Soul Mates

A/N: Reposting this chapter since it got lost in the recent glitch. I lost a couple of reviews, too, which is a bummer.

Anyway, hope you enjoy. And as always, I love feedback!

****

Tara closed her notebook and tucked her pen into the spiral binding. She dropped the notebook into her backpack, along with her textbook, then stood up from her desk. Picking up the pack, she stood and joined the line of students exiting the classroom.

It had been a good class. Eastern History was something she'd initially been a little hesitant about taking - she just wasn't sure whether or not the subject held any interest for her. But she'd eventually decided to give it a try. After all, wasn't college a time to try new things?

She hadn't regretted her decision. The class had proved to be very interesting. Right now, they were in the middle of a unit on feudal Japan, and she was intrigued by how different their culture was from the one she lived in. Also, the professor had promised a section on the artwork from the region later in the semester, and she was definitely looking forward to that.

Tara stepped out into the hallway, making her way past the groups of students gathered outside the door to the lecture hall. Slinging her backpack over her shoulder, she walked past the rows of classrooms, heading for the building's front doors. It was Thursday, which meant that Willow was still in her psychology class in the building opposite this one and wouldn't be finished for another twenty minutes. They usually met at one of the tables on the lawn outside after it was over.

Their schedules had actually worked out well this semester. She and Willow had classes together on Mondays and Wednesdays, and they'd managed to schedule them with enough time to go home for lunch in between lectures. Tuesdays and Thursdays were the days that they had separate classes, but they were both in the morning and the times they started and ended were less than half an hour apart. All things considered, they'd been lucky to get such compatible schedules.

Tara passed through the double doors and out into the brightness of the late morning sun, stopping momentarily to take a deep breath, savoring the warm, fresh air. Students passed all around her, coming and going, and the sound of their conversation swirled around her. Spotting an empty table underneath a large maple tree, she stepped forward onto the well-kept lawn in front of the building.

As she made her way toward the table, she passed several students and saw that many of them smiled at her as they walked by. She'd noticed that that'd been happening a lot lately, and initially she'd been a little confused by it. But then she'd figured that there was probably a simple explanation for it - other people were just noticing her mood and reacting to it. After all, she'd been very happy these past few days.

And with good reason. Xander was living with her and Willow now, having moved in last weekend, and she couldn't have asked for things to be going any better between them. Not that there had been any problems before - Tara had been very happy living with Willow, but now that they were involved with Xander too, as far as she was concerned a very good thing had just gotten even better.

Tara reached the table and sat down on one of the benches attached to it. She laid her notes from the last class out in front of her, but quickly found that she couldn't really concentrate on studying. Her thoughts kept drifting back over the past few days since Xander had moved in with them.

Granted, in a few ways things weren't that unlike how they'd been a week earlier. Xander had been spending most of his free time with her and Willow already, so the change wasn't as drastic as it could have been. But so many things were different now, too - and as far as Tara was concerned, better. And from the way Willow and Xander were acting, she knew they thought the same thing.

It wasn't just the sex; although that was definitely a big part of it, there were lots of other things, both big and small, that she was quickly learning to appreciate. For instance, she now had two people to snuggle up with on the couch. Yesterday evening, they'd spent a couple of hours sitting together after dinner - Xander had had his arm around her, with Willow snuggled up on her other side, their presence warm and comforting, watching TV and then just talking for a while.

There were lots of other things she liked, too. Little things that showed how considerate Xander and Willow both were. Like how they wouldn't ever sit together in the living room and talk while she was making dinner - they'd always come and sit at the dining table, which was right next to the kitchen, so she'd be included in the conversation.

And as for conversation, well, that had also changed, though very subtly. After Xander had started hanging around with her and Willow a few months ago, it had taken her a little while to warm up to him, but after that she'd really enjoyed the long conversations the three of them had shared. But now, while Xander was still easy to talk to, Tara really felt like she could open up to him, too. Willow was the only person she'd ever felt that way with before, but now there was Xander too, and the fact that there were two people she knew she could talk to about anything, no matter how personal or intimate.... Well, it was a wonderful feeling. She'd never had anyone like that in her life since she'd lost her mother, and because she'd died when Tara was very young, it wasn't really the same thing.

So there was definitely a lot to like about the way her relationship with Willow and Xander was shaping up.

And okay, the sex was amazing too. Tara blushed a little when she thought about it, but it really was. She'd never had any complaints before - her sex life with Willow had been wonderful, incredible, and fulfilling. But now that they were sharing their bed with Xander, too.... Well, it was another case of a good thing getting even better.

When she thought about it, it still freaked her out just a little that she was having sex with a man. It was something she'd honestly never thought would happen. Pretty much from junior high onward, she'd only been interested in girls.

