It was the first day of summer vacation. The sun was already making its steady ascent in the sky and the temperature was already beginning to soar. Following a drier than average April drought had already hit Sunnydale and the hosepipe ban had already been set in place. Despite this, residence still regularly filled swimming pools and used their sprinklers to keep their lawns lush and green.
7 am - Church Street
On a quiet street in the middle of Sunnydale Buffy waits for Angel outside his house so they can train together. Buffy wears her new black nike sports leggings, a light green running vest and some new pink Nike Air Zoom Pegasus sneakers. An outfit appropriate for their 10 mile run for this morning.
"I'm outside." She messages him eagerly.
"Be right out." He responds instantly.
A minute later Angel walks out his front door, "I'm not sure when I'll be back, mom. See ya later!" He shouts upstairs before closing the door behind him as he leaves.
"Hey, Beautiful." Angel announces walking over Buffy, placing a sweet delicate kiss on her lips.
"Hey to you too." Buffy replies breaking their kiss. "Ready for the run?" She adds.
"Of course. I see you're wearing the leggins and trainers I got you." Angel states proudly.
"Yeah, they are so comfortable!" Buffy replies. "How are yours?" She questions looking down at Angel's new kicks which she got him for graduating.
"Feels like I'm walking on air." Angel admits.
"That's so corny!" Buffy states scrunching her nose up at him before jogging off at a pace. "Come and get me!" She shouts behind her.
Later, across town…
On the driveway of 123 Holloway Dr a black Mercedes Vito minivan rests. The windows are blacked out and on the sliding doors either side is a mural of a Dingo with a bloody muzzle and the words 'Dingoes ate my baby'. Inside the van, sleeping soundly are Willow and Oz.
Willow awakes to the sun glaring through the blinds and she stretches out her body.
"Hey." Oz stirs.
"Morning." Willow replies offering him a good morning kiss. "I didn't mean to wake you."
"That's okay, I forgive you." Oz reassures returning her kiss. "How'd you sleep?"
"Like a baby, you?" She replies.
"Felt nice to have you in my arms." He replies kissing Willow's forehead.
"Felt nice to be in your arms." Willow replies returning Oz's kiss. "I can't believe you made this." She adds peering around the van awestruck. "And I can't believe your going to be living in here for nearly two months."
"It saves shelling out loads of money on a hotel room like Devon is." He replies shrugging. "And, by having you sleeping here with me until I leave I'll have your smell on my sheets."
"Ew, gross." Willow replies.
"I didn't mean it like that. I just mean so that when I miss you you'll still be here with me."
"Good save." Willow states.
"What did you want to do today?" He asks grabbing his phone from next to the bed. "It's 9 o'clock by the way, want to go grab some breakfast?"
"Mmm, breakfast sounds good." Willow replies. "Give me some sugar." She adds requesting another kiss.
Oz complies and offers Willow another kiss, this time a little more passionately.
"I'm sure breakfast can wait a bit." Willow whispers seductively.
Meanwhile next door…
In his new abode Xander relaxes on his new secondhand pull-out he got for free from an online marketplace. He plays a game on his phone, starting his summer vacation as a means to go on - doing absolutely nothing.
There is a quick knock on the door before his mom enters the room.
"Ma, what did I say about coming into my room!" Xander shouts.
"Sweetie, I got some laundry to do." She replies. "Including your dirty Aquaman pants." She adds holding up mens Aquaman boxer shorts.
"Mooom!" He embarrassingly replies. "Fine, but we need to set times of day you can come and do laundry so you don't cramp my style."
"Cramp your style?" His mum chuckles. "You're living in your parents basement…"
"I know ma, but it gives me more independence. For example if I wanted to bring Anya over."
"Please make sure you are being safe, Alexander." His mom announces.
"Mooom!" Xander replies utterly mortified.
"And what is that god awful smell?" She asserts peering around the dingy basement.
"I think it's the pull-out." Xander admits.
"Where did you get it from?" She presses.
