I Can't Help Falling in Love With You - Chapter 1
Welcome to my newest fanfiction.
I apologize in advance, and that is all I have to say.
I don't own Warriors.
"Can't Help Falling in Love" by Elvis Presley
Wise men say only fools rush in
but I can't help falling in love with you
Shall I stay
would it be a sin
If I can't help falling in love with you
Like a river flows surely to the sea
Darling so it goes
some things are meant to be
take my hand, take my whole life too
for I can't help falling in love with you
Like a river flows surely to the sea
Darling so it goes
some things are meant to be
take my hand, take my whole life too
for I can't help falling in love with you
for I can't help falling in love with you
Characters
Karina – pretty cream-colored she-cat with brown ears, paws, and tail-tip. Her eyes are a clear, sapphire color. She is a housecat
Davis – large, broad-shouldered, lean, light brown tabby tomcat with darker stripes. His eyes are a dark, smoldering emerald-green. He is a wild cat.
Nerissa – beautiful, slender ginger tabby she-cat. Her eyes are a bright blue, and she has a white underbelly, chest, paws, tail-tip, and muzzle. She is a housecat.
Georgie – dark brown tabby tom with distinctive pale yellow eyes. He is a housecat.
Milo - small light gray tabby tomcat with pale blue eyes. He is a wild cat; best friend of Davis
Chapter 1
When They Met
"C'mon, you never do anything fun," Nerissa teased as she leapt off the fence, and down into the next yard. Karina followed, but with less enthusiasm. Ever since they had met, Nerissa had been trying to get her to go out more, and meet other cats. "Be sociable," as the ginger she-cat had once phrased it. Karina knew that her friend, and next-door neighbor meant well, but there were certain things that she just didn't care to do, and socializing was one of them.
Karina was not good at talking to others. Even when she was a kitten, she never played well with others. She was the type that preferred to go off on her own in the garden. She liked to watch ants crawl around on the patio, or watch a honey bee pollinate the flowers. And, every now and then if she was lucky, a butterfly would flutter into her path. She could watch those little insects for hours if she could. They were so small – so insignificant in the grand scheme of things, and yet they always intrigued her. Even now she spent most of her time lounging around in the garden of her new abode, watching life go on the microscopic world under her paws. That was what she enjoyed to do – that was her favorite pastime. It wasn't going out, or conversing with other members of her species. That was just downright insane.
Karina followed her through the backyard. She made sure to keep close to Nerissa so she didn't get lost, but stayed just far enough behind, and dragged her paws just long enough to show her displeasure with the entire affair. "I just don't understand the point," she grumbled. "Why is my social life so important to you?"
"Because," Nerissa responded. She burst into a run and headed toward the fence on the opposite side of the yard. When she was just a few tail-lengths from the base, she leapt – it was a mighty leap for such an unfit housecat – and she landed on the top. The fence shook under her sudden weight, but steadied quickly. "I have nothing better to do, so I've decided to make you my new project."
"Fantastic," Karina muttered. She copied Nerissa's movements and ended up on the fence top beside her. "Why me? Why not go try to fix up Airi's life down the street? I heard she's been having some self-esteem issues ever since she went to the vet. Go fix her life up, and leave mine alone."
Nerissa let out a soft purr of laughter. "Oh, Karina!" she giggled, descending into the next yard. This one had a small koi pond in the center with a tiny waterfall. The steady, reassuring trickle of water somehow managed to soothe some of Karina's nerves. It also made her thirsty. She shook her head, and let out a low growl. None of this was fair. She followed Nerissa, just in time to hear her friend say, "Airi isn't antisocial like you—"
Karina then interjected with: "I am not antisocial!"
Only to be cut off with: "She can fix her own problems. Now hurry up, or we'll be late!"
There are tales of housecats venturing into the forest, seeking out adventures beyond their wildest dreams. Some would listen to these and think: "What is wrong with them? Why would they want to give up their soft, easy life for a life alone in the wilderness?" The truth is, the life of a housecat is extremely boring. Karina agreed with this statement, perhaps more than anyone. Every day was the same: she would wake up in her nest, eat some of the dried out pellets her housefolk always leave out for her munch on, cry at the door for one of her housefolk to let her out into the garden, hang out there for a while, maybe go say hi to Nerissa, go back to the door and cry for one of the housefolk to let her in, play with one of her cat toys, look to see if that pesky red dot was anywhere to be found, and eat dinner which was composed of that glorious wet food the housefolk brought down from the cupboards, and then go to sleep, only to repeat it all again the next day.
