I fell for her, turns out I reached rock bottom instead

[Bean]

╔════▣◎▣════╗

A N T L E R B R A N C H
He/Him - 31 Moons - Purrks: N/A
Dark brown tom with white stomach, tufts of fur on his
head, green eyes

╚════▣◎▣════╝

He didn't expect this. Antlerbranch lay in his nest, gazing at the flower Fluffs had gifted him. He hasn't felt this way in a long time. And for a long time, he always rejected the feeling. After for a bit, the tom stood up, taking the flower and weaving it into the fur on his head, making sure it was perfect before quietly making his way over to the pretty molly's nest. "H-hey, fluffs? You wanna come stargazin with me?" Antlerbranch whispered softly. If wisteriawren accepted, he would lead them out of camp. Every step, his heart pounded, face hot. A few times, he turned to cast fluffs a soft smile.

Soon, he led the two to a place, the stars visible. He sat down next to the molly, green eyes reflective of the stars hanging above them. But it wasn't the stars he was gazing at - it was Wisteriawren. His heart pounded in his chest, what if she rejected him? Surely she wouldn't - they were close. She must like him. He spotted a blue flower little ways away. Quickly, he trotted over, plucking it before carrying it back to the molly. He kept thinking that he would get utterly embarrassed, but she seemed to like him. She even spent the last meeting with him. It must be a sign. He scooted close to her, laying his tail on his paws. Just say something, anything! he thought, gaze flicking to the sky for a brief moment before turning back to fluffs.

After a bit, he finally worked up the courage to speak. "Hey fluffs," he started, choosing his selection of words carefully. "You're cool, you know? And kind, and sweet, and you are that positive light I needed to get over my dark time. I don't know what happened, but somehere along thr line, i got jealous. Jealous of how many cats were hanging around ya. Even Fadin'sun. I'v been rejecting my feelings for a long time, but i've come to terms with them. Wisteriawren," he sucked in a deep breath. "I'm in love with you. I want to be by your side all the time, be the light in your life. I love you. From the moment we first met, i knew you were special. And i was wondering if." He paused, nudging the flower he had retrieved earlier. His green gaze laid on her, filled with fondness for her. He loved her, truly loved her.

"Wisteriawren, I love you. Will you be my mate?"

[ @Rose - Wisteriawren ]

[Rose]

She/Her | Purrk(s): Just A Scratch

Wisteriawren shouldn't have fallen for this. Not again. Not after what'd happened last time. But she had been so desperate to forget Dusklion's reaction, to not feel so alone anymore, that when Antlerbranch had posed the question of going stargazing, she had shoved aside the uneasy crawling feeling in her chest and accepted.

So now here she sat, in a ruination of her own making, frozen in place, lips parted on a shaky exhale that would not come. Her heart beat too fast, but she could not breathe. For how could she live with herself after breaking another heart?

Now let's backtrack, shall we? Rewind the night. Two cats. Walking backwards. Fast paced. Rewind... rewind... ah, stop. Right there. There we go. Now to hit play, so for those who do not wish to sit and listen to a tale of woe, of heartbreak and depression to arise, shoo.

His voice is soft, quiet, but she hears. Her eyes are open, her mind is awake. Her heart pangs with vulnerability. Dusklion has not talked to her in days. Her best friend, gone just like that. And it hurts. It damn hurts so much Melody- Wisteriawren wants to crumple into a ball and whimper - which, she'd already done, actually.

Antlerbranch's voice brings sweet relief from the pain that Dusklion's now causes. Slowly lifting her head to meet the tom's green hues, the ex-kittypet takes a moment for his words to fully sink in. Her heart wants the company, selfishly wishes to be coddled and comforted. Her mind is uneasy, a whirlwind of worry and logic, uncertain of this step after what had occurred last time.

But Wisteriawren had always been one to pick heart over mind. Her emotions ruled her, and they would be her downfall.

So she accepted. She followed Antlerbranch out of camp, sticking close to his side, looking up and over at him every now and then. Her heart stuttered midway there as she noted the flower in his fur, panic rising, but once again, she brushed away the warning sign.

