Sleepless Nights (Deku)

[Isilme]

The sun was already down when the large tom came back to camp, he had managed to catch two small birds after a whole afternoon hunting, it was nothing compared to the clan needs at the moments but at least it was something, but instead of leaving the fresh prey in the pile, Nightfox went directly to the leader den carrying the birds with him, Sunstar needed strengh to fight down this sickness and frozen food certainly wouldn't do her any good, he didn't waited any kind of invitation to enter the slightly warmer place and left the prey near the she cat nest before starting to clean his fur of the snow that had stuck on him. "Sunstar are you awake?" The tom asked softly after finishing his gromming process not intenting to wake her if she was asleep.

Deku

[Deku]

OOC: I'm glad you started this. I was just about to do it myself.

Sunstar was curled into a ball in her nest, shivering. She had even had some of the apprentices bring in extra moss to attempt at making her nest warmer, but alas it had barely helped. Besides the fact that she was shivering so violently she couldn't even stand, she was starving. The tabby hadn't been able to actually leave the den to get prey from the fresh-kill pile. She would have gladly slept through the day, but every time she even got close to falling asleep the coughing would conveniently start.

To say she was grateful when Nightfox walked in uninvited was an understatement. He had brought prey. She could see the dim outlines of the birds. She waited patiently as he began to groom. She knew from experience that interrupting his grooming sessions came with consequences and usually a temper. So she simply waited, too exhausted to move a muscle, until she heard him speak her name. She moved her head slightly so she would actually be able to see his face before speaking. "I haven't been able to sleep." She muttered, her voice a hoarse whisper from the coughing.

[Isilme]

The tom narrowed his eyes worried, she was only getting worse... Nightfox approached her nest noticing just how much the golden cat was shivering even with extra moss on her den. "Here, I brought some prey, you should eat, it´s not much but it will help." He said motioning for the birds in front of the leader, he couldn´t do anything more for the female in this moment and it killed him inside, he prayed to Starclan to spare her of any suffering, she certainly didn´t deserved it. "How are you feeling? Want me to get you something?" The black warrior asked intenting to make her as confortable as possible before settling in for the night.

[Deku]

She glanced at the prey, suddenly not hungry as another coughing fit wracked her body. 'StarClan... Please just put me out of my misery...' She thought as she glanced down warily at the birds. Should she eat them? She did need the strength. The golden tabby took a small bite from one of the birds. It didn't taste as good as she had hoped, but she took a few more bites before pushing it away.

Was there anything he could do for her? At this point in time, no. Except one thing. "J-just don't g-get sick y-yourself." She muttered, pausing as another coughing fit took over. "T-take it from m-me. It is n-not a f-fun experience."

[Isilme]

His ears flaterred on his head, well, he couldn't do that for her, that was the only thing he couldn't do, it had started a few days ago, the growing weakness, a cough here and there but it was only going to get worse, Nightfox was already sick, being naturally a strong cat was delaying the effects but it wouldn't be forever, as soon as Sunstar was health again he would lock himself in the medicine cats den and stay there until he get better, and if he didn't get better then... Then he was going to run away, die somewhere else where no one would be affected by it, but that was something he was not going to tell the golden female, not now and not ever. "I bet that dying is not fun, now don't be so pessimist, eat at least one bird." He pushed the half eaten prey in her direction. "Finish this, no crying or I'm calling Cherryfern, she won't be nice as me." The tom said with a serious look on his features that left no room for argument, again he noticed the leader shivering, was she that cold? His tail moved side to side while he thought about it, he had cleaned all the snow of his fur so it should be warm again now, he waited to see if she would it or not and then said. "Give me some space." And simple invaded the she cat nest, wraping his large body against the leader making sure she was well protected from the cold and confortable. "Is this better? I saw you shivering earlier." The tom said trying to look at her face.

[Deku]

OOC: Nuu! You weren't planning on actually killing him were you?!

She attempted a grin when he said he was being nicer than Cherryfern would, but it simply ended up being a pained smile. Sunstar was a cat who usually did the opposite of what she was told to do, but at that moment she found herself finishing the bird. She didn't know if it was because she knew somewhere inside her that she needed the strength, or if it was because she preferred Nightfox over the medicine cat apprentice. The latter shouldn't be true. She honestly needed a cat good with herbs right now and not some warrior she had punished two moons ago.

She wouldn't have been surprised if he had simply left now that she had eaten what was brought. That was all he needed to come for, and technically he hadn't needed to come in the first place. Sharing the warmth of his fur was not necessary and she was surprised that he would even consider doing so. "B-but N-Nightfox, you're g-going to g-get sick..." She didn't try to hard to get rid of him though. Instinctively she leaned into it actually. His presence was... Comforting... but comfort didn't stop Greencough, and the extra warmth he lent to her wasn't going to stop the shivering, despite how much better it made her feel.

