Allergic to Prawns

Sequel to: 'Don't Call Me Baby', 'Gorgeous-i-ness', 'Lucky Star'
Series: Pure Fluff
Summary: Buffy and Xander come to terms with their new warm and fuzzy feelings towards each other. (Takes place the morning after 'Lucky Star')
Rating: PG13 (Some sexual innuendo)
Disclaimer: All BtVS characters mentioned belong to Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy et al. Lyrics taken from 'Lucky Star' by Madonna.
Spoilers: None,
Author's Notes: British spelling. //'s indicate thoughts, *'s indicate word emphasis and ((_)) indicate lyrics. Some Riley bashing.

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The sound of doors slamming from the floors above his head woke Xander from his peaceful slumber. He rolled over on his bed onto his stomach and, ignoring the morning sunlight that still managed to get through the grimy basement window, Xander buried his face in the pillow and groaned.

How dare his parents wake him from his dream? Didn't they know there was a blonde goddess in it? A blonde goddess that he'd been kissing? A blonde goddess that had been kissing him back?

//Buffy//. Xander groaned. Because he'd just realised that that was obviously it. A dream. Because why else would his beautiful fair-haired friend be kissing him? Especially one who actually had a boyfriend. She almost certainly wouldn't have gone to the movies with Xander after apparently dumping said boyfriend or even have walked Xander back home after stopping off for a little moonlight smooch in the park.

No. He had been dreaming. That was the only explanation for it. Xander buried his face further into his pillow and tried to get back to his blonde goddess the only way he knew. In his head.

-------------------

"Buffy," Willow's sleepy voice came from underneath the duvet, "It's Sunday."

Buffy looked at the reflection of the bundle of covers on Willow's bed in the mirror. "I know," Buffy replied chirpily, continuing to brush her hair.

"Sunday *morning*."

"I know. I'm not stupid, Will."

Willow pulled back her duvet enough so she could look at her friend. "I think you've gotta be if you're up before eleven on a Sunday and there's not an apocalypse." Willow paused. "It's not an apocalypse, is it? 'Cos I should probably get dressed if it is."

"The world isn't ending Willow," Buffy assured her friend. "Well, no one's beeped me about it anyway." Buffy finished brushing her hair and grabbed a bottle of nail polish and sat back down on her bed. "And why can't I get up early if I want?"

"Because it's *Sunday*," Willow reiterated. With a groan, she sat up and watched Buffy as the other girl began to paint her toenails. "You're a college student. You should be in bed. Like me and-and not... be *up* and painting your nails with-with..." Willow gave her friend an accusing look. "*My* 'Plum Princess'."

Buffy looked up at her friend innocently. "You said I could borrow it."

"I said for special occasions," Willow replied with a pout.

"This is a special occasion." Buffy paused. "I think."

"Ugh, you could've told me Riley was coming round," Willow complained, flopping back onto her bed, too sleepy to hold her tongue. "I could've pretended to be dead or something."

"What?" Buffy stared at her friend. "I thought you liked him?"

Willow sighed and mustered an eloquent, "Eh."

Buffy narrowed her eyes at Willow. "Y'know, if you and Xander had actually voiced your concerns or whatever about Riley, I could've saved myself a few months of near-death boredom."

Willow suddenly sat back up again. "I'm sorry?" She stared back at Buffy with disbelieving eyes. "Near death-"

"Boredom," Buffy finished as she capped the polish and examined her toenails. "And FYI, I dumped him last night." Buffy looked back up at Willow. "So you don't have to pretend to be dead."

Willow was still staring at her friend. "You dumped him?"

"Yup."

"But... but..." Willow was still trying to process the information. "But I thought you, y'know... liked him? Y'know... arms? You said arms." Willow swung her legs out from underneath her duvet so she was sitting facing Buffy. "And-and I thought you liked the guns? They were *big* guns."

Buffy rolled her eyes. "Yeah, well, believe me when I say that someone was totally overcompensating."

