The Long Summer 27
Xander whistled to himself as he strolled up the steps toward his apartment. Friday's are the best day of the week. The site work was better than on schedule, it was ahead of schedule, finally. He was guaranteed a bonus and since they were ahead, he had the whole weekend to himself. A whole weekend to sit back and enjoy. The whistle halted when he saw the slight figure sitting in front of his door. He lifted both of his brows in surprise.
"Little late for you to be running around, isn't it Dawn?" He crooked a grin as he shuffled his keys to the appropriate one.
"Well, I figured if you wouldn't come for dinner, I'd bring dinner to you."
"Uh huh." Xander slanted a look at her. "Dawn, don't you have any friends your own age?"
She blinked hard at the comment. He knew it probably caught her off guard, but he wasn't much in the way of caring at the moment. "I just wanted to visit. You've been like real big with the scarce lately."
"No, I've been real big with the not hanging out at Buffy's. Look - " Xander pushed the door open and leaned against the door jamb. "I'm not trying to be rude here, Dawnie. But Buffy was my friend, you are her kid sister. I like you well enough and all, but it's really not good you coming around and hanging out."
Dawn blinked again. "Xander why are you being so mean?"
"Actually, I thought I was being polite about telling you to butt out, get lost and find someone your own age. The words jail bait mean anything to you?" He toned the words for harsh, but cold slipped in without any provocation. The words scored as the hurt in her expression attested "That's hurtful."
She sighed and dropped a brown paper bag onto the ground. "It's Chinese." She said, lower lip trembling. "One of your favorites. "
He watched dispassionately as she darted down the stairs and then glanced at the bag of food. He should feel like a heel. He should feel like an ass.
But what he really felt like - - -
A soft chuckle interrupted the thought and he looked down the hallway to see Drusilla drifting towards him. Her dark hair spilled over her shoulders like a silken waterfall of blackness. The corners of his mouth lifted from their grimace. He shook a finger at her admonishingly.
"Are you spying on me?"
She laughed throatily. "No, I was just taking Miss Edith out for a walk and I saw the little sister coming to visit. We were curious so we watched. It was very entertaining."
Xander shook his head and tapped Drusilla lightly on the nose. "Well go on and take her for her walk."
"You're not going to come and play."
"Not tonight, beautiful." He smiled and let himself indulge in another kiss. She was very pliant to the idea. "I've got some plans to make. We'll play another night."
Her laughter tickled his lips as she peppered his jaw with kisses then playfully snapped at his nose. "Promise?"
"Cross my heart." Xander drew an appropriate X over his chest. Her hand followed his motion and he felt her fingers press into the shirt where his heart beat beneath. "Hope to die." He whispered.
"Tease." She laughed and kissed him again. It was intoxicating, these stolen little moments, she was all soft and desirable and every bit as deadly as ever. Then just like that, she danced down the hallway and left him to stare after her.
He smiled and stepped over the brown bag into his apartment. He shoved the door closed with his shoulder and flipped through the mail. He saw the par avion stamp and felt his grin grow exponentially.
Tearing open the envelope, he couldn't believe his luck.
Willow was coming home.
Yes!
A knock at the door interrupted his euphoria and he shook his head in mild exasperation. "Dru," he chided as he pulled the door open. "I told you I can't come out and play -" The words paused as he saw who was standing in the doorway.
"You know mate, you have a real problem." Spike said.
Xander whistled to himself as he strolled up the steps toward his apartment. Friday's are the best day of the week. The site work was better than on schedule, it was ahead of schedule, finally. He was guaranteed a bonus and since they were ahead, he had the whole weekend to himself. A whole weekend to sit back and enjoy. The whistle halted when he saw the slight figure sitting in front of his door. He lifted both of his brows in surprise.
"Little late for you to be running around, isn't it Dawn?" He crooked a grin as he shuffled his keys to the appropriate one.
"Well, I figured if you wouldn't come for dinner, I'd bring dinner to you."
"Uh huh." Xander slanted a look at her. "Dawn, don't you have any friends your own age?"
She blinked hard at the comment. He knew it probably caught her off guard, but he wasn't much in the way of caring at the moment. "I just wanted to visit. You've been like real big with the scarce lately."
"No, I've been real big with the not hanging out at Buffy's. Look - " Xander pushed the door open and leaned against the door jamb. "I'm not trying to be rude here, Dawnie. But Buffy was my friend, you are her kid sister. I like you well enough and all, but it's really not good you coming around and hanging out."
Dawn blinked again. "Xander why are you being so mean?"
"Actually, I thought I was being polite about telling you to butt out, get lost and find someone your own age. The words jail bait mean anything to you?" He toned the words for harsh, but cold slipped in without any provocation. The words scored as the hurt in her expression attested "That's hurtful."
She sighed and dropped a brown paper bag onto the ground. "It's Chinese." She said, lower lip trembling. "One of your favorites. "
He watched dispassionately as she darted down the stairs and then glanced at the bag of food. He should feel like a heel. He should feel like an ass.
But what he really felt like - - -
A soft chuckle interrupted the thought and he looked down the hallway to see Drusilla drifting towards him. Her dark hair spilled over her shoulders like a silken waterfall of blackness. The corners of his mouth lifted from their grimace. He shook a finger at her admonishingly.
"Are you spying on me?"
She laughed throatily. "No, I was just taking Miss Edith out for a walk and I saw the little sister coming to visit. We were curious so we watched. It was very entertaining."
Xander shook his head and tapped Drusilla lightly on the nose. "Well go on and take her for her walk."
"You're not going to come and play."
"Not tonight, beautiful." He smiled and let himself indulge in another kiss. She was very pliant to the idea. "I've got some plans to make. We'll play another night."
Her laughter tickled his lips as she peppered his jaw with kisses then playfully snapped at his nose. "Promise?"
"Cross my heart." Xander drew an appropriate X over his chest. Her hand followed his motion and he felt her fingers press into the shirt where his heart beat beneath. "Hope to die." He whispered.
"Tease." She laughed and kissed him again. It was intoxicating, these stolen little moments, she was all soft and desirable and every bit as deadly as ever. Then just like that, she danced down the hallway and left him to stare after her.
He smiled and stepped over the brown bag into his apartment. He shoved the door closed with his shoulder and flipped through the mail. He saw the par avion stamp and felt his grin grow exponentially.
Tearing open the envelope, he couldn't believe his luck.
Willow was coming home.
Yes!
A knock at the door interrupted his euphoria and he shook his head in mild exasperation. "Dru," he chided as he pulled the door open. "I told you I can't come out and play -" The words paused as he saw who was standing in the doorway.
"You know mate, you have a real problem." Spike said.