[BlooRey DVD]

With her thick, feathery tail tucked comfortably over her muzzle, the silver warrioress had been fast asleep in the warrior's den like so many of TreeClan's warriors. The morning air was not cold by any means, but it was far cooler than the air had been when she'd finally curled up to go to sleep last night. The welcome change made the possibility of sleeping in far too easy for the she-cat; all she had to do was keep sleeping... And yet, something caused her to stir this particular morning. Sharp blue eyes blinked open, her silvery tail twitching clear of her line of sight so she could peer around the den from her 'sleeping' position. Just as it disappeared through the entrance of the warrior's den, Feathercloud spotted a familiar pale golden figure. Slowly, her tabby-striped head lifted from her nest, a frown dancing over the she-cat's features. Wandering gaze picked out the sleeping forms of Zephyrfang and Silentsong, their tails intertwined, the tortoiseshell's head resting delicately on his shoulder. It sent a strange ripple of jealousy and determination through her, a slightly indignant huff escaping her jaws. Add the fact that her little talk with Appleshade a few sunrises ago all seemed to come rushing back? Feathercloud found herself teaming with motivation. Rising sharply to her paws, she weaved her way among the sleeping figures, slowing briefly to silently thank Appleshade for the burst of courage (and pull a face at the sleeping form of Lichenfrost) before making her exit. Pushing into the main camp, her jaws slipped open to pick up any trace of Sprucefur, seeing as he'd escaped her line of sight. She found it despite the mix of TreeClan scents present, and after quickly grooming her silvery fur flat, the warrioress pushed herself through the TreeClan camp entrance without even thinking about a morning meal. With adrenaline coursing through her veins, Feathercloud picked up speed, and was soon sprinting the short journey to the Sparkling Brook. Briefly, she wondered how long she'd be chasing him. Had he already moved on somewhere else? She could only assume he'd headed this way to drink his fill of water before assigning himself some task for the morning. The silver TreeClanner's ears pinned to her head knowing that, had this been any regular morning, she wouldn't have seen him the rest of the day until he wandered back into the warrior's den to sleep late that night. Enough is enough. Paws skidding on the terrain as she hauled her silver flank to a stop, Feathercloud's shoulders heaved with the effort of her early morning sprint. She'd arrived here in record time no doubt, seeing as the tom had gotten a head start, and was only just pushing his way into the undergrowth to begin his daily routine. Without hesitation, Feathercloud called out. "Sprucefur!" Her voice was a strange combination of out-of-breath, irritation and hurt. She stood on the other side of the little clearing, her head high, stance wide and soft tail swishing slowly behind her. As her chest continued to struggle with pulling air into her lungs, she fixed him with an unyielding blue stare. "We need to talk."

Fawn

[Fawn]

43 Moons || Senior Warrior || Tom

there's a light that you give me when I'm in shadow

Having a she-cat like Feathercloud mad at him was a little like being struck by lightning. He stared, somewhat dazed, as she called his name with such a raging undercurrent of emotions that it made the fur along his spine lift with alarm. His blood beat in his ears, his expression falling grim. Accepting. He couldn't avoid her forever... Of course he knew that, he just needed more time, needed more time to train Badgerpaw, to prove he wasn't a failure. To prove he wasn't second best to anyone.

Just a bit more time...

Sprucefur's throat felt dry, and not just because he had yet to quench his thirst with the sparkling brook. Not the type to... run away from his problems, when his problems were staring at him with all the intensity of a building storm, Sprucefur nodded, walking as close as he dared (a fox length separated them) to the she-cat he had so much trouble facing.

It was hard, even now, to look her in the eyes. But Sprucefur forced himself to, locking his pale yellow-green gaze with her startling blue, his heart migrating to his throat, leaving his chest with an empty ache he didn't know how to fix. He'd hurt her. He could tell by the tone, by the tension in her posture and the way her words bounced around his ears, echoing long after they'd been spoken.

"Okay." He mewed, considered sitting, but thought better of it. She might very well claw his ears off, and as much as he might deserve it, Sprucefur wasn't sure he could completely fight his instinct to dodge.

