Return to Spark to a Flame Chapter Ten



Spark to a Flame
CHAPTER ELEVEN: MOVIE AND A MUFFIN WITH A SIDE ORDER OF SNUGGLES

Author: Auburn
Rating: NC-17
Disclaimer: I don't own these characters but the story is mine.


Willow sat in her wheelchair tapping at the keys on her lap top, her tongue peaked through her rosy lips as she concentrated on her task and her brow creased with the effort.

She was so wrapped up in what she was doing that she never heard Tara enter the room and startled slightly at the soft voice that filled the silence.

"S-sorry." Tara blushed and placed her bag on the floor then removed her coat. Once done she moved over to where the redhead's chair was situated and lightly kissed her on the cheek.

"Absolutely no problem." Willow smiled reassuringly "I'll be with you in one minute, I just have to finish this E-mail and I'm done."

Tara nodded her understanding and occupied herself by staring around the room. The plain magnolia coloured walls leaving the space feeling void of the romantic and relaxing atmosphere she herself valued so much in her home. She bit her lip and thought of what the room would look like with a few candles added here and there, maybe some pictures and a different coloured bedspread instead of boring white, but she knew there wasn't much point in making this room more homely, because Willow wouldn't be here for much longer, she instead tilted her head to the side and thought of possible decorations for the redhead's own home, a smile graced her lips as she pictured the romantic setting she could create in the spacious bedroom and the cosy atmosphere the living room would make if it was suitably decorated. So lost in her own thoughts was she, that when she finally came to, green eyes were studying her with a hint of amusement.

"Something important in there that I should know?" Willow teased.

Tara shook her head and blushed at having been caught daydreaming about something so trivial. Standing from the bed she took the laptop that was resting across the redhead's lap and placed it on the bedside cabinet, then helped Willow onto the bed, the routine they knew with precision as they manoeuvred the smaller woman's injured limbs carefully and propped her up with an abundance of pillows. Kicking off her shoes, Tara climbed onto the bed and took one of the redhead's hands in her own then began to gently massage it.

"How did it go with Oz?" She asked gently, trying not to let it show that she was bothered by his appearance.

Willow studied the blonde carefully, her breathing a little quicker than normal as their skin touched and slid together smoothly, the warmth of Tara's hand made her own tingle as the blonde caressed her softly. She liked the way Tara would just touched her without thinking, without any awkwardness or pre-planned thought and make her fill with warmth at the simple contact. The touch was both arousing and nurturing, Willow found herself wondering at the mix of feelings a simple gesture caused within her.

It was Tara's turn to stare at Willow with amusement as the redhead got lost in her own thoughts, her eyes were fixated on their hands and the blonde placed Willow's hand on the bed then folded her arms only to receive a questioning pout from the smaller woman.

"You seemed to be so occupied with the hand massage that I wasn't getting an answer, no answer, no hand rub."

Willow's pout became more prominent and she scowled childishly.

"You fight dirty." She accused and thrust her hand towards the blonde.

Tara chuckled and reached over to the cabinet where she knew Willow kept some lotion, she took the lotion and squeezed the tube until a string of white liquid came in a blob on the palm of her and, putting the tube to the side, she then rubbed both palms together to warm it up and took the redhead's hand in her own, gently working in the moisturiser.

"It was... intense." Willow finally admitted with a sigh, her eyes once again staring at Tara gently touching and caressing her hand and fingers. "He walked in and just stood there... I think he stood for about ten minutes and I had no idea what to say."

"H-he didn't know about the accident, did he?"

"No, so when he walked in, of course there's me with two huge casts on just sitting in the wheelchair unable to move."

"What did he say... a-about the accident I mean?"

"What could he say? 'Sorry I asked you out to dinner then didn't show up and that you were hit by a car and now you're all covered in casts?'... No, he was his usual self and said practically nothing which really made me all... mad and stuff!"

"What were his exact words?" Tara pushed.

"His exact words?... 'what happened?'... So I told him and he stared at me for at least another ten minutes. I told him about me getting in the way of a car, about you calling an ambulance and how you stayed with me throughout everything. Honestly the whole process was just... unpleasant!"

