Adderheart realized too late that he had no idea how to bring things up.

He'd spent all that time trying to get Pantherleap to go with him that now he had no idea what he was meant to do with the tom. How are we supposed to sort things out? I don't... I can't talk to him about it, this was a mistake. Fox-dung.

The urge to turn around grew as strong as a river, but he pressed on. Despite the fact that he would've wished himself elsewhere, his pelt was warm, and his face was somewhat guarded to hide the flushed emotions that were rising quickly inside of him. Jerking too far to the side, his pelt brushed Pantherleap's, and both of them pulled away. Fear sparked deep within him. What if he doesn't like me at all?

His fur prickled but he didn't want to touch the tom again. It felt wrong, like some sort of lava spread between them at every minor touch. He wasn't allowed to touch Pantherleap; it was just like the elders from before, and the spark grew to a small blaze. But he just shoved it down and away. He had to keep running.

Suddenly, Pantherleap stopped in a random clearing. The pine trees rose tall, waving pleasantly up at the sky above their heads, and the rocks below tried to join in on the conversation. Adderheart pulled himself to a stop, looking to Pantherleap. Please start the conversation. Please don't make me do it.

"So, what're we here to talk about?" He prompted.

"Really?" He accidentally said aloud. "You know better than I do."

"I don't," he answered.

"Well, what're we supposed to do?" Adderheart asked quietly, sitting down. Pantherleap had already done so, his tail wrapped brusquely over his paws.

"Hide it," he answered simply with a shrug. "We can't love each other, Adderheart."

"But we do," he insisted, rising to his paws. His dark gray eyes were shiny as they swept over to meet Pantherleap's own green eyes. Quickly, the other tom diverted his gaze as he continued, "it's not something that's controllable." The words were true, as much as he hated them.

"We can't," Pantherleap replied, softer this time, shaking his head as he backed up. Adderheart took a step forward, his paws placed delicately upon the ground. "It's not allowed," he repeated again.

"Pantherleap, it's not fair," he continued, taking another step forward. He was only a couple mouse-lengths from the other warrior, and at a similar level. His heart beat faster and faster, his skin crawling. "We have to do something."

"And what do you suggest that would be...?" Pantherleap breathed, kneading his paws into the ground beneath them. Adderheart realized he was trying to look away from him.

"I don't know. But I know that I do... I want to be your mate."

Pantherleap went silent as Adderheart stepped forward once more. His legs were shaking and his tail was too, and despite the fact that he wished it would stop, Adderheart knew it was just doomed to be like that forever. Everything was caused and everything was impacted by the shaking it seemed, for Pantherleap went still for a moment as if to consider what to do.

Adderheart moved the tiniest bit closer, his throat closing momentarily, but he shoved every apprehension he'd ever had away. This choice was up to Pantherleap and only Pantherleap. It's not my fault. I'm okay. Just wait. Just wait. He told himself, trying to stop his trembling. I can't. I can't do this, I can't like toms, I need to get away— why am I doing this, this is against the code, if Cougarstar sees—

Carefully, Pantherleap let his muzzle drift to Adderheart's, and the two touched noses.

Between them, it felt like a million colors had bloomed. Flowers of red, orange, yellow, all equally spreading and blooming to capsule the two instantly appeared. Roses of blue and violet spread next, daisies of lime popping between their paws and linking them together. Heat and warmth created a bubble around them, protecting them from the cold breeze.

At first, neither moved. Their muzzles were practically glued together, but with some pinkish substance that was invisible to both. It was love, of course, sparkly and pleasant. It didn't need to be between a she-cat and a tom specifically, for it was love and it was uncontrollable. If it was between two toms, then that was what it was meant to be.

Pantherleap gently pulled away first, his muzzle having stretched into a flustered yet small and unsure smile. Adderheart opened his eyes, meeting the tom's gaze, and he carefully approached Pantherleap, sitting down next to him.

The larger tom wrapped his tail around Adderheart, pressing against him, and as their fur brushed, Adderheart felt his skin prickle. It wasn't an uncomfortable prickle, in fact, it was the opposite. It made his fur all heated, though, but he did press back against Pantherleap.

He didn't know how to sort through his emotions. Most of him were just pleasantly happy, floating upon a place where nothing could possibly be wrong with what was going on, but a small corner of him was protesting and screaming. It was thrashing around, trying to grow bigger to control his thoughts with fear and terror.

And somehow, it managed to gain more and more followers, and despite the warmth surrounding him, he began to shake with fear. What if someone finds out? What if he's faking it? What if I'm faking it? What if this is all just fake?

