Spring came upon Sunnydale high in a flurry. Students prepared for end of year exams ( much to the delight of Willow and the dread of everyone else ), the summer holidays were eagerly anticipated, and the annual spring fling dance was coming around. There was also that nasty incident with the invisible girl Marcy. Though luckily it wasn't as bad as it could have been...
*******
"Can anyone say 'Gulp'?" The only reply Xander got was a short yet very identifiable giggle and the slamming of the metal door.
"Really should have seen this coming huh Xander?" Willow replied casually even as the sound of gas was beginning to be heard. Giles rushed over to the boiler, handkerchief already coming up to cover his mouth.
"She's snubbed out the pilot light" He stated worriedly. Xander casually pulled out his silver lighter and tossed it to Giles.
"Light it up than" he told him as Giles gave him a surprised look.
"But the gas..."
"It's only a 30 seconds worth in a large room. We'll be alright if you hurry" Willow interrupted him in a calm manner, clearly not frightened at all. Giles gave a quick nod after looking at her in stunned silence for a moment and lit the pilot light.
Xander and Willow gave a small smirk when flame burst from the pilot light in a little 'whoosh' singeing Giles' knuckles.
"Oh yes, it's all very funny" He said, giving them an irritated look as he gave a small blow on his knuckles.
Xander and Willow just smirked some more before Xander held out his hand absently and caught his lighter as Giles returned it.
"So you wanna do it or me?" Willow asked Xander, motioning towards the door.
"Oh I'll do it. No need you blasting away the entire door when it's only a dead bolt" He told her, absently rolling up a sleeve. His blade extended from his elbow with the same eerie quietness as it usually did. He slowly fed the blade through the gap between the wall and the door, slightly under the deadbolt, and with a quick jerk, lifted his arm and sliced cleanly through it.
He pulled the blade out and waved it at Willow, grinning all the while.
"I love these runes, keeps the bloody thing as sharp as an oxy torch on steroids" He stopped grinning as he saw how Giles was standing stiff as a board as far away from them as he could manage.
"For gods sake! We aint demons you bloody moron! We aren't gonna cut you up into little bite sized portions." It seemed that fear for his life was able to bend the rules Xander had imprinted on him ever so slightly.
"W-what are you than?" Giles asked in a rather fearful voice.
"Gods gifted!" Xander told him loudly as he opened the door and strode out. Willow was a couple of steps behind him but she stopped at the doorway to give Giles a pitying look.
"You've just gotta wonder which god now" Willow quickly followed Xander.
"Oh"
*******
Xander strode quickly down Sunnydales halls, fully intent on finding something and killing it. Most of the students in the hall for lunch seemed to sense this and stayed out of his way. He could feel Willow following and knew she'd catch up but he wasn't in the mood to slow down right know. He needed to work off some anger.
As he approached the library the doors swung open and Angel stepped out. He looked both ways before spotting Xander and heading over to him.
"Xander, have you seen..."
"Fuck off dead boy. I aint in the mood" Xander told him, ever one for telling the vamp the blunt truth, as he brushed past him and headed for the school entrance
Ofcourse, Angel really wasn't one for taking crap from people. He put up with the dead boy crap for Buffys sake, but the boy had taken it a step to far.
"Hey!" Angel grabbed Xander by the shoulder in strong fingers and tried to spin the boy around.
Ofcourse, Xander really wasn't one for taking crap from vamps. He put up with dead boy for Buffys sake, but the blood sucker had taken it a step to far.
He spun slightly with Angels grip and snarled at him while raising a hand to the vamps chest. He gave a really hard shove up and out. It lifted Angel off his feet and heavily into the wall a couple of feet away.
"I said fuck off" Xander turned on his heel and started off again. Angel stood there stunned and just watched him leave. He was still like that as Willow walked up sweetly .
"Sorry about him. He a bit angry about something. What were you after Angel?"
"Ahh oh umm do you know where Giles is?" He asked kinda put off.
Willow pointed down the hall.
"Down the hall, he should be heading back this way in a minute but he's probably still in the school basement."
