FivebyFive89 – Sorry to hear you had a bad day but glad to have you on board :)
Boris Yeltsin – Thanks!
Luxor – Well I'll certainly try to fit in Willow in a tux if I can! Can't think of anything immediately that would put her in one from my outline, but I'm always adding extra chapters as I go along.
Slupton – Hi, I'm glad you enjoyed it and there's definitely more to come :)
JustJane18 – Light bondage for everyone!
jai – Who doesn't? Glad you enjoyed it :)
Willow stumbled out into the living room, rubbing her eyes.
"Morning, sleepy," Tara greeted from the kitchen, moving a wooden spoon around a large bowl.
Willow picked up her phone from the coffee table and checked the time, surprised.
"I never sleep this late."
"Well, it was technically morning when we went to sleep," Tara replied with a smirk, "I thought you could use the extra zzzs."
Willow nodded gratefully and approached the kitchen.
"What's going on in there?"
"Just something I used to do with my mom," Tara replied softly, smiling down fondly at the bowl, "Picked up the ingredients in that store on the corner. The owner was there and he rounded down the price for the 'pretty lady'."
Willow brow furrowed.
"It wasn't creepy, it was sweet," Tara clarified when she saw it, "At least it was with his big toothy smile and cheery Indian accent."
Willow relented and shrugged, trusting Tara's judgement.
"Pancakes?" she asked as she looked over Tara's shoulder and saw the batter mix, "Wait, you told me about this. Pancakes and The Beatles on weekends."
Tara smiled over at Willow tenderly.
"I love that you remembered."
Willow matched Tara's smile and kissed her softly.
"Wait there," she said and went over to open up her laptop.
After a couple of minutes 'I Want To Hold Your Hand' started to play and Tara's smile couldn't have gotten bigger.
"Funny shapes or rounds?"
"Both," Willow answered with the same smile, "I don't suppose some maple syrup made it onto your list?"
Tara nodded towards the fridge and Willow hurriedly went over to procure the amber nectar. She got two plates down and stood over Tara to watch her.
"Hey," she said sweetly when she saw Tara make her a heart.
"Wait 'til you see the next one," Tara replied confidently, having gotten her practice in, "Eat this while it's hot."
Willow stood at the breakfast bar and smothered her heart in syrup.
"Gweat pamcakes!" she complimented around a full mouth.
"Thank you," Tara replied modestly, then finished up her current one and moved over to slide it onto Willow's plate.
"Whoa!" Willow exclaimed wide-eyed as she looked at her pointy-eared Spock pancake, "You did that from memory?"
"That poster did greet me every morning for two years," Tara replied with a wry smile.
"Colour me impressed," Willow replied giddily, deciding to take a seat at the table, "You having some?"
"Uh huh, I'll be right there," Tara replied as she whipped up some rounds in a stack for them to share.
She put all of the dishes in the sink to soak and joined Willow at the table, bringing along two glasses and the orange juice with her.
Willow downed a glass on the spot and Tara found herself eating hungrily after the first bite, her appetite whetted. She thought back to the last time she ate and suddenly stood up.
"Crap."
Willow watched in confusion as Tara went into the bathroom, then grimaced when she returned holding the dripping, melted carton of ice-cream.
"Whoops."
"Whoops indeed," Tara replied, trashing it and washing her hands, "I hate throwing food out."
Willow grinned.
"There was no chance when you got naked in front of me. Its fate was doomed."
Tara blushed and sat back down.
"I think we can consider it worth it, this time."
Willow ran her finger along her plate to gather every last drop of syrup.
"Well so far I'm liking being graduated. Booze, baths, sleep-ins, pancakes, free time with my missus."
"At least until next week," Tara replied, cutting up the last of her pancakes, "We should get out and see the neighbourhood today. Properly, as residents, not just strolling through."
Willow's hank snuck up on Tara's and circled on top.
"But there's so much to christen…"
Tara dabbed her mouth with her napkin and left it on her empty plate. She turned her hand in Willow's, eyes taking on a certain sparkle.