Her life was boring.
Monotonous.
Uneventful.
Lackluster.
Karina, long ago, had come to simply accept this fact. She knew that there was nothing she could do about it – she was a housecat. She was born a housecat, and she would most likely die a housecat. She could always run off – go into the forest, like most of the other cats in the town talked about. But then what? She didn't know how to hunt. She couldn't exactly defend herself, if she needed to. So what would be the point? Live in the wild and starve to death, or get killed by some monster? Or stay at home and die slowly of old age?
Sometimes, Karina didn't know what she would prefer. At least if she died in the forest, it would be an exciting death. Unless it was starvation. Then it would just be awful . . . and pathetic.
While most of the housecats dreamed of going into the forest, they seldom did. Mostly, they just sat around and talked about it. In fact, apparently, this topic was worthy of so much debate, that cats began meeting every half-moon to talk about it, supposedly. They all spread the word saying: "There's a group that going to go into the forest! They're going to go out there, and live their own lives! They'll take anyone that wants to go! Tell everyone!" At first, the news spread like wildfire. Cats joined these bimonthly meetings like they were going out of style.
However, the craze died down – as it always does. The actual . . . "escape" as some called it, was never performed. However, the cats still met every half-moon. It wasn't so much as to discuss where to go, or how to survive, but just for idle chitchat. Nerissa had gone so far as to call it a "get-together", and even once when she was in a bold mood, a "party".
Nerissa had been trying for months to try to bring Karina to one of these meetings, but to no avail. The only reason Karina had agreed to go that evening was because Nerissa said that there were going to be new cats there. "Georgie said that he knew some wild cats, and that he was going to invite them to come – to talk to cats to try to tell them about life in the forest."
"Georgie would tell you that he knows your great-great-grandfather that's been dead for fifteen years, and you'd believe him," Karina had grunted in response. Yet, the aspect of meeting new cats – and forest cats, at that – grabbed her attention. So, against her better judgment, Karina had finally agreed to go with Nerissa to one of these stupid meetings.
The group of cats that made up these gatherings always met on the edge of the town close to the forest. The main road that cut through the town and twisted through it like a wriggling snake also wove a path through the forest. It was here when the road crossed the threshold from civilization to wilderness that the cats met. There was a final row of houses right before the real division between the two sides. And behind these houses, was a long line of fence that was the real separator between the two incredibly different worlds. On the other side of that fence, all the housecats met.
They used to talk about plans – about actual useful things, but not anymore. Now, it was just regular conversation you would be able to get from anyone on the street, or in their backyard. Karina honestly didn't see the point. Why even get everyone together anymore if there wasn't a purpose? The entire idea unimpressed her, and when she arrived, she remained underwhelmed. There were only about ten cats there. Georgie was one of them – his dark brown tabby pelt blending in, but his distinctive pale yellow eyes sticking out like a sore claw.
"I don't see any new faces," Karina commented to Nerissa. Her tail flicked, and her eyes narrowed to show that she was not enjoying this experience.
Nerissa shoved her with her shoulder gently. "Just chill, okay? They'll be here – Georgie promised. And don't mess this up! And don't embarrass me either."
"Yes, spirits forbid I embarrass you. Nerissa, I'm sure before the night is over, you will have embarrassed the both of us enough for a lifetime," Karina groused.
"Ha ha, very funny, Karina."
A voice broke into the conversation then, "Nerissa! Karina! It's so wonderful to see you two here." The voice was high-pitched, but definitely had some masculine tones to it. Karina recognized it instantly as Georgie's. The tom strode toward them, puffing out his chest and giving them both an award-winning smile. Georgie was (arguably) the most attractive tom in the town, and, to make things even more interesting, he had no mate. And Nerissa was head-over-heels in love with him, and Karina knew it. She didn't think she had ever seen anyone love someone so much. Karina wasn't sure it was even love anymore. In fact, she was almost one hundred percent positive that it was bordering on obsession.
