Title: Real Friends
Author: Paradox761
Email: Paradox761@mail.com
Website: members.tripod.com/~Paradox761
Disclaimer: Joss and co. own all things Buffy, no copyright infringement is intended so please don’t sue. I don’t have any money anyway.
Summery: Post “Superstar”, Xander confronts Buffy about the way she’s been treating him lately. Buffy denies it of course, but when Willow takes Xander’s side she’s forced to do some series thinking about her friends. Also, things heat up in the romance department for Xander and Anya, as well as for Willow and Tara. Can Xander, Willow and Buffy make it through all this and still come out friends on the other side?
Spoilers and such: General spoilers for season four, specifically for “Superstar”. Also, this is my first attempt at a Xander/Anya, so please be gentle. I’m of the mindset that Anya is different when she and Xander are alone, so you might find her characterization off a little bit. It’s all a matter of perspective. Also, this story was written before “New Moon Rising”, which kind of makes it a moot point as far as W/T, but I don’t think TPTB have been very far with the relationship as far as showing how they fell in love. Consider this an alternative explanation.
Also, acknowledgments and thanks have to go to the denizens of alt.tv.buffy-v-slayer. This story was inspired by the discussion threads that sprung up around “Superstar”. I’d like to thank you all by name, but I don’t have that kind of time here.
(BtVS, Xander/Anya, Willow/Tara, NC-17)

(8/9)

Willow and Tara walked hand in hand through the campus of UC Sunnydale. Xander and Anya’s words echoed in Willow’s head as she realized she couldn’t recall taking Tara’s hand. It had just happened, like it was the most natural thing in the world. She smiled to herself a little as she thought about the evening the two of them had just spent together. They went to the Bronze. They sat and talked, about witchcraft, about music, about their friends. They danced, and laughed, and had a great time just like they always did. It was only now that Willow was starting to feel a little nervous. She could hear Anya’s voice in her head. ‘You’re practically already dating.’

“Well, I guess this is my stop,” Tara said. Willow shook herself out of her introspection and looked up to see that they had in fact arrived at Tara’s building. “Do you want to come up for a while?” Tara asked. “It’s still kind of early.”

Willow noticed the hope in Tara’s voice, and wondered how she had been so blind. “Sure,” she said with a smile. Tara’s face lit up as she led the way into the building. They walked up the steps and Willow ran through her head everything she wanted to say. She thought about just winging it, but she was afraid she’d end up babbling incoherently. She thought about planning exactly what she wanted to say, but she didn’t want it to sound rehearsed. She ended up splitting the difference, thinking through what she wanted to say, but not bothering to commit a script to memory.

The two entered Tara’s room and Tara flicked the switch on the wall. Tara was one of those lucky few people who’s roommate had an off-campus boyfriend and was rarely, if ever, at the dorm. It afforded the two of them privacy for spells and such, and it was something that Willow was particularly grateful for tonight. “So, what do you want to do?” Tara asked. “We could listen to music, or watch TV, or we could try that spell we were taking about.”

“Music sounds good,” Willow said as she sat down on Tara’s bed. She could feel herself trembling, and she was sure that it showed through her voice too. ‘Calm down Willow,’ she told herself. ‘This is Tara, there’s nothing to be afraid of. Except that you realized that you’re in love with her and you have no idea how she feels…stop it. No fear, no fear.’

“Are you all right Willow?” Tara asked as she put a CD into her small boom box and hit play.

“Hmm? Yeah, I’m fine. Um, Tara, I want to talk to you about something.”

“Sure, what is it?” Tara asked as she sat down on the bed next to her.

“Tara, how do you feel about me?”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean…” Willow trailed of for a moment. What did she mean? “I mean, as a friend, what do you think of me?”

“You’re a great friend Willow,” Tara answered. “You’re sweet, and kind, humble and understanding. You’re never afraid to try something new. You’re brave, the way you stand up to all those monsters, even when you’re afraid.” She paused for a second and looked down. “Plus, you’re nice to me,” she said in a soft, timid voice. “I never had an easy time making friends, but you made it easy.”

“Oh, Tara,” Willow said. Her hand automatically went to hers and held it tight. “That’s so sweet. Do you want to know what I think about you?” Tara just looked up into Willow’s smiling eyes and smiled back. “You’re shy, but not in a scary recluse kind of way, in a mysterious kind of way. Like you’re daring people to get to know you. You have this sweet, innocent nature. Like you wouldn’t even step on a bug. You’re powerful, but you’d never show off. And as for me being nice to you, how could I not be. One smile from you and I melt.”

