The Bronze pulsed with its usual Friday night energy, a sea of hormones and cheap cologne set to a backdrop of grunge rock. Xander Harris lounged on a worn leather couch near the back, feeling like a shark in a goldfish bowl. His new threads – courtesy of the Rosen Queen's employee discount – set him apart from the usual Sunnydale High crowd. The sleek leather jacket hugged his shoulders in a way his old flannels never did, and the designer jeans made his legs look about a mile long. He'd blown most of his last paycheck on the outfit, but the appreciative glances he'd been getting all night made it worth every penny.

  Willow sat nestled against his side, a familiar warmth that Xander found oddly comforting. Her presence was as constant as the California sun, and about as noticeable to him most days. Tonight, though, there was a tension in the air that he couldn't quite put his finger on.

  "I can't believe Mr. Chomsky is making us do another group project," Willow sighed, her breath tickling Xander's neck. "Doesn't he know it always ends up with one person doing all the work?"

  Xander chuckled, the sound rumbling through his chest. "Yeah, and that one person is always you, Will."

  Willow playfully swatted at his chest, her hand lingering a moment too long. Without thinking, Xander caught her fingers, idly toying with them as he spoke. "Aw, come on. You know you love being the brains of our operation."

  He didn't notice the way Willow's cheeks flushed at the casual contact, or how she snuggled closer as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

  It was just Willow, after all.

  "I guess," she conceded, a hint of something in her voice that Xander couldn't quite place. "But it would be nice to have some help once in a while."

  Xander grinned back at her. "Tell you what, I'll contribute my rugged good looks to the presentation. That's gotta be worth at least a B+."

  Willow's giggle sent vibrations through his side, and he found himself absently scratching under her chin, like petting a contented cat. "That's my girl," he murmured. "Always laughing at my jokes, even the bad ones."

  "They're not all bad," Willow replied, her voice soft and dreamy.

  A comfortable silence fell between them, broken only by the thrum of the music and the chatter of their classmates. Xander's mind wandered, thinking about the past few weeks. The hospital stay, his new "job" at the Rosen Queen, the late nights spent patrolling for vamps...

  It was a lot to juggle, and he was starting to feel the strain.

  Willow's voice pulled him back to the present. "So... Buffy and I were talking earlier about the Spring Fling."

  Xander tensed slightly, his arm tightening around Willow's shoulders. "Oh yeah?" he asked, trying to keep his tone casual. "What about it?"

  "Well, you know, it's coming up soon," Willow continued, her words hesitant. "We were wondering if you were planning on going."

  Xander's mind raced. The Spring Fling.

  Normal, teenage stuff.

  It felt like a lifetime ago that he'd cared about things like school dances and corsages. Now, he spent his nights dusting vamps and trying not to get killed by whatever flavor-of-the-week Big Bad decided to pop up in Sunnydale.

  "I don't know, Will," he said, shrugging. "Dances aren't really my thing. Plus, I've been pretty busy with... stuff."

  He saw the disappointment flash across Willow's face, quickly masked by a forced smile. "Oh, right. Your new after-school job, right? At the clothes place downtown? How's that going?"

  Xander stiffened, suddenly on high alert. He'd been so careful to keep his new... extracurriculars... under wraps. "It's... fine," he said, aiming for nonchalance and missing by a mile. "Nothing exciting. Just, you know, stocking shelves and stuff."

  Willow nodded, but Xander could see the wheels turning in her big brain. "Must be tiring though. You've been looking a bit worn out lately."

  "Me? Nah, I'm fit as a fiddle," Xander laughed, the sound hollow even to his own ears. "Just been staying up late... studying."

  The skeptical look Willow gave him could have peeled paint. "Studying? You?"

  "Hey, I study!" Xander protested, his voice rising defensively. "Sometimes. When there's nothing good on TV."

  Willow giggled, and Xander felt some of the tension ease from his shoulders. Crisis averted, for now. But he knew Willow. She was like a dog with a bone when she sensed something was off. It was only a matter of time before she figured out what he'd been up to.

  And he still wasn't sure how to deal with her finding out.

  Buffy, too.

  At the very least, Giles no longer seemed suspicious.

  "But about the dance..." Willow pressed, her fingers fidgeting with the hem of her sweater.

  Xander sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Will, I don't think-"

  "It's just," Willow interrupted, her words tumbling out in a rush, "Buffy was saying how it might be fun if we all went together. You know, as friends."

