**tkheaven: No changing cuteness factor. Check And as others have said - nice avatar *G*
**hush30: Heh ... thank you - I'm glad you liked it *G*
Series: Vignettes
Number: 24
Title: A Friendly Little Wager II
Author: Sassette
Feedback: Can be sent to
pink_overalls@yahoo.comSummary: Willow loses a bet.
Spoiler Warning: None
Disclaimer: I didn't create these characters. I do, however, love them, and as they reside in my heart, they belong to me. I'm not making any money off of them, though.
Rating: PG
NOTES: Well heck, they're all AU anyway, right? So why NOT do this from the other side?
A Friendly Little Wager II
Part 24 of the Vignettes Series
by Sassette
"Umm … Willow?" Tara asked, a slight smile quirking her lips. "I think I won our friendly little wager."
"Give it time," Willow said with a little frown, looking intently across the table at Xander, who sat engrossed in a comic book.
"Honey, it's been ten minutes," Tara said slowly. "And you haven't even tried to get the ball," she pointed out reasonably.
Willow sighed heavily, looking at the glass on the table and the little ball under it. "Fine," she said after a few long moments as Xander turned the page, not even looking up. "You win," she conceded, a forlorn expression stealing over her features. Her plan had been so perfect …
"Huh?" Xander asked, finally looking up at Willow's sigh. Something shiny caught his attention out of the corner of his eye, and he lifted the glass on the top of the table. His fingers found the quarter under the glass, brushing against the ball there and pushing it out of the way. "What's up?" he asked.
A rueful expression crossed Willow's face as she caught the ball that rolled right to her, and Xander began fiddling with the quarter, spinning it on the table.
"But … I mean … that's …" Tara said, looking at the ball in Willow's hand in shock. "You had to have arranged that," Tara said, a disbelieving look on her face. "You didn't ask him to do that."
"You still won," Willow said glumly. "I conceded before he moved it."
"What? What did I do?" Xander asked, a look of confusion on his face as Willow turned a sad gaze his way.
"Don't worry about it," Willow said with a little shrug.
"So," Tara said casually, a half-smile crossing her face. "You guys want to go to the Bronze tonight?" she asked innocently. Buffy and Xander looked at her, puzzled expressions on their faces. Tara never initiated outings to the Bronze - sure, she always went, but it was never her idea.
"Tara," Willow said in a low warning tone.
"Hmmm?" Tara asked, turning to look at Willow with raised eyebrows, a sweetly inquisitive look on her face.
"Okay, someone wanna' smack the Slayer here with a big ol' honkin' clue? Or maybe two?" Buffy asked.
"Y'see, Willow took this clear glass," Tara said, picking up the object. "And she bet me that she could take this rubber ball and put it under the glass like so," she said, putting the ball down on the table and covering it with the glass. "And that she would be able to take the ball without using magick, without touching the glass, and without >asking< anyone to touch the glass."
"And Xander walked over, sat down, and started reading his comic book without once looking at the table," Willow said, frowning.
"So it >was< arranged," Tara said, narrowing her eyes at Willow.
"Huh?" Xander said, spinning the coin again.
"Oh, baby, it wasn't," Willow said quickly. "It's just … I've known Xander forever, and if you put a bright and shiny object on a table, he'll pick it up and play with it. He's a total monkey like that. Absolutely every single time," she explained.
"I do not," Xander said indignantly, frowning at Willow as he spun the coin again.
Buffy laughed harder, practically falling out of her chair. "Oh, God … you put the …" Buffy wheezed, still chuckling. "The coin! Under the glass!"
Willow nodded and shrugged. "But he didn't see it until after I had conceded the bet."
"But … it's so shiny!" Xander said helplessly, holding up his hands and gesturing at the coin. "How can I resist the lure of the shininess?"
"So you didn't arrange this beforehand?" Tara asked slowly.
"Nope," Willow said, shaking her head. "If I had, Xander would have seen the coin right away. I just … y'know … knew that if he saw it, he'd move the glass, and that he would probably see it." Willow shrugged, a sheepish look crossing her face. "Way to pay attention to your surrounding, Xander," Willow went on. "Monkey."
