h e r o e s

Heroes
[by victoria p.]

Rating: G

Summary: Willow reminds Xander of some fundamental things.

Notes: Written for invisionary, who asked for Willow/Xander. "We can be heroes."

Date: February 17, 2005

Xander doesn't get to know the girls. He finds them and sends them to Giles. That way he doesn't have to remember their names or faces, or keep track of their birthdays. He doesn't have to send flowers when they die. He doesn't have to make phone calls to anxious parents, wondering where their daughters are, and how their once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for a trip to London has ended with the return of a body in a casket, accompanied by a letter from a man they've never met.

Xander tries not to go back to any place he's already been, for fear of being lynched after the bodies come home.

This time, though, as he's walking through an airport in Southeast Asia, having once again delivered a girl to her flight, he catches a glimpse of red hair from the corner of his eye, and has to remind himself that Willow is thousands of miles away, and there are millions of redheads in the world.

Except that this one is calling his name.

"Xander. Xander!"

Her voice sends a sharp aching pain through his chest, and he turns, opening his arms. "Willow."

She hurls herself into his embrace and squeezes tight. He presses his lips to the top of her head, inhaling the scent of her shampoo and the odor of stale airplane air that clings to her after the long flight.

"What are you doing here?" he asks breathlessly, unwilling to let go of her.

She shrugs one shoulder and smiles. "Just passing through on the way to somewhere else."

"Yeah," he answers. "I get that a lot."

She looks up at him through lowered lashes, and he can't quite read her expression, which is strange, because she's Willow and he's Xander and there was a time when he knew what every twitch and sigh meant without even thinking about it.

"Come on," she says, twining her fingers with his. "I have a three hour layover."

She's curled up against him in the booth, picking at the last of the fries, when she says, "What's wrong?"

He shrugs and takes a sip of beer so he doesn't have to answer, but she sits up and gives him her Resolve Face, and he sighs. "I just-- What the hell are we doing?"

"What we've always done."

"Will--"

"No, really. Buffy needs our help, so we--"

"Help Buffy."

"Got it in one." She pops another ketchup-covered French fry into her mouth and he has to laugh, because just being with her makes him feel better, though he's pretty sure he's going to be even more miserable after she goes.

"It's just-- I don't feel like I'm helping anyone here. I don't expect to be a big hero, but I'd like to be useful--"

"You already are," she interrupts.

He shakes his head. "What? I--"

"Xander." Willow shifts, kneeling up in the booth to face him, cupping his face with her hands, her fingers warm and greasy, and gritty with salt. She holds his gaze with the liquid intensity of her eyes. "You are already a hero. You're my hero, and don't you ever forget that."

The tightness in his chest makes it hard to breathe, so when he says, "I am?" it's barely a whisper.

She squeezes his hand and presses a soft kiss to his lips. "You are."

And if Willow says it, Xander thinks it must be true.

end

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Disclaimer: All Buffy the Vampire Slayer & Angel characters belong to Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy, Sand Dollar, and the Kuzuis etc. I do not own them and do not intend any infringement on any copyrights.