Another pleasant six weeks passed in Imladris. The weather was summery and beautiful, and the odd little group of Elves, Men, and Guardians had become fast friends. An all-out prank war had erupted amongst them, with Elladan, Elrohir and Estel pitted against Arwen, Buffy and Willow. It wasn't clear who was winning, but that hardly seemed the point. Elrond seemed happier than anyone could remember him being for centuries, despite the dark tidings surrounding them and the confirmation of impending war he'd received from Galadriel through Willow and Buffy. They were all in silent collusion to keep these few precious months untainted by fear.
Buffy was stalking silently through the woods of Imladris, sometimes leaping from tree-top to tree-top like an Elf. It was part of her training regimen to keep her Slayer powers honed. The Elves were great models of grace under fire, and through her time with them she'd become even more lithe and stealthy than ever. Arda was vastly different, she had realized early on; it was wise to take notes on warrior-being from those most attuned to this world. Added to her own Hellmouth experience, she was more formidable than ever.
It had become a sort of game for her during these sessions to choose targets and follow them as closely as she could before they noticed her. As most of her targets were Elves, the veritable Kings and Queens of Stealth (even more so than vampires, she'd noted), it made for a strenuous and satisfying workout. Her targets for today were Arwen and the twins, who were presently wandering aimlessly through the woods together, speaking quietly in their native tongue.
Buffy was no expert on languages. Though she'd managed to pick up a bit of basic Elvish, she was still hopelessly lost when listening to a muttered conversation happening at full speed. Most of the words seemed to jumble together, but her ears pricked up when she heard both her and Willow's names mentioned. It seemed this conversation was about them. Creeping as close as she dared, she tried to memorize the phrases uttered by the laughing twins and Arwen's mocking response.
Willow was a genius with languages, and she knew if she could just regurgitate a few of these phrases, the redhead would be able to translate. The thought of Willow's smiling face as she looked up from the ancient Elvish texts she'd been poring over lately made her heart flutter. These days it didn't take much to turn the Slayer completely to mush. The mere mention of her fellow Guardian left her breathless, though they both studiously tried to act casual around their friends.
Turning her attention back to the trio, she forced her heartbeat to slow to a crawl. Elves, like vampires, could hear a heart beating within a hundred yards of them when they wanted to. She was always most successful when she used her meditation skills to keep her pulse rate low and steady. Luckily for her, these three seemed too focused on their conversation to notice. Creeping away silently several minutes later, she hoped she had enough for Willow to go on.
Buffy found the Witch at her usual spot in one of Elrond's vast libraries. She was peering with great concentration at a large, dusty tome, index finger following along as she read. Occasionally, she would pause to consult one of the other three books spread open around her. The Slayer watched in silence for a long moment, and then approached the table.
"Hey Buff!" Willow greeted happily, watching as she gracefully sank into a chair across from her. Reaching out, she gave the Slayer's hand a gentle squeeze before letting go. "How'd training go?"
Buffy smiled, noting as she did so often lately, how beautiful Willow looked with her burnished bronze hair flowing freely down her back. "I tagged Arwen and the twins. Got like ten feet away and they didn't even notice!" She chuckled, and then paused to frown slightly. "Though I think it was more 'cause they were really into their conversation and not so much that I was super-stealthy."
"Aw, come on Sweetie, you're the stealthiest!" Willow defended loyally, causing Buffy to grin at the endearment.
"Sometimes, maybe. But," she paused to blush a little, "I started thinking about you and got all rapid heartbeat-y… and they didn't even notice!"
The Witch grinned. "I make you go rapid heartbeat-y?"
"Duh."
Filing this information away for later use, Willow got back on topic. "So what were they talking about then?"
"Not so sure," the Slayer admitted. "It was in Elvish." She brightened. "But hey, I memorized some of it, so maybe you can translate. They were definitely talking about us." Off Willow's look, "I heard our names."
"Oh… OK!" She grabbed some materials and prepared herself to copy down what Buffy said. The Slayer rattled off as much as she could remember, making sure to include who said what, and trying to preserve the pronunciation. Willow stopped to look at what she'd written, and then began writing it again just below the original, breaking it up into what she thought were the likeliest words. Then, below that, she started to write the meaning of the words she recognized off the top of her head, finally filling in the rest using one of the translation texts she'd found.
