AB/BtVS FF: Alive at Last 34/? (Willow/Asher)
TITLE: Alive at Last
AUTHOR: 38gnihsurc
RATING: en.sea.xvii overall
PAIRING: Willow/Asher
SPOILERS: Up until Micah for AB; the series for BtVS, even though I don't really remember much of it, since I haven't watched the last seasons in ages.
DISCLAIMER: I don't own anyone. I'm just having a little fun.
NOTES: This story is AU, since it's a crossover; because of that, I've taken a few creative liberties with explaining why the BtVS vampires are different than the AB vampires, and so on.
Previous Chapters: 1-3, 4, 5, 6-7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23-4, 25, 26-7, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32-3
PART THIRTY-FOUR
The relief Asher felt, the next evening when Willow opened her eyes, could not be quantified. He smiled and slipped his hand into hers and watched as she looked around their bedroom; he smiled more when she turned her confused gaze towards his face.
"Hi," she whispered.
"Oh, mon colibri," he murmured after kissing her knuckles, "it is good to see you awake."
Willow swallowed hard and looked at the two shapeshifters that were resting at her back. "Why are Jason and Nathaniel in here with me?" she asked quietly.
"To keep you warm," he explained, without giving away too many details. "Jason felt very protective of you, after... after everything. And Nathaniel, as well."
"What happened?"
He shook his head. He didn't not want to discuss the events in Jean-Claude's suite until he was certain that Willow was strong enough to hear the details. She pouted but he didn't give in. Instead he leaned down and pressed a kiss to her puckered lips.
"First, you should eat something," he advised.
"Asher!"
He chuckled. "Have I resigned myself to having arguments with a stubborn redhead for an eternity?" he asked teasingly.
"Maybe," she huffed. "Tell me what happened after I passed out! Please?"
"Guys, keep it down," Jason protested, his voice thick with sleep. He lifted his head, peering over Nathaniel, at the vampire and witch. "We're all tired, okay? And I don't know about you guys, but I need my beauty rest."
Asher watched as Willow smiled and reached over the sleeping Nathaniel to brush her fingers through Jason's short hair. "Sorry," she whispered, "Go back to sleep, okay?"
"We will be in the other room," Asher told Jason as he put his arms around Willow. "In a little while, we will bring some food in for both of you."
"Just coffee," Jason mumbled as he snuggled into Nathaniel again.
Asher smiled and nodded before he scooped Willow up and cradled her close to his body. Willow made a quiet noise of complaint, but she didn't say anything until they were seated in the outer room of their suite.
"You think you can keep ignoring my questions?" Willow asked, after Asher gave her a bowl of fruit salad.
Asher chuckled humourlessly and leaned back to watch Willow as she stared at him, instead of eating her salad. He didn't want to keep the truth from her, but he didn't like thinking about the previous night. It had been dangerous and full of magical forces that he did not completely understand.
"Which would you like me to answer first?" he inquired.
"What happened to Anita?" she asked, after chewing and swallowing a spoonful of chopped fruit.
"She is fine," Asher assured her. "Your strength in all of us helped a great deal. Belle Morte either gave in or was defeated. We do not think we shall hear from her for a long time."
Willow smiled. "Good." She paused and added, "Well? What else?"
"Well, what do you remember?" he asked.
She shrugged. "I remember thinking about fitting my hand inside you and Jean-Claude, like gloves. And then taking all of us into Anita, like another hand into a glove. Or like a double-gloved hand, I guess." She paused and then added, "The smell of roses was fading, too."
Asher nodded. He remembered how it felt, trying to help Anita channel her strength into other forms, to slow the ardeur down, and Willow's glove metaphor was fairly accurate. But, she did not know how it felt to watch her eyes change from their everyday, multicoloured-form to nothing but blackness; she did not know how it felt to watch Richard charge at her, furious for being the subject of a spell, and to be unable to help protect her.
