Author: wiccanbotanist
Notes: It has been a long while since I've been a poet, or into poetry, in fact before I made it to the Kitten Board I hadn't done any creative writing in a long time. I am glad to be reminded what poetry is and does. So Thanks again to Carleen for inspiring me in various ways.
Other Notes: I may use this in a fic I have planned (who knows when it will appear, I'd like to attempt to finish the other ones I've got going), it is set canon, summertime, I'll sure you'll pick up a few of the details.
ETA note: Poem is from Insomniac by Maya Angelou

The two girls lay in bed, having a relaxing Friday morning, for it was now summertime, and they only thing they had pressing to do, was to keep their bodies pressing together as they lay snuggled together in the rising light. The morning was as shiny and new as their relationship, and Willow as basking in the glow that shone off her lover's hair.

Willow pondered over the past few weeks, well months really when she had met Tara, and how their friendship, brought together by a scary situation, turned into a bond over a similar interest, and then brought its peak by another scary situation when Willow had to make her decision. No not peak, Willow thought, because that implies a downhill motion shortly thereafter, and this could only go up, to bigger and better things.

It was the events after that night Willow was concentrating on. It was strange how things just continued on as normal, well as normal as anything could get in Sunnydale. Maybe normal wasn't the right word. No they just fell into that natural rhythm that they had had even before "I love you" was exchanged. That was it rhythm. This of course brought Willow to different happy place as she thought about recent rhythms with her blonde goddess....Such as last night.

It was then that Willow realised.....

"Oh my Goddess!" she exclaimed while sitting up, causing the blonde to stir.

Being well worn out from the activities the night before, Tara was glad for the snuggle time in the morning. So with a grunt and a squeeze of the redhead she snuggled closer in her attempt to get the girl to lie back down and enjoy the morning.

"Tara!" The distress in Willow's voice made Tara quickly respond as she too sat up snuggling the redhead.

"What is it sweetie?" concern evident in her half-awake voice.

Willow still marvelled at the idea ‘sweetie.' Another squeeze brought her back into focus.

"We haven't gone out on a date!"

"What?" Tara being woken up by a panicked redhead did not make it easy to focus that early in the morning.

"We haven't gone out on a date!" She reiterated.

Tara paused taking deep breaths. She wasn't sure if she should laugh or be upset.

"You scared me awake for that!"

"Tara this is serious." She said with her resolve face. Which only caused the blonde to dissolve into giggling, which in turn caused the redhead to pout, and the blonde to laugh harder.

"Willow, we have dated."

"No we haven't, not a proper one. One where I invite you out, and I get to pick you up."

Tara took a moment to think about it.

"Well, you did invite me to that frat party, and you even picked me up."

"That doesn't count, no evil encountering Scooby-age events."

"Uhm.....well...." Tara thought hard. They had been constantly together, sharing meals and all free time with each other. And doing lots of spells together.

"What about all the magic we've done together?" Tara asked, her insecurity showing in her inflection and tone.

"No, Tara, don't think that. Those were special, every moment. I just...I just want to show up at your door with flowers."

"You've done that, remember the rose spell." Tara smiled.

"Let me finish....I want to pick you up and take you out to dinner and or a movie and everyone can see that you are my date. That you are my girlfriend."

The moment of silence that followed and the understanding of their relationship cemented in place right then. It was the real deal. They were going to have a date....a proper date.

Willow enhanced the moment with a chaste kiss. And then broke it by getting up and hurriedly getting dressed.

"Willow, what are you doing?"

"I'm getting dressed."

"Okay...yes, but why?"

"I have to prepare for our date!"

"So our date is tonight?"

"Well of course, Friday night is date night right?"

"Yes, but where are we going, and when are we going?"

"Leave it to me, you just be ready for me to pick you up at 6 okay?" With that the redhead was out the door.

Tara just stayed on her bed, a bit bewildered, wondering just what she was supposed to do with her day.

Knock, Knock

Came the sound on the dorm room door, at precisely 6 pm. Actually Tara's alarm clock stated it was 5.45, but she knew that the redhead's watch said 6.

Tara had spent the day rearranging her schedule. It turned out she was supposed to be on duty that night, and Willow in her haste had forgotten to ask. There was a good side and a bad side for Tara being an RA for the summer. The good meaning she could stay in Sunnydale, stay at the dorms essentially for free, and most importantly stay with Willow. Actually Willow was planning on staying with Tara the entire summer because she certainly wouldn't want to stay in her empty house. Tara shuddered when she remembered that Willow's lonely home would be better than hers and what bothered her even more is that Willow had no idea.

