See, now? He could totally squeeze her hand; it's in the Y-chromosome code that it's ok as long as such gestures can in theory be claimed as outgoing. 'Mutual' kind of sneaks in under the radar.

"That's got kind of a familiar ring." Whether he meant the near echo of something said not so long ago in Art History, or... any one of a dozen missed opportunities he could put names and faces to in Sunnydale, he wasn't sure. Wasn't sure the right conjunction there was 'or,' either.

Xander sighed. "I'm not saying I think you're wrong. But... you're really not wrong about the nice guy thing, you know? He doesn't deserve to be just... whatever. What happens in Fandom."