who buffy & gale! what reconnecting! where a nondescript bar..! when some time after he returned to the OC! warnings nada! status complete upon posting!
Moving back to Orange County meant reconnecting with the people Gale had been forced to say goodbye to (and some not even literally - there wasn’t much time given to him, to get all of his shit in order before shipping out to the grasslands of South Africa). It was a good feeling, knowing that he was sort of in it for the long haul now, and wouldn’t have to be plagued with the nagging sensation that putting down roots was precarious and like walking on a minefield - it could all just explode in his face at any time. No, he was settled in Newport Beach in a blue house with a yellow door, a car of his own, a backyard for Bella Nutella to run around in, and a job in military packaging and shipping. He didn’t have to work ‘til later, which was why he was at the bar now, waiting for one Buffy Summers - chipper blonde who he considered ‘friend, not foe’ and whom he’d been keeping in touch with once he returned from his exercise, and spent some time with his family in West Virginia while beginning the transition to Army Reserves.
It was a lot of work with a recruiter. A lot of documents to process, approve, sign off on. It took a few months, but he’d done it. And he was here now, only having to complete the required training a few times a year rather than be saddled down by all that came along with Active Duty status.
The patio was where he waited, outside, and with him was his companion - who had a bowl of water and was curled up by Gale’s chair, tail thumping. He ordered a Boilermaker, something strong to go straight to his gullet, and hopefully Buffy wouldn’t mind that he’d gotten started a little early but his muscles were still sore from his shift the night before, so, loosening up a bit wouldn’t hurt.
As soon as she’d discovered Gale was back in town, Buffy jumped on plotting to meet up with him. It had been ages since she’d actually seen him in person. While she appreciated all the times they could chat while he was on the other side of the world, nothing beat having someone right there in front of you. So, if she hadn’t had the time to see him? She would have shuffled everything around to make it to the bar that evening. Her friends were the most important thing to her.
Excitement had her hurrying to change into some jeans and a long-sleeved blouse, the first couple of things she could arrest from her closet. She barely paused to give her sister a hug in her swift departure, no doubt receiving an eyeroll or two from Dawn over it. Buffy would hear about that later, but focused on catching up with Gale.
Finding him at the patio with his dog, Buffy was careful not to spring herself on him from behind when she called his name, “Gale!!” Making sure she was in his line of sight firsthand, she bit her bottom lip as though that would hold back any glee, then stopped at the side of his chair. Clicking her tongue, Buffy wagged a finger at him. “Huh-uh, not gonna work. Up outta the chair, soldier boy. I’m gettin’ a hug! Then the doggy gets one, too,” she wouldn’t overlook the adorable pup looking out for Gale!
Well, of course! Tall, broad-shouldered, somewhat of a hulking presence, he was on his feet in a flash, like Buffy was one of his commanding officers, but no - she was so far away from that image in his mind. Thank god. And she knew not to sneak up on him - you just didn’t do that to someone who had fought in a war, it wasn’t a good idea. “Hey,” Gale laughed, immediately wrapping his arms around her for a squeeze, one of those big bear hugs where she was pulled against him and held for a moment or two. “You can have more than one hug. It’s been awhile.”
That one probably counted for a couple anyway, however, he’d give her as many as she liked. Bella Nutella would also take hugs, pets, nuzzles, and cuddles in general - she was a sweet pup who had really helped Gale get his head on straight when he first moved to the OC after Afghanistan. “Tella, say hi,” he encouraged the chocolate lab, and she lifted her paw a little as if waving, extending for a greeting-shake. “Oh, and you know, you look great,” he added to Buffy, settling back in the chair. “You probably have a lot to catch me up on?”
Tall, indeed! Buffy had forgotten just how much he towered over--a full foot at least! She didn’t mind that at all though, it made hugs more fun. She got to hop up and latch on to giants, though she figured it might have been a bit of a hassle on his end to have to transcend a whole atmosphere just to reach her. That wasn’t about to deter her. Squeezing right back with a laugh in tow, much stronger than she was the last time their paths crossed, she could give as good as she got nowadays. At least she’d managed to find a level of control over her strength.
Her desk at the office had suffered a bit in her forgetfulness when the slayer strength first arrived.
