Fray-Adjacent

Aside from the replicator issue, there's doughnuts, Twinkies, and several kinds of marshmallow-containing cereal, none of which were specifically stocked for small people because have we met the occupant of this apartment?

From:

Dawn had wandered away from Buffy and was now a bit lost, but she thought Xander lived in one of these apartments. So, she started at the bottom and was working her way up. Knock, knock, knock.

From:

By this time, Xander had an idea what was up when he heard not-quite-adult-sized knocking coming from the door, so he went over and opened it.

"...Hey, Dawnie." That'd be one face he didn't have to guess at.

From:

"Xander!" Dawn hugged him, "I got lost. Don't tell Buffy." Because of course Buffy wouldn't notice Dawn was missing on her own. Yup.

From:

"Hi Dawn!" Bridge comes up beside Xander and gives Dawn a tiny wave. He figures sharing Xander with *Dawn* is okay, so he doesn't frown at the hug.

From:

"Hi Bridge," Dawn smiled at him, but didn't let go of Xander, even if she did beam up at him afterwards. Because, well, crushes had to start somewhere. "You're not gonna tell, right?"

From:

"I think she might figure it out, somehow." Xander shut the door and made an attempt at moving towards the living room. "Um. Is Buffy big? Or little?" he asked, fairly sure that no matter what the answer was, he was gong to get called some variation on 'silly' for asking.

From:

"She's big," Dawn let go of Xander and stretched both her hands over her head and stood on her tiptoes to demonstrate how tall Buffy was, "Isn't she supposed to be?"

From:

Xander remembered - both from years ago and his recent refresher course - how sensemaking it had seemed at the time, that some people were big and some weren't, so he just nodded to Dawn. "Well, even Buffy's little to me, y'know."

From:

"'t's 'cause you're so tall," she tipped her head way back to see his face, "Buffy's big, but not big big like you. You're very tall, dark and handsome."

Which was a phrase she'd heard somewhere, and seriously, WTF, Dawn?

From:

Bridge isn't quite sure *why*, because he's only five and really has no idea what that phrase is supposed to mean, but *now* he's frowning at Dawn. A little. He tugs on Xander's hand and tries to pull him back to the living room.

From:

Xander uses the other one to facepalm. Just a little. "Hey, there's snacks in front of the tv, guys..."

From:

"What're we watching?" Dawn asked, following him into the apartment.

From:

"*Old* TV," Bridge says seriously. Never mind that his weetiny self isn't that much older than his *actual* self would be, in this time, so it's really the same television shows he watched growing up.

From:

"I think Itchy and Scratchy's on next," Xander says, making a bit of a face.

From:

Dawn made a face. "That's gross."

From:

"Kinda, yeah." Xander heads over to the DVD rack. "I've got Automobiles..."

From:

"Ooh, I haven't seen that yet," she bounced on her toes, "Can we?"

From:

~~Neither have I!~~ Xander nodded. "Sure. There's popcorn...and Twinkies...and doughnuts... on the coffee table, too."

Look, when he actually has a kid, he will not do this. But for something he's pretty sure will only last a weekend?

"Also cranberry juice. So it's balanced."

From:

Bridge raises his hand.

From:

"Yes?" Xander asks, trying to look serious. "You in the front?"

From:

"Can we have choc'late milk too?" Bridge asks. "And can I sit next to you onna couch?"

From: