Trio

It was a short meeting, but still the Scoobies squirmed. It was the second day of springlike weather and everyone was feeling the effects.

"Done? Good. Let's go, Xander." Anya stood and thrust her hand toward her boyfriend.

He took it, stood, and grinned at their friends. "Later." He waved with his free hand while his girlfriend pulled him toward the door.

Tara was hot on their trail. "Uh uh us too," she said, standing and pulling Willow up with her.

"I'll walk with you," Buffy offered.

She and Tara flanked Willow. The witches held hands and bumped hips with each step. They smiled at each other and were oblivious to everything else, and the Slayer was glad she accompanied her friends.

She said goodbye on the sidewalk and watched until the door closed behind them. Buffy knew her housemates were going to make love. Loudly, since Dawn was away with Janice's family. She sighed, and headed to patrol, hoping she could find enough vampires to beat her frustration out on.

As soon as the door closed, Tara flattened Willow against it. She thrust her tongue into Willow's mouth, where it found an eager reception. Tara's hands were busy under Willow's shirt. She unfastened the redhead's bra and caught her nipples in the webbing between her fore and middle fingers.

Willow dug her fingers into her lover's lush buttocks and pulled their hips together.

Their lips parted and Tara panted to Willow, "Bed. Now."

"Uh huh," Willow agreed, and they began a slow, steady kiss that carried them to the stairs. They crabwalked up the stairs, bounced from wall to wall, through their door to the bed.

Tara turned enough to push Willow down. She pinned the redhead to their bed with her body and kissed her passionately.

Tara was in no hurry, and it took nearly half an hour for both of them to lose their shirts and bras. Willow let Tara lead their dance. Her brain shut down except for the random exclamation of pleasure or encouragement as Tara tasted and caressed every millimeter of skin.

When Tara finally bared herself to Willow, she stood at the edge of the bed and admired her handiwork. Willow was unmistakably aroused. Her eyes were dark, half open and staring at Tara. Willow's breathing was deep and uneven, chuffing out past her swollen pink lips. Tara lowered herself onto Willow again, and they both moaned at the pleasure of it.

Buffy found nothing on patrol. Even the Bronze was dead. Buffy sighed and walked slowly, hoping she would find her friends watching a movie. As soon as she opened the door, Buffy knew the witches were in bed. She sighed and went to shower. Unfortunately, the water couldn't mask Willow's cries or Tara's answering groans. The Slayer got cut off the shower and tried to focus on anything except the sounds from their room.
It was too much, and Buffy dropped the towel and went through the open doorway.

Willow was on her hands and knees. Tara stood at the edge of the bed, the straps of the harness making sense as Buffy watched. She took the few steps across the room and draped herself lightly across Tara's back. Buffy's fingers skated down Tara's lower back, between her buttocks, and two of them entered her. Tara lost the steady rhythm she had been using. As Buffy kissed her shoulders, murmuring "beautiful" between caresses, Tara folded herself around Willow as her hips bucked wildly.

She ground her breasts into Willow's back. "Come for me, baby," Tara demanded hoarsely. One hand slid around to find a nipple, the other Willow’s clitoris.

A third hand snaked around to Willow’s other breast. Willow was making incoherent noise with each inhalation and exhalation. She became silent and still for an impossibly long moment before her orgasms began.

Tara ground against Willow. Buffy followed Tara’s hips with her hand. Tara was so wet. Willow was wet, too, she could hear. Buffy was wet, and it increased with each movement, each sound, each slide of her nipples across Tara’s sweaty back. The two witches made the most incredible noises, and Buffy moaned into the back of Tara’s neck before repeating her demand to Willow. “Come for me, baby,” Buffy growled, and immediately felt Tara spasm around her fingers. “That’s so good,” she groaned.

Tara said nothing. She was trying to remember to breathe, and periodically, her brain shorted out from the physical overload. Each time she came back to consciousness to hear and feel and smell and taste her pleasure and Willow’s and Buffy’s. She knew it was Buffy, and knew why she was there, and idly wondered why it had taken so long, and why tonight…and the moonlight through the window answered the last question.

Willow collapsed under her, and Tara moved so that Buffy slid off her to the bed next to Willow. Tara lay on Buffy’s other side. Willow pushed herself up and saw Buffy. “Hey,” she said languidly, then fixed her mouth on Buffy’s

Buffy opened her mouth to Willow’s tongue. She had never been kissed properly before, Buffy realized as Willow’s tongue explored her mouth. She was growing more aroused with each moment of contact, and she whimpered when Willow pulled away so they could breathe. “Wow.”