Buffy sat, for once not feeling as impatient as she normally would have in this situation. Instead, she reveled in the opportunity to Willow-watch. Blushing again, and secretly wondering if her face was going to be permanently stained red one of these days, she leaned forward and tried to read the words upside down. Willow held up a hand, indicating for her to be patient, so she sat back and waited.
"There," the Witch finally said, with a degree of satisfaction. "I think I've got it. You've got a really good memory, Buff, I don't know why you always say you're bad at languages."
The Slayer sighed. "Probably 'cause I've never had the patience for them," she admitted.
Willow gave her a curious look, but let the comment go. "OK, here's what they said, near as I can tell." Buffy stood and rounded the table to read over her shoulder, reaching out to gently brush the Witch's hair out of the way, and noticing how Willow shivered at the touch. Forcing herself to focus, she looked down at the translation, which read:
Elrohir: Aarion has been spending a lot of time with Estel.
Elladan: Ai, are you worried, sister? Your theory might not prove as solid as you thought.
Arwen: I am not worried. It is obvious to anyone with eyes how Aarion and Taserë feel.
Elrohir: Then how do you explain Aarion and Estel's closeness? Nay, Adar will not be the only one upset by your confession.
Arwen: There will be no confession. Instead you will know Thranduil's dungeons. The bet is still on.
The Slayer and the Witch regarded each other with widened eyes. "I told you Arwen was being too smirky!" Buffy exclaimed.
"OK, OK," Willow admitted. "You were obviously right. They've got a bet…on US!" Her face showed outrage. She jumped up, looking ready to confront their friends that very moment.
Buffy placed her hands on the redhead's shoulders, trying to calm her down. "Let's just think about this, OK?" she murmured. Willow reluctantly returned to her seat, and they both reread the translation.
The Witch took deep, cleansing breaths, and then stopped to marvel at how the tables had turned. "Since when are you 'let's-not-fly-off-the-handle' gal?" she snarked.
Buffy pouted at her. "I can be sensible. I've got sensibility coming out of my bottom."
"Whatever, Anya. So what're you thinking?" Willow asked.
"Well, clearly Wen's betting that we'll get together," the Slayer mused, thinking aloud. "And it seems that their prizes consist of tasks the other party has to perform. Like, Arwen has to tell Elrond something he won't like, and the twins have to do something involving Thranduil and his dungeons."
"Oh Oh!" Willow cried, bouncing up and down on her seat in excitement. "Wen has to tell Elrond something that'd upset him, and it has to do with Estel." She pointed at the text. "And since the twins seem to think YOU like Estel, the only thing she could tell him that would also upset you is that she and Estel are together." She stopped short and their eyes met across the table.
"Shit!" Buffy breathed. "Do you know how pissed Elrond's gonna be if Wen tells him she's in love with a mortal? That's such a mean task. I bet Elladan thought of it."
The Witch turned her eyes back to the words in front of her. "Doesn't look like the twins will be any better off if they lose," she commented. "From all we've heard about King Thranduil and his infamous dungeons?"
Eyes narrowing, the Slayer replied. "I'll bet anything they have to break someone out."
"Ooh, look at us, detectives at large!" Willow bubbled, and they both giggled.
"So the real question is, what are we gonna do with this information?" Buffy asked.
Willow glared. "I'd say I want Arwen to win, but they ALL need to pay for messing with us, ya know?" They shared an evil grin.
"You're sexy when you're being all dangerous and threaten-y," Buffy murmured, and then blushed for yet the 600th time that day.
The Witch gave her a rueful smile. "Yes, dangerous in a nice, safe non-veiny kind of way."
"Touché."
"In any case," the redhead continued, "I think we should play a little divide and conquer."
Buffy arched a delicate brow. "I like where this is going," she murmured.
Willow stood and began pacing back and forth in front of her. "So," she began, mapping it out as she went, "this is how it's gonna go down…"
One week later found Buffy creeping through the woods again, this time in search of specific quarry. The twins had left together after dinner in the Great Hall, and after nodding secretively to Willow, she had taken off after them. They were lounging by the river, and as she approached, she made sure to make enough noise that they wouldn't think she was spying. For the plan to work, she needed their complete trust. Dropping out of the trees to land beside them, she gave them both a sad smile.
"Aarion, well met," Elladan greeted cheerfully. His twin nodded.
