New and Old
by Rin
Modern Comfort
[reviews]
Through the sheer curtains, the sun was shining directly into the two sleeping sets of eyes that were facing each other on separate pillows, heads close but not quite touching, hands loosely grasped in between the two positioned bodies. When the remnants of sleep began to wake her body, Buffy's eyes gradually peeked open, and shut a few times more before she recognized the sleeping figure next to her. She stretched slightly, burying her face in the pillow, hiding a warm smile, clasping the hold on her girlfriend's hand a little tighter. Willow started mumbling in her sleep but it was so incoherent that Buffy couldn't make any sense of the few words that she did manage to catch. She moved a few stray auburn strands that had fallen into her girlfriend's face, and tucked them loosely behind the auditory organ, causing the redhead to stir slightly, and groan from the sleep intruder. When her eyes were open, and focused slightly, a lazy smile peered on a sleepy face.
"Mmm...morning." Willow stretched her body slightly, still keeping their hands clasped together. Under half-lidded eyes, she leaned over, and gave her girlfriend the first kiss of the day. "Sorry 'bout the morning breath."
"Not a problem. I'm sure mine's not minty fresh, either."
"This is a nice way to wake up."
"You'll see no complaints in the suggestion box from me, either."
"There's a suggestion box?"
"Yeah...I make sure to put at least three suggestions in there a day."
"What'd you put in there yesterday? Anything worth noting?"
"Hmm...I suggested more kisses, and Willow-snuggles..."
"What was the third one?"
"Make sure to wake up in the morning with my girlfriend being the first thing I see. So, as you can tell...the suggestion box never lies." Buffy leaned forward, and kissed Willow lightly again, keeping their faces somewhat close. "See...I just made sure to fill one of your suggestions."
"Oh, well...this box is magick."
"MmmHmm...and my first suggestion for the day was pancakes."
"Pancakes?"
"Yep...and orange juice..."
"Sounds like a good suggestion. Should we get up?"
"Oh, now the suggestion sounds like a bad one...I don't ever wanna move from this spot again."
"It is rather warm and comfy. The company's not that bad, either." They kissed gently again, and just looked at each other's features first thing in the morning after a restful sleep. "Buffy?"
"Yeah, Will?"
"How come this is the first time you ever invited me in your house?" Buffy was quiet for a moment, and averted her eyes from Willow for a couple seconds, rubbing her thumb gently up and down her girlfriend's hand.
"I was embarrassed."
"Why? Buffy, there's nothing for you to be embarrassed about..."
"Yeah but...it's not as nice as your apartment, and I guess I just thought you'd laugh at me."
"Buffy? What? No...I would never laugh at you over something like your house. From what I can tell, based on what I saw in the dark last night, and the few things I've managed to see this morning, it's a nice house."
"Yeah but I don't have all of those things like you do. I didn't want to make you feel guilty for having such a nice place."
"Buffy...look at me." Buffy looked into Willow's eyes, and she saw nothing but sincerity and love. "It's your house. It's your life. When I signed on to be with you, I meant all of you. I don't care if you have a thousand state-of-the-art gadgets lying around your house, or if your furniture doesn't match. They're yours, and that makes me love the house, no matter what." Buffy thought she was going to cry because she had never heard anybody talk that way about her since her mother died. She just stared lovingly back into green pools, and smiled warmly at her girlfriend's warmth and comfort. "Never be embarrassed for being who you are. You could live in a trailer with nothing but a broken yellow recliner for furniture, and I'd still want to be there because you are there, okay?"
"Okay."
"Good...now, I think you promised me waffles?"
"That I did. Come on...get your butt outta bed. You'll have to be my helper because I'm not the world's best in the kitchen." They climbed out of bed, and proceeded to make breakfast. Buffy gave Willow the tour of the house, inside and out, and even gave a few stories about times she spent with her mother and sister in certain places. All in all, it was a perfect morning. Buffy made sure to note that even her pancakes were fluffy, which in itself was a feat since they usually turned out flat. After breakfast and the tour, the two girls cuddled together on the couch, and just took the time to relish in the comfort of being together.
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Walking through the halls of the third floor building, Willow and Xander were chatting about the meeting they had just vacated from with their newest band, Rogue Slayer. The meeting went rather calm, and the band only had a few qualms about the contract. A few things were changed, and within two hours of having everything completely mapped out, the newest addition to the label was made official. It was Friday, and Buffy decided that she'd cook a nice dinner for Willow and her sister, since Dawn was moving back in for the holiday break. Willow was surprised that the meeting let out earlier than expected, and planned to be over to Revello Drive earlier.
