Author: Lucinda

rating: pg

pairing: Willow/Riley #16 on QPC)

Third in the Willow/Riley 'Words' series

Quickie Challenge:

Disclaimer: I do not hold any legal rights to the show or characters of Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

Distribution: WLS, NHA, Quickie Challenge, Yourmission, Bite Me please? anyone else ask first.

set AU season 4. There is no Initiative. Buffy and Riley were NEVER involved.





Willow kept thinking of Riley Finn. He'd been there, as the assistant to Professor Walsh, making certain that there were no problems with the psychology class, but… there was something else. He'd tried to offer her some comfort after... well, After. He hadn't been particularly smooth about it, the words seeming to fall awkwardly from his lips. But he'd tried, had been trying for a while.

He was about the only person trying. Well, Giles had in a sort of awkward near fatherly sort of way, but… that wasn't the same. There had been something in Riley's eyes when he'd tried to make her smile… She wasn't certain how to explain it. But Riley cared how she felt, for some reason.

It was oddly comforting. Riley cared, wanted her to feel better. He'd managed to make her feel better already, just by caring. By trying to help her. Part of her wondered why, why he was going to the effort, why she mattered at all to him?

But another part was just selfishly glad that he was offering comfort. He hadn't looked at her like an unhappy child, or like a charge in need of comfort the way that Giles did, but… He'd looked at her like it mattered how she felt. Not because unhappy Willow wouldn't be as helpful to the Slayer, or because she was bringing everybody down, but… just because. Because he cared about Willow.

Suddenly, Willow stopped, standing in the middle of a grassy area of the campus. Did he care about her or just sort of care like a friend? Was Riley… could he… be interested in her?

The very idea felt awkward, almost alien in her mind. She was Willow… guys didn't like her. Not like that. She'd had… well, there had been Oz, but obviously, he'd only been spending time with her until someone he liked better came along. Xander… had only wanted to kiss her when she wasn't available, when she was someone else's girl. She was Willow, and she didn't get the guy. Ever.

But Riley didn't act like that. He didn't act like he knew that guys like him weren't supposed to go for girls like her. He acted like maybe… maybe he really liked her. Like that, like a potential girlfriend sort of liking. Maybe he… well, it didn't quite matter right now.

Maybe for now, it was enough that he wanted to help her feel better. That someone cared for reasons entirely independent of Buffy and Slaying. Someone wanted to help her just because she was Willow. Because someone finally thought that Willow mattered. It was a wonderful feeling, to finally matter not because of Buffy, not for research or homework, but just because she was Willow.

She started moving again, feeling a bit better, a bit less certain of how things would unfold. Her future didn't look quite so bleak and lonely now. There was a glimmer of hope, that maybe Riley… well, she wasn't quite sure that she wanted to try to put words to it yet. But maybe Riley could help her get through this pain?

"Hey, Willow. Nice day, ummm" Riley sounded a bit hesitant, almost worried. "Maybe you'd like to go get some coffee?"

She smiled, a bit uncertainly, almost unused to the expression anymore. "Coffee would be nice."

Riley offered his arm, smiling at her with sparkling eyes and a bit of hope. "Maybe it will help you smile again. You seem too nice to stay so sad."

Okay, so Riley might not be the best at words, but he was trying. That counted for a lot more than a silver tongue. Maybe those comforting words and the deeds that went with them could help. "Thanks."

End Words of Comfort.