"It's good to see you too, Georgie," Nerissa purred back.
Georgie nodded, but his eyes were not on the pretty ginger. Instead, they were raking over Karina's body, as if he had just found his next meal. She shivered and did her best to shrug it off. "You haven't been here before," Georgie remarked, taking a step closer. "Why did you decide to come all of a sudden?"
Karina did her best to keep her composure, but she had to admit that he was making her nervous. "I heard about the wild cats."
He nodded then, as if that one statement answered every unspoken question he had. "Ah, well . . . They aren't here yet, but they will be."
Karina sat down, and curled her tail around her paws. "I'm sure."
"Look!" a cat called.
The three turned to see all of the others facing the forest now. Karina narrowed her eyes in order to see better. Her vision was always used to the light the houses and streetlamps gave off, so she rarely had to strain to see at night. But here, away from all that man-made stuff, she had to wait for her eyes to adjust to the new darkness before she could see what they were all looking at.
By the time her eyes got used to the lightning, the cats were already there. They had come in silence – none of them uttered a single word, nor did they so much as rustle a bush upon their entry. The wild cats mingled with the housecats, and it was only once they were well mixed in, did the talking begin again.
Karina stared at the wild cats with a mixture of disbelief and awe. They were thin – much thinner than the house cats – but they were not skinny. They were lean, and muscular. Every single one – even the smallest wild cat – looked like they could easily kill every housecat there. She watched them interact with the housecats; they all seemed so casual. There was no hostility – no disgust in their eyes. She had always heard rumors about how the wild cats looked down on housecats because they "submitted" to their housefolk, and let them run their lives. She heard scary stories about how wild cats would attack and kill housecats that encroached on their territory. But these cats seemed nothing like that. They were not mean, or vicious. They were . . . normal – just like everyone else.
"I don't believe it!" Nerissa gasped. Her sudden exclamation broke Karina from her train of thought. She looked to her friend, only to realize that Georgie had disappeared – which was a relief. At first, she thought that Nerissa was going to burst into a rant about how rude Georgie had been, but she didn't. Instead, her eyes were glued to something – or someone – in the crowd. "That's Davis!"
Karina followed her friend's gaze to a light brown tabby tom with darker brown stripes. The tom had dark, emerald green eyes, but they were not focused on her, or Nerissa. Instead, they were locked with Georgie's. The two toms seemed to be having a pleasant conversation. The tom in question – Davis – even laughed. For some reason, Karina liked it when she saw him smile. There was something warm, and comforting about it. The tom was also rather handsome. His face was rounded, and almost kit-like, but had a maturity about it as well. His body, like all the wild cats, was lean and muscular. As he shifted on his paws, Karina spied the muscles shift ever-so-slightly under his sleek pelt. It was only after she made all of these observations did Karina realize that she was staring. She immediately averted her gaze, feeling foolish.
"And . . . ?" she asked, looking at Nerissa expectantly. She hoped that her friend had not seen the ways her eyes admired him – the way they lingered on him for far too long. "He is?"
"He used to be a housecat," Nerissa explained with in an impressed voice. "He . . . he always said that he was going to go into the forest. One day . . . well, he just was gone. And no one ever saw him again. I just assumed his housefolk moved or something. But I guess he actually did it – he left. This had to have been a few years ago! He's been living out there for that long! It's pretty impressive."
Karina was a little surprised, and confused as to how it was that she had never heard of this tom before. Surely Nerissa would have told her about it? But then Karina realized – she and Nerissa hadn't been friends a couple years ago – they didn't even know the other existed. That explains it . . . So I guess it's comforting that she just didn't forget to tell me, Karina thought.
"Did you ever hear about him?" Nerissa asked. Her voice had taken on that distinguishing tone it always had whenever she wanted to gossip. It was the tone that said: "I know something juicy, but I don't know if I should tell you? Should I tell you? Oh, you tell me!"
Karina shook her head. "No. Never."
