Fic: One Step pt 1

Title: One Step pt 1

Author: Selenay

Summary: The first part in a series that is a sequel to Conversations. The series has no name yet because I'm lame at names, so all suggestions will be gratefully received. This picks up right where Conversations left off. Well, maybe a couple of seconds have passed but...

Spoilers: None yet. This is just filling in events before I tackle season 5

Distribution: My site, anyone else please ask first.

Disclaimer: I don't own Buffy and her friends. It all belongs to Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy et al. I'm only playing, and sadlymake nothing from this.

Feedback: Gratefully received

Buffy pulled back from the kiss to look deeply into Willow's eyes and was startled to see tears shining there.

"What's wrong?" she asked, stroking Willow's soft cheek with the tips of her fingers.

"Nothing. I'm just happy," the redhead replied, smiling.

"Good."

The blonde girl leaned in to steal anotherkiss and just managed to brush Willow's warm lips with hers when she heard a shout from downstairs.

"Buffy! Do you girls want something to drink?"

They both jumped and blushed heavily. Buffy peeked over at Willow and began to giggle. The redheaded witch looked at her quizzically for a moment before she, too, began to giggle. The giggles turned into laughter and for a few minutes both girls sat on the window seat, leaning against each other as they laughed. Each time they began to calm down they looked at each other and began giggling again.

Eventually Buffy forced the smile off her face and turned away from Willow. "Ok, what was so funny again?"

"I don't know," Willow replied breathlessly, also attempting to calm down. "But it seemed . . ."

She trailed off into another round of giggles as Buffy turned to face her.

"Buffy? Do you want anything to drink?" This time Joyce's voice was much closer

"Do you want anything?" Willow asked.

Buffy shook her head. "I want to get out of here. I haven't been out for a few days. How do mochas sound? My treat?"

"Sounds good."

They grinned at each other and Buffy stoodstiffly, stretching leisurely to work out the stiffness in her muscles. When she was finished she turned to Willow, still sitting down, and caught a guilty flush before the redheaded girl smiled up at her.

"What?" she asked, holding out a hand to help her up.

Willow took the proffered hand and allowedherself to be pulled up, incidentally ending up barely inches away from Buffy. "Nothing."

"That was not a nothing look."

She blushed. "It-it . . . uh, maybe not. Imight have been, sort of, uh, admiring the view."

"The view . . . oh." The blonde girl grinned. "Why I do believe that was a compliment."

"Maybe." Willow quickly brushed Buffy's lips with her own and then stepped back. "Mochas? Before your mom investigates?"

"Good plan."

"I thought so."

They met Joyce part way up the stairs and she looked at them curiously. "Where are you two going?"

"Just to the Espresso Pump," Buffy said lightly, edging past her mother. "We feel the need for sugar and caffeine."

"Honey, it's raining out there."

"We'll take umbrellas."

"Sometimes I think I'll never understand you."

The Slayer kissed her mother on the cheek and ran lightly down the remaining stairs. "It would be no fun if you did."

Joyce sighed and smiled at her happy daughter.

Buffy pulled down her leather coat from a peg and handed Willow her green raincoat. Somehow, and it was definitely not an accident, Buffy managed to lightly squeeze the redhead's hand as she gave it to her and they shared a quiet smile.

"Are you sure you want to go out?" Joyce asked, breaking into the moment. "The forecast is that the weather will get worse."

"I'm sure. See? Umbrellas. Raincoats. We'll be fine."

With that the Slayer opened the door walked out. The rain hit her face and lashed at her coat but she barely noticed because Willow was peeking out of the door with a doubtful _expression_. She put up her sturdy umbrella and motioned the hacker to join her. Willow took a deep breath and dashed out of the door and to the safety of the umbrella as quickly as possible.

The walked through the town together, close enough to brush shoulders as they went but resisting the temptation to hold hands - just. Instead they cast sidelong glances at each other and it became almosta game to try and catch each other looking. They ran the final few metres to the warm safety of the coffee shop and Buffy took a deep, appreciative breath of the coffee-laden air and turned to Willow.

"I'll buy, you find a seat?" she asked, eyeing up some chocolate muffins on the counter.

"Sure."

"What do you want?"

"Surprise me."

Buffy flashed her an evil grin and Willow almost took back her impulsive words, but the Slayer was already at the counter, so with a philosophical sigh she began looking for a seat. The shop was crowded and it took her a while to spot the little table hidden away in a corner at the back. The low hum of people talking and the smell of baking goodies were a comforting blend and with the warm glow of the lamps chasing away the dark dampness of the storm it was almost possible to imagine that nothing existed outside the shop. Willow wove her way through the tables, chairs and gossiping customers to the little table at the back, hoping that Buffy was not so distracted by the chocolatey goodness at the counter that she would miss where Willow had gone. Taking off her soggy coat, she hung it on a peg on the wall and sat down to wait.

One of the good things about her secluded perch was that she could do some Buffy-watching without fear of being too obvious. The Slayer was leaning against the counter, staring intently at the menu board,and Willow smiled softly at the sight. I still can't believe it, she thought with wonder. She loves me! And she wants to be with me. She was actually broken-hearted at the thought of not being with me. We're a couple - at least, I think we are. What do we do now? Well, I have some very nice ideas, but realistically where do we go from here? After all, I want this to be right and if we rush anything it could turn into a whole big mess. And how do we tellour friends? What do we tell them? And Buffy's mom . . . and the college and . . . oh! Living arrangements next year! This is all getting complicated already.

