Chapter Text
To anyone watching him, they would assume Firestar was worried about Tigerstar’s latest ploy. A day ago, the ShadowClan – he refused to call the combination of RiverClan and ShadowClan TigerClan – leader had attacked WindClan. Many WindClan members were severely injured and…Gorsepaw…
The memory still stung.
The only good thing that came from this mess was that Tallstar agreed to join ThunderClan against the other two. The four Clans had agreed to meet tomorrow morning at Fourtrees. On top of that, Tawnypaw was still missing. Goldenflower and her sons were distraught. He had no idea how to console them other than finding the missing apprentice.
However, despite all of this, Firestar had been upset about something else. It was mousebrain. It was beyond mousebrain. Here they are on the brink of war and he’s getting distracted by-.
“Something wrong leader?”
Firestar stopped his pacing. Speak of the shadow. Goldenflower stood before him, an amused expression on her face. He and Goldenflower hadn’t originally gotten along. She had seen him as a kit playing pretend, and he hadn’t trusted her due to her closeness to Tigerstar. If it hadn’t been for Bramblepaw and Tawnypaw, they’d probably still dislike each other. He really did adore those kits like they were his own. Although, as Graystripe had pointed out, half of the Clan’s kits saw Firestar as their dad.
Firestar’s fur puffed up at the thought of the tom.
“I’m just thinking about tomorrow.”
“Well, that’s a lie.”
Firestar’s tail twitched in agitation. “It’s nothing important, Goldenflower. You don’t have to worry about it.”
“We’re a Clan, Firestar. And more than that, you and I are kin. Whatever is bothering you, allow me to share the burden.”
Firestar sighed. He wasn’t going to get out of this easily. But maybe talking about it with someone else would ease his worries. Though maybe not in the middle of camp. “Let’s go for a walk.” Goldenflower raised an eyebrow but followed him anyways.
The two cats walk in silence though the forests. Goldenflower was waiting for him to start talking, but Firestar didn’t know how to start. Finally, he asks, “You loved Tigerstar, right?”
“I still love him.” Firestar almost tripped over his own feet. “Surprised?”
“Very.”
The she-cat sighed. “I know it would be easier to hate him, and I would never take him back. But you have to understand Firestar, we built a life together. Stars above, I thought we’d grow old together.” She sighs again before looking over at the orange tom. “Am I right to assume you are having love troubles?”
“Sort of.” He can’t look at her. Not for what he’s about to admit. “I do love Sandstorm. Don’t think I don’t. But recently I’ve…started…having feelings…for someone else.”
Goldenflower purrs. “Someone else, huh? Is it Graystripe?”
Firestar still refused to look at her. “It’s ok if it is. You two were so close for so long. And you only recently got him back. It’s understandable.”
“Sure it is.”
Goldenflower nudged her leader. “It is. There’s nothing wrong with being in love with two cats. As long as everyone’s ok with that.”
“And you think Sandstorm and Graystripe would be ok with this? Sandstorm and I have only recently gotten together, and to my knowledge Graystripe has only ever been in love with she-cats.”
Goldenflower laughed long and loud and hard. “What’s so funny?” The golden queen just kept laughing. “Goldenflower?”
“Sorry,” the she-cat said once she finally calmed down. “It’s just-Oh of course you wouldn’t know. Graystripe stopped mooning after Lionheart after you showed up.”
“What?!” He had never heard of this. No one ever told him that. But the way Goldenflower was talking about this new information made it sound like it was common knowledge. And if it’s common knowledge, why would you go around talking about it?
“Oh, he was adorable. Following after my brother like he was his shadow. I thought Graystripe was going to burst when Bluestar named him Lionheart’s apprentice.”
Firestar could see it. Graystripe was a cat who put his whole heart into the cats he loved. The thought of a tiny Graystripe bouncing at the idea of his crush being his mentor was absolutely adorable to the orange tom. His brief good mood soured though as he asked, “But what about Sandstorm? I can’t leave her just to be with Graystripe. And I won’t start a relationship with him while still being with her.”
“Have you tried talking to the two of them?”
Now it was Firestar’s turn to laugh. “Of course not! What would the two of them think of me? I’m already so different from the rest of the Clan. Letting them know that there’s another thing that separates them from me-.”
“Not that different. I just told you Graystripe likes both toms and she-cats. And it isn’t unusual to Sandstorm either given her parents.” At the questioning look, Goldenflower elaborated, “Runningwind and Redtail were Sandstorm’s parents. Redtail informed the Clan at a very young age that he was tom, and well those two had been thick as thieves ever since they were kits. It came as a surprise to no one when they became mates shortly after becoming warriors.”
“Sandstorm never mentioned that.”
“To be fair, Sandstorm and you didn’t exactly get off on the right foot.”
Firestar nodded. He hesitated before asking, “Is there anyone else? Like me?”
“Of course there are. You didn’t think you were the only one, did you?”
