Soul Mates

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****

"I'm not sure about this," Tara said.

Willow stepped across the bedroom to stand next to her and laid a hand on her shoulder. "What? What's the matter, honey?" she asked.

Staring at her reflection in the mirror on the inside of their closet door, Tara paused briefly before answering Willow. It was Friday and Xander had taken the day off today. Since she and Willow didn't have any classes today, the three of them had made plans earlier in the week to go to the beach together. She and Willow had just changed into the bikinis they'd bought earlier that week, and Tara still wasn't quite sure what she thought of the idea of wearing hers out in public.

"I just.... I'm a little nervous about wearing this to the beach," Tara confessed.

"What's to be nervous about?" Willow said. "You're *gorgeous.*" She smiled at Tara's reflection in the mirror, and Tara turned to face her, running a hand down her girlfriend's arm.

"I was going to say that about you," Tara said, looking Willow over and taking in the sight of her in her bikini. Willow's was red, in contrast to the blue one she wore, and she did indeed look beautiful in it. But then, she looked beautiful in just about anything.

"But I just...." She trailed off and turned back to the mirror, frowning as her thoughts returned to the idea of going out in public like this. The bikinis that she and Willow had bought were actually fairly modest as bikinis went, and everything that needed to be covered was well covered, but there was no getting around the fact that any two-piece bathing suit was going to show a lot of skin. Could she really do this?

"What's wrong?" Willow asked, her expression turning more serious. "You know Xander and I see you in less than this all the time."

Tara glanced at Willow and gave her a quick smile. "I like you and Xander looking at me," she said. "But a bunch of strangers? That's different."

"Oh, come on," Willow said, grinning as she stepped around in front of Tara. "It'll be fun! And besides, we're going to the beach, so pretty much everyone there will be dressed the same way we are. I guarantee that nobody's going to be looking at you."

"Wait, that didn't come out right," Willow quickly amended. "What I mean is, nobody's going to look at you in a *bad* way. You'll be catching plenty of eyes, I'm sure - although not literally, cause, ew."

As usual, Willow's enthusiasm was infectious, and it only took a second before Tara found herself smiling in spite of her worries. Willow's eyes lit up as she saw Tara's expression change, and she gave her a soft kiss on the lips. "See?" Willow said happily. "You'll be fine. I mean, if I can do this, you can too."

"Okay," Tara replied, gathering her resolve. It was a beautiful day and she was going to spend it with her girlfriend and her boyfriend, and she didn't want to ruin it for herself before it'd even started. So she put her doubts out of her mind - they were going to have fun today and that was all there was to it.

Seeing her change of heart, Willow hugged her and gave her another quick kiss. "Great," she said, turning to take a last look at the two of them in the mirror. "Okay, let's finish getting dressed."

Tara nodded and went to their dresser, picking out a T-shirt and wrap-around skirt to wear over her bathing suit. Willow did the same, and they dressed quickly. Just as they were finishing, a knock sounded at their bedroom door.

"Hey, what's up? How come the door's closed?" Xander called from the hallway. "Are you two decent in there? Please say no."

Tara and Willow laughed. "You can come in, Xander," Tara said.

The door opened and Xander stepped into the room. He was in his bathrobe, having just gotten out of the shower, and he took a moment to look Tara and Willow over, taking in what they were wearing. "Aw, I was hoping to see these bikinis you bought," he said as he walked over toward them.

"You'll just have to wait till we get to the beach," Tara replied, giving him a coy smile.

A disappointed look made its way onto Xander's face, and Willow laughed. "Xander... sweetie..." she said, "how long have the three of us been together now?"

"A little over a month," he replied.

"And since you've moved in, how many times have we made love?"

"Oh god, was I supposed to be keeping count?" Xander said. He was clearly trying for mock panic, but the broad grin on his face ruined the effect. "Is this, like, an anniversary thing? Something else I'm supposed to remember?"

Tara had to laugh at his response, and Willow joined her, giving Xander a big smile. "Well," Tara said helpfully, "since you've moved in, we've made love almost every day."

"And more than once, some days," Willow added. "The point is, you've seen us naked how often now? So what's the big deal about seeing us in bathing suits?"

"It's a guy thing," Xander replied, still grinning. "You wouldn't understand."

Willow giggled. "I guess not," she said. "But anyway, like Tara said, you'll just have to wait until we get to the beach."

