If she closed her eyes, she could almost smell them. The strawberries always seemed real to Willow after a 'session' with Rack. She stumbled up the steps of her house, following the faint scent of strawberries. Rack tortured her with this scent after their meetings. When the scent was gone, that's when Willow went back for more. But now it was strong, leading her into the house.

With a move of her wobbly hand, the front door opened on its own, influenced only by magick. Willow walked in, closing the door the same way it was opened, a charge going through her every time the magick did. Electricity surging into her, making her feel alive. Just making her feel.

She looked around the dark and empty living room. "Honey, I'm home!" A fit of laughter overcome her. "Oh, that's right. I'm not married!" She laughed even harder at that, her magick buzz seriously effecting her.

"Hey," A hesitant voice behind her said. Willow swung around, though not too quickly, trying to avoid getting a headache. She saw Dawn standing there, hesitantly, shyly. The way Dawn always stood there. The witch was still for a moment, scanning the other girl's pajamas. A white spaghetti strap top and green flannel shorts. Both were seemingly too small on her.

"Hey Dawnie." Willow greeted in her normal patronizing voice. The same voice everyone used to talk to her with when she was Dawn's age.

"I heard yelling. Are you alright?" Always hesitant, always shy.

"Oh, that? That was nothing." Her voice was flippant.

"Well...it's late."

"Really? I hadn't noticed." She took a few more steps toward Dawn casually.

"Where've you been?"

"Out...with friends."

"Oh." Dawn replied shortly. Willow wondered if the sound of jelousy was for not inviting her, or actually having friends to go out with.

A few more steps were taken toward Dawn, as she unconsciously took one back.

"Where's Buffy?"

For some reason, Dawn had the urge to tell her that Buffy was here. That she was just upstairs in her room, ready to protect her from certain harm. But then she realized that there was no reason for Buffy to protect her tonight. It was Willow. No matter how odd she was staring at Dawn, no matter how uncomfortable the atmosphere was, it was still Willow. Willow would never hurt her.

"She's out, patrolling."

"You mean your sister, the slayer, left you here all alone? In this cold, dark house...vunerable to any monster that could come out of the shadows..." Her tone was antagonistic and sarcastic. Dawn picked up on it, and felt insulted.

"Nothing's happened so far tonight." She replied indignantly.

Willow took another step, closing the space between them.

"So far." Her voice was almost a whisper.

"Why...are you a monster in the shadows?" She tried so hard to sound strong. To sound like Buffy. To sound like a slayer, but her words had a tremor, distracted by the disgruntled look on Willow's face.

"Oh, Dawnie..." Willow's hand reached up, brushing a strand of hair out of the other girl's face. Dawn resisted the urge to flinch away. "I'm so much more than you think."

"Are you okay?" Dawn forgot about being strong, her worry for her friend overcoming her.

"I've found ways to get by." Suddenly her gaze on Dawn shifted to one of hunger and lust, and Dawn wished she didn't see it. The older girl's fingertips trailed down her bare arm, leaving goose bumps in their wake.

Willow's hands rested on the younger girl's hips. It didn't make Dawn nearly as uncomfortable as the domineering stare she was getting. Willow's eyes scanned her up and down as her hands lifted higher, pulling the top up with them.

"Stop." Dawn's voice trembled slightly, making Willow smile and lean into her ear. Dawn could feel the hot breath on her skin and held down a shudder.

"Is that what you really want, Dawnie?" Then the witch moved away from Dawn, looking straight in her eyes. Her expression was surprisingly serious.

"I know what its like. To be ignored your entire life. To live in *Buffys* shadow..." She spat the word out as if it was dirt. "...just hoping that maybe one day someone will notice you. They'll think youre special, not Buffy, not Xander, but you." Dawn was really getting scared now. She had never seen this look on Willow's face.

"Willow, please--" Willows hand lightly rested on the brunette's cheek, but her words were harsh.

