FIC - A Year of Souls

[willohand]

I just cant...its so easy and still so hard to put into mere words about the
effect this is having on me.

[Still Waters T]

Great update!

2nd the last time, and now I'm 3rd or maybe 4th (if someone swoops in and posts before I'm done writing my feedback) ok I'm done, no more drama queen.

I liked that you brought in Joyce. She's a level headed woman, and I always loved her, wish she would have stayed longer in the series. And by going to her, Willow can get advice from someone who's had more experience in life, and sometimes it easier to not be a part of the situation, but looking in on it - might be easier to see what should be done from at a distance.

Gaa-

“-aah!” Willow jumped as she felt a hand on her shoulder. She’d been so lost in thought, she hadn’t noticed that class had been let out.

This is a moment I can totally relate to. I'm usually busy thinking, so whenever someone wants my attention it's often they just poke me in the shoulder, or if I'm in thoughts and someone is suddenly there right in front of me, I'll be having a near-heart attack. I have jumped very literally in the air from it lots of times. It's ironic cos I'm the most laid-back person. Ask anyone.

“I mean that if you ever feel like that, like you need to hurt yourself… I’m here. You can call me and I’ll be right there with you, and I won’t judge you for it, and I’m not going to push you away. I won’t go anywhere until you’re okay again.”

Very good way of making Tara realize that she can call on Willow and lean on her when needed.

And:

“Because it hurts. When you do that, when you feel like that, I feel it. It hurts so much, and I just… I want to take that away from you. If I could, I’d feel it all myself and a hundred times more, just to know that you were happy.” Willow’s voice cracked.

Tara stood up on shaking feet, tears now streaming down her face. She’d done so much crying, she didn’t know she had any more tears – but this was different. Now she was crying because she had no other way to express her joy. She stepped around the table and fell to her knees beside Willow, resting her head in her girlfriend’s lap.

I don't know what to say, but I really loved the entire W/T scene in the coffee shop. It was very touching, and..just..yeah. This fic is really amazing.

Liv

[HalfCamel]

Hey Naeryn

This is such an emotional update. I love the way you're able to convey both girls' feelings, they just jump right out of the page and grab a hold of you.

Having Joyce be Willows confidante seems fitting. She was a great character on the show and very accepting of the circumstances around her. It was good for Willow to trust her with something this big, and she had some great advice and a great reaction too. I know if I ever came to my mom with something like this she'd silently freak out and then demand to know who it was I was talking about.

The W/T relationship is wonderful, they both care so deeply for eachother that its clearly visible to anyone with eyes. It's heart-warming to know that they both wanna protect one another, no matter what the cost or consequences. The love that shines through, from every one, is blinding and gives hope for inner peace and happiness.

Can't wait for more!

[viximon]

just to say "Awwwwww"

Now I'm all emotional and can't write a good review. Your fault

Continue soon

[sarah-beara]

Hey!
Another Awesome update!

The emotion conveyed in this Fic by W/T has been awesomely written!

Well Done!
-Sarah.

[Naeryn]

GayNow - Hello again, Car! I believe you just summarized the theme of the entire fanfic...

willohand - Wow. Speechlessness. I feel special.

Still Waters T - lol, don't worry. You make a cute drama queen. Yes, Joyce is a great character. She really was a mom to all the scoobies, so I figured it was appropriate that Willow would go to her for help.
Who doesn't have their jumpy moments? I know I have plenty of them. The coffee shop scene was intense and mushy, and that's just the way I wanted it. And a bonus moment of cuteness at the end!

HalfCamel - Yay for jumpy emotions, hmm? There seems to be much approval for involving Joyce - which is good, because I'm going to involve her more. I'm thinking of having her be almost as perceptive as Anya, just, you know... not Anya.

viximon - Lol, well then I gladly take the blame!

sarah-beara - Thanks so much!

[hr]
Title: A Year of Souls
Author: Naeryn
Spoilers: Only if you never knew that Willow and Tara were together. Which, honestly, if you don’t, then you’re in for a surprise on this site.
Ratings: R/NC17 – I say both because NC17 generally only refers to scenes of a sexual nature, while in here there’s rather descriptive violence as well. Or there will be.
Disclaimer: The day I own Willow and Tara is the day the earth rotates backwards and hell freezes over – and all the Canadians down there start playing hockey!
Notes: I'm jumping ahead by a month now, mostly because I really have to get going or I'll wind up with a few thousand chapters. Nothing much happens in that month though, just routine-type stuff. This will also help the timeline flow a little smoother in the long run. The spell used in this update is a real spell. I wrote it. I’ve done it. However, I’ve left a little bit out and switched the ending to be a little more W/T-friendly. If you want the actual spell, I can give it to you – but if you want to use it, I’d suggest writing your own. They always work better that way.





Tara lay on her bed, mulling over the day. Willow had taken her out on a picnic to celebrate her one month mark. One month she’d gone without cutting herself. So far, it seemed to be working. She’d call Willow whenever she felt that need, that boiling, shaking… she shook her head. She couldn’t dwell on what it felt like, it only brought the need back. It was almost like withdrawal; where the need came on her before after an incident – someone calling her a particularly nasty name, getting hit, getting things thrown at her, thinking too long and too hard on her ‘family’ – now it was random. It would come on her suddenly, without warning…
Buffy must be getting suspicious by now. More than once she’d called Willow at three or four in the morning because she’d woken up, sweating and screaming and longing for the blade to cut her flesh, just a little, just to ease the tension that swelled and pulsed under her skin.

She thought back on the time it had been. One month and three days she’d been dating Willow. It was strange, it felt as if they knew each other so well already. She smiled, thinking about their time together. It was a maze of emotional highs and lows, peppered with walks in the park, impromptu duets and a lot of kissing, along with those moments, those awful moments, when this stark, burning fear would come over her. It was brought on by Willow, by her own insecurity that thought Willow was just pretending, that she would leave her, and it was dispelled too by the redhead.

That was when the need would be at it’s worst. When she thought that somehow, she might not have Willow. Some day, sometime in the future, her redhead would wake up and realize that she didn’t want to be Tara’s anymore. She didn’t want Tara to be hers anymore. The very thought almost broke the blond’s heart.

Now she lay on her bed, letting her thoughts run their course before she stood to go to the shower. She would do a ritual cleansing there, and fifteen minutes later, Willow would be here. They were doing a spell together. Their first spell, actually, and it wasn’t that much of a spell. It was more of a prayer. She smiled, remembering the light that shone in the redhead’s sparkling green eyes when she suggested it. This particular spell – or prayer, or ritual – wasn’t one she’d found. She’d written it, just a few days ago, in fact.

They would cast a circle, together. Then they would chant, and beseech Artemis to grant Tara strength of will and purity of heart so that she could beat this thing. She’d figured Artemis was the best one to ask, after all, what she ultimately wanted was to lose her insecurities. Artemis was anything but insecure; patron goddess of the hunt, goddess of maidens, one of the triad goddesses of the moon.
She checked the clock. Twenty minutes until moonrise. Time to go and shower.

*****

Willow glanced at her watch. Ten minutes until moonrise. She unwrapped the towel from her hair in a smooth motion, quickly running a brush through the damp red locks. She and Tara were going to do that spell tonight. She wasn’t sure if it really was a spell or not, it was more of a prayer. Asking a goddess – ancient Greek, one of her favorite pantheons, and one she knew more about – for the strength for Tara to stop harming herself. She also had a petition of her own for the goddess. Willow didn’t just want Tara to stop hurting herself, she wanted the blond to be at ease with herself.

She mulled over the past month. The day before their coffee date when Willow had offered herself to Tara as a resource was the last day in a month that she’d hurt herself. Willow was immensely proud of her for that, but she knew that as time went on, it was getting harder. Over the last month, she’d spent a fair amount of time studying it. She’d found some good websites, discussion forums and the like. Everyone on them seemed to be so… warm. Every one of them was loving and openhearted and somehow deeply beautiful to her. Willow admired that kind of strength. How could so many amazing people hate themselves so much? A sigh escaped her lips as she realized she would never really understand that.

Most of them hadn’t been through what Tara had, though almost all had some sort of negative history. Usually being the butt of every nasty joke at school combined with horribly unobservant parents who didn’t seem to have that bone in their heads that got it. Willow was partially glad that she hadn’t found the sites before this; if she were still in her own dark little hole, she knew she could easily have gone there.

She was looking forward to the spell. Not only would it be their first spell together, but it was something to help Tara, which was what Willow wanted most of all.

She grabbed a folded slip of paper from the desk, clenching it tightly in her hand, and turned to head out the door.

*****

Tara stood and went to open the door when Willow’s knock sounded through the room. The redhead smiled a greeting, placing the slip of paper she carried down on the bookshelf near the door, and pulled Tara into a hug. “Hey baby.”

Tara smiled. “Hey. It’s been, um, one month.” She looked proud of herself. And well she should be, Willow thought. She’s done so well. She looks happier now.

“It has. I’m so proud of you!” Willow looped her fingers into Tara’s hair and pulled the other girl close, kissing her. “I told you you could do it.”

Tara nodded, blushing, and pushed the door shut. Pulling away from Willow, she began to fidget. “I, um, have all of the stuff we need…” she gestured nervously towards a space on the floor that held a bottle of white sand, a small cauldron, some candles and a book of matches. “It’s a really simple spell…”

Willow reached out one hand, lightly running the back of her forefinger along Tara’s cheek. “Baby, I know, I’ve memorized it, remember?”

Both girls sat down across from each other, Willow carefully holding her slip of paper again, on either side of the things. Willow gingerly picked up the sand and began pouring it around them in a circle, starting in the northern corner. They’d decided already that Willow would perform most of the actual mechanics of the ritual since it was based around Tara. Quietly, Willow chanted.

“North, spirits of Earth. East, spirits of Air. South, spirits of Fire. West, spirits of Water. We call you. Bless our circle.” She sat back down, smiling reassuringly at Tara. Willow extended her hands over the objects in the middle of the circle. After a moment’s hesitation, Tara clasped them in her own. Both girls chanted.

“Artemis, goddess of the hunt, sister of the moon, we beseech you.” Willow released Tara’s left hand and struck a match against her jeans, lighting the white candles that sat on either side of them. She took up Tara’s hand again. “Grant us the strength we seek.”