"Um thanks Willow" Willow just smiled in response.
"See ya later Angel. I'll say hi to Buffy for ya." Willow started off after Xander again.
" See you Willow............... That was weird."
*******
Willow found Xander sitting under a tree in the playground. The destroyed bench close by testament to his frustration and anger over the lasting tension with Giles.
"You wanna talk about it?"
"........... I'm sorry Willow"
"For what?"
"Dragging you into this. Putting you in this position. Were you cant tell anyone. Have to keep hiding what you do" Xanders voice was almost a whisper as he spoke to her.
Willow was silent a moment before she answered.
"You gave me the choice Xander. I chose. It isn't your fault how Giles acts. You shouldn't feel bad about what he thinks about us. We've become better people. We do productive stuff, we save lives." She sat down next to him and put a supportive hand on his arm.
" I just worry some about you Will... I see the fear in his eye's when he looks at us, I know the fear and the hatred when he thinks it. And it hurts me and I cant stand to see it hurt you too. You dont deserve that. We dont deserve that. And I'm thinking thats all we'll get. I love you too much Will, I never wanted you to have to live with this... I'm sorry I ever gave you that choice... I'm sorry that I was selfish enough to offer that to you." There were no tears in Xanders. He hadn't cried since he was five and it would take a lot more than this to make him start. But Willow could hear the sincerity in his voice. The regret. The love.
"Xander, I dont regret what I've become. I'm glad you offered me the choice. I'm pretty sure you dont regret what you've become either" Xander gave a silent shake of his head "I know that if people found out they would fear us. People fear what they dont understand. But you know what? I dont care. I couldn't give a rats ass what other people think. Cause I've got you. And you've got me. And we care for one another. And I really dont need anything else besides that."
Xander looked at Willow and he knew she was right. He stared at her and he didn't need anything else. She was everything. She was all that mattered. And he needed for nothing else.
"How do you make everything so right?" He gave her a small smile.
"It's a gift" She gave him a large happy grin, the tension broken.
Xander smiled right back at her before he slowly cupped her cheek. He held it there for a few moments before leaning in and gently kissing her on the her lips. It was a chaste kiss, just the touching of lips. But it felt... wonderful, just right, perfect.
*******
*******
"Can anyone say 'Gulp'?" The only reply Xander got was a short yet very identifiable giggle and the slamming of the metal door.
"Really should have seen this coming huh Xander?" Willow replied casually even as the sound of gas was beginning to be heard. Giles rushed over to the boiler, handkerchief already coming up to cover his mouth.
"She's snubbed out the pilot light" He stated worriedly. Xander casually pulled out his silver lighter and tossed it to Giles.
"Light it up than" he told him as Giles gave him a surprised look.
"But the gas..."
"It's only a 30 seconds worth in a large room. We'll be alright if you hurry" Willow interrupted him in a calm manner, clearly not frightened at all. Giles gave a quick nod after looking at her in stunned silence for a moment and lit the pilot light.
Xander and Willow gave a small smirk when flame burst from the pilot light in a little 'whoosh' singeing Giles' knuckles.
"Oh yes, it's all very funny" He said, giving them an irritated look as he gave a small blow on his knuckles.
Xander and Willow just smirked some more before Xander held out his hand absently and caught his lighter as Giles returned it.
"So you wanna do it or me?" Willow asked Xander, motioning towards the door.
"Oh I'll do it. No need you blasting away the entire door when it's only a dead bolt" He told her, absently rolling up a sleeve. His blade extended from his elbow with the same eerie quietness as it usually did. He slowly fed the blade through the gap between the wall and the door, slightly under the deadbolt, and with a quick jerk, lifted his arm and sliced cleanly through it.
He pulled the blade out and waved it at Willow, grinning all the while.
"I love these runes, keeps the bloody thing as sharp as an oxy torch on steroids" He stopped grinning as he saw how Giles was standing stiff as a board as far away from them as he could manage.
"For gods sake! We aint demons you bloody moron! We aren't gonna cut you up into little bite sized portions." It seemed that fear for his life was able to bend the rules Xander had imprinted on him ever so slightly.