"Are you saying it's our spiritual duty?"
Willow fixed Tara with a provocative grin.
"I'm saying this table looks like a pretty great place to start…"
Tara's lips quirked with more than a slight sultry undertone.
She scooted her chair back and pounced.
Tara woke up with the sun to find herself already mid-stretch, with her arms extended above her head.
Her fingertips brushed against the wood of the headboard and her palms pressed flat against the slats as she finished off the stretch. Her fingers closed around the slats and she gave them a little tug, smiling and deciding that after a few days of thorough testing that the headboard really was a nice addition to the bedroom.
She accidentally jostled the bed as she did so, which made Willow stir.
"Hmmmph?"
Willow turned her head on the pillow and her eyes slowly blinked open. She smiled at her favourite morning sight, Tara's sleepy face.
"Morning," Tara greeted, stretching her toes and wiggling them against Willow's under the blanket.
Willow rubbed her toes along Tara's foot, then up her calf and scooted closer. She cupped the back of Tara's neck, splaying her fingers out and pulled her in for a leisurely good morning smooch.
She left three long, soft kisses on Tara's lips before pulling away, but staying close enough that their foreheads and noses touched.
"Good morning," Willow returned, massaging the back of Tara's neck, "How are you feeling?"
"Okay," Tara replied sleepily, "Better waking up with you."
"Not so nervous anymore?" Willow asked, softly twirling the hairs on the nape of Tara's neck.
Tara had her licensing exam that morning and her nerves had been fluttering the night before. However…
"You calmed me down…" she replied with a sultry, sloped smile.
Willow blushed and slid her hand off Tara's shoulder and down her arm. She took Tara's wrist, then linked their fingers.
"Is it just me or are we having amazing sex in this bed?"
Tara pressed a kiss to Willow's jaw.
"Just the bed?" she asked in a throaty whisper.
Willow shuddered and shook her head.
"Definitely not."
She tilted her head until her lips were at Tara's lips and she could kiss her again. Her hand dropped Tara's to slide around her waist and pull them in close, while Tara's hand curved over Willow's ass to really get them locked together.
Tara slipped her hand under the back of Willow's top and ran her fingers along her girlfriend's spine as she eased off the kiss.
"I have to go soon. I better shower…"
Willow pouted and didn't let go but eventually relented.
"I'll make you breakfast!" she offered cheerily, then added on sheepishly, "Well, I'll pour some milk in your cereal. We haven't been making much use of that oven."
Tara swung her legs off the bed and pulled her arms above her head for one last stretch.
"I know, I need to start cooking us meals. A few pasta salads and pancakes doesn't count. Plus, take-out is expensive and bad for us. I'll cook this evening."
"I'd offer, but you remember the whole camping frank'n'beans experience…" Willow replied, scrunching up her nose.
Tara smiled back and affectionately plugged that cute, scrunching nose.
"I'm not that great but I'll rustle us up something. I'll get some real groceries on the way home."
She leaned over and placed another kiss on Willow's lips, then stood up and disappeared off into the bathroom. Willow watched her go until the last of Tara's ass wiggled out the door. She smiled and laid back to do her own happy stretching, then rolled out of bed with a bounce and headed out into the kitchen to pour her some cereal and juice.
As the stream of orange juice hit and sloshed around the glass, she suddenly became very aware of her full bladder. She pulled the juice back so she wouldn't be subjected to the analogous sound and crossed her ankles. She moved between leaning dramatically against the counter and dancing around to ease the ache, but nothing worked enough to make the fullness go away.
In their dorm, when Tara had been in the bathroom and she needed to relieve herself, she ran down the hall to the communal toilets. What little she knew of her closest neighbour, who had only ducked his head out a few times to leer at them as they came and went, made her think he might have cameras installed in his bathroom. She would prefer to pee in the sink than step over his threshold.
She glanced at the sink, then quickly away again before hurrying over to the bathroom door and knocking loudly.
