Rona and the other two are huddled up together on one end of his couch, cooing over some film on the TV and eating chips like they haven't seen food in a week. Xander's attention flits between them, the TV and Andrew, who has been pacing distractedly around his kitchen inspecting the contents of each cupboard ever since the film started. Despite Xander's belief that he'd be more at ease away from the strange spiky tension that's been filling Buffy's house lately, Andrew looks as though he's expecting another attack any second. It's making him nervous just watching.
He tries to focus on the film for a while, but finds he can't remember who's supposed to be in love with who, and who just left who at the altar. Xander decides the cereal box that Andrew is reading is probably more interesting.
The girls don't seem to notice when he gets up and crosses to the kitchen. Even Andrew doesn't seem to notice until Xander is standing right next to him, when he glances up and lets out a yelp of surprise, jumping half a step backwards.
"Holy smokes, don't do that to me," he breathes, the words tumbling out in one breathy rush. He clutches at his chest, but Xander guesses that is for dramatic effect rather than a sign of an impending cardiac arrest.
Xander steps back himself to give the guy some space, raising his hands in apology.
"Find anything edible yet?" he asks, gesturing to the cupboards Andrew's already checked. It's getting late and his own stomach is beginning to grumble, but he's been waiting for Andrew to choose something before attempting any actual cooking. Only it turns out Andrew might not be so good at making decisions by himself.
"Um, there's plenty of stuff, but I can't narrow it down," he tells Xander. The nervy catch in his voice kind of grates on Xander's nerves. He has no idea if Andrew has always been this insecure, or if it's just the hostage thing that's done this to him, but he's certain that if it keeps up, it could start to get annoying. Sometimes he thinks Andrew needs someone to shake some sense into him. Other times he just thinks the guy needs a hug.
Not that Xander's going to be the one to do that, of course, because hello! Guy! Big burly construction worker guy who doesn't get mushy over other guys. Especially other guys who have crushes on him. Guy. Grrr.
His masculinity suitably reaffirmed, Xander pulls two packs of instant noodles out of the cupboard and asks Andrew if he's okay with his selection. He's not normally a fussy eater, but suddenly the food he has doesn't seem like much to offer a guest. Or hostage. Andrew just shrugs and nods, then tells Xander, "I can make them if you want."
Xander has to bite his lip to keep from snapping at him. Instead, he says, "I'm perfectly capable of using the microwave, you know." When Andrew's expression shifts into startled uncertainty, he jokes, "that's nothing. One of these days, I might actually figure out how to work the oven too." This time, Andrew risks a laugh, and Xander rewards him with a smile.
When their food is ready, they both join the girls again. The nameless two are sitting on the floor by Rona's feet, hugging cushions to their chests as they "aw" over something onscreen. Xander takes the middle of the couch, leaving Andrew on the end, his bowl held carefully in one hand. He watches the television studiously for some minutes, then his face lights up in recognition.
"Hey, wasn't that the guy from-"
Xander never finds out what the guy is from, because the girls quickly 'shush' Andrew, shooting him identical irritated looks before turning back to the movie. He hears Andrew mutter something under his breath, and finds himself surprised that Andrew even knows words like that.
Some minutes later, the girls are demonstrating their annoyance with the film's apparent heroine by pounding the arm of the couch.
"How can she not see that he likes her?" one of them complains, throwing up her arms in frustration. Xander finds the behaviour rather perplexing: surely if she could see it, then there would be no plot to the film?
"Hey, how come you guys can talk and I can't?" Andrew's whine cuts over the dialogue, and again all three 'shush' him in perfect unison. Xander glances sideways to see him pout and fold his arms, his empty bowl balanced on his knees. He knows this isn't going to be the end of it, but doesn't know if it's worth interjecting. Andrew ought to know better than interrupting like that, but Xander can sympathise: the film is so cloying and predictable that it's setting his nerves on edge. How can anyone sit through two whole hours of this?
At the other end of the couch, one of the girls squeals with delight.
"Oh, he's gonna kiss her!"
Unable to resist, Xander leans over to Andrew and in his best Graham Chapman voice, whispers, "run away!"
Andrew splutters into a fit of giggles, almost losing the bowl on his lap. Xander joins in, snickering still as the girls pelt them with couch cushions and yell at them to shut the hell up, dammit.
