A Fluke Between Two Wiccans

by spikeme4now

Tara started at UC Sunnydale during Willow’s senior year of high school. This story shows what would’ve happened if the two witches had met then, instead of at the Wicca group the following year.

6. Chapter 6a

Hi guys, after a long time of not updating, I finally have something
that's ready to be read...

Chapter 6 is a very long and drawn out chapter, which is why I've
ended up breaking it into 3 separate parts - A, B, and C.

I've just finished putting the final touches on Part A. Parts B and
C aren't quite ready yet however. They haven't even been given up
for beta reading.

What's more, I've got exams coming up now over the next few weeks,
so I'll be unable to work on the last parts. My final exam is on
the 21st of November, so after that's been taken care of, I'll be
able to focus on my writing.

Title: A FLUKE BETWEEN TWO WICCANS (6/12)

Author: Spikeme4now4200
Email: spikeme4now@optusnet.com.au
URL:
Distribution: Everywhere and anywhere, just let me know where.
Copyright: 2003
Spoilers: It would help if you've seen season 3.

FEEDBACK: Yes Please!!!! I would really appreciate feedback on this story; I'll reply to anyone who emails me. Constructive criticisms are very welcomed; outright flames will be ignored.

Category: Alternate Universe (Willow and Tara met during Willow's senior year of high school).

Pairing: Willow/Tara Rating: PG-13 (first 5 chaps) R to NC-17 for the rest.

Disclaimer: This Story is mine. However, I don't own the Buffyverse or any of the characters created by Joss Whedon et al; you all know who they are. I don't wish to harm them; I simply want to play with them a little :-)

SUMMARY: Tara started at UC Sunnydale during Willow's senior year of high school. This story shows what would've happened if the two witches had met then, instead of at the Wicca group the following year.

Author's Notes: We know Tara was born in 1980; and since Willow graduated in the class of '99; that would mean our blonde Wiccan was 18 going on 19 during that year. Theoretically that would make her old enough to be at college; depending on when her birthday was. Furthermore; since it was never established exactly when Tara started college, my storyline could technically have taken place . . . in my own mind anyway . . .

Note: A very special thanks goes to Susan Carr for beta reading. :-)

***
CHAPTER 6a
***

"Hi Oz," Willow greeted her ex-boyfriend as she and Tara reached the front gates of the school grounds.

"Hey," the young man smiled at the two girls, not quite knowing what to say. This was the first time he'd seen Willow since 'that' night, and naturally he felt a little uncomfortable. "So," he ventured, deciding to speak his mind. "The two of you are.?"

Willow shook her head instantly. "Oh no," she glanced nervously towards Tara and then back at Oz, "we, uh.we're not, um.I mean."

"We're just f-f-friends," Tara supplied as Willow looked to her for support. She too felt uncomfortable with the situation.

"Oh," Oz replied stoically, furrowing his brow in confusion. What did that mean? Was Tara not interested in Willow? Had Willow changed her mind about how she felt about Tara? Or had Willow decided she wasn't gay.?

Willow and Tara glanced at each other for a brief moment, both having noted the young man's confusion. But what were they to say?

"Um," Willow spoke up first, figuring since Oz was 'her' ex-boyfriend, that 'she' should be the one to explain. "We, uh.we spoke and um.Tara thought it'd be, um.best if we were just friends.at least until I, um, figure out some stuff.come out to everyone.you know...?"

"Right," Oz smiled. Despite himself, he couldn't help but admire Tara.

"Hey guys," Buffy greeted them, having just arrived on campus.

"Hey Buff," Willow smiled. "What's up?"

"I'm in recovery mode," Buffy explained as they began walking up the steps towards the school.

"Recovery mode?" Tara questioned the Slayer with a smirk. "Tough night patrolling?"

"SAT nightmares," she sighed.

Tara chuckled in response and shared a smile with Willow. "Oh, I remember those. I kept dreaming my No. 2 pencil would break, and by the time I finished sharpening it, the exam would be over."

"Aww, poor baby," Willow giggled, grasping Tara's hand. "You must've done okay though.what with your scholarship and all?"

Tara squeezed Willow's hand as they neared the quad. "Yeah," she blushed modestly.

Willow beamed with pride and squeezed Tara's hand back affectionately. As they continued walking, Willow didn't let go of her friend's hand, choosing instead to lace their fingers together.

Oz couldn't help noticing this, but did his best to stay calm. If he wanted to remain friends with his ex-girlfriend, he was going to have to get used to the subtle displays of affection between her and Tara.

"Mine was monsterific," Buffy interjected, oblivious to all but her own problems. "I dreamed that the whole exam paper was possessed by the SAT demon," she continued.

"The SAT demon?" Tara smirked. "Never heard of that one before."

"It was scary," Buffy chuckled. "First, all the words kept jumping out of the paper and trying to blind me."

"You got them all though?" Willow asked mockingly. "Slayed them."

Buffy smiled good-naturedly at her best friend's ribbing. "Yeah, but that wasn't the end of it."

"There was more?" Tara prompted with a grin.

"The answer sheet got possessed, too."

"You're kidding," Willow chuckled.

"Nope," Buffy shook her head in response. "And then I was being chased by an improperly filled-in answer bubble screaming, 'none of the above!' "

"Wow! I hope that wasn't one of your prophecy dreams," Willow teased. "Probably not," she stammered, off Buffy's stern look

"Hey, you know, I took it last year," Oz piped in. "I could help you get ready. There's this whole trick to antonyms, but.this isn't the place."

Willow smiled at this, feeling proud despite the 'ex' status of their relationship. Even though she wasn't in love with Oz, she still cared for him a great deal.

"Oz is the highest-scoring person ever to fail to graduate," Willow turned towards her ex instinctively, momentarily forgetting that they weren't together any more.

Tara moved her eyes to the ground uncomfortably. While she didn't begrudge Oz, she did however feel a little disgruntled. She couldn't help but be reminded of his history with Willow and it brought her thoughts to a very disturbing place, leading her to question Willow's recent decisions.

Oz felt pleased one moment, and then uncomfortable the next. As he and Willow made eye contact, he could see the warmth and affection she held for him. But then he remembered they were no longer together and his mood quickly shifted.

As soon as the words left her mouth, Willow instantly realised what she'd done. She then moved her eyes from Oz, to Tara and then down to the floor, chastising herself for making everyone uncomfortable.

"Isn't she cute when she's proud?" Buffy teased, completely unaware of everyone's discomfort.

"She's always cute," Oz smiled softly, unable to resist speaking his mind.

Willow blushed at the compliment as Tara continued to look at the ground uncomfortably, causing the young man to instantly regret his words.

"We could work on it tonight," Willow turned to Buffy, hoping to break the tension.

"Work on what tonight?" Xander inquired as he and Cordelia came up from behind them.

"Oh God," Cordelia sighed. "Are we killing something again?"

"Only my carefree spirit," Buffy quipped.

"Buffy SAT prep," Oz explained, doing his best to avoid eye contact with Willow and Tara.

"Um, my exit," Tara suddenly stopped walking. "I promised to return these to Giles," she held up a couple of books. "And I've got class in a while."

"Oh," Willow sighed, turning to face Tara head on. "Right, library."

"Yeah," Tara smiled back, reluctant to let go of Willow's hand.

"I'll see you later then," Willow said softly, her eyes locked with Tara's.

"Later," Tara whispered back, tentatively releasing her grip.

Willow watched dazedly as Tara headed in the direction of the library, unable to take her eyes off her friend. She was unconsciously checking her out, taking in the way her light blue jeans accentuated her curvaceous backside, the way her long hair bounced with every step.

"Hey," Oz tapped her shoulder, interrupting her thoughts. "You coming?" he asked her gently, wanting to save her some embarrassment.

"Huh?" Willow turned to face Oz, who was now pointing up ahead at the rest of the gang. "Oh," she blushed, embarrassed to be caught staring at Tara. "I, um.I-I-I."

"Come on," Oz smiled, grasping her hand with his.

Willow smiled warmly at her ex-boyfriend as they joined up with the rest of the gang. She was glad there weren't any hard feelings between them. She knew it would become increasingly harder for her to keep her secret and when she did finally come out, Oz was definitely someone she'd be looking to for support.

***

"Mr. Giles?" Tara called out as she entered the library.

"Tara," Giles smiled, standing up from behind the counter. "It's nice to see you."

"Hello Mr. Giles," Tara walked up to the front counter. "I brought your books," she placed them down on the bench. "They were very helpful."

"I'm glad to hear it," he said, moving out from behind the counter and motioning for Tara to follow him as he walked up the steps. The spells in those books were designed specifically to test a person's level of concentration and control. "How did Willow fare?"

Tara smiled as Giles began shelving the stack of books he held in his hands. "She was great," Tara beamed with pride. "She managed each spell almost perfectly. Some of them she only had to attempt once before she executed them. She was amazing. You should have seen her Mr. Giles, the way she's improved in just a short time."

Tara chuckled as she broke off her ramble. She found it slightly ironic how speaking about Willow seemed to actually infect her with patented Willow- babble. She was extremely proud of her student though, and she wasn't ashamed to admit it.

"I-I-I guess I'm j-j-just proud of her," Tara smiled shyly. "She's, um, very special."

Giles looked down at the young Wiccan with affection. It pleased him greatly to know that Willow had such a caring magickal teacher-one who was also her friend, and had her best interests at heart. What pleased him even more was that Willow had stopped going to Amy for advice about magick, but instead received all her information and instruction from Tara.

He had always been wary of Amy on account of her mother, and his dislike of the girl had manifested itself fully after she'd turned Buffy into a rat. Regardless of the fact she'd been under a love spell at the time. She was the one who'd cast it anyway.

"Yes," Giles said in agreement. "Willow is very special, and I'm glad to see she's found such a caring teacher."

Tara blushed as Giles began walking back down the stairs. She wasn't used to being praised or complimented, and Giles' opinion meant a lot to her. He was the father figure of the group, and in the short time that she'd known him, she too had begun to look on him as a surrogate father. He was everything her own father wasn't.

"I can see how much you care about her," Giles continued, motioning for Tara to sit down at a nearby desk. He then quickly took a seat opposite her. "Willow is.I see a lot of myself in her and I worry that she'll."

"Give in to darkness like you did?" Tara surmised, sensing the general drift of his thoughts.

"Yes," Giles automatically replied, before he realised exactly what Tara was implying. "Wait," he took off his glasses and began cleaning them, feeling suddenly uncomfortable. How did Tara know about his past? "Willow told you.?"

"Yeah," Tara smiled softly. This was a talk she'd wanted to have for a long time now, but had been waiting for the right opportunity. "I-I could sense the d-darkness in you when we first met and I asked Willow about it. I knew it was in your past, but.that kind of darkness."

"It never actually leaves you," Giles sighed, putting his glasses back on. "So you can see why I worry about Willow? She is extremely bright and her inherent power is a lot stronger than mine and.and if she ever."

"She could end up destroying not only herself." Tara sighed, leaving the rest of the sentence unfinished.

Giles nodded in agreement. "Yes. But now that you've taken it upon yourself to train her, I have to admit, some of my worries have been laid to rest."

"I'm not so sure you should relax just yet Mr. Giles," Tara said softly.

"Why is that?" Giles frowned. What was Tara getting at? Was there something about Willow's use of magicks that she hadn't told him?

"Willow entered the world of m-m-magick by doing that curse," Tara began. "I'm scared that by awakening her power with dark magicks.it's got to be a bad thing. And even though I don't sense darkness in Willow, I do sense a potential for it. If she'd awakened her magick properly."

Giles agreed with everything Tara had just said, and couldn't believe he hadn't thought of it himself. Maybe it would be better if Willow didn't practice magicks at all.at least that way she wouldn't be in danger. But he could tell by Tara's determined tone of voice, that she had something else in mind.

"What are you suggesting?" He interrupted, wanting to get straight to the point. "I can see you've thought about this."

"I have," Tara smiled. She'd spent a long time researching cleansing rituals on account of her inner demon. After finding out about Willow's curse though, her motivation had doubled. If she could find something that could both rid her of evil and cleanse her of all darkness, then that very same ritual could be used on Willow as well.

"Willow needs to go through a cleansing ritual. I've done a lot of research on the subject, but I still haven't found exactly what I need. I, um.I was hoping you might know of something.maybe have some books we could research. I don't want to tell Willow about this until I've found a way to help her. She'll just get worried and.and I don't want to scare her. I don't want her thinking she has darkness inside her. Because she doesn't.not exactly."

Giles was utterly amazed by the great insight Tara had just shown. A cleansing ritual? Of course! Why hadn't he thought of it before?

"I'm impressed Tara," he smiled at the young girl. "You've obviously given a great deal of thought to this, and I commend you for it. Although, in retrospect, I should have come to the same conclusion. Curses are not a part of the Wiccan way, so naturally there are side effects. And you are absolutely right. We need to find a ritual as soon as possible."

Giles stood up and headed over towards his office. He was quite excited now. "I have a few books in the back room that could be of use," he said over his shoulder. "But I'm sure the council has a more extensive collection. I will give them a call right now and ask them to send over any books they have on the subject."

Tara waited patiently while Giles spoke on the phone, feeling excited herself. Not only would she now have a better chance at finding a cure, she would also have a way of helping Willow. What's more, she was constantly afraid of hurting not only Willow, but her friends as well, and as long as her demon-side lay within her, she'd never feel right asking Willow to be her girlfriend. Although, for right now, Willow was far from ready for a relationship anyway. But in the future.

"It's settled then," Giles made his way back to where Tara was sitting, interrupting her thoughts. "The books should be here as soon as the request is approved."

"That's great," Tara beamed.

"But until then, you can have a look through these," he placed three books on the table in front of her. "I'll see if I can locate some more as well, and if I find anything useful I will call and let you know."

"Thank you very much, Mr. Giles," Tara accepted the books graciously. "Do you have my number?"

"Just a moment," Giles turned around and headed over towards the counter to grab a pen and some paper.

"Here you go Mr. Giles," Tara handed back the pad once she'd written down her address and telephone number. "And thanks again. I really don't want Willow to worry, you know?"

"I understand," Giles said with a smile. "She does have a tendency to be a touch sensitive. And I think discretion is best in this matter."

"Right," Tara agreed as she stood up. "Well, anyway, thanks again for the books, but I.I've got a class to get to and."

"Of course," Giles followed her as she headed towards the exit. "Your studies must come first."

"Goodbye Mr. Giles."

"Oh, Tara," Giles called out, pausing her in her tracks.

"Yes?" Tara turned around from where she stood in the doorway.

"We can drop the formalities," he smiled warmly. "Call me Giles.okay?"

Tara couldn't remember the last time she'd felt so touched. With his simple directive, Giles had let her know he'd accepted her into the fold.

"Okay.Giles," Tara grinned, blinking away a few stray tears as she walked through the doors.

***

As she made her way down the halls of Sunnydale High, Tara took a slight detour towards the cafeteria. She knew that's where Willow and the others had been heading towards, and was hoping they were still there. She wanted to say goodbye one last time before leaving for class. She was hopelessly in love-she knew it. But what was she to do? She just couldn't get enough of her Willow. And one last look at her smile, a quick grasp of the hand.well, that couldn't hurt.right?

When she entered the cafeteria, Tara frowned at all the commotion. What was going on here? Why were there so many people? And what was with the boxes of chocolates? Glancing around the room, Tara smiled when she spied Willow and the gang in a corner, each of them holding a box of chocolates.

"Hey," she greeted the Scoobies, although her eyes met and fixed on Willow's alone. "What's going on here?"

"Hey Tara," Willow smiled, pushing down the urge to reach for her and pull her into a warm hug. Instead, she merely reached her hand out and briefly touched Tara's arm in greeting.

"Snyder's using us as free labour," Cordelia ventured, holding up her own box. "It's unfair. I mean, we're not even in the band, and we're forced to sell these like.like some kind of common salespeople. There should be a law against this. Imagine, 'me' as a salesgirl. What's the world coming to?"

"Right," Xander chuckled, intending to let go with some snide remark. However, he got a sudden flash of guilt over his actions with Faith the other morning, so decided against it. "Snyder's a bad, bad man," he quipped instead.

As if on cue, Snyder chose that moment to spot the new member of their group, and walked over towards them. "You," he growled at Tara. "Why don't you have a box?" He grabbed one from the nearest pile and handed it to Tara. "You think you're too good for this?"

"U-u-u-um n-n-n-n-n-no s-s-s-s-sir," Tara stammered nervously. She graciously accepted the box from Snyder, placing it on top of the books she'd borrowed from Giles.

"This isn't the first time I've seen you with this group of delinquents," Snyder continued, ignoring the girl's sudden distress. "I'll be keeping an eye on you." He said menacingly, before turning around and heading over towards another group of empty-handed students, shouting directives left, right and centre.

"Are you okay, Tara?" Willow asked softly, reaching her hand for Tara's shoulder.

"Yeah," Tara instantly relaxed at Willow's touch. "He um.he just s-s- surprised me.th-th-that's all."

"Well, don't worry about him," Willow reassured. "He's just a big ole nasty." she trailed off, her voice rising with every emotional word. "What I wouldn't give to have a minute alone with him. I'll teach him to speak to you like that. He's just a mean, mean, man and I.I'll put a curse on him. That's what I'll do. I'll turn him into a.a frog. Yeah, a nasty, slimy, disgusting frog. No, wait, that's too good for him. He should be."

"Will," Tara chuckled, interrupting her friend's diatribe. "It's okay, really. I don't mind."

"Oh," Willow smiled sheepishly. She felt very protective of Tara, and hated the idea of anyone hurting her-in whatever manner. "Sorry.being silly."

Tara chuckled in response, giving Willow a warm smile and the two girls shared a touching moment.

Oz watched the entire display in silence, noting how warmly the two girls looked at one another.

"That's my Will," Oz took a step forward and placed a hand against her shoulder. "And it's not silly, it's cute."

Willow turned to face Oz, instantly realising his intentions. She couldn't help blushing; to realise she'd once again been caught staring at Tara. However, she was glad the gang would attribute her embarrassment to his compliment instead. "Thanks Oz," she gave him a sincere smile.

Tara simply lowered her gaze to the floor, letting her hair cover her face and in turn her own embarrassment. However, she couldn't help feeling a little upset that Oz had to cover for them. This reminded her of why she'd told Willow they were better off as friends. Willow was definitely not ready to come out to everyone.and when even a warm glance between them caused Willow embarrassment, she could just imagine how hard it would be for her if they were actually involved.

Hiding a relationship would be impossible. She already had a hard enough time keeping her emotions in check around Willow. And she could only imagine how hard it would be if they were actually a couple. Knowing they shared intimacies in private, but having to hide how they made her feel.

Tara cringed at the thought. Yes, she had definitely made the right decision. Friendship was all they could have at the moment. No matter how tempting it was to be with Willow on a deeper level, she'd have to resist. She didn't want to add to Willow's anguish; she'd already done enough.

"Um, I.I g-g-guess I should, um g-g-get to class," Tara ventured, feeling a sudden urge to be elsewhere.

"Oh," Willow frowned, realising where her friend's discomfort was coming from. She wanted to apologise, but knew that would only bring questions from her friends. In their opinion she'd done nothing wrong. Too bad they had no idea she was hiding such a huge secret. So, why couldn't she just tell them? Why did she have to be such a coward?

"I'll see you this afternoon, for our lesson," Tara continued. "Okay?"

Willow could only nod, her feelings of guilt and self-loathing choking her up.

"Oh, " Tara offered, the idea suddenly occurring to her, "if you w-w-want me to, I don't mind selling your candy for you. I'm sure it wouldn't be too hard to get c-c-college students to buy chocolates."

"Really?" Willow grinned, touched by her friend's generosity.

"Hey, that's not fair," Cordelia cut in. "Why should 'she' get out of manual labour? I mean, how hard would it be to sell chocolates to a bunch of half-stoned college kids anyway?"

"You want me to try and sell yours too, Cordelia?" Tara offered bemusedly, not really minding.

"Well," Cordelia extended her box, "since you're offering."

"No way," Willow cut her off. "You're not gonna take advantage of Tara."

"I'm not taking advantage." Cordelia began to protest indignantly, but off Willow's look she thought better of it. She'd never seen Willow so antsy before. There was just something about her steely gaze that warned her to back off.

"Fine," she sighed, pulling back the box of chocolates, "whatever. Like I care anyway. Xander," she turned to her boyfriend and grabbed him by the arm, "lets go. I don't wanna be late for class."

With a shrug, Xander loyally escorted his girlfriend to class. He still felt too guilty to put up any form of protest. "Later guys."

"Bye Xand," Buffy waved.

"Bye Xander," Tara smiled.

"Bye," Willow responded.

"Later," Oz nodded.

"So," Buffy turned to face Willow after Xander and Cordelia had disappeared from view. "Spill," she demanded with a grin. "You took some asserto-pills or something, right?"

Willow chuckled in response. "What are you talking about?"

"You know, the Meow act-the way you stood up to Cordy. And what was the whole thing about you turning Snyder into a frog? Can she really do that?" Buffy demanded mockingly of Tara. "What Witchy mojo have you been teaching her?"

Tara giggled at Buffy's teasing. "N-n-no curses that's for sure," she turned back towards Willow. "Unless there's something you're not telling me about?" she decided to join in with the teasing. It was better than wallowing in her discomfort.

They all burst into giggles then, as the bell rang for first period.

"I, um, I'll see you guys later," Tara ventured, moving to leave the cafeteria. "You want me to take your candy with me?" she asked Willow.

"You don't have-"

"I don't mind," Tara insisted. "Cordelia was right. It'll be no problem to sell them.really."

"You sure?" Willow asked, gingerly handing the box to Tara. She didn't want to take advantage of her friend.

Tara simply gave her a warm smile as she placed the box of chocolates on top of her own, using her books as a tray. She wouldn't have offered if it wasn't okay.

"Bye," Tara gave one last glance at Buffy, Oz, and Willow, before making her way out of the cafeteria. She didn't want to prolong her goodbye, afraid of what would happen if she did. Knowing that Willow had feelings for her was making it extremely difficult to keep her own emotions at bay. She just hoped for Willow's sake that she'd continue to remain strong.

***

That afternoon, Willow knocked on Tara's door and waited patiently for an answer. When none was forthcoming after about a minute, she realised that Tara was probably still in class or out somewhere. She knew Tara's last class for the day finished at around 4pm, and it was just past that time now. Choosing not to wait for her outside, Willow decided to enter Tara's room instead. Tara had always told her to enter at will if she wasn't there. She rarely locked her dorm room.

Willow looked around the empty room in silence, wondering where Tara could be. It wasn't like Tara to be late. So where was she? Maybe she's out selling chocolates? No! Wait! What if she's out on a date with someone? What if she's out with Faith? No.she'd have told her about that first.right?

Willow sighed, feeling a little disgruntled that Tara wasn't there. Heading over towards Tara's bookshelf, Willow decided to kill some time by going over one of Tara's magick books. She knelt down to take a look at what was on the bottom shelf, but as she pulled out a couple of books, a pile of paperbacks came crashing down to the floor.

Putting aside the spell books, Willow picked up one of the paperbacks and felt her eyes widen in surprise. On the cover of the book was a drawing of two women in a very passionate embrace. She turned the book around and quickly read over the blurb, wanting to see if this was what she thought it was.

'Oh my god, ' she thought to herself. 'It's a lesbian romance novel. Tara reads lesbian romance novels. Since when does Tara read lesbian romance novels? Why does Tara read lesbian romance novels? Well, of course, Silly, Tara's a lesbian, so why wouldn't she read lesbian romance novels? '

Her curiosity getting the better of her, Willow opened the book and began skimming over it. She'd heard that romance novels always had good sex scenes in them.and naturally she was curious. She'd only recently discovered she was gay, and she didn't have the slightest idea what two women did in bed, how they made love. Well, okay, she had 'some' idea, but she had never really given it much thought. She didn't know the specifics or anything like that. And what better way to find out?

When her eye caught sight of the words 'naked breasts', Willow quickly skimmed back a few paragraphs, wanting to start reading from the beginning of the section. If she was gonna find out about lesbian sex, she might as well read the whole scene - not just the juicy bits.

Feeling slightly naughty, Willow began reading silently.

Vicky was nervous as they entered the bedroom, knowing what was about to take place. They'd been skirting around the issue for some time now, but ever since their first kiss, they knew it was inevitable that they'd end up here.together.

Not knowing who the two women were, Willow skimmed back a bit further to read over some character descriptions. She soon found out that their names were Zoe and Vicky, and that they were both in their twenties. From the cover art Willow could make out that both girls were brunettes, and the blurb at the back had let her know that they both worked for the Federal government as partners, which is why their relationship was taboo.

Figuring she knew enough about the plot now, Willow returned to the sex scene. She was stalling; a part of her was a little nervous. It was one thing to think you were gay, another one to allow yourself to get turned on by lesbian sex.and that's just what Willow was about to do.

But what if it didn't turn her on? What if she found the actions of two girls together disgusting, repulsive? What then? Would that just make her a terrible lesbian, or would it mean she wasn't a lesbian at all? And if she wasn't, then why did she feel so attracted to Tara? Maybe she shouldn't read this after all.

Who was she kidding? Of course she was gonna read it.

Vicky stood silently in Zoe's darkened bedroom, feeling suddenly
unsure of herself. She knew Zoe had done this before, but this would
be her first time with a woman and she couldn't help but wonder if
she'd live up to Zoe's expectations. What was she getting herself
into?

"Are you okay Vicky?" Zoe asked gently, sensing her partner's
trepidation. "We don't have to do this if you're not ready."

"I am," Vicky insisted. "I just don't want to disappoint you."

"Then why don't I lead the way?" Zoe smiled, taking a step closer to
her partner and placing her hands on the younger woman's shoulders.
"Okay?"

"Okay," Vicky whispered.

Soon, all of Vicky's misgivings faded into the background, as Zoe's
lips devoured hers. Their tongues thrust and parried, while Zoe's
hands began to run themselves up and down her back heatedly. Vicky's
hands followed suit, and before long, the two partners found that
their hands were now buried underneath one another's shirts as they
unconsciously began thrusting their lower bodies into one another.

Zoe knew it was time to move this to the bed, so without breaking the
kiss, she took a few steps backwards, and guided them towards the
mattress. As soon as she felt the edge of the bed against her legs,
Zoe finally pulled away from the kiss, so as to gently push Vicky
downwards.

Vicky could feel her heart pounding as she gazed up at Zoe, wondering
what her exquisite partner would do next. She wasn't disappointed,
because a second later, Zoe was ripping the shirt from her own body
and throwing it to the floor. She then deftly unbuttoned her own jeans
and shucked them too-leaving her dressed only in her red satin bra and
panties.

"You're incredible," Vicky sighed, taking in the magnificence of her
partner's body. "I've fantasised about this for so long."

"So have I," Zoe replied as she moved her hands back to undo the clasp
of her own bra. "And I'm going to show you exactly what you've been
missing by fucking men all your life."

Vicky chuckled at this, as her partner's naked breasts were finally
exposed. She immediately wanted to reach out and touch them, but knew
she needed to wait. Zoe wasn't done undressing for her yet; there was
one more article of clothing left before she'd be free to touch. She
knew how pedantic Zoe could be, and as the senior partner, her
directives needed to be obeyed. But this was one directive she didn't
mind obeying.

When Zoe's body was finally revealed to her in all its glory, Vicky
couldn't help but lick her lips in anticipation. The sudden wetness
between her legs however, drew her attention southward and a part of
her wanted Zoe to know exactly what effect she had on her. So, without
further ado, Vicky sat up and lifted her own shirt from her body,
before removing her bra as well.

Zoe watched all this in silence; loving the slow build up. Watching
her partner undress was just as sexy as undressing in front of her.
She loved witnessing the delicate flower unfolding before her, and
when Vicky was finally free of all clothing, Zoe's urge to watch
disappeared with it. She now needed to touch.

