.*.
Author's Note: This took me what feels like forever to write for many reasons I can't explain or excuse. My only hope is that the people who this story mattered to don't hate it all of a sudden, and that the message is still the same. The rites to the song belong to Faith Hill and her CD Breathe. I know this song is usually thought of in the context of sex, but please think of it in the context of the scene. There was never going to be another song for this story, and I hope that the people who mattered to this story know that.
Dedicated to C, David, and Isis; you made me want to write this again, and thanks for all the good advice along the way. Enjoy. Warning! Technically Un-Beta'd!!! . . . =)
Ink Blots, Chapter Nine:
= = = (* Deep Breaths*) = = =
Tara took one look at her self in the mirror and groaned. She looked stupid, she thought, this was nothing to wear to a club. She turned slightly, trying to think this out-fit over again from a new angle, and still hated it. {It's not my fault!} she complained to her own head, {I've never been to a club! How should I know what to wear?!} As she looked at the previously rejected clothes piled on her bed, she sighed frustratedly and shuddered. What would Buffy think of her showing up to go out to a club in this, she wondered?
Just as she considered pretending to call in sick, her spell books caught her eyes. Maybe she could cast a spell on herself to make her appear more fashionable, or attractive. She shook her head, rejecting that use of magic as it was far too selfish, and no good for anyone but her. {But then again,} she though, slowly approaching her desk, {No-one would even know . . . and I don't think I can go out with these clothes.} Just as she put her hand on the cover of one of her spell-books, there was a knock at her door. Jumping out of nerves, she knocked the book to the ground.
"J-Just a moment!' she called at her door, crouching down to pick up the fallen binding, she couldn't help but smile sadly at herself. {Wow, MaClay, this Buffy girl sure has got you wrapped around her little finger.} Getting up and walking to the door, she took another second to straighten out her skirt and flatten out any wrinkles in her blouse. Taking in a deep silent breath, she pulled the knob to find two smiling girls on the other side.
"Hi!" Willow said a little too excitedly, though her face had a second layer to it Tara couldn't describe, "We're just going to do a quick patrol on the way, I brought stakes!" she said, holding them up and smiling a little too widely. Buffy also seemed to notice the over-jovial quality of the redhead as she chuckled and shook her head a little.
"Willow's been looking forward to trying out your levi-staking trick," She said smiling warmly at Tara, "She's been practicing on my knife-throwing board all week. She's gone through a hefty box of pencils going about it too." Tara laughed a little silently, and Willow blushed. "Ready to go?" the Slayer asked, sounding calm as day.
"W-Will they l-let me in?" she asked slowly, "I'm 18, but I'm not 21, not that I w-would drink anyways, b-but . . . Do I look alright?" she asked quietly, cutting to the heart of her worries. Willow nodded right away, her overly-wide smile never fading, whereas Buffy took a second approach. The light hazel eyes of the blonde slowly raked over Tara's body in a fashion that was obviously not just to take in her clothes, but also the body underneath. It made Tara's skin warm and a slight shiver run up her spine, filling her with excitement. She was so caught off guard by Buffy's discreet checking her out that she almost didn't catch a word of what Willow had said.
"Don't worry, If they let me in when I was younger, they'll let just about anyone in. I think their dress code is just that you have to wear *Something*. The Bronze has no age limit, Xander and I have been frequenting that place since we were freshmen in high-school, in fact Dawn's gonna be meeting us there." At that Buffy gave a silent groan, and Tara's eye-brow raised. "Sorry!" Willow said, not looking at either of them in the eyes, "I told her if she got an A on her science test I'd take her. Besides Buffy, your mom wants you to go with her the first time to keep an eye on her. She knows how dangerous it can get down there."
"Yeah, yeah, doesn't mean I have to like it." the slayer mumbled to her self. Tara laughed, but pulled it in, causing the shorter girl to look at her, though she smiled shortly thereafter. "Read for your first Bronze Adventure?" Tara nodded, and opened the door a little wider.
"Yeah, just let me grab a coat." She said, turning back to her bed and sorting through the pile of clothes to find a jacket that might remotely go with what she was wearing. Grabbing a camel pea-coat and pulling it on, she put a bottle of holy-water in one of the pockets and looked up her sleeve to make sure the stake she'd hidden there a few days ago was still in place. As she walked back to the door she saw Buffy standing at the line under the arch and looking into the room, taking in the sights, particularly the bed with the pile of discarded clothes.
"I take it you were a little unsure of what to wear?" she said gently, pointing to the small heap. Tara blushed lightly, but nodded, closing the door and locking it behind her. "Well, what you picked looks great, I must say." She said, a slight smirk creeping up the left side of her cheek. Tara looked down at her flowing floral skirt, long sleeve maroon Custo top with a owl on it, and started to wonder if Buffy was catching something she wasn't.
"W-What cemetery are we going to?" She asked, glad to notice her stutter had gotten lighter since Buffy and her talk at Giles'.
"Not a cemetery," Buffy said as they made their way down the stairs leisurely. "It's a Saturday night, so the Bronze should be pretty active. That means the Vamps will come to us. They'll be in the club, and it's our job to find them and take them out . . . and have some fun in between." She said winking at Tara. Willow smiled and slid down part of the banister, to which Buffy followed suit, and with a little apprehension the Sorceress did as well. {I can do this,} Tara thought {I can have fun. Shouldn't be too hard, Willow and Buffy seem to be pretty easy going.}. The taller girl was just hoping the Slayer had forgotten that Tara couldn't dance and she intended to teach her.
As the girls made their way towards a slightly more industrialized part of town that Tara wasn't very familiar with, they talked about all sorts of things. They talked about the spell they had coming up to find out who the commando guys were, classes they liked or disliked, teacher they were sure were some kind of demon is disguise, movies they wanted to see. It was all very casual and normal . . . for the average Scooby Gang member. And as Tara realized she was quickly becoming just that, she couldn't seem to wipe the grin from her face.
"Uh Buffy . . ." Tara said quietly as they made their way down an ally where music could be heard getting louder. They must have been approaching the Bronze, and there could be seen two people who might have just been making out, but Tara seriously doubted it. One of them seemed far too limp to just be kissing.
"I see them," Buffy stated quietly, keeping her stride even, "Act natural." She instructed, walking right past him, whipping out a stake and dusting him without a second glance. The girl fell to the ground, and Willow crouched down to look over her.
"She's alive." The redhead said a little less calm than before. "I think he drugged her, she just seems to be asleep." Buffy chuckled darkly.
"I don't know what's worse, using Roofies to rape girls, or for Vamps to feed off them." Buffy reached into her pocket and pressed some button on her speed dial. "Hello, Sunnydale Hospital?" There was a pause as the shorter girl took a deeper breath, "There's been a girl drugged at The Bronze on Industrial Avenue, she's been attacked with lacerations to the throat and needs assistance as soon as possible." She then hung up without another word, and Willow gently lay the girl's head back down on the cold ground.
"I'll take Tara inside, will you wait for the Meds?" Willow asked, seeming as though this was nothing more than flat-tire. Tara had never seen a Vampire feeding before, and the fact that her two friends were so nonchalant about it made her realize how many times this must have happened. as they made their way in, Buffy standing over the body, Tara handed the door-man her $8 and looked around the club for the first time.
It was nice. Not quiet what she'd expected, granted, but in a good way. There was a pool-table to one side of the club, a moderate yet formidable dance-floor which was loosely occupied by a number of people dancing, laughing and having fun to the songs the DJ was playing. Behind him there was an un-used drum set and a few amps that sat idly until the next band rotated through. Which Tara had learned was Oz's band, next Friday, to which she was going with the rest of the Scoobies for her first Dingo's Night. It was great; casual, and no one was dressed to impress. She could learn to like it here with minimal effort.
Willow led her to a small center table where Xander and Anya were sitting watching the people on the dance floor. Oz got up and hugged Willow, who gave a short little squeak of happiness at seeing her boy-friend. Dawn sat on a stool rubbing at a small black stamp on her hand, taking in everything about the club. {That must be the look on my face as well.} Tara thought laughing silently to her self.
