• Title - Tara's Crane
• Author name - magicdanw
• Email Address - magicdanw
• Rating - G - Sorry, no smutty goodness, but remember this is only my first fic.
• Feedback - Yes, please!
• Summary - Just a short scene with our two favorite girls and a bit of magic. A little bit like the opening to the episode Family.
• Distribution - The Kitten Board; If you want to put it anywhere else, go ahead, just please let me know where, and leave my name on it!
• Spoilers - Surprise! Willow and Tara are gay!
• Disclaimers - The characters Willow and Tara belong to Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy, or maybe some other group, but not me. I'm just having a bit of fun with them, and not making any money, so don't sue!
Tara's Crane
Willow stopped reading and put a thick book on the table by her side of the bed.
"Tara?"
"Mhm?"
"Isn't it amazing how many details of a person's life can be collected in their biography? Do you suppose that someday people will read about how, 'In third grade, Rosenberg went through her origami phase?'"
Tara giggled at Willow's narrator voice, and lowered the novel she had been reading onto her chest. "I'm sure they will, sweetie. But, you went through an 'origami phase?'"
"Yeah, it was a full-blown obsession. I had a whole ecosystem of paper animals living in my school desk. Xander totally wigged the day I snuck origami spiders into his lunch box!"
Tara chuckled a bit, and after a brief pause asked, "Willow, would you like to see one of the first spells I composed, on my own?"
"A Tara Maclay original? Of course!"
Placing her novel on her bedside table, Tara left the bed. She returned with a sheet of loose leaf paper and a hardcover textbook. Tara sat cross-legged with the materials in front of her, and Willow watched intently as she made two folds, creased carefully with her smooth thumb nail, and finally separated the page into two.
Willow remembered going through the same steps years ago. Her parents could never seem to buy origami paper fast enough, so Willow had to make due with whatever she found lying around the house. The next part, however, was not familiar.
Tara closed her eyes and her breathing became deep and steady. It made Willow think of the surf breaking on a beach, at night, under a clear starry sky. She dared not make a sound, lest she disturb her love and end the pleasant whisper of air passing between Tara's lips. Oh, those lips, that smile...Willow could get lost forever...
But then a flicker out of the corner of her eye brought Willow back. As Tara's lips formed whispered words, the sheet of paper began to fold upon itself. First it repeated Tara's original fold, and then it continued to form an origami base. Willow recognized the pattern, and unconsciously her fingers began twitching, her muscles recalling the folds, her fingertips sensing the ridges and valleys.
Finally, the creature stood complete: a single, perfect crane. As Tara let out a controlled breath, Willow saw the crane's chest puff out, and it's wings shifted. Beating against air currents, the bird fluttered into the air and landed gracefully in Willow's lap.
Tara lifted her eyelids and smiled at her successful creation. Willow was ecstatic.
"Oh my goddess! That was beautiful! This is beautiful! You're beautiful! It came out perfect!"
Color rose to Tara's cheeks, and her grin grew even more adorable. "Of course," she replied. "I made it thinking about you."
