Much Ado About Something

[madimpossibledreamer]

Main Points:
Buffy the Vampire Slayer/Iron Man Crossover (Self-Made Hero)
Summary: Buffy reveals a secret to Xander who fumbles through his words and does his best to help.  (...yeah, this still applies.)
Word Count: 875
Rating: Gen

        Xander’s instantly attentive when Buffy appears at his door, which is really, really comforting.  Seriously, even Giles doesn’t just hear her out first, and it’s no wonder Tony can be so charming as a boss if this is how he treats his employees.  “Buffinator, whatcha need?”
        She goes to one of the most comfortable chairs as quickly as she can and breathes heavily.  A second later, Xander’s at her side, hand hovering over her shoulder because he doesn’t know whether touch is bad or not today.  “Anything I can do?” he asks more seriously, and she tries to think through it.
        “I, um.”  She pauses.  “I’m having sex with Spike.”
        Xander’s face instantly twists, but the expression is fleeting.  “Are you okay?” he asks immediately, which is so much better than the ‘Are you insane?’ she was expecting.
        “You don’t like vampires,” she points out, like he doesn’t know, and wonders for one absurd second if she’s going to cry.
        “No, I don’t,” he agrees easily, “…but Angel turned out to be all right, and…well.  Spike is, uh.  He’s shown the capacity to love, so he’s not the worst.  Um.  Choice.”  He’s a little pink, she realizes, and—what actually is going on here?
        “Xander?” she asks, and he huffs a sigh.
        “Anya and I kinda had sex with him twice,” he says quickly enough it takes her a moment to realize what he’s said.  She blinks.  “There weren’t a lot of choices of people I even kinda trusted to be a part of it, and Anya really wanted a threesome.  We, uh.  We paid in him in smokes, so it was actually kind of like he was a prostitute?  Not that I or even most of my Tonys have experience with that, but…”
        She giggles.  Really, the situation is absurd.
        “Yes, yes, very funny.”  He sighs.  “I would’ve invited Cordy, but she’s happily moved on, and Angel would work but that would just be very weird.”
        “Yes,” she agrees, not that the whole situation isn’t.  “So, is it…was it just for Anya?  Because you’re sometimes a doormat when it comes to her.”
        He rolls his eyes.  “Yeah, because none of us are when it comes to love.”  He pauses, suddenly thoughtful.  “Except for Willow, maybe.  I don’t usually see her in doormat-adjacent situations…anymore, really.”
        She pokes him in the chest.  “You’re avoiding, mister.”
        He doesn’t usually look this vulnerable, this open.  “I’m bisexual, probably, although even that’s a bit limited, especially considering all the demons I’ve accidentally fallen in love with and seems a bit…confining where Stark is concerned?  There’s also demi- and pansexual, but I always forget the definitions so I don’t know what applies better, so I usually fall back on bisexual.”  He glances back up with a hopeful, almost puppy dog expression, and she can’t help but giggle again.
        “So, guys,” she responds, and he’s still blushing which is weird because most of the time even Anya can’t get him to blush.
        “Yes?” he asks, and teasing him is kind of fun.  Maybe she’s had practice dealing with Dawn, but Dawn isn’t cool about it.
        “Celebrity crushes?”  She nudges him, and his shoulders are super tense. 
        “Captain Kirk, though I think that’s just a universal thing.  Marcus Cole, ‘cause Rangers are attractive.  Captain America’s awkward because there are worlds where we’re married and worlds where I can’t stand him.  Constantine from Hellblazer, which explains why I find Spike attractive.”  He blushes harder when she raises a questioning eyebrow.  “Look the comics up.”
        “I think I will,” she says, and he turns serious.
        “But, uh.  Like Constantine, associating with him is dangerous, so.  He’s a demon and he’s had a long relationship with a woman who thinks stalking and torture are love, thanks to Angelus.  He can be super gentle, but just—be careful.”  It’s kind of judgey but mostly just concerned, which is nice.
        “I sometimes feel…like I deserve to hurt…” she whispers and his expression crumbles.
        “According to the PTB and all your friends, that’s total bullshit,” he states and he actually sounds angry.  He’s rubbing calming circles on his chest.  “I’ve been told by Pepper, though, that you shouldn’t let anyone shame you for how you feel, and that includes you guilting yourself.  You can control how you react and that’s it.”
        She feels raw, like an exposed nerve, but she manages a smile.  “You’re bad at that.”
        He shrugs.  “I’m a work in progress.”  He doesn’t want to talk about it.
        “Well, I.  I was wanting a distraction, and I remembered how you talk about your video games a lot…”  That’s why she originally came, only it didn’t quite work out that way.
        He grins widely.  “With your reactions, you’ll be really good,” he tells her, and then waves a hand at the other desk.  “Your choice of handheld console or top-of-the-line laptop.  Complete with some games that aren’t even out yet in this world.  Shh.”  He stares at her for a minute.  “You could try an RPG like one of the Final Fantasies or a racing game or maybe the SIMs.  Depends on how much fighting and/or aggression you feel like dealing with.”
        With a sense of glee she hadn’t felt in a while, she dives in.