Disclaimer: I only own Tara, Hope, and Oz.
*****
Tara groaned as she blinked her eyes open. Somehow, in the midst of her splitting headache and her fear of what had happened the night before, she had managed to fall back asleep. An unpleasant rumbling in her stomach had roused her, and she reached over the side of the bed, grabbing her bra and panties. She quickly slid them on and hurried into the bathroom. She sank to her knees in front of the toilet and vomited what she guessed to be most of the alcohol she had consumed the night before. After she was sure she had gotten it all out of her, she stood up and splashed cold water on her face.
'Did we do anything?' Tara wondered, looking at the still sleeping Chris from the bathroom doorframe. She walked back into the bedroom, intending to take two aspirin to ease the pounding in her head, when something caught her eye. What looked like a small, laminated piece of paper was lying on the floor. She picked it up and sighed after she saw what it was. A condom wrapper. An open, empty condom wrapper.
"Shit." She cursed out loud. Chris picked his head up off of the pillow.
"Damn, this is one hell of a hangover..." Chris started, looking over at Tara. She was standing in the middle of the room in her bra and panties, clutching something.
"Sorry I woke you." She said softly. Chris began to get up, but before he did, he glanced down and became fully aware that he was completely nude.
"Oh my God..." He said. "What happened?" Tara walked over to him and handed him the wrapper, not saying anything.
"Oh my God." He repeated.
"I guess I'll go now." Tara said, grabbing her clothes from the floor. She slipped her camisole over her head and sat down on the bed, putting her jeans on.
"Wait," Chris said, grabbing her arm softly. "I don't want you to go."
"You don't?" She asked, looking back at him. He nodded his head.
"Of course not." He said. "Why would I?"
"Because of what happened."
"Tara..." He started, running his hand down her arm. "I don't regret what happened...just how it happened."
Tara felt the bed move, and figured Chris was putting his boxers back on. She turned around on the bed, seeing his bare back facing her. She moved forward and reached around him, running her hands down his chest and stomach. She rested her head on his back, near his shoulder, and placed a small kiss on his smooth skin. He placed his hands over hers, rubbing them with his thumbs.
"So we're okay?" She asked, closing her eyes.
"Yeah, definitely." Chris replied. Tara nodded her head against his back. Suddenly, a loud ringing noise startled the two.
"Hello?" Tara said, picking the phone up.
"Hey chick!" Hope's voice came through. "What's up?!"
"How can you be so damn chipper?" Tara groaned. "You were as drunk as I was last night and I'm hung over as hell."
"I dunno, I guess I just handle my alcohol better." Hope replied with a giggle. "I barely even had a headache."
"Lucky." Tara grinned.
"Anyways, John and I wanted to know if you two wanted to go out to lunch with us."
"Lunch? It's that late already?" Tara asked.
"Yup." Hope replied.
"Hang on, let me ask Chris." Tara said, turning towards him. "Do you want to go out to lunch with Hope and John?" She asked, her hand over the mouthpiece of the phone.
"Sure," He replied. "I just need a shower first."
"Okay, we'll come." Tara said. "We'll meet you two in the lobby in about forty five minutes, we both need showers."
"Alrighty. See ya then, chick!" Hope said before hanging up the phone.
"You can go ahead and get a shower." Chris told her, standing up and stretching.
"Okay." Tara said, standing up. Before heading into the bathroom, she walked over to Chris. He smiled and wrapped his arms around her waist.
"So, you really don't regret what happened?" She asked, looking up at him. He shook his head.
"I really don't. The only thing I regret is the circumstances under which it happened." He said. She smiled.
"Do you regret it?" He asked her.
"When I first woke up this morning, I was scared out of my mind about what had happened. It just hit me like a ton of bricks and I was afraid you were going to want me to leave." She said. "But now...no, I don't regret it. I just regret the circumstances under which it happened." She grinned. He returned the grin and leaned down, kissing her. Her arms went up around his neck and she tilted her head back slightly. He broke the kiss and smiled at her.
