Work Text
Prologue: Wednesday Evening
Buffy and Xander were having a quiet night in. Xander was exhausted from working to get the latest episode of south park on air and Buffy...Well, Buffy lacked the financial means or generally peppiness to do anything but watch TV. It had been a long week of job hunting.Following Xander to Culver City seemed like a great idea at first. A way of escaping from her broken relationship with Angel, her terrible job and the obnoxious metropolis of LA. However getting a job here had proved harder than she thought. After sending out a metric tonne of CVs, cover letters and going to a dozen interviews, she was exhausted. Watching TV with Xander seemed like just the right thing for her at this moment. Watching TV may have been an overstatement. Xander was basically asleep. His head was leant against the corner of the cushion and the armrest on one side of the sofa and his feet were dangling under Buffy on the other. Buffy was sat legs crossed in anticipation for the latest South Park. "Xander" Buffy groaned, "Pay attention! Your show is about to start!". Xander hadn't opened his eyes or even reacted at all so Buffy nudged him. "What?" Xander replied, his eyes still shut. "Remember, how you've spent the entire week working ridiculous hours and stretched your funny bone to the absolute max," Buffy said, "Well, the product of all your hard work is about to start" "I don't want to watch it." Xander moaned, "It's going to be terrible.""You say that every week since you started and every week, I've laughed at all of the jokes," Buffy reasoned. Xander groaned and rolled his face into the cushion."How was the office today?" She continued."The usual Wednesday stress. Everyone running around like headless chickens, ext" Xander responded.
"Matt and Trey do anything crazy?" Buffy asked like she does every week. Nothing more fun than scandalous, tantruming celebrity gossip. He opened his eyes and reposition himself so his legs were now on Buffy."Nope, but a PA *slash* runner *slash* I-don't-know-what quit. The stress of running around an office building and doing crazy tasks, got to them" Xander said sighing "She was hot too""Oh yeah," Buffy pondered, "it can't be too bad. You'd get to work with Matt and Trey." If she was honest, she always had a bit of a crush on Matt Stone. He was goofy in a cute way but also knew how to be in charge. He was also a math major (which Buffy thought was super sexy)."Oh yeah?" Xander queried. He was holding back a smirk. "They don't seem that unreasonable and at least it's job. If only I could be so lucky.""Glad you said that," Xander said smiling, "because I got you that job."Buffy screamed hysterically and attack hugged Xander. She began to dance and sing a stupid song to the tune of "you don't win friends with salad".
"Thank you. Thank you, Xander.
You are really Awesome!
I have got a new job.
It very cool, yeah."
She stood on the sofa, jumped across Xander and started dancing to her song. She congaed round the living room. Her spirits were so lifted that the singing and dancing continued for half an hour. In the excitement, they completely forgot to watch the hit show that was funding them. Xander couldn't help but laugh at Buffy. She had been in such a funk since they moved here. He really appreciated Buffy for taking this risk with him. Living in a new town by himself wouldn't have been ideal with sky-high rents and no existing friends in the area. Having Buffy with him had made this small apartment in Culver City feel like home. After a while, she calmed down. Xander told her that she had to start tomorrow and that was the main reason they had decided to hire her on such short notice without an interview. "It's only for the week," Xander warned. "But it will lead to something more permanent if they're impressed."Buffy spent the rest of the evening freaking out over what to wear and what it would be like and what she'd say, ext. But Xander wasn't much help as a consultant as he had gone to bed and left her to ferment in her own excitement. Tomorrow was going to be GREAT....
But terrifying.
