Soul Mates

Warnings: There is explicit sex in this part. If you are not of legal age to read that, or aren't interested in reading it, please read no further. Thank you.

Author's Note: Thank you to everyone who emailed me with suggestions for further stories in this series. If anyone else has anything they'd like to see in this series, feel free to email me about it. To bad_girl40891, I tried to reply to your email but the message bounced. Please email me again from a good address and I'll be happy to answer your questions.

Thanks very much to Spellbound for looking this over for me, and for all the great suggestions!

Remember people, feedback is key.

****


"Well, I have to say," Xander declared as he closed and locked the door to their apartment, "as far as Scooby business goes, that was... kinda dull."

"Tell me about it," Willow agreed, her disappointment obvious in her voice. She hung up her jacket on the row of pegs next to the door and turned toward Tara, her lip curling a little in that absolutely adorable pout of hers. "We had that rooting spell all ready and we didn't even get to try it."

Tara laid a hand on her arm, commiserating with her. She and Willow had been working on that spell for the past few weeks and they'd finally gotten all the problems worked out a couple of days ago. When Giles had called them earlier that evening and asked them to join him and Buffy in rooting out some trouble at a crypt in the Restfield Cemetery, Willow had been tremendously excited at the prospect of using the spell to help Buffy. And Tara had to admit that being able to root someone's feet to the ground, even if it was only for a few seconds, could be very helpful to Buffy, though she'd still been a little nervous at the prospect of trying to cast the spell in the middle of a fight.

As it turned out, they hadn't gotten the chance. When they'd reached the crypt, the "trouble" had turned out to be two fledgling vampires and a Carnifax demon. The vampires had barely been able to stand up before Buffy had dusted them, and while the demon put up a bit more of a fight, it had still been pretty much one-sided and was over very quickly.

Afterward, Buffy had apologized for wasting their time and vowed to revisit Willy's bar and have a talk with him about the way he'd described this group to her earlier. They'd all reassured her that it was okay. Over the past few months, Willow and Xander had told her some of the things Buffy had gone through in the process of saving the world time and time again, and as far as Tara was concerned, helping her out when she needed it was a small price to pay for everything she'd done for them.

"I didn't get to do *anything*," Xander complained. "I was all ready to jump in if Buffy needed backup, but there was nothing to do but stand around and watch."

"That's all any of us got to do, sweetie," Tara said comfortingly, giving Xander a quick kiss on the cheek. Taking off her jacket and her shoes, she followed Willow into the living room where they sat down. Xander followed after and joined them on the couch.

"So.... Do you think we should have told Buffy about us tonight?" Willow asked after a moment. "I mean, I'm kinda starting to feel like we're keeping this from her." Her brow furrowed with anxiety, and Tara gently rested a hand on her knee.

"No, Will, it's okay," Xander soothed. "Come on. We were standing in dirty old crypt, there was vampire dust all over the place, not to mention a dead demon, and Buffy had just been in a fight. That wasn't the time *or* the place to have that conversation."

"Besides, you saw how quickly Buffy had to leave," Tara added. It was true - they'd made a quick search of the crypt after the fight and Buffy had left almost immediately after they'd finished, saying she needed to get back home since tonight was supposed to be a 'family night.' "We'll see her tomorrow afternoon and tell her then, just like we planned."

Willow nodded slowly, but didn't relax very much. "Are you guys nervous about this?" she asked, looking at them seriously. "Cause I am. When I think about this, I get butterflies in my stomach. Although they don't feel like butterflies - more like caterpillars, really. Not so much with the fluttering, more with the crawling around and making me feel ooky."

Tara and Xander both smiled at that description. "I'm a little nervous," Xander admitted. "But Will, this is Buffy we're talking about. She's our friend. When she sees how happy we are, I think she'll be happy for us."

"And besides," he continued, "she accepted you and Tara easily enough, didn't she?"

"Well, yeah, she did..." Willow agreed, but she still looked uncertain.

"Honey," Tara said gently, smiling as Willow turned and met her eyes. "I don't know Buffy as well as you or Xander do, but, I think I know enough to say that she's a good person and you three are really good friends. She might be, um, surprised, but I don't think she'll be upset or anything."

Willow sighed. "You're right. Both of you," she said, giving them a quick smile. "I shouldn't worry. I just can't help it, you know?"

"We know," Tara said affectionately. She rubbed Willow's knee reassuringly through the long skirt she had on, and Willow smiled again as she glanced down at her hand. A moment later, she looked up again, the look in her eye suddenly mischievous.

