Written by Anonymous
Hazelgrace woke the morning after her warrior ceremony from her nest in the back of the warriors den. She got up and yawned while she stretched out her legs and back. Her nest wasn't very far from her siblings they had all pretty much stayed together though she found herself next to Oakheart as well. He was a great friend, and she loved him because he was probably the only one that was so close to Hazel they talked about a lot of things together. But now that Hazel was a warrior she wanted to focus on keeping her Clan safe and do what had to be done to do so. She tip toed out of the warriors den and took in a deep breath. It was a nice day the cool breeze felt great on her pelt, she grabbed a squirrel from the freshkill pile and sat down with it all seemed pretty quiet among the Clan this morning. Oakheart's eyes opened gently; he was roused from his sleep by a soft rustling. The walls of the warriors den blurred around him, and he blinked to clear his vision. The first thing he noticed was the amount of nests in the den; there were more than usual, and Oakheart suddenly remembered that his cousins had been made into warriors the previous day. He was so proud of them all - they had come a long way from the bouncy and excitable kits he had once known, and he was confident that they would be strong warriors who could provide for their Clan. With this in mind, the mottled tom rose to his feet, sweeping his fluffy tail over his nest to neaten the moss and feathers he had knocked aside in his sleep. He subtly arched his back in a small but effective stretch and padded calmly out of the den, flicking his ears as he stepped daintily over the paws of his other sleeping Clanmates. The leafbare sunlight blinded Oakheart for a moment, and he blinked as his eyes adjusted to the environment around him. CloudClan camp was relatively quiet this morning; many cats were curled up together on the outskirts of the main clearing, sharing tongues and eating prey. He tentatively searched across the camp as he began to pad towards the freshkill pile, but suddenly he caught sight of Hazelgrace curled up near the camp entrance eating alone. Picking up the pace, he gently picked up a mouse and raised his head, hoping to catch her eye as his tail waved with anticipation. Hazelgrace looked down at her squirrel and then back up to look around the camp where she spotted Oakheart waving his tail at her with a mouse in his jaw she nodded at him for him to come over to join her. She took another bite of her squirrel and then pushed it aside for now. She was uneasy but she wasn't sure why she felt this way Oakheart was just a friend and that's all he'd ever be. She thought to herself, she had no time to find a mate and she had just become a warrior. To be honest Hazel never thought about settling down and having kits, it was just something that had never crossed her mind. Oakheart caught Hazelgrace's eye, and she nodded at him, signaling that he could come and join her. As he padded towards her, he watched as she pushed away the squirrel she had been eating with a single paw, her ears twitching and her expression blank; a trickle of confusion surfaced in his mind, but as he settled down beside her he shoved it away. "Hey!" he mewed, his tail curling behind him in a friendly manner. "Mind if I eat with you this morning?" Like always Hazel kept her cool and stayed calm when Oakheart padded over to her, a mouse in his jaws "Sure you can I don't mind.." she tried to smile warmly but it felt forced out and fake. She'd never acted or felt this way before. Why are you being such a scaredy cat this is Oakheart not some other cat you've never met before! She scolded herself. she took a breath and decided to try and just have some small talk "well...I'm a warrior now..." she sighed. "i've only started my journey on completing my dream of becoming deputy...who knows i might now even become deputy and this will have all been for nothing.." Oakheart felt the same thorn of confusion prick his heart again as he watched Hazelgrace speak; the pretty she-cat seemed rather off today, as if something was troubling her. He ducked his head and took a bite of mouse, chewing thoroughly and swallowing just as she finished talking. "You'll be a great deputy someday, I'm sure of it!" he mewed encouragingly, swishing his tail so that it overlapped hers for a heartbeat as an act of consolation. "I think you'll do fine even if you don't become deputy, though. I mean, as a warrior, you'll still get to serve your Clan, right?" He smiled at her, hoping to cheer her up; he searched her amber eyes for a sign of her improving mood. He hated to think that something was bothering her! Hazel looked at him her worried gaze found his "I don't just wanna be another warrior who serves their Clan Oakheart...what's the point of serving my clan and not being able to do more than that? I wanna make something of myself and I wanna be remembered when I'm gone...even if I become deputy and then leader someday will I be a leader worth remembering?" She shuffled her paws and looked away. Oakheart shuffled closer to Hazelgrace and gazed into her eyes, moving his tail back on top of hers and placing his paw beside her. "Hey," he soothed, leaning closer to her as he spoke; her sweet scent wreathed around him. "Don't worry about it, Hazel! Even if you don't become a leader or a warrior someday, there are still so many other ways