"Tara!" Dawn yelled happily at seeing the Sorceress, "Hey! Isn't this place cool?" she said, taking Tara's hand and leading her to the last free chair. "I knew this place was cool . . . just wish there were some people here even remotely my age." She added on to the end a bit sadly. It was true, Dawn would have a little trouble blending in here for another year or two, but at least she seemed to like the place.
"Yeah, it's a lot different than I thought it would be." Tara said, looking to the door, checking to see if Buffy had come in yet, "Good job on that Science test, by the way." Tara said, looking back at the younger girl. Dawn looked confused until Willow nudged her, looking pointedly.
"Oh! Right! *That* science test!" Dawn said, as though she was only just getting it. "Yeah, that was all Willow; she totally saved me on that, I'm not so great with Physics." That confirmed it, {There is definitely something going on here} Tara wondered, {But what does it have to do with Willow and Dawn? And why doesn't Buffy know?}
"Hey gang!" Buffy said happily, popping up as though out of nowhere and surprising Tara more than anyone. "Save me a seat?" she asked, looking around and not finding one.
"You can have mine," Anya offered, "I was just thinking about moving to Xander's lap and making him squirm uncomfortably." The group sort of quieted after that, at which point the blushing brunette of a boy put a hand on his girl-friend's arm and spoke quietly in her ear so that no one could hear him. "But I thought you liked it?" She questioned loudly, making everyone (even Oz) raise an eye-brow. Xander simply chuckled again and took Anya by the arm out to the dance floor. Buffy followed them with her eyes, laughing silently and sitting down in their now empty chairs.
"Meds get here alright?" Willow asked. Buffy nodded, but it was with a scowl. "What happened? Did they blame you again?"
"Yeah," The blonde grumbled as she pulled off her coat, "They said that I seem to find too many injured or drugged bodies for it to just be an accident." Tara chuckled, having just wondered if they'd think the same thing. Buffy just smiled and continued. "I told them I have taken it upon myself to look out for the safety of my fellow clubbers; if there are too many deaths or unreported attacks they might shut the club down and I could think of nothing worse." By the end the tone of her voice was sickeningly sweet, and the table laughed. "How you holding up?" she asked, eyes falling on both Tara and her sister.
"Pretty good." They replied in unison. Buffy nodded, and got up.
"Save my seat, I'm gonna go get something from the Bar." She walked off, and soon after Willow got up as well.
"I'm going to go too, anybody want anything?" Dawn asked for another Pepsi and Tara asked for any kind of Orange Soda. Both Willow and Dawn exchanged pointed looks before the redhead followed the Slayer to the drink counter. Something was going on here, and she was going to figure out what.
"Do you dance?" Dawn asked her quickly, shaking her out of her thoughts. Tara shook her head sadly and looked at the floor. "Why not?" Tara laughed.
"I just c-can't. I tried to at m-my Winter formal last year, but it was s- s-so bad that people asked me to stop. I think I just don't have the ears for it; can't k-keep a beat v-very well." Dawn nodded. Tara looked down at the table, then back towards where Buffy and Willow were standing at the drink table. She hadn't even realized that Buffy had been looking at her. The blondes waved lightly at each-other, then turned back to their neighbors. Dawn was smiling slightly at her, making Tara fidget slightly.
"You and Buffy sure get along really well." She said slowly, as though she was leading up to something.
"Uh, y-yeah. She's, uh, very nice." Dawn rolled her eyes as if to say 'think whatever you want', and shook her head.
"I bet she could teach you to dance." Dawn offered, causing Tara to freeze slightly in her seat.
"Um, Dawn, look – "
"No, really, I bet she could!" she insisted, interrupting the Sorceress, "She taught Willow how to dance and she was pretty bad when they first met. I bet she wouldn't mind; she loves teaching people." Dawn laughed a little at that. "I mean, anyone could understand why, there's not much she's good at besides killing things and dancing." Tara gave her a surprised look, almost warning her to be nice, but before she could jump in to defend her, Willow put a bottle of Crush in front of her.
"Dawn, look," she started slowly, "Your s-sister already offered, and, um, I was sort of hoping she'd forget. I can't dance, and I'm f-fine with that." Dawn looked quickly at Willow, then back at Tara, "Besides, if I wanted her to teach me how to dance, I'd want it to be in privet." At that Dawn coughed on the sip of Pepsi she'd just taken. Tapping the young girl on the back, she continued. "I j-just mean . . . I w-wouldn't want to go through the embarrassing bumbling st-stages of learning with all these p-p- people around, you know?" the small brunette nodded, and took a slow drink again.
"Oz, did you see where Buffy went?" Willow asked her boy-friend, who's eyes were on the darker end of the club. The young man nodded, and leaned in to the table a bit to talk to his girl-friend.
"Yeah, I have an eye on her." He whispered stoically. Tara followed his eyes to where a man dressed in a polyester leisure suit was pulling a giggling Buffy by her hips into a dark corner. Tara looked around the group to see how they reacted to this. Tara felt a small burst of heat in her stomach of jealous anger, combined with a feeling of cold on her forearms of rejection. {She rather be with that out-of-style weirdo than hang out with me?} she thought sadly, {Am I really that dull?} But just then she saw his face contort into a mask of evil; he was a vampire. And then it all made sense.
"She let him think he was seducing her," she whispered to herself as she watched him suddenly burst into dust, "But she was the one doing the seducing."
"Works every time." Xander said quietly in her ear, back from the dance floor with Anya. Tara blushed, unaware that she'd been heard. Buffy briskly walked back to the table, dusting off the front of her shirt as she went. "Need a napkin?" The boy offered. Buffy chuckled and slipped her stake back into the back of her black leather pants.
"More like a dust-buster." She chuckled, finally giving up on her clothes. "Besides, I'd rather dance," she said happily, "Any takers?" she asked, sounding hopeful. Xander just groaned and plopped down heavily in his seat.
"Count me out," he grumbled, reaching down towards him shoes, "Anya stomped on my feet because she thought I was looking at another girl on the dance floor."
"You were looking at another girl on the dance floor, Xander." The table looked at Xander, waiting to hear what his comeback was going to be.
"Yeah, but I thought she was a vampire." Came his feeble excuse. Oz smiled at that, and Willow held in a laugh. Buffy looked around for any new takers, at which point Dawn nudged Tara so hard she almost became unbalanced. She looked at Dawn wide-eyed, who tried to look innocent. Nervously glancing back at Buffy she saw that the other blonde was looking at her expectantly, almost eagerly.
"We'll join you." Willow chimed in, taking Oz's hand and leading the way to the center of the club. Buffy stayed behind for an extra second.
"You sure you don't want to join us?" she asked, backing up towards the already happy dancing couple. Tara shook her head, smiling.
"Maybe later." She lied, but regretted it as soon as she said it, as Dawn gave out a loud squeak of joy, rivaled only by Willow's. "Dawn!" she said loudly, turning to face the smaller girl, "What do you think you're doing? You knew I don't dance, why would you do that?" Tara was upset, but she couldn't help it lessening as she saw the excited look on the girl's face.
"Are you really gonna dance later?" she asked excitedly. Tara hesitated, looking out to where Buffy already had a suitor trying to get her attention. "I - - Uhh . . . Well . . ." as she watched the Slayer gently push the boy away, smiling sadly and wink at her from so far way, she felt her courage build a little. "Um, yeah. I guess I could g-give it a shot." She said looking at Dawn who was smiling like a Cheshire Cat. She sipped her drink as listened to the music. It was active and the same sort of stuff you might hear on a popular radio station, though with out the annoying commercials.
