Title: Forgiving you
Disclaimer: None of the characters used are mine.
Note: this is the sixth installment in the 'Losing you' series. It takes place a couple of weeks after the fifth installement, 'Needing you.' This storyidea wouldn't go out of my head and I just had to write it as part of these series. Next installment will have a bigger focus on the Xander/Buffy relationship again.
Forgiving you
Dawn Summers stormed into her house, slamming the door behind her and racing up the stairs. She was followed by Xander a couple of seconds later, who was holding his nose because of the fact that he had run into the door. He also ran up the stairs, following Dawn. Meanwhile, Buffy and Willow sat on the couch. Wondering what the hell was going on. Upstairs they heard Dawn slam the door of her room. The next thing they heard was Xander.
"Dawn, Dawnie? C'mon, let me explain! Please let me in... Dawn?"
There was a silence, until they heard her scream.
"Go away Xander! Leave me alone."
He tried again.
"But Dawn..."
"LEAVE ME ALONE!!"
Seconds later a defeated looking Xander made his way down the stairs. Facing his two best friends, who were both pointing their finger at him.
"Alexander Lavelle Harris, what the hell have you done to my little sister?"
The mention of his middle name made him look at Willow.
"You promised you would never, ever, tell her my middle name!!"
The readhead witch looked unimpressed.
"I lied, what did you do to her?"
He sighed, slumping down on the couch.
"Nothing, really, nothing."
Buffy sat down next to him.
"So you are telling me that Dawn slammed the door in your face, and won't talk to you, because you did nothing."
His looked up with a doubtful expression.
"Yes?"
Willow rolled her eyes.
"Spill it Xander, tell us what you did."
He got up from the couch.
"I didn't hurt her, I only defended her."
Buffy raised her eyebrows.
"Defended her?"
"Yeah, you see I was walking through the mall, because I wanted a new pair of jeans, and then I saw Dawn. Only she wasn't alone, she was with some guy and he was kissing her..."
Buffy groaned.
"I don't even wanna know what you did next."
He looked hurt by her comment.
"Hey! I only did what I had to do. I walked over to them and..."
Willow looked hopeful.
"Introduced yourself and asked who Dawn's new boyfriend was?"
He looked at her like she was crazy.
"No!! I shoved that guy away from her."
Both of the girls just shook their heads, so he continued.
"What? I had to, he was all over Dawnie!"
Buffy got up, looking at her best friend.
"Xander, Dawn is sixteen, she doesn't need you going al 'Tarzan' on her when she's kissing a guy at the mall."
Willow walked over to the stairs.
"I'll go up and talk to her, maybe I can get her to talk to you again. But no promises."
Buffy stopped her.
"She's my sister Will, let me try."
The witch laughed.
"No offence Buff, but I think I know a lot more about being an awkward teenager."
She sighed.
"Ok, point taken."
Turning around she saw her best friend sitting on the couch, looking like he still didn't know what had happened.
"What did you do after you shoved that guy away?"
"I took her by the arm and dragged her out of the mall, brought her here."
Buffy stiffled a laugh.
"You dragged her out of the mall?"
He looked up, at bit annoyed.
"Yes."
"Really dragged?"
"Yes."
By now she was officialy laughing.
"Oh boy, she's never going to talk to you again, even if Willow is offering her gold right now."
Crossing his arms, he still tried to defend himself.
"First of all, this isn't funny. Second, I only did what I did to protect her."
Buffy couldn't believe how stupid males could be sometimes.
"Xander, I'm gonna tell you this one more time. She's sixteen, there is nothing wrong with her kissing a guy. Do you remember what it was like to be sixteen?"
He got a triumphant look in his eyes.
"Yes, I remember, and we never did anything like that. We killed vampires, released demons on the internet and I almost lost my head to a big buglady....But we never kissed at the mall."
"Maybe not, but we thought about it all the time. Willow was thinking about kissing you, you were thinking about kissing me and I was thinking about kissing..."
He interrupted.
"The undead population?"
She ignored his comment.
"The point is, that we were all about kissing. And you, 'oh defender of Dawn's virtue', did more then that. You were groping in broomclosets!"
He got a smile on his face.
"Yeah, those were good times... And do I need to remind you of Angel? You were way ahead of me."
Sitting next to him on the couch again, she interrupted his trip down memory lane.
