DISCLAIMER: Buffy the Vampire Slayer and all the slayerettes belong to Joss Whedon and Mutant Enemy. No infringement intended.
ARCHIVING: Only with the permission of the author.
A New Kind of Synchronicity
By devlinof9
The dorm was its usual noisy self. Whether morning or night, no matter the day, there always seemed to be a party going in one of the rooms, the muffled music leaking into the hallways where many students milled around, talking about inconsequential things. Well, important perhaps to them, but when one lived on the hell mouth and fought demons every other night, a 'C' on the calculus mid term didn't seem nearly as life shattering an event.
Willow and Tara weaved their way through the throng of people, hands clasped loosely together, fingers laced, each girl focused on her own thoughts. Neither noticed the shocked and oddly interested looks directed their way from the students they passed. Their physical connection was so relaxed that for most of the walk home that they forgot to break contact when they entered Tara's dormitory.
"This is it," the shy blonde stated unnecessarily as they pulled up to a stop in front of the door to her room. Unlike Willow, Tara had managed to secure a single room and didn't have to worry about an annoying roommate like the redhead had in the first few weeks of the semester.
"Yep," Willow nodded, sounding oddly detached. She reluctantly let go of the other girl's hand, stretching her arm out a little as she often did when the two had to part ways for the evening.
"So, I'll see you t-tomorrow?" Tara asked hopefully, head hanging down a little, those big blue eyes looking up through the hair falling around her face. Her expression was a little more insecure than usual, as she searched the redhead's face. She opened her mouth again, wanting to say more, but closed it silently, afraid her words would get confused with the stuttering. She was growing more and more concerned with Willow's relative silence, and worried that the other girl hadn't truly been ready for the spell they had done earlier to the nether realms.
She knew it would have a big impact on their relationship, already so much more than a simple friendship, and had almost chickened out at the last moment while anointing Willow with the oil at the beginning of the ritual. But the situation had been so dire that Tara kept her fears shoved away, deep down, and pressed on as her friend wanted.
"W-Willow?" she said a little anxiously, fear creeping into her voice, but she smiled a little anyway, when the redhead lost that far away glazed expression she had been wearing since leaving Giles apartment for the walk home.
"Sorry," Willow apologized, that quirky little grin fighting to emerge, though it didn't quite reach her eyes, "Tomorrow? Yeah, tomorrow is good. That being the day after today, or tonight I guess now that it's evening already, what with the sun being all absent-y from the sky and all." She was starting to babble, and consciously forced herself to stop talking. She only did that when she was nervous or excited about something, and she wasn't sure just which she was at the moment. She feared she may be both.
Willow saw the almost sad look on Tara's face and her brow creased in concern. It looked almost like regret, and she instantly felt bad. She should have understood that the past few days' events had been as big a change for the blonde as they were for her, and mentally scolded herself for not considering it earlier.
Their friendship had been growing into something else for a while, but aside from the handholding and a very shy and tentative peck on the lips the week before, they had been at a stand still; Both too insecure or confused to take it any further until they understood what was happening. The nether realms spell had changed all that, and taken them to a place with their emotions that was a little shocking.
Willow had gotten lost in her thoughts again and didn't notice Tara opening the door to her room until it creaked quietly. Her heart hammered in her chest with the thought of broaching the subject, but a look at Tara's slumped shoulders filled her with fear that ignoring the subject would do permanent damage to whatever they were forming. Putting her fears aside, or wrestling them back in this case, she finally found her voice as the blonde stepped over the threshold.
"Tara," Willow called quietly, though there was a hint of panic in her voice, "Wait. Please?" The blonde turned around and Willow's heart twinged with sorrow at the hopeless look on her face.
"Y-yeah?" she responded, hating herself for turning around, fearing the words of rejection that she expected to hear.
"I want… can we talk a bit?" Willow stammered, offering a hopeful look, her bottom lip poking out just a bit as it always did when she was unsure of the response she would get, "About, umm, about what happened?"
Tara missed the look however, her head hanging down slightly so that her hair was hiding her face. She kept her eyes on the floor, reverting to the very shy behavior she had tried so hard to overcome in the other girl's presence. A slight gesture, silent but telling in its minimalism and the two girls moved into the privacy and relative quiet of the blonde's room.
Willow shut the door behind her, taking a deep breath to steady herself before turning around. She wasn't surprised that Tara had moved away from her; she always did that when she was nervous, the shyness coming to the surface.
"Tara," the redhead started, her voice very soft as if she was struggling to speak.
"Willow," the other girl said at the same time and both girls glanced up at each other, a ghost of a smile passing between them. They were always trying to talk at the same time.
"Please," Willow whispered, taking a hesitant step forward to close the impersonal distance between them, "I want… no. Want isn't right." She took a deep breath, her expression changing slightly as if she had been fighting an internal battle and won, deciding finally how to begin. "Need. Yep, need is better," she continued, wringing her hands slowly, fidgeting a bit due to nerves, "I need to tell you.."
"No, it's o-okay," Tara stuttered, finally looking up with a resigned expression, "I-I understand. I-I'm sorry the spell w-was too much." She hung her head again, tears beginning to well in her eyes.
