The Kitten, the Witches and the Bad Wardrobe - Willow & Tara Forever

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 Post subject: Re: Tara and Willow - The Blessed Unrest - Chp 8 - 02/14/15
PostPosted: Sun Feb 15, 2015 3:04 am 
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23. Volumey Text

Joined: Sun Apr 24, 2005 1:23 pm
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Ah, well yes, that explains why I am unaware of it.

All that never happened in (any of) my world(s)

K

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If I wanted a little pussy, I've got my own to play with.

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 Post subject: Re: Tara and Willow - The Blessed Unrest - Chp 8 - 02/14/15
PostPosted: Mon Feb 16, 2015 3:40 am 
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6. Sassy Eggs
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Love this story so far. It's nice to see the girls take things slowly while Willow wrestles with her "shiny new lesbianism."

As for the mysteries that abound in this new "forest" I have a couple hunches.

Spoiler:
It's a parallel dimension that slightly overlaps the "real world." Maybe in the same way "Hell" dimensions press against the hellmouth, but without the evil and the monsters. The broad strokes mirror the world they came from because of that connection but all the details are different because "Nature" is what this dimension is made of and runs on. I'm also curious as to what other tricks Tara will find out by exploring either her connection to the place or her unique heredity."

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 Post subject: Re: Tara and Willow - The Blessed Unrest - Chp 8 - 02/14/15
PostPosted: Mon Feb 16, 2015 12:06 pm 
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Thanks, Citanul - Willow's not really 'wrestling' she's more rolling around and finding that that's all kind of fun :)

As for your theory... I won't say too much, but it's interesting and not a million miles away though not quite there either

Thanks again

Katharyn

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If I wanted a little pussy, I've got my own to play with.

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 Post subject: Tara and Willow - The Blessed Unrest - Chp 9 - 02/17/15
PostPosted: Tue Feb 17, 2015 12:42 pm 
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Title: Tara and Willow – The Blessed Unrest – Chapter Nine
Author: Katharyn Rosser
Feedback: Absolutely, yes please. That’s why I write for this place, to engage in the discussion about the story.
Spoiler warning: Not sure why I am bothering, really, but nothing much apart from the episode ‘Hush’ in S4. And let’s face it, if you’ve not seen that then… what are you doing here?
Distribution: This story was written for Pens. Pens is its home. No archiving off Different Coloured Pens and the Kitten Board please. No conversion to eBook or other formats please. Enjoy it here.
Story notes: Tara’s background is different to that presented in Family and instead based on a throwaway remark made in interviews around the time Family first aired. (Though I now realise not the precisely terminology used there)
Summary: Willow pops the question. Well, a question, anyway.
Disclaimer: I don’t own any of the copyrights or anything else associated with BTVS. All rights lie with the production company, writers etc. I am making no money from this series of stories however all original characters and situations remain my property. As this is a missing scenes and alternate reality fiction lots of scenes are new versions of those seen in the show, as such dialogue and situations are taken from the show. I’m sure you can tell which. All credit for those aspects goes to the original writers.
The title ‘The Blessed Unrest’ came from and belongs to Sara Bareilles from the album of the same name.
Rating: Occasional, tasteful, adult situations and contextual bad language. However by and large equivalent to the show.
Couples: Tara and Willow forever, that’s all I’m bothered about.
Text convention: Use of italics denotes either special emphasis if used for a single or a few words in a sentence OR first person thoughts if used for a whole sentence.
Notes: Redrafting this shows me just how much relationship stuff I’ve been writing for these girls of ours. And I realise – looking at it kind of cold – how I have a tendency (even more here than usual) to substitute relationship progress for plot. Yes, it’s kind of the point here, but look how Willow’s taking these mental (and then verbal) steps. In a lot of cases, I think you kind of just blurt this out in a few moments, let the chips fall where they may. It was always my style. But… I do actually feel more comfortable with both the girls this way. It’s not just because it gives me a structure to hang a story off, I think it’s caring and respect for each other’s feelings. Addressing the realities – but not the negatives – of what being into each other does and could mean. But also, I get to write the cute and sometimes funny moments in between. And now I’m rambling…
Thanks to: The ideas fairy.




“I could do this forever,” Tara told her friend.

“Hnn?” Willow seemed distracted. But she got it. It was easy to be distracted, right now.

“I said ‘I could do this forever’.”

“Oh, sorry. I was – thinking. Really? Forever?” Willow asked.

“Looking at the stars, sure,” she clarified, just in case the mind of the only other person in this world was somewhere else. “D-definitely. I never get tired of it.”

They’d made their way back to what they were calling ‘her dorm’ and its miraculous indoor/outdoor design. There’d never been a thought – let alone a conversation - about Willow going back to her own place and she wondered why that had been the case?

Perhaps because, with only two people – and now some animals – in this whole world they knew about, there was no attraction (and less point) to having most of a campus between them.

Perhaps… something else. She couldn’t deny that having someone next to her overnight – in this one, big bed - was… Comfortable.

Or maybe that was just Willow.

Up to now though, they’d usually gone to one place or another when darkness fell because it was the darkness of the forest. As absolute as the moon and stars would allow it to be.

So dark right now that you didn’t just see the stars above you, you saw the rich colours of the universe beyond. The sorts of views that you otherwise only saw when NASA wanted more money.

Or so Willow had joked. It was a science geek thing, probably.

But that didn’t change the fact it was beautiful.

Tonight, though, they hadn’t fled the darkness. And Willow was still beside her so… there was that.

You’d have thought – in what was essentially a forest – they’d have had to fear the darkness. That primal discomfort, knowing that there was more out there than you knew or could explain. But that wasn’t how things were at all.

Starlight here was… so clear. So uninterrupted by pollution, this really wasn’t Kansas, Sunnydale or anywhere within a million miles of LA. Light enough – once your eyes adjusted - that, along with the moonlight, you might walk through the forest and place nearly every step with some confidence.

Or rather she had been able to do it. Willow had tripped a few times, but she’d caught her while barely breaking stride and… had no idea how that worked either. Physical grace and poise under pressure? That wasn’t her at all.

Not usually. Not back home.

Maybe Willow was right. Maybe there was something to this place. For her.

Or maybe it was just she didn’t want to see Willow – possibly the least likely forest dweller in the world – scrape a knee or cut her hand. Not even to muss a hair.

So they’d walked on, enjoying it despite a few Willow-stumbles along the way. Took their time finding another papple to pick and then enjoyed the walk back just as much. They’d even diverted via the ‘library’ and picked out a book that she’d been reading to Willow when they got back here. Because, yes, somehow she could see better in the dark too.

She hadn’t let Willow actually handle the book this time - because sticky fingers - but reading to her… For all that Willow lapped up the supposed histories that neither of them had ever heard of before - and turning the book around to show her the beautiful, hand painted illustrations - it wasn’t at all like reading to her young cousins.

This was almost… intimate? Was that the word?

No. Well, yes.

But not ‘almost’.

It was intimate. With Willow pressed up close to her, so she could see for herself. Warm. Fragrant.

Worryingly intimate actually, because…

I could fall so hard for this girl. Especially here…

She knew she was a giver. A nurturer. That was just the way she was wired. What made her happy. And here, Willow needed her. For the food, for the water – to an extent. To read. To talk to the animals and…

A piece of me is very at home here.

Willow wanted to go home. She wasn’t stressed about it – not yet – but, eventually, she wanted to go home.

She had to admit to herself though, that if she never managed to find a way? This wasn’t so bad. Maybe Willow would even agree, if all else failed. But Willow had faith in her friends who’d ‘save’ her from… paradise?

Right now though?

Feeling - and genuinely being - needed was… I’m at my best then and…

She looked across at the figure of the woman lying beside her, until very recently listening to her read the histories. It was tough to teach how to read for herself – one reason Willow would never be happy here – because when they looked at the book it seemed like they saw different things.

Willow saw alien script while she saw plain old English, but knew that the other language was there. She couldn’t see it, but she could… feel it. It wasn’t like pointing a word and explaining it. Guiding Willow’s finger… Not working. And… way too intimate. Way too likely to end up kissing the tip of it just because...

I could fall for her, if I let myself.

It’d happened once before. It hadn’t been pretty. At the bottom of nearly every fall was a concrete hard reality and if you weren’t ready for the landing… Well, what happened when something that was seventy percent water hit the ground at terminal velocity? Things broke…

The stars seemed like a safer way to talk about the future. Maybe… They’d seen everything that had happened on Earth and the light from thousands or millions of years ago was only now making its way those last few miles to their eyes.

Stars that had seen everything.

They’d even seen the building/growing of this place, whenever that had been. Wherever it was.

She said so and that was something that was right up this cute scientist’s alley…

Willow shifted a little, better able to take them in. As usual, that seemed to involve pushing up against her a little more closely or fully. As usual, it was hard to mind too much. “You’re right, but we still don’t know where this place is. Or who built it. Just calling themselves ‘The People’ doesn’t tell us much.”

“Maybe we need to find the right book. I mean, there’s a whole library and we’ve looked at what? Ten books?”

“Twelve. Maybe I’d love to help but it’s all Greek to me. Except if it was Greek, I’d be able to learn it.”

“Sorry.”

“Why are you apologising?” Willow asked, bashing her hand to make the point. Their fingers caught, briefly and… it was nice. “It’s not your fault.”

“Maybe it kind of is.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well – Uh – Like you said – Willow, you said – You said everything here works for me. And it does. I think – maybe I must’ve brought us here. I didn’t mean to but – I must have – mustn’t I?”

There it was. It was an obvious truth – or at the very least a likely story. Why else would everything be this way around? Why favour her so heavily and exclude Willow when she wasn’t around her?

Maybe not so much ‘exclude’ but not actively ‘include’?

“If you did – and that’s a big, old, honking if, Tara – well then… I just have one thing to say you, Miss Maclay.”

“Yes?” she squeaked, certain Willow was about to demand that she send them home and how in the world was she supposed to do that? It was something she had no idea how to deliver.

“In that case, I’d just like to say you did good.”

“Really?”

“Umm, yes. Tara, if you did this – if you brought us here, then you saved our lives. Again, because you dragged me out of dorms before that and then… this? And it wasn’t just saving our lives – what would’ve happened to us would’ve been as messy and painful and prolonged as any horror I’ve ever seen.

“And I’ve seen a few.”

“Really?”

“You know what happened to the others, the night before. And you saw what was about to happen to us. You were there.”

She nodded.

“I’ve faced death, Tara. Lots of people say that but I’ve done it. A lot. I’ve been a hostage – quite a lot. More than most people ever get to be.

“I’ve been in impossible situations. I’ve been saved in the nick of time. Sometimes I’ve even been the one to do the saving. But that night… I had nothing. There was nothing – Buffy wasn’t coming. I had no spell. I didn’t have a computer with me and even if I had, all I could’ve done was whacked one of them over the head with it. I – we were going to die if we’d stayed there one more moment than we did.

“So this? Being here with you? This is certainly better.”

Better than death… Now there was a strong recommendation.

“In fact,” Willow said. “I don’t think I’d trade this for anything.”

“Really?”

As in ‘really, I need to find a bigger vocabulary?’

“Tara, all of that I just said - this is the most peace and quiet – the most lack of drama I’ve had… well, since Buffy came to Sunnydale. Feels like a vacation, actually. But with good food and even better company.” Willow slipped a hand into hers. It felt… very warm.

It felt very… nice.

“But you want to go home?”

“I do. Eventually…

“I’m willing to wait for Buffy and Giles. If you are – I mean, we could bust our asses trying to find a way but… We have no idea if there is one and we might get just as much reading books here as walking around looking for some randomly placed portal – which by the way, could theoretically lead anywhere and not just home, we could end up stuck somewhere much worse than this.”

“So, what are you saying?”

“I guess I’m saying, I don’t mind being here with you, Tara Maclay,” Willow said. Right afterwards she rolled onto her back rather than her side, maybe avoiding her eyes.

Maybe.

But even if she was avoiding her that way… Willow still didn’t let go of her hand.

And… it felt like there was something else that they ought to be asking each other. Something that was sure to define things a little more clearly but… After what Willow had just admitted, about not being desperate to go home… Saying anything, asking anything could change that entirely.

“There’s something else,” Willow said, still not looking at her.

“I was – I was going to say the same thing.”

“Then there are two somethings then,” Willow confirmed.

“Maybe it’s the same something.”

“I… Maybe, but I don’t think so. I think my something is pretty unique. I’d be prepared to babble to back that up but you don’t want to hear that.”

I might.

“You go first,” Willow said, still not meeting her eyes. She was lying there on her side, ready to do that – but Willow was distracted. This ‘something’ was obviously a big deal to her.

Or was it? Perhaps I’m completely misreading her.

“No, you. Please.”

Taking a breath, Willow seemed to agree to go first. “Tara – I – I don’t want you to take this the wrong way. It’s just a question and you don’t have to answer it. I’m just – I just think I’d like to know and then I think maybe I shouldn’t ask and if I do ask I’m not sure what I want the answer to be or even if I really want to know it because that could make things… awkward and that’s the last thing we need now being the only two girls in the world and all - ”

“Willow, just ask me.”

“Oh, boy. Well, okay that wasn’t what - Here I go. This is me asking you.” Willow paused, bit her lower lip first. Looking up and away. At those stars that had seen… everything. Once upon a time they might even have seen this before.

“I’m ready,” she promised, not knowing what else to say.

“Tara, are you – you know – like – don’t take this the wrong way - but umm – are you maybe into girls?”

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

“Okay – that was… I shouldn’t have done that,” Willow said, desperately wanting to take back what she’d just thrown out there. Like… Like a big ball. Or possibly something else you’d throw.

Big though, whatever it was. Definitely big. “I shouldn’t have – you really don’t have to answer. I mean – it’s rude of me to even ask. We’ve only known each other a little while and I’m making - I shouldn’t’ have – Sorry.”

“No, it’s okay,” Tara replied. “I don’t mind.”

And what did that mean? She didn’t mind the question? She didn’t mind girls? It was hardly a ‘hell yeah’ affirmative if it was the second option.

But it wasn’t the second option. Was it?

No, Tara was telling her it was okay to ask. And if it was okay to ask that, surely it was okay to ask nearly anything?

“Really? Because I really meant it - you don’t have to answer – I was going to ask you something else and then at the last minute it sort of became that and I asked it and I wouldn’t take it back unless you want me to but – Do we have a ‘no backsies’ rule?”

“No – but I don’t mind,” Tara said again. “And… is it that obvious?”

Obvious? No. If it was obvious I wouldn’t have to ask.

And ‘is it obvious’ – did that mean that there was something real that could be obvious? Sure sounded like it, like – maybe – Tara might like girls. But that still wasn’t for sure.

Four words. That was all Tara needed to give her.

Or five words, if it was a negative. Then – even if it was – at least she could stop thinking about it. Because… well, that would be that.

But four words? Four words would be a whole can of worms.

Especially after putting herself out there to ask the question. Because there were really only two reasons to ask. Either you liked the idea or you didn’t. A lot.

Casual interest was possible, she supposed. But only if it had been as obvious as Tara clearly feared.

“No. Not much about you is obvious Tara.”

Except the things I can’t really say yet.

“I try – I try not to be. I find its better that way.”

“Not to what?” Into girls? Because that would be so sad. Whoever you were, you had to be that person if you were going to be happy. Right?

“Stand out – I don’t like to stand out.”

Ohhh. Then – then you should probably stop being so beautiful. And clever. And funny. And beautiful. And… You! Stop being you and you might not stand out like the brightest of those stars –

At least that was what she should have said. But didn’t dare. Instead all she managed was. “Oh.”

Use your words, Rosenberg. Use your words.

“It – it seems better that way, sometimes. You know, in school.”

“I do know, trust me,” she said, giving her quite-possibly-girl-liking friend’s hand a squeeze.

“If – if it had gotten around I was gay too…” Tara let the words hang. “It was a small town, they didn’t know any better.”

“I don’t think you have to apologise for bullies,” she said, hurt by the regret in Tara’s voice and – just for a few seconds – missing what she’d just admitted.

“Even so,” Tara added.

By that point though she had realised what Tara had just told her – how she’d answered the question. But that didn’t seem half-so important as what had gone alongside it.