Tara took a deep breath and spoke alone. “Strength of will, that I may overcome my need to harm myself. Strength of soul, that I may believe in my right to happiness. Strength of heart, that I may give and accept love freely.”

The redhead smiled at the last part. Giving definitely wasn’t a problem for Tara, she’d seen that in everything the blond did. She exuded love like others did lust, or hate, or fear. She blinked a few times, pulling herself from her thoughts, and refocused. It was her turn. “Strength of will, that I may always stand firm for those who need me. Strength of soul, that I may lay my insecurities to rest. Strength of heart, that I may give and accept love freely.”

Their hands separated and each took up their own slips of paper. Turning to their rights, each girl held the bit in the candle flame until it caught, and then threw it into the cauldron. The petitions would burn out there, the messages being carried to the Goddess by the smoke.

Hands clasped again as the girls focused on the burning papers. Breathing grew imperceptibly shorter, faster, as they built the energy between them. Through closed lids, they could almost see it, white-hot and pure and growing as they poured themselves into the exercise. Their breathing was bordering now on hyperventilation as a thin sheen of sweat coated the girls’ bodies. Eyes flashed open, blue and green locked together as the energy peaked.

They separated, thrusting their hands high into the air and releasing the energy. It shot like a rocket, invisible but powerful. Frozen in position, Willow and Tara both halted their breathing, just for a moment, as the last dregs of the built power drained from them, launching itself into the night.

Both fell to the side in a dead faint as a gust of wind lifted through the open window and blew out the candles.

*****

Where…? Floor. Carpet. Hmm? Dark. Tara… Tara’s floor? Why am I on Tara’s floor? Willow opened her eyes, confusion written on her face. Gaaah… bright. Light shone through the open window, casting a faint glow on the young women. Willow squinted against the brightness, looking over at Tara’s bedside clock. It was only five thirty. Must be dawn… She turned her head a little and saw Tara lying beside her, just on the other side of the cauldron and candles. Right. Spell… wow. That was… intense. I’ve done spells with Amy before, but it was nothing like that…

Willow groaned quietly and sat up, determining that sleeping on the floor with one arm hunched under you and your head on a very sharp angle was, in fact, very bad for one’s neck. She stood up, rubbing the back of her neck with one hand, and walked over to the window. Willow tugged the curtains shut and looked back at her still sleeping girlfriend.

The glow that the early morning sunlight had cast over her features, lighting her hair like a halo, was gone, but she looked no less angelic. She looked peaceful, sleeping there serenely. A bright smile on her face, Willow knelt beside Tara, pushing the magic things to the side. Curling herself around behind her, she draped one arm lightly over her girlfriend’s waist and went back to sleep.

[GayNow]

Another very nice update. The one month jump in time didn't bother me at all. I think you did a nice job of providing enough of a summary of that month that the story maintains a sense of fluidity.

I like that their relationship continues to build. I also appreciate that you are showing Tara's lingering doubts and insecurities. Not that I want her to be insecure, but as has been mentioned before, this is not a quick fix. We are definitely seeing the healing taking place...and that's good. But we are also seeing the reality of the healing process.

Nicely done. Looking forward to more.

Carleen

[grimlock72]

Cute and heartwarming are the words that come to mind reading this update. Getting Tara to be proud and at ease with herself is going to take a lot of time, but I'm fairly sure she will get there with the help of her friend(s).

I do wonder what happened the first time Tara called Willow in the middle of the night. She might have had some doubt she should call her at all, let alone at such time. How long did it take Willow to get to Tara... she probably ran fairly fast

Tara's one-month period without any cutting shows what a little friendship and attention can achieve. Granted she still has trust and abondonment issues but she's at least making some progress...

Grimmy

[WT214]

The glow that the early morning sunlight had cast over her features, lighting her hair like a halo, was gone, but she looked no less angelic. She looked peaceful, sleeping there serenely. A bright smile on her face, Willow knelt beside Tara, pushing the magic things to the side. Curling herself around behind her, she draped one arm lightly over her girlfriend’s waist and went back to sleep.

Awwww That gave me the flutters. Very happy to see Tara turning to Willow when she needs her. Can't wait till the next update.

[willohand]

ohmygod...
I dont there is a need for too mant words so...
.

[Naeryn]

GayNow - I'm glad the month jump worked for you, I was afraid it'd make the flow a little more awkward. Yes, their relationship builds slowly. But... I think it's time to get things moving, don't you?

grimlock72 - Yes, Tara probably did have some doubts, but I didn't include that because I figured people could generally come to that conclusion themselves. Plus, I forgot. And Buffy, Xander and the rest will be showing up more soon. I'm glad you like!

WT214 - Thanks! And you know me - never having to wait long for updates! I have no life, and therefore write very quickly.

willohand - Ooooh, I warrant bowy-emotes? I feel so loved!

[hr]
Title: A Year of Souls
Author: Naeryn
Spoilers: Only if you never knew that Willow and Tara were together. Which, honestly, if you don’t, then you’re in for a surprise on this site.
Ratings: R/NC17 – I say both because NC17 generally only refers to scenes of a sexual nature, while in here there’s rather descriptive violence as well. Or there will be.
Disclaimer: The day I own Willow and Tara is the day the earth rotates backwards and hell freezes over – and all the Canadians down there start playing hockey!
*Also, I have no affiliation with Prairie Oyster or the song Black Eyed Susan*
Notes: Some angst, and then big on the love! Yes, kittens - behold the smut!





Tara tapped her pencil lightly against the pad of paper in front of her. As the Art History professor continued to compare Michelangelo and Botticelli, she scribbled the occasional note. It had been two days since the spell, and things were going remarkably well for her. A lot of her tension seemed to have siphoned off, leaving her a lot more calm and relaxed. Waking up next to Willow definitely didn’t hurt either. Face it Tara, that helped even more than the spell. She smiled wistfully. Willow… every time she was near, Tara could feel it. She could sense it, like some part of her that was missing was inexplicably filled. The redhead was nothing short of purely magnetic; she drew Tara to her and was drawn to Tara both.

Recently, Tara had even taken to sitting closer to the middle of the classroom instead of right at the back. She’d been called on once or twice, and had swallowed her stutter enough to choke out an answer. And, she found, she was usually right. In some ways, college kids were as bad as those in high school though. She was amazed that someone could have as busy a schedule as anyone in college certainly must have and still find the time to pick on others.

Thwack! Tara groaned, feeling something sticky hit the back of her head, and a quiet burst of laughter from the three or four guys who had taken up the seats behind her. Speak of the devil… She reached up cautiously to feel what had hit her. Sticky… thick. Like… ew. Milkshake. Her fingers came away oozing liquid chocolate.

Tara’s ears perked as she heard the laughter interspersed with words. “Fucking dyke…”, “witch, or some shit like that…”. She bit her lip and checked the clock. There was ten minutes left of class. She could run to the bathroom and clean herself up, at least a little, and by the time she was done Willow should be back in her dorm. Tara could call her, then, and maybe have her come over. She smiled faintly as images of her redheaded girlfriend again filled her thoughts.

One of the guys behind her muttered something, and the other three laughed. Another one spoke up, loudly enough for Tara to clearly hear every word. “Yeah, I hear she put some kind of witch mojo thing on that foxy redhead. Only reason someone like that would spend any time with… well, her.” The last word was said with a sneer. The guys continued laughing.

Another one leaned forwards to whisper in her ear. “Don’t mind them. I’m sure you didn’t do anything to the redhead. No, she just pities you.” He sat up and chucked his orange at Tara, laughing as it landed in the milkshake and smeared it further down her hair.

The blond clenched her hands into fists, biting her lip hard. Oh Goddess, no… She looked over at the clock and the bell rang. Grabbing up her stuff quickly, she clutched her books and pad tightly to her chest, hurrying down the stairs. One of the guys had gotten up before her, and now stuck his foot out. She tripped and fell the last three steps to the floor, letting out a quiet cry as her shoulder struck the hard surface.

Tara scrambled to her feet, ducking her head and hurrying out of the room. Back to the back of the class for me…

*****

Willow sidled into her room, tossing her laptop lightly onto her bed with a flick of her wrist. Gently, she eased her bag off her shoulder and rested it against the desk. She walked over to the bar fridge and pulled out a bottle of water. Willow grinned, unscrewing the cap and taking a long drink. Tonight she and Tara were going to study together, and Willow had said she was going to bring pizza. Instead, she had a roast chicken and trimmings in the fridge at her parents’ house, which she would pick up beforehand and bring over with her.

She flopped down on her bed and flipped open her laptop, pressing the on button, all in one smooth, overpracticed motion. Willow pulled up a word document and opened her research report. Before she could type anything, however, the phone rang.

Willow sat up, grabbing the phone off the hook. “Hello?” Her eyes narrowed. There were no words coming from the other end, just muffled sobbing. “Tara? Tara, I’m coming right over, just hang on baby!” Willow slammed the phone onto the cradle and tore out the door, leaving her computer sitting open and on.

*****

Tara sat at the end of her bed, hands clenched tightly together and wrapped around her legs, which were pulled up inside her skirt. Tears streamed down her face. She didn’t know what had happened. Class had sucked, those guys… but she’d been fine, more or less, when she’d left. The feeling had started to come, but she’d willed it away with thoughts of her beautiful redhead. She knew, knew, that it wasn’t a spell, and it wasn’t pity that made Willow stay with her.

Still, while she was in the bathroom, staring at her reflection as she struggled to get the liquefied chocolate out of her hair, she felt sick. Once again, her limbs had started to shake, and her head began to pound. She’d barely been able to run back to her room before collapsing, fighting to keep in control. Tara had fought just to dial Willow’s number, and once she had, she thanked all the gods she knew of that the redhead had known it was her.

Her door flew open and shut, and then Willow was sitting on the floor beside Tara, pulling the blond into a tight hug. Gently, both girls rocked back and forth, Willow running her fingers through Tara’s soft blond tresses. Quietly, she hummed a soothing tune, trying to calm her down. Before she realized what she was doing, Willow began to sing softly.