"W-what are you than?" Giles asked in a rather fearful voice.
"Gods gifted!" Xander told him loudly as he opened the door and strode out. Willow was a couple of steps behind him but she stopped at the doorway to give Giles a pitying look.
"You've just gotta wonder which god now" Willow quickly followed Xander.
"Oh"
*******
Xander strode quickly down Sunnydales halls, fully intent on finding something and killing it. Most of the students in the hall for lunch seemed to sense this and stayed out of his way. He could feel Willow following and knew she'd catch up but he wasn't in the mood to slow down right know. He needed to work off some anger.
As he approached the library the doors swung open and Angel stepped out. He looked both ways before spotting Xander and heading over to him.
"Xander, have you seen..."
"Fuck off dead boy. I aint in the mood" Xander told him, ever one for telling the vamp the blunt truth, as he brushed past him and headed for the school entrance
Ofcourse, Angel really wasn't one for taking crap from people. He put up with the dead boy crap for Buffys sake, but the boy had taken it a step to far.
"Hey!" Angel grabbed Xander by the shoulder in strong fingers and tried to spin the boy around.
Ofcourse, Xander really wasn't one for taking crap from vamps. He put up with dead boy for Buffys sake, but the blood sucker had taken it a step to far.
He spun slightly with Angels grip and snarled at him while raising a hand to the vamps chest. He gave a really hard shove up and out. It lifted Angel off his feet and heavily into the wall a couple of feet away.
"I said fuck off" Xander turned on his heel and started off again. Angel stood there stunned and just watched him leave. He was still like that as Willow walked up sweetly .
"Sorry about him. He a bit angry about something. What were you after Angel?"
"Ahh oh umm do you know where Giles is?" He asked kinda put off.
Willow pointed down the hall.
"Down the hall, he should be heading back this way in a minute but he's probably still in the school basement."
"Um thanks Willow" Willow just smiled in response.
"See ya later Angel. I'll say hi to Buffy for ya." Willow started off after Xander again.
" See you Willow............... That was weird."
*******
Willow found Xander sitting under a tree in the playground. The destroyed bench close by testament to his frustration and anger over the lasting tension with Giles.
"You wanna talk about it?"
"........... I'm sorry Willow"
"For what?"
"Dragging you into this. Putting you in this position. Were you cant tell anyone. Have to keep hiding what you do" Xanders voice was almost a whisper as he spoke to her.
Willow was silent a moment before she answered.
"You gave me the choice Xander. I chose. It isn't your fault how Giles acts. You shouldn't feel bad about what he thinks about us. We've become better people. We do productive stuff, we save lives." She sat down next to him and put a supportive hand on his arm.
" I just worry some about you Will... I see the fear in his eye's when he looks at us, I know the fear and the hatred when he thinks it. And it hurts me and I cant stand to see it hurt you too. You dont deserve that. We dont deserve that. And I'm thinking thats all we'll get. I love you too much Will, I never wanted you to have to live with this... I'm sorry I ever gave you that choice... I'm sorry that I was selfish enough to offer that to you." There were no tears in Xanders. He hadn't cried since he was five and it would take a lot more than this to make him start. But Willow could hear the sincerity in his voice. The regret. The love.
"Xander, I dont regret what I've become. I'm glad you offered me the choice. I'm pretty sure you dont regret what you've become either" Xander gave a silent shake of his head "I know that if people found out they would fear us. People fear what they dont understand. But you know what? I dont care. I couldn't give a rats ass what other people think. Cause I've got you. And you've got me. And we care for one another. And I really dont need anything else besides that."
Xander looked at Willow and he knew she was right. He stared at her and he didn't need anything else. She was everything. She was all that mattered. And he needed for nothing else.
"How do you make everything so right?" He gave her a small smile.
"It's a gift" She gave him a large happy grin, the tension broken.
Xander smiled right back at her before he slowly cupped her cheek. He held it there for a few moments before leaning in and gently kissing her on the her lips. It was a chaste kiss, just the touching of lips. But it felt... wonderful, just right, perfect.
*******