Author: Lucinda
rating: pg
pairing: Willow/Riley #16 on QPC)
fifth in the Willow/Riley 'Words' series
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.
Riley wasn't quite certain how to describe it, but there seemed to be something different in Willow now. She was still sad, still carried pain and loss around with her like the dark opposite of the cloud of joy that had been there before, but... But. Something had changed. Her eyes glittered again. Maybe there were tears there more often than not, and maybe there was annoyance at Buffy, but her eyes were alive.
She seemed to be there again, struggling to reclaim her life. To feel and live again. Once more, there was Willow the determined.
He rather liked the change. Not that he wanted her to stay sad, but she was doing a lot better now than she had been before, when she just moved around the campus like a sleep walker.
"Willow... Hi." He smiled at her, internally kicking himself. How could he be struck nearly speechless just by her presence? He could lecture about psychology, or history, mangle French and German, but put him in front of Willow, and the words just vanished.
She looked at him, and there was the faintest quirking of her lips, as if she was trying to hold back a smile. "Riley. Do you... I mean... ummm... coffee? With me... oh..." She turned an interesting pink, looking at her toes as if they had suddenly become utterly fascinating.
"Coffee... that sounds good. We could go now, if you'd like?" Riley smiled at her, hoping that she was only feeling as awkward as he did, and that he hadn't just crushed her hopes of recovering.
"Yeah, that sounds pretty good." She was looking at him again, her eyes hinting at amusement. "Not that I want to sound pushy or anything..."
Blinking, Riley remembered saying something very similar to her... "Trust me, you don't look a thing like a pushy upper classman."
She actually giggled a bit as they meandered along. One of her hands sort of bumped into his, her little finger catching his, linking them together. Somehow, Riley didn't mind that at all. They ended up in the same little coffee house, each holding a warm mug of coffee as they searched for a table.
"I… thanks, Riley. For… well, for caring. For convincing me that there's a reason to go on, even if I'm not quite sure what that reason is." She was blushing again, and staring into her coffee as if it held the answer list for the final exam. Her words were soft, almost soft enough to miss.
He could feel himself smiling… no, more like grinning like a fool. One hand slid over, touching her fingers. "Willow… you're welcome. You're very welcome. I… It hurt to see you hurting, it still… You're getting better, but you aren't there yet, if that makes any sense."
"It does." She smiled at him, her eyes softening just a bit, the pain pushed back by… something. "Guess I'm not the only person who can babble when nervous…. Except that I'm not sure why you'd be nervous."
"Sort of happens when I'm with a pretty girl." He offered a little smile, and let his eyes focus on the wisps of steam rising from his mug.
"But… you're sitting here… talking to me." Her voice had a slight tremor, but it didn't sound like the warning of more tears.
"Like I said, a pretty girl." Riley looked at her, half afraid that he'd said too much too fast.
"oh…." Willow was blushing, almost staring at her hands as they griped the mug. But her eyes kept flicking to him, momentary glances that he could almost feel, but not interpret. There was also just a little hint of a smile hidden on her face.
"Maybe this time we can drink the coffee while it's still warm?" Riley spoke gently, not wanting to press things. He wanted to sweep her into his arms and make all her troubles vanish, but that only happened in faerie tales, which this wasn't. So, things would take time. But they had time.
End Hopes Without Words
rating: pg
pairing: Willow/Riley #16 on QPC)
fifth in the Willow/Riley 'Words' series
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.
Riley wasn't quite certain how to describe it, but there seemed to be something different in Willow now. She was still sad, still carried pain and loss around with her like the dark opposite of the cloud of joy that had been there before, but... But. Something had changed. Her eyes glittered again. Maybe there were tears there more often than not, and maybe there was annoyance at Buffy, but her eyes were alive.
She seemed to be there again, struggling to reclaim her life. To feel and live again. Once more, there was Willow the determined.
He rather liked the change. Not that he wanted her to stay sad, but she was doing a lot better now than she had been before, when she just moved around the campus like a sleep walker.
"Willow... Hi." He smiled at her, internally kicking himself. How could he be struck nearly speechless just by her presence? He could lecture about psychology, or history, mangle French and German, but put him in front of Willow, and the words just vanished.
She looked at him, and there was the faintest quirking of her lips, as if she was trying to hold back a smile. "Riley. Do you... I mean... ummm... coffee? With me... oh..." She turned an interesting pink, looking at her toes as if they had suddenly become utterly fascinating.
"Coffee... that sounds good. We could go now, if you'd like?" Riley smiled at her, hoping that she was only feeling as awkward as he did, and that he hadn't just crushed her hopes of recovering.
"Yeah, that sounds pretty good." She was looking at him again, her eyes hinting at amusement. "Not that I want to sound pushy or anything..."
Blinking, Riley remembered saying something very similar to her... "Trust me, you don't look a thing like a pushy upper classman."
She actually giggled a bit as they meandered along. One of her hands sort of bumped into his, her little finger catching his, linking them together. Somehow, Riley didn't mind that at all. They ended up in the same little coffee house, each holding a warm mug of coffee as they searched for a table.
"I… thanks, Riley. For… well, for caring. For convincing me that there's a reason to go on, even if I'm not quite sure what that reason is." She was blushing again, and staring into her coffee as if it held the answer list for the final exam. Her words were soft, almost soft enough to miss.
He could feel himself smiling… no, more like grinning like a fool. One hand slid over, touching her fingers. "Willow… you're welcome. You're very welcome. I… It hurt to see you hurting, it still… You're getting better, but you aren't there yet, if that makes any sense."
"It does." She smiled at him, her eyes softening just a bit, the pain pushed back by… something. "Guess I'm not the only person who can babble when nervous…. Except that I'm not sure why you'd be nervous."
"Sort of happens when I'm with a pretty girl." He offered a little smile, and let his eyes focus on the wisps of steam rising from his mug.
"But… you're sitting here… talking to me." Her voice had a slight tremor, but it didn't sound like the warning of more tears.
"Like I said, a pretty girl." Riley looked at her, half afraid that he'd said too much too fast.
"oh…." Willow was blushing, almost staring at her hands as they griped the mug. But her eyes kept flicking to him, momentary glances that he could almost feel, but not interpret. There was also just a little hint of a smile hidden on her face.
"Maybe this time we can drink the coffee while it's still warm?" Riley spoke gently, not wanting to press things. He wanted to sweep her into his arms and make all her troubles vanish, but that only happened in faerie tales, which this wasn't. So, things would take time. But they had time.
End Hopes Without Words
