Disclaimer: I, KatieK101, do not own Warriors. If I did then Crowfrost and Dawnpelt would be the power couple of the Warriors World.

Applefur's Confession

Note: this one-shot takes place immediately after Chapter Seven: Sometimes the Truth is Worse than the Lie.

As I watched my clanmates hobble around camp, some heading towards their dens while others made their way to the fresh-kill pile or outside camp for a stroll, I wondered if this was Rowanstar's way of punishing us for our 'battle'. Vote first, allow Littlecloud to mend our wounds later.

I winced as I shifted on my haunches. Whether or not it was intentional, this definitely served as a punishment.

By the time our votes were cast and the decision was made, our wounds had time to set and become stiff and gross. Blood was matted into the pelts of some, while others were limping. Scorchfur had put up a good fight, and as a result I had a twisted fore-paw. Of course I'd also fought well, and now the light gray tom had a gash on the side of his face. Initially I'd felt guilty for delivering the blow, but now that he had Snowbird fussing over his wound I felt slightly less guilty.

"Can you try to put some weight on it?" Littlecloud asked, and gestured to the paw that I was favoring. I did as he asked but immediately hissed in pain and jerked it back.

"It's not broken, is it?" I asked, worried. If my paw was broken and I had to lay off my warrior duties, I would die of boredom.

But thankfully Littlecloud shook his head. "No, no it's not that severe. It's just sprained, but you shou-" he broke off in a bout of coughing, and I flattened my ears against my head. He sounds just like Smokefoot…

"Are you alright, Littlecloud?" I asked. "Would you like me to fetch you some honey?"

The stubborn little tom shook his head. "No, I'm fine. It's just leaf-bare, and I have a bit of a cough." He coughed a few more times before regaining his composure and continuing where he left off. "As I was saying, you should try to keep off your paw for a few days. No patrols and no hunting, but strolls are fine as long as you don't pressure it."

I sighed in defeat. "Great," I mumbled.

"Don't look so down," Littlecloud meowed. "It could be worst. Your paw could really be broken, and then I would have to confine you to camp. Then there would be no strolls at all."

I shrugged as I stood up. "I guess so. Thanks for taking a look at it, Littlecloud." I glanced behind me and hesitated when I saw the large huddle of cats who were also waiting for Littlecloud's attention; I'd been one of the smart ones who immediately went to see him. "It looks like you're going to have your paws full until moon-high. If you'd like, I could stay and help you treat them?"

But Littlecloud declined my offer again. "I'll take care of them. There's not a lot you could help with anyways."

"Are you sure?" I pressed. "It's leaf-bare and your herb store is running low-"

"Applefur-"

"You have that really horrible cough-"

"Applefur-"

"You know what you need, an apprentice! Here, I'll go get Honeypaw or Ashpaw and they'll-"

"Applefur," Littlecloud interrupted me again, this time more firmly. "You know how he feels about you. Why in the name of StarClan are you trying to avoid him?"

My tail dropped and I could only stare at the elderly medicine cat, dread bubbling in the pit of my stomach and making me feel sick. "I'm afraid he doesn't mean it." I whispered.

"Oh, Applefur," Littlecloud sighed. "You have to get over this lack of confidence, and quit believing that you don't deserve love." I lowered my gaze to my paws and swallowed thickly. But I don't… "Go and meet him," Littlecloud encouraged.

I hesitated for a few heart-beats and then exhaled, stood to my paws, and left the medicine cat den. I brushed past those who were waiting for Littlecloud's attention and let my eyes roam the camp. Part of me hoped that Smokefoot was busy, maybe he'd left to chase after Crowfrost. But the other part of me desperately hoped that the handsome tom was in camp.

"Hey," a husky meow sounded in my ear, and I jumped, startled. Smokefoot's dark blue eyes gleamed with amusement, and the tips of my ears heated up in embarrassment. "I was waiting for you."

"Me?" I echoed, as if I'd heard him wrong.

Smokefoot's whiskers twitched. "Of course, you. Who else would I be waiting for, lizard-brain?"

I ducked my eyes and lowered my gaze. Lizard-brain is right. Why do I always embarrass myself whenever I'm with him?

"Come on," he meowed, jerking me out of my thoughts. "Let's go somewhere more…" he trailed off as he swiftly scanned the camp, "private."

Dawn Frost

I was pathetic, really. What she-cat acted so, so… lizard-brained around her mate?

I had no trouble interacting with other cats, not even warriors from the other Clans, and yet it was considered impressive when I managed a conversation with Smokefoot without stuttering. Maybe I might be a little more relaxed around him if I wasn't always so worried about our secret slipping out.

It's was Smokefoot's idea to keep our relationship a secret. He said that if Crowfrost found out about us, he would throw a fit, and it wouldn't end well. Crowfrost already hated me for training in the Dark Forest, if he found out I became mates with his best friend then he would make my life miserable.

'I'll tell him when I think he can handle the news,' Smokefoot had told me. 'Crowfrost is like a brother to me, but I wouldn't put it past him to do everything in his power to keep us apart.' And as the deputy of ShadowClan, he held a lot of power.

