him with love in her eyes. Unfortunately, this only strengthened his resolve to take the course of action he had chosen. I hate to do this, but I feel that the longer the truth is hidden from her, the more damage it will do to her. "Buffy is your patrol for the evening done for the night?"
Buffy slowly tore her gaze from Xander and regarded Giles curiously. "Are you OK Giles? I just started my patrol. In fact, I left you in the library to begin my patrol not ten minutes ago." She slowly traced her fingernails across Xander's arm as she talked with Giles. "By the way, how DID you get here ahead of me?" She looked suspiciously at Giles, then noticed the four other people gathered around them. "And just who are these people?"
Giles sighed softly, fearing that he was in for a LONG night. "Perhaps we should retire to the library. We can sort everything out there."
As Giles looked on in complete surprise, Buffy continued to kiss Xander deeply, slowly moving her lips over his. After rather quickly getting over his initial shock, Xander placed his hands on Buffy's waist and drew her body to him, virtually eliminating any space between them. Buffy kissed him with a mixture of love and desperation, oblivious to everything but Xander's body pressed against hers. Unfortunately, the need to breathe overcame them both, and Buffy reluctantly broke the kiss, but not before sucking seductively on Xander's lower lip.
Still in shock, Giles leaned over to Quinn and spoke in hushed tones. "I... I see what you mean about those small differences."
Quinn turned away from Xander and Buffy, the latter having buried her face into Xander's neck, and faced Giles. "You mean it isn't like that on YOUR Earth?"
Giles smiled slightly. "Not even close. On our Earth, Buffy and Xander are merely good friends, and that is as far as their relationship has gotten. I believe that is probably NOT the case on this world. But, I am quite certain that you'll have no complaint from Xander on that count."
While Giles and Quinn conversed, Xander was reveling in the feel of having just kissed Buffy Summers, and having her subsequently snuggle herself into his arms. I like this world already! Remind me to thank Quinn for letting us tag along. Xander's pleasant reverie was abruptly broken by the sound of Buffy softly sobbing. Xander pulled back a bit from her to look at her face, and was stunned to see tears streaking down her face. Xander leaned forward and gently kissed a few of the tears away as he brought his hands up to cup her face. He brushed away the rest of the tears streaming down her face gently with his thumbs. "Buffy?" Xander was overwhelmed by the intense sadness he saw as she lifted her eyes to meet his. "Buffy, it tears me apart inside to see you so sad. Please tell me why you're crying."
Buffy leaned her face against Xander's tender caress. "I thought I had lost you... I was so afraid that I'd lost you..." The sadness in Buffy's eyes was slowly replaced by a warm and loving gaze, one that he'd only seen her give to someone else on his world, but never this intense. "But, you're alive... you're alive..." As if to reassure herself, she placed a tender kiss on the side of his neck, and snuggled into his embrace once more.
Giles was at a complete loss at how to handle this situation with Buffy. Obviously, on this world she had an intense and loving relationship with Xander. The problem was that the Xander she was with right now was not who she thought he was. And since it was quite apparent that Xander was not going to voice any protest, it was up to him to be the adult. So he cleared his throat quite loudly.
Buffy slowly turned herself in Xander's arms so that her back was pressed against his chest, making sure that she remained in physical contact with him at all times. Uncertain of where he should place his hands exactly, Xander did what came naturally and wrapped his arms around her, letting his hands rest on her stomach. To his surprise, he found only bare skin. Oh GOD! Buffy's wearing one of her belly shirts... This night just keeps getting better and better. She craned her head slightly to smile her approval at him, and pecked him on the lips before covering his arms with her own.
With every second that his Xander and the Buffy of this world were together, Giles's anxiety grew. Oh dear. When it rains it pours. Several things are apparent here. One, Buffy is madly and deeply in love with Xander. Two, something terrible has happened to her Xander, which seemed to cast her into a deep despair. Three, Buffy has mistaken our Xander for the missing Xander, her Xander, without reservation. Four, I fear for her when she discovers that she has found Xander only to lose him again when the truth is revealed. Giles smiled slightly though at the couple that Xander and Buffy made, and how right it seemed for her to look at him with love in her eyes. Unfortunately, this only strengthened his resolve to take the course of action he had chosen. I hate to do this, but I feel that the longer the truth is hidden from her, the more damage it will do to her. "Buffy is your patrol for the evening done for the night?"
Buffy slowly tore her gaze from Xander and regarded Giles curiously. "Are you OK Giles? I just started my patrol. In fact, I left you in the library to begin my patrol not ten minutes ago." She slowly traced her fingernails across Xander's arm as she talked with Giles. "By the way, how DID you get here ahead of me?" She looked suspiciously at Giles, then noticed the four other people gathered around them. "And just who are these people?"
Giles sighed softly, fearing that he was in for a LONG night. "Perhaps we should retire to the library. We can sort everything out there."