FoW | Leaves and Courting

Necro/Roosterfeather WC: 885 Words

Emm/Buttercupchirp WC: 887 Words

Buttercupchirp

They'd been assigned to work together on another patrol - At this point, it was a common occurrence. They couldn't be more than polar opposites, but Buttercupchirp enjoyed Roosterfeather's company, so he couldn't complain!

There was a chill in the air with the reminder that Leafbare would be upon them soon, and instinctively his coat rippled as he suppressed a shiver, looking down into the gorge and the river that ran through it. As he tipped his head to glance upwards, he noted how pretty the crimsons and oranges of the leaves complimented Roosterfeather's fur, chuckling as a leaf spiraled down and landed upon his companion's shoulder, in which he stood up on tip-toes and brushed it off with a gentle paw.

"Brr, chilly up here, right?" He chuckles, before looking over the ledge once again. "Good thing we don't have to go down there, huh? That's an accident waiting to happen!" He squeaks, unable to take his eyes off the fast-moving river and how it's movements lapped the rocky shore and soothed his nerves. Was it weird to say he was afraid of heights? Stars, he hoped not.

Roosterfeather

Roosterfeather let out a grunt at the comments from Buttercupchirp. The leafbare wind blows down his fur but he does not shiver, his fur is too thick and warm for that. He was built for the winter time rather than the summer after all. He wasn't the most cheerful cat, even if he was growing accustomed to Buttercupchirps attitude and general.. self. This was just a patrol like any other for him. As the other brushed a leaf off him he tried to hold back a flinch at the touch.

"I don't think any cat goes down there." Roosterfeather pointed out, the gorge was dangerous. Maybe only a Diver would survive it, but he knew he wouldn't if he got throw into the waters below. Not that they could exactly mark the border in the river, no cat would dare cross it. He'd heard stories of cats drowning in the gorge though and he wasn't keen of becoming one of those stories.

Without realizing it, Roosterfeather pulled further away from the gorge as he padded forwards to mark the land. He was closer to the trees than the ledge of the gorge now, and he preferred it that way. He wasn't scared of heights, could climb a tree like a Thunderclanner if he wanted to, but the gorge was something else.

"At least it's leafbare so we're not dying in the heat." Roosterfeather didn't know why he was talking, he should keep quiet and hope that Buttercupchirp wasn't going to start a conversation again but.. it was nice to hear the others voice. To know you weren't alone.

Buttercupchirp

The golden-furred tom listens to Roosterfeather, nodding in agreement. He didn't think any cat went down there, either! Although, the river looked so pretty from up here, he was tempted to climb down and take a look. He was about to hop off the ledge onto a smaller portion of land below when he spots Roosterfeather pulling away from the ledge, and he follows suit.

"That's true! But I'm at a fair disadvantage here now, I don't have all that fur like you have." He chuckles, stub of a tail wagging as he helps with marking the border. As he runs his flank along a tree, bits of bark break off and burrow themselves into his fur, in which he brushes them away and takes a moment to admire the foliage once more. In this weather, his companion looked like he could blend right into the scenery itself, and it wasn't a bad view. Erm, meaning he thought his companion was fit for colder weather. Yeah, that was it.

"All these leaves, Roo! We should jump into piles of 'em, wouldn't that be fun?" He drops into a crouch and wiggles excitedly before he's bouncing around the tom, flinging up leaves in the process.

Roosterfeather

"Maybe you should find someone to share your nest with." Roosterfeather offered as a solution to the heat thing. Though he never had to worry about that himself, his own fur kept him comfortable and he'd rather freeze to death than to deal with sharing a nest. He wouldn't mind sharing with Buttercupchirp if he asked, but he would never offer it as a solution himself beyond the vagueness of finding a partner to sleep beside.

He quirked his brow at the mention of jumping into a pile of leaves, something akin to a kit. "You'd get covered in twigs." He pointed out, always logical over fun. He had been raised that way, to care more about reputation and his looks than to have kit-like fun. Not that it..  sounded fun. Of course.

He didn't comment on his name being shortened. It was better than because called Henpaw by his mother.

"If you want to do it I won't stop you though." He added as an after thought, trying not to rain on the parade of the young cat. "I can climb the trees to knock down more leaves."

Buttercupchirp

He'd quirked a brow at the tom's mention of finding someone to share a nest with, and he couldn't help the warmth that found its way across his visage, and suddenly it felt like he was running a fever. He gives a shy chuckle, however, before offering.

