Disclaimer: all characters are copyright MTV - you know the score.
Description: Set a few weeks after #512 - My Night at Daria's, Daria and Tom finally get it on. This fanfic explores the experience from Tom's, Daria's and Amy's (!) point of view.
Warning: This is probably R rated. Some of it is quite explicit, but I'd like to think that it's not prurient. I really wanted to get inside the characters' heads and I couldn't do that without being quite specific.
Quirks: I'm an Australian, so I've used Aussie English spellings and grammar conventions. I may also have inadvertently used some Aussie idioms. There are lots of references to other fanfics in this. I hope their authors will take them for what they are -- sincere flattery.
Tom gently returned Daria's kiss. As he rolled over and climbed out of bed he removed the spent condom, tied a knot in it and dropped it into the wastepaper basket in the ensuite bathroom. "Hmm--I'll have to remember to empty that myself--no sense in embarrassing the cleaning lady" he thought. He took a pee, washed his hands and poured himself a glass of water.
When he walked back into the bedroom Daria was asleep. Instead of getting back into bed, Tom sat down lightly on the end of the bed at her feet, being careful not to wake her. He watched her stomach rise and fall as she breathed.
It was a warm afternoon and the bedclothes lay in a heap at the foot of the bed. Daria lay on her back, the bones of her pelvis forming small, angular mounds on either side of her flat stomach . Her hair spread out across the pillow and few rogue strands fell over her face. The scene had a surreal quality. Every tiny hair on her skin stood out in sharp relief in the afternoon light that shone obliquely through the bedroom window. Her small boobs with their pale, almost translucent nipples stood upright. Even when she was standing up they weren't big enough to succumb to the force of gravity. His eyes traced the centre line of her body to her navel then down to her dark but sparse pubic hair. He noticed that her bikini line was starting to grow back and idly thought about how much it must hurt to have your pubes ripped out. Her left leg lay over to the side and bent at the knee. Daria wasn't one for vigorous exercise and her legs were slender, like her arms, though not skinny. "God, she's beautiful" he thought.
There was a small spot of blood on the sheet between her legs. When Tom had entered her she'd let out a small gasp as her hymen tore, but the instantaneous pain hadn't dulled her enthusiasm. Tom wasn't a virgin, though his experience was limited to a couple of meaningless interfaces with girls he'd dated before he'd met Jane. He and Jane hadn't been together long enough to do the deed, though it had been a close call. But this was very different and he hadn't been at all prepared for how strongly it would affect him. The fact that they'd reached orgasm together was, he knew, unusual. Simultaneous orgasm usually took some practice between couples, but he and Daria had managed to crack it the first time. That was nice, but it was probably a fluke. He looked forward to more practice.
Giving him her virginity was a rare gift--unique, in fact--you can only do it once, he thought. But Tom knew very well that, for Daria, there were much higher stakes. The first time she had decided that she was ready for sex had been a disaster and she hadn't been able to go through with it. They hadn't talked about it much afterwards, but she had made it clear that it wasn't the physical aspect of sex that freaked her out, but rather the thought of being so close to anyone. He knew that that had scared the hell out of her.
Daria had spent most of her life working on the cynical persona that had earned her the sobriquet of "the misery chick". Most people who were close to her (and there weren't many of those) knew that the cynicism was a cocoon that she'd spun to insulate her from intimacy. In some ways it was the vulnerability that she tried so hard to hide that attracted the few people who managed to see past her acerbic exterior. Helen certainly knew it. Tom realised that, although she'd never verbally expressed how she felt, she'd felt strongly enough for him--had trusted him enough--to let him penetrate that cocoon. That, so much more than the physical penetration that had just taken place, was her real gift to him.
Tom was suddenly, painfully, aware of just how hard it must have been for her and he realised how deeply he felt for this extraordinary, beautiful girl who was lying naked on the bed in front of him. Strong emotion. A tear rolled down his cheek.
It had taken a lot of willpower at first. She'd been preparing for it for a few weeks now, but it was still scary. Though she'd never have admitted it, years of Quinn's niggling, not to mention her own efforts to live up (or down) to Quinn's expectations, had left their mark. Daria didn't doubt for a minute that she was, in fact, plain and unattractive. She'd made an effort to look her best, wearing the red top, new jeans and even a little light makeup--and her contacts, of course. But clothes couldn't hide the reality once you were naked. She could handle it, she thought, if he laughed or called her "tiny tits". A quick sarcastic rebuttal directed at his endowment would cover her, but she had no idea how she'd handle his disappointment, if that was how he reacted.
Daria blushed all over as she unhooked and slipped out of her sports bra and took off her panties. "Damn Quinn for talking me into letting her wax my bikini line" she thought. She had expected Tom to inspect her like a meat inspector checking out a side of prime beef but, instead, he was looking straight into her eyes. It was hard to know just what the expression on his face was. Anticipation? No. Lust? No. Damn-I suppose it has to be…. He slowly approached her and, gently wrapping his arms around her, kissed her long and deeply, cradling her head in his left hand. The sensation of skin against skin was incredibly sensual. "Remember your promise" she thought, and she relaxed.