"Well, it hasn't been the greatest night so far," she said. "But it's still early, and I bet we could make it a *lot* better," she continued, glancing suggestively toward the bedroom, her voice taking on a low, sultry tone that made Tara shiver slightly with excitement.

"Believe me, I'm all for that," Xander said with a grin. "But there is one thing we should probably do first."

"What's that?" Willow asked.

"Showers," Xander replied, holding up his hands, palms outward. "That crypt was *filthy.*"

****

Tara turned off the water and opened the shower curtain, reaching for the towel rack as she stepped out of the tub. She smiled briefly at the sight of three towels hanging there instead of two - a recent change, but definitely a welcome one. Two of the towels were damp since Willow and Xander had already showered, so she took the third and began drying off.

It would have been nice if they could have showered together. But they'd tried that once before and it hadn't worked out very well, to say the least. The one thing Tara didn't like about their apartment was how small the bathroom was, and a small bathroom meant a small bathtub. Trying to fit all three of them in for a shower at the same time had resulted in a lot of confusion and bumping into each other, not to mention a couple of facefuls of water as they tried to get situated. They'd given up after a few minutes - as nice as them all showering together might be, it clearly wasn't going to happen here.

Tara finished drying herself and put the towel back on the rack. She slipped on her bathrobe and ran a comb through her still-damp hair, then opened the door and turned off the light as she stepped out into the hallway. She hurried down the hall to the bedroom, already anticipating what was to come.

When she walked into the bedroom, she saw Xander and Willow relaxing on the bed waiting for her. They were still in their robes - Willow's striped green and white, Xander's plain black - and they stood up as she entered the room. Tara frowned in mock disappointment as they walked over to her.

"I was hoping you'd be naked already," she teased lightly.

"Well, we didn't want to start without you," Xander replied easily. "So we figured we'd better play it safe. I mean, can *you* resist naked Willow?"

"No," Tara admitted, giggling softly. Her answer earned grins from both of them. Xander gently tugged at the top of Willow's robe, pulling it back and exposing one pale, freckled shoulder, which he then kissed softly.

As Tara smiled at them, Xander stepped forward and around behind her. She leaned back against him a little, finding the warmth of his body pleasant and comfortable. "Besides," he said softly, his mouth right next to her ear, "there's a certain amount of fun in the unwrapping, don't you think?"

He reached around in front of her and opened the tie on her robe. Tara stepped forward, moving away from him a little so he could slide the robe over her shoulders and off of her. He tossed it over onto the dresser and stepped in close behind her again, resting his hands on her hips and kissing the side of her neck.

Tara blushed a little as Willow's gaze traveled over her hungrily. Even though the past few months with Willow and the past week with Willow and Xander had been very good for her self-confidence, and even though they always made her feel sexy when they were making love, she'd been self-conscious about her body for a long time. So she couldn't help feeling a little nervous when they were looking at her this way.

Still, she didn't flinch or look away, and after a moment Willow met her eyes and gave her a slow, sexy smile. She opened her robe and shrugged the rest of the way out of it, dropping it to the floor behind her. Tara sucked in a breath of air as she took in the sight of Willow naked before her.

Willow was *so* beautiful. Tara had seen her naked every day for the past few months, but the sight of her in front of her like this still filled her with excitement and desire. She had the most wonderful body - she was slim, but nonetheless had a very good figure, with soft curves in all the right places.

Tara's gaze traveled up Willow's slender, shapely legs, over the curve of her hips and up her arms, then back down again. The freckles on her shoulders and upper chest didn't quite reach her breasts, which were perfect alabaster topped with lovely red nipples. Her breasts were probably a little smaller than average, but were the perfect size for her body, and - Tara knew from experience - were a *very* pleasant handful as well.

A soft sigh passed Tara's lips as Willow stepped in toward her, reaching out and embracing her, pressing herself against Tara. She heard Xander moan softly as she wrapped her arms around Willow, and she could feel his cock, pressing hard into her back through his robe. He only remained there for a second, though, quickly stepping away from her and over to the bed, lying down and watching them as Willow leaned in to kiss her.

It was Tara's turn to moan as their lips met. Willow's tongue traced over her bottom lip briefly before she pulled back and lifted one hand to stroke Tara's cheek. Tara stared into her lovely green eyes as she leaned in again and initiated a more aggressive kiss.

Willow's tongue pressed against her mouth, seeking entry, which Tara eagerly granted. Willow caressed the inside of her mouth with her tongue before thrusting it against Tara's a few times. Tara moaned into her mouth and circled her tongue around Willow's, pulling it a little further into her mouth and sucking on it gently as Willow ran her hands down Tara's back and cupped her ass. Willow was an *amazing* kisser, and that combined with the feel of her body against Tara's was making her almost dizzy with arousal.

