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| - Simmer down, simmer down They say we're too young now to amount to anything else But look around We work too damn hard for this just to give it up now If you don't swim, you'll drown But don't move, honey You look so perfect standing there In my American Apparel underwear And I know now, that I'm so down Your lipstick stain is a work of art I got your name tattooed in an arrow heart And I know now, that I'm so down (hey!) Hey, hey Hey, hey Hey, hey Hey, hey Let's get out, let's get out 'Cause this deadbeat town's only here just to keep us down While I was out, I found myself alone just thinking If I showed up with a plane ticket And a shiny diamond ring with your name on it Would you wanna run away too? 'Cause all I really want is you You look so perfect standing there In my American Apparel underwear And I know now, that I'm so down I made a mixtape straight out of '94 I've got your ripped skinny jeans lying on the floor And I know now, that I'm so down Hey, hey Hey, hey Hey, hey Hey, hey Hey, hey You look so perfect standing there In my American Apparel underwear And I know now, that I'm so down Your lipstick stain is a work of art I got your name tattooed in an arrow heart And I know now, that I'm so down (hey!) Hey, hey Hey, hey Hey, hey Hey, hey You look so perfect standing there In my American Apparel underwear And I know now, that I'm so down (hey) Your lipstick stain is a work of art (hey, hey) I got your name tattooed in an arrow heart (hey, hey) And I know now, that I'm so down (hey, hey)
- OA: 5SOS by Firey <3 Applebreeze stretched as she woke up. A normal day, for a normal warrior. She sat up and groomed her pelt, aware of the deputy sitting nearby. Everyone tred carefully around Blackshadow. But Applebreeze didn't want to just be out of the deputy's way. She wanted to be his star in the dark, his light. A she-cat could dream. "Applebreeze!" She looked up to see her best friend, Willowfur, calling to her. She watched as the dark gray she-cat made her way over to Applebreeze's nest. "Hey," she purred in greeting, "How was dawn patrol?" "Cold and wet," Willowfur purred, her eyes shingin with intelligence, "Still mooning over, you know?" She smirked. "Sh!" Applebreeze slapped her tail over her friend's mouth, "He's right there," she breathed out slightly, "I don't want him to hear." Willowfur lowered her voice and rolled her eyes, "Don't you want him to know though?" Applebreeze rolled her eyes, but she looked flushed and her ears were scarlet red. "I just don't know how he feels about me," Applebreeze mumbled. Willowfur snorted, "Yeah and you'll know by sitting here, right?" Applebreeze sighed exasperately and stood up, "Fine, I'll go make conversation with him and then he'll notice me!" She padded over to the brooding deputy, and mewed, "Hey, Blackshadow, have you send out the patrols today?" His icy blue eyes pierced her green ones. "No, but I will soon. Why do you ask, Applebreeze?" The orange she-cat was pleased that the deputy at least knew her name. He constantly pretended that he couldn't remember other warriors' names. "I wanted to be placed on a border patrol," Applebreeze lied, "So I decided to check with you." Blackshadow blinked, "Alright, I'm leading one soon, why don't you get something to eat before I start sorting the rest of the patrols?" "He's so nice," Applebreeze swooned, "You all dismiss him as some grumpy old badger, but he's really nice! And he's leading the border patrol later which means I get to be in the same patrol as him. I can't wait, Willowfur." Her best friend laughed, "As if you haven't been on the same patrol with him before." Applebreeze nudged Willowfur, "But think about it! I might be able to get him to finally notice me. He remembered my name too. Plus, if you were with Foxfire, wouldn't you be happy too?" Her ears turned a bit red, although she didn't look quite as flustered as I would have felt, "Of course I wouldn't," she mewed easily, "Though my relations with Foxfire is irrelevant to our current subject." "Okay, okay fine," Applebreeze muttered, "I'm overreacting, happy?" "I wouldn't call it happy, I'd call it-" "Satisfied!" Applebreeze interrupted, "I know, I know." Willowfur responded with a short laugh. Applebreeze spent the first part of the patrol staring right at Blackshadow's back. If the deputy was unnerved by the attention, he didn't react. He didn't even seem to notice the heat of the orange she-cat's stare. "Stop staring at him," Foxfire snorted, "That's all you do these days." Applebreeze glared at her friend, "You wouldn't be saying that if Willowfur was here. Then you'd be as wide-eyed as an owl." Foxfire turned a darker shade of red, and he mumbled, "No I wouldn't." Before Applebreeze could reply, Blackshadow slid over to the orange she-cat's side. "Hey, Applebreeze, do you want to...talk?" She glanced