Stating The Obvious
Part Seven
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Hi, my name's Peter. I'm a note-aholic.
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Giles and Buffy were in the kitchen, washing the dishes from dinner.
"I can't believe we've told everyone," Buffy said.
"I know," Giles agreed. "And I can't believe they all took it so well."
"Yeah. Even Mom."
"Indeed. I don't imagine I'm her favorite person right now, but as long as she's not actively against us, I'm more than satisfied."
Buffy smiled. "I can't believe they had a pool."
Giles chuckled. "I can't believe Spike won it. That just seems wrong."
"It really does," Buffy said, putting away the last dish.
"To the couch?" Giles asked.
"To the couch."
They walked out to the living room and sat on the couch. Buffy cuddled up next to him, her head on his shoulder. He put his arm around her and drew her even closer.
"I love you," she said.
"And I love you."
"I really can't believe we can say that whenever we want. In front of everyone, I mean."
"That is a wonderful feeling, yes."
"What's wrong?" Buffy asked, looking up at him.
"What? Nothing. Why do you ask?"
"Your voice sounded off for a second. What is it?"
"Nothing," Giles said. Then he sighed. "It's just... I don't know how to explain. Everyone's taken it so well. Almost too well."
He looked down at Buffy, afraid she'd be upset. To his surprise, she simply nodded.
"You're waiting for the other shoe to drop?" she asked.
Giles smiled. "I suppose I am," he agreed. "Is that insane?"
"Not in Sunnydale, it isn't. It shouldn't have been this easy. I mean, fine, Mom's still a little wigged out about it, but she should have gone absolutely nuts. And the others? They didn't wig at all. They just went straight to being happy for us."
"Which is a good thing," Giles said.
"Which is a very good thing," Buffy said. "But still..."
"You were expecting indignation. Condemnation."
"Yeah," Buffy agreed. "And some major wigging and yelling. And it's good that none of that happened."
"But it's odd," Giles said, finishing her thought. "Almost uncomfortable."
"Yeah," Buffy said.
She was about to say something more when a sound at the front door caught their attention. They both turned their heads to look.
Someone was inserting a key into the lock. As soon as it clicked unlocked, the doorknob turned and the door opened just a crack.
Buffy and Giles turned to look at each other, and both started to rise.
Before they could get up, the door was kicked open. Buffy and Giles sprang to their feet to meet the intruder.
It was Xander. And Willow. They stormed into the house and glared at their friends.
"Uh, hey, guys," Buffy said. "What's up?"
"What's up?" Willow asked. "What's up?"
"I'll tell you what's up!" Xander cried. "You know how we said we were happy for you two?"
"Yes," Giles said.
"Well, we're not!" Willow yelled. "This thing with you two isn't good after all!"
Buffy and Giles started to say something. Xander cut them off.
"Right!" he shouted. "It's sick! Sick and wrong!"
"Sick and wrong is what it is," Willow agreed. "I mean, my God, Giles, you're older than she is!"
"Yeah," Xander said, "and we all know how horrible that is. Just because you love her and make her happier than she's been in forever doesn't make it okay, pal!"
"See here," Giles began.
"Quiet, you," Willow growled. "And you," she said, looking at Buffy. "You think that just because you make Giles happier than we've ever seen him, that makes this okay with us? Ha! I say again, ha!"
Xander nodded. "Yeah, ha! It is to laugh. What is with you two? You're totally crazy in love with each other, and somehow you think that's enough to win us over? You think that you two being happy is the important thing to us? What are you, nuts? You want to know what the important thing is?"
Willow took over. "The important thing is that you two should be miserable and alone. That's what we want. That's all we've ever wanted from you two."
"But do you give us that?" Xander asked. "Of course not! You have to go and fall in love! Like your needs are more important than ours!"
"Yeah!" Willow agreed. "Well, to heck with that!"
"Straight to heck with it!"
"Yeah!"
"Yeah!"
Willow and Xander wound down. Their expressions returned to normal. They looked at each other.
"That was all of it, right?" Willow asked.
Xander thought for a moment. "Yeah, I think so. Except for the part where I had to give the pool money to Spike. That well and truly sucked."
They both looked at Buffy and Giles, who were staring at them, completely speechless.
Willow smiled. "You two were moping today," she said. "And we had no idea why. Tara and Anya thought maybe it was because no one got upset when you told us about what was going on."
"And we thought that was crazy," Xander said. "Until we thought about it, at least, and decided that it was, in fact, crazy, but it might also be true."
"So here we are," Willow said, "venting our pretend indignation. I hope it was enough, because we don't have any more to give."
"Seriously," Xander said, nodding. He smiled. "You guys make each other happy, and you love each other. That's all we care about, okay?"
Giles found his voice first. "Okay," he said.
"Yeah," Buffy agreed. "Okay." She walked forward and hugged the both of them.
Giles walked up and hugged Willow, then shook hands manfully with Xander.
"Thank you, both," he said. "I think we needed that."
"I sure did," Buffy said.
Willow shook her head. "You guys are weird. But hey, glad to help."
"Now our work here is done," Xander said. "We must be off. There are other happy couples to nag and berate!"
Buffy and Giles laughed. Xander grabbed Willow's hand and they made their way to the door.
"What was with the unlocking and then kicking it open?" Buffy asked.
"Oh," Willow said, "Xander wanted to make a dramatic entrance, but he didn't want to break the door."
"Very thoughtful," Giles said. "Thank you."
"De nada," Xander said. "You guys okay with this now?"
"We are," Buffy assured him. "We definitely are."
"Okay, then," Willow said. "Good night."
"'Night."
"Good night."
"See you guys tomorrow."
Giles closed and locked the door, then smiled as Buffy embraced him.
"So," he said, "we've weathered the horrible indignation of our friends."
"Yeah," Buffy said. "I guess we're okay now."
"I know we are," Giles said, leaning down to kiss her.
And they were.
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END 7/7
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