  Xander froze, his mind suddenly filled with images of Buffy. Buffy in a dress, Buffy dancing, Buffy smiling at him... He shook his head, trying to clear the thoughts. "I don't know, Will," he said slowly. "I mean, Buffy's cool and all, but... I just don't wanna give her the wrong idea, you know?"

  He trailed off, lost in thought. Things with Buffy were... complicated. She was the Slayer, and he was... whatever the hell he was now. He didn't really want to date anyone right now, but he couldn't deny that the Buffster was the type to get him hot under the collar. All he knew was that the thought of going to a normal school dance with her felt wrong somehow.

  "Maybe," he said finally, meeting Willow's hopeful gaze. "I'll think about it, okay?"

  Willow's face lit up like Christmas had come early. "Really? That would be great!"

  Xander looked down at her, a fond smile tugging at his lips. He didn't notice how his arm tightened around her, or how his fingers traced absent patterns on her shoulder.

  "Hey, you want something to drink?" he asked, suddenly feeling the need to move. "I'm thinking of grabbing a soda."

  Willow nodded, reluctantly releasing him as he stood. "Mmm, yes please."

  Xander stretched, his new jacket riding up to reveal a sliver of skin above his jeans. He caught more than a few appreciative glances from nearby tables, but his mind was already on other things. Patrol routes, training schedules, how shitty his skills with Demon Magic still were...

  He patted Willow's head affectionately, not even blinking at the way she leaned into his touch. "Be right back, Wills. Don't go anywhere."

  – o – o – o – o – o – o – o –?

  Later That Night

  The night air in Sunnydale had a peculiar chill, one that seemed to seep into Buffy's bones as she patrolled the eerily quiet cemetery. The moonlight cast long shadows across the tombstones, creating a twisted landscape of dark and light. Buffy gripped her stake tighter, her knuckles white against the worn wood.

  "Come on, vampires," she muttered, her voice barely above a whisper. "Where are you hiding? Don't tell me you're all out getting manicures or something."

  The silence was unnerving. Buffy had gotten used to Sunnydale's nightlife being a bit more... lively. But lately, it felt like the vamps were pulling a disappearing act. Not that she was complaining about fewer bloodsuckers to slay, but it did make for some seriously boring patrols.

  A twig snapped behind her, and Buffy spun on her heel, stake at the ready. A vampire lunged from behind a nearby tombstone, its yellow eyes gleaming with hunger.

  "Whoa!" Buffy yelped, narrowly avoiding its grasp. "Okay, found one. And here I thought you guys were extinct or something."

  The vampire snarled, baring its fangs as it circled her. Buffy fell into a fighting stance, but her movements felt off, like she was a beat behind the music. When the vamp charged again, she managed to block its attack, but her counter-punch lacked its usual oomph.

  "That all you got?" Buffy taunted, trying to mask her frustration. "I've seen scarier things in my mom's yearbook photos."

  The vampire, clearly not appreciating her wit, lunged forward with surprising speed. Buffy tried to sidestep, but she was a fraction too slow. The vamp's claws raked across her arm, tearing through her jacket and leaving a trail of fire in their wake.

  "Ow!" Buffy hissed, stumbling back. "Okay, that's it. You ruined my favorite jacket. Now it's personal."

  She lashed out with a kick, catching the vampire square in the chest. It flew backward, crashing into a headstone with a satisfying crunch. Buffy pressed her advantage, closing the distance in two quick steps. As the vamp struggled to its feet, she plunged her stake into its heart.

  For a moment, the vampire looked almost comically surprised. Then it exploded into a cloud of dust, leaving Buffy coughing and waving her hand in front of her face.

  "Fifth one tonight," she said, brushing vampire remains off her ruined jacket. "Not bad, right?"

  But even as the words left her mouth, Buffy couldn't shake the feeling that it should have been easier.

  She was the Slayer, after all.

  – o – o – o – o – o – o – o –?

  The abandoned warehouse loomed before Xander, its dilapidated facade a perfect backdrop for the vampire nest he'd tracked down. Perched on the rooftop, he felt a surge of adrenaline course through his veins. This was it - another night, another group of bloodsuckers to dust.

  "Feeding time at the zoo," Xander whispered to himself, a smirk playing on his lips. Below, six vampires congregated, their raucous laughter grating on his enhanced hearing. They were bragging about their kills, making all the icky feelings about the morals of staking them float off into the wind.

  You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

  Not that he ever gave them more than a passing consideration, but still.