“I’ll have all the hugs, def,” she grinned up at him once she was back on her feet fully.
Crouching down to be level with the dog, she reached out to catch the pup’s paw for a proper shake. “Heya, girl. You’re a sweetheart, gonna get way more cuddle-age out of you,” she shot him a grin as she reached back to gently scratch her behind the ears a moment.
Then, she slid into a seat near to him, flushing ever-so-slightly at the compliment. “Thanks,” she managed as coolly as possible. “So do you, much less pixelated!”
Leaning against the table, chin propped up in her hand, she wrinkled her nose at him. “Little bit, I guess. You go first though! It’s a Gale day! Yay back in America-isms aside, how has it been for ya?”
Much less pixelated was probably a good thing, right? Gale’s smile was somewhat reserved, bashful even, because he wasn’t one to really show all the teeth in a huge, gummy grin. Still, he clearly found Buffy’s lexicon (Yay back in America-isms) amusing; she sort of needed her own dictionary but that was cool. “It’s been good, I’ve just been busy with the endless paperwork to get me transitioned to Army Reserves,” he said as he passed her a cocktail menu. He wasn’t sure if she would want something fancy, maybe one of those icy cool girly drinks with an umbrella in it, or something that was more of a staple. “So feels like being on a whole other assignment, really, but when I got back from South Africa I at least got to spend some time with my family.”
That was important to him. He had also been reunited with Bella Nutella (now curled back up by Gale’s chair in her same spot), who was staying with the Hawthorne clan in West Virginia - obviously a big hit with his younger siblings too. They were sad to see the dog go. “Now I’ve got that job with packaging and shipping,” he added. “It’s...I don’t know, it’s okay, and I know it’s hard for vets to find work sometimes so I’m just happy with what I can get.”
Right, drinks. Ordering one would be nice, she always needed one way or another to take the edge off work, and now she had dreams to add to that mix. Although she hadn’t ever been one to subscribe to regularly drinking, she’d grown accustomed to doing it in a social setting--especially when out with her girlfriends. Taking a glance over the menu, she kept her ear pinned to his words, making sure to glance up at him as he spoke as a sign of attention held.
“That’s great you got to see ‘em,” she smiled. Had to have been a help to have loved ones welcoming him back from what all he had to experience overseas. She’d heard the stories on the news more than enough to have been on pins and needles at times on his behalf, not that she’d ever admit that aloud.
Flagging down a server, she tucked the menu back where it belonged as she settled on ordering “the tastiest rum and coke” they had at their disposal, then turned back to Gale. With a half smile, she reached over to pat his arm once in a reassuring fashion--she hoped. Not that he needed placating, that was just how she was--quick to offer support and comfort at all times.
“It’s a start, definitely. And hey, if you get tired of it, I can help you look around for something else that strikes your fancy.”
Rum and coke, good choice. Very girly. He grinned fondly, a shrug, and yeah - his choice of job now wasn’t exactly a full-out career but he’d been lucky to find something right off the bat when he first moved back to the OC, something that would make up for the decrease in health benefits provided by being on Active Duty - at least a civilian job covered that now, he could fall back on it. So he wouldn’t knock it, because it paid the bills, and it was better than having to struggle. “Yeah, that’d be good, I’ll definitely be looking for something else at some point. For now it works but I was also thinking of maybe trying for school too,” he said. “Army Reserves helps pay for college, the idea being that you actually have time to stick around and go to class rather than being deployed. I might be able to afford something for once.”
There were a few good scholarships he could apply for, but he’d probably start with community college because he really had no idea what he’d want to study otherwise. “What are you doing nowadays?” Buffy’s drink arrived, and Gale’s second Boilermaker came - the shot of whiskey alongside the tall, cold beer and that’d probably be his limit; he’d stick to regular beer after this, or maybe just transition to water. “Like in terms of jobs and stuff? Do you like it?”
School, Buffy’s mouth twitched between a sulk and a grin. She had been a terribly high school student, but university had suited her. She might have gone far if her mom hadn’t passed away. Buffy never could find the time to go back and remedy that, try to fix those incompletes and get a degree. Her sister came first, so she’d entered the workforce and managed to get a decent enough job somewhere along the way in the OC.
