To all the wonderful kittens - Thank you all so much for your kind sympathies. Every kind thought and prayer helps more than I can say.
Leftover Part 22 Responses: Grace - Wow! Nine kids? That’s bordering on crazy unless she is independently wealthy (and perhaps even then!). I don’t think this will be the best part of kids by any stretch. Thanks for the thoughts.
Grimmy - Definitely a questionable choice by Willow. I had even considered having her cast a spell to lower her body temp but decided that was unnecessary. Yeah, that is the thing that Tara dressed as – definitely a smaller version though. Thanks for posting the pic. You have hit it right: Tara is definitely embarrased about her leg and afraid of Willow’s reaction to it. But like you said… in due time. Cupid’s secret ingredient = Everclear.
Betinha - I’m glad you have liked the last few parts. Tee hee: you aren’t alone. I love Eliza. More of her to come and more party in a minute. Sorry to confuse about Tara’s costume – Grimmy posted a picture of it above (but she didn’t build it to scale).
Title – Paths Diverged/Divulged Part 23 –
The Never Birthday Part II or Old Friends and Other Visitations Author – JustSkipit - Debra
Spoilers –Season 6
Rating – Part 23 – R or NC-17
Disclaimer – Guess what, I don’t own W&T, Buffy or the rest of the BtVS crew. Any similarity to actual persons living or dead is purely coincidental and fortunate. Also Rachel thinks I should point out that I don’t make any money from this…
Thoughts in italicsFlash backs indentedMemories and dreams indented AND italic Both girls’ attention was grabbed immediately by the shout from across the room: “Tara!”
“Oh great,” Willow mumbled under her breath as she saw Elizabeth, dressed like a princess, of course, making her way through ridiculously crowded house.
The redhead’s mood was considerably improved as Tara leaned over to whisper in her ear, “play nice sweetie and I’ll make it worth your while.” As she finished speaking she trailed her tongue just barely along the top of Willow’s ear and felt the redhead shudder.
“Tara!” Elizabeth again exclaimed as she grasped the blonde in a hug. “I heard you were hiding under a bulky costume. I’m so glad to see you dressed like this instead.” She leaned close to let the blonde know, “you look really wonderful Tara. Very fresh.”
I cross dimensions to find all my friends are dead here but this skank is exactly the same? How does that work? Willow wondered as she observed Elizabeth through narrowed eyes. Immediately Tara took a step back from the older girl to wrap her arm more securely around Willow. “Elizabeth,” she stated, “this is my girlfriend Willow Rosenberg. Willow, this is Michelle’s sister Elizabeth.”
Both Willow and Elizabeth shook hands stating, “nice to meet you,” although any observer could tell that they didn’t really find it nice at all. Elizabeth looked the redhead up and down before sneering, “nice costume Willow.”
“Gosh,” Willow said overly sweetly, “you too, Bethie. Nice to see the classics never go out of style.” Turning to Tara she told the blonde, “I just saw little Joey over there. Do you want to go and see if that furry costume is as huggable as it looks?” She turned toward Elizabeth again to note, “isn’t Little Joey just the sweetest?” She left the rhetorical question hanging as she and Tara started across the room after Tara made a hasty goodbye. It hadn’t been hard for Willow to spot Little Joey, dressed in a huge bear suit. Willow wondered if he might just be the hottest person at the party now that Willow and Tara had divested themselves of their costumes. Eliza appeared to be dropping clothing as she consumed more alcohol and now just wore the suit pants with her shirt half-way unbuttoned and her tie around her pony-tail.
As they crossed the room Tara giggled at the way Willow had handled Michelle’s sister. She wasn’t directly rude but she had certainly turned Elizabeth’s game back on her. Taking a look at Joey and Eliza and noting that they were obviously playing a drinking game, Tara stopped momentarily to ask her girlfriend, “please don’t play with them, Willow.”
Willow turned to look at the blonde completely confused. “Huh?”
Tara stopped and looked into Willow’s eyes as she explained, “they’re playing a d-d-drinking game. If you play with them you’ll end up p-passed out in a corner and sick as hell tomorrow.”
Willow’s eyes shined as she thought about her girlfriend’s concern but she wanted to tease her: “you don’t think I can hold my liquor?”
