Glory days(stormeh)

[♦ stormeh ♦]

Hazelbrook sighed as Shadehawk purred. She knew he was forcing it, but she also knew that he didn't want her to be upset. They both didn't want anyone to be upset, so she decided to say nothing more and simply follow her mate into camp. A few cats cast them suspicious glances, but she simply walked on without saying a word to them. Trying to explain what happened would only stir up trouble.

As they entered the warriors' den, Hazelbrook was relieved that no one else was there. She watched as her mate collapsed into his nest and she herself let out a yawn. After everything that had happened, you could say that she was exhausted, as well. Blinking a few times so her eyes could adjust to the darkness, she padded forwards and climbed into the nest beside Shadehawk, curling up beside him. His pelt was still wet so she started to groom itm hoping that she could warm his body.

If only Shadehawk's reassuring words were true. She knew, deep down, that he would remain sullen for a few days - at least. It would take the same amount of time for her Clan to forget about Shadeclaw's death, if not longer. But as long as he didn't go out on any patrols or pushed himself to do things that would only make him feel worse, she wouldn't worry as much.

"I know, but I wasn't the one who jumped into the river. I'll have to go on other patrols tomorrow," she sighed, pausing to look at Shadehawk's face to see if she could catch any other emotions there besides shame and a forced smile. "I just... I worry about you," she mewed softly, wondering how she'd ever be able to hunt when her mind would be on Shadehawk the whole time.

[starstruck]

Shadehawk rasped a purr at the she-cats comment about not jumping into the river."I did learn that I am not from Riverclan and I assure you I won't be jumping in again any time soon," he mewed. He shortly after let out a purr thanking the she-cat for grooming him. He had to admit his fur was messy from his leap of glory."Oh what would i do without you Hazelbrook. My fur would be messy, I would be your average tom."[ He joked trying to lighten the mood a bit. He knew she worried about him and he worried about her but it was a natural emotion. There was nothing he could do, there was nothing she could do. That was life.

"Part of me is thankful that yo worry about me though Hazelbrook. It shows you care." Shadehawk could sense the glares through the lichen but there wasn't anything he could do. He simply sighed while his mate continued to keep him warm through his wet fur."I promise Ill visit the medicine cat tomorrow. To make sure I don't have a cold. Who knows maybe they will tell me i'm part Riverclan after all." He mewed with a small hint of amusement in his tone.

[♦ stormeh ♦]

Hazelbrook rolled her eyes and let out a purr of amusement. "Oh, stop it! It's not funny!" she meowed with a frown on her face, trying to hide the amusement in her eyes. How could Shadehawk joke about risking his life? But then again, he didn't mean it, and Hazelbrook knew that. He was only trying to lighten the atmosphere a bit.

Her eyes filled with warmth at his words. She leaned forwards and gently touched noses with her mate for a heartbeat before pulling back to look into his eyes. "Of course, I care about you." she meowed, gazing at him for a moment longer before returning to grooming his pelt. It was somewhat drier now, but even still, rasping her tongue against his fur in a slow, relaxed motion calmed her.

At his joke, she sighed with a smile. There he goes with his jokes, again. But at least he was considering going to see someone who could heal him. "Well, at least for once you're actually thinking about your own health," she purred, twining her tail with his. He risked his life once before, saving hers from a terrorfying hawk a quarter-moon ago, and now he risked it again by trying to save Shadeclaw. If only he would stop doing things without thinking about it first, then maybe Hazelbrook wouldn't always have to wonder if he was alright and not lying around dead somewhere.

[starstruck]

Shadehawk frowned. He didn't mean to upset her but he had to lighten the mood. The somber surroundings were honestly starting to irritate him. However, Shadehawk had to admit he had gotten himself into a great deal of trouble this past moon. He got into a fight with a hawk, almost fought his own clan mate, then of course that same clan mate had to experiment with raging waters, and shadehawk was dumb enough to risk his own life for a cat he didn't like. He let out a sight no wonder why Hazelbrook worried about him so much. He was always getting into trouble. he was like a kit. It was almost as if he went looking for trouble."I can see why you worry about me Hazelbrook. I'm not the safest cat around. Trouble just seems to find me, or perhaps....I go out looking for it."

If only they hadn't gone on that patrol. None of this would have happened. He sighed and looked out of the den. Some of the warriors were pressing their noses into the fur of Shadeclaw. However, surprisingly enough, not many made rude remarks. Some had unseasy stares but that was all. It seemed most believe Shadehawks story which was nice."Of course I'm thinking about my own health. I want to get back up on my paws again. I love patrolling and being a warrior. I don't like staying in the nest all day. I'll go to the medicine cat while you are on a patrol tomorrow. I'll take some feverfew for the chills and maybe some poppy seeds for the pain and to help me sleep to get over this mess. I'm sure it won't take too long to get me back on my paws." Shadehawk mewed.

