[Hellion]

hold, hold on, hold onto me

'CAUSE I'M A LITTLE UNSTEADY.

Gullswoop was in a terrible mood but he had no real good reason to be so upset. It was really stupid why he was out alone in such a private place but it was better then seeing Lotuswhisker with Dawnstep fawning over her. Granted Lotuswhisker was the prettiest she-cat in all of the valley it was hard not to notice, Gullswoop just wished Dawnstep didn't make it so obvious.

Glaring down at his rippled reflection, Gullswoop studied the scars that easily drew across his eye. He hated Salmonclaw for causing them, he hated how he felt about them. He hated that it made him feel ugly and not worth the attention of Lotuswhisker.

Growling low in his throat Gullswop swatted at the water before turning away. He didn't usually get into such a state but it was hard to see one of his closest friends stared at by someone like Dawnstep. The ginger tom had no finesse. At least Gullswoop didn't think he did, but to be honset Gullswoop didnt have anything to base it on. His parents were almost painfully in love, the way they looked at each other said it all.

Gullswoop wasn't ensure if he could call it love or just infatiuous. It was times like these he wished he could visit Hawkfall. His elder brother had a mate so it meant he was hopefully better prepared to answer all of the silver tom's questions.

Musing on his own, Gullswoop tried to put a name to the feeling in his chest. Lotuswhisker seemed to admire him, for reasons Gullswoop didn't understand. She didn't growl at him when he made bad jokes or tried to poke fun at his own features or in areas that he lacked. Lotuswhisker smiled when he walked past and maybe her eyes sparkled a bit, well he hoped they sparkled.

Gullswoop's own feelings were similar. He enjoyed being around her even if they weren't talking. He found it easy to tease her about swans and feathers. Smiling around the she-cat was as easy as breathing. Despite her coloring she was a bit of sunshine in his day when everything else felt like grey rain clouds. Lotuswhisker was so much more then a pretty face, Gullswoop only prayed that Dawnstep knew that.

Feeling his anger fade away the more he thought about her, the tom managed to find himself a place to sit that was shaded. The sun was almost painfully warm and his thick coat made it worse. Tempted to jump into the water, Gullswoop had a sinking feeling that the water would also be warm. Choosing to wait a bit longer, the tom-cat sprawled out in an effort to relax.


_{Notes: I give you grumpy Gull}

words: amount • tagged: Fawn •

♥

[Fawn]

Lotuswhisker

39 Moons, She-Cat, RainClan Warrior

------

It was uncomfortably hot, even before sunhigh. As if all that heat had been building up behind the storm-clouds and days of rain, it was unleashed upon RainClan without mercy. Lotuswhisker's first thought was of Gullswoop, and she hoped the silver tom wasn't suffering too badly from the weather; the pretty brown warrioress cast her gaze around camp, but could not see him.

Not right away, instead her search for him was waylaid by a ginger warrior, Dawnstep, who was in an unusually good mood. Not so long ago, Lotuswhisker had been avoided and given sidelong looks from any cat she walked by; that this seemed to finally have faded put such joyful relief in her heart, she temporarily forgot about finding Gullswoop. Naturally falling into a conversation with Dawnstep, she was charming and sweet, and appreciated Dawnstep's interest in her - even if she... didn't want anything out of it.

I don't, Lotuswhisker realized, and as he was called away for a patrol, she didn't get that same soft pang of please don't leave that she got whenever another tom walked away from her...

Lotuswhisker purred, thinking fondly of Gullswoop, and her focus was reapplied. After asking Bitternwing where her littermate might have gone, the brown warrioress excused herself from the camp. Following the camp stream all the way past the wooded cove, Lotuswhisker used her tail to wave off the flies and the bad memories as she cut through the woodland, her fur beginning to lie flat once she picked up Gullswoop's scent near the willow stream.

Oh no, what if he's here with... someone? To her immense surprise, Lotuswhisker's first reaction was to flair up with indignation. Indignation and hurt. But why? What right did she have to keep him all to herself? He was such an honorable warrior, obviously he would have caught the eye of more than a few she-cats. Besides, Stormstar had more or less made it public that he'd like to see the nursery filled in a little more.

Gullswoop wouldn't have a litter just to have a litter, she thought, her voice firm. His parents had had an epic, tragic love story. If she knew him even half as well as she believed she did, then Gullswoop would settle down only when he found the right she-cat - not because their leader kept hinting at the empty nests in the nursery.

Heartened, Lotuswhisker strode closer, her pelt turning a deep brownish black under the cover of the willows, their shadows keeping her cool. Spotting the silver tabby warrior, sulking beside the stream, white and brown paws quickened. She gave him a playful bat on the shoulder. "There you are! If you're hot, let's go for a swim." Lotuswhisker let out a teasing purr, looking into his handsome green eyes. "Maybe the stream will wash that grumpy look off your face."

