Rating: NC-17
Uber Setting: Contemporary
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Buffy the Vampire Slayer
characters, they belong to Joss and M.E.
Distribution: The Mystic Muse /mysticmuse.net
Please ask if you wish to archive and I will say "Yes!"
Feedback: Yes, please
Author's Note: Story does take place in Sunnydale, but there are no vamps,
Hellmouth, etc. It's just something I've been thinking about
lately, so I decided to give it a try. I hope this theme hasn't already been
used, but if it has, please let me know.
Special thanks goes to Chris Cook of
Through the Looking Glass and Artemis
for creating the title graphic at the top of the page. Thanks, Chris!
Pairing: Willow/Tara
Summary: Basically, Willow works/manages a little health food restaurant and runs into an incredible blonde who's new in town.
Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 Part 9 Part 10 Part 11 Part 12 Part 13 Part 14 Part 15 Part 16 Part 17 Part 18 Part 19 Part 20
Willow Rosenberg was bored out of her mind as she stood behind the counter, aimlessly playing with the buttons on the cash register. Four months ago, her uncle had come to town, with hopes of selling his two-cent idea to the highest bidder and after less than a month, Food for Thought was under construction. The small restaurant in the center of Sunnydale was guaranteed to provide a place where people could eat healthy meals, while enjoying a quiet and peaceful atmosphere. Willow's uncle had chosen to remain an indirect partner and went back to Florida, leaving the management in the hands of his niece.
Willow stared outside as the clouds parted and the rain began to lightly fall. It was the first day of opening, and she prayed that somebody...anybody would walk through the door. Even if all they wanted was to order a cup of water, which was free, but nonetheless it was still a customer. Each time a prospective customer walked by, she'd silently chant, please come in, please come in, but the person would only glance through the window before walking away. She sighed softly and went back to poking at the numbers on the register.
"Don't look so zombie-like, it's bad for business," the voice broke Willow out of wallowing in her customer-less self-pity. The owner of the voice walked around the counter to put the 'help wanted' sign in the window. Willow watched her best friend, Buffy Summers, flop down on one of the counter's stools.
"That might be true if we actually had some business," Willow huffed. "We haven't had a paying customer in over an hour and most of the people who do come in, just frown at the menu and leave." She walked around the table and sunk down beside Buffy. "Remind me again, why I agreed to do this," Willow pouted, "I mean, I can't even balance my checkbook, how am I supposed to manage a restaurant."
"First off," Buffy swirled in her seat to face the redhead, "you don't have a checkbook." Buffy smiled at Willow's pout, "and secondly, you agreed to work here because you needed a job to pay for that brand new car you got sitting outside. Plus," the petite blonde nudged her friend, "health food joints equal lesbian headquarters. Put the two together, and you might actually get a date."
Willow blushed as she rolled her eyes, "Hey, I can get a date," Buffy skeptically arched her eyebrow. "I can. Okay, whatever...but I could've found a different job. The bookstore down the street was hiring, and you know me...I love books."
"Will, remember elementary school, when you had to bring your inhaler every time you spent the night at my house? And I had to clear the room of all my stuffed animals because the doctor said that they were full of dust mites," Buffy paused as Willow nodded. "Okay, now imagine four walls and a dozen shelves full of dusty old books. I mean, your every paycheck would be spent on allergy medicine." Willow grimaced, remembering all the vaccines and medicines her mom used to pack in her sleep-over bag.
"C'mon, it's not that bad," Buffy stood up, taking Willow's hand. "Besides, we have tons of food in the back and since there's no one here to eat it...we shouldn't let it go to waste," Buffy grinned, "Oh! And I heard that asparagus was supposed to improve your memory."
"I thought it was almonds," Willow frowned, following her friend into the back.
"Close enough," Buffy shrugged.
A short time later, the sound of the bell chiming as the door opened, brought the two stuffed girls back to reality.
"We have customers," Willow clapped giddily. Not wanting them to leave, she ran toward the front, forgetting about the napkin that was hanging from her shirt. As she reached the register, she breathed a sign of relief when she saw that the person hadn't left. The woman stood with her back to Willow, oblivious to the redhead as she leaned against the counter, looking out the window.
"Can I help you," Willow lightly cleared her throat, knowing that she had startled the woman, when she saw her jump. Her breath caught when the young woman turned, "Can...," she trailed off, captivated by the woman before her. She let her eyes travel as far as they could, from the cascade of blonde hair, to the sparkling blue eyes and full lips, and further down until she reached the surface of the counter, where the vision stopped.
Tara flushed and bit her lip as she watched the redheaded woman's gaze slowly trail down her body. Any other time she would've felt uncomfortable, but this time was different. This woman was different. Finally, the woman's green eyes met hers, and subconsciously, she found her own eyes making the same trip down the cashier's body.
"What can I get you," Buffy sauntered in from the back. She'd been watching from the kitchen door and wondered why her friend hadn't taken the woman's order yet. So she decided to go up front, figuring that Willow was in some kind of shock from actually having a customer who hadn't bolted after five minutes of being in the restaurant.
Both girls managed to pull their eyes away from each other, long enough to notice Buffy's presence.
"Yeah, uh, what uh," Willow found it hard to speak, so she just pointed back to the menu, "food." God, I sound like a cave-woman, she thought to herself.
Tara couldn't help but smile at the adorable redhead. She lost herself in her thoughts, until she realized her reason for being there. "Oh, um, n-no t-thanks. I'm uh, h-here about t-the j-job." She inwardly chided herself, Stop stuttering. They won't hire you if they can't understand you. Her eyes returned to Willow's and she focused on controlling her breathing, "There was a sign in the window. 'Help wanted'," she finished clearly.
"Okay," Willow said hastily, "you're hired." Both Buffy and Tara were taken back by Willow's forwardness.
"D-Don't I need an application?" Tara asked, looking from Willow to Buffy. Willow shook her head no and Buffy almost laughed at her friend's behavior.
"We'll have you fill one out, for our records," Buffy grabbed an application from under the counter, "but like Willow here said. You're hired."
"I'm Willow," the redhead said rather loudly. She quickly grabbed the napkin from her shirt-collar and tapped her plastic name tag.
"Don't mind her, she's been in the sugar again," Buffy said. Tara smiled back at the cashier and followed Buffy to one of the vacant tables. "By the way, I'm Buffy and as you've already heard. That's Willow."
"Tara," the blonde said, sneaking another glance at Willow. It had only been two days since she had arrived in Sunnydale, but it was already starting to feel like home.
"Tara," Willow whispered, loving how the name escaped her lips. Maybe this new job wouldn't be so bad after all. She grinned, suddenly looking forward to the rest of the workday.
After politely declining the use of Willow's collection of different colored pens to fill out her application, Tara handed in the piece of paper to the eager manager. The redhead scanned the sheet, lingering for a moment on the phone number, and quickly stored it under the counter top. "So when can you start?" She asked. Not wanting the beautiful blonde to leave, she silently prayed that she'd start right away...as in right now.
"Oh, um, a-anytime. When do you need me?" Tara asked.
"Now," Willow blushed, "I mean, uh, you can start now, if that's okay. But you won't have to actually do anything. Buffy's working in the kitchen, so you can hang out up here with me," they exchanged shy smiles, "or I can give you a tour...you know, so you can familiarize yourself with the area."
"I'd like that," Tara nodded, loving the idea of spending time with her new boss. After the fifty-cent tour of the kitchen, bathroom and the alley behind the restaurant, the two girls walked back up front. On her way, Tara was so wrapped up in Willow's proximity that she accidentally bumped into one of the tables, causing a tray of napkins to clatter to the ground.
"Oh, I-I'm s-sorry," Tara said before kneeling to retrieve the napkins.
"No, it's okay," Willow said, dropping beside Tara, "I do it all the time." She tried to pry her eyes away from the expanse of skin that revealed its self through the small slit in Tara's skirt...but to no avail. Her eyes took in the shapely calf and stopped above the ankle, "You have a tattoo?"
Tara was caught off guard by the question, until her eyes followed Willow's down to the small colorful butterfly on her ankle. "Y-Yes. Is it against the d-dress p-policy?" She asked nervously and placed the tray back on the table.
Willow noticed the slight stammer and quickly reassured the blonde. "Oh no...we don't even have a dress policy. I mean...look at Buffy," she grinned.
"I heard that," the shout came from the kitchen.
"You can wear whatever you want...as long as it's not anything too extreme." Her eyes glazed over as she pictured the blonde in something 'extreme'. When Tara saw the far away look in Willow's eyes, her curiosity peaked as she wondered what the redhead was thinking about.
"Okay," Tara smiled, "um, what's the pay period." She felt that it was a little rude to ask about money, when she hadn't started working yet, but she'd only had enough money for the security deposit and down payment on her apartment and needed to know if she would get her first check before the rent was due.
The question brought Willow out of her reverie, "You get your chaps- checks," apparently it didn't snap her completely out of her daydream, "checks. We issue paychecks every other week," her cheeks burned from embarrassment. Tara heard the slip-up, and smiled as she tried to keep her laughter at bay. The cute redhead was just too much for her, and of course, now she had a better idea of what had been swimming through the young woman's mind.
Willow unsuccessfully willed herself to disappear and was grateful when the doorbell chimed, signaling a customer. Or not, she thought when she recognized the new arrival.
"Hello ladies and...," Xander frowned as he looked around the near empty restaurant, "ladies." He grinned childishly when his eyes fell on his best friend. "Hey Xander," Willow greeted her friend and walked over to hug him. For a brief moment, Tara looked crestfallen as she watched the two embrace, but she hid her emotions and offered the young man a smile.
"And who might you be," Xander playfully wiggled his eyebrows toward the blonde. Willow had the sudden urge to pinch her flirtatious friend, but decided to save it for later. "Leave her alone Harris. We don't want her quitting before she starts," Buffy called from the kitchen, smiling through the small window in the door.
"Oh, you work here," he said before turning back to the kitchen door where Buffy had been, "it's about time Willow hired someone useful," he shouted back. A few seconds later, Buffy reemerged in front of the window with a large butcher knife, glaring at the man in mock anger. Tara giggled at the display, enjoying the playful way the group communicated.
"Tara, this is Xander...and vice versa," Willow said. The two exchanged 'hellos' and Willow went on, "What are you doing here Xander?" She asked nicely, though inside she wanted her friend to leave, so she could be alone with the blonde. Her eyes drifted to Tara and she smiled shyly when she caught her gaze.
"You asked me to come over, remember," Xander was oblivious to the connection between the two girls, "besides Anya and I were kinda hungry, so I picked her up on my lunch break."
"Anya's with you," Willow looked over his shoulder, "why's she in the car? Aren't you guys eating here?"
"No way," Xander snorted, looking up at the menu on the back wall.
"Gee, thanks," Willow replied, somewhat offended.
"Oh c'mon Will, it's nothing personal, it's just that Anya prefers something...dead and greasy." The car's horn echoed into the restaurant and the group turned to see Anya tapping impatiently on her watch. "And if I don't hurry, it might be me," Xander joked. "It was nice meeting you Tara," he smiled and the blonde nodded, "I'll see you guys later." He practically ran back to the car, not only because of the rain that had began to pour harder, but also because he didn't want to incur the wrath of Anya.
Tara almost burst with joy when she saw Xander lovingly kiss his passenger before driving off. If Xander and Willow weren't involved...maybe she had a chance after all. From the corner of her eye, she saw the redhead looking at her and suddenly felt warm inside as she thought about the possibilities.
After a second or two, Willow realized that she'd been staring, and quickly lowered her gaze.
"Will, I'd hate to say it, but this is incredibly boring," Buffy commented, interrupting the silence between the two girls. "The kitchen's clean. I say we pack up and call it an early night...and maybe tomorrow, we'll actually have a reason to be here."
Willow sighed and watched as the rain fell. Could she really do this? Manage a restaurant? Her uncle said that it'd be easy. Just make sure the food's fresh and that no one steals from the register...pay the employees on time, keep the place clean, and everything will be fine, she mentally recalled what he told her before he left.
"Are you okay?" Tara sensed Willow's uncertainty and boldly grazed her fingers against the redhead's hand. The touch sent a tingling sensation through both of their bodies, causing Willow to visibly shudder. "Yeah," she squeaked, "yeah," she repeated, showing her own boldness when the same hand brushed back against Tara's skin.
Contrary to what others might believe, Buffy wasn't blind. She smirked, secretly admiring the mild affection between her best friend and the new employee. "I packed up some of the extra food for all of us to take home," she cleared her throat, "so when you two are ready...," she trailed off, finally getting Willow's attention.
"Okay, um, I just need to lock up, then we can go. Can I give you a ride home?" She held Tara's gaze, praying that the blonde would accept. "Sure," Tara whispered, lost in the emerald pools in front of her. Willow stopped herself from doing a cartwheel across the counter top, and rushed off to make sure everything was as it should be.
Ten minutes later, the trio stood under the multicolored awning as Willow lowered the last curtain and locked the door.
"Do you want me to drive?" Buffy asked.
Though she's had her driver's license for a few weeks now, Willow was still a little reluctant to drive. Mainly because she had very little experience on the actual road and her maneuvering skills weren't exactly the best in Sunnydale. She unlocked the car doors with her remote and was about to hand the keys over to Buffy, but thought otherwise.
"No, it's cool. I got it," she flashed a smile toward Tara. The quiet blonde returned the smile, but didn't miss Buffy's horrified expression.
"Uh okay. Tara, you can have shotgun," Buffy said, not leaving room for argument. On the count of three, they sprinted through the small rain puddles, reaching Willow's car.
"Safety first," Willow locked her seatbelt into place, feeling a little giddy and slightly nervous, now that she was behind the wheel. Luckily the car was an automatic as she searched around, making sure she knew where everything was. She turned a few knobs and as soon as she started the car, the stereo blared, vibrating the car windows. "Sorry," the redhead smiled sheepishly and lowered the volume.
"It's okay," Tara said once the ringing in her ears lessened.
As Willow pulled from the parking lot, 'Killing me softly' by Lauryn Hill started to play, making Buffy cringe and sink further into the backseat. I really didn't need to hear this right now, she thought as she braced herself for the ride.
Remarkably, they made it to Tara's apartment in one piece, though it had taken nearly fifteen minutes for the five minute drive.
"Here we are," Willow stopped outside the small apartment complex, "do you want me to pick you up tomorrow? I wouldn't mind," she shrugged. Tara agreed and Willow promised to meet the blonde, tomorrow morning at seven. After a few 'goodbyes', Tara raced up the path, disappearing behind the gated entrance to the complex.
"I know that look," Buffy said as she climbed into the front seat.
"What look?" Willow tore her eyes away from the building and focused on Buffy.
"That 'I wanna jump her bones' look," she chuckled.
"It is not," Willow protested, "she's nice," she said, looking back at the gate.
"Yeah," Buffy nodded knowingly.
"She is... and anyway, this is my 'I wanna jump her bones' face." The redhead let her mouth drop open as her eyes glazed over. Her open mouth stretched into a grin when Buffy rolled her eyes, "Do you want me to drive?" Buffy asked for the second time. Her tone making it appear as if she were pleading.
"No, I'm getting the hang of this," she switched gears and the car went in reverse, "okay, okay...I got it now." She shifted into drive and slowly headed home.
The sun burned bright in the early morning sky as Willow bustled through the house. "Buffy!" She called her roommate for the second time, and checked her watch again.
"Okay, okay," the groggy reply drifted into the kitchen.
"Willow it's 6:30," Buffy yawned, "Tara lives five minutes away... everything in Sunnydale is five minutes away. We don't have to leave so early," she stared up at her friend as Willow walked into the living room.
"I know," the redhead picked at several balls of lint from her sweater, "but I'm driving, remember."
"Good point," Buffy chuckled as she slipped on her shoes, "okay. I'm ready."
They headed out and reached Tara's place at a record time of ten minutes.
"See, now we're twenty minutes early. That's twenty more minutes of sleep I could've had," Buffy whined.
"Buffy...," Willow cut herself off and stared over her friend's shoulder, "she's here." The sleepy blonde followed Willow's gaze and saw Tara making her way toward the car.
Since her new friend was at a safe distance from Willow, the redhead allowed herself to take in the young woman's appearance, without the embarrassment that came with being caught ogling. Her eyes trekked from the loosely tied ponytail, to the light purple top that Willow couldn't help but envy, and finally moved lower to the fitted blue jeans and black boots.
Willow continued to stare, dreamily, at the gorgeous woman until Buffy's movement, blocked her view. The cook left the passenger door open to let Tara have the front seat, and climbed into the back.
"Oh, you didn't h-have to move," Tara said once she was close enough.
Buffy shrugged and looked at Willow, "I know, but I don't mind the backseat... really," she flashed a reassuring smile.
Tara sat next to Willow, and as she closed the passenger's door, the force swept her scent to the driver's side. "Oh god," Willow groaned under her breath. She inhaled deeply, savoring the sweet vanilla smell and gripped the steering wheel tighter. "Ready," she asked cheerfully as her heart pounded against her chest. The others nodded, and the trio was on their way.
Tara could hardly concentrate on her surroundings as Willow drove the rest of the way to the restaurant. The night before, her mind had been flooded with thoughts of the redhead. Her psyche even went as far as to plant some very steamy images into her dreams. Tara snuck a sideways glance at her boss, stopping to focus on her hands, and felt the blush rising in her cheeks.
Willow could feel the blonde's eyes on her, and tried to remain calm. She's looking at me, the voice in her mind yelled gleefully. Oh god, what if I have something on my face, Willow brushed her hand against her face as nonchalantly as possible. Nope, nothing there. She's looking at me. The redhead allowed a smile to creep upon her face as she focused on the road.
In the backseat, Buffy looked from each girl, Oh yeah. I give it a week. She grinned and enjoyed the remainder of the ride.
Two hours after opening, the scene of the restaurant was a complete turn around from yesterday. Whereas today, they actually had a few customers, who ordered something besides beverages. Willow wasn't sure what had gotten into Sunnydale's residents, and frankly, she didn't care. The only thing that mattered was that they were there.
Because there wasn't a specific dress code, the worker's wore aprons with the restaurant's logo, so customers could distinguish employees from other customers. Tara tended to the tables, while Willow handled the register and Buffy worked in the kitchen. For a group of only three, the girls were doing quite well for themselves.
"See Will, I told you that it wouldn't be so bad," Buffy said as she leaned against the counter. The activity had died down, but a few of the customers still remained, most of them had finished their meals and were simply enjoying the company of their friends and co-workers.
"Yeah, it was probably just the first day jitters," Willow closed the register and smiled at her friend, "if business continues to boom, we might be able to close early."
"Are we still Bronzin' it tonight?" Buffy asked. Willow nodded and shot a glance toward Tara, "Ask her," Buffy urged, sensing what her friend was thinking. Willow bit her lip nervously when the blonde started toward the counter, "What if she says no?"
"Somehow, I seriously doubt she will," Buffy said, just as Tara reached the counter. She tackled the wad of crumpled bills in her hand and started to dump them into the half-full jar of tips, when Willow quickly covered the lid with her hand. "No, keep it," she gestured toward the money.
"A-Are you sure?" Tara frowned. She looked at Buffy, who also nodded. "Yeah, you earned it," Willow refused to move her hand until Tara stuffed the bills in her pocket. "Thanks," she shyly ducked her head and met Willow's eyes.
"Huh, I'm going to go make sure the food isn't burning," Buffy said and quietly slipped away. Ask her, Willow thought as she held Tara's gaze. Amazing eyes. Okay, I'm gonna ask her. She visibly jerked her head, agreeing with herself. The pensive look and movement didn't go unnoticed by the blonde, "Is something w-wrong? Is it a-about the t-tips?" She nervously reached into her jeans.
Willow saw the concern in Tara's eyes, before she heard the question. "What? No, no...it's not that," she took a deep breath, "Tara. I uh, I was wondering if...if-."
"Don't be such a wuss...it's only a scratch," Anya's familiar voice cut Willow off before she could finish. Xander walked in beside her, cradling his pinky finger. "Will, you got any band-aids?" The redhead's shoulders slumped as she turned to Xander, "What happened?" She was slightly annoyed with her friends for interrupting her moment of courage. She probably would've said no anyway, she thought as she grabbed the first aid kit.
Tara stared at Willow, while her boss bandaged Xander's finger. "Dumbo here, cut himself on the car doorhandle." She could hear the humor in Anya's snort, but kept her eyes on Willow. The redhead had looked so hopeful. What was she about to say? Tara shook away the thought when she felt someone looking at her. She recognized the woman from yesterday and felt uncomfortable as she continued to stare at her.
Anya gave the blonde the once over, "So you're the new Food for Lesbians employee?" She asked loudly. Some of the customers looked up at the group in disgust. "Anya," Willow hissed, throwing the band-aid wrapper in the trash.
"What?" She shrugged, "Please, like they don't know," she glared back at those who were still looking at her.
Xander groaned, "Please don't call it that. And just because she works here, doesn't mean she's gay. Buffy works here, and she's not gay."
"Says who," Anya snorted. Once the shock of Anya's tactlessness wore off, Tara oddly found herself liking the newcomer. Mostly because she obviously liked to express what was on her mind... a trait Tara sometimes wished she had. She looked up at Willow and the redhead quickly averted her eyes. Yeah... it was something she definitely wished she had.
"So anyway," Anya continued, "are we still going out tonight? If not, Xander and I are going to go home and play dress up. There's this new shop downtown...they have costumes and whips and stuff. Xander agreed to let me-." The rest of her sentence was muffled by her boyfriend's hand.
