Surviving Halloween

I'm not 100% satisfied with the way this turned out.  I might end up rewriting this later, so it might end up in Abandoned Paths.  It establishes a few important things for the timeline, though--it's the first time Haru accesses his ancient powers, though he's going to have to work for them after Halloween and won't remember much of the night.  It's also the beginning of Andrew's 'notice me senpai' phase.
Also, I hate having to turn down friends to hang out because I'm like *I will literally die, there is so much to do, bleh*.  It sucks.
~Dreamer~

Main Points:
Buffy the Vampire Slayer Sands of Egypt Project
Chapter Summary: Andrew's not having the best time of it.
Word Count: 530
Rating: teen

              Tucker had already taken off to go hang out with his friends.  Andrew knows this.  He takes too long, but it’s not as if you can rush perfection.  He can’t just have an incomplete Sith outfit.  That’d be sacrilege or something.
              He finally opens the door and there’s a huge, tall being on the doorstep.  It’s a pretty good costume.  “Hi.  I think we have candy somewhere.”  He forgets to be the big, intimidating Sith, but it’s just evil to deny people candy.
              The thing roars in his face, and he screams.  It’s…not a costume.  That’s a real live monster on its doorstep.  “Y-your breath is terrible.  And I’m just gonna…”
              He slams the door in its face and starts running, but there’s a problem with black robes.  They’re really easy to trip over.  And from the crash, the door doesn’t seem to have stopped it.  So much for thresholds.  Guess that’s fictional, Andrew thinks.  He screams again as he feels claws on his legs, and manages somehow to kick it off and scramble to his feet, stumbling a little in his haste to get away.
              The roar means it’s close.  He screams again.  The sound of the pained grunt, though, isn’t him.  He’s pretty sure.  Though he has heard sometimes it takes a bit for people to realize they’re wounded.  He opens his eyes.
              The first thing he sees is hazel eyes, pained and way closer than anyone’s ever gotten before.  They’re blessedly human.
              He backs up slightly and realizes—the broad forehead and nose and those ears—that’s Xander.  Or…Haru.  Tucker’s story was a little confusing.  Point is, this is one of his classmates, even if he is a little older, and he definitely doesn’t look murderous or anything.
              He’s, like…some sort of Ancient Egyptian warrior.  The skin is more bronzed than he remembers, and that’s a sort of robe thing, with some gold armor on top, bright and glinting.  It doesn’t cover everything, though, like his arms, which is why he’s now…bleeding?  He threw himself in the way…just to protect me…
              He makes another pained sound as the claws are torn from his shoulder, leaving bleeding, exposed strips of flesh behind.  Xander falls to one knee, leaning heavily on what looks like a golden sword.
              “A-are you okay?” Andrew asks, starting to shiver.  He knows it’s a stupid question the minute it leaves his lips, and hopes that he won’t be made fun of for it.  In response the warrior grits his teeth and pushes to his feet, turning to the monster behind him.
              “NO!” he yells.  That’s just…his savior’s already too hurt.  He’s no one special, no one anyone should risk their lives to save.
              “Close your eyes,” comes the calm, deep command, though the breathing’s uneven.  He does as asked, and a moment later his eyelids are suffused with light.
              “Let’s go.”  The man’s leading him out the back door, and despite the wound manages to pull himself over the fence with seeming relative ease.  Still, Andrew notices the sweat and the gritted teeth, even as Xander holds out a hand to drag him up, too.
              He is super cool.  I wanna be like him.