Making Things Perfect
by Rin
Giving Thanks
[reviews]
A/N: Sorry I posted so late. I had a hot date. (I'm sad b/c that rhymed)
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"Dawnie!" Willow and Bubbles rushed to the door, finding the youngest Summers in the foyer with a duffle bag, and a man. The redhead stopped to examine him but Bubbles rushed to Dawn, wagging her nub as the brunette knelt down to greet her dog. He towered over Dawn, and his short brown locks were well kept, along with his clothing. The man looked about the same age as Willow, if not older, and the redhead scrunched her eyebrows, trying to guess who he was but coming up blank. She wasn't told that the brunette was bringing anybody with her but when she glanced at the military bag that was slung over his shoulders, it was obvious there'd be another guest in the house for the holiday break.
"Willow!" Dawn rushed forward, and crashed into the redhead, wrapping her in a tight embrace, which was returned once the initial shock from being attacked was over. Backing away, both girls were nothing but smiles, and they both forgot about the curious man in the foyer. When he cleared his throat, Dawn turned around, smiled at him, and motioned him towards them. Putting down his bag, he shook Willow's hand.
"Hi. You must be Dawn's sister. I'm Adam." Willow arched an eyebrow, and released his strong grip. His posture and mannerisms screamed military training.
"Actually, Adam, this is Willow, my sister's girlfriend. She lives here, too." He nodded his head slightly in understanding, and just continued to glance around the house, taking it all in for the first time. "Remember? I told you that Buffy was away on her book tour this month. She won't be back until Monday. You won't get to meet her this time."
"This time?" Willow watched Dawn caress his muscled arm, and finally figured out who the man was: her boyfriend. "Um...well, that is...with the house, and Buffy not here, I'm not so sure that this is a good idea...she might want to meet him."
"And she'll get to...don't worry, Willow. He didn't have anywhere to go for Thanksgiving, so I brought him with me. I didn't think it'd be a problem. He can sleep in my room with me." Willow shook her head clear, and her eyes widened.
"No! We have a guest room. I don't think Buffy'd like it very much if you stayed in the same room." Dawn rolled her eyes, seeing that the blonde had sway over her girlfriend when it came to dealing with her.
"I'm 22, Willow. I'm not a little kid anymore." Willow just tilted her head to the side to tell her there was no argument but Dawn wasn't giving up that easily. "You and Buffy slept in the same room, and you'd only been dating a month!! We've been dating for six!!"
"That was different. We were older, and nothing happened that first night!" Dawn rolled her eyes again, and snickered in disbelief, knowing that her older sister surely couldn't hold it in around the redhead. She didn't ask too many questions about their sex life, and was all the happier that they didn't offer any details. "Plus, I don't run the house! Buffy does."
"Well, you'll be married in March. Don't you think it's time that you started?" Adam just stood behind them, taking in their expressions and tones with a curiosity, as though examining everything they did in a scientific manner.
"Dawn...this has nothing to do with us. It has everything to do with you and Buffy. I've only lived here for three months but I know she wouldn't want you to entertain your boyfriend at night while she was gone. At least...at least wait until she's met him. I'm not trying to say no. I'm just saying that we should think this through...you know how she is when it comes to you." Willow was speaking in calming tones, hoping to ease the tension.
"Yeah...overprotective." Dawn crossed her arms, and avoided looking at the redhead, knowing that she had already lost the battle due to logic.
"More like over loving. She loves you, and just wants to see you happy. Humor me, please? Just do this for me, and if there's a next time, then we'll let Buffy decide. For now, let's just do it this way." Dawn uncrossed her arms in frustration, and Willow smiled, pulling her into a tight embrace again, happy to see her soon to be sister-in-law.
"Okay but I don't have to like it." They parted, and Dawn smiled again, also happy to be spending time with her newfound family, even if her sister wasn't there. It was the white elephant in the room, and neither was willing to talk about it just yet, so Dawn ushered Adam up the stairs, and settled him in to the guest room before taking him to her room and shutting the door.
