Soul Mates: Conversations by Ravenhawk

Rating: NC-17
Disclaimer: I don't own these characters. They belong to Joss Whedon. Neither I nor the website on which this story appears receive any compensation for this work.
Distribution: The Mystic Muse: /mysticmuse.net
Anywhere, just ask.
Feedback: Yes please.
Spoilers: AU in season 5.
Author's Note: Sequel to Soul Mates: Moments.
Big thank yous to Pete for looking over the beginning and to Spellbound for reading over the entire story for me. Also, if anyone has any suggestions or things they'd like to see in this fic, you can still feel free to email me about them.
Dedication: Thanks very much to Spellbound for looking this over for me, and for all the great suggestions!
Grouping: Willow/Tara/Xander

Summary: Willow, Tara, and Xander are starting to get comfortable together and it's time to tell Buffy about their new relationship.

Tara watched as Xander stepped up to the maroon couch Willow was sitting on. He ran one hand over the back, testing the feel of the fabric, then sat down next to Willow. He pushed on a couple of the cushions as he leaned back, frowning slightly.

"It's okay," he answered with a shrug. "But I want something better than okay. What's the point of getting a new couch if we're not going to get something really nice?" He stood up and offered his hand to Willow, who took it and rose to stand next to him, smoothing out her dark green skirt as she stepped back from the couch.

"What do you think, Tara?" Xander asked, turning to look at her over his shoulder. Tara considered the question as she stepped forward to join them.

"Well, you're the one buying it," she demurred. She didn't really know much about picking out furniture. Whatever Willow and Xander decided on would be fine with her.

"Yeah, but I'm buying it for our apartment," Xander replied. "We're all going to be sitting on it. Everyone should have some input."

Tara nodded slowly and took a look around. It was late morning, so the furniture store they were in wasn't very crowded. In fact, there was hardly anyone else around at the moment, so there were no distractions as she looked over the couches around them. She didn't see anything nearby that grabbed her attention, so she turned and looked across the aisle where there were more couches and chairs.

"Wow," Willow said, stepping back a little so she could address them both at once. "We're buying a couch together. We're buying furniture for our apartment." She smiled brightly, and Tara couldn't help grinning herself at her obvious excitement.

Next to them, Xander chuckled, looking down briefly and running one hand through his hair. Tara knew how easy it was to get swept up in Willow's moods, and it was nice to see that Xander could get pulled along just as easily as she could. She rested a hand briefly on Willow's arm, rubbing her through the light sweater she had on, and Willow met her eyes, turning that lovely smile on her.

Tara gave Willow's arm a loving squeeze, then returned her attention to the couches, finally spotting something a short distance away. "How about that one?" she said, pointing and walking over to it. Willow and Xander followed behind, moving to stand next to her when they reached their destination.

The couch she'd spotted was dark blue and had two sections at right angles to each other, but the piece that connected them was curved. "This would be great for us, don't you think?" she said, gesturing toward the curved section. She sat down in the middle of it, shifting around a little, trying to get settled.

The cushions, both behind and underneath her, were soft and yielding, but firm enough that she didn't feel like she was sinking into the couch. "It's really comfortable. Come on, try it," she urged, patting the spaces next to her. Willow quickly sat down on her left, and Xander followed, taking the place on her right.

"Yeah, this is perfect for us," Willow declared, scooting in closer to Tara and snuggling against her. They tried to get settled, testing out the feel of the couch, but it was only a few seconds before Willow rested a hand on her knee and turned toward them.

Even though the statement from behind them was delivered in a polite tone of voice, the three of them still leapt up from the couch when they heard it. Tara turned around quickly, as did Willow and Xander, and they saw a salesperson standing behind the couch. Tara hadn't heard her approach, and it took her a moment to recover from her surprise.

"Help. Um, yes," Xander said, clearly still a little startled. "We were just looking at this couch."

"Oh yeah, this is a nice one." The young woman – whose nametag identified her as 'Stephanie' – gave them a friendly smile. "Are you interested in buying it?"

"Sure," Stephanie said. "I'll be right over here. Just let me know when you've made up your mind." She turned and headed for a dining table display and started tidying up.

Tara sat down on the couch again, exchanging amused glances with Willow and Xander. She briefly considered making some comment about having had her fill of being startled for the day, but decided not to. This was Sunnydale, after all, and it was probably best not to tempt fate.

"It's really nice," Willow replied. She sat down again, leaning back and shifting around a little. "Don't you think so, honey?" she said, turning toward Tara.

"I think it's great," Tara said. Then she happened to glance at the price tag. "It's a little expensive, though," she continued, frowning.

Xander waved off her concerns. "I just got promoted not too long ago, remember? I mean, I'm not about to go on any spending sprees or anything, but I can afford this."

Xander grinned. "Don't worry, I'm sure," he reassured her. "So let's call that saleswoman back."

"Wait a second," Willow said suddenly. Tara and Xander looked at her curiously, and she continued, speaking quietly. "Maybe we should tell her… You know, about us." She shot them a meaningful glance.

"Well, no, she doesn't," Willow admitted. "But it'll be good practice for telling Buffy." She leaned forward, shifting in her seat. "I'm still a little nervous about that."

"Sweetie," Tara said gently, "are you sure you want to tell a complete stranger about us? I mean, don't get me wrong," she added quickly, "we don't have anything to be ashamed of." She knew that they all knew that, but it bore repeating nonetheless. "But… we don't even know this person."

"It's for practice," Willow insisted. "We don't know this person, so it doesn't matter what she thinks. But it does matter what Buffy thinks, and I just… When we tell her, I want to get it absolutely right."

Xander looked Tara in the eye, and she shrugged slightly. She didn't think this was something they could really practice for, but if Willow wanted to try…

"Okay, I guess," Xander said. Tara could see he still had doubts about this, but he kept them to himself. He turned and waved to Stephanie, signaling her to come over, and the saleswoman strode quickly across the store to stand in front of them.

"Great!" she said cheerily. "You won't regret it. This is a great couch that'll last you a long time."

"I'll just write you a check here…" Xander said, reaching for his back pocket and his checkbook.

"We're buying this couch together," Willow blurted suddenly, prompting everyone to turn toward her. Xander and Tara froze, watching the saleswoman for her reaction. Willow had been right when she said it didn't matter what she thought, but still…

Willow blinked. "We're buying it together," she repeated. "All three of us. We're together."

"Yes," Stephanie said slowly, clearly a bit confused. "I can see that. People buy furniture together all the time."

"No, you don't understand," Willow said, getting a little flustered now. "We're buying it for our apartment."

The saleswoman glanced around, somewhat uncomfortably. "Okay…" She was obviously unsure about what to say now, and she was looking at Willow askance, which just made her even more anxious.

"It's for our apartment," Willow continued. "All three of us. We live together."

"All right," Stephanie said slowly. Then she suddenly looked up. "Hey, you mean like on 'Three's Company?'" she asked suddenly. "I love that show!" Her cheery smile from earlier was back. "I watch it in reruns on cable all the time. John Ritter is so funny!" She shook her head, chuckling, then turned back to Xander.

"Oh god," Willow moaned as she slumped down on the bench. "I could not possibly be a bigger dork."

The three of them were sitting together by the street a short distance from the furniture store. Willow had practically fled the store a few minutes earlier, with Tara following after while Xander stayed behind to take care of the delivery details for the couch. He'd come out of the store just a moment ago and joined them on the bench, sitting down next to Willow.

The street wasn't too crowded, but there were still a few people around, on foot and in cars, coming and going to various shops, and more were steadily arriving as it grew closer to noon. Still, the traffic wasn't too bad where they were and it was quiet enough that they could talk.

"Will, it's okay," Xander soothed, resting a hand on her knee. "Really. That wasn't your fault. There's nothing to worry about."

Willow leaned forward a little and Tara rubbed her back comfortingly. "Xander's right," she said. "Remember what we said about how this wasn't important?"

"I know," Willow sighed. "But when I think about how badly I screwed that up… What does it mean for when we tell Buffy?" She seemed to be feeling a little better now, but Tara could still easily see how distressed she was.

"Sweetie… I understand that what Buffy thinks is important to you," Tara said gently. "I mean, I'm not as close to her as you are, but it's important to me too. But I think maybe you're a little too concerned about how we tell her. I think, as long as we're up front and honest with her, things will be okay."

Xander nodded. "Yeah. Absolutely," he said. "I get why you're worried, Will, I really do. But I think it'll turn out all right. Really."

Even though Tara could tell that Xander believed what he was saying, she could also see that he was still a little concerned about telling Buffy, too. She could read it in his posture and the way he was looking at Willow. The signs were subtle, but they were there, and she'd known him long enough to know what they meant.

She supposed it was only natural – Buffy was their best friend, after all. After everything they'd been through together, Tara could definitely understand Willow and Xander being nervous about something that could potentially shake up their friendship. And even if there was no problem with Buffy's initial reaction, this was going to change their relationship over the long term – and she was sure that Willow and Xander knew that, too.

"Why don't we go home?" Tara asked, resting her hand on Willow's shoulder. "It's almost time for lunch. I'll make that chicken and garlic rice you like so much." She gave Willow a soft smile as she turned and met her eyes.

Willow smiled back at her. "You know I can't resist your garlic rice," she said affectionately. She stared across the street ahead of her for a moment, reflecting silently on what they'd said. Finally, she nodded. "Okay. Let's go home."

Standing up, Willow turned back to face them. "You're right," she said softly. "I worry too much. But I can't help it." She looked at them both in turn, holding their gaze for a moment, her expression serious. "Thanks for putting up with me."

Tara rose from her seat, and Xander stood quickly beside her. "Willow, really, it's no trouble," she said.

"No trouble at all," Xander spoke up. "We're happy to do whatever we can for you, whenever you need it. Even if it's just listening." He glanced at Tara, and she nodded, letting Willow know that he spoke for them both.

Willow smiled at the show of support. "Thank you," she said, and Tara could tell the words were heartfelt. "It… It really does make me feel better to hear that." They hadn't talked about this before, and although Tara was sure that Willow had known already that she could count on her and Xander, it was still good to come out and say it.

"And you know the same goes for both of you, right?" Willow continued, suddenly concerned. "I mean, it shouldn't be just me who…"

Tara interrupted her gently. "We know," she said, catching Willow's eyes and resting a hand on her arm. Willow held her gaze for a moment, then turned to Xander, who smiled and nodded at her.

Willow opened her arms for them, and Tara and Xander stepped toward her. They shared a brief hug, and when they separated, Willow smiled at them again. Tara could tell that she was still a little nervous about telling Buffy about them, but she seemed to be feeling better now.

