Summary: The group goes out on a picnic and has a little needed fun.
Spoilers: Mild through the third season.
Disclaimer: All Joss, All the Time.
Rating: PG
This is for Karen, who wanted a happy fic to cheer her up. Happiness on
you!
by: Amy
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The air was sweet smelling and warm as the group settled themselves on the blanket to eat. They were in the middle of the park, under a tree, and Oz watched Willow with rapture as she seemed to delight in the butterflies that were gracing them with their presence. As Buffy unpacked the food for the picnic, Willow made soft cooing sounds, to entice the butterflies onto her outstretched fingers.
When none of them landed, Oz captured that precious hand in his own and pressed it softly with his. Willow turned to him with a smile, a smile filled with butterflies and the warm, breezy summer. His heart melted a little and leaned forward to give her a kiss.
Turning back to the lunch that was being assembled, Oz raised his eyebrows at Xander. Most of the food that had been spread out was various snack cakes and cookies. Xander looked at him in mock offense before dropping his eyes.
"Yeah, okay, it was me. But you should never ask me to bring food!" he defended.
Willow laughed and began unpacking her own basket, much to the relief of everyone else gathered. "Fortunately, I knew that about you, and brought some *real* food."
Giles looked abashed, "Well, it's not my fault that I didn't assume Xander would only bring things to clog our arteries."
Buffy giggled and started handing out the paper plates. "In the years that you've known him, Giles, what have you seen him eat? ....I thought Watcher's were supposed to be observant and stuff." Giles paused, thinking, then turned to Xander with a concerned look. "Come to think of it, I've never seen you eat something that you can't have delivered to your door, or that one can pronounce the ingredients to. That's quite unhealthy, Xander."
Xander grinned and began stuffing a Twinkie in his mouth. "Yeah," he shot back through a mouthful of dessert, "But still I manage to keep in shape."
Cordelia grinned softly and patted his stomach. "Yeah, somehow he does."
Xander pulled her down to him, his eyes twinkling. He began kissing her soundly, only to be interrupted with an "oh, great," from Buffy and Cordelia pulling back, indignant.
"Xander, I'm not going to kiss you while you still have food in your mouth. That's disgusting."
Giles started dishing out the various meals that Willow had selected: Fried chicken, cole slaw, blueberry muffins, a variety of sandwiches, potato salad, and chips. Giles held up a plastic baggy and then turned to Willow with questioning eyes.
She blushed, shrugging. "I like sauteed mushrooms, okay? And they go with everything," she pointed out brightly. Buffy laughed and took the baggy, opening it and tasting one. She looked at Willow, surprised.
"Hey, these are good. But, Will, you even burn cookies," she protested. The group began to eat in earnest as Willow looked at her boyfriend proudly and he ducked his head.
"Oz made them," she announced. "He's a really good cook! You should taste his filet mignon!"
Xander sat upright suddenly, causing Cordelia to topple to the blanket in a heap. She looked at him, annoyed. "Hey, I was using that shoulder!"
He ignored her. "You cook?" he asked Oz excitedly. "You could cook for me. I've always wanted to try a good filet mignon. I've always wanted to try any filet mignon. ...What's filet mignon? Is it like cookies?"
Cordelia tossed her hair and dragged him back down so that she could use his shoulder as her pillow. "No, dweeb," she informed him regally, "It's steak. The finest steak." Xander's smile dropped and he leaned into Cordelia.
"Well, that's okay, man," he told Oz sympathetically. "I'm sure you'll get better at it in time."
Oz laughed and finished off his drumstick. He caught Willow's eye and was pleased to see that she was looking at him fondly. He lowered his voice so that only she could hear him. "What?"
Her eyes were soft. "I just love you, that's all."
He nodded slowly, pulling her hand up to his mouth and kissing it. "Thanks to the powers that be for that one."
