Title: Hugging you.
Disclaimer: The characters still aren't mine. If they were you wouldn't have to read this, but actually see this on tv.
Note: This is number eight in the 'Losing you' series. It takes place three weeks after the last installment, which was 'Helping you.'
Hugging youDawn Summers walked into the livingroom, noticing her sister Buffy on the phone. Laughing, clearly having a good time.
"Of course you can come over, you don't have to ask."
Apparantly the person on the other end of the line said something even funnier, cause her sister laughed again.
"I really gotta go now, I'll see you tonight, ok? Bye."
The smile on her face as she hung up was radiant, it had been for some time now. But somehow neither her or Xander seemed to notice that. It was really starting to bug Dawn, she just knew there was something between them and that they both realised it too, but both were to stubborn and afraid to acknowledge that fact. It was time that she took some action, because at this rate these two weren't getting anywhere.
"Let me guess, that was Xander."
Buffy contained a sigh, she really didn't need Dawn bringing up the subject of Xander yet again. Things were complicated enough without her sister playing matchmaker all the time. Yes, she knew that Xander was becoming very important to her. And yes, she was aware of the fact that lately he had also become damn attractive to her. Was she ready to admit those facts out loud? Not in the least.
"Why do you ask?"
Dawn looked very innocent.
"No particular reason."
Buffy walked into the kitchen.
"Good."
Of course her little sister followed her.
"Are you ever going to tell him that you like him?"
Here it was again, time to play the part of 'deny everyting' Buffy.
"I do not like him Dawn. At least not in the way you seem to think I do. He's my best friend. You could almost say that he's my Will and I'm his Grace."
Buffy congratulated herself with a nice safe, while Dawn just rolled her eyes at the stupidity of her sister.
"First of all, you are such a liar. Second, Xander isn't gay, and I've never seen Grace check out Will's ass."
Buffy blushed, wich gave Dawn the convidence to continue.
"Also, I knew that you were just going to deny again. So, I've gathered some hard evidence."
The slayer wasn't to impressed.
"Did you force Xander to sign a declaration of his undying love for me?"
Dawn laughed.
"Oh please, to easy. No, I've made a list."
Buffy raised her eyebrows.
"A list?"
Dawn nodded, proudly.
"Yeah, a list. I've studied you guys over the last two weeks and I have the results right here in my hand."
Buffy was now using sarcasm.
"How exciting."
"You have no idea, sis. No idea."
Dawn was getting ready to announce the results of her research when she noticed her sister walking away from her.
"I don't have time for this Dawn."
In an ultimate attempt to make her sister stay, Dawn went for the big guns.
"Did you know that you and Xander hugged twenty five times in the past two weeks. Well, in my presence that is. He has hugged my and Willow both three times in the same amount of time. Coincidence, I think not."
It worked, her sister stopped and turned around again. Blushing, she was really getting good at that.
"We like to hug. There is nothing wrong with best friends who hug. Will and Grace hug."
Dawn was getting impatient.
"Would you stop with that Will and Grace comparison. You guys are nowhere near as funny and even they don't hug that much. In fact, the whole cast of Full House didn't hug that much."
Buffy crossed her arms.
"So what if we hug a lot. We only hug when it's important."
Dawn laughed, loudly.
"Sure you do. Februari 19th , Xander and Buffy hug. He has just given her the remote control. They hug again, thirty minutes later when Buffy gets up to get him a snack. They also hug when she returnes with the snack. Do you need me to continue?"
Her sister still wasn't convinced.
"That was one night, we were just very friendly and civilised there."
Dawn grabbed her list again.
"You guys have also hugged because he walked into the house, or because he lend you his car. And for the record, that fact alone proves that you're not just his best friend. He has seen you drive and decided to lend you his car anyway. He either has very good insurance or he is smitten with you."
Buffy was actually defended now.
"What is it with you people and my driving skills...Speed limits are made to be broken, there is no fun in doing what's right all the time.."
"Whatever, getting back on topic. You guys hugged because you made him pancakes, because he fixed our washing machine, because he told you that your hair looked really good that day and because you told him he was wearing a shirt that showed of his arms. The list is endless."
"I still don't see what the big deal is. Xander likes to hug, that's not my fault."
Dawn didn't back of.
"I knew you would say that. So, I tested him myself. I gave him the remote control, he said thanks. I brought him a snack, he called me sweet. I told him that his shirt really showed of his arms and then he asked me if everything was going ok between me and Jarrod. He did not hug me, not one time. Care to explain that?"
Buffy wished she could, but she wouldn't give up just yet.
