OK, because I'm so excited about this auspicious moment you all will receive a double dose. One update tonight, and then another tomorrow!!! I'll save my replies for the inbetween time, but for this evening:
Title: Contentment
Part: 8/?
Email address:
mtnlaurels34@hotmail.comDistribution: I just like to write...but it would be fun to know if this shows up somewhere else.
Feedback: This is my first fic, but I already think I'm going to be a feedbackaholic...your insights will help me steer some of the "fun" aspects of the W/T relationship *wink,wink*
Spoilers: This is completely AU! No spoilage here.
Rating: PG -13...at least for now…
well, there’s some fudging on that perhaps.Disclaimer: Yeah, so I just thought it would be fun to play with the Willow/Tara relationship. I have no rights whatsoever...most of the other characters in this fic are new, so that should be fun.
***I did a whole lotta changing and adding to get this in here tonight, but I hope you all enjoy!
Ch. 8
“What are you thinking about up there, being all silenty and stuff?” came Willow’s muffled question from her position on Tara’s stomach.
Concentrating on an imaginary line on the exposed flesh of Willow’s back, Tara took a moment to answer. “Hmm. Your freckles actually.”
Tara could see the movement of Willow’s cheeks into a grin. “What about my freckles? There are millions of them!”
“I know...I was just thinking that they’re like daytime stars. You’ve got shapes and everything.”
The blonde could feel Willow’s laughter against her belly.
“What didya find back there, huh?”
Tara shifted slightly as she reached for the felt-tipped pen on her nightstand, then moved to study the skin of Willow’s back once again.
“I only know a couple of real constellations, but this...”
Willow felt the cold touch of the pen move in lines across her back.
“...this group looks like Orion. And then this group, well...” chuckling at the image the freckles formed in her mind, Tara continued her drawing. “It looks like the man from the pedestrian crossing sign!”
Tara’s index finger moved across the lines she’d just drawn. She smiled at Willow’s intake of breath.
“I’ll have to do further investigation, of course, to ascertain any other such designs...and the patterns will change almost daily I’m sure.”
“You know,” Willow began. “Some people spend their entire lives studying the stars...”
Tara’s lips replaced the light touch of her hands, and her tongue lightly traced the lines she’d drawn moments before. Willow shook under the contact as her hands squeezed Tara’s thigh.
“I can see how one might become obsessed with the pursuit.” Tara murmured, her kisses hindering Willow’s ability to breathe.
“Indeed.” responded Willow with some difficulty.
--
“So...what do you think of everything so far?” Rachel asked as she lowered herself next to Willow’s position close to the bonfire.
Every member of the Contentment staff had made it in by dinner Sunday evening, and Willow spent much of the time being introduced to everyone. There were only a few ‘new’ additions to the staff, and Willow happened to be one of those that got special attention.
The plan was to make an early night of it. Tara welcomed everyone back, schedules for the training weeks had been given out, and now they were meeting for the first bonfire of the summer; a tradition that marked the start of the season.
The group gathered when the first stars appeared in the sky, and took their places around the fire for a pickin’ and grinnin’ session...a time to sing camp songs they’d grown to love over the years as well as other songs they just loved singing together.
“You know, I’m a little overwhelmed with everyone...they just seem to know where to go and what to do. I kinda feel lost in it all.” Willow said into response to Rachel’s friendly question.
The nineteen-year-old squeezed Willow’s arm reassuringly. “You’re doing great, Wil. You are going to love this. It’s nothing but fun tonight.”
“I’m sure it will be. I just don’t sing too well.”
Rachel laughed loudly at this. “One thing you need to know, Willow...no one sings camp songs well. It’s more like yelling together...there are a few songs that we actually attempt to ‘sing’, but not too many.”
“Well, that’s something good I guess...” Willow finally caught sight of Tara as she took position on the stump that served as the head of the circle.
Someone passed the director a guitar and Willow’s green eyes widened as she turned back to Rachel. “She plays?”
The younger woman looked slightly surprised. “You’ve never heard her?”
Willow shook her head slightly in wonder.
“She plays and sings...says it’s a prerequisite to directing a camp.”
Tara played only a few bars before the group caught onto the song and joined in singing.
