Ah yes, it's that time of the week again. Last week's challenge was so much fun, with more responses than I could shake a stick at. Although, you know, stick shaking happens sometimes when I'm tired and not really sure of what I'm doing...



Okay, anyway, so it's time for another challenge. Been a-thinkin' about it a bit this week; worried in case it falls flat on its face. But never fear. I can always fall back on the innuendo if needs be.



And whilst I'm feeling like begging; if you've got an idea, PLEASE let me know, as I have a very limited imagination and need constant fluffing wherever I can get it. Email me or just post that you have an idea in this thread and I'll come a-runnin'. Honest.



Challenge 5



1) Willow and Tara need to be going out somewhere on a date; but somewhere they've never been before, like a new club (gasp, no Bronze) or a new music recital or something. Make it as interesting as you want. There's a few places I'd like to see 'em go, but of course, I can't post that here...



2) Tara's clothing choice has to be something that will make Willow hold her breath for at least thirty seconds. Longer if you feel like it :l Clothing can be either horrendously bad or horrendously...uh...not.



3) Willow has to say "Well there's something you don't see every day."



4) A hot summer must be mentioned.



5) Just because I can, throw in a moderator's name (I did this on the last one before I changed it).





Now go. Shoo!



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

"She looked across at Willow, whose face was filled with light. She had never felt so calm and happy, and strong..." ~ Unseen: Door To Alternity

Ok, here's my attempt. It's my first posting of fanfic ever, though I do write it often. Please let me know what you think.





Ain’t It A Drag



It was a hot summer day in Sunnydale. So hot that the streets, which usually overflowed with people, lacked any signs of life. Heat rose up from the pavement, shimmering through the air. A vulture swooped down from its perch and attacked the remains of an unfortunate animal that had sat out in the sun too long. If one looked closely enough, they could almost see a tumbleweed go rolling by. Yes, there was a heat wave in the good old town of Sunnydale.



In the very heart of it all sat a little shop on Main Street. A magic shop, that is. Its occupants were in various stages of heat-beating, all cursing the English man that was too cheap to buy an air conditioner. So giddy-up lil’ dogies, and listen to a tale about how the West was won. Or something like that.



"It’s so hot in here, I can feel my armpit hair fusing to my armpit." said the little cowgirl by the name of Buffy.



Xander removed the piece of weed he had been chewing on, and piped up from his chair in the corner. "You know, Sears has a sale on air conditioners. We can mosey on over there and git us one right now."



"Yes. An air conditioner. I think it would attract the customers more than a horrible death of heatstroke would." Anya, the ex-demon, said with fervor.



The English man, who oddly enough spoke with a western accent, readjusted his Stetson and narrowed his eyes menacingly. "I don’t think that’s a good idea at all, Anya. Now, if you were to pay for it yourself, I wouldn’t have any objection to that."



Anya promptly shut her mouth. You see, she was a capitalist at heart, and when money spoke, Anya put on her "big ears".



Xander eyed the lady in the corner, who had so far remained silent. "You comin’ to the saloon, er, the Bronze tonight, Willow?"



The feisty redhead blew on her freshly painted fingernails. "I can’t. I got a big date tonight."



Though Buffy was quite preoccupied with her smoochie session with Riley, she managed to say breathlessly, "I thought you were supposed to be workin’ at the brothel tonight, lil’ Red."



"Eh, I got a night off. All work and no play makes Willow a naughty girl."



"I thought that was supposed to be the point." said Riley, who was known ‘round these parts as Captain Cardboard.



The redhead stood, somehow managing to avoid ripping the thin piece of material that was her dress. "Well, I gotta go. I’m meetin’ Tara at the Cat’s Meow soon."



The room went silent. Nature sounds could be heard in the distance. Five pairs of wide eyes turned to Willow, who was busy picking lint off her fishnets.



"You – you don’t mean Two Gun Tara, do you?" Xander said, all the while hiding behind Anya, which was a good thing, otherwise people would’ve noticed he peed his pants. And no matter how big a man Xander Harris was, it just wouldn’t do to make it common knowledge that he wet himself when hearing the name Two Gun Tara.



