I Was Just Taking A Walk.. [[Closed for Ashy]]

Fawnsplash had planned on just hunting a bit at Moonlit Creek, her kits finally old enough for her to be able to leave them, but when she got there she got too wrapped up in the peacefulness of the place. She did need a little bit of peace and quiet after taking care of five kits all day every day for the past couple moons. It was a lot of work and she laughed softly to herself as she thought back to all the things they had gotten into already. She wondered if she had been like that as a kit and assumed she probably was. A small smile formed on her face as she sat at the shallow creeks edge, watching the water ripple out as leaves fell from the trees and into the clear blue water. She couldn't remember a time in her life when she had been more happy than she was at this point in her life. She had five beautiful kits that she had the privilege to watch become great warriors and call hers, and she now had a family. After moons and moons of being alone for a lot of her life, she finally had a family to call her own and it made her giddy with joy. She sighed contentedly before her ears perked up at the sound of a twig snapping. Her head whipped around in the direction it came from and she got to her paws, slowing creeping forward. "Who's there?" She meowed, daring whoever it was to come out and show themselves. She knew it was probably one of her clanmates, but she knew she couldn't be too careful.

Breezewhisker padded through the forest, gazing at the colorful spectrum of leaves above him, feeling alone and dejected. His best friend Gingerpaw was dead. His brother Thornpaw never spoke to him anymore. Poppysong and Crowstar, his parents, ignored him at best. His mentor was busy living a fulfilled life with perfect mate and five kits. Even she, the one cat who seemed to have appreciated his efforts to be a strong, loyal warrior, had left him for someone else. The gray tabby tom was totally alone in being alone. As the sun sank behind the ridge of pine trees where he knew Highstones lay, Breezewhisker sat still a few fox-lengths from Moonlit Creek, the rippling sound of the water clear and beautiful to his ears. It reflected the few stars peeking out from behind the wisps of gray cloud, peering tentatively at the tom as if they couldn't bear to watch his fate. Don't blame us, StarClan seemed to be claiming. Not our fault. Frustrated, the young warrior slashed at a nearby stick, hearing the satisfying crack. What was there to live in SkyClan for anymore? Then the gray fur along his spine bristled as he heard his mentor's voice. Breezewhisker padded out quietly into the moonlight. "Just me," he assured Fawnsplash. His ears flicked and he looked away guiltily. "I... I didn't mean to startle you."

Fawnsplash let herself relax when saw Breezewhisker. "Oh. Hey Breezewhisker. Its okay." She meowed, letting herself smile. She could tell something was bothering him, and if she was being honest, she knew something had been bothering for some time. She had just never gotten around to asking him about it. She did feel a little guilty about it and she figured she should ask him now. She glanced at the sky before looking back down at her former apprentice. "Are you alright? What are you doing out here so late?" She asked, letting a hint of a worried tone enter her soft voice.

Breezewhisker's heart took a pang. The last she-cat to ask him that... she was dead now. But could he continue to brush off his pain? His gray tabby tail swished anxiously. Tell her, the creek seemed to murmur. The stars were clearer now, the crescent moon glowing reassuringly. "I..." the tom started hesitantly. "No. No, I'm not alright." His voice strengthened, growing in conviction. "My best friend died right before her ceremony. My brother won't talk to me. My parents ignore me. Nobody cares anymore- to my father, Crowstar, I'm just another warrior. Another cat beefing up the ranks of SkyClan. Everyone else has their groups of friends, their families, their mates, and I have nothing. No one." Breezewhisker took a deep breath, gazing up at the stars. His voice was laced heavily with bitterness. "I came out here thinking.... Well, what do I have to live here for anymore?" The young warrior looked down at the muddy ground, covered by a vibrant carpet of leaves.

