hello hello hello!
this one-shot is set between the last chapter and the epilogue of obab, there's no spoilers or anything, but that's just for a idea of timescale.
oh yeah basic premise for this - goldpaw's med cat assessment!
review replies:
wyldclaw - aww tysm! they are hella cute agreed.
azurinecielo67 - thank u! and no promises, but they should do :)
somestormleaf - thank u! and yep, i just want to give the spotlight to underrated characters :)
dragonbreathjr - indeed!
Goldpaw liked to think he was good at his job. He'd defeated a ghost, spoken to Starclan cats, and fought off a particularly nasty whitecough infection. He'd been praised by Duckspark, of all cats.
But there was something about Rustpaw in the medicine cat's den that just threw him off. Made him act clumsily. Stupidly, almost.
Like now. His friend was staring at him, mouth hanging open with disbelief.
"I genuinely can't believe this is something you actually have to do." He mewed.
"It's fun!" Goldpaw protested.
Rustpaw frowned. "I thought you said you hated it?" He said, raising an eyebrow. Goldpaw shook his head.
"I did, but this is much more interesting." He answered.
Rustpaw still looked puzzled. "What's it even for? Like why are you doing it again?" He asked. Goldpaw sighed.
"To earn my full name." He explained patiently. Duckspark looked up.
"Pointless, really. He's as good as got it already." She commented, and Goldpaw puffed his chest out. He really hoped he'd get it soon, he knew that Rustpaw, Petalpaw and Frostpaw's ceremonies would be coming up any day now. He didn't really want to be left behind by the trio, still being called a 'paw. He thought that his brother, Frostpaw, would probably get an interesting name, though he figured it'd have something to do with his blind-eye in some way.
He didn't know what kind of name Rustpaw would get. Something sharp, and reflective of Rustpaw himself, he figured.
"I still think it's stupid." Rustpaw said, sitting down with a huff.
"You're stupid." Goldpaw retorted, as naturally as breathing. Good. This felt more like him and Duckspark in the den, trading insults as they gathered over a stack of herbs.
Rustpaw blinked. "Are you three moons old?" He teased, moving to stand next to Goldpaw. Goldpaw shivered, feeling his friend's pelt brush his own. It wasn't fair that he had this kind of … effect over him. He was supposed to be a capable, strong medicine cat, not a blushing mess, utterly undone at the simplest touch.
It was a blessing when Duckspark intervened. "Stop bickering!" She snapped, and Goldpaw grinned smugly at Rustpaw, recovering slightly. Rustpaw retaliated by shoving him, and Goldpaw squeaked in indignation.
"Sorry." Rustpaw said, speaking over Goldpaw.
Duckspark finally turned away from her herb sorting, and sat in front of them. "Anyways. When they come in, please don't make fun of their acting skills." She said, fixing Rustpaw with a glare. Rustpaw met her grey gaze, unwavering, and Goldpaw was more aware than ever that they were mother and son. They had the same pelts, same eye-shape, and the same resilience in the face of peril. Whereas Rustpaw fought more literal battles (Or not, actually. They still hadn't decided what Brambleswipe was.), Duckspark was more used to fighting against sickness, and defending her clan that way.
(Rustpaw was significantly less large than his mother, though, and his fur was thinner. Goldpaw wanted to cover him in his own fur when leaf-bare hit.)
"Okay. I'll try." Rustpaw said, in a ton that indicated that he wouldn't.
Goldpaw sighed. "Why is he here again?" He asked Duckspark.
"To stop me from breaking something." Duckspark explained.
Rustpaw smiled, and tilted his head. "Do you not want me around, Goldpaw? I can leave." He asked. It came out teasing, and Goldpaw should have really just responded 'No', and left it at that, but instead he took his words to heart.
"N-no. I do want you around." He stuttered out. Duckspark looked like she was trying not to laugh.
"Stars, you two made that way too awkward." She mewed. Goldpaw started to protest (why had he told her about his crush.), but she cut him off. "Alright, kiddo. You're up." She said with a sharp nod towards Goldpaw. He rose to his paws, and waited for Duckspark's signal- a loud cough- before closing his eyes. When he opened them again, he was ready. Or at least, he wanted to be.
Suddenly, Beebounce and Rushstorm burst into the den, making everyone but Rustpaw jump. Goldpaw stepped forward, waiting for his 'patients' to start talking.
Rushstorm was the first to talk. "Help! We were attacked by a - Bee, what clan did we decide on?" He asked. Beebounce trudged forward, and stood next to him, looking highly uncomfortable.
"Shadowclan." He replied.
Rushstorm nodded. "Oh yeah. Frogtoe said it was too stereotypical though, I personally thought we should have gone with Thunderclan, they'r-"
Duckspark cut him off with a loud groan. "This is why I wanted Peachpounce's kits to do this."
"Okay, okay. Help! He's dying." Rushstorm exclaimed, his voice rich with mock-panic.
"Oh no. Goldpaw, whatever will you do?" Rustpaw deadpanned, grinning at Goldpaw.
Goldpaw gritted his teeth. "Dude." He hissed, before turning to Beebounce. "Beebounce, what happened to him?" He asked, gesturing with his tail to Rushstorm, who had decided to lay in the nest.
Rushstorm poked his head up. "I thought we were going by different names? Like spy names." He asked, and Goldpaw groaned. He could practically hear Rustpaw's next question, and- yep, there it was.
"Out of curiosity, what would that be?" Rustpaw questioned, his eyes gleaming.