"So, you and Buffy seem pretty happy."
"Yeah...she's amazing."
"Well, Will...she seems to like you, so that's always a plus."
"Yeah...it is, which works out great since I really like her, too." They entered Willow's office, and she began shutting down shop for the day. Xander just leaned on her desk.
"How's the sex?"
"Xander!"
"What? Just asking...you used to tell me all the time about your sexual conquests, maybe I miss hearing your colorful explanations."
"Xander, I never told you anything. I told you that I had a date, and you'd make assumptions."
"Which were always correct, if you take note."
"Xander..." She put on her jacket, and slid her purse onto her shoulder, kicking Xander out of the office as she locked it for the weekend. "This time is different."
"I know. I can tell."
"What do you mean?"
"Well, you always have this look like you just hit the jackpot, and your eyes are always glazed over when Buffy comes over for lunch...not to mention the contact. Plus, I've had to yell several times to get you to come out of your Buffy-induced haze just to get your attention. You've got it bad...and this is worse than Tara."
"I know...but it's so completely different than it was with Tara, or Fred even."
"That's the way these things usually work, or so I've heard." He walked her to the elevator, and held the doors open while she stepped inside. "Listen, Buffy's great, and she's great for you, and I can tell that you want this just as much as she does."
"I'm hoping there's a point to this."
"There is. I'm just saying that you're in love again, and happy. And a happy Willow makes for a happy Xander, which makes a happy Anya, and I am very thankful for that but I'm more thankful that you found love again."
"Thank you, Xander but I'm not even sure if we've reached the point of love yet."
"You have, trust me...you definitely have."
"What makes you so observant all of a sudden?"
"It's this power I have...I see dead things."
"Like dead people?"
"No...more like things that people fail to see for themselves. I'm like the heart of the little operation. You're the soul. It just works that way. Now, go have fun with your new lady friend."
"Bye, Xander. Have a nice weekend off, and tell Anya I said hello." He waved bye to her as the elevator doors shut, leaving a contemplating Willow to progress downward. 'I hate it when he's right sometimes. I really am in love with her but it just feels like it's happened too soon. I should be overwhelmed but I'm nothing but content. Oh, well. No use denying it now. Yep, I'm in love with Buffy Summers.'
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After she dropped her things off at her apartment, she readied herself to officially 'meet the family,' and dressed casually enough to be relaxed but dressy enough to be elegant. She finally decided to wear her brown pants, green turtleneck, and put a button-up blouse that matched the outfit, finishing it off with her brown dress boots. Grabbing a bottle of wine from her mini wine cellar in the kitchen, she walked the few blocks to her girlfriend's house, hoping to surprise her with some kisses as an appetizer. When she knocked on the door, Buffy greeted her with a surprised expression before she finally let her in the house.
"I brought some wine for dinner. You said Dawn's 21, so I thought it'd be okay."
"It's perfectly okay." She took the offered wine, and kissed Willow sweetly before walking back to the kitchen. "I just finished preparing dinner, and it should be ready in a couple hours."
"It smells good. What's on the menu?"
"Lasagna, salad, bread...and now, wine! Thank you." She laid the bottle on horizontally on the empty rack by the microwave, and turned back around to talk to her girlfriend. "How's that sound?"
"Like heaven."
"Oh, you've not been to heaven yet but play your cards right, and you may get lucky..."
"Are we back to the card metaphor?"
"Depends..." Buffy moved around the counter, and wrapped her arms around Will's waist, pulling her closer. "...on whether you play your royal flush or not." Willow's breathing became faster, and she became extremely aware again of how close their bodies were. Just as she was about to lean in for a kiss, the front door opened, and Dawn yelled for help. Moving to help the younger girl with unloading her car, the two women finally rested on the couch with each other. "I'm thinking that I should maybe cut down her clothes allowance. What do you think?"
"Well...she wouldn't be as stylish as her older sister anymore, and she might complain a little but...it'd be less to carry when she came home for breaks."
"My thoughts exactly." Buffy took Willow's head by the ear, and buried her fingers in slightly wavy auburn locks, pulling her in softly for a sensual kiss. They were so wrapped up in their kissing that they didn't hear Dawn coming down the stairs.
