THE SUN WILL MARRY THE MOON \ quillstrike

[TWITCHBOLT]

The camp was loud, and so he'd left. Overcrowded, brimming- Silversmoke was right, they couldn't support the RiverClanners. And there were more kits, more apprentices. Terrified, the lot of them- and Twitchbolt knew well that fear was loud. It wasn't just the new, overwhelming bustle of camp that drove him to wander into the territory, though- it was a feeling that hat surged terribly within him, that he was so familiar with and yet had never felt it to this capacity.

It was terror.

"Things are bad." Wide eyes looked to the cat at his side- the tall chimera always at his side. Because of course, when he'd needed time alone he hadn't needed time completely alone. With a flick of a kinked tail he'd beckoned Quillstrike, not only because of how used to his company Twitchbolt had become, but because the star-burst of terror within him had triggered a terrible realisation.

Never did Twitchbolt cease fearing death- it was a subconscious, quivering worry that never, ever left him alone. But it always felt as if it could be fended away with precautions, as wild and irrational as they were. Now, though- there were scourges razing the forest powerful enough to kill a leader, to drive an entire Clan out of their territory and spur them to plead for shelter. Death darkened the horizon, and Twitchbolt could almost smell it. It could get either of them at any moment, and he didn't want to leave anything unsaid.

In his chest, his breath quivered- he couldn't believe it, this overwhelming feeling. Couldn't believe that it had taken all of this to drive him here, now.

No longer could he pretend he didn't want to say it. No longer could he avoid the thorns of a bramble bush around the one cat he was supposed to tell everything to, his best friend. His...

"Quillstrike, I- I want to tell you something." Something was going to steal his nerve in a minute, he could feel it. And he spoke quickly so the wind wouldn't be knocked out of him. The sky was alight with the colours of sunset, daubs of pink clouds and fire-glow rising like mist in the view. "You- you have to promise me, though... no matter what, you- you won't think less of me." Twitchbolt took in a deep, nauseating breath. Wide eyes wobbled upon Quillstrike's features, scanning every detail of his face, knowing this might be the last time he ever saw Quillstrike looking at him like this- plain. Clueless of this feeling, he thought. "Nothing I say can change what we have now."

This awful feeling, this wonderful feeling.

\ @QUILLSTRIKE !!!​

penned by pin ✧​

 

[QUILLSTRIKE]

DARK BLUE, DARK BLUE, HAVE YOU EVER BEEN ALONE IN A CROWDED ROOM?​

---

Quillstrike had been on edge lately. After the issue with Yellowcough, then the arrival of the Windclan exiles, the last thing they needed to deal with was famine and these rogue attacks. It had stretched their already thin numbers even thinner, and now that they had *Riverclan* in their camp, things were no less difficult.

"Things are bad."

A brow lifted in curiosity, not having expected the sudden, soft declaration from the other. He didn't know where it'd come from, but he nodded slowly in agreement, unable to deny the obvious.

Things were bad.

The chimera had rose to his paws easily when beckoned, happy to temporarily leave the noise of camp behind, but knowing he would have followed anyways- if not out of sheer habit, then to ensure the lead wouldn't find himself alone with a rogue out in the territory somewhere. Quill had promised Twitch that they'd never maul a cat like they had that apprentice back when they were kids, but he found himself more than willing to break that oath if it meant protecting the other from some honorless rogue.

He found he appreciated the quiet of just them though, as they made their way out into the pines.

There was something about Twitchbolt that evening that seemed... off, though. They seemed more fidgetty than usual, and Quill was having a hard time discerning if it was because of the most recent developments with their camp or something out. And admittedly, he was but a little more on edge when Twitchbolt suddenly spoke again.

The words I want to tell you something had never made him so nervous in his entire life, and for some reason a part of his mind immediately went to negative, trying to mentally prepare himself from whatever devastating blow was about to come, convinced that Twitch was about to tell him something that would make his heart want to bury itself six feet under. The logical part of his bain latched onto the nothing i say can change what we have now. Things weren't going to change.

