Disclaimer: You know how it goes.

A/N: Set immediately after the previous part. And thanks for the reviews!

Change

The previous afternoon, when Xander asked Madison on a date to the movies, she'd been pleased. Surprised and confused about how well he had hid his affections for her (or how bad she'd failed to notice them), but happy that they were, for at least one night, taking another step to the more-than-just-friends point that she wanted with him.

Their date had gone well. Up until they arrived back at her house to find Vida and Chip anxiously waiting for them, it had been a good night. Xander was, surprisingly, quite a gentleman, opening doors and paying for her movie ticket (although he obviously knew that she worked and could pay for her own). Considering they had been friends for months, their conversations weren't awkward, and the level of comfort didn't dwindle because they were on a date.

But although she was happy to have gone a date with him, she had asked him that if they continued to turn the times they spent hanging out into dates, things move slowly. She wasn't the type who rushed into things. He agreed.

He didn't wait too much longer to kiss her for the first time, though.

It happened in Xander's living room the Sunday after their date. They were sitting on the couch (not exactly cuddling, but still sitting a little too close for comfort) during a rerun of 'Whose Line Is It Anyway?' They'd been laughing at a joke, but he stopped abrubtly as the commercials started. He said her name, and when she turned to face him, the look in his eyes almost made her heart stop. There was so much affection shining through the happy-go-lucky sparkle that never seemed to go away. She froze; she knew what he wanted to do, but she was too nervous to move towards him. It didn't matter. After another moment, he placed his hands on her upper arms and leaned in, pressing his lips against hers. Madison's eyes closed reflexively as she kissed him back.

They broke away, and Xander's mouth curled into an adorable half smile, making her heartbeat accelerate even faster. "Was that okay?" he asked softly.

Still in a state of shock, Madison nodded. "Yeah. That…it was nice."

He gave her another gentle kiss before he turned back to the television, looking content.

When the episode ended, Madison rose from the couch. "I should go. I still have a bunch of things to do for school tomorrow."

Xander nodded and stood with her. "Come on, I'll walk you out."

With a hand on the small of her back, he led her to the front door. She was about to say goodbye when he took her hips in his hands, grinning that charming smile of his as he pulled her close. She grinned back, now expecting a kiss and not being taken aback when he closed the gap between them.

"I really better go," she said, reluctantly pushing him away after a minute. "I still have homework to finish."

The Australian pouted and lowered his head again. "Don't worry about homework. I can give you plenty of excuses that all of my teachers fall for." He kissed her again, this time fighting her when she tried to end it.

"Xander, I really have to go." Madison released herself from his grip and spoke more firmly this time. In a softer voice she said, "I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"

Xander returned the smile, finally relenting. Opening the door for her, he said, "Okay. I'll talk to you later. Good night."

"Good night."

Night hadn't fallen yet, so Madison didn't mind walking home alone. She wanted to be by herself, anyway. Her head swarmed, thinking about how much had changed between her and Xander in just one weekend. They were now past the point of 'just friends,' but they weren't a couple. What did that make them, though? Daters? Friends with benefits? She reminded herself that this was why she requested they take things slowly. She wanted to be able to take things as they came, to allow things to happen naturally, before she decided for certain exactly where she stood with him. Because with the events that had transpired during the weekend, she had no idea what would happen with their relationship in the future.