Like a hungry panther, Zoe pounced on her prey, covering Vicky's body
with her own, and slipping her thigh in between her legs. She wanted
to initiate Vicky slowly, but her own desire made that near
impossible. She could smell how wet Vicky was, could feel her desire
against her thigh and could feel her own wetness dripping onto Vicky's
skin in return. She wanted this woman with a primal urgency that was
not to be denied.

Giving in to her need, Zoe began to place hot, wet, kisses along
Vicky's jaw line, down her neck, and over her chest, licking and
nibbling along the way. Her hands meanwhile had made their way to
Vicky's breasts, and were now kneading them expertly, using her
fingertips to pinch her nipples into two rock-hard pearls.

Vicky moaned and thrust her hips as Zoe's lips and hands assaulted her
body and invaded her senses. She was lost in a sea of sensation,
unable to focus on anything but the weight of her partner's body
pressed against hers, and the maddening movements of her lips and
fingers.

By now, Willow had stopped reading the characters as Vicky and Zoe, but had inadvertently replaced them with herself and Tara. Zoe was Tara-the older, more experienced lover. She was Vicky-experiencing all this for the first time.

Therefore, as Zoe's lips moved against Vicky's skin, Willow imagined Tara's lips moving against hers. She could see Tara licking at her breasts, her stomach, pressing kisses against the soft skin of her inner thighs, before her tongue finally reached out for her throbbing pearl.

She was living vicariously through these characters and as Vicky finally came from Zoe's expert tongue movements, Willow could only imagine what it would feel like to do the same. She could smell her own arousal now and the undeniable wetness between her legs was a mere testament of the insistent throbbing she felt down south.

She continued to read on however, curious to know what would happen next, hoping that it would be Vicky's turn to taste her lover. Willow was not disappointed and pretty soon she was imagining the sensation of pressing her own lips against Tara's skin, of tasting her essence as her tongue extended into her folds.

When Vicky finally experienced the satisfaction of bringing her lover to orgasm, Willow couldn't help but wonder what it would feel like to do the same for Tara. What would Tara sound like as she writhed in ecstasy? Would she call out her name, call out God's name, or would she run her fingernails down her back as she moaned incoherently? Regardless, Willow knew that however Tara reacted, her orgasm would be nothing less than spectacular to witness.

Willow was about to stop reading then, but noticed that the characters weren't finished with one another yet. Zoe had one more surprise in store for Vicky and no one was more surprised than Willow as she read what it was. Reading how Zoe strapped on a leather harness with a double-sided dildo, Willow's eyes almost jumped out of her head in amazement. She'd never known such things existed, let alone how they were used.

Willow was so taken with this unique form of lovemaking, that she was now completely enthralled in her fantasy. In her mind, she and Tara were like one person, rocking together in a rhythm as old as time, and it was taking all her willpower to keep the fantasy purely fantastical.

Luckily, Willow hadn't given in to temptation, because Tara chose that moment to come through the door and drop her backpack next to her desk. At first, Tara didn't notice that anyone was in her room, but as she turned around, she spotted Willow on the floor next to her bookshelf, engrossed in one of her books.

"Hey Will," she moved towards her friend, "what're you reading?"

Willow squealed as she looked up from the book, automatically thrusting it behind her back. She couldn't remember the last time she'd squealed so loudly, or been so startled. "T-T-T-Tara," she stammered. "W-w-what are you- you d-d-doing here? Oh, it's y-y-your room, right. Of c-c-course you're here. You're here, in y-y-your room and I.I wasn't doing anything. Really. N-n-nothing going on here. I was doing nothing. N-n-not reading anything. No, not m-m-me. I-I-I was just, um.n-n-nothing."

Tara smiled bemusedly as Willow stuttered nervously, wondering what was going on. She couldn't remember when she'd ever seen Willow so worked up before, so flustered and her nervous stuttering was adorable. Willow was so cute when she stuttered.

"Will," Tara knelt down next to her friend and placed a hand on her knee. "What's wrong?"

Willow jerked away form Tara's touch, her whole body tingling with pent up sexual energy. "Nothing," she insisted, her face turning an even deeper shade of red.

"Then what are you hiding behind your back?" Tara raised an eyebrow, confused by Willow's reaction. 'Why did she pull away? What's going on? '

"Me?" Willow protested innocently. "Why do you think I'm hiding something? I'm not-"

Willow sighed as Tara gazed at her knowingly. She couldn't hide anything from Tara-not that she wanted to-it's just that she was slightly embarrassed to be caught reading lesbian erotica.

Like a guilty child, Willow looked sheepishly at the floor as she extended her hand, holding out the illicit material. She couldn't bear to look at Tara. She felt utterly mortified.

"Oh," Tara chuckled as she took the book from Willow, making sure to keep it open. She looked down and read a couple of sentences before looking back up at her friend. Willow was so adorable and so obviously aroused. The poor girl was flustered from reading a lesbian sex scene, and Tara couldn't help but find the situation entirely amusing.

"I see I caught you at a bad time," she teased. "You want me to leave you alone to, um.finish the scene.maybe come back in say.ten or fifteen minutes?"

"W-w-what?" Willow looked up, her cheeks burning even more fiery now. "I-I- I wasn't, I mean, I don't.I'd never, I-I-I'm not-"

"Relax Will," Tara smiled, instantly regretting her bad humour. "I was just teasing," she said softly. "I'm sorry."

"Oh," Willow sighed, looking back down at the floor. "Right."

Willow's behaviour now made perfect sense to Tara, and she couldn't hide the knowing grin that covered her face. To think, lesbian erotica had turned Willow on. This was definitely a good sign-and as she thought about it, she realised it was only natural for Willow to be curious. In fact, if Willow was anything like 'her', then she'd want to know everything she could about what it meant to be a lesbian. Maybe it was time she gave Willow her first lesson. Magick could wait.

"Hey, Will," she ventured softly, daring to place a gentle hand on Willow's knee. She smiled when Willow didn't pull away this time. "Look at me," she appealed, keeping her voice soft and inviting.

Shyly, Willow lifted her eyes to Tara's, scared of what she'd find there. When all she saw was warmth and understanding, she couldn't help but smile back.

"It's okay," Tara began. "You sh-shouldn't be embarrassed. I, uh.I read them all the time you know.and if anyone should be embarrassed, it'd be me, right? It's 'my' book after all."

'Right,' Willow thought to herself, a shy smile creeping to her lips.

"But I'm not," Tara continued, "so you shouldn't be either. There's n-n- nothing wrong with reading about.you know. I mean, how else would I learn, right?"

Tara chuckled, as did Willow, lightening the mood in the room. Tara was pleased to see she'd managed to ease her friend's tension somewhat.

"Besides," she squeezed Willow's knee gently, "you're Research Gal-isn't it in your job description or something?"

Willow chuckled in response, words escaping her for the moment. She was still getting over her sudden embarrassment, as well as trying to deal with what she'd just read. She'd had her first initiation into the world of lesbian sex, and her senses were reeling from it. What's more, her mind was now buzzing with so many questions and thoughts, that she had no idea which one to address first. There was so much she wanted to know.

Sensing this, Tara realised that she'd have to make the first move. Willow was never going to ask her anything unless she coaxed it out of her. She just hoped she'd be able to answer all her questions. Willow wasn't the only one who was shy here. But Tara would do anything for Willow, and if she had to answer difficult sex type questions, then so be it. Not that she was much of an expert on the subject-but she 'had' read quite extensively, and she did know more about it than Willow at this stage.

"Will," Tara took a deep breath to steady herself. "You know, it's only natural that you'd um, be interested in.in these type of books. Why do you think I read them?"

This brought a smile to Willow's face. "Research?"

"Yeah," Tara chuckled. "And they're hot too."

Willow laughed in response, even while her cheeks reddened. "Yeah, hot. I, uh.I never knew, um.you know, about."

Ignoring the blush in her own cheeks, Tara decided to help Willow out by finishing her sentence. She could tell she was struggling with the word.

"Toys?"

"Yeah," Willow's cheeks warmed even further. "Do, um, girls really use.I mean.have you ever.oh, sorry, I-I don't mean.I-I.you don't have to, I was just-"

"Will," Tara said her name softly, putting the book down before reaching for both of her hands. "You w-wanna t-talk? You can, um, t-talk to me about anything, you-you know.ask me anything. I-I don't m-m-mind, really."

"You don't?"

"Come on," Tara stood up, dragging Willow up with her. "W-w-why don't we sit down," she guided Willow towards the bed, "we'll be m-more comfortable here."

"Uh, yeah, right, okay," Willow agreed as she followed Tara's lead.

Willow quickly made herself comfortable on the bed. Tara did the same and the two girls were soon sitting opposite one another.

"So," Tara began nervously, her heart racing. She was about to have a 'sex talk ' with Willow, and she couldn't be more flustered if she'd tried.

"Yeah," Willow returned, feeling just as nervous. What could she say? Would it be okay to ask her questions? She really wanted to know how far Tara had gone-what she'd done. She also wanted to know about what was normal between two women and what wasn't. She'd never given it much thought before, but reading that sex scene had gotten her thinking.

Did women always use toys to compensate for not having.? Or was that only right for some women? She'd always thought that lesbians didn't like that part of a man so wouldn't need that. Obviously she was mistaken. The two girls she'd read about seemed to enjoy that just fine.

If she and Tara ever had sex, would Tara want to do that? Would she expect it? Would she herself enjoy that kind of penetration? The way the book described it made her feel like it would definitely be worth a try. Although, the part with the fingers and the tongue between the legs was good too. In fact, that part seemed more intimate, more personal somehow.

And what other things did women do? Was there more she didn't know about- more ways of bringing pleasure to each other? And how much did Tara actually know about this? Had Tara fooled around with girls? She knew Tara had kissed at least one girl before, but had there been others?

Had Tara touched another girl's breasts-had her own breasts fondled? Had she gone even further? Had she allowed another girl to touch her more intimately? Had she touched another girl intimately? And if so, what did it feel like? Did she know what another girl smelled like-tasted like? Did she like it? Would she herself like the taste of another girl? Would it make her a bad lesbian if she didn't? Were all lesbians expected to do that kind of thing?

"W-w-what's on your m-m-mind, Will?" Tara prompted, bringing Willow out of her thoughts. "You can ask me anything."

"I." Willow hesitated, embarrassed by all the questions in her head. However, as soon as she opened her mouth, she unconsciously moved into babble mode and all her thoughts came pouring out of her uninhibited.

"I, um.It's just, there's so much I.I don't know and, um, reading that scene it um, you know, it made me think about what girls do and.and what's right and wrong and, and, and do all girls use, um, you know, toys? And, and I, um, I can't stop thinking about the, you know, the taste. What does it feel like to, you know? Have you ever? Oh, sorry, I'm way out of line. You don't have to answer that. It's none of my business; I'm sorry. I just, I.I never really knew girls did that either. Well, maybe I did kinda know they did it, but I never knew the details of how they did it and, and it, you know, made me think about it and.and what if I don't like it? That would be bad right? Make me a bad lesbian? And."

Willow realised that she wasn't giving Tara a chance to respond. And if that wasn't bad enough, she'd also revealed just a little bit more than she'd intended to. She hadn't planned on being quite so open.

Tara's own cheeks now matched Willow's in colour, as she took in the girl's thoughts. Even though Willow's questions were exactly what she'd expected to hear, they were still a little overwhelming. How did she go about answering them? 'I guess I should start with my own experience and go from there. '

"Wow," she ventured with a smile, "that's, um, a l-l-lot of questions. B-b- busy thoughts.?"

"Yeah," Willow looked down sheepishly. "I."

"Oh, no, it's okay," Tara reassured. "I um, I d-d-don't mind. I.I just d-d- don't know where to um, start. You see um.I.I haven't really ever, um, you know b-b-been with a girl. Not c-c-completely. I've, um.I've only well, um.I think I've gone as far as, um, you and Oz have, you know. I mean, I've t-t-touched girls b-b-before, but never.never without c-c-clothes. W-w- well, okay, I-I-I-I've, um.I've had my hands under a-a girl's, um.sh-sh- shirt a few times. B-b-but that's all.I've never.I mean.not f-f-further.not really.not for long.I'm still.you know.?"

Willow blushed at the thought of Tara's hands under a girl's shirt. She instantly thought of what it would feel like to have Tara's hands under 'her' shirt, but quickly pushed the thought out of her mind. She was already flustered enough. However, Willow couldn't help but smile at the idea of Tara still being pretty much untouched.

"So you've never, um, you know.with a girl before.?" Willow just had to ask- needing confirmation.

"Yeah," Tara blushed in response. "I've never.. I, um.I've never b-b-been in love.before."

"You haven't?" Willow asked softly, her lips curling into a gentle smile. She couldn't help but notice the way Tara trailed off, hinting at something neither of them were ready to deal with just yet.

Tara smiled in response, lowering her gaze to the bedspread before continuing. "To me, making love is about being in love and.and since I haven't been in love before, I guess I've always held that part of myself back."

"Yeah." Willow smiled in agreement.

"Although," Tara interjected, "I understand how you'd, um.be worried about the, um, the t-t-taste."

Willow blushed, embarrassed to have brought it up earlier.

".but to me," Tara chose to overlook Willow's embarrassment, "it, um, it wouldn't m-m-matter. I'd um, it'd b-b-be about l-l-loving the person and.and if you l-l-love someone, you love all of them, r-r-right? So their t-t-taste would be just another part of them and I'd love it cos it would be th-th-theirs. You know what I-I m-m-mean?"

"I know what you mean," Willow smiled timidly, her embarrassment lessening somewhat. Tara always had a way of making her feel at ease, as if she could tell her anything and it would be okay. "It's an expression of l-l-love. So it wouldn't matter.it would be spiritual, like.like.like a union of souls."

Tara couldn't help but smile at Willow's romantic notion. What's more, as she met her gaze, she could feel her cheeks burning with emotion. Willow was looking at her almost as if she was directing the notion at her. But that was impossible.Willow wasn't in love with her.was she? No, she was just reading too much into her words. The girl was merely speaking hypothetically.

Willow's breathing had now become a little ragged. She couldn't stop thinking about what it would be like to make love with Tara. Reading that book, indulging in her fantasy, and now talking openly about love and sex with Tara, was pushing her hormones into overdrive.

Unconsciously, Tara had started to lean in towards Willow as she spoke, so that now their faces were mere inches apart. She could almost feel the girl's breath against her lips, and it was causing her mind to freeze up. She knew their relationship needed to remain platonic, but that notion was becoming increasingly difficult to stand by. Especially given their current conversation.

"Um, yeah." Tara choked out awkwardly, forcing down the urge to kiss Willow. Now was not the time. So why were her lips still moving towards Willow's?

"Yeah," Willow whispered back, her eyes dropping to Tara's lips. "Making love would be about.about love. So I guess it, um.it also wouldn't matter if you made love to a man or a woman. Would it?"

"R-r-right," Tara agreed breathlessly, as her forehead met Willow's. "L-l- love is b-b-blind."

"Mmmm," Willow agreed, closing her eyes as she bridged the final gap between their lips.

Tara also closed her eyes; the sensation was too much for her not to give in to. Her lips started out by merely brushing against Willow's, pressing against them softly and pulling away slightly. This happened repeatedly, only each time her lips met Willow's, they lingered just a little bit longer until eventually, they no longer pulled away. Instead, her lips were now opening and closing against Willow's, while her hands had reached out to cup the girl's face.

Willow in turn reached out and wrapped her arms around Tara's neck and waist. Her pulse was racing, her panties were soaked through, and in the back of her mind she somehow registered the fact that she could no longer feel her legs. It was an incredible feeling to be kissing Tara. Her lips moved instinctively against the girl's, obeying a primal call deep within her. She wasn't acting; she was reacting.

Therefore, Willow couldn't help but deepen their kiss even further. She needed to explore; to taste the woman in her arms. Which is why she boldly thrust her tongue between Tara's lips, and was now working it around the inside of her mouth.

Tara moaned in response and could feel an instant increase in the wetness between her thighs. In fact, as Willow's tongue continued to explore her mouth, she began to feel very light-headed. So much so, that pretty soon, she could no longer sustain her upright position, and found herself falling down to the bed, pushing Willow down with her.

"Mmmm," Willow moaned, surprised to find Tara's body draped on top of hers as her head hit the pillow. She instantly moved her hands so that they rested against Tara's back. Her legs meanwhile had spread to accommodate Tara's, so that the girl's thigh was pressing up against the wetness between her legs. Her own thigh was in a similar position, only since Tara was wearing pants, she couldn't quite feel the girl's wetness.

Tara gasped, moving her lips from Willow's as she reacted to their new intimacy. She had direct contact with Willow's soaked panties and tights and the girl's arousal was so pronounced it was apparent even through Tara's cotton pants.

Her eyes still closed, Tara moved her lips back to Willow's, wanting to have her turn at a little exploration. When she pressed her tongue against Willow's however, it caused an increase in her own wetness and when Willow's thigh suddenly moved up to press against her heat, she began to tremble.

Tara's reaction registered in Willow's mind, just as her hands moved beneath the edge of the girl's blouse. She wasn't thinking coherently though, but was still reacting. Therefore, as Tara shuddered in response to her touch, Willow's hands continued to move upwards against the silky skin of her back and her thigh began to press harder and harder into the source of her need. Meanwhile, her own desire was also being fuelled as she instinctively thrust herself against Tara's thigh, her skirt riding up higher with every movement.

Tara couldn't believe that Willow's hands were now pressed against her naked back. The thought didn't quite register properly in her brain. She'd never felt so electrified by another girl's touch. It was amazing, and she too was now beginning a rhythmic hip thrust-desperate to relieve the ache in her core.

However, when she suddenly felt Willow's fingers unsnap her bra-clasp, Tara experienced a brief moment of clarity. The sensation of the metal fastenings being released, acted like a pistol shot in her brain. What the hell was she doing? She and Willow were meant to be keeping things platonic- not helping one another to orgasm. Mustering all her strength and willpower, Tara dragged her lips away from Willow's and used her hands to push herself away from the girl.

Both girls whimpered at the loss of contact, but Tara remained firm. Now was neither the time nor the place for such intimacies. If and when they made love, their first time could not be about a primal need for release. It had to be because they were both ready to accept who they were, and wanted to show how much they loved one another. And Tara was in no way convinced that Willow was ready to accept her sexuality, let alone that she was actually in love with her.

It took Willow a moment to realise Tara had moved away from her and was now standing over the bed. She'd been so absorbed in her own arousal, and she now felt the loss of the girl's body keenly. But looking up at Tara, seeing her flustered expression, noticing the way she trembled as she struggled with her bra-clasp, Willow quickly began to feel guilty.

"Oh, God," Willow sprang out of bed. "I'm so sorry," she apologised, moving to stand in front of Tara. "I-I don't know what came over me. I was all grab-y and molest-y and.and I."

Tara's trembling was getting worse by the second; she was frustrated with her inability to re-clasp her own bra. Willow noticed this and moved behind Tara to help. She 'was' responsible for this after all.

"Here," she pulled Tara's hands away, letting the girl's blouse fall down over her back. "Let me," she continued softly, lifting the material back up to reveal her bra strap. Not waiting for an answer, Willow ignored the sensuous appeal of Tara's exposed back and quickly re-clasped her bra. "There," she whispered huskily as she moved back to stand in front of Tara. "I'm really sorry."

"Oh-oh-oh-oh, n-n-n-n-n-no," Tara finally found her voice, blushing as she realised what had to be said. She was well aware of how sensitive Willow was and didn't want to repeat past mistakes. She had to be totally open with Willow.

"It's n-n-n-not your f-f-fault Willow," she insisted, reaching for the girl's hands. "I mean I.I t-t-too was um.I mean, I.I d-d-don't m-m-m-mind you t-t-touching me. I just.I th-th-think it's.it's too s-s-s-soon. I w-w- want you Willow, but I.l-l-like I said.I want my first time to be, you know.about l-l-love and.and r-r-r-right now it was just s-s-s-s-sex. Right? You were r-r-reading that b-b-book and.and we were t-t-talking about it and.and you know? I mean, all I w-w-wanna do right now is t-t-touch you and k-k-kiss you and t-t-taste you, but-"

Willow could feel her own cheeks warming from Tara's words. The girl wanted her. Tara Maclay was attracted to her. And hearing her say she wanted to taste her was like a mind numbing experience. Despite her stutter, or maybe even because of it, Willow felt that the way Tara had said those words had been the most erotic thing she'd ever heard.

Without thinking, Willow surprised Tara with a forcefully hard kiss. She pressed her lips firmly against Tara's, moaning passionately. However, she pulled away before either of them could deepen it, not wanting to lose control again.

Tara gazed into Willow's eyes as she breathed heavily, doing her best to regain some composure. She'd been caught off guard by Willow's kiss and had now forgotten what she'd been about to say. Her lips could still feel the impression of Willow's and her whole body was buzzing with energy.

Willow was also breathing heavily, taking a moment to steady herself, before speaking. "So, you want me?" she asked huskily, her lips curled in a teasing grin.

Tara chuckled softly in response, recognising the humour in Willow's voice. "You kn-know I do," she blushed. "I'm sure you could t-t-tell just how m-m- much a minute ago."

Willow inhaled sharply at Tara's response, aroused by the overt sexuality of her words. This was a side of Tara she hadn't seen before and it intrigued her. For such a shy girl.she sure knew how to talk sexy.

"I-I-I." Willow stammered, suddenly at a loss for words. "I, um."

Tara instantly regretted her words, feeling as if she'd gone too far. Willow obviously wasn't ready for that much sex-talk. "I'm sorry," she apologised, giving Willow's hands a gentle squeeze. "I-"

Willow shook her head at Tara's apology. "Oh, no," she interrupted. "Don't be sorry. I just, you, um, I.I wasn't expecting you to say that. But I, um, I.I, um, me too, I mean, I was wet too. I, uh, I still am w-"

Willow blushed as she realised she'd gone one step further than Tara in her admittance. She was now more than a little embarrassed. Saying you were wet was more intimate than admitting you were aroused, even if it did essentially mean the same thing.

Tara blushed as well, but felt for Willow's embarrassment. "Hey," she soothed, pulling her student closer towards her. Leaning in, she pressed her lips against Willow's right ear. "You're not the only one who's still w- w-wet," she whispered, her blush deepening with every word.

Willow's eyes widened in shock as she heard Tara's revelation. She immediately felt a jolt of arousal rush all the way down to between her legs. Hearing Tara say she was wet, as well as the sensation of the girl's breath against her earlobe, caused her knees to wobble and her legs to tremble.

As Tara pulled away from Willow, she gave her a shy smile. She was embarrassed by her disclosure, but was pleased to note an answering blush had appeared on Willow's cheek. Even though it was best for the two of them to remain platonic for the moment-Tara knew that it would be hurtful to Willow if she kept her desire a secret. Willow needed to know the truth, especially since she too seemed to have similar stirrings. There was obviously a mutual attraction here, and she would have to tread very carefully.

Willow smiled back, her blush deepening as she took a few steadying breaths. "I-"

Tara lifted a finger and placed it against Willow's lips, silencing her. "I know," she smiled warmly, not wanting to travel down that road. The two of them could so easily be dragged into a very revealing conversation that would inevitably end in another heated embrace. That wasn't what she wanted.

"M-m-maybe we, should, um.g-g-go for a walk," she suggested instead. "We could, um, get s-s-some d-d-dinner and.and f-f-fresh air. It's kinda hot in here."

Willow chuckled as Tara removed her finger. "Yeah," she agreed huskily. "Very hot." Willow gave Tara a sly grin, letting her know exactly what she was thinking.

"Um, yeah," Tara turned around, flushed and embarrassed. "Hot."

"So," Willow continued as she followed Tara towards the door. "Where do you wanna go?"

Tara opened the door before turning to face Willow. "Um I, uh, how bout the, uh, the Rocket Café. We can get dinner with my, um d-d-dining card."

"Okay," Willow smiled in agreement, closing the door behind her as they headed out.

***

"Where were you this afternoon?" Willow ventured as they approached the Café, asking the question that had been bothering her earlier.

"Oh," Tara smiled, "I'm sorry I was, um, a little late," she apologised. "I was j-j-job hunting."

"Job hunting?" Willow raised an eyebrow in response.

"Yeah," Tara continued with a smile. "My, um, my scholarship p-p-pays for my dorm room and basic school expenses like-like text books a-and dining cards a-and stuff, but, it d-d-doesn't cover anything else."

"Oh," Willow smiled, "you mean like spell books and candles and."

"Lesbian erotica," Tara finished off with a chuckle, unable to resist. She knew something had to be said to relieve their earlier tension.

Willow smiled in response, chuckling under her breath as she blushed. "So," she changed the topic, "um, did you get a job?"

Tara shook her head and sighed. "No.the Magick shop isn't hiring at the moment."

"Oh," Willow replied sympathetically, before she realised exactly what Tara had said. "You went for a job at the Magic shop?" she burst out excitedly. "That's so cool. A witch in a magick shop. I bet you'd get all kinds of discounts too. You could have half priced candles and eyes of newt and-"

"Yeah," Tara giggled. "It would've been great. I guess I'll just have to look somewhere else."

"Right," Willow nodded. "Although, working in a magic shop."

"Would've been ideal," Tara finished up as they entered the Café.

"There'll be other jobs," Willow consoled, reaching out and grabbing a tray for them to share.

"Thanks Will," Tara smiled at her friend fondly. "It's not a big problem though," she explained. "I still have my scholarship money.and I can afford all the basics."

"Good," Willow smiled, "wouldn't want you to starve or something."

Tara smiled back, before taking the tray from Willow and stepping into the end of the queue.

"I'll get us some seats," Willow suggested, moving towards the dining area.

"Okay Will," Tara agreed.

***

Willow smiled at Tara as she placed the tray on the table.

"It's Mexican night," Tara said by way of greeting.

"Oh, cool," Willow noted, "Nacho's and fajitas, yum."

"Yeah," Tara agreed as she took a seat opposite her student. "I got us a couple of burritos, too."

With that, the girls began to dig into the food in front of them.

"Oh, hey," Willow ventured after a while. "How'd it go with the chocolates? Did you sell many?"

"Mmm hmm," Tara nodded, "sold both boxes in a couple of minutes."

"Wow, that's fast."

Tara chuckled in response. "Not really.there's a party at Porter dorm tonight and I figured the frat boys would appreciate some chocolate-y goodness."

"Bet you were right," Willow surmised, reaching for more nachos.

"Yeah," Tara smiled. "They said it would go down well during munchie time."

Willow chuckled. "But thanks though, for, um, selling them. It was so mean of Snyder to talk to you like that. You don't even go to high school.and I bet he doesn't even know-"

"He's just a sad, mean, little man," Tara noted.

"Right," Willow grinned.

The girls giggled before going back to their food. They ate in silence for a while, lost in their own thoughts.

"Um, Will." Tara ventured a minute later. She'd been thinking about their situation and what had happened between them, and had come up with a great idea.

"Yeah," Willow smiled. "What's up?" she prompted.

"You're, um.Research Gal, right?" Tara began.

Willow chuckled as she nodded. "Yeah, Research Gal. And somehow I don't think you're talking demons here."

"No," Tara smirked in agreement. "No d-demons. But I, um, I guess what I'm s-s-saying is that it's in your n-nature to wanna know everything about being a, um.a lesbian."

Willow blushed but nodded. "Yeah.I'm curious. Especially after reading that, um.that scene." she trailed off, giggling nervously. "I mean, it um.it made me realise there's so much I-I don't know. Like the toy thing."

"That really caught you by surprise, didn't it?" Tara noted.

"Yeah," Willow agreed, blushing furiously. "It was just."

"You f-found it sexy?" Tara asked softly, forcing herself to be as open and upfront as possible. She wanted Willow to feel comfortable talking to her about this.

