The light flashed in front of Willow and she couldn't help but smile. "You wouldn't believe…"

"Harris!"

Xander flinched, extinguishing the flame. "Coming."

"Actually," his boss stated. "We're pretty dead tonight. Clean up and you're out of here." He tossed the keys to him. "Don't forget to lock the door."

Xander shrugged, smiling at Willow. "Sorry Ma'am. Duty calls."

"Whoever will listen to my woes?" She pouted. "What kind of bar is this?"

Xander just grinned, moving out from behind the counter to clean the tables. He watched Willow sitting there, staring at him in the mirror. With a huge grin, he stuck his tongue out at her.

She giggled and looked down at her drink.

Running through his closing duties, Xander continued to watch her out of the corner of his eye. She'd been nursing her drink all night, ignoring all the men who had been hitting on her - spurred on by the fact that Oz was no longer around.

He'd been keeping his eye on her, even during the busy times, but she'd taken care of herself. A sharp pain laced though him. She could take care of herself now. She didn't need him.

Moving back behind the bar, he set the trashcan down and grabbed the bag. Tying it off, he carried it to the back door and tossed it into the dumpster. He locked the door behind him, flipping the lights off as he walked back into the main room.

Willow was no longer at the bar. Sighing sadly, Xander set his apron on the counter and started for the door.

A light flickered from one of the booths.

"Rough day?"

He turned slowly, a smile raising the corners of his lips. "You would not believe."

The light disappeared as he sank onto the seat across from her. They sat in darkness for a few minutes until Willow lit the candle. A ghostly light danced around them. "I've lived here a long time. Seen it all, done it all. Try me."

"Well," Xander barely managed to keep a straight face as Willow tilted her head sympathetically. "My wife left me, my truck broke down, my dog died and my best friend's a vampire."

"That is rough," Willow nodded. "What can I get you to help you ease the pain?"

"Vodka, rocks." Xander accepted the imaginary drink Willow passed to him. "Thanks." Raising it to his lips, he opened his mouth to say something when he felt a soft pressure on his thigh.

Willow kept smiling, resting her bare foot against the warmth of his leg.

Sliding one hand beneath the table, Xander captured her foot. His thumb caressed the soft skin of her arch. Meeting her eyes in the soft light, he managed to speak. "Yeah. This is helping."

"Easing the pain?" She asked breathlessly.

He nodded moving his hand up to her ankle. "I can't even remember my wife's name anymore."

Moving her foot slowly, Willow pressed gently against his fly. "And your truck?"

"Guess I could get another" He inhaled sharply as her foot moved, stroking him through his jeans. "Willow…"

She pulled her foot back, avoiding his eyes as she struggled to put her shoe back on. "Right. Sorry. What was I thinking?" She got out of the booth, heading quickly for the door.

"Wills!" Xander followed her, trying to ignore the ache in his heart and his groin.

She waved him away as she walked, struggling to get the door open. Xander came up behind her, surrounding her with his arms, pressing his body to hers.

His hand closed around hers, keeping her from turning the knob. "Don't go."

"Let me go, Xander." She whispered brokenly.

"He removed her hand and wrapped his arms around her. "Wait. Please?" He lowered his head so that his lips brushed her ear. "Don't run away from me, Willow."

She shivered, his softly whispered words making her knees weak. "I don't think I could run," she whispered back.

Moving closer, his body tight against hers, Xander eased her away from the door. "Come back inside?"

She nodded, reluctantly pulling out of his embrace. They walked back into the bar silently. Xander sat at one of the tables and pulled her down into his lap.

"I still owe you for the drink," he reminded her, resting one hand on her waist and the other on her knee. "And the sympathy."

"True." She bit her lower lip. "But all the registers are closed for the night. I'm afraid you'll have to come up with an alternate form of payment."

"Hmmm." Xander let his hand travel up her thigh, running his fingers under the hem of her skirt. "I like to settle my debts right away."

"A sound policy." Her hand rested just above his collar, her fingers tickling the back of his neck. "But, if I can't take cash, check or credit card…"

"There must be some way I could repay you," he began stroking her inner thigh with his thumb, much as he had done to her arch earlier. "There must be something you want? A service I could provide?"