Tara giggled at the obvious joke, “yes but they have a l-lot more experience than you unless there’s something you haven’t shared with me.” She leaned in to place her mouth just barely touching the redhead’s ear as she whispered, “and I want you … conscious later.”
Even as Willow gulped down her shock at Tara’s teasing words she returned her own, whispered into the soft skin at the base of Tara’s throat: “oh there are quite a few things I’ve never shared with you.” As she finished speaking she pressed her lips to Tara’s flesh and flicked her tongue lightly against the sensitive area. Tara whimpered quietly and squeezed the redhead’s upper arm.
Suddenly Willow felt large furry arms wrap around her from behind and lift her up. “Hey!” she shouted laughing, “let me face you for this massive bear hug.” Joey quickly set her down and allowed her to turn to face him before picking her up again.
As he set her down the second time Willow was relieved that he was much more gentle with Tara, merely leaning down to hug her. “Hey Tara, I hear I missed another great costume from you.” The blonde blushed and waved her hand at his own and he continued, turning toward Willow, “and I hear you were pretty hot as a dominatrix.”
“I was a vampire,” Willow stressed.
“Eliza said dominatrix,” he argued.
“Liza has dominatrices on the brain,” the redhead joked.
“Come drink with us, girls,” Joey invited as Tara had predicted.
“We’ve been d-d-drinking, Joey; we’ll just watch you a little,” Tara responded as she and Willow sat watching the game.
Within minutes Willow was glad she wasn’t playing. She couldn’t quite figure out how the game worked and wondered if perhaps her demon-fighting life hadn’t left enough room for these types of pursuits. As far as she could figure the game had something to do with not saying certain words or numbers and not making certain movements. The participants took turns telling a ridiculous story and every few seconds everyone burst into laughter as one person had to drink. She shook her head repeatedly as she tried to understand the seemingly random rules. Even though they weren’t playing Tara and Willow were enjoying the party. They were still drinking lightly and surprisingly enough Mark kept them supplied with full glasses even though Willow had not fulfilled her part of the bargain.
Out of the corner of her eye Willow had been noticing flashing lights at irregular intervals but hadn’t thought anything of it. Finally she noticed that the lights were coming from a camera and turned to look at the photographer. It took her only a second to recognize James, whom she hadn’t seen since high school. He was dressed, quite obviously, as Jimmy Olsen and moving freely around the room taking pictures one-handed while drinking with the other hand. The redhead was just drunk enough not to think about it as she stood and practically ran across the room to give him a hug. “James, god I haven’t seen you in three years!” she shouted as she pressed their bodies together.
At first she thought that he just didn’t recognize her after all this time as it took him a minute to return the exuberant embrace. But as he let go to look curiously at him she blushed red. “Right birdie,” James said slowly, “and you would be? Not that I mind beautiful women throwing themselves at me.” Conspiratorially he whispered, “especially at one of Chelle’s parties.”
By this time Tara had caught up to her embarrassed girlfriend. “No such luck James,” she teased as she wrapped her arm around Willow’s waist. “James, this is my girlfriend, Willow Rosenberg.
Willow,” she stressed,
”this is James. He went to high school with us.” Tara was surprised as Willow failed to recover from her confusion for a few seconds. When she realized that the redhead was not going to recover so easily she hastily explained, “Willow and I thought we’d play a little joke on you. Chelle has said so much about you that she practically felt like she knew you.” Turning to the redhead she prodded, “right Willow?”
Still shocked at her major faux pas, Willow recovered badly, “uh, right. Playing a joke. Ha ha.”
James laughed at Willow’s overwhelming embarrassment. “Willow as in the Willow?” he asked. “The Muse?” he whispered quietly.
The redhead watched as Tara blushed furiously to James’ question. “One and the same,” she smiled.
“Well then,” James started, “we are like old friends.” He hugged the redhead more closely this time before stepping back. “Hey Tare, is Helen here? I have my portfolio in the car and she wanted to see what I have that’s new.”
Tara made a snorting sound to James’ question. “Right, Helen at Michelle’s birthday party? Are you s-stoned, James?”
“Right then,” James agreed, “I’ll stop by and see her tomorrow while I’m in town.”
“You show photographs with Helen at Women’s Work?” Willow asked confused.