Yeah… there was that. She hadn’t really thought about that, because she’d never had to. Up to now she’d never doubted that she’d fit in with – at least most – of other people’s expectations. It was kind of what she did, even if they were right up there. Even if she needed to surpass them.

But not everyone had parents who’d accept something as fundamental as who you loved. Or friends who wouldn’t care (in certain cases thinking it was very cool). Or lived in a place where a girl could kiss a girl or a boy could kiss a boy or…

A place you could hold hands just about any time you liked. Anywhere. With whoever tickled your fancy.

I don’t think I’d mind if she’d tickle my fancy. It was a Giles phrase and probably didn’t have the meaning she’d just given it back in the old world. On the other hand… still couldn’t – ever – say it to Tara.

Tara who’d had different struggles than her. But just as real. Just as important. Who came from a place that was still… small-c conservative. That was the nice way of putting it. She might’ve said ‘old fashioned’ or ‘set in its ways’ too.

She’d known those places and the people there existed, of course she had, but she hadn’t given much thought to it because… it was somewhere else. She hadn’t even – in the last couple of days that the sheer magnetism of Tara Maclay had made her question her assumptions about her own sexuality – stopped and wondered what the logical consequences of being in love with a woman would be in terms of living a life.

And maybe, if you decided things on pure reason, that was something she ought to have gone away and thought about. Only if it was a choice though… Because, the evidence was to the contrary. She liked Tara – liked her that way – without ever deciding to she should or could.

There’d been no choice involved in that, not in the liking. None at all.

The only choice was… what to do about it.

But with Tara admitting the things she just had – not only about liking girls but also how other people could react to it… No, she wasn’t going anywhere.

I’m being totally here. And I’m not letting go if her hand either. Maybe not ever. At least not until she asks me to.

Or bathrooms become an issue because, yeah, I’d let go then.


What did you say though?

You said what was in your heart. Some of it, at least.

“I’m – Tara, I’m really pleased that you feel you can tell me,” she said.

“You did ask.”

“But you didn’t have to tell me.”

Shaking her head, it was obvious the other woman disagreed. “I’ve never, ever lied about it,” Tara said. “Not once. I avoided it a few times. But I never lied. I can’t stand lies.”

Note to self: Never lie to this girl.

Seems like the truth would be the easiest thing in the world, because who’d ever want to?


“Sounds like you’ve been hurt by them. That wasn’t a question, by the way.”

“It’s fine,” Tara said. “But – I’m not going to talk about that now. Okay?”

“So let me see,” she said. “Either we can keep this pleasant vibe going or I can make you all sad? Which to choose. Sheesh, this is a toughie.”

“I won’t get sad but - ” Tara touched her face, actually making her jump it was so unexpected. She looked at the other woman by turning her head. Exactly what Tara had wanted with the touch. No doubt about it.

“There’s something else. Willow, why did you ask if I liked girls? Was I – I tried not to check you out. Or make you uncomfortable. I did – I didn’t think I did! I – I definitely didn’t look when you were in the pool…”

“I did,” she admitted.

“You did what?”

“I looked.”

She let that hang there and now, for a change, Tara seemed to be the one who was unsure what to say. “Oh.”

“I don’t think,” she said. “That makes me a bad person. Does it?” Guilty pleasure suddenly felt more like… guilty.

“Just human,” Tara replied. “I think.” Her voice was very quiet.

“That’s what I thought. Human. That’s me, very human. And sometimes – I guess – sometimes a girl human looks at another girl human and wonders – for the first time – what it might like be like to be humans together.”

There. I said it. Sort of. In my own unique way… Humans together? Really? But she gets it, I can see she can.

“You never - ?”

She made a tiny gesture, shaking her head.

“Not even wondered?”

Again with the shake.

“I thought everyone - ”

And the third time. The only time it had come up – well, it had been an evil skanky version of her and… it’d been easy to blame the gay on the vampire. Because… well, gay vampires? Yeah, that was a pop culture theme.

“Oh.”

“I know, right?” Then there you are, making me question most of the basic assumptions I made about myself. See that they were, just, assumptions. Not backed up by the evidence or any form of… experiment. Making me wonder whether, on some level, this was always me but I was just too institutionalised to realise why things that ought to work, didn’t and why I thought things I’d never tried… might.

“And I…?”

“You made – you make me question myself,” she admitted, not daring to turn the rest of it into words.

“Like - ”

Thank goodness Tara wasn’t letting this go. Thank goodness she was strong enough to make sure they kept going because… it’d be scary to drop this and have to come back to it. To worry about how half the truth had been laid out.

And what if they never did return to it? What if it all turned into guilt and apologies? What if Buffy and Giles found them right this very second? What if Tara found another girl when there was more than one in the world?

What if?

This might be my only chance.

Deep breath.

“Tara… I think I’ve probably said some stuff to you, in a dozen different conversations. But I’ve never really just laid it all out.

“I’ve had one boyfriend – ever - and… it was always more like friend who was a guy and we were friends first and maybe we should’ve stayed that way but I was so excited about ‘having a boyfriend’ that maybe I never stopped to wonder whether I wanted a boyfriend or just a friend who was more than a friend and not to be the girl dressed at Sears who ‘never had a boyfriend’? See all these air quotes? They’re kind of a big deal, watch the air quotes. And maybe here’s the thing – Maybe if he’d been a girlfriend then we’d have worked better than we did… Oh, I didn’t mean to say any of that because it’s definitely not about him. But… you do that to me. You make me want to talk with you.”

“I don’t mean to,” Tara said, turning fully on her side while she stayed on her back. It was… like an approach. A step more intimate. “I don’t mean to do any of it.”

“I know. That’s just it. That’s why I think, maybe - You know.”

“I do know.”

She smiled. “Really?”

“I know. I… I always knew, I never – I never did the guy thing. Not even just to fit in. There was a girl, once… I couldn’t help her enough to stop being afraid and – it didn’t end well.”

“I’m sorry.” Had that girl lied to Tara? Bitch. All at once she felt jealous, angry and… some strange kinship for another girl, somewhere else, who fell for this beautiful young woman.

“It was a while ago. Before… Just before.”

“Listen to us,” she said, trying to make light of it. “One disaster apiece and - ”

Tara shook her head. “No. It wasn’t a disaster. It was beautiful, for a while. But… it couldn’t last. That’s all.”

“Oh, I thought – when you said it didn’t end well…?”

“Is there ever a good ending when you split up?”

“I… guess not. But maybe things have to end so… other things can begin?” she suggested. “Sorry.”

“What did you say about not apologising?” Tara asked, smiling.

“I think I told you to stop.”

“So, ditto, I guess.”

“Okay. Ditto works.”

“So… What do we do now?” Tara asked a little while later, after they’d lain there together, saying and doing nothing except running fingers through each other’s palms, interlinking their finger. The occasional squeeze.

“You mean like do? I don’t - ” She really wasn’t sure she was ready to do much of anything. Nothing but have a bit of a warm, fuzzy feeling…

“No,” Tara sighed. “Not that – I mean, what do we do about… this?”

Another deep breath.

“I guess… Maybe you need to say whether you like me. Like me like that…”

Like I don’t already know. I just want to hear her say it. Because who wouldn’t want the most beautiful girl in the world – literally – to say that to her?

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

Tara carefully wasn’t holding Willow.

Very carefully and very deliberately.

Because to do that would’ve been… What?

Not bad.

Not bad at all.

In fact, she was starting to think it really might be really, really good. But it would also have been a much bigger step than either of them was ready for. One big step at a time.

Two at the most. Anything more and you were running before you could walk.

Saying ‘yes, I do like you like that,’ on top of ‘yes, I like girls’ was enough for now.

Seeing the smile spread over Willow’s face, the light in her eyes replacing the nerves and the worry at the possibility she might say no? That had been a wonderful gift all of its own.

But it was still night. They’d ended up in the same bed – her bed – back at the dorm and… they really weren’t ready for anything more. Oh, they might be ready but they weren’t ready.

For sure nothing else you most commonly needed – or maybe just preferred - a bed for.

Besides…

I want to remember this the way it was.

Already a special night, there’d be more.

I don’t want to rush. I mean I do – we probably both do – but we both could feel the…

Neither of us want this to have any reason to go wrong.


After all, they’d taken two big steps and then one small one…

Their lips had brushed. No lingering. No pressure. Definitely no tongue. Just a closeness. A deepening relationship without the escalation to passion that was very much on the cards. Despite how fleeting and light the kiss had been, Willow had still moaned. Just a tiny, little noise and then…

One of them had left it there.

She liked to imagine it had been her that showed the sense to stop but perhaps…

Willow wasn’t the kind of girl to go into anything without understanding it. At least her own part in it. It’d be no different with this now that the immediate worries had been ruled out.

She wouldn’t be Willow if it wasn’t. An idea that she could get used to, actually. Because it was Willow she… wanted.

I want her.

I want her in every way possible.


So… after the lightest kiss, they’d snuggled down – but not together – and let sleep claim them.

Except it hadn’t.

Both of them had lain there. Probably Willow had been thinking as much as she had. Maybe even wondering if – maybe – a hand ought to slip over the invisible divide and…

No! Not that. A touch. A caress. An embrace. Encouraging her to me.

Four hands in the bed. Four arms. None of them stretched out.

And though she wasn’t embracing Willow, the other girl was right there. The heat of her body. The implied softness of it. The gentle pressure of her presence, like an energy field of wonderful, right there against her. She supposed that with an inch or so either way they’d have been spooning. She could definitely make it happen just by rolling over and… But then I couldn’t see her.

And they were on such a tight wavelength that the physical pressure of touch wasn’t necessary to feel some of the same thing.

It was oh, so tempting to just run her hand above Willow’s skin. To ‘touch’ the gentle hum of her life’s energy. To caress the magical potential within her.

Oh, and yes, to feel her skin. Knowing how soft it would be…

Tempting, but not something she was going to do. In this case, giving in to temptation felt like it would be a lack of patience and that was something she’d always had plenty of.

After all, hadn’t they…? Well, they hadn’t made promises. None at all. But if you like what I am and I like what you are and you like me and I like you didn’t that mean – Didn’t two plus two equal four? Or one plus one equal two?

And they had shared that brief kiss.

There was just no way to describe how wonderful that had felt. She’d held Willow’s hand. They’d worked a kind of magic together – she was convinced – to come here. But the kiss? That had been special on another level. A connection on every level.

Do I love Willow Rosenberg? Is it love already?

Genuine love?


The question had been bubbling away in her mind and, honestly, it was probably too soon to be able to say that and know the answer was more than the excitement of possibility.

But I can love her.

I know that much.

And I want to.


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

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If I wanted a little pussy, I've got my own to play with.

Chance in *Chance*
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 Post subject: Re: Tara and Willow - The Blessed Unrest - Chp 9 - 02/17/15
PostPosted: Wed Feb 18, 2015 3:25 am 
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Dibs-y Goodness! :banana

Yay for excellent update-y goodness... Big yay for :wtkiss ...

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 Post subject: Re: Tara and Willow - The Blessed Unrest - Chp 9 - 02/17/15
PostPosted: Wed Feb 18, 2015 11:59 am 
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YAAASSSSS!!! UPDATESSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!

Yay! Talking about feelings and kisses! Yay! YAY! YAAAYYYYY!!!! YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!!!

I'm very excited about this, in case you couldn't already tell.

-Wills

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Spike: Are we feeling better, then?
Drusilla: I'm naming all the stars.
Spike: You can't see the stars, love. That's the ceiling. Also it's day.
Drusilla: I can see them. But I've named them all the same name, and there's terrible confusion.


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 Post subject: Re: Tara and Willow - The Blessed Unrest - Chp 9 - 02/17/15
PostPosted: Wed Feb 18, 2015 2:14 pm 
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I see your note about plot, or lack thereof, and i contend that in a story that is largely about the characters, character development IS plot.

Anyway, i love it.
I enjoy the way the girls get closer, and we get closer to an explanation.
It's interesting on at least two levels.

Looking forward to the next ep! :bounce

R :flower

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 Post subject: Re: Tara and Willow - The Blessed Unrest - Chp 9 - 02/17/15
PostPosted: Wed Feb 18, 2015 2:48 pm 
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Katharyn, The “watcher” actually being a critter was a pleasant surprise. So was Tara’s ability to talk to their furry, and feathered, visitors. It seems, as more info rolls in, it’s increasingly unlikely the girls will encounter anything dangerous in this realm –especially unlikely if this place is of Tara’s creation.

I sooooo love this line:

Quote:
“Twelve. Maybe I’d love to help but it’s all Greek to me. Except if it was Greek, I’d be able to learn it.”


How adorable is Willow? The apology for asking a simple question was ten times longer than the question and Tara’s answer combined. LOL.

Now that that is settled.. :wtkiss .. it will be interesting to see how/if their surroundings are more responsive to Willow.


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 Post subject: Re: Tara and Willow - The Blessed Unrest - Chp 9 - 02/17/15
PostPosted: Wed Feb 18, 2015 10:32 pm 
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Thanks all!

Zampsa - Thank you :) I knew you'd like the kissage...

Salix - Yes, I'd noticed the excitement LOL. Believe me when I say that - since they emerge as a married couple - we'll get to everything that involves. Kissing is just the start LOL

Azirahael - I don't disagree, character development is plot. But since I'm better known here for stories driven by an external idea I've just been upfront about what this one is and am pleased you still came along for the ride :)

Explanation shouldn't be too far off...

Kajun - No, this isn't me being mysterious. There's no bad here! Really. Seriously. You can believe me this time! No deadpools...

I'm having loads of fun with Willowisms here. A little too much, perhaps. I may be overdoing them. But it's like if these two were the show and you didn't have to have action packed sequences and you want more than the romance then... Willowisms are the way to go :)

Thanks so much! Next part will be tomorrow/early Saturday morning (my time) which might still be tomorrow for many of you!

Katharyn

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 Post subject: Tara and Willow - The Blessed Unrest - Chp 10 - 02/20/15
PostPosted: Thu Feb 19, 2015 10:36 pm 
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Title: Tara and Willow – The Blessed Unrest – Chapter Ten
Author: Katharyn Rosser
Feedback: Absolutely, yes please. That’s why I write for this place, to engage in the discussion about the story.
Spoiler warning: Not sure why I am bothering, really, but nothing much apart from the episode ‘Hush’ in S4. And let’s face it, if you’ve not seen that then… what are you doing here?
Distribution: This story was written for Pens. Pens is its home. No archiving off Different Coloured Pens and the Kitten Board please. No conversion to eBook or other formats please. Enjoy it here.
Story notes: Tara’s background is different to that presented in Family and instead based on a throwaway remark made in interviews around the time Family first aired. (Though I now realise not the precisely terminology used there)
Summary: The morning after and then time passes…
Disclaimer: I don’t own any of the copyrights or anything else associated with BTVS. All rights lie with the production company, writers etc. I am making no money from this series of stories however all original characters and situations remain my property. As this is a missing scenes and alternate reality fiction lots of scenes are new versions of those seen in the show, as such dialogue and situations are taken from the show. I’m sure you can tell which. All credit for those aspects goes to the original writers.
The title ‘The Blessed Unrest’ came from and belongs to Sara Bareilles from the album of the same name.
Rating: Occasional, tasteful, adult situations and contextual bad language. However by and large equivalent to the show.
Couples: Tara and Willow forever, that’s all I’m bothered about.
Text convention: Use of italics denotes either special emphasis if used for a single or a few words in a sentence OR first person thoughts if used for a whole sentence.
Notes: Yes, you’re supposed to get the idea something special is happening here and not just between them. This part originally extended one more scene towards a mini-cliff-hanger. But I decided that a) for length and b) for effect, actually it was better to end somewhere ‘nice’ as this does on this part (like the last) and then drop the cliff-hanger just into the middle of what is now Chapter 11. Yes, a change is coming… Another one. See, I’m not hanging you off cliffs, but I am still teasing.
Oh, in this part Willow realises the end of her assumed sexuality to this point in her life. Just because she doesn’t immediately slap herself with another label doesn’t mean that that she isn’t who she is. She just hasn’t got past thinking about Tara long enough to consider it. So, yeah, I’m fully FAQ compliant.
Thanks to: The lady who gave me the lovely massage that enables me to sit here in my chair and write this now.




