Title: Bring Me Into the Light (10/?)
AUTHOR: Mistress Ace & Em
E-MAIL: rosewood@inreach.com & slayerbuffy@aol.com
FEEDBACK: Is the butter on our bread. We write because the story begs to be told. Feedback lets us know if we struck a chord with you.
DISTRIBUTION: Our site, Fandom Writers (http://www.fandomwriters.com), of course. FINNatics, Vamps-N-Slayers, the other list archives as well. Anyone else interested, we'll be happy to share.
RATING: NC-17 (eventually – or maybe quickly depending on the whim of the muses)
CATEGORY: Story: Romance, Angst
SPOILERS: As You Were
PAIRINGS: B/R/Sam, m/f, f/f
DISCLAIMER: Don't own the characters at all. (More's the pity) They belong to the Great God Joss Whedon et al. We are just borrowing them for a little bit. That's all. No BtVS characters were harmed in the writing of this fic. Well, maybe just a little.
SUMMARY: Not back for long enough. Not nearly long enough and there were too many things left up in the air. But isn't that the purpose of fan-fiction?
DEDICATION: To everyone who sent us feedback/support/questions when we were so delayed in posting the last chapter, and again with this one. That kind of support touches our hearts and keeps us posting. Thanks to you all. :-)

 
Chapter 10

"Finn, you might want to get some clothes on." Sam called from the front seat as the SUV started to slow down. The sound of her voice jolted them both out of a profoundly deep kiss. One where breathing had ceased to be important and the only thing that mattered was each other. "Unless you really want to run bare-assed into the hotel. We're almost there."

Buffy giggled softly at the thought and sat up slowly. She reached for Riley's pants and held them a moment, giggling again before handing them to him. She also took a few moments to retrieve her bra and blouse and pull them on, buttoning up the blouse while Riley dressed. The tie at the neck she left open, though. Finally she started the search for her underwear, knowing that she'd need it in the morning.

Riley pulled on his pants, forgoing the boxers for once. Those he tucked into one of his pockets. His sweater had ended up under the front seat along with one of his boots. The other boot was in up against the door. Riley grabbed it and a tiny scrap of silk as he pulled the sweater back on.

The car was slowing down even more, the seat rising back up as he tugged on his boots and laced them up. Quick efficient movements designed to get him prepared for the outside world, or as prepared as he could be.

He was ready to fall out when Sam brought the vehicle to a smooth halt in the parking lot. Buffy was finishing up, still searching for her underwear only to have it handed to her. Riley's smile was broad and tinged with a hint of mischief as he dangled that bit of silk between his fingers. "Looking for these?"

Buffy looked down at the panties in her hand, then back up at him. "Swiped 'em, did you? If you really want 'em, keep 'em. I've got plenty more at home." She laughed lightly, teasing him again. It was so much fun to have him back.

"Busted," he laughed as well, eyes sparkling as he opened the door. Sam was already there, waiting for them. Head tilted to one side, broad smile on her face as she stepped back to give them enough room to get out. She looked calm but under the surface Riley could tell she was practically vibrating with energy.

He received a quick kiss upon exiting but Buffy got the full treatment. As soon as her feet touched the pavement, she was in Sam's arms. Pressed up against the cool metal, eager mouth covering hers, warm hands slipping up underneath her blouse. Tongues sliding together, bodies arching and aching and yes... ready.

No mistaking now that Sam was interested. Very interested... they'd be lucky to get inside. But that was par for the course tonight. Semi-public sex and possible arrest for indecent exposure definitely on the agenda.

Buffy slid her hands around Sam's waist, tugging gently at the hem of her shirt until it lifted enough for fingers to touch soft, warm skin. She gently explored as they kissed, mapping unfamiliar expanses of skin much as she'd mapped Riley's familiar body earlier. Sam was soft where Riley was more solid, and her silky skin felt wonderfully smooth to Buffy's fingertips.

Genuinely amused, Riley closed the doors and locked them. When it didn't look like they were coming up for air anytime soon, he slid his arms around both of them. That was enough to break Sam's concentration and she gifted him with a slightly dazed look. "Honey, let's move this inside," he murmured.

Sam released Buffy reluctantly, keeping a hold of her hand as Riley steered them towards the side door. A couple of guys who had been standing in the lot by their own vehicle shot him clearly envious looks which Riley ignored. But he did walk a little taller, his arm around Sam's waist.

