7831/That Summer in Sunnydale

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That Summer in Sunnydale
Date of Scene: 11 June 2019
Location: Coffee Shop, Mercutio's - Gotham
Synopsis: Willow and Oz reunite after his return from Tibet a.. changed man. They start the long, slow process of figuring out who and what they are.
Cast of Characters: Willow Rosenberg, Daniel Osborn




Willow Rosenberg has posed:
High school.

It's where hearts meet, beat, and break. And Willow's hadn't been any different, even if the story around the why of it certainly was. She'd found herself first dating, then not dating.. then dating(?) Daniel "Oz" Osborn.. and then she wasn't again. Only she kind of was?

It was complicated. And not just because he'd been bitten and was now a lycanthrope. There was the whole matter of Willow's own powers, and studies, and graduation, and deciding where to go for school amongst all the scholarships she'd been offered, and then deciding, in the end, to follow her beste to good old Bludhaven U while Daniel went off and.. well he said to find himself. If he could. And to learn how to control the beast within.

It had been.. well, it was pushing well passt 6 months now, and while the pair had corresponded in the interim, it wasn't the same as seeing him every day like she had in high school, and now that they'd both been out in the wider world who knew what they'd feel, if anything?

So when Oz had written he was coming back, and then texted that he was *right here*, Willow had been both excited and nervous to meet with him - he wasn't the only one who'd grown and changed! And, because sometimes you needed good boundaries, she'd picked a local coffeeshop to meet at: warm and cozy inside, with proprietors who had a soft spot in their hearts for the little red-headed witch, and wouldn't let her come to any harm, as well as neutral ground for them both.

She'd bought a coffee, and taken the biscotti Italo had insisted she take, and it wasn't until she was sitting, nervously waiting for Oz to show up that Willow allowed herself to be excited. And more than a little afraid: what if he didn't like who she'd become? Because until now, she'd not looked at it that way. It had alwasy been what if he'd changed too much?

It's a nervous Willow who sits in a comfy armchair in a nook by a window that sips at her coffee and waits.

Daniel Osborn has posed:
Willow isn't the only one who's nervous, and the reasons are mostly similar. Oz had been trying to hold onto Willow even while he was away, after all, being a deep person means when you fall in love, you fall hard, and it's no exception for him. He's just hopeful she'll be happy to see him back, and she'll want to at least try to pick things up where they were left. He hadn't wanted to leave her, but at the same time he knew he had to do something about his other side, he couldn't let it control him anymore. But it doesn't, he really did find something to help. And so, when the coffee shop door opens, it is, indeed, Oz who walks in. He looks much like he did when he left, more or less. Except his hair is shorter. And it changed colors. But that's surprising to approimately zero people. What has changed is that he now wears Tibettan prayer beads around his neck. He looks over, spotting Willow and lifting a hand in a slight wave, and a smile. But he keeps her waiting, just a bit, going to buy a drink first. A coffee of his own. Liquid energy. And then, coffee in hand, he begins to walk toward Willow, smile widening a bit as he approaches.

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
At the counter, Italo gives the young man the very same smile he gives all of his customers - bar the extra special smile he saves for those like Willow - and makes the young man his coffee. "Ah, I see you are the young man our Willow is waiting to see, yes?" Daniel is looked up and down and given a slight nod. "She waits for you half an hour now. You go and say hello. I will bring the sandwiches."

A hand is held up to forstall any notion of paying for said sandwiches.

"These, they are my gift, yes? You go and say hello to the girl and do not make the smile leave her face, hrm?" It's all said so casually, but the implication is that Italo regards the girl as something of a his to watch over, and he'll be all the shades of disappointed if Oz upsets her. Noooot that Willow is one known to be unable to take care of herself.

When Willow sees Oz approaching, she catches herself staring. LIps tilting upwards at the edges at the hair colour. That much hadn't changed. It was shorter than she recalled, but hair grew, and Oz hadn't ever been known to be staid in his hairstyle choices. The beads were new, and bring a faint furrow of brow. Were they for show? Or had he somehow found a spiritual side?

So many questions. Questions she keeps to herself until he's sitting at the table, worrying at her lower lip with tiny white teeth while she waits for him to settle.

