Hearts and Flowers

by Dafmeister

Copyright © 2004

Dafmeister@hotmail.com

Rating: NC-17
Disclaimer: The Buffyverse is owned by Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy, Fox and a bunch of other people who aren't me (grumble grumble :-)). No infringement of copyright is intended blah blah blah…
Distribution: The Mystic Muse http://mysticmuse.net
Gospel according to St. Faith, Chapter 3, Verse 14: "Want. Take. Have." But seriously, help yourself; just send me an email so I can preen. If you put in a link or reference to this site, then so much the better.
Feedback: Yes, please.
Spoilers: Season 4.
Author's Note: Sequel to Eat, Drink, Be Merry.
Dedication: Many thanks to my friend and critic, Leila. Happy Valentine's Day!.
Pairing: Willow/Buffy

Buffy vaulted the sarcophagus and slammed both feet into the vampire's chest, sending it flying into the back wall of the crypt. As the bloodsucker picked itself up out of the dust she followed up with a flurry of punches to the face. The vampire lashed out blindly, a desperate attempt to buy some time that failed miserably. Buffy easily dodged the wild swing, and then used the extended arm as a lever to slam the vampire face-first into the wall. Before the dazed creature could recover, a stake pierced its back and the layer of dust on the crypt floor got a little deeper.

Before the dust of her fourth kill of the night had even settled, Buffy was already running out of the door in search of number five. To say she was wound a little tight was like saying Spike's hair was blond; strictly accurate and yet grossly understating the case. The Slayer was practically climbing the walls, for one simple reason.

Willow had cut her off.

No warning, no explanations, just cut her off. For two weeks Buffy hadn't even been allowed to see her girlfriend naked, let alone make love to her. Kissing, cuddling and over-the-clothes groping were allowed (and eagerly indulged in), but nothing more. All Willow would say when asked why was "Trust me."

This left Buffy in a very uncomfortable position. On the one hand, she trusted Willow implicitly and was sure that her reasons for this period of abstinence were good. On the other, since the two young women had become involved two months earlier Buffy had become used to almost nightly doses of naked Willow, and she wasn't reacting well to going cold turkey.

To cap it all, she wasn't even getting to sleep with Willow. Soon after their relationship started they'd pushed the beds in their dorm room together, having quickly learned that two habitual sprawlers crammed into a single bed simply didn't work. A few nights after The Ban had started, however, Willow had caught a half-asleep Buffy sliding her hand under the redhead's nightshirt. In spite of the fact that it was 3am Willow had immediately separated the beds, and they had stayed separated ever since, so Buffy didn't even get to enjoy the feeling of waking up in Willow's arms.

She was, in short, a very frustrated Slayer.

Buffy had never felt anything like this before. After her disastrous night with Angel she had (unsurprisingly) been rather put off physical relationships and had gone for a year and a half with nothing more intimate than kisses. Even watching a certain French movie with Angel hadn't got her particularly hot under the collar. Her night with Parker, while not almost resulting in the end of the world, had done no more to encourage her into the sexual arena. Buffy had become accustomed to celibacy, and was easily able to take care of any frustrations that did arise herself.

Willow, on the other hand, had opened a floodgate of desire and passion, and in her absence Buffy's fingers simply weren't getting the job done any more. She was therefore venting her frustration in the only way she knew how – by beating Sunnydale's nightlife to a bloody pulp at every available opportunity.

Meanwhile, back at Stevenson Hall, Willow was wondering whether a cold shower would have any more effect than the two she'd already had that evening. In spite of the ice-cool façade she was displaying to the outside world in general and Buffy in particular, Willow was just as frustrated as her girlfriend. Her condition was, if anything, actually worsened by the fact that (unlike Buffy) Willow knew that the situation would only last a few more days. To be this close and still have to maintain control was driving the redhead to distraction. Her only consolation was the hope that the end result would be worth it. The plans were laid, the stage was set, it was just a matter of waiting for the day…

"Relax, Rosenberg, it's just four more days…" Willow whispered to the empty room.

Which means four more nights of no Buffy!, her hormones whined in response.

Pushing open the door to Giles' flat, Buffy saw Anya and Xander flicking through volumes of demonology on the sofa.

"Hey guys, is Giles around?"

Xander looked up, relieved to have anything to distract him from research. "Nah, he went down the magic shop and left us tying to identify that pus-monster you ran into."

Buffy grimaced at the memory. "Any luck? I really don't want there to be more of those things, my hair still doesn't feel clean."

