I Love You
"I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you."
She whispered it again and again in her dreams each night, as warm fingers stroked soft skin. She whispered it again and again to herself, to the night stars, anyone, anything that would listen. She whispered it in her mind, every moment of every waking hour, as somehow, inexplicably, the world went on around her…
She is dreaming now. Somewhere in the back of her mind, Willow knows that. She lies in bed with Tara, nothing but skin between them, and yet somehow, she knows it isn't real. But does it matter? Because for this moment, for however many moments they have left, she has back what is dearest to her in the whole world.
The love of her life.
And this time, she will not let her go.
"Sweetheart? What's wrong?" Her baby's lovely blue eyes are concerned, and so, so loving that it breaks Willow's heart.
Tears well up in her eyes. "N-Nothing," she responds, hastily wiping the tears away with the back of her hand and reaching out to stroke Tara's cheek. "Nothing's wrong. Just… kiss me?"
Her voice is pleading, yearning, and, with but a slightly puzzled look that is quickly colored over by adoration, Tara is happy to oblige. "Always," she whispers, before her lips brush against Willow's. And in that moment a spark becomes a blaze. Willow winds her fingers through Tara's hair as Tara's hands find Willow's breasts, and their hands are moving, rising and falling in rhythm with their bodies. Their mouths are open, their kisses hot and passionate, and neither can seem to get enough. Tara's lips travel down to the other girl's neck, and Willow arches her head back, her breathing coming fast and in little gasps now. She clutches Tara closer, her nails digging into her girlfriend's soft skin and Tara moans, pulling Willow towards her, rolling over so that she is on top of her. She looks down into Willow's bright green eyes, and the green eyes look back at the blue, and then they are crashing together again, like waves on the ocean. Willow's hands move down Tara's back to her ass, as the tingling between her legs reaches a crescendo. She can't take it anymore. Her neck arches back again, and then suddenly, on top of her, Tara freezes.
A look of horror crosses her love's face. Slowly, Tara looks down to see the bright red wound that has appeared, without warning, in the middle of the smooth white skin of her own chest. And then, in one infinitesimal moment, she locks eyes with Willow, and collapses on top of her.
Willow woke with a jolt. She lay there in the dark, tears rushing down her cheeks, her body shuddering with sobs. Gasping, she curled onto her side in her cold and empty bed, hugging her knees close to her chest as she looked out the window at the night sky. She could see the stars through her window, the constellations that they had named together mere months ago, and, without her volition, Tara's sweet smile swam before her eyes, the smile that had said that she believed in her, that she was special, that she would always be her girl.
She choked back a sob at the thought. Tara was gone now. But she could never be gone from her heart.
A cool wind swept through the open window. Willow closed her eyes for a moment, letting the hot tears seep out from under her eyelids.
And then she opened them, and, gazing out at the stars winking at her from far, far away, whispered into the night wind:
"I love you, Tara."