Rating: NC-17

Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters. I don't wish to harm them, I simply want to borrow them and have a little bit of fun with them.

Distribution: http://au.geocities.com/spikeme4now4200/index.html

http://mysticmuse.net

Feedback: Yes Please!

Pairing: Willow/Tara

Author's Note: This is in response to the challenge I posted a few weeks ago. I thought it would be cool to remember how the Willow/Tara relationship first started. This is a series of behind-the-scenes stories that deal with the start of the Willow/Tara relationship. Each story can be read as a standalone.

Special thanks goes to Chris Cook of Through the Looking Glass and Artemis for creating the title graphic at the top of the page. Thanks, Chris!

As Willow woke up that morning, she took in her girlfriend's slumbering form, and realized that today was exactly two weeks since Tara had officially become her girlfriend. She smiled at the thought, and pressed a soft kiss against the girl's cheek. What a fortnight that had been, she thought—with the making out; the spending of quality time together; and the whole Jonathan spell thing—Tara getting mauled by a monster about a week ago...

Willow sighed at her last thought—the sight of Tara in distress still haunted her; and she had the bad dreams to prove it. Ever since she'd come across Tara's shock-induced state, Willow had been having the same dream every single night. Although, it wasn't the only dream she had (good dreams crept in as well)—but it did leave her shaken...

They were on Tara's bed—kissing, touching, making out—when suddenly she felt as if things were becoming too heated—they were verging on naughty touching here, and she was starting to panic. She didn't know if she was ready—to take that next step; to let things progress, and to let herself become even more intimate with her girlfriend...Besides, it was late, and she needed to get back...

Pulling away, Willow said goodbye, and headed out the door. She was halfway down the hallway, when some ugly-looking apocalypsey-type demon came at her—bowling her over. She landed on the floor with a thud—closing her eyes in pain. A second later she opened them again—only to see her girlfriend being carried off by said demon. Ignoring the sharp throbbing in her skull, Willow stood up and began chasing after her girlfriend.

She was screaming for the demon to stop—screaming for it to let go of Tara. She ran after it wildly; her mind searching for a good spell, but nothing would come to her—she was pathetic. She—Willow Rosenberg—was a pathetic; useless; powerless; wannabe—witch, and she was letting this demon run off with her girlfriend. Why couldn't she stop it? Why was it—that no matter how fast she ran; or how hard she tried—Tara just seemed to get further and further away from her?

What's more, it was her fault—her fault the demon had her girlfriend. If only she'd stayed with Tara; not been in such a hurry to leave—maybe she could've done something; could've helped Tara—used her magick in combination with her girlfriend's to stop that thing...Alone she was useless—but with Tara...with Tara she could do anything—only with Tara—she and Tara together—were unstoppable—a force to be reckoned with...

They were off-campus now—running through one of Sunnydale's many cemeteries. Willow could see the demon in front of her; could hear Tara's screams—as it continued to carry her girlfriend further and further away from her. She should run back, Willow realized—run back and get Buffy; the Slayer would help her...

Not wanting to leave her girl alone, but knowing she had no choice, Willow turned around. She ran back to the campus as fast as her legs would carry her—stumbling over her own feet a few times in her haste. When she finally reached her room, Buffy was nowhere to be seen—as usual, the Slayer was with her boyfriend. Cursing herself for not realizing this sooner, Willow rushed back outside, and headed towards Lowell House.

When she reached Riley's room, Willow attempted to burst right in—urgency making her forget about such niceties as knocking. However, the door wouldn't budge—it was locked. With a groan of impatience, Willow began knocking—she banged on the door as hard as she could, not even caring that her knuckles were beginning to bleed—she needed the Slayer to help rescue Tara, all else was irrelevant. So why wasn't anyone answering? Why wasn't the Slayer stepping out to help her?

She called out her friend's name: "Buffy! Buffy it's me—Willow. I need your help—Tara's in trouble! Buffy!!! Buffy—answer the door!!! I know you're in there! Why won't you answer me? Buffy?"

It was no use—the Slayer wasn't going to help her; she needed to rescue Tara herself. With a few final knocks for prosperity, Willow turned around and headed back to the cemetery—Only, when she got there; the demon and Tara were nowhere to be seen. What was she going to do now? In her rush to get help, she'd forgotten that the demon would continue moving—that she wouldn't be able to find them once she came back.

Suddenly, she had a thought—The Goddess Aradia. With renewed determination, Willow stopped running, and plonked herself down onto the ground—crossing her legs in a meditative position. She turned her palms upwards and rested her hands on her knees, as she summoned the Goddess.

She was now following the light—letting herself be guided towards Tara. After a while, she could see the demon; could see Tara. She started running towards them—moving her legs faster and faster, but for some reason she never seemed to get any closer—her girlfriend was always just out of reach.

It was then that the dream would end—during her Sisyphus-type chase of her girlfriend. She'd either wake up and start shivering, or everything would fade to black, and she'd soon find herself dreaming about something else. Either way—she never rescued Tara; never got to her in time, and she was always left feeling both guilty and inept.

As she continued to gaze at her sleeping girlfriend, Willow wondered about the meaning of her dream. She knew it was a result of Tara's attack—her subsequent guilt at leaving Tara alone that night. However, it was also symbolic of something else—but of what? Could it be that a part of her was telling her to give in—to stop holding back? She knew she wanted Tara; wanted to touch her—and not just in safe platonic-like places.

She wanted to feel the weight of the girl's breasts in her hands, to feel the hardening of the girl's nipples as she squeezed them—teasing with her fingertips. She wanted to let her hands slide down Tara's back, let them go lower and lower, until she was cupping her ass—caressing her in a very naughty way. She wanted to run her hands down Tara's thighs, to slip between her legs and cup her intimately—to rub her fingers against the girl's throbbing sex, and do everything she could to make her happy.

Willow could still remember how Tara looked during their Nether Realms spell—all hot, and sweaty, and aroused—and the way they'd finally come together would forever be etched in her memory. There had been no physical touching then—except for the link between their palms, and Willow couldn't help but wonder what it would be like to make Tara come for real...with her fingers...her tongue...

However, despite her fantasies—Willow was scared. She was frightened to take the next step, because she'd never been with a girl before—never been in a gay relationship, and making with the gay-love would finally 'seal the deal'—so to speak. She knew she'd fallen in love with Tara, even if she couldn't say it to her yet, but her love was more spiritual than physical. She'd read things, heard things—knew what gay-love entailed...and she wondered what Tara tasted like—what she felt like...She was pretty much inexperienced when it came to what a girl felt like inside; what a girl tasted like...What if she touched Tara intimately—knelt between the girl's legs; inserted her tongue between her folds; tasted her, and didn't like it? What would she do then? What would it mean?

Likewise—what if she did like it? There were times when they were making out—when things started to heat up between them, and she could actually smell Tara's arousal. The smell was intoxicating, and if Tara's taste was anything like her scent—then Willow knew she definitely would like it. This didn't scare her almost as much as not liking it, but it still scared her. She knew there was nothing wrong with being gay—that these feelings were all natural; however, a very small, very miniscule part of her—couldn't help but be aware of social mores. She knew that not everyone approved of this kind of relationship; that some people thought it was wrong and disgusting, and even though she didn't agree with that, she couldn't help being a teensy bit affected by it.

That was the reason she hadn't told Buffy yet—why she hadn't told any of the Scoobies. She knew they loved her, and would support her—but would they get freaked—look down on her—lose respect for her? She didn't want to be different—didn't ask to have these feelings for a girl, but she did, and would never renounce them. Tara meant the world to her, and in her book, loving someone was never wrong—no matter what the world thought. She just wished she had the courage to deal with the world, or at the very least—her friends. This was why Tara had gotten hurt, why she'd let her spend that night alone, and why she was afraid to make love to her.

She was afraid to accept the truth—about herself; about who she was, and about what she really wanted. Also, there was a part of her that remembered Oz—remembered what they had, how much she cared for him, and wondered what it meant to have had feelings for him, and then to have feelings for Tara now. Oz was a guy—if she were gay, then why had she been with Oz? Why had she been in love with him? Had her whole relationship with Oz been a farce? Did she even know what she wanted? How could she be sure of her feelings for Tara, if she wasn't even sure of her feelings for Oz anymore? She also wondered if it was okay to let him go. There hadn't been much closure—Oz had left abruptly, and she hadn't heard from him since. Was it okay for her to finally put aside their relationship—to give herself completely to Tara?

Willow suddenly had a revelation—about the meaning of her dream. Could it be; that the dream was telling her it was time to move on—that she and Tara were a team now, and that it was wrong to hide? Maybe it was finally time for her to accept her gayness; to tell her friends the truth, and not go into recoil-mode the next time she had the urge to touch Tara intimately. It's not like the girl would back off...right? Even though Tara hadn't made a move towards naughty touching—towards taking the next step—it didn't mean she didn't want to...Tara was just shy...? Willow put on her resolve face. That's it, she thought to herself—it was time to heat things up. If Tara was too shy to make a move towards intimacy, then she'd have to be the one to do it herself.

Willow cautiously pulled off the covers from Tara's sleeping form, so that she could get a better look at her girlfriend's body. The girl was wearing her usual shorts and tank top, which (luckily for her), exposed quite a bit of Tara-flesh. This particular tank top was fairly low-cut, and seeing as the girl was lying on her side, Willow could very easily look down her shirt.

Feeling a little naughty, Willow decided to do just that. She leaned closer to Tara, and brought her eyes down to rest on the girl's chest. She had a pretty good view from where she was looking, and could clearly see the outline of her generous cleavage; could see the perfectly shaped mounds of flesh that protruded from her top, and could almost make out the point of her nipples against the fabric of her shirt—as they started to stiffen from exposure to the cold morning air.

Tara had the most beautiful breasts she'd ever seen. As she continued to ogle her girlfriend, Willow couldn't help but wonder what it would be like to touch them; to hold them in her hands; to kiss them; to run her tongue over them...Willow had never given much thought to another girl's breasts—until she'd met Tara. For some reason, she was fascinated by Tara's breasts—by what they looked like; felt like, and just couldn't stop fantasizing about them. What was it about Tara's breasts that had her so enthralled? Looking at Tara now—she had to restrain herself from reaching out a hand and actually touching them. It wouldn't be right to touch Tara intimately while she was asleep. Although, the more she continued to look at her—the harder it became to resist the lure of her girlfriend's body.

Lifting a hand to Tara's cheek, Willow decided it was time to wake her girlfriend up—to remove herself from temptation. She tenderly caressed the girl's skin with her fingertips—wanting to gently bring Tara to wakefulness. Her girlfriend began to stir after a few seconds, and Willow chose that moment to lean over and press their lips together—she loved waking Tara with a kiss.

"Mmmm," Tara moaned as Willow pulled away.

