[Silver]

Days had passed since Coalmask had made his confession to her and honestly Squirrelheart was just getting over the shock of it. His words still echoed in her mind even now and she couldn't shake them. He really felt that way about her? She wondered how long that had been going down and given his history part of her wondered if he even meant it the way it had sounded. She wanted to believe him, StarClan knew she adored that tom, but given their history and his opinion of the breeding regulations...she was understandably cautious. Yet as days went by and she went looking for him to speak about his confession and he remained unavailable and even seemed to be avoiding her, she began to both doubt his words and get very, very angry with him.

You didn't just say those things to a she-cat then up and disappear on them. She'd been so shocked she hadn't followed him that day but now that she'd had time to process it she needed to find him and get him to explain. She didn't want to get her hopes up for a tom that may not actually feel the way she thought he meant, but at the same time he was very dear to her and she'd been sure of her feelings for him since they were still Apprentices together. She knew how she felt, and her very name told the tale of how often she trusted her heart in these matters. Still...she didn't want to misunderstand him as she had before. So she needed to find him and he was avoiding her.

Needless to say, when she passed through camp and beyond looking for him all puffed up and growling, many a Warrior got out of her way because clearly she was a she-cat on the warpath and they didn't want to get between her and the unfortunate cat that had made her so visibly angry. 'Coalmask, when I get my paws on you....' She growled again, irritated and just wanting answers. She scented him and changed directions. Looked like it was time to go hunting for a certain black and white tom and he was either going to stay and explain things to her or she was going to pin him down and keep him there until he came to his senses. Either way, she was settling this today.

--

Hellion

[Hellion]

T ruth be told, Coalmask hadn't wanted to avoid Squirrelheart, but given the fact she didn't follow after him. Coalmask assumed it would be for the best. Laying his heart so boldly and getting no imediate response put him in a dejected state. His mother's cruel teachings of emotions and affection came back tenfold. To avoid those memories and keep himself busy, Coalmask jumped headfirst into warrior duties. He offered himself up for every patrol Rainfur offered. Took apprentices on small trips to hunt, each time he returned to camp and saw Squirrelheart. He left again. The nest beside his brother in the warrior's den was gradually losing his scent. The black and grey tom rarely in camp long enough to freshen it. Refusing to speak about what happened between him and Squirrelheart to anyone. The hurt left in his chest by the lack of prompt response only continued to fester. Turning his mood, making him overall unpleasant to be around. Those closest to Coalmask knew something was wrong but couldn't pin down exactly what. Coalmask's gut told him Squirrelheart had been looking for him but by the time she started, it had too long. Not that he'd ever take back what he said. He meant every word even if it terrified him. It remained Squrrielheart's turn to be in the wrong. Letting him go off on his own when he truly needed her to follow him. Returning with a fat robin in his jaw, Coalmask caught sight of Squirrelheart's sunny orange pelt. Depositing the fresh-kill on the pile, he departed again. Navigating away from camp as quickly as he could, hoping his scent would be muddled. Coalmask allowed his paws to take the lead, losing himself in avoiding her. 298 / Silver Coalmask. NightClan. Warrior.

credit to nat of adoxography.

[Silver]

