Work Text:
The sky was a mix of pinks and blues as the sun rose up from the horizon, illuminating Thunderclan’s camp. Fireheart was crouched low to his nest as he took in the quiet scene, breathing in slowly as he savored one of the last few moments of peace before he had to attend to his duties as deputy.
A rustle sounded behind him, breaking him from his trance. He flicked an ear as a familiar white presence scooted close to him, their bodies pressed close enough to feel each other's warmth. Fireheart leaned slightly.
“Up bright and early, I see?” Whitestorms tired purr rumbled throughout Fireheart’s body, making him feel fuzzy inside. The smaller tom nodded against him, yawning dramatically into his shoulder. “You're awfully touchy this morning,” Whitestorm teased, earning himself a cuff to the ear.
“Let me enjoy my last moments of quietness,” Fireheart snarked softly before picking himself up from his nest and arching his back into a stretch. He tiptoed out of the warriors den, careful to not step on any tails.
Whitestorm came up from behind, pushing their pelts together again. “Maybe you can enjoy it more if you went hunting with me?” Whitestorm offered, bowing his head down with a glint in his yellow eyes. Fireheart peeked down at him in amusement.
“Only if you catch me a fat vole”
“Deal”
Fireheart dashed away and into the gorse tunnel, Whitestorm still chasing after. Their pads hit against the damp ground as they ran, muddying their paws. Their laughs traveled through the trees as they came to stop, knocking into each other like a bunch of young apprentices.
“I’m surprised you kept up, old man” Fireheart sassed, flashing his teeth as he pranced away behind a bush. Whitestorm scurried to him.
“I’m still in my prime, I’ll let you know” Whitestorm said, flexing himself on the nearest tree. Fireheart’s eyes shamelessly studied Whitestorm before he trotted away. The older white tom snorted, though fondly.
“I think I smell a mouse nest over here” Fireheart whispered back to his clanmate, his tail flicking as he pressed his body close to the ground . Whitestorm followed suit, eyes scanning the undergrowth.
“There!” Fireheart whispered, bending his legs back before he sprung forward , an unexpected mouse catching between his claws. He quickly snapped his jaws around the rodent, killing it. He proudly lifted the plump mouse into his mouth as he showed Whitestorm.
“Good catch” the older tom praised, licking behind Fireheart’s ear. The younger slightly burned beneath his pelt.
“Now it’s your turn. See if you can find that fat vole for me” fireheart meowed , burying his mouse for later before catching up. He walked steadily in pace next to Whitestorm who was already scenting the air for said vole.
The forest was silent aside from the distant song of the morning birds and the rustle of the leaves from the early breeze;which blew the smell of prey right to them. Whitestorm perked as he inhaled the stench of a vole, smiling back at Fireheart.
“‘Guess you’ll get that vole after all” Whitestorm said cheekily.
The senior warrior padded forward a few fox lengths from Fireheart before dropping into a hunting crouch, Fireheart watched closely from behind. Whitestorm creeped closer into the brush as the noise from the branches grew louder. Swiftly, he scuttled upward to catch the retreating vole, landing on its back and giving it an instant killing bite.
Fireheart hummed pleased , coming from behind Whitestorm, rubbing their flanks. The older tom stared back with his bloodied maw, blinking slowly at the other. Fireheart returned the gesture bashfully before clearing his throat.
“Le’ths go ea’th” Whitestorm jabbered through the mound of fur in his jaw, Fireheart laughed quietly at the tom but flicked his tail in agreement.
The two toms trekked in a comfortable silence through the forest, picking up Fireheart’s mouse on the way before finding a nice spot underneath a tall willow tree to relax.
Fireheart flopped onto his back, watching Whitestorm from the corner of his eye as he finally groomed the blood from his muzzle. “That was a pretty messy vole, yeah?” Fireheart called to him, the white tom grunting in response.
“‘Suppose I had bitten a little too hard than necessary” Fireheart swallowed a tight ball in his throat as he looked to Whitestorms flashing canines, but nonetheless nodded in agreement to his statement. The older tom settled next to Fireheart, nudging the still warm vole to him. The orange tom rolled over onto his belly, dipping his head to take the first bites.
Warm, and wet savoryness exploded in his mouth as he chewed the tender meat, blood dripping down his chin. Whitestorm had scented a fantastic kill.
“Thank you” Fireheart sighed through each bite, closing his eyes as he enjoyed his meal. he slid the half eaten vole to Whitestorm, whose chest huffed from giggles directed to Fireheart's messy face. Suddenly embarrassed,the younger pinned his ears to his skull as he licked sheepishly at his bloodied chops.
Whitestorm paid no mind to Firehearts flustered expression and stretched his mouth wide, his teeth ripping to take a big chunk from the kill. He munched quietly as Fireheart groomed himself, still slightly embarrassed.
Fireheart peeked at the older tom from where he washed himself , a content expression marking the tom's features as he ate. His usually sharp edges seemed to soften in the morning light , his white fur almost glowing to the point it hurt Fireheart eyes to stare at. Fireheart thought he looked unbelievably beautiful, like he embodied the sun itself.
“We should head back” Whitestorm murmured to one in particular “cats are probably waking up for dawn patrol.” Fireheart nodded, turning his face away with a cough. If Whitestorm had seen his staring he didn’t comment on it.
Fireheart stood up abruptly, shaking off the dust from his pelt before picking up the mouse he had hunted earlier. Whitestorm quickly buried the eaten vole underneath the tree before strolling up to Fireheart, thanking Starclan for the freshkill.
The two walked in tune back to camp , a contrast to how they started their morning. Once Fireheart saw the view of thunderclans camp entrance, dread filled his belly like tar. It finally set in that he had responsibilities to tend to and that he couldn’t spend all his time prancing around in the forest with Whitestorm. He sighed woefully, his ears drooping.
Fireheart jumped when Whitestorm knocked their shoulders together, the older tom giving him a gentle smile that wrinkled at the edges. Fireheart’s heart soared in his chest, a feeling of nausea settling in his throat. He kicked himself mentally.
“I’ll chat with you later, deputy. I have some sleep to catch up on” whitestorm winked, before parting ways with the younger tom, disappearing into the dark of the warriors den. Fireheart’s claws pricked into the soft ground, how could he act like such a fool for someone who only thinks of him in a political stance? Whitestorm was purely just trying to help him.
Even as his heart felt heavy by the thought, in the back of his mind, excitement bubbled up at the prospect of hanging out with the older tom later.
Fireheart straightened himself out before padding up to the crowd made in the clearing of cats waiting to be assigned patrols. He forced himself to think of later, when he’d speak to Whitestorm again.