Lost Without Tara: Well Anya’s always gotta be tactless!! That’s why I adore her!!
sabina: I really like Rich as well!
I felt bad for buffy though!! Xander has Anya, Willow has Tara, and then no one for buffy!!
so I got her one! hee!
sam darls: I love her too!! Anya rocks everything!!
Arwen276: haha, thanks!
glad your liking it!
Caro: I love it when you go to a fic and find more than one update!! It always rocks!!
Thanks for reading!!
Little M: hee! Well now you get to see what the coffee date holds…but I think some people wont be too pleased w/ me *evil cackle* alas…no kisses or gay love…ahh, I love being evil…
AmberAlysonlver: Glad you liked! Thanks for reading!
Marilda: as you wish!! The update is now here!! *angels sing*
The Rose24:
more now! Whoo hoo!
Sappho: *beams* all these compliments from everyone!! *blushes* hehe…thanks!
bluewillowwitch: *wistful sigh* isn’t the object of one’s affections always the last to hear about it?
Tempest Duer: Coffe is good…but a frapachino mocha caramel mix is TOTALLY the best way to go!!
Oh! And I believe that line is from one of Lisa Countryman’s fics
good reading right there
Taras Shadow: *beams* thanks for the feedback! Ya’ll are so nice!!!
Ok people!! Here ya go!! The coffee date!!
And its also extra long! (For me anyway) probably twice the size of previous updates!
Chapter Six
It was a short walk, maybe 5 minutes or so, and Tara had enjoyed every minute of it.
She nodded towards the small shop, “There it is.”
“Hey! I’ve seen that place before…I walk by it every day but I’ve never gone in.”
Tara was shocked, “You haven’t? Where do you get your coffee fix?!”
Willow laughed, “I’m actually more of a mocha girl and I usually just go to the Starbucks near the studio. But it’s so darn expensive I’ve been looking for a cheaper place. I thought about going in here one day but I always just told myself I’d go the next day…and well,” She shrugged giving Tara a sheepish look, “you know how it goes.”
Walking into the shop they noticed it was pretty busy. Tara looked for her normal table and saw that it was occupied. She sighed and looked around for an empty one.
“Over there,” Willow pointed over to the far right corner.
They weaved their way through the various obstacles before sitting themselves across from each other at their table. “Aren’t we supposed to go up and order?” Willow wondered.
“Nah, its ok. Usually you do that but after 8:00 they serve you cause some people get dinner too.”
Willow gave a sigh of relief, “Good! Any more walking and I think I’m going to collapse! I never knew that classes could be so tiring!”
Tara chuckled, “Oh yeah, and that was what Buffy calls and easy day.”
“Are you serious! Ugh!” she groaned.
“Unfortunately.” She made an ‘ick’ face, “After my first class I went straight home and just collapsed onto my bed.”
The waiter interrupted Willow’s laugh as he stepped up with his pad and a pen.
“Hi,” he said, looking at Willow, “I’ll be your waiter today,” He gave her a charming smile and then glanced at her friend, “How can I help you two ton – Tara!” Charlie said beaming, “I didn’t know you’d be in tonight!”
She shrugged innocently.
“So,” he said looking back at Willow, “You gonna introduce me to your friend or are ya just gonna leave me hangin?”
“Oh yeah, sorry!” She laughed, “Charlie, this is Willow, Willow, this is Charlie.”
His eyes bulged.
THAT’S Willow! Go Tara! You sure know how to pick em!
“So I finally get to meet the infamous Willow!” He held out his hand, “It’s nice to finally put a name to a face…” His eyebrows scrunched up, “…or in this case I guess a face to a name.” He gave a boyish grin.
Willow blushed and took his hand before looking over at Tara, “Talking about me now, where you?” She gave a teasing smile. 'She was talking about me? That means she was thinking about me. She wanted to get up and do a little dance.'
Tara’s mouth opened and closed several times, “Heh…guilty.”
Charlie grinned. He could tell Willow liked Tara just about as much as Tara liked Willow. Figuring they’d get it eventually he shrugged it off.
“So, what can I get you fine ladies this fine evening?” Posing his pen to the white pad he was holding he looked up at them.
“I’ll take my regular,” Tara told him.
Nodding he wrote it down, “And you?”
“Hmm…could I get a chocolate mocha…extra chocolate-y.” She grinned.
“You surely can,” He said and jotted it down before putting his pen behind his ear and went to go get their orders.
Willow looked at Tara, “He’s such a sweetie!”