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Thursday Morning
"It's the first day," Xander shouted to Buffy, brushing his teeth in the bathroom mirror. "so everyone will be relaxed and proud of the episode they produced last night." Buffy pulled through a fresh bag of laundry to find an unladdered clean pair of tights. She had put a bunch of clothes on to wash and tumble dry on last night. Bless their apartment's washer/dryer!! She had decided on her navy adorable work dress with a cute collar and pinstripes. "Right," Buffy said while pulling on tights with a struggle. "Is there anything you reckon I can do before I get there to get in their good books? Like, get everyone a coffee. " After completing getting her tights on, she joined Xander in the bathroom."No," said Xander "There's a coffee machine there. Just be yourself and they'll love you!". Buffy smiled at Xander then, she gently pushed him out of the way and tied her hair into a high ponytail. She looked very cute in her dress and ponytail. Buffy always felt like she would take any monsters the world could throw at her in a cute outfit. They were both about ready to go. Xander had agreed to come in early to show Buffy to her around the sight. They took Buffy's car, just in case Buffy was doing the lunch run. They parked in Xander's space and made their way to the office. A woman was sitting behind the reception desk but as soon as she saw Xander and Buffy, she stood up to greet them. "Is this the girl you were talking about, Harris?" said the woman. "It's great to have a new face." She gave Buffy a wide smile and shook her hand. “Hi, I’m Buffy,” said Buffy cheerily. It was so nice to leave the house and meet people. That’s one of the terrible things about being unemployed. You never leave the house or do anything except look at job advertisements and slowly feels worse about yourself.She heard laughing behind her. She turned around to see Matt Stone. He had sunglasses on and was carrying a massive cup of coffee. “What kind of name is Buffy?” said Matt. He was walking around them and headed to the stairs. “What kind of weirdo have you brought us, Xander?””At least it’s not boring!” Buffy protested fiercely, “I have met a million Matts in my day. How does anyone ever tell them apart?”Matt continued his journey reaching the stairs swiftly. He barely reacted to Buffy’s comment. “This one’s feisty,” said Matt laughing “she might last a bit longer the last one we had.”The woman behind the desk laughed. “Yep,” said the woman behind the desk. “Right so let’s get to the basics””Sorry,” said Buffy. “I didn’t get your name.”“Mary.” She said not missing a beat “your job description is pretty vague. I do most of the normal PA stuff like answer phones, admin and I spend most of my time at the reception. You're just an extra pair of hands. You’ll be told to get coffee, to pass messages from writers to animators and vice versa, get lunch and just general errands.The person, who normally does your job, doesn’t usually come in today as today is pretty slow. But I thought it would be a good way to get into the swing of things.” Mary walked up the stairs and it took Buffy a second to realize she should follow. Guess Xander wouldn't be the one to show her around after all. "This is the first floor. This is where Trey and Matt's offices are but also the writing room, " she said as Buffy followed closely behind. "There's a small kitchen over there," she said pointing to a kitchen that was larger than Xander's and hers "with a sink, coffee machine, microwave, toaster, water cooler and a dishwasher." Buffy internally sighed. If only she and Xander had a dishwasher. Xander was not good at remembering to clean dishes. Or more accurately Xander would put off doing dishes until Buffy eventually did them. "Second floor?" she questioned at the stairs. This was the first point of the tour that had been even mildly interactive. She was a bit bewildered and she just sort of nodded. She could see Matt in his office smirking at her. Oh geez, he was sexy. She stuck her tongue out at him and her heart raced. Sticking your tongue out at your boss is probably a serious faux par. However, Matt laughed and swivelled his chair towards his window. The rest of the tour continued with animators offices, recording booths, storyboarding and producers offices. "So that's the end of tour," said Mary. "and it's time to get to work. Just go and see if they need anything like doughnuts or McMuffins."Mary returned to the desk and Buffy was left lost. She stood there for a bit and then went to the bathroom she was just shown a minute ago. The took a deep breath in the mirror and splashed a bit of water on her face. She left the bathroom muttering "don't be nervous, don't be nervous". "Hey, are you ok?" said a cute face as she was leaving the bathroom. "Fine. I am just the new general assistant person." Buffy said stiffly. "Oh. Don't worry ma'am. It'll all be fine. See I'm Eric and I know all the guys here are alright." Eric drawled in his adorable midwestern accent. He made Buffy feel completely better. "Do you need a doughnut or something?" mumbled Buffy smiling at Eric. "Yeah. How about you get a box of Krispy Kremes for the writer's room? We start writing at 9 am when Bill Hader gets here.""Bill Hader's coming?" "Yeah but you're friends with comedy legend Xander Harris from LA, right? So none of these stars can intimidate you" Eric said with a grin. "I mean Xander is a goof," Buffy said. "Exactly. No need to be scared. Everyone here is a goof. They'll love it if you mess about as long as you're doing your job." "Thanks. Right. Everyone here is a goof." said Buffy gaining back her confidence. "Goofs that will soon have doughnuts before they start writing.""That's the ticket," said Eric being a complete buttery cheeseball. "You'll do great!""Thanks again," said Buffy as she made her away to the Office and grabbed a company card to get doughnuts. Time to give 'em the ye ole Buffy charm.
