Inell's Fanfiction Archive

"You know, I'm not nearly as worried about this as I was yesterday," Buffy said as she and Willow gathered the books needed for their research session. They had arrived at the library ahead of everyone, giving them a chance to continue their talk from the walk over.

"I still can't really believe that Joyce was cool about it all," Willow said as she shook her head.

"Well, she did give us that speech this morning," Buffy reminded as she rolled her eyes. They'd spent over an hour talking to her Mom before walking to school. She'd had to get the sex talk, despite the fact that it was nearly two years too late. That had been a rather cringing moment, listening to her Mom talk about sex and everything while Willow sat there trying not to smile. Joyce had concluded that speech with her acceptance that Willow and Buffy were going to be intimate and her permission, in a way, to allow it in her home rather than risk Buffy getting into something dangerous. Buffy was very glad at that moment that her Mom had no idea she and Willow had had sex in the bushes just the night before. After that humiliation had ended, the rest of the breakfast had gone well. Joyce really did seem okay with the turn in her relationship with Willow.

"If it had been my Mom, I'd be homeless right now," Willow said sincerely, knowing how her mother was.

"You'd never be homeless, Wills. You should just move in with me and Mom," Buffy suggested hopefully.

"I think there are limits even for Joyce," Willow said with a laugh. "I wonder when everyone is going to get their lazy butts here."

"Lazy?" Xander said as he entered the library, having just caught the last part of Willow's statement. He gave her a look and asked, "Who are you calling lazy, little girl?"

"Good morning to you, too, Xan," Willow said as she stuck her tongue out at her oldest friend.

"It's too early to be here," he said, making a face back at her as he sat down. "I need food."

"Giles is bringing doughnuts," Buffy said as she put the books on the table with a loud thud.

"No fair," Xander whined, "he'll eat all the good ones on the way here."

"I'll have you know that the box is completely full," Giles said dryly as he entered the library, placing the box in front of Xander. He glanced at the girls, remarking, "You two are here early."

"We had breakfast with my Mom and came on over," Buffy said as she sat down opposite Xander. Willow took the seat next to her, reaching in front of her for a book. Buffy could smell her lover's shampoo, her body heating as she remembered their shared shower not three hours before.

"It's criminal to be at school this early on the weekend. Actually, it's just criminal to be at the school period," Cordelia said as she sat down beside Xander, stealing the jelly doughnut that he had placed on a napkin in front of him, smiling sweetly as he glared at her.

"That's so not cool," he muttered, knowing it was pointless to fight her over the sugary treat. He'd still end up without the doughnut, but he'd also have her ticked at him. He got another doughnut from the box, taking a bite as she ate the last jelly.

"Is Faith planning on joining us?" Giles asked Buffy as he took a seat at the other end of the large table.

"As of last night, yes," Buffy said before she shrugged, "but with Faith, who knows? She might come by, she might not."

"She'll be here today," Willow said confidently, knowing the other slayer was dying for confirmation concerning Buffy and Willow's relationship. After their vague discussion last night of having a talk with the gang today, she knew that Faith was aware of the plan.

"Yes, well, why don't we begin reading just in case she sleeps in," Giles suggested, not having any desire to remain at school longer than necessary.

An hour later, Buffy looked up as Faith came in. The brunette was yawning, looking as if she hadn't been awake for very long. She couldn't resist saying, "It's about time you woke up and joined the world of the living."

"Fuck you," Faith said as she stuck her tongue out. She then chuckled and added, "Did I miss it?"

"Miss what?" Xander asked, looking up from the book and rubbing his eyes. "Miss all these wonderfully long boring words that make no sense at all this early on a Sunday morning?"

"Good grief. It's nearly eleven," Willow said, rolling her eyes. "I've been awake since seven."

"And you think I'm the crazy one?" Xander said with a roll of his eyes.

"You're both nuts," Cordelia said sweetly before looking at Faith with curiosity, "miss what?"