"Morning," Willow greeted, smiling at her girlfriend. She then leaned back over and kissed her again—she just couldn't get enough of Tara-lips, especially after all those wild and naughty thoughts she'd just had. Now that Willow had decided to make a move towards greater intimacy, she couldn't wait to get started.

Tara loved waking up to Willow-lips in the morning—especially when Willow-lips became Willow-tongue as well. As her own tongue reached out to duel with Willow's, Tara was surprised to suddenly find herself lying on her back—with Willow lying on top of her. She wasn't complaining though—the feel of her girlfriend's body against hers was amazing. Going with the moment, she reached out her arms—wanting to wrap them around Willow's back, and pull the girl tighter against her.

Willow had other ideas however—she wanted to let Tara know of her decision; to show Tara she was ready to move on. Which is why she lifted her hands, intercepted Tara's movements, and laced their fingers together. She then guided Tara's hands back down to the bed; untangled their legs, and pulled away from the kiss.

Willow hoped she knew what she was doing, as she straddled Tara's hips and sat up in her lap. Looking down at her girlfriend now, she felt a little bit embarrassed by her bold actions. Sure, she wanted to take the next step—but did she have to do so in this position—astride Tara's lap? Although, straddling Tara was definitely making her extremely wet, and extremely aroused—and if she were ever going to make a move, what better time than when she was all hot and bothered...?

Tara was utterly taken aback by Willow's actions—but also incredibly aroused. What was Willow up to? Why was she straddling her—looking at her with what appeared to be determined arousal? What was going on here—was she still asleep? If so, she didn't think she wanted to wake up—Willow's actions were totally turning her on. Maybe she really was dreaming—and in dreams, anything goes...

Before she did something untoward though, Tara looked up at her girlfriend with a question in her eye—silently asking her what was happening. Just in case this wasn't a dream, Tara didn't want to do anything that she'd regret later—something naughty that is...

Although, if this wasn't a dream—why was Willow acting so—playful? She'd never done this before—been all sexy and stuff—with the straddling...It was almost as if Willow wanted to take their make-out sessions to the next stage. With that thought, Tara's heart began to race. She'd been wanting to move things along for over a week now—but she'd never be so bold as to make the first move. Willow had to be the one to set the flow of their relationship; Tara was too shy, and too insecure to have it any other way. Therefore, the thought of Willow finally deciding to take the next step brought about a whole new feeling of excitement within Tara.

Looking down at Tara, Willow could see the girl's confusion. She knew her actions had taken Tara by surprise, but it pleased Willow to realize that she wasn't putting up a protest. In fact, taking in the girl's heavy breathing, her dilated pupils, and her slightly open mouth—Willow was led to believe that Tara might actually be a little turned on by her behavior. Spurred on by her girlfriend's apparent state of arousal, Willow leaned down to kiss her lips. However, just as her lips met Tara's—the ringing of the phone startled her.

"Mmmm," she let out a disgruntled moan—pulling away from Tara's lips. "Phone." She smiled at her girlfriend, and moved off her lap.

Tara smiled back, also feeling annoyed by the phone's interruption—at least it hadn't been a dream though...Impulsively, she sat up and leaned towards Willow, kissing her lips softly. A second later, she pulled away—feeling all flushed, and headed towards the phone. She wondered who would be calling her; the one person who usually called her was already in this room with her.

"Hello," she spoke into the receiver—turning around to face Willow. She smiled at her girlfriend while she waited for a response—Willow smiled back.

"Hey Tara," Buffy's voice answered. "I just called our room and got the machine—is Willow with you?"

"Hey Buffy," Tara replied—saying the girl's name for Willow's benefit.

Willow's ears perked up at the mention of her friend's name. What did Buffy want? Dragging herself off the bed, she quickly made her way over to Tara's side.

"She's right here," Tara continued—handing the phone to Willow.

Willow covered the phone's mouthpiece with her hand, as she took it from Tara. "Thanks," she said to her girlfriend, before pressing a brief kiss to her lips.

"Mmm," was all Tara said as the kiss ended. Moving to take a seat on the bed, she flashed her girlfriend a huge grin

Smiling back at Tara, Willow spoke into the phone. "What's up Buff—Where you at?"

"Riley's," the Slayer replied.

Willow grinned at Tara and mouthed Riley's name—Tara giggled in response.

"Should've guessed," Willow teased, forcing down her own giggles. Before the Slayer could say anything in response though, Willow asked her another question. "So anyway, how was patrol?"

"Pretty much routine—" Buffy responded, deciding to ignore Willow's jibe "—except for the whole tag-team thing."

"Tag-team?" Willow asked, wondering what the Slayer meant.

"I'll explain later," Buffy returned. "I've called Giles, and we're meeting at the student lounge in about an hour."

"Cool," Willow smiled. "We'll see you then." With that, she hung up the phone, and turned her attention back to her girlfriend.

"Scooby meeting," Willow explained—walking towards Tara.

Tara stood up as Willow reached her side, and walked into the girl's embrace. She wrapped her arms around Willow, and rested her head against her shoulder. "Thought so," she whispered dreamily—inhaling the scent of Willow's hair.

Tara realized she was becoming accustomed to early-morning Scooby meetings, to late-night Scooby meetings, and basically any-time-of-the-day Scooby meetings. After her attack, when Willow had told her she'd stick to her like glue—the girl had really meant it. Willow had barely left her side all week, and made sure to take her wherever she went—especially to Scooby meetings. Needless to say—Tara had thoroughly enjoyed this past week.

"I'm gonna have a shower," Willow said softly—her breath playing against Tara's neck.

"Me too," Tara returned, shivering slightly. Willow's breath on her skin never failed to bring a tingle down her spine.

Willow slowly pulled her head up, as Tara did the same. She gazed into her girlfriend's eyes, and realized that maybe she owed her an explanation—for her earlier behavior.

"Um, Tara..." she began—smiling shyly. "I'm sorry about before...with the you know...I didn't mean to be so um...so...well—you know...okay?" She looked at Tara expectantly, hoping she hadn't freaked the girl out by coming on too strong. She knew her words had come out sounding like gibberish, but hopefully Tara had gotten the message.

Tara couldn't help smiling at Willow's nervousness—especially at her inability to formulate a proper sentence. Lucky for Willow, though—she'd understood what the girl had been trying to say.

"It's okay," Tara reassured softly. "I uh, d..didn't mind—really."

"Cool," Willow replied, feeling slightly better now. She'd been so caught up in her notions of taking the next step, that she hadn't bothered to ask if Tara was ready too. Sure, she'd seen the girl's arousal; seen how turned on she got during their make-out sessions—but that didn't mean she wanted to act on her desires—that she was ready...

Smiling warmly at her girlfriend, Willow realized that they needed to talk about this. If they were to actually move their relationship up a notch, then she couldn't just jump in and make it happen—she needed to ask Tara what she wanted first. Now was not the right time to talk about it though—they had a Scooby meeting to get to—Maybe tonight?

Pressing a quick kiss to Tara's lips, Willow pulled away from their embrace, and located something to wear. Tara followed Willow's lead, and within minutes, the girls were heading off to the shower block.

The girls walked back to Tara's dorm together—having finished their showers simultaneously. Upon entering the room they placed their dirty clothes and towels in the hamper.

"You're hair's still wet," Willow noted, as Tara took off the towel around her head.

Tara grinned back at her girlfriend. "Yeah," she replied. Tara knew what Willow wanted, but chose to playfully bend her waist and make like she was about to towel-dry her own hair. This had sort of become a morning ritual with them—the playfulness, and the mutual grooming.

"Can I do it?" Willow asked sweetly—reaching for the towel.

Tara smiled at the redhead in response, and straightened herself up. "Of course," she replied—handing over the towel.

Tara loved it when Willow dried her hair—a task that Willow also seemed to enjoy. In fact, over the past week, Willow had made a habit of drying her hair; of brushing her hair—grooming it, of applying her makeup, and pretty much doing lots of intimate little tasks for her. All this had helped to further cement the bond that had been developing between the two young Wiccas.

Accepting the towel, Willow pulled out a chair from Tara's desk, and motioned for the girl to sit down. She smiled at her as she complied, and pressed a soft kiss to Tara's cheek. She toweled the excess moisture out of her hair first, and then finished up with a hair dryer. Fifteen minutes later, Willow turned off the appliance, before locating a hairbrush, and a hair band. It was now time to brush Tara's hair, and put it up somehow.

When Willow had finished with her hair, Tara stood up, and placed her arms around her girlfriend's neck. "Thanks," she said—kissing her cheek.

"You're welcome," Willow replied, as Tara pulled her lips away. She put her own arms around Tara's waist, in order to prevent the girl from moving. "More please," she requested with a smile, pulling their bodies closer together.

Tara giggled—she'd expected the request. This was a scenario that had occurred quite frequently this past week. Whenever she gave Willow a chaste kiss, the girl always asked for more—wanting to feel the lip-to-lip sensation instead. Likewise, Tara had started doing the same thing. It was fun to play around like this—it just meant more kissage—although, it also meant that they were usually late for everything...

"More smoochies?" she inquired playfully.

At her girlfriend's enthusiastic nod, Tara pressed a soft kiss to Willow's other cheek, and not her lips—like she knew the girl wanted.

Willow chuckled as Tara pulled away again—so that's how it was going to be then? Well, turnabout was fair play. Leaning in, she brought her lips towards Tara's, stopping just before they met. She let her breath mingle with her girlfriend's, blowing some air onto her lips—teasing her a little. She then leaned in even closer, so that her lips were practically touching Tara's—only barely making contact—enough to leave her wanting more.

The second Tara leaned in to complete the kiss; Willow turned her head—denying her girlfriend the satisfaction. If Tara wanted to kiss her cheek—then Tara would get to kiss her cheek. She flashed Tara a grin, as the girl pulled back from her enforced chaste-type kiss. The girl was pouting playfully, and it took all of Willow's willpower not to lean in and capture that pouting lip. They were playing a game here, and Willow didn't feel like losing this morning.

"You want more?" She asked Tara with a smile.

Tara nodded, still pouting. She knew how much Willow liked to suckle at her lower lip, and hoped that by pouting, she could entice her to give in.

"Is this what you want?" Willow asked, kissing Tara's left cheek.

Tara shook her head as Willow pulled away.

"How about this then?" Willow continued, pressing a kiss to Tara's right cheek.

Tara shook her head again.

"What about this?" she asked, brushing her lips against her forehead this time.

Yet again, Tara shook her head.

"Still no?" Willow inquired playfully. "Then tell me—what do you want?"

Tara's skin was tingling from her girlfriend's kisses, so she decided to let Willow win this round. "Willow-lips," she replied with a smile.

Willow grinned—sensing victory. "Where do you want Willow-lips?"

Tara giggled before responding. "Willow-lips," she explained. "On Tara-lips."