Both James and Tara laughed at Willow’s question. “Helen runs three g-galleries,” Tara explained.
“Yeah,” James told her, “I don’t show at Women’s Work but she likes my work for the other two.” He turned to Tara and smiled his most seductive smile. “Guess what else I have in my car?”
Recovered from her initial embarrassment and stupid question about showing James’ work at the Women’s gallery and emboldened by her liberal application of alcohol Willow decided to guess first: “Hallie Barry, Jennifer Garner, and a case of whipped cream?”
“That’s two whos and a what,” James deadpanned, “I only said I have a what in my car.”
“So just the case of whipped cream then,” Willow quipped.
Tara giggled at Willow’s silly guess. “Maybe later sweetie,” she teased whisperingly. Turning to James she told him, “go get it and we’ll m-meet you in the yard, ok?”
Tara took Willow’s hand and smiled at her as they went back toward Tara’s bedroom. The redhead tried to figure out why they were going to the bedroom if they were meeting James in the back yard and why were they meeting him in the back yard anyway? Entering Tara’s room they found a few couples making out leaning against walls or snuggling in the corners. A few girls appeared to be passed out on Tara’s bed and Willow noted that the blonde didn’t even flinch at the invasion of her privacy. Apparently this was something that always happened at their parties?
Her curiosity was answered as Tara quickly but gracefully and quietly moved to the head of the bed and lifted a guitar case from the corner. She took a step toward the door and held the case out toward the redhead. “Can you take this, sweetie?” she asked.
Willow smiled excitedly as she took the case from Tara’s hand. Her lover had always said that she was going to learn to play the guitar. Tara remembered an aunt who played and said she always felt an affinity for the instrument. But with fighting demons and working to pay for college, she just hadn’t gotten around to it by the time of her death. Willow could feel her pulse quickening at the thought that Tara was going to play and sing. Every time she saw her lover performing, it had taken her breath away and she found herself blushing uncontrollably at the thought of the song her Tara had performed for her and the conclusion of that song.
Talk about complete… The redhead felt momentarily guilty as if she were cheating on her current girlfriend by thinking of her ex-lover.
Goddess! This is so confusing! she inwardly cursed.
Holding Willow’s hand as she led her through the house and to the back door, Tara noted Willow’s confused emotions. For one thing, the redhead had certainly had enough to drink
like you can talk? and Tara vowed that she would get the two of them some water for the rest of the night
or morning? Tara enjoyed the familiar sensation of excitement and arousal that flowed through their linked skin but she was confused by the other feelings flowing through her girlfriend. Guilt and confusion? Shaking her head, Tara decided that she was spying too much and needed to trust Willow to tell her what was going on whenever she was ready.
As they stepped onto the back deck, Willow took a look around and was stunned. The yard was very large with a wooden deck attached to the house. There were chairs scattered around including a bench built into two sides of the deck. Climbing vines covered the trellises on the structure and she identified honeysuckle and jasmine by their scents immediately. Easily half of the back yard was taken up by a huge garden and suddenly Tara’s conversation with the cook at the Allen ranch made more sense.
“Hey,” Willow said, “you have a back yard. I never knew. I mean I never looked. Why do I always take Scooby for a walk if you have a back yard? And where is Scooby anyway? I haven’t seen her all night. And can I go look at your flower? I mean flowers? Garden?” She sputtered in embarrassment over her unintentional sexual innuendo.
Drunk much Willow? Attempting to recover she amended her statement: “over there?”
Before she could step from the porch she felt Tara’s hand tighten in hers and the girl pulled her closer. The blonde bent her head slightly to brush her lips across Willow’s first tentatively and then more forcefully as she thrust her tongue between Willow’s surprised lips. At first the redhead was shocked at the passion from her girlfriend but she quickly melted into the embrace feeling the intense sexual energy tingling on both of their skins. When she felt the blonde sucking on the tip of her tongue she was thankful that she had changed from the leather pants. They were simply too expensive to, well ruin, and of course they had been too tight to allow panties. The rush of wetness might have surprised her if she didn’t already know what this woman did to her body.
Hearing someone clearing their throat from the doorway Tara slowly pulled back. “I’ve m-missed you with all these people around,” Tara whispered.