"Thank you," Buffy emerged from the back. She could hear everything that the group discussed, especially Anya's comment...which she'd have to bring up a little later, when they were away from the public eye. "And yes Anya, we're still going out." She shot Willow a look, knowing her best friend hadn't asked Tara yet.
"Okay, we'll uh, we'll see you guys tonight then," Xander smiled, still covering Anya's mouth with his hand as they backed away, out of the restaurant. As soon as they were outside, Anya bit his hand and marched off toward the car.
"Geez, I could just kill her sometimes," Buffy joked. She noticed the faint tension in Willow and decided that it was her cue to leave, "Do I smell smoke," she sniffed and hurried away.
As the two girls stood in front of each other, Tara tried to catch the redhead's eye, but Willow wouldn't look up. "If there's s-something w-wrong," she composed herself, "you could tell me. You could tell me anything," she inched her hand closer to Willow's.
"I just," Willow sighed. Ask her, "I was just going to ask if you wanted to come out with me- us, tonight. But I'll understand if you don't want to...I mean, if you already have plans-."
"Yes."
"...or something- What?" Willow looked up, thinking her mind was playing tricks on her. "Did you..."
"Yes," Tara repeated. "I'd love to," she beamed.
"Okay, great," Willow smiled back, "great, um I'll drop you off at your place first, so you can change...not that you need to, I mean, you already look good but um...," she trailed off.
"It's okay Willow," Tara smiled at her friend's nervousness, "I get it."
"Great," Willow bounced on the balls of her feet.
"Great," Tara gave Willow a lopsided grin, before going back to work.
It's a date... with three other people... but still a date, Willow thought as she greeted the next customer.
The Bronze was full of life as young people crowded into every corner of the building. The group of five made their way to the back and squeezed into one of the empty sofas. Buffy left the seat next to Tara empty, hoping that Willow would take the hint, but Anya snatched it up before the redhead had a chance. Willow and Buffy were left with the small, cornered love-seat while the others occupied the couch.
Not even a minute after being situated, a nice looking young man approached Tara, "Hi, I'm Christopher," he flashed a charming smile, "would you like to dance?"
Willow looked back and forth between the man and Tara, before finally settling on the stranger with a menacing glare. "Did you just growl?" Buffy whispered so only her friend could hear, but the redhead ignored her and continued to focus on the two individuals.
The blonde was at a loss for words as her mouth opened and closed several times. She shot a quick glance to Willow, whose features softened a little sadly, before answering. "Um...no, b-but thanks," she watched the man shrug and walk away.
The group sat in silence until Xander spoke up, "Drinks? Snacks?" He offered. "I have money, so you gals can get whatever you want," he smiled, puffing his chest out.
After they called out their orders, Xander and Buffy went off to the bar. The seat next to Anya was now empty and Willow contemplated on whether or not she should move. On one hand, she would be closer to Tara, but on the other, she'd have to put up with Anya more than she cared to. Deciding that her current position had an angled, yet better view of the blonde, Willow remained where she was.
Tara, who was wearing a simple peach wraparound skirt and white top, stopped to appreciate Willow's attire while the redhead appeared to be lost in her own thoughts. She was mesmerized by the way her boss' dark-blue jean skirt complimented her small frame and the loose curls in her shoulder length hair. She would've loved more time to savor the beauty, but she quickly dropped her eyes as soon as Willow caught her staring.
Tara, this isn't a fifth grade crush, the blonde told herself, just look at her. She glanced back up and her eyes once again connected with the redheads. See, that wasn't so hard, her eyes twinkled as she smiled under the dim light.
"So Tara, where are you from?" Anya's voice broke through the haze.
"W-What?"
"Where are you from?" Anya repeated. She was bored, and tired of waiting around for Xander to get back. She thought that if she monopolized herself, time would go by much quicker.
Oh my god, Anya's actually trying to have a civil conversation, Willow frowned, And why didn't I ask her first?
"Los Angeles," Tara finally answered.
"What made you decide to come here, of all places," Anya turned her nose up a bit, "I mean, Sunnydale isn't exactly the crème de la crème of American cities."
"Then why are you still here?" Buffy retorted as she and Xander rejoined the group and began handing out drinks.
Anya hadn't expected anyone to challenge her statement, and tried to think of a quick comeback to Buffy's question. Unsuccessful, she huffed, "C'mon Xander, let's go dance," she pulled the young man up, just as he was about to sit.
The departure of the couple, had left an open space next to Tara, which of course, Willow noticed. Buffy also noticed and jerked her head several times toward the empty section.
"Go," she urged with a hushed whisper. The redhead took the hint and slid onto the sofa as Tara looked out into the throng of people on the dance floor.
"Do you want to dance," Willow asked nervously and extended her hand. The blonde stared at the hand, and nodded as she grasped the soft digits.
The music flowed from the speakers and into the couple as they swayed to the bass and lyrical rhythm. Though their dancing could be best described as 'two stepping', the girls were too lost in their closeness, to care.
Buffy continued to watch her friends, until something... someone, in the far corner caught her eye. She briefly turned back to the dance floor, before going to investigate.
When the band wrapped up their last performance, the lights on the dance floor were turned down a notch and softer music began to play.
"We can sit down," Willow watched as a few people left the floor. Most of them, alone.
"No," Tara gently pulled Willow's hand back when the redhead backed away. "Please," she rubbed her thumb against the other girl's skin.
Willow swallowed hard and rested her other hand on Tara's hip. The movement pulled them closer, and Tara released the hand she held, to slowly close the gap. Their bodies pressed together, making their breasts touch and their lips, only inches away.
"Ha...how's that for your 'not a lesbian' theory," Anya asked her boyfriend as she gestured toward Willow and Tara. Xander grinned and continued to stare at the couple, until Anya's arms tightened around his neck.
"This is nice," Willow's words tickled Tara's lips. The heat radiating off of Tara's body, sent chills down her spine.
"Mmmhmm," the blonde's eyes flickered back and forth from green eyes to thin lips, "really nice." She inched her face closer. Lips moved closer. Their breath mingled, and then...
"Okay folks, the band agreed to play another song for us," the announcement came over the intercom as the music was abruptly cut off. The people cheered, separating from their partners as the band took the stage.
The girls snapped apart, standing awkwardly in the middle of the dance floor as people began to dance around them. "We should...," Willow began.
"Yeah," Tara nervously pushed a strand of hair behind her ear. Her demeanor had completely changed from five minutes ago. They left the dance floor, meeting Xander and Anya on the way.
"Where's Buffy?" They searched around the room. As if on cue, Buffy walked into the lounge, smiling at the group. "Where'd you run off to?" Xander asked.
"Oh, I uh, I was just checking something out," she cleared her throat, "so are we ready," she turned to her roommate, "or do you guys wanna stay a little longer?"
"Let's go. The band's playing the same song they were playing when we got here," Anya whined. "Is that okay with you?" Buffy looked from Willow to Tara. The girls silently nodded.
Okay, two seconds ago, they were clinging together...and now they won't even look each other. Buffy frowned until an idea struck her. "You know what, I'm a little tired," she yawned, "Xander can you give me a ride home?"
Anya opened her mouth to ask why Willow couldn't, but quickly caught on when Buffy glared and looked at the two girls, who seemed oblivious to the conversation. "Sure Buffy," Xander took a few sips from his drink so it wouldn't go completely to waste.
Once the cool night air hit her, the clouds in Willow's head cleared a little. "Buffy, where are you going?" She asked as her friend walked the opposite way with Anya and Xander.
"I'm getting a ride with Xander, remember," Buffy called back.
"Oh, right. Yeah," Willow nodded. Tara couldn't stop the awkwardness as Willow opened the door for her. But why? Less than ten minutes ago, she was more than ready to kiss the redhead. It was obvious that Willow felt some sort of attraction toward her...and she was definitely attracted to the young woman.
Willow walked around her car as Xander pulled around beside her. The car slowed down enough for Buffy to wave and give Willow two thumbs up, then drove away. Willow shook her head at her friend's silliness, before taking a deep breath and climbing into the car.
The ride to Tara's apartment was silent, and other than a few furtive glances, they didn't look at each other.
So what happens now? Willow's hands became clammy against the smooth material of the steering wheel. She almost kissed me in The Bronze, and now she won't even speak to me. What if it's me? What if I came on too strong. Too fast. What if she isn't attracted to me, and I pushed too hard when I asked her to dance. No, because then she wouldn't have accepted or tried to kiss me. Ugh, Willow frowned as she focused on the road.
Okay so I tried to kiss her...wanted to kiss her, Tara looked out the window, watching the trees zoom past. So why did I stop...and why didn't she try to kiss me back? Maybe she was just flirting and doesn't really want a relationship. Or maybe it's because we work together and she doesn't want to complicate our friendship. What if I read things wrong...what if it's me. She sighed softly as Willow pulled up outside her apartment complex.
"Thanks f-for inviting me out with you," Tara said once the car came to a complete stop.
"You're welcome," Willow smiled, "so I'll see you tomorrow? 7am?"
"Okay," Tara nodded, "goodnight," she moved to leave the car and paused, "Willow?"
"Yeah," Willow looked up into the blonde's eyes.
"Would you like to come inside?"
Willow blinked fiercely, wondering if she heard Tara correctly, "What?" She coughed to clear the dryness in her throat.
C'mon, don't chicken out now. "W-Would you like to come inside?" Tara repeated. She placed her hand on the edge of the open door, starting to feel a little uncomfortable as Willow continued to stare at her.
"Yes," Willow whispered. She feared that if she spoke any louder, the offer would fade into a dream. A figment of her imagination.
"Okay," Tara smiled and stepped out onto the curb. Willow circled around the parking lot and found an empty space in the back, under a large tree. She turned off the engine and took a minute to calm herself before meeting Tara on the concrete path that led to the apartment entrance.
The redhead wiped her damp hands on her skirt as she walked beside Tara. Okay, calm down. Calm down. Willow chanted inside her mind. She's probably inviting you up for a drink and a little friendly chitchat. She let her eyes drift to Tara's butt as the blonde stopped at the gate. Yeah, just chitchat.
What am I doing? Tara bit her lip as she pressed the number to her apartment. It's okay...you don't have to do anything. Just talk. She caught a glimpse of Willow's chest, while the distracted redhead watched a car pull into the parking lot. Just talk. She reminded herself as the gate buzzed open.
Tara's apartment was already lit when the girls walked in, and for the first time since meeting Tara, Willow found herself wondering if the blonde lived alone or with a roommate. "Is someone here?" The words escaped before the redhead realized that she had spoken.
Tara's puzzled expression searched around the living room, until her eyes locked on Willow, who looked as if she were expecting someone to jump out any moment. "Oh, n-no. I um, I always keep a light on, even when I'm not home."
"Oh, okay," Willow nodded, slightly embarrassed. She walked further into the room so Tara could close the door, "You have a really nice place."
"T-Thanks," Tara blushed, "Please have a seat. I'll only be a minute," with that, she walked down the darkened hallway, which led to the bedroom.
Willow smoothed her skirt down as she sat on the caramel-colored sofa. She stared back to where Tara had disappeared and saw the blonde walking toward her with two glasses of red liquid. She sat them down on the table in front of Willow and in one quick moment, hiked her skirt to her knees and straddled the redhead.
"Tara, what ar-," Willow's words were silenced by a slender finger. "Shhh," she ground her hips down into Willow's thighs, "do you want me to stop?" She trailed the finger under Willow's jaw, up past her ear, and into red tresses.
"God no," Willow panted, "but-." She was once again silenced, this time by Tara's lips as she swallowed whatever Willow was about to say.
"Willow." The name rumbled between their lips, before Tara captured the bottom lip with her teeth and bit down.
"Willow." The redhead's eyes snapped open. Disoriented, she looked around until she saw Tara standing in the entrance to the kitchen.
"Huh," Willow shook her head, "I'm... I'm sorry, what were you saying?"
"Are you okay?" The concern was evident on her face as Tara stepped forward.
"Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine," Willow nodded quickly.
"Okay," Tara frowned, "um, I asked if you wanted something to drink." She was a little worried when she walked into the living room, and saw Willow leaning back on the couch with her eyes closed. At first, she thought her friend was just relaxing, until she began shifting and moaning softly.
"Sure, whatever you're having will be fine." Tara nodded and went into the kitchen.
God, I'm such a pervert. Willow huffed. She kindly invites me into her home and I'm orchestrating soft porn scenes about her.
She glanced around, examining the various paintings and pictures hanging from the walls, stopping at one picture in particular. The photo was of a blonde child and a young woman. Arms raised in the air, the child smiled down as her mother held her up by her waist. Grassy fields filled the background as golden rays shone down through the toddlers hair, illuminating the love on her mother's face.
"I hope this is o-okay," Tara returned with two bottled waters and handed one to her guest. Willow turned from the photo and gratefully accepted the beverage. As soon as Tara sat down on the other side of the couch, the room lapsed into silence.
"Willow, about w-what h-happened at the B-bronze," Tara fidgeted.
She was about to continue until Willow cut in. "No, you don't have to explain-."
"But I want to," Tara found the courage and reached over to place her hand over the redhead's. The combination of their body heat, made the cold bottle in Willow's hand began to sweat. "What I'm trying to say is..." Just do it Tara...the worst she can do is push you away. She leaned over and placed a small kiss on Willow's cheek. When Willow didn't respond, she released her hand, "I'm sorry, I s-shouldn't have done that. I...," her shoulder's dropped and she retreated back into herself.
Willow was still basking in the sensation that Tara's lips left on her skin, and it took her a moment to process the blonde's apology. She carefully slid across the smooth surface of the couch, and lifted Tara's chin to return the same chaste kiss. "Are you sorry for that?" She asked. When Tara smiled and shook her head, she went on, "Then please don't be sorry for this," she slowly pressed against Tara's full lips, and hesitated until the other girl applied a little more pressure.
Tara's body relaxed as she began to sink into the kiss. They pulled apart and searched each other's eyes for any sign of regret. Finding nothing, Tara teased her top lip against Willow's bottom and closed the gap once again. They stayed in the same position for what seemed like forever, until Willow's tongue peeked its way into the soft flesh of Tara's mouth. Darting out for a second, then sliding back in, Tara captured what Willow was offering and began to suck.
Their drinks forgotten, the bottles rolled to the floor with a thud as Willow shifted onto her knees without breaking the kiss. Tara's fingers flexed in Willow's hair and she pulled the redhead with her as she fell back onto the sofa.
Feeling herself press into Tara, Willow finally came up for air, "Is this...too fast?" She asked, using her arms to steady herself as she hovered over the beautiful woman beneath her, "We can slow down, if you want," she continued to breathe heavily.
"No," Tara whimpered at the loss of contact. "Unless, you...," she looked up, biting her lip in concern.
"Never." The huskiness of Willow's voice, sent a wave of goose bumps up and down Tara's arms. She smiled and gently pulled the redhead into another passionate kiss. Time ceased to exist as they dissolved into one another.
Soft giggling aroused Tara from her slumber as she took a minute to blink the sleep from her eyes. It was only when she heard the softer laughter again that she realized where she was and who was with her. Willow was sprawled out on top of her, using Tara's chest as a pillow while her arm hung over the blonde's midriff and the edge of the couch.
The night before, when their desire for each other began to increase, the girls decided to slow it down a little. They both knew and agreed that it was too early to go any further than kissing and were content to just hold one another. Shortly after their lazy kisses died down, they eventually allowed sleep to claim them.
Tara looked down at her girlfriend. Girlfriend, she smiled. At least she thought that, that was what last night meant. They hadn't spoken about the specific label, but she hoped Willow felt the same. She was cut off from her musings when the redhead giggled again. A second later, her body jerked and Tara found herself staring down into Willow's sleepy green eyes.
"Hey," Willow yawned and smiled sheepishly. Her hair was matted to one side of her face and she twisted her head so that her chin rested on Tara's right breast. Tara wasn't sure if Willow knew what she was doing as she shifted her head several times, searching for the perfect position. Finally, the blonde couldn't hold it in anymore, as Willow's face grazed the thin material of her shirt and the sensitive skin beneath.
When Tara drew in a sharp breath, Willow finally looked down, "Oh god, sorry...sorry," her eyes grew wide in panic as she fumbled, trying to climb away, "I...," her hand connected with Tara's other breast and she squeaked.
"Willow," the blonde laughed despite her sudden arousal, "m-maybe you should just stay w-where you are. Here...," she moved closer to the edge. Willow's cheeks flushed with embarrassment as she lowered her head on Tara's shoulder, "B-Better?"
"Yeah," Willow lightly kissed Tara's collarbone, "I'm sorry about the...," she gestured with her hand, "you know."
"It's all right," Tara shivered at the effect Willow's breathing was having on her exposed neck. She turned and brushed her lips against red eyebrows, "Are you o-okay?"
"Okay?"
"You're um...shaking."
"Shaking?" Willow raised herself with her elbow.
"No, not shaking. Vibrating," Tara frowned, feeling something hum against her leg, "do you have a pager?"
"Oh," Willow shifted a little, wondering why she hadn't felt the soft vibrating, "it's my phone," she dug into her pocket for the small device. She flipped the phone and the screen flashed 'Home'. "It's Buffy," she pulled herself into sitting position and Tara did the same.
When she answered, she noticed the tone of relief in Buffy's voice. "Willow, god I've been calling you all morning and I didn't have Tara's number at the house, to call... you are at Tara's place, right?"
Willow began to roll her eyes but instead they bulged halfway out of their sockets when Tara threw her head back and yawned as she stretched. "Will... Willow?" Buffy's voice echoed through the earpiece.
"Um, uh, yeah," the redhead found the strength to close her mouth and answer, "yeah, I'm here." Tara finished and smiled when she met Willow's gaze. Willow smiled nervously, wondering if Tara knew what she had been looking at. "What's up, Buffy?" She asked.
"So what happened? You were gone all night...and I know you didn't spend the whole time talking," Buffy smirked on the other side.
"Buffy," Willow warned, but couldn't stop the blush that spread across her face. Tara saw the subtle change and secretly wondered what the two were talking about.
"Okay, fine, but I want the details later. Oh, but not all of the details, because-."
"Buffy," Willow interrupted her friend's miniature rant.
"Okay, okay. Well...you know I'm all for the idea of staying home today, but we were supposed to open two hours ago."
"What?" Panic rose in Willow's eyes, "No, Buffy, it's Saturday... we're not open today." Tara bit her lip as she looked at the clock. It was pushing toward ten and they were supposed to have opened the restaurant at eight.
"Willow, it's Friday."
"Oh god," Willow stood up, "oh god. I'm on my way... are you dressed? Are you ready?" She asked in one breath.
"Yes and yes. Do you want me to just meet you there?"
"No. No, I need to come home anyway," Tara watched as Willow began to pace, "I need to change."
"Okay, but calm down Willow. As long as we're there by eleven, it should be okay," Buffy reassured. They said their 'goodbyes' and Willow continued to pace.
"I-I'll g-go change," Tara hurried off before Willow could speak.
A short time later, after a quick stop at Willow's house, the trio pulled up outside of the restaurant.
"What is Anya doing here?" Buffy asked and watched as Anya peered through the window, trying to see past the curtains.
When they were closer, Anya turned around, "Well, it's about time," she huffed and moved so that Willow could open the door.
"You know, I finally stop by for one of your plant burgers, and you're not even open," Anya whined, "that's bad for business. Very bad. Do you know how much money you've just lost?"
"Anya," Willow began pulling the curtains up, though the 'closed' sign was still in the window, "spare me your lecture on proper capitalism, and grab an apron. I need you to help Buffy in the kitchen."
"Apron?" Anya backed up, shaking her head, "Oh no. No way am I working here," she continued to back away, "I didn't sign up for this... this is forced labor. This-."
"I'll pay you." Her ears perked up at the magick phrase. "Money?" She smiled and began to move forward.
"Yes Anya, money," Willow sighed, "now would please go help Buffy."
"Okay, but no funny stuff... I know what this place does to people like me," she said before disappearing behind the door.
Willow shook her head, and began removing the chairs from the tabletop. "I'm sorry," the soft whisper came from behind her. Tara was staring at the floor as she took down the chairs from a different table.
"Tara, no," Willow shook her head, already knowing what the blonde was apologizing for, "don't apologize. I don't regret a minute... so please don't think it's your fault." She cupped Tara's face, using her thumb to smooth away the lines of worry, "If anything, I should be apologizing for drooling all over you last night... literally," she joked, feeling Tara smile against her palms.
Buffy walked through the kitchen door and stopped when she saw the tender moment between her friends. She grinned, forgetting what she wanted to ask Willow, and turned back around.
"No apologies. No regrets," Willow stepped closer.
"None," Tara filled the space. The second their lips touched, both girls felt the electricity, like a spark heating up their entire body. Willow dropped her hands and moved them to Tara's back so she could pull the blonde closer. Tara curled her fingers in Willow's hair and deepened the kiss, this time by squeezing her tongue into Willow's inviting mouth. The redhead clutched Tara's shirt, rubbing over the material as her tongue joined Tara's. The two clashed against each other, fighting for dominance until they had no choice but to come up for air.
"Tonight," Willow's tongue flicked Tara's top lip, "will you go out with me?" A moan grumbled in the back of Tara's throat, and all she could do was smile and nod. Soon it was Willow's turn to gasp when Tara traced her parted lips and slipped back in. Their dueling tongues continued to overlap and slide together, emitting groans into the silent room.
