I just wanted to thank everyone for their kind words on the first chapter of this story. And I hope that you enjoy the second chapter as well.
To those of you who were reading Morning Glory, it had to be taken off this site, but I hope that everything gets cleared up and I can continue it here on the Kitten Board.
Here is Chpt 2 for ya!
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Chapter 2-Open Hearts and Doors
The whole group was sitting at the dining room table eating dinner when Xander walked in the front door.
“Where’s my little workin’ buddy?”
“I’m right here, Xander!” Colter replied as he got up from the table. Tara swiftly grabbed him by the belt loop of his pants and gently pulled him back down to his seat. “Not yet, young man. Dinner first, build things later.”
“Okay, Mom.” Colter sat back down in his seat, spearing a piece of chicken with his fork and shoveling it into his mouth. Tara looked over at him, an eyebrow arched at the boy. He quickly gulped down the chicken and gave Tara a smile. She finally smiled back at him and leaned over to kiss him on the cheek. “Get outta here, kiddo. I love you, and I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Yay! Thanks, Mom!” Colter said as he shot out of his chair and ran upstairs to grab his overnight bag. Xander walked into the dining room, greeting the women in his life. He went over to Tara and gave her a peck on the cheek. “It’s good to see Mama’s home early. . .I’m pretty sure all of them were starving while you were away, myself included,” he said with a smile.
“Geez, what
do you guys eat when I’m gone to work?” Tara asked.
Xander looked around the table at the glasses. “Damn, did I miss Juice time already?”
+++++++++++++++++++++++++
Xander and Colter had left the house after making some plates to go for Xander and Anya. Buffy, Faith, Willow and Tara were sitting on the back patio enjoying glasses of Moscato and talking amongst each other.
“So, Tara, how are things in the office? Or in your case, I guess I should say castle,” Buffy added, laughing softly at her own joke.
“Things are going great. I’m still getting used to my co-workers, though. They haven’t really warmed up to me. I guess that’s the price I pay for being the newbie.”
“Aw, they’ll come around. There’s no way they can resist your tender Tara loveliness,” Buffy replied, smiling at Tara and taking a sip of her wine.
“Hey! You know nothing about Tara’s tender loveliness. . .only I do,” Willow said, nodded her head resolutely.
Faith laughed. “What about you, Red? How life in the office?”
“Boring. Really boring. I’m already a week ahead of my schedule, I don’t have any appointments next week. Is it bad that I’m hoping for a computer system failure so I can have some work to do?”
They all laughed, but Willow’s face was not amused. “I’m serious, guys. I want to do something different, something that I can have fun doing. It just sucks that I’m so darn good at counting.”
Tara grabbed Willow’s hand. “Well, why don’t you ask Giles about it, honey? I’m sure he’ll at least hear you out.”
Willow nodded. “You’re right, baby. I’ll talk to him on Monday. Don’t forget, we’re taking Colter school shopping tomorrow. And I have a surprise for you, too,” she said, kissing the blonde lightly on the lips. “Oh, and your grandma called earlier today. She wanted to know since you’d be at home next week if you wanted to keep Colter here or if she got to keep her ‘snuggy wuggie great grandson’ with her next week.”
Tara giggled. “I guess it’ll be up to him. It’s his first week of school here. We’ll ask him tomorrow, sweetheart.”
“Okay.” Willow turned to Faith. “So Faith, how’s life as a security guard working out for ya?”
Faith shrugged. “It don’t suck. I make bank just to sit on my ass and listen to the mayor run his mouth. The only time I have to go anywhere is when Wilkins gets a wild hair up his ass and wants to ride in the limo. I don’t really care what he wants me to do as long as he keeps paying me. And he gave me a nice little bonus check when we left for our honeymoon. That’s how we afforded Red to come along with us.”
Tara took a sip of her wine before turning toward Buffy. “And you, Buffy? How work going for you?”
“Eh. The receptionist job is kinda boring; All I do is answer the phone and direct the calls to Willow,” she said, giggling as the redhead made a face at her.
“Well, maybe you should start directing some of those calls to Giles. . . Since he’s the main man and all.”
“Nope. . .It’s a lot more fun when you come down to my desk with your face all red to tell me to stop directing calls to you!”
“Har har, Buffy,” Willow replied sarcastically. “But enough about the office, how are your classes going at the fitness club?”
Buffy smiled. “They are going great. Those kids are awesome, and they’re quick learners, too. I think I’ve found my niche teaching martial arts to little kids.”
“That’s wonderful, Buff. It’s good to see you come home after work with a smile on your face. . .and a genuine smile, not one of those ‘my wife is gonna give me an after-work workout’ smiles,” Willow said, laughing as a light blush rose on Buffy’s cheeks.
