Disclaimer: I do not own Warriors

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"It was never meant to be… I don't regret anything. Anything at all."

~Crowfeather, The Last Hope

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Crowfeather half-heartedly pawed a thick stick that sat at his paws. He didn't run his paw down the bark like he often watched Jayfeather do. The motion was a nervous scuffle more than anything but he spent so long doing so that he was beginning to notice the knots and imperfections in the wood despite the fact that his eyes were trained deep into the forest rather than the stick.

He still didn't know why Jayfeather did it. For so many days, he watched the silvery tabby trace his paws over numerous sticks with a touch so gentle that Crowfeather didn't think a mother nursing her newly kitted newborn could do better. But Jayfeather always tossed the sticks into the lake. Crowfeather didn't know the purpose but he knew his son was searching for something. A specific stick, maybe. He had no idea. However, he did find the feeling of having the wood under his paws to be soothing. It was a good distraction from his troubled thoughts.

Maybe Jayfeather will like this stick… Should I give it to him? No, I don't know what he's looking for. He'd probably want to throw it away but feel bad doing it since I gave it to him. I shouldn't bother.

Crowfeather's gaze shifted away from the forest, glancing around his surroundings once more. He was at the usual meeting place. He was certain of it. The lake was hardly a few taillengths away, he could smell both ThunderClan and WindClan's scent markers, and there was a heavy canopy of trees overhead but he saw no grey fur or murky blue eyes among the bushes or woodland. He heard no sharp tongued or witty comments. He didn't smell the scent of his son in the wind.

Is he going to show up? Usually he gets here first. If he's not here now, it's probably a sign he's not coming. I should go before a ThunderClan patrol comes by and catches me. I don't think they'd be as forgiving if Jayfeather wasn't here with me.

A strange heavy yet hollow feeling began forming in Crowfeather's heart. It took a moment but he realized it was disappointment. He'd been looking forward to seeing Jayfeather today and it didn't seem like he was going to get the chance.

"Hey." A quiet voice suddenly cut through the silence. Crowfeather's mind immediately blocked out the sound of the water, the birds chirping above, and even the wind blowing through the trees and all his attention fell on the soft, anxious voice. He looked up and saw Jayfeather awkwardly hovering by a tree at the edge of the small clearing, muscles tense as if he was about to run away.

Crowfeather frowned at his odd demeanor. Jayfeather was always filled with confidence and a type of boldness that few cats had. Right now… It's like he's a nervous apprentice. I've never seen him act so timid. Something's wrong.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah." Jayfeather crept forward, taking light steps on the moist earth until he stood facing his father. "I'm just tired. I went to the Moonpool last night."

Crowfeather opened his mouth to protest. Afterall, his friend Kestrelflight visited the Moonpool last night as well and he seemed fine when he saw him. Then Crowfeather realized he probably heard from StarClan and no warrior could ask a medicine cat what StarClan shared. Whatever it was, it was probably the reason for his odd behavior. He wanted to ask, he wanted to take away some of the pain lingering in his son's eyes, but he withheld. He could never do that.

"Well… Alright then," Crowfeather said, blinking away his concerns. "But if you never need anything…"

"Do you actually want to be here?" Jayfeather said suddenly. The boldness returned to his voice but it was flat and lacked the charge it usually carried.

Crowfeather turned his head, tilting it heavily to one side. "What?"

"Do you actually want to be here?" Jayfeather repeated, voice as even and emotionless as before. "With me?"

Crowfeather reeled back slightly but didn't rise from his haunches. "Of course! I wouldn't be here if I didn't. What kind of question is that?"

Jayfeather shrugged half-heartedly and flicked his tail. He clearly didn't want to talk about whatever was on his mind.

"Really," Crowfeather said when Jayfeather didn't respond. "After everything… I wanted to get the chance to talk to you before… I never got the chance to really talk to Hollyleaf and StarClan knows I'm not getting any younger."

Jayfeather visibly flinched. Hard. Crowfeather opened his mouth to apologize or reassure him, he didn't know which, when Jayfeather began making a strange noise. He got to his paws, leaning over to peer at him in concern. The tom was shaking. After a heartbeat, Jayfeather realized he was laughing.