[Isilme]

OOC: Of course not, he will just hide for a while until he gets better x3 Sunstar could find out haha

He purred softly trying to calm her. "Now, who are you to accuse me of getting sick?" The male said in a playful tone. "When you get better you can scold me all you want until then you should rest, even a kit could beat you right now Sunny" Nightfox teased trying to light the mood in the quick darkening den, snow was falling outside without any mercy for the felines that were suffering with the endless cold, he sighed and layed his head over Sunstar's, he knew just how bad her condition was, if the female managed to survive the night it would be a miracle. "Are you afraid?" He asked, voice barely above a whisper over the growing darkness.

[Deku]

OOC: Once she is better, she will definitely notice he is missing.

"I h-have every are-right to accuse you N-nightpaw." In her own mind it was a good thing she was trying to joke with the large tom. It meant she hadn't completely lost herself in this devastating illness. However, it was true. She had seen some of the larger, healthier kits playing with each other, but she hadn't dared to get close. She feared she would get them sick just by watching them play.

She pinned her ears back as she felt his head resting on hers. This was a side of the tom she never even imagined he had. The only Nightfox she knew had been lazy and vain. Strangely enough, the golden leader hadn't taken the time to notice how he had changed. She scolded herself for it now. The punishment had been good for him, and Sunstar had accomplished her goal in changing him for the better. She just hadn't realized it until she was on the verge of death and he was doing everything in his power to keep her alive. "Yes. I am afraid." She muttered.

[Isilme]

OOC: oh my xD this is going to be fun

The male stayed silent for a while, thinking about something he could say to ease the female fears but he couldn't find none, Nightfox wasn't a very religious cat but his mother had been, she told him a lot of stories of Starclan and their starry warriors that watched over the clans and guided them with their wisdom, he searched his memory for something that would apply for this moment. "You know, my mother used to tell me stories about Starclan." He started feeling completely stupid for telling the leader that kind of thing but then, what else he could do? "She told me once about a leader, I don't remember it very well but for some reason he died, he closed his eyes in the living world and when he opened them again, he was in a starry meadow surrounded by all the cats he had ever loved." The tom paused for a moment trying to remember his mother words. "She said it was a happy reunion but also sad because it was not the time for the leader to become a star yet, they shared words of encouragement but also promise of better days before sending him back, when the leader woke up in his body again it felt like a cage, because deep down he knew that he was always meant to be a star." Nightfox finished the tale quite sure he had actually messed it all up at some point, or skipped a important part, not that he cared mind you. "So... Perhaps you will talk with Bettlestrike again, and if he is not there, at least you will know he is alive." He said and then fell silent not having any more words to share at the moment.

[Deku]

OOC: Did you ever think that story might be a bad one? How the leader felt like his body was a cage? ^.^' Stupid storm knocked out the electricity. Sorry.

Sunstar stayed silent throughout his story. She had never really been fond of stories, but then again her mother had never told her stories. She probably wouldn't have moved even if she hadn't been sick though.

When he finished, she took a moment to think about his story. So was that how his mother thought leaders lost a life? They went to StarClan and then woke up fine? What if that happened to her? What if she felt trapped when she came back? Then would she be miserable? Nah, she doubted the story was how it really worked. She knew she would find out for herself soon. If not tonight then soon. Very soon.

"Nightfox? W-what did I d-do that changed you? You are d-different from the warrior I p-punished t-two moons ago." 

[Isilme]

OOC: I did lol but I had no better idea, I haven´t read the books and I´m unsure how the process work myself, also, Nightfox is desperate to do something, he is just trying too hard

The tom sighed, he had no idea of what to do now and chose to stay silent instead of chattering like a little kit, he wasn´t sure if the small tale had actually helped, it sounded terrible anyway, but her next question was something he wasn´t expecting, Nightfox moved enough to have a good look at her face. "You think I have changed?" He asked honestly surprised, blue eyes a little wide. "Sunny, no, Sunstar, I was always like this, the only difference is that before you were an outsider and now you are my friend, your punishment made me think about things with another perspective but it didn´t changed who I´m" The black tom said choosing to simple state the facts. "It isn´t normal to treat friends different than strangers?" He stopped for a few moments. "I would never do all of this for someone I don´t care about, perhaps bringing some prey, asking them to go to the medicine cat but, I wouldn´t be so insistent."

[Deku]

OOC: Lol. Yes, he is trying very hard. Hmm, do you feel like it's close to ending? I don't know what else we can do. Unlesss... Sunstar doesn't last through the night...

She closed her eyes and nodded, offering a weak smile. That was an answer she could live with. A very wise one in her opinion. He had been very insistent, that she could agree with. She usually despised insistence, especially when it was about her. Now though she took it into a different perspective. Insistence for some cats meant they cared. It honestly all depended on what they were insisting on. She turned her head so it was facing the wall of her den. 'Yes. Friends care. He cares.' That was her last thought before finally falling asleep.