compliments, or... confessions?

[RedHead]

Of all the cats she could've run across for a simple talk, it had been Buzztuft. Insufferable, flirty Buzztuft who had no knowledge of the term personal space, but who was also unfairly good looking and great at making Foxbound flustered. The ginger she-cat had not been prepared for that at all.
She needed to find Buckbranch. Yeah. Buckbranch wasn't flirty, she could handle him. He was nice and just listened, and being her friend and all she could trust him not to make her heart flip and her ears heat up.
... Right?
Orange eyes scanning the clearing, Foxbound spotted the tortoiseshell tom and immediately started stalking over to him, her gait purposeful and her eyes slightly narrowed. She did glance around a few times though, making sure Buzztuft was no where near to jump out at her, unprepared once again. She was going to get some sort of therapy and then come back prepared to battle against the flirtatiousness.
"Buckbranch. You're not doing anything? Of course you aren't yeah. Anyways. Talk to me." Not the best way to start a conversation but it would have to do.

@Slushie

[dino.]

[ @RedHead ]

Buckbranch had been hoping he could chill today without any interruptions. The other night he'd cuddled with a literal stranger and then the next day he'd gone rampaging through the woods with that same stranger to an - now that he thought about it - oddly secluded spot. That was actually very beautiful. He kind of wanted to go back, maybe with Buzztuft again. Huh. Strange.
He settled his cheek on his paws and had just been dozing off when someone LOUDLY interrupted his sleep. He jerked his head up, an irritated frown already forming over his features. But when he saw who had woken him, the scowl disappeared and his face lit up.
The excitement was quickly replaced by confusion, however, when Foxbound started rambling nonsense. At least, what sounded like nonsense to his tired ears. What did she mean, of course he wasn't doing anything? The frown returned. "I mean, I WAS sleeping," he pointed out, trying to ignore the funny feeling in his chest and paws that had apparently decided the best time to arrive was whenever Foxbound appeared. It was quite annoying, actually. "Or trying to, at least. Why, what's up? You need something?"

[RedHead]

Foxbound turned at Buckbranch's slightly annoyed tone, her ears raising in realization that she'd woken him up. But she was still on edge, so her sympathy level was low and her "i need a distraction" level was quite high. "Sorry.... my bad but.... You're awake now?" She meowed with a small shrug and an apologetic smile.
Though at his question, Foxbound nodded. "Yes, a distraction and a hiding place." She meowed in response, glancing around before crouching down on the ground so she was half hidden behind Buckbranch. "Evil is out there Buckbranch. Flirting, and she's trying to get me." The ginger she-cat narrowed her eyes as she glanced around again, before allowing herself to relax slightly. "Looks like she's not around... but I'm not taking any chances."

@Slushie

[dino.]

[ @RedHead ]

Buckbranch
--------------

Buckbranch shrugged and yawned. "Yeah, guess I am," he murmured. He still wanted to roll over and go back to sleep, but that wasn't going to happen, because apparently Foxbound had something urgent to talk about. This was the first time he'd seen her this amped up and it was kind of amusing. He turned to blink at her as she settled down behind him, moss-green eyes sparkling.
Flirting? A ghost of a grin flickered across his muzzle. "Are we talking about Buzztuft?" he asked, remembering how the other she-cat had sweet talked him into letting her practically sleep on top of him. Not that he had minded, though. "I think it's actually quite nice." He raised his chin in an almost indignant manner. "Buzztuft gave me compliments. She was actually quite nice. She called me handsome and wonderful, Foxbound. You never call me handsome and wonderful," he added teasingly, and shot her a grin.

[RedHead]

At the mention of her name, Foxbound's claws dug into the ground beneath her, tail-tip twitching. Buzztuft? Whhhaaaattttt?" She meowed, trying to play it off, but knowing she couldn't no matter how hard she tried. "Yes. Yes. I', talking about Buzztuft." She sighed, glancing around once more before allowing herself to relax a little bit.
Though at his next comment, Foxbound turned her head to meet his eyes, ears flicking slightly. Compliments?
"Compliments? I... I give you compliments." She meowed, though as she ran through some of their interactions in her brain, she realized.... she really didn't give out much compliments. Much compliments to any warrior, actually. She flicked her tail for a moment, trying to figure out what she could say. She could give him a compliment right? Something nice like he was a good friend, a swell warrior, something like that. "Well I think your pelt is soft and pretty." She meowed quite matter-of-factly, though suddenly she snapped her mouth shut, eyes blowing wide. That hadn't been what she'd been wanting to say. She cast a wide-eyed glance towards Buckbranch, worried at his response but knowing trying to cover up what she said would only make things worse for her. Plus, what she'd said was right. She did think his pelt was soft and pretty.