Willow chuckled. “Wait until Tara kisses you. She can make me come just from kissing.”

Buffy’s eyes widened as she turned toward Tara. Tara gave them both her half-smile. Willow pushed herself up more and leaned across Buffy. Her breast was just above Buffy’s mouth, and Buffy’s tongue flicked out across the redhead’s nipple.

Tara met Willow’s lips above the Slayer’s shoulder. They kissed deeply and broke apart with a smack. Willow pulled back, and as soon as Buffy’s mouth was free, Tara leaned into it. Willow’s tongue traveled down Buffy’s neck to her chest and then to one firm nipple. She tasted one, then the other, before continuing her journey down Buffy’s torso.

Buffy tasted wonderful to Willow. She took her time exploring, delighting in each jerk of the Slayer’s hips. After a while, she left her fingers playing in Buffy’s wetness, and moved back to her breasts. Tara released Buffy’s mouth and came to meet her. They kissed, Willow sharing Buffy’s taste with Tara. Buffy watched, wide-eyed and panting. She had never been so turned on. She wanted the witches to touch her. She wanted to touch them, and watch them touch each other. That thought made her moan, and she missed Tara calling her.

“Huh?” she answered the second time, forcing her attention toward the blonde witch. Her eyes roamed down and slowly up Tara’s form. She still wore the harness. Buffy licked her lips.

“Like what you see?”

“Oh yeah.”

“What are you waiting for?”

Buffy moved quickly. She pinned Tara to the bed and sank onto the dildo in one motion. Willow rolled onto her side and propped one leg up. The blondes were so sexy, and as she watched them please each other her hand moved between her legs. She stopped that to slither over and slide her tongue around the juncture of their nipples.

The reaction from both was nearly instantaneous. Buffy leaned back while lacing the fingers of one hand through the hair at the back of Willow's head. She pulled her up into a frantic kiss. Tara pulled the redhead onto her face and dove in. Willow anchored herself to Buffy with one arm. With her free hand, she reached down and found Tara's clit. Tara hummed her approval against Willow's clit. Willow quickly realized that Buffy would hold her steady. She moved her hand from Buffy's neck, stopping to tweak Buffy's nipples on the way to her clit.

Buffy's hands were busy, as well. She held Willow's mouth against her own with fingers threaded through Willow's hair. Their tongues clashed and danced and chased each other from mouth to mouth. Buffy's other hand was busy with Willow's nipples.

They rocked and ground and screamed against each other through multiple orgasms. When they were exhausted, they fell into a sweaty heap of tangled limbs. As their breathing returned to normal, they sorted out their arms and legs. Buffy was again between the witches, and they stroked and petted her. Buffy tried halfheartedly to leave, but Tara and Willow refused to allow it.

***

Buffy woke up slowly from an erotic dream. She was warm and there was a mouth suckling her nipple. Both nipples. She arched her back and made a happy noise, then settled back. She opened her eyes to find she was still in Willow and Tara’s bedroom. Her eyes looked down at the tops of their heads, one blonde, one redhead. “Whoa.”

“Hmm?” Tara lifted her head and smiled sexily at Buffy. One hand stayed busy at Buffy’s nipple while the other pushed Buffy’s hair off her face. “Hi,” she said softly, and returned to Buffy’s breast.

“Umm, guys,” Buffy struggled to get out words, any words, between the insistent pleasure of the witches’ mouths and her own panic.

Willow moved her mouth up Buffy’s chest, up her neck to her cheek and toward Buffy’s lips. “No guys here,” she said before plunging her tongue into Buffy’s mouth.

Buffy’s first instinct was to kiss her back, and she did, her hand moving of its own volition down Willow’s back to her ass and back up. Tara continued her steady attentions to Buffy’s breasts, and met Willow’s fingers at the Slayer’s entrance. They played, pulling small noises from Buffy’s throat and causing her hips to flail upward. Tara and Willow entered Buffy at the same time. The Slayer arched to meet their fingers and a happy sigh escaped around Willow’s lips. Buffy wound her hand more tightly through the hair on back of Tara’s head and urged her up.

Tara’s lips broke free from Buffy's breast with a pop that made Willow giggle into Buffy’s neck. She lifted her head to kiss Tara briefly before trading places. Willow made her way back to Buffy’s nipple while Tara kissed her intently. They maintained the slow in and out through all of it, despite Buffy’s attempts to make them go faster.