“Uhh huh…,” Willow answered. She knew that she was having trouble forming coherent thoughts and didn’t know whether it was more the effect of the alcohol or that amazing kiss. As James stepped onto the porch and waved his guitar case, she pulled away, “so your garden…over there…” “Argh!” she exclaimed to Tara’s deliciously full laughter as she stepped from the porch to look at the garden.
Willow could hear the two friends tuning their guitars as she began to slowly move through yard toward the garden. Looking up, she noticed a nearly full moon, which cast good light into the yard in the clear night. The garden was truly impressive to her. It was probably a good 40 by 20 feet. The area was set off from the rest of the yard by a short barrier of oddly shaped rocks, some of them quartz or limestone, which gave off a faint magical buzz. She smiled as she thought that Tara must come out here to meditate and recharge sometimes and hoped that she could share that with the girl. The garden was crisscrossed with pathways of stone that were so subtle that they practically blended in with the plants. No expert on gardening, she noted numerous herbs used for magical reasons or cooking and many vegetables and fruits.
Tara watched Willow appraise the garden. She had noticed that Willow always took the dog for a walk and assumed that she never realized the house had a back yard. Her plan was to serve dinner out in the yard when they had their now-twice-delayed dinner date and show her the deck and garden. It was something she was very proud of. Although she hadn’t been able to do the heavy lifting or digging, she had done everything else for the garden herself, from picking each stone to planting every single plant. At the center of the garden were two flat stones just the size for two people to sit and meditate and she could tell by the energy flow that Michelle and Eliza had never so much as set a foot on either stone.
Without asking, the younger girls knew that it was Tara’s space. She didn’t know that Michelle and Eliza had frequently worried about Tara’s placement of two stones and discussed the possibility that her living in a fantasy world was keeping her from meeting anyone real.
“I’m going to get another drink before we start,” James announced and Tara asked him to bring back water for herself and Willow as she kept her eyes on the redhead.
Slowly Willow turned to see Tara watching her and a broad smile immediately spread across her face. Acting like a child Willow ran across the yard toward the steps of the deck to quickly kiss her girlfriend. “Oh Goddess Tara,” she exclaimed excitedly, “it’s wonderful. I mean the stones have so much power and the plants and can we meditate in the center sometime? I mean if it’s not too private or …”
Tara gently placed her fingertips on the redhead’s soft lips. “I put two stones in the center and have a cushion for each of u-us,” she answered hoping that it would make sense to Willow.
Still smiling like a joyful child the redhead quickly pivoted to sit next to Tara on the porch. She took a deep breath and looked up at the sky. “It’s wonderful,” she said, meaning the moon and stars and yard and garden and everything. Before she could monitor herself she asked, “is your cycle aligned to the moon? Oh Goddess, did I say that out loud? That was probably the most inappropriate and nosy thing I could possibly say.” Willow gently whacked herself on the head with the heal of her hand. She attempted to recover: “changing subjects now: so where
is Scooby?”
Well she’ll know eventually, Tara’s mind teased her as she blushed. “Yes,” she whispered before answering more confidently, “she’s at Joey’s. Too many people here and someone could g-give her alcohol or let her out accidentally.”
Willow took a second to realize that Tara’s first word answered her nosy question about her cycle, assimilated that information and listened to her explanation about Scooby. “That makes sense, but I miss her,” Willow explained.
“We c-can go get her in the morning,” Tara answered, “I m-mean not that you are spending… or that you … I mean if you w-want to stay… and if you want…”
Willow gently kissed her girlfriend on the lips before whispering in her ear, “I’d love to sleep with you in my arms tonight and every night you’ll have me, Tara Maclay.” Both women could feel the shivers that ran through their bodies as the words were spoken.
“Hey, look who I found inside,” James interrupted as he handed each girl a bottle of water. They looked up to see that Eliza, Michelle, Joey, and a few other partygoers had come outside.
“I moved some of the bodies out of the way,” Joey explained as he sat down on the bench. He had removed his bear costume and now just wore shorts and a T-shirt, which Willow thought might make him look even larger than the costume had. He didn’t reek of sweat so she wondered if he had taken a quick shower as Tara had.
“Where’s Elizabeth?” Willow asked, trying to sound polite but hoping that the girl had left the party early.