Writer's office, 8:50 amBuffy presented herself with the doughnuts on the writer's room table. Trey is the first to walk into the writers' room. He looks at Buffy sitting saucily on the writer's table with a pack of Krispy Kreme doughnuts and laughed. "What do we owe the pleasure?" he said smirking."Don't all your new vaguely titled assistants do this." Buffy retorted. Xander and Matt walked into the room. "Definitely not," said Matt. "But I am glad you seem to be having fun. Can you make us a pot of coffee to go with these doughnuts?""Sure thing, 1991 George Michael," said Buffy peppily as she strutted out the office. "I'll also be sure to get you a cookie if you write really good". She walked dangerously close to Matt as she did so. Trey was in hysterics. Buffy just heard a comment by Trey, "Xander hired a cracker". Flirting with your bosses is a dangerous game but geez, it was a comedy office.
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Thursday Afternoon
Mary was right about today being a bit boring. Buffy spent most of her time waiting outside the writer’s room, wondering how much she was going to get paid. What made it worse was that she had to listen to the writers laughing and having fun. Occasionally, she would collect food or drink. At one point, she took one of Trey’s drawings of a new character to the animators with a brief explanation. But mainly, she sat. She waited.She wasn’t the only one in the building that felt like a spare part. A little after lunch, she spotted one of the producers looking nervous and pacing. Buffy offered them a coffee.She laughed at her. “It’s clear it’s your first day,” she said, “You don’t want to get into the coffee cycle.””Coffee Cycle?” Buffy questioned.”You’re feeling restless so you make yourself a coffee,” She replied, “then the coffee makes you more filled with more energy so you feel more restless so you make yourself another coffee until you pop.””Oh,” said Buffy “That makes sense. Thanks for the advice” Buffy ended up chatting with the producer, who's named was Sarah. Sarah was quite nervy and intense. She had obviously worked super hard her whole life to get this job and she wasn’t about to lose it.At about 4pm, the writers to file out. Buffy went to find the whiteboards in the writer's room covered with doodles and general plot outline. “Buffy,” Trey said, “take pictures of all of these and send an email to everyone on staff.”Buffy had no idea who exactly “everyone” was. She didn’t even have a staff email. But she just started taking pictures of the whiteboards on her phone.“We can record a few bits of dialogue now so they can start animating,” Trey said to Matt. Trey continued to talk logistics to Matt. Buffy, Matt and Trey were the only ones in the writer’s room left. To Trey, Buffy didn’t even seem to really exist beyond her ability to do basic tasks directly related to South Park. The writer's desks obstructed her ability to take pictures a bit. She'd have to learn over the desks to get the best angle. While the dress Buffy picked this morning was smock-ish and cute, she was very aware that it was quite short and bending over like this was riskay. But she wanted all the text in the pictures to be legible so she proceeded anyway. She leaned over the desk in front of the first board. Her elbows were on the desk so she could keep her balance but to get at just the right distance from the board to see the text, she needed height. Buffy got on her tiptoes and just snapped the perfect picture before losing her balance. She tumbled on to the desk just catching herself with her hands with her phone falling off the desk.There was no way that her dress hadn't shown off her underwear at some point during this motion. Buffy turned her head sheepishly to see Matt looking at her, lustfully smirking. It was a look that could have made anyone blush but Buffy, with her existing feelings, turned the shade of a tomato. She rummaged under the desk to find her phone. While taking pictures of the next board she was a little bit more careful, slowly lifting herself off the ground and onto her toes. Then leaning forward to get a perfect picture. She felt eyes on her back the entire time and when she turned around to see Matt still smirking at her. If Matt was going to keep looking at her, Buffy might as well give him a show. There was a board right next to him that she hadn’t taken a picture of yet. She got real close to the desk he was leaning against. This time, instead of leaning over the desk, she was going to sit on the desk closest to the desired desk and lean back into her perfect shot. She sat on the desk and began leaning back. She arched back to show off her boobs like a model laying on the beach. Her general stance was that of someone daring you to lavish them.Matt clearly wanted her. His smirk was fading and now he was just staring at his mouth slightly open like a dog looking at steak on his master’s table. Delicious but not for him.Trey suddenly stopped talking. “Matt?” he said.”Yes, Trey” Matt replied. Suddenly back in the South Park office.“Let’s start recording. You can gawk at the PA at dinner,” joked Trey. “You are coming aren't you, Buffy?” Trey softened slightly. He was serious when it came to the show but he could take a quick hiatus to make sure Matt would have a nice evening. “Who else is going to drive Xander home?” Said Buffy smiling. Trey laughed. "No," Trey replied, "you can't do that. Drink with us! Matt will drive you there and I'll pay for your cab back." Trey gave Buffy a big friendly smile."Hmmm Maybe""Why are you so unsure I am paying for your cab?!" Trey said laughing broadly. "Alright then sounds fun," said Buffy. "One drink can't hurt""Great!" Trey replied, "I am going to start recording." Just like that Trey went back into work mode and left the room. Matt was obviously supposed to follow. However, before he left, he remarked "You know you could have just moved the desks," then he leaned in close to Buffy and whispered in her ear, his voice lower and gruffer, "Not that I didn't enjoy the show." A lump accumulated in Buffy's throat and she couldn't respond with a snappy reply like normal. She just swallowed and watched as Matt walked out of the room.