"Just unexpected," Willow clarified with a shy smile. "I was surprised and.and it made me wonder what else I don't know. You know?"

"Yeah," Tara smiled. "I know. I f-f-felt like that too."

"But now you know things?" Willow asked. "How-? I mean, I-I-I don't mean experience, I mean.have you read stuff.you know.sorry."

"Don't apologise," Tara said softly, giving Willow a warm smile. "It's okay for you to ask me stuff. I want you to feel like you can talk to me about anything."

Willow smiled at this and reached out, gently squeezing Tara's hand before letting it go. "Thank you," she said softly.

Tara smiled back shyly. "You're w-w-welcome, Will. But, um.I guess I'm not that big a Knowledge Woman when it comes to being a-a lesbian. I mean, I've only ever had one real girlfriend and-"

"You've had a girlfriend?" Willow interrupted, surprised by the revelation. "You never told me you'd had a girlfriend."

"I hadn't?" Tara frowned in surprise.

"Nope," Willow shook her head. "You said you'd gone to like second base before, but you never said you had a girlfriend. Although, now that I think about it, I should have figured you'd only do that with a girlfriend." Willow chuckled sheepishly. "You're not the type to just."

"Right," Tara smiled as she blushed. "But our r-r-relationship didn't last long."

"Were you in love with her?" Willow asked gently. "Did she break your heart? Oh wait, you said you'd never been in love."

Tara's smile widened at the concern in Willow's voice. "Yeah," she said softly. "It wasn't that serious. We met one night at a youth club. It was an hour's bus ride from home, but I used to go there every night.it was part of my r-r-rebellious stage. When my mom died, you remember I told you I-?"

"Yeah," Willow interjected, "I remember. You put a curse on your family and everything. Kinda ingenious."

"Not really," Tara disagreed. "It wasn't a good thing for me to do.but I guess I felt it was my only choice at the time."

Willow smiled in response. "But, you know, I think it would've been cool to see you all rebellious. What did you do? Hey! You didn't start smoking and doing drugs did you?" Willow frowned. "Cos, you know, smoking kills and.and drugs are even worse and-"

"I didn't do 'that'," Tara interrupted with a smirk. "I just wanted to get away from things, that's all."

"So you went to a youth club," Willow surmised. "What was it like?"

"A bit like the Bronze," Tara explained. "I'd go there and just sit and read in a corner. Sometimes I'd look up and watch people. I liked to wonder what their lives were like.who they were, why they were here, you know?"

Willow smiled at Tara's revelation, pleased to be getting a tour of her psyche. "I do that sometimes, too," she admitted. "And is that how you met your girlfriend.er, ex-girlfriend," Willow chuckled at her slip up.

"That's right," Tara nodded. "She'd noticed me sitting there by myself everyday, and one night she came and sat next to me. We started talking, and I found out she was a freshman at UCLA and that she was taking some time off 'cause both her parents had just died in a car accident. I told her about my mom and we kinda bonded."

"It's nice you had someone to talk to," Willow smiled.

"Yeah it was," Tara agreed. "She helped me to finally move past my grief. I think I helped her, too, in a way."

"What happened between you?" Willow asked curiously.

Tara thought for a second, taking a moment to decide how best to answer Willow's question. "We started out by meeting each other every night," Tara began. "We were just friends at first and we'd sit and talk over sodas and coffees, but after a while."

"Things got serious?" Willow ventured.

"Not serious, more like.I don't know.it's like we moved into a new level of our friendship," Tara struggled to describe her situation accurately. "I mean, we started looking into each other's eyes a lot, touching hands frequently-lingering longer than we should. And then one night, she asked me to dance..." Tara closed her eyes as she remembered. "That's when things really changed," she continued softly, opening her eyes again.

"Oh.?" Willow prompted, even more curious than before.

"The dance was nice," Tara smiled. "It was slow, and I rested my head on her shoulder, and we held each other close-closer than we ever had before. I could feel every part of her against me as we moved and it was.it was, um."

Willow smiled as Tara blushed, thinking how adorable she looked. She was very pleased the girl felt comfortable enough to share this story with her. And while a part of her didn't like the idea of Tara being so intimate with someone else. She knew it was in the girl's past, so that made it okay.

"Hot?" Willow supplied.

Tara's blush deepened as she nodded. "Yeah.hot. And afterwards, when we pulled away I felt warm all through and.and a little, um."

"Wet?" Willow finished off with a smirk.

Tara smiled in response, her cheeks turning an even warmer shade of red. "Yeah."

"So that's when things changed?" Willow continued. "Did you become girlfriend's that night?"

"Not exactly," Tara began. "That night, when she'd walked me to the bus station, we were both feeling a little embarrassed. We couldn't quite look at one another, but when our eyes eventually met, she leaned in and we kissed for the first time."

"Awww," Willow smiled.

Tara chuckled in response. "It didn't last long. But every night after that, we'd kiss goodbye. We never discussed our feelings or if we had a relationship, but the kisses got longer and longer each night. This began to bother me after a while, cos I started to have feelings for her. It wasn't love, well, not exactly.I didn't really know 'what' it was.but I cared for her and I couldn't keep going on like we had."

"So what did you do? Did you call her on what was happening?"

"I did," Tara smiled. "One night when she moved to kiss me I pulled away. I told her I couldn't do this any more. I asked her what we were.if she thought we were girlfriends, and told her I couldn't keep kissing her and have it mean nothing."

"What did she say to that?" Willow inquired.

"She said it was about time I said something," Tara chuckled. "She'd wanted to bring it up herself, but didn't wanna push.wanted me to set the pace cos I was so new at this." Tara paused at the thought, recalling the girl's kind words to her.

Willow waited patiently for her to continue, allowing Tara to travel down memory lane at her own speed. She was pleased the girl had good memories in her past. She liked knowing that Tara had happy times in her life.

"We became official girlfriends that night," Tara continued after a moment, her smile widening, "and she asked me if I wanted to spend the night with her. I thought she meant, you know.but she told me she just wanted to talk.in private."

"So you went home with her?" Willow prompted.

"Not that night," Tara shook her head. "I was too scared. This was all kinda new to me. And I wasn't ready for anything more than kissing-even if she did say she just wanted to talk. I told her I wanted to talk, too, but I also wanted to take things slowly and I wasn't sure going home with her would be a good idea."

"How'd she react?" Willow asked.

"She was okay with it," Tara continued with her story. "She said she understood and that she wouldn't push. So that's how we started out and the next night when we met she kissed me hello and we talked and danced and kissed...it's like there was a different vibe between us now and because we were girlfriends-it felt okay. I mean, we didn't even care if anyone saw us.you know? And things got better from there. A few nights later I took her up on her offer and went to her place. That's when we started really making out."

"Oh," Willow's blush mirrored Tara's. "Is that when you put your hand under her shirt?"

Tara's blush deepened. "Not 'that' night.but a few nights later."

"What about you?" Willow continued. "Did she touch you?"

Tara nodded shyly, not quite meeting Willow's gaze. "Our hands were, um, lotsa places.."

"But you two never.I mean, you said you never.?"

"Right," Tara was quick to respond. "We never made l-l-love. We only got to like second base.although, this one time, now that I think about it, we did kinda get to, um, third-just for a second."

"Really?" Willow's curiosity was peaked. "What happened? Oh, sorry, you don't have to answer."

"It's okay," Tara smiled shyly. "We, um.we were kissing and-and I was wearing a skirt and.well, um.her hand kept getting higher and higher on my leg and.she touched me.between the legs."

Willow's face reddened as she imagined the scenario. "Did you pull away?"

"Not i-i-immediately," Tara gave Willow a sheepish smile. "It um, f-f-felt nice, you know? And I.I wanted her to touch me. But when her hand slid under my, um.my p-p-panties.that's when I pulled away."

"Oh," Willow smiled, her cheeks burning and the wetness between her legs doubling. She couldn't help but imagine what it would be like to touch Tara so intimately. Especially since she'd had a sneak preview this afternoon.

Tara smiled back. "I w-w-wasn't ready."

"So, what happened between you?" Willow asked, forcing her naughty thoughts away. "Why'd you two break up?"

"We weren't in love," Tara said wistfully. "We were together for a few months and even though we were attracted to each other, we both realised we were kinda using the other. It was a hard time for both of us cos of our grief. It was good to be close to someone.but that's all it was. I couldn't keep being with her when I didn't love her.and she realised it too. So we broke it off, but still remained friends. At least for a while. I started going to the youth club less frequently and so did she.and eventually we lost contact."

"Aww, that's kinda sad," Willow noted. "You lost all contact?"

Tara smiled softly in response. "It was for the best," she contemplated. "People grow apart.they come and go.it's all part of life. And no one got really hurt, so."

"It's better than most breakups," Willow finished off.

"Yeah," Tara agreed. "I'm glad I met her, and we came into each other's lives when we needed one another the most. I guess fate or the gods or whatever, figured our part was done-we'd helped each other and now it was time to move on."

"That's a very interesting way of looking at things," Willow noted. "So, you believe fate controls our destiny and that nothing happens without a reason?"

"To an extent," Tara replied. "I think that fate plays a big part in our lives, but we're the ones who ultimately choose which path to take. We have decisions to make in life and fate merely guides us to those crossroads. It's up to us to take it from there."

"So not everything we do is ingrained in stone.foretold?"

Tara nodded. "Right. We choose to make our lives what they are."

Willow's smile widened at Tara's words. She was enjoying the philosophical turn of their discussion. Tara was definitely intelligent.and to her, smart equalled sexy.

"What?" Tara inquired, noticing Willow's grin.

"Smart is sexy," Willow replied automatically, speaking her mind.

"W-w-what?" Tara blushed.

Willow blushed as well, realising what she'd let slip. It was too late to back up though, so she might as well reveal all. "Smart girls are sexy," Willow lifted her eyes to Tara's meaningfully.

Tara's blush deepened at the compliment. "I, uh.I-I-I-I-"

"I'm sorry," Willow relented. "I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable."

"It's okay," Tara responded graciously. "I'm just not used to-to c-c- compliments."

"Well, you better get used to them," Willow quipped mock sternly, "cos when you're around I can't help myself."

Willow chuckled then, doing her best to make light of the situation.

Tara smiled back and giggled. "Thanks Will," she said once her giggling had died down. "Which reminds me.I had an idea before."

"What idea?" Willow asked curiously.

"Like I noted," Tara began, "you're Research Gal, right?"

Off Willow's nod, Tara continued.

"So, that means you'll wanna research being a lesbian, right?"

"What are you getting at?" Willow asked with a smile, her curiosity getting the better of her.

"I was just thinking, that um, after we've eaten, you might wanna go to the mall with me. It's open for another hour or so. We could go to the book shop-"

"Oh," Willow interrupted, suddenly understanding. "That would be cool. You could help me look for books on being a lesbian."

"Yeah," Tara smiled. "And maybe I can even get a new romance novel.I'm sure you're gonna want to borrow all the ones I've got now. I'm gonna need something to read on lonely nights." she chuckled.

Willow giggled as she reached out for some more nachos. "Time's a wasting then," she stuffed the food into her mouth.

Tara found her enthusiasm adorable. "Right," she smiled warmly, grabbing the last fajita. "No time to waste."

***

Tara motioned to Willow when they reached the book store she had in mind.

"So this is it," Willow stated, taking a moment to glance around the small shop as they crossed the threshold.

"It's not big," Tara acknowledged, moving towards the romance section, "but it's got what I'm looking for," she chuckled.

"Yeah," Willow smirked, a blush creeping to her cheek as she recalled the afternoon's events.

Tara turned to face Willow and gave her a shy smile, before moving her attention back to the various romance novels on display.

"Oh," Tara tapped Willow's arm a moment later. "CN Winters has a new book," she reached out and grabbed the book from the shelf in front of her.

"Who's that?" Willow asked curiously.

"I've read a lot of lesbian romance novels," Tara explained, "and her first is one of the better ones out there.one of the few that sticks in my mind. I've got her book at home-'Irrefutable Evidence'- if you wanna read it."

"What's it about?"

In response, Tara pointed to the book. "It's that one there."

Willow picked up the book and turned it around, silently reading the blurb.

'Real estate broker, Sara Langforth, gets lost on the city streets of Detroit and inadvertently becomes the key witness to a murder. Enter Lt. Denise VanCook. She is sworn to uphold her duty as an officer and keep Sara safe from a city gangster whose other witness have a habit of 'disappearing'. While Denise covers three different countries to keep Sara alive, back at home her dedicated partner Sgt. Angie Michaels tries to uncover the reason why Denise and Sara continually get discovered. Soon Denise must juggle bounty hunters, police protocol, dirty cops and a growing attraction to her witness Sara . . . before it destroys them all.'

"Wow," she said as she finished reading. "Sounds cool-not just juicy bits."

"Yeah," Tara chuckled, "but wait till you read the juicy bits."

"Hot?" Willow smiled.

"Oh, yeah," Tara grinned.

"What's her new one about?"

Tara handed Willow the book she was holding so that she could look over it.

'As the 'flower power' era comes to an end, radical and soon-to-be- graduate, Erin O'Fallon, confronts Officer Carol Johnson, which leads to Erin's arrest at a college peace rally turned explosive. Soon after, both women are forced to make life-altering choices in their quest to find true happiness and themselves. 'One Belief Away' is a novel of how two such women, from opposite ends of the spectrum, came together to find a common ground and a deep love. It's a story about looking past ones exterior to finding the person within others and even ourselves.'

"Aww," Willow said as she finished reading. "That sounds cool."

"Yeah," Tara agreed.

The girls continued to browse for another half an hour. Willow wanted to buy every lesbian related book in the shop, but unfortunately her allowance had a limit.

"I guess I'm maxed out now," Willow sighed, looking down at the small stack of books she was holding.

Tara moved towards her friend with a smirk. "Maybe I should try for a job here." she joked. "Looks like you need someone on the inside."

Willow smiled in response. "Yeah, could help. There's so many books here."

"What did you settle on?" Tara looked down at the pile of books in Willow's hands.

"Um, well." Willow blushed as she noticed the topmost book on her pile. "Purely for research purposes."

Tara smirked as she picked up the book. "Tough girls. Down and dirty dyke erotica," she read out loud, her lips curling into a smile. "By Lori Selke and Laura Antoniou."

"Uh, yeah, I." Willow stammered, unable to meet Tara's eye.

"Mmmm, sexy," Tara said softly. "I'd love to read it when you're done."

Willow couldn't help but smile at Tara's attempt to make her feel more comfortable. She looked up gingerly at her friend and forced down a fit of nervous giggles. "Sure," she grinned.

Tara smiled back and picked up the next book on Willow's pile. "Early embraces. True life stories of women describing their first lesbian experience. Edited by Lindsey Elder."

"Yeah," Willow grinned. "I figured it'd be good research, you know."

"Yeah," Tara smiled, "and I'm sure you didn't get it for the raunchy descriptions."

"Of course not," Willow quipped with mock horror, before the two of them burst into giggles.

"Well, this one's a little more respectable," Willow ventured, holding up the next book.

"How to be a happy lesbian," Tara read as she accepted the book. "A coming out guide by Tracey Stevens and Katherine Wunder. You're right," she agreed. "Next one?"

Willow paused as she looked down at the last book in her hands. "This one's, um.not so, um.innocent."

"Awakening the Virgin, by Nicole Foster," Tara read with a grin.

"Well, there's some more, um, technical books," Willow justified herself, "but, um.well, I can't afford all of 'em and I.well, these seemed good for now. I can always, um."

"It's okay, Will," Tara handed the books back to her friend. "I did the same thing when I first started my collection."

"Yeah?" Willow quirked an eyebrow.

"Yeah," Tara confirmed. "When we get back to my room, you can check it out. Lotsa good reading."

"Cool," Willow replied. "You gonna get anything?" she asked Tara as they made their way towards the counter.

"Oh, yeah," Tara grinned in recollection, making a detour back to the romance section. She quickly grabbed a copy of C.N. Winter's 'One Belief Away', before joining Willow at the counter.

***

As the girls made their way across campus to Tara's room, they had to make their way passed Porter dorm. The party was in full swing by now, and the sounds of laughter, chatter and music could be heard from a mile away.

"Looks like they're having a good night," Willow observed.

"Yeah," Tara agreed, noticing the slightly wistful tone of Willow's voice. "You wanna check it out?"

"Oh no," Willow was quick to reply. "It's just."

"What?" Tara prompted with a smile.

"I guess I can't wait to start college," Willow stopped outside the entrance of Porter dorm. "Not for the parties," she nodded in the direction of the party, "but.well."

Tara gave her an encouraging smile, and grasped Willow's free hand, the one that wasn't holding onto the bag of books.

Willow smiled at Tara, and squeezed her hand affectionately, warmed by her touch. "It's just that." she continued with a sigh, "I never get invited to parties and.and, well, it might surprise you to know this, but I'm not really that popular at school," she explained in a mock conspiratorial voice. "But at college, geeks are in and."

Tara smiled as she began to understand where Willow was coming from. "And things would be different," she finished off, looking deep into Willow's eyes and giving her hand a gentle squeeze. "You'd be with people who respected your intelligence. You wouldn't be the only smart one and.and you could party with anyone you want cos you wouldn't be out of place."

"Yeah," Willow grinned, surprised at how accurately Tara had pegged her thoughts. "In High School, knowledge is pretty much frowned upon. You really have to work hard to learn anything. But here, the energy, the collective intelligence, it's like this force, this penetrating force, and you can just feel your mind opening up, you know, and letting this place thrust into and spurt knowledge into."

Tara held back a giggle as Willow's words began to sink in.

Noticing her friend's bemusement, Willow trailed off, catching herself before she said anything even more embarrassing. "That sentence ended up in a different place than it started out in." she grizzled good naturedly

"Uh huh," Tara grinned "Although, I kinda feel the same way."

"You do?" Willow quirked an eyebrow.

Tara chuckled in response. "I mean, I.I couldn't wait to get to college either," she explained, "and not just so I could get away from my family. In my mind, I looked at college as a way of starting from scratch. I'd be here and.and no one would know me or judge me. No one would care if I were gay or straight, Wiccan or Christian, smart or dumb, popular or unpopular. I could be whoever I wanted to be. Learn whatever I wanted to learn.make my life my own."

Willow looked at her friend with complete admiration. Tara's way of looking at things was entirely profound, and made perfect sense. What's more, it struck a deep chord within her. "Wow," she exclaimed. "I.I never would've put it that way, but.but it's exactly how I would've put it if I'd thought about how I'd put it and.and you're totally right."

Tara chuckled at Willow's way with words. "I am?" she smirked.

"Uh huh," Willow giggled, realising how she'd sounded.

"So," Tara began after a moment. "You wanna go inside, take a look?"

"Oh, no," Willow shook her head vehemently. "I.we.I could never."

Tara applied a gentle pressure to Willow's hand. "We can go in if you want," she said softly. "The group of guys I sold the chocolates to told me I was more than welcome to come to the party and bring along any friends. Although, at the time I never thought I'd actually take 'em up on the offer. But if you want, we can go in for a while.just to see what it's like.I can see you're curious-"

"No, I," Willow interrupted, but faltered as Tara gave her a knowing look. "Okay," she admitted, "I guess I'm a little curious," she smiled sheepishly, " but that doesn't mean we have to go in. It's just." she trailed off wistfully. "I don't go to any parties, especially college parties. I've never been to a real college party. Buffy has though.with Cordelia of all people. They went last year and.and of course 'I' wasn't invited, but.but Buffy went and.and okay, so they were almost eaten by this underground demon, but it still would've been nice to have gotten an invite."

Tara furrowed her brow, doing her best to follow Willow's babbling.

"Oh," Willow trailed off sheepishly, noting Tara's reaction.

Tara merely smiled, realising now was not really the time or the place for explanations. "Does that mean you wanna go inside?"

"I." Willow hesitated.

However, before she could properly form a response, a couple of guys walked up towards them. They were both in high spirits and the scent of alcohol was more than just a little apparent.

"Hey," one of the guys greeted Tara, "it's the Candy Girl."

"Uh, hi," Tara shook the guy's hand gingerly, recognising him as one of the boys she'd sold the chocolates to earlier that day.

"That candy was awesome," he continued enthusiastically.

"Yeah," the guy's friend agreed. "Best candy I've ever had."

"I, um.I'm g-g-glad you liked 'em" Tara stammered shyly. She always had a problem talking with someone she barely knew.

"Hey, you girls gonna come inside?" the guy turned his gaze to Willow and then back towards Tara. Not waiting for a response, he headed towards the door, opening it for the two girls. "Lotsa fun to be had inside," he grinned, "right Nick?"

"Right," the guy agreed, holding up a couple of large brown paper bags as he joined his friend. "We just got back from a booze-run. We've got more than enough wine here if you girls aren't into beer."

"I, um." Willow faltered, not wanting to offend the guys. Maybe they could go inside for just a little while.?

She looked at Tara, wanting to gauge her opinion on the matter.

Tara smiled and shrugged, letting Willow know that she didn't mind either way.

Willow thought it through for another moment, before finally chickening out. Much as she wanted to check out a college party, she still felt kinda out of her league.

"Maybe next time," she gave the guy a smile.

"Yeah," Tara confirmed, "but thanks for the, um, invitation."

"You're missing out on a great night," the guy holding the door open smiled, gesturing once again for them to come inside.

"Yeah," his friend agreed.

Willow smiled. "Thanks, but.we should really head off."

The guy smiled ruefully, genuinely regretful that the two girls weren't gonna join them. However, a second later, his face lit up as his half-drunk mind got an idea. He reached into one of the bags and pulled out a bottle of wine.

"Here," he offered it to Tara. "You can party at home."

"Oh," Tara shook her head, "I-I-I can't a-accept."

"Sure you can," the guy insisted. "If you won't come inside, then at least take some of the party home with you."

"I." Tara began, but quickly realised that the guy wasn't gonna take no for an answer. Which is why she gracefully accepted the bottle, knowing it was better to humour a half-drunk frat boy, than to argue with him. "Thank you."

The guy gave her a huge grin, obviously pleased she'd accepted his gift. "Enjoy your evening, ladies," he said, before he disappeared through the doors and in to the party, quickly followed by his friend.

"Looks like we scored some wine," Tara chuckled, handing the bottle to Willow, who deftly placed it in her book bag.

"They seemed nice enough," Willow noted.

"Yeah," Tara agreed. "Most students I've met here have been nice."

"You sound surprised," Willow observed.

"A little," Tara admitted. "I guess I'm just not used to it. I never really had many friends in high school," she explained, looking up as the door opened again.

Willow looked up as well, and was surprised to see her ex-boyfriend heading towards them.

"Oz," she greeted him with a smile, unconsciously giving him the once over. 'He looks real good tonight,' she noted to herself, her heart skipping a beat, 'and he's got his good hair.'

"Hi," he acknowledged, his eyes locking onto Willow's.

"What are you doing here?" Willow questioned, forcing down her confusing thoughts.

"Gig," he explained. "Dingoes are playing. I just stepped out to grab some more guitar strings." He motioned towards the direction of his van. "You two going inside?"

"Oh, no," Willow shook her head, wondering how she hadn't noticed Oz's van parked there earlier.

'I guess I had other things on my mind.'

"We, um.we're just going back to Tara's." she trailed off, feeling more than a little uncomfortable.

Tara looked down at the floor and shuffled her feet, stealthily letting go of Willow's hand. The tension in the air was so thick, it would take a sword to cut through it.

"I see," Oz said with his usual stoicism. "I hope you have a good night," he smiled graciously.

"Thanks," Willow replied, not knowing what else to say.

Tara merely smiled, before moving her gaze back down to the floor.

The three of them stood there in silence for another moment, until Oz finally cleared his throat.

"I'll see you later," he ventured.

"Bye Oz," Willow said softly, as the young man headed towards his van.

Tara watched in silence, feeling even more uncomfortable than she had a moment ago. It was obvious that Willow missed Oz, and she'd bet her prize tarot deck that the girl was still in two minds as to whether she was doing the right thing; whether she really was gay. It'd be so much easier for Willow if she were with Oz. She wouldn't have to deal with the stigma of being gay, of coming out.

"Tara.?" Willow's gentle enquiry brought her out of her thoughts.

Tara looked up at her friend and gave her a warm smile. "You wanna head off?"

"Sure," Willow nodded, deciding not to prod further into Tara's mind frame. Besides, it wasn't too hard to guess why the girl appeared so uncomfortable.

With that, the two girls walked the rest of the way to Tara's room in silence. Oz's appearance being the catalyst for introspective thoughts regarding their relationship.

***

"Will," Tara ventured once they'd reached her dorm room and had taken a seat on her bed.

"Yeah," Willow prompted with a smile.

"If you, um.wanted to go back to the party.hang out with Oz.I'd understand."

"I.I don't," Willow sighed. "I.it's just."

"You miss him," Tara interjected softly, keeping her tone very quiet.

Willow sighed again, not knowing quite how to respond. She 'did' miss Oz, missed their relationship. However, what she and Tara were on the brink of enticed her more and more each day.

She'd recently realised she was gay.only, sometimes, like tonight, seeing Oz with his good hair, looking so adorable, well, it gave her a lot to think about. She still cared for him a great deal, and the fact that she could care for a guy in that manner, while also being attracted to a girl confused her terribly.

Tara couldn't help but sense this. She wasn't stupid, and Willow's reaction to seeing Oz had not gone unnoticed. She'd seen the way Willow's gaze had locked onto Oz, seen the way she'd unconsciously run her eyes down his entire length, taking in his appearance. It was obvious that she still felt a little attracted to him.

"Can I ask you something?" Tara inquired gently. Off Willow's nod she continued tentatively. "You're still a little, um.attracted to him, aren't you?"

Willow blushed and shook her head vehemently in protest. "I'm not-" She couldn't lie to Tara however, so stopped herself mid-sentence. "I dunno," she sighed instead, unable to meet Tara's eye. "It's all so confusing."

Being the dutiful friend that she was, Tara reached out and placed a gentle hand on top of Willow's. "You know, it's okay to be attracted to both men and women. There's nothing wrong with being b-b-bi-sexual."

"Is that what I am?" Willow sighed, turning her hand over and giving Tara's a gentle squeeze.

"I don't know Will," Tara squeezed back. "Only you can tell. But.but why do you have to be anything at all? Can't you just be Willow?" she quipped.

Willow chuckled at Tara's attempt at humour, her mood lightening despite herself.

"You don't have to pigeonhole yourself into a sexuality," Tara continued more seriously. "You-"

"I know," Willow interjected. "It's just.I'm a pigeon-holy type of gal. I like order and.and I just wanna know who I am, where I fit in, who I should like, who I shouldn't like."

"I know," Tara smiled warmly. "But sometimes it's better to just let things be. You don't have to belong to any group but Willow-group. In fact, the way I look at it, you're actually just really open to love itself."

Willow smiled at this, liking the notion.

"You're not limiting yourself," Tara continued, pleased to see Willow taking to her idea. "You're open to a relationship, regardless of gender. It just means you've got more of a chance at finding happiness than someone who's written off half the world's eligible population."

"So I'm not gay or straight then," Willow stated. "I'm bi."

"You don't sound too sure," Tara noted.

"I guess I'm not," Willow replied sheepishly. "I don't know what I am Tara. I've never actually had an interest in guys.or girls for that matter. I've had a crush on Xander for years and because of that I never really noticed anyone else. Until Oz came along. But then I met you and.and I started to have thoughts and feelings and.and you know the rest. I just wish I knew for certain who I was." Willow sighed and looked at her friend appealingly.

Tara pondered her response for a moment, before deciding that there really wasn't anything she could say that would help Willow.

Instead, she let go of Willow's hand and got up off the bed, an idea forming in her head. "Well, you don't have to decide tonight."

Willow watched in silence as Tara walked towards her desk, wondering what the girl had in mind. When she grabbed the bottle of wine and uncorked it with a muttered spell, Willow's perplexity increased.

