"Anyone But You"
Author:
Michelle
Email: michellabella52478@yahoo.com
Notes: The lyrics belong to Jann Arden's "Insensitive."
Additional Notes: // \\ denotes flashback.
How
do you cool your lips after a summer's kiss?
How do you rid the sweat after
the body's bliss?
Sitting on the living room couch, Willow Rosenberg looked from her mother to her father and back again with questions in her eyes. They'd called her downstairs for a family meeting. Usually she could tell what was coming by the expressions on their faces, but this time they were unreadable. Frankly, it was scaring her.
"Mom? Dad? What's going on?" she asked hesitantly. The last time they had a family meeting it was to announce her mother's pregnancy. Unfortunately, Mrs. Rosenberg lost the baby a month later.
Mr. Rosenberg glanced at his wife before starting. "We just got off the phone with Sam."
Willow paled. Sam was Sam O'Neal, her mother's ex-husband and the father of her half-brother. She feared something bad had happened to him. "Is Liam okay?"
"He's fine, Willow," her father reassured her. "The reason Sam called was because your brother would like to return home with us. He's been going through a rough time of it lately and wants to get out of Los Angeles."
"It's because of Paige."
"That's what Sam seems to think. Liam cared for her a great deal, you know that. Her death hit him hard. Now he wants to get out of there. Your mother and I want to make sure that you are okay with Liam moving back here before we say yes."
Willow nodded. She missed having her brother around; they'd always been close. "I'm more than okay with it. I've wanted him to move back for a long time."
"Willow," Mrs. Rosenberg began, "this is going to be a big change for all of us."
"I know. He only moved to L.A. three years ago. How long before he comes back?"
"This weekend. We still have to call and tell him; we didn't want to give him an answer without finding out what you thought about it first."
"Can I give him the good news?" Willow wanted to know. "I really want to talk to Liam, we have to catch up."
"Sure," Mr. Rosenberg agreed. "You can call him from your room."
Jumping up from her spot on the couch, Willow squealed with delight and ran up to her room. Shutting the door behind her, she grabbed her cordless phone and dialed her brother's phone number. It took three rings for him to answer.
"Hello?"
"Hi, Liam."
Liam smiled upon hearing his sister's voice. "Hey, Wills. How are you doing?"
"I'm great. You?"
"Okay. Is Oz treating you all right?"
"Yeah, he's Oz. That means he's always a sweetheart. I was just talking to Mom and Dad and they said you want to move back to Sunnydale," Willow said.
Plopping down on his bed, Liam nodded. You have no idea how badly. I can't stand Los Angeles anymore. When my dad was talking to your dad, Ira said they needed some time to think about it."
"They wanted to see if I'd be okay with it."
Liam held his breath. "And?" His half-sister held his fate in the palm of her hands.
"How quickly can you pack your bags?"
"Seriously?"
"Seriously. I can't wait to have you back, Liam. It'll be like old times…only not. Everyone is going to be thrilled when I tell them the good news tomorrow morning at school."
He frowned, even though he knew Willow couldn't see him. "I don't think *everyone* is going to happy to hear about my return."
Sighing, she knew exactly who he was talking about. "It's been three years since you left. Buffy's over it. God, you were fourteen."
"And she was twelve. I can't help feeling bad about it. I was so awful to her, Wills, I know that now. I didn't really hate her."
"I know. And I'm sure she knows, too. You can tell her so yourself when you see her next week." Willow decided to change the subject. Talking about Buffy always seemed to bring her brother down. "We are going to have so much fun. We can double date!"
"You don't do that now?" Liam asked.
"It's more of a group thing when we go out. Me and Oz and the rest of the gang at the Bronze. We need fresh blood. And it shouldn't take you long to find a date. I'm sure there are a couple girls who could stand looking at your hideous face for a few hours."
For the first time in weeks, Liam laughed. "God, I've missed you."
How do you turn your eyes from a romantic glare?
How
do you block the sound of a voice you'd know anywhere?
"Who were you on the phone with all last night?" Buffy Summers asked her best friend the following morning on the way to school. "I tried getting through for, like, three hours."
"Sorry. I was on the phone."