The morning was bright. Bright enough she needed to keep her eyes closed.

The bed was soft.

Tara was… warm.

And with ‘warm’ was ‘right there’.

Okay, let’s make that ‘right here

With me.

Somehow – the ‘how’ didn’t take much imagination – she’d ended up pressed back into Tara Maclay (the very same Tara Maclay - let’s not forget - who likes girls, likes me and likes me like that.)

She’d fallen asleep with a gentle appreciation of the girl who’d kissed her and set everything that would flutter… well, fluttering. And everything that would… Well, let’s just admit that there’d been other reactions that had been less fluttersome.

The sort of reactions that – if there’d been a lingering doubt – said that ‘yes, actually girls do make me feel funny.’ Except it hadn’t been funny it’d been… wow.

Nothing besides a kiss had actually happened and still with the ‘wow’.

More than ‘wow’ technically. More like ‘wow, so that’s what I’m supposed to have been - ’

Anyway… The kiss had been it and then they’d shared each other’s space over night. Okay, it was the same bed and the same girl as the night before and the night before that. But this time… This time it had felt more like a promise than a convenient comfort in a strange place.

A promise not to get weird about what they’d done or talked about and a reassurance that it’d only been the truth.

A promise about the kiss too. That there might very well be more to come.

A guarantee that it didn’t have to get weird because there was nothing to get weird about.

Tara Maclay kissed me and it was everything I wanted it to be.

Enough to qualify as ‘wow’


Because… you know. Wow.

Stretching only brought her into even more contact with Tara. Gave her an excuse to run her hand across the other girl’s calf. Now there was a part of Tara she’d never touched before and – how often was she going to realise that before the list was exhausted?

And even the logical extension – though logic had little to do with it – of that little musing didn’t freak her out in the slightest. There were places – parts – of Tara that she was very much interested in exploring.

Like, all of her. Even – no, make that especially – the… yeah. In fact, her biggest issue with that? Terminology. What were the approved terms? No internet. No dictionary. That was all she was worried about, at least right now.

She might’ve been smiling when Tara sighed at the touch.

And it wasn’t a bad thing to really appreciate the little sigh that the sleeping girl gave out when she was touched that way. Not that she’d have done any deliberate touching. But an accidental one? On the calf?

So Tara liked to be touched, but then… who didn’t? It was a natural, human condition. To seek out, to appreciate contact with another person.

And while I might be comfortable – really comfortable – with the idea of parts… I probably need to start thinking about how I should – what – well, what girls do.

Together.

When they like girls and like each other.

Liking was good. Liking was great. But one day or night soon, liking would turn to doing and…

Well, I want to seem like I have some idea what I’m doing. And really, thinking about that, it’s not much of a hardship.


Lying next to Tara, pressed up against her and feeling her body heat… It was really, really easy to think about what might come next.

And after that too.

Didn’t feel like it’d need much working out though. Chasing what felt good didn’t seem complicated or scary. But… a girl needed to be educated and prepared. No matter what the subject.

Any other place, the library might’ve been a good place to go but here? Where she could only look at the pictures without help? Less useful.

Unless they were interesting pictures. Probably beautiful too. But…

I probably can’t ask Tara to help me find the porno section of weirdo-world UC Sunnydale Library. Not even the girl on girl part.

Can I?

No, I really can’t.


It’d been a while – and never with a woman – but she was pretty sure that simply wasn’t what a first date was supposed to be about.

Date…

We need to go on a date. Something special… Except we’re already eating everything there is to eat and enjoying our time here more than we should and… maybe the new dating is staying in? Staying in has real possibilities too.

Possibilities that were easier and easier to imagine the more she thought about it.

And… mmm.

Okay, her imagination might not be strictly in the real world but… still, mmm.

It did occur to her, before she opened her eyes, that her hetero-sexuality – so long assumed – was falling away like a leaf from a tree at the end of its season. How she would describe herself in the future was less clear and probably would all be defined by this, new phase of her life and the person she was seriously considering sharing it with (no pressure!) but…

Hetero me? She’s gone. Because while I might only see Tara when I think about the wonderfulness that is girls, just knowing that I can do that means something’s changed.

Sort of feels like…

I’ve grown up.

Like everything before was what people expected – what I expected – almost like I was a child. But now…


When she did open her eyes it… wasn’t all she expected it to be.

Not at all.

In fact, almost all thoughts of fun times with Tara – or anything else – slipped away.

Almost all.

“Umm, Tara?”

She reached back and grabbed that calf she’d lightly brushed before and shook it. “Tara… wake up. Shake a leg, or I’ll do it for you.”

Obviously a sound sleeper, Tara didn’t wake up right away or at least had her own process to go through before she was fully conscious.

No time for that though. Nor to be gentle about this.

She shook her leg again. “Tara!”

“Wh – what?”

“Look!”

“Oh, gods…”

All around them, in the open room, were… Well, all the smaller animals of the forest that could climb or fly. All the animals that – until yesterday morning – had been conspicuously missing. Now they were here.

Lots. And lots.

Maybe all of them.

Birds adorned every nearby branch. Some roosting, others peering at them and seeming just as curious about them as the other way around.

More of them were in the ‘room’, perched on the furniture. Including the end of the bed. Every one of them inquisitive and looking right at them.

On the very end of the bed, a squirrel nibbling on a nut. Seeing her, it squeaked and dashed up the wall and into the rafters to where a family of them waited patiently.

It was beautiful-intimidating.

One. Both.

“What’s happening?” she asked. “Where did they all come from?”

“I don’t know,” Tara replied. “I – don’t know.”

“What were you about to say?” she asked, looking around. The creatures were everywhere but almost silent. And it didn’t look like they’d done what small creatures tended to do either… No fighting. No crap. A few stray feathers but nothing worse than that.

“I - ” Tara sat up, pushing her hair out of her face, and the reaction was… Amazing.

All at once the birds went into song. All of them. You could see it. And you could certainly hear it, it was almost deafening but… beautiful. A dozen different species of bird, some of which had no business indulging in birdsong at all, all…

It was the dawn chorus but… organised. Almost composed.

She turned and looked at Tara, realising the same thing the other girl had.

They’re singing at her. No. They’re singing for her.

Meanwhile the mice and squirrels and other little creatures she didn’t recognise were sat, patiently listening and watching. Chittering occasionally, at a musically appropriate point.

“Why are they - ” She stopped when she realised that Tara couldn’t, actually hear her. It was all too loud.

Too beautiful.

Almost too much.

Almost.

And then Tara held a hand up, about to say –

The birdsong stopped. Absolutely stopped. Not a chirp out of place.

Until Tara – experimentally – lowered her hand again and it restarted.

Okay… that might prove a few things, especially when the birds didn’t do the same thing when she tried to stop them. Rather, she got what amounted to dirty looks off the assembled squirrels and she did worry she might be about to be pelted with nuts (which wasn’t a fate any newly blossomed girl-who-liked-girls should be exposed to).

So she dropped her hand and let them… Yeah, they aren’t listening to me anyway.

It’s all for Tara. They’re here for her. Just like the deer and the birds yesterday. They’re all here for her.

About all they could do was listen and it must’ve gone on for nearly an hour. Through highs and lows and strange seemingly improvised sections that one bird got pecked at for. They had personalities, these creatures.

But personalities that were clearly devoted to Tara Maclay.

Which gave them a bond of sorts. She understood that, at least. If she’d had musical talent and a menagerie, she might’ve attempted the same thing.

For Tara. Of course, now, if she ever did find the talent and the menagerie it wouldn’t be at all original.

In the end, as the final whistles faded away, every bird inside and outside Tara’s room looked expectantly at them. No, at Tara. As if waiting for Tara to render judgment.

There were tears running down Tara’s face. In the beauty of it, she hadn’t even noticed. This had struck a deep chord in the other girl and she pulled Tara into a hug because what else could she do?

Tara’s tears were matched by her laughter though. Tears of joy. “Thank you. Thank you all.”

And with that approval…

The birds, the mammals, all of them left in a violent draught of flapping wings and more random calls.

She didn’t say it right then, because hugging Tara was feeling pretty good right now, but this was something they were definitely going to have to talk about.

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

“So… How are you feeling?” Willow asked. She sounded like she was trying to be delicate about it.

But it was really nothing to be ashamed of and her half-smile seemed to reassure Willow.

“Good – better – I – I’m sorry I cried. Sorry if I worried you.”

“No, I understand – I do. I had a tear in my eye too,” the other girl admitted, winking to her. Right now, though, Willow was sweeping.

It seemed like that might be her fault in some way. “Sorry they made a mess too.”

“No, it could’ve been a whole lot worse. This is just feathers. I mean, they could’ve crapped everywhere. Then we’d have been crying for another reason. We’d have had to find somewhere else to sleep.”

That was a good point Willow had made. The assembled birds, and the mammals that had been here with them, hadn’t made a mess. It was really just when they took off and left that they feathers had gone flying. Other than that?

No poop. No nuts. No… whatever else you might’ve expected.

“Of course, we have a whole dorm – lots of dorms – to ourselves. We could move every day and probably sleep in a fresh, new bed for years without ever worrying about cleaning up after ourselves. Not that – I’m sure it won’t be years.”

“No.”

And if it was? What then? It was something they’d have to get to talking about some time.

But now, she could tell that Willow – looking over at her – had something else on her mind. Pausing in her sweeping. She knew that look. Willow was weighing something in her considerable mind. She raised an eyebrow, asking the question.

What is it?

“It really is all about you, you know.”

“What do you mean?”

“You must’ve seen it too. All that. It was for you.”

“We were both here,” she said, mostly because she was somewhat uncomfortable with what that might mean. Things they didn’t understand. Other things to think about rather than where – she thought and hoped – they both wanted to be focusing right now.

Was it fair that the paradise they found themselves – and each other – in came with a mystery attached? Something to distract them from… Well, each other.

Not really. But a small enough price to pay.

“It really was for you. You raised your hand, they stopped. Then they started again when you dropped it. Face it, Tara. It’s for you – And I think they came back here from wherever they’d been. Just for you.”

It was certainly true that the skies had been empty when they arrived – apart from the canopy. The trees had been silent. The whole place had seemed unnatural in a very natural way. And then…

First there’d been the deer, the squirrel and a handful of birds yesterday. Then… She looked out. The forest that formed the campus was finally alive. It was noisy. It was real. It was… everything you’d expect it to be.

Birds flitted here and there within sight. A thousand others made their presence felt through their song. Hawks circled overhead, occasionally stooping and – perhaps – ending one part of that song.

Squirrels made impossible jumps from branch to branch, scampering up and around trees. No doubt down below the ground based critters were doing just the same sort of things. More deer. Perhaps rabbits.

But it’s for me?

Evidence was one thing, but she wasn’t comfortable with it suggested.

“Why?”

“Why would they come back? Or why would they be away?” Willow asked.

“Either.”

“I don’t know but… they were gone and when you arrived, they came back. One or two at first. Eager beavers.”

She gave Willow a look.

“Do you think there are beavers?” Willow asked. It wasn’t deadpan, but there was no sparkle in her eyes. Not like there would’ve been if she knew what she was saying.

So, really? She was asking that question. Now? Could she really have no idea…?

“Could be…” she said, not committing herself to what might be Willow’s dirty joke.

But apparently Willow really hadn’t thought about it.

“And now look at it.”

“I didn’t mean to do… anything,” she said, assuming for a moment Willow might be right.

“That’s the thing, I don’t think they care,” Willow replied, exaggerating her sweeping. “I don’t think you ordered them back here. I think they just came here for you. Because you’re here. And, you know, it’s not a bad job.”

“What?”

“Being your maid, oh Princess of the Forest.”

“I’m definitely not a Princess,” she insisted.

“Not even if I want you to be?”

“I’m not a Princess,” she said again. Firmly, she hoped. “And you’re not my maid.”

“Not even if I want to be?” Willow asked and it was the very first time she’d seen such a perfectly wicked grin.

Oh, so she’s like that is she? Whatever, exactly, ‘that’ is… It’s undoubtedly going to be fun finding out.

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

Days passed.

Maybe even a week – they couldn’t be certain given the variable length that days and nights seemed to have here - and in whatever that time had been things had changed enough that they hadn’t even paid lip service to trying to escape whatever this paradise was for at least have the time.
Partly that was because they’d paid lip service to lips and actually more than lip service. Exploring each other’s lips had become one of their go to ways to pass the hours. Because fascinating as this place was, it wasn’t as fascinating as Tara.

Nor was it the sort of place you could spend all day, every day, exploring. Because if you did then… well, you’d just be too pooped to do anything at night.

More exploring…

No, double entendre was not lost on her. Yes, she had started to wonder about – maybe – exploring other lips. Maybe. It seemed like a big step but the way Tara made her feel, not a very big one. Definitely obvious but conceptually, not physically.

Or maybe…

It was both hard and easy to take things slow though. Harder, because… Hello? This was Tara and she was all kinds of smexy. But easy too…

In another place, another world, there might’ve been more of an urge to go at the pace that maybe other people would’ve expected her to.

Or for them to, actually, since none of this was about either one of them. It was about both of them.

Back there, on what some people might call the ‘Prime Plane’ (sounded cool), Buffy would’ve known by now that she was into girls and all of a sudden that would be a ‘thing.’

The sort of ‘thing’ where you were expected to talk about it – because who wouldn’t be curious? – and then you’d get into what other people expected to have happened and where ‘we’re taking it slow’ would’ve been a euphemism for something.

Maybe not a euphemism. More… something other people would make their on judgements about.

Here… She didn’t feel like they were ‘taking it slow’. Nor that they were ‘going at their own pace.’ Not even that they were ‘keeping the pressure off something new’.

No. It was…

Here, it just was. There was just them. Always them. Ample opportunity – no lack of desire or new and interesting ways to express it without…

Utter freedom to let their relationship develop at its own pace. Knowing that it existed was enough. Experiencing it was… It was actually kind of a privilege (not that she’d ever admit that, even to Tara) and though she felt like she should be feeling tortured by the speed of the changes between them, she didn’t regret the pace – or lack thereof.

It was just… right.

Had to be, when you thought for even a second about it. Here there was nothing in the way. Not other people. Not family. Not friends. No judgement or consequences they couldn’t anticipate.

So, if they went fast or slow had to just be… right.

The thing was, if they’d been back home and going to classes then… what would they have done? Dated? Yes. So… maybe four or five hours around each other?

That was without staying of course.

And you didn’t go on a date every night so… She did a little arithmetic and it came out in their favour. The time she spent with Tara here in a single day was more like two or three dates – at least in the early days. Right? So… just how many dates would it have taken?

Not many… but… this was much, much better.

Perhaps it was the setting but… there was no pressure to go there though. Time seemed to stand still. One day was very much like another unless they chose to make it radically different. So far, they really hadn’t. They enjoyed each other’s company.

The place was perfection itself. Food that – though the same - still hadn’t gotten old. Water. Friendly wildlife. Perfect pools that – though chilly – did allow more curious bathing than the first time they’d tried it.

They no longer looked so resolutely away, even if it was embarrassing to be caught staring. They just respected each other’s private time. Tara’s influence over her dresses – she’d tried more than one now – had become fine tuned to the point that her mood could be read in the colours and the – umm – decency of them.

Trying to alter that mood in rewarding ways and see what happened to the fabric had surpassed her desires to get Tara out of said dresses too. At least for a little while.

And – remarkably for a forest now filled with animals and birds – no visible poop. How that worked, she wasn’t sure. But she was grateful. Tara even went barefoot and never stubbed her toe. Never stumbled or even got her feet muddy while… I’m the same klutz I always am and she thinks she is but really isn’t. Not here anyway.

She’d gotten to the point that she didn’t even think about why this whole place belonged to Tara.

Yes, she was convinced of it, but it was only good for them. Nothing to worry about. And Tara had stopped denying it too.

Also, they were never actually woken by the dawn chorus, rather it waited for them – in Tara’s room - and then… There it was. Or rather, it waited for Tara to wake up. It didn’t seem to have any hesitation in bringing her back to the waking world so long as Tara’s eyes had already opened.