Therein lies the problem. Foolish kittypet, ignoring the omens of what is to come. Which brings us back to now. The moment Antlerbranch had began, his words soft, his eyes softer, Wisteriawren began to feel uneasy once more. Panic rose, unbidden, a crescendo she could not pause, could not stop. She wanted to tell him to not say it. 'Please don't say it. Don't say it. Don't-' She was a fool, for thinking that repeating the mantra in her head would do anything. It would do nothing, for the words she so did not want to hear slipped out of Antlerbranch.

'Wisteriawren, I love you. Will you be my mate?'

The molly had to stop herself from flinching, clawless, useless paws kneading the ground in her anxiousness. Had she any claws, she'd been tearing up soil, or scratching lines into the stone beneath her. A quiet, strangled broken sound crawls up her throat as she turns her face away.

Unable to face him. Unable to face herself, unable to even face the thousands of glittering stars in the sky, each mocking her. She'd been greedy. Had wanted a home, had wanted to be loved. She had gotten her love, but not from the cat she yearned for it from.

"Antlerbranch..." Her breath hitches. Falters. Stops. Her mind flashbacks. To Dusklion. And then her voice cracks with her next words, tears slipping down her face. "I... No, I... cannot." Her chin dips, tucking against her chest, her gaze not able to rise to meet his. "I have... feelings... for someone else."

The worst part was that she did have feelings for him for a time. His were just too late.

[ @Bean - Antlerbranch ]

[Bean]

╔════▣◎▣════╗

A N T L E R B R A N C H
He/Him - 31 Moons - Purrks: N/A
Dark brown tom with white stomach, tufts of fur on his
head, green eyes

╚════▣◎▣════╝
TW: Toxic/Abusive Relationship, death

Once Antlerbranch uttered those words, he gazed at Wisteria, heart pounding. He watched as the molly started to speak, spotting her tears. Why was she crying? Was it because she was happy?? He sure hoped so. Antler kneaded his paws on the ground as wisteria started to speak, and there was the moment, they were going to be-

Crack.

And just like that, his whole world fell down. It felt like the entire forest came crashing down on him. He remained frozen as tears filled his eyes. She... Didn't love him? Antlerbranch thought that he could spend his days by fluf-Wisteriawren's side, and forget about what had happened to him only a few moons ago.

Let's rewind, shall we?

It was a nice, silver tabby that young Antlerbranch loved with all his heart, but she returned it with screaming fits and always complaining about him. "Why the hell did you do that?? I wanted carp, not trout dumbass. Get out of my sight." and somehow, Antlerbranch would follow her to the ends of the earth. It was on that faithful leaf-bare night everything changed. They were on a night hunting trip, and the water was freezing. "GET AWAY, YOU DUMMY. WHT CAN'T YOU LISTEN TO ANYTHING I SAY???" they had screamed as Antler shrunk down, he didn't even know what he did wrong. He reached out a paw when she stepped back, falling into the freezing rapids of the river. Inaudible screams escaped Antlerbranch's maw as he desperately chased after her before he fell to the ground, sobbing uncontrollably. That day, he learned two things.

One: you can't trust anyone with your heart. They'll end up using it and breaking it one way or another.

And two: nobody can be trusted. Shutting yourself out is the only way to protect yourself.

And he had broken both of those rules and look where he stood now. Rejected. By the cat he loved more than anything in the world. Fate was cruel.

After a few moments of silent tears falling down his face, he spoke. "I-I..." he said shakily, not knowing what he should say. His heart was screaming, and he couldn't think as the world seemed to spin around him. "I thought- I-I..." he whispered, tears gushing out his eyes as he shakily got to his paws. He couldn't face Wisteriawren. She broke his heart, the first cat he trusted and gave his love to ended up shattering it to a million pieces. He was foolish to think that he could trust anyone. He couldn't damn breathe. It hurt.

At last, he ran. No warning, no goodbye, no words spoken. He just ran. Once he was far enough away from Wisteriawren, he stopped and crumbled to the ground crying. "WHY? WHY WHY WHY!?" He screamed, rocking himself back and forth. He swiped off the flower on his head, holding up a paw to bring it down snd crush it. He stayed there, frozen before gently picking it up snd cradling it in his arms. "Why why why???" he sobbed softly. He couldn't bring himself to destroy the flower. It served as a reminder of what happens when he trusts his heart to someone. He gently picked it up and weaved it back into the fur on his hesd before dragging himself back to camp. Today, he learned one more thing.

Nobody can be trusted.

[ @Rose - Wisteriawren ]