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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 27
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“Its gonna be weird sleeping alone next week,” Tara said, stroking the redhead’s naked back as they lay in bed together.
“I know,” Willow replied, frowning slightly, "You’d think that having done it every night of my life up until we got together would make it at least a little bit easy to fall back into, but I’m not looking forward to it one bit. I rely on my Tara-snuggles to get to sleep.”
“We’ll just have to have an extra-big snuggle session when you get back. It’s only two weeks. Besides you’ll be so busy with your Hanukkah celebrations, you won’t even notice I’m not there.”
“Oh, I’ll notice. I’ll notice very much. You know, baby, my parents would be more than happy to have you over for the holidays. They really liked you…”
Tara smiled and propped herself up on her elbow.
“I’d love to spend it with you guys. But I really can’t afford the plane tickets. And,” she held up a hand when she saw Willow was about to speak, “I’m not letting you spend that much money on me. I just wouldn’t be comfortable. But believe me, I’m gonna regret having this stupid pride when I’m cuddling the pillow and thinking of you.”
“We’ll make it up on New Years. You and me, Times Square, dropping ball and smoochies.”
“You’re back on the 29th, right?”
“Yep. Getting the first flight back in the morning. What are you getting up to for Christmas?”
“Oh, I have my own personal traditions,” Tara said with a somewhat-forced smile, hoping the redhead wouldn’t probe for details.
She knew that if her girlfriend knew that her holiday ‘traditions’ involved staying in sweats and eating ramen noodles all day that she’d feel even worse about their separation for the couple of weeks and was determined not to make it any harder.
“Cool,” Willow nodded, “I gonna miss you like hell, though.”
“I know, sweetie. Me too. Me too.”
**
Willow sighed as she curled up on the armchair in her living room, staring out the window into the starry night, as had become her custom for the past nine nights that she’d been back in Iowa, feeling somehow more connected to Tara as she did so, knowing that even though they were apart, they were still under the same sky. She had enjoyed her visit home, spending some quality time with her parents and celebrating Hanukkah, which had ended the day before, but she found her happiness just couldn’t be complete because she wasn’t sharing it with her Tara.
They’d been calling each other to say goodnight each evening, but Tara had tried to keep the conversations short, wanting Willow to enjoy her holiday time with her family completely and not be distracted by missing her, resulting in a somewhat absent redhead who just wanted to see her girlfriend’s smile.
Ira saw his daughter resume her usual position for this time of night and glanced at his wife, who gave him a nod. He picked up an envelope that was sitting on the dining room table, where they were both sitting and stood, walking over and sitting on an ottoman that accompanied the armchair. Willow looked up and gave a small smile.
“Hi, Dad. Check out the stars. They’re really shining tonight.”
Ira smiled and looked out the window for a few moments before speaking again.
“How’s Tara tonight?”
“She’s okay,” Willow replied, still staring out the window, “Christmas Eve, you know, I think she has her own holiday…customs. Not sure what though, didn’t want to pry.”
“And tomorrow? Is she seeing anyone for the day?”
“I…I don’t know. I think Craig is back home for Christmas too…and she doesn’t have any family left…Oh god, I didn’t even think of that.”
Ira put a hand on Willow’s knee to get her to look at him and handed her the envelope.
“What’s this?” she asked, confused.
“Your mother and I have so enjoyed having you home again to share Hanukkah with us. We miss you being around. But we also know you have your own life now and that your delightful girlfriend is a very big part of that. So you can consider this a Christmas present.”
“But we don’t celebrate Christmas. Jewish, remember?” Willow joked.
“I don’t think you’ll care much what it’s for when you see it,” Ira said with a smile.
Willow looked at her father bemusedly for a second as she opened the envelope and pulled out a printed sheet with flight details on them. Her eyes widened as she took in what it said.
“But…but this says I’m booked on a flight for tomorrow morning…I’m not going back for another five days.”
“I changed it. You’re leaving tomorrow first thing and I very much suggest you don’t leave your girl alone for Christmas.”