Daniel Osborn has posed:
Oz is, well, surprised to say the least. Half an hour? There's no way she was that early. Or was he that late? He's not late. Not that late, at least. No way. Oh well. He settles at the table, looking at Willow, still smiling. "Hey," he says. "Am I that scary?" He's picked up on the signs of her nervousness. He notices her looking at him too, but he doesn't comment, silent nature and all. But if she's got questions, well, he's not closing her off. If anything it seems he's expecting her to say something, she usually talks more than him anyway.

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
Pink tinges Willow's cheeks. That much has remained the same. Freckles dotting their way along her nose and cheeks as the pink rises. "No, you were never scary. It's just... okay, this is /all/ scary. Doesn't it bother you any? Like what if you walked in here and you looked at me and went, 'nope' I was just remembering a thing that isn't there. Or like I looked at you and..."

Her head ducks as she remembers herself, and still blushing, but smiling now, she offers, "Oh gosh, it's good to see you. You're just like I remembered. Except maybe for the beads. And I don't know, you look like you grew an inch or two." Or filled out, or something. He wasn't a gangly teen anymore.

Daniel Osborn has posed:
Oz laughs a bit, his smile widening just a little. "I'm still me," he says. "Remember that. I am me, you are you, and the world is the world." He takes a sip from his coffee, before turning his attention back to Willow. When she mentions the beads he nods slightly. "Tibet," he says. "I don't transform anymore. You haven't changed either, you know. Still worrying about the little things, just like I remember."

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
Her smile is a brilliant thing, lighting her face. "But they're not little things!" Willow protests. "At least not to me." But she has to admit of the group it was her who fretted over these things more than any other. And yet, surprisingly, some of the bigger details she was utterly zen about. She was a contradiction in terms.

"There's five pounds more of me than the last time you saw me." Willow makes a face. "Pizza and pasta are cheap, and we're broke a lot." We being she and Buffy. "But we have the nicest apartment! And there's a park right outside the front door - well, the side door, but you know what I mean. And there are trees everywhere. I can go out at night and sit beneath them and think. Its.. well, the neighbourhood could be better, but it is cheap. They're trying to make it better."

Daniel Osborn has posed:
Oz nods, and, even though he doesn't say it, it seems he thinks that sounds wonderful. The thought of her going out at night has him considering, but he half shrugs. "You should help." He's referring to the neighborhood, of course. After all, if she thinks it could be better, couldn't she do something to make it better. The point about her saying they're important things she worries about causes his smile to quirk up into a slight smirk, it really is the same Willow he remembered after all.

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
"Oh, I'm, well, I'm not sure? I mean, I guess if I saw things I'd have to do something, but to be honest, oh gosh, I've been so busy lately." And she has been! "I got a B minus. Me. A B minus."

Willow makes a small face of disgust. "I guess it was a good reason why, but I feel so.." She stops herself, because she remembers who she's talking to: Oz. Oz who'd failed his final year of high school and had to repeat the entire thing. He wasn't exactly a target audience to appreciate Willow's single B, or even consider it remotely close to failing or a reason to lament. Even if she did.

"How are you?" Because now that she's paused to take a breath it occurs to the young woman that she hasn't ask, and she suddenly wants to know.

Daniel Osborn has posed:
Willow, getting a B, very surprising. Oz not caring that much, considerably less so, though he can't help but laugh, just a little bit, at her antics. "Well," he says, "Definitely on the side of good. Better now than before." He doesn't ask, but he's curious of the same for Willow. How have these last few months been for her? They've certainly been hard for him. There's been things he's missed, and of course Willow was one of them.

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
"That's a curious thing to say," Willow says with a small smile, breaking her biscotti in half and offering Daniel one of the pieces. "Definitely on the side of good. Oh, I saw Spike the other day. He brought me a book." It might sound like she'd been seeing him around all along, but in truth he'd gone underground for dome time too. The reappearance of both men at the same time was.. interesting to say the least.