“She walks in to work on Monday
Too much makeup on her face
As if there’s something more than time and lines
She’s trying to erase
Secret shadows
Paint and powder cannot hide
And for every one she covers up
A new one grows inside

She’s the last to leave the office
She’s afraid not to go home
She’s afraid to be with people
She’s afraid to be alone

And when courage feels like cowardice
It all gets too confusing
It’s a twisted garden where you grow
Black eyed Susan”

Tara’s sobs began to quiet as Willow’s lilting voice penetrated her misery. Willow smiled softly down at the blond in her arms and shifted a little, so that she sat behind Tara and had the blond head leaning against her chest.

“There’s a peaceful garden somewhere
Where the wind is soft and warm
And the sun and rain and brown earth keep
The flowers safe from harm
And nobody laughs to see your pain
It ain’t nothing that’s amusing…”

Willow stopped singing and looked down at Tara, who tilted her tear-streaked face to meet her girlfriend’s eyes. “Baby?” She smiled, giving Tara a gentle squeeze.

Tara shifted so she was properly facing Willow, snaking her arms around the redhead’s middle. “Y-yes?”

“Can I be your garden? You be my little flower, and I’ll be your home, and take care of you, and keep you safe?”

Biting her lip, Tara nodded and rested her cheek lightly on Willow’s shoulder. “I love you… so much.” She shifted her gaze to look up into sparkling green eyes. “You’re not… you don’t stay with me because… it’s not pity, is it?” Tara’s voice cracked over the words, fearing the answer.

“Baby, no! Of course not! I could never pity you. You’re too strong. I don’t pity you, I’m proud of you. For everything you’ve done, all the odds you’ve beaten… I’ve seen how hard it’s been for you. I know that sometimes you probably want nothing more than to give in and cut yourself again, and I understand that… but you haven’t. I’m so proud of you, and I admire you for that… I don’t know if I could do it. I’ve… well, I’ve found some websites and message boards and chat rooms and stuff, and… met a few people who’ve started cutting themselves. The way they describe it, it’s just…” Willow shook her head. “No, I don’t pity you. I love you.”

Tara smiled, the last of the tears in her eyes fading away. “R-really?” At Willow’s nod, she lifted her head and kissed her. It started a soft, gentle caress, both girls afraid to push too far. Quickly, however, it escalated until Willow’s tongue pressed against Tara’s lips, seeking entrance, which was gratefully granted. The blond sucked on Willow’s tongue, caressing it with her own, as her hands slid down the redhead’s arms.

Shifting slightly, Tara eased Willow’s open sweater off her shoulders as she moved her leg to straddle her girlfriend’s lap.

Willow pushed her back a little. “Tara…” She searched the blue eyes in front of her. “Are… are you sure?” It was all she could do to keep herself from tearing her clothes off right then.

Tara sat back, avoiding Willow’s eyes. “Do… do you not w-want…?” she bit her lip.

With a smile, Willow reached out and held Tara’s arm. She didn’t say a word, instead lifted her to her feet, guiding her over to the bed. She pressed her lips lightly against Tara’s, gently easing her back to lie supine on the white lace coverlet. She pulled herself up then, to lie beside Tara, her head propped on one hand. Willow ran her hand lightly from her girlfriend’s shoulder down her chest, pausing to brush gentle fingertips over one nipple. Her hand came to rest on Tara’s stomach as Willow leaned over her, kissing her again.

The hand slipped lower, finding its way under Tara’s shirt. Willow began to move her hand back up again, her hand brushing delicately over the faint ridges of old scars. Tara placed her hand over Willow’s, looking into her eyes nervously. “I…”

Willow shook her head. “Baby, they only make you more beautiful.” She smiled and kissed Tara again. She seemed to hesitate momentarily, and then Tara nodded, lifting her hand from Willow’s.

Tara bit her lip, arching her back slightly as Willow’s questing hand brushed over her breast again, through only her thin cotton bra. Slowly, she lifted her arms over her head to allow Willow to pull her shirt off completely. She bit back a faint moan as Willow’s hands slid up her arms to the wrists and back down, over her breasts and to her waist. Slipping her fingers into the waistband of Tara’s skirt, she tugged it down, slipping it off completely and letting it fall to the floor.

Willow stood and knelt by the end of the bed, looking out at the landscape in front of her. Smiling joyously, she quickly stripped herself of her own clothing, letting them lie where they fell. Sinuously, she wound her way back up the bed, pushing Tara higher. She shifted herself down again to sit cross-legged by Tara’s thighs.

Gently, she caressed each of the scars, both old and new. “You think this makes you weak, somehow.” She looked up again into anxious blue eyes. “You think these take away from you. They don’t.” She bent over and gently pressed her lips against the scars. “So many people wouldn’t have found the strength to survive. You had to do it this way. Baby, you don’t have to, not anymore.” She smiled again, leaning now further over Tara and kissing the scars on her other thigh. “Never again.”

Willow shifted again, sitting a little higher. Running soft fingertips over every one of Tara’s scars, she willed them away with her lips and fingers and all the love she felt for the woman who lay beneath her hands. Willow bent again and trailed soft kisses over every scar, following the path laid down by her fingers, crawling over Tara’s body and finally back up to her full mouth.

Tara moaned softly, reaching up to wrap her arms around Willow’s back. Her softly questing tongue slipped into Willow’s inviting mouth, dancing over her tongue and teeth lightly as Tara pulled her down onto her body. Willow’s hand reached around Tara’s back, gently easing the hooks out of the eyes to remove her bra.

The kiss broke, Willow lifting herself off of Tara who cried out faintly at the loss of contact. Tara’s hands reached out towards Willow’s own bra, called to the enticingly round breasts. She smiled, her fingers playing lightly over the freckles that dotted the creamy skin before slipping to the clasp in the front. As Willow’s small, pert breasts fell free from the bra, she couldn’t resist.

Tara lifted her head from the pillow, flicking one nipple with her tongue before closing her lips around it, sucking gently. Willow arched her back, pressing her small hips against Tara’s broad ones.

Willow slid one hand down to Tara’s own breast, lifting the bra away and forcing the blond’s lips from her to dispose of the restricting garment. She lowered herself slowly, kissing Tara’s neck. Ever so slowly, she flicked her tongue across her neck, running little nibbly kisses along her collarbone. She ran her tongue down to the cleft between her breasts, planting a light kiss there. Willow’s tongue danced from the depression over to one breast and she took it bodily into her mouth, as much as she could take. She suckled, hard, eliciting a gasp from Tara.

Two hands ran over Willow’s back, massaging her shoulders lightly. Willow moaned quietly into Tara’s breast, gingerly lifting her mouth from the one and moving to the other, worshiping the nipple lavishly with her tongue. Another gentle nip with her teeth and she moved on.

Willow bit gently the skin on Tara’s stomach, hands massaging her creamy breasts where her lips had been just moments before. She placed a gentle kiss atop the blond curls at the apex of Tara’s legs, dipping her tongue lightly between her folds. Smiling, Willow dove in, running her tongue flush along Tara’s core, taking her first draught of her lover’s honey.

Tara bucked against Willow’s mouth, whimpering when she pulled away. The redhead slid languorously back up Tara’s prostrate form, running her tongue smoothly over her curves. Willow lifted herself over Tara, kissing her deeply, their tongues battling for dominance. She shifted, blocking Tara’s view of the rest of herself, and so the blond was taken by surprise when Willow began to tease her folds with the lightest of touches.

A guttural moan broke from deep within Tara’s throat. Her every nerve seemed to be on fire as sensation after sensation screamed through her veins and hummed over her skin. Willow slipped her tongue over Tara’s jaw and down her neck, planting her lips there and sucking the blood to the surface as she tested Tara’s opening. She tucked one finger inside the slick passage, followed quickly by another.

Her free hand worked itself up to cup one of Tara’s supple breasts, massaging it gently as she pumped her fingers, curling and flicking them inside her. Another cry worked its way between the blond’s lips, louder and more insistent than before as her hands tangled and knotted themselves in the rumpled lace.

Willow groaned as she felt the muscles buried in Tara’s core tighten and throb against her fingers. Her breath caught in her throat as she lifted her head from Tara’s neck, thumb brushing tantalizingly against her hard knob, and she saw her girlfriend in the throes of passion, breaking on the verge of orgasm. So beautiful… She was carried away in the glory of the moment, focusing sharply on every contour of her love’s face and body, the way her back arched, pushing herself down onto Willow’s hand, the way her hair caught the dim light that shone through the deep purple curtain, the whites of her eyes that showed beneath her rolled-up irises.

A look of sheer joy frozen in place on Willow’s features, she continued stroking Tara intimately, helping her to ride out the orgasm. As Tara came back down, a thin film of sweat that had somehow held itself back until now broke out on her skin, blurring her outline to Willow’s hazy eyes. Slowly, she withdrew herself from Tara, bringing her fingers to her lips and licking them clean.

Gingerly, she laid her head down beside Tara’s, pulling the blond close in a tight embrace. Moments passed in a honeyed glow of contentment before Tara spoke.

“Wow.”

[GayNow]

"Wow" is right! That was a nice update, Megan. The angst that you provided at the beginning of the chapter set up the acts of love you provided at the end. It was the right time for them to make love. For as much as Tara needed to be shown that she was loved, Willow needed to show her love for Tara just as much. And that came through clearly. [br][br]

Willow pushed her back a little. “Tara…” She searched the blue eyes in front of her. “Are… are you sure?” It was all she could do to keep herself from tearing her clothes off right then.


Tara sat back, avoiding Willow’s eyes. “Do… do you not w-want…?” she bit her lip.

[br] It's right after this exchange that the insecurities fade away -- for the time being -- and the girls can just "be". They can be there with each other and for each other. The insecurities will resurface, I'm sure of that. (Wouldn't it be wonderful if making love one time got rid of all doubts and feelings of worthlessness?) But, in this moment and time, there are no insecurities. There's just Willow...and Tara...and their love. It's a beautiful thing.[br][br]Well done, Megan. As always, I'm looking forward to the next update.

Carleen

[viximon]

Really really WOW!!!

(I need a cold shower)
With Willow at her side, Tara's like the fenix who reborn from her ashes...so sweet.

Continue soon

[Naeryn]

GayNow - I'm so glad you approve, my dear Car. That was sort of the point, and it helps to ease some of Tara's insecurities in the long run, if not erase them.

viximon - I'm glad you liked it! Oh, and it's spelled "phoenix". It's not phonetic. Which, ironically, neither is the word "phonetic".