"Tara?" she called, one hand holding her crotch as the sound of the shower water beating down made her sweat, "I gotta go."
"Okay!" Tara called back.
Willow waited for some kind of continuance, desperately leaning against the door.
"…are you almost done?"
"There's shampoo in my hair," Tara called out again, "Come in, just go."
Willow writhed uncomfortably and cracked the door open.
"But you're in there."
Willow could see Tara's outline through the shower curtain, who was shampooing her hair and had her head tilted back so the water was hitting her body.
"Dorm walls are thin, Willow. I've heard you pee before."
Willow was distracted watching Tara's silhouette for several seconds before the trickling water seeped into her subconscious and she couldn't bear another second. She ran over to the toilet, dropped her pyjama bottoms and finally emptied her bladder with a relieved sigh.
"Just don't flush–" Tara started to say, just as Willow flushed and made the stream of water in the shower turn molten hot for a few seconds, "Fff…!"
"Shit!" Willow said, pulling the lever up as if she might be able to stop the flush, "Sorry!"
There were a few moments where Willow could practically hear Tara grimacing, before she spoke again.
"It's okay. It's normal again. No harm done."
"I'll just, um…" Willow stumbled over her words, before just running out and washing her hands at the kitchen sink so she didn't have to stay there another second.
Tara appeared in a robe, towel-drying her hair a few minutes later. She smiled at Willow when she saw her breakfast set out on the table. Willow didn't return it, though, instead staying behind the breakfast bar and fidgeting with her hands.
"I'm so sorry."
"Don't worry about it," Tara replied easily as she dried her ears and left the towel on the back of the chair, "Just don't flush next time. Leave the seat down and I'll do it when I get out."
Willow blushed and smiled gratefully.
"Thanks. I don't plan on busting in on you all the time or anything."
"When you gotta go, you gotta go," Tara replied, taking her seat and pouring milk into her cereal from the carton.
Willow made a face and turned away, pretending to busy herself making toast. She just nibbled at it as Tara ate up her cereal and finished her juice. Tara came to bring her dishes into the sink and noticed the avoiding eyes.
She put a hand on either of Willow's shoulders to get her attention.
"Are you embarrassed you had to pee in front of me?"
Willow turned a crimson colour and nodded. Tara pecked her on her red cheek.
"Well, don't be. It had to happen at some stage if we're going to live together for the rest of our lives."
That actually comforted Willow and she finally smiled.
"Yeah, that's true."
Tara lifted her hands and held Willow's face gently.
"So don't worry about it."
She brought their lips together and kissed Willow softly. Willow settled her hands on Tara's hips and pulled her close, then pushed her up against the sink.
She pressed her hips into Tara's and took a firmer hold of her hips.
"You know, we haven't christened in here yet…"
Tara got that look in her eye and smirked. She closed her hands around Willow's neck and nodded behind over girlfriend's shoulder.
"We started off against the fridge last night…"
Willow's hands moved to cup Tara's behind and she lifted her up, with Tara's help.
"But the counters are totally virgin."
Tara leaned back as Willow pulled on the tie of her robe, letting the fabric fall off either side. She opened her legs as Willow's hands palmed her thighs and her head tilted back as Willow's mouth met her neck.
She felt Willow's lips in the hollow of her throat and glanced down to see her head getting lower and until it was bobbing between her legs. Her fingers curled under the counter, hanging on as Willow's mouth found her clit and paid it the attention it was throbbing for.
Her breath hitched as Willow's tongue coaxed her clit out and she moaned as Willow's mouth and lips worked her just the way she liked. She put all her weight on one arm so she could press the other hand onto Willow's head and hold her there.
Her hips thrust up faster and faster as she grew closer to orgasm, until her toes finally curled in against the silverware drawer and she called Willow's name out towards the ceiling.
Both hands gripped the counter to keep her steady, one with a few stray red hairs she'd accidentally pulled out. With her heart still hammering she lifted her hand up and let the hairs fall away, until her eyes focused on the flashing lights on the oven. She saw the time flickering and suddenly didn't have time to be out of breath or have a racing heart.