"Well," Willow drawled, moving in towards Tara. "Since you put it so nicely..." Having won the battle, Willow bridged the final gap between them, and captured Tara's lips with her own.

Tara moaned at the contact, and tightened her arms around Willow's neck. Even though Willow had won, Tara didn't really feel like she'd lost either. How could she lose when she'd gotten what she wanted in the end anyway—Willow's lip on her lips? As she began to open and close her mouth against Willow's, Tara started to feel the need for Willow-tongue as well. The next time she opened her mouth; Tara chose not to close it again—letting Willow know what she wanted.

Willow closed her mouth against Tara's, expecting the girl to do the same thing. When she noticed her lips were now inside Tara's still-open mouth, Willow knew what Tara was asking. The girl had kept her mouth open—wanting to feel her tongue inside. With all the practice she'd gotten these past couple of weeks, Willow was getting very good at knowing how Tara wanted to be kissed. Seeing as she'd won the battle, Willow decided to let Tara have what she wanted.

As soon as she felt Willow's tongue enter her mouth, Tara let out a soft moan, and met it with her own. She began swirling her tongue around Willow's, initiating one of her favorite pastimes—dueling with Willow's tongue. The battle continued for a few minutes, until Willow remembered the Scooby meeting.

"We're late," she said softly, pulling away from her girlfriend's lips.

"Mmm," Tara sighed—smiling at her girlfriend.

"And we haven't even put on our makeup yet," Willow pointed out.

"Yeah," Tara agreed. "Makeup." This was one of her favorite parts of their morning ritual. She didn't normally wear a lot of makeup, but ever since Willow became her girlfriend, her opinion of the stuff had changed. Maybe it was because Willow insisted on applying the makeup herself.

Pulling out of her girlfriend's embrace, Willow located Tara's makeup kit, and moved to sit on Tara's desk—her legs dangling over the edge. She smiled at Tara, and motioned for her to come over. As soon as Tara was standing in front of her, Willow pulled out some foundation and began applying it to her face.

Tara closed her eyes at her girlfriend's ministrations—enjoying the sensation of her touch. It always made her skin tingle to feel Willow's fingers rubbing in the soft powder. A minute later, she opened her eyes and smiled at her girlfriend.

"Your turn," she said softly.

Willow grinned, and handed over the foundation. When Tara had finished her task, she grabbed some eye shadow, and lightly applied it to the girl's eyelids. She then closed her own eyes, while Willow returned the favor.

"Mascara?" Willow asked.

Tara shook her head. "Not today."

"Okay," Willow smiled—reaching for the lipstick. "Now for my favorite part."

"Mmm," Tara agreed. "Mine too."

"It's your turn to go first this morning," Willow reminded her.

Tara nodded, and parted her lips in response. Willow slowly applied the lipstick to her girlfriend's lips, making sure that the layer was extra thick. When she'd finished her task, she put away the lipstick, and cupped Tara's cheeks. Parting her own lips, she pulled Tara's face towards hers, and firmly pressed her lips to Tara's—making sure to have complete contact.

She'd gotten this idea the first time she'd applied makeup to Tara. What better way to blot the lipstick from Tara's lips, then by using her own lips? This way, not only did she not have to use a tissue, but she also didn't have to apply her own lipstick either. As she pulled away from her girlfriend, Willow pressed her lips together, making sure the lipstick was spread evenly—Tara did the same.

"All done," Willow grinned—hopping off the desk.

She wrapped her arms around Tara's waist, and turned the girl around—so that she was pressed up against her back. She guided them both towards the mirror, in order to admire their handiwork. She looked over her girlfriend's shoulder, and met her eyes in the mirror. They smiled at one another, and Willow couldn't resist pressing a sweet kiss to Tara's cheek.

"You look great," she whispered into the girl's ear. "Beautiful actually."

"So do you," Tara returned—craning her neck. She briefly took Willow's bottom lip into her mouth, before releasing it. "Very beautiful."

Willow once again met her girlfriend's eyes in the mirror. "Something's missing though," she observed with a smile.

"What?" Tara asked—noting the glint in Willow's gaze.

"Stay here," Willow demanded gently, as she pulled away. A moment later, she was once again standing behind her girlfriend, only this time she had a couple of necklaces in her hand.

"Which one do you prefer?" she asked—resting her arms on Tara's shoulders, and holding the jewelry out in front of her.

Tara thought for a moment, before answering. "I like 'em both," she replied with a smile.

"Both it is," Willow grinned. With that, she quickly fastened both necklaces around her girlfriend's neck. "There," she said. "Now you're perfect."

"What about you?" Tara asked—turning around to face Willow. "I think you need something too."

"Got anything in mind?"

Tara nodded, and located one of her own necklaces. "I think this'll look great on you," she explained—walking back towards Willow.

"You think?" Willow asked. She turned her back to Tara, and smiled at her reflection in the mirror.

"Definitely," Tara returned, as she stepped up behind Willow. She reached around the girl's neck, and quickly fastened the necklace for her. "What did I tell you," she observed. "You look great."

Willow turned around to face Tara. "Thanks," she said with a smile—leaning down to briefly kiss her girlfriend's lips. "Ready to go?" she asked after a moment. At Tara's nod, Willow took the girl's hand into her own, and dragged them both out the door.

As Giles headed out of the student lounge, Willow turned towards her girlfriend and smiled. "I guess it's just us now."

"Yeah," Tara agreed, smiling back. "So, what do you wanna do?"

"I don't know," Willow began. "I've got 20 minutes before class starts."

"Same class as Buffy?" Tara asked.

It was the same class, Willow realized. She giggled as she decided to make a joke out of it. "Yeah," she replied. "Maybe we could make like Buffy and Riley and..." she waved her arm as she spoke the last couple of words, pointing in the direction of Tara's dorm room. "...you know..."

Tara chuckled at Willow's words, seeing where her humor was coming from. "You mean do the thing?" she rejoined, deciding to play along.

"Yeah," Willow returned, glad to see Tara had gotten her. "The thing."

Tara smirked at Willow's words. "The thing we do."

"Like Buffy and Riley?" Willow asked, oh so innocently.

"Right," Tara agreed, smiling playfully. "That thing."

"The thing we could squeeze in..." Willow continued, using the same word Buffy had.

"...Before class," Tara finished the sentence.

"Only not the thing," Willow pointed out mockingly.

"No," Tara agreed. "Cause we couldn't do that thing."

Willow chuckled. "We'd have to do the other thing."

"Our thing," Tara concluded.

"Right," Willow agreed, as they both burst into uncontrollable giggles. They laughed together for a few minutes, before they finally settled down.

"Um Tara," Willow began, once her giggles had subsided.

"Yes?" Tara replied.

"Wanna go to a movie tonight?" she asked. "To you know...celebrate."

Tara grinned at Willow's question—Did the girl mean to celebrate their two-week anniversary? She couldn't believe Willow had remembered that.

"I'd love to," she replied. "I didn't think you'd remembered..."

"How could I forget?" Willow replied.

Tara just smiled, resisting the urge to kiss her girlfriend—they were after all in public.

"I hear Charlie's Angels is playing," Willow continued, forcing down her own urge to kiss Tara. "It's meant to be pretty funny."

"Okay," Tara agreed. "Sounds good."

"Great," Willow smiled. "Charlie's Angels it is. I'll grab a paper after class and find out what time it's showing."

Tara smiled in agreement. "We can work out a time at lunch then."

"Right, " Willow agreed. She suddenly realized she'd forgotten to go over today's class topics. Willow always read up to one chapter ahead of what they were discussing in class, so that she knew what the professor was going to talk about, even before he talked about it. "My books," Willow burst out—standing up quickly.

"What's the matter sweetie?" Tara asked softly.

"I forgot to read ahead," Willow explained—as if it were the most important thing in the world.

Tara smiled lovingly at her girlfriend. "Oh," she replied knowingly. She'd gotten used to Willow's obsession with class work. Standing up, she grabbed her girlfriend's hand and squeezed it gently. "We should go then."

Willow smiled at Tara, as they quickly made their way back to her dorm.

Late that night, Willow and Tara made their way slowly back to Tara's dorm. They'd just had a very pleasant evening together. First, they'd gone to the Café for some dinner, and had then headed off to a late-night showing of Charlie's Angels. They'd thoroughly enjoyed the movie, and since there hadn't been too many people there, and it had been very dark—they'd been able to sit themselves in the back corner of the theatre and occasionally make with the smoochies. Afterwards, they'd headed off to the Bronze, where Willow had shown Tara how to play pool.

They were halfway back to the campus, when they heard a rustling in the bushes, and a vampire burst out from behind them. Tara jumped in shock at the sight of the blonde vamp in game-face lunging at her.

"Spike," Willow said with annoyance. "What are you doing?" She turned towards her girlfriend and smiled. "It's okay," she said reassuringly. "It's just Spike."

Tara thought for a moment—why was that name so familiar? She then realized that Spike was the vampire with a chip Willow had told her about.

"Oh," she smiled in understanding. So this was Spike?

Spike turned back into his normal non-vampy self. "Hey Red," he drawled. "Didn't know it was you—I just caught a look at the blonde over there," he continued—gesturing at Tara.

"What are you up to Spike?" Willow questioned him again.

"Hey," he began indignantly. "A fella's gotta make a livin' somehow." He turned towards Willow's blonde friend and smiled devilishly. "No better way to get me some blood and smokes," he explained, giving her the once over. He then turned his attention back to Willow. "Who's your friend?" he asked. "Haven't seen her around before."

Willow unconsciously reached for Tara's hand protectively. She didn't like the look Spike had given her—it was kinda predatory, and a little bit of a come on. What right did Spike have to look at her Tara like that?

"Tara's a really powerful witch," Willow said proudly. "And...if you're not careful—she'll turn you into a frog or something..." She glanced over at Tara and smiled. "Right?"

Tara giggled at her girlfriend, deciding to play along. "Right," she replied, turning her head back to face Spike. She had to force herself to keep a straight face though—the idea of her turning this vamp into a frog was ridiculous at best.

Spike took in Willow's protective attitude, and noted the way she was now grasping the blonde's hand. He sniffed the air for a second, and realized that the scent of these two birds was kinda mingled. He felt a smirk come to his lips as he figured out whom Red had replaced Dog-Boy with. He looked at Willow and smirked.

"What?" Willow asked, seeing the leer in Spike's grin.

"So that's it," he began.

"What's it?"

"I have to say," Spike continued. "I like the blonde here a lot better than Dog-Boy."

Willow sputtered at Spike's words—How did he know? "What do you mean?" she choked out.

He turned away from Willow and smiled sexily at her blonde girlfriend, making a note of running his eyes down her body. He knew his actions were annoying the redhead, but more importantly, the blonde did have a pretty good body—very curvaceous.

"A lot sexier," he observed, shifting his gaze back to Willow. "If you and Blondie ever get bored with the gal-pal bit..."

