private DIAMONDS IN THE SKY ;; crow.

[EVEREST]

"SOMETIMES YOU HAVE TO FACE THE THINGS YOU FEAR, EVEN IF IT'S YOURSELF"​

@CROW

There's a sense of thrill in sneaking out of camp in the middle of the night, only the light of the moon igniting his heart with a sense of excitement he couldn't easily contain. Long limbs thrashed through bushes, leaves stuck in messy fur and sending birds flying out of the brambles they had been hiding in. His ears twitched, the sight of Fourtrees in the distance- an odd sight, but familiar one nonetheless. He slowed then, puffing out breaths of exertion- maybe running all the way here wasn't the best idea, but he had to make his trip quick so he could see them faster.

The sight of his mate in the distance caused his expression to brighten, a smile rising to his lips as he rushed over, unable to contain his excitement. How many moons had it been, since they had gotten together? Officially became mates? His gaze softened, tail gently brushing against their side in loving greeting as to not startle them.

"I'm sorry for my lateness. Tugger wanted to go hunting, and I got caught up. How are you, my Crow?"

Voice soft with adoration, nearly whispered in his own caution. There could be cats nearby, and he didn't want them to get caught. Not when their groups were so.. On edge, lately.

"You look skinny, love- Oh, dear.. Have you eaten today? Oh, should I maybe catch you something- Ah.."​

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[CROW]

( ♬ ) Sneaking away is easy when no one would notice their absence. Crow isn't stupid; they know that they aren't valuable to anyone. They couldn't hunt, wouldn't fight, and they loved a pine forest cat more than life itself. What value do they have to anyone in the marsh?

None. That what they've told themselves, and they're beginning to believe it.

Why don't they leave? It's a question that Crow has asked themselves countless times, and they've come to one conclusion; they're a coward. They don't wish to face the repercussions that come with betrayal.

The moon is at it's highest point, soft light gleaming through the leaves of the four oaks that tower over the clearing. Crow's achromatic fur is cast in a dim glow as they pace. He's late. Why? Has something happened to him? A nervous glance is spared to the moon. Come on, come on. Hurry up and get your beautiful tail over here before I lose my mind-

Crow's breath hitches in his throat when his eyes land on Everest, his heart skipping a beat. He's here. His paws stumble over each other as he tries to close the distance between them as quickly as possible, and only when his fur brushes against Everest's does he let out the breath he'd been holding. A rusty purr rumbles in his chest, burying his face into Everest's neck.

How was he lucky enough to be able to call Everest his own?

The hushed explanation for Everest's delayal is met with a breathless laugh, the tips of their ears flushing as he refers to Crow as his. "Don't ever apologize- you're here and that's all that matters." Their voice is muffled by Everest's fur, almost inaudible. They pull away to look at the tom, admiring how his blue coat gleams in the moonlight. He looks like an angel, divine and perfect. They are undeserving of him, but selfishly, they cling onto him.

"I'm- perfect." Crow is far from perfect; their group is starving and they're on the brink of war. Their mind is frayed by the stress. But with Everest, they could almost believe that they are perfect. Their worries seem to melt away in his presence, gazing into his green eyes. He looks at Crow like they're worth loving.

But Everest's concern brings the weight of reality crashing down onto them. Crow tries to shrug with nonchalance, but their twitching tail tip shows anything but. They shared a scrawny frog with a couple of others; it was barely enough to feed one. They don't want to ruin this night, though. They just want to forget about all of their struggles and exist in peace with their lover.

"You're such a worry-wart," Crow teases, bumping his shoulder against Everest's. "I'm fine." His growling stomach calls him a liar. An ear flicks as if to dismiss his hunger, hoping that his mate wouldn't run off to find prey for him. He doesn't want to miss a single moment with Everest when their time together is already cut short by the rivalries of their two groups.

"Have you ever tried to find shapes in the stars?" They change the subject swiftly, angling their muzzle towards the starlit sky. "One time, I found a three-headed mouse breathing fire." ​

 

[EVEREST]

"SOMETIMES YOU HAVE TO FACE THE THINGS YOU FEAR, EVEN IF IT'S YOURSELF"​

The confliction in his mate's eyes was evident, and Everest felt his heart swell with instinctive protectiveness; mine, the voice inside of him spoke, and he couldn't help but to agree. His eyes, calculating yet calm swept over his mate's back; as if protecting him from the world around them, shielding Crow from the cruel reality- their betrayal of their groups just to see each other. But love was unavoidable; they couldn't just.. Run from each other. Their fates were entwined, and Everest wasn't going to leave Crow's side. He refused to give his heart to another; before he had met Crow, he didn't believe he was right for love.

But then like a crashing wave, Crow in all of his dangerous beauty had enraptured him. Stolen his heart, and any chance of him choosing another- not that he was complaining, after all.

You're such a worry-wart.

The tease was one that made him ponder such a statement- Worry-wart was an understatement. Paranoid, more like it. If Crow would just.. Come to the Pine group, then everything would be okay. He would be safe, they could be together. Crow could be free from the starvation and suffering the Marsh group offered. Blind loyalty to a group was never Everest's intentions; he was loyal to individuals, to other cats- and while he loved Tugger and Spring, very much so, he would give up everything for Crow. If only to be with them, to feel their fur against his under the stars.

The change of conversation was welcome despite his hesitance, the mention of stars making his nose wrinkle. He wasn't one to just openly look at the sky often, that wasn't a past time he had ever thought of. He shook his head, more focused on Crow's face as he spoke of the stars, of seeing shapes in them. Of seeing a three headed mouse breathing fire, and Everest audibly snorted in amusement.

"How cute.." A whispered praise, easily distracted by his gaze turning up to the sky to follow Crow's attention. He squinted, eyes adjusting to the twinkling lights above- and he pondered, silently. How did they come to be? Did the stars create them, and they fell to the ground? Or were they created by something else? Specks of dusts that just appeared here. He vaguely wondered to himself, if there were other lives- lives where he could be with Crow openly, have a family together- one they didn't have to hide. A sad thought, one he wouldn't let himself dwell on.

Turning his attention to his mate, Everest chuckled aloud- finally giving his thoughts to Crow.

"I must say, I don't usually have the time to look at the sky unless it's to check the time. It is very pretty, though. Some of them look like your eyes. Perhaps I should pay more attention to them, then?" He joked playfully, his paw reaching out to place itself atop Crow's own so gently, as if Crow might disappear if he were to look away. "Is that.. A river in the stars?" He asked, suddenly distracted by the shapes the stars made- hesitantly lifting his paw away and up to the sky- darned not having a tail in these moments, he wanted to hold Crow's paw! ​

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