"Shit!"
She jumped away and made a running start for the bedroom.
"What?!" Willow asked, stumbling back a bit from the force, "What did I do?!"
There were sounds of rustling and banging in the bedroom.
"I'll be late! They won't let me into the exam!"
"Oh. Yeah, that's 'shit' worthy," Willow replied, straightening up and wiping her mouth, then calling louder, "I forgot. Sorry! I'll help!"
She went around and gathered Tara's things into her purse and waited by the door to hand it off.
"Bye, I love you. Good luck," she said as Tara sped past her, her feet pounding down the stairs moments later.
Willow watched her leave, a little disappointed with no goodbye, but remembered why she was late and let it go. She went to wash up Tara's dishes and pour some cereal for herself, before going off to shower and get dressed.
She tidied up a little bit, proud of herself for taking the initiative, then watched TV and browsed the web until Tara came, smiling, through the door, carrying a paper bag a few hours later. Willow shut her laptop on her lap to give her full attention.
"How did it go?"
"Really well, I think," Tara answered, going straight into the kitchen to drop the groceries off, "Now I just have to wait, but I'm not too anxious."
Willow visibly slumped with relief.
"Oh, thank god. I felt so guilty."
Tara came back over to Willow, very light on her feet and cheery. She sat down and placed a hand on Willow's knee.
"You have nothing to feel guilty about," she said, leaning over to give Willow a long smooch, "And I'm going to return the favour, don't you worry."
She threw a wink in Willow's direction, making her blush.
"I wasn't," she said, standing with Tara as she went back to unpack the groceries, "Worried, I mean. What did you get?"
"Grabbed a few things," Tara replied as she put the milk in the fridge, "I can make lasagne or chicken and rice tonight. We really do need to find a well-stocked supermarket so I can get fresher things."
"I love lasagne," Willow replied eagerly, "I can't believe I'm about to say this, but I'm kinda sick of pizza. All that dough."
"So no homemade garlic bread?" Tara asked, pulling out a French baguette.
"Let's not go crazy," Willow replied quickly, "I mean, you bought the stick. It would be rude not to make it now."
Tara smirked and laid the bread out on a chopping board.
"Did you eat lunch?"
Willow shook her head.
"Okay, I'll save half of this for later and make us some sandwiches now," Tara said, filling the kettle with water and putting it on the burner, "Coffee?"
Willow nodded.
"We gotta get a coffee maker. Instant is killing me."
"Let me start my job first," Tara replied, picking out sandwich fillings from the fridge, "Which will hopefully be very soon. As soon as I get my licence, I can go down to HR. Salami or turkey?"
"Turkey, please," Willow answered, enjoying seeing how Tara made up the sandwich with just the right proportions of cheese and mustard, "I should be doing this, sandwiches is one of the few things I can't mess up."
Tara handed Willow the knife with a smile.
"Make me one. Salami and pepper jack. A little mayo. Please."
Willow smiled back and started to make Tara's sandwich. She painstakingly filled the sandwich so there would be a piece of everything in each bite and scraped the mayo on with laboratory precision.
Tara watched her, smirking, and when Willow's concentration was at its highest, reached out and grabbed her ass.
Willow leapt up on the spot and spun around to Tara, shocked. Tara grinned, hooked her thumbs into Willow's belt loop and pulled her closer.
"Your concentration face is very sexy."
Willow blushed and toyed with the hem of Tara's shirt.
"I want you to have a nice sandwich. You always give me nice things."
Tara put a finger under Willow's chin and lifted it to kiss her. As their lips met, the kettle started whistling, making them both smile against each other. Tara lingered for another second, then went off to make them coffees, or a mocha in Willow's case.
Willow brought their plates to the table at first, but Tara joined with the mugs and motioned her over towards the large window.
"Let's eat on the fire escape."
