FivebyFive89 – Glad you enjoyed it :)
jaiden83 – 10: Let me know when you succeed ;)
11: Think about her having to lug it home!
"I should have brought some of my own food to eat."
Willow had her arms crossed petulantly over her chest as she and Tara walked from their apartment to Becky's new place, where they'd helped her move in the week before.
Tara shot Willow a look, namely the 'stop being cranky' one.
"You told me you loved the cheese from The Netherlands, even the stinky stuff. I bring home one blue and you decide you'll only eat string cheese from now on."
"Everything tastes better in Europe," Willow replied sullenly, "Your tastebuds change on the plane, you know."
"I don't think it extends to being off the plane too," Tara refuted, though softly.
Willow dropped her arms so her mittened hands hung by her side.
"But why a fondue party?"
"Because it's Becky and it's fun and it's her housewarming so she gets to decide what she wants to do," Tara explained, putting an arm around Willow's shoulders, "We need to be encouraging. You know it's rough for her to be living on her own and having to really accept the break-up. It's nice to see her having friends over instead of going out alone and ending up god knows where."
Willow leaned her head in against Tara.
"Yeah, you're right. I'll quit the grump. And I like wine now, maybe I like cheese again too."
"That's the spirit."
Tara kissed her girlfriend's cheek, which was its own reward for Willow. They arrived at Becky's apartment block, which was new and modern but not as corporate as the place she shared with Jack. They were buzzed in and rode the elevator to Becky's floor.
Becky opened the door cheerily, in fact the most cheerful she had been in weeks. Some easy listening music was playing in the apartment and there were already some people buzzing around, taking advantage of the many retro stools and furniture Becky had decorated her place with.
"Hey, it's my lovebirds," Becky greeted with a smile, "Come on in. Fondue for everyone!"
They walked in and Tara was pleased to see Becky had finished unpacking, as she'd been struggling when they left her the week before. The place looked great with its black/red theme and lots of glass and stainless steel. Becky had wanted 'modern retro', and though Tara hadn't been quite sure what that meant, it was fun and funky to look at now.
The table was fixed in the middle of the room and filled with food and drinks to mix. Willow was delighted to see that there weren't just buckets of cheese, but additional pots of white, milk and dark chocolate. She clutched at Tara's arm and pointed.
Tara nodded to say she saw, with a smile. She held out the small gift bag with a scented candle for Becky.
"Thank you so much," Becky replied cheerily, lifting it out and taking a little sniff, "Mandarin. Exotic. Kinda sexy."
She winked, which made Tara blush, so she turned to take her and Willow's jackets to hang up. Becky went off to get them a beer each from the fridge.
Willow stood in front of the table and rubbed her hands together. There were breads, cold meats and pickles to go with the cheese; and fruits, marshmallows, wafers and graham crackers to go with the chocolate.
None of the cheese pots looked particularly offensive, and Willow had to admit, were without the horrible smell that that put her off the idea to begin with.
She'd only gotten the notion in her head to stick to plain cheeses when the stench of a particularly strong blue cheese Tara brought home had left a bad taste in her mouth for days. It was made worse by having its taste and smell permeate everything else in the fridge.
As she considered the concoctions of flavours in front of her, she thought she might be ready to put tale of blue terror behind her.
"The blends are written on the little cards," Becky commented as she returned with their beers and saw Willow staring at the pots, "Nothing too crazy. They sure do have a nerve charging so much for something that's made from the stuff that comes out of animal titties."
"It smells good," Willow replied quickly, and honestly, "…I'll have a little dip, in a bit."
"Have a little 'skinny' dip with the low fat mozzarella blend," Becky joked, then gestured around the room, "Well enjoy. Mostly people from work here so far. Expecting some old college buddies. And of course, you remember Kim and her boyfriend Dave."
Kim and Dave waved familiarly and another man beside them nodded in their direction.
"And Darren," Becky added, teeth slightly gritted as he hadn't been expressly invited, but had tagged along anyway.