"So... are you going to tell me anything else?"
"Richard woke up," he said quietly. "And he did not take kindly to being placed under a spell."
Willow's brow furrowed. "Is that why I doing remember anything else?"
Asher shrugged and nodded. "I suppose so," he replied. "He lunged at you. We hadn't even noticed Nathaniel entering the bedroom, but after Richard threw Jason across the room, Nathaniel lunged at Richard and kept him from hurting you too much. But, he and Jason were hurt. Anita was too weak to heal them---sometimes she can heal shapeshifters that she is connected to---so we put them in bed with you while their bodies healed themselves."
"Where is Richard now?" Willow asked quietly.
"Licking his wounds at Anita's house," Asher told her. "There is a doctor who is a shapeshifter. She takes care of everyone after problems like these."
Willow nodded slowly. Asher leaned forward and poured some orange juice from a pitcher into a glass for Willow. He offered it to her, and then he watched her drink some of it, before she returned to eating her fruit salad.
"Is everyone okay?" Willow asked.
Asher nodded. It had taken Anita a long while to wake up, but once she recovered, she seemed to have more energy than she had had in a long time. Jean-Claude had been over-energised, as well, with the remnants of Willow's power inside of him. Nathaniel's and Jason's wounds had healed and Micah was back to being his unflappable self once he had a long shower and some sleep. A few phone calls had assured them that Damian had been weakened but once Belle Morte stopped drawing upon his energy, he recovered like the others did.
When he finished telling Willow about everyone, she smiled and leaned back in her seat. "I'm so glad," she murmured.
Asher put his arm around her shoulders and kissed her temple. "I did not know you were so strong, mon colibri," he whispered.
She blushed and he heard her heart rate speed up. "I'm not... not really," she whispered in reply.
"I beg to differ," he countered before kissing along her jawline.
Willow laughed softly. "Asher..." she murmured as she tilted her head and granted him the access to her throat he wanted. "Are you being fresh?"
He chuckled and nibbled with his dull teeth on the skin that had not been marked by her fangs. "Affectionate," he corrected Willow between nibbles and kisses. "I am very glad to have you with me again," he whispered, "and I feel that I should show just how happy your awakening has made me."
She grinned and set the bowl of remaining fruit salad down on the coffee table before she slid her hands over his. "Well, I like this," she murmured. "But, wouldn't you rather it if I got a shower first?"
"Hardly," he replied as he pulled Willow into his lap. "Your scent always pleases me," he whispered against her skin.
The obstacles that kept him from showing his feelings for the witch had been overcome in the madness of the night before. She was his human servant---even though he knew there would be nothing subservient about her role in his life---and she was his to kiss and hold as he pleased, as long as her mood ran parallel to his. He felt as if a weight had been lifted from his shoulders and he hoped that he could make Willow as happy as he felt when they were together.
The red-haired woman smiled and hugged him close. "So, are you always gonna be like this?" she asked. She brought a hand up and toyed with the high collar of his white shirt. "A big teddy bear with fangs?"
"Do you have a problem with that?"
"Mmmmnope."
He smiled into her hair before placing another kiss to her neck. Then, he realised that he had distracted her from finishing her breakfast, so he quickly turned her around and as she settled across his lap, he picked up her bowl and spoon. He started to feed her; at first, he wasn't sure if she was enjoying it, but between a couple of pieces of kiwi and a slice of banana, she flashed him a very happy grin.
"So... now what?" she asked quietly. "Do you want to feed?"
"I have already fed," he replied, offering her another spoonful of fruit.
She accepted the food, taking it into her mouth before chewing and swallowing. "Oh... so..." she trailed off and glanced away from him for a minute. "Do you have plans tonight?"
"Taking you out to dinner," he admitted, "if you are free."
Willow grinned for a moment and then she plucked the spoon out of his hand. "Are you going to choose the menu?"