"Of course I won't think differently of you." he replied, turning to face them with brows furrowed slightly. "Twitch, your practically vibrating- whats up?"

​

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skyclan - male - 18 months (Feb 17th) - bisexual - homoromantic - a very tall, dark chimera tomcat with mismatched eyes and several scars. has bluejay feathers woven like spikes along his spine and neck.

 

[TWITCHBOLT]

Stars, it wasn't a good opener, was it? He noticed a little flicker in Quillstrike's sun-sky eyes, and his shoulders depressed in a sigh for a moment- oh, he knew something was going to come and rob him of his guts. All the build-up to this, and- and it was just going to slip away from him again. And he was going to be left wallowing in regret and thinking about why he hadn't said it sooner...

No, no. Catastrophe-spiral, that was... that ever-present whirlpool that he so often tumbled into. All he could do for a few long moments was look at Quillstrike, noticing things as he always did and hardy as he always was, a pillar of strength- he didn't let his eyes leave the chimera's face. He knew the moment he broke away from those eyes, those... lightning-strike, hailstorm eyes... his nerve would streak off into the distance and never come back.

Of course, Quillstrike said. Of course I won't think differently of you. And Twitchbolt still, still could not fathom that he wasn't so fundamentally unlovable that his best friend would abandon him for something like this. But it wasn't impossible, was it? And what was more terrifying- losing Quillstrike, or death? And the thought in the moment felt ridiculously dramatic, but real all the same. "I..." he began, and bottled it- the words died in his throat, no matter how much they were struggling to get out of him.

He traced the lines of Quillstrike's face- the blue feathers woven in his fur, the clashing patches of grey and charcoal. The sight of those feathers reminded him of the one kept in his own tail, placed there as a promise, and a kindling warmth lit within him. A deep breath sprawled through his lungs, and he let his gaze flutter shut for a few moments. Just a few. And he opened them again, and Quillstrike was before him, and he would be there always, and it gave him the strength to say it. "I'm... I'm in love with you."

Not once did he let his eyes move away. He had to know, had to know everything about how Quillstrike felt about this. If this changed anything, even when he had said it wouldn't. "I'm sorry," and he did not know why he'd said that, but it fled from him with a sigh. ​

penned by pin ✧​

 

[QUILLSTRIKE]

DARK BLUE, DARK BLUE, HAVE YOU EVER BEEN ALONE IN A CROWDED ROOM?​

---

It was unusual for him to be the one pinned by an unwavering stare, and yet there he stood, rooted to the spot as Twitchbolt watched him- truly watched him, and Quill wished he knew what it was his friend was looking for. Usually the chimera was the one caught staring, an intense, unflinching gaze with a softness to it that was only ever directed at Twitchbolt. But his friend had reversed the roles on him, and all he could really do was stare back at them curiously.

Whatever this was, it felt big, and that was the only thing that stopped him from just pushing closer and telling them to not worry about it, sensing this wasn't a trouble that could be soothed so easily. No, this had the other on the verge of bursting, and he couldn't realistically expect Twitch to just keep something like that bottled up- even if it scared the hell out of Quill.

So he waited, let them stutter for a moment before their speckled eyes closed for a moment of recollection.

"I'm... I'm in love with you.... I'm sorry."

Lips parted as if to speak, but no words came from the warriors mouth as all functional thoughts came to a screeching halt. He heard the words, but their meaning failed to sink in for a moment because there was no fucking way Twitch was saying that to him.

To be perfectly honest, Quill had never really thought about Twitch from a romantic standpoint- not consciously, at least. The lead was beyond being just a best friend at that point, something the chimera had long since come to terms with. Twitchbolt was an obsession at this point, a necessity that Quillstrike couldn't function without, but he'd always respected the label that was pinned to whatever it was they had together; and they'd always called it friendship.

