Acceptance of Love by SpikeMe4Now

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.

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!

Summary: What happened between Willow and Tara in the days after Wild Things and leads up to the start of New Moon Rising.

Tara was the first one to wake up that morning, and as she did so, the events of the previous night washed over her like a warm embrace. Yesterday, she and Willow had taken the next step—moved their relationship into a wholly sexual stage. What's more, she'd finally told Willow that she was in love with her. The girl hadn't said the words back to her—but Tara hadn't minded; that wasn't why she'd said them to her girlfriend.

Loving someone wasn't about having them love you back in return; loving someone was about wanting them to be happy; and making sure that the object of your affections never felt pain; or unhappiness; or insecurity, or anything bad. That's why she'd finally worked up the courage to tell Willow the truth last night; she'd sensed the girl's insecurity, and seen the look of pain on her face at Lowell house—and she never wanted to see that look again, or cause her to feel insecure about herself.

Even though she didn't know if Willow was in love with her—she didn't need to have the words said back to her. Although, it would've been nice to hear them—she was happy simply to have the girl accept them. She wanted Willow to know that her words of love had been said with sincerity, and to know that she had someone of her own who would always be there for her—no matter what.

It made Tara happy to realize that Willow had accepted her love, and that she'd even asked her to physically show her she was loved. Tara wondered when she'd get the chance to do just that—the chance to make love to Willow. The girl had said she wanted it to be special—candlelight dinner...music...those had been her exact words.

Tara couldn't help smiling adoringly at the notion—Willow was such a romantic. She was the type of girl who wanted everyone to have a happy ending. Thinking back to last week, Tara remembered a conversation they'd had; where Willow had shyly admitted that she couldn't stand to watch movies that ended badly. When she was a kid, she'd seen the movie Love Story once, and had cried for over an hour afterwards. Tara had kissed Willow's forehead softly at the revelation, and had pulled the girl into a loving embrace. The more she got to know Willow—the more she fell in love with her.

Glancing up at her clock, Tara noted she still had about an hour before her first class. Looking back down at her sleeping girlfriend, Tara suddenly had a very naughty idea—with an hour before class; maybe she could kill the time with some sexy-touching. She'd been so shy last night, that she'd barely touched Willow at all—letting her girlfriend make most of the moves. For some reason, she felt a lot bolder this morning—maybe it had something to do with Willow being asleep; or maybe it was because she now knew her touch would not be rejected...? What's more, their legs were currently intertwined together, and their panties were the only barriers that stood between them, and complete lower-body nakedness.

Deciding it was finally time to wake up her girlfriend, Tara leaned over and gently pressed her lips to Willow's. She then opened her lips slightly, before taking her girlfriend's lower lip into her mouth. She sucked on it playfully—running her tongue over it; doing her best to incite a reaction. After about a minute, she heard a moan coming from deep within her girlfriend's throat, and before she knew what was happening—she found herself lying flat on her back, with Willow's body sensuously pressed up against hers. Willow had crushed their breasts together, and was now moving her lips heatedly against hers—thrusting Willow-tongue forcefully into Tara-mouth.

As Willow had slowly become aware of her surroundings, she'd noticed Tara's tongue against her lip, and her mind had instantly sprung into action. She remembered everything that had transpired yesterday—especially the bit about Tara being in love with her. Willow's heart surged with emotion, and she couldn't help deepening the kiss. Suddenly, she wanted to feel all of Tara against her; to hold the girl close; to feel as if they were the one person, and to let Tara's love physically seep into her being. Which is why she pushed her tongue into Tara's mouth, as she pressed her body against hers, and maneuvered the girl onto her back.

The girls quickly began to lose themselves in each other; their lips moving; tongues thrusting, as they enjoyed the heady sensation of their passionate good-morning kiss. After a while, Tara started to unconsciously run her hands sensuously up and down Willow's back, as her desire continued to mount. Her hand movements began to get firmer and faster—inevitably causing the material of Willow's shirt to rise up, until eventually; Tara's hands were moving against Willow's bare flesh.

As Willow continued her assault on Tara's lips, she gradually began to realize that Tara-hands were now on naked Willow-back. The sparks of energy the girl's hand movements were causing, brought Willow's self-control further and further to the background. She suddenly wanted more...more Tara-hands—everywhere. Pulling away from the kiss, she sat herself up in Tara's lap, and pulled her own shirt clear off her body. She then looked down at her girlfriend expectantly—silently asking for her touch.

Tara moaned as Willow pulled away from their kiss, but on noticing the girl's sudden lack of clothing, her moan of disappointment, turned into one of sheer arousal. Willow was now kneeling on the bed, straddling her hips as she waited for her to make a move. Tara could see the question in her girlfriend's eye; could see Willow's silent plea for Tara-hands...How was she to refuse—especially when the girl's nipples were practically screaming for attention?

Moving up into a sitting position, Tara carefully repositioned Willow, so that the girl was now sitting in between her legs, with her thighs wrapped around Tara's hips, and her legs crossed behind her back. She didn't know what possessed her to be so bold, but the love and desire coursing through her body at that moment was just too intense to ignore. Leaning forward, she returned her hands to Willow's back, and did something she hadn't had enough courage to do yesterday—take Willow's nipple into her mouth.

Willow closed her eyes, and arched her back as she felt the moist heat of Tara's mouth covering her right nipple. She'd only been expecting the sensation of Tara's hands; her fingers—but this was so much better. Willow couldn't believe how daring her girlfriend was being this morning—it's as if the girl was trying her best to make up for all of last night's shyness. Where was the girl, who last night, had actually trembled with fear and anticipation over such a simple task as removing her bra? As the girl continued to suckle at her nipple, Willow suddenly didn't care why Shy-Tara was gone; she was just glad to have Bold-Tara working her magick.

Tara was also a little surprised by her own actions. She couldn't believe how utterly sexual she was behaving—wrapping her girlfriend's legs around her hips; passionately caressing her naked back, and wantonly sucking the girl's nipple into her mouth. What's more, the arousal coursing through her body was now so intense, that she was actually trembling with sensation. As she continued her ministrations, Tara began to realize the effect her behavior was having on Willow. The harder she sucked on the girl's nipple; running her tongue over it every now and then—the louder the girl's moans became, and the more she too started to tremble in her arms.

Willow's head was now thrown completely back, as she arched her breast into Tara's mouth. Her Tara—her innocent, shy Tara...WOW! The girl had some mouth; the way she was sucking at her nipple was pure torture—in an exquisite way of course. Willow was still finding it difficult to comprehend that Tara was being so sensual...so erotic. She'd known the girl had an intense hidden sexuality, but she hadn't realized how powerful it could be when it was directed at her. Although, why did Tara insist on sucking only her right nipple—her left nipple needed some attention too? In fact, if it didn't get some soon, she'd probably scream the whole dorm down in frustration.

"Oh god –Tara!" Willow burst out, digging her fingers into her girlfriend's back. "I...I don't think...oh...no more..." She was finally reaching the edge of her self-control, and if Tara didn't either; pull away, or pay some attention to her other nipple, she most definitely wouldn't be held accountable for her actions.

Hearing Willow's outburst, Tara chose to pull away—becoming instantly mortified by her actions. What had she been doing? Had she made Willow uncomfortable—done something wrong? She'd never had a girl's nipple in her mouth before; never had Willow's nipple in her mouth, and she'd just given herself completely over to the sensation. The very fact that it was Willow's nipple she'd been tasting; had made the experience even more intense and powerful. She loved Willow—and to actually get to taste a part of her...well, it had shaken Tara's emotions to her core.

This morning, she'd woken up feeling strangely free and very sensual. She knew it had everything to do with last night—but that still didn't excuse what she'd just been doing. What if Willow had suddenly realized she'd made a mistake; that she didn't want this after all? A lot can change when someone has time to sleep on an idea; they could feel totally different than the night before. She was proof positive of that fact; last night she'd found it extremely difficult to initiate any sexy-touching—whereas this morning; she'd practically ravished her girlfriend.

"I'm...I'm s…so s…sorry," she said—letting go of Willow's nipple. "I...I didn't mean..."

Her face was now a very deep reddish-purpley color, as she removed her hands from Willow's back, and attempted to pull away from her. The girl's thighs around her hips prevented her from moving too far away though, and she was forced to simply rest her hands on the bed; doing her best to keep her tears at bay, while she gazed apologetically at her girlfriend.

"Hey," Willow said softly, lifting her hands up to Tara's cheeks. She could see how distressed Tara had become, and knew instantly what was behind the girl's reaction. "It's okay," she continued—using her thumbs to brush away her tears. "You didn't do anything wrong."

"I d…didn't?" Tara whispered, becoming increasingly relaxed by her girlfriend's touch.

"No—Of course not," Willow returned. She smiled lovingly at her girlfriend, before pressing a soft kiss to her forehead. "How could you do anything wrong?" she asked as she pulled away.

"You mean...?" Did Willow mean she hadn't minded her touch...that she hadn't changed her mind...?

"Tara," Willow continued gently—resuming her caress of the girl's cheekbones. "It was just...too much...I mean...not enough..."

"Not enough?" Tara was confused—If her touch had been too much; how was it not enough as well...?

Willow blushed; leaning her face closer to her girlfriend's; letting their foreheads rest together, and their breath intermingle. "Not enough..." she whispered against Tara's lips. "...the other one...lonely...You know...?"

"Oh," Tara whispered back—her lips tingling as they brushed against her girlfriend's. She finally realized what Willow was talking about—in her total enjoyment of Willow's nipple, she'd forgotten to pay the same attention to her other breast. How could she have been so selfish?

Tara had never done any of this before; making love was so knew, that she'd forgotten about everything else the instant she'd tasted her girlfriend's nipple. Although, in all fairness; Willow-nipple in Tara-mouth was beyond being just sexy; it was downright soulful. When you love someone as much as she loved Willow, you have a completely idealistic view of your relationship. Consequently, every new step towards sexual intimacy was like a giant milestone for Tara, and left her feeling more spellbound; and more intoxicated, than she'd ever felt before.