And for the most part, that hadn't changed. It was just that for some reason, Xander had proved to be an exception to that rule.

And, so far at least, he was the only exception. Tara saw plenty of guys all over the place on campus, but she didn't find herself attracted to any of them. For instance, there was a guy running past her right now. He was dressed in shorts and a T-shirt, obviously out for a jog. As she watched, he stopped a little ways in front of her table, took off his shirt and tied it around his waist, and started doing some leg stretches on the lawn.

By all accounts, Tara supposed he was good-looking. His chest was toned and the muscles of his arms were well-defined. He had blond hair and a very nice tan, and the looks he was getting from passing girls told Tara that he was definitely getting noticed.

And yet, he did absolutely nothing for her. She had no reaction at all to him.

As the jogger stood up and continued on his way, Tara looked back down at the table in front of her and thought about Xander. She pictured him taking off his shirt, imagined walking up to him and running her hands down his chest.... Reaching up and running her fingers through his hair as he leaned down to kiss Willow....

Taking a deep breath, Tara abruptly stopped that line of thought. She was out in public, surrounded by large groups of students passing by, which definitely wasn't the best place to be getting excited like that.

Idly, she wondered what it was about Xander that attracted her to him. It wasn't his looks. Xander was handsome, but there was more to it than that. And while Tara liked him a lot, and he could definitely be charming, it wasn't his personality, either.

As she thought about it, she supposed that what drew her to Xander was the same thing that had drawn her to Willow. They were both very special people. Call it heart, soul, whatever you would, they were special in so many different ways. They were both nice, and caring, and were truly remarkable for the way they risked their lives in the fight against the supernatural evils of Sunnydale not because of a sacred calling or duty as a Watcher, but simply because it was the right thing to do.

She loved Willow for all those things and more. And, she thought with a smile as she turned her attention back to her notes, she was really coming to love Xander, too, for many of the same reasons.

****

"So is there anything else, Miss Rosenberg?"

Willow shook her head in answer to her psychology professor's question. The class had ended a few moments ago and she was standing at the table at the head of the classroom. There were still a few students scattered about, but most had left right after class was dismissed, leaving the room mostly empty.

"No, that's all," Willow said. "I just wanted to make sure of the next chapter we'd be covering so I could read ahead."

To Willow's surprise, the professor actually smiled at her. "Miss Rosenberg, I must say it is a pleasure having you in this class," he said. "I don't encounter many students who have your enthusiasm for learning."

Willow blinked. Professor Henrickson was generally regarded as a sour and grumpy old man, and going by her experience in his class so far, Willow would have said that the description was accurate. He certainly didn't hand out praise very often, and Willow was a little taken aback at his words.

She recovered quickly, however. "Well, thank you, Professor," she replied, smiling happily. "Um, I'll see you next week," she added, and at his answering nod, turned and headed for the classroom door.

Well. That had definitely been a pleasant surprise, and it was a very nice way to end her last class of the week. She was still smiling as she passed through the door and out into the hallway. Now, to head outside and find Tara so they could go home and have lunch.

As she walked down the hallway, Willow quickly went over the work she'd have to do to prepare for next week's classes in her head. There were several chapters she needed to read and a couple of short assignments that were due, but since they'd just gotten done with midterms a couple of weeks ago, the workload was pretty light right now. She had the whole afternoon today, plus all day tomorrow - neither she nor Tara had any classes on Fridays - which would be plenty of time for her to finish all her work. She hoped that Tara also wouldn't have a lot she needed to get done; it meant they'd have the entire weekend free to spend with Xander, with no distractions.

That thought brought a smile to Willow's face. True, they were all still adjusting, but this past week with her and Tara, together with Xander.... It was everything she could possibly have hoped for.

Sure, there were some things she'd been concerned about when she and Tara had made their offer to Xander. She couldn't help it; she was a worrier. And even though she'd honestly believed, with all her heart, that a relationship between the three of them would be the most wonderful thing, there were still a few small doubts she'd had going in.

For instance, while she'd already known that the three of them got along well, living together was still a big change for them. She'd been a little concerned that there might be some friction or awkwardness between them. But it hadn't materialized - Xander had been a little uncertain of where he fit in at first, but he'd quickly gotten over that. And their apartment definitely didn't feel crowded, which had been another worry - it felt just right.

And, well, she wouldn't ever admit it to anyone, but Willow had been a teeny, tiny little bit worried that when she started sleeping with Xander, she might not be quite as interested in Tara anymore. But that certainly hadn't happened. If anything, she found Tara even *more* attractive and sexy than she had before since she was seeing her through Xander's eyes now as well as her own. Things were always more enjoyable when you had someone to share them with, and Xander definitely shared her appreciation of Tara's beauty. And her other qualities too, for that matter.