"Yeah, I gathered that much. With who, Oz?"
Willow shook her head. She could hardly contain her excitement over her brother's return to Sunnydale. "With Liam. He's coming back, Buffy. Isn't that great?"
"Great," Buffy replied, lacking any enthusiasm. 'Can my day get any worse?'
"You're not happy?"
"Should I be?"
She sighed. "I can't believe you're still mad at him. Buffy, it was three years ago. Liam and I talked about it last night and he's sorry about what he said to you that day. He never hated you."
"Then why did he say it? It hurt, you know? I told him I loved him and he basically spat in my face. Then again, why would a fourteen-year-old even remotely like a twelve-year-old? It hurt then and you know what? It still hurts today, if only a little bit. Yes, I am still mad at him."
"Mad at who?" Riley Finn piped in, falling into step with his girlfriend and her best friend.
"My brother," Willow answered. "Buffy, he's a great guy and he feels really badly about what happened."
"How is Liam doing?" Riley wanted to know.
Buffy scowled. "Moving back here. Welcome to my hell."
He looked at Willow, who just shrugged her shoulders in response. Riley knew the whole story; he and Liam had been good friends when he used to live in Sunnydale, and he'd heard from Liam what went down between him and Buffy. He also knew his girlfriend didn't believe in forgiving and forgetting.
"Maybe he's changed," Riley offered. "I'm sure he's sorry."
"Look, just because you're his biggest fan doesn't mean I have to be. Don't expect me to fall at Liam O'Neal's feet like a swooning schoolgirl. Buffy Summers has grown up. I'm over him."
"No one said you weren't," Willow said.
"Good. See you guys later."
Riley turned to Willow after Buffy left their side. "Willow, is she okay?"
"I don't know. Maybe Liam hurt her more than I ever realized." 'That would explain the whole Parker incident last summer.'
"She had a crush on him."
Willow frowned. "It was more than a crush, Riley. Buffy was in love with him from before she could even speak. And my brother's rejection…I guess it did more damage than I thought."
Oh
I really should have known by the time you drove me home
By the vagueness
in your eyes, your casual goodbye
By the chill in your embrace, the expression
on your face that told me
Maybe you might have some advice to give
On
how to be insensitive
Sunday morning arrived sooner than anyone expected. Willow climbed out of bed at the crack of dawn, excited about her brother's return. Her parents hadn't even woken up yet and she was already in her brother's old bedroom, cleaning from floor to ceiling. She wanted everything to be perfect when Liam showed up in a few hours.
Glancing out the window at ten o'clock after four hours of nonstop cleaning, Willow couldn't help but frown. Her brother's bedroom window faced directly into Buffy's bedroom. The shades were open in her best friend's room and she could clearly see the petite blonde sitting at her desk, her back to the window. The two of them hadn't really spoken much about her brother's return to Sunnydale; Buffy always changed the subject or ignored her whenever she mentioned Liam. It made Willow wonder what was going through Buffy's mind.
'I hope she lets Liam apologize,' she thought. Ever since the three of them were children, Willow knew her brother and Buffy would make the perfect couple. Knowing Liam as well as she did, she knew he'd had a crush on Buffy but he never acted on it. And she'd been surprised by his actions the day he left for Los Angeles. Despite Buffy's six month relationship with Riley, she wanted Liam and her to get together. It wasn't that she didn't like Riley, she did. But Willow could only see her best friend with her older half-brother.
"Willow!" her mother called. "They're here!"
Tearing herself away from the window, Willow ran down the stairs to the front door so she could greet Liam. "Did you finish cleaning?" Mr. Rosenberg asked her.
She nodded. "His room is spotless. I know he'll love it."
"I'm certain he will."
As soon as she saw the car door open, the fifteen-year-old thrust open the front door and bounded down the driveway to greet her brother. When she saw him she couldn't get over how much he'd changed in the four months since they'd last seen each other. Liam looked as if he'd lost about ten pounds and his face seemed gaunt and tired. He was still devilishly handsome, just not as healthy-looking as the last time she'd seen him.
"Liam!" she squealed excitedly, running into his arms.
