Truly, he hadn't thought much about him lately. There was so much going on that he couldn't think about him, but he wanted to.
Roseshade had been gathering herbs after one particularly stressful night. He had nearly lost a patient and needed to clear his mind, and the way to do it was to find marigold and juniper, among a few other things. He felt an uneasy feeling, like something was watching him, or perhaps someone...
His suspicions were confirmed when he heard a rustle in the shrubs nearby. He turned towards them, hackles raised and on the defense. It rustled again.
Roseshade yowled and barreled his full weight into the shrubbery and into a particularly large cat, who struggled and panicked beneath his grip.
"Hey hey hey Rose! It's me!" The tom yelled. Roseshade's eyes widened when he heard that familiar voice.
"Junebug!" Roseshade let him go and got off from him. "I didn't hurt you, did I?" He was a bit panicked.
"No, no- I'm fine! I promise! You just scared me a bit was all." Junebug looked at the smaller cat who had relaxed. "I was looking for you, anyhow."
"Good to know. Luckily it was just me." He replied and let his long tail sway on the ground.
Junebug looked at Roseshade, and noted how tense he looked, and it wasn't just from the fight. "Uh, how about we go for a walk maybe? You look a bit stressed."
"I would enjoy that."
The two began their walk in the forest. "So, how is Katalox doing?" Junebug looked at him.
"Kataloxpaw is fine. She got herself into a fine mess the other day, but she'll be alright." Roseshade replied.
Junebug chuckled. "Sounds about right."
The two walked in silence for a few awkward minutes before Roseshade spoke up. "Junebug, you can't just keep coming into the territory whenever you want. One of these days, you're going to walk onto the territory at the wrong time, and you'll get yourself killed. You know you wouldn't want that to happen, and I sure as heck don't."
Junebug sighed. "I know. It's just hard to be without Kataloxpaw... Or you."
Roseshade stopped and looked at him. "Without me? What about me?"
Junebug had then realized what he had said and his face flushed. "W-well, I mean.. Just- I really enjoy whenever we are spending time together, and it does mean a lot to me."
"Uh huh. I believe ya." Roseshade smirked and flicked his tail playfully.
"It's true!" The tom blurted out. "You think I would lie?"
"I never said you would."
"Look." Junebug walked over to Roseshade. "I'm not really sure how to say this. I just... I don't know... recently, i've been wanting to see you more and more. It hurts knowing I can't visit more often because I would most likely be chased out. I really do care for you, through and through, more than you'll ever understand. These aren't the normal feelings like regular friends should have. Well, it is, but there's more there than I can describe."
Roseshade had an unreadable expression, and for a few moments, Junebug was worried he might have angered or just destroyed their friendship. "So you're saying you like me like that, huh?" Even his tone had little emotion to grasp what was going on in his head. The last gleam of the sun's light disappeared into the twilight sky, like how Junebug's hopes had vanished.
"I'm sorry... Please don't be mad at me..." He mumbled.
Roseshade chuckled a bit. "Junebug, I'm not mad. You're just paranoid." Roseshade moved so he sat closer to him and wrapped his tail around him. "Don't you think we're wasting our time talking about gushy love stuff when we could be out enjoying tonight together instead?"
"Uhm..." Junebug felt himself warm up slightly again. "Yeah. Does this mean you like me back?"
"You rockbrain, of course I like you back! I've liked you for awhile now. I just didn't think you liked me back since you were so interested with the she-cat down south. What happened with you and her, anyway? You never told me about that."
"Oh, yeah, her..." Junebug sounded less cheerful. "She decided I wasn't good enough for her and decided to be mates with a denlurker instead. I met him once, and he was really just awful."
"Yikes.. Sorry about that."
"Not your fault." He turned and looked at him, standing up. "How about we go enjoy the rest of the night?"
He smiled. "Right behind you."
They played, explored, and talked all night. When both were too tired to do anything else, they curled up beside one another, purring, and slept until the sun just began to show the first signs of light.
Roseshade blinked his eyes open and looked over at the sleeping figure next to him. He smiled. 'How was I lucky enough to find a cat like him?' He thought.
When they were both awake, they said their goodbyes.
"You'll visit again soon, right?"
"I will, Rose. You know I'd keep a promise for you. Can you keep one for me?"
"Yeah, what is it?" Roseshade asked.
"Can you say hi to Kataloxpaw for me, and can you try and keep her safe?" Junebug looked at him.
"I promise."
And with that, they nudged each other's head for affection, and walked their own separate ways. Roseshade still felt his heart fluttering with an unusual amount of joy, and Junebug's promise still ringing in his ears.
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About a moon later, Roseshade and Junebug met up again, just as Junebug promised, but Roseshade came with important news.
"Kits?" Junebug's eyes were wide. Roseshade nodded slightly.
"There's only one cat who knows, and that's Weaselstride. I'm scared to tell anyone else since I don't want Crowstar to know."
The brown tom's eyes darkened. "If Crowstar hurts them, I will kill him again and again until he dies. I won't let him or anyone else hurt these kits, or you, or Kataloxpaw."
