I apologize, this chapter will be pretty short compared to the others. But it gets interesting... Ruby is building a crush on Blaze?! What will happen, when Ruby and Socks stop listening to the housefolk? Read to find out!

Chapter Eight

Love? Friendship? Life?

Three moons had passed since the day Ruby met the siblings, Blaze and Belle. She loved her new life a lot, until a strange feeling showed up one day while she shared tongues with Blaze. What is this feeling? Ruby asked herself curiously, as she stared into Blaze's deep, flaming amber eyes. Knocking off the thought, she purred to Blaze, "So how was your grumpy housefolk today?" The ginger tom smiled his dazzling, flashy smile, and replied cheerfully, "Well, today he was just as grumpy. Of course, he wasn't starving us. He just pours down piles of those brown chunks and a giant bowl of water for us. He's always like that." Glancing dreamily at him, Ruby whirred, "It's good to know he's not starving you." Blaze gazed intently into her eyes, and meowed, "Hey, Ruby. Do you think I'd make a good mate for you?" Flushing, she replied, slightly smug, "I'm sure you will."

She could not control her flooding emotions, and she purred delightfully along with Blaze. They jumped up at a loud thump! Then, she told him, "Well, let me go see what Socks is up to now. See you!" Her whiskers twitching madly, she leaped away into the house. Inside, she saw Socks playing Hide, Fight, and Seek with Belle. Laughing a twinkly laugh, Belle exclaimed, "Ruby, your brother is so bad at this game!" Purring, Ruby replied, "I know! He's so easy to find, right?" Every day, Blaze and Belle would come to find them and play with them. Blaze padded inside, and growled, "Hey! Let me join this game, too." So they all hid, and pounced on each other ecstatically.

Pinestar watched them calmly, and meowed, "It is so good to be young." Sniggering, Belle replied, "You bet!" Laughing, Ruby yowled, "I won!" Rolling his eyes, Socks argued, "No you did not!" Chuckling, Belle replied, "Well, even if Ruby didn't win, I'm sure you didn't, Socks!" They all burst out laughing, and Pinestar sighed heavily. "So good, so young." Blaze smiled and meowed sweetly, "Oh, Pine, I'm sure you had enough young moments, even now and then." Dipping his head, Pinestar answered, "Yes, I do, but could I have been ever so lively? I just remembered some stories of my kithood, and you know what? I would like to tell you them. Follow; let us march out to the yard."

Zealously, all of the cats followed, until suddenly their housefolk let out an intense yelp. Immediately, Pinestar shot around and leaped into the Twoleg's arms. Figuring she had to do the same, Ruby turned to face Blaze and Belle. "Guess we got to go," she mewed sadly, and then padded toward the housefolk. Glaring at her Twoleg, she let out a small growl. The dumb creature even seemed amused when she glowered at her. How dare you waste my playtime! Her back fur innocent-looking housefolk let out a soft snicker. Ruby didn't like it. It was the first time she felt upset in the new house. As she stared back at the closed glass door to the yard, she saw Blaze mouth some words.

She knew exactly what it was: I will sneak in. Blaze was about to sneak into the house to find her, just her. He was doing this just for her. She felt delighted, and brightened up within a heartbeat. She studded into she, Socks, and Pine's room absentmindedly, finding that a ginger tom had already snuck into the room from the window. He gave her a small wink. "Hello, Ruby." Whiskers twitching with emotion, Ruby meowed, "Hello, Blaze!" She liked him so much. Their tails twined as they groomed each other's pelts.

Licking Blaze's bright, blazing ginger pelt, Ruby mewed, "How did you sneak in here?" Snickering, the orange tom replied, "Easy. Your housefolk never close your window. Only at night," he gave her a swift lick as he said so, "And I can come visit you any time in the day." Pressing her pelt against his, she asked him, "Will you?" Blaze nodded, and soon, he left after sharing tongues with Ruby.

The same pattern continued for days. Ruby and Belle became great friends, and Ruby fell slightly in love with Blaze. He was such a sweet tom; Ruby always wondered why Belle said he was an annoying brat. It was one day when the housefolk shrieked for Socks and Ruby, that both of them refused to go to them. It was that love for Blaze, that friendship for Belle, that made the two lose their tight, strong lives. But, however much they lost, Ruby could not regret one bit of her loving Blaze or her being so close to Belle. What else could they lose? She didn't think it would be much of a matter, as long as Blaze was with her. Even if the housefolk always got upset with her and Socks, nothing mattered… until that day.

OOH! Cliffie! Sorry, it's a cliffie xD

But I promise I will update soon!! xD Excited? RubyBlaze xD Personally I think they are quite cute together. But what else will happen??

Review! And read and await to find out! xD