Willow shrugged and walked through the big window to sit on the fire escape. She scooted over to make room for Tara and smiled.
"You love it out here."
Tara nodded.
"I think it's cool."
Willow grinned and bumped Tara's shoulder.
"I think you're cool. The cooliest."
Tara nudged back.
"That's not a word."
"You're so cool they had to invent a new one!" Willow retorted, then rested her head on Tara's shoulder.
Tara kissed the top of Willow's head and smiled as they looked out onto the street.
It was everything a peaceful weekday afternoon should be and she enjoyed every moment of the time she got to spend with Willow.
They ate and chatted for the afternoon, using the web to find all kinds of neighbourhood locations and making a list of places to visit and check out. When it came time for dinner, Tara was on cooking and Willow was looking after setting the table.
Willow stood back to admire her table-setting; clean silverware that had gotten an extra shine in the material of her shirt and neatly folded triangular napkins. Three tea lights were lit in a diagonal line between the two place settings and two long glasses sat at the head of each knife. A jug of water that Tara had prepared with citrus fruit had been transferred from the fridge to the table and the light hanging over the table was dimmed to complement the mood of the candles.
It was their first dinner not eaten out of a take-out box of some description and Willow wanted to contribute to it as much as Tara's incredible smelling lasagne that was spending its last few minutes crisping up in the oven.
She adjusted the napkins to have them at a straighter angle, then went into the kitchen where Tara was checking on the garlic bread.
"What else can I do?"
Tara straightened up and dusted her hands free of crumbs.
"Want to make a salad?"
Willow nodded and started to make a salad by throwing some chopped red onion and tomato into some lettuce leaves and pouring a bottle of ranch over it. Tara halted her by putting a hand on her wrist, and showed her how to grate some carrot and slice some cucumber.
Willow was out of her comfort zone by the time Tara crumbled some feta cheese over the top and scratched her head in confusion when her girlfriend began to make up a balsamic vinaigrette when there was a perfectly good and delicious bottle of ranch just sitting there.
In truth, Willow hadn't even known what the glass bottles of oils and vinegars sitting alongside the burner had been and had sort of thought they were just there for decoration.
Tara offered a little bit on the end of a teaspoon and Willow eyed it warily for a moment before tasting it. Her eyes grew wide as it spread over her tastebuds.
"Holy crap, that's delicious. What's in it?"
"I just told you when I was making it," Tara replied with some genial frustration, "It's just olive oil and balsamic vinegar with a little mustard and garlic, salt and pepper."
"I didn't know we had any of that," Willow admitted, "Except the mustard."
"I went to the market on the way home, remember?" Tara replied, pouring some dressing into a little bowl with the spoon and leaving the rest of the jar in the fridge, "It lasts a long time and tastes even better when the garlic infuses a bit."
"Yes, of course," Willow replied, not wanting to appear as culinarily challenged as she felt, "Infuses. The garlic, that is."
Tara took the garlic bread out of the oven and tasked Willow with slicing it, while she brought the lasagne to the table and cut it up. Willow joined with the bread and salad and took her seat while Tara dished her up a generous portion.
It was perfectly layered and steaming, lifting the herby smell to Willow's nostrils. She used her fork to cut a section off, making sure there was some of each layer, and tasted it hungrily. The harmony of flavours was better than any lasagne she'd tasted, even when she'd been in Italy, though she could admit to some bias towards her girlfriend. She quickly took another bite, then one more, before pausing briefly to wipe her mouth with her napkin.
"How did you learn to cook this good?"
Tara was eating slower, savouring everything.
"The only joy I had growing up was food. I learned how to make the most of it."
"But weren't you really poor?" Willow blurted, then immediately cringed at herself.
Tara just smiled.
"Food bank parcels can be surprisingly diverse."
Willow grew quiet and pushed some lettuce around her plate. After a moment, she felt Tara's hand cover hers and she looked up with a sheepish smile.
