CHAPTER FOURTEEN: a lot to learn
Buffy awoke to the smell of food. Without thinking she shifted around to find Tara and frowned. They had sat up for a while talking, neither one of them wanting to leave just to go to separate rooms. So instead they began researching some of the books in the study content with the other's nearness. Despite her resistance though sleep began its hazy grip and she had begun to doze off alongside the Wiccan.
She smiled to herself remembering how Tara had shifted around on the couch allowing her to curl up next to her while she continued to read. She couldn't explain it but even the simplest act of affection spoke volumes to her. She groaned as her stomach growled. The smell of breakfast made it all too obvious that she hadn't eaten in a couple of days. Her insides screamed for food but first and foremost they screamed for Tara.
Standing up she stretched surprised at how well rested she felt, something she was beginning to notice happened when she was in the presence of the Wiccan. She laughed to herself. "It must be magic" with that thought she made her way out of the Study.
"Buffy, in here." Joyce called from the kitchen just as she was about to make her way upstairs. Buffy sighed, her search for Tara being momentarily postponed and headed towards where her mother had called for her. She stepped into the kitchen and grinned.
Tara was at the stove with Lucinda and another woman whipping up an ensemble of pancakes eggs and sausage. Joyce smiled at her daughter having seen her leaving the Study and instinctively knowing what she was really after. She shook her head having never imaged her daughter passing up a meal for anyone. She smirked at her daughter's glazed look as she watched the blonde whisk a batch of pancake batter next to the oven. "Sleep well?" Buffy nodded absently fascinated with the smudge of flour across Tara's cheek. "Oh daughter of mine I think you might be drooling." Joyce said absently to herself.
"Huh?" Buffy broke away from the trance she had fallen into and stared at her mom confused. "Did you say something?" Joyce grinned and patted a chair positioned next to her own.
"Nothing important." She assured, "So did you two work everything out last night?" Buffy looked at the chair then back to Tara wondering if they could use any help. "Oh don't bother." Joyce said recognizing her daughter's look. "They wouldn't let me near the stove, Lucinda, Tara and Martha, the other woman helping, insisted that we are guests and will be treated as so." Buffy nodded in acceptance the three women seeming to have it under control. "So how did it go?" Buffy smiled not taking her eyes off Tara for a second.
"Surprisingly, better than I had thought." She glanced over at Lucinda then back to Tara. "Lucinda helped a lot last night." She sighed " Even though we still have a lot to discuss I think she's taking it better now." Joyce watched as her daughter's gaze was once again glued to Tara and rolled her eyes.
"So…" The older Summers started casually, "What else happened?" Buffy turned to look at her mother then blushed as Joyce wiggled her eyebrows suggestively.
"MOM!" Buffy said shocked than laughed as her mother shrugged innocently. Tara looked up from her cooking hearing Buffy's laughter over the sounds of the stove and smiled to herself. Even with her hair mused from sleep she was definitely adorable.
"Well what am I supposed to think?" Joyce said laughing along with her daughter. "You two did look rather comfortable this morning." Buffy just gaped, setting her head in her hands. She couldn't believe her mom was doing this now.
"You're terrible, you know that." She whispered still giggling. "And for your information we were just sleeping."
"Sleeping…right." Joyce said sarcastically than looked over to Tara who was watching Buffy a small smile on her face. She sighed thinking how good they would be together.
"Good morning." Giles said as he made his way into the kitchen. He looked to the three women cooking curiously, "Anything I can do to help?"
"Sit down Rupert you know the house rules." Lucinda said jokingly not looking up from where she was piling sausage on a plate. He laughed nodding then turned his attention to the two Summers. "How do you feel this morning?" He asked surprised at how rested his Slayer seemed to be looking.
"Good." Buffy said simply motioning for Giles to take a seat. The older man smiled gratefully and sat down. "Extremely good as a matter of fact."
"Buffy got a really good night's sleep last night." Joyce filled in then cackled hysterically as Buffy shot her a death glare. Giles looked between the two Women confused.
"I dare say I must be missing something?"
