Whitewing laid awake in the warriors den, looking like she was sleeping. The fact that her emerald gaze was fixed on Ashfur, who was sleeping beside her, was the only thing that could give her away. Her mind wandered on the day's events she had spent wtih him. She wondered if she'd ever be good enough for him. Squirrelflight was his whole world, she thought sadly. And then she had to break his heart like that. How can I ever be enough for him? He'll never see me the way he saw her. Everything that happened today was just a normal bond between clanmates. Nothing more.

Her eyes brimmed with tears, and she glanced to the other side of her. Two cats, one ginger and one a dark tabby, laid side by side, the ginger she-cat curled up comfortably against the tom, who laid with his body around hers, as if he were protecting her from the world. Whitewing sighed. It would never be like that for her. As much as she loved being a warrior, battling for territory and hunting for her clan, it was her dream to find a tom to love her, to bring her kits, to be with her through everything. So far, it didn't seem like Ashfur was that tom.

She had had an eye on him for awhile now, admiring him and crushing on him from a distance, a secret she kept to herself. She had watched in silent despair as he had spent all of his time with Squirrelflight, and then, when his relationship with Squirrelflight finally stopped, she was left with a different cat. This cat was a mere shadow from who he used to be, and it was all Squirrelflight's fault. For that, Whitewing despised her. But maybe, if she could teach him to love again, she could bring back the old Ashfur, the one that had caught her eye in the first place.

She closed her eyes for a few moments, listening to the comforting sounds of her clanmates breathing softly around her. When she opened them again, Ashfur's brilliant blue eyes watched her, and she saw them soften with happiness when she met them. Maybe... Whitewing pushed the thought away, and instead shivered as a cool breeze swept into the den, ruffling her white fur and chilling her. Ashfur noticed, and shifted closer to her, his body shielding her from the cold. She looked at him gratefully, and squirmed a bit closer. She closed her eyes and breathed in his sweet scent, holding her breath in her before slowly exhaling. She felt Ashfur's head resting gently beside hers, and then her heart skipped a beat. His tail, ever so softly, had partially wrapped itself around her own. She felt her heart swell inside her chest, despite the nagging feeling that she shouldn't get her hopes up. She fell asleep like that, caught up in the moment, hoping to capture it forever.

Ashfur woke up as the first rays of light began peeking into the clearing. The leaves on trees and bushes glistened with dew, but luckily the bitter cold of night was barely there anymore. He glanced around the clearing, and spotted Thornclaw chatting with Spiderleg near the entrance of the hollow, and padded towards them with his tail waving cheerfully. Last night had changed him; he felt in a much better mood than he had been since the incident with Squirrelflight, and for some reason it seemed like today would be a good day. Maybe it had something to do with the fact that he fell asleep curled up with Whitewing?

"Hey Ashfur, you ready for dawn patrol?" mewed Thornclaw, and Spiderleg twitched his tail irritably, clearly not happy about being up this early. "We just need one more cat. Why don't you-"

"Can we bring Whitewing?" Ashfur cut him off, and then looked a bit embarassed. Spiderleg snickered quietly, but the two other cats ignored him.

"Of course, go get her. We'll meet you just outside camp," Thornclaw told him, and then he and Spiderleg headed through the tunnel. Ashfur walked quickly back to the warrior's den, poking his head into the entrance. He picked out Whitewing quickly, and stepped between the bodies of sleeping cats to get to her. He gently nudged her shoulder with his muzzle, and she slowly opened her emerald green eyes.

"Wanna go on dawn patrol with me?" he questioned her, suddenly worried she would be ticked off at being woken so early. lnstead, she jumped up excitedly, had a quick stretch, and they headed out together. Before they went through the tunnel, Ashfur stopped and turned to look at Whitewing. Sure, she didn't have a ginger pelt, and maybe her eyes were a deep green instead of the bright, pale ones he was used to looking into, but maybe she didn't need that for him to love her. Whitewing searched his own bright blue eyes for a moment, and then bumped into him playfully.

"Are you going to stare at me all day, or are we going on a patrol?" she teased him, her green eyes twinkling mischeviously. He grinned and chased her through the tunnel, his heart beating faster and faster, and the same thought running through both of their minds.

Is this love?

[Sorry, kind of a cheesy ending but I couldn't think of anything else. I hope you guys liked it, please review or I may not continue:P And the next chapter's going to be pretty sick too... there could be a little conflict with Squirrelflight and Brambleclaw as well :O Better keep reading and reviewing to find out! Thanks you guys! -Sky 3