4 Months later**
Xander was loosing the last hand of the night. It would have been pathetic that he was hanging out with a bunch of 60-year-old women on a Friday night... that is if he cared. They were all good people... that is everyone but Mrs. Roberts, she was a nice Igwoem demon, and she was more in her 600s. Her secret was safe with Xander as long as she let him win a couple hands. As the women were picking up to leave a knock came on the door.
(God I hope it's not my boss.) Xander prayed as he opened the door to see-
"Buffy?"
She nervously waved to him, then felt immediately stupid.
"Hey Xand."
The women huddled around him trying to get a look at her.
"A friend of yours?" One of them piped up.
"Ladies, this is Buffy, Buffy the ladies."
"We should get going, see you next Friday." They exited and whispered watching the two young people.
"If I'da known you had a harem-"
"Friday is the day we 'play' poker, and I loose all my money to a bunch of senior citizens. Did I mention how much I'm going to kill Dawn?"
"It wasn't her fault. I threatened to read her diary to any student that came to see me. Can I come in?"
"Yeah. My casa is Buffy casa." He turned letting her in and shut the door.
"You can sit."
"I like the poster." She pointed at the Dingo's poster above the couch.
"Yeah, I called Oz and asked him for one. He says 'Hi' by the way. He was going to Europe with the band last I heard. They're big in Turkey. He sends me post cards every so often."
"I figured out why you left."
"I'm good Buffy, how are you these days?"
"Sorry, I just didn't want this to be one of those surfacy conversations where we talk and don't really say what we should. We were always better than that."
"Ok, so... why did you come here? You now know the truth on why I left, I though you would agree with my decision."
"I did at first. But then time went by and... I can't stand it. I can't stand living in a world where you aren't there. I need you. I know you're not coming back and its killing me. Thats when I begain to seriously think. Four months of Buffy's head smoking because of all the thinking. I thought of me... I thought of you... I thought of us. Once or twice I decided I was going to offer myself to you... but that wouldn't bring you back would it? It would only make things worse, or make you hate me."
"I could never hate you."
"Maybe things would be better if you did."
"Buff..."
"The only way to stop us both from hurting- Its not much, but its all I have to offer. I think we should date. Something in a scenic route... where we can both just take it slow. I've been thinking of you in a 'how-good-you-looked in-that-speedo' sense and I have to say its not a bad picture. Very not bad, good, great, wonderful even. I just... All the men in my life have left me, and most for a valid reason. I just... I'm scared that you're gonna have a very valid reason and go away again."
"Buff, if we can't... If a relationship doesn't work, I'll stay. I won't go away again."
"Promise?"
"Yeah. What you just said... its all I could ever ask from you. Thanks."
"That doesnt seem like the word I'd use if I were you. You gave up your life."
"I had you to bring me back." He got up and went to hug his 'friend'. (Don't kiss her.... remember, scenic route)
"Thanks." She said as she broke off the hug.
"Nothing says thank you like dollars in the waistband."
"I'll remember that." She kissed his cheek and smiled brightly which of course what contagious.
"I should give you back your pig."
"Good, I'll drop the pignapping charges. You wanna start packing?"
"You want me to leave tonight?"
"No, I want you to leave four months ago so my head wouldnt hurt so much." Without thinking Xander kissed her forehead, only afterwards wondering if it was too bold.
"That feels better, thanks. You know your apartment is rented out. So I was wondering... You wanna live with me?"
"Your 'taking it slow' seems quite simillar to a 'going way too fast.'"
"I meant it in less of a 'same bed' and more in a 'sleep in another room'. You could always stay with Giles."
"I think that would be best consitering... our new situation."
(hmmm situation..... Xander kissage....kissage with tongue... STOP! Slow... we need to go slow. Fast means him leaving me at the alter while he flies in a helecopter to the Northwest Territories going to kill the abominable snowman and never to be heard from again. Ok, just dont think of how he looks good in that suit with the tie loosened just enough to see the skin right below.... Think of dead puppies.... dead puppies...)
"You're probably right.... we don't want to tempt fate... cause that never seems to go right. Like there is this guy somewhere making sure no matter what we do, how good we are, we can never be happy."
"Yeah, I hate that." (Xander's goofy smile is not sexy damnit! Dead puppies...)
"Oh, and when you do come back, Giles has something to ask you."
"He wants to date me too?"
"He better not. I'll fight him for it." (Dead puppies.....)
"How is everyone?"
"Missing you. Wanting you to come home. Which reminds me, you still going to kill Dawn?"
"Naw... I was actually thinking about getting her a car." (me too.)
