Laws of Relativity
Apr. 10th, 2017 10:02 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
madimpossibledreamerthe level below 'exhausted'
~Dreamer~
Main Points:
Buffy the Vampire Slayer/Iron Man Crossover (Self-Made Hero)
Summary: Sometimes Krista's insecure.
Word Count: 815
Rating: Gen
~Dreamer~
Main Points:
Buffy the Vampire Slayer/Iron Man Crossover (Self-Made Hero)
Summary: Sometimes Krista's insecure.
Word Count: 815
Rating: Gen
“Cordy?” Kris screeches. Xander glances up with a properly freaked out expression, paper wavering in his hand. The man he’s meeting with actually flinches and starts glancing at the door as if he expects security to burst through at any moment.
Knight manages a smile. “Richard, think we could do this later this week?”
The man practically flees.
“CORDELIA?” she asks again, getting a wince in return.
“Is it okay if I ask who told you?” he asks hesitantly, and, well, at least he’s asking.
“No,” she snaps. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I didn’t know how to tell you,” he answers honestly, and that disarms her anger a little. “At first it was, well. You’re smart. If I told you, you would’ve noticed something was wrong, which would’ve led to me trying to figure out how to answer questions about her death, which might’ve led to figuring out the whole magic-slash-supernatural-slash-superheroey side of things, and…”
“Wait.” Her mind derails even further. “Sh-she died in the hospital, in a coma.”
He sees her growing faint and easily steers her into a chair, urging her to breathe. She does, but the world still spins.
“Yeah. And I’m still angry at Angel about that one. He didn’t even have the decency to tell us she was in the hospital.” He sighs deeply at that. “Of course, it didn’t help that Cordy didn’t tell him I still called once every week. We did so much better as long-distance friends. I’m pretty sure he was under the impression she was totally cut off from the Scoobies. Why the question didn’t cross his mind when he noticed the high-tech goodies she had…”
“While we’re talking about dumb boys,” she says as firmly as she can and doesn’t miss his contrite expression. “So…what happened?”
“To us, or…to her?” He stammers a little at the last.
“Both.” She settles in a little and doesn’t shrug off the hands he places cautiously on his own.
“I’m not sure what happened to her. I’ve got a name—Jasmine, but it’s like the Year that Never Was. It’s like all the records were erased and the answers may not even exist anymore.” He growls, and she can sense his frustration. She takes one of his hands in her own. She’s not really angry anymore.
“As for Cordy, we dated in high school. Way back. I didn’t even have sex with her.” She gives him a look, and he shrugs, letting a slight smile cross his face. “What, you were wondering. Some pretty heavy makeouts, though. She still acted like she despised me in school, though. Still had to keep that perfect image.” He chuckles. “You know, we could’ve been so much better than we were. Guess circumstances were just wrong.”
“That sounds like her,” she says quietly, letting a smile tug at her lips.
“So, me and Willow nearly die, and she kisses me. Funny timing, because Oz and Cordy walk in.” She’s fairly sure he’s still being honest. He wouldn’t joke about unwanted anything, not with what she’s learned. “Oz eventually listened to me. Cordy never did, even long after she forgave me. Whenever I’d bring it up she’d just cut me off. She used to call it The Excuse.”
She can hear the capitals in the title, which reminds her vaguely of something. And then she remembers and her jaw drops. “W-wait. I-she.” It’s almost too much, but she forges on, almost dead certain now. “She talked about you. You were The Ex. She never mentioned you by name, but she talked about The Big Excuse.”
He looks surprised and pleased and a little worried. “I’m kinda scared to ask what else she said about me.”
“Not that much, and don’t worry, most of it wasn’t awful.” She definitely squeezes his hand now. Forget being mad at him; he needs the reassurance. “Smart, really smart, but a dork. Good-looking, well-meaning, and usually completely clueless.” She blinks. “Now that I know it’s you, I’m surprised I didn’t figure it out quicker.”
“Hey,” he says, and it’s a bit joking and a bit serious. “The minute I figure out more, you’ll be the first to know. Besides me,” he adds, and she leans in and hugs him.
“I didn’t just…get in because of her, did I?” she asks, and she’s close enough to feel the hesitation.
