Reaching the front door, she stopped for a moment to catch her breath and
  slow  her racing heart. <Please be home.> she pleaded. Taking a deep breath, she
  rang the doorbell. Moments later, Xander’s mom answered the door.

  "Willow! Hi, what can I do for you?"

  "Hi, Mrs. Harris. Is Xander home?"

  "Oh, I’m sorry dear. He left to go for a walk," Mrs. Harris replied. She
  smiled at Willow. "I’m sure you’ll be able to find him near the park. You
  know how he loves it there."

  Willow nodded. She did know. They had both gone to the park almost every
  day  when they were little. It held great memories.

  "Thank you, Mrs. Harris," she said before she headed for the park. She
  hadn’t been there in so long. Because of the vampires. Willow wasn’t afraid
  though. For some reason, she was sure tonight she wouldn’t be bothered by
  vamps. Call it luck. <Or destiny.> she thought.

  As she reached the entrance of the park, she saw a lone figure sitting in one
  of the swings. <Xander.>

  Willow walked towards him. His back was to her, and he held his head in his
  hands. "Xander?" she called to him softly.

  Xander jumped up, startled. He turned quickly to face her. "Will!" he cried
  when he recognized her. "You scared me."

  Willow sat his wetted cheeks and gasped. "Xander! What’s wrong?"

  Xander hastily tried to wipe his tears away. "Nothing, Willow, it’s nothing.
  What brings you out here? It’s dangerous, you know you shouldn’t walk alone
  at night."

  Willow ignored his comment. "I was looking for you."

  "Well, here I am. What’s wrong?"

  "Oh, um…Oz and I broke up," she blurted before she could lose her courage.

  Xander was speechless. "What? Why?" he managed to say.

  Willow swallowed hard. "He knew that I love you…so he let me go." She
  studied Xander’s reaction.

  "He let you go?" Xander asked disbelievingly.

  "Yeah…I’m not sure how he found out. But it was really sweet, what he did."

  Xander nodded, and met Willow’s intense green eyes. "I, uh, broke up with
  Cordelia today," he confessed.

  "Yeah, I heard. Why?" Willow could guess why, but she wanted to hear
  Xander say it.

  Xander shrugged. "I figured that it wouldn’t be right to be with her," he
  looked at her once again, "when it’s you that I love," he added quietly.

  Willow smiled a little, her heart bursting with happiness at his words. "What
  happens now? Y’know, now that we’re both…free?" Her heart raced as Xander
  walked up to her slowly.

  Xander ran his fingers through her hair, admiring the way the moonlight made
  her seem angelic. "This," he said gently, guiding his head towards hers.
  Their lips met and an instant warmth spread through his body. <This is how it
  was meant to be.> Xander thought happily as his lips danced with hers.

  It wasn’t a long kiss, but to Willow it meant the world. Sighing happily, she
  laid her head against Xander’s chest. A sudden image of Xander crying
  flashed in her mind. "Xander?" she called, pulling back to look at him.

  Xander looked down into Willow’s eyes and saw the concern in them. "Yes?"
  he answered, almost cautiously.

  "Why were you crying earlier?" she demanded softly.

  Xander sighed, relieved. "I was sitting out here and I started thinking about
  how much fun we had when we were little." His voice got wistful. "You in
  your overalls and pigtails, and me in whatever geeky I was wearing." He
  chuckled, then grew serious. "I always protected you. I never let anyone
  mess with you. I never knew that all along *I* was the one hurting you." He
  looked at her, and Willow could see the remorse in his eyes. "Willow, I’m so
  sorry. I wish—"

  Willow put a finger to his lips, shushing him. "It’s okay," she whispered.
  "I never told you how I felt. It’s my fault as much as it is yours."

  Xander shook his head fiercely. "No, Will. It’s not your fault," Xander
  argued. He tightened his arms around her. "I promise you, Willow, that I’ll
  never hurt you again. I’m here for you. Always and forever," he promised,
  his voice sincere.

  Willow felt her eyes fill with tears. A few escaped and rolled down her face.
  Xander leaned down and kissed them away. "No more tears, Will." He smiled
  at her. "If you start crying, I’ll join in," he teased.

  Willow laughed. "Okay…no more tears." <God, I love him. I—I feel complete.
  Whole.> She gazed into Xander’s eyes and marveled at how her love mirrored
  his own. "Xander?" she whispered. When he raised his brows in question, she
  continued. "Never let me go, okay?" she asked, her voice shaky, but warm.

  Xander smiled at her request. "Don’t you see, Willow? I’ll never let go.
  I…I *can’t* let go. You’re in here," he said, pointing to his heart,
  "forever. You’ve always been there. I love you more than you’ll ever know,"
  he told her firmly. <I’ve never felt this way before. I feel like my soul is
  content….complete.>

  "I love you, too," Willow replied. Reached up, she pressed her lips to his.

  No longer having any doubts or worries, they two young lovers kissed with a
  passion neither had ever felt before.

  And for once, in the city that sat upon the mouth of Hell, everything was
  perfect….or so it seemed.

  Neither Willow or Xander ever noticed the figure hidden in the shadows.
  Watching them…waiting….hungry.