9/18/05

Queerness

AN: This is actually one of the many story ideas I've been kicking around for YEARS, trying to get it to work. Well, I haven't. Instead, I just write spurts and pieces. This is the longest that I ever managed to write down.

Happily humming in the shower, Willow lathered the sweet smelling shampoo through her hair, singing a couple of the words out loud. Reveling in the warmth of the water, she tilted her head back, washing the lotion out of her red locks. Suddenly, cold water gushed out of the nozzle without warning. With a violent jerk, she threw herself backwards, her back slamming against the cold tile wall. But it was too late.

Willow Rosenberg had turned into a male.

Cursing under her breath, she fiddled with the dial, trying to get some warm water to come coursing down. But there was none to be had. Figuring that maybe someone was using the dishwasher or washing machine, she jumped out of the stall. Soaking wet, she padded over to the sink, turning the hot water on. After a minute or so, she stuck her hand under the faucet. She held her breath waiting for the biting sting.

But there was none. Confused, and a little panicked, she finally heard Buffy raising her voice from the other side of the bathroom door, "Sorry Willow, but mom just told me that they turned off the hot water on the block. Hope you were almost done."

Thinking quickly, Willow made her voice higher, calling back, "No worries, Buffy!"

"That's good. I'll be downstairs for breakfast. Mom wants to leave in ten minutes."

"Okay! Be out in a second." With all the practice the redhead had with changing her voice, she figured she could be a great voice actress. Or actor. Whatever. She could hear Buffy's descent down the stairs. Wrapping a huge fluffy towel around herself as she usually did in her female form, she tried to figure out how she could get downstairs and heat some water for herself without getting caught.

Buffy solved that problem herself. When Willow was sneaking from the bathroom to the bedroom where she had left the clothes she was going to change into, Buffy had suddenly appeared behind her. Hunching down and trying to not appear as linear as she was, Willow didn't dare turn around.

"Willow?" The redhead could hear her walking forward, "You want anything for breakfast?"

"Uhm…" What could she say? Aha! "Could you just heat me up some hot water? I'll make some of the oatmeal you said your mom just got."

"Okay! Sounds good. In fact, I think I'll have some myself." The blonde's voice was perky.

"And could you bring it up here when the water's hot? I like to mix it myself. And, and that way, I could eat while packing and kill two birds with one stone!"

"Sure thing."

Sneaking a glance to see that Buffy had turned away, Willow finally made it to the Slayer's room. She got dressed as fast as she could, grimacing at how the clothes didn't fit her male body that well.

When Buffy came up with a pack of oatmeal and a bowl in one hand and a teakettle in the other, Willow hid behind the door as it opened. She snaked her hand out and grabbed the kettle, dribbling some of the water over her hand, hissing at the heat. But it did the trick.

She was female again.

Smiling, she fully appeared, taking the food, "Thanks, Buff'. Almost done here."

"That's… great." The blonde looked at her weirdly, raising an eyebrow at her best friend. "Say, Willow," she flopped down onto her bed, "Have you been working out?"

"What?" The hacker almost choked on her spoonful of oatmeal, "What do you mean?"

Buffy shrugged. "Well, earlier, when you came out of the shower, you just looked… buff. I wasn't checking you out or anything! But from one best friend to the other, you had some pretty broad shoulders."

Willow looked down at her shoulders, and then back up, laughing nervously, "I think you were just seeing things. See? I'm too narrow."

"Yeah…" Buffy regarded her quizzically, but she finally nodded. "I guess so. Hah. Sorry. Hope you weren't offended."

"No problem. No problem. You're the Slayer, after all. It's not like you have to see things accurately."

"Hey!"

"Just trying to be helpful."

"Yeah, right."