"Shut up Spike," Willow burst out. She felt like doing massive bodily harm to the vamp as he'd given her girlfriend the once over. How dare he? Also, what the hell was he implying...Did he mean he wanted to...? What a typical Spike thing to say. She knew he was just saying that to get a reaction from her, but she did not take kindly to someone joking about her relationship with Tara. A threesome...of all the nerve...

Spike lifted his hands up in mock defense. "Hey," he smirked. "It was just a suggestion. A fella does get lonely...and two birds are always better than one...You know," he continued. "Sometimes when Dru was off alone on the hunt—she'd be gone for weeks—I'd go looking..."

"Stop," Willow burst out. "I don't wanna know. Whatever you did is your business, and I have no interest in hearing about your sex-capades Spike."

"Right then," Spike grinned, realizing he'd taken things far enough. He didn't want Red here to go complaining to the Slayer—sending her around to give him a hard time...

"I'll be off then." He turned to the blonde and winked at her. "It's been nice meeting you cutie," he drawled, before heading off.

Willow turned towards her girlfriend, hoping she wasn't too distressed by Spike's actions. She was surprised to notice the bemused expression on Tara's face. "What is it?" she asked Tara—curious as to her response.

Tara squeezed Willow's hand, as they continued back towards the dorm. "So," she began. "That was Spike..."

"Yep," Willow replied. "Sorry you had to meet him."

"Oh, that's okay," Tara replied. "He was kinda funny."

"Funny?" Willow questioned. What was so funny about Spike? She'd thought the blonde vamp had been infuriating, what with the way he'd been staring at Tara and everything...

"He's like a big kid," Tara explained.

"What do you mean?"

"The things he was saying," Tara continued. "It's like he was doing it on purpose...to make us angry or something."

Willow thought about Tara's words for a moment, and began to see the truth behind them. Of course Spike had been having a go at her—he always did that. Why hadn't she seen it...? Glancing over at her girlfriend, Willow realized why she'd been unusually annoyed by Spike—She hadn't liked the way he'd been ogling Tara, making jokes about their relationship—everything to do with Tara was sacred to her—Tara was hers and hers alone. Man, did she have it bad...?

When they finally reached Tara's dorm, Willow looked at her girlfriend, and contemplated brining up the subject of their relationship. This morning, she'd finally decided that it was time to move things along, to let them enter the next stage, and now was the perfect time to say something—on their two-week anniversary...

As Tara stepped out for a quick shower, Willow changed into her pajamas, and crawled into the bed. She spent the time mulling over in her mind how she was going to bring up the subject—to ask Tara if she could touch her. When the girl walked back into the room, Willow felt her resolve fading. Tara looked so adorable and sexy, that Willow felt like she couldn't handle being rejected by her at this stage. She didn't want to do anything to risk their relationship, especially not on a day as special as this one. Maybe tomorrow...?

"You tired?" Tara asked her girlfriend, as she crawled into bed with her. She was surprised to come back from her shower and find Willow already in bed.

Willow turned on her side so she was facing the blonde. "A little," she admitted.

"Early night then?"

Willow leaned over and pressed her lips to Tara's for a brief moment. "After smoochies," she said huskily—pulling away.

"Smoochies?" Tara asked, grinning at the redhead.

"Lots and lots of smoochies," Willow replied, leaning in for another kiss.

The two girls made out for about an hour or so, until things began to get a little too heated. As usual they pulled away the moment their arousal became too much for them to control, and they curled up in each other's arms and drifted off to sleep.

"Buffy's going to kill me," Willow insisted, as she and her girlfriend made their way back to her dorm after lunch the next day.

"I'm sure she'll understand," Tara insisted.

"She hasn't even really worn the blouse that much," Willow pointed out. "I shouldn't have borrowed it."

Willow was right; she shouldn't have borrowed the peasant blouse without asking, but pointing that out to her girlfriend wouldn't help ease her distress. "Although," Tara interjected. "It wasn't your fault you got grape jelly all over it. The guy came out of nowhere."

Willow opened the door to her and Buffy's room, stepping aside to let Tara in first. "I don't think that'll hold well with Buffy though," Willow sighed, making her way to the sink. She picked up a washcloth, and tired to dab at the stain, but it only seemed to make matters worse.

Tara just stood there in silence, and watched her girlfriend adoringly. "I don't think it'll come out with soap sweetie," she said after a few minutes.

Willow turned around to face her girlfriend and sighed. "No, I don't think it will." She suddenly got an idea. "Hey," she burst out, heading towards her bookshelf. "Maybe there's a spell we can do." She grabbed the nearest spell book, and sat down at her desk. "One to remove stains or something..."

"Maybe," Tara agreed reluctantly. She didn't like the idea of Willow using a spell for something so frivolous, but chose not to make a big deal about it. If Willow wanted to do a spell to hide her transgression—who was she to complain about it? Glancing up at the wall clock, she took note of the time.

"I've gotta go to class Willow," she told her girlfriend.

Willow looked up from the spell book she was leafing through. "Okay," she replied, standing up. She walked over to her girlfriend and gently kissed her lips. "I'll pick you up at 7:30," she said as she pulled away. "We can meet up with Buffy and Xander at the party."

"Great," Tara smiled. "Good luck with the shirt," she ventured, as she walked out the door.

Once Tara had left, Willow turned her attention back to finding a stain-removal spell. She researched for about half an hour, until she realized her search was futile. Changing out of the offending shirt, Willow decided she'd have to find a good way of breaking the bad news to Buffy.

Willow and Tara were now making their way through the crowded party, searching for a comfortable place to sit and talk. Neither of them felt very much like mingling, and now that Buffy had gone upstairs with Riley, and Xander had gone off by himself, they were free to enjoy the party atmosphere together.

For some reason, as soon as she'd entered Lowell house, Willow had felt a sudden urge to grab Tara and drag them into a secluded spot so that she could do wild things to her body. More than ever before, Willow felt ready to let Tara know she wanted to take their relationship to the next level. She'd chickened out last night, but today; in this house; she felt surprisingly bold and...naughty.

Looking over at her girlfriend, she smiled at her adoringly. Tara smiled back, and pointed to a nearby stairwell.

"How about here," she suggested.

"Great," Willow replied, taking a seat. She smiled at the blonde as she joined her, suddenly feeling a little nervous. Why was she nervous? What did she have to be nervous about?

Sitting down on the steps next to her girlfriend, Tara turned her head and smiled warmly at the redhead. She too felt strangely nervous, and a little uncomfortable. As she looked over at Willow, she couldn't stop thinking the naughty thoughts that were beginning to manifest themselves in her mind. Her mind started to flash images of her and Willow making love; kissing; holding hands; touching each other intimately...

Taking a deep breath, Tara decided to try and force the images out of her mind. "Willow," she began, figuring conversation was her best bet. "What do you think of horses?"

"Horses?" Willow asked. Why was Tara asking her about horses? Fingering the edges of her jacket nervously, Willow questioned her girlfriend. "Like...big...tall...teeth that could take your arm off—horses?"

Tara processed Willow's words, realizing the girl had a slight fear of horses. She found the look on Willow's face utterly adorable. Forcing down the urge to kiss her girlfriend's lips, Tara responded to Willow's question. "Well sure," she began. "I used to ride when I was a kid. It's fun." She smiled loving at her then, deciding to remind her that horses weren't as bad as she thought they were. "And by the way," she continued. "Most horses don't like arm...very much." Her grin widened as she waited for Willow's response.

Willow wasn't too sure about that...but realized that Tara might probably think she was a loon or something, if she didn't explain her fear. "I had a bad birthday party pony thing when I was 12," she explained. "I look at horses, and I see...really big ponies."

Well, Tara thought...the best way to get over a childhood fear is to face it. "You should ride with me sometime," she suggested flirtatiously. "I guarantee safety and fun."

"Well," Willow began, smiling at Tara's words. She could see the flirtatious glint in the girl's eye, and suddenly felt her naughtiness returning. "If you promise you'll look after me." She reached her hand over towards Tara's knee, caressing her gently as she looked into her eyes. Tara was so sexy, she thought—moving her hand slowly against her knee.

Tara's smile widened as Willow touched her knee, and she felt an instant shock of arousal seep through her body. Willow-hand on Tara-knee was definitely sexy, and Tara couldn't help wondering what Willow-hand on Tara-thigh, would feel like; on Tara-stomach; Tara-breast; Tara-crotch...

YOU'RE DISGUSTING—DIRTY—BAD—EVIL—NAUGHTY -

Tara was shocked by the voice in her head. "Don't touch me," she heard herself saying, as she backed off from Willow. "That's dis…disgusting." She suddenly felt as if she couldn't get far enough away from Willow, and it scared her. She pressed herself against the wall, and stared in shock at her girlfriend. What the hell was going on here?

Willow felt as if she'd been swallowed up alive by the pits of hell. Tara had just done the one thing; said the one thing—which she'd been afraid of for some time. Had she heard right—had Tara just said she was disgusting? Why had Tara said that? Did she really think that. Standing up, she took in Tara's demeanor, and noticed that the girl seemed slightly unnerved about something. There was a look of shock in her eye, as she breathed heavily, and trembled slightly.

"Tara," she began, suddenly feeling worried about her girlfriend. "What's the matter?"

Tara had no idea what was wrong. All she did know, was that she suddenly felt very dirty; very unclean; impure—a way she hadn't felt in a long time—not since she'd come to Sunnydale—away from her Father. The voice in her head had sounded exactly like her father's. What was going on? Had they followed her here? If so, how was it possible for him to project his thoughts into her mind? Her father didn't have any magickal ability—did he? Had he read her mind—heard what she'd been thinking about Willow? Oh god, she really was bad...

VERY BAD

Tara was startled when the voice agreed with her. "I don't," she began, choosing to answer Willow's question. "I don't know."

"I'm sorry," Willow insisted. She hadn't meant to do anything to upset Tara. "I…I didn't mean to..." she trailed of as she noticed the distress in Tara's eyes getting even more pronounced. What was going on here? Was Tara all right? "Are…are you feeling okay?" she asked her girlfriend in concern.

Tara couldn't take it any longer. The voice was telling her she wasn't okay, that she was:

WRONG;

BAD;

DISGUSTING;

A CHILD OF PURE SIN;

GOING STRAIGHT TO HELL;

EVIL;

EVIL;

Tara could tell the girl was hurt by her behavior, that she felt rejected, and she hated to see her in so much pain—hated to realize that she was the one responsible for Willow's look of distress. However, she couldn't control herself—and what made things worse, was that even though she'd just hurt Willow, the girl was still worried about her. She didn't deserve Willow's concern—she didn't deserve anyone's concern.

"I'm f…fine," she insisted, feeling the need to be by herself. She needed to get away from Willow for a bit—to compose herself, and to figure out what was going on. "I just wanna..." she pointed upstairs towards the bathroom. "Go to the bathroom," she explained. With that, she rushed up the stairs without a single glance back at Willow—she needed to clear her head a bit.