"That’s exactly who I mean. She came into the brothel the other day and asked me out on a date." She glanced around the room, chuckling at the shocked faces. "Close your mouths. You’re gonna catch flies."



Turning on her heels, she sauntered out of the shop without another word. The gang that was known as Scooby shook their heads in wonderment and went back to suffering the midday heat.



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



The Cat’s Meow was packed to the rafters with men, women, and men-women. Though it wasn’t the trendiest place in town, the drag bar was known to put on a good show.



Willow observed the scene, casually leaning against the bar, showing some leg. If nothing else, lil’ Red was very good at making folks look at her. She frowned when there was no sight of Tara, her escort for the evening. She did, however, catch sight of a certain bleach blonde vampire with a chip in his head.



"Spike, is that you?" she yelled over the din of the crowd.



Spike, who was just about to head backstage, turned to the sound of his name being called. A startled look graced his features when he saw just who was yelling to him.



"Willow, what – what are you doin’ here?" he drawled.



"I could ask you the same thing. Here to catch a show?" Her green eyes twinkled.



"Um… no. Not exactly." He glanced at the clock anxiously. "I can’t really talk right now. I’ll catch you later."



He scurried off behind the stage area. At this point, Willow was beginning to fear that she had been stood up. Although she never really took the time to get to know Tara too well, she felt that she could trust the blonde cowgirl.



She was just about to leave when the sound of saloon doors being flung open, followed by spurs gently clicking on the floor, seized her attention. Her eyes landed on a pair of well-worn cowboy boots, made their way up long legs covered by chaps accented with a holster that held her patented six shooters, up even further to a leather vest worn over a plain brown button-down shirt, and finally landed on a head of blonde hair, neatly covered with a Stetson.



Two Gun Tara had entered the building.



It was eerily quiet as she made her way into the crowd that had parted for her, finally stopping in front of the gawking redhead.



She tipped her hat in a way of greeting. "How d’do?"



Willow’s tongue tripped over itself as she fumbled with her words. "I- I’m fine. Thought you weren’t gonna show."



"I don’t make promises I don’t keep. Especially to perty little ladies such as yourself."



Willow was about to comment when the lights started to dim and techno music filled the room. Tara gently took her hand and led her to a free table -- well it was free once the occupants saw Two Gun coming.



The redhead felt a warm breath tickle her ear. "Show’s about to start."



Willow nodded, and forced her attention to the stage. An announcer stepped up to the microphone. "Ladies and gentlemen," he began, "We have a great show for you tonight. To start the evening off, here’s a queen that you’ve never seen who goes by the name of Xita!"



A spotlight lit up the catwalk as the first Drag Queen made her way down to the microphone. Wearing a fiery red dress, matching heels, and a blonde wig, her hips swished from side to side. There was something familiar about this one, or so it seemed to Willow. With a closer look, she realized that it was her sometimes friend, sometimes enemy, Spike.



He grabbed the microphone from its stand. "Here’s a little something special dedicated to a lovely ol’ chap down at the Magic Box."



He shut his eyes and began crooning Bette Midler’s "Wind Beneath My Wings". The audience was enchanted by the soft, English voice. Spike swayed gently to the music, singing his proverbial heart out.



Tara threw her arm around Willow, providing some comfort to the stunned redhead. After many tries, Willow finally found her voice. "Well, there’s something you don’t see everyday."



Fin

OK. This is partly inspired by a post on this board by TaraMaclay, and of course by Amber's performance in a certain 25-anniversary special. What the hell, I can't think of anything better.



Note: to keep this angst-free, I'm setting this in the summer between Seasons 4 & 5. Call this...



Sins of The Flesh!



Tara gratefully accepted a glass of lemonade from Willow. "At least the air-conditioning in your p-parents' house works. I'd hate to be stuck in the dorms during this heat wave."



"Ugh, no kidding. Right now we would be getting a first-hand look at the life cycle of a chicken-pot pie!" Willow took a sip of her drink and leaned on the linoleum counter in the kitchen. Her parents were out of the country, so she had invited Tara to stay with her in the house for the summer between semesters. Both Buffy and Xander had kidded her about having her own "lurrrvvve nest;" frankly, Willow saw no reason to dissuade them from their lurid fantasies.



