Chapter 8
"Buffy?" Willow turned to her friend as they sat in the departure lounge of Manchester Airport, waiting for their flight back to the States for the Christmas vacation to be called. "Is everything going okay between you and Riley?"
"Huh?" Buffy looked up from her magazine, slightly startled at Willow's sudden question. "Where did that one come from, Will? I mean, of course everything's all right with us. Why shouldn't it be?"
"I just get the feeling that..." Willow trailed off.
"The feeling that what, exactly? First Spike and now you – why is everyone convinced that Riley and I have problems all of a sudden?" Buffy snapped.
"Hey! You don't have to get like that! You just don't seem to be as happy around Riley as you used to, that's all."
"Just because I don't fawn all over him all the time doesn't mean we're having problems. Riley and I are fine, don't worry about us."
"Then why are you spending longer and longer at Spike's every time you go into college?" Willow asked carefully.
"Are you suggesting that there's something going on with me and Spike?" Buffy laughed at the thought. "I can honestly say there's nothing going on between us; nothing could be further from the truth."
"I know there's nothing going on between you two, don't worry. And Riley knows that there isn't either, but you seem to be putting off coming home in the evenings. Is it Riley? Is it the rest of us?"
"Oh, Willow." Buffy suddenly realised that her friend was really worried. "It's nothing like that, honestly. It's just that Spike and I get chatting and lose track of time. And you're usually busy with Tara anyway, and Xander has his own friends. Oz is never there."
"And Riley...?" Willow probed.
"...I see every day when I get home. You know he's always there waiting for me. I'm not avoiding him if that's what you're trying to get at. Honestly, I'm not."
Willow didn't look convinced, but she let the subject drop. What she hadn't told Buffy was that they were all concerned that her relationship with Riley was going through a bad patch. Hell, even Xander had noticed it, which must mean that it was glaringly obvious to the whole world. The whole world, that was, with exception of the two people it involved – Buffy and Riley were totally convinced that everything was fine.
"Maybe it is." Willow muttered to herself as their flight was called and the two girls headed home for the Christmas break.
"Buffy?" Willow turned to her friend as they sat in the departure lounge of Manchester Airport, waiting for their flight back to the States for the Christmas vacation to be called. "Is everything going okay between you and Riley?"
"Huh?" Buffy looked up from her magazine, slightly startled at Willow's sudden question. "Where did that one come from, Will? I mean, of course everything's all right with us. Why shouldn't it be?"
"I just get the feeling that..." Willow trailed off.
"The feeling that what, exactly? First Spike and now you – why is everyone convinced that Riley and I have problems all of a sudden?" Buffy snapped.
"Hey! You don't have to get like that! You just don't seem to be as happy around Riley as you used to, that's all."
"Just because I don't fawn all over him all the time doesn't mean we're having problems. Riley and I are fine, don't worry about us."
"Then why are you spending longer and longer at Spike's every time you go into college?" Willow asked carefully.
"Are you suggesting that there's something going on with me and Spike?" Buffy laughed at the thought. "I can honestly say there's nothing going on between us; nothing could be further from the truth."
"I know there's nothing going on between you two, don't worry. And Riley knows that there isn't either, but you seem to be putting off coming home in the evenings. Is it Riley? Is it the rest of us?"
"Oh, Willow." Buffy suddenly realised that her friend was really worried. "It's nothing like that, honestly. It's just that Spike and I get chatting and lose track of time. And you're usually busy with Tara anyway, and Xander has his own friends. Oz is never there."
"And Riley...?" Willow probed.
"...I see every day when I get home. You know he's always there waiting for me. I'm not avoiding him if that's what you're trying to get at. Honestly, I'm not."
Willow didn't look convinced, but she let the subject drop. What she hadn't told Buffy was that they were all concerned that her relationship with Riley was going through a bad patch. Hell, even Xander had noticed it, which must mean that it was glaringly obvious to the whole world. The whole world, that was, with exception of the two people it involved – Buffy and Riley were totally convinced that everything was fine.
"Maybe it is." Willow muttered to herself as their flight was called and the two girls headed home for the Christmas break.