[hr]
Title: A Year of Souls
Author: Naeryn
Spoilers: Only if you never knew that Willow and Tara were together. Which, honestly, if you don’t, then you’re in for a surprise on this site.
Ratings: R/NC17 – I say both because NC17 generally only refers to scenes of a sexual nature, while in here there’s rather descriptive violence as well. Or there will be.
Disclaimer: The day I own Willow and Tara is the day the earth rotates backwards and hell freezes over – and all the Canadians down there start playing hockey!
Notes: A whole crapload of mush and some amusing Buffy-innuendo! Don’t you love it?





Willow gently pressed her lips to Tara’s forehead. “Tara. Baby, wake up.” She smiled, running her finger lightly from the blond’s forehead to the end of her nose, suppressing a giggle when her face scrunched up and her nose tried to twitch away the irritation. She did it again, tickling the very tip of her nose.

Blue eyes slowly fluttered into view. Tara smiled lazily, snuggling closer to the redhead she was wrapped around. “Hey, sweetie.”

“Hey. It’s the middle of the afternoon. You slept for awhile.” Willow kissed her girlfriend, running her fingers through the blond hair that trailed over her chest. “Baby?”

“Hmm?” Tara murmured quietly, closing her eyes and gently kissing the side of Willow’s bared breast. She smiled, hovering still in serenity and contentment, her lover lying half beneath, half on top of her, wrapped tightly around her like she would never let go. Lover… she liked the sound of that.

Willow smiled softly. “Um… my parents are out of town right now. They’re supposed to come back tomorrow… but tonight the house is empty. I was wondering if you wanted to come over. I made dinner for us earlier. It’d be nice and quiet there, all parent-less.”

Tara bit her lip. “And tomorrow?”

“We’d be out of there before my parents came home. Well, if we spent the night… I mean, if you wanted to, ‘cause I’d like… but we don’t have to. I don’t want to push you into it or anything like that…”

A sigh bubbled from between Tara’s lips and she pushed herself away from Willow a little. “You… you don’t want me to meet your parents?”

The redhead’s eyes widened. “Oh, no, baby! I mean… well, no, I don’t, but not because I don’t want my parents to meet you. Everyone should meet you. Except that then I’d be lonely ‘cause you’d be spending time with billions of people, but I’m getting sidetracked and it’s not that at all. It’s just… I don’t want to put you through that. My parents are… well, they’re all psychobabble-y and don’t understand about stuff.” She smiled brightly. “I don’t want you to meet my parents – I want you to meet my family. My real family. You’ve met most of them already, but… well, Mrs. Summers is sort of the group mom, you know? She’s been more of a mom to Xander and I than our own parents have, and… well, I want you to meet her. And she wants to meet you, too…” she looked down. “She doesn’t exactly know about us, though. Yet. I wanted to tell her with you.”

Tara nodded slowly. “I… I think I understand. You don’t want me to meet your parents because of them, not… not because of… m-me?” Her voice rose to a squeak at the end as she carefully avoided Willow’s eyes, looking instead at the bit of sheet between them.

“Right. Because of them. You’ll probably meet them eventually anyway, I mean… I’m not planning on going anywhere, and they are still my parents. No matter how much I might wish to turn out to be Buffy’s long-lost sister.” Willow reached out, running a delicate finger along Tara’s cheek. “Baby… don’t think that it’s about you. I’m not ashamed of you, or of us. I couldn’t be.” She grinned wickedly and dropped her voice to a husky half-whisper. “Especially now that I know what kind of sounds you make.”

Tara’s eyes flew open in shock. “Willow!”

Laughter broke from Willow’s throat, filling the room. “Don’t worry. I won’t tell anyone.” She shifted and sat up, holding her arms out to take Tara into a tight embrace.

“Well… okay. I guess we could go for dinner… and the night.” Tara eyed Willow’s exposed torso appreciatively as she too dropped her voice, making the redhead balk at the unexpected move. A sexy smile inched its way across her lips.

*****

Buffy rolled her eyes. Her roommate was pacing back and forth in front of her closet, trying to decide what clothes to pack. “Will, breathe. You’re only going for one night. Besides, don’t you still have clothes there?”

“Buffy! I can’t wear those clothes. I left them there for a reason! A very, very good reason and oh my God Tara is going to be in my room, I have to go there and fix it and get rid of those clothes and make my room less dorky and – ”

“Willow!” Buffy stood up and grabbed the redhead’s shoulders. “Stop. Breathe. Inhale, exhale. Don’t freak out. First of all, you don’t have time to go and remodel your house – ”

“I wasn’t going to – ”

“Not yet, you would have gotten there eventually. Tara already knows you. Will, you’ve already made her dinner, been there for her in ways that I can’t imagine, I don’t know what you’ve been doing when she calls you at three in the morning, but I know it’s probably serious and no, I’m not prying.” She held up her hand to stop Willow’s defensive protest. “I’m not asking for information, Willow. Whatever that’s about, it’s between you and her. If you guys wanna talk to me about it, you will. Not my point. She already knows who you are, seeing some dorky high school mementos, half of which were foisted on you by moronic parents, is not going to change how she feels. Having you not pick her up in half an hour like you said you would because you’re in the ER with a concussion because you forgot to breathe, passed out and smashed your head into the desk might freak her out a little.”

Willow had to concede that Buffy had a point. Or two. Or three. “When did you go all psych major on me?” She paused, and grinned. “You’ve been spending more time with Riley. Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I would have. Probably at dinner tomorrow night. Speaking of which, Tara’s coming, right? Mom really wants to meet her.” Buffy smiled. She knew the way Willow had been babbling on and on about the beautiful blond and knew, too, that her mother suspected that there was more to it than she was letting on. Buffy didn’t know whether she should be excited or freaked that she knew something both of them didn’t.

Red hair bobbed as Willow nodded vigorously. “Yep, she’s coming. Is brain boy going to be there?”

The Slayer shook her head. “No. I’m not sure if I really want to dive into something with him. I mean, he’s nice and all, normal psych major Iowa boy, but…”

“You think you’re going to wind up getting hurt again. Well, look at it this way – the chances of him losing his soul and trying to kill all of us? Very slim.” Willow sighed, resigning herself to the apocalypse that was packing. Suddenly, a broad grin cracked it’s way over her face. She grabbed one of the few articles of her clothing that Tara hadn’t yet seen, and one she’d never even worn. Not letting Buffy see what it was, she tucked it into her duffel bag, along with a long black skirt. That article she showed off to the Slayer.

Buffy reached out and ran her hand along the kick pleat, a triangular piece of dark red velvet stitched into the back of the skirt, starting halfway down the thigh. “Very nice. It’s just… I’ve got the Slayer thing. Sneaking out at night, killing things that are supposed to be dead already. I can’t share that with him, that’s pretty much guaranteed to mess it up, but I can’t keep it from him either, it’s not fair to leave him without explanation, and I’m…”

“Stuck quite firmly between a rock and a hard place. Hey Willow.” Both Buffy and Willow jumped half out of their skins when they heard the quiet voice at the door. Tara blushed softly. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you. I just… I’m p-packed already and thought I’d come see you…”

Willow smiled and hurried over to see her girlfriend. Ecstatic, the redhead wrapped her arms firmly around Tara’s waist and kissed her. “Hey, baby! It’s okay, we were just surprised is all. Come in!” She tugged the blond into the room and sat her on her bed.

Buffy grinned, highly amused by the proceedings. “Hey Tara. So, you and Willow are going to her house for… dinner?” She put strong emphasis on the last word, laughing as the girlfriends turned beet red. “I take that as a yes.” She clutched her sides, doubled up with mirth.

After catching her breath, she stood up and walked over to Tara, giving her a tight hug. “Willow finally decided what she’s going to wear tomorrow. She won’t let me see it. It’s annoying me. I want to know what she’s going to give my mother an aneurysm with.”

“A-aneurysm?” Tara looked concerned. Willow shook her head.

“Don’t worry, Tara. Joyce’ll be aneurysm-free. I just picked out an outfit that… well, that no one has ever seen me in before.” The green eyes that stared into Tara’s blue glinted mischievously. “I thought it was fitting, you know. Wearing something new tomorrow, since at dinner I’ll be… well, revealing something new. To Joyce, anyway. Everyone else already knows about us…”

Tara bit her lip. “You w-want to tell…?”

A sigh bubbled up from between Willow’s lips and she sat down beside her lover. “Is that… do you not want me to tell her? We can wait, if you want to. It’s just that she’s really like a mom to me, and I want her to know you, ‘cause you’re so important to me. And I know she’ll be super cool with it, and she’s going to absolutely love you. Platonically, because the other kind of love is mine. Plus, you know, Buffy’s mom hitting on you is just…”

Buffy cut her off. “Will. Ew.” She shook her hands around in the air and scrunched up her nose as if smelling something unpleasant. “Ew.”

Both girls laughed at the Slayer’s antics, Willow leaning back to zip up her now-full overnight bag. With a happy smile, she leaned forward and kissed Tara lightly. “Ready to go, baby?”

*****

Tara leaned back against Willow, smiling as she felt her girlfriend’s breasts press into her back. The blond had her arms crossed loosely over her stomach, and Willow’s hands lightly caressed them, occasionally sending shivers down her spine. They lay spread out on the couch, Tara nestled snugly between Willow’s legs, watching a movie.

She sighed, watching as the boy on the screen drove away, leaving the girl in the dust. He hadn’t wanted to go, but the stupid hotel owner made him. I can’t believe Tara likes Dirty Dancing. Hmm… maybe we’ll have to try some of that ourselves. Willow grinned devilishly, settling back to watch the rest of the movie.

“Tara, baby… pass me my hot chocolate?” The blond smiled and reached towards the coffee table, knowing that Willow could easily have reached it herself but wanted Tara to sit up and down again, refreshing the pressure on her chest. She had her girlfriend’s number, all right. Little pervert. My little pervert… she grinned, passing the mug back.

