Posts: 2674
Registered: Sep 2000 posted February 10, 2001 02:16
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I am going to be writing a short piece for the occassion. I was wondering if anyone wanted to join the challenge, or perhaps have any suggestions. Anyone have anything they'd like to see in the fics? I know it's kind of late but maybe someone else will join me.
------------------
Tara: And see those stars along there? That's the bottom of the pineapple.
Willow: It's big.
Tara: Hence the name.

tommo
Big Pineapple

Posts: 704
Registered: Sep 2000 posted February 10, 2001 07:23
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ahem.....well, just thought I'd get the ball rolling so to speak. I have written what is, for me, a *short* piece...heh heh...it's not that short, believe me.
If the moderators want to delete it, feel free. It's pretty crappy anyway. But I was feeling kind of wicked and decided to write a different slant on Valentine's Day for you all, if you want it.

And let's face it, someone has to set a standard you can all do better than (without really trying....I know you can....)

Let me know if it has 'too much description'.....hee hee.....sorry, just bitching there....

tommo
Big Pineapple

Posts: 704
Registered: Sep 2000 posted February 10, 2001 07:29
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
And here it is:
TITLE: Different
RATING: Not sure, it’s not smut, but it has undertones…
SYNOPSIS: Willow and Tara and Valentines and Day….kind of thing….present problems and confusions….
DISCLAIMER: Even when I’m at my worst, Joss creates Willow and Tara and makes me feel special. How does he do that?

“What do you get the girl who has everything for Valentine’s Day?” Tara leaned across and whispered in Buffy’s ear as the lecturer’s voice increased to a dull monotone.

Buffy raised her eyebrows and shrugged, “Dunno, you find her and I’ll ask her,” she grinned.

“No….I meant Willow.” Tara couldn’t help smiling despite herself. With only one week to go before Valentine’s Day, she was still stumped for the gift that said ‘I love you’.

“Well, duh.” Buffy smirked back. She waited whilst the Professor made one more circuit of his table, then knitted her brows together and pushed her lips into her ‘thinking face’ expression. “How about something witchy?” she suggested, realising as soon as it was out of her mouth that it was likely Tara had already covered that one.

“She has witchy stuff….I….I want this to be different.” Tara murmured, a faint smile spreading her lips as she thought about her girlfriend. She leant back in her chair, remembering the last time she had even considered buying a Valentine’s gift, it had all gone terribly wrong. The object of her affections had turned out to be….she winced….somewhat ungrateful. In many ways. Her mother had told her that children could be very cruel. Somehow that hadn’t helped.

Still, she mused, she wasn’t going to have half the people she knew laughing at her this year. Knowing that her present would be appreciated wasn’t the problem. Knowing what present to buy, was. It was all well and good playing the ‘witch card’ when it came to buying gifts for Willow, but, Tara sighed to herself, she wanted their Valentine’s Day to be special. Their first Valentine’s Day together, a thrill leapt from her heart to the roots of her hair, flushing her face a shade of pink. Being in love with Willow was something quite unusual. Which, her expression turned downcast again, was why she thought that their celebratory gift should be too.

She decided that after their lecture, she would go and see Anya. Ex demon or no ex demon, all suggestions were welcome. And Anya was always creative in a freaky kind of way. Brightening considerably, Tara turned her attention back to the Professor and being studious. For the next few minutes at least, until her thoughts turned once again to her girlfriend, drifting her off into Willowland until the hour was up.

**********

“Hearts and flowers?” Anya mused, scribbling figures onto the pad always within reach on the counter in front of her. She looked up at the redhead who was pacing the floor of the magic shop as though she was trying to wear a groove in it. “I’ve done the hearts bit, never the flowers,” she said grimly, “Although the hearts at the time were fresh, still beating mostly.” A grin covered her face as she remembered times past, “One year, I ripped out the heart of a cheating man and made him –“

“Anya, you’re not really helping.” Willow said, stopping her pacing for a second to cast a baleful glance across at the ex-demon. Anya shrugged and returned to her figure-juggling behind the counter, as Willow paced for a couple more seconds, then threw herself into one of the chairs at the huge table where the Scoobies often researched.

“I want to do something different for Tara,” she said, speaking to no one in particular, realising that as far as sentiment went, Anya was probably going to be a complete waste of time. “I want to show her how much she means to me,” she added softly, reaching up and tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. Folding her arms, she leaned back against the chair and let out a sigh of frustration. She’d been thinking about this since January and still hadn’t come up with any bright ideas, and Valentine’s Day was only a couple of days away.

“Say it with eye of newt!” Anya suggested brightly, holding up a jar of floating eyes.

Willow grimaced, “Thanks, but I’m not exactly sure what that would say. Besides,” she shook her head as Anya tucked the jar behind the counter, “witch stuff is what we do all the time. This should be special. She’s special.” A smile covered her face fleetingly as she remembered just the previous evening Tara had conjured a particularly beautiful rose out of thin air. The blonde had dismissed it as a parlour trick, but not before she had got down on one knee and handed it over to Willow, in an amusing and oddly comforting manner.

“Tara told me what she’s got you, although her enthusiasm for it seemed a bit much for just one day. Your traditions are strange and unsettling,” Anya commented bluntly, “If you love someone, doesn’t it matter that you love them the whole year round, not just on one day?”

“Well….yeah,” Willow nodded thoughtfully, “But this is our one chance to get to make a big deal out of it.” She sighed again, loudly enough to make Anya roll her eyes and mutter something to herself under her breath. “I wish I could, you know, show her that she’s different.”

“Why don’t you just write it on paper in big letters? That way she’s sure to know.”

Willow got up out of the chair and made her way to the door. “Anya, I don’t want to be offensive or anything,” she began slowly, “but you’re not really much help. You’ve spent too much time being demony to know about romance.”