Raising one hand to Willow's head, Tara stroked her hair gently. When they finally broke their kiss, Tara kept her hand in Willow's hair and pulled her close. They pressed their foreheads together as they caught their breath, and Tara ran her fingers through Willow's soft hair once more.

"You have the most beautiful hair I've ever seen," Tara said, looking fondly at Willow's bright red locks. Willow smiled and reached up to take her hand, bringing it to her kips and kissing it softly.

"Everything about you is beautiful," Willow replied. Tara shivered slightly, both at the compliment and the soft, sultry tone it was delivered in, and Willow giggled at her reaction. She kissed her again, quicker this time, but still with a great deal of passion.

Willow stepped back a little, taking Tara's hands and backing up slowly, drawing Tara with her. She stopped when they were at the foot of the bed and glanced backward. Tara took advantage of her momentary distraction to run her hands up Willow's sides to her shoulders, and Willow sighed softly as she turned back to Tara.

Tara loved Willow's skin. It was the softest, smoothest thing she'd ever felt, and one of Tara's favorite things was touching her, running her hands all over her body, luxuriating in the way her skin felt under her palms and her fingers. Tara imagined that she could spend hours just touching her like this if it didn't always get her so excited that her own need became too much of a distraction.

Tara leaned in and kissed Willow's neck as she continued to caress the redhead, nipping lightly at the places where she knew she was most sensitive. Willow giggled, but her laughter stopped abruptly, replaced by a low moan as Tara slid her hands onto her breasts, rubbing her nipples softly with her palms. She took them between her fingertips, pinching gently, feeling them harden under her touch.

Before she could do anything else, Willow grasped her hands and guided them down to her sides. "You make me feel so good, sweetie," she said, and the depth of love Tara could see in her eyes made her heart swell with joy. "But *I* want to play with *you* for a while."

Tara could see that Willow wasn't going to accept any argument, so she simply smiled, offering no resistance as Willow turned them around and guided them back onto the bed next to Xander. He'd already pulled the covers back, and Tara scooted up toward the headboard, resting her head on the pillows there. Xander reached for her hand and kissed it as she settled herself, and Tara giggled as Willow crawled playfully up the bed after her.

Willow rested on top of her, stroking her shoulders and giving her another long, deep kiss. She was light enough that it wasn't uncomfortable for Tara at all, and she wrapped her arms around Willow's back as their tongues met again. Tara closed her eyes and lost herself in the kiss and the feel of the warm, slender body pressed against her.

They held their kiss for several long moments, taking turns exploring each other's mouths. Tara opened her eyes when Willow finally pulled away and the redhead met her gaze, giving her a knowing smile. She sighed softly as Willow kissed her cheek, then her neck, and Tara caressed the small of her back lightly with her fingertips. Willow slid down her body just a little, and they both froze for a second as Willow's nipples brushed against hers as she moved. Tara sucked in a breath of air at the pleasurable contact, and Willow closed her eyes briefly, an intense expression on her face as she sighed softly.

Opening her eyes again, Willow pushed herself up on her arms and looked down at Tara hungrily. "You're so beautiful, honey," she murmured, and Tara felt herself blush again as Willow moved down slightly and rested on her once more.

Tara shivered in delight at Willow kissed the hollow between her breasts. She didn't know what it was about that place, but she'd always been sensitive there, and being kissed there felt almost as good as having her nipples kissed. Her reaction didn't go unnoticed by Willow, and she smiled wickedly at Tara before lowering her head between her breasts again.

Willow ran her tongue lightly over the space she'd just kissed, and Tara felt a wonderful tingling begin to spread outward from there. A familiar warmth began to slowly build inside her as Willow slid one hand up her body to caress one of her breasts while moving over slightly to kiss the other. Tara gasped as Willow's mouth closed over her nipple, the nerve endings all over her chest positively *purring* at the sensation.

"Oh, Willow, yes, that's so good," Tara breathed, wanting to give her encouragement but finding coherent speech difficult given how aroused she was quickly getting. She rested her hands on Willow's shoulders, rubbing them softly as the redhead started to suck on her. She gasped aloud as Willow scraped her teeth over her nipple while pinching the other one softly, her back arching a little, pushing her chest up toward her girlfriend.

After several moments of this wonderful treatment, Willow moved over to her other breast, pausing briefly to kiss the space between them once more, much to Tara's delight. She circled her tongue around her nipple before taking it into her mouth, alternately sucking and nibbling, sending shivers of pleasure throughout Tara's body. Her grip tightened involuntarily on Willow's shoulders, and it took a conscious effort to loosen it again. She let her hands fall to her sides, her head rolling back as she let the amazing sensations wash over her.

