Can the Flower Float? (Closed for Dimmeh)

It was a beautiful, sunny morning; a blessing for the cats who had just endured a long few months of fierce blizzards and snowfall.  Though there were still many snowdrifts patching the muddy ground, they had transformed from bright white powder to dirt-stained slush.  For some though, it would be a blessing in disguise.  

Pansypaw made her way through SkyClan territory, stepping carefully to avoid particularity wet spots of ice and mud.  There was nothing she hated more than having a dirty pelt; well maybe except water.  It was worth it though; the young gray-and-white she-cat had woken early so that she could sneak out before training.  Today her adventurous urges had called her to the river.  

Pansypaw's clan didn't often go to the river; it was quite out of the way in their territory and they gained nothing from it.  There were plenty of small streams and puddles that they could get a drink from, that were much closer to camp, but Pansypaw didn't want 'close'.  

Pushing her way past an overgrown bramble bush, the pretty molly stepped out onto a short stretch of grass that led to the riverbank.  At this section of the river though, it was more like a short cliff.  Sniffing the air curiously, Pansypaw trotted over to the edge.  Looking down at the water, she smiled.  Although she didn't like to get wet, water had always fascinated her.  The way it moved with no limits, how fast it could tumble through the rapids.  It was interesting.  

Sitting down, she continued to examine the river as her mind replayed memories; or one memory in particular.  That golden tom from the Gathering.  

Ever since she had gotten back from the full-moon event a few nights ago, the young tom had been on her brain.  Pansypaw didn't understand why, he should just be another cat to her but....there was something there in his face and demeanor that intrigued her.  Something....quiet, and......mysterious.  

Suddenly, a small fish jumped out of the water right where Pansypaw was staring when she zoned out.  Startled, she hissed and dug her claws into the soft earth.  Big mistake.  The soil was soft and malleable from the snow-melt, and it began to crumble, taking the she-cat down with it.  Yowling, she fell into the rushing river that she loved, and began to be pulled downstream.

Bouncepaw happened to be wandering on the opposite side of the river, his golden-and-white fur adorning a sleek frame. The medicine cat apprentice was searching for watermint, but instead he saw a grey-and-white she-cat from across the flowing water source. He continued padding along, refraining from conversation, as she obviously didn't see him. He stepped with agility over a tangle of bracken.

She fumbled on the edge, and his amber-gold eyes grew big. He shivered, and continued across, head low. He didn't want to notice the pretty molly. He resumed shuffling transversely, swallowing hard. He then heard a thundering sound. Splash! Bouncepaw heeded the apprentice ebbing into the quick waters of the stream, and he was stirred to action.

Yes, he was just a medicine cat apprentice. Yet, what other cats were negligent to, was the fact that these healing gurus had been trained equally as warriors. He bounded across, fear evident in his eyes. His paws moved along lightly but hastily, until he was at a full, nimbly trotting pace. It then evolved into a sprint, and he ducked down.

He didn't mean anything romantic by it. He needed to save another cat, that's what you do! His gaze was blank as he grabbed the wet she-cat by the scruff and tugged her up, panting. She was flailing, and it made his grip falter.

Soon, he dragged Pansypaw onto the ground, nudging her up. His eyes read a sentence, that could advise more than blunt words. Are you okay? For a moment, Bouncepaw didn't realize that she was innate to SkyClan. But when he realized that she was from foreign origin—and a she-cat—he was shocked. Does this mean I'm not loyal? Bouncepaw inwardly fretted, but didn't release his hold until she was stable.

This is the she-cat I met at the Gathering, right? wondered the tom. Pansypaw...? Bouncepaw looked into her eyes, before flinching. He drew away almost as soon as she was steady. He cleared his throat, his voice quiet. "A-Are you okay?" he asked.

Breaking into a fit of waterlogged coughing, Pansypaw's body shook from cold and force as she drew up the bit of water that had made it's way down her windpipe. Once she had recovered enough, she looked up with blurry vision to see a vague shape of a young cat. Groaning, she shifted onto her belly from her side and blinked rapidly, clearing her vision.

