[BlooRey DVD]

Brokensong
~~~~~~

The she-cat lay in her nest, fluffy tail over her nose as she desperately fought for sleep. It was rare for her to sleep for long periods of time now. Her hazel-green eyes drifted open slowly as she gave up once more. She gave a silent sigh, pulling herself into a more upright position. She stared down at her white paws, shifting her paw slightly to blink down at her soft pink pads. Slowly, her gaze was moved from the ground at her paws to what little she could see of the sky above, through the entrance to the warrior's den.

The night... It seemed to call to her. And on that particular night, the call was stronger than it had ever been. She found herself on her paws, picking her way carefully around the sleeping figures of her Clanmates. Soon, she found herself outside, blinking up at the starry night above her. It was at about this time that she noted a particular sensation in her paws. They itched and tickled her, causing hazel eyes to blink down at them. It took her a heartbeat or two, but after a moment, she finally understood.

She wanted to run. Her pace was brisk as she trotted to the dirtplace tunnel. No one would ask her where she was going. She was making it obvious enough. And anyway, it was hard to ask a cat who couldn't answer. She slipped out into the forest without a problem, her paws picking up even more speed. Soon, she found herself pelting through the trees, darting this way and that with practiced ease. She wasn't aware of where she was going. All she knew was that she was running.

You can imagine her surprise when her lithe form burst out into the area known as StarClan's Claws. Her eyes adjusted to the slightly brighter lighting of the clearing as she glanced around. She felt a soft ache in her heart as her paws carried her to the last place she'd seen... Him. Zuma. It was odd for her to think that he might be the only cat who actually understood her... Even though he hadn't been able to figure out what it was she was trying to tell him. He cared about her, she could tell. It showed in his actions, and she heard it in his words.

There was a chance he was simply a gentleman, and acted that way to every she-cat he met. However, she chose to cling to that slightest hope that it was just her. She circled the spot where he'd stood slowly, her eyes half closed. Her tail drooped slightly as she paused to glance up at the sky once more. Her eyes caught sight of the huge stone structure known as StarClan's Claws, and she found herself moving towards them.

Her paws carried her up one of the claws. She balanced a little precariously on a rather thin part of one of the outcroppings. Her head lifted towards the sky. She could feel the wind tugging at her fur. The silver moon light played upon her coat, causing her darkest fur to almost glow a silvery color. She could stand upon here for moons. It was so... Peaceful.

Her eyes opened slowly and she gave yet another silent sigh. She should step off before something went wrong, she knew. She carefully clambered off of the highest point, body stretching as she moved and reached for safer ground. Her soft paws landed gently atop the boulder where the leaders usually stood. She paused again, to look up at the moon high in the sky, before she took the final leap, paws meeting the solid ground below.

She wished StarClan would grant her just one wish...

[/size]

[Fawn]

It was a wonderful kind of torture, really, being so in love that to spend as many hours apart as he was from Brokensong made every corner of his heart ache with longing. Despite the separation, Zuma wasn't letting his spirits fall from their lofty, infatuated heights, but that didn't mean he wasn't restless. Perhaps by happenstance or perhaps it had been StarClan's intention all along, but the family of Shatani, Mosi, Amara and Zuma had recently moved near StarClan's Claws - hidden from the Clan cats, but close enough to that central meetingplace that a short night-stroll made by one particular brown tabby tom was as easy as breathing.

Inhaling the deep scents of the forest, a velvet-black sky glittered with stars overhead, bathing his tawny coat in moonlight, amber eyes looking to the shadowy paths that stretched out before him, conscious of the tall spires of rock getting ever closer.

He could've spent a hundred days or more pondering the exactness of the she-cat's last gestures to him before she took off after her Clanmate with the wounded pride, Zuma having been forced to watch with regretful eyes as the beautiful tortoiseshell fled the premises. Right. It hadn't been goodbye - of that he was more than certain. He could feel it.

She wanted to meet under the stars - that had to be it.
Knowing not of StarClan, the loner had interpreted her words as Brokensong's way of asking him to spend more time with her - perhaps away from the prying eyes of her Clanmates and the loud mouths of particular apprentices. With a quiver of anticipation and hope, the muscular tom's body shifted as he pounced, lightly tufted ears pressing forward with eagerness just as a wonderfully familiar scent flooded over him.

She was here!

Dropping into the gatheringplace, his large paws absorbed the impact noiselessly, Brokensong's visage growing clearer the faster he approached, tawny jaws parting to call out in soft excitement;
"Silentsong! It's me, it's really..." Though Zuma sported a bit of an unusual vocabulary due to his nonClan lifestyle and habit of picking things up from any cats he comes across, the tom was momentarily a bit tongue-tied. Losing some of his eloquence but none of his honesty in the wake of Brokensong bathed in moonlight, tortoiseshell coat seeming to glow, Zuma finally found his voice again. "It's really great to see you. I kept thinking to myself - in this whole forest, we've met once at the right moment at the right time, which means there's an even better chance we'll meet again." Dark brown plume swaying gently behind him, Zuma fixed gleaming eyes upon the TreeClan cat before him, only a foxlength spared between, his smile evident, expression warm but not overly gushing or infatuated. "Especially since we know who to look for."

To think, that some cats could wander this whole forest - and because of the rules of the Clan - without meeting that one cat who could make even a gorgeous winter night like this seeming to pale by comparison. It truly was a beautiful, romantic atmosphere, but Zuma wasn't looking at anyone or anything but her. It wasn't so much that he had grown tired of the stars, but had not yet grown tired of looking at Brokensong. The tom felt his heart-rate increase slightly, a chilly wind pushing against his back as though to usher him in closer - but he stayed where he was. The last thing he wanted to scare her off or invade her personal space.

---

Word Count: 648
Notes: <3

[BlooRey DVD]

Brokensong
~~~~~~~~