So that worry of hers had also been totally unjustified. In fact, she felt a little silly for having even entertained the notion. She was still very much attracted to Tara.

Plus, knowing how excited Xander got from watching them made playing with Tara that much more fun. Willow giggled aloud at the thought, which earned her a couple of funny looks from passing students, but she couldn't bring herself to care. She was in too good a mood.

Exiting the building, Willow blinked a couple of times as her eyes adjusted to the sunlight. It was lunchtime, so the crowds had thinned out a bit, but there were still quite a few students walking past or lounging about. Willow stopped just outside the doors for a moment, scanning the crowds for Tara. She finally spotted her at a table underneath a nearby maple tree and hurried over to her. Tara was looking down at her notebook, open in front of her, and as she approached, Willow noticed that she was smiling.

"Hey sweetie," she said as she drew near, stopping beside the table. Tara looked up, brushing her hair back behind her ear as she lifted her head, her smile broadening when she saw her. Willow suddenly wanted very much to kiss her, but they'd never been big on public displays of affection, so she resisted the impulse, settling for taking her hand and giving it a loving squeeze.

"What's the smile for?" Willow asked cheerily, letting go of Tara's hand and stepping back slightly.

"I was thinking about you and Xander," Tara replied, closing her notebook and putting it in her backpack.

Willow raised an eyebrow. "Oh?" she said teasingly. "Good thoughts, I hope."

Tara grinned at her as she stood up. "Very good thoughts." They started across the lawn together, heading for the path that would take them to the street. From there, it was only a few blocks until they were home.

"So how was class?" Tara asked as they started to leave the crowds behind.

"It was good!" Willow replied. "Today's lecture was about learning and cognition. It was really interesting. Ooh, and I asked Professor Henrickson a question after class, and he actually said he was glad to have me in his class. He said I have an 'enthusiasm for learning.' Pretty nifty, huh?"

"Well, he's right about that," Tara said, laughing, and a second later Willow joined her.

"How about you?" Willow asked. "How was Eastern History?"

"Interesting," said Tara. "Japanese history is interesting. And you know...." She gave Willow a sly look out of the corner of her eye. "I found out today that if you look at other cultures, our relationship with Xander really isn't that unusual."

"Oh really?" Willow looked over at her, intrigued. "Do tell."

Tara fell silent for a moment as they reached the street, since there was another group of students gathered there. They passed them by as they headed off down the sidewalk, and as they started to put the campus behind them, she spoke again. "Well..." she said with a grin, "for example, in Japan, it was pretty common for samurai to have more than one wife."

Willow chuckled. "You'd better not tell Xander that," she said. "Can you imagine what he'd say?"

"Oh, come on," Tara said. "It wouldn't be that bad."

Willow didn't say anything, but instead just smirked and glanced at her girlfriend. Tara turned slightly and met her eyes, and the two of them laughed out loud together.

"Well, maybe you're right," Tara said as their giggles subsided. She still didn't sound convinced.

They walked together in silence for a moment. "So do you have much work you need to get done?" Willow asked as they turned a corner, their apartment building straight ahead now.

Tara shook her head. "No, not too much. Just some reading, and our Composition assignment," she replied, referring to one of the classes she and Willow shared. "But that's just a short one."

"Good," Willow said. "We should be able to finish up all our studying today and tomorrow. And then we can spend the entire weekend with our boyfriend."

At her words, Tara stopped so suddenly that Willow had taken a few steps past her before she noticed. Turning around, she saw Tara standing stock still on the sidewalk, staring past her off into the distance. Willow's brow creased with concern, and she was just about to ask what was wrong when Tara spoke.

"Our boyfriend," she said. "You called him *our boyfriend.*" She spoke the words very slowly the second time, almost tentatively, as if she was unsure how they'd sound when she said them. Willow watched her anxiously, unsure of her reaction, not knowing what to say.

And then she turned and met Willow's eyes, an expression of pure delight on her face, and *Goddess,* that smile was still one of the most beautiful things Willow had ever seen. Even now, it took her breath away, and she couldn't help but smile herself in response.

"Our boyfriend," Tara repeated happily as they resumed their walk back to their apartment. "I like the way that sounds. Don't you?"

Willow nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah," she replied. "I do."

As she thought about it, she couldn't help but remember years past. Willow had wanted Xander for a boyfriend for a long time - since junior high at least. And although that desire had faded after she met Tara, since they'd been so happy together, it had returned in full force after she'd realized the possibility that they could all be together.

Although now that she thought about it, Willow realized that 'faded' was probably the wrong word. Even when they'd drifted apart after high school, he'd still held the most important place in her heart. It was just that after she'd met Tara, well, she'd moved right in to that place too.

And Willow was still overjoyed from the discovery that there was plenty of room for both of them - in her heart, in her life, and in her home.

TBC...