After a moment, she looked back up at the cat with vivid sight, and almost fell back into the river as the result of her shock. It was the golden tom!

For a moment Pansypaw could only stare at him, wide eyed and mouth open. The green-eyed molly was not often lost for words, but at this moment she felt as if her jaws were stuck.

"Y..y...yea I..I'm okay." Looking away, she tried to stand up but the weight of her wet fur surprised her, and she opted for a sitting position. Flushing under her fur, she stared down at her paws awkwardly as she tried to think of something to say.

Bouncepaw felt his cheeks light up. What have I done to make her feel so awkward? he wondered. "G-Good." Bouncepaw stammered boldly, looking at his paws. He conjectured if she would hate him for saving her... after all, some cats were very particular about saving, insisting they're independent. That's the thing—if they needed saving, they're usually not. But this she-cat was different. Dripping wet, she still looked intelligent and attractive. "You're... uh..." he began, but he couldn't find the words to finish it. He then grew paranoid that it sounded different than he implied. What'd she now think he was going to finish? Bouncepaw's eyes widened briefly.

"Uhm... warm up." Bouncepaw offered. He would have continued if his jaws didn't feel like they were glued shut. His short pelt was also drenched with water, but he was more befitted for the aquatic and natatory lifestyle. He blushed, essaying how he would get her across back to her territory. It wasn't because he didn't like her—he did, but, he shouldn't be fond of trespassers.

He sat down, looking frantic.

Looking up at the tom, she was surprised, and slightly relieved, to see that he looked almost as awkward as she felt. Of course he does, because you're just sitting here with all the charm of a tree stump! Biting her lip, Pansypaw fished for something to say but the tom went first.

His unfinished sentence fired off her curious mind, and she furrowed her brow. I'm...what? What was he going to say? He saved himself with an order, which Pansypaw nodded at and followed. Standing back a few paces, she shook some of the water off of her pelt. Becoming aware of the awkward silence, she looked for something to say.

"Thanks for rescuing me, I guess going down to the river wasn't the best idea on my part, for a cat who doesn't know how to swim." A laughing tone in her voice, she began to lick her fur the opposite way to dry off while she waited for a reply.

Ah, well, it's okay, thought Bouncepaw hopelessly. If only he could speak as confidently as that. His ears sagged, feeling awkward. "I-It's fine," he said. He found himself feeling rather atypical when he was around this she-cat—he had only met her at the Gathering, why should he care if she drowned or not? His credence in himself was dwindling, so he tried to amuse the apprentice. "I-I sound li-like I've been even m-more drowned than you," he mewed, finding himself making the situation even more thorny than usual.

He licked a paw, attempting to act casual. He seemed squeamish, as if he had no clue what a she-cat was. He internally laughed. I'm so weird! Bouncepaw thought. She's gonna hate me, isn't she, he doubted himself.


ooc;; I kinda like their relationship please help (p lease)

Pansypaw laughed at his response, but quickly though better of it. He has a stutter, you shouldn't be laughing at that! But, if he joked about it himself it's fine....right? Trying to balance out the situation, she meowed "Well, the reason we're even in this predicament is because I have the balance and grace of a badger." Grinning, she gave her fur a last few swift licks before turning her full attention to the tabby.

"So, if I were to guess I'd say you were from RiverClan, but I have no idea where to start with your name." Spiting out witty responses was her way to cover up her deep nervousness, though it was fading fast. Something about him made her feel subconsciously calm and secure.

ooc: IKR! #otp

Bouncepaw flushed beneath his pelt. Does she like my stutter? Oh, does she think it's cute? I don't know, am I hoping she does? No... yes? What am I doing? Bouncepaw swallowed hard, trying to talk normally in spite of his uncontrollable stammer. "Well, it's also because I have the strength of a mouse," he said quietly, warming up to the good-humoured she-cat. He found himself looking openly into her eyes, before thinking it might appear flaky and strange. His eyes darted away from hers, reflecting his mousiness.

