Author note : I've been thinking...'where's the smut in my fic!!!' because you know, I live by smut. So there will be...like next few updates or something. But right now, I'll just take it slow. No need to hurry, right?
Here we go!!!
THE ELEMENTS >>>
Chapter One_b : Are we going to do this?
Tara arrived with her old blue Chevy car at Willow house 20 minutes early. The car which was her cousins’s car, Mikey, the only son of Uncle Jo. He just gave it to her after he bought his new luxery car with his saving.
Tara looked at herself in the back mirror one last time and lean herself back to the driver seat. The blonde witch sighed out the nervous breath.
Okay, just get out of the car and ring that goddamn doorbell! Look at you all nervous and panic. What’s wrong? You used to pick her up before, you dork! And what’s with arrive 20 minute early anyway?
Tara sighed again. After she got in this town. In these two months, sure she used to pick Willow up a few times. Like the day that they decided to go to the beach and she picked Faith and Buffy up before came here to get Willow. Or the time that Willow got sick but she really didn’t want to skip the class so Tara was asked to pick her up in the morning. That was about month ago, on Monday morning, I did try to convincing her to stay home. I worried about her sickness so much but she was so stubborn. Willow never skip Willow’s classes. Or one times that she dropped Willow home after spending the night together at The Bronze. But that packed Buffy and Faith along too. That night was Saturday night on the second week we knew each other. Tara chuckled on her sillyness behavior. Have I been counting the days? Am I counting everyday we spend time together and marking the specified dates in my heart? How silly. Tara shook her head in pity for herself. I’m such a dork.
Tara couldn’t help but sighed again, which was almost a hundred times tonight.
What’s going on with me? This is not the same pick up? Tara stared back at her blue eyes in the back mirror.The eyes that contained so much feelings hiding.
Geez, Who am I kidding! Tara rolled her eyes. It’s never the same since I first met her.
Tara thought back to the day she first met Willow.
~~~~~
In that library, on sunny day but same unbelievably bored like her entire life. Then this girl came and said ‘Hi’. Suddenly, the world seem shining, burst with glowing light from the lonely heart of her.
The friend, I never had friend. Never real friend. Hardly anyone even wants to say hello to me first. But she...That day she acknowledged that all the time she used to go to the library, Willow always sit at the table next to her. But she could only hear the sound of the paper scratching when the redhead turned the pages of those books. The sounds of the pencil scratched with papers when she writing something down. Or the sounds of typing on the little alphabet pads whenever the redhead brought her laptop in. Tara was not aware of it but later those sounds that Willow’d made begin to comforted her, delicately. That’s what Willow always does to her, warm, delicate and kind of a bit dazzling.
I never even look at her face but I always know she’s there. Tara was so shy, she never even brought herself to stole a quick glance who was that girl. But she always knew, because apart from those comforting sounds, there’s also a sweet strawberry scent from Willow drifted slowly in the air. Whenever, Tara could knew of that scent and it’s really remarkable that she knew she was going to remember this strawberry girl forever. Even I’ll never know who she is. But never once, she would think she would have a chance to being really knows that Strawberry.
Today, like everyday. She felt that the girl was walking in. The familiar strawberry scent drifted through her nostril. Tara just smiled to herself, blue eyes still looking at the pages of hundred alphabets in the book but her mind was filling over with that girl. Tara felt that girl walked pass her to the same table, putting her stuff on the flat wooden surface. The sound of the library chair’s legs slided against cold granite floor behind her reassuring that she’s really there, not just her nostril was having day dreaming. And...eh? Tara was waiting for the familiar sounds of pages of the book turning but it never came. Maybe...she needs to sit and think a bit about her work. The blonde was smiling in her head for the girl’s works. She must be really clever. With all the books she’s read, it seem like hundred....Then Tara just had to look up when she felt strong urge to gave the attention. Someone was standing near at her table and looking at her. Tara almost fainted with sudden surprise.
“Hi” It was the perfect moment that the girl voiced the word. She could remember the big green eyes that tenderly look at her yet contain so much excitement. Her beautiful face glowing in dim daylight of library. Who is she? Oh?...the strawberry scent...is she?...really? Why is she talking to me?...Tara hesitated to say something back. Her head was spinning. She wondered if it’s some kind of joke like that guy back in her hometown did. He tapped her back and said hi. After that she found herself was having the paper said ‘loser’ taped at her back all day long. It was hurt.