StarClan help her, she was so distracted. She should have paid more attention. She was a warrior for StarClan's sake. She should have been able to pick up on his scent as he approached, should have been listening for his paw steps. And yet... She was caught completely off guard when she heard his voice. "Silentsong! It's me, it's really..." Her ears pricked up and her head swung to the side as she steadied herself from her landing on the ground. Her greenish eyes blinked wide, stunned for a moment, as it all slowly registered.

She should have been paying more attention, but she just didn't care. Her face lit up upon seeing Zuma, and she quite literally gave a bound of excitement, her motion quickly morphing into a forward one. "It's really great to see you. I kept thinking to myself - in this whole forest, we've met once at the right moment at the right time, which means there's an even better chance we'll meet again." Her tail curled slightly in delight as she bounded towards him. For some bizarre reason that she could not fathom, she wanted to approach him directly, to feel his fur against hers.

She told herself it was because she communicated that way, proceeding to ignore any attempt her thoughts made at countering that silent statement. "Especially since we know who to look for." As he finished speaking, Brokensong slowed to a trot, circling excitedly like a kit who was about to have their first lesson as an apprentice. As she passed his head, she gently touched her nose to his, a greeting to him that she was accustomed to, due to her inability to use proper words. Her smile was clear as she forced herself to stop her ridiculous circling.

She was aware that some cats weren't as physical as she was, due to the fact it wasn't something they were used to. Brokensong herself had grown up using her expressions, and her touch to her advantage, which caused her to have to keep herself in check. She wanted to plop down beside him and give him a friendly nudge, but she wasn't sure he would appreciate that all that much. Instead, she chose to seat herself in front of him, tail sweeping around to wrap itself neatly around her paws.

Her eyes were bright and her smile infectious as she blinked at him, silently sending a thanks to StarClan. She believed they had meant for them to meet. And to her, this second chance meeting proved just that.