“Sure, that’s right,” Anya called after Willow as the redhead left the shop in a cloud of desperation, “Throw that one back at me why don’t you?” She turned back to her accounts and shook her head, leaning on the counter, “You eviscerate a generation and the whole world thinks you’re evil…”

************

Clicking the ‘send’ button, Tara sat back in her chair, feeling quite pleased with herself. She hardly ever came to the computer lab, feeling that it was beyond her ken to play around with the Internet. But, on the insistence of Willow, she had acquired a user-friendly knowledge of the world wide web; something that had come in handy when she had decided to search for gifts that would offer her alternatives to chocolates and flowers. Luckily, Anya had suggested the Internet (her pet hobby at the moment) and Tara had subsequently informed her of a great site she’d found to buy presents from. She’d come here today with her charge card to do just that.

Finding the perfect present for Willow would always elude her, she told herself, but she had ordered some books that might make the redhead happy. Express delivery too, expected the next day. Combine that with a romantic dinner and some heavy duty snuggling, that should make the perfect Valentine’s Day. Well, she pushed at her hair, flicking it back over her shoulder, passably perfect anyway.

Getting up from behind the computer, she made for the exit only to bump into Willow, who was just arriving. A flush of secrecy covered her face as the delighted smile of her girlfriend shone into her eyes.

“Hey!” Willow reached automatically for her hand, as she often did, squeezing it tight in greeting.

“Uh…hey,” Tara said weakly, hoping that she was a better liar than she had tried to be in the past. Hiding things from Willow was something she definitely flunked, in bright colours. “I was just….uh…checking something up….I mean out,” she started, then gave up, looking down at the ground.

“You could have used my laptop,” Willow said, looking around the practically empty room before leaning forward to plant a soft kiss on the cheek of the blushing blonde.

“Er….yeah….I will, um, next time.” Tara said, flashing her girlfriend a quick smile. Willow was always so sweet to her. Perhaps one day she would be able to repay her for the kindness she showed, in surprising constancy. Being able to depend on someone, especially Willow, was something she would never be able to quite work out.

“I was gonna do some reports but….how about lunch?” the redhead suggested. Nodding, Tara let the redhead lead her out of the computer lab and off down the corridor.

**********

Opening the door to her room, Willow led Tara inside and closed the door behind them. The simple quiet of the room echoed Tara’s own somewhat; they had both tried really hard to create a getaway place for just the two of them, especially since that time last year when Buffy had almost walked in on them when they were in a ‘delicate’ position.

“Um…I thought we were going for lunch.” Tara turned to face her girlfriend, a confused expression on her face.

“We are.” Willow moved forward to take Tara in her arms.

“So what are we having?” A grin covered Tara’s face as she recognised the wicked glint shading Willow’s eyes.

The other girl moved closer to the blonde, tightening her hold on the firm body against her own. Leaning forward, she trailed her lips down Tara’s neck, smirking at the breathless reaction it elicited. “Well,” Willow murmured, “I thought I’d have you, then you can have me if you like.”

Giggling, Tara slid her arms around Willow’s slight body and pulled her in closer. “Smooth talker,” she whispered against the silken hair that was tickling her chin, “Is this how you seduce all your women?”

“Naturally,” Willow tittered, the sound trickling into Tara’s ears with a gratifying quality. “Although you’re my first. And last.” She leant back and looked up into the blue eyes that were wide and expectant in front of her. Smiling, Willow reached up to touch Tara’s cheek, letting her fingertip slide down the warm softness as the blonde girl’s eyes flickered shut. “I love you Tara,” she said simply, “Not just for Valentine’s, but forever.”

Tara opened her eyes, glistening azure with tears and smiled into her lover’s face. “I love you too Willow,” she said, moving forward slowly until their lips met in a loving kiss.

**********

Sunlight crept in through Willow’s shaded windows until it caressed the face of the sleeping girls. Tara shifted slightly, her arm possessively draped over Willow’s slumbering form. She opened her eyes, blinking against the light and smiled, leaning her head up onto one hand so that she could watch Willow’s face as she slept.

A familiar ache filled her heart as she remembered that she was the luckiest girl in the world, to wake up beside the most loving woman she had ever known. Not just for Valentine’s, she recalled Willow’s words to her the previous day, before the day had stretched into the late afternoon and then the evening. Not just for one day, but for always, she told herself, her lips parting into a broad grin. For always and always and…..

She stopped, suddenly remembering that today was Valentine’s Day. A frown covered her brow as she wondered if her parcel had arrived. She had arranged to have it sent to Willow’s room, as the dorm mothers were kind enough to place packages outside doors. Especially on special occasions like this.

Without wanting to wake Willow, Tara eased herself out of the bed and padded across the room towards the door, slipping on a robe as she did so. Willow turned over and muttered something about ‘sidewinders in a tree’ before burying her face into the pillow. Giggling under her breath, Tara opened the door; she had loved Willow’s sleep talking ever since that first night they had spent together. The nights she did spend alone seemed quiet and dull by comparison.

Her gaze fell into the corridor and then down to the ground, where a package lay just outside the room. Picking it up, Tara closed the door with a tiny ‘click’ and made her way back to the bed. For books, the parcel was surprisingly light.

“Hey, wake up sleepy head,” she whispered softly, leaning forward and planting a kiss onto Willow’s head.

Stirring, Willow opened her eyes and looked up at the angelic face of the woman she loved. Waking up next to Tara was one of the best things about their relationship, she thought, as well as talking with Tara, eating with Tara, sleeping with Tara…..she felt a warm glow shoot through her body as the blonde sat back slightly, looking down at her with an expression of pure love. This was the real deal all right.

Willow sat up, pulling the covers around her and pushing at her hair with one hand. “Good morning sweetheart,” she said drowsily.

“And Happy Valentine’s Day,” Tara added, leaning forward to place an exuberant kiss onto the redhead’s lips.

“Oh, of course,” Willow grinned, her gaze flicking between Tara’s excited expression and the brown package on the bed. “Happy Valentine’s.”

“This is for you,” Tara said almost proudly, pushing the parcel into Willow’s hands. “Open it.”

“I got you something too…” Willow began, but Tara shook her head and shoved the parcel a little closer to the redhead.

“You first, then me.”

Willow sighed, then nodded briefly, her face splitting into a smile as she pulled the paper off the box beneath. Looking up at Tara, she saw the blonde watching her expectantly, a childlike light filling her eyes.

The redhead opened the box, pulled out the packing paper inside, then stopped, her eyes widening and her mouth dropping open. Slowly, she turned her gaze up to meet Tara’s, noticing a slight confusion in the other girl’s eyes.

