Warren Who?
Andrew woke to the sound of laughter drifting in from the kitchen. He rose and shuffled sleepily into the other room to see what was going on. Upon entering the kitchen, Andrew was met with a most interesting scene - Xander and Spike were sitting at the kitchen table, eating, and laughing. And not laughing *at* each other as they usually did, but *with* each other. Andrew gaped. "What on earth is going on?" he asked.
Xander stopped grinning, and Spike cleared his throat, "Um, nothin'," he said, and then threw a look at Xander, and got up from the table, "I'll just go back downstairs, leave you two blokes alone then, shall I?" Andrew swore he saw Spike wink and mouth a word that looked suspiciously like 'lube' at Xander (who blushed furiously) before he disappeared back into the basement.
Andrew sat down at the table in the seat Spike had vacated. "What was that all about?" he asked Xander, suspiciously, "I don't think I've ever seen you and Spike getting along," Andrew looked thoughtful for a moment, "You two are like Londo and G'Kar."
Xander shrugged, "Yeah, I know it's a little messed up," he said, "But Spike... well, turns out we have more in common than I thought we did."
"So, what, you two are like... friends now, or something?" Andrew whined.
Xander smiled, "Just don't tell him I told you," he said.
Andrew shrugged, and placing his elbows on the table, propped his head up on his hands. "Xander," he said, "you don't... I mean, you and Spike are *just* friends, right?"
"What?" Xander asked, "Of course we're *just* friends." He frowned, "What gave you that idea?"
Andrew shrugged, "I know you said you're not gay, it's just, sorry," he pouted, "I mean, who wouldn't want Spike, and now you two are all... laughing and getting along..."
Xander took a deep breath, <Be a man,> he thought, "Yeah, about the whole me not being gay thing..." Andrew raised his eyebrows. Xander looked down at his now soggy cereal, "I've been thinking... *a lot*... and the thing is, I think... I... am," he swallowed, "gay." He looked up at Andrew again, and the other man had his hands over his mouth.
<So Xander knows he's gay!> Andrew thought, <Is *that* why he's suddenly so chummy with Spike? He says they're just friends, but is that the way that he wants it to stay?> Andrew lowered his hands from his mouth, and folded them in his lap. "Well, congratulations, Xander," he said, trying to keep his voice even, "So I suppose that's why you're being friends with Spike?" he asked.
"Well, actually," Xander said, "it sort of is."
Andrew's face fell, "Oh..." he said, and rose from the table, "Well, Xander I hope you get him, you... you deserve to be happy." He crossed his arms over his chest.
"What?" Xander asked, "No, no, I don't *want* Spike."
Andrew sat down again, confused. He cocked his head to the side, "Really?"
"Really," Xander said. "Spike helped me figure out... that I *am* gay, but we're friends, and that's all I want from him." Andrew smiled. Xander thought he looked relieved, <So Spike was right, Andrew *does* have feelings for me...> "Hey, Andrew?" he asked. Andrew raised his eyebrows, waiting. "I know we're sort of friends... I mean, would it be weird if I said... I like you?"
Andrew smiled, and cocked his head to the side, "Well, Xander, you generally like your friends," he said, "That's why you're friends with them."
"No," Xander said, exasperated, "I mean, I *like* you." <There,> he thought to himself, <that wasn't so hard, was it?> He looked at Andrew, waiting for a response. "Andrew?" he asked finally, "Did you hear what I said?"
Andrew smiled, "Yeah," he said softly, "it's just, I mean, are you sure?" he whined.
"Of course I'm sure," Xander said. "I wouldn't be telling you if I wasn't." He frowned, "I thought that you might feel... you know, the same way, but..."
"Oh, Xander," Andrew said, "I do... I mean, I really like you, but..."
"You still have feelings for Warren?" Xander guessed.
Andrew waved a hand dismissively, "Warren who?" he said.
"So, what's the problem, then?" Xander asked.
Andrew hesitated, <what *is* the problem?> he asked himself. "It's just..." avoiding Xander's stare, he looked down at his hands, which he'd placed flat on the table top, "why me? I mean, you, you're *Xander*, you could have anyone you wanted." He looked up into Xander's eyes, "So why do you want me?"
Xander smiled, "Firstly," he said, "thank you, but I couldn't have anyone I wanted," He shrugged, "But if I *could*, I'd still want... you." Andrew smiled shyly. "Did Warren never tell you how... how beautiful you are?"
Andrew pouted, "Warren? Warren wasn't big on compliments, besides, he never... I mean, I was in love with him but if he knew, he didn't care." He smiled again, "You really think I'm beautiful?"
Xander reached across the table and took Andrew's hands in his. Looking up into the other man's eyes he smiled, "Beautiful," he said, "sweet and kind," he raised Andrew's hands to his lips and kissed them softly, "and good."
