Soul Mates

A/N: Some feedback would be nice. I realize that this story may not be everyone's cup of tea, and I'm not going to say "If I don't get X number of reviews I won't post the next part," but I can see there are quite a few people reading it and it would be nice to hear from some of you who *are* enjoying the fic.

And thank you to those of who have sent FB already. It's much appreciated.


Part 3

"Are you ready, baby? Xander will be here soon."

"Just a second!" Tara called out in response to Willow's question. Willow busied herself straightening up their living room, and her girlfriend emerged from the bedroom a moment later.

Willow inhaled sharply when she saw her. They'd both decided to dress casually tonight - Willow had learned from her disastrous attempt at seducing Oz on Christmas Eve a couple of years ago. Tara's clothes weren't anything fancy, but she still looked amazing in them.

She was wearing a light blue tank top that emphasized all her curves while showing off her lovely shoulders and arms. It was low enough to show just a bit of cleavage, though the view improved considerably when she leaned over. She had chosen a pair of white shorts to go with it, and Willow allowed her gaze to linger on her girlfriend's legs briefly before meeting her eyes.

"God, Tara, you look fantastic," Willow said emphatically.

"So do you," Tara replied, a smoky look in her eyes as they wandered over her body.

Willow had on a simple white blouse with the top two buttons undone. She had the bottom of it tied off just above her waist, leaving a small bit of skin bare at her midriff, and in an especially daring moment earlier, she had decided not to wear a bra. The red skirt she'd picked out wasn't scandalously short, but it still showed off quite a bit of leg.

"Thanks," Willow said with a grin. She approached her girlfriend and stopped just in front of her. She laid her hands on Tara's arms and looked at her intently.

"Are you sure you want to go through with this?" she asked seriously. "It's not too late to back out. I promise I won't be upset if you want to call this off."

Tara shook her head. "No. I'm sure. I've thought about it all day... and I want to do this." She smiled, and Willow could tell that even though she was a little nervous, she'd meant what she said.

*God, I love her so much,* she thought. *It seems like every time I think I can't possibly love her any more, something happens to prove me wrong.*

Beaming, Willow leaned in and gave her girlfriend a quick kiss. "I love you," she said sincerely.

Tara's smile broadened, and the sheer beauty of it almost took Willow's breath away. "I love you too," she replied happily.

Willow's expression turned serious again. "Are you nervous?" she asked, taking her girlfriend's hands in her own.

"Yes," Tara admitted. "Are you?"

Willow nodded. "This... what we're about to do, I mean... it's a big deal. If we *weren't* nervous, I'd be worried."

"You're right," Tara replied, and she seemed to be a bit reassured. "I'd better get things started in the kitchen," she said, glancing at the clock. "Xander should be here any minute." She gave her a quick smooch and then headed for the kitchen.

Willow walked over to their large bay window and stood in front of it, her hands clasped behind her. Their apartment had a very nice view of a nearby park, and she looked down over it. The trees cast long shadows in the light of the setting sun, and she stood there for a moment, taking in the peaceful setting, using it to help calm herself a bit.

*Okay,* she thought. *This is it. God, I hope we aren't making a huge mistake.*

She pushed the doubt out of her mind as soon as it formed. As nervous as she was, this felt right.

She thought about Tara, and Xander, and she smiled brightly at the thought of what lay ahead for all of them tonight.

***

Xander maneuvered his car into the parking space and killed the engine. He sat there for a moment, not moving, just looking out through his windshield at the building in front of him.

Willow and Tara's apartment complex was a modern, multi-story affair. The building was actually very nice; ever since he'd started working in construction, he'd learned to appreciate good architecture. And this was definitely one of the nicer apartment complexes in Sunnydale.

Their apartment was on top floor, four stories up. It was on the southern side of the building, so in addition to offering a nice view, they got quite a bit of sun. Being so close to the UC Sunnydale campus, it was a great location for them, and they were really lucky to have found it when they'd moved out of the dorms. Truthfully, they probably wouldn't have been able to afford it anywhere but here, but rent in Sunnydale was notoriously cheap.

*Gee, I wonder why that could be,* Xander thought wryly.

He removed the keys from the ignition and picked up the bouquet of flowers sitting on the passenger seat. Willow had called him at lunchtime and asked him to come over around six-thirty, instead of right after work as he usually did, so after he'd gone home and showered and changed his clothes, he'd decided to stop by a florist.