Willow shook her head in amusement, glad that she wouldn't have to do any unnecessary explaining to her girlfriend about why her baby sister was sharing a bed with a man of about their age. 'Maybe he just looks old for his age...' She shrugged, and went back into the kitchen, making preparations for the huge feast the next day. The entire afternoon, she'd done nothing but cry over missing Buffy. They wouldn't get to share their first Thanksgiving together, and nobody seemed to want to talk about it, instead opting to walk on eggshells around the others.
Every night, the two had talked on the phone but neither would mention the looming holiday approaching, acting like it would be a normal day they would be apart from each other, as though if talking about it somehow made it not true. The hardest part was the fact that Thanksgiving was Buffy's favorite holiday, and they'd been talking about the celebration for months. There was no way that the blonde could get out of her benefit thing, and they couldn't cheat like they had all month, when Willow would take off work. Instead, they had decided to eat their dinner at the same time, and the redhead would put her on speakerphone, as though she was really there at the table with them, exchanging in the conversations during the meal, getting to say her thanks with the others, and crying just like Willow knew she would be doing. They were both glad that they had switched to the family share plan on their cell phones, or otherwise their bills would be outrageous with the number of minutes they spent on the phone with the other all month.
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As Willow put the turkey in water to thaw, she couldn't stop the tears at missing Buffy. She didn't even hear Dawn walk in, and watch her with compassionate eyes from the doorway. The brunette knew all too well the feelings going through her but imagined that it was worse for the redhead because of the intimate connection. She was glad that her sister had found somebody as exceptionally amazing as her girlfriend. Dawn couldn't imagine seeing another couple so much in love; they were just tuned into each other completely, like they fit perfectly...as though they were molded that way, made for each other.
"You need any help?" Willow wiped her cold, wet hands on the towel at her hip, and attempted to hide her tears before turning around to acknowledge her.
"I'm good right now. I was just making some basic things, and thawing out the turkey. Are you all settled in, ready to start your long weekend away from school?"
She sat down on the island stool, and Dawn moved to sit beside her.
"More than you know...thank every deity that ever existed that it's my last semester." Willow genuinely smiled at her, causing Dawn to smile back with a giggle. "I've been in school way too long."
"I thought you liked school. Buffy was afraid that you were going to make a career out of going." They both shared a warm giggle, finally relaxing a little.
"Oh, I do but there's only so much a person can take. I need more than a week break; it's time to stop stalling, and start making money."
"Buffy will be glad to hear that." The relaxed manner was tense again after the announcement of the B word. "I'm glad that you're growing up, Dawn. I just wish I could have been there to watch it happen. It's like coming in at the end of a movie...all the stuff leading up to it are missing, and you just get the end result. Sometimes that's good but not in this case."
"I'm glad you're in our life, Willow. You have no idea how bad things were before you came." Willow took the towel that was tucked into her jeans waist, and laid it tidily on the counter.
"I'm sure things weren't that bad. I mean, I know you guys didn't exactly get along the best but that's normal between sisters." She started playing with the strings at the end of the towel, picking at them between her fingers, hoping that she wouldn't start crying again.
"No. I mean, sure, part of it was because we were sisters but not all of it. After mom died, it was like she became a whole different person, as though she turned all emotions off, and just was going through the motions. It sounds crazy but it was hard to deal with her on a daily basis, and Riley wasn't helping matters any. At least he left before things became worse. Buffy would be out all hours of the night, sometimes not getting home until I left for classes the next day. She wouldn't talk about them but that's when she and Spike became really heavy, and she'd come home with bruises, and reeking of his cigarettes and the death smell. I don't think she knows that I know about them having sex in cemeteries. It used to happen even when she was with Riley, and he was no more aware of it than she was letting on." Seeing that Willow paled a little, she recognized the fear that her sister said the redhead had about people leaving her. "She won't leave you, or do anything like that, though. She knew you for one night...that first night that I caught you two kissing on the porch." Dawn saw Willow smile, and arch an eyebrow.
"I thought you thought we were burglars."
"Well, yeah but it was pretty obvious what you'd been doing."
