"Which one looks better, Johnathan?" Xander heard as he played pack mule for Cordelia Sunday afternoon, blissfully unaware of Wolfram and Hart's existence, let alone schemes.
"Blue is a peaceful color." He heard Johnathan reply. "Yellow reminds people of the sun and being cheerful. Do you want them to think you're at peace or a cheerful person?"
"It's winter and we could all use a little sun right now, I think I'll get the yellow one."
"You'd make either one look good, you know." Johnathan said absently as he mentally reviewed his Trig homework.
"You're such a sweet talker." Harmony gave Johnathan a quick kiss before going to put the blue dress back and pay for the yellow one. He looked surprised and Xander took a seat on the bench beside him as Cordelia began pulling clothes to try on herself.
"You and Harmony seem to be doing well." Xander observed to his old friend. He'd known Jonno almost as long as he'd known Cordelia having met them both in kindergarten.
"I'm still not sure why." Johnathan admitted. "I'm not her usual kind of guy."
"That's kind of the point, I think." Xander said thoughtfully. "You treat her differently than other guys she's dated. You listen, you pay attention and you're honest. She recognizes it and appreciates it."
"It's not just because I might be a millionaire geek someday? She mentioned that when she asked me out." Johnathan admitted.
"That might have been her initial reason for giving you a chance, but Cordy says she's happy and that's because of current you, not possible future you." Xander responded.
"I'm surprised at how happy I am." Johnathan confessed. "At first I accepted a date with her because girls just don't seem to notice me and having one pay attention to me, especially a beautiful one, is definitely a thrill. But ever since I was elected Class President girls seem to be noticing me. First that Ampata girl before she went back home, then Cordelia asked me on a date and now Harmony and I've been dating for about two weeks and it seems to be working."
Xander vowed never to tell his old friend that Ampata had been a life sucking mummy girl dying over and over and having to suck the life out of people just to survive and that Johnathan had nearly been a victim. Or that Cordelia had asked him out as a knee jerk reaction to nearly being sacrificed alive by a frat boy. Instead he said. "Cordelia actually recommended you to Harmony, it didn't quite gel for her, but she thought you had possibilities beyond just maybe getting rich some day. She wants her friend to be happy and Harmony seems to be happy, certainly less mean for the last couple of weeks."
"I don't think Harmony likes being mean." Johnathan answered. "I've noticed Cordelia's been less mean too, even before you two started dating. I gotta admit, I like nice Harmony. She's beautiful either way, but nice Harmony and I can talk. She's funny and smarter than I thought and I wouldn't have known that before. So, tell Cordelia thanks for recommending me to Harmony because I'm enjoying getting to know her. Plus we're the same height, she told me I don't give her a crink in her neck."
"Not being the cause of pain, always a good thing." Xander agreed solomnly as Harmony approached with her new purchase in a bag and Johnathan stood up to greet her. And accept the bag from her, it hadn't taken long for him to understand and accept that being a boyfriend also meant being a pack mule.
"Xander, hi." Harmony publically and politely greeting him for the first time in his life had Xander blinking for a moment before returning the greeting before the couple - they really were a matched height - moved on to the next store and Cordelia appeared and asked Xander a question herself.
"Xander, which looks better, the green or the red?"
"I'd avoid that red if I was you, it's so dark it could make you look pale. That shade of green though will probably make your hazel eyes look greener." Xander offered his honest opinion and hoped he'd said the right thing.
Cordelia held each one in front of her and examined her appearance in a full length mirror nearby before grimacing. "You're right, this shade of red looks awful on me. The green has possibilities, though. Hold it for me, I'm going to put the red back and find something else."
Xander accepted the dress and pulled out a notebook and a pencil and began making notes on possible ways of creatively concealing the gifts he'd given Dawn and Mrs. Summers before Cordelia came back.
"Ready to go, Doofus?"
"You aren't getting the green?" He asked.
"No, I think I'll pass. I'm just not really feeling like shopping."
"Why not?" Xander asked, Cordy hadn't been very talkative on the drive to the Mall and he'd wondered about it and now he decided to try to get her to talk about what was bothering her. He pulled her out of the main causeway of the Mall and down a hall near the bathrooms.
"The doctors have finally figured out what's wrong with my mother." Cordelia let Xander hold her. "They diagnosed something called Epstein Barr. I don't know anything about it and I'm scared." She admitted quietly.
Xander silently held her and wished the Halloween spell had left more of Dr. Strange's medical knowledge, because he sure could have used it right now because he felt helpless and all he could do was hold Cordelia and try to think of something that might help.