"And no fair laughing. I've never gotten a B before, let alone a B minus. I feel like I'm stupid or something." Of course the reason for that mark had been the number of lectures and study hours she'd missed by helping out with Superman's disappearance. Not to mention a whole midterm she'd not been able to make up for 'not informing prior' - and while she could have begged a note of excuse from someone in the Justice League, she supposed, Willow's red haired heritage had reared up stubbornly and refused for no reason that Willow could explain to herself. "Anyway, I'm taking a makeup summer course over at Mount Royal."

Daniel Osborn has posed:
"You still passed," Oz says. It's true, he had. "I saw him too," he says. "He's still Spike." Well, it's true, Spike is...Spike, what else is there to say? "There are more important things than school," he says, his tone and smile a knowing one, as if he understood what she was doing. Taking a summer course almost doesn't surprise him, even though she actually passed the class, and still passed with above a C at that.

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
"Yeah, I guess he's still.. him." Willow wasn't sure what she expected of Spike. But then again, he also wasn't Spike in that he'd seemed genuinely interested in that she should accept his gift and, more, be pleased with him about it. Like it mattered to him, not mattered because of some nefarious plan - of which Spike was never lacking.

"What do you mean I passed?" Willow nose crinkles up in sincere confusion. "It was a B. A B minus even. I can't get into any grad schools with marks like that. As it is they'll see I did a makeup, and unless I cover an extra year and they take my bottom 5 off it's going to haunt me for forever."

Willow heaves a sigh and dips her biscotti half into her coffee, stirring it around before munching on the now damp thing. "At least we saved - actually, I'm not even sure if I'm allowed to talk about that yet. But I was doing this thing. Oh my gosh, Oz, I went to Apokolips. And don't tell Xander, but I totally went Palpatine on someone. It was great!"

Until she remembers that lightning is bad magic (maybe) and she's not supposed to be that kind of a girl, and here she is confessing that she's totally been making like a DArk Force user and liking it.

Daniel Osborn has posed:
Oz chuckles when she frets over her grades, lips quirking again. Yes, this is definitely the Willow he remembers. He dips his own biscotti, more or less doing the same thing she did and taking a bite. When she mentions the lightning thing, he actually frowns, just slightly, a concerned look, but it's mixed with thoughtfulness. "Just be careful," he says. He may not know much about magic, but he knows enough to know things could get ugly if she isn't. And he really wouldn't want to see that, he likes Willow the way she is, thank you very much.

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
Willow blinks at him, "Be careful?" She seems truly puzzled as to what she's supposed to be careful of. Until, "Oh, the lightning." Worrying at her lower lip, Willow nods. "John's pretty good at making sure I"m not too tempted by things I shouldn't be. Something something about learning by his mistakes. You'd like him, I think."

Daniel Osborn has posed:
Oz offers a smile. "New friend?" he asks. "What's changed?" He, of course, means what's changed around here since he left so suddenly. The only one besides Willow he's seen is Spike, and, even though there's some differences he's noticed, like Willow, he's still Spike.

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
"New friend?" Again Willow is confused, until she remembers, Oz wasn't here. He wouldn't know. "OH! No. Giles had to go on an assignment or something. John is our new Watcher. John Constantine. He's... different." And by the say she says it, she's not sure if she appreciates all his differences. "He knows his stuff, though, even if he pretends that he doesn't. He was helping with the other thing, too, and he kind of decided I needed a Keeper. And by Keeper he means a mentor keeping a closer eye on me. But I am learning a lot of new things."

Sort of. So far they'd been too busy for full on lessons - anything she'd learned had been a direct response to their needs in saving Superman.

Daniel Osborn has posed:
Oz nods, with a slight chuckle. "Oh. He worries about you too." His smile widens slightly. "So, I guess something's different." He looks at Willow, in thought again, not unusual for him.

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
"Of course he worries about me, it's his job. I'm not sure how or what, but I think he said Giles tricked him into a binding? He hasn't tried to escape us yet, so it must have been something."

She looks worried, then, "What's wrong?"

Daniel Osborn has posed:
"Why would anything be wrong?" Oz says, confused. In the years she's known him, has she still not realized he's just a thinker? But he shrugs slightly. He does let a bit of his worry for her show through, though he doesn't say anything. He is worried about her, and what will happen if she goes too far with her magic. What if the magic really did take over? What would he do then? But he sets that asside for now, his smile returning. "It's good to be home," he finally says.