"Even if they do see. If one fucking person in the whole world does see you, it doesnt last. They leave, they grow as different people, and then youre shattered and alone...like you dont feel." Her words were cracking, overcome by emotion. Dawn felt sympathy for her, suddenly seeing how hard she was taking the breakup with Tara.

"I'm sorry."

Willow didn't seem to hear her, the hand on her cheek moved to the back of her neck for emphases. "I see you Dawn. I always have. We do feel. Every time they ditch us, every pun, every cheap joke made at our expense. You always remember that...I know what its like."

Suddenly, without warning, Willow dipped her head into Dawn's neck, kissing and sucking at her collarbone. Between kisses, she was whispering promises that Dawn didn't want to believe.

"I can make you feel special, Dawn"

"Tonight, I'll only see you; only love you"

"I'll make you feel like her"

"I know the way you looked at us"

"Jealous when you'd hear our nightly sounds threw thin bedroom walls"

"You can be her"

"I need you to be her"

Her voice was desperate, hands roaming over the girl's body. Sucking at her earlobe, biting at her neck, yet Dawn still stayed unresponsive. She wanted to hear it.

"Tell me."

Willow stopped and looked in her eyes, confused at first. Then she knew what Dawn needed.

"I love you." She meant it. Tonight, she means it all.

Dawn kissed the redhead fiercely, their tongues instantly locking. Dawn gave in to Willow's urgency, letting her dominate. Willow instantly starting stripping off her cloths, her coat, shirt, as the other girl just desperately tried to keep up with her velocity.

She tried to mirror Willow's actions, trailing her kisses down her neck, noticing that she must had done something right when the older girl started to moan and grab at her. Dawn removed the red head's black bra, moving her lips lower, as Willow tried to move them to the couch. They stumbled over their own feet, hitting a few shins on the coffee table. Finally, they made it to their destination, Dawn landing on top, still teasing the witch with lips that seemed to be everywhere at once.

Willow quickly removed her jeans, taking her underwear with them. Dawn looked down at her, not believing that this was actually happening. She never imagined that anyone would want her as much as Willow seemed to. Then, a rush of fear ran through her. She saw Willow looking back at her, and Dawn didn't know what to do next. It never got past this in her mind. Willow seemed to understand instantly. She pushed herself up from the couch to kiss Dawn softly on the lips.

"It's okay."

"I want to...I-I just don't know--"

"Think about when you're in your room, at night, alone. Just use your tongue like you use your fingers."

Dawn hesitated for a second but Willow's look was encouraging. She finally started to kiss Willow's stomach, trailing down across her belly button, breathing softly into Willow's center. Her hips jerked up at the anticipation, soft moans escaping her lips. Then Dawn's tongue darted out, pushing itself into the wet folds in front of her.

Willow went crazy. She moved back and forth, riding it out on Dawn's face. Her fingers entangled in the younger girl's hair, pushing her deeper...deeper, until a heat ran through her body.

"Oh, God Dawn!" Her back arched against the couch, as stars fluttered across her face briefly. After a few moments, she recovered, looking at Dawn who was sitting on the other side, watching her with a small smile on her face.

"You look a little lonely over there." Willow said, sitting up and moving toward her. She took off her top and shorts, admiring the body under her.

"You're so beautiful."

Willow moved down her body, anxious to return the favor. After Dawn's first orgasm, Willow was overcome with the smell of strawberries. She didn't stop, still licking and sucking every part of her, almost tasting fruit. Dawn easily came again, screaming and tensing from the pleasure running through her body.

Finally, Willow stopped, moving to be eye level with her. Dawn was breathing raggedly, completely spent.

"Hey, cutie."

"That was...wow. How did you--..."

"Practice."

"I can't move."

Willow laughed lightly, "It's okay, I can get the junk food."

She got up and headed toward the kitchen, prepared to eat everything in it.

"Did you mean it?" Willow stopped at this, and turned around to face her. "When you said you loved me?...I-I mean...i-it's okay if you didn't." She was stuttering. The same kind of stuttering that Willow used to do when she was her age. The same kind of hope in her voice, back when she believed that people could love. Willow had grown up since then.

"No one ever means it."