"Hey! I am not a monkey!" Xander protested.
"Yes, you are," Willow said firmly, her lips pressing together into a thin line as she nodded once, shortly. "You are monkey-man, all with the monkey-ness, with your strange love of bananas and all objects shiny, especially if they make jangly noises. Maybe I should have used keys," she mused.
"Remind me not to make a bet with you ever again," Tara said ruefully, a slight smile curving her lips.
"But, I lost," Willow protested.
"Yeah, but you used a trick - it's just luck that I won," Tara said with a sigh, pushing away from the table and standing up. "Meet me at the Bronze?"
"Are you sure this has to be, y'know, at the Bronze?" Willow asked slowly.
"You trying to change the terms of the bet after you lost fairly?" Tara asked.
"This is so unfair," Willow muttered, standing up and heading to the door. "Stupid Xander," she mumbled, kicking her feet at the floor as she went.
Tara watched Willow walk out of the Magic Box, stifling a giggle, but letting her smile take full-reign on her face. Petulant 'I-just-lost-a-bet' Willow was absolutely adorable, she decided, her gaze lingering as Willow left the shop. She could just watch Willow for hours and hours. And maybe a few more hours on top of that.
"Earth to Tara," Xander said, waving a hand in front of her face.
"Huh?" Tara asked, broken out of her contemplation of the Cuteness that was Willow.
"So what were the terms of this bet?" Buffy asked curiously.
Tara's grin widened even further, her eyes twinkling. "Y'know, I think I'm going to get to the Bronze now and, umm, wait for Willow," she said, standing up and heading for the door.
Xander and Buffy looked at each other, confused for a moment, then shrugged, silently agreeing to go along. They hurried after Tara, trying to get her to spill what the bet was all about to no avail.
An hour later, they had a table, half-empty drinks, and were surrounding by dancing kids having fun.
"I still don't think it's fair that resisting my love for all things shiny allowed you to win a bet with Willow, and then you won't even tell me what the bet was about," Xander complained for the hundredth time.
Tara just ignored him, her eyes wide and fixed on the entrance, her heart thudding double-time in her chest and her mouth suddenly and completely dry.
"Tara?" Xander asked, then looked over his shoulder to see what Tara was looking at. "Oh, my God!" Xander said, his eyes widening
"I … buh … humina …" Tara said slowly, her gaze fixed.
"We, uhh … we gotta get out of here," Xander said, then shook his head and rearranging his thoughts. "I mean, we gotta' stay, and get all these people out of here. Buffy?" he asked helplessly, turning his eyes to the Slayer. "Evil Skanky Vampire Willow … must do something."
"I -" Tara squeaked, feeling very flushed. She downed her whole glass of water, turning her head a little so she could continue watching the entrance out of the corner of her eye.
"Ummm … Xander," Buffy said slowly. "I think that's really Willow."
"Wha?" Xander said, his head whipping around. Oh, God.
Willow looked around nervously, tugging on the bottom of the leather bodice she wore, trying to find a way of settling it so she could actually breathe. Stupid vampires - they didn't have to breathe. After a few good pulls, she looked down, her eyes widening at the expanse of cleavage there. With a frustrated look, she tugged at the top of the bodice, trying to keep it somewhat decent.
Inwardly, she groaned, looking around again. Where was Tara? She was supposed to …
Willow froze, meeting Tara's eyes, even across the crowded room, separated by distance, shouted conversations and a mass of moving bodies, she could see the appreciation and burning want in those eyes. Her breath caught in her throat at the look Tara was giving her - a look she was used to, but only privately. Behind a locked door.
Gulping audibly, her feet propelled her forward, helplessly drawn to those blue eyes. After a few nervous shuffling steps, she paused, squaring her shoulders and lifting her head, standing proudly.
"God, she looks like Olivia-Newton John in 'Grease'," Tara murmured to herself, a slow smile crossing her face as she watched her 'good girl' dressed up as a 'bad girl' walk awkwardly towards her. "The part at the end where she's at the fair. Does that make me John Travolta? Ewww," she mused aloud.