"So, what are we going to do tonight, babe, besides trying to keep from sweating heavily?" Willow asked. "Not that sweating under certain circumstances, I mean, certain forms of activity that induce sweating, they can be fun, especially with the right person..." She finally noticed that Tara's eyes were rolling like a barrel going over Niagara Falls. "Okay, you think of something. I want to go out."



Tara flashed her lopsided grin and started paging through the newspaper. "Well, everybody else is either patrolling or dating, except for Mr. Giles, and-and much as I enjoy his company--"



"Nuff said," Willow interjected. "What movie haven't we seen. Ugh. Not Gladiator. Naked, sweaty men -- I'm so over that phase."



Tara blinked at that. Even though Willow had chosen her over Oz, she still was a little uncomfortable with her girlfriend's past lovelife. Maybe I'm being unfair. Just because she didn't figure things out before-- Just then something in the movies section caught her eye and drove all thoughts out of her head. "Oh! My God! We-we-we gotta--"



"Tara, what? Something wrong?" Willow's alarm only lasted until she noticed the childlike expression on Tara's face. "What are you going on about?"



Tara pointed to a certain section of the page, the one gearing to the less mainstream releases and showings. "You ever seen this?"



Willow's eyes widened, then narrowed. "Are you kidding me? Tara, the last four years of my life have been a horror show!"



Tara chuckled. "No, no, it's really fun. It's not just going to a movie, you sort of participate, too."



"You have to go to the movies for this experience? Can't you just rent this on VHS?"



"I-I don't know. I've n-never owned a VCR."



"Never?" Willow was incredulous. "What, were you raised by Amish wolves?" Willow noticed Tara's stricken expression and decided that she had gone too far. "Sorry, sorry. Look, sometimes you have to tell me to shut up before I suck both of my feet into my mouth and destroy civilization as we know it." The lopsided grin came back; Willow knew her mission was accomplished.



"It's an experience you can't have at home, Willow. B-besides, the theatre is air-conditioned."



"Okay, you sold me. Do we need to bring anything?"



"We need to make a list," Tara said, reaching for a pad and pen. She was about to write down something when she looked at Willow in an appraising way. "Do you have a top hat?"



******



Interestingly enough, it was Giles who had most of the "accoutrements" necessary for Willow: a gold-sequined top hat, matching short dress jacket and striped shorts, topped off, so to speak, by a pair of ruby tap-shoes. Fortunately, everything fit well enough on Willow.



While Willow was changing back into her street clothes, Tara sidled up to Giles. "I th-thought you might have a couple of the things we need, but...how did you come by all that stuff?"



By way of answer, Giles dug into a drawer and pulled out a framed photograph. Tara recognized a younger Giles...but only just. She had to cover her mouth to keep from braying laughter that she knew would embarrass the man who was fast becoming her mentor.



"Um, shall we, eh, keep this our little secret, yes?" Giles mumbled, taking off his glasses and giving Tara the full power of his gaze. In answer, she mimed turning a key over her closed lips, then throwing the key away.



****



Willow was not prepared for the crowd inside of the Palladium theatre. Granted the older moviehouse, which tended to show re-releases and cult films, tended to attract a more eclectic crowd, but this particular movie set a new record, at least in Willow's mind. She was a little self-conscious, dressed as she was in the stuff she got from Giles, but also wearing far more make-up than was her wont, at Tara's insistance.



Tara, for some reason, did not allow Willow to see her dress up. She came out of the bathroom and to the theatre wearing a trenchcoat that was actually Mr. Rosenberg's. The only item of clothing beside that that Willow could see was the pair of white high-heeled shoes that Tara was sporting, a far cry from the flats or boots that she usually wore.



The only minor incident occurred when a vampire bumped into Willow. He was about to pass by when his head snapped around. "Hey! You're the Slayer's friend, aren't you?"



The two witches were speechless, each trying to decide whether to try to bluff their way out of this or attempt some sort of defensive spell.



