Not Too Bad
o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o
Yellowfang shifted in her nest, ears flattened against the whimpers of her new ward.
Nightmares; she had them, too, but... it wasn't as violent as Cinderpaw's, anyway.
Small, high-pitched whimpers filled the air and mumbled "nonononono"'s floated on the faint night winds.
Yellowfang sighed, burrowing her face into her nest for a moment before getting to her paws. Stumbling through the dim, the grey medicine cat made her way to the shaking, writhing apprentice.
"Wake up," Yellowfang grumbled. She bunted her flattened muzzle against a trembling shoulder, tail brushing over Cinderpaw's flank. "C'mon sweetest, wake up. Just a nightmare, it's not real."
Cinderpaw shot up like a bullet despite her leg, and Yellowfang's orange eyes softened when she spotted the despaired look on the grey feline's face.
"You... you died, and everybody died... then a monster got me... I'm scared," Cinderpaw babbled frantically. Yellowfang let out a quiet croon, lapping lightly at the younger cat's ears.
"I'm not going anywhere, toots. Nobody is," she murmured comfortingly between licks.
Cinderpaw smiled feebly at the attention, and Yellowfang slowly stopped her gestures to glance at the grey apprentice when Cinderpaw made a noise like she was about to say something. "Something you wanted to say, furball?"
"Can I, um, stay with you tonight? I don't like sleeping alone..." Cinderpaw whispered hesitently, blue eyes pleading. The elder cat sighed, nodding slowly. "Fine, Cinderpaw, you can stay with me. Just for tonight."
The feline brightened at that, purring like a motor. "Thank you, beau- Yellowfang."
The darker grey cat huffed, rolling her eyes. "Out with what pet name you've undoubtedly come up with."
"Beautiful," Cinderpaw mumbled bashfully. Yellowfang was startled for a moment, gaping. "Wha... what?"
Cinderpaw shuffled her paws, head bent. "Beautiful; 'cause you are, y'know?"
"I doubt that, toots. But if you insist on such delusions, then I'll let you." Yellowfang said, smiling lopsidedly. Cinderpaw laughed, jaws caught in a wide yawn.
Yellowfang smirked, padding towards her nest on tired limbs. "Come on then furball, time to sleep."
Cinderpaw limped after her mentor, and the two quickly found themselves situating themselves in the cozy, alibet cramped, nest.
Yellowfang shifted to the side of the nest, her larger frame curled around the outskirts of the nest. And of course, there was Cinderpaw snuggled up to her right in the center of the nest, paws already splayed around Yellowfang's neck and warm breath ghosting over her ear.
There was a sigh from the elder cat as she allowed the younger to curl up with her.
This wasn't so bad...