Finally, Willow pulled away from her breasts, and Tara took a moment to catch her breath, torn between disappointment at Willow stopping and anticipation of what surely was to come. Willow grinned at her, brushing her hair back from her face and, without taking her eyes from Tara's, scooted further backward on the bed. Tara held her gaze until Willow finally broke eye contact, her head dipping down between her legs.

Tara felt Willow's fingers part her lips, and she moaned as Willow's tongue flicked against her clit. Pulling back slightly, she licked just inside Tara's lips, going almost maddeningly slowly. She repeated this several times, and just when Tara had been driven to the brink of frustration, Willow ran her tongue over her clit again, then gave it a soft kiss.

She settled into a rhythm, alternating between slow swipes of her tongue and gentle caresses with her lips. Every couple of minutes, she'd stop and slide her tongue inside Tara, licking all over before returning her attention to her clit. The intense feeling spreading outward from there quickly overtook her whole body down to the tips of her toes.

Tara put her hands on Willow's head, running her fingers through her soft hair. She was so wet now, so hot, and she pulled Willow toward her gently even as she pushed herself forward. Willow responded by licking her more quickly, more roughly, and Tara cried out at the wonderful feel of her girlfriend's tongue on her most sensitive places.

Writhing around on the bed underneath her, Tara ground herself against Willow's face. Willow gripped her thighs to hold her still and sucked her clit into her mouth, running her tongue over the end, and Tara's whole body tensed. The wave of pleasure that Willow's eager ministrations brought hit her like a jolt of electricity, and she came suddenly, her muscles taut and her breath coming in short gasps. Tara rolled her head back and closed her eyes, letting the waves of her climax wash over her, losing herself for a moment in that blissful haze.

Finally, she began to relax, opening her eyes again and raising her head slightly, refocusing on Willow. Tara shivered slightly as Willow pulled back, kissing her clit again and then her lips as she pushed herself up on her arms. She crawled up over Tara and rested on her again, giving her a long kiss, Tara tasting herself on Willow's lips and tongue.

After they broke their kiss, they turned toward Xander, who was watching them, propped up on one elbow.

"You were pretty quiet over there," Willow said.

Xander smiled. "I wanted you two to have a moment," he replied. "What's between you, what you two have... it's intense. And it's beautiful."

His words weren't honeyed at all, they were open and heartfelt, and Tara felt herself melt a little as Xander spoke. Judging by the way Willow was beaming at him, she felt the same way, and she leaned over and kissed him deeply.

Pulling away, she grinned at him. "Stay right there, mister," she said, rolling off of Tara to one side and sitting up. She scooted back on the bed, moving behind Tara, and piled the pillows behind her. She laid one hand on Tara's shoulder as she leaned back against them.

"Sit up, honey," Willow said. Tara did as she was asked and looked back at Willow, who gestured with her head for her to come closer.

Tara pushed herself back on the bed, leaning back against Willow, settling into her soft embrace. Willow wrapped her arms around her waist and kissed the side of her neck, and Tara sighed softly as Willow moved her hands up to caress her breasts.

"Come here, sweetie," she said, looking at Xander from over Tara's shoulder. "I want to watch you make love to her."

Smiling, Xander stood and walked around to the end of the bed. He opened his bathrobe and shrugged out of it, dropping it to the floor beside him. Tara watched him intently as he knelt on the bed in front of her and Willow.

She still didn't know what it was about Xander that excited her so, but whatever the reason, she found him incredibly sexy. She looked him over slowly, taking in his smile and the light in his eyes behind it, and she couldn't help but smile back at him. Her gaze traveled downward, tracing over his muscular chest, down his stomach, stopping at his cock, which was fully hard and undoubtedly had been for a while now. She still blushed a little at the sight of it, though she found she was quickly getting used to it. Already she wasn't nearly as embarrassed as she had been on their first night together.

"You're so beautiful, Tara," Xander said softly, echoing what Willow had said earlier as his gaze took in her whole body. He moved forward on the bed and slowly ran his hands over her thighs as Willow played with her nipples, and Tara shivered at the feel of two pairs of hands on her at once.

"Isn't she?" Willow whispered in reply, kissing Tara's earlobe, sucking it into her mouth gently. Tara moaned softly as Willow nipped at her before pulling back, turning toward Xander again.

Willow hooked her legs around Tara's, drawing them apart, the sheets rustling softly underneath them. She slid one hand down Tara's belly to her core, dipping one finger inside her. Tara could see her smile wickedly out of the corner of her eye.