"Ohh... wow. Really?" Willow gave her friend a sympathetic smile. "Yeepers."

"Tell me about it." Buffy got up and went over to her desk. "I haven't been able to eat prawns for months."

Willow screwed her face up. "OK, *so* not a metal image I *wanted*, Buffy." She shot a disturbed look at the back of Buffy's head.

Buffy turned around and smirked. "Sorry."

"Now *I'm* not gonna be able to eat them," Willow groused. "It's enough to put me off men altogether." Willow sighed as she hitched her feet back up onto the bed and sat cross-legged. "OK. You dumped Riley," she began as she watched Buffy rummage through a stack of magazines. " So, why didn't you come back here and tell me right away, huh? Don't tell me you still went out with Xander."

"OK." Buffy shrugged. "I won't tell you."

"OK then." Willow paused. "Wait. What?"

-------------------

Xander hadn't been able to get back to sleep. There was something in his brain that kept telling him to get up. He tried burying his head even further into the pillow, but there was only so much pillow before he would have found himself face to face with his mattress.

With a frustrated sigh, Xander finally rolled over on to his back and looked up at the ceiling. "OK, I can't dream, I can't sleep, but that *doesn't* mean I have to get up." Xander joined his hands in the centre of his chest and continued to look up at the ceiling. "I can stay here all day if I want. Alllllll day."

But after a few minutes of doing nothing, only taking productive time to discern that the damp patch on his ceiling *did* look like David Schwimmer, Xander began to look around for something else not to do. After another few minutes, the only things Xander was able to come to a conclusion about was that he hated the basement and there was no way he was going to stay there all day.

Throwing the covers aside, Xander clambered out of bed, avoided tripping over the pile of clothes on the floor that he'd discarded the previous night, and made his way over to the haphazardly set up sink station. Haphazardly set up because the sink was only held up because it was tied to pipes on the wall and also because it wasn't actually plumbed in and the only water supply was the glass of day old water that sat in the basin with his toothbrush in it.

Xander sighed at his expression in the mirror that hung above the detached sink. //Methinks I need to get out of this hole//. Xander looked down at the glass of stagnant water in the basin. "Maybe I should check out that construction job." With another deep felt sigh, Xander grabbed the glass and began to head towards the stairs, preparing to go and venture into the world beyond the basement for more water.

He'd got about halfway up before he felt a slight draft. Xander looked down. "Ah." He turned around and began to head back down. "Clothes would be good."

Putting the glass back in the basin, Xander headed over to where he'd thrown his jeans last night. Grabbing them, Xander just started to shake one of the legs back into the proper position when he noticed a stain on the backside that hadn't been there when he'd put them on last night. Frowning, Xander examined them in the light. "O-kay," he said slowly. "How in the hell did I get grass stains on here?" Xander looked thoughtful. "The only time I remember rolling about on grass was when I was asleep." He stared at the stained seat of his jeans for a little while more before finally acknowledging the thought that was trying to gain entry into his brain.

Xander dropped his jeans pack onto the pile of clothes and began to rummage for his phone underneath a heap of magazines by his bed.

-------------------

Willow knew she hadn't moved and she knew damn well she was wearing a sort of "Puh huh?" expression on her face, but didn't think there was anything she could do about it at the moment.

"Xander?" Willow continued to stare at Buffy as the blonde flipped through a magazine as she lay on her bed.

"Uh huh." Buffy didn't look up.

"*Xander* Xander?"

Buffy turned to face her, an amused expression on her face. "No. Just Xander."

"I don't know a Just Xander."

Buffy shot a look at Willow, but then realised a by the look on her friend's face that Willow probably hadn't even realised what she'd said. Buffy sighed patiently. "Xander," she said simply.

It looked like it had just finally registered with Willow. "Oh." Willow began to search for something else to say but the phone ringing interrupted her thoughts. Willow picked it up and answered. After a moment she held the phone out to Buffy. "Xander."

Buffy took the phone from Willow. "Hey," she said, smiling into the receiver.

