this [LONELY] w o r l d >LIME + TOWY<

[kee :]]

TO W E R I N G H E A R T

The peaceful serene atomsphere was interrupted but the sound of harsh footsteps on the forest floor. It seemed as though the birds parted like the sea and the world didn't seem to silent anymore. Out of the thick bracken covered forest came a huge figure of a cat. He was running recklessly, stumbling over roots and branches that stuck out of bushes. The tabby tomcat wasn't actually looking where he was going, probably because he didn't want to or that the tears were clouded up his eyes so much that he could see. His face was crunched up making him look furious but the teary eyes and stained cheeks made him also look so sad and helpless.

When he stumbled into a wide clearing, the furious side of him suddenly leaped out of him. Screeching with angry pain, he threw himself at a tree and began to drag his unsheathed claws through the thick bark. Tears began rolling down his cheeks faster than before and somehow he sobbed and growled at the same time as he threw himself at a different tree, repeating the act again and again until he screeched in pain. He realized that one of his claws had been ripped out, blood dripping on to the dirt and grass it was standing on.

It was then that all of the anger left him and only sobs continued. He closed his eyes and collapsed onto his belly, sobbing into his paws. The large massive tom that had just looked so dangerous and furious now looked so helpless. His mother was dead, his sister just about hated him, and now he probably had just scared the crap out of his only friend.

[KURI. (happy birfday to me :D)]

limepaw.

Limepaw followed Toweringheart closely as he winded through the forest trails. She couldn't see his face, she didn't even know if she wanted to... maybe she was afraid of what she'd find there. She didn't want to see Toweringheart cry. She didn't want to see him looking sad and hopeless and weary and lonely. Noticing how he stumbled and tripped, Limepaw quickened her pawsteps and tried to steady his huge body against her light frame, still keeping her head down and not daring a glance at his face. Her pale ginger pelt was sleek and clean, although it became more and more ruffled against Toweringheart's with each pawstep. The scents of prey wafted around her, but by this point she had pretty well forgotten that they had originally been hunting.

When they reached a break in the trees, however, Toweringheart (who must have been oblivious to her attempts to support him) broke away from her with a sudden screech. Limepaw jumped and crouched down in fear, her eyes wide as she watched her one and only friend rage about, scratching the trees as if they were his sworn enemies. It wasn't long until she felt herself begin to tremble and shake. Toweringheart looked so angry and violent, for a heartbeat Limepaw was afraid that he would come over to her any moment and claw her up, too. Tears filled her eyes but she fought them back. She had to be strong... or at least try to be.

The tabby tomcat finally quieted down, and once again the forest was silent. Limepaw watched in cold horror as he collapsed, his huge body spread out on the dew-coated grass. Stepping foreward timidly, Limepaw sat down beside him and when she saw that his claws had been pulled out and were now bleeding, she began to lick them clean. She didn't know what made her do it, but she did know that he would have done the same for her. He was important to her... and she hoped he knew that.

[kee :]]

T O W E R I N G H E A R T

No, Toweringheart hadn't paid any attention to Limepaw trying to support him when he stumbled. Two reasons for why. The massive tom didn't mean to ignore her attempts, since she was so small compared to him. He probably didn't even feel her against his side. For another reason, he wasn't really watching where he was going or thinking about being supported or helped. He was too busy worrying about the family and his mother. He kept thinking about how he could've saved his mother or been there when she died. He regretted not staying with Mavericksky, comforting Sphinxtale, or even talking to Mahoganyflight. He knew he should've gotten to know Maplepaw, his foster-brother, or Scrawltale and Beaconsong.

So all these mad thoughts lead to his battle against the trees and finally, his collapse at the bottom of a scarred tree. The tom sat there, burying his face in his bloodied paws. His sobs were the only thing that broke through the silence barrier of the forest. After a few minutes, the tears began to cease a little bit and he felt something beside him and then a gentle tongue on his paws. Toweringheart opened his hazel eyes and looked up at his side to see a pale ginger she-cat. Limepaw. He was surprised she didn't run away after the show he had just put on, knowing her. Limepaw was more for staying by herself and wasn't exactly the bravest one. But she sat there, cleaning his bloody paws. Toweringheart couldn't help but to smile at her. The biggest smile in a long time.

