~It Takes Two To Whisper Quietly~(CrowxJunco) G

[Cloud of Diamonds]

Give me sunshine, give me blue skies, give me fresh air. Give me not a worry or a care...

Thought the little PineClanner as she trundled along, her fur wet from the rain that fell lightly through the thick trees. She looked up, raindrops clinging to the ends of her whiskers. She'd come out to go hunting, and had managed to catch a shrew, but then the rain had started and she was slowly, slowly making her way back to camp.

The amount of water trapped in her pelt made her cold and shivery, but then "Newleaf showers bring greenleaf flowers." She mumbled. It made her feel slightly better.

It also made her think of the cat she had a crush on. The light-furred tabby squirmed.

His adorable black face, his bright happiness and intelligence, his love of flowers...was this what love was like? Juncopaw had always thought she couldn't really be in love until she was older and smarter. And even if she was, what use was it? She'd die of embarrassment if he knew, and besides, why would he ever look at her that way? He'd pick a mate who was wittier, graceful, good at everything...in short, perfect. And she was so far from perfect.

Oh, how she wanted to be. But she was too lazy, too dumb, too spacey...and also rather unaware - perhaps because of the scent-masking rain - that the cat who she liked was nearby.

[glowlynose]

Crowpaw looked up at the sky in wonderment. There was water coming down, and it had been coming down for quite some time. It was just little drops, no bigger than a baby willow bud, but there were so many of them, and they were getting everywhere. Why was the sky crying? Was it crying for FogClan? Yes, that was probably it. FogClan was probably what was bringing the sky to tears. The little medicine cat apprentice lifted his face toward the sky and smiled, trying to cheer it up. Little did he know- it was, after all, his first rain- that it would keep raining until the clouds blew away. No breeze stirred the sodden leaves, so it would be a while until the rain went away. Downcast when it did not work, Crowpaw continued on his way home.

What was Crowpaw doing out on a day like today anyway? He shook his head sadly. He should have just waited until the half moon to talk to Finchpaw. Then the sky wouldn't be sad and this stuff wouldn't be falling. It smelled good though, which was strange. It felt good too, which was even stranger. Everything felt and smelled and looked clean when the sky cried. Over there, to his right, a little bird stabbed at a pool of water on the ground with its beak, drinking. It was a beautiful thing, really. The bird was very small, and no use to anybody as prey, so he left it there, drinking in a bliss brought on by its ignorance of his presence. Small, beady eyes blinked once, twice as its wings beat once, twice, and then it took off, its thirst quenched. Not wanting to disturb the peaceful sounds of the rainfall, Crowpaw merely nodded in the direction of the black and gray bird.

Ah, but what was that sound? Soft pawsteps thudded on the damp ground, and somebody seemed to be muttering to themselves. Who? Who would be mad enough, aside from Crowpaw, to venture out in this gray, wet weather? Crowpaw peeked out through the leaves tentatively, hoping for all the world that a warrior had not come out looking for him. He had nothing to show for his day away from camp. Thankfully, the cat who padded along in front of him was not large enough to be a warrior. Her pelt looked familiar... where had he seen it before? Then she turned and nearly looked straight at him. It was Juncopaw, his sister's best friend! What was she doing- oh, she had prey in her jaws. It was more than Crowpaw had. She had come out to benefit her clan, unlike the medicine cat apprentice. Crowpaw looked curiously at her for a while, hoping that she wouldn't move. She was a much better cat then he was. He had come out to talk to a friend, for selfish reason, while she was braving the sky's tears by herself for the sole purpose of bringing back what little prey she could find in this weather. It was admirable.

Still, she shouldn't have to weather the sky's sorrow all by herself, even if it did smell and feel nice. He should make himself known to her. Maybe she would want to talk. Crowpaw made a mental note not to bring up souls in this conversation. He'd had enough of that for one day.

"Juncopaw! Juncopaw, over here,"

[/b] he whispered, sliding out through the slick leaves that had hidden him and into the open. He didn't know why he'd whispered, it just felt right to whisper in this weather. If he talked too loud, he might scare the sky and make it cry even harder. Yes, that was why he'd whispered. In any case, he was supposed to focus on Juncopaw now, not his reasons for whispering. It was only polite. He smiled sheepishly, shuffling his paws. She would probably wonder why he was out here. He didn't want to lie to her, since she was very nice, but he didn't want to tell her the truth either. If she asked, he didn't know what he would do. It would be better to distract her before she got the chance to ask.