"I'll be out in a minute" She told him. He nodded and she walked into the bathroom. She turned the water on and undressed, stepping underneath the spray. She washed her hair, face, and the rest of her body before stepping out of the shower. She dressed in her jeans and camisole, opting to leave the button-down shirt off. She towel dried her hair, then walked back into the bedroom. Chris was lying back on the bed with his eyes closed. Tara smiled and got onto the bed beside him. He blinked his eyes open and looked over at her. Grinning, she straddled him and placed her lips on his neck, kissing it softly. She felt him shiver beneath her and parted her lips slightly, running the tip of her tongue over his skin. He ran his hands over her back, underneath her shirt. She moved her lips up from his neck to his lips. He pulled her closer to him, crushing his lips against hers. Again, she parted her lips and ran the tip of her tongue over his lips. He parted his lips and slid his tongue into her mouth. After another heated moment, Tara broke the kiss to catch her breath. She smiled as his crystal blue eyes met her green ones.
"I better go take a shower now." Chris said, reaching up and tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear. She moved off of him, letting him up to shower. Tara flipped through channels on the TV as Chris showered. A few minutes later, Chris came back out. Tara grabbed her button-up shirt and slid her shoes on before standing up and running a hand through her hair.
"Okay, let's go." Tara said, smiling. Chris came over and took her hand in his as she swung her purse over her shoulder. They walked out of the door and took the elevator down to the lobby, where John and Hope were waiting.
"It's about time, you two. I thought y'all had gotten caught up in something..." John joked. Tara smiled and shook her head, feeling her cheeks turn slightly pink.
"Where do y'all wan to go eat at?" Hope asked.
"How about the..." Tara started.
"Not the Waffle House!" Hope said, laughing. Tara stuck her tongue out at her.
"Anywhere's fine with me." Chris said.
"Same here." John added.
"Oh, fine..." Hope said, mock rolling her eyes. "Waffle House it is."
"Yay!" Tara said with a laugh. John raised an eyebrow at her.
"What?" Tara laughed. "I love the Waffle House." She shrugged. John just grinned, and Chris took a step closer to her, wrapping an arm around her slender waist.
They all piled into one car and found the nearest Waffle House. They found an empty booth near the back of the restaurant. A waitress came up, and they ordered their drinks.
"I want waffles." Tara said out loud, looking down at the menu.
"Honestly Tara, you're going to get fat!" Hope laughed. "All you ever eat is waffles!"
"Nuh uh." Tara replied, poking her tongue out at Hope. "I always eat fruit with my waffles, thanks. Come to think about it, I eat fruit all the time anyways..." She grinned.
"And you always drink that nasty grapefruit juice." Hope said, scrunching her nose up as Tara took a drink of her juice. She rolled her eyes after she sat her glass down.
"I love it." The waitress came back over and they all ordered. They talked over their brunch and soon enough they were back, driving around Orlando looking for something to do.
"Hope, we're going to have to leave here around four or five..." Tara said. "I have to get home and feed Oz, and I'm sure the guys have to get to another city."
"Yeah." John said. "We have to be in North Carolina first thing in the morning."
"Then let's just go back to the hotel and hang out until it's time for us to leave." Hope said. She was sitting in the back, resting against John.
"Alright." Tara said, moving her right hand into her lap while using the left to steer the car. Chris reached over and took her hand in his, intertwining their fingers. Tara pulled back into the hotel parking lot. They all got out and walked back into the hotel, and up to John's room.
"We can order a movie." John suggested. Hope nodded her head yes, so they searched through the pay-per-views and finally settled on Blue Crush. The movie started soon after. John was in a room with two beds. He and Hope were on one, with her resting with her back to his chest, his arms around her waist, and Tara and Chris were on the other, her sitting in his lap.
"I'm gonna miss you." Chris whispered into Tara's ear, so that only she could hear him.
"I'm gonna miss you, too." She turned and whispered back. "You'll come and visit me, right?"
"Any chance I get." She smiled and kissed his cheek.