"Hey guys, whatcha doin'?" she asked, stretching out her legs and leaning back on her elbows between them.
"Enjoying the peace of the river at sunset," Elrohir murmured.
Buffy let out a world-weary sigh. "It is beautiful," she replied, gazing thoughtfully at the muted colors sprayed across the water's surface.
The twins exchanged a worried glance. "Is something the matter, Aarion?" Elladan inquired gently.
She smothered a grin. So far so good. "I… no it's nothing," she trailed off, sneaking a glance and noting that their interest was peaked.
"Obviously it is not 'nothing,'" Elrohir prodded. At her look of hesitance, he continued, "We are friends, are we not?"
The Slayer let out another lengthy sigh, and then made a show of peering around them suspiciously. "Estel's not here, is he?"
Elrond's sons shared another glance, this one amused and full of hope. "Nay, he is not here," Elladan assured her, attempting to sound surprised by her question.
There was a long moment of silence in which Buffy counted to 100 patiently in her head, and the twins hung on her every breath, waiting. It was difficult not to burst out laughing. "Well," she finally began. "I guess you've noticed Estel and I spending a lot of time together lately." They both nodded eagerly. "I-think-I-might-have-more-than-friendly-feelings-for-him," she burst out, mimicking the nervousness she'd felt when she admitted her feelings to Willow.
"More than friendly?" Elladan repeated on cue, sharing a brief, triumphant look with his twin.
Buffy drew her knees up into her chest and buried her face in them, as though embarrassed. "Yes," she mumbled.
"Why does that make you sad, Aarion?" inquired Elrohir carefully, whilst covering up his inward elation. Arwen was toast.
The Slayer let out a breathy sigh, made real by imagining running her fingers through Willow's silky tresses, and replied, "I don't think he feels that way about me. I'm pretty sure he's stuck on Arwen." She paused, and then continued to ramble, "I mean, it makes sense, you know? Arwen being smart, funny, generous, and distinctly resembling the Elleth known for being the most beautiful of all time…" she trailed off, adding a tinge of desperation to her words.
The twins shared a grin over Buffy's head, and then resumed their supportive expressions. "We have always thought that Estel had feelings for you," Elladan commented.
The Slayer allowed a slightly hopeful expression to appear. "Really? What makes you think that?"
"Well," Elrohir took over smoothly, "You are often alone, and you share much in common." He schooled his features to thoughtfulness.
"Ai," his twin added. "And Estel speaks highly of you when you are not around. He does not speak of Arwen at all, except at first when he worried that he had offended her and ruined their chance at friendship."
"Friendship?" Buffy murmured, knowing she had them both in the palm of her hands. "You really think that's all he wants from her?" Her tone of voice begged for reassurance.
"Friendship," Elrohir confirmed with a gentle smile.
Elladan went in for the kill. "You should speak with him, Aarion. You will feel better when you have aired your feelings and given Estel a chance to speak his piece. I believe he is far too shy to approach you. He seems to think that you are above him."
Buffy struggled to smother a grin. Everything was going according to plan. Now all she needed was a little help from her friends. With a weighty sigh, she stood. "Thanks for listening, guys. I hope you're right about Estel." She paused a moment for effect, and then added, "Can you keep this to yourselves for now?"
"Of course," Elrohir promised quickly.
"We will not speak a word of it," his twin assured. With that, the Slayer left the duo to their thoughts, a happy smile on her face.
Meanwhile, back in the main sitting room of their home, Willow was relaxing by the magickal fire she'd started in their fireplace. The fire powder was one of the things she loved best about Elvish magick, a sentiment that endeared her greatly to the residents of Imladris, given their reverence for nature and unwillingness to destroy living trees for fuel. It was really too warm to have a fire today, but Willow found comfort in the simple things that this world had in common with her old one.
Arwen was reading a book nearby, waiting patiently for the redhead to address whatever it was she'd hinted that she needed to say. Willow had been tossing out small indicators all morning that she had something on her mind, and the Elleth could only assume, given the subsequent furtive glances thrown in Buffy's direction, that the Witch was ready to confess her feelings for the Slayer. It couldn't have come at a better time.
