Sweet on You

Chapter 11

When Lydia and Xander had gotten home, she needed some wine. Vodka, she couldn't handle, but wine, that was different. Going straight to her liquor cabinet, which was a single bottle of wine and an absurd amount of candy, Lydia popped off the lid and drank straight from the bottle.

Xander cocked an eyebrow. "My Kermit the Frog comment has driven you to drink, huh?"

Lydia flipped him off as she took a long sip of her wine. When she was done, she offered him a sip. "It's sugar free, so your muscle growth won't be hindered."

This time, Xander flipped her off. "Don't mock me. One day these muscles might save your life."

Lydia snorted. "Please, the most danger I'm in is from my own driving."

"At least you know your driving sucks," he muttered, taking a large chug from the bottle, basically dusting a quarter of it off.

Ignoring his comment, Lydia went to her room to change out of her romper she had worn to Ed's. The fabric had just hit the floor, with her in nothing but her underwear and matching strapless bra when Xander swung open the door. "Are you--" He stopped short when he realized she was getting undressed. "--mad?"

Lydia fought the urge to yell at him for not knocking, but she found his flustered demeanor hilariously different from his calm and cold one. Instead, she put her hands on her hips and faced him fully. She could see him struggling to not look away from her face, his jaw clench tight. "I wasn't until you charged in here without a warning."

"I--" not bothering to finish his sentence, he backed out of the room and closed the door.
Lydia slipped on her usual oversized t-shirt and went to the living room, only to see Xander was not in there, but rather in the kitchen, drinking a tall glass of cold water.

Lydia arched a brow, watching him chug the water in one go, slamming it down on the counter when he was finished. "Are you well?"

Xander looked up at her, startled by her sudden entrance. "Yes." His voice was husky, like he was struggling to say the single syllable word.

Lydia didn't want to push. Clearly, the incident in her bedroom made him flustered.
Instead, she simply wanted his company. She bit her lip, uncertain Xander had the same sentiment. "Do you want to watch a movie?"

Xander nodded his head and they both got themselves comfortable on the couch. They scrolled through one of the streaming channels, Xander settling on some horror film. He looked to Lydia for approval.
She shook her head. "Absolutely not. I'll have nightmares of serial killers with knives for weeks."

"C'mon," Xander teased. "I'll fight off the big bad serial killers for you."

Lydia rolled her eyes, sighing in defeat. "Fine. But if I wake up screaming for dear life later on tonight, you owe me a hot tea and a bubble bath."

Xander grinned. "Deal."

He pressed play and they settled into a silence while they began watching the movie. The dialogue was quiet but then, out of nowhere, when the killer struck, the sound got loud all of a sudden as the poor woman was surprised with a man with a blade popped out from her closet. Lydia let out a yelp at the same time, practically jumping into Xander's lap.

Xander placed a tentative hand on her shoulder, after a moment, his touch relaxed. Lydia was too nervous from the film to move, preferring to be close to him while watching something this gruesome, trying to find some semblance of comfort. They got comfortable once again, Lydia settling in his grasp, resting her head on his chest.

###

Lydia awoke to the sun streaming through her living room windows. Somehow, during their time watching not one, but two horror films, Lydia and Xander end up lying intertwined in one another on the couch. 

"Lydia," Xander mumbled, but Lydia could tell he wasn't awake. 

She stilled at the sound of her name on his lips, her hand gripping his shirt. He tightened his grip on her in response. Lydia’s heart raced. She didn't remember the last time she had slept with someone, genuinely slept, them. Part of her wanted to run, knowing he would likely wake any moment and regret falling asleep with her. Another part of her, an overwhelming part, wanted to stay.

"Lydia!" Xander nearly yelled, startling her to the point she flinched.
Lydia fell off the couch, hitting her head on the wooden coffee table. Xander's eyes snapped open at the sound of the impact and his burning gaze landed on her.
Before his vision focused, he looked...scared. His shoulders relaxed slightly as he leaned forward. "Are you okay?"

Lydia touched the back of her head, wincing. "I'll live."

Xander set his lips in a thin line. "I'm sorry."

Lydia shook her head, the pain subsiding. "It's okay. Are you okay?"

Xander stayed silent for a moment, debating to himself about what to say. Finally, he said, "I had a nightmare you got hurt."

Her gaze softened. "I'm perfectly fine. In fact, that was probably the best sleep I had in a while."

Xander winced. "Would it be bad if I said the same?"

"Nah," Lydia replied, standing up from the floor. She offered Xander a hand. "Want something to eat? I can make bacon and eggs."

Xander contemplated for
a moment, but he ultimately decided to take her hand. "I'll start the coffee."