Valentine's Sunrise by Jamie

Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: The Buffyverse and what's contained within belong to Joss and anyone else who has a slice of the proverbial pie. Anything else, as well as this arrangement of words that follows, is mine.
Distribution: The Mystic Muse /mysticmuse.net
Otherwise, just tell me where it's going.
Feedback: Please send feedback/C&C my way.
Spoilers: None.
Author's Note: An answer to the monthly theme challenge on Wiffy Dreamverse /www.wiffy-dreamverse. I hope you like :)
BETA: Mad-Hamlet (mad-hamlet@usa.net) – muchos gracias, signor.
Pairing: Willow/Buffy

"And staying right here won't make it any less a day of valentines." Buffy smiled as she squinted sleepily, looking over to the curtains next to her with a languid turn of her head. It seemed early enough. The bright light of the morning sun backlit the drapes and escaped through the gaps of the slightly moving material, gently jostled by the breeze that drifted lazily in through the small opening of the window. Turning back, she regarded the object of her adoration, the person who held all the keys to her heart and soul, Willow Rosenberg. She lay with her head nestled into the pillow, eyes open yet still in that half-dreamy state that accompanies waking up from a deep sleep.

"Time to get up, Buffy." She said, as she leant in towards her. Their lips moved closer and closer together, until they just barely touched, sending a shiver of electricity down Buffy's spine.

The raised voice of her mother suddenly snapped the girl out of her sleep, wrenching her from the ecstasy of her dream into the cold, hard light of the real world.

"Finally, I thought you were going to sleep through breakfast." Her mother said, noticing the groggy and reluctant opening of her eyes.

"Ungh," she groaned, pulling the covers over her head as she turned around in a vague, futile effort to escape the fact that she had to rejoin the world of the conscious. Unfortunately, it was not to be. Her mother clucked her tongue in irritation and yanked the covers off of the bed, leaving her daughter to lie whimpering in a fetal position.

"Thank you, Commandant," She muttered as she slowly, agonizingly pushed herself up to a sitting position, then promptly fell back down again.

Sunnydale High was your typical Californian High School really. Bored teachers, bored pupils, hellish vibes pretty much everywhere. Well, maybe not typical in the last part, but that's hardly surprising when said school sits on top of a Hellmouth, a convergence of mystical energies that tends to bring the bad in a big way. Buffy herself had seen some fairly horrific things inside of these walls, but nothing, no demon or monster she'd ever faced down with a smile and a sharp tongue could have compared to what she saw after walking through those doors today.

It was too horrible for words, too ghastly to even comprehend. Pink ribbons hung in bunches from everywhere, balloons floated, tethered to their suspension by lilac strings wrapped around posts and lockers whilst giant banners proclaimed the name of the saint for whom this day was named after. As she walked through the corridors slowly, measuredly, she found herself slightly numbed by the smiles and the shouts of pleasure that filtered into her ears from the crowds packed around her. Girls squealed in excitement at mysterious, anonymous cards and roses, whilst guys mostly grunted in macho laughter at their plans for 'gettin' some' with their respective significant others later on that night. In a daze of embarrassment and nervousness, she automatically turned into the library, stopping dead as she found the person she was looking for.

"Giles…?" She croaked, "Oh god, they got you too." The older man turned around jovially, a rather-pleased smile on his face as he advanced towards her.

"Got me? What do y-" He trailed off, following her gaze downwards. His electric pink tie glared up at him, dotted with various deep red hearts. "Oh, I see." He smiled, shrugging. "No need to ignore the festivities."

"Principle Snyder threatened to do something didn't he?" She asked, unable to tear her eyes from the monstrosity hanging around his neck.

"No, no. As a matter of fact, I rather like Valentines Day." Buffy glared at him before making her way over to the desk, shifting her bag off of her shoulders and dumping it unceremoniously on the polished wooden surface. Giles followed her over, two large books under his arm with suitably cracked and aged spines. She glanced down at them, a glimmer of hope beginning to creep through the haze of flowers and love hearts.

"So what's the sitch? Any bad, evil…evil that I need to be out dusting tonight?" She asked, jumping up to sit on the edge of the table.

"Uhm, none that I'm aware of." He replied simply, placing the books on the surface next to her bag.

