********
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 41 ********
Tara spotted her girlfriend walking across the campus towards the main exit and ran to catch up with her, pulling her into her arms and spinning her around as she did so. Willow squealed until the brunette put her down and wrapped her arms around the taller girl’s neck, kissing her deeply.
“I take it your exam went well then?” Tara asked breathlessly when they pulled back.
Both had had their last end-of-year exam that morning, leaving them school-free and together for the summer, at least that’s what Tara thought.
“I think I did, okay,” Willow answered with a modest smile, “You?”
“I think I did okay, too,” Tara replied, bumping the redhead’s shoulder playfully before taking her hand.
They walked quietly for a few minutes until Willow piped up.
“Actually something happened and I’m not quite sure how to respond because it involves something I really don’t wanna do but then I think I should and I would enjoy it, I think, but-”
She was cut off as a soft pair of lips pressed themselves upon her own for a few seconds.
“Take a deep breath and start from the beginning,” Tara whispered when she pulled back.
“Okay. No wait, can we get some coffee and go to your secret spot in the park?”
“Uh, sure,” Tara replied, starting to feel slightly antsy about whatever Willow wanted to talk about, “This way.”
They walked off the campus and got a couple of mochas before walking into the park and through the hedges. Tara sat back against one of the trees and Willow sat in front of her, their legs lying side by side. The brunette took a gulp from her cup and tried a smile.
“So what’s up?”
Willow put her mocha on the grass and took Tara’s hands in hers.
“I got offered to go on an exchange program this summer. Only five philosophy majors in America are offered the spot. I’d be studying with some of the best professors on the world and learning to apply the coursework we do in everyday situations and life in general.”
“Will, that’s…that’s fantastic! I’m so proud of you!”
Tara leapt forward and embraced her girlfriend, squeezing her tight.
“I don’t wanna go,” Willow whispered quietly.
Tara pulled back and stroked the redhead’s cheek with her thumb.
“Why?”
“It’s for three months, Tara,” Willow replied, sadly, “I can’t leave you for that long.”
“Where would you be going?”
“England. Oxford.”
Tara’s eyes widened and she pulled the smaller girl to her, letting her use her as a backrest.
“Willow, that’s incredible. I mean, Oxford…that’s the ultimate in schooling. And I’m gonna miss you like hell, but you have to go. I’m gonna be waiting here, keeping your bed warm. And the English, they have phones, right? We can talk and email, and we both have webcams, and I’ll buy one of those microphone thingies, okay? This is such an honour and you so deserve to get it. Five people, Will, five. In all of America. And you get a place. You’re the numbers girl, so I’m not exactly sure, but I would say those are very little odds.”
“You want me to go?”
“I want you to do the best thing for yourself and know that I will be supporting you all the way.”
Willow felt a lone tear fall down her cheek but caught it before Tara saw.
“It’s just three months,” Tara continued and turned Willow’s head so that they were looking at each other, “Drop in the ocean of all the time we’ll have to spend together.”
Willow cupped the brunette’s cheek and gave her a sweet kiss.
“Okay. I’m going. But you know I’m gonna miss you like crazy, right?”
“I know, honey, I know. Feeling’s mutual. But this is such a fantastic opportunity. You can’t pass it up. Especially not for me. We’re gonna be fine. I’m not saying it’ll be fun, but we can handle it. We could even use those webcams for a little sexy fun time if we wanted,” Tara replied, squeezing her girlfriend’s middle, eliciting a giggle, “I love you. And being ten thousand miles apart isn’t gonna change that one bit.”
“I love you too,” Willow replied softly, cuddling back into the embrace.
They stayed in reflective silence for a few minutes until Tara spoke.
“When do you leave?”
“Next Friday,” Willow replied, pulling a face.
Tara nodded her head a few times and put a kiss on her girlfriend’s ear.
“That means I have eight days of you all to myself. And I’ll be damned if I’m gonna share.”
**
“So I’m going a little bit more modern with this last song,” Tara said as she rested her fingers on the keys of the piano, “See, my very special someone is sitting in here tonight and she’s leaving tomorrow for three months.”
There was a chorus of ‘awws’ from around the bar and Tara took the opportunity to wink at her blushing girlfriend.
“So this one is definitely dedicated to you, sweetie. Love you.”
Tara started playing the opening bars of Lonestar’s
‘Amazing’, keeping her gaze fixed on the redhead, sitting on a stool at the bar.
Every little thing that you do
It just keeps getting better
I wanna spend the rest of my life
With you by my side
Forever and ever
Every little thing that you do
Oh, every little thing that you do
Baby, I’m amazed by you The song finished to clapping, and much to the amusement and delight of the patrons, Willow ran up onto the small raised platform that acted as a stage and kissed her girlfriend with all the love and passion she had.
Tara eagerly responded until they both pulled away, breathless and she gave a small wave to the crowd.
