Home is Where Your Heart Is [Open - SkyClan]

Foxfire wasn't sure how long he had been standing at the entrance of the RiverClan camp, rooted in place long after the rest of RiverClan had slipped inside. He had been working to prepare himself for this moment since he had been informed that his Clan had been found, that they were taking shelter with RiverClan and the best time for him to return would be after the Gathering. He had thought he was ready, eager to see his Clanmates and account for who was well and who was injured. But now... Now he was afraid. He had lingered in the back of the return group, assuring them all that he would follow in shortly after...But now, in the dead of night, he simply stared at the entrance and fought with the fear and doubts that were swarming his heart and mind. Would they be angry that he hadn't tried to look for them? He had barely put forth the effort - he hadn't even joined in the patrols that were sent out. He just...Waited for others to find his Clan for him. He had so many things he wanted to say, he had thought over his words so many times but he could already feel his mouth drying at the thought of facing them, repeating the words he had practiced to himself under his breath so many times.

But...It was starting to grow unbearable, standing outside of the camp like he was. He was tired from fear - not knowing who fully was okay or... They wouldn't be angry at him, would he? He closed his eyes, taking in a deep breath and pushed himself forward into the RiverClan camp for the first time. "Spottedstar?" he called out, trying to be quite lest cats had fallen asleep in his time he had spent building up the courage. "Wolfcall? ...Flowerthorn?" he meowed, sparing a glance around to try to pick out the familiar pelts, trying to locate his best friend in particular.

Flowerthorn sat to the side of the camp, staying out of the way of every Riverclan warrior, never really moving from the little spot of the camp she had claimed for herself. Her fur was stained gray in some spots from the char and the soot of the fire. She couldn't get rid of them so she just assumed they would go away on their own.

The little white warrior was settled on the ground, her paws tucked under her as her blue eyes looked up at the sky, not used to seeing the sky so easily. She was used to towering trees, branches spanning from one end to the other. All these reeds, and long grass wasn't.. Well it wasn't home.. It wasn't hunting in the trees, bounding from branch to branch. Though it was certain at this point their territory wasn't the same anymore. The short trees she taught apprentices in weren't going to be there anymore, her favorite spots would regrow into something unlike what she had known.

The soft call of her name caught her attention, pulling her out of her thoughts. Dull blue eyes turned to the entrance of camp, not expecting the certain tom she saw. She didn't know what to think or what to say. He was alive and it was a relief but where was he this whole time? He seemed fine, better than some of the others, so where in the stars was he? "Foxfire?" She called back, her voice a little strained from the lasting effect of the smoke she inhaled.

At the sound of his name, Foxfire felt his heart soar as he pin-pointed the source - Flowerthorn, curled up to the side. She was...Gray, perhaps the reason he had missed her in the first place that her white coat was dull. But yet...He still thought she looked rather beautiful. "Flowerthorn!" he called, racing over before he slowed down as he grew near, a sudden wave of nervousness flooding through him. "Oh thank StarClan, I've been so worried since the fire... I-I tired to meet up with you all at the river but you were gone and I couldn't track you all and I feared the worse and-" He had started to ramble, the words just coming out one after each other as he shifted on his paws before it suddenly cut off - a hiccup of a sob tearing through his body as suddenly the weight of everything came crashing down on him. He slipped into a sitting position, bowing his head as his shoulders quaked. "I-I'm so sorry, I promised I wouldn't leave you again and I did and then even when I heard word that you were all back I was so scared to face you all again because I had so much I wanted to say but I didn't know if you guys would be angry at me and-" He raised his head, taking in a deep breath.

