Xan Solo
Andrew lay awake, curled up on the couch. Buffy and Spike had come home with all the potentials, and Xander had left for his own apartment shortly after. Andrew had kept silent and still on the couch, pretending to sleep. No one had bothered him, and now everyone was tucked in for the night. The house was full, but quiet, and Andrew stared up at the ceiling lost in his thoughts. Well... there was really only *one* thought: Xander. Andrew closed his eyes and lapsed back into one of his favourite fantasies...* * * * *
Andrew was standing off to the side, watching and listening to Xander talking with another man. They were in a makeshift Rebel command centre on Hoth. Andrew was dressed in white, looking regal and commanding. Xander was dressed in form fitting dark brown pants, with a matching vest covering a loose fawn coloured shirt. Xander's hair was tousled and there was a blaster in a holster, attached to the belt around his waist.
Xander looked at the other man, took a deep breath, and blurted out, "General, I've got to leave. I can't stay anymore." The two men shared a quick back and forth. Andrew was close enough to hear the conversation, but all he could hear was Xander's voice repeating: *I've got to leave... I've got to leave... I've got to leave*. Andrew was startled from his thoughts when Xander addressed him, "Well, your highness," he said, "I guess this is it."
Andrew was angry. How could Xander leave now? He pushed his anger and disappointment aside, and looked up at Xander. Andrew's face was blank, showing none of the feelings that were burning inside of him. "That's right," he said coldly.
Xander shook his head and responded in kind, "Well, don't get all mushy on me. So long, Princess."
* * * * *
Andrew blinked up at the ceiling, coming out of his fantasy momentarily. ~Princess?~ he thought, ~Xander wouldn't call me princess~... He thought for a minute, and then shrugged. He closed his eyes again and smiled, ~No, *Xander* wouldn't call me princess... but *Xan Solo* on the other hand...~...
* * * * *
Xander breezed away from Andrew, out of the command centre and into an adjoining hall. Unwilling to let him leave without a fight, Andrew rushed out behind him. "Xan!" he called.
Xander stopped in the hallway, and turned to face Andrew. Xander put on a sarcastic grin. "Yes your highness?" he asked coldly.
Andrew pouted, "I thought you decided to stay," he said.
Xander rolled his eyes, "Well, the bounty hunter we ran into on Ord Mantell changed my mind."
"Xan, we need you!" Andrew whined.
Xander shook his head, "We?" he asked coldly.
Andrew crossed his arms over his chest, "Yes."
"Oh," Xander said, "What about *you* need?"
"I need?" Andrew asked, mystified, "I don't know what you're talking about."
Xander shook his head, "You probably don't," he said.
"And what precisely am I supposed to know?" Andrew asked.
"Come on!" Xander shouted, "You want me to stay because of the way you feel about me."
Andrew was still for a moment, "Yes," he said finally, "You're a great help to us. You're a natural leader..."
"No! That's not it. Come on," Xander said, almost pleading. He looked down at Andrew and their eyes met. Both of them were still, until at last Andrew forced his eyes away. But it was too late, Xander read him easily, and saw what Andrew was unwilling to admit. "Aahh!" he said, "Uh-huh, come on!"
Andrew looked back up at Xander and held his gaze. "You're imagining things," he said.
"Am I?" Xander asked, his tone suddenly softer, "Then why are you following me?" Xander took a step forward, closing the gap between him and Andrew. The slightest smile curved his lips, "Afraid I was going to leave without giving you a goodbye kiss?" Xander raised a hand to Andrew's cheek, touching him softly. Their eyes still stared into each other, deep brown locked on blue-grey.
"Xan," Andrew said breathlessly, and then all the faked strength mingled with stubbornness melted away. "I was afraid that you'd leave without me telling you-,"
"That you love me?" Xander cut in. He smiled a warm, gentle smile and brought his lips to rest beside Andrew's ear, "You don't need to tell me," he whispered, "I already know." Xander moved his head slowly, grazing his lips up over Andrew's temple. He paused in the middle of Andrew's forehead, and left a soft kiss there before moving on. Xander's lips ghosted down the other side of Andrew's face, past his temple to whisper in his ear again. "I love you too," Xander said. His voice was thick and sweet like honey, and it flowed through Andrew straight to his heart. With his hand on Xander's chest, Andrew pulled back to look into the other man's eyes again. "Andrew," Xander said, his voice dropping to a low urgent whisper, "Andrew... Andrew... Andrew..."
