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TITLE: Taking A Bite Outta The Apple
AUTHOR: Laragh
CHAPTER RATING: PG-13
DISCLAIMER: These things are a bitch to write a different account for every time, so here’s the deal; I DON’T OWN THE CHARACTERS. Never have, never will, just borrowing them to continue my existence in happy denial-land.
SUMMARY: Willow leaves the only home she’s ever known to fulfil her parent’s dream of her attending New York University, but ends up having her own dreams come true in the process.
SPOILERS: Nope. This is totally Uber. Oh, but I probably will steal some dialogue here and there.
FEEDBACK: I crave it like I crave Oreos and milk. (Which is a lot. Just to be clear.)
Chapter 10 ********
Previously: The redhead’s eyes lit up as she saw the name of the stop.
“Coney Island?!”
Willow clapped her hands together in excitement.
“Oh please tell me we’re here for the rides! I love rides! The best I ever got was the local funfair, but still, love rides, love riding!”
Willow blushed as she realised what she’d said and Tara giggled, walking them out of the station and towards the amusement park.
“You’re totally making us look like tourists. And if there’s one thing New Yorkers hate, its tourists," Tara smirked, then cocked her head in contemplation, "And people from New Jersey, but mostly tourists.”
“Oh right, yea,” Willow nodded stoically, then turned to the brunette with pleading eyes, “But we’re going to the rides, right?”
“Of course we are, you big goof. You know, I haven’t been out here since my tenth birthday.”
“How is that even possible? It takes like no time to get here. If we had anything like this or all the other stuff New York has back home I would’ve been a lot more social kid.”
“You take it for granted, I guess. I can’t even imagine having a hankering for like, Chinese food, at 3am and not being able to find somewhere to get it.”
“My town doesn’t even have a Chinese place period.”
“You poor, deprived girl,” Tara teased, then stopped as they neared the entrance to the amusements, “Welcome to the Coney Island Amusements, sweetie.”
Willow looked on in excitement at all the movements and sounds in front of her, scanning around, trying to figure out what she wanted to do first. She turned to Tara and regarded her seriously.
“How do you feel about girls who act like big children in the face of much fun?”
“As long as said big kid is all too happy to engage in a little tonsil hockey along the way, then I’m all for them. Well, one of them,” Tara replied, grinning from ear-to-ear.
“Oh, I definitely am,” Willow responded and wrapped her arms around the brunette’s neck, leaning up for a sweet kiss, before pulling back and smiling giddily, “Can we go on the teacups?”
“We can go on whatever you like, beautiful. I want our first date to be perfect.”
“It will be. We’re together. And you’re my girlfriend. And I’ve seen you naked. Give me cotton candy and I’m just about the luckiest girl in the world.”
“Wait right there,” Tara said suddenly and rushed off before the redhead had a chance to react.
Willow stood there, slightly dazed for a few minutes, before her face broke in a massive grin as she watched Tara walk towards her, cotton candy in hand. The brunette handed in over with a grin.
“For the lady.”
“Thank you, baby,” Willow said with a coy smile as she took the offering, “Wanna share?”
“Ah yes, I forgot to tell you that after my tenth birthday and the horribly large amount of cotton candy I consumed, I had to get like five cavities. Kinda put me off the stuff.”
“More for me,” Willow said happily as they walked around the grounds, “Hey, look there! I wanna win you something!”
Tara giggled as the redhead dragged her towards a ring-tossing booth. Willow handed the guy behind the booth a dollar and he handed her back five small plastic rings before standing aside and pointing to a stand behind him, a bunch of multi-coloured wooden sticks jutting upwards, a line of red at the back, two of blue in the middle and three of yellow taking the front.
“Get at least three on the yellow, small prize, blue; medium, and red; large.”
Willow nodded and looked at Tara.
“Which do you want?”
“Hmm?”
“Which cuddly soft toy thing do you want? I need to know which colour to aim for.”
“Can I have you for a soft cuddly toy thing?” Tara asked, wrapping her arms around the smaller girl’s waist.
“You already have me,” Willow smirked back and was about to fling her arms over the brunette’s neck again when the man cleared his throat. The redhead pulled away, blushing and cleared her throat as well, “So, toy?”
“Um…that one,” Tara said, pointing at a small teddy bear that was holding a heart between its paws.
“You sure? I can probably get one of the bigger ones.”
“No, I want that one. I can put it on my nightstand and go to sleep thinking of you…well, you know, if you’re not actually there yourself.”
Willow blushed again but composed herself enough so that she could concentrate on her task. She picked up the first ring and fumbled with it in her hand for a few moments before tossing it, landing expertly on the second yellow stick of the front row.
Tara clapped her hands, encouraging the redhead and watched in awe as Willow managed to get the other four rings on top of the first in quick succession. The vendor handed over the teddy with a smile on his face and Tara took it with a giddy smile, clutching it to her chest.
“How the hell did you manage that?” she asked as they started walking around again.
“My grandfather,” Willow smiled, “Every Hanukkah we’d play with the dreidel, but he lost like every year, so when I was nine he decided to make a new game with it. We used to spin in and try and toss a key-ring onto it while it spun. I kinda got good over the years.”
“Well I’m very impressed. And I love my teddy bear. You know, it’s only the second one I’ve ever had.”
“Really?” Willow asked, surprised, “I had like twenty growing up. I only gave them away to charity last year. Where did the other one come from?”
“My parents,” Tara said with a sad smile.
