Title: Real Friends
Author: Paradox761
Email: Paradox761@mail.com
Website: members.tripod.com/~Paradox761
Disclaimer: Joss and co. own all things Buffy, no copyright infringement is intended so please don’t sue. I don’t have any money anyway.
Summery: Post “Superstar”, Xander confronts Buffy about the way she’s been treating him lately. Buffy denies it of course, but when Willow takes Xander’s side she’s forced to do some series thinking about her friends. Also, things heat up in the romance department for Xander and Anya, as well as for Willow and Tara. Can Xander, Willow and Buffy make it through all this and still come out friends on the other side?
Spoilers and such: General spoilers for season four, specifically for “Superstar”. Also, this is my first attempt at a Xander/Anya, so please be gentle. I’m of the mindset that Anya is different when she and Xander are alone, so you might find her characterization off a little bit. It’s all a matter of perspective. Also, this story was written before “New Moon Rising”, which kind of makes it a moot point as far as W/T, but I don’t think TPTB have been very far with the relationship as far as showing how they fell in love. Consider this an alternative explanation.
Also, acknowledgments and thanks have to go to the denizens of alt.tv.buffy-v-slayer. This story was inspired by the discussion threads that sprung up around “Superstar”. I’d like to thank you all by name, but I don’t have that kind of time here.
(BtVS, Xander/Anya, Willow/Tara, NC-17)

(9/9)

Willow sat at her desk in her dorm room, whistling a happy tune. She felt like she was floating, she was on cloud nine. Like everything was right with the world. She realized how much she loved Tara, she had decided that she deserved to be happy, and she couldn’t be happier. When she woke up that morning, still snuggled against her, she knew that it was right. All doubt had completely disappeared.

Willow was shaken from her thoughts when she heard a knock at the door. “Enter if ye are a being of light,” she called out.

The door opened and Xander entered. “That’s a new one,” he said.

Willow looked up and smiled. “Yeah, well, I needed a way to say ‘come in’ that would still keep vampires out.”

“Did you get a note from Buffy too,” he asked.

“E-mail,” she answered. “It said she wanted to meet us both here this morning.”

“I hope it’s good,” Xander said.

“Have faith Xander, all is right with the world. How could it not be good news,” Willow said smiling widely.

“You’re looking awfully chipper this morning,” Xander observed. “Wearing yesterday’s clothes,” he said. He walked over and sat down on her bed, feeling her pillow. “And your pillow is ice cold. Did somebody get lucky last night?” Willow just smiled. “Come on, spill.”

“Hey guys.” Willow and Xander both looked up to see a very timid looking Buffy standing in the doorway.

“Buffy,” Willow said.

“Hey Buff,” Xander said softly. It seemed like they were all afraid to speak. Buffy entered and walked closer to them. Xander stood from where he had been sitting on Willow’s bed and stood in front of her. Both he and Buffy made several attempts to start speaking, but the words just weren’t coming. Finally Buffy just pulled Xander into a hug.

Xander smiled as the tension broke all at once, and he too had to agree that everything once again seemed right in the world. “I’m sorry Xander. You were right, I haven’t been a very good friend lately. I mean, I didn’t even realize what I was doing, I’ve been such a bitch and I’m so, so sorry.”

“I’m sorry too Buff, I shouldn’t have yelled at you like that.”

“No, you were right. And Willow, you were right too. I said some pretty horrible things. And Xander, if you really love Anya, then I trust you. And I’m happy for you.”

“Thanks Buffy, that means a lot from you.”

“Can you guys forgive me?”

“Buffy, you were forgiven the second you walked in the door,” Willow said.

“Absolutely,” Xander agreed. He smiled widely. “Isn’t this great, now we all have honeys and we’re all best friends again.”

“The three musketeers,” Willow said.

“Athos!” Buffy said putting her hand out.

“Porthos!” Willow joined, putting her hand on top of Buffy’s.

“Um…the other guy!” Xander said, putting his hand with there’s. The girls laughed. “All for one and two for a dollar!”

Buffy laughed again. “Wait a minute, did you say we all have honeys now?” she asked Xander.

“That’s right,” Xander said. “Willow was just about to spill.”

Willow looked nervously from Buffy back to Xander. “Oh, Xander I don’t know.”

“Come on Will.”

“Yeah, come one Will,” Buffy echoed. “We’re best friends, remember.”

“Okay,” Willow said.

“So, what happened?” Xander asked.

“I told her,” Willow said simply with a smile. “I told her how special I thought she was, and how much I loved her, and she told me too,” she said, positively beaming.

“And?” Xander prompted.

Willow knew what he wanted to know, but she was only willing to tell so much. She just got this dreamy look in her eye. “It was amazing,” she said.

“Way to go Wills!” Xander said. “Tara is a very lucky person.”

“So am I,” Willow said.

“Tara! Wait a minute, you guys are talking about Tara! Willow, you and Tara…” Buffy said, slowly beginning to freak.

Willow and Xander just looked at her.

“I mean…that’s great. I’m happy for you Willow,” Buffy said.

“Nice save Buff,” Xander commented.

Buffy let her head drop to her hand. “I’m sorry Willow,” she said.

“That’s okay, I was a bit taken aback myself. I understand,” she said. “As long as we’re still friends.”

“Always,” Buffy answered.

Xander made an overly dramatic sniffling noise. “I think I’m going to cry,” he said. Buffy and Willow proceeded to take their pillows from their beds and beat him with them. “Hey…no fair, I’m out numbered,” Xander protested between giggles as the three of them started wrestling on the bed. He grabbed a pillow for himself and soon it was an all out pillow fight.

And as the three friends played like kids again, they each realized that the bond they shared could never be broken. That no matter what life threw at them, they would always be there for each other, that’s what friendship was all about. Real friendship. They drew some odd stares from students passing by the open door, but they didn’t care. They just kept playing. And when they were too exhausted to swing another pillow, they just collapsed together on Willow’s bed, laughing so hard they thought they’d pee themselves. And finally just lapsing into silence.

Xander was the first to speak again as they all lay together. “You know, I’ve had dreams that ended like this.”

“Xander!”

~finis~