"Oh come on, Giles." She threw up her hands as she stood up and began to pace. "If there's one constant in this universe, it's you being the bringer of badness."

"I mean, the one night of the year I've got the yearnin' and you fizzle on me." She pouted, folding her arms so as to convey her extreme unhappiness with the situation. Giles simply smiled patiently and leant against the table as well, also crossing his arms.

"Yeah, right," She mumbled, continuing to pout. "A lonely holiday by my lonesome. Living the life of a l…" She stopped. "I've run out of 'l' words."

"Yes, quite." He replied. "Well, you don't need a boyfriend to have a good time. Indulge yourself, have a rest." She was just about to further sulk and reply when the doors to the library opened with a cacophonous bang.

"Howdy howdy cowboys and cowgirls!" The upbeat, cheerful voice of Xander reverberated around the room. Giles simply sighed, and began to clean his glasses.

"Your method of entrance is…unique, to say the least Xander." He said, in a voice that screamed of weariness.

"I'm just bringing the Xander brand of magic into an otherwise dreary, yet oddly colorful day. Hey, Buff! How's it hanging?" He replied, a bounce in his step as he made his way over from the door. She regarded him oddly.

"What's got you so cheersome?" She asked, raising an eyebrow at his oddly exuberant mood. Xander was…well, he wasn't a morning person.

"Oh nothing, except the little fact that for once, I, Xander Harris, am no longer spending Valentines by my own sweet lonesome with a microwave dinner and a drawer full of…"

"Don't finish that sentence, Xand. For Giles' sake." Buffy jumped in quickly, leaning backwards with her arms supporting her body weight. "So no way, who's the lucky girl?"

"You know Trisha, the one with the funky colored hair that never seems to stay the same from one day to the next?"

"The one who sits at the back of Chem class and systematically chews an entire pack of bics every lesson?" She asked, frowning.

"Yup. And you know what the best part is?" He asked, Buffy's jab not seeming to take any effect. She merely shrugged in response.

"100% human. Yessiree, no demons for me." She smiled at his antics, looking down at the floor.

"Well, I'm glad someone's going to have some fun tonight." She said. By now, Giles had already gone back into his office with the books, probably to sit down and make his third tea of the morning, or whatever he did in that box-room.

"Aw, don't worry Buf. I'm sure Dracula and his pals'll give you a night of thrills." He replied, earning him a strange look from his friend.

"It seems even the vamps are hitching up today." She said with mild disdain. They stood in silence for a few moments, contemplating that statement. Then simultaneously shuddered.

"Where's Wil?" Buffy asked. She was normally here by now. "Hey, maybe she's been kidnapped. Maybe she needs saving, she probably needs saving. Let's go."

"Uhm, Buffy," Xander began, "I think the only thing she needs saving from is a swinging door. But you're right, it could be demonic."

"Huh?" She asked, and followed his gesture. Sure enough, there she was, pushing her way through the double doors with what looked like three bouquets of flowers in her arms.

"Hey!" She shouted happily, walking over. "Happy Valentine's Day!" It never ceased to amaze Buffy that no matter what the situation, no matter what the strain put under her, Willow always managed to bring a ray of sunshine into the room. She looked…radiant. Her hair bounced as she moved whilst her green eyes sparkled to match the happy smile on her face. She reached them after a few seconds, and then handed out the flowers to each person. "For you Xander, and you Buffy."

"Willow," Buffy breathed, a smile stretching across her face "this is so sweet. Thank you."

"Yeah Wils, you really shouldn't have." Xander replied, also beaming at his friend's generosity. "I don't really have anything for you, except maybe for this shiny nickel." He grinned, and pulled out the coin. The two girls studied it closely.

"Flagrant false advertising, Xand Man." Buffy observed, cocking her head to the side.

"Shiny just doesn't mean what it used to," Willow agreed, to Xander's consternation.

"Okay, fine, shun my gifts." He replied in mock indignation. "One day you'll be a-wishin' you had this nickel, but that ship's sailed." Willow laughed indulgently, then reciprocated Xander's hug as he moved in to embrace her. "Thanks."

