[BlooRey DVD]

[smear:74ffd2]Echobreeze[/smear:ffffff] ~~~~~~~~~ The surrounding air felt cooler than it had in the past few days. The outside world, for once, seemed inviting, as though beckoning her outside. From where she lay, inquisitive greenish eyes peered longingly at the sunlight, her mind seeming to run at a million miles a minute. Of course, it had been quite a while since she'd done anything of the sort; her naturally small frame had not provided her much coverage from Smokefur's watchful eyes. She'd been pulled from warrior duty as soon as she began showing signs of being a little more... Plump than she should. The nursery had become her home, although she would have much preferred staying in the warrior's den to sleep beside Hollowcry. A soft purr escaped her, a feeling of warmth passing through her at the thought of the dark furred tom. To some, they might seem an odd pairing. It was true that their relationship had formed in a manner that was anything but conventional. It had been a confusing, non-stop, frightening experience for the shy little she-cat. But now, she had no doubts; he'd captured her heart, and despite what others thought of Hollowcry, he was different when it came to her. I... I'm s-special. She smiled softly to herself. He was the first ever cat to actually have her believe that, because he really did make her feel special. Stretching herself out slightly, the sight of the sunlight filtering through the entrance of NightClan's camp became too tantalizing to ignore any longer. Plus, the nursery was a little crowded right now. It might do her some good to get out for a little while. Rolling herself over so her small paws could properly contact the ground again, Echobreeze first glanced over her shoulder, and then peered out towards the medicine cat's den. She knew that if anyone saw her get up, they'd come over to ask if she was feeling alright, if she needed something, did she want anything to eat. The questions were never-ending, and frankly terrifyingly overwhelming to the previously solitary senior warrior. Q-Queen. She reminded herself of her new, temporary status. Sparing a glance at her swollen belly, she couldn't stop the shy grin that bloomed on her features, or the softest of excited giggles. She was walking on stars right now, with her head in the clouds. In her eyes, she had the perfect mate, and now they were to be parents. Of course, as the day she was to give birth drew closer, she'd begin to worry about her potential failings as a mother. But it still felt so far away, despite her swollen belly and other cats' concerns. Slowly pushing herself to her paws, the little she-cat stepped out of the nursery as nonchalantly as she could manage. Of course, with all of Echobreeze's grace, it turned out more like a a duck was attempting to stalk an unsuspecting reed in a nearby pond. Oh yes, Echobreeze most certainly waddled thanks to her enlarged belly set upon her small frame. But she was determined. Her waddling pawsteps set her on a course aimed directly at the NightClan camp's entrance. She just wanted to get outside, to feel the comfortable warmth of the sun on her pelt. Surely she couldn't be denied that, could she? By some miracle, the made it to the inclined entrance without being stopped (and without tripping on her own paws). But it was here that realization sunk in. Her eyes slowly traveled up the sloped surface, wondering if it had always looked so... Steep. Gulping quietly, the small tortoiseshell let herself sink to a seated position, shuffling herself to remove any weight from her belly and allow her a bit of comfort. With a shaky breath (she'd simply padded across camp, why did she feel so out of breath?), she set a forepaw against the sloped entrance, as though trying to evaluate its climbing difficulty. M-Maybe.. Th-This isn't such a g-good idea... A small voice in the back of her mind mewed. But the sun looked so beautiful... She wanted so much to go outside. Shifting to look behind her, she found herself hoping that someone helpful and sympathetic to her cause would show up. Surely it would be alright if someone helped her up into the sunlight, right?

Insidious Surprise
@zen Because she's been waiting so patiently

[Insidious]

He was going to be a father.

A mantra of the same seven words repeated in his head and distracted him at the worst possible moments, like when he was trying to sleep, for instance, but sometimes at the best possible moments, like when Blackwolf was trying to talk to him, for instance. Echobreeze seemed happy about it—he wasn’t missing any of her shy smiles no matter how much she tried to hide it—and her happiness was his happiness which, although questionable, wasn’t something he liked to overthink in fear of his own… feelings, whenever those had decided to sneak up on him and prove he had a heart made of more than ice.