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Thursday Evening
It took Buffy a moment to reconfigure herself. But eventually, she obtained the brain compacity to walk down the stairs to the front desk to get Mary to help her send the email to all of the staff with all of the plot photos attached."I'd forgotten you'd probably need an email address on the South Park Studios server," said Mary apologetically. It was understandable Buffy wasn't Mary's priority because it sounded like Mary had way too much to do to be rehiring, training and doing all the other ridiculous admin associated with losing staff. Everything was sorted by the time Matt and Trey were making their way down the stairs. They were chit-chatting about how far ahead of schedule they were. “You ready Buffy?” Trey asked.Buffy looked at Mary questioningly. Mary nodded. “Yeah! I am done.” Buffy said blushing. Her tummy was doing somersaults at the idea of spending social time with Matt. “Where are we going?” “Just a small restaurant with a killer bar,” said Trey. "It called City Tavern," Matt added. "Come on. Didn't Trey tell you I'd drive you?""What?" Buffy Said "Like City Wok?" "Shity Tavern is gwait!" Trey said in the terrible Chinese accent he does. Everyone laughed. Buffy wished she wasn't laughing and her resistance led to a snort. Matt and Trey then proceed to continue laughing at her while they all made their way to Matt's car.Buffy had to sit in the back seat and she felt slightly isolated there. Matt and Trey were chatting but the distance was creating a barrier. To hear what there were saying, she'd have to lean forward. For them to hear her, she'd have to speak loudly. Buffy leaned back in her seat and fiddled with her bracelet she was wearing. She zoned out and started thinking about her finances. On arrival, Buffy saw Xander. She was so relieved to see a familiar face. She made her way to Xander as casually as possible, resisting the urge to run to him. She immediately sat next to him. "Hey Xander," said Buffy "How are things?". "Great," said Xander, smiling at Buffy. He sensed her discomfort and he added her to the conversation naturally by asking her opinion on ballsacks. Buffy squeezed Xander's arm as thanks while verbally showing her disdain for ballsacks and the kind of men that hold it as a conversation gold mine. The evening began to flow naturally. Drinks and laughs were had. The menus were perused then food was ordered. When one attendee was questioning whether to get the steak due to price, Matt and Trey made it clear that the bill was on South Park. This was specifically noted by Buffy during her gazes over to the bosses. Well, one of the bosses. Eventually, Buffy was the focus of the conversation. This gave Buffy the home advantage and she became a beacon of wit and confidence. Everyone very much enjoyed her material, where she makes fun of her ex-boyfriend, Angel. He was muscley in a way of compensation for his boring, brooding personality. After doing a particularly good impression of Angel, confirmed accurate by Xander, Buffy paid one of her regular gazes to the Boss side of the table, where she caught Matt's eyes. He was laughing and Buffy's heart began beating significantly faster. She couldn't find the strength to look away from him. Matt's laughter began to fade and the eye contact was getting a little weird. The attraction between them would have been palpable if it weren't for Xander doing a great job of entertaining the table.Buffy dragged her eyes away, causing them to burn from the effort. Everywhere she looked was just a distraction from the thing she really wanted to be looking at. She ordered a margarita to calm her nerves as she'd never seen good results from beer. This worked with moderate success. The new relaxed Buffy found it easier to ignore Matt but she needed to urinate more.On her first visit to the lavatory of the evening, she walked into two women in their 20s giggling next to the mirror. One of the girls looked at her and audibly gasped. This was fairly unusual. "Are you with the South Park guys?"Her friend then added "No, Alice. First things first, are they the South Park guys?" "No they are definitely Matt Stone and Trey Parker or as you so carelessly said "the South Park guys"." The woman was obviously quite distressed by this situation. Her desperation made her look like she was about to cry. She turned to Buffy, "Please, introduce me to Trey"Buffy looked at the woman. She felt nothing but sympathy. She also knew that Trey would not really appreciate it if she introduced him to the hysterical woman. She paused in indecision. "I will help you" Buffy concluded. "But you're going to have to calm down."The woman began to take deep breaths and her friend patted her sympathetically. "Here's what we're going to do," Buffy began in her game plan voice, "We are going to leave the bathroom merrily chatting then you are going to sit at the bar while I suggest to the guys you join us to balance out our sausage party. Capisce?" The girls nodded enthusiastically. "I'm Carrie and this is Alice, by the way," said the calmer of the two girls "it might help your case to invite us over". "Great!" Buffy said and turned to the stall to actually use the bathroom. The plan went off without a hitch. Carrie and Alice joined the group. Alice eventually got a terribly cute star-struck interaction with Trey. It was awkward but there was such an innocence in their conversation that just happened to be about hash browns.It wasn't long til Buffy needs to use the bathroom again. She was drinking water with her booze to set it to wash out of her body as safely as possible. The second visit was uneventful. (Except the hand towels had run out and she had to use the hand dryer)However, on her way out the third visit, Buffy tripped on the small floor elevation under the door. It was caused by the fact the elevation wasn't high enough to note but not low enough to have an effect. She fell gracelessly on the passerby. She looked up to see Matt Stone.
