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 last two weeks had been the best of Willow's life...her and Tara had been practically inseparable, only leaving each other in the evenings after the sun had gone down. But not even night could truly separate them. As Willow would often climb out her bedroom window to sit on the roof... she'd look in the direction of Tara's house to find the blond at her own window waiting, waiting for Willow. It was something they never spoke aloud of though, maybe it was because they didn't understand why they needed that constant connection.

Today, they sat under the tree in Tara's back yard. They had been lazily making daisy chains for the last hour as the sun scorched the ground around them. The shade of the tree was their only refuge. Tara had taught her the fine art of daisy chain making the day before and by today Willow was already an expert. She put the last flower on before connecting the ends together. Willow turned to Tara, crowning her with the pretty flowers. She couldn't help thinking how beautiful Tara looked at that moment. Was it weird to be thinking that about her friend? she didn't really know the answer to that question... Willow didn't have any friends that were girls... Just Xander and Jesse and she'd certainly never caught herself thinking about how beautiful they looked, but Maybe it was different with girls..maybe girls thought that stuff about each other all the time.

Willow looked out at the Field of wild sunflowers growing behind Tara's house. The sunflowers had become a favorite place of the girls these past few weeks, Willow was in awe each time she saw them, it was definitely a sight you didn't see in Sunnydale. their presence reminded her of her place in the cosmos and how small she really was compared to something as grand as the Sunflowers seemed. A bee buzzed passed Willow's head, bringing her back to the moment at hand and causing her to turn her face in the other direction; in hope that the bee would give up and go away..if she couldn't see it then it couldn't see her... that was her philosophy anyway.

"Come on" Tara said softly.

Willow felt Tara touch her fingers ever so lightly. A wisp of wind caressing a blade of grass wouldn't have been lighter than that touch.

Willow felt a warm shiver every time Tara touched her, though the instances were rare. It was almost like they were afraid to touch each other... like they were hyper aware of each other's presence... She didn't quite know how to describe it, not even to herself. Tara was smiling at her now and Willow could do nothing but stand and follow the blond to the edge of the forest of flowers. Tara disappeared inside, but willow stopped at the edge, turning back she could see Tara's mom watching them from an upstairs window. Mrs Odessa was smiling down at Willow and her presence only added to the warmth of the afternoon. Willow turned, disappearing through the six foot blooms. She looked around her, but Tara was nowhere in sight. It was a game they had played often. Willow took a deep breath... closing her eyes... she focused on an image of Tara in her mind. Willow began to walk, sure of foot and with her eyes closed, through the tall flowers. Willow never paused, she let her feet guide her, all the time remaining focused on the thought of Tara. Willow stopped. Opening her eyes slowly, she was greeted with bright blue eyes and a smile that melted something inside willow each and every time she was rewarded with it. "Found you.." Willow said softly.

"You always find me..." Tara replied, her voice serious.

Inside the swaying rows of flowers, taller than both girls, was a faint breeze that caused the blooms to dance as if they were being pulled softly by a string that was tied around each thick stalk.

It was the height of the season and the sunflowers were in full bloom. Their nutty scent wafted through the air and yellow pollen dusted Willow and Tara's bodies as they brushed passed them. They were on the way to their special place. Somewhere in the distance a dog began to bark.

Tara pushed her way through the web of flowers, stepping right into the circular clearing, she sat down on the grass that grew there. Tara had somehow gotten ahead of Willow so she rested back on her arms and waited for the red head to catch up.

It didn't take long and Tara looked up as Willow stepped into the clearing. They smiled at each other. Willow's eyes were sparkling, and the smell of grass, blew hot through the air as if a lawn mower might be cutting somewhere nearby, this seemed plausible, though the day was as silent as a bear in winter.

Willow sat down next to her, her body was so close to Tara that the blond could have reached out and touched her without hardly moving at all. They didn't touch however, even though it was apparent to both of them how easy it would have been. The longing to hold Willow's hand but still being unsure of what that meant made Tara's heart beat speed up. She couldn't help but think about Willow's ultimate departure. Summer was nearly over and that meant Willow would be going back to California.

Tara sat up, hugging her knees to her chest. She felt cold, even though it had to be 90 degrees outside.

"Cold...?" Willow asked, sensing the change in mood.

Tara didn't say anything as Willow put her arm around her. She rested her head on Willow's shoulder. Tara closed her eyes... Willow smelled like strawberries and it assaulted her senses with it's sweetness, making her a little dizzy... Tara hadn't expected this closeness, It was nearly too much for her and she knew she would have to pull away before she did something she couldn't take back... like pressing her lips to Willow's cheek. She wondered how that would feel... Tara cut her thoughts off at that point, pulling out of Willow's embrace.

Willow felt as if the air had been pulled from her lungs when Tara had put distance between them, but she allowed the blond slip from her arms without protest.

Tara instantly regretted the loss of Willows body. Though the sun was still high in the sky, she began to feel cold again.