Title: Like Han and Leia (part two of ?,
continued from Do you need a hand?)
Author: Whiskey Meteor
Rating: PG-13 (One tiny little reference to Xander's *activities* earlier...
You know what I'm talking about.)
Summary: Willow, Anya, and Dawn come home and find Xander and Andrew in a
suspicious situation. Xander angsts, and Anya gives Andrew a new nickname.
Disclaimer: Everything BtVS belongs to Mr. Whedon, Star Wars to Mr. Lucas, and
Star Trek to Mr. Rodenberry.
Notes: Set in season seven, just before "Storyteller".
******************************
"Do you think we should wake them up?" Willow asked.
"I think we should take a picture first," Dawn said, stifling a
laugh.
Anya just rolled her eyes. "No one is taking a picture of *that*,"
she scowled.
Willow grinned, "I don't know," she said, "I think it's kinda
cute." Dawn giggled and Anya continued to scowl. The three women were
standing in the front room between the couch and the television. On the screen,
'Return of the Jedi' was nearly over. On the couch Xander and Andrew were
slumped together, fast asleep. Andrew's head was perched on Xander's shoulder,
with Xander's head resting on top. Still sleeping soundly, Xander sighed and
shifted on the couch. Unconsciously, he snaked an arm around Andrew's waist and
pulled him closer. Andrew smiled in his sleep and nuzzled into Xander's neck.
Andrew's hand, which had been resting on Xander's thigh, slid slowly upwards
until it came to rest dangerously close to... "Oh," Willow said,
covering Dawn's eyes with her hands. "Kay, that's a little... less
cute," she admitted.
"Ugh," Anya grimaced. She leaned forward and snapped her fingers in
front of Xander's face, "Xander!" she hissed, "Wake up!"
Xander blinked his eyes open reluctantly, "Wha?" he asked groggily.
With her hands on her hips, Anya raised her eyebrows and glanced towards
Andrew. Xander followed her stare. "Ah!" he screamed, pulling back
the arm that had been around Andrew's waist.
Andrew awoke at Xander's scream, and, startled, his head whipped up off of
Xander's shoulder. Both men looked slowly down at Xander's lap. Andrew quickly
withdrew his hand, blushing furiously and laughing awkwardly.
"Sorry," he offered.
Xander climbed away from Andrew, over the arm of the couch. "Just...
stay... there," he warned the other man, "And keep your hands where I
can see them." Andrew frowned wretchedly, and held his hands up in the
air. Xander narrowed his eyes at him for a moment, and then turned back to the
three women. "So, how was the show?" he asked, trying to be
nonchalant, but sounding embarrassed.
Dawn giggled, "It was great," she said, "I especially liked the
part where Andrew grabbed your-,"
"Dawnie!" Willow cut her off.
Dawn frowned, and rolled her eyes, "The movie was fun," she conceded,
and then grinned again, adding, "But I'm sure not as much fun as you
and-,"
"Dawnie!" Willow cut Dawn off again, her eyes wide.
Dawn sighed, "Fine," she pouted and folded her arms, "I'm going
to bed." Sulkily, she turned on her heel and disappeared up the stairs.
"This is *so* not what it looks like," Xander pleaded.
Willow sighed, "Relax, Xander," she said, "No one thinks...
whatever it is you think we think." She looked mildly confused.
Anya frowned, "I think Xander thinks that we think that there's something
going on between him and mister... grabby-hands," she gestured towards
Andrew. He was still sitting with his hands in the air and looking entirely
embarrassed.
Willow waved her hands dismissively, "We don't think *that*," she
said, "I don't think *that*," she turned to Anya, "Do you think
*that*?" Anya shrugged, and pursed her lips. Willow gaped at her,
"You think that? How can you think *that*?" she turned back to
Xander, cautiously, "Should we be thinking that?" she asked.
"No!" Xander said firmly, "There is *nothing* going on between
me and... mister grabby-hands." Xander sighed and rubbed the bridge of his
nose, "We were watching 'Return of the Jedi', and I guess we just fell
asleep."
"And I suppose you cuddled up together *after* you fell asleep?" Anya
demanded.
Xander threw his arms up, exasperated, "Well, Anya," he said testily,
"I don't usually go around cuddling up with my male friends when I'm
awake, do I?" He looked at her expectantly.
Anya pouted, "No," she admitted grudgingly, "But you don't really
have any male friends, and just because you don't *usually* do
something-,"
Xander cut her off, "Anya," he said, rolling his eyes,
"Enough." He ran a hand through his hair, and sighed, "I'm going
into the kitchen now," he said, "And I don't want to talk about this
*anymore*."
Anya rolled her eyes, but was silent as Xander walked away into the kitchen
with Willow close behind him. When they were out of the room, Anya sat down on
the couch next to Andrew, who lowered his hands and folded them neatly in his
lap. Anya looked at him warily, "Keep 'em where I can see 'em,
grabby," she warned. Andrew smiled awkwardly and shifted further down the
couch, as far away from Anya as possible.
* * * * *
Xander stalked to the refrigerator, and pulled the door open roughly. Behind
him, Willow watched warily. "Xander?" she asked, "Are you
okay?"
Xander slammed the fridge door, and sighed. "Oh, yeah," he said
sourly, "Sunshine and puppies."
"Xander," Willow started.
Xander went on before she could finish, "Wills, I was sleeping all cuddly-
like with *Andrew*. Does that sound *okay* to you?" He sighed and leaned
back heavily on the fridge door.
"Aw, Xan, you were *sleeping*," Willow said softly, "You can't
control what you do when you're asleep."
Xander frowned, <Yeah, *Andrew* was sleeping when he cuddled up to me>,
he thought, <But *I* didn't fall asleep until after that...>.