Let them look. Let them wonder. This... this was his.

They couldn't get into the hotel room fast enough for Buffy. As soon as the door shut behind them, she pulled Sam closer and wrapped her free arm around the tall brunette's waist. She tipped her head back to look up into Sam's face. The smile she gave her lover was happy and content. Though the fire still smoldered in the depths of her eyes, Buffy was in control for the moment.

In a move Buffy thought only Riley ever used, Sam cradled the back of her head, fingers threading through her hair. She looked down into those beautiful eyes and murmured. "I want to see you, all of you." Quick glance over a Riley who was already stripping out of his boots and grinning at her. "Both of you."

"Yes, ma'am." Riley replied, his smile growing broader by the minute. His boots were off, his sweater went flying again, this time landing on the couch. He didn't mind taking orders from Sam, especially orders like this. It helped eliminate any possible awkwardness to let Sam take control right now.

Buffy smiled and echoed, "Yes, ma'am," in a soft voice. Her fingers went to the front of her shirt and started undoing the little buttons that ran down the front. Like Riley, Buffy believed Sam could get her through this with as little difficulty as possible. And the necessity of being so much in control elsewhere in her life gave her the willingness to step back and let another take control in intimate situations.

While she was by no means meek or passive, she enjoyed being not entirely in control. It gave her a bit of relief, if she was honest about it.

As Riley continued to strip, Sam kept her attention on Buffy. Her shirt undone, lush fall of blonde hair hanging loose about her shoulders, Sam is awestruck by her petite beauty. Long column of throat, slipping easily into the swell of breast barely covered by black lace and on down to a belly that Sam wanted to worship.

No wonder Riley had loved her to distraction. Buffy was elegance and grace, smooth movement combined with incredible power. Compared to this exquisite creature, she is a raw-boned thing - too tall, too clumsy, too brash... just too much.

All those things echoed in her mind, chipping away at her self-confidence. Sam cleared her throat to say something, to apologize or to back out and let them be together but Riley moved at that moment, catching her attention. She looked up into her husband's eyes and the look there reassured her she was beautiful.

That she was beautiful and she was wanted and this was the only place where she should be. That reassurance was compounded by Buffy leaning forward and kissing the hollow of her throat, little fingers undoing the buttons on her blouse. Soft lips and equally soft brush of fingertips sent electric shocks through her whole body. Her fear melted away as quickly as it had appeared.

Riley moved behind Sam, pulling the tails of her shirt out of her waistband, undoing the zipper on the back of her skirt. He kissed the nape of her neck, the line of her jaw, the soft spot under her ear. Beautiful. God, she was so beautiful. He loved her so much... loved both of them with all his heart.

Buffy pushed the blouse off Sam's shoulders and ran her hands down her arms as the shirt fell to the floor. She pressed a soft kiss to the center of Sam's chest as she reached between Sam and Riley to unfasten her bra. Gentle fingertips slid down Sam's arms again as Buffy eased the straps of the bra off and let it fall to the floor. Then the little blonde reached behind her own back to do the same, turning a little as she did so.

Only to be stopped by Riley who happily performed that duty. He slid the straps down her arms, revealing her breasts to his wife. Baring his first love to his second and in doing so, Riley gave Buffy to Sam. Who accepted his gift by falling to her knees, taking one dusky nipple into her mouth and humming with pleasure.

Buffy was surrounded. Warm fingers in her waistband, tugging down the zipper. Same warm hands easing the skirt down her hips, letting it fall to the floor. Riley's mouth on her shoulder, Sam's on her breast and the only thing holding her up was their hands. Big hands. Strong hands... exactly what she needed.

She stood between them, weak-kneed, wearing nothing but her boots and socks. Her eyes were closed and her head tipped back to rest on Riley's chest. Her hands lifted and tangled into Sam's hair as she moaned softly. She'd never imagined anything quite like this, and the feeling was incredible. Her tiny body pressed close between their larger ones... she felt cocooned, warm and safe and loved.

So long, it had been so long. A lifetime since she'd touched skin this soft or felt small hands, feminine hands, on her body. She loved Riley, loved him with all her heart and would never, never consider leaving him for anyone but there were nights... God, there were nights when her dreams were filled with this. With the feel and the scent and the taste...