S quirelheart spotted the object of her search as he deposited prey into the prey pile then promptly fled the opposite direction. She snarled over his behavior because, really, this was ridiculous. Knowing he'd seen her and was actively now avoiding her she moved into a run to follow after him, many a fellow Warrior darting out of her way to avoid her furious wrath. Eventually she moved into a full sprint and with a snarl of annoyed rage launched herself on Coalmask the way Starlingcry had taught her so long ago. The two rolled and she ended up on top of him, using her weight to pin him to the ground. Her fur was all bristled up and her eyes were lit with fury and she knew she must look quite the frightful sight but she didn't care this had gone on more than long enough. Dropping her head until it touched Coalmask's so their eyes could lock, she gave him a piece of her mind. "You! You horrible, temperamental brat! Don't you know how long I've been looking for you and here you are running away because things didn't go how you thought they would. Did it ever occur to you that I was shocked that you felt the way you did about me? Did you think, even for a second, that I was so surprised that you were gone by the time I regained myself? Does it not matter to you that I was so happy you felt the same way I did but then you ran away and I couldn't find you and then you avoided and ignored me! Blast it all Coalmask, just because I was too shocked to follow you immediately doesn't make you any less the most important being in my life! I've lost my family, all of them, and you have been my dearest friend and confidant for so long that of course I'd be shocked to learn my feelings were returned. I adore you, I've made that more than clear and yet...at the first sign of trouble you bolt and get upset when I needed so desperately to explain to you why I didn't follow you at first." She was shaking with rage and distress, thinking perhaps he'd fooled himself into thinking he'd felt the way he had and she was making a fool of herself now. Her breathing came in pants and her frame vibrated as she pinned him there, more angry and upset than she'd ever been in her entire life. And she wasn't done yet. "When I followed you I couldn't find you, when I looked where I thought you'd be you had disappeared. I wondered if you'd decided your mother was right after all and I was foolish to look for you even though it broke my heart to believe anything so terrible about you. I wanted....I wanted to walk by your side for our entire lives. I wanted to laugh together and cry together. I wanted to give you someone to have your back and that would always be on your side no matter what. Someone to call you out when you're wrong and I wanted those same things from you. How could I make it any more clear to you that I loved you after I'd tried everything. I was lost from almost the first moment we met and felt so stupid for it. So then when you said what you did, I thought...I thought..." She backed off of him, the tears beginning to fall. Her ears were back and her tail dropped and she looked heartbroken and lost, but at least she'd finish saying her piece then, unlike him, she was going to stick around and let him accept or reject her properly before she left to lick her wounds. "It's always been you, Coalmask, I've never even looked at another tom in the same way. You're like...the other half of me. I think StarClan knew that and made it so we'd meet, but if this is too much for you...well know that while I'll fight to make it work I do have my limits. I love you, but I won't destroy myself trying to make you believe that. So just...please...stop leaving me behind. I want...to always be where you are." She braced herself, then moved forward again, lightly touching her nose to his like he'd done before and then backing away and dropping her head, feeling embarrassed and terrified and heartbroken. She didn't dare hope, she couldn't given how his family believed when it came to love. She didn't know if he'd reach back out for her or walk away again, and her poor heart almost couldn't take the waiting. It hurt, it all hurt so much. So she had to hope, despite herself, that he would choose her and not the rules of his family. Hellion Squirrelheart. NightClan. Warrior.

credit to nat of adoxography.

[Hellion]

H is fur bristled as she collided with him. He managed to right himself but with little success, she had used her weight and momentum to pin him down. Growling in annoyance rather then pain, Coalmask struggled for a moment. Until he saw the fury in Squirrelheart's eyes. Calming his own frustration enough to stop struggling to escape her. He accepted the current situation, for now. As her head touched his and their eyes locked, Coalmask willed himself to hold still. The desire to bolt away rising in his chest. Gifted with pale eyes like his father, Coalmask feared they would reflect all he tried to hide. Reveal to her the depths of his sadness. How difficult it had been for him to stay away. He wondered for a moment if she could see the longing hidden in his dim-hued eyes. Despite having given up and relented to have her upon him, Coalmask was met with such a fury of words. His ears pinned back and his paws moved to brace against her. Uncomfortable to say the least but he remained unable to find the strength to move her. He knew he had it, toms tended to outweigh she-cats and moons of perfecting his hunting skill made it his hindlegs stronger. Fully capable of kicking her off. His body, no his very soul, refused to raise a paw. Regardless of how angry and loud she had become. He could take her name-calling. He laid there and listened to her rant and rave. Anger between them was unusual and even in the heat of it, Coalmask found it difficult to return the aggression. Her soft words mixed in with the harsh left him with every little to decipher. It helped. He could take her loud and brandishing words. Coalmask understood honest and outright ways of communicating easier, granted he preferred not to pinned. While she had a point, he shouldn't have avoided her. Coalmask did not apologize for one of two reasons. He hadn't done anything wrong and Squirrleheart continued to talk. Leaving very little time for him to interject, not that he minded. The passion that seemed to have overcome her was the center point for the start of his affection. The fire in the cold night air. The confession that came from her, was of some surprise. His eyes widened to show just that. To learn from her that she wanted to walk by his side, That she too felt the same way, eased all unnamed pain in his chest. It was then he realized he too had caused some pain within the relationship. Upon hearing her say she felt the same for so long, Coalmask regretted taking so long to tell her. To think he almost backed out only added to the guilt brewing in his chest. He wanted to make things right, needed it to be okay again. The loss of her weight on him almost pained him. Like losing half of himself. Sitting up quickly, Coalmask wanted to rush forward to offer some comfort, but her words stopped him. Dead in his quarter-step. Her words stirred something in him, reminding him of why he confessed to her so many days ago. What she had to say was everything he ever wanted to hear from the she-cat he loved. Poor timing damned. The hurt they accumulated could be smoothed over with time, he had enough faith to believe in that. The profoundly gentle touch of her nose to his was enough to make him move. He had run away long enough. Closing the gap between them, Coalmask pressed against Squrrielheart. A deep purr filling his chest. He sat there beside her for a moment, then slumped to the ground, pulling her down with him. Cuddling together out in the open expanse of NightClan territory wasn't the smartest idea, Coalmask refused to worry about it. It matters more to him that Squirrelheart's pain was soothed before they trekked back to camp. Back to the public view of their relationship. He shifted slightly to sit up, it was his turn to have her looking up at him. The background of the stars offsetting the dim hue of his eyes. His expression quite serious, finally deciding to speak. "I want to promise you something, with the stars as my witness," His tail directed her attention for a brief moment to the stars shining brightly above them. While Coalmask remained unsure if StarClan had any powers, he felt they looked down upon those who had faith. He believed they would hear his promise and perhaps aid him in keeping it. " I promise to lay beside you when you are happy and share in your joy. I promise to hold you close when you are sad and help you carry the pain. I promise to stand beside you when you are threatened and protect you until my last breath. I can't promise that it will be easy to love me but I can promise to not add to the difficulty," He paused, pulling in a calming breath, his nerves making his heart pound. "I promise to put you first, above all others because I love you and you love me and that is all I'll ever need," As he spoke those final words, he closed the gap between them, pressing his nose to her nose. A heavy but contented sigh escaping him. His lungs filling with the new scent of home, of where his heart could finally belong. 924/Silver Coalmask. NightClan. Warrior.

