caty_did | conversations About Dead People, Ch.22

Last post for season 6!

Sunnydale, 2002

Halfway to campus, Willow broke the comfortable silence that had fallen between herself and Tara.

“I still can’t believe you knew about Buffy and Spike, and didn’t tell me.”

Tara laughed. “Sweetie! When exactly would I have told you? ‘Wow these dresses are dreadful. And oh, by the way, Buffy’s secretly been getting groiny with Spike.’”

Willow opened her mouth to retort, closed it, and broke into a sheepish grin. “Okay, fair.” Her voice sobered. “I just- I really wish she’d told me. That’s all.”

Tara reached across the console to hold her hand. “I know. But like I said, she didn’t even mean to tell me. At least I don’t think she did. And I really haven’t known for very long. Just since right before her birthday.”

“Her birthday? Tara! That’s kind of a long time!”

Tara grimaced sympathetically. “I thought about telling you. I really did, but she deserves her privacy as much as anyone else, and she was just so…shattered. I didn’t want to betray her confidence. I don’t think she could have handled it. Then she told me that she’d ended it for good, so I didn’t think it really mattered that much. Are we really going to get into an argument about Buffy and Spike? Of all the things for us to fight about…”

Willow squeezed her hand and smiled. “No. Of course not. It’s just… she used to tell me about all the romance type stuff going on in her life, and now she doesn’t and I’m, y’know, curious. She’s my best friend, I want her to be able to talk to me.”

Tara nodded and offered a sweet smile. “I get how that would be hard for you. But you were kind of busy dealing with your own stuff. And you have to understand that it was hard for her too. I don’t think she wanted to admit to herself what she was doing.”

Willow frowned. “Yeah. I don’t think I’d want anyone to know either if I’d been sneaking around with Spike.”

“If it makes you feel any better, I didn’t get the impression that they were in it for the romance. For her at least, I think it was a chance to get out of her head for a little while.”

Willow was quiet for a moment. “How long- I mean, do you know when it started?”

Tara took a deep breath. “I’m not really sure. She never told me and I never asked. But I think, I think it was probably that night that, um, I stayed over with Dawn.”

“Oh.” Willow turned into the parking lot and began looking for space in silence. That night was a touchy subject for everyone.

“Yeah.”

“Long time.”

“I guess.”

“Does she love him?”

“I don’t know. I don’t think so.”

Willow remained quiet as she parked the car, and they got out.

Tara slipped her hand into Willows as the headed towards the building, and Willow shot her an impish grin.

“So,” she started, in a voice that clearly said they were changing the subject. “Think we can get what we came for without losing our clothes?”