Work Text:
Sweet Candy: Cotton Candy
by Angel Wings
At school ...
Xander was scanning the cafeteria for her face. Suddenly he saw her sitting at a table with Willow and Oz. He quickly walked to the table, hiding the little gift behind his back. When he got to the table he saw Buffy wasn't looking too happy on her birthday.
"Hi Buff" he said placing a kiss between her cheek and her lips, "Why looking so sombre?"
Buffy glanced up at him forcing a little smile. "Daddy was taking me to the ice show... But he can't make it. Business." she said soft. Then suddenly her face lit up when she noticed Xander was trying to hide something for her. A something looking like a birthday present. "What are you hiding?" she asked curious. She tried to look over his shoulder, almost causing him to fall of his chair.
"Buffy, please!" he begged her to let go of him.
She didn't. Suddenly he lost the bit of balance he had left and he fell. All the people in the cafeteria turned their faces and started sniggering. Buffy giggled at the face of her boyfriend lying helplessly on the floor. Willow was trying very hard not to burst into laughter, since this was already embarrassing enough... But then she looked at Oz, noticing he was having the same problem and she couldn't hold it any longer. Tears were rolling from her cheeks from laughing and she gasped for breath when she saw Xander crawling back on his feet.
He had a dazed look on his face. He took out the present for Buffy, or what was left of it... "I crashed it," he pouted.
Willow couldn't help herself... She couldn't stop laughing anymore.
Oz gently helped her of her chair, leading her out of the cafeteria. "I'm just gonna try to calm down the redhead..." he excused the both of them.
Buffy smiled at him, and then turned back to Xander. "Are you okay?" she asked kind of worried.
"I'm fine... Your present's not though..." he moped.
Buffy gave him a soft kiss on his hair when he sat back on his chair. "It doesn't matter," she whispered.
"It does..." Xander said, "I wanted to give you something special..."
Buffy's face hardened again. "At least someone does..." she sulked.
Xander pulled her into an embrace. "I'm sure he wanted very bad to go with you to that ice show..." he tried to soothe her.
Buffy cuddled closer to him. "I guess so..."
Xander tried to change the subject, "So, what are you going to do for your birthday? Having a party?"
Buffy shook her head. "No! Certainly not. I intend to keep the number of death people low, but somehow that doesn't work on my birthday parties..."
Xander grinned at her. How could he make this birthday the perfect day for her? Suddenly an idea started to form in his head... "Are you doing anything tonight?" he asked her.
"No."
"I'm taking you out." Xander simply said. He stood up, pulled Buffy from her chair and led her out of the cafeteria.
Once they were standing in the hallway Xander drew her closer to him. He kissed her softly on her lips. "I'll pick you up at seven" he whispered in her ear right before the bell interrupted their little one-on-one talk.
Buffy had a puzzled look on her face. "Xander, what..." she tried to ask him.
But he was already walking away from her backwards, heading for his class. "You'll see!" he yelled, "Seven!"
"Okay..." Buffy said softly, mostly to herself since Xander was already too far to hear it.
Seven o'clock...
Buffy stood in front of the mirror, checking her clothes. She didn't really knew what to wear... If she only knew what they were going to do. She sighed and brushed her hair. She stroked her pink dress that reached to her knees. In her hair she putted two little butterfly clips. The doorbell rung. She quickly grabbed her cardigan in the same colour as the dress and her little purse. As she closed the door of her room behind her she heard her mother say: "Hi Xander, gosh you look cute tonight! Oops, sorry... Cute is probably not the word I should be saying is it?"
Xander smiled at her. "Uhm... I can deal..." he said nervously. `Am I overdressed? I'm overdressed. I feel it. I will look stupid. She'll look beuatiful and I'll just look...' He stopped thinking. The sight of Buffy coming of the stairs in that beautiful dress made his brain go zero. His mouth fell open just a little bit. "Wow, Buff... You look..."
"You also look sooo cute Buffy! Gee, this is really adorable, the two of you I mean!" Joyce interrupted Xander.