"Hey," Xander replied. Um, this might sound like an odd question, but, um, by any chance did you, y'know... stick your tongue down my throat last night?"

Buffy blinked. "And hello and good morning to you too."

"Oh. Right. Sorry. But, y'know... did ya?"

Buffy rolled her eyes, but then smiled. "Yes."

"It wasn't a dream?"

"No."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

"*Really* sure?"

"Yes."

Xander paused. "Huh."

Buffy waited for Xander to say something else. He didn't. "Is that that all you're calling for?" she asked.

"Not anymore."

Buffy mirrored the grin she could literally hear in Xander's voice. "So... you doing anything today?"

"If you ask him what he's wearing," another voice butted in, "I'm gonna have to ask you to leave."

Buffy looked across at Willow only to see the redhead smiling innocently back at her. Buffy frowned and spoke back into the receiver. "Xander, I think we should carry this conversation on somewhere else." Buffy continued to frown at a virtuous looking Willow. "Somewhere where little witches aren't."

"Espresso Pump?" Xander suggested.

"I'll see you there in half an hour," Buffy told him, ignoring Willow who had just stuck her tongue out at her.

"Make it forty-five," Xander replied. "I've gotta get dressed first."

Buffy drifted off for a second. "Dressed?"

"Well, I can't go out as I am." Xander deliberately took his voice down a notch. "I'd catch cold."

"Well, I wouldn't want that to happen." Buffy began to twist the phone cord in her fingers. "Although I could nurse you better."

"Still sitting here," Willow butted in loudly. "Please stop."

Buffy rolled her eyes. "Look, I'm gonna have to go before I corrupt Willow's oh so virginal mind." She pulled a face at Willow who stuck her tongue out once again in reply. "So why don't you just leave whatever you're... wearing... to my imagination, OK?" Buffy smiled wickedly and added as an afterthought, "For now."

Willow's eyebrows rose dramatically as Buffy then immediately hung up. "Oh my Goddess. You just had to say it didn't you? You just *had* to say it. About *Xander*." Willow flopped back onto her bed and covered her eyes. "Now I'm gonna have that as a mental image."

Buffy just shrugged. "Better than prawns."

"Yeah, well, you don't know that yet, do you?" Willow replied. "Leave it to my imagination," she mimicked sarcastically.

"Willow, were you or were you not there when he had Speedo's on?"

Willow was silent for a moment. "Oh," she said finally. "Good point."

"That's what I'm hoping."

"Buffy," Willow groaned, "It's bad enough I'm having to deal with you and Xander being, well, whatever it is you are, without having to process unwanted thoughts about crustaceans and nude Xander." Willow sat up and gave her friend a pleading look. "Do you think we could change the subject now?"

"Well," Buffy looked pretended to look thoughtful, although there was still a hint of a wicked smile on her lips, "I think your new friend Tara likes you in a sexy way."

"So did Xander do that thing where he nibbles on your lower lip?"

-------------------

For several silent moments Xander sat looking at the phone receiver that he held out in his hand. "Today," he said finally and with much conviction, "Will be a good day."

-------------------

Buffy sat perched on one of the high stools outside the coffee shop. She smoothed down the short-sleeved lilac tailored shirt she wore and then brushed imaginary dirt off the black skirt that came midway up her thighs. Buffy looked sideways and subtly studied her reflection in the slightly darkened window of the store front. Furrowing her brows slightly, she rearranged a few locks of hair that had dared to stray out of place.

In the reflection of the window, Buffy noticed a guy sitting a couple of table away looking her over. She shot him a look that said 'Don't even bother' and then began searching the sidewalk up and down and either side of the street for any sign of Xander. Not seeing him, Buffy looked at her watch and sighed, realising that she probably wouldn't see him for another ten minutes yet anyway. Buffy sighed again and put one elbow on the table infront of her, propping her chin up with her hand whilst with her other she began absently stirring her spoon in her latte.

