GOING ONCE (24/?)
 

"I am not wearing that," Xander said, shaking his head and glaring at Anya.
 

"I'm with Xander," Riley said, giving Buffy a look. "There is no way in hell
I'm wearing that."
 

"Come on, honey. You'll look great," Buffy said, giving him her best smile.
 

"No," he said, shaking his head. "I didn't even agree to be in this damn
auction. I'll do it, for you, but there are lines that I will not cross."
 

"I'm with Riley. I've gone to a gym, I've run miles, I've stopped eating
twinkies!" Xander said, looking at his lover, "But that's it. I'm sick of all
of this. The bet? It's stupid. There is no surefire way of winning. Just
because someone gets a higher bid? That could just mean a more wealthy woman
wanted them. It doesn't mean a damn thing about whose better. Anyway, who
cares? You're the only one I want. I don't need to win some stupid bet to
know that I love you."
 

"Ditto," Riley said, looking at Buffy with a smile. "Honey, you've gone over
the deep end. It's just a silly auction for charity. Neither Xander nor I
will get the highest bid. We're both way too young for most of those women to
be interested in anyway. Hell, I'm a college student and Xander is a
carpenter. Doesn't really compare to CEO or lawyer, you know?"
 

"Have we been acting completely stupid?" Buffy asked, exchanging a look with
Anya. "I'm sorry. I'm just so damn competitive."
 

"Same here," Anya said, moving into Xander's arms. "Forgive me?"
 

"Already forgiven. Just let it go," Xander urged.
 

"Promise. No more exercise. And I'll shut up about the bet too," Anya said,
kissing him lightly.
 

"I don't even care if Spike does win," Buffy said, throwing caution to the
wind as she hugged Riley.
 

"Are you feeling all right?" Riley asked with amusement, feeling her
forehead. "Did you just say that you didn't care if Spike won a bet? As in,
he could gloat forever and a day about besting you. And that doesn't bother
you?"
 

"Compared to losing you?" she asked, shrugging, "What's forever and a day?
Not like he won't always have something to gloat about anyway."
 

"Hey, who knows, one of us could still win," Xander said, smiling a goofy
smile.
 

Before anyone could respond, the door opened and Willow walked in. She looked
around, her eyes dazed and confused and sleepy. She saw Buffy and said,
"Thank God you're here. I've been looking for you since this morning."
 

"Willow? Are you OK? You look like shit," Buffy said, getting to her feet as
she moved across Xander's living room towards her friend.
 

"I don't know what to do," Willow whispered as she moved to hug her best
friend, thankful to have someone to talk to.