Nightwhisper
Riverclan Warrior
The newly named Riverclan was bounding towards the camp entrance, her tail waving back and forth. It was her first day of warriorhood, and it was everything that Nightwhisper had imagined. It was definitely a lot more freedom than she had expected, compared to the normal days she had during her apprenticeship. Although the black and gray tabby had felt as if something was missing, Nightwhisper couldn’t tell what. A small frown appeared on her face, her amber eyes looking around the camp clearing. The young warrior was looking for a certain someone, a tom that was frequently in her life.
Now where was Stormgrowl?
Her amber eyes lit up in happiness when spotting the senior warrior, making her way towards tom. Nightwhisper had been extremely fond of him, despite his cranky demeanor, she enjoyed his company. A bright smile appeared on her face, the smaller molly bumped her side into his own “Hey stranger, I’ve been looking for you.” Nightwhisper purred, looking up at the older tom. Looking at the camp entrance, she beckoned her head towards it “Let’s go hunting, I’ve been wanting to catch a huge salmon.” Nightwhisper said, nudging him to the entrance. The black and gray tabby was quite a determined feline.
“Come on! Let’s go!” Nightwhisper urged, ignoring any cranky comments from the older warrior. Now wasn’t the time for bickering, it was time for both of them to relax themselves! Once the two were outside of camp, Nightwhisper looked around before grinning. Good, she would have some time with Stormgrowl. What a cheeky female. Going towards the stream, Nightwhisper looked at it for a moment before pressing her small fist paw before a piece of the ice broke off. A grin appeared on her face “I hope you are looking forward to a salmon” The molly said, before crouching down and looking for a fish.
Stormgrowl
Riverclan Senior Warrior
As Nightwhisper dropped her side of the salmon, Stormgrowl pulled it in closer, using his back paws to kick it up onto the shore as the younger she-cat jumped onto him. His forelegs propped her up as he leant backwards onto the shingle of the river shore, his stumpy tail twitching in content as they kissed. His heart felt warm, warmer than it had in moons, since he was a young apprentice experiencing his first rejection, his first heartbreak, and his resolution that he wouldn't take a mate, ever.
How stupid his younger self had been, but of course, his younger self had never met Nightwhisper. He knows that young Stormpaw would have been padding after her like an idiot if the two had been apprentices together. A deep purr rumbled in his throat at the thought, whiskers twitching in amusement. Nightwhisper's voice roused him from his thoughts as they broke apart for air.
It was as if her words sent a jolt of recognition through him, his heart shooting waves of static through his entire body- he hadn't thought ahead this far. To think the beautiful she-cat in front of him felt the same way, it was... he couldn't even believe it. She may have kissed him back, but it seemed the thought didn't even cross Stormgrowl's mind.
He let her finish, his own face growing hot, his paws bringing her closer as he held her tighter to him, gaze soft despite his rough exterior, his heart felt so gentle and as if it were full of downy-feathers, his head full of thistle-fluff. The tom knew at that moment, this was what he had wanted for moons. Love.
Stormgrowl nodded, "It would be of the greatest honour to court you, and become yours, devoted to you." He smiled, pressing his face against her cheek, "There would be no greater joy than fathering your kits, Nightwhisper."
Nightwhisper
Riverclan Warrior
Looking into Stormgrowl’s eyes for a moment, his massive paw was resting on hers for a moment as both of them were tightly holding the salmon. Her amber eyes were observing his scared face, the way that his fur had carried around his face in an incredibly sexy way, Stormgrowl was just extremely attractive to her. For a moment, the smaller molly was lost in his eyes, a blush appeared on her face before looking away when looking down at his lips. Nightwhisper admired everything about Stormgrowl, from his physical appearance to his standards in life. The black tabby didn’t want to admit it, but she was deeply in love with the much older tom. It wasn’t until she felt his paw cupping her chin and tilted it until the two were looking at each other. Noticing the way that she looked at him, Nightwhisper knew that he felt the same about her.. She didn’t even have to know it by words but by the look on his face.. He was looking at her with such a soft expression, with such admiration and love in those eyes of his.