//OK,// she mused, //So what am I going to talk to him about? I have to have some sort of back up plan if things start to get awkward. After all, the cute flirting stage has to end sometime//. Buffy sighed. //Which is a shame because I can do cute flirting. I'm good at cute flirting. I've been good at cute flirting since I knew what cute flirting was. And I'm babbling. Wait. Can I use babbling as a back up plan?// Buffy went to sigh again and then decided that a quiet groan would be more appropriate. //Oh God, why should it even matter? I can handle this. I can handle Xander ... Handle Xander... now that's an interesting thought... lots of things to grab, grope... fondle...// Buffy began to drift off for a second before she gave herself a mental shake. //I've turned into a gibbering idiot. When did that happen? And why didn't anybody tell me?// Buffy went for a sigh again this time. //Mmm... fondle...//

Buffy folded her arms on the table and dropped her head so her forehead was resting on them. She closed her eyes. //I'm going to screw this up... I know it. Something good that just feels right and I'm going to throw it away because I won't be able to string a sentence together//. Buffy lifted her head and looked up and down the still Xanderless street. "Maybe Willow was right," she murmured softly. "Maybe I should've stayed in bed."

With another sigh, Buffy grabbed her purse from the stool she'd set aside for Xander and then got off her own seat. She looked once more at herself in the store window //He's better off without a gibbering idiot // before turning on her heel and starting back towards her dorm, studying the sidewalk as she walked.

"Hey, I know I'm not late. Forty five minutes exactly."

Buffy looked up from the sidewalk and saw Xander a few feet infront of her. He was dressed in Dockers and a cream shirt, both of which were complimented by the tan leather jacket he wore. She felt an immediate feeling of regret wash over her. //... Fondle...//.

Xander gave her a curious look as she just stopped and stood looking at him. "So... where were you going?"

"I was just, uh..." Buffy searched for something that sounded credible. She found it. And smiled. "Looking for you." Her smile turned into a grin when Xander smiled back. //Well... after all, idiots are idiots for a reason... I might as well be one for a good reason... a very good reason...//

"Well, sorry." Xander closed the distance between them while Buffy still stood where she did. "I would've been here earlier actually, but I, uh, stopped off for something." Xander flashed her a grin and then started to retrieve something from his left sleeve. He struggled for a moment as the something seemed to catch, but then he proceeded to produce a rose. Xander straightened and adjusted a few petals that had gotten out of shape then held it out towards her. "Ta da."

Buffy could feel her cheeks grow warm as she took the proffered rose. She couldn't remember the last time someone gave her flowers. "Thank you. It's lovely." Buffy smiled shyly. "But you didn't have to, y'know."

Xander looked down briefly and shuffled his feet before looking up and smiling awkwardly back at her. "Well, I wanted to."

Buffy was still smiling and she hesitated only briefly before she stood up on tiptoe and pressed her lips softly against Xander's, and keeping them there for a few moments. "Thank you," she told him again, coming down to rest on the soles of her feet again, but much closer to Xander this time.

Xander smiled appreciatively before his smile grew into a more embarrassed one. "Actually, I think I should tell you," he continued, shoving his hands into his pockets, "I kinda, uh, appropriated it from my neighbour's garden. I didn't really have enough money for both flowers and coffee." He then licked his lips. "Although I think you've already had coffee."

"It doesn't matter." Buffy rose on her feet again and kissed him once more, this time looping both her arms around his neck; rose in one hand and purse in the other.

Xander removed his hands from his pockets and placed them either side of Buffy's waist, holding her close to him. He kissed her back slowly and softly at first then he deepened it, his hands sliding round Buffy's back as she returned his efforts with just as much ardour.

Buffy found she could sense all sorts of things as she continued to kiss. She could taste the hint of mint on Xander's tongue as it mixed with the taste of the sweet latte she'd sipped only a short while earlier, she could smell the faint trace of her Jean Paul Gautier as it mixed with his CK-One and she could feel the warmth of his hands as they caressed the slightly cooler skin of her back where her shirt had decided to ride up. Buffy concentrated on that last sensation and pulled herself closer to him, enough so that her shoulders were almost level with his.