"No," Willow shook her head and stepped even closer, "Tara, that's not it. I… it was just so much. And not…not in a bad way." The redhead let out a shaky breath and reached up to brush long blonde locks gently away from the other girl's face. "It was… nice. It was better than nice."
Tara blushed, tipping her head to one side, a crooked grin flickering across her face. Willow loved that expression, and smiled warmly. She wanted to see more of it and gently trailed her fingertips down Tara's cheek, her heart fluttering when the blonde leaned ever so slightly into the touch.
"Everything is so new," Willow continued at a whisper, afraid to disrupt the quiet, "But what I feel for you…it grows every day." Those big blue eyes finally did look up, searching, hopeful, and the redhead smiled a little easier. "I've never felt this before," she explained, "Not with Oz. Not ever." She shrugged self-consciously. "It's exciting. And scary."
"T-To-to..." Tara bit off her words, frustrated by her stutter. Her emotions were running high and she couldn't seem to make her mouth work properly.
Willow saw her consternation and placed her fingertips gently over the blonde's full lips. "Shhh," she soothed, smiling shakily, but knowing instinctively what the other girl wanted to say, "Not too scary." She watched as Tara's face lit up just a bit, the shy smile reaching her eyes for the first time since their conversation had started.
Willow felt the tension melt away from their interaction, and she relaxed enough to really look at the other girl. Her fingertips moved away from Tara's lips, only to slide across her jaw, feeling every nuance of the soft skin even as she stepped a little closer. The redhead's hand shook slightly, from nerves or longing she wasn't sure, but it stilled instantly when Tara's hand came up and covered her own.
The blonde pressed her cheek gently into Willow's palm, breathing deeply in the light musk she knew to be the wiccan's favorite body spray. Her eyes slipped closed as she reveled in the relaxed touch, treasuring every moment, and committing it to memory.
Willow watched as those blue eyes closed, her own face feeling flushed. She brought her thumb back and gently slid it across Tara's chin, up and across her bottom lip, her own heart hammering in her chest. The redhead let out a shaky breath at what felt like an electric current running through her body, feeling full lips part and exhale warmly across the pad of her thumb.
"Tara, I…" Willow almost mouthed, her words breathed on the next exhale, "I.. I need…" She was unable to continue, so caught up in the vision of beauty standing before her. Those beautiful blue eyes opened to look at her with an almost slumberous expression, so warm and inviting that she couldn't help but be drawn forward. Willows hand moved slowly along Tara's jaw line, her thumb gently caressing a very blushed cheek.
Blue eyes clouded slightly, meeting green and Willow could feel Tara tremble. "Please," she breathed, feeling the pull, and helpless to stop it. Her heart threatened to burst out of her chest it was beating so hard. A hair's breadth apart, Willow could feel the shaky breath on her face, and bit her lip, her eyes searching.
"Willow," Tara husked, her full lips parting on the words. The blonde's eyes slipped closed, unable to focus at such a close range, and she felt the wonderful warmth of lips pressing gently against her own. So unlike their hesitant, mostly giggling first kiss a week earlier, Tara nearly swooned at the emotion radiating from their connection.
Willow whimpered softly, having finally achieved what she had been wanting for so long without even realizing it. When her lips touched Tara's without any of the worry or self-consciousness of her own performance, it felt like coming home. Like this was where she belonged. Gentle brushing became more solid contact as Willow drew Tara's full bottom lip between her own and suckled gently.
The blonde shivered at the motion and her lips parted on a sigh, inviting the kiss to deepen. And deepen it did, effortlessly, Tara's tongue slipping tenderly across Willow's in a dance older than time. Instinct took the helm and both wiccans pressed closely together, their mouths sealing tightly, locking them in an oral dance of new and wondrous sensations.
An eternity passed for the two women, lost in each other's touch, hands stroking cheeks and hair, trailing behind ears and down pulse points. Each explored fully the different textures, hard and soft, leaving nothing out until the kiss broke by mutual need for air. They stayed connected though, foreheads touching as they gasped for breath.
"Oh, God," Willow's voice shook with emotion, her hands moving down Tara's shoulders to the soft planes of her back, instinctively pulling her closer still, solidifying their connection.
"Unh," Tara's response was less multi-sylabic, but the shaky smile on her face was expressed in her grunt, "Wow." She heard Willow's answering chuckle and smiled wider, choking out a short laugh of her own.
"Yah," Willow gasped, shivering as Tara's firm hands explored her shoulder blades before coming to rest at the small of her back, holding them together just as tightly, "Wow. Definite woo…and hoo." She nodded slightly against Tara's forehead, her smile so wide it was almost painful.
"Willow," Tara whispered, one hand sliding up to rub softly at the back of the other girl's neck, "M-more."
"God, yes," the redhead affirmed, her lips seeking out their mate's with gentle intensity. She quaked at the renewed contact, losing herself once again.
Just as their last kiss was different from the first a week earlier, so too was this kiss beyond what they had just shared. Gone was the tentative exploration, and this time, their mouths locked and tongues danced with marked assuredness.