Kittens had never been something he particularly enjoyed. He made a habit to stay as far away from the nursery as possible, mostly because the place gave him the creeps, but also because he was consciously aware of the possibility the other queens didn’t like him. Whenever he stopped by to visit his mate, he could swear her den-mates were giving him hostile, unwelcoming looks; but at the very least it did its part to keep him around for a decent amount of time because, if there was anything he liked more than Echobreeze, it was spite.

When he found it within himself to peek inside of the nursery that afternoon, he had been surprised that Echobreeze was nowhere in sight. Sparing the other queens a short, scathing look, he turned around and scanned the camp for a sign of her familiar black and orange splotched fur. When he saw her staring into the sunlight, obviously daunted by the climb out of their dark, tunneled home, he approached her with an amused twitch of his whiskers. “You are not by any circumstances supposed to leave the nursery, let alone the camp.” He shook his head as he pulled up at her side, entwining their tails as if he planned to guide her back to her temporary nest—but it was done purely out of affection as she would soon find out. “So… I have no idea what we’re still doing here. Come on, I’ll help you climb out.” If he pretended that he hadn’t seen her struggling moments earlier, he hoped he’d be able to spare her some of the embarrassment. He liked it when she was a confident, happier version of herself with him, because it proved that someone shy and delicate could take comfort from his company; that wasn’t something he’d normally want proof of but Echobreeze was his exception.

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Tags: BlooRey DVD

[BlooRey DVD]

[smear:74ffd2]Echobreeze[/smear:ffffff] ~~~~~~~~~ Paw steps alerted her to the arrival of someone else. Just as she glanced over her shoulder, an all-too familiar voice greeted her ears. Her heart fluttered momentarily, until his words registered in her mind. A sinking feeling soon took over, her ears tipping back slightly as her greenish eyes peeked up at his bright ones. She made an attempt to find the words to fight back, to beg him to let her see the outside world and the sun just once, but before she could manage it, his tail entwined with hers and she lost her train of thought. Though she half-expected to be led back to camp with that tail of his, he surprised her with his next words. Her ears flashed forward immediately, and a hopeful expression crossed her features. Without hesitation, she gave a little squeak of glee, burying her face against his chest with a purr. "Th-Thank you! Being stuck down here is d-driving me crazy!" She confessed, quite nearly dancing from paw to paw as she shifted her weight eagerly. Briefly, she wondered if he'd seen her earlier struggles, but.. He hadn't said anything. So maybe she'd been lucky, and he'd missed it all. With Hollowcry at her side, it was as though all her doubt, all her worry about the steep slope just... Disappeared. Pressing her shoulder to his, she took her first pawstep, pausing to give herself time to adjust her new-found weight over her angled paw. Timidly, her hind leg moved, back claws unsheathed as they searched for grip on the slope. Though it took a moment, she eventually found some and allowed herself to take one more step. It was strange to her just how much more difficult something like this was for her, now that her belly was heavy with kits. She fell silent for the length of the journey to the top of NightClan's entrance, her features creased in a look of (adorable) concentration. There was a brief moment where she felt her grip slip, panic beginning to bloom in her chest, but Hollowcry was fast. A gentle grip in her scruff was enough to steady her and pull her past whatever she was having trouble with. By the time they crested the rise, the little she-cat was huffing and puffing, yet there was no denying the glee she felt at having the sun dance off her black and orange pelt. Beaming at him and rubbing her head against his chin, she whispered quietly. "Th-Thank you, Hollowcry." With that said, she allowed herself to drop into a seated position, eventually toppling down so she was lying on her side once more. Stretching out in the sun, she mewed joyously before peeking up at him, hoping he might join her in the sun.

Insidious

[Insidious]

Their journey into the sunlight wasn’t quick by any means, but he had the decency to keep his lips sealed in an effort to repress any unneeded comments about it. Besides, it was kind of cute to observe the level of concentration knit into her narrowed eyes. He was concerned about her breathing for a moment, but once they reached the top, he knew she wasn’t nearly as bothered by her own fatigue as he was. This was what she wanted, and he was happy that he had been able to give it to her.

