Soul Mates

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Title: New Beginnings
Series: Soul Mates
Author: Ravenhawk
Rating: NC-17
Warnings: This story contains explicit sex, both het and femslash. If you're underage or this sort of thing offends you, DO NOT READ.
Disclaimer: I do not own the characters described herein. They are the property of Joss Whedon. Neither I nor the site on which this story is published receives any money for this work.

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Willow finished the last bite of her rice and pushed the bowl away from her. She sat back a little in her chair and looked across the table at her girlfriend, who was just eating the last of her lunch as well.

"That was delicious," she said, giving Tara a big smile. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," Tara replied. She only briefly returned her smile before lowering her eyes and quickly gathering up the dishes. Willow watched, frowning slightly, as she turned and carried them into the kitchen of their apartment.

Something was wrong. Tara had been acting strangely all morning. Willow had no idea what the problem was, but she was starting to get worried.

Deciding that she couldn't let this go on any longer without saying something, Willow stood up from the table and stepped into their living room. She took a seat on the sofa and waited. A moment later, Tara emerged from the kitchen and Willow spoke up.

"Tara, honey," she called out, "come here." She gestured to the space next to her on the sofa. After a moment's hesitation, Tara crossed over and sat down next to her.

Willow studied her girlfriend for a moment. Her posture was tense and she wouldn't look her in the eye. What could possibly have made her so uncomfortable?

"Baby, what's wrong?" she asked gently.

Tara looked up at her briefly. "What do you mean?" she replied cautiously.

"You've been acting strange all morning. Ever since we got up," said Willow. "All through our classes this morning, you've been... preoccupied with something. What's the matter?"

Tara looked down at her hands, folded in her lap. Her brow creased and, if anything, she seemed more tense than before. It was a long time before she finally spoke.

"It's... it's kinda embarrassing," she said quietly.

"Tara," she said earnestly, reaching out and taking her girlfriend's hands, "you know you can tell me anything." She hoped she would talk about what was bothering her. In the nearly a year they'd been together, Tara hadn't kept anything important from her - well, except for that whole thing about thinking she was a demon, but that really was understandable.

When Tara spoke, her voice was barely above a whisper, and she didn't meet Willow's eyes. "Last night, I had a... dream. It was... intense. Erotic."

"Oh." Willow was momentarily surprised, then relieved. The way Tara was acting, she thought it'd be something much worse. "Well, there's nothing wrong with that," she reassured her. "I mean, it happens sometimes."

Then a thought stuck her. "Was it about someone we know? Was it... was it Buffy?" Willow could understand why Tara might feel a little awkward about that, even though it was totally understandable - Buffy was very attractive. She'd certainly entertained a fantasy or two about the blonde Slayer herself.

"No, it wasn't Buffy," said Tara. "I'll... I'll tell you who it was about, but you have to promise you won't get upset."

"I promise," Willow replied without hesitation.

Tara looked her in the eye, and Willow could see the nervousness she was feeling. She paused for a moment, and when she finally spoke, her voice was barely above a whisper.

"It was Xander."

Willow was momentarily shocked into speechlessness. "What? *Xander?*" she finally exclaimed when she'd gotten her voice back.

Tara's face fell, and she turned away quickly. "I knew you'd be upset," she said quietly.

"No! No, Tara, I'm not upset," Willow babbled hurriedly. "Please don't think that. I'm just surprised, is all. I mean, I... I didn't think... I just didn't think, you know, you were attracted to guys." It was true - they'd had several conversations about people they found attractive, and Tara had never mentioned any guys before.

"But I'm absolutely not upset with you," Willow finally finished, reaching out and laying a hand on Tara's shoulder. When her girlfriend turned around to face her, Willow gave her what she hoped was a reassuring smile.

After studying her face for a moment, Tara tentatively returned her smile. Willow could tell that she was still nervous, though, so she leaned forward and pulled her into a hug. A moment later, she felt her girlfriend relax in her arms, and she inwardly sighed with relief. She really didn't want her to feel guilty about this - it wasn't like she'd done anything wrong, after all.

Willow pulled away and looked Tara in the eye again. "So, are you okay?" she asked. "I mean, you seemed really uncomfortable all morning."

"I'm fine," Tara replied. "I was just worried about... what you would think. But the dream.... Well, it was really nice, actually," she finished, blushing slightly.

Willow's curiosity was piqued, but she didn't say anything. She didn't want to seem like she was prying into something so personal.

"But there is something else I should tell you," Tara said suddenly.

"Yeah? What is it?" Willow asked.

"The dream.... You were in it too," her girlfriend said quickly, her blush deepening.

"I was?" she squeaked. At Tara's answering nod, she continued, "You mean... me, and you, and Xander...?" Tara nodded again, looking down in embarrassment once more.

"Okay, baby, you *have* to tell me about this dream," Willow said emphatically. So much for not prying. But there was no way that Tara could tell her something like that and not give her the details.