[/size]

[Fawn]

Zuma felt warmth seep into his paws from every direction as Brokensong nearly bounded to him, the loner able to pick up on her excitement just from sheer behavior alone. While yes, reading her expressions and her behaviors was as much of a road map as he was ever gonna get as to what she was thinking, Zuma didn't think her handicapped because she could not speak. He found himself treating her not necessarily as he treated everyone else, but that had less to do with the fact that she was different and more to do with the fact that he had never felt so alive and happy when she was nearby.

It had scarcely been half a day since they had first made contact, but the sun could've rose and fell a hundred times over, it wouldn't have made the wait any more bearable. Feeling her nose gently tap against his, the tom straightened, silently hoping that his wasn't too cold from the weather, expression arranging into a look of utter delight, eyes aglitter.
"It's good to see you," he confessed, breath coming out in thin icy clouds that lay suspended between them for a few moments, Zuma's gaze lifting from Brokensong's beautiful features to the swath of stars above.

"I - I don't mean to wreck the mood, but did you smooth things over with your Clanmate?" You know, the rude one? Zuma almost felt bad about bringing up Featherpaw, but it was nice to have a little closure on the subject - plus if he just let it go, she might think he was mean, or arrogant, or just didn't care. He DID care. He cared a lot. It would bother him to no foreseeable end if Brokensong had gotten into trouble.

Wait.
She was here at StarClan's Claws...In the middle of the night... Clan cats didn't often wander around at night.
Suddenly Zuma felt the fur along his spine prickle with alarm, eyes growing wide.
"It's hours until dawn, and not very many Clan cats hang about at night - were you... Were you kicked out?" The loner held his breath, feeling his chest tighten as he looked intently into her eyes, the ground seeming to rush up to meet them.
Steady. Steady. Whoever's in charge of TreeClan wouldn't kick her out just for talking to me.

Oh but what if they did?

Zuma didn't know who was in charge, but he'd find them, and he'd undo any damage that had been done.

[BlooRey DVD]