He'd been wanting a way to say thank you for how nice Willow and Tara had been lately. 'Say it with flowers' was a cliche, sure, but it was a nice gesture nevertheless. And the red carnations he'd picked out with the florist's help were pretty, even to his not-so-discerning eye.

He stepped out of his car and closed and locked the door behind him, taking a moment to smooth out the wrinkles in his slacks before heading for the building. As he made his way inside and started climbing the stairs, he thought back to how this routine had begun.

He had to admit that he'd been surprised when Willow had called him shortly after Anya had left and suggested that they spend some time together. They hadn't exactly been very close over the past year - which was something he'd greatly regretted but, at the time, hadn't felt like he could do anything about.

So when he'd accepted Willow's invitation, he'd really been hoping that this would be a chance to rekindle his friendship with her. And although things had been a little awkward at first, within just a few days he could tell that they were getting back on track. Soon after, they had settled back into the easy, familiar interaction of the past, and it was as if last year had never happened.

They hadn't discussed the way they'd drifted apart after high school, but it was as if they'd both reached an unspoken agreement to move past it. And Xander was glad for that - he wasn't very good at conversations like that. He was just glad that he and Willow were friends again. He'd really missed her.

What he hadn't expected, though, and what had come as a very pleasant surprise to him was how well he'd gotten along with Tara. In the beginning, she'd been shy and a little awkward around him. But she'd quickly grown more comfortable with having him around, and she'd opened up more, and before too long, Xander had found that when he thought about spending time with both of them, he was looking forward to being with Tara just as much as with Willow.

All in all, he was happy about how things had gone. And he was very glad about how well he was getting along with both of them.

There was just one problem.

He was also very, very attracted to them.

At first, he hadn't given much thought to it. He found a lot of girls appealing. Why would they be any different?

But lately, he'd come to realize something. His attraction to them wasn't just physical.

Okay, sure, that was a big part of it - Willow and Tara were both gorgeous. And as they'd grown more comfortable being with him, they'd also grown more comfortable with displaying their affection for each other around him. And that never failed to put all kinds of thoughts in his head, much as he tried not to think about them.

Xander had always been very supportive of Willow's relationship with Tara. Yes, it had hurt a little that she hadn't told him about it and he'd had to find out in the middle of a big argument with her and Buffy. But after that, when they'd finally sat down and talked about it, he'd let her know in no uncertain terms that he had no problem with her being in love with another woman and it hadn't changed his opinion of her at all.

First and foremost, he wanted to be a supportive friend. So he always felt a little guilty over his reaction when he saw them kissing, or snuggling - not that he could help it, of course.

But there was a lot more to his attraction than just the physical. Willow was caring, and fun, and bubbly. Tara was kind, and cute, and just about the sweetest person he'd ever met. He loved just being with them.

God, he was far gone. At this rate, he'd end up on the Jerry Springer show sometime soon. *Hi, I'm Alexander Harris and I'm falling for my best friend and her lesbian girlfriend.* Maybe he could get in a fight with a cross-dressing white supremacist and get dragged offstage by security.

Xander shook his head. Thinking about this was just a waste of time and energy anyway. All he could do was try to be a good friend, keep his feelings to himself, and do his best not to stare when they kissed when he was around.

He'd reached his destination, so he ceased his musings and knocked on Willow and Tara's door. A few seconds went by before it was answered. Xander started to voice a cheerful greeting, but the words died on his lips.

Willow stood in the doorway, smiling happily at him. "Xander, hi!" she chirped. "You're right on time!"

Xander still couldn't reply, however; he was unable to take his eyes off Willow. She looked... 'beautiful' didn't even begin to cover it. She had on a white blouse, unbuttoned at the top, and his gaze was drawn to the enticing display of skin just below her neck. The blouse was tied just above her waist, and as his eyes moved downward he noted the creamy flesh on display there as well. As she turned and moved back into the apartment, he saw that the red skirt she was wearing clung to her body, showing off her perfect ass to his still mildly shocked view.

Willow turned back and looked at him expectantly. She pursed her lips slightly, her tongue just barely visible between her teeth, and Xander couldn't suppress a slight shiver. He still remembered the press of those lips against his own, the feel of her tongue sliding against his....

"Xander," Willow said, her eyes twinkling with amusement, "you know there's a reason I'm not inviting you in."