"How?" Willow scrunched her eyes in confusion but amused at the new bit of information, and especially reliving that amazing first kiss. 'The best first kiss ever...'
"Both of you were redder than a baboon's ass, and not only were your lips swollen but you were breathing pretty heavy." They giggled, relaxing again, and Willow stopped picking at the loose tendrils of the dishtowel.
"Well, it was a great kiss." Dawn arched an eyebrow. "Okay...it was amazing. Your sister is an extremely good kisser, can't blame me."
"Eww...so didn't need to hear that." She raised her hands, silently asking Willow not to go any further with the details but the redhead smiled, and decided to play with her a little bit.
"Well, that's not the only thing she's great at..." Willow had a far away look in her eyes, watching Dawn's wide-eyed reaction, and started giggling, glad to have succeeded. "She's really good at massages. You wouldn't think it but she has powerful hands."
"Willow! Please...so not needing a description of my sister's sex life here..." Dawn covered her ears but released them with a giggle when she heard the redhead genuinely laugh. It was the exact laugh that Buffy thought was contagious, and she could understand why. There was something truly remarkable about this woman, and she was more than excited to have her join her family. "Honestly, Will. That first night after you left, it was like she was completely changed. You hadn't known each other for that long but you had managed to melt all the ice that she was buried in, and for that alone, the conversation afterwards, she was hooked on you. She was already addicted to you, and I don't think she ever plans on attending a meeting. People around her always seemed to die. Our cousin Celia when they were little..." Willow's face became sad, knowing the stories all too well that Dawn was recounting. Again, the need to hold her lover became her prime concern, wanting to make all of those bad memories disappear. "Mom was the hardest...some friends of hers from college were killed in a car wreck, and one of her roommates was raped and beaten to death."
"I'm sorry she had to go through all that...I'm sorry that you had to go through that. I know what it feels like...to lose a parent, even if my dad and I weren't as close as you and your mom. It's still hard." Dawn fought back the tears, seeing Willow's threatening to spill as well, the redhead's hand placed gently on her knee in a comforting gesture.
"Well...it still hurts sometimes but at least I grieved. Buffy didn't even do that; I don't she ever really has completely. She always said that death was her gift. That anything she came across would eventually die; it scared her for the longest time, and she just wouldn't open up to anybody. Then, here you come along...and she completely ignores that fear...already in love with you, in my opinion. Honestly, I think that you're her gift from the world...like she had to experience all of this bad stuff before meeting you. It's like it was predestined to happen, or something."
"Like a prophecy?" Willow's tears were falling, and Dawn wasn't faring much better but the heavy conversation was heartfelt, and that made them both smile through their happy tears.
"Yeah...something like that. Maybe Buffy will write about it." They wiped at their tears, and stood from the counter stools.
"Maybe..." Willow grabbed the towel, and tucked it in her jeans again.
"Willow...I just want you to know that you're already my family. Even if you guys never did the marriage thing, I'd still think so." Willow smiled again, hoping that her tears would stay back this time. Luckily they did, and she hugged the girl loosely. Pulling out some items from the refrigerator, Dawn sat back down on the stool. "What are you making?"
"Dawn cookies." The brunette's eyes lit up, and she sat up straighter. "I found your mom's recipe in her cookbook the other day. I know it'll miss that special mom ingredient but I hope you still like them."
"I don't think that'll be much of a problem. Anything you make always turns out great, especially my sister" Willow placed a glass bowl, and whisk on the counter beside the ingredients.
"Aww...I see sappiness runs in the family." Finally, she placed a cookie sheet on the counter, and greased it. Dawn went about measuring the needed ingredients. "So...Dawnie, tell me about Adam. He seems...nice."
"Oh, he is. What do you want to know?" She cracked the eggs into the glass bowl, and Willow poured the milk and oil in after that.
"Everything. If he's staying in the house, then I should find out something." After adding the other base ingredients, and poured in the extra chocolate chips and walnuts, Willow began mixing the bowl with the ease of an experienced chef, or baker.