"The talk," Faith said as she pulled out a chair, looking at Willow and Buffy as she leered playfully, "I guess that means that I'm in time. So, come on. Tell us already."

"I'm a bit confused," Giles said, looking from Faith to Buffy and then back. "What talk?"

"Ignore her," Buffy said, "she has no idea what she's talking about."

"Yeah, right," Faith snorted, looking at Willow as she began to whine, "C'mon Red. Tell us. I want to know."

"Know what?" Xander asked, looking at Willow, studying his best friend closely and seeing the panic in her green eyes. "Wills, you okay?"

"Well, we were planning on telling them today," Willow told Buffy after she glared at a smirking Faith.

"Your turn. I had to last night," Buffy said with a soft smile.

Willow looked at her friends and simply said, "Buffy and I are a couple."

"Is that all?" Cordelia asked, rolling her eyes. "Please, as if we were too stupid not to know."

"Good. I was worried that it might be something bad," Xander said with a smile. "We've known about you two for over a month. Took you long enough to tell us though."

"You've known?" Buffy said.

Xander tossed a wadded up piece of paper at her, "Yes. Some best friends you guys are. Not telling us earlier."

"That was rather anticlimactic," Faith said with a sigh, "I mean, I've known for weeks. Having you guys finally admit it, well, it just confirmed that I'm pretty damn observant."

"I think that is enough research for the day," Giles said, giving the girls a smile. "Why don't we all go out for lunch? Enjoy the nice day while we can?"

"You're cool with this? All of you?" Buffy laughed as they looked at her in confusion. "We've been worried for weeks that you guys would freak out. Weeks. We finally tell everyone to find out that not only did you guys know, but you're fine with it. By the way, how did you know?"

"I saw you two kissing one night in the stacks," Cordelia confessed. "Xander didn't believe me until he caught you two kissing on patrol."

"Very dangerous, for the record," Xander said as he shook his finger at them. "Naughty, naughty. You didn't even see me, and I wasn't very quiet. In fact, I may have fainted before ogling. Nope, it was just ogling."

"He does have a point, Buffy. If he had been a vampire or demon, you girls might have been in danger," Giles said, having been told of the relationship by Cordelia and Xander a few weeks before. While he had been surprised initially, it had begun to make perfect sense to him over the following weeks. Their was a bond between the girls, always had been. Their love was strong and he honestly thought it would last for the duration of their lives, however long they may be.

"I've been patrolling with them most nights," Faith said, "and they never even hold hands around me. They've been safe."

"We'll be careful, Giles," Buffy said, giving Willow a smile. "No more making out on patrol, hon."

"But, Buffy," Willow whined, pleased that their secret was no longer a secret and relieved that it had gone so well.

"I said during patrol," Buffy said with a wink, "that doesn't we can't make out before and after."

"If you guys need any help, I'm your man," Xander volunteered before exclaiming, "Ouch!" as Cordelia hit him.

"You're my man, so quit drooling," Cordelia cautioned. "And leave them alone."

"Yes, ma'am," he said with a smile as he saw that she was seriously jealous, though she was doing her best to cover the emotion.

"Did someone mention lunch?" Faith asked, deciding that Buffy and Willow needed a break from teasing and questions. She received a thankful smile from Willow and smiled at her friend before winking.

"You know what?" Willow told Buffy as they followed the others to the parking lot.

"I love you?" Buffy asked, squeezing Willow's hand.

"I love you too, but that wasn't what I was going to say," Willow said with a laugh.

"We should sneak away without them noticing and go to your place and spend the rest of the day and night in bed?" Buffy suggested.

"Not that either, though that is a very good suggestion," Willow said with a quick kiss.

"I don't know then. What?" Buffy asked back, noticing their friends waiting for them.

"We're very very lucky," Willow said as she tenderly kissed her lover, not having to care who was watching.

THE END