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
"MMm, I don't know. You just seemed like maybe you didn't know me for a minute." She smiles, but pauses in her talking to him while Italo brings over the promised sandwiches, Willow trying ineffectually to protest, knowing all the while the man would insist. In the end he wins, and the couple have panini thick with various cold cuts, provolone, and seedy mustard.

When the propietor has left, having checked up on Willow and satisfied she's okay, Willow continues, "Lots has changed since you left. Things that weren't really easy to put into a letter. I don't know. It doesn't feel like so much has changed, but seeing you, and remembering how things were, it's like a lifetime ago." Adding, softly, "Like you. You learned to control yourself? That's.."

She hasn't words, so she shrugs helplessly.

Daniel Osborn has posed:
He smiles, holding out a hand to gently place overtop hers. "The world is always changing," he says. "And we have to change with it. But that doesn't mean we're different. We've spent months apart, but it doesn't mean we can't make up for the time we lost. Oh, sandwiches. These look good." He looks down at the sandwiches and grins. "You first. Tell me if they're as good as they look."

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
Daniel's hand is allowed to stay over her own, Willow nodding to those words thoughtfully. It was nothing but true - the world was always changing. Sometimes for the better. Sometimes not.

"I.. when you say making up for lost time, what do you mean, exactly?" Willow's words were cautious. As for the sandwiches, she grins impishly, "I know they're good. I've had them before. Sometimes they give them to me for free because they know I'm usually broke. Yay, welcome to university at a college you didn't get a scholarship for."

It wasn't that Willow regretted that choice, but it had certainly impacted her lifestyle. Not that she'd have been living it up in another city, regardless of scholarships.

Daniel Osborn has posed:
Oz can't help but laugh, offering a slight smile. "Should've been a musician," he says. "Then you can be broke and travel the country at the same time." He grins, picking up a sandwich. "I'll take your word for it," he says, before taking a bite and nodding. "Definitely good," he says. Making up for lost time, that causes him to pause. "Well, we've been apart for over half a year now," he says, "and, since high school ended, we haven't seen each other as much." It was true, they had gone on to do other things, but it's clear he wants to change that now, possibly put their relationship back together, the way it was before.

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
Willow takes up her own sandwich, notably lacking the meat of Oz's, but with extra slices of differing cheeses and some thinly sliced vegetables that wouldn't rightly be on one of these sandwiches, and takes a rather large bite. Like larger than you'd expect someone of her size to take. Like you'd expect a linebacker after the final game to be chowing down kinda bite.

"Mmfph," Willow mouths around chewing, "But we're not in high school any more Oz. And even if we wrote, we're not.. I mean we haven't dated since then and writing isn't the same. You can't just show up and expect that no time has passed like you were gone to the beach for the weekend."

She looks slightly anxious about bringing this up, even if his comment about being a travelling musician makes her grin. "I don't sing very well, and I don't think you need a piano player."

Daniel Osborn has posed:
Oz playing the guitar with Willow accompanying on piano actually has him considering, a smile crossing his face. "We need to try that sometime," he says. When she mentions writing and all that, he does consider his words, taking a breath. "Then we see each other more," he says. "We have that ability. Bludhaven University isn't that far from Sunnydale." He looks at her, a mix of hope and expectancy, mostly hope, but that decision still rests in her hands. He's made what he wants clear enough, and it's true they're really not all that far apart, all things considered.

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
Willow happily devours her sandwich. You'd think the girl never eats (which could also be true).

"I think starting off with spending time together and getting to know one another is a great idea." Of course she has to add, "Just, I don't know. I don't want to rush things and regret them. You're here and not running off again, and even if you do, I just want us to be like regular people and figure this out by what happens, not by what we did in high school, or letters we wrote one another."

She's aware of what Oz wants, but these months away from the others, and even away from Buffy, including her recent antics with the Justice League, had left Willow aware that there was more to life, and she didn't want to just settle because what had gone on before didn't have these options.

"We'll still always be friends, right? No matter what?" Because that would be sad. "And try what? Me playing for you? Oh! With you. I think the community room in my building has a piano."

