Jax's first order of business is to get them a drink. He uncaps her Zima for her and mixes a drink for himself, talking loudly to a group of guys. Tara hovers near him, trying to seem relaxed and casual, even though her hands are shaking and the condensation on the bottle makes it hard to grip.
"Stop looking like someone popped a lemon in your mouth." Donna comments quietly, moving to stand next to Tara.
"I'm trying to look casual." Tara complains. "Do you think people think I look like a bitch?"
"Well I don't think you look like a bitch but you know, that's just because I know you." Donna teases, reaching inside the pantry and producing a bag of chips. "Want to come with me to see Carl Manson try to walk on hot coals?"
"He's not really going to." Tara says, alarmed. "Because he will burn himself." Donna shrugs, eating a handful of chips. "I'm gonna go stop someone from doing something very stupid." Tara warns Jax and he grins, waving as she hurries outside.
She's too late to stop Carl, so instead she helps him hobble inside, bandaging his feet and sitting him down on the couch with strict orders not to stand or walk. When this is done, she goes on the hunt for Jax. She stops on the porch, breathing in the night air and enjoying the cooling day.
"How's Doctor Tara doing?" He mummers in her ear, coming behind her and resting a hand on her waist.
"Saw Carl did you?" She mutters, amused. Laughing, he turns her around and hugs her.
"He's doing keg stands because apparently that doesn't break your orders." He informs her, amused. She groans and shakes her head. "But because I knew you'd have that reaction, I brought you this." He holds up another Zima.
"How do you know me so well already?" She teases, taking a drink.
"I just know that you can't handle Jack and Coke yet." He kisses her head in a surprising display of affection. Tara takes a sip and pretends she doesn't notice the stares and whispers of girls across the porch. "Want to join Donna and Op down at the fire?"
"Sure." She agrees easily and he keeps an arm slung around her shoulder as they wander around the house.
"How's Carl?" Opie asks, looking up from his beer.
"Still an idiot." Tara retorts, sitting down beside Jax on a couch that someone's drug outside.
"Well, it's reassuring that some things never change." Donna says, grinning.
"Are you having fun?" Jax asks her quietly in her ear and she looks around, watching as Donna laughs, trying to tell the story of the time Opie nearly tipped the bike because she wanted ice cream so bad. Jax is radiating heat so that even if the warmth of the fire doesn't reach any further than her ankles, she's cozy. The world is fuzzy, but not warped, and her drink pleasantly makes her shoulders relax.
"I am." She realizes, smiling slowly at him. "I really am."
"Good." He pulls her in just a little closer. "Me too."
"Wow, aren't they adorable?" Donna mutters to Opie, nudging him and pointing towards Tara and Jax. The couple is sitting on the couch, heads bent together, laughing. Jax has a protective arm wrapped around Tara's slim shoulders and her legs are curled up under her as she talks animatedly with her hands, her half empty bottle sloshing dangerously up the sides, nearly spilling.
"Just cute as a button." Opie says dryly and Donna frowns at him.
"Aren't you even just a little proud of them?" She asks and he raises an eyebrow.
"Am I proud that Jax has finally managed to sit down with one girl for two minutes? Sure. It's been great, not having to chase him around all night." He stretches his legs out and relaxes. Donna rolls her eyes.
"We're responsible for that." She gestures to them. "We created it. Like a little baby. We had a little baby!"
"Don't get ahead of yourself." Opie warns, looking slightly worried. "We don't have any babies."
"Really?" Donna arches one eyebrow and he makes a face, acknowledging his face. "Cause we totally have a kid, it's called Tax."
"Tax." Opie echoes her then gives her a tired look. "Should I even ask why?"
"Like if you combine Tara and Jax, you get Tax." She says, as though it should be obvious.
"What about Jara?" He suggests and she opens her mouth then stops, thinking it over.
"We can try both out and see what we like best." She grumbles. He grins, tapping her wrinkled nose with a finger.