Xander gave an exaggerated sigh, but didn't press the point any further. "Well, speaking of that," he said, "just let me get changed and we should get going. We wanted to try to get out there early to avoid the crowds, remember?"

"Okay," Tara said, nodding. "I need to get our lunch together, but other than that, I think we're ready."

"I'll help you get everything packed up," Willow said, linking arms with her.

"I'll be right out and I can help, too," Xander said, giving them a quick smile, which Tara and Willow returned happily. As Xander turned toward their closet, she and Willow made their way out of the bedroom and over to the kitchen. Tara reached for the refrigerator handle, but before she could open the door, Willow rested a hand on her arm, stopping her.

"Hey," she said quietly, stepping in close so Tara could hear her. "Do you want to have some fun with Xander today?" There was a mischievous glint in her eye as she spoke, and Tara only hesitated a second before answering her.

"Fun with Xander sounds good to me," Tara replied. "What were you thinking?"

Tara listened intently as Willow answered her, and as she explained her plan in hushed tones, a slow smile made its way onto Tara's face.

****

Once they got out of Sunnydale, the drive to the beach took a little over half an hour. They'd picked a good time to leave - just late enough to miss the worst of the traffic, but early enough to reach their destination by mid-morning. The trip passed pleasantly, with the three of them chatting comfortably together, and Willow was pleased to see that Tara already seemed a lot more at ease than she'd been earlier that morning.

"Okay. Here were are," Xander said as he maneuvered the car into a parking space and turned off the engine. The parking lot they were in was situated on a bluff overlooking the beach below, and Willow took a moment to look out at the vast expanse of sand and surf before her.

"It's really nice here," she said. They could have gone to the beach just outside Sunnydale, but when they were talking about taking the day off, Xander had suggested that they come here. He'd found out about this place from one of the guys on his crew, and since it wasn't too far from Sunnydale, they'd decided it was worth checking out.

"Yeah, definitely," Xander replied. "Jack was right when he said this beach is a lot nicer than the one we have back home."

"Well, let's go on down and check it out," Tara suggested.

They got out of the car, and Willow looked up as she stretched. It was beautiful today, with only a few small clouds in the sky, and it was pleasantly warm, though it would undoubtedly get hotter in the afternoon. Looking around the parking lot, she saw several cars around them, and there were some people down on the beach, but the place didn't seem to be too crowded.

Tara moved to stand next to Willow as Xander walked around to the back of the car and opened the trunk. He pulled off his T-shirt, leaving himself clad only in his swim trunks, and folded it up. After setting it in the trunk of the car, he looked over at Willow and Tara expectantly.

Willow had to giggle at his expression - it reminded her so much of the way he used to look when they were kids and he was waiting for candy. *Maybe neither of us has changed quite as much as we thought,* she thought.

Well, there was no reason to keep him waiting any longer. She glanced at Tara, who nodded at her, then turned back to Xander and smiled at him. She lifted her shirt up over her head, then unfastened and unwrapped her skirt. Beside her, Tara did the same, and Willow watched Xander's reaction to seeing them in their bikinis for the first time with amusement. She'd seen that look of appreciation and desire on his face before, but this was the first time she's seen it when they were in public.

"Wow," he finally said after staring at them for a long moment.

Willow giggled again. "Glad to hear you say something," she said. "I was afraid you'd gone totally non-verbal."

"I think he's still mostly non-verbal, honey," Tara teased. "That was only one syllable, after all."

"You're gorgeous. Both of you," Xander said. He simply stood there, looking them both over slowly, for several more seconds, and Tara and Willow obligingly turned around for him, turning back after a brief moment and looking at him again. "Okay, coming to the beach was a great idea," he said. "Whose was it, again?"

"Yours," Willow said.

"Oh, right," Xander said. "Well, good for me." He grinned at them, and Willow and Tara both laughed at his expression.

"But you're right," Willow said, turning to face Tara. She gave her girlfriend a meaningful glance, and the corners of Tara's mouth turned upward in an almost imperceptible smile. "Tara *does* look gorgeous." She rested her hand on Tara's shoulder, then ran it down her arm, caressing her slowly.

"Thanks, honey," Tara replied. "You look beautiful, too." She rested one hand on Willow's hip, just above the bottom of her bathing suit, and moved her hand upward, tracing her curves. Willow smiled at her, holding her gaze for a moment before they both turned back to Xander. He was watching them intently, and Willow couldn't hold back a grin at the look on his face. It always gave her a little thrill, seeing how easily she and Tara could turn Xander on, and judging from the way Tara was smiling, she felt the same way.