Slowly, a little shyly, Willow reached for their hands. Tara paused briefly as she realized what Willow meant for them to do – they were going to hold hands, in public. It would only be for a minute or two, until they got back to the car, but still…

They hadn't done this before. Tara had held hands with Willow in public prior to this, but this would be the first time they'd done it with Xander too. Even though she'd come a long way from the crippling shyness she'd suffered from when she'd first arrived in Sunnydale, she was still fairly nervous about this kind of thing, so she hesitated.

But only for a moment. Tara knew that Willow was shy by nature too, so for her to be taking the initiative on this was a big thing for her. The least she could do was meet her halfway. Besides, if the three of them were going to be serious about their relationship, they'd have to get comfortable being in public together sooner or later. Why not start now?

Glancing at Xander, Tara saw that he was hesitating too. Even though he was more outgoing than she or Willow was, he was probably having the same thoughts that were running through her head right now. That made her feel a little better, too.

Finally, Tara relaxed a little, and at almost the same instant, Xander did too. They took Willow's hands, lacing their fingers with hers, and she smiled as they moved to either side of her. Hands linked, they walked back to the car together, and if a few people passing by gave them odd glances, Tara found she wasn't nearly as uncomfortable about it as she'd been afraid she'd be.

The lunch Tara made was delicious, as usual, and Willow felt a little better after eating. She and Xander handled the dishes, and just as they were finishing up, a crew from the furniture store arrived with their new couch. Xander helped them bring it in, a process which took a few minutes, then enlisted their help in getting it situated where they wanted it. They'd decided to donate their old couch to charity, and they'd made arrangements to have it picked up on Monday, so it was pushed against one wall for now.

After the new couch was in place, Xander thanked the delivery crew and closed the door behind them as they left. Once they were gone, Willow hurried over to the new couch and sat down in the middle of it, leaning back and settling herself. She looked up as Tara and Xander approached, moving around the couch to stand in front of her.

"Come on! Come sit with me," Willow said excitedly, gesturing for them to join her on the couch.

Smiling, Xander and Tara sat down on either side of her. After taking a moment to get comfortable, the three of them relaxed together.

"Very comfortable," Willow replied, snuggling against Tara and tugging at Xander to come closer.

Chuckling, Xander moved in closer to her. Willow sighed contentedly and closed her eyes, resting her head on his shoulder.

"Mm-hmm," Willow replied. The warmth of their bodies was comforting in a way that wasn't quite like anything she'd ever felt before. "I could fall asleep here."

"You'd better not," Xander cautioned. "You'd probably wake up with a crick in your neck."

"Besides, we have to go soon," Tara added. "We're supposed to meet Buffy, remember?"

Opening her eyes, Willow sat up straight and pouted in mock disappointment. "Sure, spoil my fun," she groused. Tara chuckled at her reply and gave her a light kiss on her cheek.

Willow nodded slowly. Okay. Try not to worry too much. She stood and turned to face her girlfriend and boyfriend. "All right. Let's get going."

"Hey Buff," Xander replied, smiling as he glanced around briefly. "Where is everyone?"

"Mom's at the gallery and Dawn's over at a friend's house. I have to go pick her up later, but I've got some time. Come on in."

They walked into the living room together. Willow sat down on the couch, and Xander and Tara sat next to her, though not nearly as close as they had been back home. Buffy took a seat in a chair across the coffee table from them.

"So how've you been?" Xander asked. "We didn't get a chance to talk much last night."

"Yeah – I'm still really sorry about that, by the way," Buffy replied. Her expression turned dire. "I made sure Willy knows not to blow threats out of proportion anymore."

"But anyway," she continued, relaxing again, "I've been okay. I'm starting to feel better… about Riley." Willow noticed her slight hesitation before saying his name, but kept silent about it. "He's gone and, well, that's pretty much all there is to it."

Buffy shook her head. "Sorry," she said. "Don't mean to be a downer. I'm okay, really. I've just been enjoying the lack of impending apocalypses and trying to focus on school."

"So how's that going?" Willow asked. "Remember that my study-buddy offer is always open." Even though it was obvious that Buffy was feeling better about Riley leaving, Willow could tell that she still wasn't completely over it, and she'd have to sit down and talk to her at some point. But now wasn't the time, for obvious reasons.

"Fairly well, actually," Buffy replied. "A couple of my classes have gotten a lot more interesting recently."

"That's good to hear," Tara said. "I'm finding the same with some of my classes, too."

They talked about school for a while, and from there the discussion drifted into other topics, like Xander's job and Buffy's family. They quickly settled back into the comfortable, familiar rhythm of their conversations and Buffy's earlier discomfort was seemingly forgotten. They laughed and joked with each other, and even Tara took a more active part in the conversation than she usually did when they were with other people. Willow was glad to see her getting more comfortable around Buffy, although she was still the quietest of all of them.

Finally, there was a lull in their conversation, and Buffy leaned back in her chair, stretching her arms above her head. "This is nice," she said. "Seems like forever since I've seen you guys outside of Slayer business."

Xander pondered her words for a moment. "I think it's only been about a week and a half."

Right away Willow felt guilty. They hadn't been around for Buffy much lately. Yes, they'd had a very good reason to be distracted, and yes, they had been there for her right after Riley left, but recently…

They were definitely going to have to make an effort to spend more time with her from now on. She'd talk with Tara and Xander about it later, but she knew they'd agree. Buffy was their friend too, after all.

And speaking of friend… There was no point in putting this off any longer. "So, um, Buffy," Willow began a little hesitantly, nervousness building within her once more as Buffy met her eyes, "we, um, we have something to tell you."

"And remember how totally cool and supportive you were about that?" Willow said.

"Willow… What's going on?" Buffy's question was gentle, but insistent, and Willow took a moment to calm herself before answering. Tara clasped her hand, squeezing softly, letting her know she was there, and at almost the same instant Xander did likewise, taking her other hand. Willow shot them both grateful glances.

"Buffy, it's… it's not just Tara and me anymore. It's Tara and me and Xander." Willow could feel her cheeks burning and she knew there was probably a much better way she could have said that, but as anxious as she was right now, that had been the best she could manage. Tara ran her thumb along Willow's palm, and the reminder that she and Xander were there helped her to relax a little.

Before Willow could answer, Xander spoke up. "What Willow's saying, Buff," he said, "is that we're all together. All three of us are together in a relationship now. We're all living together."

"That's right," Willow said. "Tara and Xander and me, we're a couple. Except not a couple because there are three of us. But… you know what we mean. Right?"

Willow could see from Buffy's expression that she did. She looked at each of them in turn, saying nothing, her surprise obvious from the look on her face. It seemed as though she was about to speak, but then she glanced down, noted the way they were holding hands, and closed her mouth again.

Several seconds passed in silence. Just as Willow was considering saying something, Buffy spoke again.

"Wow. That's, um…" She seemed at a loss for words. "I don't really know what to say. You're all… together? Really?"

Willow nodded in answer. "We really are," she replied, smiling, her anxiety momentarily forgotten in the rush of excitement she still felt when thinking about her new relationship.

Buffy shifted a little in her seat. "And the three of you, you all… like… sleep together?"

Before any of them could answer her, Buffy forcefully shook her head. "On second thought, don't answer that," she said hurriedly. "Look, um, if you guys are happy, that's great. I just, um, I think I need a little time…"

She turned her head, glancing at the clock behind her. "I need to go pick up Dawn," she said, standing and pushing her chair back a little. "I'll be back in half an hour or so and we can talk more about this then, okay?"

"It's fine. Really," Buffy said. "I just need a few minutes for this all to sink in. I'll be back soon, okay?" Not waiting for an answer, she made her way to the front door, slipped on a pair of sandals, and stepped outside.

Willow was about to reply when she heard the sound of a brief conversation outside. A moment later, the front door opened again and Joyce walked in. She smiled at them as she hung up her purse, then stepped into the living room and sat down in the chair that Buffy had vacated just a moment ago.

"Um, Ms. Summers?" Willow piped up. "While you're here, there's, um, there's something we should probably tell you."

She glanced at Tara, then at Xander, the question obvious even if it was unspoken. They both looked a little nervous, but Xander nodded, and then a moment later, Tara did too. Tara didn't know Joyce nearly as well as she and Xander did, but she was clearly willing to trust their judgment. Willow gave Tara a quick smile in appreciation, then turned toward Xander, raising an eyebrow, silently asking him if he'd handle it this time.

"You're all sleeping together," Joyce said, interrupting him. It was clearly a statement, not a question, and the way she said it, as casually as if she were passing the time of day, stunned Willow into silence. How did she…?

Willow could see by the looks on their faces that Tara and Xander were having the same reaction. Before she could even begin to think about what to say in response, Joyce smiled at them. The gesture wasn't mocking, but rather friendly and reassuring, and it made Willow feel a little more at ease. But just a little.

Willow sipped at her iced tea as Joyce sat down across from them again. It was good – not too sweet, nor too bitter – and she took another drink, trying to calm her nerves a bit. Holding the glass carefully with both hands, she rested it in her lap.

"This is good. Thank you," Willow said, giving Joyce a grateful nod. From their places on the couch on either side of her, Tara and Xander likewise voiced their thanks. Joyce smiled at them, taking a sip from her glass and setting it on the table next to her.

"So, um, how… how did you know about us?" Willow asked after a moment. She wasn't sure how to broach the subject, and it might have been better to let Joyce take the lead here, but she had to know.

Joyce didn't seem disturbed by how quickly the question came, though. In fact, she looked as if she'd expected it. "Remember when you three were over here with Giles a few days ago, picking Buffy up for patrol?" At Willow's answering nod, she continued. "We talked for a few minutes while she was getting ready."

Xander's brow furrowed in confusion. "But that was pretty much just small talk," he said. "How did you…?"

"There were signs," Joyce replied. "Subtle, but they were there. The way you looked at each other. The way you talked to each other. Your body language." She shrugged. "I noticed, anyway."

"And you could tell… just from that, that we were… together?" Willow felt herself blushing as she spoke, and her gaze momentarily dropped to her lap before she forced herself to look Joyce in the eye again.

At Joyce's answering nod, Xander spoke up. "So… Are you okay with this?" he asked. His tone betrayed the fact that he was just as nervous about her answer as Willow herself was.

Joyce considered the question silently for a moment. "It's really not my place to say," she finally replied. "You're all adults now. You're capable of making your own choices about your relationships."

Willow's distress at Joyce's noncommittal answer must have shown on her face, since the older woman smiled reassuringly at her. "I'm not going to stop speaking to you or anything, if that's what you're worried about," she said.

"Oh no, I didn't think you would," Willow replied quickly. For her and Xander, their relationship with Joyce was an important one, and Willow knew that Tara liked her too. She hadn't really believed that Joyce would have wanted to disassociate herself with them or anything like that, but it was still a great relief to have that confirmed.

Taking another drink, Joyce set her glass down again and leaned back a little, folding her hands in her lap. "You know, this isn't the first time I've seen this," she said at length.

"Seen… this?" Tara asked, confused. "You mean…?" She trailed off, gesturing toward Willow and Xander on the couch next to her.

