House Rules by Crys Loch

Disclaimer: All non-original characters and settings herein belong to persons such as Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy, UPN, WB, etc, etc, etc.

Distribution: If you have 'em, you may have any others. If you want 'em, ask and they shall be yours.

Spoilers: None really. Think of a time past, present or future, but everyone is a little more happy and settled. The series started before season 6. Basically, by now, you have to ignore the show. That's just silly, huh?

Summary: The circle of players narrows back down to just our two ladies. And as with every friendly poker game, house rules come into play.

Willow stood at the front door of Buffy's house. She had slowly walked here after her lesson with Toni, her mind filled with and replaying the experiences of the afternoon, trying to find and hold onto the lessons that were mixed and hiding with the aftermath of sensations and fears. It had finally come down to it and she needed help as well as time to figure it all out. Still, she just stood there in front of the door, not quite finding the courage to knock.

Buffy gathered her things to go out on a snack run before tonight's meeting and patrol. She was dreading this first gathering since the spin the bottle fest. And the more she dreaded, the hungrier she got. Since Dawn was out, the ice cream would be all hers. She opened the door and was startled when she almost ran into Willow.

"Was. Past tense. You coming in?" Buffy was shifting gears to worried friend mode. She could tell something was up.

"Well, I don't want to keep you from anything..." This was Buffy, this shouldn't be so hard, but Willow was still on overload.

"Wills, all you're keeping me from is ice cream. And I think we have cookies in the kitchen instead." Buffy headed off to the kitchen but paused when she noticed the tender, careful way Willow walked to the living room and sat on the couch. Buffy worriedly followed her friend instead. "Wills, what happened? Are you okay? Did someone hurt you?" She paused trying to decide whether to sit on the couch with her friend or simply immediately go to the weapons chest.

"Buffy, come sit down, k?" Willow was touched by the protective and possibly violent tone in Buffy voice. "I'm fine, just... Well, I'm on the sore side of fine."

Sitting on the couch, Buffy remembered what day it was and her mind was catching up. "Okay, is this from the lessons? Just what did happen?" Buffy demanded.

"Buffy..." Willow wanted Buffy in an open frame of mind. She still had enough of her own fears running around her body.

"No way. I saw how you came in here. I know the grimace of pain. And I noticed Toni didn't give you a ride here." Buffy was still unclear whether she should just go to the weapons chest.

"Ah no, no motorcycles right now." Willow confirmed with a half grin. "Way too much vibration." She smiled a full grin at Buffy while remembering an incredibly good and confusing part of the day's earlier events. That got Buffy's curiosity.

"Wait a minute, what did happen?" Buffy settled a little more into the couch, seemingly more ready to hear Willow out.

"Okay," Willow dragged out the word trying to find where to start from next. "Remember how last week's lesson was about different types of bondage from none to full out restraints?"

"Yeah. And I remember you trying the 'I have to practice' routine. Which, by the way, still not gonna happen." Buffy grinned trying to give Willow the encouragement to continue.

"Then I'll say 'maybe' if it gets you to continue with the story." Buffy wasn't sure which was the truth- no, maybe, someday absolutely, but she wanted to leave that for another time.

"Maybe?" Willow beamed before continuing, "Okay and anyway, this week's lesson was about..." She was unsure how to really put this.

"About what!? Willow, you can tell me anything. Remember? You, me, us, major revelations and secret games?" Buffy tried to reassure.

"Okay. Well, um, today it was about the pain I guess. The different ways of giving it, various places to aim it, what each one feels like and my own personal limits of what I might like or like to do." Willow let it all spill out hoping she really didn't have to go into much detail.

Buffy just sat somewhat stunned and trying to let it sink in. Finally, she had to be sure she understood this. "Pain? As in whips kind of pain? As in she whipped you?"

"Well no, if you're thinking like bull-whip whipped me, no. Though it was talked about." At the shocked look on Buffy's face, Willow quickly continued. "I've showed you pictures. You've seen the catalogs. Riding crops, leather spanking tools, small whips, that kind of thing. And clothes pins. I definitely remember the clothes pins."

"So, she tied you up and... my mind goes to scary images there so you have to fill in those blanks."

It was Willow's turn to laugh. "You can stop the images now. She didn't tie me up. The only restraints were verbal and voluntary. She wanted me to be able to just jump away if I really needed to. See, all sane."

"Right. Sane is standing there while you're whipped." Buffy added sarcastically, but with humor to take the edge off.

Buffy took the bait. "So, what was it like? Did you like it? I guess you did cause you're walking and sitting so carefully."

Willow smiled at Buffy and tried to form some reply in her mind. "I'm not sure like is the right word. There were parts I did enjoy, which brought surprise and some confusion. But today I needed to go all the way to my limit. In fact we went just past my limits. It turns out my limits are kinda low. But that's okay because it only confirmed I'm not really a sub. And now I know, really know, what someone's who does enjoy it limits might be. You know something though?"

"What's that?" Buffy was amazed at her friend. That Willow would want to try this, sure she could believe that. That Willow kept going all the way with something till she went beyond what she could do never ceased to amaze her.

"It's more intimate than I thought it would be. You really can't tell from the pictures how intimate it feels." Willow confessed.

"Just how intimate did it get?" Buffy leaned in even closer for the details, setting Willow's hand down on her thigh while still keeping her own hand over it.

Willow blushed. "Well, I mean the act of letting someone whip you or strike you over and over is more intimate than I would have imagined. It feels more personal, close, as it goes on."

Willow laughed, then took a deep breath for courage. "It was also pretty intimate where on my body this was happening." Buffy's eyes got wider. "And it was an absolute turn on the parts we found I did like. Which is where she returned to at the end, the things I liked. Just cause, well, just cause we were both turned on. Buffy..."

"I, we, I can't believe it but I ended up asking permission, no, really begging to please her."

"And then, as a reward I guess, or at least as a how you should end a scene, she pleased me. Or really, she drove me crazy and made me wait until she gave me permission to..." Willow was torn between blushing with embarrassment and enjoying the effect it was having on Buffy.

