This Is What We Know ✔️

vi. i love you still

chapter six;
i love you still

h e r o n p a w

"Grousepaw! Are you done for today?" Heronpaw leapt to his feet after seeing the molly pad through the camp entrance, finding her presence somehow calming to his anxiety. "I was wondering if we could talk."

Grousepaw seemed taken aback but nonetheless pleased by his request. "Absolutely, let me just grab a rabbit for us," she said kindly, padding to the freshkill pile before returning to his side near the back of the camp's clearing. "Is everything alright, Finchpaw?"

Hatred for his first name bubbled over inside of him, but he quickly suppressed the discomfort with a soft nod. "I was actually wondering if you could... not call me that anymore?"

His littermate blinked at him, not quite understanding. "I, um, what would you like me to call you?"

Heronpaw took a deep breathing, counting all the kinds of birds in his head to keep himself stable- a trick Kavaleaf had taught him through her lectures and support. "I was kind of thinking you could call me Heronpaw. I'm a tom of AlpineClan." He peered at her then, hoping she would look at him like Kavaleaf said she would. Even if it took some time.

Grousepaw digested what he said, slowly, before taking a bite of the rabbit between them. "Well, of course, if that's who you are I wouldn't want to call you anything differently."

Her matter-of-fact tone warmed his heart suddenly, and he touched his nose to hers in pure utter joy. "Thank you," he murmured, "Thank you for understanding."

"Heronpaw," Grousepaw said, getting to her paws as though her meal had disappeared entirely. "Heronpaw, don't thank me. I haven't done anything remarkable," she defended. "Thank you for telling me. Would you like me to call you Heronpaw when others are around?"

The tom cat faltered for a second. "Not yet. But soon, very soon."

Heronpaw swiped a tongue over his littermate's ear, taking a giant bite out of the rabbit in ecstasy of the moment. Kavaleaf was right- his sister loved him still.