Author: Kaz
Rating: NC-17.
Disclaimer: The characters Willow and Tara are the property of Joss Whedon and/or Mutant Enemy.

Tara opened the door to the apartment she shared with Willow. She stopped in shock at the sight that greeted her. Her mouth hung open as she gaped. Before her was Willow, spiral notebook in hand, multi-colored pens and various books surrounding her. What had caused Tara's shock, however, was playing on the TV. "W-W-Willow?" Tara managed to squeak out around her shock.

Willow stiffened minutely and pressed pause on the remote before turning to greet her girlfriend. "Hi honey. How was class?"

Tara stared at Willow for a moment before fighting back a grin. "It was great. Very enlightening," she answered. She paused a moment, trying to decide how best to phrase her question. "What are you doing?"

"Research," Willow answered with a slight blush. She glanced at the TV screen and winced as she realized what she had paused on. The two women on the screen were frozen, one tied to a giant cross, the other dressed in black leather standing behind her. Willow had managed to press pause to exactly catch the impact of the flogger on the naked woman's back. Both of the participants wore such expressions of pleasure that Willow couldn't help but be jealous. Tara cleared her throat, causing Willow to start. "Oh yes. I'm researching for that... thing... we discussed last night. See? I've been taking notes and everything!" Willow said, holding up her notebook.

Tara bit her lip to keep from smiling as she took the book from her girlfriend. Willow had color-coded the notes. Definitions of BDSM implements were in blue, a Domme's responsibilities in red, a sub's in green. As Tara flipped through the pages of meticulously written notes, she noticed a pattern. Willow had put smiley faces by certain activities and frowning faces beside others. "Wow, honey. You've really... done a lot." Tara said softly, smiling at her girlfriend.

Willow let out of a sigh of relief. She wasn't sure how Tara would take her note-taking. "I, um, I made up a list in the back, of the things I wouldn't mind doing. In one of my books, it said negotiation is a vital part of a D/s relationship. So we'll need a list of the things you would like to try, the activities that excite you the most at the top, I can make a chart showing the comparisons."

"Sweetie? I really don't think we'll need a chart," Tara put in before Willow went on.

"And we need to discuss a safeword to use. That way if you don't like what I'm doing to you, you can say it and then I'll know you want to stop," Willow told her.

Tara cocked her head and raised an eyebrow. "So you want to be the Domme?"

Willow faltered, realizing she had made an assumption that could be wrong. She bit her lip before continuing. "Well, yes. I don't really like the idea of someone else telling me what to do and doing things to me," she said. Her eyes widened as she realized how her statement could be taken. "Not that I don't love you baby. I do. I love you so much, but it kinda wigs me out to think of being tied up. Too many Hellmouth experiences I guess."

Tara leaned over kissing Willow softly. She wrapped her arms around her girlfriend and gazed into her eyes. "Well, I do like it. The idea of being tied up I mean. Very much. Gives me tingly feelings all over."

Willow grinned. "Oh it does, does it?"

Tara nodded. "Mmm hmm."

"Well, that just works out perfectly then," Willow said, leaning her forehead against her girlfriend's and gazing into her eyes. They stayed like that for a moment before Willow pulled away and held up her notebook. "Now, we do need to negotiate the activities we'd like to try. Here, I made a checklist," she said, handing her girlfriend a piece of paper and a pen. "Put a check mark beside the stuff you want to do and then a number rating how... um... how excited it makes you. 1-10. 10's the highest and 1's the lowest. So don't, like, get all confused and put one as the highest since being first is good. 'Cause that's not how I'm rating it."

"Okay honey. Ten is the highest. Got it," Tara answered, sitting down with the checklist.

Willow straightened the various books, videos and pieces of paper lying around the room. She put her pens back in their container, making sure to arrange them in order of the colours of the rainbow. When she was finished organizing she looked over at Tara expectantly only to find her immersed in the checklist. Willow frowned as she sat down to wait. She grabbed a piece of paper and a pen that had escaped the roundup and began making up a list of possible safewords. She looked up when she heard Tara put the pen down.

"I'm done, Willow," Tara said softly, handing her the list.

Willow smiled and took it. As she quickly went over the list she was pleased to find that several of the things she most wanted to try were high on Tara's list of excitable activities as well. 'Bondage -10, spanking, a 9,' Willow read with a barely restrained grin. She looked into Tara's smiling face as she handed over her completed checklist. Tara quickly skimmed it, grinning at the various points of commonality.

"We have a lot in common, don't we?" Willow said, pleased. Tara nodded as Willow handed over her next piece of paper.

"Another checklist?" Tara asked, amused.

Willow shook her head. "Nope. A list of possible safewords, arranged alphabetically."

"Oh," Tara said, somewhat amazed at Willow's organizational frenzy. She ran a finger down the list, stopping when she got to the "T" section. She pointed to it. "There. I want that one."

Willow giggled. "Tweed?"

"Tweed." Tara said, also giggling. She scooted over next to Willow, who immediately put her arm around her girlfriend. Tara laid her head on Willow's shoulder, grinning up at the redhead from her position. "So, have you decided what you want me to call you?"

Willow blinked. "I... I haven't thought about that yet. Um... how about M'lady Willow? Or just M'lady for short? 'Cause there will probably be some times when you're not going to want to say the whole thing so having something that can be shortened is good, right?"

Tara nodded. "Yep. A very good idea."

Willow frowned and looked at Tara. "Tara? What do you want to be called?"

"Um... well, usually y-you w-would decide that," Tara said.

"But I'm new and I don't know too much about this whole thing. And anyway, what if I call you something that you don't like and it ruins the mood? Then you won't enjoy yourself and I'll blame myself and we'll both be miserable. So you should just tell me now what you like and don't like so that doesn't happen," Willow reasoned.

Tara giggled. "Okay, honey." Tara scrunched her face up in thought. "Um... I don't think I'd like being called any mean words, like bitch or anything. But... I-I l-like words like... pet... or sub," Tara admitted.

Willow breathed a sigh of relief. If Tara had wanted her to call her by some of the names the woman in the video was called by, well, she wasn't sure if she was entirely comfortable with that right now. Willow smiled. "Sounds good to me, sweetie."

The two were silent for a few minutes, just absorbing the magnitude of the step they were going to take. Finally, Tara spoke up. "So. W-when do we want to do this?"

"Day after tomorrow?" Willow suggested tentatively.

Tara nodded and snuggled in. "Friday, perfect," she said softly.