DISCLAIMER: Buffy the Vampire Slayer and all the slayerettes belong to Joss Whedon and Mutant Enemy. No infringement intended.
ARCHIVING: Only with the permission of the author.
SEQUEL: To Standing Ovation
The REAL Reason Buffy Gave Riley A Chance
By devlinof9
After the early morning fiasco, it took Willow and Tara quite a while to work up the courage to leave the blondes' dorm room. Hearing all those people that they both knew, applauding their intimate moments, had to be the most embarrassing moment in either of their lives.
Willow was nearly late for her morning psychology class and Tara missed her 9am class entirely. Neither could stop blushing as they left the room, peering each way down the hall for any sign that they were being watched, and reluctantly parted ways for the afternoon.
"See you a-after study group?" Tara confirmed shyly, needing a little reassurance after their ground breaking morning, "I-I mean… um, if you're not busy w-with your friends." Her natural assumption that she would be last choice of any one's pick made Willow frown a little, but she kinda understood.
"Of course," Willow smiled winningly at her new lover, reaching out physically and squeezing her hand tightly, "That's not even a question." She loved the crooked smile that suddenly appeared on Tara's face, and decided that she would do her part to see it as often as possible. Willow tipped her head and smiled. "I'm gonna miss you today," she added, clutching her books tightly to her chest and shifting her feet, "I know that sounds kinda dorky, you know, since it's only for a few hours, well more like 8 or 9, but that can be a really long time, and I'm…"
"I'll miss you too," Tara interrupted, cutting off what she had affectionately termed, the Willowbabble.
Willow stopped cold and looked like she was going to swallow her tongue. "Really?" she knew she looked hopeful to the point of pathetic, but she really didn't care, "I mean, okay. That's okay."
Tara smiled another one of her heart melting smiles, and Willow returned it. "S-So I'll see you then?" the blonde commented, taking a step back to signal her departure. It wasn't a very big step, more a tiny baby step, Willow noticed, seeing how reluctant the blonde was to leave. She sympathized though, and held Tara's hand a little longer, making her have to reach to keep the hold, while she nodded. Another one of those gorgeous smiles, and Tara was off to her second class, looking back over her shoulder more than once.
Willow watched her go, a big smile on her face. She didn't notice anything else in the world, not even when Buffy approached and said: "Hey, Will, what's the up? You didn't come home last night." Getting no answer, the Slayer snapped her fingers in front of the redhead's smiling face. "Hello, Earth to Will?"
"Hunh?" Willow muttered, still watching the spot where Tara had disappeared, "Hi, Buff."
"Hi," Buffy answered, eyes wide, "Everything okay? You seem kinda… spacey."
Willow turned to look at her best friend finally and gave her a lazy smile. "Yep. I'm good," she answered, not really focusing.
"Oh my God," Buffy gasped, grabbing Willow's shoulder, a surprised grin on her face, "You didn't come home last night. You're smiling, and wearing the same clothes as yesterday. Oh my God!" She very quickly put two and two together and smiled knowingly. "Somebody got a happy."
The singsong tone in her voice finally served to snap Willow out of her trance. "Buffy!" she blurted in surprise, her face going nearly as red as her hair, "W-We're gonna be late for Psyche." She finished with a different train of thought, not really ready to explain to Buffy what she hadn't quite grasped yet herself. The whole relationship was just starting out, brand new, and really different than anything she had ever had before. Yes, including the 'dating a musician who also happens to be a werewolf' one.
So wrapped up in her thoughts as they entered Professor Walsh's class, Willow failed to notice the triumphant smirk on Buffy's face. She was more concerned with how many hours there were until she could see Tara again. It was going to be a really long day.
Several hours later, when the sky had darkened with night, and school like activities were finished for another day, Willow was racing through a quick shower, eagerly awaiting Tara's arrival. She had just seen Buffy off for her nightly patrol, and decided to freshen up to pass the time, rather than watch the seconds tick by on the clock.
Willow made sure to tape a note to the door for her blonde love, just in case she was early, and had every intention of jumping in and out of the shower. But the hot water felt so good, that she took an extra moment to place her hands on the wall and duck her head, letting the spray beat against the back of her neck, soothing her muscles.
With her eyes closed, she didn't notice the lights being turned off, and the close proximity of the hissing showerhead masked soft footsteps and a light rustling of clothes as they dropped to the floor. But Willow couldn't ignore the cool blast of air on her heated back when the shower curtain was opened.