Joyce nodded. "I went to college, you know," she said, smirking. "It wasn't exactly common, but I heard about a few threesomes back then. Even a couple of my friends did some… experimenting."

Willow shifted uncomfortably at that last word. She really didn't want Joyce to get the wrong idea about them. "Um, Miss Summers?" she said, and the older woman turned toward her. She was about to continue when Joyce interrupted her.

"Willow, given what we're talking about here, I think you can call me Joyce," she said. Her expression and her tone were friendly, and Willow nodded after a moment's consideration.

"Okay… Joyce," she said. It felt a little weird using her first name casually like that, but she pressed on anyway. "Well, this… Tara and Xander and me… This isn't an experiment."

"That's right," Tara spoke up. "What's between us… This isn't a casual thing." She looked a little uncomfortable as all eyes turned toward her, but continued regardless. "There's a lot more to it than that. Even though the three of us haven't been together that long… I think we all already know that. We're definitely not experimenting here." She turned and looked at Willow and Xander as she finished, and the two of them nodded, confirming that she spoke for all of them. Willow knew that Tara still had a hard time talking to people she didn't know very well, and she gave her a warm smile, showing support for her and what she'd said. Xander took her hand briefly, squeezing softly, and Willow flashed him a quick smile too before turning back to Joyce.

Silence settled over the room as Joyce took in what they'd said. "No, I don't suppose you are, are you?" she said quietly, almost to herself. She looked them over for a moment, studying them, almost as though she were seeing them in a new light. Willow couldn't help but wonder what she was thinking.

Finally, Joyce smiled again. "Well," she said, "I'm sure you've thought it all out and talked about problems you might run into. Back in college… Everyone I knew or heard about in this type of relationship was just in it for fun. Nobody tried to make a relationship like this work over the long term."

She seemed as though she was about to say more on the subject, but then she shook her head. "Anyway, you certainly don't need a lecture from me," she said. "I can see that you are serious about this, so I'll just say… I wish you the best."

"Well… thanks, Ms. Summers," Xander replied, still referring to Buffy's mother as he always did. She smiled, but didn't interrupt him as he continued. "That, um, that really means a lot." Willow nodded in agreement as Xander spoke. It did mean a lot to her, and she smiled at Joyce, grateful for the sentiment.

"So…" Joyce said, a faintly amused tone creeping into her voice, "judging by the look on my daughter's face when I passed her outside, I'm guessing you just told her that you're together?"

Xander nodded. "Yeah. She said she was okay with it, but… you know, she took off pretty quickly," he said. Willow could hear a faint note of discomfort in his voice, and she rested her hand on his shoulder, trying to reassure him even though she was also still worried about Buffy.

"Oh, she'll be okay, I think," Joyce reassured them. "It probably just came as a shock to her. She'll just need a little time, that's all. But she cares about you, and she likes you a lot, and she's not going to forget that."

Willow knew deep down that Joyce was right. It had taken her a little time to adjust to her being with Tara, but Buffy hadn't had any problem with it in the long run. And besides, if Buffy had come to her with news like this… She probably would have had a pretty similar reaction.

"There is just one thing I'd like to ask," Joyce said. Willow leaned forward a little, instantly attentive.

"I'd appreciate it if you wouldn't say anything to Dawn for now. She may figure out what's going on between you at some point, but… I'd rather just let it be for now."

"Oh!" Willow nodded. "Sure, that's no problem at all." She honestly hadn't even thought about Dawn. It wasn't that she didn't like her, she'd just been so concerned about telling Buffy about them that she hadn't given any consideration to anything else. But she certainly didn't have any problem following Joyce's lead on this.

"Thanks," Joyce said, smiling. Willow took another drink as she continued. "So, how's school going? And Xander, how are you finding the new job?"

And just like that, the conversation turned to less personal matters. They talked for a while about what was going on in their lives, and Joyce told them what was happening with the gallery. Willow found herself relaxing a little, and the time passed pleasantly enough between them.

Finally, Willow heard voices in the yard out front, approaching the front door. A moment later, it opened and Buffy stepped inside. She smiled and opened her mouth to greet them, but was forestalled when Dawn bounded in behind her.

"Hey guys!" she said, quickly catching sight of Willow, Xander, and Tara sitting on the couch. "Hi mom," she added as she stepped into the living room, moving to stand beside Joyce's chair.

Joyce stood up and gave Dawn a kiss on the cheek. "Hi honey," she said, pulling her and Buffy into a hug as Buffy walked into the living room. "Thanks for picking Dawn up," she told Buffy, stepping away from them and sitting down again.

"No problem. She wasn't too much of a pain… This time," Buffy replied with a grin.

"Okay, that's enough," Joyce said firmly, cutting Dawn off. "No fighting while we have company. In fact, Buffy probably wants to spend some time with her friends, so we should let them be for a while."

Joyce shot Buffy a knowing glance, and Buffy seemed a bit surprised, but recovered quickly. "Actually," she said, turning and meeting Willow's eyes, "I'd just like to talk to Willow for a little bit. If that's okay, Will?"

Willow hesitated before answering, but only for a few seconds. "Sure. That's fine, Buffy," she replied, trying not to let her nervousness get the better of her.

"Why don't we go out back?" Buffy said, gesturing toward the rear of the house. Willow nodded and stood up, walking around the table in front of the couch. She took a last look back at Xander and Tara, and they smiled warmly at her.

"So how was school today, Dawn?" Tara asked as Buffy headed for the back door. Dawn started chattering excitedly about her day, and Willow smiled to herself as she followed Buffy out into the back yard.

Willow nodded at Buffy's words, but didn't reply immediately, instead leaning back on the bench and looking up at the late afternoon sky. There wasn't a cloud to be seen, and the sea of deep, rich blue was… soothing. It was quiet in Buffy's back yard, save for the occasional bird chirping or child yelling from far away, and Willow allowed the peaceful atmosphere to settle around her for a moment.

Finally, she sat up straight again and turned toward Buffy, seated next to her on the bench. "I know," she said. "I mean, if you need some time to get used to the idea, I can totally understand that."

"It's just…" Buffy trailed off, frowning. "When we first met, you had a pretty serious thing for Xander."

Willow nodded. The days of her unrequited crush on Xander seemed so long ago now, but she still remembered what she'd felt for him back then. It was different from what she felt for him now; less developed. Not that she hadn't loved him – they'd always loved each other, she was certain of that – but the feeling was more… childish, if you could call it that. Not like what she felt now.

"And then there were the illicit smoochies with Xander… And you got caught, and got back together with Oz, and I thought Xander was pretty much out of the picture after that…"

Willow decided that she'd better let Buffy finish before trying to say anything, so she waited in silence as she continued.

"And then you were back with Oz, and you seemed pretty happy, until… all the badness happened." Buffy turned away slightly and said that last part in a rush, and Willow frowned. She didn't like to think much about what had happened with Oz. It had been over a year now since the incident with Veruca, but still…

"And then you were, you know… gay, and there was Tara, and you seemed really happy."

Willow couldn't help but smile at that. "I was. I still am," she said. And it was true. God, she loved Tara so much…

"And now you're telling me that you're with Xander, except that you're still with Tara… All three of you are together. I mean, I knew you and Tara had been spending a lot of time with Xander, but…" Buffy sighed. "Like I said, it's a lot to take in."

"So… Are you freaked about this?" Willow asked. She was just as nervous now as she had been back when she told Buffy about Tara. Buffy had been understanding back then, but…

Buffy shook her head. "No," she said. "I'm not. Willow, I…" She trailed off, looking over her shoulder at the house for a moment before turning back toward Willow. "You're my best friend – well, you and Xander – and this isn't going to change that. I mean, after all we've been through together…"

Nodding once, Buffy continued, her tone growing more resolved. "This relationship is… unusual, and I'll probably need a little time to get used to the idea, but… No, Willow, it doesn't bother me."

Willow felt a rush of relief and happiness at Buffy's declaration, and she smiled at her friend, who returned the gesture a bit more slowly. On impulse, she leaned forward wrapped her arms around Buffy, pulling her into a tight hug. Buffy hugged her back, and the two of them held the embrace for a few seconds before pulling away from each other.

"Thank you, Buffy," Willow said, sighing softly. "You know, I… I was pretty nervous about how you'd react when we told you. I'm glad that I didn't have any reason to be."

She felt a little bad about having worried about what Buffy would say. She hadn't ever really doubted their friendship, but still, there were times when she couldn't help worrying about things that she knew in her head she shouldn't be concerned about. But now she knew for certain that she had the support of her best friend, and that really did mean a lot to her.

"Actually, she already knew," Willow said. Buffy stared at her in surprise, and Willow chuckled. "She figured it out the last time we were over here."

"Huh. Well, I had no idea," Buffy said. "How long have you guys been… together, anyway?"

"Just a little over a week now," Willow replied. "That all three of us have been living together, I mean. Tara and I were pretty close with Xander for a while before that."

"Um…" Buffy scooted back a little on the bench, looking down at the space between them. "I don't want you to think I'm prying, but, do you mind if I ask you a few questions about this? I mean, I don't want any intimate details or anything," she added hurriedly, "just, you know, whatever you're comfortable with."

"Sure," Willow replied. "I'll tell you whatever you want to know, as long as it doesn't involve intimate details," she finished with mock seriousness. Buffy giggled at her expression, and after a moment, Willow laughed along with her.

"Actually," Willow interrupted, "Tara's… kinda the one who got all this started."

Buffy blinked in surprise. "Oh. Okay," she said. "Well, anyway, I just… I didn't know she was… interested in guys."

Willow thought about how to answer that for a moment. "Well, it's not so much that she's interested in guys, plural," she said, finally deciding that Tara would probably be okay with her telling Buffy that much. "It's just that she has real feelings for one particular guy," she continued, smiling. "Like I do."

Buffy considered her answer briefly, then nodded. "So, you said you were all living together? In your apartment, I take it?"

"Yeah," Willow replied. "Xander still has a few things to bring over, but he's mostly moved in."

"It's great!" Willow enthused. "We're all still adjusting, but Xander's getting settled in. We talked before he moved in and worked out some things, and so far it's been going really well."

"Well… you definitely seem really happy," Buffy observed seriously, and Willow giggled at her expression.

"I am," she said. "Don't get me wrong, Buffy, Tara's a wonderful person and I was really happy with her. But now that I'm with her and Xander too…"

"I don't know what's in store for us in the future," Willow continued. "We're going to try to make this work long-term, and a relationship like ours… Well, I'm sure there'll be problems we have to deal with. I'm sure there'll be obstacles." She shrugged. "But I don't want to think about that right now. I just want to think about how happy we all are together, and enjoy being with Tara and Xander," she finished, giving Buffy a big smile.

Buffy looked her over for a long moment, then smiled back at her. "Well, if you guys are all happy, I'm happy for you," she said. "I wish you all the best. Really."

