Stakeout (But Not the Vampires)

[madimpossibledreamer]

/pats Xander
You're so dense.

(don't remember if I mentioned it during the essay but I find it interesting that Nicholas Brendon defended Whedon basically going 'yeah, he abused me too, but he wasn't that bad', which...I didn't really expect that much out of him, but now that I'm analyzing it again, it reads as an abuse survivor trying to minimize what they went through which is an interesting parallel to Xander)

Main Points:
Buffy/Dresden Files Crossover
Chapter Summary: faster to read
Word Count: 440
Rating: Teen
preslash

            I’m pretty sure I can blame actually saying my thoughts out loud on the anxiety of doing a stakeout with Steel of all people.  “Okay, so is it called a bear hug because it’s how a bear would hug, or because it’s how you’d hug a bear?”
            For the first time this whole time he turns to look at me, blue eyes incredulous.
            I pout.  It’s involuntary, because it makes me look childish so I wouldn’t have chosen to do it in front of him.  It’s not fair to have a pretty mobster look at me like that.  I’m already nervous enough.  I’ve mostly stopped worrying he’s going to shank me in the back, but that doesn’t stop my overactive imagination coming up with what else he might do to me.  Like somehow force me to sign a contract to work for him, or—okay, yeah, I know he said the whole thing about consent or whatever, but I am also fully convinced he’s more cunning than me and has some sort of nefarious scheme I won’t be able to counter because I don’t even know what’s happening.  “Stop staring at me like I’m an alien lifeform; I already know my brain is weird.”
            “I happen to find it interesting, don’t worry.”  As usual, that makes me worry more, not less.  He just has that effect on me, I guess.  “I would say it’s because it’s how you’d have to hug a bear, to pin the appendages so it couldn’t savage you, but that answer might reveal more about me than your question.  Perhaps you might meet a bear-fae and get to test it out.”
            I shiver.  Maybe he’s realized that’s a step too far, because he hands me one of the sodas instead with a slightly apologetic expression.
            “I’ll take this food bribe.  Just this once, though.”  I start drinking it.  At least it quiets my big mouth.
            “Perhaps I’m ruining my own strategy here, but you’ve accepted it before in other situations where you’re forced to deal with me.  Think of it as a reward for putting up with me.”  I think back on it, and—yeah, huh.  To be fair, if you’re going to bribe me, food is the way.
            “Nah, still a bribe.”  I decide to grab the chips and speak with my mouth full.  It’s not like I haven’t already embarrassed myself.  “Just one to slowly make me like you.”
            He goes quiet, looking back at the warehouse, which just gets awkward.  I’m not sure I want to know what’s going on, so I actually go along with it and pretend I haven’t noticed anything.