"You already know you like mine best, that's why you look so grumpy." He reminds her and she sticks her tongue out and hops up, prancing away.
"I'm getting more drinks, anyone want anything?" She asks their small group. Jax holds up a red cup.
"How many drinks have you had?" Tara asks him in slight concern.
"More than you." Jax's smile is broad. "I can't help it, I'm usually busy. When I'm just sitting here with you, all I have to do is drink."
"Maybe put more Coke than Jack in this one." Tara suggests to Donna. "And a Zima for me."
"Think you can handle it?" Opie teases and Tara sighs, looking at Jax, who's gotten up and is whooping, cheering on two guys wrestling at the edge of the light cast by the fire.
"I think I need to walk the fine line of being buzzed enough that I don't kill him, but sober enough that I can still take care of him." She muses.
"As someone that has walked that line many a nights, I will drink to that." Opie raises a bottle and drinks while she laughs.
"You're a good friend Opie." She mutters and he raises an eyebrow at her. She's still watching Jax, a thoughtful expression on her face.
"Why's that?"
"He's not easy to love, is he?" She looks at him with her hazel eyes and for a second, with her curling dark hair and pale skin, Opie sees how young she is.
"He has his ups and downs." He admits evasively.
"Why do I feel there's more ups than downs?" Tara asks dryly and he sighs. "I'm not saying I don't like him or want to try and love him." She says hastily. "I just…"
"You can't have any problems in your life because you're always so busy working out his?" Opie suggests.
"Ah." Tara wraps her arms around her legs and thinks on this for a moment. "You know, when you put it like that."
"The thing is Tara, you do have your own problems." He reminds her. "You lost your mom, your dad is a worthless pile of flaming shit. You can't use Jax and his issues to distract you from your own. Because then one morning you're going to wake up and have to face your own shit."
"So what you're saying is that I need to focus on me instead of Jax?" Tara squints at him.
"No, focus on Jax. Takes some pressure off of me to watch him." Opie grins at her and Tara smiles back. "But don't let him suck you up into his shit. Sometimes, you're going to need to take a step back and figure out your own. And if you're there for him for his bad times, you need to make sure he's there for yours. You need balance. That's how it works."
"Is that what you and Donna do? She's there when your dad is sick, you're there when her dad threatens to take her away?" Tara watches him quietly and Opie takes a drink even though there's nothing left in the bottle.
"The good and the bad." He says quietly. "You make it work, you don't just give up." Tara senses that he's no longer talking to her so she flicks her gaze back to Jax. He's now wrestling, his blond hair reflecting the fire.
"Should I be worried about this?" She wonders aloud after a couple minutes.
"No, he'll stop, watch this." Donna says confidently, coming back with a beer, two Zimas, and a solo cup. Opie takes the drinks from her, popping the tops off. Donna puts two fingers in her mouth and whistles sharply. "Jax! Your drink is here." She yells.
"Oh sweet." He easily untangles himself from the other guy, patting his head and jogging over.
"I've done that a time or two." Donna explains to Tara's quizzical look. "You missed a lot of parties."
"Hey babe." Jax collapses down on the couch next to her with a rather sloppy kiss on her cheek. Tara looks at him in surprise.
"Well hi?" She says unsurely. He takes his drink from Donna, looking at her with wide, puppy dog eyes.
"I hope you don't move." He says suddenly, sincerely.
"Me either." Donna smiles down at him fondly.
"I love you Donna." He mutters, closing his eyes.
"Oh, I love you too Jax."
"You're so good for Op. He's my best friend."
"I know Jax."
"How drunk is he?" Tara hisses to Opie.
"Oh, this is pretty drunk." Opie observes and Donna nods. "Drink your Zima, then I'll help you put him to bed ok?"