Willow's hands slid to the small of Tara's back and pulled the blonde closer, pressing their hips together, as if trying to crawl inside her skin. The answering groan and increased pressure on her back made the redhead tremble with a fire she had never felt before in her life. It was all consuming and she just couldn't stop herself.
"Tara," she whispered huskily, taking a breath, "My Tara." She just couldn't seem to stop kissing her. Their mouths connected again, pressing firmly together, teeth occasionally bumping.
Tara's own hands were in constant motion through the kiss, running trails of fire wherever they touched up and down the redhead's back. Finally she tangled one in the short auburn locks at the base of Willow's neck and tightened just enough for pressure, assuring herself of their connection. Her fist clenched and released, stroking and soothing with each pass as one kiss blended seamlessly into the next, the heat rising steadily between them.
Willow's breath hitched at the new sensation, her body trembling with desire. She slid one gentle hand down the blonde's hip, exploring with shaking fingers and the occasional squeeze. Tara's muffled moan into her mouth empowered her and on the return trip up, her hand moved to stroke the round swell of the blonde's bottom.
She felt Tara shiver in her arms and squeezed the cheek firmly, pulling her even closer. Willow's heart battered against her ribcage, so fast and hard that she was sure the blonde could feel it where they were pressed together. She believed she could feel Tara's own racing heart pounding against her breasts and the sensation of fabric rubbing fabric between them made her nipples tighten almost painfully.
A sweet pain that only increased when Tara's own hand came down from the base of her neck, sliding over her shoulder and down across her chest, fingertips trailing into the valley between her mounds. A delightful shudder ran down her spine and she groaned into Tara's mouth, a wordless encouragement.
Gasping for air between kisses, the two wiccans wound around each other, touching, stroking and exploring the soft skin of each other's bodies through their clothing. Never going too far, but simply feeling; Reveling in their newfound closeness.
Tara was first to break their kiss, shaking uncontrollably. She rested her head on Willow's shoulder, her arms clutching at the slender body pressed tightly to her. "My Willow," she whispered, fingertips stroking the redhead's spine.
For her part, Willow recognized the motion for what it was, a time out before they got carried away. She agreed it was a good idea; they were getting a little out of control. She ran her hands soothingly up and down Tara's back, holding her close and just basking in the feel of her body. She couldn't get over how well they fit together; it just felt…right.
'Let's go to sleep, okay?" Willow said softly, placing a feathery light kiss on the blonde's soft shoulder, "We have lots of time."
Tara nodded wordlessly, thankful that the redhead noticed how overwhelming the situation had become. No regrets, no trepidation; just as Willow had said earlier, 'so much'. She relaxed her grip and pulled back to smile that open and crooked grin, and it widened when she saw it returned. "Th-thank-you," Tara whispered, knowing that Willow would understand what she meant. Being able to take time to process before stepping further was something they both needed, and she was grateful that the redhead accepted it. Even more than accepting it, Tara saw that her feelings were mirrored in the green eyes that made her heart swell with each look.
Willow ran her fingertips down Tara's cheek and smiled. "I'm glad we got that worked out," she joked softly, and giggled a bit at the blonde's laugh.
"W-we worked something out?" Tara asked innocently, turning to pull out boxers and t-shirts for them both, "I thought w-we just created a new problem… or six." She turned to hand Willow the night clothes only to be hit in the face with one of her chair cushions.
"Yah," Willow laughed, taking the clothes and mock glaring at the blonde, "First problem. How am I gonna get any sleep laying next to the hotness that's you, Doofus."
Tara laughed and blushed crimson at the compliment, and throwing the cushion back. She turned her back and began changing, grinning crookedly at the soft sound of Willow's laugh behind her.
Both girls were ready for bed quickly, having established a routine by this point, because Willow stayed over quite often after doing spells. As Tara turned out the lights, Willow pulled down the blankets on the double bed and slipped in. The sheets were cold, but they warmed quickly from her body heat, which was still quite elevated.
Willow forced herself not to gasp when Tara slipped into the bed next to her, her body still humming with desire for more of the blonde. She forced it back though, knowing they needed time to adjust and just be close, but smiled widely when she felt Tara close the slight distance between them, snuggling up to her side.
"I-Is this o-okay?" she whispered softly in the darkness, resting her head on Willow's shoulder. They usually tried to stay on their own sides of the bed when they turned in, waking up tangled together, but this would be the first time they deliberately did so.
Willow wiggled her arm out from between their bodies, supporting Tara's neck and curling her arm. She gave the blonde a gentle squeeze settling her closer and dropped a soft kiss on her temple. "Woo…and hoo," Willow answered happily, snuggling in comfortably, "Sweet dreams, Tara."
Tara let out a giddy half-laugh, and wiggled comfortably. "Sweet dreams, Willow," she answered in the darkness. Relaxing in the comforting touch, she could feel Willow's heartbeat under her cheek and felt soothed by it's thumping. In the distance she could still hear the muffled music from one of the rooms down the hall, just over the sound of the redhead's breathing. This is real, Tara's mind supplied, and she grinned happily. Willow had it right. "Woo… and hoo," she whispered to no one, letting her eyes close as sleep began washing over her, "Definitely."
The End