over at where Foxfire was, uncomfortable with the attention. But the dark red tom was already gone, chatting with Shineblossom, a pale yellow she-cat. "Applebreeze?" Blackshadow prompted, "It's not nice to leave a tom hanging." Applebreeze could only stare at the deputy for a second, even stopping from the stroll. "I..." she started awkwardly, "I um, sure!" Blackshadow didn't react to her hesitation or even her nervousness; he probably thought she wanted to back away from the conversation like most cats did. In an effort to show that she did care about what he had to say, and that she did want his interest, Applebreeze put on a grand smile, "You're really good at what you do, Blackshadow. I think Darkstar made a good choice in choosing you." Blackshadow put on a wry smile, which only made Applebreeze think that he was even more handsome than he had been before. The thought made her ears turn red. "I don't think you understand the relationship between me and Darkstar. They're not as friendly as you would assume; I don't think we make good partners." Applebreeze tilted her head as they started after their Clanmates again. "What do you mean?" She asked, confused, "Didn't she choose you because..." Her voice trailed off. Nobody knew why Darkstar had chosen Blackshadow. "She thought I was the best choice," Blackshadow agreed, none of the harshness that he used to carry around in his voice was there, "But that doesn't mean she doesn't question my loyalty." The orange she-cat frowned. In that moment, seeing Blackshadow with none of those real worries on his face, made him seem so...strong. She had never seen a tom so appealing, so...perfect. For the rest of the trip, neither cat said a word. The awkwardness lingered, though there was easiness in the way both walked. Applebreeze tried to keep a good distance between herself and Blackshadow, but they also seemed to be walking side by side, their pelts nearly brushing. Was she the one walking closer or was Blackshadow purposely moving towards her? She couldn't tell, and she felt flustered every time she noticed how close she had been to the deputy. The sternness in his face replaced the calm look on Blackshadow's face as the border drew near. Shineblossom and Foxfire were at the border, talking quietly. Foxfire perked up when he saw me, "Hey, Applebreeze," he called out, "and Blackshadow," he added hastily, dipping his head to the deputy, "We're done marking the border." Shineblossom glared at the border with distaste, "Good thing HollyClan hasn't crossed the border yet," she bared her teeth. Blackshadow didn't react to the way she talked about HollyClan warriors, and Applebreeze caught the way Shineblossom sneered at the deputy. Show some respect, Applebreeze thought angrily, it's not his fault he's half-Clan. Blackshadow ignored the pale yellow she-cat, checked the borders, and turned to the others, "Alright, we're done here, let's go back to camp." He looked so alone in that moment and Applebreeze wanted to run over to his side and tell him how much he meant to her. "He talked to me, you know? And he seemed to forget about all his worries around me. It's like I'm some sort of charm for him. Then when we joined the others, he looked so serious, so alone with his thoughts, I really wanted to comfort him, but I couldn't." Applebreeze sighed as she hurriedly poured out the morning's border patrol incident to Willowfur. Her best friend was seated next to Foxfire, sharing a hawk with him. She frowned, "I can't imagine Blackshadow being down. He's grumpy, sure, but never...depressed." "You don't know him," Applebreeze shot back, "You guys all dismiss him as a grumpy old badger." "And I suppose you know better?" Willowfur snorted. The orange she-cat narrowed her eyes, "I do! I've talked with him a few-" "A few times won't account to anything," Willowfur countered, "He might have been nice these few times, but maybe he's just in a good mood at that moment. You don't know the real him. For all you know, he could be plotting to kill Darkstar." "Sh," Foxfire slapped his tail over Willowfur's mouth, "Saying things like that can get you killed." Willowfur glared at him but shrugged, "Okay so what if he's worrying over something? It's none of your business, Applebreeze." Applebreeze scowled, "I want to help him." As if on cue, Blackshadow appeared behind her, "Um, do you want to go on the hunting patrol later, Applebreeze? I need one more warrior and I thought you'd want to hunt." The orange she-cat was startled, "Sure! Who else is going?" "Me, Willowfur, Creamshadow, and her apprentice, Pinepaw." Blackshadow replied, his eyes lingering uncertainly on her. "Oh," Applebreeze blinked, feeling flustered, "That's nice. I'll be there." The deputy smiled, then dipped his head slightly to my friends behind me, "I'll see you later then, Applebreeze, Willowfur." Willowfur arched an eyebrow, "Wow, he's