  He was a churchgoing boy, at one point.

  Without hesitation, Xander launched himself from the roof. The wind whipped through his hair as he descended, landing silently behind the group. Time seemed to slow as his instincts took over. In one fluid motion, he'd snatched the two pieces of pointed wood out of his pockets and staked the two nearest vamps before the others could even think to move.

  "What the-" The words barely left Vampire #1's mouth before it exploded into dust.

  Xander didn't pause to savor the moment. He moved with inhuman speed, ducking under a wild punch from Vampire #3. Using the vamp's momentum against it, he drove his stake into Vampire #4's heart. The rush of power was intoxicating, and Xander couldn't help but grin.

  "Three down, three to go," he quipped, voice full of mocking laughter. Dealing with fledges and newborns was easy street, especially when compared to knights. Barely hitting half as hard and with all the confusion of their old human memories tripping up their vampiric bodies, they were basically just vampire babies.

  Vampire #3 charged, all fangs and fury. Xander simply sidestepped, sticking out his foot to trip the bloodsucker. As it sprawled face-first on the concrete, Xander couldn't resist a jab. "Not even summer yet and you're already busy with the fall."

  In a blur of motion that would have made Buffy proud, Xander staked another two vamps in quick succession. As their dust settled, he let out a laugh that was equal parts exhilaration and disbelief. "Haha, fucking fledges!"

  The last vampire, still sprawled on the ground, tried to crawl away unnoticed. Xander strolled over and grabbed it by the neck, lifting it off the ground with ease. The strength still surprised him sometimes.

  "Aw, leaving so soon?" Xander grinned, locking eyes with the terrified vamp. "But we were just getting started."

  With a swift motion that felt almost merciful, he snapped the vampire's neck to keep it from struggling before driving his stake home. As the dust settled, Xander brushed off his hands, a sense of satisfaction washing over him.

  "And that makes six," he muttered, scanning the area to ensure no witnesses. "I'm packing it in. Not a bad night's work."

  As Xander melted into the shadows, heading home, he couldn't help but mutter to himself. "I'm Batman."

  – o – o – o – o – o – o – o –?

  The rest of her patrol was uneventful, which only added to Buffy's growing unease. By the time she reached Sunnydale Park, she was practically itching for another fight. As she passed a group of teenagers hanging out by the swings, laughing and goofing around, a pang of envy shot through her.

  "Must be nice," she muttered. "Normal teen stuff, no vampires in sight. The biggest drama in their lives is probably who's taking who to the dance."

  A scream shattered the night, turning Buffy's blood to ice. She took off running towards the sound, her heart pounding in her ears. As she burst into a clearing, she saw a young woman struggling against a vampire, its fangs inches from her throat.

  "Hey!" Buffy shouted, adrenaline surging through her veins. "Didn't your mother teach you not to play with your food?"

  The vampire's head snapped up, its yellow eyes locking onto Buffy. With a guttural snarl, it released its victim and charged. Buffy dodged, but her movements felt sluggish, uncoordinated. She stumbled, barely keeping her footing.

  "Run!" she yelled at the woman, who didn't need to be told twice.

  Turning back to the vampire, Buffy forced a cocky grin. "Okay, ugly. Let's dance."

  The fight that followed was brutal and messy. Buffy landed some solid hits, her fists connecting with satisfying thuds, but for every blow she dealt, she seemed to take two in return. A punch to her ribs left her gasping for air, and a kick to her knee nearly sent her sprawling.

  What is wrong with me? Buffy thought, frustration building as she struggled to gain the upper hand. I should be mopping the floor with this guy.

  Vampires had been somewhat rarer than she had expected over the last two months, allowing her to spend more time doing other—normal girl—stuff with Willow. Ever since Angel had killed Darla that night, though, it was like all the blood suckers had jumped out of the woodwork.

  Where three a night was all she could expect before, now Buffy wouldn't be surprised if she killed at least half a dozen before the sun came up.

  And she didn't know why.

  With a burst of desperate energy, Buffy managed to pin the vampire against a tree. Her arms shook with the effort of holding it in place, and she could feel warm blood trickling down her face from a cut above her eye.

  "Stake... where's my stake?" she panted, fumbling at her waistband. A moment later, her fingers closed around the familiar wooden shaft, and with a final surge of strength, she drove the stake home.

  The vampire's eyes widened in shock, and then it was gone, nothing but dust on the wind. Buffy sagged against the tree, wiping her brow with the back of her hand.

