AB/BtVS FF: Nightmares in Waking Life 23/?
TITLE: Nightmares in Waking Life
AUTHOR: 38gnihsurc
RATING: en.sea.xvii overall
PAIRINGS: All the pairings from the previous two stories---and some new ones, too
SPOILERS: Up until Micah for AB; the whole TV series for the Buffyverse; Alive at Last and Living Underground.
WARNINGS: A little bit of fur... bdsm... the usuals for Anita's crazy, crazy world.
DISCLAIMER: I don't own anyone---except for any original characters that I whip up to do my bidding ;)
NOTE: This story is a sequel to Living Underground.
Previous chapters: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9-11, 12, 13, 14-5, 16-7, 18-9, 20-1, 22
PART TWENTY-THREE
Willow looked up when Buffy came back into the bedroom. She was wearing a beautiful purple dress that Asher had left for her and she had styled her long blonde hair so that it was up off of her face, cascading down her back in soft curls. She looked uncertain; Willow thought she looked beautiful, and she was instantly transported back to their senior prom when Buffy stood before them in her perfect pink dress. The dress Asher had chosen was perfect in similar ways and it seemed well-suited to the slayer.
"Wow."
"You sure? It seems a little much. And there's no tag, so I can't even---"
"They have a tailor," Willow said, interrupting the blonde with words and a wave of her hand. She turned to rummage in her bag for the jewelry she had brought with her. "No tags."
"A tailor? How did he know my size?"
"He's been around for centuries," Willow reminded her. "Think about how many women he's held. I'm betting he's a pretty good judge of sizes."
Buffy flushed. Willow laughed.
"That doesn't bother you?"
"Why would it? He loves me now. And we're not a fling. We're... definitely more than that."
The other woman took a necklace out of Willow's bag. "This one's nice," she said. "You had it in Sunnydale."
"It's part silver. I don't wanna burn Asher."
"Why did you bring it?"
"I didn't really think. I just sort of dumped my jewelry box into the bag," she mumbled, rummaging until she found another. "How about this one?"
Buffy studied the necklace. It was one of Willow's favourites. There was a yellow topaz gem in a platinum setting that hung from a well-crafted chain. It matched the olive green dress she was wearing and when she looked in the mirror, it seemed to brighten the oddly coloured garment at the same time. Asher had given it to her for Christmas, but he had never alluded to the dress that was waiting in its hiding place.
"Asher gave you the necklace?"
"And the dress," Willow said, nonplussed as she held the necklace to her neck and studied her reflection. "What do you think?"
"Aren't you worried that he's taking over your life?"
"By giving me jewlery and custom-made dresses?"
Buffy nodded.
Willow shrugged. "Not really, no." She smiled. "Look, I don't have necromancy to protect me from his powers, so if he wanted to take over my life, he definitely could. He likes me the way I am."
"But... when Jean-Claude... when you guys had that disagreement..."
"He's Master of the City. I questioned in him in front of guests. It was my bad. It would've been more of a bad if it wasn't you but some total stranger, but I wouldn't have done it in front of total strangers," Willow said. "I think I was trying to protect you or something."
Buffy smiled a bit. "I don't need you to protect me," she insisted. "So, don't... because I didn't like seeing you... do that."
"What? Kneel and offer Jean-Claude my neck?"
"Yeah."
Willow tried not to grin. "Buffy, it wasn't so bad," she assured the slayer.
"Still..."
The witch put a hand on her friend's arm. "Okay. I promise not to protect you anymore."
"Thanks."
"But, if one of the vampires wants to try to roll you..."
Buffy smiled again. "Okay. Only if it looks like it might actually work." She chuckled softly. "I never was very good with breaking out of the thrall, was I?"
"Not with Dracula," Willow agreed.
"The necklace looks great," Buffy said after a shared laugh. "Lemme put it on for you."
As Buffy secured the clasp at the back of Willow's neck, the door to the apartment opened and Willow heard Emily shrieking as she raced into the apartment to see Dawn. The two girls giggled and then Willow heard a door closing and a stereo playing.
"What the..."
"That'd be Dawn's roommate for the evening," Willow said. She sighed and looked at the clock on the wall. "Your date's early."
"My date?"
"Well, Asher insisted you needed an escort," Willow explained. "He wanted to play matchmaker. I said you were already dating someone. Then, he asked Richard to join us. I'm against it because the last thing Richard needs is to be outed, but Richard wanted to get to know you, so... he's here. He brought Emily because she can't really be alone at the house."
"Why not? She's in junior high, isn't she?"
"Yeah, but she's also a young werewolf. If she got scared or angry... if someone tried to hurt her... we promised Augustine she'd be safe, and here, she will be. Then, Richard'll take her home and she'll hang out with some of her pack."
"Richard lives alone, though, doesn't he?"
"Not always, not usually," Willow replied. "He has guards and sometimes pack tends to drift there for support or comfort."
As if to illustrate her point, Shang-Da and Patrick poked their heads in the open door. Willow smiled. "Hey, Lupa," Patrick said with a bright grin. "Shang-Da and I are going out on a date tonight," he said jokingly.
The witch laughed. "You two are on our date detail?" she asked.
Shang-Da nodded before coming into the room and greeting her. She didn't press him for more submission than what he was willing to give; she was impressed he offered any at all and she didn't sense malicious intent behind his behavior so she accepted what he offered and returned the favour.
Patrick hugged her after they had greeted each other. He was more her guard than Richard's and he had been one of the few constants in her life with the pack. He was her bodyguard but he was also a friend, in a way.
"Where's Richard?"
"With Asher in the main room," Shang-Da said.
"Asher's here, too?" Willow asked, smiling.
Patrick nodded. "We came in his car to the Circus, then we traveled in style from there to here."
Willow smirked. "The limo?"
Her guard nodded again.
The witch turned to Buffy. "If you're ready to go out, you can," she offered her.
"No, I'll wait, if that's okay."
Willow had fed from Gregory earlier in the day, in the back room at Feral Byte, but she could still feel Buffy's anxiety. She was nervous; she wasn't comfortable being alone with Asher and Richard. If she pushed her powers into Buffy, she probably would have learned why, but she did not think that was appropriate.
So, she smiled and nodded. She told Shang-Da and Patrick that they'd be out soon, and when the men had left them alone, she turned to Buffy.
"Everything okay?" she asked.
Buffy nodded. "Um, yeah. Sure."
"Are you upset that Richard's your date?"
"Well, no... I just... I mean... it's not a romantic date, right?"
Willow smiled again. "I don't think so, Buffy. I want you to get to know them both... and I really, really want to go to this restaurant. They just opened last week and apparently the food is amazing."
"Asher's not gonna mind being with three people who are eating?"
"He'll taste it through me," Willow said, turning to look for a lipgloss she liked. At Buffy's silence, she said, "Remember, I told you? He can taste through me if our shields are down..."
"I remember," Buffy said.
Her voice was so quiet that it made Willow stop what she was doing. She turned around and leaned against the dresser. "Buffy? What's on your mind?"
"You sort of help the police... you're like a werewolf queen... you're more comfortable with vampires than I've ever really been." She paused and shrugged. "I was in 'head over heels' love for Angel, but... there were some issues between us and some of those were vampy issues. Spike... god, Spike," she said with a sad laugh and a shake of her head. "I was always against vampires, in the end. It was never gonna work, with either of them, for a bunch of reasons... but the main one was that we were on opposite sides of the... the, um, street. And you're so... at ease here."
Willow smiled and nodded. "I am," she agreed. "I freak out sometimes, but there are good people here that I love and when I remember why I'm here, the other stuff doesn't matter so much."
"Dawn said something like that, too."
The witch smiled again. "Yeah? How did your lunch with Jason go?"
"Oh, god," Buffy groaned. "Let's save that for later, okay?"