"Permission to cum. I had to wait on the brink until she gave me permission to cum." Willow made sure she was looking Buffy in the eyes as she admitted it. If Buffy was going to make her say it, she was going to enjoy the effect.

Buffy closed her eyes and shook her head slightly as if she didn't really hear that right. "Wow. Okay, wow." She tried again. "Did you? Like right away? Did you?"

Willow laughed. "Of course. Hello, earth to Buffy, are you okay in there?" Willow removed her hand from under Buffy's to wave it in front of her face.

Buffy mocked glared at Willow. "You tell me something like that, and what?, I'm not allowed to go to the visual place? I may not live there like you do, but I do have a visitor's pass."

"Oh, this is so not fair. It is far more story than you and Spike and Hazel." Willow did protest now.

"Okay, but only keeping in mind that I think we should find out what you like." Willow relented with her own evil grin.

"Maybe, or yeah, someday. But there's the game. Can't do it now cause the game."

Willow filed the implied yes away but didn't push it now. "Gods, I can't believe I'm admitting this out loud. But I have to right? Self knowledge and all that. Okay, I liked it when she spanked me. Really liked it. Not so much with the pain I know, but hello!, not into the whole pain thing. But interesting pain side note, I liked the nipple clamps too. And kinda the clothes pins, to a point."

"Okay, now the clothes pins you're gonna have to explain." Buffy could barely believe any of what she was hearing today, and that one even less than the others.

"Oh no. You're just gonna have to find out for yourself." Willow smirked. It was time to end the confession and start the teasing.

Buffy wasn't sure what to say to that one. Mostly because she was growing curious to the point of wanting to find out more for herself.

Willow pressed the advantage. "In fact, I think added to our game, if you should give in first, or really when you give in first, you should be punished." The look in Willow's eyes were equal parts taunting, daring and demanding. It was a look that Buffy was growing more intrigued with as these explorations went on.

"Oh no." Buffy pulled back a little with a smirk on her face. "Not that it matters, cause you're the one whose gonna give in first. But oh no. So, what will happen when you give in?" The 'no' was ending in an 'your on'.

"Well, not that it matters, cause it's not gonna happen, but what do you want?" Willow knew she had her hooked.

"Hmm. Hold on, let me think." Buffy grinned, a glint in her eyes. "When you give in, you have to please me, make me cum as many times as you can, totally one-sided till I can't take anymore. I'll warn ya now, I have stamina. Or at least I haven't reached a limit yet."

"Deal." Willow quickly concluded the addition to the rules before Buffy's mind caught up with her impulsive nature. She hoped the more Buffy thought about the idea of being punished, the more her subconscious would want to give in.

Buffy paused a moment as it all sunk in. "So you really did like it? The parts you liked I mean."

Willow smiled. "Took me right past a line and to a place I've never felt before. Very intense and freeing in a here I am begging for permission sort of way", Willow confessed. 'Oh yeah, like taking candy from a baby. But that's a really bad thing to do.' Willow thought to herself, then stopped the side thoughts before they brought her to a funk. Buffy helped snap her out of it.

"I can't see it, Will. I just can't see it. I'm trying for the visual place, but..." Buffy suddenly fell back against the side of the couch and just stared at the ceiling. "You, my own Willow, begged... and liked... waited..." Buffy was just slowly shaking her head while her brain misfired some.

Willow suddenly understood why Buffy was having such a hard time letting it sink in. They were equals, or at least they both knew they were now. Equals in different ways, but they were both strong and stubborn and given what they go up against almost nightly, hard to intimidate and rarely give in. In both good ways and bad, they've stood up to each other and have stood by each other. Buffy was putting herself in Willow's place and having a hard time seeing herself having a similar reaction. 'Good.' Willow thought. 'Let her think on it a long while.'

But Buffy had another plan, or at least a change in subject up her sleeve. "So," She started, sitting up, "Have you worried yet about the meeting tonight? Cause I've been and that reminds me, I need sugar. Don't get up," Buffy asserted as she got up from the couch and headed towards the kitchen, "I'll bring back cookies."

Willow smiled at her friend's ability to put thoughts away. 'It must be a slayer thing.' She realized. 'Would come in handy most apocalypse occasions.' She could do it herself, but only when casting a spell and only when she felt the power of the spell start to move through her. She started to wonder if maybe Buffy always felt her slayer power, a constant pulse through her mind and body. But then her thoughts started to imagine feeling that power under her hands, her friend releasing that power to her will. She considered maybe doing a spell right now, just a little one, just so she could stop the train her mind was currently riding on. When Buffy came back with a plate of cookies, she was thoroughly flushed and quickly grabbed a cookie, attempting to act normal and calm.

"Well, yeah," Willow agreed but was quick to correct, "but the lesson is mostly shocking confusing place right now. Happy visual place stars my best friend."

Buffy beamed before she realized, "Hey! In your dreams." But before she could protest further, her mind stalled again. "Clothes pins?!"

"Well it's just so, clean laundry thing. And you never answered. Meeting, worry, you?" Buffy tried again for admittedly only a slightly safer topic.

"Laundry not what comes to mind any more." Willow knew this new topic had to come up as well, so willingly let the other go for now. "Not worried, or at least not any more worried than I guess any of the others will be. It's not like anything new really came up that we didn't really know was there. Well, except for you and Giles that is."

"I know! That's the worry. Well that and what if Anya changed her mind and decided Xander's subtext became too textie."

"Anya didn't change her mind." Willow reassured. "I ran into her a couple days ago. Anya is plotting ways to get us to play Truth or Dare, or Strip Poker."

"Ooooh, Strip Poker sounds good." Buffy grinned evilly before returning to the first worry at hand. "But what am I gonna do about Giles?"

"Not with Giles, about Giles." Buffy was quick to correct. "That's the thing. You know the thing he was talking about where reactions overcome control and regrets and stuff?"