Fawnsplash listened intently, eyes shining with surprise and then empathy. She knew how he was feeling. She had felt it her whole life. That was why she had always tried to build everyone up because she didn't want them feeling the same way she did. Her parents had abandoned her when she was just a kit and she grew up without anyone to call her family, really, and she seemed to always feel alone or like she wasn't needed. And finally when she had thought she had found a mate who loved her and became pregnant, he had told her he hated her and that she was dumb for even thinking she could find love and not soon after that he had died. She had been bitter and sad for moons, right up until the day she gave birth and saw her small little bundles of joy and it all just seemed to fade away. She had a new job and they needed and loved her. "I'm sorry Breezewhisker." She meowed softly, getting to her paws and padding over to him and resting her fluffy tail across his shoulders. "I hope you know that I'm here for you and I've always been there for you since I met you... And believe it or not.. I know how you're feeling." She meowed offering a small smile. "And you DO have something to live for." She meowed, staring at him intently, willing him to believe her. "You have SkyClan to live for. You have your best friend to live for. You have.. You have me to live for." She meowed listing things off, anything, to make him understand that he was needed and his clanmates did love and care for him. Some more than others, even if he only really needed one.

Breezewhisker's shoulders shook with supressed sobs, amber eyes shut tight, but they flew open at his friend and mentor's words- a combination of quiet shame and outraged surprise. How could she know anything about what he was going through? She- but then again, the tom knew virtually nothing about Fawnsplash's past. And he could feel a strong sense of empathy emanating from the she-cat- and possibly something stronger? Shame won out, and Breezewhisker lowered his eyes. He had been thinking about leaving SkyClan just because his family didn't know he'd existed? Just because Gingerpaw was in a better place? StarClan, I'm such a crybaby... "You're- You're right, Fawnsplash." The tom took a deep, shaky breath, swallowing his pride. "I shouldn't be having so much trouble with this- I've trusted you since I was an apprentice. I-I'm just a big mouse-brained fool, Fawnsplash, and I- I love you, Fawnsplash, b-but I, I just-" he choked out. A couple more tears started leaking out of his eyes. "Great StarClan, my heart hurts," he managed to get out, trying his best to keep back his sorrow.

Fawnsplash's eyes shone with relief when he agreed with her. She had half expected him to lash out at her or stalk off. Though she was glad he didn't do either, but instead took what she had to say and at least thought about it. Her look of relief soon turned into one of sadness and sympathy as he attempted to tell her how he felt. She could almost feel his shame and it made her want to cry, though she held back. She couldn't have both of them breaking down. She pulled her tail off his shoulders to rest it under his chin and lift his head up to hers, hoping to get him to look at her. "It's perfectly fine that you're having trouble Breezewhisker. It's hard when you're family ignores you and you lose your best friend." She meowed softly. She shook her head, a small smile back on her muzzle when he called himself a mouse-brain. He didn't know how wrong he was, but she didn't get a chance to say anything because what he had said after had shocked her. Those three little words made her heart skip a beat and her breath catch in her throat. She knew she had feelings for Breezewhisker. She had just never expected him to return them. After all, she never thought anyone could love her back. She looked back at him, her wide, pale amber gaze filled with mixed emotions of shock, disbelief, confusion, and affection. "I.." She started, seemingly out of breath though she had only been standing there. Her head screamed to run, that he was lying. Just like Brackenflame had. Just like her parents and everyone else. But her heart screamed for her to tell him that she did too and that she always would. "I love you too Breezewhisker.." She finished when she finally caught her breath, somewhat, and her heart won out over her head. She felt kinda dizzy after and she nuzzled him to steady herself. She nodded into his chest, too afraid to talk for the fear she'd start crying too, when he said that his heart hurt. Hers did too. So many emotions were running through her that she felt shaky and her breathing became faster. She felt happy, and shocked, and angry, and confused, and loved all at the same time and she tried to push all the not so great ones into the back of her mind, succeeding only moderately, so she could pull back and look him in the eyes again. Her footing faltered somewhat and she gave a small smile, her eyes brimming with tears, before sitting down. She shook her head slightly still trying to comprehend what had happened before murmuring 'I love you too,' once more.