buffy will patrol tonight

OMG! Yall…. I apologize.

This spring was my last semester of college!!! Super exciting but crazy busy. That combined with the disappointing pittering out of stranger things made me log off for a while.

But now I’ve graduated and my creative juices are flowing!! I’m ready to plug in again. I’m hoping to get back into some of my old fics and make some new content!

Anyway, I apologize for ghosting and I’m happy to be back

“Every Mile Brings You A Little Closer”

____

“Yeah,” he nods, playing with the strap of her dress, eyes on her collarbone in a rare display of shyness. “I’m driving up to Cambridge to help Dustin get moved into his dorm in a few weeks. I could, I don't know- make a trip out of it.”

He’s thought about this. The thought makes Nancy giddy and terrified in equal measure, forcing an anxious giggle from behind closed lips.

Steve stops short, his expression falling in disappointment until he catches sight of the soft look in Nancy’s eyes. “Nance,” he grins- small, secretive. “I’m serious. You, me, a whole long weekend. You can show me the city, y’know? The Herald, Fenway Park, that gardening museum you talked about.”

Nancy smiles at that. “The Gardner Museum?”

“Yeah, that.” He’s devilishly handsome when he’s smirking like that, with his eyes fixed on hers, practically golden. “Or we can lock ourselves in your room for three days straight. Whatever you want.”

“Steve…” she whispers, leaning forward on tiptoes to press her lips to his- a short but insistent kiss. “That sounds nice. Really nice.”

“But?”

“Every Mile Brings You A Little Closer”

____

“This place is pretty insane,” Nancy muses, aiming for levity as her eyes wander the property; the expansive yard, the water features, the guest house next to the rose bushes. “Too perfect to touch.”

The sentiment extends to more than rose bushes.

“Did you hear Robin say that George Washington actually lived here?” Steve says, a note of endearing wonder to his expression that makes Nancy giggle.

“I think she was messing with you, Steve,” Nancy crinkles her nose, hiding a grin.

“Every Mile Brings You A Little Closer”

“What is the deal with you right now?” Steve asks after a long moment of looking at her like she’s an alien creature (and they know a thing or two about those).

She widens her eyes, shrugs sweetly, chews on her stirrer and sucks up the rest of her watered-down vodka.

“There’s no deal. You packed up your entire life and moved to Massachusetts without telling me- what’s your ‘deal’?”

His mouth parts in shock and something so close to hurt that it makes Nancy’s stomach clench. With a contemplative tilt of his head he replies, “Last time I checked, we’re not friends, Nancy. That was something you decided, remember?”

___

Post-epilogue

“you and me babe, how about it?”

_____

Without the blue glow of the TV, Nancy is cast warmly by lamplight. Softer, more shadowed than before, allowing him to make out the bruised circles under her eyes. Her bottom lip is red and bitten from being constantly pulled between her teeth.

She's finally looking at him, poorly-mustered frustration bleeding more into disappointment as she says, “Are you going to ignore me for the entire hour?”

“Actually, it’s-“ He glances at his watch “Forty-nine minutes now.”

Fuck you, Nancy’s expression says clearly, though she’s completely silent.