How Many Times Will It Take to Get It Right...

[shiningheart]

Ripplestream wondered whether or not Bluewind could read minds. That was exactly the kind of feeling he had right now. She probably didn't mean the way he wanted to, though. He wanted to brush her muzzle with his, twine their tails together until they never let go, he wanted to... Well, he wanted to confess to her. And he really, really, really, hoped what he was about to say didn't scare her away.

"I love you, Bluewind." he blurted out. He almost bit through his cheek. Way to show some tact, Ripplestream! Let's just scare the lady away with an abrupt confession of your feelings, that'll turn out well for everybody. "I-I mean..." His mouth suddenly went dry, and he swallowed heavily to get some moisture back into it. "Well,,, I mean..." The RiverClan deputy sighed heavily and just decided to wing it. It worked well for Flarespark when he confessed to Rainpetal, so maybe it'd work the same way for him? "I'm in love with you, Bluewind. You're kind and thoughtful and beautiful and... and..."

He shrugged uncomfortably, notably aware of his lack of grace in his confession. "I know it's random to say, considering the conversation we're having, but you just made me realize that living in the past isn't helping my future very much."

[I*C*E*Y]

Of all things, Bluewind wanted to be closer to two cats: Stream was the first one. Stream lived on in StarClan (that Coldstripe didn't know), and often times in her dreams (and nightmares) she would see the tabby and yearn to be closer, just to get to know the mother she didn't remember she had.

The second cat was obviously Ripplestream. She knew she was in love with him, but she wouldn't dare confess. In that aspect, she was too chicken. She would rather hide her feelings than lose him altogether.

But now, she might not have to.

Immediately, Bluewind's thoughts were in a whirl. WHAT?! Her insides were screaming. "Y-yy-you love me?" She asked softly, tenatively, as if she was walking on thin ice. "You love me."

But all she could think about was Tenderpaw. "How can you love me?" She asked, her voice going dry, and she felt as though she could explode into a mixture of tears of joy and sorrow. "I'm broken and ruined and lost, and you're... you're... handsome, positively chivalrous, and regal, and sarcastic, and courageous, and brave, and so amazing in so many ways, and... and... what about Tenderpaw?" She meowed softly..

I love you, too! She wanted to wail, but her heart kept her guarded.

[shiningheart]

He could see his announcement had caused her some shock and confusion. Ripplestream waited patiently for his words to sink in, and that's when the outburst happened. He blinked in surprise when she asked how he could love her. She called herself broken and ruined, and his ears went hot in embarrassment when she started to compliment.

His heart fractured a little when she brought up Tenderpaw, and he held up his paw to stem her flow up words. Ripplestream forced his thoughts to order themselves in ways he could understand. "First of all, I don't think you're broken or ruined. Fate just gave you a cruddy life. Second of all, that's what love is. It takes the good in with the bad."

The deputy took a deep breath, held it for a few seconds, before letting it out. "And Tenderpaw, I'd like to think, would understand. She knows that I can't stay in the past, otherwise my Clan will be driven to ruin. After all, what's a Clan when their deputy is trapped in history? I need to move on with my life, and..." Ripplestream gulped audibly, and unstuck his tongue from the roof of his mouth. "And I hope that you'll be a part of it. Of my life, of my future..." he trailed off, uncertainty making the words sound feeble to him.

[I*C*E*Y]

The blue-gray she-cat found herself beginning to purr. "I guess you're right. But if StarClan's path for me was what it was, then let it be. It led me to you." As if she expected him to give her an odd look, she glanced down at her paws, feeling her furry cheeks starting to blush. "You know, I think I've loved you since I first saw you." She meowed. "You were strolling around the camp, glaring at anyone who crossed your path. I was a measly apprentice, but I was fascinated. How could someone like you hold so much anger?" Bluewind paused, finally looking up at him and fixing him with her beautiful blue eyes. "But then you looked at me, right at me, right through me, and I saw then no anger in your eyes, but just someone who was lost." Her eyes lit up. "But what I found was someone who needed to be found. Like me."

Bluewind couldn't help but stare at him, half in utter amazement, half in pure adoration. "She sounds like a very accepting cat. I wish I could've met her." She felt the corners of her mouth quirk up in a smile. "In fact, she sounds a whole lot like my own mother."

[shiningheart]

His throat began to close, and he had to choke out the words, "Yeah. She would have been a wonderful mother." Ripplestream took a deep breath and held it until he felt calmer. Then he let it out slowly, and his heart slowed down.

The deputy slipped closer to her and pressed his fur against hers. "Bluewind, I want to spend my life with you. I want to have kits with you, grow old with you, and join StarClan with you by my side. I would be beyond honored if you would be my mate."

[I*C*E*Y]

Bluewind purred, smiling slightly. "I'll bet she's watching over kits in StarClan, no doubt." Thank you, she thought silently to Tenderpaw, for helping to mold him into the magnificent warrior that he is today.

"I love you." She said simply, looking at him with something more than just plain old love sprinkling in her deep blue eyes. "I'll love you now, and until the end of time. You will be the best thing that's ever happened to me." Butting her head against his chin, she rested her head there and let out a deep, contented purr. "I promise to spend the rest of my life with you. I promise to have kits with you, I promise to grow old with you, and to join StarClan with you by your side. I swear on my heart."