Running from Love

Author: Stormforce
Rating: Umm...PG-13 for language and dirty thoughts
Feedback: Sure, tell me what ya think. Stormforce24@yahoo.com
Disclaimer: Ha! If I owned them I sure wouldn't be sitting where I'm at right now.
Note: This is just a one-shot.
Note 2: Thanks to my koibito, she helped me out


The cool evening breeze blew through the trees as the moon rose higher in the sky, and the crickets began their chirping, and inside the Summers home a study session had just ended. The front door opened and Tara quickly stepped outside, slinging her backpack over her shoulder, and quietly shut the door as fast as she could. It was times like this when she wished she had a car, quick getaway! As the blonde walked down the porch steps her mind wandered back to high school.

Donald Maclay had taken a job for a new, and up coming company, the only requirement was that he had to move to Sunnydale. He'd been so happy, and had shouted as he ran in the front door, and grabbed his wife. Lori Maclay had also been happy, she always was when it came to her husband and children, and had immediately began helping her husband make moving arrangements. That left the two children, Tara and her older brother by a year, Donnie. Neither of the teens were happy about the move, both having to leave their friends behind, and start a new school. But neither complained, they knew how hard their father worked, and neither teen wanted to put up a fight.

One week before school started; the moving vans pulled up in front of a two story house with a wrap around deck and porch swing. Tara and her brother slid out of the backseat of the Tahoe, and glanced at each other before sprinting at top speed to the house. They both wanted the bigger bedroom, and both were prepared to fight over it. However, neither knew that all the bedrooms -besides the masters- were the same size.

It took nearly the full week for the family to completely settle into their new home, and clean all of the boxes and packing peanuts up, and throw them away. Once finished, Lori shoved both teens into the Tahoe, and off to the store they went -to get school supplies. Now, the day before, Tara felt the dread knot up in her stomach over starting a new school. It sucked. She was not one to quickly make new friends, she was too shy, and now, here she was starting a new school. It really sucked.

What the blonde didn't know was that fate, and a lady luck would smile down on her.

The first day of school, a day most kids hate, it meant the end of sleeping in, playing games all day, and staring at the computer all day, it was the end of freedom as all children knew it. All but for one. Willow Rosenberg; the resident computer hacker, and one to never turn down extra homework, just loved when school started. And at that very moment the hacker walked into the school building, never seeing the shy blonde with her head down only a few feet away.

Tara had gotten to school earlier than planned, and almost sunk into the background, she hated new schools, hated that she was the new girl in said school. At least, she thought, no one noticed her, and hopefully she could keep it that way. Currently she stood right across from the school office, and was reading over her schedule -never looking up to see the redhead pass by.

No one could ever know what would happen that morning, especially two young women, only that fate had a hand in it.

Ten minutes later at Willow's locker...

The redhead happily put her books into the locker, only keeping the History book she would need, and turned around to see Buffy standing behind her. "Hey, how you doing this morning?"

The blonde grumbled, "I hate school"

"I love it!" Willow said brightly with a smile.

"Yeah, you would."

Willow sighed, and Buffy rolled her eyes, "I don't feel like putting up with your shit this morning Cordelia." Buffy rubbed her temples, feeling a headache coming on, "Can you just, you know, leave!?"

Cordelia laughed, and reached into her purse, "See what I have," she held up a small bullet shaped container, "This is pepper spray, and if you get in my way, I will use it on you freaks." and for an added bonus, she pressed the button.

At that moment a few things happened, Cordelia's eyes went wide, she had no idea the spray would reach that far. Buffy had ducked down, and covered her head, and Willow...poor, poor Willow, screamed. The spray had long reach and had hit her square in the face, right in the eyes. The queen of Sunnydale High bolted, she did not want to stick around and be on the receiving end of Buffy's anger.

Willow, for her part, had began to stumble around the hallway with her hands out. After taking a few steps she tripped, and fell to her knees, right behind Tara, and reached out, only to feel something soft and squeezed.

A few minutes before...

Tara had made it to her locker, input the combination, and set her books inside. The blonde sighed as she looked over her schedule once more, and pulled out her History book. Then she heard a scream, not one to be curious; Tara just shook her head, and went back to getting ready for class. Then she heard someone trip, and only seconds later she felt someone touching her ass, and squeezing!

