Willow had asked Xander to meet with her at the Bronze that night, and he was late showing up. She sighed and stirred her coffee. She could be with Giles right now, but no... Xander was wasting her precious cuddle time, here.
Her gaze swept over the room. All these people. High schoolers and college kids. Out on the dance floors with their sweeties, dancing to the steady pulse of the band onstage. Kissing and hugging and... undulating. Her eyes were drawn to one couple, off to the edge of the dance floor, near the stage. They were lost in each other, dancing as close as a single body, fused into oneness by the dance and the darkness. They were unconsciously drawing in magic, focusing it and flaring it back out in a wave of sensual heat that she could feel across the room.
The heat flushed through her and she squirmed in her chair. Looked to the door again to see if Xander might by some coincidence be walking in at that moment.
No such luck.
She wondered if she could talk Giles into dancing with her here.
Ok, so, he was a bit older than most of the crowd, and she was a lot younger than him, and they’d probably get *looks*, but then, she’d danced with Tara here often enough, so a few looks weren’t going to scare her.
And it would totally be worth it to be able to wrap herself around Giles like that couple was. Be one with the beat and the crowd and each other and just move.
She was breathing a little harder suddenly, imagining it. His body in her arms, all against hers, and holding her. Desire made tangible.
Someone touched her arm and she nearly jumped out of her skin. And did spill a bit of her coffee.
“Whoa, hey, Willow. Big with the jumpy tonight. That’s not that double shot stuff is it?”
“Oh. Xander.”
He was mopping up the spill with a napkin and then sitting down.
“So, what’s the big news? I got the feeling you were asking me here for A Reason, y’know, the kind with capital letters? Is this about Tara? ‘Cause if so, Comfort Guy is in the building and totally ready to be a sympathetic listener.”
He was putting on his bartender face. Willow sighed. Ok, she appreciated the effort, but, also, it was kind of annoying.
“It’s not... well, it’s kind of about Tara. But not exactly.”
Xander patted her hand.
“Very specific.”
She took a deep breath. Xander waggled his eyebrows and then waited, wide-eyed and expectant.
“It’s about Giles,” she said, in one quick rush of breath.
“Giles? He’s not thinking about jetting off to England again, is he? ‘Cause if so--”
She didn’t wait for him to finish.
“We’re together.”
Xander blinked. Then looked blank.
“Huh?”
“Giles and I? We’re... we’re a couple.”
“A couple of whats?”
And, sadly enough, the question seemed in earnest.
“He’s, like, my... boyfriend.”
“Who is? Boyfriend? Willow, you’re--”
“Bi. I’m bi. And Giles. Is my boyfriend.”
Xander’s brow was furrowed.
“Giles can’t be a boyfriend. He’s, like, forty.”
“Forty-eight. And, ok, pick your favorite term then. He’s my SO. My lover. My cuddle-bunny.”
“Oh.”
Willow waited. That couldn’t possibly be it. Xander was still frowning, and he had a distant look in his eyes, like he used to get when he was trying to figure out French vocabulary.
Finally, he said, “Ok, ok, wait. I get it. This is a joke, right? Ok, funny. Yeah, ok, Xander’s an idiot, everyone laugh now, he fell for it for a minute there.”
She sighed as he searched for the hidden camera.
“Not a joke, Xander. I know it’s kinda strange, but... I really love him. And he loves me.”
There was, for a moment, a disbelieving stare. Then Xander was on his feet.
“Ok, that’s it. Where is he? I need to kill him.”
“Xander! Not funny.”
“So not joking.”
“Xander!” she said again, and grabbed his arm as he seemed about to head for the exit.
“God, Will, he’s like a million years old. This is... is... illegal or something!”
“No, it’s really not.”
“Well, it *should* be. What the hell is he... what are you... No. Forget it. Just-- I’m leaving. I need to... Bye.”
And then he was gone, disappeared by the crowd. Willow stared after him, numb inside.
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