Title: True Love's Kiss

Author: Whiskey Meteor

Rating: PG-13

Summary: Some Xandrew fuff. Something strange has happened to Sunnydale, rendering its entire population permanently asleep... well, everyone except for Andrew.

Disclaimer: Everything BtVS belongs to Joss Whedon.

Notes: Set early in season 6. For Kaz, hope this serves as a good cold remedy;)

**********************************

Andrew turned over in his bed and glanced at the clock on the wall. It was noon. It was noon, and the lair was quiet. Something just wasn't right. Andrew sat up and looked around the room. Warren and Jonathan were sleeping soundly in their own beds- highly unusual for this time of day, when they would usually be wide awake and fighting loudly over which Star Wars movie was the best, or Jonathan's affinity for Klingon poetry, or who got to hold the remote, or... well, you get the idea.

Andrew shrugged, enjoying the quiet for once, and rose from bed. He showered and dressed and ate, and then returned to find his friends still sleeping. Andrew rolled his eyes, picked up a stray pillow and chucked it at Warren. His aim was true, and the pillow struck Warren square in the face and rebounded off onto the floor. Warren didn't stir. Andrew frowned, and narrowed his eyes, "Okay, this isn't funny, guys!" he whined, stomping over to the side of Warren's bed and poking the motionless man in the arm, "Come on, quit it!"

No response.

Andrew became worried, Oh my god, he thought, They've finally killed each other, and-, A loud snore echoed from Jonathan's bed. Andrew raced across the room and leaned over his friend, "Jonathan?" he asked hopefully. Jonathan pulled his covers tightly up to his chin and rolled onto his side sleepily. "Jonathan!!" Andrew shouted. Jonathan continued to sleep soundly. Andrew wailed and kicked the side of the bed, "I hate you guys!" he shrieked and ran out of the basement, into the yard, and away up the road.

After a few minutes of running Andrew stopped short and doubled over, gasping for breath. He was muttering breathlessly about hating Warren and Jonathan, when something on the side of the road caught his eye. It was a young woman. She was lying on the sidewalk, apparently sound asleep. Andrew straightened, and narrowing his eyes, walked over to the figure by the side of the road. "Hello?" he ventured, already knowing that he'd get no response. Looking further up the road, Andrew noticed several more motionless forms littering the sidewalk. Huh, he thought, So *everyone's* asleep? For a moment, Andrew's breath caught in his throat. Something unearthly tugged at his heart, like someone was calling him home- urging him to keep moving. Slightly puzzled, Andrew shrugged and gave in, continuing his trek down the road.

* * * * *

After staring at it for a minute, Andrew raised his hand to knock on the door before him, but then thought better of it. He turned the doorknob, pushed the door open, and stepped inside. He looked around curiously, quickly taking in his surroundings. "So this is the slayer's house," he said, nodding appreciatively, "Nice." Andrew pushed the door closed behind him. Something strange, and no doubt magical, was going on. It was keeping everyone asleep, and it had somehow drawn Andrew here.

On impulse, Andrew turned left and walked into the living room. There, in the middle of the floor, was Xander Harris, lying flat on his back. Andrew tapped Xander's side with the tip of his shoe, and then after glancing nervously around he administered a sharp little kick. Xander remained out cold on the floor, but he frowned in his sleep and made a slightly pained noise. Andrew wrinkled his nose guiltily and knelt down beside the other man, "Sorry," he offered. Looking around the room, Andrew narrowed his eyes. There were large extinguished candles arranged in a circle around Xander, and clutched in the man's left hand was a large antique looking book. "What have we here..." Andrew reached over the sleeping man and yanked the book from his hand, wondering idly if he'd found the source of Sunnydale's sudden somnolence. Looking carefully over the text in front of him, Andrew squinted in concentration and read the title of the spell Xander had obviously been trying to cast, "Find your true love." Andrew frowned, How could making everyone in your town fall asleep help you find your true love? he pondered. Reading on, his question was answered. 'This spell will send all but your true love into a deep, but harmless sleep,' the text explained, 'Your true love will be drawn to you, and the sleeping spell will be lifted upon true love's kiss'. Andrew frowned, "So Xander's true love is awake out there somewhere, being *drawn* here?" Andrew stood up, dropping the book on the floor next to Xander, "I should leave before she gets here," he said aloud, "That could be-," Andrew cut himself off, "Wait a minute," he frowned, "If only Xander's true love is immune to the spell, then why am I awake?" Andrew thought about how he'd been drawn to this house and then to Xander's side, and how it was painfully obvious that he was the only one awake. Andrew sank back to his knees beside Xander, "Aw crap," he whined, cradling his face in his hands.

* * * * *

Andrew paced the length of Buffy's kitchen as he had been for the last twenty minutes. How is this possible? he thought, Maybe Xander did the spell wrong. Andrew left the kitchen and peered back into the living room, where Xander was still sleeping flat on his back. He'd read over the spell before seeking solace in the kitchen, and it was grade-school simple- there was no way Xander could have messed it up. Andrew whimpered, "Why couldn't some pretty, young, *girl* be my true love?" he demanded.

Somewhere in the back of Andrew's mind, a voice he usually tried to ignore cleared its throat, Uh, you know why not, Andrew, it said.