“Don’t be jealous.”
Everyone laughed as the couple walked into the backroom to collect the brunette’s jacket. The door had just closed behind them when Tara pushed the redhead against it and latched onto her lips again, kissing her fervently. When they eventually pulled back, desperately needing air, Willow regarded her girlfriend with a serious look.
“Did you mean it?”
“Mean what?”
Willow cleared her throat before she spoke again.
“Forever and ever?”
Tara smiled and nodded slowly.
“You know I don’t lie through song.”
Willow giggled, her smile beaming, and brought their lips together again sweetly.
“Let’s go home,” she said when they pulled away again.
Tara grabbed her jacket from the hook on the wall of the break room and led the redhead out of the back door and around the corner, towards their building.
“What time’s your flight tomorrow?”
“4pm.”
“So you need to be at the airport by…1pm, right?”
“That’s right.”
“And you can sleep on the plane?”
“Um…yes?”
“Good. ‘Cause I plan on keeping you up all night.”
**
Tara lugged two red suitcases out of Willow’s bedroom and into the living room.
“Jesus Christ, hun, are you trying to smuggle dead bodies into England? I don’t think they’d approve of that.”
“Smart ass,” Willow chuckled, “And those bags have wheels.”
Tara looked and saw that there was, in fact, a retractable handle on each of the suitcases and wheels underneath.
“I knew that,” she tried to bluff, “I was working on my muscle tone. I wanna make sure I don’t let myself go and you come back to a flabby girlfriend and break up with me.”
“I wouldn’t care if you were six hundred pounds, long as you were mine. I might be concerned about your health though. And on that note, do you promise to at least try and not eat every meal from a stand while I’m gone?”
“I can make cereal…Fruit Loops and I have a very good working relationship. They appreciate the amount of boxes I buy and I appreciate the fact that they’re basically gay cheerios.”
Willow laughed out loud before shaking her head with a grin.
“Well, for fear that you’d burn down the apartment if you tried anything else; I guess that’ll have to do.”
Tara stuck her tongue out, which prompted Willow to go over and suck it into her mouth, eliciting a surprised, yet delighted moan from the brunette.
“Gonna miss that tongue,” Willow said wistfully when they parted, “My imagination is gonna have to do. And I expect at least one topless webcam-chat a week.”
“Whatever you want, beautiful. And you’re gonna have a ball over there. You’ll be so busy you won’t even have time to miss me.”
“Doubtful,” Willow replied with sad eyes, “I’m gonna miss you like crazy.”
“Me too,” Tara responded, feeling her eyes getting glassy, “We promised no crying.”
“I know, I know,” Willow said, wiping her eyes, “And hey, you’re gonna be crazy busy too, don’t think I didn’t see that you filled your calendar with a ridiculous amount of work. And Craig’s staying around for the summer, you’ll be going out partying. I better not here of any drunken shenanigans.”
The redhead waved a finger at her, mock-sternly and smiled.
“But don’t burn out,” she continued, “I know you need to work for the money and stuff, but…baby, I really think you should still let me pay rent while I’m gone, I mean, if I didn’t happen to be sleeping with my landlady and wanted to keep a place while I was gone, I would still be paying rent.”
“Not discussing this again, Will. You won’t be here to use the utilities or any of the stuff your rent covers, so I’m not taking any money for it. And you are sleeping with your landlady, so just accept it or I’ll make sure I’m wearing a big baggy jumper every time we go on webcam and you won’t get any peeks at the girls.”
Willow looked horrified.
“You wouldn’t.”
“Try me.”
“Fine. But you’re getting an extra-pretty gift from England.”
They smiled at each other until Willow’s watch beeped, indicating the turn of the hour and the smiles turned into a frown.
“I have to-”
“I know.”
Tara wheeled the bags into the hallway and leant against the doorframe, waiting for Willow to check her purse one last time for all her flight information.
“You have everything?”
“All checked.”
They stood in front of each other, somewhat awkwardly for a few moments, until Tara pulled her girlfriend to her.
“Be amazing. And strong. And show those English people whose boss. Them and their stupid tea.”
Willow let out a small laugh and held on tight, before leaning up for a loving kiss. She very reluctantly pulled back and grabbed the two handles of her suitcases, pressing the button for the elevator.
“I love you so much. And you’re gonna be in my heart every moment of every day,” she said as she stepped in.
Tara nodded and attempted to speak without her voice breaking.
“Love you too. And call me as soon as you land. I need to know you’re safe.”
“I will,” Willow promised and blew her a kiss as the elevator doors closed.
With Willow safely out of earshot, Tara’s resolved crumbled and she sank down against the door, holding her head in her hands, the tears flowing freely down her face.
*
Willow hailed a cab, feeling in a similar state to her girlfriend but having to compose herself, being on the public streets, as she left her building behind, the same thought swimming around both her and Tara’s heads.
I miss her already