“Everything you’ve done since then is you,” Xander’s reassures her quietly, honestly. “If you weren’t good at what you do, you would’ve never been promoted, just been part of the Knight family…”
“Never have gotten close.” She sighs and snuggles closer. “I would’ve hated that world.”
“Well, with your talents?” He backs up enough to kiss her hair and then scooch away. She realizes now that she’s not blinded by anger that he’s been kneeling all this time. He just winks at her scrutiny. “I wouldn’t be too concerned.”
Knight manages a smile. “Richard, think we could do this later this week?”
The man practically flees.
“CORDELIA?” she asks again, getting a wince in return.
“Is it okay if I ask who told you?” he asks hesitantly, and, well, at least he’s asking.
“No,” she snaps. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I didn’t know how to tell you,” he answers honestly, and that disarms her anger a little. “At first it was, well. You’re smart. If I told you, you would’ve noticed something was wrong, which would’ve led to me trying to figure out how to answer questions about her death, which might’ve led to figuring out the whole magic-slash-supernatural-slash-superheroey side of things, and…”
“Wait.” Her mind derails even further. “Sh-she died in the hospital, in a coma.”
He sees her growing faint and easily steers her into a chair, urging her to breathe. She does, but the world still spins.
“Yeah. And I’m still angry at Angel about that one. He didn’t even have the decency to tell us she was in the hospital.” He sighs deeply at that. “Of course, it didn’t help that Cordy didn’t tell him I still called once every week. We did so much better as long-distance friends. I’m pretty sure he was under the impression she was totally cut off from the Scoobies. Why the question didn’t cross his mind when he noticed the high-tech goodies she had…”
“While we’re talking about dumb boys,” she says as firmly as she can and doesn’t miss his contrite expression. “So…what happened?”
“To us, or…to her?” He stammers a little at the last.
“Both.” She settles in a little and doesn’t shrug off the hands he places cautiously on his own.
“I’m not sure what happened to her. I’ve got a name—Jasmine, but it’s like the Year that Never Was. It’s like all the records were erased and the answers may not even exist anymore.” He growls, and she can sense his frustration. She takes one of his hands in her own. She’s not really angry anymore.
“As for Cordy, we dated in high school. Way back. I didn’t even have sex with her.” She gives him a look, and he shrugs, letting a slight smile cross his face. “What, you were wondering. Some pretty heavy makeouts, though. She still acted like she despised me in school, though. Still had to keep that perfect image.” He chuckles. “You know, we could’ve been so much better than we were. Guess circumstances were just wrong.”
“That sounds like her,” she says quietly, letting a smile tug at her lips.
“So, me and Willow nearly die, and she kisses me. Funny timing, because Oz and Cordy walk in.” She’s fairly sure he’s still being honest. He wouldn’t joke about unwanted anything, not with what she’s learned. “Oz eventually listened to me. Cordy never did, even long after she forgave me. Whenever I’d bring it up she’d just cut me off. She used to call it The Excuse.”
She can hear the capitals in the title, which reminds her vaguely of something. And then she remembers and her jaw drops. “W-wait. I-she.” It’s almost too much, but she forges on, almost dead certain now. “She talked about you. You were The Ex. She never mentioned you by name, but she talked about The Big Excuse.”
He looks surprised and pleased and a little worried. “I’m kinda scared to ask what else she said about me.”
“Not that much, and don’t worry, most of it wasn’t awful.” She definitely squeezes his hand now. Forget being mad at him; he needs the reassurance. “Smart, really smart, but a dork. Good-looking, well-meaning, and usually completely clueless.” She blinks. “Now that I know it’s you, I’m surprised I didn’t figure it out quicker.”
“Hey,” he says, and it’s a bit joking and a bit serious. “The minute I figure out more, you’ll be the first to know. Besides me,” he adds, and she leans in and hugs him.
“I didn’t just…get in because of her, did I?” she asks, and she’s close enough to feel the hesitation.
“Everything you’ve done since then is you,” Xander’s reassures her quietly, honestly. “If you weren’t good at what you do, you would’ve never been promoted, just been part of the Knight family…”
“Never have gotten close.” She sighs and snuggles closer. “I would’ve hated that world.”
“Well, with your talents?” He backs up enough to kiss her hair and then scooch away. She realizes now that she’s not blinded by anger that he’s been kneeling all this time. He just winks at her scrutiny. “I wouldn’t be too concerned.”