He had to regain his balance after Willow pounced on him. She'd come at him with such force he nearly fell over. Once they let go of one another, he looked at his younger sister. Willow looked years older than the last time he'd seen her; she held an air of maturity that hadn't been there several months ago. Liam was sure it had something to do with her boyfriend Oz.
"Willow. Oh my god, I cannot believe how grown up you look," he commented. "Are you sure you're only fifteen?"
"Positive. I have the lack of driver's license to prove it," she joked.
"You look…" Willow couldn't find the right words to describe him without hurting his feelings.
"Horrible. You can say it, Will, I know."
She gave him a half-smile. "I didn't want to say it."
"Don't worry, you wouldn't be the first." He headed for the trunk – which is father had unlocked for him– to grab some of his belongings. "I have to tell you, I'm glad to be back in Sunnydale."
"It must be quite a culture shock from L.A.."
He laughed shortly. "You can say that. It's like going from fast-forward to pause. But I needed to get out of there."
"We're glad to have you back. Mom and Dad have been running around like two nutcases since you said you wanted to come back. And everyone I've told is *so* happy you're back."
Glancing at the house to the left of his, Liam frowned. His gut feeling told him there was one person who wasn't happy about it. He'd hoped Buffy would be waiting for him with his sister, but he knew it was only wishful thinking. Eventually they would cross paths and he'd apologize for his behavior all those years ago. Until then, all he could do was wait. "That's good to hear."
"Are you two coming inside or not?" Mr. Rosenberg wanted to know.
"Coming!"
Standing in the living room, Buffy watched through the picture window while Willow and Liam embraced in the Rosenberg's driveway. Part of her wanted to go out there and welcome him back but a voice in her head reminded her why she shouldn't. It told her not to put herself in the position where she could have her heart broken again.
The past three years had been kind to Liam O'Neal. Even though she'd seen the pictures of him that Willow kept in her bedroom, seeing him up close was so much better. He'd grown about a foot taller since he was fourteen and had certainly filled out. Buffy could tell with one glance that he worked out; his t-shirt clung snugly to his broad chest and upper arms. Closing her eyes for a moment, she imagined what he looked like without the shirt on.
Shaking her head, she stopped herself from fantasizing about him. 'Stop it, Buffy,' she berated herself. 'Don't do this to yourself, you have a boyfriend. Who cares if he's really good-looking. Liam made his feelings for you abundantly clear before he left.'
// "You're leaving today," twelve-year-old Buffy stated, sitting on the back porch with her fourteen-year-old neighbor.
Liam nodded. "Yep. I'm glad I'm going. I hate it here, I hate everything about this place. Los Angeles is so much cooler than Sunnydale."
"I bet it is. Are you gonna miss anything?" she asked hopefully. She'd had a crush on the older boy for as long as she could remember.
"Sure. My mom and Willow. Duh."
"Nothing else?"
He shrugged his shoulders. "My friends, too, I guess. And maybe Ira. He's okay when he's not trying to be my dad. It's like he forgets I already have a father."
Buffy looked down; she didn't want to say goodbye to Liam. "I'll miss you a lot. I love you, Liam."
Whipping his head around, he looked at her as if she told him the moon was made of green cheese. "What did you say?"
"I said I love you. Didn't you hear me?"
"No, I-I heard you." He never expected to hear those words coming from Buffy's mouth. "Are you nuts? You're just a kid." 'I can't tell her how I feel. Why bother if I'm moving away? I might never see her again.'
"I wanted to say it before you left."
"Well, I don't love you," he responded. "How can I love you? I don't even like you!"
Her lower lip trembling, Buffy held in her tears. "What? Liam, I thought we were friends. You, me and Willow. Only I don't like you like a friend."
"You and Willow are friends, not you and me. I hate you; I've only been putting up with you, Buffy. I hate you," he said harshly. 'Liar!' "You know why I'm so happy to get out of here? Because once I'm gone I won't have to see you every day." \\
"Maybe if you're lucky you won't have to see me, Liam," Buffy muttered, watching as he and Willow walked up the driveway to their front door.
How
do you numb your skin after the warmest touch?
How do you slow your blood
after your body rush?