"I picked it up off a guy from Craigslist." Xander declares.
"Get some Fabreeze and spray that thing, it smells like something has died down here!" She insists placing a load of laundry in the machine.
"Yes mom." Xander replies rolling his eyes.
Mrs Harris returns to the main house and leaves Xander in peace. That is if peace means listening to the rattling of the washing machine for an hour.
Tired of the noise Xander pulls on some jeans, a lumberjack shirt and a pair of black converse. To clear his head Xander head upstairs and picks up his keys from the kitchen and goes out to his car. "Want to go out for breakfast?" He texts Anya sitting in his copper coloured Ford Taurus which was a 17th birthday present from his parents.
"Sure, the usual place?" Anya replies.
"Yeah,I'll come pick you up?" Xander types.
"I'm going to jump in the shower, give me 20 mins." Anya responds.
"See ya then." Xander replies turning the ignition off.
He flicks through his contacts and drops a text to his neighbour and best friends boyfriend Oz. "Hey, you home?"
He waits five minutes before stepping out of his car and walking around the fence to his neighbours. Parked on the drive he notices Oz's van.
He walks around to the back door of the van and notices movement on the chassis. With concern he knocks on the metal. "Oz?" He calls out.
Inside the van he can now hear a commotion and in a panic Xander opens the back doors, revealing a naked Oz butt and a half naked Willow. "Good God!" Xander calls out covering his eyes.
"You know what they say about caravans and rocking." Oz jokes.
Willow turns beetroot red in embarrassment and pulls the duvet over her head. Fidgeting around under the cover she finds her clothes and gets ready.
Xander closes the door in shock and as he steps back he trips over the rocks on the side of the sidewalk, falling backwards onto the front yard.
As he falls, Oz - now fully clothed - gets out the van. "Willow, my naked butt knocked Xander off his feet." He chortles.
"Hey, I was not prepared, and I am never getting that image out of my brain!" Xander retorts.
Willow steps out the van, now fully clothed too and still bright red.
"Will, as a medical professional, would you recommend rubbing a scouring brush on my eyes, asking for a friend?" Xander jokes.
"I like you as a neighbour and a friend of my girlfriend, but what are you doing here, Xander?" Oz asks.
"I wanted to know whether you wanted to come for breakfast - come for breakfast, good God! I am never going to unsee that!" Xander says getting to his feet, brushing the grass off his trousers. "Anyway, I was going to pick Anya up on way."
"I could do with some breakfast." Willow says shrugging, her face still fluorescent.
15 mins later….
"And then, I open the doors and boom - naked Oz butt!" Xander recounts as he drives.
"Oh, how grotesque!" Anya replies. "Why were you naked anyway?" She adds, peering around to the two redheads in the back of the car.
Willow, who had not yet gotten over the embarrassment sits in silence.
"I think you know what they were doing, An." Xander replies doing a crude gesture with his thumb and finger.
"Oh, they were having sex." She states matter of factly. "Why don't we have fun spontaneous van sex, Xander?"
"Well for one, I don't own a van - two, that's why I moved into the basement, and three, this is neither the time or place to discuss this."
"But we're two people in love, and having sex is what people do when they are in love."
Xander pulls up outside their regular diner 'The Magic Box'. "Whose ready, I sure am."
Willow still sat silently in the back raises her hand.
The teens exit the car and head towards the diner.
The Magic Box is uniquely designed. The architecture is configured from six shipping containers (two up three across) converted into a diner. It was built 5 years ago by manager and owner Clem.
The diner is set out over two levels. The ground floor is set in an open plan environment with the odd chrome pillar to add support and structure to the building. At the front of the diner are large windows which opens up the space and allows in lots of natural light, along the windows are low backed red booths which seat up to six people. The decor of the diner is white and red with lots of chrome and there is a large neon sign on the back wall which say's 'The Magic Box'. Taking up a quarter of the structure is the open plan kitchen with a chrome serving bar and 8 padded red bar stools spread across the bar, allowing customers the opportunity to watch their food being cooked. The first floor is a small and intimate area (the size of one container) with a couple of sofas and a bookcase - this is referred to as the balcony. It is situated to the far right of the diner with chrome and glass barriers with a matching bespoke chrome and glass narrow staircase with led lights leading up to it. To finish off the setting there is a classic restored jukebox next to the entrance with a mixture of classic rock and modern music on it.