Andrew frowned, "Shut up, subconscious," he hissed.

Oh, come on, the voice continued, Your favorite captain is *Archer*, and we both know that choice has nothing to do with his leadership skills.

"Shut up, shut up, shut up," Andrew hissed, and smacked his forehead lightly with the heel of his hand, "I- like- girls," he demanded.

Sure, the voice said, So then... why are you Xander's true love?

Andrew pouted, "Because the world hates me?" he ventured.

The voice chuckled, The world doesn't hate you, Andrew, it said, It just knows something that you're not ready to admit yet.

"You're crazy," Andrew sulked.

Hey, the voice said, You're the one talking to himself.

It was a good point. Andrew narrowed his eyes at Xander's sleeping form on the floor. He tiptoed into the living room and sat down, cross-legged, next to Xander. "It has to be a mistake. Xander's *real* true love is wandering around town right now, looking for him," he said, and picked up the spell book again. "The sleeping spell will be lifted upon true love's kiss," Andrew read aloud. "So..." he mused, "All I'd have to do is kiss him, and when he doesn't wake up, I'll know that I'm not Xander's true love." Andrew picked up Xander's nearest hand and gave it a quick kiss. Nothing happened. "There," he said smugly, "That proves it."

Andrew's interior monologue cleared it's throat again.

"What now?" Andrew hissed.

The spell says 'true love's kiss', it said, I don't think a peck on the hand qualifies as True Love's Kiss.

Andrew rolled his eyes, and looked over at Xander's sleeping face. Long, dark lashes to match loosely curling chocolate brown hair. Smooth, perfect skin. Full, supple lips... Andrew shrugged and leaned in, pressing his mouth against Xander's. An electric thrill shot through Andrew's body and he pulled back abruptly. He'd never felt anything like that before, it was like... like music drumming through his veins, bursting out of his pores and dancing on every inch of his skin. When Xander didn't stir, Andrew pouted.

Well what do you know, his subconscious said, I guess you *were* right... I hope you're not too disappointed-,

"Shut up, subconscious," Andrew hissed, and quick as a flash, he'd straddled Xander's hips and was pressing their lips together for all he was worth. He teased the other man's lips apart nimbly with his tongue to trace a line against tooth and gum, and when he felt another tongue flicker against his, Andrew hissed in appreciation. Soon Xander's lips had stirred to life as well and had joined Andrew's with building excitement. It wasn't until Andrew felt Xander's arms slide up to encircle his waist that he realised what was happening.

Xander was awake.

Xander was awake because Andrew was his true love. Andrew's inner voice cleared its throat and whispered an 'I told you so', but Andrew was too lost in Xander to hear or care. Every part of Xander- his taste, his scent, the texture of his skin- was love itself. Xander ran a hand up from Andrew's waist to his chest, and Andrew gasped, "Xander..."

The kiss ended abruptly. Xander's eyes snapped open, and he squirmed out from underneath Andrew, "You're not Anya," he said slowly, narrowing his eyes.

Andrew frowned, and sat back, "No, um," he started and extended a hand, "Hi, I'm Andrew."

"Xander," Xander offered, and then raised his eyebrows, "And you were kissing me *why*?"

"Because," Andrew ventured, "I'm your true love?"

"No, no, no," Xander shook his head emphatically, "*Anya*. Anya is supposed to be my true love."

Crossing his arms over his chest, Andrew quirked an eyebrow, "If Anya's your true love, then why isn't *she* here?"

"But," Xander pleaded, "We're getting married... she's the one, I... just know it."

Andrew cocked his head to the side, "If you were so sure then why did you have to do the spell?"

Xander fidgeted, "Because I..." he narrowed his eyes at Andrew, "I don't even know you, *and*, you're a *guy*. I'm... not... gay."

"That's what I thought too," Andrew shrugged, "But then..." he sighed and touched a finger briefly to his lips, "Didn't you feel it?"

Xander frowned, "Feel what?"

Andrew crawled across the floor until he was in front of Xander again. Raising his hand, Andrew ran a finger over Xander's lips. Xander closed his eyes again as a shiver ran throughout his entire body. "That," Andrew said simply, letting his hand fall back to the floor.

Xander opened his eyes again to look at Andrew thoughtfully. He'd never seen this man before in his life, and yet somehow... Xander leaned forward and caught Andrew's mouth up in a kiss. It was infinitely too short and sweet, but nonetheless it sent a thrill through both of their bodies directly to their hearts. Xander leaned back, and took Andrew's hands in his, "I wouldn't be going out on a limb to say that this is kinda weird, would I?" he asked. Andrew giggled. It was a silver tinkling laugh, a simple little thing, and Xander wondered at its ability to make his heart flip-flop in his chest. They sat for a moment like that, hands clasped and staring into each other's eyes, hearts beating madly.

Andrew glanced down, noting how perfectly their fingers intertwined, like so many threads woven into a piece of cloth. He wondered if it was that simple. True love, a part of a whole, each a perfect compliment to the other. Maybe the voice in his head was right and the world didn't hate him after all. "So..." Andrew asked hesitantly, looking back up into Xander's eyes, "What happens now?"

Xander smiled, "We live happily ever after."

The end.