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Buffy hasn't really talked much to Matt this evening. They had just sort of stared at each other longingly. So their current situation, where Buffy was sprawled on top of him after her fall, had already become their longest interaction since entering the restaurant.Matt's hands were placed solidly on Buffy's waist to stop her from falling. Her hands were on his chest. It was toned but not too muscular like Angel. There was a little pudge on him. The kind that made him seem like an excellent cuddling partner. Both of their breath was slightly elevated and smelling of booze. If it wasn't for the booze, Buffy would have done or said something sassy in the time they'd be standing there. Matt noted that Buffy hadn't pushed him away and he pulled her in closer by the waist. He started smiling at her.It felt good to be in his arms. Buffy had been so lonely after leaving her friends and ex-boyfriend (even if he was a bit of a loser) behind in LA. The only real physical contact she had was with Xander and this was different. Matt was significantly taller than her. It felt nice to look up into his eyes and feel protected by his size."Hey," Matt said softly. It was the kind of shy 'hey' that's common to these scenarios, where one feels obliged to say something but can't really think of anything to say because there's so much feeling in the air that anything else is too obvious and vulnerable. "Hey," Buffy responded. She blushed and looked away from his eyes smiling. Matt began to massage her waist and Buffy looked up at his face again. She began to hold to his shirt pretty tightly to express the tension she was feeling. BOOM! The men's bathroom door loudly opened. The person exiting isn't particularly relevant to our story beyond the loud sound that separated Buffy and Matt. However, he was having a crazy day (like trust me). The sound made them self-aware. It probably wasn't a good idea for a boss and their subordinate to be canoodling in the public eye. Buffy walked back to the table to see Xander looking at a dessert menu intently."Buffy, what should I get for dessert?""The ice-cream that we have in the fridge," Buffy responded.Xander groaned. "But Mummmmm, we have dessert here.""I have to go back to do some ironing and I need to sleep.""I could take you back," said Matt. "What?" said Buffy "Finish your meal. Have a good time. Don't spoil your evening on little old me." Trey looked baffled. "You can't drive Matt," he said "you've been drinking. Don't worry. I already agreed to pay for a cab back for Buffy." Buffy didn't really remember this going down but she wasn't exactly going to complain. Also, who could blame her, the writer of this fanfic only just remembered it happened."You're paying for Buffy's cab," Xander exclaimed. He turned to Buffy "Now you've got to stay longer so I don't have to pay for a cab!!" Alright. Buffy was uncomfortable for a minute but she could get dessert. She sat down next to Xander again. "I guess ironing can wait," Buffy said. Everyone cheered and then tapped their glasses. Carrie and Alice were still part of the party and it seemed they were also glad that Buffy had decided to stay. Alice still sat close to Trey bathing in his immaculate star power that included blinding wealth enough for 2 dozen desserts. They called her to sit next to them. Now she was next to Matt. They was a magnetic force between them. Both of them had cheesy grins as they talked as a group as a consequence of being close to each other. Occasionally their vowels were extended when directly commenting on what the other had said so they could continue looking at each other a moment longer.Matt and Trey then settled the bill and Trey left with Alice's number. He looked quite proud of himself. He didn't seem to have any intention of calling her again but was flattered by the gesture. They all got in their cabs. Buffy and Xander in the same pre-paid cab. Buffy was smiling ear to ear. Xander, however, seemed suddenly a little more serious. "I had a great day," Buffy said spinning around their Living room. "I feel like I have a purpose again. I have potential friends, a job and you." Buffy gave Xander a massive hug. They embraced warmly. Xander smiled and rubbed Buffy's back affectionately. "Glad to see you back in business Buffy," he said smiling. Xander still looked a little concerned. "What's up Xander?" Buffy asked playfully. Xander exhaled and thought very carefully about his next few words. "Be Careful Buffy," he said finally. "What?" Buffy said. At that moment, her spirit was broken. The light, airy feel in her stomach was replaced by a tonne of bricks."He's your boss," said Xander. Buffy blushed. "It's just harmless flirting, Xander," Buffy said blushing "It doesn't mean anything." Buffy tried to casually walk to her room but Xander knew he had upset her. It was useless anyway. Xander knew that Buffy was going to do what she's going to do. Inappropriate relationships were her thing.