Brokensong
~~~~~~~~

"It's good to see you,"

If there was ever a moment where she wished she could purr, it was right then. As a replacement, however, her elegant paws began to knead at the earth gently, and her tail swished along the ground. Her bright eyes never left him, fearing that if she were to look away, he'd evaporate like a dream. She figured that she could probably simply sit here and gaze at him for the rest of her life. Was that creepy? Oh StarClan, it was, wasn't it. Her ear flicked embarrassedly at her thoughts, gaze flicking away from him for the briefest of moments. Until he spoke again.

"I - I don't mean to wreck the mood, but did you smooth things over with your Clanmate?" Her hazel gaze shifted back to him, and she blinked at him, wondering what he was talking about. She had a lot of Clanmates... Oh... Right, Featherpaw. Well.. The apprentice hadn't spoken to her since the event, but... She also hadn't mentioned anything to Lionstar. That must have been a good sign, right? She was just about to give an attempt at telling him this, when Zuma spoke once more.

"It's hours until dawn, and not very many Clan cats hang about at night - were you... Were you kicked out?" Brokensong stared at him, taken aback by the question for a moment. She forced herself to move however, quickly shaking her head to let him know she was not a rogue. She paused for a moment, frowning and trying to think of a way to explain what she was doing out here. Her tail flicked as her face brightened, an idea forming in her head. She had no doubt she would look ridiculous, but she didn't care. She was used to it, anyway. A lot of cats just stared at her, dumbfounded, when she attempted to tell them something.

She trotted a little ways away, circling before laying down on the ground, making sure she could see Zuma the whole time. Her tail lay itself over her muzzle as she closed her eyes for a split second. They flashed open and she shifted into a more upright position, with a heavy sigh, which was indicated only by the great big puff of steam rising from her muzzle, and the exaggerated movement of her stomach. She rose to her paws, trotting a few steps forward, before stopping, sitting down and staring up at the sky. Her tail swished as she gave another sigh, rising to her paws once more, before picking up a faster gait. She bounded around him twice, before running towards the jutting rocks. She bounded up onto the rock in the center, rather than the claws, stepping off as she had when he'd first arrive.

She pricked her ears as though she had heard something, gaze lifting to him, before an excited smile lit up her face and she bounded excitedly towards him, plopping her rump down where she'd been before the whole fiasco. Her breath came out in short pants as she blinked her eyes at him. After a moment's hesitation, she grinned at him, her eyes closing slightly as she did so.

She only hoped that he at least grasped what she had been making a valiant effort to say.

[Fawn]

Zuma didn't want to make any assumptions until Brokensong, in her own way, chose to clarify the situation - and fortunately, he wasn't kept waiting long. Stepping back, the loner watched, utterly enthralled as Brokensong seemed to dart from place to place, reenacting what had brought her to this particular point. Zuma's whiskers twitched with humor, feeling a sudden flood of affection for her that honestly took him by surprise.
She's so cute.
Even though Brokensong's methods of communication were limited, he found her reenactments, her pantomiming to be quite an endearing quality, a warm, soft laugh filling the dark air between them momentarily as she bounded for him with an expression of delight causing her features to glow.
"You couldn't sleep, you took a walk here, aaaand you're...glad to see me." He dared add that last statement, as if her expression hadn't been enough of a hint that she was nearly just as pleased to find him here as the tawny tom was.

Allowing her to catch her breath, Zuma chuckled again, paws lightly kneading the earth in a sign of satisfaction - he hadn't seen anyone so different, behave so wonderfully unusual in such a long time... In fact, had he ever seen anyone this pure in his entire (arguably short) lifetime thus far? Easing sturdy front limbs forward, the handsome loner casually descending into a sphinx-like pose, breathing in the chilly air as his attention once more returned to the tortoiseshell TreeClan cat.
"Well I hope you don't have anywhere to be for another hour or so - I have so much I want to ask, and a ton to share too - so sorry in advance, but I'm probably going to talk your ears off." He grinned, winking at her in a way that was neither overblown nor so subtle it looked as though he were blinking a stray strand of hair out of his eyes or something.

He really was.
Zuma was one of those cats where, once you got him started, he just wasn't going to stop unless you really asked him to. So long as Brokensong was willing to listen, he was willing to carry on the conversation, not because he enjoyed hearing himself speak, but because he enjoyed interacting with her - no matter how one-sided it appeared to be.

---

Word Count: 422
Notes: None!

[BlooRey DVD]

Brokensong
~~~~~~~~

She waited patiently, catching her breath, and watching the tom gaze back at her with amusement in his eyes. She couldn't recall ever being this... Excited to hear someone speak, it was odd. And finally, she was graced with the sound of his voice once more. "You couldn't sleep, you took a walk here, aaaand you're...glad to see me." Her face lit up as he seemed to understand exactly what it was she had been trying to tell him. Even though the last bit caused her pelt to warm with her slight embarrassment as the truth was revealed, Brokensong nodded her head, a bobbing motion that was clear as day.

She watched his body slide down to the ground, laying in what seemed to be a very regal pose, still facing her. Hazel-green eyes blinked down at his as she wondered if she should lay down as well. When he spoke again, however, she was more than a little stunned. "Well I hope you don't have anywhere to be for another hour or so - I have so much I want to ask, and a ton to share too - so sorry in advance, but I'm probably going to talk your ears off."

Her ears pricked forward at him as her eyes widened ever so slightly. He wanted to ask her things? That meant... That meant that he did care. She'd been right. He was interested in her, unlike a lot of other cats. He was willing to put in the effort to understand her strange ways of communication. That same, thrilled smile took over her features as she circled once, laying down in front of him, but in a more comfortable pose. She was curled slightly, her tail swished over her paws as she turned her head slightly to look at him.