She sat and talked to Xander about his job as a construction worker, getting to know him better, while Anya danced in her seat a little, later joining the rest of the Scoobys on the dance floor. She even played thumb wrestling with Dawn for a bit until a boy about her age came and asked her to dance. He must have been a year older, but he said he was there with his older brother as well. Under the table Xander poured a bit of Holy Water on her palm, and she extended it to shake his hand. He wasn't a vampire, but he did ask her if she was nervous. Explaining it away as there was a lot of condensation on her drink, they headed for the dance floor as well.
With Xander and Tara alone at the table now, they talked idly about the club, how long he'd known Buffy, what Tara was majoring in, and it was all well and good . . . until he started asking personal questions.
"So Tara," he asked jovially, taking the last sip of his beer, "Seeing anyone?" Tara looked up at him sharply, and he chuckled. "I'm not offering, don't worry; I'm just curious." Tara laughed apprehensively and looked down at her empty bottle of Crush.
"Uh, no, actually. I was sort of seeing someone but, we haven't seen each- other in a long time." She wanted to leave it intentionally vague, but she seemed to have peaked his interest.
"Really? What happened, you two lose touch when you left for college?"
"Not exactly." She said shortly, eyes fixed on the now larger group of people on the dance floor, trying to locate the Scoobys in the mass of it all. "They spent their second semester of senior year in New York on an arts scholarship program . . . they never came back and I haven't gotten a letter in months, so I'm pretty sure we're broken up." She said it flatly, though over time it'd caused her a lot of grief. She could see Xander nodding out of the corner of her eye. Then she felt a soft hand gently snake over her right shoulder.
"Hey," Buffy said close to her ear, "Wanna dance?" Tara turned to look at her, not knowing what to say. Suddenly, what little courage she had was depleted. Just as Tara started making violently stuttered and incomprehensible excuses not to, Buffy took her by the wrists and pulled her towards the dance-floor. "Come on! You said you'd let me teach you!" she said excitedly over the music.
"I never said that!" Tara yelled back, voice a bit higher than she remembered it last, "You j-just said you would without asking me if I w- wanted to learn!" Buffy just chuckled and pulled her towards the group of gathered Scoobys.
"Yeah, but you never said no!" Tara stood stock still on the floor, internally hoping that some terrible non-lethal danger would break out and they'd have to save someone or the club would have to be evacuated. But it didn't happen. She just stood there, completely motionless, until the song ended. Once the old song stopped and another fast one started again, Buffy sighed bemusedly and took the Blonde's hands again.
"Tara, come on. Is it really that terrible?" Tara nodded, and explained that she couldn't keep a beat. Buffy laughed at loud at that. "Can't keep a beat?!" she asked, sounding disbelieving, "You kept a perfect beat when you played that song for me! Just this time do it with your feet instead of your voice." The Slayer pulled her forward so they were a little less than arms length apart, telling her to spread her legs a bit more, she showed her how to move.
"Buffy, I don't think this is such a good idea." She warned, trying to figure out how Buffy got her body to move like that. "I'm not good at this kind of thing."
"Sure you are. Dancing is just like walking to a rhythm, making your movements flow. I know you can do that, I've seen you," she said, dancing behind Tara and talking a bit more quietly into her ear, "Your movements are really fluid as it is, just do it to the music." Tara tried to follow what she was saying, but it was hard; she couldn't dance! She never could dance! She wasn't any good at it; it just wasn't her thing. Wasn't the end of the world, so why did it matter? {Because it matters to Buffy.} She rationalized to herself.
"If I didn't know any better I'd say you were doing this so you'd hope I'd give up and you could sit back down." The blonde chuckled lightly.
"Is it working?" Tara joked back. Buffy just shook her head and gently grasped the Sorceress' hips, causing all of the taller girls movements to stop. She cupped the firm bones in her hands, and pressed her body lightly against Tara's back. Leaning forward and whispering in her ear, Buffy asked "Can you feel that?"
"Yes." She didn't know what she was supposed to be feeling, but she could feel a lot. She could feel her heart pounding in her chest, she could feel Buffy's curves pressed against her back, her hands at her sides, and her warm breath in her ear . . . and the slayer wanted to know if she could 'feel that'? "Yes, yes . . . I can feel it." Buffy chuckled deeply, and moved Tara's hips with her in a slow rhythm matching her own. It felt magical, and she was starting to wonder if it was. The way the fingers at her hips skated along her skin, the way this small woman seemed to have such a powerful hold on her body and her emotions; it was almost unreal.
They swayed slowly to a fairly fast song, looking a little out of sync, but if you'd asked Willow or any of the other Scoobys, they would have told you they looked nothing if not graceful. Buffy was all smiles; Tara was starting to get the hang of it, and she finally found where Tara's dancing talents were hidden away. Tara, on the other hand, was breathless, trying to keep it at a steady pace so the woman with her arms around her wouldn't notice, as she tried to keep her feet moving to the beat from the speaker rather than the pounding rhythm in her chest.
"Good Job Tara!" Dawn called happily as the song ended, her and her new friend dancing nearby. The Sorceress blushed, putting a hand over her red face. Willow congratulated her, saying that she could still barely dance, and even she didn't learn that quickly. Oz nodded, taciturn as ever, though the smile on his face gave it away; he was happy for her. Buffy on the other hand didn't say anything, simply let Tara go, though not letting her go too far. Her body was humming, and Tara's was too; she could tell. Something had happened, something had started, and whatever it was she wanted to see where it would end.
"I th-think I n-n-need another drink." Tara said a bit hurriedly, walking quickly over to the Bar. As she stood and waited for the bartenders attention to fall on her, she watched as a girl who was noticeably under age order a beer and have it handed to her without question. {Doesn't seem too bad right now,} Tara thought, {I feel like one huge frayed nerve right now. Might be nice to calm down a bit}
"Mind if I make a suggestion?" Buffy said, surprisingly close to her. Turing around she saw the small blond standing not two feet to her left, with a look on her face as though she knew what Tara had just been thinking. "Don't do it."
"Don't do what?" Tara asked, feigning ignorance. Buffy shrugged, and leaned on the bar herself, obviously thirsty herself.
"They charge you more if you're under age. That way they make more money. If you point it out to them, they'll ask for ID and they know a fake when they see one. So if I were you, I'd just go with a Soda and call it a night." Tara looked down at her shoes, feeling sort of sheepish. "Besides, it's pretty watery beer in most cases. Always ask for a bottle or a can if they have them." At that Tara looked up at her, eye-brow raised. Buffy's cheeks colored slightly, and she leaned her back to the flat-bed as she looked at the floor. "Look, just don't tell Dawn, okay? She'll spill to my mother faster than you can breath."
"Secrets safe with me." Tara said quietly. The bar-keep asked Buffy what she wanted and she ordered a Sprite, tooling to Tara as if to say 'you still want that beer?'. "A Crush, please?" She said quietly. He reached under the bar and handed them their drinks. Buffy tapped her plastic cup against Tara's glass bottle, and they chuckled.
"God Save The Hellmouth." She said, taking a deep drink. Tara smiled and sipped her soda, thankful that Buffy was so understanding about everything that had been going on tonight. She had meant what she'd said when the two Scoobys arrived at her door; she wasn't a drinker . . . but she was suddenly compelled to when Buffy had let go of her, and all of a sudden everyone was saying nice things to them. She couldn't explain why; it just was.
Tara sat back down, deciding that maybe she'd had enough dancing for one night. {But you only danced for 2 songs!} she berated herself, sort of embarrassed. {Yeah, but it was enough to last me a while I think} Buffy waved to her from the floor where she was dancing with a boy, his arms wrapped all the way around her waist. Tara blushed and nodded, before letting her hair fall into her face to hide her red cheeks. A little while later, after a few song had started and finished and Tara had finished her drink, Willow came up to her, all smiles, with Oz walking behind.
