**Jennpurr: Thank you *G* And you'll likely see more of Lil' Tara and Lil' Rose/Willow ... I get such a kick out of writing them *G*
**Autumn: Oh, schucky darn! Did I forget to mention that part? Lesbian Laundry Love >requires< Bounce ... or you're not doing it right *G*
Series: Vignettes
Number: 10
Title: Moonlight
Author: Sassette
Feedback: Can be sent to
pink_overalls@yahoo.com Summary: A moonlight walk. Sure, it's a bad idea in Sunnydale, but it's romantic.
Spoiler Warning: None.
Rating: PG-13
NOTES: I suppose, technically, this wouldn't be a vignette - there's far too much going on, and it's certainly the longest thing I've ever written in this thread. However - I really didn't feel like starting a new thread, it's still pretty short at just barely over four pages, and it may or may not include one or more cameos by a person or persons who are neither Willow nor Tara nor any combination thereof.
Moonlight
Part 10 of the Vignettes Series
by Sassette
"Walk with me?" Willow asked, holding out a hand and shifting with what Tara would guess was nervousness if she didn't know better. But she did know better - Willow certainly had nothing to be nervous about.
Unless, of course, she was nervous that Tara was going to say 'no', in which case she had plenty to be nervous about.
"Willow, it's nighttime," Tara said with a little shake of her head, taking Willow's hand and tugging her away from the open kitchen door. "No nighttime walking. It's not safe," she went on, feeling absurdly guilty at Willow's disappointed look.
"But - the moon, and the stars," Willow said, pouting a little and opening the door again and tugging Tara onto the back porch and pointing up into the sky. "And it's warm out, and pretty, and what with the moonlight and the whole nighttime thing, extremely conducive to walkings of the romantic moonlight stroll-y variety."
"Sweetie," Tara said with a sigh and a little laugh. Willow was just so cute when she really wanted something, and it was adorable - but sometimes she felt like she was the grown-up and Willow was a kid who wanted things that were bad for her, if not out and out life-threatening. "Vampires are not conducive to a romantic moonlight stroll," she said sadly, suddenly wishing that things were different - wishing that they lived in a world where she and Willow could walk around safely at night without worrying about demons and monsters lurking in the dark.
"Oh, but I promise both safety and fun," Willow said eagerly, squeezing Tara's hand and guiding her down the steps into the backyard.
"Willow, wait!" Tara said, as Willow moved quickly towards the back fence, intent on heading out on their walk. "We should at least take some stakes, some holy water?" she suggested, deciding to go along with Willow's idea. They'd just have to be careful - they'd have to minimize the risks.
"Nope," Willow said cheerfully, shaking her head.
"Hold it," Tara said, stopping abruptly and freeing her hand to cross her arms over her chest and look intently at Willow, her eyes narrowing. "What's going on? You're the one who drilled into me the idea that you never >ever< go outside at night without stakes and holy water."
"I just ... I just wanted to go on a walk with you, for once not worrying about all the dangerous things," Willow said dejectedly, closing the distance between herself and Tara and taking her hand. Willow looked down, seeming to study the dirt intently, her brow furrowing as she tried to find the words. "Just once, I kind of ... I wanted to just ... be. With you."
Willow shook her head, letting out a frustrated sigh as Tara just looked at her in response. She wasn't explaining this very well, and she hoped Tara would understand what she was trying to say anyway. It had been too much to hope that Tara would just agree to this crazy plan without knowing about the precautions Willow had taken for their walk, but Willow was reluctant to explain, preferring to maintain the illusion of privacy.
“Willow, you know I’d love to go on a walk with you,” Tara began slowly, trying not to hurt Willow’s feelings. “But I want you safe. No, I need you safe. I’m not going to let you wander around at night with no protection,” she said reasonably, her eyes pleading with Willow to understand.
“Oh, just tell her,” a familiar voice called from the bushes, accompanied by a rustling sound.
Tara turned wide surprised eyes to her right, seeing Buffy standing up, her weight on one leg and her hand on her hip. “Buffy?” she asked, wondering when the Slayer had returned. Buffy and Dawn had said they were going out to catch a late movie, and that she and Willow would have the house all to themselves for the evening.
“Me Slayer. Me protection. You two, walking,” Buffy said, shooting Willow an exasperated look. Willow looked defiantly at her friend, then shrugged, and to her best friend who had known her for years, the gesture clearly indicated that she had to try.
“I told you she’d never go for it,” Dawn’s voice cut through the night from behind a tree. Willow had the good grace to blush and look sheepish as she nodded, silently admitting that Dawn had been right.
“What’s going on?” Tara finally asked, turning a puzzled look back to Willow.