Willow smiled, "Besides, it looked sorta... comfy," she shrugged.
Xander looked at the floor and grinned, "Yeah, it was kinda comfy..."
he admitted, "But," he added firmly, his grin vanishing, "That
doesn't *mean* anything..." He looked back up at Willow, "Does
it?"
* * * * *
Back in the front room, Anya was looking at Andrew curiously. "What?"
He pouted.
"Nothing," she looked away briefly, and then sighed heavily and
turned back to stare at him again.
Andrew pouted with more feeling and crossed his arms over his chest, "Are
you going to keep doing that?" he whined, "Because it's really
annoying."
Anya scoffed, "*You're* really annoying," she retorted.
Andrew wrinkled his nose, "You're *way* more annoying than *I* am,"
he countered. "You're like... *Tribble* annoying."
Anya gasped, and then furrowed her brow, confused, "Is that some kind of
Star Wars reference?" she demanded, "Because if it is, I think that
just goes to prove my point."
Andrew gaped at her in disbelief, "A *Star Wars* reference?" he asked
incredulously, "You were with Xander all that time, and you don't know
what a *Tribble* is?" He shook his head, "No wonder you two didn't
work out."
Anya scowled at him, "Oh, and I suppose that *you* and Xander are a
perfect match?" she demanded dryly.
Andrew's face brightened, <Like Han and Leia>, he thought to himself and
sighed.
"Oh my god," Anya said, somewhat amused, "You... you *do* have a
thing for Xander."
Andrew frowned, "Do not," he retorted. "Xander and I are
friends," Andrew pouted.
"Sure," Anya said, raising her eyebrows, "So that dreamy look in
your eyes every time I mention Xander's name is brought on purely by the joy of
friendship?" Andrew nodded unconvincingly. Anya continued, "Well, I
hate to break this to you, Andrew," she said, "But *friends* don't
usually go around touching each other inappropriately." She frowned,
"Or do they?" she asked, confused, "Is that something that
friends do? Why didn't anyone tell me that?"
Andrew cocked his head to the side, "No, I don't think that's something
that *friends* usually do," he admitted, "But I was asleep." He
pouted.
Anya narrowed her eyes, and looked at Andrew carefully, "Yes, you were
asleep with your head on Xander's shoulder and your hand on Xander's-,"
Andrew gasped, cutting Anya off. She frowned at him, "Oh don't get all
*gaspy*," she said huffily, "Look, *no one's* going to care if you
have a... a *thing* for Xander..." Anya trailed off, and then shrugged.
"Well, okay," she conceded, "*I'm* not too hot on the idea, and
I'm sure Xander might have some objections..." Anya looked away from
Andrew to the television. The movie had finished, and the screen was blank. Andrew
pouted, and they were both quiet for a moment. "Well," Anya said
brightly, breaking the silence and getting up off of the couch. She looked down
at Andrew, "This was fun," she said, smiling. Anya nodded to herself
and then, looking mildly confused, turned around and walked away up the stairs.
When she was gone, Andrew sniffed the sleeve of his shirt and sighed: it
smelled like Xander.
* * * * *
In the kitchen, Willow looked at Xander, her eyes narrowed in concentration.
"Xander," she said finally, "Does it mean something to
you?"
Xander scratched the back of his neck, nervously, <Well, it wouldn't
have>, he thought, <If that scene in the bathroom hadn't happened>. He
shrugged and opened his mouth to say something, then closed it and shrugged
again.
"Did something happen that you're not telling me about?" Willow asked
carefully.
Xander sighed, <Oh, nothing>, he thought, <Just earlier this evening I
entertained myself by fantasizing about tying Andrew up and whacking off...>
"No," Xander said at length, "Nothing."
Willow quirked an eyebrow, "You sure?" she asked slowly, "'Cause
you know you can tell me anything, right?" She tapped Xander on the arm,
"Best friends, remember?"
Xander sighed, "Okay..." he closed his eyes and lowered his voice,
"Something happened." Xander opened an eye to see his friend's
response. Willow's eyes were wide and her mouth was open in surprise.
"Wills?" Xander asked, "You okay?"
Willow shook herself, and blinked a few times, "Oh, yeah, sure," she
said, "Just a little... you know, shocked?" She lowered her voice,
"Something happened?" she whispered, "with... with
*Andrew*?"
Xander cringed, "Well, not *with* Andrew." Willow looked back at him,
confused. Xander sighed, and continued in an embarrassed whisper, "I was
upstairs in the bathroom, and-,"
Xander was cut off by Andrew, who had appeared in the doorway to the kitchen,
"What are you two whispering about?" he asked suspiciously, his mouth
drawn into its usual pout.
"Nothing," Xander said firmly, glancing at Willow.
Willow patted Xander reassuringly on the shoulder, "If you want to keep
talking," she glanced at Andrew, who was still regarding them
suspiciously, "About *girls*," she added, hoping not to arouse
Andrew's suspicions, "I'll be upstairs." Xander nodded his thanks and
Willow headed off, up the stairs to her room.
Alone again, the two men looked at each other in an uncomfortable silence.
Their eyes met for a moment and then they both looked away, awkwardly.
"Um," Andrew started, "It's a great movie, isn't it?"
"Yeah," Xander agreed, kicking at a spot on the floor, "Too bad
we slept through most of it."
Andrew shrugged, "I've seen it a million times anyway," he conceded.
Xander nodded and cleared his throat nervously. "Xander?" Andrew
whined. Xander looked up and their eyes met again. Andrew opened his mouth as
if to speak, but then covered it up with an obviously fake yawn, "Um, I'm
gonna go to sleep..." He furrowed his brow, and then turned and walked out
of the kitchen. Xander waited until Andrew was gone, and then quickly wandered
up the stairs to find Willow...
The end
To be continued...