Q & A #47
The buffet style dinner over, the guests mingled in the living room, balancing cake plates and chatting. Giles carried on a spirited conversation with Clem, Buffy and Cordelia discussed the state of the Sunnydale mall, Angel and Spike compared soul notes, and Anya held Nigel on the couch, while Dawn and Meredith, sitting on either side of her, took turns tickling his tummy. There was a general air of festivity, happiness for the wedding and the reunion it brought.
Willow and Xander stood in the hallway. Willow held the white rose nosegay Buffy had given her, in lieu of throwing it. "Thank you for looking out for my little girl," Buffy had whispered, as she kissed Willow's cheek. The red haired witch twisted the ribboned handle in her fingers.
"You look great, Will," Xander smiled. "Beautiful."
"Thanks." His friend looked up at him. "You don't look half bad yourself."
"Buffy told me. About Meredith. That's just ... wow. So weird. And you've been looking out for her. Actually, it explains a lot. About things she said."
Willow bit her lip and frowned. "I should have told them, a long time ago. I thought I was doing the right thing, but it wasn't my place. I just worried so much about her. She's a great kid." Her brow furrowed. "What things she said?"
"Oh, you know," he tried to brush his comment off. "Stuff." He leaned back against the wall, crossing his arms. Tried to look nonchalent. "So, you seeing anybody new?"
"Nope." She looked down at the roses. "I've dated a bit. You know. But nobody special. No one since Tara ...." He grasped her shoulder, and she looked up at him. "I'm okay. It was a long time ago. How about you?"
"Me? Ol' 'Love Em and Leave 'Em Harris'?" He sighed. "Nada. But I'm okay too. I have work. I have my friends." His eyes searched her face. "Good friends." He sucked in a breath. "We should go back in the living room." They turned, almost tripping over the little girl who had been staring up at them.
"You guys are silly. Uncle Xander wants you to kiss him. Auntie Willow wants you to kiss her. Why don't you just kiss? Mommy and Daddy do it all the time."
Xander knelt down beside her. "Listen, kid. You are one nosey little Parker. Why don't you go give your mom a hug? And your dad, for that matter. He's always up for it."
"And one for you." Meredith threw her little arms around Xander's neck, then ran back into the living room.
He stood up and turned back to Willow. "Kids. Say the darndest things. Want some punch?"
But Willow was staring at him intently. "What she said. About what you want."
Xander was flustered. "Look, Willow. She's just a kid. And I know you aren't interested in me that way. I mean, hey, 'gay now', right? I got that a long time ago." He started to head back towards the others, but her hand on his arm stopped him.
"I've thought a lot, Xander. About who I am. I loved Tara. Loved her more than I ever had anyone. And I made certain assumptions about myself." She took his hand in his. "But the older I get, the more I realize. I just love who I love. Next time might be a Fyarl demon. Who knows?"
"Next time?" Xander squeezed her fingers holding his, and looked down into her eyes. "What about this time?" She bent her head up, as he leaned down. The kiss was sweet.
"That's what I mean," a little voice said in triumph.
In the living room, the telephone rang. Buffy picked it up. "Hello?" Her eyes opened wide. "Ah, hi Riley."
The buffet style dinner over, the guests mingled in the living room, balancing cake plates and chatting. Giles carried on a spirited conversation with Clem, Buffy and Cordelia discussed the state of the Sunnydale mall, Angel and Spike compared soul notes, and Anya held Nigel on the couch, while Dawn and Meredith, sitting on either side of her, took turns tickling his tummy. There was a general air of festivity, happiness for the wedding and the reunion it brought.
Willow and Xander stood in the hallway. Willow held the white rose nosegay Buffy had given her, in lieu of throwing it. "Thank you for looking out for my little girl," Buffy had whispered, as she kissed Willow's cheek. The red haired witch twisted the ribboned handle in her fingers.
"You look great, Will," Xander smiled. "Beautiful."
"Thanks." His friend looked up at him. "You don't look half bad yourself."
"Buffy told me. About Meredith. That's just ... wow. So weird. And you've been looking out for her. Actually, it explains a lot. About things she said."
Willow bit her lip and frowned. "I should have told them, a long time ago. I thought I was doing the right thing, but it wasn't my place. I just worried so much about her. She's a great kid." Her brow furrowed. "What things she said?"
"Oh, you know," he tried to brush his comment off. "Stuff." He leaned back against the wall, crossing his arms. Tried to look nonchalent. "So, you seeing anybody new?"
"Nope." She looked down at the roses. "I've dated a bit. You know. But nobody special. No one since Tara ...." He grasped her shoulder, and she looked up at him. "I'm okay. It was a long time ago. How about you?"
"Me? Ol' 'Love Em and Leave 'Em Harris'?" He sighed. "Nada. But I'm okay too. I have work. I have my friends." His eyes searched her face. "Good friends." He sucked in a breath. "We should go back in the living room." They turned, almost tripping over the little girl who had been staring up at them.
"You guys are silly. Uncle Xander wants you to kiss him. Auntie Willow wants you to kiss her. Why don't you just kiss? Mommy and Daddy do it all the time."
Xander knelt down beside her. "Listen, kid. You are one nosey little Parker. Why don't you go give your mom a hug? And your dad, for that matter. He's always up for it."
"And one for you." Meredith threw her little arms around Xander's neck, then ran back into the living room.
He stood up and turned back to Willow. "Kids. Say the darndest things. Want some punch?"
But Willow was staring at him intently. "What she said. About what you want."
Xander was flustered. "Look, Willow. She's just a kid. And I know you aren't interested in me that way. I mean, hey, 'gay now', right? I got that a long time ago." He started to head back towards the others, but her hand on his arm stopped him.
"I've thought a lot, Xander. About who I am. I loved Tara. Loved her more than I ever had anyone. And I made certain assumptions about myself." She took his hand in his. "But the older I get, the more I realize. I just love who I love. Next time might be a Fyarl demon. Who knows?"
"Next time?" Xander squeezed her fingers holding his, and looked down into her eyes. "What about this time?" She bent her head up, as he leaned down. The kiss was sweet.
"That's what I mean," a little voice said in triumph.
In the living room, the telephone rang. Buffy picked it up. "Hello?" Her eyes opened wide. "Ah, hi Riley."