"So what..." she began, but trailed off when she happened to glance at the clock on their living room wall. She'd lost track of time during their conversation and their afternoon classes were scheduled to start in just a few minutes.

"Honey, we have to go," she said, gesturing at the clock.

Tara glanced at it herself. "You're right," she agreed, standing up from the couch as Willow did and heading over to the door. Willow followed close behind, picking up her jacket and her backpack.

As Tara was reaching for the door, Willow laid a hand gently on her arm. "We'll talk about this later, okay?" she said.

Tara hesitated a moment before nodding. "Okay," she replied softly.

"And Tara, honey?" she continued. "Remember, no matter what, I'll always love you."

Her girlfriend smiled, and the beauty of it was still enough to make Willow's heart race. "I love you too," she breathed, before leaning in and giving her a quick kiss.

They exited together and hurried outside. Fortunately, the UC Sunnydale campus was very close by - which was one of the main reasons they'd chosen this apartment - and they were just barely able to make their class on time. They found seats just as the professor was getting started, and Willow settled in and prepared to take notes.

But she soon found that she couldn't concentrate. The images that her conversation with Tara had conjured up haunted her for the entire afternoon.

***

Xander stood up from his chair and stretched. "Well, it's late and I'd better get going," he declared. "Thanks for having me over. It was fun," he finished with a smile.

Willow also rose from where she'd been seated next to Tara on the couch. "Xander, you come over almost every day, you don't have to keep thanking us," she replied, answering his smile with one of her own.

It was true. When they didn't have to meet at the Magic Box for Scooby business, which was thankfully rare these days, Xander would usually come by their apartment after he got done with work. Sometimes he'd bring dinner, other times Tara would cook, and after they'd eaten, they'd watch TV or movies together or just talk.

It had started a few months earlier, after Anya left. She and Xander had had a brief relationship, but things hadn't worked out between him and the ex-demon. After Willow had found out, she'd suggested to Tara that they should try to spend some time with him. The truth was, she'd felt a little guilty about how they'd drifted apart after high school, and she hated the thought of him spending his evenings moping and feeling lonely.

Tara had agreed, and Willow had been pleasantly surprised at how well things had gone. Not only had she and Xander rediscovered their close friendship that she'd missed so much, but Tara had warmed to him very quickly. The three of them had gotten along so well that what had started as something designed to take Xander's mind off his breakup with Anya had turned into a pleasant routine for all of them.

"Well, you know I don't want to overstay my welcome," Xander chuckled, bringing Willow out of her reminiscing.

"Don't worry about that," Tara said quickly and sincerely. She stood and glanced at Willow before turning to smile at Xander. "We like having you around."

As Willow nodded in agreement, Xander's grin broadened. "Well thanks," he said happily.

"So we'll see you tomorrow, then?" Willow asked.

Xander nodded. "I'll be here."

They walked to the door together and said their goodbyes, Xander giving each of them a quick hug. As she always did, Willow warned him to be careful - vampires hadn't been too much of a problem lately, but even so, nighttime in Sunnydale was still dangerous - and closed and locked the door behind him. Tara stepped into the bedroom, and Willow turned out the lights and followed after her.

They took turns getting ready for bed. Willow went first, and while Tara was brushing her teeth, she undressed and got into bed, propping herself up on one arm and waiting for her girlfriend to join her.

Soon after, Tara stepped out of the bathroom and smiled when she saw Willow waiting for her. Willow watched her as she stripped, her gaze lingering on her nude form. Her girlfriend's beauty still made her heart race, and she couldn't suppress a small shiver of excitement as Tara slipped into bed with her.

Willow rolled over onto her side as Tara turned to face her. She scooted in closer to her and wrapped her arms around her girlfriend, giving her a long kiss. The sensation of Tara's body against hers was electric, and she ran her hands up her back, luxuriating in the feel of soft, smooth skin under her fingertips.

After a long moment, Willow pulled away from Tara slightly. "So..." she whispered, pausing to give her earlobe a gentle kiss, "tell me about this dream you had last night."

"Willow!" Tara blushed slightly, but didn't turn away, instead holding her gaze momentarily. "You really want to hear about it?"

"Definitely," Willow replied, grinning mischievously at her girlfriend.

Tara hesitated briefly. "All right," she said finally. "It... wasn't really very long. Just a few minutes probably.

"It started with the three of us in here. You and Xander were undressing me... touching me... kissing me..."

"Go on," Willow prompted, placing a kiss on Tara's neck and running her hands down her back to caress her ass.

"We got in bed, you laid down next to me... you kissed me, and Xander...." She trailed off then, blushing once more.

"You and Xander had sex?" Willow asked softly.

Tara nodded.

"And you enjoyed it?"

"Yes," Tara whispered. "I really did." She was clearly still a little uncomfortable.

"Baby, it's just a fantasy. You don't have to feel guilty about it," Willow reassured her. She pushed on Tara's shoulder gently, and her girlfriend rolled over onto her back.