Xander chuckled as Buffy inspected a lock of her hair, tying to find any demon-gunk she'd missed. "You look fine, Buff. Are we still on for Monday?"

All thoughts of demonic goo were driven from Buffy's mind and replaced with much more pleasant ones. "Yeah, Willow and I have dinner reservations at 7:30, so we'll probably be at the Bronze around 9:00."

"Cool."

"It feels weird not to be working on Valentine's Day." Anya looked up from her book. "D'Hoffryn always used to give me February 15^th off because I was so busy."

Xander took her hand, gently. "Ahn, honey, this year you're going to see how it's supposed to work. No vengeance wanted or needed." Anya broke into one of the sappy smiles she reserved for Xander alone. Recognising that she was about to suggest Xander take her somewhere and do something intimate, Buffy beat a hasty retreat.

As soon as her last class of the day finished, Willow slipped away from the campus and headed for 1630 Revello Drive. Letting herself in with the key Joyce had left for her, she quickly ran around the house, checking that everything was in place. Satisfied that everything was as it should be, she headed back to campus to get ready for her dinner date.

A few hours later, Willow and Buffy were at Orsini's, Sunnydale's best Italian restaurant, finishing an excellent candlelit meal by sharing a dish of tiramisu. Both girls had dressed to impress. Buffy's royal blue halter-neck dress co-ordinated nicely with her blonde hair, which hung loose around her. Willow had opted for a simple black dress, much like the one she'd worn to Homecoming. Each thought the other looked fantastic.

As they finished off the dessert, Buffy surreptitiously reached into her bag and retrieved a small parcel. When Willow opened her eyes after savouring the last mouthful, she found Buffy sliding the brightly wrapped package over to her. "Happy Valentine's Day, Will."

Willow smiled lovingly and reached into her jacket pocket. "I suppose I ought to give you this now, in that case." She held out a smaller package wrapped in blue paper.

"You open yours first, Will," Buffy said, hoping Willow liked her gift.

"No, you first."

"Come on…oh, okay!" Buffy giggled and began unwrapping the package. Willow smiled indulgently; Buffy never could resist anything wrapped in shiny paper.

Pulling open one end of the wrapping, Buffy slid out a jewelry box covered in deep blue felt. Opening the box, she gasped "Oh Will, it's beautiful…" Willow beamed as Buffy lifted out the large silver Gothic cross and chain, set in the centre with a red, oval-cut gemstone. She held the cross up to the candlelight, fascinated by the way the light sparkled through the gem. "What sort of stone is this?"

"It's a garnet. It symbolizes truth, commitment and faithfulness. Also looks pretty." Willow grinned.

Buffy smiled and held out the necklace across the table. "Would you put it round my neck?"

Willow gently took the chain, stood, and walked around the table. Buffy bent her neck, pulling her golden hair aside for Willow to fasten the chain. Having settled the chain in place, Willow returned to her seat, admiring the way the silver gleamed against Buffy's tanned skin, with the garnet glowing like a low fire in the centre.

Buffy put the box into her bag and looked over at Willow. "Your turn."

Willow grinned and began opening the wrapping, rather more carefully than Buffy – partly because it was her nature, and partly because she loved teasing her girlfriend. Eventually she slid off the paper and uncovered a black leather case, inlaid with a silver willow tree. From the weight she could tell there was something inside it, so she flipped the top open, revealing a beautifully illustrated tarot deck. Willow gazed at the cards in silence.

"Do you like it, Will?" Buffy began to babble nervously. "I heard that a tarot deck has to be given or it won't work…"

"Buffy, it's gorgeous…where did you find it? All the decks I've seen around here are the modern mass-produced ones."

"I had a little help from Giles, he knows a few people."

Willow held out her hand across the table. "Shall we go see how much trouble Xander's gotten himself into this year?"

Taking a break from the dancefloor, Xander and Anya snagged a couch near the back of the Bronze to get their breath back. Anya took a long drink from a bottle of water and snuggled against her boyfriend.

"Enjoying yourself, Ahn?" Xander asked as he wrapped an arm around her.

"Mmmm, definitely. No danger of vengeance here…"

"Glad to hear it. I wonder how Buffy and Willow's big dinner date's going?"

"Oh, they're probably ratcheting up the sexual tension again. I don't understand what Willow's doing." Anya looked up with confusion on her face. "I mean, we all know she likes having orgasms with Buffy, she's been walking around with this huge goofy grin on her face for weeks now. Why would she suddenly stop like that?"

Xander was silent for a moment, then he replied, "I can't say for sure, but I think she's planning something. I've seen her with this look on her face, like she's mentally running through a to-do list. I've seen it a few times, like when she was planning the surprise party for Buffy's 17^th birthday."