Eliza started giggling as she stood and pulled Little Joey to his feet and started waltzing him around the deck, “gone, gone, gone home. Couldn’t stay and jealous besides,” she sung as the others laughed.
Willow glanced at Michelle to see how the runner took the teasing about her sister. In her world Michelle had loved her sister but at the same time, knew how difficult others found her. Certainly there was no love lost between Elizabeth and Eliza. Not that the older girl had any problem with her sister being gay, she just was always suspicious of Eliza. And Willow could have danced a little jig herself as she rejoiced that the jealous little tramp had decided to leave.
As Willow was remembering this, Joey started beating on the bench with his fists chanting, “music, music, music!” Raising his cup, he shouted, “let the festivities begin!” To which James and Tara looked at each other and both launched into a rocking version of “Proud Mary.” It was apparent that the two had played together many times to start with the same song and Willow wondered if it was a tradition or if they were that in synch.
The redhead listened happily as Tara and James transitioned smoothly into a Bob Dylan song, “Tangled up in Blue,” next. Her heart felt full and warm as she watched this woman singing so intently and with so much joy and she wanted to enfold her in her arms and never let go. Gently she moved behind Tara to lean on the post and allow Tara to lean on her. Willow rested her hands on the thighs of Tara’s jeans out of her way and just allowed their magical energy to pass through the cloth barrier. She could tell that Tara was feeling the same effects that she was by the warmth flowing up and down her arms. Closing her eyes, Willow allowed herself to concentrate on the sound of Tara’s beautiful voice.
After a few songs, Willow’s eyes snapped open as she heard Eliza singing one of the songs from
Into the Woods. It was a song she had heard the girl sing many times in the last few years but never like this. Apparently she had been developing her voice considerably and Willow was impressed and a little shocked at her beauty and power. As the song neared the end Eliza nodded to Cassie and the two started singing one of the numbers from Chicago and staring at Tara.
Tara wasn’t particularly surprised to hear Eliza and Cassie taunting her with music from Chicago. Both girls knew that she loved that musical but she just couldn’t go on the stage, even in one of Eliza’s productions. She had a stern set to her jaw as she looked both girls in the eye and shook her head. Understanding that they were pushing their luck, the two girls looked away and finished their number.
“Hey Will,” Eliza called, “are you still awake?” The redhead lifted her chin from Tara’s shoulder as she nodded. “Ok,” Eliza continued, “so what does the little tree want to sing? We’re taking requests.” “Well, ok, they’re taking requests,” she amended pointing to Tara and James.
Willow’s heart almost stopped as she realized that Eliza was singling her out. By now every person still awake at the party was on the deck, easily 20 people and she knew that there was no way she could sing in front of even one person let alone 20. Tara didn’t even know yet. She’d never heard Willow’s voice. Looking around for some support she finally locked eyes with Michelle and looked pleadingly at the runner.
No! Please! her mind shouted as she tried to think of something to say to take the focus off herself.
”No! Please!” Tara heard Willow’s plea clearly in her mind although she wasn’t trying to hear and didn’t know if Willow was trying to transmit. She reached down to take the redhead’s hand to strengthen their connection and answered her.
”It’s ok sweetie,” she told her as she spoke out loud: “How about this one?”
She launched into “Southland in the Springtime,” which had nearly everyone on the porch singing along even as Willow wondered how she had managed to send one message to the redhead while speaking another. Willow had tried the technique a few times but never mastered multitasking in that way. By the time the song had finished everyone on the porch was in a quiet and content mood. All the couples were snuggling and looking generally relaxed. Those not in couples leaned against the porch railings and looked at the stars.
“Tara,” Eliza asked quietly, “will you sing it? Then we’ll all go to bed or home happy.”
Tara felt a little embarrassed as Eliza asked, not that it was a surprise. She always asked. Everyone always asked. Over the years Tara had played with writing music, particularly when she was laid up in bed for all that time. But nothing she had written had captured the attention of her friends and acquaintances like this one. But how could she sing it now with Willow here? It had come to her in a dream of this red-haired goddess and the ending of the song… Well it always… At perhaps no other time did she ever feel so connected to Willow as when she was singing this song.
