Til There Was You
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.
~Fin~