“D-don’t you like them?” Tara asked, her voice small and tinged with disappointment.

“Oh….” Willow breathed, an incredulous smile covering her mouth, reaching up to fill her eyes. She put her hand into the box and brought out a pair of leather restraints, complete with buckles and adjustment straps. Holding them in front of her, they swung between the two girls, eliciting rather different reactions from the two pairs of eyes transfixed on them.

Tara stared at them in horror. “Th-that’s not what I –“

“Oh Tara, this is….” Willow cut her off, a gleeful grin pasted foolishly across her face. “I mean….these are just….” She turned to look into the blonde’s eyes and shook the restraints slightly. “Well it’s different, I’ll say that.” She giggled, whether through pleasure or embarrassment she wasn’t sure.

“B-but I didn’t order –“ Tara shook her head wildly, feeling the scarlet flush cover her cheeks, her eyes wide in amazement. She hadn’t bothered even looking at the websites Anya had suggested, not once she’d stumbled onto the first one, anyway.

“This is perfect. Thank you.” Willow leaned over and grabbed Tara to her in a passionate kiss, shoving the packaging off the bed, where it fell onto the floor with a ‘thunk’.

“I suppose a romantic breakfast is out of the question then?” Tara’s voice drifted up from the bed as Willow leant over her, laughing in response.

**********

Outside the room, Anya held the package to her chest, grinning in a way that wasn’t so far off a demonic smile. Books, she tutted to herself, shaking her head slightly. What the hell was she going to do with books? Still, she mused, as she made her way down the corridor and out of Willow’s dorm, it would be the last time Willow ever made cracks about her not knowing what to buy for Valentine’s Day….

------------------
You don't have to mad to be Drusilla....but it helps...

Warduke
Willowhand

Posts: 397
Registered: Nov 2000 posted February 10, 2001 07:56
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
tommo, great fic
I LOVE that last Anya line..."What the hell was she going to do with books?"...that's exactly what Anya would say

Roxton
Gay Now!

Posts: 1326
Registered: Sep 2000 posted February 10, 2001 08:34
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Thanks tommo, I thoroughly enjoyed the story. Anya does seem to know what she's talking about when it comes to sex.


drlloyd11
Cool Monster Fighter

Posts: 252
Registered: Sep 2000 posted February 10, 2001 09:47
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I was going to propose something way simple,
repost the comic image on the bed (minus word ballons)
and ask for the best fill in the blank.
OK, not very intellectual, but still.
I have been working on the same two fics for over nine months, and one has a V-Day connection, its unlikely to be done by feb 14 (or any other day).
Anyway, the 11th aniversirary of me and my co-pilot of love is feb 17 (it was a post velentine days moping that brought us together) so I have to think of something for the girl who has everything myself.

tommo
Big Pineapple

Posts: 704
Registered: Sep 2000 posted February 10, 2001 10:24
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
*bows*
I thank you. I may feel inspired to write another. Only this time, no Anya, no bondage.....

------------------
You don't have to mad to be Drusilla....but it helps...

SJ
Doll's eye crystal

Posts: 103
Registered: Dec 2000 posted February 10, 2001 11:00
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Great fic! I can only write in script form.


xita
Ms. Moderator Fantastico

Posts: 2674
Registered: Sep 2000 posted February 10, 2001 11:22
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
RUTH! My god, fantastic! You just got inspired don't you. I loved Anya in this and our girls were perfect as always. I can totally picture that!
drlloyd, that's a fantastic idea, I have a couple of ideas now rolling around in my head. We'll see which one gets written. Wish me luck!

april
Gay Now!

Posts: 1191
Registered: Oct 2000 posted February 10, 2001 15:15
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ah ruth, you see "family" for the first time and it just brings out the sappy fool in you...happens to the best of us...
(i loved it. anya can pick out *my* valentines day present anytime! hey, i still haven't gotten something for my gf...)

Rane
Willowhand

Posts: 342
Registered: Sep 2000 posted February 10, 2001 18:21
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
i haven't posted in sooo long that i didn't even remember my password! :/ so i got the email with it and here i am ready to finally say *great job*!!!! i must say i was very surprised by the straps... ay anya! how i love that girl!
xita! i cant wait to read your fic!

tommo
Big Pineapple

Posts: 704
Registered: Sep 2000 posted February 11, 2001 14:38
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ooookay then, *cracks knuckles* here's my next attempt at a Valentine's Day fic. It's kind of short but, you know, I just *can't* stop writing about them....

------------------
You don't have to mad to be Drusilla....but it helps...

tommo
Big Pineapple

Posts: 704
Registered: Sep 2000 posted February 11, 2001 14:40
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
TITLE: Just Waiting
SYNOPSIS: Willow is in some confusion.
DISCLAIMER: Joss owns Willow and Tara…..but I’ll always have their finger holding for myself….

Willow reached down and fiddled with the box on the table in front of her for the tenth time in five minutes. She turned the velvet cube around, aligning it with the plaid pattern on the tablecloth, then turning it diagonally, then back straight once more. She glanced down at her watch, checking that it wasn’t running slow, or had stopped, or anything like that.

It wasn’t.

It hadn’t.

Running a hand through her hair, she smoothed down a kink of auburn that had crept past her ear, pushing it back. As soon as her hand left her hair, the red strands flipped out again, with a rebellious wave in the corner of her eye. Sighing, she turned her attentions back to the box in front of her. A strange feeling fluttered its way through her stomach, up to her heart, clenching hold with a ferocious grip before passing up into her throat. Nerves. Willow had suffered with nerves all her life; usually they caused incessant babbling, but, seeing as there was no one here to actually talk to, her voice was running at a hundred miles a minute inside her head.

She glanced at her watch again. Two minutes late. Tara was already two minutes late. What if that two minutes stretched into five, then ten, then twenty….she stopped herself. Worrying about it wasn’t going to do any good. Tara would be here, she knew that. All she had to think about was what she was going to say.

