Chapter 9: The Road To Recovery
Oz awoke to see Buffy leaning over him, smiling. He smiled back.
" Are you okay?" he asked her, reaching up and gently touching her face.
" I should be asking you that," she said, touching his cheek. She leaned down and kissed him. " Oz, you shouldn't have done that. You could have killed yourself," Buffy finally said, sitting next to him.
He chuckled. " As they say, people do crazy things when they're in love," he replied, kissing her head softly. Tears welled in her eyes, and she pulled his face up and kissed him. Finally, he grinned. " So when do I get outta here?"
" Uh, tomorrow morning. They want to keep you overnight, to give you a chance to rest." He looked disappointed. "What?" she asked. He shook his head, smiling slightly. " What?" He shook his head again, laughing quietly. She grabbed him by the collar. " What?!" she demanded. He laughed outright, and nodded.
" Fine, geez, I'll tell you. I just…I'd hoped tonight would have been the night we…" he trailed off, his face turning red from embarrassment. Buffy grinned a thoroughly evil grin.
" We what?" she asked innocently.
He glared. " You know perfectly well what. You know…have…a—a slumber party. Yeah, a sleepover…"Buffy laughed, and Oz's face turned a deeper shade of red as Anya, Giles, Tara, Willow and Xander walked in. All of them stared at her, confused, making her laugh harder. Oz groaned, and covered his face with a pillow.
" Did we interrupt? Xander, what did we do?" Anya asked.
" No, you guys didn't. So…what's the latest?" Buffy asked as Tara and Willow began whispering in the back of the room.
"Um, Oz? I want to apologize for the way I acted on Thanksgiving," Willow finally said, making herself known from the crowd gathered at Oz's hospital room door.
" Anya, come on. Let's go find a candy machine and beat the crap out of it," Xander said, pushing Anya out of the room. Giles and Tara followed, interested.
" Oz, do you want anything? A drink?" Buffy asked, standing up from the hospital bed,
" No, thanks," he replied.
"Okay, well, I absolutely need a Coke, so I'll be right back." Buffy left.
" Oz, I'm sorry," Willow said as she sat in the chair next to the bed.
" Don't even worry. I shouldn't have made such a big deal and jumped to conclusions."
Willow sighed. " So…can we be friends?" she asked, her eyes sincere. He nodded.
" I'd like that." He smiled his little half-smile as Buffy walked back in.
" So, do we have a truce?" she asked, walking over to Oz's bed. She set down the soda and lay down next to Oz as he wrapped his arms around her.
Willow laughed. " Yep, we do. I'm, uh—I'm gonna leave you two alone now." She quickly left the room.
Buffy laughed, too. " That was always my line in dealing with you guys…" She sighed. " Oz, I'm never going to forget what you did for me, out there," she said, looking into his hazel eyes.
" Doesn't matter if you do. I love you," he said, growing tired from the wear and tear of the day. He kissed her forehead, and then her nose, and finally their lips met. Buffy felt like the whole world stopped. She wrapped her arms around his neck.
" Say it again," she whispered. He closed his eyes, exhausted.
" Say what?" he murmured.
" That you love me," she replied. He smiled, quickly falling asleep. But he had time to whisper, "I love you" before drifting off. Buffy kissed his forehead.
" I love you, too."
THE END
**Another incredible work of literary genius completed! ** (Applaud!!!!!)
Oz awoke to see Buffy leaning over him, smiling. He smiled back.
" Are you okay?" he asked her, reaching up and gently touching her face.
" I should be asking you that," she said, touching his cheek. She leaned down and kissed him. " Oz, you shouldn't have done that. You could have killed yourself," Buffy finally said, sitting next to him.
He chuckled. " As they say, people do crazy things when they're in love," he replied, kissing her head softly. Tears welled in her eyes, and she pulled his face up and kissed him. Finally, he grinned. " So when do I get outta here?"
" Uh, tomorrow morning. They want to keep you overnight, to give you a chance to rest." He looked disappointed. "What?" she asked. He shook his head, smiling slightly. " What?" He shook his head again, laughing quietly. She grabbed him by the collar. " What?!" she demanded. He laughed outright, and nodded.
" Fine, geez, I'll tell you. I just…I'd hoped tonight would have been the night we…" he trailed off, his face turning red from embarrassment. Buffy grinned a thoroughly evil grin.
" We what?" she asked innocently.
He glared. " You know perfectly well what. You know…have…a—a slumber party. Yeah, a sleepover…"Buffy laughed, and Oz's face turned a deeper shade of red as Anya, Giles, Tara, Willow and Xander walked in. All of them stared at her, confused, making her laugh harder. Oz groaned, and covered his face with a pillow.
" Did we interrupt? Xander, what did we do?" Anya asked.
" No, you guys didn't. So…what's the latest?" Buffy asked as Tara and Willow began whispering in the back of the room.
"Um, Oz? I want to apologize for the way I acted on Thanksgiving," Willow finally said, making herself known from the crowd gathered at Oz's hospital room door.
" Anya, come on. Let's go find a candy machine and beat the crap out of it," Xander said, pushing Anya out of the room. Giles and Tara followed, interested.
" Oz, do you want anything? A drink?" Buffy asked, standing up from the hospital bed,
" No, thanks," he replied.
"Okay, well, I absolutely need a Coke, so I'll be right back." Buffy left.
" Oz, I'm sorry," Willow said as she sat in the chair next to the bed.
" Don't even worry. I shouldn't have made such a big deal and jumped to conclusions."
Willow sighed. " So…can we be friends?" she asked, her eyes sincere. He nodded.
" I'd like that." He smiled his little half-smile as Buffy walked back in.
" So, do we have a truce?" she asked, walking over to Oz's bed. She set down the soda and lay down next to Oz as he wrapped his arms around her.
Willow laughed. " Yep, we do. I'm, uh—I'm gonna leave you two alone now." She quickly left the room.
Buffy laughed, too. " That was always my line in dealing with you guys…" She sighed. " Oz, I'm never going to forget what you did for me, out there," she said, looking into his hazel eyes.
" Doesn't matter if you do. I love you," he said, growing tired from the wear and tear of the day. He kissed her forehead, and then her nose, and finally their lips met. Buffy felt like the whole world stopped. She wrapped her arms around his neck.
" Say it again," she whispered. He closed his eyes, exhausted.
" Say what?" he murmured.
" That you love me," she replied. He smiled, quickly falling asleep. But he had time to whisper, "I love you" before drifting off. Buffy kissed his forehead.
" I love you, too."
THE END
**Another incredible work of literary genius completed! ** (Applaud!!!!!)