"Well, whatever it is, I hope she gets on with it. Buffy's about ready to snap! You can see it just watching her walk – that girl's got an itch that needs some serious scratching. And Willow's just as bad, she just hides it better."

"You think?"

"Xander, if there's one thing I know how to do it's spot a sexually unfulfilled woman. I can see six of them right now…"

"Shh, honey, there they are." Xander waved to Buffy and Willow as they came into the converted warehouse. "Buff! Will! Over here!" The blonde and redhead weaved through the crowd and scrunched into an overstuffed armchair.

"Hi guys! How's the party?" Buffy asked.

"Strangely enjoyable. There seem to be a surprising number of happy people here." Anya replied in a slightly confused tone. "I'm not used to people being happy on Valentine's Day, it's a little disorienting. But nice."

"Speaking of nice, is that a new bracelet, Anya?" Buffy asked, knowing it was – she'd helped Xander choose it.

Anya smiled hugely and held up the charm bracelet, showing off the little silver X, A and heart hanging from it. "Isn't it sweet?" From behind her, Xander mouthed "Thank you" at Buffy.

Just then the band started playing a slow number. Buffy stood and offered her hand to Willow. "May I have this dance, my lady?"

Around 11pm Buffy and Willow decided to call it a night. Taking their leave of Anya and Xander, the two headed out of the club. Buffy turned to walk back to the college, but Willow stopped her. "Not that way, Buffy."

"Huh?"

"We're going to your house."

"Is something wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong, baby. You're Mom went away for the weekend and told me we could use the house tonight."

"How come she didn't tell me?"

"I asked her not to…"

"Why?"

"It's a surprise…" Willow kissed her girlfriend's cheek and began leading her away. Intrigued, and a little excited, Buffy followed.

The walk home was uneventful. Buffy spent much of the time trying to wheedle some clue about what was happening from Willow, but failed utterly. Even her previously invincible pouting was met with a wall of silence and occasional deployment of the "Resolve Face".

When they finally reached 1630 Revello, Buffy encountered the first part of Willow's surprise. On the table in the lounge were two glasses and a bottle of red wine, which Willow had opened earlier in the day to let it breathe. Ushering Buffy into the lounge, Willow poured two glasses of wine and sat beside her girlfriend on the couch. "Here's to our first Valentine's Day together."

"The first of many." Buffy responded, and clinked her glass against Willow's. Both girls took a sip of the wine, then set the glasses aside to taste something even sweeter – each other's lips. Even before Willow had imposed celibacy on them, simply lying around kissing and cuddling had been one of their favorite things to do together, and it had become even more popular in recent weeks. Soon they were lying back on the couch, legs intertwined, arms roaming over cloth and skin.

Delicious as this was, Willow had a plan to stick to. Reluctantly she broke from Buffy's lips and sat up. Buffy pouted at her and was about to speak, but Willow silenced her by placing her finger on Buffy's lips.

"It's time for your surprise, Buffy. I'm going upstairs. Wait fifteen minutes, then follow me." Picking up her glass of wine, Willow headed upstairs.

The next fifteen minutes seemed to Buffy to pass more slowly than the most interminable of her classes at Sunnydale High. She finished her first glass of wine and was most of the way through her second before her wait was finished.

Burning with curiosity, Buffy ascended the stairs and looked around. She saw that the door to her bedroom was slightly ajar. She gently pushed the door open. What Buffy saw inside took her breath away.

The room was light by at least two dozen candles set up on every available surface. Willow was reclining on the bed. Her black dress had disappeared, and in its place was an emerald green silk shirt, opened to the navel. Nothing was on display, but it was clear that Willow was completely nude under the shirt. She was holding a single red rose, with which she was idly stroking her lower lip. Her hair seemed to burn in the candlelight. She beckoned Buffy over to the bed and whispered "Buffy, I know the last couple of weeks have been a little…difficult. But tonight I'm going to make it up to you. Tonight, I'm all yours again…"

Buffy took the rose from Willow's hand and placed it on the nightstand, before leaning in to kiss the lips that had become so familiar to her recently. Willow reached around her and undid the halter of Buffy's dress, then began to slowly pull the zip down. She drew her fingernails along Buffy's spine, drawing a shiver from the blonde who was running her hand along Willow's thigh.

