you're such a doll and i'm a boy [c]

As the sun sank, it created a pale glow over SkyClan's forest. The air held a crisp chill, and the ground was covered in a layer of snow. The only thing Yewpaw could hear were the distant calling of birds, and it made his stomach growl.

He had spotted Honeypaw across the clearing, and he felt weirdly shy. They've grown a little distant since the journey - at least he thought they did - because they've been so busy settling into their new camp. He rose to his paws and hesitantly crossed the camp clearing to speak to her.

"H-hey... Honeypaw." He mewed as her gorgeous icy gaze looked up at him, and he took a seat next to her. "How are you faring through everything?" Honestly, he didn't know the answer. He never stopped to ask or think about it until now. The realization of that felt like there was a pit in his stomach.

Honeypaw

Honeypaw had been finishing up her finishing touches on the nursery den, weaving bracken through the brambles and reinforcing it with stronger twigs and branches. Just as she took a step back to admire her and her clanmates' hard work, she heard a familiar voice behind her.

She turned, her blue eyes lighting up immediately upon seeing Yewpaw.
"Oh, Yewpaw, hello!" she purred, her tail high over her back. "It's a bit exhausting, isn't it? All this hard work right after coming all the way from the lake?" She sat on her haunches as he settled next to her and bent to clean herself, wiping her paws over her face. "It's hard work, but it's been a great experience. Just look at how wonderfully the camp is coming along." She gestured around them.

"It's a lot to take in, I'll admit," she mewed, meeting his mismatched gaze. Since when has Yewpaw grown so much? she wondered, noticing the broadth of his shoulders and the size of his paws. Her eyes softened. "It will definitely take some getting used to. What about you, Yewpaw?" she asked with a charming tilt of her head. "It's been a few sunrises since we've been able to properly talk. I'm sorry about that."

Yewpaw blinked in surprise at Honeypaw's warm greeting - it was a refreshing change from the hostility exchanged between his sisters and Mallowpaw. The mere thought that the tom could intentionally cause harm to his innocent sisters was baffling - but that's exactly what he had done. Yewpaw felt exhausted, yet he couldn't have a full night's rest. No doubt that he looked a little tired. He was haunted by unsettling dreams - many featuring his mother - and one particularly disturbing one where he took her life.

The worst part? It was soothing. It made everything feel calm. He could almost taste the metallic taste of copper, the warmth of it dripping down his chest, and feel her soft cooling fur at his paws. A fleeting reassuring thought crossed his mind - if only he could do the same to Mallowpaw. It would solve his real-world problems instantaneously. No Mallowpaw? No threat to his sisters. The yearning to experience this feeling, to make his mind quiet in the present world like in his dreams... It tugged deep at his soul. Would it taste the same? Would it feel warm, too?

Yet, in the present - he was captivated by the she-cat before him. She was bathed in the warm hues that captured the camp clearing. Her eyes sparkled as she spoke about the camp. She spoke as if there was a single wrong in this world. He loved it. He could relax - she calmed him down. At that moment, despite the camp buzzing with activity, there was a quiet warmth that seemed to drown out the noise.

He glanced around the camp, nodding. It did look amazing. She had done a great job despite everything. "Yeah.. It's a lot. I'll be okay, though. I'm here if you ever need anything." He admitted, forcing a soft smile as his gaze returned to her. Brief anger still lingered in them at the thought of Mallowpaw terrorizing his sisters. "You've done an incredible job with camp. I know it's been busy, so please don't apologize." He purred, his tail curling around his white paws. "I just wanted to take a break. Relax my paws - catch up with you. I guess I've been thinking a lot about the journey and the things you've said. I just want to say thank you for taking care of my sisters." He spoke softly, his sincerity evident in his mismatched gaze. "They needed you." Unspoken words lingered in the air, though. His heart quietly echoed, 'I needed you, too'. However, such admissions remained locked within the confines of his heart. He wasn't ready to admit that yet.

Honeypaw

Honeypaw's lips curled into a smile at Yewpaw's praise and his offer.
"Thank you, Yewpaw," she purred. Her eyes rounded at the mention of his sisters. "Of course," she mewed quietly, remembering her walk with Myrtlepaw in the forest. Myrtlepaw had held ill feelings about Honeypaw taking Paledove's place as the kits' guardian, but the ill feelings were directed at the situation, not Honeypaw herself. That much had made itself clear when the two she-cats came to an understanding and bonded closer than she had ever thought possible. Her heart swelled when she thought of her young friend.

"There's no need to thank me for that. I needed you all just as much," she admitted, "You're right, so much has happened. I lost my brother, Brackenpaw, in the wolf attack. I don't think I will ever see him again." Honeypaw's ears fell along with her gaze. "We used to do everything together. We were inseparable. I would have followed him anywhere. But he's gone..." Honeypaw hung onto the following silence before continuing, "...but you kits gave me so much more to focus on. I had to find my strength for you after your mother passed away. Brackenpaw is still gone, but it was an honor to accept the responsibility, and now we're in our rightful home." Her eyes found Yewpaw's again, searching.

"But you have all grown so much, it's hard for me to remember the days before we were all apprentices together." Her blue eyes smiled. "I think it's meant to be that way all along, we are all meant to stay close together." She watched Yewpaw's eyes, almost expectantly, her gaze flickering from one blue to one golden eye.