She nodded slowly, thoughtfully. "I could use some help on my homework…"

"Help? Help flunking it?" He chuckled. "I'm afraid homework isn't one of my strengths."

"Well…" she climbed off his lap, taking his hand in hers. Xander stood and let her lead him behind the bar. "Why don't you tell me what some of your strengths are?"

"Timely quips and quick wits," Xander offered. "I can whittle."

Willow giggled, heading back toward the office. "No need for whittlers, I'm afraid. Keep going."

"I can run really fast when I'm scared. I can wash dishes like nobody's business and I can stri…" He stopped, his eyes wide.

"You can what?" Willow turned to look at him, her own eyes matching his. "Strip? Is that what you were going to say?"

"Well," Xander blushed. "I held a lot of odd jobs this summer."

"Now stripping is a talent I could accept as payment."

"I can do other things!" he insisted.

"Strip well enough and you might get to."

Xander froze once again. Willow's voice was laced with promise, tinged with something he hadn't heard since he'd dodged that scary, drunk old lady in the parking lot of the strip club. Lust. "Did I mention I also have an obsessive attachment to redheads?"

She stepped closer to him, letting her body brush his lightly, allowing him to feel that she was just as aroused as he had been earlier. "That should come in handy too."

"Willow, are you seducing me?" His voice was verging on hysterics, a mixture of need and confusion.

"Will you let me?"

He nodded slowly. "I'd go so far as to say I'd encourage it."

She stepped around him and locked the office door. "Then I say we settle your debt here and now. Pay up, Xander."

Grabbing a blanket off a crate of bottles, Xander spread it out on the floor at Willow's feet. He held her hand, helping her to sit. She wiggled slightly, getting comfortable then turned eager eyes to him. "You know," he stated, turning the lights down low, "I made some serious money doing this. You'd better tip me for anything that exceeds my bill."

"Oh, I'll be sure to do that," Willow promised.

Xander shook his head, wondering at what he'd gotten himself into. Unlocking the office door, he disappeared out into the bar for a few minutes. Just as Willow was about to get up and start looking for him, he appeared in the doorway, the soft strains of the jukebox following him.

He was wearing a short sleeved, button down shirt, tucked into a pair of tight jeans. His feet were bare of shoes; he had obviously kicked them off before coming back to the room. The music changed, speeding up a little, the bass throbbing.

And he started to move.

Having witnessed countless exhibitions of the "Xander-dance," Willow was shocked to see just his hips sway, his eyes boring into her. He smiled seductively, looking like a grown man hiding behind a Xander-suit.

Stepping forward, Xander started to undo the buttons of his shirt, one by one, each popping free of the buttonhole to the rhythm of the music. He'd practiced for hours every day, trying to keep from making an ass out of himself on the stage. And, judging from Willow's face, he'd succeeded.

Her mouth opened slightly as he eased the material away from his chest. Tugging it from his waistband, he let the shirt fall open, giving her a small glimpse of his chest - tan with just a dusting of dark hair. Willow made a soft sound as Xander moved closer, his hips moving a little faster, his whole body swaying sensuously as he wove his way to her.

"Oh Goddess," she whispered as he stopped, smiling down at her. He let the shirt drop, giving it a quick toss just as it fell from his hands, sending it onto a chair across the room. Sinking to his knees in front of her, Xander placed his hands behind his head and thrust forward, letting the denim pull tight across his groin, highlighting how much turning her on was turning him on.

Willow's hand reached out to touch him, eliciting a groan from Xander. He watched her hand, trembling as it moved, rubbing the denim and promising him of things to come. Turning his mind back to the music, he pulled away from her, turning around and standing up.

Standing before here, his legs spread slightly apart, Xander grabbed the buckle of his belt and unhooked it. The soft, slithering sound of leather filled the room as it slipped free of its loops. He held both ends together, snapping the leather, smiling as she jumped.

Letting the belt fall to the floor, Xander moved forward again, this time unfastening the buttons of his jeans. Willow's eyes were riveted to his body, moving over his chest down to his jeans then back up again until she managed to catch his eyes. He smiled at her, a hint of his regular impishness coming through the heady scent of seduction filling the room.