“Well, y’see, I kind of thought – y’know, that it would be … nice and all, that is …I thought you would think … kind of. It’s like this – that I was doing the thinking, and I was thinking about maybe what you could possibly be thinking in a big ol'’hypothetical way, and I, ummm...” Willow began.
“Geeze, Willow. Babble much?” Xander’s disembodied voice called out. “Tara, Willow asked us to follow you two around and keep watch so you could take a romantic-type moonlit walk without carting around a bunch of weapons.”
“Willow?” Tara asked again, peering at her lover’s embarrassed face as a slow sweet smile emerged on her own.“ It was silly, and a little crazy, but charming, too … and pure Willow through and through.
“I kind of, umm … wanted to surprise you?” Willow said quietly, peeking up at Tara’s face and letting out a sigh of relief when she saw the delighted look on Tara’s face. “So, walk with me?” Willow asked again, holding out her hand with more confidence.
“I’d love to,” Tara said, her finger’s twining with Willow’s as the gate to the fence opened for them – seemingly by magick, but Tara just laughed and waved at Xander through the slats.
“No waving at me. I’m not here. Buffy and Dawn aren’t here. You two are totally alone,” Xander admonished cheerfully.
“Right,” Tara agreed with a little smirk and a giggle. “We’re totally alone,” she said, turning to look at Willow, her breath catching in her throat at the way the moonlight illuminated Willow, reflecting gently off her hair and lending an ethereal beauty to her. She had never taken the time to really look at Willow at night before – running for their lives or stalking the undead had been kind of distracting – but here and now, she looked, and what she saw made her mourn for lost opportunities on the Hellmouth even as she rejoiced at being able to look at her like this now.
With a shy smile, Tara squeezed Willow’s hand, and Willow smiled back, her face lighting up with a joy that was much brighter than the moon. They started walking, seemingly aimlessly. And as they walked towards the park, it was if they truly were alone, two people surrounded by nothing but the moon and stars and the beauty of the night.
Willow glanced at Tara, her heart skipping a beat. Nervously, she wiped her free hand on her skirt, hoping against hope that her palms weren’t sweating. Did Tara notice? Did she see? She hoped not. She didn’t want to ruin the surprise, but part of what was making Willow nervous was wondering what Tara’s response to that surprise would be, exactly.
A curious look met Willow’s gaze as Tara turned her head, frowning a little. Willow was obviously nervous about something, and likely working herself up to a babblefest of epic proportions.
“Honey, if you’d like to go back, we can,” Tara said softly, and Willow’s eyes widened perceptibly as she wondered if Tara had noticed the sweaty palms and the thundering heartbeat. Because if Tara noticed that, would she guess the rest? “I mean, if you’re worried being unarmed out here.”
“Oh, no!” Willow said quickly, turning towards Tara a little and gesturing with her other hand. “But you know me – I’m prepared girl. Or, I’m usually prepared girl, but here – nighttime, Sunnydale, no weapons. I’ll be fine. It just takes getting used to,” she went on, the words tumbling forth as she tried to cover up what she was really thinking about.
“This was really sweet,” Tara finally said, letting the matter drop, and smiling at Willow. “Really sweet,” she said again, her features softening as she looked at her girlfriend.
“I … um, thanks,” Willow said shyly.
“Oof!” came a deep voice from the treeline along the path, the sound of crunching leaves indicating that Xander had tripped and fallen.
Tara giggled helplessly. It was really sweet of the Scoobies, too, to help arrange for this time. She’d have to figure out a way to thank them later. But not in the same way she thanked Willow, she mentally amended. Not in the same way at all.
“Yup, just the two of us,” Willow muttered, casting a rueful look towards the woods.
“I don’t see anyone else here,” Tara said softly, stopping in her tracks and turning to Willow. “Because if anyone else were here, I wouldn’t do this,” she went on, tugging the surprised redhead to her and kissing her softly.
“Oh, wow,” Willow breathed, a delighted smile crossing her face. She ignored the giggles from the trees that were undoubtedly from Dawn, instead kissing Tara again, letting her lips linger for long moments.
“So, umm,” Tara began, a slightly dazed look on her face. “Do you have a destination in mind?” she asked on a whisper.
“Yup,” Willow said cheerfully, her tone indicating she wouldn’t elaborate further.
“Come on,” Tara said, her tone wheedling as they started walking again, hand in hand along the path in the park.
“I’ll never tell,” Willow said lightly, bouncing a little on her toes as she walked.
“What if I refused to take another step until you told me?” Tara asked curiously.
Willow’s response was to turn wide, sad green eyes and an exaggerated pouty lip towards Tara, the pitiful look making her laugh.
“Fine, fine – be all secretive,” Tara said finally, a wave of happiness and well-being rising up inside of her. It didn’t really matter where they were going, she decided inwardly – only that they went there together.
