Author: Lucinda
rating: pg 13, some angst
main characters: Oz, Faith and mention of Willow
disclaimer: I hold no legal rights to any characters from 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer' (creation of Joss Whedon & a whole lot of other people who aren't me)
distribution: Jinni's Quickfics, Paula, anyone else please ask.
notes: response to Jinni's Weekly Poetry Challenge (week 3, Poetry Quote below). Set in season 3, and AU'd.
"SHE walks in beauty, like the night
Of cloudless climes and starry skies;
And all that's best of dark and bright
Meet in her aspect and her eyes:
Thus mellow'd to that tender light
Which heaven to gaudy day denies."
-- She walks in beauty, Byron
Oz wasn't oblivious to the world around him, despite the fact that many people thought he was. He was quiet, and looked calm, which wasn't at all the same and being unaware. He'd known before they'd started dating that Willow had spent years with a crush on Xander. But Xander had either never noticed or never done anything in any way to act on it, so he'd figured it wouldn't be a big problem.
Except that lately, Xander had started to look at Willow differently. When he looked at her, he seemed to see someone pretty, desirable in all the ways that he'd never seen Willow before. He didn't know if Willow had realized that Xander saw her now, or if Xander was looking at her for herself or just because she wasn't spending as much time with him as she had before. But things were changing. How long before he went from watching Willow, from staring at her lips to trying to do something? Before Xander was trying to sneak kisses or using joking come-ons?
Normally, he would have spent a lot more time worrying about those fears. About Xander noticing Willow, and the possibility that if it came to a choice between himself and her old crush, he'd loose. Instead, Oz was wishing that things were that simple. That he only had to worry about passing biology, learning the guitar section for the Dingo's new song, and the fear that Xander would try to steal Willow.
He was blaming it on the wolf in him. While the human part of him thought that Willow was great, sweet, smart, kind... a whole list of things, the wolf wasn't as impressed. The wolf wanted a mate who was strong, a hunter, and that just wasn't Willow. He could have managed if it was as simple as his wolf not being impressed by Willow, but again, things couldn't be that simple. His wolf had fond someone that it did want, someone strong, sleek, and attractive. Faith.
The human part of him wanted to stay with Willow, to see if they could build a future, while his wolf just wanted to run under the moon with Faith and make with the call of the wild. And Faith seemed to find him interesting as well, watching him with a smile on her wine-dark lips, her eyes full of passion and promises.
Willow was the sugar, the sweet gentleness that would be safe and human and comforting. Faith was spice, full of bite and passion and intensity. The only thing that he was sure of was that he couldn't have them both, and it would only lead to very bad things if he tried. If he chose Willow, would that be a denial of his inner wolf? If he chose Faith, would it lead to a slow loss of his humanity?
It made it all worse that he kept feeling like there would only be so long before any choice would hurt someone. He wasn't in love with Faith, not even the wolf in him. He wasn't in love with Willow either. But it would be easy for him - or the human in him, at least - to fall in love with her. If he was going to split with Willow and try things with Faith, it had to be before their feelings got too intense. If being the key word. He didn't know yet which one he wanted more, which one would be the better choice.
Hands wrapped around his waist, slender, feminine hands with dark burgundy nails. He felt soft lips kiss the nape of his neck as he was hugged from behind. "Hey there, wild man."
"Faith." He leaned back against her, enjoying her touch, her scent, just everything.
"Think I could talk you into patrolling with me tonight?" One hand slowly traced up his chest, brushing against his lip. "I wouldn't want to be all by my lonesome."
"Patrol..." Oz considered the offer, both the words and the meaning behind them. She wasn't just asking for a bit of company to keep away the boredom, there was more laying under the words. His wolf recognized that even if the rest might have missed it. "Sounds good, but I think I need to go talk with Willow."
"Why? Does she keep you on such a short leash that you have to ask permission to go slay some vamps?" Faith twisted around, looking into his eyes.
"I think you were offering more than just slaying vamps, Faith." Oz spoke quietly, looking into her eyes. "It's best to make a break of what was there before starting something new."
Faith broke eye contact, her cheeks showing a hint of pink as she made a few noises. "Yeah, well... I suppose there is that."
"Because if we're going to be... something, I want things to start right." Oz said, reaching out to touch the silver cross that hung in the hollow of her throat.
"Yeah..." Her eyes went soft as she smiled, and it made her look younger, almost vulnerable. "It would be nice for everything to start off right for once."
"And that means that I have to let her go before she gets hurt." Oz nodded, and leaned forward, his face near Faith. He inhaled her scent, right beside her ear, and the wolf in him just wanted to roll over and beg.
"Okay..." Faith was givig him an odd look, as if she didn't quite understand something. "So, I smell nice or something?"
Oz stood up, smiling at her. "Yeah. Now I have to go tell a redhead goodbye."
"Tonight, ten o'clock at the old Catholic cemetery. The one with the pair of angels at the front gate." Faith was smiling, and rubbed her hands over the tight black jeans. "I'll bring you an extra stake."