Smokefoot's concern was understandable, and after everything I'd done, I should have considered myself lucky that any tom would look twice at me, much less a tom like Smokefoot. And yet I couldn't help but wonder if there was an ulterior motive behind Smokefoot's secret: did he not want to tell anyone we were mates because he was ashamed of me?

'Don't be lizard-brained!' I quickly scolded myself, before I risked a glance at the handsome tom beside me. 'If Smokefoot was ashamed to be seen with you, then he wouldn't want to continue to be your mate. He would have called it off already.' Unless I was just another plaything to him. It was no secret that, before the incident that injured his lungs and forced him to retire, Smokefoot had been noncommittal to every she-cat he'd been with.

'Stop thinking like that!' I thought venomously. 'This is your mate you're thinking about!'

"Are you alright?" Smokefoot meowed, a concerned expression masking his features. "You look upset."

I mustered a forced smile and shook my head. "No, I was just… thinking."

"About what?"

"Oh, you know… stuff..."

Smokefoot raised an eyebrow. "Oh yeah?" he asked, skepticism evident in his tone.

My smile faded and became more of a cringe. Still, I nodded.

Smokefoot sighed and stopped walking, and I instinctively did the same. "You know you can tell me anything, right, Applefur?"

"Of course," I lied.

"Then why don't you ever tell me what's bothering you?" the handsome, dark gray tom pressed. "I can tell something's wrong with you, but whenever I ask you, you just brush it off."

I couldn't stand to meet his dark blue gaze. "Because it's nothing," I murmured. "It's just…" 'It's just my insecurities getting the best of me.'

"It's just, what?" Smokefoot pressed gently. It was so strange to hear him sound so gentle. After seasons of fighting with him in camp and beside him in battle, I didn't know he could sound like that. My heart clenched in my chest. 'I wonder if he talked to his flings in this tone?'

"Am I just another fling to you?" I blurted out. I instantly regretted the question and rushed to take it back, but it was too late. Smokefoot stared at me with impossibly wide blue eyes.

"Of course you're not just another fling!" he cried. "I told you - I've changed! You're the only she-cat for me now, Applefur."

I flattened my ears against my head and looked away. "Then why is our relationship still a secret?" I whispered. "We've been mates for two moons now, and no one but Littlecloud knows." And really, Littlecloud wasn't even supposed to know. But Smokefoot and I only developed feelings for each other after Littlecloud started to ask me to take care of him, and it only seemed fair to inform Littlecloud of the news.

My gaze was trained on my paws. "I hate this," I meowed quietly, as tears started to blur my vision. "There are rumors floating around camp that Starlingwing and I have feelings for each other, and he's a good friend of mine but that's all. And the other day I was hunting with Olivenose, and she kept talking about how excited she was that her brother had finally found a she-cat to settle down with, and that she couldn't wait to see our kits and I-" I had to stop so that I could take a breath. "And I can't deny anything, because if I do they'll become suspicious!"

Smokefoot blinked, stunned. "Applefur I-... I didn't know it bothered you so much." he narrowed his dark blue orbs. "Why haven't you mentioned it before? This is important!"

"Because you seemed okay with it!" I cried, although my voice sounded strangled. "I didn't want to bring it up because I-... I didn't want you to decide I wasn't worth the trouble, and find another she-cat."

Smokefoot's jaw dropped. "Applefur! I-"

But I rushed on. "And I started to worry that… that maybe the real reason you wanted to keep our relationship a secret is because you're ashamed of me, or-"

"Applefur, stop," Smokefoot growled. "None of that is true! I told you, I only wanted to keep it a secret until I thought Crowfrost could handle the news." he shook his head, bewildered. "You actually thought…" he raised his eyes to meet mine, so impossibly wide. "You actually thought I was ashamed of you?"

The tears that spilled down my face were all the conformation Smokefoot needed.

"Oh, Apple," Smokefoot breathed, as he leaned forward to rasp his tongue over my face. "Darling, I'm not ashamed of you! Why should I be? Just because you made one mistake?" he continued to lick behind my ears and my neck, and I found myself leaning into him. "I could never think of a reason to be ashamed of you. You're beautiful, skilled, intelligent, loyal..."

I squeezed my eyes shut as a drowsy purr rumbled in my throat. I felt like all my fears and doubts were melting away.

"You're a wonderful warrior, and one day you're going to make a wonderful mother to our kits."

'Kits?' I echoed, a mixture of fear and excitement. 'He wants kits!' I buried my face into his thick pelt and purred happily. He took advantage of our position to cover the top of my head in licks.

"You know what," he started suddenly. "I'm tired of keeping our relationship a secret as well. I'm tired of not being able to share tongues with you in camp, or show you off to others." My heart was pounding hard in my chest. "Soon," Smokefoot promised. "Give it a couple days, and then I'll tell Crowfrost about our relationship."

A laugh spilled from my jaws and I said, "I love you, Smokefoot."

He nuzzled my neck. "I love you too, Applefur."

I'm sure you're all surprised to see an update here, but I did mention in the AN that I would occasionally post a DF-centirc one-shot! Here's the first one! I actually wrote it ages ago so it's not my best writing, but I still thought I would share it. I hope you enjoyed it!

If you're reading How to Come Home, then you'll be pleased to note that I'm currently working on the next chapter in a separate tab :)