They reached the entrance of the park and Tara pulled Willow down a side path. Rounding a corner, they stood in front of a secluded tree-littered area with a bench sitting in the middle of the grass and a meander in a stream that ran through the entire park.
"Wow." Willow said, taking in her surroundings. "I – I've lived here my entire life, and I never…I mean, wow!"
"I found this place a year and a half ago. I'm sure more people know about it, but anytime I've come, it's been completely empty. Wanna sit?" she asked, pointing at the bench.
"Yea," Willow said absentmindedly as she continued to look around.
They made their way to the bench and sat down, facing each other.
Willow started the conversation.
"Listen, I'm so sorry about that back there, my foot just permanently resides in my mouth and as you've seen, I can't stop it from happening."
"That's why I brought you here. It always has a calming effect for me, and it's kind of like a special place," Tara said, linking their fingers.
"Thank you for sharing it with me," Willow said, still in awe of the beauty around and in front of her.
"I, ah, thought this would be a good place to talk, too, since it's private, you know."
"Oh. Yea. Okay," Willow said, deflated thinking she knew what was coming.
She's breaking up with me. Breaking up with me when we're not even officially together.
"I just wanted to let you know, about what you were talking about back there, about the lack of dating and erm, the waiting? Well, ditto. So if you're a loser for being a, um, 24 year v-virgin, then I'm a bigger one for being 25. Okay?" Tara said, not sure that she was saying the right thing, but thinking the redhead needed the comfort and was figured it could be nothing but good that they were both on the same page.
Willow was shocked at Tara's admission and just looked at her for a moment.
"Really?" she asked, just to be sure.
"Really. In fact, yesterday was my first date. Ever"
Willow's eyes widened in surprise, then she gave Tara a huge smile. Leaning in, she met Tara halfway as their lips gently came together. They moved their lips rhythmically against each other as the kiss slowly grew in passion. Tara felt a timid tongue begin to peek between her lips and instantly opened her mouth to accept it in. Willow's hands came up to cup Tara's cheeks, as Tara's rested on either side of Willow's hips. The redhead explored Tara's mouth, shyly at first, but gaining more confidence as she continued. The blonde lifted her tongue to meet Willows, letting instinct guide her, and they began a duel, both fighting for dominance, with neither wanting to win.
The duel moved into Willows mouth and she used the opportunity to suck on the blonde's tongue. Tara moaned into her mouth and her grip on
Willow's hips tightened. Willow released her tongue and it instantly began exploring, Tara revelling in the taste of the redhead. With oxygen becoming an issue, they broke apart and brought their foreheads together.
"And that," Tara said, still breathless, "was my first proper kiss."
Willow's eyes widened again and she suddenly felt inadequate, hoping that the kiss had the same effect on Tara that it did on her.
Tara, seeing the worry that clouded the redhead's features, brought Willow's hand to her heart, which was beating wildly.
"Feel that? That's what you do to me. When you look at me, or touch me, and especially when you kiss me. Okay? So never feel…not good enough or something."
Willow was shocked at her girl's perceptiveness.
No, she's not my girl. Not yet. But she should be.
She smiled and took both of Tara's hands in hers. Taking a deep breath, determined to get through this next bit without babbling, she started talking.
"If this is too fast, it's totally okay to say no, but would you maybe, like to, you know officially be my girlfriend?"
Tara's smile could have been seen from space and she placed a series of short firm kisses on the redhead's lips, punctuating each one by repeating one word over and over again:
'Yes.'
Willow giggled and pulled Tara to her in a warm hug.
"Are we a really bad stereotype? I mean we meet two days ago and now we're an official couple?" Tara asked, not at all caring if they were.
"Well, whether you knew it or not you've been a part of my life for the past two months, and quite frankly, I don't want to go another day without being able to call you my girl," Willow answered with real sincerity.
Oh well done, spaz, what was that? Calling her your girl, getting all possessive, like she's a thing or something.
Tara, touched at the admission, looked down shyly.
"I am, you know?"