Tara stood up and pushed her hands through Willow’s hair. “That’s enough, baby. Stop giving Buffy a hard time.”
Buffy nodded in concurrence. “Yes, listen to your girlfriend. She’s right a lot more than you are.”
“Oh, phooey on you, Summers.” The girls shared a laugh as they all headed back inside. “How about some more wine and a movie?”
Willow was met with nods of agreement as they filed into the kitchen to refill their empty wine glasses.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
A stretch and a yawn overtook Buffy’s body as the credits rolled on
Boys on the Side. “Gotta love Whoopi Goldberg,” she said stretching out on the couch, her back resting on Faith‘s side.
“Most definitely. That’s why you’re my girl.” Faith pressed a light kiss to Buffy’s forehead. “I think it’s about time we turned in.”
Buffy pouted from her position. “I’m not ready yet.”
Faith stood and lifted the petite blonde into her arms as she headed up the stairs. “Well, we better be headin’ to bed if you want to get up in time for Blondie to make you pancakes in the morning.”
“Yes, wife, you are correct. Calgon. . .take me to bed!” The couple shared a laugh as Faith carried her away to their bedroom.
Tara and Willow were still sitting on the floor next to the arm chair covered in a blanket. “You ready to turn in, too, baby?”
Tara shook her head. “Can we go sit on the porch swing for a bit? It’s cooled off a lot outside.”
Willow smiled. “Of course we can. Do you want another glass of wine?”
“That would be great, sweetheart.”
Willow stood and grabbed their wine glasses, placing a kiss on top of Tara’s head before heading to the kitchen. “I’ll meet you outside, baby.”
Tara watched the redhead disappear into the kitchen. She stood up to stretch and made her way out the front door and onto the swing. A minute later, Willow appeared with their wine and a bowl perched precariously in the crook of her elbow. Tara stood and grabbed the bowl before it could tip over. “Ahh, thanks baby.”
“You’re welcome, sweetheart. What’s in the bowl anyway?”
Willow giggled and handed Tara her glass of wine and sat down on the swing. “It just so happens to be your favorite fruit.”
Tara quirked an eyebrow. “I never told you what my favorite fruit is.”
“I may have. . .asked around a little. . .” Willow replied, sitting her wine glass down and unwrapping the bowl. “A little birdie named Colter told me that your favorite fruit is honeydew melon. . .and another little birdie named Grandma Maclay told me that you loved to drink Moscato and eat honeydew with her when you visit.” Willow took a piece of the fruit out of the bowl and placed it near Tara’s lips. “So I figured why not just surprise my girl with a little fruit and wine? Eat up, baby,” Willow said with a grin.
Willow watched Tara’s full lips envelop the small piece of melon, her eyes closing momentarily as she felt the blonde’s tongue lick the tip of her finger before pulling back. The redhead grinned again when she saw Tara’s lips curve into a smile. “You have the sexiest mouth I’ve ever had the privilege of kissing,” Willow said, staring into the beautiful blue eyes she had grown accustomed to gazing into.
Tara took a piece of honeydew melon from the bowl and popped it into her mouth. “You tell me that a lot, honey. . .Usually when my mouth is preoccupied doing other things. . .”
“Yes, doing other
sexy things. . .things that you should be doing to me right now. . .”
“And why should I be doing those things to you, Ms. Rosenberg?” Tara asked as she picked up her glass of wine and walked toward the door. Willow automatically stood as she saw Tara reach the slightly opened front door. She smiled as the blonde waited for her by the door. “Are you going to tell me why, Willow?” she queried, taking a sip from her glass before smiling.
“Because. . .” Willow walked slowly toward the blonde, taking the wine glass out of her hand and placing it just inside the front door. “. . .you like the way it feels when you’re inside me. . .” The redhead grabbed Tara’s hands and put them around her waist. “And. . .you like the sounds I make when you’re. . .thrusting into me,” Willow whispered into the blonde’s ear as Tara pulled her closer.
“Oh, yeah?. . .What else, baby?” Tara asked as she placed slow, lingering kisses along Willow’s neck.
Willow’s eyes closed as she reveled in the feel of Tara’s lips caressing her skin. “And the thing that matters most. . .” Willow drew in a ragged breath as Tara nipped at her earlobe. “. . .You love the way I taste when I cum in your mouth.”
“You’re damn right,” Tara said as she pulled the redhead into fiery kiss, her hands snaking beneath the redhead’s blouse.
Willow moaned as she felt the trail of heat that Tara’s touch always left across her skin. Her head rolled back as she felt a warm and strong tongue slide slowly from her collar bone and up to her ear. “What do you say we go play while the baby’s away?”