And dodging was best done on all four paws.

there's a feeling you give me, an everglow

---
Word Count: 298 Words
Tags: BlooRey DVD
Notes:

[BlooRey DVD]

There were a lot of things Feathercloud could think of that would be appropriate to say if she were in Sprucefur's position. An apology was always a good start; a simple 'sorry about avoiding you for a stupid long period of time'. If that wasn't possible, even an agreement would have sufficed. What did Sprucefur offer up? Okay. Okay? She hissed inwardly, a cold fire igniting behind her steely gaze. She'd planned to attempt a civilized conversation today, to see if she could uncover what had gotten into Sprucefur recently. But the shock of his word choice mixed with her hurt in a dangerous cocktail of emotions that left her bubbling over. She wasn't known for her civilized conversation skills anyway; the whole Clan knew she was hot-headed and stubborn as a tree trunk. If Sprucefur had expected something quiet, then he obviously didn't know her. Air escaped her lungs in an irritated hiss as she twisted on her paws and began stalking to and fro before him. "Okay. Wow, super insightful. Do you really not see anything wrong here? Nothing at all, to the point that the best you have to offer is 'Okay'. Guess I'll have to do all the talking then." Well this was starting off swell, now wasn't it? Her stalking stopped suddenly, the she-cat's march pausing long enough for her to fix him with that stare again, as though she were making sure he hadn't run off to hide. After all, he was still standing, looking as though he might bolt at any given moment. Once satisfied he was still before her, the pacing continued, silver paws stepping over one another in a rhythm all her own. "I get it, you witnessed something horrible in Leaf-bare. No one should ever had to see something like that." Just the thought of the poor apprentice's demise sent the fur along her spine prickling. "And then what happened afterward... If there is a cat in the valley that deserved to have something like that happen to them, then I curse StarClan because it certainly wasn't you. The first morning I woke up and you weren't in your nest... I thought you'd left. For good. Silverfern had to tell me a thousand times that you'd volunteered to take a spot on the Dawn Patrol, and that you'd be back. I told myself you had things to deal with, of course you did. I told myself you'd come talk to me when you were ready, because I thought you knew I'd be there for you." She seemed to freeze in place, her left side facing him as she stared straight at the ground, tail drooping slightly. "But you never did. 'He's just not ready, he'll come around.' It was like a mantra, over and over in my head, the only thing that kept me going in my duties... But you. Never. Did." Her voice cracked under the weight of the storm writhing in her chest, but she wasn't done, and she wouldn't stop until she was. "Sunrises came and went. And so did you. Every morning, you were gone. Gone. Sunrises turned to moons. Six moons, Sprucefur. For six moons, you avoided me like my fur was overrun with fleas!" Blue eyes snapped shut as she spat out the words, her muzzle screwing up in a snarl if only to stop the flood that threatened. She wouldn't cry. She refused to. Her tail snapped suddenly, her breath shuddering from her throat as she clawed together more pieces of herself, more pieces of what she wanted to say. "For fifteen moons, you were there for me. For fifteen moons, I thought 'Hey, maybe this isn't so bad. Maybe I can heal.' For a pawful of sunrises, I thought 'I can be there for him, because I'm his friend.' For six moons, you pushed me away. For six moons I was alone, we both were. I have other friends; for StarClan's sake, I have family that's still alive. But none of that mattered!" She screeched the last few words, her voice adopting the tone without her meaning to. When her voice dropped to a whisper moments later, the weight of it all seemed more intense, more powerful. "None of it mattered because... It was like I couldn't breathe. It's stupid, StarClan above it's stupid, but it's true." Feathercloud seemed to collect herself then, her feathery tail lifting half a mouse length above the ground and her muzzle glancing up toward the sky briefly. And then she turned to look at him. Her blue eyes were half lidded, the TreeClan warrioress looking just as exhausted as the day she'd returned from the mountains. The fire had died in her eyes, and though she put on a brave face, it wasn't hard to see the hurt underneath. "The only explanation that I could come up with for the way you avoided me... Was that I'd done something to hurt you, to make you angry with me. I've tried, night after night, to piece it together, to figure out why. But I can't. If you're going to continue to avoid me, then fine. But I think I at least deserve to know what I did wrong, what I did to upset you. Maybe after knowing, I can at least work toward... Toward piecing myself back together and finding the right words to apologize for what I've done." It didn't feel right, not knowing what she'd done. It felt stupid admitting she didn't know. But she couldn't go on living like this. If he didn't want to see her again, then she wanted to know why. At least then, she could give the hurt a name; she could pin reason to this pain. It felt as though the whole world had stopped moving. It was all just suspended, the air between them heavy with expectation. Everything felt heavy. Truth be told, she wasn't sure she could handle knowing why. But she knew for a fact she couldn't go on not knowing.