A second vampire, a female wearing a French maid's uniform, came up behind the first, who was wearing what looked like a butler's uniform, with a distinct hump on his back. "Ah, maaaan! Now the Slayer's gonna come huntin' for us around here! All we doing is having a good time!"



"Really!" came the booming voice of a large green demon, wearing a biker jacket of all things. "This is a hassle-free zone for all of us! We don't let the vamps feed, nobody bothers us, nobody doing curses..."



Tara piped up. "We-we-we wouldn't d-do that!"



Another denizen, this one apparently human, dressed in a large curly wig and what looked like a lab smock, came up then. "Glad to hear it. Look, this theatre and the surrounding area, it's, like, a safe zone. No vamps will feed within a mile of this place."



"That's right," the male vamp affirmed. "We're just hear to have a good time. 'Course, I see the Slayer a mile and a foot away from here, her ass is mine!"



Willow rolled her eyes. "Yeah, yeah, yeah, Big Bad blah-blah-blah." The vamps made a derisive gesture and moved off to find their seats.



The leather-jacketed demon shook his head. "Bunch'a weirdos."



****



"A long time ago," most of the audience chorused, "in a galaxy far, far away, God said, 'Let there be lips.' And there were lips. And they were good lips. And this is what they had to say." The lips coming onto the screen began the first musical number, interspersed with the movie's opening credits.



"I see what you mean about the audience participation," Willow whispered into Tara's ear, as people shouted out both pre-rehearsed and off-the-cuff remarks at the characters on the screen. The blonde laughed at some of the comments, and gasped at some others. Some of the things shouted out by the audience members were rather rude. But all in all, the girls enjoyed themselves.



"You've arrived on a rather special night. It's one of the Master's affairs," said the man with long stringy blond hair streaming from a bald head.



"Which one?" came the answer from the audience.



Tara tugged at Willow's sleeve. "C'mon!" She virtually pulled Willow up the front of the theatre, where some other people dressed as characters from the movie had been congregating.



Willow was starting to panic. "What do I do? I've never...uh..."



Tara gave her one of her rare full-blown smiles that she reserved for the redhead alone. "Don't worry. Just do whatever you want. Um, well, watch the film, you'll kinda get the idea."



"It's astounding, time is fleeting, madness takes its toll," the song began, Tara leading Willow through the intricacies of the Time Warp. Emboldened, Willow even attempted a crude imitation of Columbia's tap solo, ending by bumping into the male vamp she had come a'cropper earlier.



"Sorry!"



"No sweat, babe!" The vamp grinned at her (at least she thought he did). "You're a natural!"



After the song, Tara and Willow went back to their seats (nobody had stolen them, surprise surprise). "Is there another number coming up?" Willow asked, as a slow beat came up.



Then Willow saw something that would be with her to the end of her days: a man in stockings, garter belts, and bustier, wearing more make-up than Cordelia Chase on crack.



"I'm just a sweet transvestite! From Transex-you-all, Transylvanyaaaaa-ha-ha!"



Willow blinked. "Now, there's something you don't see every day!" To her surprise, Tara was giggling hysterically. "What?"



After a few seconds, Tara got her breath back sufficiently to say, "I'm sorry, baby, but I promised..." and the rest of lost in fresh laughter.



*****



Sometime later, after Willow had felt that her innocence was gone forever ( try some irony, Dr. Rosenberg, it's good for your blood) the scene where Susan Saradon stood in the laboratory by herself in her underwear came up. Boy, she looks like Joyce Summers. I wonder how Joyce would look in that outfit. Bad, Willow, bad! What would Tara think? What would Buffy think? What am I thinking?



Tara, at that moment, got up and shrugged off the trenchcoat...to reveal an identical outfit: white bra and half-slip over panties. She handed the coat to Willow, saying, "I'll be right back."



Willow sat there with her mouth open, not doing a lot of breathing, her thoughts a Moebius loop of omigodomigodomigodomigod. She watched unbelieving as her sweet and shy girlfriend, who felt self-conscious about kissing in public, sauntered up in front of a hundred strangers and started to sing along with the movie to some young studmuffin wearing a gold speedo.