Word Count: 438 WordsTags: Hellion Notes:

[Hellion]

hold, hold on, hold onto me

'CAUSE I'M A LITTLE UNSTEADY.

Gullswoop caught her scent but ignored it right away. He figured it was figment of his imagination. Lotuswhisker was most likely still talking with Dawnstep. Gullswoop wondered if Dawnstep had anything interesting to say or was he just boring.

Rolling onto his back, Gullswoop put his paws in the air and batted at nothing. The soft paler fur of his belly was exposed. He laid there for a moment before rolling back onto his side, his body fully extended. It was nice to stretch out and not feel like he was going to bump into somebody.

It also helped his mood a bit more to work his muslces, but what really brightened him was seeing Lotuswhisker coming toward him. Surprised that his nose hadn't tricked him, Gullswoop allowed her to bat at his shoulder. A purr escaped him but he was able to calm it down. "I have a feeling the water will be warm too and thats feels worse then just being too hot," Gullswoop replied as they made contact. For a second he was sure he had gotten lost. Hearing her point out his grumpy face, the tom cat looked away, embarrassed. He hadn't realized he still looked upset. "I'm not grumpy," He tried to defend himself but knew it was pointless. Lotuswhisker was pretty good at guessing how he felt, or he was reading too much into their interaction.

Perhaps Lotuswhisker was just nice, felt bad for him for losing his dad recently. It didn't mean anything. His grumpy face returned and this time Gullswoop was aware of it and he quickly turned to look away again.

"So how is Dawnstep?" He asked, regretting it almost as he said it. He wasn't sure why he asked it. Part of him wanted to know how Lotuswhisker felt about the other tom. Part of him wanted to know if he was going to lose her to the nursery, not that it was a bad thing. He just wanted her to be happy and if that was with Dawnstep, Gullswoop would respect that.

words: amount • tagged: Fawn •

♥

[Fawn]

Lotuswhisker

39 Moons, She-Cat, RainClan Warrior

------

"So how is Dawnstep?"

That question had more barbs in it than a stickleback minnow. Lotuswhisker took one paw-step back to get a complete look at him, the brown she-cat's expression revealing none of the surprise she felt. Then she laughed again, finding his behavior combined with that tone to be very telling, and all the more adorable for it.

"Fine. He's not really my type." Lotuswhisker replied, sitting beside him as though nonchalant. In truth, she was watching Gullswoop very closely, her ears tuned for even the slightest sound, her keen eyes ready to pick up on the smallest bit of hope or irritation. He's jealous. Oh StarClan, he's jealous of Dawnstep talking to me. Lotuswhisker almost purred at the pleasure of it all, but caught herself before the warm sound could leave her throat.

With a pounding heart, Lotuswhisker couldn't resist a more forward approach, her tone flirtatious. Encouraging. "Dawnstep's not tall enough. His coat has too much ginger it, I think silver is a much nicer color. And I prefer green eyes, not blue. Besides," Lotuswhisker gazed at him, her tone softening to show the sincerity. "He wasn't the first one that made me feel like I was part of the Clan again."

What had begun as a bit of impish teasing, had slowly metamorphosed into unexpected honesty. Lotuswhisker had not intended to reveal so clearly the contents of her heart, but there was little, she realized, actually holding her back. All she'd needed... All she'd needed was a sign. And Gullswoop's grumpy behavior had been just the right one.

"I shouldn't have said all that," Lotuswhisker whispered, affecting a false tone of remorse. With sea-green eyes that sparkled like sunlight on water, she leaned in conspiratorially. "I kind of like you being jealous."

Word Count: 298 WordsTags: Hellion Notes:

[Hellion]

hold, hold on, hold onto me

'CAUSE I'M A LITTLE UNSTEADY.

Fine. He's not really my type, Gullswoop relaxed instantly at what Lotuswhisker said. It was nice to know that she wouldn't be his mate, not that he had any say in who she wanted as mate. He was glad it wasn't Dawnstep.

Doing his best not to look pleased that it wasn't Dawnstep, Gullswoop turned to smile at her as she sat next to him. Pressing slightly into the she-cat at his side he wondered if she could tell how fast his heart was beating. Even if they became nothing official Gullswoop knew he'd be happy just to sit with her. Share the same space and offer her all the support she'd ever need.

Not expecting her to talk more about Dawnstep, Gullswoop fought back the urge to frown. Instead he let his ears tilt to listen to her describe her ideal mate. At first he thought maybe she liked Silverfrost. That tom was pretty popular, maybe Lotuswhisker liked that about him. Then she mentioned the green-eyes. Confused for a moment Gullswoop tried to create a mental image of every clanamte who had silver fur and green eyes. An almost impossible task.