Firestar shrugged. He’d only ever seen toms and she-cats together in the Clans, he never thought to ask if others felt like he did. “Who else?”
“Oh, that’s not my place to say. The only reason I told you about Graystripe is because he’s equally as smitten with you as you are with him.”
At the shocked look on Firestar’s face, Goldenflower started cackling again. “Come on, leader,” she nudged him when the laughter stopped. “We should head back now. And I expect you to deal with this when the business with my ex-mate is all settled.”
“Yes ma’am,” the orange tom chuckled.
***
Tigerstar was dead. Despite everything, Firestar still can’t believe it. The image of Tigerstar losing all nine of his lives in one go will probably haunt Firestar for the rest of his life. Sleep wasn’t possible at this point in time. Unfortunately, or maybe fortunately for him, Sandstorm and Graystripe couldn’t sleep either.
The three cats were in Firestar’s den, talking and laughing well into the night. Graystripe and Sandstorm were curled around the orange tom, that was the only reason he was actually able to fall asleep that night. Firestar didn’t even realize what had happened until he woke up the next morning. Both Sandstorm and Graystripe were still wrapped around him. In his sleep addled brain, Firestar started purring loudly.
“Comfy, Firestar?” That was Graystripe. The gray tom was snuggled into Firestar’s side, with his big fluffy tail wrapped around the other two cats.
“Shut up, Graystripe,” Sandstorm replied back. Her eyes were still closed, and her head was resting on top of Firestar’s. “Some of us are still trying to sleep.”
“Jealous, Sandstrom?”
“Not on your life.”
Firestar froze at that. They were joking. He knew they were joking. But oh, how he wished they were both his. Being pressed so close to them, Graystripe and Sandstorm could both feel their leader go still. “You ok, Firestar?” Graystripe asked.
“I-I need to talk to you about something.” If he didn’t have their full attention before, he definitely did now. “You’re both important to me. More than anyone else.” He looked over at Graystripe. “You’ve been my best friend since the moment we met. I know I apologized for it before, but I truly am sorry for how I acted about you and Silverstream. I’m so glad you’re back with me. Being away from you is one of the hardest things I’ve ever gone through.” He looked over at Sandstorm. “I love you. I love you so much, Sandstorm. I’m a complete mousebrain for not realizing that sooner. And an even bigger mousebrain for not acting on it when I realized. It’s silly since I didn’t really know her, but Spottedleaf dying the way she did really messed with me. I’m grateful for how patient you’ve been.” He took a deep breath. “I’m in love with both of you. And I don’t know what to do about that.”
Silence met Firestar’s confession as the den’s other occupants let the information sink in. He didn’t push. If this would cause him to lose the two most important cats in his life, so be it.
“Well, we have a problem then.” Sandstorm and Firestar looked over at the gray tom. “Cause I’m in love with you, too. Have been since the first day we met.” Graystripe laughed loudly at Firestar’s shocked expression.
“B-B-But what about Silverstream?” the leader blurts out and immediately regrets it at the saddened smile on his best friend’s face.
“Oh, don’t get it wrong. My feelings for her are real. But well, I never brought it up because I didn’t want to do anything to wreck our friendship. If we started something and things went bad, I’d never be able to forgive myself.” The tom looked over at the pale ginger she-cat. “Though I uh don’t know if bringing this up now was a good idea.”
Sandstorm still hadn’t responded. Firestar wishes she would say anything to settle his nerves. “You have anything you’d like to add, Sandstorm?”
“Am I supposed to be surprised by this information?”
Both toms started sputtering at the she-cat’s words. She waited until they calmed down to start speaking again. “You two were obvious as apprentices. Dustpelt, Ravenpaw, and I took bets on when you two would get together.” She shrugged. “Looks like all three of us were wrong.”
“What’d you bet on?” Graystripe asked.
“I thought you two were mates and just didn’t want to tell anyone. Ravenpaw thought you were just waiting to be made warriors, and Dustpelt thought you two were too mousebrained to figure it out. I can’t wait to rub it in his face.”
“And you’re ok with that?” Firestar interrupted. “With me? Loving the two of you?”
“Firestar, I knew you were in love with Graystripe when I asked you to be mates with me. I knew what I was getting myself into.”
“But…” he looked between the two cats. “Are you two in love with each other?”
Both burst into laughter. Listening to Graystripe’s loud, booming laugh and Sandstorm low, growly snickers set Firestar’s heart ablaze. “Stars above, no. No offense, Sandstorm, but you’re not exactly my type.”
“Likewise, furball.”
“So…” Both cats look at the tom they loved. “What do we do now?”
Firestar’s fur rose as Graystripe started licking and nipping the back of his neck. “I don’t mind sharing if you don’t, Sandstorm?”
The she-cat purred as her eyes turned predatory. “I can agree to that.”
Firestar was in love with Sandstorm and Graystripe. And from the looks of it, both of them were more than ok with that.