Fallen Holly Leaves (Storm)

Eventually, Fallen Leaves pulled away just enough to look into his mate’s eyes. “I’m sorry if I drudged up something you would have rather forgotten,” The tom Mewed. Her mate seemed to feel genuinely guilty about making her sad like that.

Holly Leaves stayed curled into his embrace, taking slow, deep breaths.

Fallen Leaves gave his mate a few extra licks before he ceased grooming her. However, the tom didn’t make any attempt to move, relishing in their closeness as he pressed against the black-furred she-cat.

(It wasn’t a laptop, unfortunately. It was new boots, though, so that’s good. They add two inches to my height XD)

After a few minutes of the tom comforting her, Holly Leaves started to calm down. The memories of her kithood were painful when she looked back on them, now knowing the lies that had entangled her life from the start.

(Merry Christmas!)

I shouldn’t ask about this any more, thought the tom to himself, cuddling up with Holly Leaves tightly to comfort the shuddering she-cat.

(Merry Christmas!)

Holly Leaves closed her eyes, curling into his embrace. She took a deep, shuddering breath.

Fallen Leaves just blinked, stunned by all of this new information about his mate. Too overwhelmed for words; The tom simply stepped up to her and pushed her until her head was resting on his chest. The male comforted her with licks to the top of her head and her shoulders, The tom feeling bad for the poor she-cat.

A bitter smile curled at the edges of Holly Leaves’ muzzle. “Healers weren’t supposed to have mates or kits, and cats weren’t supposed to have mates outside of their groups. My mother had to give us up or else she would have risked being exiled along with us, which would have almost certainly spelled our deaths. So she gave us to her sister and her sister’s mate to raise.”

Fallen Leaves’ eyes widened. “Why didn’t your birth parents raise you?”

“I knew of him,” Holly Leaves said softly, “and I met him a few times, but I never really knew him because I didn’t even know at the time that the cats who had raised me weren’t my birth parents. And even after the truth came out, he denied my littermates and I being his for a long time.”

Fallen Leaves noticed Holly Leaves’ gaze left him, but didn’t follow it to where it rested on Jay’s Wing. “What about your father? Did you get to know him?”

Holly Leaves smiled faintly, her gaze involuntarily trailing to Jay’s Wing, who was another version of her brother. “He didn’t like to show it, but he cared deeply about the rest of us.”

Fallen Leaves chuckled softly, picturing a cat healing another and scolding them for getting hurt all at once.  “He sounds interesting,” Came his amused purr.

Holly Leaves closed her eyes, resting her head on his shoulder. “My mother and brother were healers. They knew the herbs and took care of the rest of our group whenever we got sick or injured or a she-cat got pregnant.” The corner of her muzzle curled up a little in a bitterly amused smile. “My brother was a great healer but he was so prickly all the time; he had a terrible nest-side manner.”

Fallen Leaves draped his tail over her body, insistently pulling her closer. “If you don’t mind... could you tell me about them?”

Holly Leaves stilled for a moment, casting a glance at her mate but quickly looking away before he could decipher the look in her eyes. “Yes,” she said quietly.

“Do you remember much about your family?” Fallen Leaves Asked, head tilted curiously to one side.

Holly Leaves sat down, wrapping her tail around her paws.

Glancing out, Fallen Leaves noticed Jay’s Wing deep in conversation with Half Moon. The Tom flicked his ears curiously but didn’t think much of it, turning his attentions back to Holly Leaves instead.

“I love you too,” Holly Leaves said softly, nuzzling his neck.

Fallen Leaves nodded in agreement to Holly Leaves’ statement. “It’s too early.” Stepping closer and giving the She-cat’s cheek an affectionate lick, he quickly purred “I love you.”

Holly Leaves nodded, pressing against his side. “We’re too young to have kits, I think. We should wait at least a few more moons. My mother was a year and a half old when she had me and my littermates.”

“I feel like it’s a bit too early for any of that,” The tom added quickly, his ears similarly pressed flat as he gazed down into his mate’s lovely eyes. “But of course, I would do anything you want me to...”

Holly Leaves flattened her ears with embarrassment, glancing up at Fallen Leaves.

“Yes!” Replied Fallen Leaves, a mixture of amusement and exasperation in his mewl. It has only been a matter of days since the pair had officially become a couple! “I suppose she can’t help wanting grand kits to dote on.”