Whisper of the heart:

In his opinion, midnight held the most beauty. It was such a mysterious yet calming time of day that Whitepaw couldn't help but admire it once in a while. The moon illuminated everything around in a ghostly glow. It was all so mystical to him. How bright did the Moonstone become when the light that rained down from the night sky shined upon it? Was it as bright as the moon itself? He always wondered but didn't forcefully pursue the answer. He'd have his moment to go eventually, every apprentice did. He'll witness it for himself and it'll sure be a day to remember. Maybe he'd even get to see Waterpaw again? It was all wishful thinking but it wasn't out of the realm of possibilities so he still held hope.

The white-furred apprentice had carefully made his way over to the camp's entrance, fur swaying in the gentle breeze as he walked. He was intent on spending some nice quiet time basking in the soft moonlight. It's been a hot minute since he's taken a stroll at night. He was more of an early morning kind of tom but he had to admit, night walks were something else. Tonight, his destination would be Sunningrocks. He didn't go there much but there seemed to be an exception today. He quickly scanned the camp once more. Deeming the coast clear, he took a step but stopped abruptly and pulled his paw up when it made a crunch sound. He had stepped on...something. He tensed and listened for anybody who could have woken up. After a bit of waiting, it was safe to proceed once more. He watched his step and avoided places with anything that'd blow his cover. He sighed in relief when he was a decent length away and hurriedly made it out into the territory. He didn't want to linger anymore than he needed to.

The trek to Sunningrocks had been as he'd expected, relaxing and...well...quiet. He wasn't used to this much silence but he didn't mind. It was actually kinda nice. He really had to do this more often. He felt much better out here, breathing in the cool air and taking in all the nighttime views. He was a bit sleepy but not enough that he'd have to return. He didn't want to go back either. He was rather cozy where he was, laid out with front paws outstretched. His tail swished back and forth with the tempo of the breeze and his chocolate brown eyes closed in contentment. For the first time in a very long while, he was at peace. He felt light, not weighed down by all the guilt and frustrations. He was so absorbed by the calm atmosphere that he failed to hear the faint pawsteps coming his way. He'd be having a guest soon but was one quite welcomed.

It had been a fitful sleep to say the least, he honestly hadn't had a smooth transition into sleeping with the warriors - being on the outside of the den as a newer warrior was traditional and he understood why, but he didn't have particularly thick fur and didn't enjoy cuddling up to other cats. Although, he could actively deny it all he wanted, but the warrior was completely aware of what was plaguing him. He missed Whitepaw. The younger tom had recently lost his brother, a heartbreaking accident, and now his best friend had moved up in the hierarchy of the clans. Sighing, Crakecall flipped onto his back, wondering if he'd get in trouble for sneaking into the apprentice den to rest against his fluffy companion once more. Something about being here right now felt... lonely.

Just as his eyes began to flutter shut, sleep lapping at the edge of his vision, a crackle acutely focused his hearing, and Crakecall felt his heart speed up as he woke up rapidly. He didn't even have an insult to mutter, he just sighed to himself and rolled onto his paws, deciding to exit the den before he woke up any other cat. StarClan forbid another suffered due to his restless night. A familiar scent made his heart race, and he began to realise the crackle was the sound of another cat treading on something. Raising his head he drank in the scent, noticing it lead out of camp. Well, no time like the present to catch up, the warrior thought, padding out and following the smell of his friend.

Crakecall kept his distance; Whitepaw was moving slow and seemed content in his pace, and the tom knew if he was about to disturb his night he had earned just a little bit of peace. For now, of course. He lingered in the tree line for a little as his friend settled in, before a wild purr escaped him and his long tail began to twitch in excitement. The perfect opportunity to pounce on the larger tom had just presented itself; he would be daft to let this one pass. Crakecall felt like a ThunderClan cat as he attempted to stalk the other tom, paws clumsy and hitting against the stone but apparently falling on deaf ears as he got closer and closer.

Bunching up his hindlegs he pounced, landing on the fluffy white tail that lay in front of him, and began purring incessantly as he left a paw on top of it. "You thought you could sneak out of camp in the middle of the night without me?" Crakecall scoffed, a false tinge of hurt in his voice. "You know I'd always come with you, whether you like it or not. And now I'm here," he chuckled, letting go of the tail to sit next to Whitepaw, a goofy grin on his face. He cast an upwards glance towards the sky, feeling cool air brush his fur as the moon was briefly smothered with a wispy cloud, pushed away seconds later by a gust of wind. A shiver passed up his body. "It's a bit cold out here, any reason you've chosen to come out here- one of the very few places we lack protection from the wind?" Crakecall's voice held a little bit of a whine, but he crouched next to his friend, heat filling his body as he felt white brush against gold. "You're uh, you're a lot warmer than I am. I don't mind being out here, but can I scoot in a little closer?" he asked, voice taut with nerves and ears growing incredibly hot.