credit to nat of adoxography.

[Silver]

S he could tell he was frustrated; she'd seen his fur bristling up as she'd tackled and pinned him and watched as he accepted his fate. He wouldn't hurt her, of that she was certain, but mostly she just wanted this to be over because just now her chest hurt so much from the uncertainty of it all it was getting harder to breathe. She could feel him bracing against her but he never pushed her away during her tirade and that gave her hope that somehow things would get better. She just...had to hold on that hope with all she had or she'd never recover from the heartbreak. His surprise at her returned confession soothed the ache in her chest a bit but didn't stop her from speaking her mind. This was Squirrelheart at her most vulnerable and this fool of a tom probably didn't even realize it. When she removed herself from him, she saw the pained expression in his gaze and returned it briefly before she'd backed away and continued to speak. He looked like he wanted to comfort her but was unsure of her welcome and she hated that she'd put that doubt there in him. Then it was her turn to be surprised, amber eyes going wide as Coalmask suddenly moved forward with the end of her tirade and pressed back up against her. She bristled and tensed for a moment, unsure of herself, then relaxed and accepted his touch; pressing herself closer to him in return. Then she let out a squeak of protest as he tipped himself over onto his side and pulled her down with him. Eventually he rose again and looked down at her; their positions now reversed from what they'd been before. She found that she didn't mind this in the least though because she'd finally begun to hope again. He looked so serious outlined in the starlight above him, and Squirrelheart didn't dare to breathe for fear of startling him out of the choice to speak. Yet he looked so serious and it wasn't an expression she was sure about from him. Then he began to speak and her ears perked forward to listen even as her shock again kept her silent. The longer he spoke the more gentle and tender her expression became as he promised her a lifetime even with it's trials and tribulations. And to hear him say he loved her made her heart sing and had her smiling up at him with an expression that said he was her entire world. She leaned upwards as his head dropped to touch noses with her, meeting him halfway and sealing their choice to stay together. Eventually she rose back to her feet then pressed back close to him, purring and happy even as she made a promise to him in return. "I know I'm too emotional for my own good sometimes, but I can promise you this. For so long as you'll let me I'll remain by your side. You'll never walk alone again and where we go we stand together. Or as you say, together or not at all. I love you too, and I promise you will always be my priority. Whatever comes our way, let's face it together just like we always have. That'll be enough for me." She leaned back to press their foreheads together, just breathing him in and letting him do the same. Her heart sang for the tom that had chosen to be her life's mate and she found she didn't regret one moment of what had happened before despite the pain it caused. It was all worth it for this moment now. They were a family and he was her's just like she was always and forever only his. Hellion Squirrelheart. NightClan. Warrior.

credit to nat of adoxography.