Willow and Tara kept their attention on Buffy. They built her orgasm slowly, working in concert to please her with each caress. All three of them felt it coming like a thunderstorm. The witches' lust grew and fed the Slayer's excitement. Still Willow and Tara ignored Buffy's pleas and their own desires and concentrated on pleasing Buffy. They knew Buffy was close when she stopped using words. Her eyes were nearly closed and she moved fluidly against Willow and Tara. Buffy pulled Tara then Willow into deep kisses. Buffy moaned into Willow's mouth and pulled away long enough to ask, “Please.”

Willow smiled and kissed her as an answer. She pulled out of Buffy and moved to concentrate on her clit. Tara added two fingers to compensate. Buffy sighed and bowed up off the bed. Then her body relaxed. Buffy inhaled deeply and held it longer than normal before exhaling. She pulsed around their fingers as she kissed Willow desperately. There was no hurry on the witches’ parts. Each movement apart from Willow’s kisses was slow and deliberate.

Buffy tore herself from Willow sometimes to suck down air. One time before she returned to the redhead’s lips, Buffy said, “I love you, Willow.”

“I love you, too,” Willow answered and let Buffy pull her down again.

***

The next time Buffy woke, Willow was still wrapped around her. Willow’s eyes snapped open when Buffy tried to dislodge her. “Where you goin’?”

Buffy tried to think of something to say. Tara rescued her by murmuring, capturing Willow’s attention. Buffy watched as Willow looked tenderly at Tara and said something. Tara immediately stilled, and Buffy’s look turned to suspicious. “Magic?” she asked.

“Spanish.” Willow turned her attention back to Buffy, and repeated “Descansa tranquilo mi amado.” She paused. “See, no magic. It means, sweet dreams. So why aren’t you havin’ ‘em?”

Buffy didn’t answer. Instead, she looked again at Tara, and what she thought tumbled from her mouth. “She’s beautiful.”

Willow’s mouth curled into a smile. “She is. So are you.”

“And you.” Buffy returned to Willow. “What are we doing?”

“Loving each other.” Willow leaned in slowly and kissed Buffy gently. “Stay here. Let us. Let me. Please.”

“Okay,” Buffy whispered, and Tara rolled toward them again. She snuggled into Buffy’s side. “What does it really mean, Will?”

“What?”

“What you said before.”

“Ah. Descansa tranquilo mi amado.”

“That.”

Willow kissed her again before answering. “Rest easy, my beloved.”

Both Tara and Buffy let out small satisfied hums, and Buffy closed her eyes.

***

Buffy woke again to soft conversation between Tara and Willow. When her eyes opened, both women were smiling at her, and Buffy smiled back.

“We were waiting for you to wake up so we can fix something to eat,” Tara told her.

“Pancakes?” Buffy asked hopefully.

“Sure,” Tara smiled. She kissed Willow’s cheek, then rolled out of bed. She quickly got her robe from the foot of the bed, and threw them one more smile before leaving the room, her robe swirling behind.

“Guess we have to get up,” Buffy said.

“Yeah,” Willow answered. “You okay?”

Buffy thought for a second before answering. “I’m great,” she smiled.

“Good.” Willow’s smile broadened for a moment. “We want you to stay with us, Buffy. Me and Tara. We love you. We won’t hurt you. No pressure and if you say no we’ll understand.”

“I think,” Buffy tried to joke, “I’d die from exhaustion.”

Willow looked at her. “I’m serious.”

Buffy sighed. “I know. I don’t do serious well, Will. It’s always messy, and there are hurt feelings, and.”

Willow stopped her by placing her index finger over Buffy’s lips. “Shh. Just listen to me, okay?”

Buffy nodded, and Willow traced her lips before moving her finger away.

“You do so much. I see when you think we aren’t looking. I see how tired you are, and that your shoulder is sore, and that muscle in your back is bothering you again. I see you worrying over the bills and Dawn and everything else. You never ask for help.” Willow stroked Buffy’s cheek while she talked. “You save the world, and for what? To watch?” Willow leaned in and kissed Buffy fiercely for a moment. “No more watching, Buffy. We love you. Tara loves you. I love you.” She kissed Buffy again. “I loved you since the day we met. I remember how you looked at Cordelia when she insulted my dress.”

“You were so cute,” Buffy recalled with a smile.

Willow smiled back at her. “That dress was hideous. And you aren’t going to sidetrack me. Promise me you’ll think about it, okay? And know we love you, Buffy. I love you.”

