Fic title: The Last Day of Summer
Fandom: Buffy
Ship: Willow/Tara
Rating: PG
Genre: Romance/Fluff
Summary: The first date. Unexpected summer rain.
Word Count: 3619
Other Info: Written for mariella1983 as part of the gift giving at whedonland .
The Last Day of Summer
It was the seventh of September, a date that was largely acknowledged as the end of the summer. On that day the association did not seem very applicable. For its final moments of glory the Californian summer had soared to temperatures exceeding eighty six degrees Fahrenheit. On the campus of UC Sunnydale the summer appeared to be in its climax. There was barely an inch of unoccupied space outside. Students were abandoning the stifling heat of the dorms and the library for the warm sensation of sunshine washing over their bare skin. Many were even blowing off the lectures, the halls of which had air-conditioning, for the chance to lap up the last rays of the summer sunshine. The campus buzzed with life. Noises. Bright colours. Warm bodies. Everywhere.
Willow walked towards the dorms. The dry cracked earth crumbled to under her feet. And for a moment she longed for the rain to come. She imagined it washing over her flushed skin and extinguishing the red hot worries that festered inside her. It had been a while since she let her guard down. Oz leaving had hurt her. It had hurt her in ways she had never believed were possible. And yet she was about to take that risk again. 'Nothing risked, nothing gained,' she told herself over and over.
The heat inside dorms was unbearable. The air was stuffy and heavy. She inhaled deep breaths of air but it did not sate her desperate lungs. A bead of sweat ran down from her hairline and trickled down the side of her face. She wiped it away from the back of her hand, but she could feel the others on the back of her neck and across her chest, making her clothes stick uncomfortably to her body.
Once she reached her destination she paused. Her heart hammered against her chest with furious trepidation. She tried to ignore the screaming in her mind to turn around and run away. Nerves tickled her stomach. It felt like a thousand tiny butterflies had set up residence there and were fluttering their tiny wings incessantly.
In her mind she fought a raging battle between logic and fear. What if she rejected her? What if it changed everything the two of them had? She was sure that Tara liked her back. They had that moment, she had felt it and she was sure that she did too. But what if it was all wishful thinking on her part? A million different scenarios of rejection and disgust whizzed through her mind and panic started tighten her chest.
"Willow," she muttered. "Get a grip of yourself." In a moment of courage she lifted her shaking hand and knocked steadily against the wooden door.
"Come on in," a soft voice called out. "It's open."
She pushed open the door and as her eyes swept the room her surge of courage faltered.
The curtains were drawn but the faint trickle of sunlight shone through the gap where they connected. It illuminated every stray particle of dust that it touched. In the sunlight they shone like hundreds of tiny crystals. She followed the stream of light from the window to where it rested a top the bed. It ended as it brushed across creamy smooth skin that contrasted deeply with the burgundy bed-sheets.
The breath caught in her throat as her eyes grazed the figure. Tara slouched across her bed surrounded by piles of books. The sunlight sparkled across the bare skin of her long legs. She was dressed for the weather in a pair of khaki shorts and a white thin strapped top that exposed the pale skin of her shoulders and neck. She rested her elbows on one of her burgundy pillows and the smooth curve of her cheek rested in the palm of her hand. Her full lips were red and swollen where she'd absentmindedly bitten down in concentration. Her dusty blonde hair was pulled away from her face in a loose plait, but stray tendrils slipped loose and danced around her eyes. The bright aqua eyes that were staring straight back at her.
She pushed aside the unbidden fantasies that flickered through her mind and her cheeks flushed with heat. She hoped Tara wouldn't notice that she was blushing. She didn't.
"Willow," she greeted with a warm smile and sat up, neatly bookmarking the page she had been reading and closing the book.
She couldn't work out if it was just wishful thinking or if Tara's eyes lit up as she said her name. God how she wished it was the latter. The nerves came back; this time with a vengeance and they brought along little friends. They seized her mind, wiping the words from it and leaving air swirling around in her empty mouth as the English language died on her tongue. She murmured an incoherent string of syllables. "I, I, you, I--" she stammered, her feelings of idiocy growing stronger by the second. Finally, she managed to make her mouth and brain work together. "You're busy," she noted, eying the books. "I can come back later."
