"I told you to stay away from me, Xander."

"It's not Xander."

At the sound of the quiet voice from the doorway, Cordelia rolled over and her eyes widened in dismay. "Oz! I'm sorry, come in."

Oz didn't move, his hands in his pockets, shoulder bag strapped across his body. "Sure?"

"Of course, stupid! Sit down."

'Stupid' was probably one of the nicest things Cordy had said about anyone in the past few days and Oz did as he was told.

Legs stretched out, forearms lying along the arms of the chair, Oz looked entirely relaxed. His face was placid as always, that half-smile, unwavering but his brown eyes didn't hold the same steady gaze they usually did. There was Cordelia noticed, not for the first time since discovering what he was, something lupine about that face. This afternoon though, it struck her more as pup than wolf. A kicked pup at that. He was quiet. That wasn't unusual.

"Took your time coming," she said tartly. Brusquely, Cordy covered up the fact that not so long ago, she had been crying until she could barely breathe.

Oz reached into his bag. "But I brought grapes," he pointed out, handing them over.

She looked inside the brown paper sack. "They're apples."

"I know," Oz shrugged. "But they ran out of grapes. Saying I was bringing anything else – seemed like I'd be violating patient visiting tradition."

Cordy couldn't help a smile and leant back into the mound of pillows. "So, you're the first to know," she said, referring back to her inadvertent greeting. "Xander's history."

"So it seemed."

"I can go back to being cool again."

He nodded, non-committed.

"So can you," Cordelia pointed out.

Oz raised an eyebrow and she pulled a face.

"Not that you were ever not. Not even when dating someone like Willow." He still didn't say anything. "Not just like Willow," Cordy carried on. "Willow herself. The geek above all geeks. The original. The supreme. The one and only."

"True."

"Why did you date her in the first place?"

Oz opened his mouth to reply.

"God! Why did I ever date Xander?" He closed it again and let her carry on. "I mean sure, there was the making out and the groping but it could have just stopped there. Stayed in the janitor's cupboard. I didn't have to date him! I didn't have to lo…" She halted there and swallowed. "I dumped the in-crowd for him!"

"You did."

Cordy stared at Oz for a long moment before sighing and agreeing quietly. "I did. I thought he was worth it." Something occurred to her all of a sudden and she sat up. "Maybe it was that spell! The one that made all the girls get all lusty after him! Maybe he really did put the whammy on my! It was meant for me, after all."

"Maybe."

She groaned and fell back. "No. It wasn't that," she said, with resignation.

"I punched him once," Oz said. "If that helps."

"A little bit." Cordelia smiled slightly. It was difficult to imagine Oz punching anyone. Unless they were a demon. "Want to try it again?"

"Been tempted."

She held up a hand. "Actually, no. I think it's my turn."

Oz accepted that with a single nod. "Whenever you're ready."

Cordy looked down at the sheets, folding over the fabric into pleats. She frowned. "This isn't one hundred percent cotton!" she announced. Oz looked at her quizzically. "It's definitely a polyblend! How did I not notice this sooner? I get a rebar through me and my 'first class care' consists of second-rate bedding!"

"Tragedy of life – it never stops."

Cordelia nodded in fierce agreement, pushing all her anger into the offending sheets. "I should talk to a nurse." She started to fidget, moving pillows about, pushing away then pulling back up her blanket. Her companion looked quietly on until she settled and looked back at him. "Oz?"

"Cordy."

"How long do you think it was going on for?"

There was a long pause during which Cordelia twisted her fingers together repeatedly. "I don't know," he finally replied.

"It could have been months."

"Does that make it worse?"

It was Cordy's turn to fall silent. Eventually, "No. It couldn't be any worse." She took a deep breath and lifted her chin up, looking directly into Oz's brown eyes. "But it's going to get better." Her resolve lasted a whole twenty seconds before she slumped again. "Right?"

"It will."

Cordy didn't think her friend's quiet confidence was as entirely present as usual and decided it was up to her to rally their spirits. "It will! We don't need them! I'll go back to dating college guys and lead singers and football players and you can go back to dating…" She looked vaguely at Oz for a moment before resuming her flow. "Whatever sort of girl you dated before. Like, groupies or something! And we'll be cool and completely forget all about those two losers. Whatever their names are." She smiled triumphantly. "See? I've forgotten them already." Her beaming face fell a little as she looked down at Oz who instead of sharing her victory over nameless exes, seemed lost in contemplation. "Why aren't you forgetting?"

Oz looked up and gave her a wry smile without saying anything. Her mouth dropped open.

"No!"

He shrugged.

"Tell me you're not thinking it! You can't be. Oh my god, you are!"

"Perhaps."

"Perhaps my perfectly toned butt! You're going to take Willow back!" He didn't need to say anything, she knew it for certain. Cordy glared at Oz. He didn't have to betray her as well. She rolled over and wriggled down further under her polycotton sheets.

"Sorry." She could hear him getting to his feet, shrugging his bag back on.

"I'm not talking to you."

The rubber soles of Oz's sneakers squeaked on the clean floors as he came around the other side of the bed and into view. Her eyes fixed on him accusingly but she didn't move as he reached out to stroke the top of her head, just once. "I'll see you tomorrow."

She hadn't stopped scowling but hidden by the sheets, her mouth twitched into the briefest of smiles. "Fine. But just answer one thing." She emerged again, smile gone and looking serious. "How can you forgive her?"

Oz didn't smile either and was quiet for a long moment. A moment that Cordy didn't interrupt for once.

"Because," he finally said, breaking the silence. "She's the original. The supreme. The one and only."

DISCLAIMER: Cordelia Chase and Daniel "Oz" Osbourne, as well as all other characters and events mentioned here belong entirely to the might that is Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy, the WB, UPN and whoever else actually holds rights to Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I write this entirely for my own geekish pleasure and for no profit.