"So you have regrets with what happened with Giles?" Willow was trying to force Buffy to reason this out a little.

"No, not really regrets..." Buffy accepted Willow's challenge and tried to find the right words. "But I don't have datie feelings for him. I don't want a relationship or something. Well, something keeps coming to mind but I push it away cause there's the whole this is spicing it up in a bad way. Like with us it's masala, with Giles is like too many chili peppers."

"See, there's that information I didn't need to know again." It wasn't that Willow was disturbed by the thought, it was that she had enough to be curious about at the moment. "So, do you want anything more than that one good kiss? And I mean really want, in your life, right now, not in your dreams, or next year."

"That's one of the things I love. The way you can just sort through the hard stuff till you get to the right stuff." Buffy was pondering the question, the one she knew she had to answer, now that she had the right one.

"Yeah." But Buffy continued anyway. "I think it was the situation, just like he was talking about, not really about the two of us, me and Giles. It was the game, our game, that game, everything that happened that night, what happened the night before. I think that's why it felt so... well intense. And why I think I'm so worried about it now after my mind finally caught up."

"It hurts a little, going past a limit, huh?" Willow was reminded of her current experience of going past a line.

"Yeah, but kinda hurts in a good way." Buffy was back to teasing. "Kinda in that not really a regret, cause, wow! kinda way.

"Yeah, I know what you mean." Willow grinned in acknowledgement. "Now you have to go talk to him before the meeting though."

"You were thanking me just a moment ago for my problem solving." Willow reminded her friend.

"Yeah, but I had forgotten how you always follow good questions with mature correct suggestions." Buffy protested.

"Well I'm right you know. You have to go now, before the meeting and talk with Giles. Make sure he understands what you understand. Get it all out in the open. I think we've learned at least that lesson by now."

"You want to come with, right? Moral support and all that." Buffy could face any evil alone except for a difficult conversation.

"Oh no. This is something I don't need to watch. This is something you need to do." Willow asserted and if need be would press on till Buffy was pushed out the door.

Buffy sighed. "Fine. I hate you or thank you or something like that." Buffy stood up and again prepared to go out the door, smiling to take the harm out of her first words. "Stay here till meeting time. You gonna be able to walk there?"

"Well I'm certainly not going to ride a bike there. I'll be fine. I just have to think of a cover story."

"And good luck with yours." Willow gave Buffy the shooing motion. "Now go." After Buffy was still stalling. "Now!" Willow ordered.

'The confident look in her eyes mixed with a grin was an interesting twist to resolve face.' Buffy thought as she left and made her way to the Magic Box.

As luck would have it when Buffy arrived at the Magic Box she found only Giles in the store and no ready excuses to not have the conversation. "Hey Giles. Where's Anya?"

"Hello Buffy. Anya's out with Xander buying what might be called food for the meeting. But if you're looking for them, I believe they could be late, considering the mood I was unfortunate enough to witness when they left." Giles was just finishing the day's chores before closing the shop.

"Ah, well..." Buffy turned to lock the door and put the closed half of the sign facing outward. Taking a deep breath she turned again towards Giles. "Willow made me come." She started.

Giles could only reply with a startled look, noticing the shop was officially closed and Buffy was looking a little uncomfortable.

Buffy noticed his expression and replayed in her mind what she had just said. Laughing put her more at ease and she crossed over to where he was standing. "Geez, Giles. Gutter much?"

Giles smiled indulgently. "I see. So, 'over here to talk with me' was the missing link in the sentence. And here I was about to enjoy what you so aptly call the visual place." He teased.

"Hey! Hard enough on this end. Or... not so hard. You're okay with weird night, aren't ya? Besides, she's done the other plenty of times... just not directly." Buffy could tease back.

"I'm not sure I need to know the details of your game. But I'm glad Willow exercised the control she's always seemed to have with you." Giles didn't notice the sudden flush in Buffy's cheeks as her own mind replayed a recent conversation. Her mind started to go back over their entire relationship as what he said rang true, seeing the interactions filtered through words like; power, control, and submission. Just before she could panic, wondering how he knew about what Willow was exploring and suggesting, she caught what he was saying as he continued. "She's right of course. We do need to talk."

"Oh. Yeah. Let me start, cause not really with the easy. Too many green chili peppers." When Buffy saw the confused look on Giles' face, she attempted to dive in clearly and get this over with. "Giles, the game, it was just part of the game. Well, it was a big part our game, so I know I got carried away. Cause me and being watched, not in with the control yet. I don't want to regret it and I don't regret it, but if it messes us up then I will regret it." She stopped there, hoping it was enough.

Giles smiled with some relief. To say that their kiss didn't turn him on or didn't inspire his mind to thoughts of further actions would be a lie. And he learned long ago to at least not lie to himself. But for it to go further than the one kiss under the influence of a game is not what he wanted in his life right now. 'In your fantasies,' He chided himself, 'but not in your life.' "I understand, Buffy. It was the situation, not an intended action."

"Oh, I intended to drive you crazy. I did drive you crazy, didn't I?" Buffy corrected before she could stop herself. She shut her mouth firmly by placing her hand over it.

Giles laughed. Her impulsive nature he sometimes feared, but usually enjoyed. "Well, lets just say a reaction was enjoyed, then promptly put into context. I am grateful I was aware of your game with Willow though. It allowed me to try and gain a reaction myself. But please Buffy, I do understand."

Buffy grew serious for a moment. "It wouldn't have happened if you didn't know about our game. I may have got too caught up, gone too far, all that, but it was only because I knew you knew. And you knowing... gods! I can't turn this off! If it's all good, I'm gonna go work out."

"Go. It will be a half hour before the others arrive." Giles responded to a retreating Buffy, reminding himself it was not polite to laugh at the young.

Meeting time arrived. Buffy noticed Willow sneaking in when she saw that everyone was busy setting up the snack food on the table and gingerly sat next to Buffy. The others settled but before it could start, Tara's absence was noticed.