to serve your Clan and be remembered for it. Think of all of the stories we were told as kits growing up of warriors who were brave and strong and made a difference in their Clan." He paused for a moment, looking deeply into her eyes. "I know you're going to be a great warrior either way. We still have so much to contribute to our Clan, and we have long lives ahead of us! You might get your chance someday, you never know." Oakheart paused again, looking away briefly. Suddenly he lifted his head to look back at her. "But, Hazelgrace, you'll always be worth remembering to me." Hazelgrace looked up at him "thanks..." she mewed and finished up the rest of her squirrel quickly, her chest felt tight and it felt hard to breath. She took a deep breath and shook out her fur "So you have any plans today? I didn't really have anything to do..." she stretched her legs she wasn't sure on what to do and if she should spend the day with Oakheart or not. Oakheart rose to his paws, running his tongue quickly over his chest as he swished his long tail. "Nope, I'm up for anything!" he mewed as he stretched gently once more. "Do you want to take a walk? I think some fresh air might do us some good." He could still tell something was up with Hazelgrace, and he hoped maybe taking a quick stroll through the forest would help her loosen up and let go of whatever seemed to be bothering her. Hazelgrace nodded a walk did sound nice, she really needed to loosen up about things. Oakheart was just a friend and that's all she'd ever let him be. "Sure a walk would be great." she mewed standing up. "It's a nice day I think a walk would be really relaxing.." she meowed and began to make her way out of the camp. Oakheart followed Hazelgrace, glancing around camp and waving with his tail to make sure someone knew the two of them were stepping out for a while. He padded behind Hazelgrace for a couple of pawsteps, inhaling deeply through his lungs as the familiar, cozy scent of camp faded away into the distance and the unique, sharp scent of the forest took its place. Once he was accustomed to the change in environment, Oakheart swerved slightly to the side and picked up his pace for a couple of pawsteps to walk beside Hazelgrace. The she-cat was padding at an elevated pace, and her amber eyes - Oakheart suddenly noticed how brilliant they looked when they caught the sunlight, and a tiny chill went through him as he studied her face - were hard with focus, as was her normally soft face. Her jaw seemed to be clenched with concentration, and Oakheart realized whatever had been on her mind still hadn't seemed to be resolved. The tom thought of speaking up, but he decided to let the walk begin with silence so that Hazelgrace could possibly work through her issue in her head before sharing. Hazelgrace walked in front of Oakheart for a while taking deep breaths from time to time, and then she began to focus on the sights and sounds of the forest. The familiar crisp scent of the trees helped relax her she settled her fur back down and her eyes became calm again. She looked around hearing the chirping of the birds and the rustling of the leaves in the trees. This was her home...she would protect it...it was such a peaceful place she wanted to keep it that way. She smiled taking in the scent with a long sniff. Her ears where forward listening to everything she could even hear Oakheart's paw steps behind her, she turned around and smiled "Come on this is a walk not a patrol! Come walk beside me!" she purred. Oakheart laughed as Hazelgrace called to him. "I'm coming!" he mewed, picking up the pace; the pale warrior seemed to have finally softened up. Aha,, he thought with a satisfied smile, I knew the forest would work its magic! He finally matched her in her stride, and the two of them slowed down, their paws crunching against the dead leaves on the ground. Winter had most certainly come to the Clans, but Oakheart could still hear several birds chirping pleasantly in the trees, and the sunlight dappled over both cats' pelts. Oakheart turned to Hazelgrace, his tail swishing along with his stride as the two of them walked. "So, besides becoming a warrior, what's been up with you lately? Things in CloudClan have been kind of quiet lately -- well, besides Willowbreeze. She's so excited about having kits with Rookcall! It'll be great to have even more kits in the Clan...." Hazelgrace shrugged "nothings really been up with me...I only became a warrior yesterday...there's still my whole life ahead of me.." she trailed off "Kits are always fun..but i don't know if i'll ever settle down and have any to be honest...the thought of having a mate never crossed my mind even as an apprentice...but now that im a warrior its still something im unsure about.." she mewed. Oakheart sighed wistfully as he walked beside Hazelgrace. "I definitely know I want to father kits someday," he mewed. "I want to care for them the way Mapleblaze cared for us! And having a mate would be exciting too...." He grew silent, picturing his future as a warrior in his Clan. Mapleblaze had always been a rolemodel to him, and his father had demonstrated that it was possible to father kits and provide for the Clan at the same time. He had no doubt in his mind that starting a family would be beneficial for him and help him grow rather than distract him from his duties. "Well I'm glad you know what you want...I'm not sure if I'll ever know myself..." Hazelgrace