Her pelt was warm as she flicked her ear, before nodding her head towards him with a bright smile. Her ears were pointed towards him, her face turned in his direction. Every part of her seemed attentive, completely turned towards him. How could she not be? He was so interesting! Part of her wanted to lay down beside him, but another, slightly stubborn part, told her that it would be harder to communicate if they were side by side.

Oh... But I want to feel the brush of his fur against mine...

[/size]

[Fawn]

This struck a particularly strong chord with the handsome stranger from nowhere and everywhere at once, the brown tabby tom's amber eyes projecting fascination as Brokensong settled directly in front of him. He wouldn't have minded if she'd taken a seat beside him, but that would've made explanations hard, reasoned Zuma, almost surprised by how close they had grown in the span of a single day, if his heart wasn't too busy telling him to concentrate on her.

"Do you have any family in TreeClan? A brother or sister or parents?" Did she have a brother he should be introducing himself to? Parents to impress? A sister to compliment, a couple of kits she took care of from a previous relationship? He was good with kits. He'd never honestly interacted with kits before in his whole life, but Zuma was pretty confident he was good with them.
Why wouldn't he be? He was neither heartless nor clueless on the subject, Zuma strongly believing in the idea that if you convinced yourself that you could do it, then you most definitely could. It was a matter of confidence and dedication, that was all.

Catching himself unconsciously smiling at her, Zuma reddened beneath his pelt, flushing out of warmth rather than embarrassment, feeling as though his heart was going to burst with the happiness that was filling it. This kind of reaction, the quickness with-which his (he really wanted to say theirs) feelings were developing did not scare or frighten him. To Zuma, this was as anticipated as was his next meal; there was nothing unusual about it.
Love was love, that was an explanation in of itself. It was a complicated, wonderful and at times so very simple thing, that to try and decide whether his feelings were right or too forward or evolving too quickly was a waste of time he could be spending thinking about better things.

Like when he would next see her. And when, just in case she already couldn't tell, he could let Brokensong know exactly how he felt about her. Suddenly conscious of the possibility that he was getting a bit ahead of himself and Brokensong, Zuma attempted to put a slight lid on the overflow of fuzzy thoughts and warm feelings filling up his whole body like helium inside a balloon. They would just start with the basics for now. He would get to know her properly before he completely flew off the handle and started declaring his undying love to her on the same night he'd met her.

---

Word Count: 460
Notes: XD That's it Zuma, come down out of cloud nine for a little bit.

[BlooRey DVD]