Fawn

[Fawn]

43 Moons || Senior Warrior || Tom

there's a light that you give me when I'm in shadow

Sprucefur had never wanted to soak into the ground like rainwater more than he did now. It wasn't just the urge to avoid her—that was debris in the river at this point—it was the guilt. Sprucefur closed his eyes, his head lowering as if the muscles in his neck and shoulders no longer wished to hold him up anymore. "I'm sorry." He mewed, his voice a quiet, husky apology. "I didn't mean to—I wasn't trying to hurt—"

StarClan, had it really been six moons? Had he avoided her for so long? It was a wonder he'd survived that long without her companionship... That emptiness in his chest, that sensation of failure that had been plaguing him since leafbare suddenly made a lot more sense. He hadn't just failed as a mentor, he'd failed as a friend too. All because he'd let his... feelings for her mean more than anything else.

"I was ashamed to be around you, Feathercloud." His throat tightened, but he raised his gaze from the flattened grass under her paw (pressed into the earth by her angry pacing) to meet the stormy fury in her eyes. He deserved that. He did. "I didn't feel good enough, after I lost Nightpaw." I didn't feel good enough for YOU. It was Sprucefur's turn to pace, the tom walking uncomfortably, as if he had a pain in his sides that wasn't going to dissipate anytime soon.

Though he didn't utter a flood of words like she had, there was a sense of... breaking in him too, as if the dam of sticks and mud he'd built up over his own feelings was finally coming undone. His heart was in his ears, his stomach in his throat, and his courage in his paws, egging them on to run away again, but Sprucefur gritted his teeth and dug deep.

"It's a little sad, isn't it?" Sprucefur showed a slightly tortured smile, stomach twisting. "I just... I just wanted to be the best version of me that I can be around you. That's all I wanted, but I messed up. I messed up with Nightpaw, and I messed up with you. It was never your fault, Feathercloud." He took a step forward, his mew strong with the truth behind his words. "It was never anything you did, but what I couldn't do."

I failed as Nightpaw's mentor, which means I failed as a warrior. And why would any she-cat look twice at a tom like that?

He was babbling a bit now, desperation rising to the surface.
"I'm never going to be deputy, I don't think I'm cut out for that—so what does a tom like me have left? To be a good mentor, that was my chance to impress you, to be your equal, to be Lionstar's equal. And I... and I messed up." Sprucefur's throat ran dry, his voice lowering to a whisper as he gazed at her one last time, trying to get her to understand. Just trying to convince that this wasn't her fault.

It was all his.

"Do you know how hard it is," Sprucefur whispered, "to be around a cat you love and feel like you'll never be good enough for them, no matter what you do?" It was enough to crush all the air out of his lungs. Repeatedly.

Sprucefur had a lot to prove, as a warrior; his mother had been a homewrecker, seducing TreeClan's former deputy and then returning to the Clan to birth her three kits—possibly to rub it in Sandfur's face—before completely abandoning them. The Clan had felt sorry for them, at first; Lionstep had not liked them much, or Sandfur, understandably. As they'd reached apprenticeship, he and his siblings were given questionable looks. Would they leave the Clan like their mother had? Or were they just as untrustworthy as Camellia?

And then there was Lionstep. The Clan deputy. The regal golden warrior who outshone his younger half-brother the same way the sun outshone the moon. For so long, he felt as though he couldn't catch up. He did finally reach warriorhood, and then along came a blue-eyed, silver-furred she-cat who knocked his heart sideways with her smile and made his ears hurt with her yelling.

Suddenly the opinions of the Clan had mattered less. Suddenly, he wasn't just competing with Lionstar for the sake of his own self-esteem. He'd wanted her to notice him; to just for a moment have that look of admiration in her eyes directed at him instead of his half-brother.