"Hey Tara!" Willow said happily, leaning on the table with her elbows, "It's getting sorta late so Buffy asked me to take Dawn home for her. You need a ride? Oz and I won't mind, we're headed back to campus as it is." Tara was just about to ask why Buffy wasn't coming hone with them, and why Willow and Oz were heading back to campus when Oz's apartment was on the way . . . when she looked out onto the dance floor and saw Buffy still dancing with the same guy, showing little intention in stopping. Her stomach suddenly felt like it was full of lead and her forehead felt cold. She nodded, and looked into her shoulder bag.
"Alright, we'll go in a few minutes. Oz just has to talk to Sal about Friday." And Willow trotted off towards the lady's room. After checking to make sure she had her wallet and her Tara felt a pair of hands on her shoulder.
"Not going home are you?" Buffy asked in her ear. Tara looked up and a smiling and bubbly Buffy. She felt far less eager to talk to her. she didn't think it was like Buffy to pick up guys at a bar, to have one night stands. {On come on MaClay! That was just your wishful thinking! You don't know her at all! Parker was spewing all kinds of dirty comments about her just a couple of weeks ago . . . besides; she's in college, she's a grown girl, there are her mistakes to make – Choices! I meant choices!}. Tara silenced her inner thoughts and just nodded, to which Buffy frowned.
"What? You're leaving? Already?!" Buffy asked, sounding surprised. She shook her head, and grabbed the Sorceress' hand between her own. "Come on! I finally found where you're a really good dancer; just want to test out one more theory." She tugged the taller blond towards the dance floor, but Tara barely got more than out of her chair. Looking back at the Wicca, Buffy frowned, not understanding.
"What about that boy?" Tara asked slowly, "The one you were with before?" Buffy blushed, and ran a hand through her slightly wavy hair. "Won't he mind?"
"I don't think he will." Buffy started confidently. She stood next to Tara, not letting go of her hand, and pointed with her free arm to where the young man was now leaning against the bar talking up a severely drunk girl that looked like she was about to puke. "I learned too little – too late that what he wanted was more than just a good time and a dance partner at the Bronze . . ." Tara smiled slightly as she heard this, and the girl took off running for the bathroom; the young man chasing after her. "So? Will you at least dance with me just one more time?" The Slayer pulled out all the stops; puppy-eyes, that big pouty lip, wet and shiny from her lips gloss, and Tara folded like a towel.
"Just the one?" She asked again, making sure. Buffy crossed her heart and nodded, pulling Tara to the dance area.
"Just until Willow and Oz take you home." She said, not looking up. The song changed almost as soon as they reached the floor, and Tara recognized it the second the first notes started playing. Stopping her dancing and looking up towards the ceiling, as though expecting to see and explanation. As though something took control of her motor functions, she looked to the side, eyes not focused on anything and started walking off the dance floor. Buffy followed her and grabbed her wrist gently, trying to get the Sorceress' attention. Tara looked down at her, confused, where as Buffy looked back at her even more so.
"It's a slow song." She said as thought hat explained something. Buffy's eyes widened and she nodded really slowly as if to say 'yes; one plus one *does* equal two'. Tara looked to the hand on her wrist then back at Buffy, her mouth suddenly dry as she forced the next sentence out of her mouth. "You know Buffy . . . not all couples are boy – girl . . . there are a few people here who know about me being . . . if they see me dancing with you," she took a moment to take another breath, no longer able to look at Buffy so she stared at the floor. "They might get the impression that you're more than . . . trying to teach me to dance." She added quickly. But when she heard Buffy giggle, her head shot up to look at the shorter girl.
"Tara, I know that not all girls dance with boys . . ." she said reassuringly, taking Tara's other hand and walking her backwards back onto the dance floor again. "And you say people thinking we're a couple like it's a bad thing," She said laughing a little, "What? I'm not good enough for you, or are Slayers just not your type?" Tara gave a short laugh, looking down as she felt Buffy's arms wrap around her neck as the slow lyrics started to soothe over her nervous mine. Putting her hands a little stiffly on the other blonde's hips, she tried to concentrate on the words rather than the beautiful girl in her arms.
"I can feel the magic floating in the air,
Being with you gets me that way,
I watch the sunlight dance across your face,
And I have never been this swept away."
As Tara and Buffy took their first awkward steps, the blonde smiled at each other, though Tara's was more nervous. She was not good at dancing, yet Buffy seemed convinced otherwise. And as her every thought tried to stay focused on not stepping on the shorter girls toes (instead of the arms looped around her neck) and the words to the song (instead of the tingle through her body at her fingers touching Buffy's exposed skin) she swished and swayed, and tried to act natural.
"All my thoughts just seem to settle on the breeze,
When I'm lying wrapped up in your arms,
The whole world just fades away,
The only thing I hear;
Is the beating of your heart,"
"And I can feel you Breathe,
It's washing over me,
And suddenly I'm melting into you,
Nothing left to prove,
Baby all we need is just to be,"
Tara tried not to look at the other people on the dance-floor. She knew they would all be same sex couples glaring at her and Buffy, that's the way it always was. She tried not to look at Buffy because the smile on the other girl's face made her think things that would only hurt her later; things that could never happen. But she could feel Buffy's breath on her neck and the trail of her eyes as the perused her body again as they had in her dorm, and it made it so hard not to look back.
"Caught up in the touch,
The slow and steady rush,
Baby isn't that the way that love's supposed to be?
I can feel you breathe...
Just Breathe!"
"In a way I know my heart is waking up,
As all the walls come tumbling down,
Closer than I've ever felt before,
And I know, and you know,
There's no need for words right now,"
Tara couldn't help herself, she was only human. She looked down into the soft hazel eyes of her dance partner and melted. They were so big, gentle, and innocent she wondered how they could have ever stayed that way seeing the things Buffy had seen in her short life. She wrapped her arms a little more around the smaller girl, pulling her closer, and she notice the way the Slayer wrapped her arms a little tighter around her neck as well. As their faces were pulled closer together, and she saw how near their lips could meet, her breath became short, and she couldn't tear her eyes away from that soft little mouth...
"And I can feel you Breathe,
It's washing over me,
And suddenly I'm melting into you,
Nothing left to prove,
Baby all we need is just to be,"
"Caught up in the touch,
The slow and steady rush,
Baby isn't that the way that love's supposed to be?
I can feel you breathe...
Just Breathe!"
She didn't know what it was; maybe it was the music, maybe it was magic, maybe it was temptation and teasing her with things she thought she'd never have; but it happened. Without thinking, without blinking, Tara leaned in and pressed her lips to Buffy's in a soft, yielding, and loving kiss. And as she watch the Slayer's eyes drift close, and felt the warm breath of her sigh from her nose, Tara fell into her kiss, dizzy with passion. Whatever had caused her to do it, she wanted it, and now that she had it she didn't want to let go. Pulling Buffy flush against her body, she kissed the smaller blonde with every element of her being.
"Caught up in the touch,
The slow and steady rush,
Baby isn't that the way that love's supposed to be?
I can feel you breathe...
"Just Breathe,
I can feel the magic floating in the air,
Being with you gets me that way..."
As the song slowed, so did their kiss, both trying to draw out the last seconds of it, reluctant to let go even to breathe. As they pulled away from one another, and Tara watch Buffy's eyes open, she couldn't help the feel of panic that came with slamming back to reality.
Looking past Buffy's shoulder, and seeing the assembled Scoobies staring she felt as though every speck of air had been sucked out of the room. Xander was bug-eyed, dropped jaw and all, while Willow was looking on with a hand over her moth, while Dawn was jumping up and down with her back to them, shaking Willow. Anya looked like she was trying to figure out what was going on and Oz just stood there with his normal non-committal look, though he did seem to be hiding some expression with his eyes.
Not taking a second to look back at Buffy, Tara tore out of the Bronze as fast as her terrified legs would carry her...
She also completely missed the smile on the Slayers face, but was saved the agony of watching it fall as she witnessed Tara's scared departure from the club. With one brief glance at the Scoobies, she ran after the startled blonde Sorceress, and out into the night.
( To Be Continued . . . )
~ VixenRaign ~
WARNING! Un-Beta'd!!!