In the privacy of her own room, Willow had decided that a simple greeting would be best, like ‘hi’ or ‘how are you’ or something like that. But, she reminded herself; she knew just how Tara would be. Achingly beautiful and breathtakingly in love with her, just as she always was. Sometimes, Willow would catch a glimpse of her girlfriend when they were at the magic shop, or talking to the other Scoobies, or just reading. Tara would flash her a quick grin or smile gently at her, or simply just meet her gaze. That always sent Willow’s heart leaping into the sky above her, filling her whole self with a love that she had only ever read about in books. She knew, in those moments, that the love they shared was perfect.

‘Okay’, she told herself, ‘maybe I’ll start with a hug, or a hand hold, physical touching is always a good thing.’ Remembering that reminded her of how Tara liked to hold her hand when they watched TV together. Just last night the blonde had snuggled up next to Willow and intertwined their fingers as they giggled over some corny comedy. Tara’s physical closeness was a warmth that never ceased to fill Willow with a wonder and pleasure she had not quite succeeded in feeling anywhere else, with anyone else.
Her attention returned to the box on the table in front of her. They had arranged to meet at this restaurant for a Valentine’s Day meal. Something romantic, Tara had suggested. Willow, agreeing, had failed to mention that she would be bringing Tara something special, her gift to her girlfriend to mark their first Valentine’s Day.

Willow touched the box gently, running her fingers over the smooth velvet surface, brushing the black material first one way, then the other. She had gone out and searched all the jewellery shops in town until she had found the perfect present. A ring.

Not just any ring though, she cajoled herself along. This was a ring that was crafted from the purest silver, with an amber stone in the middle. She had thought that the colour would offset Tara’s hair and eyes pretty well. Shrugging, she wished that she felt so sure of that now. What if Tara hated it and accepted it just to be nice? What if she didn’t like rings? What if she didn’t want a ring from Willow?

“Would madam care for a drink whilst she is waiting?”

Startled, Willow looked up to see a waiter hovering over her, his pompous tone shocking her out of her myriad of crazy thoughts. Her mouth opened, but nothing came out, her mind reaching for a language the waiter would be likely to understand.

“Uh…”

“Perhaps some wine?” The waiter assumed an air of civil indifference, his gaze roaming over her in a way that she found distinctly unpleasant.

“Oh…I’m not old enough to…” she began, then waved her hand around, dismissing her words. “No thank you,” she managed to say, all in one breath, despite the fact that her heart was catching the very air from her throat as she spoke. “I’m fine. Just some water?”

The waiter pursed his lips like he had just smelt something bad, nodding curtly and walking away. Willow hardly noticed his reaction, so transfixed was she on the little black box in front of her. She knew that she needed to trust it more. There was no one like Tara; no one had ever made her feel so complete, so sure.

A couple of days ago, she had broached the subject of Valentine’s Day with Tara, who had blushed her way through some memories before relaying her history of romances right up to Willow. They had been lying on Willow’s bed at the time, arms linked, Tara’s fingers brushing gently over Willow’s wrist.

When Willow had told Tara that this year, Valentine’s Day would be special, Tara had pushed herself up and leant over the redhead, kissing her gently on the lips. Sometimes, when Tara did that, Willow felt dizzy with the mere intimacy of it all. Tara had the most sensuous lips she had ever felt, a feather touch of moist warmth on her own mouth. After she had kissed her, Tara had placed two fingers onto Willow’s lips and had told her that every day with Willow was special; that every day was like Valentine’s Day with her.

Remembering that now, Willow’s own fingers reached up to lie gently on her lips, recalling that kiss with a smile. Somehow, Tara always knew what to say to make her feel loved and wanted. She guessed it had something to do with the bond she had felt ever since that fateful night in the laundry room.

A sigh worked its way out of the redhead’s mouth, colouring her face with a pattern of happiness and longing. She knew that, whatever happened, Tara was going to be right there by her side. Together, as they should be.

Her gaze fell once more to the box on the table and she smiled again, confidence building inside of her as the seconds passed by. That tiny trickle of doubt dropped away and fell from her mind as she sat up straight in her chair. Just waiting.

------------------
You don't have to mad to be Drusilla....but it helps...

xita
Ms. Moderator Fantastico

Posts: 2674
Registered: Sep 2000 posted February 11, 2001 14:50
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Oh Ruth, that really moistened my eyes. How very sweet that is. Willow so insecure and sure at the same time. Yes perfect love. Great stuff, I need a moment now.


Dr.G
Gay Now!

Posts: 1022
Registered: Jan 2001 posted February 11, 2001 15:22
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ruth, this is me chiming in for my official WooHoo!!!
Admit it! You are a closeted romantic...

------------------

"Hello! Tarasexual now..."

[This message has been edited by Dr.G (edited February 11, 2001).]

tommo
Big Pineapple

Posts: 704
Registered: Sep 2000 posted February 11, 2001 15:39
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

quote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Originally posted by Dr.G:
Admit it! You are a closeted romantic...

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Um....I've given this a lot of thought and I've realised that I have been lying to everyone on the kitty board for a long time.

It's true. I have a romantic soul.

...sob....Family....sob....

I'm probably going to do one fic per day until Valentine's Day, so if you're not a fan of my ramblings, avoid this post at all costs...heh heh

------------------
You don't have to mad to be Drusilla....but it helps...

[This message has been edited by tommo (edited February 11, 2001).]

Roxton
Gay Now!

Posts: 1326
Registered: Sep 2000 posted February 11, 2001 16:42
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
That was wonderful Ruth. You have to have a romantic soul to write great romance, and you do write great romance.

Hugin
Ms. Moderator Fantastico

Posts: 541
Registered: Sep 2000 posted February 11, 2001 21:54
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Okay, a super short, sappy Valentine's day scene fic thing. Because I've been all sniffly and sappy about W/T and love in general lately.
Title: Seeing the Real
Rating: Um, pretty clean I think.
Disclaimer: Not mine, neither of them, damn my luck.

It had been a lovely night. Willow had gone a little overboard with the flowers, and with what looked like Buffy's help, had gone overboard, or er...underboard?, with the outfit as well. Actually, on second thought Tara might write Buffy a thank-you note if she wasn't too embarassed. All in all, a wonderful, romantic Valentines day so far. Now they were back in her dorm room, snuggled up on the bed, and Tara was ready to give Willow her present. Tara reached across Willow to her dresser, and pulled out what she had worked so hard on just for this occasion.