sighed and settled down on a rock. Oakheart nodded as he settled down beside her, his fur brushing ever-so-slightly against her. He could still sense that something was off about his friend, and as she looked down at her paws for a moment, he turned his head towards her and studied her face. Hazelgrace was certainly a pretty cat, and she had always been so, but as he regarded her now he noticed just how beautiful she had become. Her wide, round eyes were normally amber, but as they caught the sunlight they seemed to blaze with intensity; his breath hitched in his chest for a moment and a chill ran through him as he realized this once again. Suddenly, something in his chest caught fire, and a warmth spread through his throat and up to his face, causing him to blush slightly. The beginnings of a purr threatened to erupt from his body, but with great restraint Oakheart stifled it, sweeping his tail across the rock as he fought the rush of feelings overtaking him. Oakheart closed his eyes lightly, hoping that Hazelgrace wouldn't notice the noise he had made. He had never felt this way before, and as hard as he tried, he couldn't shake the tingling sensation in his paws that claimed him as he watched Hazelgrace. Hazelgrace looked up at Oakheart and smiled warmly noticing him shifting around, she stood up and padded close to him, she looked into his green eyes for a moment and then nuzzled him purring happily "You know what Oakheart, I may not know what I want in life yet but I'll always have you. Your such a great friend and your always willing to help me and I appreciate that so much." She looked up at him eyes full of intensity her short tail did it's best to move around and it almost looked like she was wagging it like a dog. Oakheart nearly trembled with emotion as Hazelgrace pressed against him, her endlessly soft fur meshing with his own russet pelt. Her head fit perfectly underneath his, and her warmth ran through him in waves. This, he thought, his eyes closed blissfully, is right. This is what I want.... The wagging of her tail brought him back to earth. The thumping sound it made as it tapped against the ground mirrored the throbbing pulse of his heart, and she looked up at him again, her amber eyes brilliant and piercing and almost too insanely gorgeous for him to comprehend. Her words echoed through his head. I'll always have you, she had said. Now, as Oakheart gazed into Hazelgrace's eyes, the sounds of the forest creating a beautiful symphony around them and the morning sunlight dappling across the forest floor, he realized that he wanted to always have her, too - as his mate. He knew then that he was in love with her, his best friend, and he had been for quite some time, but he hadnt ever connected his feelings for her with romance. His breath and the words that pleaded to come along with it caught in his throat as they drowned in each others eyes, rendered speechless by the radiance of her amber gaze. He wanted to say something - to tell her how he felt about her, to tell her what he had just realized - but she had just said she wasn't sure what she wanted. What if it was too soon? What if she would reject him? Unknowingly to Oakheart Hazelgrace felt her heart tugging, being here next to Oakheart's side just felt right. She had never thought about what she'd wanted but maybe this is what she wanted how could it not? When it felt so right and natural to her. But what if he wanted to just be friends...? She stopped her tail wagging and looked up at him he looked like he wanted to say something. She nudged him and mewed "What is it? Something on your mind?" she asked curiously. Worrying about what he might say. Oakheart trembled at Hazelgrace's words, her fur impossibly soft against his. Her tail's movement had slowed so that now the tip was barely twitching, and her brilliant stare dug deeply into him. Hazelgrace was wide-eyed, pressed against his chest, her gaze searching him, and Oakheart wanted to say everything and nothing in the same breath. He closed his eyes briefly, his heart wrenching with emotions, and pictured a life with Hazelgrace by his side - as his mate. He saw adorable kittens bouncing at their paws, long strolls in the forest, and moonlit nights with their tails twined together. Oakheart's world collapsed on itself and tumbled, weightless, into light as he realized this was their destiny. "Hazelgrace," he began, his voice thick with emotion. "You've been my best friend since we were kits, and I can't imagine a life without you." He paused, gazing into her eyes. "I know you said earlier that you didn't know what you wanted, but... but I think I know what I want: to be your mate and to make you happy...." His words hung in the air, and his heart roared in his ears. Had he really just asked her to be his mate? Was he breathing? Hazelgrace said nothing at first she was quiet and still looking into Oakheart's eyes. She could hear their hearts thumping at the same time, she raised her tail and wrapped her head around Oakheart's neck and gave his cheek a lick. "I wouldn't want anyone else to be my mate besides you Oakheart...you make me happier than any cat else" she murmured, putting a paw on top of his. Her eyes beamed with joy and excitement and she purred as loud as she could. A life with Oakheart...she thought her chest tugged and she felt warm inside. Yes a life with Oakheart by her side as her mate was exactly what she wanted.