"I thought, perhaps, we could compromise on a menu," he told her as honestly as he could. Truthfully, he wanted to select the entire menu, but he was somewhat interested to taste the foods she enjoyed.
"And what do I get out of it?" she asked, a teasing smile on her lips, after chewing and swallowing more fruit.
"A very pleased vampire who will do anything you ask later this evening?"
Willow chuckled. "Anything?"
"Very enthusiastically," he added, hoping his words were enough to convince her to go out with him in public.
"Well... what restaurant are you planning to take me to?" she asked as her hand, once holding the spoon, came up to his chest to toy with the buttons on his shirt.
"A formal, fancy restaurant with an excellent reputation for preparing delicious meals," he replied.
She smiled, letting her fingers travel from his chest to his throat. He closed his eyes for a moment; her touch was so gentle, as if she were actually a hummingbird. The fact that he was touching that particular area of his body did nothing for his self-restraint. He wanted to throw the bowl of fruit to the floor and pin her against the wall or the sofa; but, he also wanted to make sure that she was in perfect health before engaging in any sort of physical activity with her.
"Sounds nice," she murmured before snuggling up to him.
Asher took the bowl away and set it upon the coffee table. Then, he bundled her up into his arms. She sighed happily and wrapped her arms around his shoulders and neck as she pressed her face into his collar.
"Are you comfortable, mon colibri?" he inquired.
"Very," she whispered into his mind.
Asher let his shields down and spoke along their permanent bond. "You should feel comfortable to speak like this, instead, mon colibri. It is our method of communication now... ours and ours alone."
"You're kind of a caveman, Asher. You know that?" she replied, using their mental link instead of her magic to communicate with him.
"I cannot apologise for my possessive nature," he breathed into her thoughts. "I wish everyone to know that you belong to me."
Willow chuckled out loud for a moment, before saying: As long as everyone knows you belong to---"
She stopped short. Asher looked down at her and after meeting her gaze, he knew what had prevented her from finishing her sentence. He slid his hand from her back to her cheek; he cupped her face in his hand and leaned in so he could press his lips against hers. She responded, albeit hesitantly, and as they kissed, he poured his thoughts down along their mental link.
"I love her... but I also love you, Willow. I would not marry you to me with the fourth mark if I did not consider you to be very important. Our relationship will be challenging but I know you are worth it," he said silently before sending her a series of feelings and images to back up his words.
He felt Willow shiver against his body as their kiss ended and then she kissed his throat. He sighed and hugged her tightly to his body.
"Promise?"
"A passionless, loveless union is not something I desire, mon colibri," he whispered into her silky smooth hair.
"I don't regret anything," she assured him. "I just... it's gonna be weird, you know?"
"Oui."
She kissed his neck again, before lifting her head to look into his eyes. "So... dinner tonight?"
"S'il vous plait," he replied.
Willow blushed and nodded. "Okay... but I don't have anything formal to wear," she reminded him.
"I will take care of that, mon colibri," he murmured as he started to think about the clothes that he had ordered for Willow in advance, for occasions such as those. He knew they were waiting in a closet, in a room Jean-Claude used when he wished to keep presents hidden from Anita until it was time to bestow them upon her.
"Asher... you don't have to---"
He cut her off with a kiss and then he said, "Allow me to spoil you." Asher took delight in the blush that crept up Willow's face. He smirked when she stammered; then he brushed his fingers through her hair, combing it off of her face as he spoke. "I wish to provide for you, mon colibri," he said quietly and confidently. "I wish to see you dressed in fine clothes, eating delicious foods... cared for in every way possible."
"So... clean, healthy, and happy," she whispered.
"And perhaps even physically satisfied," he breathed before kissing the corners of her mouth.
"Mmm..." Willow purred. She leaned in and kissed Asher in response. "Well, maybe I'll stick around then."
"Very good," Asher replied. He kissed Willow again, before hugging her close to his body. He relaxed and closed his eyes when he felt her fingers interlocking behind his neck.
