Thunder sat curled in his nest. He was trying not to cry. It had been five days since Star Flower’s exile but still stung just as much as when his father had first told him what she'd done. “Thunder?” He looked up, Frost was standing at the den entrance, eyes dark with concern. “What?” Thunder asked, curling tighter around himself. Frost sat down beside him. “Thunder, is this about Star Flower?” He prompted gently. “I don't know what ‘this’ is!” He snapped, instantly cursing himself for snapping at his dad. “Sorry. . .” He mumbled. “You've been distraught since she. . . Well, there's no other way to put it than, since she left you to try getting with your father.” He mewed bluntly. Thunder let out a whine as though he'd been struck. He didn't even want to think about it. Frost laid down beside Thunder. “Hey, do you want to come hunting with me? Would that help?” Thunder nodded numbly. “Y-yeah. . .” Frost helped him up. “Alright then, come on.” Thunder heaved himself to his paws. He followed Frost out into the clearing. Lightning Tail bounded over. “Hey Thunder!” He greeted him cheerfully. Thunder waved his tail. “Hi.” Lightning Tail lapped Thunder's cheek. “You ok?” his voice lowered. Thunder shrugged. “We were going off hunting, care to join us?” Frost offered. Lightning Tail nodded. “Sure!”
Thunder trailed at the back of the hunting party. He hadn't caught anything yet. He was too distracted. Lightning Tail fell back to walk beside him. “It's a pretty good day for leaf-bare.” He purred. Thunder shrugged. “Remember when we were really little kits and you pushed me into the snow?” Lightning Tail asked teasingly. “I didn't push you,” Thunder protested. “You slipped and fell.” “Because you pushed me!” Lightning Tail insisted. Thunder fluffed out his pelt. “I did not!” Lightning Tail suddenly pounced on him. “Did too!” Thunder wrestled Lightning Tail off him. “Why did you attack me?!” “Revenge!” Lightning Tail jumped for him again. Thunder dodged and pushed his friend down. “I'm innocent!” He felt a purr bubbling in his throat. “That's what a guilty cat would say!” Lightning Tail retorted, freeing himself from Thunder's grip and kicking snow at him. Thunder crouched down, tail flicking back and forth. “Do you think snow is going to defeat me?” He demanded. “Well I mean Bumble defeated your father with leaves once.” Lightning Tail responded. Thunder rolled his eyes, and in that moment, Lightning Tail tackled him to the ground. “I have the upper paw! Give up!” He shrieked, with all the playfulness of a kit. “You do not!” Thunder flipped him over. “I do!” Lightning Tail gave up, and he laid on the snowy ground panting. “Fine. . . I'll *let* you win. . .” Thunder smacked him with his tail. “I've won! You didn't let me do anything!” Lightning Tail rolled onto his stomach. “If I wanted to win, I would've!” “No.” Thunder huffed. “I'd beat you any day.” Lightning Tail sat up and stretched. “You could try. But you'd fail.” he paused, and the two abruptly froze. They stared at each other in awkward silence. Thunder fidgeted his paws, unsure of whether or not he should speak. Lightning Tail gazed at him. A deep, blazing affection glowing in his yellow eyes. Finally, after time that seemed to stretch on for seasons, Lightning Tail finally spoke. “Thunder. . . I. . . Uh. . .” Thunder's fur rippled uncomfortably. His stomach was twisting itself into a knot. Lightning Tail swiftly bent forward and pressed his nose to Thunder's cheek. He quickly jumped to his paws and scurried off. Thunder watched him go. He realized he didn't want him to. He'd finally gotten the hint. He wasn’t sure he returned Lightning Tail's feelings. . . It was still worth talking about, though. . . *It's too soon to decide anything yet. But I think it's good that I know. . . How have I never seen it before?* Lightning Tail had so openly flirted with him before. Why had he been so oblivious?! This whole time, he'd been chasing after a cat who didn't even care about him when there was someone who actually cared about him right at his side the whole time. *Wait. . . So did he actually suspect Star Flower from the start. . . Or was he just jealous?*
★ Lilli Thelightshadow ★
Dashing Ashes AU Special Scene ✨️✨️✨️
-Kitten Steps-
Thunder’s POV:
Thunder sat curled in his nest. He was trying not to cry. It had been five days since Star Flower’s exile but still stung just as much as when his father had first told him what she'd done.