Author's Note: This took me what feels like forever to write for many reasons I can't explain or excuse. My only hope is that the people who this story mattered to don't hate it all of a sudden, and that the message is still the same. The rites to the song belong to Faith Hill and her CD Breathe. I know this song is usually thought of in the context of sex, but please think of it in the context of the scene. There was never going to be another song for this story, and I hope that the people who mattered to this story know that.
Dedicated to C, David, and Isis; you made me want to write this again, and thanks for all the good advice along the way. Enjoy. Warning! Technically Un-Beta'd!!! . . . =)
Ink Blots, Chapter Nine:
= = = (* Deep Breaths*) = = =
Tara took one look at her self in the mirror and groaned. She looked stupid, she thought, this was nothing to wear to a club. She turned slightly, trying to think this out-fit over again from a new angle, and still hated it. {It's not my fault!} she complained to her own head, {I've never been to a club! How should I know what to wear?!} As she looked at the previously rejected clothes piled on her bed, she sighed frustratedly and shuddered. What would Buffy think of her showing up to go out to a club in this, she wondered?
Just as she considered pretending to call in sick, her spell books caught her eyes. Maybe she could cast a spell on herself to make her appear more fashionable, or attractive. She shook her head, rejecting that use of magic as it was far too selfish, and no good for anyone but her. {But then again,} she though, slowly approaching her desk, {No-one would even know . . . and I don't think I can go out with these clothes.} Just as she put her hand on the cover of one of her spell-books, there was a knock at her door. Jumping out of nerves, she knocked the book to the ground.
"J-Just a moment!' she called at her door, crouching down to pick up the fallen binding, she couldn't help but smile sadly at herself. {Wow, MaClay, this Buffy girl sure has got you wrapped around her little finger.} Getting up and walking to the door, she took another second to straighten out her skirt and flatten out any wrinkles in her blouse. Taking in a deep silent breath, she pulled the knob to find two smiling girls on the other side.
"Hi!" Willow said a little too excitedly, though her face had a second layer to it Tara couldn't describe, "We're just going to do a quick patrol on the way, I brought stakes!" she said, holding them up and smiling a little too widely. Buffy also seemed to notice the over-jovial quality of the redhead as she chuckled and shook her head a little.
"Willow's been looking forward to trying out your levi-staking trick," She said smiling warmly at Tara, "She's been practicing on my knife-throwing board all week. She's gone through a hefty box of pencils going about it too." Tara laughed a little silently, and Willow blushed. "Ready to go?" the Slayer asked, sounding calm as day.
"W-Will they l-let me in?" she asked slowly, "I'm 18, but I'm not 21, not that I w-would drink anyways, b-but . . . Do I look alright?" she asked quietly, cutting to the heart of her worries. Willow nodded right away, her overly-wide smile never fading, whereas Buffy took a second approach. The light hazel eyes of the blonde slowly raked over Tara's body in a fashion that was obviously not just to take in her clothes, but also the body underneath. It made Tara's skin warm and a slight shiver run up her spine, filling her with excitement. She was so caught off guard by Buffy's discreet checking her out that she almost didn't catch a word of what Willow had said.
"Don't worry, If they let me in when I was younger, they'll let just about anyone in. I think their dress code is just that you have to wear *Something*. The Bronze has no age limit, Xander and I have been frequenting that place since we were freshmen in high-school, in fact Dawn's gonna be meeting us there." At that Buffy gave a silent groan, and Tara's eye-brow raised. "Sorry!" Willow said, not looking at either of them in the eyes, "I told her if she got an A on her science test I'd take her. Besides Buffy, your mom wants you to go with her the first time to keep an eye on her. She knows how dangerous it can get down there."
"Yeah, yeah, doesn't mean I have to like it." the slayer mumbled to her self. Tara laughed, but pulled it in, causing the shorter girl to look at her, though she smiled shortly thereafter. "Read for your first Bronze Adventure?" Tara nodded, and opened the door a little wider.
"Yeah, just let me grab a coat." She said, turning back to her bed and sorting through the pile of clothes to find a jacket that might remotely go with what she was wearing. Grabbing a camel pea-coat and pulling it on, she put a bottle of holy-water in one of the pockets and looked up her sleeve to make sure the stake she'd hidden there a few days ago was still in place. As she walked back to the door she saw Buffy standing at the line under the arch and looking into the room, taking in the sights, particularly the bed with the pile of discarded clothes.
"I take it you were a little unsure of what to wear?" she said gently, pointing to the small heap. Tara blushed lightly, but nodded, closing the door and locking it behind her. "Well, what you picked looks great, I must say." She said, a slight smirk creeping up the left side of her cheek. Tara looked down at her flowing floral skirt, long sleeve maroon Custo top with a owl on it, and started to wonder if Buffy was catching something she wasn't.
"W-What cemetery are we going to?" She asked, glad to notice her stutter had gotten lighter since Buffy and her talk at Giles'.
"Not a cemetery," Buffy said as they made their way down the stairs leisurely. "It's a Saturday night, so the Bronze should be pretty active. That means the Vamps will come to us. They'll be in the club, and it's our job to find them and take them out . . . and have some fun in between." She said winking at Tara. Willow smiled and slid down part of the banister, to which Buffy followed suit, and with a little apprehension the Sorceress did as well. {I can do this,} Tara thought {I can have fun. Shouldn't be too hard, Willow and Buffy seem to be pretty easy going.}. The taller girl was just hoping the Slayer had forgotten that Tara couldn't dance and she intended to teach her.
As the girls made their way towards a slightly more industrialized part of town that Tara wasn't very familiar with, they talked about all sorts of things. They talked about the spell they had coming up to find out who the commando guys were, classes they liked or disliked, teacher they were sure were some kind of demon is disguise, movies they wanted to see. It was all very casual and normal . . . for the average Scooby Gang member. And as Tara realized she was quickly becoming just that, she couldn't seem to wipe the grin from her face.
"Uh Buffy . . ." Tara said quietly as they made their way down an ally where music could be heard getting louder. They must have been approaching the Bronze, and there could be seen two people who might have just been making out, but Tara seriously doubted it. One of them seemed far too limp to just be kissing.
"I see them," Buffy stated quietly, keeping her stride even, "Act natural." She instructed, walking right past him, whipping out a stake and dusting him without a second glance. The girl fell to the ground, and Willow crouched down to look over her.
"She's alive." The redhead said a little less calm than before. "I think he drugged her, she just seems to be asleep." Buffy chuckled darkly.
"I don't know what's worse, using Roofies to rape girls, or for Vamps to feed off them." Buffy reached into her pocket and pressed some button on her speed dial. "Hello, Sunnydale Hospital?" There was a pause as the shorter girl took a deeper breath, "There's been a girl drugged at The Bronze on Industrial Avenue, she's been attacked with lacerations to the throat and needs assistance as soon as possible." She then hung up without another word, and Willow gently lay the girl's head back down on the cold ground.
"I'll take Tara inside, will you wait for the Meds?" Willow asked, seeming as though this was nothing more than flat-tire. Tara had never seen a Vampire feeding before, and the fact that her two friends were so nonchalant about it made her realize how many times this must have happened. as they made their way in, Buffy standing over the body, Tara handed the door-man her $8 and looked around the club for the first time.
It was nice. Not quiet what she'd expected, granted, but in a good way. There was a pool-table to one side of the club, a moderate yet formidable dance-floor which was loosely occupied by a number of people dancing, laughing and having fun to the songs the DJ was playing. Behind him there was an un-used drum set and a few amps that sat idly until the next band rotated through. Which Tara had learned was Oz's band, next Friday, to which she was going with the rest of the Scoobies for her first Dingo's Night. It was great; casual, and no one was dressed to impress. She could learn to like it here with minimal effort.
Willow led her to a small center table where Xander and Anya were sitting watching the people on the dance floor. Oz got up and hugged Willow, who gave a short little squeak of happiness at seeing her boy-friend. Dawn sat on a stool rubbing at a small black stamp on her hand, taking in everything about the club. {That must be the look on my face as well.} Tara thought laughing silently to her self.
