*****
Xander glanced around the cafeteria as he stepped inside. His eyes lit on a far table and he brightened, a grin splitting his face as he made his way across the room to his friend. "Hey!" he called.
Oz bit his lip lightly, then cast a quick look over Xander's shoulder before motioning for him to sit down.
Xander glanced over his shoulder in confusion. "Looking for someone?"
Oz shrugged. "Not really."
"Ahh. Don't tell me my girl's getting nervous on me."
An angry hiss came in response and Oz leaned across the table. His eyes were wide as he searched the vicinity for eavesdroppers. "I told you not to call me that."
"Whaaaat?" Xander reponded innocently. Seeing Oz's brow furrow, he put up a hand. "All right, all right," he conceded. "Oz it is." He dropped his eyes to Oz's plate, noting the half-eaten sandwhich with some interest. "What's for dinner?"
Oz grunted and pushed the plate away. "Tuna fish."
"Ooh."
"Go for it."
Without thinking, Xander snatched the sandwhich off of the plate. It wasn't until he'd brought it between his lips and prepared to bite down that he thought to double check with Oz. He lifted an eyebrow. "You sure?"
"Yeah, man," Oz assured him, waving a hand. "I can get something decent at Willow's tonight."
The sandwhich slid from Xander's grasp. He and Oz watched the tuna slathered bread slap the table, then lifted their eyes again to each other. Oz's chest tightened painfully as he saw the angry shock in his friend's eyes.
"You and Willow are back together."
Oz's replying tone was bordering on guilty. "We might be."
"Yesterday you hated her."
"That was yesterday."
Xander let out a frustrated growl and slammed a fist down on the table. The plate and silverware rattled, but the young man disregarded it, staring intently at the redhead across from him instead. "Are you going to tell me what's going on or make me play twenty questions?"
"It's nothing, Xand. Don't get so worked up about it." Oz waited a moment for Xander's response, then, hearing none, continued with a sigh. "We worked things out. We aren't exactly back together. We're more like� pre-back together. Testing the waters, I guess."
"Testing the waters," Xander echoed.
"Yeah."
"That's a load of shit."
"Xander-"
"You're telling me that you worked things out. Oz, you *hated* her yesterday. How can you get over hating someone in less than a day? It doesn't work that way!"
"Hey," Oz rebuked him. He cringed as he felt his hackles rising, the slight charge to his skin warning him of the full moon and impending disaster if he didn't get a move on. "I told you, we worked things out. You can't tell me you have a problem with that."
"I do."
"You have no right to. Look, we'll talk later. For now, all I can say is Willow and I are friends again. We might get to be more. What's been going on between you and me is good, yeah, but I need more."
"You need Willow," Xander scoffed.
"I need a *girl*. I've got a lot at stake here. Now that I'm out of the band, you guys are all I've got. I can't afford to screw things up." Oz rose to his feet. "I gotta go."
Xander was up and at Oz's side in a flash. "You're out of the band? Since when? How is being with me going to screw things up? Oz," he said, putting a hand on the redhead's shoulder. "What's going on, here?"
"Well," Oz replied slowly. "If we were ever really together, I'd say we're breaking up. But since we weren't, I guess I can just say we won't ever be. I�m sorry. Now I've really got to go."
"Wait, Oz. The band-"
"We'll talk later, Xand. Promise."
"Can't you just-?"
"Xander. I've. got. to. go. Full moon, remember?"
Xander winced as he remembered. "Oh� okay. But we've got to talk about this, Oz. Just tell me we'll talk about this."
"We will. Now I've gotta get to Willow's before she sends out the feds or I get hairy. Either way, I can't see anything good coming of it." He started away, then noticed the perturbed look on Xander's face. "We'll talk about this tomorrow." That said, he turned and left the cafeteria.
Xander remained where he was, still dumbstruck by Oz's announcement. "Tomorrow," he muttered. He dropped his eyes to the ground, then he too exited the room, shuffling his suddenly tired feet along the too-bright linoleum.
~end~