Daniel Osborn has posed:
Oz actually lets his smile widen, and he nods. "Of course we'll always be friends," he says, but when she mentions not rushing things, and there being more to life, something flashes across his face, is it pride? Or something similar? But it's gone as quickly as it came. "Okay," he says, "Okay. Just, don't forget what we had before." He lets his words hang in the air for a minute, and when she mentions them playing together he nods, smile widening again. They might make a pretty nice duo, after all, guitar and piano.

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
"That's silly, how could I forget?" Willow tilts her head and gives Oz a questioning smile. "We were friends and dated and stuff, why would I forget that. It doesn't mean that we're stuck in that. I mean, I want us to stay friends?" What a weird thing for him to say, but she understands. He wants what they had, and that's likely what he means.

"So, what are you going to be doing now that you're back? Or will you be travelling again." It occurred to her that he might. His return might only heralds trips to and from New York, picking up where he'd left off with his music. Then again, she had her schooling, and the mysteries she was tackling. Was she really so different?

Daniel Osborn has posed:
Oz half shrugs. "Getting the band back together," he says, "travelling around the area, playing gigs, you'll come back to the Bronze right?" He sighs, sometimes he does wish for high school again just for certain things, like what he had with Willow, the relationship with his other friends and the time they spent together, but he can't focus so much on the past, he has to move forward, to the new experiences, the things yet to come. "I'm not leaving again, not like I did." The way he says it, it's clear he means it. after all, there's no place like home, and he did miss home when he was gone. "Life is so short for most of us, too short to waste spending time away from the things most important to us."

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
"That will be nice," Willow agrees, about his staying nearby. And that life is too short. "But it's also too short not to take chances on things. I mean, if you got a chance to make it big, you wouldn't just stay here because, would you?"

Her recent dealings with the Justice League had opened Willow's eyes to potential, and the fact that it wasn't just people you could regret.

"And of course I'll be at the Bronze if you play there. D'uh. Who else is going to wave signs for you?" It's entirely likely Willow isn't joking about the signs. Likely hand lettered and hand painted, and saying something utterly ridiculous and embarassing just because she could. Or, possibly, because she didn't realize that it was. Either way, Willow was that kind of friend: there when you needed her.

Daniel Osborn has posed:
"If it meant leaving you behind, I wouldn't take it," Oz says. He's learned the hard way that being away from those you care about is hard. "Now, if you were to come with me." He offers a slight smile. He full on grins and laughs when she mentions signs, after all, he's seen her waving thos etypes of signs before, and if he could depend on one thing, it would definitely be those signs.

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
"You wouldn't be moving away, silly! And I don't mean go on a year long tour." Willow shakes her head, still grinning. She understands, though. Her time away from Buffy had been feeling like forever, too. Even if it had opened her eyes up to other possibilities in life.

"Go with you?" Willow has to consider that as if it were seriously offered. "I don't know? I mean, I still have school. And Buffy will come back sometime. And Sam and I are working on a job. Then there's.. " Oz is considered rather more seriously than Willow generally views life. "Hey, you aren't going to be stupid and live your life for me, are you? That's not good. I mean, it's not really fair to either of us."

It bears repeating, "I want to see where we are, Oz, but I can't promise you anything, and you keep talking like maybe you think there are promises?"

Daniel Osborn has posed:
"I didn't just mean you," he says, with a chuckle. "I hold onto hope, but I know there's no promises." Is he going to live his life for Willow? No? Okay, maybe? Forget it, he totally is, but he's not going to admit that to her. Love is a powerful thing, though, and he's holding onto it with whatever he's got. Sometimes being a deep person has its benefits, but sometimes, there's drawbacks as well. He's always thinking, of course, and his love for Willow still runs very deep, even after all this time. He just sighs, but smiles, not an entirely unhappy sigh. He really does seem to understand. No promises, just...hope. He focuses on his sandwich, and soon it's gone. But he's still listening, always listening.

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
There's a small sigh of relief to not be bearing that entire burden by herself, and with that sigh, Willow's smile braodens. "As long as it's not /just/ me. I mean, that would be a lot of responsibility. And I wouldn't want you to stay here just for me. I wouldn't want to feel guilty for leaving you behind either."