"Here. I made it. Well, kinda. I bought it, but then..oh, you'll see."

Willow unwrapped the little paper wrapped packet and pulled out a tiny silver locket. "Oh, it's beautiful!" Willow let the locket dangle from it's chain for a moment. "Thank you sweetie."

Willow handed the locket and chain over and leaned forward so Tara could put it on her. Tara fumbled with the clasp a moment while Willow giggled into her neck, but finally got it to go, and pulled away so they could both admire the locket as it lay against Willow's pale skin. Tara nodded her head, a tiny bit of excitement and apprehension in her voice. "Go ahead and open it."

Willow reached up and slid her thumbnail up between the edges of the locket, and pressed it open and...a redheaded woman bends over to drink from a water fountain, her hair falling forward over her eyes as the water trickles over her lips and and the sunlight reflects off of the water and her eyes...laughing, her eyes half closing as she rolls over in bed and reaches out and...sleeping, her face smooth and luminous, stray shafts of moonlight falling across her bare shoulders in the dimness and...the smell of soap and sweat and tickly hair and soft skin and, and, and...aching beauty and strength and love and love and love and...

Willow closed the locket with shaking fingers.

"T-tara...I..how?"

Tara looked at Willow shyly. "I, um, I bound this spell to the locket...so it holds thoughts and feelings and memories and things? I held it and thought about you while I was casting it. Do you like it?"

Tara was alarmed by the stricken look on Willow's face.

"Tara.." Willow's eyes started to fill with tears, and she waved her hands around feebly in protest. "It's just...it's too much. It's not possible. How can? I mean...I don't even look like that, not with the light and the pretty and..."

Tara had been moving closer and closer as Willow babbled, a serious look on her face, and, gently but firmly she took Willow's flapping hands in her own, pulling them and Willow to her, pulling Willow close.

"But do you like it?" Tara looked worriedly into Willow's eyes.

Willow nodded shakily. "But I think you're crazy."

Tara let go of Willow's hands, brushing a stray hair away from Willow's face and beginning to kiss her tear-stained cheeks and lips.

"It's what you are. It's everything I see, or smell or anything I remember, the everything I feel, when I see you, when I'm with you. It's real. The realest thing I've ever known. I love you. Happy Valentines day."

-end

-len *still all sniffly*

[This message has been edited by Hugin (edited February 11, 2001).]

xita
Ms. Moderator Fantastico

Posts: 2674
Registered: Sep 2000 posted February 11, 2001 22:06
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ok, you guys just want to make me cry. That's so sweet. My eyes are watery. Len, you softy you. God, this challenge is working out great!


Dr.G
Gay Now!

Posts: 1022
Registered: Jan 2001 posted February 11, 2001 23:42
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
WooHoo Len!
Where you in the same closet with Ruth? This is wonderful. Thank you.

And Ruth, just keep them fics coming, I can take it! I am not afraid of romance.

------------------

"Hello! Tarasexual now..."

drlloyd11
Cool Monster Fighter

Posts: 252
Registered: Sep 2000 posted February 12, 2001 06:20
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
That was really sweet Ruth, was that just off-the-cuff?
Its amazing how quickly fanfic can get to a place you love..

tommo
Big Pineapple

Posts: 704
Registered: Sep 2000 posted February 12, 2001 09:35
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

quote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Originally posted by drlloyd11:
That was really sweet Ruth, was that just off-the-cuff?

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Off the cuff? Well, I sit down to write this stuff and it just....comes out....

And len, that's a very nice idea. I wish I was a witch so I could give my gf one of those spell lockets....sniff...sob...

------------------
I just know she likes Willow, and she already has one of those.

Hugin
Ms. Moderator Fantastico

Posts: 541
Registered: Sep 2000 posted February 12, 2001 09:45
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
*Len sits down with Ruth and they pass hankies and cheese toast back and forth while re-watching the key W/T eps.*


tommo
Big Pineapple

Posts: 704
Registered: Sep 2000 posted February 12, 2001 13:54
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Oh len, you remembered the cheese on toast!
*snugs len*

------------------
I just know she likes Willow, and she already has one of those.

tommo
Big Pineapple

Posts: 704
Registered: Sep 2000 posted February 12, 2001 14:53
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
So I kind of promised I'd write one every day until Valentine's Day...stupid me....
TITLE: Enough
SYNOPSIS: Tara is trying to write a Valentine’s card to Willow.
DISCLAIMER: So I wanted to send Joss a card for Valentine’s Day and couldn’t think of what to get him….I know he likes ‘Willow and Tara’ but he’s already got one of those…

She picked up the rose, its petals slightly wilted although the sweet scent drifted up to her nose as she closed her eyes, smiling at the memory. Willow had handed it to her as an early Valentine’s gift just last night. Planting a soft kiss on her girlfriend’s lips, Willow had whispered that she’d taken all the thorns off the stem, so that she could show Tara that, like the rose, her love would never hurt her either. That had made Tara almost cry.

Replacing the rose onto the table beside her bed, Tara shook her head slightly. There were a lot of times when Willow had made her almost cry, usually in those quiet moments when their speech was whispered and confident. Darkness shrouded their fears when they spoke like that; the only sensation their closeness in bed. Usually it was in the dark, in bed, when they were able to share what they truly felt.

Daylight was for the Scoobies, Tara thought wistfully, her mind replaying images of the gang huddled together over ancient texts, or seeking out some demon somewhere. Ever since she had met Willow, it had seemed that she was almost living two lives; one was as a fearless demon hunter, fighting vamps, casting spells to help the Scoobies, sharing ideas with Mr Giles in the magic shop. The other life, she sighed happily, her secret life, was with Willow in those moments alone, when it was as though nothing existed but the two of them.

Last night, she and Willow had clung onto one another in bed, holding the other almost reverently. No one touched her quite like Willow. No one made her feel anything quite like Willow. If she had to write a paper on the way Willow made her feel, Tara was sure that the pages would be blank because words didn’t even begin to express how wonderful that feeling was.