"Well, at least you'll call this time." She teased. He grinned.
"Yeah, I will." He stole a glance over towards Hope and John. "Looks like John will be calling Hope, too."
Tara looked over at the two, who were in the middle of a very romantic looking kiss. She smiled and shook her head, before resting it back against Chris's shoulder. They watched the movie for another forty five minutes before anyone said anything else.
"I'll be right back." Hope said, before hopping up off of the bed and out of the hotel room. John looked over towards the door.
"Where is she going?" He asked.
"Probably to get her camera." Tara said. "She's a photographer." She added with a smile.
"Really?" John said. Tara nodded.
"Damn good one, too." Right after she said that, the door opened and Hope walked in, her camera in hand.
"I knew it!" Tara said with a laugh. Hope shot her a strange look but didn't say anything. Tara smiled and looked over at Chris, who was absentmindedly playing with her hands. She heard a clicking sound and looked back at Hope.
"Sorry, I just couldn't pass it up!" Hope laughed. "It was a great picture."
"It's okay." Tara said. "I want a copy, though."
"Yeah, I do too." Chris said, tightening his grip around Tara's waist.
"Here, let me see it." Tara said, reaching out for the camera. Hope handed it too her and got back onto the bed next to John. Tara snapped a picture before handing the camera back to Hope. Hope took a few more pictures, some of Tara and Chris, some of Chris alone, and some of John alone. Blue Crush had long ago ended, and, glancing at the clock, Tara realized it was past time for her and Hope to leave.
"Hope," She said, looking to her friend. "We better go. We have a three hour drive home." Sadness was obvious in her voice. She nodded and stood up, taking John's hand in hers.
"We're gonna go out in the hallway for a minute alone, okay?" Hope said. Tara nodded. They walked out and closed the door behind them. Tara turned towards Chris, who hugged the small girl close to him. She wrapped her arms around his neck and rested her forehead against his, closing her eyes.
"I'm off for a few days in two weeks." Chris said. "Do you want me to come down and stay with you?"
"Sure." Tara replied. "I would love that." Chris nodded. Tara leaned forward and placed a soft kiss on his lips, which he returned. The hotel room door opened and Tara and John walked back in.
"Alright, let's go." Hope said. Tara nodded and stood up, Chris standing up too. He took her hand in his, as John had done with Hope, and they walked the girls out to Tara's car.
"I'll call you tomorrow, alright? It'll either be sometime before seven, or a little after eleven." Chris told her.
"Okay." Tara said. "I'm usually up till midnight or one, so just call anytime you get a chance."
"I will. Believe me, I will." He kissed her forehead, then her cheek, then her lips. She returned the kiss before looking up at the taller man. He gave her a quick hug and backed up as she got into the car.
"Talk to you tomorrow, Chris." She smiled. Hope was buckled in, saying her goodbye to John. Tara buckled her seat belt and she rolled the windows up, pulling out of the parking lot.
"I'm going to miss him." Hope said about fifteen minutes later, the first word that had been spoken in the car. Tara looked over at her friend and noticed a tear run down her cheek.
"Hopey..." She said, patting her sad friend's hand. "Don't cry, sweetie. He'll call. I can tell how much he likes you. Chris is coming up in two weeks, if John is off I'm sure he'll come too."
"He did say he would call tomorrow." Hope said, sending a small smile towards Tara.
"He will." Tara nodded.
*****
Two weeks later, Hope and Tara were both eagerly awaiting the time Chris and John were supposed to be arriving.
"I'm so excited." Hope said, looking to her best friend.
"Me too. I've missed Chris these past two weeks." She smiled. For some reason, the incident that had happened between her and Chris in Orlando had been popping into her mind lately...she figured it was because she hadn't told Hope yet.
'No time like the present,' She thought, turning towards Hope.
"Did anything...happen between you and John the night we got drunk in Orlando?" Tara asked. Hope shot her a weird look.