"Sorry. Just thinking. You're poor and…going through a lot… and you're working your ass off to make gourmet and I have all the money I want and living on I'm Chef Boyardee Surprise," she replied, then puffed out a breath, "I'm lazy."
Tara shook her head.
"You didn't know how to eat right. Most teenagers don't. Don't beat yourself up about it."
Willow turned her hand over in Tara's to link their fingers.
"Will you teach me how to cook some things? I wanna know, and be able to cook for you too."
"Of course I will," Tara replied without hesitation, "I bet you'll be a great cook."
Willow happily took another big bite of lasagne, coupled with some garlic bread.
"With as you as my teacher, how could I not!"
Willow sat, slumped in bed, with her hands resting over her stomach. There was still a pouch there, even though it had been a couple of hours since she finished dinner.
"I can't believe how good your lasagne was. And that I practically ate the whole thing."
Tara sat on the bed and swung her legs in.
"You have a stomach of steel," she replied with a smile as she rubbed lotion into her arms, "I'm glad you liked it. I'm a bit rusty, but I have a few recipes up my sleeve."
Willow jiggled her belly.
"Forget the freshman fifteen, I'm gonna get a graduate gut if you keep cooking like that."
Tara playfully rolled her eyes.
"You didn't have to eat the six pieces of garlic bread."
"Oh, I definitely did," Willow replied with a grin, "How's my breath?"
Tara leaned over to smell Willow's garlicky breath.
"Let's just say it's a good thing you're too full to romance me."
"Ouch," Willow replied, holding her hand over her mouth and nose to try and smell her breath, "I double brushed!"
Tara settled under the covers and pulled Willow over to her. She pecked Willow's cheek, then kissed her lips.
"You're worth it."
She was mostly teasing Willow, but she would have endured much more than some residual garlic to see the smile produced on her girlfriend's face. Willow draped her arm across Tara's waist and pressed kisses onto her shoulder.
"I'm excited for you to start your job…but I wish we could stay like this forever."
"You know I'll be home every evening and night, right?" Tara asked, quirking an eyebrow.
Willow's fingers lifted away from Tara's hip and wiggled in gesticulation.
"I meant…worry free."
Tara linked her fingers into Willow's wiggling ones.
"Why would we have worries?"
Willow settled her cheek on Tara's shoulder so she her breath hit against her girlfriend's neck, making the stray hairs on the nape of her neck float away from her skin with each soft exhale from Willow's lips.
"We can't be young and reckless anymore," Willow explained, seeing Tara's lips part each time her breath warmed the skin of her neck.
Tara smirked, lips quirking on one side to show her amusement.
"Were we ever?"
"Maybe once or twice," Willow replied seriously, "Some days we never had breakfast. Most important meal of the day."
"We always had breakfast," Tara countered, "It just wasn't always food."
Willow blushed and hid her smile in Tara's shoulder.
"You're so pretty."
Tara's eyes narrowed suspiciously.
"What do you want?"
Willow rested her cheek on Tara's shoulder and kissed inside her neck.
"To tell you you're pretty."
Tara's features softened and she turned her head to look in Willow's eye. She tucked a piece of hair behind Willow's ear and kissed her nose.
"You're pretty too," she said sweetly, "Cooking lesson tomorrow?"
Willow nodded.
"Although I did make dessert today."
"And you're the best ice-cream scooper I know," Tara agreed, "At least we got this one back in the freezer."
Willow smiled.
"Thanks. The trick is letting it melt just enough to let the spoon go through while still letting it be solid."
Tara nodded.
"I'll remember that."
Willow threw her arm around Tara's waist and tangled their legs together. It was the first night since they'd moved in that neither had initiated sex, but she didn't mind. Cuddling and sleeping close was hardly a consolation prize.
"I love you Tare-bear. 'Night."
Tara wrapped her arms around Willow and kissed her forehead.
"I love you too."
"Willow, are you ready?"
Willow looked up from her laptop, brow creased.
"For what?"
Tara sighed from the kitchen.