OOC: Sorry for the delay! Lots of things came up irl these past few days and I just managed to get enough time to do my posting! (I love these lads with my soul and I hate delaying topics, especially these)

A song to listen to for this topic~:

IC: "Woah! He-ey!" yelped the white-furred apprentice, eyes wide in surprise and shock. He quickly recovered and offered his friend a sheepish smile. Whoops. He must've dozed deep there. He didn't even notice Crakecall follow or sneak up on him. He's usually more alert than this but with everything on his mind, he isn't as sharp as he used to be. Well, he was quite embarrassed to be caught that unaware but secretly gleeful that it had been his past denmate, who he may or may not be developing a hard crush on. There are two things that dominate his mind throughout the whole waking day and even during his times asleep, his late brother, Waterpaw, and his best friend, Crakecall. Water for, well, obvious reasons and Crake for much different yet kind of obvious reasons as well. Honestly, it's sort of driving him mad but not enough for him to really speak about this with anyone. For now, he's gotta focus on the current matter, the tom who managed to notice his leaving and was now here with him after having followed without being noticed.

"Well... if I would have known you were okay with sneaking out of camp in the shadows of the night at absurd times, I'd have asked ya to tag along with me on my other nightly escapades, as well as this one. Now I know who to turn for if I need a companion to take with me. Lucky you. Hope you're ready for me to wake ya up whenever I please." playfully bantered the older tom, chocolate gaze clearly portraying his mischief. His expression immidiately shifted to a wince as he felt an odd sensation coming from his tail. Oh! Crake was still had his paw on it. "Could you let go of my- thanks!" he added a few moments after once his fluffy appendage was beginning to go a bit numb. As soon as Crake had let go of his tail, he sat up then stretched, eyes never leaving his companion's face as he listened to him speak. "I had a hunch you'd track me down and I'm very glad you did. I love your company. You're a real comfort to me. Hope ya know that." he meowed, sincerity dripping from his words. Whitepaw rarely lied. He very much enjoyed his golden-pelted friend's presence, as if that wasn't already clear enough. Any problems, any struggles and woes the apprentice had just vanished there and then. He had what he needed right beside him. Crakecall was enough.

Comfortable silence stretched between them. It appeared that the warrior was trying to relax amidst the peace. Whitepaw copied his friend's action and lifted his eyes back to observe the sky above. It was a pretty night, cold yet pretty. He wonders if his brother was watching him from the stars right now... no! He needs to stop ruining moments like these with those types of melancholy thoughts. He was snapped out of his daze when the figure beside him broke the silence. Ah. He didn't really mind the chilly air since he had a rather thick pelt but Crake was certainly going to feel every little prickle of cold heading their way. There wasn't any protection from the elements here. He felt a bit guilty for having exposed Crake to such temperatures but he was willing to make it better. As soon as the other suggested they move closer, his mind immediately screamed yes! This was a great chance to cuddle his crush and in no way was he going to pass it up.

"Oh! Y-Yeah! Let me- here. Get under here and I'll try to cover ya as best as I can. I got enough fur for the both of us." instructed the larger tom as he lifted the foreleg closest to Crakecall, inviting him to scooch right under it. Before the younger could do it himself, Whitepaw reached over and dragged him against him. He repositioned himself a bit so they'd both be comfortable. Now, Crake was snuggled up very close to his side. White's arm was draped across his back and his head lay to rest upon the smaller tom's head. His fluffy snow-colored tail tangled with the warrior's golden one. Whitepaw had been right. His fur was thick and long enough to encompass a good portion of his friend. He knew he was a bit bigger than average but never realized how large his size really was. It felt right holding Crake like this. It was like they had been meant for each other. Without even noticing, his chest began to rumble with deep, content purrs. He loved this. Oh StarClan, there was no better feeling than the one he felt when he held him close, safe and secure.

"This better?" he mumbled breathlessly into Crake's ear. His eyes fluttered to a close. He wanted to savor this moment. After a few moments, he nuzzled the top of the smaller cat's head before breaking the silence, "To answer you're other question: I normally don't come to Sunningrocks and just felt like going here for tonight's walk. I... I like to stroll at night from time to time to clear my head. It really helps. You should come with me next time. I'd really like you to..." he said quietly, trailing off at the end. Hopefully Crakecall would take him up on the offer.