Now she had, but it was all ... wrong. The expression he'd earned from Feathercloud was one of pain and confusion and irritation. Sprucefur didn't know where to begin fixing that. He didn't know if he could. Lionstar had trusted him with Badgerpaw, but that was a simpler challenge than healing whatever damage he'd unintentionally done to one of his best friends. Sprucefur cringed, mumbling.
"I'm a piece of fox dung."

there's a feeling you give me, an everglow

---
Word Count: 862 Words
Tags: BlooRey DVD
Notes:

[BlooRey DVD]

Ashamed to be around me? Her muzzle contorted slightly, confusion twisting her features slowly as she struggled to discern the meaning behind his words. Her first instinct was to be offended. It wasn't until her blue eyes took in his defeated posture that she knew she'd taken it the wrong way. He himself had felt inferior, for one reason or another. Does he really blame himself for Nightpaw's disappearance? She thought to herself incredulously. And then she paused, trying to imagine how she would feel if Sparrowpaw suddenly vanished from the Clan. It felt as though an eagle had closed its talons around her heart. Her contorted expression collapsed, the anger seeping from her features with the speed of a rain-swollen river. All this time... He's been avoiding me because he... Wanted to better himself for me? A sense of drowning washed over her without warning, the thoughts swimming in her head threatening to pull her down through an unseen current. He wanted to impress me. Does that mean... Was Appleshade right? The thought left her stomach to tie itself into knots; it had been moons since the silver warrioress had actually felt nervous. Sprucefur... What are you trying to tell me..? And then he said it. "Do you know how hard it is to be around a cat you love and feel like you'll never be good enough for them, no matter what you do?" Hearing his admission... She felt as though an invisible enemy, much larger and heavier than she was, barrelled into her. The air was knocked from her lungs, and for a moment, she was convinced her ribcage had collapsed, making it impossible for her to breathe. Her jaws opened, as though she were about to say something, but the words never came. Instead, her mouth closed again, teeth making an audible clicking sound as it snapped shut. What else could she do but stare at her paws while her body shivered through the torrent of conflicting emotions? Silver ears pinned flat against her skull, icy stare subdued and half-hidden behind her eyelids. A second attempt at words proved just as futile, complete with a lifted paw, as though the silver warrioress wanted to reach for him. What were you supposed to say to that kind of admission? Could she really be the missing piece needed to help Sprucefur see past his uncertainties? Would she be enough? His final statement, after long moments of silence between the pair, caught her attention. Her ears pushed forward, and though she didn't immediately look up at him, she did manage to croak a single word. "No." Her throat felt as though she'd just run through the burning carcass of TreeClan following the raging fires. Swallowing was painful, and speaking seemed impossible. Wincing briefly, she cleared her throat and met his gaze. "You're not." Her voice still sounded strangely raw, as though every word sapped some of her energy. When she looked at him, there remained no trace of anger; only a soft grief, as though she still wanted to reach out to him with her paw. "You're just a tom." She mewed softly, reflecting on her conversation with Appleshade a few sunrises ago. A tired, sad smile pulled at the corners of her mouth. "A stupid, silly tom." Somehow, throughout this rocky terrain of emotions, she'd wound up sitting down. She couldn't recall ever moving to sit; yet she must have collapsed to her haunches, as though unable to hold herself up any longer. She watched him from her somewhat-awkward sit, her eyes swimming with her unspoken words, the ones she was struggling desperately to piece together. "I don't..." She began, shaking her head slowly. "StarClan, Sprucefur... I don't need you to be deputy. I don't need you to be Lionstar... I just need you to be... You." She didn't know how she could make him see the truth behind her words, but she hoped he could see the plea behind her blue gaze. "After he..." She swallowed, closing her eyes as her heart seemed to sink in her chest. "After Ironpaw left... It wasn't the deputy who found me. It wasn't Lionstar who helped me stand back up and see that there was still light, still good in the world." She winced slightly at how stupid she must have sounded. "It was my friends who did that. You included, Sprucefur. You were there, you were always there. And I see that now. I don't... I don't know who you think I am, who you've made me out to be in that head of yours..." She trailed off, hauling her silver frame off the ground with some effort. Daring to take a step toward him, she continued, never breaking eye contact. "I'm just... Me. Just a warrior. Just like you. And I am telling you... You are good enough." Kitten steps. She reminded herself. A blind elder could tell there were things the pair needed to work out. As long as she could keep him talking, they could get through this. Then they could carefully tread the territory of what they truly felt for one another. Together.

Fawn

[Fawn]

43 Moons || Senior Warrior || Tom

there's a light that you give me when I'm in shadow

She looked shocked by his confession. His heart twisted, caught in the crossfire between grim satisfaction over having been able to hide his feelings this well for so long, and over that stab of melancholia that yes, she had really no idea... It was for her own good, he'd convinced himself. That way she wouldn't feel too burdened by his persistent feelings for her to quit being his friend; but it had been for his own good too.