* * * * *
"Andrew!" A feminine voice hissed in Andrew's ear. His eyes shot open as he pulled himself back to reality. He turned to see who belonged to the voice hissing in his ear. It was Willow, standing beside the couch and leaning over him, "Andrew!" she hissed again.
Andrew pouted, "What?" he whined, angry at having been interrupted.
She continued in a whisper, "Can I talk to you?" she glanced around the room, noting the potential-slayer filled sleeping bags arranged here and there on the floor. "Privately?" she suggested.
Andrew rolled his eyes, "No," he hissed back at her, "I'm *trying* to sleep. Go away."
"Andrew," she said, her whisper turning into something more like a growl, "It's important."
Andrew sighed indignantly and got to his feet, "Fine," he pouted, "But it'd better be really-," Willow took him by surprise, grabbing one of his arms and twisting it behind his back. "Ow!" he whined.
"Shh," Willow warned. She pushed him ahead of her out of the living room, through the kitchen, and into the back yard. "Now be quiet or I'll wake up Buffy and she'll come down here and hurt you," Willow hissed, releasing Andrew's arm.
"Ow..." he massaged his shoulder and glared at the witch, "What do you want?" he demanded.
"I want to talk to you about Xander," she said evenly.
"And it couldn't wait until morning?" Andrew asked huffily.
Willow ignored him and continued, "I know that you like him," she said.
Andrew wrinkled his nose and crossed his arms over his chest, "Did Anya tell you that?" he whined.
"What?" Willow asked, confused, "No, why would *Anya* tell me that?"
Andrew dropped his arms to his sides, "No reason," he said.
Willow frowned, thinking for a moment. Suddenly she threw her arms in the air, "Look, I *know* that you like him, no one had to tell me because it's *obvious*," she said, "So there's no point in denying it."
Willow looked at Andrew carefully, and he turned away awkwardly. "What does it matter to you?" he asked quietly, "So I like him, big deal." Andrew pouted, and continued in a sad whine, "I'd never do anything about it anyway, so just leave me alone, okay?"
"Andrew," Willow sighed, "Xander would probably kill me if he knew I was talking to you..." she said, and shook her head.
Andrew turned back to face her, suddenly curious, "Why would he be mad?" he asked.
"Look," Willow said, "I'm not saying that you should... tie him up and make him your love slave..." she paused, "Well, at least not right away," Andrew quirked an eyebrow. Willow continued, "What I'm saying is that if you maybe... happened to ask Xander out to a movie or something," she shrugged, "He probably wouldn't say no."
Andrew frowned, "Are you telling me to ask Xander out on a date?" he asked slowly.
Willow raised her eyebrows and grinned mischievously, "Maybe... But if you *do* ask him out- it was your idea, not mine," she said, "Right?"
Andrew crossed his arms over his chest again. "Is this for real?" he asked suspiciously, "Are you trying to trick me or something?"
"No!" Willow said defensively, "Xander's my best friend, I'm just trying to... help him out a bit." She shrugged, "I want him to be happy... and apparently that involves you."
Andrew raised his eyebrows, "Really?" he asked excitedly, "So... so he *likes* me? But- but I thought he was, you know..." Andrew wrinkled his nose, "Straight?"
Willow shrugged, "He's... figuring some things out," she said, "But you didn't hear it from me."
Andrew grinned, "And you think he'd say yes if I asked him out?"
"Well, no guarantees," Willow conceded, "I mean, if you asked him in front of *everybody*, he'd probably..." she shrugged, "Die of embarrassment?"
"Right, of course" Andrew said.
Willow smiled, "Okay, well, it was nice chattin' with ya," she said, walking back towards the door, "Sorry I hurt your arm," she added.
Andrew waved a hand dismissively, "Nah," he said, following Willow to the door, "It barely hurt at all."
She turned around to face him, "Well, good. I'm glad I didn't hurt you," she said, and then frowned, poking an accusing finger at him, "But if you *ever* do *anything* to hurt Xander..." she narrowed her eyes and glared at Andrew for a moment. Andrew swallowed, and Willow relaxed and smiled again. "Well," she said, "I'm going to sleep." She turned and disappeared back into the kitchen, calling "Good night," over her shoulder as she went.
Andrew hugged himself, suddenly cold in the night air. He headed towards the house, with an excited bounce in his step. ~So Xander likes me...~ he thought, ~Now all I have to do is figure out how I'm gonna ask him out...~ Andrew cocked his head to the side and smiled, already concocting a new fantasy...