And the fangirls go wild. or something like that. idunno. dun judge me. ;_;

Sagestar shifted around uncomfortably in his nest, trying to settle down and get a decent wink of shut-eye, but was unable too. To be honest, there were several factors leading up to his. First of all; it was a bit difficult trying to rest and keep the pressure off both of his soft underbelly and his throat, both healing from their injuries.
Another was the StarClan-awful smell in this den. Well, he supposed it wasn't particularly bad - he could handle RiverClan's scent... It was just so stuffy and humid and reeking of fish, he couldn't help but get up and poking his head out the entrance to get a few gasps of fresh air before shivering from the leaf-bare winds and heading back inside. He assumed it was like this in every den and his warriors were suffering the same way.
Lastly, and he wasn't exactly sure on how to feel about this one, was that clear across the other side of the den; Froststar lay in her own nest. Morningfur's den was rather crowded with the two extra medicine cats and their patients. Some ShadowClan warriors and apprentices had opted to staying in dens of their respected ranks. It was opted that Sagestar do the same.

The tom stood up and grumbled, moving around again in his bed. The night was ending and he was hearing the chirps of the morning birds starting to awaken, though the sun was still nowhere to be seen. He'd usually be sleeping by now - thought by each passing sun he realized rest would be harder and harder to get during the day, seeing as that was when RiverClan was most active, like the rest of the forest. Sagestar sighed, almost ready to give up. (Sleep was for the weak anyways.) He flickered his gaze in the she-cat's direction, not willing to say anything, though it was hard to tell if she were sleeping or not.

Breath in. Breath out. Breath in. Breath out.
The calico was beginning to wonder if something was wrong with her. She couldn't sleep- more than usually, considering sleep was a rare occurrence that last moon. But now it was something else, she didn't dare move though her body burned in discomfort. And her heart beat quietly in her chest. Of course, it had nothing to do with the bundle of striped fur on the other side of the den, resting in a makeshift den of moss. She felt claustrophobic and squished, and she was vividly aware of his breath and the fact that he couldn't sit still. The scent of marshes and toads washed over her, and she fidgeted slightly. And all cats said RiverClan smelt bad. Pfft.

Whenever the tabby tom got up and the chirping of birds reached her ears, Froststar sighed silently and lifted her head. "Sagestar? Can you not sleep?" She tried to sound polite, her voice was tired and soft as the sky turned a soft grey, her icy blue eyes glowing slightly in the darkness.

The tom flicked his ears, her question calling her off guard. The tom blinked his green gaze awkwardly before quickly looking away, not exactly sure of how to answer or what to say. So, she was awake after all. It only made him feel a bit more uneasy. Mouse-dung. Did she realize he was looking at her - well, not that it'd be a big deal - ahem, of course. I mean, it's not like there was much else to look at.
He twitched the end of his tail. Should he answer? Well, it was a bit too late to pretend that he was asleep now. The ShadowClan cat frowned. Might as well give her the courtesy. "No." He admitted, resting his chin on his paws and looking in her direction with tired eyes. They both had to be exhausted. "I can't." He'd like to blame that simply on his wounds, but he couldn't. There was too much on his mind and too many fresh, haunting memories.
He frowned, not keen on going into that, if the impact weren't obvious enough. Sagestar gave the RiverClan leader a strange look, though. She seemed as if she hadn't had a sound night in moons. "And you?"

Froststar dropped her gaze to her paws as she fidgeted slightly. The soft ground suddenly seemed like the most interesting thing in the forest as she slowly drug her paw around, making soft patterns in the dirt pressed down from countless pawsteps. She shrugged her slight shoulders without looking up. "I've been better." She mumbled, letting down her walls down for just a moment. Her voice was tired and flat. Her sleek fur was dull and she was thinner than the average RiveraClan cat. Of course it was leafbare, and she was careful to eat after everyone, but nonetheless, that wasn't a good sign. Still, there was a defiant glow in her eyes, an icy glint that cried out power and leadership. Even on the darkest days, she would still hold her head high and have her claws sharpened. Even admitting that she wasn't at her best bit at her pride, but for some reason, she deemed it necessary. She was beginning to trust Sagestar- probably more than a RiverClan cat should trust a ShadowClan cat. She should keep her distance, but then again, how was that possible whenever they were forced to sleep just a fox length apart?
She sneaked a peek up at the ShadowClan tom as the gray morning light began to seep into the den, the shadows of roots and leaves painting the ground in a dark brush, contrasting against the soft moss and the light of sunrise.