Tara was blushing so much she hung her head down to let her hair cover her face. Willow could see her smile a little bit through the blonde tresses, and she allowed herself a smile too. Knowing that she could produce such a reaction in the other woman, and realized the reaction that Tara produced in her. “Wow,” was all Tara said.

Willow squeezed her hand a little tighter. “Tara,” she began tentatively. “Have you ever thought of me as maybe…more than a friend.”

Tara raised her head slowly, and the look that Willow saw in her eyes was pure fear. “Oh, Willow, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make you feel uncomfortable, oh god, I’m so sorry. Please don’t hate me, you probably hate me, I’m sorry…” Tara was flustered, embarrassed, babbling, and looking like she wanted nothing more than to just disappear.

“No, no, Tara, no. I don’t hate you, I could never hate you. Tara, listen to me,” Willow grabbed her by the shoulders to get her attention and stop her from squirming. “Tara, look at me.” Tara slowly rose her head. Willow reached out a hand and pushed the hair away from her face. She saw the other girl’s tears sliding down her cheeks and she could feel her own coming. She never wanted to make her cry. Willow did what she felt to be the most natural thing in the world. She pulled Tara into a hug, and held her. She smoothed down the hair on the back of her head, whispering to her and making soothing noises. “Shh, Tara, it’s okay.”

Tara instinctively wrapped her arms around Willow too, burying her face in her shoulder until she could get a hold of herself. She finally pulled back after a few moments, wiping her face. “You don’t hate me?”

“Never,” Willow answered. “Tara, I’m sorry, maybe I should have been a little more gentle in my phrasing, I didn’t mean to upset you.”

“No, Willow it isn’t your fault. It’s just…I’ve been afraid this was going to happen. I don’t want to loose you as a friend just because…”

“Tara,” Willow cut her off. “You’re not going to loose me in any way. The reason I asked you was because…well, recently I’ve been kind of having these…feelings. And I thought that maybe you were having them too.”

“You mean…” Tara trailed off. She looked into Willow’s eyes.

Willow saw so much when Tara looked at her. She saw hope, excitement, apprehension. But most of all, she saw love. What Willow did next was, in her mind, the bravest thing she had ever done. Braver then fighting any vampire or demon, braver then standing up to her best friend and defending her other best friend, even braver then facing the end of the world. “Tara, I love you.”

Tara started to cry again, but this time they were tears of joy and surprise. “Oh, Willow,” she exclaimed, wrapping her arms around the redhead. Willow hugged her back, and for the first time she allowed herself to truly enjoy her proximity to the woman that she loved. The woman that she loved. Gods, even just in her head those words sounded wonderful. “Oh, Willow. Are you sure, I mean, do you really mean it?”

“Tara, practically since the day I’ve met you, you’ve given me more happiness then I ever imagined possible. I didn’t know it at the time, and I wasn’t ready to accept that I could have feelings like that for another woman, but those feelings are real Tara. I know that now. It isn’t just strong friendship, or camaraderie because we’re both witches, or stress induced because we’ve been in danger together. It’s love.”

Tara smiled as she wiped another tear of joy from her cheek. She brought both of her hands together with Willow’s and held them. “I told you this once Willow and I meant it. I’m yours, truly and absolutely. I love you too.” Willow smiled and pulled Tara into another hug. Not a friendly hug, or a sisterly hug, but a lover’s embrace. Tara pulled back slightly, her arms still around Willow and Willow’s arms still around her. “Willow?” she asked tentatively. “Can I kiss you?”

“I wish you would,” she answered softly.

Tara leaned in slowly and captured Willow’s lips with her own. Willow closed her eyes and let the sensations her body was feeling wash over her. She had never before felt such warmth and passion, she was filled with it. The taste of her lips, the smell of her shampoo, the feeling of Tara’s hands in her hair as their lips suckled and caressed each other. It was incredible. One hand instinctively rose to Tara’s cheek as they kissed, her thumb tracing down the gentle slope of her jaw. The kiss finally broke, but the two of them stayed locked in the embrace. Each trailing kisses down the other’s neck. Willow had the sudden need to feel more of her against her skin, and their clothes were getting in the way. Tara must have had the same idea because the two of them reached for the other’s clothes at practically the same time. Willow unbuttoned Tara’s blouse as Tara released the clasp on Willow’s overalls. When the overalls fell to her waist, Willow took off the tee shirt she wore underneath, and Tara slipped her own blouse over her shoulders. The two now sat facing each other on Tara’s bed clad from the waist up in only their bras. They met again in a fiery embrace, their lips in a searing kiss as their hands caressed any exposed skin within reach. They fell sideways onto the bed without breaking the embrace. Willow rolled over a bit so that she was slightly on top of Tara as the two shimmied out of their remaining clothes. Willow’s overalls and Tara’s jeans both fell of the bottom of the bed. Willow pushed herself up on her arms to look down at her soon to be lover. Her blond hair lay out on the pillow, surrounding her face like a halo. Her skin was flushed with excitement, as was Willows. Willow couldn’t help herself as she reached over to brush a stray lock away from her face. “You’re so beautiful,” she whispered.