"You're cooking dinner tonight," she said, leaning against the counter, "Or, I'm showing you how, at least."
"Oh yeah!" Willow replied enthusiastically, abandoning her computer to come and join Tara, "What are we making?"
"Hamburgers," Tara answered, gesturing to the various foods she'd taken out to prepare their meal with.
Willow's nose scrunched.
"Jeez, Tara, even I know how to make hamburgers. Just take it out of the freezer and throw it on the skillet for 10 minutes, maybe turn once or twice."
Tara smirked, her lips quirking up on one side.
"We're making the hamburgers from scratch."
Willow's eyes bugged.
"You can make hamburgers? Just here, in a regular old kitchen?"
"Yes," Tara answered, then picked up some kind of vegetable that Willow couldn't identify, "And we're going to make some corn on the cob and sweet potato fries to go with them."
Willow was mildly alarmed by the dented, rough looking skin of what she could only figure was the sweet potato, because it sure as hell wasn't corn, but smiled when she realised what Tara had planned.
"Hey, that was one of my favourite cafeteria meals."
"I know," Tara replied softly.
Willow leaned over and pressed a kiss to Tara's cheek.
"Thank you. Where do we start?"
"By washing our hands," Tara replied, bringing Willow over to the sink.
Willow washed her hands with surgical precision and dried them on the dishcloth, which she then handed off to Tara to dry her own.
"Okay, first we have to preheat the oven. Food should always go into a warm oven."
Willow nodded and approached the oven, eyeing the different temperatures on the dial.
"How do I know what to put it to?"
"Well most things come with instructions and you'll get a feel for it as you cook more," Tara replied, "We want the oven hot for the fries, so let's go 450°."
Willow turned the temperature dial and then looked at the other one.
"Bake, right? I've cooked fries before, but they were of the frozen variety."
"Right," Tara smiled, then bumped Willow's shoulder, "See, you know stuff already."
Willow blushed, but was pleased. She peeled one of the sweet potatoes with the peeler, while Tara more expertly used a knife on the other one. Tara showed Willow the kind of size they were aiming for, and Willow cut hers up with no injury to herself or the sweet potato.
"Here's my cheat," Tara said, taking out a Ziploc bag and putting all of their fries in, "Best way to coat them in oil. That's what will make them really crispy."
Willow gestured towards the oil and Tara nodded for her to go ahead. Willow gently poured some oil in, looking at Tara to indicate when to stop and twisted the cap back on when about two tablespoons had gone in. Tara closed the bag and handed it to Willow, who looked at it blankly for a second, then got it and started to shake it with a giggle.
"Shake, shake, shake, shake, a-shake it!"
Tara grinned, finding Willow's silliness infectious.
"I'd like to see you shake it."
Willow turned around and shook her butt. Tara burst out laughing.
"Now there's some buns I can get behind."
Willow jumped back around with a lascivious grin.
"You can get behind 'em later," she said, moving in until their noses were touching, "Or any position you want…"
Their lips brushed and Tara cupped one of Willow's cheeks, her fingers splaying out across Willow's face. She tilted Willow's chin down and kissed her softly for several seconds.
"Spread 'em," she said, and Willow's eyes immediately clouded with lust, which made Tara smile, "The fries. Spread 'em out on the sheet."
Willow looked down at the bag in her hands.
"Oh."
She turned back around to the baking sheet and Tara followed, grabbing Willow's ass and standing over her from behind. Willow grinned downwards at the sweet potato and arranged them neatly exactly one inch apart each.
"That looks perfect," Tara complimented, "Nice and even. They'll crisp up better like that. Let's get those in the oven so we can start on the patties."
Willow put the sheet pan in the oven carefully so as not to throw any of the fries out of their place.
"Done!" she said as she closed the oven door, "Let's get a-pattying!"
Tara brought forward a bowl with the ground beef already inside, a whole egg, half an onion, a clove of garlic, a smaller bowl of breadcrumbs and salt and pepper shakers. Willow looked at it all in surprise.
