ficpost: "Better Than Popcorn" Buffy/Willow
Title: "Better Than Popcorn"
Fandom: Buffy: the Vampire Slayer
Pairing: Buffy/Willow
Other pairings: Willow's crushes on Giles and Xander mentioned in passing, the S1 Buffy/Angel mentioned likewise in passing.
Rating: PG
Spoilers/Timeline: post-S1
Notes: For tinpanalley in cadence_k's femslash_minis Buffy-mini-thon. She wanted B/W, a car trip, popcorn, and a happy ending.
Disclaimer: *insert amusing Joss-related quip here* This fic has not been rated by the MPAA.
Summary: For once, Sheila is right.
Words: 1327
Better Than Popcorn
"Sweetie, I think we need to talk."
Willow has a couple of guesses. This could be about her slipping grades -- two A minuses last term, which are totally explainable, but not to her mom, who doesn't know about her new extra-curriculars. Or, more likely, it's about being caught shaving her legs. Not like Mom doesn't shave hers, but that's for work. Willow is supposed to make a statement while she still can, not give in to peer pressure. She's already had that lecture.
"Okay," she says, folding one leg over the other. "What about?"
"It's about your friend -- what's her name?"
"Buffy."
"You've been spending an awful lot of time on the phone with her, sweetie."
That's two sweeties in five minutes. Not a good sign, coming from her mother.
"I can pay for it out of my allowance," she says. "And once she gets back from her dad's, it'll be way less expensive."
"That's not exactly what I meant." Her mom's voice gets quieter. "I know how you feel about her."
"What?" Her mom may know, but she sure doesn't. If there are feelings, they're for Xander. Not for -- "I mean, what?"
"It's perfectly natural that you should have a crush on her, you know. Nothing wrong with it. Many times girls have these strong feelings for their girlfriends before they're ready for real dating. Not that it wouldn't be okay if you were a lesbian, sweetie. Although you'd have to be careful not to let Daddy know. With his heart the way it is..."
"Mom?"
"So anyhow, I just wanted you to know I understand. I've talked to Buffy's mother about it, and she agrees it would be best for both of you to clear the air in person."
"Mom!" Willow's definitely feeling a little queasy now. "I don't like Buffy, okay? I have a crush on Xander and have forever, and that's not about to change just because Buffy came to town with her 'oh, I'm so pretty' and 'oh, I'm so funny,' and --"
"So Joy will drive you to Los Angeles next weekend. Did you have plans?"
"Ice cream with Xand..."
"Good! So that's settled. Aren't you glad we talked about this?"
"Sure..." says Willow slowly. But she's already been excused, and is free to go upstairs, to lie on her bed and stare at the ceiling and wonder what on earth her mom means. Because she's not in love with Buffy. In love is the funny, queasy feeling of seeing Xander flirting with Buffy, or the quickening of her heart when Giles puts a hand on her shoulder. Being with Buffy is just happy, and she never expects it, not even now, half a year later. She's still thinking Buffy will shove her aside to make room for Cordelia on the bench. But deep down, she knows that's not going to happen, because Buffy picked her to be her friend. Her.
++
"So." Joyce is completely unlike Willow's own mother. Mom plunges into awkward conversations without even taking a deep breath first. Joyce is all deep breaths. "It's a beautiful day, isn't it? Too bad we have to go up to the city."
"Why? Is LA not nice in the summer?"
"It's... not what I was used to," Joyce says. "I suppose Buffy likes it, or she wouldn't be there. But of course, I guess I don't really know all that much about Buffy these days." She sounds angry; Willow wants to say something to make her feel okay.
"I guess she can be kind of confusing, huh? I mean, I'm probably her best friend, but I still don't always get her. She's... she's just Buffyish."
Joyce doesn't say anything. She's doing the angry driving thing. Willow's never seen it in person before, but she recognizes from Xander's description Joyce's white knuckles and steady acceleration. She's too frightened to ask what the matter is, so she focuses on the positive. Buffy soon. Two whole afternoons in Los Angeles with Buffy, catching her up on all the things she wants to talk about on the phone but seems to forget as soon as they start talking. Two whole days of wholesome, slumber party happiness.
++
Seeing Buffy again makes her mom's stupid assumptions and Joyce's anger seem like insignificant bugs; Buffy is a warm and squealing mass of denim in her arms, jumping up and down too hard for Willow to get a good look at her. She seems even younger than she is, as if LA has wiped away everything that happened last year, including the Master, including Buffy's death. That thought gives Willow a little chill way down inside, but Buffy is still in motion, grabbing Willow's hand and dragging her upstairs, hardly pausing to kiss Joyce's cheek before she plunges up the stairs and into her bedroom, which is just as lacy white as her room in Sunnydale.
