Goodnight My Someonw
Part 1

Written By: Ragna
Rating: PG
Summary: Xander and Buffy deal with being alone.

Disclaimer: I am not in any way affilated with the show.
I don't not own any of the characters from the show. I do
own rights to any characters I have made up. No copy rght
infirgment intended.

"Okay...you're drunk." Xander smiled. "Not drunk, merely intoxicated." Buffy sighed. "I'm going to get you home, and then you're going to sleep this off. And tomorrow, I will make sure aspirin and water are right by you when you wake up." Xander nodded then shook his head. "I won't have a hangover. Nope, never me." Buffy rolled her eyes and pushed Xander out of the bar, glaring at Willy. "You, I will deal with later." Taking another look at Xander she shook her head. "My home's closer. We're going there." *** The splitting headache woke him up. Just as Buffy had promised, aspirin and a glass of water were by his bed. Swallowing two of them, he sat up. "What the hell happened?" he muttered. "You got drunk because Cordy left," Buffy said from the chair she had been sitting in near the bed. She had changed into pajamas already, just a camisole and a pair of sleeper shorts that matched. "Really? I don't remember," he said, laying down again. "Well, I beat the crap out of Willy for letting you get drunk. I worry about you, you know. When the graduation ceremonies were over, you were gone. So I...freaked." Xander arched an eyebrow. "Really?" "I thought a demon had gotten you. Then Devon said he saw you head into Willy's. If I wasn't the Slayer, I might have joined you." "Forgot Dead-boy left too. You dealing okay?" he asked quietly. "Yeah, I guess." She yawned. "Have you gotten any sleep yet?" Buffy shook her head. "I was just...watching. I...you threw up on your clothes, so I took them off," she said, blushing slightly as she got up and sat on the bed next to him. "They're in the dryer now." Xander nodded, glad that he had decided on boxers when he got dressed. "No need to be embarrassed, Buff." She smiled slightly. "Is your mom cool with me being here?" She frowned, fighting back tears. "She...she's not here. She didn't even come to the graduation." Xander instinctively reached over to hug her, sitting up no matter how badly his head hurt. She sobbed on his bare shoulder for a few moments, quietly. As Xander stroked her hair back and tried to soothe her, she started to tell him. "I...I told her about the Ascension. And...she left town. She didn't care that I could stop it, that I was still going to graduate." "Then she's an idiot. A selfish idiot," Xander said quietly. Buffy nodded slowly. "My dad showed up, though, but he looked so hurt when I said I couldn't go to dinner with him. I mean, I still had to patrol and all...and then you disappeared..." She broke into tears again. "Shh, Buffy. It'll be okay." Xander let her sob quietly, not even being his usual hormonal self. He was surprised that Buffy would even tell him any of this, considering how out of the loop he usually was. "No, it won't! I'm going to be alone forever...everyone leaves." "I won't leave. Unless I die. I promise." Buffy didn't know who was more surprised by that sentence. But it was what she needed to hear. She clung to him, her face next to his neck. When he pulled back, she was brought out of her comfortable daze. "Buffy? I...thank you." She nodded quietly. "Xander, would you just stay here tonight? I mean...I want to be near a friend right now." "Me too. Yeah, I'll stay here." Buffy smiled and pulled the blanket over her. "Can you just...hug me till I fall asleep?" she asked quietly, and was surprised by the feeling of security that washed over her when she felt his warm arms wrap around her as she closed her eyes. "Good night, Xander." He smiled, and pulled her a little closer. "Good night, Buffy." *** When Buffy woke up the next morning, she knew what had happened the night before, and what hadn't. But she liked waking up in his arms. "You finally woke up," Xander said quietly. "Thought you would sleep until noon. Or until you had to get up and patrol." Buffy smiled and turned to face him. "I'm supposed to be concerned about you. Not the other way around. You feel better?" "If I never drink again, I will." He sat up and looked at her. "You hungry?" Buffy nodded. "Yeah, I am surprisingly. I usually never eat breakfast." "You'll like my breakfast." *** "I never knew you could cook, Xander," Buffy said, looking at the food he was making. "It's easy. I follow the directions, and say a small prayer over the food before I start cooking it." Buffy laughed as she grabbed a waffle. "This is...delicious." Xander laughed, and looked at her. For the first time since he'd met Buffy he felt at ease, totally comfortable with her and not wanting to ruin whatever this moment was. Turning back to the food he was