But back to happier subjects, like having to work the summer and keep track of all those in the dorms for the summer. It was a mix of students, most just too far from home, a few like her who didn't want to go home, and all of them taking summer classes, either just because or because they had to. And she was supposed to be around that Friday night, just in case any of them locked themselves out of their rooms. So she had to find the other RA and make a trade, and he drove a hard bargain but she finally got him to take over for that night.

So here she was ready for her first date, and she was a bit nervous and a bit excited. And she had a plan for payback on the redhead who made a hasty retreat this morning.

She opened the door to see Willow smiling brightly holding a single red rose. Only this time they were going out to what would be a night of magic.

Willow had planned a very traditional "dinner and a movie" sort of date, she claimed it was an excellent choice for their first date, their first proper date. The dinner went smashingly well. In fact it went too well, as they got distracted by their desserts and were almost late for the movie.

During the movie Willow even pulled the yawn-stretch-snuggle in a very classic teen-movie style, causing Tara to giggle and a few kisses being shared at the back of the movie theatre. As the movie got out, it was already pretty dark.

"We should get back, did you know the movie would go this late?" Tara asked. Just recently she'd encountered enough things that went bump in the night, she really didn't want one to ruin her first proper date.

"Well I wasn't expecting the clouds to move in, it shouldn't be this dark yet." The redhead whined as they hurried back to Tara's dorm. They held hands but tried to walk casually and confidently yet quickly. Despite how ‘confident' they felt, they both could only scream when someone stepped from the shadowy alleyway into their path.

"Haven't you two learned anything about staying out late at night? Where are your crosses or holy water?"

The two girls held each other and tried to let their racing hearts calm down to a normal beat as Buffy looked at them with a motherly look that she hadn't quite perfected yet.

"Hey Buffy" the redhead finally squeaked.

"Willow, I'm disappointed in you. You should be better prepared for late night wanderings." Buffy said trying to keep her ‘mother' look...it almost seemed like she was practicing for something.

"Sorry Buff, we didn't expect the cloud cover, but we do have our witchy powers you know."

"No excuse," Buffy's demeanour changed, "You two should be safe in bed now having lots of sex."

Tara turned bright red and attempted to hide in Willow. The gang was just getting used to the idea of her and Willow together, and the comment threw her off. She had no idea that it would only worse with time. The redhead just opened and closed her mouth a few times, unsure of what to say. Buffy remained ignorant of her Anya-esque comment.

"Come on, I'll follow behind, not closely or anything, but I'll make sure you two get home safely." She ushered the two witches to continue their walk.

The two hurried at their previous pace, wanting to get to the safety of the room quickly. Tara felt the need to comment.

"Well it could have been worse, we could have had a vampire jump out at us and one or both of us could be dead." She said with a nervous giggle.

From behind them words rang out.

"There is nothing funny about either of you being dead."

Willow silently but quickly agreed. Buffy stayed outside the dorm with careful watch upon a window waiting for a light to tell her they had safely made it into their rooms.

The two kept their voices rather hushed out of habit in the dorms.

"So good date?" Willow asked.

"Best date." Tara said.

"Is that ‘cause this is the only one or..."

Tara gave a quick kiss stopping the Willow babble before it had a chance to gain momentum. Willow stood there with a silly grin as Tara quietly unlocked her door. Payback time, she thought.

"So, I had fun on our date....I'll call you tomorrow."

"Wait, what?" Willow stood in shock.

"Well this being our first date and all. I want to be proper you know." She smiled her vixeny half-smile and gave Willow quick kiss before quickly slipping through the door and shutting it behind her.

Willow stood in shock at the door, while Tara waited patiently at the other side for a knock.

The silence was long and since Tara had not turned on her light as she entered her room, mumbled voices were shortly heard in the hallway. It could only be Buffy and Willow. Her lover remained at the door, she could feel her, but they were waiting. Tara was beginning to rethink her game.

There were more footsteps coming and then going, and finally a soft knock. She opened it slowly. Willow stood with a whole bouquet of flowers this time. Before Tara could speak she found Willow's lips upon hers. And then the redhead began to recite...

"There are some nights when
sleep plays coy,
aloof and disdainful.
And all the wiles
that I employ to win..."

She was unable to finish however as Tara said....

"You win, now get in here."

"You know I can't sleep without you."

"Come on baby, let's go to bed."