Team Bonding

[madimpossibledreamer]

…the first animated series came out in 1987. Right on time for a six-year-old Xander to have watched it. that worked out better timing wise than something else I had to put off for a bit
Morden’s salute is actually from the Prisoner. Yes I’ve seen both. Yes, the Prisoner remake was…poor.
They can’t fully catch a break. Also, I really liked the Carnival of Souls book, though it has absolutely been long enough I only vaguely remember it.
 

Main Points:
Buffy/Devil May Cry
Chapter Summary: Giles has a suggestion as to what they can do for some team building.
Word Count: 920
Rating: Teen 

 

        “Much as I am loathe to interrupt actual learning,” Giles starts, and Willow can’t help her reaction. She jumps a little. Okay, so she’s been getting better about it, but this is fascinating and it’s interesting to hear Xander’s enthusiasm as he talks about a topic he finds interesting. He can be quiet sometimes, but he can also babble like she does when he really gets going, and it’s relaxing and nice to hear. It’s one of the things that really got her to relax in kindergarten because she’d come in and raised her hand and volunteered and even then babbled and the other kids made fun of her, but she’d gotten him on TMNT once (it’d just aired and was new and different and he loved it) and there was another boy who wasn’t quite as enthusiastic but he didn’t call them loudmouths or geeks. “…I thought, perhaps, another kind of team building is in order.”
        Xander leans back, lacing his hands behind his head. “Whatcha have in mind, G-man? More Doctor Who?”
        He’s truly enjoying it, given that the two had had a very in-depth, serious discussion about how regeneration worked (Willow had tried to join in, except Xander had complimented her on a point she’d made and she’d kind of forgotten anything else she’d meant to say), but she also half suspects it’s some weird kind of teasing. Giles isn’t a fan of technology, while it’s obvious, given Xander’s boombox, that the half-devil is. Pointing out Giles is a hypocrite isn’t going to do anything helpful, but she’s not sure Xander can help himself.
        Giles manages a tight smile. He really is trying, even if he does lapse sometimes. “No, not this time. There’s a carnival in town. I thought perhaps we could use a break.”
        The last case had almost turned out stress-free, since it turned out there weren’t actually any demons involved and Alisha was able to offer the name of a psychiatrist, get them the help they need. Unfortunately, it turned out that Buffy’s parents had almost had her committed because of her insistence that vampires were real, so it’s unfortunately her turn to get all broody.
        Xander winces. “Please tell me there aren’t any clowns.”
        Giles blinks. “Why should that matter?”
        Willow, though…Willow gets it. And is a little surprised. She keeps finding things that say ‘this isn’t the Xander you knew’, which honestly is helping her become a better actual friend and simultaneously at least tempering her crush, because there’s so little that stayed untouched. It’s unusual for her to see something that hasn’t changed. “You still haven’t gotten over that birthday party?”
        He shivers. Just a little. Which is also weird, because he’s offhandedly mentioned he doesn’t feel temperature anymore, so it does actually have to be that, at the very least, he’s uncomfortable. “I seriously could feel that clown was evil.”
        “…At least you’re stronger now?” she offers, patting his elbow, since that’s what’s in reach.
        He just swallows, doesn’t respond. Or move. Like he’s frozen in fear. Maybe it’s that it’s a mental, not physical, danger.
        “I’ll protect you from the clowns,” Willow continues, because she still needs to be needed, to have a place. She’s starting to carve one, but still.
        He manages a smile. “I’ll hold you to that.” Which—hey, he’s struggling and trying, too. “You know, I hear at some of these things, they deep-fry a Twinkie.”
        “Good lord.” Giles carefully cleans his glasses, missing the smirk Xander directs his way.
        “I’ll go have a word with Buffy.” She half wonders if the only reason Xander fully pulled out of his shell and stopped treating them (entirely) like glass dolls was the Slayer flinging him around an abandoned warehouse (which reminds her, she really has to do some research on why exactly there are all these abandoned things in the middle of the city next to malls and theaters and office buildings; that really doesn’t feel right to her, at least in Sunnydale they kind of separated out the used from the not-used areas of the city). And since then, when either of them go nonverbal beating each other up is the only way that’s gotten them talking again. It scares her a little, makes her feel helpless, and she doesn’t like seeing them hurt each other like that, but they both seem a little more settled, a little happier, afterwards.
        She’s not going to say no. She’s not really the jealous girlfriend, no matter how much part of her that she’s trying to tell no yearns to be. But she’s not going to let him get away with that little euphemism, either. It’s not healthy. Probably. “Is that what we’re calling it these days?” she asks, and the undignified snort bursts out of him before he really has a chance to put together a reaction, the way he’d like.
        “I’ll try to make sure we’re presentable—no, that sounds wrong—I’ll try not to leave too many bruises—augh, Will.” He sounds a little annoyed but he’s still grinning despite himself. It’d hurt so much more if she thought he actually liked Buffy, but despite what the evil succubus lady had said weeks ago, she’s still pretty sure he’s mostly got eyes for a completely different blond.
        “Sometimes I wonder what sort of terrible deeds I must have done in a past life,” Giles wonders out loud to the ceiling, as Xander easily stands and gives them both the Morden salute before strolling away.