"Eww...get a room. Geez. I'm not going to have to live with you two swapping spit for a month, am I?" They pulled apart, and Willow hid her head behind Buffy's shoulder. Buffy just smiled, and giggled at her little sister.
"Dawnie...I thought you were unpacking."
"I did. I'm finished now." She walked into the living room, and sat in the recliner. Bubbles jumped up on her lap, and she immediately went into interrogation mode. "Okay...so Willow...."
"Yeah?" she squeaked, knowing she was about to be drilled.
"You really like my sister, huh?"
"Yeah." She smiled, looking at Buffy's beaming face.
"Good, 'cause your all she talks about on the phone, or in emails, or instant messages. She's always talking about you. I haven't even heard her talk about her writing in a long time." Buffy clenched her jaw, and sent a warning glare at Dawn to drop the subject but the brunette refused.
"Dawn, now's not the time."
"Well, when is? You haven't had time to write since you moved here. It's like you completely gave it up."
"Buffy, you write?" Willow was curious because she had been wondering why Buffy majored in creative writing but worked for an art magazine.
"I used to...a long time ago but I don't anymore."
"She's really good, too. She was always winning these awards, and getting her stuff published in journals but then when she moved here, it's like...she just stopped."
"I had to take care of you and mom, Dawn. What choice did I have?"
"You didn't have to stop what you loved because of that. You just use us as an excuse."
"What would I need an excuse for?"
"I don't know...you never talk to me about it."
"Why would I? That's all in the past. I've moved on, end of discussion." Willow sat there, not sure what to do while the sisters bantered back and forth. She made a mental note to bring Buffy's writing up in private, trying to coax the blonde into letting her maybe even read some of her work. The oven timer went off, and Buffy went into the kitchen to remove the pasta from the oven. Dawn just crossed her arms, and huffed, leaving an uncomfortable Willow on the couch.
"Um, so Dawn...how did your finals go?"
"They were okay. Thanks by the way for sending me that math stuff. It helped a lot. I think it may even helped me to get a B in the class overall."
"Anytime. All you have to do is ask." Discomforting silence filled the room, neither girl knowing what to say.
"Hey, Willow?"
"Yes?"
"You're not going to hurt my sister, are you? She's been hurt pretty bad in the past, and this is the first time I've ever seen her open up like this to anyone."
"I have no intentions to hurt her, no. Quite the opposite, actually."
"She loves you, ya know." It was more of a statement of fact than an actual question. Willow just smiled, glad to hear that somebody cared enough for Buffy other than her...enough to make sure that she was good for her sister.
"That works out, then." Both girls shared a knowing smile, and a bond was beginning to form. Buffy walked back in after moving all the food to the table, and ushered the two women into the dining room. "This looks delicious, Buffy. Who knew you could cook?"
"Yeah, and not burn the house down." Willow giggled, and Buffy rolled her eyes, taking the joke. "It does look good, Buff. You must've learned this from Willow because I never remember your lasagna actually coming out looking like...well...lasagna."
"Haha. Just shut up and eat it." They prepared their plates, and continued eating through idle chitchat, making it through a peaceful meal without any major impending doom.
"Dawn, if you like...while your home, I could use some help over at the Bronze behind the counter."
"Really?! That would be great! I'd love to, Willow!" She moved to hug the startled redhead that tentatively hugged her loosely back. "No wonder my sister's so in love with you...you're like the coolest ever." She squeaked, and started picking up the dirty dishes, and moving them back to the kitchen, as a shocked Buffy, and a smirking Willow watched her go.
"I think you're a miracle worker, Will. I've never seen her move so fast just to do the dishes."
"Well...I have many talents."
"Oh, really? Any that I know about?"
"Oh...I think it's the ones you don't know about yet that you'll like the most..." Buffy arched an eyebrow, and felt her body heat rising rapidly at the seductive comment. You could hear Dawn washing dishes in the kitchen, and Willow moved over to sit on Buffy's lap, while Buffy wrapped her arms firmly around her waist. "So...Buffy...what else do you wanna do tonight? Dawn mentioned calling up some old friends, which leaves the house pretty empty except for a certain blonde, and myself."
"Did you have anything in mind?"
"Not particularly...just thinking out loud." They locked lips, and they heard a squeak, indicating that they'd been caught by Dawn again. They parted, and looked over at an excited Dawn.