"Tara!" Dawn yelled happily at seeing the Sorceress, "Hey! Isn't this place cool?" she said, taking Tara's hand and leading her to the last free chair. "I knew this place was cool . . . just wish there were some people here even remotely my age." She added on to the end a bit sadly. It was true, Dawn would have a little trouble blending in here for another year or two, but at least she seemed to like the place.
"Yeah, it's a lot different than I thought it would be." Tara said, looking to the door, checking to see if Buffy had come in yet, "Good job on that Science test, by the way." Tara said, looking back at the younger girl. Dawn looked confused until Willow nudged her, looking pointedly.
"Oh! Right! *That* science test!" Dawn said, as though she was only just getting it. "Yeah, that was all Willow; she totally saved me on that, I'm not so great with Physics." That confirmed it, {There is definitely something going on here} Tara wondered, {But what does it have to do with Willow and Dawn? And why doesn't Buffy know?}
"Hey gang!" Buffy said happily, popping up as though out of nowhere and surprising Tara more than anyone. "Save me a seat?" she asked, looking around and not finding one.
"You can have mine," Anya offered, "I was just thinking about moving to Xander's lap and making him squirm uncomfortably." The group sort of quieted after that, at which point the blushing brunette of a boy put a hand on his girl-friend's arm and spoke quietly in her ear so that no one could hear him. "But I thought you liked it?" She questioned loudly, making everyone (even Oz) raise an eye-brow. Xander simply chuckled again and took Anya by the arm out to the dance floor. Buffy followed them with her eyes, laughing silently and sitting down in their now empty chairs.
"Meds get here alright?" Willow asked. Buffy nodded, but it was with a scowl. "What happened? Did they blame you again?"
"Yeah," The blonde grumbled as she pulled off her coat, "They said that I seem to find too many injured or drugged bodies for it to just be an accident." Tara chuckled, having just wondered if they'd think the same thing. Buffy just smiled and continued. "I told them I have taken it upon myself to look out for the safety of my fellow clubbers; if there are too many deaths or unreported attacks they might shut the club down and I could think of nothing worse." By the end the tone of her voice was sickeningly sweet, and the table laughed. "How you holding up?" she asked, eyes falling on both Tara and her sister.
"Pretty good." They replied in unison. Buffy nodded, and got up.
"Save my seat, I'm gonna go get something from the Bar." She walked off, and soon after Willow got up as well.
"I'm going to go too, anybody want anything?" Dawn asked for another Pepsi and Tara asked for any kind of Orange Soda. Both Willow and Dawn exchanged pointed looks before the redhead followed the Slayer to the drink counter. Something was going on here, and she was going to figure out what.
"Do you dance?" Dawn asked her quickly, shaking her out of her thoughts. Tara shook her head sadly and looked at the floor. "Why not?" Tara laughed.
"I just c-can't. I tried to at m-my Winter formal last year, but it was s- s-so bad that people asked me to stop. I think I just don't have the ears for it; can't k-keep a beat v-very well." Dawn nodded. Tara looked down at the table, then back towards where Buffy and Willow were standing at the drink table. She hadn't even realized that Buffy had been looking at her. The blondes waved lightly at each-other, then turned back to their neighbors. Dawn was smiling slightly at her, making Tara fidget slightly.
"You and Buffy sure get along really well." She said slowly, as though she was leading up to something.
"Uh, y-yeah. She's, uh, very nice." Dawn rolled her eyes as if to say 'think whatever you want', and shook her head.
"I bet she could teach you to dance." Dawn offered, causing Tara to freeze slightly in her seat.
"Um, Dawn, look – "
"No, really, I bet she could!" she insisted, interrupting the Sorceress, "She taught Willow how to dance and she was pretty bad when they first met. I bet she wouldn't mind; she loves teaching people." Dawn laughed a little at that. "I mean, anyone could understand why, there's not much she's good at besides killing things and dancing." Tara gave her a surprised look, almost warning her to be nice, but before she could jump in to defend her, Willow put a bottle of Crush in front of her.
"Dawn, look," she started slowly, "Your s-sister already offered, and, um, I was sort of hoping she'd forget. I can't dance, and I'm f-fine with that." Dawn looked quickly at Willow, then back at Tara, "Besides, if I wanted her to teach me how to dance, I'd want it to be in privet." At that Dawn coughed on the sip of Pepsi she'd just taken. Tapping the young girl on the back, she continued. "I j-just mean . . . I w-wouldn't want to go through the embarrassing bumbling st-stages of learning with all these p-p- people around, you know?" the small brunette nodded, and took a slow drink again.
"Oz, did you see where Buffy went?" Willow asked her boy-friend, who's eyes were on the darker end of the club. The young man nodded, and leaned in to the table a bit to talk to his girl-friend.
"Yeah, I have an eye on her." He whispered stoically. Tara followed his eyes to where a man dressed in a polyester leisure suit was pulling a giggling Buffy by her hips into a dark corner. Tara looked around the group to see how they reacted to this. Tara felt a small burst of heat in her stomach of jealous anger, combined with a feeling of cold on her forearms of rejection. {She rather be with that out-of-style weirdo than hang out with me?} she thought sadly, {Am I really that dull?} But just then she saw his face contort into a mask of evil; he was a vampire. And then it all made sense.
"She let him think he was seducing her," she whispered to herself as she watched him suddenly burst into dust, "But she was the one doing the seducing."
"Works every time." Xander said quietly in her ear, back from the dance floor with Anya. Tara blushed, unaware that she'd been heard. Buffy briskly walked back to the table, dusting off the front of her shirt as she went. "Need a napkin?" The boy offered. Buffy chuckled and slipped her stake back into the back of her black leather pants.
"More like a dust-buster." She chuckled, finally giving up on her clothes. "Besides, I'd rather dance," she said happily, "Any takers?" she asked, sounding hopeful. Xander just groaned and plopped down heavily in his seat.
"Count me out," he grumbled, reaching down towards him shoes, "Anya stomped on my feet because she thought I was looking at another girl on the dance floor."
"You were looking at another girl on the dance floor, Xander." The table looked at Xander, waiting to hear what his comeback was going to be.
"Yeah, but I thought she was a vampire." Came his feeble excuse. Oz smiled at that, and Willow held in a laugh. Buffy looked around for any new takers, at which point Dawn nudged Tara so hard she almost became unbalanced. She looked at Dawn wide-eyed, who tried to look innocent. Nervously glancing back at Buffy she saw that the other blonde was looking at her expectantly, almost eagerly.
"We'll join you." Willow chimed in, taking Oz's hand and leading the way to the center of the club. Buffy stayed behind for an extra second.
"You sure you don't want to join us?" she asked, backing up towards the already happy dancing couple. Tara shook her head, smiling.
"Maybe later." She lied, but regretted it as soon as she said it, as Dawn gave out a loud squeak of joy, rivaled only by Willow's. "Dawn!" she said loudly, turning to face the smaller girl, "What do you think you're doing? You knew I don't dance, why would you do that?" Tara was upset, but she couldn't help it lessening as she saw the excited look on the girl's face.
"Are you really gonna dance later?" she asked excitedly. Tara hesitated, looking out to where Buffy already had a suitor trying to get her attention. "I - - Uhh . . . Well . . ." as she watched the Slayer gently push the boy away, smiling sadly and wink at her from so far way, she felt her courage build a little. "Um, yeah. I guess I could g-give it a shot." She said looking at Dawn who was smiling like a Cheshire Cat. She sipped her drink as listened to the music. It was active and the same sort of stuff you might hear on a popular radio station, though with out the annoying commercials.