"No...he took me upstairs, held my hair back when I threw up my alcohol, then put me to bed. He didn't even sleep in the same bed as me." Hope said. "Why...did something happen between you and Chris?" She asked suspiciously. Tara glanced down at her hands, almost nervously. "Something did!" Hope said.
"Yeah." Tara said. "Well, both me and Chris were drunk, and...uh..." She started.
"Y'all had sex, didn't you?" Hope asked, grinning. Tara laughed.
"Yeah, we did." She said, smiling and turning a light shade of pink.
"Dang, girl." Hope laughed. "He must really like you if that didn't screw up you two's relationship."
"Yeah, that's what I thought." Tara said. A knock at the front door drew them from their conversation.
"They're here!" Hope squealed, hopping up and dashing over to the door. She threw her arms around John, who dropped his bag at the door and picked the leggy blonde up, twirling her around.
"Hey, could ya move so I can get in?" Tara heard Chris asked in an amused tone. John grinned and moved out of the way, letting Chris through. Tara stood up and walked over to him. He wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her forehead, as her arms went up around his neck.
"It's so good to see you. I've missed you." Chris said into her ear. Tara nodded.
"Me too." Tara replied. The four sat around Hope's living room and talked until almost two in the morning, when Chris and Tara decided to return to Tara's apartment. It was only a fifteen minute drive, and the two talked the entire short trip.
"Well..." Tara said as they approached her apartment building. "This is home." She didn't know why, but for some reason now she was sort of embarrassed to bring Chris to such a beat-up place. Especially after being in Hope's beautiful house almost the entire night. The apartment complex Tara lived in was hardly taken care of at all on the outside, and the small apartments weren't much, either. They walked up two flights of stairs, thanks to the elevator being broken, and Tara unlocked apartment 203. A meowing noise was the first thing that greeted her when she opened the door.
"Hey Ozzie sweetie. I brought a guest!" She cooed to the cat as he weaved himself in and out of her legs. She dropped her purse on the kitchen table and scooped the cat into her arms, resulting in loud purring. She sat the cat down and poured food and fresh water into his dishes, before turning back to Chris.
"I know that the place is small and not too great to look at..." Tara started, but realized that she really didn't know what to say aside from that. "I'm working on a house." She said with a laugh. "I want something like Hope's house. It's gorgeous."
"It is pretty. But I like it here, too." Chris said. "It's cozy. The perfect place for just two people." He smiled and walked over to the small girl, scooping her up into his arms. She giggled as he twirled her around, then, still holding her, looked into her eyes. "And it's got you here, so it's got to be perfect."
"You're so sweet, baby." She smiled, pecking his lips. He returned the smile and put her down. She grabbed his hand and took her into her bedroom.
"I'm gonna go change into my pajamas real quick, you can change in here if you want." She said. He nodded and she got into one of her dresser drawers, pulling out a pair of pajamas. She walked into her bathroom and pulled on her favorite pair of comfy pajamas: red silk-like pajama pants with black Japanese writing on them, and a white tank top with a large black Japanese flower in the middle. She returned to her bedroom, seeing Chris sitting on her bed in only a pair of pajama pants, looking at the pictures on her bedside table.
"Those are my parents." Tara said, climbing on the bed behind Chris and kissing the back of his neck softly.
"You don't look much like them," Chris observed, viewing the picture of Tara and her parents at a New Year's party.
"I was adopted." She said, running her fingertips over the framed picture.
"Oh," Chris said, turning back towards her. She smiled and kissed his forehead.
"I've never met my real parents." She went on. "I've been thinking about trying to find my mother lately, though, finally meet her."
"She probably wants to see you." Chris offered.
"I hope. I think I am going to look for her in the next couple of months." Tara said. She then snuggled back into Chris's arms. "But right now I don't even want to think about it. I just want to lay here in your arms."
"I have no objections to that." Chris said, kissing the top of her head. Shifting around to get comfortable, they ended up with Chris laying down on his back, Tara on her side with her head on his chest. She felt the steady rise and fall of his chest as he breathed, and heard his heartbeat. Soon enough, they lulled her to sleep.