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After’s Xander’s warning, Buffy had decided to opt for something sexless enough not to grab any attention. She had gone for a plain white t-shirt and high wasted jeans. Everyone yesterday had donned casual attire and she felt compelled to do the same.Despite this resolve, on the walk to work with Xander, Buffy felt very anxious about her choice.“Are you sure I am dressed ok?” Buffy questioned Xander.“For the millionth time, yes. Oh my God, yes” said Xander “If I knew you would question me about it CONSTANTLY, I would have told you to change into something more formal.”“Ok,” said Buffy. She was holding back a particularly energetic “are you sure”. She fought with it for a second before being distracted by Xander’s heavy wheezing.“Are you alright, Xander?” Buffy said with genuine concern.“I am not used to waking this quickly,” Xander said, “not all of us can walk at this kind of pace for half an hour straight.”“Should start hitting the gym more, Harris” Buffy teased. Xander threw a well-aimed look at her and Buffy caught it. Buffy started to slow down. They were moving quite quickly. Buffy was power walking despite having enough time to arrive promptly with a relaxed stroll. “Sorry, Xander,” said Buffy “I am a bit nervous. It still is only my second day and I want to give off a good impression and I’m … a little excited.”She was a little excited. She hadn’t really realized she was excited until she said it out loud. She was too busy and generally flustered to check in with how she was feeling beyond nerves. It was an exciting opportunity. She was excited to have a job again. For the first time in a while, Buffy felt a little more hopeful.Buffy didn’t leave behind a particularly exciting job in LA. She had been a waitress and college dropout relying on Angel’s wealth. While she had been unemployed, she had started to look inward more and more frequently until all she could see was flaws. She’d never really achieved anything career-wise. This is quite easy to shake off at 19 when you drop out of college but less so at 23.Despite this, Buffy has a generally cheery demeanor. People made her happy and so no one was ever too worried about her because in company, she appeared to live every day with a smile on her face and a skip in her step. Xander was the only one with the ability to see through the cracks since they’d known each other for such a long time.Xander never looked at Buffy with superiority because of her lack of career success. But rather saw her for her merits, her kindness, her street smarts and the fact Buffy rarely found an audience that didn’t like her. She was able to care for her mum in her final days, which takes incredible emotional strength. He also understood his own sudden career success from improv and stand-up was mainly luck and a great shock to him and everyone around him. Where other friends may have felt jealous, Xander’s success as a comedian had brought Buffy nothing but pride in her association him.“I’m glad you’re happy about this job,” Xander said smiling at Buffy. “It’s a shame that everyone there finds you too damn attractive”Buffy’s face lit up at the compliment. “It’s also a shame we left the car at work”“Now that’s for sure,” Xander said, “why didn’t Trey pay for our Taxi to work the next day?” Work was easy today. Buffy is great at thinking on her toes and moving quickly. She was just a glorified carrier pigeon.She spent most of her day next to Matt and Trey. Every time information needed to be sent from a to b, Buffy was on it. She quickly sent emails and sometimes personally telling staff what they needed to be doing. Animation had been started and there were a few clips being synced to Matt and Trey’s recordings. As for things with Matt, they were unmentioned. There was no tension in the air from last night. Just good natured friend foolery. Buffy hoped for more than friendship but she knew her feelings would cool off.Matt sat next to her in the next writer’s meeting. Usually, she’s next to Xander but he’s sat next to her. “Look we just need a better b-plot.” Said Trey “what will happen to Kyle, Cartman and Butters while the rest are getting food?”Buffy thought the idea of Butters and Bebe being stuck together funnier but alas Bebe was in the A plot. The room was silent a while. This was not uncommon according to Xander, who had complained about it on his first week. Buffy got comfortable in the silence when Matt’s foot slowly grazed her shin. Buffy held her breath. The movement was purposeful and sexy. It hit her like jumping into a pool and the water punched her whole body. She was scared because she realized she really liked him. Buffy was lost in her thoughts as Trey started speaking again.If she was honest with herself