Tara blushed a little bit as she smiled shyly and snaked her arms up around Willow’s neck, pulling her in for a kiss. Their tongues caressed one another as Willow slid her hand down Tara’s side, along her abdomen and across her hip to her upper thigh. Tara moaned in pleasure as she felt Willow’s thumb hook over the waistband of her panties. Her leg snaked up between Willow’s, rubbing her calf against the redhead’s as her hand caressed her breast through her bra. Willow reached up and undid the clasp with the hand she had been using to steady herself against the bed, causing most of her weight to now be on Tara. Tara didn’t seem to mind though as she shed her own bra. She grabbed Willow’s arm and swiftly rolled them both over so that she was on top. Willow was momentarily taken aback by the move. She looked up and saw passion in Tara’s blue eyes, desire, and strength. The mousy, meek Wicca seemed to be no more and was instead replaced by a confident, sexual being. Tara’s shyness seemed to end at the bedroom door. This surprised Willow a little, but mostly it turned her on. Their lips met again, and Willow could feel Tara sliding down her body. Tara stoked her breast as she started kissing lower on Willow’s face. She sucked on her lower lip a little, then kissed along her chin, down the underside of her jaw, and finally across her throat as her lips made their way to the valley between Willow’s breasts. Willow’s head was thrown back as a soft moan escaped her lips. Tara’s hands came up to cup Willow’s breasts as she started sucking gently on the skin above her breastbone. Willow was sure she’d have a hickey there in the morning, but she really didn’t care. Then suddenly Willow felt something warm and wet encircle her right nipple. “Oh, Tara!” she moaned. She looked down to see the blond slowly tracing her tongue in small circles around her areola. Willow’s hands immediately buried themselves in Tara’s hair, as the erotic sensation seemed to shoot through her body. Tara switched to the other breast, giving the nipple there the same treatment as Willow moaned loudly with pleasure, for once not giving a damn if anyone heard her.

Willow had a sudden need to taste Tara, to run her tongue over some part of her body and at this point she didn’t particularly care what part. Tara seemed to have the same need as she made her way lower and lower on Willow’s body. But the lower Tara got, the further she got from Willow’s tongue, and that simply wouldn’t do at all. Willow whimpered softly, enough to get Tara to look up. When she did, she saw the most arousing site in the world. Willow sat up gently, the perfect pout on her face as her hand fell to one of her breasts, gently tweaking her own nipple like it was the most natural thing in the world. “Don’t go too far Sweet, I’ll miss you,” she cooed. Tara smiled a way that Willow had never seen her smile. It was mischievous, playful, downright wicked, and it made Willow giggle in response. Tara got the idea and came back up to the top of the bed, stealing a quick kiss before positioning herself over Willow in such a way that they both had access to the other’s most intimate of areas. Willow hooked her thumbs under the waistband of Tara’s panties and pulled them down (or from her position, up) until Tara could kick them off the end of her feet. Tara did the same for Willow, and then buried her head between the other woman’s legs.

“Oh, Goddess!” Willow moaned as she felt Tara’s tongue in her center. Her own mouth immediately started kissing and licking as well, while her hands caressed the backs of Tara’s thighs. It wasn’t too much longer before Willow could feel her climax coming, and it was going to be a big one. She could tell Tara was close too, the way her pace quickened and the feel of her heartbeat.

“Oh! Goddess! Willoooooooooooow!” Tara screamed as she came.

She screamed Willow’s name. Willow had never made anyone scream like that, and it felt fantastic. It pushed her over the edge, and her orgasm crashed into her with such force she thought she might lose consciousness. Willow was only vaguely aware of her surroundings as her spasms subsided. When her eyes focused again she saw Tara scooting up next to her, pulling a blanket over them both.

“I love you, Willow,” she whispered, placing a kiss on her forehead as she pulled her into her arms.

“I love you too, Tara,” Willow mumbled tiredly. She snuggled into Tara, and fell into a peaceful sleep.




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