She lied down in the sunlight, and it didn’t take the dark brown warrior very long to curl around her side. He rested his chin on top of her belly, hoping his affection for the tiny balls of useless fur (until their sixth moon at least) wasn’t seeping out of his insides and into the open where everyone could see it. At least, with Echobreeze, he knew no harm would come from letting her know he was a little excited. If anything, it would probably make her comfortable to know he was looking forward to being the father of their kittens.

Theirs.

He still had no idea how it had been her of all cats, but he wouldn’t have it any other way.

“You’re going to be a good mother.” He said matter-of-factly. There was no doubt in his mind about it. She was gentle, patient, and endlessly joyous—even when he had been nothing but a pain and probably made her life a lot worse than better. Lifting his sharp amber eyes to hers, he lowered his voice and asked the question that had been on his mind since the news reached his ears. The two of them were completely alone, but this wasn’t something he wanted anyone else to hear. “Do you think I’ll be a good father?” At first, he had been sure of it. He could be strict when he needed to be, and he knew that nobody was better than him at pushing themselves to succeed—or, as he liked to call it, showing others up. But then there were the nights when he doubted himself, because outside of his posse, and now his mate, he didn’t have lots friends in the clan who genuinely liked him for who he was. He wasn’t very likable, but it had always been something he didn’t care about changing. He had Blackwolf, Ratfur, Poisonleaf, and the rest of them… but would that be enough in the eyes of his young?

He reminded himself with the sharp slap of reality that it didn’t matter. If his kittens didn’t like him, that was their problem—and they could go and cry to their mother about it if it would make them feel better.

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Tags: BlooRey DVD

[BlooRey DVD]

[smear:74ffd2]Echobreeze[/smear:ffffff] ~~~~~~~~~ There were few words that could describe the relief and comfort she felt as Hollowcry lay down at her side. The weight of his chin on her swollen stomach did far more to ease her worry than any of the herbs Smokefur might have been able to give her. After moons and moons of living on the boundary of NightClan, after a time believing she might just leave NightClan to join RainClan... The timid little tortoiseshell she-cat finally felt as though she belonged in NightClan. And it was the handsome dark pelted warrior at her side that allowed her to feel that way. Her green eyes had been closed for several moments, Echobreeze simply enjoying their closeness and the warm light of the sun dancing off her pelt, when his voice broke through the silence. An ear pivoted towards him as her eyes blinked open, Echobreeze glancing back at him even as her pelt heated up. He... He really th-thinks that..? It brought a timid smile to her cheeks, a gentle purr rumbling through her small frame; she was certain he would feel it with the way he was resting so close to her. Hearing him state that made her feel as though it were the truth. She was still searching for the words to reply when his lowered voice asked the next question. She could sense the weight of his voice, somehow knowing that this question had been on his mind for some time. It caught her by surprise, shown in the way her head perked up, but it also gave her great determination. She wanted just once to comfort him like he had managed to comfort her countless times since the first day they'd truly met, near the border of RainClan. She took a deep breath, doing everything in her power to steady her endlessly quavering voice. "I do." She mewed softly, shuffling just slightly so she could gingerly reach out and begin methodically grooming his shoulder. But she wasn't finished; between licks she continued softly. "You are.. So strong, and all of NightClan has seen what you are capable of... Not only in your own skills, but in the skills you pass to your app-apprentices.." Her grooming stopped momentarily, a frown coating her features as she scrambled to push away that silly stutter. "You will be... The strength that I can't be... And show our kits what it means to be proud... Like I never was..." Slowly, her eyes met his again. There was a strange look behind her green eyes, one that had been lacking for a very long time; for the first time in moons, this was something she was sure of. "You will be a good father... And together? Together... We will be great parents..." Her voice trailed off slightly, and though she still looked timid, she was able to hold his gaze, her jaws splitting into the gentle smile he seemed to bring to her features so often. Maybe he would think what she said was silly. But.. I r-really believe it...

Insidious

[Insidious]

It was far too easy, he realized, to fall and to fall deep into a love-struck, senseless lull whenever he got to watch her visibly brighten and sink her teeth into an opportunity. Their relationship had consisted of Echobreeze finding herself in embarrassing situations, and Hollowcry helping her out of them only to laugh about it later; it had taken a turn for the better now that they were expecting, but he feared the likelihood of their roles reversing, and him inevitably needing her as much as she needed him. It was scary to rely on someone else. In Blackwolf’s posse, he was allowed to be self-absorbed and pretentious. It was his identifier, frankly, but his mate was nothing like the cats he hung out with—and it felt like he lost those pieces of himself whenever she was around because she, and soon their kittens, needed more than his greed.