The three-month time limit on the bet was rapidly approaching, and though she still held firm in her belief that Buffy and Willow were falling in love, she'd had no clues of late to prove it. Which in itself was telling. Knowing them like she did, and having the wisdom of many seasons to draw on, it was clear that they had separately come to realize their feelings and were both drawing back from each other at present out of fear. They just needed a little push in the right direction. She was drawn out of her thoughts at the sound of Willow tentatively clearing her throat.
Suppressing a smirk, she put down her book and asked, "Are you well?"
Willow, who'd been watching Arwen carefully the entire time, could practically see the wheels turning in her friend's head. She suppressed a smirk of her own, and pasted a worried expression on her face. "I'm fine, thanks…" she hedged.
"Is there something you wish to talk about? You look troubled," the Elleth probed gently.
"Well…" she filled her voice with hesitation.
Arwen smiled encouragingly. "Are we not friends, Taserë? You can tell me anything."
Willow sighed weightily. "OK. But this is just between us…" She waited for Arwen to nod. "It's just…" she paused. "Say there's this person you've known for years, and you always kept them in this box, a 'friend' box," she rambled, recalling her conversation with Buffy. "And say things change, like you're suddenly in another dimension, and everything's all crazy, and you can't keep them in that box anymore. What do you do? Especially when they…well, they have a certain type and you're not it." She blushed and turned to stare into the fire, knowing that she had Arwen exactly where she wanted her.
After a moment of thoughtful silence, the Elleth murmured. "I assume we are talking about Aarion, here?" She gave the Witch a sharp stare, and got another blush in response. "I thought so. Why are you so sure that you are not her type?" she asked finally.
"I've known Buffy a long time, and she has never expressed interest in a girl," Willow replied sadly. "She's as straight as it gets. Plus, I'm pretty sure she's got a thing for Estel. He's definitely her type: tall, dark and broody."
"Ah, but he has a pulse," Arwen corrected her. "And he is not so broody these days."
Willow allowed a small smile. "Yeah, but I think his lack of broodiness has to do with Buffy."
The Elleth chose her words carefully. "You may be right, but I feel that if Estel is less broody because of Aarion, it is due to their friendship, nothing more."
"Really?" The Witch infused hopefulness in her voice, whilst inwardly cheering. This was going perfectly.
'This is going perfectly,' Arwen thought to herself as she said out loud, "It seems to me that her attention is mostly on you. I have watched you two together for a year, and there is something between you that does not exist between you and I, or Aarion and I."
Willow blushed again. "I hope so."
"You should speak with her," the Elleth advised sagely. "You will feel better once you have confessed. And even if she does not return your feelings, which I highly doubt, it will be better with everything out in the open, rather than festering away and ruining your friendship."
The Witch released another long sigh. "Won't telling Buffy I'm falling for her ruin it anyway?"
"Nay. Aarion is a wonderful and understanding person. She would never hold your feelings against you." She paused, and then added, "Especially since she feels the same way. It is obvious."
"Thanks, Wen, I think you're right." Willow waved a hand to put out her magickal fire, and then left, telling the Elleth that she needed to think.
Estel was lounging in his favorite spot by the river, minding his own business, when Buffy and Willow descended upon him. He knew in an instant that something was up from the looks on their faces, and he also knew that it would not bode well for him. Warily, he watched the duo settle on opposite sides of him, occasionally casting measuring glances at each other over his head.
Buffy finally spoke. "So…Estel, what's up?" Her voice was unnaturally bright and jittery.
He groaned and glared at her. "Do not 'what's up' me, Aarion Telumehtar. I know you better than that. What do you want?"
The Slayer looked startled. "Want? Me? Oh no, I'm wanting nothing, really…" She cast a desperate glance at Willow, who began to vigorously nod her agreement.
"That's right, no wanting here," she added helpfully.
Estel fixed them both in his gaze. "You two had better not have under cover work written into your destiny, or we are all doomed."
"OK, fine, we might want a little something," Buffy admitted. "But it's nothing bad," she rushed on, "we just need your help with a little project."
"Oh?" he murmured, doing his best to look disinterested.
The Slayer sighed. "I know we've been playing for different sides with the pranking and such, but this is above and beyond all that."
At Estel's confused expression, Willow explained. "Arwen and the twins have a bet going."
"How do you know this?" he questioned.
Buffy laughed. "I snuck up on them, Slayer-style, and overheard them talking. Normally I don't pay attention, because I don't speak Elvish very well, but I heard our names. So I memorized part of their convo and had the whiz kid here translate it." She winked at Willow, who immediately blushed.