Whereas Willow was a closeted romantic—Tara on the other hand was a totally hopeless romantic. In a way, Tara held Willow up on a pedestal; Willow was the untouchable Goddess; a manifestation of love—a higher being; like Aphrodite in all of her beautiful splendor. Willow represented love; perfection, and everything that was good and pure in Tara's life; that's why she'd been so afraid to touch her last night. How could she corrupt something so wondrous with her touch? She had no right to touch Willow that way; Willow was her goddess; her angel, her everything...

However, Tara wasn't totally blind-sided by her puristic notions. She knew that Willow was also a flesh-and-blood person; a sexual creature who not only wanted to touch, but wanted to be touched as well. Tara's problem lay in finding a balance; a way of keeping her idealistic view of their relationship intact, while still allowing herself to succumb to the sexual side of it.

It's just that sometimes; moments like this morning—the two sides collided so intensely, that Tara didn't know which side she was giving in to. Sucking Willow's nipple into her mouth had been both a sexual act, as well as one of pure worship. What's more, merging the two together had caused her to become so entranced; she'd lost all sense of self and reality. So much so, that she'd forgotten all about what Willow might need; that she had two nipples that needed attention; and had concentrated only on her own selfish devotion.

How could she have been so self-centered? Closing her eyes, Tara let the guilt wash over her like a cold shower. Her love for Willow was magickal; sexual; spiritual, and it consumed her totally. Lifting her hands from the bed, she returned them to her girlfriend's back, and moved her head down to Willow's shoulder. She held the girl tightly, as she did her best to calm her emotions.

Willow had noticed the play of emotions on Tara's face as she caressed her cheeks. She could see how distressed she was, and how busy her mind appeared. What was the girl thinking—feeling? When Tara had pulled her into a warm embrace, Willow had willingly followed her girlfriend's lead—and now had her own arms wrapped around Tara's back. Unconsciously, she began releasing some of her energy, and was pleased to note that Tara appeared to get calmer by the second. When she felt the girl had relaxed enough, Willow pulled away from the embrace, and was now once again cupping Tara's cheeks.

"Tara?" she asked softly. "What is it? What were you thinking?" She smiled invitingly at her girlfriend as she awaited her response.

Tara thought for a moment before answering. She could see the concern and affection in Willow's gaze, and it warmed her heart. It was obvious the girl cared for her—even if she wasn't necessarily in love with her. She was so lucky to have someone like Willow in her life; she deserved to be told the truth. Taking a deep breath, Tara revealed her innermost thoughts to her beloved Willow.

"Love?" Willow asked gently, her emotions surging. Why was Tara thinking about love—was she thinking about her? That thought made her heart race; she still found it hard to believe that Tara was actually in love with her.

"Mmm," Tara continued—her blush deepening. She took another breath as she gazed deeper into Willow's eyes. "I w…was thinking about...about how m…much I...I love you..."

Tara's heartfelt honesty had amazed her. For someone so painfully shy—the girl sure was surprisingly open about how she felt, and it totally threw her off balance. It made Willow wish like crazy she could say the words back; that she could just as openly admit to Tara how she felt. The other week, she'd had to literally restrain herself from saying those words to Tara. She'd been scared of rejection; but now, that excuse didn't hold anymore—Tara loved her and would therefore never reject her love. So why was she still scared—why was she still holding back? Why couldn't she tell Tara she was in love with her?

Willow was definitely still scared of something, but it was not of rejection; it had everything to do with how she'd left things with Oz. She didn't realize this though—all Willow knew, was that she had fallen in love with Tara; that she wanted to admit the truth to her girlfriend, but that something was stopping her from being free to do so. This inner turmoil was wreaking havoc within Willow, and as she continued to gaze into Tara's eyes, she had no idea what to say or do.

Tara looked at her girlfriend adoringly, and took in her sudden distress. She could tell Willow was trying to say something; that she was feeling torn inside. As she pondered the situation, Tara began to realize what was troubling Willow. Only her Willow would feel guilty for not being able to return words of love. She knew full well that Willow was not in love with her—that she still had feelings for her ex boyfriend; and all that was okay with her. Willow's guilt and turmoil however—were not okay with her. Tara didn't want Willow to feel obligated to her; to feel as if she were a bad person for not feeling the same way she did.

Lifting her own hands up, she copied Willow and cupped the girl's face. "Willow," she said gently—using her thumbs to wipe at her tears. "It's okay."

Willow brought her forehead down to Tara's, so that their breath was once again intermingling. "What's okay?" she asked—her own thumbs circling around Tara's cheeks.

"What do you mean?" Willow replied. She was becoming confused by the girl's words, but couldn't help being calmed by her touch—by the brushing of their lips as they spoke.

"I...I l…love you Willow..." she began, kissing her softly. "...and I kn…know you don't f…feel the same..."

"Tara," Willow interrupted. She didn't want Tara to feel as if she didn't love her...but how could she let her know if she couldn't say the words? "I..."

"Willow," Tara insisted. "It's okay." She moved her lips gently against Willow's as she tried to reassure her. "I...I don't mind—really."

Willow felt even guiltier at her girlfriend's words—the girl was incredible. Tara was the most loving; selfless; beautiful, person she'd ever met. How could the girl not mind? Tara had opened herself up completely—revealed her love for her, and yet was okay with the notion she didn't feel the same way. What got to Willow the most; was the fact that she actually did feel the same way; she just couldn't admit it. How could she hold back from Tara like this? She was the worst person alive...

Willow briefly suckled at Tara's bottom lip before speaking. "It's not what you think baby," she said softly—releasing her lip. "I...I don't know how to say...It's just...I feel as if...it's like...I...I'm being held back...I just...I just can't...I'm not ready..."

Tara made a point of brushing her lower lip against Willow's as she soothed her. The girl's words actually made perfect sense to her. Of course Willow was being held back—how could she not be? She'd been deeply in love with her ex-boyfriend, and she obviously didn't feel free to give her heart to any one else yet. She must've loved Oz a great deal, and that's not something you get over easily. Tara understood that completely, and she didn't want to compete with him. All she wanted was to be here for Willow; to love her; to take care of her, and to make sure she was happy.

"I know that sweetie," Tara interjected—kissing her again. "I know what's holding you b…back...and it's okay."

As her tears returned, Willow closed her eyes—trying her best to keep them at bay. Tara knew? How could Tara know, when she didn't even know what was holding her back?

"What do you know?" Willow asked after a moment—letting herself be comforted by the sensation of Tara's lips.

"You were in love," Tara whispered with a gentle kiss. "You had your heart broken," she continued. "It's not something you just get over. It...it takes time, and...and you're just not r…ready to let go of him yet."

Was Tara right; was she still not over Oz? Is that why she was holding back—she still loved her ex boyfriend? Somehow, that notion didn't really sit well with her. It didn't make sense—how could she still love him, when she was now in love with Tara? There was more to it than that, she realized; it was more than just residual feelings for Oz that were holding her back. Sure, she still loved him, but not in the same way she used to love him. She'd changed so much since he'd left—and a lot of that had to do with Tara. Tara had brought out a side to her she hadn't even known existed; in fact, it was as if Tara had awakened her soul.

What Willow didn't realize however; was that when Oz had left, a part of her had left with him. She'd allowed that part of her to remain with him, to belong to him and him alone. That same part of her was still unwilling to let go of her past; to release what she'd given him, and take back her own life. She was too scared to give herself completely to the new life she'd found—to her life with Tara. Only once she'd finally released her past, could she be free to move on with her future.

Tara kept her lips still against Willow's for a few seconds before continuing. "I...I understand, and...and...even if you can n…never l…love me...it's okay..."

"How could it be okay?" Willow burst out—a new wave of tears washing over her.

"Lo…love isn't about being loved back..." she explained, ignoring the blush creeping into her cheeks. She needed to say these words to Willow, and even though she found it extremely difficult to do so, she knew the girl needed to hear them.

"It's about how you f…feel about someone; how you w…want to make them happy..." She trailed off, taking a moment to compose herself. These words were being spoken from somewhere deep within her soul, and she had to compel herself not to tear up. "How you want to look after them; make sure they n…never feel alone; or sad; or uncomfortable..."

Taking another deep breath, Tara timidly finished her declaration. "It's how I f…feel about you..." She then pressed her lips tentatively against Willow's, doing her best to try and infuse some of her love directly into the girl's lips.

"I will always be here for you Willow," she whispered—pulling away. "I want you to know that." Tara kissed her again, softer this time. "Whatever happens, I w…won't mind...I can wait...as long as you w…want me to..." Tara leaned in for yet another kiss—feelings of love overwhelming her.

After a minute, Willow pulled away from her girlfriend's lips; she wanted to look into her eyes instead—to see the emotion behind her words. What Tara had just said to her had been the most romantic thing Willow had ever heard; had been the truest, most sincere declaration of love anyone could ever give. Tara had perfectly captured the true meaning of what love was all about, and what made her heart race, was the realization that she had directed the emotion entirely at her. No one had ever said they loved her like that—not even Oz.

"Tara," she began, leaning forward to once again press her forehead to Tara's; she just had to be touching her girlfriend somehow. "I...I...I want you to know I...I...I..."

Much as she tried to get those three words out, they just wouldn't form themselves on her tongue. Willow was still holding back; feeling almost as if something was blocking her—like when she tried a spell she wasn't ready for, and her power was just not strong enough to complete it. That thought suddenly pleased her—because if this was like one of those spells; then there was hope for her yet. Every one of those spells she'd been too weak to do; she'd eventually managed to master—with a little help from Tara that is.

Maybe, given time, Tara could help her with this too? At that thought, Willow kissed her girlfriend passionately, pressing their lips roughly together, as she sought out Tara's tongue with her own. She kept the kiss going for a few minutes, before eventually pulling away from it—leaving them both out of breath. She gazed heatedly at Tara, while she steadied her breathing, doing her best to silently express her emotions. If she wasn't ready yet to tell Tara she was in love with her—she could at least tell her how much she cared about her.