Sometimes she got frustrated at the lack of language powerful enough to explain it. Tongue-tied at the best of times, Tara had already told Willow that it was more than a feeling, it was a complete sensation, a myriad of images. It was like when they did witchcraft and nothing else existed apart from the magic between them, rising and falling like a breathing afterthought. Always there, strong and unapologetic, but always at the back of every thought each mind had.

Tara got up from her bed and walked to her desk, leaning over it, rummaging amidst the papers there, finally finding what she was looking for. The card had been there for days, she had gone out especially to look for an appropriate Valentine’s card for Willow, coming back with a crass red thing, covered in lace and satin hearts.

Looking at it now, she grimaced slightly, wishing she hadn’t bothered to get one at all. Still, she thought hopefully, maybe Willow wouldn’t mind the cheesy card if the sentiment was right. Tara opened the card and ignored the four line poem inside that made her heart sink. With her eyes tightly closed, she waved her palm over the writing and made it disappear. Blank.

‘That was me before Willow’, she thought to herself, ‘I was nothing until she began to write her love on my heart’. Tara remembered that as a child, she had often dismissed ‘true’ love as something other people experienced. Certainly her parents had never quite gotten there, the rest of her family all seemed to have other priorities for marrying; love came a long way down the list. So she had begun to reason with herself that true love was a myth created to string people along. All that talk about finding the right one…she almost laughed out loud, there had been plenty of ‘maybes’ and even a couple of ‘never agains’ along the way, but never the right one.

Willow had once sat meekly at the end of her bed after a fight they had had over something silly and started a long speech about ‘the one’. Tara hadn’t quite understood some of the babbling, but she’d listened hard anyway to the almost hesitant voice directed towards her. The redhead had explained about searching, looking, finding, leaving, regretting…a long list of verbs that had made Tara’s head hurt. But then, in a moment of impassioned apology, Willow had leaned forward, grabbing Tara’s hand. She had told the blonde witch that, whatever happened between them, she would always know that Tara was the one for her. End of the line. Looking stops right here.

Needless to say, they hadn’t argued again that night, not for a long long time, if ever again. Disagreements were a waste of time, Tara thought fondly, still able to feel the tender kisses and caresses of her girlfriend. She was so sure of her love for Willow that she couldn’t remember ever having needed anything so much in her life.

She picked up a pen, taking a seat at her desk, waiting for the muse to hit her and create a verse of love from her to Willow. It wasn’t that she felt the need to be romantic, indeed, some of their greatest moments had been far from that. For example, she grinned in recollection, the time when they had been out looking for ragwort (Giles had insisted that Sunnydale grew its own naturally) and Willow had fallen down a bank, twisting her ankle….Tara shook her head, a sigh of laughter escaping from her lips. She had lain next to Willow on the bank until the redhead felt able to walk again, only it had started to rain, so by the time they had gotten back to the dorm both girls were soaked right through. They had both come down with colds that week. The other Scoobies had thought they were mad when they both seemed to look back on that incident fondly.

Being with Willow was still the only thing that excited her inside and out. Even the Scooby stuff had ceased to be a novelty these days. But Willow was always a new experience, every time they were together. And then, underneath that, she was always just Willow. Just the most beautiful creature Tara had ever known. Ever would know.

Turning her thoughts back to the card in front of her, Tara tapped her pen impatiently on the blank whiteness that awaited her prose. Knowing how to express it was a waste of time, she told herself, no one ever could. It was meant to be indefinably mysterious. That was what took her breath away every time Willow smiled at her. Words ceased to be when she tried to think about the two of them, descending into feelings, sensations, rushes of emotion that rose inside her throat and subsided to her heart.

Last night, she had held Willow close to her and had tried to explain this. The redhead had laughed softly against the pale white skin of Tara’s throat and had nodded her agreement. Sometimes it was more than words. In the midst of their lovemaking, it was always enough to look at each other and know that the other was there. Words could never replace that.

Taking the pen, Tara simply signed her name and added a few kisses. Knowing she was there, in Willow’s heart….that would always be enough.

------------------
I just know she likes Willow, and she already has one of those.

Author Topic: Valentine Day's Fic Challenge
Dr.G
Gay Now!

Posts: 1022
Registered: Jan 2001 posted February 12, 2001 16:33
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ruth, this is simply beautiful, no attempt at witticims from me now. This is perfect just like Willow and Tara. Thank you.

Roxton
Gay Now!

Posts: 1326
Registered: Sep 2000 posted February 12, 2001 20:26
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Len, Ruth thank you both for these wonderful romantic stories. They capture the essence of the love that Willow and Tara share.

[This message has been edited by Roxton (edited February 12, 2001).]

Rane
Willowhand

Posts: 342
Registered: Sep 2000 posted February 12, 2001 20:59
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
*sniffle, sniffle*
y'all are depressing me with these beautifully written fics. i wish i had someone i could give a blank card to.


xita
Ms. Moderator Fantastico

Posts: 2674
Registered: Sep 2000 posted February 12, 2001 21:10
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Again Ruth, lovely. Sigh. Perfect indeed.


eekiboo
Nether World Anchor

Posts: 536
Registered: Nov 2000 posted February 12, 2001 21:12
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ruth and len, i've printed out your fic (to add to my growing w/t stories) and will read 'em b4 i go to sleep. hopefully, it will lead me to a dreamily w/t-oriented slumber...heh.heh. comments tomorrow, but i do know they're all *great* eventho' i haven't read 'em yet! thanks and peace


eekiboo
Nether World Anchor

Posts: 536
Registered: Nov 2000 posted February 13, 2001 05:35
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
i've read em last night! wowee! thank u so much. i actually slept at 1am and was completely satisfied to imagine w/t during valentine's. congratulations! it was the best! peace


Ressick
Doll's eye crystal

Posts: 80
Registered: Sep 2000 posted February 13, 2001 06:18
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Damn y'all... I shouldn't read this post right before class... I get a sniffly and mushy right before I should be getting mad about sexism and homophobia and stuff... Damn you... they're wonderful, all of them...
*hugs sniffles and runs out door to class*

Res

tommo
Big Pineapple

Posts: 704
Registered: Sep 2000 posted February 13, 2001 08:54
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I tried the 'Tara approach' on my Valentine's card this year. Only time will tell if it works...heh heh...
More fic comin' later.