"Well," Nerissa began, seeming thrilled to be able to tell the story. "I heard that he had a mate before he left . . . Well . . . not just one mate – try every she-cat he came across. He stole all of their hearts, and then just . . . left them for the next one that came along. But I guess that the last mate he had, he was serious about. They had been together for a while, and then . . ."
"Then he took off to go live in the forest?" Karina guessed. She studied this Davis again with new eyes. She could definitely see how he could be the lady killer type – heck, even she had been staring at him for longer than normal. Everything about him just seemed so inviting.
"I guess," Nerissa said, sounding unsure of herself. "But . . . I mean, well . . . You never really know what's going on between couples, you know? You think they're happy together, but they really can't stand each other – you know how it is. Maybe they got in a fight and he just . . . had to leave."
Karina considered that for a moment. It seemed like a logical explanation. She wanted to ask a question about it, but then felt bad. Who was she to be snooping about Davis's love life? But, she just couldn't help herself. "And the mate? What happened to her?"
Nerissa shrugged. "Dunno . . . I didn't keep up with the story."
Suddenly, Davis's head turned in their direction. Karina froze where she stood. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't look away. His emerald eyes met hers, and they stood there for the longest time, staring at each other across the small clearing. Every now and then, Davis would not to something Georgie said, but Karina could tell by the look in his eyes that he wasn't listening – he seemed to be paying attention to her now.
Karina was the one who broke eye contact. She looked at her paws, heat filling her from nose to tail-tip. She felt sheepish – actually sheepish – for the first time in her life. All she could do was stare at her creamy-white paws, and at the grass beneath them. "Hey," Nerissa asked, resting her tail on her shoulder. "You okay?"
"I . . ." Karina paused. What was she going to say? "Hey, I locked eyes with that tom you were talking about, and it kind of took my breath away, and I have no idea what is going on, I think I need to go home and never leave again, can we go now?" Yeah, that would work out well.
"Hello," a deep voice meowed.
Karina looked up to come face-to-face with those dark green eyes once more. She gulped.
Nerissa stared at the tom for a long time before looking to Karina. "Hi," she whispered. "Karina, be nice and say hello."
Shooting her friend a glare, she opened her jaws to greet him, but Davis beat her to it.
"Karina?" he said. She could hear the smile in his voice. "That's a pretty name."
Karina cleared her throat. She wanted to run – flee to the hills while she still had the chance. "Um . . . Yeah . . . Well . . . I- I don't know how to respond to that."
To her surprise, Davis laughed. "Ya don't have ta," he chuckled. He looked to Nerissa. "And who are you?"
Nerissa told him her name, and he nodded dismissively. It was almost as if Nerissa – a cat who was ten times more beautiful than Karina – didn't interest him. He returned his attention to Karina and smirked. "You don't seem to be . . . enjoying yourself."
Karina looked to her friend for help, but Nerissa had left her. She's probably looking for Georgie to try to get his attention, she thought bitterly. The one time she actually needed the stupid she-cat, and she wasn't there. Figures. "Believe me, I'm jumping for joy on the inside."
Davis chuckled again. "Yeah, I bet . . . Wanna get outta here?"
She narrowed her eyes. "And do what?"
He snickered. "Whatever ya want, sweetheart."
Karina gave him a fierce glare. "Go put your moves on some other she-cat, because I'm not interested." Without another word, she turned and headed back toward the town. She growled quietly to herself; she never should have come. It was a stupid decision. Nerissa's ideas of "fun" always ended with Karina getting fed up and storming home like the moody she-cat she was. Usually, she was able to get home without a fuss, but tonight, it was not going to be that simple.
Davis was persistent.
"Hey, wait! I didn't mean ta offend ya!" he called, rushing after her. The next thing she knew, he was trotting along beside her. She could feel his emerald eyes scorching into her fur. "C'mon, sweetheart," he drawled. "I was jus' kiddin' . . . At least lemme make it up ta ya, and walk ya home."
Karina stopped and faced him. She studied him hard for a minute – looking at his face. She thought she saw genuine remorse in his eyes, and decided to give him a chance. "Fine . . . but if you try anything . . ."
Davis smirked. "I'll be on my best behavior, sweetheart."
She groaned. This was going to be a long night.
A/N: Review?