Bird of Paradise (OC x Canon)

Hot glue

"Who would have guessed it'd be that easy." Tigerstar spoke.
He was laying up on the highrock, inspecting his long, overgrown claws.
Despite using them frequently, they still looked as if they hadn't been properly sharpened in ages.

Hawkfrost's ears flattened. "How could I know Stormfur doesn't want to be deputy?"

The large tabby grinned, and he turned his sharp, amber gaze towards him.
"I told you having a mate is useful, didn't I?" He replied. "Though it didn't fix the issue of Lilyclaw knowing you want to be deputy pretty bad."

The blue-eyed tom grumbled. "It fixed the Stormfur issue. I don't know why we need Lilyclaw to think I don't care about the position anymore- he doesn't care about it."

Tigerstar let out a sudden growl, making Hawkfrost flinch. "If anything goes wrong, then that pink menace could rat you out. And do you really think Leopardstar or her horrid half-clan deputy would give anything to you then?"
Hawkfrost's ears flattened, and he shook his head. "No. You're right."

"Good." Tigerstar retracted back with a hiss. "Now make sure your mate doesn't get too close to that Stormfur. Least your kits be his."

Hawkfrost lifted his head, with his mouth barely just containing a frown. "They're just friends."

"That's how it always starts, doesn't it?" The brown tabby spoke.

Hawkfrost grunted. "Were you this paranoid about Goldenflower or Sasha leaving you too?"

Tigerstar scoffed. "Goldenflower only left me because she believed that Bluestar was a better leader than me. She trusted that crazy molly more than me- that was her mistake."

Tigerstar's son raised an eyebrow. "What about Sasha? Mom?"

The dark brown tom's face grew more stricken at that question. "Sasha left when the fighting started." He responded. "She didn't think ShadowClan would win. She was too much of a coward to stay."

Hawkfrost felt an odd, almost heavy feeling in his throat. As if something was tugging at it.
"That wasn't what she told us."

"Of course she wouldn't!" Tigerstar laughed, loud and heartily, as if the mere idea of Sasha telling the truth was funny to him. "You think your mother would ever admit she was a coward? That she runs away when things get too serious?"

Hawkfrost didn't answer. Who would admit cowardice?

Tigerstar sighed. "I don't think I have to tell you who to believe more- when you look at it, Sasha has always run away when she started having problems. She even ran from RiverClan when the opportunity to stay seemed too scary."

"That's not true," Hawkfrost argued, "-she left because she didn't want the clan knowing you were my father. If she had stayed, ShadowClan would have immediately said something."

"Did she now?" Tigerstar muttered. "Did she leave because she didn't want the clan finding out?" He laughed again.
"Come on, Hawkfrost. Have you ever looked into a puddle? Ever seen your reflection? There is not a single cat in the forest who laid eyes upon me that doesn't see the resemblance. We're practically twins."

Hawkfrost suppressed a growl.
He didn't want to be mad about this- Sasha didn't leave because she was a coward. She left for his and Mothwing's safety. That had to be it.

He didn't know when Tigerstar had come down, but he suddenly felt him touch his shoulder and jumped softly.
"I don't mean to discourage you, Hawkfrost." The tom spoke with an unfamiliar kindness. "But you have to admit- your mother- Sasha- she's not been the most loyal to you, has she?"