Well, almost silent. A loud series of smacks made their lips pull apart with an equally loud pop. Anya leaned against the counter, clapping, "Well, you two certainly know how to put on a show," she smirked and pointed to the window.
Outside, a group of men and even some women were staring, mouth agape, through the glass. The girls managed a brief smile, through the crimson embarrassment of having been watched.
"Food's ready," Anya flashed a cheeky grin, while she unlocked the door and flipped the sign to 'open'. She laughed at the pair's horrified expression as a few members of their 'audience' hurried into the restaurant. Her cackle grew even louder as she turned and walked back into the kitchen.
"Oh god," the couple whispered in unison. It was going to be a very long and painful day.
"So where are you guys going tonight?" Buffy asked. She was lying on Willow's bed, with her head hanging upside down over the edge as she watched her best friend rummage through her closet.
Willow stopped her search and stared at her friend in horror. "I don't know! Oh god Buffy, I don't know!" She tightened her grip on the shirt she was holding, "I hadn't thought about it. All I could think about was that she said yes." Walking on her knees, Willow moved to the side of the bed. "What am I going to do?"
Buffy tried not to laugh at her friend's pitiful expression, "Relax Will, it's almost seven o'clock. You're picking her up at eight, right," she waited for Willow to nod, "okay, so that gives you a little more than an hour to decide," she smiled when the redhead scrunched her eyebrows and frowned.
"Well, that's not exactly a whole lot of time," Willow pouted, "what would you do?"
"I'd go with dinner and a movie...keep it nice and simple," Buffy nodded, agreeing with herself.
"What?" She noticed a smile spreading across her roommate's face, before it disappeared into another pout.
Buffy playfully rolled her eyes when Willow stuck out her bottom lip, making it tremble slightly. "I'll go check today's listings, and make the reservations," she sat up, shaking off the massive head rush, "just make sure you're ready by a quarter 'til, okay?"
"Thanks Buffy," Willow grinned, "where would I be without you?"
Buffy stopped in the doorway, "Should I really answer that?" When Willow tossed a ball of socks at her, she quickly dodged it and laughed as she went down the stairs.
I have a real date... with a real person, Willow couldn't stop her excitement as she turned back to her closet. Now, if I could only find something to wear, she thought before diving back into the colorful pile of clothing.
Less than twenty minutes later, she had decided on an outfit and quickly got dressed before joining Buffy in the living room. "Okay, how does this look?" Willow spun around and waited for her friend's opinion.
"Like I shouldn't expect to see you for the rest of the night," she winked to emphasize her approval of Willow's choice of clothing.
"It's not like that." Not yet, Willow blushed, unable to stop the thought from popping into her head.
"Uh huh, right," Buffy smirked, "Anya told me what happened this morning...so will there be a repeat performance tonight?" She joked, loving the way her friend's blush deepened as she squirmed.
"No," Willow answered, a little too loudly, "I mean, we won't be doing that again," she smiled and replayed the events of the early morning, in her mind.
"Oh, you won't?" Buffy nodded, unbelieving.
"I...," Willow huffed, unable to think of anything, "leave me alone," she said with a playful spark in her eyes.
"I'm just messin' with you. Here," Buffy handed the redhead a slip of paper, "I made reservations at that little Greek place down on Main St., and that's a list of show times for the theater across the street... I figured it'd be easier just to walk."
"Thanks," Willow checked her watch, "I guess I should go," she smiled nervously, before frowning, "Should I get flowers? I should get flowers, right?" She checked the time again, "I have a little time, I'll stop by and get some from the florist."
"Why don't you just go pick some from Mrs. Hamilton's garden?" Buffy shrugged when Willow stared at her, somewhat appalled. "What? It's free and a lot faster."
"Yeah, but somehow I don't think Tara's going to find a handful of rotting flowers very romantic," Willow said sarcastically. She shook her head, amused by her friends' shocking, yet cheap idea. "I better go... don't want to be late." She stayed rooted in her spot and began fidgeting with her clothing.
"Willow, you look great," Buffy chimed in, "now go."
"Wish me luck," Willow smiled, making sure she had everything as she opened the door. "You won't need it," Buffy called back just as the door closed.
Tara had been watching from her window for the past ten minutes for any sign of Willow. It wasn't because the redhead was late, it was just that Tara had been too excited to do anything else. She looked down and smoothed over her outfit with nervous fingers, before glancing out into the parking lot.
When she caught a glimpse of familiar headlights, her heart began to pound even harder against her chest, and she had to remind herself to breathe as she locked her door and jogged down the steps. Once Tara reached the bottom, she steadied herself with a few deep breaths and greeted Willow at the gate.
"Hey," she whispered to the most beautiful sight to ever reach her eyes. Willow hadn't expected Tara to meet her, and she quickly hid her left arm from the blonde's view. "I saw you pull up," Tara explained, noticing Willow's sudden movement.
"Hi," Willow smiled, shifting from side to side, "um, this is for you." She pulled the long stemmed white rose from it's hiding place.
Tara dipped her head, whispered a 'thank you' and subconsciously reached for her date's hand. She pulled their clasped hands to her lips and placed a gentle kiss against Willow's knuckles.
Willow swallowed hard, her eyes focused on Tara's mouth, "Ready?" She cleared her dry throat and licked her lips as the blonde nodded.
The restaurant wasn't as crowded as Willow had thought it would be, especially on a Friday night. There were a few couples scattered around, some of which, were having conversations but other than that, the room was quiet. The girls were seated at a booth in the back, while they waited for their orders to arrive.
"It's really nice here," Tara said as she observed her surroundings, "do you come here often?" She turned back to Willow, loving the way she felt comfortable in the redhead's presence.
"Only a few times," Willow took a sip of her water, "I usually come here with Buffy. She likes their Baklava."
"Oh um, how long have you and Buffy known each other?" Tara asked.
"Since kindergarten," Willow smiled as she thought about her friend, "she stole my lunch the first day. But I got over it and we became friends after I explained to her the act of swapping instead of stealing." She laughed at the distant memory. "What about you? Do you keep in touch with your friends?"
"Some," the blonde paused, "I um, I didn't h-have that many friends." She briefly averted her gaze from Willow and silently cursed her awkwardness. Willow noticed the small stammer and decided to change the subject.
"So what made you decide to move here?" She repeated Anya's earlier question.
"My mother was born here," Tara's voice was strong and clear. A sad smile crossed her face, "I guess it makes me closer to her in some ways."
"Where is she?" Willow asked, already fearing the answer.
"She died four years ago." Unshed tears glistened in Tara's eyes, and Willow automatically reached over the table. Her first instinct was to apologize, but Tara quieted her before she could speak. "No apologies, remember?" She flashed a lopsided smile. "It wasn't sudden, and... and I'm just grateful that I was allowed to say goodbye." A single tear splashed, soaking into the tablecloth.
Willow nodded and gently squeezed the blonde's hand as she thought about her own mother and their indifference. Neither girl knew what to say next, so they sat in silence until their dinner arrived, and reverted to mild chitchat throughout the meal.
Holding hands, the couple made their way across the street. "Are you okay?" Willow asked for the second time since leaving the restaurant. Once again, she chided herself for bringing up Tara's mother.
"I'm fine...really," Tara smiled. Deep inside, she knew that she'd never get over her mother's death, and truth be told, she didn't want to 'get over' it. Getting over, meant forgetting. And Tara vowed to never forget the woman who brought so much joy into her life. She glanced at Willow, one of the women.
"Okay," Willow nodded as they crossed the street. The line outside the theater was long, considering the time of night. She smiled at the thought of being with Tara in the darkened room, but her smile soon turned into an annoyed frown when she caught sight of the people ahead of them. "Great," she mumbled low enough for Tara to hear.
"What's w-wrong?" Tara followed her date's gaze, "Oh... do you want to leave?"
"Would you mind?" She smiled nervously, "It's just that Anya tends to be one of those people who enjoys talking back to the movie screen."
"I don't mind," Tara shook her head, "we um, we can go back to my place. If...if you-."
"Okay," Willow's hasty answer cut the blonde off.
"Okay," Tara agreed and the two hurried off before anyone could notice them.
"I hate Sunnydale weather... it was fine ten minutes ago. Perfect," Willow pouted as rain drops began to splash against the windshield, "I mean, why do they call it Sunnydale, when it's raining all the time."
Tara sat back, listening to the redhead as they approached her apartment building. She smiled, watching the adorable way Willow's lip curled up in annoyance. "Maybe there's a storm passing through the outskirts."
"Yeah, but still... they should call it Rainydale," Willow continued to mope, "Sunnydale," she scoffed, "that's false advertisement. People come here expecting sunshine, only to end up with buckets of salt water. I bet the tourist rates would plummet, if they changed the name." She turned to Tara and saw the amusement crossing her face, "You think I'm crazy, don't you?"
The blonde kept her mouth shut, shrugging as she smiled. The rain began to fall harder when they pulled into the parking lot. "Do you want me to drop you off before I park?" Willow asked.
Tara looked out the window as Willow slowed near the curb, "No," she shook her head lightly, "I don't mind getting wet."
There was something in the blonde's eyes that made Willow do a double-take. "Okay," the reply was soft, yet slightly hoarse.
Tara smiled as Willow searched for a spot. There was just something about this woman, which made her feel like she could be herself without holding anything back. Sure she had her moments of shyness, as she always did when meeting new people. But her timid demeanor always seemed to crumble whenever she was around the beautiful redhead.
Willow silenced the engine and turned to her passenger. They looked at one another and nodded as if they knew what the other was thinking. A second later, both girls swung their doors open and bolted for the apartment building.
"Dammit," Willow's silent curse made Tara stop and turn around just as she reached the sidewalk. "I left the lights on," Willow explained and ran back to her car. She waved her hand, gesturing for Tara to continue toward the building. Reaching the building, Tara held the door open and waited for Willow as the redhead sprinted through the rain.
"C'mon," Tara laughed and laced her fingers with Willow's. When the drenched couple reached Tara's door, the blonde slipped her shoes off before stepping into the apartment. Willow did the same, but had a harder time as she struggled to remove her boots. Hopping on one leg, she finally managed to pull the material free and joined Tara in the living room.
"I'll get us some towels," Tara said and disappeared down the hallway. Once the blonde was gone, Willow set her shoes beside the door, before walking toward Tara's stereo. She aimlessly ran her hand along the buttons as she looked through the CD collection and when her finger accidentally connected with the power button, a stream of music blared through speakers. The redhead jumped back and tried to steady her rapid heart before turning the volume down.
Hearing the loud music, Tara ran back into the living room, "Are you okay?"
Willow flashed a sheepish grin, "Yeah, sorry... I didn't mean to-."
"No, it's okay," Tara handed a towel to the redhead as she spoke, "you can listen to it," her gaze dropped, lingering on Willow's chest. "Do you w-want a T-shirt?" She tried unsuccessfully to pull her eyes away from the sheer top.
Willow grinned as she followed Tara's eyes, "Yeah," she cleared her throat and Tara's gaze finally retracted. The blue pools roamed upward, meeting Willow's eyes, and the two stared at one another until Tara realized what she was supposed to be doing.
"I should go...," Tara pointed to the back and nodded again. She began to step away, but instead she quickly moved closer and gave Willow a soft kiss before disappearing once again.
The blonde came back a few minutes later wearing a T-shirt with loose black sweat pants. "I didn't know if you wanted to change c-completely." She smiled nervously and held out a shirt and pair of pajamas for the redhead, "The um, the bathroom is down the hall and to your left."
"Thanks," Willow whispered. Tara watched her leave and skipped off to the kitchen.
Willow slipped into the bathroom and closed the door. As she removed her wet clothing, she couldn't resist surveying the small room. She was automatically drawn to the bathtub and couldn't resist taking a closer look. Tracing over the different flavors of shampoo and body wash, Willow reached for the Apricot shampoo. She held the bottle to her nose and imagined Tara's scent filling her senses. She imagined soft blonde strands tickling her skin and suppressed a groan when the image of Tara's lips flooded her mind.
Taking a final sniff, Willow returned the bottle to the shelf and continued getting dressed. As she left the bathroom, she noticed that the bedroom door was ajar. The redhead glanced toward the living room, half-expecting to see Tara, and sighed in relief when she didn't. Her hand hesitated on the door handle but she shook her head and let go. Just the thought of stepping into the room, made her feel a little intrusive. Biting her lip, she took another look at the alluring door and walked away.
After dropping her wet clothes on the floor beside her shoes, Willow peeked around the corner and frowned when she saw that the kitchen was empty. A horrified expression crossed her face when she turned back to the bedroom door. Had Tara been in the room the whole time she stood outside the door? She stared intently, expecting the blonde to emerge and nearly jumped out of her skin when the door behind her opened.
Willow's shriek immediately halted Tara in the doorway. She stopped her own urge to screech and focused on the spooked redhead. Willow put a hand over her thudding chest and to Tara's surprise, began to laugh. Willow wasn't sure if she was laughing because of the relief she felt from knowing that Tara wasn't in the back, or laughing because it was the only thing she could do besides faint.
Once the almost delirious giggle died down, Tara smiled bashfully, "S-Sorry," she held up a pack of papers, "I went to check the mail." Still not trusting her voice, Willow nodded. "I didn't m-mean to scare you." Tara closed the door, setting her keys and the mail on the table beside her.
"No, it's okay," Willow spoke though her nerves were still jumping, "you just surprised me that's all. Did you get anything good?" She gestured toward the pile.
"Oh, um, just coupons," the blonde stepped closer, "are you sure you're okay? Do you want a drink or something?"
"Yeah," Willow found herself lost in the concern etched on Tara's face, "I'm fine, but a drink would be great."
"Okay, I'll be right back." Willow was still a little skittish when Tara left. She shook her arms, trying to loosen some of the tension and lowered herself onto the carpet next to the stereo. Music continued to flow from the speakers and she bobbed along with the beats as she looked through the stack of CDs.
On her way back, Tara stopped and leaned against the wall, quietly watching as Willow closed her eyes and began to move more with the music. With her mouth partly open, Tara licked her lips as Willow's upper body began to join the rhythm of her head. With her eyes slightly glazed, Tara swallowed and continued to watch.
"This is a really good CD." Her breath caught when Willow spoke. The redhead opened her eyes and turned toward the shocked woman. "H-How did you...," Tara trailed off as Willow shrugged and smiled. "I just knew."
Smiling and somewhat amazed, Tara pushed off the wall and handed Willow her drink, before sitting on the couch. "I really didn't expect you to be the type to listen to this kind of music," Willow confessed and earned a raised eyebrow from Tara. "Well," Willow paused, "it's not exactly your typical variety of lesbian music."
As soon as Willow had finished, Tara almost choked on her soda, "Lesbian music? There's actually a such thing as 'lesbian music'?"
"Well, no. I mean, I don't think there is," Willow frowned and shook her head, "okay, that's not what I meant to say. I meant... you know... slow and melodic. Kind of like Sarah Mclachlan... or something like that."
"I see," Tara spoke with a hint of mirth, "and do you happen to own any of this so-called lesbian music?"
Willow noticed the playful spark in Tara's eyes, "Yes, but I occasionally like to branch out," she stood up and extended her arm, "dance with me?" She asked and wiggled her fingers toward the sitting blonde.
"Um, Willow, this isn't really something you can slow dance to," Tara stared at Willow's hand before reaching out. "Sure it is," Willow's mouth curved into a grin, "and who said anything about slow dancing." She grasped Tara's hand with one hand and turned the volume of the stereo up with the other.
The fast electronic beats poured into the room and Tara bit her lip nervously. It was one thing to dance alone in her apartment where no one could see her, and completely different to do it in front of others... especially Willow. However, all doubt left her mind once Willow began to move against her. Her body was automatically drawn to the redhead and she began to grind into Willow as their movement became synchronized.
Clearing her mind, Tara was so focused on the thigh between hers, that at first she didn't notice the dark tint in Willow's green eyes. The redhead's arousal shot through her in waves and she moaned, pulling Willow tighter. Willow in turn, grabbed the blonde's hips and pushed down as her own body rocked upward. The incessant rubbing and soft material of their clothing, provided both girls with a little friction as they continued to move together. When Tara threw her head back in pleasure, Willow seized the opportunity and latched onto the smooth skin of her neck.
Unable to keep her balance, Tara stumbled forward and both girls wobbled until they reached the couch. With the redhead landing on the bottom, Willow continued to kiss across Tara's neck until the blonde let out a soft whimper and pulled away. Not missing a second, Tara smashed her lips against Willow's and bucked into the leg that was still firmly planted between her thighs. Willow's aggressive tongue fought its way into Tara's mouth and the redhead gasped as more desire pooled from her body.
Swirling her tongue around the slick flesh, Tara pressed her knee up until it connected with the apex between Willow's legs. Both girls continued to grind and grunt until Willow's pace slowed and she sighed in frustration. Tara also slowed her movement and rested her forehead against Willow's.
When their bodies stilled completely, Willow panted, "I...," she struggled to speak, "do you...," she was silenced by Tara's slender finger. The blonde nodded and crawled from atop Willow's prone body and reached for her hand. No words were spoken as she led the woman down the dark hall.
Willow willingly followed Tara down the hall, her glazed eyes quickly adjusting to the dark and the figure in front of her. For such a short hallway, the walked seemed endless, or maybe it was just the redhead's racing hormones speaking.
Tara stopped outside the door and turned to her girlfriend. "Willow, are you sure about this?" She asked with a hint of concern. "I mean, I know I might've come on a little s-strong, but if you're not ready, I'll understand." She gently rubbed her thumb over Willow's palm to show that she would accept the other woman's decision.
The soft gesture was distracting to the redhead as she felt blood rushing upward from the region between her thighs, allowing her brain to process what Tara was asking. Willow peered through the darkness at Tara's face, while the blonde patiently waited for a response.
Pondering the question on whether or not she was actually ready, Willow tilted her head to the side and continued to stare at the person before her. Was it too soon for the next step? She wondered. She knew that flirting and kissing were one thing, but actual love-making was different. She felt the chemistry between herself and Tara, and the physical attraction was definitely present, along with desire and hope... but was there love?
"What do you want?" Willow asked, wanting to know how Tara felt.
The blonde took a moment and a small smile grew on her lips, "To make you happy," she answered honestly.
"But you do," Willow squeezed the hand within hers, "I'm happy just being here with you. These past few days have been amazing... because of you." She dipped her head in a manner that reminded Tara of herself, "Do you want to wait... at least until we're both sure that it's the right time? Or are you already sure?"
The hopeful tone of Willow's voice wasn't lost on Tara as she bit her lip in uncertainty and sighed lightly, "Maybe it would be best if we waited," as she spoke, her words betrayed her mind and body. Even through the darkness, she could see Willow's crestfallen expression just for a moment before the redhead forced an understanding smile.
"Okay," Willow kept her smile, "we can wait," she nodded, trying to convince herself. Hearing the faint sound of thunder crackling outside, Willow continued, "I uh, I better go before it gets too bad." She could see Tara nod as she began to back away with the blonde's hand still in hers. "So um, do you want to come over tomorrow?" Willow asked, trying to relieve some of the awkwardness as they walked to the front door. "We're supposed to have a barbecue, but if the rain doesn't let up, we'll probably just order pizza or something."
"Okay," Tara whispered, fighting the dull ache she felt inside. Willow was leaving. Some part of Tara...a very large part... wished that the redhead had countered her decision to wait. But she somehow knew that Willow would've never disagreed, even though the arousal was still palpable in her eyes.
"Great," Willow tucked her damp clothing under her arm as she slipped on her shoes. "So I'll see you tomorrow," as she pulled the door open, Tara's hand overlapped hers. Their eyes met and Tara leaned forward, placing a gentle kiss on Willow's lips, "Good night," the blonde gave Willow's hand a final squeeze before letting go.
"Good night," Willow whispered back, closing the door behind herself.
Tara sighed heavily as she leaned against the door. A part of her felt the urge to run after Willow... to drag the redhead back and make love to her until neither one could walk, let alone think properly. Yet the other half, wanted their first time together to be special, meaningful, and not just the result of the strong desire, which had coursed through their veins. But Tara knew that in life, sometimes desire was all one could ever need.
With her mind made up, Tara swung the door open to call out for Willow, but was cut off by the pair of firm lips pressing to hers. She stood, shocked, in the doorway until her body relaxed into Willow's embrace.
"I had to..." Willow panted, trying to speak, "I wanted to..."
"I know," Tara's simple reply sent shivers down Willow's back as she captured the full lips again. The kiss was slow, yet needy. Passionate, yet chaste, as both girls marveled in each others softness. Tara pulled back to stare into darkened twin pools, and felt her knees go weak from Willow's hungry gaze.
Neither Tara nor Willow were sure about how long it had taken them to reach the bedroom, or how they even managed to get there, and frankly, the answer didn't matter. Tara slowly pushed back, until the bedroom door closed with a soft click and watched as Willow circled the room, stopping when their eyes met.
Refusing to look away, Tara's hand searched along the wall for the light switch, "No... leave it on," Willow smiled, trying not to show her nervousness as Tara's hand dropped away without protest. She reached out to the blonde as she stood in the center of the room, and sighed when Tara's fingers linked with hers. Once close enough, Willow lightly grazed her lips against Tara's familiar skin and was rewarded with a soft moan. Her mouth continued to tease, as if she were seeking permission, until Tara caught her bottom lip and sucked gently. Bringing her hands up to cup Willow's face, Tara released her hold and traced her tongue along Willow's lip, soothing the tender flesh.