"Hey! What do you think you're doing!?" Tara shouted as she turned, and immediately wished she hadn't. The girl on the floor was blushing bright red, and with the redness of her swollen eyes; Tara felt her heart clench. "Are you alright?" she asked kneeling down, and shook her head. Of course the girl wasn't alright, all she had to do was look at her, "Here, I'll help you up."

"Thanks." Willow mumbled, "I'm sorry... I can't see at the moment. What's your name?"

Tara quirked her eyebrows, "Tara, but shouldn't you be worrying about yourself?"

The redhead shrugged; the stinging was going away little by little, and she could at least open her eyes enough to see now, "I'm fine, it was pepper spray, hurts, but it's going away, although I don't wanna be on the receiving end of that again. Nope not me, no way, no how. That hurts a little too much. Next time I'll wear sunglasses when Cordelia is near me, I'm Willow by the way, nice to meet you. Wish I could see you, but I will soon, when my eyes quit watering... right now everything's blurry, so it's all a blur."

"Umm...okay." Tara blinked.

"Will! Are you alright?!" Buffy shouted as she hurried over, "I swear when I get my hands on her, I'll spray her with that shit!" the blonde growled out, then looked at Tara, "Oh, hi, I'm Buffy." she smiled, "Will, how are you feeling?"

"Fine, it's going away. I only hope I can see what's going on in class."

Buffy shook her head, "Only you would think about school after getting pepper sprayed."

"Yeah, that's me, what class you got Tara?"

"History."

"Great! Me too! Let's go!" Willow reached out again, a little too high and brushed her hand against Tara's right breast, "I'm sorry!" she shouted, blushing again.

Buffy chuckled, she had seen Willow squeeze the blonde's butt, and now she was brushing her hand against her breast, "Come on, I've got History too, I'll show you if you want to help escort Will."

"Sure."

And that was that. She'd met Willow in an unusual way, and at lunch she'd met Xander, and his girlfriend Anya -the odd young woman who spoke her mind- and Faith, Buffy's soon-to-be girlfriend.

Now it was three years later, and Tara had finally figured out her feelings for her best friend, and was currently avoiding said friend. The blonde did not know when it happened, just that she realized she was in love with Willow, and it was just weeks ago she suspected Willow had caught on. Hence the avoiding. Halfway to the sidewalk that would lead her back to the college dorms, Tara heard the front door open again, "I'd better hurry!" she said to herself, and did not look back as she sped up her pace.

However, before she made it to the sidewalk she felt a tug on her leg. "Damn!" she grumbled, allowed her right leg to be pulled back, but continued forward -hopping on her left leg. The blonde quickly glanced down at her right leg, and saw a rope, with a sigh she tried pulling away, but the person on the other end gave a gentle tug -which sent poor Tara falling on her butt.

There were the sound of footsteps walking her way, "Need to run...but can't!" she tried to loosen the rope, and succeeded, but it was too late. Willow was right there in front of her.

"Now Tara, did you actually think I would let you leave without talking to me?" Willow's voice had a hint of a smile, "You know, I really would like to know why you've been avoiding me these past few weeks." she said as she began rolling the rope up.

--She really is serious.-- Tara stood, dusted her skirt off, and folded her arms, "Do you have to be twirling that rope?"

"Hmm..." Willow thought about it, her eyes looking toward the nighttime sky, "Will you run off if I put it down?" she asked still twirling said rope.

--Yeah-- "No, I'll stay here."

Willow nodded, and just as she lay the rope on the ground, Tara bolted. Chuckling, Willow stood up, twirled the rope around her head a couple of times, and let it fly. The rope sailed through the air, and over Tara's head, where it was pulled tight and trapped the blonde's arms to her sides. Tara blinked --When did she get good at roping? She needs to stop watching all those cowboy movies.-- She thought as Willow began pulling her back. Step by step the blonde continued to think of an escape, but none came to mind.

This time Willow kept the rope tightly in her hands as she walked around Tara, and came face-to-face with the blonde, "Now you see, you're being bad, you lied to me." The redhead smiled, "And for being bad, I think you can just stay tied up." Tara bit back a moan as visions of being tied to her bed, and Willow straddling her waist invaded her mind. Willow for her part grinned as she saw the blonde's eyes glaze over for just a moment.