And yes, she’d continued to sweep up after the ‘good morning, Tara’ song and played the maid, even when Tara wanted to take the broom off her. It wasn’t a bad thing that a little domestic work – in a beautiful nightdress that felt softer than any silk – made her feel very ready to give Tara a long, slow good morning of her own.

No, not bad. And not weird either.

Not weird at all.

Not here anyway.

Once or twice a day her thoughts did turn to the real world, to what Buffy and Giles and the others thought had happened to them. What they were doing to try and get them back but… even though she missed her friends, she didn’t want this to end yet.

Because – even if the whole place responded to Tara – it was somehow also theirs. It was like… If she’d happened to go back to Montana during vacation, walked in the woods there (they had woods in Montana, right?) then they’d still have been their woods.

Because they’d have walked in them. So obviously. Same thing here.

Being with Tara - knowing what they were building towards – just made her… It makes me all kinds of happy.

Happy like skipping through the trees happy when she thought no one – i.e. Tara – could see her.

She did secretly suspect that the birds might be reporting back to her girl though.

And if they were? Telling Tara she was happy was something she’d done herself so it was no big secret.

One reason for that, there was complete lack of pressure in their growing relationship. No pressure to be anything. No pressure to do anything. No pressure not to do anything. Okay, sometimes – because they were getting to know each other – they might do something that raised an eyebrow or maybe resulted in a wince.

Once in a while.

Mostly it was Tara’s eyebrow. But…

But mostly it was nothing but good. Nothing but good and fascinating at the same time.

The strange thing was that getting to know Tara Maclay seemed like it ought to be difficult. She was a naturally shy girl, perhaps a little introverted. But with her… Sometimes Tara wouldn’t shut up.

Okay, that was an exaggeration – and a scandalous one at that - but it was always surprising how giving of herself Tara was. The things they could talk about.

Parents. Family. Good things and bad. Losing her Mom. My Mom burning me at the stake. Monsters and magic. Hopes and fears. Old loves…

New ones.

Not exactly in context, the word ‘love’ had snuck out of her mouth.

She hadn’t even realised and Tara had hidden her surprise well enough, though the choking on a piece of papple might not have been entirely unconnected.

And it had been out of context. Sort of… They could both the use of that precious word rationalise it away if they needed to. But they could both lean on how that had made them feel too, let it be a basis for the future.

Their future.

Together.

If they were trapped here forever, it didn’t seem like a total disaster. Not when they were together.

And maybe that was why she was in no hurry to get home. Because, back there, there’d be all those other people. Plenty of them she liked. Some that she loved dearly. But all of them would be surprised by Willow Rosenberg 2.0. Some of them would even be shocked. Their reactions were the last things she wanted to think about right now.

The ones who were worth anything at all wouldn’t care that she was falling for a girl, but they would still need it explaining to them because it would be shiny and new.

Some would even be surprised that things hadn’t gone further than they had.

But there was nothing wrong with that either.

The way she looked at it, she and Tara had already saved each other’s lives before they got here. That was a bond right there, a different one to the one forged when Tara gave her that look back at Wicca Group.

A look that Tara actually continued to deny any knowledge of. Oh, she remembered their eyes meeting but she insisted that she hadn’t looked at all. Certainly she denied any hint of giving her a little smile.

Which wasn’t factual even if it was true.

Maybe intent and desire had been as absent as Tara said, after all how much of a connection could they have made in that meeting, but the effect was still the same.

Since they’d arrived here though, that bond had deepened. Maybe after a day they’d have labelled each other friends. After day two, she’d have said they were going to be friends who might stay in contact their entire lives.

Day three?

Day three they’d admitted to each other that it might be more than that and they’d been inching their way towards it ever since.

Walk by walk.

Skip by skip.

Wash by wash.

Truth by truth.

Night in bed by night in bed…

Kiss by kiss.

Tara had just popped papple into her mouth and… It was – maybe – the single most intimate gesture she could imagine. Maybe it was the fruit. Maybe it was the location. Or maybe it was the girl.

Nope, no question. It was definitely the girl.

And the truly bizarre part of all of this, the one that she really didn’t get was that Tara had no idea how sexy she really was. It wasn’t false modesty. It wasn’t artifice. She really didn’t have any clue – or hadn’t before she’d spent several hours making sure she did.

For someone who’d professed that she’d never been ashamed of her sexuality, Tara was remarkably unaware of its impact on other people.

This other people, anyway.

On the other hand, that could easily because you had to be looking at Tara to be aware of it.

Tara had to let you see too.

This… It just felt right.

And that was all about the girl too.

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

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 Post subject: Re: Tara and Willow - The Blessed Unrest - Chp 10 - 02/20/1
PostPosted: Fri Feb 20, 2015 2:33 am 
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Yay for excellent update-y goodness... The Good-Morning-Tara-Animal-Chorus kinda freaked me out, but I'm glad that they have become used to it after few "days"... I'm really glad that they are exploring each other slow-ish and don't rush into things... I think Willow's and Tara's reaction to Good-Morning-Tara-Animal-Chorus performance after their first naked snugles would be pretty hilarious...

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 Post subject: Re: Tara and Willow - The Blessed Unrest - Chp 10 - 02/20/1
PostPosted: Fri Feb 20, 2015 4:39 pm 
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YAAASSSSSSSS!!! UPDATESSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!

Yay for Willow and Tara happiness and stuff! I'm not very good at feedback giving, if you're wondering. But this update was FABULOUSLY AMAZING.

-Wills

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I have a fish named Drusilla. He doesn't know, he thinks his name is Drew. Shhhh...

Spike: Are we feeling better, then?
Drusilla: I'm naming all the stars.
Spike: You can't see the stars, love. That's the ceiling. Also it's day.
Drusilla: I can see them. But I've named them all the same name, and there's terrible confusion.


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 Post subject: Re: Tara and Willow - The Blessed Unrest - Chp 10 - 02/20/1
PostPosted: Fri Feb 20, 2015 8:01 pm 
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:)

Nice update.

Oh baby, when they finally get wriggly, the stars are gonna fall from the sky!
Or maybe the sun might rise :)

I can't wait :P

R :flower

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 Post subject: Re: Tara and Willow - The Blessed Unrest - Chp 10 - 02/20/1
PostPosted: Sat Feb 21, 2015 7:25 am 
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Katharyn, my dearest Katharyn. It's been AGES since I have visited the board, and after such a long and eventful(some would say life changing) time away, upon my return I was shocked by a number of things:
1. I still remember my login and password
2. You are STILL writing.

I cannot wait to catch up with all you have done, I am sure it will be glorious!

P.S. the licky one says hello.

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 Post subject: Re: Tara and Willow - The Blessed Unrest - Chp 10 - 02/20/1
PostPosted: Sat Feb 21, 2015 9:27 am 
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Zampsa - well, the chorus is mostly about over-enthusiastic animals. I mean, if YOU could hang out around Tara and Willow you probably would too :) And no, they're not rushing. But neither is this story all about them 'getting to the end of that journey'... There's other stuff too! :)

Thanks

Salix - It's great that you come and leave some anyway so thanks!

Azirahael - See, now I might have to use 'get wriggly' somewhere too. All this retrospective editing of neat terms :) Thank you!

cattwoman - WOW! Colour me happy.

I can't speak to the likelihood of you remembering your password, but I did say once that I'd be the one to turn the light out on Pens when it finally ended. Course, I never thought we'd still be going strong now! Always more stories to tell, even though I have less time to write them. I think you've missed quite a but (I'm wordy - even my status is 'volumy text' LOL

As for the licky one...

Well... First of all, hello. And second of all, I can't tell you how good it makes me feel that you say so because that says something about you two as well :D (Bet she doesn't remember her password!)

Thanks so much and don't be a stranger!

Katharyn

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 Post subject: Tara and Willow - The Blessed Unrest - Chp 11 - 02/23/15
PostPosted: Sun Feb 22, 2015 10:42 pm 
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Title: Tara and Willow – The Blessed Unrest – Chapter Eleven
Author: Katharyn Rosser
Feedback: Absolutely, yes please. That’s why I write for this place, to engage in the discussion about the story.
Spoiler warning: Not sure why I am bothering, really, but nothing much apart from the episode ‘Hush’ in S4. And let’s face it, if you’ve not seen that then… what are you doing here?
Distribution: This story was written for Pens. Pens is its home. No archiving off Different Coloured Pens and the Kitten Board please. No conversion to eBook or other formats please. Enjoy it here.
Story notes: Tara’s background is different to that presented in Family and instead based on a throwaway remark made in interviews around the time Family first aired. (Though I now realise not the precisely terminology used there)
Summary: No longer quite so alone as they were…
Disclaimer: I don’t own any of the copyrights or anything else associated with BTVS. All rights lie with the production company, writers etc. I am making no money from this series of stories however all original characters and situations remain my property. As this is a missing scenes and alternate reality fiction lots of scenes are new versions of those seen in the show, as such dialogue and situations are taken from the show. I’m sure you can tell which. All credit for those aspects goes to the original writers.
The title ‘The Blessed Unrest’ came from and belongs to Sara Bareilles from the album of the same name.
Rating: Occasional, tasteful, adult situations and contextual bad language. However by and large equivalent to the show.
Couples: Tara and Willow forever, that’s all I’m bothered about.
Text convention: Use of italics denotes either special emphasis if used for a single or a few words in a sentence OR first person thoughts if used for a whole sentence.
Notes: This is quite a long part by the standards of this story. Once again, it’s about finding the right moment to stop. No, not a cliff-hanger but a little bit of fruity promise (and I don’t mean papple) to leave you on. I’ve had this PERFECT line I picked up from someone’s vlog after I’d written all the first draft and I’ve been waiting, looking for somewhere to *COUGH* insert it. But I’ve not found that perfection yet. I’ll tell you when I do though because… well, it’s very Willow and actually happened to real people (who aren’t me!)
Thanks to: Cattwoman for making my day last week... I've said why!


“Look. I’m all sticky,” Tara said, frowning at the papple juice all over her hands.

“I don’t mind,” Willow grinned back at her.

You wouldn’t.”

“Hey, I think I should be offended just by the way you said that. Should I be offended? Why don’t you explain what you mean by that?”

Willow didn’t sound very offended, but she did want an answer.

“Just that you seem able to turn just about everything into something dirty.”

“What’s dirty about that?” Willow asked.

She gave Willow a look. C’mon.

“Oh. Ohhh. Right - I didn’t – actually – I mean, I wasn’t being deliberately ‘dirty’. Not exactly…” Willow said.

“Really?”

“Tara, I’m shocked you’d have to ask me twice. Have I ever lied to you?”

“No.”

“See. Ira and Sheila Rosenberg didn’t raise a liar. So you can believe me when – Look, Tara, the thing is I have no idea what I’m saying. It’s this whole other culture you’re introducing me to.”

“It’s just me,” she said. “I’m not sure it can be a culture when it’s just me.”

“No, I’m here, remember? So it’s us,” Willow said. “And if all you need for a culture is plural then, we can be a culture together. And I don’t mean – like, yeast or anything but – stopping. Stopping now.”

She considered. “Are you sure you want to consider that kind of conversation ‘cultured’?”

“Maybe not,” Willow said. “But… do I really do it a lot? Do I really make things dirty?”

“More than I think you know, I guess.”

“Well, you should call me on it. I want to learn. If I say – or maybe inadvertently suggest - something dirty I really want to know I’m doing it.” Willow’s grin was simply huge. “I’d have – I will have a better idea, when I know the all there is to be dirty about. So, there’s that.[/i]

She laughed. So they still weren’t doing much more than kissing – though hands had wandered this morning and that had been all kinds of new fun – but Willow was already living up to her ‘seeker of knowledge’ title.

She’d been seeking with her hands, for a start. And not just for knowledge.

And some of the things she said, some of the things she asked were clearly more about… Well, expectations.

Intimate expectations.

What Willow wanted to ask, but wouldn’t actually come out with, was probably something along the lines of ‘Can you make sure I know all the things that girls do together.’

It wasn’t possible that Willow was ignorant of some of those things, everyone knew what felt good. Right? And straights… well, they did stuff. Surely. But when it came to knowledge and understanding, this girl was nothing if not a completest.

I don’t have the heart to tell her that… I really don’t know much more than the basics and even if that’ll keep us going – and happy – a while, it’s certainly not ‘all.’

She’d probably not be able to hide the disappointment, and I don’t want to be the cause of that.

But it’s only because finding all these things out really needs… Well, someone else.

Or lots of practice starting from ignorance.

Not ‘or’. ‘And’ lots of practice.


The other thing that she’d not really admitted – out loud – was just how interested she was in them finding out together.

Because – who wouldn’t be? Willow was an amazing young woman. Obviously off-the-charts-smart. Computer and science expert but also a witch – which felt like it should be a contradiction but somehow wasn’t in her case.

Willow knew all sorts of things and she was kind. She was understanding and she was… beautiful.

Very. Very. Beautiful.

And she makes me laugh more than anyone ever has. Dirty comments and all.

“In that case,” she said. “I promise to give you a sign every time you say something dirty.”

“Good. What will the sign be?”

“I don’t know.”

“You could… lift a finger?”

“No.”

“Two?”

“No.” There she went again.

“Ohh. Right. Right. There I go again. Maybe you could just… give me a look? Just like that one.”

“You already keep saying I give you looks,” she reminded Willow.

“You did give me a look. Just then. But you gave me a different look in Wicca Group that basically said ‘One day soon, I’m going to kiss you. And you’re going to want me to.’”

“I really d-don’t think I did that.”

“Well, you’d be wrong if that’s what you think, because that’s exactly what it looked like. Of course, I didn’t realise all of that at the time. In the moment I just sort of went ‘Gosh – that’s a look.’”

“So with the benefit of hindsight you figured it out…?”

Willow nodded. “Yeah, if we – you know – more – maybe – then, with the benefit of hindsight, I’ll really think you meant something very different. At least I hope I will.”

“I can promise you I wasn’t thinking that,” she said, knowing exactly which moment Willow was referring to. It wasn’t the first time she’d laid eyes on her, but it was the first time Willow had noticed her. Who wasn’t going to remember that? She’d really meant it as more of a ‘kindred spirits’ kind of look though. None of… well, this that they were talking about.

Giving someone that kind of look? It really wasn’t her thing. Usually.

“Are you sure?”

“Really.”

Willow’s face dropped. “I was…”

“What?”

“I was hoping that maybe you just looked at me and knew, ‘there’s a girl I want to be with’.”

“Why, did you?”

“Well…”

“Seriously?” she asked. This was one thing they’d not really explored yet. Every day, every hour, with Willow there was always something new. How long could that go on?

Somehow, it seemed like it might be a long time. This girl would just keep surprising her, she was sure.

“Butterflies, I had butterflies. I didn’t know what it was that I wanted because I hadn’t ever really thought about it – or myself that way - but… Yes, I wanted to see you. Somewhere. Outside the group, you know? I knew that much.”

“Well, yes. I knew that much too – but I didn’t have butterflies,” she said.

“I’m a little disappointed, I have to tell you,” Willow told her. “Once I was pretty sure you were into girls, I was all into the idea that you knew about us even before we’d really spoken. That would’ve been so romantic. And kind of sexy too.”

“Don’t be. Disappointed, I mean. It didn’t take long before I was thinking about you,” she said and then noticed where Willow’s mind was going. “Not like that.” She didn’t ask if it had been like that for Willow because… Some things, even between close friends – even girlfriends – should remain private.

Shouldn’t they?

Of course, having a real honest to goodness, girlfriend – one who was independent and grown up – might change her mind about that assumption. Honestly though, she couldn’t see it. Some things, some of the things in your head should… stay there.

“And your hands are still sticky,” Willow said, taking them.

“Just my fingers,” she corrected as Willow pulled them up and kissed the tips. “That’s… that’s not really helping, I don’t think.”

“I could - ”

“No,” Tara said. “I’ll just go give them a wash.”

Willow smiled. “You’re right, as usual. That’s probably best.”

When she came back from the fountain, all clean, she saw Willow with her back to her. Looking at – talking to something she couldn’t see. One of the animals? It probably had a lot of scope to be adorable, because Willow had the funniest voice when she was addressing the creatures of the forest. Playful and sing song even - except…

She wasn’t talking like that.

