(Untitled)

[xan_shaped]

Xander is sore.

SORE.

That's the absolute last time he holds the punching bag for baby Slayers.

... You know. Until the next time Buffy asks him.

Besides, now that he's sidled up to Bar and gotten a milkshake to recuperate with, his outlook on life is getting rosier.

Comments

[faithful_slayer]

Faith in a dress!

It's cause she lives in a palace now, really. And not because of the look Max gets when he sees her in this dress.

Really.

Sure.

At any rate, Faith in a dress, with coffee, giving Xander a one-armed hug.

"Hey, Xan. Long time no see. What's shaking?"

[xan_shaped]

Xander winces.

"Whoa ow. Recently, the shaking was perpetrated on me."

He smiles up at Faith after the initial extra pain wears off.

"Hey. What's the occasion?"

[faithful_slayer]

"Sorry."

Faith pats his shoulder, very gently.

"No occasion. Living with Max in his palace these days. Feel like I should dress nice if I'm gonna be living with the King, y'know?"

[xan_shaped]

Xander blinks.

"You and Max shacked up?

"... On Antar?"

[faithful_slayer]

"Yep." Faith shrugs, taking a sip of her coffee. "I expect he'll ask me to marry him eventually, but if he doesn't do it soon I might have to ask him."

[xan_shaped]

He blinks, not sure if congratulations are in order, or if they're bad luck.

"... Way to go Sadie Hawkins, Faith."

[faithful_slayer]

Faith laughs.

"I've never been especially conventional, you know that. And it's what I want. Gave up Slaying to have it."

[xan_shaped]

"Well, as long as you--"

Xander cuts himself off as what she just said fully registers.

He stares.

And shakes his head.

"Okay, wow, I just had a hearing malfunction. You meant to say you gave up playing, right? Which, okay, maybe they don't have pianos on Antar, but still. Try ordering a Yamada."

[faithful_slayer]

"No, not playing. Michael's talked about getting a piano there for me."

Faith bites her lip, slightly.

"I left my world, Xander. I gave it up. Not just for this, this isn't the only reason, but a lot of it is...I want to live a long time, and I want to do it with Max. I'm not Slaying anymore."

[xan_shaped]

Xander just ...

There are no words.

"You-- you quit?

"You can quit?"

[faithful_slayer]

"Yeah. I quit. I'm...I don't wanna die, Xand. I want to live for a long time, and I...I just couldn't do it anymore."

[xan_shaped]

"You can't do it anymore?"

Xander stares at her in complete disbelief.

"Faith? Miss Badass-to-the-Bone Faith? Hopped-up on taking out the baddies Faith?"

Suddenly, he snorts with laughter.

"I get it," he says bleakly. "I'm on Candid Camera."

[faithful_slayer]

Faith flinches.

"They thought I'd gone evil again, Xand."

[xan_shaped]

Cue confusion.

"They ... who did?"

Treacherously, he wonders, Were they right?

[faithful_slayer]

"The Council. When...after the Hellmouth, and the spell that put all the Slayers in me for a while...I shouldn't have survived either of those things, Xand, and of course I couldn't tell them that I only survived the Hellmouth because of somebody I met here, and they thought I was in league with those demons and I'd made up the torture part, and they sent me to Italy to get me out of the way, Xand, and I just...I couldn't do it anymore. I couldn't."

[xan_shaped]

Xander sighs.

"Well ... I mean, come on, Faith. They're the Council! Even Giles doesn't listen to the Council."

Maybe all she needs is a little encouragement. A pep talk.

He's good with the pep talks.