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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 29 ********
Previously:Quote:
“Hey! I totally forgot! Baseball bat and nakedness and everything.”
“Forgot what, sweetie?”
“Merry Christmas.”
“You’re Jewish, silly,” Tara giggled.
“But you’re not. You said before I left that you had holiday traditions. Can they be expanded to fit two? Or is it private stuff?”
“Nothing’s private from you. But, um, I kinda tended towards the hyperbole with my ‘traditions’.”
“In what way?”
Tara sighed and put a kiss on her girlfriend’s forehead.
“It’s basically me sitting around in sweatpants and eating noodles?”
“Tara!” Willow replied, sitting up, “Baby, that’s awful.”
“It’s not that bad,” Tara responded, sheepish.
“No, no, I just meant…it’s the holidays, ya know? You shouldn’t be alone.”
“I’m not,” Tara smiled, “You’re here.”
“Yea, but what if I wasn’t? I’d be sitting thinking you were doing your special stuff and you’d just be eating noodles alone? That’s not good enough; it’s not good enough for my girl.”
“I…um…”
“I’m sorry,” Willow sighed, “I’m sorry, I just…you deserve to be treated like a princess. ‘Cause that’s what you are, you’re my princess.”
Tara scooted down the bed slightly so they were lying face-to-face, heads on the pillow.
“Here’s the new tradition. We get up-”
“I don’t like this tradition already,” Willow pouted.
“Shush and let me finish. We get up and have a long, hot shower, then get into whatever we think are our most comfortable clothes, watch A Charlie Brown’s Christmas, just ‘cause I know you love Snoopy, then, uh, you can make dinner, unless you actually want the noodles, but I’ll sit on the counter and annoy you with suggestions and comments like I actually know how to cook, we can eat your delicious fare then,” she let her voice drop to a whisper, “Then we can come back into one of the bedrooms and make slow, sensual love to each other to make up for lost time. How does that sound?”
“Like the best Christmas ever,” Willow replied softly, “My first Christmas too. You know, where I actually acknowledge the day.”
**
“Do the dance, do the dance!” Tara squealed excitedly as she sat both her and her girlfriend up on the sofa.
“No way, you’ll laugh at me!”
“I’ll laugh with you, love of my life,
with you. Please?”
Willow stood, the fact that Tara had called her the love of her life making her giddy. They had followed the brunette’s plans to a T so far, having a long, luxurious shower together that took up the rest of their morning, before both changed into t-shirts and sweats, settling down to watch the afternoon viewing of A Charlie Brown Christmas. The redhead bit her lip shyly.
“You know I’d do anything for you. But you better not be imagining me doing this when I’m getting you naked later.”
“Oh I’ll only be imagining you doing one thing then…well, actually quite a few things, all at once, but none will be you imitating the ritual dance of your favourite cartoonised dog.”
Willow blushed and took a deep breath.
“Okay, tivo it back to the music, I need the music.”
Tara pressed the rewind button on the tivo remote to
the scene in the special where Schroeder was playing the piano and Snoopy danced, pausing it when it got to the beginning of the scene.
“Ready?”
“Ready.”
Tara pressed the play button and curled her legs under her, watching as Willow did the dance in perfect synchronicity with the black and white beagle on screen, flailing her arms and legs about with an impressive fluidity until the music stopped. The brunette clapped her hands in appreciation and pulled her girlfriend to sit on her lap.
“That was awesome. How long have you been perfecting that?”
“Since I was eight and I started to sneak watch the show every Christmas. Then when I was fifteen I found out my parents knew I was watching it and didn’t think I was being some sort of Jewish heathen, so I recorded it and watched it anytime I needed cheering up. Snoopy does it every time.”
“You could like, do that professionally. You’re that good.”
“You’re biased.”
“You’re amazing.”
The smaller girl leaned forward for a sweet kiss that lasted several moments before pulling back.
“I don’t know about you, but my tummy is starting to demand food. Wanna start making dinner?”
“Sure,” Tara smiled and went to stand them both up, before bringing a hand to her eye, “Shit.”
“What’s wrong, baby?” Willow asked, concerned.
“Lost a contact,” Tara replied, feeling around her shirt for a second, “Eugh, I’m really not in the mood to search around for the little piece of plastic, I’m just gonna go put my glasses on, okay?”
Willow nodded, then grabbed the brunette’s arm.
“Wait. You wear glasses?”
“Um, sometimes,” Tara replied, amused, “I prefer the contacts though, that’s probably why you’ve never seen me in them. Ooh, wait, are glasses a turn-off? ‘Cause if they are-”
“Hell, no. I love girls in glasses. I can’t believe you didn’t tell me you had glasses. I’d be making you were them all the time. Or you know, when you were comfortable doing so. Go, put them on, put them on!”
Tara giggled and ran into her bedroom, coming out a minute later in her black, plastic frames that had a blue hue underneath, reflecting against her eyes.
