...mmmm.....so soft.....hand...touching my hair...feels gooood......mmm, Willow.....

....wait, waking up...just a dream....still feel it, though...Willow?

"Willow? 'zat you?"

...no hand...must've taken it away...

"Oops, sorry, Buffy."

....she's whispering.....

"Didn't mean to wake you."

"N' pro'lem. Godda geddup. 's mornin'."

.....sleepy.....gotta focus....

"Kin'a dark f'r mornin', in't?"

"No, no, still night. Go back to sleep."

" 'kay..."

...but...why....

"Will? 'zere som't'in' wron' ?"

"No, nothing's wrong, Buffy. I...I was just watching you sleep...and...touching your hair...I'm sorry."

...don't be...

" 's okay. Fel' nice. Nice Willow...."

...something...got to ask her...what was it...

"How come...how come y' didit?"

....cause I liked....

"...."

....huh?....didn't hear....

"Wha....?"

...she okay?....

"Because I...I'm kind of in love. Uh, with you."

....oh....

"M'too! B'n wannin' t' kiss ya f'r yeeeeers...."

....mmmm, Willow.....

"Oh. Um, good."

....yes....good....

"M'Willow. S'pretty. S'wunnerfull."

....sleepy....

"Alwayss luff yuh. Alwaysss..."

....always have....

"Me too, Buffy, I love you. Go back to sleep."

...okay...but...wait....

"Y' wanna—" YAWN!!!! "—wanna kiss?"

...she giggled...giggly Willow...so pretty...

"Later, Buffy, later. Get your sleep."

"...'kay...g'nigh' Willow"

...love Willow...my Willow....

"Good night, Buffy."

.....so much.....

***************************************************

Oh. God.

My. God.

Oh. My. God.

That didn't happen, right? That was a dream, right? I did NOT tell Willow that I love her, right? Please tell me I did not do that!

Because she can't know that! She'll hate me and she'll think I'm a freak and I know that doesn't really matter, but she'll be hurt and I can't stand to hurt her which is why I can never tell her because she doesn't love me, even if—

.....even if...she said....she loved me, too?

Okay, so maybe I don't want it to be a dream, after all. Which probably means that it is, right? I must be making myself think that she's in love with me, because I want it so much—

—oh, God, I do, don't I? I always have, and now that Angel's gone, I can't fool myself any more; I can't tell myself we're just friends and I need a guy to make my life whole. I need her to love me the way I love her, and then I won't need anyone else, ever—

—which is why I'm just dreaming that happened, because it never would right? Except...

...if it's just a dream, then why am I sitting straight up in bed at—yawn!—um, 4:52 am? I wouldn't have to convince myself it was a dream, right? A real dream would be fading away, and there would have been something strange in it, not just Willow stroking my hair, but Giles dancing with a penguin or something. I've dreamed about the Bronze being in my bathroom and Faith turning into a cat; this is a little too real to be a dream.

Which means I'm really scared now. Tell me I can have the one thing I want most in the world, and I just duck on reflex, because I know there's got to be trouble coming up from behind me, ready to pounce...

...Heh-heh, I'd like to do some pouncing, oh yeah, Willow is very pounceable.

Look at her over there, in her bed. She looks so beautiful when she's asleep. Well, she always looks beautiful, but when she doesn't know you're looking at her, that's when you can see her without the layer of self-awareness. Pure Willow. It's just perfect.

...God, I love her so much...the way her skin seems even more perfect in the moonlight...she must be the only person who looks sexy in cotton pullover jammies...I can't believe she really loves me....I hope it's not a dream...

—Yawn!—...still kind of tired...should go back to sleep...talk about it later, in the morning, like we said....

But, but what if things are different then? Things could be different in the morning; entirely different! Different in the entire! What if, once dawn comes, nothing is ever the same? What if I only have this night to make it happen, and if I don't, I'll regret it, not just now, but tomorrow and for the rest of my life?

Okay, just gave myself a major wig, there. I am probably being very much of the stupid, but I have to do something now. C'mon, feet, let's get going; be a brave Slayer, you can do it. There we go—see, it was easy.

And here I am at Willow's bed. Just give her a little shake and...nothing happens. Gee, way to give me another chance to chicken out on you, Will. Not going to do it, though.

Little harder shake...there we go...

"Huh?...Buh?...Wha'?" she says. God, I could kiss her right now, couldn't I? Just put my lips on hers and...

"Scoot over a little, Will; I want to get in with you." Okay, that was only semi-dirty; giving myself points for restraint.

" 'kay..." and she backs up a little, and I am under the covers and in the bed. Mission accomplished. Well done, Buffy; go, me!

...and now I'm still tired, so I'll snuggle in for the night, facing Willow, our feet slipping between each other, her breath on my face, her...hand...going around my waist...and landing on my...butt.

How does she expect me to sleep now?

Of course...I suppose this means...I could...put my hand...on her...oh, wow, Willow-butt! Yeah!

I'm just going to stay here forever. Forever, that's the plan.

"Buffy?" Yes, Willow! I love you, Willow! I am an enormous dork and I so don't care, Willow!

"D'ja wann' me t'kiss ya now?"

My Willow.

"In the morning. Later." And I give her a litlle peck on the forehead and listen to her sigh. And I start to go to sleep knowing that I absolutely can't wait for morning to get here now.

Later can't come soon enough for me.