Sitting up on the bed, Buffy removed her shoes before standing to step put of her dress. Dressed only in her strapless white lace bra and matching underwear, Buffy crawled up beside Willow on the bed. For weeks she had been dreaming of this moment; paradoxically, now that it was here she felt no need to rush. She lay on her side and began kissing her lover anew, her hand skimming the green silk of Willow's shirt, her touch almost teasingly ephemeral. Willow responded in kind; it was almost a game to see who could keep up the gentle pace longest.

After several long, contented minutes, Willow decided to up the ante a little. Leaving Buffy's lips, she began to kiss her way over her girlfriend's throat, moving down and left until she reached the side of Buffy's neck. She nipped gently at the skin, knowing that being bitten there drove Buffy wild. Sure enough, Buffy's caresses became firmer and more urgent, pulling Willow against her as she nuzzled the mass of red hair. Soon Buffy's hand slipped inside Willow's shirt and began to softly stroke her skin.

Willow wrapped her arms around Buffy's body and reached for the clasp of her bra. Sensing the movement, Buffy lifted herself slightly, allowing Willow to slide the strip of lace free easily. Moments later, Willow's hands were cupping and stroking Buffy's breasts, drawing small moans of pleasure from deep in Buffy's throat.

Buffy's hand began to meander down Willow's body, teasing and stroking, until she reached the few buttons on Willow's shirt that remained fastened. Slowly, one by one, she popped them open until she was able to push the silk aside completely. Stroking her hand down over Willow's stomach, Buffy encountered something that made her sit up in surprise. Looking down at Willow, she saw several lines of writing henna-tattooed across her abdomen;

Below this was what her fingers had encountered. Where before Buffy had found nothing but bare skin there was now a field of flaming red curls, painstakingly trimmed into the shape of a heart.

Willow watched anxiously as Buffy read and re-read the declaration of love imprinted on her skin. Was this too much, too fast? They'd only been together for a couple of months, but it had felt so perfectly right that Willow had never doubted she was doing the right thing. Now, as Buffy looked up with tears sparkling in her eyes, Willow doubted. Tentatively, the young witch reached out to caress her girlfriend's cheek and whispered, "I love you, Buffy."

The tears spilled from Buffy's eyes as Willow spoke. For a moment she was motionless, then she surged forward to capture Willow's lips in a ferociously passionate kiss. Breaking away for breath she gasped out, "God, Will, I love you so much…"

Willow gently wiped the tears from Buffy's cheek, not realizing that she was crying herself until Buffy began kissing her tears away. Slowly tears gave way to gentle smiles, smiles to giggles, giggles to the laughter of pure joy.

Buffy began to run her fingers gently over the writing on Willow's stomach. "So this was why you kept me all frustrated the last couple of weeks?"

Willow nodded sheepishly. "Uh-huh. I had the henna tattoo done on Saturday, but the…um…the rest…took a while."

A mischievous grin spread across Buffy's face. "Mind if I take closer look?" Willow gasped in delight as Buffy punctuated her request by wrapping her lips around one of Willow's tight, red nipples and sucking gently. Slowly, painstakingly, Buffy began to kiss and nibble her way down Willow's body, while her fingertips stroked and combed the patch of fiery hair on her mons, exploring this new facet of her lover's body.

Gently parting Willow's thighs, Buffy settled herself between them. Leaning down, she kissed the coppery curls while savoring the unmistakable scent of Willow's arousal. She couldn't resist running her tongue along the cleft between Willow's warm, swollen labia, collecting the juices that were fast building up, before sliding two of her fingers between the fleshy lips and into the tight, slick channel beyond. As Willow moaned her pleasure, Buffy began pumping with her fingers, while her thumb sought out Willow's clit and began circling gently. Leaning forward, Buffy extended her tongue and began to trace the outline of the words on Willow's skin. Slowly, imperceptibly at first, Willow's hips began to weave, then bucked as Buffy pushed a third finger into her. Willow reached up and grabbed the rails at the top of the bed, gasping as she urged her lover on.

Without breaking the rhythm of her fingers on Willow's sex, Buffy crawled forward and again sucked Willow's nipple into her mouth. The redhead's gasping breaths grew faster and faster until a wail tore free from her throat and her body shuddered in ecstasy. Willow flung her arms around Buffy and held her tightly as her senses overloaded.

As Willow's grip slowly relaxed, Buffy eased her fingers free and one by one sucked them clean, knowing that she'd be tasting the sweet fluids from the source before the night was out.

Once her breathing had returned to something approaching normal, Willow remarked with a smile, "I think we should do Valentine's Day more often."

Buffy nodded. "Oh, once a week at least…" If Willow was going to reply, it was smothered as the kissing began again…

The End

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