"Wha?" Willow started, tensing with fright. She didn't know anybody bold enough to step into the shower with her, other than the many vampire hordes of Sunnydale, and the thought of being drained in the shower was just not appealing to her.
The fear died just as rapidly though, when gentle but warm hands slipped around her stomach timidly, a gentle pressure pulling her back against another equally naked form. Firm breasts, nipples already tightened with arousal poked gently into her back and a soft purr in her ear told the redhead exactly who it was. Even in the darkness of the unlit room, she would know the loving touch anywhere.
"Tara," she sighed happily, more than a little surprised, but in a good way. She had missed her new lover terribly all day, ached for the feel of her soft curvy body against her own. To feel it now was the greatest parts of heaven sent to earth.
"I h-hope this is okay," Tara whispered in her ear, her voice sounding a little shaky, "I g-got tired of w-waiting."
"Very okay," Willow answered, leaning back into the blonde and folding her hands against Tara's that were gently stroking her belly, "Better than okay even. I missed you."
"I missed you too, my Willow," came the throaty response, and Willow felt her knees shake. She had never in a million years guessed this kind of behavior from her timid wiccan lover.
"I thought a-about you all day," Tara whispered, dropping a gentle kiss on Willow's shoulder, "I couldn't stop thinking a-about this morning." Willow felt the loving words penetrate her very being, making her body thrum with pleasure. It was a nice feeling to know that Tara had been just as unable to concentrate today as she had been.
Willow tried to turn around in the blonde's arms, but a gentle squeeze kept her facing away. "Tara?" she questioned gently, craning her neck to regard her lover as best she could.
"I want to t-touch you," Tara answered, covering Willow's hands with her own and lifting them off the toned belly. Willow imagined she could almost hear the blush in the blonde's voice. Her hands were placed on the wall much as they had been when Tara entered the stall, and felt gentle fingers trail up her arms to her shoulders. "Let me love you," came the whispered words, so close that she could feel heated breath on her neck, "Please."
Willow blinked in the darkness, and nodded, her throat closing with arousal. She thought she might have let out a squeak of excitement, but with the blood already pounding in her ears, she couldn't be sure. "I love you, Tara," she whispered, closing her eyes at the gentle massage her lover's hands were performing across her tense shoulders.
"I've always loved you," Tara responded, pressing against her back again and dropping gentle kisses on her neck just under her ear, "I just d-didn't know until I-I met you." Willow's knees went weak at the passionate words and she whimpered at the feel of full lips at her pulse point.
"God, Tara," she rasped, tipping her head to the side and leaning heavily on her hands. Her body was humming with arousal, having thought about every aspect of their morning together all day long, only to be subjected to this.
Gentle hands slipped down around Willow's waist and then up her belly to reverently cup her breasts, squeezing lightly. The redhead squeaked softly, pressing forward into the touch, and she heard Tara moan softly behind her. Water pulsed between their connection, sensitizing both Willow's back and Tara's chest, making the moment that much more about the touch they shared.
"My Willow," Tara purred in her ear, making Willow shiver.
"I am, you know," the redhead whispered quietly, feeling Tara's hands still on her breasts.
Her silence spoke the unasked question, and Willow continued, using the blonde's own words, spoken to her not long before. "Yours."
Tara's hitched breath in her ear made Willow smile, knowing she'd struck a chord. It was further confirmed by the resumed motion of Tara's hands, one on her breast, gently flicking a tightly puckered nipple, the other sliding back down her slick belly to tangle in dark auburn curls.
"Oh, God," Willow gasped at the sudden, powerful sensations, unable to stop her hips from bucking toward the touch. Tara's fingers gently pulled on the coarse hair, then slipped lower still, finding a wetness that wasn't water, and gliding along flamingly hot folds.
Tara groaned in her ear, and those full lips were once again attached to her neck, sucking firmly on her pulse point. Willow cried out softly at the gentle pinch of teeth, just as strong fingers found the center of her pleasure and began stroking over the node with tender determination.
Unh, Tara!" Willow cried out, one hand leaving the wall to reach back and tangle in wet blonde hair. She held Tara's mouth to her neck strongly, using her lover as a crutch to keep herself upright as her knees began shaking.
"Yes, baby," Tara murmured in her ear, licking the flesh she had been sucking, before biting down on Willow's pulse point firmly. Not hard enough to break skin, but enough that Willow jumped slightly, the slight pain amplifying the pleasure racing through her body.