There was another knock at the door then, which Becky went off to answer and exclaim happily to whomever was at the other side.
Willow and Tara made small talk with Kim about their lives post-graduation but Willow went off to dip some cheese when the subject of employment came up. She found herself best avoiding that area of discussion. She didn't like when the tone turned to pity.
When she noticed Tara had taken a seat on the couch, she went over to join her, bringing a piece of bread dipped in the fondue pot labelled spicy. She offered to her before it dripped all over her fingers.
Tara ate it before it stained anything and discreetly licked her fingers.
"It's delicious. I like that kick. Tastes like serrano peppers."
"The fondue thing is pretty cool, actually," Willow commented, "Kinda like an indoor bonfire. I'm definitely making up a s'more later. And okay, you were right…I'm enjoying the cheese. But if you ever bring home that blue stuff again…"
The party got into full swing quickly as the last of the guests arrived and filled the room. Though crowded, it was a very laid-back event even with the mix of people and personalities. The fondue seemed to keep people around a focus point, making a constant loop of different people mixing and chatting.
On her way back from dipping some strawberries in the delicious white chocolate, Willow caught a scent of something and sank in beside Tara with her eyes wide.
"Are they smoking dope?" she whispered, alarmed, into Tara's ear, then stared at the suspected offenders while she nibbled on the strawberry.
Tara cast her eyes over to where Kim and the two guys were sitting around, smoking something.
"Maybe," she replied with a one-shoulder shrug.
Willow's eyes suddenly started darting all around and Tara had to hold back a smile. She patted her girlfriend's back gently.
"Willow, chill out. The DEA aren't about to break down the door."
Willow tried to make herself look small in the chair as if she might be invisible should a drug bust spontaneously occur.
"I've never been around people smoking before."
"Really?" Tara asked, genuinely surprised, "Ever? Becky never smoked in your room?"
"No!" Willow replied, aghast at the idea, "She tried to get me to eat a brownie at a party once but I just left. There's evidence it's linked to paranoia, you know."
Tara chose not to point out Willow was the one being slightly paranoid, apparently just from getting a whiff.
"Everyone tries it," she reasoned with a pacifying smile, "Don't worry."
"Um, we haven't," Willow replied, then did a double take at the ever-so-slightly guilty look on Tara's face, "Have you!?"
Tara tucked a piece of hair behind her own ear. She was a little embarrassed, not because she'd tried it, but because it had been from succumbing to peer-pressure at the time.
"Once or twice. I wasn't into it, but I don't see the big deal for people that are."
Willow looked at Tara as if she'd just said she'd killed a puppy in her youth. Tara held up her hands defensively.
"Willow, don't be so uptight. I had a few drags at study group session, it wasn't for me, I never had any ever again."
Willow slowly recovered down from her shock.
"I thought eating Thai food was the extent of your experimentation in study groups!" she exclaimed quietly, "You're supposed to study in those things, you know!"
Tara sighed.
"I did study, everyone else didn't. I stopped going when it became obvious everyone was more interested in providing an excuse to kick-back under the guise of studying. Why do you think I never had any meetings after we met? Yes, I went to one or two more than I should have because I had no other social life, but they weren't KKK meetings or something for god's sake."
Willow had wondered about the mentioned study group that Tara never actually seemed to go to, but not enough to voice the question. It made sense that she had left after they met and kept coy because of the reason.
"Yeah, okay. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to imply anything."
She chewed on some skin on the corner of her thumb and cautiously met Tara's eye.
"What was it like?" she asked uncertainly.
"I felt fuzzy mostly. I prefer a clearer mind and to relax with meditation," Tara answered honestly, then her lips started to quirk into a grin, "Why, are you curious?"
"It's illegal!" Willow hissed.
"One toke won't make you a pothead," Tara replied, rolling her eyes playfully, "It probably will be legal in a decade or so."
Willow glanced around nervously.