Struggling not to frown, Willow nodded. She grabbed her purse, checked her reflection in the mirror, and then she motioned for Buffy to follow her out of the room.
When she saw Asher and Richard waiting in the living room area of the main room, her struggle wasn't so apparent. They were both wearing tuxedos and they both looked delicious. Willow stopped and stared at them until Buffy nudged her and shook her from her thoughts.
"I was trying to decide which one of you looked yummier," she confessed as she blushed and walked up to them.
"Who won?"
Willow looked at Richard. "I said 'trying.' Never figured it out. My brain sort of overloaded."
He grinned and took her hands in his before lightly kissing her lips. "You look great," he murmured.
She looked up at him. "Thank you," she whispered. She cleared her throat and said, "Richard, are you sure---"
"It's dinner. You're human. Buffy's human. I'm mostly human, completely to the public. And Goldilocks... well, he's in a class all of his own," the Ulfric said, ending with a wry smile. "As long as no one catches me bench pressing a car or shoots me, then we should be fine."
"Okay, it's just... I mean, I worry."
"And I think you're cute when you worry."
She rolled her eyes. "I hope you don't give Buffy this kind of trouble," she muttered.
Richard smiled at the blonde and then he looked back at Willow. "Only if you want me to," he told her before kissing her again. He leaned away, flashed her a grin, and licked the traces of her lipgloss from his lips. Once he made her blush, he stopped teasing her. He straightened and walked over to the slayer. "Hi, Buffy," he said as he offered her a hand to shake. "How are you tonight?"
"I... um, alright," she replied. She smiled, shook his hand, and said, "So, you drew the short straw, huh?"
The Ulfric grinned again, looking very dashing between his ruggedly handsome appearance and the tuxedo's well-designed lines. Willow saw Buffy's nerves fade somewhat as she looked into Richard's face.
"No draw required," he said, still holding onto her hand. "I was glad to be asked. You're important to Willow... so you're important to us."
"Just like that?"
He nodded.
As they talked quietly, Asher took Willow's hand and carefully drew her into his body. After kissing her until she needed to breathe, he smoothed his fingers along her cheekbone and into her hair. "You look exquisite, mon colibri," he whispered. "I wish to be the one to help you out of your dress this evening."
Willow flushed again. She was suddenly glad Buffy was there to lessen the effect the men could have upon her.
"Well, we'll have to see if you play your cards right," she whispered.
Asher grinned, his hair swinging away from his face for a moment so she could see his whole smile. "I have been playing cards long before you were born," he reminded her. He brushed a finger underneath her chin and his grin seemed to stretch when he felt her shiver against the touch. "I do not have to use our shared powers, mon colibri, to have you crying my name."
"Oh, shuddup."
He laughed, drawing Richard's and Buffy's collective attention towards them.
"Is he bothering you?" Richard asked, amusement under the protective tone in his voice.
"You know how he is," Willow muttered.
Richard nodded. "All too well."
"But it has been too long since we have danced, mon ami," Asher teased. "How would you remember?"
Willow made a mental note to ask them both what they were talking about, but she saw the way Richard's shoulders were tensing and she knew that if the night was to be salvaged, she would need to get them to calm down. She walked over to the Ulfric and put her hands on his chest. She leaned up and kissed him, before licking his lips. The change in Richard was nearly instantaneous; he sagged against her, tilted his head to one side, and buried his face in her wavy hair. As he inhaled, she felt the power of him and their pack washing over her and around them.
"It's okay," Willow whispered. "I love you."
He looked down at her. His eyes were a little amber; a hint of his wolf was peeking out at the world.
"I need to get a grip," he mumbled. He closed his eyes and rested his head on her shoulder.
"Is he okay?" Buffy asked.
Asher spoke before Willow could. "Oui," he replied. "I have provoked him and he wished to lash out against me. He is powerful in both forms... sometimes one wishes to overrule the other. Sometimes I cannot resist." He walked towards Buffy and took her hand in his. "Mademoiselle Summers, it is lovely to see you again."
"Nice to see you, too, Asher," Buffy responded.
"Did you enjoy flying with Damian and Faith?"
Buffy grinned before she could control her reaction. "Omigod, yes," she gushed. "I've done some crazy things... but that... it was... a whole lotta fun."
"We shall have to make some time to fly if we have time before you leave," Asher said.
"You can, too?"
"Oui, as can a few others in St. Louis."
Buffy smiled. "Well, it's a very cool power," she confessed.
"Mon colibri thinks so as well," Asher said with a smirk. "Shall we interrupt the wolves?"
Richard had pulled back, still looking into Willow's eyes. His gaze was much more human and she was feeling more relaxed. She wouldn't admit aloud to trying to coax some of his calmer moods, but that had been what she attempted while Richard rested against her.
"Sorry," he mumbled. "I didn't mean to leak all over you."
"You didn't," she assured him. "I'm okay. I was trying to leak over you, but you're shielding so much, it's hard to penetrate all that metaphysical stuff."
Asher chuckled. "On est prête?" he asked.
Willow nodded. "I am."
"Me, too," Richard said as he walked over to Buffy after giving Willow one more kiss.
"What did Asher say?" Buffy asked.
Richard took her arm and threaded his through it. "He asked if we were ready," he told her.
"Oh. Okay."
"On y va."
&&&&
Willow looked from Asher's face to the spoon ladened with chocolate mousse and she groaned. "I give, I give... please no more," she moaned. "I'm so full of chocolate right now it isn't funny."
"One more bite," he bargained, "and then we can dance it off."
"How about we dance now, without that last spoonful, and then I'll think about having another glass of scotch?" she said, countering his argument.
Asher's brow furrowed as he pressed his lips together. "Hrm. It is an interesting offer."
Willow smiled. She glanced at Richard and saw that he, too, was smiling a little. Buffy still looked unsure; she had gone from talking animatedly with Richard about her experiences as a mentor for Sunnydale High School to focusing upon her dessert.
"You've already won," Richard said unnecessarily. "He likes scotch more than he likes chocolate and you're just giving him an excuse to hold onto you earlier than he expected."
"Mon ami, I would prefer it if you did not expose my position quite so blatantly," the blond said as a smirk teased his lips.
"Same here, Asher," Richard replied before lifting his cup of Irish coffee to his lips. He turned and looked at Buffy. "So, how long do you think you'll stay, Buffy?"
The blonde looked up, a little blush appearing on her cheeks. "Well... I'd like to stay a bit longer, I think. I haven't seen Dawn in a while and I'd like to spend some more time with her." She shrugged. "It's hard because she's busy, too, between her new boyfriend and school."
"Jason will understand," Richard assured her. "Have you met him yet?"
Buffy chuckled and nodded. "Yeah, I met him," she replied.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Willow asked.
"Well... I don't... I mean... how..." she trailed off and shrugged. "I guess he's just not the kind of guy I see Dawn with."
Willow shared a look with Richard; he looked how she felt. She leaned forward and said, "He's a great guy, Buffy. Smart... perceptive..."
"I guess, it's just... I mean, I worry about her getting mixed up in wolfy stuff and..."
"It's against pack law for any of us to infect someone else, for the hell of it," Richard said in a quiet voice. "Emergencies are reviewed on a case by case basis, because... in the heat of the moment anything can happen, but we try our best to prevent it when we can."
Buffy nodded and looked at Willow. "How did you... catch it?"
Willow smiled a bit and she reached out to touch Richard's arm. "He saved my life," she replied. "One of the rogue slayers had killed someone we knew... put her skin on to become a shapeshifter, and she was attacking me. Richard got there in the nick of time. He pulled me out of the way." She shrugged. "His claws dug in a bit."
"I scratched you pretty badly."
She rolled her eyes. "Not nearly as badly as the leopard-chick did. Besides, everyone was more glad that I was alive than anything else."