"Tara," she said softly, as her composure returned. "I..." yet again, she pressed her forehead to Tara's. "I care about you," she continued gently. "You're one of the most important people in my life. You know that...right?"

Of course she knew that—it was one of the few things she was sure about. Willow was the most caring person she knew, and the fact that she cared about her was apparent in everything the girl did. What's more, her reaction after she'd been attacked had spoken volumes to Tara. The girl had reacted with such heartfelt distress at her pain—had even called her baby for the first time. It was then that she'd realized that even though Willow might not be in love with her—she did at least care about her; cared more for her than anyone else had ever cared for her...

Tara's smiled widened, as she pressed her lips to Willow's. "Of course," she whispered against her mouth. "I know you c…care about me...I can see it..."

"You always m…make sure I f…feel comfortable," Tara whispered, moving her lips against Willow's. "You…you m…make me feel...special..."

Willow wrapped her arms around Tara's back as she kissed her passionately. The girl really had a way with words, Willow realized—working her tongue into Tara's mouth. It's as if Tara knew the exact thing to say to make her feel better. Willow's guilt had dissipated as Tara had let it be known that she knew she was cared for—it made Willow feel better about not being able to say those three little words. How had Tara known she felt guilty—that she needed reassurance? The girl was amazing!

With that thought, Willow pulled away from Tara's lips. "You're amazing," she burst out, moving her hands back to cup her face.

Tara giggled at her girlfriend's words. "What do you mean?" she asked—chuckling.

"You always know the exact right thing to say," Willow explained, grinning widely. "It's like you're psychic or something."

"You've said that before," Tara replied adoringly, dropping her forehead towards Willow's.

"The best," Willow confirmed, kissing Tara for emphasis. "Definitely the best," she whispered—pulling away a minute later.

She then dropped her head back down to Tara's shoulder, and wrapped her arms around the girl's back. Tara did the same, and they were now completely entwined in a loving embrace. They held each other for a long time, letting their emotions take over, as they centered themselves. After a few minutes though, Willow suddenly realized something.

Tara lifted her head to look at Willow. "What is it?" she asked, moving her hands to Willow's face.

Willow leaned in and briefly kissed her girlfriend's lips. "The dream," she began, keeping her lips against Tara's as she spoke, "that I've been having every night."

"T…tell me about it sweetie," she asked quietly, pulling away from her girlfriend's lips. She gazed into her eyes, and smiled warmly.

Willow smiled back, unable to refuse her girlfriend's request. "It's about you," she began timidly.

"Me?" Tara's heart skipped a beat; did Willow just say she'd been having dreams—about her?

"Kissing me," Willow replied, leaning forward to do just that. "Mmmm," she moaned, pulling away. "But...then it kinda gets a little...you know...hot...and we kinda...pull away."

Tara couldn't help but take pleasure in Willow's words; she dreamt about kissing her; it made her feel all tingly inside. "So there's smoochies?"

Willow grinned. "Lots of smoochies," she said, pressing yet another brief kiss to Tara's lips. "Then it gets bad," she continued.

Tara didn't like the sound of that—Why was Willow having bad dreams about her?

Willow's expression suddenly became more serious. "I leave the room," she explained. "I stop the smoochies, and I leave...and because I'm too scared to keep going...to give in...the demon gets you...and it's all my fault."

"What?" Tara asked in surprise. So Willow's dream was actually a nightmare—about the monster. She couldn't believe the girl was still plagued by her attack—by her guilt at leaving her alone that night. The girl had more than made up for leaving her alone—she'd been with her every night since. Besides, it wasn't Willow's fault she'd been hurt. Why would Willow think that? Why was it still bothering her?

"It's all my fault," Willow continued. "I was too scared to stay, and no matter how hard I try to save you—I'm just not strong enough, I can never get to you in time...and there's no one else who can help me...it's all my fault..."

Willow was trembling now, as she recalled the sensations of her nightmare, and Tara's heart simply melted.

"Oh baby," she whispered soothingly, pulling her girlfriend into her arms. "It's okay," she continued. "It's just a dream...only a dream..."

Willow pulled away after a minute, meeting Tara's gaze. "You're right," she whispered. "It is a dream..." She kissed her girlfriend again before continuing. "But I...I didn't have it last night...did I?"

"No," Willow confirmed, smiling warmly. "...‘cause last night...I didn't leave..."

Tara smiled back. "You never leave sweetie," she pointed out. "You always stay the night..."

Willow realized she needed to explain further. "I mean," she began. "I didn't pull away...with the smoochies...I...we...we moved on...you know?"

Tara felt a warm radiance encircle her as she took in what Willow was saying. She finally got it; Willow had been scared—she'd been afraid to heat things up a bit, and now that she had...

Willow smiled back, and drew Tara into another warm hug. She held her girlfriend close, resting her head on her shoulder. She wasn't really sure if her dream had stopped for good, or even if she was interpreting it correctly—all she did know; was that it had stopped, and that it had happened because of last night. Was it because Tara had said she was in love with her—or because she'd decided to take that next step? Whatever the reason, Willow couldn't help feeling both giddy and satisfied—and she just couldn't wait to finally ‘seal the deal'.

Last night, she'd felt as if she needed a few days to process things, to get used to this new stage—before she took that final step. Now however, she didn't think she wanted to wait any more. It was time to give in; to let Tara make love to her—there was no point in waiting. She still wanted it to be extra special though—and it would be; she'd make sure of it. She had a Scooby meeting this morning, and then luckily—only the one class. She did have study group afterwards though, but if she wanted to get things ready before Tara returned at 1; she'd have to miss it. Willow had never missed a study group in her life—but for this she would make an exception; it would be worth it.

"Mmm," Tara replied, forcing herself to focus—she'd let herself get totally lost in the embrace.

"I'm gonna have a shower," Willow explained. "It's almost 9 and I gotta meet the gang..."

"Oh," Tara replied. She'd forgotten all about the time. "I should go too..." she continued. "Class..."

Tara trailed off as Willow pulled away. She'd been so involved in their conversation, she'd almost forgotten about Willow's semi-naked state. Now however, with a little distance between them, and Willow-breasts in plain sight; she couldn't help but lose her train of thought.

Standing over the bed, Willow looked down at her girlfriend and smiled. Tara's gaze had dropped down to her breasts, and she could see how turned on she was getting. This made Willow feel all giddy; it showed her that Tara actually was attracted to her. Last night, the girl had been all shy and nervous about the sexy-touching, and she'd wondered about what it meant. This morning however, all her doubts had completely faded—the girl sure was acting very, very sexy...

Much as she would love to stay—let Tara touch her...she knew she couldn't. Buffy and Riley needed to be told about what had happened at Lowell house, and while Xander and Anya could do the job sufficiently, she'd have a hard time explaining why she hadn't shown up as well. Besides—Tara also had to get going; she didn't want the girl to miss a class because of her.

Turning around, Willow quickly scrounged up an outfit, before pulling a robe around her body. She then turned back towards Tara, and noticed the girl was still in bed—silently watching her every move.

"Tara?" She questioned—curious as to why she hadn't moved. "Don't you have class?" She moved to sit down on the bed next to her.

It's just that she hadn't been able to take her eyes of Willow. The girl had been walking around her room practically naked—how was she to ignore that? The reason she found it so enthralling, was not simply because of yummy exposure to Willow-breasts; but because it showed Tara how close they'd become. She'd never in her wildest fantasies imagined she'd ever get this close to the woman she loved—so close that the girl felt comfortable enough to walk around with her breasts exposed.

She hadn't been able to get the thoughts out of her head. Was this really happening—was Willow really half-naked? Had last night been a dream—was she still dreaming—imagining a perfect reality where she and Willow were together intimately? How was it possible that they'd actually reached this level of intimacy—where she was only one step away from finally making love to her girlfriend?

Tara looked at her girlfriend and smiled. She should at least say something..."It's n…nothing really," she began shyly. "I just...I...I still find it h…hard to believe..."

Tara leaned over and tenderly kissed Willow's lips. "Us," she whispered as she pulled away. "I n…never thought I would ever...I m…mean, w…what we have...it's..."

Willow instantly understood where Tara was coming from. "Oh," she whispered. "I get it."

Of course she got it. Tara had never thought she'd fall in love; that she'd be in a relationship. Willow knew the girl well enough by now, to know how insecure she was—how much she doubted herself. All this must feel so strange and new to her, no wonder she was having a hard time processing the reality of it. Willow herself was also having problems facing reality. After Oz had left, she hadn't even thought of moving on—especially not with a girl.

However, the instant she'd met Tara, she'd recognized their connection. There had just been something about the girl that spoke to her—as if she'd known her all her life. That kind of connection simply couldn't be ignored, and what they had now was so special; so intense, that it was hard to believe such passion actually existed. No one had ever made her feel this way before; not Xander; not Oz, no one but Tara.

She wrapped her arms around Tara and pulled her close. "Yeah," she whispered against her neck. "It's hard to believe," she continued. "It's all so special, and new...and something I wasn't looking for...but I'm glad I found it."

Tara pulled away so she could look into Willow's eyes. "You're happy?" she asked.

Willow nodded in response, and pressed her lips to Tara's. She kissed her girlfriend softly at first, keeping the kiss relatively chaste. After a few minutes however, she deepened the kiss, so that they were now heatedly thrusting their tongues into one another's mouths, as their lips moved roughly together. Before they could become too aroused however; the girls forced themselves apart.

The girls smiled shyly at each other, both feeling a little embarrassed by their admissions. All this sexual stuff was still very new to them, and it would take them both a little while to get used to their new intimacy.

Once Tara had located her stuff and pulled on a robe, the two Wiccans quickly made their way over to the shower block. When they got back, they went through their usual morning routine, before heading off their separate ways.

