Starting Line
by Rin
17
[reviews]
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Not many people know this about Willow but she has excellent restraint. Whenever she puts her mind to stop doing something, she fights her addiction cold turkey. Her strength in this matter was what kept her from pawing Buffy all the time, even if it was killing her not to touch the blonde constantly. Willow vowed to help Buffy pass her classes, and she was doing just that. She just didn't know it would take up THAT much time. Buffy really did need to study, and the lack of sexy time was causing Willow's nymphomania to go on overload withdrawals.
Buffy was passing all her classes, even had As in two of them, and all thanks to Willow...but the lack of sexy time was really disheartening, and it was mostly her own fault. After studying for two hours, her mind just wouldn't cooperate, and she'd take naps or it would be time to help her mom at the gallery. The weekends were always a pleasure but the spontaneity and constantness of their previous liasons was missed; they really did have a set sex schedule, and Buffy missed the passion. Anymore, it was a quick fuck on the weekends because they'd been craving it so much that they couldn't contain themselves, pawing in instant need.
They go from great sex all the time to mediocre fucks on occasion. Maybe her grades weren't that important if this was the result.
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"You're doing fine, Buffy. You don't give yourself enough credit." Willow was currently helping the blonde find sources for her seminar paper. "When you find five articles, let me read the abstracts, and we'll narrow it down from there, okay?"
"Wills..." Buffy just whined; she was horny as hell today for some reason, and she didn't want to go fast, she didn't want a quickie. She wanted to take her girlfriend on an actual date, come home, make love for hours. "Can we take a break?"
"If you're going to meet your assignment goals for today, you need to finish this first." Willow looked up from her own homework. She let Buffy take the reigns on her assignments lately, knowing the blonde understood more than she let on sometimes.
"Break, please?" Buffy sent a pout and puppy eyes but Rosenberg Resolve Face was firmly set, so the blonde just huffed, and hurried along. The quicker she found the sources, the better her chances at coercing Will out. Putting her brain power to use, she found five articles, and even narrowed it down without help to the two she needed for the paper. 'That'll show her about assignment goals. I should find the two books while I'm at it.' Buffy proceeded to search the library's online catalog, and made a list of potential books to check out. "All done, and guess what? Goals completed, so shut off your laptop, put your shoes on, and let's go."
"Buffy, you can't half-ass your assignments. I thought we were past this?" Willow just smirked, and shook her head in amusement. Getting up from the bed, she looked over Buffy's notes to find that the blonde had actually finished successfully. "Wow...you weren't kidding. Oh...Buffy, I'm so proud of you! You're getting the hang of it. Maybe we can up the assignments each night."
"Don't get too crazy now." Buffy smiled at the smartypants cuteness that was her girlfriend. "Now...shoes, and reward please."
"You say that with such conviction. Who said you get a reward?" Willow smirked, and couldn't help but feel proud of the blonde.
"I do...now shoes, missy." Buffy slipped into her own sandals, as she watched the redhead skillfully tie each lace. "You know, it'd be much quicker if you just wore the clogs. Plus, extra bonus points for less hassle later."
"Huh?" Willow just looked up, as she finished tying the last loop before standing. "What are you talking about?"
"Well...I'm tired of homework, and we have all weekend, so I say we do something we haven't in a long time." Buffy took Willow's hand, as the redhead grabbed their purses from the desk. "We're due for a good date."
"Buff, I'm not dressed for a date." Willow looked down at her jeans and tanktop. Summer was fast approaching, another year down, one more to go.
"Sure you are. You look gorgeous in everything, Wills." Buffy smiled before sneaking a quick kiss to the blushing cheek beside her.
"Yeah but...I like to look nice for you." Willow just locked the door behind them, as Buffy swung their enjoined hands between them. "Plus, I don't imagine there are many places open past nine..."
"Sure there are. I have a plan. Do you trust me?" Buffy dug the keys from her purse, and opened the passenger door. Willow thought it was the cutest thing, as she closed the door behind her. They drove in silence for a bit until Buffy pulled into a late night drivethru, ordering burgers and shakes. Since the inside was closed, she drove until they reached Restfield cemetary, the radio the only noise in the car, the heat from the burgers causing their nostrils to swell, and their tongues to salivate.
"Buff...why are we at a cemetary? This doesn't scream romantic, the opposite actually." Willow was a little paranoid, her five year old inner self still wary of the horror stories from childhood.
"Trust me." Buffy grabbed a blanket from the boot before carrying everything in one hand (and arm), and enjoining their hands again, leading them to the quiet spot overlooking the lake just beyond the other side of the cemetary. She would run past here during her morning jogs. Laying the burger bag and shakes on the ground, she flipped the blanket out, smoothing it before Willow joined her on the ground. They just lounged, the half moon casting shadows and light on the lake, as they devoured their burgers, and sipped their shakes. They remained quiet, just enjoying the company, enjoying the quietness, the calm.
"You're right. This is nice." Willow finished her nummies before tossing the garbage and empty cup in the bag, Buffy having finished already and done the same. "It's good to take breaks. Why didn't you convince me earlier?"
"You're stubborn sometimes, especially when it comes to school." Buffy smirked as she stretched out on the blanket, bringing the redhead to cuddle with her. "Are you cold?"
"No, I'm fine." Willow snuggled further. For several minutes, they just stayed that way, Buffy running her fingers through red locks, and Willow tracing invisible patterns on Buffy's collarbone. "Thank you for this."
"Anytime." Buffy squeezed the redhead. "Wanna head back now?"
"Break over?" Willow found herself pouting a little.
"I didn't say that..." Buffy's tone oozed promises of devouring the redhead. It didn't take much convincing Willow once they were back at the dorm, and that spontaneous passion lasted for several hours.
