Title: Ha Ha I Won.

Rating: PG (kissing)

Summary: A short funny fic. B/X (of course), set years after "Chosen." Also set after Angel's end (statements based upon one of Angel's writers saying season six, if made, would be 'MadMax-ian'). FLUFFY as hell! I don't know what got into me, but read at your own risk.

Author's Note: Thanks to my beta, Vessy, as always.

Buffy hit Xander in the stomach. He was turning blue and could barely stand on his own two feet. She hit him again and finally the piece of bread flew from his mouth and hit the wall on the far side of the room. Buffy held some of his weight while she was still behind him, arms wrapped around, and he was trying to recuperate.

"Thanks Buff," he said in a raspy voice as he sat down at the table again and drank down the rest of his water.

"No problem, it's what I do. But you know now you owe me," she said with a smile on her face.

"I think you have that backwards." Xander pushed his plate away and threw his napkin atop it.

Buffy laughed in disbelief, "Really?"

"I saved your life five times. If we want to call this thing even you owe me four." He got up and went to the kitchen to both get another glass of water and to hide the smile on his face.

"And how do you come up with that number?" She was still teasing, but she was getting very close to making this a serious subject. Meaning, if Xander didn't want to get into a fight he'd have to keep this as light as possible.

"First, I gave you C.P.R. after the Master killed you. Second, I saved you from those fish guys having their way with you. Third... well I can't tell you about third, it's a secret. Fourth bringing you back from the dead, it may have been wrong, but it serves the purpose of this exercise. And fifth, when you were shot, who called the cops? But don't be overwhelmed by this list of amazing bravery, you can pay me back easily."

Buffy was trying to be as stoic as possible, but it was impossible when those things came out of Xander's mouth. They were both in the kitchen, Xander's glass of water in-between them.

"How am I supposed to do that?" she asked with the best straight face.

Xander waggled his eyebrows suggestively and Buffy snorted, "I thought you were over-"

"I am. How's Spike doing in L.A.?" Xander gave her one of his patent half smiles and she couldn't help but smile back.

"So Willow finally turned you gay?"

"Yup. Now do you think he likes me, or does he like me like me?"

"I'm sorry if I'm a bit suspicious," she said watching him do all of his over acting.

"You're just going to have to trust me. I like them boys."

"We could always test you, make sure you're telling the truth."

Xander took a sip of water then put it on the counter, giving himself time to find a comeback.

"I have a phobia about kissing boys in public, or around anyone, even alone but with a camera can't do it." He smiled, thinking he won this part of the game.

Buffy thought about it for a moment, then smiled, knowing what to do.

She stood on her tip toes and kissed Xander. He allowed it for the first second, but he soon pushed her gently away.

She looked up at him and his eye looked back at her with confusion, even a little worry. She didn't really know why she picked then to kiss him, or why it was Xander she wanted to kiss, the teasing game gave her an excuse to do it and she went right into it. It felt good, thinking of Xander in that way felt right.

As if it were the one thing that was missing from their friendship.

She was so nervous on the inside, but she couldn't let it show, she smiled broadly, and put her hand on his cheek, "no joke. Xand," she said softly then she went for his mouth again.

This time his lips moved with hers, cautiously at first, as if asking if it were okay for him to be doing this with her, then he kissed her passionately.

Once they broke apart Buffy grinned from ear to ear, "I guess you're not gay."

"Why?" Xander, for the first time in a long time was not in the mood for jokes. Kissing Buffy was something he had wanted to do for a long time, and for that kiss he allowed himself to do it without feeling any kind of regret. He had wanted to for so long, if she was going to allow him once, then he'd take it.

Buffy's smile fell, she really did not feel like being serious right now, but she knew he needed to know.

"Because you're Xander. Because you're my hero. Because I hated it when you moved to Africa, and I could never understand why. And because I really hate that you're leaving again." Buffy tried to make her voice sound as even as possible, she wanted him to know this was what she really felt.

"All you had to do was ask me to stay."

She was about to say something when he held his hand up, asking for her to let him finish.

"Buff, you've broken my heart a hundred times over," Xander gave a small, sad half smile, "I know most of them you had no control over. But, don't do this. Not to me, not after we've been through so much."

"Xander, you're an idiot," Buffy fumed.

"Sorry if I find it hard to believe that you of all people want to be with me," Xander tried to keep as calm as he could.

"You're the best person I know, you're my best friend, I love you. What's so difficult?"

"Nine years." His voice seemed to crack, he definitely was trying to hold it together.

"I'm not who I was then, we both aren't. As much as I love the Xander that bumped into me, he's gone and not coming back. You, the Xander that in some way by screwing every part of his life and career up, found answers I haven't found yet; that's the Xander I love now. The Xander I think I'm in love with."

Xander gave her a small smile, something she was really happy to see from him, then said, "You forgot to say that I'm sexy."

Buffy nodded in faux seriousness, "Very."

He pointed to his eye patch, "And the patch makes me ruggedly handsome, drives all the little slayers wild."

"What do you think we talk about when you're in Africa?"

"Insulting Angel right now going too far?"

"A little."

"How 'bout a postcard to L.A. that just reads 'na-na-na na na'?"

"I don't think they have mail anymore in L.A., considering it's in the throws of anarchy."

"What about Spike?"

"Considering he's fighting with Angel..."

"You ruin all my fun."

"That's my job. Besides, doesn't this news give you another emotion than 'haha, I won'?"

"Yes, but I'm very nervous about that. So, I'm going to be joking with you for at least thirty more minutes."

Buffy laughed, "I've got time."