Tara nodded her understanding and carried on massaging the redhead's hand, enjoying the feel of the soft skin as she caressed it and the tingling sensation it caused within her own skin.

"I just... I felt so angry with him, but then I realised that he was just being Oz. Being late is something he's always done. He loved me I know he did, but that's not good enough to keep two people together, there has to be consideration and compromise, but looking back I was the one considering and compromising."

Willow's downcast look tugged at Tara's heart strings and she knew the redhead had had difficulty breaking away from the old habit that was Oz. Forgiving him was obviously something Willow had been doing for years, but that had changed today. Today she had broke the habit and moved on... Tara smiled at that, knowing now, without a doubt that Willow had truly moved on and was ready to start afresh.

A few moments passed before Willow spoke again and the words made Tara wince as the redhead said them.

"He asked me to give it another try, said that he would put the band stuff on hold." Willow shook her head and took in a large breath of air then blew it out causing her cheeks to puff "I felt so bad, but I knew I had to be honest... so I told him that... that there was someone else. A very beautiful someone else, with big blue eyes and soft blonde hair and a smile that just turns me to- what? Why are you looking at me like that?"

"You said I was beautiful." Tara swooned.

The redhead blushed and smiled goofily, "Well you are... but that's going off topic."

"Oh sorry, please continue." The blonde instructed although her smile threatened to envelope the both of them.

"Then I said, and I quote myself... 'her name is Tara'... the look on his face was priceless, if I'd have had a camera, I probably wouldn't have taken a picture so lets forget I said that..."

Tara chuckled at Willow's silliness and gently took the redhead's left hand that was partly covered by the huge cast. Repeating the previous process with the lotion, she squeezed it onto the palm of her hand and began to massage Willow's long fingers with more care than before.

"And what did he say when you told him that?" She asked.

"Well..." Willow thought for a moment her brow creasing as she did so "He... he didn't really say much, that's just the way he is, but at first I don't think he realised that I'd said 'her' and just nodded his head. It took at least a few minutes for his facial expression to change into something that showed even the slightest bit of surprise."

Silence fell between them while Tara applied gently pressure to the slender hand with her own, she could tell the redhead was lost in her own thoughts and was probably analysing the conversation she'd had with Oz. After a few moments a smile broke out on Willow's face and she stared lovingly at the blonde haired woman before her.

Tara was oblivious to the adoring look she was getting from the redhead until a slight chuckle made her look up.

"What?" She asked a little self consciously.

"You're concentrating really hard on massaging my hand, I can tell because you've got that wrinkle on your forehead, the same one that made me laugh when I'd see you concentrating on writing in the park." Willow ran her index finger across the soft skin of the blonde's forehead to smooth out the line.

"You look at me way too much." Tara blushed. "So, how did Oz take things?"

"I don't know, for once I couldn't really read what was going on with him and I felt bad that he was hurting, in a way I was too, but now I feel ok. You're here and... I feel ok."

Tara smiled a little and then sighed "I-I'm glad that he's been... I mean I'm not glad that today sucked for you and for me too, but I'm glad that you've seen Oz and... I dunno how to word it, clear the air with him maybe? That it's done once and for all and you can move on."

The redhead understood what Tara was saying and nodded her head.

"I'm glad about that too. It feels like a weight's been lifted off my shoulders somehow, like I can hold your hand or kiss you and I'm not waiting for the inevitable meeting with my ex-boyfriend to tell him that it's you I want to be holding hands with and kissing."

Tara's smile beamed as she bathed in Willow's words, an invisible weight also lifted from her shoulders by the days events and now all she wanted to do was wrap the redhead up in her arms and never let go.

The mood shifted a little from it's previous dark place as both women sat smiling at each other, Tara remembered something she had brought to cheer the redhead up in the event that she was extremely upset. Tara had to admit she was a little surprised by how well Willow seemed to be dealing with things.