The rejection was frightening, and even now, as his self-confidence teetered on the edge of collapse, as he tried to put on a brave face and tell himself that no matter how she reacted, it wouldn't kill him, he felt as if he were about to fall a dozen foxlengths to the earth. The impact would hurt. He couldn't stop it. He just had to brace himself for it.

"You're just a tom. A stupid, silly tom."

Sprucefur looked up, his turn to feel unnecessary thorns at her words. Scarred by what appeared to be her quiet dismissal of his feelings, Sprucefur did himself a favor and let her continue talking; (not that he had much to say in his own defense. Maybe that was just Feathercloud's way of agreeing with him, softening the insult).

"I don't need you to be deputy. I don't need you to be Lionstar... I just need you to be... You."

Sprucefur's paws tingled, a soft ringing filling his ears as he stared at her, something inside of the pale tom raising its head with a hope he hadn't dared hold onto before. I just need you to be you. He felt both numb and overwhelmed at once, unable to do much more than look away with unexpected shyness. He didn't talk much to other she-cats (he hadn't cared much for other she-cats), so kind words like this... sincere words that didn't so much as touch his heart as they did kick it, were met with uncertainty. As if he wasn't sure he could believe them.

But this was Feathercloud. She wouldn't have said it if she didn't mean it.

Sheepishly, Sprucefur watched her and listened, his focus threatening to waver every time she made mention of Ironpaw, but he forced himself to concentrate. Concentrate on her.

Feathercloud moved closer, and she brought the whole world with her.

It was his turn to laugh softly, heart aching at the closeness, whiskers twitching with a kind of disbelieving mirth. "You're not just a warrior, Feathercloud. You're fiery and stubborn. You don't let anyone get away with anything. You're a good mentor, and a better friend. You're fun, and braver than I am sometimes." Sprucefur dipped his head in a gentle gesture, as if apologizing for what he was about to say. "You're beautiful, Feathercloud. You make being a part of TreeClan seem worth it, for me."

It was true. He was still loyal to his Clan, of course, but being loyal was a lot easier when there was a cat standing right in front of him that he would readily die for. Did she want to hear that? No, but he felt lighter to have released some of the pressure building up in his chest. To finally feel relief. He'd been holding those feelings around like storm-clouds, constantly feeling the lightning and the thunder every time she walked by, every time he heard her laugh or got caught in the crossfire of one of her tricks, or she directed her sunshine smile at him.

Sprucefur shook his head, taking in a steadying breath. Voice still something between a whisper and a murmur (especially now that she was so close he could see the shades of blue in her eyes, and the silvery white markings on her pretty face), the pale tom wore a smile. "Do you see what I mean when I say I'm not good enough? If you saw you how I see you... You'd be nervous too. I'm sorry that I don't believe you, when you say I'm good enough."

Nervous, and terrified of losing her friendship. Even if that meant bottling things up for almost twenty moons. But he'd already crossed that threshold, and he knew it was a boundary line he couldn't exactly step back over.

She knew. And so far, she didn't hate him for it. That was all he could ask for right now.

"But if you say I am..." Sprucefur took a gulp of air, as if bracing himself for a cold plunge. Then maybe I... maybe I am. StarClan above, he wanted to believe that.

there's a feeling you give me, an everglow

---
Word Count: 750 Words
Tags: BlooRey DVD
Notes: *madly waves SpruceFeather banner*

[BlooRey DVD]

