Love is a Gift (2/6) W/X NC17

Title: Love is a Gift

Author: The Bear!

Spoilers: None of note

Pairing: X/W

Summary: Sequel to ‘All Saints Day’

Warnings: NC17 (Lots of sex, like that’s a surprise.)

Disclaimer: If I owned ‘em, they’d have to show it on the Ecstasy Network.

Author’s Note: Ok, here it is as promised—My Christmas present to you all! This little Christmas treat is 99.9% angst-free, stuffed with fluff, coated in syrupy sweetness, and chock-full of sexy goodness!

========== BtVS ==========

Part 2

Shopping with the Buffster was nice. Not as nice as if Willow was with us, but still. I like spending time with Buffy too. It doesn’t take long with her to remember why I had such a crush on her for so long. She’s fun, she’s beautiful, and—when she’s not moping over Deadboy’s latest malfunction—she’s incredibly happy and bubbly.

“You know, I’m pretty sure Willow doesn’t care what you get her for Christmas,” Buffy said, giggling at my _expression_ as I checked out the price tag on a bracelet at the jewelry store. “Didn’t she tell you—like a hundred times—that you don’t need to get her anything at all?”

“Uh huh. That’s a trick you girls like to play on us guys—tell us we don’t need to shower you with presents, then when we’re stupid enough to believe you, you pout for days—but won’t tell us why!” I teased her. “I’ve seen plenty of TV shows where that happens, and I’m not falling for it!”

Buffy laughed out loud at that. Yes, I’ve still got it! Say what you will about muscles and sporting prowess, I still believe in making them laugh. Not that it ever worked for me except for Willow, but then, that’s all I ever needed—I was just a little slow in figuring it out.

“Seriously Xander,” Buffy said when she could form coherent words again. “I don’t think she wants you to feel like you have to get her something—she only told me about a thousand times how much she loves those books you got her for Hanukkah...”

“Yeah, I did good on that one,” I said—not with pride, though there was a little of that—mostly it was just that I was so happy that she liked them as much as she did.

“So what’s the deal?” Buffy asked curiously. “You’re not going to top that one anyway.”

We walked out of the store and headed along the mall while I thought about how to answer that.

Finally I asked, “Did you have a nice Christmas last year?”

She looked at me questioningly, but answered anyway. “Not so much. Mom and Dad were finalizing their divorce, and I had just been called as the Slayer.”

Ouch, bad example.

“How about the ones before that; any merry Christmases in there?” I tried again.

She frowned at me, but still played along. “Yeah, there were some nice ones...mostly nice in fact. What does that have to do with anything?”

“Everything. It has everything to do with it.”

I felt my throat get tight as I remembered all the Christmases past.

Coughing to clear my throat, I tried to say it without sounding all weepy. “Suffice it to say that Christmas in the Harris house leaves a lot to be desired. I want this year to be different. I know Willow doesn’t celebrate Christmas as a religious holiday, but she’s going to be there, with me, just like I was there with her at Hanukkah, and I want this year to be special...”

Buffy got this ‘aww...’ look on her face and I had to look away or I’d have cried for sure.

“I know she means it when she says I don’t have to get her anything, but I need to...for me. I want to give her a present not just 'cause it’s expected, or 'cause it’s what you do...it’s because *I* need to, because she’s so important to me that I can’t not give her one. I’ve never felt that way before...”

And then dry eyes weren’t an option and I had to try and nonchalantly wipe off my cheeks.

“I want her to have something that...every time she looks at it, she can’t help but think of me and smile,” I said with a rough voice that I just knew totally blew away my already iffy masculine image.

“And so it is that I am here with my ‘bestest bud that isn’t Willow’ in the whole world, braving the madness that is last minute Christmas shopping at Sunnydale mall,” I said, trying to lighten things back up a little.

I looked at Buffy and saw that she wasn’t buying the return of joke-guy. She put one hand on my arm and said, “That’s the sweetest thing I’ve ever heard in my life!”

“Hey, don’t let it get out; I’m already on shaky ground with the other guys...” I whispered conspiratorially.

Buffy, of course, ignored me. “You...you’re really in love with her aren’t you?” she asked as if surprised. “I mean, I knew you loved her...”

Am I in love with Willow!? Does a bear doo-doo in the woods? Does the Pope wear funny hats? Is the sky blue? Is...well, you get the point. Heck yes I’m in love with her!

She must have seen it on my face, 'cause I didn’t even have to answer, she just gave a great big girly squeal of excitement and threw her arms around me in a big hug.

“Xander! That’s so awesome!” she cried. She let go of me and was bouncing on her toes as she pronounced, “Consider me totally on board! We shall go forth and let nothing stop us in our quest to find the perfect gift for Willow.”

“For under fifty dollars,” I added sheepishly, earning a seriously dirty look.

Hey, I was in love, but I was also broke.