It wasn’t until Stormgrowl had leaned forward to kiss her, which caused Nightwhisper’s eyes to widen slightly before leaning into the kiss. Dropping her side of the salmon, the small molly jumped on the older tom as she rested her paws on his shoulder. At that moment, the molly knew that what they were doing was right. Nightwhisper knew that others would make comments about their age difference, but she didn’t care. The two of them loved and cherished each other, that’s what counted. The birds were singing around them, her heart was racing. Breaking apart from the kiss, Nightwhisper opened her eyes and looked at him with such a soft expression. “I love you.” Nightwhisper said softly, leaning forward to kiss his entire face before nuzzling into him.
“I want you to court me, become my mate when the time is right..” Nightwhisper said, looking up at him before a shy smile appeared on her face. Did Stormgrowl feel the same? Was he only looking for a fling? The molly had become a warrior so recently, would everyone think that their love wasn’t real? “I want us to grow together, love each other.. I want you to be the father of my kits.” Nightwhisper confessed, feeling the tip of her ears growing hot. Biting her cheek for a moment, a hopeful smile appeared on her lips “Will you become mine? As I’ll be yours.” Nightwhisper questioned him, watching his facial expression for his answer.
Stormgrowl
Riverclan Senior Warrior
The grouchy older tom had always admired Nightwhisper's dedication to her clan and her clanmates. There was few more attractive traits to a traditional tom like him. His scarred face tilts in a nod at the offer of sharing a meal. Stormgrowl would simply avoid thinking deeper into the implications of sharing a meal with her... a piece of prey together... It made his skin feel hot under his fur. But he wouldn't say it was a bad feeling.
"That would be nice." Stormgrowl agreed verbally, his good eye following her gaze down to the salmon beneath the surface. He sat patiently, entirely still, avoiding making a single movement or sound so as not to disturb the fish, nor disturb her. He noticed the sound of cracking ice too late, taking in a sharp, deep inhale as the pair were plunged into the icy water. He had fallen in many times through his life, it wasn't new to him... but he had a new warrior with him, he had to protect her. These waters could easily drown cats long before they got to unfrozen surface.
His strong, sturdy legs flashed out, as he fought the current to grasp onto the salmon's back end, claws digging in as deep as possible. The tom clung on, surging with his back feet, doing his best to push both he and Nightwhisper forward. Looking upward, he was relieved to see the ice disappearing from above their heads, giving way to fresh water and more importantly- sky.
They were clear of the ice. As Nightwhisper surfaced, he did so from his place behind her. In doing so, in a tempting, alluring fashion, he flipped back his long mane of dark fur, now sodden and clinging around him in a definitively sexy older man kind of way. His back paws gripping into the pebbles at the bottom of the river, he met her eye from across the salmon, and found himself transfixed.
And then, he gave her something that few had seen on his face. A grin.
"...Perhaps that isn't the best way to catch salmon, eh?" He puffed, breathless at the mere sight of her, the drips of water clinging to her whiskers reflecting in the sunlight. Stormgrowl felt his heart hammering uncomfortably, and wondered if he were having a heart attack, but as he was tempted to ditch the salmon and all-but pounce on her, he fought to retain competent and remotely rational thought.
Ultimately, competent thought wouldn't win, as he kept one paw gripping the salmon, he leant in, and kissed her- deep down, he knew his heart wanted it, but his brain was still catching up. For Starclan's sake, she had been a warrior for a day- and here he was letting his impulses win! It wasn't like him, he was the grouchy, stern older warrior and here he was behaving like a fresh warrior.
