Hello, LA. God, how I've not missed you? I don't think Dawn and I could have packed more luggage than we did, really. So, here's to spending a hopefully not miserable week in Los Angeles.
I'm suddenly wishing that, maybe, I could take it all back. I mean, just drop Dawn off at the airport and avoid this awkward and clumsy fate staying with Xander for a whole week. When did I get so afraid of being around one of my best friends, really?
I lug my suitcases around with Dawn as we both try to search out Xander in the crowd of people.
Okay, I'm nervous. I can accept nervous. She's probably nervous too. Even though there's no reason to be, because it's no big deal. We're just friends. Just friends.
And if Dawn doesn't notice anything, we should get through being just friends fine. Because that way, there won't be any questions. And I don't like questions. So as long as she doesn't notice, it's fine.
... Yeah, that'll really work. Except, of course, that little issue of not.
I looked up as I saw them getting off the plane, and tried my best to put on the happy Xander look. "Dawn! Buffy!" I waved. "Over here!"
"Xander!" I grinned, running over and giving him a huge hug right away. Which I figure is totally allowed, since it's been months since I've seen him. "I'm so glad to see you. Do you have any idea how much I missed you?"
Okay, so sure, it hadn't been insanely long or anything, but when you're used to seeing someone on pretty much a daily basis for years and suddenly you aren't, it kinda feels like you haven't seem them in years, right?
"And before I forget, thank you again like a million times for agreeing to let me come stay with you." I added quickly. Didn't want him to think I didn't appreciate it for even half a second.
I grinned and caught her as she ran up, hugging her back. "This isn't fair. You're somehow taller and more... older looking." Come on, it wasn't that long, and this is making me feel old. But it's true, she does look different.
"And before I forget, thank you again like a million times for agreeing to let me come stay with you."
I let her go and smiled. "It's no problem seriously. Mi Casa es su..." Casa. Casa. Finish the sentence Harris, ignore the girl you just noticed was there. "Casa." Good boy.
I looked back to Buffy. "Hey Buff, long time no see." And we'll try real hard not to be awkward. Really hard.
Okay, now this is me just following Dawn's lead, but after she's done with hugging Xander? I drop my luggage and move in to hug him too. He looks good, really really good. I don't know, maybe LA does some good once in a while. If so, it'd be on him.
"Look at you. Still doing the suave thing, I see."
"Well, I have spent the last several months living in Europe." I smirked at Xander's comment about me being older looking. "As far as the taller goes, it's probably the boots...I'm pretty sure I've just about stopped growing at this point."
And okay...now I know something's up. Don't know what yet...but he got all weird the second Buffy got to us, which is really not at all dissimilar when Buffy would get all weird when I said his name. Right then...
"Look at you. Still doing the suave thing, I see."
Me? Suave? She's kidding right? When have I ever been suave?
This must be sarcasm. Sarcasm I can handle. What fun sarcasm is. "Yeah, that's me. Suave guy." I smiled to her a little, looking back to Dawn again.
"Well, I have spent the last several months living in Europe. As far as the taller goes, it's probably the boots...I'm pretty sure I've just about stopped growing at this point."
"Okay, good point, but I still say that it's a new look. A likeable look, but a new look." Am I babbling? "So, why don't I just get us back to the Casa de la Xander, you guys can get settled in." Don't look at Buffy. Don't look at Buffy. Don't notice how nice she looks. Don't do it.
"End result being no more traveling any time soon?" I asked, mentioning going to his place, "'Cause, you know, at this point, I'm a very big fan of the not spending anymore time near an airplane." I told him with a grin, "And I guess that's fair enough about the new look...not that it seems new to me...but considering everything else I own is down a giant crater...it makes sense." I added, as he lead us towards the exit.
Still wasn't sure why he thought I looked older, since I really wasn't...not that much. But I'm figuring it's a good thing. A definite sign that he's not going to treat me like a little kid.
Did he think I was being sarcastic about the suave? Because, I so wasn't. I actually think he looks suave. And well... he's looking good along with suave. But, I should probably just ignore it.
"She's not taller. I'm just shrinking," I told Xander. Tugging my luggage along, I thanked silently whomever created wheels for pack rats like us.
I nodded to Dawn. "No more travelling anytime soon sounds pretty definite." I started to the car, glancing at Buffy. "And no, you're not shrinking. You're still Buffy height as far as I'm concerned."
I moved to take her bag for her, but she was already going. So much for being chivalry Xander, but it might just be the tiniest bit wasted. I looked back to Dawn. "Want me to carry that for ya?" As long as I'm in the mood, might as well not waste it.
"Thanks, Xand." I nodded, smiling to him when he offered to take my suitcase, glad that I only had to lug the carry-on now. Sure it was only a backpack, but it's a huge one.
"So...I assume food will be an option at your place? Something recognisable and not airplane food?" I asked hopefully. Someone had to fill the space with all the non-talking these two were doing. "How can they even call that food? My peanut butter and banana enchiladas where closer to food..."
I shuddered at the thought of Dawn's peanut butter and banana enchiladas. Even though I had completely missed that? I couldn't even think of that being possibly good.
"We miss pizza." I informed Xander, nodding towards Dawn at that. "Though she's not allowed to have that all the time. We have a no pizza everyday rule...."
