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Part 16: "Picking Up the Pace"

Davy glanced at the kitchen clock and turned to look at the door.

Usually Xander came home around 3 or 4pm after a day at the site, but now it was almost 6:30pm. Davy had gotten used to having Xander around when he had stuff ready for dinner; without realizing it, they'd come to establish a pattern of eating together most nights. But the last week or so he'd been eating alone, and he didn't much care for it.

Was it that Xander was getting back together with that Spike guy? Davy hadn't caught a glance of him after that night a week before, but then again he'd barely seen Xander either with the hours he said he was putting in at work. Or maybe he was off doing something else besides work?

With a frown, Davy lowered the oven temperature.

"Hey," Xander exclaimed, bursting into the apartment. "That smells fantastic." He pointed at Davy. "You are a talented, talented man."

Davy smiled slowly, noticing how good Xander looked today. He always looked fuck-worthy, but dressed in slightly nicer clothes than what he usually wore to the site, and laughing with such openness . . . well, it made Davy wish things were moving along faster than they were. Really hot, though, in more preppie boy gear than he usually sported, khakis and a collared shirt with a light blue and green plaid pattern . . .

". . . and you haven't heard anything I just said," Xander announced with a grin. "What's up with you? Got other things on your mind?" He waggled his eyebrows at Davy.

At this Davy laughed. Sure, Xander thought he was making a joke, but Davy knew flirting when he saw it, even if Xander didn't quite get that that's what he was doing. Maybe this was developing faster than he'd realized.

"You're in an awfully good mood," he observed, moving to pull the dish from the oven.

"Well, I think an assistant foreman is allowed to enjoy the good life," Xander said grandly. He swaggered over to the kitchen counter and leaned on it expectantly.

Davy paused from straightening up and putting the steaming dish on the cooling rack, to look at Xander with slight confusion.

"Um, you get that I'm telling you I got a promotion, right?" Xander asked anxiously. "New assistant foreman meaning me?" When Davy smiled, he excitedly started to tick off the list of new benefits on his fingers. "Pay raise, new title, in charge of my own crew on the team, and I get my own desk in the trailer with open access to the supply cabinet no less." He stopped to grin at Davy. "Want to be the first to congratulate me?" he wrapped up and stuck out his hand.

"Don't you think we're past the hand shaking stage?" Davy said with amusement. He reached out and pulled Xander into a tight hug for a moment, then stepped back. "Congratulations -- you definitely deserve it."

"Yeah," Xander said with an odd look on his face. He remained standing in hugging position, as if he was trying to grasp what had just happened.

Davy sighed. One step forward, two steps back . . . whatever. "You want eggplant parmesan?" he asked.

"That really doesn't sound like it has meat in it, but yeah, I'll give it a go. Everything you make is really good," Xander said with a shrug. "Do you want me to make a salad or something? It's just mostly lettuce in a bowl, right? I can do lettuce in a bowl. You want me to throw some tomatoes on top?"

"Salad's all made, garlic bread in the oven . . . maybe you could just set the table and pour us some drinks," Davy said smoothly as he flicked off the oven and turned to get the napkins.

"And we have dinner," Xander said. He bounded over with enthusiasm to get the dishes.

After getting everything set, Xander paused and leaned on the counter again. "It's cool to see you," he said.

"What do you mean?" Davy asked.

"You know, I just feel like we haven't really run into one another for a while here." Xander answered, eyeing the garlic bread as Davy put it in a basket.

"True," Davy answered. "Feels like I haven't seen you in weeks!"

"Like over a month practically."

They smiled at each other, and moved everything over to the small table to begin the meal.

Davy dished out the entree. "Seems like you've been working a lot this week, but I guess the impending promotion explains that."

"Yeah," Xander answered. "Figured it couldn't hurt to put in the extra time, and I guess it paid off."

"Let's see," Davy mused, as though he really needed to think hard to remember. "I think the last time we spoke, even if it was just for a second, it was the day after you came home with Spike."

Xander's face shut down a little. "Yeah, that sounds right," he said with a forced smile.

"Seen him much since that time that he stayed over?" Davy asked casually.