"Oh," He backed away quickly, noting that the flowers were in fact still within her arms. "Well, I've gotta get going anyway, the call of modern history beckons to me, and who am I to resist its sultry tones?" He stood for a minute, once again pondering his choice of words, then proceeded to leave without another utterance. Once the doors were gently swaying in his wake, Buffy thoughtfully spoke up.

"With Xander, detention can be erotic." Willow said absently. "What's up with him, anyway?"

"Ah, he's got all coupley for the night with Trisha Reeves." The blonde explained, still staring at the oddly mesmerizing door, observing its subtle movement.

"Oh…kay." Willow replied after a moment's pause. "Even Xander and the pen girl are getting more action than me."

"Don't forget me. I'm once again playing the part of the lone Slayer. Kind of like the Lone Ranger, but without the Indian sidekick."

"Nah, you got a Wiccan instead." She said, smiling as she brushed another lock of her red hair behind her ears.

"The better deal, in my humble opinion. Okay, what are you doing tonight?" She asked, an idea beginning to form in her head.

"Me? Nothing. Well, studying, and pining, and everything else associated with the lack of a person to call mine." Willow replied dejectedly, leaning against the counter next to Buffy. The blonde smiled sympathetically, after Willow's…indiscretions with Xander, Oz had decided to call it a day on their relationship. Originally they were on a break, but he'd told her a couple of weeks ago that he didn't think it would work out. She'd cried, of course, but she seemed to be taking it on the chin mostly, trying to begin to move on yet with reasonable amount of mopey time.

"What d'you say," She said gently, taking Willow's hands in her own. The Wiccan had laid the remaining bouquet on the counter-top after Xander's nearly disastrous hug, and so now they were free to be assailed by the Slayer. "You and me, my house, chocolate pig-out lonely hearts fest. With visual and auditory accompaniment."

"Oh, Buffy," She replied, her eyes lighting up from the sad veil that had overcome them since the mention of Oz, dulling their brilliance with the memories of a now-lost relationship. "That would be great. Because there'll be movies, and happy times, and the chocolate, we can't forget the chocolate, and I could bring over pizza, only without those green chilies, 'cuz, they make me yack."

"Then it's settled. A girl's night in, no boys allowed." Buffy smiled, taking Willow's speech in her stride.

"We'll be each other's valentines." Buffy said, before her brain had a chance to stop her mouth from saying it. "Err, I mean..."

"That'd be great!" Willow bounced. "Screw the convention, we don't need anyone else."

"Darn tootin'." The blonde replied, and then exhaled quickly, thinking of a way to change the subject before she dwelled on Willow's response too much. "Are those for Giles?"

"Oh! Yeah! I almost forgot! I'll be right back." The redhead said, spinning around to pick up the flowers before she hurried into Giles' office. Buffy sighed, then berated herself for being so stupid. Are you crazy? You nearly let it all go to hell then over one stupid sentence. Damnit! Besides, how the hell are you gonna be able to keep your mouth shut…or your hands to yourself…when it's just you and her? Alone. In your house. On Valentines Day!

The day had dragged on, and on, and on until eventually Buffy thought that she was going to explode from the constant cycle of tedious mediocrity. She'd arranged for Willow to call round at about 7, and as she now sat waiting on the couch, she found herself debating on whether or not this was such a good idea.

She had feelings for Willow; she knew that. And not just feelings in a platonic, even affectionate friendly way. No, her heart both soared and sank when she was with her, every touch an experiment in excitement, and a lesson in torture for knowing that's all it was, an accidental brush or a friendly hand-holding. She wanted more, and it hurt her. The thought of her face, the softness of her skin and the lush thickness of her beautifully colored hair drove her insane, it occupied her every thought and wouldn't leave. And the worst part of it was that she didn't want to think of something else. Every cell in her body screamed out for Willow, so much so that even the prospect of having her round for videos and junk food was enough to send her into a near blind panic. She'd gone through everything that they needed in her head so many times that the words on her list had begun to lose all meaning. The bottle of red wine lay hidden in one of the kitchen cabinets, whilst the videos and high calorie 'food' was spread out over her living room coffee table. The main lights were off, the room gently illuminated by table lamps. She'd thought that candles were a bit too overboard, and would perhaps make Willow a little uncomfortable.