Willow wondered what song they might be talking about. Perhaps a sixties folk song, kind of a group sing to end the night on a close point? Whatever it was, she just hoped that Tara would just get on with the cumbayays so they could all sing and then go to bed. She prayed that Little Joey had moved the bodies from Tara’s bed so they could enjoy it while she wrapped her arms around this beautiful woman and never let her go. She leaned forward and whispered in her girlfriend’s ear, “please baby. Sing the song so we can go to bed.” She punctuated her request by almost imperceptibly tracing her tongue softly along the blonde’s neck. Feeling Tara shudder in her arms Willow wrapped them more tightly around the woman, eager to be alone together as her now excited nipples pressed into her girlfriend’s back. Even with all she had learned in the last few weeks she couldn’t have been more surprised than when Tara started quietly singing:
”I lived my life in shadows…”Willow’s jaw dropped open as she listened to the blonde singing. She felt shock but mixed with that, a sense of “of course.” She already knew from the paintings and drawings that Tara had been connected to her Tara in their dreams. Of course she would have known that song. She blushed as she realized that all those drawings of her in erotic poses didn’t come from Tara’s imagination or subconscious. They apparently came from Tara’s vision of Willow’s life with the other Tara. It was both mildly creepy to think of being watched like that and a little arousing to think of this woman, dreaming of them being together, of their fit already existing before they had ever made love in a physical sense.
Looking around, the redhead realized the effect the song was having on the others at the party. Eliza and Michelle were in the “get a room” category, as were quite a few other couples. Joey looked like he was in a hurry to leave suddenly and Willow wondered if someone was waiting at home and James had a dreamy look on his face as if he wished he had someone waiting at home. As she surveyed the crowd, Willow began running her hands lightly up Tara’s thighs and to her hips. She cupped them in her hands as if imagining holding this woman much tighter and loving her body thoroughly. Slowly she continued her exploration, using the backs of her hands to trace their way up Tara’s sides, just missing her breasts and stroking her back and shoulders before tracing her fingertips lightly along the blonde’s neck. She felt Tara shudder with the attention and retraced the route her hands had taken in the opposite direction until she reached the girl’s hips. Keeping her hands on the blonde’s hips she lightly stroked them as if beckoning Tara to her.
Applause accompanied the end of the song and Tara took a deep breath as she glanced around at her friends. Never had this song sounded so real to her, so genuine and perfect as it did now. To have the woman for whom she had written the song wrapped around her while she sang it was absolute heaven. Her skin tingled with bursts of electricity and it was all she could do to keep from moaning out loud as she leaned back into Willow’s center, feeling her heat through her jeans. She leaned further back and arched her neck, wrapping her hands lightly around the back of Willow’s head and felt the redhead tracing her tongue along her jugular. “Do you think Joey moved the bodies from your room?” Willow whispered in her ear.
Tara turned to look her girlfriend in the eye. Her voice was husky and Willow felt her heart skip a beat when Tara answered, “let’s go and see.”
James had apparently heard the two as he stood and held out his hand to help Tara to her feet, placing a kiss on her cheek. “I’m going to head out. Call me tomorrow if you want,” he suggested. He hugged Eliza and Michelle both goodbye and again wished the runner a happy birthday. Joey also made a quick departure although some of the other guests took a few minutes as everyone voted on sobriety before distributing keys.
Finally everyone but the birthday girl and her lover and Willow and Tara had left the house. Walking through the house, Tara looked around and groaned, “why do we d-do this?” She gestured to the mess scattered around the house: cups, plates, furniture moved, basically the aftereffects of a party.
“You say that every year, Tare,” Eliza teased.
Michelle walked over to the bar to pick up something in each hand and quickly returned with them. “You two were outside.” She handed each girl an object with a pout on her face. Tara’s was a common screwdriver with a tag on it. Willow leaned over and twisted the tag to see that it said, “Best adaptation -- Tara.” Her own was a bottle of Astroglide lubricant which caused her to blush bright red as she read the tag: “Sexiest costume -- Tara’s dominatrix girlfriend.”
“Hey!” Willow shouted, “Vampire! Why doesn’t anyone know I was a vampire?”
“They called you s-sexy,” Tara whispered in her ear.
“And also,” Willow continued ranting, “’Tara’s girlfriend?’”
