December 31st
He walked out of the Bronze, looking stoic as ever. His feet echoed on the street. All alone out there, everyone else was partying. It was New Years after all. Maybe that was the problem.
Seeing Willow all over those girls wasn't appealing. They looked like a sweat mess of shimmering halter tops and tight pants. He thought she might have even kissed one or two of them when he was trying to avert his eyes from the disgusting display.
That's what happened to her once she'd had a few drinks though. Always being generous sober made Will a much different type of generous in the presence of alcohol.
Oz stopped near a bench. Sitting to think. This year had been such a mess for him. The werewolf thing, the occasional relationship bumps, and no one to understand him. Xander was there, but he was so different from Oz. Always joking and groping for attention.
He chanced a glance at his watch. Ten minutes until midnight and no one to kiss. The pensive boy laughed at himself. He couldn't believe that's what he was thinking about. No one to kiss.
There was so much more that was wrong with this picture. Not just tonight, but always, Oz had realized he constantly portrays the loner. He didn't know why. He was a friendly guy. Maybe too deep? No. Just a little misunderstood.
My New Year's resolution is to de-stoifise myself, he thought to himself sarcastically.
"Hey." Oz said to the body approaching him from behind. Angel appeared confused once he'd seated himself next to the redhead. "Werewolf hearing." Oz tapped his left ear.
"Right." Angel looked like he was in the same place Oz was. His usually serious face was marred with worry. "Have you seen Buffy?"
Oz shook his head, "Wasn't at the Bronze. Don't worry about her though. She can definitely take care of herself."
The vampire knew this already. He always knew it, but it didn't make him worry any less. She was probably off with some hormonal boy from her school. Just the thought made Angel's features darken even more.
"I take it your New Years has sucked just about as much as mine." Oz picked at his thumb nail.
Angel scrunched his eyebrows together, "It's New Years?"
Oz laughed. "Yeah, I guess being alive as long as you, these things don't mean much. But it'll be next year in about," he adjusted his watch so it was back on top of his wrist, "five minutes."
"You know, the last New Years I remember was when I was with Spike, Dru and Darla. We were in England. Made a mess of some socialite party." He chuckled. "That was a night to remember."
"Bet you and Darla had one bloody-mouthed make out as soon as Big Ben struck twelve." Oz was still stuck on the fact that him and Willow would be missing out on the traditional couple kiss. He guessed he should be used to it by now, since they were anything but a normal couple.
Angel shook his head, "No... that was a very... different midnight for all of us." Oz was somewhat intrigued by this, but didn't care to be nosey and push him for information.
"Well, in three minutes you're going to be like 1,020 old man." Angel laughed and punched Oz in the arm, in a playful way that Oz often used with Willow.
Was that... flirtation? Oz mused to himself, but shrugged it off as nothing. "Where's Willow?" Angel asked looking around, feeling stupid that he hadn't asked sooner.
"In some sort of lesbian dance pit." Oz sounded bitter.
Angel shrugged, "No one to kiss then?"
Okay, he's definitely hitting on me. "What did you mean by a 'very different' midnight?" Oz's voice verged on nervous.
"What time is it?" Angel asked. Oz was miffed at the avoidance of his question, but he supposed he shouldn't have asked it in the first place.
"It's--" His voice was drowned out by loud counting from the Bronze.
TEN.
Angel scooted closer to Oz on the bench, "Do you really want to know?"
NINE.
Oz nodded, but couldn't speak. He was trying to second guess what Angel was talking about, but his head was getting a bit foggy.
EIGHT.
The vampire slid his arm around the werewolves shoulders. "I guess..."
SEVEN.
"...If you really want to know." Angel began to lean in.
SIX.
Oz couldn't move. Wouldn't move. He found himself wanting this. Maybe to spite Willow. But more out of the fact that here was someone just like him. Someone who could understand the way he was.
FIVE.
Angel paused a breath away from Oz's, "Still want to know?"
FOUR.
"More than I did before," the younger man sounded seductive. This made Angel upset that he had to wait a whole three more seconds to finish what they were in the middle of.
THREE.
Eyes connected. Two emotional boys with terrific hair were poised for the kiss on a bench outside a crowded club.
TWO.
Angel couldn't wait any longer, he leaned in, sealing the final centimeter of space between their lips.
ONE.
The vampire slid his tongue into Oz's mouth. This is where Oz melted into a pile of goo. He wanted so much more than just this. But before he could say so, or do so, Angel pulled away.
"Happy New Year." With that, he did what he did best. Disappeared.