"All this for a couple of hamburgers?"
"Uh huh," Tara replied, bringing the onion onto a chopping board and offering Willow a knife, "How are your chopping skills?"
"Non-existent," Willow replied, making no move to accept the knife, "Maybe you can show me this time."
Tara agreed and started to chop. Willow moved around the other side and turned the hot faucet in the sink on.
"Stops your eyes from watering," she explained off Tara's confused look.
"Great tip," Tara replied with a smile, "Thank you."
Willow waved it off.
"Don't thank me, thank science. And the steam bringing those onion-y vapours away from your eyes."
Tara's eyes did water a bit as she chopped, but not uncomfortably so as she eased the knife around the onion. Willow could tell she was slowing down the process for her benefit and really did try to commit the technique to memory. She knew it would be a long time before she would be able to chop as finely as Tara was, but she figured she could get the same effect with no sliced fingers if she just took her time.
She offered to do the last little bit, mostly as a show of her dedication, and had fun mincing the garlic and mixing it all into the meat. Tara added the egg and breadcrumbs and Willow used her hands to keep mixing it all together. A few shakes of salt and pepper and Tara's hands joined in the meat to show Willow the size patties they wanted.
"Wow, they really are burgers!" Willow said, impressed, as she shaped some more meat, "We're gonna get like six…am I going to be the food vacuum again tonight?"
"No, we'll freeze half," Tara replied, "Then we'll have some in the future when either of us is too tired to cook. I had planned that with the lasagne too, until somebody came along…"
Willow blushed.
"Good idea. The freezing."
Tara got out more Ziploc bags and a label and showed Willow really quickly how to pack and label things while the oil heated up on the grill pan. Willow approved of the efficient abbreviation and date system.
They put their leftover patties in the freezer and Tara tested the oil with a small piece of leftover onion. When it sizzled, she nodded for Willow to bring over the patties and arrange them. Willow pressed each one down against the pan and left the bowl in the sink.
"Now, while they cook, we'll make the corn," Tara explained, "A lot of cooking is all about timing. Plan things out and it's nice and easy."
"It is with you," Willow replied sweetly.
Tara put her arm around Willow's shoulders.
"Corn is the easiest part. Just peel the husks and leave them in the water."
"I can peel!" Willow replied eagerly, going over to where she saw the corns, "Get the water on, assistant!"
Tara smiled and dutifully got a pan of water on to boil. Willow brought the de-husked corn over and put them in the water, while Tara turned the burgers.
"They're looking good. Want to do the buns?"
"Sure," Willow replied with a nod, "Wait, I know this. You like lettuce, onion, tomato, mustard, ketchup but NO mayo, right? That always confused me because you like mayo on other sandwiches."
"I don't like it with beef," Tara replied, "And you like lettuce, tomato, mustard, ketchup and mayonnaise."
Willow held up her hand for a high-five, which Tara returned. They prepared each other's buns side-by-side and Willow squirted a happy face with the mustard on the top bun. Tara saw it and made a heart on the other one, like the pancake, which Willow smiled at.
When their plates were ready to serve up, Tara showed Willow how to melt some cheese on top in the last minute of the patty cooking, then transported the steaming meat to the buns, one on Tara's and two on Willow's.
The sweet potato fries came out next, crispy and slightly charred on the ends. Willow tried to make them look pretty and presentable in stacks while Tara drained the corn and skewered each end with corn holders, melting a knob of butter over each.
They each took their plate and they finally sat down to enjoy their meal. They sat in an L shape at the table so they could hold hands on one side.
Willow dipped one of her sweet potato fries in some ketchup, then smiled lovingly over at Tara as she ate it.
"I love this."
"Yeah, they're good," Tara agreed, returning the smile mixed with one of pride, "Well done."
"No," Willow replied softly, linking their fingers as well as their palms, "This. Living, like this. Us. Together. This is what I want, forever."
Tara lifted Willow's hand and kissed her knuckles.
"Then this is what we'll have. Forever."