Willow smiled as Tara kissed her ear. “I think I’m in the mood to play with you. . .”
Tara licked her lips. “You’d better be. . .I’ve been waiting all week long to get my hands on you.”
“And what exactly are you going to be touching with those hands, Ms. Maclay?” Willow asked, a cute grin on her face as she backed away from Tara.
Willow was about to turn around and walk to the kitchen, but she wasn’t fast enough for Tara. She felt Tara’s strong arms around her stomach and hot breath on her ear. “Why don’t you go upstairs with me to find out what. . .and where I’ll be touching you.”
“So feisty tonight, baby.”
“Well, I missed you.”
“Sounds like you missed me. . .some parts more than others,” Willow said as she turned towards Tara, the amusement clearly written on her face.
Tara pressed her lips against Willow’s. “Can you blame me? I have the sexiest, most wonderfully delectable girlfriend in the world, and I only get to see her every other week because I have to go off to be a princess.”
“You’re a princess
everyday, Tara,” Willow said as she ran her hand through Tara’s golden locks.
Tara blushed a little and smiled. “Sweet talker.”
“I’d say anything to get you in bed, baby,” Willow replied, trying to hide the laugh that was bubbling up.
Tara laughed as she grabbed the redhead by the hand, leading her up the stairs. “Yep. . .Definitely the sweet talker.”
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Willow whacked the alarm clock as it startled her out of her first deep sleep in a week. She muttered a soft expletive as she turned back around and cuddled closer to Tara’s soft. . .“Pillowcase?”
The redhead opened her sleep-filled eyes to see that Tara was nowhere in sight. A slight frown creased the corner of her mouth as she moved the covers from her naked body and stepped onto the carpeted floor. She peeked into the bathroom, but there was no Tara there, either. She reached into Tara’s drawer and pulled out a pair of boxers and T-shirt and headed downstairs.
As soon as she opened the bedroom door, Willow could smell coffee and bacon frying downstairs. She looked back at the clock and saw that it was 8:07 in the morning.
Plenty of time to get some early morning kitchen snuggles with my girl before Buffy and Faith get up, she thought happily as she bounded down the stairs and into the kitchen. What she saw there made her heart skip a beat.
Tara was moving quickly around the kitchen, humming softly along with the radio that was currently playing a Norah Jones song. Her long hair was shining in the sunlight coming through the window, giving her a golden halo. But what caused the redhead to stop and stare was the beautiful smile on Tara’s face.
Even as she cooked and hummed, the blonde was grinning as if she had not a care in the world. The smile made her eyes sparkle and Willow felt a tug at her heart and a tug at her lips as she began to smile, too.
She walked up behind Tara, who was washing a bowl at the sink, and wrapped her arms around the blonde’s waist and kissed the back of her neck. “Good morning, Beautiful.”
Tara smiled and turned to give the redhead a peck on the lips. “Good morning, sweetheart. I was wondering how long you were going to stand there and watch me,” she said with a laugh as she began pouring ingredients into the bowl.
Willow giggled. “You caught me. You just look so. . .radiant this morning. I guess sometimes in my sleep-induced stupidity I forget how absolutely stunning you are. And the fact that you look this gorgeous on 4 hours of sleep just lends credence to the fact that I have the most amazing girlfriend ever.”
“Well, it would have been 6 hours of sleep if someone hadn’t have wanted to go for round
three at 2 this morning. . .” Tara said as she pulled Willow closer to her and kissed her again on the lips.
“Round
three? Damn, I’m proud of you. . .Keep it up, Red. No wonder Blondie‘s lookin‘ extra happy this morning,” Faith said with a grin.
Both girls turned toward the kitchen door as Faith and a zombie-like Buffy walked in and sat down.
Buffy grunted something and put her head down on the counter. Tara squeezed Willow’s hand before letting go and grabbing a coffee mug from the dish drainer. She filled it with coffee and put it in front of the petite blonde. Buffy dragged her head from the counter and took a few gulps of her coffee before speaking.
“Thank you, Tara. It’s only taken you a couple months to decipher my early morning language.” She turned to give Faith a little shove. “What’s
your excuse, wife?”
“Hey, I decipher your late-at-night language. . .and it’s sure as hell a lot more than just a coffee grunt,” Faith took the mug and refilled it with a smug smile on her face, the opposite of Buffy’s highly embarrassed grin.
Tara laughed at the couple as she began putting pancakes on the griddle. “Pancakes are on the way, Buffy.”
Buffy smiled at the girl. “Thanks, Tara. At least
someone is on my side.”