Standing, Giles brushed himself off. Muffin crumbs flew everywhere and he blushed at the laugh that came from the clique. He turned to Buffy. "I know you tend not to gain weight, but you really shouldn't eat such heavy foods. We're already late to--"
Willow noticed Buffy's face and cut him off. "Play hide and seek!"
Buffy looked at her, grateful, and then nodded. Xander and Cordelia sat up, interested. Oz broke the silence. "Well, that's pretty good exercise, Giles."
Giles sniffed, hiding a smile. "Sitting in cramped spaces is good exercise?" He looked down at the group, who were all staring at him with pleading faces. He sighed. "Fine, fine."
Buffy squealed. "Not it!"
Willow and Oz chimed in quickly after, "Not it!"
And then Xander and Cordelia, "Not it!"
Giles looked at them, his mouth agape. "Not only do we have to play this bloody game," he grumbled, "but I'm the... the 'it'?!" Buffy nodded brightly, giggling, and he turned his head toward the tree.
"I haven't played this game in a tremendous while, but this is the safe zone, and I'm only counting to fifty," he informed them before beginning. The others barely had time to share a surprised grin before running in opposite directions.
Willow's hair was flying behind her as she clung to Oz's hand and they ran. He kept up with her easily, and after a moment, she stopped, looked around, and ducked under a large tree. She got onto her stomach and silently gestured for him to do the same. He was surprised when she pushed aside a small bush to reveal a hole. She shushed him and then began to crawl underneath it. He followed her, wriggling under the small hole at the base. After he squeezed himself through, he stood and looked around in amazement.
"It's hollow," he whispered, awestruck at the beauty of it. The tree was still standing, but was almost completely hollow inside, and had vines and flowers growing on the bark walls. He glanced at Willow and smiled. She, too, had little white and purple flowers sticking out of her hair, making her look like a fairy or woodsprite.
Willow smiled back, and then explained. "When I was little, Xander and Jesse and I would come to this park to play hide and seek for hours. I never had to be 'it' because nobody ever found me. I never told anyone about it, not until now."
Oz was touched, and he took her in his arms before they sat down on the dirt beneath them. Enfolding her warmly, he asked, "How did you find it?"
She paused, a remembering smile caressing her face. "I was playing with a tennis ball... Bouncing it against the tree. I think I was nine or ten. Xander and Jesse were out at a basketball game with Jesse's dad, and I was bored. Anyway, I threw it really hard and it ricocheted off this tree, to the other, and it rolled under the hole. I thought it was just underneath the brush, but when I reached, my hand went farther than I had expected it to."
He grinned and held her tightly to him. The sound of Giles's footsteps became louder, and they could hear him mumbling under his breath. "Great, old man. You teach the girl to be fast and she uses it against you in a game of... hide and seek? Why did I agree to play this game anyway??"
Willow began to giggle and tried to stifle the sound. But the more she tried to hold it in, the harder it became to do so and she was beginning to turn red with the effort. Oz looked at her, only able to think of one thing that would get her mind off the fact that Giles could find them at any moment.
He kissed her.
The giggling stopped and Willow reached up to softly stroke his face. The kiss began lightly, but was soon hard and sweet and heated. Oz wrapped his arms around her waist as they rolled around on the dirt. His lips plundered hers easily, and she kissed him back, all love and passion and happy summer days mixed together. The sound of Xander talking interrupted them, and they broke away, breathless.
"I'm *always* it," he whined. "I knew we shouldn't have played in this park, Giles. Willow must have the best hiding place in the world, because she was never once the person who had to look for the others. Fine, we'll start again."
The group began to call out, "Willow, Oz!!"
Oz looked at Willow, who was laying on top of him, and raised his eyebrows. "Should we come out?"
Willow smiled impishly, making quite a pretty picture, flowers in her hair and a dirt smudge on her cheek making her seem no less pure than before, but much more wild and free. She kissed him lightly.
"No," she said after a moment. "I like this game much better."
The End