"Hey Wills, where's Tara? Isn't she coming?" Xander was always ready to ask the obvious.

When Willow saw the question also in Buffy's eyes, she remembered that she had forgotten to tell everyone. "Oh, sorry. I thought I told you. Tara's out of town. She's at a Women's Music Festival in... some state up north. She had a sudden invite from friends and so tagged along. She'll be back in a few days."

"A bunch of women living together in tents and dancing around in the mud when it rains." Anya added.

"Sounds like fun." Xander was ginning with the image until Anya hit his shoulder.

"Well, not on official business." Anya replied. "They're not so much with the vengeance. More about sex."

"Lets just start the meeting then, shall we?" Giles cut in before the conversation could continue. "Buffy, what have you found out about our lying demon?"

"Not much. A lot of demons are just leaving town. The others seem to be going at each other." Buffy was willing to change the conversation, knowing she could just ask Willow about it later.

"I haven't found any strange occurrences or patterns in the news or police databases. It seems like nothing is happening to us or the town itself." Willow added her research input.

"And I'm afraid there isn't much in my books on the matter. I can only find vague references to a demon that preys on other demons' fears with lies. I think we may be witnessing a visit of the demons' boogyman." Giles concluded.

"He's awful. He makes you paranoid and scared till you're afraid to be alone, but then you're more afraid to be around anyone else. I say you should slay him, but since he doesn't ever harm humans you probably don't have enough sympathy." Anya's arms were crossed protectively over her chest and she was leaning on Xander for support.

"Anya, honey, you're human now. He can't get you anymore." Xander was trying to comfort her.

"Still, gives me nightmares. I want sex. Lots of sex so I don't have to think about him anymore." Anya demanded.

"Okay An, whatever will help." Xander was trying to ignore the looks his friends were giving them.

"Well then, I guess the best course of action is to let the demons banish their boogyman. Still, we should keep up our guard in case we're wrong about this." Giles was happy for once that a demon problem was not their problem.

Willow and Buffy both noticed that Anya was still visibly shaking and decided that cheers would probably not be appreciated. Buffy chose instead to end the meeting. "Well, I'll keep patrolling. In fact, why don't I go do that now. Xander, take Anya home. Willow, you want to come with me? Giles," she paused, "I'm not sure what Giles does." She finished with a smile realizing what she was doing.

"Giles goes home to tea and a good book. Or music and a good drink. I'm not sure which yet." Giles answered on his behalf.

"Alright then, if anything changes or comes up, let Giles know." Buffy smiled having come up with a job for him anyway.

"Come on, slayer general. Lets hit the night." Willow was all for patrolling with Buffy, but was hoping fighting or even moving fast would not be in order. Xander was busy guiding Anya to the door and Giles was putting away the remains of the food, so she took the opportunity to slip carefully out of the shop to wait for Buffy.

Buffy joined Willow outside and they started to slowly walk. "You know Wills, you don't have to patrol with me. I'm just used to asking you, habit and all that. I'll walk you home instead if you want."

"No. Patrol is good, alone in my house is bad. I'd rather be with you if it's okay. I only hope it's slow and no fighting." Willow admitted.

"Check." Buffy confirmed. "Just a quick sweep, or a slow sweep, of the town, then... something less walkie. So, Tara's at a music festival?" Buffy left the question open, having no sure idea why it worried her.

"Yep. It sounded just as Anya described it." Willow thought this was as good a time as any to bring up the real reason Tara left for a while. "She'll have fun." Willow paused a moment to beam a grin at Buffy. When Buffy didn't interrupt with any further questions or comments, she went ahead with the rest of the story. "There was another reason to go though, Buffy."

"I was afraid of that. Did I do something wrong? That last night together, I just..."

"No!" Willow tried to cut off Buffy's worries and blames. "No. We didn't do anything wrong. But our game did start to include her. I believe 'encompass and surround' were her exact words and she just wanted some time away from it. She's not freaked and there's no regrets. She wanted me to make sure I told you that." Willow smiled at Buffy to reassure her. "She just wanted some space. Just like she wanted space from the 'us' that was Willow and Tara before. I'm just beginning to think we're contagious." Willow finished hoping that Buffy could accept this without guilt.

"Like a plague." Buffy concluded. "But don't worry. I get it. Things just got massively harder, but it's all good." Buffy smirked when Willow burst out laughing.

When Willow's laughter died down, she was able to speak again. "Oh gods, thank you Buffy. I needed that. I can't believe you admitted it, but that was great. You're just chock full of honest insight lately."

"Yeah, yeah. So no more Tara outlet." Buffy got an evil grin. "There's always Spike."

Willow took the bait. "No! There's to be no more Spike, Buffy. Do I have to list all the no more Spike reasons? Cause they're lining up in my head right now and if I have to don't think that I won't, 'cause I will."

Buffy laughed then put a reassuring arm around Willow, giving her a brief hug as they entered their second cemetery. "I was joking. I promise, out of system, and I'm not that far out of my mind. Everything plenty complicated enough, thank you."

"Little miss slayer likes to play with fire." Willow muttered under her breath, but wasn't surprised that Buffy heard and turned to her with a smirk.

"I'm hardly as bad as a lust filled vampire stalking a slayer." Willow countered.

Willow couldn't believe she just dared to say that. And couldn't let the dare slide. She pulled Buffy to a stop and backed her against the wall of the tomb they were passing. "You compare me one more time to Spike and I'll..."

"See." Buffy forestalled the rest. It wasn't the threat she needed to hear, it was the reaction that she wanted. Buffy could feel her pulse increase as she read the unnamed threat in Willow's eyes. Physically, Buffy had the power, but she was beginning to realize in every other way and not even including the magics, Willow had more control. She slowed her breathing and smiled. "I like to play with fire."