Crowfeather flattened his ears against his head. "What?"

Jayfeather waved him off with his tail. "You wouldn't get the irony."

Crowfeather sat down and huffed, looking away dramatically even though Jayfeather couldn't see it. "And that's what I get for opening up to you!"

Jayfeather kept laughing but it sounded more amused now than before. "I appreciate it, Crowfeather. I actually wanted to ask you something today but if you don't want to-"

"Sorry. I didn't want to come across as if I didn't want to talk to you," Crowfeather said quickly. Jayfeather gave him a deadpan look and Crowfeather's pelt heated up in embarrassment. He licked his dark shoulder fur a few times, suddenly self-conscious.

"What I wanted to ask was how you moved on from Feathertail so fast," Jayfeather told him. This time, it was Crowfeather who flinched but Jayfeather didn't notice and kept talking. "She died when you visited the mountains and you ran away with Leafpool not long after."

"Are you asking if I chased after Leafpool to hide from my feelings about Feathertail?" Crowfeather asked. His fur began rising but he forced it down. He didn't want to get defensive right now. "Because I don't regret what we-"

Jayfeather shook his head. "No. I'm sure whatever you were doing… Nevermind, I don't want to think about you two like that. I just can't imagine getting over that kind of pain. I talked to Feathertail last night and I understood what she was saying so well… From both sides. Knowing you have no future but still holding onto that hope only to have it stolen from you so violently…"

Jayfeather's voice became distant, as if he lost awareness of who he was talking to. Panic and concern began to rise in Crowfeather's chest like sharp flashes of lightning. "Jayfeather… Are you in love?"

Jayfeather snorted. "Don't worry, Crowfeather. I'm no code breaker."

Crowfeather felt a bit of relief but Jayfeather still hadn't answered his question. "The things we talk about, the questions you ask… It sounds like you've gone through what I have."

"That's because I have," Jayfeather responded. Blind eyes met sighted ones. Crowfeather nearly fell over at the sheer intensity of Jayfeather's gaze.

"But you said…"

Jayfeather waved his tail again. "I broke no code. My love could never be but it wasn't forbidden. Did you Half Moon in the battle with the Dark Forest?"

"That white she-cat?" Crowfeather questioned. Jayfeather gave a nod of confirmation. Crowfeather's eyes widened. "How?"

Jayfeather shrugged. "I don't know. It was so long ago."

"But the Ancients aren't clan cats and they were dead seasons before we even knew about them. How did you even meet her?"

"Don't worry about it," Jayfeather assured him. He got to his paws as well and reached to rest his tail tip on Crowfeather's shoulder. "You've got Feathertail waiting for you in StarClan, I've got Half M- What's this?"

Crowfeather was confused for a moment then realized that when Jayfeather got up, his paws had found the stick Crowfeeather was touching earlier. "Oh… Since you always check out the sticks around here I thought I would give it a try. I didn't think you'd be interested in any stick I found but-"

"It's perfect," Jayfeather whispered. He ran his paws over the smooth bark. They met a lump protruding from the sturdy wood beneath the outer layer but that only made his paws move faster and his whiskers quiver with excitement. He looked up at his father, a genuine expression of joy on his face. "Where did you find this?"

Crowfeather gestured loosely with his tail. "I'm not really sure. It was just here."

"Can I keep it?"

"What?"

"Would you mind if I took this back to camp?"

Crowfeather shrugged. "Of course not. This is your territory."

"Thank you," Jayfeather sighed. He picked up the stick with his teeth, the white flashing for a few brief moments, and tipped his head to balance it between his jaws. Mumbling around the stick, he said, "I should go."

"Right," Crowfeather said, already stepping back toward WindClan territory. Hesitantly, he added, "I'll see you tomorrow, Jayfeather."

"I'll see you tomorrow, Crowfeather," Jayfeather responded with a smirk and a glint in his eye. He turned and casually flicked his tail goodbye. Once he was out of sight, Crowfeather couldn't help but purr as a giddy feeling bubbled up from his belly.

Author's Note: Hey guys, I have a new oneshot posted. It's a Miraculous/ Sanders Sides crossover so if you're interested, head on over to my profile and check it out. It's called Princes Are Always Just Out of Reach