In fact, it sounded like she was…

“Tara,” Willow said, realising she was there. “We – ah – have a guest.”

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

It was a child.

No, not quite a child.

A girl.

Maybe eleven or twelve years old, judging by her height and the beginnings of more adult features. But that was pretty much where her resemblance to any other twelve year old ended and you might go on to doubt the estimate.

Few, if any, twelve year olds had hair so pale as to be closer to silver than any other possible description. Not grey. Not white. Silver. It shone in the sunlight and hung all the way down around her waist. While her eyes were blue, they were a deep – unnatural – blue. Electric blue even, except – on her – it seemed more natural than alien.

And finally… the tips of her ears were lightly pointed.

Oh, and she had wings too. All in all, didn’t that mean - Yes, she looked exactly like a – but those didn’t exist.

Did they?

She’d specifically asked Giles once and the answer had been a firm ‘no’. That the only photographic evidence ever gathered had been cardboard cut-outs pinned to leaves in a Victorian garden.

A hoax.

And those representations looked nothing like what was here with them now.

So, maybe the answer was right there in front of her? Maybe she knew something Giles didn’t?

To all the questions she’d asked, the girl said nothing at all. Just looking at her and tipping her head, a little like a cat might. One that was tolerating stupid-human-noises and idly wondering what they might mean. In between naps, of course.

Which was – apart from the pain – nearly all of her experience with cats summed up.

“Where are your parents?” she tried again as she felt Tara come back. “Tara. We – ah – have a guest.”

“So I see,” Tara said, falling into place beside her. The lightest of touches and… Yeah, it was all going to be okay. That was what Tara did for her. “Hello.”

The girl still didn’t speak, but now all of her attention was on Tara. Just like everything else here. Why should she be any different? A whole forest that just adored Tara Maclay.

Of course, she got it.

But she also realised that unless she was careful then, at some point, feeling jealous of trees might become an issue.

“Do you understand us?” Tara – thankfully oblivious to those thoughts – asked the girl. “Can you tell us your name?”

The girl’s mouth moved, but she made no sound. Which was… strange. Fortunately it also proved that she wasn’t equipped with razor sharp teeth intended to strip teenage flesh from the bone.

Which had to be a concern when you met somewhat unusual beings. Especially the ones that lulled you into a false sense of security by not looking too dangerous.

But…

“Say something else,” she encouraged Tara. Because now she had a theory.

Despite obviously been confused, Tara did as she was asked. “My name’s Tara. This is Willow. She’s my friend. Do you have any friends? Is there anyone else here with you?”

Once again, the girl’s mouth moved – but more clearly now. And only a word or two behind Tara’s. Forming the same words.

“She’s imitating you,” she pointed out. But not me. Again. I’d look good in green… Green’s the colour of jealousy, right? And it goes with red hair? I think I could pull that off.

“No – I - I’m learning,” the girl said, surprising them both. “To talk like you.”

“But – no one said ‘learning’,” she said. “Or talk, actually…”

“I don’t think it matters,” Tara said quietly, probably so as not to interrupt this miraculous process.

After all, were they really saying this girl with wings had learned to speak English from hearing them ask a few questions? Without using the actual words? If so, that definitely fell in the miraculous category.

“It doesn’t m-matter,” the girl said. “My name is Miri. And of course I have friends.”

“Well, it’s very nice to meet you, Miri,” Tara said.

“Why?”

Caught out, Tara didn’t seem able to respond right away, so she stepped in. “Because we thought we were all alone here.”

In fact, I didn’t actually mind the idea we were all alone here. And now… we’re not. What does that mean?

“Why?”

“Because… there was no one here – nothing. Just trees. Then there were some animals but no people. Not until you.”

“Why?”

“I… We don’t know. We don’t know where we are,” Willow said, guessing that the repeated ‘why’s’ were actually for her to hear more in the way of words from them, to learn more. Maybe she was wrong, but that was what it felt like. “Do you?”

This time the girl frowned in real confusion. “Of course, but how can you not know where you are? You are here.”

“We – we don’t come from here,” Tara said. “We come from somewhere else – a little like this, but – very different.”

Miri pursed her lips, looked around and then seemed satisfied to accept that explanation. But of course, it came from Tara. In this world, Tara could probably convince her the moon was made of cheese.

Or maybe, in this world, the moon really was. If Tara thought it should be.

What kind of cheese would it be?

“Will you show me things?” Miri asked.

“Of course - ” Tara started to say.

“Excuse us, Miri,” Willow interrupted, pulling Tara to one side. “We just need a private word.”

“What?” Tara asked.

“Oh, we’re going to play with her?” she asked. “With the cute kid? Who just appeared from nowhere?”

“Why not? And she didn’t say ‘play’ she said ‘show her things.’”

“You never watched a single horror movie, did you?” she checked.

“Well - No.”

“Figures. Look, all I’m saying is – I kind of lived a horror movie for the past few years and experience tells me that maybe we should be… careful. I’m not saying she’s homicidal or evil, but you have to allow for the possibility she might be. That’s what I learned.”

Tara looked back to the girl who was just waiting for them. You know, how kids in said movies might because they’ve nothing better to do. Not even fidget. She could’ve been a statue. In fact… there were some statues that they’d seen that… Nah.

The girl was alive but she was different.

Different enough that while they didn’t want to make her feel different, they had to be careful… just in case.

Probably, like everything else here, what could be big, scary and dangerous would turn out to be benign and welcoming.

Probably.

And while ‘probably’ was on the right side of the curve, ‘probably’ could still be wrong.

“If we need to be careful, what’s the best way to tick her off?” Tara asked, all too reasonably.

How did I get a girlfriend who appeals to reason to get what she wants? It’s really not fair, on so many levels.

Not that I deserve her anyway.


“Are you always going to be like this?” she asked.

“Like what?”

“Are you always going to be right?”

“I hope so,” Tara said.

“I used to like being the smartest girl in the room,” she complained.

“Well, if it makes you feel better,” Tara said. “There’s no room. So… I’m just the smartest girl in the forest. Rooms are all yours.”

Actually, that did help.

Just a little.

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

Well, one thing, Miri was certainly willing to talk.

They’d already found out some things about their situation that they’d not known and neither of them could say that there was even a hint of a dangerous bone in the girl’s body. Nor of anything that should make them wary.

Evidently the reason that Miri was here was curiosity and she continued to display plenty of that while not exactly doing much to answer Willow’s own questions beyond being ‘not dangerous’.

They’d been told that Miri had seen the flocking of the birds and the procession of the animals – turned out that none of them actually knew what the word for a large number of squirrels was – and determined that there was something worth discovering in whatever direction they were going.

And based on no more than that, Miri simply… followed them.

Actually, it said – explained – a lot without Miri needing to say so.

That the explanation was something so simple indicated that not only were there others who might come here, it was probably even likely that they would.

It also said something about the fact that people like Miri – whatever she was – matured quickly. No one had appeared to be looking after her, nor did she appear to need it. Certainly there’d been no ‘permission’ needed to follow the birds.

She’d just decided and… come.

So unless there was a ‘Stand By Me’ vibe of adolescent adventure here that their part of home had lost, it did say something about Miri.

Or that she was older than she looked.

But as for Miri herself? She was beyond harmless, she was pleasant, polite and boundlessly energetic.

Comparing notes they’d both decided that never before had either of them been made to feel old, but somehow Miri did that.

Of course, it might not be youth but the way she could zip around and hover like a dragon-fly. Seeing her with feet on the ground was, actually, the more unnatural state.

Her miraculously expanding language skills extended to understanding – and telling – all sorts of stories. But ask her what she was though and she didn’t grasp that concept beyond ‘I’m Miri.’ That and wondering why they’d – repeatedly – ask such dumb questions, with a different explanatory twist each time.

“Do you think that maybe ‘Miri’ is what her people call themselves?” Willow wondered.

“You mean like a tribe or group name or something?”

“Maybe, or maybe just like ‘human’. I mean she’s obviously not that because we don’t have the – you know.”

“Wings?”

“Ears. I was actually going to say ears. It’s always about the wings with you – you just can’t see past them, can you? I starting to suspect you’re a closet wingist.”

“They are pretty amazing,” she replied.

“I know – wait – now do you mean the ears or the wings?” Willow checked.

“Wings,” she said.

“Good, because I already found perfect ears.” Willow kissed the lobe of one of the ears in question and then chuckled as the dress, reacting to her mood, must’ve changed colour or how see-through it was.

Again.

Of course, when Willow did it, it wasn’t just a kiss. It had a real sense of eroticism that wasn’t matched by the physical gesture. It was more like the connection they felt when they touched was transmitting the desire that lay behind her.

And Willow had realised that too, of course. So, yes, Willow liked to play that game when she’d figured out what it meant for the dress. Fortunately, for now, there were boundaries to it. Boundaries like staying dressed…

“Do you think she’d let me look at her wings?” Willow asked a few minutes later, looking over at the girl. Miri wasn’t waiting patiently, because that implied she was having to use patience. No, she was just… waiting. Like time wasn’t relevant to her at all. And to her, perhaps it really wasn’t.

What would that sort of life be like?

And were they already living it when the passing of day into night was becoming little more than a much-appreciated excuse to be in bed together?

“I guess she might. Why?”

“Because – look, to fly like that, her whole back should be engineered just to move and support the wings, I mean look how fast their going. She’s like a hummingbird but with dragonfly wings – which are also pretty fast – but - I’ve not seen her eat? Have you seen her eat?”

“No – why - ?”

“So, anyway… Miri shouldn’t be able to keep up that level of energy use. She shouldn’t even be able to get herself off the ground. The wings are too small and her body just isn’t – Of course, there is always magic.”

“There you go then. Magic.”

“And I don’t need to worry about that,” Willow said. “Not here. So anything else we’re curious about?”

“Probably magic,” she confirmed. “Seems simpler to just go that way?”

“And I’m not going to learn anything by looking?” Willow asked. “Am I?”

“Probably not. Since you don’t have wings. You don’t have wings do you?” she asked.

“Maybe you should take a closer look and check?” Willow suggested.

“Maybe I will…” And it was just that easy to give in to the next stage of their mutual explorations. Something below the neck and Willow’s back – seen from not too great a distance when she’d been bathing – was already a source of fascination.

So pale. So contoured. So Willow.

She had absolutely no doubt – but she wasn’t going to say it – that the front side would prove just as great an attraction.

No. Not ‘as great’. Probably a whole lot more… great.

Of course, in their teasing they missed the near silent approach of Miri. Barefoot, the girl had just proven could sneak up without any trouble. At least when she was flying there was a gentle hum. Willow actually jumped, which was kind of cute to see.

“Are the pair of you mated?” Miri asked without any other preamble. It wasn’t something they’d even talked about beyond being ‘friends’ with Miri.

It might’ve caught Willow at an inconvenient moment since she had to cough her way through her initial reaction.

“Is Willow hurt?” Miri was plainly concerned.

“Just surprised,” she said, rubbing Willow’s back for her. “You move really quietly. But she’ll be fine.”

“So are you mated?” The girl was watching her hand, rubbing Willow’s back. It seemed to suggest something to her. But… really? That was a sign of being ‘mated’?

“We’re…” She looked at the coughing Willow. “We’re really very good friends.”

“So you’re not mated?”

“We – ah – I guess - we will be,” she said, forced to come to some sort of decision in the spirit of talking to the only other being here who could talk back to them. “We’re – planning to be. Sometime.”

“Sometime soon,” Willow coughed. It wasn’t very sexy, but all the same a little ripple of – let’s face it, it was desire and it went right through her.

Damned dress…

Miri grinned and the hum of her wings got louder as she rose a little in the air.

“Tara and Willow under the tree. K-I-S-S-I-N-G.”

Her face felt as hot as Willow’s looked, though it might’ve been the coughing that did that.

At least the dress flushed with her and became a little less see-through.

“You know that rhyme?” Willow, now recovered, asked Miri.

“Of course,” Miri, once again, dismissed the question as stupid and zipped off again. For all that she wanted to play with them – which mostly consisted of showing them things - she was perfectly happy off on her own too.

Which was also decidedly not monsterish.

“Why does she know that rhyme?” she wondered. It seemed such a strange and random thing to be shared between worlds.

“I have a better question,” Willow said.

“What is it?”

When – when exactly - are we going to be mated?”

As if Willow needed encouragement…

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

“Are we mating tonight, Tara?” she asked. “Are we mating tonight, Tara? Are we mating tonight, Tara?”

Her girlfriend – and since they were talking about mating, she thought she had the perfect right to call Tara a girlfriend – groaned.

After all she’d only asked about fifty times in the last two days.

And Tara had gone from laughter to smiles to groans. Not the kind of groans she was more and more interested in, but as a preview… something to aim for.

But she didn’t think that the oft-repeated question was unreasonable. Not really. Mating had been discussed – she hadn’t even brought it up - and that was a whole load of steps forward from kissing and (light) petting. Did people still call it petting?

I guess if we’re calling it ‘mating’ then we can definitely call it ‘petting’.

In one of the most excruciating interludes in her whole life, her Dad had warned her of the negative consequences of indulging in ‘petting.’ What it led to.

At the time she’d really started out thinking he meant they were going to the store to maybe get a puppy.

And then that they weren’t.

So, it was perfectly possible that no one but them called what they were doing at the moment ‘petting’. Maybe lesbians were supposed to use another word? Something cool and rooted in ancient Greece or latin or something.

Since Tara didn’t know, ‘petting’ it was.

And ‘mating.’ Since Miri had raised it.

“This isn’t funny anymore,” Tara said, but she was still managing a – patient – smile.

“No. It’s just hysterical,” she pointed out.

“Miri might be by,” Tara said, as if that was a real excuse.

“Ah.”

“What does that mean?”

“Another excuse.”

She was teasing. Mostly. And she was also pretty sure that Tara knew it.

Mostly.

But it was just so much fun. Not as much – she was sure – as mating would be. But until they got to that a girl had to get her jollies where she could…

Or her ‘jillies’. Hmm. Might not be a cool, Greek originating word but, hey, it was a word.

Tara gave her a look that said she might not agree with her assessment of what Tara knew. “If you don’t stop with the ‘mating’ question, we might never do it.”

“Oh, no,” she said, shaking her head. “There’s no chance of that.”

“Because you’re irresistible?” Tara asked. And now she was certainly seeing the funny. Her beautiful eyes sparkling.

“That and – well, see, it’d make a liar of you. Miri wants us to mate. She thinks we’re made for each other.”

“She barely knows us,” Tara pointed out, still all smiles.

Some people – on the strength of a few days – might have claimed that she and Tara barely knew each other. But they’d been days – and nights – largely spent in each other’s company and without any word of exaggeration, she felt more comfortable with Tara than anyone else in the world.

Ever.

She felt like she knew her better than Buffy. Better than Oz – because who’d known the furry freak would start behaving like a dog on heat – and better than maybe anyone except Xander. And even that was iffy. Somehow… They both felt it. They both knew it. They knew it so deep-down, with such certainty, that they’d barely even had to talk about it.

It just was.

A fact.

Worthy of being printed in the Encyclopaedia sets and being sold door to door. It was that sort of fact.

“Doesn’t mean she’s wrong,” Willow said about Miri.

They were getting ready for bed (had been for a while, but kept breaking off) and she had to admit that – even if she was half-joking about the mating – she was definitely ready to find out what the next level was. The thing was, the night was their time. Come morning when they woke up the attendant crowd of birds and tree climbing mammals would be there and they were quite an intimidating crowd.

Neither of them was really into being watched. Certainly not by animals that did what they were told, which implied more intelligence than she was comfortable with in an audience.

And maybe they were telling people? People like Miri?

So, yeah, the night was their alone time. And this time Tara stopped her, with the shirt she’d arrived in and worn today up over her face. Holding her from behind. Hands on belly, crossed. Kissing – no that was a nuzzle more than a kiss – the back of her neck. Her shoulder.

“I… I just don’t want to spoil anything,” Tara said.

“I know what you mean,” she breathed from beneath the shirt. “But… I don’t think we could spoil this if we wanted to – and I know I don’t want to. Spoil it, I mean because the other thing – yeah, I pretty much want to get to that. You know, when it’s right for us both.”