"Thanks, Buffy," Willow said. "I really appreciate that." And she did. Now that she didn't have the worry about how Buffy would react to her relationship with Tara and Xander hanging over her head, she felt quite a bit better.

"Well, I shouldn't keep you any longer," Buffy said, standing up and stretching. "Let's go back inside."

Xander was listening to Dawn describe how her art class had gone earlier that day when he heard the back door of the house open and close. He looked up and smiled as Buffy and Willow walked into the living room.

"Hey guys," he said. Judging from the look on Willow's face, her conversation with Buffy had gone well. He was glad – Willow had been stressing about this for the past few days, and truthfully, he'd been a bit worried too. But now it looked as if there was no need for concern.

Joyce took note of the exchange. "Okay, I need to get dinner started," she said, rising from her chair. "I don't have enough food to do it tonight, but you guys should come over for dinner. Maybe sometime next week?"

"Sure," Xander said. He glanced at Tara, then at Willow, and they nodded their agreement. "That'd be great. Thanks, Ms. Summers."

"I'll get a hold of you after the weekend and we can figure out what day," Joyce said. Then she stepped over to where Dawn was sitting and rested a hand on her shoulder.

"Because Buffy's friends are here," she said gently, but insistently. "Now come on. Help out your mother."

Dawn frowned, but didn't argue any further. "It was great to see you guys," she said as she stood up.

Dawn gave them a quick smile, then followed Joyce into the kitchen. As they left, Buffy and Willow walked over to the couch where they were sitting.

Xander stood as they approached, and a second later, Tara did too. "So… is everything cool?" Xander asked, giving Buffy a meaningful look.

"Yeah, everything's fine," Buffy replied. "Like I told Willow… I'm happy for you guys." She stepped forward and hugged Xander, and they held each other for a moment before she pulled away from him.

"I don't suppose I need to tell you what'll happen to you if you hurt them," Buffy said, looking at him seriously, her tone holding a dire note.

Xander chuckled. "No, it's okay. I pretty much get the idea." He knew Buffy was joking, but still, her words held a note of truth. If any of them got hurt, she wouldn't be happy, to say the least. Just one more reason to try his best not to screw this up – although he certainly had more than enough motivation on that score already.

Buffy approached Tara and gave her a quick hug as well. "Tara, I don't know you as well as I do Willow and Xander, but… I do think of you as a friend. And I'm glad that you and Willow and Xander are so happy together."

Tara seemed a little caught off guard by Buffy's words. "Wow. Um, thanks Buffy," she said. "That, um, that means a lot to me." She smiled at Buffy, and despite the fact that her stance was a little uncomfortable, Xander could tell that she was genuinely pleased by what Buffy had said.

"Okay," Willow said after a moment. "We should go, so you'll have time to get ready for dinner."

Buffy nodded. "Okay. I'll see you later. And guys… Thank you for telling me about this so soon." She paused briefly, her face turning serious as she looked the three of them over. "Thanks for trusting me."

Xander grinned at her. "No problem, Buff," he said as they walked to the front door. "Thanks for taking it so well."

They put their shoes on and exchanged goodbyes, and Xander followed Willow and Tara out onto the porch. Buffy closed the door behind them and they walked across the lawn to Xander's car. They climbed in, and Xander put the keys in the ignition, but paused before starting the engine.

"Yeah," Tara agreed. "I don't think we could have asked for a better reaction." She looked out the window at the house for a moment, then smiled and turned back to him.

Xander looked at his girlfriends a moment longer, then nodded. He turned his attention back to the road and put his seatbelt on. Tara and Willow did likewise as he started the engine, then pulled out into the street and began the trip home.

Walking around the corner from the kitchen to the living room, Xander found Tara standing near the front door, looking at the shelves along the wall. He stepped up behind her and wrapped his arms around her, folding his hands and resting them lightly on her stomach. Tara turned and looked up at him, settling back into his embrace.

She smiled. "Just looking at the flowers you brought us," she replied, nodding at the shelf that held the vase with the carnations he'd brought over on the night they'd gotten together. The preservation spell that Tara and Willow had put on the flowers seemed to be working, as they still looked every bit as fresh as they had when he'd gotten them.

"This'll probably sound corny, but they've got nothing on you and Willow," he said.

"You know it," Xander said as she leaned back against him once more. He stood with her briefly, enjoying her closeness and the way she felt against him. "We just finished putting away the dishes," he continued after a moment. "And thanks for dinner, by the way. It was really good."

"Yeah, your tempura was delicious," Willow agreed as she stepped out of the kitchen and walked over to them. "Thanks, honey," she said, resting a hand on Tara's shoulder and smiling at her.

They walked over to the couch and sat down together, Willow and Tara sitting on either side of Xander. He wrapped his arms around them and pulled them close, and they snuggled against him, clasping hands and resting them in his lap. They sat in silence for a few minutes, looking out the window and watching the sunset.

"I'd say so," Tara said. "Buffy seemed to take our news really well. Joyce, too."

Willow frowned. "I should never have worried about what Buffy would think about us being together," she said. "I feel kinda bad about it, actually. She's our friend and I shouldn't have doubted her."

"Will, it's okay," Xander soothed. "It's only natural to be nervous. I was too, a little."

"Yeah, honey, don't worry," Tara said. "Xander's right. This doesn't mean you're a bad friend or anything."

Willow looked uncertain, but after a moment she seemed to accept their reassurances. "Well, I'm just glad she was so understanding," she said.

Xander nodded. "So, we've got the most important one out of the way, but… who else do we need to tell?" he asked.

"Well, we should probably tell Giles," Willow said after a moment's consideration.

"Not a conversation I'm looking forward to," Xander said. "Can you imagine all the flustered comments and eyeglass cleaning?"

"Well, actually," Tara mused, "if Ms. Summers was any indication, he might already know about us."

"I'd say there's a good chance," Willow said. "After all, Giles might have had experience with relationships like ours too, in his wanton and misspent youth."

Xander turned and looked at her askance. "Will, may I remind you that this is Giles we're talking about here?"

Giggling, Willow rested her head on his shoulder. "Okay, fine," she said with an exaggerated huff. Then her expression turned serious again. "But we really should tell him."

Xander was about to argue the point when he remembered how he'd found out about Willow's relationship with Tara. It had come out in the middle of a big argument, and he'd honestly been a little hurt that Willow hadn't told him and he'd found out basically by accident. He'd long since gotten over it, but still, there was no reason for the same thing to happen now, with Giles. He was bound to find out sooner or later, so it'd be best for them to tell him themselves.

"You're right," he said. He glanced at Tara, who nodded her agreement, then turned back to the window. It was nearly dark outside now, and he watched the last rays of sunlight fade from the sky for a moment before speaking again.

Willow sighed. "Well, I should probably tell my parents at some point," she replied. "Boy, that'll be a fun conversation. My mom will probably be quoting whole passages out of her psychology textbooks at me."

"Do you want us to come with you, honey?" Tara asked, looking at Willow with concern. It was concern Xander shared – telling her parents would undoubtedly be hard for Willow. He didn't imagine that he and Tara could make it much easier, but they could lend emotional support, if nothing else.

Willow seemed tempted by the offer, but after a moment she shook her head. "No, I'd better handle it myself," she said. "Thanks, though."

Xander nodded and rubbed her shoulder softly, and Willow smiled at him. "Well, anything we can do to help…" he said. "Just let us know."

"Thanks," Willow said. "So… What about you guys?" she asked. Xander felt her tense a little, and she looked down at her lap, suddenly uncomfortable. "I mean, I know you don't… you're not…"

"I don't have anyone else to tell," Tara said quietly. "I didn't know anyone here when I came to Sunnydale last year. Now, there are a couple of girls at school who I'm friendly with, but we're not really close. And… well, you guys know about my father and my brother and everyone else."

Even now, Xander felt a flash of anger thinking about Tara's father and brother. He didn't know very much about what they'd done to her, growing up, but even just the little he did know from their visit a couple of months ago was bad enough. Growing up with his own parents and their frequent drunken benders had been hard – and he was all but certain that Tara had had it worse.

Still, he didn't want to push her to talk about it before she was ready. She'd have to decide when the right time for that was, and until then, there was nothing he could do. So he forced himself to put his thoughts about Tara's relatives out of his head for now.

"Yeah, there's really no one else for me to tell, either," Xander said. And it was true. His parents were right out, of course – aside from the fact that he doubted their reaction would be an understanding one, he simply wanted as little to do with them as possible. He'd done his best to avoid seeing them or talking to them since he'd moved out and saw no reason to change that policy now. And as for anyone else…

"You mean you don't want to tell the guys on your crew?" Tara said. Her grin and the twinkling in her eyes told Xander that she was trying to lighten the mood, and he couldn't help smiling along with her.

"Yeah," Willow chimed in, giggling. "I bet most of them would be very interested in hearing all about this relationship."

"Are you kidding?" Xander said. "I can't even imagine the ribbing I'd get from those guys."

"Although…" he continued after a moment's thought, "part of me thinks it might just be worth it. I mean, you two have made me so happy, I just… kinda want to shout it out, you know?"

"Believe me, I know how you feel," Willow said, and she and Tara smiled brightly at him. She let go of Tara's hand and rested her hand on his thigh, then kissed him softly. Her lips lingered on his briefly, and Tara moved her hand up to his face, caressing his cheek with the backs of her fingers.

When Willow pulled away from him, Xander turned toward Tara and she kissed him as well. Willow ran her hand slowly along his thigh, squeezing him through his jeans, and Xander sighed softly. Tara pulled back after a few seconds, and he glanced from her to Willow, not missing the playful look in their eyes.

"What if we are?" Tara said, a smoky undercurrent in her voice. She kissed him again, slow, soft, and deep, leaning into him. She opened her mouth for him, letting him circle his tongue slowly around hers, then did the same to him. Willow pressed herself against him as well, kissing his neck, and he inhaled their scent, losing himself for a moment in the faint sweetness of it.

When Tara finally pulled away from Xander, Willow cupped his chin, and he barely had time to catch his breath before she turned him toward her and kissed him. He pressed his lips to hers, running his tongue over them before sliding gently past her teeth. Willow bit his tongue softly, and he rested one hand lightly on the back of her head, holding her to him, running his fingers through her soft hair. Tara rested a hand on his shoulder, rubbing him tenderly, then leaned in toward him, kissing and nibbling his earlobe.

After a moment, Willow moved back, and Xander's breath caught in his throat as she and Tara leaned across him and kissed right in front of him. Willow raised one hand to Tara's face, caressing her gently with the tips of her fingers, and Tara sighed softly into her mouth. She rested a hand on Willow's shoulder, running it down her arm, and as they broke apart, Tara lifted Willow's hand to her mouth and kissed it.