“You should go for it,” she agreed. “School’s good, and I’m not just saying that ‘cause Dawn’s been applying at universities. Preferably some outside the OC,” if only to protect her sister from the strangeness. “Wouldn’t say that to you though, definitely stay in the OC.” He’d already been gone from it too long!
Happy to have her girly drink in hand, she took a sip as he asked her about herself. “I dunno if I like it, but it works okay for me. Paralegal-ing it all the way to non-debt eventually,” she finished with a faint laugh. She endured it for Dawn’s sake, Buffy’s own wants took a backseat to what she thought would help her sister in any conceivable way. “Adult life is evil. When do we get to retire with a million dollars and go live on a beach? When’s that scenario happening?”
Buffy had mentioned her sister before, of course, and wanting to protect her and look out for her was something that Gale identified with. Something they had in common, because he was the same way with his siblings too - with his whole family. “Paralegals make good money though,” he said encouragingly. “That’s not bad at all. But I hear you about adult life being sucky. All those grown up decisions. And on top of all that there are, you know, weird dreams to deal with too.”
That made him wince, because he pretty much hated his, and as he chugged his Boilermaker, Bella Nutella decided to pop her head up and rest it in his lap. Wanting treats probably. Or head scratches. He gave her the second, behind her ears. “We could still go to the beach one day. Maybe not forever, but...”
The weird dreams lately hadn’t been helping matters at all, especially since Dawn didn’t appear to exist in them. If she was going to be forced to relive the feeling of her parents divorcing and adding being “called” as a slayer, the last they could do was give Buffy her sister. She was still very sore about it. Family was the most important thing to her. Friends didn’t take a backseat either, her closest ones were more like siblings in her eyes, too.
“The money’s good,” she nodded in agreement. “Too bad living here costs an arm and a leg though,” added with a laugh. “But, yeah. The cons are outweighing the pros lately, but it’ll get better. It has to.” She wasn’t a staunch optimist necessarily, but she tried.
“Sand between the toes would get kinda old,” Buffy grinned a bit, idly sipping at her drink. “Totally right though, we should now that you’re back! Preferably when it’s, y’know, warmer. I was at the Santa Monica pier like, last weekend I think? Yeah, not bikini weather at all!”
Gale wasn’t much of an optimist himself, but Buffy was more so than him - though she seemed to be a good combo of optimist and realist, which he could appreciate. Plus, she was bubbly enough with a bright enough smile to inject some sunshine into his gloominess. Also appreciated. “It’ll get better, you just have to stick with it,” he said, and he knew his own dreams were going to plummet into crappy territory, but he couldn’t change it and he couldn’t stop them. He could just roll with them, and maybe find more answers in the meantime. Because it wasn’t like he’d sit around and just let it happen.
“Yeah, I guess it’s not full-on swimsuit weather, is it?” he laughed. “Well, just hanging out at the pier is good. Most any pier. Breathing in the fresh air and all that. Oh, and you gotta come see my house too. It’s blue with a yellow door. Just something I’m renting but the weird paint job is kind of growing on me.”
Sometimes, no matter how hopeful one could be, nothing beat hearing hearing someone echo a sentiment. She smiled at him, a little more inclined to commit to her wispy beliefs. It hadn’t been so easy to think that way, between ex-boyfriends and a broken down family, Buffy often wondered how she’d managed to so much as tread water at all. That was where all the credit went to her friends.
She wouldn’t be here without them.
“Uber cheers to that,” she quipped cheerfully, extending her glass out to clink against his.
Settled back down, hands folded one over the other as she leaned over the table, she looked intrigued by the appearance of his house. “Sounds quirky! I will! Ooh! I can be mature-like and even get you a housewarming prezzie. That’s happening,” she said with a self-satisfied nod. “What kinda hours did you say you’re working? So I know when to come by and see said house and probably kidnap you for said fresh air breathing.”
Clink went the glasses, and another gulp from Gale on his end - because you sort of had to chug a Boilermaker, especially after you added the whiskey shot. It was law. But that’d be enough for him - he wasn’t a big drinker anyway, unlike the rest of the county, because it’d just be too tempting to use alcohol as a vice to cope. And he didn’t want to go down that road, so he was strict about his limits. “If you insist on, uh, a....housewarming prezzie. I’d never turn it down.” Wow, yeah, Gale shouldn’t say words like ‘prezzies.’ It made him wince with a bit of self-depreciating humor.