And thanks thanks thanks for all your lovely comments. It only makes me write more you know...

------------------
I just know she likes Willow, and she already has one of those.

Dr.G
Gay Now!

Posts: 1022
Registered: Jan 2001 posted February 13, 2001 09:11
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tim, that is very sweet. And Ruth, I have an endless supply of nice comments, they are yours, if that means you'll keep writing these beautiful fics.
------------------

"Hello! Tarasexual now..."

tommo
Big Pineapple

Posts: 704
Registered: Sep 2000 posted February 13, 2001 11:27
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Here's today's offering to the shrine of w/t love....
TITLE: Never Be The Same Again
SYNOPSIS: A songfic, the song that perhaps sums up Willow and Tara’s relationship perfectly. It’s one of my faves, but I’ve never done songfic before, so be gentle with me please….
DISCLAIMER: We thought that they would just be friends, but Joss had his way. Now we’ll never be the same again….

Tara reached up to switch on her stereo, pushing the play button on the tape recorder, then turning back to her bed, lying down on it and resting her head on her arm, curled beneath her soft hair. As the first strains of a rhythm beat into her mind, she closed her eyes and let the music wash over her, feeling it inside her as well as around her.

Somewhere across campus, a slight redhead switched on her CD player, listening to the whisper of sound before the song began. She leant back in her chair at her desk, a smile creeping over her lips as the song brought back the surge of feeling she experienced every time she thought of her girlfriend.

I call you up whenever things go wrong
You’re always there
You are my shoulder to cry on

That dance…Tara thought to herself. When Willow had taken her in her arms, she had known then that there was no secret she could keep from her. All that worrying about her family, when all she needed to do was to trust Willow. Nothing could get in the way of that. When Willow had asked her if all that trust had been for nothing, tears were Tara’s only answer. Of course not. In her heart, she knew that the redhead was the one person she had trusted more than anyone in her whole life, too. The only person she would ever run to when she felt lost. Then Willow would say something, or smile, or take her in her arms again, and she would instantly find herself there. Where she should be.

I can’t believe it took me quite so long
To take the forbidden step
Is this something that I might regret?

Willow grinned foolishly to herself. How long was too long? So many feelings rushing around inside of her that made no sense, yet perfect sense at the same time. At the back of everything, there was Tara. The one who, she told herself, had brought her to her senses. Like a moth to the flame, she had fluttered around Tara’s magical light before being pulled into the fire. And she was still burning.

Nothing ventured nothing gained
A lonely heart that can’t be tamed
I’m hoping that you feel the same
This is something that I can’t forget

A heart too lonely, for too long, Tara told herself. But not anymore. Her arms moved around her own body, hugging that feeling close to her. For so long she had hoped against hope, it seemed, that Willow returned her feelings. That night when they had both confessed to their love, it was as though somewhere, a light had been switched on, finally allowing them to see what was between them. Sure of herself, Tara had been so worried that Willow might not, might never feel the same. And now she knew, she smiled beatifically, now she was sure she would never forget that first touch, first kiss, first whisper of love.

I thought that we would just be friends
Things will never be the same again
It’s just the beginning it’s not the end
Things will never be the same again

Friends came and went, Willow thought, her eyes closing gently against the lulling music. But Tara was forever. What they had now was only the start of a long life together. Now they both knew, now they were sure…she wouldn’t, couldn’t, ever go back to life without Tara in it.

It’s not a secret anymore
Now we’ve opened up the door
Starting tonight and from now on
We’ll never, never be the same again

That night when Willow had turned up at her door with the candle, Tara had understood. It was lighting the way to another path for them both to follow, their footsteps matched in harmony and trust with one another. Opening the door to Willow had also unlatched the entrance to her heart. And she had let the other girl in.

Now I know that we were close before
I’m glad I realised I need you so much more
And I don’t care what everyone will say
It’s about you and me
And we’ll never be the same again

Sure, Willow nodded imperceptibly to herself, it was hard admitting the relationship to Buffy and the others. But she had felt such a sense of pride in talking about it. When she talked about Tara, she knew her voice swelled with love and devotion in a way it never had with anyone else. Their bond was so close, it was as though it was always meant to be. Some higher power, guiding them along the byways of their lives towards each other. Not as friends, not as witches, as something much more meaningful and resolute.

Nite and day
Black beach sand to red clay
The US to UK
NYC to LA
From sidewalks to highways

Everywhere, anywhere, Tara carried Willow with her, like a secret charm resting against her heart, in synchronicity with her own breath. When she breathed, she inhaled Willow; when she spoke, it was with Willow’s love; when she slept, it was in Willow’s arms.

See it’ll never be the same
What I’m sayin’ my mind frame never changed ‘til you
Came and rearranged

All those years she had never known, Willow realised with a jolt. It was like she had been asleep for so long, and then Tara had come and woken her up. Things she had never thought about, feelings she had never admitted to, all came rushing in a kaleidoscopic rush of emotion when she was with the other girl. And it felt truly wonderful, like she really knew herself now.

But sometimes it feels completely forbidden
To discover those feelings that we kept so well hidden
When there’s no competition
And you render my condition
Though improbable it’s not impossible
For a love that could be unstoppable

Hidden for years underneath insecurity and shame, Tara sighed, curling herself up into a ball on her bed. For so long she had worried and walked away from the truth. And why? Because for so long she had been told it was bad, that she was bad, that she was evil. Somehow, that had all disappeared when Willow had touched her heart. There was no one else in the world who had been able to make her see how truly gifted and lucky she really was. Willow had once told her that their love would have happened in one way or another, it didn’t matter who they were, or where they were. They would have found each other.

But wait
A fine line’s between fate and destiny
Do you believe in the things that were just meant to be?
When you tell me the stories of your quest for me
Picturesque is the picture you paint effortlessly

Written in the stars, that was how Tara had once told Willow about their love. That feeling of hurtling towards a magnet stronger, more powerful than anything humans could devise. And when Tara told Willow of the times she had thought about finding her true love, it almost made Willow cry. Tara had a way of putting things so simply, in such a pure way, that her words were beautiful in their honest clarity. She had been looking for Willow all her life, she told the redhead, one night when they were intertwined with each other in bed. And now she had found her, Tara had whispered, her life could begin.

