Chapter Text
Joyce stared at the pair, trying not to glance at Willow and Xander's eyes, knowing she'd break if she did and so did they. They were staring at her walls, while nice, were not that interesting.
"Mom?" Buffy asked a bit timidly.
Joyce cleared her throat, her lips pursed to hold back the cackling laugh that was brewing in her.
"Joyce, I-I know that this might come as a-a surprise -" Rupert began.
She couldn't hold it anymore and burst out laughing, Willow and Xander following suit with high-pitched giggles.
Buffy and Rupert looked on with bewilderment, though they were tentatively smiling at their merriment.
"Buffy," she said, finally composed again, though she was still smiling at their nervousness and reached out to hold her daughter's hand. "I knew it was coming one day, I saw it in the way you both gravitated to one another, even when you were both annoyed with something one of you had done. You love him and he loves you."
Buffy smiled softly, looking to Rupert with soft eyes. "Yeah," she agreed, holding Rupert's hand with her free hand.
"Even when you were younger, it was there," she continued, Rupert flushing at the observation. "It might have been innocent sort of love, at first, but you both did."
The pair ducked their heads in embarrassment.
"And not that you really need my permission, Buffy, you're almost nineteen now," she said smirking. "I approve."
They relaxed in their seats.
"You both owe me ten bucks," Xander suddenly blurted out.
"What?" Willow grumbled, taking out her wallet anyway. "I thought I won!"
"They got together three weeks ago," Xander said smugly. "They didn't see me when they were making out near Front Street."
Joyce raised her brows in question. Buffy flushed, but nodded and Rupert just looked like he wanted the Hellmouth to swallow him.
She sighed, a little put out. "You couldn't have done this earlier?" she grumbled at the still shocked and embarrassed pair, but grabbed her purse and dug out a ten dollar bill, handing it to Xander and Willow did the same.
Buffy pouted, while Rupert sighed and began cleaning his glass.
"Good Lord," he muttered, a red flush high on his cheeks.
Buffy did an actual double-take and choked, but kept hacking away at the monster.
“Ru, is that–” she laughed, if there was a bit of hysteria in it, well, that's between her and the Powers that Be.
“Yes, Buffy!” Rupert, honest to God, squeaked. “N-no need to spell it out!”
“That’s a penis!” Xander cried, slicing a tentacle with a sword that tried to grab him. “A penis is trying to kill me!”
Willow thrust out a hand. “I’m going to need therapy!” she shouted, bursting a tentacle with a gesture of her hand. “Oh goddess, I hate our jobs!”
"Buffy, watch -" Rupert yelled.
Buffy did watch, but didn't get out of the way in time and was splashed with a mysterious liquid, along with Rupert, who had been trying pull her out of the way, after beheading the oddly pornographic demon.
"Oh dear," he muttered, grimacing in discomfort at the slimy feeling.
The other two exchanged a glance, while Buffy sighed.
"What now?"
"Remember the bit where we'll be switching -"
"-bodies," she finished with groan, then suddenly smirked at a wide-eyed Willow.
"Buffy, aren't you on your-?" Willow asked, trailing off at Rupert's confused expression.
"Not yet," she agreed grinning and laughed uproariously with her. “But I will be, soon.”
"Th-that's -"
"I know."
Xander cleared his throat, sheathing his sword on his back as the rest grabbed their weapons. "I don't know what they're talking about," he said softly as an aside to Rupert. "But I don't think this gonna go well for you."
Rupert just sighed, walking to Xander's van and they got in, putting all their weapons in the back.
"We'll talk about this in morning," Rupert grumbled. "I feel horrid with this disgusting smell permeating from my pores."
Willow snickered. "Yeah," she giggled. "Have fun with that, Giles."
Xander frowned at her, then a light bulb went of his head, remembering that Anya had begun her own time of the month at the same time as them - just a like a werewolf he knows, except somehow, meaner and on a more destructive warpath.
"Oh god," he groaned. "Please bleach my brain."
"What?" Rupert asked, still bewildered.
Xander just shook his head.
"Right," Rupert said, narrowing his eyes, but let it go. "Drive, please, I don't want this all to dry on my skin."
"I already have nightmares about this," Buffy muttered darkly.
"I feel that in my bones, luv."