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snoggedI'm very excited to bring you the next installment of my Riley/Willow fic :) Hope you enjoy it!
Title: Mission X (2/?)
Author: snogged
Disclaimer: Joss Whedon and Co. own the characters of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I don’t.
Pairing: Willow/Riley
Word Count: 1729
Overall Rating/Warnings: FRT-13/PG-13 (will be FRAO/NC-17 in later chapters); language, angst, drama, violence, het sex, sexual innuendo.
Setting: AU! Season 6. Parts of this story come from the established canon plot lines and others are my own desire to twist things my way.
Summary: When Riley comes back to Sunnydale, he stays for a reason that’s not Buffy.
Beta: the diligent Gabrielle and the lovely![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
angelskuuipo
A/N: This is my second foray into a guilty pleasure pairing of mine, and I’m looking forward to exploring the possibilities as this story moves along.
Previous Chapters
All things considered, Sam handled the news of their imminent separation quite well. It helped immensely that they were pumping buckshot into the ugly, shelled bodies of the Suvolte babies when he told her that he needed to stay behind to monitor the “Doctor.” By Iowa’s grace, he was able to convince her that the “Doctor” was no longer a threat that needed to be eliminated, but further observation was still required by order of General Huth.
Sam knew better than to argue against orders that came directly from the highest officer in Special Ops, so she joked about cuddling up with a Sherpa to keep warm once she got to Nepal and promised to scream his name to the wind once she ascended the peak of Mount Everest.
Buffy seemed to buy his story too, but the instant she feigned girlish laughter and flirtatiously thrust her chest at him, Riley flinched. He imagined that as soon as Sam left, Buffy would try and rekindle whatever flame she thought might still be there. She would try to chase after something that she couldn’t find rolling around in the sheets with Spike. Any other day, he’d probably be willing to give her another shot but his new mission was too delicate for that.
***
An hour later, in the blinding light of a helicopter beam, Sam embraced him. She fit snugly in his arms and he took one last inhale of her scent, almost tasting the raspberries from her shampoo on his tongue. Before they parted, she pulled herself up on tiptoes and whispered in his ear: “Looks like the honeymoon’s over, soldier. You made a good partner and a good husband.”
He barely noticed her hand slip into his pocket until he felt the heavy weight of her wedding ring pressing against his thigh and felt the downshift of wind as the helicopter took off with Sam in tow.
If you love somebody, set them free…
Sam hadn’t even known the new details of his mission, hadn’t even known how much he would require his freedom in order to do what needed to be done. Riley blinked twice before turning his gaze on the Scoobies who had come with him to say goodbye to Sam. Among them was the girl who apparently required his careful expertise, the girl who was required to divulge all the secrets in her head to him so some military operation could dissect her and hang her out to dry.
Problem was she didn’t look like a mission, didn’t look like the Hostiles he’d spent so many years bagging and tagging. She looked like Willow. Sweet, innocent, mildly-threatening Willow. It stung a bit that he couldn’t offer her a more direct disclaimer, that he couldn’t tell her that he was wielding the shovel that could damage the reality of their friendship.
He shook his head, chastising himself for even imagining that this mission could go that far south. He was better than that and so was she. General Huth hadn’t said much more than ‘keep an eye on her’ so it wasn’t like she was going to get captured and caged anytime soon. Besides, she had made it pretty clear back at the house that she wasn’t using magic anymore. If he could ensure that she continued on that path, there wouldn’t need to be a threat.
A light smack on the shoulder made Riley realize that Xander had invaded his personal space, his face split wide with that toothy, charming smile that, at one time or another, had attracted every demon woman in this town. “Glad you’re sticking around, man. We could really use the extra muscle around here. Plus, you’re just in time for the biggest bash of the century.”
“Xander,” Anya hissed, rushing towards them with a dawning realization widening her hazel eyes. Her fingers slipped around the crook of Xander’s elbow, her voice a mixture of pleading and commanding: “Ask him.”
“Uh…,” Xander blanched, clearly not on the same wavelength his fiancée was.
“What Xander means to say,” Anya said. “Is that you need to rent a tux. Artie can’t be a groomsman anymore and to the best of my knowledge, you don’t have any scales or a need for water-absorbent fabric so his won’t fit you.”
“Right,” Xander murmured, flashing back to the moment earlier that day when Anya had told him why Artie wouldn’t be making it to the wedding; he instantly shuddered. Why anyone would want to serve Artie up as a filet dinner was beyond him.