He squared his shoulders, preparing himself to say the words he had wanted to say for so long. "And I love you, Flowerthorn," he uttered, his voice cracking a little before he lowered his head to be more on her level. "I...I needed to tell you, before it was to late. I-I don't know how long I've felt this way but...You...You deserve somebody better than me, you always have but after spending a moon not knowing if you or anybody else was alive...I-I had to say it now before it would be a regret I would carry for all of my life. I love you, Flowerthorn. And...A-And its okay if you don't feel the same way back. I just... I'm sorry for how I've treated you in the past - at first I was a bad friend, but then I realized I loved you and didn't know what to do with myself but then I realized I was being a bad friend again and I didn't mean you leave you again this time but Spottedstar told me to warn ThunderClan and then I couldn't find you all again and.." he broke off, shaking his head. "Sorry, sorry. I know, I know. Apologizes change nothing, actions matter. But...I want to be by your side, Flowerthorn. Forever and always, I guess that is what I am saying."

Dull blue eyes narrowed as Foxfire started rambling. Mention how he was afraid, how he had so many things to say but he was afraid to face them. How he couldn't find his clan by the river. It was true they all scattered and came back together in a place that wasn't expected but now they were back among the clans, even if it wasn't a place that was theirs.

She opened her mouth to speak but his next words startled her. She.. He.. Well.. She wasn't ever expecting that. She deemed herself unfit to be loved a while ago. She was impatient, grumpy and overall not the kind of company most cats would want around her. So the fact that Foxfire said he loved her.. was surprising. He had always held a special place in her heart, as high as some others but it was always different.. And now she realized why. She didn't want him gone from her life. The whole separation over the last moon, she wondered if he was dead, if he was alive or not. She wasn't sure but now he was here in front of her.

"As long as you don't ever leave my side again, I am fine with it." She said her voice cracking as she spoke. Then her blue eyes widened as she realized what she had said, and how harsh that sounded. "I-" ... "I didn't mean to say it like that.." Her voice grew quiet as she spoke. Her gaze turning downward in embarrassment. She was never good with words. She needed to try again. "What I meant was I want you by my side forever and always, if you will have me."

Foxfire barely restrained himself from shifting from paw to paw, nervously waiting for Flowerthorn to say...Something. Anything. He had already braced himself for nearly every possibility of what words would come from her mouth - he had already accepted that there was a chance that she would say no but by StarClan, at least he had finally said it. Then, she spoke. 'She was fine with it.' It seemed curt, rude...But he knew her well enough that he understood it perfectly even as she took the moment to apologize and try to explain what she was trying to say. She liked him back.

"Yes!" he gasped as she questioned if she would have him, wasting no time to rush to her side and throw his paws around her shoulders. "Oh yes, Flowerthorn, I wouldn't want anybody else to be at my side," he purred, nuzzling his head into her shoulder before he blinked and drew back a little. "Oh! Ah...Sorry. Um, I suppose I should make sure what you are good with - I-I don't want to be too touchy if you aren't for it,"he admitted, ears slicking back but his eyes still glimmered with joy. "I-I swear I'll never leave your side again, Flowerthorn! Not even Spottedstar - o-or StarClan! - will be able to order me away!" Then, he paused as he spared a glance around the camp. "...Speaking of...Um...How are the others? How have...Things been?" he asked.

She was startled to say the least from his rush of affection. It wasn't something she was used to in the slightest.. but she couldn't exactly say she hated the affection he had given her. If it had been any other cat who had done something like that she couldn't say they would walk away with their ears intact but since it was Foxfire.. She was okay with it.

"It.. It's fine." She said being unsure how to go about dealing with his affection yet. "If it's from you.. it's fine." Her voice was softer than normal, because she didn't really know how to deal with this warm feeling in her chest just yet. She wasn't used to this whole mate thing but it wasn't bad either. Just something she would have to get used too. "We lost two warriors in the fire.. Everyone else has their own wounds and issues.. but nothing we can't recover from.. Spottedstar tried to find them but he had to bury them on his own." She remembered her clanmates talking... How some of them weren't happy.. "Some of the others aren't happy with Spottedstar at the moment.." She said with a bit of growl in her voice this time. She didn't like the fact that they were mad with him. He did what he could, why couldn't they see that?