Title: Tomorrow, Like Today (2/?)
Author: Jeffrey Patrick
Type: B/X... Like that's a shocker!
Setting: Right after the events of "The Replacement."
Description: Buffy stumbles across Xander's journal and puts 2 and 2 together (That's 4, people).
Disclaimer: I own nothing but a full scale model of the "Yamato" from Starblazers made from pretzels and an autographed photo of Mister Rogers in a compromising pose with David Bowie. Buffy and all related characters are owned by Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy and the WB! It's their world. I just spin it out of control.
***********************************************************************************
Xander finished sanding the display case he was building for Giles' shop. He stepped back and admired his handiwork. "Not bad, if I say so myself, G-man."
"Yes," Giles said. "Though, for what I'm paying you, I would think you would have both cabinets finished."
"You aren't paying me anything."
"Oh, yes. Good job, then."
Buffy came in, just as Xander was putting away his tools. He saw her out of the corner of his eye. "Wassup, Buff? They let you out of class early?"
"No. I didn't go. I need to talk to you."
"Shoot."
Buffy looked up at Giles. "Actually, I was hoping we could talk in private."
Xander looked at her with a puzzled look. "Sure. Um... I have to finish here, but I can swing by the dorms on the way home."
"It really can't wait," she said. She turned to Giles and gave him her best pout. "Can I borrow him for an hour, Giles?"
"I suppose," her Watcher responded. "But we open in a few days, so an hour is all I can spare."
"Cool," she said.
"I'll just leave my tools," Xander told Giles. He followed Buffy out the door and down the sidewalk. "Where are we going?" he asked.
"My place. Mom should be at work, and Dawn is at school," she said.
"Did I do something wrong?"
"No. Why?"
"You being all Mystery Girl on me."
"Sorry. I'm just..."
"Wigged. I can tell." Xander decided it best not to ask any more questions until they had some privacy. Whatever Buffy was freaked about was evidently a big deal. But for the life of him, he couldn't figure out why she only wanted to talk to him about it.
When they arrived at Buffy's, she called out for her mom and Dawn. Once she was convinced that they were alone in the house, she led Xander into the living room.
"What's going on?" Xander asked. "You've got me worried."
"I've got me worried, too," she said. Then, with no warning whatsoever, she threw her arms around him and kissed him passionately.
He was caught up in it at first, enjoying the moment. He had never known so much passion in a "first" kiss. Then, confusion set in, and he pushed her away. "What the hell is going on? Are you under a spell of some kind? Because, if so, I had nothing to do with it."
"No spell," she said, a little embarrassed.
"Then what's the what here? Last time I checked, I looked nothing like Riley." He plopped down on the couch. "Now, I think I'm gonna barf."
"Was it that bad?" she asked.
"As kisses go, it was great. It just scared the stuffing out of me."
She smiled and sat down next to him. "I'm sorry."
"What's this all about?"
"It's about me breaking a confidence."
He looked up at her. "My journal."
He caught her off guard. Her eyes grew big. "You knew?"
"I saw you stuffing it in your book bag as Anya and I walked up." He put his head in his hands.
"Why didn't you say something?"
"And have Anya asking why she never knew I kept a journal. She'd want to read it. I figured that you were tempted to read it, too, but I trusted you not to."
"Oh."
"You read it," he said, shaking his head. "I never meant for you to... know certain things."
"About your feelings? Why?"
"Because it's never mattered before," he said softly. "Not to you."
"Xander, I'm sorry. Not just for reading your journal, but for everything. For not seeing how much you care. For..."
"Freaking me out just now?"
"Yes. But not for the kiss."
He looked up at her. "So what are you thinking here? That since you read me journal you may have developed feelings for me? That I should leave Anya? That you should dump Riley?"
"No. I... Idon't know. I just thought we could see what happened."
"Test the waters?"
"Right."
"Behind their backs? No thanks. I've been down that road before. This is insane."
"I know. But... "
"No buts," he said, standing to his feet and heading for the door. "I'm gonna go, and we'll pretend this never happened."
Buffy grabbed his arm before he could turn the knob. "I don't think I can do that," she said. He turned to look at her and she kissed him again. If possible, it was even more passionate than their first.
"I'm leaving," he said between kisses. "Really, I am."
"Leave," she whispered between kisses. "Before we do something crazy."
"Right," he said, gasping for air. "But why won't my feet work?"
She kissed him hungrily and there was no longer any need for talking.