“Thunder?”
He looked up, Frost was standing at the den entrance, eyes dark with concern.
“What?” Thunder asked, curling tighter around himself.
Frost sat down beside him. “Thunder, is this about Star Flower?” He prompted gently.
“I don't know what ‘this’ is!” He snapped, instantly cursing himself for snapping at his dad. “Sorry. . .” He mumbled.
“You've been distraught since she. . . Well, there's no other way to put it than, since she left you to try getting with your father.” He mewed bluntly.
Thunder let out a whine as though he'd been struck. He didn't even want to think about it.
Frost laid down beside Thunder. “Hey, do you want to come hunting with me? Would that help?”
Thunder nodded numbly. “Y-yeah. . .”
Frost helped him up. “Alright then, come on.”
Thunder heaved himself to his paws. He followed Frost out into the clearing.
Lightning Tail bounded over. “Hey Thunder!” He greeted him cheerfully.
Thunder waved his tail. “Hi.”
Lightning Tail lapped Thunder's cheek. “You ok?” his voice lowered.
Thunder shrugged.
“We were going off hunting, care to join us?” Frost offered.
Lightning Tail nodded. “Sure!”
Thunder trailed at the back of the hunting party. He hadn't caught anything yet. He was too distracted.
Lightning Tail fell back to walk beside him. “It's a pretty good day for leaf-bare.” He purred.
Thunder shrugged.
“Remember when we were really little kits and you pushed me into the snow?” Lightning Tail asked teasingly.
“I didn't push you,” Thunder protested. “You slipped and fell.”
“Because you pushed me!” Lightning Tail insisted.
Thunder fluffed out his pelt. “I did not!”
Lightning Tail suddenly pounced on him. “Did too!”
Thunder wrestled Lightning Tail off him. “Why did you attack me?!”
“Revenge!” Lightning Tail jumped for him again.
Thunder dodged and pushed his friend down. “I'm innocent!” He felt a purr bubbling in his throat.
“That's what a guilty cat would say!” Lightning Tail retorted, freeing himself from Thunder's grip and kicking snow at him.
Thunder crouched down, tail flicking back and forth. “Do you think snow is going to defeat me?” He demanded.
“Well I mean Bumble defeated your father with leaves once.” Lightning Tail responded.
Thunder rolled his eyes, and in that moment, Lightning Tail tackled him to the ground. “I have the upper paw! Give up!” He shrieked, with all the playfulness of a kit.
“You do not!” Thunder flipped him over. “I do!”
Lightning Tail gave up, and he laid on the snowy ground panting. “Fine. . . I'll *let* you win. . .”
Thunder smacked him with his tail. “I've won! You didn't let me do anything!”
Lightning Tail rolled onto his stomach. “If I wanted to win, I would've!”
“No.” Thunder huffed. “I'd beat you any day.”
Lightning Tail sat up and stretched. “You could try. But you'd fail.” he paused, and the two abruptly froze.
They stared at each other in awkward silence. Thunder fidgeted his paws, unsure of whether or not he should speak. Lightning Tail gazed at him. A deep, blazing affection glowing in his yellow eyes.
Finally, after time that seemed to stretch on for seasons, Lightning Tail finally spoke. “Thunder. . . I. . . Uh. . .”
Thunder's fur rippled uncomfortably. His stomach was twisting itself into a knot.
Lightning Tail swiftly bent forward and pressed his nose to Thunder's cheek. He quickly jumped to his paws and scurried off.
Thunder watched him go. He realized he didn't want him to. He'd finally gotten the hint. He wasn’t sure he returned Lightning Tail's feelings. . . It was still worth talking about, though. . .
*It's too soon to decide anything yet. But I think it's good that I know. . . How have I never seen it before?* Lightning Tail had so openly flirted with him before. Why had he been so oblivious?!
This whole time, he'd been chasing after a cat who didn't even care about him when there was someone who actually cared about him right at his side the whole time.
*Wait. . . So did he actually suspect Star Flower from the start. . . Or was he just jealous?*
An: To answer Thunder's question, yes.
3 months ago | [YT] | 14