Across the room, Willow straightened her shoulders, then winced as she looked down, seeing her cleavage reappear. "Where did you come from?" she asked her chest with a little frown. "And what the frilly heck am I going to do with you just … sitting there. Sticking out like that - being all 'Hey, look at me!'"
Willow frowned when her breasts didn't respond, looking up and across the room at Tara, a pleading expression in her eyes. Tara didn't seem to notice the look, however, as her eyes were, Willow realized, looking a little too low to catch how she was looking.
"I can do this, I can do this," Willow said to herself as she started walking slowly. "I am a bloodsucking fiend - look at my outfit!"
With a more confident step, Willow walked further into the Bronze, not noticing the heads that turned to watch her pass, or the gaping stares Buffy and Xander were leveling at her. She only noticed Tara.
Tara was surprised she didn't pass out, she felt so light-headed when Willow's eyes met her own. "Oh … wow," she breathed, her voice full of awe.
"You made her wear THAT as a bet?" Buffy hissed in an undertone, turning a disbelieving eye on Tara.
"You should have heard what she was going to make >me< wear if >I< lost," Tara said absently, waving a dismissive hand.
"Did I wake up in the Twilight Zone this morning?" Xander asked, looking over at Buffy, then turning again to stare at Willow who was walking towards them. "You wanted to see Willow dressed up as an Evil Vampire?"
"I thought about making her wear one of her old outfits - from high school," Tara said absently, her eyes fixed on Willow's lithe form as she made her way through the crowd. "But … she wanted me to wear … well, it was tiny. At least I let Willow wear pants."
"Willow wasn't going to let you wear pants?" Xander nearly shouted, his jaw dropping. "But … but … what would … cover … down there?"
"I think she means it was a dress, Xander," Buffy broke in.
"Oh," Xander said, turning his attention back to his lifelong friend and the incredibly … disturbing … outfit she was wearing.
"Xander, you should probably stop staring at Willow," Buffy said, casting a look back at Tara and noting thankfully that she was so absorbed by Willow's appearance she hadn't noticed the Xander-Drool.
"You're staring," Xander pointed out. "Besides … it's … disturbing. Aren't you … disturbed?" Xander asked.
"Why should I be?" Buffy asked with a little shrug. "She's NOT a vampire - and Willow looks hot in that," she pointed out.
"You think Willow's hot?" Tara asked, breaking out of her reverie and looking at Buffy.
"Yes, but in a 'straight girl sizing up another girl' kind of way, not in a 'gee, I'd really like to jump her bones' kind of way," Buffy said.
Tara's gaze turned away from Buffy, finally noticing all the appreciative stares Willow was getting as she crossed the crowded floor of the Bronze. "Well, she's mine," Tara said, a grin crossing her face. Only it wasn't the usual shy Tara half-smile that Xander and Buffy were used to seeing. It was possessive and wild, and Buffy stood up abruptly.
"Xander. Dance?" Buffy said quickly.
"Right. Dance. With Buffy-friend," Xander said with a nod, grabbing her hand and hurrying onto the dance floor.
Willow arrived at the table, and straddled a stool. "Hi," she said, her voice squeaking quite without her permission. She gave a little wave in greeting, hoping she didn't look as goofy as she felt.
"Huh … h-… whu … nomina … wow," Tara stammered out, her eyes darting everywhere as she tried to decide exactly which lovely expanse of skin she wanted to study. Closely. With her tongue.
"Are you okay?" Willow asked, her expression concerned as she picked up one of the drinks.
"Uhhh… me Tara?" Tara said helplessly with a tiny shrug.
"Umm … should we, uhh … dance?" Willow asked, feeling really warm as the look in Tara's eyes threatened to send her into total meltdown. Normally, she hated attention, but there was something about this whole situation - and how obviously appreciative Tara was of the outfit - that made her suddenly glad she had lost the friendly little wager. "Y'know, dancing, with the close, and the music, and the moving very closely together. Very, >very< closely together. And touching. There has to be touching. Hands have to be touching for the dancing. And did I mention close?
"Oh, yes," Tara said, nodding eagerly. "Dancing. Dancing good. "
"Come on," Willow said with a little grin, taking Tara's hand in hers.