"So why don't we head on down to the beach?" Willow said, and she and Tara walked over to join Xander at the trunk of the car.

"Sure," Xander said, smiling at them briefly before turning back toward the trunk. He reached inside and retrieved the backpack that held a couple of towels and the lunch Tara had made for them. He slung it over his shoulder and grabbed the large blanket they'd brought as well, then closed and locked the trunk. Together, they made their way over to the set of stairs that led down to the beach.

Descending the stairs, they stopped at the bottom to look around for a moment. This really was a beautiful beach, and the view was just as nice from down here. The area they were in was completely clear, though Willow could see some large rock formations a ways up to the north. The light from the morning sun glinted off the water as the surf gently lapped at the shore, and Willow looked out over the vast expanse in front of her. She'd always thought that the ocean was lovely and she didn't get out to see it nearly as often as she would have liked.

Finally, she turned toward Tara and Xander, smiling as they looked back at her. "Why don't we sit in the shade for a little bit?" she suggested, nodding toward a nearby bench located just under the bluff where it was hidden from the light of the morning sun.

"Sure," Xander said. They walked over to the bench and sat down, Willow taking the middle and Tara and Xander sitting on either side of her, and Xander set the blanket and the backpack down next to the bench. There were several people scattered about the beach, but there was no one in their immediate area, and it was quiet except for the sound of the surf and the occasional shout or laugh that drifted over their way.

They chatted together, looking out over the beach ahead of them, and as they talked, Willow couldn't help noticing that when Xander turned to look at her and Tara, his gaze often lingered on them longer than was necessary. When he was looking away for a moment, she glanced at Tara, who gave her a quick smile. She'd obviously noticed as well.

A few minutes into their conversation, a couple of large, well-muscled men walked by a little ways in front of them. They slowed down a little as they passed, looking over at Willow and Tara, obviously checking them out. They smiled in their direction, and Willow gave them a polite nod in return, which obviously wasn't the reaction they were hoping for, since they turned and resumed their earlier pace, heading up the beach away from them briskly. Xander stared after them, a slight frown making its way onto his face.

"There are some pretty buff guys out here today, aren't there?" he said.

Willow could tell that he was uncomfortable, and she immediately knew why. "Xander, don't worry about them," she said reassuringly.

"Yeah," Tara said. "Xander, it's okay, we're not...."

"I know," Xander interrupted. He turned back toward them and smiled. "I'm sorry. Forget I said anything."

Willow frowned a little, but didn't press the point. At least Xander had accepted that she and Tara had no interest in those guys. She was happy about that - it showed that he trusted them.

They resumed their conversation, and eventually, they decided to go out onto the beach. Xander gathered up their things, and they made their way away from the bluff and into the sun before turning and walking up the beach, heading for a section that was well away from anyone else. They walked by several people on the way, mostly in couples or small groups, and Willow watched Xander surreptitiously whenever they happened to pass other women. He didn't seem interested in looking at any of them for very long, but Willow noticed that he kept sneaking glances at her and Tara out of the corner of his eye.

After they'd gone a ways up the beach, Willow stopped them. "This is probably a good spot, don't you think?" she asked. The slope of the beach was gentle here and the sun was warm on her head and shoulders. Looking back, she could see that they were quite a ways away from anyone else.

"Sure, it looks fine to me," Tara said. "Xander, you want to put the blanket down?"

"Your wish is my command," Xander said, grinning. He set down their backpack and unfolded the blanket, spreading it out over the sand. Willow sat down on it, facing the ocean, and Tara and Xander quickly joined her.

"So, Xander," Willow said, trying her best to sound innocent, "we passed some pretty girls back there, didn't we?"

Xander looked back down the beach. "I guess," he said with a noncommittal shrug as he turned back to her.

"But you hardly even looked at any of them," Willow said.

Xander chuckled. "Why would I want to look at anyone besides the two most beautiful women on the beach?" he replied.

Willow had to smile at his answer. She leaned in and gave him a soft kiss on his cheek, and next to her, Tara did the same, kissing his other cheek and slowly running her fingers along his jaw line. After they pulled back, Xander stared at them, clearly confused by their reaction.

"What was that for?" he asked. "Not that I'm complaining, but I was just telling you the truth."

"Well, it was really sweet," Tara said, still smiling.

"Well, thanks," Xander said, smiling back at them. "So, does anybody feel like swimming?" he asked, looking out at the ocean again.