"She's wet," she said. Not taking her eyes off Xander, Willow parted her lips slightly and stroked one slim, delicate finger over her clit a few times. Tara gasped, the arousal she'd felt just moments ago building inside her once more, and Xander moved in closer, his hands replacing Willow's on her breasts. He massaged them lightly, his palms and fingers rubbing her nipples softly, and Tara had to close her eyes momentarily at the deeply pleasurable feelings he and Willow were bringing her.

After a few minutes, they both stopped by unspoken agreement, and Tara took advantage of the brief respite to lean forward. She pressed her lips to Xander's, pouring all her heat and excitement into the kiss, and he responded eagerly, his tongue wrestling with hers. They stayed locked together for a long moment before Tara finally pulled away and leaned back again. She turned her head and kissed Willow with equal fervor.

When Tara and Willow broke their kiss, Xander put his hands on Tara's hips and pulled her gently toward him. Tara obliged him, sliding down a bit, resting her head on Willow's chest. Willow smiled lovingly down at her, stroking her hair softly with one hand as Xander positioned himself between her thighs.

He rubbed the head of his cock over her lips once, then pushed slowly into her. She tensed involuntarily as he entered her, but this time it was from excitement, not nervousness. Her wet passage accepted him easily nonetheless, and she relished the feeling of him inside her, hard and warm and smooth. When Xander was nestled all the way inside her, Tara clenched her muscles tightly around him, and they both moaned aloud.

"Oh, Tara," Xander breathed, leaning forward and resting his hands on either side of her and Willow. He began to move inside her slowly, and Tara wrapped her legs around him as best she could in this position, trying to pull herself forward a little and draw him deeper into her at the same time.

Tara had never made love with a man before Xander, and she'd really had no idea what to expect at first. But Xander had surprised her with how gentle he could be, and when he was inside her, he was always totally focused on her and what she needed. Tara had heard stories from other girls about how some guys were really selfish in bed, only concerned with getting themselves off, but Xander wasn't like that at all. Over the past week that they'd been together, she'd found him to be a very attentive and giving lover - just like Willow.

Even now, Xander was looking down at her, watching her, and Tara smiled up at him. "Faster," she whispered. "Please." His and Willow's earlier attentions had gotten her so turned on that she knew she wasn't far away from the brink, and she was already craving that sweet release once more.

Xander quickened his pace, each of his thrusts into her sending waves of bliss throughout her body. Willow reached out and grasped his shoulder, giving it a loving squeeze before returning her hands to Tara's breasts. She caressed them a bit more roughly this time, squeezing them a little and alternately rubbing and pinching her nipples.

Tara gave a long, low moan and arched her back, aware now of nothing except the man inside her and the woman wrapped around her. She ran her hands down Xander's chest, enjoying the contrast of his hard muscle under her hands and Willow's softness against her back. It was one of the most delicious things she'd ever felt.

Xander began thrusting into her harder, and Tara could see that he was close as well. She ground against him as he moved, and just when it seemed that she could take no more, she felt the wave crash upon her. Her whole body shook with the force of her climax, and then Xander buried himself deeply inside her, thrusting shallowly as he came, a look of ecstasy on his face. Tara squeezed him tightly inside her, wanting to bring him as much pleasure as she could at the most intense moment of his orgasm.

Finally, it was over, and they both stilled. Blinking owlishly a few times, Tara caught her breath as she came down from her high. She raised one hand, stroking Xander's cheek lightly.

"I love to watch your face when you come," she said softly.

Xander chuckled softly and took her hand in his, bringing it to his lips and kissing it. Willow moved her hands down to Tara's hips, resting them there, and kissed the top of her head as she relaxed against her. Tara could feel Xander softening inside her, but he didn't move yet, and the three of them stayed together for a few moments, none of them wanting to break the contact between them.

Finally, Xander pulled away from her, and Willow moved to the side as Tara laid down between them. They snuggled against her, and Tara gave Xander a warm smile before focusing her attention on Willow.

"Okay," she said, "it's your turn now, but I'm going to need a few minutes, I think."

"Me too," Xander agreed, and Willow smiled at them both.

"Don't make me wait too long," she teased. "You know how hot watching you two makes me." Then she looked Tara over, taking in the sight of her still flushed and breathing hard, and chuckled. "Although I can understand wanting to snuggle for a little bit after that."

Tara smiled as Willow and Xander settled in next to her, and she relaxed briefly, treasuring not only the pleasure they'd brought her, but also the deep emotional connection she felt with both of them.

TBC...