Current mood:	accomplished
Entry tags:	buffy the vampire slayer, fanfiction, tara/willow/xander, threesomes

FIC: Something Beautiful (BtVS, Tara/Willow/Xander, adult)
Title: Something Beautiful
Fandom: Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Disclaimer: These aren't my characters. I'm not making any money off this.
Characters/pairing: Tara/Willow/Xander
Rating: Adult. I'm calling this adult-rated to be on the safe side, because there is sex in one section. It's not super-explicit, though.
Word Count: 3,532
Summary: Willow knows that what they have is unusual, but it works for them. Five snapshots of a developing relationship.
Author's Note: This is all sarcastress's fault. She said she wanted to see more of this ship, so I obliged.

This story stands on its own, but I suppose it could also be read as a sequel to Halfway, if one were so inclined.




Something Beautiful

i.

"I was bringing you flowers, you know."

Willow can hear the frustration in Xander's voice, and she rests her hand on his shoulder in what she hopes is a comforting gesture. She realizes that it's probably not as comforting as she'd like, though, since she has to be careful not to upset the ice pack he's holding to his cheek.

From her place at the opposite end of the couch, Tara gives Xander a sympathetic look. "That, um.... That was really nice of you," she says, and for a moment, it looks like Xander's mood might lighten, but then he frowns again.

"It'd be a lot nicer if I still had them," he says, sighing.

"I take it you dropped them when...." Willow trails off, but she doesn't need to finish her sentence. Xander knows what she's talking about.

"Yeah," he says. He shakes his head and lowers the ice pack for a moment, turning to look at Willow. His face doesn't look too bad, but he'll definitely have a bruise tomorrow.

"I'm really sorry about tonight," he says, looking from her to Tara and back again. "Your idea was great. 'Let's take things slow, we'll just hang out and watch a movie together.' It was smart. Not rushing into things is smart. I've done the rushing thing, and it always ends badly."

"And I thought I'd bring some flowers," he continues. "I mean, I thought that would be nice. Hey, you know what else it would have been nice to bring?"

"What's that?" Tara asks with some trepidation.

"Anything except a big, scaly demon!" Xander slumps backward on the couch, dejected. As his head hits the backrest, he grimaces and lifts the ice pack to his face again.

"Well.... It's not like you brought it right to our door," Willow offers.

"No, just right outside your window," Xander says. "And then you had to jump in and save me... and thank you, by the way."

"You're welcome," Willow says automatically, shuddering a little as she recalls the fight that happened just a few minutes ago. It'd been more than a little scary when she'd looked out the window to see Xander trying to fend off a nasty-looking demon with only a wooden stake. Luckily, she and Tara had managed a spell to blind it, and the stake had been enough to kill it, but still... scary.

Xander sighs again. "Anyway, I'm really sorry for ruining things tonight," he says. "An evening that starts with killing a big, ugly demon isn't exactly romantic."

Tara frowns a little at that. "Xander, I..." she says. "I don't think this is your fault."

"Yeah," Willow says. "Come on, Xander. This isn't your fault. This demon was already lurking around campus, and you just happened to be the one it attacked. And, hey! That's actually a good thing, because we killed it before it could hurt anyone else."

"That's right," Tara says. "The demon's dead, and we're all okay. I haven't been on the Hellmouth as long as you two, but.... Well, I'd say that qualifies as a pretty good first date, here." She smiles, reaching out and rubbing Xander's arm softly, and Willow's relieved to see him relax a little.

"Yeah. You're right," Xander says at length. "We're all okay..." he winces a little as he lowers the ice pack again, "...more or less, and that's what's really important here." He sits up straight and squares his shoulders, and Willow smiles at him and takes his hand in hers.

"Darn tootin," she says, nodding. "Now, are you done being all mopey? Because I, for one, don't think tonight is ruined, mister."

"Don't worry," Xander says. "As of right now, the moping is officially over." He chuckles, and Willow relaxes a little herself, glad to see that she and Tara have managed to make him feel better. Sure, fighting a demon isn't exactly the most auspicious beginning for their first date - not that this is exactly a date, but it's close enough, she supposes - but it's the kind of thing that living in Sunnydale means they'll have to deal with, so it'd be stupid to let it ruin their time together. She's glad to see that they're not going to let that happen.

"Although...." Xander smiles ruefully. "I really think you would have liked the flowers."