Watching Sam, watching her like this with her eyes closed like she was trying to block out everything, everything but the softness under her lips... Seeing her like this brought home how much she hid from the world. The guys in the unit, clowns that they were, tagged her as a dyke from day one. Said things behind her back and in front of her too. When he heard it, Riley stepped in.

Told them to knock it off, to give the lady the respect she was due. Just because a woman kicked ass, it didn't mean she was gonna replace you in your girlfriend's bed. And because he treated her decently, they became friends. He wasn't that surprised when she did confirm the theories... What did surprise him was when she went against her experience, her preferences and chose him.

It made him feel wanted... feel special. And after Sunnydale, after Spike's taunts and the crap he'd gotten into, being special to someone was a Godsend.

Now seeing her with Buffy, seeing the light in her eyes and the hunger, made him realize that in order for this, for their marriage to work... In order for Sam to be happy, she had to have a woman in her life. While it went against his upbringing, against everything he'd been trained to believe, even went against the commandments he'd learned at his mother's knee, right now Riley was willing to throw all of that out.

Sam wanted Buffy.

Buffy wanted Sam.

He wanted both of them

And they wanted him.

He might be damned forever for this, but there was no way he was going to put a stop to it. Theology and logic and training could wait… could wait until tomorrow.

Buffy twisted her head to look at Riley. There was a hint of repressed concern in his touch, and she frowned slightly. Catching his eyes, hers burned brightly into his and she tipped her chin up to kiss him deeply. She couldn't stop the little cooing sounds that Sam's touches provoked, but that didn't keep her from kissing him with everything she had.

She didn't know what was bothering him, though when her mind cleared she might be better able to guess. But for now, she would do what she could to keep him from thinking about it, and they could discuss it later.

"Buffy," Her name, soft and low, spoken against the curve of her breast. Buffy looked down and gasped when her gaze met Sam's and she saw what lived within her. Not just desire, not just need but devotion and something bordering on worship. Only Angel and Riley had ever looked at her like that... until now.

Whatever she meant to say was stuck in her throat, words forgotten as Sam gazed up at a heart-shaped face. Looked into eyes the exact same shade as her husband's and did, what had been, until tonight, unthinkable: she fell in love. Fell honestly and completely in love with someone other than Riley.

From over Buffy's shoulder, he saw the change happen, watched Sam fall. Just as he had fallen almost two years ago. Fallen for a golden-haired angel, a girl on whose tiny shoulders rested the fate of the world. Whose responsibilities had not weighed her down so much as they'd defined her.

Riley understood exactly what Sam was going through. He'd been there himself.

Nice to know he wasn't alone...

Buffy stood in shock as she watched the changes in Sam's eyes, in her expression. Only Angel and Riley had ever looked at her like this... Until Sam, only they had made her feel so infinitely special, too. Her heart flip-flopped in her chest and her emotions whirled around inside her. She watched Sam fall in love with her, and knew that was what had happened.

And at that moment, her suspicion that she could love this incredible woman before her changed to the certainty that she did love her. As much as she'd ever loved anybody in her life, she loved the two people who held her so tenderly.

Her voice choked with emotion before she could utter a sound... instead she slid her hands down Sam's back and cradled their bodies together gently. It was all she could think to do, her mind awhirl as it was... just to be near, as close as she could be.

There were tears in her eyes, wetting her cheeks and dampening Buffy's flawless skin. She didn't cry; that was something Sam was proud of, she didn't cry. Except around Riley, when the mission was done and their bodies were battered and sore and the memories of her friends at the infirmary swam up through her dreams, that was the only time she cried.

Until now...

"I love you," Sam whispered, her voice breaking. Buffy held her closer, crystalline tears sliding down her face and landing in Sam's hair, on her cheeks and her upturned lips. Lips that were kissed softly, little cries silenced by that warm press.

Riley kept silent. This was their time and he was a very fortunate man to have shared in it. To have witnessed the birth of something strong and fine, something that would last a lifetime. Just as his love for them would last a lifetime.

Buffy slowly slid to her knees, pressing a soft kiss on Sam's slim throat as she went by. Tears still slipped from her eyes and down her cheeks, and her eyes gave mute evidence of the extent to which the little blonde was struggling with herself. After several long minutes, she finally spoke. "I know, Sam," she whispered. "I… I love you, too. And I'm so sorry that it's so hard to say..."

Guilt curled into her heart; why couldn't she be as loving and openly giving as her lovers? Why was it so hard for her to tell them that their feelings were returned? It would be her own fault if things fell apart because of her inarticulateness, but it was so hard to push the words out. Words that they gave her so freely, so easily.