But then, she had to be blind to not see how Buffy suffered around her, yet couldn't live without that contact. She thought she'd been in love before, but that was fiery passion, driven by lust and first-time experience of emotion that strong. This was different. It had grown inside of her slowly, nurtured and matured by every experience they'd shared, every quiet moment, every consoling hug and friendly kiss. It had grown and grown to the point where Buffy finally realized in a moment of epiphany that she'd fallen head over heels, and there was no turning back.

She sighed unhappily, observing every minute detail contained in one of the flowers that Willow had bought her as she twirled it slowly in her hand. Once again, she looked down at her outfit and checked her hair in the reflective glass of the coffee table. Her clothes were by no means her very best, but not casual by a long shot. She'd chosen her favorite pair of dark blue jeans, along with a long-sleeved shirt and a thin, material dress shirt over the top. Not too formal and glitzy to let on to Willow that for her this was more than an idle hang-out, but not too casual so that she herself thought it was just that. Besides, it was Valentines Day. Did it hurt to dress up?

She heard Willow before she heard the doorbell, the light footsteps crunching on the way up to her front door. To anyone else it would have been inaudible, but enhanced hearing came with the Slayer package. Of course, this just gave her even more time for the adrenaline levels to peak. Thank you very much, the Powers That Be. Is everything all set? Is it all too much? Is there too much emphasis on this evening? God, she thought, I'm such a mess.

Somehow, her body took the decision to move whilst her mind was busy debating the finer points of her confidence and self esteem. Sighing, she found her hand closing on the handle of the door and opening it.

"Hey Will..ow…" She said brightly, trailing off as the sight of her best friend registered in her mind. She looked…utterly fantastic. Her hair had obviously been styled, at least slightly, and her lips shone in the light. Her eyes, as always, twinkled with a beautiful sparkle. As for her clothes, she was fairly stunningly modeling a long, light blue skirt with a tight, form fitting red top.

"Hi," she said shyly. "Can I um, can I come in?" Buffy realized she'd been staring and blushed very quickly, stepping to one side. Once, a couple of Halloween nights ago she'd helped Willow with her costume. A chance to be someone else, she'd said, then promptly became intensely excited at the prospect of Xander and Angel losing all ability to communicate verbally.

"You look…" she managed, realizing that she was rapidly resembling some form of vegetable. "Wow." She breathed. Willow blushed even more deeply than Buffy had a second ago, looking down shyly as she answered.

"Well, you know, I figured it was Valentines Day and usually that's the kind of night where people like to make themselves look all pretty and so I thought that it wouldn't be a problem if I um, did, but if it is then that's okay you know because I ca-" She spoke surprisingly quickly without breath, her unbroken sentence eventually being cut off as she began to move towards the door by Buffy reaching out and gently touching her bare forearm.

"You look beautiful Willow, and that's never a problem for me." She said quietly, smiling gently at the girl. The redhead blushed once again, and Buffy decided to move them on before the flattery turned into uncomfortable silence.

"Anyway, I've set us up in here, with a choice of films." She informed, leading the girl into the room. The soft, dark yellow light played off of her skin wonderfully, mixing with the color of her hair to create an almost surreal beauty. Buffy had to forcibly keep herself from gasping. For god's sake, focus. "Of course, I haven't seen any of them, so if they fall into the realms of the sucky then we blame my mom." Willow sat down on the sofa, bringing her feet backwards so that her legs were bent round as she sat, looking like a goddess from where Buffy was. "So um, what do you feel like? Film-wise, I mean."

"Something romantic," Willow sighed from her seat. "Try that one," she pointed to a nondescript cover of a title. Buffy didn't even bother to look at the name, but simply inserted the tape into the machine and pressed play.

"The yummies are on the table, help yourself." She said as she sat down on the opposite end of the couch, mirroring Willow's pose with her own.

"Thanks," The redhead replied with a lopsided smile, briefly making eye contact with her friend and sending a pang through her body and heart.