He tore away from Pantherleap, who let out a half-whimper of confusion. Adderheart felt like his heart had been ripped out as he moved away, but his brain and his head were screaming at him too loudly. It was all too loud, suddenly, with the brightness of the world around him intensifying by the moment.

"P-Pantherleap, we c-c-can't..." he stuttered, trying to force the words out through his maw that felt like a whole mess of water. It was like he was speaking underwater, and someone was drowning him at the same time. Everything was suddenly moving too fast, like the river had sped up without any sort of warning.

Pantherleap rose to his paws and Adderheart fell to the ground, trying to pull himself into a sitting position.

"We c-can't, we can't... I'm t-taking advantage of you... th-this isn't all-allowed, P-Pantherleap, I'm s-sorry..." he hiccupped again, squeezing his eyes shut. The river tugged him along, screaming and shaking his figure as it tumbled by.

And then tawny fur surrounded him once more, polite and brushing calmly against his own pelt. Warmth once more crawled upon his figure but it was soon overtaken by chills and the cold. Soft breath stirred in his ear, carrying a few simple words.

"You're going to be okay."

They were repeated a few times, as if to solidify the idea within his mind.

Over time, his figure seemed to grow less and less tense. His shoulders lowered for a moment, though his eyes were still squeezed shut as if to block out the feeling that someone was watching. Though, as the words were repeated, he seemed to lose that notion.

It was as if he and Pantherleap were the only cats in the entire world. They were the only cats that mattered and the only ones that would ever matter. Nobody else could even come close to them; they were surrounded in a bubble of warmth and love that was unpoppable. Cougarstar's stupid rules were stupid and useless, and they couldn't even touch the two toms.

When Pantherleap gently stepped away and the words stopped escaping his maw, Adderheart allowed his eyes to open, and there he stood. His eyes were soft and gentle, as if their green depths could simply race from their place upon his face and cradle Adderheart in warm and comforting arms.

He didn't know what to say, but he soon found that he didn't need to. Unspoken words and phrases fluttered between the two like a pair of doves, flying in and out of existence on a pleasantly warm breeze. His gray eyes flicked up to meet Pantherleap's, and he fell in love with the warrior all over again.

"I love you," he breathed, the words flitting on the words of the dove's wings to Pantherleap.

And then the tawny tom was racing toward him, letting out a happy and gleeful exclamation of no words — not that it needed any — and he swept up Adderheart. He knew that he wasn't actually being lifted, as Pantherleap was simply dragging him up to his paws so they could whirl momentarily around, but his heart soared higher than the clouds could ever.

As they whirled in a mild circle together, Pantherleap had drastically lowered his tone, though a deep and rumbly purr rose within the back of his throat. "I love you too."

Adderheart, without even realizing it, was quick to mirror the purr, and it rose powerfully within his chest, quickly rising and pressing at his muzzle. No doubt was present now, and so he let it escape his maw with no hesitation.

They didn't need to say it. They knew it was true; it always had been, even when it had been rough when they'd first told each other. It had been hard to figure out, and even though he was so happy now, Adderheart knew it still wouldn't be easy. And he knew that Pantherleap knew that too.

But they had each other.

I have a mate.

They stood, purring, embracing, close to each other, relishing the true warmth of the other's pelt, adoring the true beauty of the situation that had bloomed within only a moment or two of time for a few moments more until seemingly both of them pulled away at the same time.

The warmth was still present though slightly dulled down, it was still present, and that was all that mattered. It was light and swirling, slightly edging against both of the cats' pelts, but it slowly faded away with time, growing less and less prominent, and Adderheart watched as Pantherleap sniffed the air momentarily.

"I think there's something nearby," he mewed, and Adderheart felt as though he should've been less surprised, but he wasn't. The change in the tom's tone was drastic, as if he had leaped from one polar pole to the other. It was simple, basic, matter-of-fact, though it still carried that sweetness that he always carried within his tone.

He cleared his throat and let his head dip in a nod. "I agree," he replied, voice as even as controlled as ever. It felt wrong to mask it all up, to box it all up within himself once more, but he told himself that it was for the best.

His partner quickly skittered off in that direction, his speed picking up with each moment. Adderheart was swift to follow, ears flickering.

Suddenly, Pantherleap pulled himself to a stop and he narrowed his eyes at where the creature was. He peeked out from behind Pantherleap and spotted the squirrel at the base of the tree. Apparently, the two had moved too quickly, for it leapt up the tree and glared down at them from one of the lower branches.

