Homecoming pt. 9
Xander swallowed his anger as best he could and stepped into the bedroom. "Hey, Buffy," he smiled. "You're awake."
"Hi Xander." She patted the bed beside her. "Sit."
He sat beside her and took her hand, stroking the back of it with his thumb. "You look pretty together. I'm glad. I was kinda worried there. I missed you."
Her eyes clouded over. "I'm sorry. I haven't been there for you, and you were always there for me, through everything. You're my best friend." She squeezed his hand weakly. "I love you, you know."
"I love you back. And it wasn't your fault. You did your best." His voice dropped to a low growl. "If Spike hadn't left ..."
She pulled her hand away from his. "Don't blame Spike. It was my fault. There are things you don't know."
"I know enough." He ran his fingers down the hair at the side of her face. "You aren't really thinking of moving into that tomb with him, are you? It's crazy. I've told you, you can move in with me. I have the room."
"And I told you no. It really doesn't seem so crazy to me." She looked at him and sighed. "I know you don't want to believe it, but I love him. I'm in love with him. And the crypt is okay. I used to spend a lot of time there, when I came back, and I was comfortable there. I've been in worse tombs."
"Don't talk about that."
"About what? About being dead all summer? About waking up in a box and crawling my way out through the dirt?" There was panic on her face.
"Calm down, Buff. It's not good for you, getting upset." There were tears in his eyes. "I'm so, so sorry. We didn't know."
"And I'm not blaming you. Not any more. If I could bring Tara back, undo everything that happened with Willow, I would. I get it, now." She took his hand again. "But that's not the point. Spike and I share something, so deep. I pushed it away for a long time, and now I don't want to waste a second. Help him fix up the crypt? For me? Because I don't think he can do it himself."
"But Buffy, why the crypt? If you have to live with him, why not an apartment somewhere?" He stood up and paced beside the bed. "It's crazy. I won't do it. Please don't ask me to do it."
"We can't afford an apartment, Xander. And I want to live in the crypt. It just seems right somehow. I don't think I can explain it." She looked up at him with her big, luminous eyes. "Don't do it for him. Do it for me. I know I don't have any right to ask, but please."
"God, I don't believe I'm saying this. Okay, I'll help him. But if he gets on my nerves, I won't be responsible for any impromptu stakage."
"You'd better not. I want him in one piece," Buffy laughed. "Thank you, so much."
"It's good to hear you laugh, Buffy. Been a long time."
The door opened and Spike poked his head into the bedroom. "How's it going, love? Everything okay?"
"Great," she smiled. "Spike, can you order me some more soup? And maybe a few pieces of toast?"
"Consider it done."
"And I've talked Xander into helping you fix up the crypt. For us."
Spike broke into a wide grin. "That's my girl."
Xander swallowed his anger as best he could and stepped into the bedroom. "Hey, Buffy," he smiled. "You're awake."
"Hi Xander." She patted the bed beside her. "Sit."
He sat beside her and took her hand, stroking the back of it with his thumb. "You look pretty together. I'm glad. I was kinda worried there. I missed you."
Her eyes clouded over. "I'm sorry. I haven't been there for you, and you were always there for me, through everything. You're my best friend." She squeezed his hand weakly. "I love you, you know."
"I love you back. And it wasn't your fault. You did your best." His voice dropped to a low growl. "If Spike hadn't left ..."
She pulled her hand away from his. "Don't blame Spike. It was my fault. There are things you don't know."
"I know enough." He ran his fingers down the hair at the side of her face. "You aren't really thinking of moving into that tomb with him, are you? It's crazy. I've told you, you can move in with me. I have the room."
"And I told you no. It really doesn't seem so crazy to me." She looked at him and sighed. "I know you don't want to believe it, but I love him. I'm in love with him. And the crypt is okay. I used to spend a lot of time there, when I came back, and I was comfortable there. I've been in worse tombs."
"Don't talk about that."
"About what? About being dead all summer? About waking up in a box and crawling my way out through the dirt?" There was panic on her face.
"Calm down, Buff. It's not good for you, getting upset." There were tears in his eyes. "I'm so, so sorry. We didn't know."
"And I'm not blaming you. Not any more. If I could bring Tara back, undo everything that happened with Willow, I would. I get it, now." She took his hand again. "But that's not the point. Spike and I share something, so deep. I pushed it away for a long time, and now I don't want to waste a second. Help him fix up the crypt? For me? Because I don't think he can do it himself."
"But Buffy, why the crypt? If you have to live with him, why not an apartment somewhere?" He stood up and paced beside the bed. "It's crazy. I won't do it. Please don't ask me to do it."
"We can't afford an apartment, Xander. And I want to live in the crypt. It just seems right somehow. I don't think I can explain it." She looked up at him with her big, luminous eyes. "Don't do it for him. Do it for me. I know I don't have any right to ask, but please."
"God, I don't believe I'm saying this. Okay, I'll help him. But if he gets on my nerves, I won't be responsible for any impromptu stakage."
"You'd better not. I want him in one piece," Buffy laughed. "Thank you, so much."
"It's good to hear you laugh, Buffy. Been a long time."
The door opened and Spike poked his head into the bedroom. "How's it going, love? Everything okay?"
"Great," she smiled. "Spike, can you order me some more soup? And maybe a few pieces of toast?"
"Consider it done."
"And I've talked Xander into helping you fix up the crypt. For us."
Spike broke into a wide grin. "That's my girl."