[♦ stormeh ♦]

Hazelbrook felt a bit uneasy for a heartbeat when Shadehawk frowned, but she pushed it away. If he really meant it, then there was nothing to worry about. She let out a mrrow of laughter at his remark. "Either way, as long as you're safe," she purred in amusement. By now, Shadehawk's pelt was dry and his fur was fluffed up.

It was no wonder that Shadehawk took his warrior duties so seriously. After everything he'd done, it was obvious that the warrior code meant alot to him, which was overall, impressing. The tom was more loyal than any other warrior in the Clan (in Hazelbrook's opinion). It also made her feel more relaxed when Shadehawk had a plan - for once. Knowing what he would do and when he would do it made Hazelbrook sure that he wouldn't get into any trouble.

"Since when did you learn which herbs are which?" she asked, raising a brow in a questioning expression. "You know, I don't think we can be mates if you become a medicine cat," she joked, a warm gleam in her eye. If only things were always so relaxed and comforting, like how Hazelbrook was when she lay beside her mate. She knew that whatever happened, she and Shadehawk would have a happy life together.

[starstruck]

Shadehawk let out a mroww of laughter when Hazelbrook said they couldn't be mates any longer if he became a medicne cat."I don't plan on becomming a medicine cat any time soon Hazelbrook, but you would be surprised how often i'm actually in there. When you are in that den a lot you would learn a lot too." he mewed. It was true he did learn while he was on there. He was also in there almost every day as an apprentice. That's how much trouble he managed to get himself into. Shadehawk closed his eyes for just a moment. WHen he was an apprentice things were much easier. Easier than they were now.

He wriggled his nose and opened his eyes again and looked at Hazelbrook."I know you worry Hazelbrook, but I want to make things less stressful for you. Normally I wouldn't go to the medicine cat and just shrug things off, but I want to get back to my duties again, and I also want to be able to spend more time with you outside of the den." he mewed."I love spending time with you Hazelbrook. I could spend my entire day with you if Hawkstar would let me."

[♦ stormeh ♦]

Hazelbrook blinked in agreement. She wasn't very fond of herbs, but if she was ever sick - or if Shadehawk was - it wouldn't be a bad idea to learn the basics. She began to appeal to the thought the more she debated on it, and after a heartbeat she reminded herelf that she was in the middle of a conversation with her mate.

His words warmed her heart, and she nuzzled his cheek. So would I, but today you don't have to be alone," she purred softly, her eyes glowing with care. "Well, that is, after I ask Hawkstar. But i'm sure he wouldn't mind, especially after everything that happened today," she winced at the last part. Memories of Shadeclaw being tossed around in the churning waters made her stomach drop.

Attempting to push the dead tom out of her mind, she snuggled closer to Shadehawk and rested her head on his shoulder. "Too many thing are happening at once," she sighed, her voice sounding distant for a moment. She was referring to how they had been attacked by a hawk, and then the whole river dilemna with Shadeclaw. But she almost forgot about the one thing that had made her happier than she'd ever been before.

"But I'm glad you happened - no, I'm glad us happened," she mewed, burying her nose in his thick, warm fur. Now that she had Shadehawk, she would never feel sad or stressed ever again. But that wasn't why she loved him; she loved him for him. With an amused smile, she mewed, "I always thought of you as a tough and that you didn't like to talk to anyone," She continued, "but you're so much more than that."

[starstruck]

"I always thought of you as a tough and that you didn't like to talk to anyone," She continued, "but you're so much more than that. Shadehawk flicked his ears listening to the she-cat talk. He was glad that she saw past his hard shell. Not many cats ever truly got a chance to break that shell anyways. He always kept is shell closed and locked up until he met Hazelbrook. The tom just nodded his head and twitched his whiskers. There was so much he wanted to say in response.

"Well Hazelbrook." he began. It was always the best way to begin things. It wasn't a bad start but it wasn't the perfect start either."I'm glad we happened too, I would still be this tom that everyone thought only cared about being a deputy one day and not talking to anyone. Cats have quickly learned that I have a breakable shell. I'm glad I opened up to you for us to happen." he mewed.

That was a good response for the first portion of her words. Shadehawk twitched his whiskers and let out a warn loving purr and touched his nose into the she-cats flank. He took in her scent and just melted away. He cared about her so much."I'm glad you can see who I truly am hazelbrook because i'm afraid that no one else really can...."