really nice around you, Applebreeze. What have you done to him?" Foxfire sighed, "He does seem kinder around Applebreeze, and he's less certain about what he's going to say." The two exchanged knowing glances. "Well," Foxfire stretched, "I promised Screepaw I would show him a few moves, so I best be going." No sooner had Foxfire left, Blackshadow called for the patrols. "We better join him," Willowfur stood up, "Or he'll be glaring at us all day." Applebreeze shot her a disapproving look, but Willowfur soon grew silent as they drew near the other warriors. Distant but intelligent, that's what Willowfur was like. Pinepaw was seated next to Creamshadow, her tail wrapped neatly around her paws. The small calico she-cat was eyeing her Clanmates nervously, as if they would harm her. She didn't speak, though I expected little phrases to come out of her mouth. She was shy, and definitely hated talking in front of older warriors. The poor she-cat and her brother had been found on LeafClan's border with HollyClan scent on them. The Clan had deduced that HollyClan had a queen that gave birth to them, but did not want them. "Are Screepaw and Foxfire coming?" Pinepaw asked hesitantly, glancing up at Creamshadow rather than Blackshadow. "No," the cream colored warrior replied, "They're doing battle training today." Pinepaw looked downcast. I felt something brush my side. I glanced over and saw Blackshadow at my side, "Sorry," he apologized, "I just though I'd walk next to you. Creamshadow's leading the patrol, so there's nothing for me to worry about." Willowfur joined Creamshadow in the front, and I smiled, "Alright, I'm okay with that." They ended up mostly hunting in pairs: Creamshadow with Pinepaw, Applebreeze with Blackshadow, and Willowfur alone. Blackshadow and Applebreeze were opposites. She knew exactly how precise his fighting moves were, and how well he could fight in a tight situation. He was a born leader for sure. Although he obviously despised fighting and didn't seem to be very good at it. Whereas Applebreeze was absolutely, terrifyingly terrible at fighting; she'd fight with her paws flailing and with no technique behind it. She knew moves obviously, but they were hard for her to use when under pressure. But in hunting, Applebreeze was at home. She could track a prey from a far distance, and knew exactly when to pounce and how to catch a prey by surprise. After a few rounds of hunting, Blackshadow praised Applebreeze, "You're very swift on your paws. I can see why you always bring back the most prey." She blushed slightly, "Thanks, you're not too bad, although I'll never doubt that you're better at fighting than hunting." Blackshadow purred, and the easiness in his eyes soothed Applebreeze's nerves. "I think you'd be a great fighter if you tried." Applebreeze raised an eyebrow, "Are you saying I don't try?" She asked, though mischief shown in her eyes. Blackshadow laughed, "Okay, maybe I worded that wrong." "You got that right." 'Cause this deadbeat town's only here just to keep us down But almost as quick as it had came, his happiness vanished. The deputy tipped his head to the side, listening closely. "What's wrong?" Applebreeze breathed out, a little afraid of Blackshadow's silence. "Earlier I could hear Pinepaw and Creamshadow talking about hunting techniques, and Willowfur's quiet scuffling. Now, I can only hear Willowfur." Blackshadow stiffened, straining his ears to see if he could catch something else. Applebreeze was impressed. She hadn't noticed before, but Blackshadow had sharp senses. He was also always alert, ready to leap into action when needed. Even now, while chatting with her, he knew where the others were. He also knew what the others were talking about. Unease fought my amazement. Did he hear everything I've ever said? All my conversations when I'm telling Willowfur how much I want his attention? Is that why he's here now? All these thoughts ran through Applebreeze's brain. Blackshadow was frowning, but now at her expression. "Something's wrong," he murmured. Just after he said that, Pinepaw screamed. Blackshadow wasted no time. He shot to his paws and darted for Pinepaw. Applebreeze gaped at the noise, and then scrambled after the deputy. Creamshadow's shouts followed, and for a moment, Applebreeze thought in dread, What if HollyClan attacked? She found out the answer to that question right after. Blackshadow was already kneeling over the apprentice, murmuring softly to her. Willowfur was in a fervent conversation with Creamshadow. "I don't know, she just collasped with a scream!" Creamshadow was saying, "She was telling me how to hunt a squirrel, and then something overcame her and she screamed." Blackshadow blinked, "We need to get her back to camp, she's in pain." Willowfur studied the apprentice, and then nodded, "He's right, something's wrong with her, but I don't know what. Hopefully Amberfrost will understand the situation." "Don't touch her," Blackshadow ordered, when Creamshadow leaned down to pick her up, "Use moss to drape your back then slide her onto your back." Creamshadow didn't argue. Blackshadow turned to Applebreeze, his eyes dark, "You and Willowfur go back to camp early. Have Amberfrost check you quickly and tell her what happened. Then go to your nests and eat." Applebreeze wanted to ask why, but she knew better. The stormy look on the deputy's face had returned, though he still spoke in a gentle voice with her. Something was wrong. 