She mentioned something about being welcomed back into camp and in that moment Gullswoop was sure she was talking about Jaycry. He was silver but Gullswoop wasn't sure if he had blue or green eyes. He felt his heart start to ache at the thought of Lotuswhisker being with either silver tom he thought about. Silverfrost wouldn't love her that way he did.

Wait, love?

Gullswoop felt his heart pick up once again. Deep in his heart he knew it was true, but that didn't stop the hurt edging at his heart knowing she liked someone else.

Having been distracted by his own thoughts, Gullswoop was confused why Lotuswhisker was taking back what she said. They were friends and that meant he'd be there for her no matter what. Even if it hurt a little. The confusion grew as she told him she liked him being jealous.

His head titled slightly unsure of what she meant. "I don't like it," He confessed it softly, looking down at his paws. "I don't like feeling like my heart is going to fall apart," He added his voice almost a whisper.

words: amount • tagged: Fawn •

♥

[Fawn]

Lotuswhisker

39 Moons, She-Cat, RainClan Warrior

------

He didn't notice. If he hadn't sounded so absolutely heartbroken, Lotuswhisker would've laughed at how charming his cluelessness was. With gentle touch and the soft undertone of humor in her speech, Lotuswhisker's thin brown tail curled over his, and she nudged him, getting him to look at his reflection in the water. "I was talking about you, Gullswoop." Purring, and in an attempt to undo some of the emotional distress whirlpooling in the handsome warrior's eyes, she pressed close to him, and gently rasped her tongue over the scars on his face. She didn't mind them at all.

If anything, she thought they made him look fierce. A protector.

"You don't have to be jealous of Dawnstep, Gullswoop. Because he's nothing like you, and you're everything I could ever want." Shyness didn't suit Lotuswhisker. She may not have been a skilled fighter or even an expert fisher-cat, but what she did have, was a way with words. A confidence that she could be clear, and strike at the heart if she worded something carefully enough. Embracing these feelings and trying to lift the storm cloud from Gullswoop's heart, Lotuswhisker kept talking.

Adopting the tone of a fussing mate, she smiled, sea-green eyes fixed on his grass-green gaze. "Do you know why I went looking for you? Because I was worried you were having a hard time with the heat. There's plenty of cats with long fur in RainClan, but you're the one I want to take care of. You're the one I care about." The one she wanted to make sure was safe, and happy, and knew how much she valued him.

Their relationship had begun as a friendship—a stream—but more feelings just kept pouring in, and that stream widened into a river. She couldn't change it's course even if she wanted to, and Lotuswhisker did not. Seeing his silvery fur glow almost white in the sunlight, it uncovered a memory she'd done her best to lock away since it had happened. Swanfeather's... suggestion that she have a few litters to bolster the Purists' ranks.

If Swanfeather had suggested she have them with Gullswoop, Lotuswhisker's answer might've been different. Only because he was such an honorable tom — too honorable to even agree to that sort of thing. In fact, it wasn't a stretch to picture Gullswoop standing up to the disgraced medicine cat, defending her from yet another hissing swan. Lotuswhisker's eyes softened. Her heart found peace when they were together.

Word Count: 406 WordsTags: Hellion Notes:

[Hellion]

hold, hold on, hold onto me

'CAUSE I'M A LITTLE UNSTEADY.

He welcomed her touch whenever she offered it. The feeling of her tail over his made it feel less like he was alone. Lotuswhisker was there and hadn't ran off to be with another tom. It was comforting to have her close.

Unable to look at Lotuswhisker direct, he used the reflection of the two of them to meet her gaze. The selfish part of his brain suggested that they looked great together. Her darker pelt was a pretty contrast to his silver one. For a fleeting moment he pictured them growing old together, her brown fur turning grey, he'd love her still.

Distracted for a moment Gullswoop almost missed her delcration. Turning his head sharply his neck almost hurt, Gullswoop fixed the she-cat with a surprised look. "What!" He exclaimed, eyes wide and ears slightly tucked back. Even with her words he was afraid to get his hopes up.

The gentle touch to his scars and her purr resulting in him relaxing slightly. She wasn't being mean, trying to blame him. Not that he'd ever expect her to be that way. It was the nerves talking and a darker sinking feeling that she wouldn't want him.

She kept talking and Gullswoop was captured by her every word. She liked him! It didn't push the storms away instantly but it did soothe him. It made it easier to smile toward her, knowing she had similar feelings.

