Special Occasions
"For the last time, Willow, we are not dating," Buffy explained patiently while wiping the last of her lunch from the corner of her mouth. "You were there when we broke up. You know that. Honestly, we're just friends."
It had been a bit more than a year ago, just after they'd finally defeated the First Evil. Even all this time later, Buffy still found it hard to comprehend that Spike had betrayed them. He'd allowed Glory to beat him up and stayed silent; he'd been tortured by the Bringers and held on - but when the end appeared to be in sight for the White Hats, he snapped, and turned against them. "Just wanted to be on the winnin' side for once," he'd explained, unapologetically, just before Xander staked him. "I wasn't gonna let her kill you, Buffy - just the rest of 'em."
The joke was on him - his dust, anyway. They'd won. Well, sort of. They hadn't exactly destroyed the First Evil, but they'd managed to banish it to a place where it wouldn't do anymore damage to humanity for a long, long time.
But, Buffy thought for what had to be the millionth time since that day, he had his soul. How could he do that with his soul? In answer to her when she'd spoken that question out loud, Xander had turned on the national evening news. "See," he'd pointed out as each story of terrorism, rape or murder played out, "they have souls, too. Not a guarantee of good-guy-ness, Buff." But he said he loved me, she thought, never speaking that thought out loud. She didn't want to hear a good reason Spike could do what he did in spite of that.
Buffy had been a bit devastated by it all. She needed someone to take care of her for a while, and Xander was free and more than willing to do the job. They began dating, and for a while, it seemed to be working. But after a while she grew strident and jealous. He became sullen and uncooperative. One night in the Summers' living room, it came to a head, and they ended it, amidst much yelling and screaming. He'd almost broken the door off the hinges, slamming it on his way out.
They didn't speak to each other, except through intermediaries, for three full weeks. But two people who'd relied on each other, been friends and then more, for as long as they had couldn't just toss all their history out like dirty bath water. So gradually, they became friends again.
"Friends who sleep together?"
Willow's question pulled Buffy from her memories with a start. When did they get in the car and start driving back to the High School, anyway? Good thing Willow was at the wheel, Buffy thought guiltily.
Willow's classes this semester were all in the afternoon, so she'd called the school and asked Buffy if she wanted to get lunch with her. She hadn't known it would be all about her relationship with Xander, or she might not have agreed. Not that there was anything wrong with her relationship with Xander, mind you. It was just that Willow could be so pushy sometimes.
"We don't sleep together - much. Only on special occasions."
Willow gave a very unladylike snort.
The undeclared truce was still kind of new when Dawn had been in a car accident with Kit. It was minor, but coming on the heels of everything she'd been through, it threw Buffy for a loop. She called Xander after she hung up with the hospital administrator, and he'd rushed over, taken her to the hospital, and handled all the paperwork for her. He'd held her hand, and given a stern father-like lecture to both Dawn and Kit about watching out for the other guy while driving. Kit's usually distant parents had actually shown up at the Emergency Room ("more than mine ever did," Xander had muttered in Buffy's ear) and taken their daughter and her car home. Xander took the Summers girls back to Revello Drive.
"Don't go," Buffy had begged him after Dawn had stumbled up to bed, all but passed out from the pain medication. "I. need you tonight. Please?" So he'd stayed, and made sweet love to her before they fell asleep in each other's arms. And in the morning, he'd gotten up, like he used to when they were dating, and made pancakes for all of them, even Willow and Kennedy, who'd come in after they did and needed the whole explanation before eating.
Dawn had been all hopeful that they were getting back together, but both Buffy and Xander had explained to her that this was just a special occasion. A fluke, Buffy'd said, though both Xander and Willow winced at the use of that word. It wasn't going to happen again.
But Anya had certainly been right about Xander's abilities in bed. It was hard to give up that kind of fun, when you'd gotten pretty used to it on a regular basis.