It almost sounded like a low growl was coming from Willow when she realized what Buffy had done. She smiled and backed down, releasing Buffy while knowing Buffy could have broken free at any time. But since Buffy was in the mood to feel power...she was going to continue the topic of conversation and try to lay down some new rules. "Stay." She ordered, not really surprised when Buffy leaned back against the wall again. "Now listen." She started pacing slowly. "We have to stop including the people or vampires we know. This started with us finding out we had some secrets in common, but instead of just having sex like sensible people would, we decided to have fun. And that's of the good, by the way." Willow wanted to reassure.

Buffy could follow where Willow was going with this. "But it's not exactly our fault half of everybody found out." She protested.

"True, they noticed so now they know. But we both took it a little further than that." Willow pointed out. "Let 'em go back to watching, join in the only observing. We should bring it back to us." Willow concluded.

"Oh gods." Buffy whispered to herself. She knew Willow was right, but if it just came down to herself and Willow, it was becoming clear who was stronger. "Okay, new house rules in place." Buffy agreed then unconsciously waited for permission to go on with the patrolling.

"Good. Then lets get back to work." Willow didn't notice Buffy had waited, her mind was still engrossed in controlling the direction the game had taken and relieved Buffy had agreed so easily.

They fell into an easy silence through the graveyard until Buffy noticed a new grave. "We should stop here. Let's wait and see if this was natural, or at least human."

"I didn't read about any neck injuries in the police reports." Willow leaned against a large tombstone.

Buffy shrugged. "I just got a feeling. Look at how old this guy was when he died. I'm thinking someone in his twenties doesn't go of natural causes very often."

"Good point, we wait. Besides, it's not like the night is crawling with monsters. I guess even demons are afraid of the boogyman. You think Spike is alright?" Willow wasn't sure why she asked it. She didn't really hate him. And she knew that night with Buffy was as much her fault as theirs. But she wouldn't completely trust him, so wasn't sure how she felt about him being around all the time.

"Hmm? Oh, yeah, I'm sure he's fine." Buffy suddenly felt the presence of a vampire nearby and looked in slow circle for it. "Or," Buffy turned to Willow, "you can ask him yourself."

Spike noticed Buffy and Willow near the path he was taking through the cemetery, and noticed that it was too late and Buffy had seen him. Steeling himself for unknown reactions and potentially dangerous fighting, he continued on, stopping just beyond her reach. "Buffy. Willow." He kept his posture and face neutral.

"Spike." Buffy's voice was clipped, her face unreadable, just long enough to make Spike worry a bit before she smiled and took all the edge off. "Don't worry. Relax. I'm a grown-up slayer now."

"Bloody hell woman. Like I don't have enough aggravation right now." Spike lit a cigarette and waited to see what came up.

"The boogyman. We heard. You alright? Willow was just wondering if you were alright."

Spike chuckled. "It's alright. I won't think you were caring. Besides, I'm just fine. No lying demon wanker is gonna bother me. I'm above it all." Spike paused and turned towards Buffy. "I'm crashing with Hazel until the bugger leaves town."

Buffy laughed. "Oh, that's cute. Spike, you're playing house with a prostitute." She couldn't help but keep laughing.

"No, no." Buffy assured. "I'm surprised Hazel would take you in. Maybe I should have a talk with her. But no, Spike, no problem."

Buffy's face grew calm, almost too serious. "No, Spike. I'm not jealous." She hoped he understood all of the meaning. His face fell a little, briefly, and she knew he did. Then his eyes glanced to Willow before returning to hers and a thought came to her mind. "You jealous, Spike?"

Spike was taken aback by the question, but tried not to show it. Covering his mental listing of options by staring at her, the one he chose surprised even himself. "A little." He admitted. "All part of the fun and mix. But the real question is what now?"

"You say 'never' every time, slayer." Spike smirked and chose this to be his exit comment as he continued suddenly down the path.

Willow prudently continued to keep her mouth shut. She would deal with the next time when it happened.

"So, you gonna rise or what!?" Buffy refocused her frustration to the new grave.

As if he heard her, a hand started out of the ground, followed quickly by a whole body. "Good." Buffy growled. When she had his full attention, she started in. "You." A punch to his face. "Vampires." Another strike to the face. "Drive." A kick to his body. "Me." An uppercut to the jaw. "Nuts!" A backhand this time to the face, not that it would really hurt him, but it's what she wanted to do to Spike at just that moment. The startled vampire backed up a few paces and regained his composure. Buffy gave him the time to ready himself for the fight. She wasn't in the mood for a quick kill. When he attacked, she was a little taken aback by his skill though and mentally focused on the fight at hand.

"Hey Willow." After a few volleys were exchanged and she was even thrown back against a headstone. "You recognize the name on this guy?"

Willow was watching the fight intently, still trusting in Buffy's abilities. She glanced for the first time at the name on the grave. "No, sorry Buff, doesn't ring a bell. Why?"

"Just curious." Buffy responded between blocks and hits. "You fight pretty good for a loser." She offered the vamp. He only growled, redoubling his efforts, his full concentration on the fight. Buffy rolled her eyes at the lack of coherent response and was easily settling in now to the rhythm of his moves. "That's all I get? That was a compliment you know." Buffy was hitting him far more often than he was hitting her. He was growing frustrated and she smiled as her stake dropped out of her sleeve and into her hand, followed by a swift dodge and spin as she drove it through his heart. "Compliment over." She stated as he turned to dust.

Buffy was about to automatically answer that yes, she was starved when it occurred to her what Willow was referring to. "Hey!" Buffy laughed. "How long have you been holding that in?"

"Since it was first brought up." Willow admitted. "And I think I get points for not asking sooner. But now... all self honest one, spill it."

"Yes, Willow, my bestest friend, I'm hungry." Buffy slowly stalked toward Willow, trapping her against the tombstone and whispered the last part of the saying in her ear. "And horny."

"I knew it." Willow beamed triumphantly. "Now, what should I let you do about that?"

"Sorry. Slip of the tongue. Speaking of which, there's that bar near the campus. We could get something to eat." Willow hoped her cross over the line didn't make Buffy take a step back.