"So, we were allowed to do all of these things, but Dawn isn't?"
"Yes! Now you get it."
She gave him a look and he sighed.
"No, you're right. I acted like an idiot. It's just....she's Dawn, you know?"
She smiled.
"Yeah, I know. But she's not the same girl who had a crush on you anymore. She's growing up and...."
"She doesn't need me making an ass out of myself in front of her boyfriends?"
"No, she doesn't. She just needs you to be her friend."
He shook his head, beginning to laugh.
"You wanna know what's sad. I was really proud of myself. I thought I was damn manly today. Shoving that guy away and all."
She started to crack up to.
"Yeah, congratulations! You are a big constructionworker and you defeated a sixteen year old kid today."
He laughed harder.
"That's me, Xander Harris, king of all the sixteen your old males in the country. Bring it on, I'll defeat them all!"
She grinned.
"You're such an idiot sometimes."
He gave her a slow, somewhat sexy smile.
"But you still love me, right?"
Her answer was very serious.
"Yes, I still love you. But only because you never dragged me out of a mall before."
Thinking of Dawn, he wondered what to do.
"What do you think, should I go up there and try to talk to Dawn again?"
She thought about it.
"Nah, that will give her all the power. I mean, yeah, you were an idiot... But Dawn could take advantage of that for a very long time. Don't fall into that trap, just say you're sorry once she'll talk to you again, and leave it at that."
"But she will forgive me, right?"
"Of course she will, you're Xander. She'll won't stay mad forever."
He looked content after that and she smiled, taking his hand in hers.
"I know this may sound silly, considering the fact that you were wrong tonight, but....I just wanted to thank you."
He raised his eyebrows.
"For what?"
"For caring enough about my little sister to act like a total jerk. It's nice to know that you're looking out for her. You just need to know when to stop."
He touched his nose.
"I think I know now."
They were interrupted by Willow and Dawn making their way down the stairs. The younger Summers sister looked directly at Xander.
"I've decided to forgive you."
He looked confused.
"Ok. That was kind of sudden."
She continued.
"But, I do have a few conditions."
He nodded.
"I knew this was too easy...."
"First of all, you never, and I mean never, pull something like this again. I want you to promise me."
He got up and carefully walked over to her, giving her his best lopsided grin.
"I promise. I will never do anything like this again."
She somewhat melted by his smile, but braced herself and continued.
"Second, you are going to make this up to me. I want you to apologize to Jarrod."
He nodded.
"I'll do that, I'll apologize to Jarrod... Who's Jarrod?"
"Jarrod is my new boyfriend. At least I hope he still is. He might never speak to me again now that he's met you."
He brushed some hair out of her face.
"I think it will work out. Give yourself a little more credit."
She gave him a look.
"You're not out of the doghouse yet, mister... Compliments will get you nowhere."
By now he gave her his absolute best smile.
"And what about the truth, will that get me anywhere?"
She actually blushed a little.
"Stop that. You're not playing fair."
He backed off a little.
"And when will I be able to tell this Jarrod that I'm sorry?"
She looked at her older sister.
"He'll come by tomorrow night, if that's ok with you."
Her grin was almost evil.
"Fine by me, I want to see Xander apologize to a sixteen year old."
Dawn nodded.
"Ok, I'll go call him right now. You guys are so going to love him!"
She practically raced up the stairs, leaving the Scoobies behind. Willow looked at her friends.
"Does anybody else feel old all of a sudden?"
They both raised their hands. The witch looked relieved.
"Oh good, it's not just me then. Do you guys mind if I go up to take a bath?"
Xander grinned.
"Need some company?"
"Still gay, Harris... Still gay."
He snorted.
"You used to take baths with me all the time, Rosenberg. And it's not my fault that I'm not a woman."
She just grinned before she walked up the stairs. Xander reached for his jacket.
"Well, I guess I'll go home and take a bath all by my lonesome then."
"Need some company?"
He shook his head.
"Don't think that's such a good idea, Buff."
She grinned.
"You couldn't handle it, huh?"
He turned around, a big smile on his face.
"No, you couldn't handle it. I've been told that I'm quite attractive without my clothes on, you would go crazy with lust."
"Get over yourself Harris."
He gave her another sexy smile before he closed the door behind him. But she could still hear him behind the door.
"I will Summers, once you get over me..."
Tbc...