Buffy hadn’t felt this way for a long time. Sex and crushes for her recently had been more obligatory as it would feel weird to live her life without it. She could say “ So-and-so was hot” but she didn’t really feel it. It didn’t shake her. This shock her. Angel once shock her and there was one other friend in between Angel and now. But nothing like this in what felt like a long while. She had forgotten what stary eyed meant as it is such a cliche. She forgot about eyes and mind glazing over. It was all very stupid. The gesture was empty, useless. It was either a friendly gesture or Buffy was cheap sex. She felt terrified. She didn’t want her heart to be broken.Buffy hadn’t really been focused on what Trey had been saying and tried desperately to focus on what he was saying. It was useless. Her leg was being caressed in a simple way that made her incapable of thinking.She moved her leg. His foot looked around for a bit, Proving it was intentional. Within a few minutes, Buffy’s brain was on track and she could be the sensible work colleague she had been before. She would be careful not to sit next to Matt again.As soon as the office was empty except Matt and Trey, Buffy left politely to themselves.
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After running from rhe writer's room to the storyboard crew for the third time, Buffy went to the kitchen to grab some water to cool down. She wished she had bought some lemon to the office so that she could squeeze some of the juice into her water.In this small time to think to herself, she thought of Matt. She liked him. He wasn't just some meat head that she'd picked up and who's personality she didn't value. Angel had been a little unstimulating. This couldn't be just some fling. Or could it be?Could they get one firey fuck out of their system and never speak of it again? Could sex lead to a lasting friendship?Matt entered the kitchen. Thinking about the devil somehow causes him to appear in all his sinful temptation. "I have to get my own coffee it appears," he said "Since you left in such a hurry"Matt walked past Buffy to grab a cup.Buffy's skin tickled pleasantly as Matt passed her. She became very aware of her heartbeat and it felt like something inside her was despirate for escape.He wasn't actually that close to her but his presence provided an aura that sent her wild.She cleared her throat, hoping to moisten her mouth enough to speak and took a large sip of water."I was just thirsty," Buffy remarked "aren't your employees allowed to eat or drink"Matt was too close as he was pouring the filter coffee."You are," he said smirking "but only when I say""Is that so?" Buffy tested. "Unfortunately so" Matt said manovering himself so that he was standing behind Buffy with each hand on either side of her."Well, not unfortunately for me." He whispered.Buffy was intoxicated by his colone. Finding her confidence, she decided to play along.Buffy slowly rotated her hips against his crotch. He gasped.Noticing his shock Buffy pulled back a little and turned around to face him. She got as close to his face that her height would allowed."You can't stop me doing anything, Stone" He grabbed her by the waist and drew her in for a kiss. She provided no resistance. Her cheeks burned and her head spun. She cursed herself for becoming such a cliché. Her hands quickly found themselves in his hair. They were hungry for each other. Buffy had been fasting. She had not only abstained from kissing and sex but from human connection. She had only seen Xander and he had been exhausted from work.She wanted him there, now, on the kitchen table. But she was at work. "We're at work!" Buffy said breaking the kiss. He pulled away and chugged the rest of her drink. "I have to talk to Trey about the storyboard."Buffy hurried to the bathroom to hide. She was completely freaked out. She really wanted to fuck them. It's all she can think about. Matt lifting her on the counter and pounding her senseless.She could even hear the mumbling of his voice.... Wait that was his voice. She stood by the bathroom door to hear."... Worried, Trey". Her heart was pounding. She was so alert. Her hands were shaky."You have reason to be. It's a dangerous game you are playing here" Trey responded "The difference in your power dynamic makes it hard for you to know if she's interested or not. Also, flirting isn't necessarily an intension for sex""You aren't helping!" They moved and she couldn't hear anymore. Trey was right. This is so complicated. She wanting to bang her head against the bathroom door.She needed a job. This isn't a high level and it's not that well paid. She was just desperate. There was a high turnover anyway and they would expect her to leave. Buffy will get through the day and think it over tomorrow.