========== BtVS ==========

“Xander! Why don’t you just get it already, you’ve only come back to look at it like three times now!” Buffy whined. “Come on, we’re supposed to meet Willow for lunch in, like, ten minutes!”

“I dunno, you don’t think it’s kind of lame?” I asked. I mean, it’s a heart pendant. Don’t all guys get their girlfriends one of these?

“It’s totally not lame, Xander! It’s sterling silver, it’s a locket—you can put your picture in it,” she said, trying to sell me on the heart being the perfect gift. “It comes with a sterling chain, and it’s under $50! It’s everything you’re looking for...”

I just wasn’t sure. It felt like there was something missing.

Buffy at last seemed to have had enough of my indecision. She crossed her arms and gave me a look that made me thankful that my own heart was not among the un-beating, lest I quickly find a stake planted in it.

“Alexander Harris, either buy the pendant, or put it back, 'cause we’re going now,” she said in no uncertain terms.

“Umm, I have to think about it some more,” I said with an apologetic smile to the sales lady behind the counter, as I handed back the necklace.

“Ugh! I swear Xander,” Buffy said disgustedly as she grabbed my arm and dragged me out of the store.

Being dragged around physically by Buffy used to be in my top ten fantasies. It’s funny how love can make you a completely different person.

“Sorry Buff, it’s just...It’s Willow. It has to be perfect,” I said, trying to somehow convey what I just couldn’t put into words.

She stopped and looked at me, staring at my face until I started to get uncomfortable.

After a while her _expression_ softened and she quietly said, “Xander, if I was in love, and the box I unwrapped had one of those inside, I’d think it was pretty darn perfect.”

“Yeah?” I asked feeling torn with indecision. “You’re not just saying that 'cause you’re sick of shopping with me?”

“Xan, I’m through shopping with you today either way,” Buffy reminded me. “So why would I say it if it wasn’t true?”

With that she turned and walked away, heading for the food court.

I, of course, hurried to catch up—Willow was probably already there, and I didn’t want to keep her waiting.

“Hey Buff...”

“Yeah?” she asked.

I could hear just a little bit of something like frustration or annoyance in her tone, but she was hiding it well, and that made me feel bad that I was just then going to say what I should have said a bunch of times already. “Thanks.”

“For what?” she asked. She sounded a little confused.

“You know, for giving up your Saturday to help me shop for Willow.”

She tilted her head and looked at me like she was trying to figure out a math problem or something.

“What?” I asked, now a little confused myself. “I can’t say thanks?”

“No, it’s not...never mind,” she said, shaking her head. Her confused _expression_ dropped away and she smiled at me, saying, “You’re welcome. It was fun—mostly.”

“Hey!” I groused at her little smirk. I know she was referencing my indecisiveness with the locket. “This is hard, you know? I’ve never felt like this for anyone before...I just want her to be happy. I want to see that great big Willow-smile. If she opens up her present and I see that smile...that’ll be my Christmas present.”

It took a minute for my little fantasy to play out before I again focused on Buffy. She had that look on her face again, like she was trying to figure out something.

“Yeah, I know; I’m a total sap,” I admitted. I just knew I was blushing—I could feel my face getting hot.

Buffy smiled slightly as she shook her head. “You’re a good guy, Xander. I never...” she paused, and then changed whatever she was going to say. Instead she smiled even bigger and said, “Willow’s a lucky girl to have you.”

I couldn’t help grinning like a fool—which some would argue isn’t much of a stretch. “I dunno Buff. I try, but I know I’m really the lucky one!”

I’m lucky she waited for me...it’s not like I ever gave her any reason, but she waited for me until I pulled my head out of my ass and noticed her for what she’d always been...my perfect girl. Now I just had to do everything I could for the rest of my life to be her perfect man.

========== BtVS ==========

I knew Joyce and Buffy's teasing from this morning was pretty true when we got within sight of the food court. I could see Willow sitting at a table on the outer edge and she was looking back and forth up and down the mall...obviously she was missing me. I knew this because my heart started beating harder as soon as I laid my eyes on her. I’d missed her too.

Kinda pathetic, I know. We spend like four hours apart and we’re both feeling the withdrawal.

“What’s got you grinning so big all of a sudden?” Buffy asked me.

“Willow,” I explained, pointing toward her.

“Where?” she asked, rising up onto her tip-toes in a futile effort to see over the mass of people between us and the food-court.

I couldn’t help but laugh.

She stopped walking and stood in front of me with her hands on her hips. “What? What’s funny?” she demanded, glaring at me.

“Nothing, Buff,” I said, totally lying and not hiding it very well.

Her glare turned into a pout and she complained, “Being short sucks!”

“Hmm, now I know what to get you for Christmas...stilts!” I teased.

She just glared again.

“Come on short-stuff, Willow's waiting!” I said, herding her forward once more.

Yeah, I knew I was probably digging my own grave, but I couldn’t help myself. I’m stupid like that. Besides, I really wanted some Willow-kissage.