“Oh that is so hot. I don’t know how you make sweats look sexy, but right now, that whole ensemble…wow,” Willow gushed, her eyes lighting up.
“Really?” Tara asked, scrunching up her nose, “I always thought they made me look really nerdy.”
“And since when is nerdy not hot? Ooh, say something all smart and doctory.”
Tara smirked and walked over to her girlfriend and held onto her waist.
“Extracellular and cell surface proteins destined to be degraded can move back into intracellular compartments upon being incorporated into endocytosed vesicles.”
“Ohh, cellular biology,” Willow moaned, “Are you trying to turn me on?”
“I have to try now?”
Willow grinned and met the brunette’s lips lovingly for a few seconds, before her tummy rumbling made her pull back, smiling shyly.
“Kinda hungry.”
“Let’s go make food,” Tara said sweetly, bringing the redhead’s knuckles up to her mouth to kiss, “Well, lets you go make food and lets me go watch.”
“That was terrible grammar, baby,” Willow smirked, “Those glasses are having the opposite effect than they’re supposed to have.”
“They’re
supposed to improve my eyesight,” Tara replied, giving her a playful swat on the ass, “And you already said I look hot.”
“You think I’m only with you for your looks?”
Willow gave the brunette a hurt look, like she was upset that that was all her girlfriend thought.
“No, no, honey,” Tara hastened to reassure, “I know you’re not.”
“Good,” Willow replied, getting a glint in her eye, “It’s ‘cause you’re good in bed too.”
“Oh you are so lucky already I love you…”
Willow giggled and took Tara’s hands from her hips, entwining one of them with her own. She gave the brunette a chaste kiss before walking them into the kitchen. The taller girl sat on the counter top and whistled appreciatively when the redhead bent down to look in the cupboards. Willow smiled and wiggled her ass a little more as she searched the foodstuff, deciding what to cook. She straightened up after a couple of minutes with a pack of tortillas and a can of crushed tomatoes in her hand.
“Enchilada’s?”
“Ah, the time honoured Christmas dinner. Enchilada’s sound great.”
Willow got all the ingredients she needed from around the kitchen and turned on the stove, putting a frying pan on top with a little oil as she pre-heat the oven.
“I thought you baked the tortillas in the oven?” Tara asked when she saw her girlfriend gently fry them one by one, placing them on paper towels when she was done.
“It softens them,” Willow smiled, “And adds flavour.”
“How’d you get to be so skilled in the culinary arts?”
“Dad taught me. We used to cook dinner together every Sunday. It was like our own special time.”
Tara smiled as the redhead continued to make the food, frying the ground beef with all the other ingredients until they formed a bubbling sauce. She turned off the stove and got a small casserole dish from under the sink.
“Wanna help me roll? I promise no gastronomic finesse is required.”
The brunette jumped down and stood next to her girlfriend.
“Just tell me what to do.”
“Just roll the tortillas tightly when I put some of the mixture and cheese in them and put them seam-down in the dish.”
Tara nodded her understanding and followed her instructions until the dish had four tortillas lying side by side, filling the dish.
“And now we pour,” Willow said, letting the remaining mixture flow over the enchiladas.
“Can I do the cheese?”
“Are you actually enjoying cooking?”
“I enjoy doing anything with you,” Tara replied, sprinkling the cheese quite liberally over the food.
Willow blushed and took the casserole dish, placing it in the oven.
“They’re gonna be like ten minutes.”
Tara nodded, before a thought popped into her head.
“Um, I kinda have something for you. I didn’t think you’d be home for a few days, but, um kinda finished it last night?”
“You got me a present? But I thought…”
“I know, I said no presents ‘cause of the money thing…but this didn’t cost anything…”
“But I didn’t get you anything,” Willow pouted.
“You’ve already given me everything I could ever want,” Tara replied, “And it’s just something small. I’m gonna go get it, okay?”
She rushed off before the redhead had a chance to respond, returning a minute later with something square, wrapped in blue tissue paper. She handed it over wordlessly, nervously biting her lip.
“Why do you look nervous, baby? I’m sure what ever it is, I’ll…Oh, Tara. Oh my god. Did you paint this?”
“Yea,” Tara said shyly, “Is it okay?”
Willow looked down at the small 12x12 canvas, vibrant colours showing an abstract version of what was clearly supposed to be the two of them in the throes of passion, though was hidden in enough swirled lines and bursts of paint that it could be respectively displayed without any embarrassment. She traced the outline of their bodies, in complete awe.
“Tara this is absolutely beautiful. I’m going to treasure this forever. You’re so talented.”
“I’m not that-”
She was cut off by plump lips on her own, caressing her tenderly. She responded lazily to the kiss for a few moments until Willow pulled back and wrapped her in a tight hug, whispering in her ear.
“Merry Christmas, baby. I know it’ll be the first of many.”