Faith reached over and gave Buffy a kiss on the cheek. “I’m on your side, babe. And sometimes I’m on your back and I can spend all day on your front. . .” The group laughed as Buffy’s face turned a bright red and she swatted Faith on the shoulder.
Willow took a sip of her coffee. “You know, Buff, you sure acting all innocent for a girl who got kicked out of Disney World for doin’ the dirty in a bathroom.”
“Willow!” Buffy’s face was beet red. “Well, I’m glad you could all have a great laugh this morning at my expense. Isn’t
anyone going to save me from this?!”
The front door opened as Xander’s voice rang out in the foyer. “Morning ladies! I come bearing a 4 ½ foot gift!”
Both Xander and Colter appeared in the kitchen doorway. Colter went straight to Tara and gave her a hug. “Hey, Mom! I can’t wait for you to see what I made!” He grabbed her by the hand and pulled her toward the front door. “Come on!”
Tara laughed as she pulled the boy back into the kitchen. “Hold on there, cowboy!” She kissed him lightly on the head. “Let me finish this batch of pancakes and I’ll go with you, okay?”
He nodded and smiled. “Okay, Mommy. I’ll wait.”
They all giggled as Colter stood vigilantly right next to Tara as he waited patiently for her to finish cooking. As soon as she had the pancakes on a plate, he grabbed her hand and pulled her out of the kitchen and out of the front door.
Tara’s breath hitched as she saw what was sitting on the front porch wrapped with a big bow. Colter still had a hold of her hand as he wrapped his free arm around his mother’s waist. “You like it, Mom?” he asked, looking up at her.
She looked down at her son, the tears welling up in her eyes. “Like it? I
love it, baby. . .”
She walked towards it as the rest of the group filed out of the front door. They were all in awe of the boy’s handiwork. On the front porch was a 5 foot tall bookcase. It was painted a deep red color with golden detail on the shelves. Several Egyptian hieroglyphs were painted on them, and on the outside of the case were several crescent moons and stars, all painted in golden paint to match Willow and Tara’s bedroom.
“I remember you saying that you needed a bookcase for all your books and stuff, Mom. So I asked Xander if he would help me build one for you. Do you really like it?”
Tara pulled the boy into a hug. “I do, baby. It’s absolutely beautiful. Thank you.”
Colter smiled as he felt his mother’s arms tighten around him. “You’re welcome, Mama.”
Hearing Colter call her ‘mama’ made her tears flow freely. He hadn’t called her that since he was a toddler.
Tara kept a hand in Colter’s as she turned to hug Xander. “Thanks, Xander, it’s gorgeous.”
Xander smiled at the blonde. “It was all his idea; I just measured and hammered.”
Tara dried her face and smiled at everyone. “Come on, guys. Let’s go eat breakfast.”
++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Buffy and Faith had settled in the living room after a hearty breakfast. Xander had taken the bookcase upstairs to Willow and Tara’s bedroom and had left the house to go meet with Anya. Colter was sitting in front of the television watching cartoons while Tara and Willow were getting dressed for the day.
“So, buddy, what kind of backpack are you getting for school this year?”
Colter turned and shrugged. “I don’t know, Buffy. I think I want a plain black one. Then I could decorate it all by myself the way I want to!”
Faith and Buffy grinned at the boy. “I think that’s a great idea! Are you excited about starting the second grade?”
“I’m kinda scared, but Willow says I don’t have anything to worry about because I’m the nicest, most adorable boy going into the second grade.”
“And I’m always right, buddy,” Willow replied as she and Tara walked down the stairs. “You ready to go school shopping?”
Colter nodded as he got up from the living room floor and hugged Buffy and Faith before following Tara out to the car.
Willow smiled over to her friends. “Are you guys going to have everything ready by the time we get back?”
“Of course we will, Will. Have fun shopping with your girl and your boy. We’ll have everything ready by 3 o’ clock on the dot. Don’t worry. . .she’s gonna
love her surprise. You’re a great girlfriend to do this for her.”
Willow smiled and hugged Buffy. “Thanks, Buff. I’ll see you guys in a few hours.” She headed toward the door but turned around quickly. “Oh! Did you get a chance to pick up the-”
“GO!” Both Faith and Buffy shouted at the redhead, a look of annoyed amusement on their faces.
With one last wave, Willow finally went out the front door.
Faith stretched before standing up and reaching for Buffy’s hand. “You ready to get started on this, babe?”
“Ready as I’ll ever be.” Buffy walked over to the phone on the desk and picked up the receiver to dial a number. “Hi, yes. I would like to inquire about the arrival of a flight. . .”
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Sorry for the long wait, guys. Real life and work really get in the way sometimes. I'm going to try to post another chapter before next week.