They had known each other since high school, and there was nothing they didn't share with the other, and now, Tara had started running from and avoiding her. Willow really wanted to know why, and if she had to act like a cowboy, then she would! --I'm gonna find out what's wrong.-- The redhead thought for just a moment, and remembered Buffy and Faith, it was the exact same thing happening.

Every time they had had a study session, Buffy would quickly leave and go into the kitchen, or up to her room. That had went on for several weeks before Faith stood up, and announced to the whole world her feelings for the small blonde. Buffy had turned, tears shining in her eyes, and she lunged at the dark haired girl. The kissing had soon turned into groping and moaning, which caused Anya to pull Xander out of the room, which was followed by Willow and Tara quickly pulling Dawn along with them.

--Does Tara feel the same about me?-- Willow smirked, it was so obvious, but why couldn't Tara actually look, maybe she would see something, perhaps Willow‘s own feelings for her.

The redhead never noticed that Tara had come out of her bondage induced haze to see her smirking -which worried the blonde to no end. --That smirk, she's been standing there forever with that same smirk... I wonder if I can get away while she's in her own little world?-- Tara slowly moved her arms, loosening the rope just a little...the movement caused Willow to come out of her honey and whipped cream fantasy.

Willow giggled as her green eyes gave Tara's body a once over, and a seductive smile crossed her lips. --Goddess she knows! Help me, she knows!-- Tara struggled against the rope harder, and in doing so, hopped away from the smiling Willow. "Uh-uh." Willow shook her head as she pulled on the rope, and moved toward the struggling blonde -swaying her hips seductively. "You know Tara, we've shared everything for the past few years, what is it you're hiding from me now?" Willow asked as she caressed the blonde's -still trapped- arm with her fingertips.

--Is that purring?-- Tara questioned in her mind, was Willow purring? --Okay, she needs to stay away from Miss Kitty just a little more....and why didn't I wear long sleeves today?!--

"Don't you trust me, Tara?" Willow asked as she stroked her fingertips back down Tara's arm and raised her hand. The blonde's eyes went wide as Willow licked each of her fingers, and kissed the palm of her hand. Tara closed her eyes as Willow's lips met her wrist, and continued up her arm. Tara shivered as Willow continued kissing along her shoulder, and gently sucked on her pulse point. "Tell me Tara, what's on your mind, do you have something to tell me?" she asked in a breathy whisper as her teeth tugged on Tara's earlobe.

--She wants to... she wants to know how I feel?--

The thoughts of escape that had been floating around in her head quickly flew straight out the window and down the street, calling back with a wave, "Hey, you don't need us any more."

--She won't reject my feelings? No...she's...she's kissing my...neck...-- Tara shivered again as Willow nibbled on her neck.

"Y-yes...I-I..." Tara gasped, and felt the disappointment when Willow pulled away, "I..." she stopped, even with those kisses, how could she say it? She was scared, she knew Willow would never play with her heart, but still. Then Willow pouted, --Damn, sooo cute!-- Tara worked the courage up to get her voice to work, "I love you, Willow!" she shouted, which was loud enough to wake up the whole block.

Lights came on, and the neighbors looked out their windows, and none of it bothered Willow at all. She quickly grabbed Tara, knocking them both to the ground, "I love you too, Tara, I'm just sorry it took this long for me to figure out." Willow smiled as she leaned down, and pressed her lips to Tara's. The redhead pulled away when she heard giggling coming from the doorway, and looked up to see the others.

"Huh, I never saw that one coming." Dawn said as she placed a twenty into Anya's outstretched hand, "Especially from our shy Tara."

Anya grinned, "Don't you know, Dawn, it's always the quiet ones."

"Yeah, well let's just hope they don't give us a show like my dear sister and Faith." Dawn laughed at the blush covering Buffy's face as Faith shrugged, and leaned in to kiss her girlfriend.

Back in the yard, or on the yard... whatever...

Willow stood and helped Tara to stand, "Now, how about we go back to the dorm and I make up for lost time?" she grinned loosening the rope around Tara's waist.

"You're on!" Tara laughed as she took Willow's hand and hurried off toward the dorm rooms.


THE END


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