In all of the chaos that had enveloped Windclan for the last couple of moons, Rattleheart had never gotten to tell her family - or anyone, really - about the most important recent development in her life. To some it probably wouldn't be much of a surprise, considering how close she and Venomstrike had been even before the rebels had been forced to flee from Windclan's camp. They had been acting like mates in all but name when they had been at the barn, sharing one nest of hay between the two of them as the days had dragged on. A huge part of her had wanted to tell at least Scorchstreak about her telling Venomstrike that she loved him, but she hadn't wanted to do it in the middle of the cold war with Sootstar that had been going on. The tunneler hadn't wanted to announce such a massive moment of happiness for herself when they were all suffering and struggling to survive, and she stood by that decision.
Now, though? With a potentially bright future in front of them all, and a camp that was slowly being rebuilt into something greater than it was before? She saw no reason to keep her happiness a secret any longer.
That was why she had brushed her pelt lightly against her mate's, a purr rumbling forth from her chest as she gathered up the supplies to make a nest. Not just any nest, but her nest. Their nest. One perfectly built for and by the two of them, representing the future that they could have together. A future that would include a united and better Windclan, and the two of them united as well. Maybe even not just the two of them, if Rattleheart got her way - the two of them and plenty of little tiny paws flashed in her mind, making the smile on her face grow even more as she carefully pressed together moss and bits of grass alongside Venomstrike. She had even managed to snatch a couple of the flowers that Cottonfang had gathered, weaving them along the edge of the nest for the sweet scent that they carried on them.
Once the nest finally seemed big enough for the two of them, Rattleheart stepped forward and slowly settled into it, long tail flicking around until she wrapped it around herself. She grinned in Venomstrike's direction, beckoning with a paw for him to join her. "Come on, we've got to make sure it's comfortable for the two of us. That's the whole point of building it together!" Admittedly part of her motivation was just wanting her mate curled up against her like when they were in the barn, but she thought that was fair.
// please wait for @VENOMSTRIKE !!
[ PENNED BY EO ]