"You know all the lingo," she said, her palms already growing sweaty, "If you did it and say it's not awful…"
She leaned right into Tara and whispered.
"Do you think they'd give us some?"
Tara was pleasantly surprised. Willow had a very square comfort zone and this definitely fell outside of it. It was nice to see her push her own boundaries.
"I'll take a drag with you if you want."
Willow shook her head back and forth.
"No, you said you didn't like it."
Tara had found it more disconcerting than relaxing when she'd tried it before, and had no desire to try it again, but was willing to if it added to Willow's experience.
"I didn't hate it. Everyone feels different."
Willow looked at Tara vulnerably.
"Would you stay sober so I know you're here to protect me?"
Tara put a hand on Willow's knee and squeezed.
"Of course I would, but sweetheart," she started softly, "You don't have to do anything. There's nothing wrong with never having tried pot any more than there is having tried it. I'm more surprised the opportunity has never presented itself, but if you want to go for it…I'm here. Otherwise we'll just eat more strawberries. It's all good."
"I may be…a little bit curious," Willow admitted, getting a little bouncy in her seat.
It always seemed like a scene she had nothing in common with, but if Tara had tried it and lived to tell the tale, then it couldn't be as ominous as she thought. DRUGS were an all-caps thing in her mind; with their - vague - consequences catastrophic and far-reaching. Her parents had lectured her enough to keep her interest quelled and her personality and hobbies had kept her exposure low.
But she'd been thrown in the deep end of life in recent months and she didn't have that nagging voice that sounded so very like her mother's plaguing her every decision like she had for many years. She never went wild, but she'd been known to throw caution to the wind, and with Tara's influence and sanctuary there was a lot more security in her decisions. Like Tara said, sometimes the right opportunity just had to present itself.
"…it's not like I'm thinking about shooting up heroin or something."
Tara grinned, lips sloped on one side.
"Want me to go get some?"
Willow looked all around, doing a final scour for an undercover agent of some sort, then finally smiled at Tara like she was hiding a big secret and nodded. Tara stood up and approached Becky's ex, Darren, to ask if she could have some. Becky sidled up beside Tara with a grin.
"I didn't know you partake."
"Not since sophomore year," Tara replied, sitting on the arm of the couch while the new joint was made up, "Willow's up for a hit."
Becky nearly collapsed on the spot.
"Are you for real?" she asked, her eyes batting around manically, "This I have to see."
Tara pulled gently on Becky's sleeve, bringing her closer.
"Don't make fun of her, she's nervous."
Becky nodded to say she agreed but was still grinning from ear-to-ear. Darren finished rolling the joint, but pulled it back as he offered it to Tara.
"If I give you this, do I get a kiss in return? Your girlfriend is welcome to get involved…"
Becky shoved him from the side.
"Creep, you're getting free beer," she said, grabbing the lighter from his goody box and coming over to Willow with Tara.
"Wasn't expecting an audience," Willow chuckled nervously as they took a seat either side of her, "Let me see it."
Tara handed the unlit joint over for Willow to examine. Willow sniffed it, turned it all around in her hand and finally held it like she'd seen people hold cigarettes, her heart hammering.
"How do I do it?"
"Here," Becky said, taking the joint and lighting it in her mouth so it blazed properly.
Willow watched her inhale it, counted the exact seconds she held it so she could copy and even noted the release pattern of the exhale.
She took it back from Becky between trembling fingers and lifted it between her lips. She glanced to Tara for some assurance, who patted her back to let her known she was there, then copied Becky's mouthful as she'd seen, taking a decent drag for a first timer.
She didn't last quite as long with it in her mouth, managing three seconds before coughing and spluttering. She waved the smoke dangling in front of her face away, not liking being caught for air or the evaporating sensation at the back of her throat.
"That's all I want, that's all I want!"
Becky took the joint back, had another puff and handed it back to Darren, by way of Kim so she wouldn't have to actually touch him.
