This is a sequel to "The River in Me" which can be found in the Completed Fics N-Z.
Title: The Edge of Silence
Rating: PG-13 to R for the most part, but some sections will be NC-17.
Disclaimer: All the characters appearing in the series Buffy The Vampire Slayer as well as the names, titles and back story are the sole copyright property of Joss Whedon and Mutant Enemy. No copyright infringement was intended in the writing of this fanfic. I’m just playing in the sandbox. The chapter headings are from “Darkness, Darkness” by Solas (covering a Youngbloods song) - no copyright infringement intended here either.
Notes: Setting is during Season Four immediately after events of “Who Are You?” and picks up almost immediately after my fic "The River in Me".
Warning: Unlike “River” this one is going to be long, and isn’t completely written and just awaiting beta. So updates will be slower…. Kittens, you know the story; this is my version of what else happened. There’s lots of goodness, sex, and increasing angst since it will include “Superstar,” “WTWTA” and “NMR”.
Ciao, Triscuit7
************
Chapter 1: Be My Pillow (rated R to be safe)
Tara stretched carefully so as not to disturb the redhead who was wrapped around her. She hissed slightly as her sleeping lover wriggled closer, jostled by her small movement. “Not comfortable” was probably a fair assessment of her condition. Yet she so didn’t want this – this everything – to end, even so briefly as for a quick trip to the bathroom. Turning her head, she glanced at the clock and froze.
Monday. Classes. They no longer had to worry about the morning ones - time had passed them by – and Tara’s next class wasn’t until late in the afternoon – but Willow still had one afternoon class left, and way less than an hour to get to it.
She spoke softly in her lover’s ear. “Sweetie, time to get up.” No response. “Willow, hey.” This time she nuzzled the redhead.
“Unnnnn.”
“Willow, sweetie, you have to get up.”
“Don’ wanna.” Willow’s arms gripped her more tightly as the redhead attempted to burrow into her.
She gasped as the pressure on her bladder increased.
“Tare?” Willow’s head finally came up. “You okay?”
“I’m okay, just have to pee.”
“Ohhh,” Willow’s arms released her as she shifted her head to a pillow and closed her eyes again.
“Sweetie…..”
“S’okay, but come back.”
Tara eased up onto an elbow and looked down at her drowsy lover. Subtlety was obviously not going to work. Oh, well. “Willow. Don’t you have classes on Monday?”
“Uhh-huhh,” the redhead mumbled into her pillow.
“Sweetie, ….” Tara stopped in shock as Willow bolted from the bed.
“Oh. OH! Time! What time is it?” Green eyes scanned the room desperately.
“Afternoon. Oneish,” Tara replied as she sat up. Her eyes caressed her lover and she smiled. Naked Willow in the, uh, well it wasn’t morning anymore, but…..
“Omigod!” The redhead was frantic, then she went utterly still, a look of total devastation on her face.
Without a moment’s hesitation, Tara was by her lover’s side. “What, sweetie?” Her hands reaching, caressing, holding. “What’s wrong?”
“Calculus! I have a test in less than half an hour!”
“Th-th-there’s still time. You can m-make it.” She released her lover and grabbed up her robe and kit. “Here, go shower.”
“Tara, I can’t! I don’t have any clothes left here – well, unless I wear those again,” Willow gestured at the pile on the floor and wrinkled her nose fastidiously. “And I don’t have time to go back to my room ….”
“Go shower. I’ll find you something.”
The redhead hesitated, then nodded, slipped on the offered robe, and ducked out the door.
Smiling slightly, Tara pulled open a drawer and selected a t-shirt. It would be a bit big, but doable. A camisole was next. No bra she had would fit the smaller woman. Images of Willow’s breasts flitted through her head and she closed her eyes at the memory. Perfect breasts. Strawberry nipples.
She shook herself and reluctantly opened her eyes. Dressing Willow was not nearly as much fun as undressing her. Underpants – well, a pair of her boxers would work. The silk ones had a drawstring and elastic. And not pants - nothing she had would stay on the redhead’s more slender frame. A wrap skirt, maybe. She was just pulling everything together as the door opened again and Willow slipped back inside.
“Here, it’s going to be b-b-big, but, …”
“It’ll be perfect, just like you.” Willow smiled at her and took the proffered clothing. The smile broadened as the redhead looked at her.
“Wh-wh-what?”
“You are so beautiful standing there naked. I could just …” Willow shook herself.
“Your test …” Tara caressed her lover’s cheek and tucked an errant strand of red hair behind her ear. It was much darker wet.
“Test, right, which I SO didn’t study for, and … god, I love it when you touch me.” The redhead shivered, then backed up a pace. “Clothes. Getting into them now.” Willow slipped the robe off, grinning as she tossed it on the bed.
Tara dropped her outstretched hand and smiled back. “Okay, you’re naked, I’m naked, seems only fair that we’re naked together.”
“You’re distracting me again. All this naked talk makes it hard for me to think about anything but nakedness.” As she spoke, the redhead was hurriedly donning the clothes.
“Naked’s good.” Tara agreed. “But now I am, and you’re not.” She sighed.
Willow finished shrugging into the t-shirt and finger-combed her hair back into place. “But naked Tara is sooo good.” A short stride brought her into Tara’s embrace.