They continued to embrace until they both required oxygen. They broke apart, but barely, both able to feel each others breath as they started to regain control of their breathing.

"You never kissed me like that last night," Buffy said finally as she locked her gaze with his.

"No, I didn't, did I?" Xander replied, still gently stroking Buffy's back. "I deeply regret that now."

"Mmm, so you should." Buffy kissed him softly again, but pulled back before Xander could respond. "C'mon," she said, slipping her arms from around his neck. "Let's walk."

"Sure." Xander reluctantly let go of Buffy, but still smiled as she took one of his hands, slipping her rose into her purse. Xander threaded his fingers with hers as they began to walk. He looked down at her and caught her eyes as she looked up at him at the same time. "So... where are we going?" he asked. "I mean, I take it we're not going back to your dorm."

"I don't know and, no," Buffy replied. "I think Willow had enough trying to deal with the prawn image."

"Huh?"

"Later," Buffy said with a smile. She looked ahead again. "Lets just say your likening of a Ken doll wasn't too far off."

"Ken doll?" Xander looked puzzled for a moment and then one eyebrow began to rise. "Wait... isn't that what I called Ri-" Xander broke off immediately. "Y'know, I'm just gonna stop that thought right there and never let it cross my mind again. Ever."

"Fine by me," Buffy replied. She pulled his hand closer to her so it was just barely brushing her thigh as they walked. //And here it is, my old stalwart, cute flirting...//. "I'm sure I can give you something else to think about."

Xander just grinned at her and squeezed her hand. //Yeah, well, that was never going to be a problem//.

-------------------

They walked for a little while more, sometimes talking, sometimes flirting, sometimes in comfortable silence, but always hand in hand. They'd just reached the end of a block when Xander suddenly realised where they were.

"Uh... are we going to your mom's by any chance?" he asked.

Buffy gave a slight shrug. "Well, I thought seeing as how we're both short on cash," she smiled, "We might be able to see if we can get a free meal."

"Oh, I like the way you think." Xander grinned. Then stopped and looked thoughtful. He hesitated a little before speaking. "Are you, y'know, gonna tell her about, y'know-" Xander sounded awkward, "... us?"

Buffy looked at him for a moment in silence before reaching up with one hand and grabbing a handful of his shirt. She pulled him down towards her and covered his lips with her own in a soft kiss. "What do you think?" she said finally.

"I'm thinking yes," Xander replied, snatching a quick kiss back before Buffy released his shirt.

Buffy grinned. "You learn fast."

"Well, if you're gonna teach like that..." Xander replied, grinning back. "So what are we waiting for?" He tugged her with him as he was already beginning to walk off. "I'm hungry."

Buffy giggled as she fell instep beside him. "Didn't you have breakfast?"

Xander grinned again as he turned to her. "Yeah, but for some reason I've worked up an appetite."

Buffy laughed again and slipped her hand from his and put her arm around his waist instead. She leant up against him as his arm fell across her shoulders and they walked on in silence until they got to the porch of the Summers house where they came to a stop.

Buffy turned to face him. "What do you think she'll say?"

Xander paused and looked serious. "I don't know," he answered finally. He titled his head and gave her a questioning look. "What do *you* think she'll say?"

"I think she'll be... surprised," Buffy answered honestly. "But-" she broke off as she slipped her arms around his waist, "I'll tell her I'm happy."

Xander's smiled. "Happy huh?"

Buffy nodded and smiled warmly back. "As I've been in a while."

Xander slipped his arms around her waist. "Me too." Xander stooped down and kissed both her top and bottom lips in turn before covering them both and kissing her fully. Buffy moaned when he slid his tongue against hers and he held her tighter and kissed her harder, causing her to moan again and her hands crept underneath his jacket and around to his back

Xander began to pour everything good he'd ever felt about the woman in his arms into the kiss he was sharing with the woman who was digging her fingertips into his shoulder blades. No. Make that the woman who now had one hand on his ass. Xander smiled as he put that into the kiss as well.

