�Popcorn with margarine and the weird cheese sprinkle -- check. Sour Patch Kids -- minus the green ones, because those are too sour for anyone to possibly enjoy -- check. Wasabi peas . . .�

Riley blinked. �Since when are wasabi peas a part of the traditional movie snack lineup?�

�And this from the guy who brings the weird cheese sprinkle,� Buffy said with a shrug. She pushed him gently to make more room for her on the couch. He bumped back at her in a friendly way, and then shoved over.

�It�s not weird. My mom used to have that sprinkle all the time in Iowa . . . �

Riley trailed off when Buffy looked at him pointedly. He scratched his head in consideration and then grinned. �Okay. I guess I�ll just have to get used to your California movie-watching ways.�

�We are a strange but simple folk,� Buffy said agreeably. �So where was I . . . wasabi peas . . . check! Now . . . what are we watching? Oh! My soda!� Riley watched her scramble to the hall to grab the glass she�d left there when he arrived and dart back.

�Well, I brought a bunch over, because I wasn�t sure which ones you�d like.� Riley gestured to the stack of video tapes on the coffee table. �I even brought girly ones.�

Buffy raised both eyebrows. �I�m going to assume that means movies for girls and not movies with twenty-year old women wearing schoolgirl kilts and asking their beefy male algebra instructor to teach them a lesson.�

�Oh yeah?� Riley grabbed a handful of popcorn and tried to look earnest. �Why couldn�t we have both? You know, the whole schoolgirl theme, plus meaningful music, a wacky road trip, a tale about friendship triumphing over love relationships . . . except with much shorter skirts. And spanking.�

�I�ll show you spanking if you don�t get a move on telling me the real movies you brought,� Buffy warned.

�Promise?� Riley asked with a twinkle in his eyes. �Okay, okay. To start with, Pee Wee�s Big Adventure. And The Night of the Living Dead�

�That covers the classics,� Buffy said. �What else?�

�A real classic,� Riley said with a smile, �Sounder.�

�No. No and no. If we watch that again, you�ll start crying, and you know it, Riley.�

�Hey! I don�t cry. My eyes might water a little sometimes at oddly appropriate moments, but those aren�t tears.�

�Must be the wasabi peas then,� Buffy grinned. �Any other choices?�

�Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.� See, now that�s a really good story, because --�

Buffy shook her head and interrupted him. �What happened to the chick flicks?�

�Well, I did get something that I think you�ll like. It�s called The Sweet Hereafter. The guy at the video store said he thought it was a chick flick.�

�Riley . . . Mom went to see that film, and she said it was really upsetting. And that without the life-affirming message that�s supposed to come standard in the chick flick genre. It�s about an awful school bus accident. All these little kids die.�

Riley frowned at the tape in his hands. �Why does it have the word �sweet� in the title then? And how come there�s this picture of a happy family on the cover?�

�Search me.� Buffy chucked that tape to the side and smiled brightly. Then the sound of a heady wail filled the air. �Oooh! The buzzer! My oatmeal raisin cookies are done! I made them because you said they were your favorite --� Buffy jumped up in excitement and sprinted off to the kitchen.

�Buffy . . . I don�t think . . . that�s not . . .� Riley sighed when he heard the horrified shriek from the other room. �Oh boy.�

�They�re ruined!� a tearful voice called out. Riley walked towards the kitchen and leaned against the doorway with his hands in his pockets. Buffy held a smoking tray of charred lumps in oven-mitt clad hands up for him to see.

�Yeah, those are goners,� Riley observed.

�But the buzzer went off . . .� Buffy said. �I was listening for it the whole time.�

�Uh, I think that might have been the smoke alarm,� Riley pointed out in a gentle voice. �Listen. It�s still going off. It�s okay, though, no worries. How about I go take care of that, and just forget about the cookies, okay?�

�Okay,� Buffy said sadly.

Once Riley had taken the batteries out of the alarm, he returned to the living room to find Buffy staring blankly into her empty glass.

�You want more soda?� he asked.

�No,� she said. �Sorry. It�s just that I wanted to do something nice and girl-friend-y for you, and I just messed it up. I�m no good at this stuff.�

�You�re a good girlfriend,� Riley said.

�No I�m not. Not with this kind of thing. I never get this part right.� She gestured around the room.

�Hey, hey,� Riley said, drawing her into a hug. �What�s going on here? This seems like more than just a batch of burnt cookies.�

�I don�t know,� Buffy said into his chest. She cleared her throat and looked up. �Let�s just watch the movie now.�

�You okay?� Riley asked quietly, dropping a kiss onto her head.

Buffy nodded and sat up, looking determined. �I�m good. We�ve got the other snacks. The air conditioning is turned up to meat-locker frigid, just the way you like it. And I�m ready to snuggle.�

�Great!� Riley said, bringing his hands together in a clap and rubbing them. �Now we�re all set, just as long as Giles doesn�t beep you in the middle of everything with news of the apocalyptic variety.�

�Nah, that won�t happen. I get summers off,� Buffy replied.

�You get . . . explain that. Do the vamps all trek out to their mountain cottages in the summer or something?�

�I don�t really get it,� Buffy said, looking thoughtful. �But it�s always been that way. Demonic activity decreases proportionally with the advent of the summer solistice here on the Hellmouth.� She glanced at Riley. �What? What?�

�You really need that summer break, Buffy.�

�Which is why I�m here watching movies with you. So play �em, mister.� Buffy patted his thigh briskly, and put her feet up on the coffee table.

**~**~**~**~**~** The End **~**~**~**~**~**