And as our energies mix and begin to multiply
Everyday situations
They start to simplify

Willow opened her eyes, gazing down onto her desk at the crystal Tara had given her so long ago, it seemed. They created magic together in whatever they did. Their unity, their bond, their love; that was the true magic of their partnership. Everything became clear in that moment when their eyes met and they understood how it was, how it was going to be. The past dropped away into a chasm of confusion and left the two girls with all they had; each other.

So things will never be the same between you and I
We intertwined our life forces and now we’re unified

Together. What a wonderful word, Tara thought to herself, it promised so much and delivered more. She was only able to be herself when she connected with Willow. She tried to be grateful, but the redhead brushed off her thanks, saying that she was the one who should be thankful for Tara’s magical qualities that she brought to everything she did. And that feeling when they were together….Tara caught her breath in her throat as she remembered spells, laughing, holding, kissing…a myriad of images flitting easily through her brain. It was always an energy rush to be with Willow, even in the still, quiet moments. Something indefinable yet so clear; she could still feel the electric touch of Willow’s fingers on her skin, making her shiver with delight.

I thought that we would just be friends
Things will never be the same again
It’s just the beginning it’s not the end
Things will never be the same again
It’s not a secret anymore
Now we’ve opened up the door
Starting tonight and from now on
We’ll never, never be the same again

Never be the same again

As the last note of the song died away, Tara heard her phone ring. Extracting herself from her near slumber, she walked over to her desk and picked up the handset, speaking a quick ‘hello’. The voice on the other end of the line brought an instant smile to her face and she felt that energy rush through her once more.

“I know,” she said simply, “I love you too.”

------------------
I just know she likes Willow, and she already has one of those.

Dr.G
Gay Now!

Posts: 1022
Registered: Jan 2001 posted February 13, 2001 15:05
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ruth! Thank you!
That was so wonderful! Damn, can't we postpone Valentines day for a week? I am used to my daily W/T fic now...
------------------

"Hello! Tarasexual now..."

[This message has been edited by Dr.G (edited February 13, 2001).]

tommo
Big Pineapple

Posts: 704
Registered: Sep 2000 posted February 13, 2001 15:38
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

quote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Originally posted by Dr.G:
Damn, can't we postpone Valentines day for a week? I am used to my daily W/T fic now...

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

OMG!!! NO!!! This is taking some stretch of the imagination, believe me. I'm thankful there's only one more day to go....as I'm sure are most of the kitties...

*Ruth crawls back underneath her writing rock as Dr G whips her into submission and chains her to the keyboard*

Oh - Dr G, I would dearly love to accept your proposal, but I'm evil, and skanky and....*whispers* I think I'm kinda gay....

Besides, Deb would rip your heart out and eat it in front of you. She gets like that one week a month...

[This message has been edited by tommo (edited February 13, 2001).]

xita
Ms. Moderator Fantastico

Posts: 2674
Registered: Sep 2000 posted February 15, 2001 00:58
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
My short response to the fic challenge. I had planned for more but this week has just been rough. Ok! It's all for you, but it belongs to Joss.

A Tasteful Shower Scene

Willow watched the soft bubbles caress her girlfriend's back. It was bad enough their Valentine's day's celebration had been cancelled, but to have Tara in such a state now was too much. Poor Tara was covered in soot and gunk.

"Let me wash it." Willow's guilt was overwhelming. And rubbing the caked on goop was not making the redhead feel better.

"Ok." Tara smiled her agreement. Willow’s ministering was having an effect on Tara. Her skin tingled with each stroke of the soft washcloth.

"I should be all dirty," Willow asserted. “Not you,” she whispered in Tara’s ear as she washed Tara’s arms.

"No honey, you shouldn't be doing magic. It shouldn't have been a big deal. It was a small spell. Who knew that demon would explode like that and rain soot all over us?” Tara brushed burnt demon flesh off her face.

Willow groaned, "yes but I brought you into this world, this scooby life. I should be the one taking the brunt of the bad stuff." Willow couldn’t help but run her fingertips over Tara’s soft flesh.

Tara shivered and faced Willow, once again grateful her lover had joined her in the shower. "Willow, I couldn't live apart from you, knowing your life was in danger. I couldn't bear it. I will be where you are."

"Oh, Tara, but I wasn't there with you today. I stood back." Willow squeezed a large amount of shampoo in her hand. She rubbed it in her hands and started lathering it on the blonde's hair.

"It's temporary, your headaches." Tara frowned, leaning in and kissing Willow's wet lips.

“Hmm, I haven’t finished with your hair,” Willow spoke, tilting Tara's head back to rinse of the shampoo.

“Well hurry up,” Tara spoke through the water droplets falling on her face. Not needing much encouragement, Willow quickly rinsed off the remaining soapy film. She pressed her slick body close to Tara's clean squeaky skin. Soon, both witches were lost in love.

[This message has been edited by xita (edited February 15, 2001).]

Dr.G
Gay Now!

Posts: 1022
Registered: Jan 2001 posted February 15, 2001 01:18
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Xita, I love it! Thank you, it is both very funny and sexy!
Oh and Ruth, I proposed to you via the instant messenger for a reason: so I would not be rejected in front of the entire board! *sniffs and cries*....

Well, live and learn, so Xita will *you* marry me then?

------------------

"Hello! Tarasexual now..."

[This message has been edited by Dr.G (edited February 15, 2001).]

april
Gay Now!

Posts: 1191
Registered: Oct 2000 posted February 15, 2001 07:35
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
lol dr g! what, are you going around proposing to *all* the fic writers on the board now? guess we know the way to your heart...
ruth, xita, i loved your valentines stories. they're too too sweet. neither of you will be able to shake your sappy reputations ever again...

sigh...

Dr.G
Gay Now!

Posts: 1022
Registered: Jan 2001 posted February 15, 2001 08:15
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Oh no April, just the ones I stalk (I wonder if Warduke and Roxton write fic...). So, now that work is slowing down for you, are you finally going to finish that naughty fic, eh?
Speaking of work, gotta run now...

------------------

"Hello! Tarasexual now..."