On entering her room that afternoon, Tara was practically bowled over by what she saw. For a second, she thought Willow had prepared the room for a spell; the girl had lit candles and placed them in a perfect circle around the outside of the room—in the exact manner they used for all their rituals. However, upon noticing the rose petals scattered around the room—covering everything; and taking in the soft music coming from her stereo, she began to realize that Willow was definitely up to something; something more than just simple spell casting. It was then that she finally caught sight of Willow, preparing to burn some incense. Willow looked up in greeting and smiled warmly at her girlfriend. She then lit a match and filled the air with the scent of sandalwood.

Tara couldn't believe what she was seeing—or what Willow was wearing, for that matter. The girl had on these really sexy, really tight, black leather pants, along with a very sheer low-cut burgundy top—and more makeup then she'd ever seen her wear before. The shirt had long flowing sleeves, and was almost see-through in its innate sheerness. Tara could practically see the outline of Willow's bra—and if she wasn't mistaken; the said item was not her usual plain cotton wear, but a very sexy black satiny thing. Where on earth did Willow get those clothes—that bra? Why was she wearing them now, and what in god's name was going on here? It was almost as if...

Tara let her books fall to the floor in shock, as she realized what this was all about. The sexy clothes; the candles; the rose petals; the romantic music...This was Willow's way of telling her she was ready; that she wanted Tara to make love to her—Now! Tara had no idea what to say, as she continued to remain in the doorway, unmoving and speechless.

She was already nervous enough as it was, and Tara's speechlessness wasn't doing anything to ease her nerves. In fact, she was beginning to feel like she might've made a mistake or something. Maybe she'd gone too far? What if she'd gone overboard with the petals—the clothes? She'd never worn this shirt before; Buffy had given it to her last year for her birthday, but she'd always thought it was too sexy for her to pull off. Today however, sexy was a good thing.

Willow was still a little insecure about Tara's attraction to her, and wanted to look as sexy as possible to impress her girlfriend—to make it easier for Tara to make love to her. That's why she'd pulled out those leather pants; they hadn't worked when she'd tried them out on Oz earlier that year, but she hoped she'd have better luck with Tara. The sexy shirt had been packed away in the same place as those pants, and upon coming across it, Willow had decided that now would be the perfect time to see if she could pull it off.

Tara was just looking at her with what appeared to be shocked amazement, and Willow didn't know quite what to make of her reaction. What if she'd gone beyond looking sexy—what if she looked too slutty? She'd probably disgusted Tara...What had ever made her think she could pull off this outfit? The leather thing, Willow realized; that's what had convinced her to wear those pants. She remembered Tara's reaction the other week—when she'd told her about her Vampire-self; the leather...and it had given her the idea. Now however, she was thinking that maybe her idea wasn't such a good one after all.

With a sigh, she made her way over to edge of the petal-covered bed and sat down. "I knew it," she said—talking more to herself than to Tara. She looked down at the floor as she chastised herself, doing her best to keep the tears at bay. She didn't want to add crying to the list of all the un-sexy things she was doing.

"I should never have worn this," she began babbling. "...too much...I always go overboard. Why do I always do that? Don't I know when to stop? And the petals—definitely too much, I...I just wanted it to be special...with the candles...and the music...and then I remembered that spell we did—the rose petals—falling everywhere. They didn't last long though; cause you know, not enough power...with the conjuring...so I thought I'd get real ones—it'd be perfect...romantic...also...that's when I knew...about the attraction I mean—with the magicks...the sexual energy. I…I mean, I knew from the beginning—that there was something...I just didn't know what it was until that night. We'd just done the second spell...and I was feeling all glowy and hot—and it hit me...it was like...you know...and so that's when I knew, you know...Oh Tara, I'm so sorry...I ruined everything...I just wanted it to be special...I didn't mean to freak you out...I'm freaky girl...

As the shock of the situation started to wear off, Tara suddenly noticed that Willow had called her name. She opened her mouth to answer, but no words came out. For some reason, it was like her whole body was paralyzed with excitement, and the more she looked at her girlfriend, the more turned on she became. Here was her goddess; her beautiful Willow...and she'd never looked sexier. Willow's appearance served to merge both of Tara's viewpoints together; her puristic and animalistic view of Willow was now an all-encompassing view of both love and lust—all rolled into one. She'd felt only a hint of it this morning; when she'd taken the girl's nipple into her mouth—now however, it consumed her totally, and she had no idea how to react to it.

Listening to the girl's babbling though, Tara realized that she'd have to do something soon. She'd obviously given Willow the wrong impression—yet again, and the girl was under the mistaken impression that she'd done something wrong. Taking a deep steadying breath, Tara focused herself on what she had to do. If Willow was ready to be made love to—then she sure as hell would be. With purposeful determination, Tara closed the door behind her, before slowly making her way over towards Willow.

The girl continued babbling—calling herself a 'freaky girl', and with those words, something inside Tara snapped. She'd finally gone too far—forced Willow to think her beautiful; romantic; sexy actions were freaky—all because she; the worthless Tara Maclay—was too shocked to make a move. Well...no more! Tara was done with being all coy; and shy; and shocked, and puristic. It was time to give in to her love—to accept both sides of it, and to show Willow exactly what it meant to be loved by Tara Maclay.

Without a second thought, she kneeled down in front of Willow, and grasped the girl's face with her hands. She gently guided Willow's gaze upwards, and before Willow could say another derogatory word about herself, Tara had fused their lips together. She kissed Willow passionately, thrusting her tongue heatedly into her mouth, allowing the desire inside her body to take over. When her tongue met Willow's, she let out a soft moan and instantly began playing with it. After a minute, she ripped her lips away from Willow's, breathing heavily with ever-increasing arousal.

"I love you Willow," she said huskily—without a hint of a stutter, "and...you have never...looked sexier."

Willow didn't know how to react to Tara's words. The girl had caught her completely off guard with her uncharacteristic assertiveness. She'd only ever seen a hint of Tara's bold-side, but it had never been quite as heated as this. There was just something about Tara's demeanor, about the way she was looking at her—the determined way she was speaking; the glint in her eye, that told Willow; this was Bold-Tara, and Bold-Tara was about to change her life. What's more—did Tara's reaction mean she hadn't gone overboard?

"If...if it's okay," Tara continued, knowing she had to ask before proceeding. "I'd...I'd...like to...m…make love to you..."

Willow looked at her girlfriend intently—her heart racing. She couldn't believe how sexy Tara's words had sounded—how sexy Tara herself was being. The girl constantly amazed her, and she suddenly couldn't wait a second longer to experience her love.

"Okay," Willow whispered—unable to tear her eyes from Tara's. The intensity of this moment would forever be etched in Willow's mind, and she'd never forget how passionate Tara looked, as she bridged the gap between them, and took the first step in expressing her love physically.

To Willow's surprise however, Tara didn't actually move to kiss her; instead, she reached over and placed her hands around her waist, before guiding her upwards. She was now no longer sitting on the bed, but standing in Tara's arms. She looked at her girlfriend expectantly, wondering what she was up to. Whatever Tara wanted to do though, was okay with Willow—this was Tara's show.

Removing her hands from around Willow's waist, Tara slowly pulled away from her. She then moved her hands towards the lowest button of Willow's sexy-blouse, and paused.

"Willow," she began shyly. "Is it okay?" Looking deep into her eyes, she waited patiently for her girlfriend to respond.

Much as she wanted to be all passionate and sexy—heat of the moment style; Tara still had to make sure nothing she did upset her Willow. This was about making love to her girlfriend—not about having sex. There would be plenty of time for pure sexual encounters later, where they simply went into each other's arms and gave in to their urgent desires. This time however—was much more than that. This time would be slow, and gentle, and intense—because it would be all about giving her love to Willow—showing her physically what she meant to her.

She was entirely spellbound by Tara's actions. The girl was looking at her with such passionate intensity, she felt like she would melt—and yet her gaze still contained a hint of shyness and vulnerability. All this caused Willow to become more and more aroused by the second. She could already feel the wetness building between her legs—and the girl hadn't even touched her yet. How on earth was she going to react when Tara did touch her?

Tara's hands started to tremble at Willow's words. Even though she'd already seen Willow without a shirt; without a bra even—it was different now. Yesterday had been about exploring, about teasing each other, and about revealing yet another part of themselves to one another. Today on the other hand, was about the pure act of love. Today, they would move past all the teasing, and the exploring, and Tara would actually get to finish what she started—to finally make love to Willow.

Keeping her eyes locked with Willow's, Tara slowly worked open the button under her fingers. She then moved her way up to the next button, and the next—until all the buttons of Willow's blouse had been taken care of. She still hadn't taken her eyes off Willow's though, and could clearly see the reaction her slow movements had invoked. Willow's breathing had gotten heavier and heavier with every button she'd reached, and she was now looking at her with undisguised anticipation. It was time, Tara realized—to look down and finally see what she'd unveiled. She too was breathing heavily now, and the anticipation was almost killing her.

The very act of unbuttoning Willow's blouse had been utterly sensual, but as she looked down, and gradually pulled apart the silky material—Tara felt her breath catch, and her heart skip a beat. She'd never seen anything sexier, than the sight of Willow's breasts, encased in a very naughty black satin bra. As she slowly worked the material of Willow's blouse off her shoulders, Tara couldn't tear her eyes away from Willow's bra—from her breasts.

Looking down at Tara, Willow smiled at the girl's reaction. She'd purposefully dug up the sexiest lingerie she could find—in the hopes of pleasing her girlfriend. Taking in Tara's sudden fixation with her cleavage, Willow was pleased to see her plan had worked. She'd been worried about nothing—Tara definitely found her attractive.

Tara forced herself to look back up into Willow's eyes. "I do," she said with a smile. "It...it's v…very...sexy..." she admitted—unable to restrain herself from blushing. Even though she was in assertive mode, Tara still couldn't get over her innate shyness completely.

Tara leaned in towards Willow, until her lips were almost resting against her girlfriend's. "Thank you," she whispered—completing the kiss.

Willow moaned as Tara captured her lips, and moved her arms up to the girl's neck. She returned her girlfriend's kiss with passion, pressing her breasts against Tara's. She loved the feel of her girlfriend's breasts against hers—even if there was a cloth barrier between them.