Willow watched the firelight play on Tara’s skin. When the director smiled, she found herself smiling in return. The playing and singing continued on for nearly thirty minutes before the tone began to mellow a bit. The songs finally ended after about an hour, and wishes for a good night were given as dismissal.
The staff disbanded, soon after but Tara remained seated on the stump, staring into the fire. Willow moved behind the director and dropped her hands to her lover’s shoulders.
“I didn’t know you could sing...or play an instrument. It was wonderful.”
Tara reached for Willow’s hand and kissed the back of it. “Did you have fun tonight?”
“Uh-huh. The only thing that would have made me happier would have been being closer to you. I couldn’t really hear you sing, but I’m sure you were just great.”
Smiling tenderly at the remark, Tara brought Willow’s hand to her cheek and was amazed, yet again, that the simple touch brought such joy.
“It’s going to be hectic pretty much from now on. Paper work, risk management stuff, procedures, as well as group bonding activities...there won’t be another night like tonight for a little while. But it’s so good to have everyone back, you know?”
Willow dropped down on the back of the seat to straddle Tara from behind and wrapped her arms around the director’s waist.
Tara laced her fingers with those that came to rest on her stomach before adding. “And...the best part is I get to share all this with you.”
“Baby, do you really mean that?” Willow questioned gruffly.
“With all of my heart...trust me.”
--
“Willow, do you trust me?” Tara’s voice was insistent.
Without hesitation, Willow answered with a quick nod of her head.
Tara, pleased with the admission, shook Willow to get the wary woman to her look at her. “I trust you, too. Look at me!” Tara waited for Willow to hold her gaze. “I know you won’t let me fall. I believe in you—now believe in yourself…call the command for me to ‘climb on’.”
Willow looked once again at the thirty-five faces surrounding her; encouraging her. She gave one last look into the calm blue eyes that saw straight into her heart and finally gave Tara the command to begin the ascent up the ‘pamper pole’.
Tara gave a beaming smile to Willow and quickly made her way up the thirty foot pole. Once she’d reached the top, Tara carefully stood on the small platform that the twelve-inch diameter of the pole created and then communicated her readiness to jump for the bar suspended some ten feet in front of her. Willow nervously shouted that she, too, was prepared for the jump and within seconds, Tara made the leap. She purposely missed the bar, but Willow, standing down below on-belay, resisted the urge to scream and instead, held firm to the line that secured the director’s safety. Slowly, Willow lowered Tara down to the ground. The camp staff surrounding her cheered Willow’s success and Tara, after removing her harness and helmet, made her way to the center of the huddled group of people.
After the group finally quieted down, Tara began to speak: “As always, I’m very proud of each of you,” the young director announced. “This week, we’ve been learning how to trust others—sometimes a very difficult thing. Not only that, but you have proven yourselves trustworthy. Look around at the people in this group and remember this time. We spent the week learning, not just how to run a camp…we spent the time learning to trust and encourage one another…rather like a family should. I can assure you, you’ll need all the love, trust, and encouragement possible for the work you are about to engage in.” Tara stole a quick look at Willow before continuing.
When she turned her attention back to the group she said “Now…everyone, we’ve got some time before dinner so go get cleaned up and we’ll meet in the mess hall at six.”
--
While most of the staffers left the area, the six members of the Leadership Staff—including Tara—cleared the high ropes course and replaced all of the gear that they’d used that day.
Willow waited patiently for Tara during that time. As she sat, she thought back to an incident four days past:
Sunday morning, only hours before the bulk of Contentment’s staff were to arrive, Willow overheard a nervous Tara rehearsing a welcome speech. Willow had never seen Tara in such a state, stammering her way through nearly every line. She knew, of course, that Tara had had quite problem speaking when she was younger, Willow just hadn’t heard her that nervous before.
That same day, however, Willow was surprised yet again when the director stepped in front of the crowd of new arrivals and spoke without a hint of the former impediment. That Tara had been the picture of confidence and strength. Completely in control, of herself and the situation, Tara was definitely in charge. For a while, Willow just sat in awe and tried to reconcile the two facets of Tara’s personality.
And each day, she amazes me more than the day before Willow thought as she watched the director interact with the Leadership Staff.