Tara kissed the redhead gently. “Go on, or you’ll be way late.”
Willow’s hands stroked her back lightly, and reluctantly the redhead pulled away. “Bye.”
Tara stood for several moments simply smiling at the closed door. She gathered up her robe and put it on. Bathroom. Shower. Breakfast. Well, okay, lunch. She had to read several chapters before her sociology class. And it was going to be hard to concentrate with thoughts of naked Willow bouncing through her brain. Very hard, but the images were very good indeed.
She opened the door and slipped out. Pulling it closed, she turned ...
… and found herself face to face with her neighbors from either side, one of the guys from across the hall, and some other guy she only vaguely recognized. Oh gods. She stared at the four of them, aware that she must look something like a deer caught in a car’s headlights.
“She emerges at last, just like a butterfly.” The girl from next door – Jo, she thought her name was – straightened where she’d been leaning on the wall.
“Was that her doing the mad dash?” Steve from across the hall asked.
Tara darted her eyes from one to another.
“What’s her deal? I mean, with the skedaddling? That’s sooo not cool.” Allen, who was her other next door neighbor, frowned as he spoke.
“And what’s her name?” Steve queried.
“W-W-W- ...” Tara ducked her head, unable to speak.
“Her name’s Willow,” the stranger rumbled. “At least that’s what I heard.”
She looked up at him shocked. Appalled. Horrified. She was certain she was going to faint.
“I don’t thing we’ve ever been introduced. I’m Scott. I was just stopping by to pick up some notes from Steve’s roomie and bumped into these guys.” With a slight smile, he continued, “I’ve got the room right over yours.” He reached out to shake her hand, but stopped the motion when she cringed. “Hey, it’s okay.”
Jo stepped between them. “Guys, let’s ease up. I’m beginning to think this wasn’t such a good idea after all.” She smiled reassuringly at Tara. “My idea; we just wanted to let you know, well, that it’s cool, is all. I just goofed. You’re so quiet that, ummm, last night was kinda a surprise, is all.
“O-k-kay.” Tara stood up a little straighter and hesitantly looked at each of them. She only knew them to say good morning, or hello, or good night. Gods, this was weird!
“So, her name’s Willow?” Steve asked for clarification.
“Y-Y-,” she gave up and simply nodded.
“Wait, I know her now, just didn’t recognize her from the back. Willow Rosenfel … no, Rosenberg. She’s in my Psych class, buddy-buddy with this itty bitty blon ...” Allen’s mouth snapped shut as possible implications sank in.
“B-B-Buffy. Th-th-they’re f-friends. Just friends.” She finished in a rush. But she’s more than friends with me. She smiled at the thought.
“You look like the cat that ate the canary.” Jo snickered, and then turned red as she realized what she’d said.
Tara smiled smugly and didn’t bother to hide it. “Sh-sh-she had a t-test.”
“Not in biology, I take it?” Scott queried with that soft smile of his.
“N-no, m-math.” She answered him. “I-I-I’m s-s-sorry a-b-b-bout l-last …”
The big man interrupted her. “No problem, Tara. I listened long enough to make sure what it was – that it wasn’t something serious - and then I put on my headphones. He grinned at her. “What I did hear sounded much nicer than the little dog noises my next door neighbor makes with her boyfriend. I’m cool. Gotta run though, I’m dungeon master for an RPG over at the Union tonight. Be seeing ya.” He strolled off.
She was so intent on watching his progress down the hall that she missed part of what Allen was saying.
“….don’t understand that role-playing thing. Bunch of wannabe vampires and witches. As if.” He snorted and shook his head. “Well, I’ve gotta go too. I hear the books calling.”
As he walked the short distance to his room, Jo and Steve provided book noises, “Allen. Aaallen. Aaaaallen.”
“Frickin’ idiots.” He closed the door on them.
“Me, I’m for a nap ….” Steve waggled his eyebrows. “Didn’t get much sleep last night for some reason.” He paused in his doorway with a thoughtful expression. “Y’know, none of my girlfriends ever screamed my name. Maybe we should compare notes” Mercifully, he closed his door without waiting for her answer.
“You’re okay?” Jo was still watching her closely.
“Y-Y-yes.” Tara nodded for emphasis.
“I’m really sorry about the surprise and all, but…”
“N-N-no, it’s … it’s okay.”
Jo looked at her intently for a moment, touched her arm gently, and grinned. “Yeah, it sounded like it.” She turned back to her room, but stopped halfway. “And Tara?”
“Wh-wh-what?”
“I didn’t hear you stutter once last night.” Jo grinned again.
Tara blushed furiously but smiled back a little shyly. The last door closed and for a long moment she stood alone in the hallway. She’d never have expected such an encounter, never expected that people she barely knew could be so nice. And so infuriating! She blushed again at the thoughts.
Headphones … dog noises … not stuttering.
She wandered a little dazedly down the hall to the bathroom. When she got back to her room, she was going to hit the books. She wasn’t a witch wannabe. It wasn’t a game to her. There’d be a spell in one of her mother’s books, something that would dampen sound. Her homework would have to wait until she found it, because she had no intention of suggesting to Willow that they be quiet.
She liked it when Willow screamed her name.
*******
(edited in a futile attempt to fix a broken link)
Edited by: Triscuit7 at: 8/16/03 6:22 pm