If Buffy was about to retreat, the last comment of slipping tongues and food erased the reaction. She laughed. "Okay, but you're buying."

It was a short walk and since it was summer, the bar was mostly empty. They chose a table off in the corner with some privacy, sitting beside each other, both feeling more comfortable with their backs near a wall and where they could watch the room. Food and beer were served in relative silence. After a short time and with Buffy's plate already half empty, conversation started again.

"It's the same bar it's always been." Willow wasn't sure what made this time nicer than the others.

"Well yeah, but I mean you, me, food, beer. No apocalypse around the corner." Buffy clarified.

"Oh, well yeah, that's great." Willow readily agreed. "But it's not like our lives are free of complications. You realize we could have had sex by now, and this whole time. That first night, in my room, I could have just leaned over and kissed you. It would have been so easy." That thought had been bothering Willow since she really realized this afternoon how complicated this had all become.

Buffy closed her eyes as she replayed that night in her mind, letting Willow's words into her images. "Yeah." Buffy smirked at the end. "But that wouldn't have involved half our friends."

Willow's reaction was swift. She slapped Buffy's thigh, hard. "That's my point."

"Ow." Buffy couldn't help it, she smiled. "This Mistress side is really coming out lately. My turn for a question." She suddenly remembered something she hadn't had a chance to ask yet.

"Oh hell." Willow grabbed her beer and took a long drink, steeling herself for the question to come.

Buffy waited till Willow safely swallowed her beer and set the bottle down. "So, you're getting good with the slapping, so I'd say you'll be great with the spanking, but I gotta know... who have you thought about spanking? Besides me, you already told me, me. But there's gotta be plans or at least fantasies in that pretty head of yours." She watched as Willow's eyes grew wide at the question and couldn't hide her own grin.

"Hey!" Willow sputtered, "I thought I was 'hear it, see it' girl and you were 'tell it, show it' girl. I thought we settled that our first night, talk night I mean."

"Come on, Wills. It's my turn for asking a question and that's the one I came up with." Buffy's smile bordered on evil though she was trying for persuasive. "I've been wondering, cause you've been learning this now and you've been checking this out long before our talk night."

"Yeah, but, before this game. Before me. And now you said you liked the other stuff, some of the stuff that happened today. And I was wondering how you know you like the side you're trying to learn, if you liked what she did to you. And how you knew. And how long you knew. And if it's really you, or if it's just me." Buffy had run on for a while, but when she got to the real questions, her voice died into a whisper.

"Oh." Willow took another sip of her beer. She realized what Buffy was really asking and knew she should give her a real answer. She smiled to herself when her next realization was that Buffy was also wondering about herself. "Well, okay, honestly, and if I'm being very honest with myself, I had these ideas even before VampWillow."

Buffy looked a little shocked and took a long drink from her own beer to hide it.

In a quiet voice, though no-one was around them, Willow continued. "It started I guess with Cordelia, in a way that I couldn't really understand or admit to myself. I chalked it up to revenge fantasies, but they'd scare me when I was half asleep and they turned very un-revenge like." Willow gave Buffy a knowing grin and a little shrug. "Then sometimes I'd think of Xander, cause well, crush and all, plus we both know there are times when he could use a good spanking." Willow paused, knowing Buffy would laugh a little at that. "As for finding out what I liked today, believe me, not my regular thing." Willow could see she would have to explain it further. "It's like that night, I'm sure you liked watching me kiss Anya."

"Yeah, but you liked it a lot more when everyone was watching you kiss Giles." Willow concluded.

"Oh yeah." Buffy downed the last of her beer and wished she had another one handy.

Willow didn't tell her that she's all that Willow's been thinking about lately. She knew she had to focus now on the game and leave Buffy's mind to talk her own self into giving in and trying this. New bets were on the table. She just had to win the next few hands. The waitress came around and they both eagerly ordered more beer, regrouping and wondering where the conversation would go next.

"Okay, so what's your next lesson?" Buffy started what she thought was a safer topic.

Willow smiled at the opportunity. "Next week, I get to do everything I've learned to another."

"No, she has a friend, who's willing, though she'll be there to guide me. Next week, I get to try on the boots for a change." Willow took a drink, waiting for Buffy to think about what she's said.

Buffy didn't think. "Boots? There's going to be special clothing? Cause wow! I remember you in the leather, and wow!"

Willow laughed. "No, no real boots. It's just an expression. Though I'm looking forward to keeping the clothes on this time."

Buffy choked on her beer, making Willow laugh harder. "Stop it. That wasn't fair. You're naked for all these lessons?!"

Willow's laughter died down. "Of course." She shook her head at an amusingly shocked slayer. She decided to taunt and hopefully tempt. "As soon as I enter the room, I remove my clothes. There's a position, one of waiting, where you're kneeling down, naked, head bowed and you can feel her watching you, you can feel her eyes all over your body."

Buffy let that sink in while she distracted herself with more beer. She was getting a little tipsy but she knew her flushed skin was not from the beer.

"Hey Buffy, look who just dropped in." Willow was distracted from the conversation by a somewhat familiar face.

"Is that the guy from the other night? The poet or whatever?" Buffy started to form a plan in her head, a way to get Willow back. Besides, she was going to need an outlet, and if friends were out...

"Hey Willow, if friends are off limits, what about strangers? You know, your whole passing in the night theory." Before she thought about it too much, she was going to put this plan in motion.

Willow thought Buffy was just bluffing. Buffy wasn't the one night with a stranger type. She thought Buffy was just trying to get her worked up with possible images. She decided to call her on her bluff, raising the stakes a little, and turning it back on her. "Sure Buff, strangers are fine, but not to bring home. Only if it happens in a public place."

'Even better,' thought Buffy, 'she could work with this.' "Deal." While Willow looked on surprised, Buffy caught Ramone's attention and motioned him to join them.