Joyce Summers arrived home a little earlier than usual. She had experienced a dizzy spell at work and thought it best not to push herself too hard. Instead, she stopped by the grocery and made her way home. Buffy would be over for dinner, and Dawn would be home from school soon. She figured she had time for a short nap before the girls arrived. She pulled into the driveway and sat there for a minute. Here head was spinning again. She dropped her keys and when she went to pick them up, she leaned against the horn. "Smooth, Joyce," she said to herself. Seconds later, as she began unlocking the door, she could have sworn she heard noises from inside the house. Her suspicions were confirmed when Buffy greeted her at the door.
"Mom, what are you doing home so early?" Buffy's eyes seemed to find everything but her mother.
"I could ask the same of you," Joyce said. "And what happened to your hair?"
Buffy felt the mess that had been her hairdo earlier in the day. "Oh, this... I was..."
"You were fighting something weren't you?" Joyce asked. "You're all out of breath too." She looked around nervously. "Was it in the house? Did you get it?"
"Not quite," Buffy said with a smile. "But he didn't put up much of a fight. I'll get him in round two."
"So long as you're okay," Joyce said. "I'm gonna take a nap. Wake me up when Dawn gets home."
"Sure," Buffy said. She waited for her mom to retreat up the stairs before opening the front door to find Xander standing there. She kissed him again, stepping outside with him.
"That was close," he said.
"Not close enough," she whispered.
"I meant the thing with your mom."
"Oh."
"So what now?"
"Move things to your place?"
"Okay, slow down. We need to think this through. We aren't the only two people to consider here."
"I know," she said, shuffling her feet.
"Let's take tonight to do some soul searching. We'll meet for lunch tomorrow and compare notes."
"Deal. Can I kiss you again?"
"Oh, yeah," he said, taking her in his arms. After another moment of passionate necking, Xander turned to go. "Our secret, right?"
"Absolutely," she said with a smile.
Unseen by either of them, Dawn watched from the bushes. She had seen Xander climbing out of Buffy's window, and found a hiding spot so she could find out what was going on. What she heard she didn't like one bit. The only question, she decided, was who to tell first.
The next day -
"Kissing? Xander and Buffy were kissing?" Willow asked.
"That's what I saw," Dawn said. "It was gross."
"Are you sure it wasn't a friendly kiss," Tara asked as she handed Dawn a soda.
"No way. There was tongue action," Dawn grumbled.
"When did this happen?" Willow questioned. "How long have they...? Why haven't they said...? What about Riley?"
"And Anya," Tara reminded.
"Who cares about Anya?" Willow and Dawn asked in unison.
"But what is Buffy doing?" Willow asked. "She's gonna wreck her relationship with Riley for Xander. I nearly lost Oz the same way. She's gonna regret this."
"In all fairness," Tara said. "It is certainly possible that Buffy and Xander could be happy together. I mean, maybe they feel like it's worth the risk. At any rate, don't you think we should talk to them about it, instead of discussing them behind their backs?"
"No," Dawn mumbled.
"Tara's right," Willow said. "I'll go talk to Buffy."
"Oh, great," Dawn said. "You blab and I end up in the hospital."
"No. I'll tell her I saw them. She won't have to know that you tattled... um, told me."
"I'll talk to Xander," Tara said. "I think he was going to be working on those cases for Giles. I'll swing by there."
"Good," Willow said. "And remember... Riley and Anya must know nothing. We'll just keep our calm and find out what's going on."
"What the hell are you thinking?" Willow asked. Buffy was sitting on a bench outside of UC Sunnydale. "Xander?"
"Calm down, Wills."
"No. There is no calm. What about Riley?"
"I've given that a lot of thought," Xander told Tara. "I've got to tell Anya. But what do I say?"
"That I really loved you, but all of a sudden I have these feeling for Xander?" Buffy asked.
"No," Willow said. "Not a good way to start."
"That's my point," Xander said. "There's nothing to say. Buffy could wake up tomorrow and be completely over me."
"You think that's possible?" Tara asked. "That it's just a fling?"
"It is so NOT a fling," Buffy explained. "I thought about him all night. Even when Riley came over..."
"I couldn't focus on her at all," Xander said. "It was all Buffy."
"And this feels different than anything I've ever felt before," the Slayer explained. "It's not that Riley isn't wonderful..."
"...because she is," Xander explained. "But she's not Buffy. God, I'm pathetic aren't I?"
"No," Willow said. "It sounds like you're in love... with Xander."
"I guess I am," Buffy said with a smile.
"I really am," Xander said.
"There where does that leave you and Riley?" Willow asked.
"Nowhere," Riley said from behind her. "Nowhere at all."
"Because I'm going to KILL you!" Anya screamed.
"Uh-oh," Tara said, trying to stand in front of Xander. "Let's just talk this out."
"No," Riley said. "I'm leaving. There's nothing else to say."