Roseshade looked worried. "Alright, I trust you."
Roseshade had been gathering herbs after one particularly stressful night. He had nearly lost a patient and needed to clear his mind, and the way to do it was to find marigold and juniper, among a few other things. He felt an uneasy feeling, like something was watching him, or perhaps someone...
His suspicions were confirmed when he heard a rustle in the shrubs nearby. He turned towards them, hackles raised and on the defense. It rustled again.
Roseshade yowled and barreled his full weight into the shrubbery and into a particularly large cat, who struggled and panicked beneath his grip.
"Hey hey hey Rose! It's me!" The tom yelled. Roseshade's eyes widened when he heard that familiar voice.
"Junebug!" Roseshade let him go and got off from him. "I didn't hurt you, did I?" He was a bit panicked.
"No, no- I'm fine! I promise! You just scared me a bit was all." Junebug looked at the smaller cat who had relaxed. "I was looking for you, anyhow."
"Good to know. Luckily it was just me." He replied and let his long tail sway on the ground.
Junebug looked at Roseshade, and noted how tense he looked, and it wasn't just from the fight. "Uh, how about we go for a walk maybe? You look a bit stressed."
"I would enjoy that."
The two began their walk in the forest. "So, how is Katalox doing?" Junebug looked at him.
"Kataloxpaw is fine. She got herself into a fine mess the other day, but she'll be alright." Roseshade replied.
Junebug chuckled. "Sounds about right."
The two walked in silence for a few awkward minutes before Roseshade spoke up. "Junebug, you can't just keep coming into the territory whenever you want. One of these days, you're going to walk onto the territory at the wrong time, and you'll get yourself killed. You know you wouldn't want that to happen, and I sure as heck don't."
Junebug sighed. "I know. It's just hard to be without Kataloxpaw... Or you."
Roseshade stopped and looked at him. "Without me? What about me?"
Junebug had then realized what he had said and his face flushed. "W-well, I mean.. Just- I really enjoy whenever we are spending time together, and it does mean a lot to me."
"Uh huh. I believe ya." Roseshade smirked and flicked his tail playfully.
"It's true!" The tom blurted out. "You think I would lie?"
"I never said you would."
"Look." Junebug walked over to Roseshade. "I'm not really sure how to say this. I just... I don't know... recently, i've been wanting to see you more and more. It hurts knowing I can't visit more often because I would most likely be chased out. I really do care for you, through and through, more than you'll ever understand. These aren't the normal feelings like regular friends should have. Well, it is, but there's more there than I can describe."
Roseshade had an unreadable expression, and for a few moments, Junebug was worried he might have angered or just destroyed their friendship. "So you're saying you like me like that, huh?" Even his tone had little emotion to grasp what was going on in his head. The last gleam of the sun's light disappeared into the twilight sky, like how Junebug's hopes had vanished.
"I'm sorry... Please don't be mad at me..." He mumbled.
Roseshade chuckled a bit. "Junebug, I'm not mad. You're just paranoid." Roseshade moved so he sat closer to him and wrapped his tail around him. "Don't you think we're wasting our time talking about gushy love stuff when we could be out enjoying tonight together instead?"
"Uhm..." Junebug felt himself warm up slightly again. "Yeah. Does this mean you like me back?"
"You rockbrain, of course I like you back! I've liked you for awhile now. I just didn't think you liked me back since you were so interested with the she-cat down south. What happened with you and her, anyway? You never told me about that."
"Oh, yeah, her..." Junebug sounded less cheerful. "She decided I wasn't good enough for her and decided to be mates with a denlurker instead. I met him once, and he was really just awful."
"Yikes.. Sorry about that."
"Not your fault." He turned and looked at him, standing up. "How about we go enjoy the rest of the night?"
He smiled. "Right behind you."
They played, explored, and talked all night. When both were too tired to do anything else, they curled up beside one another, purring, and slept until the sun just began to show the first signs of light.
Roseshade blinked his eyes open and looked over at the sleeping figure next to him. He smiled. 'How was I lucky enough to find a cat like him?' He thought.
When they were both awake, they said their goodbyes.
"You'll visit again soon, right?"
"I will, Rose. You know I'd keep a promise for you. Can you keep one for me?"
"Yeah, what is it?" Roseshade asked.
"Can you say hi to Kataloxpaw for me, and can you try and keep her safe?" Junebug looked at him.
"I promise."
And with that, they nudged each other's head for affection, and walked their own separate ways. Roseshade still felt his heart fluttering with an unusual amount of joy, and Junebug's promise still ringing in his ears.
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About a moon later, Roseshade and Junebug met up again, just as Junebug promised, but Roseshade came with important news.
"Kits?" Junebug's eyes were wide. Roseshade nodded slightly.
"There's only one cat who knows, and that's Weaselstride. I'm scared to tell anyone else since I don't want Crowstar to know."
The brown tom's eyes darkened. "If Crowstar hurts them, I will kill him again and again until he dies. I won't let him or anyone else hurt these kits, or you, or Kataloxpaw."
Roseshade looked worried. "Alright, I trust you."
[1015/600]