"He goes to school with me. He's a graduate student, actually, in biological science. He's going to get a job researching for the government; I'm not sure what that entails exactly but it sounds interesting." After the batter was mixed completely, Willow sat the bowl down on the counter, and both girls went about spooning the dough onto the cookie sheet. "He is older than me."
"I noticed..." Willow's arched eyebrows showed both concern and amusement.
"He's only 28. That's only a year older than you and Buffy." Willow picked up the tray, and placed it in the ready oven.
"Does Buffy know this?" She washed the dough from her hands at the kitchen sink, and waited for Dawn's reply, already knowing the answer was a big negative.
"Not exactly...I was going to tell her, though. You don't think she'll be mad, do you?" Willow wiped her hands dry on her hip cloth, and just leaned against the other side of the counter, facing Dawn.
"I think she'll be worried, concerned, and a little overprotective, as you say...but if you're truly happy, then I don't think she'll be blowing a casket."
"I'm just worried about her reaction. I haven't really talked much about him because it's still new to me but I really like him, and he really likes me, and we get closer by the day. He likes to examine my body when we..." Willow jumped from her position, and stopped Dawn telling that particular story, figuring that it only led to hot, naked bodies pressed together, and she wasn't ready for that mental picture.
"Okay! And on that note..." She placed the towel back down on the counter, and set the timer for the cookies, and the two girls left to find Adam, who was watching television in the living room. It was going to be an interesting Thanksgiving, and there was only one person lacking that would make it perfect.
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Xander was changing Jesse's diaper in the bathroom, while Anya helped Dawn and Adam make the table. Willow was in the kitchen with Faith, who was carving the turkey because she seemed to be particularly skilled with a knife. The redhead was talking to Buffy on the phone, sharing the many antics that had already gone on that day, while bringing all the ready dishes to the table. Faith was the first to arrive at 6 in the morning, not having been able to sleep that well, and Willow answered the door in a tank top and pajama pants, coffee mug in hand. She had ushered the brunette in, and made her a cup of coffee before they went into the living room to watch some of the Thanksgiving specials. When the morning news came on, Buffy was on it, and that made the redhead turn up the volume. It was about Lilah's conviction; the case was closed quickly without question, and the details were lacking, other than the fact that she'd 'drugged and raped best-selling author, Buffy Summers, who had alerted New York police in time to find traces of the drug still in her system.' The rest of the brief story mentioned how the amount of drug content in her would have killed the blonde, and she was lucky to have survived. Then, it gave a quick tab at the success of her, showing a screen capture of the two of them on Oprah holding hands, and giggling with the host. The reporter stated who she was, 'her girlfriend, the well-respected, successful owner of Watchers Records, Willow Rosenberg was unavailable for comment.' When she had received the calls the day before, she refused to give any information. It wasn't her place, and she didn't want to make a bigger deal out of it, and upset her girlfriend, who wasn't commenting, either.
The rest of the early morning was spent in idle chatter, the two friends glad to be with one another to celebrate. Willow knew that Faith wasn't one for family gatherings before they had met but she had softened her up to the idea, and she was now there at every get together. Finishing another cup of coffee, Dawn trotted lazily down the stairs with a wide-awake, military prompt Adam following behind her. She didn't want to miss the parade, and it took a lot of convincing from her curious boyfriend to get her out of bed.
When noon rolled around, Xander and Anya had baby Jesse in tow, and the baby was crawling around the house with just as much curiosity as Adam. It was amusing to watch Adam study the movements and expressions coming from the little girl, and even Willow had to admit he was an interesting character. She just didn't know him well enough to form an opinion one way or the other yet. After eating a light lunch from the many cold side items already prepared the night before, the gang had gathered around the television, watching more specials, and chatting idly, while waiting for the big dinner to arrive. Xander, especially, looked eager to get an oversized portion of grub in his tummy.
Willow had talked to Buffy three times already that day, and now, as they were sitting down to eat, she tried to act more excited than she was, knowing that her lover's absence was the missing ingredient to the meal. After some private comments, Willow blushed, more than ready for her girlfriend to return home in a speedily fashion. She had to fan herself to cool off, in case Faith noticed because she didn't want to deal with embarrassment from the brunette's crude sexual comments. When everyone was settled at the dinner table, Willow put Buffy on speakerphone, and they all greeted her.