“Oh, baby, I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean-”
“Shush, it’s okay.”
“You know, you can talk to me about them if you want or need, right? Or about anything?”
“I know,” Tara replied, and reclaimed her girlfriend’s hand, “And I will. But I don’t want sadness today. I want your hand in mine and a smile on both our faces.”
“I think that is definitely a good plan of action. But I’m here for you, my gorgeous girl, okay?”
“Thank you, Willow. I’m here for you too.”
The redhead stopped and pulled Tara to her, letting their lips meet softly for a few minutes until something to the side caught her eye and she pulled away, squealing.
“The teacups!”
Tara let herself be dragged towards the ride, a beaming smile on her face and happily slid into the oversized teacup, sitting beside the smaller girl so they could hold hands. She watched Willow’s face light up as the ride started and joined along in the impromptu giggling that broke out halfway through.
“So much fun,” Willow said, jumping up and down on her heels as they got off the ride and started walking around again, “That is like the best ride ever, all spinney and you’re sitting in a cup! Like you’re waiting for tea to be poured on you or something. I’m telling you, baby, teacups are the most underrated ride ever, I can’t think of anything that’s more fun.”
“Nothing?” Tara asked, quirking an eyebrow.
Willow blushed and dropped her head.
“Okay,
that’s definitely more fun. But the teacups are the most fun thing you can do in public.”
“You’re the cutest thing in the world,” Tara said adoringly, wrapping her arm around her girlfriend’s waist.
Willow smiled sweetly at her before squealing again as another ride caught her eye.
Several hours later, having spent the day going on a few rides, visiting the New York Aquarium and walking along the boardwalk, grabbing a couple of hotdogs when the sun began to set and they both declared they were pretty hungry, the couple were just looking around the amusement area again when Willow suddenly turned to the brunette, her eyes wide.
“The Ferris Wheel! We haven’t gone on the Ferris Wheel!”
Tara looked over at the large spinning wheel, illuminated in the night sky and took Willow’s hand in hers.
“Lead the way, beautiful.”
“Um, you okay if we go in one of the non-moving car thingies? Cotton candy and hotdogs today, I kinda feel like throwing up on you might impede on my chances of getting lucky tonight,” Willow said, a joke in her voice as they walked towards the wheel.
Tara snorted and squeezed the redhead’s hand.
“I so love that you’re getting more and more comfortable saying things around me. And don’t worry; I'm in good with a certain brunette, I think your chances are quite good.”
The taller girl watched Willow try to stay composed, but her glazed-over eyes gave away where her mind was drifting too. The redhead absently followed Tara into the metal car, the sound of the door being slammed finally snapping her out of her daze. She looked around, seemingly surprised at their surroundings, before settling her gaze on her girlfriend.
“What were you thinking about?” Tara asked innocently, grinning.
“Um, nothing,” Willow replied, blushing, “Just stuff.”
“Good stuff?”
Willow nodded enthusiastically as she felt the ride start.
“Was I there?” Tara continued, adopting a sultry tone.
Willow’s nod was shyer this time and the brunette leaned over for a quick kiss.
“You can show me later…” she whispered with a wink as they parted, before encouraging the now furiously-blushing Willow to rest her head on her shoulder.
“It’s really pretty,” Willow piped up after a few minutes.
Tara put a kiss on the redhead's hair and placed her hand on her girlfriend's thigh.
“Yea. You are.”
Willow blushed again and cuddled closer into their embrace.
“I meant the view from up here.”
“You’re the only thing I can see…”
Willow ducked her head bashfully before Tara put a finger under her chin and raised her up so their lips met tenderly. The tenderness quickly escalated into passion as the brunette let her tongue slide into a waiting mouth, exploring it and duelling with the redhead’s tongue. They stayed kissing, bodies moving closer together and hands cupping each other’s cheeks until, for the second time that day, a clearing of a throat disturbed them from each other.
Tara pulled back, looking pissed at being disturbed while Willow just began blushing all over again. The brunette stood and pulled the other girl out of the car with her, giving the ride operator a winning smile as they left.
“I don’t know about you, baby, but I really don’t wanna get disturbed from your lips again today.”
“I agree,” Tara nodded with a mock-serious expression, “Head back?”
“Sounds good.”
They walked to the subway station and onto the packed train, the throngs of people meaning they had to stand with barely any room between them, not that either girl minded. The general loudness of the train and other people meant talking was difficult so they contented themselves with holding hands between them and smiling, lost in what each considered the wonder of the other.
When they finally arrived at their stop they departed quickly and walked into the night air.
“You really wouldn’t wanna be claustrophobic in this city,” Willow remarked.
“I know,” Tara chuckled, “There can be a bright side to so many people though. You can get lost.”
“Is that a good thing? I mean, I only got lost once and it was when I was like six in a supermarket, but still, not fun.”
“I mean you can get lost within the hustle and bustle. Not have to worry about every little thing.”
“I’ll find you,” Willow said quietly, eliciting a confused look from the brunette.
“Huh?”
“If you get lost. I’ll find you. I’ll always find you.”
Willow finished her sentiment as they arrived outside their building and Tara looked genuinely moved by her words.
“That’s the most touching thing anyone has ever said to me,” she whispered quietly, stroking the redhead’s cheek.
Willow leaned up for a kiss and they stayed lip-locked for several minutes, until Tara pulled away, breathless and smirking.
“Wanna come up for coffee?”