After a time they'd started to lose track of, they broke apart and grinned at each other as they caught their breath. Buffy moved her other hand so she was cupping Xander's ass with both hands. She grinned wider when he raised an eyebrow, and noted, however, that he made no move to dislodge them. "Sorry," she said with no hint of an apology whatsoever. "I just wanted to check."

"That I had one or that it *does* just look *that* good?"

Buffy laughed. "Arrogant much?"

"I notice that your hands haven't moved," Xander retaliated, grinning. "Must be the second reason."

"Let's double check." Buffy squeezed. Hard.

Xander's eyebrows hit his hairline as he gasped. "Jeez, Buff. You do that to all your new boyfriends?"

That last word threw Buffy for a second and her brain engaged quickly to process it. //He said the 'B' word. He said boyfriend. Boyfriend. Oh God. I have a boyfriend. New boyfriend. He's my boyfriend. Oh God. Xander. Xander's my boyfriend. Xander's my boyfriend. Oh God. Wait. That's good. Boyfriend. Good. Mine. Good. Xander. Good. Xander's my boyfriend. Xander... mmm... fondle...//. Buffy mentally slapped herself. //Get a grip, girl. Wait. I have one//. Buffy squeezed again. "Only when they kiss their new girlfriends like you just did."

"Mmm... girlfriend. Girlfriend. Good. Buffy..." Xander paused and then smiled sheepishly, his cheeks beginning to redden. "I'm babbling this out loud, aren't I?"

Buffy stifled a smirk. "Mmm huh."

"I should just shut up and kiss you, right?"

"Works for me." Buffy grinned then relaxed into the now familiar sensation of Xander's lips against hers.

"Oh my!"

The couple broke apart quickly when they heard Joyce's voice. They looked at each other and then both turned slowly to see Joyce Summers looking back at them, a shocked expression on her face.

"Hi mom."

"Hi..." Joyce looked down briefly at where her daughter's hands still were and then back up at Buffy. "Riley?"

Buffy looked back at her mother, then at Xander, then back at her mother, pointing at Xander as she did so. "No. Xander."

Xander smiled sheepishly at Joyce. "Hi."

"Hi..." Joyce smiled briefly but warmly at Xander before continuing to look between him her daughter for a few moments more before her gaze finally settled on Buffy. "No Riley?"

Buffy shook her head. "No Riley." Buffy waited for her to say something else then realised that her mother was wearing the same 'Puh huh' expression that Willow had. Buffy cleared her throat. "I'm happy."

"Well you would be, there's no Riley." It also appeared that Joyce had caught Willow's ability to engage mouth before brain.

Buffy stared back at her mother whilst Xander stifled a smirk. "What in the-" Buffy sounded incredulous. "You didn't like him either?"

"Well, you seemed to, sweetie," Joyce replied. "I didn't like to spoil things." She looked again between Xander and her daughter. "So you two are...?"

"Yes." Buffy took Xander's hands in hers.

"And you're happy?"

"Yes." Both Buffy and Xander spoke together. They caught each other's eyes and grinned at each other.

Joyce stared at them both for a moment more before finally settling her gaze back on Xander. "Do you own, have you ever owned or have you ever been to a farm?"

Xander looked thoughtful. "No, no and once." Xander paused. "Well, actually it was a petting zoo and a goat tried to eat my shirt. And that's my only story," he added quickly when he saw Joyce begin to frown. "You will never hear it again." Xander flashed Joyce a grin. "Ever."

Joyce bestowed him with a beatific smile in return and then looked at Buffy. "So much better than the last one."

"Very much better," Buffy replied. She looked up at Xander and smiled. "In all kinds of ways."

"Well, I can see you think that sweetie," Joyce replied. "You haven't taken your hands off his ass since you've been standing there." As the couple's faces reddened and innocent expression settled on Joyce's face. "So... do you two want some lunch?"