Her eyes dropped down to his jeans again as he hooked his fingers in the waistband. Waiting for the precise moment in the music, he slipped them over his slim hips and guided them to the floor and off of him, taking his socks with them.

Standing before her in nothing but his boxers, Xander smiled. The song ended, fading into the silence of the bar and lost in the breathing of the room. Willow couldn't manage a smile, too enraptured with staring at him. She'd seen him in less, the day he'd gone out for the swim team, but something about this…something was different.

She was about to say something when the music started again, this time low and sexual. Xander approached her, keeping his eyes on hers as she gazed up at him. He held out a hand and she took it, allowing him to pull her to her feet.

His hands rested on her hips, keeping their lower bodies touching. Skin brushed against skin, as he moved one of his legs between hers. She bit her lower lip as she struggled to stay calm, struggled to ignore the heat he was generating in her.

Sliding his hands up her sides, Xander gently cupped her breasts through her sweater, kneading the soft swells with careful hands. He moved his hands to the sides, stroking the nipple with a tender swipe of his thumb. Willow trembled in time to the music, swaying closer to him.

Xander lowered his hands, curling the hem of her sweater around his fingers. With infinite slowness, he lifted the material, easing it off of her body. She raised her arms, offering no resistance as he stripped her as well, tossing the sweater onto the growing pile of clothes.

Moving closer, Xander wrapped his hands over her shoulders, pulling her body back. Her hard nipples peaked beneath the thin lace of her bra, begging to be touched and tasted. He buried his lips in the valley between her breasts, his lips grazing her skin like wisps of fire. "You're like a dream, Willow."

She shivered, tears slipping from beneath her closed lids as he kissed her skin, letting his tongue explore the contours of her body. Her hands buried themselves in his hair, feeling the softness, losing herself in the familiar touch of him.

Pulling back, Xander ignored her cry of protest. He turned her around and pulled her back against him, pressing his erection against her, needing her to feel him, to need him, to want him even more. His hands slipped around her waist and cupped her breasts, easing the lace down so that they were bared. One hand captured a nipple, teasing it, rolling it gently while the other moved between their bodies and unhooked the lingerie. He felt her body shaking softly with tears.

"Don't cry," he whispered in her ear, nibbling on the lobe. "I won't hurt you. I could never hurt you."

"I'm crying," she breathed raggedly. "Because I never thought we would be so beautiful."

Xander closed his eyes, forgetting the seduction for a moment as he simply held his friend. "I always did." He let her go, stepping away once again. She turned to face him, surprised to find him on his knees. He grinned up at her, "Don't worry Wills, I don't think we're ready for marriage yet." He tugged the bottom of her skirt. "But I'm ready for this."

She nodded her agreement, gasping as he pulled the material down easily. She stood before him, wearing nothing but a pair of silky black panties, her arms crossed at her waist, pushing her breasts out slightly. Her tongue darted out, whetting her lips. "Xander…?"

He held her hips, his thumbs brushing against the material, feeling the soft tangle of hairs it covered. "I've imagined this moment a hundred times over, Willow. I wondered…I wondered if I would ever get to experience it." His eyes met hers. "I've said it before, but I never meant it more than now. I love you."

She stood still as he guided the fabric off of her, leaving her naked, completely exposed, completely open to him. Xander stood as well, not wanting to look yet, not wanting to see. He hooked his fingers under the waistband of his boxers and pushed them down, baring himself to her.

The music changed once again, a soft ballad Willow recognized immediately. "It's different this time, Xander."

"I know. But it's the closest I could come to finding our song." He stepped closer, raising a hand to stroke the delicate skin of her cheek. "And you look lovely in the music."

"You don't look so bad yourself." She reached up as well, wrapping her hand around his neck. "I love you too, Xander. More than ever."

He nodded, lowering his head to brush her lips with a soft kiss. His tongue swept across her mouth, her full lips parting beneath it. She tilted her head, allowing him to taste her, feeding on the scent and feel of him, as she hadn't been allowed to for so long.

Xander groaned deep in his throat, breaking the kiss. He pulled away, breathing hard. His eyes met her green ones, full of questions and need. She managed a weak smile, struggling to put all their fears to rest. Xander nodded, kneeling down on the floor, guiding her down with him. He lay her down gently, easing her onto the blanket with care.