“Tara’s sexy girlfriend,” the blonde teased.
“Still,” Willow pouted, “the tag could have said ‘Willow.’”
Tara leaned over to capture Willow’s bottom lip between her lips. Slowly she kissed it before sucking it into her mouth and trapping it lightly between her teeth. “Come to bed with m-me,” Tara whispered, “my sexy girlfriend.”
Michelle giggled as Eliza pulled her toward their bedroom: “see? Never underestimate the power of Cupid armed with Everclear margaritas.”
Willow could feel the sexual energy flowing through the connection of their hands as she and Tara entered the blonde’s bedroom. Hell, she could feel it pouring off their skin. She was as turned on as she had ever been and was beginning to question her own decision to change out of the leather outfit without showering.
Tara closed the door to her room slowly and turned to find Willow waiting for her. The redhead quickly embraced her, kissing her passionately and hungrily as she pressed her into the door. Their tongues tangled and twisted as they each took the opportunity to trace the inside of the other’s mouth. Tara’s hands were clutched to the back of Willow’s neck, tracing the downy wisps of hair she found there until she began stroking them up and down the redhead’s back. She could feel the girl’s muscles tensing under her hands. Feeling bolder than she had before she gently cupped Willow’s smooth bottom in her hands and felt the redhead inhale, almost collapsing against the other girl.
At the same time, Willow stroked her hands up and down Tara’s arms, reveling in the feeling of the soft hair on her amazingly strong forearms. While her Tara had strength throughout her body from riding, this woman had that muscle tone but even more strength in her upper body from her reliance on her arms while rehabilitating from her injury. The redhead imagined how those arms would feel as they held her in every way possible. When her hands reached Tara’s shoulders again Willow shifted their pressure slightly so they rested above the girl’s chest. She slowly moved her hands down so they passed very lightly over Tara’s breasts, avoiding the nipples but still hearing Tara moan at the contact.
“Good moan?” Willow questioned without fully breaking the kiss.
“Mmm hmmm,” Tara answered. “Bed?” Even with Willow’s body pressed against hers, holding her to the door she could feel her legs and her whole body shaking. She knew that they needed to get to the bed soon.
“Yes, my Tara,” Willow whispered as she slowly broke the kiss. Her eyes met Tara’s eyes and she recognized the dark blue tint reflecting back at her. Without breaking the gaze she slowly backed toward the bed while keeping her arms under Tara’s elbows. She could feel the blonde shaking and didn’t want anything to happen. As they reached the bed she slowly pivoted their positions so that Tara was sitting on the end of the bed while she was standing between the blonde’s legs, leaning down to kiss her. Both girls were breathing heavily, their thinking becoming muddled as they thought of only one thing. Willow’s hands snaked under Tara’s shirt, stroking the skin of her stomach.
Suddenly Tara felt Willow’s hands still on her skin. The redhead pulled away as Tara began to panic. Why was she pulling away? What was going on? Tara opened her eyes to see Willow looking down and away from her. “W-w-willow?” she asked, terrified of what the redhead was thinking.
“I don’t …,” Willow mumbled unsure how to say what she wanted to say.
“Oh,” Tara answered as she heard the redhead’s words, “I’m s-s-sorry. I d-d-didn’t m-m…,”
“No,” Willow interrupted. “That’s not what I mea…” She kneeled down in front of the other girl. Tara wasn’t looking at her and her eyes glowed with unshed tears. Softly Willow tilted her chin to try and explain: “I want to make love with you, Tara.”
“B-b-but…”
“Yes, but,” Willow again interrupted, “I want to make love with you. But I don’t want to rush. I don’t want the first time I make love with you to be at,” she looked at the clock by Tara’s bed, “3:00 in the morning.” She smirked, “I mean sure if we start and are still making love by 3:00… But we’ve both been drinking.” She saw that Tara was finally smiling as if she agreed with her. “A lot,” she continued, “and I … it means more to me than that.” The redhead stopped. She could have said so much more but she didn’t think she’d need to.
Now it was Tara who looked down. “It means m-more to me too,” she whispered. Taking a deep breath she added, “that’s why I’ve n-never…”
“Why you’ve never…,” Willow repeated.
