✦I Won't Waste This✦【Closed】

Stormdance had been lost in thought, watching the cloudy gray sky as he shifted from paw to paw, brain jumping between dozens of topics when a single voice pulled him from his spiraling thoughts. Immediately, a faint smile appeared on his face as he turned to look at his best friend, eyes softening and filling with warmth at the sight of her.

As happy as he is to see Brookstone, he can tell she’s just as affected as he is by the recent events, tripping and stuttering over her words in a way he was unfamiliar seeing on her. His heart ached for her. He knew that a lot of cats she cared deeply for had been captured recently, Sprucebark, Hawkshriek, and Sandyshell included. On top of that, though some had come home, there was still no sign of some of the cats that had been captured before, like Rowanpaw. He wished he knew how to help her more, how to make any of this better.

He moved close, affectionately bumping his shoulder against hers. “Of course I’m in, Brook.” He said with a soft purr, pressing against her for a moment to provide some warmth from the chilling cold. They have both been preoccupied by their worries and their duties for the clan as of late, and Stormdance would always take the opportunity to spend more time with her when offered.

As the two of them fell into step beside each other and exited camp, Stormdance glanced at Brookstone again, noting her tense shoulders and how they relaxed slightly upon exiting the confines of camp. He hesitated a moment, then broke the silence that had fallen. “How are you doing? I know everything has been…” He trails off, heaving a sigh. “A lot, as of late.” He turned soft blue eyes onto her as they walked towards the Beech Copse, snow crunching under paw and the air crisp and cold.

Stormdance knew Brookstone well. He’s known her for so long, his whole life it felt like. He knew she did not let herself express these sorts of things very often, and he was grateful she trusted him enough to show this side of herself to him, even if seeing the pain written on her face and in her tense muscles made his heart ache. He wished he could take the pain away for her, but knowing he could not do that, he could at least help her shoulder the burden.

Stormdance kept his eyes forward so he didn’t put more pressure on Brookstone, but hearing her voice crack he moved closer, pressing gently against her. “I understand.” He said softly, turning to look at her in return and briefly pressing his nose to her cheek. “It’s hard. Not knowing where they are, if they’re a-alright, when they’ll be back…” He trailed off.

“I don’t think fair has anything to do with it. Everyone’s hurting, but that doesn’t mean you can’t be hurting too.” He looked at her once more, meeting her eyes briefly so that she could see how serious he was when he said, “You deserve to make space for your own emotions. You do so much for all of us. You help take care of the whole clan. Every single one of your little fishies. You’re strong. Everyone knows that. You always have been. But you can let us take care of you too. No one can be strong all the time. We want to. We want to help you the way you help us.” A deep breath, and then, “I want to, Brook.”

Breaking the intense eye contact then, finding looking into Brookstone’s eyes for that long overwhelming, Stormdance answered her question. “You don’t need to apologize for that. You furball.” He wrinkles his nose at her briefly, before the severity of the conversation made the brief moment of playfulness fade quickly. “I’m… well. I won’t lie and say I’m alright. But I’m managing. Day by day, right?” A shaky breath. “You’re right. They’ll come back. But the waiting is… hard. And I worry. I always worry.” He gives a wry smile.

He took a moment, then glanced at Brookstone, taking in the tabby beside him, his best friend, the most important cat in the world to him. “I’m grateful you’re still here. I don’t know what I’d do if you were gone too. Just knowing you’re still here and alright? That- that’s more than enough for me.” He said, soft and genuine. It made him nervous, voicing these things, but he wanted her to know, just in case…. Well. Just in case.

A rumbling purr left Stormdance in return as he pressed against her cheek, closing his eyes briefly as he just soaked in the affection and her words. His heart squeezed almost painfully in his chest as Brookstone thanked him, and he was hit with a rush of affection, gratitude, and another emotion so deep he couldn’t quite put a name to it that nearly bowled him over with the force of it.

“I love it,” He promised Brookstone softly. ‘I love you.’ He quickly pushed away the urge to say that little sentence out loud, swallowing it down and focusing on Brookstone again before he had the time to panic over the meaning of the thought. He pressed against her cheek again wordlessly instead before pulling back to look at her. Brookstone was right. They’d stick together. He knew it like he knew the ground beneath his paws.