"You know," Tara said as she and Willow rested their hands in Xander's lap again, "I just had a thought. This couch is really comfortable for sitting… I bet it'd be comfortable for other things, too."

Xander didn't have to think about Tara's suggestion for very long before answering. "I like that idea," he replied. "I mean, it's a new couch. We should break it in."

"Yeah," Willow agreed. "Christen it." A smile slowly made its way onto her face as she spoke the words.

Tara stood up, and Willow quickly followed after her. The two of them walked over to the hallway and retrieved a couple of bedsheets from the closet there. Then they crossed the room again to stand in front of Xander.

Tara motioned for him to stand up. "We don't want any stains on our new couch," she said, and Xander nodded and rose from his place on the couch. He helped them put the sheets in place, then stood with them as they briefly looked over their work.

"Okay," Willow said with a satisfied nod. "Why don't you sit down again?" she continued, grinning slyly at Xander and gesturing toward his previous place on the couch. Xander knew that look – she had something in mind, so he quickly sat down again, already anxious to discover what it was.

Willow stepped back slightly, whispering something into Tara's ear. Xander couldn't make out what it was, but after a moment, Tara smiled and nodded at Willow. They stepped over to the windows and closed the blinds, then moved back to stand in front of Xander, and he remained silent, simply watching as they turned to face each other.

Stepping in close to each other, Tara and Willow began another long, slow kiss. Tara wrapped her arms around Willow, molding her body to hers, and Willow embraced her as well. They closed their eyes, losing themselves for a long moment in their rising passion.

Finally, Willow and Tara broke apart, and they smiled at Xander briefly before turning their attention back to each other. Grasping the bottom of Willow's sweater, Tara lifted it slowly, and Willow raised her arms, allowing Tara to pull it up over her head, leaving the simple white t-shirt she had on underneath alone for now. Willow let her arms fall to her sides as Tara dropped the sweater on the floor, then smiled at the blonde as she reached for her.

Willow gave Tara a soft kiss, then leisurely unbuttoned her blouse. When it was open, she slid her hands inside, and Xander could see her slowly running her hands over Tara's chest, caressing her softly. Tara sighed quietly at her touch, and a moment later, Willow moved her hands up to her shoulders and slid Tara's blouse off of her.

It fell to the floor behind her with a soft rustle, and Willow now moved to unfasten her skirt. She stepped behind Tara, kissing her cheek, then her neck, as she reached for the back of her skirt. She unhooked the clasp on it, then hooked her thumbs under the waistband and pulled it down. Tara stepped out of it, clad only in her bra and panties now, which were white with just a little bit of lace, and Willow stood up, kissing her shoulder softly.

Xander's gaze traveled over Tara's body, tracing her curves, taking in the sight of her, and she caught his eyes and smiled at him. Then she turned her back to Xander, crouching in front of Willow, and reached behind her to unzip her skirt. She guided it down Willow's legs slowly, exposing her panties, the pink satin ones Xander loved so much, and Willow smiled down at Tara as she let her skirt fall the rest of the way to the floor.

Tara looked up, meeting Willow's eyes as she took hold of the bottom of her t-shirt. She pushed it upward a little, exposing Willow's stomach, which she kissed gently. Turning her head slightly and glancing at Xander out of the corner of her eye, Tara continued lifting Willow's shirt, going slowly and kissing each new bit of her body that was revealed. Willow wasn't wearing a bra, and when Tara reached her breasts, she kissed each nipple lightly, and Willow sighed softly, lifting her arms above her head again and allowing Tara to remove the shirt completely.

Willow moved behind Tara again and unhooked her bra, then rested her hands on her shoulders and eased the straps downward. As the garment fell to the floor, Willow embraced Tara from behind, cupping her breasts. She ran her fingers over her nipples and Tara moaned softly, reaching back with one hand and stroking Willow's hair. Willow kissed her neck, then reached for her panties, sliding them down and off, and Tara turned around and removed hers as well.

Naked now, Willow and Tara faced each other and kissed deeply. Willow leaned forward slightly and pressed herself against Tara, grinding against her softly. She stroked Tara's back with one hand, running the other through her hair, her touches getting rougher as their kiss became more passionate. Tara wrapped her arms around Willow, moving her hands down to her ass, gripping her tightly and pulling the redhead against her. Willow ran her nails up Tara's back, and Tara shivered, moaning into her mouth.

Finally, they broke their kiss and rested their foreheads together, looking into each other's eyes for a moment before turning to Xander. His whole body felt hot and he was already fully hard; no matter how many times he saw Tara and Willow like this, it never got any less beautiful. He hadn't been able to take his eyes off them for even a second, and even though they'd been totally wrapped up in each other for a moment, he could tell from the way they were smiling at him now that they knew it.

Willow and Tara stepped apart slightly, holding out their hands and inviting him into their embrace. He stood up and quickly undressed, tossing his clothes haphazardly on the floor, and stepped in to join them. Xander wrapped his arms around them, and they held him close, rubbing up against him seductively. He gasped softly, a surge of arousal running through him at the feel of their soft, smooth skin against his.

Giggling, Willow ran one hand down Xander's chest, then grasped his cock. She stroked him slowly, and Xander shivered at her touch.

Noting his reaction, Tara kissed his cheek softly. "Don't worry, sweetie," she said. "We'll take care of you."

Xander had to smile at that – even though Willow and Tara had used terms of endearment like that one for him before, he found that he was just as happy to hear it now as he was at her tone and the promise in her words. It was strange, what just one word could do.

"We'll take very good care of you," Willow purred, and she and Tara guided Xander backward to the couch. They pushed on him gently, so he sat down, looking up at them with excitement that he was sure they could easily see. Tara and Willow stepped back a little, looking him over for a moment, then shared a quick kiss and knelt in front of him.

Willow kissed his cock softly, and Tara leaned in and brushed her lips against him. Xander's heart pounded in his chest as they slowly licked their way up his shaft together, pausing briefly when they reached the tip. He gasped as they swirled their tongues around his head, and he had to close his eyes, the sensation of both their soft, wonderful tongues on him at the same time almost more than he could bear.

It didn't last long, though, and Xander's eyes flew open again as Tara and Willow gently caressed him with their lips. He moaned as they kissed with his cock between them, their tongues thrusting against each other even as they slid over the most sensitive places around his head. He could feel the heat from their mouths, and it was almost as if it spread through his whole body, warming him from head to toe.

"Oh god. Oh, that's so good. That's amazing," Xander babbled. Willow and Tara backed off slightly and looked up at him, holding his gaze for a moment. They kissed again, and Xander's whole body tensed as he felt their lips and tongues on him once more. He reached down and ran his fingers through Willow's hair, stroking Tara's hair softly with his other hand, and did the best he could to relax, enjoying the wonderful sensations they were bringing him.

After a couple of minutes, Willow and Tara pulled back, looking into each other's eyes and taking a moment to catch their breath. Then Willow slipped her lips around the head of his cock and started to move on him slowly, and Xander moaned again and involuntarily pushed up into her mouth a little. Tara ran her tongue down his shaft, kissing and licking his balls, then moving back up as far as she could before meeting Willow's lips.

Tara kissed Willow's cheek softly, and Willow released Xander and nodded at her. Tara kissed her again, then leaned down and took Xander's cock in her mouth, sucking on him gently. Willow smiled at her and rubbed her shoulder softly as Tara moved up and down Xander's length, her lips wrapped tightly around him. Her motions sent shivers of delight throughout his body, and he sighed softly, prompting Willow to look up at him and flash him a quick grin.

A moment later, Tara pulled away from Xander, and she and Willow picked up where they'd left off. They slowly licked their way down the sensitive underside of his shaft, then back up again, circling their tongues around and over his head. Xander sucked in a breath and tried his best to keep still, only just barely managing it.

Willow and Tara kept up this treatment, licking around his head, and all too soon Xander felt a familiar tension building inside him. "I'm going to come," he said in warning. "God, you make me feel so good."

Looking up at him, Tara and Willow licked him a bit faster, and just a few seconds later, his orgasm was upon him. Willow took the head of his cock in her mouth as his body tensed with his climax, waves of pleasure washing over him. His come flowed into Willow's mouth, and she swallowed, then hurriedly pulled back, letting Tara have the rest, sharing his release with her. Tara quickly slipped her lips over his cock, taking the rest of what he had and swallowing everything he gave her.

When his orgasm had finally passed, Xander let out a long breath, relaxing slowly. Tara pulled away from him as he softened, then gently licked Willow's lips, cleaning them of the last traces of Xander's release. Willow did the same to Tara, and then they kissed deeply, embracing for a moment as they shared his taste.

Finally, they broke apart and looked up at Xander again. "Wow," he breathed. He felt like he should say more, but that was all he could muster up at the moment. "Thank you."

Smiling, Tara stood up and offered her hand to Willow, who took it and allowed Tara to help her to her feet. They sat down on either side of Xander again, snuggling against him, and he wrapped his arms around them. Willow kissed his cheek, then poked him in the ribs softly.

"So I imagine you'll be bragging about that to the guys at work on Monday," she said, giggling.

"Bragging?" he replied, a little surprised. "No, come on. I hope you don't think… I mean, I would never…" He looked back and forth between them nervously.

"Come on, we know how you construction types are," Tara said with a smirk. "You're in a relationship with two women and you're not going to brag about that?"

"Yeah, you don't want people to know that you're living out, like, the biggest guy fantasy in the world?" Willow said, raising an eyebrow at him.

Xander frowned. He really didn't want them to get the wrong idea about this. He looked at them earnestly, hoping they'd see how sincere he was. "Willow… Tara…" he said. "This isn't about living out fantasies for me. I'm not with you just for the sex. I mean… Didn't we talk about this before?"

Willow gave an exaggerated sigh. "Xander, it's no fun teasing you if you're going to get all serious," she chided.

And just like that, relief washed over him. So that was what this was about. He chuckled – he could play along with them. "Well, I don't know… I mean, sure this is a major guy fantasy, but…" He gave a noncommittal shrug.

Slipping out from under his arm, Willow turned and threw one leg over Xander, straddling him. "Oh, admit it," she said, running her hands down his chest. "You like having two women."

"There's no point trying to deny it," Tara murmured into his ear, her tone low and sultry. "Especially after what we just did."

Willow turned toward Tara. "Honey, he's trying to be cool," she said, obviously amused.

Tara nodded. "Why don't we see what we can do about that?" She moved away from Xander, making a space between them on the couch. Willow pushed off of him, moving to sit next to Tara, and Xander scooted back to give them room. Willow settled back on the couch, and Tara moved in close, pressing against her, and they looked at him, both of them smiling mischievously.

Tara gave Willow a soft kiss, her lips lingering on Willow's briefly. They looked into each other's eyes for a few seconds and then, with a quick look at Xander, kissed much more passionately. They turned slightly, opening their mouths a little so Xander could see their tongues, sliding over each other, caressing and exploring inside each other's mouths.