[♦ stormeh ♦]

Hazelbrook felt her heart flutter with warmth. Only StarClan knew how she managed to see past Shadehawk's though "shell", but it didn't matter, anyhow. As long as they were together, nothing mattered. Resisting the temptation to fall asleep then and there, instead, she blinked her eyes a few times in an attempt to push the drowsiness out of them. Shadehawk's words, however, was the only thing that was really keeping her awake. She didn't want to miss a single word that came out of his mouth.

Hazelbrook felt a wave of sympathy for her mate, and she frowned. "I can. Isn't that enough? You don't need the entire Clan to understand what you do and why you do it," she tried to encourage him, rasping her tongue across his shoulder in hopes of reassuring her. But why hadn't he told her about this before? She would've liked to talk about it with him. "You know that you can always talk to me about anything," she mewed softly, looking up at him with a hint of concern gleaming in her hazel-colored eyes.

If Shadehawk gave someone a chance, like he had done with her, maybe he could've made friends among his own Clan. But Hazelbrook didn't have the right to make him do things he didn't want to do. However, she was going to support his decisions through thick or thin, no matter what. Hazelbrook hoped that he would give being social one try, at least. But in the back of her mind, she knew that talking to other cats didn't appeal to him very much. And falling in love with him didn't really help her confusion. But, ultimately, it was his choice.

[starstruck]

You know that you can always talk to me about anything,
Shadehawk looked at his mate and just nodded. He would tell her everything. He didn't have anything else on his mind. At least for now."And I will always tell you everything Hazelbrook. I will tell you how I'm feeling. Right now I'm a bit uptight as to how the clan will react. I know they won't hate me, but part of me still thinks I could have done better, but i'm trying to look at things in a more positive way. I will also tell you that I care about you very much and i will never leave your side Hazelbrook." the tom mewed. Shadehawk could honestly say that he was in love with the beautiful cat in front of him.

[♦ stormeh ♦]

Hazelbrook smiled up at her mate, relaxing a bit. Even after so much tension and pressure that had been forced onto her delicate shoulders, Shadehawk always knew how to make her feel better. "Don't let them get to your head. And you did the best you could, and I'm proud of you, but you shouldn't let anybody bother you about this," she mewed gently, shifting so that she was close enough to press her flank against his. "And you should," she added when he mentioned looking at things in a more positive way.

Resting her head on his shoulder, she let out a content breath, despite the events that had occured that day. "Don't worry. Things will get better, you'll see," she murmured, for a heartbeat, her voice sounding ghost-like. Reflecting on everything that had happened so far, Hazelbrook concluded, with a soft purr, that her future with Shadehawk would be brighter than the sun. For some reason, the conversation she and Shadehawk had had the other day about having kits. But as she thought more about it, she realized that she actually might want kits.

After seeing her mate almost drown that day, Hazelbrook realized how much she didn't want to lose Shadehawk. The pain of losing her father had been the worst thing that ever happened to her, but losing Shadehawk would leave such a scar on her life that she would never be able to recover from the same state of depression that she had gone through when Stonebrook died. How would she ever be able to bear the loss of another cat she held so dearly to her heart?

Having kits with the tom she loved would make their bond much stronger than it already was, but it would also put stress on their relationship. But it didn't matter, did it? They both loved each other, and they hardly fought. Maybe it's too early for that, she argued with herself. But then again, Shadehawk did start the subject, so surely it wasn't? But even if it was or was not, it all depended on how he would react to her sudden change of mind. I'll never know if I don't try.

Hazelbrook took a deep breath in before turning and looking up at Shadehawk, right into his eyes. She held his gaze for a moment, hesitating, but she finally managed to form words. "Shadehawk... I... I-I think I want to start a family," she whispered, almost inaudibly. Her eyes flickered toward the ground for a moment, but she forced herself to look back at her mate, flushinghalf out of embarrassment, and half out of nervousness. The worst thing that could happen would be him telling her that it was too early, or he didn't want to, or...

[starstruck]

Shadehawks heart skipped a beat. He didn't know what to say or do. He didn't want to jump for joy but he didn't want to conceal excitement either. His jaw dropped slightly yet no words fell out of the toms mouth. This was going to be a good day. He wanted a family and he was excited. He started picking out names in his mind which he knew was foolish since they weren't born yet and it was just a conversation. It didn't mean that the kits would actually happen as much as he wanted it too.