Xander enters the diner first. The bell on the door ringing as he does, gaining the attention of the owner.
"Good morning, Xander!" Clem calls out from behind the counter.
"Heya, Clem! The usual please, my man." Xander replies, heading over to the stairs to the first floor.
"And for the ladies?" Clem asks.
"I'll have banana waffles with caramel sauce please." Willow orders.
"And for you, Anya?"
"I'll have bacon and syrup pancakes." Anya retorts back at Clem as she climbs up the stairs following Xander.
"And for you?" Clem asks, his attention now on Oz.
"I'll have sausage and bacon pancakes please." Oz responds.
"Just the four of you today? He ponders out loud.
"For now, I expect one or two may join later." Willow shrugs looking up at their usual spot on the first floor.
"Alrighty, coming right up." Clem states.
Willow and Oz begin to ascend to the first floor to join the others, Oz who is leading stops half way up and turns to Willow. "Hey, I know that today has kinda shocked you, but can we just act natural?"
"I'm going to go to the toilet." Willow replies, walking back down the stairs, following the right hand wall to the bathroom at the back of the building.
The bathrooms are the only rooms separate from the main diner and are unisex. There are three four individual bathrooms, three consist of toilet, sink and nappy changing facilities and one is a companion toilet fitted with a hoist for those who require it.
Willow enters a vacant bathroom and locks the door behind her. She walks over the sink and looks in the mirror, her face still bright red as though sunburnt. She turns on the cold tap and splashes her face; with her heart racing she takes deeps breaths. For five minutes she splashes water on her face and controls her breathing before finally calming down enough to head back to join the others.
As she walks up the staircase she notices Angel and Buffy sitting together on the sofa with a coffee in hand. Oz is sat on opposite them on an identical sofa, with a space next to him for Willow whilst Anya and Xander are on another sofa adjacent to the others. Everyone is focused on Anya who is in mid-conversation.
"Oh and Xander walked in on Willow and Oz having sex - oh hi, Willow."
Willow turns from pink to beetroot as the attention of the Scoobies fall on her. She turns on her heels and rushes back downstairs, her eyes lined with tears.
"Willow?" Oz calls after her.
"I've got this." Buffy reassures getting to her feet following the redhead.
"Are you okay, Willow?" Clem calls out to her as she rushes out of the front door.
Buffy follows quickly behind her and catches up to her as she goes to exit the car park. "Hey, what's going on?" Buffy asks grabbing Willows shoulder.
Willow turns and looks at Buffy in disbelief and shock, her red face has now turned green as she sways on the spot.
"Woah, are you feeling okay?" Buffy asks grabbing hold of her friend, guiding her to a nearby bench.
The two friends sit down, Willow breathing heavily and Buffy looking at her waringly at her.
"I-I didn't know that you and Oz were - being intimate." Buffy states confusingly.
"We weren't, not until last night." Willow explains.
"Oh?" Buffy says demanding more information.
"Well, we're both in his van - you know, the one he kitted out with a built in kitchen and bedroom - and we're kissing passionately, doing over clothes stuff when it hits me. He's leaving for two months and I'm not going to see him. So one thing led to another."
"Aw, my Willow is now a woman. Welcome to the club." Buffy chuckles nudging her friend.
"But why are you feeling wiggy?"
"I thought, you know - that when the time came, I would tell people - not people - you. That I would be able to tell you, and now Xander walks in on us - I'm mortified, Oz is acting like he's got a conquest, and I'm regretting everything."
"Oh Willow, unfortunately; Anya doesn't have a filter. You say your regretting it, did you use protection?"
