Title: The Relationship Drink

Author: Rachel

Email:

Pairings: B/A, W/O

Disclaimer: Joss owns everyone, I own nothing. I'm simply taking them out to play with.

Distribution: Ask please

Rating: PG.

Spoilers: Set after Amends, but before Gingerbread.

Notes: For Kristi's Back To High School ficaton. I know, it's a week late. Once again my RL has tripped over my fic writing, I really hate it when that happens.

Summary: Buffy and Willow met up for some coffee talk.

Feedback: Is loved and much appreciated :)

Requests: Buffy, Willow, Coffee, conversations about Angel and Oz

Restrictions: Buffy bashing, any pairing that gets in the way of B/A

Buffy sighed as she sat in the Espresso Pump waiting for Willow's arrival. She stared down at the black liquid in her cup, foregoing her usual frothy drinks in favor of black coffee, to which she would add way too much sugar and cream. Hot and bitter, like a relationship. She remembered Willow saying that, and boy was she right. With a sigh she poured in a healthy dose of cream, which swirled inside the cup, staring back at her mockingly.

She closed her eyes and took a long soothing sip, the heat warming her own body. She hadn't really talked to her redheaded friend since school let out; she knew the Wicca had a date with Oz, but had yet to find out how it went. She, on the other hand, had spent the last 3 days with Angel: he needed the human contact, to let him know he was still part of this world. She was sure the lack of it when she left him was at least partly to blame for his attempted suicide. The moment the snow had come and saved him, she swore she'd never leave him again.

Looking up she saw Willow coming through the door, with a wave and smile; a brighter smile than Buffy had seen on her in weeks.

"Hey," Willow chirped, taking a seat across from the slayer.

A grin made It's way to Buffy's lips. "I take it all goes well on the Oz front?"

The redhead nodded emphatically, "Yup, he's even more of a sweetheart than I thought."

The blonde arched an eyebrow and took another sip of her coffee. "Really? How so?"

Willow suddenly became fascinated with the patterns on the table. "I-I told that I was ready to.. you know..." she trailed off, her cheeks flushing as red as her hair.

Buffy's eyes went wide with understanding, "You and Oz..."

"No, no," the Wicca interrupted, shaking her head, "We didn't, he said, he wanted to wait, to makes sure we both wanted it for same reasons." The smile came back to her face and she was glowing once again.

"You're right, he is a sweetheart." A tiny smile found her lips, then faded. "There's one happy Christmas." she muttered, her gaze trailing out at window as she deeply swallowed from the black liquid in her mug.

Willow frowned, immediately picking up on the change in her friend demeanor. "Buffy, what happened?"

The slayer looked back, momentarily debating whether or not to tell her. Quickly, she decided against it, figuring she'd just end up telling her anyway. "So, you remember the research party on Christmas Eve? Well, it turns out that the thing haunting Angel was The First."

Willow looked confused. "The First what?"

"Evil. The big, nasty, non-corporeal kind of ultimate evil."

"Yikes," the Wicca said with a winkle of her nose.

"That about covers it," the blonde said sardonically, "Anyway, it's got these priests conjuring it, alphabet eyes, very unfun. After I kill them I go and find Angel-" her voice dropped to a whisper, "-he was on a cliff, trying to kill himself." It was Willow's turn for wide eyes. She reached out a hand, giving her friend a comforting squeeze as she tried to collect herself. "He said he was just a monster, a thing not worth saving." She sniffled, just the thought of him on that ledge sent shivers down her spine. "I can't do it Will, I can't be without him again."

The tears she'd been trying to hold back came flooding forward. Willow got up and slid in the booth next to her, letting the blonde rest her head on her shoulder, "It's okay," the redhead said as Buffy sobbed into her shirt, "He's okay now, right?" There was a tiny waver in her voice, which was dispelled when Buffy nodded against her.

"Yeah, it's okay." She sat up a little, "We talked, or fought is more like it, and then..." She gestured outside to the still snow covered sidewalks.

"Oh, wow. The snow saved him," the witch said in awe.

Buffy nodded again, this time with a little smile. "Yeah, someone out there is watching out for us, The Powers That Be, or who ever they are, I'm thanking them. I've been with Angel the last three days. I would have canceled tonight, if he hadn't made me go," the slayer said, thinking back to how the ensouled vampire practically shoved her out of the mansion; in return, she'd made him swear up and down that he wouldn't patrol. She wasn't ready to have him risking his unlife after she'd almost lost him; plus, the snow seemed to have warded off most of the demons. Apparently vamps really did move to California for the sunshine and nice weather.

She looked down at her cup with a pout. "My coffee's cold."

"I'll get it," Willow announced, rising from her seat and bouncing over the counter. Buffy giggled, her friend always accused her of having Angel-face, but the redhead most definitely had Oz bounce; an extra spring in her step brought on by thoughts and/or the presence of the Dingo's lead guitarist.

Willow returned to table with a grin and two frappachinoes with extra whipped cream on top. The slayer arched an eyebrow, momentarily ignoring the yummyness that lay before her. "You do know I wasn't drinking one of those."

"Yup, but you were broody before and you had a broody drink. Now that you're not broody, I thought you'd want a non-broody drink." she said with a definite nod, offering her friend that beverage.

"What makes you think I'm done being broody?" Buffy challenged, trying to hide a smile at Willow's assessment of her, she always could read her like book.

"Well," she started, "You spent the last three days with Angel, which means you two are talking again, that's good. And there's Sunnydale's first snowstorm, which turned out better for you than anyone, a-and...Oh, because I say so." the redhead answered, shoving the frappachino at her best friend, then taking a seat across from her.

Buffy laughed. "Alright, alright. I'll be not broody, but only for you." she said, taking a lick of the whipped cream on top of her drink. "I know this a risky question, living on the Hellmouth and all, but, what are you doing for New Years?"