After leaving Willow and Buffy’s dorm room to a chorus of not-so-subtle innuendos and the occasional pointed digs, the two young women had decided to walk to Willow’s parents’ house. The walk was a pleasant one; it was a bright and cheerful day, which Tara now felt was fitting, despite her earlier sentiment that nature was purposefully mocking her. She’d been amazed when Willow had turned the corner into the richer district of Sunnydale, and even more so when she entered the Rosenbergs’ home. It was huge, but somehow Willow didn’t quite seem to fit there. It was too… empty, too sterile. That wasn’t Willow at all.

She’d smiled when she’d seen the redhead’s room, finding the old dorky clothes and lame mementos irresistibly cute, despite Willow’s protestations and assertations that most of them weren’t picked out by her. Then her breath had been stolen away as she saw the dinner that had been prepared. A roast chicken, and vegetables cooked in the juices, plus mashed potatoes and a delicious gravy Willow had made herself.

Dinner had passed in a relative silence, broken occasionally by Tara complimenting Willow and the redhead in turn dodging and evading the compliment, or occasionally blatantly denying it. They’d wondered for a bit about what to do after dinner, until Tara’s eye caught one of her favorite movies in the cabinet under the big TV. Dirty Dancing. With a squeal of excitement, she’d lunged for it, begging Willow with her eyes to watch it with her. Immediately, she’d gone to make popcorn.

Now here they sat, Tara leaning against Willow comfortably, a bowl of popcorn on her lap and the arms of the woman she loved draped over her, watching a ridiculous and sappy movie. She smiled inwardly, the evening had been perfect. Her day had been terrible, and then Willow… Willow walked in, and everything got better.

The final scene came up on the screen and Tara giggled in anticipation. Johnny leapt up on the stage, talking about the final dance of the year. Tara sat up and turned around to face Willow, mouthing the words along with him. “Sorry about the disruption folks, but I always do the last dance of the season. This year somebody told me not to. So I’m gonna do my kind of dancing with a great partner, who’s not only a terrific dancer, but somebody who’s taught me that there are people willing to stand up to other people, no matter what it costs them. Somebody who’s taught me about the kind of person I want to be. Miss Frances Houseman.” She held her hands over her chest, dramatizing the scene. Willow smiled and laughed at the goofiness of her girlfriend.

Still, she was taken aback when Tara began to sing.

“Now I've had the time of my life
No I never felt like this before
Yes I swear it's the truth
and I owe it all to you”

Willow laughed again, reaching out and running her hand down Tara’s arm. She waited through the girl’s part, then started singing again when the man’s voice came back on.

“I've been waiting for so long
Now I've finally found someone
To stand by me”

Willow sighed and gave up her dignity, standing up and pulling Tara with her. Grinning, she twirled her around the room, singing along to the girl’s part.

“We saw the writing on the wall
As we felt this magical fantasy”

Grinning, both girls sang together,

“Now with passion in our eyes
There's no way we could disguise it secretly
So we take each other's hand
'Cause we seem to understand the urgency”

And they traded off lines,

“Just remember…”

“You're the one thing…”

“I can't get enough of…”

“So I'll tell you something…”

And both of them sang again, fighting the urge to laugh as they spun and bounced around the room. On the way by the television, Willow bumped the button to turn up the volume.

“This could be love because…

“I've had the time of my life
No I never felt this way before
Yes I swear it's the truth
And I owe it all to you
'Cause I've had the time of my life
And I've searched through every open door
'Til I found the truth
And I owe it all to you"

They began to trade off lines again. A big grin on Willow’s face, she inched closer to Tara, her dancing quickly growing dirtier.

“With my body and soul
I want you more than you'll ever know…”

Tara smiled and returned the sentiment.

“So we'll just let it go
Don't be afraid to lose control…”

“Yes I know whats on your mind
When you say: "Stay with me tonight."”

As she sang the lines, Willow winked at Tara.

“Just remember
You're the one thing…”

“I can't get enough of…”

“So I'll tell you something…”

Once again, they yelled the lines together,

“This could be love because…

“'Cause I had the time of my life
No I've never felt this way before
Yes I swear it's the truth
And I owe it all to you
'Cause I've had the time of my life
And I've searched through every open door
Till I found the truth
and I owe it all to you!”

They looked at each other, grinning, as the instrumental break came on. Willow opened her mouth to speak, but Tara shook her head, placing one finger over the redhead’s lips. Their expressions became momentarily more serious as Tara whispered the next words to the song, Willow’s gaze caught in her sparkling blue eyes as she choked out the echo.

“Now I've had the time of my life
No I never felt this way before”

“Never felt this way”

“Yes I swear it's the truth
And I owe it all to you!”

The music grew loud again and Tara spun Willow away, grinning as the redhead ran back and threw herself into her arms. Tara lifted her up above her head, mimicking the pose on the screen as they sang the last repetitions of the chorus together.

“'Cause I had the time of my life
And I've searched through every open door
Till I've found the truth
And I owe it all to you

“’Cause I've had the time of my life
No I've never felt this way before
Yes I swear it's the truth
And I owe it all to you!”

Tara lowered Willow to the ground again, and both girls sunk to the floor, overcome with mirth. Willow grinned broadly as soon as she caught her breath. “I’ve never done that before. Well… not the dancing part. I mean, I haven’t done that either, but I’ve never even sang along, I always just watched.”

Still giggling, Tara nodded. “Most people don’t, they just watch the movie. But I always thought that scene looked so fun, I just had to sing along with it. Dad didn’t like it much, so I stopped, but…”

“I’m glad you started again.” Willow leaned forwards, pressing her lips against Tara’s and fumbling behind her at the television for the power button. Finally succeeding in turning the device off, she broke the kiss. “Bedtime, baby?”

Tara grinned eagerly and nodded, running for the stairs. Willow’s eyes opened wide. Vixen…

*****

The light was off, and it was still dark outside, the first rays of sun just beginning to break through the French doors that led onto the patio. Willow smiled, looking down at the sleeping figure of her girlfriend next to her. Last night had been nothing short of amazing; after the dance they’d gone upstairs and… Willow couldn’t even think of a decent word to describe it. They’d positively worshiped each other.

Gently, she eased herself out of the bed. Tara moaned faintly and clutched at the blankets, not wanting the warmth Willow provided to leave. Willow walked over to the doors, closing her eyes and feeling the first breath of warmth kiss her skin.

She smiled softly, feeling Tara’s lips caress her bare shoulder. She turned around and caught the blond’s questing mouth with her own, slipping her tongue into the warmth. The kiss broke moments later.

“Morning, baby.” Willow balked. She tried again. “Good morning…” She looked down for a moment, and then up into Tara’s eyes. Both of them edged on panic – their voices were gone.

[willohand]

Just...I mean I wish I was there to stand up for Tara in that classroom.I would have gave those guys a ass kicking and a half.But she made it out and to her dorm to cal Willow,her light.
How do you write this? Whe-where on earth does this kind of writing come from? I-i-i god it hurts to read this.I barely.like tara,made it through the teasing and cruel taunts.
God this is just...I mean...okay it takes my breathe away each chapter...

[GayNow]

the evening had been perfect.

Aaawwwww, Megan....that WAS a perfect evening. Such a sweet way for the two of them to spend some time together. And yay for Buffy not being a complete idiot and for welcoming Tara into Willow's life. I so wish Joss would have let Buffy be the incredibly understanding and perceptive person she COULD have been on the show. You've tapped into that part of Buffy and brought it to the forefront quite nicely.

That update was a nice break from the pain and angst. But I know there is more to come. So bring it on, girl!

Carleen

[HalfCamel]

This was a great update. It's good that the girls can just be silly and let loose with each other without being worried about what the other might think.

I love Dirty Dancing! I think the song was fitting for their situation, now Tara really does have someone to stand by her.

So that's gonna be one quiet dinner, huh?

Can't wait for more!

[cperrins78]

Excellent update as usual!!!

Their eveing together was so sweet. I had a smile on my face reading the entire update.


Christina

[sam]

Wow..all of the recent updates were so amazing..and so heart wrenching.. . Love sam xx

[Tara22]

Hey Naeryn,

I've been reading this fic and I have to say I really like it. I was listening to some music yesterday and it reminded me of this fic. It made me think about the way Willow is trying to understand how Tara feels. This song is very real. I recommend you download it but here are the lyrics. It's a beautiful song.

Nightminds - Missy Higgins

Just lay it all down. Put your face into my neck and let it fall out.
I know
I know
I know.
I knew before you got home.
This world you're in now,
it doesn't have to be alone,
I'll get there somehow, 'cos
I know I know I know
when, even springtime feels cold.

But I will learn to breathe this ugliness you see,
so we can both be there and we can both share the dark.
And in our honesty, together we will rise,
out of our nightminds, and into the light
at the end of the fight...

You were blessed by a different kind of inner view: it's all magnified.
The highs will make you fly, and the lows make you want to die.
And I was once there, hanging from that very ledge where you are standing.
So I know
I know
I know,
it's easier to let go.

But I will learn to breathe this ugliness you see,
so we can both be there and we can both share the dark.
And in our honesty, together we will rise out of our nightminds
and into the light at the end of the fight.

...and in our honesty, together we will rise out of our nightminds
and into the light... at the end of the fight...


Thanks for writing this fic. I think it's important for people to read stuff like this. I'm sure we all know at least one person who feels like that. We need to help them to see that they are loved and needed.

Kudos,
Rach

[sarah-beara]

Another Awesome update!
I agree with Tara22 I love that song and it fits perfectly with this fic.
update soon...please

-Sarah

[Naeryn]

willohand - I know what you mean, I swear, it hurt to write that bit. I hate putting Tara through it... but it was just such a perfect way to lead them into making love for the first time. How do I write this? I take some of it from life experience, some from things I've read. Some from music I've heard... and you don't want to know where a lot of it comes from.

GayNow - Yep, more angst to come. But not too horribly much. I think I'll go easy on Tara for a little while. Though, Buffy's about to go into angst-mode herself, so... and yes. I always thought Buffy SHOULD be more perceptive, and I didn't think Joss did her justice that way. Later, yes, but not soon enough.

Half Camel - Yep. I wanted lighthearted and fun, with just a hint of an underlying seriousness. I was watching Dirty Dancing and I was like "oh! That song is them!" so... I had to use it.

cperrins 78 - Yay, thanks!

sam - I'm glad you like them! Thanks for your constant feedback!