"This is so great, you guys!!" She was moving her hands excitedly all over the place for emphasis. "I just called Janice, and she and Beth are coming over to have a sleepover. Is that alright, Buffy? Willow?" She looked from one girl to the other, waiting for an answer. Willow wasn't quite sure she needed to be in the conversation, so she waited for Buffy to answer.
"That's fine, Dawn. Willow and I were just going to stay over at her apartment tonight. The house is all yours. Just make sure it's still in one piece when I get back tomorrow." Willow looked at girlfriend, realizing that it'd be the first time Buffy actually slept over in her apartment. Buffy indicated for Willow to let her up, and Dawn moved back to hug Willow again, while Buffy went upstairs to pack a few things. When she came back downstairs with a small bag, she noticed that Dawn and Willow looked like they'd known each other for years, and easily fell into conversations together. She smiled at the way her girlfriend could charm anybody, and she moved into the living room to start the rest of the night. Willow hugged Dawn before they said goodbye, and Buffy clasped her left hand with Will's right, pulling her out the door, and down the few blocks towards her apartment. When they entered, Buffy immediately made herself at home, moving to the back hallway as though she had lived there for years. Willow just smiled at her girlfriend's comfort within the large space, and the fact that it did indeed feel like more of a home when Buffy was there.
Now bag-less, Buffy came back into the main room to find her girlfriend flipping channels on the television. She went to snuggle with her on the couch, and together they found a few things to watch as they night drew along too quickly. After some heavy making out, Willow stood up from the couch, bringing Buffy with her. She kept body contact with her, and continued the hungry kisses, as she pushed the blonde down the hallway, and into her bedroom. She didn't stop until she gently pushed Buffy back on the bed, crawling with her as the blonde inched up towards the headboard. Never breaking contact, she continued kissing Buffy passionately as her hand snuck underneath the off-white sweater that hid skin. She moved her kissing down Buffy's neck, making sure to add more sucking pressure to the sensitive spot behind her ear. Her hand continued to roam underneath the shirt, studying every inch of warm skin that it could touch. When she finally reached her chest, she kneaded gently, relishing the feel of the mixture of flesh and cotton against her palm. Buffy gasped, and her moans were no longer small and quiet. Taking this as a good sign, Willow moved back up to kiss her, as she inched the sweater slowly off of her body, asking for permission. When it was to her neck, Buffy broke contact, and clumsily threw the sweater to the floor, returning to Willow's mouth as soon as it was over her head.
The kisses grew even more heated and desperate, and soon Buffy felt the need to feel Willow's skin against her own. She started to unbutton her blouse, and that was quickly discarded without having to break contact but they did have to break contact when Willow needed to pull the turtleneck over her head. Going back to their new routine, both girls moaned into each other's mouth as they felt the first contact of warm flesh against their body. Willow moved her kisses, sucks, nips, and licks all over Buffy's torso, neck, and face, as Buffy just kept total contact, making sure that she was touching the redhead with both hands at all time as she moved around her upper body. As Willow moved back to plant a searing kiss on Buffy's mouth, Buffy's eyes opened wide, and rolled back in her head in pleasure as she felt the redhead release the clasp on her bra, and move to teasing her chest. When they came up for breath, Buffy flung her bra from her shoulders, and immediately went about removing Willow's, kissing her upper body as Willow straddled her thighs. When she finally had the offending garment off, she pulled Willow back down on the bed with her. Their hot, wet kisses, and teasing continued until Willow's hand moved down the blonde's body, and unbuttoned her jeans. Buffy felt the zipper being pulled down slowly, and her center felt every slow millimeter that the clasp was taking, crying out to be next. Willow tucked her hand slowly under the waistband of her jeans, running it teasingly up and down her thighs, purposefully missing her center. From there, they went about removing the rest of their clothes, and falling back underneath the black, high thread count sheets that felt like floating on a cloud. Willow went to work, making sure to please every single inch of her girlfriend, making sure that their lovemaking was perfect, and would be remembered fondly. Buffy was moaning, groaning, and whimpering, and when they broke apart for a second, she looked up into Willow's eyes, and had never felt more loved than in that very moment, and she realized that this was the right time.
"I love you, Willow." It was breathed out heavy as their eyes stayed locked, and their bodies continued to move together. "So much..."