"Hi there. What are you doing out hunting in this weather? You ought to be back in camp. You would stay dryer there."[/b] His concern for her was genuine. If she got too wet, then she might get sick, which might mean that he might have to treat her, which would be horrible since he'd probably mess it up and make her even worse. Such a pretty she-cat shouldn't be getting sick anyway.
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[Cloud of Diamonds]

Did her very thoughts make him materialize out of nowhere? No, that was ridiculous. Thoughts were not living things, even though they happened in living beings' heads.

For a few seconds she just stood dumbstruck with her mouth slightly open, the shrew threatening to drop to the ground. Then she snapped out of it and slid into the leaves with him, feeling incredibly awkward somehow. No, not awkward. Embarrassed, considering she'd just been thinking about him. It was almost like he knew. Oh, earth forbid. Besides, even Crowpaw couldn't read minds, right?

Then she remembered what he'd just said to her and brightened up, despite the now-writhing embarrassment inside her. It was like that even as strong as it was, it was momentarily blocked out by pure joy.

"Well, yeah, but...see, I came out earlier when it hadn't started. And I'm just slowly making my way back. I could run, of course, but I'd get tired and then I'd be even slower and even though it'd warm me up I just like watching the rain fall...'cause newleaf showers bring greenleaf flowers, you know?"

She grinned, then felt like an utter mouse-brain. Duh he knew, this was the cat whose liking for flowers amounted to a passion. So much for being clever. Although, the funny thing was she'd barely been trying - she'd just wanted to mention the old saying.

And concern would have made her blush beneath her fur, if cats could. As it was, she just smiled a bit, looking at her paws.

[glowlynose]

Huh. Well, that was certainly an interesting take on the whole concept of rain. It made sense, and it was probably true, but... the idea didn't quite flow, to Crowpaw. Oh well, it was better not to dwell on it anyway. If he dwelt on it he would just end up getting confused again, and getting confused wasn't the best idea for Crowpaw. It made him do odd things, like tackle hug his friends after he'd already said goodbye to them. Yep, that had certainly been interesting.

As it were, Crowpaw giggled just a bit. Why he'd done that to Finchpaw he had absolutely no idea, but it had been amusing. The look on his face! That would definitely be a story to tell... their nieces and nephews. Because neither of them would ever fall in love and have kits of their own, would they? That would just be too weird. It gave Crowpaw this weird feeling to think about ever having kits. It was sort of like a bunch of beetles were scuttling all around in his fur and making him tickle. He couldn't even imagine himself as a father, probably because he was only seven moons old. That definitely had something to do with it.

"Oh, that's good. I'd have to worry about you if you'd come out while it was raining. You would have to be sad, since the sky is crying.

"And I like the rain too, but I like it because once the sky's had its cry, it won't be sad for a while. And it makes everything smell clean and wonderful, like the medicine den. I love the smell of the medicine den, but I just might like the smell of the rain better."

[/b] He turned to smile at Juncopaw. For being his sister's best friend, she sure was nice. Crowpaw took a moment to wonder how Willowpaw was doing anyway, but then dismissed the thought. Juncopaw probably wanted to talk about his sister as much as he did, which was not very much. She was her best friend end everything, but there was probably a reason that she was out here alone instead of with Willowpaw.

"Hey Juncopaw, you wanna go off somewhere and do something? Something fun?"[/b] Crowpaw grinned at the she-cat, blissfully ignorant of his uncomfortable this would probably make the besotted apprentice, as he was also ignorant of the fact of her besottedness. It wasn't like asking her to go off and do something was weird, right? After all, they were just friends, and it was just collecting herbs. He needed to have something to show for his day away from camp.

"I mean, it's just collecting herbs and stuff. We're getting low on marigold. I thought that since you liked leaves so much maybe you'd like to come along. We can get other herbs too, like tansy. We've been trying to replenish our stocks of pretty much everything."[/size][/center]

[Cloud of Diamonds]

Good earth, did he have to make her EVEN MORE embarrassed? No, no! She squashed the evil thought, pummeling it with all her mental will. This was a good thing. Just take deep breaths. Deep breaths. And slow down. He doesn't know anything. How could he? She hid it too well.

Forcing calm upon herself, she smiled, while fainting and swooning inside. Was this love? It felt more like paranoia.

And then memories of what he'd just said returned to her, smacking her in the face like a strong wind so she could consider them. Which was good, only she'd already opened her mouth slightly and now closed it again, which probably looked odd.

Was rain really the sky crying? How sad...she wondered if it was true. Who knew? He was a medicine cat, or would be, who was she to doubt him?

"It smells like everything's clean. Like the sadness has been let out and because it's free it makes things better. Right?" She said, cautious but hopeful. Maybe she could learn how to feel things, like him. She wanted to. Wanted to know the beautiful, secret world he seemed to know so much about. Or maybe it was the secrets of the real world. Maybe it was what other cats called "miracles" and "StarClan."

