Warrior Cats x Reader

Blackstar x Reader ~ Nightmare

For kawaiiAsriel. Spoilers ahead! 

The still night's silence was shattered by a strangled yowl from the other side of camp. Your ears pricked up at the sound, and you blinked grogginess from your eyes as you rose to your paws and stretched. It wasn't the first time this had happened. You followed the echoing cries into the leader's den to find Blackstar curled up tightly in his nest. 

"Blackstar," you cooed, trying to wake him gently. You'd done this enough times to know better than to startle him awake. It didn't always work, and you flinched as he let out another pained whimper. 

"Blackstar!" you hissed. This time, you prodded his flank with a paw until he was jolted from sleep. You leapt back cautiously.

"What..?" he murmured, disoriented. His breathing was heaving and his eyes wide. Slowly, he realised what must have happened, just looking more embarrassed than perplexed. You settled down at his side, laying your tail over his back for comfort. He didn't protest.

"It's alright," you purred, trying to ease his mind. You understood what it was like to have nightmares: the worst kind. Every cat had been through enough over these last several moons to leave a lasting mark. "It was just a dream. It's over now." 

"I know..." he whispered, still trying to steady his breathing. He leant into you as the tenseness in his body slowly relaxed. "Thank you."

Silence enveloped the two of you as his breathing returned to normal, the chirp of insects outside the only sound. It wasn't uncomfortable, but you sensed his reluctance to return to sleep. You didn't blame him either.

"Do you want to talk about it?" you asked, wrapping your tail comfortably around him. "I'm a good listener, you know." 

He let out a little huff of laughter, but whatever was troubling him quickly washed away any trace of amusement. You blinked at him expectantly, but he looked the other way without a word. 

"Hey..." you whispered coaxingly, tilting your head in an attempt to get his attention. "Look at me. Please."

His heart was no match for your pleas, and he knew it. His eyes met yours, their amber glow visible even in the darkness of the den. There was a haunted look there--one you knew all too well.

"I just..." he tried to explain but trailed off as he struggled to find the words. He swallowed the lump in his throat before continuing, "Every time I close my eyes... I see their faces."

There was such a tenderness and understanding in the way you looked at him in spite of the implications of his confession. It didn't make him feel weak or pathetic, just seen: seen for who he is and not as the leader everyone expects him to be. He loved that about you. 

"The past may always follow us, but time changes things. It heals," you assured him, voice soft and sad but gaze full of that same care. He couldn't look away if he wanted to. "Things are different now. You're different now, and you're a good leader to us."

He didn't respond in fear that his voice might simply break. Instead, he blinked his gratitude and nuzzle his face into the soft fur of your neck. His chin settled atop your shoulders, but you couldn't tell whether he'd closed his eyes. So you went on.

"I know you feel guilty." You gave his shoulder a comforting lick, the tuft of your cheek brushing against his. "But I know they've watched how far you've come. They'd forgive you. I do. Try to forgive yourself." 

His chest trembled against your side as he let out a shaky sigh. He reached for your tail with his own, gently intertwining them on the floor of the den. You let him. As much as you worried, it was comforting and warm to lay beside him, tangled up in one another. 

When he finally spoke, his words surprised you but did not disappoint: "Please... tell me you'll stay with me." 

"I'll stay," you whispered. "As long as you need me."

"And if I always need you?"

You purred with a soft laugh. "Always, then."