The Softer Side [Closed]

His vigil had been long. It felt like several moons had passed as he forced his eyes to stay open. Over the course of the past few days, the tom had traveled to highstones and back, and then stayed up the entire night while the clan slept. A new determination was what had kept him awake the entire time. That same determination pushed him to go out hunting instead of resting after his vigil. Muscles ached and he could barely keep his eyes open when he finally padded towards the warrior's den. Finally, it was time to find a nest. A fire inside wanted him to keep going, keep pushing, for the sake of Specklefang whose name he decided to honor through his own. Memories of the other side of his line were forgotten underneath what he owed Sharptooth's mother. Although, all of that finally gave way under the pressure of sheer exhaustion. Eaglefang had pushed himself to the limit.

As he padded through the entrance of the den with his step faltering slightly, the tabby could not suppress the exhausted yawn that caused his jaws to part. Other cats had already begun to retire and most of the nests were filled. At that moment, he could have cared less where he slept for the night and glanced over at the nearest open space. Eaglefang made his way towards it and settled down. As he went to close his eyes, the tom's amber gaze blinked a few times and he found himself staring at Wisteriapool. Their nests were so close their fur brushed and he found himself immediately considering the she-cat's presence. They had barely been around each other, save for the patrol he had mocked her before failing so terribly at hunting. Never before had he considered the effects of his actions, but in his exhausted state, a prickle of guilt kept the sleep he craved just that far out of reach. He wanted to growl aloud in frustration. Instead, he studied the other warrior's features.

It was a rather chilly night after the sun had settled. Even though his own his bulk and fur, Eaglefang could feel hints of it. Although their coats were around the same length, the newly appointed warrior found himself considering something that even surprised him. He hesitated for a moment. But, eventually, the warrior came to the conclusion that he was up anyway and since his eyelids would not stay closed, there was no reason not to. His tail flicked lightly against her coat. It was shortly followed by a low meow, "Are you cold?" The words were little more than a whisper and his somewhat gravelly tone sounded a bit strange in such a breathy manner. As he waited for Wisteriapool to say something, his yellow eyes bore into her.

It had already been tough enough for Wisteriapool to fall asleep. She had spent what seemed like a whole moon trying to position herself in her nest so that she could comfortably fall asleep. The fear of waking up other cats with the rustling noises that the nest made had filled the she-cat's throat until she had finally been able to fall asleep. While it was newleaf, the night breeze flew swiftly through the entrance of the warriors' den and through the pelts of all the warriors, including Wisteriapool. Sometimes she'd feel it, sometimes she wouldn't. Everything seemed to be fine until a tail woke her up. Attempting to hide the fact that she had been startled, Wisteriapool's eyes fluttered open and her bold yellow irises were revealed.

When she saw the bulky form of Eaglefang directly in front of her, the she-cat couldn't help but visibly flinch as if she had received a small yet physical blow. It took a while for her to process what the tom had said. If she said yes, what would he say? If she said no, would he say something different? Was he wanting to humiliate or harass her? Realizing that she had been staring instead of answering, Wisteriapool quickly allowed something to escape her maw.
"O-oh, uh, y-yes. I gu-guess I'm a l-little c-cold."
The ginger-and-white warrior mentally and silently braced herself for some sort of insult. She wouldn't be surprised if it did happen. Although, it would be a bit difficult for her to fall asleep afterward.

ooc; short and bad

As she flinched awake, his ear merely flicked. The warrior's eyes never left hers as she stuttered out an answer. His chest tightened at the memory of how cruelly he had treated the older cat not long before. Now, he found himself more feeling something far softer than the innate desire to mock cats he perceived to be weaker than himself. That feeling was what had pushed him to gently rest his tail on her flank. Wisteriapool was not just any cat, she was a clanmate, and decent warrior as well. Her hunting skills far outweighed his own. Words from his moonstone journey, the faint memory of Flamestrike speaking, echoed in his head. Surprisingly, he still remembered that underneath the information that Specklefang had shared with him afterward. Now, the ginger, Shadowclan cat's words almost seemed to drown out his new mission.

Your assumptions... that is where you're wrong.

The short discussion had been directed more towards his opinions on rogues, but through his vigil, he had time to think over the events that were almost dreamlike in his memory. There were very few times that Eaglefang actually mulled over things and this had been one. Most of the night his mind wandered towards the newfound purpose of making every cat that had harmed his kin suffer. But, there had also been that short moment he considered Flamestrike. The great warrior who had taken down Bear. Despite being Shadowclan, the tom was revered for his accomplishments in battle and the young warrior had always found that respectable. And yes, he was a rogue. That caused the consternation to worm its way into his belly. There it twisted and writhed as he considered the ways in which he had treated cats based on his own assumptions and the times he had been proven wrong even if he refused to acknowledge it. Wisteriapool had only been one of many.

He blinked slowly. The ginger and white she-cat had responded. It felt like the words were stuck on his tongue, hidden behind his teeth. Instead of saying anything, Eaglefang found it easier to just do something. For him, actions had always been simpler than words, especially when it came to anything remotely intimate or emotional. Retorts and sharp words flew out of his maw without a thought, but offering her a verbal comfort seemed to be the hardest thing he had ever done. Another breeze rusted the leaves at the entrance of the den and ruffled his fur. The massive tabby found his muscles protesting at the action as he strained to concentrate all of his energy into the small action of moving closer to her. His tail wrapped around her coat and he pressed their sides together to allow for his warmth to seep into her pelt. It was then his gaze finally flickered away to stare into the darkness and he could finally muster out, "Is that any better?"