"So!" Buffy says brightly. "Any idea what's the what? Did your mom tell you? Because mine was just like, oh by the way, Willow's coming. She sounded pissy."
Willow feels a blush starting under her ears. She doesn't want to be the one to explain this to Buffy...
"It's just my mom," she starts. "You know how she sometimes has these crazy ideas, thinks she knows stuff?"
"Um?"
"She kind of thinks I have a crush on you," Willow says, all in one breath. "Which obviously isn't true. I mean, totally not true, false, patently a lie, and so on. Just my mom being weird. But at least I got to come up here, right, which is good, so we can tell them we had a big old discussion and decided to just be friends and then --"
"Will." Buffy puts a hand on her shoulder. "It's okay. I mean, we should talk about it, probably -- do you want to talk about it? If you don't, that's okay, we can just watch movies -- I got movies and there's microwave popcorn and there could be no talking whatsoever."
"But we should talk," Willow says in a small voice. "Because my mom will want a full report."
"Actually, I was thinking more because, you know, I was wondering when you'd get around to asking me."
Willow shakes her head. "Asking you what?"
"Out," Buffy says. "If you want to."
"You want to?"
"If you --"
"I do -- I don't know," Willow finally settles for. Suddenly the happy good feelings that always accompany Buffy-time aren't feeling so good anymore. "I've never -- I've never even kissed a boy."
"Girls are easier," Buffy says. "I mean, I think. They've got to be, right?"
"I -- I guess so. With all the... curves." Willow has to try very hard not to look at Buffy's curves and imagine what they'd feel like if she touched them.
"Plus, you won't turn out to be two hundred years older than me, will you?"
"I don't think so."
"Well, good."
"Yup." Willow looks at her hands.
"Come here." Buffy gestures towards a spot beside her, and Willow scoots a little closer. "Are you ready?"
Willow takes a deep breath to steady herself, then hands on Buffy's shoulders. Eyes closed. She leans in and accidentally puts her chin on Buffy's nose.
"Let's try that again," Buffy laughs. "Open your eyes just for a second, so there can be proper nose alignment." Willow isn't sure she wants to see Buffy while this is going on, but Buffy's skin is very nice, smooth and clear -- and it is better to be able to see her when suddenly, very softly, there are lips against hers. She gulps down her fear and presses a little bit harder, and her stomach turns over in wonderment that this is happening, that Buffy is opening her mouth to her.
And maybe, just maybe, her mother was right.
Fandom: Buffy: the Vampire Slayer
Pairing: Buffy/Willow
Other pairings: Willow's crushes on Giles and Xander mentioned in passing, the S1 Buffy/Angel mentioned likewise in passing.
Rating: PG
Spoilers/Timeline: post-S1
Notes: For tinpanalley in cadence_k's femslash_minis Buffy-mini-thon. She wanted B/W, a car trip, popcorn, and a happy ending.
Disclaimer: *insert amusing Joss-related quip here* This fic has not been rated by the MPAA.
Summary: For once, Sheila is right.
Words: 1327
Better Than Popcorn
"Sweetie, I think we need to talk."
Willow has a couple of guesses. This could be about her slipping grades -- two A minuses last term, which are totally explainable, but not to her mom, who doesn't know about her new extra-curriculars. Or, more likely, it's about being caught shaving her legs. Not like Mom doesn't shave hers, but that's for work. Willow is supposed to make a statement while she still can, not give in to peer pressure. She's already had that lecture.
"Okay," she says, folding one leg over the other. "What about?"
"It's about your friend -- what's her name?"
"Buffy."
"You've been spending an awful lot of time on the phone with her, sweetie."
That's two sweeties in five minutes. Not a good sign, coming from her mother.
"I can pay for it out of my allowance," she says. "And once she gets back from her dad's, it'll be way less expensive."
"That's not exactly what I meant." Her mom's voice gets quieter. "I know how you feel about her."
"What?" Her mom may know, but she sure doesn't. If there are feelings, they're for Xander. Not for -- "I mean, what?"
"It's perfectly natural that you should have a crush on her, you know. Nothing wrong with it. Many times girls have these strong feelings for their girlfriends before they're ready for real dating. Not that it wouldn't be okay if you were a lesbian, sweetie. Although you'd have to be careful not to let Daddy know. With his heart the way it is..."
"Mom?"
"So anyhow, I just wanted you to know I understand. I've talked to Buffy's mother about it, and she agrees it would be best for both of you to clear the air in person."
"Mom!" Willow's definitely feeling a little queasy now. "I don't like Buffy, okay? I have a crush on Xander and have forever, and that's not about to change just because Buffy came to town with her 'oh, I'm so pretty' and 'oh, I'm so funny,' and --"
"So Joy will drive you to Los Angeles next weekend. Did you have plans?"
