"Second star to the right?"

Willow smiled and leaned back, her hands behind her head, the green grass tickling them. She glanced over at Xander as he smiled, his elbows on his knees and his head tilted back. "The right of what?"

"A valid question, Ms. Rosenberg." He turned his head and smiled at her, moonlight and starlight reflecting on his dark skin and bright teeth. "One for the ages."

She turned on her side and propped her head on her hand, reaching out with the other to touch his arm. He glanced down at her long fingers as they splayed over his white shirt, the soft glow from her skin standing out sharply.

"Mother Earth likes her claim on you."

"I was working on something for Giles earlier. Haven't quite burned it all off." She slid her hand along his arm and smiled as he shivered, heat pulsing beneath her touch. "I've missed this."

He didn't say anything as he lay down beside her, his gaze still on the sky. "I haven't had time." She released her grip on him and pulled her hand back. He turned his head, one brow raised in a question, unable to keep from smiling at the look on her face. "What is that?"

"What?"

He reached over and rubbed the frown lines between her eyes. "That."

"Nothing."

"Ah, yes. Nothing." He trailed his finger down her nose then tapped the soft swell of her bottom lip. "And this? That's nothing too?"

"That's my lip."

"That, my dearest Willow, is a pout." He tapped her lip again. "I know, because I am the expert in all the forms of Willow Rosenberg pouts there are. The one that means that I ate the last piece of pizza. The one that means that I've forgotten something you don't want to have to remind me of. The one that means I've let you down." He replaced his finger with this thumb and stroked her lip slowly. "The one that means I didn't kiss you."

"I never had a pout like that."

He nodded and leaned in, the heat of his look intent on her. "You did. I just don't think either of us knew what it meant at the time."

"And what does this pout mean?"

"This one right here?" He removed his thumb from her lip and brushed her furrowed brow again. "This one means I've managed to hurt your feelings again, and you don't want to spoil the night, so you're not saying anything."

"No."

He nodded again and brushed her lips with his own. "Yes."

"Xander…"

"I haven't had time to miss this, Willow." He kissed her again, making a soft sound as her lips parted under his. "I didn't say anything about missing you."