So he'd spent all this time telling himself that it was just 'best friend stuff' when they'd climb into the same nest together, or when he'd look for an excuse to touch Twitchbolt or follow him around. And when 'best friend stuff' didn't seem to cover it anymore on Quills end, he'd labeled his feelings as an 'obsession' instead, some deep-rooted desire to always be close- to always take care of them.

But as Twitches words sunk in and his brain finally latched onto them, a different picture started painting itself in his head. Twitch was in love with him- in the same way that cats were when they wanted to belong to each other forever, having kits, growing old. They weren't shecats of course, so maybe no kits, but still... He'd never really thought about it before.

Now that he was though, the image of a potential future like that with Twitchbolt had his face and ears immediately turning a light shade of red as he envisioned blurring whatever faded lines still existed between them until there was no boundary at all. It was kind of fucking exhilarating if he was honest, made his heart pound in his chest like he'd just run to Fourtrees and back because he thought he might finally have a proper word for what he'd been feeling.

Not obsession, but love.

And Twitch loved him back.

"Your in love with me." he echoed back, a confirmation- a chance for them to take it back in case they didn't really mean it. But when Twitch didn't immediately back out, Quill found himself slowly stepping closer to them, a careful invasion of space that nearly brought them nose-to-nose.

"What if I'm in love with you, too?" he asked softly, the words brushed with a quiet challenge as he kept their gaze. What would it mean for them, after Twitch had just said they didn't want anything to change? Did that mean he didn't want them to become... mates? That would kind of suck considering Quillstrike was half a second from dragging Twitch back to camp and proudly announcing that the lead warrior was his.

But he wouldn't- not if Twitch meant for this to just be some kind of... confessional hit and run, some way to vent their feelings and get over them. That would fucking hurt, but if it was the line Twitch wanted to draw, Quill wouldn't risk running him off by pushing.

But the challenge still stood; what if I love you, too?

​

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skyclan - male - 16 months (Feb 17th) - bisexual - homoromantic - a very tall, dark chimera tomcat with mismatched eyes and several scars. has bluejay feathers woven like spikes along his spine and neck.

 

[TWITCHBOLT]

The silence was the worst pain he had ever felt. Worse than when he'd seen Quillstrike soaked in blood, barely standing after WindClan had raided their camp. Worse than when he'd stumbled upon the frostbitten, fox-bitten bodies of his mother and father. Worse than anything that had ever caused him pain before, because- it was his heart on the line, laid bare before Quillstrike and left for him to hold. To smash into bits, if he wanted to.

You're in love with me. It was a statement. A statement of a fact- why would he have expected anything less? But Twitchbolt said nothing, holding Quillstrike's gaze as steadfast as he possibly could, among all the shaking. He was done pretending- he was done denying. He was done trying to stop being in love with him.

His next words felt like relief and hell all at once. The possibility of everything- everything, was set in front of him, and Quillstrike's odd eyes burned intensely in front of him with that question. What if I'm in love with you, too? Their noses were inches apart- Twitchbolt held himself from closing the distance completely, but drifted a little closer nevertheless.

What if. Was he supposed to have thought that far? But then- all of his life he'd been thinking that far. Quillstrike was a constant, his constant. Every future he'd ever pictured had Quillstrike at his side.

It was all he had ever wanted. Love, pure and simple. Love in any form, and though someone loving him the same way he loved Quillstrike felt like a broken connection in his head, it was... it was tangible, now. It was real, maybe real, and stood before him behind sunflower and cornflower eyes, a tall exterior, a patchy pelt.

"I'd..." he couldn't begin, couldn't gather his thoughts properly, scattered all about the place. It was all Quillstrike had ever done- stick by him, disrupt him, change everything Twitchbolt could see in the world. It was something he could say, unequivocally, that he loved about him- he saw a brighter world, a busier world, a world so much more beautiful and unpredictable than the nest of dangers he'd feared from childhood, all thanks to Quillstrike. "I'd say... I want this to be it. I'd say... I want it to be us, then. Forever."