Willow sat back in the couch, stuck to it so it molded her back at every curve. She was still; the only thing moving, her darting eyes back and forth.
Tara brushed the back of her fingers up and down Willow's arm.
"Just relax, sweetheart."
Willow stayed in that position for a few long moments, then took in one, deep long breath as if she'd just been revived from drowning. She smiled and sat up, loosened.
"Cool…"
Becky snickered and Tara grinned while Willow just giggled to herself. Becky patted Willow hard on the back, impressed with her for trying it
"Kudos, my friend. You broke my expectations!"
Willow offered two thumbs up, though did hold them upside down. Becky snorted some more, then shot Tara a smile before going back to mingle through her party.
Willow's eyes landed on Tara and she reached out to touch her face with both hands. Her face cocked in wonder as her fingertips traced Tara's jawline.
"It's like I'm blind and your face is braille for beautiful."
She leaned in and took a dramatic sniff of Tara's head.
"Is your hair made of vanilla pods?"
She twirled the strands to test them but didn't seem to be able to come to a conclusion.
Tara let herself be poked and prodded until Willow got bored and moved on to a moth that flew by her face, following it in its journey around the apartment before finally catching it. She spent a long time standing, whispering to it, while it was clasped in her hands before theatrically setting it free out the window.
"Be free, ugly butterfly!"
Tara kept an eye on her and was worried when she spotted her make a beeline for the table. She was about to step up and guide her away from the hot cheese and potential burns, but Willow just grabbed the plate of marshmallows, hid it in the crook of her arm, looked around suspiciously, then went to curl up by the speaker playing music.
She nodded her head in time with the vibration thumping through it, in her own little world.
She seemed content, so Tara let her be to experience her first and very likely only high.
People began to filter out as the night dragged on and when a teacher friend of Becky's who Tara had been chatting to got up to leave with her boyfriend, Becky took the vacated spot. She looked over at Willow who was passed out, still holding the marshmallow plate. She chuckled.
"She had one drag," she said, shaking her head to herself, "She always was a lightweight."
"This was a big deal to her," Tara said softly, "Don't take it away from her."
"Will we have her scoring on the street corner?" Becky asked with a grin, "I was going to head out with the Kim and co but I don't think she's moving."
"I could probably drag her into a cab," Tara suggested, though wasn't sure she'd be able to lift Willow at deadweight, "If they don't think I'm kidnapping her."
"She's welcome to crash on the couch," Becky offered genuinely, "You too."
"Thanks, I think we might have to," Tara replied, then turned to face Becky, "But you, go out, have fun. I'm used to being the boring fuddy duddy who stays at home."
"You sure?" Becky asked, really wanting to go out and party for the first time in weeks, "I think I might be ready for my rebound guy."
Tara knew that was a big deal and squeezed Becky's upper arm. Becky nodded in acknowledgment and they shared a smile.
"Thanks for inviting us," Tara finished, smiling still, "Surprising but a lot of fun. It was nice to have a chance to mingle without Willow too. Not in a bad way. You know what I mean."
Becky gave Tara a sidelong hug and warm smile.
"Help yourself to anything. TV has cable and everything," she offered, then cast a distasteful look as Darren grunted on the couch opposite, "And now I need to get that disgusting fucker off my couch!"
She marched over and practically kicked him off, starting a generally assembly of people getting ready to head out to a club. Becky waved and blew a kiss in Tara's direction as she left with them and Tara took in a long, slow breath as she took in the aftermath of the party.
She decided she'd do Becky a favour and clean the place up, especially if she was going to come back the next morning after her 'rebound' – she would have messy feelings to deal with, a messy apartment would be too much.
She opened all the windows first to get rid of the smell of pot and stale alcohol, then moved on to pack away all the food in Tupperware, wipe all the ledges and trash all the empties.
Willow stayed soundly asleep, drooling, through the whole thing even with the music still playing out of the speaker she was wrapped around. Tara tried to wake her but it was fruitless, so she just dragged her over to the floor space beside the couch and got a pillow under her head and blanket over her.