“Oh Dad, thank you,” Willow replied, throwing her arms around his neck, “I’ve had a wonderful time with you guys this last week and a bit, but I just miss her so much.”
Ira closed the hug and smiled, he remembered what it was like when you were still relatively new dating and wanted to spend all your time around your person. Truth be told, him and his wife still felt like that about each other and he had high hopes that his daughter had found her soul mate young as well. It didn’t take a genius to see how hopelessly in love they were with each other.
“I know, Willow. Now why don’t you go get packed, there’s an early morning ahead.”
Willow pulled back and ran over to give her mother a quick hug as well, before running up the stairs and into her bedroom.
Twelve hours, baby…twelve hours and I’ll be in your arms.
**
Willow quietly put her key in the door and closed it softly, not wanting to wake what she assumed would be a still-asleep Tara, considering it was still relatively early in the morning, at least for the brunette, who liked to sleep in when she could. She had decided not to tell her girlfriend she was coming back early, wanting to surprise her, so put her bag carefully on the ground and slipped her shoes off so they wouldn’t make any noise, before tiptoeing into the brunette’s bedroom.
She crinkled her brow in confusion when she saw no body in the bed, in fact the bed looked like it hadn’t been slept in at all.
She turned to leave and noticed across the hallway that her own bedroom door was slightly ajar. She walked over and pushed it open, her heart melting when she saw Tara lying on her side, her back turned to her, holding the small teddy that Willow had won for her on their first date in Coney Island. She quietly walked into the room and shimmied out of her jeans, figuring her belt buckle would cause unnecessary uncomfortableness in the cuddles she expected to happen, making sure the metal didn’t hit against the wooden floors and pulled back the covers on the bed, crawling in, gently spooning the other girl.
Tara stirred slightly when she felt something touch her, pulling her quietly from her slumber. She instinctively snuggled into the embrace, recognising the familiar warmth, before her sleep-hazy mind jolted to full alertness when she realised that there was another body in the bed and that she was supposed to be completely home alone. In barely a second, she had reached to the side of the bed and picked up the baseball bat she had placed there, swinging both herself and the bat upwards, prepared to attack whoever was in bed with her.
“Whoa, baby, it’s me,” Willow squealed when she saw the bat, “Willow, girlfriend, chick who loves you…Um, I can prove it…I...uh…Oh, you have a ticklish spot inside your left thigh, no one else knows that! At least I hope no one else knows that…I could be wrong, I guess, but it’s pretty far up, like someone would have to be reaching for a naughty place to find it and I’m the only one who touches your naughty places, except maybe your doctor, I don’t really know, but that’s okay ‘cause he –or she- um, they’d be looking in a professional way and not in a ‘I wanna make Tara feel really good’ kind of-”
She was cut off as the brunette landed on top of her, their mouths crushing together lovingly until Tara pulled away, grinning.
“Only my Willow could babble like that. And my naughty places are all yours. I’m…I’m not dreaming, right? You’re really here?”
“I’m really here, baby. My parents figured I was too mopey and changed my flight for me. So we could spend Christmas together. And, um, do you always sleep with a baseball bat beside your bed? Or my bed, as it were.”
“Yea,” Tara replied, looking sheepish, “There’s so many people in New York, there’s bound to be the odd sociopath that tries to break in. Need to be safe. And sorry for using your bed. The pillows smelled like you and it kinda helped me get to sleep.”
Willow gave a shy smile and nodded.
“It’s no problem. My bed is your bed. And I kinda stole your Blondie t-shirt to sleep in.”
“Hey, I was looking for that the other day!”
“Sorry. It just had your perfume on it and it smelled really good and…I needed you near me.”
Tara’s smile beamed and she leaned down for another kiss.
“I can’t believe you’re home,” she said, then gave a sheepish smile, “I mean back. I can’t believe you’re back.”
Willow flipped them and placed a playful kiss on the brunette’s nose.
“You were right the first time. I’m home.”
Last edited by Laragh on Wed Dec 14, 2011 8:46 am, edited 1 time in total.
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