Title: Tomorrow 4/?
Author: Madsdog
Disclaimer: If I just owned Willow's body, Dawn's hair and Giles' voice to sing me to sleep... okay... none of it's mine- those bits belong to the actors and the rest is Joss' and Marti's (Tara-killers) and Love Letter #1 belongs to Red
SPOILERS: UP UNTIL THE END OF 'TWO TO GO'
***
SUMMER JUST BEFORE SEASON 3 (AGAIN)
***
"Willow?" She'd been silent for a good two minutes since he'd spoken, staring at him in either shock or horror. Suddenly her eyes seemed to focus and her face broke into a huge grin
"You mean it?"
"Willow, it doesn't mean..."
"Here and now?"
"Here and now, yes, I mean it. Stay. But-" he was silenced as her fingers flew to cross his lips
"No buts. Here and now only." She lifted her fingers to replace them with her lips and suddenly he heard her. Here and now. Tomorrow could take care of itself; she could go back to flirting with the mailman, he could go back to his stuffy Britishness. Here and now mattered. He wanted to feel all of her. The package from Birmingham fell forgotten from his fingers as he grabbed her hips and pulled her closer towards him. He could feel her small hands slip over his shoulders to pull his head further down to hers. He nipped at her lips until she parted them slightly, giving his tongue access to the rest of her mouth
The kiss was rough and desperate. Both knowing that the moment it ended they'd have to face the real world and for that reason alone pulling each other closer still, until eventually Willow broke away, gasping
Somehow, she was even more beautiful now; panting slightly, her lips parted, swollen and beginning to bruise, her eyes wide and shining, her chest pushed firmly against his, causing her breasts to swell slightly above the square neck of her top.
He lowered his head slightly to kiss her again when there was a light tapping at the door, bringing both of them back to their senses. Pulling away, Willow picked up two books from the table and moved to sit on the sofa, while Giles answered the door
"Joyce. What a surprise." He stepped back from the door to give her admittance
"I didn't wake you, did I Rupert?" A strange sensation swept through Willow at the familiarity of the name
"No. I've been up a while."
"I just wanted to apologise for what I said the other day. I didn't mean it- well not all of it. I don't blame you, but I feel I really should be blaming someone."
"It's no problem, Joyce. Really. How's Dawn coping?"
"She misses her. And she doesn't understand- not that I do really, but... she wants her sister back."
"We all want her back Mrs Summers." Willow smiled sympathetically at Joyce, while also glaring at the comforting hand Giles had placed on her shoulder. It wasn't easy, but as Willow, she managed, while also chastising herself for being crazy enough to be possessive of a hand
"Willow! I didn't see you there. Are you two researching or something?"
"N-"
"Yes, aren't we Giles? Siegel demon we met last night."
"I see. Well I have to go anyway, I have some shopping to do before I pick up Dawn from her friend's, otherwise I have to drag her 'round too. 11 year olds and supermarkets don't mix.
Two minutes later, Mrs Summer was gone, and Willow and Giles were left looking at each other
"We have to talk. But first I have to get dressed." This made her jump slightly, she'd forgotten he was only clad in his dressing gown. He headed up the stairs and she felt dread enter the pit of her stomach. Some insane part of her had hoped that now they'd kissed, the real-world side of things would disappear, but practically, she knew that wasn't going to happen, and now she was faced with 'the talk' from the man she'd spent the summer falling in love with. And she did love him she realised as he came down the stairs in jeans and a t-shirt. She loved him when he got flustered over something Xander said, when he made that clucking noise with his tongue, when he was so absorbed in research he missed all the insults thrown his way. Xander and Oz were dear to her but... they were nothing when compared to the man in front of her, who sat beside her on the couch and took her hand.
"Willow," he steeled himself and resolved what he was going to say, "I care for you a great deal, and, were the circumstances different, nothing would give me greater pleasure than to take this further, but they're not, and Snyder, the council..."
"You've spent the summer making me fall in love with you. I'm not going to give that up because some stupid bureaucrats in their offices say I should."
"You're a student Willow."
"I don't have to be." Giles' next argument fell from his lips
"What?"
"I have enough to graduate already. With the teaching I did along with those extra classes- Snyder told me told me before the summer, told me it was time to 'rid myself of the unsavoury elements of Sunnydale High,' i.e. Oz and Buffy. I told him I quite liked it here and had every intention of staying, but the fact remains."
"You don't want to though."
"But I can."
"We'd still have The Council to cope with. They already disapprove of you because you help Buffy. If they were to discover there was something between us..."
"So we don't let them find out."
"They have sources everywhere, there are too many-"
"So we don't tell anyone."
"What?"
"We tell no-one, not Xander, not Buffy when she gets back, no-one."
"Willow you're young. You don't want that type of relationship."
"I do if it's the only way I can be with you. I want you, Giles, I need you." She begged with her eyes and returned his grip on the hand he held. She saw him weakening and leaned into him, feeling incredibly manipulative and guilty, but at the same time wanting her own way for once, as she brushed her lips lightly over his
"Please Rupert." He didn't know if it was her soft lips, or the gentle way she whispered his name, but he knew in that moment he was lost, knew he couldn't deny her.
He kissed her back desperately but gently
"I love you Willow."
"I love you too."
***
SEASON 6
***
"Then was there sex?" Willow rolled her eyes, but answered anyway
"Not then. But about a week later. After Buffy got back."
"This is all very sweet and stuff, but I don't understand. What about Oz? I mean you were dating him when I first met you, and then the whole Veruca thing..."
"Oz was our cover story. He was the one person who knew about us. He agreed to keep up the 'public face' of being my boyfriend unless he met someone else. It kept suspicion off us and helped him to get rid of groupies."
"Still. That's a pretty great thing for him to do for you."
"He's Oz. He's a pretty great guy."
"So tell me about the sex."
***
Buffy sat in front of the TV, aware of the pictures, but not really paying any attention to them. It was 11:30, which probably meant Willow wasn't coming home tonight- but usually she'd phone. Still...
Creeping up the stairs so as not to wake Dawn, The Slayer began to head for her room. Just as she was about to enter, her attention was caught by the desk visible through her best friend's open bedroom door.
She knew she really, really shouldn't, but somehow she didn't seem to be able to stop herself. She wanted to know what was in the rest of those letters. And just what had gone on in her absence over the past summer...