"She is right, mon ami," Asher said. He put his arm around Willow's shoulders. "We were much happier that you had saved her. The shapeshifter's wounds had been much bigger than yours."
"I regretted it then... now, I'm just glad everything has worked out," he said with a litle shrug. He looked at Buffy. "Jason's a good guy. I was his sponsor. Still am, I guess, sometimes. I trust him... and while he may tease a little much, he has a good head on his shoulders and... we're all lucky to have him around."
"You guys aren't worried about Dawn?"
Willow tilted her head to one side as her fingers found Richard's hand. "I am. And we've talked about it... Jason's worried, too. He knows he has to be careful. But, she's worth the risk to him... and she's made a similar decision," she told Buffy. "I think you need to trust them," she added quietly.
Buffy sighed. "Maybe... I don't know. It's just... the idea of Dawn..."
"We all care deeply for notre aube," Asher said when the slayer trailed off. "We would not intentionally hurt her. We have been trying to shield her from certain aspects of our lives... we've been doing our best to secure her safety. However, she has developed feelings for Jason... and she is an adult, more mature than most her own age, and she should be able to make her own decisions."
The blonde leaned forward, towards the vampire. "Were you ever a parent?"
Willow noticed how still Asher became against her side. It was as if he were trying to melt into the shadows without Buffy noticing the transition. She decided to rescue him from giving whatever answer he clearly did not want to give.
"Buffy, she's like a little sister or daughter to a lot of us," Willow said. "I know, she's your family, but she's like family to me and Faith. A lot of people really appreciate how she looks at the world... with curiosity instead of outright hatred and fear. It's refreshing. And you should see the effect she has on some of the guys. It's funny... kind of endearing. It's like they see the world through her eyes for a little while."
"She is special to us," Asher said after a moment.
Buffy nodded, but there wasn't complete acceptance in her eyes. She still seemed wary. Willow chose not to press the issue; she knew that she would have several more opportunities to talk with Buffy over the duration of her visit.
Richard glanced at his mate. Willow could see a similar argument playing out in his mind. Even if they weren't connected by the pentumvirate, she would have known what he was thinking. He seemed to swallow his frustration---instead of making others feel it---and then he made himself smile a little.
It wasn't his best smile, but Buffy didn't know that. She seemed to relax when he looked at her and when he asked her to dance, she accepted and left the other couple to their own devices.
"Well... she clearly doesn't think Jason's good enough for Dawn," Willow muttered as she toyed with the remnants of the chocolate mousse.
Asher rubbed his fingers over her arm and shoulder. "She worries," he said quietly. "We both know Jason has been worrying about accidentally losing control around her. Even Richard, to a degree, worries about losing control around you."
"Yeah, but, I willingly signed on for---"
"Inital infection?"
Willow sighed. "No, but I accepted it just fine."
"Dawn would most likely turn into a werewolf, for real," Asher reminded her. "She would not have vampire marks to protect her as you and Anita do."
"You really think that's it?"
"Oui."
Willow sighed again. "I know Buffy's worried about Dawn getting bitten or scratched... but... that seems like the secondary argument," she said, thinking aloud. "Like... like there's another reason, but she's not saying it."
"Could it be his job? She mentioned that earlier..."
"I don't think it is," Willow said as he trailed off. "I mean, I think... because of that... she doesn't take him seriously. But, that's secondary, too." She sighed once more. "Let's not let it ruin our night," she decided. "I'll get to the bottom of it tomorrow."
Asher's lips curved a little. "Oh will you?" he inquired, amusement laced through every word. That light tone became suggestive as he spoke again, "I'd like to get to the bottom of something tonight, mon colibri."
She shivered. He was getting better at using his voice against her and she knew she needed to learn how to resist that developing skill of his.
"You would?"
He turned her face towards his with two fingers gently directing her head. "I would," he echoed. "How do you feel about such an endeavor?"
"Something tells me it's gonna be my bottom you're... endeavoring."
His light blue eyes twinkled in the light of the table's candles. "Perhaps," he conceded.
Willow's lips twitched into a smile. "Yeah, I thought so," she said, trying to sound put-off but not quite managing to master the tone of voice. "We'll see, okay?" she offered, not promising anything.
"Your 'bottom?'" he inquired. "I certainly hope I shall see it later."
The witch huffed in annoyance but she was still smiling. "Asher... I thought you were supposed to be wooing me. We're on a date!"
He smiled a devastatingly handsome smile and then leaned in to kiss her exposed shoulder. Willow shivered; he continued kissing until he reached her neck. He sucked on the scars of his previous meals and she loved that he did it.
When he pulled away, she was flushed. She caught sight of Richard watching them over Buffy's head, while talking with the blonde in his arms; the werewolf seemed interested in what was happening with them, and moreso than he usually did.
Asher followed Willow's eyes, smirked at the Ulfric, and then he turned his attention back to his human servant.
"What is going on with you two?" Willow asked.
He shrugged. "It is not my story to tell," he told her.
"Asher..."
The vampire sighed. "Mon colibri, this is a sensitive matter---"
"But you two have been dancing around it all night," Willow interjected. "Little comments and snide looks and... I've noticed! Richard has been going from relaxed to wound tighter than... well, than something normally reeeeally tight." She sighed and put her hand on Asher's chest. "What's going on?" she insisted.
He sighed again. "We will make time to discuss matters this evening, mon colibri," he promised. "I know that Richard will not like to air his laundry in public or in front of your friend." He brushed his fingers over her lower lip. "Is that acceptable?"
"Yeah," she said, knowing she wouldn't get anything else from the vampire on that issue.
"D'accord," he said. His hand moved from her face to her own hand; he cradled it in his, their fingers weaving together. "Would you do me the honour of a dance?"
Willow smiled. The music was slow and jazzy, something she expected to hear in a smoke-filled, dimly-lit club. She was almost surprised that such a posh restaurant offered dancing to such music, but she was glad for management's decision all the same.
"Dancing sounds good," she murmured.
A few moments later, they were joining the five other couples on the dance floor. Buffy and Richard were talking about something that brought smiles to both of their faces; the other couples seemed to be in their own romantic worlds. Willow and Richard shared a smile and then she allowed Asher to lead them as they stepped and swayed on the smooth, shiny floor.
Once they had shared two dances, Asher and Richard shared partners. Buffy seemed surprised and uncomfortable at first; however, after a little while in the vampire's company, she was smiling---and even blushing a bit---like other women he was able to charm.
"I like your friend," Richard said near her ear, "but I love holding you."
Willow lifted her head and smiled at him. "Well, I like being held, so it works out, doesn't it?" she murmured teasingly.
He smiled back at her. "Yeah," he agreed. "It does."
"Are you having an okay time?"
He nodded. "I am," he said slowly, drawing each word out a bit.
"Good... and no shootings," she said, joking a bit.
He chuckled. "See, everything's fine."
"Yeah," she said. She leaned back in again, resting her head against his chest. "Richard... what would you say if I wanted to be a public Lupa?"
"I'd think you're crazy," he said. "Where did this come from?"
She shrugged. She couldn't give him an answer that he'd want to hear. All she knew was that she had been in his arms, dancing, and then the thought occurred to her. She suspected it was part of the ardeur and part of their own bond that brought the thought to her mind. He must have thought it before, or she must have, somewhere between everything else that had been going on in their lives.
"I really don't know," she confessed. "It just sorta... popped into my head." She shrugged. "We've been doing so much talking lately about pommes and stuff that... maybe that's why. I don't know."
"You'd be okay with the world thinking you're a werewolf?"
"I sort of am," she reminded him.
"Yes, but, you know what I mean..."
She nodded. "Yeah, I do."
"Hold off on coming out of the closet, okay?" he said. "If you're picking up on my thoughts... I've been trying to figure out ways to make some things easier lately... well, don't do anything yet. Let's just get through the next few days and see where we stand."