Feelings, love, admittance... These were the types of things Feathercloud was not good at. She didn't know what to say or do, and she didn't know what encompassed an appropriate reaction or response. To the TreeClan she-cat, it was like asking her to fly. And it felt like she was flying too. Or... At least falling. Her heart still felt as though it were trying to escape her chest, fluttering more wildly than a pinned blackbird. She just wasn't good at being open, and she definitely had no special talent in the art of knowing what she should say in any given situation. She held her breath, worried she'd said the wrong thing to Sprucefur. She wouldn't be able to forgive herself if she had. Her world was at a standstill, and the maestro behind it all was a pale, golden furred tom standing right before her. Only he could free her from her tortuous world. And he did. His voice greeted her ears, every word about her. He spoke of her like she walked on stars, and it brought a previously unknown, giddy feeling to her chest. Is this really what he sees when he looks at me? She lowered herself into a sit quietly, still listening to every word he spoke, a small smile greeting his whenever he happened to smile. It was contagious, she was certain. Breaking eye contact to glance down at her paws embarrassedly (though if you ever dared speak that label aloud, she would have denied it vehemently), Feathercloud traced little circles in the ground at her paws. It was a nonsensical pattern, meant to distract her long enough to keep her calm, but not distracting enough that she might lose track of what Sprucefur was saying. As his voice trailed off, her blue gaze returned to his yellow-green one. Still unsure of what she should say, the silver warrioress figured she should begin with the things she was sure of. Not daring disturb the quiet peace that had settled around them, Feathercloud's voice remained a soft whisper as she spoke, though the volume did nothing to diminish the conviction with which she said her piece. "I do say you are, and I truly believe you are, Sprucefur... And like you said, I am fiery and stubborn, so don't think you can win this battle." A playfulness glinted briefly behind her blue eyes, the she-cat seeing no harm in trying to lighten the mood, even just slightly. Without ever actually standing, the pretty silver feline inched closer to the tom. Though she certainly moved no more than a quarter of a whisker length, it was as though she could feel the change in energy it brought. She was closer to him, and it was both thrilling and scary. She'd never let herself truly admit to feelings such as this before. Without acknowledgement, surely it could not hurt her; ...though that had proved false with Ironpaw, it was still a mantra she clung to. But this feels... Different. More... Real? She thought, searching for a way to explain her strange desire to reach for him. Peeking down at her paws again, her long white whiskers twitched as thoughts coursed through her mind. "Does this mean..." She began, her mouth forming the words slowly, uncertainty painting each syllable. But there was also hope behind those words. "That you'll stop avoiding me? That we can.. Spend time together again?" She mewed softly. "Because I miss that. I really, really do..." Her voice trailed of, a long plume-like tail sweeping forward to tuck around her paws. A thoughtful frown slipped over her features, the tip of her expressive tail twitching slowly with nerves. "I'm not very... Good at this, at explaining things or showing how I feel. I normally just... Go off and do stupid things and hope for the best." When she laughed, the same uncertainty seemed to hang on the edge of the sound; StarClan above, she was nervous. "And this might sound... Really weird, but please just bare with me?" She paused, taking in a small nod as encouragement to go on. "Have you ever seen Silentsong and Zephyrfang when the two of them are together?" Knowing full well how positively absurd the question must have sounded, she continued hurriedly. "How when they've been apart for a while, Silentsong just... Lights up when she's with Zephyrfang again? I... Didn't realize it until I didn't see you or spend time with you regularly, Sprucefur, but..." She swallowed just then, forcing herself to meet his gaze despite the embarrassment she could feel trickling though her. With her tail still swishing slightly in its nervous dance at her paws, Feathercloud pushed on. "That's... That's how you made me feel before. That's how I feel right now..." She breathed the words, as though the surrounding air were so delicate, she might break it with her voice.

Fawn

[Fawn]

43 Moons || Senior Warrior || Tom

there's a light that you give me when I'm in shadow

It was interesting to watch her look and sound so... uncomfortable. If he didn't know better, he might've backed off, might've given her some space or cut their conversation short sooner if he was making her too uncomfortable in her own fur. But this was Feathercloud; if she was truly upset by anything he'd said, she would let him know. Probably by clawing his ears off.

Instead, it was kind of a fascinating thing to see. He associated her with confidence and bravery and attitude, so to see her embarrassment—Sprucefur finally had a name for the emotion she was expressing with her eyes and tail—was a little like watching a squirrel climb a branch backwards. Sure they could do it, it just hadn't occurred to Sprucefur before now that he'd ever see that sort of thing with her.

Or possibly be the cause of it.

"Yeah," he mewed quietly, realizing he was focusing more on the twitch of her tail and her other nervous motions. Sprucefur straightened, speaking more clearly as his gaze steadily found hers. "Yes. I promise to stop avoiding you. I shouldn't have in the first place." I hope you can forgive me. It sounded like she had, it felt like she had, but Sprucefur was still going to go out of his way a bit to make sure she knew he'd never ignore her like that again.

As Feathercloud continued speaking, the pale warrior naturally fell into an attentive silence, nodding somewhat quizzically as she brought up Zephyrfang and Silentsong, of all cats. I think everycat in the valley has seen them together by now. They certainly weren't shy about their romantic status. Though, all things considered, they had no reason to be. They were madly in love and Zephyrfang seemed intent upon letting the whole valley know it.