"I have a little confession to make," Willow began, tracing her fingers up Tara's body to her breast.

"What is it?" Tara's words were followed by a soft moan as Willow's fingers found her nipple and pinched it softly.

"I've been thinking about what you told me," she murmured. She leaned in and kissed her lightly on the cheek. "About you and me, together with Xander...." She kissed Tara again, on the lips this time. "I've been thinking about it all day... and it makes me so wet."

A look of surprise crossed Tara's face at that admission, but before she could say anything, Willow rolled on top of her and kissed her passionately. She moved one hand upward and ran her fingers through Tara's soft hair as she slid her tongue into her mouth. Tara wrapped her arms around her, caressing her back and pulling her in closer. Their nipples brushed against each other and they both shivered at the sensation.

Willow pulled away from Tara slightly and rained kisses upon her face and neck. "I love you, baby," she whispered.

"I love you too Willow.... God, I love you so much," Tara breathed as Willow kissed her way down her chest. She caressed her full breasts and ran her tongue over one of her nipples before taking it in her mouth and sucking on it softly. Tara moaned and arched upward toward her, running one hand through her hair.

As Willow continued to suckle and tease Tara with her tongue, she slid one hand down her stomach, between her legs. She parted her folds and stroked her clit gently. Tara gasped and writhed underneath her, and Willow smiled at her reaction.

The feel of her girlfriend's body underneath her was exhilarating, but Willow ignored her own growing need for the moment. She rolled to the side slightly, propping herself up on one arm while her other hand continued its ministrations between Tara's legs. She looked down at her, blonde hair pillowed beneath her head, her face flushed and her chest heaving, deep blue eyes staring back at her with desire.

God, she was gorgeous.

"Baby... I want you to do something for me," she said, her finger rubbing slow circles on Tara's clit.

"What do you want me to do?" Tara replied quickly, her voice shaking slightly with need.

"I'm gonna fuck you, baby," said Willow, her voice low. "I want you to close your eyes and imagine it's Xander. When you feel my fingers inside you, I want you to imagine it's Xander's cock."

Tara hesitated briefly, then nodded. Willow smiled down at her, and she returned the gesture before closing her eyes.

Willow slid two fingers into her, and her girlfriend moaned loudly, her muscles clenching around her. She started fucking her slowly, Tara squirming on the bed beneath her.

Willow could see she was already close to orgasm, so she sped up, thrusting her fingers into her harder and faster. She used her other hand to caress one of Tara's breasts, rubbing and pinching her nipple. She ran her thumb over her clit and Tara gasped loudly.

"Tara, honey," she said softly. "I want you to say his name when you come."

Tara's body tensed as her climax overtook her. "Oh, Xander!" she moaned, her inner muscles spasming around Willow's fingers. Willow felt a sharp pang of desire as she heard her girlfriend call out his name.

Willow slowed down momentarily, but she wasn't done with Tara by any means. Soon she was thrusting hard into her again, and a few moments later, she cried out again as her body shuddered with her second orgasm.

Tara opened her eyes and looked up at Willow, a contented smile slowly making its way onto her face. Willow smiled back at her, slowly withdrawing her fingers and bringing them to her mouth, relishing the sweet taste of her girlfriend's essence.

After giving Tara a moment to catch her breath, Willow laid down on top of her and kissed her again. Her body was tense with unsatisfied lust and feeling her girlfriend's skin against hers only fed the flames of her desire. "Tara... I need you, now," she pleaded, and Tara's answering grin was full of promise.

Willow rolled over onto her back and spread her legs as Tara sat up next to her. Tara lowered her head to her chest, and Willow gave a deep, prolonged moan as Tara took her nipple in her mouth, sucking on it and swirling her tongue around the tip.

Tara lingered on her breasts only briefly before kneeling between her legs. She kissed her lower lips softly, probing inside her gently, and Willow cried out as she felt the first touch of her lover's tongue on her clit. Willow's head rolled back, and she gripped the bedsheets tightly, squirming around as Tara licked her.

A few moments later, Tara entered her with her fingers. The moment she felt her girlfriend penetrate her, a powerful orgasm rocked Willow's body. All thought faded for a moment as she was carried away on waves of ecstasy. As awareness slowly returned, she realized that Tara hadn't let up, and soon after she relaxed, her lover had her moaning again.

Willow closed her eyes, all sorts of erotic images involving Tara and Xander flashing through her mind as Tara's fingers and tongue brought her to a second and then a third climax. Finally, her girlfriend withdrew from her, and Willow laid back, utterly spent as Tara moved up to lay beside her. Willow turned and snuggled against her, and Tara gave her a long, slow kiss. She could taste herself on her girlfriend's tongue.

"Mmm... I love you, baby," Willow said languidly as she closed her eyes.

"I love you too," Tara whispered, settling in next to her.

As Willow drifted off to sleep, cuddled up against Tara, she idly thought about how nice it would be to have a certain someone else sharing their bed as well.

TBC...