They suffer through the rest of the film in pained silence, and fortunately it isn't long before the credits roll and the girls are yawning and announcing they want to turn in. Xander leaves Rona, who has volunteered to take the couch, to set up her sleeping bag, and shows the other two to the spare room.
Unsurprisingly, they've insisted that Andrew cannot sleep in the living room, and since there's nowhere else, Xander finds himself making up a bed on the floor of his room. Andrew doesn't complain.
When he's tucked up under the spare blankets and Xander's crawled into his own bed, there are a few awkward moments of silence before Andrew speaks.
"I like your apartment." It's a little random, but Xander appreciates the compliment. He's never done much in the way of decorating, and sometimes he still feels like he hasn't settled in, hasn't made the space his own yet.
"I like hanging out here," Andrew continues, and Xander finds it just a little worrying that he thinks of this as 'hanging out', like they really are friends. "Maybe not so much with the girls and the shushing and the yelling, but it's cool that you have your own place like this." Xander's chest tightens at the reminder that at one time he never thought he'd have somewhere like this. Suddenly he realises that maybe Andrew was also destined to be one of life's basement residents. He wonders if Andrew had any non-evil goals, and what they might have been. "It's kind of like hanging out in Warren's mom's basement."
There's a catch in his voice that intrigues Xander, and without thinking he rolls over until he can look down at Andrew over the edge of the bed. In the light that filters in through the window, he can see Andrew nervously fingering the edge of his blanket.
"I miss that." His voice is small and sad, and makes Xander want to "aw" like the girls watching the film. Guy, he reminds himself. Grrr.
"You do?" It's all he can think of to say in reply. Andrew looks up at him, fingers still worrying the blanket.
"Yeah." He smiles an odd smile that Xander guesses is wistful, though he can't see too well in the dark. "It was fun. Before, you know, the whole…" Andrew draws a deep, hitching breath. "Before the amusement park and Warren leaving me. It was…"
His choice of words immediately stirs something inside Xander. 'Leaving me'. He's wondered before what Warren did to give him such a hold over Andrew even in death, and now he's beginning to get an idea. Xander tries not to think about it too much.
"I miss them."
Xander watches him for a moment more. He feels uncomfortable now with having to make Andrew sleep on the floor, but he's also adamant that inviting him into his bed is not going to help things. There just has to be something he can do or say to make Andrew feel a little better right now. He could point out that Warren was a psychopath who never really did anything good for anyone else. Or he could change the tack of conversation altogether in hopes of distracting Andrew.
"I know you do," he says.
*****
tbc
He tries to focus on the film for a while, but finds he can't remember who's supposed to be in love with who, and who just left who at the altar. Xander decides the cereal box that Andrew is reading is probably more interesting.
The girls don't seem to notice when he gets up and crosses to the kitchen. Even Andrew doesn't seem to notice until Xander is standing right next to him, when he glances up and lets out a yelp of surprise, jumping half a step backwards.
"Holy smokes, don't do that to me," he breathes, the words tumbling out in one breathy rush. He clutches at his chest, but Xander guesses that is for dramatic effect rather than a sign of an impending cardiac arrest.
Xander steps back himself to give the guy some space, raising his hands in apology.
"Find anything edible yet?" he asks, gesturing to the cupboards Andrew's already checked. It's getting late and his own stomach is beginning to grumble, but he's been waiting for Andrew to choose something before attempting any actual cooking. Only it turns out Andrew might not be so good at making decisions by himself.
"Um, there's plenty of stuff, but I can't narrow it down," he tells Xander. The nervy catch in his voice kind of grates on Xander's nerves. He has no idea if Andrew has always been this insecure, or if it's just the hostage thing that's done this to him, but he's certain that if it keeps up, it could start to get annoying. Sometimes he thinks Andrew needs someone to shake some sense into him. Other times he just thinks the guy needs a hug.
Not that Xander's going to be the one to do that, of course, because hello! Guy! Big burly construction worker guy who doesn't get mushy over other guys. Especially other guys who have crushes on him. Guy. Grrr.
His masculinity suitably reaffirmed, Xander pulls two packs of instant noodles out of the cupboard and asks Andrew if he's okay with his selection. He's not normally a fussy eater, but suddenly the food he has doesn't seem like much to offer a guest. Or hostage. Andrew just shrugs and nods, then tells Xander, "I can make them if you want."
Xander has to bite his lip to keep from snapping at him. Instead, he says, "I'm perfectly capable of using the microwave, you know." When Andrew's expression shifts into startled uncertainty, he jokes, "that's nothing. One of these days, I might actually figure out how to work the oven too." This time, Andrew risks a laugh, and Xander rewards him with a smile.
