The Rules Are What Again? 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: Buffy and Willow explain the rules of the game to Tara.

Willow awoke first. It could have been the lack of any real sleep from all the dreams. But now laying there in the morning light, she wasn't quite sure if what had happened in the night had really happened at all. Then the friend laying beside her in the bed rolled closer. Buffy's arm fell across Willow's waist, her head settling against Willow's shoulder, still in a deep sleep. Willow knew then the night wasn't a dream. Even in sleep there were physical boundaries that weren't crossed before. Now even in sleep, Buffy realized those lines were no longer there.

Willow took a deep breath and untangled herself from the embrace. Climbing out of the bed, she headed for the shower. It was too tempting to lay there and see how intimate the contact would get. And she was too afraid that on waking she would see awkward regret in Buffy's eyes. Either one would end their game too soon. So, postpone, or at least have a shower and some coffee first.

Willow sat at her kitchen table, coffee in hand, waiting for the inevitable unknown. She didn't really expect the worst. Nor did she expect the doorbell to ring.

Tara was standing at the front step, a shy, guilty smile on her face and in her eyes. Willow raised an eyebrow then smirked as she let her in.

"Okay, so I guess the night went well..." Willow started off. They were sitting at the kitchen table with much needed coffee and a slightly uncomfortable silence.

Tara looked up. "Yeah," the smile returning to her face, "it went very well. It was a little strange, to go out with someone who was so into casual sex. It's like her definition of personal freedom or something."

"But was it good?" Willow was grinning at her girlfriend encouragingly, hoping for the details.

Tara just laughed a little. "You are so bad." Getting up to get more coffee, "yes, it was good. No, you don't get to hear the details."

"Well, what good is honesty without the dirty tidbits?" Willow knew Tara was too shy to ever give those anyway. "Will you go out with her again?"

Returning to the table, "Yeah, I'd like to. I think we will. She's a little skittish the next day so no talk of a next date. She doesn't have to worry though."

"Ah," Willow rose from her seat, empty coffee cup in hand, and walked towards the coffee pot, pausing where Tara sat. "And I like being with you." She stated before leaning down to kiss her girlfriend. The kiss deepened from reassuring to desire.

Buffy woke up a little dazed and confused. She was laying naked in Willow's room. She groaned as she remembered. She hated morning afters, as experience gave her every right to. But this was Willow , she reminded herself, nothing could mess them up, not even masala. She was going to head for the shower, but then she smelled coffee. Coffee before shower. Buffy thought, and after rummaging through Willow's clothes, found a tank top and some shorts to wear, just in case whatever it was they had started had ended in the night.

Eventually thought broke into Willow's brain. Breaking the kiss, "Tara, I should tell you something before..."

Just at that Tara looked over to the kitchen entrance to see a obviously just woke up Buffy standing there, uncertain, and in Willow's clothes.

"Um, sorry guys." Buffy felt like she should leave, but she really wanted coffee bad.

"Before that." Willow finished, heading for the coffee pot for more, she motioned Buffy inside and to the table. "Buffy, it's okay, sit. I'll bring ya some coffee."

Buffy sat, thinking again how much she hated morning afters, unable to look at Tara or Willow. Tara watched Willow the whole time, her eyebrow raised and her turn for a smirk on her face. Willow calmly made two cups of coffee and returned to the table. Sitting and seeing Tara's questioning smirk she actually started laughing, surprising everyone.

"It's not what you think, Tara." Willow said with a huge grin. "It' s much stranger than that."

Willow laughing was a good thing, Buffy thought, and her lack of sudden babble was also a good sign, but still Buffy got up to give them some space. "I'll let you two talk..."

"No, you should stay, Buffy. I mean, unless everything is different than it was last night. Then I guess we two should talk first." Willow's worries crept into her voice.

Buffy looked up at Willow. "No, I mean yes, I mean No Doubt Girl over here. I'm okay, I want... you want?"

A big grin spread across Willow's face. "I want. So you should stay. I prefer to get all my honesty done at once."

"I'll start, you drink." Willow offered, then turned to Tara who was watching the exchange intently, trying to guess at what happened last night.

"It's not what I think? How do you know what I'm thinking?" Tara began with a smile.