"What?" Willow asked, confused
"Your girl," she said looking up and tucking a piece of red hair that had gone astray, behind a freckled ear.
They leaned in for a chaste kiss and pulled away giggling.
"I feel like a schoolgirl, making out behind the bleachers or something," Willow said, still giggling
"Me too. I like it," Tara replied bashfully.
Willow smiled and looked down at her watch, surprised to see almost 2 hours had gone by since picking Tara up. Her stomach also just seemed to realise the time and let out a loud grumble.
"So, can I buy my girlfriend lunch?" she asked, turning a bright red.
"Uh uh, you got coffee, so lunch is on me," Tara responded adamantly, deciding not to tease to other girl.
"How about I make you lunch then?" Willow countered.
"That sounds really nice."
They walked hand in hand through the park and headed for Willow's, chatting about anything and everything. They turned the corner onto her street.
"It's just up here," Willow said pointing to a two-story house, painted white with a black door and window panes, just ahead.
"Wow," Tara said as they neared the front door.
Willow unlocked the door and stood back to let Tara in first. She stepped through and looked around the hallway. It housed the stairs to the right and it led straight through to the kitchen. A door on the left led into the living room. A small table, a foot away from the initial step on the stairs, sat with a vase of flowers and a cordless phone and answering machine.
Willow directed her towards the kitchen and offered her a stool. Tara took it and sat, leaning on the island that split the kitchen in two, one side with a small 4-person table and chair set and the other accommodating the cooking appliances and refrigerator.
"Your place is amazing," Tara said, looking around.
"Oh," Willow said, looking at her bashfully, "thank you. It's home, y' know? More so than my childhood one ever was."
Willow said the last bit with more than a hint of sorrow and regret, which Tara picked up.
"Home life wasn't good?" Tara asked with genuine concern.
"Oh, no, it's just, you know, parents away on business a lot, that kind of thing. I was kind of a trophy daughter, more for appearances than anything else. Bright side was I pretty much had the house to myself whenever I wanted it. Not that I made much use of that." Willow said all this while taking out two plates and some cutlery.
"That must have been rough."
Opening the fridge and taking out a variety of salad items, she continued speaking.
"Yea it was a little. But I always had my Bubbe, ah, my grandmother, sorry, old habits die hard I guess. But yea, I was really close to her, so if anything good came out of it, it was that. And then, you know, teen years brought Buffy. So I think between the two of them I avoided possible years of therapy," she said with a smile.
"Are you still close with her? Your grandmother?" Tara asked, feeling angry at Willow's parents for not appreciating how special Willow was.
"She, erm, died two and half years ago," Willow said with sadness.
"Oh, sweetie, I'm so sorry."
Willow just looked at her and gave a broad smile.
"What?" Tara asked, confused at the change of demeanour in the redhead.
"It's just, no matter how bad I'm feeling, all you have to do was call me sweetie and I feel nothing but joyfulness."
"Oh. So I should call you sweetie a lot then?"
"You can call me whatever you like. I think it's just you being you that makes me all happy. Vegetarian right?" Willow asked.
"What? Oh yea, vegetarian," she confirmed, thrown slightly at the other woman's conversational jump, "How'd you know? Were you stalking me at a dinner place too?"
"What!" the redhead asked, spinning around to face her, "No! God no! I promise, no, it's just you ordered your pasta last night without bacon and that kind of trivial stuff stays in my head. Not that being a vegetarian is trivial or anything…"
"Willow," Tara said, trying to snap her out of her babble.
"…I mean, it's clearly an important choice for you, and I totally get that. I admire it really, that you can commit yourself to something so big…
"Willow," Tara repeated, slightly louder this time.
"Not that I can't commit! I can, I totally can, please don't think this would be a dead end relationship because I am totally able to commit…"
Tara, deciding she better end this before the smaller girl suggesting that they go then and there to a wedding chapel, spun around on her seat, got up and walked over to Willow and turned her slightly before firmly planting her lips on the redheads. Swirling her tongue teasingly over her lips, she pulled away and was back on her seat before Willow had a chance to move an inch.