"Those guys had a good idea," Tara placed the bottle on the nearby table, as she searched for a couple of glasses.

"You wanna party?" Willow quirked an eyebrow.

"Not exactly," Tara finally located two small tumblers. "I can see Oz had an effect on you tonight, a-and you're all confused now.?"

Willow sighed at that, but nodded in agreement.

"We can try to analyse your feelings, if you want," Tara began to pour the wine, "but we could also clear our minds for a while, drink a little wine, and not worry about what the world expects you to be. Tonight, we can just be Willow and Tara. Not gay, not straight, not bi.just us. What do you say?"

Tara returned to the bed with both glasses and extended one towards Willow.

Willow looked at Tara, meeting her gaze, before looking down at the wine she was offering. She could definitely see the merit to Tara's plan. A glass of wine might actually be the best way to end such a tumultuous day.

"Here's to being yourself," Willow took the glass and clinked it against Tara's.

"To being yourself," Tara grinned, pleased that Willow had decided to follow her lead.

The girls clinked their glasses again, before each taking a long sip of their wine. A second later they were both coughing.

"I guess I'm not used to alcohol," Willow said sheepishly.

"Me either," Tara smiled, taking a smaller sip this time. "I don't think we're meant to down it in one gulp."

"No," Willow giggled, before she too took another sip. "It's not too bad once you get used to it," she said a few sips later.

"Mmm," Tara concurred, getting up to pour them both some more. "It gets into your head pretty quick though," she noted, already feeling a little light-headed.

"Yeah," Willow agreed. "But it 'is' nice.not that I really know much about wine," she chuckled.

Tara chuckled as well, feeling somewhat giddy. The wine was quickly beginning to work its way into their system, and both girls could feel themselves relaxing more and more with every sip.

"Tara," Willow ventured as she took yet another sip of wine, "can I ask you something?" she repeated the girl's earlier question.

Tara smiled and nodded her head. "Of course."

"How often do you think about it?"

"About what?" Tara asked, a hint of bemusement in her tone.

"You know." Willow replied with a cheeky grin, taking another sip of wine.

Tara was a little surprised by Willow's question. However, seeing as the wine was having its desired effect on her, she merely curled her lips in a 'Mona Lisa' type smile, before answering.

"Wouldn't 'you' like to know."

Willow giggled and took another sip of her wine. "Does that mean all the time?" she quipped.

"What do you think?" Tara smirked. "How often do 'you' think about it?" she countered good-naturedly.

Willow giggled as her eyes met Tara's. "I used to wonder about it a lot.what it'd be like with Oz," she confided.

Tara nodded, prompting Willow to continue.

"I'd imagine what we'd do. I had these whole first time scenarios in my head."

"You fantasised about it a lot?" Tara asked softly, curious despite herself.

"Yeah," Willow admitted, the wine helping her to feel increasingly comfortable with the turn of their conversation. "But, um.lately.he's not the only one I've been fantasising about ."

Tara blushed at the way Willow looked at her. "Really?" she asked her softly.

"I've been curious," Willow confessed shyly. "You've been on my mind so much."

Tara's blush deepened. "I-I-I have?"

"Mmm hmm," Willow smiled. "And.and I, um.when I was reading that book earlier.I couldn't help but, you know, think what it'd be like. I could see us doing that.see us.you know."

Tara's heart was pounding in her chest. She knew the book in question quite well, and the notion of Willow imagining the two of them making love in the manner described within it, caused an immediate flood of warmth to fill her lower belly.

"You've been on my mind a lot too," Tara ventured, taking another mouthful of wine in the hopes of cooling herself down a little. However, it merely served to make her even more heated.

"Do you think about us," Willow blushed, "together, like that.a lot?"

"Sometimes," Tara whispered shyly, suddenly unable to meet Willow's gaze. "I think about 'you' a lot Will," she confessed gently. "You mean so much to me, and I.I can't help but think about."

Willow boldly reached for Tara's thigh. "Tell me." she appealed softly, gently squeezing the girl's thigh before removing her hand.

Tara exhaled sharply, her gaze moving up to meet Willow's. She could see the intensity in the girl's eyes, and for some reason (probably having a lot to do with the amount of wine she'd consumed), Tara felt strangely bold. It was like she simply had to let Willow know.

"I have this fantasy," she began, downing the rest of her wine in one gulp.

Willow smiled and reached for the end table to pour them both some more. "About me?"

"Mmm hmm," Tara blushed as Willow refilled her glass. "I seem to remember you playing a large role in it."

Willow blushed and giggled simultaneously, placing the now empty bottle of wine back on Tara's end table.

"It varies sometimes," Tara continued, gaining more confidence with every passing second. "But it's about our first time."

"Where does it happen?" Willow prompted, feeling a sudden excitement building inside her.

"Usually here," Tara smiled. "But sometimes it's in your room."

Willow smiled and took another sip of her wine as she waited for Tara to continue.

Tara also took another mouthful of wine. However, feeling the need for a little more liquid courage, she fluidly downed the last of it and handed the glass to Willow to place on the end table. She'd never in a million years have thought she'd be revealing her fantasy to Willow. However, it was too late to back down now. Besides, a part of her was more than a little excited with the prospect of letting Willow know.

"We're dancing.slowly. I, uh.I love to slow dance," Tara confessed with a shy smile. "I'm holding you close and I can feel every part of you against me."

Willow closed her eyes, allowing herself to imagine the scenario.

"After a while," Tara continued, "I begin to softly sing the lyrics of the song, almost whispering them into your ear."

"Mmm," Willow opened her eyes, flashing a warm smile at Tara.

Tara smiled back, locking her eyes intently with Willow's.

"In my mind, you always like that. My breath keeps brushing against your ear and you close your eyes and, um.moan softly."

Willow could feel her breathing getting unsteady.

"I really like the sound of that," Tara admitted, smiling shyly, "and I stop singing. I press my lips against your ear and slowly reach out with my tongue. I run it around the bottom of your earlobe, before taking it into my mouth and sucking gently on it."

Willow's cheeks were burning as the image of Tara's words imbedded itself inside her brain. "I'd like that."

Tara blushed in response. "Yeah.?"

"Mmm hmm," Willow exhaled, taking a small sip of wine to cool herself down a little.

"What else would you like?" Tara found herself asking, feeling suddenly curious.

Willow's lips curled into a smile, deciding she could have a little fun with this. "Your lips.everywhere."

"Everywhere?" Tara smiled saucily, the wine making her feel bold enough to rest her eyes on Willow's breasts and then her lap, before moving back up to her face.

"Yeah," Willow confirmed, her eyes locked with Tara's, and her heart racing at the way she was looking at her. She loved this flirtatious, saucy side of her friend.

"In my fantasy," Tara ventured boldly, "my lips 'do' go everywhere."

Willow's mouth opened slightly as she exhaled. The sudden image of Tara's lips on every inch of her body was simply too much. Downing the last of her wine, she placed the glass on the end table, and in one quick move she positioned her hands on Tara's cheeks, and gently pulled the girl towards her.

Before Tara even knew what was going on, she felt the distinct impression of Willow's lips against hers. Instinctively, she moaned into the kiss and wrapped her arms around Willow's neck and back, opening her mouth to accept the girl's tongue, instinctively meeting it with her own.

Willow moaned at the contact, enjoying the way Tara's tongue felt against hers. She would never tire of kissing Tara, and with every kiss they shared, Willow's desire for her seemed to get more and more urgent.

The sexual energy between them was more intense than it had ever been between her and Oz. However, right now, all she could focus on was Tara's lips and tongue. She kept her hands against Tara's face as she continued to kiss her, holding her gently, moaning into the kiss every now and then. In turn, Tara just held her close, returning each tongue thrust with one of her own, losing herself in the headiness of it all.

After a while, the girls began to pull away from the kiss, finding it harder and harder to remain in control of their desires. However, pulling away was extraordinarily difficult. Each time their lips would break away, the girls would find themselves seeking to reclaim contact.

"Oh gods," Willow breathed against Tara's lips, capturing her bottom lip briefly.

"Mmmm," Tara moaned, tightening her hold on Willow.

Spurred on by Tara's reaction, Willow sensuously ran her tongue along Tara's lip, all the while continuing to gently suckle on it.

When she finally let go, she instantly felt Tara's lips follow suit, copying her earlier actions.

"Tara," Willow sighed, her eyes flickering open as Tara pulled away. "Your lips."

"Mmm," Tara leaned in for another kiss, pressing her lips against Willow's briefly.

She pulled away so as to start pressing soft kisses against the corner of Willow's lips, along her cheek, her jaw line, before moving back up to her lips. She then boldly thrust her tongue inside, working it around in a daring circle, before retreating and pulling away, enjoying the way Willow trembled in response to her actions.

"Oh gods," Willow exhaled, her eyes flickering open again. "Your lips." she repeated. "Your fantasy.show me."

"Everywhere.?" Tara whispered huskily, moving her lips to Willow's cheek.

"Everywhere," Willow confirmed, closing her eyes as she felt Tara's tender kiss against her cheek. Unwittingly she began to gently move her thumbs in slow circles, softly caressing Tara's cheekbones.

"Oh Tara," she sighed, when the girl began pressing long, languid kisses all along her cheek, slowly moving down towards her jaw. "Mmmm."

Tara moved her hand up from Willow's neck and gently entangled her fingers in the girl's hair, as she finally brought her lips to rest just underneath Willow's earlobe.

"Willow," she whispered, taking a moment to inhale the subtle scent of Willow's perfume and hair shampoo.

"You smell like strawberries and apples," Tara observed, moving her lips against Willow's skin as she whispered.

"Mmmm," Willow closed her eyes, shivering as Tara finally pressed an open mouthed kiss just below her ear. She only felt the slightest touch of the girl's tongue against her skin before she pulled away. She was just about to protest the loss, when she felt the warm wetness of Tara's tongue on the same spot her lips had just vacated.

"Oh God," Willow moaned, moving her hands from Tara's cheeks and entangling them within her hair.

With no conscious thought of her own, Willow instinctively leaned her head back, exposing the left column of her neck to Tara's lips and tongue. The only thought inside her was that she wanted to give herself to Tara. She wanted Tara to brand her and kiss her and claim her.

Her mind clouded with desire, Tara closed her eyes and sensuously moved her tongue in a small circle, moaning as she tasted Willow's skin for the first time. "Mmm," she pressed her lips where her tongue had just been, kissing Willow softly.

She then began to make her way slowly down the length of Willow's neck, using the same pattern. First, she placed a soft kiss against each new bit of skin, then she ran her tongue around it in a small circle, taking her time to fully savour the taste of the girl she loved. When she was finally satisfied, she placed a finishing kiss against her skin, sucking it into her mouth briefly, before moving down to repeat the process all over again.

The whole time, Willow merely trembled and moaned, wondering how anything on this earth could ever feel so good. She was wetter and more aroused than she'd ever been in her whole life, but she couldn't move if her life depended on it. All she could do was rest her fingers in Tara's hair, lean her head back, and offer herself up to be branded.

When Tara finally reached the point of her neck that met her collarbone, Willow wondered what the girl would do next. She opened her mouth to ask, but all that came out was a husky moan as Tara began to suckle on her skin, causing her to lose all feeling in her legs.

"Mmmm.ohhhh.Tara.mmm."

Tara lost herself completely as she branded Willow, not really conscious as to what she was doing. Subconsciously, she was putting her mark on the girl, taking what was being offered to her, leaving a sign that would tell everyone who this girl belonged to.

Consciously however, all that was going through her mind was how good Willow's skin felt, how nice it tasted. The slightly tangy, saltiness of her skin was like nothing she'd ever tasted before. It had a uniquely 'Willow' type of flavour, and Tara just couldn't get enough of it.

After a long while, Tara eventually decided to make her way back up Willow's neck, languidly kissing, tasting and nibbling along the way. When she reached Willow's jaw she made a slight detour, extending her tongue to taste the soft flesh just behind Willow's ear.

"Mmmm," Willow moaned, as Tara's tongue began to taste the bottom of her earlobe.

As per her fantasy, Tara took her time in tasting Willow's earlobe, before she finally took it into her mouth and suckled on it.

"Oh.Tara." Willow trembled, tightening her hold on Tara's hair. "You feel so.oh.mmmm.Tara."

Spurred on by Willow's obvious enjoyment, Tara moved her tongue along the girl's earlobe as she continued to suckle on it. After a while, she finally released it, but only so that she could press some more kisses along Willow's neck, moving down towards her collarbone, and making her way up along the right column of her neck, which up until now had remained untouched. She lavished the same attention on it as she had the other side, until she finally reached Willow's right earlobe.

Willow didn't know how much more of this she could take. Despite not having had any contact with her sex, Willow felt as if she was damn near close to actually experiencing an orgasm. She'd had no idea her neck was such a centre for erogenous zones, and Tara seemed to have found every last one of them.

"Tara," Willow quivered, as the extreme wetness of her desire began to trickle downwards, moistening her thighs. She didn't really notice this however. Her arousal was already so far gone that her mind was no longer forming conscious thoughts. All she knew was how she felt; how Tara was making her feel.

When Tara finally let go of her earlobe and started to work her lips and tongue back down along her neck, she began to quiver uncontrollably.

"Tara," Willow gasped, her lips half open as she threw her head back and fell down onto the bed.

Tara instantly followed suit, her lips attached to Willow's neck, tasting her and branding her at the same time. There was no mistaking what was about to happen, which is why Tara pulled her lips away from the girl's neck and pressed them to her lips instead. She kissed her softly, before shifting her weight and moving to lie on her back, bringing Willow along with her.

Feeling utterly close to the edge, Willow curled herself against Tara's body. She rested her head against her chest and draped an arm over her waist. She then closed her eyes as her breathing began to steady itself and the intensity of her hormones subsided.

Tara held Willow close, lovingly stroking the girl's hair as she calmed down. Her own breathing was also somewhat erratic.

"Willow," she sighed after a while, leaning down to press a soft kiss against the top of her head.

"Mmmm," Willow nuzzled her lips against Tara's neck, causing the girl to shiver slightly.

"You okay?" Tara ran her fingers through Willow's hair, caressing her gently.

"Yeah," Willow replied breathlessly, still a little caught up in what had just happened. "A bit tired, but.okay."

"You are?" Tara prompted, her voice barely audible.

Willow shifted her body upwards, so that she could press a gentle kiss against Tara's cheek. She then repositioned herself and rested her head against Tara's shoulder.

"I'm, uh.a little overwhelmed," she admitted, not quite able to meet her gaze.

"I'm sorry," Tara apologised, moving her hand to stroke Willow's cheek. "I didn't mean to."

"Oh no," Willow tightened her grip on Tara's waist. "It's okay, I.I don't mind you.I'm not upset. It's just...I.it's all so new to me," she struggled to explain.

"I'm sorry Will," Tara repeated, tenderly caressing her cheek. "I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable ."

"You didn't," Willow protested. She lifted her head a little so that she could look into Tara's eyes. "Besides," she quipped, trying to lighten the mood with a bit of humour, "all you did was give me a couple of hickeys. Although, in my defence, I gotta say.they were 'some' hickeys."

Tara couldn't help but chuckle, her anxiety lessening somewhat. "Oh Will," she leaned down to press a soft kiss against Willow's cheek. "I."

"Hey," Willow shifted herself so that she was looking down on Tara. "It's okay Tara," she reassured, leaning down to kiss the girl's lips, making sure to keep the contact chaste.

"You know," Willow ventured as she pulled away, returning to rest her head back against Tara's shoulder, "I'm glad this happened," she said shyly.

"Yeah.?" Tara whispered, leaning down to press another kiss amongst Willow's hair.

"It means a lot to me," Willow began tentatively. She could feel her heart pounding as she made an unconscious decision to bare her feelings. "You, um.you mean a lot to me, and.and I'm glad this happened. It kinda brings me closer to you.binds us together in a way."

Tara's heart skipped a beat and she couldn't help but reach out with both hands. She grasped Willow's cheeks and tenderly lifted the girl's face to meet her gaze, needing to see the truth in her eyes. "You don't think I crossed a line?"

"Well, if you did, I did," Willow chuckled, lowering her lips to Tara's for a brief kiss. "I, uh, in fact, you know, this is gonna sound silly but.but I kinda feel like I belong to you now, as if you branded me a-and claimed me and.and now I'm yours."

Tara exhaled loudly, wishing to God that Willow really was hers. "Oh Will," she blinked away a sudden tear. "I w-w-wish you really were mine, but I-"

This surprised Willow and she sat herself up so that she could look down at Tara. "You don't think I mean it?" she exclaimed.

Tara sat up as well and turned so that she was facing Willow head on. "I t- t-took something you weren't ready to give," she sighed. "You said it yourself. You don't know who you are.who you want. How can you be mine when you don't even-"

"Maybe I didn't know at first," Willow interjected, desperate to let Tara know she was mistaken, "but when you were kissing me and.and I could feel your lips, your tongue.on my neck. All I could think about was you. I wanted you to, um.to brand me. I wanna be yours Tara." She took a deep breath before saying her final sentence. "I wanna be your girlfriend."

Willow's words sounded oh so bittersweet to Tara's ears. She so desperately wanted Willow to be her girlfriend. However, because she loved the girl so much, she knew she had to be strong and not selfish. Despite Willow's vehement protests to the contrary, Tara knew the girl was still confused. Having a girlfriend was not something Willow was ready to handle just yet.

Taking a deep breath, she reached her hands towards Willow, gently grasping the girl's face. "Will," she said softly as tears began to well up and trickle down her cheeks.

Willow shook her head and extricated herself from Tara's grasp. She knew that look. Tara didn't think she was ready. "Tara, don't." she pleaded, not wanting to hear the words. Her heart couldn't take the rejection just now.

"Will."

"I'm gonna have a shower," Willow ignored Tara's protest. She leapt off the bed and quickly located the overnight bag she'd left there last week, all the while blinking away her tears. She didn't want Tara to see how upset she was. Deep down inside a part of her knew Tara was right. She just wasn't willing to face it.

Tara watched in silence, her own heart breaking. She hated to see Willow so distressed, especially since it was 'her' fault. However, she knew it was for the best. Better a little pain now, than a whole lotta pain in the future. Right?

When Willow finally met her gaze, Tara relented. There were tear tracks staining her cheeks, and the pain and longing evident in her soul was like a knife in her chest. She couldn't resist the unspoken plea in her eyes.

Leaping up off the bed, Tara moved towards Willow with the swiftness of a cheetah pouncing on its prey. "Oh Will," she whispered, tears streaming down her own cheeks.

Willow wanted to protest, to move away and hide from the object of her pain. However, the moment Tara's arms reached around her, she melted. With an anguished sob, she dropped the overnight bag to the floor and returned the hug, burying her face deep in the crook of Tara's neck.

The two girls held onto one another for dear life, sobbing quietly, and drawing comfort from each other. They cried for a long while, neither of them moving or saying anything.

Tara was the first to speak "I'm so s-s-sorry," she mumbled against Willow's neck.

"Me too," Willow replied, her hands tightening around Tara's back. "I'm sorry Tara."

"Oh Willow," Tara finally moved her head, but only so that she could press her forehead against Willow's. "It's all my fault. With the wine.I let things go too far.kissed you.made you think."

"No you didn't," Willow protested. "It was just as much my fault. The wine might've made me a little giddy, but I'm not drunk. I know where things stand.what we have."

"But you want more," Tara sighed. "So do I Will.you have no idea how much I want you. But I didn't mean to m-m-mark you like that. I-"

"But I'm the one who let you," Willow interjected. "I wanna be yours Tara. I really do. I just.I wish."

Tara lifted her lips to Willow's forehead, kissing her as she spoke. "You wish you knew for sure if it was right."

"I'm sorry Tara," Willow appealed, pulling away to meet Tara's gaze. "You're right you know. I'm so confused. I really want you.and I wanna be yours, but."

"It's okay Will," Tara smiled reassuringly. She moved her hands so that they cupped Willow's face tenderly. "I know you're confused, and like I said earlier. You don't have to figure out who you are tonight. I just wanted to make you forget about things for the moment, not make them more confusing for you. But you know what.?"

"What?" Willow tentatively met Tara's gaze.

"You might be confused," Tara smiled nervously, "but I'm not."

"What do you mean?" Willow asked shyly. 'Did Tara mean .?'

Tara took a deep breath as she built up enough courage to say what was in her heart.

"I know what I want." she began with a hesitant half smile, "and I want you."

Tara took another deep breath, intensifying her gaze. She wanted Willow to know the truth, even if it made her vulnerable.

"I, uh.I wanna give myself to you. If you, uh.w-w-wanna brand me.I'm yours."

Willow felt her heart race as she took in Tara's words. "You mean it?" she whispered.

In response, Tara leaned in and gently kissed Willow's lips. "I'm yours," she whispered timidly.

Blinking away her tears, Willow recaptured Tara's lips, and wrapped her arms tightly around her body. After a moment, she moved her lips away and pressed an open mouthed kiss against the left column of Tara's neck, extending her tongue out for a small taste.

"Mmmm," Willow moaned, shivering as the tangy saltiness of Tara's skin invaded her senses. She slowly moved her tongue around in a small circle, savouring Tara's taste completely.

Tara couldn't believe this was happening. Willow's tongue on her skin was causing her whole body to tremble. The second Willow had begun tasting her, she knew she was lost. 'Oh gods,' she thought to herself. 'I can't believe how wet I am.Oh Willow.Oh gods.I want you so much.'

After a few moments Willow gradually began to work her way down the length of Tara's neck. Just as Tara had done earlier, Willow took her time in tasting and kissing and sucking. Only when she finally reached the base of her neck did Willow gently begin to suckle and make her own mark on Tara.

"Mmmm, Willow," Tara moaned, moving her hands so that she could entangle her fingers within Willow's hair. She now knew what heaven felt like. Willow's mouth and tongue on her skin felt incredible, but being branded by Willow was even more intoxicating.

Willow felt Tara's hands tighten their grip in her hair. She also felt the way her breathing was getting more erratic, and the way her legs had started to wobble. With great reluctance, she began to pull her lips away from the base of Tara's neck. She'd finished making her mark. Tara was hers now.

However, the extreme look of desire in Tara's gaze as she met her eyes, caused Willow to lower her lips to the other side of Tara's neck. She needed more of Tara's taste. She moved her hands to Tara's ass and pressed their lower bodies together as she began to taste, suckle and brand 'her' girl.

"Oh gods," Tara trembled, surprised to feel Willow's hands on her ass. She returned her hands to Willow's hair, and threw her head further back in ecstasy. She felt like a bolt of electricity was running through her entire body and Willow's lips on her neck, and her hands on her ass, were the final straw needed to break her.

Willow could sense what was happening, and as Tara's knees buckled, she followed her gently to the floor, kneeling down with her as she continued to suckle at her neck. She moved her hands from Tara's ass and slid them upwards, deftly slipping underneath her blouse so she could press them against the silky smooth skin of her back.

"Ahhhhhhhhh, " Tara tightened her grip at the contact, overcome with sensation.

In response, Willow reluctantly pulled her lips away from the girl's neck, and removed her hands from underneath her blouse. She then gently guided Tara's head to her shoulder and rested her own against Tara's. They both needed a moment to recover.

"Wow," Tara whispered breathlessly against Willow's neck.

Willow moved a hand to lovingly stroke Tara's hair. "You alright?"

"Wow," Tara repeated, taking a few more deep breaths as her breathing slowly began to return to normal. "I never knew a hickey could be so powerful."

"Tell me about it," Willow chuckled as she pulled away.

Tara smiled and lightly kissed Willow's lips. "I guess I'm yours now," she quipped.

"And don't you forget it," Willow grinned cheekily, before they both burst into nervous giggles.

The two girls were in uncharted territory here, and neither of them knew quite what to make of what had happened between them tonight. But right now, the girls were too worn out and mind frazzled to think about its significance. The events of the evening were definitely catching up with them.

"You wanna go shower?" Tara ventured after a moment.

"You mean together?" Willow smirked.

Tara chuckled and pulled away from Willow, so as to gather her bathroom gear. "You think you're up for it?" she quipped over her shoulder.

"I'm game if you're game," Willow challenged. She leaned down and picked up her overnight bag, before moving towards the door to wait for Tara.

Tara merely giggled as she grabbed a couple of towels. She handed one to Willow, before following her out of the room.

***

Willow was the first one out of the shower-which she'd taken alone. Despite what had just happened, the girls were in no way ready to deepen the physical side of their relationship in that manner. Besides, they hadn't 'really' crossed any lines. Right? All they'd done was give each other a couple of hickeys. So why did Willow feel so different, as if a part of her now really 'did' belong to Tara? It was almost as if magick of some sort had been involved.

Once she was back inside Tara's room, Willow began to blow dry her hair, and pondered over the situation.

She and Tara were definitely bonded, and even if she was still a little confused about her own sexuality that was one thing she 'was' sure of. She would forever want Tara to be a part of her life, regardless of the role she played in it. She could not imagine her life without her.

With that thought, Willow set down the hair dryer and moved in front of the mirror to brush out the final tangles from her hair. It was then that she noticed the two unmistakable red marks on her neck. Tara had definitely gone 'all out' with the branding.

'Tara,' Willow thought to herself, lifting a finger to the left mark. 'Tara- lips,' she traced the outline of the unruly red circle. 'Does this mean I belong to Tara? Am I Tara's? Does Tara belong to me now, too?' With that thought, she moved her hand to the other side of her neck, lightly touching the other mark. 'It's gonna take a whole lotta makeup to hide this.'

It was then that Tara walked in through the door, catching Willow in the act of checking herself out. With a smile, she placed her gear down and took off the towel covering her damp hair. She draped the towel over a nearby chair back to dry, before making her way over towards Willow.

She came to stand right behind her, looking over her shoulder to meet her gaze in the mirror. "Those are 'some' marks." she ventured ruefully.

"Yeah," Willow smiled, not turning around. "You have 'em too."

"Mmm hmm," Tara agreed. She tentatively wrapped her arms around Willow's waist and rested her chin on her left shoulder. "What do you think they mean?"

"I dunno," Willow replied truthfully, letting out a soft sigh as Tara turned to nuzzle her neck.

Tara pressed a soft kiss against Willow's cheek, before moving her gaze back to the mirror..

Willow smiled dreamily, enjoying the sensation of being held in Tara's arms. "Well, whatever it means. I do know one thing," she craned her neck to lightly press her lips against Tara's.

"What's that?" Tara mumbled against her lips, nipping Willow's bottom lip playfully.

"There's no going back." Willow replied, speaking each word between nips. "I might not be your girlfriend, but we're more than just friends now.right?"

Tara deepened their kiss in response, thrusting her tongue in a circle around Willow's mouth. The girl was right, they 'were' more than friends. However, they would have to take things slowly. There was so much that they weren't ready for.

'And kissing Willow like this isn't taking anything slowly,' a voice reminded her. 'But it feels so good,' she argued with herself, letting out a soft moan as Willow's tongue met hers. 'You know what's right though.this is just making you both more confused.'

With that thought, Tara reluctantly pulled away, despite the groans of protest coming from Willow.

"We should take things slow," she said by way of explanation, as Willow turned around to face her.

"I know," Willow sighed. "But your lips taste sooo good," she leaned in for a quick taste.

"That's what started this whole thing," Tara chuckled as she pulled away from the kiss. "Besides," she moved towards the hair dryer. "My hair's still wet."

Willow smiled good naturedly, seeing right through Tara's plan. The girl was right though. "Hey," she took the dryer from Tara, "let me do it. Give me a chance to run my hands through your hair."

Tara blushed at Willow's words, but turned around in compliance. "You like my hair?" she asked shyly.

"Mmm hmm," Willow gently ran her fingers through the wet strands. "I love how it feels in my fingers.and the wetness.mmm."