Forever did not seem like such a terrifyingly long time when he imagined it at Quillstrike's side. "And I'd say- I want to be your mate. I want you to be mine, and- and there'll be no more... no more pretending that's not how I feel."

"If you love me, too." His own challenge. His own affirmation.​

penned by pin ✧​

 

[QUILLSTRIKE]

DARK BLUE, DARK BLUE, HAVE YOU EVER BEEN ALONE IN A CROWDED ROOM?​

---

It was Quill who felt like he was vibrating now, every word spoken from the other sending sparks dancing beneath his skin. 'Us. Forever. Mine.

Mates.

His brain didn't need more than that, didn't need to think about it or wonder if it was the right move. How could there ever be room for doubt in something so fucking perfect? How could he ever want or need anything from anyone else when Twitch was standing here telling Quill he get have it from him?

Cloud nine was thunder and rain and Twitch screaming in the wind, and Quill was floating on it with electricity buzzing through his veins.

He never wanted to come down.

"I can do forever." he promised, "I can do a thousand forevers."

A million, if Twitch would have him.

"I think I might love you more than I've ever loved anything in my entire life." he confessed, fangs biting into his lower lip as he let the weight of it sink in for both of them. It was true though, so irrefutably true that it almost hurt. He loved Twitchbolt. More than the broken family he came from. More than his life in Skyclan. More than staring up at the stars on a clear, quiet night.

More than he could ever love himself.

"Do you even know how fucking perfect you are?"

The words were little more than a murmur as he pressed his nose against theirs, heart skipping more beats than was probabaly healthy, eyes drifitng shut at the contact. This entire thing had emotionally blindsided him in the best way possible, and despite the moment still unfurling around him -proof he wasn't dreaming- it still felt impossible that this was his reality.

A reality where he had a mate called Twitchbolt, who was in-fucking-love with him and wanted to be his mate. It felt right on a core level, something so deep inside of him that he couldn't even begin to explain or justify it. All he knew was that he selfishly wanted to keep this, that there was something innately right about them belonging to each other in such a way.

He was absolutely in love with his best friend.
​

---

skyclan - male - 16 months (Feb 17th) - bisexual - homoromantic - a very tall, dark chimera tomcat with mismatched eyes and several scars. has bluejay feathers woven like spikes along his spine and neck.

 

[TWITCHBOLT]

A thousand forevers. Twitchbolt tentatively shut his eyes, wincing with the possibility that when he opened them again he would be in his nest, Quillstrike sleeping soundly at his side, his feelinge- their feelings- still unsaid. When he opened his eyes, though, he met that strong half-and-half face again. Pool of blue, drop of sun. For how much longer he could stand, Twitchbolt didn't know. The fear that had twisted within him only moments before was gone, replaced by a bursting warmth that threatened to melt him like wax.

Love, reciprocated. This was what it felt like- what it looked like. And he could not pretend he had not been in love with Quillstrike for moons, but when the chimera tom told him that he would do a thousand forevers- that he loved him more than he had ever loved anything- that he was perfect, Twitchbolt felt his skin set alight like a forest fire after a thunderstorm. He drifted- melted, at last, into Quillstrike's touch.

"Quill, you..." Trembling tones trailed somewhere unseen- Twitchbolt had to grab his voice again, herd his nerves back into his throat. There was nothing to be scared of anymore. Quillstrike loved him back, a truth that had seemed so impossible mere days ago. "You know I feel the same, don't you?" I love you more than anything- you're perfect. It was a shared sentiment between them.

Quillstrike's breath moved Twitchbolt's whiskers, and the end of his nose felt imbued with electricity, abuzz with a familiar touch and yet one he'd so yearned for. Would it really have been this easy, all this time?

