.:Don't give up:. {Rippledstream&Icey}

[.:Rippledstream:.]

Silentshadow padded in restless circles in the meadow, uncertain of how she'd explain things to Shadestar but they needed to talk. She needed to find out how he felt about her. This battle for her heart wouldn't end nicely for both, only for one of the tom's who quested to conquer her love. It had dawned on her over night that neither tom could take her love, she needed to give it to the one who completed her. But she had no clue how to figure that out. She'd pondered ways to make it seem as though her choice was a slight accident. She'd plotted the possibilty of mating with the tom who complied first and state to the other that it had been a meer mistake. But she knew that was impracticle no matter how much she longed for a easy way out. Her green eyes reflected a fraction of the moonlight that cast shadows over her face. It was like her heart, half was in the light and the other half in the dark. Both tom represented her light side and her dark side. Both sides longed for the opposite desires. She sighed, frustrated with herself. She waited impatiently for Shadestar to appear, her heart pounding faster at the thought.

[.:Icey:.]

Frozen in place, Shadestar just continued to gaze at Silentshadow as she sat so uneasily by herself. He didn't really know why she looked so impatient but then again he knew what the problem was. And he himself didn't know the answer. His stunning yellow eyes were frozen in place on the beautiful she-cat which sat a few tail lengths away. Taking a deep breath Shadestar forced himself to appear. He walked slowly towards her, his expression hidden, his eyes gazing. He took a seat wrapping his tail neatly around his paws. Blinking slowly he nowed his head in a greeting. "Greetings Silentshadow I think I know why you planned this private meeting" he meowed smoothly, his yellow eyes frozen in hers.

[.:Rippledstream:.]

Silentshadow relaxed visibly as Shadestar appeared. Her eyes where relieved for a moment before they filled swiftly with sorrow. "I hate this." she declared "I hate myself for doing this" she whispered "But most of all I hate doing this because I hate the very thought of even slightly hurting you" she murmered, her green eyes full of grief. "I want you to tell me in all honesty, do you long for us to have a future together as badly as a yearn for that?" she breathed, her face so close to his that his whiskers tickled her cheek.

[.:Icey:.]

Shadestar blinked slowly and turned his head away. His yellow eyes once returned back to Silentshadow. "Don't hate yourself for this Silentshadow you didn't to anything wrong, Things happen that we don't like but we get through" he meowed trying to reassure her.

The question struck him, it was his one chance to truly tell her how he felt but he couldn't bring it out in words. Taking a deep breath Shadestar looked down at his paws. "Silentshadow you have no idea what I go through everyday. I have to look after the clan, the duties the will of Starclan and I always tell myself I can't be with anyone. But there is something about you. You are something that I can't live without someone who gives me hope and reassurance everyday. You give me hope as if someone so pure from Starclan was living inside you. I care so much about you SIlentshadow you mean the world to me and I can't explain all of it, I can't explain what goes on in my heart only that you mean so much to me" he meowed, slowly raising his eyes to her level.

"But I don't want you to hate yourself. If you truly love Silentshadow then.... I just want you to be happy. I care so much for you and I don't want you to be hurt in this situation. I can be the one hurt...its happened before" he meowed, thinking of Emberstep.

[.:Rippledstream:.]

Silentshadow nodded slowly. She contemplated the situation in silence for a long moment. "Shadestar" she whispered "I know how you feel. I feel the same way about you. Every moment I spend with you is like a second and it goes by so fast that I can't grasp it but all I know is that when I'm away from you, my body yearns to be near you, a minute feels like hours and hours like days. I don't think I could bare to hurt someone like you. The earth would never hurt what it orbits around as I will not hurt you for itt is you that my life orbits around" she breathed, her chest heaving as she realized what she was saying, realized that she'd found the answer to what she needed to know. She stayed silent for a long moment before taking a deep breath and closing her eyes.

"Shadestar" she mewed "That is what I think of you as a cat. As because you are my leader, I seek advice and counsel from you now." she paused, her eyes full of pain but also of happiness. "How will I tell Silentshadow that no matter how much he means to me, I need you?" she wondered, her mind grazing over her previous possibilty but wanted a better solution.

[.:Icey:.]

Shadestar leaned forward his eyes still looking softly into her's. He couldn't help but spread a small yet sweet smile across his black face. He couldn't help but feel his heart warm inside of him. KNowing that Silentshadow felt the same about him. Yet he still felt hurt knowing that Siletnshadow would be heart broken. Looking over the sad expression of her beautiful face made his heart ache, before taking a deep breath he leaned forward giving her a affectionate lick across her cheek. "Siletnshadow is a smart cat, he will want you to be happy as do I. But you must speak with him and tell him the truth. Its almost being cruel to be kind. You might break his heart, but he will be happy knowing you are. The worst thing would be not to speak with him. He has to respect your decsion as would I." he meowed only whiskers away.

SHadestar leaned forward to her ear "I have and always will love you ever since you were a kit" he whispered feeling a soft purr rumble in his throat.

[.:Rippledstream:.]

Silentshadow nodded "I will tell him the truth" she promised "I will let him know that I am to blame and not you, never you for it wasn't you who made me decide, you simply shone the light i needed on the right spot" she laughed, her eyes still showing a slight amount of hurt, but this was natural.

She nodded, acknowledging that Shadestar was 10 moons or so older then she, but that was partly what attracted her to him, knowing that he was wise and he knew her ever since the beginning. He'd been the apprentice to play with her when she'd be the only kit in the nursery. He'd be the warrior to cheer loudest for her at her apprentice ceremony. He had later been the deputy who'd graciously given her responsibilities. He'd given her the life she knew, he'd almost modeled it for her. He'd made an arcitectuaral flaw, some would say. He'd built the founding first as usual but he'd built himself into the structure. It was as though he where her foundation. Without him, her whole world would fall apart. She licked him softly, all her affection for him from since she'd be small pourred out into it. "I love you" she whispered. And she meant it.

