Yes

By

Scoutfan22

Disclaimer: I don't own "Buffy" the evil Joss Whedon does.

Feedback: Eruiellaol.com

Summary: MUSHYMUSHYMUSHY MUSH FLUFFINESS! Sorry. -- Ahem. Willow says yes.

Pairing: Willow/Tara

Author's Notes: makes references to a few episodes, shown by this: .

Now, this story mentions Tara being brought back to life by (drumroll please) Dawn. I figured since Dawn is/was the key, that her blood was the key not only to death but also to life. She brings Tara back, so that makes this AU sorta kinda.

Warning: Lesbian-Gay typeness involved, with description of female nudity and a scene of good witchy loving. You don't like it? Then leave!

The very early morning light came in through the window, bathing the two figures on the bed in a light purple light. One had red hair, the other blondish brown.

Tara stirred and opened her eyes. As she focused in on her surroundings, her fuzzy mind registered a warm figure next to her. Willow.

Willow was curled next to her, her face so calm and peaceful as she slept, the sheet rising as she took each breath. Tara turned onto her side and propped herself up onto her elbow to watch her lover sleep. At the same time Willow moved and the sheet slipped off, revealing her breasts. Tara couldn't help but blush a little bit. Her eyes soon were giving her lover the once-over, and were enjoying every moment of it.

Willow's body was toned and muscular from all the years of fighting the forces of darkness. Her skin was a cream , with a sprinkling of light freckles that only Tara would notice across her nose.

Her hair.

Goddess, Tara loved her hair. Especially now.

When Tara had first met Willow, her hair was short. She liked it like that, but as it had grown longer Tara liked it more. Now it was past her shoulders, and was the perfect shade of red. It turned a darker red with perspiration when they made love, though, and that was the Tara liked it the best.

She smiled to herself. If she had had these thoughts when she was a freshman in college she would have reprimanded herself for them. Now, she embraced them fully. She had grown so much with Willow.

Physically, she could probably hold her own in a fight now. And she had a better stamina now, as Willow would remind her. They were teasing each other one day, and when Willow had said that, she'd made her pay for that one.

She no longer stuttered, and only did when she was nervous. Not only that, she was free-er with expressing her feelings and beliefs. If only her "family" could see her now.

True, they'd been through some tough times. When she was insane, for one. She didn't really remember all that, except that she was lost….

"I was so lost."

"I found you. I'll always find you."

She smiled at the memory. Goddess, it felt so good to hear Willow say that. Willow always knew the right thing to say…when she wasn't babbling. Even then, though, Willow knew what to say.

She remembered when she wasn't even sure Willow loved her. When Oz had come back…

"Tara, I have to tell you that-"

"I understand. You have to be with the one you l-love."

"I am."

"You mean-"

"I mean. Okay?"

"Oh yes."

She had hurt her so bad, though. Putting a spell on her to make her forget the arguments they had? And the one where EVERYONE had lost their memory?

Tara had left. She had to, so Willow would finally see what she was doing. That was definitely one of the hardest times in her life. She had almost gone crazy with loneliness, and want. And eventually need. Which was why she had gone to Willow's that night.

"You know it takes time. You can't just have coffee and expect--"

"I know."

"There's so much to work through. Trust has to build again, on both sides…. You have to learn if you're even the same people you were, if you can fit in each other's lives. It's a long and important process and can we just skip it? Can you just be kissing me now?"

Reconciliation.

That word rang in Tara's ears as Willow's face broke into a smile. They practically flew into each other's arms, and the instant their lips met, Tara knew she would never leave again.

Then she had died. All she remembered was a tearing pain in her

chest and a look of horror on Willow's face. Then, she remembered being in a place where she had seen her mother and Joyce. But she was sad because Willow wasn't there.

Willow had gone crazy and tried to end the world, but Xander had saved her and everything. Willow learned to control her magic and then Tara was brought back.

Dawn had brought Tara back.

