Tell the world

Disclaimer: The characters belong to Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy and the WB, I've just borrowed them for a while.

DEDICATION: To Jen, Dot, Vic and Meg for putting up with my mushy writing. Special thanks to Meg for contributing several of the items on Xander's list.

It happened in English class. But that's not where it started.

I guess it started when they were in Kindergarten, really, but I'm not going back that far. So we'll say it started at Homecoming. The Fluke, they called it. The Beginning is what I call it. Though. The It's-About-Damned-Time was a close runner-up, believe me.

They kissed, they freaked, they kissed some more, they freaked some more, they got caught and everyone freaked a whole lot. I think that's about as good a summary as I can give. Except for Cordelia getting hurt. That part I don't feel like joking about.

When the dust settled, Cordelia hated Xander, Oz didn't know if he could trust Willow, and Willow wouldn't have anything to do with Xander. That's what hurt the most, if you ask me. I like Oz, and for some strange reason I even like Cordy, so I feel for them. I do. But Xander and Willow? Willow and Xander? They belong together. Like peanut butter and jelly, George and Gracie, Gilligan and the Skipper. They go together like a-whop-bop-a-lu-bop-a-whop-bam-boom, is what I'm saying.

But Willow either couldn't or wouldn't see that. Ever since she got caught with Xander, she spent all her time trying to make things up to Oz. I could understand that. She'd never hurt anyone like she hurt him. She wanted to make things right with him. She didn't realize that things would never be right unless she was with Xander.

But she was about to find out.

So, there we were, sitting in English class. Ms. Whelden was talking about Jules Verne, and it was actually sort of interesting. I wasn't really paying attention, though. I was watching Willow. She didn't notice, because she was trying to watch Oz without him seeing. Not too easy to accomplish, given that he sat behind her and to one side. For his part, Oz was trying very hard not to look at Willow. But he wanted to look, that was obvious.

I felt bad for him. If this dumb plan of Xander's actually worked, it was going to hurt Oz. But there was no way around that, not if Xander and Willow were going to be together. And I was definitely rooting for them to be together.

As if on cue, the PA system started up. Ms. Whelden stopped lecturing, and everyone peered up at it as
we waited for the static to resolve into the voice of our beloved Principal Snyder. I was the only one who wasn't surprised when it was someone else's voice we heard.

"Uh, hey all," Xander began. "Is this thing on?"

The whole class erupted into laughter and questions. Willow turned to look at me, a stunned look on her
face. I just smiled and pointed to the speaker.

"Just have to trust it, I guess," Xander said. Everyone quieted down as he went on. "This is, uh, Xander Harris coming to you live from Principal Snyder's office. I probably don't have much time - that lock doesn't look too sturdy - so let me get to it. But first, I apologize to everyone for jumping into the middle of class like
this. It's just that I have a very important announcement to make. An announcement that I'm way too scared to make face to face."

We heard him take a deep breath.

"I, Alexander Harris, am in love with Willow Rosenberg."

Pandemonium. Half the class cheered, the other half laughed, and everyone turned to look at Willow. She
was staring at the PA speaker like a deer caught in the headlights. Her face was deathly pale and her eyes were full of fear. Fear and maybe something else, or so I hoped.

I didn't have time to look closer. I turned back to listen as Xander started talking again.

"I'm sorry to do it this way, Will. I really am. I'm just so scared of how you'll react. It's the truth, though. I
love you. I've loved you for years and years now, but I was too damned stupid to see it. And I'm really hoping you can forgive me for that, but I doubt you can. 'Cause I'll tell you, I don't think I'll ever forgive myself for not realizing how amazing you are a long, long time ago. And I'm thinking you'd have to be pretty dumb to forgive me for this and the other stuff I've done, but then you've always been dumb when it comes to that. You've forgiven me so many times. So many times I didn't deserve it, and I love you for that and a million other reasons. So if you can forgive me for ruining your life, and I guess for pulling you into this Jerry Springer idea of mine here, I'll be happy. I understand if you don't love me, but I need to be your Xander again, Will. If I can just have that, I'll be satisfied. If I can just be your friend again..."

He broke off, and I knew he was trying to keep from crying. So was I, and a quick glance around the room showed me I wasn't alone. Then I looked at Willow. She had a tear running down her cheek, but I don't think she noticed. She was completely focused on the speaker.

Xander got himself under control. "I want more, though, Will. I want it all. I want you to love me as much as I love you. I want to spend the rest of my life making it up to you, proving how much I love you over and over again, every single day. I'm thinking no way, though, 'cause let's face it, you'd have to be as dumb as Chad Watkins to love a jerk like me."

"But," Xander went on, "I'm hoping like hell that you're, and don't take this the wrong way, but I'm hoping like hell that you're as dumb as a stump on this one, Will. I'm hoping that you love me even though I don't deserve it. Because I love you so much, Will. I love you so much."

He paused for a few seconds and we heard some muffled sounds that must've been coming from outside the office. Then Xander came back. "I gotta say, I'm surprised they haven't gotten in yet. Good thing Snyder's at that conference, I guess, or he'd have gnawed his way through the door by now. I can see them working on the lock through the little window here. Hi, Mrs. Everson! Looks like she can't find the right keys. Who'da
thunk, huh?"