Willow pulled at Tara's shirt and added her own tongue, as her hands connected with the smooth skin of Tara's back. As the tips flicked and slid across one another, their heavy breathing echoed throughout the room and they pulled apart briefly, before diving back into another heated kiss. Willow's trailed her blunt nails up and down Tara's back and squeezed as she drew the blonde more into her body. She continued tugging on Tara's shirt while her lips began their journey over the blonde's jaw and down her neck.
Tara swayed and cradled Willow's head as she slowly licked down to her collarbone. The position granted the blonde access to the small patch of skin behind Willow's ear, causing the redhead to visibly shudder as her tongue traveled along the warm surface. Slender fingers soon found their way to Willow's back and began to slowly raise her thin T-shirt. Complying, Willow stepped back to allow the removal of her shirt, then quickly pulled the material from the blonde's body.
Tara swallowed hard, realizing that Willow hadn't kept her bra on after changing earlier. She stared openly and stifled a groan as she boldly reached out. After the first touch, Willow trembled slightly and closed her eyes, letting Tara explore freely. It was only when she felt delicate lips pressing against the top of her breast that she gasped and wound her arms around Tara, bringing her closer. She pulled on Tara's bra straps until they released and tumbled down the blonde's shoulders, then reached behind to unhook the clasp.
Both topless, Willow stepped back to admire the beauty in front of her. She bumped into the bed and sank down, giving her weak legs a break and motioned for Tara to join her. They crawled to the top of the bed and lay facing one another as their hands began to roam again. After what seemed like hours of touching, Willow straddled her girlfriend's hips and gazed into Tara's heavy eyes. She ground her hips down, slow at first, then faster as her body ached for release. Understanding her lover's needs, Tara slid her hands up and cupped Willow's breast. Her fingers spread out until her palms grazed Willow's erect nipples and the redhead drew in a deep breath and rocked her hips harder.
Tara sat up, replacing her hand with her mouth and gently took one of the hard nubs between her lips. She tugged and sucked harder, smiling when she heard Willow moan in approval. Crying out when Willow lightly pinched her nipples, Tara doubled her actions and swirled her tongue around the protruding flesh. Willow squirmed as she felt her arousal soak through panties. She raked her fingers in blonde hair and brought Tara up for a kiss. Breathing hard, Willow pushed then back so that she was hovering over her lover, and returned her attention to Tara's body. She slowly licked down the valley between Tara's chest, while her hands teased across her girlfriend's hip, stopping on the hem of her pants.
Tara whimpered when she felt Willow's teeth skitter around her nipple. The redhead positioned herself so that she was stretched out in between Tara's legs, and continued to lavishly lick the blonde's sensitive areas. She grasped the hem of Tara's pants and slowly began to pull down, stopping only for a moment to make sure Tara was okay. Nodding silently, Tara pressed back and raised her hips as the cotton material slid down her thighs. With a final tug, Willow pulled the pants completely off and tossed them aside. She moved down, rising from the bed, and removed her own clothing before crawling back up to Tara's prone body.
Willow moved to lower herself, but squeaked in delightful shock when Tara flipped her onto her back. Tara's hair curtained around her face and she flashed a crooked grin as her their breast pressed together. The sensation of hot skin shot waves of pleasure into Tara's damp center, and she began grinding her hips down while her mouth searched for Willow's. Groaning, she rubbed harder, feeling Willow's wetness smear against her thigh. Unable to take it any longer, she pushed Willow's panties aside and slid her hand down into the trimmed curls, teasing her fingertips along the slippery folds. She straddled Willow's thigh and started to rub her middle finger between the soaked lips. The redhead bucked, pressing herself more into Tara's hand as she grabbed at Tara's panties. Sensing the urgency, Tara quickly removed them, stripping Willow as well. Repositioning herself, she returned her attention to the crimson curls and licked her lips as the aroma filled her nostrils.
Despite her wild thrashing, Willow pressed two fingers along Tara's opening and gently began to stroke back and forth, without entering her lover. Tara's body clinched and she added another finger, pushing beyond the barrier and deeper into the warm wetness. A low groan surfaced in the back of Willow's throat as she whispered Tara's name and finally sunk her own fingers into the blonde's body. Using her free hand, she grabbed Tara's hip and pushed down as her fingers traveled deeper. Tara arched back and began to ride Willow's hand as her thumb flicked across her lover's swollen clit.
Breathing heavily, they tried to keep their eyes open as they looked at each other, but to no avail. Willow squeezed her lids shut, grunting as she continued to thrust into her girlfriend. Tara leaned forward, resting her palm flat against the bed, and added more pressure to Willow's sensitive bundle. They both felt the familiar tightness in their stomachs, tugging and burning, signaling the beginning of their release. Their lips came together in a fiery kiss as they frantically rode out the waves, screaming into each other's mouths. Jerking from the aftershock, their bodies gradually began to relax. Catching their breaths, they shared a few lazy kisses before sleep overcame them.
The sun shined, but not as bright as the smiles plastered on Willow and Tara's faces as the car pulled into the short driveway of the large, vanilla-colored house.
Four hours earlier:
Willow was awakened by a soft tone ringing in her ear. She groaned, hoping that the faint sound would disappear, letting her return to her peaceful slumber, but the noise only continued. She shifted in an attempt to block the sound, when a pale arm slid across her stomach to her hip. Her breath hitched and when her eyes shot open, she was blinded by a mass of blonde hair. Tara was nuzzled firmly against her body as her soft snore tickled Willow's bare shoulder. The redhead took the opportunity to bask in the softness, enjoying Tara's weight as the blonde laid partially over her. But soon the ache in her bladder got the best of her and she carefully untangled herself from Tara's limbs and crawled from the bed.
Her affectionate gaze landed on the sleeping blonde and she bent down, placing a soft lingering kiss on the corner of Tara's lips. The woman sighed and Willow smiled as she took in the condition of the bedroom. Their clothes were scattered carelessly around the room and the dark blue blanket draped over the edge of the bed, resting halfway on the floor. After another glance to the bed, Willow quietly tiptoed across the hall.
As she left the bathroom, her ears perked and she realized that the sound, which had awoken her, had been coming from the living room. Turning the stereo off, Willow tiptoed back into the bedroom and froze in the doorway.
A series of emotions flickered across Tara's face as she looked at Willow's naked form in the doorway. From fear to relief, then arousal to embarrassment, Tara blushed and dipped her head as she unsuccessfully tried not to stare at the redhead. Willow took a minute to think about her predicament and, strangely enough, she didn't feel embarrassed or ashamed for having been caught sauntering nude through Tara's apartment. Gradually, Tara loosened the grip she held on the blanket against her body as Willow moved closer into the room.
"Morning." Tara smiled, with traces of sleep still in her voice as Willow sat down next to her. The blonde had woken to a half-empty bed and feared that the night before had been a dream. Or that it had been real and the empty side, which still lingered with warmth, was proof that Willow thought it was a mistake and regretted being with her and had left to avoid 'the morning after' awkwardness. Looking across into Willow's eyes, she sighed again in relief but the doubt was still there.
The blonde's conflicting emotions weren't lost on Willow, especially when Tara suddenly averted her eyes and began fidgeting with the blanket.
"Are you okay?" Willow's own nervousness began to show, "I mean, about..." she trailed off.
"I'm o-okay," Tara nodded, but continued to look down.
Willow frowned, still trying to catch the blonde's eye, "Did I do something wrong?" She asked in a small, child-like voice.
"What?" Tara's head snapped up, "No, i-it's..." she sighed, "it's just that when I w-woke up, y-you were..." Tara shook her head, chiding herself for over reacting.
"You thought I had left you?" Willow smiled gently and reached for Tara's hand, "Why would I leave? Tara, last night was wonderful! It was..." she couldn't find the words so she demonstrated with her hands.
Tara chuckled lightly as Willow tossed her hands around animatedly. "So um, you're h-happy?"
"Ecstatic." Willow smiled genuinely as waves of euphoria swept through Tara, washing away her doubt and replacing it with a lopsided grin. They both leaned in, lips meeting in the middle. The kiss was sweet and gentle as Tara released the blanket, letting it fall away. Content with simple kisses, the couple drifted back to sleep.
Hands clasped, the girls continued to smile as they entered the house. "Buffy?" Willow called up the stairs. They heard what sounded like metal clattering and a little rustling, followed by a low 'dammit.' Recognizing where the noise was coming from, Willow led Tara toward the kitchen, where they found Buffy struggling with a handful of pots and pans, and trying to open the backdoor at the same time.
"Hey Buffy." Startled by Willow's voice, Buffy squeaked and dropped the items she was carrying. She turned to the new arrivals in mock annoyance and began gathering the fallen objects.
"How long have you guys been here?" Buffy asked as she set the pots on the counter.
"Oh, we just got here," Willow nodded, brushing her thumb against Tara's hand. Buffy noticed the gesture and smirked while giving Willow the once over. The redhead was wearing the same jeans from the night before and an oversized nightshirt decorated with small kittens. She caught Tara's eye and the blonde immediately turned ten shades of red as if she knew what the other girl was thinking.
"Well I'm glad you guys are here." Buffy cleared her throat and smiled at the shy blonde before turning back to her best friend. "Xander and Anya are already out back. I just came in to get a few things."
"Great, I just need to...," Willow looked down at herself, "change," she shared Tara's embarrassed smile.
"Okay," Buffy tried to gather the pots again, "Uh, Tara could you help me with these?"
"S-Sure," the blonde squeezed Willow's hand and went to help Buffy. "I'll be back in a minute," Willow said before rushing up the stairs.
"So," Buffy grinned playfully, "did you have fun last night?" Tara's blush and excited nod, told her all she needed to know as she held the backdoor open for the blonde. She followed the other girl out and made a mental note to grill Willow for details. She looked at Tara's flushed face again. The PG version, of course.
"Hit me," Anya demanded.
"Anya, I've already given you five extra cards," Xander huffed.
"Well, I don't have twenty-one yet... now, hit me," she insisted. Buffy stared at Anya's back, somewhat tempted to fulfill her request.
Xander shuffled the deck and gave his girlfriend another card. "Hey Tara." He said, noticing the blonde's presence.
"Hi," Tara smiled at the couple.
Anya tossed up a hand in silent greeting and went back to her cards. Biting her lip and tilting her head in concentration, she turned back to Xander. "Hit me."
The young man groaned in defeat and pushed the entire deck across the picnic table to his girlfriend. "Where's Willow?"
"Right here." The redhead waved as she stepped into the backyard. "So what are we playing?"
She flashed Xander a brief smile, but focused on Tara as she spoke.
"Poker?" Anya bounced in her seat, while Xander shook his head forcefully, knowing that it would be his money Anya lost.
"Blackjack?" Willow suggested.
"But we already played that," Anya's shoulders slumped, "fine," she pouted and handed the cards back to Xander.
Smiling in victory, the redhead kissed Tara's cheek and sat down beside Xander while the blonde sat on the bench next to Anya.
A few games later, Willow frowned as she felt something rubbing against her leg. She glanced up, locking eyes with Tara and smiled. After taking a second to fully realize what that 'something' was, her eyes grew in surprise and she squirmed lightly in her seat. Remembering that Tara was wearing sandals, Willow was pleasantly shocked when she felt a toe rub against her bare leg. Pulling her eyes away from the blonde, she looked around. Buffy was tending to the grill, Xander was looking through a magazine, and Anya was shuffling the deck again. She turned back to Tara, entranced by the blue pools in front of her.
"Can someone help me?" Buffy's voice broke through and Willow blinked as the spell ended. Tara smiled at her partner and stood up to help Buffy. Willow stared at the blonde in confusion, especially since the rubbing against her leg hadn't stopped. She looked around again and caught the strange grin on Anya's face as she stared at Xander.
"Anya!" Willow shouted in horror and kicked the girl's foot away.
"Xander!" Anya shouted just as loud when she felt the sharp pain in her foot.
"Buffy!"
"What?" Buffy and Tara looked at the trio. Tara frowned after hearing her girlfriend's outburst and wondered about the hard glare Willow was shooting toward Anya.
"Oh, I thought we were playing another game," Xander smiled sheepishly.
"What's going on?" Buffy asked, glancing to each person before settling on Anya.
"Willow was playing footsie with me," she smirked and pointed to the redhead, like a child pointing the blame.
"I was not!" Willow's glare fell away as she looked up at Tara, "she was all with the feet... and the toes... and the... I was not!" She repeated. "I thought it was you," she silently pleaded with the blonde to believe her.
"Well, I didn't hear you complaining," a cheeky grin crossed Anya's face as she got up, "by the way, you might want to invest in a razor. I damn near cut myself on all that bristle," she muttered and disappeared into the kitchen.
All eyes turned back to Willow, who crossed her legs and shifted uncomfortably in her seat, "It's not true," she protested.
Tara arched an eyebrow, but her eyes sparkled with mirth. She decided to give the redhead a break, "I know," she smiled at the way Willow's lip trembled slightly and tried to keep her laughter at bay.
"Someone's at the door," Anya announced from the open kitchen window.
"Who is it?" Buffy asked, fanning away the smoke as she opened the grill.
"I don't know," Anya shrugged.
"Can you at least answer it?"
"Why? It's not for me," Anya whined. She stuffed a handful of chips into her mouth and rolled her eyes as she went to answer the door.
"Anya, who..." Buffy looked up when the backdoor opened. Everyone stared at the visitor with mixed emotions. All except Tara, who looked on, confused and slightly intrigued. Finally, Buffy's voice broke through the tension.
"Faith?"
"Faith," Buffy repeated, unaware that she had spoken aloud. Her eyes roamed over the newcomer, noting the familiarity and subtle differences between the person she once knew, and the brunette standing before her. The mixed emotions circulating around the yard, finally settled on surprise and shock as Faith began to shift nervously under Buffy's scrutiny.
"Hey guys," Faith smiled, weakly, as she scanned the yard. Her eyes rested on the blonde cook, "Buffy." When no one made an attempt to speak, she lightly cleared her throat and began fidgeting with the zipper to her coat. "Okay uh," she chuckled to disguise her discomfort, "look, I'm not a ghost... you can stop staring now." As soon as the words were out of her mouth, Faith felt a sharp blow to the back of her head.
"Yep, she's real," Anya announced and cringed as she pulled her hand back, shaking off the sting. Faith scowled, rubbing the sore spot, "Thank you." The sarcasm was lost on Anya, who simply shrugged, grinning at her accomplishment as she pushed her way past Faith and into the yard.
"When did you get back?" Xander curiously gave Faith the once over.
"A few days ago," Faith answered, biting her lip when she saw the frown on Buffy's face. Buffy stared at the newcomer, blinking several times as the last piece of the puzzle fitted into her mind.
"It was really you?" She suddenly asked, suspicion clouding her face as she peered at the brunette. Faith shared her frown, before her eyes lit up with recognition. Nodding, she continued to hold Buffy's gaze. The others stared back and forth between the two, obviously confused and hoping to be clued in. Noticing their blank expressions, Buffy filled them in on what she remembered.
She smiled, continuing to watch her friends, until something... someone, in the far corner caught her eye. She briefly turned back to the dance floor, before making her way across the room. A sense of familiarity washed over her as she searched. Her eyes raked over the darkened area of the club, the hazel orbs narrowing as she marched toward the stairs, following her target. She reached out, grazing the person's shoulder and quickly pulled back when the woman spun around to face her. Sighing in relief and disappointment, Buffy mouthed a 'sorry' and rejoined her friends, not noticing the dark-haired woman in the balcony who barely escaped being seen.
"Why did you run off?" Willow asked. The brunette shrugged, not knowing how to answer.
"Okay, how about this," Buffy stepped in, "where have you been? I mean after-," she paused, shaking her head, "...you just disappeared."
"Jane Addams," Faith answered, deciding to elaborate when she noticed their frowns. "It's an all-girls school back east. My Grams didn't think I'd make anything of myself, so she shipped me off Senior year to live with relatives. She thought it'd straighten me out after my 'incident'," she smiled, making quotes with her fingers.
Her smile vanished when she saw their somber faces. "Don't...," she playfully rolled her eyes, putting her hand up to stop Buffy before the blonde could speak. "It was my choice, remember?" She looked from Buffy to Willow as both girls nodded, the intensity of their expressions lessening a little. "So anyway, without turning this into a boring monologue, after I graduated, I met up with a few people... did the whole travel the world bit... and now here I am."
"Why didn't you call? Or write?" Buffy asked. When Faith shrugged again, looking away, Buffy chose to let it go... for now. "Well, it's uh... it's good to have you back," she timidly stepped forward, trying to defuse the awkwardness, and hugged the brunette.
Tara saw a spark of relief in Faith's eyes as the two embraced. She smiled at her girlfriend and turned back to the pair as Buffy backed away. She caught the questioning look that Faith was giving her and blushed when Willow's hand reached across the table, finding hers. The brunette arched a single eyebrow at the gesture and smiled inwardly, thinking about the girl she knew in high school.
Faith was broken from her reverie by Buffy. "We were just about to eat," she waved toward the open grill, "are you hungry?" She indirectly asked Faith to join them, smiling when she agreed. They both knew that there were still some things that needed to be discussed, but now wasn't the time.
As the atmosphere began to lighten, Tara was introduced to Faith and the group reverted to small talk as they sat down to eat. Halfway through the meal Anya noticed that the dish she'd brought had been pushed to the far side of the table.
"Oh! Try the potato salad," Anya grinned excitedly, pushing the large bowl across to Tara. The shy blonde politely took a scoop, trying not to grimace as she stared down at the chunky substance.
"Xander loves it... he almost ate an entire bowl last night," Anya continued proudly. Tara glanced up at the young man, who was trying to make his face remain calm instead of twisting in disgust. Realizing that the blonde was watching him, his lips curled into a forced smile and he nodded along with Anya.
They all looked on, fearfully, as Tara took a spoonful to her mouth. "I-It's spicy and um...c-crunchy." The blonde swallowed hard and reached for her drink.
"Oh, those are probably the croutons," Anya said as she took a large wooden spoon and plopped another serving onto Tara's plate. "What?" She looked around the table as they all stared at her.
"Nothing," Faith bit back her laughter when Tara set down her empty glass and hastily reached for the pitcher of lemonade. Her smirk soon disappeared when Anya dumped a large spoonful onto her plate.
When Anya reached her, Willow used her hands to shield her plate, "I'm allergic to potatoes," she glared at Xander before he could protest. Anya frowned and retreated, leaving the redhead smiling in victory and relief, glad that no one noticed how she always seemed to become allergic every time Anya brought food.
"Oh, well that's okay," Anya said as she rose from her seat without another word. A minute later, she returned from the kitchen with another bowl. "I also made some macaroni," she paused, "well, it's from the box, but I added a few things." She set the bowl down and Willow blanched as she watched the soupy contents easily shift from side to side.
"Eat up!" Anya's cheeky grin stretched to her ears as she literally poured the macaroni onto Willow's plate.
The day started like any other day. The sun shone, bright and fresh in the midday sky, as water still glistened on the grass from the previous nights rain. Students ran across the yard, excitement etched on their faces as they laughed with their friends. While others hid in the corners of the large, crowded courtyard, willing themselves to disappear from the minds of their tormentors, praying for the day's end.
"Okay Anya," Xander took a nervous breath, "Are you ready?" The blonde nodded, tightening her grip on the hard plastic. "Are you sure? You don't have to be nervous... if you're not ready, we can do this another time. Just let me know." His eyes darted around, scanning the area.
"Xander!" The young woman rolled her eyes, "Quit stalling... now give me the key," she impatiently held out her hand. "You said I could drive, so hand it over." He reluctantly dropped the small metal key in her palm, and tightened his seatbelt for the fifth time.
Anya had been pestering him for the better part of the week about driving, and after long consideration... and a few unnerving ultimatums, he finally gave in. Of course, being smart enough not to teach his girlfriend how to drive on the busy road, he opted for the school parking lot instead. Though at the moment, as he watched all the potential victims running through the streets, he was starting to regret his choice of location.
The sudden jolt from the car as it moved forward, shook Xander out of his reverie and he once again checked his seat belt.
"See," he wiped his sweaty hands on his jean-clad thigh, "Isn't this fun?" The car jerked, then stopped, then repeated its movements as Anya slowly moved around the parking lot. "Slow and easy," he whispered more to himself than his girlfriend.
Anya nodded, her eyebrows drawing together as if gathering her thoughts. "This sucks," she pressed harder on the pedal, grinning when the car virtually hopped over one of the speed bumps. She cackled at Xander's horrified _expression as the car jumped over another bump in the road.
"Anya!" Xander yelled, pressing himself further into his seat and staring, panicked, at the driver. "Slow down! You're going too...," his words were swallowed when the vehicle jerked, the breaks screeching loud as the car stopped completely.
Taking a minute to push down his breakfast, he noticed that the smile on Anya's face had been replaced by annoyance.
Several feet in front of the car, the queen herself, Cordelia Chase stood, scowling through the window. The tall brunette remained silent, but continued glaring daggers toward the blonde driver. Her eyes briefly focused on Xander, and the young man, cowardly averted his gaze. Without so much as a mumbled 'dork', she smirked at the boy before stepping onto the curb to join the rest of her cronies, who had started to giggle at the display.
Pulling off, Anya skillfully circled the parking lot as if she'd been driving for years, a wicked glint in her eyes as she stopped a short distance from where Cordelia and her friends stood on the sidewalk.
"Anya," Xander warned as if he could read his girlfriends mind, but the blonde barely flinched, nor did the grin on her face lessen. Though Xander continued to plead, his voice never reached Anya's ears. Her eyes, glued on the large puddle of water near the curb, glazed over as the gas pedal connected with the floor and the car sped off toward its target.