"I won't break," she reminded him.

He nodded, lying down beside her. His hand brushed her hair from her face, moving back to cup her head and bring her up to meet his kiss. She wound her arms around him, pressing his body to hers. He wrapped her up in his embrace, crushing her to him. Willow slipped her leg between his, bringing them even closer.

"Wills," he breathed against her lips, his hips rolling forward, his erection caught between them, aching for the tight pressure of her body.

Reaching a hand between them, Willow grasped him, running her hand along the hot length of him. Xander's head fell back, his breath ragged and harsh. His whole body shook, his eyes closed as he lost himself in her touch.

She jumped when his hand stilled hers, holding her to him. "No more."

"No?" She whispered.

"No," he breathed. "Not yet." He rolled her onto her back, getting to his knees once again. Leaning down, he spread her legs apart, inhaling the scent of her arousal. "Not until I drive you a little crazy."

Willow couldn't respond as his breath, hot and moist, caressed the velvet skin between her thighs. His tongue darted along the cleft, parting the flesh, as he tasted her. His thumbs brushed the skin back, exposing her to him even more and he flicked his tongue across the skin.

Bucking off the floor, Willow grabbed fistfuls of blanket and arched her hips off the floor. Moving his attention to the hard button of her clit, red and engorged, Xander suckled it gently until her body thrashed back and forth. When she whimpered at him, begging him to stop then not to, he sucked hard, slipping one finger inside her.

Losing her thoughts, Willow cried out his name, her body clenching around him. Xander smiled, refusing to relent. He continued to torture her sweetly, tasting her as his fingers moved inside her, opening her, stretching her. Her passage was slick and wet, ready for him. He replaced his lips with his thumb, rubbing her clit in soft, circular motions.

Already exhausted and spent from his ministrations, Willow struggled to breathe as he brought her to the edge once again. She felt her body start to tauten, aching for release, when he pulled away from her. She found her voice, begging him to have mercy, to give her release.

Xander turned, looking down into her flushed face. "Soon, Wills."

"Now?" She begged.

He nodded, moving between her spread legs, brushing the sensitive flesh with the tip of his penis, closing his eyes in anticipation as she arched up to meet him, her body offering entrance. Staring down into her eyes, he felt around on the floor for his jeans, removing the condom from his wallet. She moaned and whimpered, waiting for him impatiently.

Finished, Xander moved back against her, guiding himself inside her, allowing her to surround him. She was tight and hot, her body like a cocoon around him, bathing him in everything that she was. Willow wrapped her legs around him, pulling him deeper inside her.

He filled her so completely, completed her. She felt whole with him buried inside her. She pushed his bangs, grown long, back from his face so that she could see his eyes. His face was flushed, sweat dampening his hair.

Xander braced himself above her, rolling his hips slowly, letting her body adjust to him, letting it mold itself to him. She bit her lips, smiling as she did so, thrusting up to meet him. He grinned down as well, speeding his movements, filling her again and again, her body welcoming him each time, opening to him, tightening around him.

His thrusts increased in speed and depth, piercing Willow to her very core. She trembled in his arms; her eyes closed as she rode wave after wave of desire and lust to their completion. Xander was above her, gazing down with eyes full of love and lust, need and desire. He was trembling, struggling to keep himself moving, not wanting the perfection to end.

Wrapping her arms around him, Willow raised herself up and wrapped her lips around his hard nipple. Xander cried out softly, crashing down around her, crashing deep inside her. He lost control, entangled with her, lost in emotion and memory.

Willow brushed his hair back, kissing his forehead. "Xan?"

He grunted acknowledgement.

"That was…perfect. Exactly like I knew it would be with you."

"Well, I didn't expect our first time to be in my boss' office, but other than that…" He raised himself up and looked at her, his eyes showing everything between them. "You've always been everything I ever needed, Wills. And now you're everything I ever hoped for."

Her smile trembled as she kissed him quickly. "Thank you."

"Thank you."

She grinned fully this time, touching his nose softly. "And you're bar tab is paid in full. In fact, from now on, everything is on the house."