"I was feelin' done in...couldn't win...I'd only ever kissed befoorrree..." Somewhere it finally penetrated Willow's brain that Tara had a pretty nice singing voice. After that came the thought that a little oxygen might be nice before all brain functions shut down. With a convulsive gasp, she inhaled.



"Touch-a touch-a touch-a touch meee! I wanna be diiiiirrtyyyyy! Thrill me chill me fulfiiiill me, creature oofff the niiiight!"



At the end of her song, Tara took a small bow to the applause that erupted for a few seconds, licking her lips coquettishly. Then, as the movie progressed, she hurried back to her seat.



"Hi!" Tara said nervously, facing a stunned Willow. "I-I have a conf-fesion to make. I'd never done this before, and I..."



Willow picked that moment to grab the blonde and plant a rather passionate kiss on her. Twenty seconds went by before Willow released her. The two looked into each others eyes, nodded in mutual understanding, then settled back to enjoy the rest of the movie. Tara made to put the trenchcoat back on, but a hand and a shake of the head from Willow changed her mind.



In the midst of the excitement and noise, the two wiccans enjoyed the silence in their hearts.

Okay, here's mine. I know I've kind of lifted seriously from 'Amends' towards the end but hey, what do I care? And I'm fully aware of the similarities between some images in this fic and a certain, ahem...magazine we might have laid our sweaty little hands on lately.



Anyway, enjoy.



P.S. Who can get the hidden references to certain amusing chat things in there? No prize, but kudos may be yours...



I've called it:



Or A Very Cool Christmas To You Too



It was the hottest December anyone could recall in Sunnydale history, which, given that most of the Sunnydale Memorial Library and Hall of Records had been eaten by a snake demon in ’65, was not bad going, historically.



Giles felt a bead of sweat on his forehead herald the unceremonious slippage of his glasses, from the top of his nose the to tip, where he flared his nostrils in annoyance, shoving once again at the offending item, bringing the book in front of him into focus.



“Really,” he muttered, slapping a damp hand down onto the book in front of him, casting a baleful look around the magic shop, where Willow and Anya had squabbled, but had finally hung the season’s greetings banners.



“Giles, if I didn’t know better I’d think you were Mr Cranky today,” Willow leant towards him as they sat at the table. She visibly recoiled at the look he gave her, pulling a face of her own and shifting her chair another few inches away from him. “I only asked,” she muttered to herself.



The jangling of the bell alerted Giles, who sat up in his chair, an expectant smile on his rather flushed face. As Tara entered, however, his expression fell and he turned back to his book, his lips mouthing words Willow wasn’t sure she wanted to hear.



“Hey,” Tara walked down the couple of steps to where Willow and Giles sat at the table and grinned over at her girlfriend.



“Hey,” Willow eyed the Popsicle that Tara was sucking on with not a little envy, “I don’t suppose you got one of those for me, did you?”



Tara smiled, “No, I don’t suppose I did.” She sat down next to Willow and held out her hand, “You can suck on mine though.”



Giles looked up, his face flushed even more. Neither witch could imagine why, as Willow opened her mouth and just rubbed the tip of the Popsicle up and down her tongue. She shot a grateful look across to Tara, who smiled and sat back in her chair.



“So Mr Giles, what have you discovered about why it’s so hot?” Tara puffed her cheeks out and attempted to blow cool air up to her forehead. However, she only succeeded in circulating the warm aura that constantly seemed to follow her around. She frowned; she’d forgotten what it was like to be cool. Ever since this warm front had moved in two weeks ago. It made everything so….she glanced over at Willow, who was merrily devouring the Popsicle; well, it made everything so sticky. God knows, she and Willow had hardly touched each other in a week. Which was making what the redhead was doing with that Popsicle even more interesting.



Giles was poring over his book again, furiously pushing at his glasses. Tara noticed a strange energy coming from him; his aura was coming off him in deep black waves. Not a good sign.