The small group nearby met one last time with Tara for a few moments to discuss the evening’s training schedule and then they, too, left the area.
Tara, aware that Willow had waited for her, extended her hand to the redhead. “Walk with me a while?”
Willow happily took the offered hand in her own, and the two made their way around the pond in companionable silence for some time. Tara finally led Willow to the end of a dock positioned in a rather secluded corner of the small pond. As they stood together, Willow realized that they were nearly concealed from view so she dropped her chin onto Tara’s shoulder and wrapped her arms around the blond from behind.
“Thank you for trusting me,” Willow whispered close to Tara’s ear.
Tara placed her own arms over Willow’s and squeezed gently in response to her words.
“Hey Wil?” Tara asked in a surprisingly cheerful voice.
Willow made a noise indicating that she was listening so Tara continued, “Have you ever been swimming in a pond? Or are you a pool kind of girl?”
This was asked so innocently that Willow, not even having time to answer the question, never expected Tara’s next move. The director’s grip suddenly tightened on her arms and she sent both of them over the edge of the dock and into the chilly water.
While Willow came up sputtering and trying her best to make it back to the dock without drowning, Tara broke the surface in a fit of laughter.
They met at the dock, neither able to touch the bottom with their feet so they clung to the wood of the dock instead. The mirth soon left Tara’s eyes and she turned a serious gaze to Willow. “I want you to know how proud I am of you…and I’m not just talking about on the pamper pole earlier…You belong here, Wil. You’ve made a place for yourself.”
Willow couldn’t look away from the blue depths of Tara’s eyes.
Tara continued “I have watched you with the staff this week and I have been touched by your ability to care. You didn’t have to do all the training stuff, you know. Actually, everyone else already knows that, but you came and learned along with the rest of us…that means so much to me—to everyone.”
Willow had no idea how to respond to such a statement, so she remained silent. Tara could tell that while Willow remained quiet, her mind was working frantically.
Still gripping the dock with both hands for support, Tara slowly leaned towards Willow and placed a tender kiss on her lips. As Tara slowly moved her head back to look Willow in the eyes once again, she saw something there that made her breath catch in her chest. She’d seen Willow’s eyes darken with desire and yearning before, but this look was different. It shook Tara to the core.
Wordlessly, Willow moved closer to Tara so that their bodies were nearly touching. Without warning, the redhead wrapped her legs around Tara’s midsection while they both remained partially submerged. Slowly, Willow removed her hands from the dock and slid both hands into Tara’s wet hair and tilted her head back. The smaller woman lowered her lips to Tara’s neck, and the contact of her warm mouth on the chilled flesh sent shivers through Tara’s body.
There was nothing for Tara to do but continue to hold onto the sun-warmed wood of the dock, for if she let go, they would both sink simply from the weight of all of the clothing that they were wearing.
Willow continued her gentle assault on Tara, moving her mouth from the director’s neck to her ears. Tara closed her eyes and gave an involuntary gasp when Willow took the soft, cool flesh of one lobe into her mouth.
Willow eventually moved back slightly, more than pleased with the effect her kisses had on Tara and whispered in a voice thick with emotion, “You’d better be glad that I really suck at holding my breath under water, or you’d be in serious trouble.”
Tara could only stare dumbly at Willow’s lips as she spoke. Willow noticed Tara’s fascination and let out triumphant laugh.
Quickly, Willow grabbed the dock once again and unwound her legs from their position around Tara’s body.
Tara felt the rush of cold water replace the warmth that Willow’s body had provided. She remained in stunned silence for quite a few minutes as Willow moved to ladder at the end of the dock, seemingly unaffected by what happened, and climbed out of the water.
Finally, Tara began her own move to get out of the water when she heard Willow’s cheerful voice address Micah in the nearby woods.
“What happened to you?” Micah inquired of the soaked, but gleeful Willow.
“Oh, Tara was just teaching me a new game and I think I won.” Willow announced, certain she spoke loud enough for the director to catch every word.
If the purpose of the game was to make me completely lose my mind, you most definitely won Willow Rosenberg Tara thought.
Tara finally managed to climb out of the water and began walking back to the cabin she shared with Willow. Micah only sent his leader an amused look before continuing on his solo journey around the pond.