As they continued kissing, Tara's hands started moving heatedly against Willow's back. She was becoming more and more aroused by the second, especially as she took in the feel of Willow's bare flesh against her fingers. Unwittingly, she began releasing some of her energy—a subconscious move on her part to infuse her love into Willow.

Willow slowly became aware of Tara's actions, and even though she didn't quite recognize what the girl was doing—she felt as if a deep warmth was entering her body. She'd never felt this way before, but the more Tara's hands moved against her back, the happier she became. Her feeling wasn't one of ecstasy exactly—but it was down right close.

Suddenly, Willow wanted more—she wanted to feel Tara's skin under her own fingers. Letting out a deep moan, she moved her arms from Tara's neck; down to her shoulders; around to her back, until she was reaching up under the girl's shirt. The second her hands touched Tara's skin, Willow felt the now familiar spark of energy shoot through her body. Unable to resist the sudden intensity of her arousal, Willow hastily dragged Tara's shirt up her back. She then pulled away from the girl's lips, so as to pull the blouse completely off her body.

Tara watched in stunned silence as Willow threw her top halfway across the room. She'd been so immersed in the sensation of Willow-skin, that she hadn't paid much attention to the sudden rush of air on her back, or the heated movements of Willow's hands, as they divested her of her shirt.

Willow looked at Tara and smiled shyly. "We're even now," she explained—breathing heavily.

She suddenly had an attack of nerves, as the reality of the situation began to dawn on her. She was about to make love to Willow; really make love to her; not just touch her; or look at her; or explore her body—but make love; give her heart and soul completely to Willow. Was she ready? Would she be good enough? Did she really know what to do? Sure, she'd read things, heard things; growing up in the 21st century, you can't help but know about sex...But was she really ready to put into practice what she knew?

Looking over her girlfriend's body, Tara realized that she was. She slowly took in the sight of Willow's breasts, straining against her black satin bra; the sight of her firm abdomen; the sight of her well-toned thighs, encased in skin-tight black leather...and...Wow...leather...The girl looked so sexy, Tara couldn't help but feel ready. She glanced back up at Willow's face, and smiled. While she'd been perusing Willow's body, her girlfriend had obviously noticed her bra-clad breasts, and was now gazing fixedly at them. Tara found Willow's obsession with her breasts delectable—it made her feel kinda sexy. Deciding to give Willow what she wanted, Tara lifted her hands around to behind her back.

"Hey," Willow burst out—causing the girl to pause her movements. She took a step towards Tara, and guided her hands back to her side. "Let me," she whispered shyly. "I...I wanna do it...please..."

Tara smiled at Willow's timid plea. "Okay," she said huskily—feeling more than a little turned on by the idea.

With that, Willow let go of Tara's hands, and placed her own against the girl's lower back—just above her waist. Making sure to keep her eyes locked with her girlfriend's, she slowly moved her hands upwards—pressing her palms firmly into Tara's skin, until she felt the strap of the girl's bra under her fingertips. It took her only a moment to undo the metal fastenings, and a second later, she'd moved her hands up to Tara's shoulders.

Willow paused then, as she took a moment to let the anticipation wash over her. It had been a whole day since she'd first seen Tara's breasts, and she'd been unable to get them out of her mind. For some reason, Tara's breasts fascinated Willow—so much so, that she kinda held them a bit in reverence. Tara's breasts were the most perfect breasts she'd ever seen, and the mere sight of them was enough to bring her into a state of near catatonia.

Leaning forward, she tentatively pressed her lips to Tara's, as she finally placed her thumbs under her girlfriend's bra straps. With slow sensuous movements, Willow began to gradually work the straps down Tara's arms, taking time to enjoy the feel of the girl's skin under her fingertips. She also thrust her tongue into Tara's mouth, kissing her passionately as she removed her bra. When she reached the end of Tara's arms, she released her hold on the straps, and let the girl's bra fall quietly to the floor. She then pulled away from Tara's lips, keeping her eyes closed for a few seconds, before finally allowing herself to look at her girlfriend's cleavage.

Tara was now trembling with desire, as Willow gazed at her naked breasts. The sparks coming from the girl's hands as she'd removed her bra, was one of the hottest sensations Tara had ever experienced. Willow was definitely one of the sexiest people on this planet, and Tara was so happy to realize she was getting a glimpse at this sexuality. Suddenly emboldened, Tara decided that she too needed to be gazing at cleavage right now.

"Y…Your turn," Tara forced herself to whisper, as she placed her hands against Willow's back.

Ignoring the blush in her cheeks, Tara mimicked Willow's earlier movements, and slowly ran her hands upwards—towards the clasp of her girlfriend's bra. Unlike Willow however, Tara couldn't help releasing some more of her energy. With every movement, Tara's love for Willow washed over her completely, and she unwittingly channeled that feeling through her energy. This was all about making love to her girlfriend—and Tara was hell bent on making sure she succeeded. When she reached the clasp of Willow's bra, she quickly released it, and pulled away slightly.

Tara smiled warmly at her girlfriend—breathing heavily with desire. She could tell Willow was now feeling just as turned on as she was, so she didn't waste any time in guiding the bra completely off her shoulders, and down to the floor. Upon looking up however, Tara suddenly became a little shell-shocked. The sight of Willow clad only in sexy black leather pants, and nothing else—was enough to send anyone spiraling off into oblivion. Willow didn't look like just any old goddess any more—in Tara's mind, she looked like a sex goddess.

Forcing her eyes away from beautiful Tara-nipples, Willow looked up at the sound of her name. She quickly noticed how turned on Tara was, and smiled. "Tara," she began. "Are you okay?"

Tara nodded slowly. "I...I...W…Willow...I...can I...t…touch...you...?" She was a little afraid to move—not wanting to spoil the moment. Her Willow looked so delectable, and while Tara's desire continued to mount with every passing second, she just couldn't get over her sudden shyness. She needed some confirmation that she could go on; that Willow hadn't changed her mind—because once she started, Tara had no idea if she'd be able to stop. She wanted to touch her girlfriend everywhere; to taste her; to love her, and to completely give herself over to her.

She could feel a blush coming to her cheeks as she said the words, but the look Tara was giving her would've been enough to make even the most hardened sailor turn crimson. She'd never seen such raw hunger; passion, and love coming from her girlfriend before—and you'd have to be blind not to be affected by it. She'd always known about Tara's inherent sexuality, but as the girl continued to reveal layer, after layer of it, Willow couldn't help but continue to be amazed by it.

At Willow's words, Tara gave in to her instincts, and dropped to her knees. She was now staring directly into her girlfriend's leather covered crotch. Trembling nervously, Tara tentatively lifted her hands upwards, until they were resting against Willow's hips. She closed her eyes at the sensation, enjoying the feel of the leather under her fingertips.

She'd never thought much about leather before, but when Willow had told her about her Vampire-Self, and the outfit she'd worn—Tara had been unable to keep her naughty thoughts at bay. Ever since then, she'd had numerous fantasies of Willow dressed in black leather—looking all hot and sexy as she made love to her. However, Tara had never expected to actually see her girlfriend in leather, and was consequently totally flustered by it.

It was as if all her fantasies had come true at once, and she had no idea where to start. She wanted to run her hands all over Willow's leather encased legs; over her hips; her thighs; her crotch, her ass...everywhere...Opening her eyes, she took a deep breath; inhaling the air around her. It was amazing—the smell of leather, mixed in with the scent of Willow's arousal, was more intoxicating than Tara would've ever thought possible.

Willow looked down in surprise at Tara's actions, but was too spellbound to do anything about it. The girl's hands were now on her hips, and she was just sitting there—inhaling her scent, and gazing at her legs. Willow could see how much Tara wanted to touch her; to taste her—so what was stopping her?

"Tara," she whispered—moving her hands down to the girl's shoulders. "It's okay," she reassured.

Tara looked up at Willow's words; at her touch—and smiled. She loved Willow so much, and it warmed her heart to see how considerate the girl was. "I love you," she whispered—her eyes now locked intensely with Willow's.

Willow opened her mouth to say something, but closed it again just as quickly—she'd forgotten what she wanted to say. Tara's words of love; the intensity of her gaze; and the heat of her desire, were just too much for her to ignore. Willow felt at a loss for words, because no one had ever looked at her that way before—making love had never been this intense.

With Oz, everything always happened so quickly; so roughly—he'd never taken the time to draw out each moment; to anticipate it, and to thoroughly enjoy it. Sure, he'd loved her, and had acted lovingly—but he'd never made her feel like Tara did just now. Willow was more turned on by this one look, than she'd ever been by even the most passionate caresses from Oz. As she continued to gaze at her girlfriend, Willow suddenly felt as if she could literally see the girl's love for her reflected in her eyes; could see how much she desired her; wanted her, and if she wasn't mistaken—Tara actually seemed to be glowing...

"Tara," Willow said softly—unable to ignore the startling new development. She smiled warmly at her girlfriend, before continuing. "You're...you're glowing."

Tara was surprised by Willow's words. "I am?" she inquired shyly. At Willow's nod, Tara felt the need to apologies. "I...I...sorry..."

"It's okay," Willow reassured, gently squeezing her shoulder. "It's...it's amazing...you look...Wow!"

Tara didn't know what to say to that—but suddenly, she didn't feel like talking any more. Keeping her eyes locked on Willow's, Tara slowly moved her hands over the girl's hips. Willow bucked slightly under her touch—as the electricity of Tara's energy seeped into her. Her confidence boosted, Tara continued her caress. She slowly ran her hands down from Willow's hips; to her thighs; along her legs, then back up to her thighs—stopping when she once again reached her hips.

She took that moment to smile softly at her girlfriend. Before she continued, she wanted to make perfectly sure, it was still okay for her to go on—that Willow hadn't changed her mind. When Willow returned the smile through half-closed eyes, Tara was reassured. However, instead of running her hands back down to Willow's thighs, she decided to move them in the other direction. With firm yet slow movements, Tara ran her hands over Willow's hips, and around to her ass.

