Loving Willow Til Death Do Us Part
by Rin
Loving Willow Domestically
[reviews]
A/N: If you're just tuning into the Loving Willow series, I highly recommend reading the first two. Otherwise, you'll be completely lost in this installment.
No more shit demons, no more Initiative...but a certain key to the universe makes things a little more difficult as the gang tackles sophomore year of college!
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"Buffy, can you pass me the mayonaisse?" Willow tried to reach but from her comfortable spot on the blonde's lap, she didn't wanna move.
"I thought you didn't like mayonaisse on your burgers." Buffy handed her girlfriend the condiment, and wondered what type of concoction Willow was creating. So far, she'd put mustard and now mayonaisse on her hamburger bun.
"I don't...but somebody forgot to pick up the horseradish..." Willow slyly had to make another barb at Xander's expense. It was his only job before they got to the beach. Get a bottle of horseradish sauce for Willow's burgers. Now, he was stuck making the burgers, and catering to her every whim due to his lack of remembering the simple request.
"I get it. Don't forget the horseradish next time. Isn't it bad enough that you have to upstage my manliness by lighting the grill fire when I couldn't get it started??" Xander put the burger on Willow's bun, and smirked at her.
"You'll never live down the horseradish, Xan. Hate to break it to ya..." Buffy smiled, as she took her own burger. Actually, she took three burgers... After all, she's a hungry beast of a slayer.
"You want some mayonaisse, baby?" Willow handed the squeeze bottle to her girlfriend, and got a little sugar in return.
"Mmm...I like that better..." Buffy hummed her approval, as she expertly squeezed mayo on all three burgers. "I forgot my own tartar sauce for my burger, so I shall suffer the mayo with you."
"Aww...that's sweet..." Willow gave Buffy another kiss, and Xander chuckled. Well, okay...he chuckled while drooling. Anya hit him to bring him back to reality.
"You never eat me like that." Anya's comment had heads turned her direction, and eyes wide. They shouldn't be shocked by the ex demon by now.
"Um...I'm going for no comment on that one." Faith chose to kick Tara's legs away from her own, so that she could sit up and eat. "Sorry, babe. No need to eat lying down, and all that..."
"That's okay." Tara was still shy around the gang. She and Faith had grown even closer that summer, as Tara stayed at UCSD, taking summer courses, staying in the dorms. Faith was still shacked up at the Summers home. Buffy and Willow had their own house now.
"I say 'good food,' Xanman." Faith swatted Xander on the back, causing him to swallow his own burger down the wrong tube.
"Thanks..." he managed to choke out.
"Giles is ready to open the Magic Box next week." Anya was excited. Even though the circumstances with which the gang discovered the shop, it was still an exciting turn of events. Giles was now in the exciting, fast-paced world of retail, and since business was heavier than expected, Anya stayed on as his associate shopkeeper. She was great with the money, knew all about the different potions, etc....but she still had people skills to improve.
"That's g-g-great. Mr. Giles must be excited." Tara ducked her head. It wasn't like her to speak up but she was excited, too. The magic shop had been one of her favorite places to venture after classes. Now, she had more of a reason...well, two more BIG reasons to go there more often. One, a friend now owned and worked there. Two, Faith would be training there.
"I told him he had to wear his little hat." Willow was a ball of excitement. Not only was she gaining more power, there was going to be a big training room in the back...where Buffy would train...and get all sweaty...and yummy...and she could watch...b/c it wouldn't be so crowded like it was in their little basement.
"Will I have to wear a hat?" Anya hadn't been told there would be hats.
"No...no, it's just Giles." Willow was still agitated at the old demon.
"Why can't I have a hat?"
"You just said you didn't want a hat."
"No...I just asked if I'd have to wear one. In no way did I indicate that I wasn't in the..." Anya's tirade was stopped by Xander placing a hand on her back.