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Saturday in the office was a fresh new day. Working on the weekend was customary, just because they had so little time They also didn't have a script yet. Sarah, the producer, was very worried. She was pacing like crazy."It'll be ok, Sarah." Buffy reassured"Yes, I am sure it will be" said Sarah, "but how am I supposed to fight for the phrase "carpet muncher" when I don't know if that's their b story" They heard a chorus of laughter. "We have it. We have the plot." Said Trey "now time for me to write the damn thing" Matt cranes his head around the corner."So Buffy, that means a Quarter Pounder with cheese meal with a vanilla milkshake and 2 large fries"."On it" Buffy said.Buffy was waiting in the McDonalds parking lot for her order. When her phone unexpectedly rang. It was Willow. "Buffy, I have some great news," said Willow. "Tara and I are moving back to Sunnydale! We bought our first house!" "Yay!" Buffy said, trying to mask her jealousy, "Will, that's excellent news!". Willow was always going to be at a different stage of life from her. She had gone to a fancy university and studied a lucrative major; she even had a supportive partner. Buffy dropped out of Sunnydale U and moved to LA with a man, who sucked. Now, Buffy was the lowest-paid member of staff. She had got caught up in all the excitement of a new job on her favorite show. She had forgotten all the pain and jealousy left in LA. Her eyes started to fill with tears. "I know," Willow said, "We picked a house on the same street as you and your mum lived. Close to Sunnydale high, a great place to raise a family.""Oh wow," Buffy said. "I guess your workplace is still very flexible about homeworking. ""Yeah," Willow enthused "I only have to go into the LA office once every now and again. Honestly, you can do most coding at home, so it would be ridiculous if they weren't flexible.""Yeah," Buffy said, "and you work rings around everyone there."Buffy saw the McDonalds worker walk towards her car. "I got to go, Will," Buffy said, "I'm at work""You got a job!" Willow said, her excitement building. Buffy held back her tears. "Yeah, look, I have to go"The drive back to the office was a long one. Sadness about her life evolved into anger. Anger at Angel for holding her back, Anger at Willow for her success, but most of all anger at herself. She was angry that she didn't finish college. She was angry about living as Angel's plaything. She was angry that she didn't have any work experience. She was angry she was alone. She didn't have a career, a home, or a family in culver creek.She ran up to Trey's office and put the McDonald's on the table in front of him. It was a little bit of an odd behavior, but she was technically a "runner". "Here," Buffy sighed."Thanks," Trey said, "Now, it's time to write or die." Trey was sat at his desk with his laptop in front of him and his milkshake in hand. He had some many knick-knacks on his desk, Buffy wondered how he managed to get anything done in the clutter.Buffy on her angry wind marched into the kitchen. There was Matt. She shut the kitchen door. She sat on the counter and beckoned him closer with a finger. She put her arms around his neck and leaned in, waiting. He just needed to kiss her and it was on.Matt smirked at her. He kissed her. Gently caressing each of her lips with his own. His hands were carefully placed on her waist and he stepped closer between her open legs on the counter in front of him. Buffy could feel his heart beating like a racehorse and she couldn't wait to ride this stallion. She wrapped her legs around his waist, pulling him closer. Matt's shock broke their kiss. Buffy looked him straight in the eyes, feeling an unnamed force between them. She began to slowly rotate her hips. He leaned forward, groaning into her neck. Her neck was particularly sensitive and she jerked slightly. Noticing this effect on her, he moved her hair. He kissed her neck longingly, using a hand on his neck to support his movements. Buffy moaned. It sent shivers through her scalp She took her shirt off. He fumbled a bit with her bra. Buffy knew from Willow this wasn't as easy as removing your own. But she saved him his pride. He succeeded. Fabulous.He got a good look while he cupped them. "I have been waiting to play with these for a while." He whispered in her ear. He pinched her nipples playfully. Buffy's anger had mostly melted from his hot touch. She was soft and malluable from his warmth.Without fury, she felt a little self conscious. She wanted him, but also felt a little nervous about her bare breasts in a public space."Take me home" Buffy growled. Her wish was his command.