'Cause all I really want is you Amberfrost apparently understood the situation when Willowfur and Applebreeze explained it and told them to hold still while she carefully cut their paws to examine their blood. "You're safe," the medicine cat told Applebreeze, "Go grab something to eat and wait in your nests. Stay there for the rest of the day." She moved on to Willowfur, and Applebreeze did as Amberfrost ordered her to do. She grabbed a hawk off the pile and as she headed for the warriors' den, Blackshadow came in, helping Creamshadow shoulder Pinepaw into the medicine cat's den. Applebreeze's heart ached as she saw the deputy, but he didn't glance at her. Applebreeze bit her lip, knowing that he had his duties and he could never fully be with her. She turned away, but she knew there was one thing for certain she wanted: Blackshadow. The next morning, Applebreeze wake to find Willowfur staring at a nest next to her, looking crestfallen and broken. Applebreeze frowned. Willowfur never woke up like this. It wasn't as if she wasn't clean, she had passed the blood test too. Applebreeze studied her best friend's features a little more. Her eyes were red and puffy, as if she had been crying. There were dark lines under her eyes, showing that Willowfur hadn't slept very well or she had woken up early. "He's gone," Willowfur whispered. It took a moment for Applebreeze to realize that the gray she-cat was staring at Foxfire's nest. "He came down with the same sickness Pinepaw came down with." Willowfur explained. "There's a plague?" Willowfur nodded, "Amberfrost says that it's not spreading too fast, but everyone is getting checked again. He was taken from here this morning, when Amberfrost proclaimed him negative." Before Applebreeze could reply, Blackshadow stuck his head in, "Everyone out, we need to clear the old bedding and check everyone again." Applebreeze drew in a sharp breath at the sight of the deputy. He looked handsome in that moment of despair, his shadow covering her, his form filling up the space of the small entrance. He was everything to her. She joined the other warriors in the "clean" section. Willowfur passed just before her, but several others were escorted to the medicine cat den. Blackshadow and Darkstar were in a heated discussion. Blackshadow was arguing, his eyes flashing angrily, while Darkstar was a calm but furious storm. The two bickered for a long time before Blackshadow whirled around and stalked away to join the line. Darkstar glared after her deputy, but she turned around and headed for her den. Right before Darkstar reached her den, she collapsed. Blackshadow froze from where he was standing and several warriors screamed. Applebreeze let out a gasp. Amberfrost immediately hurried from the line of warriors to Darkstar's side. She examined the leader, then took a blood sample. Her grim face told everyone the answer. Terror coursed through Applebreeze. What if everyone was going to succumb to this sickness? Surely there was a cure to this... "Blackshadow, start evacuating everyone," Amberfrost snapped, "We need to get all the healthy cats somewhere safe." The deputy nodded, and after being told he was clean, he ushered the checked ones out. "I know a place we can stay," he said grimly. Willowfur cast a glance behind her, probably thinking about Foxfire. I looked at the camp one last time, from Darkstar's limp body, to the cats huddled, waiting for their check, and the dens. Blackshadow settled the warriors in a comfy, mossy clearing. Applebreeze watched him sort off the cats, forming groups for them to share dens with. "You'll stay here until the sickness dies down," he mewed, "I need to go back to escort the others." Nervousness plagued Applebreeze as she watched him pad away again. She hoped that he would not get infected, and that he would stay safe. She didn't want him to die. Every second seemed longer than before, and the chatter that usually lifted other cats' spirits had died down. Everyone was waiting in silence. Days went by, and cats began to relax. They were all safe, so they had no worries. Blackshadow came back with news that Amberfrost was trying to find a cure and that Darkstar was still holding on. Even as the cats learned to move on with life, unease still masked their faces as they stayed away from their camp. Several encounters