author: Lucinda

content may be similar to the series, with violence involving humans and nonhumans, moderate sexuality, and alcohol, though it probably won't be as serious.

pairing: Willow/Doyle, mentions of past tense Willow/Tara

ninth in 'Lucky Charm'

disclaimer: I own nobody from Buffy the Vampire Slayer or Angel the Series.

distribution: WLS, NHA, Bite Me please, Wic, Mystifying Dreams, Mental Wanderings - anyone else just ask.

notes: AU. Hero never happened. Cordelia hooked up with Wesley, and Doyle's crush on her faded.

Doyle looked over his apartment, making certain that everything was ready for Willow to visit later that night. No dirty dishes in the sink, not dirty clothing thrown on the floor, no smutty magazines out in the open. He'd draped a blanket over the back of the couch in the hopes that it would make it look a bit less worn and faded. "Well, I think it's not going to get much better."

Willow had been good for him. For the first time in far too long, his life wasn't something that would have been incomprehensible to the man that he'd been ten years ago. The part where he was working with a vampire would have been a bit strange and alarming, but things weren't so bad. He didn't drink so much anymore, his apartment wasn't a permanent disaster, he didn't let his clothing stay in a state of rumpled mess, and he had hope.

Better still, unlike Harriet, Willow wasn't running away from the fact that he was half demon. She'd been more worried about the guy part than that, considering that her last lover had been a woman. Part of him still worried that one day, she'd wake up and decide that she wanted another woman, and drop him, walking out of his life like Harriet had done.

There was a knock on the door.

He managed not to leap for the door, and took a careful breath as he unfastened the chain, his hands trembling. "Willow. Just a moment while I finish unlocking everything…"

He opened the door, smiling at Willow. She didn't look right in his hallway, too amazing and sweet and charming for this miserable apartment complex. "You're perfect…"

"I'm glad you think so, even if I wouldn't go that far," she smiled, and stepped into his apartment. "So this is your place…"

Doyle nodded as she looked around. He tried to calm his nerves, insisting that if she'd been staying in a college dorm, this couldn't be that bad. The dorms that he remembered would easily fit inside his living room, and he'd been able to hear everything his neighbors had been up to. "I know it's not much…"

"But it feels lived in," Willow mused.

Doyle winced, his eyes drawn to some of the stains on the carpet. The couch was worn and battered, the chair didn't match, he had an ugly landscape on the wall to cover the cracked plaster… "Sorry about that."

"That wasn't supposed to be an insult," she caught his hand, and took a step towards him. "It's just… My parents' house never felt like a home. It felt more like a display or a hotel room. Buffy's house was a home, but not my home, if that makes sense."

"I suppose that it does make sense," he agreed. Tugging on her hand, he walked over to the couch, settling on the end. "Of course, there's some room for improvement about this one."

"I can't do much for the furniture being old, but I found a great spell for getting rid of stains. Even the sort of strange and icky things that Buffy found on patrol." Willow offered, her eyes sparkling. "It might help the carpet some."

"Is it complicated?" Doyle murmured, enjoying the way that she fit so nicely on his lap. "Does it take a great deal out of you?"

Willow waved her hand, murmuring something that sounded Greek, and there was a ripple through the air. He felt a tingle that went down to his bones, and it felt for a moment like the air was too thick to breathe. "The carpet should look better now."

He glanced down, uncertain what he would see. He'd definitely felt her magic, but she'd also mentioned that sometimes her spells didn't go quite as expected. She'd used the word 'wonky', and it had been paired with a small shudder. A pale expanse of light blue carpet covered the floor, looking fluffy and soft. For the first time that he could remember, it looked like the sort of carpet that it might be nice to lay down and relax on. The words slipped out of his mouth, "It's blue."

"Did I mess that up?" Willow's voice was low, and she nibbled at her lip. "I thought it looked more of a gray before…"

Doyle honestly didn't know or care if it had originally been blue or gray or even brown. "It looks good. Really. The carpet looks good, and I doubt that anyone's going to be caring if it was a different color before."

"If you're sure that it's not a problem…" Willow smiled, and leaned against his shoulder. I think I'll stay here for now."

"Comfy?" He smiled, arms sliding around her.

"Uh-huh," Willow shifted a little, snuggling up against him. "Here's good. I like being here with you, and your shoulder's comfy enough to stay for quite a while."

"Have I told you how happy I am that you were willing to move to L.A. to be with me?" Doyle murmured, running his fingers through her hair.

"It wasn't just for you, it was for us. To see if we can be as good together as it feels like we are. To give this a chance." Willow's breath was warm against him, and her hand wrapped around his ribs.

"For us," he repeated, smiling at the thought. "Does this mean that we might build a future together? Long term?"

"That would be nice," Willow murmured. "Maybe we could get married, try to have some kids…not too soon, I am still in college, and I'll want a job. Something normal and with a steady paycheck, not like what Angel's doing."

Doyle blinked, her words seizing his imagination and making his heart race. Here he was worried that his apartment would scare her away, and she was already contemplating the pair of them married and pondering when would be good to have children! "Children… you don't mind that they'd be a quarter demon?"

"They'd be ours," Willow insisted. "But I'm in no rush for kids yet, I'm still kind of young for that."

Doyle just smiled, holding her against him. "Fair enough. I think I like your ideas about the future though. Together, married, thinking about children…"

"We'd need a bigger place first. More room. And I would want at least two, maybe three – it's awfully lonely as an only child, and I wouldn't want that for my," Willow paused, glancing up to meet his eyes, "our children."

"A good point," Doyle murmured. "Quite the enjoyable future that we're planning out here. A nice house, a happy family… What more could anyone ask for?"

"I can't think of anything else, unless maybe it would be for our friends to be as happy as we hope to be," Willow smiled, and then paused. "That sounded way sappy, didn't it?"

"Very," he agreed. "I still want that future."

As he held Willow in his arms, contemplating the lovely future they were planning, he didn't notice the small, embroidered lucky charm pulse with a faint golden light. He didn't notice the warmth of it, dismissing the pleasant feeling as a result of having Willow snuggled up with him. His mind was fixed on the future, and how splendid he hoped it would be.

end Lucky Charm 9: A Bright Future.

end Lucky Charm series.