They walked on, alternating looking up at the sky and each other, at first ignoring the obvious rustling noises in their surroundings, then oblivious to them as they became so wrapped up in each other’s company they forgot all about their escort.
Finally, the came to a play area, the jungle-gym, swings, and sandbox deserted and seeming to wait for them.
“M’lady,” Willow said grandly, scampering over to a swing and holding it steady, indicating that Tara should sit. With a charmed laugh, Tara did, turning her head to blow a kiss at Willow as Willow’s hands found her waist.
“I love swings,” she said with a girn.
“I know,” Willow said, winking at Tara before giving her a good push.
Neither one knew how long they stayed there, Willow pushing Tara on the swing, higher and higher as they laughed and laughed. When they were both out of breath, Willow stopped pushing, instead catching ahold of the swing and bringing it to a gentle stop, the sound of their mirth echoing through the night.
With a few stray giggles, Willow sat down in the dirt in front of Tara, smiling up at her, resting a hand lightly on her leg as the swing swayed gently.
“Thank you, Willow,” Tara said softly, her laughter fading into a quiet smile. “This is … really sweet.”
“You already said that,” Willow said with a smile, shifting to her knees and resting her head in Tara’s lap. Tara toyed with her hair, and Willow relaxed at the touch, letting Tara’s love for her calm her ragged nerves.
“Should we head back?” Tara asked after a few long moments, looking up at the sky as if the stars held the answer.
“Not yet,” Willow mumbled, taking a deep breath and raising her head. “Tara, I …” Willow began, then stopped, licking suddenly dry lips. Her throat felt dry and tight, and she wondered frantically where a glass of water was when she really needed one. “I wanted to give you the moon and stars tonight,” she managed to say, her eyes fixed on Tara’s face.
“You don’t … you don’t have to give me anything,” Tara whispered, happy tears stinging her eyes as she reached up with her right hand to cup Willow’s cheek, stroking the skin there softly with her thumb. She had no idea, really, how in all the world she had managed to be in the right place at the right time to meet the one person she needed to have in her life, but she was eternally grateful for it.
“But I want to,” Willow said, raising a hand to cover Tara’s. “I want to give you everything.”
A small movement in the corner of her vision caught Tara’s attention, and she looked down to see a small box in Willow’s hand. “Willow?” she asked, her breath catching as her vision narrowed to the point where that small object seemed to fill it.
“I, umm … I just …” Willow began, then stopped, taking a few deep calming breaths. “I know how I feel – about you, because, well, duh … you’re the one here, so it’d be silly to talk about how I feel about someone else, huh? And, ummm … anyway, I know you I feel, and I know how you feel. At least, I hope I know how you feel, because if I don’t, and I’m wrong – and I >so< hope I’m not wrong – then I’m going to be feeling very silly in about another minute or so – more if I can’t stop talking – and I want everyone to know. How we feel. About each other. Like, a, umm… ceremony kind of thing with people and cake – gotta’ have cake … I’m very fond of the cakey goodness, so I insist upon cake – and friends and family drinking too much and maybe a band …?”
“Willow, umm…” Tara said, stopping as she processed what Willow was saying.
“Tara, will you marry me?” Willow finally asked in a rush, opening the box and revealing a ring.
“I … I, umm … I don’t know what to say,” Tara said, panicking as her mind went completely blank. She was supposed to say something – it was very important that she say something, because Willow was looking at her expectantly, and she was starting to look scared, and Tara hated it when Willow was scared.
“Say ‘yes’!” Dawn called from the darkness, and Tara’s eyes widened.
“Yes!” Tara blurted out, breaking out of her surprise and marveling at how extremely right and wonderful a one-syllable word could really be.
“Yes?” Willow asked, blinking owlishly as the part of her surprise that was a surprise to her turned out to be exactly what she had been wishing it would.
“Oh, yes,” Tara affirmed, nodding eagerly and biting her lower lip.
Willow practically flew off her knees, her arms wrapping around Tara as she kissed her soundly, their joy in each other transferring back and forth between their lips.
So intent and focused on the taste of each other, they didn’t notice that beyond their vision, three hidden Scoobies clapped and cheered into the night.
by Jennpurr » Tue May 28, 2002 9:37 pm 
That was lovely. Thank you. I'm glad you wrote another chapter with Tara and Willow as kids. I loved it. 
Can't wait for the next moment. 
at: 5/29/02 12:35:01 am
Looking forward to adding your next vignette to my website. I've been doing the constant updates thing because I really do think these need to be shared. They are wonderful.
and it's so annoying that Xander & Anya had their chance because we know Willow and Tara wouldn't have messed it up. They are the best couple ever!!! 