"Oh, Buffy...I love you, too." They broke their gaze, and crashed their lips together in another soul-searing kiss, as their passion moved throughout their bodies, and exploded in a blinding moment of true bliss.
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As the last remains of her sleep started to come down, Buffy remembered the night before, and a slow smile crept through her entire body. Afraid that she'd find Willow gone, she slowly opened her eyes, only to be looking into warm green ones. Willow moved gently closer, and kissed her firmly on the lips, indicating that the night before wasn't a dream, and that they really made love, and declared it to one another. Buffy turned her head up slightly to notice the bright sky, and clouds floating through the sky window. Willow moved her hand to Buffy's sheet-covered waist, and stroked her fingers in lazy circle.
"Morning, sleepyhead."
"Morning...what time is it?"
"Almost 11."
"Will, you could've woke me up, don't you have work today?"
"Nope. I closed the office today. We all needed a break."
"You're the best boss ever, and I don't even work for you."
"Yeah but your sister will soon."
"I almost forgot about that...are you sure about that? Having her work the counter? Doesn't that involve bartending?"
"No. She'll just work the register, and take orders for food, that sort of thing. Nothing too terribly strenuous."
"Okay, if you're sure." Willow nodded, and Buffy kissed her smiling girlfriend.
"Speaking of work...Buffy, how come you never told me you used to write?"
"It was a long time ago. I don't like to think about it."
"Why not? Dawn said that you were good at it, and that she was surprised that you quit because you loved it so much." Buffy felt uncomfortable for a moment until she realized that this was her lover, and that Willow loved her no matter what. She felt safe, content, and trust completely in her girlfriend, and decided to finally explain a situation that she'd tried to hide for years.
"Right before we found out that mom was sick, I had finished this huge novel. I had a publisher, and it was going to be in print come spring. Then, mom's test results came back, and I started writing. It wasn't because I wanted to so much as it was that I just completely lost it. It was like my mind shut down one end to make room for another. So, I moved here, and devoted my time into taking care of Dawnie."
"What happened to the book? Did they print it?"
"No. They dumped it because we lost contact, and I kept missing appointments."
"So, you had like a sort of writer's block?"
"More like a blocker. I felt the pressure of having to take care of Dawn, and had to face reality that not everybody gets to live out their goals."
"Yeah but you said that they were going to print the book. You were already there. You still could've taken care of Dawn."
"Just because a book is published, that doesn't mean that it will be a big seller. I had no guarantee that I could help run the house, and pay for Dawn's college. I needed more certainty than that."
"So, you just quit? You don't even write in your free time anymore?"
"I had my plate full. I had Riley down my throat about not paying attention to him, Dawn nagging me about school stuff, the bill collectors knocking every five seconds, my boss constantly down my throat, and I never even had time to properly grieve for mom. I was expected to be the stronghold, the thing that kept everything together, so I just quit." Willow's brow furrowed, and pulled Buffy tight against her as she began to cry. "I just quit, Will. I couldn't handle it all, so I put my whole life on hold."
"Shh...Buffy, it's okay. That happens all the time. You're not the only one. When Tara died, I practically crawled into a shell. If it weren't for Xander, there wouldn't even be a Watchers Records anymore. Things get better, though. I mean, look at me. I bounced back...and now I have you, which makes it all the better. Maybe now, you can start writing again. There's nothing blocking your way anymore."
"I know but what if I don't remember anything? What if my writing's a big joke?"
"It's all up here." Willow released her hold on her girlfriend, and looked into her eyes as she lightly tapped her head. "You can't fake talent. And you can't get rid of it, either. You're stuck with it...and I believe in you. I know that you can do it."
"But you've never even read my stuff..."
"Yeah but knowing who you are, and reading your articles from the magazine, I know that you're an accomplished writer. Plus, you have an amazing mind that's always working...your imagination, the way you see things...I wish that I could find beauty in anything. Dawn believes in you, too."
"I find beauty in everything that is you."
"Well, then, there. You can write about me. It'll be about how I'm the bestest girlfriend ever, and am going to even make us lunch in bed." Buffy wiped her tear-stained face, and kissed the redhead genuinely.
"You are the best girlfriend ever, and nobody could ever do you justice by trying to put you into words."
"Buffy...you're such a sap."
"That's why you love me."
"Oh, yeah? I thought it was because of the way you cried out my name in the heat of passion..."
