A gold-and-white cat slipped through the silent snowy forest. "Sweet?" The cat called, tailtip twitching anxiously. "Sweet, where are you?" They pricked their ears, then whirled around at the sound of a twig snapping.
"Flight! What are you doing here?" The newcomer, a calico, waded through the snow to touch noses with the golden feline.
"I- I was worried about you. You seemed scared the other night, I was just making sure Tango wasn't-" Flight began, but was cut off by the other.
"You shouldn't have come all this way in weather like this! What if you got sick?" She tried to reason.
"Sweet, you know I'd fight a bear for you. A little snow is nothing." Flight boasted, puffing out her chest.
"Maybe for you, but I'm freezing. Let's hurry up and find shelter, since someone got in a fight and is no longer allowed to visit the Warehouse." Sweet jokingly flicked her companion's chest with her tail.
"I didn't like the way he was looking at you..." She mumbled, following the other as they trotted into the forest.
As the two settled under a low-growing pine tree for the night, the snow picked up again. Flight shuffled her paws, watching Sweet get comfortable. The lithe calico pressed against the sandy cat for warmth, soon deeply asleep. Flight, on the other hand, couldn't manage to shut her eyes for more than a few heartbeats. There's so many bad things out there. What if I'm asleep and Sweet gets attacked? It'd be all my fault! Her thoughts were abruptly cut off as the cat next to her began quietly purring, as if she'd guessed her companion's thoughts were troubled.
Flight laid her head on her paws, wrapping her tail around the sleeping form next to her as a compromise to herself. The pale tabby watched through the branches as the snow fell, and was slowly lulled to sleep. Or, would have been, if a dark shape hadn't come streaking through the trees. Instantly, she was on her feet and nosing her way through the shelter into the cold air. "Hello?"
The figure slowed down to a trot, glancing around for the source of the sound. "Flight? Is that you?"
Flight relaxed visibly. "Coal, what are you doing out here? Shouldn't you be with Petal?"
Coal shrugged. "She dumped me. What are you doing here?" He shook his head. "Nevermind, you're visiting Sweet, aren't you."
"I-I was just worried about her, that's all!" She insisted defensively.
"Wasn't suggesting anything else." He said cooly, earning a huff from Flight, who padded back to the tree with the other in tow.
"I'll head off in the morning, I just need somewhere to spend the night." Coal stated, turning around a couple times before flopping down on the other side of the still-sleeping Sweet.
"No, you won't." Flight responded. "We're heading north, and you're coming with us."
"Says who?"
"Says me."
"Does Sweet know?"
Flight hesitated. "Not yet. But I don't want Tango anywhere near her. If he finds her again..." She trailed off.
Coal yawned. "We'll kick his butt. Now go to sleep, we leave in the morning." A few heartbeats pass. "Hey, what do you think of using they/them pronouns for me?"
"Sounds fine, you might have to remind me in the morning." Flight mumbled, half asleep.