Tara’s ‘hmm’ seemed to suggest she knew what she meant this time. Maybe that was it. Maybe it was something else. She didn’t ask, relaxing into her girl’s embrace, swaying a little so that they both did that. Tara going with it and her.

“I’m not serious, you know?” she said. “I just… I like to tease. Tease with words. Not tease – you know, not the other kind of tease.”

“Do you think I’m a tease then?” Tara asked.

“I think you’re perfect,” she said instead. “I just - ”

“I know. But if you wanted - ?”

“No!” She surprised herself with the fierceness of her own denial. “I don’t want anything that’s not right for us. I – Honestly, I still haven’t quite figured out what – you know, unless you’re going to give me a crash course?”

“I thought we said maybe that was another good reason to build up to it slowly.”

No, couldn’t actually remember that conversation. But then she realised what the implication of all that was. “Wait a minute – Tara, are you training me?”

“Not exactly ‘training’.”

“You are!”

“Okay, so… Girl loving 101,” Tara said.

It did have an appeal. One beyond the academic. It implied there might be a test. Spot quizzes. Assessed practical experiments. No, there was no need to be offended. After all, it was what she’d wanted. In fact, this was very good. “Mmm, I like that idea. How much is the tuition?”

“You’ve got a scholarship,” Tara said, one hand moving in little circles on her belly. Delicious little circles.

“Okay then. May I ask one more question?”

“Curiosity is encouraged in class,” Tara said.

“Oh. Good. So here’s my question, is there also an advanced course? Or is this it?”

“One step at a time…”

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

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 Post subject: Re: Tara and Willow - The Blessed Unrest - Chp 10 - 02/20/1
PostPosted: Sun Feb 22, 2015 10:52 pm 
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Typo from last chapter:

Evidence was one thing, but she wasn’t comfortable with what it suggested.

It was both hard and easy to take things slow though. Harder, because… Hello? This was Tara and she was all kinds of smexy. But easy too…

Not sure if this is a typo, or a word i just don't understand.

They could both the * use of that precious word * rationalise it away if they needed to.

'have' & 'and' maybe?



Yeah, i thought i'd posted my comments... i hadn't pressed send. or finished them off.

I'm a spaz.

So, today's episode was awesome :)

I like Miri.
I also like the 'i'm Miri' bit.

It neatly reflects the cultural blind spots seen in another culture.
It's also a handy way of concealing stuff you want to reveal later.
Or haven't thought up yet :P

Oh this is going to be fun!
I'm undecided if this would be more fun with a society of faeries, or if everyone is individual.
I.e: no actual society.

Either way, i'm looking forward to it. :bounce :banana

R :flower


P.S: Dibs!

P.P.S: i think i pressed refresh, just as you updated :)

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 Post subject: Re: Tara and Willow - The Blessed Unrest - Chp 11 - 02/23/1
PostPosted: Mon Feb 23, 2015 2:40 am 
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Yay for great update-y goodness... Yay for Miri... Big yay for Willow starting Tara-Loving-101 course...

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 Post subject: Re: Tara and Willow - The Blessed Unrest - Chp 11 - 02/23/1
PostPosted: Mon Feb 23, 2015 3:44 pm 
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Katharyn, They are not alone.. the truth is out there.. oh wait.. LOL

Here’s a bit of craziness: I read this update before my (new) daily winter workout session that involves re-watching TV shows while on a bike. So I’m watching Lost Girl (up to S3 now) and today’s episode was similar to BTVS’s Band Candy where the characters get infected and start acting like annoying teens. So.. at one point this chick starts singing the K-I-S-S-I-N-G song. I nearly fell off my bike! How often do you hear that old children’s tune? Once every four or five years, maybe? For me it’s twice in one day --Talk about random coincidences. Wow!

I’m wondering if there are any fairies in this realm that Tara actually knows. :)


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 Post subject: Re: Tara and Willow - The Blessed Unrest - Chp 11 - 02/23/1
PostPosted: Tue Feb 24, 2015 11:35 am 
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Once again, thank you all for kind words.

Azirahael - I did see your initial feedback and it was ONLY corrections LOL. Did think that was a little harsh. Just kidding!

'Smexy' is very deliberate. I have used that word a few times before I think, in past fics. It's just a Willowword :) Actually I like the 'what' too. Maybe it's an English-English thing :) But thanks for pointing them out!

I'm pleased you like Miri, she's not going away :)

And as usual, you readers are way ahead in the analysis compared to the writing (THIS is what I hated in English class, being expected to analyse stuff I never believed writers meant!). It's cool that you put terms like 'cultural blind spot' in though. I never thought of it, or even about that much. Just... they're ignorant of what happens here. Same thing I guess!! Smarter readers... LOL

This society... is neither of the things you said. It's weird in another way LOL

Thanks

Zampsa - Thanks. Thought you all might like that course :)

Kajun - It's not X-Files (I think I did that cross over already when Scully came to town!!!)

As for the KISSING song... weird! Still not really watched Lost Girl, but definitely should! Maybe I will wait for the finale to play out and find out if it will be an ending I'll appreciate :)

Fairies Tara knows? Hmm... Interesting idea.

:D

Thanks!

Katharyn

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 Post subject: Re: Tara and Willow - The Blessed Unrest - Chp 11 - 02/23/1
PostPosted: Tue Feb 24, 2015 5:44 pm 
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Yay!!! UPDATES

Wow. I like it. Actually, I love it. This is a great story.

-Will

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Spike: Are we feeling better, then?
Drusilla: I'm naming all the stars.
Spike: You can't see the stars, love. That's the ceiling. Also it's day.
Drusilla: I can see them. But I've named them all the same name, and there's terrible confusion.


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 Post subject: Re: Tara and Willow - The Blessed Unrest - Chp 12 - 02/26/1
PostPosted: Thu Feb 26, 2015 10:53 am 
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Salix - Thank you very much :) By the way, what is the origin of that screen-name if you don't mind me asking? Just curious :)

Next part up in just a moment

Katharyn

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 Post subject: Tara and Willow - The Blessed Unrest - Chp 12 - 02/26/15
PostPosted: Thu Feb 26, 2015 10:56 am 
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Title: Tara and Willow – The Blessed Unrest – Chapter Twelve
Author: Katharyn Rosser
Feedback: Absolutely, yes please. That’s why I write for this place, to engage in the discussion about the story.
Spoiler warning: Not sure why I am bothering, really, but nothing much apart from the episode ‘Hush’ in S4. And let’s face it, if you’ve not seen that then… what are you doing here?
Distribution: This story was written for Pens. Pens is its home. No archiving off Different Coloured Pens and the Kitten Board please. No conversion to eBook or other formats please. Enjoy it here.
Story notes: Tara’s background is different to that presented in Family and instead based on a throwaway remark made in interviews around the time Family first aired. (Though I now realise not the precisely terminology used there)
Summary: More time with Miri and a little more understanding of what is going on. (Not much, just a little – what do you expect? Plot beyond the characters?)
Disclaimer: I don’t own any of the copyrights or anything else associated with BTVS. All rights lie with the production company, writers etc. I am making no money from this series of stories however all original characters and situations remain my property. As this is a missing scenes and alternate reality fiction lots of scenes are new versions of those seen in the show, as such dialogue and situations are taken from the show. I’m sure you can tell which. All credit for those aspects goes to the original writers.
The title ‘The Blessed Unrest’ came from and belongs to Sara Bareilles from the album of the same name.
Rating: Occasional, tasteful, adult situations and contextual bad language. However by and large equivalent to the show.
Couples: Tara and Willow forever, that’s all I’m bothered about.
Text convention: Use of italics denotes either special emphasis if used for a single or a few words in a sentence OR first person thoughts if used for a whole sentence.
Notes: So, honestly, I wonder just how superhuman our girls are. There’s no pressure on them, they want to do this right and when the time is right they’ll definitely enjoy each other and being together that way, but waiting this long? Superhuman I tell you. Been a while since I dated in this stage of a relationship, but I can tell you now that I never waited this long! Not in terms of the amount of time they spent together. Not when I knew I was into someone and she was into me… Course, I was lucky, I never much had to worry about what other people thought so… yeah. But neither do they! Just each other. So… well, Miri’s going to be calling them on it.
But first, there’s a conversation in this first section about bases for lesbians. Now… I am in no way a baseball fan. We don’t even play that here so it’s not in the common lexicon (or lesicon) but I get the concept. So… I do some research on what (American) lesbians consider the bases. Turns out, once you get beyond second, people don’t seem to agree! So, it’s no wonder Willow’s confused. By all means leave a comment if you feel qualified to translate sports into girl loving and have the authority to speak for all the lesbians of America! All of them mind you!
Thanks to: Whoever can – authoritively – answer the question referred to above!



“Baseball,” Willow said.

“Huh?”

“Baseball!” the other woman in the bed repeated. It was more of a groan than a repeat, if she was honest about it. This time, anyway.

If this had been the movies and Willow had been a guy, it might’ve been a sign that she was trying not to – that. But - well, her hands hadn’t gone below the waist. Or at least when they had it had been far enough below the waist as to only be considered legs. Not even upper-thigh.

Well, okay –

But certainly not inner upper-thigh. Definitely not that. So mention of baseball to delay something that shouldn’t be on the way unless Willow had to some really well connected erogenous zones… No. It probably wasn’t the explanation for naming a random sport.

Probably. Not much about this girl would surprise her too much. Why? Because it constantly did… Which made no sense.

Just like… ‘baseball’ made no sense.

Not at a time like this.

“I was wondering,” Willow explained, but not exactly eyes wide open. Sleepy? No. Just… lethargic. And for good reason.

“You were wondering? Now? I think maybe I should be offended.”

Willow, lying beside her, didn’t agree. Actually she was mostly beside her. And kind of under her. And at least a little bit on top of her. It changed from moment to moment. But now she was shaking her head as she smiled. “There’s not really anything to get offended about, baby.

“Everything was going really well. I feel like I’ve got a real – umm – grasp of today’s lesson. How did I do on the practical?”

“I didn’t think you were finished,” she sighed. But of course, they weren’t going there were they. They had that ground rule established. Not until they were ready… At some points, she had to be honest, she felt… pretty ready indeed. “So, go on. Tell me. What were you wondering?”

She knew Willow well enough by now that once something got into that mind of hers there were only a few things that would distract her. In fact, that was how they’d gotten to this point. A previous distraction.

And, as Willow suggested, valuable lessons had been learned. On both sides.

Yes. Absolutely. Willow had taught her a few things in the last hour or so. Things she found – but had never known – she liked. Or maybe that was just Willow who stirred new appreciation of new things…

“Baseball.”

“But what about baseball, sweetie?”

“More metaphors than balls,” Willow said.

“I don’t worry about balls.”

“Hmm,” Willow digested that. “It is an advantage. But – they’d – metaphors. Just metaphors.”

“Give me just a little more?” she suggested.

“And I thought you didn’t want to go too far,” Willow teased.

We didn’t want to rush it. As Willow well knew.

“About the metaphor?”

“Oh, right, the metaphor. Well, I was - ”

“I don’t actually know that much about baseball. Always seemed kinda…”

“Dumb?” Willow guessed.

“No. Not exactly. I mean, lots of cultures all through history have hit balls with sticks and tried to catch it. I don’t think you can call that ‘dumb’. It’s almost instinctual. But in this case - more… long winded. Unnecessarily.”

“Remember. I know a British guy, the closest thing they have to baseball can last five days.”

“Ouch.” Presumably they didn’t have to hold it for that long but… still.

“So, my point – and there is one – doesn’t require an in-depth knowledge of any sport.” With that, Willow brought them back on track. Yes, she’d noticed that Willow was easily distracted by certain things. But also that if it was stuck in her head, she’d eventually come back to the topic. Just to clear the mental blockage. Kind of like a verbal or mental sneeze.

It might not be pretty and occasionally it was a mess, but it did the job.

“Good.”

“So here it is. I’m trying to put this delicately but… Tara, where exactly, are lesbians on the bases scale?”

Oh. Right. Something new to think about. Again. Willow had a talent for provoking such things. A real talent. “Do you mean lesbians in general, because I don’t think they let me speak for them – and to be honest, most of them don’t even know me. Or that I exist, at least not because they’re lesbians. You know random people who happen to be - ”

“Lesbians. You. A girl who is quickly realising what she’s been missing out on but is also kind of glad that she waited this long to find out with the right girl.”

“Flattery will get you - ”

“To a base? But which? And this is my puzzle,” Willow’s interruption, the second time they’d got back on track suggested this really wasn’t going away.

“Well… You know, I don’t think I know. I never thought about it. Like, ever.”

Willow considered that for a moment. And then… “Tara, I’m a very fact orientated person – you’ve probably noticed that?”

“I have,” she confirmed.

“Then you need to realise something. I need to know where I am in the world – any world, as it happens. So I’m pretty sure where first is and first is first and we’ve rounded it but… I have no idea what I’m running for now. Is it second? Is it third? Do I slide in? Wait – I didn’t mean that exactly like it sounded – But if I did – or you did – if there was sliding? Where would we be then?

“Just for example?”

It sounded more like a plea than a request. Willow really wanted to know.

“Like I said, I… never thought about it,” she said, but kept going since she knew Willow wasn’t going to let her get away with that. After all, she’d been thinking more and more about little else for significant portions of the days and night.

Not ‘sliding’ necessarily. But it may have been involved.

“I mean, bases. I never thought about bases like that. But – I guess you’re right. First is first and I think we can all agree on first.”

“That’s a relief, I was worried this might be even more complicated. I thought maybe there was a lesbian addenda or something that I maybe should’ve read.”

“And second is second, I’m confident on that one…” Right?

“Okay, that’s good too. Right so, we’ve rounded second and we’re…?” Willow prompted.

“We’ve certainly not made it to third,” she said. Had they? There’d been moments that had – No. How do you define third? Work backwards, what was fourth?

“And there’s no sliding before third,” Willow checked.

“I don’t see how there could be,” she said. Because if you were sliding then you were sliding into – “Why am I having this conversation?”

“Here’s the thing,” Willow said. “So far so good. Equality of the sexes and the sexualities and that’s all great but… If what we both seem to think is third really is third then - ”

“Go on?”

“What’s fourth?” Willow finished. “I’m sorry! I am! But – I’ve actually been worrying about this?”

“About doing it?” she asked.

“No! About doing it and not even realising what I was doing – in bases?! I mean – let’s face it, no offence to anyone but with a guy it’s pretty simple. There’s fourth and you certainly know that you reached it – not that I’m going to say anything about that to you ever again because… Not.”

Thank goodness.

“But… Third seems to me to be potentially… umm…”

“All?” she ventured, recognising Willow’s reluctance to say it.

“Well, not all, but… there seems like there might be this whole glut of stuff that’s lingering there at third and that’s just the stuff I can think of all of which is going to feel pretty good! With you. Not that what we’re doing now doesn’t feel good - But… is there anything at fourth? Is it all third?

“Or is there something that should only be at fourth that I missed? Is the diamond actually more of a triangle? Do I slide into third and… that’s a homerun?”

Really? Willow – her girlfriend – who certainly wanted to be with her. Asked that question. Like that.

“Honey, I’m sorry but - I… I’m not sure I want to be a sporting metaphor. Me or my… base.”

“I know but…”

But you’re not going to stop worrying about it?” she asked.

“Not until we get there and maybe you point it out,” Willow suggested. “That could work. If there’s no audio tour - ”

“There’s no audio tour.”

“Then you could give me ‘the talk’.”

“What talk?”

“You know, like the talk about the birds and the bees? Except for lesbians?” Willow said, like she really believed such a thing existed.

“I didn’t even get the birds and the bees,” she admitted. “All I got fr4om my Dad was ‘stay away from boys, they only want one thing’.”

“Oh… Right. Bright side to that, your Dad must be really proud of you now then.”

“I don’t know about proud, but I think he was definitely relieved,” she said, tending to think that talking to your Dad about anything to do with sex was a universal thing to be avoided if possible.

In the end she’d approached it strictly on the level of ‘I like girls, can the girl I like come to dinner’?”