Tara grinned, “I know! I met him about three days after I moved in. Just came in, all depressed cause it was a new place and I didn’t know anyone and he wouldn’t leave me alone till I told him what was wrong, and, well, we’ve been friends ever since.”
Willow grinned, “Ya know who he kinda reminds me of?” She asked, looking back where she saw Charlie disappear.
“Xander?” Tara guessed, quirking an eyebrow.
Willow laughed, “Exactly! I don’t know…something about his boyish ways,” She shrugged. “So,” She leaned in forward, “How old is he?”
Tara’s heart slowed, hoping to all things good in this world that Willow didn’t begin to develop a crush on him. “Um…he’s 19.”
Willow gave an appreciative nod and Tara took the plunge.
“W-why?” She asked nervously, “You like him or something?”
Willow’s eyes widened, “What?!” She laughed, and waved her hands in front of her, “Oh God no, no, no, no!”
Thanking the fact that she could breathe again Tara relaxed and laughed.
“No, see,” Willow leaned over the table, “Know who I think would really like him?” Grinning at Tara’s clueless face she said, “Dawnie!”
Tara’s jaw dropped, “No way!” She grinned, “Dawnie…a-and Charlie? Nu uh!” Her face was a mix between shock and amusement before something clicked and her expression turned from a gleeful smile to what could have been considered an evil smirk.
“Whatcha thinking?” Willow beamed, knowing what Tara was thinking.
Tara nodded, glowing, “You know what I’m thinkin’.”
“Now the presented problem is how we’re gonna get them together.”
“Hmm.” They both thought for a few moments before Willow perked up.
“I’ve got it!” Tara looked at her, waiting for her to explain.
“Ok! So the Fourth of July is next week…”
Beaming Tara finished, “So we can hook them up then.”
“Exactly.”
Tara smiled wickedly. “Perfect.”
“Besides, now I’ll have something to do.”
“What do you mean?” Tara asked quizzically. “I thought you were already going with everyone.”
“Well, yeah,” Willow shrugged, “But I wasn’t really going to have anyway to hang with.”
Tara raised her eyebrows, silently telling Willow to elaborate.
Sighing, Willow admitted, “Well, its just that Xander’s going to be hanging around with Anya, and knowing those two they’ll probably crawl off into the woods somewhere to neck, Buffy’s going to be hanging around Rich for their date, and I’m seriously doubting she’ll want anything do with the rest of the world, and now Dawnie’s gonna be with Charlie…so that leaves me free to see the fireworks with you!”
Charlie decided to return with their drinks at that moment. After he put down their caffeinated goodness he saw the looks on both their faces.
“Do I want to know?” He asked.
They slowly turned their evil gazes to him and a petrified look fell over his face. “Oh lord.” He cringed, “What do you want?”
Tara gave him a wide, fake smile, “Oh absolutely nothing my dear, dear friend.” Not believing her for a second his eyes glanced from Tara to Willow and back to Tara again.
“What do you want?” He repeated slowly.
Willow took a deep breath and jumped in, “Just-for-you-to-go-to-the-4th-of-July-fireworks-with-us-and-meet-Buffy’s-really-really-really-cool-sister-Dawn-who’s-just-about-your -age-and-who-you’ll-have-like-the-best-time-with.”
Charlie put his eyebrows up in appreciation, “Ya know, the strange thing isn’t that you two are trying to hook me up with some random chick I’ve never met, but even more amazing is that I caught every word of what you just said.”
“’S not random.” Willow pouted.
Giving him puppy dog eyes Tara looked up at him and puffed out her bottom lip, “Please?”
Laughing at both the pouts he was receiving he finally relented, “Ok! Ok! I give!”
Raising an eyebrow he looked at them suspiciously, “Does she even know about this yet or is this some thing you gals thought of just now?”
Tara and Willow started and said nothing.
Charlie continued to look at them, raising his other eyebrow to match his other one.
Willow looked around, “Oh…um…various sounds of hesitation…”
Charlie rolled his eyes and sighed, “So, 4th of July huh?”
“Yep,” Willow nodded.
“How old?”
“17.”
“Mode of transportation?”
“Me, you, Tara, car.”
He took approximately three point seven seconds before making up his mind. “I’m in.”
“Great!”
Shaking his head at what he was getting into he left the two girls to their drinks.
“Yay!” Willow said enthusiastically.
Tara grinned and took a sip of her coffee before answering, “Go us.”
“I think Dawnie’s really gonna like him.” Willow alleged.
“Oh she will.” Tara replied and looked towards the counter where Charlie was taking an order, “He’s a sweetie.”
Things were quiet for a few moments while both girls took a few more sips of their chosen drinks.