Willow wrapped her arms around Tara, pulling her in close and rubbing her back softly. Tara laid one hand on Willow's shoulder, squeezing her gently, and Willow moaned softly into her mouth. She rested her other hand on the back of Willow's head, running her fingers through her hair. Xander's pulse quickened at the sight of these two beautiful women sharing such incredible passion with each other, and he scooted forward, moving in toward them just a little before he stopped himself.

His move didn't go unnoticed, though – Tara pulled away from Willow, breaking their kiss, and gestured toward him with her head. Willow followed her gaze and smiled as she met Xander's eyes.

"It's nice," Xander replied. It took all of his self-control to keep his tone level, but he managed it. He could see by the looks on their faces that he wasn't fooling Willow and Tara, though.

Giggling, they turned back to each other and shared another brief kiss. When they broke away from each other again, Willow slid her hands around to Tara's breasts, caressing them slowly, then cupping them in her palms. Tara leaned back a little and Willow kissed her neck, then her collarbone before moving downward and taking her nipple in her mouth.

A soft groan passed Xander's lips as Willow sucked on Tara, and he unconsciously leaned forward a little. A surge of arousal ran through him at the sight, and Tara turned to look at him, grinning when she saw how intently he was watching them. She licked her lips, then turned back and ran her fingers through Willow's hair.

"Feels good, honey," Tara murmured in encouragement. Willow pulled away from her, looking up at her and smiling happily, and Tara kissed the top of her head. Willow glanced at Xander, then kissed the space between Tara's breasts. Tara shivered as Willow slowly ran her tongue over the soft skin there, then moved to her other breast, kissing her nipple and sucking on it gently.

When Willow finally pulled back, Tara let out a long breath, her body tense with excitement. She kissed Willow again, pressing into her aggressively, her tongue plundering her mouth. Willow moaned softly, and Tara broke their kiss, nipping at her lips and kissing and licking her neck. She covered Willow's breasts with her palms, rubbing her nipples softly, and Willow arched her back, pushing her chest forward into Tara's hands.

Willow gasped as Tara pinched her nipples softly, and Tara giggled and gave her a quick kiss before rising from where she was sitting. Willow scooted forward a little, half-laying on the couch, her head and shoulders propped up against the back. Tara knelt on the floor in front of her, and Willow opened her legs, smiling as Tara positioned herself between them.

Tara reached for Willow's face, gently tracing along her cheekbone with the tips of her fingers. Looking into her eyes, Tara reached for Willow's leg with her other hand, starting at her ankle and running her hand upward. She paused momentarily when she was halfway up, gently caressing the underside of Willow's knee, then slid her hand up a little further. Willow smiled down at her, and Tara rubbed her thigh softly, giving it an affectionate squeeze.

Tara leaned forward, placing several soft kisses on Willow's chest before moving to one breast and taking her nipple in her mouth. Willow sucked in a breath as Tara scraped her teeth over her nipple, and she reached for Tara, gently holding her head to her chest. She closed her eyes briefly, sighing softly as Tara sucked and nibbled on her. A surge of arousal ran through Xander, his cock hardening again, and he couldn't suppress a moan at the sight before him.

Willow opened her eyes again, fixing her gaze on Xander, and Tara pulled away from Willow's breast and turned toward him as well.

"We know how much this turns you on," Tara said, idly running her fingernails over Willow's stomach.

Xander simply nodded, all pretense of being cool forgotten. Tara and Willow giggled at his expression, and Tara turned back to Willow, kissing her breast again, her lips lingering there momentarily.

Then she kissed her way down Willow's stomach, skipping past her sex for the moment, moving down to her thigh and nipping at her there. Willow squirmed a little, and Tara laughed, low and husky, and scooted back a little. She leaned forward, resting one hand on the floor, and braced her other arm on the couch. She lifted Willow's leg, raising it up over her shoulder, Willow's calf resting along Tara's back, and Willow pulled her other leg back, opening herself for Tara as much as she could.

Tara parted Willow's lips with her fingers, and Willow moaned as Tara's tongue darted out and flicked across her clit. Tara circled her tongue around the sensitive nub, then brushed it lightly with her thumb. Willow's whole body tensed, and she stared down at Tara intently as she kissed her lips softly. Tara looked up at her and, without breaking eye contact, rubbed her lips over Willow's clit before gently sucking it into her mouth.

Xander looked on as Tara pleasured Willow with her lips and tongue, his own excitement building along with theirs. He shifted on the couch, trying to get a better view of what Tara was doing. His hand drifted to his cock, and as Tara slid her lips off Willow's clit and probed inside her with her tongue, he started stroking himself slowly. Seeing his girls together like this… he couldn't help himself.

After just a few seconds, Tara pulled her tongue back, to Willow's obvious dismay. Before she could voice any complaint, though, Tara licked just inside her lips, circling her opening, then returned her attention to her clit. She kissed it again, then swiped her tongue over it, and Willow moaned again, pushing toward Tara's face a little.

Smiling, Tara slid her tongue inside Willow again, deeper this time, moving slowly and deliberately. Willow gave little moans and gasps as Tara licked her all over inside, and she reached down with one hand and stroked her hair. Tara kept up her attentions for several minutes, and when she finally rubbed her thumb over Willow's clit, Willow's head rolled back and she closed her eyes tightly, a blissful look on her face. Xander moaned softly at the sight, his own need building inside him like wildfire, and he stood up, his eyes locked on his girls as he moved to stand next to them.

"You two are so beautiful," he said, his voice thick with arousal. The simple statement seemed utterly inadequate to describe Willow and Tara and the passion they shared, but he had to say something, and it was heartfelt, at least.

Willow opened her eyes and studied Xander briefly. Her gaze flicked downward, and a satisfied smile made its way onto her face as she noted his hand wrapped around his cock. A second later, Tara pulled away from Willow, seeing his obvious arousal and smiling up at him. Willow whimpered in protest at the loss of Tara's tongue, so Tara quickly turned back to her, but not before taking Xander's free hand and giving it an affectionate squeeze.

As Xander looked on, Tara slid two fingers into Willow, and Willow gave a low moan, grinding against her hand. Tara began thrusting into her, not at all gently, and she smiled at Willow's eager response to her. When she leaned forward and quickly swiped her tongue over her clit, Willow cried out, her whole body tensing in a way that was already becoming familiar to Xander.

Xander could take no more. As Tara picked up the pace of her tongue on Willow's clit to match her fingers, Xander knelt on the floor behind the blonde. He rubbed the head of his cock against her lips, then slid into her tight, wet passage. Tara moaned into Willow's sex as Xander started fucking her, and that was all it took to send Willow over the edge. She cried out again and writhed on the couch, grinding against Tara's face, her breath coming in short gasps as her orgasm took her.

A moment later, Willow started coming down from her high, and Tara slowed the pace of her fingers just a little. She pulled back slightly from her sex and took a deep breath, letting it all out in a rush as Xander drove himself deeply into her.

Tara pushed back against him a little, and Xander rested one hand on her back. Playing with and pleasuring Willow had obviously gotten Tara very excited herself, and Xander could tell that she wasn't too far from her own climax. He was in no mood to be gentle himself, so he thrust into her harder and was rewarded with another long moan.

Willow's eyes fluttered open, and Xander had to suck in a breath as she focused on him. The look in her eyes as she met his gaze was intense, totally open and accepting and full of love and desire. The connection he felt with her at that moment was incredibly intimate – even though they weren't touching at all, it was just as intimate as the bond he felt with Tara. What he felt for these women continued to amaze him, and he found himself hoping that it would never stop.

He reached for Willow's leg, still slung over Tara's back, and rubbed her calf softly. Willow smiled at him, and Xander returned the gesture, squeezing her leg gently before returning his hands to Tara's back. He ran his hands down to her hips, then back up her sides again, taking his time, enjoying the feel of her silky smooth skin. He shivered slightly as he reached around underneath her, caressing her large breasts, and she moaned again as he brushed his hands over her nipples.

It only took a moment before Tara was on the brink, her body tense as she ground against Xander. He picked up his pace again, fucking her hard and deep, his hands still on her breasts, rubbing and pinching her nipples. That was enough to bring her climax crashing down upon her, and Tara gasped, her soft cry of bliss bringing a smile to Xander's face. Willow stared into her eyes through it all, and as the pleasurable waves began to subside, she reached down with one hand and stroked Tara's face gently.

Xander slowed down a bit, both to give Tara a moment to recover and to hold off his own release. After she caught her breath, Tara turned and looked over her shoulder at him, and he smiled warmly at her. She flashed him a quick grin, then turned back to Willow and lowered her mouth to her clit once more. Willow moaned at the touch of her lips, and Tara circled her tongue around her clit, licking her slowly as she thrust into her with her fingers.

Xander watched intently as Tara guided Willow toward another peak, hitting all the sensitive places she knew so well with her fingers and tongue. Willow squirmed around beneath her and Xander could tell that another climax wasn't far off for her. And between the sight of his girls together and the feel of Tara's softness wrapped tightly around him as he thrust into her, he knew his own release wouldn't be long after Willow's.

He reached for Tara's clit and stroked it with his fingers, trying his best to hold off until she was ready. As he brushed her sensitive nub, Tara moaned into Willow's sex again, and Willow gasped, writhing on the couch and grinding against her face.

Just a few moments later, Willow cried out again, shivering with the force of her climax. As she sucked Willow's clit into her mouth, Xander gripped Tara's hips tightly, driving himself deeply into her, and just as Willow's orgasm was subsiding, Tara's own release was upon her. She pushed back against Xander, her inner muscles clamping down on his cock, and with a few final thrusts he came inside her, the feeling so intense that he had to close his eyes for a moment as he rode it out.

Finally, they all started to relax, and Willow moved back from Tara, sitting up straight on the couch. Xander pulled out of Tara and moved to sit next to Willow, then offered his hand to Tara and helped her up onto the couch as well. They all shared long, deep kisses and snuggled together as they caught their breath.

No one said anything, as words seemed unnecessary right now, and they simply relaxed together. Xander held Willow and Tara close, enjoying the intimate connection he felt with them, and as he looked into their eyes in turn, he had to smile, because in this unguarded moment, he could see that they felt it too.

They sat together for several minutes. Willow settled into Xander's embrace, leaning against his chest as Tara snuggled against his other side. Tara reached for her, and Willow smiled at her as she rested her hand on her thigh. She wasn't ready to go to sleep yet, but she closed her eyes just the same, a comfortable feeling of warmth and intimacy settling over her.

Willow could still hardly believe that her relationship with Tara and Xander was only just over a week old. It felt like they'd been together a lot longer than that, given how comfortable they were getting to be together. It was a nice feeling, and she was happy to see that Tara and Xander were fitting just as nicely with each other as they both did with her.