"That, too. But as I recall, you weren't much quieter."
"Yeah, yeah. So, what do you want for lunch?"
"Anything you make would be perfect." They kissed a few more times before Willow reluctantly pulled out of bed with a sheet wrapped around her body. She went into the bathroom to brush her teeth, pull her hair back, and put on a robe, and then went into the kitchen to fix a quick lunch while her girlfriend crawled out of bed to do the same, minus the lunch.
When she brought the tray filled with sandwiches, carrots, and chips, she noticed that Buffy was missing from her bed. She laid the tray down on her dresser, careful not to spill the juice. She checked the bathroom, and she found a very naked Buffy in a very bubbly Jacuzzi.
"Well...you provide the lunch, I provide the entertainment..." Buffy's look was oozing 'come and get it,' and Willow hurried into the bedroom to grab the tray. Laying it down on the marble cabinet, she moved the plates and glasses next to the tub. Removing her robe, she slowly crept into the boiling water. "Mmmm...just what I wanted for lunch...Willow soup." She kissed the redhead seductively, and pulled her into the seat beside her.
"Actually, I brought deli sandwiches, carrots, and chips but your alternative doesn't sound bad, either. Just as long as I get to try Buffy soup afterwards."
"I think that can be arranged." They started kissing, and rubbing their slippery bodies together, and then Buffy's stomach growled. "Well, sounds like I have a protest from the lunch menu. Looks like we'll have to just have Willow and Buffy soup for dessert."
"Sounds like a plan." The girls took their time feeding each other the carrots, and tried to keep the sandwiches and chips from getting wet. Unfortunately, the bubbles would rise too high at the most inopportune moment, and make the tips of the bread soggy. Discarding that soggy sandwich bits onto the plate, the girls giggled through the lunch conversation in the hot tub, knowing that this would be a memory that would be forever remembered. Once lunch was finished, and pushed away from the tub, the girls quickly sought out each other's mouths again, and had several helpings of their dessert until their skin became too pruny.
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"Do I really have to give you back?" Willow was pouting, and tried her best whiny tone to convince Buffy not to leave but so far, it wasn't working. Buffy would just kiss away the pout, and explain that she had to make sure Dawn and her friends hadn't trashed the house.
"I promise that I'll come back later. I need to get another change of clothes, and make sure that Dawn has money to order a pizza. I won't be gone but maybe an hour, two at tops." They were standing in her open doorway, and they both were dressed in sweats and a t-shirt, knowing that it'd be a lazy, comfortable day together.
"Okay...but I expect extra cuddles and kisses." Buffy kissed the pout away again, and then turned to leave. When she started to open the bottom door that lead to the street, Willow called her name. "Buffy! Wait. Why don't you bring some clothes and stuff over, and I'll empty out some space in my closet, and a drawer." Noticing Buffy's silence, Willow began to panic. "Oh, um...that is...you don't have to. I was just offering. I'm not saying move in because that would be cliché, only not really because there have been more than two dates, and no U-haul...but is it too soon? Did I ask too much?"
"Willow. No, I would love to bring some stuff over here. I'll even keep my extra Scooby-Doo toothbrush here for safekeeping next to yours. You can bring some of your things over to my house, too." Willow relaxed considerably, and her face just beamed, knowing that the relationship was definitely worth the risks involved.
"Yeah, and I can get a Scooby toothbrush to keep next to yours at your house. Oh, we can be like the Scooby gang."
"Sounds perfect. I'll be back shortly. Don't get into too much trouble."
"Okay...see you soon. Love you."
"Love you." Buffy left, and Willow just stood in her doorway, and sighed. A sudden thought came to her mind, and she went back to her bedroom to put on some jeans, and a pair of sneakers. Locking up her apartment, she made her way down the block, and walked into a nice café that was also a bookshop. She waved at some of the customers she knew, and then went back into the personal journal section. Finding a nice brown, leather bound book with blank pages, she found it to be perfect, and proceeded to browse through the aisles, picking up several books that peeked her interest in the literature and poetry sections. She even went to the magazine rack, and found a few current creative writing journals and magazines. Making her way to the counter, she placed her several items down, greeting the all too familiar shopkeeper.
"Hi, Anya. How are you feeling? Xander said that your morning sickness has been getting worse." Anya started ringing up the items, and made faces as she punched in the price.
