[lone]

Originally Posted by lost

The gray she-cat didn't respond to the tom's stuttering, sensing that her answer might go over his head at the moment. He seemed very shocked and out of it. So she waited, listening to him ramble on about how the question was one that wasn't meant to b answered,and how there was definitely a tom that had fallen in love with her and would be heartbroken to hear she loved someone else. She thought over this, trying to form the right words to get what she said across to him. While her insides were battling and dancing all at once, she seemed extremely calm on the outside.
"Well," she said after he finished his own ramble. "You can tell this tom that I'm not interested in him. I'm interested in someone else, my best friend. Not some imaginary friend."
As soon as she stopped talking her outer calm vanished, and she felt her face heating up and her ears flattened slightly, before going back and then forward again. Her nose twitched, and she turned her head away from Badgerpaw, hoping to hide how panicked she suddenly became. Even though she knew he felt the same way, it was as if she was taking a leap into the unknown and anything was possible, even heartbreak.
The urge to start rambling was really strong, but she held her words in. Rambling just seemed to make things more complicated, it added unnecessary information to the conversation.
Taking in a deep breath, Lostpaw turned her head back to Badgerpaw, wondering what his reaction was. She wished she could see him.

Her best friend. She means me. She means me! Badgerpaw was so excited he didn't even know what to do. For a moment he couldn't speak, and he just stood there before he gentle touched his nose to Lostpaw's ear. "I'll tell him." But there was no one to tell. Lostpaw loved him. She loved him. Or at least, she was interested in him - and was that the same thing? Maybe. Possibly. Badgerpaw's tail twitched and he swallowed just the slightest bit before he spoke again. "I love you." Strong words coming from a cat who wasn't very good at saying them. Strong words coming from the tom who had once been arrogant and stuck up and vain. Strong words coming from a feline who, previously, hadn't really cared about anyone but himself. Strong words coming from the apprentice who had met Lostpaw moons ago, and even from the first... he had appreciated her more then anyone else. Strong words coming from Badgerpaw, who had left moons ago. But he had meant every one of them.

They were just three words, three words that built someone up... and had torn apart hearts before. They could cause someone to be ecstatic or broken. Just three words, yet they were the hardest to say in any language. For Badgerpaw, anyways. Confessing love wasn't easy. It never would be. He knew he wanted to be with Lostpaw, but... he didn't know how. If you loved someone, you were as good as bonded to them, right? When they got old enough, they would be mates. Right? The thought had never crossed his mind that there might be other she cats or toms someday. That there could be other cats he would fall in love with, and other cats she would. He just didn't think about it because right now, his world was complete.

And whole. And full. That little hole that had been eating through his heart? It was gone. For the first time in a while, he felt whole and safe. He felt as though he were loved and cared for. And if Lostpaw thought she had feelings for him? He wasn't afraid anymore.