Can't Fight the Moonlight

~*~*~

Willow fled the condo early the next morning, avoiding Brynne and Jordan. Marc had left to stay at Zoe’s sometime in the middle of the night. She wandered the streets of the city she called home, sitting in a park for hours, lost in her own thoughts. Around four, she texted Jared.

Can I come over?

Yeah. I’ll be here.

Be there in thirty.

Willow walked home, changed clothes and headed across town to Jared's apartment. She waved to a few of the other guys she saw when she arrived, stopping to chat with Justin Peters for a minute. When she reached Jared's place, he waited for her, leaning against the door frame. He grinned when he saw her approach and Willow quickened her pace to reach him. She threw her arms around his middle and hugged him tightly when she got to him. Jared wrapped his arms around her, kissing the top of her head. "Hey," she said softly.

"Hey," he replied with his easy, missing tooth grin

Willow groaned. "Damn you. You know what that does to me."

"I know. That's why I did it."

"You're my favorite; you don't have to try."

"You sure about that?" Jared asked, ushering her inside and closing the door.

"Jared..." Willow said softly, sinking down into his couch.

"Willow...." He teased, sitting beside her. "We should talk," he said, turning serious.

"Do we have to?" Willow whined.

"No, I'd rather kiss you but I think it's important. Just tell me about you and Marc."

She huffed. "Did you know that Eric told your brothers that you have dibs?"

Jared laughed. "That sounds like something Eric would say. He's the diplomatic one."

"Ugh," Willow said with a roll of her eyes. "Dibs."

"Do I need to pull that card with Marc?" Jared asked softly. She turned away from him and Jared grabbed her hand. "Do you like him, Willow? It's okay if you do."

"It's not okay, Jared and you know it."

He shrugged. "We're not anything but friends."

"You know as well as I do that even though we've been saying that for two years, and even though we've never slept together, that we're not just friends."

"Do you like Marc?"

"Yes. I like Marc. I want to kiss him senseless whenever he gets near me."

Jared frowned and looked away from Willow, letting out a long breath. She scooted closer to him and lifted his arm, tucking herself underneath it. "I kissed Marc yesterday, and last night," Willow admitted. She felt Jared tense. "I wanted it to be you." He dropped his gaze to Willow who peered up at him. "I really like you Jared but we aren't together and I can't stop myself when Marc is around and I'm sorry."

He placed a soft kiss on her forehead. "I shouldn't have sat by quietly for two years."

"Why did you? Eric told me that you've talked to him, about me."

"I didn't think you liked me as anything but a friend Willow. And you went out with Sorzy a few times so I thought I had no shot."

"You never asked me out, you idiot. When Justin asked me to dinner, you didn't object so I accepted. If you had said something, I wouldn't have gone."

"Really?"

"Well, yeah. I like being with you. You think I spend my time with you for your jokes? I spend my time with you because I like being around you. You make me feel safe. You make me feel special, Tito."

He smiled. "We're a pair of fuck ups, you know that?"

"Yep," she grinned back at him.

"So now what?"

"Do you want to be together?"

"Hell yes! Willow, will you be my girlfriend?"

"Yes," She answered, snuggling into his chest with a smile.

"Now promise not to kiss my brother anymore."

"I'm a one guy kind of girl. You don't have to worry about me kissing anyone else, I promise."

"You could stay with me until Marc and Jordan leave. I think they're leaving on Tuesday," Jared suggested quietly.

"Worried about me alone with Marc?"

Jared blushed. "A little. More worried about Marc alone with you to be honest."

Willow laid her head on Jared's chest. "Marc left my place to stay at Zoe’s last night. You don't have to worry about me. I'm yours, ok?"

"Are you sure? I mean Marc plays in the NHL and I don't. I might not ever."

Willow moved so that she straddled Jared's lap, facing him. She held his face between her hands. "I don't care about the NHL or any of that. I like you, not your career or lack thereof. It doesn't impress me what you and your brothers do. You impress me by being you, just Tito." She smiled at him and placed her lips over his, kissing him softly. "I've been falling for Jared Staal, my friend, for two years, not Jared Staal the hockey player, ok? It just took your brother to push us here."

He wrapped his arms around her middle and held her tightly. "I love you, Willow."

"I love you too, Jared."



“Sooo, Marc went back to New York,” Jordan said as Willow made dinner in Jared’s kitchen that night. “You wouldn’t know anything about that, would you?”

“Nope,” Willow answered. Jordan frowned.

“Come on, Willow. Tell me what happened.”

“I realized that I can’t fight the moonlight.”

“Huh?” Jordan asked with a bewildered expression. Jared smirked and rose from his spot beside Jordan and crossed to Willow, catching her in his arms and kissing her.

Brynne leaned into Jordan and kissed his cheek. “She’s in love with Jared. Her heart finally caught up with her brain. Thank God. Good for you two,” she said as Willow smiled happily in Jared’s arms.

“Took you long enough,” Jordan teased Jared. “You could’ve told her two years ago and saved yourself the trouble. Now she knows if you turn out to be crappy boyfriend, she’s always got a backup in Marc.” Jared frowned and Willow shook her head.

“I don’t need a backup plan,” she reassured Jared. “You’re it.” Jared smiled and she leaned in to kiss him again.

“Does Eric know?” Jordan asked suddenly with a frown, pulling Jared and Willow apart.

“Why?” Brynne asked as he dug his phone from his pocket.

Jordan shrugged. “We maybe had a friendly wager on the line.”

“Jordan Staal!” Willow exclaimed. “You placed bets on who I’d pick?” Jordan grinned. “Who’d you bet on?”

“Marc. I just lost a hundred bucks.” Jared reached over and popped his brother in the back of the head. “Hey!”

“You bet against me?”

“Marc has better game than you,” Jordan said simply.

Willow giggled. “He does have better game than you,” she teased. She held onto him fiercely and squeezed him tightly. “But you’re my favorite Staal for sure, Tito. Always.”

FIN