"Ok." Tara unsurely takes a sip. As the night progresses, Jax's limbs seem to get longer and limper, splaying out over Tara and the whole couch. She's unbothered by the weight- the last Zima, plus sips of whatever Donna made later are making her lightheaded and sleepy.
"Alright." Donna says finally, elbowing Opie in the side. He tears his eyes away from watching an argument between a short man and a very tall woman to blink down at her. "We're putting the children to sleep now."
"What?" He asks, frowning slightly. Donna rolls her eyes and gestures to Tara and Jax, giggling in the corner of the couch, heads lolling back. "Ah."
"Uh huh." Donna says, unimpressed. "C'mon children." She gets up, clapping her hands.
"What?" Tara looks up, breathlessly laughing as Jax nuzzles her neck. She tries to push him away but he's relentless.
"I can't stomach this." Opie states behind her.
"It's sort of endearing, in an odd way." Donna says thoughtfully and Opie shakes his head.
"No, not at all."
"Let's go, get up, before Daddy Opie refuses to help." She orders, pulling Tara to her feet. Opie is a little less gentle with Jax- He grabs him by the scruff of his neck and yanks him up.
"Where are we going?" Tara asks curiously, her eyes wide.
"You two are going to bed." Donna says firmly.
"I'm not tired." Jax protests and Donna shuts her eyes for a brief moment to compose herself. Then she ushers them up the stairs and into the house. The party is clearly winding down, people asleep on various surfaces. Opie retrieves the key to the bedrooms from behind a picture of 9 men on motorcycles and unlocks on.
"In you go." He gives Jax a perhaps stronger than necessary shove.
"Not. Tired." Tara's muttering.
"Tell us that in the morning." Donna says kindly then shuts the door behind them. "Man, we're gonna be some great parents."
"We've got years of practice ahead of us." Opie reminds her and Donna smiles slyly, slipping arm in arm with him as he unlocks the other bedroom.
"What other things can we practice?" She asks with faux innocence and he hastily locks the door behind them.
"They act like our parents." Jax grumbles, sitting on the edge of the bed, rocking back and forth as he pulls off his shoes and then his socks.
"They think they are our parents." Tara is laying in the middle of the bed, giggling.
"Stupid." Jax pulls off his shirt and hand it to her. She looks at it in confusion. "To sleep in." He explains. "Unless you want to sleep in jeans."
"Oh." Suddenly nervous, Tara looks down at the fabric in her hands, wringing them. "Jax, I, um, well I've never…"
"What?" He asks, wiggling out of his jeans so he's just in his boxers. Tara keeps her gaze averted upwards.
"I've never done anything with a guy and I don't… I'm not… Ready." She says slowly.
"Ok." Jax agrees easily and she glances at him. "I just want you to have something comfy to sleep in."
"Oh." Surprised, Tara slowly stands up and pulls the teeshirt on. It hangs down to nearly her knees. Jax clothes his eyes while she undresses, nearly tipping over a couple times. Eventually, she finally collapses into bed.
"Hey." Jax says softly and she turns to look up at him, eyes wide. "I'm not going to push you for anything you don't want to do, ok?"
"I know." Her eyes are drooping, fading fast into unconsciousness. "I trust you."
"Good." Even as drunk as he is, Jax is coherent enough to know that this is a big deal for Tara. Tara with the broken family, the awful father, with all her walls and trust issues. So the next thing out of his mouth seems extremely logical. "Then be my girlfriend."
"What?" Tara jolts up out of bed, looking at him in disbelief. Jax would sit up with her, but his head is too heavy so he stays where he is against the pillows, grinning like an idiot.
"Be my girlfriend." He repeats, his words slurring only slightly. "I want you to be my girlfriend."
"Why?" Tara demands and he shrugs slightly.
"Because I love you."
AN: Alright crew, I left you on a cliffhanger because I expect a little more reviews this week- so many of you read and don't review, please show your lovely, smiling faces! (And nice words. But constrictive criticism never hurt anybody, expect maybe a couple group projects.)