And then, of course, he'd mentioned something fun. With him. The two of them. Alone together.

Stop overreacting, girl, she scolded as she tried to quiet her thoughts.

"That sounds wonderful, Crowpaw." The silver tabby said sincerely. And then she inwardly winced. She hoped he wouldn't take that the wrong way. But she still smiled and continued. "I do like leaves, and I'd like to help, 'specially if the stores are low. So, uh, where're we goin'?"

[glowlynose]

Crowpaw smiled and nodded. She got it! She got it completely! Anybody else in his clan would have laughed at him for saying what he'd said about the rain, but not her. He saw why his sister liked her so much. Although, since they were so similar, he wondered how his sister stood Juncopaw in the first place. She certainly couldn't stand him. It was probably some mystical she-cat thing between them. She-cats were just weird.

"Yes, that's exactly what I meant. You get it, Juncopaw. You totally get it. I bet nobody else in PineClan would get it, but you did." He was now grinning at her, and suddenly he started feeling playful. His play fight with Finchpaw had brought back his fighting skills from when he was a kit. He would probably lose this one, since he would be fighting an actual warrior apprentice, but oh well. It would be fun, and out here, nobody could stop them. Nobody would chastise them for being immature or ridiculous. Out here, away from the scrutiny of the clan, they could really be themselves.

He was just raising his paw to give her a starting blow to the chin, eyes set all aglitter with mischief, when something stopped him. She looked so... thoughtful. It was sort of interesting, the way her whole face seemed to get smaller and tighter. Her neck sort of stuck out at a funny angle too. It was... cute, in a sort of weird, off-key way. He wondered if she made that look very often, or if she smiled a lot, like he did. Regardless, it was cute, and it widened his grin.

And now the hard part came in. She was asking where they were going to go, and he had absolutely no idea whatsoever. He really had just wanted her to stick around so he could get to know her better. Juncopaw, of course, expected him to have an actual plan. That could cause a sticky situation. He had a plan, he just had no idea how to execute it. Nobody had shown him where the herbs grew before, and he just sort of expected them to be scattered in random places throughout the territory. How would they even find them to collect them?

"Oh, um, see, that's the problem. I don't exactly know where the herbs are... uh, yeah. Nobody's taken me to anyplace where they grow yet, so maybe we could just look for them?" Crowpaw scuffled his paws awkwardly. Actually, his entire body was the picture of awkwardness, whether he felt awkward or not. He was at that odd stage in his growth where certain body parts were getting to be too big for his torso, like his head and legs. It wouldn't be as bad if he was busy building muscle as well, but he couldn't really do much of that at the moment. Maybe instead of looking for herbs, he and Juncopaw could spar instead? Then, if they kept doing it, after a while he wouldn't just be the awkward, skinny little medicine cat apprentice anymore. It would be a good excuse to keep seeing her.

"It would be an adventure."

[/b] Now he wasn't feeling so awkward anymore. Juncopaw would say yes, and then they'd go off and have fun, and come back knowing each other a little better. He wondered absentmindedly what Bluefur would say about this. Eh, he would probably just tell him to be careful and not get too carried away. Of course, that would never happen. Would it?

No, no. Of course not. Juncopaw was just a friend. A very pretty, she-cat friend, but just a friend. He didn't feel any butterflies when he looked at her or thought about her, and his stomach didn't do acrobatics in either case. The idea of spending time alone with her did not make his heart skip beats. Besides, she could never feel those things about him. It would be... weird.
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[Cloud of Diamonds]

Oh, the happiness and the embarrassment were so intertwined - warm feelings twisted together, seeming to wind through her like long, thin snakes. She smiled, trying to put the worse one aside. He had actually said that! To her! She, Juncopaw, was the one who understood, out of all of PineClan. She almost giggled giddily. The silver tabby felt unbelievably special. Maybe someone else would. But frankly, she hoped not. She wanted to be the one who understood him and listened to him. Maybe, then, eventually, just maybe...

No, she replied firmly. She would not allow herself such impossible hope. Friends. All they were, all they ever would be. She had to get that straight. Being friends should be enough for her. It was wonderful enough, and she should be grateful.

Her smile became slightly teasing. He didn't even know where the herbs were? Silly Crowpaw. Oh well, he was only a moon younger than her, and even less experienced, hard as that was to believe. Everyone needed to learn, even naturally talented cats. And even more when you're a klutz like me, she reminisced ruefully.

But ah well. There was fun to be had.

