The One Who Does Magic
Chapter 9
Disclaimer: I don't own anything that would make me money, up to and including characters from Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
.
"I think I've inhaled a vampire worth of dust," Xander groaned as he sank down onto the couch beside Willow. "How're you doing? Need some water?"
"God, yes," Willow sighed. "But not in a glass. Do you have a clean towel and some clothes I can borrow? I so need a shower."
"Sure thing, Will, although I'm not sure how long you'll stay in my clothes. Oh, I didn't mean—I mean they'll be too big for you," he blurted out, embarrassed.
"Honestly, Xander, at this point I'll be lucky if I can squeeze into them," Willow said. "But don't worry. I have no vanity left. I'll wear whatever you've got: sweats, flannel, polyester pants suit, old drop cloths…anything." She hauled herself to her feet. "Now I've got a date with a newly-cleaned shower. Just toss some clothes in after me." She gave Xander a tired smile and made her way to the bathroom.
Xander searched for his most comfortable clothes and brought them into the bathroom along with a clean towel from the dryer. He shouted over the sound of the shower. "I put a towel out for you, Will. Got some clothes for you here by the sink. I'm gonna go order some pizza. You want anything particular on it?"
"Mmm," Willow replied. "As long as it's edible, I'll eat it. Heck, I might eat it even if it's not edible."
Xander laughed and left his friend to her shower.
An hour later they sat on the couch together, each with a lap full of pizza and feet propped up on the coffee table.
"This is the life, man," Xander sighed. "I could do this every night."
Willow glared at him over her pizza.
"Well, obviously without the torturous cleaning session," he clarified. "I just meant this is nice. Us, spending time together. Chillin' on the couch with the eats and the flicks."
"Mm-hmm," Willow replied with a full mouth. "Food is good. And Xander is good." She wiped her mouth, rather unsuccessfully, and gave her friend a saucy smile. "I've missed you. I'm glad to have my Xander back."
"I'm glad to be had back," Xander said, wiping the side of Willow's mouth with his napkin. He flashed back to another napkin's ministrations, to ice cream on a nose, to tingling skin and frozen time. But for a vampire…
"So, movie?" Willow asked, interrupting his thoughts.
Xander shook out of his memories. "Sure, but can you stay awake? You look beat." He pushed play on the movie and leaned back into the couch.
"I am, but I'd like to try anyway. You don't mind if I wind up drooling on you, right?"
"Wouldn't have it any other way, Will," he said warmly, putting his arm around her shoulders. "Come on. Lean on over. I promise not to make a move."
"I think we've learned that you can't be trusted, Alexander Harris," Willow said, snuggling in. "I'm keeping my eye on you, mister."
Xander chuckled. "Fair warning, but I don't expect your eyes to stay focused on much of anything for too long. Your parents know where you are?"
"Yeah. I think they'll understand if I don't make it back tonight. Besides, I'm pretty safe with you. I mean, whaddaya gonna do, get me in trouble?" She touched his hand where it rested on her shoulder and considered that she might already be in more trouble than she'd thought.
"Good point. So I'm Safe Guy. Well, for tonight anyway. Not so much a few months back when I was…unsafe guy." The guilt rose up in him. "Hey, can I ask a redundant question?"
"Xander," Willow said gently. "I am not sorry, I promise. Yeah, at first I was completely freaked out, and I was a little mad at you—and at myself for somehow forgetting how babies get made. But, listen, we're not sixteen here. We can do this. Right?"
"I like the part where you say, 'we,'" Xander said, squeezing her hand. "I guess I still keep expecting you to hate me."
Willow turned to look at him fully. "I'm sorry, Xan. I'm so sorry I didn't tell you sooner, but I swear it had nothing to do with not wanting to do this with you." She blushed suddenly, and was glad the only light came from the television. "I mean do the parenting thing," she corrected. "Not the, uh, parent-making thing."
"You're not foolin' anyone, Rosenberg. You totally wanted me. You were hot for the Xan Man. Heck, an hour ago you were trying to get into my pants."
"Xander!" Willow squealed, slapping his arm. "Into your sweatpants! As in me needing something to wear—you are just a filthy, filthy boy."
"Yep, and you still love me."
"True, but I cannot be held accountable for my poor taste. It's all the fault of Miss Eastley, who decided to form the recess line in order of first names instead of last. My affection for you is purely alphabetical in nature. Just think what might've happened if you'd gone by Alex instead." She leaned back against him sleepily. "And also, you're comfy."
"That's right. I'm the fleece of friends," Xander replied. "An old shirt, if you will."
"I will," Willow mumbled, settling against him. "My favorite shirt." She was already drifting off, too comfortable to fight it.
Two hours later, Xander woke up to find his friend draped across his lap. He carefully moved her hair off her face and tucked it behind her ear. She moved slightly, snuggling her face into his stomach. "Well, this will never do," he thought. "Or, rather, what it will do will never do."
"Hey, Will?" Xander said softly.
"Mmmm."
"Come on, Will. Let's put you in bed, okay? Much more comfortable than the couch."
Willow stirred and raised her head. "Oh—oops. Sorry, Xan. I totally zonked. Didn't mean to take advantage of you like that."