Tara blushed, knowing exactly what Willow was referring to. Feeling somewhat bold and giddy, she decided to see if she could make Willow blush as well. "Maybe one day I'll let you feel exactly how wet my, uh.my hair can get."

Tara felt Willow's fingers still their movement within her hair and chuckled under her breath. Curiosity guiding her, she craned her neck, and couldn't help but smirk as she noted the wide eyed red faced expression on Willow's face.

"Vixen," Willow smiled after a moment, before leaning down to lightly kiss Tara's lips. "Did anyone ever tell you you're a tease?"

Tara gave Willow a cheeky grin. "I guess you bring it out of me."

Willow thought for a moment how best to respond, but all she came up with was another kiss. "Come on," she ventured once she'd pulled her lips away from Tara's. She knew things could so easily get out of hand again.

Following her train of thought, Tara turned around dutifully so that Willow could begin her work. It might be a lotta fun to flirt with Willow, but it could definitely lead to trouble.

***

Fifteen minutes later, Willow had finished with Tara's hair and both girls were crawling into bed for some much needed rest.

Willow turned on her side to face her friend. "Tara." she ventured with a shy smile.

"What is it?" Tara replied softly. She reached out and lovingly stroked Willow's cheek, pressing a tender kiss against her lips.

"In your fantasy," Willow began shyly, "you um.you mentioned singing in my ear."

Tara blushed, sensing where Willow was going with this. "Yeah.?" she whispered gingerly.

Despite the girl's obvious reluctance, Willow couldn't resist her plea. She was curious to hear her voice after all, and could imagine no better way to end the day than by having Tara sing to her.

"Can you.?"

Tara sighed. She should have known this was coming. What had she been thinking of when she'd revealed her fantasy?

"You w-want me to sing you to-to sleep?" Her voice trembled with a hint of trepidation.

Willow gave Tara her most endearing smile, hoping the girl wouldn't be able to resist her charm. "Please." she appealed softly.

Tara smiled ruefully, knowing she was beat. How could she resist that smile?

"For you," she placed a quick kiss against Willow's lips, "anything."

Willow grinned and leaned over to return the kiss, briefly capturing Tara's bottom lip.

"Turn around," Tara whispered, gently guiding Willow so that she could spoon with her.

Willow instantly complied and let out a pleased sigh when she felt Tara's arm tighten around her waist, and the gentle tickle of her breath against her neck.

"Mmmm," she covered Tara's arm with her own, shivering with pleasure. She loved being in Tara's arms, and this was the best way to get to sleep.

Tara loved it too, and couldn't resist placing an adoring kiss against Willow's cheek, before nuzzling her neck for a brief moment. "Only for you Will," she whispered. "Anything for you."

"Oh Tara," Willow craned her neck for another kiss, shivering slightly as their lips met. Tara's words meant more to her than she could ever express with words.

"What do you want me to sing?" Tara whispered into Willow's ear as the girl returned to her previous position.

"Something soft and romantic," Willow closed her eyes, shuddering at the sensation of Tara's breath against her skin.

Tara thought for a moment, taking her time to come up with a suitable song. A moment later, she took a deep breath, placed a quick kiss against Willow's neck and began to sing the first line of her favourite Elvis song.

"Wise men say, only fools rush in. But I can't help, falling in love, with, you."

Willow felt a chill run through her as the soft strains of Tara's song echoed in her ear. Tara had the most beautiful singing voice she'd ever heard.

"Shall I stay? Would it be a sin? If I can't help, falling in love, with, you."

"Oh wow," Willow sighed as Tara paused.

"You like?" Tara whispered shyly, feeling a little nervous about Willow's reaction.

"Wow," Willow repeated, lifting Tara's hand from her waist so that she could lightly kiss her palm. "Beautiful," she sighed, returning Tara's arm back to its position around her waist.

Tara smiled and continued softly, her confidence boosted. "Like a river flows, surely to the sea. Darling so it goes, some things, were meant to be ee, ee, ee."

Willow shivered as Tara's leg somehow found its way in between hers and the girl snuggled against her even closer. She had no idea Tara had such a wonderful voice, and she felt extremely blessed that the girl felt comfortable enough to share it with her.

"Take my hand, take my whole life too. For I can't help, falling in love, with you."

As Tara continued to sing, Willow could feel herself getting drowsier and drowsier, allowing the girl's voice to gently work its way into her being. Tara's voice was magickal, and before she could even begin the next line, Willow was already half asleep.

"Like a river flows, surely to the sea. Darling so it goes, some things, are meant to be, ee, ee, ee."

Tara could feel Willow's breathing getting steadier as she neared the end of the song, and she paused to press a tender goodnight kiss against her cheek before softly singing the last of the lyrics.

"Take my hand, take my whole life too. For I can't help, falling in love, with you. For I can't help, falling in love, with you."

"Good night Willow," Tara whispered, kissing Willow's cheek one last time before she too allowed the sweet sensation of slumber to take over.

***

The next day, Tara awoke to a slight headache, feeling somewhat nauseous. She wasn't used to alcohol of any kind, and the small amount consumed by her and Willow last night had been enough to make her feel a tad off colour this morning. She was reluctant to get up and grab an aspirin though. She'd much rather stay in bed, curled up behind Willow, listening to the gentle sounds of breathing coming from the girl she loved.

As she continued to hold Willow however, the stabbing pain of her headache began to get progressively worse. She really needed to do something about it. With a sigh, she pressed a light kiss against Willow's cheek and carefully extricated herself from the girl's sleeping form.

She grabbed the tumblers she and Willow had used last night and tiptoed out of the room towards the bathroom. It didn't take her long to rinse the glasses out and fill them with water. She figured Willow would feel just as seedy as she did this morning.

When she got back to the room, Tara placed the glasses on her end table and tiptoed as quietly as she could while searching for her medical supplies. She didn't want to wake Willow, knowing that the more the girl slept, the less time she'd have to endure awake and uncomfortable.

It didn't take Tara long to find some aspirin and a bottle of vitamin B tablets. She downed two of the aspirin and a couple of vitamins, before she crawled back into bed with Willow.

Tara sighed and closed her eyes as she snuggled up against her friend. The aspirin hadn't kicked in yet, so she carefully tightened her hand around Willow's waist and rested her chin against her shoulder, doing her best to draw comfort from the girl without waking her up.

Despite her mild hangover though, Tara didn't regret what had happened last night. She was glad the wine had loosened their inhibitions and helped move their relationship into a new level of closeness. She was in love with Willow after all, and wanted more than anything to be her girlfriend.

Although, if truth be told, she should've kept Willow at more of a distance. The girl was confused, she was still a little attracted to her ex- boyfriend, and she was scared about who she really was. The last thing Willow needed right now was for someone to make life more difficult.

However, Tara was only human, and Willow's reaction to Oz had triggered a chord within her. She didn't like the idea that Willow was still attracted to her ex. Nevertheless, she'd wanted to be the good friend, look after Willow's interests, not complicate things. But a part of her had said 'enough!' She didn't always feel like making sacrifices-doing the 'right' thing. She and Willow had shared a lot of intimacies yesterday, and Tara had felt more than a little disgruntled by Oz's intrusion.

So, instead of preaching to Willow that it was okay for her to go back to Oz if she wanted to, she'd plied the girl with alcohol. Tara wasn't really too proud of herself for that, but as she looked back on the events, she knew she hadn't really done anything that was too wrong. Besides, when it had come down to crunch time, she 'had' done the 'right' thing after all.

She'd been strong and refused to accept Willow as her girlfriend. And that was one of the hardest things she'd had to do in her whole life. In fact, she had no idea how much longer she could continue to remain strong. She wanted only what was best for Willow. But was she willing to sacrifice her own happiness in the process?

'I hope I can be that strong.'

With that thought, Tara leaned up and pressed an adoring kiss against Willow's cheek.

"Mmm," Willow mumbled, blinking here eyes to force them open. She had a killer of a headache, and a bellyache to match.

"Hey you," Tara whispered. She hadn't meant to wake Willow up, but was glad of her company nevertheless. "How you feeling?"

"Mmngh," Willow groaned. She was still unable to form proper words, sleep and pain clouding her mind.

Tara smiled bemusedly, knowing exactly what Willow was going through. With a quick kiss against Willow's cheek, Tara forced herself out of bed.

"Mmngh," Willow moaned at the loss of contact and turned to lie on her back. She instantly regretted the action as a sharp stabbing pain worked itself into the middle of her forehead. "Mmngh."

"This'll make you feel better," Tara explained, popping out the medicine. "Aspirin for the headache, and vitamin B to give you energy," she moved to sit on the edge of the bed and placed two aspirin and two vitamins in Willow's hand. "Drink up," she instructed.

With another groan, Willow forced herself up into a sitting position. "Owww," she winced as her head decided to complain again.

"Drink," Tara insisted, holding out the glass as Willow popped the tablets into her mouth.

Willow just looked at her through sleep-covered eyes as she swallowed. She didn't really think anything would help her pain at the moment, but was willing to give it a shot nevertheless.

"There," Tara grinned as she returned the glass back to her end table. "You should feel better in no time."

"Mmm," Willow moaned, still not entirely convinced. However, as Tara crawled back into bed with her, she began to think otherwise. She sighed in contentment when Tara's forehead came to rest against hers and the girl intertwined their legs together under the covers. "Nice," she whispered.

Tara smiled and moved her arm around Willow's back as the girl did the same, pulling them closer together. "The aspirin should kick in soon and you'll feel a lot better. It only took a few minutes with me."

"How long you been awake?" Willow whispered.

"Not long," Tara smiled. "I was just thinking."

" 'Bout last night?" Willow's voice shook a little, as her mind slowly began to recall their situation.

"Nothing bad," Tara reassured gently, feeling Willow's energy level fluctuate suddenly. "I don't regret what happened." she paused, "unless you do.?"

"No!" Willow instantly exclaimed. "I'm not sorry. I'm glad we.?"

Tara smiled warmly, sensing the girl's question. "Me too."

"Mmm," Willow moaned as Tara's lips met hers in a brief kiss. Any remaining doubts about last night were now forever stricken.

"You feeling any better?" Tara pulled away from the kiss. She wanted to keep their contact light this morning. They had to tread carefully despite their new level of intimacy.

Following Tara's train of thought, Willow smiled in response. "A little," she pouted playfully, "but my tummy's still upset."

Tara smiled affectionately. "You want me to rub it better?" she asked softly.

Willow's smile widened at the idea, instantly warming to it.

Tara grinned. "Turn around," she instructed softly, guiding Willow to lie on her back. "Close your eyes."

Willow did as she was told and shivered as Tara boldly began to lift up the material of her nightshirt. However, the cold air on her belly went completely unnoticed as her cheeks flushed with the excitement of knowing Tara's eyes were on her half naked body. 'Wow, I can't believe Tara's doing this. How far's she gonna take it?'

Tara shivered as well, her imagination racing as Willow's skin was progressively revealed to her. She couldn't quite believe her own daring actually, but for the life of her she wasn't gonna back off now. There was a new understanding between them as of last night, and she was helpless to avoid succumbing to it. 'Gods, she's so beautiful.'

Tara forced herself to stop just short of Willow's breasts. She then settled herself on her side and rested her head against Willow's shoulder, her eyes glued to the delectable sight of the girl's naked belly.

'It's so firm and smooth and toned and.gods, it's Willow's.I can't believe I'm gonna do this. I shouldn't really be doing this. We're meant to be taking things slow. But why does she have to be so irresistible? A soft touch couldn't hurt right? Nothing's gonna happen. Okay, who am I fooling here? Face it Tara, you're hopeless.'

Tara took another moment to argue with herself, before she finally reached out her hand towards Willow. Much as her brain knew what the right thing to do was, it seemed to hold little sway when it came to her hormones.

Willow's eyes flew open when she felt the first touch of Tara's palm against her bare belly. A tingle of electricity ran all the way down her body almost instantly.

"This okay?" Tara whispered, keeping her hand still. She hoped she hadn't gone too far. Especially since she could now make out Willow's pale blue cotton panties, and was having a hard time keeping her thoughts decent.

'Why'd I lift up her nightshirt? It's just asking for trouble. I could have just as easily rubbed her belly through the thin material. But, oh gods, she's so sexy. And her panties.oh wow, I'm seeing Willow's panties.'

Willow smiled and sighed. Modesty was the last thing on her mind at the moment "Please."

Tara smiled back, instantly feeling relieved. Willow's approval was unmistakable. With a slight release of energy, she slowly began to work her hand in a tentative circle on Willow's skin, allowing herself to unashamedly enjoy the girl's subtle reactions to her touch.

Willow closed her eyes with a shudder, completely aware of the way Tara was gazing at her. Tara's hand felt so sensual against her skin, that she couldn't stop herself from moaning softly in response to each movement. Her slight nausea was now completely gone having disappeared the moment Tara had touched her skin. But that wasn't really what this was about anyway.

Tara was enjoying herself immensely. She loved having a 'legitimate' excuse to touch Willow's silky soft skin. What's more, she couldn't help but feel pleased at the girl's reaction. She knew a small part of it had to do with the energy she was releasing, but mostly it was pseudo-erotic. She wasn't blind, and the look of intense longing she'd seen in Willow's eyes at her very first touch had been unmistakable.

Unfortunately, Tara's ministrations were cut short by the shrill ringing of her telephone. She thought about not answering it for a moment. However, she never got many phone calls, so the chance that it was something important was quite high.

"I should answer that," Tara sighed, even while her hand continued its steady movement on Willow's skin.

"Do you have to?" Willow whispered with a pout. If it were up to her, she'd lie here all day and bask in the headiness that was Tara's hand on her belly.

"Could be important..."

Willow's pout turned into more of a frown. Tara was right. But she didn't have to like it. "No fair."

Tara chuckled at the childish expression on Willow's face. The girl was utterly adorable. "Be back soon," she promised with a smile.

As she removed her hand however, Tara felt a tinge of spontaneous boldness empower her and she leaned down and pressed her lips against the bare skin of Willow's belly-on the same spot her hand had just vacated.

She'd been unable to get the fantasy out of her head the whole time she'd been caressing Willow. And she had to admit, reality more than lived up to her fantasy. Willow's skin was so soft and tender beneath her lips. She was truly magnificent.

Willow's whole body trembled in response and she let out a soft moan. "Tara," she pleaded when her lips left just as quickly as they'd arrived.

"Phone," Tara grinned cheekily over her shoulder as she leapt off the bed. She'd pulled away more for her own sake than for Willow's. Nevertheless, it didn't stop her from enjoying Willow's reaction.

"Tease," Willow pouted good-naturedly.

Tara's grin widened as she reached the phone, her gaze moving down to Willow's panties of its own accord. She was just so beautiful, and Tara simply couldn't help herself. In fact, she didn't even consciously realise she was ogling the girl. All Tara could think about was how sensual Willow looked, and how she'd love to press her lips against those sexy thighs of hers.

Willow blushed in response to Tara's gaze, but did nothing to cover up.

Meanwhile, the phone continued to ring, and Willow soon realised that she couldn't keep distracting Tara. Unless she wanted it to ring off the hook. So, with a rueful smile, she slowly began to unfold the material of her nightshirt.

Tara frowned as Willow sat up in bed and covered herself up.

"Phone," Willow pointed in response.

'Oh,' Tara smiled sheepishly. "Hello," she finally picked up the receiver.

"Hey Tara," Buffy's voice echoed into her ear. "You seen Willow?"

"Yeah, she's right here. You wanna speak to her?" Tara motioned for Willow to join her.

'Buffy?' Willow mouthed.

Tara nodded.

"It's okay," Buffy declined. "Was just wondering where she was. School's almost out for the day and I haven't seen her in any of her classes. Tell her not to worry though, most of the teachers weren't in school anyway. Even Giles skipped out on study hall. I'm headed over there now to see what's up."

"Oh, okay," Tara replied as Willow moved to stand behind her.

"Later," Buffy hung up the phone.

"What did Buffy want?" Willow asked, wrapping her arms around Tara's waist from behind as the girl put down the receiver.

"Looks like you missed school," Tara turned around in Willow's arms and looked at her sheepishly. "Think we must've overslept. It's." she paused to glance at her clock, "wow, it almost 2."

Willow was stunned. She couldn't believe she'd missed school. She never missed school. "I missed the whole day.?"

"Uh huh," Tara smiled. "But don't worry though. Buffy said most of the teachers weren't even at school anyway. Even Giles was at home. She's gone to see him now."

Willow frowned at this, wondering if something 'Hellmouth-y' was involved. "I hope he's okay. Hope nothing's wrong. Maybe we should go to Giles'.?"

Tara reached up with her left hand and tenderly stroked Willow's cheek. "Buffy can handle it. If something's wrong and she needs our help, I'm sure she'll call."

Willow smiled. "Yeah, I guess you're right. But I still can't believe we slept through the whole day."

Tara giggled and leaned in towards Willow.

Willow grinned and pressed a soft kiss against Tara's lips. She pulled away pretty quickly though. With the new intimacy they shared, each kiss now had the potential to get out of hand very quickly. And now wasn't the time for such things.

"You hungry?" Tara inquired, following Willow's train of thought.

"A little," Willow admitted with a smile. "But first, we gotta figure out a way to cover these up," she moved her hand to Tara's neck, lightly touching the hickey she'd left there last night. "If Buffy calls."

Tara chuckled. "I've got some makeup we could use. But I think a couple of turtlenecks'll work better."

"Right," Willow agreed.

***

A couple of hours later, the two girls had showered, changed, applied makeup and were now sitting at the Rocket Café having an extremely late lunch. The makeup they'd applied to their necks was tentative at best, so they'd decided that Tara's idea of a turtleneck was the go.

As they were finishing their meal however, they were surprisingly joined by Buffy. Apparently the girl had somehow managed to wrangle her mother's Jeep and had come looking for them to join her in a joyride.

This worried Willow a little, especially since she knew how bad Buffy's driving skills were. But why had Joyce been with Giles? Why had most of the teachers been absent from school today? And why didn't Buffy seem to think this behaviour was at all weird?

There was no use in bringing all this up with Buffy though. When the Slayer had her mind set on something, it usually didn't leave much room for anything else. And right now Buffy was dead set for going on a joyride.

Which is why she and Tara had reluctantly succumbed to her invitation, and were now locked in the Jeep at the mercy of Buffy's driving. Willow had opted for the front seat, figuring Tara would be safer in the back. Tara still didn't know how bad a driver Buffy was. She was quickly finding out though.

"Tell me again how it happened," Willow ventured nervously as they headed jerkily down a semi-secluded residential street. At least there weren't many cars on the road here.

Buffy grinned, oblivious to the edginess of the two witches. "Told my mom I wanted to be treated more like a grownup, and voila, driviness."

Willow craned her neck to meet Tara's gaze, but was instantly thrown back in her seat as Buffy skidded around a corner without so much as tapping the brakes. 'Oh my god, oh my god,' Willow started to breathe heavily, 'we're all gonna die, we're all gonna die, Buffy's gonna kill us, we're all gonna die.'

Tara wasn't coping much better either. In fact, her eyes had closed and she was now forcing herself to take deep calming breaths. What had she gotten herself into? 'How could a Slayer of all people be such a bad driver? Weren't Slayers meant to have super human coordination skills?'

"Also," Buffy continued as if nothing untoward was going on, "I think she wanted me otherwhere. Considering my mom and Giles are planning my future, I think it's easier for them to live my life if I'm not actually there."

Willow wasn't really listening to Buffy's words. She was too busy trying to keep herself from jumping out of the car. The risk of jumping out of a moving vehicle was beginning to look sweeter and sweeter. And when was Buffy gonna take that parking brake off? She was beginning to feel her earlier nausea returning from all the jerky movements.

"Do you know that you have the parking brake on?" Tara asked from the back seat. She too was beginning to feel increasingly nauseous.

"Uh huh," Buffy released the parking break oh so innocently, causing the engine to rev up.

'Big mistake,' Tara cringed, as the car was now going at twice as fast. 'Maybe I shoulda kept my mouth shut.?'

"Are you sure about the Bronze?" Willow ventured nervously, doing her best to focus on something other than their impending deaths. "I mean, the SAT's are tomorrow."

"I can study at the Bronze," Buffy grinned. "A little dancing, a little cross-multiplying." Buffy trailed off as an idea hit her. "You know what we need?" she leaned over and turned on the radio and began playing with the dial.

"Eyes on the road! Eyes on the road!" Both Willow and Tara screamed at the Slayer, their hearts pounding. The Slayer might have super healing, but 'they' were sure to die in a crash.

Buffy pulled her head up as the car swerved onto another road, luckily not hitting anything. She was having the time of her life.

Fortunately, they weren't far from the Bronze now, and a minute later, Buffy was pulling up in front of the club.

Willow instantly gravitated towards Tara and linked their hands together. She was grateful to be alive. Tara felt the same and squeezed her hand warmly.

As they entered the Bronze however, the three girls instantly noticed the surprising amount of older patrons.

"I guess this is where all the teachers are hiding out," Tara joked.

"Lets do the time warp again," Buffy chuckled as they made their way through the crowd.

"Maybe there's a reunion in town or.or a Billy Joel tour or something," Willow ventured.

Buffy frowned as a teacher suddenly brushed passed them. "Ms. Barton?"

Willow flashed a glance at Tara and smirked, referencing the girl's previous joke.

"Buffy?" Ms. Barton greeted. "Whoa!"

"Are you okay, Ms. Barton?" Willow asked gently, surprised to see the somewhat glazed expression on her teacher's face. If she didn't know better, she'd bet the old woman was high on something.

"Oh, I'm cool, Willow," Ms Barton grinned. "Willow.that's a tree," she giggled. "You're a tree!"

The three girls exchanged a quizzical look. Was it really possible for this grandmotherly looking teacher to be high?

"Yeah," Ms Barton began to look around the room, "uh, uh, are there any nachos in here little tree?"

"A-are you sure you don't need some fresh air, Ms. Barton?" Buffy spoke up.

Ms. Barton laughed hysterically in response. "Okay," she continued giggling as she disappeared into the crowd.

"Hey, this is not normal," Willow frowned.

Tara and Buffy shared a look and held back a smirk.

"Uh, w-well," Willow stammered sheepishly, "maybe that goes without saying."

Just then, Principal Snyder chose to grace them with his presence and startled both Buffy and Tara as he moved in between them and placed an arm around their shoulders.

"Hey Gang! This place is Fun City, huh," he laughed.

Tara couldn't believe what she was seeing. Here was the man who'd just yesterday yelled at her and practically accused her of being a delinquent. And now, he had an arm around her in a club. There was definitely something wrong with this picture.

"Principal Snyder?" Buffy turned her head with a frown.

"Call me Snyder," he grinned, doing his best to sound cool. "Just a last name, like.Barbarino."

Willow stepped away from Snyder as he began to move his arms and fists wildly. "Ohh! I'm so stoked!" he exclaimed. "Hey, did you see Ms. Barton? I think she's wasted."

Willow moved towards Tara and relinked their hands together. This was getting beyond weird.

"I'm gonna have to put that in her next performance review," Snyder continued gleefully. "Cos, I'm the principal." With a burst of laughter he disappeared into the crowd, leaving behind three stunned teenagers.

"I don't like this," Willow glanced towards Tara. "They could have heart attacks."

"Uh, well.ma-maybe there's a doctor here...?" Buffy ventured.

Just then, a shirtless middle-aged man jumped onto the stage where the Dingoes were playing and pushed Devon away from the microphone. "Yeaaaaaaaaaaaaah!" he belted out to the crowd.

"I think that 'is' my doctor," Willow frowned, her neck going back in shock as she watched him dive off the stage and land on the floor.

All three girls cringed at the sight.

"He-he's usually less.topless," Willow quipped.

Tara frowned at this and gently squeezed Willow's hand. Just then, Snyder once again returned to the fold and stuck his head in between her and Willow, causing them both to startle.

"I got a commendation for being principal," he exclaimed proudly. "From the Mayor," he continued, gesturing with his hand. "Shook my hand twice."

"That's nice," Tara humoured him, quirking an eyebrow at Willow.

Willow merely shrugged as Snyder's eye caught sight of a couple of attractive women walking past him.

"Whoa!" he exclaimed with a grin. "There are some foxy ladies here tonight!" With that, he moved away from Willow and Tara so as to head off after them.

Sharing an exasperated look, the three girls wasted no time in walking off in the opposite direction as Snyder. The principal's presence was more than wigging them out. As were all the grownups.

"What's happening?" Willow voiced her thoughts.

"I don't know," Buffy frowned, "but it's happening to a whole lot of grownups."

The girls continued to look around at the middle-aged crowd in wonder.

"They're acting like a bunch-" Willow ventured.

"They're acting like a bunch of us," Buffy finished as they all stopped walking.

Willow frowned at this, her eye catching sight of an old couple making out quite heavily on a nearby pool table. "I don't act like this."

Tara smiled adoringly at her friend and lightly squeezed her hand. "No," she smirked, "I don't think you have it in you."

"And what is that supposed to mean?" Willow asked with mock bravado. "You think I don't know how to have a good time?"

Buffy gave Tara a knowing look and held back a giggle. "Sure you do Will."

Willow pouted in response, knowing they were both kinda right. She wasn't much for partying or acting reckless. She was the resident 'good girl'. But that didn't make her boring.did it? Did Tara really think she was boring?

"You think I'm boring," she voiced her thoughts.

"Of course not," Tara was quick to reassure her. "you just don't have it in you to, um.to act carelessly. Which is exactly what these grownups are doing." Tara looked around at the crowd again, shaking her head in wonder. "It's just not natural."

"No," Willow agreed.

"Hey guys," Oz came up from behind them. His set had just finished and he'd spotted the three of them from the stage. "Attack of the grownups," he quipped, venturing at the crowd.

Willow smiled at her ex in greeting. "Hey."

"Something's definitely changing them," Buffy voiced.

"A spell?" Willow turned to face Tara.

Tara nodded. The notion had definite possibilities. "Could be."

"They're teenagers," Oz pondered. "It's a sobering mirror to look into, huh?"

Tara smirked despite herself, but cringed as Snyder headed towards them again.

"You've got great hair," he directed at Oz, walking around him in admiration.

Oz merely stood there silently, allowing the old man to do as he wished. He was getting more and more disturbed by the second. A group of old men had replaced him and the Dingoes on stage. There were more grownups at the Bronze tonight than teenagers. And all in all he was getting a seriously bad vibe from the whole situation.

"It just gets more upsetting," Willow sighed.

Buffy agreed. "No vampire has ever been," she pointed up towards the stage, ".'that' scary."

Tara chuckled for a second, but cringed as a fight broke out a few meters in front of them.

"Fight!" Snyder exclaimed with a grin.

Willow sighed and motioned towards the exit. Buffy, Tara and Oz nodded in agreement and they began to head out.

"We've gotta figure out what's going on," Buffy stopped in front of a pinball machine where a woman was holding out a candy bar to her boyfriend. "This has Hellmouth fingerprints all over it."

"Hey," Snyder called out to them, suddenly noticing they'd gone. "Where are we going?"

The four teenagers purposefully ignored him as they walked out, rushing towards Joyce's Jeep.

"Wait up, you guys!" Snyder insisted, following them relentlessly. "Hey! You guys aren't trying to ditch me, are ya?"

'That's the plan,' Willow thought to herself as she got in the back seat with Tara, leaving the front for Oz.

"We should find Giles," Oz opened the front door and sat down. "He'll know what's going on, right?"

"Sure," Buffy pondered as she put on her seat belt. "Except, for all we know, he's sweet sixteen again."

Willow and Tara exchanged a worried look. "He's with your mom at his place," Willow supplied urgently.

Just then, Snyder moved towards the driver's side of the car and opened the door as Buffy started up the car. He wasn't about to be ditched. "I said, wait up!" he slammed the door closed and took a seat.

Tara frowned as Snyder forced her to scoot over to give him some room. "Uh, Snyder." she appealed to Buffy.

"No time," Buffy put the car into gear. "He's coming with us."