"Well, I mean, would you be willing? To share your nest with me, I mean. It'd be prettyyyy embarrassing to have to cuddle up to Ma, if you know what I mean." He shifts his weight from paw to paw, before perking up as the other mentioned he'd climb a tree to knock down more leaves.

And of course, Buttercupchirp had to point it out.

"You'd do all that just for me?" He squeaks, eyes widening with delight. He bounced up and down, nodding enthusiastically. "You'd be my favorite forever if you did that for me." He chuckles, before pausing to tip his head. He gives the other a toothy smile, then, before running over to bump into the tom's side.

"You can climb? Golly, what else can you do? Always surprising me, Roo."

Roosterfeather

The tomcat was surprised at the bringing up of sharing a nest together, he wasn't expecting the offers. Most cats couldn't stand the thought of hanging around Roosterfeather more than they had to, let along long enough to share a nest.

"Sure." He felt his face heat at the acceptance but cats shared a nest all the time without it meaning anything. Maybe he wanted it to mean something more though, he wasn't entirely sure if he could admit that to the other without more pushing but.. he could admit it to himself. Just a little bit, Buttercupchirp was something else entirely.

Someone who could tolerate him, someone who seemed to appreciate his intelligence. Someone who could match it. It was rare to find that, and he appreciated it more than he could imagine.

Roosterfeather quickly jumped up the tree, climbing it with ease,  knocking leaves down as he climbed.  Once he was at the top he battered at branches until more leaves fell around the other tom-cat and he looked..

Beautiful.

The leaves fluttering around the others face to frame it, to capture the season he adored and the cat he.. also adored. He blinked as he watched and stopped fluttering down more leaves, mouth agape. "You're.."

He stuttered, something unusual. He wanted to tell him. "Fantastic."

Buttercupchirp 

Roosterfeather honored his promise and began to knock down leaves, and the golden-furred tom jumped up to try and catch them as they fell, batting at them with quick paws, the biggest grin upon his face. As he takes a moment to watch the leaves flutter around him, his violet hues lift upwards and capture Roosterfeather in his sights, and he felt as if his legs were going to give out and bring him to the ground.

But he just stared, in awe of his companion in the trees.

As if his visage couldn't burn any hotter, Roosterfeather's comment made him lower his cranium, so the other couldn't see how those words affected him. But, Buttercupchirp slowly lifts his head to gaze up at the tom once more, beaming brightly as he calls upward.

"You are too!"

He tips his head, and he's about to say something else but it catches on his tongue. He manages to get it out, however, because he thinks the tom needs to hear it.

"Thank you for the time we've spent together, I've never felt such a bond with another. So, thanks for showing me what it's like."

Roosterfeather

Roosterfeather smiled, uncommon for him but genuine. He felt his heart beat strong with Buttercupchirp around and it hit him that, oh, I want to spend more time with this tom. I want to be around this tom all the time. He leaped down from the tree with seeming ease though he shook a bit of his balance when he hit the ground. Mostly because he was reeling about his own emotions.

"I want to court you." He was blunt about his feelings. Wanted to let the other know he cared. Roosterfeather was bad at feelings, so having them so strong and bold in his mind.. he had to let them out. There was no point dancing around it like newly apprenticed kits dancing around their first crush.

He hoped it didn't come across as too bold though.

Shaking out his fur her approached Buttercupchirp and stood directly in front of him with his tail and head held high. "You're worthy of my time, you're smarter than you think, and you get me." He confessed, though his voice held little emotional tone, "So I want to spend more time with you that way."

Roosterfeather could feel his paws shake though, nervous. He was nervous. He didn't like the idea of being nervous.

Buttercupchirp 

Buttercupchirp is taken aback by his response, eyes as wide as the moon as the air escapes his lungs. As Roosterfeather approached him, the smaller tom felt himself gulp in automatic response, staring up at the other as if in disbelief. But, once the initial reaction ebbed away, and he could finally process what Roosterfeather had said, he's grinning like a fool.

"What a way to share your feelings, Roo. Straight to the point, h-huh?" He feels heat creeping upon his features, and hopes Roosterfeather doesn't pick up on his bashfulness. He had to keep his voice from shaking, but it came out stammering, anyway.

"I feel the s-same, Roosterfeather. I'd be honored to court someone as wonderful as you."