"Shh... we understand. It's enough, saying it once is enough." Slender, strong arms slid around her shoulders, holding her close. Breast to breast, rubbing gently as Sam kissed her temple. "You never have to say it again. We know and we're the only ones who need to know."

Behind her, Buffy felt Riley kneel as well. He enfolded both of them into his arms, rubbing his cheek against hers and then Sam's. Those few words had cost Buffy so much. But at least she'd said them. "It's enough. This is enough..."

Buffy shook her head. "No, it's something I should be able to say. I don't know why I can hardly do it. It does matter... I like to hear it, I find it reassuring... I can't imagine it not being the same for you two, too. I want so much to be able to tell you, and I don't know how..." She trailed off, her eyes closing against more tears as she leaned into the embrace they shared.

"Being able to say it will come with time." Gentle fingers under her chin lifted until she opened her eyes and looked at Sam. Who was smiling although tears still sparkled on her lashes and trailed down her cheeks. "We have all the time in the world."

Not essentially true, considering their profession but the spirit of what she was saying was true. There was no need to push, not for anything. Buffy had said the words, not matter how haltingly, she had said them. The rest would come later.

He knew most of the reasons behind her hesitancy. Late night talks over cups of coffee with Joyce after his impromptu surgery netted him so amazing insights. Buffy patrolled solo then, not allowing him to tag along because he was on the injured list.

That's when he'd gotten the full story, or as much of it as Joyce knew, about her dad and about Angel, how they'd both abandoned her. Each time one of the men in her life left, she got a little harder and little more fragile.

Too bad he'd been too far gone to really listen then.

If he had, maybe things would have gone differently.

But then he wouldn't have met Sam and Sam was an experience he would have regretted missing out on. He'd said it earlier, right when the chopper showed up to take him and Sam off on the aborted trip to Nepal. He loved his life and he loved his wife. He wouldn't trade either of them for anything.

Buffy returned Sam's smile and nodded slowly. "I'll keep trying... I promise I will. And perhaps another time we can talk about it and try to find the root of the problem. After all, I have a psych team that loves me, didn't you say?" she attempted to dispel some of the sadness with a light joke. But she truly meant it when she admitted that she wanted them to help her resolve the underlying issues.

Perhaps that way they would all be better off. They could all be happier, and wouldn't have to worry about her so much.

Recognizing her gambit, Riley decided to play along. There had been enough heavy revelations in this room already. "We'd be happy to get you on the couch. Although the bed's a lot closer."

Sam rolled her eyes, not believing he'd just said that. Jokes weren't his usual stock in trade but it worked. Buffy was laughing, silently but her eyes were sparkling as she leaned back against him. So why not join in? "It's gotta be more comfortable than the floor. And considering the places we get to, I'm all for using the bed."

This time Buffy laughed aloud. It was sweet of them to play along with her; it seemed that they agreed that enough revelations had been made for one night. They all needed each other in a different way, now.

"Oh, I'm all for the bed, but I think I'd like to lose the boots first." So saying, she sat down and started to unlace her boots enough to get them off. "After all, they're kinda heavy and I probably look strange wearing boots and nothing else."

"I don't know about that," Riley's tone was teasing and light as he gripped the heel of her boot and pulled it off. "I think they're sexy." His dimples appeared for a moment when he gave her a quick smile and grabbed the other boot.

"The world is coming to an end." Sam's statement startled Buffy and she looked up from her seat on the bed into the other woman's eyes. The end of the world had a lot of meanings, most of them bad. Not this time though. "Riley Finn actually noticing footwear? A sure sign of the apocalypse."

Buffy tipped her head back and laughed. "If it is, I'd much prefer that to an earthquake. But I think the true sign of the apocalypse would be him volunteering to take us shoe shopping. Then we'd know the end was near."

"Depends. I could be convinced." Her other boot was set aside and Riley ran his hands up the inside of her thighs, eliciting a gasp from Buffy. "Give me a private screening and I'd probably even carry the boxes."

Sam blinked at her husband, not sure if she was looking at the same man. Same broad shoulders, same scar fading on his chest, exact same eyes but she's never heard that tone before or seen that kind of smile. "This is different. Finn's got kinks? Who would've known?"