"Look, it's not my fault that he doesn't hug you. Maybe he just doesn't like you that much..."
She heard herself say it and realised that she had sunken very low in her really weak defense.The glare that Dawn gave her showed her that her little sister felt exactly the same way.
"Oh, please Buff, that's your defense? He never hugs me because he doesn't like me? This is the guy who dragged me out of the mall when he first saw me with Jarrod and then later told my boyfriend that he would kill him if he hurt me. He stayed with me during the summer that you were dead and let me cry for hours, just holding me. Sorry sis, but I'm not falling for that one."
There was a crack in Buffy's defense.
"I didn't expect you too, I was running out of options."
Dawn smirked, knowing that she had finally made a small hole in the defense of her sister. Meanwhile, Buffy felt no such joy.
"What do you want from me, Dawn?"
She shrugged.
"Nothing, I want you to be happy, and I want you to consider the guy who makes you smile like you haven't done in years. Who holds you because he wants to. Xander could be it, Buffy. I just want you to give him a chance, that's all. If you don't take the first step now, you might never take it. You're gonna regret that. Think about it."
She left the kitchen, leaving Buffy to wonder when her little sister had become this wise, beautiful, young woman.
Several hours later Dawn saw Xander pulling up in the driveway. Racing down the stairs she managed to get outside before Buffy could see her. Therefore the first thing Xander saw when he got out of his car was Dawn.
"Hey Xander."
He groaned.
"Are you gonna shove that list into my face again? Haven't you tortured me enough last night?"
She rolled her eyes.
"Of course not, how could you think that? I'm just getting started."
Actual fear was seen on his face.
"For the last time, me hugging Buffy a lot means aboslutely nothing. We are..."
She interrupted.
"Don't you dare to deny again, mister. It's no use. You admitted that there was something going on between you guys. I heard it myself, you said it last night."
She paused to look at her list.
"At 10.30"
Xander was getting a bit desperate.
"Ok, so I admitted it, after three hours of you shoving that list in my face. That doesn't mean that I'm ready to act on it. Could you just let it drop, please? Give us time to sort this out."
Dawn wouldn't hear it.
"How much time do you need Xander? Are you going to wait until she meets someone else? Or maybe you're going to wait until she old enough to apply for a retirement home? Why won't you just take the first step?"
He shook his head.
"It's not that simple."
She sighed.
"Fine, but could you just tell me this. What are you so afraid of?"
Seeing the blank expression on his face, she nodded.
"Just what I thought. You guys are so busy being afraid that you forgot what you're afraid of."
Going inside she left him standing there, while Xander wondered when Dawn had stopped being the little girl who needed his advice and protection and had started to become his friend. His very mature friend.
Sighing, he decided that he couldn't stand outside all night, so he went into the house. Noticing Buffy sitting on the couch, smiling once she spotted him. Not able to resist he walked over and gave her a hug. She didn't seem to mind. Letting go of her they both saw Dawn making a note on her list. Seeing the glare they both gave her, she practicially raced up the stairs.
Plopping down on the couch, he looked at his best friend.
"Has Dawn been talking to you lately?"
She studied her feet.
"Has she been talking to you?"
He shrugged.
"She might have."
She still didn't look up.
"She might have talked to me too."
"Good, that's good."
"Yeah, real good."
There was an uncomfortable silence, until Buffy broke it. Still not looking at him.
"Wanna watch some tv?"
"Yeah sure."
The next hour was spent watcing tv, in silence. With neither of them looking at each other. Until Xander couldn't stand it anymore.
"Look, maybe I should just go. It's late."
She just nodded and he got up to get his coat. She followed him to the door and for a minute they both stood there. Until Xander reached down to hold her. She immediately wrapped her arms around his waist and burried her face in his shirt. Content to just let him hold her. It took a while for them to speak, and when she did he wasn't sure she had spoken at all.
"I like it when you hug me."
It was just a whisper, but she could feel him nod and just knew that he understood the hidden meaning. Looking up at him she smiled and he brushed some hair out of her face.
"And I like it when you smile at me like that."
Nodding, she rested her head on his chest again, until Xander reluctanly let go of her.
"See you tomorrow?"
She repeated it.
"Yeah, I'll see you tomorrow."
Turning around he gave her one last smile before he closed the door behind him. Thinking about what had just happened, he started to walk to his car when he heard something.
"Xander! Xander! How did it go?"
Looking up, he saw Dawn leaning out of her bedroom window. He gave her the thumbs up.
"I think we just took the first step..."
The smile she gave him was almost as beautiful as her sister's. And when he got into his car he could still hear her response.
"It's about damn time!"
tbc...