"Ahem, earth to Buffy? Hellloooo?"
Ooops. Willow - conversation.
"So where were you last night? You never came home, and I didn't think there was anything special going on."
"Oh, but there was! He got a raise, and we were celebrating. Oh, look, we're back. Gotta get back to work now." Buffy practically threw herself out of the car door.
"I'll walk you in." Persistence, thy name is Willow. Undeterred, the witch pressed on. "And the night before?"
"Oh, you know about that. Fang ran away. It was tragic."
Buffy had given Xander the little brown ball of fur for his birthday. He'd pulled it out of the box, and it immediately bit him on the thumb. His calluses were thick and the little sharp teeth barely penetrated, but he'd made a big fuss and Buffy ended up nursing him tenderly - all night. He'd named the kitten Fang.
"Buffy, the cat was in the foyer of his apartment building. You found her in fifteen minutes."
The Slayer smiled brightly. "Hence the celebration! Tragedy averted."
They waited outside the door to the office as the student aid from the previous hour emerged. "Hey, Ms. Summers," he greeted her.
"Hey, Norman."
The boy paused, blocking the door. "By the way, your boyfriend's here." Willow observed; Buffy didn't blink, wince or even frown. In fact, she was grinning again as she entered the door the boy was holding open for her.
"Xander!"
He scooped the petite blonde up in his arms in a crushing bear hug. "Buff!" His expression was blissful. "Willow!" he cried, noticing the redhead finally. "I didn't expect to see you, too. Great!" He held out the arm that wasn't still around Buffy, and pulled the witch to his chest in an awkward half-hug, letting go quickly. She noticed neither Buffy nor Xander had moved away from the other a fraction. "This saves me a trip. I wanted to know if you guys, which means everybody, Kennedy and Dawnie included, wanted to come over for dinner tonight. I'm making my super-duper vampire- killing extra garlic spaghetti."
"You're cooking dinner?" Buffy squealed. "This is a special occasion."
Willow just rolled her eyes.
"For the last time, Willow, we are not dating," Buffy explained patiently while wiping the last of her lunch from the corner of her mouth. "You were there when we broke up. You know that. Honestly, we're just friends."
It had been a bit more than a year ago, just after they'd finally defeated the First Evil. Even all this time later, Buffy still found it hard to comprehend that Spike had betrayed them. He'd allowed Glory to beat him up and stayed silent; he'd been tortured by the Bringers and held on - but when the end appeared to be in sight for the White Hats, he snapped, and turned against them. "Just wanted to be on the winnin' side for once," he'd explained, unapologetically, just before Xander staked him. "I wasn't gonna let her kill you, Buffy - just the rest of 'em."
The joke was on him - his dust, anyway. They'd won. Well, sort of. They hadn't exactly destroyed the First Evil, but they'd managed to banish it to a place where it wouldn't do anymore damage to humanity for a long, long time.
But, Buffy thought for what had to be the millionth time since that day, he had his soul. How could he do that with his soul? In answer to her when she'd spoken that question out loud, Xander had turned on the national evening news. "See," he'd pointed out as each story of terrorism, rape or murder played out, "they have souls, too. Not a guarantee of good-guy-ness, Buff." But he said he loved me, she thought, never speaking that thought out loud. She didn't want to hear a good reason Spike could do what he did in spite of that.
Buffy had been a bit devastated by it all. She needed someone to take care of her for a while, and Xander was free and more than willing to do the job. They began dating, and for a while, it seemed to be working. But after a while she grew strident and jealous. He became sullen and uncooperative. One night in the Summers' living room, it came to a head, and they ended it, amidst much yelling and screaming. He'd almost broken the door off the hinges, slamming it on his way out.
They didn't speak to each other, except through intermediaries, for three full weeks. But two people who'd relied on each other, been friends and then more, for as long as they had couldn't just toss all their history out like dirty bath water. So gradually, they became friends again.
"Friends who sleep together?"