"I'd just as soon stay dry," Willow said. "Why don't we just stay here? It's really nice, and it's not too hot yet."

"Fine with me," Xander said. He stretched his legs out on the blanket in front of him, squinting as he looked up at the brilliant blue sky. "You're right; it is nice here."

Tara nodded. "I think so too," she said. "Oh, hey Xander, could you hand me the sunscreen?"

"Sure," Xander said. He reached into their backpack, retrieved the bottle of suntan lotion they'd brought, and handed it to Tara. She accepted the bottle and turned toward Willow, casting her a meaningful look as she spoke again.

"Okay, honey, let's get you covered here," Tara said, giving the bottle a few good shakes. Willow smiled at her and laid face-down on the blanket as Tara squeezed some suntan lotion onto her hands. Tara straddled her hips and started rubbing the lotion into Willow's back, and she sighed happily at the soft touch of her girlfriend's hands.

Tara took her time, spending a minute or two working the sunscreen into Willow's back and shoulders. When she was finished there, she moved off to one side, and Willow pushed herself up, turning over so she was sitting. She leaned back a little, resting on the palms of her hands, and Tara shook up the bottle of sunscreen again.

"Why don't you do my legs next?" Willow said. She lifted her right leg a little and Tara knelt in front of her, letting Willow rest her leg on her knees. Tara squeezed some more sunscreen from the bottle and rubbed it into Willow's leg, starting at the top of her thigh and working her way down to her calf and finally her foot.

Afterward, she moved to Willow's other leg, and Willow turned to look at Xander. He was watching them intently, and Willow smiled when she saw the now-familiar look of desire in his eyes. She and Tara had talked about how Xander would react to seeing them do this, and it was good to see that it was having the desired effect.

But it was also having an effect on her. Having Tara touch her like this was starting to get Willow excited, and that was something she hadn't considered when she'd come up with this idea. She pushed her feelings aside as best she could, but she wasn't able to banish them entirely, and they remained at the edge of her consciousness as Tara continued massaging the lotion into her skin.

When Tara was finished with her legs, Willow sat up straight and held her arms out for her. After Tara had covered those, Willow took a little sunscreen from her and put it on her face. When she was done, she leaned back again so she was half laying down, resting on her elbows this time, and looked up at Tara.

"You'd better get my tummy now, sweetie," she said.

Smiling, Tara squeezed some lotion out onto Willow's stomach, then closed the bottle and set it down next to her. She gently rubbed the lotion into her stomach, taking her time and making sure every bit of it was covered before moving to her sides. Tara's touches were gentle, almost caresses, and Willow sucked in a breath when she moved her hands to her upper chest, above her bikini top.

"Your skin here is really delicate, honey," Tara said. "We have to be careful. We don't want you to burn." She glanced at Xander and gave him a quick smile before turning her attention back to Willow.

Tara kept her eyes locked on Willow's as she softly rubbed the lotion into Willow's chest. Tara's hands had felt good the entire time she'd been putting the sunscreen on her, but now her touches were every bit as sensual as they were when they were making love. Willow's whole body tingled as Tara used her fingers to rub the last of the sunscreen into the space between her breasts, and Willow couldn't hold back a sound that was somewhere between a sigh and a moan. She could see a glint of mischief in Tara's eyes, and she knew that her girlfriend was enjoying the effect she was having on her just as much as she was enjoying Xander's reaction.

Well, she could play that game too. "Thanks, honey," she said. "Now it's your turn." She smiled and sat up, picking up the bottle of sunscreen and giving it a good shake. Tara grinned back at her and leaned in to give her a quick kiss before moving back a little and lying down on her stomach.

Willow rose to her knees and glanced back up the beach. No one was looking in their direction, so she turned back and knelt over Tara. She shot Xander a brief glance, then squeezed some sunscreen onto her hands and began rubbing it into Tara's back. She wasn't in any hurry, so she went slowly, enjoying the feel of Tara's soft skin under her hands. Tara sighed softly at her touch, and Willow could feel her relax as she worked her way down from her shoulders to her waist.

When Willow was finished with her back, Tara rolled over and sat up. Willow did her arms next, and after making sure they were well covered, she turned her attention to Tara's legs. As Willow slowly massaged the lotion into her soft, supple thighs, Tara turned toward Xander, smiling as she saw how closely he was watching them.

"Willow has the most wonderful hands, doesn't she?" Tara said.