Riley nodded, not interested in probing them for any more information about Artie. Renting a tux would not be an issue; one of the perks of government work. “Sure thing. Won’t be a problem at all.”
“I’m so glad you’re staying!” Dawn chirped, launching herself into his arms and wrapping her arms around his neck in a tight embrace. It was a different reaction than the one he’d gotten from her when he’d arrived, but it was certainly a welcome one. She might have been the quintessential annoying kid sister, but her hugs were top notch and her bright smile was infectious.
“Couldn’t agree more, Dawnie. It’ll be good to get my hands dirty with the demon goo in this place.” He paused, glancing over at Anya, who looked supremely offended. “Promise to keep my hands off the ones we know, though.”
But once she detached herself from him, Riley saw that look of expectation in her large blue eyes. The one that secretly encouraged him to go have himself a reunion with Buffy. The one that longed so hard and so much for any sort of happily ever after because she’d never seen her parents have one. He’d seen her give the same look to Willow and Tara, the same look to Anya and Xander. But he didn’t share her wishes and he hoped against all odds that she wouldn’t be too disappointed about it.
“Shall we?” Buffy asked, arms akimbo as she tapped her foot impatiently against the pavement. Saying goodbye to Riley’s wife had been fine and dandy and all, but since Riley hadn’t made a move to rekindle their old romance the way her exes always did, she was left with a deep sense of agitation.
The small group assembled itself into a walking pattern and Riley lagged behind in order to match pace with Willow.
“It is good to have you back,” Willow said quietly. “Buffy could really use someone to cheer her up. Demon world has made her pretty on edge lately.”
“Not really here for Buffy, actually,” Riley replied. “I mean, I think I’ll always have a place in my heart for her, but I just sent my wife to Nepal. It’s a little early to go jumping into someone else’s bed, don’t you think?”
“Oh…I didn’t mean…I wasn’t…I mean…I…,” Willow stuttered, feeling caught in a web of words that she couldn’t find a coherent sentence in. Her cheeks burned with embarrassment and she felt awful for even suggesting that he was capable of doing such a shady thing. If she’d been wearing his shoes, and it had been Tara going off to some foreign land, she certainly wouldn’t have run off to the local gay bar to nail the hottest lesbian in town. “I wasn’t expecting you to do that... I’m sorry for even bringing it up in the first place.”
“It’s all right, Willow,” Riley said, hoping to sound reassuring instead of placating. If he wanted to succeed at this, he needed her to believe that he was someone she could trust whole-heartedly, not just someone who made a habit out of tangling limbs with her best friend. “I can see how you might think that. Buffy and I were very close once upon a time, but I think we both have made some pretty significant changes in our lives and I don’t really see an ‘us’ forming again anytime soon.”
“Oh,” Willow replied, still feeling like a gray cloud of dumb was hovering over her head.
That’s when Riley decided to change the subject. “So, how are things between you and Tara?”
Willow flinched, remembering that there had been one friend in her life that didn’t know how low she’d sunk. She only hoped that he wouldn’t become her enemy once the truth came out. “Being addicted to magic kinda threw the most gigantic wrench imaginable into our relationship. She…she couldn’t love me like that. Not that I really loved me like that either. And it’s been hard, you know, staying away from it cold turkey but I keep on turning over that new leaf. I’m new leaf flavored.”
This took him back to the night before when he’d wanted to go after her, when he’d wanted to talk to her about how hard it had been for him to overcome the addiction to being bitten by vampires, how disgusted he’d felt with himself for surrendering to such a reckless need for some kind of sick adrenaline rush.
“I’ve been there, Willow. It may not have been the same kind of hurting or the same kind of craving. But I remember how messed up I felt, how I’d screwed up a good thing and became a junkie. And I remember how much it helped to have people backing me up and supporting me, so if you’re interested, I’d like to offer my services. Though I can’t promise I’ll don a cheerleading costume or anything…”
Willow laughed at the image of Riley holding pom-poms, but her expression quickly returned to thoughtfulness. She felt surprised by how willing and genuine he sounded to step in where others had sorta backed out. It occurred to her that it wasn’t the first time that Riley had stepped into rescue her. It was because of him that she hadn’t wound up in an early grave as a flattened pancake after she found Oz cheating on her. So she almost owed it to him to say yes because he’d probably do it without her approval anyways. That’s what GI Joes were supposed to do.
“Don’t feel like you have to, but you can if you want…”
Riley grinned, pleased that she so easily opened the door for him and eager to make sure that she stuck to her guns and stayed clean from magic.