Yewpaw's tail flicked at Honeypaw's brief silence. Was there something wrong that he said? Was there something wrong between her and his sisters? His eyes almost had sadness lingering in them as he searched her gaze. He wanted to escape from all of that. Relief washed over his face when he realized it was about Brackenpaw - and not about them, again. He felt a pang of empathy and his heart shattered. He felt guilt for being relieved it wasn't another repeat of Mallowpaw and his littermates. Admittedly, He may not be able to truly, fully understand. He would be devastated if he lost any of his littermates. He tried his best to be their confidant since Paledove passed on. Did Honeypaw even truly mourn or acknowledge Brackenpaw was gone?

"I'm sorry about Brackenpaw. He died honorably. I can't imagine how it feels - losing your sibling. My sisters are the most important thing to me." Yewpaw spoke softly, sincerity evident in his mismatched gaze. He saw her love for Brackenpaw - and it mirrored his love for his sisters. It made his chest hurt. "I'm glad I'm home - with you. I just... want you to avoid neglecting yourself. You deserve time to grieve, just like we've grieved Paledove. You were there for us. I just hope you have someone there for you. They'd want us to be there for each other."

A warm silence had settled between them, but it made Yewpaw feel restless. He didn't like to think. He felt an urge to lift the somber mood somehow. "What do you say about doing something together? Maybe go hunting - explore the territory? It might help take our minds off of things, at least for a little while."

Honeypaw

Honeypaw flinched as Yewpaw spoke the dreaded words aloud. Brackenpaw... died honorably.
"Y-You're right," she stammered, doing her best to hold back the wave of emotion that threatened to bear down on her. "If... if he did truly die. Shatteredsky thinks so. I'm just not as sure." She tilted her head to look up at the sky. "I just don't know. We were so close. It seems like... I would know. I would have felt something, surely?" Her voice was but a whisper. The idea that Brackenpaw was already up there, in StarClan, felt like too much to think about. Honeypaw clamped her eyes shut and willed her gathering tears away. I must be strong now.

Honeypaw took a deep breath and opened her eyes, meeting Yewpaw's gaze steadily. I'm glad I'm home - with you. Honeypaw's eyes rounded with interest. Her pelt felt warm as the tom expressed his desire for her to take better care of herself. No one has ever said something like that before, she pondered. "It was very nice to have all of you around me to keep me distracted from Brackenpaw, honestly," she admitted. "In that way, you were all there for me. And you still continue to be, Yewpaw." Honeypaw leaned forward and nuzzled the tom's cheek. "I'll always be here for you, too, I hope you know. Even if you just want to sit in silence." She drew back and gave him a little wink.

"I would love to!" Honeypaw jumped to her paws at once, excited by the idea of spending extra time with Yewpaw... for some reason. But the young she-cat didn't bother thinking too deeply about it. "Fresh air sounds so nice. Maybe we can explore the borders together..." Honeypaw would much rather explore than hunt, but if that's what Yewpaw wanted to do, she could do it. "If we catch some prey along the way, that's even more to feed the clan after all!" She paced around Yewpaw in a tight circle, her fluffy tail brushing beneath his chin.

"Well, what are you waiting for? Let's go!" She leaped away at once, a giggle escaping her. "Last one out of camp is mouse-dung!" She bounced away, her golden pelt reflecting the sun's rays brilliantly, glancing over her shoulder with excitement.

Yewpaw felt a mixture of emotions as Honeypaw opened up about Brackenpaw. Horror, first and foremost, at her flinch. He hated it. She wasn't ready to acknowledge Brackenpaw was gone. He thought. I understand completely. Second, he felt a flutter in his chest that she felt comfortable enough to open up about her uncertainties at all. He didn't understand that one. It made him feel weird.

"It's okay, you'll figure it out. I know it's hard to believe or think about. I was the same way. I imagine the uncertainty hurts more than knowing, but you'll find your way through. You always have." He murmured, a gentle blush crept onto his face at her nuzzle and he awkwardly leaned into it. He wasn't used to physical affection at all, but it felt right with her. "I believe in you. I'm glad I can be here for you. You deserve to have a cat on your side through it all." He added with a soft smile, his voice tinged with a mixture of sincerity and shyness.

Her wink and enthusiasm felt like an abrupt change that he wasn't anticipating. She went from emotionally vulnerable to a playful kit. He didn't understand. He blinked as he watched her pace around him, but his soft smile quickly turned into a playful grin as he leaped to his paws. Let's do this! Honestly, he appreciated that she lightened the atmosphere. They were leaving the weight of their worries behind - at least for now. His heart swelled and he chuckled, following her. The giggle that escaped her lips only deepened the affection he felt for the pretty she-cat. In a blink of an eye, she was leaving.

"Hey, wait up!" He called after her as she darted to the camp entrance. He ran to catch up with her in desperation. There's no way in StarClan I'm going to be mouse-dung! That's worse than being a rotten egg!

Honeypaw

As the two raced each other through camp, they both emerged into the forest at the same time, out of breath. Honeypaw giggled as they wove their way through the frosty brush, scattering snow and ice in their wake. They took turns chasing each other, developing into a kit-like game of tag, until finally Honeypaw tackled the tom to the ground and pinned him by his shoulders.

"Gotcha!" she declared, though she had a feeling he'd let her. She panted over him, looking down into his mismatched blue-and-golden eyes, and she was suddenly aware of their closeness. She hopped backwards, releasing him, her pelt burning as something strange and warm seemed to stir to life inside of her. "I-I guess we should get to that hunting you mentioned, yeah?" she suggested, stammering and tripping over her own tail so that she fell into the snow with a soft squeak. "That is," she added with a giggle, "If we haven't scared away all the prey in the territory by now." She shook the frost from her fur and fluffed up her coat against the chill, glancing around.