Tara glances at Willow before fixing her eyes on Xander, and she leans in and kisses his cheek, smiling at him.

"I know we would have," she says.


ii.

Willow sighs as she steps out of the computer lab and into the hallway. Her project for her program design class is turning out to be a lot harder than she thought it'd be; she's very glad to be done with it, for today at least. As she walks down the hall, heading for the building's main entryway, she starts mentally cataloging the next steps for her project. It's going to be a lot of work, but she should have just enough time to finish it before the deadline - provided she doesn't run into any problems along the way.

The late afternoon sun is shining right in her eyes as she steps outside, so she stops just outside the doors, blinking as her eyes adjust to the light. When she can see again, she walks down the steps in front of the building and starts down the path ahead. It's not too crowded at the moment, but she does pass several groups of students on her way toward the center of the courtyard ahead of her. Xander's waiting there, leaning against the edge of the large fountain set up where the paths to the various buildings converge. When he sees her, he stands up straight, smiling as she approaches.

"Hey," he says, watching her as she walks around the edge of the fountain before stopping next to him.

"Hey, honey," she says. They're not up to kissing in public yet - that's going to be a much bigger step for them than it is for most people - but she reaches for his hand, and Xander laces his fingers with hers, giving her hand a gentle squeeze before letting go.

"Where's Tara?" Xander asks.

"She should be along.... Oh, here she is now," Willow says as she spies Tara over Xander's shoulder making her way past a group of students headed away from the fountain. She has her backpack slung over her shoulder and a bottle of water in one hand, which she tucks into a pouch on the side of her backpack as she moves to stand before them.

"Hi," Tara says, smiling at them both. She runs one hand down Xander's arm, and Willow clasps her other hand briefly, running her thumb over Tara's palm. "Have you been waiting long?"

"No, not long," Xander says. "But... I thought you'd be together?"

"Tara went to the library while I was working on my project," Willow replies.

"Ah, the infamous program design project," Xander says, nodding sagely. "How goes it?"

"It's going okay," Willow says. "I still have a lot more to do. Right now, I'm just hoping I can finish on time." And, okay, she promised herself that she wasn't going to think about this any more today, but she needs to figure out the subroutine she's working on now, and how....

"Come on, Will." Xander pokes her gently in the ribs, bringing her back to the here and now. "Do I have to remind you that you've always come through on school projects before?"

Tara nods. "Yeah. You'll finish on time, and your project will be great," she says. Their confidence in her is a great thing to hear, and Willow manages a small smile even in spite of how worried she is.

"Well, I hope you're right," she says.

"You hope?" Tara sounds almost incredulous. "Okay, sweetie.... I really think you need to relax a little. Spend a little time thinking about anything but your project."

"I second the motion," Xander says. "Come on, let's go to dinner. I can promise a fun and relaxing time for all involved."

They're right, Willow decides. As hard as it is for her to let go of these things, she does need a break. So she lets herself get swept up in their enthusiasm, and her stress over her project fades into the background. She's with people who care about her, they have a date, and they're going to have a great time. That's all that really matters right now.

"Okay, fun and relaxation," Willow says, nodding. "I'm up for that."

"I just have one last question about your project," Xander says as they start down the path to the parking lot together. "This program you're writing is going to run the country's entire missile system and handle all our financial records, right?"

Willow laughs. "No. I think I'd need at least another month for that."


iii.

"So. Thought about what you're going to go as?"

Tara considers Xander's question for a moment. "Well," she muses, "the obvious choice is a witch."

"Yeah, but don't you think that's a little too obvious?" Xander says. "I mean, it's not a costume if it's what you really are. It'd be like me going as a carpentry foreman."

Willow sits down at one end of the couch, next to Tara, and she leans back and puts her feet up on the coffee table. They just finished dinner a few minutes ago, and they're in Xander's living room now talking about next week's Halloween party.

"I suppose you're right. I'll have to think about it some more," Tara says. "What about you? Have you figured out your costume yet?"

"I'm still thinking about it, too," Xander replies. He turns a little so he can see her and Tara better as he continues. "You know, it's funny. Even though I'm way past trick-or-treating age, part of me still ranks costumes based on their candy-gathering potential."

Willow smiles, but doesn't say anything. Instead, she closes her eyes briefly and lets the sound of Tara chuckling wash over her.