"Hey guys! I miss you all! I'll get to see you next week, though. How's Jesse doing? Willow said she was crawling now." Anya, always ready to talk about her baby, and showcase her pride and joy, lit up at the sound of her baby's name. Only three things ever got her excited: Xander, Jesse, and money.
"She is, Buffy. She's grown so much this month, so hurry up and get home, so that you can give her many presents, and spoil her like an aunt." Buffy giggled, and everyone else did, too. Willow beamed at Anya's 'aunt' comment because it hadn't hit her until that point that Xander's wife truly saw the relationship as such. It warmed her heart just a little more.
"Well, I can't wait to see her. I hear she keeps Xander busy, too." Xander, currently feeding the baby, wiped the mushy food from his sleeve, and turned towards the phone, as though she were really there in the flesh.
"But without complaint." Xander's smile again caused Willow's heart to warm. She'd never seen her life-long friend so happy in his life, and she could relate.
"What about Faith? I hear that the album's finished, and due to release next month." Faith just leaned back in her chair a little, trying not to show too much excitement, or much emotion at all.
"Yeah, B. It comes out before Christmas." Even with Faith's attempt at not caring, she could see the slight traces of a smirk behind her big, brown eyes, and once again, her heart warmed a little more.
"And what's this I hear about your boyfriend being there, Dawn?" The mock admonishment in her tone wasn't lost on her younger sister, and the brunette eased up a little, looking towards the phone the way she would if Buffy were actually there: with apology and happiness.
"Yeah, Adam. He came in with me because he didn't have a place to go, and I wouldn't let him spend Thanksgiving alone. If there's anything you've taught me, it's that today was the day to spend with the ones you love...even if they aren't here physically..." Everyone's expressions turned sympathetic at the missing blonde. Her absence was greatly noticed, and every person in the room (barring Adam, who hadn't really met her) wished that she wasn't halfway across the country, some more than others.
"Well, guys...I can practically hear Xander's stomach, so I say we get this party started with the thanks...what do you say?" Everyone agreed, and they started around the table. Adam made a brief comment, thankful for having a place to go for the holidays. Anya was thankful for Jesse, Anya, and capitalism. Xander was thankful that they could join together, and that he was blessed with such a wonderful family, in which he glanced at everybody at the table, although awkwardly at Adam, unsure of the older man. Faith was thankful that she finally had a place to call home, and that the band was doing really well. Of course, she had to add in that she was especially thankful for Willow, and the friendship she offered after the band was signed. Next, Dawn explained that she was thankful that Buffy hadn't managed to kill Bubbles yet, and the fact that she was with her family, even if her only immediate member was only on the phone. Everybody looked at Willow, who was trying to hold back tears from the comfortable way the day had been, especially since she expected nothing but tears on her part. Luckily, she was kept busy enough that the tears were only minimal.
"Wow...where do I even begin? This entire year has been amazing...I'm thankful for friends who stay by you through anything...even if you're knee deep in self pity..." She glanced at Xander and Anya, who smiled and nodded their quiet agreement. "I'm thankful for new arrivals, and the chance to spoil her with many presents like an aunt." Anya beamed at the reference to her earlier comment, and placed a loving hand on Xander's back, which caused him to smile at her. "I'm thankful for new friends, who come to your rescue without question, and stick by you, even when it hurts them sometimes..." She trailed off, staring compassionately at Faith, who couldn't hide her easy grin, nodding her own approval and agreement, knowing that the redhead was gentle about her feelings towards her. Willow looked at Adam briefly, and decided just to move on down the line to Dawn. "I'm thankful for family...knowing that in a bind, there'd be no question that they could be counted on, and even tell secrets about their sisters that would embarrass them..." Everyone laughed, and even though Buffy cried 'hey!' from the phone, her tone showed that she was giggling, too. Finally, the redhead's gaze turned towards the phone, and she took a deep breath, not sure where she could even begin to describe the things she was thankful for when it came to her blonde girlfriend. "Most of all, I'm thankful for love, and everything that's included in the package. The pain, the tears, the confusion, the hurt...but more importantly, the kisses, the hugs, the gazes, the wordless 'I love you s' that come from a simple glance. The bad times and the good times, the hard and the easy...the extremely passionate, and the oddly disturbing. I'm thankful for it all, and I wouldn't trade any of it for the world." By that time, she was crying, and of all people, Faith handed her a tissue. Xander had to be funny man, though.
