PART VIII - "Confession is good for the soul."
As Xander looked into Buffy's eyes he noticed the still flowing tears, and the terrible pain and anguish which Buffy couldn't hide even if she tried. "So, how long have you and me... Um, you and your Xander been together?"
Buffy looked up at Xander, her beautiful green eyes tinged with confusion. "Don't you know? I mean, Quinn said our worlds were very similar, didn't he? And that would mean you and I are together there, right?"
Xander shifted his eyes away from hers, his shoulders sagging slightly, but enough that Buffy noticed the motion. "Um, I was just checking. You know, to see how similar our worlds are and all." Xander hoped that he had shifted his eyes soon enough that Buffy hadn't seen the hurt and longing that her statement caused. How could she know that time and again, on MY world, that she'd picked the undead over me. And that I long to know how it could have been... "So had you two been together long?"
Buffy hadn't missed a thing, she noticed the pain in Xander's eyes, but was unaware of its source. She vowed to find out what could have caused her When did I start thinking of this Xander as 'mine'? Xander such heartache. But, as she considered Xander's question, she got a wistful, happy look on her face. "Yeah... Yeah, we had. We'd been together a little over two years now."
Xander had to fight back the tears as he heard her words. Two years? But that would mean... Sweet Fancy Moses... we've... they've been together the whole time she's been in high school. "So... Um, how did you two start dating?"
Buffy looked at Xander softly, wondering where he was going with this. "Well, we met on my first day of school, in fact, you were the first one of the Slayerettes to find out that I was the Slayer." She smiled as she remembered his first words to her. "I remember the first words you ever said to me..."
Xander smiled lovingly into her eyes. "Can I have you?"
Buffy found herself falling into Xander's deep brown eyes. "Yes... Uh! I mean, exactly. Those words imprinted themselves on the back of my mind. Every time I saw you, those words popped into my head. Eventually, I started to answer you in my head."
Xander moved his swing a bit closer to hers, letting his foot gently brush up against her ankle. "And just how did you answer me, Ms. Summers?"
Buffy felt her neck flush with heat as she felt his foot touch her. "Every time the answer was the same. Every time I answered 'Yes'."
Xander felt a little bold, hoping that his personal Buffy curse didn't travel across worlds. He moved his head closer to hers, his warm breath cascading over her cheeks. "And what is that answer right now?"
Buffy felt a fire rekindle inside her that she thought was forever extinguished. In response to Xander's question, she inched her lips ever nearer to his. Just as she was about to whisper her answer against Xander's lips, she sensed a presence behind them. She pulled back gently and addressed their visitor. "What do you want Angel?"
As Xander looked into Buffy's eyes he noticed the still flowing tears, and the terrible pain and anguish which Buffy couldn't hide even if she tried. "So, how long have you and me... Um, you and your Xander been together?"
Buffy looked up at Xander, her beautiful green eyes tinged with confusion. "Don't you know? I mean, Quinn said our worlds were very similar, didn't he? And that would mean you and I are together there, right?"
Xander shifted his eyes away from hers, his shoulders sagging slightly, but enough that Buffy noticed the motion. "Um, I was just checking. You know, to see how similar our worlds are and all." Xander hoped that he had shifted his eyes soon enough that Buffy hadn't seen the hurt and longing that her statement caused. How could she know that time and again, on MY world, that she'd picked the undead over me. And that I long to know how it could have been... "So had you two been together long?"
Buffy hadn't missed a thing, she noticed the pain in Xander's eyes, but was unaware of its source. She vowed to find out what could have caused her When did I start thinking of this Xander as 'mine'? Xander such heartache. But, as she considered Xander's question, she got a wistful, happy look on her face. "Yeah... Yeah, we had. We'd been together a little over two years now."
Xander had to fight back the tears as he heard her words. Two years? But that would mean... Sweet Fancy Moses... we've... they've been together the whole time she's been in high school. "So... Um, how did you two start dating?"
Buffy looked at Xander softly, wondering where he was going with this. "Well, we met on my first day of school, in fact, you were the first one of the Slayerettes to find out that I was the Slayer." She smiled as she remembered his first words to her. "I remember the first words you ever said to me..."
Xander smiled lovingly into her eyes. "Can I have you?"
Buffy found herself falling into Xander's deep brown eyes. "Yes... Uh! I mean, exactly. Those words imprinted themselves on the back of my mind. Every time I saw you, those words popped into my head. Eventually, I started to answer you in my head."
Xander moved his swing a bit closer to hers, letting his foot gently brush up against her ankle. "And just how did you answer me, Ms. Summers?"
Buffy felt her neck flush with heat as she felt his foot touch her. "Every time the answer was the same. Every time I answered 'Yes'."
Xander felt a little bold, hoping that his personal Buffy curse didn't travel across worlds. He moved his head closer to hers, his warm breath cascading over her cheeks. "And what is that answer right now?"
Buffy felt a fire rekindle inside her that she thought was forever extinguished. In response to Xander's question, she inched her lips ever nearer to his. Just as she was about to whisper her answer against Xander's lips, she sensed a presence behind them. She pulled back gently and addressed their visitor. "What do you want Angel?"