A Darkened Soul and a Bright Light (Closed for Tawny and I)

Crowclaw sat on the river's bank, feeling lonely and depressed. He peered down at his reflection, distorted by the water's ripples and current. What he saw was the cold, hard face of a stern tom with flaming eyes of pure amber. Though his face was narrow and strict, it was still handsome and mature. How can anyone love someone like me? he asked himself. Crowclaw murdered his own father, and his soul was darkened by the Dark Forest, but maybe there was still some good in him. Maybe there was still some room for love and happiness. He just needed someone to bring him to the light.

The cool breeze of the coming Leaffall ruffled the reds and tall grass of the riverbank as Tawnystorm caught a trout. The warrior was one that believed in being productive, and while she did allow herself to relax, now wasn't the time. Maybe she worked too hard, but she found herself enjoying the solitude it brang. Smokepaw was going well in his training, and it had been a relatively normal time in RiverClan since the defeat of the Dark Forest. As she padded up the bank, a flash of glossy black fur caught her eye, and she knew exactly who it was. Tawnystorm walked up behind Crowclaw, sitting down beside him. The tom had a dark past. She knew that better than anyone, and the two had always been rivals, always trying to outdo the other. Cats like these, normally she wouldn't have so much as spoken to them, distrusting them in an instant. But why had she spent so much time with him? Why did she care about him this much? And yet, she knew the answer.

"What are you doing? You seem oddly engrossed in thought."

He heard her approach before he heard her speak. The familiar scent of Tawnystorm flooded into his nose, and he slightly opened his mouth to drink in more of it. He loved the comfort that it brought. "I'm just fishing," he mumbled quietly, as he continued to stare at his rippling reflection. It was obviously a lie. His heartbeat picked up a pace and a feeling of happiness pervaded inside of him, curling into every bone and limb inside of his body like a shimmering fog. If this was how Tawnystorm made him feel, then he should tell her, rival or not. But what if she didn't like him back? What if nobody liked him back? How could anybody love a cold blooded killer?

"Doesn't look like fishing," Tawnystorm smirked, a light in her eyes. "Relaxing?" She peered into the river, staring at her reflection next to Crowclaw's one. It rippled and distilled in the water, and for some reason, it looked so right next to the tom's. She'd always known, deep down. He was the opposite of her, save for their shared snark, competitiveness and determinedness, but she knew. Would now be a good time to tell him?

(Mobile. I'll hopefully be able to get on a computer tomorrow, stuff happened)

The tom fixed his glowing amber eyes on the she-cat. He had decided what to do. He had played his options over in his head, figuring out the worst case and best case scenarios. Best case was that she liked him back, they become mates, and loved each other. Worst case was that she didn't love him back, totally shattered his heart and leaved him in the dust with the whole clan knowing that he had a crush on Tawnystorm. If the worst case scenario occurred, Crowclaw figured that he could always overcome the defeat and embarrassment and find a different she-cat. If the best case scenario were supposed to happen, but Crowclaw didn't tell Tawnystorm his feelings for her, then he would lose the love of his life and it would be his fault, not her's. He couldn't live the rest of his life knowing that it was his fault that a she-cat slipped right out of his paws. If Tawnystorm were not to be his, it would be because of Tawnystorm's lack of feelings for him, not because of his own fear of the worst case scenario.

"No, not relaxing. Just thinking. Thinking about life. Thinking about love. Thinking about you. Tawnystorm....I....every time I am around you, I get this feeling. It is the kind of feeling that one can't describe, the kind that bubbles up in your chest and explodes whenever you are near that cat. The feeling is like....like my heart is trying to float right out of my skin....like it is buoyant and free. Every time you look at me, my pulse skips a beat, and every time you talk to me, my day brightens. And that smirk you have....it just looks right on your face, and your smile makes everything else around me fade to grey. Tawnystorm, I....I love you."

Tawnystorm was silent, a warm smile creeping up her face. "I know," she said softly, followed by a small nod. "And well, I've been waiting a while to tell you. I feel like now's the right time. I'm not as good as words as you are, and you always know the right thing to say. But I'll try." The she-cat shuffled her paws in the dirt, but locked her emerald green eyes with the tom's glowing amber ones.
"At first when I met you, I thought that you'd become my rival, and you did. But I feel like I've always known deep, deep down, and I...I didn't think you liked me back, either. And every time I see you, you bring a smile to my face and I can't help it. And even though you've done bad things, I know there's good in you." The brown tabby blinked. " But Crowclaw, it's more than that. I....I love you too."