(no subject)
Phew. My Willow/Xander ficathon assignment is finally done. Apologies for it being two days late!
Title: One Fish, Two Fish
Author: Ben is Glory (Jordan)
Rating: PG
A/N: Well, I wasn't sure which kind of "goldfish" doyle_sb4 had in mind, so I came up with this. *g* Frank and Peg's is an actual place... it's actually where I used to get all of my fish, which explains why Frank has a southern-ish accent. Well, at least why he says "dang" ((people do still say that, right? ;p)). Anyways, I'm sure there was something else I wanted to say but forgot. Hope you like it doyle_sb4 ((::waves:: remember me? lol))!!
Willow stared at her aquarium in horror. "Xander! Eww!"
"Gross, Xand," Buffy agreed.
Feigning surprise, he walked over to the tank. "What? Wills said she wanted goldfish, I got her goldfish!"
"I was thinking more of the alive kind."
"Well, you got the next best thing!" He pointed. "See, we can name that one Phil, and that one over there can be Regina..."
Buffy stuck her face in front of the glass and scrunched up her nose in disgust. "They're... they're starting to fall apart."
"Um, not to state the obvious, but they are crackers, Buff."
Playfully slapping him on the chest she said, "I know they’re crackers. We can’t just leave them there!"
"Why not? You don't like my gift." He pouted for emphasis.
"Aww," Willow coddled, patting his shoulder. "You can pick out the fish at the pet store if you want."
Xander's face lit up. "Really?"
"Sure. Whatever kind you like." The redhead grabbed her coat off the bed.
Before they could stop him, Xander snatched a soggy Goldfish from the water and popped it in his mouth. "Positive you don't want these?"
"EWW!" the girls screamed, running out of Willow's room with Xander close behind.
---
The bell on the door jingled as the three friends entered the pet store. Frank and Peg's was famous in Sunnydale and a favorite of Willow's. When she was little she used to come in with her dad on Sunday afternoons to look at all the puppies and the kitties. She was never allowed to get one; her mother didn't believe in pets, which is why her father had to sneak in the goldfish when Willow was six. But after the Cat In The Hat incident, all pets were out of the question for awhile. Hopefully her friends would enjoy Frank and Peg's as much as she once had.
Willow excitedly skipped down the rows of fish tanks and cages, Xander and Buffy exchanging amused looks and following her.
Xander stopped in front of a birdcage holding a parrot. "Hey, Will! Maybe we should just forget about the fish all together. How about a parrot?"
Nervously, she said, "I don't think so, Xand."
He squinted his left eye and hunched over. "Argh! Ye don't want a worthy companion, matey? Argh!"
"Loser! Pirate’s a loser!" the bird squawked.
Buffy and Willow collapsed into giggles, and Xander blushed a deep shade of red.
Frank, the owner, approached Xander and whacked him on the back. "Sorry 'bout that, man. Those dang teenagers always come in and teach the birds dirty phrases. Be glad you only got called a loser."
Coughing, Xander mumbled, "Yeah thanks."
"So, can I help you with something?"
"No thank you,” Willow piped up. "We're just looking for now."
"Okay, but if you find something, just let me know," Frank told them, leaving to help a couple that just walked in.
Buffy nodded. "On to the fishes."
"Let's get a beta fish!" Xander said eagerly.
Confused, Buffy asked, "A what-a fish?"
"They're Japanese fighting fish," Willow explained. "And no."
He groaned. "Aww! Come on, Wills! Look! They’re so cool."
"Then you are welcome to get them. I'm just looking for something a little less... violent."
"Ruin my fun, why don’t you," he grumbled jokingly.
"These ones are neat," Buffy called, bent over examining an aquarium. "They're all silvery with neon outlines."
Xander smiled. "Fish that like to rave? That's a new one."
Willow came over to look with Buffy. After considering it a moment, she said, "Nah. I don't think so. I'm more of a traditional gal when it comes to fish."
The three browsed for a few more minutes, inspecting each tank carefully with lots of 'oohs' and 'aahs'. They saw ordinary fish, tropical fish, big fish, small fish... everything under the sun. The girls cringed when Xander yelled out to them and flailed his arms.
"Here's a shark!"
"NO!" they shrieked in unison.
"But you said I could pi--"
"NO!"
Willow wandered over to a container at the very back of the store, an expression of delight washing over her features. "Guys! I think I found what I want."
Buffy and Xander joined her, looking puzzled. "You sure?" asked Xander. "They're so..."
"...Orange," Buffy finished.
"Yep." Her mind was set. "They're perfect."
"'Kay. We'll go get the guy then." Buffy turned to find Frank and returned a minute later.