She sighed contentedly against Xander's chest, and he stirred. Opening her eyes, she found him looking down at her, a smile on his face. He kissed her tenderly on the lips and she smiled back at him as he rubbed her shoulder.

"I'm going to get us some water," he said. He gave Tara a soft kiss as well, then stood up, disentangling himself from their embrace.

"Thanks," Tara said, looking up at him. Xander gave her a quick smile and walked around the couch, making his way across the living room. Willow watched him until he disappeared around the corner into the kitchen, then turned toward Tara and scooted in to sit next to her.

Tara embraced her, and Willow snuggled in close to her. Willow kissed Tara's neck softly, then rested a hand on her thigh. Tara smiled and ran her fingers through Willow's hair, caressing her softly, and they relaxed together in comfortable silence.

It didn't take long for Xander to return, and he smiled when he saw them snuggled together. He walked over to the couch and handed Tara a bottle of water, which she drank from as he sat down next to Willow. Tara handed her the bottle, and she took a long drink, then passed it to Xander, who finished it off and set it on the end table next to the couch.

When Xander turned back to her, she gave him a long, slow kiss, raising one hand to his face and caressing his cheek. She opened her mouth for him and their tongues met, prompting Xander to scoot in a little closer to her. Tara rubbed Willow's back softly as she and Xander deepened their kiss, and Willow moaned into Xander's mouth when she felt Tara kiss her earlobe. Out of the corner of her eye, she could Tara smile at them both before she dipped her head and gently nibbled on Willow's neck.

Shivering with the sensations they were bringing her, Willow pulled back from Xander and turned toward Tara. She tugged gently at her hair, and Tara looked up from her neck and licked her lips. Willow kissed her deeply, and as Tara slid her tongue into her mouth, Willow scraped her teeth over it. Tara's grip on her tightened, and she shivered again, pressing into her girlfriend's embrace.

A moment later, Willow heard Xander moan softly, and she and Tara broke their kiss. She turned back toward him, taking in the look of raw, open desire on his face. But it was tinged with genuine affection, too, and she couldn't help but smile at that.

When Xander saw her and Tara staring at him, he frowned slightly. "What is it?" he asked. "I hope I didn't make you uncomfortable before. I mean, I thought you wanted me to watch you together, but maybe I…"

"No, Xander, it's okay," Willow quickly reassured him. "We like that you enjoy watching us so much." She glanced at Tara, who nodded her agreement.

"Yeah, we do," Tara said, meeting his eyes and nodding again. "It makes us feel sexy."

"You are sexy," Xander replied emphatically. "Both of you. I mean, god, I can't even tell you how much."

Smiling, Tara leaned across Willow, toward Xander, and he met her halfway. They kissed deeply, right in front of Willow, and she sighed contentedly as she watched them. Willow knew how much Tara and Xander desired her – they showed her almost every night – but it was nice to see them sharing that same passion with each other, too.

When Xander and Tara finally separated, Willow stood up and turned to look at them. "Let's go to bed," she said, holding out her hands. She wasn't done with them yet tonight, and while their new couch was nice, the bed was a lot more comfortable for this.

It was clear that they understood what she meant. Tara took her hand first, running her thumb over Willow's palm, and Xander accepted her other hand a second later. They stood and walked to the bedroom together, Willow hurrying a little in front of them, already eager for what was to come.

When they reached the bedroom, Willow turned on the lights, then turned around and clasped Xander and Tara's hands again. Giggling, she tugged at them gently, walking backward toward the bed, watching them as they followed after. Tara gave her a sultry look that made her flush with excitement, and Xander lifted her hand to his mouth and kissed it softly.

As Willow backed up against the bed, Xander slid his hand up her arm and rubbed her shoulder, stepping to the side slightly. Willow pulled Tara in toward her, wrapping her arms around her as she drew close and pressing herself into her. She sighed softly at the feel of Tara's soft, voluptuous body against hers, and she ran one hand through her silky blonde hair. Willow pressed her lips to Tara's, and Tara embraced her as well, running her hands up her back, and Willow shivered under her touch.

Without breaking their kiss, Willow and Tara sat down on the edge of the bed. Xander pulled the covers out of the way for them, and Willow gently guided Tara to lay on her back. They moved backward together to the middle of the bed, Willow settling in between Tara's legs and resting on top of her.

She started slowly moving on top of Tara, grinding against her, loving the feel of Tara's soft, smooth skin against her own. Tara ran her nails down Willow's back, and Willow pressed into her in response. Their nipples brushed together, and Willow shivered with the sensation, moaning softly into Tara's mouth even as she felt Tara tense underneath her. She slid her tongue against Tara's, deepening their kiss, closing her eyes as she lost herself in her girlfriend's embrace.

Finally, with some effort, Willow broke their kiss and took a deep breath. She was starting to get carried away, and while that definitely had its appeal, she wanted to concentrate on Tara for now.

Willow opened her eyes again, looking down at Tara as she pushed herself up on her arms. God, she's so beautiful, Willow thought as she looked her over. She'd seen Tara like this more times than she could count – well, okay, not more times than she could count, because she could count really high, but it was an awful lot – but it still never failed to take her breath away. Her gaze traveled up Tara's body until she was looking down at her face, and she licked her lips as she stared into her eyes.

Tara met her gaze and smiled, stretching out beneath her and sighing softly. Xander joined them in bed, laying beside them, shifting onto his side to face them. He reached for Willow, resting his hand on her back and rubbing her softly, and she smiled at him, leaning over and giving him a quick kiss before turning her attention back to Tara.

She lowered her head briefly and nipped at Tara's neck, then moved back a little, stopping when she reached her chest. She glanced upward, catching Tara's eyes briefly, and grinned at her before lowering her mouth to one breast. She kissed her nipple, circling it with her tongue, and Tara moaned, rubbing her shoulders encouragingly.

Willow brushed her lips over Tara's nipple, sucking on it and flicking her tongue across the tip the way she knew Tara liked. Tara gasped, and Willow rested her hand on her other breast, caressing her, and Tara squirmed a little under her touch. Willow responded by sucking on her harder, and Tara ran one hand through Willow's hair, pushing her chest up toward her.

A few moments later, Willow pulled back from Tara's nipple, sliding her lips down Tara's breast and kissing the hollow between them. Tara moaned again, and Willow looked up to her face, smiling when she saw those beautiful blue eyes staring down at her intently. She kissed Tara's chest again, then lifted her head and turned toward Xander.

"Always," Xander replied with a grin. He scooted in closer to them, and Willow could see a glint of mischief in his eyes that had been a familiar sight for a long time now. He reached out and cupped one of Willow's breasts, and she shivered as he pinched her nipple softly.

Pushing the pleasurable feelings aside, Willow fixed Xander with a stern gaze. "Hey," she said. "No fair distracting me."

Tara chuckled softly. "Don't be too hard on him, sweetie," she said. "It's so hard to resist touching you." She sat up a little, running her hand down Willow's side to her hip to emphasize her point, and Willow shivered again at the feel of both her lovers' hands on her.

Just a moment later, Willow moved back a little and took Xander and Tara's hands. As good as the two of them touching her felt, she still wanted to give Tara her full attention. She pressed Tara's hand into Xander's and smiled as they threaded their fingers together. Xander reached out to stroke Tara's hair with his other hand, and Willow kissed their clasped hands.

Xander lowered his head to Tara's chest, running his tongue over her nipple, still wet from Willow's earlier attentions. He sucked it into his mouth, and Willow moved downward to kiss Tara's other breast, wrapping her lips around her nipple. Tara gave a low moan from deep in her throat as they both sucked on her.

They kept it up for a few minutes – Willow wasn't in any hurry, and Xander seemed content to take his time as well. She alternated between rough and gentle, sometimes scraping her teeth over Tara's nipple and sucking on her hard, other times pulling back and laving it slowly with her tongue. The soft, breathy moans that reached her ears delighted her, and she sighed happily as Tara rested her hand on Willow's head, holding her to her. Willow lifted her gaze to Tara's face, and Tara looked back at her, a smoky look of desire in her eyes.

"Oh, god, you two… Feels so good…" Tara murmured, turning her head to look at Xander as well.

Xander glanced at Willow out of the corner of his eye, and she could see a look of satisfaction on his face that she was sure was mirrored on her own. He quickly turned back to Tara, and Willow did the same, resting her hand on her stomach and sliding it downward over her smooth skin. She ran her fingers over Tara's sex, probing inside her lips just a little, and she raised her head from Tara's breast and smiled when she felt the wetness there. She brushed her thumb over her clit, and Tara gasped, arching upward underneath her.

A second later, Xander pulled back from Tara and watched as Willow moved down the bed, settling in between Tara's legs, her face right in front of her sex. She kissed her lips softly, then parted them slightly with her fingers, and she felt Tara shiver with anticipation. She flicked her tongue over her clit, and was rewarded with a loud moan as Tara squirmed around, pressing in closer to her.

Willow loved going down on Tara. She loved everything about it, from the way Tara tasted to all the little noises she made as Willow brought her to peaks of pleasure. She knew from her own experience how good it could feel, and making Tara feel good was one of her absolute favorite things in the world. So it was with no small amount of anticipation of her own that she kissed Tara's clit softly and pressed forward to slowly lick her lips. She could still taste Xander on her, mixed in with Tara's familiar sweetness, and she found the combination exhilarating.

Tara moaned again, and Willow smiled up at her, brushing her thumb over her clit. Tara sucked in a breath, and Xander chuckled softly and moved up from her chest until he was eye-to-eye with her. He pressed his lips to hers, giving her a slow, deep kiss, and Tara closed her eyes and lifted one hand to his face, caressing his cheek. Without taking her eyes off them, Willow kissed Tara's sex again, smiling as she shivered at the touch of her lips.

As Willow circled her tongue around Tara's clit, Xander deepened their kiss. Their tongues swirled around each other, and Xander laid one hand on Tara's chest, cupping her breast. He rubbed her nipple with his palm, then took it between his fingers and, just as he pinched it softly, Willow slipped her lips over Tara's clit.

Tara arched her back, her whole body tensing, and she moaned into Xander's mouth. She rested her hand on the back of Willow's head, running her fingers through her hair and gently but insistently pushing her closer, demanding more.

Willow was happy to oblige her. She picked up the pace of her tongue, driven on by Tara's building excitement, and Tara squirmed underneath her. Willow put her hands on her thighs, rubbing them softly and gently pressing on them, silently urging her to hold still as she licked around and over her clit.

After a few minutes of this, Tara was moaning loudly, even muffled as she was by Xander's mouth. Willow could feel the tension in Tara's thighs under her hands, and she knew that her climax wasn't far off. She blew softly on Tara's clit, then wrapped her lips around it, flicking her tongue quickly over the end.

At that moment, Xander broke their kiss, and Tara's orgasm took her, her ecstatic cry filling the air. Xander lowered his head to Tara's breast again, taking her nipple in his mouth and sucking on her hard as she rode out her climax. Willow kept licking Tara's clit the entire time, not letting up for a second, only slowing down after her girlfriend's tremors started to subside.