Tara closed the space between them and gripped her wrist as she turned to flee.
"Please stay," she asked softly, her aqua eyes caressing her face. "I always have time for you."
Her gripped loosened, her fingers brushed fleetingly across her forearm before falling away. Willow's eyes gently flickered shut as she languished in the sensation of warm skin against her own. She nodded once, still not trusting her ability to string together words.
It was when she followed her back into the room that she noticed the pleasant difference in temperature; whereas the heat in the corridor had been hot and stifling, the air inside the room felt cool and fresh. She breathed in deeply, satisfying her lungs with cool fresh air. "This is amazing, what spell did you use?" She asked, not even attempting to hide the awestruck note in her voice.
The corners of her lips twitched in amusement. "You're standing next to the fan."
She glanced to the side and saw it was true. "Oh."
"So, are you going to tell me what's wrong?"
"Wrong?" She intoned. "There doesn't have to be something wrong for me to come and see you."
"I know," she replied tenderly, her eyes soft with concern. "But you've got your worried face on." When she didn't receive an answer she pushed for one, her tension evident in her speech as she continued. "What is it? Something to do with school? With your friends? Something I can help with?"
It was a now or never moment. She mustered up the last of her courage and began to speak. "Do you want to go on a date with me?" The words came out in a breathless stream and her stomach jumped at the sound of them. She felt a hot lick of fear flare up inside her and her heart hammered against her chest. What if she didn't feel the same way? The worries were numerous and dizzying. She felt overwhelmed by them.
Tara's eyes widened in shock, and then she smiled shyly. She nodded twice. Their eyes met in a silent stare and she became captivated by the swirling aqua depths. She was surprised at the intensity of the colours and contrast within them. Flecks of light blue and vibrant green danced across her iris. Around the edges it faded to a deep blue colour, a clear outline that made the bright tones stand out so much more and made her stare feel so intense. She felt like she could see beyond every barrier that she had ever put up. It was as though she could see more than just physically, it was as though she could see her every happiness, her every sadness, and her every fear. She could see everything. She was sure of it. In a second it was over, and she was snapped back to reality as her eyes fell away from hers and focused nervously on the carpet.
"So that's a yes?" she grinned as she observed the faint blush that coloured her cheeks.
"Y-yes," she stammered. "I'd l-love to."
At her words her chest flooded with warmth. The smile on her lips grew impossibly wider. The feeling was indescribable, like warm honey trickling down her throat, and sweetening her from the inside out. It was like an explosion of heat that pulled her in, and caressed her with its soft waves. It was beautiful, and it didn't just simmer inside of her, it radiated from her. She was sure that Tara could see it. She was sure that it lit up every corner of the room. "There's something special I wanna show you. Can I swing by at eight?"
"Eight would be nice."
The talk of time drew her attention to the clock on the wall. The big hand was slowly creeping towards the two. Disappointment settled in her stomach and the smile fell from her lips. She really did not want to leave, but there was only one lecture that students would not blow off today and that was Professor Walsh's. The idea of it was foolish and ill-advised. Repercussions for missing it would be harsh. Yet for a moment she entertained the idea, and then pushed it aside, logic and academic pride winning out. "I have to--"
"--Go," she interrupted softly. "You have psychology."
"Yeah," she sighed reluctantly. "I better go."
They shared another moment where their eyes lingered and it felt like silent words flowed between them. This time it was Willow that broke the contact as she turned around and made her way out of the door.
"Goodbye," Tara called softly after her.
She paused in the doorway trying to make the moment last as long as possible. "I'll see you tonight," she smiled.
********
The sun fell from the darkening sky but the heat still lingered heavily on the air. The warm summer night had provided ample excuses for celebration and so the distant sounds of parties echoed around the campus. Willow waited until the inky darkness chased away the last bursts of sunset before they departed. Carrying a small basket on her arm she led the way through the campus and then away from the paths. She carried on walking until the pounding music faded far behind them, and the only lights they could see came from the stars that glittered above them. She stopped when they reached the outskirts of a wood.