With that, she slammed her foot on the gas and skidded out of the parking lot.

"Whoa, Summers!" Snyder exclaimed. "You drive like a spaz!"

Willow and Tara exchanged a knowing look and held back a smirk. At least Snyder was right about one thing.

"It'll be okay when we get to Giles'," Willow ventured a moment later.

"Of course," Oz agreed, craning his neck back to look at his ex. "I mean, even if he's sixteen, he's still Giles, right? He's probably a pretty together guy."

Tara frowned at this, as did Willow and the two girls shared a worried look.

Oz couldn't help but notice the look, and furrowed his brow in confusion. What was he missing here?

"Yeah, well..." Willow trailed off.

"What?" Oz piped up, his curiosity peaked.

"Giles at sixteen?" Buffy cringed.

"Yeah," Tara sighed in agreement, her eyes locked with Willow's. "Didn't you say he was, um...less Together Guy, more.Bad Magic Hates The World Ticking Time Bomb Guy?"

Oz sighed at this, not liking the notion. What's more, he couldn't help but feel irked that Tara knew more about this than he did. Why had Willow shared that with Tara and not with him? He quickly answered his own question, realising yet again how strong the connection between the two girls really was.

"Well," he ventured, "then I guess your mom's in a lotta trouble."

Snyder raised his eyebrows and nodded, not really following what was happening.

***

A few minutes later, they reached an intersection. However, the guy in the Jeep opposite them was too busy unwrapping a candy bar to notice the light turn red.

Being the non-defensive driver that she was, Buffy failed to look both ways as she went through the green light. Willow however noticed the car coming for them.

"Oh my God!" she exclaimed. "Look out!"

Tara followed Willow's gaze and tensed up, as did Oz and Snyder. Unfortunately, Buffy slammed on the brakes too late and the other Jeep crashed straight into the left rear door and back panel, causing them to spin around in a quarter turn.

"Sorry!" the guy from the other Jeep jumped out of his car. "Gotta go!" he laughed, bolting off in the opposite direction.

With a frown, Buffy jumped out and instinctively moved to chase after him. However, she quickly realised she had more important matters to deal with, so moved to check out the dent in her mother's car instead.

"Oh God," she sighed. "Are you guys okay?" she looked up as everyone piled out of the car.

Willow and Tara instantly gravitated towards one another and linked hands, drawing comfort from each other.

Oz sighed at this. His first instinct had been to do the same. Obviously he wasn't needed anymore. With that thought he purposefully avoided Willow's gaze and began to move around the car to inspect the damage.

"Is anybody else all creeped out and trembly?" Willow took a deep breath in an attempt to calm herself.

Tara smiled at Willow and nodded, giving her hand a gentle squeeze. "A little," she whispered.

Willow smiled back warmly and the two of them instinctively released their own energy to comfort one another.

"Oh, Buffy," Snyder commented as he rubbed his shoulder and inspected the damage, "your mom's gonna kill you."

Buffy ignored him, choosing instead to look around the nearby park. Her Slayer senses were tingling. There were three men sitting around in the playground laughing and smoking. There was a postman sitting down reading the mail. In fact, there were grownups everywhere just hanging out, munching on chocolates, and looking as if they didn't have a care in the world.

"Something's weird," she noted.

"Something's not?" Oz responded.

"No grownups," Buffy explained. "No one's protecting their houses. Everyone's just.wandering."

Just then, a man came up from behind Snyder and grabbed the candy bar he'd been unwrapping.

"Hey!" Snyder protested as the man ran off. "Hey, give it!" he began to chase after him.

"Defenceless." Willow observed.

"So where are all the vampires?" Buffy posed.

Willow and Tara looked at each other in concern. Buffy was right. If everyone was outside in the dark, then why weren't the vamps taking advantage of this? Why were they letting them all run free? There should be a feeding frenzy happening.

"Soups on, but no one's grabbing a spoon," Buffy voiced her thoughts.

"Something's happening." Oz spoke up, "someplace that's else."

"I'd say something big," Buffy sighed.

"That guy took my candy!" Snyder chose that moment to return from his chase, just in time to give Buffy an idea.

"The candy!" Buffy exclaimed, giving Willow and Tara an astonished look. "I- it's gotta be the candy! It's cursed."

Willow and Tara exchanged a surprised look. 'Of course.'

"A curse?" Snyder frowned. "Oh, I've got a curse."

"God," Willow ignored him and squeezed Tara's hand gently. "Using candy for evil!"

Tara gave her an adoring smile and squeezed back.

"My parents ate a ton," Oz frowned.

"Who's behind it?" Buffy questioned, grabbing Snyder and pushing him up against the nearby Jeep.

"I don't know," he protested in confusion. "It came through the school board. If you knew that crowd." he shook his head in frustration.

"Where did it come from?" Buffy continued impatiently. She had no time for the run around. "Do you know where to get it?"

"Yeah," Snyder replied.

This pleased Buffy and she released him. "You guys get Xander and Cordelia," she turned towards Willow, Tara, and Oz. "Go to the library and look it up."

"Candy curses?" Oz inquired.

"Disturbing second childhood," Willow squeezed Tara's hand as they all turned to leave. "Got it."

Buffy nodded and shoved Snyder towards her mother's car. "Ratboy and I are going to the source."

***

As the three of them headed off towards Xander's, a sudden tension filled the air, similar to that of the previous night.

"So," Oz ventured after a while, keeping his gaze on the ground. "You guys have a good time last night?"

Willow and Tara looked at each other awkwardly. How were they meant to answer that one? With a sigh, Willow carefully let go of Tara's hand. She didn't feel too comfortable with the situation at all.

"It was okay," she said nonchalantly, avoiding Oz's gaze.

Oz knew Willow well enough by now to know when she was embarrassed. Risking a quick glance, he couldn't help but note the way both she and Tara were blushing. 'So,' he thought to himself, 'something happened last night? I don't think I really wanna know this.'

"I see," he moved his eyes back to the ground.

"How was the party?" Tara asked, politely, trying to steer the conversation away from her and Willow. She could tell what Oz must be thinking, and despite the unspoken rivalry between them, she didn't want to cause the guy any unnecessary pain.

"Like your usual frat party," Oz replied softly, still unable to look at either of them.

"Nothing weird happen?" Willow prompted as an idea hit her. "I mean.Tara sold two boxes of candy to those guys. They didn't act all reckless and."

Both Oz and Tara held back a smirk as Willow trailed off.

Willow smiled sheepishly. "Guess it comes with the territory."

"Yeah," Tara smiled. "I'm glad no one was hurt though," she furrowed her brow as she thought of something. "Are your parents gonna be okay?" she asked Oz. "You said they ate a-a ton."

Oz lifted his gaze and smiled at Tara, silently thanking her for her concern. "I'm sure they're fine. In high school both my folks were more interested in practice than in having a good time."

"Practice for what?" Tara asked softly.

"Music," Willow supplied.

Tara turned to face Willow questioningly. "Music?"

"Classical music," Oz explained, drawing Tara's gaze back towards him. "They still are. They're both members of the Sunnydale Symphony Orchestra. Music runs in the family. Only, we don't always agree on style," he chuckled.

Tara smiled in response. "So, is that why they bought a lot of band candy - support of the trade?"

"Yeah," Oz replied with a smirk as he recalled the moment. "And just like parents, they took the time to grill me on why I was no longer in the jazz band."

"Parents," Tara quipped. "They're never happy."

"At least you guys have parents that notice these things," Willow interjected. "Mine are never home long enough. Although," she suddenly realised, "I guess I'm glad they weren't around this time. Who knows what would've happened if they reverted back to hippie-ness. Even without evil candy, my mom's totally reckless when she gets onto a good cause. Everything's political to her. It's all about making a stand, writing a paper, proving a theory. I'm never."

Willow paused as she noticed the bemused expressions on Oz and Tara's faces. She hadn't meant to ramble on. "Sorry," she smiled ruefully, "issues."

Tara and Oz shared a knowing look. They both found Willow completely adorable. They looked away almost immediately though, both feeling a little awkward with the moment they were sharing. Being in love with the same person was like a double-edged sword. It bonded them together and tore them apart at the same time.

The three of them walked the rest of the way in somewhat comfortable silence. The awkwardness between them had loosened a little, but it would take a lot more than a pleasant conversation to solve the 'real' issues they had with one another.

Besides, now wasn't the time to get into that anyway. They had more important things to worry about. Like figuring out why the grownups needed distracting.

***

As it turned out, their old friend Ethan Rayne, was behind the supply of 'evil' candy. He'd made a deal with an unidentified partner to help distract the grownups so that a tribute could be made to a demon by the name of Lurconis. The tribute was made every thirty years. It was a ritual feeding, with the main course being newborn babies.

Luckily, the Scooby gang was on top of things as usual. The research team had done their job, allowing Buffy to kick some major demon ass. All things were as they should be, and after they'd gotten a call from Buffy in confirmation, they'd all said their goodbyes and left. They did have SAT's to study for after all.

Which is why Willow and Tara were now in Willow's bedroom, going over her study notes. Willow knew she should have an early night, but she couldn't resist some last minute cramming.

"Thanks again for helping," Willow looked up at Tara who was sitting cross- legged on the bed opposite her. "I'm not too worried about the maths part, but I think my verbal could use some work."

"Well," Tara grinned cheekily, "if you ask me, I'm sure you'll have no problems with your, um.'oral' skills."

Willow blushed as she met Tara's gaze, and returned her grin. "You wanna help me out with a little practice?"

"Wouldn't say no," Tara grinned, leaning over to meet Willow's lips.

Willow trembled into the kiss, but pulled away before it could deepen. She really needed to study, and kissing Tara was too much of a distraction.

"Gotta study," she explained before Tara could protest.

Tara smiled in understanding. "Right," she picked up the study aid. "I'll quiz you."

***

A couple of hours later, Willow decided she'd had enough studying for the night, and she and Tara were now in their sleepwear, brushing their hair as they prepared for bed.

"Hey, Will," Tara ventured as she crawled into bed. "Something's been puzzling me all night."

"What's that?" Willow asked, setting the alarm before joining her under the covers.

"Ethan Rayne," Tara explained.

"What about him?" Willow turned on her side to face Tara.

"You guys seemed to know him before tonight. Who is he?"

"Oh," Willow smiled, "sorry. Didn't mean to keep you out of the loop."

"That's okay," Tara smiled back.

"He's an old friend of Giles'," Willow continued by way of explanation, "back from his Ripper days. He worships chaos."

"Ah," Tara began to get the picture. "I guess he's still living in the past. Doesn't even need candy to do it."

"Yeah," Willow giggled.

"You met him before?" Tara interjected.

"Last year," Willow recalled. "It was during Halloween. He uh."

"What?" Tara prompted gently.

Willow smiled as she remembered her ghostly experience. It had been a turning point for her. Helped her realise she was more than just a meek, mousy, Slayerette. She could definitely take the reins when needed. But she was more than happy to step back once Buffy had returned.

"You shoulda seen the outfit I'd had to wear."

Tara was now even more curious. "What outfit?"

"We got turned into our costumes," Willow explained. "It was before I'd met Oz, and I was still pining away for Xander. Buffy convinced me to put on this racy outfit-mini skirt and midriff top. I still have it somewhere. Anyway, it totally wasn't me. Made me real uncomfortable, so when Buffy went to greet Xander at the door, I quickly put on the ghost costume over it. You see, we'd all gone to Ethan Rayne's costume shop to buy our outfits, and when it got dark, we all turned into our costumes. Buffy was a princess, Xander was soldier boy, and me.I was a ghost. As it turned out though, I was stuck with Buffy's costume-"

"Wait," Tara interrupted in confusion. "You took Buffy's princess costume?"

"No," Willow smiled sheepishly. "I mean the costume Buffy had picked out for me."

"Oh," Tara grinned, "the racy outfit. You mean you walked around dressed in nothing but a short skirt and midriff top?"

"Yeah," Willow blushed, "and lotsa makeup too."

"Wish I'd been around to see that," Tara flirted.

Willow blushed coyly. "Maybe I'll wear it for you some day."

"I'll hold you to that," Tara grinned.

Willow's blush deepened. "Anyway," she continued, suddenly feeling very shy, "since Buffy was a princess, she didn't have her Slayer power anymore, and all the kids running around-"

"Were demons and monsters," Tara finished up. "What happened?"

"Giles.I think."

"What do you mean?" Tara prompted.

Willow sighed, "I, uh.well, I went to Giles for help with research, and it led us to Ethan's shop. We met Ethan there and."

"And what?"

"I'm not sure what happened," Willow explained. "Giles told me to leave, and I uh.I think his Ripper side must've shown up and scared Ethan into reversing the spell or something."

"Makes sense," Tara agreed. "They have a history?"

"Yeah," Willow confirmed. "A short time after Halloween, Ethan showed up again. The demon they worshiped had come back to exact its hold. Every member of their group except for Ethan and Giles was killed. We managed to save the day as usual, but not before we found out about Ripper."

"So they were part of the same group?" Tara asked. "Ethan and Giles."

"Yeah," Willow agreed. "They met at college-or university as they say in England."

"And strayed to the dark side." Tara trailed off. 'I hope that never happens to Willow. Or me for that matter. It's so easy to lose your way.'

"What are you thinking?" Willow prompted.

Tara sighed softly. "How easy it is to lose your way. Dark magick is very seductive."

"Then I'll just have to be careful not to get seduced," Willow grinned flirtatiously.

Tara smiled in response and leaned in towards Willow. She pushed aside all thoughts of dark magick as her lips met Willow's in a brief kiss.

"Hey!" Willow suddenly thought of something. "You don't think Giles and Ethan.?"

Tara quirked an eyebrow. 'What did Willow mean?' "What.?"

"You know," Willow grinned mischievously. "They were part of a group that worships chaos. Aren't orgies part of the deal.? You think Ethan and Giles ever.?"

Tara blushed as she realised what Willow was implying. She had a lot of respect for Giles, and imagining him in that situation made her more than a little uncomfortable. However, Willow 'did' have a point. She'd read books about what happened in some occult circles, particularly those that worshiped dark magick.

Willow's grin widened as she took in Tara's reaction. "You think it's possible?"

Tara smiled bemusedly. "Did anyone ever tell you you've got an overactive imagination?"

"But you think I'm right," Willow insisted. "Giles and Ethan.?"

"Whatever Giles did in the past is none of our business."

Willow sighed. Tara was right. She shouldn't be dredging up the past.

"Although," Tara continued with a smirk, "it wouldn't really surprise me to find out Giles played for both teams. I'd always suspected as much."

Willow's eyes widened in surprise. "You did? You could sense it? Like gaydar or something.?"

Tara chuckled in response. "No," she grinned. "I'm just teasing. But I'm sure there's a lot about Giles we don't know. It's always the 'proper' ones we gotta worry about. The ones who never do anything wrong or reckless."

"Like me you mean?" Willow interjected with a smirk.

"Now that you mention it," Tara grinned, "you and Giles 'do' have a lot in common. So maybe he 'does' swing both ways after all."

Willow giggled, before stifling a yawn.

"Sleepy time?" Tara questioned softly.

Willow nodded and pressed a brief kiss against Tara's lips. "Gotta be ready for the SAT's."

Tara agreed, and guided Willow onto her other side so she could spoon with her. "Sweet dreams," she whispered into her ear. "And I'm sure you'll do real well tomorrow."

"I hope so," Willow smiled.

"I 'know' so," Tara countered with complete confidence.

Willow craned her neck and gently kissed Tara's lips. "Thank you," she whispered as she settled back in Tara's arms.

Tara smiled and nuzzled her lips against Willow's neck, kissing her skin softly as they both allowed sleep to gradually take over.

***

The next morning, Tara woke up, glanced at the clock, and turned Willow's alarm off. There was still a couple of hours 'till Willow had to get up, so she decided to treat her to a nice healthy breakfast in preparation for her upcoming SAT's.

She had a brief shower and changed into the pair of loose jeans she'd worn yesterday, and one of Willow's multi coloured t-shirts. There was a really cute picture of a teddy bear on the front, and Tara was sure Willow wouldn't mind if she borrowed it.

With a quick glance at herself in the mirror, Tara was pleased to note that the two hickeys on her neck had almost faded away. Unlike yesterday, a few dabs of liquid foundation, topped off with some powder, was enough to satisfactorily cover up what was left of the evidence.

Once she was finished in the bathroom, Tara quietly made her way down towards the kitchen to make them both some breakfast. Half an hour later, there was a large stack of pancakes in the middle of the table, along with two glasses of freshly squeezed orange juice, a pile of buttered toast, and a frying pan full of scrambled eggs. And thanks to Mr and Mrs Rosenberg's espresso machine, there was also two steaming hot cups of homemade mochas, just waiting to be enjoyed.

Tara smiled down at her handiwork and picked up her own mocha. She needed some way of enticing Willow down the stairs.

***

Willow blinked her eyes as she felt Tara's lips pull away from hers. She looked up to see Tara smiling down at her adoringly. "Morning," she smiled back.

"Morning," Tara greeted, taking a sip of her mocha.

Willow frowned as she took in the scent of freshly brewed coffee and chocolate. "Where's mine?" she pouted.

Tara grinned and took another sip. "Downstairs," she pointed. "I figured that was the only way to get you down there. You always take forever to get out of bed in the morning."

"Not always," Willow sat up in protest. "Just." she paused at Tara's knowing look. "Well, okay, sometimes," she relented. "Guess I'm not a morning person."

Tara smiled and pressed a soft kiss against Willow's cheek, before getting up off the bed. "Come, on," she extended her hand, "you don't wanna miss the SAT's."

"What?" Willow exclaimed, leaping out of bed in alarm. "I'm gonna be late?"

Tara reached out and grasped Willow's hand. "Relax," she soothed as they headed down the stairs. "You've got plenty of time. But not if you stay in bed."

"Oh," Willow smiled warmly and rubbed her eyes groggily. Tara was right about one thing. She 'did' have a hard time waking up in the morning.

When she reached the bottom of the stairs, the unmistakable aroma of scrambled eggs, fresh toast and pancakes was overpowering.

"Oh wow," she turned to face Tara. "You did all this for me?"

"Brain food," Tara grinned. "Thought you could use the energy."

"You're the best," Willow wrapped her arms around Tara and pressed a tender kiss against her cheek. "Thank you," she whispered, moving to kiss her lips.

Tara shivered and moved her free hand up into Willow's hair. She opened her lips and eagerly accepted Willow's tongue.

Willow trembled in response and tightened her hold on Tara. She was so lucky to have her. She didn't deserve someone as wonderful as Tara.

After a moment, Tara released Willow's tongue and pulled away. She looked deep into her eyes and did her best to steady her breathing. "Breakfast," she pointed huskily.

"Right," Willow agreed, resisting the urge to recapture Tara's lips. Instead, she lifted her right hand to Tara's cheek instead, and gently caressed her for a brief moment, before taking a seat at the table.

***

The two girls were just finishing the last of their breakfast, when they heard a knock on the front door.

Tara stood up and smiled down at her friend. "I'll get it," she offered graciously, seeing as how Willow wasn't really dressed for company. "You go get ready, and I'll tell whoever it is that you'll be down soon. Okay?"

"Okay," Willow agreed. She stood up and gave Tara a quick peck on the lips before heading up the stairs.

Tara smiled as she watched Willow disappear, thinking how domestic the whole scene was. She couldn't help imagining what it would be like to 'really' share a house with Willow.

With a shake of the head, Tara turned around and headed for the front door. There was no use living in a fantasy world.

That didn't curb the huge grin on her face though. In fact, she didn't think that anything could ruin the good mood she was in right now.

She couldn't have been more wrong.

"Oz?!" Tara's eyes widened in surprise as she opened the door.

She couldn't help feeling disgruntled by his presence. Once again, Oz was intruding into her and Willow's world. Well, okay, so it wasn't really fair of her to be thinking like that, but she couldn't help herself.

"Hey," Oz ventured nervously, surprised to find Tara and not Willow standing before him.

He looked at the ground uncomfortably, wondering what Tara was doing here. He'd known that something had happened between Willow and Tara the other night, and a part of him was getting scared. In fact, that's why he'd decided to come here in the first place. He figured it might help his case to remind Willow that Tara wasn't the only one who cared for her.

Willow had to figure out for herself who she was, but he wasn't gonna sit around and let Tara do all the influencing. Not that Tara was the type to use undue influence. He knew Tara was a good person. But where love was concerned - all was fair. At least that's how the saying went.

If Willow realised she was gay and wanted to be with Tara, then he would have no choice but to step aside. However, he wasn't gonna go down without a fight.

Taking a deep breath, Oz lifted his head and purposefully met Tara's gaze. "I, uh.came to see if Willow wanted a lift. SAT's."

"Oh," Tara smiled weakly. "Um.you, uh.w-w-wanna come inside?" she stepped aside graciously.

"Thanks," Oz took her up on her offer and headed straight for the living room couch as Tara closed the door behind him.

"Willow's just getting ready," Tara explained, taking a seat on the nearby armchair. "She shouldn't be too long."

"Okay," Oz met her gaze awkwardly.

Tara smiled shyly and looked away. She wasn't used to being so confused about someone. On the one hand, she admired Oz, but on the other, he was her rival. And jealous rivalry was one emotion she didn't particularly care for.

"You help her cram?" Oz ventured after a moment, hoping to discover the real reason behind Tara's presence.

"Yeah," Tara replied softly. "She was nervous about her verbal skills."

Oz nodded in response. "Bet she'll do great though."

"Yeah," Tara grinned. "She's one of the smartest people I know."

"That's our Will," Oz agreed, feeling just as proud of her as Tara did.

They met each other's eyes and shared a look, but quickly glanced away in discomfort. Once again their love for Willow was bringing them closer together, while at the same time increasing the wedge between them.

"You took 'em last year?" Tara finally broke the silence. "The SAT's."

"Yeah," Oz confirmed. "You too."

Tara nodded.

Oz smiled awkwardly and moved his gaze back to the carpet.

They continued to sit there in silence, unsure of what to say to one another. They were both quiet by nature, and that made small talk between them even more difficult.

***

A few minutes later, that's how Willow found them-sitting in complete silence, staring awkwardly at the floor.

She was surprised to find Oz in her living room, but wasn't surprised by the awkwardness. She 'was' glad however that she'd had the foresight to cover up her hickeys before coming downstairs. She could just imagine Oz's reaction if she hadn't.

"Hey," she greeted her ex-boyfriend.

Oz and Tara immediately stood up, feeling eternally grateful for the reprieve of awkwardness.

"Hey Will," Oz smiled.

"What's up?" Willow smiled back, genuinely pleased to see him.

"Thought you could use a lift," he explained.

"Oh," Willow's grin widened as she met his gaze. "That'd be great. You sure it's no problem?"

"It's cool," he responded warmly. "I can drop you back at the dorms as well if you like," he turned towards Tara.

Tara smiled at his consideration. "Thank you," she said softly. Despite the rivalry between them, she could do nothing to fault his manners. Oz was definitely a gentleman, and they were a rare breed in this day and age.

Willow looked at Tara and then back at Oz. "Let me just get my pencil case and we can go."

With that, Willow disappeared upstairs to grab her stuff, while Tara and Oz headed outside towards his van.

***

When they arrived at the public testing centre, it didn't take them long to locate Buffy, Xander and Cordelia, who were all standing outside, waiting for the doors to open.

"Hey," Xander waved them over. "You two decide to take 'em again?' he questioned Oz and Tara.

"Just here for support," Tara smiled warmly in greeting.

"Chauffeur," Oz explained.

"Well, if you wanna sit in for me." Xander posed with a grin and leaned in towards Oz in a conspiratorial fashion. "We can work out the terms of payment later," he whispered.

Oz merely smiled, not committing to anything.

"Come on," Cordelia pulled on Xander's sleeve. "They've opened the doors," she pointed.

"Guess this is it," Buffy grimaced. "You think Demon Slayage is a valid reason for special consideration?"

"You can always try your luck," Willow quipped. "It 'is' Sunnydale after all."

"I'm sure you'll do fine," Tara encouraged.

"Thanks," Buffy acknowledged, before turning around and following Xander and Cordelia into the testing centre.

With the Scoobies gone, Tara turned her gaze towards Willow and took a few steps towards her. She wasn't sure how comfortable Willow would be with a public display of affection, but she couldn't let her go in without a kiss for good luck. With a quick glance around, she noted that the only one paying any attention to her and Willow was Oz.

Nevertheless, as she took Willow's hands in her own, she paused before making a move. She looked into her eyes questioningly, silently asking for permission. What they had was very tentative and she didn't wanna cause Willow any unwanted embarrassment. Not when the girl was about to go into the SAT's.

Willow met Tara's gaze and smiled. She couldn't help but be grateful for Tara's consideration. Glancing around, Willow came to the same realisation as Tara. The only one who'd even notice was Oz.

But, was she comfortable letting Tara kiss her with Oz present? Although, knowing Tara, she would probably keep the kiss chaste. She wouldn't do anything to purposefully embarrass her or upset Oz. That kind of behaviour wasn't in her nature. But still, what if someone else saw them.?

Tara could sense the turmoil going on inside Willow. The girl was taking her sweet time in figuring out what she wanted, so Tara decided to end the struggle for her.

With an adoring smile, she let go of Willow's hands and lifted her right hand to Willow's cheek. "Good luck," she whispered into her right ear, before pressing a very brief chaste kiss against her cheek, softly caressing her left cheekbone with her hand.

Willow's heart was pounding as Tara kissed her cheek. She hated herself for her own indecision. Why couldn't she have given Tara the go-ahead for a real kiss? Why was she such a coward? And what had she done to deserve someone as considerate as Tara? In the instant that those thoughts ran through her head, Willow made up her mind.

As Tara began to move her lips away from her cheek, Willow turned her head just enough so that their lips could meet.

Tara stopped in her tracks when she felt Willow's lips against hers, and the girl's hands move up to cup her face. The kiss was over almost as abruptly as it had begun, but as Willow pulled away, Tara knew how big a deal this was for her, and it made the kiss more powerful for her than any they'd shared before.

"Thanks," Willow whispered huskily, her cheeks flushed a deep red.

Tara smiled warmly in response, finding it difficult to speak. Willow still had a long way to go, but this was an awesome first step in accepting her sexuality.

Oz watched the display with increasing discomfort. He'd gallantly set Willow free the other week, but not without a slim hope that she'd come back to him. However, witnessing the ever-increasing affection between Willow and Tara, had given him a lot to think about these past few days. Which is why he'd come over to Willow's this morning to make his last pitch.

But after what he'd just witnessed, he couldn't help but feel he was playing a losing game. However, that wasn't gonna stop him from sticking around for the final innings. Until Willow came out and officially announced that Tara was her girlfriend, he'd continue to remain hopeful. His love for Willow would allow him to do nothing less.

Willow eventually remembered she wasn't alone with Tara, and turned to face Oz somewhat guiltily.

Oz smiled at her in reassurance, not wanting her to feel bad about her actions. It was hard enough for her to come to terms with her sexuality, and she didn't need him to make it harder for her.

"Good luck Will," he took a step towards her and pressed a quick kiss against her cheek.

Willow smiled at her ex warmly, glad to see he wasn't upset with her. "Thanks Oz."

Oz nodded towards the entrance. "Meet you here afterwards."

"Yeah," Tara agreed.

"Thanks," Willow acknowledged both Tara and Oz, before turning around and joining her fellow seniors.

Oz and Tara turned towards each other somewhat hesitantly once Willow had gone.

"Ready?" Oz ventured.

Tara nodded and they both began to walk towards his van in silence. Once they'd reached his car, Oz graciously unlocked the passenger side first, before going over to the driver's side.

Tara nodded her thanks, and as she got inside, she leaned over and unlocked the driver's side for Oz. If Oz was gonna play the gentleman, then so was she. In a manner of speaking. Oz wasn't the only one with good manners.

