private you saved my life again - flycatcher

[Flamewhisker]

( ★ ) A few days had passed since Sunfreckle had been teasing her about Flycatcher. During those days, she had been purposely trying her best to avoid any confrontation with the grey tom. She had been too flustered to defend herself that afternoon, but after spending the few days mostly alone, she had been able to do a lot of thinking. There was nothing she could have defended herself of, because...everything that had been said was true. Ever since she had woken up in the Medicine Den, she had felt differently about Flycatcher than she felt around any of her other clanmates.

After a successful hunt with her apprentice, she padded to the freshkill pile, and contributed her share before quickly slipping back out of the camp, hoping to be unnoticed. Being around her clanmates was too much right now. She was too nervous to accidentally bump into...him. What would she say? She had never felt this way about another cat...she knew that being away from the camp probably looked suspicious, but she struggled with letting so many others knowing how she felt all the time. This was probably the only thing she missed about being a loner.

The sun was a little while from setting, and a cool breeze swept through the forest. As she came to sit beneath the Great Sycamore, some leaves fell onto her back. She stood back up, shaking her thickening pelt out, and the tabby padded to the other side of the tree, and laid down at its base.

/
@Flycatcher
​

( I'LL SLEEP WHEN I'M DEAD ; YOU CAN BURY ME )

 

[Flycatcher]

Truth be told, Flycatcher had been a little concerned by Flamewhisker's apparent avoidance of him as of the last few days. Of course, he didn't expect to speak with her every day, they both led busy lives as warriors and mentors, so it was to be expected they wouldn't always have time to spare for lengthy conversations. Still, it did seem strange that they hadn't crossed paths much in those few days either. Maybe he was overthinking things or maybe there was something more to it.

Flycatcher had not purposely stumbled across Flamewhisker in the woods. The lead warrior had been out on his own, practising some tracking skills not far from the Great Sycamore. The afternoon seemed to have rushed past, with the sun beginning its descent in the sky. If he hurried back to camp he might be able to make it for a dusk patrol. He was beginning to head back to camp, when a scent hit his nostrils, one he was all too familiar with. Flamewhisker. Was she here too? If so, how long had she been here? He certainly hadn't picked up her scent - or anyone else's for that matter - earlier. Following the scent idly, it didn't take him long until he came across the firey tabby, nestled at the base of the huge tree. "Flamewhisker?" He called out to her before stepping forward and making an appearance. "Sorry to intrude...I didn't realise anyone else was out here." ​

 

[Flamewhisker]

( ★ ) As another breeze swept by, Flamewhisker hunkered closer to the tree, curling her tail over her nose. What she didn’t realize however, was the cat she was trying to avoid had found her. Flamewhisker? her eyes widened, and she jumped to her paws. She knew that voice anywhere…

“Flycatcher?” she responded, her fur fluffing up embarrassedly. Oh stars…oh no. Act natural you mouse brained idiot! “Its..its fine. I was uh…just hanging out enjoying the er..nice weather.” ​

( I'LL SLEEP WHEN I'M DEAD ; YOU CAN BURY ME )

 

[Flycatcher]

Noting the way she quickly jumped to her paws, Flycatcher felt quietly bad about walking up on her suddenly. "Hope I didn't scare you," He apologises smoothly, a burst of laughter following his words. Oh, if only he knew what kind of situation he had walked in on.

At her comment about the weather, he looks around instinctively, checking to see if its as nice as she made out. He supposes its pretty decent, especially for this time of year when chilly winds and frosts begin to become more common. "Could I sit with you a while?" He enquires, tilting his head to one side as he asks. "If not, no worries! I've been out here for some time already, I'm sure Howling Wind would probably love to put me on one of the dusk patrols." ​

 

[Flamewhisker]

( ★ ) As he apologized, she forced her fur to lay smoothly again, and she eased herself back into a sit. She chuckled alongside him, however, her laugh was more of a nervous one than friendly. "You caught me off guard...that's all. If you were a fox I'd be freshkill." She added the last bit with more of a jokingly laugh, attempting to calm herself down a notch.

He asked to sit with her for awhile, and she silently cursed to herself in her mind. "Of course you can. I wouldn't mind the company...I haven't been on the top of my game lately so I may need you here in case something else sneaks up on us." Oh stars...she had rambled again..now he would ask about what was wrong with her? Why can't you keep your mouth shut?! That was a dumb question, she knew why. The reason why was right beside her. Maybe it would be easier to just spit it out and tell him. Her paws shuffled anxiously as she was consumed by her rambling thoughts and worries again. ​

( I'LL SLEEP WHEN I'M DEAD ; YOU CAN BURY ME )

 

[Flycatcher]

He doesn't notice the nervous laughter of the way she seems to shuffle nervously every so often. Or at least, he pretends not to notice, deciding against prying for the moment.