"Liam? Are you awake?" his mother asked, opening his bedroom door Monday morning at six-thirty.
Rolling over and groaning, Liam scowled at his mother who stood in the doorway. "I'm up, I'm up. What time is it?"
"Six-thirty. Willow is already up and ready for school. I want you to hurry up and get dressed so you can join the rest of the family for breakfast."
He rubbed his tired brown eyes, staring at Mrs. Rosenberg. "Family breakfast? Isn't that a foreign concept these days?"
"Maybe your father and his new wife don't believe in eating as a family, but we do. I want your butt downstairs in the kitchen in ten minutes, fully dressed and ready to eat. I'm not kidding, Liam." She left the room without bothering to close the door.
Afraid his mother would catch him dozing off, Liam did not attempt to go back to sleep. The idea of a family breakfast was a scary one; most of his breakfasts over the past three years consisted of a Pop-Tart and a can of Pepsi on the walk to school. Nutritious it wasn't, but it was convenient.
Swinging his legs over the side of the bed, Liam sat up and climbed out of bed stealthily. He opened the curtains, blinded by the bright morning sunlight pouring inside the room. Once he became accustomed to it, he found his gaze wandering across the way to Buffy's room. He'd been hoping to catch a glimpse of her, but no such luck. Her shades were closed.
'Maybe I'll see her in school today,' he thought. 'It may be three years late, but I owe that girl one hell of an apology.'
"Liam! I certainly hope you're out of bed!" Mrs. Rosenberg shouted up the stairs.
"Yes, Mom!"
"It's alive," Mr. Rosenberg commented when the seventeen-year-old made his way into the kitchen. "We weren't sure you were going to make it." Liam glared at his stepfather. "Funny. Sorry, I'm not used to eating breakfast in a family setting. What is there to eat, anyway? Pop-Tarts?"
"Eggs, french toast and sausage. Sit down, Liam, and I'll get it for you," his mother insisted.
"Wow, table service and everything. And a real meal to boot. You know, I think I'm gonna like it here."
"I'd like you two to be home right after school if you can," Willow's father said to the teenagers. "Hank, Joyce and Buffy are coming over for dinner and I want this house looking spotless when they get here. Understood?"
Willow nodded her head, swallowing the eggs she was chewing. "Sure, Dad. What time will they be here?"
"Five-thirty."
"Okay."
The sound of a car blaring caused Liam to jump, dropping his fork on his plate. "Who is out there at this ungodly hour? Don't they realize what time it is?" he complained.
"Must be Riley," Mrs. Rosenberg assumed. "It's about that time of the morning."
Liam looked surprised. "Riley? What's he doing here?"
"Picking up Buffy, like he does every school day at this time. How Joyce and Hank can allow him to blast his horn at six forty-five in the morning is beyond me. If Oz ever did that, Willow, I'd never let you leave this house with him."
"Riley? As in Riley Finn?" Liam asked.
"Yeah," Willow replied. "He and Buffy are seeing one another. Didn't I tell you?"
"No." He found it hard to hide his disappointment. Not that he was interested in Buffy that way, but the news came as a shock to him. "Have they been together for long?"
"Six months or so. He makes her happy, that's all that matters."
"I see."
Mr. Rosenberg folded the newspaper he'd been reading. "You two had better hurry up and eat. Liam has to get to school early to get his schedule and find his way around the building."
"I'll help him find his way around, Dad," Willow said. "And Oz offered his help as well."
"You're very lucky to have such a caring and considerate sister," Mrs. Rosenberg said to her son. "But I agree with Ira, you two should hurry up."
"Okay, Mom," Liam gave in.
He wasn't looking forward to school. Even though he was a good student and popular at Hemery High, Liam found himself fearful of his new high school. It wasn't like his old school where he knew everyone, and vice versa. At Sunnydale High he'd be the new kid. He doubted anyone would remember him from grammar school or junior high.
"Are you going to be okay if I head to the library?" Willow asked her older brother after entering the building. "I don't want you to get lost or anything."
He smiled appreciatively. "Don't worry about me, Wills. I can find my way around. Go ahead, I'll be fine. What do you have to do in the library before homeroom?"