"Looks like Anya just bumped herself up on Cordy's list," Buffy laughed as she and Willow watched the soaked brunette scream with fury.
"Too bad she couldn't get the entire car over the curb," Faith joked from behind the girls. It was the end of her junior year and though the guests for graduation hadn't started to arrive yet, she'd shown up early for one specific thing... well that, and the free food.
"It's all set," she grinned, staring at the sparks as she flicked her lighter repeatedly.
"Morning Ladies," a shrill voice startled them. Faith fumbled with the lighter, trying to shove it back into her pocket. "What are you doing on campus, Ms. Spencer," he directly eyed the brunette, "You of all people should know that this picnic is specifically for graduating Seniors only."
Faith tried to speak up, but was interrupted. "I'll see you at six o'clock, Ms. Spencer," he cut in quickly, leaving no room for argument. The young woman cursed inwardly, forcing a tight smile until Snyder was out of sight.
"So anyway," she shook off her agitation, as if the conversation had never happened, "like I said, it's all good. Spike said he'd look-."
"Wait...wait... Spike?" Buffy questioned, unbelieving. "Are you sure you can trust him?"
Faith only shrugged, "Well, if he screws up, we'll just pin the whole thing on him. I'm sure he'd be more than happy to take the heat, seeing how his reputation of being S.D.'s biggest 'bad ass' spiraled down the tubes when he started dating Cordelia."
"Listen, guys," Willow hesitantly spoke up, "I'm not so sure we should go through with the...thing," she stopped as a teacher walked by, and began to nervously fidget with the hem of her shirt.
"C'mon Will," Buffy lightly bumped her friend's shoulder, though she was also beginning to have some doubts.
"But what if we get caught," the redhead continued, weakly. They'd been planning the entire scheme since Winter break, but now that the day was finally here, she was a bit reluctant to follow it through. It wasn't as if the plan was anything serious... maybe a little illegal, depending on your viewpoint... but overall, it was just a little prank. Just a little something to end the school year with a bang.
"We won't!" Faith sighed. The uncertainty on Buffy's face began to show, prompting the brunette to strengthen their resolve. "Look, you're graduating, so they can't suspend you. The worst they can do is stop you from walking..." She backpedaled after seeing the panic on their faces, "but that's not going to happen, 'cause we're not going to get caught."
"Live a little," she went on, "Oh c'mon, after the four years you've spent in this hell-hole...you're entitled to a little bit of fun! I mean, don't you wanna wipe that smirk from Snyder's little munchkin face?" Slow smiles worked their way onto the girl's faces, and Faith knew she had them.
"Great," she bounced on the balls of her feet, barely able to control her excitement. "Meet me in the gym in about an hour."
"Are you going home?" Buffy called out as Faith turned to leave. The brunette snorted loudly, "No, I'm gonna go hide out in the girl's bathroom for a little while." She winked, snatching a few plastic wrapped cookies from the picnic table.
Just as Faith was about to go, Cordelia limped by, bellowing at no one in particular as the rest of her 'sheep' scurried to keep up. After breaking a heel trying to chase down Anya in Xander's car, the humiliated brunette had no choice but to gather what little pride she had left, and storm off toward the main building.
The girls watched her go with satisfaction, until Buffy noticed Snyder making his way back toward the commotion. "Faith," the hushed whisper caught the brunette's attention. Buffy jerked her head several times, signaling behind Faith's shoulder, but the young woman merely stared at her in amusement.
"Principal Snyder's coming," Willow warned. Faith's eyes shot up as she quickly turned, crouching down beneath the table, before the older man could make eye contact.
"Is he still coming?" A thin white sheet hung over the table on one side, blocking Faith's view of the approaching man.
"Why are you hiding from Snotter?" They all cringed at the loudness of Anya's voice, as she and Xander joined the group. "Shut up!" Faith hissed between clinched teeth, hoping the blonde would take the hint and stay quiet... unfortunately, that wasn't the case.
"Hey!" Anya yelled back even louder. Obviously offended, she prepared to fire back, but the hard glare Faith was sending her, made her think otherwise. Mumbling to herself, Anya looked up just in time to see that Snyder had already spotted them.
His suspicions piqued, eyes twitching slightly, as he regarded the closely assembled group. In all of his years as principal, he'd never been as relieved to see such a group of students graduate, as he was today. His eyes skimmed over each individual, distastefully noticing their smug expressions, full of secrets. There had used to be a time when he could walk the halls, making every student tremble with the thought of expulsion. But times have changed, and now most students welcome the threat, seeing it as a reward, rather than a punishment.
Shaking his head, Snyder inched forward until his shoes scraped against the cloth of Faith's hiding place. The brunette bunched herself into a tight ball and held her breath.
"Cookie?" Anya asked, suddenly becoming nervous, yet not sure why as she twiddled with one of the plastic knives on the table. Snyder once again eyed each person, noticing the subtle way they averted his scrutiny. Certain that he still had his 'charm', he cast a proud, inward smile, but before he could speak...
"Fight!" The excited shout rang out across the yard. Several students rushed forward with the prospect of catching the action. Groaning, the principal cast a final glance toward the group before running off toward the brawl, whistle in hand.
"Too close... way too close," Faith sighed in relief, brushing bits of wet grass from her jeans. "Okay, what's going on," Xander asked, confused as usual. Though he and Anya were very close to the trio, Buffy had been a little disinclined about letting them in on the surprise. Not because Xander would tell everyone, but because they couldn't trust Anya not to. However, now, as the couple stared at each girl expectantly, they had no other choice. Receiving a nod of confirmation from both Willow and Faith, Buffy started from the beginning.
"Not it," Xander frowned, talking to himself as he rummaged through the bathroom cabinet. His fingers grazed over the items as he read the labels. "Vitamins... more vitamins," he paused to read over the label, "nope, not it."
Groaning in frustration, he moved to the next item, "Va-definitely, not it," he cut himself off, and pushed the box aside in horror. After five more minutes of fruitless searching, he found what he was looking for and dashed down the stairs, nearly colliding with Buffy as he disappeared into the backyard.
Biting her lip to keep from laughing, Tara smiled, wondering if her girlfriend's face could get any cuter. Turning her nose up in disgust, Willow continued to stare as Anya picked at her teeth. The squeaking noise the blonde made as she sucked her tooth, was becoming too much for the slightly green-faced redhead, to handle. Honestly, it was only Tara's presence and Xander's childish grin, which saved her from strangling the other woman on the spot.
"Did you find it?" Willow asked hopefully as Xander flopped down on the bench across from her.
Nodding, Xander teasingly waved the item in front of Willow, whose eyes tracked back and forth, transfixed. The redhead reached for the bottle, but the young man quickly pulled back. "Give me," Willow pouted. Calculating his movement, she reached across the table, snatching the bottle before Xander could react.
As the sucking became louder, Willow frantically tried to open the bottle of antacids, but found herself struggling with the child, safety lock. Refusing to let the little piece of plastic get the best of her, she began gnawing on the bottle, trying to pop the lid. Turning her head to get a better angle on the cap, she caught the look on Tara's face, and froze, suddenly realizing how crazy she must've looked to the blonde.
"Um, do you want me to try?" Tara flashed a sweet half-smile, laughter dancing in her eyes. Sheepishly wiping the cap on her shirt, Willow's knuckles slid against Tara's palm.
"Thanks," the redhead smiled, trying to hide the embarrassment in her voice as Tara opened the bottle on the first attempt.
Watching as her lover downed two of the pills, Tara's hand boldly strayed to Willow's stomach, simply resting. Despite the heat of the afternoon sun, Willow could feel small goose bumps rising along her arms as Tara's hand moved across her body.
Taking a final gulp, the redhead drew the glass away from her mouth, allowing a small trickle of water to escape, dripping onto her shirt. Enjoying the calming gesture, Willow's eyes drifted to Tara's hand and she smiled slyly before catching the blonde's eyes. They stared at one another for what Tara wished could be forever, but only ended up lasting a few seconds.
Unknowingly interrupting their private getaway, Anya continued talking until both girls finally registered her words. "...so how about it?" She finished.
"Huh...w-what?" Tara cleared her throat as the fog disappeared from her mind. She looked back to Willow, but the redhead only shrugged, having not been paying attention either.
Anya frowned as she considered both girls, then it became clearer. "Ooh, you were having one of those moments, weren't you?" Not waiting for an answer, she went on, more animatedly, "Xander and I have moments too...usually after we-."
"So, Anya," Xander nearly shouted, breaking his girlfriend's train of thought. "That food was...great," he virtually choked out the last word. "What was in it?"
"Family secret," her eyes twinkled mischievously. All the possibilities behind Anya's smile had Willow visibly shuddering at the thought. "So, like I was saying," Anya stopped and frowned again, "what was I saying?" She asked her boyfriend.
While Xander scratched his head, raking his brain, Willow took the moment to turn back to Tara. "Are you having-." "Movies!" Xander called out, his sudden volume making the pair jump a little. Tara shared a sympathetic look with her girlfriend as the redhead sighed, looking as if she wanted to scream.
"Movies," Xander repeated, happy with himself. "Watch," he threw in another word, obviously enjoying the way his mind worked, yet the looks he received, quickly dulled his excitement.
Shaking her head at her boyfriend's lack of eloquence, Anya got straight to the point. "Come with us to the video store," though meant as a question, the words came out more forcefully than intended. "Xander has too many late charges, and we want to use your card," she finished.
Willow, though already annoyed with Anya, refused to get into an argument over the way the other woman barked orders at them. Instead, the redhead smiled, offering two simple words. "Say please..." Anya looked at her as she were mad, but nonetheless, grumbled a low, distinct 'please'.
With a teasing smile, Willow deliberately stayed silent, wondering if she should make Anya beg. And from the sly look Tara was sending her, she knew that the blonde was probably reading her mind.
And so began the begging.
Faith continued to lean against the kitchen door, "So how have you been?" She asked, watching as Buffy emptied the dishes into the sink.
The brunette glanced through the window again, seeing the four friends engaged in a conversation. Every now and then she would catch the subtle way in which Tara and Willow looked at each other, or how they always found a way to touch. A part of her, couldn't help but to envy the couple. Envy. It was a strange feeling, but certainly not foreign. She had always longed for that kind of connection. Back in high school, there was never any doubt about her own sexuality. It was an open secret... at least to her. Now, being back in Sunnydale, only made her heart ache even more.
"Good." Buffy's answer broke through Faith's inner turmoil. "I mean, not win-the-lottery good, but it hasn't been bad." She paused, looking up, "what about you?"
"Could be worse," Faith shrugged.
"Well, you look great," Buffy smiled, "I mean, you have all your limbs, so that's always a good sign, right?" She turned toward the girl, oblivious to the hope which quickly faded from Faith's face.
"Yeah," Faith quietly agreed before changing the subject. "So um, I haven't seen your mom around. Is she out, or something?"
"Oh, I forgot you weren't...," the blonde cleared her head, "She got a job offer from some museum in New Orleans after graduation. The pay was good and they had better benefits, so she took it. I stayed so we wouldn't have to sale the house, and then Willow moved in with me. It made things easier, since she was always here anyway."
Faith only nodded, and the room lapsed into silence again. "You're kinda quiet," Buffy smiled, teasingly, "the Faith I knew...couldn't stop flappin' her gums for one second."
"I think you're confusing her, with Anya," Faith joked, earning a nod of agreement from the blonde.
"No, but seriously," Buffy frowned a little, "what's with the non talking... that's not like you. I mean, it must've been exciting... going to all those different places. Heck, the farthest I've gotten out of Sunnydale, was through the Travel Channel."
"It's overrated, believe me," Faith smirked. "You go to one place, get bored... go to another. It's all just-."
"Why didn't you write?" The offhanded question caught the brunette by surprise. Faith searched her mind for an answer, but came up blank. There wasn't any excuse she could use, at least nothing Buffy would ever believe.
Truthfully, the answer was simple. Rejection. A feeling that Faith wasn't prepared to face yet. She knew that if she'd written Buffy, it wouldn't have been just an innocent letter, but a confession. Emotional words that Faith only had the nerve to utter to an unseen face, on a parched sheet of paper. It was safer that way...but for whom?
It was only Xander knocking on the glass window that saved Faith from lying. Buffy signaled for him to wait, and focused back on Faith. "Look, whatever the reason," she paused, "I'm glad that you're back. But don't think for one second that you're getting off that easily. We're gonna talk... really soon, and I want to know everything."
"Scout's honor," Faith promised.
"You weren't a scout."
"No, but I can make one helluva fire." Buffy rolled her eyes at the double meaning.
"C'mon, let's go." She playfully pulled Faith along.
The video rental store was empty, besides the thin, weary looking clerk behind the desk. The six made their way into the store, splitting up as they searched the different genres.
"What do you feel like watching?" Willow asked, skimming through the titles. "Mushy romance, or hack 'em up horror?" She weighed the two boxes in her hands.
"H-Hack them up?" Tara laughed.
"Yeah, all of these movies are the same," she set the boxes back. "Some creepy looking dude chases after some idiot in the woods...whoops, she trips over a pebble, then bam...she's hacked into a million pieces."
"Very entertaining," Tara smiled, lightheartedly. "What about this?" The blonde held the box up for Willow to see.
The redhead squeaked, excitedly. "It's Smegal," she slurred the name, emphasizing the S and E. "Isn't he cute?"
Tara giggled, bunching her nose and bobbing her head as she thought, "Yeah, he's cute in um, an ugly sort of way."
"Precious... my precious," Willow whispered in a low tone as she stepped closer to Tara. Leaving no room for air, she closed the space, pressing her lips to Tara's.
Welcoming the softness, it felt like days since they'd kissed. Lips overlapping, the smacking noise combined with heavy breathing, echoed through the nearly vacant store, only stopping when the girls noticed a couple of heads peeping from around the corner of the video stand.
Blushing, the twosome endured the awe's, and distinguishable snickers from their gathered audience.
"And you wanted to rent porn," Anya snorted, slapping Xander on his chest. Crimson with embarrassment, Willow grabbed the Lord of the Rings DVD, and shuffled off toward the register, a mortified Tara at her side.
"Wait, don't leave, it was just getting good," Buffy teased as she and Faith followed the couple.
"Xander... close your mouth," Anya walked away, leaving the entranced, young man behind.
A short time later, after stopping at the store for snacks, the gang made it back to Buffy's house, crowding the living room as they got comfortable for movie night.
"What's taking them so long?" Buffy whined, growing tired of watching the static on the television screen.
"Do you really wanna know?" Faith smirked when she heard the muffled voices coming from the other room.
Buffy's eyes followed the direction, "In my kitchen?" Her face bunched in horror as she rose from her place on the floor. Willow and Tara seemed oblivious to the situation and continued talking low and giggling to each other every now and then. Faith shook her head at the couple, not bothering to mask the smile on her face.
"Relax B, I'm sure Xander just put it on the wrong setting or something," she gently reached out to stop the blonde. Buffy felt a small tremor in her stomach, but shook it off as hunger as she huffed and sat back down.
Faith's hand had followed her movement and continued to graze against Buffy's skin, only retracting when the blonde gave her a quick sideway glance. Buffy's brows knitted and she blinked several times to clear her thoughts, but said nothing.
Both girls continued staring at the fuzzy screen, lost in their own thoughts. At least until an almost hysterical giggle, brought them both out of their daydreams. The redhead was blushing for head to toe, while Tara tried to hide her face behind her long tresses, clinching her stomach muscles to stop her laughter. The couple was sitting on the far end of the couch, away from the others and had been so deeply engrossed in each other, that they had forgotten that they weren't alone.
Buffy cleared her throat, wanting to know what all the fuss was about. But somehow she already knew, especially when neither girl could hold her gaze long enough, without reddening.
"Crunchy goodness," Xander grinned as he and Anya entered the living room. Carrying one bowl of popcorn, he set the other bowl on the table in front of the girls.
"It's burnt," Willow pouted, observing the blackened kernels.
"It's crunchy," Xander stressed, somewhat sheepishly.
"Burnt," the redhead mumbled, wanting to have the last say. She leaned forward and began picking through the bowl for the lighter pieces.
"Hey, if you don't want it," Anya slapped her hand away, "don't eat it. That's more for me." She moved to grab the bowl and Willow pushed her hand away, just as the other girl had done to her.
"No, it's f-fine," Tara smiled gratefully. Silently, but playfully admonishing Willow, the blonde reached for her partner's hand and began rubbing the area where Anya had slapped it.
"Can we start the next movie now?" Buffy asked. She was suddenly becoming a little skittish, but couldn't figure out why.
"Yeah, put my movie in," Anya excitedly handed the video to Xander.
"Oh no, we're not watching that," Buffy shook her head, looking down at the title. "It took us almost three hours to finish this movie last time."
"So?" Anya shrugged.
"Anya, the actual movie was only an hour and forty five minutes," Buffy explained. She remembered seeing the movie a few weeks ago, as part of Xander's selection for movie-night. But strangely, it was Anya who had rewound back to her favorite part so many times, that the group was left practically wrestling with the blonde for the remote.
Defeated, Anya huffed but didn't argue any further when Buffy put in a different video. Instead, she dug into her grocery bag, pulling a can from the material.
"Where'd you get that?" Willow frowned.
"Uh, I bought it," Anya spoke to the redhead as if she were slow.
"But you're not old enough," her frown deepened slightly.
"They don't know that... besides, what's a few months anyway?" Anya asked, popping the beer can. "I've been twenty-two for three years. If they haven't said anything, why should I?" The store clerk had only glanced at her ID for a brief second, not checking if it was real or not.
Deciding to leave the situation alone, Willow backed down. She turned back to her girlfriend, smiling when she caught something on the blonde's face. Using the tip of her finger, she removed the long, stray eyelash.
"Make a wish."
"I...I think it's already come true," Tara blew the eyelash, sending a tingling sensation across Willow's flesh.
"So do I," the redhead whispered back and pulled Tara more into her body as the opening credits started.
Having heard the conversation, Buffy glanced back at the pair and caught Faith's eye as she was turning back to the television. They were both a little envious, yet only one of them was sure of what she wanted. Turning back to the screen, the room fell silent as the movie started.
The day gradually went by, along with several other movies, and the group found themselves a little sluggish and tired. Xander had already fallen asleep some time ago, and Faith's head lopped back on the sofa as the beginnings of sleep overcame her as well. However, Anya's bloodshot eyes stayed glued to the television. The others had let her put her movie in when they'd finished the other videos and she was determined to watch it, though it wasn't due back for a few days.
Tara stretched as she waited for Willow and Buffy to get back with the extra blankets for everyone. Smiling to herself, she realized that she'd be spending yet another night with Willow. It seemed so long since she'd slept alone, but of course, she wasn't complaining. Snuggling up to the redhead was vastly becoming an addiction for the young woman, and she prayed to never find a cure.
Low moans coming from nearby, shifted the blonde's attention to Faith, whose face twisted in different expressions as she slept. At first, Tara thought Faith was having a nightmare, so she moved to check on the brunette, but froze in her place when the other girls face finally settled with a pleasurable smile. The sleeping figure's lips moved as she whispered and unknowingly Tara repeated the name once it had escaped Faith's mouth. Faith twitched slightly and opened her eyes in time to see Tara bashfully ducking her head.
Embarrassment danced across the blonde's lips as she offered Faith a gentle smile. Faith returned the gesture and ran a hand through her tangled hair, stopping midway.
"Was I…" she whispered more to herself as snippets of her dream came back into her mind. The brunette glanced back at Tara, wondering if she'd spoken in her sleep and if the blonde had heard her if she did.
The lopsided smile hadn't vanished from Tara's face, and though there was nothing secretly vindictive about it, Faith knew that the other woman had heard something. Noticing Faith's sudden humiliation, Tara quickly spoke up as Faith sputtered for an excuse.
"I w-won't s-say anything," she reassured, wondering why Faith seemed so stricken about the subtle admission. Tara, on the other hand, thought it was wonderful. And though she hardly knew either of them that well, she did think that Buffy and Faith would make a great couple if they ever decided to pursue a relationship.
"I gotta go," Faith muttered and got to her feet just as Willow and Buffy returned. "I'll...uh, I'll catch you guys later," she said and quickly headed toward the door.
"You don't have to go, we have enough room," Buffy explained as she held a bundle of blankets in her arms. Faith's decline was barely heard as the brunette hurried out of the house.
The girls stared at each other after Faith's hasty departure. "Okay..." Buffy frowned and dropped the comforters on the floor. "You guys can take whatever you need, I'm going to...," she nodded toward the stairs, her thoughts obviously somewhere else.
"Um okay," Willow shrugged, flashing Tara a confused smile as Buffy headed to her room.
The room fell into an awkward silence until they heard a low clink and saw that Anya's sleepy head had fallen against the television screen. It was common knowledge that the young woman was a poor drinker, and Willow grinned deviously at the display. She had no problem leaving Anya in her current position, after all, it would serve her right to wake up with a crick in her neck.
Unfortunately for the redhead, Tara was too kindhearted to leave the blonde where she was, and had persuaded Willow to help her move the sleeping girl next to her boyfriend. After making sure that everything was how it should be, the couple went to bed as well.
The next day, Willow opened the restaurant and business went on as usual. It was a Sunday, so the schedule was a bit different, but nonetheless, several people had shown up to eat.
The doorbell jingled and in walked Anya. She held up her hand before Willow could speak, "Before you ask, Xander had to go into work, and I got bored," she explained and flopped down at one of the empty tables.