Says she who had made her entire university choice in sticking with her beste instead of leaving her behind. Only to have her beste pick up roots instead. Not that Buffy was permanently gone. Willow knew that, but she was aware that she was doing a little bit of pot calling kettle black here. Then again, Willow wasn't in love with Buffy... at least she didn't think so.

"I'm still deciding on my majors. They won't let me declare all the things I want. I have to narrow it down. Which is pretty silly, don't you think? If I take all the courses, why can't I declare them all. Only I can't seem to make up my mind. Probably just as well. I got really sidetracked by this Justice League thing."

Daniel Osborn has posed:
Oz nods, still listening, but seeming to go back to his silent, thoughtful self. When she mentions the burden he does offer a half shrug, and a smile, to let her know he's not alone. Of course when she starts talking about what she's going to do, he simply nods as he always does, but it's not where his interests lie, but he always listens because it's Willow. Everything she says is important to him. The Justice League thing has his interest peeked, though.

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
She's about to take another bite of her panini - it's nearly gone now, she's devoured it quickly! - when it occurs to her, "What about you, though. I Mean, you had the more interesting time while you were gone. I was just doing the usual stuff here. You said you learned to control yourself?"

Which seemed to her he'd want to be broadcasting the feat!

"You have beads too. Prayer beads, right?" Only Oz didn't seem the sort.

Daniel Osborn has posed:
"We'll dance under the light of the full moon," he responds, with the lightest of smirks. When she mentions the prayer beads again he fingers them absent-mindedly, with a slight nod. "Tibet. It's where I went." He closes his eyes, entering a state of deep thought, or meditation, or both, suddenly looking incredibly peaceful.

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
Willow lets him have his moment, waiting for him to resurface and tell her about it all. There had been the letters, but they'd not gone into details. And they certainly hadn't touched upon this! But he did look peaceful, which was different than when he'd left.

It was nice to see.

Daniel Osborn has posed:
Oz opens his eyes, smiling, before looking into hers, his smile widening slightly. "It was tough," he says. "At first, anyway. But it was worth it. I don't have to be afraid of it anymore." He leans back, letting out a happy sigh, before taking a sip of his coffee, which...isn't as hot as it was when he got it, that's for sure.

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
Willow nods slowly, not that she follows any of that, given he's not really told her anything. At least not anything she couldn't have guessed on her own. She decides he must not want to talk about it, then. That perhaps he'll divulge more another day.

"Well, I'm glad you're back. I shouldn't be too much longer, though. I have homework to hand in tomorrow. And I want to drop in on someone and see how they're doing." She remembers a thing and Ohs! "Do you have place now that you're back? I have your number, but not your new addess."

Daniel Osborn has posed:
Oz considers, shaking his head. "Not yet," he says. "Staying at mom and dad's for a bit, I know I'm welcome there. You know where that is." Of course, her moving on but not seeming satisfied does have him a little confused, what more did she want to know? But he shakes his head slightly. "What about you? Maybe I'll come visit?" He offers a smile. And, after all, he has transportation, so it wouldn't be that hard for him.

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
Willow happily writes down her address on a napkin, as though she's forgotten she could merely text it to him. "You'll have to be rung in by the doorman, and text first in case I'm not home, but that's where I live." Laughing at his saying he hasn't a place. "Your parents place is a place." Even if it's not really the most optimal, and he likely wants somewhere of his own.

"You should see if you can get on the waiting list for the building I'm in. The rents are subsidized." Of course that might lead to the awkward of the pair living in the same building, but really she's just trying to help him out, and not thinking of the other. Willow pauses, and gives Oz a long look, "I'm glad you're back. It feels a lot more like old times. But I should really go now."

Daniel Osborn has posed:
Oz nods, with a slightly sad smile. "You forgot how to text?" he asks, with a gesture to the napkin, but he quickly pulls out his phone and copies the address into it. He stands after that and nods, going to offer her a hug before she goes. "Let's try to see each other more, okay? When you went off to college, well," he leaves the rest unsaid, because it's pretty clear what happened, they lost touch, and then shortly after he left, but not aain. "I'll look into the place. If I lived there, we'd see each other way more."