Nodding, Oz walked away. Now that he'd made a decision, everything felt better, simpler. All he had to do now was hope that the talk with Willow didn't go too badly.
end Heart of the Wolf.
rating: pg 13, some angst
main characters: Oz, Faith and mention of Willow
disclaimer: I hold no legal rights to any characters from 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer' (creation of Joss Whedon & a whole lot of other people who aren't me)
distribution: Jinni's Quickfics, Paula, anyone else please ask.
notes: response to Jinni's Weekly Poetry Challenge (week 3, Poetry Quote below). Set in season 3, and AU'd.
"SHE walks in beauty, like the night
Of cloudless climes and starry skies;
And all that's best of dark and bright
Meet in her aspect and her eyes:
Thus mellow'd to that tender light
Which heaven to gaudy day denies."
-- She walks in beauty, Byron
Oz wasn't oblivious to the world around him, despite the fact that many people thought he was. He was quiet, and looked calm, which wasn't at all the same and being unaware. He'd known before they'd started dating that Willow had spent years with a crush on Xander. But Xander had either never noticed or never done anything in any way to act on it, so he'd figured it wouldn't be a big problem.
Except that lately, Xander had started to look at Willow differently. When he looked at her, he seemed to see someone pretty, desirable in all the ways that he'd never seen Willow before. He didn't know if Willow had realized that Xander saw her now, or if Xander was looking at her for herself or just because she wasn't spending as much time with him as she had before. But things were changing. How long before he went from watching Willow, from staring at her lips to trying to do something? Before Xander was trying to sneak kisses or using joking come-ons?
Normally, he would have spent a lot more time worrying about those fears. About Xander noticing Willow, and the possibility that if it came to a choice between himself and her old crush, he'd loose. Instead, Oz was wishing that things were that simple. That he only had to worry about passing biology, learning the guitar section for the Dingo's new song, and the fear that Xander would try to steal Willow.
He was blaming it on the wolf in him. While the human part of him thought that Willow was great, sweet, smart, kind... a whole list of things, the wolf wasn't as impressed. The wolf wanted a mate who was strong, a hunter, and that just wasn't Willow. He could have managed if it was as simple as his wolf not being impressed by Willow, but again, things couldn't be that simple. His wolf had fond someone that it did want, someone strong, sleek, and attractive. Faith.
The human part of him wanted to stay with Willow, to see if they could build a future, while his wolf just wanted to run under the moon with Faith and make with the call of the wild. And Faith seemed to find him interesting as well, watching him with a smile on her wine-dark lips, her eyes full of passion and promises.
Willow was the sugar, the sweet gentleness that would be safe and human and comforting. Faith was spice, full of bite and passion and intensity. The only thing that he was sure of was that he couldn't have them both, and it would only lead to very bad things if he tried. If he chose Willow, would that be a denial of his inner wolf? If he chose Faith, would it lead to a slow loss of his humanity?
It made it all worse that he kept feeling like there would only be so long before any choice would hurt someone. He wasn't in love with Faith, not even the wolf in him. He wasn't in love with Willow either. But it would be easy for him - or the human in him, at least - to fall in love with her. If he was going to split with Willow and try things with Faith, it had to be before their feelings got too intense. If being the key word. He didn't know yet which one he wanted more, which one would be the better choice.
Hands wrapped around his waist, slender, feminine hands with dark burgundy nails. He felt soft lips kiss the nape of his neck as he was hugged from behind. "Hey there, wild man."
"Faith." He leaned back against her, enjoying her touch, her scent, just everything.
"Think I could talk you into patrolling with me tonight?" One hand slowly traced up his chest, brushing against his lip. "I wouldn't want to be all by my lonesome."
"Patrol..." Oz considered the offer, both the words and the meaning behind them. She wasn't just asking for a bit of company to keep away the boredom, there was more laying under the words. His wolf recognized that even if the rest might have missed it. "Sounds good, but I think I need to go talk with Willow."
"Why? Does she keep you on such a short leash that you have to ask permission to go slay some vamps?" Faith twisted around, looking into his eyes.
"I think you were offering more than just slaying vamps, Faith." Oz spoke quietly, looking into her eyes. "It's best to make a break of what was there before starting something new."
Faith broke eye contact, her cheeks showing a hint of pink as she made a few noises. "Yeah, well... I suppose there is that."
"Because if we're going to be... something, I want things to start right." Oz said, reaching out to touch the silver cross that hung in the hollow of her throat.
"Yeah..." Her eyes went soft as she smiled, and it made her look younger, almost vulnerable. "It would be nice for everything to start off right for once."
"And that means that I have to let her go before she gets hurt." Oz nodded, and leaned forward, his face near Faith. He inhaled her scent, right beside her ear, and the wolf in him just wanted to roll over and beg.
"Okay..." Faith was givig him an odd look, as if she didn't quite understand something. "So, I smell nice or something?"
Oz stood up, smiling at her. "Yeah. Now I have to go tell a redhead goodbye."
"Tonight, ten o'clock at the old Catholic cemetery. The one with the pair of angels at the front gate." Faith was smiling, and rubbed her hands over the tight black jeans. "I'll bring you an extra stake."
Nodding, Oz walked away. Now that he'd made a decision, everything felt better, simpler. All he had to do now was hope that the talk with Willow didn't go too badly.
end Heart of the Wolf.