@Slushie

[dino.]

[ @RedHead ]

----Buckbranch----

He let out a snort of amusement. Of course it was Buzztuft. Although personally he didn't see what the issue was, because the other she-cat was super sweet. Or at least, that's what she had called him, and in his eyes that was proof enough of a nice cat. OR maybe I've just grown used to being grumped at and this is like I drastic change of pace, he thought suddenly.
He'd settled his chin on his paws, preparing to stretch his jaws in a super wide yawn, when Foxbound's little compliment startled him right out of it. He swung his head around to blink at her, eyes wide in surprise. "Uh." Yikes, he'd been joking. He hadn't expected to her to say something like that! He wracked his brain for something to say, anything at all, and even though he had repeatedly told himself to NEVER do it, threw the first thing that came to mind. "I love you too?"

Oh great StarClan he wanted to die.

Ears burning with embarrassment, he snapped his gaze down to his paws and stared at the dirt. What was wrong with him. Why would he say something like that. Foxbound had JUST been complaining about being flirted with and then he had to go ahead and throw that out there! Flaming stars, he was an idiot!

[RedHead]

Foxbound was still having an internal panic, noticing Buckbranch's wide-eyed stare. Oh Starclan whyyyy? He was either going to tease her for it and she would Forever Be Ashamed, or he was going to... take it as a genuine compliment and well... would that be bad? Not really but.... Something could always go bad so it was still bad.
What came out of Buckbranch's mouth was the last response from him that Foxbound would've conjured up, even in her wild and panicked state.
The she-cat stared at him with wide eyes, replaying her own words over and over in her head, along with his response. She hadn't told him she loved him, had she? No? She didn't remember doing that?! But the more she repeated what she'd thought she'd said out loud, the more she started to be convinced that that was what she hadn't said at all. But she couldn't have said she loved him. Because she didn't! ..... right? Or did she?
Gah, this was all one big mess, and Foxbound felt as if her head might explode if she thought anymore about it. Plus she'd been quiet for long enough and she really didn't want to leave Buckbranch hanging there, on the words he'd said. He'd sounded like he meant it, and Foxbound didn't want to hurt him. Never. Never ever. But.... here she was... in the spotlight... and by his response she seemed to have already confessed to loving him? Maybe that's what he'd thought she'd done? GAH! She just needed to respond and be over with it. No more thinking. Just say something! "Uhhh, that's nice." She meowed with a nod and a smile. All the while screaming in her head that that was NOT how you responded when someone just told you they loved you... too. "But I uh.... someone's... calling.... name, mine... yeah.... so I gotta uh... leave and go.... now right... yeah..." Foxbound gave a smile that was purely cringey and panicked, a very "i don't know what's happening look" before she stood and backed up a few pawsteps. She needed a bit to wrap her head around this. Because this.... this was a mess.

@Slushie

[dino.]

[ @RedHead ]

----Buckbranch----

Buckbranch was already kicking himself in the head for the mistake he had made, and hearing Foxbound's response... hearing her response only made him feel so much worse. His ears folded back against his head and he turned his eyes away, so that she wouldn't see the anger at himself and the sorrow glistening in their mossy green depths.
Someone was calling her name? Yeah, right. No one was saying anything to them. No one was asking for anything. He frantically searched his mind for something to say to make her sit back down again, something to FIX the wretched mess. But he couldn't find any sort of apology that would sound real, that would sound like he really meant it. So, after a second of hurried thinking... "Sorry," he mumbled. "I was just- I was just joking. Haha. Looks like you fell for it." But his voice held no amusement. Only hollow regret echoed deep within his murmur.

[RedHead]

Foxbound was still inwardly panicking, but at Buckbranch's final statement, the ginger she-cat gave him a dumbfounded look, shaking her head. She did not buy that one bit, what he'd said had sounded very sincere, and even if he had been joking, which she knew he wasn't, well... he probably wouldn't have even meant it as a joke inwardly. "Yeah. Joking. Sure." She meowed, her voice holding some scorn to it, but still shaky because she was still so surprised and panicking on the inside that she just didn't know how else to act or what else to say. "Well uh yeah. I've gotta go now but um... talk to you later? I guess?" And with one final, cringey smile, the ginger she-cat was out of there faster than a rabbit being chased by a hungry Windclanner.
She had so much she needed to wrap her mind around right now.

@Slushie