“I know, Will. I love you, too.” She kissed Willow briefly. “I’ll think about it. But you have to let me up now. I really have to go.”

Willow moved off Buffy. She sat up in the bed and stretched. When she finished, Buffy was still laying in bed watching her. “Thought you had to go,” she teased.

Buffy roused herself. She picked the towel up from the floor on her way to the bathroom.

When she arrived in the kitchen, Tara was at the stove. Willow was getting plates from the cabinet. “Smells good.”

Tara looked over at her and smiled. “Thank you.”

Willow, passing by with a pile of plates, murmured, “Suckup.”

Buffy smirked at her and went to the refrigerator. She pulled out milk and juice and butter, then followed Willow to the table.

They didn’t talk much during breakfast, but that wasn’t unusual. Buffy and Willow cleaned up while Tara showered upstairs. Buffy showered next. Willow followed her. Tara studied downstairs. Buffy joined her, enjoying the opportunity to read a book that wasn’t about demons. Willow flounced down the stairs and announced she had to go to the library, and kissed them both before leaving.

Buffy shook her head after the door closed. “Is she always that obvious?”

Tara smiled at her. “Only about you.”

Buffy met her eyes. “I think we’re supposed to talk.”

“Yeah. You want some tea?”

“That would be nice,” Buffy smiled again.

The few minutes it took to make the tea gave them both a chance to gather their thoughts. Tara led them to the back yard. They sat side by side with their backs against the picnic table. Buffy saw how much better everything looked. The plants were blooming, well-groomed, and mulched. The yard looked like her mother had kept it, and Buffy took Tara’s hand. “Thank you. For keeping up the yard. I’m not good at it.”

“Dawn helps. It makes her feel closer to J-Joyce.” Tara squeezed Buffy’s hand. “I like doing it.”

“You’re really good for her. Dawn. And Willow, too.”

“I could be good for you, too.”

“You are, Tara.” Buffy looked at her, and waited until Tara met her eyes. “I never did anything like this before.”

“Me either. It feels right, though.”

“I know. I keep thinking I should be scared or something, but I’m not. This is huge, and I have a million reasons it can’t work.”

“You only need one to make it work.”

Buffy held Tara’s gaze. “I know.”

Tara’s smile edged up half her face, and Buffy smiled in return. Something that had been cold inside for a long time was warming.

Buffy’s eyes went to Tara’s lips, then back to her eyes. “Can I kiss you?” she whispered.

“Oh, yes,” Tara answered, and her eyes fluttered closed as Buffy moved closer. Tara let Buffy lead their kiss. She brought her free hand to Buffy’s face and slid it around her head so she could pull Buffy closer.

It was a long time before they pulled apart, panting. Buffy immediately kissed Tara again, then stopped suddenly.

“What?” Tara asked softly.

“Willow,” Buffy answered.

“We all ready share her,” Tara said. She got to her feet and tugged on Buffy’s arm to urge her up.

Buffy stood and let Tara pull her close. This hug was different than any they had shared before. Tara pressed against Buffy from shoulder to knee. Her breath tickled the Slayer’s ear as she whispered, “I love you.”

“I love you, too,” Buffy answered. She was aroused, and knew Tara was, too. They both knew that Willow had left them to come to an understanding. Buffy stopped suddenly. “Are you using magic on me?”

“No. I wouldn’t do that. Will and I,” Tara explained between kisses, “do sex magick, but we would never do that to you.”

Buffy stopped again. “Why not?”

Tara laughed. “Not without you knowing.”

“Oh. Okay.” Buffy pulled Tara’s lips back to hers. She slid her arm around Tara’s waist and allowed her hand to slip down to the swell of Tara’s ass. They kissed steadily, neither doing anything to escalate their embrace. Hands moved slowly and their bodies arranged themselves into the most comfortable positions. When they were sorted, each was pressing against the other’s thigh.

“What do you want?” Tara whispered into Buffy’s ear.

In answer, Buffy slipped both hands to cup Tara’s ass and pulled her against her thigh. “You,” she said softly.

Tara’s hands went to Buffy’s cheeks. She held the Slayer’s face steady a few inches from her own. “I’ve been yours for a long time. S-since you t-told my f-f-father…” Tara paused to take a steadying breath before starting again. "Since you told my father he'd have to go through you. Thank you."