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"Things are going well with you and Buffster, I take it by the smitten look on your face again." Xander couldn't help but smile a little. He'd done a lot of growing up this year, even asked Anya to marry him finally.
"Definitely of the good variety." Willow was even more proud of Buffy because the blonde worked extra hard to finish her goals early, so they could have more dates. It felt good to spend hours rolling around in a bed together, not concerned about other things. Buffy managed to pull off the semester with 3 As and a B. Willow was so proud, and now, the last year was approaching fast as the summer flew by. It was good to dress up for a date, setting them well in advance, not worried about homework or assignment goals. All they had to worry about was whose parents would be gone.
"So...you can say no...but I was hoping that you'd be my best man." Xander was nervous about asking Willow this for some reason. He knew he'd let her down in life, and he wanted to make up for it now.
"Sorta missing an important aspect there, bud." Willow chuckled, as she placed some fruit in the cart. Weekly grocery shopping; she loved doing this with Buffy but the blonde was working at the gallery today.
"I know I've been a horrible friend but thing is, you still stuck with me for reasons I will never know but will forever be grateful. I just...you're the best friend, man or woman, anybody could ever have, and I hope that you can forgive my adolescent boy actions some day. I don't expect you to but...doesn't hurt to wish." Xander thought Willow was telling him no, and he understood.
"Be careful what you wish for." Willow just smiled warmly at her friend. "And yes, you were an ass. You still are...but I wouldn't have you any other way. You're my Xander-shaped friend; you've been that way since we were five. I don't expect you to change."
"I really am sorry. I guess I never really grasped you being a lesbian, and how that would affect our friendship...before Buffy came to town." Xander tossed a bag of Cheetos in the cart, and Willow promptly put them back on the shelf.
"None of that. You won't be able to fit into your tux." Willow just smirked. "Just tell me I can get out of wearing that hideous cocktail dress, promise not to call me a man, and we have a deal."
"So...you'll be my best ma...er, woman?" Xander picked up Willow, and spun her around before placing a quick kiss to her forehead. "You really are the best. I never told you that enough; I can be stupid like that sometimes."
"Well...we should finish shopping, so I can fix dinner." Willow never was good about emotional talks, unless they were with Buffy.
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The final year. Seniors. Willow was already looking into graduate school. Buffy was working on her resume in her capstone class. They hadn't really talked about what happened after graduation yet.
"How do you feel about the east coast?" Willow cleared her throat, unsure how her girlfriend would react to her good news.
"I've only ever been once, when I was really little, and it wasn't really the coast. Why? Planning a vacation?" Buffy rolled over on the bed, ignoring her book for a moment, sensing the unease in her girlfriend.
"Not so much a vacation...as, well...I was offered a tuition waiver and a healthy stipend, a really good stipend actually, and it's a good school, great even, probably one of the best ones, and they want me, and are willing to pay for my housing, even give me hands-on training, and they'll let me teach classes, and... " Willow was almost out of breath.
"That's great, Will." Buffy swallowed hard, feeling her stomach drop, and her heart pound. "Where exactly...I mean..."
"We still have another semester left before graduation, and then we have a whole summer. I think I want to accept their offer. Harvard and Oxford didn't even give me this good a deal." Willow started fidgeting with her hands, ignoring the computer screen blinking on the desk beside her.
"That's great, Will." Buffy didn't know what else to say. She didn't want to hold the girl back but she'd assumed they'd stay here, maybe move in together eventually, maybe find a happily ever after. Could she move to the other side of the country? Her parents were here, their friends were here. Who would help at the gallery if she left, too? What would happen to her and Willow? Would they be able to withstand such a long distance relationship if she didn't go.
"I was thinking that...maybe you could...I don't know, I know we haven't really talked about it. I just...maybe you'd like to go with me? I'm sure they have jobs there you can get while I finish my doctorate." Willow bit her bottom lip, aware that she'd just asked Buffy to live with her. Were they really ready for such a big step? She was but was Buffy?
"Oh, Will..." Buffy let out a deep breath, and felt her stomach return, her heart still pounding. "I would follow you anywhere. I'm so totally yours."
"Really? You'd go with me?" Willow was surprised at how easy this seemingly tough conversation was. "I was worried you'd want to stay here, that you wouldn't want to. If that were the case, I probably wouldn't accept the offer."
"Nonsense, Will. You deserve the best, and the best wants you obviously, so...I won't hold you back again." Buffy saw the look of confusion on the redhead's face. "I know you didn't go to Harvard or Oxford originally partly because of me."
"Narcissistic much?" Willow smiled warmly, not even denying the truth. "All I've ever wanted is to be with you, and I've been happy here. UC Sunnydale has been good to me."
"You're so much better, though. You deserved better." Buffy pulled Willow from the chair, and onto the bed, where she pinned her beneath her. "I love you, and I want to spend the rest of my life following you around. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. You're my Willow."
"Well...I always knew I'd be the cool lesbian professor. I just get an added bonus since my lover, my...partner?" Willow scrunched her brow in question. Buffy just smiled warmly, nodding her head in agreement. "It's just an added bonus that my partner is super hott. All the other deans and professors, even the students...they'll all be uber-jealous."
"They'll be jealous of me. I wish you could see the hottness of you." Buffy leaned down, and kissed her hard and quick. "Now...I think some celebrating is in order. We'll worry about details later. Probably won't see the outside of the bed for a few days, if I have my way."
"Such promises." Willow smirked before pulling Buffy fully down on her, content in the knowledge that happily ever after really was going to happen for her, for them.
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Thanks to everybody! I've had fun writing this story! And look, I finished another one!!! YAY!!