"Will, it's just Thanksgiving; you can save your vows for the ceremony." The gang laughed, and even Willow couldn't help but chuckle at that. 'I did maybe go a little overboard there but it was too hard not to...how can you say you're thankful for the best thing that's ever happened in your life?'
"Sorry about that. I didn't mean to get all teary gal. I just want Buffy to be here right now." She turned towards the phone, and leaned down a little closer to make her voice clearer. The blonde hadn't said anything through the entire thanks tradition. "You hear that, baby? I wish you were here right now."
"Done." Everyone turned around, and looked at Anya with puzzled faces, and she just shrugged, and pointed at the figure that was crying in the foyer that nobody had noticed until that point. Nobody could believe their eyes; through the entire thing, nobody had heard the door open and shut, or the quiet sobs that were coming from the darkened foyer. They were all focused on the other members of the table, and it wasn't until Anya looked up briefly that Buffy put her finger to her lips to silence her before she announced her presence. The blonde wanted to hear what her girlfriend was thankful for, and she got more than she ever imagined. It did sound like wedding vows, and that had caused her heart to expand, giving her the image of the Grinch Christmas cartoon, where his heart kept growing. Every day with Willow, her heart grew more and more, and today was no different. Luckily, the benefit had ended early, and Robin had given her leave to head home from the book tour completely, as long as she showed up in LA that Sunday. That's when she hopped the earliest flight to Sunnydale, figuring that she'd be there by 3. Her plane had been delayed due to weather, and she had arrived 4 hours late but it was well worth it for the moment that she entered on; it was surreal, and almost too romantic filmy, and she couldn't hide her utter joy at seeing Willow's face light up in shock at seeing her standing there, her bag by her feet. She knew Anya wouldn't keep her presence a secret for too long, and she figured that somebody else would have noticed soon enough anyways, and alerted the others. Now, all she was focused on was her lover.
"Buffy?" Willow couldn't believe what she was seeing. Buffy, who was supposed to be in Detroit, was standing there, bags by her feet. Glancing back at the phone, she picked it up, and noticed that it had been disconnected right before Dawn's brief thanks. That meant that her girlfriend had been standing there throughout her entire spill. 'How come nobody noticed? How come I didn't notice?'
"Hi." It was a simple comment but there were so many things emanated from it. That's when Willow's shock finally wore off, and she rushed to her, kissing every inch of her face, and pulling her tightly against her body, afraid that it was all just a dream. "Will...oxygen...baby, need to breathe."
"Huh?" Buffy's face was getting red, all from the meshing of their bodies, Willow's adoring kisses, and the tight squeeze that was cutting off her air supply.
"Breathe..." Willow just kept her tight hold, and finally registered what her lover said. She released her tight grip, and just returned to kissing the blonde's face, every inch covered in her quick, loving pecks, causing Buffy to giggle from the care and emotion. Dawn was the next to stand up in an excited gesture, flailing her arms from excitement. She crashed the two girls into a hug, and that's when Xander stood up, doing the same, followed by his wife. Faith and Adam just sat there, looking at each other, and shrugging. Everybody let go of the blonde, and Willow just kept her arm tightly around her waist, causing Buffy to keep her own arm around the redhead's back in an embrace. "So, where's Bubbles? I'm surprised that she didn't alert everyone. I figured she'd be barking like crazy."
