slowly bloom (c)

A few days after Hazelpatch's ceremony, Flutterpetal had insisted taking her out to patrol together and celebrate. It had been such a long time since they'd patrolled together as apprentices, after all, so a celebration of some kind was certainly in order. Thankfully, Smallbean agreed to put them on a border patrol. After a successful jaunt around the territory, they'd stopped here-- his favorite place. The flower field. Late greenleaf colors were scattered across the moor, hints of pink and yellow and purple dotted vibrantly around. Something about being together with her now felt slightly different. He wasn't sure why. Maybe it was because they were both warriors, now? He'd seen and learned a lot more. Not that it made him a very different cat! He just... knew a little more. And maybe, now, so did she. Maybe that was why the air felt a bit different as they walked together, looking around at the myriad blossoms. As he did, something struck his memory. Back when he and Daisypaw had sparred for the first time-- and she had given him a flower, with the express purpose of giving it to another cat. He'd forgotten about it, after accidentally losing the small flower on his way back to camp... but maybe he could do it now. Wordlessly, the tom searched through the field for a moment before finding it. A gardenia. He walked a few paces away, admiring it before carefully using a single claw to sever its stem. Then, gently picking it up in his mouth, he walked back to Hazelpatch and set the delicate white flower down at her feet. His heart pounded as he did so, for some reason, despite the fact he'd given so many flowers to so many of his other friends. Would she like it? "Here! This one's for you."

Hazelpatch had been nothing but extremely excited to be out with Flutterpetal on patrol, realising with a jolt as they walked together that they hadn't done this since they were apprentices, and now they both had been given their full names and recognised as warriors of WindClan. Much like the tom, she had felt a strange tension between the two, feeling clumsy on her slightly too-short legs, overly conscious of every movement and breath she took, and even feeling a little warm rush in her chest when she looked at Flutterpetal for a moment too long. It was thrilling to say the least, but something that took her quite off-guard, wondering how the black tom was eliciting such feelings in her.

As they stopped in the flower field, she took in a deep breath, sneezing as the scents bathed her senses a little too fast. She shook her head a little, watching with wide, curious eyes as her patrol mate took a few steps away, hooking a flower on his claws. Hazelpatch purred lightly in confused support, tail swishing in the grass as he returned, dropping the white petaled flower at her paws, mentioning that one was for her.

For me? Hazelpatch looked at it, then him, then back to the flower. Gently, with a careful paw, she pulled it closer to her, a slight smile on her face. She had heard of the tom's flower gifts, and to receive one felt like an honour in a way. But it also felt so... her body was almost uncomfortably warm, heart hammering in her chest. "Thank you, I love it," she murmured, looking at him with wide, soft eyes. "I- give me a second!" She called, dashing off into the fields herself. She couldn't accept his gift without one in return, it simply just wouldn't do.

A purple iris caught her gaze immediately, vibrant and tall-standing amongst the rest. Perfect! the warrior thought with a purr, plucking it as gingerly as she watched Flutterpetal pull hers. She bounded back over, dropping it a little less eloquently then he had gifted hers. "This one is for you too!" Satisfied, she stood back, the rush of heat enveloping her body once more, until she had taken another pace or so back to where her flower lay on the ground.

The warm smile on Hazelpatch's face immediately made Flutterpetal's own grin grow even wider. Giving gifts to others was one of his favorite things. It was so easy to make others happy, and it made him happy when they appreciated his efforts. He'd given flowers to almost every WindClan cat at this point, not to mention his other friends at the Gathering... so why did this feel different? Why did his heart feel like it was pounding a million times a minute? Why was his face so warm when he saw his friend's smile? Friend... Hazelpatch is my friend. I give flowers to all my friends. Before he could respond to her quiet thanks, she suddenly dashed off herself, leaving him standing in the flowers, blinking after her in slight confusion.

Before his brain had even caught up with the fact that Hazelpatch was gone, she was back again, bearing a flower of her own this time. The light shining in her eyes was radiant. She was the sun. How could anyone have so much brightness to them? A deep purple flower, an iris, was borne in her jaws, then dropped by his feet with a clumsy kind of excitement. It was endearing, the way she sat back on her paws, looking at him with a heart-fluttering kind of expectation. Flutterpetal exhaled, shaky, as he considered the gift laid out before him. It was just a flower. He'd seen them all before. He knew them like the back of his paw. And yet... this one seemed special. No; it was special. It was a gift from her. Slowly, almost as if afraid that his touch would make it disappear, the young warrior picked up the flower and nestled it into his dark fur, where it stood out as a pop of violet color between his chest and shoulder. Then, he glanced up from his work, his smile slightly more nervous than usual now. "Thanks," he said sincerely, his tone quiet, but warm. "I, uh... I like flowers." Wait, you hare-brain, she knows that already. That's why she gave you one. Trying to cut the awkwardness between them, he laughed a little bit. The laugh was shaky... but it was real. His face was still hot.