To Be Continued...
Author: Jeffrey Patrick
Type: B/X... Like that's a shocker!
Setting: Right after the events of "The Replacement."
Description: Buffy stumbles across Xander's journal and puts 2 and 2 together (That's 4, people).
Disclaimer: I own nothing but a full scale model of the "Yamato" from Starblazers made from pretzels and an autographed photo of Mister Rogers in a compromising pose with David Bowie. Buffy and all related characters are owned by Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy and the WB! It's their world. I just spin it out of control.
***********************************************************************************
Xander finished sanding the display case he was building for Giles' shop. He stepped back and admired his handiwork. "Not bad, if I say so myself, G-man."
"Yes," Giles said. "Though, for what I'm paying you, I would think you would have both cabinets finished."
"You aren't paying me anything."
"Oh, yes. Good job, then."
Buffy came in, just as Xander was putting away his tools. He saw her out of the corner of his eye. "Wassup, Buff? They let you out of class early?"
"No. I didn't go. I need to talk to you."
"Shoot."
Buffy looked up at Giles. "Actually, I was hoping we could talk in private."
Xander looked at her with a puzzled look. "Sure. Um... I have to finish here, but I can swing by the dorms on the way home."
"It really can't wait," she said. She turned to Giles and gave him her best pout. "Can I borrow him for an hour, Giles?"
"I suppose," her Watcher responded. "But we open in a few days, so an hour is all I can spare."
"Cool," she said.
"I'll just leave my tools," Xander told Giles. He followed Buffy out the door and down the sidewalk. "Where are we going?" he asked.
"My place. Mom should be at work, and Dawn is at school," she said.
"Did I do something wrong?"
"No. Why?"
"You being all Mystery Girl on me."
"Sorry. I'm just..."
"Wigged. I can tell." Xander decided it best not to ask any more questions until they had some privacy. Whatever Buffy was freaked about was evidently a big deal. But for the life of him, he couldn't figure out why she only wanted to talk to him about it.
When they arrived at Buffy's, she called out for her mom and Dawn. Once she was convinced that they were alone in the house, she led Xander into the living room.
"What's going on?" Xander asked. "You've got me worried."
"I've got me worried, too," she said. Then, with no warning whatsoever, she threw her arms around him and kissed him passionately.
He was caught up in it at first, enjoying the moment. He had never known so much passion in a "first" kiss. Then, confusion set in, and he pushed her away. "What the hell is going on? Are you under a spell of some kind? Because, if so, I had nothing to do with it."
"No spell," she said, a little embarrassed.
"Then what's the what here? Last time I checked, I looked nothing like Riley." He plopped down on the couch. "Now, I think I'm gonna barf."
"Was it that bad?" she asked.
"As kisses go, it was great. It just scared the stuffing out of me."
She smiled and sat down next to him. "I'm sorry."
"What's this all about?"
"It's about me breaking a confidence."
He looked up at her. "My journal."
He caught her off guard. Her eyes grew big. "You knew?"
"I saw you stuffing it in your book bag as Anya and I walked up." He put his head in his hands.
"Why didn't you say something?"
"And have Anya asking why she never knew I kept a journal. She'd want to read it. I figured that you were tempted to read it, too, but I trusted you not to."
"Oh."
"You read it," he said, shaking his head. "I never meant for you to... know certain things."
"About your feelings? Why?"
"Because it's never mattered before," he said softly. "Not to you."
"Xander, I'm sorry. Not just for reading your journal, but for everything. For not seeing how much you care. For..."
"Freaking me out just now?"
"Yes. But not for the kiss."
He looked up at her. "So what are you thinking here? That since you read me journal you may have developed feelings for me? That I should leave Anya? That you should dump Riley?"
"No. I... Idon't know. I just thought we could see what happened."
"Test the waters?"
"Right."
"Behind their backs? No thanks. I've been down that road before. This is insane."
"I know. But... "
"No buts," he said, standing to his feet and heading for the door. "I'm gonna go, and we'll pretend this never happened."
Buffy grabbed his arm before he could turn the knob. "I don't think I can do that," she said. He turned to look at her and she kissed him again. If possible, it was even more passionate than their first.
"I'm leaving," he said between kisses. "Really, I am."
"Leave," she whispered between kisses. "Before we do something crazy."
"Right," he said, gasping for air. "But why won't my feet work?"
She kissed him hungrily and there was no longer any need for talking.