“This could be perfectly natural,” he said, his voice booming as it echoed up from the pages of the book, “It could just be a natural phenomenon.” He looked up at the two witches, “Or it could be some kind of enchantment.” His fingers reached up to push at his glasses again, his mouth twitching in annoyance.



“Well, how about you take some camomile tea, Mr Giles, ‘cause your aura’s really pretty scary. And Willow and I will look into this. Yes?” Tara’s brow furrowed as she observed the aura of the Watcher deepen and thicken. It was like treacle, she thought, then wondered where the hell that image had come from. She didn’t even like treacle…



“Yes, alright, but please girls, be safe.” Giles began to tell them, but they were up and out of the magick shop before he could warn them about other dangers lurking in the world of the mystical.



“Right. I’ll have that tea then,” he said, his glasses slipping once more. This time, he ripped them off and threw them onto the book, where they landed with a dull plop. “Bloody tea,” he muttered.





“You know, this weather’s not making people happy,” Tara said, as she and Willow walked down Main Street. The blonde was glancing around and seeing deep black auras wherever she looked. It was unsettling.



“Honey, not everyone likes heat,” Willow reached out and grabbed Tara’s hand, holding it for a second before they both let go, with a rueful smile. Their palms were all sweaty and clammy; not the most romantic of feelings.



“No I know,” Tara said quietly, her eyes seeking out Willow’s for a second, “But you know, I’ve never complained about heat before…”



Blushing slightly, Willow coughed her embarrassment away and looked off down towards the end of Main, where it met with the intersection. Just over the other side of the road was a building that still had decorators swarming all over it. Billboards and posters were pasted all around town, advertising the opening night tonight. It was some kind of jazz club, Willow remembered from the advertisements.



“Why don’t we go there tonight? For a change?” she turned to Tara, who followed her gaze as she looked back at the club. “They’re doing poetry tonight, I mean, jazz poetry. Sounds like it could be kind of cool.”



“Jazz poetry? Isn’t that just talking to a drum beat? And lots of people snapping their fingers? Uh…aren’t we supposed to be checking out this heat thingy?” Tara balked. She noticed the look on Willow’s face and relented, nodding a quick ‘okay’.



“Well yeah,” Willow shrugged, “But even witches get time off. Besides, I’ve heard that Laidback Len is performing tonight. Apparently he’s like, the coolest man!” She held up her fingers in the peace sign, puling a goofy face that made Tara giggle. Then, glancing at her watch, she swore quietly under her breath, “I gotta go honey, I promised I’d meet Buffy for some serious shopping like, ten minutes ago. How about I pick you up at eight?”



Tara nodded. Jazz. Willow and Jazz. Willow, heat and Jazz. Quite a combination.





At precisely eight that evening, a knock on Tara’s door alerted her to the fact that Willow was here. She glanced at herself in the mirror again, her face wearing that look of worry when she was uncertain about anything. Her eyes rolled up and down her reflection, wondering if she had time to change. Another knock, this time more insistent, told her that she really didn’t have any time to do anything apart from answer the door.



So she did.



As Willow stepped inside, she swung around to look at her girlfriend. And the smile fell from her face like ice cream off a cone on a hot sunny day.



“You don’t like it do you?” Tara asked nervously, stepping from foot to foot.



“Uh…” Willow’s eyes swept up and down her girlfriend again. She just wanted to check that Tara was dressed the way she was. Yep, she told herself, she was. Tara was wearing a pair of tight blue shorts, so tight in fact, that they looked sprayed on. Instead of a top, she had on a skimpy vest number, that was see through in parts and revealed to the world (and to Willow at this precise moment) just how shapely Tara was underneath her usual attire of baggy sweaters.



Her legs were bare, apart from an ankle bracelet that Willow had given her for her birthday. And on her feet, she wore a pair of high-heeled shoes that Willow had once named ‘whore’s shoes’. Looking at them again now, the redhead decided that that name had been particularly apt.