Her words momentarily broke him out of his reverie. "Oh, right!" He hurriedly stepped inside and closed the door behind him. He busied himself taking off his jacket, passing the flowers from hand to hand as he did so, grateful for a momentary distraction. He hung it up on the rack next to the door and turned back to Willow.

"These are for you," he said, stepping toward her and holding out the carnations. *Nice recovery,* he thought bitterly. Still, it would have to do.

"Xander, they're beautiful!" she exclaimed. She took the offered bouquet and turned it in her hands. "Tara, honey, come see what Xander brought us!" she called out.

Tara emerged from the kitchen, throwing her apron over the back of one of the chairs at the nearby dining table. As she approached, Xander found his gaze immediately drawn to her.

Tara was wearing a beautiful blue tank top that almost matched the color of her eyes. It hugged her curvy body tightly, and Xander couldn't help staring at her briefly. Her dark blonde hair cascaded down around her shoulders, framing her face in a golden halo. The shorts she had on ended about midway down her thighs, showing off her long, smooth, supple legs....

Xander blinked and quickly lifted his eyes to meet hers. "Thank you! Xander, this was so nice of you," she said. Her deep blue eyes shone with the light of the lovely smile she gave him.

"Well, I... just wanted to say thank you. For, you know. Everything."

Tara leaned over to smell the flowers, and Xander couldn't help noticing that, from where he was standing, he could see a generous amount of her cleavage. His eyes traced the soft swell of her breasts as she inhaled deeply.

"They smell great," Tara declared, standing up again.

"Thank you so much, Xander," Willow said, and he turned to face her as she spoke.

He was about to reply when he realized with a shock that she wasn't wearing a bra. He could see the faint outline of her nipples showing through the thin material of her blouse. His gaze lingered there, probably longer than it should have, and when he finally looked up again, he found himself staring directly into her eyes. She'd obviously noticed.

She didn't say anything about it, however. Instead, she gave him a slow, alluring smile and held his gaze briefly. Xander was still trying to make sense of what that meant when she turned away.

"Honey, we should put these in a vase."

Tara nodded. "I'll go get one. Just a second." She disappeared into the kitchen and returned shortly with an elegant crystal vase with a small amount of water in the bottom. Willow handed her the flowers and she placed them inside.

She scanned the living room briefly, looking for a place to put them. Finally, she walked over to their television set and placed them on the shelf next to it.

"There," Tara said happily. "That's a good place for them, don't you think? They kinda catch the eye there." At Willow's answering nod, she smiled.

Tara turned her head as the beeping of a timer sounded from the kitchen. "I have to get that," she said. "Dinner's almost ready." She turned and hurried out of the room, grabbing her apron as she passed it.

Willow took Xander by the arm and led him to the table, where the places were already set. "Go ahead, sit down," she said, gesturing toward one of the chairs.

"What do you want to drink?" she asked as Xander took a seat.

"Oh, water's fine," he replied, and Willow flashed him a quick smile as she headed for the kitchen. He couldn't help sneaking a brief glance at her retreating figure, though he mentally scolded himself for it afterward.

Xander had mostly recovered his composure, but he still didn't quite know what to make of what was going on. The way Willow and Tara were dressed had been shocking enough, but that smile Willow had given him just a minute ago.... Could she have been...? No, he had to be reading it wrong.

He *had* to be.

***

After dinner, he wasn't so sure anymore.

Willow and Tara had continued acting strangely all throughout the meal. It wasn't anything major - it was a lot of little things. When he looked at them, they held his gaze just a little longer than normal, and their eyes held an intensity that he couldn't quite decipher. They favored him with light touches on his arm when they laughed at one of his jokes. At several different times during dinner, one or both of them would lean over just a little farther than they needed to, catching his eyes with a tantalizing flash of skin.

Xander managed to keep up his end of the conversation and not make a fool out of himself, but it was... distracting, to say the least. He ended up confused, frustrated, and extremely turned on, and that didn't make for a good combination.

Finally, when they'd adjourned to the living room after dinner, he couldn't take it anymore. When Willow rested her hand on his thigh after scooting a little closer to him, he practically leapt off the couch where he had been sitting between her and Tara and whirled around to face them.

"What's going on?" he demanded.

Willow looked up at him innocently. "What do you mean?" she asked.

"You know what I mean," he replied. "I'm talking about everything you've both been doing since I got here," he continued, looking at Willow and Tara in turn. "What's going on?"

And then Xander knew he was right - something was up. Anyone else would probably have missed it, but he could tell by the way Willow hesitated for just a split second before answering him. "Nothing."

