Hazelstep yawned tiredly as she curled up in her nest in the elders den. She had just recently moved in a few days ago after her mate had died in a battle. They were going to move in on this day, but now that would never happen. Wrapping her tail around her side, the light brown she cat closed her eyes and thought back to the time when she and her mate were just kits, to the time when they had their own, and every moment in between.
•°•°•°•°
"Hazelkit!" Featherkit called. The young five moon old tom crashed into the younger three moon old Hazelkit. "I found you!"
"Get off me, you big lump!" The light brown she-kit grunted as she struggled to get out from underneath the black tom. "You're squishing me!"
Featherkit laughed as je remained on top of Hazelkit. "I know." he mewed with an obvious smile.
Letting out a grunt, Hazelkit ceased her struggles. Flopping her head on to the ground, she let out a soft growl. "I hate you." she grumbled to the older kit.
"Aw! How sweet!"
"Oh, just shut up and get off before I kill you!"
"You can't kill me if I'm sitting on you, silly!" Featherkit said with the scratch of an ear.
"Fine!" Heatherkit exclaimed. "I'll kill you once you get off me!" She floundered some more.
The black kit purred and shifted, getting comfortable on the light brown she-kit. "Then I guess I'll never get off of you."
•°•°•°•°
Hazelstep let out a soft chuckle at that memory. She wasn't sure why that specific one came up, but she wasn't complaining. It was her favorite one with her mate, when she had thought of him as the extremely annoying older kit who always tried to play with her. Those were the good days, weren't they?... She thought to herself.
She sighed as she thought of a memory from their apprenticeship.
•°•°•°•°
"Hazelpaw..." A voice said as a paw prodded her. "Haaazzzeeelllppppaaawwww..."
Hazelpaw groaned and rolled over in her nest. She opened a single eye and peered at the black tom who was trying to wake her up. "Go away, Featherpaw."
The older apprentice just shrugged. "Okay. Miss the gathering if you want to. Makes one less annoying cat there."
"Annoying?" Hazelpaw seethed as she lept up in her nest. "And look at who's talking! You're the annoying one! Why, you're al-..." She stopped short as she saw his tail twitching in amusement and chest shaking with contained laughter. "Just what are you laughing at now?" she demanded.
"You." Featherpaw stated simply before padding out of the den.
Letting out a growl of frustration, Hazelpaw bounded after him. Once out of the den, she saw him sitting next to the group, smirking at her. Letting out a soft growl, the light brown she-cat pounced on him. "Take it back!" she demanded.
Featherpaw flicked an ear. "Take what back?" He asked innocently.
"You... You... You laughing at me!"
"Ah... Now dear, what's been done is done. Now get off of me."
"Not until you take it back." Hazelpaw insisted.
"Ah... Very well then. You leave me no choice." Hazelpaw was momentarily confused by his words until she froze as a tongue passed over her muzzle.
"Ew!" Hazelpaw exclaimed, jumping back and off of Featherpaw. She heard the black tom laughing as he pelted off and out of camp, dodging past the leader.
"I'm never taking it back!" he shouted over his shoulder. "Nor am I taking that back either!"
•°•°•°•°
Hazelstep laughed at that one. She remembered at that time that she had thought that the annoying black ball of fur had feelings for her, and it was only several moons after her warrior ceremony that he had finally told her so.
•°•°•°•°
"Featherfall..." Hazelstep mewed around a squirrel. The black warrior looked up at her, whiskers twitching as he flicked tiny bits of mouse off of them.
"Yes, Hazelstep?" He asked. "What is it?"
She nodded towards the empty spot next to him. "Would you mind if I sat down next to you?"
"I don't mind at all." the black warrior purred. "Do you want some mouse, too?"
"Yes please." The she-cat replied as she settled down next to her clan mate. "Want some squirrel as well?"
"Don't mind if I do!" The black tom mewed as he passed the remains of his mouse to Hazelstep and she passed him her squirrel.
They sat there for awhile, eating each other's prey. They listened to the clan life around them, occasionally laughing at a two cats who were oblivious of the other liking them. They joked around for a bit, until Featherfall fell completely silent.
Hazelstep noticed this and she looked at him questioningly. "What's wrong, Featherfall?"
He looked hesitant before he replied. "Hazelstep... Do you... like me?"
The light brown she-cats whiskers twitched in surprise by his question. "Of course I like you." She replied bluntly without even thinking about it.
Featherfall flinched visibly, as though he had been stricken by a blow from his mother as a kit. "I mean... Like... More than a friend."
Hazelstep's tail flicked. She thought over his question. Do I like him as more than just a friend...? She thought, and before she could stop herself, she replied with a "Yes," and she didn't follow it up with anything else, because deep down, she knew that she did like Featherfall as more than just a friend, even if he was really annoying. "I do like you as more than just a friend."
"Really?" The black tom exclaimed, ears flicking up in surprise. "But..."
Hazelstep shook her head. "That was before. And, secretly, I enjoyed having you around, you annoying ball of fur." She batted at his ears, making him laugh. When she stopped, he rolled back into a crouching position.
"Do you... Possibly... Would you like to be my mate?" He asked hesitantly.
Hazelstep couldn't stop the purr that rose up in her throat. "I would love to be your mate, Featherfall."
•°•°•°•°
Hazelstep sighed and opened her eyes, blinking them against the dark until her eyes adjusted to the lack of light. Peering up through a hole in the roof of the elders den, she looked out at the stars above. I miss you, Featherfall. She thought. A star blazed brighter and she knew that her dead mate had heard her. Letting out a soft purr, she laid her head back down on her paws, still looking at the star of her mate.
I'll be with you soon, my love. The elderly light brown she cat thought before drifting off to sleep.