Brokensong
~~~~~~~

The tortoiseshell tabby she-cat waited patiently as he gathered his thoughts. She was perfectly happy blinking back at him, her heart doing little flips in her chest for some strange reason. Perhaps she should go and visit Elderpaw... This couldn't have been normal. But, that would wait. Right now, she wanted to continue this one sided conversation with Zuma. Her eyes glinted slightly in the light as she shifted, ears pricking the moment she heard his voice break the small silence that had stretched between them. "Do you have any family in TreeClan? A brother or sister or parents?"

Oh StarClan, how was she going to answer this one? She knew the answer, of course. She was from a single litter, and only her father was left of her family. She frowned slightly, eyes squinting in concentration. She bobbed her head to indicate she did indeed have family. She tapped her paw once, shaking her head. After a pause, she tapped her paw twice, again shaking her head once more. Brokensong then proceeded to tap her paw three times, bobbing her head with a smile. She hoped that her message got through. She couldn't think of any other way to explain that one.

The one weakness she had was that she could not answer many questions at once. Individual questions fired at a slow pace, she could handle, as long as she had time to figure out a response. More than that, and it might get a bit confusing. Worst case scenario, he'd simply have to ask her again, slower this time. She didn't bother telling him that she only had one parent left. All in due time, he could figure that out. As her mind drifted to the subject of her parents, her gaze flicked up to the sky, a quick glance at the stars.

She wondered if her mother was watching her from StarClan. She wondered what her mom thought of this. Would she have approved of her meeting a loner as she was now? She hoped her mother wasn't mad at her. Larkfern had always been so supportive of her. Perhaps she supported her here too... Her gaze returned to Zuma, eyes still bright and happy. She had accepted her mother's departure. Yes, it was still sad to her, she would have loved to have her mother at her side. But, she had faith that she would see Larkfern again in StarClan, when her time came.

Curiosity glimmered in her eyes as she waited, wondering if he understood, if he would ask her more questions. She could do this all night, she was sure.

[/size]

[Fawn]

"Wait, three family members? No - you have parents, right?" It was taking him a bit of imagination and ingenuity, but he was catching on to Brokensong's various methods of communication, silently marveling at how creative she's had to be her whole life just to reach out and communicate with others.

He would never be taking the gift of speech for granted again.

As he awaited her physical cue as to whether or not he was right, Zuma's thoughts traveled to the Clan hidden amongst the trees, quietly wondering what it must've been like not only growing up in a Clan of all things, but growing up mute. It must have been hard, and frustrating, and saddening at times, but here she was, a warrior, with so many secrets and thoughts and feelings that she had to express in various, unusual ways.

What if she had questions for him?

She'll never be able to properly ask them.
To the tom who could never stop talking, the she-cat who couldn't talk at all nearly broke his heart, admiration welling up from the deepest part of his being for the she-cat who had kept her spirits up, even when she was ignored or taken for granted, or counted out because she was mute. While they were still on the subject of Brokensong's parents, however, Zuma snapped out of his reverie, golden gaze settling back onto the she-cat, looking slightly abashed.
"Sorry I kinda got lost in my own thoughts there. I'd like to meet your parents though, on neutral ground, maybe."

Zuma was new to this whole 'wooing' thing, and he was new to the never-ending surge of feelings he had for this one person, but the loner felt that it was in his best interests to 1) learn as much about Brokensong's world as possible and 2) get on decent terms with her folks before he made any big declarations. The last thing he wanted to do was get on the wrong side of her family, Zuma could tell by looking at her that it would upset her greatly if he and her father & mother clashed unpleasantly, and he'd do just about anything to make sure that kind of situation just didn't happen.

---

Word Count:405
Notes: xD This got kinda rambly, sorry!

[BlooRey DVD]

Brokensong

[/b]
~~~~~~~~~[/center]

"Wait, three family members? No - you have parents, right?" Brokensong blinked at the tom, preparing to shake her head, when suddenly he understood. The tortoiseshell tabby bobbed her head with a happy grin on her face. This was one of the first times someone had understood what she had been trying to say. It was quite an excitement for her to know that it was possible to understand her on occasions. She listened as he spoke again, though there had been a delay. He must have been thinking about something else.

"Sorry I kinda got lost in my own thoughts there. I'd like to meet your parents though, on neutral ground, maybe." Soft paws kneaded at the ground slightly as he spoke, and she swished her tail, an indication that she didn't mind. She then focused on the part about her parents. It was something that had taken her by surprise, she would admit. He wanted to meet her parents? Well... He couldn't meet her mother, that was for sure... But Thornshadow would come if she led him there. The tom was loyal to TreeClan, but more so to his daughter. If she pleaded with her eyes, he'd listen.

She gave a little shrug of her shoulders, smiling brightly before bobbing her head once more. Then, she tipped her head slightly, eyes blinking questioningly. She glanced up at the moon, before looking back at him. He couldn't mean now.. It was late... She shouldn't even be out here. Thornshadow would certainly ask questions if she went back to wake him now. Suddenly, she felt a tickle in her nose. It twitched slightly as she slowly straightened herself, pupils contracting as her eyes widened. Her whiskers trembled for a moment as the she-cat's entire body seemed to freeze.