The purple flower that now peeked from the tom's fur caught her gaze to it sharply, only breaking contact with it to look into his eyes for a brief moment, heat flushing her cheeks slowly, the fire rapidly catching to the rest of her. Hazelpatch smiled a little shyly, finding she had to duck her head down and away from him to calm the blaze across her face and ears, stilling the rapid pitter-patter of her heart making its way into her throat. Why was she so nervous? Why - What had he done? Was it the flowers? Were they making her -- I like flowers.

She looked up to say something, but found herself thoroughly entrenched in him instead. Her slightly open jaw snapped shut and the calico struggled hard for words. The way he had so delicately - as if it would disintegrate in his paws - arranged the flower into his coat would forever be burned into her mind as an incredibly fond memory. Hazelpatch wished to do the same, but worried her fur was not nearly thick enough to find a home for the beautiful gardenia laying gently at her paws. Doing the unthinkable, a favour bubbled to her lips.

"Could you... help me? Put this behind my ear so the petals face out? I can't um, I can't get it there myself," Her voice was a tiny bit shakey, only noticeable to the most observant and overly attentive cats - something she was praying he wasn't, as she was acutely aware of her own behaviour right this moment.

Flutterpetal could hardly take his eyes off of Hazelpatch. Their gazes were locked together, inseparable for a moment, before she looked back down, blushing. Why did his fur feel so warm? It wasn't just from the sun. Why did his paws keep fidgeting? The air was thick, but not unpleasantly so. Something tangible lay between them... he only wished he knew what it was, so he could reach out and touch it without breaking the tenuous grip that seemed to currently tie them together. The violet tucked into his chest fur seemed to be beating alongside his heart, which was fluttering instead of its normal, steady beat. The flustered way she was acting only made him feel moreso. It wasn't just him. She felt it, too. Whatever it was. This was more than the happiness he felt around his other friends. Was that the word for it? Friend? Somehow, it didn't quite seem adequate to define the strange bond that seized onto him so tightly that his breaths were so shaky and shallow.

Hazelpatch's voice suddenly split the almost-viscous air. Flutterpetal drew himself back to attention, looking carefully into the eyes that were looking so hesitantly into his. The nervous smile on his face blossomed into a genuine, fanged grin. She wanted to put his gift in her fur... she wanted to have it with her, like he bore her gift with him. The request for assistance only made him happier; Flutterpetal was never happier than when he was doing something for those that he loved. Yes... love. Like how I love Adderdawn. I love all my friends. The term sent a strange shiver down his spine-- one not altogether unpleasant-- but he set it aside for now. "Okay," he answered simply, his smile and gaze as warm as the burning to his face.

Carefully, as if he was afraid the flower would cease to exist if he rushed, Flutterpetal once again bent down to pick up the gardenia in his jaws. Then... slowly... he stepped forward, raised his head to be level with Hazelpatch's. Well, not level, but only slightly above it. She was one of the smallest cats in the Clan, but he was hardly large himself. Still, they were nearly at eye level, and with how close they were, a single fidgeting movement from either would be enough to make their noses brush against each other. Feeling another odd shiver at the thought, he instead tore his gaze away from her close, sparkling eyes, to her ear. That was what he was doing. Putting the flower behind her ear like she'd asked. Nothing else was going on. It felt like his heart was going to beat its way out of his chest, and into hers, as the slightest hint of his dark, soft fur brushing against hers made his breath catch in his throat. With a simple but gentle movement, Flutterpetal leaned forward, tucking the small white blossom behind her small pointed ear. His whiskers lightly grazed hers as he slowly leaned back, careful not to move too fast and hurt her in their proximity. He did not step back. They were so close that her shallow breaths ruffled his fur. He found himself standing there, looking at her, not quite sure how to untangle their gazes. He had gotten trapped in the depths of her eyes... he couldn't even glance up to see how remarkably beautiful she would look with the flower adorning her fur. Somehow, his thought was spoken aloud, breathed as quietly as the wind before he could stop it. "...Beautiful."