Sorry Isn't Enough (Willow)

[Nathan Darwin]

Nathan sighed, “Well we’ll get through that confusion, just give it time.” He wished he could do something, or say something that would help her. He didn’t know what else to say though. Her question had him tilting his head to the side. “Well I dunno, but we’ll figure it out. I’m going to do whatever I can to make things fun for you because you deserve to have some.” No, he didn’t intend to change her at all, just to have her see herself the way she was.

She headed off to the bathroom and he leaned up against the wall. It was going to be okay. Everything was going to be great, he just had to show her that she was amazing. He may not have known her that well, but he knew her well enough to know that he liked her. Everything he told her was true. He liked her because of those things he’d seen in her.

As he waited, he looked down at the ground. He heard footsteps coming closer and he glanced up to see her. His eyes widened, “Wow…”

[Willow Birdsong]

Willow just nodded. There was nothing else to do. Maybe if someone liked somebody else, it was only the beginning. Perhaps the true question would arise once they actually got to know one another: would they still like each other then? His last statement made her smile a bit. Did he really want to do that for her? It seemed out of his way...

Everything on and around her face was burning in a blush, her neck and ears included. Willow put a hand on her elbow and wished his attention wasn’t all on her, but that was the point wasn’t it? “Is it alright? Like it was before?” She asked, her hair falling into her face. She was glad to have that to hide behind, it had been stretched into a ponytail for far too long.

[Nathan Darwin]

Nathan understood the fact that once she got to know him she might not like him, but he had hope. Sometimes he really didn't like being such a whore. Especially when he did stupid stuff like sleep with his roommate. He wanted a good relationship which was what he waited for while he slept around. If a girl slept with him right off the bat, well she was like every other girl and not worth it to him.

Willow was the only girl he had encountered that liked him without having slept with him.

It wasn't like he could really look away from her. Not while she was wearing that at the very least. She was breathtaking and it actually took him a moment to answer her. He just admired her a little bit longer. The way her hair fell around her and the natural beauty she had without makeup. It was amazing how that was possible. But he didn't want to scare her off by saying all of that, so he stuck with, "You look just how I remember. But somehow a little bit better, I think it's just going to get better the more you wear stuff like that." He gave her a smirk and nodded towards the door, "You ready?"

He had no intention of going anywhere fancy, just for a quiet walk where they could get to understand each other better.

[Willow Birdsong]

Willow had never kissed anyone before, never mind having sex with someone. It wasn’t that she was opposed to it, but she was afraid that it, like everything else she experienced, would fade away into nothing, become just another motion or reflex – like breathing. Not until she had better control over her powers would she consider engaging in it, or anything else similarly personal.

Managing a smile, Willow couldn’t help but feel a little more confident after he spoke. She knew she wasn’t pretty as most girls, but perhaps what drew him to her, was her uniqueness. She probably would never believe she was beautiful, but she believed she was different. Nodding quickly, Will turned on the spot and began to leave her room, and then her dorm. It was easier when she could focus on the floor.

Once they were in step and out of earshot, Willow found her voice again just by being with Nate. “Have you had sex with a lot of girls?” She asked, not knowing what would be worse – not feeling anything for anyone by choice, or by default.

[Nathan Darwin]

Nathan liked that he had managed to make her smile. It was like a personal victory, one that he wanted to revel in. If he could make her smile more, he would feel accomplished because he believed that her smile was well worth the effort.

She gave him a nod and as she exited her room he held the door open for her and they both exited the dorm. Nate's hands found his pockets as they walked and when they reached out side he took a deep breath. He'd always love summer nights, they were probably the best part of summer because as long as it didn't rain, you could always see the stars. Pilot Ridge was great like that, not being lit up so much that it blocked out the view. He just stared up at the sky as he walked.

Seeing as how he'd been distracted her question nearly made him trip over his own feet, but he caught himself quickly and cleared his throat. What was he supposed to say to that? He hadn't exactly kept track. This year alone it had to be in double digits, though he wasn't quite sure seeing as how sometimes he had multiple hookups with the same girl. That was sort of rare though and he'd only slept with Penelope since he started talking to Willow.