Buffy didn't answer. She held Tara's gaze and shifted into Slayer mode. Tara's magic answered and Buffy was surprised at its familiarity. She wondered when it had happened and why she hadn't noticed. She let the Slayer fall away but Tara's warmth stayed. "Magick?" she asked again.

"Love," Tara answered.

After a long moment Buffy dropped her eyes and snuggled under Tara's chin. Her hands continued to hold Tara's hips against her own. She listened to Tara's heartbeat and Tara's quietness. It was the first time in too long she could remember being still and unhurried.

Tara moved one hand up to stroke Buffy's hair. She waited for Buffy to move. It took longer than Tara thought it would for Buffy to pull away.

"I'll be back soon," Buffy said apologetically and Tara let her go.

***

Buffy ran at an easy pace through Sunnydale. It looked different during the day but she paid no mind. Her mind was busy trying to reconcile the past few hours with the rest of her life. Everything since her resurrection had been dark and hard and suddenly it wasn't. She tried to think of a reason, any reason, to turn away from Willow and Tara. Thinking of a future without them was impossible. Dawn, she suspected, would be relieved if not outright ecstatic. She always trailed after them, and Willow always took time to help Dawn with her homework. And when Willow nervously introduced Tara, Dawn had been the first to accept their relationship. She didn’t know what, exactly, had happened while she was dead, but Dawn now went first to Tara for comfort and solace.

She was a little surprised that she didn't care what anyone else might say. Buffy stopped for moment when she realized that. She was close to her mother's grave and Buffy decided to pay her respects. She hadn't been back intentionally since the funeral and seeing the marker brought the pain back.

There were flowers at Joyce's grave and Buffy smiled. She wiped her tears and stared into the distance and thought about her mom and what she would say. She came out of her reverie and looked around. Buffy smiled, then laughed aloud. "You can take the Slayer outta the cemetery, but you can't keep her out,'' she said, and started toward home. She was eager to return there for the first time in months.

***

Tara was studying when Willow returned. She dropped her books and leaned down to kiss Tara. "Hi."

"Hi," Tara answered.

"Where's Buffy?" Willow asked.

"She went out."

"Everything okay?''

"I think so. You know how she gets."

"Yeah," Willow agreed. "Guess I'll start dinner."

Tara nodded and returned to her book.

Willow tried not to worry about Buffy while she prepared a chicken and vegetables for roasting. She had just closed the oven door when the back door opened and closed.

''Hey, Will."

''Hi, Buff."

"How long 'til dinner?"

"Hour or so."

"Come out back with me." Buffy offered her hand to Willow.

Willow nodded and moved toward Buffy. Buffy squeezed her hand before moving toward the door.

They sat at the picnic table. Willow forced herself to wait for Buffy to speak.

Buffy looked at their joined hands for a few seconds. "When you told me you're gay, I was wigged. But not over you being gay. I was wigged because it wasn't me."

Willow nodded and Buffy continued. "Then you brought Tara to meet us. I didn't want to like her. I mean, she was taking you away. From me. But you're so happy. So it was okay. It is okay. And now this." Buffy lifted Willow's hand and gently kissed its back. "You've been with me through every bad thing that's happened, Willow, and now you're offering the greatest thing and I am so awed. I've been thinking all afternoon about what you said about watching. Until you said that I didn't know that's what I've been doing." Buffy paused. She looked toward the house and her voice dropped. "It's been so cold. Until last night I thought I was freezing. Everyone I loved left and I thought it was part of my destiny to be alone.''

Willow couldn't contain herself any longer. She raised her free hand to Buffy's cheek. "You haven't been alone" she said.

"That's what I just figured out. I'm sorry I was soooo slow Will," Buffy smiled.

Willow smiled back. “It’s okay.'' She winked at Buffy. "I'll let you make it up to me."

Tara heard the timer continue to beep, and got up to see why Willow wasn’t doing anything to stop it. She went into the kitchen and pressed the button, the turned off the oven and went to the door.

She watched Buffy and Willow. They held hands, leaned in toward each other, and Tara smiled as she went outside.

Buffy and Willow looked up when they heard the door close, and smiled when they saw Tara approach. They stood up and waited, still holding hands, for the other woman to join them.

“We good?” Tara asked softly, looking from one to the other.

“We’re good,” Buffy answered, and took her hand.

“We’re better than good,” Willow added, smiling.

“Then we should get dinner.” She smiled at Buffy, then winked. “You need to keep your strength up.”

“That’s what I was gonna say,” Buffy answered while Willow laughed.

-30-