Author's Note: I appreciate all the reviews. It's nice to know that people are reading and enjoying the story.

Chapter 6: Dreams

July 20, 2003

Dawn woke slowly, reality just brushing along the edges of her mind. She stretched languidly, her fluid limbs extending in a graceful ballet of contentment. She felt a slight throbbing low in her body, a lingering effect of the delicious dreams that had made it the second best night she'd had in a long time. A slight blush tinged her cheeks as she thought of the first best night. This was definitely a good way to wake up. Of course, waking up with Xander might have been better if she had been able to wake in his arms. The jumping and bedspread grabbing didn't exactly make for a romantic morning after.

Dawn rolled to her back, hugging her pillow close. Not exactly a good substitute for the weight of Xander's body. Dawn's mind drifted, trying to recapture the feel of him pressing onto her, careful not to crush her. She recalled the feel of his chest flattening her own, her nipples peaked and hard as the feel of his chest hair brought them to attention. Oh, and his mouth, his mouth exploring her body. It would be wonderful to have his mouth on her again.

Dawn heaved a sigh and tossed her pillow across the room. Well, it wasn't going to happen again. Xander hadn't totally freaked, but he definitely wasn't planning a repeat performance. Dawn drug herself from the bed and headed for the shower. Just as well to get started. She wasn't going back to sleep. And wishing for things you can't have is dangerous.

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Xander woke with a gasp. His eye widened as it flashed through his mind again what he had been dreaming. He reached for the other side of the bed. Empty. At least it had been a dream. Dreams he could deal with. He had many dreams about sex. They alternated starring Anya, and the "faceless woman," with Faith and a potential or two, occasionally thrown into the mix. This, though, was the first time he had ever dreamed about Dawn. Hopefully, it was only a dream and not subconscious memories. It had been a long, extremely detailed dream, ending only when he had looked down to see Dawn's mouth closing around his...

*Oh, don't go there. Bad, bad Xander. Do not think about Dawn that way. DO NOT think about Dawn that way. *

Xander collapsed back against his pillow. Hoping for a few more moments of rest, he closed his eye, willing sleep to return. What he got was an immediate flash behind his eyelids of pretty, pink nipples, wet and puckered beneath his hovering mouth. Xander's eye popped back open. *Don't go there! Don't go there!*

He tried again to close his eye. It was just way too early on a Sunday morning to get up. This time his closed eyelids were the screen for a little belly button, a gently placed kiss and a short trip down to...Xander jumped up. There was no way he was going back to sleep now. He needed a shower, a cold one, now.

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Later, Xander wandered into the kitchen to find Dawn on top of a step stool, changing a light bulb in the kitchen. What caught his eye were her legs. Her very long legs. Her place on the stool put the hem of the denim shorts she wore about even with his eye. They weren't indecent. In fact, she had worn them around him before. He was just extremely sensitive to the tug he felt at the sight of them today. His annoyance with himself made his voice sharper than he planned.

"Dawn, I..." He broke off as he watched Dawn turn quickly. She unbalanced and tilted toward him and his arms automatically went up to catch her. The bulbs didn't fair as well. They shattered on the tile floor. He couldn't put her down. She was barefoot and there was no way to know how far the glass had scattered. Xander carried her toward the living room, followed the whole time by a strange sense of de ja vu. Dawn's eyes never left his face. She was making him nervous.

Xander released the arm under her legs and let them drop, his other arm staying to steady her. *I should have set her down further away.* His eye met hers. What was she thinking? It didn't matter. He had to get away from her. He could feel his body tightening, responding to her. *This is Dawn.* He took a big step back.

"I'll...I'll clean up the glass. You need to get some shoes on, in case I miss some."

"Okay." Dawn was just standing, looking at him.

Xander turned abruptly and headed back to the kitchen, anxious to get away from the feelings that had overcome him. *This is so not good.*

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Xander's sharp tone, followed by the look on his face as he carried her, then set her on her feet. What did it mean? He had seemed fine yesterday. Why was today different?

The way she felt as Xander swept her off her feet again. His strong arms beneath her. Her arms around his neck. The slow slide of her body against his as he set her on her feet. The little curl in the pit of her stomach. The emptiness when he walked out of the room. What did they mean?

Dawn took a deep breath, puffing her cheeks out and dropping her head, as she exhaled. Dawn looked at the puckering on the front of her T-shirt. *Oh, go away!* She decided she needed to wait a few minutes before returning to the kitchen.