"You know this is how horror stories start. In the woods late at night…"
Willow smiled, but the gesture was lost in the darkness. "Oh come on what do you think I'm gonna do? Ritually sacrifice you?"
"The thought had crossed my mind," she deadpanned.
Her giggle drifted into the night and she playfully bumped her shoulder with her own. "Ssh you." Then she paused, her breath stilling at the sudden contact. Innocent contact: a light pressure against her arm, a warm body against hers, a feeling of warmth building in her chest and spreading through her body, silence. Her heart pounded in her chest, she could hear it in her ears, blood pumping faster and faster, louder and louder. It was all she could hear. She couldn't help but wonder if Tara was feeling the same things as her. The urge to turn her head and look grew strong, it was all she could think about and yet she couldn't move. She was completely frozen.
There was a scuffling sound, in the bushes, and they jumped apart, their heads whipping around to the sound of the noise.
"What was that?" she whispered, her voice shaking.
Making no sudden movements, Willow reached slowly into the basket, her hand quietly fumbling until she found what she was looking for. She clutched in her hand and in one smooth fluid movement she brought it up, clicking as she switched it on, shining a beam of light at the source of the noise. A rabbit as it quickly scurried away, its legs and tail disappearing into the undergrowth.
She left out a breath she hadn't realised she'd been holding. "It was just a rabbit," she answered, passing the flashlight to Tara as she pulled another from the basket. "Ready?"
Tara nodded, her face illuminated in a dim glow and a stiff nervous smile on her face.
"It'll be okay," she said comfortingly. "I know where I'm going and it's not too far in."
She nodded once again and with a look of determination she stepped forwards into the shadows of the trees.
The woods were not the ideal place to try and navigate through at night, Willow quickly came to this conclusion as they stumbled through them. It was almost impossible to avoid the stray roots and the overhanging branches, and she knew that she must be covered in scratches and bruises. Their progress was painfully slow and more than once she considered turning back, and then she'd remember why they were there and what they were looking for and it would all seem worth it.
They had been stumbling their way through the undergrowth for thirty minutes when she finally felt the spark of recognition in the back of her mind. She knew that it wouldn't be far away and excitement began to leap up inside of her, flipping her stomach and brightening her smile. She noticed the changes as they walked. They were subtle. A normal person might feel them, the hairs on the back of their neck and arms would start to prick up and a strange foggy sensation would settle in their brain, but they would never recognise it for what it was. Magic: ancient, untouched, and as old as the seasons themselves.
The air buzzed across her skin and she could feel her body reacting to it, welcoming it. The different magiks dancing together: ancient and primal, and young and contained, they responded to each other. Magic accepting magic. The air died down to a quiet hum that caressed her skin, warming it. There was a glow, just beyond the line of trees, and light seeped through the gaps creating a misty wall that she walked forwards into. She could hear Tara's footsteps behind her and she knew that she was following, feeling the same magic wash across her skin.
She continued forwards until the mist subsided and they were standing in the middle of a clearing. The trees formed a ring around them, and the clear starry night sky glittered above them. The light radiated from the centre of the clearing. It was strong, but not blinding. It was almost as strong as daylight but it was different somehow: softer, less stable, like the flickering of a thousand candles. It caressed and embraced, encompassing everything it touched in a golden glow. It came from a flower.
A flower that for centuries had only been seen through sketches in textbooks. Its origins were unknown, but it was believed to be one of the oldest forms of magic alive. Thriving on magical energy, it was a flower it bloomed with the summer and faded on the last second of it. There had been numerous sightings across the centuries, always by those of magical strength, but they stopped when the witch hunts began. Those with the power either willed it away or it was taken from them, burned from their body. The last reported sighting was a week before the Salem witch trials. In time its existence became discredited, even by the magical community. If it couldn't be seen then it couldn't exist, that was the general consensus. It became nothing more than a myth and its name, that predated any written language, became lost on the tongue of time. Forgotten.
"Is that?" Tara breathed, completely captivated by the bright flower.
"Yeah it is."
"It's beautiful," she said, her eyes full of amazement. "I never knew it was real. I thought it was just a myth." Her eyes turned to Willow. "Thank you. Thank you so much for showing this to me."