Pine needles were all around it, and it looked as though it was going to be impossible for either tom to get up into the tree. It wouldn't be impossible, but it would very likely scare off the mouse instantly. Pantherleap quietly began to circle the tree, his claws unsheathing.

Adderheart looked to him as if for instruction, but the senior warrior was simply circling the tree. It appeared as though the squirrel was watching both of them with a sharp gaze, though it probably was more focused on Pantherleap.

However, the tom was quick to realize the plan. Carefully, Adderheart glanced to a nearby tree and with a swift motion, he headed for another tree nearby. If I can climb this and then scare the mouse away and down toward the circling Pantherleap, all should be good.

But he was also perfectly aware of the fact that he wasn't a great climber. All the other times that he'd tried to climb a tree, things hadn't gone so well. Generally speaking, he wasn't a bad hunter at all, in fact, he was a rather good one. But when it came to birds and creatures up in trees... all of his skill had disappeared.

Nervousness sparked within him, and he carefully backed up. He shook his head rapidly as he looked to Pantherleap, and the tom stopped, confused. He seemed to ask what was going on, and Adderheart began to circle the tree. He glanced up and found that the squirrel was still focused on Pantherleap.

Though its focus soon swapped to Adderheart, and Pantherleap carefully headed away. Adderheart continued to pace at the base of the tree, wondering if his decision was the right one. He traced over his mate's skills within his mind and he kept going, despite wanting to stop from a surprised jolt.

Pantherleap's not good at climbing either. How did I forget?

His ears flicked back and forth but he still continued to pace at the base of the tree. He glanced upward and found that the squirrel was still following him with its beady little black eyes. He wondered absently what the creature thought was going on, though he glanced away to try and locate Pantherleap.

The tom was struggling to get a nearby tree, his claws sinking uselessly into the bark beneath his tawny pelt. A frown fought its way onto his muzzle but he quickly let it dissipate. He's trying, and that's what matters. I couldn't do any better, he told himself. He watched, still circling, as the tom managed to get up onto the first branch with a lot of trouble.

After he watched Pantherleap get onto the first branch, it was a similar process with the next couple. He tried to haul himself up, but he was simply not able to get up onto the next branch. He eventually just sprung up onto the bark, sinking his claws in, and he shuffled onto a branch. He was growing further and further away from the ground.

Eventually, he got high up enough that he was able to lightly balance and spring to the tree nearby. He was a little bit above the squirrel, and Adderheart only could hope that the tom would be able to scare it down and not fall. Pantherleap wobbled momentarily as he headed out onto the thinner part of the branch, his eyes narrowing.

With a swift motion, the tawny-furred warrior launched himself from tree-to-tree, and as much as he wanted to see what happened, Adderheart's vision was quickly blocked by the swath of pine needles in the way. With his gaze quickly switching back to the squirrel, he spotted it leaping down the tree, squealing in fear.

Without a second thought, Adderheart instantly vaulted up, unsheathing his claws as he swiped in the air. As he felt something hit his paw, he looked up, only to find that it had been a pine needle and the squirrel had sprinted past him. He swallowed a curse and quickly whipped around, launching after the little furry creature.

Luckily, he was fairly quick. Slamming his paws in what seemed like an endless motion against the ground, he eventually caught up and was swift to put it out of its misery. Behind him, he heard the pitter-patter of Pantherleap's pawsteps.

He quickly padded up beside him and nodded at the creature. "Good job," he praised, ears flickering. "Do you think that's all we should get?"

"Yeah, I do," Adderheart answered, lifting the squirrel up to clasp it between his jaws. "If we see anything on the way back, we'll get it."

"The prey's not as active as it used to be," Pantherleap commented, padding in the direction of camp.

"Because leaf-bare's going to be early," Adderheart reasoned. "I can already tell that it's going to be, and I think that's why the rogues are so early."

"The rogues," he breathed. "I'd forgotten. What if we get back and there's been another attack?"

"There won't be," he murmured. "They're probably healing, too."

"But what if there is...? Do we know for sure?"

"There won't," Adderheart added softly, letting his tail drift over the tom's back. Pantherleap shifted upon the touch and Adderheart blurted, "Sorry, sorry, I didn't..."

Pantherleap shook his head. "It's okay," he mumbled, pressing against him. "Just be careful when we get back to camp."

And with that, the two spotted the camp's entrance rising in the distance. A comfortable and light silence settled between them, though it couldn't keep the swarm of anxiety out of Adderheart's head. As they headed for the entrance, he took a deep breath.

Stepping away from Pantherleap, he carefully headed in.