--
By the time Tara made it back to her cabin, Willow was showered, dressed, and drying her hair.
Everyone had wanted to know what happened to the director... at least it seemed as though everyone had stopped Tara as she tried to make her way to her cabin.
Tara walked through the cabin door, and straight to the bathroom. She quickly showered, wrapped a robe around herself and immediately made her way to the upstairs loft.
Willow sat on the edge of the bed and waited for Tara to speak.
The director wanted answers… “You mind telling me what that was all about?” determination brought a bit of an edge to her voice, but she quickly changed the tone. “I mean, at first, we were nice and sweet and just being near each other. Yeah, so I was just trying to have a little fun throwing us in the water, but then I thought we were getting serious and sweet again and then…you just…what was that all about?”
Willow decided to answer the question with one of her own “Tara? Do you really think I belong here?”
“Yes!” Tara responded emphatically, though clearly confused as to where the conversation was going.
“My family back home was never really big on the whole nurturing, quality time, encouraging thing…what you said about being a family really meant a lot to me.”
Willow took one more deep breath and continued. “No one’s ever trusted me the way that you do either—my friends always saw me as kind of the book-wormish, too-scared-to-do-anything geek…you never treated me that way. When I’m with you I feel like I can do just about anything—even the things I…fantasize about doing but have always been afraid of. Just once, I did what I wanted to do before I became too afraid to do it—did that make sense?”
Willow said all this rather sheepishly, with her eyes averted. Finally, she looked up to find Tara tenderly smiling at her.
Just like the first day I met her. “Are you upset with me?”
Tara would have laughed at Willow had the situation not been quite so serious—mad at her? Tara wanted nothing more than to skip dinner and keep the enchanting woman in her arms for the rest of the night! “Willow, I was never upset with you…shocked, amazed, turned-on. Upset? Not for a second. Well,
maybe for a second when it seemed like it didn’t affect you. Now I know better.”
Willow reached up, grabbed Tara’s hand and pulled her to sit on the bed in front of her. Willow snaked her arms around the other woman and held her close.
“So, exactly what do your fantasies consist of?” Tara asked beguilingly.
Willow held her smile as she responded, “Well, actually, I wonder what would happen if we were still in the woods all alone, no staffers around for miles. In fact, I think we might have wasted those first two weeks!”
Tara chuckled a bit at Willow’s admission and then settled back, happy to be held.
They sat quietly for a few moments, just enjoying being close to one another, until finally Willow broke the silence.
“Tara?”
“Yeah.”
“Do you have any idea what a wonderful director you are?”
The switch in topics would have floored Tara had she not become rather used to Willow’s quick subject changes.
“Why do you say that?” Tara queried, anticipating Willow’s response.
“I’ve just been watching you with the staff lately. You use your position to equip others to lead…you don’t keep them in your shadow. You don’t have to always be the center of attention. I think many people with power need to feel important, but you don’t.”
Tara blushed at the praise. “I just want people to know how special they are…there’s nothing really remarkable about me or what I do.”
That’s just the sort of thing I expected you to say, Tara Willow mused. “I know at least thirty-five people who would beg to differ. For years, you’ve been a part of most of their lives. They know you, and they still trust you completely. If I knew nothing else about you, I’d be impressed and say you were pretty remarkable.”
When Tara finally looked into Willow’s eyes, tears threatened to spill down her cheeks. All of the sunlight in the room caused Tara’s eyes to nearly glow and Willow thought she could stare at the other woman for the rest of her life and never grow tired. “But I
do know more about you,” Willow whispered softly, “and I happen to think you are the most amazing woman I’ve ever met.”
The final admission prompted the tears to fall, but Tara ignored them as she cupped Willow’s face and kissed her with all the longing she possessed. Willow responded to the kiss with equal passion, soon reaching to untie Tara’s robe…
--
More to come in the next 24 hrs...but only if you ask nicely.
Laurel
(Note: That wasn't the harness bit Katharyn tauted with earlier in the posts...promises promises)
Edited by: mtnlaurel at: 5/20/02 9:46:52 pm
by Drakkenfyre » Mon May 20, 2002 11:26 am 
+ 
= 
delurks 
at: 5/20/02 11:55:51 pm