TBC...
AUTHOR: 38gnihsurc
RATING: en.sea.xvii overall
PAIRING: Willow/Asher
SPOILERS: Up until Micah for AB; the series for BtVS, even though I don't really remember much of it, since I haven't watched the last seasons in ages.
DISCLAIMER: I don't own anyone. I'm just having a little fun.
NOTES: This story is AU, since it's a crossover; because of that, I've taken a few creative liberties with explaining why the BtVS vampires are different than the AB vampires, and so on.
Previous Chapters: 1-3, 4, 5, 6-7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23-4, 25, 26-7, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32-3
PART THIRTY-FOUR
The relief Asher felt, the next evening when Willow opened her eyes, could not be quantified. He smiled and slipped his hand into hers and watched as she looked around their bedroom; he smiled more when she turned her confused gaze towards his face.
"Hi," she whispered.
"Oh, mon colibri," he murmured after kissing her knuckles, "it is good to see you awake."
Willow swallowed hard and looked at the two shapeshifters that were resting at her back. "Why are Jason and Nathaniel in here with me?" she asked quietly.
"To keep you warm," he explained, without giving away too many details. "Jason felt very protective of you, after... after everything. And Nathaniel, as well."
"What happened?"
He shook his head. He didn't not want to discuss the events in Jean-Claude's suite until he was certain that Willow was strong enough to hear the details. She pouted but he didn't give in. Instead he leaned down and pressed a kiss to her puckered lips.
"First, you should eat something," he advised.
"Asher!"
He chuckled. "Have I resigned myself to having arguments with a stubborn redhead for an eternity?" he asked teasingly.
"Maybe," she huffed. "Tell me what happened after I passed out! Please?"
"Guys, keep it down," Jason protested, his voice thick with sleep. He lifted his head, peering over Nathaniel, at the vampire and witch. "We're all tired, okay? And I don't know about you guys, but I need my beauty rest."
Asher watched as Willow smiled and reached over the sleeping Nathaniel to brush her fingers through Jason's short hair. "Sorry," she whispered, "Go back to sleep, okay?"
"We will be in the other room," Asher told Jason as he put his arms around Willow. "In a little while, we will bring some food in for both of you."
"Just coffee," Jason mumbled as he snuggled into Nathaniel again.
Asher smiled and nodded before he scooped Willow up and cradled her close to his body. Willow made a quiet noise of complaint, but she didn't say anything until they were seated in the outer room of their suite.
"You think you can keep ignoring my questions?" Willow asked, after Asher gave her a bowl of fruit salad.
Asher chuckled humourlessly and leaned back to watch Willow as she stared at him, instead of eating her salad. He didn't want to keep the truth from her, but he didn't like thinking about the previous night. It had been dangerous and full of magical forces that he did not completely understand.
"Which would you like me to answer first?" he inquired.
"What happened to Anita?" she asked, after chewing and swallowing a spoonful of chopped fruit.
"She is fine," Asher assured her. "Your strength in all of us helped a great deal. Belle Morte either gave in or was defeated. We do not think we shall hear from her for a long time."
Willow smiled. "Good." She paused and added, "Well? What else?"
"Well, what do you remember?" he asked.
She shrugged. "I remember thinking about fitting my hand inside you and Jean-Claude, like gloves. And then taking all of us into Anita, like another hand into a glove. Or like a double-gloved hand, I guess." She paused and then added, "The smell of roses was fading, too."
Asher nodded. He remembered how it felt, trying to help Anita channel her strength into other forms, to slow the ardeur down, and Willow's glove metaphor was fairly accurate. But, she did not know how it felt to watch her eyes change from their everyday, multicoloured-form to nothing but blackness; she did not know how it felt to watch Richard charge at her, furious for being the subject of a spell, and to be unable to help protect her.
"So... are you going to tell me anything else?"
