Spell slots
Cleaveland, Ohio
Soft cheeks nuzzle into the hollow of Willow's throat. Large, lotion-scented hands cup her ribcage and the weight that settles on the bed beside her makes opening her eyes simply too frightening. It might be a dream. The last thirty years since she glutted herelf on every dark spellbook left on Earth and faced off with Apophis the second time? Told the universe to either give Tara back or go fuck itself?
That might all be a dream.
Their brief flirtation with lesbian bed death last year does suggest otherwise but...precautions.
"Morning, little red."
"Mmm, morning farmgirl."
"Mmm, babe...it's Sunday, right? The witchcraft department at Notre Dame doesn't teach in the fall. Farmer's market isn't for months. Let's just stay in bed."
"Do you actually think Buffy will let us?
"Pfft. No."
Tara chuckles.
"Well then, witch of mine, we should get going. We were going to hit up the game store for books and I am dragging your lazy ass through a Target on the way. At the bare minimum, a toothbrush."
"Magic," Willow whines. "I packed soap, you big worrywort."
"If it doesn't work there? Or if trying our mint floss spell creates a rain of frogs? Bad breath, no kisses."
"I'm up!"
Willow sits up so fast the loose energy makes her hair go on end.
She's real, thank Hecate.
Tara laughs. Her bottomless baby blues and pillowy lips beckon as she turns Willow and moves in for a quick kiss. She stretches, dragging Willow's old band shirt in all sorts of interesting ways.
"You and your ladyboner mana buzz first thing in the morning. S'cute. It makes you so easy, dear."
-----
The bell at Cavernous Games tinkles merrily over Willow's head as she pushes the door open.
Seth, the new owner, looks up from his newspaper.
"Morning, ladies."
"Morning."
"What's your pleasure?"
"Were you able to snag those books?" Tara asks.
"Anything for my regulars," he jokes, plunking three massive plastic crates down.
"Fifth Edition everything, figurine collection, greatest hits of the AD&D 3.5 conversions."
Tara whistles. Willow swipes her card and tries not to think about how much of an impulse buy it is.
"Question. Do you use magic to roll?" he teases.
"Not if mundanes are at the table. Seems sketchy. I know I didn't pick a side but they don't," Willow admits. "I do use it to grab the loose ones before Fido gets them."
The resurrected mastiff's skeletal head tilts and from between his ribs he releases a booming, happy bark.
Woof!
Necromancy. A dog lover's best friend.
"Yes boy, you."
Tara has drifted around to browse, keeping back from the nerd whiff and leers of the comic book section's regulars. Three of them eye her hungrily, no doubt grooving on the pink-triangle earrings Willow bought her a few years back. With the only other woman in sight being Willow and Tara definitely being MILF material, it's not much of a leap.
Willow flicks her fingers and the sign over the door shakes violently and sparks dance around the fourth line. Two of the teenagers look up.
No perving on witches, slayers, or other save the world types. Violators will be banned.
-Management.
She drops the psionic hold so that the sign clatters back and they know she did that.
"Down, girl. No one's going to hit on Willow's wife. Not in Cleaveland. Even those pipsqueaks remember downtown getting Hellmouth-ed when they were boys. How's work?" Seth asks.
Willow chuckles.
"Same cauldron dregs, different day. A couple of my students are fun, though. I actually have a Jesuit seminarian taking one of my courses. Auditing, at least. Thinks he won't be caught by the higher-ups."
"What?" Seth exclaims. "That's hilarious. Defense 104?"
Willow shakes her head.
"No, actually. New grad level class I co-teach with Amanda from ROTC. Magical Strategy and Witch History in Pre-Renassaince Europe. Military Magic 423. Not sure if he thinks he's going to run into a war witch or an empowered slayer at the Vatican Archives and have to talk her down or that the Karani demons will come back or what. But I don't say no to new perspectives. Forty-ish. Name of Brian O'Toole, if you can believe it."
"Yeah," Seth jokes. "That tracks."
"Hey, do you sell like, travel toothbrushes?"
Seth laughs.
"Traveling, huh?"
"That obvious? Yeah. The missus insistus that I have mundane toiletries," Willow grumbles.
Seth goes for a drawer behind the counter.
"Ironically, yes we do. And mouthwash. I think it's more 'a girl came in and wants to play' toothbrushes but same concept."
Willow rolls her eyes. He tosses her a four-pack.
"I mean, twenty years ago, I'd have been scrambling up here in blind panic if I was hunched over Batwoman and she walked in. Can relate."
Tara walks over, drags her nails on Fido's skull and pecks her cheek.
"Ready, honey?"