But his frown returned. He knew he had scared Limepaw because his outburst had even scared himself. "I'm really sorry, Limepaw," he whispered, his hazel eyes welling up with tears again. "I know I scared you. I don't want you to be scared of me because you're the only one that cares," Toweringheart mewed quietly, holding back the tears. Limepaw had already seen him cry a lot so what would one more burst do?

[KURI. (happy birfday to me :D)]

a little bit of courage
becomes confidence

I had forgotten that fact

Limepaw shook her head, finally leaning her full weight - which wasn't much - against the tomcat when she was sure that his claws were clean. "I-I don't..." the small she-cat took a moment to steady herself and her voice, unsure of how to react but knowing the Toweringheart had at least calmed down. "I don't think that... that I'm the only one that cares." she took a deep breath, and upon seeing Toweringheart's eyes, so full of tears, Limepaw became a little desperate.

"Please don't..." she murmured, twining her tail with his (which took a great deal of courage for Limepaw to do). "Please don't cry, I mean," How could she be scared of him? She wasn't. She couldn't be afraid of him... something held back every doubt, every fear and scare when he was around. It was as if, suddenly, a veil was put around her - a magical veil that shielded her from all that was bad. But, at the same time another veil was lifted, and she saw the world for what a forest-born kitten would see it: as a bright, happy place, because she knew that all the bad things would go away. Toweringheart would help her chase them away, but he couldn't do that when he cried and cried. And then, the small tabby thought of something...
... She thought she loved him.

until I met you

[kee :]]

T O W E R I N G H E A R T

When she pressed her whole weight against his own, even though it wasn't really that much against him, replaced her hesitant words with a layer of confidence that Toweringheart didn't think his best friend had. Limepaw's words, on the other paw, were probably true, but it took a lot for Toweringheart to believe that she was right. So the tabby warrior just shook his head, not even looking at Limepaw. He felt so stupid, and so bad that Limepaw had to see him in this shape. But then a little bell went off in his head. A thought occurred to him that he had never thought of before. He really didn't need his siblings and his family now that he had Limepaw. He really never got too close to either of his siblings because of their fights. Limepaw would never ever fight with him or with anyone and he could trust her with that.

So Toweringheart decided to suck up his tears, mourn his mothers death when he returned to camp. This was a time that he should be spending with his best friend, to get over it together. Limepaw was right. "You're right Limepaw. I've mourned my share and I shouldn't care just about myself. I'm sorry..." Toweringheart meowed, wiping his eyes with his now clean paws. He hadn't really noticed that his tabby tail was twined with her ginger one, but when he felt it, he looked back at their tails and something hit him, harder than the bell about how he didn't need his family now that he had Limepaw. He could tell her everything because now she was so much more than a friend. He loved her more than anyone Toweringheart had ever known. "I don't need anyone else to care about me Limepaw..." he mewed quietly as he pressed his body against hers gently.

"Because I have you."

[KURI. (happy birfday to me :D)]

That hadn't been exactly what she had meant, but it was true. Toweringheart had greived quite a lot within the last few hours, but with a pang the gold-ginger she-cat realized that it would take him longer than this to get over the loss of Sunheart. Limepaw had never been close to her mother, in fact, if this timid she-cat could work up the bravery to really decide what she felt about her mom, she might come to the conclusion that she hated Grace. It made Limepaw uncomfortable to think about it, but the thought was easily pushed away when Toweringheart continued speaking.

"T-Toweringheart..." she murmured, still shy around him but more willing to speak to him than to any other cat in the whole wide world. "Do I really... mean that much to y-you?" she wanted to tell him everything, but couldn't find words. Even if she did know the right words to tell the tabby how she felt for him, she would probably stutter so much that it would be incomprehensable. Toweringheart could speak for her. Still, more than anything else, she wanted him to know that... that she might love him. That she did love him. But what if he didn't love her back? That was where the worry came in. She would never tell him. Not until he told her. But was there even a slight chance of that? Poor, timid Limepaw doubted it greatly. He was her friend. If he knew that she loved him, he wouldn't want to be around her anymore... But she trusted Toweringheart. She searched her mind, gathered all her strength.

