Shelter From the Storm [Closed]

After the war, Toadleap had limped back from the battlegrounds with the rest of his battered clan. More than from the defeat, however, Toadleap felt grim from his internal war. His own father had damaged Birdflight, and had nearly killed her.

As the clan had slowly healed over the recent moon, Toadleap had not talked to Birdflight since, having been busy with healing his own wounds and getting used to walking and running again. He had sustained rake marks over his left shoulder, criss-crossing the pale, long scar that he had received from the owl moons ago, as well as a raked scar on his lower belly.

Glimpsing her occasionally in camp, he was grateful to StarClan that she had not been killed, but was not sure if he could face her after realizing what Otterleap had done to her. While most of his clan did not know of his parentage, the new warrior felt burdened with this knowledge that his father had delivered that horrible blow to Birdflight's head. He had embraced Birdflight after the announcements of the war on the battlefield, but he had not yet approached her since.

Lying down near the warrior's den, he looked out bleakly at the camp, lost in longing for Birdflight, yet shame for being related to her attacker. It's even worse that I was honored for the same skill as... my father. Ever since the war, he couldn't bring himself to call Otterleap the endearing term "Dad", not even in his head.

The calico warrior came back into camp with a blue and white bird that she had just caught. Her light green eyes scanned the clearing for a certain cat that she held close to her heart. Once she spotted the tom lying down near the warrior's den, Birdflight began to near him. She felt that they were drifting apart. They had always been close ever since Toadleap had been assigned her apprentice. She wanted to get closer to her former apprentice. That want was fueled by the love she had for him that was stored in her heart. She wanted to blurt out that she loved him to the whole clan but unfortunately, the chance that he maybe didn't feel the same and the of embarrassment if he didn't kept her from doing so. The warrior was already standing in front of him before she even snapped out of her thoughts. She placed the dead bird in front of Toadleap with a heated face. "H-Here Toadleap. I-I brought this for you. M-Mind i-if I join y-you here?" She didn't give him a chance to answer before settling herself down next to him and softly sighing. "S-So...h-how have you been?" she asked softly, gaze averted.

Toadleap was startled out of his thoughts and made to spring to his paws when he realized that it was none other than the very cat about whom he was thinking. Oh, StarClan, it's really her. What can I say?! He didn't feel ready for this renewed contact with Birdflight at all. Realizing how awkward his half-up half-down position was, the new warrior forced himself to lie down flat against the ground again before meowing with a nervous chuckle of his own, "W-wow, thanks, Birdflight! You shouldn't have." Taking the bird into his front paws, he added to himself with a self-deprecating tone in a lower voice that was barely audible to Birdflight, "You really shouldn't have. I don't deserve it."

Realizing he had said that out loud, the swirled tom desperately hoped that she didn't hear that and quickly made to answer her question. "H-honestly, I could have been loads better, but who couldn't be, after the battle and all?" He chuckled nervously again before asking the same question to Birdflight, "W-what about you?" As Toadleap looked at the she-cat, his blue-green eyes drank in the sight of her graceful form. The still new warrior had missed her steady presence, although she seemed much more nervous than usual today. The brown swirled tabby fidgeted a bit, wishing he could embrace her like he had after the war, or at the very least make some physical contact. He thought to himself, But I don't deserve it. I'm related to her would-be murderer.

OOC: Sorry for the wait; I had a busy week. This week I'll probably be busy again and may only go on 1-3 times.

The she-cat bit her lip and looked away for a split second before answering, "W-Well i've been doing good recently but just a bit shaken after the war." A few moments of awkward silence passed. The warrior suddenly pressed herself closer to Toadleap, eyes averted. Her face began to heat when she placed her head on top of his. "T-Toadleap. H-How d-do you f-f-feel about me?" she asked with a shaky voice. What if he didn't feel the same? What if it was just her? She closed her eyes and separated herself from him a tiny bit.  She didn't feel confidence in herself like she usually did. These feelings were weighing her down and if she didn't know what he felt about her soon, she'd suffocate in her pelt. She was a bit shaky and burning up with embarrassment. She hoped to Starclan that he did like her back.

Toadleap was surprised at the physical contact, but he felt a bit more settled down at the warmth radiating from the other cat. His eyes grew soft, and he felt some of his burden go away. The swirled tabby now realized that Birdflight was also in some discomfort from the war. I've been selfish for purposely avoiding her. It's time to stop moping around and time to start comforting her.