  "Six..." she gasped, her chest heaving as she fought to catch her breath. "Six vampires. Go me. Giles would be proud."

  – o – o – o – o – o – o – o –?

  The streets of Sunnydale were quiet as he walked, whistling a jaunty tune. It was almost surreal how normal everything looked in this town. As he passed by the park, a familiar figure stood out against a tree, looking worse for wear.

  "Buff!" Xander called out, his heart rate picking up slightly. "Fancy meeting you here."

  Buffy startled, clearly tired. "Xander? What are you doing out so late?"

  For a split second, panic flared in Xander's chest.

  But he squashed it down, years of deflecting authority figures coming in handy. "Oh, you know," he said smoothly, "Just taking a stroll. Enjoying the night air. You?"

  Buffy hesitated, and Xander could see her struggle to keep it to herself. "Ugh, the usual. Slaying."

  Xander looked her up and down, noting the cuts, bruises, and general dishevelment. A pang of guilt hit him - here he was, secretly taking out vamps left and right, while Buffy struggled alone.

  But he pushed the feeling aside.

  "Cool, cool, cool," he said, trying to keep his tone light. "You do good work, Buffster."

  Buffy smirked, but the expression didn't reach her eyes. "Not like anybody else is gonna do it, right?"

  Xander nodded, fighting the urge to tell her everything. Instead, he plastered on his best goofy grin. "Right. C'mon, you can walk me home. I need a big tough five-foot Slayer to feel safe."

  The streets of Sunnydale were quiet as Xander and Buffy walked side by side, their footsteps echoing off the pavement, the dead of night seemingly pristine and peaceful.

  Seemingly.

  "You know," Buffy broke the silence, her voice tinged with uncertainty, "I've been feeling kind of... off lately."

  Xander's gaze snapped over to his short blonde friend, concern etched on his face. "Off? Like sick?" he asked. "Because if you need chicken soup, I know a guy."

  "Does that guy's name rhyme with dander?" Buffy shot back.

  "You a cop?" Xander shot her a faux-suspicious look.

  Buffy shook her head, a small smile playing on her lips. "No, not sick. Just... I don't know. Like something's been hanging over my head."

  "Like what?"

  "I don't know... just something," she sighed, her shoulders slumping slightly.

  Without thinking, Xander placed a hand on her shoulder. "I know I've been a little busy, and you know... hospitalized, but you can always come to the Xan-Man if you need to get something off your chest."

  As soon as the words left his mouth, Xander winced. A half-second later, Buffy raised an eyebrow at him, and he could practically see the gears turning in her head.

  "I heard it as soon as I said it," he backpedaled, raising his hands in mock surrender.

  To his relief, Buffy snorted and let out a loud belly laugh. "Oh, Xander. Never change."

  Xander grinned awkwardly back. "Oh, hey! Speaking of changing subjects awkwardly, Willow mentioned something earlier about the Fling."

  Buffy raised an eyebrow, her interest piqued. "Oh?"

  "Yeah, she was thinking maybe we could all go together. You know, as friends. Me, you, Willow..." Xander trailed off, suddenly feeling self-conscious. Why did this feel so weird? It was just a dance, right?

  To his surprise, Buffy nodded, a genuine smile spreading across her face. "You know what? That actually sounds nice."

  "Really?" Xander couldn't keep the shock out of his voice.

  "Yeah," Buffy confirmed. "It actually makes me feel a bit better. Just hanging out, being norm-"

  Her words were cut off as the ground beneath them began to shake. Xander's eyes went wide as he instinctively steadied himself against a nearby street lamp. A wave of... something passed through him, setting his newfound devil senses on high alert. The air suddenly felt thick with the scent of old blood and grave dirt - vampire, his mind supplied helpfully.

  Buffy stumbled slightly but kept her balance, her Slayer reflexes kicking in. "Whoa!"

  The shaking intensified for a moment, then subsided as quickly as it had begun. Xander's mind raced, trying to process what had just happened. That wasn't a normal earthquake — he could feel it in his bones.

  "What was that? A 5.1?" he asked, forcing his voice to sound casual even as his heart pounded in his chest.

  Buffy looked at him, confusion warring on her face. "Since when are you an expert on earthquakes?"

  Xander shrugged. "Hey, it's California, you pick things up. So, uh, uh, yeah, should we be worried about that?"

  "I doubt it," Buffy replied with a shrug.

  Trying to hide the tension in his face, Xander nodded slowly. "You're the expert, I guess."