Task One complete.
Chapter Three
Title: Mission X (2/?)
Author: snogged
Disclaimer: Joss Whedon and Co. own the characters of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I don’t.
Pairing: Willow/Riley
Word Count: 1729
Overall Rating/Warnings: FRT-13/PG-13 (will be FRAO/NC-17 in later chapters); language, angst, drama, violence, het sex, sexual innuendo.
Setting: AU! Season 6. Parts of this story come from the established canon plot lines and others are my own desire to twist things my way.
Summary: When Riley comes back to Sunnydale, he stays for a reason that’s not Buffy.
Beta: the diligent Gabrielle and the lovely
angelskuuipoA/N: This is my second foray into a guilty pleasure pairing of mine, and I’m looking forward to exploring the possibilities as this story moves along.
Previous Chapters
All things considered, Sam handled the news of their imminent separation quite well. It helped immensely that they were pumping buckshot into the ugly, shelled bodies of the Suvolte babies when he told her that he needed to stay behind to monitor the “Doctor.” By Iowa’s grace, he was able to convince her that the “Doctor” was no longer a threat that needed to be eliminated, but further observation was still required by order of General Huth.
Sam knew better than to argue against orders that came directly from the highest officer in Special Ops, so she joked about cuddling up with a Sherpa to keep warm once she got to Nepal and promised to scream his name to the wind once she ascended the peak of Mount Everest.
Buffy seemed to buy his story too, but the instant she feigned girlish laughter and flirtatiously thrust her chest at him, Riley flinched. He imagined that as soon as Sam left, Buffy would try and rekindle whatever flame she thought might still be there. She would try to chase after something that she couldn’t find rolling around in the sheets with Spike. Any other day, he’d probably be willing to give her another shot but his new mission was too delicate for that.
***
An hour later, in the blinding light of a helicopter beam, Sam embraced him. She fit snugly in his arms and he took one last inhale of her scent, almost tasting the raspberries from her shampoo on his tongue. Before they parted, she pulled herself up on tiptoes and whispered in his ear: “Looks like the honeymoon’s over, soldier. You made a good partner and a good husband.”
He barely noticed her hand slip into his pocket until he felt the heavy weight of her wedding ring pressing against his thigh and felt the downshift of wind as the helicopter took off with Sam in tow.
If you love somebody, set them free…
Sam hadn’t even known the new details of his mission, hadn’t even known how much he would require his freedom in order to do what needed to be done. Riley blinked twice before turning his gaze on the Scoobies who had come with him to say goodbye to Sam. Among them was the girl who apparently required his careful expertise, the girl who was required to divulge all the secrets in her head to him so some military operation could dissect her and hang her out to dry.
Problem was she didn’t look like a mission, didn’t look like the Hostiles he’d spent so many years bagging and tagging. She looked like Willow. Sweet, innocent, mildly-threatening Willow. It stung a bit that he couldn’t offer her a more direct disclaimer, that he couldn’t tell her that he was wielding the shovel that could damage the reality of their friendship.
He shook his head, chastising himself for even imagining that this mission could go that far south. He was better than that and so was she. General Huth hadn’t said much more than ‘keep an eye on her’ so it wasn’t like she was going to get captured and caged anytime soon. Besides, she had made it pretty clear back at the house that she wasn’t using magic anymore. If he could ensure that she continued on that path, there wouldn’t need to be a threat.
A light smack on the shoulder made Riley realize that Xander had invaded his personal space, his face split wide with that toothy, charming smile that, at one time or another, had attracted every demon woman in this town. “Glad you’re sticking around, man. We could really use the extra muscle around here. Plus, you’re just in time for the biggest bash of the century.”
“Xander,” Anya hissed, rushing towards them with a dawning realization widening her hazel eyes. Her fingers slipped around the crook of Xander’s elbow, her voice a mixture of pleading and commanding: “Ask him.”
“Uh…,” Xander blanched, clearly not on the same wavelength his fiancée was.
“What Xander means to say,” Anya said. “Is that you need to rent a tux. Artie can’t be a groomsman anymore and to the best of my knowledge, you don’t have any scales or a need for water-absorbent fabric so his won’t fit you.”
“Right,” Xander murmured, flashing back to the moment earlier that day when Anya had told him why Artie wouldn’t be making it to the wedding; he instantly shuddered. Why anyone would want to serve Artie up as a filet dinner was beyond him.