They sit together quietly for a brief moment, before she makes a comment about not being on top of her game lately and that she may need him if anything went wrong. Flycatcher raised a brow in questioning and gave her a once over, as though half expecting to find some new ailment he didn't know she had. "Hopefully it's just a little blip," He mewed once he felt assured she was alright. "You are alright aren't you?" Flycatcher would ask after a moment. He hadn't really wanted to pry too much into things but since the topic of conversation seemed to be heading that way he thought he may as well ask. "I don't know why but it seems like you have a lot on your mind."​

 

[Flamewhisker]

( ★ ) As they sat quietly together, she took in a deep breath and embraced the temporary peace of silence. She could hear birds chirping in the distance, and it slowly pulled her out of her thoughts enough to think more clearly. You are alright aren’t you? A feeling of warmth rushed through her. There he went again…he always made her feel better…even though it was a simple question, it meant a lot to her.

“Yeah…i’m alright. I suppose I have had a lot on my mind lately..” She cast a sheepish look at him, before shaking her pelt out, and licking her chest fur embarrassedly. “I guess Sunfreckle got into my mind a bit more than I had thought…I haven’t been able to stop thinking about our conversation a few days ago..” she paused, glancing at him again, wondering if she should continue.

Sunfreckle and Sparkkit’s teasing really had ruffled her feathers. But was it their teasing, or a fear of potential rejection that she was more afraid of? Stars, she wasn’t even sure if he liked her back or not? Her stomach twisted in embarrassment, and she sunk her head into her shoulders. Her jaws parted for words, but nothing came out. Flamewhisker forced a swallow, then started to speak. “I…I don’t think they were wrong.”
I do like you…why is this so hard? ​

( I'LL SLEEP WHEN I'M DEAD ; YOU CAN BURY ME )

 

[Flycatcher]

The mention of the banter they had shared with Sunfreckle and Sparkkit makes him raise a brow again. Admittedly, he is surprised to hear her bring it up again. Of all the things he thought had been troubling her that wasn't it. Despite his own shock at her bringing it up, Flycatcher would have been lying if he said it wasn't something that had been weighing on his own mind too. "I see," Flycatcher murmured, voice trailing off as he began to think back on the conversation again.

When he hears Flamewhisker say that she thinks that they weren't wrong, his tail bushes up nervously. He looks away for a moment, head spinning, and finds himself at a loss for words. Of course, he liked Flamewhisker, he had quite openly confirmed that upon walking into that conversation. But did those feelings go beyond simple friendship? Certainly, she was a pretty she-cat and he would be lying if he said he didn't get a bit nervous and flushed around her and he's be lying if some of the words she spoke to him didn't make his heart do a little flutter. After a long moment has passed, a moment that surely felt like an eternity to both of them, he nods and says, "I don't think they were wrong either."​

 

[Flamewhisker]

( ★ ) She watched him glance away, his tail bushing up nervously. Oh stars...I messed up. Her heart was racing, and the silence he took seemed to last for entirety. She slid her claws out, and sunk them into the soft dirt beneath her, ignoring the urge her paws felt to get up and run off. Her gaze lowered to her paws, practically burning a hole into them. Why did she have to go and open her big mouth? Right when she thought she couldn't handle the silence (that had only lasted for a mere few moments), Flycatcher spoke, and she felt her heart skip a few peats...

I don't think they were wrong either.

Slowly, she tore her gaze away from her alabaster paws to gaze at the grey tabby beside her. So, he did feel the same? A slight wave of relief washed over her, but it was quickly replaced by embarrassment. "I'm sorry...I made this awkward...heh.." Her tail flicked nervously, and she flicked it in front of her face. ​

( I'LL SLEEP WHEN I'M DEAD ; YOU CAN BURY ME )

 

[Flycatcher]

"No, it's okay!" He assures her, laughing faintly as he does so. It's not really an easy subject to bring up, even with both of them having slowly developed feelings for each other. Certainly, for Flycatcher it feels particularly hard. He had grown up with very loving parents but he himself had always struggled to talk about his romantic feelings, the openness not coming as easy to him as it did with others.

"I don't know if you struggle with it too, but I've always found it difficult to talk openly about my feelings. I've had crushes in the past that just wound up fading away because I was too afraid or unsure of what to say," Flycatcher admits, looking at his paws briefly. His expression is bright and more confident when he lifts his head and looks back at Flamewhisker. "But I'm glad we feel the same about one thing at least."​