Summary: Willow does something special to catch someone's eye.
Spoilers: Minor, through the fourth season.
Disclaimer: Joss made the characters. But I like to pretend that they're
mine. Especially Angel. The song is by Lorrie Morgan.
Rating: PG
Distribution: Anywhere you like, just let me know. :)
Feedback: It's a perfect yum.
Author's Note: A few people have written, asking why I haven't been sending
anything out lately... Simple answer, I haven't written anything. <g> My
computer crashed, pretty badly, about a month ago, and I lost everything. (A
great reason why you should backup everything on disk. LOL.) Sort of put me
in a slump. But here I am, sending things out again, so I just wanted to
thank everyone for their concern. :) Special thanks to Laura, Tracy, and
Rebecca, for helping me retrieve some of what I lost. You guys are the
greatest.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"I'm looking for something in red.
Something that's shocking, to turn a man's head.
Strapless and sequined and cut down to there,
with stockings and garters and lace underwear.
The guaranteed number to knock a man dead...
I'm looking for something in red."
--Lorrie Morgan
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Why are we going shopping, Will?" Buffy pressed, as Willow hauled her into
the fourth shop. "I mean, not that I mind, but I'm a little curious now. In
Revelations, you tried on eight dresses-- none of which I would have thought
you liked, by the way-- and haven't said a word to me about why!"

Willow tugged on her arm a little harder. "Come on. We're almost to April
Fool. I think they might have the one."

Buffy yanked her arm back and Willow tumbled into her, until they were both
tangled in a heap on the sidewalk. After they stood and brushed themselves
off, Willow turned to Buffy with hurt eyes. "Sorry," Buffy mumbled.

"It's okay. What'd you do that for, though?"

"Because I'm not going anywhere else until you tell me why we're going to all
of these... else's," Buffy said firmly, crossing her arms over her chest.

Willow bit her lip with a little pout. "Why are you so curious?"

Buffy rolled her eyes at the question. She nodded defiantly. "I'm
kitty-like in that respect, I guess. Sue me. Or tell me. Because I'm not
going into a single store to shop until you let me know what we're looking
for!" She paused, her voice lowering to a whisper. "Did I just say that?"

Willow cracked a smile. "Can I give you a hint, and we'll leave it at that?"

"For now?" Buffy asked skeptically.

Willow sighed, then nodded. "Yes. For now."

"Okay."

Willow leaned in, her eyes darting around as she pulled Buffy into April
Fool. Her voice was merely a breath, and Buffy had to strain to hear it.
"I'm looking for something in red. Something special."

The Slayer's eyebrows raised. "I didn't even know you liked red."

"Buffy," Willow said plaintively, "I've been trying on red dresses for over
an hour now. You couldn't have guessed that I like that color?"

"Well, you don't wear it very often. As in, almost never," Buffy argued.

Willow flipped through the catalog, sitting down on one of the plush chairs.
Buffy sat down next to her, glancing over Willow's shoulder. "I don't like
to wear it a lot," Willow mumbled, looking through the thick magazine, "It's
flashy. I'm not the most flashy person."

"I always thought you would look good in red," Buffy told her thoughtfully.
"In fact, Xander and I were talking about that the other day, how it would be
a great color on..." Buffy clapped her hand over her mouth. Willow looked at
her, caught. "Oh my God. You're doing this for... And you weren't going to
tell me... How did you know about the red?"

Willow colored and looked down. "I knew that was too good of a hint," she
muttered. "I came into his basement and heard you guys talking about me.
Really, I didn't mean to eavesdrop," she explained, almost pleadingly, hoping
that Buffy would believe her. "But I heard my name and stopped at the top of
the stairs. I felt like I was fifteen years old again, hoping to hear him
say something nice about me. So I waited, and when he said that thing, about
how I had always looked pretty in my red sweater, how red was the best color
on me, I had all these... fluttery feelings that I hadn't had in a long
time." Suddenly she stopped and looked at her best friend accusingly. "And
I've been waiting for you to tell me about that, but nothing!"

Buffy winced, then looked down. "What part of the conversation did you walk
in on?"

"When you said that I have a pale, good complexion, and Xander agreed that he
liked my skin," Willow said slowly, gazing at Buffy. "Why? Was there
something else?"

"Well, Xander and I were sort of talking about you for a while before that,"
Buffy said, cringing when she saw Willow's mouth drop open. "It was all
good, really! But we were... talking. There were a bunch of things that he
asked me not to tell you. I more remembered the stuff he asked me not to
tell you than that red comment."

"Like what?" Willow asked, her eyes wide and on Buffy.