"Oh, she kept playing with Jesse, and was getting a little too sniffy. Jesse didn't mind at first, just giggling, probably from the cold nose and licks but she started to cry because Bubbles wouldn't leave her alone, so we put her in the basement," Dawn said, as she moved to sit back beside Adam, grasping his hand in hers, and moving closer to his body. Xander and Anya did the same; the love in the air was too hard to ignore. That left Faith alone again, and the brunette tried not to show her loneliness in the situation. It was hard to be the only single person in a group of couples. She hadn't planned on Dawn bringing her boyfriend, and she especially didn't expect Buffy to show up that night, so now she was left out of the loop, and it hurt even worse that the only person she'd ever loved was currently kissing her girlfriend with passion, no regard for anybody else. She tried not to show that it hurt but sometimes it did too much, and it was so hard to move on, and go back to her want, take, have life; not after knowing what actual love felt like. It was an addictive feeling, and she just couldn't shake it.
"So, guys...what's this I hear about a giant turkey?" Buffy noticed that Xander rubbed his hands together at her comment, and smiled warmly, more than happy that she would get to spend her favorite holiday with her family after all. She and Willow walked body to body, hand in hand back to the table. The redhead let Buffy have her seat, as she pulled another chair to the table closely beside her, practically no space between them. The rest of the meal went with easy conversation, and they even managed to get Adam to talk about himself. Buffy eyed him, deciding that she needed to have a conversation with her younger sister sometime during that weekend. She knew all too well the dangers of dating an older man. When the meal was over, everybody hung out a little more, gathering around in the living room as Dawn and Adam went about doing the dishes. When everybody left the house later that night, the two couples that were residing in the Summers house that weekend, only one not a true resident, went to get ready for bed. Buffy had argued that she hadn't gotten to know Adam yet, and that until she did, he would stay in the guest room. Dawn finally agreed, and she went to bed, leaving a blonde and redhead to finish getting ready for bed.
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"Wow...I can't believe you're actually here." Willow rubbed Buffy's clothed stomach, and the blonde in turn ran her nimble fingers through auburn locks. "I mean...it's...wow..."
"Pretty much." Buffy smiled, and kissed her girlfriend as they lie in their bed, more than comfortable, and excited to be in the other's arms. It was something neither expected for another few days, and was a more than welcome occurrence. "Like I said, Robin gave me leave. I didn't have anything until Sunday in LA, and that's not that far from here." She shifted her body around a little until she and Willow were face to face, only inches apart, freshly minted breaths dancing on the others' mouth. "The benefit ended early, and he called, getting me a ticket, and it was a surprise to me even but not unpleasant, and more than welcome. He had my bags sent to the building we were in, and next thing I know, I'm standing downstairs, listening to the most beautiful voice to ever grace my ears." Willow just smiled, the one that was Buffy's favorite, where her tongue stuck out slightly from between her teeth, showing her pure joy. It sent the most amazing feeling through her entire being, and she wanted to make sure that she put it on her lover's face every day for the rest of their lives.
"Aww...sappy Buffy. This room has missed you." Willow placed a soft, gentle hand on her cheek, and rubbed the smooth skin with her thumb.
"Is that the only thing that's missed me?" Willow stuck her bottom lip out slightly in mock concentration, and turned a playful grin towards her lover.
"Well...maybe...just maybe...okay, I missed you more. You caught me. I guess that means you'll have to tell me what you missed." Buffy matched the playful grin, and moved her body until she was staring down into Willow's darkened green gaze.
"I can do better that...how about I show you?" Willow's eyebrows scrunched in confusion
briefly until she felt Buffy brush her lips lightly against the place between them. "I missed the way your eyebrows move together when you're confused about something." Moving her head slowly, she brushed her lips against both eyelids, which fluttered closed when her mouth barely touched them. "I missed the way you look at me. When I gaze into your eyes, no matter how bad my day has been, everything is fine." She kissed the top of each ear slightly, which caused a soft gasp from Willow underneath her. "I miss the way you listen to everything I say. You're not just hearing me; you're actually listening." In the dark, she could tell that Willow was blushing crimson, and that cued her for another comment. "Plus, I love the way your ears are the first thing to turn red when you blush." Willow moved her head to the side slightly, trying to cover her blush, even though she knew Buffy couldn't make it out completely in the dark. The only light in the room was the moon, and even the curtains blocked it.