Riley nodded, not interested in probing them for any more information about Artie. Renting a tux would not be an issue; one of the perks of government work. “Sure thing. Won’t be a problem at all.”
“I’m so glad you’re staying!” Dawn chirped, launching herself into his arms and wrapping her arms around his neck in a tight embrace. It was a different reaction than the one he’d gotten from her when he’d arrived, but it was certainly a welcome one. She might have been the quintessential annoying kid sister, but her hugs were top notch and her bright smile was infectious.
“Couldn’t agree more, Dawnie. It’ll be good to get my hands dirty with the demon goo in this place.” He paused, glancing over at Anya, who looked supremely offended. “Promise to keep my hands off the ones we know, though.”
But once she detached herself from him, Riley saw that look of expectation in her large blue eyes. The one that secretly encouraged him to go have himself a reunion with Buffy. The one that longed so hard and so much for any sort of happily ever after because she’d never seen her parents have one. He’d seen her give the same look to Willow and Tara, the same look to Anya and Xander. But he didn’t share her wishes and he hoped against all odds that she wouldn’t be too disappointed about it.
“Shall we?” Buffy asked, arms akimbo as she tapped her foot impatiently against the pavement. Saying goodbye to Riley’s wife had been fine and dandy and all, but since Riley hadn’t made a move to rekindle their old romance the way her exes always did, she was left with a deep sense of agitation.
The small group assembled itself into a walking pattern and Riley lagged behind in order to match pace with Willow.
“It is good to have you back,” Willow said quietly. “Buffy could really use someone to cheer her up. Demon world has made her pretty on edge lately.”
“Not really here for Buffy, actually,” Riley replied. “I mean, I think I’ll always have a place in my heart for her, but I just sent my wife to Nepal. It’s a little early to go jumping into someone else’s bed, don’t you think?”
“Oh…I didn’t mean…I wasn’t…I mean…I…,” Willow stuttered, feeling caught in a web of words that she couldn’t find a coherent sentence in. Her cheeks burned with embarrassment and she felt awful for even suggesting that he was capable of doing such a shady thing. If she’d been wearing his shoes, and it had been Tara going off to some foreign land, she certainly wouldn’t have run off to the local gay bar to nail the hottest lesbian in town. “I wasn’t expecting you to do that... I’m sorry for even bringing it up in the first place.”
“It’s all right, Willow,” Riley said, hoping to sound reassuring instead of placating. If he wanted to succeed at this, he needed her to believe that he was someone she could trust whole-heartedly, not just someone who made a habit out of tangling limbs with her best friend. “I can see how you might think that. Buffy and I were very close once upon a time, but I think we both have made some pretty significant changes in our lives and I don’t really see an ‘us’ forming again anytime soon.”
“Oh,” Willow replied, still feeling like a gray cloud of dumb was hovering over her head.
That’s when Riley decided to change the subject. “So, how are things between you and Tara?”
Willow flinched, remembering that there had been one friend in her life that didn’t know how low she’d sunk. She only hoped that he wouldn’t become her enemy once the truth came out. “Being addicted to magic kinda threw the most gigantic wrench imaginable into our relationship. She…she couldn’t love me like that. Not that I really loved me like that either. And it’s been hard, you know, staying away from it cold turkey but I keep on turning over that new leaf. I’m new leaf flavored.”
This took him back to the night before when he’d wanted to go after her, when he’d wanted to talk to her about how hard it had been for him to overcome the addiction to being bitten by vampires, how disgusted he’d felt with himself for surrendering to such a reckless need for some kind of sick adrenaline rush.
“I’ve been there, Willow. It may not have been the same kind of hurting or the same kind of craving. But I remember how messed up I felt, how I’d screwed up a good thing and became a junkie. And I remember how much it helped to have people backing me up and supporting me, so if you’re interested, I’d like to offer my services. Though I can’t promise I’ll don a cheerleading costume or anything…”
Willow laughed at the image of Riley holding pom-poms, but her expression quickly returned to thoughtfulness. She felt surprised by how willing and genuine he sounded to step in where others had sorta backed out. It occurred to her that it wasn’t the first time that Riley had stepped into rescue her. It was because of him that she hadn’t wound up in an early grave as a flattened pancake after she found Oz cheating on her. So she almost owed it to him to say yes because he’d probably do it without her approval anyways. That’s what GI Joes were supposed to do.
“Don’t feel like you have to, but you can if you want…”
Riley grinned, pleased that she so easily opened the door for him and eager to make sure that she stuck to her guns and stayed clean from magic.
Task One complete.
Chapter Three