Return to Catching Sunflowers in Bloom Chapter Eight



Catching Sunflowers in Bloom
CHAPTER NINE

Author: MissKittys Ball O Yarn
Rating: PG-13
Feedback: Please leave feedback on the Catching Sunflowers in Bloom thread on the Kitten Board.
Disclaimer: We all know the drill... but I guess it must be said. I don't own anything even remotely related to Willow and Tara nor do I plan to get anything that resembles monetary gain for such creative musing. The great and powerful Joss owns all and I am not but an unimportant bug to be crushed (now that that's been said...)


The morning was surprisingly cool, even the grass remained wet with the dew that had formed overnight. Willow's sneakers were beginning to soak up the wetness like a sponge, making her socks feel smooshy. She was able to disregard the smooshyness though if it meant that she got to spend time with Tara. Willow was standing out in the middle of the field next to Kaneeda, who seemed to be regarding her with only a mild curiosity. She took a step back though, when the horse tried to sniff her. Willow looked up at the sky, it was a clear shade of blue and it reminded her of Tara's eyes.

Willow watched Tara as she moved around the animal. The blond was wearing a pair of worn jeans, they were fitted and Willow couldn't help but notice the way Tara's hips moved like silk just beneath the denim. A small amount of Tara's skin was showing beneath the hem of her shirt and above the waist of her pants. Willow's eyes were drawn to that place. She wondered what it would feel like to touch the delicate skin there. She wondered if Tara would feel warm or if her skin would be hot... As if on cue, Willow's heartbeat sped up and she was overcome with the guilt of watching Tara so closely.

Willow cast her eyes to the right. looking around, she noticed that they were the only two in the field. Tara's mom had been asleep when they had left this morning, as she suspected was the case for Tara's brother as well. For some reason Donny didn't strike her as a morning person.

Willow's mind began to wonder. She still didn't know what to think about what had happened the previous night. If she thought about it long enough she could almost feel herself Standing there in front of Tara the way she had done that night. The memories and feelings floated back to her in a wave of reality that made her knees weak. To the outside world she was simply a girl, standing in a field with smooshy shoes and a goofy grin on her face, but in her mind she was back in Tara's room reliving a scene that had lasted only a few moments but would forever be burned in her memory.

Willow could see Tara's room just as it had been last night.

Tara had asked Willow to trust her and she did trust her, so she had stood there, with her eyes closed, acutely aware of every sound in the room.

The next few minutes had been a blur. things had begun to fade away and the only thing she could hear was the beating of her heart.

The air around her had changed, it felt sticky and she'd found it hard to draw a breath into her lungs. She was aware of Tara too, she had felt the blond's presence and her palms had itched to link them together, but she had found moving to be an impossible task.

Willow felt herself start to drift away and she imagined that she was a piece of seaweed drifting in the open ocean, her anchor all but abandoned now as she floated free.

She was unaware of the movement of time in that place and all sound had ceased to exist, but she had become aware of a faint voice calling her. "Willow..." It had said. In that moment, everything had been perfect She hadn't felt the need to answer and she wasn't sure she would have been able to even if she had tried.

Willow knew it was Tara, there had been no mistaking that. She had felt Tara's everything in that one word and that was when Willow had known. What had happened between them...the kiss hadn't been a mistake. There could be no mistaking how she felt about Tara. Then the blond had made the tiny light come it had danced around them and Tara had said it was magic. Willow didn't know if she believed in magic, but she believed in Tara and that was enough.

Willow was brought back to the present moment to find Tara watching her, a smile on her lips conveyed mild amusement.

"Where were you just now?"

Willow didn't know what to say... She knew that Tara must be reffering to the faw-away look on her face and Tara's question was simple enough, but even Willow didn't have an answer to it. She shrugged her shoulders. She was relieved when Tara didn't question her further, but instead went back to spreading a beige blanket over the animal's back. A big, hunky, brown thing, which Willow assumed was the saddle was on the ground next to Tara.

As Willow watched Tara lift the saddle up onto the horse she felt the first real pangs of fear enter her mind. The reality of the situation was beginning to come into full focus. How did Tara talk her into this? She couldn't remember the exact conversation, all she could recall was the blond pulling her out of bed this morning and dragging her out into this field. Okay, so she hadn't exactly been kicking and screaming but then again Tara had been holding her hand and Willow suspected that she could be led off the ends of the earth if Tara were holding her hand. But now her hand was all alone...

"I don't know about this Tara..." Willow said, indicating Kaneeda, who'd taken to eating the grass. She was honestly regretting having agreed to this. "Maybe we could do something else... Something safer like... watching T.V..." Kaneeda chose that moment to lift her head and show Willow her large yellow teeth. "I think she want's to eat me." Willow warned Tara. Though the blond made no move to stop the wild beast from inching toward Willow.

Tara peeked up over the saddle she was fastening. "Don't worry, y-you can hold onto me." Tara smiled at Willow before making a trip around Kaneeda to fasten the last of the straps underneath the mare. Tara shook the saddle slightly, to make sure the saddle was secure around the horse. Kaneeda responded by snorting and lifting her head to look back at Tara. The horse took a step backward as if just discovering there was something attached to her back.

Willow was silent. Something about Tara's choice of words and the way the blond was peeking at Willow through her downcast eyelashes made the redhead feel brave. Willow made the decision right there, that no matter how scared she was she would go horseback riding with Tara.

She watched Tara as the blond walked the short distance to her. Tara was offering her hand to Willow, who, took it without hesitation. Tara showed her where to put her foot in the stirrup and how to get her leg up and over the saddle.

Willow did it surprisingly quick, throwing her leg over the saddle, she found herself in an upright position, a thousand pound animal underneath her. It was daunting,even to the bravest of heart but Willow gritted her teeth and tried not to whimper. She thought she might momentarily freak out though, when Kaneeda took a step forward, but Tara was there in the next instant sliding her body onto the saddle in front of Willow.

"What if I fall off the back?" Willow asked, she was sure fear was plainly evident in her voice.

"You wont fall off the back..."

"I might..." Willow continued to argue her case, though with less conviction.

"You won't... You're safe with me... Just put your arms around my waist," Tara said softly.

Willow blushed, but tentatively slipped her arms around Tara's waist. There was no way she was going to refuse an offer like that. She felt Tara's body still its movement beneath her arms. They sat there like that, neither girl saying a word.

The shape of the saddle was gently guiding Willow's body up against Tara's. Willow pulled back slightly so that her breasts wouldn't brush against Tara's back. Her thighs were pressed against the back of Tara's legs and all Willow could do was to pull her head back so that she wasn't literally breathing down Tara's neck. The mixture of the soapy smell of Tara's skin and the smell of fresh hay was making her light headed. She hadn't been physically close to Tara in this way before and it brought butterflies to her tummy.

Willow fingers flexed. She was surprised when they brushed against the bare skin of Tara's stomach. The same creamy place she had been wondering about earlier was now being mapped under her slim fingers. Instinctively Willow's hands began to retreat, but were caught by Tara's and held in place. "Don't let go..." Tara said, her voice sounded deeper and richer than Willow had ever heard it before. Willow felt the dry warmth of Tara's hands slip away as the blond took the reigns in her hands and ushered the horse forward.


Continue to Catching Sunflowers in Bloom Chapter Ten


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