Some Voids Can't be Filled

Nettlewaver was surprised when Larkshine approached him, especially with how snippy he’d been towards her at the gathering. Shame briefly washed over him, but he still met her gaze even with reproach. His ear ticked as he debated his answer, but she was extending an olive branch to him when she shouldn’t even have to. The tom shook his pelt out, rising to his paws. “Of course, Larkshine.” he mewed.

He followed behind her, a silence settling between them. It felt heavy, unspoken words hanging heavy, and it didn’t take a genius to guess that the unspoken topic was Orchidpark and his missing apology. He swallowed, swiping a paw over his muzzle. ”Larkshine,” he spoke, finally slicing through the silence “I want to say i’m sorry for how i reacted at the gathering. I shouldn’t have taken my anger out on you or Boartusk, and even that RiverClanner. Asmodeus… is my friend and after… Well…” his throat grew tight, this being one of the first times he had addressed what had happened head on “I’ve always been protective of my friends, but that night the loss of my brother and Orchidspark and Batpaw, it was really hurting. I thought Leopardstar would honour them, or just mention they were missing, but she was silent and that’s what made me like that. I’m sorry, genuinely. I know how close you and Orchidspark were, you were probably hurting too.” mewed Nettleweaver, hanging his head.

He blinked, was Larkshine really not even a teensy bit annoyed at him. Even if his sharp tongue had been directed towards Boartusk and the RiverClanner mostly he still had been cold towards her. If the roles were reversed Nettleweaver knew he would have held a grudge, but if Larkshine wasn’t bothered he wasn’t going to push it. “Then you have good taste in friends as well. They made me feel so… I don’t know! I’m sure Asmo has dealt with much more danger things than two young cats, but I didn’t like the idea he could have been hurt, not so soon after everything…”

The gentle touch of Larkshine’s tail across his back made the white tom smile. He loved physical affection, it was what he longed for most with his friends in WindClan and ThunderClan. He liked Asmodeus especially because he wasn’t bound by some stupid code and that meant Nettleweaver could be as affectionate as he wanted and vice versa. It was also why he was so grateful to have friends in his own clan. As the she-cat spoke of her distaste for Leopardstar he had to stop his smile from growing. It seemed those who would be interested in his cause were growing more and more by the day, but his growing happiness was quickly stamped out. He shook his head, mismatched eyes dropping from the molly to forest floor.

“She does.” mewed Nettleweaver, his voice laced with remorse “I’m sorry you lost Orchidspark as well. I just… I don’t understand why she didn’t wake me up or take me with her, we both loved to watch the sunset and if I was there maybe I could have made her stay, or have stopped whatever happened. I just don’t get it. When I went to sleep she was in the nest beside me and when I woke up her nest was empty and I never saw…” he faltered looking for the way to best describe Orchidspark and what she had been to him. They were best friends, but… his ears fell back, the way his heart pounded when he thought about her was different. The fact it had taken her to disappear from his life to realise the extent of his feelings. The warrior swallowed, grabbing a hold of his feelings and burying them as best as he could. ”… I never saw my best friend again. I just wish there was something we could do.”