For the first time, Buffy began to
realize what spurred Willow.
Willow led the way to the dance floor, positioning herself with exquisite
care. The two girls began to sway to the music. Buffy gave herself up to
the music, losing her cares for just a second in the liquid flow of the
female singer's voice. Only too soon, Willow moved into the second phase
of their plan, turning, seemingly nonchalantly, and noticing two attractive
men. Buffy noted with growing heartache that Xander and Riley were
watching them, and whispering to each other. Willow caught her eye, and
lifted her chin, telegraphing the "no chickening out" message without a
word.
Willow led the way over to Xander and Riley, Buffy trailing along behind
her. Xander's face lit up and Riley looked oddly uncomfortable. Buffy
barely recognized Willow's smoky, teasing voice as she introduced them as
Jodi and Jen, and began to banter with Xander. Noticing Riley's sideways
glances, Buffy, in a surge of anger, slithered up beside him and began
making her own moves. Buffy looked up, feeling a sense of panic as Willow
asked Xander to dance, and they moved onto the dance floor.
Buffy, feeling for all intents and purposes like a deer in headlights,
continued her flirting with Riley, growing more and more angry as he
responded to her teasing banter with more of the same. Moving in for the
kill, Buffy cooed out an invitation to dance. Riley shocked her, when he
smiled and declined. "Thanks for the invite, but I don't dance, and I
imagine that my girlfriend would have something to say if I trampled anyone
else's feet but hers."
Buffy didn't recognize the cold, stoney feeling that gripped her stomach,
purring out "Well, I can think of more pleasant ways for you to trample me.
Your girlfriend wouldn't have to know." Buffy was heartened by the look
of shock and near disgust that played across Riley's face. "She wouldn't
have to know. I would. I'm not interested." Riley turned his attention
back to the dance floor as Buffy began to splutter. "But, why wouldn't you
be interested in me? What guy doesn't want a gorgeous girl, no strings, no
worries?"
Riley looked at her, the disgust clearly written on his face this time.
"My girlfriend is more beautiful than you could ever hope to be, both
inside and out. Why on earth would you think mere politeness would mean
that I want meaningless empty sex?" Buffy suddenly reinterpreted Riley's
glances and banter, without the cloak of jealousy and fear, realizing that
he had been polite, unwilling to be mean, perhaps even enjoying the
attention, but with no intentions whatsoever of betraying her. Buffy
gifted him with a twisted smile, as her guilt at the deception built.
"She's a lucky girl" and Buffy was moving away.
Willow moved toward her, as she and Xander broke apart on the dance floor.
Willow rushed toward Buffy, "Its time to leave, if you're satisfied."
Buffy nodded, the relief she felt so strong it was nearly palpable. Buffy
was heartened, looking at Willow's face, to see a strange sort of peace.
Outside the Bronze, Buffy stopped, and whirled Willow around to face her.
"Okay, whats the situation? Riley passed with flying colors, but what
exactly happened with Xander?" Willow's face crumpled and she kept
walking. "Xander was so... " She faltered, "attracted to me, and I, uh,
propositioned him and he turned me *down*!" Buffy looked at Willow in
shock. "What did he *say*?"
Willow smiled through her tears. "I asked him if he had a girlfriend, and
he said, no, he was just trying to extricate himself from a really bad
situation, and he thought I was absolutely gorgeous, but there was a girl.
Someone that he'd loved for longer than he realized, and he couldn't take
the chance of ruining the possibility that one day when that girl had
healed from her heartache, she'd see him again."
Shaking her head in disbelief, Willow continued, "He said that he'd already
hurt her twice, and even if he didn't know if anything he did mattered to
her, he couldn't risk it, and he didn't *want* to risk it." Buffy blinked
at the thought of the wise cracking Xander waxing sentimental to a gorgeous
blonde who was trying to put the moves on him.
Buffy met Willow's eyes, and they both started giggling, the nervous
tension of the past couple hours breaking. "Imagine Xander thinking about
what he said! The horror!" Willow muttered a few more words, breaking the
spell and the two girls walked home, a little lighter of heart and fairly
glad to be themselves once more.
The End
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