Down on My Knees

Part thirteen of the Foolish Games series.

"Ouchouchouchouchouch. Ow!"

"Gee, Will," Xander said, helping his friend hobble down the street, "baby much?"

Willow smacked her friend soundly on his arm.

"Ow!"

"So there! And anyway, it hurts. Xander, where are we going? Can't you see I'm in pain here. And may I repeat, owie!"

"Nice toss-up, Wills. Gonna throw in an 'Ai-chi mama!' for old times sake?"

The look she gave Xander clearly asked where his mind had went and why hadn't he gone to reclaim it yet?

"Or maybe not. And we're going to the Bronze. It's closest. You figure a bar's gotta have a first-aid kit."

"It's an under-age bar."

"Even more reason, I say. And why do we go to an under-age bar? Aren't we all over-age now?"

"Dawn's not."

"And Dawn doesn't have friends? Ouch! Gee, sorry. Forget I know how to verbalize." They continued their hobble, mostly silently, through downtown Sunnydale. Willow's intense, pain-filled glares kept Xander from making comments about the looks they were receiving from passers-by. "And here we are, one Bronze at your service," he said, beginning to feel the strain of half carrying his best friend across town. "God, I hope they have a band-aid," he muttured to himself.

"What'd you say?"

"Me? Speak? Pshaw! As if I know how to do such miracles of science. Hey!" Xander knocked as hard as he could on the metal door while propping up Willow, "Anybody in there? Injured lady out here. She throws a wicked punch. Ow! I'm not kidding!" he yelled, taking it up a notch in his pain. "Now what was that for?" he asked, turning back to Willow.

"Do I tell the whole world your fighting abilities? Noo, I don't. I respect your privacy."

"Hey, well maybe you should. I think I'd like to be known as a manly man. A man's kind of man. . . Wait, not man's kind of man but a man's kind of--"

"Yes, Xander, I know." Willow kicked the door, "Hey-- OW!" She had momentarily forgotten which was the banged up knee. "Jesus, Mary and Joseph."

Eyebrows in his hairline, Xander asked if there was something she wanted to tell him.

"Like what?"

"Like since when you started invoking the name of our goyim Lord and Saviour."

A sound of exasperation coming from her mouth, Willow made a face at Xander who, of course, couldn't let her get away with that so made a face back, which inspired Willow to--

And so when Devon opened the door a moment later he found them childishly making faces at each other. "Yo, Oz, your girlfriend and one of her loony friends is here," he yelled over his shoulder before turning back to snicker at them. "Hey man," he called again, "get here quick."

Ignoring Devon, they hardly noticed Oz's timely arrival. "Uh, Will?"

Willow shook her head, turning surprised eyes on her boyfriend. "Oz! When'd you get here?"

"About one this afternoon. That doesn't explain why your making a moogly at Xander."

"Nah, man," Devon disagreed, "that was definitely a woogly."

"Mmm, I don't know," Xander added, joining the impromptu conversation, "I think it was a googly."

Devon and Oz looked at each other a moment, as if discussing it between themselves. "Googly?" "Definitely a googly." Facing Xander and Willow, Devon opened his mouth--

"Bleeding here people!" burst Willow.

Oz and Devon, as one, looked down at her injured knee that, after kicking the door, had begun to bleed again. "Oh," they said. Oz took Willow out of Xander's arms and helped her inside. "We have band-aids around here somewhere, right Dev?"

"Yeah, sure." He went behind the bar and retrieved the First-Aid kit.

Oz helped Willow into a chair and knelt at her feet. "How'd this happen?"

"Ask Xander." She glared at her best friend.

Whistling, the brunette found it necessary to be elsewhere.

Devon handed Oz the First-Aid kit. "This will not--"

"Ow!"

"be pleasant."

"Understatement!"

He blew on her wounded knee. "I'm sorry, Will," he whispered, gently affixing the band-aid. He looked up at her and found Willow's eyes on his, expectant. "What?"

"You didn't kiss it," she said, pouting.

"Capital sin." He kissed the bandage gently. They ignored Xander and Devon's groans of protest.

End