Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Depth Perception (The Pursuit Of Happiness Remix)
Original Fic: Misery And Happiness, by allfireburns
Remix: Depth Perception (The Pursuit Of Happiness Remix) [Xander/Buffy, 330 words, rated PG, set post-series], by amathela
Buffy's punch drunk and high on adrenaline by the time they get to the club, and even if it's not quite the Bronze, really not even close - the music is too new, the accents too British, and there isn't a cockroach in sight - she can close her eyes, and pretend.
Just like she can pretend, at first, the man she's dancing with is Angel, Riley, even Faith. But closing her eyes lets her do other things, too.
"Sorry, guys," she says a minute later, as the cloud of ash explodes over the table in front of Willow and Xander. She picks up a cocktail napkin, covered in doodles of what looks like some poorly-drawn, blobby demon, and wipes the table down quickly.
Nobody saw that, right?
(It isn't just California; people are willfully blind all over the world. It comes in really handy, sometimes.)
"I should really watch my aim," she says, and tosses the napkin over her shoulder. Xander lunges for it, but she doesn't know why he'd want to keep it; they're just doodles, anyway.
"And people say my depth perception sucks," he remarks, and Buffy smiles.
"Just for that," she says, taking his hand, "you're dancing with me."
"Buff -"
"Do you want me to have to dance with another vampire?"
Yeah, she didn't think so.
Anyway, he doesn't seem to mind, much, as he slides his arms around her waist, and she leans into him (just a little, and this time, it almost feels like they're back at the Bronze for real.)
"Did I ever thank you?" she asks, and Xander stiffens.
"For what?" he asks, and for his sake, she's going to pretend his voice is totally normal, and not kind of squeaky at all.
"For being my friend," she says, leaning closer, and after a minute, she can feel him relax again. Almost.
She smiles against his chest, pretends she's listening to music long out of date, and thinks, don't you wish I would?
Remix: Depth Perception (The Pursuit Of Happiness Remix) [Xander/Buffy, 330 words, rated PG, set post-series], by amathela
Buffy's punch drunk and high on adrenaline by the time they get to the club, and even if it's not quite the Bronze, really not even close - the music is too new, the accents too British, and there isn't a cockroach in sight - she can close her eyes, and pretend.
Just like she can pretend, at first, the man she's dancing with is Angel, Riley, even Faith. But closing her eyes lets her do other things, too.
"Sorry, guys," she says a minute later, as the cloud of ash explodes over the table in front of Willow and Xander. She picks up a cocktail napkin, covered in doodles of what looks like some poorly-drawn, blobby demon, and wipes the table down quickly.
Nobody saw that, right?
(It isn't just California; people are willfully blind all over the world. It comes in really handy, sometimes.)
"I should really watch my aim," she says, and tosses the napkin over her shoulder. Xander lunges for it, but she doesn't know why he'd want to keep it; they're just doodles, anyway.
"And people say my depth perception sucks," he remarks, and Buffy smiles.
"Just for that," she says, taking his hand, "you're dancing with me."
"Buff -"
"Do you want me to have to dance with another vampire?"
Yeah, she didn't think so.
Anyway, he doesn't seem to mind, much, as he slides his arms around her waist, and she leans into him (just a little, and this time, it almost feels like they're back at the Bronze for real.)
"Did I ever thank you?" she asks, and Xander stiffens.
"For what?" he asks, and for his sake, she's going to pretend his voice is totally normal, and not kind of squeaky at all.
"For being my friend," she says, leaning closer, and after a minute, she can feel him relax again. Almost.
She smiles against his chest, pretends she's listening to music long out of date, and thinks, don't you wish I would?