Tara 22 - Wow, those are some powerful lyrics. I'll have to download that song. I'm always looking for new music, thanks so much! I agree that we all know someone who feels that way - whether we know it or not. And a lot of us probably know more than one person in that kind of place.

sarah-beara - ask and ye shall recieve!

[hr]
Title: A Year of Souls
Author: Naeryn
Spoilers: Only if you never knew that Willow and Tara were together. Which, honestly, if you don’t, then you’re in for a surprise on this site.
Ratings: R/NC17 – I say both because NC17 generally only refers to scenes of a sexual nature, while in here there’s rather descriptive violence as well. Or there will be.
Disclaimer: The day I own Willow and Tara is the day the earth rotates backwards and hell freezes over – and all the Canadians down there start playing hockey!
Notes: My attempt at Hush. It sucks. Please don't hurt me...




The knock that sounded on the door reverberated through Giles’ silent apartment. Anya, Xander, Buffy and he were already there, plus his out-of-town, off-and-on girlfriend, Olivia, was there. Logically, it would be Willow and Tara at the door. He went to open it.

As expected, Willow and Tara stood on the other side, small whiteboards hanging from their necks. Tara waved nervously. Giles smiled and, on impulse, pulled her into a hug. Now was hardly the time to worry about being uncomfortable around each other. Tara stiffened a little at first, startled, but quickly relaxed and even returned the embrace.

Willow smiled brightly, seeing Giles’ acceptance of Tara. How weird is it that I can be so happy about something like that, when we’re all mute and it’s quite possible that we’re facing an apocalypse yet again? Though I guess if I let apocalyptic problems faze me every time, I’d never smile again. She shook her head. Then, grinning, she pulled the whiteboard from around her neck and scribbled ‘Hi, Giles’ on it.

The older man smiled and added Willow to the fold. Tara broke away a moment later, looking around at the rest of the room. She’d been put at ease a little by Giles’ obvious welcome, but the others… she hadn’t spoken with either Xander or Anya much. When both waved to her, she breathed a sigh of relief. Willow left the Brit’s embrace and walked over to Tara, wrapping one arm snugly around her waist.

Xander smiled at them a moment, rubbing the shoulder of his girlfriend. She didn’t seem in the least perturbed by the recent developments of them having no voices. Willow had already determined that that was the case, not that they were all deaf. She’d held her hand to her throat and tried speaking, to feel the vibrations of her voice. There were none.

She slipped her hand into Tara’s and drew her over to the couch, where Buffy already sat. Perching herself on the couch next to her friend, Willow pulled Tara down beside her. Xander stood up, snapping his fingers, and reached for the television. He cranked up the volume.

"Big news item from Sunnydale California, apparently the entire town has been quarantined due to an epidemic of, as strange at this may sound, laryngitis. It seems the town has been rendered unable to speak. There’s no word yet what might have caused this or what other effects might be seen from this epidemic. Local authorities have issued a statement, a written statement, I should say, blaming recent flu vaccinations. A few skeptics call it a citywide hoax. In the meanwhile, Sunnydale has effectively shut down. All schools and businesses will be closed for the time being and residents are advised to stay home and rest up. Centers for disease control have ordered the entire town quarantined. No one can go in or out until the syndrome is identified or the symptoms disappear. We’ll bring you more on that as it develops.”

Xander turned off the television as the woman moved on to other news. Buffy held out her hand to Tara, and, understanding, she took her whiteboard from around her neck and handed it to the Slayer. She proceeded to write something on it with the black pen attached to the side. Olivia, looking nervous, downed the rest of her quite obviously alcoholic drink. Buffy held up the board, which now read, ‘Keep researching. I should be in town tonight.’

The group, save Tara, looked at her curiously. The blond simply nodded, understanding. People would be freaking out, not knowing that supernatural forces were evidently at work. Giles mouthed the word “Why?” and Buffy wrote her response, simply ‘mass wiggins’.

Tara smiled to herself. Even when they couldn’t talk, they spoke funny.

*****

The door shut behind them with a soft click that seemed to echo through the courtyard. Unsure what to do with themselves, Willow and Tara simply fell into each other’s arms. After leaving Willow’s parents’ house that morning, they’d hurried to Giles’ apartment. They hadn’t left immediately, of course, knowing it would be too early. Instead, they’d communicated as best they could with exaggerated hand signs and a few words scribbled on a scrap of paper.

Tara had made them breakfast and Willow had gotten dressed, deciding to leave her chosen outfit to change into before dinner that evening. That was, of course, assuming that it was still on. She wondered how she would go about coming out to Joyce without the use of her tongue. Then, her mind incapable of staying out of the gutter while Tara was in a ten mile radius of her, she proceeded to think of ways she could come out to Joyce using her tongue. She immediately dismissed those notions, however. Well, most of them.

After dressing, she’d gone downstairs to find a stack of pancakes on a plate in the middle of the table and a smiling Tara flipping two more over in the frying pan. They’d shared a breakfast together in comfortable silence, Willow repeatedly gesturing towards the pancakes and giving Tara a thumbs-up.

Feeling that enough time had gone by, they’d headed towards the Watcher’s place around ten. Now, an hour later, they stood outside, clinging to each other and bordering on panic. They’d run out of things to keep themselves busy with.

Willow pushed Tara back a little to write something on her board. ‘Food?’

Tara nodded, replying with her own question, ‘Espresso Pump?’ At her girlfriend’s answering nod, they headed off together, arms wrapped firmly around each other’s waists, still fighting the hysteria they were sure would be taking over everywhere else.

*****

The day passed in a silent cry of fear and tension. The trepidation was palpable on the streets in a flood of hysteria. Men and women both were breaking down into tears out of nowhere, the smallest sound a crashing din in the absolute hush.

Knowing that the Rosenbergs wouldn’t return home until the quiet had given way to speech and noise once again, Willow and Tara had decided to return to their house. They’d visited Joyce earlier, who’d informed them that the dinner would take place later, when life had returned to normal. She’d briefly shaken hands with Tara, but they hadn’t been able to communicate much. They’d left relatively quickly.

Now they sat on Willow’s bed, groping each other mercilessly. They clutched at each other, lost in a storm of confusion, tearing and thrusting at each other, awash in a flurry of hands and breathy gasps until both were sated again and again. Time passed in a flood of petrified passion until both girls lay side by side, fully spent. Willow drifted off into slumber quickly. For the blond, sleep was a long way off.

Tara rolled over, stroking her fingers through the short red locks of the sleeping woman beside her. The clock flashed 5:43 in blinking red digital numbers. I’m so lost. Nothing seems to be right… There’s something dark here. I can feel it, like death knocking at the door. If only there were some way… her eyes widened. Maybe a spell? Make us talk again? If there is some kind of evil that’s taken our voices, it’s probably because it can’t handle them… maybe loud noise hurts them?

She stood up and walked over to the French doors, looking up at the moon that hung low over the horizon. It would be setting soon, leading them into another day. Another day of silence and abject terror.

*****

Tara rushed into the lecture room. Halfway down the steps, she paused. Giles, Buffy, Willow, Xander and Anya were already there. Anya was eating popcorn. What was with the cheesy music? Talk about turning it into a B-horror film. She tugged her bag up higher on her shoulder and made her way towards Willow.

Giles had just stuck a piece of transparency on the overhead projector. It had been upside down, but at the communal gestures of several of the Scoobies, he’d corrected it. It read, ‘Who are the gentlemen?’ He waited a moment, and switched it for another.

‘They are fairytale monsters.’ There was an image of a grinning bald man, hastily drawn, holding an old fashioned doctor’s bag.

‘What do they want?’ Giles held up one finger. Willow held both hands up to her chest, waving them. Tara looked thoughtful for a moment. Hearts? Xander looked over and raised one eyebrow. He made a similar, but not quite the same, movement, and mouthed, “boobies?”

Tara and Willow both shot him a dirty look. Giles changed the transparency again and Willow gestured at the new one, which read, ‘hearts’, with a drawing of several heart-shapes on it in red. Giles too gestured at it, and Xander nodded, understanding.

He started changing the transparencies faster. One had a picture of two of the figures on a hill, overlooking a town of quickly drawn, identical houses and read ‘they come to a town’.

‘They steal all the voices,’ now the gentlemen stood there and four people looked up, something wispy coming out of their mouths, ‘then,’ Giles held up one finger again.

He placed down a picture of one of the sinister looking forms standing beside a bed holding a knife. There was a person in the bed, red scribbles over it which the Scoobies assumed must be blood. It was on the knife as well. Giles replaced that with another, this time with even more blood, pouring off the sides of the bed and onto the clear expanse that they assumed must be the floor, and the gentleman holding a bloody heart. Another one, ‘They need seven. They have at least two.’ Seven red and gory hearts decorated it.

Xander started to scribble on a pad of paper. Willow, Tara and Buffy all exchanged nervous and disturbed looks, eyeing the gruesome image and glad Giles wasn’t a professional artist. Anya merely looked entertained, munching away on her popcorn and draped lazily over the chairs. Xander held up his paper. ‘How do we kill them?’

Buffy made motions towards her crotch with her fist, and everyone – including Anya – looked at her, obviously very confused. She pulled out a stake and repeated the action.

Giles slipped on another transparency and everyone but Anya was relieved to have the distressing image gone. ‘In the tales, no sword can kill them.’ One of the figures, stuck with three swords, and obviously laughing gleefully.

‘But the princess screamed once, and they all died.’ Willow waved her arms around and held out a CD, then placed it on her lap and held her hands over her ears, making exaggerated motions of pain. She then proceeded to pretend to choke herself, grinning. Tara raised one eyebrow, and Giles shook his head sadly.

Now it was Tara’s turn to wave her arms around. She too dug around in her bag, pulling out a spellbook. She flipped through it, and then, with a self-satisfied smile, stood up, hurrying down to Giles. She passed him the open book.

At first, Giles looked unsure. Then surprised, and then elated. He nodded, smiling, and waved Willow down. Tara and Willow had some obvious communication over the book, and then ran off, grinning.