"I want to check some stuff online. Research project for Biology. I'm probably the only kid at school who has the Coroner's Office's website bookmarked as a favorite place."
Liam laughed at her. Willow's goofiness never ceased to bring a smile to his face. "Well, have fun. If I run into any trouble, I'll ask for help from another student or a teacher. Have fun hacking."
"Will do. Good luck."
"Thanks."
Watching Willow retreat down the long, crowded hallway, Liam walked in a daze toward the Admission's Office. Not looking where he was going, he inadvertently crashed into another student walking out of a classroom, causing her to drop her books.
"I am *so* sorry," he apologized. Bending down, he helped pick up the books that tumbled to the floor. "I'm a total clutz and I wasn't watching where I was going."
"Don't worry about it."
He lifted his head to look at the other student. Only a foot away was probably one of the prettiest girls he'd ever laid eyes on. She had dark blonde hair and the most beautiful, piercing green eyes. The girl wore a brown skirt, white tank top and a pale blue blouse over it, a pair of brown boots on her feet. Handing the books she spilled over to her, Liam noticed her long, slender legs and felt his mouth go dry.
'First day at Sunnydale High and I'm already in love,' he said to himself. 'Paige would have laughed her ass off at this if she knew.'
"Once again, I'm sorry for my extreme oafishness." Standing up, he offered his hand to the pretty girl in front of him in order to help her up. "I'm new here."
She ignored it, standing up on her own. "Like I said, don't worry about it. No one got hurt. Look, I should get to class before I'm late."
"Wait. I want to introduce myself. I'm Liam O'Neal," he said before she could walk away.
"I know who you are," she said flatly.
Liam raised his eyebrows. "You do? My reputation must precede me." 'Where do I know her from? She looks so familiar. It's the eyes; I know those green eyes from somewhere.'
"Something like that. We knew each other before you moved, Liam."
"Do you mind if I ask your name? It might help jog my memory."
"I think you can figure it out for yourself. Just think back and maybe you'll remember me."
Clutching her books to her chest, the mystery girl left him standing there, wondering what he did to anger the girl of his dreams.
How do you free your soul after you found a friend?
How do you teach your
heart to try to fall in love again?
"How was your first day at Sunnydale High?" Mrs. Rosenberg asked her son. She'd returned home from work at four-thirty to find her two children hard at work cleaning the house.
"It was fine, Mom," Liam replied. "Not nearly as bad as I thought it would be."
Willow, who stood five feet away cleaning the sink, snorted at Liam's answer. "Oh please. He's already Mr. Popularity."
"I'm shocked so many people remember who I am after three years away."
His mother smiled. 'I knew this move would be good for him.' "Sounds like you had quite a productive day."
"That's not the half of it, Mom," Willow said. "He's fallen in love with some mystery girl. All I could get out of him was that she has the most amazingly beautiful eyes."
"Really?" Mrs. Rosenberg lifted her eyebrows. "Sounds interesting. Liam, would you care to elaborate on this girl?"
"I wish I could. She never said her name. I was walking down the hall, totally not paying attention to where I was going and, bam! We bump right into each other and her books go flying all over the place. One look and I was in love. She already knew me, though, but I can't place her for some reason. Her eyes were so familiar to me, yet I can't place her."
'I'm so glad my Liam is settling in so well. I was afraid he'd have a hard time with the move. Boy was I wrong.' "Sounds like you had a great first day."
"I did. Tomorrow I set out trying to find out who she is." 'And making her mine.'
Oh you probably won't remember me It's probably ancient history I'm one of the chosen few Who went ahead and fell for you
Promptly at five-thirty the doorbell rang, announcing the arrival of the Summers family. Willow and Liam walked down the stairs to greet their neighbors, dressed nicely for the occasion. While Willow was excited, Liam found himself nervous at the prospect of seeing Buffy after so long. He wanted to apologize to her for the way he acted last time they saw one another, if he could find the right words to say.
"Hank, Joyce, Buffy, always wonderful to see you," Mr. Rosenberg greeted when he opened the front door. "Please come in."