Willow smiled. "Okay, if you're sure."
"Tonight, I just wanna dance," Richard told her after rubbing her lower back with his hands.
Willow shivered and nodded. "Okie dokie."
He chuckled and pulled her even closer so their bodies were pressed tightly together. Willow glanced at Asher, who was busy teaching Buffy some sort of formal dance. Willow thought it looked like the fox-trot, but she wasn't sure. She smiled at them before closing her eyes and letting Richard guide her around the dancing space.
After two more dances each, Buffy declared she had two left feet and Willow felt like having some scotch before they settled the bill. Asher approved wholeheartedly of that notion and he ordered three samples of four selections be brought to the table, so each of them could try the alcohol if they wanted. Richard tried some of them, but Buffy politely declined; she never was a big drinker, after her experiences in Sunnydale, and Willow couldn't blame her for wanting to avoid the amber liquid.
Willow tried them all, allowing Asher to decide which he prefered. She made a mental note of his favourite and vowed that once they were alone, and back into their own routines, she would surprise him with the flavours of the alcohol.
Once they had finished, Asher paid the bill---despite Richard's objections---and then they left the restaurant.
Patrick and Shang-Da were already outside, wearing coats despite the fact that they probably didn't need them. Patrick was on the phone---to Bobby Lee, Willow learned after eavesdropping for a moment---and his brow was furrowed.
"Shang-Da, what's going on?" Richard asked.
"There's an unexpected visitor at the Circus," he said. "Jean-Claude asked Bobby Lee to call... to give us a heads up."
The guard wasn't saying everything. When he and Willow shared a look, his eyes darted to Buffy. The slayer didn't notice, she was talking with Asher and Richard about what the event would mean to them. Willow guessed Jean-Claude had his reasons for keeping Buffy away from the Circus; she just didn't know what those reasons were.
"Let me speak to Bobby Lee," Asher insisted.
Patrick nodded and passed the phone over to him.
Asher let down his shields and shared the conversation with both Richard and Willow. The witch had been surprised that Richard had been metaphysically trying to listen, but the three of them tied together was a strong bond and every thought and sound seemed clearer somehow.
"Perdita?" Richard asked as the limousine pulled to the curb.
"She is one of Samuel's mermaids," Asher told them both. "And, it turns out, Samuel has had a run in with our blonde friend when she was trying to close one of those... mouths of... comment did-on... oh, hellmouths."
Willow tried not to frown because she had started talking to Buffy. The slayer was hoping that Dawn and Emily had left them ice cream in the freezer because even though she was full from eating such good food at the restaurant, she could go for some sundaes and girly movies like they used to do together. She wanted to spend time with Buffy but she also didn't want Asher to go to the Circus if there was some sort of disaster on the horizon.
"You will be staying at the loft until we know what has happened," Asher said as he guided her to the vehicle. His hand on her arm was firm, unwavering, as was his gaze when it met hers. "No question. I doubt Richard will disagree."
Richard had finished helping Buffy into the back of the vehicle. He straightened and silently said, "I don't disagree."
"You both suck!"
"Later."
Willow wasn't sure which man had said that into her mind---or if it had been both of them. It had been roughly whispered and both of them could growl quite well. She blushed and allowed them to help her inside the limousine.
"Everything okay?" Buffy asked once all four were settled on the leather-covered seats.
Asher nodded. "Oui, everything is fine. We will take you and mon colibri to the loft before we go to the Circus."
Richard looked at Willow. "Is it okay if Emily stays with you?"
Willow made her mouth curve into a smile. She wanted to protest their decision but she knew she shouldn't in front of Buffy. "Sure. As long as she doesn't hog the covers."
"She'll sleep with you?" Buffy asked.
Willow nodded. "Yeah," she replied. "We'll take the sofa-bed and y ou can have my bedroom." She sighed and stretched. "Richard, if you could call Jamil and tell him---"
"I bet Shang-Da already did. You might have another visitor or two tonight since you're close to the clubs, too."
The witch smiled. "Okay. Sounds good."
Buffy remained silent until they arrived at the curb. After she thanked both males for a nice night, Asher went to unlock the apartment door; meanwhile, Willow hugged Richard before she kissed him. He took advantage of the moment and deepened their kiss until she needed to breathe.
"I'll try to come by later, if I can," he promised.
"We won't have any privacy," she whispered back.
He grinned. "It's not about privacy... or needing privacy," he told her. "I may just want to hang out with you and some of our pack."
"Oh."
Feeling Asher's eyes on them, Willow tugged on Richard's hand and backed up towards the door where he and Buffy were waiting.
"You'll let me know what's going on, right? Both of you?" she asked.
Richard nodded as Asher spoke. "Bien sûr," he assured her. "May I have my kiss now? Since our plans were interrupted..."
Willow smirked. "We'll have to reschedule the conversation," she said, looking from one to the other. "I don't know about the other stuff."
Asher cupped her face with one hand; while he kissed her, Willow continued to hold onto Richard's hand. Their shields were still lowered to each other, so they felt their thoughts and reactions as a shared response. Willow had half-expected the Ulfric to shy away from them during that moment, but he hadn't. Instead, he pressed his front against her back and continued to hold onto her hand.
The vampire at her front was well-behaved, given what they had done before and what he wanted to do still with the werewolf king. He pretended the other man was not there and he did not touch him in any way. Having Willow as some sort of protective barrier allowed Richard to stay so close to him and the witch knew Asher wasn't going to torment him and risk losing the proximity he had gained.
When Asher was finished kissing her, he was smiling, but his eyes showed how unravelled he had become.
"I do enjoy the scent of the Ulfric behind my human servant," he said, grinning enough to show his fangs.
"Goldilocks---"
"Not too big... not too small... you would be just right," Asher purred suggestively.
WIllow's mouth formed an 'o' of surprise. She forgot Buffy was with them and she moved so she could stare openmouthed at them both. Richard had stiffened but he wasn't yelling. Willow wondered what that meant.
"I can't believe---no, wait, I can," Richard said before sighing.
"I will wear you down," Asher promised. He kissed Willow's forehead and caressed her cheek before sauntering towards the limousine. "On y va, mon ami," he said, while motioning for Richard to follow him.
The witch looked at Richard. "You gonna make it?"
"Yeah," he said after a few seconds' hesitation. "He just likes getting under my skin."
"I think he'd settle for under your clothes, but yeah, that's the basic idea," she murmured sympathetically. She hugged the Ulfric; he returned the embrace.
"I'll be okay," he assured her. "It's just been a rough few days, and all that sharing marks and ardeur stuff... it's been difficult." He sighed. "I fed off of him tonight."
Willow lifted her head to look at him. "You, what?"
"He let me feed, before we got dressed." He shuddered and hugged her again. "It was a little much... and now... I'm... y'know."
"You fed from him while he fed from you?" she asked.
He nodded from the safety of her neck and shoulder. Willow sighed softly and rubbed his back. She was itching to touch his bare skin---more for comfort than anything else---but she didn't want to ruin the lines of the suit so she slid one of her hands to the back of his neck.
"Well, no wonder you're all tense," she murmured. "Come here after you're finished at the Circus, okay? If Emily and some of the others are here... well, you'll feel better with the pack."
"Yeah," he agreed. "I'll see you later." He pulled away reluctantly and looked at Buffy, who was watching them with an odd, unreadable expression on her face. "It was nice to see you tonight, Buffy," he said with a smile. "I hope we cross paths again while you're staying here."
"No fox-trot," Buffy stipulated.
Richard grinned. "I don't know how to, so we're safe."
Buffy smiled and she stood by Willow until he, too, disappeared into the limousine. Willow watched the long vehicle drive away; after Shang-Da pulled away from the curb, leaving Patrick standing there, Willow motioned to the wolf and to the slayer and guided them inside the apartment.