Andrew giggled, despite himself. "That means so much, Xander," he said, "that *you* think I'm all those things." Xander placed another kiss on each of Andrew's hands, and then returned them to the table.
The phone rang, and Xander hesitated before finally rising from the table to answer it, reluctant to let go of Andrew. "Hello, Summers' residence," he said.
"Xander?" It was Buffy.
"Hey, Buff," Xander grinned into the phone.
"Hey," she said, and then hesitated, "Xander... Is Spike there?"
"Oh, yeah," Xander said, "I can go get him for you if-,"
Buffy cut him off, "No, Xander, that's fine..." She sighed on the other end of the phone, "We just woke up this morning and he was gone... I was just worried maybe the first had got to him again."
Xander shrugged, "No, he seems fine," he said, "He said he couldn't take any more shopping, so he came home."
Buffy let out a relieved sigh, "Whew, well, we'll be home tomorrow night, okay?"
"Sounds good," Xander said.
"Good," Buffy paused, "Andrew's not giving you any trouble is he?"
Xander looked over to Andrew, who had risen from the table and was leaning against the wall beside the phone, waiting patiently. "Nah," he said, "he's been an angel."
("Hi Xan!", Willow said in the background) "Willow says hi," Buffy said, "but I should go, well we'll see you tomorrow night okay Xan?"
"Sure Buff," Xander said, "Say hi to Wills, I'll see you tomorrow night." He let Buffy say goodbye, and then hung up the phone. He turned to Andrew, who smiled. Xander took the other man's hands in his again, and leaned up against the wall beside him. "So..." he said.
Andrew giggled. "So," he said.
Xander raised a hand and ran his fingers from Andrew's temple to his chin, "Beautiful," he said again. Andrew smiled shyly and looked down, avoiding Xander's gaze. His fingers still at Andrew's chin, Xander lifted the other man's face, forcing their eyes to meet.
"Xander..." Andrew said softly.
Xander lifted his other hand and placed his index finger on Andrew's lips, "Shh," he said, and cocking his head slightly to the side, leaned in to- Suddenly the phone rang again, and both men jumped. Xander let his hands fall to his sides and sighing, turned and picked up the phone. "Summer's residence," he said testily.
"Xander? Is everything alright?"
Xander recognised the voice as Giles, "Yeah, yeah," he said, "I was just... in the middle of something." He shrugged at Andrew, who had returned to sit at the table, and was pouting with his arms crossed over his chest.
"Ah," Giles said, "I see, well may I speak to Buffy please," he asked.
"Sorry, English man, the Buffster's not in," Xander said. "All the girls went on a shop- I mean, training trip."
"I see..." Giles said.
"Why, is something wrong?" Xander asked, "they'll be back tomorrow night."
"Oh, no," Giles said testily, "just the impending apocalypse, nothing to get excited about."
Xander sighed, "Why don't you try her cell phone?"
"Of course," Giles sighed, and then added, "I'm sorry for snapping at you, Xander, but this is a very stressful time..." Xander tuned him out, and gazed back at Andrew, who was talking to Spike, who had apparently returned from the basement while Xander was talking to Giles. Xander tore his eyes off of Andrew and gave his attention back to the phone, "...understand the severity of the situation." Giles finished. "I trust you've been using your free time to continue researching the first?" he added.
"Hm? Oh, yeah," Xander said, "um, still lots to do, I should probably get back to work..."
"Certainly, Xander," Giles said, "I'll let you go then." They said their goodbyes, and Xander hung up the phone, and turned back to Spike and Andrew.
"Right," Spike said, crossing the room, "I've had enough." He grabbed Xander by the collar, "come on."
"Hey!" Xander protested, but Spike was too strong to fight. He dragged Xander across the room, picking up Andrew on his way by, "What are you doing?!" Xander demanded.
"Yeah, put me down!" Andrew whined.
"You two are drivin' me mad," Spike said, pulling them both up the stairs and pushed them into Xander's room. "No distractions," he said, "and no excuses." Spike stepped out of the room and shut the door. "And 'm not lettin' you out 'till sunset," he added, slightly muffled, from the other side of the door. There was a click of the door being locked, and then Spike's steps heading back down the stairs.
Xander turned and looked at Andrew, who had sat down on the bed. Then his eyes wandered to the bedside table, on which there was a phone. He walked over to it and thought for a minute <No distractions, eh? So much for vampires being super-observant. One call to Buffy and she'd probably have us out of here in less than an hour>. He looked back to Andrew who was watching him carefully. <Beautiful>, Xander thought, and then sighed. He smiled to himself, and in one swift movement, he bent down, reached out, and pulled the phone cord from the wall.