"Thanks," Oz acknowledged as he sat down and started up the engine.

Tara smiled and put on her seatbelt.

They drove in silence for a few minutes, until Oz finally spoke up. Things couldn't go on the way they were.

"You wanna stop for some coffee," he ventured, "my shout.?"

Tara turned to face Oz. Her first instinct was to refuse, but she quickly realised that this wasn't really about coffee. They needed to talk. "Okay," she smiled.

Oz smiled back, pleased with her response. A minute later he pulled up outside the Espresso Pump.

***

Tara smiled her thanks as Oz set down two extra large cups of mochas. He took a seat opposite her at the table, and the two of them looked at their cups awkwardly, simultaneously lifting them up to their lips for a quick sip.

"Strong," Tara ventured.

Oz nodded. "Hot," he observed.

"Yeah," Tara agreed.

A second later they both chuckled nervously. Small talk wasn't really their thing. They met each other's eyes and smiled weakly.

"I'm sorry," Tara was the first to speak, deciding to cut straight to the chase. She knew what Oz wanted to talk about, and there was no use avoiding the issue any longer.

"About what?" Oz inquired, sensing the apology wasn't for their inane conversation.

Tara sighed and took another sip, stalling for as long as she could. "I, uh.I n-n-never meant to-to h-h-hurt you.come between you and Willow."

Oz nodded in response. "I know you didn't," he said softly. "I don't blame you. Not really. I've had a lot of time to think, and I.I just don't want her to forget about me.you're not the only one who-"

A light flashed in Tara's mind as she realised what Oz meant. "You th-think we're spending too much t-t-time together.?"

"Not exactly," he sighed. "I.I know Will's going through a lot, and I'm not the best one to help, but.but I still wanna be a part of her life."

"A-are you asking me to see l-l-less of her?" Tara couldn't believe what she was hearing.

Oz shook his head vehemently. She'd gotten it all wrong. "That's not what I meant," he clarified. "You make Willow happy-anyone can see that. I just don't wanna be left out. Will's got a lot to deal with, and I wanna be around for her. I want the chance to spend time with her, too."

Tara frowned as she pondered his words. "You w-w-wanna share her.split her up?" she giggled as an idea hit her. "I have her on Mondays Wednesdays and F-F-Fridays, and you get her Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays.and S-S- Sundays she's a free agent.?"

Oz chuckled at Tara's attempt at humour. "Not quite," he smiled. "But something like that. I'll be honest with you Tara. When Will first told me about what happened, a part of me blamed you for everything. But I've thought a lot about things, and I've come to realise it's not really anyone's fault. It's just the way things are. I don't hate you or blame you. In fact, I uh.I want the two of us to be friends. For Willow's sake, but also for our own."

Tara smiled at this. She was quickly beginning to understand his meaning. In fact, she could totally relate to his line of thinking. One of them was gonna be left in the cold once Willow sorted out her own mind. And Oz, just like herself, wanted to remain a part of Willow's life regardless of the context. And he was right, it would be a lot easier for that to happen if they became friends.

"Friends," Tara smiled and lifted her coffee cup.

Oz smiled back and pressed his cup against Tara's. "Friends."

"The three of us could hang sometimes," Tara suggested, "if you want.?"

Oz nodded and smiled. "That's kinda what I had in mind. Maybe go see a movie, hang out at the Bronze, have a video night, whatever.?"

"Might be fun," Tara agreed.

Oz sipped his mocha, his mood turning more serious. "Tara," he ventured hesitantly, "I."

"What?" she prompted softly, giving him a warm smile.

"I know this is none of my business, but.does she know you're in love with her?"

Tara exhaled sharply. Of all the things she'd thought he'd ask, this was one issue she hadn't even imagined would come up.

"I, uh.I-I-I haven't told her," she said softly, not meeting his gaze. "I didn't w-w-wanna put any pressure on her. She has to f-figure out what she wants. I don't w-w-w-want her to feel o-o-obligated to me.influence her de- decision."

Oz looked at Tara guiltily. He hadn't had the same restraint. "You're a stronger person than I am," he admitted wryly. "To be honest, I'd have thought that was the first thing you would've said to her. I know I did."

Tara smiled at Oz affectionately. "You were her b-boyfriend," she reminded him. "That gave you every r-r-right."

He shrugged unconvincingly. "I guess," he sighed. "It's just.I'm way out of my league here. I gotta be honest with you Tara. If you were a guy, I'd know exactly what to do. But this whole.it's not easy when you don't even know what you're competing with. Not that we're competing. It's Willow's decision after all. But I don't wanna lose her. And I know you don't either."

Oz paused and met Tara's gaze. He looked deep into her eyes expecting to see anger or hatred, but all he felt was her compassion. The girl was actually relating to him.

"I'm sorry," he sighed. "You don't need to hear this."

"It's okay," Tara smiled in reassurance. "It m-must be hard for you-keeping it all in. You haven't been able to talk to anyone have you?"

Oz sighed again and took a sip of his coffee. "It's not like I can go to Devon about this. And I wouldn't wanna break Will's confidence by letting any of the Scoobies know. Besides, Will's the one who's going through all these changes."

"I'm sorry Oz," Tara reached out and touched his hand briefly. "I n-never meant for this to hap-happen. I mean, I felt a c-c-connection from the beginning, but I never l-l-let her know how I felt. I never did a-a- anything t-t-to-"

"I know," Oz reassured. "And like I said, I don't blame you. I just don't know what to do here. I wanna be her friend, but I wanna be more than that too. But I don't wanna push her either. And I can see you make her happy. Maybe it's for the best," he sighed. "At least this way I don't have to worry about the Wolf hurting her."

Tara reached out and briefly touched his arm. "We all have evil-some m-more than others. Life is about d-dealing with it. And when you l-l-love someone, you take them as they are-good and bad."

Oz smiled in agreement. "But you also want what's best for them. Maybe I've just been fooling myself. Will might be better off with someone who doesn't have a demon inside them."

Tara looked away in discomfort. She knew all too well how Oz felt. He wasn't the only one who had evil inside him.and a part of her couldn't help but agree with him. Maybe Will might be better off without 'either' of them.

But life was never that cut and dry. Just like Oz, she too was selfish when it came to Willow. And she couldn't help but hope that the evil inside her could be contained. She might want what's best for Willow, but she also wanted what was best for herself as well.

"I guess this whole situation is p-pretty unusual," she smiled wryly. "But then again, living on the Hellmouth can do that."

"Yeah," Oz couldn't help but smile. "Guess you're right."

"You're not a bad person Oz," Tara conceded softly. "I can see why Will cares for you."

"Ditto," Oz smiled, before taking another sip of his mocha. "What say we head over to the Bronze, shoot a bit of pool, wait around 'till she's finished.?" He'd had enough meaningful conversations for one day.

"All right," Tara smiled in agreement. She too felt like lightening the mood. "But I'm not too g-good at pool."

"No problem," Oz stood up and grinned. "I'll give you some pointers."

"Okay," Tara agreed, following him back to his van.

***

That afternoon, the Scoobies exited the testing centre wearily. Buffy left almost immediately to go find Faith so they could train and patrol. Cordy then decided to drag Xander off to the movies with her, leaving Willow to her own devices. She wasn't alone for long though. Less than a minute went by, before she was met by Oz and Tara, both of whom were in a very jovial mood.

They had spent the better half of the day playing pool and hanging out at the Bronze. After their first game of pool, the two of them had relaxed with one another quite significantly. They'd put aside their rivalries and focused on the game at hand. What's more, once they'd gotten to talking, they'd realised they had quite a lot in common as well.

They'd steered away from talking about Willow, so the subjects of music, philosophy, pop culture, and other various matters had been raised. Surprisingly enough, they actually shared similar views in a lot of these areas.

Being a musician, Oz had a very wide range of musical tastes, and he'd been surprised that Tara actually knew of some of the more obscure bands he listened too. It was more than he'd been able to say about Willow. In fact, he was also surprised to find out that just like him, Tara used music as an escape when she was upset. Whereas he played guitar, she sang. He'd even suggested a jam session, but Tara had quickly refused. She wasn't one for singing in public. Even if that public included only one member.

All in all, they'd left the Bronze that afternoon with a deeper understanding of one another. They were alike in so many ways, and if they'd met under any other circumstances, they probably would've become fast friends. So, it was only fair that they gave each other a chance now.

After all, good friends were hard to come by. And just because they were in love with the same person, it didn't mean that they should harbour resentment towards one another. Besides, it wasn't in either of their natures to be resentful. There were just some things in life that couldn't be avoided or changed. And neither of them blamed each other for their situation. It was beyond their control.

"You two seem awfully chummy," Willow observed with a frown. Oz had leaned over and said something to Tara, causing them both to start chuckling as they headed towards her.

She couldn't help feeling perplexed with the whole situation. 'What's going on here? Have I missed something? Since when are Oz and Tara friends? Is there something I should know about? What happened today?'

"Hey Will," Tara met her gaze. "Oz was just telling me about what happened at a gig the other week."

"Yeah," Oz confirmed with a smile. "There was this incident with-"

"Wait," Willow held up a hand. "What's going on here?"

Tara and Oz looked at one another in resignation.

"We had a talk," Tara spoke up eventually, looking to Oz for confirmation.

"Right," he nodded and turned to face Willow. "We, uh.we hung out."

"Turns out we have a lot in common," Tara supplied.

Willow's gaze alternated from Tara to Oz, still not following. "You hung out? Together.alone.?" she questioned. "Since when do you hang out?"

Tara sighed and looked back to Oz for some help.

"I miss you Will," he said softly. "I miss hanging out. And I know things are confusing for you right now, but I still wanna be a part of your life."

Tara smiled in agreement. "And so do I.whatever happens."

"So we figured it wouldn't hurt to get to know each other," Oz finished up. "Make things easier in the long run."

"Friends." Willow frowned, finally getting the picture. She wasn't too sure how she felt about this.

Her ex-boyfriend, and her potential girlfriend becoming friends, now that was one for the history books. It had 'threesome' written all over it. Willow quickly put that thought out of her head. 'Mind out of the gutter,' she reminded herself. Besides, the three of them hanging out as friends had definite possibilities.

She 'did' miss Oz. And she was still uncertain as to what she wanted. Maybe hanging out with both of them would help make things clearer. In fact, the more she thought about it, the more the idea appealed to her. She'd be getting the best of both worlds.

Tara and Oz turned to look at each other and smiled. They'd noticed the changing expressions on Willow's face, and could tell she was warming to their idea.

"You wanna hang out," Willow ventured, seeking clarification, "the three of us.together?"

"That's the idea," Tara confirmed.

Willow smiled warmly. "The three of us.okay. So, what do you wanna do?"

"Now?" Oz questioned.

"Yeah," Willow replied. "We're all here."

"How 'bout a movie?" Tara supplied.

"Okay," Willow agreed, turning her gaze to Oz.

"Sure," he smiled.

With that, the three of them headed towards Oz's van, wondering what on earth they were getting themselves into.

***

As they entered the movie theatre, Willow sighed. There were huge lines everywhere-Saturday afternoon rush and all. However, as she took the time to look around, she noticed Xander and Cordy at the top quarter of the ticket queue.

"Over here," Xander called out, spotting them at the same time as Willow had. He was surprised to see them here, but pleased nevertheless.

"Hey," Willow smiled in greeting. "What movie you guys seeing?"

"Wild Things," Cordelia supplied.

"Isn't that the movie with a threesome?" Tara questioned with a smirk. She'd heard some of her classmates talking about it, and it had definitely peaked her interest.

Xander grinned and nodded enthusiastically. "Why do you think I chose it?"

Cordelia rolled her eyes. "The only reason I agreed to see it was cos Matt Dillon's in it. But seeing as you're into that kinda stuff," she turned to face Tara, "you'll probably like it. I heard there's some good girl on girl action-"

"What are you implying?" Willow interrupted defensively. "You think just cos someone's gay, that they'll only watch a movie if there's-"

Cordelia took a step back indignantly. "And who made 'you' Ms PC?" she interjected. "All I meant, was that a lesbo might enjoy watching-"

"The term's lesbian," Willow corrected. "And I know 'exactly' what you meant."

"It's okay, Will," Tara reached for her hand. "Besides," she giggled to lighten the mood, "she's kinda right. I do enjoy a film with good girl on girl action."

Willow smiled at Tara sheepishly. She'd overreacted to Cordelia's comment, and was grateful for the reality check. If she wasn't careful, her own indignation could unintentionally reveal her secret.

"It's settled then," Xander glanced at Oz with a conspiratorial grin. "Juicy girl on girl action, and Mat Dillon-y goodness. A bit of fun for everyone."

Oz looked at Xander in resignation. He wasn't too sure if Wild Things was the right movie for them to watch under the circumstances, but it would look too suspicious if he objected. Besides, it was just a movie.threesome or no.

Willow and Tara looked at each other, their thoughts similar to those running through Oz's head. However, it was too late to protest. They were at the front of the queue now and Xander and Oz were already getting out their wallets to buy tickets for all of them.

"I'll get the drinks and popcorn," Willow offered, seeing as how Oz had offered to pay for both her and Tara's tickets.

"Okay," Oz agreed.

Willow and Tara left the ticket queue and headed towards the refreshment stand with Xander. As usual he was expected to pay for everything. The things he had to go through to date Cordelia.

A few minutes later, the five of them sat down in the back row, popcorn and sodas in hand. Cordelia sat at the end, with Xander next to her. Oz took a seat next to Xander, with Willow beside him, and Tara holding up the other end next to Willow.

As they settled back in their seats to watch the previews, Willow couldn't help but find their situation somewhat ironic. Here she was, sitting in a darkened cinema, with her ex-boyfriend on her left, and her potential girlfriend on her right, about to watch a movie with a prominent threesome in it. Oh no, her life couldn't be any more complicated.

The movie started out innocently enough, but pretty soon the first twist in the plotline revealed itself, and Willow found herself utterly hooked. She was enjoying the subtle interactions between the characters, the way no one was as they seemed. And even though she was more than a little turned on by the sex scenes, she still remained focused on the story and couldn't wait to find out what was gonna happen next.

"Wow," she sighed as the final credits began to roll. "That last scene.what a way to turn it all around. I think for once you actually made a good choice Xander."

"Right," Cordelia agreed as they began to pile out of the cinema. "Never underestimate a woman when it comes to money."

"I'll remember that," Xander grinned. "But Neve Campbell.can I say woof!?"

Cordelia swatted him playfully. "Dream on."

"She 'was' kinda hot," Tara conceded softly.

Willow looked at Tara in surprise. "You thought she was hot?"

"Um," she blushed, "well, uh.k-k-kinda."

Xander gave Tara a huge grin. "You know what? You'd make a good couple. You and Neve Campbell ever get together, let me know."

"Xander!" both Willow and Cordelia protested.

Xander's grin widened. "What?" he questioned oh so innocently.

"I think you owe me dinner now," Cordelia stated.

Xander sighed resignedly. "Fine. How bout the Bronze? They're having a special on Buffalo wings. Heard they're real good."

"Buffalo wings?" Cordelia frowned. "I was thinking more like Pasta Alfredo, or-"

"Buffalo wings," Xander interjected. "Unless you wanna pay? I'm pretty much tapped out after the movie."

Since it was 'her' palette at stake, Cordelia decided she'd have no other choice but to pay. "Fine," she sighed. "Pasta it is."

"Seriously?" Xander grinned. "You're the bestest girlfriend ever," he wrapped his arm around her shoulder and pressed a quick kiss against her cheek.

"Well.don't get used to it," Cordelia smiled.

Xander smiled back and kissed her again, this time meeting her lips with his own.

"I'll be back," Oz nodded towards the bathroom as Xander and Cordelia continued kissing-oblivious to the world around them.

"Okay," Willow smiled, before turning to face Tara. "So," she smiled mischievously, "you thought Neve Campbell was hot?"

Tara blushed. "I th-th-think she's a good actress."

Willow smiled, finding Tara's embarrassment adorable. "Don't tell me you have a crush on Neve Campbell?" she teased.

"I."

"It's okay," Willow chuckled, lacing her fingers with Tara's. "I can see why you'd like her," she leaned in to whisper in Tara's ear. "She's got 'some' cleavage. But if you ask me, I think 'yours' is sexier."

Tara's blush deepened and she pulled her head back in surprise. She couldn't believe Willow had said that. In public no less. Okay, so she'd whispered it, but still. 'And how long has Willow been noticing my cleavage.?'

Willow smiled back cheekily. The movie had definitely gotten her riled up. And right now, all she wanted to do was get Tara home. Watching all that girl on girl action had put her in a very sensual mood. And if she played her cards right, who knows, Tara might even let her touch .

"Where's Oz?" Xander interrupted her thoughts, having just pulled away from Cordelia.

"Bathroom," Willow replied. "But you guys go on ahead. I don't think we'll be joining you for dinner," she glanced at Tara coyly.

Xander accepted her answer at face value. "Okay," he smiled. "We'll see you later."

"Bye," Cordelia acknowledged, before the two of them headed out to her car.

"I've got other dinner plans," Willow whispered once they'd gone.

"Such as.?" Tara replied flirtatiously.

Willow moved to reply, but was interrupted by Oz's return.

"Hey," Oz greeted. "Where's Xander and Cordy?"

"Left for dinner," Willow explained. "I told them to go on ahead. In fact, if you don't mind, I kinda wanna head off home."

"Not a problem," Oz smiled agreeably, doing his best to sound nonchalant. He'd seen the way Willow was looking at Tara, and after the movie, he had a pretty good idea of what was probably going on in her mind.

***

As he pulled up outside Willow's house, Oz turned off the ignition and stepped out of the van. He escorted the two girls up to the door in silence. He knew that the only one getting an invitation inside, and possibly staying the night, was Tara. And he didn't really feel too pleased about that.

However, a part of him realised that right now, Willow needed to explore 'that' side of her sexuality, and Tara was the only one who could help her. Unfortunately, that knowledge didn't make the situation any easier for him. But being the person that he was, he could do nothing but step aside and let it happen.

Which is why he was now awkwardly gazing at the floor, as Willow unlocked the front door. He didn't exactly want to leave, but he knew he couldn't stick around either. What was he gonna do?

Tara looked at Oz with sympathy. She knew what Oz must be thinking. It was one thing to suggest the three of them hang out together, but quite another to actually follow through with the plan. What made Tara feel doubly worse was that she genuinely liked Oz.

Oz finally broke the awkward silence. "I guess I'll call it a night," he reached a hand towards Tara. "It's been fun."

"Yeah," Tara smiled as she grasped his hand and squeezed it gently. "I'm glad we t-t-talked."

"Me too," Oz agreed, and on impulse leaned in and pressed a quick kiss against her cheek. "Night Tara," he said as he pulled away and let go of her hand.

Tara smiled shyly at the young man, feeling more than a little surprised by his actions. "Night Oz."

Willow couldn't believe what she was seeing. 'Oz just kissed Tara's cheek. Oh my God, Oz kissed Tara's cheek. That was.that was.gods that was just so sweet of him. I can't believe they're really friends. Oz and Tara.who'd've thought?'

Willow knew that the two of them had reached an understanding today, but seeing Oz plant a friendly kiss on Tara's cheek made it seem all the more real. She didn't know quite what to make of it. She was lucky to have such an understanding ex-boyfriend.

However, the fact that they got along, did not make the situation any easier. Willow knew that. She knew that ultimately it was down to her. She had a great deal of responsibility on her shoulders, and she had to tread very carefully. Whatever happened, she had to make sure that no one got hurt-be it Tara or Oz.

'But it's definitely gonna help that they're friends. How lucky can a gal get?'

Oz turned towards Willow, whose mouth was still slightly open. He didn't blame her for being surprised. He hadn't known himself what he was gonna do until he'd actually done it. He'd simply wanted to show Tara that there weren't any hard feelings on his part.

"Good night Will," he said softly, leaning in to kiss her cheek.

As he pulled away, Willow lifted her hands to his cheeks and stopped him. She knew how hard this must be on him, and his gesture of friendship towards Tara meant a lot to her. So, without further ado, she gently pressed her lips against his in a brief kiss. It was her way of showing him that she still cared, that she hadn't forgotten about him, and that she appreciated his friendship and support.

Oz was overwhelmed by Willow's actions. A part of him knew the kiss was just a consolation prize, but the dreamer in him held onto it like a ray of hope. Whatever happened, he now knew that he wasn't gonna be tossed out of her life.

With that thought, he flashed her a warm smile, before turning around and heading off to his van. He no longer minded so much-leaving Willow and Tara alone. After all, he wasn't completely out of the game anymore. At least according to the kiss he'd just gotten.

Tara watched Oz leave with mixed feelings. Seeing Willow kiss Oz had left her feeling more than a little disgruntled. However, she realised why the girl had done it. And she couldn't really blame her. It was the least he deserved. But that didn't mean she had to like it. With a sigh, she stepped through the front door and made a beeline for the couch.

Willow turned around as Tara disappeared inside. Closing the door and locking it behind her, she let out a sigh of her own. She realised what Tara had seen, and the effect it was obviously having on her.

Stepping into the living room, Willow looked down at Tara hesitantly. The girl was sitting on the edge of the couch with an unreadable expression on her face.

"Hey," she greeted softly, taking a seat next to her. "I, uh.I'm sorry-"

Tara shook her head and forced a smile to her lips. "It's okay.

Willow frowned and reached a hand for Tara's knee. "No it's not."

"Of course it is," Tara insisted, resting her hand on top of Willow's. "You have the right to kiss anyone you want. Besides," she chuckled weakly, "It's not like I haven't seen you kiss Oz before. I've gotten used to it. I've learned to deal."

Willow's eyes widened as a realisation dawned on her. 'Oh God, what have I put her through all these months? How long has she had feelings for me? She's seen me kiss Oz so many times. No wonder she always acted kinda awkward-why I sensed those energy changes. Gods, I've been so blind. Why didn't I realise this sooner? And I thought 'Xander' was dense.'

"Oh God, Tara, I'm so sorry," Willow searched Tara's eyes desperately. "I never realised-"

Tara frowned in puzzlement, not quite following Willow's over the top reaction. "Really," she insisted with a smile. "It's okay. I don't mind you kissing Oz. I know why you did it.it's okay."

"No," Willow corrected, "I mean yes. I mean, I'm sorry I.how long?"

Tara was now even more confused. "How long what?"

"You had feelings for me," she stated very gently, her voice barely above a whisper, "before the fluke? While I was still with Oz?"

"Oh," Tara exhaled, lowering her gaze to the floor.

"I'm so sorry Tara," Willow insisted, moving her free hand up to Tara's cheek. "It must've been hard.?"

Tara shook her head as she blinked away a tear, overwhelmed by the girl's compassion.

"Will," Tara met her gaze with a smile. "The moment I met you, I knew you were special-but you had a boyfriend. You weren't gay. I knew that. And I was 'totally' okay with it. But yeah, I had feelings for you. And seeing you with Oz.it wasn't always easy."

Willow was still in a daze over Tara's long-term unrequited crush. She, more than anyone, knew what it was like to be in that situation. She hated herself for being so 'Xander-like'. Well, at least she'd eventually come to her senses. And that was something Xander had never done.

"I can't believe I was so blind," Willow sighed, not taking her eyes off Tara's. "What you must've gone through ."

"You don't have to apologise," Tara smiled warmly.

Willow wasn't having any of that though. She felt entirely guilt ridden over her blindness. She'd done the same thing to Tara as Xander had done to her. And she'd always sworn she'd never be so dense as to hurt someone like that.

"Oh Tara," Willow buried her head in the crook of Tara's neck and moved her hands around her back. "I'm so sorry," she mumbled, "I'm so sorry."

Tara moved a hand to gently stroke Willow's hair. "Hey," she whispered soothingly, "it's okay Sweetie, it's okay."

Willow's heart skipped a beat in response to Tara's endearment. She liked being called 'Sweetie'. It felt right somehow. "I'm really sorry Tara," she insisted.

"I know you are," Tara soothed. "But it's okay."

Tara's words were finally penetrating Willow's emotions. "It is?"

"Uh huh," Tara placed a soft kiss against Willow's hair. "Besides, it's in the past. Nothing you can do to change it now."

"But I can make it up to you," Willow pulled away in realisation. "Let me make it up to you," she stated softly, meeting Tara's gaze with resolve.

Tara smiled flirtatiously at Willow, following her train of thought. "What did you have in mind?"

She knew exactly what Willow was suggesting, and right now, she wasn't gonna do anything to refuse. Especially as a part of her wanted to make Willow forget all about that kiss she'd just given Oz. She wanted 'her' lips and 'her' name to be on Willow's mind as she fell asleep tonight.

Willow opened her mouth to respond, but Tara silenced her with a kiss. 'She' was gonna take control of the situation. If Willow wanted to make things up to her, then she could start by erasing Oz from her senses, and replacing him with 'her'. And Tara herself was gonna make sure she did everything she could to help that along.

Willow reached up with her hands and wrapped her fingers around Tara's hair, as the girl's tongue sought entrance into her mouth. She met it eagerly. Whatever Tara wanted, she would give. After all, the woman before her deserved it. Besides, she liked 'Take Control' Tara. She was very, very sexy.

Tara was pleased with her ready acceptance, and with determination, she swirled her tongue around Willow's in an attempt to incite them both. Feeling Willow's tongue against hers was enough to cause her whole body to yearn for more, but the night was still young, and there was plenty of time.

Right now, Tara wanted to tease Willow a little. She wanted the girl to need her so badly, that there'd be no room in her mind for anyone else. This is why she moved her hands to cup Willow's face, as she continued to play with her tongue. She was purposefully keeping the contact between them agonisingly chaste.

Willow tightened her grip on Tara's hair as the girl's tongue continued to tease her own. For some reason, Tara was not allowing her a satisfying taste, but kept touching and tasting in continued bursts.

"Mmmm," Willow moaned in frustration, as Tara's tongue continued to elude her. Why was the girl teasing her? What was her game?

Tara smirked against Willow's lips. Her plan was working. 'I guess I'll give in,' she thought to herself, 'well, only for a second.'

Willow sighed in satisfaction when she was finally given leave to suckle on Tara's tongue. This is what she wanted-what she'd had in mind. There was nothing on this earth that tasted sweeter than Tara-tongue. Well, except for maybe Tara-breasts, which she had yet to sample. Speaking of which, there was one other thing she had yet to taste, and she couldn't help but wonder what the girl's essence would feel like against her tongue.

This brought an immediate shudder to course down her body and finish up between her legs. Her own essence pooled up at the very thought of Tara's, almost as if it was calling out to be sampled as well. It was amazing how quickly Tara always managed to get a reaction out of her. She never got 'this' wet 'this' fast when Oz kissed her. And for all intents and purposes, this kiss was still relatively chaste.

Tara shivered as well, her body instinctively responding to Willow's. Besides, the gentle pressure of Willow's warm, wet mouth around her tongue had an effect all on its own. She couldn't help but think of it as a preview to another type of kiss.

'I wonder what it'd be like to 'really' taste her.to feel the pressure of her sex around my tongue as I thrust inside and draw out her essence.'

That thought proved too much for Tara and the aching between her thighs doubled. If she were to remain in control of the situation, she'd have to pull away now. Mustering all her restraint, Tara tightened her grip on Willow's cheeks, and swiftly guided the girl's lips away from hers.

Willow was surprised by the sudden lack of Tara-tongue in her mouth. "Mmmm," she protested, not bothering to open her eyes as she leaned in to recapture the girl's lips.

Tara held her firm though, forcing her own eyes open as she attempted to steady her breathing. She had to give herself some time to regain her composure. She couldn't go on as she was-not if she wanted to stick with her plan.

Willow blinked her eyes open in frustration. "Hey-" she moved to protest, but was silenced by Tara's lips. The girl captured her bottom lip briefly, nipping on it gently before pulling away. Once again, Willow's eyes fluttered open, but didn't remain that way for long, as she quickly felt Tara's lips returning to hers.