It's no secret that Willow likes to talk. Some people would probably say that she likes it too much, but it's just how she is. She likes it even under normal circumstances, but when she gets excited about something - and she has plenty to be excited about, these days - she can go on and on with the best of them. It's a gift.

But talking all the time can get tiring, and what a lot of people don't realize is that even her energy isn't boundless. So, for now at least, she's happy to let Xander and Tara do the talking. Just listening is enough.

She opens her eyes to see Tara smiling at Xander. "You still have an eye for that, even today?" Tara says.

Xander nods. "Oh, yeah. But sadly, it's pretty much a moot issue for me these days."

"Just one of the hazards of growing up," Tara says.

"I know," Xander says with a grin. "I may not be the most mature guy in the world, but even I know that I'm too old for trick-or-treating."

And that's when Willow sees it. They're comfortable together. Tara and Xander are chatting easily without any input from her, and there's no trace of awkwardness or uncertainty between them.

Willow's known for a while now that this day was coming, and sure, she was a little nervous about it, but now that it's here.... It actually feels nice. Their relationship isn't all about her anymore. Not that it isn't nice to be the center of attention sometimes, but if this is going to work, there has to be balance. She can't carry the whole thing on her shoulders all the time.

So she's glad that now it looks like she won't have to.

Tara rests her hand gently on Willow's leg, and Willow looks up to see her looking at her with interest.

"You look happy about something," Tara says.

Xander looks her over, then nods. "Yeah, you do," he says, smiling. "What's up?"

"Nothing," Willow says. "I just... thought of something nice." She smiles. "We were talking about Halloween costumes?"

"Yeah," Xander says. "Tara and I are still trying to decide on ours."

Tara thinks for a moment. "I went as Princess Leia one year," she says. "I could try that again."

"Oh, please tell me there'll be a gold bikini," Xander says, and Willow has to laugh when she sees the hopeful look on his face. Tara laughs, too, and leans in to kiss Xander, and when she settles back into her seat, Willow takes her hand and scoots in closer to her.

She isn't tired anymore. She feels like talking again.


iv.

Willow feels almost light-headed as Tara scoots forward on the bed behind her and slips her hands under her shirt, running them up her back. She leans forward a little, and Xander pulls her against him, pressing his lips to hers in a kiss that makes her toes curl. They've kissed like this before, of course, but now that there's the promise of more behind it, it's even more intense, and when Tara slides her hands down her sides and starts kissing her neck, Willow can't stop herself from shivering a little.

She knows she should probably be nervous. Sure, she and Tara and Xander have been getting along great, but this is a huge step. She'd be perfectly justified if she had butterflies in her stomach right now.

But she doesn't. She's not nervous, she's excited. She's getting caught up in how good this feels and she doesn't ever want it to end.

She sucks in a breath as she breaks her kiss with Xander, then moves to the side and beckons for Tara to come take her place. Tara rises to her knees and moves in closer to them, and she kisses Xander, scooting forward and pressing herself against him. He rests his hands on her hips, and Willow rubs Tara's back softly as she watches her and Xander, drawn in by their passion as their kiss grows deeper and hotter.

When they separate, Xander kisses Tara's lips, then her cheek, then her neck. Tara smiles at him, then turns toward Willow, a familiar gleam in her eye as she leans in to kiss her. Xander rubs her thigh softly as Tara's tongue swirls around hers, and Willow reaches for his hand, threading her fingers through his. Xander kisses her earlobe, and Willow moans into Tara's mouth as she deepens their kiss.

Willow's done a lot of thinking - a lot of thinking - about her and Tara and Xander's relationship, and what it means, and all the points in favor of all three of them being together. But now she's not thinking anymore, she's just feeling; all her thoughts have been swept away and that's okay. This feels good. It feels right.

They help each other out of their clothes, taking their time, touching and caressing each other as each new piece of clothing is tossed to the floor. None of them is in any hurry, and that's just fine with Willow. This is special, and she wants it to last.

Eventually, they're all naked, and she finds herself stretched out between Xander and Tara. They're touching her all over, on her thighs, her arms, her stomach, her breasts, gentle caresses that drive her crazy. She's practically tingling with arousal, and she feels hot all over, and when Tara kisses her, Willow eagerly opens her mouth for her, sharing the incredible passion she's feeling.