"T-T-Toweringheart, please d-don't be m-mad but... I-I l-love you." Her eyes pleaded for him to understand. To not be angry. She was afraid.

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[kee :]]

i'll be with you soon

TO W E R I N G H E A R T

just me and you

Did she really mean that much to him? Was she really asking that? Toweringheart wanted Limepaw to know that she meant the world to him. He had never cared about anyone like he cared about Limepaw. Sure, he loved everyone and he believed that everyone had a good side to them, but Limepaw was different. Maybe there was a feeling that he never admitted before. But whatever it was, it made Toweringheart feel like he had the courage to say what he needed to say. First... He had to prove that Limepaw meant a lot to him. "Limepaw... You have to believe me. You are so important to me. I... I don't think I could make it without you," he murmured, looking straight into her green eyes. His own hazel eyes were both serious and gentle. He didn't want to scare her anymore.

It wasn't until she said it that, Toweringheart realized what that weird bubbly feeling in his chest was. Limepaw stumbled her way through her words, almost making it impossible to understand, but the end... Those three words were so clear now. Limepaw loved him. And she looked so scared... Please don't be afraid... His desperate thoughts stayed put as he tried to digest what he just heard. Did he love Limepaw? Well, more than anyone he ever met and as a best friend... But was there more? He never wanted to believe there could be anymore. Who could love a huge monster like himself? Limepaw could and she could admit it, and that meant more to Toweringheart than anything that anyone ever said to him.

His hazel eyes became even more gentle than they were before, and he pulled Limepaw closer to him and he moved closer to her, too. "I would never be mad about that, Limepaw," he mewed quietly, looking into her eyes again. He slowly untwined his tail from hers and wrapped the long tabby tail around her small ginger body, holding her close to him for comfort and because... "I don't want you to be scared anymore, Limepaw... Because I love you. So much... he whispered, nuzzling her gently. He really did love her and it felt so right.

we'll be there soon

so soon

[KURI. (happy birfday to me :D)]

Breath in, breath out. It was all real. She could smell and see the forest, she felt the wind on her fur... It was all so real. Toweringheart loved her and she loved him. Limepaw then buried her muzzle in his fur, breathing in his scent and letting herself be comforted by it. She would stay by him, forever. It took a few moments for the small cat to realize the full meaning of their words, their feelings, but when she did she was only more happy about them. She wanted to stay here forever, guarded and loved by the only cat who really mattered.

But she knew she couldn't. Toweringheart needed her now more than she needed him. She didn't want to be selfish. Reluctantly standing up, Limepaw looked at Toweringheart (who, even when lying on the ground, was almost as tall as her standing) and meowed, "I-I think we had better g-get going... They might bury S-Sunheart soon." Although her voice was shaky, she stuttered considerably less around him. It was mostly the adrenaline making her voice tremble. She pointed with her tail down the not-so-much-of-a-trail from which they had came, hoping he would understand why she wanted him to go back.

[/blockquote]

[kee :]]

T O W E R I N G H E A R T

Toweringheart wasn't a very romantic cat growing up... So really, he wasn't the kind of lonely apprentice who dreamed of having someone to love like he loved Limepaw. He never even imagined being this close to someone. The massive tom was sort of the kind of cat that loved everyone but was afraid to get too close to just one cat. You know what I mean? But now... He felt so safe and loved. Closing his eyes, the tabby warrior let himself get caught in the moment. He wanted to remember it forever, being here, rapping him self around Limepaw and holding her close. All his worries and fears were washed away. Everything was perfect...

...Until Limepaw stood up. Thats when everything came back. His mothers death, his siblings and family mourning back at camp. He was out here, hiding from something that he couldn't hide from anymore. And Limepaw knew that they had to go back, too. Maybe somehow, he could face the issue now that he had Limepaw by his side. Sighing, he nodded and stood up next to his mate. "Yes, you're right. And... And I really should face my siblings," Toweringheart mewed, sighing softly again. But he put on a weak smile and bent down to touch his nose to hers. "You're coming with me, Limepaw," he meowed, trying to be happy in the time of sadness.