Batwing awoke to the sound of whimpering. He must be having a bad dream. Batwing rasped his tongue over his head. Berrypaw's breathing eased, and he soon began to snore softly. He waited until he knew he was asleep before padding away from camp, limping slightly but managing fine without Berrypaw's help. I thought I would be fully healed by now. Maybe Berrypaw was sitting on it. He sneaked off to the river, good memories flooding back into his mind. His fur grew extremely hot, so hot he shoved his paws under the water to cool them off. It didn't help- he was still blushing madly as he thought about Berrypaw. He's so cute, and funny, and nice, and... Batwing's thoughts were interrupted by Berrypaw moving into the clearing. "There you are! I was worried when I saw that you left." Berrypaw rushed over to greet him, pressing his muzzle against Batwing's cheek. "My nest feels empty without you in it."
Batwing's heart ached with love. "Berrypaw, I love you so much..." He murmured, his legs trembling.
"I love you too!" Berrypaw mewed happily. "I can't wait to be a full medicine cat. Then we can be mates! Maybe we could adopt a kit, too..." Berrypaw added, looking down as though he were embarrassed.
"You still have a lot to learn. Don't worry. I remember my apprentice days. It feels like forever since I was made a warrior."
"Batwing, I am literally older than you." Berrypaw sniffed.
"You're still an apprentice." He pointed out, whiskers twitching. Berrypaw mewed in outrage and leapt at him, claws sheathed. Both cats rolled around on the grass, "fighting" each other. Berrypaw pinned Batwing to the ground, who blushed intensely, the warmth of his face overwhelming him.
"I love you, you stupid, bossy furball." Berrypaw murmured lovingly, and pressed his muzzle against his ear.
"I love you too." He breathed. Berrypaw drew closer to him, their bellies touching and their muzzles close to each other. Batwing's heartbeat quickened. "Berrypaw..." Batwing's body trembled with love. Berrypaw was so close to him... Was he going to kiss him again?
"You stupid warrior." Berrypaw pressed their muzzles against each other in a kiss. Unfortunately, around that moment, Cherryleap had decided to go hunting and walked in on them. Berrypaw quickly let go of Batwing.
"Hey, sis." He mewed coolly.
"What were you two doing?" She asked.
"We were looking for herbs." Berrypaw lied quickly. Batwing blinked at him gratefully.
"Because there's herbs in Batwing's mouth." Cherryleap snorted. "I'll leave you two alone. Don't let Sugarglow find you, though." She added with amusement. Batwing looked down embarrassedly. "Aww, it's okay, bro-bro. Don't be embarrassed."
Berrypaw nudged Batwing gently, "We should head back. Tansy doesn't grow here." He mewed. Batwing nodded vigorously. "Bye, Cherryleap."
"Bye sis!" He echoed, "Catch me a squirrel."
"I won't!"
Berrypaw and Batwing snuck back into the camp, which was full of chattering cats now that the sun was rising. Batwing greeted Pebblepool, and Berrypaw simply watched, too shy to speak. Once he left, Berrypaw mewed, "Is he your friend?"
"Yeah. I think. He's kind of a jerk." Batwing murmured quietly enough so only Berrypaw could hear, and even then he had to lean forward and ask him to repeat what he said. "He's one of those stuck-up bossy furballs."
"Like you?" Berrypaw teased.
"I'm the only exception."
Berrypaw snorted. "You're such an idiot."
"I know."
Berrypaw pressed his muzzle against Batwing's. "I love you."
Batwing purred, entwining his tail with Berrypaw's. He loved him so much... His heart ached with love.
"Wanna go hunting?" Berrypaw asked. Batwing nodded eagerly. "You did just come back from hunting, but it'd be nice to do something together." He looked down at his paws.
"Of course. I'd do anything, as long as you're here with me."
Berrypaw licked his fur awkwardly. "Okay."
"Do you even know how to hunt?"
Berrypaw was crouched awkwardly, watching a cardinal intensely. They only came around leaf-bare, and were considered a delicacy. "Of course I do." He whispered, not looking at Batwing. He reared up, but the bird must have sensed him already, as it spread its wings to fly. Batwing pushed Berrypaw aside and leapt onto the cardinal, who narrowly escaped his claws. Berrypaw gasped and caught it in mid air, quickly biting its neck.
"Are you sure?" Batwing shook some snow off his pelt.
"Shut up."
"Wanna eat before we continue?" Batwing suggested, looking at a hollow tree stump in the ground. Berrypaw nodded.
"I need to collect herbs when we're done," Berrypaw settled down inside the stump, "Redtuft said we need juniper and watermint."
"Okay. Are there any plants still alive?"
"My garden should be doing fine. There's a tree that collects the snow during leaf-bare." Berrypaw took a small bite from the cardinal. "I've never had a cardinal before."
"Never?" Batwing gasped, "You can have the rest then."
"No, share with me."
"I'll be fine. We had that crow earlier, so I'm good." Batwing shrugged. Berrypaw gazed at him for a moment before continuing to eat his prey. "What do you think of it?"
"Not bad." Berrypaw chewed thoughtfully, "Your dirty claws ruined it." He added mischievously.
"My claws aren't dirty! At least there's no herb leaves under them."
"Warrior!"
"Medicine cat!"
Berrypaw hissed and swatted at him with a sheathed paw. "You know you're gonna have to help Snowpaw with his apprentice duties, right?"
"Oh no! I'm being made an apprentice again!" Batwing's fur spiked in fear. Would Skystar really take away his new role? Maybe he hadn't learned enough because of his time in the medicine den...
"No, that's not what's happening." Berrypaw's whiskers twitched in amusement. "It's just too much for one cat to handle himself."
"Oh."
Batwing shuffled his paws in embarrassment as Berrypaw giggled. "You dumb little furball!" He mewed lightheartedly. Berrypaw finished his prey, burying the bones in the ground. "Alright, are you gonna catch something else?"
"Don't you mean, are we gonna catch something else?" Batwing questioned.
"I don't know how to hunt." Berrypaw mewed mischievously.
"You lazy lump."
Berrypaw gave him an affectionate nuzzle. "I'm going to check my herbs." He told him, "Meet me there when you're done."
"Okay." Batwing yearned to follow him, but he didn't. "I'll see you, then."
"Bye, Batpaw."
Batwing's fur bristled and he swiped at Berrypaw's ear with a sheathed paw, who squealed in delight. "Okay Herbpaw." He joked. He left Berrypaw alone, padding deeper into the forest.
The two padded back to camp, pelts brushing. Batwing carried two mice by their tails while Berrypaw held his herbs. "Fank youh," Berrypaw mewed through his mouthful of herbs.
"Mhm. Anytime." Batwing was careful not to drop his prey.
Berrypaw blinked at him adoringly, his eyes flooding with emotion and love. Batwing stared back, his feelings overwhelming him again. "I love you." He murmured softly. Berrypaw nuzzled his shoulder affectionately.
"C'mon." He padded inside the camp, his stubby little legs tripping over a small vine. Batwing laughed, and he glared at him, whiskers twitching with amusement. "You didn't see that."
"I did."
He and Berrypaw slipped back into the camp, their tails entwined.