'Okay Willow…here ya go…take the plunge and ask her…oh Goddess I hope she says no.'
“So…” Willow trailed.
Tara looked up, “So?”
“Do…you…have a sweetie?” She held her breath.
Tara’s eyes widened for a moment before she raised an eyebrow, trying to stall telling Willow what she knew she had to say eventually. “Define ‘sweetie’.”
Willow wasn’t expecting that, “You know,” She raised her eyebrows significantly and took a deep breath, “A boyfriend or something?”
'Say no, say no, say no, say no, say no.' Willow repeated in her head while Tara took a moment before answering.
Inhaling deeply Tara looked up at Willow and answered, “Or something.” She bit the bottom of her lip.
“Define ‘or something’,” Willow said, taking Tara’s earlier words and using them to her advantage.
She grinned nervously, “Uh…something as in…” she tried to think of a word, “…something.” She finished lamely.
“Come on!” Willow persisted, “Tell me.”
'Ok Tara, this is it. She’ll either be fine with it or run away screaming. What’s the worst thing that could happen?' She gulped. '…She could run away screaming.'
She looked everywhere but at Willow and mumbled.
Willow reached across the table and cupped Tara’s face, gently forcing her to look up at her.
Pushing a strand of hair out of Tara’s face she said softly, “You can tell me.”
Tara gulped, “The – the ‘or something’…it’s not a guy…it’s…never…b-been a guy and-and most likely never will be.” She looked at Willow nervously and took a deep breath. “I’m gay.” ‘There…I said it.’
Willow’s heart suddenly felt a lot lighter. Pushing the feelings aside, not wanting to comprehend what that meant she focused on making Tara’s vulnerable look disappear.
Tara had looked back down at her coffee. “Hey,” she whispered, “Hey.” Tara looked up, a frightened look on her face, as if she was expecting the redhead to bolt. “It’s ok,” Willow said softly and took one of Tara’s hands and gave it a gentle squeeze. “Don’t look so freaked,” She gave a kind smile and raised her eyebrows slightly, “I’m not gonna run away.”
“S-sorry,” Tara apologized, “I-I just never know how p-people are going to react? Didn’t know if you were gonna run away or something, ya know?”
“Yeah. Well see.” Giving her a kind smile she gave her hand another soft squeeze of comfort before releasing it. “No, running.”
“So,” Tara said, trying to get the attention off herself, “What about you? Any current sweeties?”
Willow shook her head, “Nope…had a sweetie once,” She shrugged, “But ya know, stuff happened and he left…left town left.”
“Bad breakup huh?” Tara guessed.
“The baddest.” Willow nodded.
“Sorry.”
She shook her head, “It’s ok, and it was well overdue anyway. We’d been together since high school…before I found him in bed with this…Vercua girl from this band or whatever,” She spat the name out like it was venomous. Looking up she shook her hands in front of her, “Not that he was a bad guy; he wasn’t. Don’t get me wrong…it just after that I told him it was over…and not just because of him cheating on me…well, that was a big part of it of course. But we’d been drifting apart for a while before that anyway.” Shrugging she took a sip of her mocha. “Now happy and single for about,” Quickly she added up the numbers in her head, “…a year or so now.”
Tara smiled at her, “Well I’m sure you’ll find someone eventually…sooner than later, ya know.” Like me…no! No, Tara, she’s not like that!
Willow grinned up at her and looked her in the eye, “Maybe sooner than later.” You can be my somebody.
Tara looked at Willow’s emerald green eyes and thought she saw something there…she wasn’t sure what, but…something. Wishful thinking Tar, wishful thinking.
The two chatted idly about past experiences, what they’d done in college, and other various topics for an untold amount of time until Willow finally noticed they were the only two left in the shop.
Willow looked down at her watch, “Wow, it’s pretty late. We better get going.”
Tara looked around and noticed there were no other people in the shop sans Charlie who was sitting at the other end of the shop, feet propped up on a table with his unfinished crossword in his hands and a puzzled look on his face.
“Yeah, you’re right, I didn’t know how late it was!” Tara agreed. Getting up she got out money for her and Willow’s drinks.
“Oh no, Tara, you don’t have to do th – ”
Tara put her hand up, “Not another word Rosenberg. This is my repayment for all those ‘free’ waters you let me have.” Winking she put the money down on the table, along with a nice tip for Charlie.
Willow laughed and admitted defeat, “Ok, ok, you win! But next time I pay.”
“Deal.”
They got up and walked towards the door before Tara called out, “Bye Charlie!”