"You're welcome," she replied opening the basket and pulling out the contents. She laid down the blanket on the ground and placed upon it a plate of cookies and a thermos of hot chocolate
********
An hour later they were both sat on the blanket, deep in conversation.
"Everyone said I was perceptive, that I had a natural ability for reading people. But I knew that it was more than just perceptiveness. I saw things that others couldn't. I saw colours and I felt the warmth… I know now that what I see are auras. I can see things like my mother did, she had the gift and she passed it on to me."
Willow looked at her in amazement. "So you're a natural born witch? That is so cool."
"You'd think so, but it's not always. I can make things happen, but I don't have much control over them. It was worse when I was a teenager. Hormones really screw with the magiks. There was this one time my father and my eldest brother fought. It lasted hours. All I could hear was their yelling. I wished and I wished that I could make it stop and then all of a sudden it did," she smiled in a reminiscent way and then her eyes snapped to Willow's. "I went deaf for two weeks."
"Oh yikes."
"Yeah," she laughed.
"It must be amazing to have that kind of power."
"Willow, you have that power," she replied, her aqua eyes boring holes into hers and her voice serious. "You might not be a natural born witch but you've touched something deep, something primal and it has left its mark on you. I can see it. I can see it as clearly as you can see my face."
"My aura is different?"
Her eyes grazed her and a smile tugged on her lips. "Yours is the brightest I have ever seen."
"Wow."
"Yeah," she agreed. "I never realised that it could all be so different until I came to Sunnydale."
"What do you mean?"
"I see colours here that I never knew existed. There's so much power, so much energy. We're surrounded by paradoxes but they touch everything. The colours merge together and the energies connect. It's all connected."
They lapsed into silence as she processed Tara's words. "You're saying our lives are never gonna be normal," she finally answered.
"I don't think so. This place touches us all."
Tara's words sounded somewhat ominous and she knew that there was something deeper behind them. Tara's eyes struggled to hide her fear. But Willow didn't ask. She wasn't sure that she'd like the answer. "Sometimes it feels so normal."
"Sometimes it is," she smiled, entwining their hands.
Willow felt the warmth course through her body. It always baffled her how such a simple gesture could bring so much comfort. It reminded her of the earlier days with Oz, when his clumsy hands would grasp at hers in a gentle sign of affection and keep her connected to a world that spun hopelessly around her. Her lips curved into a small smile as blurred memories flickered through her mind. There had been time that she thought he would be her only love. Things had been so different then. But now he was just another missing piece from her increasingly fragmented life.
The hand wrapped around hers was nothing like Oz's. It was gentle and light. There nothing clumsy about it. The feelings that it evoked were intense. She could feel how their magiks reacted to each other. Her blood pumping faster. Her skin humming. The sensations overwhelmed her. She couldn't control the urge to move forward and so she did. Her lips just inches away. She could feel her breath against her face. Her eyes closed…
The air buzzed as it filled with magic. Something wasn't right. Her eyes snapped open and shot to the source. The air around the flower sparkled, and the light began to fade. The sky above the clearing crackled and stirred. Dark clouds started to form.
"Uh oh," she muttered, standing up and pulling Tara to her feet.
The first crash of thunder sounded and the flower retracted into the earth, marking the end of the summer. The rain soon followed. It beat down heavily, soaking the heat from the air, and relieving the dry desperate earth. It lashed down, a rhythm slowing building through the silence. Another crash of thunder.
The cooling rain swept across her skin and she titled her head towards it closing her eyes. She lost herself in the feeling of it washing across her skin. It wasn't long before her hair was plastered against her face and her soaked clothes clung to her body. She felt a warm hand on the bare skin of her arm and she opened her eyes to find Tara watching her. She smiled and moved her body closer, her hands stroking up her arms and to the back of her neck. A hand trailed gently across her cheek. She leaned forward, their lips were so close, her flickered closed and then lips were against hers. Slow and tentative at first, just a touch of the lips that sent a surge through her body. Then again, no hesitation this time. Their lips moved together. Bodies crashing. Tongues dancing. A hand wrapped tightly around her waist. All thought left her mind and she surrendered completely to the warmth and hum that slowly coursed through her body.
The rain poured down as they kissed, hovering a metre above the ground.