Title:
Till there was you (Part ten of ten, continued from Xander Harris, Wookie)
Rating: PG-13 (for some mild adult content)
Summary: Set some time after 'Storyteller', i.e., season seven. Xander/Andrew.
This is the last chapter in the story. Just wrapping things up, with the boys
doing some singing and dancing and just being really darn cute together.
Author: Whiskey Meteor
Notes: Song lyrics taken from 'Till there was you', I'm thinking of the
Beatles' version if that helps at all. Thanks to my editor Kat, who got tired
of me complaining about the lack of X/Andrew fic and told me to shut up already
and write my own. Feedback sent to tartapplewedges@hotmail.com
<mailto:tartapplewedges@hotmail.com> will be happily received.
Disclaimer: any characters used belong to Joss Whedon and BtVS, I'm just
borrowing them for a while.
*************************************************
Buffy, Dawn, Willow, and Anya stood, hidden at the doorway to the front room.
They were looking into the living room watching Xander and Andrew, who were in
each other's arms, dancing slowly. Xander was singing softly, providing the
music, and Andrew was alternately giggling and sighing contentedly with his
head resting on Xander's shoulder.
* * * * *
The girls had arrived home almost a week ago and Xander had told them,
nervously, that he was gay *and* dating Andrew. "I don't expect you to
understand," Xander had told them. And for the most part they hadn't. Dawn
had been confused. Anya had been angry. Buffy had thought he was joking. Only
Willow had nodded in acceptance, immediately pulling Xander into a hug.
In the days that had followed Xander's announcement, Dawn had come to
understand; now she revelled in catching the two men together, sneaking kisses
when there was work to be done.
Anya was still angry. But she'd insisted that it wasn't a 'seeking vengeance'
type of anger, but more of a 'confused' type of anger. "I just need
time," she'd said, "you know, to get used to the idea that you'd
rather have sex with a small whiney man than... well, *me*, or you know, women
in general." Xander understood; he was still getting used to the idea
himself.
When Xander had finally convinced Buffy that he wasn't joking, she'd apologized
for laughing and agreed with Giles that they'd all been on the hell mouth for
too long. "You're really in love with him?" she'd asked, still in
disbelief. Later, Buffy and Willow had cornered Andrew and given him the
friendly 'be good to Xander or we'll beat you with a shovel' talk.
And then it was back to work, researching and training, trying to get ready for
whatever was going to come next. Giles had come to speak to Buffy about a
possible battle plan, and it had begun to look like they'd have a fighting
chance against the First. Xander and Andrew helped however they could -
researching with their hands clasped under the table, and sneaking private
moments together when the others were busy with training.
* * * * *
It was one of these stolen moments that the girls stood watching. Xander leaned
and kissed the top of Andrew's head, eliciting a giggle, "There were
bells, on a hill," he sang softly, "but I never heard them
ringing..."
"Aww..." Dawn cooed quietly, "they're *so* cute. Don't you think
they're *so* cute?"
"No," Anya retorted.
"Oh, come on, Anya," Willow implored. Anya frowned.
"Dawnie's right," Buffy agreed, "*So* cute."
Xander spun Andrew around, "No I never heard them at all," he sang,
"till there was you."
Anya sighed, "Fine, they're cute," she conceded, crossing her arms
over her chest huffily. "So cute they make me want to vomit," she
added quietly. Willow frowned at her.
"There were birds," Xander continued, "In the sky, but I never
saw them winging," he bent Andrew back into a dip, "No I never saw
them at all," he pulled Andrew back up and kissed his forehead, "till
there was you."
Willow looked to Buffy, "You think we should give them some privacy?"
she asked.
Buffy nodded, "Yeah," she said, "We should probably get back to
work anyway..." None of them made a move to leave, and Dawn leaned up
against the door-frame, smiling in at the two men dancing, a perfect (although
unconventional) picture of love.
Xander spun Andrew around again, eliciting another giggle, "Then there was
music, and wonderful roses, they tell me, in sweet fragrant meadows of dawn and
dew," he sang, rocking Andrew back and forth.
"Shouldn't they be helping?" Anya suggested, "You know,
researching or... something?"
"They are helping," Buffy said.
"Really?" Anya asked sarcastically, "Explain to me exactly how
singing and dancing classifies as *helping*."
"They're giving us hope," Buffy said simply, nodding to herself
"They're giving us something to fight for."
Anya frowned at her, genuinely confused, "We're fighting so that two
grown- up nerds can dance and sing to each other in your living room?" She
looked back and forth between the other women. Buffy sighed and rolled her
eyes, retreating back into the kitchen and then to the backyard where the
potentials were training. Willow snuck a last look at the dancing couple, and
followed after Buffy. Still confused, Anya looked to Dawn, her eyebrows raised,
"Well?" she demanded. Dawn linked arms with Anya and led her quietly
outside after the others.
Andrew looked up at Xander, "There was love, all around," he sang,
"but I never heard it singing, no I never heard it at all, till there was
you." This time Xander giggled, and Andrew reached up to give him a quick
kiss before continuing, "Then there was music and wonderful roses, they
tell me, in sweet fragrant meadows of dawn and dew..."
Xander spun Andrew around once more, "There was love all around, but I
never heard it singing," he crooned, "no, I never heard it at all,
till there was you..." Xander bent Andrew back into another dip,
"Till..." he sang, "there was you." The world around them
was chaos. There was a battle coming that could put an end to the world. No one
knew how everything was going to play out. But they were together, and that
made them feel stronger. Their eyes met, and Xander leaned down to bring their
lips together, in a dramatic Hollywood-ending-style kiss. It spoke of a hundred
different feelings at once, from wild passion to childish delight. But above
everything else was the one thing that gave them their strength: love. It gave
them and everyone around them hope and power.
*Love*
It was simple, and obvious... And it was every reason to carrying on and fight
until the battle was won.
The End.