Turning towards the she-cat, he gently licked her face with his tongue. "Birdflight... I didn't realize it before, but you mean the world to me. You're... You're more than just a mentor now. You've been there for me for so long, and now I'm here for you." He nuzzled her with his snout before moving a bit back to look at her again.

"I, I thought I was the only one who felt unsettled from the war." He chuckled a little sadly before continuing, "I guess not, huh?"

Birdflight gave him a shy smile. "N-Nope. I'm right there with you!" The calico giggled softly and pressed her face right up against his. She was too happy to even talk anymore. The warrior still couldn't contain the excitement that coursed through her. The one she loved loved her back! It was a dream come true! "I-I think of you more than just m-my former apprentice. You're the special someone I wish to spend my days with until I breathe my last breath. I've felt like this a-and I just couldn't keep you in the dark, of what I was feeling." Birdflight said while closing her eyes and beginning to purr.

Toadleap blinked, flushing underneath his brown-ticked fur at the lavished words from Birdflight as his face was pressed against hers. "S-special s-someone? Really?" He couldn't believe that she thought of him that way, too. He shed his nervousness and began to purr as well, entwining their tails.

His thoughts flooded back to his Moonstone journey. Laughing more fully this time, he cuddled with Birdflight less tentatively and more boisterously. He meowed with amusement in his voice, "Ha, I should have seen it coming! Leopardclaw and that StarClan warrior, they were dropping hints like crazy, but I had no idea what they were thinking! Now that I think about it, not that I do much of that, heheh, ever since my hunting assessment, I've been in love with you." His green-blue eyes blazed with strong emotions. "You... You were my motivation for sticking with ThunderClan, all along, Birdflight."

Sobering a little, he withdrew a bit, although his tail was still entwined with Birdflight's, and looked away. In a more subdued tone, he mused, "Even in the war, I wanted to do right by you. I wish... I wish you hadn't been injured. I wish I could have protected you. I'm so sorry that I couldn't." Grimacing at the sourness of the memory, he flexed his claws as his memory of Otterleap clouting Birdflight replayed in his head. Hanging his head, he continued, "I even avoided you afterwards... I... I felt so guilty." He knew he felt more guilty for being related to her attacker than for having been unable to help her, but he was afraid of her reaction if he did say anything about his mixed heritage. Looking up at Birdflight, his eyes drank in her sight, and he perked up again, his mouth picking up at the ends. "I'm so glad you recovered well, Birdflight."

"It's okay Toadleap. I understand. You look a lot better yourself as well." she purred. "Also, Leopardclaw and a Starclan cat knew about this? About our feelings?" she asked with a curious face. Her father was a smart tom. He observed his clan and could probably tell what they were feeling, even before they knew it themselves. Starclan knew many things about the clans and the cats within them so it wasn't that big of a surprise that the cat hinted that Toadleap had strong feelings for Birdflight. She was still curious on when they began to suspect this.

Toadleap gave a loud laugh, feeling better than he had in a long time, although he still carried the weight of his secret heritage and guilt. "Yeah, I can't believe that they knew before us. I must have been pretty obviously head over heels for you during my Moonstone Journey. Especially since I didn't even know anything about the StarClan ghost- Ryestep, his name was. " He laid his head on Birdflight's shoulder and breathed in her scent.

With a breathy sigh, he asked with a smile, "You know anything about him? I sure didn't. He was a young warrior, not much older than me now... He told me that I should stay loyal, and to cherish the mate I'd have in the future. Who knew that it'd be someone I already knew all along? ... Oh, wait. He already knew that." Cuddling his head next to Birdflight's, he meowed in a more subdued tone, "He died so young and left behind a mate... I don't want to lose you, too."

OOC: I think after your next post, we can pretty much wrap it up, unless you want to add anything else.  

The calico she-cat pressed herself harder against him as a purr began to slip from her throat. "You won't lose me. I will do my very best to be with you until the day Starclan calls for us." Her voice was hushed but soothing. The warrior felt her heart melt at the thoughts of one day raising a family with the tom beside her. He was the love of her life. The one she trusted with her heart. "My dad and Rystep knew before we did. They are very wise. My dad will support us till the very end. I also faintly remember Ryestep." the she-cat said softly while staring off.

OOC: Yep let's wrap this up :D