cooking, he didn't hear Buffy walk next to him. He did feel her hand touch his arm lightly, and his response was a small jump. "You surprised me," he said. "Hey, last evening and right now was a surprise too," she said quietly. "I...I like this. I like the idea of you being here, being a part of my life. Makes me feel alive...needed." "Wanted?" he asked, finishing up what he was cooking and turning off the stove. He wasn't surprised to see her nod. "That too." She smiled at him and leaned next to him slightly, wrapping an arm around his waist. He turned her around so they were facing each other and slowly bent down to kiss her, but stopped. "I don't want to hurt you, but I don't want to be hurt, either." He pulled away. "I don't want to get hurt again, because I think I..." She put a finger to his lips. "I know. I really do. But...I realized, when I sent Angel to hell, that we'd have to part one day. So, it doesn't hurt as much as I thought it would, and I know we can never be together. We being me and him." She paused, then slowly moved a hand up to touch his face. "I think that, sometime about halfway through this year, I started looking at you as someone I could really fall in love with. And I mean, totally, with no hesitations. And it caused me to act strangely towards you." He nodded, and as she was about to say something else, he cut her off with a tender kiss, something he'd wanted to do for the last three years. She hesitated only a second before kissing him back with equal tenderness. They stood like that until the phone rang, almost ten minutes later."I'll kill whoever's calling," Buffy muttered, her lips still against Xander's. Xander laughed, but felt a slight sadness when Buffy left his embrace to pick up the phone. "Hello? No, we're alive, Mom. Whatever. Xander's over here. Yeah, we had a depression session. Come back whenever. I don't care." And with that, she hung up the phone. "Buffy, are you okay?" He asked, reaching a hand out to her. "No. She...she said she didn't like my attitude, Slayer or not. And she doesn't want you around here. I don't know why." Xander hugged her, repeating the actions he had the night before. "Everything will be fine, Buffy. I promise." *** They sat down next to each other, just touching, close to each other. Waiting for the door to open and the hateful words to start flying. Buffy had called her father with a plea for something, and was surprised when her father agreed. In fact, Buffy's new apartment was already waiting for her. Her mom had pushed her too far, and telling her she couldn't hang out with Xander was the last straw. "Think she'll be upset?" Buffy asked quietly, and Xander nodded. "My parents wouldn't even care, I don't think. They know I need to be out on my own, so they wouldn't object, if I had a place to go." Buffy looked at him. "Stay with me. I mean, it's a two bedroom apartment. You have a room and I have one. At least until your dorm opens up." Xander nodded. "Sounds good." And then, the wait began again. *** When Joyce came in at midnight or so, she was greeted with the sight of her daughter asleep in Xander's arms, and he was asleep as well. Breathing a small sigh of relief, her concerns rose again as she saw the smile on Buffy's face, the look of comfort and contentment. Hank had already gotten a hold of her and told her about the apartment. It didn't come as a shock, really, and she was starting to rethink her attitudes about her daughter. If she liked Xander...at least it was better than a vampire who could kill if there was a true moment of happiness involved. At least Xander was human. But...he was so much like Hank that it was scary. Really, it was. Hank had been a charming man with an acerbic but hilarious wit, and Joyce had fallen for him immediately. And then, after the marriage, and Buffy's birth, things fell apart. The humor went away, replaced with hurt feelings, hateful words and double standards, and Joyce didn't want Buffy to deal with it in what could be a very short life. But it was also the reason she would not begrudge her daughter the chance to live on her own, to be an adult. To have a life. *** "Buffy? Wake up," Xander said gently. She stirred in his arms as her eyes fluttered open. "Did we get yelled at and I just blocked it out of my memories?" she asked, yawning. Xander smiled and kissed the top of her head. "No. But...there's a note." He pointed to a piece of paper on the coffeetable. She picked it up and read out loud. "Dear Buffy, I know when you wake up I'll be at work, which is probably the best thing to happen. I think it is a good idea if you live on your own, but don't forget I'm your mother and I have the right to worry about you. Be careful. Love mom." Xander shook his head. "So she's okay with it?" "I guess." Sitting up, she turned and smiled at him. "Want to help me pack?"