She was teasing, although still quite surprised. Especially when Riley turned to look at her and the heat in his gaze was enough to sear her to ash. Oh yes... he had kinks. More kinks, that is. Very interesting. "I'll have to take you two to this new shop I found downtown." Buffy turned her glittering eyes on Riley and winked. "I promised you outfits at one time, didn't I? We might find some there, if Sam wants to play along..." She turned a sweetly pretend-innocent look on both of them and continued in a smaller, playful voice. "But I just wanna play as us right now. Can we, pretty please?"

The big eyes and pouty lip look never failed to get Riley's attention, and Buffy figured that either Sam would react similarly or she'd be highly amused by the whole thing. Either way was fine for her, she just wanted them close to her again.

"Whatever the lady wants," Riley murmured, watching her face and knowing she was playing them like a master. Which he could certainly deal with. "Whatever my ladies want, they can have."

"I think what we want, Finn, is pretty clear. Get in bed, both of you." The tone of command came naturally to Sam, she was the squad's second-in-command. Right after her husband. Sam unhooked the ankle straps of her shoes, slipping them off as she got to her feet.

With a playful salute - not at all military, but Buffy had never been military despite her connections - and a cheery, "Yes, ma'am," Buffy jumped onto the bed with a grin, bouncing once and then settling down to watch them. She was floating on a sea of love and joy, and it was making her a little giddy and a lot playful. In some ways, Buffy felt joyful and free as she hadn't been since she was fifteen.

Riley saluted as well, his snappier and much more precise. Getting to his feet, he leaned over and pulled the covers back. Buffy helped, scooting back so he could tug them halfway down before slipping her legs in between the layers of soft cotton.

That done, Riley turned to face his wife. Who was watching him with a great deal of appreciation. Sam's thumbs were hooked in the waistband of her skirt, pulling it down and letting it drop at her feet. For a long moment, they simply watched each other. Took in each other's measure.

There were no shadows here. Nothing that hid them from Buffy's interested gaze.

Incredibly fit, what little baby fat Riley had before leaving for Belize was gone. His stomach rivaled Spike's, each muscle defined and covered with a layer of deeply tanned skin. Broad, deep chest, those wide shoulders Buffy remembered falling asleep on in perfect comfort and arms... Riley had great arms. Great arms, great legs and as he turned to retrieve his bag from the floor, Buffy was reminded that he had an incredible back too.

Like Riley, Sam was lean and fit. Softly rounded where he was hard. Full breasts, long neck, flat stomach and powerful legs. She was as deeply tanned as he was, mute evidence of their months in the jungles of South America.

Buffy watched them both, noting the differences between them, and the differences between Sam and herself. She was petite, tiny compared to either of them, and deceptively soft looking. She was pale where they were dark; Buffy knew she tanned fairly well, but she didn't see the sun a whole lot, of late. Her hair was intermediate, neither as long as Sam's nor as short as Riley's.

But the color of her hair and eyes still complemented Riley's perfectly, and she found that comforting. Where Riley seemed bronzed and Sam was a lovely contrast between gold and dark, Buffy was like a candle flame. Tiny and golden and never completely still.

With a casualness Riley never exhibited before, he set several condoms down on the top of the nightstand. That simple act was an overt admission of what was really happening here. All games and teasing aside, before the night was over, he would be inside her. Moving over her or under her, filling her, making her feel complete in ways that no one else had ever been able to do.

Buffy shot a quick look at Sam who was smiling and nodding in confirmation. Right before she crawled up onto the bed and settled down next to Buffy, her hand stroking one slim shoulder. Together, they watched Riley move around the room. Watched him dim the lights and check the lock on the door. "Beautiful, isn't he?" Sam murmured in her ear, warm breath ghosting over the sensitive skin.

"Ooh, yes, he always has been," Buffy replied in a soft murmur. "He moves like a hunter... like me, kind of. And it's lovely to watch the way the light casts shadows over his body..." The little blonde leaned into Sam's touch, tipping her head to place it lightly against her lover's shoulder. Her hand crept across the bed and slid around Sam's waist.

Settling into that light embrace, Sam nuzzled Buffy's neck, placing warm kisses down its length. An arch of her back and a tiny breathless cry greeted those kisses. Which caught Riley's attention.

He turned slowly toward them, the effect of that sound immediately apparent. Hard, rising up toward his stomach and swaying with every step. Two pairs of eyes watched his progress, watched him stalk across the room and kneel on the edge of the bed. Two pairs of hands reached out for him, drawing him into an embrace. And two mouths found his skin, one on either side of his throat.