Nathan took a deep breath and rubbed the back of his neck before shoving his hand back in his pocket, "Uh...well yeah I guess. More than I'd like to admit at least."

[Willow Birdsong]

Willow couldn’t tell her questions were making Nate uncomfortable. “We’re opposites,” she said, seeing as she was a virgin and her number wasn’t even a single digit. She sighed, still picking at her elbow as she glanced around their surroundings, taking everything in. “I was just... curious...” She wasn’t sure why she felt the need to explain herself, but she did.

Looking at the birds in the trees, Willow smiled a bit to herself. She absolutely adored nature, it took her mind off of things. Her eyes adjusting to the lighting to make everything look normal again. “I’ve always liked the color of blue jays,” she said offhandedly, forgetting who she was with and what she was wearing.

[Nathan Darwin]

It wasn't that Nathan was uncomfortable about his past because he knew it was sort of his fault he'd followed this lifestyle he had going. Then again, he'd also like to blame his older brother because he was the biggest influence in Nathan's life. Twenty-three years old and he still couldn't settle down. Nate wasn't sure he wanted to end up like that.

"There's nothing wrong with that, and Will, you don't have to explain. You can ask me whatever you want to and I promise you I won't get mad and you don't have to explain it." It didn't bother him that she wanted to know these things. After all, she had a right to if they were going to end up dating (which he really hoped they would). The only thing he was worried about was telling his brother because it was inevitable and his brother would totally bust on him for it.

Nate glanced over at her as she looked up and he smiled faintly, "Yeah, I do too. I mean it's not super light or dark, it's just sorta in the middle." His favorite bird though was probably a cardinal because even the female birds had a nice coloring. Yeah, if Nick heard his thoughts, he'd get bashed pretty badly, but he didn't care.

[Willow Birdsong]

Willow wasn’t going to judge him, she still hadn’t figured out what morals she herself believed in. Really she couldn’t find anything wrong with having sex with multiple people, especially if everyone was willing. Society was just strange and complicated to her, really she was only curious.

Smiling slightly, Willow nodded and quickly added before the subject changed, “Sometimes I like explaining.” It was all a matter of who she was with and whether she trusted them or not. She hadn’t tried really trusting a male before, but Nate wasn’t hiding anything from her. How could she not trust an open book?

“I like the shade,” she said, “and the little crown they have is elegant.” The bird tilted it’s head side to side before flying away. Willow smiled to herself, and their hands bumped as they walked. Her smile faltered and she jerked it away, glancing down.

“Nate?” She asked, and before she could stop herself, the need to blurt things out overwhelmed her. “You’re very handsome.” She couldn’t help it, part of her personality was pointing out what she saw.

[Nathan Darwin]

Over all, Nathan was still learning his own morals. Right now he found himself questioning the ones he originally thought he had. People changed as they matured and who knew, maybe he was starting to mature now? All he knew was that he had felt guilty when he slept with Penelope to stop thinking about Willow. In short, he figured it was because he knew in his heart that it wasn't the right way to handle things.

He smiled down at her and nodded, "I do too, even if I manage to screw up the explanation." Which happened a lot with him. Sometimes things just didn't come out the way he wanted them to and he sounded like a bumbling fool. More times than not, it had happened around her.

Nate watched the bird that she was describing and he felt her hand brush his lightly. Before he knew it, she pulled it back quickly and he didn't have any time to react. He just placed his hands in his pockets and kept quiet. No need to make her feel any more uncomfortable, though he had to admit, he really did want to take her hand and just hold it while they walked. He was too scared to do it though.

His name passed her lips questioningly and he looked back at her, "Hm?" He wasn't expecting her answer, though she made it sound so matter-of-fact that he really didn't know what to make of it. So he smiled and nudged her very lightly, "Gee thanks. And I know you aren't going to believe me when I say this, but you're extremely beautiful." Hey he had a knack for pointing out things that he thought were obvious. That happened to be something that kept smacking him in the face every time he looked at her.