I'da thunk, that's who. Mrs. Everson is a sucker for mush. I knew she was eating this up.

I snuck a glance at Willow. There was a faint smile on her face, and my heart soared. Then I looked back at Oz. He was staring at Willow. His face was calm, but I could see the effort it was costing him to keep it that way. Damn

Xander went on. "Well, I think those were the highlights of my speech, actually. I love you, I don't deserve you, but please be dumb as a stump. Yeah, that pretty much covers everything I needed to say. So, since it looks like I've got some more time, let's move on to some things I want to say."

We heard paper rustling. "I have a list. It's a list of the reasons I love you. It's not a full list, of course, 'cause
my hand cramped up after I got eight pages front and back, but I like to think it's a good sampling, at least. And Buffy and Rory helped me, so they made sure I didn't miss anything important."

I ignored Willow's darted glance as much as possible and concentrated on what Xander was saying.

"Lemme see if I can run down some of the highlights while I wait to be arrested. Um, here we go, I love you because you're the inventor of the world-famous graham cracker and paste sandwich. Man, those were good, weren't they? Add a little bit of milk and you're good to go." He paused, then went on. "And I love your hair. It's so beautiful, especially when the sunlight hits it."

Willow reached up to run her fingers through her hair. I smiled, and out of the corner of my eye I saw almost everyone else smiling too.

"Oh, here's one," Xander said. "I love that little half-run, half-skip thing you do when you're trying to catch up to me. And I love how you enjoy schoolwork so much. The way your tongue sticks out a bit when you're concentrating, just like when we were kids. And that little grin you get when you're doing your Math homework. God, that makes you look so beautiful."

Willow was blushing now. I don't know why. Xander was right, anyone who knows her will tell you that.

"I can't read this one," Xander said after a moment. "I wish you were here, you could read it for me. That's another thing I love about you that I didn't write down, actually - that you can read my handwriting better than I can."

Ms. Whelden stifled a giggle, and Willow and I smiled along with her. Xander's handwriting has been declared an unbreakable code by the NSA.

Xander laughed. "I love you even though you pushed me into the pond that one time in the park." Willow got an outraged expression until Xander went on. "And I love the way you can almost convince me that it was actually me who pushed you. But we all know the truth, Rosenberg, there's no use in denying it." He laughed again, and Willow and I laughed with him.

I snuck another look at Oz. He had his eyes closed. I stopped laughing.

Xander was still laughing, though. "I love the fact that you threw up on Woodstock, and the fact that you can out-eat even me if there's chocolate ice cream involved, and the way you babble when you get nervous or excited or just because you're a babbler." He paused. "And most of all, I love you because you were there for me. Every single time I needed you, you were there for me, Will. I know I haven't been there for you as often as I should have, but I'd really like the chance to make that up to you."

He paused again, then sighed. "I was kinda hoping you'd have come running into the office by now to tell me you love me, Will. I guess that's not gonna happen, huh? I understand. I just hope you can forgive me for this. Just forgive me one more time, and I'll be okay. I promise. I'm gonna go now." He broke the connection.

Instantly, Willow was out of her seat. She turned to grab her bag, then froze.

She was looking straight at Oz.

His eyes were full of pain, but he was smiling. Just a small one, and it was obviously forced, but he was trying.

"Oz..." she began, more a sob than a word.

"Go to him, Willow." Oz said, very softly. "You love him. I knew that the day I met you, and I was okay with it. But he loves you, too, and I can't compete with that. I won't even try. Go to him. It's all right. I'll be all right."

Willow just stared at him, not moving. No one in the classroom said a word. No one moved. Finally, Larry's voice broke the silence.

"Willow," he called, and she looked over at him. "That boy," he went on, pointing at the speaker, "deserves a kiss. And if you don't go give it to him, I will. Somehow, I think he'd prefer that it come from you."

That broke the spell. Everyone laughed, everyone cheered. Even Oz's smile widened, and he chuckled softly.

Willow smiled at him. "I love you, Oz. And I'm sorry I hurt you." He nodded, and she turned and ran for the door. Mrs. Whelden held it open for her.

I got up and walked over to Oz. Bending down, I kissed his cheek. "You're a good man, Oz. I'm sorry." He smiled up at me.

I smiled back, then ran after Willow. Behind me, I heard Mrs. Whelden musing, "If he put half that much thought into his writing assignments, he'd win a damned Pulitzer."

Willow had a head start, but I am the Slayer. And it was easy to find her. Even if I hadn't known she was headed for the front office, I could've just followed the cheers. Every classroom was emptying out, and all the students were cheering and whistling as Willow sped by them.

She didn't even notice, she just kept running.

I was right behind her as she burst into the front lobby. Xander was there, receiving a lecture from Mrs. Everson. She was obviously trying to be stern, but the smile that erupted onto her face when she saw Willow was almost as big as Xander's.

Xander barely had time to take a step forward before Willow launched herself at him. He caught her and swung her around in his arms. They were both laughing and crying and talking at the same time. Then all of a sudden they stopped and looked into each other's eyes.

"I love you." They both said it at the exact same time. And then they kissed.

And all was right with the world.

And y'know, it just occurred to me - Oz is single now...