"I'm good. Thank you for being concerned about my general health and well being concerning myself and my unborn child. The doctor gave me a bunch of pills of different shapes and sizes that are supposed to aid in the sudden release of my bodily fluids." Willow's face cringed, knowing that she should have known better than to ask Anya about her health. "Now, what about you Willow? Why in the world are you buying all of these? You usually buy books concerning psychology, and other academic interests."
"They're so that I can help understand Buffy's writing better. I want to know how the system of creative writing works so that I can help her get back into the thing she loves."
"Well, Xander said that she obviously loved you, and I'm sure that she's had no problem in that department." Willow blushed, hoping that the small crowd in the café wasn't listening. "Is this all you're purchasing?"
"No. Actually, I wanted to see if that book I ordered on the history of witchcraft came in yet. Plus, I wanted to get something to take back for dinner later."
"Well, you're in a very spending mood today."
"And you're complaining? You really are pregnant."
"Pregnant or not, I still enjoy the capitalist society, and enjoy people spending money. It makes the baby happy, too. You can feel it kicking whenever it hears the ding of the register, indicating another purchase." Willow's eyebrows furrowed in confusion, as Anya went back into the storage room, and brought the ordered book to the front. Willow looked over the menu that she knew practically by heart but she wanted something to distract her from getting into that conversation with her friend. "Well?"
"Well what?" She looked up from the menu, and silently asked Anya for an explanation.
"Are you going to order? There are other people waiting to find their way to the counter in order to give me their money, and go home happy with their books and coffee."
"Oh, yeah. Give me two of everything."
"Two of everything? Have you lost your mind? There's no possible way that much food can be consumed by your tiny body."
"I don't know what Buffy would like from here, and you'll be closed by the time she gets back to the apartment."
"Even the desserts?"
"Yeah." Anya looked around, and did something that she never thought that she'd do. She helped Willow narrow the menu down to a few items. "Okay, well, then. I'll take two of those things then."
"I can do that." Anya finally finished ringing up Willow's purchases, and Willow handed her the money. Willow let Anya take the order back to the kitchen, while she bagged her books, magazines, and other items that she'd picked out from all over the store. Her food and drinks came out fifteen minutes later, and once she maneuvered everything for the walk home, she found Buffy sitting at the bottom of the stairwell waiting for her.
"Buffy, what are you doing?" She stood up, and helped Will with her bags and cups.
"What are you doing? It feels like you bought the whole bookstore." They walked up the stairs, and Willow unlocked the door. Once the food and mochas were on the counter, Willow pulled the blind up so they'd be able to eat at there. She laid all of her bags from the bookstore on the table, ready to show them to Buffy once they were finished eating. She began pulling out all of the food containers, while Buffy went to take her large bag back into her room. When she returned, she noticed that Willow had everything ready, and had even managed to light a candle for ambience. "Wow, Will. I'm gone for an hour, and you manage to buy the bookstore, and the café."
"Actually, this is narrowed down. I ordered two of everything but Anya helped me pick a few items that I thought you'd like. I eat there a lot because Anya runs it, and it's just two buildings down. Plus, bookstore...added bonus."
"Smart girls are so sexy." Buffy sat on the stool next to Willow, and kissed her firmly on the mouth. She rubbed her hands together in anticipation, and noticed the cornucopia of items that were presented. There were a few different hot sandwiches, different side dishes, two different dessert offerings, and even mochas to boot. "Wow, Will. You went all out...but you could've just picked something, and I would've been fine. I'm not the pickiest eater in the world."
"Yeah but this place is special to me...just like your deli by your work. I wanted to make sure that you found something that you liked."
"No need to worry, Willow. If I don't like something, you'd know by now...and everything here looks yummy, especially the melted roast beef. What's on this?"
"It's horseradish. I have them take the cheese off of one because of the whole mixing dairy with beef ordeal. That gives you the choice of either way...with the cheddar, or without." Buffy continued to scan wide-eyed at the feast before her, and her stomach agreed. "This sandwich is my favorite. It's heated turkey, Provolone cheese, lettuce, cranberry sauce, and wheat bread that's toasted lightly."