He looked up timidly as she asked his name. "B-B-Bouncepaw," he replied. Wow, a triple stammer! Nice going, Bouncepaw, he inwardly cursed. He pawed at the ground, not knowing how to interacted with the young molly. She seemed very casual, so why was he so shy? He knew that she probably liked that Rippedsky tom, so why was he so enthralled? It didn't matter, he was getting ahead of himself anyways.

Bouncepaw  The name rang with a unique and fun tone in her mind, and she purred.  "Bouncepaw...I like it!"  Standing up, she waved her tail happily and smiled.  Meeting gazes with the tom, for the first time she noticed his eyes.  They shone a handsome golden yellow, like his pelt, and she found herself unable to detach her gaze.  He looked away first, and she felt disappointed.  

Her own murky green eyes, streaked with brown, shone mischievously as she meowed "Hey, give yourself some credit.  You pulled me out of the river, and I'm definitely not the lightest cat in the forest."  Thanks to hard training and climbing, the slender she-cat had slowly began to gain some muscle.  If Mudfoot had attacked me now instead of then, I could give him quite the injury to think about.

Bouncepaw chuckled a bit, noting how disappointed Pansypaw looked when he shied away. Does... does she want me to? I can, uh, try... he thought, and he brought his yellow-amber eyes up to meet with the she-cat's voluptuous green ones. He felt another tingle ripple through his body, and wondered what it meant. His orbs wandered the vast, verdant landscape of her depths, a plashet of lush, beautiful color. He couldn't resist a purr.

He then stopped abruptly. Great StarClan, he thought, I'm a medicine cat! My emotions can't do this to me... he inferred. His spirits fell, yet his gaze did not. Splashes of gold on his ivory pelt became even more visible, as the sun pressed across it. At her comment, he dared not giggle. "I-I-It wa-was an e-effort, but I d-don't th-th-think you're that heavy." Bouncepaw said, a first for him—a complete sentence. At the same time, his confidence soared, but his neurasthenia refused to plummet. It was a clash of emotions, something he didn't believe possible for him.

It was only then that he noticed that she had complimented him, and he flushed red underneath his fur. "Th-Thank y-y-you..." he murmured, feeling much too flattered and embarrassed to speak loudly.

To her excitement, Bouncepaw seemed to notice her admiration for his eye contact, and kept it. While they talked she noticed such small things about him; how the sun flashed off of the golden patches on his pelt, and made the white look even brighter. His eyes glowed like the sun in all it's warm glory.

Trying to keep focus, she purred back "Well thank you, I hoped I wasn't." Laughing, she felt herself blushing under her fur. Was that....a compliment? For a brief moment she looked away from him, unable to control the gleeful smile on her face. Her eyes round and soft, she turned back to Bouncepaw and purred. She had never felt this way before.

For a while now she thought she had liked Rippedsky as more than a friend, but now she was having doubts. He doesn't really pay attention to me...plus he's always hanging out with Webtail. They have such a.....close dynamic. Still though, she had never felt such a warm, happy glow when she stood next to Rippedsky.

She realized she had caused an awkward silence, and yearned to start the conversation again, but she knew that the sun was rising further in the sky. The patrols, for both of their clans, would be going out soon and she didn't want to get Bouncepaw, or herself, in trouble. Besides, Cherrymist is probably looking for me already.

Conflicted, she looked at the river, than back at Bouncepaw. Her earlier happy smile was replaced with concern. "I..I need to go, I don't want to get me, o..or you...in trouble.

Bouncepaw felt awkward... what was she looking at? Did he have something on his pelt? He wanted to check, but he was so anesthetized by her eyes. He blushed, so diffidently and sheepishly. His frosted-white ear twitched. "N-No need to hope," he said, attempting a purr. "You aren't—I should know." Bouncepaw chortled quietly, before recomposing himself.