And then her head was thrown forward in a sneeze. It was a violent movement, with only a rush of air to indicate the sneeze, where there would normally be a sort of sound. Her eyes blinked, stunned as she looked back up at Zuma, before smiling an apologetic smile, her tail coming up to cover her eyes embarrassedly.

[/size]

[Fawn]

She sneezed.
And boy it had been the cutest sneeze he'd ever seen anycat make. Is this how she went through life? As cute as a baby mouse but as quiet as a deer? Grinning from ear to ear, Zuma wrapped his tail against his flank, enjoying her company immensely.
"They say that when you sneeze, it means someone's talking about you. Does that mean you've got a couple of secret admirers back at camp?" Or someone wondering where you've gone? As far as competition went, Zuma was particularly conflicted or unsettled by the idea of it; if whatever tom that secretly fancied Brokensong didn't have her by now, then they'd missed their opportunity the second he'd walked on the scene.

Of course, Zuma was quite aware of the fact that most Clans and Clancats did not support the idea of a loner mingling with their gene pool or wooing any of their eligible young she-cats. What were his thoughts on it? Well tough luck. They couldn't chase him from this territory, they couldn't control how he felt, what he did or whom he conversed with. Well, Zuma supposed they could lock Brokensong up back at camp, but he'd risk life and limb just to get a word with her. If they thought guards would keep him out, they were wrong. If they thought patrols would chase him away, or a Leader's fury would scare him, they were wrong there too.

"I've got a mother, Shatani, and two siblings - a little sister, Amara, and an older brother Mosi, but I'd rather not discuss them." Zuma explained, and though his tone was friendly and as warm as it always was with her, there was a definite hardness in his eyes, as though bringing in his family into the equation was not something he was ready to try any time soon. Shatani was dangerous. She hated NightClan. She was plotting revenge against NightClan with himself as a central figure, and the last thing she would want is him running off with a mute she-cat and defying her plans completely.

It then struck him, like a ton of bricks flung from the highest mountaintop; he was potentially a danger to Brokensong, what with his crazy mother.

[BlooRey DVD]