"I have something that you might like to watch." The blonde stated whilst reaching over and pulling her bag onto the bed then rummaging through it. She pulled out a little bakery box full of chocolaty goodness then handed a DVD to Willow.

"I like that box, What's in that box? I want that box!" The redhead exclaimed knowing it held some sort of yummy treat. Tara just chuckled and shook her head.

"Is there a DVD player in here or... anywhere?"

Willow studied the DVD for a moment, her eyes moving back and forth as she read the plot of the movie on the back of the casing, then she pointed at her laptop and waggled her finger.

"My laptop please?"

The blonde immediately passed the object to Willow, not quite sure what she needed it for.

At Tara's inquiring look Willow sighed. "You're not big with computers are you?"

The blonde shook her head and smiled sheepishly. "No, I always think they're mocking me for my inability to type my own name in less than ten seconds."

Willow leaned over and studied Tara's face, taking in the soft features that haunted her dreams, then separated the gap between them and pressed their lips together softly. She felt Tara's hand come to rest of her cheek and gently stroke the soft skin, the touch was so simple yet seemed to burn.

She parted her lips, deepening the kiss with Tara's full approval and the blonde followed suit, she felt Willow's tongue scrape along her bottom lip each time their mouths opened and brought her own to join it, gently caressing and teasing until Willow's patience grew thin and she thrust her tongue fully into Tara's mouth, the sudden move brought forth a moan from deep within the blonde's lips and her hand trailed a burning path down Willow's neck, leaving Goosebumps along the flesh. Her hand rested at the redhead's collarbone as their kiss slowed to a stop.

"That'll have to change," Willow said, her voice dry in her throat "I mean about you not using computers not the kiss, the kiss doesn't need to change."

"O-ok." Tara agreed breathily then watched as the redhead went about putting the DVD into her computer and setting it up.

"Hit the lights?" Willow asked and the blonde reached over to the lamp, flipping the switch and allowing darkness to fall around them. The only light in the room came from the small laptop making their faces glow as they looked at it.

"Better than chocolate." The redhead smiled as they settled down snuggling into one another. "The title's very me-ish, but it should be called 'you can't get better than chocolate'"

"Maybe you can." Tara winked and received a playful swat from Willow.


Willow lay with her head resting on Tara's chest, the blonde's breath causing her to rise and fall with a soft, comforting rhythm that was making her feel drowsy. About ten minutes ago she had been commenting on a particular part on the movie, but when she received no answer the redhead looked up to discover Tara sleeping peacefully. Evidentially she had dozed off, but Willow didn't mind and just enjoyed the quiet intimacy of the moment. The blonde's breathing made her feel safe and the arm that was gently wrapped around her back made her feel loved and cared for.

Every time Willow looked into Tara's eyes she had a feeling that arose from within her chest and spread through all angles of her body leaving her feeling light headed, and she loved it. It made her feel special, and that feeling was new.

The movie credits began to roll as Willow broke off a bit of muffin and popped it into her mouth, her jaw rubbed against the blonde's chest as she chewed and Tara began to stretch as she woke.

"I fell asleep?" The blonde yawned wholeheartedly covering her mouth with the back of her hand.

"You fell asleep." The redhead admonished playfully. "If this were a date you'd be face down in your soup."

"If this were a date I'd be face down in my lasagne. I don't eat starters because by time I've eaten my starter and my main course there's absolutely no room for desert."

Willow shifted herself to get a better look at the blonde, her brow creased in thought.

"You make a very good point there miss. I like the way your brain works."

"I don't think it's my brain that doesn't let me eat starters I think it's my stomach."

"This one?" The redhead said innocently and poked Tara in her abdomen causing the blonde to let out a shriek.

The blonde laughed loudly and grabbed Willow's offending hand.

"Pray your mother didn't hear that. She might think something funny is going on."

"Well it's not." The redhead declared innocently "Not yet anyway." She leaned over and kissed Tara lightly on the mouth before switching off her laptop and settling down comfortably in her favourite position. The smile on her face didn't dissipate, even in sleep as she dreamt of what lay ahead.


Continue to Spark to a Flame Chapter Twelve


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