Dec 22, Buffy, No Pairing, Christmas Crack(er) Title: Christmas Crack(er) Fandom: Buffy the Vampire Slayer Pairing/Characters: Buffy, Xander Rating/Warnings: G, slight spoilers for S8 comics Disclaimer:here Word Count: 466 Prompt: #22 – Christmas cracker Summary: Xander tries to get Buffy into the spirit of the season.
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As she finished inspecting the ops room – and that pretty much meant she ooh-ed and ah-ed over the pretty monitors and computerized projections – Buffy noticed something funny-looking on a side table. It didn’t look like it belonged. It was shiny, but not computer-shiny. Festive looking.
“Splainy?”
“It’s a cracker,” Xander said. “Last one, so I guess it’s yours.”
She scrunched up her nose. “Cracker as in fire?”
“Cracker as in you pull it and it goes pop,” he replied, sounding like he was explaining something to a little kid. “There’s little presents inside. Apparently kind of a tradition over here.”
Buffy handed it back. “Not real big on all things British right now.”
“Kinda hard to avoid, considering this whole thing where we’re living in a big ol’ Scottish castle. When in Rome, except really Scotland, right?”
She rolled her eyes.
“Speaking of which, I still think it’d be cool …”
“Willow is so not making brooms fly so you can play Quidditch! Do you people even remember we’ve got scary government people after us?”
“Well, yeah, but …”
“And could you be a bigger geek? They’re kids’ books, Xander. You know what real magic’s like. Not so much with the points for Puffenstuff when you catch the Silver Snatch.”
Xander looked briefly like he might try to correct her but then clearly thought better of it.
“In response to your geek question, I think I can safely say … yes. I could be Andrew. Except he’d be looking for lightsabers.” He became thoughtful. “Not that that wouldn’t also be cool …”
A humorless half-chuckle escaped her.
“Pre-sents,” he said, waving the cracker under her nose.
“Little presents that’ll probably explode when that thing pops!”
Xander put his free hand over his heart. “I’m wounded. That you would even think that I’d let anything in here without being tested by every method known to man and a few known only to Willow.”
Giving in with a giggle, she snatched the favor away from him. “Fine! If it’ll make you happy. Where do I …?”
The cracker exploded in her hands, sending a puff of blue dust to settle over her as small fireworks shot up over her head to burst and spell “Merry Christmas” in red and green sparkles. Still in her hand was a scrap of purple tissue paper that unfolded to form a crown and a tangle of metal calling itself a puzzle.
“Of course,” Xander said, holding his hands in front of him, palms out, as he backed away, “I have no idea what Willow might have done to … uh …” He turned and ran.
As Buffy moved to chase him, she noticed the fireworks moved with her.
“I am so making a new rule. No more Harry Potter for you people!”