"Like... He has feelings for you, and oh God is he going to kill me that I
told you, even though I was waiting for you to notice something weird and ask
me about it so that I *could* tell you..." Buffy inhaled deeply, running out
of words to say.

"How long has he had feelings for me?" Willow asked in a daze.

"Sort of... Since you guys kissed," Buffy stammered.

"What?!" Willow exploded. Her eyes darted around, and she composed herself.
Her voice was a hiss. "What?!"

"Well... You got back together with Oz, and then he had Anya and you had Oz,
and then Oz left, and he was still with Anya-- who, by the way, he really
cared for for a while-- and then Anya left *him,* for that other guy-- big
hypocrite-- and ever since then, the timing's been perfect, but nobody would
say anything!" Buffy took another deep breath. Her eyes narrowed. "Hey,
why were you looking for something in red if you didn't know if he liked you?
And don't you have that other red dress that you wore a long time ago? The
skintight one?"

"I was sort of looking for something new," she explained pointedly.
"Something that I hadn't worn with my last boyfriend? And as for the
other... I was planning on... *Seeing* if he *could* possibly like me again.
I wasn't sure if... I didn't know then what you just told me."

"Can I help you ladies?" A young woman came over and smiled at them, a
little too patiently. Where Willow once might have looked down and mumbled a
'no, thank you,' as she felt embarrassed for chatting instead of shopping,
she now sat up straighter and looked the woman in the eye. A feeling burned
inside of her stomach, an anger or excitement that she couldn't quite
describe.

"Yes," she said firmly, her smile also intact, "I was wondering if you had
anything in red? Pretty, maybe a little daring?"

The woman's eyes lit up, and she leaned forward a little. "I'm so glad you
know the type of thing you're looking for!" she confided. "Some of the
people in here try on dresses for hours, and *still* buy nothing. As it is,
I think we have what you're looking for. It's on page two-fifteen."

Willow nodded gratefully, and flipped to the page. She looked down at the
dress, a little disappointed. "I'm not sure..." she started doubtfully.

"Try it on, please," the salesclerk encouraged. "I have a pretty good eye.
I think it would be stunning on you."

"Come on, Will," Buffy whispered, nudging her painfully in the ribs.

Willow flashed her a grin. "All right."

"Great!" The woman straightened again, smiling brightly. "I'll bring it
into changing room five, and you can change."

"Okay."

Twenty minutes later, Buffy and Willow left the shop, Willow's treasured
purchase folded over her arm carefully, preserved in the dress bag.
* * * * * * * * *

"So you're bringing him, then?" Willow held the phone up to her ear with her
shoulder as brushed the curls in her hair until they looked soft and floating.

"Yep," Buffy confirmed. "We're meeting there at eight."

"Buffy! That only gives me an hour," Willow complained nervously. "And I
thought you were going to help me with my make-up."

Buffy laughed. "I am. I'm leaving Giles's right now. I'll be there in a
few minutes."

They hung up the phone and Giles lifted his eyebrows at his Slayer.
"Something so important that you have to skip patrol tonight?"

"You have the idea!" She nodded brightly, flashing him a smile as she
gathered her jacket and bag from his couch. She winked. "Don't worry,
Giles, I'm only helping the process of true love."

"Which needs your help, I suppose," he deadpanned.

"Always," she agreed. She patted his shoulder as she breezed past. "Now I
just have to set *you* up. Uh... With someone other than my mother."

"I'll have you know..." he started indignantly. He stopped when she slammed
the door behind her, a smile spilling over his face. He finished with a
resigned tone. "That you won't listen to a single word I say."

Buffy opened the door back up and popped her head in. She grinned. "Got
that right."
* * * * * * * * *

"You ready for this?"

A sigh, then a smile. "Let's hope so. ...Yes, I am."

"Sure?"

"More about this than anything."

The hug was warm, tight, soothing and excited all at once. "Good luck."

"I'm hoping that I don't need luck for this... But thanks. See you in twenty
minutes."

"You got it, chickie."
* * * * * * * * *

Xander stirred his drink listlessly. "I don't get it, Buff. Why was it so
important to come here tonight? There isn't even a band playing, or anything
interesting happening."

Her gaze was searching the crowd. He waved a hand in front of her face, and
she started, then looked at him with a guilty smile. "Yeah. ...What?"

"Why are we here?" His voice was on the edge of a whine, but playful and
tolerant.

"I was bored," she replied vaguely. "I needed to get out."

"Isn't that your job?" he pointed out with a crooked grin. "You go out every
night... Chosen One sort of thing... Except you don't get paid?"

