A gleam in my eye
by lilyme
Secret
[reviews]
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Part: 2/6
Spoiler:BtVS Season 4
Main Characters/Pairing: Willow/Buffy, Xander, Giles, Anya
Disclaimer:I do not own these characters, they belong to Joss and Mutant Enemy.
Note #1:I wrote this when I was 17...and 'terribly innocent' ;) Had it on my computer ever since and only my beta recently convinced me to publish it. So...what's to say...it's not my best work ever and nowadays I can't even tell you what made me write Buffy/Willow in the first place...but, oh, well, here it is. Done with the akward, we're now where the fun begins...I think :P
Note #2: I'm really overwhelmed by the abundance of your reviews, guys! Thank you so much :)))
Note #3: *checking my watch* it's 15 minutes after midnight on December 30th. Simply using this opportunity to say 'Happy Birthday' to the lovely Eliza Dushku, who turns 27 today! Don't ask, I just felt the need to... ;)
Feedback: Keep it coming :P
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CHAPTER THREE --- SECRET
The next morning, it was about 8 am, Willow woke up from, what seemed to her the most wonderful dream she ever had. She had dreamt that she and Buffy had watched a gay-love movie and afterwards Buffy had told her that she was in love with her. But she simply couldn't remember the rest of the dream.
When she was fully awake, she noticed that she was snuggled up in someone's arms, leaning against this someone's chest. She opened her eyes and saw that it was Buffy's body cuddling her own.
Although she had no idea, how this happened, she realized, that her wonderful dream was real. She was so happy she started to giggle slightly, but soon stopped, intending not to wake her sweetheart up.
For a long time she remained in this position, simply enjoying their new stage of relationship, hoping it would never end. She began caressing Buffy's face lightly and finally put a soft, short kiss on her ruby lips.
Although not awake yet, Buffy pulled Willow subconsciously closer to her. As she did so, hers and Willow's lips were only inches apart and Buffy could feel the redhead's warm breath on her face. She awoke from this sensation and was soon looking into deep green eyes that happily blinking at her.
"Hey, you," Willow said softly.
"Hi, honey," Buffy replied, testing out the word. Deciding it sounded nice, she continued. "Did you sleep well?"
"Never better." Willow replied smiling and snuggled even closer, resting her head on Buffy's chest.
"Good thing it's Saturday. No need to get up early and rush to class, huh?"
"Yeah, it's nice just laying here like this," she grinned up at Buffy. "But there's one thing. I'm a little hungry." A tiny rumbling sound from her tummy confirmed this.
"Yeah, I think the butterflies in my belly are fighting with my hunger," the blonde smirked
"Hope our hunger doesn't eat them up," The redhead replied.
"Don't worry, there are far too many," Buffy squeezed her redhead affectionately.
"Good to hear," Will laughed. But seconds later, they could hear the rumbling again.
"Well, then I guess we should get up." Buffy said pouting.
"Mmm...grumble," the wicca murmured, disentangling herself from her slayer.
"But it's pretty early and that means, we'll probably have the cafeteria all to ourselves."
"Hmm, sounds nice." Willow smiled.
They finally got up, quickly rushing to the girls' restroom, brushing teeth and showering. And soon they were walking hand in hand over the campus towards the cafeteria.
---
When they arrived at the cafeteria, only two other students were sitting there. The two were pretty sleepy and had not the slightest interest in their surroundings. So Willow and Buffy didn't have to worry about confused looks as they occasionally glanced lovingly at each other and played footsie under the table.
When they got back to their dorm room after two hours of eating breakfast and strolling around on the campus hand in hand, enjoying this wonderful...though snowless...winter day, they noticed that someone had left a message on their answering machine.
It was Giles, sounding slightly annoyed as he said: "Buffy, Willow, where are you two? Did you forget about our Saturday-morning-meeting? ... Oh, well. Come as soon as you get this!"
"Oh, shoot. I totally forgot about the Scooby meeting!" Buffy exclaimed.
"Me too. Well, of course we have other things on our minds at the moment," Willow said smiling.
"You're right," Buffy replied as she pulled Willow in a loving hug.
Neither of them knew how long they had remained in this position, but they realized that it was probably a little too long as the phone rang again and Willow jumped up, getting it.
"Hello. Oh, hey Giles. We just got your message a minute ago. We were about to come right over." Willow grinned at Buffy, who hardly mastered not to giggle at the little white lie.
"It's already 11 am. What on God's green earth would take you two so long?" Giles yelled, losing nearly all of his British reservation.
"Oh, we didn't know it was this late. We just lost track of time. It was kind of a late start today, you know."
"Very well, I don't need to hear the details. Just come over as soon as possible."
"You got it," Willow said as she hung up. "Did you notice it was this late?" she asked her girlfriend, as they both exited.
"No, my timing is a bit off right now," Buffy smirked, taking Willow's hand as she locked the door behind them.
---
When they arrived at Giles's foyer, they had had a short talk about whether to tell their friends about their new encountered love, and both decided in unison that at this point it was way too early. And besides that they didn't want Xander ogling them all over and developing dirty thoughts about them...or Giles rubbing his glasses every time he saw them both together.
They knew it would be hard to keep their secret really secret, but they wanted to try as long as possible. Or at least, until they felt ready.
"Okay, prepare to uncouple," Willow informed Buffy.
"Check, uncouple," Buffy replied reluctantly, as she let go of Willow's hand.
"Let's do it," Willow said, as she opened the front door to Giles's apartment.
