Celebration
Title: Celebration
Fandom: Buffy
Pairing: Xander/Dawn
Wordcount: 406
Rating: G
Notes: Written in the first round of joss_las. Challenge was to write 100-500 words based around this picture. Lame title, and if anyone can think of something that doesn't... you know... suck, that would be great!
Disclaimer: I'm actually Joss Whedon so these things are totally mine.
Dawn woke before the sun. Careful not to wake Xander, she slipped off of the couch and tiptoed to the kitchen, stepping over several bodies in her quest to get a drink of water. Relishing the quiet of the early morning she leaned against the counter and sipped her water, willing it to flush away the headache that was brewing behind her eyes. She knew champagne was a bad idea, but that didn’t stop her when Xander had handed her a glass.
"Come on Dawnie! We’ve survived another year. Time to celebrate."
It’s been two years since Sunnydale and this is the first time they’ve all slowed down long enough to celebrate. Buffy and Faith took patrol alone last night, allowing everyone else some down time. And cheesy television countdowns. And champagne. Dawn pinched the bridge of her nose.
"Headache?"
Dawn looked up to see Xander in the doorway, looking very much like she felt.
"Yeah. I’m thinking next year I’ll drink something that doesn’t make me feel like death the next morning."
He smiled grimly and moved past her to the coffee pot. He worked with stilted jerky movements and Dawn couldn’t tell if it was the hangover or regret. Finally he spoke.
"Dawnie. Last night."
"We were both drunk and it’s traditional to kiss at midnight. No big deal." She shrugged and turned towards the sink, needing more water and for Xander to accept her easy lie.
"You’re wrong. Well you’re right about drunk and tradition, but the other thing. It is a big deal. Okay maybe not a huge deal, but I don’t want to just shrug and have it all go away."
She turned back to him.
"You weren’t even thinking about me." The words were soft and she smiled to try and take some of the sting away, but she saw him flinch anyway.
"Dawn."
"It’s okay Xander. I’m not. I mean I don’t." She took a deep breath. "I’m not a little girl anymore. I don’t expect fairytale romance where we end up living in a castle and Buffy is our servant girl." She blushed as he laughed softly. "Uh. Not that I ever wanted that."
He took a step closer to her. "You’re right. I wasn’t thinking about you. But I wanted to be. And I know it’s not much, but I think someday maybe it could be."
"Then that’s when we’ll try it again," she said, smiling sadly. "Someday."
Fandom: Buffy
Pairing: Xander/Dawn
Wordcount: 406
Rating: G
Notes: Written in the first round of joss_las. Challenge was to write 100-500 words based around this picture. Lame title, and if anyone can think of something that doesn't... you know... suck, that would be great!
Disclaimer: I'm actually Joss Whedon so these things are totally mine.
Dawn woke before the sun. Careful not to wake Xander, she slipped off of the couch and tiptoed to the kitchen, stepping over several bodies in her quest to get a drink of water. Relishing the quiet of the early morning she leaned against the counter and sipped her water, willing it to flush away the headache that was brewing behind her eyes. She knew champagne was a bad idea, but that didn’t stop her when Xander had handed her a glass.
"Come on Dawnie! We’ve survived another year. Time to celebrate."
It’s been two years since Sunnydale and this is the first time they’ve all slowed down long enough to celebrate. Buffy and Faith took patrol alone last night, allowing everyone else some down time. And cheesy television countdowns. And champagne. Dawn pinched the bridge of her nose.
"Headache?"
Dawn looked up to see Xander in the doorway, looking very much like she felt.
"Yeah. I’m thinking next year I’ll drink something that doesn’t make me feel like death the next morning."
He smiled grimly and moved past her to the coffee pot. He worked with stilted jerky movements and Dawn couldn’t tell if it was the hangover or regret. Finally he spoke.
"Dawnie. Last night."
"We were both drunk and it’s traditional to kiss at midnight. No big deal." She shrugged and turned towards the sink, needing more water and for Xander to accept her easy lie.
"You’re wrong. Well you’re right about drunk and tradition, but the other thing. It is a big deal. Okay maybe not a huge deal, but I don’t want to just shrug and have it all go away."
She turned back to him.
"You weren’t even thinking about me." The words were soft and she smiled to try and take some of the sting away, but she saw him flinch anyway.
"Dawn."
"It’s okay Xander. I’m not. I mean I don’t." She took a deep breath. "I’m not a little girl anymore. I don’t expect fairytale romance where we end up living in a castle and Buffy is our servant girl." She blushed as he laughed softly. "Uh. Not that I ever wanted that."
He took a step closer to her. "You’re right. I wasn’t thinking about you. But I wanted to be. And I know it’s not much, but I think someday maybe it could be."
"Then that’s when we’ll try it again," she said, smiling sadly. "Someday."