Anyway, this girl was not the part of that evil’s plan.
“I, um, notice that you come here everyday?” The girl said, still standing in front of her. Looking all cute with her shoulder-length red hair curled up at the end and rest on her shoulder and neck perfectly.
“Y-Yes.” Tara stuttered back, her head hung low. She was expecting to see some pity glint shine from those green eyes like everyone was a bit step aback when they heard her bad stutter. She looked up and found herself surpirsed for those green eyes that seem to glittering with some sort of overwhelm feeling.
“I’m Willow.” Oh...Willow....Tara slowly let the name mingle in her mind. Willow smiled, reaching out her hand to greet. The blonde shyly responded, shaking the offered hand. How soft. Tara thought. “Tara.” The shy girl replied softly.
“ So, Tara...” The redhead paused a few seconds and nodded slowly as if she’s savouring the name. “I saw you and thought I would just say hi ‘cause you’re here everyday. And you know, I saw you alone here,...much as I am.” Willow chuckled. “And maybe, um, well, I thought I would just say hi!” Willow was a bit nervous and Tara could notice that. Why? Tara thought. But the thought didn’t really came the the realisation. In fact, Tara could hardly think straight.
“Um, y-you s-s-saw me?” Tara couldn’t believe her ears. Somebody actually NOTICE me?
“I was always sitting there, that table, back yours.” Willow said. Motioning the way by her hand.
“Oh,...” Tara replied softly. “It’s really you.” The blonde finally let a smile washed over her face “ S-scratching paper, typing, writing and sound clever.” Tara finished and suddenly felt embarrassing by the words spoken out. Like she always secretly admiring Willow by not even looking up from her desk. Tara looked down at her book shyly and looked up again just to found that the redhead was grinning broadly. Tara was completely trown by that smile.
“You, um, heard me?” Willow said, blushing.
She’s blushing! Oh...well, did I emberass her or something?
“Y-yes. I-It’s you right? I often heard the sounds of y-your study and typing and, um, s-stuff.” Tara nervously uttered. She just didn’t use to being noticed by someone then actually greeted and actually talking like this. She was afraid that she’s going to cause some emberassment since she saw Willow blushed but she just said what she just said. The words seem to just slipped out of her, which was strange because she never talk this much to anyone. How dork of me. You’re sounding like a sneaky girl with a bit of stalker gal. Tara damned herself.
“Totally yes. You caught me.” Willow giggling softly. The blonde relieved that Willow didn’t think she’s weird. “Um, so,...” The redhead hesitated. The moment slightly turned awkward.
“ So there, you Tara, me Willow. We know each other now. And I would just let you be alone again because, um, I have a class. Which I shouldn’t miss ‘cause I never miss any classes. And you might want to be alone because I might interrupted your reading and, and, library was no place for talking. I was just...” Willow trailed off.
“A class in order, I-I know.” Tara said with a shy smiled. She couldn’t help but love this girl talking, babbling cutely. Willow could only nodded and grinned back.
Tara found herself watch the girl expression with adoration which surprise and strange to herself too. Then there was a quiet moment when Tara lost in her thought, never broke her eyes on the redhead.
They just kept staring and gave each other the silly grinned and nodded. The moment past about a half-minute until Willow spoke. “ Uh, Tara..., well,” Willow let out a breath with a resolve face. “I’ll see you later.” Willow said with a smile.
What was I doing? Did I just lose in my head, staring at her. She whom totally stranger? Tara was out of her reverie and began to panic.
“Bye, Willow, nice to a-actually know y-you.” Tara replied, stammerringly, by sudden of shyness that was creeping to her emotion.
Willow nodded and grinned. THE MOST LOVELY GRIN! Tara exclaimed in her head.
Willow walked back to gathering her stuff from the table behind the blonde. As when Willow was making her way out of the library, she walked pass Tara. Tara was unable to help herself not to look up and watch the girl stepped pass. Slightly disappointment when the redhead didn’t at least turn and gave her a last goodbye smile.