"Ah," Frank said, dipping a green net in to extract the fish. "A fine choice. Very classic."
Willow grinned, pleased.
---
"I think he should be called Fred."
Buffy and Xander turned from their positions lying on Willow's bed to give her a look.
"What?"
"Are you serious, Will?" Xander was about to burst out laughing.
"He looks like a Fred!" she claimed, pointing for emphasis.
"Oh, crap." Buffy noticed the alarm clock sitting on Willow's nightstand. "I've gotta get home. Giles wants to train later, and my mom'll whig if I don't drop in. I'll see you guys later?"
"Bye, Buffy," Willow told her.
Xander waved. "See ya, Buffster."
They could hear the front door slamming shut, and the two best friends remained on the bed staring into the fish tank.
"I don't like him."
"Xander!" She elbowed him, shoving him towards the end of the mattress. "He's a fish."
"So?"
"So why would you not like a fish?"
"Don't know," he said, hopping off the bed. "Fred looks lonely. Maybe he needs some friends like him to play with." Picking up the box of Goldfish, he inched towards the aquarium.
"Xander..." Willow warned.
Surrendering, he put down the container and plopped back down on the bed.
"But maybe you're right."
"Wow. Me right?" Xander smirked. "Knew it was bound to happen sooner or later."
"Maybe he needs... you know, a girlfriend." She looked up shyly into Xander's face.
"Maybe."
"We could go back to the pet store together tomorrow. You could pick out a fish. And name it. They could be little fish buddies."
"Yeah!" he agreed, and Willow smiled. "We can bring Buffy and get her one, too. Then we'll have a trio: the Three Fishkateers!"
Her face fell, but she tried to hide her disappointment. "Mmmhmm..."
"Great idea, Wills. I gotta go, but I'll call you tomorrow." He scrambled up to leave.
Willow sat abandoned on her bed. "I guess dropping hints is useless. What do you think, Fred?" The goldfish only gazed back at her.
Realizing he had left his jacket in Willow's room, Xander had been standing outside just long enough to hear her last comment. He decided it wasn't a good idea to invite Buffy fish-shopping tomorrow.
Two things you want included in the fic: season 1, goldfish
Two things you don't want: character bashing, heavy angst
Preferred Rating: G-R
And a shameless pimp. Ahem, again. Old School Cordy Ficathon. God save the Queen. ;)
Title: One Fish, Two Fish
Author: Ben is Glory (Jordan)
Rating: PG
A/N: Well, I wasn't sure which kind of "goldfish" doyle_sb4 had in mind, so I came up with this. *g* Frank and Peg's is an actual place... it's actually where I used to get all of my fish, which explains why Frank has a southern-ish accent. Well, at least why he says "dang" ((people do still say that, right? ;p)). Anyways, I'm sure there was something else I wanted to say but forgot. Hope you like it doyle_sb4 ((::waves:: remember me? lol))!!
Willow stared at her aquarium in horror. "Xander! Eww!"
"Gross, Xand," Buffy agreed.
Feigning surprise, he walked over to the tank. "What? Wills said she wanted goldfish, I got her goldfish!"
"I was thinking more of the alive kind."
"Well, you got the next best thing!" He pointed. "See, we can name that one Phil, and that one over there can be Regina..."
Buffy stuck her face in front of the glass and scrunched up her nose in disgust. "They're... they're starting to fall apart."
"Um, not to state the obvious, but they are crackers, Buff."
Playfully slapping him on the chest she said, "I know they’re crackers. We can’t just leave them there!"
"Why not? You don't like my gift." He pouted for emphasis.
"Aww," Willow coddled, patting his shoulder. "You can pick out the fish at the pet store if you want."
Xander's face lit up. "Really?"
"Sure. Whatever kind you like." The redhead grabbed her coat off the bed.
Before they could stop him, Xander snatched a soggy Goldfish from the water and popped it in his mouth. "Positive you don't want these?"
"EWW!" the girls screamed, running out of Willow's room with Xander close behind.
---
The bell on the door jingled as the three friends entered the pet store. Frank and Peg's was famous in Sunnydale and a favorite of Willow's. When she was little she used to come in with her dad on Sunday afternoons to look at all the puppies and the kitties. She was never allowed to get one; her mother didn't believe in pets, which is why her father had to sneak in the goldfish when Willow was six. But after the Cat In The Hat incident, all pets were out of the question for awhile. Hopefully her friends would enjoy Frank and Peg's as much as she once had.
Willow excitedly skipped down the rows of fish tanks and cages, Xander and Buffy exchanging amused looks and following her.