She sat and talked to Xander about his job as a construction worker, getting to know him better, while Anya danced in her seat a little, later joining the rest of the Scoobys on the dance floor. She even played thumb wrestling with Dawn for a bit until a boy about her age came and asked her to dance. He must have been a year older, but he said he was there with his older brother as well. Under the table Xander poured a bit of Holy Water on her palm, and she extended it to shake his hand. He wasn't a vampire, but he did ask her if she was nervous. Explaining it away as there was a lot of condensation on her drink, they headed for the dance floor as well.
With Xander and Tara alone at the table now, they talked idly about the club, how long he'd known Buffy, what Tara was majoring in, and it was all well and good . . . until he started asking personal questions.
"So Tara," he asked jovially, taking the last sip of his beer, "Seeing anyone?" Tara looked up at him sharply, and he chuckled. "I'm not offering, don't worry; I'm just curious." Tara laughed apprehensively and looked down at her empty bottle of Crush.
"Uh, no, actually. I was sort of seeing someone but, we haven't seen each- other in a long time." She wanted to leave it intentionally vague, but she seemed to have peaked his interest.
"Really? What happened, you two lose touch when you left for college?"
"Not exactly." She said shortly, eyes fixed on the now larger group of people on the dance floor, trying to locate the Scoobys in the mass of it all. "They spent their second semester of senior year in New York on an arts scholarship program . . . they never came back and I haven't gotten a letter in months, so I'm pretty sure we're broken up." She said it flatly, though over time it'd caused her a lot of grief. She could see Xander nodding out of the corner of her eye. Then she felt a soft hand gently snake over her right shoulder.
"Hey," Buffy said close to her ear, "Wanna dance?" Tara turned to look at her, not knowing what to say. Suddenly, what little courage she had was depleted. Just as Tara started making violently stuttered and incomprehensible excuses not to, Buffy took her by the wrists and pulled her towards the dance-floor. "Come on! You said you'd let me teach you!" she said excitedly over the music.
"I never said that!" Tara yelled back, voice a bit higher than she remembered it last, "You j-just said you would without asking me if I w- wanted to learn!" Buffy just chuckled and pulled her towards the group of gathered Scoobys.
"Yeah, but you never said no!" Tara stood stock still on the floor, internally hoping that some terrible non-lethal danger would break out and they'd have to save someone or the club would have to be evacuated. But it didn't happen. She just stood there, completely motionless, until the song ended. Once the old song stopped and another fast one started again, Buffy sighed bemusedly and took the Blonde's hands again.
"Tara, come on. Is it really that terrible?" Tara nodded, and explained that she couldn't keep a beat. Buffy laughed at loud at that. "Can't keep a beat?!" she asked, sounding disbelieving, "You kept a perfect beat when you played that song for me! Just this time do it with your feet instead of your voice." The Slayer pulled her forward so they were a little less than arms length apart, telling her to spread her legs a bit more, she showed her how to move.
"Buffy, I don't think this is such a good idea." She warned, trying to figure out how Buffy got her body to move like that. "I'm not good at this kind of thing."
"Sure you are. Dancing is just like walking to a rhythm, making your movements flow. I know you can do that, I've seen you," she said, dancing behind Tara and talking a bit more quietly into her ear, "Your movements are really fluid as it is, just do it to the music." Tara tried to follow what she was saying, but it was hard; she couldn't dance! She never could dance! She wasn't any good at it; it just wasn't her thing. Wasn't the end of the world, so why did it matter? {Because it matters to Buffy.} She rationalized to herself.
"If I didn't know any better I'd say you were doing this so you'd hope I'd give up and you could sit back down." The blonde chuckled lightly.
"Is it working?" Tara joked back. Buffy just shook her head and gently grasped the Sorceress' hips, causing all of the taller girls movements to stop. She cupped the firm bones in her hands, and pressed her body lightly against Tara's back. Leaning forward and whispering in her ear, Buffy asked "Can you feel that?"
"Yes." She didn't know what she was supposed to be feeling, but she could feel a lot. She could feel her heart pounding in her chest, she could feel Buffy's curves pressed against her back, her hands at her sides, and her warm breath in her ear . . . and the slayer wanted to know if she could 'feel that'? "Yes, yes . . . I can feel it." Buffy chuckled deeply, and moved Tara's hips with her in a slow rhythm matching her own. It felt magical, and she was starting to wonder if it was. The way the fingers at her hips skated along her skin, the way this small woman seemed to have such a powerful hold on her body and her emotions; it was almost unreal.
They swayed slowly to a fairly fast song, looking a little out of sync, but if you'd asked Willow or any of the other Scoobys, they would have told you they looked nothing if not graceful. Buffy was all smiles; Tara was starting to get the hang of it, and she finally found where Tara's dancing talents were hidden away. Tara, on the other hand, was breathless, trying to keep it at a steady pace so the woman with her arms around her wouldn't notice, as she tried to keep her feet moving to the beat from the speaker rather than the pounding rhythm in her chest.
"Good Job Tara!" Dawn called happily as the song ended, her and her new friend dancing nearby. The Sorceress blushed, putting a hand over her red face. Willow congratulated her, saying that she could still barely dance, and even she didn't learn that quickly. Oz nodded, taciturn as ever, though the smile on his face gave it away; he was happy for her. Buffy on the other hand didn't say anything, simply let Tara go, though not letting her go too far. Her body was humming, and Tara's was too; she could tell. Something had happened, something had started, and whatever it was she wanted to see where it would end.
"I th-think I n-n-need another drink." Tara said a bit hurriedly, walking quickly over to the Bar. As she stood and waited for the bartenders attention to fall on her, she watched as a girl who was noticeably under age order a beer and have it handed to her without question. {Doesn't seem too bad right now,} Tara thought, {I feel like one huge frayed nerve right now. Might be nice to calm down a bit}
"Mind if I make a suggestion?" Buffy said, surprisingly close to her. Turing around she saw the small blond standing not two feet to her left, with a look on her face as though she knew what Tara had just been thinking. "Don't do it."
"Don't do what?" Tara asked, feigning ignorance. Buffy shrugged, and leaned on the bar herself, obviously thirsty herself.
"They charge you more if you're under age. That way they make more money. If you point it out to them, they'll ask for ID and they know a fake when they see one. So if I were you, I'd just go with a Soda and call it a night." Tara looked down at her shoes, feeling sort of sheepish. "Besides, it's pretty watery beer in most cases. Always ask for a bottle or a can if they have them." At that Tara looked up at her, eye-brow raised. Buffy's cheeks colored slightly, and she leaned her back to the flat-bed as she looked at the floor. "Look, just don't tell Dawn, okay? She'll spill to my mother faster than you can breath."
"Secrets safe with me." Tara said quietly. The bar-keep asked Buffy what she wanted and she ordered a Sprite, tooling to Tara as if to say 'you still want that beer?'. "A Crush, please?" She said quietly. He reached under the bar and handed them their drinks. Buffy tapped her plastic cup against Tara's glass bottle, and they chuckled.
"God Save The Hellmouth." She said, taking a deep drink. Tara smiled and sipped her soda, thankful that Buffy was so understanding about everything that had been going on tonight. She had meant what she'd said when the two Scoobys arrived at her door; she wasn't a drinker . . . but she was suddenly compelled to when Buffy had let go of her, and all of a sudden everyone was saying nice things to them. She couldn't explain why; it just was.
Tara sat back down, deciding that maybe she'd had enough dancing for one night. {But you only danced for 2 songs!} she berated herself, sort of embarrassed. {Yeah, but it was enough to last me a while I think} Buffy waved to her from the floor where she was dancing with a boy, his arms wrapped all the way around her waist. Tara blushed and nodded, before letting her hair fall into her face to hide her red cheeks. A little while later, after a few song had started and finished and Tara had finished her drink, Willow came up to her, all smiles, with Oz walking behind.
