ϟ ThunderClan ϟ The Fierce and Caring ϟ |☾ ☼ ϟ ≈ ☁| ϟ

Shadowblossom brushed against him in thanks before turning her attention to their son and Midnightstream. She nodded with a knowing smile. "I have seen them go out several times just the two of them. I wouldn't be surprised if they announced they were mates soon, but they both are particularly shy so we may have to wait longer than we'd like."

Darktail spent a moment too long looking at her before he responded "Oh um, I think you look just fine Midnightstream. It's been a rather uneventful morning for me. How are you doing?"

"Ah, the sight of young and fleeting love. Too shy to even look at eachother for more than a few moments." Yarrowcloud chuckled, before he shook his head. "I can't judge. I was always so flustered when I got to spend time with you. You could have picked any cat in the Clan, but you still picked me." He brushed close to his mate, before he swallowed. "...Shadowblossom. I keep feeling... off. I think... I don't know. If something happens to me, I just want you to be okay." He mewed.

Midnightstream felt her pelt warm at his compliment. She was very self-conscious about how she looked, so hearing him think she looked just fine made her feel better. She spoke honestly. "I didn't sleep too well. I had a dream, about those rouges we fought. Our clanmates we lost." She admitted quietly. 

Shadowblossom turned to look at Yarrowcloud sharply, a deep unsettled frown marring her face. "What do you mean off? Have you talked to Peachdapple? Do you feel sick?" She worried, pressing against his side.

Darktail tilted his head, looking at her with concern, "A dream of the rouges? Do you get them often? I-It's hard to process the clanmates we've lost." he mewed slowly, mind flashing back to the dragging Petalsky's body to safety. "But they are safe in Starclan now." he mewed, trying to sound hopeful.

“No, not sickness, love.” Yarrowcloud shook his head, looking at Shadowblossom with a knowing sort of look. “I think… Well, I’ve always felt that I had some sort of gamble with fate. I don’t win often, but I know that it all has to be for a reason. I used to think that only Peachdapple ever had a true purpose. But, I think I have one too. I just don’t know what it is, but I feel it. If that makes sense.” He admitted, suddenly looking forlorn but accepting. “I love you more than anything. You know that, right?”

“I dream about them alot. I was young when they first invaded, but I remember how violent they were.” Midnightstream admitted. “I still feel guilty that I ever thought Shadeclaw could drive them away better than Lightningstar could have.”

“They would tear the Code apart if they could, for their own greed and anger.” Featherfoot mewed, honest with his apprentice, but realizing that Tigerpaw was thinking of the tom that had abused him as a kit. He felt that same coil of pain in his chest thinking about his cousin. “Shadeclaw was corrupted by that same kind of hunger. He thought leadership would give him that strength he always wanted. In doing so, he lost sight of what makes a cat a Warrior. He broke the code inexcusably when he raised a claw to you.”

Featherfoot looked at the small scars that Tigerpaw still had, and he wanted to pull the younger tom close to him and comfort him. “I need you to know that what happened was not your fault. Shadeclaw fooled many of us. Cats trusted him, just like your brother. You were so young, and you wanted to be good for who you thought was your leader. It wasn’t your fault, and no kit should ever be hurt by a clanmate, or ever at all.”

Blizzardstorm hummed, nodding slowly, "They'll still be well taken care of as apprentices. You know we would never let them go hungry, and they'll start learning to hunt and take care of their clan just like we did. Do you remember the first day we left camp? It was probably the most exciting day of my life besides the day they were born." he mewed, leaning down to lick Tansykit on the head. The small she-kit had snuck in between his paws in the middle of their conversation, snoozing with her head resting in the fur of his shoulder. 

Seafoam sighed, "I suppose we'll all need a few seasons to heal. I wonder how the other clans are doing since the fire swept everywhere. I don't know what I would've done if you and your siblings hadn't made it out okay." 

Yarrowcloud looked thoughtful for a moment, before he seemed to relax and accept her words. “You’re right. No matter what, we’ll always be together. That won’t change, no matter what fate throws at us. Sorry for making you worry. I just have my heavier days sometimes, I guess. Thanks for listening to this old hoot ramble.” He teased.

Midnightstream fluffed up a bit with guilt, but soon found herself soothed by his words. “Thank you, Darktail. Really. It helps, hearing that from you, I…” She hesitated, before she shyly looked away. “Your words always mean alot to me.”

“I’m never alone.” Yarrowcloud repeated the words, as though reminding himself that she was right. Deep down, he had always felt somewhere that he was alone. That his father’s harsh words and hatred of him had somehow been justified, that he surely had to have done something wrong to be damaged so badly across his life. And yet, here now, beside his mate and watching one of his kits experience those feelings he once felt for another cat, he felt that final part of doubt in his heart fade. Whatever happened, he knew it would be okay.