Joyce Summers arrived home a little earlier than usual. She had experienced a dizzy spell at work and thought it best not to push herself too hard. Instead, she stopped by the grocery and made her way home. Buffy would be over for dinner, and Dawn would be home from school soon. She figured she had time for a short nap before the girls arrived. She pulled into the driveway and sat there for a minute. Here head was spinning again. She dropped her keys and when she went to pick them up, she leaned against the horn. "Smooth, Joyce," she said to herself. Seconds later, as she began unlocking the door, she could have sworn she heard noises from inside the house. Her suspicions were confirmed when Buffy greeted her at the door.
"Mom, what are you doing home so early?" Buffy's eyes seemed to find everything but her mother.
"I could ask the same of you," Joyce said. "And what happened to your hair?"
Buffy felt the mess that had been her hairdo earlier in the day. "Oh, this... I was..."
"You were fighting something weren't you?" Joyce asked. "You're all out of breath too." She looked around nervously. "Was it in the house? Did you get it?"
"Not quite," Buffy said with a smile. "But he didn't put up much of a fight. I'll get him in round two."
"So long as you're okay," Joyce said. "I'm gonna take a nap. Wake me up when Dawn gets home."
"Sure," Buffy said. She waited for her mom to retreat up the stairs before opening the front door to find Xander standing there. She kissed him again, stepping outside with him.
"That was close," he said.
"Not close enough," she whispered.
"I meant the thing with your mom."
"Oh."
"So what now?"
"Move things to your place?"
"Okay, slow down. We need to think this through. We aren't the only two people to consider here."
"I know," she said, shuffling her feet.
"Let's take tonight to do some soul searching. We'll meet for lunch tomorrow and compare notes."
"Deal. Can I kiss you again?"
"Oh, yeah," he said, taking her in his arms. After another moment of passionate necking, Xander turned to go. "Our secret, right?"
"Absolutely," she said with a smile.
Unseen by either of them, Dawn watched from the bushes. She had seen Xander climbing out of Buffy's window, and found a hiding spot so she could find out what was going on. What she heard she didn't like one bit. The only question, she decided, was who to tell first.
The next day -
"Kissing? Xander and Buffy were kissing?" Willow asked.
"That's what I saw," Dawn said. "It was gross."
"Are you sure it wasn't a friendly kiss," Tara asked as she handed Dawn a soda.
"No way. There was tongue action," Dawn grumbled.
"When did this happen?" Willow questioned. "How long have they...? Why haven't they said...? What about Riley?"
"And Anya," Tara reminded.
"Who cares about Anya?" Willow and Dawn asked in unison.
"But what is Buffy doing?" Willow asked. "She's gonna wreck her relationship with Riley for Xander. I nearly lost Oz the same way. She's gonna regret this."
"In all fairness," Tara said. "It is certainly possible that Buffy and Xander could be happy together. I mean, maybe they feel like it's worth the risk. At any rate, don't you think we should talk to them about it, instead of discussing them behind their backs?"
"No," Dawn mumbled.
"Tara's right," Willow said. "I'll go talk to Buffy."
"Oh, great," Dawn said. "You blab and I end up in the hospital."
"No. I'll tell her I saw them. She won't have to know that you tattled... um, told me."
"I'll talk to Xander," Tara said. "I think he was going to be working on those cases for Giles. I'll swing by there."
"Good," Willow said. "And remember... Riley and Anya must know nothing. We'll just keep our calm and find out what's going on."
"What the hell are you thinking?" Willow asked. Buffy was sitting on a bench outside of UC Sunnydale. "Xander?"
"Calm down, Wills."
"No. There is no calm. What about Riley?"
"I've given that a lot of thought," Xander told Tara. "I've got to tell Anya. But what do I say?"
"That I really loved you, but all of a sudden I have these feeling for Xander?" Buffy asked.
"No," Willow said. "Not a good way to start."
"That's my point," Xander said. "There's nothing to say. Buffy could wake up tomorrow and be completely over me."
"You think that's possible?" Tara asked. "That it's just a fling?"
"It is so NOT a fling," Buffy explained. "I thought about him all night. Even when Riley came over..."
"I couldn't focus on her at all," Xander said. "It was all Buffy."
"And this feels different than anything I've ever felt before," the Slayer explained. "It's not that Riley isn't wonderful..."
"...because she is," Xander explained. "But she's not Buffy. God, I'm pathetic aren't I?"
"No," Willow said. "It sounds like you're in love... with Xander."
"I guess I am," Buffy said with a smile.
"I really am," Xander said.
"There where does that leave you and Riley?" Willow asked.
"Nowhere," Riley said from behind her. "Nowhere at all."
"Because I'm going to KILL you!" Anya screamed.
"Uh-oh," Tara said, trying to stand in front of Xander. "Let's just talk this out."
"No," Riley said. "I'm leaving. There's nothing else to say."
To Be Continued...