Buffy kissed her way up the side of his throat, searching for and finding the soft spot below and slightly behind his ear. She laved the skin with her tongue, knowing how it made him shiver. Then she slowly kissed her way back down his neck, along his collarbone and finally across his shoulder, alternating kisses with flicks of her tongue and soft nipping motions with her lips.

On the other side, Sam followed the same pattern. Her mouth found one of the scars, brushing over it and words tumbled from Riley's lips. Soft, sibilant words - words that evoked memories of the jungle and finding all the places on his body that made him curse or cry out or move. Buffy pulled back in confusion, her eyes asking questions... questions that were stopped by a soul-devouring kiss. He'd explain later... if it could be explained.

Buffy closed her eyes and let his kiss consume her, wiping her mind clear of words she had not understood. Instead, she searched her mind for her own memories of him. She called up memories to play before her mind's eye: passionate nights spent together, exploring the other's body with lips and tongue. The fevered but startled look in his eyes the first time she went down on him. The way he always looked at her - like she was the most precious thing in the world...

Braced on his hands, Riley hovered between them, not wanting to put his weight down. Sam moved to one side, giving him room and Buffy... Buffy opened up beneath him. Taking the unspoken invitation, he slipped his legs between hers and for the first time since he'd left for Belize, Buffy felt Riley's body completely cover her own.

Watching him settle down was like watching a weary traveler return to their home. Sam felt the prickle of tears, not caused by jealousy, but caused by love and pride. She loved him, loved both of them so much.

Buffy wrapped an arm around Riley, cradling him against her body and reveling in the sensation of being safe after a long fight. Her other hand reached out to Sam, searching blindly for her hand until she found it and their fingers interlaced gently. Dark hazel eyes met dark hazel eyes as Riley looked down at the golden girl in his arms, and his gaze started to smolder again at the sparkle of joyful passion in hers.

For a long moment, Riley gazed down at Buffy, memorizing her face as his body was memorizing the feel of her underneath him. He turned his head and found Sam watching them, her mouth half-open inviting a kiss. One that he gave gladly, caressing her lips with his, tongue-tip touching tongue-tip. When that kiss ended, his wife's attention was drawn to their lover and he was treated to the sight of them kissing again.

Soft, everything was so soft. Soft curves, lush fall of hair around Sam's shoulders and face. Buffy's welcoming warmth and the press of Sam's breast against his shoulder. He could spend the rest of his life in this bed and be perfectly content.

When the kiss ended, Buffy pulled Sam just a little further over her until she was able to reach Sam's breast with her lips. She placed a gentle kiss on the nipple before beginning to tease lightly, her tongue at times flicking gently and other times flattening out in long, soft strokes.

Buffy kept her eyes open, watching every nuance of Sam's reaction and sometimes glancing at Riley, seeing the emotion flicker though his eyes as he watched.

Arch of her back, taut line of her throat, fingers buried in a twist of the sheet - all signs that Sam was truly captivated by what Buffy was doing. Riley's eyes darkened and he rocked forward, the hard column of his cock pressed up against Buffy.

Her gasp, muffled by the curve of Sam's breast almost brought an apology from him. He was pushing things too fast, too hard. This wasn't what she needed, not after Spike.

Riley placed one hand beside Buffy's head, intent on getting off of her, only to be held in place by his wife's arm and a slim leg locking itself around his thigh. The leg was Buffy's, Sam was strong but not that kind of strong. He was being told in no uncertain terms to stay put. By both of them.

Buffy closed her lips around Sam's nipple and began to suck at the same as she arched her hips, pressing upwards until her soft, wet folds brushed against Riley's cock. She smiled inwardly as Sam's gasp was followed by a soft moan from Riley. Caught beneath her lovers, she wasn't entirely helpless and now they knew it too. Her eyes burned with passion, if only they looked.

This was shattering Sam's preconceptions about Buffy. The girl was too good at this, too skilled for this to be her first time with a woman. But from Riley's memories of her and Buffy's own admission, this was her first time. And she was incredible.

Dipping his head down, Riley kissed Buffy's cheek, along her jaw and down the line of her throat. He skirted the scar, leaving that for later, for when he was inside her. Until tonight, he'd always avoided that mark, knowing it belonged to Angel. Just as he'd believed that Buffy belonged to Angel.