"Would you like something to eat?" Tara asked, taking her notepad from her apron.
"Oh hell no...I like my food still bleeding," she chuckled, noticing some of the customers disgusted faces.
"Anya, if you're going to stay here, please behave yourself," Willow groaned. Anya only smirked and began reading through her magazine.
An elderly couple had followed the blonde into the restaurant and had seated themselves near the window.
"Good afternoon," Tara's voice came out clear as she addressed the couple. "What can I get you?" She smiled sweetly as the older woman caressed her husband's balding head.
"Well, let's see here," the customer eyed the menu, pointing to each item for her husband to see. Nodding in a silent agreement, the elder woman spoke. "My Arnie wants one of your number 5's. Oh, but no bread, just the veggie burger. Things don't go down so well for old Arnie here. He likes to suck on the flavor, don't you honey?" She chuckled as the man began smacking his lips together.
"O-Okay," Tara jotted the special order on her pad.
"Well, why don't you just get him some soup?" Tara found herself joined by Anya.
"But my Arnie wants the number 5," the woman argued and gave Anya a disapproving frown. Tara's wide eyes pleaded for Anya to be quiet, but to no avail.
"Well, your Arnie can barely keep his teeth in his head... how's he gonna eat a burger?" Appalled, the elder woman grabbed her husband's hand.
"A-Anya!" Tara scolded
"What? I'm just looking out for his safety. He could croak right there on the table if he tried to eat that burger," Anya reasoned. A few customers had walked out and Willow dropped her head against the counter, whispering 'oh god' over and over. At this rate, by the end of the day there'll be no one left.
"Fine, whatever...it's your lawsuit," she shrugged and walked off.
"I'm s-so s-sorry," Tara stammered and Willow rushed over to aid her partner.
"We'll get you that number 5... on the house," she bit her lip, hoping that the couple wasn't too upset to decline the free meal. She had half the mind to shove the old woman's oak cane halfway up Anya's...
"As I said, it'll be completely free," she repeated as the woman pondered her words. After murmuring a few words to her husband and suggesting that Anya should be fired, the woman accepted. Thankful that they didn't lose another customer, though they should've, Tara went back to turn in the order.
"Anya, you're like the plague," Willow whispered between clinched teeth. "I swear, if you do anything like that again, I'll ban you from this place."
"But... " Anya stopped when the redhead's eyes narrowed dangerously. "I'll go apologize," she grumbled and scuffled across to the table.
"Are you okay?" Tara gently leaned into her girlfriend. Willow sighed and nodded, and the blonde felt the urge to kiss her frown away, but wasn't sure if the gesture would only drive more customers away. She promised herself to make up for the absent kiss, and lightly squeezed Willow's hand before going to help the people who had just entered.
"So things are going good?" Buffy inquired as she and Willow talked in the kitchen. There was a small window in the door, which allowed her to see if anybody entered the restaurant and since business had slowed a little, she had decided to take a break to chat with her best friend.
"Yeah, I mean, at first I didn't think I could do it, but-," the redhead's smile finished the sentence for her.
"I meant, with Tara." Willow followed Buffy's eyesight and saw her girlfriend talking to one of the seated customers.
"Oh," she blushed, grinning a little. "Yeah, it's great. I know it hasn't really been that long, but if feels like I've known her forever."
"Do you love her?" Buffy asked. Lately, she and Willow hadn't talked much, but she didn't blame her friend for being caught up in something else, especially if that 'something' made her friend happy.
Willow sighed lightly, "How can I say, when I don't even know what love is?" She'd been thinking about that lately. The meaning of love and also what she was starting to feel for Tara.
"Do I want her? God yes, every day!" She looked out the glass as she went on, "Do I look at her and forget to breathe sometimes? Absolutely! Is it love? Big question mark! I mean, I thought I was in love once, but we both know how that turned out." She frowned, thinking about the memory. "I guess it's just too soon to say."
Buffy nodded, "I'm sure you'll know… whenever that time comes?"
"Yeah, I guess," the perplexed look on the redhead's face only deepened as she spoke. "Well geez, now you got me all depressed and stuff," she playfully nudged the cook's ribs to show that she was kidding.
The bell on the door jingled, and Buffy's head shot up to see a customer leaving. Willow watched the emotions play across her friend's face.
"Are you expecting someone?" Willow asked as Buffy went back to cutting the vegetables.
"No, why?" The cook frowned without looking up.
"Just wondering. So have you heard from Faith today?" She watched her friend's reaction.
"Nope," Buffy answered, still looking down though she'd stopped cutting. Scooping the chopped vegetables into a bowl, she busied herself with her next task.
"Buffy, are you okay?" Willow asked, her voice full of nothing but concern.
"Yeah, it's… "Buffy sighed and finally looked up at the redhead. "I've just been thinking a lot lately. Having these… thoughts. But it's nothing, really."
"About what?" Willow pressed, sensing that her friend wanted to say more.
"Stuff, you know, work stuff... life stuff… Faith stuff," she bit her lip a little.
"Wait, so you're not happy that she's back?" Willow asked, trying to understand.
"No, I am." Buffy, admitted. "I just think that maybe I'm a little too happy, that's all."
"I don't get it." Willow said bluntly, frowning at her friend's demeanor and cryptic way of speaking. "So you're 'too happy', that's she's back? Isn't that a good thing?"
"Never mind, I'm being silly," Buffy backpedaled as she turned to fully face Willow, and leaned against the counter on her elbows "I don't know, maybe it's all just in my head or something."
"Buffy, what are you talking?" The redhead gave up trying to figure her friend out.
"I'm talking about me… and Faith," the cook quirked her eyebrows, hoping that Willow would connect the dots, without her having to actually say what she was hinting at.
"You and Faith?" Buffy nodded slowly.
Something in Willow's mind finally clicked and she stared at her friend. "You mean, you…" she continued gawking, dumbfounded. "You and Faith… like Tara and me?" Willow asked, briefly returning to her cave-woman dialect.
Buffy nodded, again.
"Really?" Willow squeaked. "How? Well, not how, but when did this happen?"
"I don't know," Buffy shrugged. "It all kind of came back, when I saw her."
"So you've always felt like this?" Willow asked, somewhat saddened that her friend hadn't mentioned it before now. Though the blonde hardly ever went out with guys, she had always figured that Buffy was straight.
Buffy managed a quick nod, before Willow went on. "Why didn't you ever tell me?" She softly asked.
"When she left, my feelings went with her," Buffy sighed. "I should've told you, but I had always thought it was a phase…until yesterday."
"Well, this is certainly a surprise," the redhead smiled, despite the hurt. "Does she know?" The cook shook her head. "Are you going to tell her?" Another shake. "Why not?"
"Because I'm still trying to figure it out myself," Buffy admitted. Willow didn't press any further, remembering when she had been in the same position.
"She won't hear it from me," she zipped her lips, then frowned and unzipped them. "But you could've told me. However, since you're telling me now and we're such good friends, I guess I can let it go." She rolled her eyes in mock seriousness.
"Thanks," Buffy smiled gratefully, and moved to hug her best friend.
"Hey, hey…watch those hands. I don't want you getting' any ideas, now." Willow grinned playfully as she and Buffy parted.
"C'mon, we better get back to work," the redhead said as she glanced outside.
Everything was how it was the last time she looked. Checking her watch, she saw that only ten minutes had passed since she and Buffy started talking. Willow gave her friend another reassuring smile and joined the others in the front.
"Hey," Tara greeted her girlfriend with a brief rub of her arm against Willow's. She wanted so badly to kiss her partner, but wasn't sure how the others would take their public affection. An idea popped into her mind and she smiled shyly. "You know, there aren't that many people here," she hinted, jerking her head slightly toward the bathroom, "we could...."
All traces of shyness had left the blonde's voice and her eyes brightened with need.
Willow caught on and hummed in approval as she gently squeezed Tara's hand. Both girls hurried off, getting within steps of the bathroom entrance, before they heard the door jingle. Lingering in the hall, the girls looked at each other with defeated frowns. Deciding to make the best of the slightly hidden hallway, Tara sneaked a quick kiss. Well, at least it had started out as subtle, but lasted longer when both girls refused to let go.
A sudden cough made them pull apart. "Someone's here for you, Willow," the smirk on Anya's face was blatant as she pointed toward the front counter.
"Okay," the redhead replied, distantly. She licked her lips, savoring the blonde's taste and ran her thumb along Tara's cheek. "Later." The promise sent a spark of anticipation throughout Tara's entire body.
Hands clasped, the couple made their way back into the main room. Willow's eyes searched the area and after noticing Buffy's worried expression, she saw the reason.
"Hi, Willow," the person smiled and looked from the redhead to Tara, then back again. Willow still hadn't said anything, and Tara felt her girlfriend's hand tense in hers.
"Leah," Willow finally spoke, though it was more of an exasperated whisper.
"Can we talk for a minute?" Leah winced at Willow's tone. "It's important." She glanced at Tara again, seeing their joined hands.
Reluctantly excusing herself, Willow gave her lover's hand a tight squeeze, "I'll be right back," green eyes pleaded for blue to understand.
Nodding, Tara released her hold and both girls walked across the room, automatically falling into a quiet discussion.
Tara frowned, trying not to read anything into her girlfriend's conversation with the other girl. Unknowingly, she spoke aloud, "Who is she?" Tara never saw herself as the jealous type, but something about this girl tweaked her the wrong way.
"Leah. Willow's ex-girlfriend," Anya answered. She was tempted to go more into detail, but for once, she held her tongue. The simplicity of Anya's explanation mixed with Willow's departure from her side, made Tara's heart sink for the first time in days. And if that wasn't enough, the sheer pain from watching the redhead smile and hug her ex-girlfriend, made Tara's heavy heart, crumble.
Tara's lip trembled as she turned her back on the embracing couple. Buffy looked on, somewhat bewildered at her friend's behavior and frowned when she noticed Tara's crestfallen features. Willow and Leah continued talking, both oblivious to the stir of emotions that emitted from the others.
"Why isn't she killing her by now?" Anya asked, confused and eager to see a little bloodshed. She knew the details of Willow's relationship with her ex-girlfriend, at least the bits that she happened to eavesdrop on, but nonetheless she knew enough to be entitled to a little violence. Or so she thought.
"Um, I-I'm g-going to s-see if a-anyone n-needs help," Tara stammered horribly, just wanting to get away as Anya continued raving on about throttling, kicking or something of that sort. Tara had already blocked out all other sounds, except the thud of harsh beats ringing in her eardrums. Her heart pounded fiercely, throat muscles constricting tightly as she fought to keep the tears behind burning eyes.
So this was it. Willow was going to leave her, and all she could do was cowardly turn her back and let it happen.
She inwardly berated herself as the thought leaked into every part of her mind, causing her to fumble with the empty trays in her hands. Regaining some of her composure, she turned to see if anyone had noticed and caught Willow's stare as she did so. As if by instinct, she held Willow's gaze, but dropped it when the redhead smiled at her. She had wanted so badly to smile back, but feared that the movement of her cheeks would only cause her unwanted tears to fall.
A hand on her shoulder made the blonde jump. "We could always club her over the head and drag her out back, if you want." Anya whispered, seriously. It was plain to see that she and Willow weren't exactly the best of friends, but Anya still remembered the bout of depression that the redhead had went through when Leah left.
"Think about it," she encouragingly patted Tara's shoulder, and walked off without waiting for the blonde's response.
Though oddly enticing, Tara shook Anya's suggestion off as a comforting gesture and snuck another glance toward the other side of the restaurant. She reluctantly toned into her surroundings again, and happened to catch a low 'thank you' from Leah's mouth, before turning back to the empty tables.
Tara happened to look up again when Leah walked toward the door, and saw Anya behind the departing woman. With eyes wide in anticipation and a cheeky 'how 'bout it' grin, Anya's eyes darted from Tara to Leah, then back again. Tara bit her lip and quickly waved for the young woman to let it go. However pleasing it might've felt to see Anya in action, it was still callous and Tara didn't want anyone getting hurt on her behalf.
When Leah left, Buffy came up and nudged Willow, but the redhead's eyes were glued to Tara. "Okay, so what was with the smiling and hugging?" Buffy asked. She wasn't expecting anything violent, like Anya, but a happy reunion wasn't exactly on the list either.
"I remember when a certain redhead could barely get out of bed, let alone smile." Buffy continued, finally getting Willow's attention.
"If you can't be friends after, you were never friends before." Willow said, simply. "I mean yeah, it was hard when she left, but with the right amount of time... the hurt lessened. There's still a little anger left, but only when I think about it."
"Why now? Why did she come back?" Buffy pressed.
"She came to apologize," Willow half-listened as she tried to catch blue eyes. But Tara hadn't looked at her since Leah left, and Willow could guess why.
"And that's it?" The cook frowned, incredulously; not believing how calm her friend was about seeing her ex-girlfriend after more than a year.
"Yep, that's it." The redhead shrugged and smiled back at Buffy, "It was time to let go." Her smile shifted to Tara, "And I think I've already found something better."
"Go ahead." Knowing what Willow was thinking of, Buffy nodded and gave her friend a playful push toward her girlfriend.
Using small, almost timid movements, Tara faced Willow when she saw the redhead move closer from the corner of her eye. Nervously, she watched as Willow closed the space and reached out for her hand.
Dewy palms stuck to soft skin, and Willow suddenly felt guilty for what she was sure Tara had been thinking, while she was speaking to Leah.
"Are you okay?" Willow was surprised to hear the words coming from Tara's mouth, rather than her own. The blonde had used every ounce of will to keep from stuttering, believing that it would only add more pity.
"I'm great," the redhead smiled, and then sighed gently when a shadow of sadness crossed Tara's face and her eyes dropped. "Hey," she lifted the blonde's chin with a single finger. She could sense that Tara already knew about Leah, though the short version, it was enough to spark doubt in her girlfriend's mind. And of course, the hugging didn't help.
Tara's fingers smelled of rosemary seeds as she brought the tips to her cheek, before lowering them and pressing the flat palm against her heart. "Nothing's changed." She whispered. But that was wrong, because something had changed.
"I still want to be with you," Willow went on, keeping her voice the same even as people began turning toward their private conversation. She didn't care what they thought, only the beautiful face in front of her mattered.
Tara's eyes lit up, as if the sun had literally twist drops into them. "Y-You...you do?" Like a beacon, Willow's smile caused the blonde's tears to fall. But the droplets never reached Tara's cheek, having been wiped away by Willow's thumb as they reached the surface.
"Are you okay?" Happiness flashed in the redhead's eyes, and mirrored into Tara's.
"Oh yes." Without bashfulness, Tara kissed her partner square on her lips. While rolling the taste on her tongue, like sweet water, the blonde pulled back. But only to allow Willow to breath, not because of the low gasps of disapproval or surprise, which had rung out in the restaurant during their kiss.
Both girls were beyond caring as their hot breaths mingled among the bitterness in the room. Willow was sure she heard Buffy say something to one of the customers, but just as soon as the awareness came, it passed just as quickly.
"She only came to-." Willow started. But the redhead's attempt to explain was quickly forgotten by Tara's slender finger upon her lips.
"Shhh," the blonde silenced her gently. Perhaps it was best that she didn't know the full story, at least not at that precise moment. The only thing that seemed to matter was that Willow had come back to her, though now she wasn't quite sure if she'd ever left.
Hours had passed, along with the different faces, which had occasionally wandered in and out of the restaurant. Xander had come to pick up Anya, and the couple stayed briefly but left a little bit before the ladies closed for the day.
"Hey guys," Buffy held back as Willow and Tara headed toward the car. Shifting a little under both their gazes, she wrung her hands nervously. "I'm going to take a walk." She gave Willow a knowing look and the redhead grinned and nodded.
Sunnydale didn't have a wide selection of hotels but there were a few small ones here and there, a couple of which were along the way back to Buffy's house. It wouldn't hurt to look... just out of curiosity.
Tara gave Buffy a questioning glance as she walked on, but smiled and followed her partner to the car.
The atmosphere at Tara's apartment hadn't changed since the girls arrived a little less than an hour ago.
Simply enjoying each other's company, the couple snuggled together in the back bedroom, watching television. Willow was glancing at Tara, though the redhead kept her finger on the remote as she flipped through the channels. So entranced in the view, she didn't notice what program the TV had stopped on, until Tara's eyebrow quirked and she turned toward her. Finally dragging her eyes to the screen, Willow coughed and fumbled with the remote, as Tara looked on amused.
"Sorry," Willow laughed nervously and pressed the off button. A side lamp was lit, but the bedroom curtains were closed, leaving the room in a dim glow. Shadows on the wall grew closer as the redhead leaned in, placing an almost chaste kiss on Tara's lips.
The sexual tension grew, but Willow's kisses started to feel a bit rushed to Tara. Automatically confusing them for sympathy, as if the redhead were still trying to make up for Leah's appearance, Tara pulled back.
"You don't have to prove anything to me." The blonde said quietly.
Willow frowned at the lack of Tara's lips against hers, but smiled when she realized what Tara must've been thinking. Lifting a hand up to the blonde's cheek, she ran her thumb over an ear before gently bringing Tara's face less than an inch from hers.
"I know." The conviction in Willow's voice made the blonde's breath catch slightly. All doubt had melted away into a shallow pool in the center of her body, and Tara reached over, flipping the light switch.
Candles cast a rosy glow over Willow's ivory skin, as she floated in the aftermath of her orgasm. Tara had gone to the kitchen and returned with a cup of water for the spent redhead, the whole time, with a smug grin plastered on her face. Relighting a candle, which had went out, the blonde climbed back into bed beside her lover. Tara had thoroughly worshiped her girlfriend, but the tingling in her body had yet to be satisfied.
Willow licked her dry lips as Tara's body pressed into her side. The water forgotten, Willow's own body reawakened when the blonde's taut nipple grazed against her breast. Tara was laying on her side and shifted a little to get a better angle on Willow's hip. Twisting a lock of red hair between her fingers, she rotated her center against the small curve. The movement sent a gasp through her lips and into Willow's mouth as they kissed.
The redhead also shifted, but only enough so that her hipbone jutted more firmly into Tara's center. Spreading wider to accommodate Willow's body, Tara lifted her left leg over her lover's thighs, letting her bent knee rub against fiery curls. The scent of sex filled the room as their grinding became more urgent. Tara's eyes turned smoky with desire as she slid herself up and down Willow's body. The pearl between her labia throbbed helplessly as she rotated her hips harder, throwing her head to the side while Willow trailed her tongue along her collarbone.
She captured one of Willow's breasts in her hand, holding the nipple between two fingers and squeezing as Willow sucked on her pulse-point. The pressure was sure to leave a small mark, but it also sent a shock through Tara's body, causing her already moist center to flood Willow's skin with more of her honey.
Yearning for more contact, Willow nudged Tara's legs further apart and dragged her fingernails over the blonde's inner thigh until it rested at the bottom of her folds. Tara inhaled loudly, her leg jumping slightly when Willow touched the sensitive flesh.
"How's that?" The redhead asked as she slipped a single finger up and between the silky folds.
Tara's response was more of a grunt, but Willow continued her slow actions. The rubbing became a little harder when another finger was added. Soapy cream rose to the velvet surface, bubbling up as Tara's body tightened around the probing fingers. Bringing her lips back to Tara's, Willow sucked lightly on the full bottom lip before grazing her front teeth over the surface.
"I want to," Willow reddened and nodded toward Tara's lap. The need to taste the blonde was making Willow shake a little, and she felt as if she would burst if she didn't satisfy her thirst soon.
The hunger in Willow's eyes sent a trail of liquid down Tara's thighs and she moved flat onto her back. "Okay." She whispered, getting more excited by the minute. They had yet to do this for each other, but Tara couldn't wait to return the favor. She could already feel Willow's honey sizzling against her taste buds, while the redhead began crawling between her legs.
Gazing down, she smiled at the brightness of Willow's face as she positioned herself. Whatever anyone may say or think about Tara's shyness, it was Willow who blushed in the bedroom.
Feeling the hot breath tickle her short blonde hairs, Tara twitched and balled the sheet within her hand. Willow hadn't even touched her, and already she felt the fluttering sensation in her tummy, begging for release.
Tara's scent swam up through Willow's nostrils, sending a chill all the way to her toes. Deciding that she'd waited long enough, the redhead looked up and caught the blissful expression on Tara's face as she lowered her mouth. Dividing the folds, she tightened her tongue and licked up with a long, single stroke, gathering Tara's fluid with the tip. Rolling her tongue back into her mouth for her first taste, Willow groaned at the sweetness.
The mattress groaned with her when Tara's hips suddenly jerked up from the bed. Panting, the blonde reached for one of Willow's hands, grasping the fingers tightly as she jumped again. The other hand went to her own breast, squeezing with each of Willow's broad strokes. Tara shuddered and shut her eyes when she felt Willow twist her tongue down the slick tunnel, then pull out to retrace the contours of her entrance.
Hearing Tara murmur words of approval and sensing that the blonde was near, Willow redoubled her efforts. Raising her sights, she found the swollen pink nub and felt it pulsate against her tongue when she swiped along the bottom, before pulling it back to twirl around the center. Trapping the flesh between her lips, she took a deep breath and sucked fiercely.
Signaling her breaking point, Tara bucked wildly on the bed and had to release Willow's hand to clutch the sheet roughly, so the pressure wouldn't hurt the redhead's fingers. A flood of liquid gushed out into Willow's waiting mouth and she lapped deeply, saving every drop. When Tara's thrashing had stopped and the last waves had subsided, Willow crawled up to lay next to her lover.