"Maybe we should finish our lunch, and head back to see G-man before patrol?" Xander started to clean up his mess, and soon they were all finished. Faith and Buffy split the last burger, and they headed back to the flat.
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"Vun, twov, threev...hahaha..." Xander was mocking the Sesame Street count. After all, the 'vampire' in front of him was claiming to be THE Dracula. Hardly possible...
"Um...Xan, this IS Dracula..." Buffy couldn't believe it. She'd known fictional creatures were real...but Dracula? Next thing she knows, little hobbits are going to be running around...
"I, um...that is..." Willow backed away. She didn't like the way this vampire was looking at HER Buffy. Not one bit.
"We will meet again, Slayer. Perhaps without your guests..." Before Buffy had a chance to say 'won't be a next time,' he'd turned into a bat, and flew away, causing Xander to scream like a little girl when it flew by his head.
"I'm cool." He tried to save face.
"I can't wait to tell Giles this..." Buffy practically hopped the entire way there.
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"I didn't like the way he looked at you, Buffy." Willow had taken Buffy outside Giles's flat the next day. Her girlfriend was acting weird, ever since they got up. She wondered if it had anything to do with the fact they'd stayed at Joyce's house last night.
"This coming from the girl that said, 'his eyes were dreamy?' Wills, I hardly..." Buffy was stopped when Willow took the scarf from Buffy's neck. "It's not what it looks like?"
"Buffy, he bit you!" Willow couldn't believe it! When did this happen?
"It's not like I let him do it. His eyes...they're hypnotic...you know that..."
"How did he get in the house?" Willow was confused. It was just Faith, her, Buffy, and Joyce there last night. They all knew better...
The gang came out of the flat when they heard Willow's loud exclamation, and saw that, yes...Dracula had taken a bite out of Buffy... Now, she was part of him. She would crave him...as he intended...
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Between Anya's stories of the good old days partying with Drac, Xander's odd behavior, and Spike's non-help, Willow was fed up with it all. Nobody bites her girlfriend and gets away with it.
So...she set off in search of Dracula. What she found was a mansion...a mansion that...after almost 20 years living in Sunnydale, she'd never noticed. Naturally, it was the spot...
What she found when she was in there? Buffy sucking blood from Dracula's wrist. This wasn't happening...not her Buffy. Buffy wouldn't do that...would she?
She wanted to run away but Buffy had snapped out of it at that point, and started to fight Dracula. A few times, she was just knocked away...but that last staking got her point across. You don't mess with Buffy...
"I'm standing right here..." Buffy had come back. After all, she'd read the book (thanks to Willow and junior English), she'd seen the movies....Dracula always comes back.
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"Did you like it...when...when he bit you?" Willow had been insecure the rest of the night. Not sure what to expect now. Buffy was under Dracula's thrall...she hadn't technically cheated...but it still hurt.
"Part of me did...yes. I won't lie to you. He showed me things...about myself. About what's coming. About what a slayer truly is...and yes, the thrall was like a drug." Buffy cuddled on the couch, running her fingers through the red locks that were on her shoulder. "It wasn't enough, though. He wasn't you."
"Aww..." Willow leaned up, and kissed Buffy in quasi-forgiveness. There would still be doting and mochas needed for full forgiveness.
The doorbell rang, and Buffy went to answer it. There stood a young girl...about 14 in age.
"What are you doing here?" Buffy asked.
"It's not like I don't have a right to be here, ya know?" Dawn rolled her eyes at the almighty slayer.
"Yeah...but you don't live here...you live elsewhere...as in not here." At that moment, Joyce made her appearance at the door.
"Buffy, can you and Willow watch Dawn for me while I check on something at the gallery?" Both girls got a look of 'no way' on their faces, and Joyce kissed both of their cheeks. "I'll be back as soon as I can. Promise."
"I'm 14...I don't need a babysitter, ya know?" Dawn huffed, as she walked in the house. When she saw Willow, she waved. At least her sister knew cool people...