Willow watched in shock as Tara disappeared up the stairs. She couldn't believe what had just happened. One moment, she was talking to her girlfriend—flirting with her, and the next...BAM...she was being rejected. What was going on here? Why had Tara rejected her? She'd touched Tara's knee before; in fact, during some of their more heated make out sessions—she'd even touched Tara's ass on occasion; only briefly though, she'd pulled away as soon as she'd realized what she'd been doing.

Maybe she'd pushed things too far the other morning—with the straddling? Maybe this was Tara's way of letting her know they should back off a bit? That didn't make total sense to Willow though—if Tara had been uncomfortable the other morning—If she'd been uncomfortable with their relationship—she'd have said something sooner right?

After a few minutes of pondering her actions, Willow decided to get up and go look for Tara. She was starting to get worried about her—the girl had been gone for a while now, and she needed to sort things out between them. The longer she let it drag out, the worse it would become.

As Tara entered the bathroom, she suddenly sensed a disturbing energy emanating from the walls. It felt the same as the voice in her head...This made Tara feel somewhat relieved. It wasn't her father saying these things to her—the voice had come from the house itself. She wasn't disgusting—it was something else...something about the house; but what? She decided to walk around and investigate, hopefully she'd figure out where this energy was coming from—what it all meant.

Once Tara had finished her tour of the house, she'd gone back downstairs to find Willow. Shortly after locating her girlfriend, they'd gone back upstairs to get Buffy to help them—she wasn't the only one who had noticed something was wrong with the house; there were many strange things going on, and they needed the Slayer to help them.

The Slayer was busy however—trapped in a bedroom; making love with her boyfriend. Tara had sensed a sudden disturbance as Willow and Xander had knocked on the Slayer's door, and she'd gone to the balcony to investigate. She hadn't been mistaken, because moments later, there was a large quake, and pretty soon everyone had left the house.

Once they too had left the house, they realized that The Slayer and her boyfriend were still trapped inside, and they needed to figure out a way to get them out. Which is why they'd gone in search of Giles—seeking his help to find out what was going on, and to think of a way to rescue Buffy and Riley. They'd found him at the Espresso pump, and after his singing performance, they'd quickly filled him in on what was going on. They then headed off towards the college library, so that they could do some research on the house.

AT THE LIBRARY

"So, she's alive," Giles commented. He was referring to Genevieve Holt—the house director of years past. "Maybe we should pay her a visit then."

"I'm down with that," Xander interjected—standing up.

"Yeah," Anya agreed. "We might find something useful from the old woman." She stood up and joined Xander—looking down at the rest of the group.

Giles stood up as well, and looked towards Willow and Tara. "You coming?" he asked the two witches.

Willow and Tara looked at each other—both thinking the same thing. They needed to talk about what had happened; they'd been on edge around one another ever since the stairwell incident, and they just couldn't take the awkwardness any longer.

"Um," Willow began—glancing at Tara for some support. "We, uh..."

"We thought we could do some research," Tara let out.

"Yeah," Willow agreed—smiling at her girlfriend's ingenuity. "I've got some books at the dorm. We might be able to find a spell or something—to help..."

Giles nodded—seeing the merit to their plan. "Okay then. We'll come by when we're done."

The girls shared a look, and smiled at one another. "Great," they both said.

With that, Giles turned around, and headed off with Xander and Anya.

"So," Willow began, suddenly feeling awkward again. "We should, uh...go."

"Okay," Tara said softly, giving Willow a shy smile.

With that, Willow grabbed her jacket, and followed Tara out of the library. They walked to Willow's room in silence, unsure of what to say. Willow knew that Tara's actions and words had been a result of whatever was haunting Lowell house, but they'd still cut. She also didn't know exactly what Tara had been thinking when she'd said them, and hoped to god she hadn't really meant them.

Upon reaching Willow's room, the two girls entered silently and took a seat on opposite beds—facing one another. They smiled nervously at each other, as they alternated their gazes between the floor, the ceiling, and their girlfriend's eyes. Neither knew where to begin, but after a minute of uncomfortable silence, Willow finally spoke up.

"I'm sorry," she let out gently.

"Oh no," Tara was quick to interject. "I…I'm the one who should be sorry."

"No," Willow shook her head—entering babble mode. "It's my fault—I've been rushy girl lately. What with how I acted yesterday, and then today...just because I wanted to, doesn't mean you do to—and I haven't even asked—I totally freaked you out—I shouldn't have been so insensitive...but the dream...and the rightness...and I didn't want to hide anymore—and then at the house—talking to you—I just wanted to...and you looked so sexy...and I was all with the naughty thoughts, and you were talking about riding together...the look...and I was flirting—never been good with the flirting—but with you...I couldn't help myself—you're smile was just...and the moment felt right...and I'm sorry—really—I'm so sorry...I was bad—really, really bad...bad, naughty Willow...with the naughty thoughts—wrong; sexy; lusty; naughty thoughts...How could I be so...? I bet you never have thoughts...and I'm..."

Tara couldn't take it any longer—what was Willow talking about? She had thoughts—naughty thoughts? What did she mean about a dream—what dream? Willow was not making much sense to her, but if she wasn't mistaken—Willow had called her sexy. Did Willow mean what she thought she meant? When she said she had lusty thoughts...did she mean she wanted to...? Tara's mind was buzzing with both hope and excitement over Willow's words. Standing up, she moved quickly towards her girlfriend, and sat down on the bed facing her—one knee bent; leg under her thigh.

"Willow," she said softly, taking the girl's hands in her own. "Breathe..."

Willow stopped her babbling. "Oh," she whispered, smiling at Tara.

Tara smiled back. "It's okay Willow," she said reassuringly. "You've got nothing to be sorry about."

"What do you mean?" She asked, turning to face her girlfriend.

"I mean...I...I have thoughts too..."

Tara said the words slowly, shyly—her face turning redder with each one—yet she forced herself to say them. Willow needed to know she wasn't the only one who had lusty feelings—especially after how she'd reacted earlier. She didn't want Willow to think she'd done anything wrong—she needed to explain everything, and in order to do so, she had to reveal what she'd been thinking.

Willow's heart skipped a beat at Tara's revelation. "Thoughts?" She asked softly. "You mean...?"

Tara nodded slowly, giving Willow a shy smile. "W…when you t…touched me," she continued. I...I had thoughts...I was thinking...thinking n…naughty thoughts..." She bent her head, suddenly unable to meet Willow's eyes.

"So you weren't..." Willow took a deep breath, finding it difficult to say the hurtful word, "...disgusted?"

Tara lifted her head. "Oh no!" She exclaimed. "I wasn't...I mean—you weren't...I…I was the one...not you..."

Willow looked at her girlfriend in confusion. "What do you mean?"

Squeezing her hands, Tara tried to explain. "W…when you touched me, I was...I mean I got..."

"It turned you on?" Willow asked softly—seeing Tara's discomfort.

Tara's blush deepened at Willow's words. "Yeah," she admitted shyly—her eyes falling to the floor.

"Oh," Willow whispered, not knowing what else to say. She turned Tara on...the thought made her feel all tingly inside. "So, what happened?"

Taking a deep breath, Tara forced herself to look back up. "I heard a voice, " she continued, "...In my head."

"What voice?"

"I…I don't know," the blonde replied. "I was having lusty thoughts...f…feelings...and then...then this voice came to me—said I was bad...disgusting. I c…couldn't control it, and it f…forced me to back up, to s…say those words to you—But they...they w…weren't directed at you; they were meant for me. I was disgusting..."

Willow squeezed Tara's hands. "That's terrible!" She exclaimed. "You are so not disgusting. It must've been horrible to feel like that. The voice must be a part of what's been haunting the frat house..."

"Yeah," Tara agreed. "It…it kinda freaked me out..."

Willow nodded. "I remember. What happened to you?" she asked. "After you'd been gone for a while, I went looking for you—but you weren't in the bathroom—all I saw there was a drowning ghost-boy."

"I felt something," Tara explained. "I went to the bathroom to clear my head—to splash some water on my face—when I felt this energy. It was coming from everywhere—from the walls; the ceiling; the floor—from all over the house. The energy was so powerful, but I could sense a strong pain coming from it—hurt and suffering, as if it were trying to break free of something...it was freaky. I started walking around; trying to find the source of it, but I couldn't..."

"You sensed all that?" Willow asked softly—impressed by her girlfriend's ability.

"Yeah," Tara smiled.

"That's pretty cool," Willow continued. "I mean—your power. I love how you can sense things like that..."

Tara blushed at her girlfriend's words. "I'm not that powerful—really," she insisted modestly. "It's just intuition...I think I got it from my mom."

"Well, whatever it is—It's very cool."

The two girls smiled warmly at each other—feeling glad to have sorted out their awkwardness. After a few seconds of deep eye gazing, they started to lean in towards one another, until their lips eventually met in a warm, reassuring, kiss.

As she brushed her lips against Tara's, Willow let go of her girlfriend's hands. She wrapped her arms around the girl's shoulders instead, and pulled their bodies closer together. It felt good to once again be kissing her girlfriend—it meant that everything was all right between them—that she hadn't done anything to ruin their relationship.

Tara's hands were now pressed against her back, and Willow chose that moment to deepen their kiss. Thrusting out her tongue, she brushed it over Tara's lips—begging for entrance. The girl was not one to disappoint, and instantly allowed her unrestricted access. She moaned into the kiss, urgently seeking Tara's tongue—she loved the sparkage of their tongue-wars.

She could feel the wetness building between her legs, as she continued to play with Tara's tongue. Her escalating arousal suddenly reminded her of something—she still hadn't asked Tara if she wanted to take the next step. What's more, now would be the perfect time to bring the subject up—seeing as they'd just revealed to one another that they had lusty thoughts.

Bringing her hands up to Tara's cheeks, Willow forced herself to end the kiss. She gently pulled Tara's lips from hers, and gave her a warm smile. "Hey," she said huskily—her eyes clouded with desire.

"Hey," Tara whispered back—returning her girlfriend's smile. She wondered why Willow had pulled away, but was reassured by the warmth and arousal she saw in her gaze. "What is it?"

Willow pulled her hands down to her lap, so that she could concentrate on her words. She was nervous about asking Tara if she could touch her intimately—if they could move their relationship to the next stage. She didn't know if she could handle two rejections in the one day—although, in all fairness, Tara hadn't really rejected her—it hadn't been her fault—but the pain was still there. Besides, she'd never have an opportunity quite like this one, and if she didn't say something now—who knows when she'd bring it up again...?

"I have to ask you something," she explained shyly—twisting her hands in her lap.

"Okay," Tara smiled. She was curious about Willow's behavior, and could see that the girl was nervous about something. What did Willow want to ask her?