Tara had a discreet look in the linen closet and found another blanket for herself, so slipped off her shoes and curled up on the couch beside Willow. She did a quick breathing check on Willow, just to be on the safe side and decided all was well.
She turned off the lamp, closed her eyes and smiled as she wondered what kind of psychedelic dreams were going on in Willow's head.
Tara stretched her back out as she waited for the coffee to drip through the pot. Her muscles were punishing her for the night on Becky's couch and her head was punishing her for not giving her an instant caffeine fix upon awakening.
She'd brought Willow home first thing when she noticed a pair of boxer shorts hanging on the doorknob of Becky's bedroom door.
Tara already knew Becky had indeed scored her 'rebound guy', as she had woken up when they ambled through the door late, drunk. She also knew that that guy was Darren, which hadn't been that surprising, despite Becky's apparent disgust with him. In fact, it was probably exactly because of it - he would be a lot easier to get rid of the next day when Becky didn't give a damn about being rude.
From the tales Becky had told of their dating days, she didn't think Darren would mind being used and abused too much either.
Tara didn't need coffee to know Becky would kick Darren out whenever she managed to rouse, never for it to be spoken of again before she took a long shower and scrubbed him off of her.
Tara didn't need to be there as a witness, for either of their sakes.
She had contemplated falling back into bed when they got home, but decided a few strong mugs of the dark nectar brewing would serve her better. She used some hazelnut creamer Willow had gotten on sale that was actually quite delicious and lifted the cup up to inhale the sweet steam.
Right before she was about to take that first, luxurious sip, she jumped in fright as Willow, still with bedhead and crumpled clothes, slammed her laptop down from where she was sitting on the couch.
"I need to shave my head."
Tara very luckily avoided any spills, though did fix Willow with a very momentary annoyed look for the possibility.
"I'm sorry?" she asked, shaking her head a little to rid herself of the stun.
"Tara, they can detect marijuana in your hair for up to 90 days!" Willow exclaimed, fingernails at her mouth to gnaw on nervously.
They had been practically ground down to nothing over the past 24 hours.
Tara calmly walked over and sat in beside her girlfriend.
"Willow you had one drag," she explained evenly but saw it didn't ease her girlfriend's worry at all, "Who's going to steal your hair to run a random drug test on it?"
"Maybe the senior centre does random drug tests!" Willow said, eyes bloodshot, though from being dragged out in the cold early and not from her single pull on the joint.
"I sincerely doubt they spend much of their tight budget worrying about hair tests for volunteers," Tara replied, closing her eyes happily as the warm liquid in her mug finally passed down her throat.
Willow brought her knees up and wrapped her arms around them.
"I'm never smoking again!"
Tara angled herself so she could rub Willow's back and comfort her.
"You don't have to. I didn't want to do it again after I tried it either. We can live a happy life never seeing Mary Jane ever again. To be quite honest I don't know if I could cope as your chaperone anyway."
Willow turned her head towards Tara and her lips quirked up in a smile.
"I'm being silly aren't I?"
Tara held up two fingers, a half inch apart.
"Just a little."
Willow leaned in and rested her head on Tara's chest.
"I did feel a little paranoid, you know."
Tara laughed.
"The only thing you were paranoid about was someone stealing the last marshmallow."
Willow blushed.
"Guess I'm not a total square after all. It was even kinda…a little fun."
Tara lifted Willow's chin up to face her.
"You've always been the most thrilling person in my life," she said, planting a kiss on Willow's lips, then stroking her hair gently, "I'm glad you're not shaving your hair. I'd miss playing with it."
"And lose your number one way of making me succumb," Willow replied, knowing having her hair played with was the best way to get her to agree to something.
Tara moved her hand underneath Willow's hair and rubbed her earlobe between her fingers.
"I'd still have your ears."
Willow felt herself melting into a puddle and nuzzled against Tara's hand.
"Keep doing that and you can have my everything…"