"I would stay with you kits or no kits Hazelbrook, I would love to start a family with you." the tom mewed. He nosed her flank. If Shadehawk had male friends, he would have ran out of the den yelling at the top of his lungs about the good news. Instead his claws kneaded the ground with excitement. He let out a warm purr. A loud rumble vibrated in the back of his throat. He probably couldn't purr louder even if he wanted too.

Shadehawk looked at Hazelbrook with a sparkle in his eye. He suddenly got a lot of energy. If Hazelbrook had kits they would have a wonderful personality and maybe inherit his skills. He didn't want a cat to have his personality it was so dull and dry. His eyes wandered off of the she-cat and into the future. KITS!!! he wanted to yell to Hawkstar but knew that wouldn't be a smart choice. Not after today.

"Just make sure it's what you really want, but know that I will be there every step of the way." he mewed. Secretly the tom wanted to have kits but he wasn't going to push the topic on the she-cat. He already tried once, if it was what she wanted then it would happen. Secretly, Shadehawk wanted to be a father, and perhaps it would soften his thick shell.

[♦ stormeh ♦]

Half of Hazelbrook waited for Shadehawk's disapproval, and the other half hoped that he would say yes to starting a family with her. When his jaw dropped, she felt almost certain that he was more shocked than happy. The suspense was killing her, and she was about to tell him to forget about it, until he spoke and nosed her flank. Her eyes instantly brightened and she looked up at him with conflicting emotions on her face.

"Oh, Shadehawk," she purred happily, burying her nose into his fur and closing her eyes, letting his warm, familiar scent wash over her. Her body protested when she pulled away from the safety of Shadehawk's fur. Looking up at him again, she swallowed hard. "D-do you really mean it?" she breathed, ears pricked tall and gaze full of anticipation and joy. Having kits with Shadehawk would be so wonderful!

Hazelbrook would become a mother, and Shadehawk would become a father of beautiful kittens. Stonebrook would've wanted to meet Shadehawk, she suddenly thought, bittersweet memories of her father flashing through her mind for a heartbeat. He would've wanted to meet our kits. Looking up at the roof of the den for a moment, she wondered if she was doing the right thing. Falling in love with Shadehawk... deciding to start a family with him... would Stonebrook have wanted that?

No, it's not about what Stonebrook wants. It's what me and Shadehawk want for our and our kits' futures. she told herself briskly. Besides, Hazelbrook knew deep down that Stonebrook would've been proud of her. Returning to her current surroundings, the calico she-cat felt her heart warm when she reminisced the fact that she had a mate, and a soon-to-be family. "This is what I want, Shadehawk," she purred softly, before gently brushing her muzzle against his. "Nothing more."

[starstruck]

Shadehawk let out a warrm large purr that echoed in the warriors den. He was more than positive other cats even outside of the warriors den would be able to hear it. He started thinking of names he liked in his head. Hazelkit after the beautiful mother,Skykit,Brookkit,Bearkit,Thornkit....The names started popping in one right after the other. He suddenly thought about something. What if they had a huge family. He would have a lot of looking over to do. Being a parent would be wonderful but he secretly hoped she didn't have more than 4 or 5 when it happened. He could only imagine a litter of or 8.

Shadehawk thought about something."Hazelbrook." he started. He thought back to her father and couldn't help but note the remarkable warriors courage and strength."I would want to name one Stonekit. I just hope one looks like your father so that I may do so when the time comes. I know a piece of you still grieves, and I want to put the grievances at ease if I can. I know Stonebrook watches you from Starclan and that he is proud of his lovely daughter." he mewed.

[♦ stormeh ♦]

Hazelbrook's eyes widened. They clouded, but not from grief, but instead, from happiness. Naming one of their kits after her father would make her, and maybe even Stonebrook himself, more than happy. For a heartbeat, she wondered what her father would say if he was still alive. Probably something about how he'd become a grandfather. The thought made her smile.

"I'd love that," she purred softly, holding Shadehawk's gaze for a long time. Already, she began to think about what their kits would look like, and which types of personalities they'll inherit. Maybe if they had a tom, they would grow up to be strong and independent like Shadehawk, or if they had a she-cat, she could have her personality and calico fur. And if they had a tom who looked like Stonebrook... Hazelbrook hoped that he would have the same courage and kindness like her father had.

How wonderful it would be, to have kits to take care of, and to have nice conversations with the other queens in the nursery. Maybe, Hazelbrook was overthinking things a bit, but that wasn't necessarily a bad thing, was it? All queens did the same, surely. The calico she-cat couldn't help but let out a loud purr. Shadehawk must feel the same way, even if he wasn't going to be the queen, in this case. The thought of Shadehawk becomming a queen caused a mrrow of laughter escape her throat.