Title: "Help Wanted"
By: Lexie
Summary: Xander needs a new secretary and Buffy just happens to be
available. Chaos ensues.
Disclaimer: I definitely don't own Buffy. If I did BX would have
happened long long ago and would probably be married by now and there
would have been at least two Xander's in every episode since there's
twins that I could use. Two Xander's is always a good in my book. But
anyways Fox, Mutant Enemy, UPN, and who ever else, owns everything
Buffy related. Not me no matter how much I wish for two Xander's.
Rating: PGish
Category: Humor/Romance

This fic is dedicated to Shawn and Brooke.

A/N: Line break means chaning of POVs and/or scene changes.

"Help Wanted"

Next morning

Buffy closed her bedroom door behind her as she walked
down the hall towards the stairs. She paused briefly
at Xander's door and glanced in at the room from the
doorway. From the empty room and the unmade bed, Buffy
figured that meant that Xander was probably already up
and was downstairs eating breakfast.

She thought back to the day before and their argument
that they shared in the kitchen. She wasn't even
exactly sure what the argument was all about, but
nonetheless she felt a little bit guilty about it. She
knew Xander had made some pot shots about her skills
as his personal assistant and that was what originally
started the whole ordeal. Really though, the male
Scooby was grumpy all yesterday afternoon and it just
happened to boil over that evening in the kitchen.

Buffy knew why Xander had been grumpy all after noon
and it had nothing to do with her typing skills. Okay,
maybe her typing skills hadn't really helped his
situation out, but it wasn't the sole reason for why
he was stressing out over everything. Lately, Xander
had been driving himself crazy with the pressures of
work. Buffy also knew how important this construction
project was to not only the company but also for
Xander's career as a project manger. Xander had told
her about how the big wheels of the company were
keeping a close eye on this project. So close that he
felt they were looking over his shoulder every time he
did anything. So Xander was working over time in the
stressing out department. He personally made sure
everything was going perfect. He was double-checking
over every little detail. Sometimes he was staying up
all hours of the night to draw up plans or to go over
previous plans. He inspected every inch of the site
and initialed off on every form made on the
construction of the new mall. Xander was well on the
way to giving himself an ulcer. So it was really no
wonder that Xander was snappy yesterday.

Buffy yawned as she stepped off the last step and
headed towards the kitchen. She had stayed awake
thinking about Xander and their argument for most of
the night. At first she was mad and frustrated over it
all. She had even gone to bed early because she didn't
want to have to go down and face him just yet. But
after lying there wide awake for hours she had had
time to think over everything. And that's when the
guilt trip had set in and the worrying of Xander
stressing out too much over work. So it was another
sleepless night in Sunnydale for this slayer.

Buffy stopped at the doorway of the kitchen and looked
at the sight before her. There sat Xander Harris on a
stool in the middle of island in the kitchen. Buffy
took in his appearance. He was still wearing some gray
sweat pants and an old Sunnydale high school shirt.
His hair was going every which away as if he had just
stepped out of bed himself. He was propping his head
up by one arm while he looked down into what looked
like a bowl of Cocoa Puffs. The expression on his
face made him look like he was still half asleep.
Looks like Buffy wasn't the only one who lost some
shut eye over their confrontation. Buffy sighed at the
sight of a lost looking Xander looking down into his
bowl.

Upon hearing her sigh Xander looked up at her in
doorway. Their eyes connected immediately. How could
Buffy stay mad at a scruffy looking Xander? She
could never stay mad at Xander for very long,
especially when he looked at her like he was now. From
his wild hair and scruffy appearance to his tired
curious look on his face. She realized that he was
waiting for her. Waiting for her because he felt just
as bad about the little fight as she did. This fight
was in no way as big as some of their other fights in
the past, but still they both lost sleep over them now.
Buffy couldn't help the small smile that formed on her
face when standing there looking at Xander.

Xander just stared at Buffy. When he first looked up
and saw her there he thought for maybe a spilt second
his heart had stopped and his breath had got caught in
his throat. Buffy was just standing there looking at
him. She was doing that half smile thing which always
caused the heart stopping, breath-catching reaction
for him; but add to the fact that she still had her
rubber ducky PJs on and her hair was slightly messy,
which some how always made her look that much more
beautiful, and Xander was pretty sure he had lost the
ability to blink.

Xander watched her as she said nothing but headed over
to the coffee maker and pored herself a cup. She
looked just as exhausted as he was. Did that mean she
had stayed awake all night thinking about their
argument like he had? Xander felt a pang of guilt for
making her loose sleep over his out burst of
frustrations. Buffy wasn't the problem at work. Sure
she wasn't the best secretary in the world in fact she
might be in the running in worst secretary category.
However, even though she might drive him a little
crazy with her skills or lack of, he still enjoyed
every minute of her being there. It was almost like
the old days. Back when the Scooby's hung out in the
library researching the latest monster of the week. A
time in which the world still seemed innocent barring
the vampires, demons, apocalypses, prophesies, and
curses of course.