"Of course I did. I just mean that it feels like the wrong time."
"Was it not good?"
"Yes, I mean, I think so. He was gentle and sweet." Willow recollects.
"So why was it not the right time."
Willow shrugs looking down at her feet. "I've got these butterflies in my belly that are making me nauseous. I'm boiling hot and feel really jittery and my chest is really right.
"Will, I think you are having an anxiety attack." Buffy states looking worryingly at her friend. "I want you to close your eyes for me and listen to my voice."
Willow does as her friend asks and she closes her eyes.
"I want you to put your hands flat against your thighs and sit up straight. On the count of three, I want you start breathing in and keep breathing in until I get to five, once I get to five, I'm going to count back to zero again and your going to exhale. Think of the different sounds around you, the cars, the people, the sound of the diner, ready - one, two, three.."
Willow follows Buffy's orders and breathes in for five seconds and then exhales for five seconds, repeating a few times as she focuses on the environment around her. After a few minutes she opens her eyes.
"Feeling better?" Buffy queries.
"Yes." Willow retorts. "Thank you."
"You are very welcome. Now, are you ready for some breakfast?"
"Very."
Buffy stands up and offers Willow a hand of support.
The two girls walk into the diner and Clem welcomes them back.
"Want some coffee, girls?" He asks.
"Yes please." Willow replies with a smile.
"You're breakfast will be up in a minute, I'll bring the drinks up as well."
"Thanks, Clem." Buffy smiles.
Buffy and Willow walk up the stairs to their usual spot on the balcony. As they get to their seats Buffy offers Oz a reassuring smile and nod. "What have we missed?" She utters.
"Nothing much, we got a message from Spike in the group chat, asking us to meet him at his house." Xander shrugged.
"That place gives me the wiggins." Anya annonces.
"Why does he live in a cemetery again?" Buffy asks Angel.
"His father works there as an undertaker, and it's not in the cemetery, it's next to it." Angel states correcting her.
"Pick holes…"
At that moment Clem comes up with a tray in hand, followed by Andrew - a fellow student at Sunnydale - carrying another tray.
"Banana waffles with caramel sauce for Willow and sausage and bacon pancakes for Oz." Clem states placing the food down on the coffee table in front of Willow and OZ
"We have bacon and maple syrup pancakes for Anya." Clem advises repeating the process.
"Two eggs benedict for Buffy and Angel." He adds. "And then we have Xander's heart attack surprise. Andrew, this is Xanders usual order: it is 5 pancakes, layered with chocolate sauce, chocolate chips, chocolate fudge brownie pieces and two salted caramel waffles topped with crispy M&M's."
Andrew places the tray in front Xander and takes some forks out of his apron setting them on the table as well.
"Hey Andrew." Buffy greets.
"Hi, Buffy - guys." He replies nervously.
"Job for the summer?" Buffy queries.
"Yeah, I started today - need to finance my D&D as my parents are refusing to give me any more money towards it." He states.
"Oh, well - so long as you earn the money honestly, whose to tell you how to spend it." Buffy shrugs.
Andrew offers them all another smile before following Clem back downstairs.
The group looks on at Xander as he grotesquely dissects the pancakes and waffles, leaving a chocolatey mess covering his mouth.
"What?" He utters with a mouth full of food.
"I can hear your heart screaming for mercy from here…" Angel replies.
The Scoobies finish up their breakfasts and wash it all down with some coffee. They clear up their area and bring their dirty dishes back to Clem behind the counter.
"You don't always have to clear up after yourselves." Clem reassures.
"Makes your life easier." Willow replies offering him a smile.
They settle up and head off. Xander, Anya, Oz and Willow get into Xander's car whilst Buffy and Angel take the five minute walk to the cemetery to meet Spike.
It was the best start to the summer vacation they could have hoped for.
Sorry this chapter took so long, didn't have very much time recently to work on this. I have nearly completed chapter 3 so shouldn't have to wait too long for it. Please review, what do you think?