Fortunately, it looked like any Xander-ass kicking was going to be postponed because she was too busy sputtering over the short-stuff comment to think straight.

As we got closer, my smile turned into a frown. Willow was talking to someone—specifically a male someone. Short, with kinda messy red hair...he looked familiar somehow.

“Hey, is that Oz?” Buffy asked, apparently able to see through the crowd now that we were closer.

“Oz?” I asked. I knew I’d seen the guy before, and the name was really familiar.

“Yeah, you know,” she said, despite the fact that I clearly didn’t. “Remember those tracker-assassins Spike hired to kill me?”

How sad is it that I didn’t even raise an eyebrow at that question? “Yeah,” I answered.

“Oz is that guy that tackled Willow when the shooting started during the job-fair thingy,” she explained.

“Oh yeah,” I remembered feeling more scared than I pretty much had ever felt before when they were telling me about that. Crap, I definitely gotta shake this guy’s hand and thank him. He literally saved my life when he saved Willow like that.

“You know, I think he’s kinda got a thing for Willow,” Buffy tossed out all of a sudden.

My heart definitely skipped a beat.

“Better watch out Xan, you might have some competition,” she added in an altogether too pleased voice.

For just a moment, my nightmare scenario popped up in my head—the one where Willow realizes I’m a loser and dumps me for someone else. Fortunately what little brain I’ve got kicked in immediately.

“No way,” I said, and hey, I sounded pretty convincing there.

“What, you don’t think Willow's good enough to attract anyone else?” Buffy said, now sounding annoyed again.

“Are you insane?” I asked. “Of course she is...any guy with eyes and a working brain would be interested in her!” That of course left out most of the population of Sunnydale High School, including me for quite a while there.

“Huh?” she asked, obviously confused by my response.

“I don’t know what I did to deserve Willow, heck I probably don’t deserve her at all,” I tried to explain. “But, for whatever reason, she loves me. Do you seriously think she’d just throw that away for some random guy?”

“Um, no,” she said, again giving me that weird look she’d been wearing on and off all morning.

“I figure, the only way I could lose Willow is if I did something really, really, really stupid,” I went on. “And, yeah, I know—not outside the realms of possibility with me—but I’m gonna work really, really hard to not do that.”

“Wow,” she said with a little sigh.

“Come on, I am desperately in need of some Willow-kissage!” I prompted, again herding her in the right direction.

By the time we were within thirty feet of the table, Willow noticed us coming and I saw her face light up. God, how I felt at the sight—I can’t even describe it...so happy and warm and good and really looking forward to kissing my girl.

Next thing I knew, I was doing just that—no memory of covering that last bit of distance. I thought I heard Buffy talking to that Oz guy, but I could have been wrong because I was totally focused on the taste of Willow's lips, and the feel of her tongue against mine. It was all cherry lip-gloss and mocha Willowy-goodness.

When we finally came up for air and I looked into her eyes...I definitely am the biggest sap in the world and damn happy to be!

“I missed you!” she said in that adorable little-girl voice.

“Me too, I missed you!” I whispered intently.

“Alright you too, PDA alert,” Buffy's voice snapped us out of our happy little ‘just the two of us’ world. “Remember, you’re at the mall, not alone here guys.”

Poor Willow, one look at the large number of people staring at us and she lit up like a light. I know she hates blushing, especially in public, but I thought it was just too cute for words.

“Oops, sorry,” she said to Buffy, who also seemed to appreciate a good Willow-blush if the smile on her face was any indication.

People around us went back to eating and I turned to look at Oz. Yep, the look on his face told me Buffy was right; he was definitely interested in Willow. Thank God I pulled my head out when I did...just think, I could have lost her to a guy like this. Even Willow wouldn’t have waited forever—heck I’m lucky she waited as long as she did!

“Hey, Oz, right?” I said, sticking my hand out toward the short little guy.

“Yeah,” he nodded as he shook my hand. Enthusiasm definitely lacking there, but who could blame him?

“Man I gotta thank you,” I said, ignoring his lukewarm response. “I owe you big-time for saving Willow a few weeks ago!”

“Right, psycho-cop lady,” he replied with a light shrug.

“Yeah, anyway...” Hmm, talk about unemotional guy. “I can’t ever repay you for that, but there’s anything I can do for you, just let me know, ‘k?”

“Sure, right...look I gotta run guys. Band practice,” he said, still not showing any emotion at all.

“Oh, well it was good seeing you again,” Willow said, sounding genuinely disappointed that he was leaving.

I don’t think she caught on that he was hitting on her. I have no doubt Buffy would rectify that as soon as we were done with lunch and she got my girl alone. In the mean time, I was going to try and get enough Willow-fix to last me through the afternoon.

I’m pretty sure by the time Buffy got done with her later this afternoon, we were both gonna need to ‘reconnect’, if you know what I mean.

========== BtVS ==========

TBC...

TheBear!

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