Buffy slapped him lightly on the arm. "Out out. Not that kind of out, this
kind. Anyway, I heard a rumor that there was going to be some hot action
here tonight." A smile slid over her face, sneaky and amused.

His brows pulled forward in confusion, and he looked around. "What kind
of... Oh."

Buffy's smile turned triumphant. "*That* kind."

"That's... That's..." Xander had trouble forming her name as his eyes
followed the movements of Willow. She was looking around curiously, her
steps small and graceful in the crush of the crowd. Her eyes sparkled
warmly, her lips were painted ruby. Xander's eyes slowly went up to her
face, then all the way down her body, pausing in a couple of places.

She was beautiful. Her hair was curled softly and pulled up, with loose
pieces tumbling sexily around her face. The color of it was muted underneath
the dim lights. She was wearing a low-cut red dress that looked like a
second skin to her body, satin hugging all of the creamy skin that wasn't
showing. Wild loops of sequins swirled around the dress. Daring but
sophisticated. Shocking and elegant. The top of her skirt brushed her upper
thighs, and Xander stared at her legs. She wore silk stockings and red
velvet shoes. Somehow, he intuitively knew that all she wore underneath the
dress was lace, and probably not much of that.

He swallowed hard.

Buffy patted his hand. He was turning purple. Quietly, she commanded,
"Breathe, Xand."

He did, sucking in the air noisily, as if he had just been drowning and had
been rescued. Or perhaps he had always been rescued, and just beginning to
drown. His eyes darkened as he watched her movements, careless and full of
care at the same time.

"She's wearing red," he murmured. "God, she looks... How am I supposed to
stand this, Buff?"

"I don't think you are," she muttered before she could catch herself. He
didn't hear her words, however, and stood as Willow finally spotted the table
they were sitting at. She gave Xander a curved, almost secret smile as she
approached them.

Xander turned for Buffy, panicked.

She had disappeared.

He swallowed again. Alone with Willow. Alone with gorgeous Willow. Not
allowed to be having these thoughts.

Willow extended her hand. "Do you want to dance?" Her lashes lowered. "Or
do you just want to get out of here?"

"I think," he rasped, "That I could use some air."

Willow blushed, pleased, and took his hand, proceeding to lead him out of the
Bronze. His eyes were on her hips, swaying gently, as he followed her
dumbly, her hand warm and unbelievably soft in his. Her fingernails were as
red as her lips, her dress. He was having trouble keeping his eyes off of
her.

After they were outside, Willow continued to walk in silence, and Xander
continued to follow. Her silence was deliberate, his was not. He simply
couldn't think of anything to say.

Finally, away from the building and the people that kept pouring in and out
of it, Willow stopped. She leaned against a short wall, crossing and folding
one leg over the other. Xander licked his lips.

"Are you going to stand there all night, or are you going to kiss me?" she
smiled, her eyes big, pretty, watching him very carefully.

The blood throbbed hotly underneath his skin, and he could feel each rapid
beat of his heart. Not waiting for her to change her mind, Xander leaned
forward and captured her lips with his. It was tentative at first, a little
uncertain, and then Willow placed her hands on his face, pulling him closer,
opening her mouth under his. He moved his body closer, his arms sliding
around her waist, crushing her to him. His tongue licked at her, sank into
her mouth, tasted the taste that he hadn't known for too long. Willow moaned
breathily, melting into his embrace, relaxing completely in his arms.

Finally he pulled away, but didn't release her from his grasp.

Willow looked at him seriously, and though it was still the siren that had
forced the issue that needed to be forced, it was also suddenly *Willow*
again. Xander sighed in relief.

"Buffy helped me with all of this, you know," she explained uncertainty.
"I'm not going to be like this all the time... I'm not this person, not
really. I'm just... me."

"That's who I'm in love with," he responded honestly, unthinkingly, brushing
his lips over hers again. "You."

Her eyes glimmered into his. Her voice was small. "You are?"

He punctuated his answer with another kiss, longer, deeper. "Yes."

Tears filled her voice, but she held them back and kept her eyes open as they
kissed again. She observed the way his lashes grazed his cheek, his
beautiful cheekbones, the saltiness of his kiss, the warmth of his hands over
her clothes, silently. She felt and saw these things, and reserved them in
her memory for later, when she might think she had left nothing to fight for.
"I love you, too," she whispered.

"Good." His eyes held hers unflinchingly. A smile flickered over his lips,
and he kissed her again. She laughed at his next words, and then all sounds
melted into the night like shadows.

"Though I wouldn't mind if you kept this dress."

The End

The next part in the series....The Color of Jade

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