Willow couldn't help but thrust her hips forward when she felt Tara's hands on her ass. The sudden intimacy of her touch had surprised Willow, and it didn't help that she was already a goner due to the girl's erotic caress of her legs. She'd never known a simple touch could be so sensuous. What was Tara doing to her—how was it possible to feel so turned on, and so loved—from just a touch?

Willow's sudden hip thrust startled Tara a bit, and she consequently hadn't had time enough to pull back from it. Which is why her lips were now pressed firmly against the leather covering Willow's crotch. Her hands remained on the girl's ass, as she unconsciously pulled her girlfriend even closer towards her.

"Oh god," Willow burst out—arching her back slightly. She too was a little stunned to suddenly feel Tara's lips against her center. The sensation was so intense that Willow literally began to tremble. It was only a hint of what she wanted Tara to do to her—but it was still more powerful than anything she'd ever imagined.

Tara's eyes were closed as she breathed in Willow's scent, and imagined what it would be like to actually taste her. She could feel her shyness returning though, as she continued to remain perfectly still. How could she not be shy—when here she was; on her knees; her hands cupping Willow's ass, and her lips were pressed erotically against her sex...?

Unlike Tara, Willow's shyness was quickly dissipating, as her arousal began to take over. Suddenly, she didn't feel like remaining still anymore. "Tara," she chocked out—bucking her hips. She couldn't help it—she needed some friction. "I...I need..." Once again, she bucked her hips against Tara's mouth—doing her best to initiate some movement on her girlfriend's part.

Tara pushed her lips away from her girlfriend's crotch—as the girl bucked into her for a third time. She'd been teasing her, Tara realized—losing herself in her own selfish devotion, and forgetting about her girlfriend's needs. It was time for her to stop this selfishness, and give Willow what she deserved. The next time Willow tried to buck into her mouth, Tara held her hips at bay—preventing her movements.

"Tara," Willow pleaded—needing the contact. Why was Tara pulling away? Didn't she know how much she needed this? She tried to open her eyes, to gauge Tara's expression; to make out why she was doing this—but she was too clouded with desire to do anything but breathe heavily.

Willow could only nod, as she did her best to steady her breathing. As long as Tara promised...then it would be okay—she'd wait. She just hoped it wouldn't be too long.

At Willow's nod, Tara slowly brought her hands back to Willow's hips, and then to the top button of her pants. Within seconds, she'd released the button; dragged down the zipper, and was now slowly pulling apart the top two sides of her girlfriend's leather pants. She smiled as she realized Willow's panties were made of the same black satiny material as her bra had been. She just couldn't wait to rid her girlfriend of those sexy panties. With that thought, she attempted to hastily drag the leather material down Willow's legs—but being leather; and tight—the hasty part of the dragging was a bit difficult. A few minutes later though—she'd finally accomplished her task, only to be met by the obstacle of Willow's shoes.

As Tara undressed her, Willow had slowly regained some of her composure—enough to open her eyes at least. Although, the sight that befell her, made it very difficult to remain composed. Her shy girlfriend was kneeling before her, slowly divesting her of her leather pants...If that wasn't down right sexy, than she didn't know what was...

Having finally removed her girlfriend's shoes, Tara tentatively guided Willow's legs out of the leather material, before standing up. Willow was now completely naked in front of her—but for her black satin panties, and Tara just had to take a moment to look over the sight of it. As she leisurely ran her eyes down the length of Willow's body, Tara felt her love and desire for the girl become more and more intense. She had never thought loving someone would be this intense, or that it would be this closely linked to lust.

Willow just stood there, smiling adoringly at he girlfriend. If Tara wanted to look at her almost-naked body, then who was she to complain? Besides, the girl was still glowing, and the more she stared at her—the brighter her glow seemed to become. Willow had no idea what was causing the bright light surrounding Tara, but she'd be willing to bet it had everything to do with the girl's love for her. This thought almost brought a tear to her eye—but she forced it down; she didn't want Tara to think she was upset, besides—crying was definitely un-sexy, and Willow wanted to appear as sexy as possible right now.

"Willow," Tara eventually broke the silence—moving her eyes back up to her girlfriend's. "Do...do you w…want to...l…lie d…down...on the b…bed I mean?"

"Okay," Willow replied. She was pleased Tara had suggested it—she had no idea how long she'd be able to remain standing; her legs feeling numb and all.

Turning away from her girlfriend, Willow slowly made her way over to the right side of the bed. She pulled down the covers tentatively—scattering the rose petals everywhere, before crawling onto the bed. She then stretched herself out; her head against the pillows; her eyes shyly meeting Tara's, as she waited for the girl to make her next move.

Tara's nervousness was beginning to return to her, as she looked down at her girlfriend. The sight of Willow lying practically naked in her bed—waiting for her touch; was almost too much for Tara to handle. She'd dreamed of this moment for so long, and now that it was finally here—she wanted to make sure it was perfect. She attempted to take a step towards the bed, but suddenly found herself paralyzed again—just like when she'd first entered the room. What was wrong with her? Why was she so scared?

"Are you okay?" Willow asked—noticing Tara's inability to move. She could see how nervous the girl was; how she was literally trembling with fear—and it made Willow's heart go out to her.

"I'm f…fine," Tara whispered—embarrassed over her reaction. "It's just...I..."

How did she know? "Yeah..." Tara admitted shyly. "I'm...I'm s…sorry, I...I w…want this to be...perfect...and I've...I've n…never...I...I j…just w…want to m…make you hap…happy..."

The girl was so sweet, Willow thought. "Tara," she began—wanting to make her girlfriend more relaxed. "You...you love me...right?" she asked gently.

Willow's smile widened at Tara's response. "Then I'm already happy," she explained—with passion.

Had she heard correctly—had Willow really said that? Looking at her girlfriend's intense gaze, the sincerity in her eye—Tara couldn't help but believe her. Feeling slightly more comfortable, Tara took a moment to remove her boots, before making her way over towards the bed. When she reached the edge of it, she looked down at her girlfriend—lying before her, and her desire just seemed to take over.

"C'mere," Willow whispered—stretching her arms out towards her girlfriend. She could tell that Tara needed that one last push, to get things started.

That was all the encouragement she needed, and within seconds, Tara was tentatively making her way up Willow's body, until she was straddling her hips. "L…like this?" she asked shyly.

Willow nodded, becoming increasingly turned on by Tara's position. This was the first time Tara had straddled her—and it was incredibly sexy. "Tara..." she began—wanting more. "I...I want..."

"What?" Tara asked eagerly. Now that she was straddling Willow's hips, she had no idea what to do next. This was the extent of her bold movements, and she was more than willing to let Willow tell her what to do—besides, this was all about making Willow happy.

"Hold me," Willow replied shyly. "I...I want...skin...breasts...touching...you know...?"

Tara smiled—knowing exactly what Willow wanted. Blushing with both nervousness and desire, Tara tentatively lowered herself down towards her girlfriend. She rested her forehead against Willow's, as their exposed nipples finally made contact. Both girls sighed at the sensation, arching their backs into one another, before fusing their lips together. It was one thing to do this through clothing—quite another without it. The amount of time they'd both spent wondering about this very moment, had only served to make the reality of it that much more powerful. Willow-nipples touching Tara-nipples was the most sensual thing these two girls had ever experienced.

Tara's hands rested on either side of her girlfriend's face, as she kissed her passionately, and maintained the contact between their breasts. However, her passion for Willow continued to rise; and soon she was unable to simply lie still—as her nipples kissed Willow's. Unwittingly, she began to slowly move herself against Willow, brushing their nipples erotically together, as their tongues continued their playful banter. She just couldn't believe how sexy this was, and that it was actually happening...

As Tara continued to stimulate her with her nipples, Willow began moving her hands heatedly up and down the girl's back, and thrusting her tongue harder and rougher into her mouth. Her hips had also begun moving, as the wetness between her legs became more and more pronounced. She needed some form of release, but seeing as Tara was straddling her hips, she wasn't really getting that much contact with her engorged nub—hence her relief was just out of reach.

Pretty soon Tara began to notice Willow's ever-increasing hip movements, and she realized what the girl was after. She too was becoming increasingly frustrated, so she decided to change her tactic. She had no idea what to do first, or even how to actually start making love to Willow, so she decided to just go with her instinct—to let her own desires guide her. Right now, her desires were telling her she wanted to kiss Willow—not her lips; 'cause she was already doing that—but her whole body. She wanted to press her lips against every square inch of her girlfriend—to worship her, and show her exactly how sexy she was.

Pulling her lips from Willow's, Tara took a moment to gaze into her girlfriend's eyes. "I...I love you," she whispered, before lowering her mouth to the girl's neck. She pressed a soft gentle kiss against Willow's skin, before moving her lips down to the girl's collarbone. She could hear Willow's soft moans, and it only served to urge her on.

As Tara began kissing her neck, Willow felt like her whole body was on fire. The sensation of her girlfriend's lips on her skin was intense—but not only that; it was magickal. Every time Tara's lips touched her, Willow could feel the girl's essence seeping into her being—almost as if the girl was using her lips to transfer her love—directly into Willow's body...Also, it was just too damn sexy as well. The heat of Tara's lips against her skin was incredible, and Willow didn't know how much longer she could last—before she screamed out and begged Tara to enter her; to taste her, and to give her the release she so sorely needed.

Tara was now suckling at Willow's right nipple, running her tongue around it, taking it into her mouth; releasing it; then taking it again, as she worshiped her girlfriend's body. Willow's nipple just felt so good in her mouth that she didn't ever want to let it go. However, she didn't want to make the same mistake as this morning, and as Willow's moans began to get louder and louder, Tara eventually moved her attention over to Willow's left breast. This invoked a soft sigh form her girlfriend, which Tara found very pleasing to hear—it showed her that she must be doing something right...