"Richard woke up," he said quietly. "And he did not take kindly to being placed under a spell."
Willow's brow furrowed. "Is that why I doing remember anything else?"
Asher shrugged and nodded. "I suppose so," he replied. "He lunged at you. We hadn't even noticed Nathaniel entering the bedroom, but after Richard threw Jason across the room, Nathaniel lunged at Richard and kept him from hurting you too much. But, he and Jason were hurt. Anita was too weak to heal them---sometimes she can heal shapeshifters that she is connected to---so we put them in bed with you while their bodies healed themselves."
"Where is Richard now?" Willow asked quietly.
"Licking his wounds at Anita's house," Asher told her. "There is a doctor who is a shapeshifter. She takes care of everyone after problems like these."
Willow nodded slowly. Asher leaned forward and poured some orange juice from a pitcher into a glass for Willow. He offered it to her, and then he watched her drink some of it, before she returned to eating her fruit salad.
"Is everyone okay?" Willow asked.
Asher nodded. It had taken Anita a long while to wake up, but once she recovered, she seemed to have more energy than she had had in a long time. Jean-Claude had been over-energised, as well, with the remnants of Willow's power inside of him. Nathaniel's and Jason's wounds had healed and Micah was back to being his unflappable self once he had a long shower and some sleep. A few phone calls had assured them that Damian had been weakened but once Belle Morte stopped drawing upon his energy, he recovered like the others did.
When he finished telling Willow about everyone, she smiled and leaned back in her seat. "I'm so glad," she murmured.
Asher put his arm around her shoulders and kissed her temple. "I did not know you were so strong, mon colibri," he whispered.
She blushed and he heard her heart rate speed up. "I'm not... not really," she whispered in reply.
"I beg to differ," he countered before kissing along her jawline.
Willow laughed softly. "Asher..." she murmured as she tilted her head and granted him the access to her throat he wanted. "Are you being fresh?"
He chuckled and nibbled with his dull teeth on the skin that had not been marked by her fangs. "Affectionate," he corrected Willow between nibbles and kisses. "I am very glad to have you with me again," he whispered, "and I feel that I should show just how happy your awakening has made me."
She grinned and set the bowl of remaining fruit salad down on the coffee table before she slid her hands over his. "Well, I like this," she murmured. "But, wouldn't you rather it if I got a shower first?"
"Hardly," he replied as he pulled Willow into his lap. "Your scent always pleases me," he whispered against her skin.
The obstacles that kept him from showing his feelings for the witch had been overcome in the madness of the night before. She was his human servant---even though he knew there would be nothing subservient about her role in his life---and she was his to kiss and hold as he pleased, as long as her mood ran parallel to his. He felt as if a weight had been lifted from his shoulders and he hoped that he could make Willow as happy as he felt when they were together.
The red-haired woman smiled and hugged him close. "So, are you always gonna be like this?" she asked. She brought a hand up and toyed with the high collar of his white shirt. "A big teddy bear with fangs?"
"Do you have a problem with that?"
"Mmmmnope."
He smiled into her hair before placing another kiss to her neck. Then, he realised that he had distracted her from finishing her breakfast, so he quickly turned her around and as she settled across his lap, he picked up her bowl and spoon. He started to feed her; at first, he wasn't sure if she was enjoying it, but between a couple of pieces of kiwi and a slice of banana, she flashed him a very happy grin.
"So... now what?" she asked quietly. "Do you want to feed?"
"I have already fed," he replied, offering her another spoonful of fruit.
She accepted the food, taking it into her mouth before chewing and swallowing. "Oh... so..." she trailed off and glanced away from him for a minute. "Do you have plans tonight?"
"Taking you out to dinner," he admitted, "if you are free."
Willow grinned for a moment and then she plucked the spoon out of his hand. "Are you going to choose the menu?"
"I thought, perhaps, we could compromise on a menu," he told her as honestly as he could. Truthfully, he wanted to select the entire menu, but he was somewhat interested to taste the foods she enjoyed.