The film had been on for at least an hour now, but nothing seemed to have happened in it that was of any particular note. She supposed it was one of those masterpiece romantic movies that her mom was so found of, but for her, it didn't do anything. Not that she was really listening anyway. The young woman sitting not one meter away was consistently distracting her thoughts. The way that she'd sigh gently every now and again, or idly stroke back her hair when it fell in front of her eyes, or even simply the smell of her scent that she caught strongly from time to time served to draw her attention from the lackluster movie. She managed to glance sideways for several periods of time, still pretty much thunderstruck by how beautiful Willow really was. She was captivated by the way the light from the television reflected in her eyes, and by the way the soft-looking material of her top rose and fell gently with each breath she took. She was entranced by her delicate skin, by her nearly-bare arms and pale neck. She was fascinated by everything Willow. She turned her attention back to the film; this was doing no good for her mental health, no good at all.

"Buffy?" Her voice called quietly, softly between the short space that separated them. Although having resolved to watch the movie, she found herself filled with a sense of relief that she had a justification for looking at her friend.

"Hmm?" She replied, equally as quiet. Somehow, hushed voices seemed appropriate at that point, as if a rise in volume would not only be undesirable but insulting to the environment.

"Can um…can you…" Willow bit her lower lip, as if deciding either how to phrase a question, or whether or not to ask it in the first place. "Can you lie with me?"

The question sent her heart pounding at a mile a minute, the blood rushing so fast through her body that it was making her feel dizzy.

"Wil?" She whispered, as if she didn't comprehend the question. It wasn't as much that as an attempt to buy herself time. Her limbs refused to move.

"Please? It's just…it's a special day and…and I feel like being close to someone." She looked up at Buffy, making such earnest and meaningful eye contact with her that she did inhale sharply this time. "A-and there's no-one I'd rather be closer to than you."

Don't do it, her mind screamed at her. You know you won't be able to take it if you do, you know what'll happen.

You know what, she answered her inner voice, for the first time ignoring the advice it gave her. There's nothing I'm cooler with. With a smile, she began to move closer to Willow. In turn, the Wiccan stretched out to accommodate Buffy, moving backwards to give her space. The blonde-haired girl moved slowly, cautiously, hoping to God that she wasn't going to wake up any second now and not even being able to contemplate that happening for fear of collapsing in tears. Within a moment that seemed like an eternity of careful movement, she laid down, turning herself around so that she was facing Willow. They wrapped their arms around each other, and the thought in Buffy's mind that was all too prominent was that this had gone beyond a friendly embrace already, more than a simple amicable affection. She was intensely aware of Willow's fingers lightly brushing the back of her neck, moving in slow, barely noticeable circles. She was intoxicated by the witch's perfume; at this distance it filled everything around her, an all-encompassing experience of Willow. She could nearly taste the slightly fruity scent of her hair. But the thing that she noticed the most, despite every detail of their current situation being pretty much everything she had dreamed about for the last few months, were Willow's eyes. The emerald-green, beautiful eyes shone with such intensity in the dim light that she found it impossible to tear her gaze from them. At some point, the television had been switched off, and the only sources of light in the room were the two low-light table lamps she'd switched on earlier. But she barely even registered that as she just gazed into them, watching Willow gaze back at her.

They say that the eyes are the window to the soul, that if you look into them long enough you can find out any secret, learn any truth, see into anyone's heart. Buffy didn't know if that applied in all cases, but the words ran through her mind in that instant as she slowly came to realize what it was that so fascinated her there.

"Willow," she breathed, barely more than a whisper on the wind as she spoke. "I have something to tell you." Silence, then the redhead responded.

Everything moved in slow-motion as she spoke those two words. Buffy supposed it should have been another one of those moments where everything went hurtling through her mind at warp-speed, but to be honest, she didn't form thoughts, didn't think of words. She could only feel and react. Slowly they moved closer, their lips parted slightly until they met in a culmination of hidden feeling and restrained love that had masqueraded under the guise of friendship. Now, however, in those few seconds it began its transformation into something deeper, something more.

Eventually they broke away, their lungs screaming for air not so much because they were out of breath, but it was the only way that they could think to respond to what had just happened. Eventually, Buffy sighed contently and laid her head against Willow's arm.

"Happy Valentines Day." Willow smiled, and moved ever-so-slightly to kiss the top of her forehead gently.

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Valentine's Sunrise

by Jamie

Copyright © 2004

jim@deadmanskanking.co.uk