Hearing the change in her tone to something along the lines of fussing, Gullswoop felt the clouds part and a bit of sunshine come into him. It just happened to be that the sunshine was Lotuswhisker. The fussing about the heat reminded him of how uncomfortable he was not that the tension in his heart at stopped. "I care about you too, a lot actually," He added for good measure, pressing his cheek to her's. A soft and low purr came from him as he crowed into her space. Normally his height served him well but it made it a little awkward for him to nuzzle against Lotuswhisker, instead he settled for resting his head on her head. Tucking her safety against him. He could spend his entire life protecting her and be fine with it.

The two sat like that for a few moments, long enough for anguish that built up to die down and be replaced with kit-like playfulness.

"You know you must be warm too with such a dark pelt," He purred a tickle of amusement in his tone. That was all the warning he gave her before he shifted his weight and pushing the she-cat into the pool of water. A chuckle escaping him.

words: 459 • tagged: Fawn •

♥

[Fawn]

Lotuswhisker

39 Moons, She-Cat, RainClan Warrior

------

Lotuswhisker nuzzled him sweetly, appreciative of his towering height. It made her feel safe, as if he were a buffer from the ills and sorrows of the valley. Her heart thumped a blissful beat inside her chest, encouraged by the soft purr Gullswoop was making. Silly tom. It was always you. A comfortable silence lapsed. Lotuswhisker didn't notice the time; the hectic previous seasons of dealing with the civil war and her mother's banishment - she had learned to value the quiet, serene pauses in an otherwise busy life.

She knew the peace wouldn't last - she just hadn't known it wouldn't last longer than a few seconds.

"You know you must be warm too with such a dark pelt," mewed Gullswoop.

No sooner had she caught on to that playful little tone then she was shoved right into the willow stream with a surprised cry. To her credit, Lotuswhisker was able to right herself and ease her entry into the water; as her paws brushed against the bottom, she felt the cooler water below soothe her sun-warmed fur. Why you--!

Lotuswhisker's head broke the surface in a spray of water from her whiskers, dark brown coat pressed to her frame tighter than scales on a fish. She gawked at him as if he'd committed a crime against her, and with effort to control her expression, Lotuswhisker climbed up the opposite bank. "Gullswoop, you jerk!" She retorted, putting on her best 'I'm insulted you did that' tone of voice. Let's see how he likes it. Plotting payback, Lotuswhisker quickly rubbed her face with her paws, as if to vainly wipe away some of the water.

Instead, it was to hide the playful twinkle of her eyes. She 'coldly' turned her back on him, listening for the sound of him crossing the stream to join her or apologize. She just had to get the timing right...

Word Count: 312 WordsTags: Hellion Notes: <3

[Hellion]

hold, hold on, hold onto me

'CAUSE I'M A LITTLE UNSTEADY.

He chuckled as she re-emerged from the water looking like a dark colored fish. However, his smile quickly faded at the look she gave him. Almost instantly he felt foolish and wanted to make everything better. Her words even hurt a bit as she crossed to the other wise of the brook. Confused for a second, Gullswoop wanted nothing more then to make things right.

Going into the water, the silver tomcat walked across the brook to the otherside. He remained in the water, grateful that it was cool, Gullswoop looked up at Lotuswhisker. She was pretty and he'd always be distracted by her beauty, even when she looked angry at him.

"I'm sorry," He purred to her. "I shouldn't have pushed you, I just wanted to play.." He mumbled tucking his ears back in guilt. He loved the water and loved playing in it, he figured that even if she was surprised by it she'd play with him too. Conflicted by her reactions, Gullswoop looked almost defeated. He wasn't very good at acting his age let alone being anything close to a 'proper mate'.

note:weak post! sorry! • tagged: Fawn •

♥

[Fawn]

Lotuswhisker

39 Moons, She-Cat, RainClan Warrior

------

The sheer depth of his remorse pricked her conscience, and Lotuswhisker felt a bit guilty over her little trick. Turning quickly, the already soaked brown she-cat launched herself from the bank, landing on Gullswoop with a mrrow of laughter. "I got you~" Was her sing-song tease. Even with the added weight, she knew the silver warrior was too tall to sink too deeply into the stream. That's why she had pounced in the first place; he wasn't in any danger of drowning, his long legs just wouldn't allow it.

If she'd known how badly her little joke had chipped away at Gullswoop's self-confidence, she would have apologized immediately. Instead, Lotuswhisker kept up her playful mien, purring as she slipped away into the water. "That's for pushing me in." The pretty warrioress swam a circle around the tall silver tabby, flicking water from her ears, before she nuzzled her head under his chin, giving in to the affections that had been building between them so steadily. "And that's for making my day a lot less boring." She mewed, no longer minding the hot weather.

It was a minor inconvenience to her. Gullswoop's company more than made up for it.

Word Count: 188 WordsTags: Hellion Notes: Thread finished?