Nightwhisper
Riverclan Warrior
A bright grin appeared on Nightwhisper’s face, her dark amber eyes were shining in excitement as the older tom had accepted her request. The black tabby had a crush on the tom for as long as she could remember, the molly’s cheeks had heated up when the tom looked over at her. There was something so noble and caring that Nightwhisper couldn’t help but admire greatly about him, Stormgrowl was just so unique in her eyes and nothing could change that. Letting out a soft hum, she nodded in agreement “Yes, I want to make sure that everyone gets fed.. Along with maybe something for us to share over dinner?” Nightwhisper questioned
casually with a hopefully smile on her face. She couldn’t help but feel the butterflies in her stomach when he looked at her.
Stars, if he only knew how deep her feelings were for him.
Looking away, she was blushing when looking at the ice hole that she created. Observing the water for a moment, her dark amber eyes were carefully looking around the area. It wasn’t until spotting the salmon that caused her ears to perk up, her gaze was focused on the piece of prey. Lowering herself in a crouching position, her small paw lifted in the air for a moment. However, she didn’t notice the small cracking noises that were underneath herself and Stormgrowl but instead was focused on the large fish. Nightwhisper had to catch this salmon, she had to impress him. A sense of anxiety overcame her, what if she didn’t catch anything?
Letting out a squeal of surprise when suddenly the ice broke underneath her, causing both felines to fall into the icy cold water. Her amber eyes were wide for a moment, before noticing the salmon was swimming away. The small molly began quickly swimming towards the direction of the large fish. Ignoring the chilling feeling on her skin, the small molly’s paw grabbed at the fish before it started flopping around. Letting out an internal groan, Nightwhisper clung on to it for dear life. Soon she was able to sink her teeth into the salmon’s back, causing it to become paralyzed as she bit into the spine. However she felt something else grabbing on to the salmon which caused her to begin swimming up. Was it a bigger fish?!
Breaking the watery surface, Nightwhisper gasped for air through her teeth while the salmon was jaws in her grasp. Her gaze turned to look at Stormhowl in surprise as she noticed the older tom was also grabbing on to the salmon for dear life. At first, Nightwhisper gasped softly before dropping the large fish, the upper part of the fish was held by her paws while the lower part that Stormgrowl was still holding. This was a bit awkward. Was he impressed by her?
Stormgrowl
Riverclan Senior Warrior
Stormgrowl wasn't sure how it had started. For a long while he had felt as if his life had some change in store for him. A particular young she-cat who had just been named a warrior had been running into him often, and during her apprenticeship she had often ended up interacting with him... She had seemed embarrassed, at times. If Stormgrowl wasn't so much older and grouchier, he would have assumed that she had a crush on him.
Speak of the devil, Stormgrowl couldn't stop himself in time to hide the purr that rumbled from deep within him. It was a deep, loud and manly purr, yet he still covered it up with a cough. He raised his brow- salmon... that would be good. The kits would be hungering soon, and bringing back a huge salmon would feed the entire nursery, and leave some extra for the other cats...
Flicking what remained of his torn ear, the one-eyed tabby padded after Nightwhisper. As he followed her, he realised that his normally sore joints felt less sore... he had noticed that, being around the she-cat as of late.
He looked at her, a definite affection to his stern face, "...Alright, alright, I'm coming... I'm older than you, don't forget..." Whilst he wasn't as close to retirement as Goosethroat, he knew he felt a lot older because of the injuries he had sustained throughout his life. Goosethroat still had a youthful spring in his step, and kindness in his entire soul, but Stormgrowl was achy and missing most of his tail, as well as one ear and one eye...
If Goosethroat liked she-cats, he had no doubt that he could have easily been a better choice for a she-cat like Nightwhisper.
Realising he had lagged behind as he drowned in his thoughts, he quickly hurried up to catch up to her, the remain of his tail swishing thoughtfully as he looked down at the hole she had poked in the ice. He joined her, peering down beneath the surface of the water and narrowing his eye for the glint of scales.
"Two salmon would be great..." He rumbled, voice low and just as deep as his purr. "I think we can do it. With such a promising young hunter like youself." He had caught many salmon in his years, but as he looked down into the water, he was filled with as much excitement as if it was his first.
What was happening to him?