“I knew you wouldn’t like it,” Tara sighed, pulling at her top, lifting it up as though to take it off. It only managed to reveal a good expanse of flesh. Tara tummy. Willow stared a bit more. “I was just so hot and this is like, the coolest thing I own,” Tara added, “Well, you know, not cool cool…more like cool. You know?” She knew she was making about as much sense as Willow in full-on babble, but wanted to fill in the silence somehow. Feeling Willow’s eyes on her like that was making her uncomfortable. But kind of in a good way. “I’ll take it off,” she added, her mouth turning downwards.



“No, Tara, no. Um…no,” Willow managed to speak, although her mouth was pretty dry. She put out a hand and laid it over the other girl’s, trying to think. “I was just surprised, that’s all. You’ve never looked so…ah…”



“What? Stupid?” Tara grimaced.



“Oh no,” Willow took a step closer to her, “not stupid. That’s really not how I’d describe it. You look…” her mind flickered back to a magazine she’d gone through with Buffy, the two of them huffing and puffing at how some of the pictures denigrated women in some way. Some cute redhead had been posing with a lot of tools in much the same kind of outfit Tara was wearing right now. Willow remembered that she had had quite a job getting Buffy out of the shop so that she could scurry back inside on some pretence and buy the magazine. “You look really sexy,” she finished, finally.



“You’re just saying that.” Tara was a little disgruntled. She pulled at the edge of her top again, revealing a little more Tara tummy.



“Yeah, I’m saying it because it’s true,” Willow moved closer. Somehow the night didn’t seem very hot anymore. At least, not outside. A smile curved the corners of her mouth and she completely forgot about the Jazz club. In fact, as she slid her arms around Tara and drew her in for a kiss, feeling the warm, pliant flesh underneath her hands, she mostly forgot about everything.



When the two girls parted, Tara shivered. She wasn’t sure if it was because of Willow’s touch or something else. But she did notice a draught coming from her open window. Frowning slightly, she moved to the frame to shut it, and her eye caught something outside. Red, amber, green and blue specks of light descending over Sunnydale; spreading out and glistening over the town in the black night air. A breeze, passing by, caught Tara’s hair and flicked it over her shoulder.



“Willow, just come here,” Tara beckoned the other girl, grabbing her hand and pulling her close as they watched the lights moving over the town, dancing in the night like coloured fireflies.



“What is it?” Willow whispered.



“Auras,” Tara answered, her own voice lowered to a whisper, “Happy auras, going to the people of Sunnydale. And the temperature’s gone down too. Can you feel it?”



Willow looked at her girlfriend and smiled at the blonde’s obvious pleasure. She watched as the lights passed by them, moving to different rooms and windows along the side of the dorm.



“Why aren’t we getting one?” she asked, as Tara turned from the window.



“Maybe we don’t need a happy aura.”



“Hmm,” Willow pulled Tara close to her again, “Maybe we don’t.”



The blonde shivered; this time it was with cold and she turned to close the window, then stopped. Her eye widened and she pointed. “Oh my god…Willow! Willow, look!”



Following her outstretched finger, Willow’s gaze noticed first one, then two, then several flakes of white drift down towards the ground. Snow. It was snow. Tara pulled down the window and put her arm around Willow; the two of them standing by the window, just watching the flakes drift down to cover the ground in a sheen of white. It might be gone by tomorrow, Tara thought to herself, but it was beautiful, right here and now.



“So pretty,” she murmured, laying her head on Willow’s shoulder.



The redhead cast a glance down at the girl next to her; the skimpy clothes, the exposed skin, the sweetness of her lips. She sighed a happy sigh and smiled. “Yep,” she answered softly, “There’s something you don’t see everyday.”







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

"She looked across at Willow, whose face was filled with light. She had never felt so calm and happy, and strong..." ~ Unseen: Door To Alternity

I hope this isn't TOO silly... I've been in a very silly mood lately. So, my appologies.



Author: Shadowcat

Email: onieric22@yahoo.com

Rating: G



Those Wacky Lesbans



"How hot is it again?"



Tara looked over at her thermometer, and sighed. She leaned back against the bed and closed her eyes. Willow nudged her head with a bare foot, waiting for a response.



"Ninety nine degrees and climbing," muttered the blonde. She slid further down until she lay flat on the floor, mimicking Willow's prone position on the bed. The blue shorts and green t-shirt she wore felt like entirely too much clothing.