The conversation was casual as Ramone explained how his car broke down and he was stuck in town until it was fixed. He thanked Buffy again for saving his life and as the talk went on, Buffy grew more flirtatious, eventually clasping his hand on the table. Ramone moved a little closer to Buffy. He didn't want to exclude her friend or make her feel uncomfortable, but he wanted to see where this would lead with this beautiful woman. Willow enjoyed the show. She still thought Buffy was bluffing though, just trying to put suggestive images in her mind. It was working, but not uncontrollably so.

Buffy had no thoughts of stopping. Once the idea was in her head, her body began to react on its own. Finally, she moved her chair so she was sitting very close to Ramone and placed his hand, still wrapped in her own, under the table and on her thigh.

Ramone quickly glanced to Willow looking for a hurt or angry reaction. Seeing none, he dared a proposition. "Maybe we should call it a night. I could walk you both home?"

Willow smiled and looked to Buffy to answer for them. It was Willow's turn to be shocked. Buffy smiled at Willow briefly and summoned her courage. It was too tempting to back up now. She shifted her body towards Ramone, leaning to whisper in his ear, but keeping her voice just loud enough for Willow to overhear. As she released his hand on her thigh, she began to slowly, lightly trace patterns on his, and answered for them. "No, not home. Here, now, like this."

Ramone was stunned. Willow was holding her breath. She could see Buffy's arm moving and could imagine what she was doing under the cloak of the table. Buffy remained patiently smiling at Ramone, her eyes a careful mix of daring and needing.

Ramone pulled his hand back and clasped Buffy's, removing it from his thigh. Buffy pulled back, staring at the table and waiting for the rejection. "I...I cannot." Ramone started. When Buffy tried to pull fully away, he kept her hand in his own and forced her to look him in the eyes. Smiling, he continued. "I'll kick myself later, I'm sure, but... but, I'm chicken. I'm sorry."

Buffy smiled at him and then leaned her head back taking a deep breath before returning her eyes to his. "It's okay."

"No, but I want to." Ramone interrupted and wanted to try again. "Your place, my place..."

Buffy stole a quick glance towards Willow, then returned calmly to Ramone. "I cannot."

Ramone looked back and forth between Willow and Buffy. "I fear I've strayed to where even poets fear to go. I'll leave you both now, but know, you'll be in my dreams." He gracefully stood, bowed slightly, and simply walked out the door without a backward glance. They both watched his exit.

Turning to Willow, Buffy was surprised she was still smiling. "Wow, poets are really sweet with the rejecting."

"All the way. Or as far as we could get without ending up in jail." Buffy admitted softly. Her mind was once again finally catching up well after the fact.

"Wow." Willow was briefly stunned by the images of what she had almost got to witness. She also quickly realized that Buffy's guilt would be coming in soon. This was too much of a buzz to waste on that. So she tried to bring Buffy back to her previous high. And take the opportunity to torment them both a little more. "Can you imagine? You, him, hands under the table. Do you think you could do that? Pretend to have a normal conversation. Cum, silently, with no-one noticing? With me, watching your face, your arm moving, smiling as we talk about the weather." Willow closed her eyes as the images flooded her own mind, unable to continue.

Buffy's eyes were wide at first at the shock of Willow continuing where the reality left off, but closed as she let the words flow over her, a grin as she let the scene continue in her own mind. When Willow stopped, she opened her eyes then, watching her friend also fall into the moment. It was her turn. "Yeah, I know I could do that. Offer you alone the little signals of what was really happening, what I was feeling. Hold it in, swallowing the moans and screams, letting you hear the whispered pleas." Buffy took a deep breath and a long sip of beer.

Willow opened her eyes and they held each other's gazes a long moment, enjoying this feeling of shared fantasy. It was almost like having sex. Willow thought this must be the true meaning of the word mindfuck.

Buffy, after letting the moment go on till just before it started to fade, ended it. "The hard part would be finding a guy," after a pause and a smile, "or a girl, who could also do it."

"I don't know, Buff. I think I could find them." Willow started excitedly planning ahead. "This world I'm learning about, I'm bound to find people who are interested and interesting people. Plus, I think I could start just being able to pick them out of a crowd. Kinda like gaydar. We could be out dancing or something and I could point out someone and you would dance with them, bring them back to our corner..." Willow let her smile continue the rest.

Thoughts of letting Willow send her out to seduce someone for her own private show flooded Buffy's mind but were just as quickly pushed to the back and covered.

Before Willow said too much or could say something the wrong way, she calmed herself down and suggested ending the evening and going home.

"Yeah, sounds like a safe plan." Buffy agreed. "But come home with me. Stay at my house."

"Come on." Buffy pleaded. "It's no fun unless we go for the full torture experience."

"They're just for you." Buffy winked. As she was standing to go, she spoke mostly to herself, "It's all becoming just for you." Buffy shook the thought out of her head and moved toward the door.

As Willow stood and followed, she smiled, not letting her know she heard the final words.

The walk to Buffy's house was mostly silent, each enjoying their own thoughts and distractions. Just before they reached the house, Willow realized something. "Wait, Buffy, isn't Dawn home tonight?"

"Yeah, but she's probably asleep. Besides," Buffy pointed out, "she knows something is going on between us. She has a way of always finding stuff out. I don't know if it's mystical or if she's just really nosy."

"Sorry. Since you told me of the spell I've been actively trying to unspell myself. Don't get me wrong, I'm not thinking of kinky sex with Dawn. I've just been trying to see her as the young adult she is and might become."

"Oh. I should do more of that too. Kinda what this is. Let her get used to the idea of you staying over more." Buffy suggested.

"Okay." Willow agreed, pleased that Buffy was beginning to set the ground for ending the secret game and beginning a more open relationship. "Still, back to my earlier statement. We should be quiet."

Willow laughed as they entered the house, stopping herself for the quiet rule. Buffy turned to her, one finger over her mouth in the 'be quiet' gesture. They succeeded in making it up the stairs and into Buffy's room, silently closing the door.

"Now we get into bed." Willow answered. "Or at least onto bed." She climbed onto the bed, laid down on the far side, rested her head on her hands and waited.