*****
A/N: I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! I will try to have another out before the weekend.
*****
Tara groaned as she blinked her eyes open. Somehow, in the midst of her splitting headache and her fear of what had happened the night before, she had managed to fall back asleep. An unpleasant rumbling in her stomach had roused her, and she reached over the side of the bed, grabbing her bra and panties. She quickly slid them on and hurried into the bathroom. She sank to her knees in front of the toilet and vomited what she guessed to be most of the alcohol she had consumed the night before. After she was sure she had gotten it all out of her, she stood up and splashed cold water on her face.
'Did we do anything?' Tara wondered, looking at the still sleeping Chris from the bathroom doorframe. She walked back into the bedroom, intending to take two aspirin to ease the pounding in her head, when something caught her eye. What looked like a small, laminated piece of paper was lying on the floor. She picked it up and sighed after she saw what it was. A condom wrapper. An open, empty condom wrapper.
"Shit." She cursed out loud. Chris picked his head up off of the pillow.
"Damn, this is one hell of a hangover..." Chris started, looking over at Tara. She was standing in the middle of the room in her bra and panties, clutching something.
"Sorry I woke you." She said softly. Chris began to get up, but before he did, he glanced down and became fully aware that he was completely nude.
"Oh my God..." He said. "What happened?" Tara walked over to him and handed him the wrapper, not saying anything.
"Oh my God." He repeated.
"I guess I'll go now." Tara said, grabbing her clothes from the floor. She slipped her camisole over her head and sat down on the bed, putting her jeans on.
"Wait," Chris said, grabbing her arm softly. "I don't want you to go."
"You don't?" She asked, looking back at him. He nodded his head.
"Of course not." He said. "Why would I?"
"Because of what happened."
"Tara..." He started, running his hand down her arm. "I don't regret what happened...just how it happened."
Tara felt the bed move, and figured Chris was putting his boxers back on. She turned around on the bed, seeing his bare back facing her. She moved forward and reached around him, running her hands down his chest and stomach. She rested her head on his back, near his shoulder, and placed a small kiss on his smooth skin. He placed his hands over hers, rubbing them with his thumbs.
"So we're okay?" She asked, closing her eyes.
"Yeah, definitely." Chris replied. Tara nodded her head against his back. Suddenly, a loud ringing noise startled the two.
"Hello?" Tara said, picking the phone up.
"Hey chick!" Hope's voice came through. "What's up?!"
"How can you be so damn chipper?" Tara groaned. "You were as drunk as I was last night and I'm hung over as hell."
"I dunno, I guess I just handle my alcohol better." Hope replied with a giggle. "I barely even had a headache."
"Lucky." Tara grinned.
"Anyways, John and I wanted to know if you two wanted to go out to lunch with us."
"Lunch? It's that late already?" Tara asked.
"Yup." Hope replied.
"Hang on, let me ask Chris." Tara said, turning towards him. "Do you want to go out to lunch with Hope and John?" She asked, her hand over the mouthpiece of the phone.
"Sure," He replied. "I just need a shower first."
"Okay, we'll come." Tara said. "We'll meet you two in the lobby in about forty five minutes, we both need showers."
"Alrighty. See ya then, chick!" Hope said before hanging up the phone.
"You can go ahead and get a shower." Chris told her, standing up and stretching.
"Okay." Tara said, standing up. Before heading into the bathroom, she walked over to Chris. He smiled and wrapped his arms around her waist.
"So, you really don't regret what happened?" She asked, looking up at him. He shook his head.
"I really don't. The only thing I regret is the circumstances under which it happened." He said. She smiled.
"Do you regret it?" He asked her.
"When I first woke up this morning, I was scared out of my mind about what had happened. It just hit me like a ton of bricks and I was afraid you were going to want me to leave." She said. "But now...no, I don't regret it. I just regret the circumstances under which it happened." She grinned. He returned the grin and leaned down, kissing her. Her arms went up around his neck and she tilted her head back slightly. He broke the kiss and smiled at her.