When Buffy wasn't trying to burn down the office they
were laughing and joking around. They talked a lot
about everything. From how much they missed Willow and
Giles to how come when commercials come on TV they
always seemed to be two times louder than the show that
they were originally watching. Buffy sometimes even
made them both lunches and did what she said she would
and put them in little brown papers bags with their
names doodled all over them. Xander of course had to
hide the decorated bag from his other co-workers
because seeing his name in bubble letters with little
hearts and balloons on it was never good for
maintaining his authoritive control. When Buffy made
their lunches they always ended up trading sandwiches
and eating each other's chips. Buffy even knew to put
an extra Twinkie in his bag, which Xander would always
split in half, and share with Buffy. She had to feel
special for that because Xander didn't just do that
for anyone.

Sometimes they would talk and they would surprise
each other with facts about themselves that the other
did not know. One day Buffy accidentally let it slip
about her secret fascination in the show Babylon 5.
Xander was shocked and ecstatic upon hearing that news
since it was one of his favorite shows of all time. Of
course, Buffy threatened that if he ever told anyone,
especially Andrew, of her little secret obsession of
the show, she would be sure to slay him in such a way
that they would write about it for years to come in
the watcher books. Xander had gulped and pinky swore
he would never utter a single word about her little
secrete to anyone. And then they had a rousing
discussion on one of Xander's favorite subjects.
Xander was shocked to find out that Buffy was just as
big of a Babylon 5 geek as he was. How did he miss out
on that over the years? He thought he and Willow knew
every little important and non-important fact about
Buffy. He knew that Willow didn't know about this
little admission because she would tease him about his
Babylon 5 decorative plates, so he was sure she didn't
know that Buffy was secretly admiring them as well. So
that made him wonder if he now knew more about Buffy
than the she did, or at least more of the geeky side
of Buffy than Willow. That thought made him want to
smile as he took another bite of his cereal.

Buffy turned around and look at Xander as she stirred
the cream and sugar into her coffee. He looked as
though he was in deep thought, but he had a small smirk
on his face. As if he might be trying to hold back a
smile. Knowing him, it was probably something zany, but
completely Xander like. And she did know him. She
realized that during her time working with him she now
knew him better than she had ever before. She already
knew the basic Xander stuff, but now she knew so much
more and in so much more detail. She now knew that
Xander didn't like the minty candy Lifesavers because
when he was younger he once was sitting on the
sidelines in gym class and he choked on one.
Therefore, he didn't like them now because ironically
a Lifesaver almost actually ended his. Plus, Cordelia
made fun of him for weeks because of the noise he made
when almost choking to death. She also knew that as a
child Xander thought the Care Bears where freakishly
evil. His theory was how could anyone or anything be
that happy and perky about living in clouds? She also
knew that Xander was the one responsible for keeping
her mother's grave clean and fresh with flowers every
month. She always thought that maybe Giles had just
paid some groundskeeper to make sure of the upkeep for
the benefit of her and Dawn. But all this time it had
been Xander out there taking care of it himself. No
groundskeeper and no Giles involved at all. That
admission had made Buffy want to hug her best friend
and to never let go. Buffy suppressed a smile as she
thought about that idea while she walked to the other
side of the counter where Xander was sitting.

Xander watched Buffy out of the corner of his eye as
she rounded the corner of the island. She was still
doing that half smile thing as she came up to his
right side and pulled out the stool beside him. She
carefully put the cup of coffee on the counter and sat
down on the stool next him. She folded her arms and
placed them on the counter in front of her. Everyone
once in a while she would blow on her hot drink to
cool if off and take sips from it. But her left arm
stayed lying on the counter, as her left elbow was
lightly pressed to his right elbow. Xander continued
to munch on his cereal and even pored himself a new
bowl. He looked calm and collected but underneath the
counter showed the true energetic Xander because his
legs were dangling and swaying side to side while
bumping into Buffy's on every few sweeps. Buffy and
Xander stayed staring ahead not a word being voiced
yet.

Both Buffy and Xander realized that with all the time
they had spent lately saying so much, that now, after
their little blow up, this didn't have to be one of
those wordy times. This was just them sitting in
comfortable silence just soaking up each other's
presence. Xander slowly slid his bowl of Cocoa Puffs
in front of Buffy, while Buffy place her cup of coffee
in front of Xander as an unspoken offer. Buffy took
his spoon and started eating his cereal and Xander
started taking sips of her coffee. They both were
still staring straight ahead, but now wore bright
smiles on their faces as they enjoyed their breakfast.
They both knew that this was their silent peace
treaty. They didn't need wordy forgiveness's or
friendly I love you's, they just knew it now. Now was
the time where they could just sit and just be Buffy
and Xander. And that was the best part about spending
so much time together, being themselves and being
completely comfortable with that.