Hawkfrost x Ashfur Fanfic ~ As Long as I Have You

Chapter Four

Leaves crunched underneath Ashfur's paws as he walked through the forest. Crickets could be heard as he neared closer to RiverClan territory. There was lightness in his steps as he walked, as he was looking forward to meeting Hawkfrost again.

There was something about the mysterious dark tabby that drew Ashfur closer. He was the only cat that had ever cared about him, truly cared about him. He thought he'd had that with Squirrelflight, but if Squirrelflight cared about him, she wouldn't have chosen Brambleclaw over him.

But how do I know I can trust him, anyways? Ashfur thought. He's Tigerstar's son, for StarClan's sake! But as the thoughts passed through Ashfur's mind, he hardly acknowledged them. Tigerstar's son or not, it was nice to have someone who listened to him.

As Ashfur got closer to their meeting place, the sound of murmuring could be heard some distance away. Ashfur paused and pricked his ears. Perhaps it was the sound of bugs flying over the lake, was his first thought. But when he took a few steps closer, he could definitely make out words.

There were cats here, no doubt about it. But the thing that bugged Ashfur the most was that he recognized the voice of Hawkfrost. What was Hawkfrost doing with another cat?

Curiosity got to the best of him and Ashfur took a few more steps closer. He hid himself behind a tree and peeked over at the lake's shore, where he and Hawkfrost had met the first time.

Hawkfrost was there, but with another cat. What is he doing? He said he would meet me here again tomorrow. Ashfur's heart sank. Maybe he was wrong about Hawkfrost. Maybe Hawkfrost didn't care about him after all.

Ashfur craned his neck so he could get a closer look, and in the darkness, he recognized the cat Hawkfrost was talking with.

Brambleclaw.

Ashfur's eyes stung with tears as he stumbled backward. Of course Hawkfrost didn't care about him. Nobody cared about him, and nobody ever would, and Ashfur was stupid to think otherwise.

Through his blurry vision, he saw that his movements were noticed by Hawkfrost, but he hardly took notice of it as he darted away into the forest.

"Ashfur!" came Hawkfrost's voice from behind him as he ran. "Ashfur, please come back!"

Ashfur wanted to keep running, forever, until he was long gone, but hearing Hawkfrost's voice caused him to slow to a halt.

Ashfur stood there for a moment to catch his breath. He could see Hawkfrost behind him in his peripheral vision, but he didn't turn to face him.

"Ashfur," Hawkfrost said softly, "why did you run away from me?"

Ashfur's pelt bristled as he whipped around to face Hawkfrost. "Because you were with Brambleclaw when you said you would meet with me! I thought that maybe you cared about me, but you replaced me with him. Just like Squirrelflight."

Hawkfrost tilted his head. "Brambleclaw was just leaving. I have to visit him, too, you know. He's my brother."

Ashfur's fur flattened. Suddenly, all of his anger was replaced with guilt. Of course he should let Hawkfrost spend time with Brambleclaw. They were brothers. How could Ashfur be so selfish? Now Hawkfrost was definitely going to hate him.

"I'm so sorry," Ashfur said in barely a whisper. "I don't why I got so upset. Perhaps it's better if I just leave..."

"Hey," Hawkfrost interrupted, taking a step closer to Ashfur. "Look at me."

Ashfur did as he was told, gazing into the icy pools that were Hawkfrost's eyes.

"I understand," Hawkfrost explained. "He hurt you. We do strange things when cats hurt us. Trust me, I know."

"You do?"

Hawkfrost looked at the ground, suddenly looking very distant. "My mother left me when I was just a kit."

"I already knew that," Ashfur said. "Most cats do. She was a rogue."

"I know, but ever since then, every time I see a cat talk about the bond they have with their mother, I just want to slash their ears," Hawkfrost growled, flexing his claws. "I know it's no cat's fault, not even Sasha's, but I still wish I could have had that same bond that most cats do."

Ashfur moved closer to Hawkfrost. He sat down next to him and brushed his pelt against his. "I'm sorry."

"There's nothing for you to apologize for." Hawkfrost looked at Ashfur. "But I want you to know, you were wrong about something."

"What's that?"

"You accused me of not caring about you, but that's not true in the slightest," Hawkfrost said. "I do care about you, Ashfur. You're a special cat."

With that, Hawkfrost leaned over and pressed his muzzle to the top of Ashfur's head. Ashfur flinched at first, but then reveled in the comforting feeling of Hawkfrost's touch. He leaned closer into Hawkfrost's chest fur. He had never felt so close to any cat, not even Squirrelflight, even if he barely knew Hawkfrost.

Ashfur then quickly pulled away. "I'm sorry, uh-"

"What are you sorry for?"

Ashfur felt his pelt grow hot with embarrassment. "Well, I leaned closer to you but that was probably weird..."

Hawkfrost shrugged and have his chest fur a lick. "I didn't mind it."

Ashfur awkwardly shuffled closer to Hawkfrost's side and leaned his head on his shoulder. "Then... is this okay?"

Hawkfrost purred contentedly as he rested his chin on Ashfur's head. "I like that."

Ashfur felt his fur grow hot, but this time, it wasn't out of embarassment. There was something more. Something he hadn't felt in a long time. He enjoyed this feeling.

Ashfur closed his eyes and let himself sink into Hawkfrost's soft fur. He wanted to stay here forever, close to Hawkfrost, their pelts brushing closely together, listening to the sound of his soft purrs.

So there they sat, cuddled up closely to each other, listening the forest hum around them.