Broken Strings

Instinct is a powerful thing.

The night breeze had been carrying the wrong way, masking the distinctive scent they were always on guard for. The post-performance embrace she had caught him in the moment they had stepped outside had also succeeded in consuming his attention whole-heartedly, blinding them both to the world.

Fingers buried deep in her hair and almost drunk on her taste, he felt that beautiful smile curving against his mouth for a lingering moment before they reluctantly pulled apart. He was aware of only a flash of sparkling eyes; a silent promise that would have to wait to be continued; a soft laugh on those teasing lips as she finally released his jacket and danced out of his arms.

With an indulgent twitch of his mouth, he watched her turn away towards the van in a flick of familiar scarlet locks; his eyes slipping over the gentle curves of her form that he knew so well.

Forcing his attention back to the equipment they were supposed to be loading, he moved to pick up one of the amps, when a sudden, sharp yell stopped his heart cold.

Jerking around, his world sped into slow motion. The snarling creature he had allowed to sneak up on them; the rush of fear that tinged her scent, nearly paralysing him; the pained cry on her lips as the vampire grasped a fistful of her hair and hauled her away from the door of the van.

It happened too fast. Somehow he'd caught them both by surprise; wrong-footed them into a moment of imbalance that could destroy everything. It only ever took one falter in concentration, one random twist of luck, to shatter a world. Lives were made and broken in a heartbeat. It was something they were intimately aware of; something they would never take for granted again.

The surge of terror and fury that swept through his heart was almost painful, threatening to burn him from the inside out. A dangerous growl thundered through his body, echoing from a primal darkness deep inside, and for once he didn't resent it.

Snatching up the instrument at his feet, he raced to close the distance between them with an almost inhuman speed; barely aware of conscious thought, only a raging instinct guiding his movements.

He sprinted around the vehicle just in time to see her slam her feet into the ground and twist in his grip, earning a savage snarl in response. Legs and arms locked and stumbled in a messy struggle before with a brutal shove, the demon threw her down to smack into the hard dirt of the side street.

The shallow gasp of pain tore through his lungs like shrapnel.

Blood tinted the air.

He felt his fingers tighten until they turned numb; his eyes darkening until they were almost black.

Teeth glinting in fevered hunger, the vampire lunged down recklessly. He grabbed for her jacket but she flipped over clumsily and kicked away from him. At the same moment, a blunt weight abruptly crashed down on his back, knocking him sideways with a furious force that sent him staggering to the ground.

The crunch of shattered wood echoed off the surrounding walls. The vampire instantly rolled to his feet but the boy had already stepped between them in one fluid movement, feral eyes blazing in an otherwise icy expression.

Their gazes locked for the briefest of seconds, breath harsh in their chests, the shadow of mutual predators stirring in the violent confrontation. An enraged growl ripped through the air as the demon charged forward – but these were no ordinary, unsuspecting kids. And they were not so easily intimidated.

Oz dodged out of reach at the last moment, letting the momentum throw his opponent's balance for him, before he turned on his heel and rammed the splintered remains of the wooden neck straight through his back, plunging all the way to his heart with a deadly precision that had been honed through too many previous fights and close calls.

He didn't even wait to see him turn to dust, turning away instantly to move to her side. He quickly scanned the length of her body: she had torn the skin at her knee and he could smell the blood that had started to run down her leg in a smudgy trail, but it was already drying. They'd certainly had a lot worse, but his brow still pinched together to see her hurt.

Not until he lifted his gaze to her face, did he allow himself to relax. He found those warm, soothing emerald depths and immediately felt the tension lift from his body; the wolf retreat back into the darkness that was its cage; the light start to flood back into his world.

She was looking up at him, seemingly frozen on the ground and slightly shell-shocked. Her chest was rising and falling quicker than usual as she slowly settled her breathing again, a frown of almost disapproval on her face. He raised a questioning eyebrow.

"Oz…that was your favourite guitar."

He blinked at her in disbelief, before nearly shaking his head to himself. Only his Willow. Holding out a hand which she took, he soaked in the familiar comfort of her touch as their fingers closed tight around each other in the relief of physical assurance. He gently pulled her to her feet, amusement and love shining deep in his gaze and in the subtle tug of his lips.

"Will, you're not seriously comparing your worth to a guitar?"

"Well," she mumbled in objection, eyes wide with quiet incredulity. "But, your guitar."

He laughed softly, drawing her into his arms: if possible, loving her even more.

"It's replaceable."

He felt her fold into his embrace, her body moulding so close against his that their heartbeats seemed to meld into a single pulse. She released a shaky breath against his neck, tense fingers clenching hard into his back. He pressed a kiss into her hair, breathing her in like sustaining oxygen, hand firm at the small of her back as his thumb traced calming circles into her body.

Slowly opening his eyes, he turned his head slightly and cast a glance at the scattered mess of smashed wood and broken strings that was all that was left of his treasured instrument. Something ached inside his heart in wistful nostalgia, but it was only a twinge. The old guitar had served him well and long; been a loyal companion through his life of music; and now it had helped protect the one person who embodied everything his music expressed.

As final acts went, it was a pretty worthy end for the old instrument.

And in the end, that's all it was. Pulling his arms tighter around Willow, he knew that all his memories, love and inspiration was home and safe in the warmth of her beating heart and tender fire in her soul. All he would ever truly need.

With a sad but grateful smile, he bid a silent goodbye to another loyal, fallen friend.

He returned his attention as he felt her shift in his embrace, nestling closer, her words muffled as she mumbled them into his shoulder.

"Nice shot by the way."

A grin touched his lips. "Well, I've had a little practice."

~o~

AN This is a peace offering to all those lovely Willow/Oz fans who are still waiting for an update on my story! I'm so sorry for the long wait. I am working on it but it is a slow process at the moment; my head is split between two very different fandoms and it's hard to go between the two. I don't want to get my writer's/characters' voices confused. I'm not sure my writing is up to scratch currently but I'm trying my best. Your comments and support are greatly appreciated though, thank you for your patience. This is for you guys.

Reviews are nice things :)

Hope you enjoyed it on some level. Thanks for reading.