Estel said nothing, so Willow took over again. "Basically, they're betting that Buffy and I will," she paused and her blush grew deeper. "Um, that we'll admit that we're in love…with each other."
He watched them both carefully; still uncertain as to where he fit into all of this. Even HE had noticed the tension between the two, and while his lack of experience with the subject at hand had kept him from drawing definite conclusions, he wasn't that surprised. Feeling slightly uncomfortable, and not quite willing to come right out and confront them about it, he chose to focus on the bet. "What does this have to do with me?"
"Well, their prizes consist of punishments for the other party. As well as we can figure, if Arwen loses, she has to tell Elrond that she's in love with you." Buffy paused to let Estel process that volatile piece of information, hoping this whole mess wouldn't hurt him. "And if the twins lose, they have to liberate Thranduil's dungeons."
She glanced at Willow, and the Witch nodded and took over again. "We're gonna announce at the appropriate time that we're in love, so Arwen will win the bet," she told Estel, struggling not to blush.
Buffy smirked at him before adding, "And also because it's the truth."
Willow gasped in astonishment. "It is?" she asked breathlessly, turning to lock eyes with the Slayer.
"It is," she replied softly, leaping over Estel to get closer to Willow. She sank down on her knees in front of her oldest friend and took hold of her hands, leaning in so that their foreheads were touching. "I know we're taking things slow, but it doesn't change how I feel."
A lone tear made a path down Willow's cheek. "It's true for me, too, Buffy." Her lower lip trembled.
Buffy grinned widely, not remembering when she'd felt more content. "Hey," she prodded, nudging the redhead's nose with her own. "This is supposed to be a good thing, no?" She reached out and gently brushed the tear away with the pad of her thumb.
"It's a happy tear," the Witch assured her, sighing at the feel of Buffy's hand caressing her face. Forgetting Estel completely, she leaned in and brushed her lips across her girlfriend's. 'Ha! I just thought of her as my girlfriend!' she crowed inwardly.
The Slayer ran her hands up into Willow's burnished hair, pulling her closer, and smiled into their kiss when she felt arms thread around her waist. 'Mmm, arms of Willow,' she thought blissfully. She opened her mouth to deepen the kiss, and her girlfriend complied instantly, both reveling in the taste and feel of each other.
Estel was shocked by his friends' heated kiss, and he couldn't help but grin, feeling happy for them. They had both seen far too much of war and strife for their young years, and love was a gift to be treasured. 'Especially in such an attractive form,' he thought lecherously, and then mentally smacked himself. He coughed politely and brought them crashing back to Arda. Two pairs of eyes reluctantly turned to him, and then widened fractionally in realization.
"Oops?" Willow offered, face finding entirely new shades of red to turn.
Buffy looked chagrined, but too utterly happy at that moment to care much. "Sorry, 'Stel, forgot you were there."
"Clearly," he smirked, and couldn't help but tease them a bit. "Good show."
Now the Slayer's face matched that of her girlfriend. "Well, we'll be here all week," she retorted, and then stuck her tongue out at him childishly.
"Now now," he admonished. "As much as I enjoyed watching, I do believe that Taserë would turn me into an orc if I tried to join in."
"ESTEL!" two voices shouted simultaneously.
"And yes, for the record I would," Willow added, staring threateningly at their mutual friend.
He held up his hands in surrender. "I was only jesting," he promised, and then quickly changed the subject before the Witch could carry out her threat. "If you already know the outcome of the bet, why do you need me?"
The duo joined hands and settled back down beside him. "We need to make sure Wen gets punished, too," Buffy explained. "Will you help us?"
Estel watched them both carefully before answering. "The twins have been talking about you a lot lately," he told the Slayer. "I thought it was because Elladan had a crush on you, and was trying to figure out how we feel about each other without me knowing. But this makes more sense. If they think we like each other, then pushing us together is the best way to make sure they win the bet."
"Exactly. I 'confessed' my feelings for you today," she grinned. "They were so nice and supportive…"
"I'll bet," he interjected.
Willow added, "And I've confessed my feelings for Buffy to Arwen, who was equally supportive. They're each gunning for a showdown, and haven't realized they're being played against each other."
"So how can we make sure Arwen gets punished, too?" Estel questioned.
"This is what you need to do," the Witch replied mischievously.