"I'll be out in a minute" She told him. He nodded and she walked into the bathroom. She turned the water on and undressed, stepping underneath the spray. She washed her hair, face, and the rest of her body before stepping out of the shower. She dressed in her jeans and camisole, opting to leave the button-down shirt off. She towel dried her hair, then walked back into the bedroom. Chris was lying back on the bed with his eyes closed. Tara smiled and got onto the bed beside him. He blinked his eyes open and looked over at her. Grinning, she straddled him and placed her lips on his neck, kissing it softly. She felt him shiver beneath her and parted her lips slightly, running the tip of her tongue over his skin. He ran his hands over her back, underneath her shirt. She moved her lips up from his neck to his lips. He pulled her closer to him, crushing his lips against hers. Again, she parted her lips and ran the tip of her tongue over his lips. He parted his lips and slid his tongue into her mouth. After another heated moment, Tara broke the kiss to catch her breath. She smiled as his crystal blue eyes met her green ones.
"I better go take a shower now." Chris said, reaching up and tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear. She moved off of him, letting him up to shower. Tara flipped through channels on the TV as Chris showered. A few minutes later, Chris came back out. Tara grabbed her button-up shirt and slid her shoes on before standing up and running a hand through her hair.
"Okay, let's go." Tara said, smiling. Chris came over and took her hand in his as she swung her purse over her shoulder. They walked out of the door and took the elevator down to the lobby, where John and Hope were waiting.
"It's about time, you two. I thought y'all had gotten caught up in something..." John joked. Tara smiled and shook her head, feeling her cheeks turn slightly pink.
"Where do y'all wan to go eat at?" Hope asked.
"How about the..." Tara started.
"Not the Waffle House!" Hope said, laughing. Tara stuck her tongue out at her.
"Anywhere's fine with me." Chris said.
"Same here." John added.
"Oh, fine..." Hope said, mock rolling her eyes. "Waffle House it is."
"Yay!" Tara said with a laugh. John raised an eyebrow at her.
"What?" Tara laughed. "I love the Waffle House." She shrugged. John just grinned, and Chris took a step closer to her, wrapping an arm around her slender waist.
They all piled into one car and found the nearest Waffle House. They found an empty booth near the back of the restaurant. A waitress came up, and they ordered their drinks.
"I want waffles." Tara said out loud, looking down at the menu.
"Honestly Tara, you're going to get fat!" Hope laughed. "All you ever eat is waffles!"
"Nuh uh." Tara replied, poking her tongue out at Hope. "I always eat fruit with my waffles, thanks. Come to think about it, I eat fruit all the time anyways..." She grinned.
"And you always drink that nasty grapefruit juice." Hope said, scrunching her nose up as Tara took a drink of her juice. She rolled her eyes after she sat her glass down.
"I love it." The waitress came back over and they all ordered. They talked over their brunch and soon enough they were back, driving around Orlando looking for something to do.
"Hope, we're going to have to leave here around four or five..." Tara said. "I have to get home and feed Oz, and I'm sure the guys have to get to another city."
"Yeah." John said. "We have to be in North Carolina first thing in the morning."
"Then let's just go back to the hotel and hang out until it's time for us to leave." Hope said. She was sitting in the back, resting against John.
"Alright." Tara said, moving her right hand into her lap while using the left to steer the car. Chris reached over and took her hand in his, intertwining their fingers. Tara pulled back into the hotel parking lot. They all got out and walked back into the hotel, and up to John's room.
"We can order a movie." John suggested. Hope nodded her head yes, so they searched through the pay-per-views and finally settled on Blue Crush. The movie started soon after. John was in a room with two beds. He and Hope were on one, with her resting with her back to his chest, his arms around her waist, and Tara and Chris were on the other, her sitting in his lap.
"I'm gonna miss you." Chris whispered into Tara's ear, so that only she could hear him.
"I'm gonna miss you, too." She turned and whispered back. "You'll come and visit me, right?"
"Any chance I get." She smiled and kissed his cheek.
"Well, at least you'll call this time." She teased. He grinned.