Buffy blushed slightly, "Mum... Please!" "Oh, sorry... I'm an uncool mum I know..."
Joyce smiled apologizing. "Buh bye mum..." Buffy gave her a quick kiss on her cheek.
"Don't stay too late!" Buffy's mother yelled at the couple when Xander helped Buffy getting in his father's car.
"I'll get her home before twelve Mrs. Summers" Xander promised.
Joyce smiled at him. `He's so the perfect guy for my little girl...' she thought, slowly closing the front door.
Xander sunk into the driver's seat. Buffy turned her head and smiled at him. He couldn't resist her... He placed a quick kiss on her forehead while starting the car.
"So where are we heading?" Buffy asked.
"You'll see..." he smirked mysteriously.
Buffy pouted "I wanna know now! Tell me or I'll tickle you to death...!" she said whilst leaning closer to Xander putting her little hand on his chest. She slowly started tickling him.
Xander started laughing "Buffy please, you'll soon know where we are going..."
Buffy grinned at him and plunged back into her seat. It was quiet for a while. Not an awkward silence, more of a comforting silence.
Xander looked at the beautiful girl sitting next to him. *His* girl. He gently putted his hand on her knee. She placed her hand on his. That simple gesture made Xander feel like he was in heaven.
Suddenly he drove up a parking. Buffy looked at the building that was next to the parking lot. She shrieked, "Xander!"
Xander helped Buffy out of the car and he locked it. Buffy had a content smile on her face. She couldn't believe how sweet he was! She snaked her arms around his waist causing him to stop walking. "You took me to the ice show..." she whispered.
"How clever noticed..." he joked, "If we keep standing like this we'll miss it..."
"Oh no! We can't miss it!" Buffy suddenly started moving again, dragging Xander behind her. "Hurry!"
Xander catched up on her and placed his arm around her waist. He kissed her on her cheek.
Xander looked at his tickets again. "It should be here!" he yelled at Buffy who was a couple of meters further, searching their places. He sighed when he looked at the two places right in the middle of the row, and all of the people that were already sitting on this row.
When Buffy finally stood next to him, he started apologizing to the people that had to get up to let them get to their seats. There was a lot of cursing, sighing and name calling but finally they could drop themselves onto the chairs.
"Ohh... This is soo exciting!" Buffy whispered.
Xander smiled at her; surprised she could be so thrilled about such a childish event.
Suddenly Buffy widened her eyes.
"What's the matter Buff?" Xander asked her.
"We forgot our cotton candy!!!"
"Oooh, no... I'm not getting up and disturb all these people again!" Xander said before she could ask him to...
Buffy pouted... "But Xander... It's not the same without... I want cotton candy!"
Xander sighed and looked at the people he was going to bother. Again there was the cursing and sighing... As soon as Xander reached the end of the row, the lights faded and music filled the space. He almost tripped. Very carefull he started walking again, going for the little light he saw a bit further. `That must be the door... ` he thought hopefully. It was.
Ten minutes later he stood back at the beginning of the row. People were throwing him terrifying looks. He sighed deeply and wondered why he did this... Then he saw her face litting up when she saw him. He knew why again. He waved at her and didn't listen to the people cursing him to hell. He got back next to Buffy safely. She immediatly took the cotton candy out of his hands and gave him a kiss on his lips. She cuddled closer to him. Xander anjoyed the show as much as she did, but probably not because of the same reasons...
At the end of the show Buffy started clapping so loudly Xander almost felt ashamed. A lot of people stared at the grown up girl that was applauding louder than their own children. Xander smiled at her and gave her a kiss on her cheek. All of a sudden she became aware of his presence again and gave him a passionate kiss. Now the parents were covering their children's eyes, and the name calling started once again that evening. Xander pulled away from her and he gently lead her out of the building.
"You *do* realize I am *never* going to do this *ever* again...!?" he sighed.
Buffy just smiled and gave him a kiss on his ear before she whispered the little words that made Xander forget all about what he had to go through that night... "I love you Xander Harris..."
end