AUTHOR: 38gnihsurc
RATING: en.sea.xvii overall
PAIRINGS: All the pairings from the previous two stories---and some new ones, too
SPOILERS: Up until Micah for AB; the whole TV series for the Buffyverse; Alive at Last and Living Underground.
WARNINGS: A little bit of fur... bdsm... the usuals for Anita's crazy, crazy world.
DISCLAIMER: I don't own anyone---except for any original characters that I whip up to do my bidding ;)
NOTE: This story is a sequel to Living Underground.
Previous chapters: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9-11, 12, 13, 14-5, 16-7, 18-9, 20-1, 22
PART TWENTY-THREE
Willow looked up when Buffy came back into the bedroom. She was wearing a beautiful purple dress that Asher had left for her and she had styled her long blonde hair so that it was up off of her face, cascading down her back in soft curls. She looked uncertain; Willow thought she looked beautiful, and she was instantly transported back to their senior prom when Buffy stood before them in her perfect pink dress. The dress Asher had chosen was perfect in similar ways and it seemed well-suited to the slayer.
"Wow."
"You sure? It seems a little much. And there's no tag, so I can't even---"
"They have a tailor," Willow said, interrupting the blonde with words and a wave of her hand. She turned to rummage in her bag for the jewelry she had brought with her. "No tags."
"A tailor? How did he know my size?"
"He's been around for centuries," Willow reminded her. "Think about how many women he's held. I'm betting he's a pretty good judge of sizes."
Buffy flushed. Willow laughed.
"That doesn't bother you?"
"Why would it? He loves me now. And we're not a fling. We're... definitely more than that."
The other woman took a necklace out of Willow's bag. "This one's nice," she said. "You had it in Sunnydale."
"It's part silver. I don't wanna burn Asher."
"Why did you bring it?"
"I didn't really think. I just sort of dumped my jewelry box into the bag," she mumbled, rummaging until she found another. "How about this one?"
Buffy studied the necklace. It was one of Willow's favourites. There was a yellow topaz gem in a platinum setting that hung from a well-crafted chain. It matched the olive green dress she was wearing and when she looked in the mirror, it seemed to brighten the oddly coloured garment at the same time. Asher had given it to her for Christmas, but he had never alluded to the dress that was waiting in its hiding place.
"Asher gave you the necklace?"
"And the dress," Willow said, nonplussed as she held the necklace to her neck and studied her reflection. "What do you think?"
"Aren't you worried that he's taking over your life?"
"By giving me jewlery and custom-made dresses?"
Buffy nodded.
Willow shrugged. "Not really, no." She smiled. "Look, I don't have necromancy to protect me from his powers, so if he wanted to take over my life, he definitely could. He likes me the way I am."
"But... when Jean-Claude... when you guys had that disagreement..."
"He's Master of the City. I questioned in him in front of guests. It was my bad. It would've been more of a bad if it wasn't you but some total stranger, but I wouldn't have done it in front of total strangers," Willow said. "I think I was trying to protect you or something."
Buffy smiled a bit. "I don't need you to protect me," she insisted. "So, don't... because I didn't like seeing you... do that."
"What? Kneel and offer Jean-Claude my neck?"
"Yeah."
Willow tried not to grin. "Buffy, it wasn't so bad," she assured the slayer.
"Still..."
The witch put a hand on her friend's arm. "Okay. I promise not to protect you anymore."
"Thanks."
"But, if one of the vampires wants to try to roll you..."
Buffy smiled again. "Okay. Only if it looks like it might actually work." She chuckled softly. "I never was very good with breaking out of the thrall, was I?"
"Not with Dracula," Willow agreed.
"The necklace looks great," Buffy said after a shared laugh. "Lemme put it on for you."
As Buffy secured the clasp at the back of Willow's neck, the door to the apartment opened and Willow heard Emily shrieking as she raced into the apartment to see Dawn. The two girls giggled and then Willow heard a door closing and a stereo playing.
"What the..."
"That'd be Dawn's roommate for the evening," Willow said. She sighed and looked at the clock on the wall. "Your date's early."
"My date?"
"Well, Asher insisted you needed an escort," Willow explained. "He wanted to play matchmaker. I said you were already dating someone. Then, he asked Richard to join us. I'm against it because the last thing Richard needs is to be outed, but Richard wanted to get to know you, so... he's here. He brought Emily because she can't really be alone at the house."
"Why not? She's in junior high, isn't she?"
"Yeah, but she's also a young werewolf. If she got scared or angry... if someone tried to hurt her... we promised Augustine she'd be safe, and here, she will be. Then, Richard'll take her home and she'll hang out with some of her pack."
"Richard lives alone, though, doesn't he?"
"Not always, not usually," Willow replied. "He has guards and sometimes pack tends to drift there for support or comfort."
As if to illustrate her point, Shang-Da and Patrick poked their heads in the open door. Willow smiled. "Hey, Lupa," Patrick said with a bright grin. "Shang-Da and I are going out on a date tonight," he said jokingly.
The witch laughed. "You two are on our date detail?" she asked.
Shang-Da nodded before coming into the room and greeting her. She didn't press him for more submission than what he was willing to give; she was impressed he offered any at all and she didn't sense malicious intent behind his behavior so she accepted what he offered and returned the favour.
Patrick hugged her after they had greeted each other. He was more her guard than Richard's and he had been one of the few constants in her life with the pack. He was her bodyguard but he was also a friend, in a way.
"Where's Richard?"
"With Asher in the main room," Shang-Da said.
"Asher's here, too?" Willow asked, smiling.
Patrick nodded. "We came in his car to the Circus, then we traveled in style from there to here."
Willow smirked. "The limo?"
Her guard nodded again.
The witch turned to Buffy. "If you're ready to go out, you can," she offered her.
"No, I'll wait, if that's okay."
Willow had fed from Gregory earlier in the day, in the back room at Feral Byte, but she could still feel Buffy's anxiety. She was nervous; she wasn't comfortable being alone with Asher and Richard. If she pushed her powers into Buffy, she probably would have learned why, but she did not think that was appropriate.
So, she smiled and nodded. She told Shang-Da and Patrick that they'd be out soon, and when the men had left them alone, she turned to Buffy.
"Everything okay?" she asked.
Buffy nodded. "Um, yeah. Sure."
"Are you upset that Richard's your date?"
"Well, no... I just... I mean... it's not a romantic date, right?"
Willow smiled again. "I don't think so, Buffy. I want you to get to know them both... and I really, really want to go to this restaurant. They just opened last week and apparently the food is amazing."
"Asher's not gonna mind being with three people who are eating?"
"He'll taste it through me," Willow said, turning to look for a lipgloss she liked. At Buffy's silence, she said, "Remember, I told you? He can taste through me if our shields are down..."
"I remember," Buffy said.
Her voice was so quiet that it made Willow stop what she was doing. She turned around and leaned against the dresser. "Buffy? What's on your mind?"
"You sort of help the police... you're like a werewolf queen... you're more comfortable with vampires than I've ever really been." She paused and shrugged. "I was in 'head over heels' love for Angel, but... there were some issues between us and some of those were vampy issues. Spike... god, Spike," she said with a sad laugh and a shake of her head. "I was always against vampires, in the end. It was never gonna work, with either of them, for a bunch of reasons... but the main one was that we were on opposite sides of the... the, um, street. And you're so... at ease here."
Willow smiled and nodded. "I am," she agreed. "I freak out sometimes, but there are good people here that I love and when I remember why I'm here, the other stuff doesn't matter so much."
"Dawn said something like that, too."
The witch smiled again. "Yeah? How did your lunch with Jason go?"
"Oh, god," Buffy groaned. "Let's save that for later, okay?"