"Not so much," Xander answered. "We usually . . . hang out with a group of people that we both know, and do stuff . . . but I haven't really seen any of them lately, plus . . . "

Davy made a sympathetic face. "It can be tough when people come in and out of your life like that," he said softly.

"I'll see him again soon," Xander said in an uncertain voice.

Davy braced himself a little, and went in for the kill. "Are you sure that you want to see him?" he asked.

"Want to . . . yeah, sure . . . we're friends, you know?" Xander replied. His eyes betrayed a hint of confusion and something more that Davy couldn't quite read.

"It's weird sometimes, isn't it? When you can't figure out if you can be 'just friends' anymore or if you're beyond that stage?" Davy prompted.

Xander dropped his head a little and began to eat with swiftness. "Wow, this sure is good. I don't think you can even taste that it doesn't have meat in it at all. The cheese probably does that. Gotta have the cheese, right?" He stuck a slice of garlic bread in his mouth and chewed.

"Okay," Davy said. "I'll drop it. I'm not trying to pin you down on your relationship with Spike. It's just that I worry about you. I don't want you to . . . "

"To what?" Xander asked with wide eyes.

"To get hurt," Davy said meaningfully.

They were both quiet for a moment.

Davy reached across the table and put his hand on Xander's. "Listen, all I'm saying is that if you ever feel like talking about it, or even just hanging out, and not talking about it, I'm around."

Xander sighed. "Maybe. Yeah. I don't know. But thanks." He got up and began clearing dishes. "Oh, and thanks for dinner," he said suddenly. His face changed from its preoccupied expression and he grinned at Davy. "You're going to make some man very happy one day."

"I can live with that," Davy said with a smile.

***

Nathan knocked a third time on the door. Fortunately, the knock seemed to come at a break in the fast and furious drumming inside, and he could hear someone stomping over to the door.

He was greeted with the site of a petite girl with black hair tipped with green. "Yeah?" she said impatiently.

"Heard the Dingoes were rehearsing here," Nathan said.

The girl narrowed her eyes at him suspiciously. "And that means I should let you in why now?"

"I'm just looking for Oz," Nathan said with a half-smile.

"Oh!" she said in surprise. "Oh, that's cool." She stepped back enough to let him squeeze in the door. "I thought you came looking for Devon," she whispered at him confidentially, and grabbed his arm to steer him towards the kitchen. "If you want coffee, there are mugs in the drainer."

"You his bodyguard?" Nathan asked with a grin, shaking his head to the offer of coffee.

"Just to keep away all the fangirls who want to get on their knees for him," she answered nonchalantly. "And, you know, fanboys," she said with a quick once-over and a slight wink at him. "Gotta protect the investment, you know what I'm saying?"

"Sure," Nathan said mock-seriously. "You've been keeping him on a short leash?"

She appraised him and rewarded him with a winning smile. "It's the only way to fly."

"Okay, then," Nathan laughed.

"Come on," she said excitedly, pulling him by the hand. Clearly she now considered Nathan her new best friend. "The guys are practicing downstairs. They're almost finished, then they break until tonight's gig."

"Keep up, alright? Can you do that?" Devon was asking Tianhu, who looked at Zack behind the drum set, an unspoken "You see?" written on his irritated expression. Zack tipped his head towards Devon, clearly indicating that he agreed that it wasn't them who were off. Rhythm section solidarity.

"Might be time for a break," Oz noted.

Devon rolled his eyes, but he backed off and grabbed a water bottle from the floor. He stalked over to speak to the girl who'd let Nathan in

"Hey," Nathan said quietly from the door.

"Oh, hey," Oz said. The corners of his mouth quirked a little and he set his guitar down and walked over. "How'd you find us here?"

"I'm a resourceful guy," Nathan said. Oz raised an eyebrow. "What, I am," Nathan said with a laugh. "Do you have some time?"

Oz leaned to rest his back on the door frame and smiled at Nathan. "How resourceful are you at finding good pancakes in this town?" Oz asked. "Because I'm starving, and breakfast is good any time of day."