And yes, he had been relieved. Dinner had actually gone pretty well, all things considered. Relief had gotten them a long way into letting him get to know that girl as a person rather than a label.

“So there’s no talk then? That’s why we’re getting all practical?”

“No talk. Not from me, anyway. And it’s one reason for the practical side.”

“So, before we get to it, how do you avoid getting pregnant with a girl?” Willow asked.

She blinked. And again. Willow’s face was absolutely serious – And then she broke. “Gotcha!” Willow said.

“Not even close,” she said. “No one – no one would believe that. Certainly not you - ” And yet… The question had been so far out of left-field (more baseball?) that for a moment there she’d...

Yeah, she really had blinked.

“Oh, I’m sorry,” Willow said, kissing her to make it better.

And it did help.

“This conversation is over,” she said. Despite the kiss, she felt like there had to be consequences for being teased like that and having been kissed, she wasn’t prepared to withdraw her affection over it. After all, it was shiny, new and wonderful affection. She’d have to get old and jaded with Willow before she could possibly think about using that as revenge.

But holding back on knowledge? Yes, that was going to get to Willow almost as much.

“Oh, come on, it was a joke.”

“You can be kissing me now, if you want,” she said, throwing Willow’s words of the previous night back at her.

“I want to know about fourth,” Willow said between those kisses, because yes, they did have to come up for breath sometime.

“Trust me,” she said, just as interrupted. “By the time – by the time you’re ready for fourth, you’ll have figured it out.”

“That’s not good enough - ” Willow started, but another kiss silenced her.

That and discovering yet another route to a definitely established second base.

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

“Today, for sure,” Willow said. Her mind was made up. It was really time that they started to pay attention to more than just themselves.

“For sure,” Tara agreed.

“I’m serious, Tara.”

“I know you are. And so am I.”

“We can’t keep getting distracted,” she said. All sorts of things distracted them. Mostly – but not always - each other.

It was totally understandable, no one was denying that. But all the same, they had to get a grip.

Because - in addition to the delights of Tara’s… well everything - there were also animals. Trees. What trees looked like. Clouds and what they looked like when you were lying in the warm sun and looking up at them. The sun itself. Cold water. Warm water. Splashing water. Prune fingers.

Fingers… lots of thinking about fingers and the possibilities there – pruned or not.

Looking at fingers in a whole new way.

Distractions…

And now Miri more than most other things except each other.

This time, see, they had a plan. They were going to make use of Miri to try and find a way home. Or at least to understand how they got here more fully. They’d spent the previous night thinking about the right questions to ask.

Okay, fine, they’d spent the previous night doing something else but they’d had a few minutes there where they’d been saying they really ought to do that and never quite getting around to it. But they’d made up for it this morning.

A little.

There had been some time to think and talk because they still weren’t entirely comfortable with the assembled dawn chorus around the bed, not when it came to exploring that other part of their lives here. The much less worrying and more wonderful one.

“Good morning, Miri,” Tara greeted what they were calling a ‘fairy’, even though they’d never really got to the bottom of whether Miri was just her name or the collective one for her people. But since she was the only one here and responded to the name, it seemed appropriate.

She echoed the greeting.

“Tara and Willow!” Miri’s smile was always brighter than any one that Hollywood had put on screen. Genuine too. “You are still here. This is good, there are many things still to see!”

On each of the last few days Miri had expressed some surprise that they were still here. And every morning she promised things to look at and experience which – by and large – became part of the distractions that kept them here.

Sometimes it was no more than a fallen tree, impressive in size for sure and you had to wonder what could have toppled it, but still just a fallen tree. Often though, it was at the end of a hike through the woods that might take half the morning and as long to get back again.

How Miri found these things, she had no idea and asking had never got her far with the fairy.

It wasn’t just fallen trees though. There were plenty of other attractions. A view. Perhaps seeking out the largest stag in the forest – or so Miri claimed. If there’d been a bigger one though, she didn’t want to meet it. Petting it had been… surreal. Those horns could’ve disembowelled both she and Tara at the same time but… Like everything here, he’d responded to Tara as well as to Miri.

Leaving her the odd one out. And a little more scared because of it. She wasn’t a big city girl, but giant versions of already large wild animals weren’t part of her usual world.

And, maybe it was just her, but they were getting wilder.

One thing she could hundred percent guarantee though, Kansas was not where they were at. Not unless Kansas had bears the size of a small car invading bee hives the size of a mini-bus for their honey.

Bears that – incidentally - let Miri and Tara pet them (she hadn’t tried even though Miri insisted it would be safe. Tara - recognising her reluctance - hadn’t pushed her that time either.)

And those had been bees that didn’t protest – as bees usually did – either of them taking a small part of the honey-comb.

They’d actually sat a little way from the hive to eat it and share it with a delighted Miri. Unmolested by nasty, stingy things.

Even the insects here listened to and respected Tara, but you had to wonder how the bees had built a hive that size so quickly? Ought that not to have taken a whole season? Maybe multiple years?

Maybe Tara could ask.

She wasn’t sure, when Tara met Ira and Sheila Rosenberg, ‘she can talk to the animals’ would be the kind of skills they’d be asking her about.

Actually, she did suppose that anyone could talk to the animals. The difference was that for Miri – and Tara – they actually appeared to listen. And understand some quite interesting concepts. Complicated even.

But just in case you had still thought that Kansas might have an active population of such bears and bees and fairies and... Well, then there was the unicorn.

Yeah, an actual unicorn. Miri hadn’t called it that, but it’d had a horn and everything. Oh, and had very definitely been a boy unicorn.

It hadn’t been difficult to tell.

Even the flying girl had been impressed by finding one. Surprised that it had been here. They didn’t range that wildly from their territory and – apparently – this one must’ve done so because of Tara.

For some reason… Weren’t unicorns attracted to the company of…

Well, if they were, she could do something about that. When the time was right.

It was Tara though. That much they had figured out from what they’d seen and what had been said. Somehow, this part of the world they were in had been a largely empty space – in terms of creatures that walked and flew and buzzed – when they arrived and now it wasn’t. Now it was slowly filling up and it was because of Tara’s arrival.

Things were curious, it seemed.

She got that. So was she.

But asking Miri for more than that – or indeed if she knew how they’d got here – challenged the girl to something she just couldn’t answer. Not because she didn’t want to – Miri was nothing if not helpful – but more because she didn’t know how to explain it.

At least not in ways that they were able to understand. English, it seemed, had some limitations. Especially when magically picked up. More likely it was because they didn’t have the words to explain it, so how could Miri have learned what she needed from them?

And given Miri’s youth and their unfamiliarity with nearly everything here, that was likely their fault rather than the girl’s.

But today… Today they were hoping they’d get somewhere. Because – back home – by now someone would’ve probably declared them missing and maybe presumed them dead.

And certainly no one would’ve declared them ‘not missing presumed passionate’.

People… they just wouldn’t know the right answer. They wouldn’t know she was perfectly safe. Perfectly content and happy and that things were moving along well with Tara, thank you very much.

They’d be worried and that part was on them… That – as much as anything – was why they had to get back.

Or at least find out how to get back. Leaving right away wasn’t a necessity once they knew how. They’d have to take a night or two to decide when to do that.

Maybe three.

But the important thing was to remember that having friends who cared was a responsibility as well as a privilege. Even if she wanted to stay here in bed with Tara for a month or a year (the Tara part was sounding pretty good) she still had to make sure that people back home knew she was okay.

The same for Tara. How long until Mister Maclay missed weekly calls enough to worry? What about Tara’s dorm-mates and college friends? Might they have reported her and the authorities might’ve gone to her Dad who might’ve thought the worst. And…

Yay, I’m not the worst for Tara…

It was that responsibility to friends and family that meant they needed to understand how they got here and how they might get back again.

Today. For sure.

“What will we see today, Miri?” she asked.

“We will see what we’ll see,” Miri answered, as usual. Even if she knew where she was going, Miri never liked it to seem ‘planned’. Or at least not ‘certain’. The girl just took them off to see things and might stop when there was anything else that she felt proud of.

And that was exactly what it was like. Miri was showing off her home to them. ‘Showing off’ being the operative term. It was a little like ‘you really don’t know about this?’ The unicorn was the only thing that had taken Miri herself by surprise and then she’d been a lot less talkative and a little more in awe.

They all had.

Miri had also shied away from touching it and even seemed surprised when Tara was able to.

And that was something Tara hadn’t noticed until later and then only worried about after the fact.

As a person of the confirmed opinion that horses existed in the perpetual state of wanting to bite your arm off, she’d hung back. After all, this big horse had been possessed of the extra weapon to impale you and then bite whatever it wanted off.

Not that it had happened. But it could have.

It’d seemed more important that she hang back and watch for sudden moves. They hadn’t come, but it had given her time to wonder about the unicorn’s supposed affinity for virgins.

And while she was pretty sure Tara didn’t fall into that category, there might be something about the whole – ‘not with a man’ thing? Maybe? Were unicorns somehow convinced that if it wasn’t with a man it didn’t count because that was so much BS and…

No.

See, it didn’t take much more than looking to know that things here just liked Tara.

“Will you eat with us first?” Tara asked the girl, recognising that she was about to zip off and leave them to follow. Miri’s energy really did seem boundless.

“Can I?”

“Please,” she said, holding out a slice of papple. They way Miri’s eyes – and then mouth – fixed on the fruit they’d been eating for breakfast, lunch and dinner everyday since they got here suggested it was a rare treat.

Not just her eyes.

She took the fruit and then seemed to ask permission to eat it.

Why?

“Is the papple special?” she said while Miri nibbled around the edge of it once Tara had nodded.

“It’s not for me.”

“Is it bad for you?” she asked, suddenly worried that maybe they were a) eating something dangerous and b) going to have to go back to the water as their only sustenance.

“Nnnnn,” Miri said, now devouring the centre of the slice.

She took that as a ‘no’.

“Would you like some more?” Tara asked.

They’d not been sharing with her up to now because, well, it had never come up. Miri ate and drank by herself, she must have done because they never saw her doing it. And they’d been worried about giving her anything that was bad for her. But maybe they’d actually been bad hosts.

“More?” the girl’s eyes widened.

“You can have one,” Tara said, holding out a whole fruit. To be honest, it was probably enough – together with the strangely nutritious water – to keep either of them going all day. “Please.”

“Thank you!” Miri whirled around them after taking the fruit but didn’t start to eat it. Instead she slipped it into the pouch she carried and went back to licking her fingers free of the juice of the first slice.

“So is papple special, Miri?” she asked.

“Papple?”

“It’s what we call this fruit, does it have another name?”

“It’s yours to name,” Miri shrugged.

“But what do you call it?”

“I never called it anything. Now I call it what you call it,” Miri said, seeming confused by the question as well as the response. “Papple?”

“Papple.”

“Why is it special?” she asked, because – to Miri – it clearly was.

“Because I’ve never had it before.”

“Why?”

“Because it’s new.”

“New?”

Finished with licking her fingers clean, Miri looked at her and nodded. So what did that mean?

“Thank you, Willow. Tara.” Miri said, almost solemnly.

“It was our pleasure,” Tara said. “And you may have as many as you like. Just pick them, like we do.”

“Really?”

“Of course.”

Zipping around was one of the signs that Miri was happy. Of course, the giggling was also a clue. All at once though, the girl return to her feet, walking between them and taking both their hands – just as she’d been about to do the same with Tara. “I like you,” Miri said. “I like you both.”

The both part came as Miri was looking at her. Not Tara. It wasn’t so much being the afterthought that she was most conscious of because in a two horse race, she’d have thought Tara would win too. But what it might signify.

A lot of pieces were starting to fall into place.

All that remained to be seen was what the whole picture would look like once those pieces did their thing.

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

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If I wanted a little pussy, I've got my own to play with.

Chance in *Chance*
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 Post subject: Re: Tara and Willow - The Blessed Unrest - Chp 12 - 02/26/1
PostPosted: Thu Feb 26, 2015 12:54 pm 
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Location: Beyond the orbit of Mars and accelerating...
Dibs!

Aha! Er... not sure where i was going with that.
Oh well.

Ah! I remember, Aha!

I did wonder if this place was made for Tara.
It's looking like it's part of the unformed part of Faerie, which took on a form Tara was familiar with, when she arrived/needed it.

Which is why Miri said it was new.
Ans probably why so many things like fallen trees impress her.
Things may be different elsewhere.

And yeah, Willow's 'bases' line of thinking mirrors my own.
Not being from a culture that really 'does' baseball, i had to look it up.
Much confusion, there's even a 5th base?

Okaay.

Anyway, cool update. Many giggles.

More Please? :bounce

R

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Last edited by Azirahael on Thu Feb 26, 2015 4:26 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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 Post subject: Re: Tara and Willow - The Blessed Unrest - Chp 12 - 02/26/1
PostPosted: Thu Feb 26, 2015 1:36 pm 
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YASSS!!! UPDATESSS!!!!

Wow. Nice update. Fabulous update. Very fabulous.

Salix is Latin for Willow, which is where I got my username. :)

I dunno if I said this before, but I LOVE Miri. LOVE. I think she's super cute.

You. Are. FABULOUS. I LOVE the way you write.

Eagerly awaiting more!

-William

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I have a fish named Drusilla. He doesn't know, he thinks his name is Drew. Shhhh...

Spike: Are we feeling better, then?
Drusilla: I'm naming all the stars.
Spike: You can't see the stars, love. That's the ceiling. Also it's day.
Drusilla: I can see them. But I've named them all the same name, and there's terrible confusion.


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 Post subject: Re: Tara and Willow - The Blessed Unrest - Chp 12 - 02/26/1
PostPosted: Thu Feb 26, 2015 9:23 pm 
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Azirahael - You're so close in what you said... in fact perhaps just one word is out of place, but that word does change the meaning quite significantly. But very well deducted :) Now shush, let the others catch up ;) J/K.

Bases... I am pretty sure there's only 4 bases and that 4th is (in geometry terms) back where you started. Of course, depending what 4th really was then 5th could be OMG (yeah, I have some theories on that!) But I did do a search for this... not sure what would've been on the 'world wide web' back in 2000 about it, but even with todays listings there doesn't seem to be consensus. So I expect confusion is a reality even amongst the modern US girl/girl community :)

I suspect - actually - that the answer is 'whatever base you think you're at' LOL

Thanks!

Salix - Ooh, learned something (as I often do in feedback!)

In some stories people would be betting that:
a) Miri was about to turn evil
b) Miri was Faith (since I can't write a story without Faith)
or
c) Miri was for the 'deadpool'

None of these things will happen. I just get to keep writing her... LOL

Thanks!

Katharyn

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Chance in *Chance*
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 Post subject: Re: Tara and Willow - The Blessed Unrest - Chp 12 - 02/26/1
PostPosted: Fri Feb 27, 2015 2:42 am 
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Yay for excellent update-y goodness... I guess the Tara-part of the faery-land was closed off until Tara arrived there... You can't expect anything less than full-on-analytical approach from Willow to a "baseball" problem... I really like their exploration trips with Miri...

