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anythingdrabbleTitle: Lonely Lingering
Fandom: Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Characters/Pairings: Willow, mentions Xander/Willow, Oz/Willow, Xander/Faith, and Xander/Cordelia
Word Count: 500
Rating: PG/K+
Summary: Willow's been left lonely again.
Willow stared, through teary eyes, at the toy gun before her. Had it really been only that small a number of years since last she and Xander had played Cowboys and Indians? He'd been her only friend for almost all her life, until Buffy had moved to Sunnydale and she had subsequently learned the truth of Vampires and all the other monsters that went bump in the night. He'd also been her secret crush for almost just as long.
And he'd been her hero, she remembered, sniffling as her tears began again to fall. He'd been her hero when her parents had been too busy to care about her as long as she was making good grades. They'd had far more sleep overs than any of their parents knew, and nothing had ever happened between them until this past year. He'd even checked her closet more often than her father had; after all, any time she'd complained to her parents of monsters being in her closet, they'd always chastised her and giving her "scientific evidence" that no such creatures existed.
She now knew they existed, of course, but beyond all the monsters, life itself still wasn't kind. She had had such a lonely childhood, but Buffy and Xander and even the whole Slaying thing had seemed to make all of that go away. But these nights, she was feeling so lonely again while Faith had more and more of their attention. She understood Faith could share slaying with Buffy in ways she never could, but Xander -- Why had he moved on to her? Why couldn't he have just gone back to Cordelia or even another cheerleader?
Because they wouldn't have him, not again. She had Oz, of course. She didn't regret having chosen him, but there was a part of her that still wanted Xander. Oz was wonderful. She shouldn't even be thinking about Xander that way anymore.
But she was, and she was still feeling alone, what with Oz out on another gig on a school night. Distantly, she heard Amy squeaking in her cage, but she wasn't really company. She was just another person who needed something more from Willow, something more that she was not yet able to give.
But she did do a lot, and she did give a lot to everyone. She could make this gun real if she really wanted, could make it shoot and bang. She could kill people like Faith was doing now, but that kind of power wasn't right. What she was doing wasn't right. Magic was meant for healing and protection, and it did make Willow feel better when she used it.
She put the toy gun away and focused back on her candle. She cupped a hand around its flame; the fire that licked her palm felt good, reassuring somehow. She was not alone, not when she could tap into so much power herself.
Amy squeaked again. "Yeah, yeah, I'm coming," Willow muttered, but lingered with the fire.
The End
Fandom: Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Characters/Pairings: Willow, mentions Xander/Willow, Oz/Willow, Xander/Faith, and Xander/Cordelia
Word Count: 500
Rating: PG/K+
Summary: Willow's been left lonely again.
Willow stared, through teary eyes, at the toy gun before her. Had it really been only that small a number of years since last she and Xander had played Cowboys and Indians? He'd been her only friend for almost all her life, until Buffy had moved to Sunnydale and she had subsequently learned the truth of Vampires and all the other monsters that went bump in the night. He'd also been her secret crush for almost just as long.
And he'd been her hero, she remembered, sniffling as her tears began again to fall. He'd been her hero when her parents had been too busy to care about her as long as she was making good grades. They'd had far more sleep overs than any of their parents knew, and nothing had ever happened between them until this past year. He'd even checked her closet more often than her father had; after all, any time she'd complained to her parents of monsters being in her closet, they'd always chastised her and giving her "scientific evidence" that no such creatures existed.
She now knew they existed, of course, but beyond all the monsters, life itself still wasn't kind. She had had such a lonely childhood, but Buffy and Xander and even the whole Slaying thing had seemed to make all of that go away. But these nights, she was feeling so lonely again while Faith had more and more of their attention. She understood Faith could share slaying with Buffy in ways she never could, but Xander -- Why had he moved on to her? Why couldn't he have just gone back to Cordelia or even another cheerleader?
Because they wouldn't have him, not again. She had Oz, of course. She didn't regret having chosen him, but there was a part of her that still wanted Xander. Oz was wonderful. She shouldn't even be thinking about Xander that way anymore.
But she was, and she was still feeling alone, what with Oz out on another gig on a school night. Distantly, she heard Amy squeaking in her cage, but she wasn't really company. She was just another person who needed something more from Willow, something more that she was not yet able to give.
But she did do a lot, and she did give a lot to everyone. She could make this gun real if she really wanted, could make it shoot and bang. She could kill people like Faith was doing now, but that kind of power wasn't right. What she was doing wasn't right. Magic was meant for healing and protection, and it did make Willow feel better when she used it.
She put the toy gun away and focused back on her candle. She cupped a hand around its flame; the fire that licked her palm felt good, reassuring somehow. She was not alone, not when she could tap into so much power herself.
Amy squeaked again. "Yeah, yeah, I'm coming," Willow muttered, but lingered with the fire.
The End