“Why I’ve n-n-never…,” Tara emphasized. She looked up to see the shocked look on Willow’s face. “That is why I’ve never m-made love with anyone before.”
“But, but, but,” Willow stammered. “But you… How can that be? I mean not that you have to … but you’re so … and I mean who wouldn’t … and what? And also what? And I mean, what about Michelle? In high school? And not since then? I mean ok, not my business but what? And how or how not?”
Tara finally smiled again at her girlfriend’s ludicrous babble. “Michelle and I never made love in h-high school,” she explained.
“And since then…,” Willow questioned.
“Nope, we haven’t made love since then either,” Tara teased back.
“No,” Willow answered. She knew that Tara was teasing her now but she just couldn’t believe this conversation. “I don’t mean with Michelle since high school. I meant at all.”
Tara looked at the redhead softly. She traced her chin with her hand. “Willow,” she gently asked, “how many women have you made love with who you weren’t
in love with?”
The redhead crinkled her eyebrows as she tried to understand the question.
It’s like math dummy, she admonished herself. “I’ve only ever made love with one woman and I was in love with…” It hit her what Tara was saying. The blonde was telling her that she hadn’t made love with anyone because she hadn’t been in love with them. But wait a minute, was she going to make love with Willow even though she wasn’t in love with her or because she was?
Tara watched understanding flicker across Willow’s face, quickly followed by confusion.
Did I just tell Willow that I’m in love with her? I mean I guess not but if she knows logic at all, then she’ll get that but it’d be nice to say it rather than having her guess. “W-w-we should change for bed. Did you bring p-p-pajamas?” she asked keeping her eyes averted.
She’s in love with me! She’s in love with me and that’s why she wants to make love with me, Willow’s mind shouted. “I brought a bag,” she pointed to her bag stowed in the corner. “You can take the bathroom first,” she offered. As she caught Tara’s eye she smiled at her and leaned forward to lightly kiss her. “Tara snuggles,” she whispered, “I can’t wait.”
A few minutes later the two girls were snuggled in Tara’s bed under the covers. Both wore pajamas and Willow recognized Tara’s yummy vegetable pajamas. Willow wore her flying pig pajamas again but with the short bottoms. Willow lay on her back with Tara nestled against her, her arm draped over the smaller girl’s stomach. Neither girl was fully ready to go to sleep and lose the wonderful feeling of being in each other’s arms yet but they weren’t ready to do more than kiss or run their fingers over the other girl’s arms, hands, or stomach either. Both felt completely content and happy to be just there.
“Did you hear that?” Willow asked suddenly as she started hearing noises from elsewhere in the house. Living on the Hellmouth had trained her to be aware of strange noises in the night, particularly living with the slayer. You never knew when a demon would come by to visit or disembowel the residents of Revelo Drive. Her question quickly turned to giggles as she realized the source of the sounds. Apparently Eliza and Michelle weren’t as tired as either had seemed to the two witches. Tara and Willow both tried to ignore the sounds coming from the other room as they snuggled and tried to fall asleep but it became increasingly difficult.
Not only did the louder and louder moans and mumbled, “Oh God” pronouncements keep them from sleeping but their giggles quickly turned to full-fledged laughter. When Willow’s laughter became too intense Tara playfully covered the redhead’s mouth with her hand as she continued giggling.
“You think this is b-b-bad,” Tara whispered, “you should have shared a suite with them at school.”
“Thin walls,” Willow agreed, reminiscing from her days in school.
By now the other girls were practically shouting their pleasure. “Wait for it… wait for it…” Tara coaxed. Finally both witches burst out laughing as they heard Michelle’s shout: “Happy Birthday!”
“Every y-year,” Tara commented as Willow continued laughing. As quiet quickly filled the air, both girls fell deeply asleep, happily wrapped together.
---
"It is better to conquer yourself than to win a thousand battles. Then the victory is yours. It cannot be taken from you, not by angels or demons, heaven or hell." - The Buddha
by Arwen276 » Fri Sep 12, 2003 4:38 pm 
I would prefer to have all of these things cleared up before Tara2 completely gives herself to Willow. For some reason I am really protective of Tara, even moreso, Tara2. 
I'm glad you were able to be there with her. My thoughts are with you and your family. 