"Everything about her is wonderful," Xander replied. He was smiling, but the look in his eyes as he spoke was completely serious. "And the same goes for you, too."

Tara ducked her head a little and looked at Willow, and her smile brightened as she met Tara's eyes. It was true that sometimes Xander tended to say the wrong things, but he could be so sweet, too. After what he'd just said, she wanted to launch herself at him and kiss him senseless, but she forced herself to continue what she was doing instead.

"Someone's being awfully sweet today," Willow said as she moved down to Tara's calves.

"I'm not complaining," Tara said with a grin.

Xander chuckled, but didn't say anything else. He just watched as Willow finished rubbing sunscreen into Tara's legs. When she was done, Tara laid back, resting on her elbows just as Willow had done earlier, and Willow moved to kneel beside her.

Watching Tara carefully, Willow squeezed some more lotion from the bottle and rubbed it into Tara's stomach. Sure enough, she noticed her breathing quicken a little at her touch, and Willow took her time covering her stomach and her sides with sunscreen, caressing her softly just as Tara had done to her a moment ago. When she was finished, she moved up to Tara's chest, and she closed her eyes as Willow gently massaged the lotion into the tops of her breasts.

"There we go. All done," Willow said a moment later as she rubbed the last of the sunscreen into Tara's chest. Tara opened her eyes, and Willow handed her the bottle of sunscreen as she sat up.

"Thanks, honey," Tara said, smiling happily. She took a little sunscreen and put it on her face, and when she was done, Willow leaned in toward her, and they shared another kiss before turning toward Xander.

"God, you two are beautiful," he said as they rose to their knees and moved toward him.

As tempted as she was to, Willow didn't answer the compliment. Instead, she just gave Xander what she hoped was a sexy smile. "Okay sweetie, you're next," she said. "Lie down and we'll do your back first."

"Sure thing," Xander said. He rolled over to lie on his stomach, and Willow couldn't help giggling as she watched him shift around for a moment, trying to get comfortable. She glanced at Tara, and they shared a small smile of triumph. It wasn't that she enjoyed Xander's discomfort, exactly, but it was nice to see the effect they'd had on him.

Willow put some lotion on her hands, then passed the bottle to Tara and waited as she did the same. They moved to either side of Xander and started rubbing the lotion into his back, and he sighed softly at the feel of both of them touching him at the same time. Willow smiled at his reaction, and she and Tara slowly moved down to his waist, taking their time, enjoying the way they were making him feel.

"Okay honey, sit up," Tara said when they were finished with Xander's back. He did so, and they moved around in front of him, putting sunscreen on his arms and legs next. Finally, they started on his chest, gently rubbing the lotion into his skin. Willow caressed him softly with her fingers and palms, loving the feel of his hard muscle and way it contrasted with Tara's softness.

They finished by covering his face and neck, and when they were done, Xander wrapped his arms around them, pulling her and Tara in close.

"So, is this skin protection, or is this foreplay?" he asked, his voice low.

Willow looked around them. They were far enough away from the other people on the beach that no one had noticed what they were doing. She looked up the beach in the other direction, and she felt a thrill of desire and excitement at the idea that suddenly came to her.

"I bet if we went up the beach a ways, where those rocks are, no one could see us," she whispered, looking meaningfully over Xander's shoulder. Xander glanced up the beach, then looked back at her, nodding.

"I think you're right," he said. He smiled, but Tara still looked uncertain.

"I don't know," she said. "Do you.... I mean, this is a public place."

"It's still morning," Willow said. "There's hardly anyone around. And no one will be able to see us up there." Before Tara could reply, she leaned in and kissed her hotly. Tara hesitated for a second, but then kissed her back with equal passion. What they'd just done had obviously gotten her just as excited as it had Willow.

Xander held them closely, his breathing quickening as he watched them kiss. When they finally separated, resting their foreheads against each other, Xander moved his hand up Tara's back to rub her shoulder. "What do you say, honey?" he asked, and Willow and Tara both had to smile at the barely contained excitement in his voice.

Tara only hesitated a moment, and Willow's heart leapt to her throat when she saw the look in her eyes that she knew meant that Tara had made up her mind.

"What are we waiting for?" Tara said. She grinned, and Willow and Xander smiled back at her.

"Nothing. Let's go," Xander said. He let go of her and Tara, and they all stood, quickly gathering up their things. Willow took one last look behind her, then fell in step with Tara and Xander as they walked up the beach together.

TBC...