"Lead the way, oh mighty medicine cat who does not know where the herbs are."

She must be feeling bold, she was even daring to tease him lightly.

[glowlynose]

Crowpaw grinned at Juncopaw, glad she was finally loosening up enough to tease him. This was a good sign. She was getting to be more comfortable around him, and you couldn't very well be friends with someone if they got all awkward and stutter-y every time they were around you. That would just be uncomfortable. But now he didn't have to worry about that, because Juncopaw was being normal again. Why did she always get that way when he was around anyway? Was it something he did, or was she just like that normally?

Eh, whatever. All that mattered now was that they were on an adventure! There was no telling what they would find on... their... adventure? What in the world was that? It was a flower... but it wasn't a flower. It was a white poof. As if that wasn't weird enough, it was in the middle of a patch of dandelions! "Juncopaw, what in the world is that thing?"

Like any good young apprentice would do, Crowpaw stuck his nose straight into the poof, tail sticking up curiously. Instead of making his nose tickle like he thought it would, the poof exploded!

"Whoah, Juncopaw, did you see that? I stuck my nose in the poof and then it just went... poof! It was the coolest thing! You should try it." Crowpaw watched the dandelion seeds as they dispersed throughout the clearing, transfixed, as though it were some sort of miracle.

Maybe it was.

[/center]

[Cloud of Diamonds]

She could not help it - she laughed, her laughter sounding like the chattering of a bird. He was just so adorable - and not hers. Never could be, never would be. Besides, how did she know she was in love? Look at her treacherous heart, running away from her mother like that. Admittedly, Sefri hadn't been the best mother, but still. Who could trust a heart like that? She was probably too young to even know what love was.

So suck it up and get on with life, she told herself roughly. Enjoy this. It's much better than wasting time on a useless dream.

Her happiness returning, she meowed, "It's a dandelion, silly. It just looks different because those're its seeds, I think. It turns into its seeds when it's ready to die, but before it does all the seeds take off and turn into new dandelions. I think." Knowing her awful memory, she probably had it wrong. But oh well. It was nice, she decided. A way of making sure that dandelions never truly died. If only cats were like that. If only. Everything dies, she thought sadly. This meant that her foolish love could die, too.

If she'd stop thinking about it. Mouse-brain.

Then she smiled again. "I will try it." Her short, muscled form bent over into the patch, nosing around until she sneezed into one, which made her sneeze again. And again. And again. And again.

Pretty soon there was nothing left but stalks, drifting fluff, and a very embarrassed Juncopaw.

"S-s-sorry..." She mumbled, shuffling her paws.

[glowlynose]

Nice, Juncopaw. Way to go. "It's just a dandelion." What a buzz kill, especially for Crowpaw! It had been so much fun playing with it until she'd said that. Oh well, he supposed it couldn't be helped. It wasn't like she could understand him all the time. Nobody could, not even himself. He would just have to make it fun again was all.

It would appear that Juncopaw had taken care of that already. She was rolling around on the ground, practically sneezing her brains out at the dandelions. Now, the sneezing didn't look to be so much fun, but the rolling around certainly did! It would be ridiculous, but since when did he care about being ridiculous? Still, the sight of Juncopaw's flailing sneezes was so amusing that all he could do was stare incredulously for a while. Once he finally snapped out of it, he was on the ground in a heartbeat, rolling around and giggling like nothing else.

But then something weird happened. Juncopaw decided that she needed to apologize to him, for some strange reason. Why? There was nothing to apologize for. He was about to tell her this when he noticed the dandelion seeds all floating around, being oh-so catchable up in the air. Before he could stop himself, he found himself pouncing up at the seeds. His forepaws were flailing desperately, trying to bat at the fragments of dandelion poof. It seemed to him that every single little floating thing was to avoid him and his pouncing, but then a wondrous thing happened. He actually hit one!

"This is so much fun!" he cried, still laughing wildly. Then a raindrop fell and hit him in the eye. He couldn't tell whether it had come from the sky or had simply dropped off a leaf, but his eye still hurt, regardless.

"... Ow. Hey Juncopaw, don't look at the sky. I got hit in the eye. With. A. RAINDROP. And it hurts.

"And, in any case, I don't know why you were apologizing. If you hadn't blown the poofs away, I would have. Really, it's fine." He smiled easily at the grey she-cat before rubbing his eye with his paw to try and alleviate the pain. It wasn't much anymore, more of just an irritating sting, but still. It needed to be gone. After a while, it went away, and he could look at his friend again. His eye was still squeezed partially shut from reflexes, and he looked sort of funny, but at least he was smiling with... half his face. Better than nothing, right?

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