"I've been thinking..." Willow began slowly, "...about us..."

"Oh?" Tara questioned—wondering where this was going.

Willow nodded. "About our relationship and stuff..." She paused then, taking a moment to decide how to explain things. "You see," she continued. "I've been thinking, that maybe...If you wanted to...I mean, if you were ready to...if you wouldn't mind if we...you know...with the...Oh, I don't mean...I don't think I'm ready for that...but I am ready for...you know...stuff...if you want to..."

Tara took in Willow's babbling, doing her best to understand the girl's words. She wasn't too sure on the details of Willow's proposal, but from what she could make out, Willow wanted to do stuff...What exactly did Willow mean by stuff? Tara's heart was racing now, as she began to realize Willow wanted to take their relationship to the next level. Just how far did she want to go? The answer was irrelevant to Tara—she loved Willow more than she'd ever thought it possible to love someone, and she was more than ready to make love to the girl. Therefore, if Willow wanted to do stuff—she'd go as far as Willow wanted...

"I want to," she said shyly—a blush creeping into her cheeks, as her eyes dropped to the floor.

"You do?" Willow asked—her heart pounding in her chest. She couldn't believe she'd finally managed to let Tara know what she wanted. She'd chickened out last night, and to have asked her today—after practically being rejected by her—well, she felt very proud of herself. She had to be sure though—she didn't want to assume anything. "What exactly do you want?"

"I want whatever you want; Willow," Tara explained—her face turning redder by the second. She forced herself to look up, so that she could meet Willow's gaze. "W…whatever you want to do...it's okay with me...I'm...I'm ready..."

Willow couldn't help but smile at Tara's response. "Whatever I want?" she asked playfully. Tara's confirmation had lifted a great weight off her chest, and Willow suddenly felt free—free to be naughty, that is.

Tara felt her breath catch at Willow's words. Willow's playful expression reminded her of the way she'd looked yesterday morning—when she'd straddled her in bed. Tara's heart was racing, as she forced herself to respond to Willow's question.

"Whatever you want," she confirmed—meeting her gaze evocatively.

Willow was breathing heavily, as she took in the full meaning of Tara's words. By whatever—did Tara mean she was ready to...that if she asked her to, she'd make love to her?

"Even...?"

"Anything," Tara said huskily, surprising herself with her own boldness—She'd practically told Willow she wanted to make love to her...

"Oh..." Willow trailed off—completely flustered. Tara wanted to make love to her...she was ready to...Wow! Willow didn't know if she was ready to go that far just yet—with the gay loving, but at least she'd been given a green light to make with the naughty touching. With that thought, her playful mood returned to her.

"So," she began, placing her right hand on Tara's left knee—the one that wasn't bent. "It's okay if I do this?"

Tara gasped at Willow's touch, feeling sparks shoot up her body. She met her girlfriend's gaze, and could see she was up to something. Whatever it was, Tara decided she'd play along—she was definitely getting turned on by her actions, and was curious to see where all this was going.

"It's okay," she said throatily.

Willow smiled, pleased to have been given the go ahead. She then began to slowly move her hand upwards. "How about this?" she asked—tracing a seductive path along Tara's thigh.

At Willow's question, Tara could only nod in response. How was she supposed to talk, when Willow's hand felt so good against her thigh?

Willow was pleased by Tara's response—and a little turned on by it. Becoming bolder by the second, Willow continued her caress of Tara's body. She moved her hand to Tara's hip; to Tara's waist; then back down to the inside of Tara's thigh, coming to rest barely an inch from Tara's burning sex.

Tara closed her eyes at the sensation of Willow's touch. She couldn't stop herself from opening her mouth slightly, as her breathing began to get heavier and heavier. What was Willow doing—What was the girl up to? Did she know the effect she was having on her? The wetness between Tara's legs was increasing rapidly, and now that Willow's hand was so close to where she wanted it to be, Tara couldn't help but start trembling with anticipation. Was Willow really going to touch her there?

Seeing the effect she was having on her girlfriend, Willow's own arousal began to increase. She looked down to where her hand rested—on the inside of Tara's thigh, and couldn't help feeling a little bit dizzy at the sight of it. Seeing her hand in such an intimate position on Tara's body was almost as erotic a sensation as actually touching her there. She kept her hand perfectly still though, as she contemplated her next move.

She had two options—she could either pull away, or turn her hand around and press her fingers against Tara's sex. Willow decided to go for the second option—she was way too turned on right now to stop what she'd started. Taking a deep breath, she turned her palm upwards, and moved it in between Tara's legs, so that she was now touching Tara intimately.

Tara gasped in surprise when she felt Willow's hand against her sex. Her eyes flew open in shock, and she met her girlfriend's gaze. She hadn't actually believed Willow would take things this far—and now had no idea how to react to it. She was completely aroused by Willow's actions, and was a little afraid that her girlfriend would notice the wetness between her legs.

Tara knew she shouldn't be embarrassed about her reaction. She knew that it was only natural, but she couldn't help it. She felt slightly vulnerable now—Here she was, sitting on Willow's bed, with Willow's hand touching her between her legs, and she was completely at the girl's mercy. The second Willow began moving her fingers, Tara knew she'd be a lost cause. She'd be unable to restrain herself from moaning with sensation; from bucking her hips into Willow's hand; from begging the girl to give her some form of release. If she weren't careful, she'd be coming from Willow's touch within minutes.

Sure, she'd let Willow know she was ready to make love—but being ready, and actually experiencing it were two different things. Tara had never really been intimate with anyone before, and was absolutely shy about the whole thing. She really wanted to make love to Willow—to touch her intimately—to be touched intimately by her, but a part of her was scared and nervous about her own reactions.

Looking into her girlfriend's eyes, Willow could see the trepidation there. She could see how aroused Tara had gotten, but also how scared she was. The girl had probably never had someone touch her in this way before, and that thought pleased Willow. The redhead liked the idea of being the first person to touch Tara intimately—it kinda fed her possessive nature.

For some reason, Willow had always felt protective of her relationship with Tara, and also very possessive. From the moment they'd first met, Willow hadn't wanted to share Tara with anyone—not even the Scoobies, and to know that Tara was allowing her to do things to her—things that she'd never allowed anyone else to do—well, it made her feel all warm and happy inside.

She didn't want to push things too far though. They had plenty of time together, and she wanted to make sure Tara was okay with everything. The slightly anxious look she saw in the girl's eye, told Willow that maybe they were moving too fast—that she should slow this down a bit.

"Is this okay?" she asked huskily—her eyes searching her girlfriend's.

Tara couldn't speak—couldn't do anything but remind herself to breathe. How was it possible to be this turned on by a mere touch? Sure, the touch was an extremely intimate one—but Willow's hand wasn't moving, it wasn't even pressed very hard against her. Willow's hand was just resting against her crotch, not doing anything—just resting. Tara shifted her gaze from Willow's eyes, down to between her legs. The sight of Willow's hand cupping her intimately, brought an intense rush of desire straight through to her center. She gasped in surprise from it, her mind racing with how erotic it looked.

Willow followed Tara's gaze downwards, and let out a gasp of her own. If she'd thought the sight of her hand on Tara's inner thigh had been erotic—well, this was 100 times sexier. She could feel the wetness between her own legs rapidly escalating, letting her know exactly what her body thought of this situation. Suddenly, she wanted to feel what Tara was feeling—she wanted to feel her girlfriend's hand against her own need. That would be a little difficult though—seeing as she was wearing a skirt, and if she asked Tara to touch her...well, the girl's hand would have to reach underneath her skirt—she'd have to touch her through the fabric of her panties, and not through the safety of denim...

Willow's arousal began to soar at her thoughts. Would it really be so bad to have Tara touch her like that? What would it feel like, to have Tara's hand touching her through her panties? How sexy would it be? She could just imagine how crazy with desire she'd become from Tara's touch. She'd be instantly yearning for more—wanting not just a simple touch, but also the movement of fingers. She'd want Tara to seek out her clitoris; to press her fingers against it; to rub it sensuously, and to give her release.

Willow suddenly realized what her touch must be doing to Tara. She was probably driving the girl crazy—not moving her hand—just touching her there. Maybe it was time to rectify the situation...Just as she was about to apply some pressure, to where she thought Tara's clitoris might be—she was startled by the knocking at her door.

"They're back," she gasped—pulling her hand away from Tara guiltily. She couldn't believe she'd forgotten about the Scoobies; about Buffy and Riley...How could she have been so caught up in things? Smiling ruefully at her girlfriend, she got up off the bed—moving into panic mode.

"Research," she whispered—frantically looking around for some books. "We're supposed to be doing research."

Tara could only nod, doing her best to compose herself. She was still under the effects of Willow's sexy-touching, and could not really formulate any coherent thoughts. Reminding herself to take deep, calming breaths—she watched in silence as Willow quickly located a couple of spell books, and tossed them onto the bed. She reached for one of the books and opened it up, as Willow walked to the door—they needed to appear as if they'd been researching the whole time.

As the Scooby members piled into the room, Willow had to keep reminding herself to relax. She felt extremely guilty over her behavior—and guilt was never a good emotion for her.

"Find anything interesting?" Xander asked—pulling up a chair.

Willow shook her head, as she sat down on the bed next to Tara. "Not really," she replied. "You?"

Giles responded to her question. He explained about the old woman's behavior, and about the disembodied spirits and stuff.

Tara's ears perked up at the mention of disembodied spirits. She'd read about such things in one of her mother's books, and realized she knew of a way to help Buffy and Riley.

"Did you say disembodied spirits Mr. Giles?" she asked.

Giles turned towards the blonde witch and nodded. "I did."

"I...I think I might know something that could help," she explained.

Willow smiled proudly at her girlfriend. "Really?" she asked.

Tara grinned at the redhead. "Yeah," she nodded her head. "There's a spell...I read it in one of my mom's books...it could b…bind the spirits long enough for someone to reach Buffy and Riley. I think I've seen the same book here as well." She stood up and walked towards the bookshelf.

"That'd be great," Willow burst out—looking over at Giles. "Right?" she asked him.

Giles nodded in agreement. "It could work," he said cautiously.

"Then I can go back for them," Xander pitched in.

"If you go—I go," Anya insisted.

"Fine," Xander replied.

"I found it," Tara interrupted—handing the book to Willow. "Here," she pointed out the passage.

Willow accepted the book from her girlfriend with a smile. She began reading over the passage, and Giles stood up to read over her shoulder.

"It should work," he said a moment later—"it doesn't seem too difficult."

"Right," Willow agreed—standing up. "Lets set it up then." She looked over at Tara, and the two smiled at each other—it was time to light all the candles.

While the witches set up the room for the spell, Xander decided to go raiding Buffy's weapons chest. Anya started giving him a hard time about it, but he ignored her protests. He didn't care if these spirits had no bodies—a weapon always made him feel stronger—manlier.