"Hey Tara!" Willow said happily, leaning on the table with her elbows, "It's getting sorta late so Buffy asked me to take Dawn home for her. You need a ride? Oz and I won't mind, we're headed back to campus as it is." Tara was just about to ask why Buffy wasn't coming hone with them, and why Willow and Oz were heading back to campus when Oz's apartment was on the way . . . when she looked out onto the dance floor and saw Buffy still dancing with the same guy, showing little intention in stopping. Her stomach suddenly felt like it was full of lead and her forehead felt cold. She nodded, and looked into her shoulder bag.
"Alright, we'll go in a few minutes. Oz just has to talk to Sal about Friday." And Willow trotted off towards the lady's room. After checking to make sure she had her wallet and her Tara felt a pair of hands on her shoulder.
"Not going home are you?" Buffy asked in her ear. Tara looked up and a smiling and bubbly Buffy. She felt far less eager to talk to her. she didn't think it was like Buffy to pick up guys at a bar, to have one night stands. {On come on MaClay! That was just your wishful thinking! You don't know her at all! Parker was spewing all kinds of dirty comments about her just a couple of weeks ago . . . besides; she's in college, she's a grown girl, there are her mistakes to make – Choices! I meant choices!}. Tara silenced her inner thoughts and just nodded, to which Buffy frowned.
"What? You're leaving? Already?!" Buffy asked, sounding surprised. She shook her head, and grabbed the Sorceress' hand between her own. "Come on! I finally found where you're a really good dancer; just want to test out one more theory." She tugged the taller blond towards the dance floor, but Tara barely got more than out of her chair. Looking back at the Wicca, Buffy frowned, not understanding.
"What about that boy?" Tara asked slowly, "The one you were with before?" Buffy blushed, and ran a hand through her slightly wavy hair. "Won't he mind?"
"I don't think he will." Buffy started confidently. She stood next to Tara, not letting go of her hand, and pointed with her free arm to where the young man was now leaning against the bar talking up a severely drunk girl that looked like she was about to puke. "I learned too little – too late that what he wanted was more than just a good time and a dance partner at the Bronze . . ." Tara smiled slightly as she heard this, and the girl took off running for the bathroom; the young man chasing after her. "So? Will you at least dance with me just one more time?" The Slayer pulled out all the stops; puppy-eyes, that big pouty lip, wet and shiny from her lips gloss, and Tara folded like a towel.
"Just the one?" She asked again, making sure. Buffy crossed her heart and nodded, pulling Tara to the dance area.
"Just until Willow and Oz take you home." She said, not looking up. The song changed almost as soon as they reached the floor, and Tara recognized it the second the first notes started playing. Stopping her dancing and looking up towards the ceiling, as though expecting to see and explanation. As though something took control of her motor functions, she looked to the side, eyes not focused on anything and started walking off the dance floor. Buffy followed her and grabbed her wrist gently, trying to get the Sorceress' attention. Tara looked down at her, confused, where as Buffy looked back at her even more so.
"It's a slow song." She said as thought hat explained something. Buffy's eyes widened and she nodded really slowly as if to say 'yes; one plus one *does* equal two'. Tara looked to the hand on her wrist then back at Buffy, her mouth suddenly dry as she forced the next sentence out of her mouth. "You know Buffy . . . not all couples are boy – girl . . . there are a few people here who know about me being . . . if they see me dancing with you," she took a moment to take another breath, no longer able to look at Buffy so she stared at the floor. "They might get the impression that you're more than . . . trying to teach me to dance." She added quickly. But when she heard Buffy giggle, her head shot up to look at the shorter girl.
"Tara, I know that not all girls dance with boys . . ." she said reassuringly, taking Tara's other hand and walking her backwards back onto the dance floor again. "And you say people thinking we're a couple like it's a bad thing," She said laughing a little, "What? I'm not good enough for you, or are Slayers just not your type?" Tara gave a short laugh, looking down as she felt Buffy's arms wrap around her neck as the slow lyrics started to soothe over her nervous mine. Putting her hands a little stiffly on the other blonde's hips, she tried to concentrate on the words rather than the beautiful girl in her arms.
"I can feel the magic floating in the air,
Being with you gets me that way,
I watch the sunlight dance across your face,
And I have never been this swept away."
As Tara and Buffy took their first awkward steps, the blonde smiled at each other, though Tara's was more nervous. She was not good at dancing, yet Buffy seemed convinced otherwise. And as her every thought tried to stay focused on not stepping on the shorter girls toes (instead of the arms looped around her neck) and the words to the song (instead of the tingle through her body at her fingers touching Buffy's exposed skin) she swished and swayed, and tried to act natural.
"All my thoughts just seem to settle on the breeze,
When I'm lying wrapped up in your arms,
The whole world just fades away,
The only thing I hear;
Is the beating of your heart,"
"And I can feel you Breathe,
It's washing over me,
And suddenly I'm melting into you,
Nothing left to prove,
Baby all we need is just to be,"
Tara tried not to look at the other people on the dance-floor. She knew they would all be same sex couples glaring at her and Buffy, that's the way it always was. She tried not to look at Buffy because the smile on the other girl's face made her think things that would only hurt her later; things that could never happen. But she could feel Buffy's breath on her neck and the trail of her eyes as the perused her body again as they had in her dorm, and it made it so hard not to look back.
"Caught up in the touch,
The slow and steady rush,
Baby isn't that the way that love's supposed to be?
I can feel you breathe...
Just Breathe!"
"In a way I know my heart is waking up,
As all the walls come tumbling down,
Closer than I've ever felt before,
And I know, and you know,
There's no need for words right now,"
Tara couldn't help herself, she was only human. She looked down into the soft hazel eyes of her dance partner and melted. They were so big, gentle, and innocent she wondered how they could have ever stayed that way seeing the things Buffy had seen in her short life. She wrapped her arms a little more around the smaller girl, pulling her closer, and she notice the way the Slayer wrapped her arms a little tighter around her neck as well. As their faces were pulled closer together, and she saw how near their lips could meet, her breath became short, and she couldn't tear her eyes away from that soft little mouth...
"And I can feel you Breathe,
It's washing over me,
And suddenly I'm melting into you,
Nothing left to prove,
Baby all we need is just to be,"
"Caught up in the touch,
The slow and steady rush,
Baby isn't that the way that love's supposed to be?
I can feel you breathe...
Just Breathe!"
She didn't know what it was; maybe it was the music, maybe it was magic, maybe it was temptation and teasing her with things she thought she'd never have; but it happened. Without thinking, without blinking, Tara leaned in and pressed her lips to Buffy's in a soft, yielding, and loving kiss. And as she watch the Slayer's eyes drift close, and felt the warm breath of her sigh from her nose, Tara fell into her kiss, dizzy with passion. Whatever had caused her to do it, she wanted it, and now that she had it she didn't want to let go. Pulling Buffy flush against her body, she kissed the smaller blonde with every element of her being.
"Caught up in the touch,
The slow and steady rush,
Baby isn't that the way that love's supposed to be?
I can feel you breathe...
"Just Breathe,
I can feel the magic floating in the air,
Being with you gets me that way..."
As the song slowed, so did their kiss, both trying to draw out the last seconds of it, reluctant to let go even to breathe. As they pulled away from one another, and Tara watch Buffy's eyes open, she couldn't help the feel of panic that came with slamming back to reality.
Looking past Buffy's shoulder, and seeing the assembled Scoobies staring she felt as though every speck of air had been sucked out of the room. Xander was bug-eyed, dropped jaw and all, while Willow was looking on with a hand over her moth, while Dawn was jumping up and down with her back to them, shaking Willow. Anya looked like she was trying to figure out what was going on and Oz just stood there with his normal non-committal look, though he did seem to be hiding some expression with his eyes.
Not taking a second to look back at Buffy, Tara tore out of the Bronze as fast as her terrified legs would carry her...
She also completely missed the smile on the Slayers face, but was saved the agony of watching it fall as she witnessed Tara's scared departure from the club. With one brief glance at the Scoobies, she ran after the startled blonde Sorceress, and out into the night.
( To Be Continued . . . )
~ VixenRaign ~
WARNING! Un-Beta'd!!!