"I missed the way your smile seems to make a bad day great." Willow pulled Buffy's mouth towards her own, cupping the back of neck, and running her other hand through blonde locks to keep them out of the way. When their lips crashed together, the passion flowing from the other was hard to ignore, and the blonde had to deepen the kiss on pure instinct. It was always hard not to kiss her redheaded girlfriend. If she had a choice, all she would do every day would be kiss her pouty lips, and cuddle with her soft form. It sounded like heaven to Buffy, and that's where she would find true peace.
"I missed all of your smiles. The yummy grin, the funny smile, the seductive smirk, the half grin that drives me wild, and especially your pure joy face...the one where your tongue darts out slightly between your teeth. That's my favorite." Buffy leaned down, and kissed her sweetly again. Moving her face down again, she kissed her way sensuously down her jaw line, finally resting her mouth on Willow's pulse point, sucking gently a few seconds before licking a slow, wet trail up to her ear. "I miss your freckles. They're lickable." Her hot breath made the wet trail that it reached make Willow's body react, and the redhead wrapped her legs over Buffy's, and her arms were working its way under her tank top, caressing the bare breasts she found there, making her girlfriend gasp in pleasure.
"I missed these." Buffy smirked by Willow's ear, and allowed her to continue her ministrations, as she moved to start nibbling and kissing at the sensitive spot behind the redhead's ear. The one that always caused her to moan in utter delight, the place that was solely reserved for her alone. When the moan came from her lover's throat, Buffy sucked gently before moving back to ear, whispering with her hot breath, causing the girl's body to shiver in more anticipation, as she made her own hands under her tank top.
"I missed this spot. It's my fourth favorite spot on your body." She moved back up to gaze into Willow's lust-filled gaze.
"What are the top three?" Buffy smiled seductively, moving to show her those as well. Removing their tops, she ran her tongue and lips down her throat again until she came to her breasts, kissing each one several minutes before looking back up at the panting redhead's open-mouthed gaze. "These are number 3." Moving her licks, nips, sucks, and kisses further down her body, she tortuously removed the redhead's panties before moving the sheets back with her, coming to her second favorite spot. When Willow had crashed to the bed in a torrent of spasms, Buffy moved back up the bed to notice the powerful love screaming from her girlfriend's sated eyes. "Number 2."
That's when Willow didn't question, and pulled their mouths quickly together before Buffy had a chance to clean her face with a tissue, and grab an Altoid from the dresser. Usually Will didn't like the thought of kissing the blonde after she'd gone down on her; it just wasn't something that appealed to her. However, looking up at her lover's wet face, she couldn't help it, and crashed their lips together in a tight, loving embrace, tasting herself on Buffy's lips, something she thought she'd never do. It wasn't as unappealing as she thought it would be...just a little awkward but very needed at the moment. She couldn't wait until the blonde wiped her face to kiss her again, so she had grabbed the startled blonde, making sure that the passionate kiss was deepened when her limbs gained reuse. When that happened, she switched positions, laying gently on top of Buffy before breaking the kiss.
"That's my number one," said Willow, as she lowered her mouth again for a brief, sensual kiss that lasted a few more minutes than she'd meant.
"Mine, too. I'm glad we're agreed." Buffy pulled the redhead closer to her, grasping for life, and knowing that it was being given. The two girls spent the rest of the holiday making love...sweet, gentle, passionate, and with utter abandon. They clung to each other in a dance so familiar, and one that neither could get tired of even in death. Neither cared that at times, their moans and groans were a little louder than usual. Normally, they would keep quiet, not wanting to share their pleasure with anybody but each other but that particular night, their love was known throughout the house, and they knew there'd be some apologizing to an older man, and a younger girl that were just a few doors away. However, at the moment, the only thing they focused on was the other, and that's all that mattered. The last thing that both remembered as they drifted to sleep, tightly clasped in the other's embrace, was how thankful they were to be there.