"I'm hot. And sweaty. Even not moving makes me sweat. I've already taken two showers, and it's only noon," Willow complained. The redhead was lying spread eagle on the bed, clad in very short jean shorts and a red tank top. A meager desk fan blew over her body, stirring a few stray locks of hair.



"I know, honey. I'm hot, too. There isn't much we can do about it. Everyone's air conditioner seems to be broken. This heat wave just won't quit." Tara slid an arm under the bed and wondered if it really was cooler in the small dark space.



"This is the hottest summer ever," moaned Willow. She flopped over, pressing her face into a pillow. Even the sheets seemed hot.



A knock came from the door and the red head moaned into the pillow. Tara sighed and pulled herself to her feet. The flushed witch opened the door and blinked as something flew past her.



"April, no flinging panties until after the sun goes down! It's too hot for that much excitement! Oh, hey, Tara. I bring you gifts. Well, a gift," said the dark haired girl in the hall. She handed the witch an orange flyer, and moved onto the next door.



Tara mumbled her thanks and closed the door. She walked over to sit on the bed. Willow muttered something into the pillow and shifted onto cooler portions of the sheets. The blonde lazily read the flyer, paused, and then read it again.



"Willow!"



The inert body moaned.



"Will! Look!" Tara pulled the redhead over onto her back and thrust the flyer into the witch's face.



Green eyes peeked open and scanned the bright paper. They blinked, then read the words again. The immobile girl suddenly sat up and ran for the door.



"I'll be right back!" The redhead flew out the door, heading for her own room.



The last thing Tara heard was a *thwap*, and a disgruntled Willow yelling, "April!"

                                                       

*****



"I don't know, Willow. This is kind of...skimpy."



"Come on Tare, you'll look fine. Besides, no one will even be looking at you. They'll all be too busy trying not to drown," Willow said with a grin. She stood outside a bathroom stall, waiting for her girlfriend to emerge. Tara had bought the swimsuit at Willow's urging, but had yet to wear it. Now seemed the perfect time.



Willow leaned against the locker room wall, soaking in the coolness of the tiles. She was clad in a snug red bikini, and had a Snoopy beach towel thrown over her shoulder. The heat hadn't quit, but locker room felt a lot cooler than the dorms. Maybe it was because she was wearing next to nothing. Maybe it was because they were at a newly opened water park. Or maybe that last cold shower had done some good, after all. Whatever the reason, Willow was simply happy not to be sweating.



The blonde sighed, and opened the door. She stepped out, clutching her discarded clothing to her chest. Walking quickly over to her locker, she stuffed the clothing inside and grabbed her towel. Tara wondered why the other girl hadn't said anything yet, and turned around to look at her.



Willow's lungs had stopped working. She simply could not take in air. Eyes wide, her gaze drifted from Tara's slender ankles up her lithe legs to the dark green bikini that hugged her soft curves. Her eyes lingered a moment before sliding up over the witch's tummy and to her womanly bosom. The fabric stretched tightly over the girl's breasts, leaving little to the imagination. A low dip gave a nice view of the swells of her bosom, but left enough covered to be modest. The top hung on thin straps over her shoulders and tied securely in back. Willow looked up into concerned blue eyes and found that she could breathe again.



"Wow... Tara. Just... wow."



The blonde chuckled and gave her lover a sly grin. "That good, huh?"



Willow simply nodded, and took her girlfriend's arm. "Now let's get wet before we melt and they end up feeding us through the sprinklers."



The girls headed out to the water park. They were almost run over by two girls sprinting at top speed across the platform. The girl in the lead held something bunched up in her hand and was followed by a girl wrapped in a towel. The towel clad girl occasionally flashed the crowd when she wasn't holding the towel tight enough, and screamed a very familiar name.



"April!!!!"



Tara held her hand up to her mouth to hide her giggles. Willow turned toward the blonde, and grinned.



"Well there's something you don't see everyday."

those were good. expecially the last one with the flying underwear.





nice job everyone.







brittney