Charlie didn’t look up, totally engrossed in his crossword. “Charlie!” She called again, laughing.
Jerking out of his trance he looked up, “Huh? What?” Her words finally registering in his mind he nodded, “Oh, right! See you guys later!”
They waved and were making their way out the door when he suddenly yelled after them, “Oh hey guys! Wait!”
Stopping mid-step they turned back into the shop.
“Yeah?” Tara questioned.
He gave them a sheepish grin, “Uh, I need a 11 letter word for a 6 person British Comedy Group.”
He automatically heard one answer said simultaneously by two different people.
“Monty Python.”
They looked at each other and pointed, “You like Monty Python!”
Laughing Willow said, “The Holy Grail is like, my all time favorite movie!”
“Oh my God mine too!” Tara said, delighted.
Willow gave what she thought was a stern look, “The Knights of Nee!”
Tara laughed, “No!” She put her arm behind her arm and looked at the ground and then up at Willow and said in a horribly inaccurate accent, “Tis but a flesh wound!”
Both girls cracked up while Charlie just looked at them, a baffled look on his face. Shaking his head he scratched his head and filled in the blanks to the question he’s just received and began working on the other 30 or so questions he had left.
***
Walking down the street to their homes they were still talking about Monty Python.
“No way! The best part was the witch-duck part!! It can’t get any better than that!” Willow scoffed.
“There’s no way!” Tara shot back, “The Galahad – Zoot part was by FAR the best! Followed closely by the Black Knight!”
Willow rolled her eyes, “Pfft! Whatever!”
Tara stopped and looked up, “Well, this is my stop,” She said, turning to look at Willow, “But we WILL continue this later!”
Willow nodded, “Most defiantly.”
Tara looked around, “How far do you have to walk to get to yours?”
Willow pointed down the street, not very far away at all, maybe a one-minute walk, “Right there.”
Smiling Tara nodded, “I never knew you were that close. Cool.”
“Well hey,” Willow took Tara’s hands, “I just got a nifty idea.” She turned to face Tara and swung their connected hands up and down playfully.
Tara nodded, smiling at Willow’s hand cupped in hers.
“So how bout Saturday you can come over and watch Monty Python.” She grinned, “Whadya say? And then we can have a sleepover! Be like a, I dunno, girls night!”
Tara beamed, “Sounds great.”
“Ok, its set then! Saturday, my house, 8:00?” She quirked an eye at Tara.
“Sounds like a plan to me.”
“We could go to Blockbuster and get some cool movies…one being Monty Python of course,” She winked.
Tara laughed, “Can’t wait!”
“Ok then,” Willow gave her a wide smile, “Well…I guess I’ll see you tomorrow at class then.”
“Yep.”
They gave each other a quick hug, both savoring the feel of the other woman in their arms. Neither wanting to let go but knowing they had to without looking suspicious they untangled themselves unwillingly from the other person.
“Well, see ya then.” Willow said.
Tara smiled at her, “Bye.”
With a last glance at Tara, Willow turned and walked towards her building.
Tara watched her walk away longingly, wanting nothing more than to run after her and shower her in kisses and touches. She shook her head and pried her eyes off of Willow and turned to go into the building.
****
Hee, well i hope you all like!! next update will be the sleepover, but it's so big i'll have to be nice and split it up into two parts...for your convinence of course 
wouldn't want you to have to sprain your eye's or something...
Galahad: What a strange person. French Dude: I don't want to talk to you no more, you empty headed animal food trough wiper. I fart in your general direction. Your mother was a hamster and your father smelled of elderberries. Galahad: Is there someone else up their we could talk to? French Dude: No, now go away or I shall taunt you a second time. - Monty Python
Edited by: maudmac 
at: 9/25/03 9:55 pm
by sabina » Tue Sep 23, 2003 12:03 pm 
..I just love her. Love sammi xx 
at: 9/24/03 7:59 pm
Very cute story ya got goin' here, good job. 
foreverpiper 
,
and 
are so obvious! How is it that they haven't caught on to each other yet? Buffy is so funny shooting those death glares. 
more. Update soon, please? 
Very sweet update.
It wont let me open any of my mail but I saw your address…and I don’t want you to think I forgot about ya!! I haven’t!! As soon as the stupid thing lets me open it and then actually TYPE in it I’ll get it back to you!! Sorry agan!! Blame my yahoo!! 
But never fear…it WILL be finished, even if it takes a bit longer than expected 
You. Haven’t. Seen. Monty. Phython? 
Don't encourge me to skip. I hate those clsses so much. I don't want to go but I have to. No ecourgement to skip. 
I will watch them though. 
