DISCLAIMER:Once again: Smallville or Buffy are so not mine.
They met at Buffy’s house, at 8 o’clock. Xander arrived with Clark and after both Buffy and Dawn changed another time or two, they were on their way. Clark was nervous. He was wearing new jeans, a tight white t-shirt and a white dress shirt over top, with shiny black dress shoes. The sisters had looked him over appreciatively, but Xander was wearing a loud, but fun shirt and had geled up his hair. Clark was left wondering if he would stand out in his plain clothes.
Dawn and Buffy were both gorgeous and glowing, as per usual. A little bit of shimmery makeup, brightly colored shirts and tight pants with heals gave them a look to turn heads. They headed out as the sun set, talking away about the day.
Dawn had held her tongue all day. She was picking her moment to tell Buffy about Clark’s age, and that moment came when the boys were walking ahead of the girls. Buffy licked her lips and cocked her head to get a better look. Dawn let her get her fill. After Buffy barely dodged a light post and tripped over her own feet, Dawn took her hand to lead her. She whispered in her ear.
“Earth to Mrs. Robinson…”
“What?”
“That fine specimen you’re eyeballing? He really is jailbait.”
“Clark?”
“Yes. We checked.” Dawn shared. “He’s 16. He’s in the same grade I am in school.”
“But look at him!”
“He’s my age, I swear.” She told her sister. “Hey Clark!” Dawn shouted to the alien.
“What is it?”
“What Math textbook did you have?”
“It’s called THE NEW MATH 314. It’s got geometrical shapes on it in reds and pinks. Is that the one you had?”
“Yes. I hated it! Those stupid robots at the top of evey page... I stooped to having a bonfire with that book. What about English?”
“We never had a textbook, just required reading.”
“Me too!” She smiled enthusiastically. She bumbed into Buffy and put her arm around her. She spoke in her sister’s ear, teasingly. “Wow. Did you hear that, Buffy? We both had required reading.”
“I heard. So, you think I should go apologize?”
“Only if you’re sorry.”
“I enjoy the view but I never wanted to buy the condo.”
“Huh?”
“No harm no fowl, you know… God, look at him. I haven’t had this much fun just looking at someone since-” < Angel >, she surely thought.
“Maybe you shouldn’t say anything, you might drool on his shoes,” Dawn cut her off.
“That is a distinct possibility,” the slayer giggled.
When they walked into the Bronze, Xander and Clark went to get drinks and seats while Buffy took Dawn upstairs and they identified the undead. The club was already hoping and the sisters were dismayed to discover at least 12 vampires were working the room. They decided to get drinks with the guys, strategize and leave for the bathroom shortly to devise a plan. Buffy didn’t want Dawn thinking she just let people die because she wanted to have some fun. Both could be had. More if they could get the place cleared of all of them.
They waved to Xander and Clark, who were trying to take as much space as possible on the couch so the sisters could join them… While still being polite to the ladies that came up asking for them and looking cool.
“So what do you think?”
“I like it. I wish we had a place like this in Smallville.”
“Yeah.” Xander agreed, his stomach turning when he saw a vampire lick a very young girl’s throat shamelessly. “The idea is great. The setting is great, the ambiance is great, and the fact that even Willow and I could hang here in our most *dorkish* hour... I'll be forever grateful. Some of the patrons you have to watch out for though.”
“Gangs?”
“Yeah. Gangs.” Xander replied, gritting his teeth at the display. He saw the ‘couple’ head for the back entrance and told Clark to wait for a moment. He made like he was in a hurry to get out, muttering excuses. He got behind them, moved them along to the door, pushed them apart to get through and staked the unsuspecting vampire before they were completely outside. He told the girl to get back inside, put the stake in his pocket and went to sit down. He was getting less and less patient with those kinds of things. He used the sneak attack in public places more and more. He felt like Buffy sort of liked the fighting, and that’s why she did, but it was easy to thin the heard of the younger vampires without engaging them at all. They didn’t sense an attack coming because humans were all around and they were hungry.