He thought of Peachdapple and Silentflare, and how nothing could ever sever the love he held for them. He thought of Lightningstar and his now grey muzzle, and being able to see him lead their Clan, remembering when he once rippled with a strength and energy that had and always would inspire him. The closest thing to a real father he ever knew. Starclan, this was what being old felt like. It was freeing, as much as it was scary. He let himself be comforted by Shadowblossom, enchanted as always by how all the moons had never once taken away her beauty and kindness. This life was a good one, no matter all the pain, it was a good one.

“I know we will.”

Midnightstream wanted more than anything to admit that she wanted most of all to prove herself to him, not to anyone else. She shuffled her paws, finally building up the courage to ask. “And you?… Do you think that I’ve proven myself to you?”

Yarrowcloud thought fondly of the idea of seeing Petalsky again, and watching over their family from Starclan together. His heart ached for Bloompelt, wanting to see if she was safe and happy where she was now. Her kits would be apprentice-aged by now. Watching Flurrypaw and Drizzlepaw now was already such a joy. He purred deeply. “I’ll see mama again. It’s been so, so long. You’ll see all your family too, it’s a nice thing to think about.” He nudged her gently. “Sounds so peaceful. After all that’s happened, that sounds real nice about now.”

“You’re special.” Midnightstream urged, feeling her pelt heat up immensely as she spoke in a soft tone. “Special to me, you know?… I, er. Sorry! I hope that doesn’t sound weird or-“ She stammered.

“Not yet, indeed.” Yarrowcloud chuckled. “You’ve got plenty of Warrior duties left, and I’ve got plenty of elder duties, like pulling at Eagleclaw’s whiskers and snoring as loud as I can on purpose.” He joked. In honesty, he enjoyed the company of the other elders, and still wished Eagleclaw didn’t have to retire in the same way he did.

Midnightstream gave a bewildered look, not sure if she heard right. Did that mean he felt the same? Had he thought it meant something else? She panicked a bit, but quickly tried to compose herself. “Oh, uhm, that-… well. F-fond of me? As a friend, or maybe… something more?” She tentatively tried, not wanting to mess this up.

“A queen giving old me a visit would be welcome, even if she’s tearing my other ear off. At least they’ll match then.” Yarrowcloud teased, humored by the thought. He remembered when Shadowblossom was in the nursery, their kits still so young and playful. “I’ll just have to wait for Darktail or Featherfoot to give me even more grandkits to spoil.”

Midnightstream let out a sudden sigh of relief, eyes closing as she exclaimed. “Oh, Starclan, thank goodness, I was ready to die from embarrassment if I assumed otherwise!” She flustered once more. “Well! I mean, I really like you too. I really think we uhm… get eachother. Yeah. That… sorry… I’m very new to this.” She admitted.

“Well I’ll be moss in a rainstorm, would you look at that!” Yarrowcloud beamed, able to see that Darktail and Midnightstream were indeed getting closer and closer. “I can’t think of a better match there, can you?” He purred, happy for their son.

“Oh, you’re making my fur all warm.” Midnightstream admitted, though she gave a small giggle, rather enjoying the feeling. Fixing her posture, she mewed. “Well. I guess we can try the whole being mates thing. If, that’s what you want, I mean. I do-“ She stammered.

Yarrowcloud purred at Shadowblossom’s affections, though he quickly gasped with delight as he watched Midnightstream and Darktail seem to exchange important words. “I think they might be making it official! Oh, isn’t that great?”

“Yes! That! We should do that!” Midnightstream exclaimed, her heart beating wildly in her chest as she took a leap of faith and brushed close to him. She didn’t remember much of her parents, but she imagined they would have shown affection by being close. “My bad day’s gotten way better.” She admitted. “We won’t even have to move our nests too far, we already sleep pretty close together.”

Yarrowcloud smiled wistfully at the memory, the horrendous scar of Adderclan still fresh upon them, yet Yarrowcloud had only fallen harder for Shadowblossom as she brunted each challenge life threw at her. Her courage and kindness shone as brightly then as it did now. The nights they spent sitting by the stream, talking and laughing and just being able to be happy even when it was hard to feel anything but sadness. Mourning fathers they never truly had, and missing brothers they never truly got to know in the ways they desperately wished they could.

"I remember looking at you and just knowing that I had to do whatever I could to see you happy. Raising our kits, that's got to be the greatest thing we ever did. You're too sweet to me, my midnight flower." He sang, all his heart poured into the endearing term. What had he ever done to deserve her?

"Well, I do have a pretty soft pelt, that might help you." Midnightstream purred, certainly enjoying the affections. It was nice to be close to another cat like this. She could see now why some cats seemed so happy with their mates, if this was what it felt like. She suddenly widened her eyes and realized. "Oh! Uhm. I bet the whole clan's seen us now..."