Buffy smiled. "Good idea. But I'm going to get ready for bed first." She slowly started removing her clothes. She could feel Willow watching her. She loved it. Loved that she could now consciously do this, to tease, and just because she loved it when someone watched. When she was naked, she climbed onto the bed next to Willow. She noticed the only clothing Willow had removed were her shoes and socks. "Wills," Buffy began while brushing some stray hairs from Willow's face, "I want to see."

"See what?" Willow was enjoying the innocent friend gesture contradicting the underlying situation.

"I want to see the marks, the bruises." Buffy continued stroking her hair, stretching her bare body against Willow's. "I know they're there. You have fair skin."

Willow wondered quickly if Buffy would be scared by this or intrigued. If scared, then she should minimize the exposure. She thought if Buffy was curious enough to actually ask, then she would be intrigued, and steeled herself to not blush as she showed Buffy every last mark. Willow sat up and pulled her tee-shirt over her head, tossing it to the floor. She didn't wear a bra, it would have been too constricting, abrasive. She laid back down on the bed, letting Buffy examine her body one part at a time.

Buffy could see faint red lines across the top of her breasts and over her stomach. Her eyes moved again to her breasts and she had to stop her hand from further exploring the faint bruise dots she found around them. Buffy looked up into Willow's eyes and noticed her only smiling, no embarrassment or shame, in fact no trace at all of an unpleasant memory. "What are these?" She whispered, returning her eyes to the bruises.

"Clothes pins." Willow simply answered then rolled over onto her stomach to expose her back, careful to hold herself up off her breasts.

Buffy didn't have time to think about the answer, her mind immediately focused on the patterns of red across Willow's back. None of the lines looked angry and no skin was broken, but some weren't fading as fast as the others and they covered her back and shoulders. "Willow?" Buffy asked, suddenly not sure this was the same person she knew for so long. She absently reached out and ran a finger lightly over one of the darker marks, not really registering the sudden intake of breath and moan that came from Willow.

Willow felt the touch and could remember exactly which one was being traced. The memories flooded her body more than the actually feel of Buffy's touch, then they receded, replaced with an almost soothing feeling. She logged the reaction in her mind so she could remember to do this later herself. A moan escaped her and she sat up, turning to face Buffy again. She needed to gauge her reaction and to reassure her. She got Buffy to finally go from worry back to smiling curiosity by tracing some of the marks across her chest herself. It was time for the next step. "There's more."

"More." Buffy repeated as she watched Willow undo her pants and slide them and her panties down her legs to finally be tossed onto the floor. She watched as Willow simply lay back down on her stomach. Her butt was red still, but not overly marked. Instead Buffy noticed lines on her upper thighs and curving in. She again traced some of the lines. Willow's moan and movement into the touch reminded her that she was crossing a line. "Sorry. Didn't mean to..."

Willow got her breathing back under control. "It's okay. Just... sensitive." Willow rolled over carefully onto her back and spread her legs enough to show the rest of the marks. Watching Buffy's reaction, she traced some of the lines on her inner thighs for her friend. "It's very sensitive here."

Buffy was all intense curiosity, her breathing heavy as she alternatively imagined herself in Willow's place and pushed the thoughts away. Finally, between the back and forth, she was able to speak. "You liked this? It felt good?"

"Some more than others." Willow reminded her. "And most of it after it ended, with all the heat and the tingly."

Buffy rolled over onto her back to give herself a break. Her breathing was still deep and thoughts kept bouncing through her mind.

"Hey." Willow turned on her side and started stroking Buffy hair in a comforting gesture. "You okay?"

"I just didn't think it'd be so..." Buffy closed her eyes. "I need to shut down my mind."

Willow laughed quietly. Continuing to stroke Buffy's hair, "Oh, I'd love to know what's going through your mind right now."

"Well, if you really want to stop your mind, I know of one way..." Willow whispered in her ear. She'd let Buffy take that to mean whatever she wanted. As a dare for Buffy to end the game, or just as a suggestion for a little show.

Buffy groaned in protest. "Oh no you don't. I'm not giving in that easily. You're just gonna have to try and stay watching." Buffy rolled onto her side toward the night stand and removed something from the drawer. Rolling back over, she showed Willow the long, blue, realistically phallic vibrator.

Willow laughed. "Oh my gods, I can't believe you have a dildo laying around in your bedside drawer."

"Yeah, well, this game required toy shopping. You trying to tell me you don't have one?" Buffy teased.

"Really? Whips, cuffs, all that kind of stuff?" Buffy wondered without thinking about it.

Buffy didn't respond. She just returned to her former idea of driving Willow crazy while taking care of her own need. She turned the vibrator on and started teasing her own breasts with the sensation. But she was too turned on to go slowly, quickly bringing the quivering dildo to her thighs, stroking it through her sex and finally inserting it fully and easily into herself.

Willow watched as Buffy fucked herself. Her back was arched, legs spread, her eyes closed, one hand forcefully moving the toy in and out of her pussy, the other stroking her clit. Buffy was simply and quickly getting herself off. And Willow thought how beautiful she looked in need. Leaning over, she whispered in Buffy's ear. "Tell me what you're thinking about."

The answer did as intended and overloaded Willow. She turned onto her back with a moan and almost missed Buffy's climax. "That was wicked." She accused. Reminding herself of the new rules to the game, Willow calmed herself with thoughts of punishing Buffy for that later on.

"You aren't the only mean one." Buffy agreed. "Sleepy now." She left the toy on the side table to clean later and curled up to go to sleep on top of the covers.

Sleep indeed came easy to Buffy while Willow just lay on the bed watching her friend. She was beautiful. Willow was always amazed at how deadly the most beautiful things in this world could be. She remembered reading that the most brightly colored animals were the ones to stay away from. Sure that Buffy was asleep, she quickly and silently brought herself to a climax, imagining claiming this wonderfully powerful woman for her own.

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By Crys Loch

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