Noticing as Tara's eyes glistened with tears, Willow whispered softly and gathered the trembling woman into her arms. The blonde laid still, her eyes drooping as she fought the tiredness that had suddenly overcame her.
"Sleep," Willow whispered, having noticed when Tara tried to stifle her yawn. Tara protested, trying to sit up, but hadn't realized how jelly-like her body had become.
"But-." Tara tried to sit up again, but gave up and dropped her head back onto the pillow.
"Rest," Willow gently urged and kissed her partner on the forehead. Nodding, Tara kissed the redhead's lips, tasting the residue from Willow's intimate touch, and finally closed her eyes. It wasn't late, and Willow knew that Tara would probably wake sometime in the night. And she also knew that she'd be right there waiting for her.
"Are you okay?" Buffy asked. She had been watching Tara for the past ten minutes, and not once had the blonde flinched as she leaned on the counter with a dreamy haze covering her eyes.
"Mmm, yes." The dazed waiter responded. She smiled, turning her head slightly but not directly looking at Buffy, and the cook could sense that the sexy, almost secretive grin wasn't aimed at her. She shrugged, looked once more at Tara's reddening cheeks, and left her to her daydreaming.
Tara hardly noticed Buffy leave as memories flashed in her mind. Like pressing rewind on a video tape, the blonde played back to her previous thoughts.
Tara had woken early before dawn, to find Willow slumbering beside her. Carefully, as not to wake the redhead, Tara inspected her partner and gently leaned over to gaze at Willow's peaceful face. The sleeping figure was whispering lightly in her sleep, and Tara moved in more, trying to catch what Willow was saying. Unable to make out Willow's soft mumbles, Tara gave up and shifted her focus to the body pressed against her.
Willow had been so sweet and gentle during the previous hours and Tara couldn't help but to feel a little guilty for falling asleep so early. Wanting to make amends, an idea popped into the blonde's head and she smiled wickedly before pulling back the blanket that covered both their bodies. Taking a moment to simply admire Willow, she rested her head against the redhead's chest and smiled when she heard the soft thumps. Synchronizing herself with Willow's breathing, she placed kisses along the smooth skin every time the redhead inhaled.
Moving lower, she looked up when she reached the slope of Willow's breast. Glad that her girlfriend remained sleeping, Tara pressed her lips to the blunt nipple, hoping to awaken it. Adding the tip of her tongue, she smiled when the pink flesh obliged and stiffened to meet her lips. Glancing upward again, Tara frowned this time, having hoped that Willow would've woken by now. But only the redhead's closed lids met her gaze and she redoubled her efforts and moved to Willow's other breast, trying the same technique.
Kissing down the valley, she stopped at the navel and sucked lightly on the patch of skin above it. This time Willow did react, but not the way Tara had wanted.
"Stop that," Willow chastised sleepily and lifted her hand into the air, swinging within inches of Tara's head as she giggled softly. Tara froze and watched the redhead with a disappointed frown, not believing how Willow could still be asleep. Crawling up the bed, she hovered over her girlfriend, trying to catch any sign to show that Willow was actually awake, but found nothing.
Coming face to face with her partner, Tara's moist center brushed lightly against Willow's stomach.
"Slippery frogs on the tree," the redhead snorted and laughed again. Getting slightly frustrated, and a little turned on from Willow's skin against hers, Tara held back the urge to shake her girlfriend into wakefulness.
Chewing on her lip, the blonde searched her brain for a different approach and settled on something a little more suitable.
"Will-ow." She whispered close enough, so that her breath blew Willow's eyelashes. Still, there was no response.
"Willow." She brushed the redhead's cheek with a crooked finger.
"Psst, hey you." By some miracle, she finally got through. Willow slowly blinked up at her.
"Hi," Tara grinned innocently, "were you asleep?" Willow continued staring and Tara nervously shifted her weight above the prone body.
"God, you're beautiful," Willow finally spoke, though it was more of a groggy whisper. The blonde turned crimson, but accepted the compliment with a kiss.
"I didn't mean to wake you." Liar. "You just looked like you were having a bad dream." Hey, there's some truth in that. She hates frogs.
"Mmhmm," Willow barely paid attention, for she was mesmerized by something else. Her hands cupped Tara's breasts and began to gently squeeze.
Tara's body responded immediately to the touch. Stop that. You woke her up so you could... So you...could... "Yes," she moaned when Willow rubbed her thumbs over the nipples.
Okay, okay. Focus. The blonde told herself and reluctantly took Willow's hands from her chest and laced their fingers together. Willow groaned at the loss of contact, but forgot her protests when Tara leaned down to kiss her own breast. Retracing the steps she'd done while Willow was sleep, Tara released the redhead's hand and had to move down lower to escape Willow's nimble fingers. Or else she would never reach her goal.
The blonde dipped her tongue into the smooth navel and was rewarded with a soft sigh from above. She wiggled her tongue from side to side a few times before licking lower until she reached the mound of red curls. Having been dreaming about this all night, Tara stopped and simply stared. At least until the wiggling of Willow's hips, told her to get to it.
It was clear that Willow was as wet and ready as she was, and didn't need any further buffering, but still Tara held back a little. Teasing the soft hair with her nose, Tara added a finger to the mix and used her blunt nail to circle the crease of Willow's center. Using the same finger, she tickled the pink button and used her other hand to spread the glistening labia as her fingertip continued working Willow into a frenzy.
Above, the redhead silently begged for Tara's tongue and she squeaked in approval when she finally got it. Like a soft tornado, the slender muscle twisted around her clit, back and forth until Willow thought she would scream. Using both her thumbs, Tara spread the lips wider, getting a clear view of Willow's entrance and drove her tongue in as far as it could go.
The new sensation had the redhead squeezing Tara's body tightly with her calves. And finding the pain a little pleasurable, the blonde plunged deeper and sucked as the sweetness stuck to her taste buds. The blonde pulled out and took a moment to catch her breath before maneuvering back in. Only this time, instead of keeping her tongue tight, she flattened it a little and began curling it as if she were making waves. Willow gasped, digging her feet into Tara's ribs and bucked up as the blonde's tongue continued flexing within her.
Breathing deeply through her nose, Tara let Willow set the rhythm and moved her thumb rapidly over the redhead's swollen clit. The headboard banged against the wall as Willow hissed and thrashed on the bed, signaling her powerful release. But it didn't stop there. Tara lapped greedily as the nectar rose to the surface and after she had drunk most of it, she slipped two fingers into Willow's twitching core, prolonging the redhead's orgasm.
Willow pressed down, riding Tara's hand until she came twice more and was too exhausted to continue.
"No, more," Willow panted, "I can't...," she finished her sentence with a groan as she watched Tara licking her fingers clean. The blonde was unbelievably turned on and had to stop her hand from snaking down between her thighs, knowing that just one swipe could send her over the edge.
Willow noticed Tara's wandering hands and felt inclined to help her out. "Come up here," she said, still catching her breath. Though her limbs were like jelly, other parts of her body still functioned.
Tara quirked her eyebrow questioningly, but straddled the redhead's hips.
"Higher," Willow gave her girlfriend a knowing look and Tara shivered but complied.
"Are you sure?" The blonde asked, her voice full of concern though her body told her to be quiet. When Willow nodded, she shuffled up and stopped when she hovered over the redhead's waiting mouth.
Finding a little strength in her arms, Willow pulled Tara down by her hips and began collecting the straying rivers of honey. Drowning her chin in the sweet stickiness, the redhead motioned for Tara to move her hips and gently ride her probing tongue. The blonde lurched forward against the headboard and held on tightly while Willow's fingers left half-moon imprints on her soft hips.
Shuddering each time Willow's nose brushed against her sensitive nerves, Tara's breast bounced frantically as she ground hard against her lover's mouth. The blonde's legs began to shake violently as she struggled to hold on, but it was hopeless. Her words went from whimpers, to shrieks, to being speechless as a thunderous orgasm ripped through her entire body.
Willow wiped her face and smiled when Tara's sweaty body slid down, like a puddle, next to her. Sharing kisses, they cuddled and slept for the rest of the night.
Tara blinked, clearing her throat while she toned back into the conversations around her.
"How do I tell her?" Willow and Buffy were chatting near the kitchen door. Business was slow, and those who were there had already been helped, so the girls decided to take a little break.
As usual, Anya was present, having begged to stay when the restaurant opened hours ago. She had promised to be 'good' and whined about being left alone all the time by Xander, while the young man worked. But when asked why she wasn't out trying to find a job of her own, the blonde scoffed and waved her hand, dismissing the question.
"Just tell her how you feel," Willow shrugged and smiled over at Tara before turning back to her best friend. "Or...you could always try Anya's stalking approach."
The eavesdropping blonde huffed, "For the last time, it was not stalking... it was observing. There is a difference," Anya rolled her eyes, remembering how she met Xander.
"So Buffy has a thing for Faith? Why am I not surprised?" she snorted and quickly shut up when Willow's eyes narrowed. "I was being good," she muttered while walking off.
"But what if she thinks I'm crazy or... or she doesn't feel the same way that I do?" Buffy shook her head, "I don't know. Maybe I'll just spill everything when I see her... Ooh, I could write a letter." She frowned, gnawing on her fingernail, "No, that's too childish." The cook would've continued rambling to herself, but Willow cut in.
"Well, uh," the redhead chuckled nervously and looked over Buffy's shoulder, "you better think of something quick, because she's on her way in here."
Buffy flashed her 'deer in the headlights' face as she pondered on whether to stay or go. Her back was to the door, so she wasn't sure if Faith had already seen her.
"How far?" She asked.
"Buffy-." Willow began but was interrupted by her friend.
"I'm not ready. What am I going to say?" The cook spoke more to herself, and then turned back to Willow. Her panic filled eyes darted from the redhead to the kitchen door and without another word, she rushed back behind the door.
"Buffy, how do you think it's gonna look, if you keep avoiding her?" Willow reasoned. She knew that the blonde was still within earshot and probably had her ear glued to the door.
"Please Will, I just...just give me some time, okay?" Buffy whispered back from the other side.
"Hi F-Faith." Tara smiled when the bell jingled and the brunette entered. Anya raised a hand, showing a brief acknowledgment of the new arrival, and went back to her book. The same book she had been pretending to read during Willow and Buffy's discussion.
"What's up, Tara. Hey guys," Faith greeted the others.
"How did you know we'd be here?" Willow asked when Faith took a seat at the barstool in front of the counter.
"I didn't." She shrugged. "I wanted to see what all the buzz was about, so I stopped by."
"Buzz? There's buzz?" Willow lit up, excited that word was spreading about the restaurant.
"Some." Faith chuckled. "Should've known it'd be you two." She mused.
"W-What do you mean?" Tara asked, while gently grasping her partner's hand and smiling when Willow responded.
"Supposedly, this place is all around, girl-lovin' central, at least, so I've heard. Oh, and they say the food's good too," she winked playfully at the couple. The brunette had heard several rumors from the other tenants in her apartment, about the little veggie shop on the corner of Main.
"Oh," Willow blushed as her excitement deflated a little.
"Right, 'cause how many lesbians could there be in Sunnydale?" She shifted nervously. Faith looked thoughtful. Anya snickered.
"I didn't even know you two worked here," Faith admitted, and began picking at the sleeve to her jacket.
"Yep, we all work here... except Anya. Buffy's in the back doi-…" There was a muffled crash in the kitchen.
Willow and Tara cringed. Faith froze. Anya flipped to the next page.
"Really?" The question came out as more of a squeak. Okay, just act natural. Don't freak out, and bolt again. Faith told herself. She cleared her throat, "What's she doing back there?" She tilted to the side as subtle as she could and tried to peek into the small window.
"Oh, you know," Willow motioned with her hands, "cooking... doing inventory," trying to pry the backdoor open or stuff herself in the cabinets, "the usual."
"Maybe you should go see if she needs a hand," Anya smirked, knowingly, "or maybe a couple of fingers. That should do the trick. What do you think Tara?" She asked in mock innocence. The blonde was caught off guard and blushed fiercely while stumbling for a response.
"Um, o-o, uh," she opened and closed her mouth several times as all eyes turned to her, "I'm s-sure she's f-fine." Tara's eyes pleaded for them to accept her answer, and for Anya not to further elaborate what she was hinting at.
The young blonde sighed in relief when Faith chose the moment to stand up and take the focus from her. For the past few days, the brunette's mind had been going over every word she'd say to Buffy when she saw her again. And though she felt the familiar prickles of doubt, Faith knew that if she didn't speak up soon, she would back out all together.
"Well, I've sort of been meaning to tell her something." She fidgeted and shot a quick glance toward Tara, "So I'm just gonna go check it out. Make sure everything's cool." Forcing a positive smile, Faith pushed the door back and disappeared into the kitchen.
"Sure," Anya stressed the word and wiggled her eyebrows at the remaining couple. The grin on her face was actually starting to hurt a bit. "Hehe, I'm absolutely tickled," she laughed, and then noticed both looks of disapproval and annoyance from Tara and Willow. "What? Why are you looking at me like that?"
"That was s-so mean," Tara frowned, referring more to the way Anya had shone the unwanted spotlight on her earlier.
"Why do you always do that?" Willow asked.
"Do what?" Anya tried to look genuinely confused.
"Speak so...blah," the redhead frowned, searching for a better word, "so-."
"Blunt," Tara offered as her eyebrow quirked slightly.
"Yes!" Willow smiled, not sure why her mind hadn't been capable of putting together the five-letter word. "There is a such thing as self-censorship, you know, being tactful."
Anya didn't answer, but merely curled her lip at the thought.
"I don't know why you're upset. All I did was gave them a little push," she rolled her eyes in self-defense, "you just wait, they'll be quoting Sanyo, any day now." She smirked.
"Um, that's Sappho," Tara blushed as she corrected the other woman. Anya gave the blonde her best 'that's what I said' expression and went back to her book. Willow shook her head, then smiled reassuringly toward her girlfriend and tried not to think about what Buffy would do to her as soon as Faith left.
The chef had heard the majority of the conversation outside, and after several unsuccessful attempts to hide herself; she relented and decided to face the music. Without a clue as to what she planned to say, if anything, Buffy plastered a calm smile to her face and waited for the inevitable.
With damp palms, she had begun chopping various items of food, trying to mask her nervousness. Yet it was kind of funny how the blonde kept imagining Anya's face, especially on the cabbage, which she was presently shredding into bits.
"Hey." Buffy's grip briefly slipped when she heard the soft, unmistakable voice. Not sure if she mumbled a response, the cook turned and gave the newcomer a smile.
"So how's it going?" Faith asked, remembering to breathe.
"It's going." Buffy shrugged and finally turned to face the dark haired woman.
"I, uh, just stopped in to see if you needed some help..." Faith shrugged and casually took in the appearance of the kitchen, before focusing back on Buffy, "or anything."
"No, I'm good," Buffy nodded, than Faith nodded. And both girls' heads continued bobbing a little as the silence swept over the room.
"So where've you been, lately?" The cook broke the silence, hoping to sound as non-prying as possible. "I haven't seen you around in awhile." Okay, two days.
"Yeah." A flash of guilt crossed Faith's face, but she quickly hid it. "I've just been getting settled into the new place. And, you know, taking in the sights... seein' if anything's changed."
"Oh... well... the city added new parking meters," Buffy shrugged, speaking as if it was the only significant event to recently happen in Sunnydale. "Uh, oh and Jimmy's closed down a few months ago."
"Really? Damn, I knew something was missing," Faith's eyes grew in surprise.
Jimmy's had been the local, daytime hangout spot for everyone back in high school. The little ice cream parlor gained a lot of recognition; mainly because of the free cones the owner usually gave away.
"Man, I've been craving some strawberry cheesecake ice cream all week," she sighed, disappointedly.
Buffy's eyes visibly glazed over for a second, "That was the best," she spoke distantly, still caught in her dreamy state. Shaking her head, and making a mental note to stop at the store on the way home, the blonde drifted back to reality.
"We've yet to give out free food here, I guess it's because nobody ever comes in asking." As if she suddenly realized that she was the only cook, Buffy frowned, "Should I be offended?"
Faith only smiled, not quite sure if Buffy was serious. But from the other woman's thoughtful frown, she knew that the blonde was actually wondering if she should take offense or not.
The kitchen's atmosphere had lightened up a bit as they reminisced about the "good old days."
"Buf-."
"Fai-."
They both started at the same time.
"Go ahead," Buffy smiled. Both girls were completely unaware that they'd been thinking the same thing. Now or never.
"Okay," the brunette took a solid breath, stilling her nerves. "Okay... so I'm just going to say this and you can scream or throw tomatoes when I'm finished okay?" Buffy opened her mouth to agree, but Faith went on, "Wait," she held up hand, "just let me say this."
Oh god, she's breaking up with me. Pretty farfetched, seeing how you aren't even dating. The neurotic blonde mentally kicked herself. Okay, so-. The inner conversation continued as Faith spoke.
Countless hours of thinking had boiled down to a few simple words as Faith stared across the room. "I'm in love with you," she rushed the words out as quickly as possible, for fear of swallowing them.
She's- the mental battle came to a halt, "What?" Buffy snapped out of her reverie.
"I love you." She said it, and waited.
Buffy trembled, still trying to grasp the full extent of those three words. "You... me?"
"I know I should've said something earlier, but-." Faith's voice seemed small as it trailed off, and she watched Buffy step forward. Bracing herself for the impact of the blonde's palm, Faith fought the urge to move away.
But the smack never came. Instead, Buffy had moved closer and was now staring, unbelieving, into brown eyes. The proximity proved unbearable for Faith as she battled with yet another urge.
If she's going to hate me, I might as well give her a reason. She thought and stepped within inches of the other girl.
"I shouldn't be doing this." The private thought broke through and Faith was unaware that she had spoken out loud as her mouth boldly drew closer. But the real shock came when the blonde, oh so subtly, licked her dry lips.
"Yes... yes you should," Buffy broke past the final inch. The final barrier. She kissed Faith earnestly, relieved that her lips rubbed against skin rather than air.
Needless to say, Faith was a bit taken back by the gesture, but quickly melted into the soft embrace of the blonde's body.
Willow's breath fogged up the small window in the kitchen door as she grinned at the display. Don't get it wrong. She was hardly much of a voyeur, but the thought of Buffy finally finding someone, made the redhead's heart swell. It nearly exploded when she half-turned and caught Tara's scent before warm arms wrapped around her waist from behind.
"Looks like everything worked out," Tara smiled, speaking without a trace of her stutter.
"Mmhmm," Willow snuggled deeper into the blonde.
"Hey people." The closeness of the greeting, caused the girls to jump in surprise.
"Xander!" Anya yelled, excitedly, her boredom quickly fading. She really needed to find another place to lounge. And if she got her wish, she could get paid at the same time. The wheels in her head began to rotate. She'd definitely have to go back to that thought, but for now, Anya had other things on her mind.
The young woman had been getting a bit envious from watching and hearing about other people's love-lives, and wanted nothing more than to...
"Let's go home and have sex." Thankfully the place was virtually empty, and those who were still around, either didn't hear or didn't care about what was going on around them.
"Well, my day was great, honey. How was yours?" The humor was evident as Xander grinned. He had automatically cringed at his girlfriend's forwardness, but had long ago learned to expect it.
"It isn't fair," Anya huffed, completely veering into another topic. "Those two have been making goo-goo eyes at each other all day," she pointed at Willow and Tara. "And Buffy and Faith are out back getting their jollies off." She ignored the young man's surprise, "And dammit, I want my Xander." The mini tantrum caught the group off-guard. Anya even had the gall to stomp her foot.
The trio stared at the annoyed woman.
"Calm down, Sugar-muffin," Xander put his hands up cautiously, but Anya growled and rolled her eyes at the pet name. "Snuggle-bunny?" He tried again, and knew he failed when Anya's eyes grew wide with horror.
"Bunnies?" Anya looked around, slightly delusional. "Evil bunnies... they chew on everything," she rambled, "Mama bought me some slippers." The group didn't know what to make of Anya's behavior, so they remained silent. "They were so cute... oh... with the tiny, tiny bows and butterflies and-." Her mood shifted, "Then they got to them." She finished fiercely and grew silent before gazing at nothing in particular.
No one said a thing, not even Buffy or Faith who were now peeking from the open door. Xander chuckled nervously, "Okay," he clapped his hands together, "guess it's time for us to go."
Stating the obvious, he ushered his quiet, frustrated girlfriend toward the door. Anya twitched and allowed the young man to guide her. Xander looked back and shrugged apologetically before leaving the two bewildered couples behind.
"Um..." was all Tara could muster at first.
"Okay, what the hell just happened?" Buffy frowned. With her hand carefully placed in Faith's, they joined Willow and Tara near the register.
"Anya's finally lost her cookies," Willow quipped, staring as the car drove off.
"A-As we've just witnessed," Tara still looked a little confused. "H-How? Why?" Everyone shrugged, not sure how to explain the young woman's actions.
"We're actually surprised by this?" Willow snorted. "It was bound to happen, I knew this day would come," there was a hint of glee, "She's wacko, nuts, loony, cracked out, bonkers-…"
"Uh, Will. We get it." Buffy stopped her best friend, knowing that Willow would continue if she didn't.
"Right." The redhead blushed at her behavior and smiled sheepishly.
"Well, one thing's for certain," Faith smirked, thinking of how frustrated Anya had seemed, "that girl obviously doesn't believe in self-gratification." She winked at Buffy.