"Any time, baby," Xander joked. "But I can't sleep too well in this position, and I don't think you can, either, so why don't I get you set up in my room?"
"Mmmm…bed. But first, bathroom. I'll be right there, okay?"
While Willow made her way to the bathroom, Xander sprinted to the dryer to retrieve his sheets. He was putting them on the bed when Willow returned.
"Wow, I feel like a princess. Fresh sheets and everything. Can I help?" she asked.
"More like 'only sheets,' Will, and no, you may not help. Just one second…okay, all set. Now, may I tuck you in?" he asked, leering.
Willow laughed. "Yes, you may. And you may also just climb on in yourself because I'm not going to be so selfish as to take your bed and make you sleep on that God-awful thing you call a couch. A spring could pop loose and skewer something you need."
"Nice graphic, Will, but I'll be okay. Many a night I've fallen asleep on that trusty couch while watching por—nature videos. It's an acquired taste, but it's almost livable."
"Oh, come on, Xander. I promise not to get grabby."
"Well, then what's the point?" he asked, smiling.
Willow sighed dramatically. "Just get in, you letch," she said, tugging on his hand. "Think of it as family bonding. I'll let you touch my tummy, which you've been staring at all day. I had to keep checking to see if it had turned into a cheeseburger or something."
"Okay, you floozy. Let me get the light." He flicked off the switch and climbed into bed. "Now, there was something about tummy touching?"
Willow scooted over to him. "It's pretty easy to find, even in the dark," she joked.
"Hey, I don't wanna grab anything I'm not supposed to grab."
"Hold up your hand, silly," Willow said. She found his hand in the dark, brought it to her stomach and covered it with her own hand. "I don't know if anybody's moving right now. I think it's sleeping."
"So, you didn't find out whether it's a boy or a girl?"
"I felt weird doing that before I'd even told you about the baby. And then I waited so long that I thought maybe I should just be surprised. Would you rather know?"
"I guess it doesn't matter. It's just that calling the baby 'it' seems kind of, I don't know…detached. I'm just being…never mind." He rubbed her stomach as if the action could magically change the subject.
"Being what?" Willow asked. "You don't have to feel weird talking about it with me. I mean, we made a baby, Xander. We can talk about that. How it makes us feel. Plus, it's dark. It's easier to talk when you can't see." She patted his hand. "So talk to me."
Xander turned on his side, facing Willow, never taking his hand off her stomach. "Okay, but promise you won't laugh."
"Well, you are Xander. I always laugh at you. But because you're funny. Like, on purpose. At least usually…"
"Look out, Will. My confidence is going right through the roof."
Willow giggled. "I'm sorry. I'm just—I think I'm kind of nervous. We haven't had a serious talk in a while, and I feel like this is about to get serious."
"I'm not sure you'll stay awake for serious," Xander said, attempting to reassure her. "I just wanted to say that I'm…proud. I know it was a mistake, but I can't help feeling good about this. I mean, we've spent our formative years killing things—or at least helping to kill things. Then we hightailed it out of Sunnydale, leaving nothing but a giant hole in the ground—"
"To be fair, that wasn't really our fault."
"No, but we didn't exactly do any reforestation, Will."
"What do you think you're doing now? You're building houses, Xander. You're helping rebuild this town."
"Hey, chatty? I thought you wanted me to talk."
"Oops, sorry. Shutting up now—promise. I was just trying to help."
"Of course you are, Will. That's what you do. That's what you did last time we shared a bed."
"Xander," Willow said, rubbing his hand. "That isn't all—did you think all this time that I just…felt sorry for you?"
"Listen, Will. I appreciate…you can't know how much I appreciate your friendship, and I never wanted to do anything to jeopardize that. And for the last seven months, I've felt that I'd destroyed not only my hometown, my ex-fiancé, and the lives of thousands of people, but my friendship with you."
"Xander, you could never—"
"Will, it's okay. I know now that I didn't do that. I thank God that I didn't." He turned her hand around in his and squeezed it, giving and asking for reassurance. "But not only that, Will. We made something. Together. And I know I should feel scared or guilty, but I don't. Well, at least those aren't the prevailing feelings. I'm mostly just amazed that instead of destroying everything and everyone I cared about, I helped make a whole new life…with the person I care about most."
Willow sniffled in the dark and swiped her free hand at her cheeks, thankful she had the extra length of Xander's sleeves to use as a tissue. "And here I thought you were going to yell at me for waiting so long to tell you. Boy, you sure know how to make a girl feel better."
"You'd know, you little minx."
"Xander!" But instead of smacking him, she turned toward him and hugged him, as best she could with her belly between them. "So, what are you gonna tell the guys at work tomorrow?"
"Wouldn't you like to know?" Xander teased. "Hey, you know what construction guys are like. Use your imagination."
"I'm too tired to think of my soon-to-be-tarnished reputation. Just make sure you give me a glowing review," she said, yawning.
"Sure thing." Xander found her face in the dark and kissed her forehead. "Goodnight, Will."
"Goodnight, Xan. And thanks."
To be continued...