"No laughing!" Xander's voice came from outside the library. "Honest to God, if anyone laughs, I might snap and I'm trying really hard to live up to my new resulution, to not just not want to hurt people, but to make sure I don't do anything that does hurt someone. So please, no one laugh!"
"Laugh at what?" Buffy asked as Xander pushed open the doors and walked into the library.
"I haven't forgotten how you and Willow laughed at me when I had to wear a speedo when I joined the swim team last spring, so I'd really appreciate it if you could keep in mind how little I appreciated you doing that." He glared at her as she just stared at him. Or rather his chest. So was everyone else.
His gym clothes didn't fit anymore, they were about two sizes too small and stretched tight over broad shoulders and very definite muscles.
"Hello, salty goodness again!" Cordelia exclaimed in delight, forgetting to check if he'd injured his hands by hitting something in anger over his situation. He might very well have been distracted by his clothes no longer fitting, she certainly was. "I should have noticed before, but between the blood, nightmares and worry, I missed it. Hello, salty goodness!" Her fingers actually twitched in anticipation of touching that chest.
"Wow, boytoy bulked up." Faith grinned and deliberately licked her lips. "Any chance you want to share, Queen C?"
A glare that could melt ice flashed her way. Three actually, Xander wanted to avoid temptation and Faith was pure temptation and Willow was struggling with her own temptation. She'd always had feelings for Xander after all and he'd always made it clear he didn't share them, which made the recent kissage really suspect. Buffy was tongue tied as she was slapped in the face with the knowledge that Xander wasn't and never had been 'one of the girls' as she'd tried to characterize him. Damn, there was a reason she liked older men, they'd finished growing and now so had Xander.
Xander, who was pissed at her because she'd made a wish that changed his life and possibly condemned him to centuries of aloneness, just like the curse condemned Angel, she remembered with a sick feeling in her stomach. Her friend, Xander and her love, Angel, condemned because she wanted what she wanted and damn everyone else's feelings. And there was no reversing it for either of them as far as she knew.
"No laughing." She assured him. "And again, I'm sorry. For all of it. I think we need to get you some other clothes fast though, those are just this side of indecent."
"Here." Angel shrugged out of his leather hip coat and handed it to Xander, who to the disappointment of the girls, quickly put it on and buttoned it up.
"Thanks." Xander answered. "It's a good thing the 'rents were probably passed out long ago, because I'm going to need to get in and get my stuff tonight. Fortunately, I've still got some stuff that was oversized on me, from before Cordy starting trying to take my wardrobe in hand."
"That's not all she wants to take in hand." Faith smirked and ignored the new round of glares. "And I can't say I blame her." As Giles frantically cleaned his glasses and prayed this night ended soon.
"I've got my car parked in the parking lot." Cordelia offered. "I can give you a lift and wait while you get your stuff, then give you a ride to Angel's."
"Angel's?" Xander asked. "Why Angel's?"
"I'm going to let you have the Mansion once you're settled and leave Sunnydale." Angel informed him. "Buffy isn't the only one who can't be objective, the risk of Angelus being loosed is too big, I have to stay away from her."
"No offense man, but it's about damn time you realized that." Xander told him. "She was a 16 year old kid when she met you and you were a full grown adult long before Angelus, you should have known getting involved with her, curse or no curse, was never going to be a good thing. Find a way to be human again and look her up after High School and maybe it'll be a different story. Until then getting gone is the best thing you can do for her."
"I'd like to say you don't know what you're talking about," Angel briefly glared at him. "but that would be stupid because you're right, especially in light of everything that's happened since her seventeenth birthday ended with Angelus being unleashed. Finding a way to be human and seeing if an adult Buffy and I can be happy together is a worthwhile goal. I'll start looking after I leave Sunnydale. I'll meet you at the Mansion, there's like five or six bedrooms, I'm not sure, neither Angelus nor I ever took the time to count them, but I'll point out which ones were Spike and Drusilla's and which is mine and you can pick one of the others. Willy's working on blood delivery but he thinks it's for me and we should keep it that way. Things are going to be hard enough for you without the local demons and vampires thinking you're a weird new vampire."
"I am a weird hew vampire." Xander grumbled. "But thanks and you're right. At least in Sunnydale the people aren't going to notice the weird. Ready, Cordy? The sooner I can get some clothes on that fit better, the happier I'll be."
"But we won't!" Faith joked, as with a final glare at her, Cordelia joined Xander at the door.
"Willow," Xander looked serious as he looked at her. "You and I need to have a conversation tomorrow. Free period by the bleachers?"
"I'll be there." Willow was sure she knew what that conversation would entail as Xander followed Cordelia out of the library. Regardless of who Xander's potential future life mate might be, in the here and now, it was Cordelia he wanted and not Willow. She just hoped Cordelia and Oz could forgive them.