She remembered not being yanked away, but gently eased away from the happy place and back into consciousness. When she had opened her eyes, she was greeted by Dawn's face, holding a cloth to her wrist to stop the bleeding. "You're back," the girl had said in a soft voice. Buffy had then appeared and helped her to sit up. Xander and Anya stood there, grinning. She then saw her.

Willow was standing there, her mouth open in shock as Buffy and Dawn helped Tara stand. The two of them gazed at each other for an eternity, and then Willow came forward and put her arms around her. They kissed, and it was like the first time all over again.

All of the pain and good times, though, actually seemed so long ago. Long enough that Tara had decided she never wanted to part from Willow again.

She finally moved, opened the drawer of her bedside table and took out a small gray velvet box. She opened it up and ran her finger over the simple gold band that had the word "Forever" inscribed on it. She had intended to ask last night, but things had kind of…distracted her, as Buffy might've put it.

It was at that exact moment that Willow's eyes fluttered open, and Tara hastily closed the box and put it on the table. She turned back in time to be greeted with the familiar emerald-eyes she loved.

"G'morning." the redhead said softly, her face still a little sleepy.

She looked so cute that Tara couldn't resist leaning down and kissing her softly. Both of them moved into the kiss, but before it could escalate into too much Tara gently moved away.

Willow frowned, "Hey, my smoochies. I need my Tara-smoochies."

Tara grinned, "You got your Tara-smoochies last night."

"Yeah, but they weren't enough. I want more," Willow gave her lover a puppy-dog look, "Please?"

She couldn't resist that request. Tara leaned down and gently kissed Willow. She moaned when Willow's tongue slipped into her mouth and played with hers. Willow then rolled them over and broke the kiss, beginning a trail down her jawbone and neck.

Her lips kissed Tara's collarbone as her hand drifted down, idly tracing the well-known path down Tara's stomach to the honey-ed curls at its base.

Tara gasped when she felt two of Willow's fingers enter her. Her whole body tensed up and she began to move with the rhythm Willow started. Goddess, this woman made her crazy!

Willow's lips kissed their way back up to Tara's ear. She whispered softly, "I love you."

"I know." Tara gasped out.

"Do you know how much?"

"YES!" Tara screamed as her climax hit full force, bringing her to heaven and back in an instant.

Willow removed her fingers and licked them clean, then nuzzled Tara's neck as her lover calmed down.

Tara opened her eyes again and gazed into emerald again. A tear trickled down her face as she stroked Willow's with her hand. Willow looked at her, puzzled and concerned. "Baby, are you ok?"

"Yeah."

"Good, 'cause I was getting worried for a minute there."

Tara smiled. Then, she remembered what she still had to do, so she reached over to her bed table and picked up the box. She motioned that she was going to sit up, so Willow rolled off and sat up too. Tara took a deep breath. Well, here goes nothing.

"Willow, I have to tell you something."

"What is it?"

Tara realized she was trembling a little. She calmed herself and began the speech she rehearsed last night:

"Willow, you've been through hell and back for me. You showed me what the world was like and how truly beautiful it was. You are the most beautiful, amazing woman I've ever met in my entire life. You've given me the most wonderful thing in the world to me: your heart."

Willow was thunderstruck. She really meant that much to Tara? She could feel herself getting teary, but she decided not to cry as Tara continued.

"You and I, we've been through so much. At some points it didn't look like we had a chance together. I lost you twice, and I don't intend on losing you ever again," Tara said as she took the box out from behind her back, "which is why I want to ask you this one question."

Willow's heart sped up as she saw the velvet box in Tara's hand as she opened it. Oh goddess. Was she…?

"Willow Rosenberg…will you marry me?"

Willow didn't even hesitate.

"Yes."

At that point they both burst into tears of joy. Tara took the ring out of the box and slid it onto Willow's finger.

Willow looked at the ring and the word inscribed on it. "Forever?"

Tara nodded, "As long as I live. I love you, Willow."

Willow smiled. She and Tara were gonna be married.

Married.

She liked the sound of that.

The end

See? Like I said, mushy fluffiness.

Signed,

Scoutfan22

01/29/2004 1:54 PM