(Note: The song lyrics are from Euphoria (Firefly) by Delerium)
"Hey Willow, you might want to get your deposit back from the psych-ward," Buffy said as she joined the others in cleaning up for the night. "Anya's going to be fine." She had just finished calling Xander for any information on his girlfriend's condition. "He didn't say what was wrong with her. And all I could hear was someone moaning, 'Captain Hard-hat', in the background, and then the line went dead."
The blonde chef stopped and thought about what she'd just said, before a look of horror crossed her features. The same look mirrored on Tara and Willow's faces, but the redhead added a visible shudder.
"Why don't you like Anya?" Tara broached the subject as they continued cleaning, "I m-mean, besides her lack of tact." Her fingers brushed across the broomstick in Willow's hand while the manager swept the floor.
"Do I have to give just one reason?" Willow muttered, her eyebrows drew up in concentration as she collected the fallen crumbs from the ground.
"Oh, s-she isn't that bad," Tara smiled, remembering Anya's tempting proposal when Leah had been in town. When Willow raised an 'are you kidding me' eyebrow at her, a wild idea suddenly popped into Tara's mind.
"We should all go out sometime." She was a little surprised that she was suggesting any sort of social gathering, especially since it was the very thing she often steered clear of in high school. "T-Tomorrow night?"
Willow had stopped sweeping and stared incredulously from Buffy's agreeing nod, to her partner's gentle eyes.
"I'd rather parade around four dozen people, singing the Flashdance theme song, in my underwear." The redhead said, somewhat serious.
"It was the only song I knew." Buffy whined, her face scrunching into a childish frown as she protested. "And anyway, that might actually be fun," she backtracked. "I mean, the going out part." She rid her mind of the old flashback from elementary school, and changed back to the subject.
Faith had left awhile ago, having remembered that she had a few errands to run, and Buffy couldn't wait to see the brunette again. A public place wasn't exactly what she was presently fishing for, but being with the other woman in public... as a couple, was equally pleasing. She frowned. At least she hoped that they were officially a couple now, especially after their kitchen smoochies.
Tara playfully nudged her girlfriend, waiting for the redhead's answer. Willow bit her lip and looked into the clear eyes before her. It was going to be torture. Pure torture. But one glance into Tara's penetrating blue orbs, and Willow was lost.
"Okay, but just this one night." She softened under Tara's gaze. Buffy shook her head at her smitten best friend, and smiled to herself. At the response, Tara's face lit up and she placed a soft, satisfying kiss against Willow's cheek before getting back to work.
The next night came rather quickly, much to Willow's disappointment. The day had gone well enough. Customers came and went, some of which Willow noticed to be regulars, and others as first timers. Either way, business was great, so why was the redhead so frustrated as she fumbled with her wraparound skirt.
"Okay, so first you wrap, then you clip." Buffy's head poked in from the hallway to Willow's room. The sighs and muttered words coming from the room had caught Buffy's attention, so she went to see what the problem was.
The blonde watched, amused, as her best friend once again tried to fasten the skirt. But the light material Willow was fussing with, looked more like the toga from hell rather than a simple skirt.
"Screw it, I'm wearing slacks," the redhead finally balled the skirt up and threw it back into the closet before grabbing the caramel colored slacks. She donned the suede material with a cream turtleneck and a pair of brown boots.
"Aww," Buffy chuckled. "Listen, Willow, I know you're not too big on this whole dinner thing, but it'll only be for a few hours. And Tara will be there." She knew she had her roommate's attention now.
After a Tara-less evening the previous night, the redhead felt as if she were having withdrawal symptoms. The couple had chosen to spend the night apart, to give each other a little breathing room, though it was something neither girl really wanted. Except that lately, Willow had been feeling a little guilty for neglecting her best friend time with Buffy. It had been awhile since they had their usual 'best friends' day', so they decided to plan for something later in the week.
However, just because Willow couldn't physically see her lover, doesn't mean the two didn't find other ways to be together. The redhead blushed as she remembered waking up with the phone practically glued to her face. A result of too much drool the night before.
Buffy playfully rolled her eyes, having some clue as to what caused her friend to blush so deep. Earlier in the morning, the only greeting she had for Willow had been, "thin walls," before she grouchily dragged herself to the bathroom.
"So are you ready now?" Buffy glanced at her watch while Willow combed her hair back into a ponytail. Knowing that she'd see Faith, the cook rummaged through her closet and had picked the most revealing outfit she could find. Which really wasn't that hard to do.
"Yeah," Willow nodded, checking herself over again. Satisfied with what she saw, the two headed out.
And I have loved
And I have served
And I have sinned
But I have learned
As long as you are true
To the life that you live
This is the time to feel love
Love. Tara couldn't stop smiling as she stood in front of her bedroom mirror while the song flowed through the speakers. Did she love Willow? Or was it too soon to be thinking about that? A small part of her mind questioned the growing feeling in her heart. Well, you didn't exactly wait a whole millisecond before jumping in the sack, Tara. The other part of herself countered, causing the blonde to redden.
I feel a stirring deep within
Slowly picking up momentum
Like a tide coming in to shore
Over and under in its course
This feeling emblazed inside
Singing along as she put her earrings on, the blonde felt her stomach flutter from memories of that night, and every night which followed.
Every nerve like a firefly
Hovering above me
Glow, Glow
Glowing divine
Every nerve like a firefly
Arms wrapped around her waist as she swayed to the music. Soft lips nuzzled her neck, moving slowly up and around, inspired by the cadence of the song. No words were spoken as Willow pressed into her partner from behind, her breast gently forming into Tara's back. The blonde's breath hitched as she felt the redhead's moist tongue tracing along her jaw-line. Blunt teeth decorated her earlobes with light bites and wet licks. Trembling, Tara could feel long eyelashes tickle her cheekbones, sending waves of pleasure to her core.
Every nerve like a firefly
This feeling emblazed inside
Every nerve like a firefly
I never want to lose
What I have finally found
"Willow." Tara turned, her mouth yearning to taste... air? The spell was broken. Her lover's arms disappeared into a spiral of clouds. The blonde looked around, dizzy and confused, until a car horn sounded again, reminding her of where she was.
There's a requiem
A new congregation
And it's telling me
Regaining some of her composure, she checked herself over a final time.
Go forward and walk
Under a brighter sky
Tara waved and smiled down to the car in the parking lot before grabbing her keys.
Every nerve, glowing like a firefly
Glow, Glow, Divine
Glow, Glow, Divine
Every nerve like a firefly, glowing
Every nerve like a firefly, glow
Glow
She shut the door, remembering to leave the light on.
The group of six packed into the circular table just beyond the main entrance of the crowded restaurant.
"Hi, my name is Rosalyn, and I'll be your waiter for the night." The waiter greeted the group with menus' and beverages. The young woman was attractive, with dark red hair and bluish gray eyes. They all smiled at the newcomer, but some of the smiles lingered a little too long.
Mistaking Faith's appreciative glance toward the waiter as flirting, Buffy frowned and looked down at the outfit she had chosen for the night. She had noticed the brunette's slack-jaw expression upon meeting her outside the restaurant, but now it seemed that the effects were wearing off.
"I had fun last night," Tara whispered next to Willow's ear, her finger unconsciously drew circles on the redhead's thigh. Willow stiffened, too caught in the movement to respond.
"What happened last night?" Eavesdropping Anya curiously inquired. She was sitting on Tara's other side, and with a bit of straining, happened to hear what the blonde said.
Tara eyes' grew wide and her hand sprung back onto her own lap. Willow smiled, wondering if she should actually tell Anya the truth.
Well Anya, last night, Tara brought me to an earthshattering orgasm that was so good, that the entire phone company needed a smoke. Deciding against the truth, Willow played coyly and allowed a secret smile to play across her lips.
"Nothing. W-We, um..." Tara bit her lip in embarrassment.
"You had sex." Anya loudly concluded, knowing the obvious signs all too well.
"They weren't even together last night." Buffy rolled her eyes before shyly glancing at Faith. The young woman had been staring at her, openly showing the happiness in her eyes.
"They had phone-sex." The blonde tried again. Bingo! A red light clicked on in her head when Willow and Tara stammered and looked down. "Ooh, that's-."
"So guys, I've been thinking about dyeing my hair," Buffy interrupted, giving her friends some much needed help by changing the subject.
"What color?" Xander asked, also glad for the topic change. Sitting at a table full of women, lesbians no less, was starting to get to him in ways that Anya wouldn't appreciate.
"Red." Buffy frowned at the silence. "What? I'd look nice with red hair." She looked to her redheaded best friend for support, but Willow's eyebrows were nearly pushed into her hairline.
Faith scratched and tilted her head, trying to picture Buffy with auburn tresses, but unfortunately, it wasn't working. All of her fantasies included a blonde Buffy, and she was in no hurry to change them.
"You, with red hair?" Anya cackled. "Yeah, if you strap firecrackers to her roots and let me light the fuse." Xander groaned and dropped his head in one hand.
"Well, if you go any blonder, you're gonna float." Buffy glared. Tara choked on her water and felt Willow's soothing hand rub her back.
"Whatever Sparky." Anya scoffed.
"Look Anya, it's dark outside! Shouldn't you be out stealing souls by now?" Buffy shot back. The remaining four at the table watched the verbal squabble go back and forth, none of them knowing when nor if they should cut in.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Anya looked around at the others before focusing back on Buffy.
"Oh, that's right." The blonde cook snapped her fingers. "Couldn't grasp that one with all the air in your head, could you?"
Anya's jaw dropped, but just as she was about to fire another insult, the waiter came back to their table. After taking their orders, Rosalyn scurried off, having seen the death glares that two of her customers were giving each other.
"Maybe this wasn't s-such a g-good idea," Tara spoke quietly, as she stared at her lap.
"Oh no Tara," Xander waved his hand, trying to ease the young woman's negative thoughts, "they're always bickering this way. It's kind of like a Wednesday night ritual." He meaningfully nudged his girlfriend's leg.
"Right," Anya dropped her daggers, "I'm always like this with Sparky." She forced an even smile.
"Uh, enough with the hair jokes please." Willow cut in before Buffy could respond. The blonde dismissed Anya's jab, finally noticing that Faith hadn't said anything since they arrived. She made a note to speak to the brunette about it later, when they had more privacy.
Shortly after their meals arrived, the group ate in a peaceful silence... at least for the moment.
A loud, startled gasp, followed by a forced cough and stifled moan, ruptured the silence at the table.
All eyes turned to an unusually crimson Willow.
"Are you okay, Will?" Xander's curious eyes focused on his friend. Looks of concern showed on the faces of everyone, except Tara, whose eyes held an amused glint.
"Hot! It's hot." The redhead gestured toward her soup and raised another spoonful to her mouth, trying desperately not to give off any signals about the real reason... or the hand on her left thigh.
"Are you sure, Sweetie?" Tara asked and smiled as she continued exploring her own little Willow-world. Willow nodded fiercely when the circles on her leg grew larger. The blonde shrugged at the other members of the table, glad that nobody noticed that her other arm had disappeared under the tablecloth.
When the coast was clear again, Willow flashed pleading eyes at her partner. But those eyes also showed a hint of arousal in them, which prompted Tara to continue maneuvering up the redhead's leg.
With an innocent half-grin, the blonde collected bits of suede material between the ends of her fingers, and then used her palm to soothe over the creases once she released it. Her hand strayed higher. Now, wait for it, Tara thought. On schedule, Willow choked back the warm liquid as she felt long fingers gently squeeze the very top of her thigh.
"Maybe you should order something else, Willow," Buffy frowned from across the table.
"Yeah, 'cause you're obviously having a hard time with that soup," Anya said as she finished gnawing on her bread stick. "Do you need a straw?" She grabbed the plastic straw from her glass and flung the end toward Willow. Little sprinkles of soda hit Tara and flew across to Willow's chin.
"I'm...I'm fine," Willow wiped her face as she cleared her throat, "I'll just start on the salmon, now."
"Good choice." Faith smiled, a little cautious of Willow as the redhead shifted in her seat. The brunette was sitting beside her and didn't want to get a lap full of hot soup if Willow became spastic.
Once again, everyone's eyes drifted back to their plates, except Willow's, whose gaze was fixed firmly on Tara. The blonde felt the emerald stare as she focused on her pasta, and decided to tease her lover by licking a speckle of cream from the corner of her lip. Willow's foot nervously tapped the floor, sending vibrations into Tara's skirt-clad leg. Soft rustles were barely heard from the table as Tara crossed her legs, allowing her left ankle to briefly connect with Willow's anxious body.
Willow smiled to herself. If Tara wanted to tease her, so be it, fortunately for her, she wasn't above a little payback. Cutting away a piece of salmon with her fork, butter dripped from the pink flesh as Willow suspended the fork an inch away from her lips, smiling when Tara glanced up. Light lemon drops splashed onto the plate, and a single, yellow tear clung to the edge of the salmon. Knowing that Tara was watching, the redhead's tongue curled from her mouth and slowly flicked the tiny bead, repeatedly swiping over the spot to make sure she got it all.
Tara's mouth fell slightly open, and then widened when Willow finally slipped the fork in, letting the juice coat her bottom lip. Adding insult to injury, her girlfriend moaned at she pulled the fork from her mouth.
"How's the salmon, Will? Is it good?" Buffy's question momentarily brought the blonde back to her surroundings.
"Delicious." The darkened arousal in her eyes was lost to all but Tara. The blonde cleared her throat and took a large gulp from her water, to moisten her dry mouth. Happy with herself, Willow grinned and continued eating.
Tara's hand clinched the napkin on her lap, before she suddenly shucked it onto the floor slightly behind Willow's chair. Carefully, she twisted to retrieve the fallen cloth, allowing just the right amount of cleavage to spill from her top as she reached for the material. Her blouse was cut just below her collarbone, but effective enough to give Willow an eyeful. Which is exactly what the redhead received when she followed her girlfriend's movements.
Sapphire eyes caught Willow's ogle while the redhead mouthed several words that were too low to reach Tara's hearing. Finally grabbing the napkin, the blonde's gaze briefly darted to the side and she noticed one of the male waiters checking her out with a smile. Embarrassed, Tara quickly straightened back into her chair and blushed as she used her hand to cover her face.
Willow whimpered when the display was abruptly taken from her. Her frown only deepened when she expected to look up and find Tara's smug half-grin, but found that she couldn't see the blonde's face. A simple glance to her side, filled in the question mark when she saw a young man giving her partner the once-over. However, upon noticing the redhead's squinty eyed expression, the waiter quickly moved his sights elsewhere.
Sliding her fingers through Tara's hand, Willow gently pulled it from the blonde's face and clasped it within hers. Her embarrassment forgotten, Tara smiled at the warmth radiating from Willow's body and allowed the feeling to sink into her skin. Despite being momentarily thrown off her quest to tantalize her lover, the blonde rested their joined hands on her thigh and resumed her task, by softly rubbing over Willow's knuckles.
"So Xander, what are you guys doing for your birthday?" Buffy asked.
"Ooh, we're getting strippers," Anya excitedly cut in and leaned into her boyfriend before he could answer. Xander accepted the gesture, but hastily shook his head at Anya's reply.
"Honey, I thought we agreed that there weren't going to be any male strippers at my party." He gently patted her hand, ignoring the questionable gazes they received.
It was, at the moment, when Xander took Anya's hand that Buffy finally noticed the display of affection that went around the table. She figured that since both Tara and Willow were apparently missing a visible arm, that the couple was holding hands beneath the table. Her palm itched for contact, and with a little hesitance, she boldly reached for Faith. The brunette responded immediately, completely unaware of the relieved sigh she let out as she firmly twined her fingers with Buffy's. Now content, both women tuned back into the conversation.
Anya pouted again, since the first time didn't get her off the hook. "Fine," she huffed, "we can tell them to throw in a female, too. Happy?"
"Anya, do you remember the last time you had strippers at your party?" Buffy's eyebrow quirked.
"Oh yeah," Anya whispered dreamily as her eyes took on a faraway look. Because Xander was confident in his relationship with Anya, he ignored the look, but decided to say something if the blonde started to drool.
"How could anyone forget?" He shuddered as he remembered getting the phone-call.
"Yeah, well you're lucky they agreed to drop the charges, Ms. Grabby-hands." Buffy shot a look toward Anya, knocking the other woman from her daydream.
"Well, as I remember, you weren't exactly prim and proper either." She challenged. Buffy chuckled nervously when her joined hand shifted and Faith smirked, raising an eyebrow as if to say, 'Oh really?'
"Thought so," Anya continued. "Anyway, what are you getting my Xander for his birthday?" She expectantly went around the table, bypassing Willow and Tara, who were still in their own worlds. "Oh, and a two-dollar coupon from Dirt Café isn't going to cut it," she meaningfully looked toward the cook.
Xander grimaced at Anya's nickname for the restaurant. Buffy looked as if she were about to comment, but she let it go and turned to the young man instead.
"So Xander, is there something you've been eyeing lately?"
"Buffy, you don't have to-." An elbow to the ribs quickly shut him up.
"Are you crazy?" Anya stared at him as if he'd grown another head. "You're never supposed to turn down gifts, least of all, expensive gifts," she innocently smiled toward Buffy.
"Okay, how about this... I give you the money, and you can get whatever you want." Buffy smiled toward her friend, not noticing the flash of green in his girlfriend's eye when she mentioned the M-word. "I mean, I know it takes away the element of surprise, but I stink at present buying."
Despite himself, Xander agreed as he remembered the electric sock 'thingie' he received the previous year.
"Great," Buffy nodded, happy with her idea. "I'm low on cash right now, but we get paid soon, right Will?" When there wasn't an immediate response, she glanced across to the redhead.
"Yeah," Willow huskily whispered, though she was responding to what Tara said as the two continued to giggle and talk in a hushed tone. Tara's knuckles rested against her cheek as she leaned in toward her girlfriend, and the proximity of their faces made it impossible to clearly hear their conversation.
"Slap her. It always works in the movies when the person won't wake up," Anya told Faith, since the brunette was within arms reach of Willow.
"Maybe, but she isn't sleep or unconscious," Faith frowned at the blonde's request.
"Your point?" Anya smirked. "Okay forget it. I have another idea."
"Leave 'em alone, Anya," Faith glanced over at the couple as she gave Buffy's hand a light squeeze. In all of her years, she'd never thought she'd ever become such a softy.
"But I'm ready to go," she whined before rolling her eyes, "fine." It looked as if she were finally giving up... or so they thought. Settling back into her chair with a slight lean, Xander was the only one to notice the cheeky grin she was unsuccessfully trying to hide.
Less than a minute later, Tara yelped in surprise and spun to face the blonde with a bewildered expression as her cheeks flared.
"Look, they're awake. Can we go now?" Nonchalantly, Anya began gathering her coat and purse. However, the entire time, she was consciously oblivious of Tara's embarrassment and the curious gazes emitting from the table.
As they left the restaurant, the blonde shot Anya another jumbled look, but this time Anya wiggled her eyebrows and winked at Tara before exploding with laughter as she skipped toward Xander's car.
"What was that about?" Buffy asked the question Willow had been musing since leaving.
Tara shrugged, dumbfounded and still a little lost on Anya's motives. Figuring that Tara would tell her if it was something important, Willow put aside her curiosity. Gradually, the group began to split up, leaving Faith a little hesitant to release Buffy's hand.
"Wanna ride?" A faint glow of red crept up Buffy's neck.
"Nah, I'm not too far away," Faith nodded down the street and reluctantly let her arm drift back to her side.
"Oh." Buffy briefly followed the brunette's gaze, a little disappointed when she no longer felt Faith's hand within hers.
"Ready?" Willow and Tara stood a little away from the other couple.
"Actually, Will, you guys go ahead. I'm going to walk Faith home." Faith's head snapped toward the blonde in surprise.
"It's late, you shouldn't be out by yourself," Faith half-heartedly protested, "I'll be fine."
"I insist," Buffy flashed her resolve face, "besides, I invited you out. What kind of date would I be, if I let you go home alone?" She froze. "Uh, not that we're... I don't mean..." she trailed off.
"Okay," Faith caved.
After saying their 'goodbyes' to the couple, Buffy and Faith headed down the sidewalk. The retreating silhouettes inched closer, the further they disappeared into the night, until the shadows resembled a single form.
"Looks like it's just us, now." Willow counted her lucky stars. "Ready?" She held her palm out, suppressing a shudder when Tara's hand slipped into it.
Upon entering the vicinity of Tara's apartment, Willow found it extremely hard to keep her eyes on the white lines of the road. The reason being, the echo of Tara's breathing while the blonde's head rested against her shoulder. Logically, she knew that it wasn't exactly the safest position to be in, but they were almost there, and who was she to object.
Tara purposely smothered the side of her face into Willow's shoulder, trying to catch every iota of her lover's scent. She closed her eyes and envisioned the familiar contours, valleys, and corners of Willow's body and bit her lip in anticipation. The previous night was great, but nothing could compare to physically being with her partner. Categorizing every gasp and twitch, Tara felt the glow of arousal illuminating her entire body.
The car rolled then stopped completely beside the sidewalk, which led to the front gate.
"Do you want me to come up?" Willow's question prompted the blonde to snap out of her reverie. When Tara raised her head, Willow felt herself melt in Tara's dark, hooded eyes.
"Should you even have to ask?" Tara whispered and arched an eyebrow, which only complimented her sexy half-grin.
Willow gulped, put the car in drive, and wheeled around the parking lot before Tara had time to blink. Desperately trying to minimize her giddiness and quiet the throbbing in her core, Willow willing followed Tara up the path.
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