The sky was blue, the grass was green, and he and Brookstone were a team.

Shaking his head to clear it, Stormdance chuckled. “Yes, I do suppose actually hunting on our hunting trip would be a good plan,” He replied, nose wrinkling playfully. He still felt the weight of all that was going on, but it was easier with Brookstone at his side, like there was a single streak of sun peeking out behind heavy clouds. Like she always did, Brookstone had a way of making him smile even in the worst of times. He was glad that he could help her in return. She’d done so much for him; he wanted to be there for her in return, just as he said.

“Sounds good,” Stormdance said, once again resisting the urge to say something stupidly sappy. ‘I always miss you when you’re gone.’ Sappy. “Call me if you need me too, okay?” He smiled at her. “You know I’ll be there.” Stars. He really can’t resist, can he? His cheeks felt warm as he watched Brookstone trot off.

He raised his tail to wave in return, chuckling a little and softly saying to himself, “And off goes Stormdance the…swift…? No, I’m not fast, that doesn’t work.” He shook his head, smiling to himself. Falling silent, he began to wander off himself, scanning the snow-covered foliage for any sign of prey. He moved quietly, the only sound his own breathing and the soft crunch of snow under his paws.

It wasn’t very long at all before Stormdance spotted a squirrel coming down from one of the beech trees. It was skinny, but certainly better than nothing. Stormdance dropped into a hunter’s crouch and slowly approached the rodent. He leapt onto it, only barely managing to catch it by the tail before it bolted. Still, after a moment's struggle, he managed to finish the squirrel off. Not his cleanest hunt, but he'll take it.

Stormdance attempted to catch a squirrel, and succeeded! -5 SP.

Only a few seconds after Stormdance buried the squirrel in the snow, he heard a screech of panic. He immediately recognized the voice. ’Brookstone! He’d never heard her cry out in fear like that.

The normally cautious-tom threw caution to the wind and suddenly he was bolting towards the sound. "BROOK!" He shouted, voice cracking with panic. Please, no, no, don't let him find her in the arms of a twoleg or beneath the paws of a fox, he can't lose her too, he can't--! He heard her voice, pivoting towards the sound. "I'm here! Brookstone!"

He nearly collided straight into Brookstone a few heartbeats later, although it felt like an agonizing eternity of not knowing where she was. He only barely managed not to by skidding to a stop just in time. He looked over her shoulder for any sign of an immediate threat, registering her words from her earlier shouting. Twolegs. Of course. He panted, looking over her with wide, anxious eyes. "Are you okay? Are you hurt?!" He asked frantically, still checking to see if they were being followed and moving backwards with Brookstone away from where she came. His tail lashed with anxiety. He thought she'd been taken, oh stars... It was only the adrenaline still coursing through him that kept him from collapsing out of relief right then and there.

Stormdance listened to Brookstone’s hurried explanation with wide eyes, flanks heaving as he caught his breath from the sudden, frantic run. His eyes raked over her, double checking despite her reassurance that she was not injured, that she was alright, that she was here… He closed his eyes briefly, recovering his thoughts, and he leaned in and pressed his forehead to Brookstone’s.

Despite the situation, something warm and soft fluttered in Stormdance’s heart at Brookstone’s words. “I know what you mean,” He croaked softly. “I heard you and I thought the worst, I-” Stormdance swallowed hard, his own shoulders relaxing slowly. “I just ran towards you. I didn’t know what you were facing yet but I just…knew I needed to get to you.” He’d yet to move away from Brookstone, finding comfort in staying close for a moment. “I’m really, really glad you’re alright. T-That we both are. We’re both safe.” He said, trying to reassure both himself and Brookstone.

Stormdance doesn’t know what he’d do if he lost Brookstone. He didn’t even want to think about it. The very thought made his chest squeeze so hard he felt lightheaded. Shaking his head in an attempt to clear it, Stormdance took a deep breath. “Do you want to stay out here? Or head back to camp?” He offered, looking back at Brookstone. “I know we didn’t catch much, but with Twolegs out here…” He trailed off.