Fallen Holly Leaves (Storm)

Holly Leaves carefully took a step back to distance herself from him, not wanting to fall to temptation. This wasn’t her Fallen Leaves. Taking a breath, she resumed heading towards the lake.

Fallen Leaves nodded, mewing an only somewhat-relieved “If you’re sure.” The tom blinked, realizing how close they were and not really wanting to pull away.

Holly Leaves turned around at the palpable concern and distress in a mewl, having to hide her surprised reaction at how close he was to her. “No, it isn’t anything you did. I just remembered something upsetting.”

Fallen Leaves stepped over closer to her, concern etched in his mewl. “Are you ok? I️ didn’t screw anything up, did I️...?” The tom hadn’t had much self-confidence since he’d needed to be rescued from the tunnels while countless generations had gotten out all by themselves just fine.

“Yes?” Holly Leaves asked quietly, not looking back at him, though she had heard his pawsteps stop and so stopped too.

Fallen Leaves pinned his ears back when Holly Leaves suddenly turned her head away from him, breaking the eye contact they had been sharing. The Tom halted mid-stride, mewling “Holly Leaves?” This was atypical of the She-cat. Did I️ do something wrong?

Holly Leaves smiled back at him, almost twining her tail with his before she remembered that this version of Fallen Leaves wasn’t close enough to her for that. The reminder caused her to look away.

Fallen Leaves eagerly walked by her side, the pair nearly brushing pelts. The dappled tom shot the She-cat a friendly smile and a warm gaze as they walked.

“Okay,” Holly Leaves meowed and started to head in that direction, glancing around briefly.

Fallen Leaves thought for a moment. “I️ kind of want to go down to the lake. It seems nice out today!”

Holly Leaves looked around thoughtfully. “I don’t know. Where do you want to go?”

Fallen Leaves looked around the forest when he padded a few pawsteps out from the entrance, glancing over at Holly Leaves as she drew level with him. “Where do you feel like going?” He mewed. The whole territory was open to them.

Holly Leaves padded after her friend, tail swishing back and forth through the air behind her.

“Works for me,” The tom replied quickly, standing up and shaking the dirt out of his pelt before quickly padding towards the camp entrance.

Holly Leaves hummed thoughtfully, watching them for a moment longer before turning to her friend. “How about we go on a walk?” She suggested.

Fallen Leaves watched them leave as well before nudging his black-furred friend. “I’m getting a bit bored here, we ought to go out and do something.”

Holly Leaves made a noncommittal sound, watching Jay’s Wing wander off to go look at the devastation the Twolegs were wreaking on the land and Furled Bracken follow, eyes narrowed thoughtfully.

What’s a Thunderclan? That was Fallen Leaves’ only takeaway from the whole thing, glancing over to Holly Leaves and mewing an amused “Jay’s Wing must have hit his head on the tunnel ceiling or something.”

Holly Leaves watched Jay’s Wing, a small frown forming on her muzzle at how confused the tom seemed as everyone spoke to and around him. Her ears perked and eyes widened in surprise when he mentioned ThunderClan, though he was brushed off by the others.

Fallen Leaves’ eyes widened as he settled at the edge of the crowd, perking his ears to listen in.

Holly Leaves padded after him, the two of them reaching the crowd just as Furled Bracken was scolding Dove’s Wing for asking Jay’s Wing about his experience in the tunnels.

Fallen Leaves flicked his ears, standing up to go see if Jay’s Wing had, in fact, returned from the tunnels. The Tom padded towards where the commotion was hoping to see his friend safe and sound. The other tom had been slightly hurt that Holly Leaves wouldn’t pay attention to him when they last talked.

“It sounds like Jay’s Wing is back from the tunnels,” Holly Leaves said after a moment of listening. The tom had gone into the tunnels to become a sharpclaw two days before. Meeting him and Dove’s Wing had been quite a painful shock to the black-furred feline, due to how similar they looked to Jayfeather and Dovewing. She’d avoided them for an entire half-moon before attempting to get to know them when she realized how ridiculous she was being, and while it still hurt her to look at them, she could spend some time with them now.

Fallen Leaves perked his ears when he noticed Holly Leaves looking over at something else. He hadn’t noticed it at first, but once he listened more closely he turned towards the commotion as well.

Holly Leaves swallowed her mouthful and grinned at him. Her ears twitched when she heard a sudden commotion and she looked over to the other side of camp, wondering what was going on.