Chapter 23: According to a Door

[madimpossibledreamer]

Main Points:
Buffy the Vampire Slayer/Bleach (I Hope Tomorrow's a Better Day)
Chapter Summary: Xander needs to stop ignoring warning signs.  (He also needs to stop being a jerk like in canon...)
Word Count: 365
Rating: Gen
Warning: basically a redo of the scene in the Yoko Factor with Spike and Willow (so implied homophobia or at least...nah, it's homophobia)

          “And it feels like Giles and Buffy are avoiding me,” Willow complains.
          “Well, that’s probably because they are.”  When she looks at him with a hurt, confused look, he immediately backpedals.  “What, me?  I said nothing that was about anything and—”
          “Spill, mister.”  That’s her expression that basically says she’s trying not to show the fact that she’s mad, but she’s actually furious, and if he doesn’t continue she’s going to turn that anger at him.  Which would be of the bad, so he opts for the route of the coward.  Buffy and Giles can forgive him later provided he’s still in the living and breathing categories.
          That doesn’t mean he’s not going to be hesitant, either.  What did he have to go and open his big mouth for? “Well, they’re probably, uhm, being weird about Tara?”
          Her response is immediate, defensive.  “They said it was fine!”
          “Well, they probably didn’t want to make you feel bad, which, uh, I didn’t either.  I just was dumb and opened my mouth.”  He fidgets a little because the entire situation sucks.
          She thinks about that for a bit, biting her lip, and all he wants to do is pull her into a hug because she deserves it.  “It’s fine, right?”
          He wants to stop time for a little bit, think about his answer before he gives it.  But she’s started curling in on herself already from just a slight hesitation, so he charges forward trying to pick the right words as he goes.  “I mean, it is a little weird, but you’re also my bestest best bud.  I’m sure they’ll come around.  Just give them time.”
          She pouts.  “Weird?”
          He winces again, looking for the right words so as not to put his foot in his mouth again.  Hesitantly, he continues, “…Mostly because we first knew Oz, so we didn’t know you, uh.  Batted for both teams?”  He smiles at her hopefully.
          “You’re lucky you’re cute, mister.”  It’s hard to tell how much of a threat that was.  For all he knows he could’ve been spending a couple of years as a rat.
          He breathes out a sigh of relief, given that he’d dodged that bullet—