After the spirits had dispersed, they'd quickly cleaned up the room somewhat, and then headed off towards Lowell house—to make sure everyone was okay, and to find out what had happened. On their way to the frat house though, Giles and the two witches came across Xander and Anya. Xander explained what had happened, and said he'd left a note for Buffy to meet them at the café in the morning—so that they could fill her in on the goings on. The Scoobies then all went their separate ways—with Willow and Tara deciding that Tara's dorm would be the safer one to sleep in that night.

Upon entering Tara's room, Willow took off her jacket, and moved to sit down in the girl's armchair. A second later, Tara joined her—pulling up a chair from her desk, and positioning it in front of her girlfriend.

"That was some night," Willow ventured shyly. She was feeling a little bit embarrassed after her actions earlier that night. At the time, cupping Tara intimately had seemed like the most perfect thing to do—now however, she wasn't so sure. What if she'd moved things too fast—made her girlfriend uncomfortable? Sure, Tara had given her the go ahead, but she'd seen how anxious her touch had made her. What if Tara had changed her mind—decided that maybe it was too soon to make with the sexy-touching?

Tara smiled in response. "Yeah," she said softly. She too was feeling slightly embarrassed, and could tell Willow was feeling the same thing. She didn't know what else to say, so she decided to just gaze into her girlfriend's eyes in silence—wait for her to make the next move—to say something.

Willow smiled back at Tara—her mind racing. Once again, she'd been responsible for bringing about this awkwardness between them—first at Lowell house, and then back in her own room...When was she going to learn?

"Tara," she began softly. "About what happened..."

"Yes," Tara replied—her heart pounding. She couldn't help wondering what Willow was going to say. She was afraid that the girl had changed her mind; that she'd decided to push their relationship back a bit.

"I'm sorry," she continued.

Tara started to feel queasy—Why was Willow sorry? Did she regret what had happened? Was she sorry she'd touched her intimately; sorry because she didn't think she could do sexual things with a girl? Now that Willow had been given some time to think about her actions, had she realized that she could only be intimate with a guy?

"S…s…sorry?" Tara stuttered quietly.

"Yeah," Willow whispered. "I uh, I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable—with the touching. I...I didn't mean to touch...I mean, I did mean to...I just...not that soon...I mean...if you weren't ready...I know you said you were, but you probably didn't mean right away...I was all rushy...and the timing...bad timing, and I...I'm sorry..."

Tara couldn't help grinning at Willow's words—the girl hadn't changed her mind—Yay! She reached her hands out towards Willow's, squeezing them reassuringly. "No sorry!" she exclaimed. "You have nothing to be sorry about."

Willow smiled at her girlfriend—seeing the reassurance in her eye. "Really?" she asked. "I didn't make you feel uncomfortable?"

Tara shook her head—a blush creeping into her cheeks. "Not really," she explained.

"What do you mean?"

Tara took a deep breath before explaining her words. "I mean...I've n…never...no one's ever...I was j…just...I was just...surprised. No one's ever t…touched me like that before...you were the…the first person to..."

"Oh," Willow gasped in understanding. "You didn't know how to react?" she surmised.

"Yeah," Tara nodded in response—blushing furiously. "The feelings were...new."

"So you really didn't mind?" Willow had to make sure.

Tara smiled shyly at her girlfriend—her face turning even redder. "No," she replied. "I d…didn't mind."

Willow's smile widened. She was ecstatic to realize her girlfriend hadn't rejected her advances; that her girlfriend had just been turned on by her—experienced something she'd never experienced before.

"So it's okay—" Willow asked—"me touching you?"

Tara nodded. "Very okay," she said shyly—her blush deepening.

"What about you though?" Willow asked.

"Me?" Tara questioned.

"With the touching," Willow explained. "Do you want to?"

Tara didn't think her face could turn any redder than it already was, but at Willow's words, she was proven wrong. "W…w…w…what d…d...d...do you m…m…mean?"

Willow's heart went out to her girlfriend as she observed her embarrassment. The girl's cheeks were redder than burgundy wine, and she couldn't remember the last time she'd heard her stutter that badly. She found it absolutely adorable how shy Tara was about the subject of sexual activity—not that she was one to talk though. Willow was also extremely uncomfortable talking about sex—but she knew it was finally time to put their cards on the table. She needed to know what Tara wanted—just like she needed to tell Tara what she wanted. Like Xander had once said—if she was doing it, than she should at least be able to talk about it.

"I mean," Willow began gently. "You touching me...Do you want to?"

"Oh," Tara whispered, her eyes dropping to the floor. She let her hair cover her face, as she attempted to compose herself.

Willow's question had caught her off guard, and she wasn't too sure how to respond to it. Willow was asking her if she wanted to touch her. Of course she wanted to touch her—she'd had numerous fantasies about touching Willow, but when it came to actually revealing what she wanted—it was kinda difficult. Although, a few hours ago she'd boldly let Willow know she was ready to make love to her, so why was she suddenly finding it difficult to let the girl know she wanted to touch her? Tara couldn't really explain her fluctuating reactions—it's just that sometimes she felt bold, and sometimes she felt shy. Right now was one of her shy moments.

Taking a few more deep breaths, Tara forced herself to look up. She met Willow's gaze and smiled shyly at her girlfriend. "I..." she began, taking another breath. "I do w…want to...t…touch you."

Willow's breath caught in her chest at Tara's sincere revelation. Hearing those words coming out of her girlfriend's mouth—knowing how hard it must've been for her to say them—brought Willow to an immediate state of both arousal and love. Her girlfriend wanted her—wanted to touch her, and even though she felt shy about revealing it—she'd done so anyway...for her...

"Oh Tara," she sighed—leaning towards her girlfriend. Releasing Tara's hands, she wrapped her arms around the girl's neck instead, and pulled her into a warm hug.

Tara instantly responded by moving her hands to Willow's back—closing her eyes as she immersed herself in the embrace.

A minute later, Willow released her grip on Tara—blinking away her tears. She smiled warmly at her girlfriend, and leaned back in her chair as she contemplated her next move.

Maybe now was the time, Willow thought—the time to make one of her fantasies come to life? For a long time now, she'd fantasized about Tara's breasts—about what it would be like to touch them; hold them; look at them...If they were going to become more intimate with one another, than they'd have to do so slowly; gradually—And what better place to start than with cleavage? Willow realized she'd moved things too quickly this afternoon—touching Tara between the legs. Maybe they should restrict their touching to above the waist...at least for now? It would give them a chance to get used to one another's bodies—to get used to the new stage of their relationship...

Tara watched her girlfriend in silence, wondering what she was thinking. She could tell by the look in Willow's eye, that she was about to suggest something—something about their relationship. After all their talk on sexy-touching, Tara knew that Willow's suggestion would certainly be of the sexual variety. That thought began to turn her on immensely, and she couldn't wait to find out what Willow wanted. Despite her shyness, Tara definitely wanted to be intimate with Willow—she just had trouble making the first move. She knew that as soon as Willow put them in a sexual situation, that she'd be unable to resist her desires—that she'd start to act on instinct, and just give in to what she wanted.

"Tara," Willow finally broke the silence—looking up to meet her girlfriend's gaze. Encouraged by Tara' warm smile, Willow forced herself to say what was on her mind. "Is it okay...If I..."

"What?" Tara asked softly, encouraging Willow to continue.

"Can I..." Willow tried again—trailing off as her eyes dropped to Tara's breasts. She looked pointedly at the girl's cleavage, before looking back up again.

Tara followed Willow's gaze, and realized what the girl was asking. "Oh," she gasped softly.

Willow smiled shyly—blushing as she noticed the clue hit Tara. Much as she wanted to be all sophisticated about this, she couldn't help feeling a little embarrassed—to be asking her girlfriend if she could touch her breasts.

Willow wanted to touch her breasts...The very thought of it made Tara a little dizzy. She took in her girlfriend's sudden shyness, and felt her own embarrassment dissipate a little. All she could think about now was easing Willow's discomfort. Besides, she couldn't wait to feel the girl's hands on her breasts.

"Willow," she began—looking into her eyes meaningfully. "It's okay...I...I w…want you to..." She could feel her own cheeks turning red as she said the words, but she forced them out anyway.

"Really?" Willow asked—needing to be sure. Her heart was pounding in her chest now, as she gazed at her girlfriend. She was about to fulfill one of her fantasies, and the anticipation was killing her. She couldn't remember the last time she'd been this turned on—and she hadn't even touched her girlfriend yet. How was she going to handle actually feeling the girl's breasts in her hands?

Tara nodded in reply. "Really," she said huskily—flashing her girlfriend a soft inviting smile. "I want you to."

That was all the encouragement Willow needed. Lifting her right hand slowly, she leaned forward in her chair, and tentatively extended it towards her girlfriend.

"Your stripe," she whispered, pressing her fingers against Tara's shirt—just above her breasts.

"Stripe?" Tara choked out—her heart racing at how close Willow's fingers were to her breasts. What was she talking about?

Willow used her index finger to trail a line along Tara's chest—following the edge of the pale green stripe on her shirt. "This stripe," she explained. "It's been driving me crazy."

Tara looked down to see what Willow was referring to, and finally got the picture. "Oh," she smiled.

Willow smiled back—stopping her movements. She let her finger rest in the middle of Tara's chest, making sure to have no contact with her breasts—she wanted to savor the anticipation for a moment longer.

"I've been stealing looks at this stripe all day," Willow admitted, meeting Tara's gaze. "It's very sexy."

"Sexy?" Tara asked huskily. She couldn't believe how seductive Willow was behaving. Now that she'd given her girlfriend permission to make with the naughty touching, she was seeing a whole new side of Willow—a sexy; naughty; playful; teasing, side. Tara had to admit—she just loved this side—even if it was driving her insane with desire.

Willow nodded, before pressing her lips to Tara's. She captured the girl's bottom lip for a moment, and then released it so that Tara could have a taste of hers. When Tara released her lip a few seconds later, she pulled away from the kiss—leaving them both flushed with desire. Much as she wanted to continue kissing Tara, she wanted to touch her breasts even more—and seeing the girl's reaction to her touch was just as important. Unfortunately, she couldn't watch Tara and kiss her at the same time.

With renewed determination, Willow dragged her eyes away from Tara's, as she once again trailed a finger along the edge of Tara's stripe. She moved her right hand until her finger was underneath Tara's left arm. She then moved her hand down a bit, and trailed her fingers, along Tara's left side. Her thumb was now hovering just above Tara's stiffening left nipple, as her fingers reached the side of Tara's left breast. She looked up at Tara then—wanting to gauge the reaction she was evoking from her girlfriend.