Willow's question pulled Buffy from her memories with a start. When did they get in the car and start driving back to the High School, anyway? Good thing Willow was at the wheel, Buffy thought guiltily.
Willow's classes this semester were all in the afternoon, so she'd called the school and asked Buffy if she wanted to get lunch with her. She hadn't known it would be all about her relationship with Xander, or she might not have agreed. Not that there was anything wrong with her relationship with Xander, mind you. It was just that Willow could be so pushy sometimes.
"We don't sleep together - much. Only on special occasions."
Willow gave a very unladylike snort.
The undeclared truce was still kind of new when Dawn had been in a car accident with Kit. It was minor, but coming on the heels of everything she'd been through, it threw Buffy for a loop. She called Xander after she hung up with the hospital administrator, and he'd rushed over, taken her to the hospital, and handled all the paperwork for her. He'd held her hand, and given a stern father-like lecture to both Dawn and Kit about watching out for the other guy while driving. Kit's usually distant parents had actually shown up at the Emergency Room ("more than mine ever did," Xander had muttered in Buffy's ear) and taken their daughter and her car home. Xander took the Summers girls back to Revello Drive.
"Don't go," Buffy had begged him after Dawn had stumbled up to bed, all but passed out from the pain medication. "I. need you tonight. Please?" So he'd stayed, and made sweet love to her before they fell asleep in each other's arms. And in the morning, he'd gotten up, like he used to when they were dating, and made pancakes for all of them, even Willow and Kennedy, who'd come in after they did and needed the whole explanation before eating.
Dawn had been all hopeful that they were getting back together, but both Buffy and Xander had explained to her that this was just a special occasion. A fluke, Buffy'd said, though both Xander and Willow winced at the use of that word. It wasn't going to happen again.
But Anya had certainly been right about Xander's abilities in bed. It was hard to give up that kind of fun, when you'd gotten pretty used to it on a regular basis.
"Ahem, earth to Buffy? Hellloooo?"
Ooops. Willow - conversation.
"So where were you last night? You never came home, and I didn't think there was anything special going on."
"Oh, but there was! He got a raise, and we were celebrating. Oh, look, we're back. Gotta get back to work now." Buffy practically threw herself out of the car door.
"I'll walk you in." Persistence, thy name is Willow. Undeterred, the witch pressed on. "And the night before?"
"Oh, you know about that. Fang ran away. It was tragic."
Buffy had given Xander the little brown ball of fur for his birthday. He'd pulled it out of the box, and it immediately bit him on the thumb. His calluses were thick and the little sharp teeth barely penetrated, but he'd made a big fuss and Buffy ended up nursing him tenderly - all night. He'd named the kitten Fang.
"Buffy, the cat was in the foyer of his apartment building. You found her in fifteen minutes."
The Slayer smiled brightly. "Hence the celebration! Tragedy averted."
They waited outside the door to the office as the student aid from the previous hour emerged. "Hey, Ms. Summers," he greeted her.
"Hey, Norman."
The boy paused, blocking the door. "By the way, your boyfriend's here." Willow observed; Buffy didn't blink, wince or even frown. In fact, she was grinning again as she entered the door the boy was holding open for her.
"Xander!"
He scooped the petite blonde up in his arms in a crushing bear hug. "Buff!" His expression was blissful. "Willow!" he cried, noticing the redhead finally. "I didn't expect to see you, too. Great!" He held out the arm that wasn't still around Buffy, and pulled the witch to his chest in an awkward half-hug, letting go quickly. She noticed neither Buffy nor Xander had moved away from the other a fraction. "This saves me a trip. I wanted to know if you guys, which means everybody, Kennedy and Dawnie included, wanted to come over for dinner tonight. I'm making my super-duper vampire- killing extra garlic spaghetti."
"You're cooking dinner?" Buffy squealed. "This is a special occasion."
Willow just rolled her eyes.