"And what do I get out of it?" she asked, a teasing smile on her lips, after chewing and swallowing more fruit.
"A very pleased vampire who will do anything you ask later this evening?"
Willow chuckled. "Anything?"
"Very enthusiastically," he added, hoping his words were enough to convince her to go out with him in public.
"Well... what restaurant are you planning to take me to?" she asked as her hand, once holding the spoon, came up to his chest to toy with the buttons on his shirt.
"A formal, fancy restaurant with an excellent reputation for preparing delicious meals," he replied.
She smiled, letting her fingers travel from his chest to his throat. He closed his eyes for a moment; her touch was so gentle, as if she were actually a hummingbird. The fact that he was touching that particular area of his body did nothing for his self-restraint. He wanted to throw the bowl of fruit to the floor and pin her against the wall or the sofa; but, he also wanted to make sure that she was in perfect health before engaging in any sort of physical activity with her.
"Sounds nice," she murmured before snuggling up to him.
Asher took the bowl away and set it upon the coffee table. Then, he bundled her up into his arms. She sighed happily and wrapped her arms around his shoulders and neck as she pressed her face into his collar.
"Are you comfortable, mon colibri?" he inquired.
"Very," she whispered into his mind.
Asher let his shields down and spoke along their permanent bond. "You should feel comfortable to speak like this, instead, mon colibri. It is our method of communication now... ours and ours alone."
"You're kind of a caveman, Asher. You know that?" she replied, using their mental link instead of her magic to communicate with him.
"I cannot apologise for my possessive nature," he breathed into her thoughts. "I wish everyone to know that you belong to me."
Willow chuckled out loud for a moment, before saying: As long as everyone knows you belong to---"
She stopped short. Asher looked down at her and after meeting her gaze, he knew what had prevented her from finishing her sentence. He slid his hand from her back to her cheek; he cupped her face in his hand and leaned in so he could press his lips against hers. She responded, albeit hesitantly, and as they kissed, he poured his thoughts down along their mental link.
"I love her... but I also love you, Willow. I would not marry you to me with the fourth mark if I did not consider you to be very important. Our relationship will be challenging but I know you are worth it," he said silently before sending her a series of feelings and images to back up his words.
He felt Willow shiver against his body as their kiss ended and then she kissed his throat. He sighed and hugged her tightly to his body.
"Promise?"
"A passionless, loveless union is not something I desire, mon colibri," he whispered into her silky smooth hair.
"I don't regret anything," she assured him. "I just... it's gonna be weird, you know?"
"Oui."
She kissed his neck again, before lifting her head to look into his eyes. "So... dinner tonight?"
"S'il vous plait," he replied.
Willow blushed and nodded. "Okay... but I don't have anything formal to wear," she reminded him.
"I will take care of that, mon colibri," he murmured as he started to think about the clothes that he had ordered for Willow in advance, for occasions such as those. He knew they were waiting in a closet, in a room Jean-Claude used when he wished to keep presents hidden from Anita until it was time to bestow them upon her.
"Asher... you don't have to---"
He cut her off with a kiss and then he said, "Allow me to spoil you." Asher took delight in the blush that crept up Willow's face. He smirked when she stammered; then he brushed his fingers through her hair, combing it off of her face as he spoke. "I wish to provide for you, mon colibri," he said quietly and confidently. "I wish to see you dressed in fine clothes, eating delicious foods... cared for in every way possible."
"So... clean, healthy, and happy," she whispered.
"And perhaps even physically satisfied," he breathed before kissing the corners of her mouth.
"Mmm..." Willow purred. She leaned in and kissed Asher in response. "Well, maybe I'll stick around then."
"Very good," Asher replied. He kissed Willow again, before hugging her close to his body. He relaxed and closed his eyes when he felt her fingers interlocking behind his neck.
TBC...