"Are you sure you want to go through with this, Daria? There's still time to back out."
Quietly--"Uh-uh. Not again. Full speed ahead--damn the torpedos."
Surprisingly, the sex was fantastic. It had hurt a little at first, but the waves of pleasure soon chased away the pain. She had expected the act itself to be disappointing, what with her inexperience and Tom's too. (Was Tom inexperienced? She hadn't asked him outright. How much experience can an 18 year old have anyway? Lots, I suppose.) But they'd both reached climax together and it was all she could do not to scream, like an actress in one of the cheesy porno movies (not that she'd actually seen one, but she'd heard rumours). It certainly wasn't that Tom was a sixty-minute man, but her own arousal had happened so quickly that it made up for the fact that the whole thing had only lasted a few minutes. Masturbation had never been like this!
Not a word had passed between them afterwards. She had simply kissed him, sighed, and closed her eyes, revelling in the afterglow. There was a little twinge of pain, but it was tolerable--almost pleasant, in fact.
She felt Tom get out of bed and heard him walk into the bathroom. The toilet flushed and she heard him come back into the bedroom and sit on the end of the bed. For the first time that she could remember she felt completely at peace with the world. Lost in the moment.
She expected Tom to say something, but he just sat there. Her eyes were closed and she was breathing deeply and slowly. She wondered if--hoped that-- he felt the same way she did. That would certainly explain his silence.
She felt the faint touch of something wet falling onto her foot.
It's a couple of weeks earlier.
Split screen. Daria and Amy are obviously in the middle of a telephone conversation.
Amy: "Your first time's something that you'll remember all your life, Daria. It's not in the forefront of your mind all the time, but it's one of the memories that tend to visit you unannounced from time to time. It can be a source of quiet pleasure or quiet frustration. I don't suppose Helen's ever told you about the incident with the stunt driver…"
Daria: "Well… actually, she did kind of mention it once, but it was more than I wanted to know. I see what you mean, though. It was obvious that she regrets it."
Amy: "Look, Daria, more people than you'd expect are opportunistic about their first sexual encounter. You could hop into the sack with someone you meet at a college party and have a good time, but I think that if you have the chance to make the experience special, you should take it. Don't ever tell her I said this, but your mother's an intelligent woman. She just acted on an impulse and now she's paying a small, but long-lasting price. You really like Tom, don't you?"
Daria: "Yes. I do. But for someone with pretensions to authorship I'm pretty much monosyllabic when it comes to expressing my feelings. Tom and I have never said, you know, that thing you say. I think that Tom would be more willing than I am to say how he feels, but I think he holds back because I'm uncomfortable about it."
Amy: "Mm. Sometimes actions speak louder than words. From what you tell me, you've acted pretty badly towards Tom a couple of times. You're lucky that he's persistent and that he understands you. I'd say that Tom expresses himself quite eloquently, wouldn't you?"
Daria: "I guess so."
Amy: "Anyway, you could always save yourself for your wedding night."
Daria: "Who are you and what have you done with my Aunt Amy? I have no intention of dying a virgin."
Amy: "For God's sake, Daria, you're 18. Unless you're horribly murdered or abducted by aliens you've got a few years yet. You shouldn't be pressured into anything by feeling that the clock is ticking. Now I, on the other hand…"
Daria: "I suppose you're right. But some people seem to find it so easy. My air-headed classmate Brittany, certainly couldn't have thought too hard about it--"Brittany" and "think" are contradictory terms. Even Jodie, who's both smart and popular, seems to have been able to make the decision without triggering a personal crisis. Jane treats the whole subject lightly and I'm pretty sure that she's, you know, done it. Why should it be so hard for me?"
Amy: "It's rarely simple, Daria, particularly for someone who's, um, shall we say cautious about who they let get close to them. Ultimately you have weigh up the pros and cons and accept or reject the risk on that basis. You're smart enough not to get pregnant or catch a disease, but sex can unleash powerful emotions. You have to be prepared to deal with it, both on your part and Tom's. Not that I'm making any assumptions about who you're going to do it with, of course. When I said "Tom", I meant whichever partner you choose to do it with. I don't want to encourage or discourage you."
Daria: "Of course. I understand."
Amy: "Daria, if you do decide to make it with Tom, I want you to promise me one very important thing. I mean really important."
Daria: "No, I'm not going to videotape it."
Amy: "I'm serious, Daria. Do all your thinking beforehand. Make your decision and then don't let concerns or worries get in the way of it. Lose yourself in the moment."
Daria: "Um, OK. I'll try."
Music: Tomorrow Wendy by Andy Prieboy
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Well, there you have my first fanfic. I hope you enjoyed it. I'd like to hear from you: bfderef@yahoo.com.au