Who was he kidding? Everything had always been easy between them.

Twitchbolt brushed their muzzles together, surging forward to bury his face in Quillstrike's neck-fur. A snowy paw reached out to touch Quillstrike's own dark one, and they met each other like the day and night, destined. The contact set him alight again, like the sky at sunset, warm and beautiful wildfire. "I meant it, Quill... this- this is it, okay? I..."

He was desperate to reassure him, knowing the bad experience of his past mate- the grisly end that had come to. "I will always love you, 'cause I always- I always have."

At last, he broke away to look into Quillstrike's eyes again. Seldom did Twitchbolt bear a grin- but even though it shook with emotion, his smile was the most genuine of its kind that had ever occupied his face. "I'm- I'm gonna be so happy with you. And I'll spend the rest of my life making sure you're- you're happy with me, too."

Sparing a glimpse to his future, Twitchbolt could see a smile on his face, and a shadowy pelt at his side.​

penned by pin ✧​

 

[QUILLSTRIKE]

DARK BLUE, DARK BLUE, HAVE YOU EVER BEEN ALONE IN A CROWDED ROOM?​

---

Quillstrike wasn't sure if it was possible for another cat to feel the way he did, but the mere thought of Twitchbolt reciprocating this in any capacity whatsoever left him buzzing in a way he'd never felt before. What the chimera felt for them was almost suffocating in its intensity, and the idea that Twitchbolt was drowning in that same want seemed unfathomable. He was nowhere *near* as good as his mate.

His mate.

The thought had him drawing in a sharp inhale, a thrill shooting through his heartstrings.

He didn't even try to fight the deep, rumbling purr that started up in his chest when Twitch leaned into him, muzzles brushing together before the other was pressed against his neck. It felt so right, like he'd finally found something to press into his fractured heart that fit just the right way.

For the first time in his life he felt whole.

"I meant it, Quill... this- this is it, okay? I...I will always love you, 'cause I always- I always have"

The finality of those words was almost too much, an overload on his emotions that he wasn't sure how to handle. Love in any form had always been so complicated, something that either came with stipulations or was outright taken from him in the end. A part of him felt sick at the mere thought of considering the potential fallouts that could come from this unexpected confession, because there was no world for him where he didn't have Twitchbolt at his side.

Losing him like he'd lost Banansplash would cause irreperable damage, and so he forced himself not to think about to. Twitch was here, and he was in love with him, and thinking about anything else right now was just going to destroy him.

"Yeah- yeah, I want this to be it to. Just us, always." replied the tomcat, voice shakier than he'd prefer. He didn't need anyone else. There would never be anyone else, and he prayed to the stars that it was the same for Twitchbolt.

It felt like a loss when the other drew back, even thought it was still brely enough to put proper distance between them. But Quill liked the proximity, never was able to feel quite close enough to the other.

"I'm- I'm gonna be so happy with you. And I'll spend the rest of my life making sure you're- you're happy with me, too."

Fuck. He wasn't going to cry. He wasn't. It just... He felt like his chest was going to fucking burst from all these things Twitch was saying to him. He wasn't sure he was made to be this happy. But with his mate grinning up at him whiole declaring such sweet things, it was hard not to mirror the others expression.

Eyes glistening with happiness, Quillstrike grinned back a rare smile.

"You already make me sooo happy, Twitch." he assured them, because in reality there was no special effort they had to put in for Quill. Just being there was enough. Just being them was enough. "But I promise it too, okay?" he said, leaning down to lick the others cheek. "I'll always love you." Another lick to the forhead. "And I'll always make you happy." And one for the other cheek just so that it didn't get jealous.

Body buzzing and head in the clouds, it would be a moment Quillstrike never forgot.

​

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skyclan - male - 16 months (Feb 17th) - bisexual - homoromantic - a very tall, dark chimera tomcat with mismatched eyes and several scars. has bluejay feathers woven like spikes along his spine and neck.

​