"Christ!" Willow cursed, her body beginning to tense. The fire racing across her nerve endings was all consuming. She couldn't believe the intensity of her emotions toward the blonde the expertly loving her, let alone the physical sensations that loving produced. Willow had never expected that she would be attracted to another woman let alone be so deeply in love as she was at that very moment.
A pulsing heat blasted through Willow, and her entire body shuddered once. "Tara," she gasped in shock, clutching the blonde closer still, her hips bucking almost frantically, "I'm… unh… I think…"
Tara's hand at her breast found it's way to her belly, wrapping around her in a strong embrace, as the hand between her legs pressed harder and faster, almost punishing her center with its quickened movements. The blonde's voice was deep and sultry in her ear, revealing her own excitement. "Let it go," the words almost growled in Willow's ear. And let it go she did.
Willow tensed completely from head to toe, a powerful trembling beginning in her lower belly. It spread out, encompassing her entire body in quakes so strong that she threatened to bring them both to the floor with her spasms of ecstasy. Willow's throat opened on a keening cry of pure pleasure, and morphed fluidly into one word that echoed through the shower room, rising above the sound of the pounding water. "TARA!!"
Freed from her pleasure, Willow slowly became aware of her surroundings once more. Curled in Tara's loving embrace on the floor of the shower, warm water pulsing on her back, a quiet sob escaped her lips. The blonde's arms tightened around her, stroking over wet hair, and down her slick back in soothing motions. Willow held tightly to Tara, feeling her body twitch strongly from the intensity of the experience. "I love you," she whispered hoarsely, her throat sore from the scream.
Tara echoed her words back, the warmth in her voice nearly making Willow cry. Tears did leak down her face, but from the sheer joy she felt at their connection. "W-we should dry off," Tara's comment came after a long while of cuddling in the dark shower stall.
Willow agreed and the two women slowly got to their feet, toweling each other dry with loving attention. Seeing the opportunity, Willow did press her fingers gently against Tara's apex, feeling the wetness still there and eliciting a startled but pleased gasp from the blonde. She pulled back however, preferring to continue their exploration in the quiet privacy of her dorm room down the hall. She knew Buffy wouldn't be home tonight, after meeting Riley for patrol, so she felt safe that they wouldn't be walked in on. After the morning's standing ovation, the last thing she needed was her best friend walking in to catch her making passionate love to her girlfriend.
The two women hurriedly got dressed again, not bothering with underclothes, simply wrapping them in the damp towel. They almost ran back to Willow's dorm room, and disappeared inside, not even bothering to turn the lights on.
Buffy rolled her eyes yet again at Riley's ramblings as they walked back to her dorm room. She wasn't really in the mood to listen to him go on about the benefits of military sweeps versus her own mostly solitary patrols, but he had staked that vampire coming up behind her. The slayer felt obligated.
"So you think we could have coffee tomorrow after class?" he asked, as they stopped by her door. She could tell he was nervous by the way he was shifting on his feet, and she smiled.
He's so cute when he's insecure, she thought. "Yeah, maybe," she nodded noncommittally, reaching for the doorknob. More than anything she just wanted to crawl into bed and forget what a disaster the night had been. She really did like Riley, but his 'protect the female' attitude was starting to wear a little thin. He had pushed her out of the way so much she nearly hit him by the end sweep.
"Okay, good," Riley answered, nearly puffing up he was so happy, "So um, I'll see you tomorrow then?"
Buffy opened her mouth to say goodnight, but the words caught in her throat at a sound she caught beyond the door. Extending her slayer senses, she listened for a long moment, only to blush deep red and clear her throat quietly.
"How about now?" Buffy squeaked, stepping away from the door quietly, "Espresso Pump is open 24 hours."
"Now?" Riley blinked, surprised at the sudden change. He checked his watch.
"Yep," Buffy answered with a blank stare, grabbing his arm and yanking him down the hallway in the direction they had come, "Suddenly I'm so not tired anymore."
She didn't mention to him that the sleepiness had been completely washed away by the sounds of very passionate lovemaking she had heard coming from her room. Go, Willow, she thought with a smile, not noticing at all that Riley was having trouble keeping up, Mental note, get the details from Will in the morning.
A keening cry echoed through the hallway and Buffy's ears went red. Riley had the good grace to clear his throat and not comment, thank goodness, and both quickened their steps, leaving Stevensen hall behind, neither of them very tired at all.
The End