Sprucefur's eyes widened, drawn from his thoughts as he realized the full weight of her words. I do? That's how he made her feel? It was hard to put Silentsong's behavior into words (now there's a bit of humor), but Sprucefur knew what Feathercloud meant. He knew that... lighting up, that glow on Silentsong's face that Feathercloud spoke of.

To think that he caused that in her, it was enough to make him a little lightheaded. Sprucefur smiled as if he'd been holding up an entire tree and she'd finally given him the chance to set it down. Unable to fight the rush of good feelings (and relief so strong it threatened to make his legs shake), Sprucefur nodded again.
"I won't ignore you ever again, Feathercloud. I promise. I love spending time with you, even if it's just going for a walk or doing a little hunting."

No more avoidance. No more distance. She knew. He knew. And there was something here. Something that could be nurtured into something more. Sprucefur almost laughed in disbelief, marveling at the sheer contrast of emotions; at the beginning of this conversation, he'd felt as if the sky was pressing on his shoulders, as if he might lose the one cat he stubbornly refused to part with, but now...

He felt a little dizzy, and his heart was thumping against his chest like a rabbit's foot to the ground. But he felt... happy.

"Do you want to take the long way back to camp?" He mewed, leaving the invitation there. They could walk a little, talk a little, and just enjoy being able to match their paw steps without all these secrets and unsaid things hovering between them.

there's a feeling you give me, an everglow

---
Word Count: 588 Words
Tags: BlooRey DVD
Notes:

[BlooRey DVD]

When he finally delivered his response, an intense wave of relief rushed through her, from nose to tail tip. The nervous flicking of her soft tail stilled instantly, ice blue eyes lighting up with what could only be described as glee. She'd been worried he would laugh at her attempted comparison, at her struggle to put words to the strange butterflies in her stomach. But he didn't, he seemed happy, almost relieved himself. It was a comfort she couldn't have imagined, despite having already been told by the tom how he felt about her. It was a reassurance she had needed. He's going to stop the avoiding. He's stepping back into my life. She thought to herself, releasing a breath she'd not even realized she'd been holding. Following his small confessional, she smiled. It was strange, but not in a bad way, to hear her own sentiments reflected in what another cat had to say. There were few things she enjoyed more than the time they used to spend together; he put up with her tricks and teasing, even managing to make her laugh. She'd been stupid not to see it, not to accept it before, but now she undoubtedly knew. He was special. "I love spending time with you, too." She murmured it response, a softened look to her sharp colored eyes. The silver warrioress felt as though she could run the whole length of the valley right then. All the negative emotions that had previously weighed her down had since trickled out of her paws, seeping away into the ground below. She'd arrived expecting confirmation of his desire never to speak with her or interact with her again, despite Appleshade seeming to think he felt something stronger for her. After all, actions spoke louder than words, and he'd refused to even glance in her direction for six moons. What she'd received was... So much more. Feathercloud couldn't think of a moment in her life where she'd been this excited, this overjoyed, to learn she'd been wrong. Appleshade had been right. She could tackle that she-cat and furiously lick her ear right about now. But there were more important thing at paw for now; Sprucefur was still right in front of her, after all, and following the extended length of time they'd spent apart in the last few moons? She wasn't about to walk away from him just yet. Her silver ears pricked forward, a smile illuminating her features as her red-tinted nose bobbed up and down in a nod. Pushing up out of her sit, Feathercloud gave her silver and tabby pelt a quick shake, to dispel anything that might be clinging to her long fur, before fixing him with her blue eyes once more. "The long way back to camp sounds... Perfect." She meowed. Still feeling as though she could walk forever without tiring, she motioned softly with her head for him to lead the way. Long, dark-and-silver tail swishing slowly behind her, she easily fell into step beside him. Though their pelts didn't brush, the silver she-cat could swear she felt an energy between them. Perhaps it was nothing more than her previous nerves making her hyperaware of his presence.. But she preferred to think it was something more. Whispering under her breath, not caring whether he heard her or not, she expressed her gratitude. "Thank you.." It was meant for StarClan, for Sprucefur and for Appleshade all at once. So much had happened in the early morning exchange... But this made it worthwhile.

Fawn

Note: 37 moons old