"It's like Thanksgiving rolled into one. Alright, let's try it then." Buffy grabbed a half of the sandwich, and couldn't believe that the crazy concoction actually was rather delicious. She devoured the half, and couldn't wait to try the rest. She grabbed one of the melted roast beef halves with the cheese, and found that her stomach still agreed. Then, she started digging into the coleslaw, and a few other foreign salads that Willow explained were from Morocco, since Anya's from an area close by called Arash Ma'had. When they finished the delicate desserts, Willow was amazed at the amount of food that Buffy had managed to devour. "Mmmm...that was amazing, Will."
"Um, Buffy? When did you get such an appetite?"
"Oh, I have an extremely fast metabolism. The doctor said something about one girl in every so many blah blah has a high metabolism rate, and I even heal quickly. That hickey you gave me on my right pelvic bone? Gone." Willow was wide-eyed, and disbelieving until Buffy showed her that the dark bruise from last night was completely missing. Buffy sat back down, and kissed a worried Willow's wrinkles away. "It's nothing bad. It just means that I have something that others don't. Does it bother you?"
"No, no. I'm not bothered...just wow. I've never read anything about that before...I'm surprised is all." Buffy started boxing up the leftovers, and placed them in the fridge, while Willow washed her hands, knowing what she'd be holding, and wanting the sauce and grease from her fingers to be clear. Buffy followed suit, and soon they were cuddled on the couch in the living room. Willow brought the bags from the shop, and sat them on the table, and opted to put in some needed smoochies before her surprise. Breaking apart, Buffy finally couldn't hold it in anymore.
"So, what's in the bag? Did you buy nudey mags?" Willow blushed, and Buffy arched an eyebrow, thinking that she'd actually guessed right, surprised that her Willow would even buy them.
"No...no...nothing like that. That is to say that...well...they do sell them but I wouldn't...buy them, that is." Buffy kissed the babble away.
"Relax. Just show me what you did get." Willow smiled, and nodded, pulling out several books of literature and poetry, and showed them to Buffy. "Wow. I'm impressed that they'd actually hold these titles. These are some high quality writers that people don't usually read. Rilke? He's known but you wouldn't find him in a classroom. You really know your stuff." Willow pulled out the literary magazines and journals, and Buffy flipped through the pages, beginning to see a pattern. "Will? What is all of this?"
"I wanted to understand your craft more...I thought that maybe I could help you, I don't know...kill the blocker, and get back into writing? See? I even bought a book on the laws and process of the literary world, so I'll know the business aspects." She pulled out that book, and noticed Buffy's dazed look. "Did I do something wrong?"
"No...definitely no to that question. It's just that...when I think you can't be anymore amazing, you turn around and do something like this. This is the nicest thing anybody's done for me. Thanks, Will." She wrapped her arms around Willow's neck, and kissed her cheek before pulling away, and browsing through the plethora of books.
"Actually, there's more."
"More? See? You did it again." Willow pulled out the fancy pens, the tray of floppy disks, a tray of CD-R's, and a professional stationary kit. "They have all of these things there? In that one little shop?" Her eyes were wide, and she was trying to fight the tears from falling.
"It's bigger than it looks from the outside because it actually takes up that whole building. I wasn't surprised when Anya decided to expand."
"Willow, I don't know what to say. Not even my professors took this much of an interest in my work...thank you."
"One more thing, and I'm through. I promise." She pulled out the leather bound journal, and Buffy tentatively took it, grazing her fingers softly over the outer material, and opening the pages to find nothing but blank ones. "I figured that you could write ideas, thoughts, concerns, and anything else that you'd need for the creative process in there. It'd give you a place to escape for a moment or two." Buffy kept looking up at Willow, and back to the journal, and finally, she laid the journal beside the dozens of books, and flew into Willow's arms, causing her to grasp for air as she was pushed back on the couch. Buffy planted a thousand kisses all over her face, and kept saying 'Thank you,' and 'I love you.' She finally stopped her loving assault on her girlfriend, and just stared down into genuinely happy eyes, and couldn't help but kiss the lids softly.
"Willow, you make me so happy. You have no idea what this means to me. Not only are you taking an interest but you are actively participating, and even encouraging me. I love you so much."
"I love you, too, Buffy. I was worried that it'd be too much but I know that you have the raw talent, and I honestly believe that you can do it but you'll have to let me read some of your work, so that I can prove my theory."
"Will, sweetie...nothing will ever be too much from you. You're like the baby bear...you're just right."
"And you're my Goldilocks?" Buffy nodded, and ducked to kiss her passionately again, letting her know exactly how much she appreciated the love that she gave her, and that she returned.