“I work mainly overnight shifts. Like ten or so, until really early in the morning,” he explained. Sometimes it was different but he’d sort of gotten used to an odd sleeping schedule. Or barely sleeping at all. “But basically any weekend’s good for kidnapping. I don’t work then. So trust me, I’ll hold you to it.” He flashed her a grin, one of those rare ones that made his eyes lighter - more clear skies, and not chips off of a tombstone.
Not much of a drinker herself, Buffy opted to follow his lead and down the rest of her drink fully. Regretting it instantly, she made quite the face and hissed. It almost made her miss his endearing use of her brand of slang. Almost. Recovering with a sour-faced laugh, she had to reach over and pat his shoulder reassuringly.
“I promise I won’t tell anyone you said prezzie,” she assured, noting his expression. “Our secret.”
His schedule had her cringing on his behalf. She greatly valued her sleep. That is, she valued it until she’d begun dreaming about herself as a vampire slayer. Now she found herself less inclined to go to bed and anxious to hit up the nearest cemetery. She had yet to give into the urge. She couldn’t shudder for long over the hours, not when he looked more at ease--that was such a rare sight out of Gale. She hoped now that he was off duty and settling back in, he could be that way more often.
“But, yay! I don’t work weekends either, perks of law office gigs. Y’know. Unless it’s brief time, in which case the name is a total lie.” A lawyer joke was probably appropriate to mix in there somewhere, but she didn’t take the bait. “I bet you’ve got lots of people to catch up with though, I’ll not to hog ya. Try being the operative word! No promises, y’know, I can be very selfish!”
“Nah, I don’t mind you hogging me,” Gale shrugged, and it was true - though he was kind of flattered that Buffy would even want to? “If you don’t mind me bringing Tella, we can hit up the beach next weekend or so. I just think she’d like running around there. Yeah?” The chocolate lab seemed to know she was being talked about, and her tail thumped on the ground with a certain amount of excitement. Doggie go walkies!
It made him chuckle. “It’s still not swimsuit weather, but I’m sure we can manage.”
Monopolizing the time of her friends was a specialty of Buffy’s, especially when she thought they might need distractions. Had it not been for Klaus, she likely would have been over at Caroline’s far more often. She didn’t want to intrude on her time with her boyfriend--which… while she hadn’t quite taken any steps in that direction with Roy, they were going on the occasional date. She was going to have to mention as much to him even if they weren’t calling one another boyfriend and girlfriend yet.
She didn’t want to go sabotaging another potential relationship just because she was eager to hang out with her old friend.
“Yay me,” she smiled brightly. “Bring her, that’d be fun! Bet I have a frisbee or something I can bring for her!” Didn’t bother her at all, she was excited about it. “You’d like that right?” She directed her question at his dog, of course, even reached out to pet her for good measure. “Bet ya would!”
Glad to have plans to get out of the apartment more often, Buffy cheerfully waved off the cool weather woes. “S’okay, summer will be here in no time anyway. It’d be nice just to go and chill.” She didn’t do that nearly enough. “So, expect all the beach-related texts this week!”
Oh, Tella definitely appreciated the f-word. Meaning frisbee. Or rather, she was just all about the attention, the petting and the cuddles, and she took a moment to shower Buffy with enthusiastic sloppy doggie kisses. “Hey, hey,” Gale chuckled, grabbing her collar so she didn’t hop up in the blonde’s lap and demand she be held like a baby. She was getting a little big for that.
“Yeah, that sounds good to me. The chilling, I mean. Sounds perfect.” It was probably something he needed to do more of, if he was being honest. Now that he was back, the ‘adjusting’ period was going to take some time but he’d get there. As long as he didn’t have to do it on his own.
So long as she was around, Buffy would make sure he didn't have to go at it alone. Having another distraction around would be good, too. The less time she had to dwell on her dreams? The better. Between the good company and friendly pup, she couldn't help but to feel that much more optimistic. Maybe it wouldn't last, such was the way of the OC, but a girl could dream. No--not dream, Buffy mentally amended. Hope was better. A girl could hope.