Disclaimer: I'm watching the show for the very first time. Just finished the first season. Willow is my fave obviously and I needed to do a teensy (seriously short) little one-shot about her and Buffy's super-friendship. You can read this shipping them or not. I like it both ways.
Buffy sat on the end of the stair railing, gripping the wooden banister with both hands, keeping herself suspended on the ledge. Her hair, perfectly manicured, shone golden yellow as the sunlight streamed through the tall library window.
Willow couldn't help but notice the way her eyes flicked around in empty space. She couldn't help but notice her eyes.
"Um, Buffy?"
She spoke gently, not wanting to wake her too abruptly from her daydreaming, but not wanting her to fall too deeply into that world, beyond her reach.
"What? Huh?" Buffy shook her head back and forth. She noticed Willow's concern and smiled, hoping to placate her. "I'm alright. Sorry. I just got distracted."
"What's up with you? You've been 'distracted' a lot lately."
"It's nothing to worry about, Willow. Just, slayer stuff."
Buffy said that a lot, Willow noticed. She stood from her position at the table and stepped a little closer, tentatively curious.
"I'm your friend. You're supposed to tell me anything. What's wrong?"
Buffy had to keep herself from laughing at the earnest expression on Willow's face, although the warmth of the statement made her smile. Then, there was a sour coolness, like a spring breeze on fresh sweat, creeping up from her toes. It was a type of shame. Shame at making Willow worry. Willow didn't deserve to worry.
"I'm sorry. I guess it still catches me off-guard sometimes, how often I deal directly with death. Everyone around me just ends up dying anyway. It's easy to start wondering when it will catch up to me, or, worse..."
She trailed off. Willow tried to complete the statement.
"Or, worse, it will catch up to Xander? Or your parents? Or Giles?" Willow said slowly, her eyes scrunching up uncomfortably.
Buffy smile scrunched up too as she took one of Willow's hands in her own. The bell rang. Willow's eyes widened immediately. She tore her hand away and began packing things up.
"I have to go to class, now. But, but we can talk about this later, right? I don't want to leave you in crisis..."
Buffy sighed, smiling.
"Of course. If you never left when I was in crisis you'd never leave my side."
Willow smiled apologetically and waved as she left the old library, books in hand.
"Bye," Buffy called after her, too quiet for her to hear.
She lifted herself off the railing and touched her feet to the floor. The library was quiet again. She wringed her hands, trying to rub the warmth of Willow off of them.
"Please never leave my side," she whispered, watching the dust settle into the old carpet floor.