He didn't say anything for a few moments after that, feeling a small, fresh breeze roll into the den; the scent of dew and early morning carried with it. The tom didn't move, though, unsure of how to answer her. All he could think about at the moment was how unfamiliar this place was to him - and at this very moment, those filthy rogues would be waking in his own home; Sagestar clawed at his nest. It was a strange, but harmonious combination of home-sickness, anger, and guilt.
"You need your sleep." Sagestar said to her finally, his voice surprisingly light. "We'll need all of our strength to deal with those fox-hearts." A small smile was on his face, though the pain in his voice and the sharp gleam in his eyes was obvious. Going against his own words, the ShadowClan tom forced himself up, stretching a little and getting a better look at her.
Well, he hadn't truly noticed how worn down she really was until now. It was almost like when he had watched her lose her first life. He flicked his ear, not wanting to say he was a bit concerned for her now - ... but he was a little concerned. It's not like it'd be hard to figure out why either. Then again...
His mind followed up on a short train of thought before a small conclusion to mind, and he let out a small, weak laugh. "You stubborn she-cat."

Froststar gazed at the tom curiously, her eyes softening. "We." Froststar murmured lightly. "We need our sleep. We need our strength. I'm not the only stubborn one here, now am I?" She replied kindheartedly, raising a kitty eyebrow in amusement, because they can do that now shuddup. and i give up ;__________; *failure*

Keeping on Mah Promise, Yo.

The corners of Sagestar's mouth twisted in a slight smile, "I don't know what you're talking about." He muttered, feigning a cross look and harshness in his tone. The tom's eyes slit as he stood up quietly, "I hate being here. I hate that I failed my clan and I hate that StarClan dealt us this prey." He shook his head, "And I especially hate that I have to have your help." Another small breeze rolled into the den and the tom couldn't help but shiver, the weariness on his body obvious once again.
The leader sighed, "But I suppose you're right." Without saying much more than that, the tom walked behind Froststar and laid down, curling up next to her. Ah, yes. It was better here, much more comforting.
Hold your horses, though, fangirls. He wasn't exactly sure why, though. Maybe, after sleeping alone in your den for moons on end - and with all the stress lately, this was a good change of pace. Or maybe he digs her and just doesn't know it yet. /shot

Froststar narrowed her eyes, calmly crossing her paws at his outburst. She supposed it wasn't surprising- he had been through a lot, and his pride had been battered and torn, completely mutilated in the past few days. "You need it, you know that? Where in StarClan would you be without my help, may I ask? Where would you go? Do you really think anyone else would ever take you in? You need my help Sagestar." Her voice never rose above a whisper, and it was eerily calm. "You need me-" She was cut off as Sagestar made his way towards her. She froze, rigid in surprise. What was he doing? Memories of her death floated up in her mind, of the last time he had curled up beside her. He had a calming effect that made no sense, considering he was probably the most wound up cat she knew. But without her consent, she felt herself relax against him, the warmth of his fur comforting. She snuggled up against the tom, forgetting how wrong it was for just a moment. Froststar flicked the ShadowClan leader in the ear with her tail tip. "Of course I'm right. I always am." She said with a light snort, as if it was the most obvious think in the world.

The tom simply sniffed stubbornly at her words. Admittedly, he was amused and rather relieved that she stopped talking as he lay down beside her. He didn't like hearing her go on - especially since everything she said was true, as much as he loathed it all. "You're helping my clan and it's a debt we must repay." He muttered, his voice a low whisper in her ear. He was rather surprised when she curled up closer against him, but was too exhausted to say anything about it and let it go. Sagestar had rested his head and his eyes, until she insisted on having the last word.
"For now." He muttered simply. "Want and Need are two different things. After this is all over, I won't need you anymore, but..." His mind stopped him there and he went dead silent. Without another word, he curled his tail around her and settled himself down again against his old friend, praying that sleep would wash over them soon enough.