I 'Pffted' towards Dawn at that. Like I was going to believe that she could resist an offer of pizza everyday if it was given to her? Especially if Xander let her get away with putting anchovies on it. I shuddered visably at the thought. Ugh. Fish + Pizza = Bad. Why didn't she learn that yet?
"You're not going to request anchovies are you... on like the one good pizza that we're going to have within months of super bad ones?" I asked her.
I scoffed slightly at my sister's whining about anchovies, and her 'pfft'ing. I would get sick of pizza eventually if I was eating it every day. I mean, it's tastier than Double Meat Medleys, but the same principle still applies, right?
"You do realise we can get them to put them on like, a quarter of the pizza, effectively leaving 6 slices anchovy free, right? Or you know, since there's 3 of us, get two pizzas, put anchovies on half of one for me, and that leaves you guys with 12 anchovy free pieces."
It was a totally fair compromise as far as I was concerned, 4 pieces with anchovies for me, 6 each without for them. They couldn't find a problem with that logic, could they?
"And Buffy? Just 'cause you think the little fishies wreck the pizza doesn't mean they don't make it completely yummy to me." I pointed out.
I'm suddenly wishing that, maybe, I could take it all back. I mean, just drop Dawn off at the airport and avoid this awkward and clumsy fate staying with Xander for a whole week. When did I get so afraid of being around one of my best friends, really?
I lug my suitcases around with Dawn as we both try to search out Xander in the crowd of people.
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And if Dawn doesn't notice anything, we should get through being just friends fine. Because that way, there won't be any questions. And I don't like questions. So as long as she doesn't notice, it's fine.
... Yeah, that'll really work. Except, of course, that little issue of not.
I looked up as I saw them getting off the plane, and tried my best to put on the happy Xander look. "Dawn! Buffy!" I waved. "Over here!"
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Okay, so sure, it hadn't been insanely long or anything, but when you're used to seeing someone on pretty much a daily basis for years and suddenly you aren't, it kinda feels like you haven't seem them in years, right?
"And before I forget, thank you again like a million times for agreeing to let me come stay with you." I added quickly. Didn't want him to think I didn't appreciate it for even half a second.
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"And before I forget, thank you again like a million times for agreeing to let me come stay with you."
I let her go and smiled. "It's no problem seriously. Mi Casa es su..." Casa. Casa. Finish the sentence Harris, ignore the girl you just noticed was there. "Casa." Good boy.
I looked back to Buffy. "Hey Buff, long time no see." And we'll try real hard not to be awkward. Really hard.
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"Look at you. Still doing the suave thing, I see."
And already someone should shut my mouth.
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And okay...now I know something's up. Don't know what yet...but he got all weird the second Buffy got to us, which is really not at all dissimilar when Buffy would get all weird when I said his name. Right then...
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Me? Suave? She's kidding right? When have I ever been suave?
This must be sarcasm. Sarcasm I can handle. What fun sarcasm is. "Yeah, that's me. Suave guy." I smiled to her a little, looking back to Dawn again.
"Well, I have spent the last several months living in Europe. As far as the taller goes, it's probably the boots...I'm pretty sure I've just about stopped growing at this point."
"Okay, good point, but I still say that it's a new look. A likeable look, but a new look." Am I babbling? "So, why don't I just get us back to the Casa de la Xander, you guys can get settled in." Don't look at Buffy. Don't look at Buffy. Don't notice how nice she looks. Don't do it.
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Still wasn't sure why he thought I looked older, since I really wasn't...not that much. But I'm figuring it's a good thing. A definite sign that he's not going to treat me like a little kid.
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"She's not taller. I'm just shrinking," I told Xander. Tugging my luggage along, I thanked silently whomever created wheels for pack rats like us.
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I moved to take her bag for her, but she was already going. So much for being chivalry Xander, but it might just be the tiniest bit wasted. I looked back to Dawn. "Want me to carry that for ya?" As long as I'm in the mood, might as well not waste it.
And awkward silence is so annoying too.
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"So...I assume food will be an option at your place? Something recognisable and not airplane food?" I asked hopefully. Someone had to fill the space with all the non-talking these two were doing. "How can they even call that food? My peanut butter and banana enchiladas where closer to food..."
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"We miss pizza." I informed Xander, nodding towards Dawn at that. "Though she's not allowed to have that all the time. We have a no pizza everyday rule...."
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And I was, it's not like I was four when I wouldn't eat anything if it wasn't a cheerio. This is insane...
"But yes, we totally miss pizza. For being the so-called birth place of pizza, Italy really doesn't know how to make it."
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"You're not going to request anchovies are you... on like the one good pizza that we're going to have within months of super bad ones?" I asked her.
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"You do realise we can get them to put them on like, a quarter of the pizza, effectively leaving 6 slices anchovy free, right? Or you know, since there's 3 of us, get two pizzas, put anchovies on half of one for me, and that leaves you guys with 12 anchovy free pieces."
It was a totally fair compromise as far as I was concerned, 4 pieces with anchovies for me, 6 each without for them. They couldn't find a problem with that logic, could they?
"And Buffy? Just 'cause you think the little fishies wreck the pizza doesn't mean they don't make it completely yummy to me." I pointed out.
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"It's yummy to you, yes." I replied. Not like a good percentage of the world didn't agree with her...
I shuffled with my luggage about slightly as we made it towards Xander's car.
"I would be happy with just plain pepperoni."
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