Another one of his mistakes.

Angel was in L.A., fighting his own version of the good fight. And Buffy was here, with him and with Sam. No more ghosts in this bed, no more specters... The demons and the dark were outside the door and they were never going to find their way back in again.

Never.

It didn't matter that this was wrong. In the eyes of the church, in the light of everything he'd known and everything he'd been taught, Riley knew this was wrong. But he couldn't help himself. Any more that he could stop. So let him be damned. Let God turn his face away from this sinner as he did the only thing he could do.

Love... and be loved in return.

With one last gentle suck, Buffy released Sam's nipple. Whispered her name and sought her lips instead. Hazel eyes lifted, hoping to find a positive reaction in her lover's green ones; she was a little uncertain and had simply resorted to trying things that felt good to her.

Meeting her kiss took Sam's breath away, for in it she tasted Buffy's uncertainty. She found the same uncertainty in her gaze, the silent plea for encouragement. How could someone so confidant on the battlefield be so insecure here... in the company of lovers? With people who truly cared about her...

There was a piece of the puzzle here, one just about ready to fall into place. If only she knew what it was. "Perfect," Sam murmured, smiling down at her. "Just perfect. So gentle... now I know where Riley learned."

At the mention of his name, Riley lifted his mouth from Buffy's breast. His mouth looked soft to Sam, almost bruised and his eyes... God, he looked so vulnerable right now. Much the way Buffy looked earlier, as if they were doing something wrong and they'd been caught. "Ry, don't stop," Sam touched his face, his mouth. "Don't stop... you two are beautiful together."

Buffy added her words to Sam's, pleading softly as one hand reached out to slide through his hair again, "Riley... please..." She might not know what she was doing, but she knew she didn't want it to stop. His eyes shifted to hers and she saw her own uncertainty and vulnerability reflected in them.

But one thing that she knew for certain was that there was nothing inherently wrong in the three of them being together. Buffy didn't belong to any kind of church, so there was no institution telling her that this was a sin. And if there had been, she wouldn't have cared.

As long as they loved each other, there could be no wrong. And she knew, fiercely believed in their love. All three of them.

Riley nodded, the vulnerability lessening but not fading away completely. He returned to her breast, licking around the nipple before drawing it into his mouth. Eyes darted up to meet Buffy's before closing, a contented sigh working past the seal of his lips.

Noting how Buffy arched up into that touch, Sam moved down the bed until her head was level with Riley's. She opened her mouth, hand cupping Buffy's other breast, fingertips gentle on the skin as she drew the nipple in. Flicked it with her tongue and felt the little Slayer tremble.

A soft moan spilled from her lips as Buffy arched and trembled. The sensation of their warm mouths on her breasts was incredible; she could feel their lips and tongues moving over her and yet they never touched the same place at the same time. Her hands lifted, settling on the backs of their necks. Her fingers rubbed in small circles, a soft massage that was also a caress.

As her fingers moved, they began to twine in Sam's hair where it spilled over her neck and around her shoulders. Buffy could feel the ends brushing against her skin; it was at once tickly and erotic and she dimly wondered if her hair had once caused the same reaction in Riley.

Riley rested between her legs, the familiar weight of his body most welcome. A soft breast pressed against Buffy's side, one smooth leg sliding over her own. So much warmth, so much skin. She was drowning in it, then floating, being lifted higher and higher by the sweet motion of their mouths. Being brought out of the darkness by the totality of their love... for her.

A month ago, a week ago... her life was nothing but an endless stretch of nights spent fighting for another breath, another sunrise. A breath she didn't want to take, a sunrise she didn't want to see. The grave, which had held her in its cold embrace had been calling her back, dragging her down. And she'd wanted to go there, ached to go there, prayed to go there. The only thing keeping her in the world was her obligation to her sister.

But tonight, that had all changed.

Now she wanted to take each of those breaths, see each of those sunrises. Walk out of the dark and into the light. Where she belonged, where she'd always belonged. No matter what Spike had whispered in her ear the nights he'd rocked above her, she wasn't the darkness and it wasn't her. No matter what Dracula said, or the spirit of the First Slayer. Buffy was a child of the light, and always would be.

She had gone silent underneath him and that stillness brought Riley back. Lifting his head from her breast, he saw the light and wonder in her eyes. Watched the woman he'd loved be truly reborn. Back from the grave...

Finally.

 
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