Struggling not to frown, Willow nodded. She grabbed her purse, checked her reflection in the mirror, and then she motioned for Buffy to follow her out of the room.
When she saw Asher and Richard waiting in the living room area of the main room, her struggle wasn't so apparent. They were both wearing tuxedos and they both looked delicious. Willow stopped and stared at them until Buffy nudged her and shook her from her thoughts.
"I was trying to decide which one of you looked yummier," she confessed as she blushed and walked up to them.
"Who won?"
Willow looked at Richard. "I said 'trying.' Never figured it out. My brain sort of overloaded."
He grinned and took her hands in his before lightly kissing her lips. "You look great," he murmured.
She looked up at him. "Thank you," she whispered. She cleared her throat and said, "Richard, are you sure---"
"It's dinner. You're human. Buffy's human. I'm mostly human, completely to the public. And Goldilocks... well, he's in a class all of his own," the Ulfric said, ending with a wry smile. "As long as no one catches me bench pressing a car or shoots me, then we should be fine."
"Okay, it's just... I mean, I worry."
"And I think you're cute when you worry."
She rolled her eyes. "I hope you don't give Buffy this kind of trouble," she muttered.
Richard smiled at the blonde and then he looked back at Willow. "Only if you want me to," he told her before kissing her again. He leaned away, flashed her a grin, and licked the traces of her lipgloss from his lips. Once he made her blush, he stopped teasing her. He straightened and walked over to the slayer. "Hi, Buffy," he said as he offered her a hand to shake. "How are you tonight?"
"I... um, alright," she replied. She smiled, shook his hand, and said, "So, you drew the short straw, huh?"
The Ulfric grinned again, looking very dashing between his ruggedly handsome appearance and the tuxedo's well-designed lines. Willow saw Buffy's nerves fade somewhat as she looked into Richard's face.
"No draw required," he said, still holding onto her hand. "I was glad to be asked. You're important to Willow... so you're important to us."
"Just like that?"
He nodded.
As they talked quietly, Asher took Willow's hand and carefully drew her into his body. After kissing her until she needed to breathe, he smoothed his fingers along her cheekbone and into her hair. "You look exquisite, mon colibri," he whispered. "I wish to be the one to help you out of your dress this evening."
Willow flushed again. She was suddenly glad Buffy was there to lessen the effect the men could have upon her.
"Well, we'll have to see if you play your cards right," she whispered.
Asher grinned, his hair swinging away from his face for a moment so she could see his whole smile. "I have been playing cards long before you were born," he reminded her. He brushed a finger underneath her chin and his grin seemed to stretch when he felt her shiver against the touch. "I do not have to use our shared powers, mon colibri, to have you crying my name."
"Oh, shuddup."
He laughed, drawing Richard's and Buffy's collective attention towards them.
"Is he bothering you?" Richard asked, amusement under the protective tone in his voice.
"You know how he is," Willow muttered.
Richard nodded. "All too well."
"But it has been too long since we have danced, mon ami," Asher teased. "How would you remember?"
Willow made a mental note to ask them both what they were talking about, but she saw the way Richard's shoulders were tensing and she knew that if the night was to be salvaged, she would need to get them to calm down. She walked over to the Ulfric and put her hands on his chest. She leaned up and kissed him, before licking his lips. The change in Richard was nearly instantaneous; he sagged against her, tilted his head to one side, and buried his face in her wavy hair. As he inhaled, she felt the power of him and their pack washing over her and around them.
"It's okay," Willow whispered. "I love you."
He looked down at her. His eyes were a little amber; a hint of his wolf was peeking out at the world.
"I need to get a grip," he mumbled. He closed his eyes and rested his head on her shoulder.
"Is he okay?" Buffy asked.
Asher spoke before Willow could. "Oui," he replied. "I have provoked him and he wished to lash out against me. He is powerful in both forms... sometimes one wishes to overrule the other. Sometimes I cannot resist." He walked towards Buffy and took her hand in his. "Mademoiselle Summers, it is lovely to see you again."
"Nice to see you, too, Asher," Buffy responded.
"Did you enjoy flying with Damian and Faith?"
Buffy grinned before she could control her reaction. "Omigod, yes," she gushed. "I've done some crazy things... but that... it was... a whole lotta fun."
"We shall have to make some time to fly if we have time before you leave," Asher said.
"You can, too?"
"Oui, as can a few others in St. Louis."
Buffy smiled. "Well, it's a very cool power," she confessed.
"Mon colibri thinks so as well," Asher said with a smirk. "Shall we interrupt the wolves?"
Richard had pulled back, still looking into Willow's eyes. His gaze was much more human and she was feeling more relaxed. She wouldn't admit aloud to trying to coax some of his calmer moods, but that had been what she attempted while Richard rested against her.
"Sorry," he mumbled. "I didn't mean to leak all over you."
"You didn't," she assured him. "I'm okay. I was trying to leak over you, but you're shielding so much, it's hard to penetrate all that metaphysical stuff."
Asher chuckled. "On est prête?" he asked.
Willow nodded. "I am."
"Me, too," Richard said as he walked over to Buffy after giving Willow one more kiss.
"What did Asher say?" Buffy asked.
Richard took her arm and threaded his through it. "He asked if we were ready," he told her.
"Oh. Okay."
"On y va."
&&&&
Willow looked from Asher's face to the spoon ladened with chocolate mousse and she groaned. "I give, I give... please no more," she moaned. "I'm so full of chocolate right now it isn't funny."
"One more bite," he bargained, "and then we can dance it off."
"How about we dance now, without that last spoonful, and then I'll think about having another glass of scotch?" she said, countering his argument.
Asher's brow furrowed as he pressed his lips together. "Hrm. It is an interesting offer."
Willow smiled. She glanced at Richard and saw that he, too, was smiling a little. Buffy still looked unsure; she had gone from talking animatedly with Richard about her experiences as a mentor for Sunnydale High School to focusing upon her dessert.
"You've already won," Richard said unnecessarily. "He likes scotch more than he likes chocolate and you're just giving him an excuse to hold onto you earlier than he expected."
"Mon ami, I would prefer it if you did not expose my position quite so blatantly," the blond said as a smirk teased his lips.
"Same here, Asher," Richard replied before lifting his cup of Irish coffee to his lips. He turned and looked at Buffy. "So, how long do you think you'll stay, Buffy?"
The blonde looked up, a little blush appearing on her cheeks. "Well... I'd like to stay a bit longer, I think. I haven't seen Dawn in a while and I'd like to spend some more time with her." She shrugged. "It's hard because she's busy, too, between her new boyfriend and school."
"Jason will understand," Richard assured her. "Have you met him yet?"
Buffy chuckled and nodded. "Yeah, I met him," she replied.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Willow asked.
"Well... I don't... I mean... how..." she trailed off and shrugged. "I guess he's just not the kind of guy I see Dawn with."
Willow shared a look with Richard; he looked how she felt. She leaned forward and said, "He's a great guy, Buffy. Smart... perceptive..."
"I guess, it's just... I mean, I worry about her getting mixed up in wolfy stuff and..."
"It's against pack law for any of us to infect someone else, for the hell of it," Richard said in a quiet voice. "Emergencies are reviewed on a case by case basis, because... in the heat of the moment anything can happen, but we try our best to prevent it when we can."
Buffy nodded and looked at Willow. "How did you... catch it?"
Willow smiled a bit and she reached out to touch Richard's arm. "He saved my life," she replied. "One of the rogue slayers had killed someone we knew... put her skin on to become a shapeshifter, and she was attacking me. Richard got there in the nick of time. He pulled me out of the way." She shrugged. "His claws dug in a bit."
"I scratched you pretty badly."
She rolled her eyes. "Not nearly as badly as the leopard-chick did. Besides, everyone was more glad that I was alive than anything else."