When their food is ready, they both join the girls again. The nameless two are sitting on the floor by Rona's feet, hugging cushions to their chests as they "aw" over something onscreen. Xander takes the middle of the couch, leaving Andrew on the end, his bowl held carefully in one hand. He watches the television studiously for some minutes, then his face lights up in recognition.
"Hey, wasn't that the guy from-"
Xander never finds out what the guy is from, because the girls quickly 'shush' Andrew, shooting him identical irritated looks before turning back to the movie. He hears Andrew mutter something under his breath, and finds himself surprised that Andrew even knows words like that.
Some minutes later, the girls are demonstrating their annoyance with the film's apparent heroine by pounding the arm of the couch.
"How can she not see that he likes her?" one of them complains, throwing up her arms in frustration. Xander finds the behaviour rather perplexing: surely if she could see it, then there would be no plot to the film?
"Hey, how come you guys can talk and I can't?" Andrew's whine cuts over the dialogue, and again all three 'shush' him in perfect unison. Xander glances sideways to see him pout and fold his arms, his empty bowl balanced on his knees. He knows this isn't going to be the end of it, but doesn't know if it's worth interjecting. Andrew ought to know better than interrupting like that, but Xander can sympathise: the film is so cloying and predictable that it's setting his nerves on edge. How can anyone sit through two whole hours of this?
At the other end of the couch, one of the girls squeals with delight.
"Oh, he's gonna kiss her!"
Unable to resist, Xander leans over to Andrew and in his best Graham Chapman voice, whispers, "run away!"
Andrew splutters into a fit of giggles, almost losing the bowl on his lap. Xander joins in, snickering still as the girls pelt them with couch cushions and yell at them to shut the hell up, dammit.
They suffer through the rest of the film in pained silence, and fortunately it isn't long before the credits roll and the girls are yawning and announcing they want to turn in. Xander leaves Rona, who has volunteered to take the couch, to set up her sleeping bag, and shows the other two to the spare room.
Unsurprisingly, they've insisted that Andrew cannot sleep in the living room, and since there's nowhere else, Xander finds himself making up a bed on the floor of his room. Andrew doesn't complain.
When he's tucked up under the spare blankets and Xander's crawled into his own bed, there are a few awkward moments of silence before Andrew speaks.
"I like your apartment." It's a little random, but Xander appreciates the compliment. He's never done much in the way of decorating, and sometimes he still feels like he hasn't settled in, hasn't made the space his own yet.
"I like hanging out here," Andrew continues, and Xander finds it just a little worrying that he thinks of this as 'hanging out', like they really are friends. "Maybe not so much with the girls and the shushing and the yelling, but it's cool that you have your own place like this." Xander's chest tightens at the reminder that at one time he never thought he'd have somewhere like this. Suddenly he realises that maybe Andrew was also destined to be one of life's basement residents. He wonders if Andrew had any non-evil goals, and what they might have been. "It's kind of like hanging out in Warren's mom's basement."
There's a catch in his voice that intrigues Xander, and without thinking he rolls over until he can look down at Andrew over the edge of the bed. In the light that filters in through the window, he can see Andrew nervously fingering the edge of his blanket.
"I miss that." His voice is small and sad, and makes Xander want to "aw" like the girls watching the film. Guy, he reminds himself. Grrr.
"You do?" It's all he can think of to say in reply. Andrew looks up at him, fingers still worrying the blanket.
"Yeah." He smiles an odd smile that Xander guesses is wistful, though he can't see too well in the dark. "It was fun. Before, you know, the whole…" Andrew draws a deep, hitching breath. "Before the amusement park and Warren leaving me. It was…"
His choice of words immediately stirs something inside Xander. 'Leaving me'. He's wondered before what Warren did to give him such a hold over Andrew even in death, and now he's beginning to get an idea. Xander tries not to think about it too much.
"I miss them."
Xander watches him for a moment more. He feels uncomfortable now with having to make Andrew sleep on the floor, but he's also adamant that inviting him into his bed is not going to help things. There just has to be something he can do or say to make Andrew feel a little better right now. He could point out that Warren was a psychopath who never really did anything good for anyone else. Or he could change the tack of conversation altogether in hopes of distracting Andrew.
"I know you do," he says.
*****
tbc