***************
Xander was loosing the last hand of the night. It would have been pathetic that he was hanging out with a bunch of 60-year-old women on a Friday night... that is if he cared. They were all good people... that is everyone but Mrs. Roberts, she was a nice Igwoem demon, and she was more in her 600s. Her secret was safe with Xander as long as she let him win a couple hands. As the women were picking up to leave a knock came on the door.
(God I hope it's not my boss.) Xander prayed as he opened the door to see-
"Buffy?"
She nervously waved to him, then felt immediately stupid.
"Hey Xand."
The women huddled around him trying to get a look at her.
"A friend of yours?" One of them piped up.
"Ladies, this is Buffy, Buffy the ladies."
"We should get going, see you next Friday." They exited and whispered watching the two young people.
"If I'da known you had a harem-"
"Friday is the day we 'play' poker, and I loose all my money to a bunch of senior citizens. Did I mention how much I'm going to kill Dawn?"
"It wasn't her fault. I threatened to read her diary to any student that came to see me. Can I come in?"
"Yeah. My casa is Buffy casa." He turned letting her in and shut the door.
"You can sit."
"I like the poster." She pointed at the Dingo's poster above the couch.
"Yeah, I called Oz and asked him for one. He says 'Hi' by the way. He was going to Europe with the band last I heard. They're big in Turkey. He sends me post cards every so often."
"I figured out why you left."
"I'm good Buffy, how are you these days?"
"Sorry, I just didn't want this to be one of those surfacy conversations where we talk and don't really say what we should. We were always better than that."
"Ok, so... why did you come here? You now know the truth on why I left, I though you would agree with my decision."
"I did at first. But then time went by and... I can't stand it. I can't stand living in a world where you aren't there. I need you. I know you're not coming back and its killing me. Thats when I begain to seriously think. Four months of Buffy's head smoking because of all the thinking. I thought of me... I thought of you... I thought of us. Once or twice I decided I was going to offer myself to you... but that wouldn't bring you back would it? It would only make things worse, or make you hate me."
"I could never hate you."
"Maybe things would be better if you did."
"Buff..."
"The only way to stop us both from hurting- Its not much, but its all I have to offer. I think we should date. Something in a scenic route... where we can both just take it slow. I've been thinking of you in a 'how-good-you-looked in-that-speedo' sense and I have to say its not a bad picture. Very not bad, good, great, wonderful even. I just... All the men in my life have left me, and most for a valid reason. I just... I'm scared that you're gonna have a very valid reason and go away again."
"Buff, if we can't... If a relationship doesn't work, I'll stay. I won't go away again."
"Promise?"
"Yeah. What you just said... its all I could ever ask from you. Thanks."
"That doesnt seem like the word I'd use if I were you. You gave up your life."
"I had you to bring me back." He got up and went to hug his 'friend'. (Don't kiss her.... remember, scenic route)
"Thanks." She said as she broke off the hug.
"Nothing says thank you like dollars in the waistband."
"I'll remember that." She kissed his cheek and smiled brightly which of course what contagious.
"I should give you back your pig."
"Good, I'll drop the pignapping charges. You wanna start packing?"
"You want me to leave tonight?"
"No, I want you to leave four months ago so my head wouldnt hurt so much." Without thinking Xander kissed her forehead, only afterwards wondering if it was too bold.
"That feels better, thanks. You know your apartment is rented out. So I was wondering... You wanna live with me?"
"Your 'taking it slow' seems quite simillar to a 'going way too fast.'"
"I meant it in less of a 'same bed' and more in a 'sleep in another room'. You could always stay with Giles."
"I think that would be best consitering... our new situation."
(hmmm situation..... Xander kissage....kissage with tongue... STOP! Slow... we need to go slow. Fast means him leaving me at the alter while he flies in a helecopter to the Northwest Territories going to kill the abominable snowman and never to be heard from again. Ok, just dont think of how he looks good in that suit with the tie loosened just enough to see the skin right below.... Think of dead puppies.... dead puppies...)
"You're probably right.... we don't want to tempt fate... cause that never seems to go right. Like there is this guy somewhere making sure no matter what we do, how good we are, we can never be happy."
"Yeah, I hate that." (Xander's goofy smile is not sexy damnit! Dead puppies...)
"Oh, and when you do come back, Giles has something to ask you."
"He wants to date me too?"
"He better not. I'll fight him for it." (Dead puppies.....)
"How is everyone?"
"Missing you. Wanting you to come home. Which reminds me, you still going to kill Dawn?"
"Naw... I was actually thinking about getting her a car." (me too.)
***************