with HollyClan hadn't gone well, and Amberfrost scolded the warriors for risking themselves in a fight while the plague was still raging in the camp. A moon had nearly gone by since the first outbreak of this plague and Blackshadow came back with news that it had died down and it shouldn't get any worse. Applebreeze constantly worried about Blackshadow, but life went on in the mossy clearing, and they all held onto hope that their Clanmates would pull through. News of Darkstar's rapid recovery lightened the mood. Cheers arose from the mossy clearing and Applebreeze sent a quick thanks to StarClan for sparing Darkstar's life. Blackshadow stayed at the new camp more often now, in attempt to keep himself healthy. "Do you want to go hunt, Applebreeze?" She smiled, "Sure, it'll help me get my mind off things." Together, they headed out, relaxing in the cover of the trees. "Is the plague really dying down?" She asked, wanting to hear it from his mouth. He nodded, "Yes," he reassured her, "Now we just need to wait for Amberfrost to find a cure." "What about Darkstar?" The deputy frowned, "She recovered miraculously on her own, but no one else is." Applebreeze furrowed her brow, and saw Blackshadow looking tense. Even with a worried look on his face, he looked so...strong. "Let's not worry about such things," Blackshadow soothed, "Let's hunt for our Clanmates." Applebreeze nodded quietly, and the two of them searched for the prey they wanted. Applebreeze wasn't quite convinced that the plague was going down, but she trusted Blackshadow. If he said so, she would believe him. He wouldn't lie to her. He seemed a bit off today, and Applebreeze could see that he wasn't into hunting. After catching a few mice and seeing that Blackshadow had nothing, the orange she-cat offered, "Why don't we drop off this prey and check the border?" The deputy nodded, "Alright." Applebreeze led the way back, a little worried that something big was bothering Blackshadow. The two headed towards the HollyClan border, silence blanketing over them. Blackshadow seemed to be deep in thought, so Applebreeze let out a shriek of surprise when Blackshadow whirled around and shouted, "Boo!" Applebreeze frowned, "Hey!" she pouted when the deputy laughed, "That's not nice!" "You jumped so high!" Blackshadow teased, "I've never seen you so scared before!" The orange she-cat rolled her eyes, "You tricked me with that worried look of yours! I thought you were thinking about something else." A flash of worry crossed Blackshadow's eyes, but he replaced it with an amused look, "I was plotting my surprise attack!" "I'll get you for that!" The two of them tumbled backwards, their worries long forgotten. "I could live this moment forever," Blackshadow whispered, "I don't want this to end." "Me neither," Applebreeze admitted, "Here we don't have to worry about anything." Blackshadow leaned forward, "You're right," he breathed out, "Being with you is washing away all my worries." He looked as though he wanted to say more, but he didn't. "We should go back," Blackshadow mewed suddenly, "We have to protect our Clanmates. We're not that from here." Applebreeze was reluctant to agree, "Yeah, you're right," she sighed, "But I was hoping that you and I could last forever." Her heart was racing. Blackshadow paused, but then he shook his head and started to lead the way back, "Let's go back," he mewed, this time more firmly. Every time the orange she-cat saw Blackshadow after that, they only exchanged mere nods. The day together had been pushed to the back of their minds as they worked to help their Clanmates in their own way. But their moments together forever stayed in Applebreeze's mind. He was perfect for her, and she knew she had made an impression on him. Now all that remained was their confessions. It will come, Applebreeze told herself, He's waiting for the right moment to approach you. Then one day it came. The deputy was weaving among the cats, telling them what they were doing today. "Applebreeze," he called to her, "You're with me." She joined him, her heart pounding loudly. When they were a good distance away from the camp, Blackshadow turned to face her, "I have something to tell you." "I do too," Applebreeze blurted out, staring into his deep, blue eyes. Blackshadow looked so ensure of himself, as if she had an effect on him. "From the moment I met you," he started, "I knew I loved you." The orange she-cat felt like she was dreaming. The moment was coming true, "Same with me," she whispered, "Everyone was so afraid of you, but I wanted to catch your attention." "I thought you would be as frightened as everyone else was. I thought you wouldn't like me. I thought-" Applebreeze touched her nose to his, "You thought wrong," she breathed out, "I love you." "I love you too." And in that moment...he looked so perfect to her.
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