Work Text:
Shit shit shit - Darcy looked at the gas gauge and then looked at the time. She was already going to be 20 minutes late and the car was on E. She hadn't seen Tara in 2 weeks. Between her hectic work schedule and Tara's end of term exams they kept missing each other. No matter because she will be there this weekend.
It was freedom weekend. And yes she had made that up. But as of this morning Tara was done with exams, and Darcy had the entire weekend off work. God, long distance relationships suck. Not that the relationship itself is bad but it's so hard to feel out of sync with your partner. Particularly when they had spent so many years joined at the hip. It had been “Tara-and-Darcy” almost as a single word, and now there was a distance, both physical and metaphorical.
Tara was her rock. When things were chaotic at home, Tara was the stabilizing force in her life. And right now chaotic was an understatement. Darcy was fighting with her parents again. They never approved of her relationship with Tara, so it seems extra hypocritical when they use Tara’s academic success as a weapon against her.
Why can’t you be more like Tara. You spend enough time with her, I would have hoped that there could be one good thing that came of it. You are almost failing out of school.
Yeah, well Tara had supportive parents. Tara’s parents’ trusted her choices, and welcomed Darcy into their family. But her parents never even let Tara visit even though they had been officially together for over 5 years. Maybe it would have been better to go away for school. Yeah Right. She could never have afforded it. Living with her parents while simultaneously working and going to school was the only way she was going to ever afford to get a degree.
But this was freedom weekend. No work. And Tara’s classes were finished. And Darcy had plans. Dancing, drinking, and an entire weekend of waking up in Tara’s bed. It was going to be glorious.
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Tara slumped into the chair in the main room of her flat. Her brain felt fried. Exam week was the worst. Late nights in the library, too much coffee, the occasional stress-induced bummed cigarette that she immediately regretted. But worst of all was the disconnect she felt from Darcy during this time of year. There wasn’t time to talk. Their interactions were relegated to quick texts checking up on each other. It seemed like every time she had a moment Darcy was at work, and couldn’t do more than a quick text on her break.
Her flatmates were headed home after their exams, but Tara was opting to stay this weekend and have Darcy come up. An entire weekend to reconnect and just be them. They were going dancing tonight, and Tara had an amazing white mini-dress that Darcy had never seen before, and she knew it would drive Darcy crazy. A call back to the outfit she had worn 5 years ago, when they first decided to take their relationship public at Harry’s party.
Tara knew she could get too in-her-head sometimes. The academic pressures were a lot. Darcy was really good for her in that way. Darcy cut through the tensions and pressures in her life and helped her relax and just have fun.
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The music at the club was loud and chaotic, but Darcy just let it wash over her. Live in the moment. She was there dancing with the hottest girl in the club. And oh my god, that dress. That dress. She couldn’t stop staring. Tara’s eyes twinkled back at her as she pulled Darcy in for a kiss. Live in the moment. This was the moment. This was what she had been looking forward to all week when they had first made their plans.
Darcy suddenly felt a shock of cold liquid dump down her shirt. Startled, she gasped, trying to assess the situation. Just someone dancing with a full glass near them who seemed to have bumped right into them, but they were both soaked. With something that smells sickly sweet, and is bright red. Darcy didn’t know if she should laugh or scream or cry. She glanced at Tara, who had an astonished expression on her face which quickly morphed to hysterical laughter. The front of her dress had red streaks all down it.
“Oh my god” Tara choked out “I look like the fucking Kool-Aid man”.
Tara’s laugh was contagious, and Darcy couldn’t help but join in.
“I’m pretty sure that would make you the sexiest Kool-Aid man that ever existed. Come on - let's head back to your place and get out of these wet clothes.”
Darcy pulled Tara in for a kiss, laughing again at how sticky and messy they were. It felt good to be close again. Good to reconnect. Good to be just them. And honestly, a shower and a lazy evening in bed sounds even better than a night dancing anyway.