Buffy the Vampire Slayer Preferences + imagines/one shots

Xander Imagine - Dog Walking

set in season 2

"Xander?"

"Hey, Y/N! You doing anything right now?" 

"No... what's up?"

"Well," he explains, voice crackly over the landline, "My aunt's visiting and she's brought her dog with her."

"Cute!" I interject.

"Yeah, he's called Fernando. Anyway, she wants me to walk him because they've had a long trip here and I was wondering if you wanted to come with?"

"Of course! I love dogs." 

"Great! I'll probably be there in five, okay?" 

"Ok. Cool. See you soon."

"Bye!" 

I hang up and smile to myself, going upstairs to leave a note to my napping dad, telling him I'm out with Xander in case he wakes up in a panic. Although it's already getting dark outside, it should be okay... right? It's not like I'm going out alone and maybe the dog can scare off any potential vamps. If worse comes to worst, I can run fast.

I push my usual worries to the back of my mind and find a pair of Converse, slipping them on over my fuzzy socks. I don't have time to comb my hair or spritz perfume because the doorbell rings, followed by a high-pitched yap.

Despite knowing Xander since I was five, recently my heart just starts to hammer in his presence. I've got a crush on him and it makes me feel all gooey and giddy while also making me want the earth to swallow me whole.

"Evening," he greets and before I even look him in the eye, I'm focused on the dog. He's the cutest Shih Tzu I've ever seen.

I bend down to stroke the dog, who wags his tail excitedly.

"Aren't you the cutest?" I coo, admiring the little blue collar around his neck which reads 'Fernando' in cursive.

"Why thank you." Xander jokes, and I stand back up to return his smile. "Lets go?"

"Lets go." I affirm, closing the door softly behind me. 

_-_-__-------___-_----_- 

"Do you think vampires walk around with food on their faces because they can't look in mirrors?" Xander asks as we lap around the park for the third time. He's let me take Fernando's lead, and I watch the chunky dog plod along in front of us. 

"Maybe. Do you think they'd be able to smell it though?" I respond. 

"What? Like smell ketchup on their chin?"

"I'm not sure vamps eat ketchup but yeah."

"Humm," he ponders, "Maybe." 

We talk about Buffy and how strange it is that we've been oblivious to blood-sucking beasts despite living on a hellmouth all our lives. We agree that we're just unobservant and it's probably for the best as - out of our friends - we're the scaredy-cats. 

We talk, gossip and enjoy the crisp, night air.  

That's until we walk past a man who grabs my bottom as we pass. I freeze in the middle of the path and Xander halts beside me, confused. Before I can tell him what just happened, I notice that the man has also stopped and is staring. 

The guy reeks of alcohol and dirt, but I'm positive he's not a vampire. He leers at me, green eyes unfocused and bulging. He wears a long brown coat and is a head taller than both Xander and I. 

"Xan..." I squeak. 

"Show us your tits." he slurs and Xander makes an outraged, stuttering sound.

"Hey!" he says, "That's my friend you're talking to." 

"Xander." I whisper, not sure what else to say. All I know is that we need to get out of here. 

"Come on, slut." the man sneers, eyes still trained on me. He looks like he could lunge at me - or us - at any second. 

I can feel Xander about to reply but I grab his arm to stop him. The man takes a step forwards and we take one back.

Fernando starts barking and I quickly bend down to scoop him up in my arms. He growls. 

When the man reaches out a hand towards me, before I know what's happening, Xander kicks him with all his might, right in the stomach. He winds him and the man stumbles, gasping for air like a fish out of water. 

Xander clutches my hand.

"Run." he tells me, and we do. 

We stumble as quickly as we can through the park - I hold onto Fernando as tightly as I can without hurting him - until we know that we're not being followed. 

We lean against a brick wall at the end of my road, getting our breath back. I gently put the Shih Tzu on the ground and wrap the end of the lead around my hand.

I worry so much about vampires nowadays, that I forgot that the real creeps are just as likely to be human.

"Are you okay?" Is the first thing Xander asks.

"Yeah," I say, "More or less."

That's when I realise that our hands are still intertwined. I don't let go.

We stand side by side, shoulders brushing, until Xander breaks our hands apart and pulls me into a hug. I hug him back gratefully, the fear dwindling in my chest.

I can't believe he kicked that guy so... efficiently? I've never seen him in a fight (he's usually the first to get knocked out) but it was... hot. I mean, impressive. Yes, impressive.

When Xander pulls away, hands resting on my shoulders, he stays close, looking into my eyes. 

"Are you okay?" I ask, "That was scary."

"...Yeah."

He tucks my hair behind my ear and I wonder if it looks a mess from all that sprinting. But I can finally breathe again and we're okay, so I don't care.

"Thanks for getting us away safely." I say quietly.

The night air wraps around us like a blanket. I'm cold but Xander is warm. 

"No problem. I am so bragging to the others about this tomorrow."

I smile and brush a bit of hair that's fallen into Xander's eyes out of the way. 

We're too close but neither of us is moving.

This mortal danger thing is always getting us into situations like this. And every time I'm the one who steps away with flushed cheeks and a stuttering excuse.

Not this time.

This time, I don't tear my eyes from his and he continues to look at me with a small smile on his lips. He leans in closer and his lips brush against mine.

We kiss.

And the only reason we stop is because Fernando starts yapping at our ankles.

Xander picks up the dog and I pat his soft, white head.

"I'll walk you home." Xander says, starting off down the path. I follow him a few seconds later after processing what just happened. I grin the entire walk to my house and don't stop until I close my eyes to sleep an hour later.