Acorns and I Love You

Part 18 Know My Feelings

The next morning Joe felt a bit drained, so many ups and downs in just one day but Kip didn't want him gone there was still a chance for this to grow. Jiro shifted as he was thinking. "Are you awake?" Kip asked "yeah.. But I want to stay here for a bit" In response Kip snuggled around Jiro and just held him there. It was like a simple reassurance that this closeness was wanted just as expected. As the pre-dawn light started to come through the window Joe knew he had to get up soon. Joe started to get up and yawned. Kip got up with him, never letting Jiro completely go. They went through the morning routines. Just before Joe was about to leave the room a final time Kip stopped him. "You can't go out there looking like that, your hair is a mess' ' Kip sounded a bit nervous as he said that but it was passible. "Really does it need brushing?" Joe said. Kip reached and grabbed a brush that was in a drawer and very gently and slowly pulled it through Joe's hair. As Kip methodically brushed through the hair he relaxed into this intimacy even if it was lost on Jiro. After the first few brush strokes that would have cleared up any mess in his hair Joe noticed that this wasn't just brushing hair. The way Kip moved the brush through his hair was definitely intimate. It was intense, Kip was so focused. Jiminy's words ran through his head. This was courting behavior and Kip was doing this to him. Joe's face started to heat up and fast. Kip was going through every lock of hair. Once Kip was finished he put the brush down and stroked Jiro's now shiny hair. If it was longer then he could brush it longer. It was trance like he enjoyed it so much. That's when he noticed that Jiro was barely breathing. "Um that's probably enough, '' Kip said as he put his hands on Jiro's shoulders. Jiro was tense but there was something negative about him. "Jiro?" Jiro shifted to look at him "Umm yeah thanks –Kip" Jiros voice was higher when he said his name. Jiro mutters thanks again and rushes out the door. He was blushing. Kip enjoyed that, a lot. He would be doing that again.

Jiro almost ran out of the building later wondering how Kip would have reacted to that but he had to get out. It was all but confirmation. He couldn't help but be happy. He knew his face was probably bright red right now but he was just so happy. Giddy with possibility he did notice being surrounded. The woodacres were in the trees watching an enthusiastic Joe wander the orchard before beginning the day's job. Spangle came out of the trees and circled Joe in a happy trot. "Hello Spangle, are you happy today as well?" Spangle nosed joes leg prodigy then spun and gave a wolf smile bearing teeth. Joe smiled back. "I'm happy today. New possibilities you know" Spangle looked into his eyes and bounded away. Joe then went to work around the farm the entire time imagining the possibilities. How would he reciprocate? Would he brush Kip's hair too? Now that he thought about it he doesn't know alot about dealing with long hair. Kip always brushed it then put it into a loose ponytail. He should ask Tami for her advice, maybe he could practice or something. While Joe worked he made plans.

He followed his same routine for the day he greeted Kip and wandered the fields as Joe finished. Kip said he was going to wander the property and talk to some of his clansmen today and Joe told Kip that he was going to hang out with Tami and Biddy.

"Tami, are you here?" Joe said as he walked into the small house in biddy's tree. Biddy appeared before him; she was always appearing and disappearing without warning. "Hello ChickaBiddy, do you know where our sister is?" Biddy swayed a little and she responded "She's Upstairs doing paperwork?" Joe looked up the stairs his sister was probably working on some new project to endear the ameranthine to the public he would leave tami to her work. "How about we play down here until she's done."

"Play with Biddy?"

"Yup I'm all yours, for now, until Tami is done." They played a variety of games while waiting for Tami. About an hour and a half later Tami walked down the stairs. "Well Hello Joe, what brought you here today?"

"Just here for my two twins." He said with a smile. "I actually wanted your help with something." Tami scooped up Biddy and pondered what Joe could want from her. Joe was always very capable. "Sure whatever you need"

"Can you teach me to brush hair? And maybe how to braid it?" Tami smiled, "Well I hate to tell you your hair is too short to braid and brushing hair isn't complicated."

"Well yes I know but I want to brush Kips hair." Tami looked at Biddy in her arms "Do you think we can teach Joe to braid my hair?"

"Yes Yes Biddy is good at braiding hair." Biddy jumped out of Tami's arms and grabbed Joe's hand and started pulling him to the sitting room. There Joe was given a lesson in hair braiding from biddy about how you get three parts then fold them in a pattern to get a braid. Tami gave a few more helpful tips about how to part evenly and how to brush hair so it wouldn't hurt. Still with this, Joe asked if he could come by a few more times to practice actually braiding the hair to make sure he would get it right. Biddy eventually got distracted and went to her branches to look at small animals. "Tami, can I ask you some advice?"

"Well if it's about hair I think we've cover most of it"
"I'm going to court, Kip. And I want to do it right but I've never really dated someone before or really know how so I'm asking you."

"Is Kip your choice?" Joe had heard that phrase before in reference to bondmates. "Yes he is."

"When Ash and I courted we did it through gifts each with different meanings. I don't know how the squirrels clans court though. But what is most important is that your feelings reach Kip and that you both are able to reciprocate your feelings in kind. It's actually quite simple." Joe didn't know if it was actually that simple but he would make sure that Kip knew his true feelings.