What Is This I Feel? (Stormwind)

Hollyleaf gave a bitter smirk. “Except it’s not a lie if he didn’t know. And he certainly did not know, not until I and my littermates told him about it shortly after we found out, and even then, he did his best to live in denial. At the Gathering was not the first time he disowned us and said that you were his only kit.”

Breezpelt furrowed his brow, trying to push past how he felt now to how he felt then. Eventually, The tom remembered his immediate feelings, and mewled “I felt... stunned. Everything you said made sense, but I didn’t want to believe it. Even with how much my mom and Dad fought... I didn’t want to believe he would lie to me like that.” The Black-furred tom pinned his ears back.

Hollyleaf swallowed thickly, pushing back her emotions with difficulty. She could think about that and maybe break down later in the tunnels. “How did you feel when I first revealed the truth about my parentage?” She asked quietly. “Not now, not even the next day, but right after I revealed it.”

Breezpelt had used the more affectionate name for Hollyleaf without thinking, but it reflected how his attitude about the she-cat had changed since their first meeting not that long ago.

Her breath caught in her throat when she realized what he’d called her, and much to her embarrassment, she had to struggle to push back tears. It’s funny how you never realize how much you miss your family until you see them again. (Or, well, just one of them.)

“Your turn,” purred Breezepelt. “Ask me anything, sister.”

“It’s all right,” Hollyleaf sighed, sounding tired. “You didn’t know.” Still, he’d only asked if she had a crush on someone, not who it was. She had no obligation to tell him Fallen Leaves’ name.

Breezepelt pinned his ears back, noticing Hollyleaf’s flinch when he asked her the question.  “Sorry,” mewled the tom softly, feeling bad for having treaded into apparently sensitive territory.

Hollyleaf winced slightly at the question, staring up at the stars as she answered, “Yes.” She doubted Fallen Leaves knew of it or would return her feelings if he did.

“Hmm... in light of Berrynose’s obsession with she-cats... what about you? Are there any Tim’s you’re crushing on?” Breezpelt raised a brow teasingly as he looked over at his half-sister, eagerly awaiting an answer. He assumed it would be some Thunderclan tom he could tease her about.

Hollyleaf waited, watching the tom.

Breezpelt chuckled, trailing off after a heartbeat to think of a good question to ask The she-cat.

Hollyleaf sighed in exasperation, nodding in agreement. “He does it to every she-cat, it’s ridiculous. And he’s so arrogant too, thinking he’s StarClan’s gift to she-cats and that he’s so important because he was the deputy’s apprentice.” She carefully didn’t mention Brambleclaw’s name, still not certain how to feel about him.

Breezpelt rolled his eyes. “Typical Berrynose. I even catch him staring at Windclan she-cats sometimes.”

Hollyleaf huffed a laugh. “Berrynose once failed an assessment because he was too busy daydreaming about all us pretty she-cats,” she informed him.

“Yes,” grumbled The tom, his ears pinned back as he admitted to the embarrassing truth. “In my defense,” The tom added with a playful smile, “it was a blue butterfly. Those are rare.”

Hollyleaf snorted a little, more incredulous than amused. “What, really?”

Breezpelt stiffened, and it was clear from the look on his face he was considering taking the ‘no answer’ route for this one. The prideful tom stayed alert for a moment before eventually letting out a sigh. “As a young apprentice,” mewled the tom, “I failed my first assessment because I got too busy chasing a butterfly, and ran into Heatherpaw and messed up hers, too.”

Hollyleaf frowned as she though, kneading the ground with her forepaws. “What’s the most embarrassing thing you’ve ever done?”

Breezepelt purred quietly, meeting his half-sister’s eyes as he awaited her question.

Hollyleaf scowled at him, though she wasn’t really that annoyed. More surprised he’d had the balls to ask her that.

Breezpelt snickered to himself at her reaction. “I like to keep the surprises coming,” purred the tom teasingly, smiling over at Hollyleaf innocently.

Hollyleaf choked in surprise, coughing and spluttering. She certainly hadn’t been expecting that. “No, I have not,” she said slightly hoarsely once her coughing fit had subsided.

“Have you ever… been with a tom?” Breezpelt asked another surprising question, hoping that avoiding the subject of her hiding for now would give him the answers he wanted sometime later.

Hollyleaf waited quietly, wrapping her tail around her paws.