"Do you think we had sex last night?" Willow cut to the point, again practicing her poker face.

"Then it's not what you think. We didn't. Well, not technically, or literally, or really..." Willow was surprised how easy this was to talk to Tara about.

"Willow, something happened last night. Stop teasing, and stop poker face." Tara was almost laughing and crazy curious.

"Actually, I think that teasing is what Buffy is supposed to do, but we haven't worked out the whole thing yet." Willow was having fun. Buffy almost choked on her coffee.

"So not fair. At least let me get one cup in me." Buffy protested again, though she found Willow's casual light-hearted tone reassuring.

And so Willow briefly explained how a bouncing slayer came over and confession night began. How Buffy liked to be watched and Tara already knew that Willow wanted to watch. How it evolved to a game of sorts. During this Buffy managed to get two cups in her and only groan in embarrassment once. Willow only babbled occasionally. Tara was shaking her head slightly at the end, while Buffy got up for a third cup of coffee, feeling more awake and at ease.

"So, you two won't touch each other at all?" Tara was amazed at what can happen in a night.

"Well, I mean I think we still can platonically, or close to that as it were. Just not overtly sexual. But it would be sad if we couldn't hug or anything." Willow tried to reason out. They really didn't get into the details of this last night.

"Willow hugs are necessary for Slayer sanity." Buffy confirmed from the coffee pot. "We don't know how this will really play out," Buffy continued as she sat back at the table. "I just know I don't want a relationship right now."

"So, I think it's being sexual with each other without having sex. Or something like that. I guess we'll see as we go." Buffy continued.

"You will? Oh, I hope so." Willow was relieved. "But just in case you don't there is a safe word."

"You sorta are, in that you know and are watching and all. Besides, there's the whole girlfriend thing. Anyway, just so you know, the word is Grace. Just in case." Willow knew Tara should know the word, even if Tara didn't think so.

"Okay, fine. But I don't think you two will hold out that long anyway." In truth, Tara thought maybe one more day and they would have to be all over each other.

"Hey!" Buffy objected, getting up and stretching her body now that everything was waking up.

"Yeah!" Willow agreed. She got up from her seat and crossed over to Tara. "Have some faith in those who enjoy torturing themselves."

"Yes, we're okay." Then Tara leaned up to kiss Willow again, pulling her onto her lap.

Watching them kiss, Buffy got an idea in her head. She walked over to them and bending down whispered in Willow's ear, "Do you know how much I want to do that myself?"

Willow broke off the kiss, breathing hard and suddenly turned on in two different directions. "Kiss who? Me or Tara?" She asked.

Buffy smiled. She could tell she had an effect on her friend. "Well, I meant you, but I'd love to kiss Tara too. Maybe you could watch." Maybe it was that Buffy was now awake, maybe it was the talk about last night, maybe it was just that she was perpetually horny lately, but she was in the mood now and having fun.

"Ah no we don't." Tara said, as she rose up out of the chair, letting Willow slide to her feet. "I don't play the game. I get to watch. And laugh." Willow gave a small pout. "And don't try that either. I should go." Tara continued while stroking Willows hair. "I promised to go to a lunch meeting. I'll see you later tonight?"

"Yeah." Willow gave Tara a hug and a kiss. "I know you won't know when you'll get out, so call me, okay?"

Willow watched Tara go then turned back to Buffy. "We really are okay, right? No weird after feelings?"

"Yeah, we're good. Best morning after I've had so far, strange as it was." Buffy was all grins.

"Buffy!" Willow couldn't help but be a little shocked. "I guess I'm not used to hearing you talk like this."

"Oh, come on... just a little peek..." Buffy took Willow's hand and pulled her upstairs and to the bathroom. But then a bold Buffy suddenly turned a little shy.

Noticing the hesitation in her friend, Willow decided to help in her own way. "Well, you aren't going to shower in my clothes, are you?" Then she started to pull the tank top up and off of Buffy. Raising her arms, Buffy allowed the top to be pulled away. Her breathing erratic, her pulse suddenly racing, she stood there watching as Willow smiled and slowly looked over every part of her bared chest.