Tara's mouth was slightly open, and her eyes were half closed, as she followed Willow's movements. She was also breathing heavily, with anticipated arousal, as she waited impatiently for Willow to finally touch her. After a few seconds of inactivity on Willow's part, Tara lifted her gaze to her girlfriend's, and noticed the girl staring at her intently. She smiled at Willow—realizing she wanted confirmation that she could go on.

"You sure?" Willow asked—her eyes never leaving Tara's.

"I'm sure," Tara whispered—smiling shyly.

With that, Willow pressed her thumb firmly—but gently, against Tara's left nipple. She let her hand cover the edge of Tara's breast, while her fingertips rested against her side. She felt her breath stop for a second, as she finally did the thing she'd been fantasizing about doing for so long—touch Tara's breast. The point of Tara's nipple under her thumb felt incredibly sexy, and the experience was everything—if not more so—than she could've ever hoped for.

Tara gasped at the sensation, closing her eyes as a sharp sliver of desire ran down her spine. Willow's thumb against her nipple felt amazing—sexier than in any of her fantasies. Was this really happening—was Willow really touching her breast?

Willow smiled at Tara's reaction; pleased to see she'd turned her girlfriend on. "So you like?" she asked, as she began moving her thumb in circles against Tara's nipple.

"Mmmm," Was all Tara could say, as she inadvertently arched her back—pressing her breast further into Willow's hand. Willow's touch was affecting her in ways she'd never thought possible, and she was too far gone now to do anything but close her eyes, and enjoy whatever it was that her girlfriend wanted to do to her.

Seeing the effect her touch was having, Willow decided to let her left hand copy her right hand. Reaching out slowly, she pressed her left thumb to Tara's right nipple, and rested her hand against the girl's right breast—in the same manner as she was doing with her other one. As she took in the sensation of touching both of Tara's breasts at once, Willow felt like she would faint—she'd never known touching a girl's breasts could be this sexy.

"Mmmm," Tara moaned, arching her back again. She hadn't expected Willow to touch her right breast as well, and the sudden stimulation of both nipples at the same time, was slowly driving Tara to the edge of insanity.

Tara's moan sent a tingle of desire down Willow's center—it's effect increased by the knowledge that she was the one responsible for it. She looked up at Tara's face, and gasped at how sensual her girlfriend looked. Tara's hidden sexuality was now being revealed for her—in the way the girl's mouth was slightly open; the way her breath was coming in slow, harsh, gasps; the way her eyes were closed, and the way her back arched every time she moved her thumbs. Tara was the sexiest person she'd ever met, Willow realized—and she was all hers. No one else was ever going to touch Tara like she was touching her; no one else was ever going to see her sexy reaction.

Willow pulled her gaze away from Tara's face, back down to her breasts. She let out a sharp intake of air, as she took in the sight of her hands on Tara's breasts. Tara had the most dazzling breasts she'd ever seen, and the feel of her nipples under her thumbs was amazing. Willow had never touched another girl's breasts before, and she therefore hadn't realized how much of a turn on it was. She could feel the wetness between her legs escalating by the second, as she continued thumbing Tara's nipples through her shirt.

Slowly, Willow began moving her fingers from Tara's sides—bending them along Tara's breasts, until they reached Tara's nipples. She'd enjoyed the sensation of moving her fingers against Tara's generous breasts, but the sensation of holding the girl's nipples instead—was ten times more intense. She was now using her fingertips to gently pinch Tara's nipples through her shirt; to roll them against her thumb and fingers—savoring the way they felt in her hand; evoking a series of soft moans from her girlfriend.

The second Willow had pinched her nipples between her fingers; Tara could feel all her self-control fading. She was still finding it a little difficult to comprehend that Willow was touching her breasts; playing with her nipples; inciting her to a state of arousal...but the sensations caused by Willow's touch were unmistakable. She couldn't stop herself from moaning with desire—reacting to the wetness between her legs, the arousal coursing through her body...

These sensations were all new to her—not arousal; for she'd been aroused before—but the sensation of Willow-fingers; Willow-hands—on her nipples; on her breasts...Was this really happening? Was Willow really playing with her breasts? Were they really becoming more intimate; taking their relationship to the next level—And why were her legs going numb; her arousal mounting, her wetness escalating? Why did she feel like there was a direct current of electricity coursing from the point of her nipples, straight down to between her legs?

Willow was fascinated by Tara's breasts, and could not bring herself to stop playing with her nipples. She just loved how they felt in her fingers, how they looked as they strained against the girl's shirt. How had she not noticed the appeal of breasts sooner? She'd never paid this much attention to her own breasts—although, they weren't quite as generous as Tara's...Speaking of which, Willow realized she had yet to cup the girl's breasts in her hands—to fully enjoy the extent of their generosity.

Lifting her hands, Willow spread her fingers wide, and pressed the center of her palms against Tara's nipples. She then covered the girl's breasts with her hands, curling her thumbs onto the underside of Tara's cleavage. She gently squeezed Tara's breasts, progressively taking in the way they felt in her hands. As she began to get used to the weight of Tara's breasts—Willow had to admit she totally loved the sensation. She'd never known breasts could feel this good—Holding Tara's breasts in her hands was one of the most arousing things she'd ever done, and she could feel herself getting more and more turned on by the second.

When Willow finally cupped her breasts, Tara felt like she was drowning in her own arousal. Her eyes were closed shut with sensation, as her moans began to get louder, and longer. She knew she should be embarrassed by her reaction; that she was acting like a sexual entity; that she probably looked utterly wanton—but Tara was now long past the point of caring how she looked. Willow's touch was just too hot, and too sexy to ignore, and there was nothing she could do to control herself. Although, why did the girl insist on touching her through fabric—Wouldn't it be so much better—for both of them—if Willow reached under her shirt—touched her naked flesh...?

The same thing was starting to bother Willow as well—the restriction of clothing was totally frustrating. The more she played with Tara's breasts, the more she wanted to really feel them—to see them. She couldn't tear her eyes away from the girl's cleavage, but all this touching through clothing was leaving her feeling entirely unsatisfied. Also, from the heavy breathing, and the soft moans coming from Tara—she could tell her girlfriend was also becoming increasingly frustrated by the cloth barrier.

Willow suddenly stopped her movements—pulling her hands away from Tara's breasts. Her actions were causing both of them to become way to frustrated, and Willow didn't want to tease Tara—or herself for that matter, too much.

Tara let out a soft sigh, as she noticed Willow-hands, and Willow-fingers, were no longer on her breasts. Why had the girl pulled away—had she done something wrong—had her reactions to Willow's touch startled the girl? After a few moments, Tara forced her eyes open, and met Willow's gaze. She was comforted by the look of both adoration and arousal that Willow was bestowing upon her. At least she hadn't done something wrong...

"Willow?" she breathed out her question.

"Hey," Willow smiled. "I uh...clothes..." she began.

"Clothes?" Tara asked. What was Willow talking about?

"Too many," Willow explained—a blush creeping into her cheeks.

"Oh," Tara smiled in understanding—Willow had become just as frustrated as she'd been by the cloth barrier. "Right," she agreed.

Willow suddenly stood up and began pacing around the room—avoiding Tara's gaze. She wanted to ask Tara if she could take her shirt off, but she was a little embarrassed about it. She still wasn't totally sure she wasn't rushing things. She didn't want to do anything to make her girlfriend uncomfortable, and she didn't know how far was too far. Also, she wanted to ask Tara to touch her as well—but what if Tara didn't want to?

Willow knew she wasn't as well endowed as Tara—What if the girl didn't find her attractive enough to wanna touch...? Tara had yet to make a move on her—she'd been the one to initiate everything between them so far, and she needed a little reassurance from the girl that what they were doing was wanted. Sure, Tara had told her she wanted to touch her—but the girl could've just said that to be polite...she'd yet to see evidence of the fact that Tara wanted her...

Tara looked at her girlfriend as she began to pace around the room—wondering what was wrong. She could tell Willow was distressed about something—but what? What was making Willow so nervous? She knew the girl had been frustrated by not being able to touch her breasts directly—but her distress was about something more than just asking for shirt-removal. It was almost as if Willow was worried about something—her energy seemed kinda...Was that insecurity she was sensing? What did Willow have to be insecure about...? She'd already told Willow she wanted her touch—that she wanted to touch her—make love to her...

The truth of the matter suddenly hit Tara like a ton of bricks. Even though she'd said the words—Willow still didn't totally believe them. Willow had been the one doing the touching—on both occasions—while she had just sat there and accepted it. No wonder the girl was feeling insecure—she probably thought she wasn't wanted...that Tara didn't want to touch her...What proof did she have otherwise? Tara cursed her shy nature—Why couldn't she be bolder? Willow probably felt like she wasn't wanted—especially after the way she'd reacted on the stairwell earlier that night. How could she have been so insensitive? She needed to do something to reassure her girlfriend—but what?

Forcing herself into composure—for Willow's sake, Tara stood up, and walked up to her girlfriend. She stopped her pacing by placing her hands on the girl's shoulders and steadying her. She then lifted her right hand, and cupped Willow's chin—guiding her eyes upwards. She stared into her girlfriend's eyes for a moment, smiling at her—silently telling her everything was going to be okay.

Willow had been a little surprised to suddenly notice Tara's hands on her shoulders. Looking into her eyes now, Willow still felt a little surprised—well, curious anyway. What was going on—What was Tara trying to say to her? She could see the girl's smile, could see the warmth in her eye—but what did it mean?

"Willow," Tara began, her face reddening as she realized what she had to say—what she had to do...

"Tara?" Willow returned—her heart racing with fear. "What is it?" She could see the girl wanted to tell her something. She just hoped it wasn't anything bad—what if Tara wanted to admit the truth—to tell her she was sorry...that she wasn't attracted to her...that she didn't want to touch her...

Bracing herself, Tara forced the words out. "I want..." she began huskily—her blush deepening. "...to t…touch you..." Tara couldn't believe she was actually being this open—but she needed to reassure Willow—Willow's comfort meant more to her than her own embarrassment. Moving her hands up to Willow's cheeks, she brought her girlfriend's face down to her own, so that their lips were almost touching. "Now," she concluded—pressing her lips to Willow's.

As she began moving her lips against her girlfriend's, Tara started trailing her hands down from Willow's cheeks; to Willow's neck; to her shoulders; under her arms; along her back, until they came to rest on the girl's butt. She chose that moment to thrust her tongue into Willow's mouth, and pull their lower bodies closer together.

Willow was totally shocked by Tara's words, by her actions—but as soon as the girl's lips had touched her own—her surprise disappeared, as she gave herself over to the kiss. Whatever Tara had in mind was okay with her...But did her actions mean she really wanted her...that she...? Willow couldn't think straight anymore as Tara-lips suddenly gave way to Tara-tongue—And was she mistaken, or were those Tara's hands on her ass...?

Willow moaned at the sensation, and brought her own hands to Tara's butt. If this was what Tara wanted to do—then Willow felt like she should at least return the favor. She still couldn't belie