Hiraeth (pronounced [hiraɪ̯θ])

   In readying The Dance of the Happy Little Toaster https://archiveofourown.org/works/21695866 for inclusion on A03 I have been reminded of other stories that are connected to that one scene; Willow telling Tara she is with the one she loves, and Tara blowing out the candle. I wanted to put all those stories in one post as they will be included, or linked to other series/verses eventually and I really wanted to have them together in one post.

 Latterly I will also post them separately, but this will serve as a small collected post for the extra fics. The dreamwidth post is here https://kerk-hiraeth.dreamwidth.org/3690.html for The Dance of the Happy Little Toaster. It should be noted that in all my depictions Willow is bisexual; Tara lesbian. Not that that matters as such; since I haven't yet found a way of exploring that.

   This is a trio of drabbles; re-edited, but originally written for the open_on_sunday prompt, (un)dress back in 2014. They all come under the theme of first times and are set in reverse order of occurrence. The first is firmly set in my femalehusband!verse; the second, while after the conclusion of 'New Moon Rising' is also; per my head canon also set in that 'verse; this is also true of the third which is pre-series for Tara's arrival on Buffy.

   TITLE: Eagles on the Wind

   AUTHOR: kerk_hiraeth

   FANDOM: Buffy the Vampire Slayer (post-series; femalehusband!verse);

   LENGTH: 100;

   CHARACTER(s): Faith Lehane; Tara Maclay;

   'SHIP(s): Faith/Tara;

   RATING: PG-13;

   SUMMARY: On their wedding night, Faith experiences Tara's true magic for the first time.

   A/N: Both characters are in their thirties when this occurs; in a 'verse that diverges from canon in S6.

     “Aren't we gonna screw?”

   Tara tutted at Faith; slowly undoing the buttons on her new wife's dress.

   “Didn't I promise you a special gift?”

   “Yeah, but...”

   Surrendering with a sigh, Faith began assisting in her disrobement; unable to hide her confusion. After all she'd walked in to find her Tara nude on the bed; dress and underwear strewn across the room.

   Hard not to make assumptions really; though she should have considered Tara's wicked sense of humor.

   Both naked they kissed.

   Tara put a halt to anything more; well tried anyway.

   Minutes later they were flying; Eagles on the wind.

   TITLE: Gentle as a Desert Spring

   AUTHOR: kerk_hiraeth

   FANDOM: Buffy the Vampire Slayer S4 (post-New Moon Rising);

   LENGTH: 100;

   CHARACTER(s): Tara Maclay; Willow Rosenberg;

   SHIP(s): Willow/Tara (willtara);

   RATING: PG-13;

   SUMMARY: Tara's pov on the moments after she blew out the candle at the conclusion of 'New Moon Rising'.

   A/N: Tara's journey; following on from the drabble below, toward the future seen in the one above; taken as a snapshot of her first night, as a lover, with Willow.

     It was Tara that broke their kiss; before Willow fainted.

   She could tell Willow wasn't entirely happy about that, but she wanted this to be good; better than good.

   Plenty of time for the ripping of bodices.

   This was Willow's first time; with a girl anyway.

   Gently was what Tara wanted; as hers had been.

   Her first with a woman anyway.

   “Tara...”

   Softly praying to the Goddess, Tara leant in to kiss Willow gently on the lips.

   “Now,” she whispered, with a mischievous smile, “let's slip out of something more uncomfortable.”

   She delighted as Willow blushed; redder than her hair.

   TITLE: The First Time

   AUTHOR: kerk_hiraeth

   FANDOM: Buffy the Vampire Slayer (circa S3);

   LENGTH: 100;

   CHARACTER(s): Tara Maclay; OC, ( Jan(an) al-Bukhari);

   'SHIP(s): Tara/oc / Tara/Jan(an);

   RATING: PG-13;

   SUMMARY: What was Tara's first time like?

   A/N: This is set on Tara's eighteenth birthday; two years prior to the conclusion of 'Family'. Tara's Girlfriend here is approximately five years her senior and will appear in other 'verses over time. She is Arab-American; her parents arriving as refugees when she was still a baby.
 

     “Tara... come here,”

   Less than five hours eighteen Tara; having known only fear; pain and tears, found the feelings she'd had toward girls; all her life, were very real.

   “Janan... I don't know what...”

   Not born from previous torment.

   Betrayed by her nervousness; still coming back from their lovemaking; uncertain in these unnavigated waters, her Girlfriend's voice gave her a compass.

   “Jan, please. I...”

   The Arab girl responded eagerly to the sudden; decisive, kiss from Tara; newly certain of who she was; what she wanted.

   “I want to use your name as often as I can...

   I love your name. “

   Oo-kay, so this is probably the single scariest fic I have written to date depicting, as it does, a sexual encounter between two women to fill a prompt requested by a bona fide lesbian. Not the first lesbian scene I'd written; but this was for someone. The original is from 2015, and is set a while after the one above written in 2014 for open_on_sunday; The Dance of the Happy Little Toaster is set the following morning.

   TITLE: Cresting the Wave

   AUTHOR: kerk_hiraeth

   FANDOM: Buffy the Vampire Slayer S4;

   LENGTH: 100;

   RATING: R;

   CHARACTER(s): Willow Rosenberg; Tara Maclay;

   'SHIP(s): Willow/Tara (willtara);

   SUMMARY: Tara introduces Willow to experiences she was not yet aware of.

   A/N: The original prompt was ~ Tara/Willow – Rimming ~ for drabbletag6 at femslash100 (sadly the comm does not seem to have been updated for some time), for which said prompter declared herself well pleased and made some very kind comments. Because it was most definitely outside my comfort zone it is stiil on of those of which I am proudest. Though erotic; rather than explicit, it is still very much a nerve-wracker to be putting out there again.
 

     Whatever Willow had expected from tonight, it wasn't this.

   Gasping at the magical chill, she sighed as it was replaced by a warm; probing, dampness which slowly set a musky; moist, warmth aflame within her.

   Minute at first; pressure built, curious; sensuous, teasing.

   Seeking for her key.

   Heat; mind fuzzy, a viscid wetness; intense, past even where she'd been before.

   Willow; brain sharply unfocussed, bit the crest of the wave into the pillow.

   Fingers; one wetter than the rest, stroked her back to lucidity.

   Tara raised her chin from where she was nuzzling Willow's ass.
 

   “Now the fun really starts.”

    kerk hiraeth