When he got back to the couch, three girls were fawning over Clark, not getting the message that he didn’t want them there.
“Excuse me ladies,” he said, “but you’re in my seat.”
To his dismay, they scooted over closer to Clark and let him have the edge of the couch. The girl closest to him seemed to like what she saw and started flirting timidly.
Buffy and Dawn arrived shortly with their sodas. Buffy was amused at Clark’s blush, but Dawn seemed less than thrilled. She cleared her throat.
One of the girls looked up and frowned.
“What?”
“Tania, you’re in my seat.” Dawn explained to the girl nearest Clark.
“Finders keepers,” the blonde said, “aren’t you a little young to be here anyway?” She asked, getting ridiculously close to Clark, who was trying to get away without being mean.
“We’re in the same class,” Dawn replied annoyed.
Clark was about to say something when Buffy interrupted.
“Seriously girls, I think you’d better move along,” she laughed. “Or we’ll have to take our men and get a table.
“Only if they want to go with you. Anyway, the place is packed; no way you’ll find anything.”
“You’re right,” Dawn replied mischievously. She looked at Buffy: “I guess we’ll just have to find someplace else to sit.”
First Dawn and then Buffy, advanced on Clark and Xander and sat on their respective laps, putting their arms around them. Buffy and Xander smiled brightly at the others, while Dawn touched foreheads with Clark lovingly, called him ‘baby’ and kissed his nose. Clark blushed… AGAIN… but kept everything under control. After holding their poses for what seemed like longer but was actually another minute, the ignored irate girls left in a huff.
They group laughed and spread out on the couch. Buffy talked to Xander about the undead population and they kept an eye on both exits, ready to go.
Clark sipped his drink and exchanged nervous smiles with Dawn every once in awhile.
“What is it?” The girl finally asked.
“What?”
“You look like you have something to say. What is it?”
“Well, you see Dawn, I like you, but I don’t like you, like you. I could, I just can’t and I don’t know…”
“Oh. Is that it?”
“Well yes. I thought, maybe you had a crush on me or something, and I don’t want to hurt you, but I’ve got- well you see back home-.”
“Look Clark,” she leaned in, “I like you. Maybe I even like you like you. I mean who doesn’t? Even Buffy’s got a crush-”
“That’s really flattering Dawn but-”
“Let me talk. I’ve got a lot of things to deal with, a lot of things going on in my life that no one but me can understand. I think you’re cute. I like you. I like the way you get embarrassed. I like the way you talk to me. I’d like to dance with you later. That's where it ends. You’re safe with me, okay? I might giggle and act like I like you, because I do-”
“Okay.” Clark smiled, looking relieved.
On the other hand, Dawn looked slightly queasy.
“Buffy, I have to go to the ladies room.”
“M’right behind you.”
Xander and Clark watched the girls walk away.
“Women.”
“Yeah. What do you think they do in there anyway?”
BATHROOM
“Oh my God, I’m going to barf.”
“What happened?”
Dawn splashed her face with cold water and gets a hand towel to blot it off.
“Clark told me he was involved back home and I told him I liked him but I wouldn't try and jump him or something. Oh my God Buffy this is so embarrassing! I kept talking and talking and- I don’t even know if I made sense!”
“Dawn, take a deep breath. You talked for like, 18 seconds. It’s okay. Clark’s cool.”
“Right.” She said, breathing in and out and gathering herself. A few minutes later, when they were alone again, Buffy changed the subject.
“So Xander and I decided to go for the back alley as usual, unless they leave through the front. Then we can still push them into an alley and out of sight. You and Xander get as many as you can in corners or right out the door and I’ll get the ones who want a fight. Stay casual.”
“I will.”
“We’ll each go off discretely but someone has to stay with Clark at all times.”
“Gotcha.”
“So, did you need to go?”
“No, did you?”
“No. Do you have lip gloss?”