Brokensong
~~~~~~

She could see his grin as clear as day, even in the darkness of night. The moon shone bright and high, in what must have been a good omen on this particularly peaceful night. Her off-hazel eyes were bright and warm as she watched him, just as thrilled with his company as he was with hers. It was something new for the she-cat, to have someone seemingly enjoying themselves in her presence. She certainly was not about to question just why he was enjoying himself so much. Nor was she going to try and figure out why she felt as light as air when she was around him.

"They say that when you sneeze, it means someone's talking about you. Does that mean you've got a couple of secret admirers back at camp?" Her ears pricked forward at this, before her body shook in a silent laugh as she rolled her eyes, the motion clear and meant to be seen. She shook her head, before shifting slightly to cross her forepaws over one another. That was such a silly thing for him to think. Secret admirers. Her? Never. The most recent activity she'd participated in was a hunting patrol with Barkbite, who was definitely not interested in her, and that run through the forest with Wolfspirit. He had just been lonely, and she'd been his friend. They were friends, nothing more.

"I've got a mother, Shatani, and two siblings - a little sister, Amara, and an older brother Mosi, but I'd rather not discuss them." Her ears pricked at this, and for a moment, she blinked at him curiously. However, he didn't want to talk about them, so with a flick of her ear, she dismissed the thought. However, she did wonder what it was like to have siblings, as she had been an only child.

A soft silence stretched between them, but she didn't mind. This was how she lived, without words. She didn't need to hear his voice to be comfortable in his company. All she needed was for him to be near, which he was. She tipped her head slightly, offering him a gentle smile, before suddenly rolling onto her back. The effort brought a soft whoosh of air from her lungs, but she made it. Her tail swished along the ground as she used it to find her balance in her new found, upside down position. She didn't notice, but her tail brushed Zuma's paw slightly, a clear indication that her roll had brought her closer to the tom, closing the distance to about a tail length. Her pink paw pads flexed slightly as she reached for the stars, forepaws stretching forwards while her hind legs stayed close to her body.

Her greenish eyes were half lidded as she gazed up peacefully at the sky. She reached a paw towards the moon, almost pawing at the sky. With a gentle smile, she thought to herself. Goodnight, Larkfern... May you sleep with in StarClan.

She shifted, coming out of her position, momentarily forgetting she wasn't alone. She rolled towards Zuma, coming to the realization of just how close he was when she quite literally rolled into him. Her pink nose was suddenly against his, and her green eyes, which were stretched as wide as the moon in her shock, stared into his.

For a moment, she froze.

When the embarrassment hit, she was able to move again, tucking and rolling away from him, back to where she had been before she'd rolled at all. Her pelt was on fire as embarrassment raced through her veins, and had she been human, he blush would have been clear as a beacon in the darkness. She lay her head on her paws, tail covering her eyes in her embarrassment. After a moment, she moved her tail slightly, allowing one eye to peek out at him from the depths of her furry tail.

She just prayed she hadn't scared him off...

[/size]

[Fawn]

Zuma flushed beneath his pelt. Ten seconds ago he'd been watching her roll about and paw the air with a playful sort of innocence, his gaze drawn skyward. When a sudden shadow of movement in his peripheral vision had Zuma looking towards Brokensong again, he was abruptly face-to-face to the she-cat who had him so enchanted since the beginning. Their noses touching for a few very long seconds, Zuma had nearly gone crossed-eyed, surprised as he settled on her lovely face, skin possibly glowing red beneath his tawny fur from the entirely unexpected contact.

Instantly Brokensong sprang away from him, leaving the temporarily dazed tom to watch her flutter about with embarrassment, jaw momentarily dropping as though he might actually have something to say - but no sound came out. Watching her cover her face with her plume, peeking out at him with one open green eye, Zuma embarrassed, looked away and covered his own face with his own tail, trying to laugh away the awkwardness by making light of the situation. It was definitely much cuter when she did it...

"You don't have to feel bad," he mewed, straightening up despite his pelt still burning. "It was nice - really! It wasn't bad at all, better than nice - er, you know what I mean, right?" Zuma almost winced, trying to play it off with a smile again. Mousebrain! Just tell her it was nice and to not worry about it, but be COOL about it!

Yeah easier said than done for the tom who'd been so wonderfully caught off guard.

---

Word Count: 287ish
Notes: xDD Couldn't resist. Flustered Zuma = WIN.

[BlooRey DVD]

Brokensong
~~~~~~~~

Her pelt still felt as though it were on fire, but when he spoke, she realized that he was just as flustered as she was. "You don't have to feel bad, It was nice - really! It wasn't bad at all, better than nice - er, you know what I mean, right?" Slowly, she moved her tail from her eyes, shy smile on her lips as her gaze flicked from him to the ground. Her tail danced slightly in slow movements, showing that she was actually quite comfortable here, even considering what had happened. In answer to his question, she gave a nod of her head.

She couldn't believe she'd just done that. What was even more bizarre to her, however, was that... In all honesty, she hadn't minded it at all. You could say she was incredibly naive when it came to her emotions, and it would be the truth. She couldn't see what was right in front of her just yet, she didn't fully understand the depth of the emotions she felt for the tom sitting not far from her. Love was a mystery to her, something she'd tried only once before, and gotten hurt.

Her jaws parted in a silent, little yawn, and slowly, shyly, she rose to her paws. Her tail swept from side to slide, in delicate flicks, before she carefully moved a little closer to him, closing the distance to about half a tail length. Now that they had been so close together, she didn't see the point in staying so far apart. She settled down again, shifting her weight into a comfortable spot before curling her plume around her, crossing her forepaws. She looked at him questioningly, before glancing up at the moon with a soft smile.

It was obvious she took a great interest in the sky, especially the night sky. She wondered if he found it as interesting as she did.

[/size]