Xander shook his head. "Come on, Will, I know you better than anyone. And Tara, I like to think I know you pretty well too, and this.... You've never acted like this before."

Willow and Tara cast a meaningful glance at each other.

"We'd better tell him," said Tara.

Willow sighed. "You're right," she agreed.

She took a deep breath and Xander could tell that she was gathering her thoughts. He didn't want to be standing over her when she was trying to talk, but he didn't trust himself to sit back down on the couch either. So he took a seat on the coffee table across from them and waited.

"Xander..." Willow began, speaking slowly, in that cute way of hers that she fell into when she was nervous, "Tara and I.... We like you. A lot."

Xander had never considered himself to be particularly smart, but he liked to think that he wasn't stupid either. After everything that had already happened tonight, there was only one place Willow could be going with this, and his brain practically shut down from the shock as he realized where that was.

"As... as a friend, right?" he stammered, desperately trying to get his bearings.

"Yes, but..." Willow trailed off momentarily, glancing over at Tara. Her girlfriend gave her a supportive nod, and she turned back to Xander before continuing. "We were wondering if you'd be interested in something... more," she finished, blushing fiercely.

"Something more?" Xander echoed.

"We're attracted to you, Xander," Tara said softly. "We both are." She, too, was blushing, but she didn't look away when Xander met her eyes.

"And, we're sorry about everything before," Willow said sincerely. "I mean, I realize now that that wasn't much fun for you. I guess I'm just not very good at the whole seduction thing," she finished with a chuckle.

"Oh, I don't know about that," Tara said with a grin. Then her expression turned serious again. "But we *are* sorry, Xander. We should have just been honest about what we wanted."

"And... what exactly is that?" Xander asked.

"You... with us," Willow replied, her voice low and not a little sexy. "All three of us. Together." At her side, Tara nodded her agreement.

Xander swallowed hard. His shock was fading now, replaced by a torrent of emotions. The two biggest ones seemed to be fear and excitement, and they struggled for supremacy as he thought about what he'd just heard.

"So... is this just a one-time thing?" he asked after a moment.

Willow looked back at him intently. "Do you want it to be?"

"No!" The word was out of his mouth before Xander had even thought. "No, not at all," he continued more slowly. "I just...." He trailed off, unsure of what to say next.

"Xander, what's wrong?" Willow asked. She laid a hand on his knee, her expression fading to one of concern.

Well, they'd been honest with him. He owed it to them to be honest in return. "I want this," he confessed. "But... I'm afraid it's gonna screw things up between us. You're my friends, and I love you, and I don't want to lose that."

"We love you too, Xander," Willow said sincerely.

Tara nodded. "Xander, after Anya left, and Willow suggested we start having you over, I was worried at first. I thought that I'd get tired of having you around, or that I'd... start to feel crowded." She smiled at him brightly. "But I really like having you in my life. We both do."

"Xander," Willow said, "we both love just being with you. If we do this, we won't be *losing* anything."

"And we're not just talking about sex here. I mean, sure, okay, that's part of it, but it's not all. We want..." Willow's initial nervousness had faded as the conversation progressed, and she spoke these last words calmly and confidently, "a relationship. With you. And us. Together."

"Well, I...." Xander didn't know what to say. Could they really do this? Could it really *work?*

As he was wrestling with his decision, Willow leaned back suddenly. "Tara, honey," she said, a wicked smile slowly making its way onto her face, "he looks like he's still having some trouble with this. Why don't we help him make up his mind?"

Tara hesitated briefly, but then answered Willow's smile with one of her own and shifted closer to her on the couch. They leaned in toward each other, their lips meeting in a long, slow, passion-filled kiss. Tara cupped Willow's chin with one hand, using the other to lightly stroke her girlfriend's hair. Willow traced her fingers down Tara's neck, then over her tank top to caress her breast. She squeezed gently, and Tara moaned softly into her mouth as she deepened the kiss.

Xander sat, motionless, his eyes fixed on the sight before him. He'd seen them kiss before, but *never* like this. A wave of arousal surged through him - until now, this had just been the stuff of the occasional late-night fantasy.

Later - it could have been a minute or an hour, Xander couldn't tell - Willow and Tara broke their kiss, turning towards him together. "So, Xander..." Willow said, smiling again and slowly running her hand back and forth over Tara's bare thigh, "what do you say?"

Xander's breath caught in his throat.

TBC...