Disclaimer: All characters belong to ME. By that I mean Mutant Enemy and Joss Whedon. I do not own them
Author's notes: This was an entry for a fic contest, so of course it'd get posted here. Thanks to my friends, particularly Smeg and Nyk, for looking it over/betaing it. You guys rock. Let's see, what else….Six Inches has stalled for a moment because both Smeg and I are kinda busy this week. We've also not started to write chapter five of Timbre Reconfiguration yet for similar reasons, though I wouldn't be surprised if you do see SOMETHING else from Team Zog later this week. Stay tuned.

"Will? What's wrong?" Buffy asked as the redhead returned to the dorm room they shared. "Did you and Oz fight?"

"Yes… no… It was complicated." Willow said between sobs as she moved towards her bed, unceremoniously plopping down on it. "He… he left town. He has to find himself."

"What does that mean for the two of you?" Buffy asked, moving to sit next to her friend.

"I don't know." Willow said simply, letting it hang in the air while she collected her thoughts. "He said he loves me… Then he left."

"Will, sweetie, I'm so sorry." Buffy said, pulling the redhead into a hug. "I'm sure it couldn't have been easy on him. I know it wasn't easy on me when I left."

"That's not the same though." Willow answered as she pulled back. "There may have been some similarities sure, but…"

"It was the same Will, trust me." Buffy said, standing up and moving to the window, her mind drifting back to seeing Willow in the wheelchair in front of the school, searching for her. "You have no idea how similar it was."

"What are you saying Buffy?" the redheaded Wiccan asked, studying the slayer as she stared out the window, looking for an explanation.

"I meant what I said yesterday before I left to find Veruca." The blonde finally spoke, fighting back guilt as she moved to sit on her own bed.

"I know you did." Willow said, still not understanding the point Buffy was trying to make.

"I don't think you do." Buffy said, suddenly finding her feet quite interesting. After a short pause, she finally found the courage to say, "Every time I've said it, I've meant it, and I've felt guilty for it."

"How long?" Willow asked, thinking she had finally caught on to what Buffy was saying.

"I don't know." Buffy answered, finally looking up at Willow, her eyes locking with the redhead's. "I saw something at the water fountain, and somewhere along the way, I realized what it was and that it had grown. But you were with Oz, and I didn't want… Don't want it to make things more complicated. You love him, the way I love you. The way I want you to love me."

"Who says I don't?" Willow asked, getting up to move so she was kneeling in front of Buffy. She took the slayer's hand in hers. "I won't say I don't love him, we know that's not true. Look at me, at what the last few days have done to me."

"I hate that you're in pain right now." Buffy said, softly squeezing Willow's hand.

"Can I finish, please?" Willow asked, standing up to move so she was sitting next to Buffy. "I've felt something too, but what it could be never clicked till Faith came to town and I felt jealous."

"You had no reason to." Buffy said. "There was nothing there, nothing but a taste of what life could be if I let go of responsibility. But I learned quickly I don't want that. I've got a good life Will, a large part of it is because I've got you in it. So, I accepted what you could give me, because it was better than nothing. Promise me we'll be ok?"

"We will be." Willow said, hugging the blonde before kissing her cheek. "I need time. "

"Take all you need. I'm here for you." Buffy said, resting her head on Willow's shoulder. "I'm yours, when you're ready."