Willow continued walking out of the room. The blonde ducked her head back to the book infront of her. Despite of disappointment, she was totally hopping gleefully in her mind. She’s so cute and look so cool. I can’ t believe she NOTICE me and actually said ’hi’ . Right! Dream on, Tara. It’ s not like she’s interesting in you or anything. She just think you’ re lonely pathetic and thought it would be nice to just say hi. She’ s just being kind. Oh goddess, she’s so adorable if she thought it’d be nice to just say hi.
Hmm, Willow. Willow. Willow. How beautiful it sounds.
Get a life! It’s just a hi. Anybody could say that.
But it was Willow who ACTUALLY SAID IT.
It’ s not like you are cool to hang out with or anything. In fact, you’re just some dork girl that happens to come here everyday, sitting at this table. And Willow just being nice ‘cause you look so lonely everyday. That’s right.
She was just being nice.
Oh! so cute for being nice!
And nice is good.
~~~~
And that’ s it. Willow got her by simply ‘Hi-ing’.
Tara was really happy that day. That week, her mind went back and forth about the conversation they shared. It’s almost obsession.
Then before she knew, she kind of already became Willow’ s best friend.
Best friend with a FEELING.
The FEELING, as she thought, she didn’t really aware of it. It’s became a part of her. It’s mingle inside her.
Like tonight, she excited to pick Willow up. It should be strange to excited when you were about to pick one of your FRIEND up, but this excitement was just a part of a million kind of felling she feel for Willow. It’s a million feelings that happened when they got close, when they talked, when they saw each other in morning classes, when they exchanged knowing glances, when they shared laughs, when she simply thinking about Willow and a million whenever for whatever they had together. So Tara couldn’t really point out where the it began and end. It actually was infinity if she was daring enough to admitted it.
But, really, she couldn’t quite shake it. She couldn’t quite name it or call it like she’s been tried so many times. This feeling, she felt like it’s beyond any humanly words.
All she knew is that she felt like she’d known Willow since forever. The first time they met was like a vivid dream she had all her life, the vivid dreams that she couldn’t recall but it became a part of her. It’s like she just knew that the moment Willow walked up and said hi, it’s like she knew for the first time Willow spoke up, it's gonna change her life forever.
It changed me indeed. The security. I never felt so secure before. She’s the only one I could give my trust for. I know she’s not gonna broke me. Not like everyone could.
She always felt so warm, delicate and dazzle when she closed to Willow. Willow gave good dazzling almost every time even before we knew each other. Tara chuckles softly. The feeling was growing stronger day by day. It’d molten thickly, sweetly like sugar melting inside her and she just got use to it. Get used to the way she feel for the redhead and what she could felt from her. It’s just Willow and Tara, Tara and Willow. People can called it addictted corny obsession, she called it the truth.
Willow, the most amazing person walking on earth. The most delicate mind, so clever, so fragile, so adorable, so quirky, so silly, so goofy, so speacial...so very one speacial Willow. And between million of million people in this world and another thousand worlds, she found me.
Willow found me.
Willow.
Tara gave a last thought to savour her mind. Checked the time, she glanced at her watch. 8.10?
Ok, now or never.
Tara got out of the car. She took a moment to drink the night air and looked above into the sky. The stars were shining, glittering all over the above dark blue endless ocean. Tara felt tiny among those beautiful god’s creations. She let the million feelings inside her mingle with what’s surrounding her. I’ve changed. She realized she was having a feeling that had been gone on for a long time, the feeling where she thought...
Beautiful.
Just, everything is just beautiful.
Tara took a long deep breath.
Let her feet brought her to door step.
Let her hand leaded its way to rang the bell.
***********
TBC.
***********
Thanks for reading. Don't give up on me!
Venus blesses the kittens
*Fuzz*
*******
Hey! You're gonna back off! She said no and that's it. ~ TARA
at: 9/26/03 1:36 am
more. 
But now my time is running out and I just want to say thank you so much to everyone that replied and for everyone that reading!!! I feel very thankful for that. 
yeah, hormones...the most uncontrolable thing ever. Teenagers' hormone? W/T hormones? 
( Bad gramma update apologize. ) 
)
The next chapter is coming up and it's kind of slow progress,...I mean for the characters. And it's very detail-ey that I want to get it all out. But still, very hoping here that you'd like it too. 
or 
or 
BWR 