Buffy, Xander and Anya walked down while Giles replaced the transparency again. This time the image was of a girl in a skirt, holding a bow and arrows. It read, ‘Buffy will patrol tonight.’ Buffy made motions towards her hips, apparently more perturbed at the notion of her wearing a dress like the one in the image than that she should face unkillable things. Xander’s gaze stared at the door, watching where Willow and Tara had left the room.

*****

Willow and Tara clasped hands tightly, sweat pouring down their bodies. A large candle burned brightly between them, and a ring of red sand surrounded them. Both were breathing heavily, eyes locked on each other.

Faces flushed, they mouthed indecipherable words in perfect pace with each other, feeling the energy grow and pulse between them. Faintly, just above the flame of the candle, a white spark burned. Slowly, painfully slowly, it started to grow, seeming to throb larger with each repetition of the phrase being passed between them. Neither of them thought about it long enough to know what it was they said.

The light grew brighter, larger, until it enveloped them in a blinding whiteness. Tara’s eyes broke from Willow’s as her head was thrown back. Finally, sound broke from between her lips as she cried one word.

“Speech!”

*****

In that instant, Buffy’s crossbow met Riley’s blaster. They stood in the clock tower, facing each other in shock. The Slayer was the first to come out of it when she felt a faint tingle at her throat, indicating that whatever spell Willow and Tara were going to perform had worked. She took a great breath of air, filling her lungs, and reclaimed her voice with a raucous scream, making the hovering gentlemen around her and their insane-asylum-reject lackeys stand stiff. Heads exploded in a shower of green filth, and all of them fell to the floor.

The two evil-fighters stared at each other, at a loss.

[sam]

Great update..and the welcoming hug that Giles gave Tara was soo cute . Love sam xx

[cperrins78]

I think you did a great job writing your verison of Hush. It was a great update. I look forward to more.


Christina

[Leafsdude]

CANADIAN'S UNITE!



Ha ha, just had to say that.

Anyway, as for the review...

When you said angst, you weren't kidding. I often jump away from W/T get-together fics where it all happens fast, but in this case, it's definately an exception. It's great to see the whole falling in love and helping each other out so much. It's really sweet, plus it makes the angst less. Everything I think it should be.

I must say, though, that I think the Willow coming out was a little too without issue. I agree the real one was mishandled, to say there'd be no surprise or delay would, to me, be, I dunno how to state it correctly...maybe inappropriate? Anyway, I digress. I do, also, agree that Buffy should be more accepting then she was in the show. This was definately the better of the two.

A pet peave of mine, personally, is when Oz is pegged as totally bad guy. It's just an opinion, but I believe Oz's badness is about equal with his good side. I had a bit of a problem with the way his character started out, but I'm glad you gave him the dignified exit you did. Although, on second thought, I do have reservations of exactly how final that was. Bringing Oz back would be a great plot twist, but now I'm taking over this fic, so, ummm...sorry. I'll just be moving on now...

I can't wait for the coming out to Joyce. Joyce is the one character that I think can take almost anything at this point in stride, cause she had to deal with so much already (the divorce, Buffy's Slayer stuff, and her running away, the whole Mayor thing and then going off to college...I should just stop there). She's also completely open-minded and has a level head, mostly (well, the german demon was messing with her in Gingerbread, and she had shnups in Dead Man's Party, and the band candy was the reason she was so out of her mind in Band Candy...Okay, maybe she's not level-headed...but she's still the mom to end all mom's. ).

The story is really well written and believable, and really gives me, a person who's not overly critical of himself, hope for a better world, not only overall, but for people individually.

I hope for more updates for this soon! I promise the rest of my reviews won't be so long!

[SeeXthroughXme]

Wow this is a really really good story. And uh oh, is that a hint that in this story Willow will have a problem with dark magick also... But I really did love your version of Hush,

What do they want?’ Giles held up one finger. Willow held both hands up to her chest, waving them. Tara looked thoughtful for a moment. Hearts? Xander looked over and raised one eyebrow. He made a similar, but not quite the same, movement, and mouthed, “boobies?”

Tara and Willow both shot him a dirty look.

I absolutely love that part lol Its sooo funny. I remember cracking up watching it, and reading it is all the same. Please update soon, and I hope to read very very much more soooon ehhh ...Keep up the good work

[vix84]

The thing I like most about this fic is that it fits so neatly within Buffyverse. You write very convincingly. Tara's nervousness and problems were obvious on the show, so to have you add to it the background of her self harm, it adds a level of depth. I like the way you depict Willow's handling of it all, how she can't understand it but tries to hard to. And I loved that Tara, in such a horrible place, was still able to have the mind to call Willow.

Thanks for writing this.

[Naeryn]

sam - It was, wasn't it? Yay Giles hugs!

cperrins78 - I'm glad you liked it. It wasn't as detailed or as lengthy as my other ones, and I'm not used to simply altering an already existing episode.

Leafsdude - David! Yay, you feedbacked me!
I know what you mean talking about Willow and Tara getting together too quickly, but sometimes it's hard to keep them apart! I know that Willow's coming out was a bit too easy, but after all, she hasn't come out to everyone yet
lol, don't worry about taking over the fic. Never going to happen. Oz ISN'T a bad guy. If you look at it just in context of the show, without all of the implications put in by many fics - not that I'm saying that's not a valid way to go - he's not a bad guy. He turned on Tara, once, because he freaked out finding out that Willow was involved with her. And he told her to run. You have to give him some credit for that, at least.
I plan on involving Joyce more, simply because she IS such a good character, and a mother. Tara needs a mother figure. She is too level headed, the only thing she did on her own in that department was the schnapps. And that was once.
I'm glad you like it so much! Don't worry about lengthy feedback, I eat it up!

SeeXthroughXme - Is what a hint? I think I might have dropped more than one, you'll have to be more specific, sweetie. Anyways, I'm glad you enjoyed it!

vix84 - I confess, my reasons for writing this aren't entirely altruistic. In fact, they're not even remotely altruistic. I'm writing it purely for me, as a therapy type thing. You guys benefit - bonus! Anywho, you're very astute. Thanks so much!

[hr]
Title: A Year of Souls
Author: Naeryn
Spoilers: Only if you never knew that Willow and Tara were together. Which, honestly, if you don’t, then you’re in for a surprise on this site.
Ratings: R/NC17 – I say both because NC17 generally only refers to scenes of a sexual nature, while in here there’s rather descriptive violence as well. Or there will be.
Disclaimer: The day I own Willow and Tara is the day the earth rotates backwards and hell freezes over – and all the Canadians down there start playing hockey!
Notes: My smut version 2.0. I say 2.0 because it gets... interesting. Yet, it still manages to absolutely suck, and not in the good way. Le sigh.





Willow cracked her eyes open to look at the woman across the circle from her. “Did it work?” She heard her own voice, rough from lack of use, and made a wry face. “Apparently.”

Tara lifted her head to look into her girlfriend’s eyes. She was breathing hard; the spell had been intense and exhausting. She flashed a brilliant smile at Willow. “I missed your voice, sweetie.” Her eyes darted over to the clock. “Wow, it’s um, really late.” The blinking red letters read 4:32 am.

Nodding softly, the redhead made her way to her feet, legs threatening to buckle, and made her way over to the radio that stood on her old bedside table. She and Tara had decided to return to her parents’ house to do the spell, as they were less likely to be disturbed there. She switched on the radio and fumbled with the dial, trying to tune in a news broadcast.

“Sometime around 11:17 last night, all of the epidemic’s symptoms inexplicably disappeared. Schools and government offices will remain closed for the upcoming week in case of new outbreaks, but independent businesses are free to reopen. Aside from that, the quarantine is still in effect…”

Willow grinned. “Yep, it worked. And it looks like my parents won’t be coming home for another week. Good thing school’s closed though… I don’t have much energy. In fact, I don’t think I could really handle doing much of anything right now, except maybe curling up and going to sleep with the most beautiful woman in the world.”

In mock indignance, Tara stood up, looking around. “What? Where is she? She can’t have you!”

Willow slipped around behind Tara, snaking her arms around the other woman’s waist. “Well… that works out nicely then. Because she happens to be right here.” Gently, she kissed the back of Tara’s neck. Twining her fingers with Tara’s, she led the blond slowly back to the bed, a lusty glint in her eye.

“I thought you didn’t have any energy?”

“Changed my mind. I have a whole day’s worth of energy.”

*****

Hmm? What’s that? My ears are ringing. That’s horribly obnoxious of them. Oh, hey, it stopped. No, there it goes again. Willow sat up a little, shaking her head to clear the fuzz and cobwebs from it. Wait, no. That isn’t my ears, that’s the phone. She reached out beside her to the beside table and planted her hand down upon it, shuffling around and searching for the irritating object that so rudely pulled her out of her happy dreamland in which she and Tara were at their wedding, which featured bunnies – and therefore Anya failed to make an appearance.

It’s really dark in here. No, it’s not. It’s red. Maybe because my eyes are closed… I should probably open them. But it’ll hurt, ‘cause if it’s all red then that means it’s really bright. Okay, here we go, opening the eyes… Willow cracked her eyes open and squeezed them shut again within an instant. Ow. She willed her eyes to open again, wincing against the light that shone through the window. She turned away, looking towards the bedside table, as her questing hand located the irksome communications device that was still making a disgusting racket. She marveled that Tara was still asleep, realizing just how much they’d worn each other out.

She looked down at her hand, which was resting on top of the still-ringing phone. Okay. I should probably pick it up now. She did so, holding the thing to her face awkwardly. Her vocal cords seemed to be less awake than her mind, for all she could manage was a weak “Mmmphgo?”, which was intended to be a ‘hello’.

“Willow? Is that you?” Joyce’s voice, the first not-ringing noise she’d yet heard, snapped her into wakefulness.

“Hmm? Oh, yeah. Good morning, Mrs. Summers.”

“Good morning? Willow, it’s four thirty in the afternoon!”

“It is?” Willow looked over at the clock. The digital readout flashed 4:29. “Oh. It is. Wow… sorry, I guess we were more tired than we thought.”

“We?”

Willow blanched. “Uh… did I say we? I meant… I meant me. You know, “me were more tired than me thought…” ‘cause, still half-asleep, and with the bad grammar. Horribly bad grammar. So, me. Just me. Me sleeping, because I was up late… on the computer. Doing research. For… um… psych.” Yes… psych, the class you share with the beautiful, sexy, amazing blond goddess… no, talking to Joyce. Buffy’s mom. Mrs. Summers, who doesn’t know that you and Tara… oh god, Tara… Willow looked to her other side and saw Tara, eyes wide open, staring at her with a look that couldn’t possibly be anything but mirth.