Tara slides one arm under Willow, guiding her to sit up, and Willow half-turns to face Xander as Tara moves behind her. Xander watches as she slips one hand between Willow's legs, and Willow gasps as Tara starts rubbing her just. There. Willow tenses at her touch, and as she sucks in her breath, Xander locks eyes with her. He moves in closer and kisses her, slow and deep, one hand running down her chest to cup her breast, and Willow moans as he rubs her gently there.

Willow loses track of time, loses herself in how good Tara and Xander's touches feel, and before she knows it, she's crying out with her release. Tara holds her close as her tremors subside, and Xander kisses her gently, sliding his hand downward to rest on her hip. Willow turns and kisses Tara, and silence settles over the room - they're past words now, all of them.

After she catches her breath, Willow leans back, resting her head on Tara's chest. Tara kisses the top of her head and strokes her hair softly as Xander kneels in front of Willow. He puts his hands on her thighs, and she opens her legs for him, letting him move in closer.

Tara watches intently as Xander looks down at Willow, and she looks up to meet his eyes and nods at him. She reaches down and guides him into her, and she almost doesn't hear his soft sigh over her own gasp. She takes his hand, threading her fingers together with his as he starts to move, and Willow moans softly as Tara slips one arm around her to rub her stomach. Her whole body feels alive, and Tara's warm and soft against her back, and Xander's inside her, and they're all together, and this is even better than she imagined it would be.


v.

Willow wakes up to the feeling of warm sunlight on her shoulders.

She opens her eyes, blinking against the light, and smiles when she sees Tara and Xander still sleeping next to her. Sunlight covers the whole bed, and when she turns to look out the window, she sees that it's a beautiful morning.

Still half-asleep, she pushes herself up and carefully maneuvers herself over Tara's sleeping form to lie between her and Xander. Xander's lying on his side, facing in, and Willow turns her back to him, pressing back against him as she snuggles in between them. It takes her a moment to get comfortable, and she rests her head on the pillows just in time to see Tara open her eyes and feel Xander stir behind her.

Tara blinks, and Willow puts on her best innocent face as she turns and focuses on her. "Morning," Willow says.

"Morning," Tara says, the expression on her face mildly curious as she meets Willow's eyes.

"Is someone squirming around?" Xander asks, propping himself up on one elbow and looking down at Willow.

"Sorry," Willow says. "I just really wanted to be in the middle."

Tara chuckles, low in her throat, and rolls onto her side, facing Willow. "I guess that's okay, then," Tara says, snuggling in close to Willow and giving her a soft kiss as she lifts one hand to her face and gently traces her hairline. Willow sighs happily, and Xander smiles down at her and kisses her shoulder. Tara pushes herself up on one arm, and she and Xander share a brief kiss and clasp hands, resting them lightly on Willow's hip.

It's Saturday, and none of them have to be anywhere today, so Willow's happy to just lie in bed with Tara and Xander for the time being. The truth is, she loves being with them like this. It makes her feel... safe.

She still remembers when she first met Tara, the connection she felt with her almost right away. It was more than just magic - it was deeper and more meaningful than that. Tara had quickly found a place in her life, and her heart, and now, it truly feels like she's always been there. Tara's a part of her now, and Willow wouldn't have it any other way.

And Xander.... Xander's a part of her, too. He has always been there; been by her side as she faced everything from school bullies to vampires and demons. For every triumph or tragedy in Willow's life, Xander's been there, to share her joy or her pain. While Tara had made her place in Willow's heart quickly, Xander had made his over a lifetime, and Willow's not afraid to admit that she still needs him.

So when she's with Xander and Tara like this, she feels like she doesn't have to work so hard at being whoever it is she needs to be at any given moment. She can relax and just be Willow. Because she knows they'll still love her, no matter what.

It's the most amazing thing she's ever felt. There are times when she still can't believe it.

"Hey," Tara says, kissing the tip of Willow's nose and bringing her out of her thoughts. "What are you thinking about?"

"You," Willow says. "Us. All of us," she adds, turning to look at Xander over her shoulder.

Xander smiles. "Good thoughts, I hope," he says.

Willow closes her eyes, taking a moment to relish the feel of the sun on her face and the warmth from Tara and Xander surrounding her. This is what she needs. It's what she wants.

"The best," she says.

END


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