"Yeah, I will." He stole a glance over towards Hope and John. "Looks like John will be calling Hope, too."
Tara looked over at the two, who were in the middle of a very romantic looking kiss. She smiled and shook her head, before resting it back against Chris's shoulder. They watched the movie for another forty five minutes before anyone said anything else.
"I'll be right back." Hope said, before hopping up off of the bed and out of the hotel room. John looked over towards the door.
"Where is she going?" He asked.
"Probably to get her camera." Tara said. "She's a photographer." She added with a smile.
"Really?" John said. Tara nodded.
"Damn good one, too." Right after she said that, the door opened and Hope walked in, her camera in hand.
"I knew it!" Tara said with a laugh. Hope shot her a strange look but didn't say anything. Tara smiled and looked over at Chris, who was absentmindedly playing with her hands. She heard a clicking sound and looked back at Hope.
"Sorry, I just couldn't pass it up!" Hope laughed. "It was a great picture."
"It's okay." Tara said. "I want a copy, though."
"Yeah, I do too." Chris said, tightening his grip around Tara's waist.
"Here, let me see it." Tara said, reaching out for the camera. Hope handed it too her and got back onto the bed next to John. Tara snapped a picture before handing the camera back to Hope. Hope took a few more pictures, some of Tara and Chris, some of Chris alone, and some of John alone. Blue Crush had long ago ended, and, glancing at the clock, Tara realized it was past time for her and Hope to leave.
"Hope," She said, looking to her friend. "We better go. We have a three hour drive home." Sadness was obvious in her voice. She nodded and stood up, taking John's hand in hers.
"We're gonna go out in the hallway for a minute alone, okay?" Hope said. Tara nodded. They walked out and closed the door behind them. Tara turned towards Chris, who hugged the small girl close to him. She wrapped her arms around his neck and rested her forehead against his, closing her eyes.
"I'm off for a few days in two weeks." Chris said. "Do you want me to come down and stay with you?"
"Sure." Tara replied. "I would love that." Chris nodded. Tara leaned forward and placed a soft kiss on his lips, which he returned. The hotel room door opened and Tara and John walked back in.
"Alright, let's go." Hope said. Tara nodded and stood up, Chris standing up too. He took her hand in his, as John had done with Hope, and they walked the girls out to Tara's car.
"I'll call you tomorrow, alright? It'll either be sometime before seven, or a little after eleven." Chris told her.
"Okay." Tara said. "I'm usually up till midnight or one, so just call anytime you get a chance."
"I will. Believe me, I will." He kissed her forehead, then her cheek, then her lips. She returned the kiss before looking up at the taller man. He gave her a quick hug and backed up as she got into the car.
"Talk to you tomorrow, Chris." She smiled. Hope was buckled in, saying her goodbye to John. Tara buckled her seat belt and she rolled the windows up, pulling out of the parking lot.
"I'm going to miss him." Hope said about fifteen minutes later, the first word that had been spoken in the car. Tara looked over at her friend and noticed a tear run down her cheek.
"Hopey..." She said, patting her sad friend's hand. "Don't cry, sweetie. He'll call. I can tell how much he likes you. Chris is coming up in two weeks, if John is off I'm sure he'll come too."
"He did say he would call tomorrow." Hope said, sending a small smile towards Tara.
"He will." Tara nodded.
*****
Two weeks later, Hope and Tara were both eagerly awaiting the time Chris and John were supposed to be arriving.
"I'm so excited." Hope said, looking to her best friend.
"Me too. I've missed Chris these past two weeks." She smiled. For some reason, the incident that had happened between her and Chris in Orlando had been popping into her mind lately...she figured it was because she hadn't told Hope yet.
'No time like the present,' She thought, turning towards Hope.
"Did anything...happen between you and John the night we got drunk in Orlando?" Tara asked. Hope shot her a weird look.
"No...he took me upstairs, held my hair back when I threw up my alcohol, then put me to bed. He didn't even sleep in the same bed as me." Hope said. "Why...did something happen between you and Chris?" She asked suspiciously. Tara glanced down at her hands, almost nervously. "Something did!" Hope said.