"You aren't." Buffy said quickly.
"Alright everyone foods up!" Lucinda called walking towards the group with two large plates covered in food. Buffy sighed thankful for the distraction and watched as the other woman who had been helping brought over a large dish loaded down with eggs and biscuits.
Lucinda watched as Buffy's eyes trailed towards Tara and shook her head, Joyce was right…definitely not just one sided. "Buffy, be a dear, and help Tara with the plates and silver-wear." Buffy stood quickly not needing to be asked twice and headed over to
where Tara was pulling down plates from a cupboard. "Okay everyone. "Lucinda said eyeing the two girls in the kitchen "How bout we take these dishes into the dining room." The group nodded agreeing there would be more room in the larger dining hall and they all pitched in to transfer the plates into the other room, leaving Buffy and Tara to themselves.
Buffy quickly stepped up behind the Wiccan, groaning at the strip of skin revealed when she reached up to pull the plates down. "Need a hand?" Tara turned from the cupboard and smiled at the Slayer having sensed her approaching.
"Hey sleepy head." She whispered glancing down at the floor. "Yeah I could use a hand." She paused, glancing back up at the Slayer. "Did you sleep okay?" Buffy grinned and stepped closer to her.
"Like you even have to ask?" she rolled her eyes at Tara's look of bewilderment. "Though I think I would have slept better if my pillow hadn't gone AWOL." Tara smiled blushing.
"S-So I make a good pillow huh?" Buffy winked.
"Definitely." She reached over and brushed a finger at the flour smudged across the blonde's face. "And not only is she comfy, but she can cook too. Forget air bed mattresses of the future I think I got the better deal." Tara raised her eyebrow at that.
"Really?" she grinned at the Slayer and self consciously rubbed at her face figuring she had gotten more than just a single streak of flour there. "Too bad I'm such a mess." Buffy shook her head. "I hear the grunge furniture wasn't in this season."
"I'm going to have to disagree with you there." She stepped back and looked the blonde over, then grinned as she gathered some spilled flour from the counter. "I think I like you a little messy" she ran her white covered finger down Tara's cheek and smiled. "Yup, definitely like you messy." Tara just stared at her at a loss for words. "Oh common like you don't know how cute that is?" Buffy said gathering the plates in her hand enjoying watching Tara blush.
"You…you think I-I'm cute?" she asked, a boldness she hadn't thought she possessed coming to a front. But the second it had left her mouth she instantly wished she could take it back. Buffy stopped giving her an odd look. Uh-oh.
"Honestly?" Buffy asked seriously realizing that Tara must not think she was attractive.
"Yes." Tara breathed out, it was now or never she thought. Though her heart was beating at such a pace she was begging to consider it unhealthy.
"No…" Buffy said slowly causing Tara's heart to plummet. She mentally smacked herself for even asking, there was no way Buffy would have actually found her attractive let alone cute. She looked down at the floor tiles too afraid to look Buffy in the eyes, knowing the slayer would see the hurt, and eventually put two and two together. "I think you're beautiful." Buffy finally said causing Tara's head to shoot up at hearing the low murmur of an admittance. She locked shocked blue eyes with shy hazel. That was not what she had been expecting at all.
"Buffy…" she paused to catch her breath her stomach doing flip flops. "I'm not…b-beautiful." She stuttered out too taken aback to notice the seriousness in Buffy's eyes. "I mean not like you…cute maybe but I'm not beautiful." Buffy stared at her in disbelief. Did she honestly not know how good-looking she was, and with the flour smudged on her face? And wait back up…Buffy thought. She thinks I'm beautiful? She shook her head.
"First off, yes you are and if you don't think so than you need to get your eyes checked." Tara started to say something but Buffy beat her to it. "And once again do not argue this topic with me because there is nothing to argue understood." Tara shut her mouth. "And two…Tara if you think I'm beautiful when my hair is a mess and I'm sporting day old cloths than I really suggest you invest in some bifocals or something cuz it's just not happening." She motioned to her body causing Tara to blush.
