Building the Future

[madimpossibledreamer]

Main Points:
Buffy/Yakuza AU, follow-up to The Promise of Possibility
Chapter Summary: Willow shows up to take a tour of the place.
Word Count: 630
Rating: Teen

 

          “Xander,” Willow calls, and he stands, wiping off his forehead, smearing yet more dirt, but he doesn’t notice, and the Slayers around him don’t bother telling him.
          “I’m in here,” he yells back.  The near-constant exertion from this project had done well in keeping him calm and focused.  She walks in and rolls her eyes at him, reaching out to wipe the dirt off, and he smiles goofily.  “I think I’ll call ‘er Sanctuary, until I come up with something better.”
          In something that will become a bit of a trend, he won’t, and he’ll be stuck with it, but in the meantime, it feels harmless while he’s too exhausted by the labor to think properly.
          “Oh, uh, should I be wearing one?” At his blank stare, she reaches out and knocks lightly on the hard hat, and he chuckles.
          “I swear I’ve been sleeping in this thing.  I forgot I even had it on.  I’d give you a tour, but there’s not all that much to tour, yet.”  He says that, but he stands up, dusting off his pants (which is equally effective), and begins leading the way.  At least she can see what they’ve managed to hollow out and flatten so far, a cool cave network.  Just structure, so far, but he’s actually managed to impress her.  He can tell just by the way she walks and looks around, even if she doesn’t actually say anything.
          “You’ve gotten a lot done, here.  I’m glad we set this up.”  A good mix of misbehaving and volunteer Slayers, so there’s no rebellion or anything.  Her eyes narrow, and she concentrates for a moment.  “I think there’s a see-me-not spell, but no Lovecraftian things waiting to devour you or anything.”
          “That’s good to hear.”  Not like he’d been, you know, that worried about it.
          “But we’ve all been wondering.  What are you planning on doing with a whole island?”  Her voice isn’t cold, but it is a little colder.  But then, this is a weird project, an out-of-nowhere project, and it’s so far away, even though, once they get the permanent portals set up, it’ll just be a brisk jog away.  Also, planning is not exactly his strong suit.
          It occurs to him suddenly that maybe he shouldn’t try to explain a cabaret or cabaret club to Willow.  Maybe if she experienced it, but he doesn’t even have staff yet.  “Some entrepreneurial stuff, here and there.  A small compound to train Slayers.  You don’t get the chance to do fun stuff with your magic much, do you?”
          She flattens her expression, unimpressed.  “No, not really.  Remember why?”
          Oh.  Right.  Insensitive, but then, he’s not head of the class when it comes to that.  “Uh, sorry?”  He puts on his best adorably contrite expression, and it seems Willow is weak to it, just like he is to Resolve Face.  “So, uh…I guess I should find someone else for the lighting?”
          Rather than just shrugging him off, though, she grows thoughtful.  “Were you thinking like your dorm room, or…?”  He perks up slightly.  That’s always a good sign.  If she’s intrigued, she’ll be invested.
          “Eternally glowing lanterns?”  He shrugs at the look she gives him.  “I thought about Christmas lights, but those could be pretty tacky.  I was thinking—you know the festival when we went for those negotiations in Tokyo?”
          Despite herself, she claps, warming to the subject.  “That was really pretty!”
          He grins.  “My thoughts exactly.  I was thinking…”  He drapes himself over her shoulder a little and steers her toward their camp and some of the plans he’s drawn up.  It’ll take a little slight of hand to not show her the cabaret on there, but whatever, Dawn had been a bad influence and taught him a trick or two.