Xander stopped in front of a birdcage holding a parrot. "Hey, Will! Maybe we should just forget about the fish all together. How about a parrot?"
Nervously, she said, "I don't think so, Xand."
He squinted his left eye and hunched over. "Argh! Ye don't want a worthy companion, matey? Argh!"
"Loser! Pirate’s a loser!" the bird squawked.
Buffy and Willow collapsed into giggles, and Xander blushed a deep shade of red.
Frank, the owner, approached Xander and whacked him on the back. "Sorry 'bout that, man. Those dang teenagers always come in and teach the birds dirty phrases. Be glad you only got called a loser."
Coughing, Xander mumbled, "Yeah thanks."
"So, can I help you with something?"
"No thank you,” Willow piped up. "We're just looking for now."
"Okay, but if you find something, just let me know," Frank told them, leaving to help a couple that just walked in.
Buffy nodded. "On to the fishes."
"Let's get a beta fish!" Xander said eagerly.
Confused, Buffy asked, "A what-a fish?"
"They're Japanese fighting fish," Willow explained. "And no."
He groaned. "Aww! Come on, Wills! Look! They’re so cool."
"Then you are welcome to get them. I'm just looking for something a little less... violent."
"Ruin my fun, why don’t you," he grumbled jokingly.
"These ones are neat," Buffy called, bent over examining an aquarium. "They're all silvery with neon outlines."
Xander smiled. "Fish that like to rave? That's a new one."
Willow came over to look with Buffy. After considering it a moment, she said, "Nah. I don't think so. I'm more of a traditional gal when it comes to fish."
The three browsed for a few more minutes, inspecting each tank carefully with lots of 'oohs' and 'aahs'. They saw ordinary fish, tropical fish, big fish, small fish... everything under the sun. The girls cringed when Xander yelled out to them and flailed his arms.
"Here's a shark!"
"NO!" they shrieked in unison.
"But you said I could pi--"
"NO!"
Willow wandered over to a container at the very back of the store, an expression of delight washing over her features. "Guys! I think I found what I want."
Buffy and Xander joined her, looking puzzled. "You sure?" asked Xander. "They're so..."
"...Orange," Buffy finished.
"Yep." Her mind was set. "They're perfect."
"'Kay. We'll go get the guy then." Buffy turned to find Frank and returned a minute later.
"Ah," Frank said, dipping a green net in to extract the fish. "A fine choice. Very classic."
Willow grinned, pleased.
---
"I think he should be called Fred."
Buffy and Xander turned from their positions lying on Willow's bed to give her a look.
"What?"
"Are you serious, Will?" Xander was about to burst out laughing.
"He looks like a Fred!" she claimed, pointing for emphasis.
"Oh, crap." Buffy noticed the alarm clock sitting on Willow's nightstand. "I've gotta get home. Giles wants to train later, and my mom'll whig if I don't drop in. I'll see you guys later?"
"Bye, Buffy," Willow told her.
Xander waved. "See ya, Buffster."
They could hear the front door slamming shut, and the two best friends remained on the bed staring into the fish tank.
"I don't like him."
"Xander!" She elbowed him, shoving him towards the end of the mattress. "He's a fish."
"So?"
"So why would you not like a fish?"
"Don't know," he said, hopping off the bed. "Fred looks lonely. Maybe he needs some friends like him to play with." Picking up the box of Goldfish, he inched towards the aquarium.
"Xander..." Willow warned.
Surrendering, he put down the container and plopped back down on the bed.
"But maybe you're right."
"Wow. Me right?" Xander smirked. "Knew it was bound to happen sooner or later."
"Maybe he needs... you know, a girlfriend." She looked up shyly into Xander's face.
"Maybe."
"We could go back to the pet store together tomorrow. You could pick out a fish. And name it. They could be little fish buddies."
"Yeah!" he agreed, and Willow smiled. "We can bring Buffy and get her one, too. Then we'll have a trio: the Three Fishkateers!"
Her face fell, but she tried to hide her disappointment. "Mmmhmm..."
"Great idea, Wills. I gotta go, but I'll call you tomorrow." He scrambled up to leave.
Willow sat abandoned on her bed. "I guess dropping hints is useless. What do you think, Fred?" The goldfish only gazed back at her.
Realizing he had left his jacket in Willow's room, Xander had been standing outside just long enough to hear her last comment. He decided it wasn't a good idea to invite Buffy fish-shopping tomorrow.
Two things you want included in the fic: season 1, goldfish
Two things you don't want: character bashing, heavy angst
Preferred Rating: G-R
And a shameless pimp. Ahem, again. Old School Cordy Ficathon. God save the Queen. ;)