"Hey oh, it's our sleepyheads. Wanna tell us about the layabouts that took you so long?" Xander questioned.
He was positioned in the chair near the fireplace, with Anya sitting on his lap, playing with the tassels of his sweater. Giles was in the kitchen, as always he was cooking some tea for the group.
"None of your business." Buffy said plainly.
"Oooh, are there some naughty stories, that have to be told?"
"No, there aren't," Buffy countered. Besides, it was true. Apart from holding hands and playing footsie, there didn't happen anything between her and Willow yet. So no need to cover up stories with lame excuses.
"So, what's the rush, Giles?" Willow insisted to know, as she sat on the sofa.
"Oh, nothing much," Giles answered coming through the hallway, placing a plate with a tea-can, cookies and five cups on the table in front of the table.
"Well, then, sorry we're hurried," Buffy remarked snidely.
"Thank you," Giles answered annoyed. "I just wanted to know, if you found anything unusual on your last week's patrols."
"No, everything's normal. No extraordinary demons. There're almost no demons at all. I only killed two vampires in the last two nights and rarely more in the weeks before. I think the demons are all on Christmas holidays or something."
"Well, if they are not Pagans or something, it's sounds logical. I mean even the demons deserve a nice every year holiday, don't you think?" Willow said, intending to joke. And really, she made Buffy chuckle at her words, while Giles looked slightly confused.
"I have to agree with Willow." Anya blurted out, nodding. "I had a contract with my ex-boss D'Hoffryn about holidays around Christmas. Every year from 23rd to 26th of December he would give me off. But then again I had much more work after my holidays, because around Christmas people always tent to implode easier. Whether they got the wrong present or didn't like the cooking or anything... In fact, once there was a woman who got frying pan from her husband, and this was the 3rd Christmas frying pan in three years. So after Christmas she called for vengeance and wished her husband would end up a little bug she could easily smash with that brand new pan." Anya sighed, "Good times."
"Er," Giles cleared his throat. "Even if the paranormal activities are less than para of at the moment, we should keep our eyes open. We never know what to expect," he stressed.
"Admit it, you just miss us," Buffy countered.
"Yeah, maybe you should get yourself a new job. Just to have something to do," Xander said.
"Or a new girlfriend," Anya offered. "Then you would have lots of nice things to do and wouldn't be so bored anymore, that you would have to call us here to a pointless meeting, where you have nothing important to tell us."
"Anya, I could live very well without your remarks. If you are so bored, than just go and do whatever you have in mind," the Englishman countered.
"All right. Xander, come with me." Anya stood up, taking Xander's hand, yanking him off the chair and towards the door. "We have a lot of fun, exciting things to do," she said to Buffy and Willow, who barely paid attention to the current discussion.
"Don't break the bed," Buffy mocked, forcing Willow to giggle lightly.
Xander glared at Buffy, while he was dragged out the door by Anya. Giles seated himself in the chair Anya and Xander had just occupied.
Willow and Buffy glanced shortly at each other. Nothing had gone down until now. They were doing a good job in pretending there's nothing.
"Is there really nothing going on?" Giles quizzed. Willow and Buffy felt so busted, they jumped apart about three feet.
"What? No! No, there's absolute nothing," Willow answered for both of them, not quite sure, what Giles meant.
"Pity. Well, I hate to admit it, but I would want me a nice mucusy demon to fight. I'd be more exciting than sitting here and watching those...dull quiz-shows..."
"I have to agree with Xander. Why don't you look for a new job or something? Or join a club?" Buffy offered.
"And what clubs would spring to your mind?"
"Hello, I don't live your life for you. You'll have to select your clubs on your own. Maybe something like 'Englishmen in Sunnydale' or 'Advanced tea drinking'," Buffy joked.
"Very funny. But maybe I could give guitar-lessons. I'm sure I'd be a good teacher."
"You play guitar?" Willow was all ears. The sound of a guitar always caught her heart. Even before she dated Oz.
"Well, I learned to play during my time in Oxford. It was a good way to distract myself from the pressure of my calling as a watcher."
"And I bet it was a good way to turn ladies on. Did you have lots of dates back then?" Buffy wanted to know.
"Well, I won't give you the details, but there were a few women that enjoyed my guitar-sessions very much, I have to say."
"I bet." Willow mused. "I'm sure you were an animal back in your day. Not that you aren't an animal now! Oh, no...I mean...," Willow sighed, thrown off by Buffy's amused look.
"Why don't you try to kill three birds with one stone? At the 'espresso pump' there are often evenings, where regular people have the opportunity to perform. Then you might earn some money, you'll have something to do and you maybe find a new girlfriend," Buffy explained.
"It's nice that everyone is so interest in the well-being of my love-life. I think I'll just take it slow the next few weeks."
"But that's what you've been doing the last seven months," Willow thought. "It's time you get out and get a life, before you wither here all by yourself."
"Speaking of getting out. Will, I nearly forgot that there is this real cool bar that I wanted to show you. It's open on Sundays from 5 p.m. on. We'll have to go now, if we wanna get there early," Buffy found an excuse to leave Giles', to be alone with Willow again.
"Right...this real cool bar. We'd better go now," Willow played along.
Buffy jumped up, taking Willow's hand. "So, Giles, we'll call you, if we find anything unusual. If not we'll see you next weekend. Okay?"
"Right, then."
"Bye," Willow said, exiting behind Buffy.
And once again Giles was all alone in his comfy apartment. But instead of moping about his situation, he grabbed his guitar and started to play.
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