"Ice cream with Xand..."
"Good! So that's settled. Aren't you glad we talked about this?"
"Sure..." says Willow slowly. But she's already been excused, and is free to go upstairs, to lie on her bed and stare at the ceiling and wonder what on earth her mom means. Because she's not in love with Buffy. In love is the funny, queasy feeling of seeing Xander flirting with Buffy, or the quickening of her heart when Giles puts a hand on her shoulder. Being with Buffy is just happy, and she never expects it, not even now, half a year later. She's still thinking Buffy will shove her aside to make room for Cordelia on the bench. But deep down, she knows that's not going to happen, because Buffy picked her to be her friend. Her.
++
"So." Joyce is completely unlike Willow's own mother. Mom plunges into awkward conversations without even taking a deep breath first. Joyce is all deep breaths. "It's a beautiful day, isn't it? Too bad we have to go up to the city."
"Why? Is LA not nice in the summer?"
"It's... not what I was used to," Joyce says. "I suppose Buffy likes it, or she wouldn't be there. But of course, I guess I don't really know all that much about Buffy these days." She sounds angry; Willow wants to say something to make her feel okay.
"I guess she can be kind of confusing, huh? I mean, I'm probably her best friend, but I still don't always get her. She's... she's just Buffyish."
Joyce doesn't say anything. She's doing the angry driving thing. Willow's never seen it in person before, but she recognizes from Xander's description Joyce's white knuckles and steady acceleration. She's too frightened to ask what the matter is, so she focuses on the positive. Buffy soon. Two whole afternoons in Los Angeles with Buffy, catching her up on all the things she wants to talk about on the phone but seems to forget as soon as they start talking. Two whole days of wholesome, slumber party happiness.
++
Seeing Buffy again makes her mom's stupid assumptions and Joyce's anger seem like insignificant bugs; Buffy is a warm and squealing mass of denim in her arms, jumping up and down too hard for Willow to get a good look at her. She seems even younger than she is, as if LA has wiped away everything that happened last year, including the Master, including Buffy's death. That thought gives Willow a little chill way down inside, but Buffy is still in motion, grabbing Willow's hand and dragging her upstairs, hardly pausing to kiss Joyce's cheek before she plunges up the stairs and into her bedroom, which is just as lacy white as her room in Sunnydale.
"So!" Buffy says brightly. "Any idea what's the what? Did your mom tell you? Because mine was just like, oh by the way, Willow's coming. She sounded pissy."
Willow feels a blush starting under her ears. She doesn't want to be the one to explain this to Buffy...
"It's just my mom," she starts. "You know how she sometimes has these crazy ideas, thinks she knows stuff?"
"Um?"
"She kind of thinks I have a crush on you," Willow says, all in one breath. "Which obviously isn't true. I mean, totally not true, false, patently a lie, and so on. Just my mom being weird. But at least I got to come up here, right, which is good, so we can tell them we had a big old discussion and decided to just be friends and then --"
"Will." Buffy puts a hand on her shoulder. "It's okay. I mean, we should talk about it, probably -- do you want to talk about it? If you don't, that's okay, we can just watch movies -- I got movies and there's microwave popcorn and there could be no talking whatsoever."
"But we should talk," Willow says in a small voice. "Because my mom will want a full report."
"Actually, I was thinking more because, you know, I was wondering when you'd get around to asking me."
Willow shakes her head. "Asking you what?"
"Out," Buffy says. "If you want to."
"You want to?"
"If you --"
"I do -- I don't know," Willow finally settles for. Suddenly the happy good feelings that always accompany Buffy-time aren't feeling so good anymore. "I've never -- I've never even kissed a boy."
"Girls are easier," Buffy says. "I mean, I think. They've got to be, right?"
"I -- I guess so. With all the... curves." Willow has to try very hard not to look at Buffy's curves and imagine what they'd feel like if she touched them.
"Plus, you won't turn out to be two hundred years older than me, will you?"
"I don't think so."
"Well, good."
"Yup." Willow looks at her hands.
"Come here." Buffy gestures towards a spot beside her, and Willow scoots a little closer. "Are you ready?"
Willow takes a deep breath to steady herself, then hands on Buffy's shoulders. Eyes closed. She leans in and accidentally puts her chin on Buffy's nose.
"Let's try that again," Buffy laughs. "Open your eyes just for a second, so there can be proper nose alignment." Willow isn't sure she wants to see Buffy while this is going on, but Buffy's skin is very nice, smooth and clear -- and it is better to be able to see her when suddenly, very softly, there are lips against hers. She gulps down her fear and presses a little bit harder, and her stomach turns over in wonderment that this is happening, that Buffy is opening her mouth to her.
And maybe, just maybe, her mother was right.