Rushstorm coughed. "Mine was Blackfeather." He said, slightly proudly. Beebounce rolled his eyes, and dropped his voice.
"I said that it didn't suit him. He didn't listen." He muttered to Goldpaw, loud enough that Duckspark heard them both.
"Can you two please shut up." She hissed, exasperated.
Beebounce winced, and turned to Goldpaw, widening his eyes with 'worry' again. Goldpaw tried his hardest not to burst out laughing at his acting, and nodded, prompting the older tom to go on. "Oh. Yeah. Sorry." He mumbled. "Um- he was attacked. By Shadowclan." He explained.
Rushstorm looked up again. "Beebounce, I'm literally bleeding out here." He mewed, and Beebounce flicked him in the nose with his tail. Goldpaw stared at them both, and sighed.
"I need more detail, man." He said slowly to Beebounce, who blinked, before presumably taking it in.
"Oh. Um. They got him in the side, clawed him up badly." He explained. Goldpaw nodded. He could work with that. He knew what to do for that.
He closed his eyes briefly, and when he opened them again, he felt more focused. "Okay. So… I need cobwebs, to keep everything in place-"
Rustpaw smirked, and cut him off. "Surely that would go last?" He teased. Goldpaw wrinkled his nose. Rustpaw may be his best friend, and the cat he liked, but Starclan, he could be a pain in the tail sometimes.
"Are you a medicine cat?" He hissed quietly. Rustpaw didn't seem fazed, if anything, his smile grew wider.
"I could be. You wouldn't know." He said, touching his tail-tip to Goldpaw's shoulder. It was almost embarrassing at how much Goldpaw leaned into that touch. He jerked away quickly, and turned back to Rustpaw.
"You're going to be in worse pain than Rushstorm in a moment." He mewed quietly.
Duckspark looked up. "Goldpaw, don't threaten my son." She said lightly.
"Sorry." He apologised, before turning back to Rushstorm. He'd watched the whole exchange with an air of quiet amusement, and his eyes shone. "Anyways, comfory root would be pretty useful. Ummm- goldenrod as well. Horsetail last, then we'll patch it up." He explained, becoming more sure of himself the more he spoke.
Duckspark nodded. "Good job, Goldpaw." She mewed approvingly.
Goldpaw blinked at her. "Really?" He asked.
She nodded again, curtly. "Yep. Alright, you two can go now." She said, dipping her head to Rushstorm and Beebounce.
Beebounce's eyes narrowed. "Whattt?" He said, drawing his mew out. "But Rushstorm is dying."
Rushstorm grinned, and flopped in his nest. "Oh, my dear mate. The light of my life. Don't ever forget me…" He said in a whisper, closing his eyes dramatically.
Duckspark snorted. "If you two keep that up, I'm not going to hold your ceremony." She said. Goldpaw couldn't tell if she was being serious.
Rushstorm didn't stir from his nest. "It's fine. Goldpaw can do it for us soon." He mewed, not opening his eyes.
Goldpaw chuckled. "Just say the word. I'll be there, flowers and all." He mewed to Rushstorm.
Duckspark blinked at him, and sat up. "Goldpaw, I'm not going to give you your name now." She mewed slowly.
"What?" Goldpaw exclaimed.
"I'm joking! I'm joking." Duckspark said quickly.
Rustpaw stood up, resting his head on Goldpaw's shoulder. Goldpaw tried not to flush. For some reason, ever since the Brambleswipe… incident, his friend had been really hands-on. It was both a blessing and a curse for Goldpaw. "Wonder what name she'll give you?" He asked.
Goldpaw tried to shrug Rustpaw off his shoulder, but the smaller tom wouldn't budge, so he swallowed, and answered."Something cool, hopefully."
Rushstorm sat up in his nest. "My warrior name was the best Rosestar gave that ceremony." He bragged. Beebounce smiled at that.
"Bees still don't bounce, Rosestar." He muttered. Rushstorm smiled back at him, his eyes soft.
He leaned into Beebounce's side, and licked his cheek, purring. "Aww, I think it's cute." He whispered.
Duckspark stood up, and lashed her tail towards the entrance. "Stop! No PDA in the medicine cat den!" She scolded, and the two toms left the den, still smiling. Goldpaw couldn't help but smile too. It was just… sweet, really.
Rustpaw shook his head, his eyes narrowed. "They're like this every training session now." He said.
Goldpaw looked up. "Really?" He asked.
Rustpaw nodded. "Yeah. If I ever get a mate, I don't think I'd be that… insufferable." He mewed, before darting his gaze away. Goldpaw swallowed, and paused. He didn't know if his next question would be too, well, pointed, but then he remembered that Duckspark was still here. He doubted that Rustpaw would think he was openly flirting with him in front of his mother, so he bit back the lump in his throat, and spoke up.
"Have you got your eye on anyone, then?" He questioned, his voice coming out way too cautious. He winced, and looked at the ground.
"N-no. Not yet." Rustpaw muttered. Duckspark glanced up again, and nudged her son.
"Rustpaw, you can leave now." She mewed.
Rustpaw blinked, and shook himself. "O-oh. Yeah. Okay. Um. Bye mum, bye Goldy!" He said quickly, before scrambling out of the den. Goldpaw's heart thumped at the nickname, and he smiled sheepishly at Duckspark, who had one eyebrow raised.
"Goldy?" She asked.
"You stressed him out." He muttered, before turning back to his herbs. That whole exchange… it had given him some hope.
four gays in a med cat den ft. duckspark