BOUNDARIES
Title: Boundaries
Author: Slasher of the Apocalypse ;-)
Feedback: I eat it up. Really I do.
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: The characters in here are not mine, although I do keep some of them in boxes in my closet ... they belong to the show from which I've swiped 'em.
Summary: Xander: closet geek. Andrew: not-so-closet geek. Put them together?
******
Dawn was sitting on the couch with one leg curled beneath her and the other sticking out, her binder open and ignored on her lap. The familiar mind- numbing warmth of the television washed over her. It was a relief to detach, even if it was only for a little while.
Andrew knew the feeling.
"Hey Dawn," he said. He'd sought out her company because his life sucked and she was one of the few people around here who didn't seem intent on pointing this out to him at every available opportunity. "Whatcha watching?"
She looked up and smiled. It was infectious. He'd always heard about people having infectious smiles and he was inordinately pleased to have found somebody out there to whom the adjective could be applied. "Er, homework. But The Little Mermaid really."
"Oh, that's a good one," Andrew said. "But Disney's gone really downhill with the last couple movies."
"Yeah," Dawn said. She sounded as though she was agreeing because that was what everybody said. "I really liked Hercules, though."
"Oh, yeah, Hercules," Andrew said. "Hades was really neat in that."
Kennedy stormed into the room. She plunked down on the couch and crossed her legs, picking up the remote. She glanced at Dawn, and seeing the slightly younger girl apparently engrossed in her homework, she started flipping channels.
"Uh, excuse me, Kennedy?" Andrew said. "We were watching that."
Kennedy turned and stared at him. What, bug, are you addressing me? Her eyes spoke clearly, even though she didn't say any words.
He felt the red heat climbing to his cheeks and fought back against it, standing up straighter and raising his eyebrows at Kennedy. "We were watching that," he said. "You know, you should really consider other people more, Kennedy."
Kennedy stared.
"Because sometimes they do have feelings and you shouldn't walk all over them just because you think you're something special," Andrew continued blithely, his body language screaming 'smooth confidence'. "You and Willow may have something beautiful 'going on'" - air quotes - "but that doesn't give you the right to lord it over Dawn just because she's too sweet and considerate to say anything."
"Gosh," said Kennedy, utterly transformed by Andrew's eloquence. "I never thought of it like that. I'm sorry, Dawn, I should've asked if you were watching something."
Dawn nodded. "It's okay, Kennedy," she said. "Just don't let it happen again." She gave Andrew a tremendous beaming smile. "Thanks, Andrew! You're the greatest!"
***
Kennedy turned and stared at him. What, bug, are you addressing me? Her eyes spoke clearly, even though she didn't say any words.
Andrew reddened and looked away. "Um, nothing," he said.
"It's okay," Dawn said quickly, "I was just going to go, um, do my homework. In another room. Homework, in another room." She closed her binder and shot Andrew a conciliatory look as she left.
Andrew sighed and headed for the kitchen. Kennedy had turned back to the TV, scowling ferociously.
Thanks, Andrew! he thought sourly as he started chopping broccoli for dinner. You're the greatest ...
Title: Boundaries
Author: Slasher of the Apocalypse ;-)
Feedback: I eat it up. Really I do.
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: The characters in here are not mine, although I do keep some of them in boxes in my closet ... they belong to the show from which I've swiped 'em.
Summary: Xander: closet geek. Andrew: not-so-closet geek. Put them together?
******
Dawn was sitting on the couch with one leg curled beneath her and the other sticking out, her binder open and ignored on her lap. The familiar mind- numbing warmth of the television washed over her. It was a relief to detach, even if it was only for a little while.
Andrew knew the feeling.
"Hey Dawn," he said. He'd sought out her company because his life sucked and she was one of the few people around here who didn't seem intent on pointing this out to him at every available opportunity. "Whatcha watching?"
She looked up and smiled. It was infectious. He'd always heard about people having infectious smiles and he was inordinately pleased to have found somebody out there to whom the adjective could be applied. "Er, homework. But The Little Mermaid really."
"Oh, that's a good one," Andrew said. "But Disney's gone really downhill with the last couple movies."
"Yeah," Dawn said. She sounded as though she was agreeing because that was what everybody said. "I really liked Hercules, though."
"Oh, yeah, Hercules," Andrew said. "Hades was really neat in that."
Kennedy stormed into the room. She plunked down on the couch and crossed her legs, picking up the remote. She glanced at Dawn, and seeing the slightly younger girl apparently engrossed in her homework, she started flipping channels.
"Uh, excuse me, Kennedy?" Andrew said. "We were watching that."
Kennedy turned and stared at him. What, bug, are you addressing me? Her eyes spoke clearly, even though she didn't say any words.
He felt the red heat climbing to his cheeks and fought back against it, standing up straighter and raising his eyebrows at Kennedy. "We were watching that," he said. "You know, you should really consider other people more, Kennedy."
Kennedy stared.
"Because sometimes they do have feelings and you shouldn't walk all over them just because you think you're something special," Andrew continued blithely, his body language screaming 'smooth confidence'. "You and Willow may have something beautiful 'going on'" - air quotes - "but that doesn't give you the right to lord it over Dawn just because she's too sweet and considerate to say anything."
"Gosh," said Kennedy, utterly transformed by Andrew's eloquence. "I never thought of it like that. I'm sorry, Dawn, I should've asked if you were watching something."
Dawn nodded. "It's okay, Kennedy," she said. "Just don't let it happen again." She gave Andrew a tremendous beaming smile. "Thanks, Andrew! You're the greatest!"
***
Kennedy turned and stared at him. What, bug, are you addressing me? Her eyes spoke clearly, even though she didn't say any words.
Andrew reddened and looked away. "Um, nothing," he said.
"It's okay," Dawn said quickly, "I was just going to go, um, do my homework. In another room. Homework, in another room." She closed her binder and shot Andrew a conciliatory look as she left.
Andrew sighed and headed for the kitchen. Kennedy had turned back to the TV, scowling ferociously.
Thanks, Andrew! he thought sourly as he started chopping broccoli for dinner. You're the greatest ...