"Stop," a voice said from above her and she looked up to see Buffy standing next to her, a serious _expression_ on her face and a tray in her hands.

"Stop what?"

"Will, I know that look on your face. You're worrying."

"I wasn't . . . much."

Buffy set her tray on the table and sat down. "I thought we had a deal that if we started to have doubts or fears we'd talk about it."

"I'm being silly. You know me - silly Willow worrying about nothing important."

"Then tell me. I promise not to laugh."

Willow looked down at the table and began tracing patterns on it with a fingernail. "It's nothing really. I just suddenly realised . . . well, we're a couple, right?"

Buffy smiled at her. "It's what people in a relationship normally are."

Inwardly, Willow heaved a sigh of relief. "Good. Well, then, I sort of realised that I'm not sure what this means. How much does this change things? What are we going to tell everyone? How do we act around each other? And then there's college. And living stuff - I mean we lived together last year and that was ok but now everything's different. And there's your mom and-"

"One day at a time," Buffy cut in, and took on of the witch's hands in hers. "We work things out one day at a time."

"Oh."

"This is newer to me than it is to you; you've been with Tara while I've only been with . . ."

"But it's still new to me. I've never beenin a relationship with my best friend before."

There was silence for a moment as both girls thought.

"I think one day at a time is the best plan," Buffy said eventually. "No rushing, taking our time and trying not plan the future. Around here we can't do that."

Willow looked at her for a moment and smiled.

"What?" Buffy asked. "Do I have something on my nose?"

"No. It's just that I hardly ever get to see rational-Buffy."

"What am I normally?"

She thought for a moment, trying to find away to say what she wanted without offending her friend. "You're usually very emotional. Not that it's a bad thing, sometimes, but sometimes you're over-emotional when you should be more, uh, sensible."

"I think I'd drop that issue while you're ahead."

"Ok. What did you get me?"

Buffy handed her a steaming cup and placeda plate in front of her. Willow sniffed the cup dubiously and then took a sip. Her face lit up with pleasure.

"Thank you," she said, taking another sip of the chocolatey, creamy coffee. "Did you get them to put extra chocolate in this?"

Buffy looked momentarily guilty. "Maybe."

"Thanks."

Willow turned her attention to the large, double chocolate chip cookie sitting on the plate in front of and looked inquiringly at the blonde girl.

"I haven't eaten much lately, and I wouldn't want you to feel left out," Buffy justified. "Anyway, what is a mocha without a chocolaty treat?"

"Fewer calories?"

"Will, you don't need to lose weight. You look just right to me."

She flushed with pleasure.

"And anyway, I'm the one who should be feeling guilty about the amount I'm eating."

For the first time Willow took a good lookat what Buffy had in front of her and she had to blink twice to convince herself she was not seeing things. The blonde Slayer had a cookie like Willow's, but she also had a sandwich, a plate with a couple of poached eggs on toast and a bowl of chicken soup.

"Hungry?" Willow asked mildly.

"A little," Buffy admitted as she cut a neat square of toast and egg.

For a while there was silence as Willow slowly sipped her mocha and Buffy devoured everything in sight. Eventually the blonde girl put down her knife and fork and sat back with a contented sigh to nibble on her cookie.

"Better?" asked Willow.

"Much," Buffy said happily. "I feel alive for the first time in . . . well, for the first time in a long time."

"Good."

"Are you patrolling tonight?"

Buffy grimaced. "I guess I should. I've been a little distracted lately."

"Want some company?"

"Sure you can cope with hanging out in a rainy cemetery?"

"Only when I'm with you."

They exchanged happy smiles and Buffy reached over to cover Willow's hand with hers.

"So, what's going on?" a voice said from behind them.

Buffy immediately snatched her hand back and looked behind her to see Xander. She could imagine the blush that was probably spreading across Willow's face so she pulled his attention away from her friend.

"What's going on where?" she asked. "And with who?"

"I was just wondering why you disappeared for a week," Xander said. "And now I find you in a coffee shop, in a bad storm, which apart from being a little strange is a fortuitous coincidence."

Buffy stared at him, wide-eyed with surprise.

"He's been hanging around Giles all week,"Anya said with a sigh. "You shouldn't let him do that."

"Sorry Xand. I kinda had things on my mind."

"And those things were so earth shatteringyou couldn't even pick up the phone?"

"Xander, she needed some time to think," Willow spoke up in defence of Buffy, receiving a grateful sigh from the Slayer. "Iseem to recall you doing the same a few times."

Xander managed to look embarrassed. "Sorry, Buffy."

"It's ok. I didn't mean to do such a disappearing act." Buffy smiled at him. "Why were you hanging with Giles?"

"Oh, just having a temporary rent-dispute with my parents," he said lightly.

Anya glared at him. "In other words he's been locked out until he pays the rent. And Giles won't give up his bed so we can have sex so I want you to tell him to pay up."

"I though we'd talked about what should and shouldn't be discussed in public?" Xander said, flushing.

"It's not like I told them about mffph mffphh," Anya finished as Xander firmly clamped a hand over her wayward mouth.

"We're leaving now," he announced.

He pulled Anya out of the shop with him and Willow looked at Buffy, trying to contain a smirk.

"Sounds fun," Buffy noted, before giggling.

"She's good for him, in a strange way," Willow added.

Buffy checked out of the window. "The rain's easing off a little. Wanna try and get in a sweep before it starts up again?"

The hacker nodded and they both stood and walked out into the blustery night.

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