He wasn’t certain that he would be able to be what any of them needed, but he was willing to try if not only because Echobreeze’s company was worlds more appealing to him than Blackwolf’s, Ratfur’s, or Poisonleaf’s. When she lifted her eyes to his, and did everything in her power to choke back her stutter, he was almost speechless. He had never, not once in his entire life, heard her speak so clearly and so passionately, and it was enough to convince him that there was a smidgen of hope left for him. Echobreeze was one of the most timid, secluded she-cat’s he had ever gotten the privilege to know, and if she believed that he of all toms could be an admirable father, then it had to be true.

Her tongue rasped against his shoulder, and the familiarity of her touch reminded him of why they worked. He had never felt closer to anyone, and even though the idea of sharing his life with someone had once made him sneer, there was nobody else he could see himself connecting with. “Thank you,” he said, the words sounding foreign on his usually tactless tongue, “they’ll be proud of you, too, Echobreeze.” He had gotten over caring about what his clan-mates thought of his relationship. He was proud of his mate, and their kittens would be lucky to have a mother that would love them as much as she did. There had been a point in time where his greed drove him into a frenzy to stand alongside a she-cat that every tom desired and every she-cat longed to be like. However, now that he was with Echobreeze, his greed had taken a rather mature turn; she made him happier than any other she-cat could, and she understood and accepted him in ways that he was fairly certain nobody else would ever try to. He might have not ended up with the she-cat everyone in NightClan thought was the best, but she was the best for him.

“I love you.” He purred, searching her eyes for one of the ruffled reactions he adored so much. Soon, there would be more than just the two of them in the picture, and he looked forward to making them proud to have him as a dad.

Words: 534
Tags: BlooRey DVD
Notes: I'm sorry I didn't give you that much to work with. D: We can end it here if you want to.

[BlooRey DVD]

[smear:74ffd2]Echobreeze[/smear:ffffff] ~~~~~~~~~ The little she-cat bobbed her head softly in a nod. Normally, she'd have been filled with self doubt the moment anyone mentioned anything about her kits being proud of her. But just as was so common these days, hearing it come from the handsome brown tom's mouth? It suddenly felt as though it were the truth. Still contented with grooming his shoulder gently, she continued her rhythmic rasping. One could argue the motion was as much to calm herself as it was an attempt to calm him; it certainly was not a false statement. Having something to occupy her just helped her relax that little bit more. His previous statement hadn't instilled in her any sense of need in regards to answering him. She was more than happy to lay there in silence, basking in the sun with him. So long as he was next to her, she didn't care what they were doing; he could be having a conversation with someone else entirely. All she needed from him was his proximity, and the occasional glance so she could see the reflection of her own feelings for him in those sharp, and extremely captivating yellow eyes of his. But evidently, there was something else on his mind. Her ears pricked forward as his voice purred to life once more. Although he only spoke three words, simple on their own, they were most certainly the most important words he would ever speak to her. And her heart danced in response. Her fur felt hot all of a sudden, and it was from far more than the sun's influence. She glanced away timidly, but there was no denying the smile that quickly spread along her jaws. Her little paws shuffled timidly, as green eyes peeked up at him from where she lay. Holding on to the little bit of courage that blossomed to life whenever he was concerned, Echobreeze stretched her neck slightly so she could rub her cheek against his. Tipping her head to bring her mouth a little closer to his ear, she whispered softly to him. "I love you t-too... So... So much.." With her message spoken, she dropped her head, shifting to burrow her face against his brown shoulder. A part of her thought that, had it been possible, she could easily have spent the rest of her life wrapped up in this moment. And yet... The thought of never experiencing something new with Hollowcry at her side was... Saddening. She would never forget this moment, but at the same time... She found herself looking forward to spending the rest of her life with the yellow-eyed NightClan tom. She finally felt at home. He was her home.

Insidious - I'm happy with calling this closed <3 Just wanted to wrap it up a little tighter ^^