She fixed her with a mock glare. “Uh… all right, Willow. Are you coming over for dinner tonight? I know it was supposed to be last night, but with that odd hush, it would have been awkward.”

Willow nodded, not realizing at first that Joyce couldn’t see her. She shook herself a little. “Oh, uh, yeah. I’m… going over to dinner. There. Well, of course there, I’m not going here, that would be weird and a completely inappropriate verb.” Can’t say coming. Can’t grin, she’ll hear it. Can’t laugh, she’ll hear that even more.

“Right. Well, dinner’s at six. Is Tara coming too?” Willow choked back a snort of laughter. She will be. Very, very soon. She bit her lip.

“Um… yes, Tara’s… coming.” She swallowed hard, trying desperately not to burst into gales of raucous laughter.

“All right. Well then, I’ll see you both at six. Maybe you should get some more sleep, you sound a bit tired.” Gee, I wonder why…

Willow took a deep breath, fighting back the mirth that threatened to consume her just a little longer. It was a gallant attempt, really. “All right. Yes, right at six. Bye, Mrs. Summers.” The phone hung up with a soft click, the sound lost as Willow broke down and dissolved into hilarity.

Tara quirked an eyebrow. “What’s so funny, sweetie?”

Waving her hand in the air in front of her face and fighting for breath, Willow tried valiantly to explain. “It’s just… she… whoo… and then… I said ‘we’, and she got all suspicious, and… hee… she asked if I was coming for dinner, and… and… then were you coming, and… whooooo…”

“Are we coming for dinner? I should say so.” Tara licked her lips, eyeing Willow hungrily. Suddenly, it wasn’t so funny anymore. Leaning over her girlfriend’s body, which she knew to be bare beneath the covers of her old bed, Willow sighed happily.

She slid one hand up and curled her fingers under the top of the eiderdown, tugging one side down to expose one of Tara’s full, soft breasts. She bent to take it into her mouth, and found herself very frustrated when the blond slipped a finger beneath her chin and lifted her face.

Her disappointment quickly vanished in the searing kiss that enveloped them. She wasn’t sure when it had happened, but suddenly Willow was lying flat on her back, halfway down the bed that was conveniently too large for one person and adequately sized for two, with Tara, completely uncovered, braced over her, one leg on either side of her stomach.

Tara’s hands slipped down Willow’s sides, entwining her own fingers with those of the redhead beneath her. Grinning, she pulled Willow’s arms slowly up over her head, leaning forwards as she did so. Her hands slid out of the redhead’s and down to her wrists. She bit her lip, leaning forwards and transferring much of her weight onto her hands, pressing Willow’s arms deep into the pillow they lay on. She kicked the sheet that still half-covered her girlfriend down and away, until it was almost fully off the bed.

Willow groaned as Tara sat back, not allowing Willow’s arms to move away, but easing herself down to press her hot core tight against her stomach. Her eyes fluttered closed as Tara began to rock back and forth, imperceptibly to the eye, but to Willow’s inflamed skin the faintest movement seemed to rake along her flesh.

The motions stopped, eliciting a disappointed whimper from the now incredibly turned-on redhead. She opened her eyes, disconcerted to see that Tara was now no longer astride her, but one hand still above her head, holding her arms in place, the other fumbling somewhere beyond her sight, at the end of the bed.

Straddling Willow again, Tara bit her lip, unsure, holding her one hand behind her back. Careful to keep the object out of sight, she slid it up Willow’s side and underneath her wrists.

Something cool, followed by something warm and a little rough, trailed up Willow’s body. She was now insatiably curious as she felt Tara push it beneath her wrists, still holding them up there. “Tara, what…?” Her eyes widened as she felt the belt tighten around her arms. It was wrapped around several times, to keep the extra material contained and to ensure a better hold.

Tara sat back again, looking incredibly nervous. “Is… is this okay? I’ve s-sort of… well, I’ve been w-wanting to t-try…”

Willow cut her off with a breathy, “Oh, god yes!” She lifted her hips from the bed, carrying Tara with her, and rotated them in the air.

Biting back a moan, Tara rolled her head back. She leaned forwards again, planting both her hands on Willow’s chest, just above her breasts. Smiling, she kissed her girlfriend gently, in a way that was almost chaste, to the irony of their position.

My girlfriend has tied up my arms, and she’s sitting on me. Naked. Oh. My. God. She is so SEXY!

Tara poked her tongue out from between her lips, flicking it lightly along Willow’s neck. Content to take her time, she ran her tongue from Willow’s pulse point down to the cleft between her small, perfect breasts, to a chorus of almost-coherent sounds forced from the throat of her girlfriend.

“Nngh… oh, god, Tara…” Lifting her head from the breasts she’d been worshipping, Tara cast a glance at her lover’s face. What she saw captivated her. She’d seen Willow in the throes of orgasm before – indeed, just a few hours ago – but nothing quite like this had passed between them. Her head was tilted back, sweat pouring from her brow. Only the faintest sliver of an incandescent green showed beneath her pulsing, fluttering eyelids. She’s… she’s REALLY turned on by this. Oh, wow… Tara bit her lip. She wondered, briefly, how she was doing this. Not too long ago, she would have been embarrassed, horribly so, to even appear shirtless. Even in front of Willow. And now here she was, fully nude, sitting astride this gorgeous redhead, who had her hands tied… her thoughts at that point became incoherent.

She bent over again, dragging her breasts over Willow’s stomach as she slid herself lower. It wasn’t too long before she found herself completely detatched from Willow, without contact at all. Her body ached with it, every nerve aware of the loss of the connection, humming with anticipation of what was to come.

Willow fought the urge to sit up, to see what Tara was doing. She knew what was coming, she waited for it eagerly, but she couldn’t tell when. Tara was playing on that, she suspected, with what little of her mind remained capable of lucid thought. A tongue slid along her folds, and her every inch of her, every cell of skin and muscle and bone, thrilled at the contact.

Two, then three fingers probed her depths gently, teasing their way half inside her. Willow bucked hard, trying to force herself down onto the digits that mocked her. The barest of feather-light touches brushed past her clit, making her writhe in a vain attempt to increase the pressure.

Abruptly, all contact disappeared, causing a cry of near agony to break from Willow’s lips. It was cut short as the pressure she’d been seeking made its way into her, sharply, suddenly, rockets of pleasure coursing through her.

Tara, kneeling down between Willow’s legs, grinned devilishly. Three fingers pumping furiously inside her lover, she bent forwards and kissed Willow’s pulsing clit, drawing another pained moan from the redhead. She closed her eyes, a rasping sigh escaping her as she felt Willow’s slick walls tighten and throb along the length of her fingers.

After the orgasm passed, Tara slipped her fingers from Willow, licking them clean with a Cheshire grin. Willow stilled on the bed, her breathing shallow and uneven. “Tara… oh, god, that was… ooooh…”

Tara lay down beside Willow, her head propped on one hand. She reached up and gently tugged the end of the belt keeping Willow’s wrists constrained out of the buckle. “I didn’t, um, know you liked that kind of thing.”

“Apparently I do. Very, very much.”

*****

The plumbing groaned as Willow shut off the shower. She stepped out, wrapping the towel tightly around herself. After Tara had released her, she’d suggested showering. Separately, as if they kept at each other – and they both knew what would happen if they showered together – they would never make it in time for dinner.

She couldn’t believe that it was five fifteen by the time they parted. Then again, once Tara had tied that belt around her wrists… oh, wow. That was sexy. Willow grinned to herself, it was a side of Tara she hadn’t truly seen before. Granted, she liked to give as much as receive, but this… this had been entirely different. She’d have to make sure this vixeny part of Tara made an appearance more often.

Willow hurried into her room and shoed Tara out. “You can’t be in here while I’m changing!”

Tara quirked her eyebrow in response. “I’ve seen you fully undressed, in a number of situations…” she paused briefly to adopt a wicked grin, “but I’m not allowed to see you get dressed?”

Willow winked. “It’s a surprise.”

Shrugging, Tara turned and left the room, taking her own clothes with her to the bathroom to change. She wasn’t sure why she went to the bathroom, there wasn’t anyone else actually in the house with them.

A devilish glint possessed Willow’s eyes as she dressed swiftly in the long skirt ant top she’d brought with her two days ago. She couldn’t wait to see her friends’ reactions, and Tara’s especially.

Fully dressed, Tara waited at the bottom of the stairs for Willow. It was now quarter to six. If the redhead took too long… her thoughts stopped there and her breath caught in her throat. Oh… my god…

Willow was walking down the stairs, the long black skirt with the red velvet kick pleat hanging off her hips. Large boots that Tara knew climbed all the way to Willow’s knees covered her feet. Her shirt… was in fact not a shirt at all. The tight, leatherlike material of the corset clung to her, pushing up and accentuating her small cleavage. The hem came to a point just below the waistline of the skirt, the sides rising to expose a half-inch of toned Willow-waist.

“Oh… wow.” Tara herself had gone with nothing too special, a plain brown skirt and a black tank top with a long-sleeved, sheer, billowing, patterned overshirt on top of that, which hung a little past her hips and cinched in at her waist.

Willow reached the bottom of the stairs and held her bare arms out to the sides, spinning in a slow circle. “You like?”

Unable to do more than nod, Tara tried vainly to lift her jaw from the floor.

“I’ve, um, never worn this before. Well, not the top anyway. Does it look oka–” She was cut off by a pair of lips pressed hard against her own. When they parted, her blush was replaced with a shallow flush, and Tara grinned sheepishly. “Okay then. Let’s go."

Willow smiled, slipping her arm around Tara’s waist and walking with her to the door.

[GayNow]

Megan~

Another nice update, girly. Stop saying that your smut sucks...because you write it well. And the more you write it, the better it's going to get. So practice practice practice!

I think dinner at Joyce's house is going to be very very interesting. I can't wait to read about it.

Carleen

[sam]

I liked that. It was so cute and so loving at the same time..Oooh, I can't wait for the dinner. .Love sam xx