"She is right, mon ami," Asher said. He put his arm around Willow's shoulders. "We were much happier that you had saved her. The shapeshifter's wounds had been much bigger than yours."
"I regretted it then... now, I'm just glad everything has worked out," he said with a litle shrug. He looked at Buffy. "Jason's a good guy. I was his sponsor. Still am, I guess, sometimes. I trust him... and while he may tease a little much, he has a good head on his shoulders and... we're all lucky to have him around."
"You guys aren't worried about Dawn?"
Willow tilted her head to one side as her fingers found Richard's hand. "I am. And we've talked about it... Jason's worried, too. He knows he has to be careful. But, she's worth the risk to him... and she's made a similar decision," she told Buffy. "I think you need to trust them," she added quietly.
Buffy sighed. "Maybe... I don't know. It's just... the idea of Dawn..."
"We all care deeply for notre aube," Asher said when the slayer trailed off. "We would not intentionally hurt her. We have been trying to shield her from certain aspects of our lives... we've been doing our best to secure her safety. However, she has developed feelings for Jason... and she is an adult, more mature than most her own age, and she should be able to make her own decisions."
The blonde leaned forward, towards the vampire. "Were you ever a parent?"
Willow noticed how still Asher became against her side. It was as if he were trying to melt into the shadows without Buffy noticing the transition. She decided to rescue him from giving whatever answer he clearly did not want to give.
"Buffy, she's like a little sister or daughter to a lot of us," Willow said. "I know, she's your family, but she's like family to me and Faith. A lot of people really appreciate how she looks at the world... with curiosity instead of outright hatred and fear. It's refreshing. And you should see the effect she has on some of the guys. It's funny... kind of endearing. It's like they see the world through her eyes for a little while."
"She is special to us," Asher said after a moment.
Buffy nodded, but there wasn't complete acceptance in her eyes. She still seemed wary. Willow chose not to press the issue; she knew that she would have several more opportunities to talk with Buffy over the duration of her visit.
Richard glanced at his mate. Willow could see a similar argument playing out in his mind. Even if they weren't connected by the pentumvirate, she would have known what he was thinking. He seemed to swallow his frustration---instead of making others feel it---and then he made himself smile a little.
It wasn't his best smile, but Buffy didn't know that. She seemed to relax when he looked at her and when he asked her to dance, she accepted and left the other couple to their own devices.
"Well... she clearly doesn't think Jason's good enough for Dawn," Willow muttered as she toyed with the remnants of the chocolate mousse.
Asher rubbed his fingers over her arm and shoulder. "She worries," he said quietly. "We both know Jason has been worrying about accidentally losing control around her. Even Richard, to a degree, worries about losing control around you."
"Yeah, but, I willingly signed on for---"
"Inital infection?"
Willow sighed. "No, but I accepted it just fine."
"Dawn would most likely turn into a werewolf, for real," Asher reminded her. "She would not have vampire marks to protect her as you and Anita do."
"You really think that's it?"
"Oui."
Willow sighed again. "I know Buffy's worried about Dawn getting bitten or scratched... but... that seems like the secondary argument," she said, thinking aloud. "Like... like there's another reason, but she's not saying it."
"Could it be his job? She mentioned that earlier..."
"I don't think it is," Willow said as he trailed off. "I mean, I think... because of that... she doesn't take him seriously. But, that's secondary, too." She sighed once more. "Let's not let it ruin our night," she decided. "I'll get to the bottom of it tomorrow."
Asher's lips curved a little. "Oh will you?" he inquired, amusement laced through every word. That light tone became suggestive as he spoke again, "I'd like to get to the bottom of something tonight, mon colibri."
She shivered. He was getting better at using his voice against her and she knew she needed to learn how to resist that developing skill of his.
"You would?"
He turned her face towards his with two fingers gently directing her head. "I would," he echoed. "How do you feel about such an endeavor?"
"Something tells me it's gonna be my bottom you're... endeavoring."
His light blue eyes twinkled in the light of the table's candles. "Perhaps," he conceded.
Willow's lips twitched into a smile. "Yeah, I thought so," she said, trying to sound put-off but not quite managing to master the tone of voice. "We'll see, okay?" she offered, not promising anything.
"Your 'bottom?'" he inquired. "I certainly hope I shall see it later."
The witch huffed in annoyance but she was still smiling. "Asher... I thought you were supposed to be wooing me. We're on a date!"
He smiled a devastatingly handsome smile and then leaned in to kiss her exposed shoulder. Willow shivered; he continued kissing until he reached her neck. He sucked on the scars of his previous meals and she loved that he did it.
When he pulled away, she was flushed. She caught sight of Richard watching them over Buffy's head, while talking with the blonde in his arms; the werewolf seemed interested in what was happening with them, and moreso than he usually did.
Asher followed Willow's eyes, smirked at the Ulfric, and then he turned his attention back to his human servant.
"What is going on with you two?" Willow asked.
He shrugged. "It is not my story to tell," he told her.
"Asher..."
The vampire sighed. "Mon colibri, this is a sensitive matter---"
"But you two have been dancing around it all night," Willow interjected. "Little comments and snide looks and... I've noticed! Richard has been going from relaxed to wound tighter than... well, than something normally reeeeally tight." She sighed and put her hand on Asher's chest. "What's going on?" she insisted.
He sighed again. "We will make time to discuss matters this evening, mon colibri," he promised. "I know that Richard will not like to air his laundry in public or in front of your friend." He brushed his fingers over her lower lip. "Is that acceptable?"
"Yeah," she said, knowing she wouldn't get anything else from the vampire on that issue.
"D'accord," he said. His hand moved from her face to her own hand; he cradled it in his, their fingers weaving together. "Would you do me the honour of a dance?"
Willow smiled. The music was slow and jazzy, something she expected to hear in a smoke-filled, dimly-lit club. She was almost surprised that such a posh restaurant offered dancing to such music, but she was glad for management's decision all the same.
"Dancing sounds good," she murmured.
A few moments later, they were joining the five other couples on the dance floor. Buffy and Richard were talking about something that brought smiles to both of their faces; the other couples seemed to be in their own romantic worlds. Willow and Richard shared a smile and then she allowed Asher to lead them as they stepped and swayed on the smooth, shiny floor.
Once they had shared two dances, Asher and Richard shared partners. Buffy seemed surprised and uncomfortable at first; however, after a little while in the vampire's company, she was smiling---and even blushing a bit---like other women he was able to charm.
"I like your friend," Richard said near her ear, "but I love holding you."
Willow lifted her head and smiled at him. "Well, I like being held, so it works out, doesn't it?" she murmured teasingly.
He smiled back at her. "Yeah," he agreed. "It does."
"Are you having an okay time?"
He nodded. "I am," he said slowly, drawing each word out a bit.
"Good... and no shootings," she said, joking a bit.
He chuckled. "See, everything's fine."
"Yeah," she said. She leaned back in again, resting her head against his chest. "Richard... what would you say if I wanted to be a public Lupa?"
"I'd think you're crazy," he said. "Where did this come from?"
She shrugged. She couldn't give him an answer that he'd want to hear. All she knew was that she had been in his arms, dancing, and then the thought occurred to her. She suspected it was part of the ardeur and part of their own bond that brought the thought to her mind. He must have thought it before, or she must have, somewhere between everything else that had been going on in their lives.
"I really don't know," she confessed. "It just sorta... popped into my head." She shrugged. "We've been doing so much talking lately about pommes and stuff that... maybe that's why. I don't know."
"You'd be okay with the world thinking you're a werewolf?"
"I sort of am," she reminded him.
"Yes, but, you know what I mean..."
She nodded. "Yeah, I do."
"Hold off on coming out of the closet, okay?" he said. "If you're picking up on my thoughts... I've been trying to figure out ways to make some things easier lately... well, don't do anything yet. Let's just get through the next few days and see where we stand."