Willow pressed her fingers against Tara's shoulders, as the girl took her left nipple into her mouth. The sensation of her girlfriend's erotic suckling was driving her crazy with desire. Did Tara know what she was doing to her? The girl's lips against her breast were...Wow...! Willow's nipples had never been overly sensitive, but for some reason, when Tara was touching them—it felt different. There was just something about the way she kissed them, ran her tongue around them; suckled them—that brought out some hidden sexuality of her own. Could it be because of their magickal link—the way they merged their energy; the sexual spark that existed whenever they did spells together...? Whatever the reason, all Willow knew; was that she'd never been this affected by the suckling of her nipple. But why couldn't Tara pay some attention to both her nipples at the same time? Didn't the girl realize how crazy this was making her?

"Tara," she moaned her girlfriend's name—arching her back. She couldn't stand it any longer. "I...I...your hand..."

"Mmmm?" Tara questioned—her eyes closed with sensation, as she continued her suckling.

"Give me...your left...hand," Willow asked breathlessly—knowing she'd have to show Tara what she wanted. This was obviously Tara's first time making love, and Willow didn't mind guiding her along a bit.

Her left hand—why did Willow want her left hand? Whatever the reason, Tara was quick to oblige. However, not wanting to let go of Willow's nipple just yet, Tara remained in place, as she lifted her hand. She could never refuse her girlfriend anything—especially when she was making love to her. She wanted Willow to really feel how much she loved her—to make things perfect for her, and she was a little scared her inexperience would stand in the way.

As Tara lifted her hand upwards, Willow reached for it with her own—gently grasping her wrist. She then tentatively guided the girl's hand to her right breast, shyly letting her know what she wanted. Willow moaned, when she finally felt Tara's palm against her nipple. She returned her own hand back to Tara's shoulder, as the girl began to gently squeeze her breast—gradually working her fingers towards her nipple.

The instant her hand came in contact with Willow's breast, Tara had realized what Willow wanted. She'd almost pulled away from her then—in order to apologies, but the lusciousness of Willow-nipple was just too much to leave. She decided to apologize with her actions instead. Maintaining her gentle sucking, and her occasional tongue movement around Willow's nipple, Tara began to show some respect to Willow's right breast.

She started by squeezing it gently—pressing her palm into her nipple in the process. She then moved her fingers against Willow's breast very slowly, until she was finally holding her nipple. Willow's reaction incited her even more, as she began moaning and arching her back—pushing her breasts further into her touch. The girl's hands on her shoulders, also provided proof of Willow's arousal, as her grip began to get tighter and tighter.

It was then that Tara decided to pull away. She could see how turned on Willow was getting, and she wanted to do more to please her. Releasing the girl's nipple, she replaced her mouth with her other hand, and looked down at her girlfriend. She played with her breasts slowly—cupping them in her hand, squeezing them; teasing her nipples; pulling at them; twisting them; pressing her thumb into them...

During all this, Willow clenched her hands against the bed sheets, and began to thrust her hips upwards, seeking that ever-elusive friction. Tara's hands were...oh...Wow...And Willow simply couldn't take it any longer. Forcing her eyes open—she looked up at her girlfriend, and was surprised to see Tara looking down at her intently. It was obvious that the girl had been enjoying her reaction, while she'd played with her breasts.

Tara continued moving her hands and fingers against Willow's cleavage, as she gazed down at her girlfriend. Willow's movements, and gyrations were the most arousing thing Tara had ever seen. She couldn't believe that her hand movements were causing Willow to behave this way—that she was responsible for her sexy reaction. When Willow's eyes had finally looked up at her, Tara smiled down at her girlfriend, but did not stop her hand movements.

"Willow?" she asked softly—her breath coming in gasps. "Are...are you okay? Is this okay?"

"More," Willow gasped out. "Oh god Tara..." she thrust her hips wildly, as Tara suddenly pinched her nipples. "...This is so...hot...I want...more..."

"Tell me," Tara replied—blushing slightly. This was all new to her, and she was suddenly afraid of doing the wrong thing. She wanted Willow to let her know exactly what she wanted to be done to her—how she wanted to be made love to. "Sh…show me..."

Tell her—show her? Forcing her brain to focus on something other than Tara-hands on Willow-breasts, she thought about what Tara was asking. After a second, it hit her—the girl needed guidance. Willow couldn't help blushing at the thought. Sure, it was okay to guide Tara's hand to her breast—but to actually say the words; to tell Tara what she wanted...well, that was definitely going to be hard. She'd never been good at sexy-talking, and found it difficult to say words like; breast; and nipple; and clitoris; and...all the other words used to describe sexual parts of the body. Although, Tara did ask to be shown as well—If she couldn't tell Tara what she wanted, maybe she could show her instead.

"What?" Tara replied, ceasing her hand movements. She could see how unfocused her actions were making her girlfriend—and she needed her to focus for a moment. "W…what do you w…want?"

Gazing at her intently, Willow reached for Tara's hands—clasping them with hers. Without a word, she tentatively guided them towards the waistband of her panties. "Off," she whispered. "Please..."

Tara could only nod, as she let out a soft gasp. Willow wanted her to take of her panties...to touch her...Oh...Wow...! Tara had to take a few deep breaths to compose herself—she was finally going to see Willow completely naked...and she didn't know if she was quite prepared for it. Her hands were trembling now, as she tried to psyche herself up to remove Willow's underwear.

Willow noticed Tara's reaction and smiled. "It's okay," she whispered, running her thumbs against Tara's hands. "No rush..." Willow could easily just use her own hands to guide Tara, but she wanted the girl to undress her all on her own—she didn't want to push her into anything she wasn't ready for.

At Willow's words of encouragement, Tara felt herself relax a bit. Taking one last breath, she grasped the satiny material of Willow's panties, and began to slowly work it downwards. Willow lifted her hips up in order to help her remove them, and Tara lifted herself up as well, so that she was no longer straddling Willow's hips—allowing her to guide the material completely off Willow's legs. She was now standing at the foot of the bed, as she let the panties drop to the floor. She still hadn't allowed herself to actually look at Willow, and kept her eyes closed as she prepared herself. After a minute, she opened her eyes, and brought them straight to Willow's face—she still couldn't look at her yet.

Willow had been happy to just lie there patiently—to give Tara enough time to compose herself. However, she was glad that the girl had finally decided to look up. "Hey," she smiled. "Are you okay?"

Slightly comforted by Willow's admission, Tara shyly began to move her eyes down Willow's body. When she finally caught sight of the coppery curls between Willow's legs, Tara's eyes widened with shock, and she let out a harsh gasp.

Willow lay perfectly still, not saying a word. She wanted to give Tara enough time to adjust to what she was seeing. As she took in her reaction though, Willow grinned—the girl was completely spellbound. Tara's breathing was heavy; her mouth was wide open, and she seemed unable to move, as her eyes remained locked on her sex. She could tell how thrown Tara was by the sight of her total nakedness, and even though her first instinct had been to cover herself up—Willow couldn't help feeling pleased to see her girlfriend so transfixed.

"Tara," Willow began timidly. "You...you can...you know...touch...if you like..."

"Touch?" Tara replied. Willow wanted to be touched—was she ready? Could she actually place her hand against Willow's...? Was this really happening?

Composing herself, Tara crawled back onto the bed, and moved to kneel in between Willow's legs. She smiled shyly at her girlfriend, as Willow spread her thighs apart slightly, so as to accommodate her.

"Hey," Willow replied shyly. Looking up at Tara, she suddenly felt a little bit vulnerable. Here she was, lying on Tara's bed, completely naked and exposed. What's more, her legs were slightly spread apart—just waiting for Tara to take her.

Tara slowly dragged her eyes from Willow's, until she was once again gazing at her sex. The sight of those reddish curls covering Willow's center, was having the most intoxicating effect on her. They represented Willow's essence; everything that was Willow lay hidden within those depths, and Tara could hardly wait to explore them.

"You ready?" Willow asked. She could see how badly Tara wanted her—how hard she was trembling. She too was beginning to tremble—feeling both nervous and excited over the prospect of Tara's touch.

With shaking fingers, Tara met Willow's gaze, as she began to gradually work her hands along her girlfriend's thighs. The feel of Willow's skin under her fingertips was electrifying, and when she finally reached the apex of her legs, she stopped. She needed a moment to compose herself—to psyche herself up to finally touch Willow. Her thumbs were now almost touching Willow's curls, as her hands continued to shake against her thighs.

"It's okay," Willow reassured, seeing how scared Tara was. She too was scared, but if Tara didn't touch her soon—she'd probably explode from anticipation.

Giving her girlfriend a shy smile, Tara looked back down at her curls, before moving her trembling right hand a little to the left. The second her hand covered Willow's crotch, and she felt the softness of the girl's hair under her palm, Tara moaned. This was sexier—more arousing than anything she could've ever imagined. She was finally touching Willow intimately; finally cupping her burning sex...and she suddenly couldn't move.

"Oh," Willow moaned, bucking her hips into Tara's hand. The sensation of Tara's skin against her center swept through her instantly. She felt as if all of Tara's energy was being poured into her, and she'd never been this wet or this aroused in her entire life.

"Willow," Tara began, unable to tear her gaze from where her hand rested. The sight of her hand cupping Willow intimately was too erotic to ignore. "Is this okay?"

At Willow's impassioned plea, Tara slowly moved her fingers against Willow's mound, enjoying the feel of her downy curls. When she finally reached her opening, Tara let out a harsh moan, as she noticed how wet Willow was. She'd teased the girl enough...and with that thought, Tara turned her hand around, and tentatively thrust two of her fingers inside her girlfriend.

"Oh god," Willow screamed, thrusting her hips up to meet Tara's hand. It had been a long time since she'd felt the sensation of penetration, and Tara's fingers pressing deep into her body was simply amazing.

At Willow's reaction, Tara was about to pull back her hand, until she realized it had nothing to do with pain, and everything to do with desire. "Are you okay?" she asked anyway—just to make sure.

Willow thrust her hips in response, needing to feel the movement inside her body. "Oh yes," she moaned—her eyes half closed with desire. "Tara...please..."