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 Post subject: Re: Tara and Willow - The Blessed Unrest - Chp 12 - 02/26/1
PostPosted: Sun Mar 01, 2015 4:12 am 
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Thank you, Zampsa - You too are sort of close to what is going on. Not quite spot on though. It's okay, all will be revealed :)

I am still waiting for someone to get into the bases thing... No one biting? LOL

Next part later today I expect. Just finishing off part 14 (my little rule is to stay a part ahead of the posting in case of problems)

Katharyn

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 Post subject: Tara and Willow - The Blessed Unrest - Chp 13 - 03/01/15
PostPosted: Sun Mar 01, 2015 6:57 am 
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Title: Tara and Willow – The Blessed Unrest – Chapter Thirteen
Author: Katharyn Rosser
Feedback: Absolutely, yes please. That’s why I write for this place, to engage in the discussion about the story.
Spoiler warning: Not sure why I am bothering, really, but nothing much apart from the episode ‘Hush’ in S4. And let’s face it, if you’ve not seen that then… what are you doing here?
Distribution: This story was written for Pens. Pens is its home. No archiving off Different Coloured Pens and the Kitten Board please. No conversion to eBook or other formats please. Enjoy it here.
Story notes: Tara’s background is different to that presented in Family and instead based on a throwaway remark made in interviews around the time Family first aired. (Though I now realise not the precisely terminology used there)
Summary: More delays…
Disclaimer: I don’t own any of the copyrights or anything else associated with BTVS. All rights lie with the production company, writers etc. I am making no money from this series of stories however all original characters and situations remain my property. As this is a missing scenes and alternate reality fiction lots of scenes are new versions of those seen in the show, as such dialogue and situations are taken from the show. I’m sure you can tell which. All credit for those aspects goes to the original writers.
The title ‘The Blessed Unrest’ came from and belongs to Sara Bareilles from the album of the same name.
Rating: Occasional, tasteful, adult situations and contextual bad language. However by and large equivalent to the show.
Couples: Tara and Willow forever, that’s all I’m bothered about.
Text convention: Use of italics denotes either special emphasis if used for a single or a few words in a sentence OR first person thoughts if used for a whole sentence.
Notes: It’s probably a good job that I told you at the start that this story really lacked in plot or progress of the plot it does have, right? I told you that, so you shouldn’t expect anything else. But I’m indulging myself just as they are. Sure, that’s a kind of plot as someone pointed out in feedback (a character development plot) but that means stretching logic sometimes. Delaying what needs to happen because a) I like it but b) so do they and c) hopefully so do you, the reader. While they might be suffering plot frustration, it’s not any other kind of frustration. Which is what’s important, right?
After all, while Tara might not speak up at this point, does anyone believe that if Willow really wanted to go further, faster that they wouldn’t? I think she’d be very persuasive. And not with her debating skills.
Though I’m not making any claims about oral skills…
Thanks to: My own, personal error catcher. Thanks, Azirahael. Even when you’re ‘wrong’ it’s for the right reasons (me making words up!) UPDATE: And again, for catching more this time LOL




“So did you mate last night?” Miri asked as soon as they’d greeted her in the traditional manner.

Willow coughed and she knew her own face must’ve flushed bright pink. Yes, that would be with the embarrassment.

“Oh! You did!” Miri exclaimed, clapping her hands together even as her wings beat faster.

“No… No we didn’t… mate,” she managed to say. Mating? Was that the best word they’d taught Miri? On the other hand, was there anything better? ‘Making love’, perhaps. But who was going to tell her and explain the difference? After how it had gone when they tried to talk about ‘mating’ they were both reluctant to try again.

“We told you – we tried to explain that - ”

“Yes, I know. You’re practising.”

She and Willow looked at each other over the girl’s head. That wasn’t what they’d said.

At least she hadn’t. Nor had she heard Willow say it… unless when she was alone with Miri? Maybe but…

Practising? That was… one way to look at it, yes. They certainly had been… practising. That was to say they’d been stopping short of, umm, the full kahuna… burger. Which felt more like something Willow would’ve struggled to say.

She’s getting inside me.

But not the way Miri thinks. If Miri thinks about the ‘how’ at all.

I do… I think.

I’m finding it harder and harder not to.


“I guess - ” Willow started.

“With all this practise, you’ll be very good when you mate for real.”

Yes… Yes, you certainly might think so. Willow seemed to, just from the look in her eye at that moment. Some people, though, might think that what was being as casually labelled as ‘practice’ was an end in itself. What was right for them, at the moment.

It wasn’t like there was a schedule or a plan.

Scratch that, there might well be both a schedule and a plan in Willow’s mind because that was the sort of woman Ms Rosenberg was. Just as Willow believed in the power of study and practise and – everything like that really - schedules were very important to her.

But because Willow hadn’t actually visualised the ‘end point’ she couldn’t have planned too much… And…

When it happened, it’d happen. And then – she was sure – that all questions about baseball metaphors would melt away for good.

And there’d be no trouble with the visualising on Willow’s part either.

But Miri was right, on evidence so far, she was sure that girl was right to conclude they’d be very good.

“It’s not mating,” Willow said gently.

“Why?”

The question had been obvious, but if Willow wanted to take it on… Fine. Like most kids Miri’s (apparent) age – even the wingless ones who didn’t flit around forests – questions were what she did.

“Well, because – we – that’s not how it works for us.”

“How will you make your young if you’re not mating?” Miri asked, cocking her head.

“Young? We – we won’t make young. We – We’re both girls. We can’t make young. Alone – I mean - ” Willow lapsed into silence and for really obvious reasons. There was simply nowhere else to go from the start of that sentence. Miri might have the magical vocabulary to cope with turkey basters and more scientific methods but…

Just no.

“Of course you can,” Miri said.

“No, we – we don’t have the – umm – necessary interconnecting parts?” Willow guessed. “I mean, we do – we can interconnect – but we have the same… interconnecting parts and not the different ones that we’d need to – interconnect.”

“That’s silly,” Miri said with almost total disdain for Willow’s opinion. As if it was so obviously rubbish. “If you love each other, why can’t you have young?”

“It is – it is silly but it’s also way too early in our relationship for us to be making young. Even if we could.”

“Then why do you want to mate?” Miri was still looking at Willow as she asked the question. Challenging her.

“Because – well,” Willow had been doing well, but now she was floundering and probably deserved a little help. Even if this was a hole of her own digging.

“Because it’s one way to show we… that we love each other,” she said. It was Miri’s question, but she was looking at Willow.

And Willow was looking at her.

If there was a danger it was too soon to use that particular word in that kind of situation – not just between themselves in the heat of… well… what they did - then Willow didn’t seem to feel it. In fact, all that Willow seemed to feel was that very same love.

That was what the look in her eyes – and the smile – said.

Could it happen that fast? Some people – herself included – might’ve doubted it. But now she had a new perspective.

Sure it could, because she couldn’t believe this was anything else.

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

Stopping for lunch, they both smiled as Miri peered at the whole papple she’d been carrying since being given it this morning.

And the look in her eyes as she did. It wasn’t doubt. No, this was almost like the girl didn’t know where to start, but really, really wanted to. And it’d keep her busy for a while. At her size, that would be a lot of – very good, very sweet – fruit.

Who knew what the effect of such a sugar rush might be?

“So…” she said to Tara.

“So?”

“Love…”

“What about it?” Tara asked, playing dumb.

You said you loved me.”

“I said… I think I said we loved each other,” Tara corrected. “I didn’t want to put words in your mouth or anything because – we both have trouble with our own words, let alone someone else’s but… don’t you think its love?”

Of course there was a sense that Tara was looking for reassurance and – if they’d been together much longer, if ‘I love you’ was just something routine as well as true – then she might’ve teased her. The situation was ripe for it.

And the word might already have snuck out of one of their mouths at moments where… well, where it wasn’t all about the love and very much about the desire.

Saying it this way though? Tara had taken a big step there.

So yes, there might’ve been teasing. If things had been different.

But as it was she couldn’t bear the idea that Tara might think her teasing was real.

Not about this.

Also, very, very excited and trying to hold herself together through that.

“I think,” she started, paused and considered and then ploughed on. “I think I didn’t know what love really was.”

There. It felt like it was unfair to her old self and the person who’d been in her life but… that was really how she felt.

Things were different now.

“You must have – well – you must have.” It was obvious what Tara was talking about, but the last days had given her time to think about that. Tara had now given her a real basis of comparison. Shown what had been missing from what she’d assumed was love because – at the time – it’d felt good.

Good enough, anyway, to be part of something that wasn’t just herself. On her own. As she’d been nearly all her life.

So she shook her head and watched Miri with the papple. Rather than looking at the woman she’d not quite admitted she loved. Close… and she’d get there. It was more about finding the perfect way.

“I think, maybe, I told myself it was because… Well, you do tell yourself things. And because I didn’t know any different and yes, he was basically my best friend that I did… things with. But that didn’t make it ‘love’. Not like you mean anyway. Not like - I think I know the difference now.”

“That’s - ”

No.

She needed to finish this thought off. It wasn’t something she felt she wanted to come back to again. It was in the past and Tara was her present and her future. There was a line there, of what was behind them. This needed to stay back there.

“Don’t get me wrong, Tara, it meant something at the time and I felt loved. I thought I was in love – as far as I was concerned it was… But it wasn’t like this. It wasn’t like being with you. Not at all like that.

“It just wasn’t the same. And maybe that’s me. Maybe I’m different now. Maybe I needed to go through that – the breakup and everything – to see it this way now. To understand it and to understand you.

“Because I know you won’t hurt me. No matter what happens to us, you won’t hurt me.”

“Of course I won’t,” Tara said, hugging her and kissing her face several times. “Of course I won’t.”

Maybe Miri spoiled the mood when she asked, “Will you be practising mating now?”

She sounded like she was curious to see.

“No, we won’t,” Tara said. “But there’s no more practising.”

Oh.

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

“Ummm… So, how, exactly do we… umm, do this?” Willow asked.

They’d made it back to luxurious, open plan room that they still called her ‘dorm’ but actually offered more comfort and grandeur than the most expensive hotel suite. And now, suddenly, things were very real.

Because someone had said ‘no more practising’.

Someone had created an air of expectation that’d almost been tangible the entire rest of the day.

Someone being me, actually.

“We – what I said,” she started, “I didn’t mean to – pressure – you know. I didn’t want there to be pressure. And now – I still - don’t want that. We don’t have to do anything at all. I – I don’t want you to think that just because I said what I said that we don’t still have – you know – choices.”

“I get that but I think it’s one of those good choices,” Willow said. “It’s feeling like a very good choice. It’s a choice I’ve been ready to make for… a few days now. Is it a bad thing that our relationship is so short that a few days feels like a really long time?”

She smiled, assured at least that they were still in the same book, even if they’d ended up on different pages. Were they in the same chapter though? “No, I don’t think it’s a bad thing. But – there’ve been shorter relationships that – you know, did all the bases. Sometimes not even a few hours.”

“Lesbians do that too?” Willow asked.

This lesbian never did.

“It’s not about lesbian, straight or whoever. People do, I guess. Some people. Lesbians are people. Some people – you know what I’m trying to say. Some people do that and – if they like it… good for them.”

Willow sat on the edge of the bed. Night had already fallen and in the perfectly clear sky, visible through the open end of the room… Everything and nothing.

She’d said they were galaxies, scores of them in every inch of sky when they saw those patterns of lights. Different colours in the night sky.

Expectation lingered because… it wasn’t going anywhere. Expectation never really did.

“I…”

She didn’t actually know what to say so she sat down next to Willow. Never, in their time together, had anything felt less spontaneous or more awkward than this. After all, she’d all but declared that the time for fooling around was over and that – damn it – it was time to mate.

Mate? Really?

Okay, she’d not used the word but… Miri hadn’t been wrong. And it’d definitely been the implication, given the moment she’d chosen to announce it.

“I – What I said, it was really kind of dumb,” she said.

“You don’t want to?” Willow asked. She sounded almost bereft. Rejected. And it was very far from that.

A galaxy away, she mused as she looked at the stars for a moment.

“Want to?” She almost laughed. Almost. “I don’t think you’ll ever really ask me that question and expect me to say that I don’t, but – I’ve never felt less like it… Do you?” If she was any judge at all, Willow’s body language told her everything she needed to know.

“Like I said – I’ve been… I’ve been ready Tara. A few times, I was pretty sure I was so ready that I was going to burst.”

“But?”

“But… You’re right. I’m not exactly – in the mood. Don’t get me wrong, being with you pretty much is the mood. I don’t really think I knew what the mood even was until you got me into it but - ”

“Yeah.” She knew exactly what Willow meant. Since she’d announced this afternoon that there’d be no more ‘practising’ there’d not been a lot of the mood going around.

Just the expectation.

“It’s – It’s my fault. I shouldn’t have – said what I did.”

“No!” Willow said quickly. “No. I like what you said. I really like what you said. And from many points of view it makes a lot of sense. After all, you can probably get to the point where you need to stop practising and – umm – play the game. So the practise doesn’t go to waste. Goals and touchdowns and baskets and sports metaphor stuff. Not balls. But other sports metaphors for sure. It’s just - ”

They both shrugged, coming to a mutual moment of understanding that really didn’t need the words they’d been bandying about.

Actually, they hadn’t been ‘practising’ at all. It was a convenient fiction to get out of an awkward question with a way too smart winged girl who took a healthy interest in their ‘mating’ (or the lack of it.)

What had been labelled ‘practise’ was actually just… them. When you got right down to it. Their mutual comfort levels. Their mutual desires.

Neither of them wanted to be ‘that girl’ who met someone and just… well, ‘did it’. Laundry rooms sprang to mind for some reason. There were probably girls who skipped all the preliminaries and got busy in a laundry room. Maybe at precisely the wrong time but…

Somewhere in the world that had happened. And not just because passion had overtaken them in an existing relationship, but for their very first time. Might not be a laundry room, but that kept… Why did that keep coming to mind? Laundry rooms? Seriously?

Didn’t matter. The point was… “It wasn’t like we had a schedule or anything.”

“I… I kind of had one in my head,” Willow admitted sheepishly. “But we’ve been all over the place. Ahead, behind – I mean – of the schedule, not each other – but come to think of it we have kind of – No, you’re right. There wasn’t a schedule. Not at all.”

“Thank you.”

“Everything we’ve done has come – orgasmically – Damn, I mean – I meant organically. You know that, right?”

She peered at Willow. Well, that was one hell of a slip and… that was one place they’d actually not gone yet. Reaching that kind of… conclusion. Not that they hadn’t been frustratingly close to feeling like that was the only place to go. More than once but…

“I don’t want to just… you know, do it.”

Willow nodded. “Whatever it turns out to be. And especially not tonight.”

“Because – whatever we do, we’ll be doing it for ourselves.”

“Not because Miri – or anyone else – thinks we should.”

“And when we think – when we feel we’re ready…” she suggested.

“We’ll be free to go… further.” That part made Willow smile.

“Because there’s no schedule.”

“None at all,” Willow agreed. “Not even in my head. Head schedule… gone.”

She blinked.

“What?” Willow asked, recognising the surprise for what it was.

“You don’t hear yourself,” she said. “Do you?”

“What did I say? Head… Oh… Ohhh – you thought – I didn’t - ”

“Yes. Oh.”

“So lesbian’s call it head too?” Willow wondered, always wanting to be distracted by knowledge.

“I saw someone on TV once, in a film. Come to think of it, she might not have been the best role model….” she admitted. It was never entirely comfortable being the sole representative of the Lesbian Welcome Society. Willow pretty much had her down as a fountain of knowledge and expected – as with college – to be told what she needed to know. Or better yet shown.

And the question at hand… Not actually something she had all that much more – practical – experience in than Willow. It’d be the equivalent of teaching drivers ed having only passed it.

Okay, two years ago. But then never have driven since. Even if you’d thought about getting behind the wheel of a car quite a lot. A generic car, nothing special. And then… this sporty, red number. No… enough with the metaphors.

Point was, it wasn’t tuition she was offering. It was reciprocation. But Willow was Willow and – she already thought – some things were never going to change.

“So I guess,” Willow said. “We should probably… You know, we should probably just go to bed. Lie here. With each other but not with each other. If we’re trying to make a point about all this?” She sounded at least a little disappointed.

And with some good reason.

“I guess,” she said, finally after thinking it through for a while. But there was something in the air.

Something that sped them along, even as they scrupulously tried to keep things… calm. They made their final preparations and quickly were lying next to each other, just as they’d suggested.

“That’s pretty good,” Willow said after those few minutes.

“I agree. Usually we’d have been all over each other by now.”

“I know! We’re stronger than that though. I really think we’ve proved our point,” Willow rolled over, partly on top of her.

“Definitely - ” the rest of the words were cut off by Willow’s kiss and the tongue that slid into her mouth.

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

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If I wanted a little pussy, I've got my own to play with.

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Last edited by Katharyn on Sun Mar 01, 2015 2:00 pm, edited 2 times in total.

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 Post subject: Re: Tara and Willow - The Blessed Unrest - Chp 13 - 03/01/1
PostPosted: Sun Mar 01, 2015 7:48 am 
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9. Gay Now
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Location: Kaskinen, Finland. Citizen of Kitopia
Yay for great update-y goodness... Pre-mating-game anxiety time... I hope they soon figure out that less thinking and more letting thing happen at their own time is the key to happy future...

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