"Yeah." Tara said. "Well, both me and Chris were drunk, and...uh..." She started.
"Y'all had sex, didn't you?" Hope asked, grinning. Tara laughed.
"Yeah, we did." She said, smiling and turning a light shade of pink.
"Dang, girl." Hope laughed. "He must really like you if that didn't screw up you two's relationship."
"Yeah, that's what I thought." Tara said. A knock at the front door drew them from their conversation.
"They're here!" Hope squealed, hopping up and dashing over to the door. She threw her arms around John, who dropped his bag at the door and picked the leggy blonde up, twirling her around.
"Hey, could ya move so I can get in?" Tara heard Chris asked in an amused tone. John grinned and moved out of the way, letting Chris through. Tara stood up and walked over to him. He wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her forehead, as her arms went up around his neck.
"It's so good to see you. I've missed you." Chris said into her ear. Tara nodded.
"Me too." Tara replied. The four sat around Hope's living room and talked until almost two in the morning, when Chris and Tara decided to return to Tara's apartment. It was only a fifteen minute drive, and the two talked the entire short trip.
"Well..." Tara said as they approached her apartment building. "This is home." She didn't know why, but for some reason now she was sort of embarrassed to bring Chris to such a beat-up place. Especially after being in Hope's beautiful house almost the entire night. The apartment complex Tara lived in was hardly taken care of at all on the outside, and the small apartments weren't much, either. They walked up two flights of stairs, thanks to the elevator being broken, and Tara unlocked apartment 203. A meowing noise was the first thing that greeted her when she opened the door.
"Hey Ozzie sweetie. I brought a guest!" She cooed to the cat as he weaved himself in and out of her legs. She dropped her purse on the kitchen table and scooped the cat into her arms, resulting in loud purring. She sat the cat down and poured food and fresh water into his dishes, before turning back to Chris.
"I know that the place is small and not too great to look at..." Tara started, but realized that she really didn't know what to say aside from that. "I'm working on a house." She said with a laugh. "I want something like Hope's house. It's gorgeous."
"It is pretty. But I like it here, too." Chris said. "It's cozy. The perfect place for just two people." He smiled and walked over to the small girl, scooping her up into his arms. She giggled as he twirled her around, then, still holding her, looked into her eyes. "And it's got you here, so it's got to be perfect."
"You're so sweet, baby." She smiled, pecking his lips. He returned the smile and put her down. She grabbed his hand and took her into her bedroom.
"I'm gonna go change into my pajamas real quick, you can change in here if you want." She said. He nodded and she got into one of her dresser drawers, pulling out a pair of pajamas. She walked into her bathroom and pulled on her favorite pair of comfy pajamas: red silk-like pajama pants with black Japanese writing on them, and a white tank top with a large black Japanese flower in the middle. She returned to her bedroom, seeing Chris sitting on her bed in only a pair of pajama pants, looking at the pictures on her bedside table.
"Those are my parents." Tara said, climbing on the bed behind Chris and kissing the back of his neck softly.
"You don't look much like them," Chris observed, viewing the picture of Tara and her parents at a New Year's party.
"I was adopted." She said, running her fingertips over the framed picture.
"Oh," Chris said, turning back towards her. She smiled and kissed his forehead.
"I've never met my real parents." She went on. "I've been thinking about trying to find my mother lately, though, finally meet her."
"She probably wants to see you." Chris offered.
"I hope. I think I am going to look for her in the next couple of months." Tara said. She then snuggled back into Chris's arms. "But right now I don't even want to think about it. I just want to lay here in your arms."
"I have no objections to that." Chris said, kissing the top of her head. Shifting around to get comfortable, they ended up with Chris laying down on his back, Tara on her side with her head on his chest. She felt the steady rise and fall of his chest as he breathed, and heard his heartbeat. Soon enough, they lulled her to sleep.
*****
A/N: I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! I will try to have another out before the weekend.