Challenge: OTP
Word Count (min. 300): 847
Rating: K+ for mention of injuries
Ash x Ember
"Is Emberstep in here?"
A tortoiseshell she-cat lifted her head weakly at the sound of her friend's voice.
"Yes, Ashfang," a white she-cat responded with a purr, "She hasn't left since the last time you visited her— when was that? Oh, right. At sun-high."
"I just want to make sure she's okay, Cloudleap. I don't want her to be lonely," a grey flecked tom answered. "No one else has visited her..."
"Very well, Ashfang..." Cloudleap's amber eyes sparkled with amusement. "She's just over there." Her tail gestured to the young tortoiseshell she.
Emberstep moved her head over to the right, trying to get a good look of Ashfang. "Hi," she purred weakly.
The grey tom sat right next to her. "Are you feeling okay? Has the pain gone away? How is your paw? Has it healed? Have your scratches healed too?"
Emberstep gave him a mock glare. "I can't keep up with all of these questions," she teased. "One at a time."
"Sorry..." Ashfang put his head down sheepishly. He looked back up, his green eyes filled with worry. "So, are you okay?"
Emberstep looked at the ground. "No... Not really..."
Ashfang gasped. "Why? Are you not being fed enough? Is your leg hurting? I'll go get Cloudleap! I'll get Flowerstar! I'll—!"
"No, Ashfang!" Emberstep hissed softly. "It's not that!"
"What's wrong then?" he asked.
She let out a depressed sigh. "Ashfang, I'm useless now..."
"No you're not," the tom insisted. "You're perfect and you're beautiful and you're going to come out of this den in a moon and show everyone that you can still be a great warrior!"
"How?!" Emberstep cried. "How can I possibly be a great warrior now?! I'm useless! I should never have gone after the fox! It was too strong for me. If only I wasn't mouse-brained enough to think that I could get rid of it on my own! I'm 36 moons old and I acted like a foolish kit!"
"You couldn't have known that it would hurt you!" Ashfang insisted.
"But I still went after it!" she hissed softly. "Now I'll never be a good warrior!"
"You'll still be a great warrior," Ashfang purred. "I promise..."
"But I can't even see out of my left eye! I can barely stand on my paw now." she argued. "I'm blind now! I'm blind and my paw is twisted and I'm useless. "
"You're only half-blind..." he muttered.
She let out a sigh. "Ashfang. Remember when we were apprentices and you told me you loved me. You said that you wanted to be my mate and you wanted to have kits together. And remember that I told you that I'd love to be your mate."
"Yeah?" he asked.
"I thought about it for the last couple of days..." she continued. "I want you to find a better she-cat."
"No!" he cried. "I can't! I don't want to have another she-cat as my mate!"
"But at least Duskfur or Ambercloud can have your kits," she answered sadly. "At least you'll have kits that won't be terrified of their mother. Their mother who can't even be a warrior."
"I don't care about kits!" Ashfang wailed in despair. "I care about you. I want to fall asleep knowing that you'll be there beside me. I want to grow old and weak alongside you. I want you, Emberstep. Not anyone else. You! If we can have kits later on, that would be amazing, but you're more important right now."
He glanced up at her. "I love you."
"But—"
"No," he interrupted with a mischievous glint in his green eyes. "I love you Emberstep and I'm not leaving this den until you understand that."
He cheekily laid on his side and closed his eyes as if he was going to fall asleep right then and there. "I don't care if this takes days. I'm not leaving."
Emberstep rolled her eyes and let out a chuckle. "Get up you fool," she purred. "I love you too."
He sat up onto his haunches. "I knew you'd listen to reason," he joked.
Emberstep smiled at him. She leaned forward to whisper something in his ear when he jumped up. "Oh my whiskers!" he exclaimed. "I'm supposed to take the apprentices out on a fishing lesson! I completely forgot!" He glanced at her. "You'll be alright until I come back, right?"
She nodded her head. "I'll be okay. The apprentices need you more than I do."
"Are you sure?"
"Go!" she purred. She flicked her tail at him and he stood up, padding lightly out of the den.
The she-cat sighed happily. He truly loved her. He wasn't going to leave her. He didn't care about her status or her looks or whether she could carry on his bloodline. He cared about her.
She felt a movement in her slightly swollen stomach and she wrapped her fluffy tail protectively around it. At least the fox had only hurt her.
"Your father is a wonderful cat," she whispered to her unborn kits.
She couldn't wait to tell him the good news!