Stepping into the apartment she glanced around.
"She went home," he told her, his voice muffled as he leaned into the fridge. Standing up after she left he went to the vodka bottle and poured himself a shot.
"She's sleeping." Buffy told Xander as she
came back into the living room. "I wish she hadn't found out, she said
softly as she curled into Xander's arms.
"We can't hide things from her forever Buff," he
told her. Slowly he began to run his hands up and down her arms. As he
felt her begin to relax into him, he moved his hands to her lower back
slowly and gently massaged her back. He watched as her eyes closed each
time trying to open again but the space between the closing and opening
getting longer and longer. As her eyes closed again Xander thanked the
couch gods that he was comfortable where he was because it looked like
he was sleeping there for the night. He slowly stopped his massage and
waited to see is she would wake up. When she didn't he wrapped his arms
around her waist and fell asleep.
At the Summers' house a light was on in the
kitchen. Phone books were spread over the table and single figure was talking
in whispers on the phone. Upstairs Tara slept in the bed oblivious to the
fact Willow was not with her.