He nodded towards Pansypaw, not sure what to say next. He felt his fur prickle and burn with shyness, as a quartet of stones tumbled into the rapid-flowing river. The current carried them across, and they leapt over the foamy ripples. He felt peppy with Pansypaw, as if she was another of the cats he could talk to openly. Yes, yes—she was, indeed. Wait, no, no, no! he thought, frightened all of a sudden. He didn't let it show on his outer expression, but he felt nervous. I can't do this, I'm a medicine cat apprentice! Bouncepaw realized, since for a moment, he forgot.

He noticed the sun hanging in the sky as well, following Pansypaw's gaze. He knew what she executed in her mind; they had to part ways. He, as well, didn't want Cloudstone to find them. The black tom would be furious at him, that he knew. He had sworn himself in as a medicine cat, after all. He nodded gingerly at Pansypaw, sitting across from him.

When the grey-and-white molly frowned with concern, he knew that something was up. She spoke to him cautiously. I need to go. Bouncepaw thought, and at the same time, Pansypaw echoed it in her own words. He nodded, getting up.

"I-I hope to see yo-you again," he spluttered, stammering. He turned away, blinking warmly at her. "Goodbye." he whispered, exempt from a stammer. He blushed, waiting for her to bid farewell to him... just an additional courtesy, he needn't seem rude by hurrying off. To be honest, he'd spend another eternity with this kind she-cat if he could.

Pansypaw nodded to him as she rose to her paws. Though it wasn't visible, her whole body felt as if it were shaking from hope, anxiety, sadness, and overwhelming curiosity. This can't be the end! I want to see him again, I want to keep talking like this forever! I want- Her mind went silent, as she knew what she had to do. Her conscience screamed at her; No, you can't do this! He's a medicine cat from another clan for StarClan sakes! Where is your loyalty? What would your friends and family think? Tinylegs, Moonlight, Viperpaw, Adderpaw, Rippedsky! You can't do this!

"I want to see you again!"

The response came out forcefully and abruptly, surprising her. She had never put so much conviction in a statement, and felt it with her whole heart. For a moment she feared that everything she had seen was only her hopeful thoughts. Her eyes shone with hope and desperation all at once, and she found herself leaning closer to the golden tom.

"S-So do I..." admitted Bouncepaw quietly. Just a second? Oh, StarClan, just a second! Bouncepaw shambled his paws, and blinked shyly at her. "Wo-Would another second h-h-hurt?" he asked. He teetered closer to her, trying to swallow all of his fear. Would it be good or bad if this was just a dream? wondered Bouncepaw. I... I hope... I hope it isn't, he found himself confessing, until he was less than a mouse-length away from her. No, foxdung! I can't... he thought, until his statements were duking it out. His eyes widened as he found his nose very close to hers. He nearly drew back, but instead apologized. "S-Sorry," he breathed.

He felt as if he should be chastised, and really, this was a punishment—but StarClan, was it one he enjoyed. Oh, no, no, no, Bouncepaw! No she-cats for you, remember? his mind taunted. He inwardly whimpered. He felt his tail swirl crosswise from his body, until it nearly touched Pansypaw. C'mon, Bouncepaw, don't... his eyes were big. He couldn't...

But he did.

He stayed, when he shouldn't have. In that instance, he should've just turned away. But he didn't. He felt a bout of devotion wash over him all at once. But he didn't move. He wanted to stay with her, drinking in her sweet, entrancing scent.

Pansypaw's eyes opened wide as Boucepaw admitted he wanted to meet again. Her heart felt as if it would explore with joy as he leaned in. His face was so close to hers she could hear each breath the golden-and-white tom took; and he could probably hear the same from her. She gazed into his beautiful eyes that shone like stars, and purred.

The little voice in her head was screaming; No Pansypaw, stop! You can't do this!, but Pansypaw was never one for following helpful advice.

The gray-and-white molly leaned forever ever so slightly, clearing the distance between them, and lovingly pushed her muzzle against his. Nose to nose, Pansypaw closed her eyes and reached out her tail and twined it with his. She had never been happier.

ooc: Oh me gud!!! It's too cuteee!