[.:Icey:.]

((Aw later today I was wanting so bad to write like a flashback of them =P Her as a kit and him as an apprentice aww =P))

Shadestar blinked slowly. The many memories filtering through his mind, how curious and cute she was as a kit, slowly changing to the beautiful she-cat is today. The she-cat that he had seen grow-up with the smile he could never forget. Shadestar's purr continued through the silent air, crickets chimed in singing their romantice tune(=P). Shadestar sighed happily, just looking at her, her eyes, her smile, her heart made his heart soar. Pressing his head against her's close his eyes, taking in her scent made him feel at peace as if all his problems had faded from him. Pulling back he pressed his nose on her's, a serious yet soft expression was shonw. "You mean the world to me Silentshadow and I would do anything for you. I want you to know that" he whispered.

[.:Rippledstream:.]

Silentshadow could feel her heart stop and start again, every time he came close to her, his pelt against her's, his whisker tickling her cheek, his nose against her own. She loved the high it gave her and was surprised she didn't pass out when he spoke in his low, sweet voice. The voice that could encourage so many to follow it's will, that could strike fear into the hearts of all when enraged, that could make you cry when sorrow struck it. But most of all, his voice made her melt when she heart the amount of affection that lay behind his words. She closed her eyes, treasuring the moment, hoping to keep her heart beating before opening her stunning green eyes once more. " I would love to say I feel the same way but it's not true"*** she whispered, "I cannot say you mean the world to me when you are infact my world, my being, my everything that's important to me now" she breathed, tasting his scent on her tongue as it teased the air. She'd never imagined that a cat could be so handsom, so kind, so pure of mind and have such an inviting scent and well, to be honest taste as far as she could tell. StarClan must have made a mistake in creating him for they must have no more perfect left to share amongst the other cats she thought to herself as she licked his cheek, gently dragging her tongue across his face and down his neck, grooming his pelt affectionatly, sleeking it back into it's usual position that the wind had, to her annoyance, disturbed.

{***oh mai ghawd! CLIFF HANGER . If i had ended it there who knows the disasters that would have occured }

[.:Icey:.]

((haha nice Ripple =P ;D))

Shadestar closed his eyes, his face was buried in her neck. This moment was so perfect and her whispered words seemed to soothe and fill his entire mind. Her beautiful words just made his purr grow louder. He loved her so much, and it made his heart soar knowing that she loved him as well. He didn't even know what to say, only that his heart held the feelings that couldn't be described she just had to realize that she was everything to him. Their hearts had connected to one and there was nothing that could break them. No matter what happens he would always love her and she would always be in his heart.

[.:Rippledstream:.]

Silentshadow sighed peacefully, her tabby pelt molding into his black one. She folded her body so that his could contor her shape exactly, their pelts twining into one. She licked between his ears, her pelt shivering slightly, excited by his touch. Not only did her heart crave him, her body had been craving him to for she felt undeaftable, undenyable and unreachable at the altitude he gave her. She shivered when he spoke her name, melted at his touch, shook under his gaze but most importantly she swelled under the affections of his heart. "You know" she murmered into his fur "There was never really any competition for my heart" she whipsered "My heart wasn't for the taking, it was up to me to give it" she explained "Shadestar, " she breathed "It would mean the world to me if you accepted my heart and all the affection and solace that i could ever give another cat" she said softly, her breath seeming to tickle his fur "I want it to be official, i want to know if you'll be my mate" she purred, her green eyes looking up to meet his brilliant yellow ones.

[.:Icey:.]

With his head still placed on hers. But when that one question was asked, his head pulled back so he was whiskers away and his yellow eyes were stronly gazeing at her's. A sweet smile spread across his smile. "Silentshadow the affection I feel for you, you don't understand. The feelings in my heart are astonishing. I have neevr felt this way about anyone and when I say I love you it means the world."

Shadestar turned his head on a tilt "Silentshadow I couldn't think of anyone else I would ask to be my mate" he meowed with a grin. He leaned forward and pressed his black nose to her's "i was gonna ask you the same question"

[.:Rippledstream:.]

Silentshadow stopped breathing all together for a moment, his face was only inches away from her and she nearly died, thinking that the moment could be classified only under a moment in heaven. His words made her tremble with anticipation. As he mentioned the fact that he was thinking of asking her himself, she needed to take a deep, relazed breath,the expression on her face, her smile, the twinkle in her eye, all of this was stunning and they where a simple reflection of her mate's[/i] power of her.

Silentshadow rested her forehead against his, breathing slowly and evenly. "I love you" she breathed, her ear twitching with excitement at the situation in which she found herself.

[.:Icey:.]

Shadestar felt his grin grow wider and his body shiver when Silentshadow placed her forehead on his. He closed his eyes once again taking in the wonderful moment. He felt like all his problems had dissaperred, SIlentshadow was with him, his mate, someone he loved so dearly would be with him forever. He sighed happily taking in her sweet scent.

"Silentshadow I will always protect you, you know that right? I would never let anything happen to you"

[.:Rippledstream:.]

Silentshadow smiled as she felt the shiver pass through her mate's body and transfer to her own. She gave a joyful sigh, as though she where at peace with him beside her which she was. As he said that, she raised her head, a playful expression on her face "After what happend at the battle, I think I'll be the one protecting you!" she teased, licking his nose affectionately.