The girl continued to tease her in that manner for quite some time. She'd lean in, suckle and nip at her lips, and then move away just as she was beginning to enjoy herself.

Willow didn't know how much more of this she could take. Tara had honed the act of teasing to a tee, and Willow was now utterly at her mercy. Right now she would do anything the girl wanted-no matter what.

Sensing this, Tara pulled away with a new purpose. "Kiss me," she demanded huskily. Willow instantly leaned in to comply.

"No," Tara pulled away and leaned her neck back. "Here," she pressed a finger between her collarbones, where her neck met her chest. "Kiss me here," she said breathlessly. "Taste me."

Willow's gaze fell on Tara's chest, her breathing heavy. She watched as Tara's finger moved away from her chest and the girl's hands returned to cup her cheeks. Her mind was utterly blank. All she could think about was pleasing Tara-giving the girl what she wanted.

With that, Willow exhaled softly, and breathed in heartily, before closing her eyes and pressing her lips against Tara's chest. She moved her hands around Tara's waist and brought her body closer to hers for better access.

Tara shuddered, "Oh," she sighed, moving her hands up to Willow's hair and gripping her gently. "Willow," she sighed again, as the girl lifted her lips and pressed another kiss against her skin. She'd opened her mouth a little this time, and briefly made contact with her tongue. "Taste," Tara prompted softly, wanting more than just brief contact.

She wanted her scent and her taste to be ingrained in Willow's mind. She wasn't gonna go so far as to ask Willow to drink from the fount, but she wanted to leave a distinct impression nevertheless. This wasn't something she consciously wanted however. It was more instinctual..

Willow did as she was told, and extended her tongue out tentatively. She ran it around Tara's skin in a slow circle. She'd tasted Tara for the first time the other night, and just like then, she couldn't get enough.

All her senses were in overdrive. She could smell the lingering essence of Tara's perfume, coupled with the unmistakable muskiness that was filling the room. Top that off with the uniquely tangy flavour of Tara's skin, and Willow was in Tara-heaven. She wanted more however, so she began to suckle as well as taste.

"Oh Gods," Tara moaned, guiding Willow away from her. She didn't want a repeat of the other night. Before Willow could protest, she captured the girl's lips and thrust her tongue into her mouth.

Willow moaned into the kiss and allowed Tara to taste her own saltiness on her tongue. When Tara began to explore the inside of her mouth, she moved her hands up from her waist and slipped them underneath her shirt. She wanted to feel the smooth softness of the girl's back under her fingertips.

"No," Tara whimpered, pulling away from the kiss.

Willow opened her eyes in puzzlement, but stilled her movement nevertheless. 'Why won't she let me touch her? She's never complained before?'

"Give me your hands," Tara instructed, her voice barely above a whisper.

Breathing heavily, Willow kept her mouth slightly open as she complied. "What-?"

Yet again, Tara prevented Willow from speaking. 'She' was in charge here. With that, she grasped Willow's hands with her own and covered the girl's lips. "Touch me," she instructed against Willow's mouth.

'Where?' Willow thought as Tara's tongue met hers.

Tara answered her unspoken question by guiding her hands to her belly. "I know what you want," she explained, pulling away so as to taste Willow's bottom lip.

Willow shuddered at the sensation of Tara's tongue against her lip. "What?"

With her hands pressed gently against Willow's, Tara slowly guided them upwards. "This," she nipped playfully at her lip. "This is what you want," she stopped her hands just before they reached the underside of her breasts. "Isn't it?"

Willow opened her eyes and looked down at where her hands were resting. Tara had chosen to wear 'her' shirt today. She hadn't complained though, seeing as how it was about one or two sizes too small for her, and caused her breasts to be displayed quite enticingly within its confines.

She hadn't been able to get that image of Tara's breasts out of her head all day. And she couldn't believe Tara was actually offering to fulfil one of her daydreams. This wasn't really happening.was it?

"Isn't it Willow?" Tara repeated, holding her hands still. She wasn't gonna let her touch until she admitted it.

'This is one thing Oz can never give you, can he?' she thought to herself. 'But 'I' can. Whenever you want 'em Willow-they're all yours. Just let me know. I wanna hear you say it. I wanna hear you say you want me. There are some things only 'I' can give you, and I wanna know you want 'em.'

"Oh gods," Willow sighed, "oh gods yes." She needed her now. "Please."

"Please what?" Tara grinned.

Willow smiled back indulgently. Tara was playing with her. But considering what was at stake, Willow was more than willing to play by 'her' rules.

"I uh, I w-wanna touch 'em," Willow blushed, suddenly overcome with a wave of shyness. "Please."

Tara smiled as she noticed the flush in Willow's cheek. 'She's so adorable.'

With that thought, Tara let go of Willow's hands, giving her total freedom to touch whatever she wanted. When Willow failed to make a move however, Tara realised that she was gonna need a little guidance.

However, as she opened her mouth to speak, she too felt a sudden wave of shyness sweep over her. Much as she wanted to play the cool, calm, sophisticate, the intimacy of what she was offering could not be ignored.

Which is why she shyly returned her hands to rest against Willow's and gazed deeply into her eyes. The pure need and adoration she saw there, gave her the courage to continue.

"Touch me," she prompted with a whisper, her pulse racing as she slowly guided Willow's hands upwards.

Both girls closed their eyes and trembled when Willow's hands reached the underside of Tara's breasts. Willow stopped for a moment to steady herself. She was in a daze here, unable to fully comprehend that she was actually feeling Tara's breasts against her thumb and forefinger.

Still in her dreamlike state, Willow eventually continued her journey, slowly moving her hands upwards. She moaned when she felt the imprint of Tara's nipples against the centre of her palms. They were straining against the material of her shirt and bra, showing Willow exactly how much she was wanted.

Tara forced her eyes open so that she could see what Willow was doing. Her touch, even through cotton and polyester, was exhilarating. There was no one else on this planet who could get such an immediate response from her. She just loved the girl so much.

Willow's eyes opened and locked with Tara's. She could see the desire-sense it, just as strongly as she could feel her own. But she'd never touched another girl like this before.

"Tara," Willow ventured shyly, "show me." she hesitated as a blush warmed her cheek. Forcing herself into composure, she timidly finished her sentence. "Show me what you like."

In response, Tara applied the slightest bit of pressure against the backs of Willow's hands. She then guided both of Willow's hands to fully cup her breasts, letting her knead them gently. This allowed Willow to feel just how full and supple she was.

Unashamedly, Tara closed her eyes and arched her back. She wanted Willow to see exactly what effect she was having on her. After a while, she wanted more, so she began grinding Willow's palms in slow circles against her nipples, increasing the pressure and speed according to what she needed.

Willow was fascinated with Tara's soft moans and heavy breathing, not to mention the sensation of her breasts in her hands. In fact, playing with Tara's breasts and seeing the effect her touch had, was causing the dull ache between her legs to continuously intensify.

What's more, she was now so wet that if she looked down, she'd probably notice the wetness had seeped right through her jeans and left a telltale wet spot. She didn't care though. She was too lost in the moment. And with that, she leaned in and captured Tara's lips.

Tara let go of Willow's hands and moved them to her hips. She too was now lost in the moment-all thoughts of remaining in control flying out the window. Willow's tongue inside her mouth, and her hands cupping her breasts, was all she could focus on. She was just so pleased the girl hadn't stopped caressing her now that she was no longer being guided.

Suddenly, Tara arched her back as her whole body quivered with sensation. Willow had decided to take advantage of her newfound freedom by gently pinching her nipples. 'Gods she's a vixen,' Tara thought to herself, moving her hands to rest against her back. 'But she's not the only one.'

With that, Tara allowed herself to fall back against the couch. She pressed gently against Willow's back, trapping the girl's hands against her breasts, while she captured her left thigh. If Willow was gonna go all out, then so was she.

Willow pulled away from Tara's lips and looked down into her eyes. She was surprised by their new position. Before she could speak however, Tara moved her hands to her ass and lifted her thigh. She applied a brief yet calculated pressure in the area of her clit, effectively clearing all thought from Willow's brain.

In response, Willow could do nothing, but lower her head back down and thrust her tongue between Tara's lips. Her whole body was aching with need and desire, and the unexpected pressure between her legs had not helped the matter. Tara sure knew how to totally disarm a girl.

Tara eagerly accepted Willow's tongue into her mouth. As she did so, she gently kneaded Willow's ass, enjoying the way it caused the girl to quiver and moan softly. She wasn't gonna stop there though, and as Willow began to once again apply a gentle pressure against her breasts, Tara continued to caress her ass. After a while though, she got the urge to move her hands upwards and slip them underneath her blouse.

Tara was trembling-unable to control herself in the wake of Willow's increasingly skilful massage of her breasts. However, that did not stop her from also enjoying the softness of Willow's skin. She slowly ran her hands up and down Willow's lower back as their tongues duelled, unashamedly getting turned on by the girl's delectable smoothness.

It didn't take long for her to want more though. And so, before Willow knew what was happening, Tara moved her hands to her cheeks, parted their lips and rolled her over on the couch. She dropped a leg to the floor to steady herself as she guided Willow onto her back.

She further surprised Willow when she failed to lie back down on top of her. Instead, she moved one of Willow's legs to the floor. She then placed a knee on the couch between Willow's thighs as she straddled the leg resting on the floor.

Willow exhaled sharply when she felt just how heated Tara was. She looked up at the girl questioningly, wondering what she had in mind. Before she could voice her question, Tara placed her hands on either side of her face and leaned down to kiss her lips.

She thrust her tongue briefly around the inside of her mouth, before moving to taste her bottom lip. In response, Willow thrust herself against Tara's thigh and moved her hands up to once again cup her breasts. This caused Tara to moan softly and begin thrusting as well. She then started to gently nip at Willow's bottom lip, all the while continuing to thrust against her thigh.

They both wanted release, and their thighs were definitely providing some much needed friction. However, tonight wasn't about release. Tonight was about leaving an impression, and Tara had not finished making it just yet. So, before their mutual thrusting could get too serious, Tara moved her lips from Willow's and started pressing soft kisses down her jaw line, along her neck, and down to her chest.

This forced her to move her body down as well, bringing her thigh just out of Willow's reach. Willow's eyes fluttered open in protest, but when she felt Tara's hands reach down between their bodies to cover her breasts, all was forgotten.

Tara lifted her lips from Willow's chest, so as to gaze into her eyes. She wanted to see the reaction her touch caused. And Willow didn't disappoint. As she tentatively pressed her palms flat against Willow's breasts, the girl's eyes widened and she gasped softly.

This gave Tara more confidence. She'd been a bit hesitant when it came to touching Willow's breasts, but the moment had called for it, and she'd been unable to curb her hormones. What's more, she had to admit, the girl had amazing breasts. They fit perfectly in the palm of her hand, and the thin material of her blouse did nothing to hide the stiffness of the girl's nipples.

Feeling naughty, Tara once again moved her body upwards and thrust her thigh against Willow's warmth. She simultaneously thrust her tongue into Willow's mouth and gently pinched the girl's nipples.

"Mngh," Willow shuddered at the triple whammy and retaliated by applying pressure against Tara's breasts, squeezing them quite hard.

"Oh gods," Tara pulled away from Willow's lips. She was totally out of breath and in dire need of some relief. She could practically feel the throbbing of her clit as it begged for more friction. It wasn't gonna get it however.

Taking a second to compose herself, Tara looked down at Willow with half closed eyes. The girl had not stopped kneading her breasts, and neither had she. But she was about to. With that, Tara leaned back down and pressed her lips against Willow's chest, once again moving her thigh out of reach. This time however, she swirled her tongue in a circle against her soft flesh as she moved her hands down to the waistband of Willow's jeans.

Willow whimpered and momentarily ceased her hand movements. 'Was Tara gonna touch her down 'there'?'

Tara lifted her head up and met Willow's gaze with a glint in her eye. She knew what the girl was thinking. Which is why she'd moved her hands there in the first place. However, she had something else in mind right now.

Breathing heavily, Tara spread out both her hands and placed them just below Willow's belly, underneath the hem of her blouse. Her thumbs rested on the waistband of her jeans. She didn't move them however-not wanting to let Willow know just yet what she had in mind.

'Let the girl squirm and wonder for a bit longer,' she smirked, 'It'll make her even wetter.'

With that thought, she returned her lips to Willow's chest and began pressing soft kisses against her skin. She moved her lips in a downward trail, until she reached the thin material of her blouse. This didn't stop her though, and she continued with her kisses. When her lips reached Willow's left breast, she surprised her by taking her nipple into her mouth, and gently sucking on it.

Willow's hands instantly moved to entangle themselves in Tara's hair. She moaned softly and arched her back as the warm wetness of Tara's mouth seeped in through her blouse. A second later, Tara moved her attention to her other nipple, causing her to tighten her grip.

"Oh God," Willow trembled, thrusting upwards, but coming up short of any satisfying friction. 'Where was Tara's thigh when she needed it.?'

Tara lifted her head up and gazed down at Willow. She was more than pleased with her reaction. In fact, it spurred her on and gave her enough confidence to begin lifting up the hem of her blouse, exposing Willow's delectable belly to her gaze.

Willow's hands had moved to rest against Tara's waist as she looked up at her. She squeezed her hips in surprise though, as she felt the cold air against her skin. 'What is she doing? What does she have in mind?'

"What-?"

Tara's lips against her belly silenced her question. "Oh God," Willow moved her hands back to Tara's hair. 'Gods she's amazing.'

Encouraged by Willow's reaction, Tara tentatively extended her tongue. She ran a small wet line along the length of Willow's belly, following the waistband of her jeans. She was so close to Willow's sex now, that she could actually smell her arousal.

She never wanted to leave here, but the more she kissed and licked and suckled at her belly, the more she wanted to slip further down and taste the dessert that was calling out to her. So, before she could succumb, Tara forced herself into a kneeling position astride Willow's thigh, one foot on the floor for balance.

Willow's hands dropped back to Tara's waist. Her whole body was on edge. Tara's lips on her belly had been like sweet torture. The girl had the most amazing tongue. And even though she hadn't tasted what she wanted her to taste, Willow felt like she'd been close to heaven.

She looked up at Tara and moved her own hands to the hem of the girl's shirt. She too wanted a taste. So, not waiting for permission, she grasped the edge of her shirt and lifted it clear off Tara's body.

Tara's mouth opened in shock and she exhaled sharply. She hadn't expected Willow to react like that. And as she watched Willow drop the shirt to the floor, she could feel her heart pounding. She was now half naked-her breasts hidden only by the sheer cotton of her bra. Not that she was one for false modesty, but she'd always been a little shy about her body.

However, as her eyes met Willow's and she saw the girl's utter look of desire, her shyness quickly melted away. After all, she 'had' wanted to show Willow what the difference between herself and Oz was. And what better way to do so, than by giving her a chance to gaze at her breasts? That was one thing she was certain Oz could never give her.

"Wow," Willow sighed, using her hands to circle Tara's waist. "Wow," she repeated.

"You like?" Tara blushed.

Willow was speechless. Tara had the most beautiful breasts she'd ever seen. Her nipples were standing at attention, calling out to her through her bra, and her delectable mounds were so ample that they spilled out quite enticingly. The girl's bra did nothing to hide her beauty, and it served merely to lift her breasts up and present them on a platter.

"Beautiful," she whispered, amazed to actually be seeing Tara this way. "So beautiful." And with that, she lifted her head up and pressed her lips against Tara's belly. She held onto the girl's hips tightly as she leaned back, forcing Tara down with her.

"Oh gods," Tara trembled, reaching out with her hands to brace herself. She rested her forearms against the couch above her head, as Willow's lips and tongue began to suckle and taste the soft skin of her belly. 'Sweet torture,' she shuddered.

As she continued to nibble and taste, Willow found her senses working overtime. The scent of Tara's arousal was like sweet nectar. She hadn't known anything could smell so sweet. She was no longer close to heaven. She was 'in' heaven. She wanted nothing more than to reach down and unzip Tara's jeans, slip them down her thighs and press her lips against the girl's sex.

'If Tara tastes even half as good as her scent.'

Willow moaned against Tara's skin and trembled at the thought. Damn propriety. She wanted a 'real' taste 'now'!

"I want you so much," she mumbled against her belly, moving her hands to the waistband of her jeans. And before Tara could respond, Willow deftly undid the top button and hastily lowered the zipper.

This quickly brought Tara to her senses and she pushed herself away from Willow. The girl 'wanted' her. That word was like cold water in her veins. She'd been so focused on getting Willow to 'want' her and not Oz, that she'd forgotten what sex was really about.

If Willow had said that she 'loved' her and wanted to 'make love', then it might have been a different story. However, 'want' was something else all together. It denoted a pure animal magnetism-sexual attraction. And while that's what she'd wanted to incite, she had no intention of following it through. She'd achieved her purpose though. She had no doubts as to who'd be in Willow's mind tonight.

Unfortunately, they were now both so close, that she couldn't quite leave it at that. So, if she was gonna head off, the least she could do was let Willow know what she'd be doing, and at the same time ask if she'd do it too. It would make her very happy knowing Willow was thinking of 'her' as she came. She was certain the girl had come from thinking about Oz before- now it was 'her' turn in the spotlight.

"Willow," she said her name breathlessly.

Standing up, she looked down at Willow through half closed eyes, not bothering to cover herself up just yet. She wanted Willow to see her as she was-to give her something to fantasise about.

Willow was breathing hard and fast, frustrated with Tara's sudden absence. She'd only been gone a second and already she missed her scent-her softness. 'Why had she moved?'

When she finally opened her eyes, she let out a sharp breath. Tara was standing before her, in only a bra, and half opened jeans. Her eyes instantly dropped to Tara's pale pink panties, which were so obviously soaked through. Taking her fill of the sight, she moved her eyes back up to the girl's breasts, and let out another sharp breath.

The girl was so beautiful. And she was half naked. Oh gods, Tara was half naked. 'Her' Tara was half naked, and she suddenly wanted her 'completely' naked. The girl had the biggest, fullest, most beautiful breasts on the planet. And her belly-oh gods, it was simply calling out to her.

She already knew what it felt like to taste her soft skin, and right now she wanted to return to doing just that. She wanted to run her tongue over it, move it up slowly until she reached the girl's belly button. She then wanted to take her time in swirling her tongue around inside the girl's navel, before she continued to suckle and kiss her way up towards those succulent breasts of hers.

With her hands, she would unclasp the fastenings and remove the bra post hasty. She'd then hold the perfectly full globes in both her hands, before lowering her lips to one of her nipples. She'd take it into her mouth, savouring the taste, maybe even swirl her tongue around it for a while. She'd never tasted a girl's breasts before-felt a girl's nipple inside her mouth and against her tongue. She couldn't help wondering what it would feel like.

"Willow," Tara repeated the girl's name, drawing her gaze up from her breasts to her face. She had a pretty good idea of what Willow had been thinking about. The glazed look in her eye was clue enough.

"C'mere," Willow sat up on the couch and reached her arms out. "Please."

Seeing the urgency in her eye, and hearing her gentle plea, almost caused Tara to comply. She wanted Willow so badly. But she had to remain firm. No matter how irresistible she found that emerald gaze of hers to be.

Closing her eyes and taking a deep breath, she moved her hands down to her jeans. "You have n-no idea how m-m-much I want to," Tara said shakily as she zipped herself up.

Willow frowned. Why was Tara getting dressed? She stood up and placed her hands against Tara's, taking them into her own. "Then why-?"

Tara opened her eyes and squeezed Willow's hands. "I'm so close," she whispered against the girl's lips. "I want you Willow," she briefly captured her bottom lip.

"Then take me," Willow returned the favour, gently nipping at Tara's lip. "I want you."

Tara forced herself to pull away. "I should go," she let go of Willow's hands reluctantly.

Willow sighed as Tara bent down and picked up her shirt. "Please," she appealed, moving towards Tara and pressing the shirt against the girl's hands, stilling her movement. "Stay."

"I c-c-can't," Tara trembled, her resolve weakening as she met Willow's eyes. The need there matched her own so entirely.

Willow could see Tara's uncertainty, and chose to call her on it. "Why not?" she pressed her forehead against Tara's and allowed her breath to tickle the girl's lips.

Tara closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "I n-n-need to.I need to c-c- come tonight," she blushed, "and so do you."

Willow felt an immediate reaction between her legs. Tara's words were so husky and sensual. "Then come for me," she closed her eyes. "Make me come."

"Mmm," Tara moaned and let go of the shirt in her hand. Hearing Willow's words damn near broke her. Giving in to her hormones, she lifted her hands to Willow's cheeks and pressed their lips together, thrusting her tongue deep into the girl's mouth.

Willow responded by moving her hands to Tara's back and pulling their bodies closer together. She could now feel the girl's bra-clad breasts against her own, and it caused a shiver to run straight down her body.

"Oh gods," Tara forced herself to release Willow's lips.

The sensation of the girl's breasts against her own reminding her that if she didn't pull away now, she would soon be unable too. They were both so close to the line of reasoning. But once it was crossed, there would be no going back. Their minds would be too clouded to focus on anything other than what they both needed-wanted.

"I cant," she sighed, taking a step back.

Willow's eyes opened in frustration as Tara bent over to retrieve her shirt. Why was she resisting? Why didn't she want her?

"You don't want me?" she questioned with a pout. "Is that it?"

Tara shook her head vehemently as she pulled on the shirt. "How can you say that?" she reached for Willow's hands. "Touch me," she guided the girl's left hand to her crotch. "Feel how wet I am," she met her gaze.

Willow trembled, overwhelmed to be touching the girl so intimately-even if it was through a thick layer of denim. But still, she had to admit, the girl sure was wet.

"You did that Willow," Tara whispered into the girl's ear and pulled her hand away. "This is the effect you have on me," she squeezed Willow's hand in emphasis. "I'm so wet," she looked pleadingly into her eyes, her face turning red with the revelation. "I-I-I.I'm gonna go home," her voice trembled, "and lie down on my bed. I'm gonna close my eyes and think of you Willow."

"Tara," Willow sighed, leaning forward to press her forehead against Tara's. "You can do that here," she squeezed the girl's hand.

"I can't," Tara closed her eyes with a sigh. "I wanna scream your name as I come."

"Oh gods," Willow's voice shook with emotion. She let go of Tara's hand so she could cup the girl's face. "I want you," she whispered against Tara's lips, before capturing them with her own.

Tara moaned into the kiss and wrapped her arms around Willow's neck and back. More than anything she wanted to come for Willow. She wanted the girl to take her upstairs, strip her naked and ravish her. But that wasn't possible. She wasn't ready. It wouldn't be about love. Not on Willow's side anyway. This was just about sex, and Tara wanted so much more.

"Willow," Tara broke away from the kiss and moved her hands up to cup Willow's cheeks. "You know we can't," she whispered breathlessly, pressing their foreheads together. "You know it."

"No," Willow whispered in denial. "We can," she sighed. "We can do anything we want."

Tara placed a gentle kiss against Willow's forehead. "Then do something for me," she pulled away and met Willow's gaze.

"Anything," Willow leaned forward, bringing their heads together again. "Anything."

"Come for me," Tara whispered, as she closed her eyes. "I want you to go upstairs, take off your clothes, and come for me."

"Oh Tara," Willow shuddered.

"I want you to think of me," Tara continued huskily. "I want it to be my lips and my tongue on your body. My face and my eyes you look into. And when your hand reaches between your legs, I want you to scream out 'my' name as you come. Can you do that for me Willow?"

Willow opened her eyes and met Tara's. The girl had no idea how sexy she was-how sexy her words had sounded. Who woulda thought that shy sweet Tara could be so bold. Willow knew there was nothing she could do but comply. If Tara wanted her to come, then how could she not?

Besides, it wasn't gonna take much anyway. And it'd be her first time. She'd come from thinking about Oz in the past, but ever since the 'Fluke', she hadn't really had much of a chance to be alone with her fantasies. She'd never actually come from thinking about Tara.

"Anything," Willow repeated in response.

Tara smiled and pressed a brief kiss against Willow's lips, then against her cheek, before moving to whisper into her right ear.

"I'm gonna come for 'you' Willow," she extended her tongue and sensuously ran it along the inside of her ear. "It's gonna be your hands on my breasts, and your fingers on my clit," she gently bit the bottom of her earlobe. "And I'm gonna close my eyes and think about what you taste like, " she suckled her earlobe sensuously, tasting her. "I wanna thrust my tongue inside you and draw out your essence. I wanna feel your wetness inside my mouth."

Willow trembled and moved her hands into Tara's hair, gripping her gently. She had no idea Tara was such a sweet talker.

"Tara," she sighed. The girl's words had invoked the most erotic of images. She sure had a talent for erotica. "You make me so wet."

"Then go," Tara stepped away from Willow and nodded in the direction of the staircase. "Come for me."

Willow closed her eyes as a quiver of desire coursed through her.

Tara smiled and stepped back towards Willow. "I'll see you tomorrow," she whispered into her ear, before pressing a final kiss against her lips. She kept the contact brief, pulling away the second she felt Willow respond.

Willow's eyes fluttered open, and she watched helplessly as Tara left. She wanted to go after her, beg her to stay. But she knew it'd be pointless. Besides, Tara's words and actions had proven too much for her. So, without further ado, she kicked off her shoes, before turning around and taking the stairs to her room two at a time.

Willow waisted no time in shucking her shirt and jeans, and ripping off her own bra. A second later, her panties were being tossed to the floor, and she was now lying spreadeagle on top of the bedspread. She instantly reached her right hand down and cupped her own sex. 'I'm so wet,' she noted to herself. 'I can't remember the last time I was so wet.' And with that thought, she closed her eyes and located her own clit with her fingertips.

As she applied pressure to her engorged nub, she couldn't help but wonder what it would feel like to have Tara do this for her. 'What would Tara's tongue feel like against my clit?' Willow trembled at the image that thought invoked. 'What would it feel like to press 'my' tongue against Tara's clit?' That thought invoked yet another shudder, and she increased the speed and pressure against her sex.

She was now breathing quite heavily and moaning softly. Her back was arching up off the bedspread, as her lower body thrust upwards to meet her fingers. She needed more pressure though. Her clit was throbbing so hard and she was so close, so she reached down with her left hand, using it to increase the pressure. She guided her right hand faster and harder against her clit. She needed more still, so she pressed even harder, causing two of her fingers to enter her sex.

"Tara," she moaned the girl's name as her left hand took over the job against her clit. She never usually penetrated herself, but she needed it this way this time. In her mind, she was imagining Tara's tongue against her clit, and her fingers thrusting inside her. And her actions had to match her fantasy.

"Tara," she moaned again, increasing the speed of her thrusts. She could feel the pressure building up inside her. And a couple of thrusts later, she was clenching her buttocks high up off the bedspread as she came.

"Taaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaraaaaaaaaaaaaaa!" she screamed out, thrusting deep inside herself as she rode out her orgasm.

***

As Willow came, Tara reached her dorm room. She'd practically run all the way there. She quickly took off her clothes, choosing not to bother with her bra, only her panties.

She was in such dire need for release, that all she wanted to do was apply some much needed friction against her clit. In fact, she was so worked up, that the second she lay down on the bed and touched herself, she could feel the pressure starting to build inside her.

Pressing hard, Tara spread her legs as wide as she could. Tonight, she needed more contact than usual. She was so wet and the ache was coming from deep within her, calling out to be filled.

So, without hesitation, she thrust first one and then two fingers deep into her sex. With her left hand she applied pressure against her clit, all the while thrusting as hard and as fast as she could with her right.

"Willow," she moaned, imagining Willow's fingers in place of her own. She wanted more than anything to come for the girl. "I love you," her voice trembled. "Oh Willow," she thrust harder and harder. "I love you baby. I love you. Ahhhhhhhhh, Willooooooooooooooooooooooooooooow!!!!!!"

***

END OF 6A