The two adults entered the house, and Willow ran over to her best friend while they four older people left the room. Liam hung back on the stairs, the opened door blocking his view of Buffy, for which he was happy. It bought him some time to think up the right words to say to her.
"Liam," Willow scolded, turning around to look at him. "Get down here already. I thought you wanted to talk to Buffy."
Sighing, he made his way down the remainder of the steps to the front hall. "Hi…Buffy," he said slowly. 'Oh my god.'
Standing just inside the house was the girl he bumped into that morning at school. Liam couldn't understand why he didn't recognize her to begin with; she was so obviously Buffy Summers, with her blonde hair and green eyes. The little girl next door had grown up into a beautiful young woman; one he fell in love with the moment he laid eyes on her. By the look on her face, Buffy did not feel the same way about him.
"Liam. Nice to see you again," she replied, plastering a fake smile on her face. "It's been a while."
"Too long."
Willow raised her eyebrows at the exchange. None of it made sense to her, and the expression on her brother's face was one of shock and amazement. "Am I missing something here?" she asked the two.
"Your brother and I bumped into one another this morning before homeroom. Literally. My books went everywhere."
Her jaw practically dropped on the ground while Buffy explained. Never in a million years would she have guessed her best friend was the one who Liam ran into. "Well…I, um, I had no idea."
"I'm a clutz," Liam said simply, never taking his eyes off the petite blonde.
"Willow!" her mother called from the kitchen. "Can you come in here? Buffy's parents want to ask you a question."
Glancing from Buffy to Liam, and back again, she wanted to feel confident that no blood would be shed if she left the room, particularly on her best friend's part. "I'll be back in a minute," she told them.
Liam waited until Willow had exited the room before speaking. "Why didn't you tell me who you were this morning?" he wanted to know.
"And ruin the surprise? No way," Buffy answered. "The look on your face was priceless. Well worth the wait."
"Glad you find my stupidity so funny. If I'd known I could have said what I have to say sooner. Buffy, I owe you an apology for what I said to you before I left for L.A. all those years ago."
She shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly. "Forget about it. I most certainly have."
"I said I hated you but I didn't really mean it."
"Yeah, because 'I hate you' really means 'I love you,'" she shot, acid dripping from her tongue. "I can see how it can be misconstrued. Do you know how much it hurt me when you said that? At twelve years old, it killed me. You were my first love."
Liam looked down, ashamed. "I'm sorry, Buffy. If I could take it back, I would in a heartbeat."
"Too bad you can't change the past. Liam, I'm over it. No big."
"You don't sound over it," he noted. "You still sound kinda mad."
She fumed, her face turning a fiery red. "What the hell do you expect from me?" she hissed. "Did you think I'd fall at your feet and beg you to love me? Could you contemplate getting over yourself for a second? Look, Liam, I'm sorry if I was supposed to spend the last three years mooning over you, but I didn't. I moved on."
"To Riley Finn."
"Yeah, among others. Do you have a problem with that?"
"Do you love him?"
Buffy glared at him. If she didn't know any better, she'd swear she saw a look of hurt flash across his handsome face. "Why do you care? You hate me, remember?"
"You keep answering my questions with questions of you own. That could be construed as avoidance."
"Well, *Dr.* O'Neal, I'll tell you what. We should start fresh. I avoid you and you avoid me. Deal?" she suggested. 'Why does he have to be so arrogant and so irresistible at the same time?' She couldn't admit it to herself, but she found herself more than a little attracted to him. It felt like a rush of emotion when she saw him the first time that morning, like she had when she was twelve years old.
Liam – for the first time in his seventeen years – felt his heart truly break. "Fine," he agreed. What choice did he have?
Willow came back into the room, feeling the tension. It was so thick she could cut it with a knife. "Um, dinner's ready. We're eating in the dining room."
The blonde visibly brightened. "Great. I'm starved."
"You okay?" Willow asked her brother, putting her hand on his shoulder. "You look upset."
He shook his head. "I'm fine, Wills. Better than fine, as a matter of fact. I just came to the conclusion that I'm not in love after all."
'And I'm a huge liar. Why? Why did I have to fall in love with someone who feels nothing but contempt for me?'