Willow smiled. "Okay, if you're sure."
"Tonight, I just wanna dance," Richard told her after rubbing her lower back with his hands.
Willow shivered and nodded. "Okie dokie."
He chuckled and pulled her even closer so their bodies were pressed tightly together. Willow glanced at Asher, who was busy teaching Buffy some sort of formal dance. Willow thought it looked like the fox-trot, but she wasn't sure. She smiled at them before closing her eyes and letting Richard guide her around the dancing space.
After two more dances each, Buffy declared she had two left feet and Willow felt like having some scotch before they settled the bill. Asher approved wholeheartedly of that notion and he ordered three samples of four selections be brought to the table, so each of them could try the alcohol if they wanted. Richard tried some of them, but Buffy politely declined; she never was a big drinker, after her experiences in Sunnydale, and Willow couldn't blame her for wanting to avoid the amber liquid.
Willow tried them all, allowing Asher to decide which he prefered. She made a mental note of his favourite and vowed that once they were alone, and back into their own routines, she would surprise him with the flavours of the alcohol.
Once they had finished, Asher paid the bill---despite Richard's objections---and then they left the restaurant.
Patrick and Shang-Da were already outside, wearing coats despite the fact that they probably didn't need them. Patrick was on the phone---to Bobby Lee, Willow learned after eavesdropping for a moment---and his brow was furrowed.
"Shang-Da, what's going on?" Richard asked.
"There's an unexpected visitor at the Circus," he said. "Jean-Claude asked Bobby Lee to call... to give us a heads up."
The guard wasn't saying everything. When he and Willow shared a look, his eyes darted to Buffy. The slayer didn't notice, she was talking with Asher and Richard about what the event would mean to them. Willow guessed Jean-Claude had his reasons for keeping Buffy away from the Circus; she just didn't know what those reasons were.
"Let me speak to Bobby Lee," Asher insisted.
Patrick nodded and passed the phone over to him.
Asher let down his shields and shared the conversation with both Richard and Willow. The witch had been surprised that Richard had been metaphysically trying to listen, but the three of them tied together was a strong bond and every thought and sound seemed clearer somehow.
"Perdita?" Richard asked as the limousine pulled to the curb.
"She is one of Samuel's mermaids," Asher told them both. "And, it turns out, Samuel has had a run in with our blonde friend when she was trying to close one of those... mouths of... comment did-on... oh, hellmouths."
Willow tried not to frown because she had started talking to Buffy. The slayer was hoping that Dawn and Emily had left them ice cream in the freezer because even though she was full from eating such good food at the restaurant, she could go for some sundaes and girly movies like they used to do together. She wanted to spend time with Buffy but she also didn't want Asher to go to the Circus if there was some sort of disaster on the horizon.
"You will be staying at the loft until we know what has happened," Asher said as he guided her to the vehicle. His hand on her arm was firm, unwavering, as was his gaze when it met hers. "No question. I doubt Richard will disagree."
Richard had finished helping Buffy into the back of the vehicle. He straightened and silently said, "I don't disagree."
"You both suck!"
"Later."
Willow wasn't sure which man had said that into her mind---or if it had been both of them. It had been roughly whispered and both of them could growl quite well. She blushed and allowed them to help her inside the limousine.
"Everything okay?" Buffy asked once all four were settled on the leather-covered seats.
Asher nodded. "Oui, everything is fine. We will take you and mon colibri to the loft before we go to the Circus."
Richard looked at Willow. "Is it okay if Emily stays with you?"
Willow made her mouth curve into a smile. She wanted to protest their decision but she knew she shouldn't in front of Buffy. "Sure. As long as she doesn't hog the covers."
"She'll sleep with you?" Buffy asked.
Willow nodded. "Yeah," she replied. "We'll take the sofa-bed and y ou can have my bedroom." She sighed and stretched. "Richard, if you could call Jamil and tell him---"
"I bet Shang-Da already did. You might have another visitor or two tonight since you're close to the clubs, too."
The witch smiled. "Okay. Sounds good."
Buffy remained silent until they arrived at the curb. After she thanked both males for a nice night, Asher went to unlock the apartment door; meanwhile, Willow hugged Richard before she kissed him. He took advantage of the moment and deepened their kiss until she needed to breathe.
"I'll try to come by later, if I can," he promised.
"We won't have any privacy," she whispered back.
He grinned. "It's not about privacy... or needing privacy," he told her. "I may just want to hang out with you and some of our pack."
"Oh."
Feeling Asher's eyes on them, Willow tugged on Richard's hand and backed up towards the door where he and Buffy were waiting.
"You'll let me know what's going on, right? Both of you?" she asked.
Richard nodded as Asher spoke. "Bien sûr," he assured her. "May I have my kiss now? Since our plans were interrupted..."
Willow smirked. "We'll have to reschedule the conversation," she said, looking from one to the other. "I don't know about the other stuff."
Asher cupped her face with one hand; while he kissed her, Willow continued to hold onto Richard's hand. Their shields were still lowered to each other, so they felt their thoughts and reactions as a shared response. Willow had half-expected the Ulfric to shy away from them during that moment, but he hadn't. Instead, he pressed his front against her back and continued to hold onto her hand.
The vampire at her front was well-behaved, given what they had done before and what he wanted to do still with the werewolf king. He pretended the other man was not there and he did not touch him in any way. Having Willow as some sort of protective barrier allowed Richard to stay so close to him and the witch knew Asher wasn't going to torment him and risk losing the proximity he had gained.
When Asher was finished kissing her, he was smiling, but his eyes showed how unravelled he had become.
"I do enjoy the scent of the Ulfric behind my human servant," he said, grinning enough to show his fangs.
"Goldilocks---"
"Not too big... not too small... you would be just right," Asher purred suggestively.
WIllow's mouth formed an 'o' of surprise. She forgot Buffy was with them and she moved so she could stare openmouthed at them both. Richard had stiffened but he wasn't yelling. Willow wondered what that meant.
"I can't believe---no, wait, I can," Richard said before sighing.
"I will wear you down," Asher promised. He kissed Willow's forehead and caressed her cheek before sauntering towards the limousine. "On y va, mon ami," he said, while motioning for Richard to follow him.
The witch looked at Richard. "You gonna make it?"
"Yeah," he said after a few seconds' hesitation. "He just likes getting under my skin."
"I think he'd settle for under your clothes, but yeah, that's the basic idea," she murmured sympathetically. She hugged the Ulfric; he returned the embrace.
"I'll be okay," he assured her. "It's just been a rough few days, and all that sharing marks and ardeur stuff... it's been difficult." He sighed. "I fed off of him tonight."
Willow lifted her head to look at him. "You, what?"
"He let me feed, before we got dressed." He shuddered and hugged her again. "It was a little much... and now... I'm... y'know."
"You fed from him while he fed from you?" she asked.
He nodded from the safety of her neck and shoulder. Willow sighed softly and rubbed his back. She was itching to touch his bare skin---more for comfort than anything else---but she didn't want to ruin the lines of the suit so she slid one of her hands to the back of his neck.
"Well, no wonder you're all tense," she murmured. "Come here after you're finished at the Circus, okay? If Emily and some of the others are here... well, you'll feel better with the pack."
"Yeah," he agreed. "I'll see you later." He pulled away reluctantly and looked at Buffy, who was watching them with an odd, unreadable expression on her face. "It was nice to see you tonight, Buffy," he said with a smile. "I hope we cross paths again while you're staying here."
"No fox-trot," Buffy stipulated.
Richard grinned. "I don't know how to, so we're safe."
Buffy smiled and she stood by Willow until he, too, disappeared into the limousine. Willow watched the long vehicle drive away; after Shang-Da pulled away from the curb, leaving Patrick standing there, Willow motioned to the wolf and to the slayer and guided them inside the apartment.