Okey-dokie! First story! This was a fun thing to write. I hope you enjoy reading it just as much!
Disclaimer: This story is a non-profit, fan-based story. Warriors and all things affiliated with it belong to the Erin Hunters-Kate Cary, Cherith Baldry, Tui Sutherland, Gillian Philip, Inbali Iserles, and Victoria Holmes. Please support the official release.
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Watson hadn't always been a housecat. Sometimes he looked back on his days as a proud warrior of the wilds, back when he was still Rushclaw. Back before he met Lucky. He hadn't meant to befriend that kittypet. At the time, Lucky had just been so entertaining that Rushclaw didn't really want to kill or chase him out. But Lucky just had a way of pulling cats in and making them his friends. And that was what they were. For a time. Then had come the strange feelings he would get in his stomach whenever he saw Lucky. Rushclaw hadn't realized what this meant at the time, but he would later hate himself for being so stupid. He had fallen in love with a very male kittypet. When Rushclaw finally did debunk his feelings, it took him even longer to tell Lucky. Well. It wasn't actually him telling Lucky, and more Lucky telling him. Oh, how happy that day was. But they couldn't quite figure out what to do after that. Rushclaw loved his clanmates with all of his heart, but he loved Lucky just about as much. But in the end, Rushclaw realized that Lucky would be very unhappy in his Clan, with all the codes and hunting and the /fighting/. Lucky was too much of a pacifist to ever be able to willingly cause bloodshed. So he decided that in the night he would sneak away from the cats he had spent his entire lives with and never return.
Lucky's housefolk were surprisingly okay with letting another cat live with them. The baths were very unpleasant though. That was one of the first things they did to Rushclaw, after feeding him. And besides that, the newly renamed Watson's life was perfect with Lucky and his housefolk.
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When Lucky's housefolk left that day, he hadn't thought anything about it. They often did that, they would all go out together and come back with a bunch of new housefolk things. However when they came back, they came back with a box. At first, Lucky didn't think anything of the box.
Then he heard a meow. His ears swiveled back and-yes! There it was again! The box was meowing! He lifted his head from where it rested against Watson's back, and turned to see the box again. It was open, and one of his housefolk had lifted a little black tabby kitten. Another Brown spotted kitten poked its head out only seconds afterward. Excitement flooded through Lucky. Kittens! he nudged Watson, who let out a grumble at being woken.
"What is it?" Watson asked, his irritation shining through in his voice.
"Kittens!" This got Watson's attention. He turned towards the housefolk who were bringing both kittens toward them. Lucky felt Watson begin to bristle underneath him. "There's no need to be nervous, Watson," Lucky murmured. "They're just kittens." The two kittens were set down in front of them. The black one was the first to approach.
"Who are you?" he asked in a quiet voice.
"My name's Lucky! And this furball is Watson." Lucky stated happily, before standing and going over to the black kitten.
"Who are you?" The black kitten-a tom-gave Lucky a look.
"I'm Leo." He mewed. " The one behind me is Aries." The spotted kitten jumped slightly at being addressed.
"Um... H-hello.." Aries-a she-kit, Lucky realized-meowed quietly. Lucky's features softened. These kittens were obviously scared at being put into a completely new environment-just as he had, and just as Watson had.
"Want me to show you around?" Lucky asked. Leo looked at him skeptically, but Aries gave him a shaky nod. Lucky turned and made sure to step on Watson as he began his tour of the house. Things in this house just got a lot more interesting.
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Watson had hated the new additions to their house at first. But Lucky was absolutely in love with the idea of having kittens around-possibly because they could never have their own-so Watson was willing to tolerate them. But sometimes Aries would accidentally fall asleep beside him and Lucky, or Leo would start 'hunting' his tail, and he would get this feeling in his chest. And then something happened to finalize that feeling. Aries got sick. Very sick. The housefolk took her away, and when they returned, Aries was not with them. Lucky was heart-broken. So was Leo. And Watson had felt a sadness grip him in a similar way as to when his father had passed away.
Not a week later-while they were still in mourning-their housefolk entered their home, carrying a very not-dead and not-sick Aries. The reunion was joyous, and it was then that Watson realized that he wanted to get as close as he could to these kits before something did happen to them.
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Leo had just made the gravest mistake of his life. His eyes were wide, and his muscles tensed-prepared to bolt. Watson was staring at him with a dumbstruck look on his face, while he could feel the waves of happiness and excitement rolling off of Lucky.
"Did he just-" Watson started.
"He did!" Lucky answered, almost yelling with excitement. "He called you father!" Leo felt himself grow hot with embarrassment.
Watson had asked him where he had been all day-running around outside, of course-and he had /meant/ to say 'Watson', but then it had slipped out and he had grumbled "Nowhere, Father."
Lucky had run out of the room yelling, "WE'RE DADS!" And Leo tried to flatten himself against the ground. He knew that Lucky would react like that, but Watson-
"If that's what you want us to be to you, it's perfectly fine." Wait. What? Really? "Sure kit." Oh. Did he say that out loud? "Yes, you did." Leo stopped himself. Did Watson just give him permission to call him father? "S-so I can call you and Lucky Father?" Leo asked cautiously, testing the waters. Watson made a shrugging motion.
"Or Dad. Or Papa. Lucky called his father that. Whatever keeps you happy." He said before laying back down.
"Alright then... Dad." Leo heard Lucky letting out a sound that he wasn't sure was healthy to make, and settled himself down beside his 'Dad'.
(Aries would eventually catch on as well, after much reassurances that it was okay.)
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Watson hated talking about his past. It made him incredibly depressed. Lucky knew this. Their kittens(Lucky still always smiled at this thought) did not. So when Leo and Aries asked about how Lucky grew up, he knew it was only time before they did the same to Watson.
"How did you meet Papa?" Lucky was not prepared for /that/ question to be assaulted on Watson.
Watson gave Aries a look. Maybe he wouldn't have answered the question if it had been Leo who asked it, but Aries had a delicate heart and mind, and was the runt of her litter, so she always tended to be hurt by little things.
"He tried to steal my food, so I attacked him. He didn't even fight back either, just made this pathetic little sound and I couldn't fight him anymore." Well that was vague. Good on him.
"Then you didn't always live together?" Oh boy, here was the kicker. Watson tensed slightly.
"No." Lucky prepared himself for the question he knew Aries was about to ask.
"Then where did you live before?" Lucky could practically feel the feeling of sadness that swept over his significant other, and had to restrain himself from just running to Watson and whispering soothing words in his ears.
"I lived in the woods. By a different name as well. Back then, I was Rushclaw." Aries had become enraptured enough that she wouldn't notice the sadness in him.
"That name sounds scary." Aries whispered in awe. Watson let out a dry laugh.
"It was. I was." Watson looked down. "The cats in the forest aren't all like me. Not all will spare cats who enter their territory. Which is why you should never go into the forest. Can you do that for me, Aries?" Aries looked at him with wide eyes, and slowly nodded. It was then that Lucky noticed Leo in the doorway. Lucky gave his son a stern look, and Leo nodded. Lucky relaxed, before turning back to Watson and Aries. Watson was now telling her an embarrassing story of Lucky's. Lucky played his part, but was just thankful that they had moved away from that topic. It had taught both of his kits a valuable lesson, though. Don't go into the woods. Oh, if only Lucky had hammered that into their heads more.
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Aw man! That was fun! Also really tiring. Next chapter will be the allegiances. And after that well, look for foreshadowing. I ll try to update by next week!