"I-I like your messy hair…" she said trying not to gawk at Buffy to hard then grinned hesitantly reaching a hand out to smooth some of the slayer's hair down. "it's adorable." Buffy stared at her as if she were nuts. "I'm serious." Buffy shook her head then stepped closer to the Wiccan backing her up against the counter.
"It's times like these when I question your brain cells you know." Tara stared at Buffy in a trance with how close she was. The warm buzz passing between them making her delirious.
"R-Really…" Tara choked out her heart pounding hard in her chest.
"Yeah" she whispered. "Really…" she wiped her flour covered finger across her cheek again then winked stepping back admiring her work. Tara blushed deeply thankful for the counter supporting her because her legs were feeling a little on the jello side if she was being truthful.
"Y-Your rotten." She said turning to pull a few more plates out and avoid the urge to kiss the teasing slayer. Buffy just laughed.
"Says the woman who's blind, pa-lease." Tara turned around a few more plates in hand and gave them to Buffy to add to the pile then moved to a large drawer and began pulling out silver-wear at a loss for what to say. Buffy just smiled hearing the woman's heart thundering away along with her own. She stepped up behind Tara and whispered into her ear. "What cat got your tongue…"Tara gripped the counter chills running through her body. She looked down at her hands that were practically shaking. She couldn't take it anymore. She closed her eyes trying to steady her thoughts.
"B-Buffy…I-I…" Buffy leaned in closer hooking her chin over the Wicca's shoulder relishing the hum passing through their bodies. Tara shook her head trying to find her bearings the weird connection they shared making it harder to focus. "I think I…I mean I…" Buffy held her breath praying she hadn't read Tara wrong. But just as Tara was about to voice her thoughts the door to the kitchen opened causing the two girls to jump.
"Common you two," Lucinda said grinning, "Other people out here are wanting to eat." Tara groaned covering her face that was beat red. If Lucinda had had suspicions before she thought, then she knew without a doubt how she felt about Buffy now. If the look she was being given was any indication. "Let's go ladies," she snapped her fingers. "While the food is still hot." Tara glanced at Buffy through spit fingers and groaned her body still feeling uncomfortably warm. Buffy shook her own head beginning to wonder if the older woman did it on purpose and began to make her way towards the Dinning room. When Buffy was gone Lucinda eyed Tara carefully. "Have you told her yet?" Tara looked at Lucinda a little surprised by her bluntness, but shook her head no. Lying was pointless. Lucinda went to the cabinets and pulled out a stack of glasses. "And why not?"
"I don't know…" Tara said softly pulling out a few more forks. "What if she doesn't return my feelings." Lucinda nodded and retrieved a bottle of syrup.
"And what are your feelings for her exactly?" Tara sighed closing the drawer.
"It's complicated." Lucinda grinned at that. Tara preferring the fairer sex had already been established about a year ago. So aside from that aspect she was a little curious as to how.
"What's complicated about it?" Tara closed her eyes her heart finally returning to its natural pace.
"Liking her is one thing but to be honest I care about her too much for it just to be a simple crush…I think…I'm in love with her." She whispered not having completely believed the words until they had been said aloud. "And it scares me." Lucinda just smiled and ran a hand through Tara's hair.
"What is so scary about that?" Tara frowned.
"Well aside from the fact that she may not return the feelings…" Lucinda shook her head not believing that Tara hadn't figured it out yet.
"You my dear." She started holding the door open for Tara to proceed her. "Have a lot to learn." Tara turned back to her confused but the older woman had already turned her attention to the group of people gathered at the table.
"Well a lot of help you are."
Thanks again to everyone who has reviewed, I'm really glad you all seem to enjoy it so far. And on a positive note though I'm not promising after next week I'll be able to update more frequently and hopefully get another story started. Alright and as always feedback is appreciated. P.S. if anyone was interested in seeing the picture I had mentioned I'll need your email to send it to you. Thanks again.
P.S.P.S (squidward) big sigh of relief don't scare me like that. I'm glad to know ur ok. I'm still worried like mad but that's one thing eased from my mind. And squids just so you know…9/12/21 & 9/13/21!!!!!!!
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