"Oh gods, Willow..." Buffy was trying to pull her thoughts together. Willow just smiled up at her and leaned back against the sink counter. "Was that touching? I mean stripping me, that's something, right?"

"No more than whispering in my ear was." It was good to get Buffy back for that one.

"Okay, even." Buffy grinned. She was recovering from the initial flush of desire. "So, shower time." Buffy pulled the shorts from her waist and let them drop to the floor. Stepping out she walked over to start the water. She could feel Willow's eyes on her body. Stepping in, she left the shower curtain open and started on her normal routine, a general turned on buzz vibrating through her body but not intense or focused.

Willow just leaned back and watched for a while, then walked up almost into the shower itself. "You're making a mess," she said, smiling, "and I'm going back to my room before I do something like climb in there with you."

"You're welcome to, you know..." Buffy looked Willow in the eyes. "Game or no game, you're always welcome to..." Buffy left the invitation open and undefined.

Willow smiled. "Thank you. And that goes both ways. But... this is kinda fun. So, I'm off. Have a good shower."

Willow laid down on her bed, a flood of images filling her mind. Buffy's show the night before, her standing naked in the shower now. Tara kissing another woman, having sex with her. Willow moved her hand inside her jeans and started to stroke herself. Pulling the shirt off of Buffy, then standing back and watching as Buffy continued the strip... she could almost imagine that Buffy was hers, that she held the leash on the hunter... Willow let her mind imagine scenes that had not happened yet, and may never will. Pinching her nipples, stroking her clit, she almost didn't notice that the water was turned off and that Buffy was done with her shower.

Buffy didn't take a long shower. She liked the buzz she was feeling and wanted to leave it pulsing through her. So, she stuck to normal routine and stepped out. Drying herself and toweling up the mess, she wrapped a dry towel barely around herself and walked off to Willow's room.

Willow had stopped when she realized Buffy's shower was done, but her breathing was heavy and she was obviously turned on. Buffy grinned mischievously, she could smell the arousal in the room, and she could see that Willow had not finished what she had started. She crossed over to the bed and lay down next to Willow, her towel all but falling off.

Willow just continued to stare up at the ceiling, trying to bring her breathing and heart rate under control. "I can't... Maybe someday, but it feels weird enough just knowing that you know I..." She couldn't really explain, but she couldn't do that with another person watching, even after all that has happened.

Buffy let a low growl purr out and into Willow's ear. Willow closed her eyes and held her breath...

"Ha. No fair is laying here not finished." Willow open her eyes and again tried to slow her breathing.

"You took a short shower." Willow accused. She was coming down to a normal pulse rate and sat up some to lean against the headboard of her bed. "Didn't you need to... you know?"

Buffy beamed a grin at her friend. "I don't believe it. All that talk, not to mention the actual watching me, and you can't say 'masturbate'? You're wonderful. You know that?"

"Huh?, you're gonna make me blush." Color was rising to Willow's cheeks. "I just expected a longer shower."

"I'm hungry. Besides, I like this low level turned on buzz. Just wanted to stay with it a while. Kinda feels like Slayer juice." Buffy explained.

"Okay, I'm okay now anyway. So, will you tell me sometime about Slayer juice?" Willow's mind had started collecting all the things she wanted to ask Buffy about.

"Yeah, sometime. So, can I borrow clothes?" Buffy asked as she stood up and let the towel fall from her.

The rest of the day was spent going out to lunch, checking in with Giles, and wandering around the downtown Sunnydale stores. Both had let up on the intense tease some, though mild flirting continued throughout the day. They knew they needed to catch their breath. It was the end of the day that sent their minds racing again.

"So, I should get back to home now I think." Buffy didn't know why things were suddenly awkward again.

"Yeah, and Tara should be calling soon..." Willow also felt it, then smiled when she realized what it was. "Goodbye hug?" she suggested.

The hug was close, soft and long. Buffy's hands stroking Willow's back. Willow returning the caress. It was intimate without quite being sexual. They both smiled as they eventually pulled away, then walked off into their different directions for the night.

Tara found herself thoroughly sexed when her and Willow got together that night.

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The Rules Are What Again?

By Crys Loch

crysloch@frontier.com