Looking down at her girlfriend's frustration, Tara wanted desperately to please her—but what did Willow want? She'd never done this before, and had no idea how to bring a girl to orgasm. Sure, she'd read about it; heard about the so-called G-Spot; knew what a clitoris was—but where was Willow's? How did the girl like to be touched? Where did the girl like to be touched? She couldn't simply keep her fingers inside Willow, and let her do all the work. Although, Willow's muscles clenching around her fingers was quite the turn on; it felt like nothing she'd ever imagined—all warm; and wet...and Willow...

Willow was slowly going crazy with desire—but why wasn't Tara moving? Why was Tara simply sitting there; keeping her fingers still inside her body? Didn't she know what she needed...? Opening her eyes, Willow realized that Tara probably didn't know what she needed. Tara had never made love before, so of course she'd have to be guided...

"Tara," Willow began, moving her hand down to cover her girlfriend's. "Like this," she explained pushing Tara's hand deeper against her, and then pulling it away slightly—so that her fingers moved in and out of her body. She developed a steady rhythm, showing Tara exactly how she liked to be penetrated.

"Oh," Tara replied, letting herself be guided. So this was what Willow wanted? As she continued thrusting her fingers into her girlfriend, Tara realized the girl probably wanted more—not just penetration. Tara couldn't get that thought out of her head—she wanted this to be perfect for Willow, but how was she going to achieve perfection, if she couldn't even locate the girl's clitoris?

Tara wanted to ask her girlfriend where her clitoris was, but she simply couldn't get the words out. "I...I...Where..."

"What...?" Willow asked. What was it that Tara wanted to know? What was she asking about? Her brain was too clouded with desire though, to actually try and decipher Tara's words.

"I..." Tara trailed off again—it was no use. Her shyness prevented her from asking the question. Maybe she should just forget about it...

Tara chastised herself instantly for that thought—why should Willow suffer simply because she was too shy to ask how to please her? With that thought, Tara decided to try and find it herself. Therefore, the next time she thrust her fingers into Willow's opening, she didn't pull them back out—instead, she kept them pressed firmly inside her girlfriend, as her thumb explored the outer layer of her sex. She instantly came across a slightly swollen nub, and knew she'd found what she was after.

When Tara didn't move her fingers back out, Willow moaned, and bucked her hips in frustration. However, when she felt the sudden pressure of Tara's thumb against her clitoris, her frustration turned into pure ecstasy. She hadn't expected her girlfriend to go looking for her hidden pearl—Oz never did. With Oz, sex had mainly been about the whole penetration thing. Her ex only rarely sought to please her in this fashion—even though she'd hardly ever reached orgasm through penetration alone.

Tara was now applying a steady pressure to Willow's clitoris, as she continued to thrust her fingers into Willow's body. After a while, she began to get used to what Willow liked—by taking note of the girl's reactions—and soon knew when to push extra hard into her body; or when to stop pushing, and simply focus on her external nub. Also, she began to realize that hard and fast thrusts weren't always what Willow wanted, and that sometimes, she needed to push very slowly into Willow, and keep pushing deeper and deeper, as she searched for that special sweet spot.

After a few minutes, Tara had actually managed to locate Willow's erogenous core, and was now using three fingers to thrust into her. Her thumb meanwhile, remained locked onto her clit, and she moved it in firm and steady circles. As she continued to make love to her girlfriend, Tara couldn't help but enjoy the way Willow was reacting to her touch. The girl's eyes were closed tightly shut, and her mouth was wide open, as she let out one passionate moan after another.

Willow's hip movement were now becoming faster and faster, and Tara instinctively knew that she needed to increase her own pressure and speed. She met each of Willow's thrusts with her own, as she unconsciously started to release some of her energy. Each time she thrust her fingers into Willow, and rubbed her thumb against her clit, Tara felt as if she were infusing more and more of her own essence into her girlfriend.

She wasn't wrong there actually, because Willow began to feel it as well. The closer she got to her peak, the more she could feel a part of Tara literally being poured into her. It was almost like Tara was letting go of her soul; giving it Willow, so that they could become the one person—if only for a moment.

After a while, both girls eventually found the release they'd been looking for. Unlike Willow's release though—Tara's liberation was not of the orgasmic kind. Tara's release meant that for a split second, her own body no longer housed her Tara-essence, but that Tara-essence was suddenly completely inside Willow's body—linked to Willow-essence. This happened the moment Willow finally reached her zenith—in fact, it was the reason she reached that point. The feel of Tara so completely linked to her own soul, was enough to finally send Willow spiraling off into oblivion.

This act of spiraling was now pushing Tara's soul back into her own body, until Tara-essence was no longer linked to Willow-essence. However, when the spiraling had ended, not all of Tara had left Willow. What the girls suddenly realized; was that Tara had left the most important part of her essence behind in her girlfriend's body—her heart.

When Willow once again became aware of her surroundings, she opened her eyes, and found her girlfriend's arm pleasantly wrapped around her waist. After her release, Tara had moved up to the head of the bed, and had lain down on her side. She had then curled up against Willow in her usual fashion, and had waited silently for her to regain consciousness.

"Hey," Tara replied. She smiled warmly at her girlfriend, and pressed a gentle kiss to her lips. "I love you," she whispered, before moving away.

Willow just smiled at that, as the memory of their actions suddenly returned to her. She couldn't believe what had just happened—Tara had not only made love to her; she'd merged their souls together, and had literally given her heart to her. How was it possible for the girl to do that—for her to physically feel Tara's essence inside her body? Did it have anything to do with how she'd arranged the candles—with how they'd made love in what could be known as a power circle? Although, for Tara to have done what she'd done—the girl's love for her had to be so powerful...

That thought brought a tear to Willow's eye; as she realized that Tara's love really was that powerful.

"Willow?" Tara questioned—lifting a hand to the girl's cheek. Why was Willow crying? "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," Willow smiled—choking back a tear. "It's just...Wow! I've never...that was...Do you know what you did?"

"What do you mean?" Tara asked—suddenly worried. Had she done something wrong—not been good enough?

"Oh," Tara smiled. "You mean...you actually...um...felt it?" When Tara had given herself to Willow, she hadn't known if it had really happened, or if she'd only thought it had due to the intensity of her emotions.

"Your...your essence was...inside me," Willow continued with wonder. "It was...amazing..." Willow kissed her girlfriend tenderly. "And you know something..." she continued, moving her lips against Tara's.

Tara giggled as she pulled away from Willow. She looked at her intently, as she tried to gauge how sincere she was being. "You're not?" Tara asked—noting the glint in her girlfriend's eye.

With that, she merged her lips with Tara's, and kissed her passionately. Before things could get too heated though, Willow pulled away—there was something she wanted to say to Tara.

Did Willow mean what she thought she meant? Tara wasn't sure, but from the way Willow had said those words, it sounded almost as if she wanted to return the favor...

"I mean," Willow began. "I...I know I said I wasn't ready to...you know...and I'm still not ready to...but I do want to thank you...and so I want to...you know...okay?"

Tara knew Willow well enough by now to accurately decipher her babbling, and what the girl had just said excited her to no end. Willow had just told her that even though she wasn't in love with her, she still wanted to make love—to return the favor so to speak—to thank her...

As the idea began to sink in though, Tara suddenly found herself hating it. She didn't want Willow to feel obligated to have sex with her—to thank her; that was kinda on the empty side in Tara's mind. She wanted her first time with Willow to be about love, not lust; or obligation, or anything else. Even if Willow never fell in love with her—she'd wait. She loved Willow too much to simply have sex with her—she just couldn't do it. Sure, she could make with the naughty touching; the experimentation—but the final act of love...that she couldn't let Willow do—not unless she was really in love with her.

"Um, Willow," Tara said gently—wondering how she could phrase things, so that she didn't hurt Willow's feelings. "I...I...d…don't think that would be a...a g…good idea..."

"What?" Willow burst out. Had she heard right—did Tara just say she didn't want her to...? What was going on—had she just been rejected?

Seeing Willow's reaction, Tara realized she had to explain things fully. "It's not what you think," she began.

"I...I mean..." Tara paused, taking a deep breath before she continued. "I...I've n…never...I mean...no one's ever...and I...I w…want my first time to be...t…to be about...about l…love—n…not because you w…want to...to thank me...and even if you n…never l…love m…me, I...I won't mind...really...It's enough just to...to love you...Okay?"

Willow began to realize what Tara was getting at, and she suddenly felt very ashamed of herself. Why was she still holding back emotionally from Tara—and what had ever made her think that Tara would agree to a purely sexual encounter? Although, Willow did feel kinda bad that Tara had just given her one of the most intense orgasms of her life, and she couldn't give her anything back in return.

"Tara...I..." Willow trailed off, not knowing what she wanted to say. All she knew was that Tara was the best thing that had ever happened to her, and she hoped like hell that she'd get over her emotional blockage soon. She so desperately wanted to admit her feelings to Tara, and she was becoming increasingly frustrated by her inability to do so.

"It's okay," Tara said soothingly, pressing a soft kiss to Willow's lips. "Really."

Willow smiled at Tara's reassurance. "But I still feel like...like I should give you something..."

Tara stopped her girlfriend's words with a kiss. "Willow," she said—pulling away slightly. "I don't mind...really."

Willow was too tired to argue the point; besides, there was nothing she could say anyway. Tara was right—she deserved more than just a thank you...If only she wasn't being held back...If she could only admit to her how she felt...Now was not the right time though—she was just too worn out to think straight. With that thought, Willow pulled Tara closer towards her, and pressed their foreheads together.

Wrapping her arms tightly around her girlfriend, Tara closed her own eyes. She was happy to see Willow had relaxed a bit—she didn't like the idea of upsetting her girlfriend. However, much as she loved Willow, she was just too much of a romantic to let her first time be about anything other than love—she just wouldn't settle for anything less. Even if her girlfriend never made love to her, Tara wouldn't mind—as long as Willow was happy. With that thought, she wrapped her arms tighter around Willow, as they both drifted off to sleep.

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Acceptance of Love

By SpikeMe4Now4200

Spikeme4now4200@yahoo.com.au