"I think I can help you out there." Nathan shifted towards Oz and smiled. "Want me to drive?"

***

"I won't do it!" Buffy said plaintively as Giles opened the door to his apartment.

"You won't do what?" Giles asked in confusion at finding Buffy already seated on his couch. "What are you doing here? Is everything all right?"

"No, everything is not all right," Buffy said. She crossed her arms and spoke again with passion. "I won't be an enemy to love."

Giles looked at her blankly for a moment, and then sat down next to her with a sigh.

"Am I to presume you are referring to Spike and Xander?"

Buffy shot him a "well, duh," look. Giles sighed.

"Since when did the situation between the two become that emotionally complicated?"

"It hasn't," Buffy said honestly. "At least I don't think it has yet. But that doesn't mean that it couldn't. And I don't see anymore why we get to say it shouldn't."

Giles rubbed at his chin. "Might I ask where all of this is coming from?"

"Well, I talked to Will last week about needing to take risks, and doing scary things because of how we'd never be in relationships if we didn't and . . . and okay, so it sounded a lot more convincing when we were eating Mallomars and watching Conan at 2am, but I've thought about it, and I think I'm right. What if you'd tried to stop me being with Angel, just because I might get hurt?"

"You did get hurt," Giles reminded her gently.

"Do you think you're more worried about Xander getting hurt than the rest of us?" Buffy asked quietly.

"I don't know, truthfully. If you'd asked me that question months ago, I would have said of course not, you're all adults, and as such free to make your own decisions."

"But now . . . maybe you feel differently about it," Buffy said.

Giles looked away from her. "Maybe I do. You don't have to agree with me. You can do as you like, and certainly you can support your friends as you see fit. But I can't . . . "

"You can't support Xander?" Buffy asked. The words came out sounding sharper than she'd meant, and she half-smiled at the end to show she intended no harm.

"Not . . . not yet." Giles said distantly. "I need to establish some things first." He glanced at Buffy, who was watching him with a skeptical look on her face. "I hardly think you need be anxious about this. I may be wrong in my concern, but I'd like to consider the available information before I decide. I just need to do a little more reading, more investigation, more . . . "

"More stalling?" Buffy asked. She sighed. "Look, Giles, this isn't going to get resolved with any watcher's accounts, if that's what you're thinking. If you have doubts, if there are questions that are bugging you, then you need to go right to the source."

"What are you saying?" Giles asked slowly.

"I'm saying," Buffy answered seriously, "that you need to talk to Spike."

**********

Xander closed his bedroom door gently behind him, walked quietly to the wood table he used as a desk and sat down. He remained still for a moment, thinking about the conversation that he'd had with Davy over dinner. Then he hunched his shoulders forward and began to bang his head, slowly and rhythmically, against the table-top.

"Hey, everything okay in there?"

"Oh yeah," Xander answered back to Davy's question. "Everything's just peachy."

He listened for the footfalls as Davy walked back to his own room, and groaned softly. So much for hiding his lusty thoughts about Spike. It seemed like Davy had figured it all out, and on top of it all he was suggesting that Xander would get hurt if he tried to take things with Spike to another level.

Well, so what if Davy knew? As long as Davy didn't figure out that he'd occasionally had lusty thoughts about him too, then Xander was only partially humiliated to death.

But what was up with Davy thinking that Spike would hurt him? That wouldn't happen -- would it? Well, it wasn't like he could ask anyone without being confession-guy about liking Spike. And it wasn't like he could ask Spike . . .

"Screw it," Xander said under his breath. "I can't wrap my head around this. Not so good with the working out of confusing signals."

He brightened when he saw his caller ID light up in the split second before the phone rang. "Ah, the Buffster. The Bat Phone beckons."

"Slaying?" he asked cheerfully as he picked up the receiver.

"You were thinking maybe I'd call asking you to be my mambo partner?"

"What time and where?" Xander asked, pulling off his good work shirt and reaching for his patrolling clothes.

"How about nowish and hereish?" Buffy asked.

"Works for me," Xander said.

"Oh, and Xander?"

"Yeah?"

"You're with Spike tonight," Buffy said firmly.

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