The girls got back and sat down. Something started beeping loudly. They looked around, and Clark finally realized it was the timer he had set on his phone to remind him to call his parents. He excused himself, saying he needed to find a corner to call in. After a few failed attempts he discreetly found his way to the back door and outside. He dialed the house.
“Hi mom! How are you?”
“I’m fine. How’s dad?”
“I’m at an all ages club with a co-worker and some friends. I like it here. Thanks for making me come.”
Buffy and co. missed the vampire coming out the back door because two of them left through the front door with the three girls from Dawn’s class. Buffy and her sister went into action and Xander held down the fort… or the couch. Anyhoo. He stayed behind.
“Aw. So tell me about what’s been going on.”
Clark felt a presence behind him and turned around. A snickering man with an 80’s hair cut and a little too much eye makeup got a little too close to him. The mullet cracked his knuckles.
Clark kept listening to his mother and told the man to wait by putting up a finger.
“And what about the farmer’s market?” He asked her.
The vampire came up behind him, jumped on his back and tried to choke and bite him.
Clark was annoyed. He couldn’t hear his mother properly, so he crouched down and jerked up sending the vamp flying. He heard the man fall with a thud, get up and start running.
He hadn’t talked to his mother since he had been in California and he was damned if he was going to cut it short because some drunk wanted to fight.
The two vampires, who put their game faces on and growled, instantly recognized the sisters. They disentangled from the girls easily, ready for a fight. When the high-schoolers had scampered off back to the Bronze, they let themselves be maneuvered into and alley.
They managed not to get too much dust on their shoes.
“Yeah, they’re doing good. And Pete might come visit. And I might visit Chloe.”
“I talked to Lex. He seemed okay I think. Still the town pariah?”
“Oh. That’s just not fair. Hey, did you know he has a poster? I mean did you know he was, like, on magazines and women-”
“REALLY?”
There came two more vampires running for Clark around the corner. He held one off with his one hand, kicked the others, and then had to tell his mother to hold on for a moment.
One by one he sent them flying as far as he could and got back to his conversation.
“So I should call dad tomorrow?”
“No. No. Nothing strange going on here. Yeah, it’s great to get away from it all.”
“Love you too!”
“Bye.”
Buffy and Dawn were surprised (to say the least), when one vampire landed behind them and ran away, and two others landed in front of them as they headed back to the club.
The girls looked at the sky a moment longer to make sure they wouldn’t get smushed and then dusted the stunned duo.
They apprehensively walked around to the back alley.
Clark had gotten through to Chloe on her cell phone.
“It’s me. Do you think you could do me a favor?”
“The town I’m in, Sunnydale… It’s a little intense. In a nutshell, my friends teach each other martial arts, and patrol the streets and don’t want me to go out after dark and I’ve been attacked a couple of times now.”
“No, I’m fine, it’s just weird. They were weird.”
“What was weird?” Interrupted Buffy, rounding the corner with Dawn.
“The mushrooms I ate last night.” < The mushrooms I ate last night? >
“Chloe. Call me anytime okay? Bye.”
“And what are you doing out here all alone?”
“I couldn’t hear inside.”
“You should have asked Xander to come with you.”
“Hey, I can take care of myself,” he protested as they ushered him through the doors.
When they looked up she smiled brightly and said sweetly: “Hi, I’m the slayer and I’m going to kill you. It’s just that right now I want to have some fun with my friends, so either we do this now or we give each other a meeting time-”
She didn’t have time to finish her sentence. They had run away. It happened sometimes.
The group danced. Buffy let Dawn have a sip of Xander’s beer. They laughed at the face she made. Clark and Xander played a game of pool themselves, but the older man noticed it made Clark appear wistful. They switched to darts, and soon enough the night was coming to an end.
Dawn slow-danced with Clark, and Buffy and Xander talked comfortably on the couch. They made plans to meet at the Magic Box the next afternoon and put Clark in a cab. They were too distracted to see the runaway vampire was spying on them from the roof.