Willow could feel Tara start to relax, but she only gave her a few seconds' respite. After she'd caught her breath, Willow slid her tongue past Tara's lips, licking around inside her, hitting all the sensitive places she knew so well. Tara gasped at the touch of her tongue again, pushing herself toward Willow, and Willow squeezed her thighs affectionately. Xander remained where he was, and Willow watched Tara run her fingers through his hair as he continued to suck on her. He pulled away from Tara at her touch, smiling down at her, and gave her a soft kiss, then nibbled on her neck briefly before returning to her chest and kissing her breast again.

Tara sighed contentedly, but it turned into a deep, prolonged moan when Willow rubbed her clit with her thumb. Hearing and feeling Tara's responses to what she was doing, Willow was quickly able to set a good pace, not too fast and not too slow. She freely gave what Tara needed, wanting to make her feel good, to bring her to that peak again.

It didn't take long before Tara was on the brink once more. Willow pulled her tongue back, moving up to her clit and licking her there, and as she did she moved one hand from her thigh and slid two fingers inside her, fucking her hard and fast. Just a few seconds later, another climax was upon Tara, and Willow kept up the motions of her fingers and tongue throughout it. The sound of Tara's moaning and gasping was music to her ears, and when it finally subsided, she pulled back from her and kissed her sex one last time, allowing herself a brief, satisfied smile.

As Tara started to relax, Xander pulled away from her breast and sat up, watching her briefly as she settled back on the bed. Then he turned toward Willow, and she sat up as well and leaned in toward him. They kissed deeply, and Xander licked her lips and slid his tongue over hers. Willow sucked on it gently, drawing him into her, sharing the remnants of Tara's taste with him.

After a long moment, Willow heard Tara sigh again, and she and Xander separated and looked down at her. She smiled at them, and Willow laid down next to her, rolling onto her side resting one hand on her cheek. She leaned down to kiss her, and Tara nibbled on her bottom lip. Willow opened her mouth and their tongues met, circling around each other. When Willow pulled away from her a moment later, Tara beckoned to Xander, and he leaned down toward her and they shared a soft, slow kiss of their own.

After Tara and Xander separated, Tara scooted back a little, propping herself up on her elbows. "You always make me feel so good," she said softly, looking at each of them in turn. "Both of you."

Willow reached for Tara's hand, lightly tracing her fingers over the back of it. "It's always our pleasure," she replied, smiling happily at her. "Isn't it, Xander?" she added, glancing at him out of the corner of her eye and giving him a playful nudge with her elbow.

"Absolutely," he said, nodding. "Just one of so many pleasures that come from being with you two." He gave them a playful grin and laid a hand between Willow's shoulder blades, moving it downward, slowly tracing the curve of her back. She shivered at his touch, the excitement she'd felt earlier while playing with Tara returning in a rush, and she let out a soft breath of air as Tara rested one hand on her thigh and squeezed her gently.

Xander kissed Willow again, softly at first, but with rapidly growing passion as he moved in closer to her. His tongue sought entry into her mouth and Willow eagerly gave it, shivering again as Xander's tongue thrust against hers. He brought his hands up to her shoulders, rubbing her softly, and she ran one hand down his muscular chest in a gentle caress. Xander leaned forward and pushed lightly on Willow's shoulders, guiding her to lie on her back, and he followed her down without breaking their kiss.

Willow pressed upward toward Xander, and he pulled away from her, grinning mischievously, and gave her a quick kiss on the lips. Before Willow had time to protest, Tara cupped her chin and gently turned her head toward her, pressing her lips to Willow's as Xander kissed his way down her chest. She moaned into Tara's mouth as Xander ran his tongue over one nipple, then took it in his mouth and sucked on her gently. He covered her other breast with his palm, rubbing her softly, and Willow pressed up toward him even as Tara's tongue swirled around hers. She could feel Xander's cock, hard, pressing against her thigh, and she shifted underneath him, trying to wrap her legs around him, draw him in closer.

Seeing this, Tara broke their kiss and touched Xander's shoulder lightly. Willow whimpered in disappointment as Xander pulled away from her chest, and he smiled reassuringly at her, rubbing her stomach affectionately even as he shot Tara an inquisitive look.

She winked at him, then rolled over, positioning herself on her side, facing Willow. "Come here, honey," she whispered, tugging gently at Willow's hand. The look in Tara's eyes made Willow shiver in anticipation, and she quickly rolled onto her side to face her, scooting closer and pressing herself against her.

"You too, sweetie," Tara said, looking over Willow's shoulder at Xander. She slipped an arm over Willow and ran her nails down her back, and Willow sighed happily as Xander laid down behind her. He pressed himself against her, spooning against her back, and Willow felt a surge of arousal at the feel of both of them against her at once. She squirmed around a little between them, pushing back against Xander even as she ground her hips against Tara's.

She trailed off into a moan as Tara put her hands on her breasts, rubbing her thumbs over Willow's nipples. Tara silenced her with a kiss, sliding her tongue into her mouth, and Willow sucked on it as it passed her lips. Xander kissed Willow's neck softly, then nibbled on her earlobe, and Willow reached behind her to rest a hand on his hip, squeezing him briefly before letting her hand fall to her side again. As Tara plundered her mouth with her tongue, she pinched Willow's nipples lightly, and Willow moaned into her mouth, her whole body tensing with pleasure.

A couple of minutes later, Tara pulled back, and Willow took the opportunity to catch her breath. Tara licked Willow's lips, then ducked her head and kissed her neck and upper chest. Xander leaned down to kiss her shoulder, running one hand down her side to her hip as he rubbed her back with the other. Tara continued to caress Willow's nipples a moment longer, then lightly slid her fingers down her stomach to her sex. Willow was already wet – she was so very wet – and Tara smiled as she traced the outline of her sex with her fingers.

Tara grasped Xander's cock and guided him toward Willow's sex. Willow lifted her leg a little for him, and she moaned as he slid into her, loving the feel of his cock inside her, hard and warm. She clenched her muscles around him, squeezing him inside her, and Xander sighed happily into her ear.

Willow turned her head and Xander gave her a deep, passionate kiss. She opened her mouth to him and drank in his heat and desire as he began moving inside her slowly. His thrusts weren't as deep as she would have liked due to their position, but they were more than enough to send shivers of pleasure throughout her body. She moaned into his mouth, and he slipped a hand over her, in between her and Tara, and rubbed her stomach softly.

Tara returned her hands to Willow's breasts, rubbing her nipples with her palms as she ran her foot up and down Willow's calf. When Xander broke his kiss with Willow, Tara gave him a quick but intense kiss of her own, then pressed her lips to Willow's once more. Their tongues swirled around each other, and Xander kissed her shoulder, then nibbled on her neck gently as he thrust into her.

Closing her eyes, Willow let herself be carried away by the feeling of both her lovers touching her at the same time. Xander kept one hand on her back, but now he slid the other from her stomach up to her hip and over her thigh, stroking her softly there. Tara continued to caress her breasts, but she occasionally moved her hands upward, rubbing her shoulders and her upper chest before slipping her hands back down to play with her nipples again. The contrast between the way their hands felt – Tara's soft and delicate, Xander's strong and sure – was delicious. It drove Willow's arousal to new heights, and she could feel her peak approaching faster than she would have thought possible.

"You're so beautiful, Willow," Xander murmured into her ear, and her eyes shot open again.

Willow couldn't respond. For most of her life, she'd never thought of herself as beautiful. Being around women like Cordelia, and Buffy, and Faith, it had been easy to feel plain by comparison. But when she was with Tara and Xander, when she heard them call her that like they just had, when she felt their passion and their desire for her… She actually felt beautiful, in a way she never had before.

It never failed to amaze her, the way Xander and Tara could make her feel. It was truly something special.

"Oh… Mmm…" That was all Willow could get out before her climax was upon her. The sensation of Xander thrusting inside her, combined with his and Tara's hands on her body, quickly had her trembling as waves of bliss washed over her. Tara pressed her chest against Willow's, pushing her back into Xander, and Willow rode out her orgasm pressed in between her girlfriend and her boyfriend.

When her climax had passed, Willow found she still wanted more. So after Tara moved back a bit and she'd taken a moment to catch her breath, Willow moved her upper body a little bit away from Xander and pushed her hips back against him to allow him to penetrate her a little more deeply. He took advantage of this, moaning softly into her ear as he thrust into her a little harder.

Tara slid one hand down her side, dropping it between Willow's legs and brushing her clit with her fingers. Willow gasped as pleasure shot through her body, then moaned aloud as Tara caressed one breast with her other hand, pinching her nipple softly. Xander moved his hand up from her thigh to cup Willow's other breast, and he slid his other hand underneath her, between her and the mattress, holding onto her shoulder but being careful not to grip her too tightly.

Willow's moans filled the air as Tara rubbed circles around her clit, and the added stimulation was enough to bring her to another climax, this one even more powerful than the first. Tara and Xander didn't slow down, though, and just a few seconds after her tremors subsided, she cried out again as another orgasm crashed upon her. Xander buried himself deeply inside her, and she clenched her muscles around his cock as she felt him come, his body tensing against her back as she heard his own moans of pleasure.

After it was over, Tara and Xander continued to caress Willow, though their touches were affectionate now, rather than sexual. Tara rubbed her shoulders softly, and Xander moved his hands down to her hips as Willow relaxed in their arms.

The words took her completely by surprise – they'd just slipped out, just like that. But she didn't regret them; what she'd said was true. She did love Xander and Tara, and laying together with them like this, she felt it now more than ever before. And even though the admission made her feel vulnerable, she knew in her heart that she didn't have to worry about either of them rejecting what she'd said.

Tara smiled at her and brushed Willow's hair back from her face with her fingers. "I love you too, honey," Tara said.

Willow's spirits soared at their words. Even though she'd been sure all along that Xander and Tara felt the same way she did, hearing them say it was still an absolutely incredible feeling.

Rather than being startled at the admission, Tara looked as though she'd been expecting it. She looked over Willow's shoulder and smiled at Xander. "I love you too," she said simply, and Willow smiled herself. As nice as it had been to hear Tara and Xander tell her they loved her, hearing them declare their love for each other too was just as nice in its own way. They all fit, and it felt so right for them all to be together like this.

The three of them all shared soft, tender kisses, and then Willow relaxed as Tara and Xander pulled the covers up over them all.

"Just a great big love triangle," Willow said sleepily. "Only not in the hard choices and hurt feelings kinda way."

Tara giggled. "The best kind," she said as she reached over and turned out the light. Willow remained on her side, and Tara pressed herself against her as Xander spooned against her back.

And Willow drifted off to sleep, nestled in between them, enveloped by the warmth of their love.

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Soul Mates: Conversations

by Ravenhawk

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