[:Alone:] - (Anyone!)

[**Liz**]

Runningfern's ears drooped with un-amusement. Silly little she-kit. He thought she looked a little like a kit as they moved ever so closer to their destination.
He hated swimming.

He shuffled his paws, his tail dragging slightly in the leafy cover.
" I'm sure I'll do fine." He murmered.
The smell of the water wafted to him as he shuffled onward. Dread welling up inside his chest.

[♥Shimmer]

"I'm sure you will too silly!" Spottedfrost wasn't even sure if she was supposed to hear that. But she replied anyway. The lake was right in front of her. She dipped her paw in, but that was too slow. So she jumped in, splashing anything within five tail-lengths of her.

The water splashed underneath her, getting her wet from tail to nose. Rolling onto her back, she looked over to Runningfern. Her bright smile faded. Did he love swimming as much as she did? "You know you don't have to swim with me. I'm fine by myself.."

[**Liz**]

" I should hope so..." There was a slight edge of laughter to his voice has he said that, although it wasn't intended. He cleared his throat, watching the she-cat frolick in the water. Odd, he thought. He didn't know of any cat who enjoyed getting wet. His dark fur fluffed out as a drop of water hit his nose, and he recoild, trying to wipe it off.

As he watched her, rolling over in water, he felt a certain lightness in accumulate in the back of his head, something he hadn't felt in a long time. For a moment he felt sick with himself, thinking he was being dishonest to his late mate Honneystream.
Then he remembered a conversation they had had once, discussing how, if one of them should die, that they would wish the other to find a new mate. He drew in a sharp breath as he watched her.
They'd just met!
Get your priorities straight, Fern, he thought.

Her last statement startled him. Had he really been so rude?
" No, no...It's quite alright. I just..wont get wet." He smiled meekly. " I'll just sit, and..we can talk?"
He settled down in a patch of sunlight, curling his legs under him, watching her through soft eyes.

[♥Shimmer]

Her bulky arms paddled through the water as she made her way back to shore. She opened her mouth to talk, but no words came out. When she reached the shore, she shoke off the excess water and shivered. It was cold out of the water, so she laid down beside Runningfern and pressed her body against his.

She didn't really think about what she was doing, but she started to groom his ruffled fur. Her rough pink tongue stroked his fur gently. When she realized what she was doing she stopped and whispered, "Talk about what?"

[**Liz**]

He stiffened with horror. The closeness of her sent shivers down his spine;
How she reminded him of Honneystream!
But he kept still, and let her groom his thick fur soflty.
" I dunno..." He whispered back. " Anything."

He remembered that day...that day near the stream. They were swimming, having a great time, when she told him.
" Runningfern!" She called joyfully. It was like a dream. It was dusk, and fog was accumulating on the water surface. She splashed him, scooping a pawful of water on his pointed face. He sputtered. He was young. And happy.
" I'm expecting!" He stopped, ears perking with delight.
" What! Honneystream thats wonderful!" He ran up to her, splashing everything in his path. He was about to get her, she was running too.
Suddenly there was a loud noise. BANG!
Blood surrounded her, and she sunk to the bottom.
Runningfern just stood, his mouth open, looking on with despair...

" Almost anything." He added softly, grooming her ears with tears drowning his eyes.

[♥Shimmer]

She continued to groom his fur softly. A quiet, almost silent purr rumbled from her chest. "Almost anything..? Okay. What.. what about you?" It wasn't meant to be a hard question, she was mearly curious. And she didn't want to upset him, he seemed to be upset already.

It was hard for her. She wanted to get close to him. But she wouldn't, not unless he wanted her to. So she just spent a couple of moments stroking his fur with her tongue.

[**Liz**]

He purred thoughtfully.
" Well, I have a brother. Hates me. Eclipsemoon is my only friend at the moment." He didn't want to get into his past, well the Honneystream part anyway, so he began talking about Sunmist and his brother. How the three grew into best friends, how Silvertongue had a huge crush on her; how upset he was when she became medicine cat apprentice; how he loves her so much now; how he's become insane with love loss...
" I don't know him anymore. He's never been right. Never..."

He shuddered once more, turning his head so as to groom her fur. Softly.

[♥Shimmer]

She nuzzled into his fur, drinking in his sweet scent. "I don't see why your brother hates you. It's hard not to like you." Spottedfrost murmured, hoping he caught the double meaning in her last sentence. "And what about you...? Silvertongue loves someone.. How about you?"

The water rocked in and out, making a soothing sound. Spottedfrost purred softly, her rhythm matching the water's. She kept breathing in his scent, marking it into her memory. If she could stay here forever, she would. Nothing beat being by the water with Runningfern.

[**Liz**]

Fern sighed.
" Thanks Spottedfrost, but I don't think anyone really likes me..." He trailed off, taking time to rest his head on her shoulder, closing his eyes.
" Loved... once. She walks with Starclan now." He added quickly. He didn't really want to explain.

He let out a shuddering breath, his body shaking. Runningfern closed his eyes a moment, un-willingly breathing in Spottedfrost's scent.
He was enjoying being with Spottedfrost...she seemed to take all his worries away.
He liked her. Alot.

[♥Shimmer]

Spottedfrost just purred quietly, knowing that he didn't want to talk about it. The sun shone down on her, lighting her fur. Her eyes gazed fondly on Runningfern, "I don't want to leave. But.. don't you think we should.. tell Maplestar about those cats."

But her actions contridicted her words. She just dug her head farther into his warm fur. Spottedfrost didn't want to leave. Her eyes shut tight. Maybe if she fell asleep they could stay here longer.

[**Liz**]

Runningfern purred as well, in response. His eyes were still shut.
He felt her voice resonate through him, as well as her purr. That usually ment they were too close. But he didn't think so, at the moment.
" Maybe..." It didn't affect him, he thought, not yet...

He purred even more loudly as she dug her face into his fur. But the purr stopped as he realized what was happenning.
" Actually..." he said uncertainly, now nervous. He stood, shuffling his feet. Don't get too close to her, he thought horribly, Everyone I love gets ruined...
His eyes went from soft, almost loving, to hard and filled with apathy.
" Maybe we should go."

[♥Shimmer]

Spottedfrost stiffened. She lifted her head and looked into Runningfern's eyes. They didn't look carefree like they did a couple of minutes ago. They looked cold. All she could do was nod her head. After all she had suggested it, right? But somehow she could only think about how he had changed.

"Yea.. yea go on ahead. I'll just.. just hang back and.. umm.. hunt I guess. Yea I'll hunt. Just go." The tears stung in the back of her eyes, but she didn't let them show. Not until he was gone. She smiled unsurely, then stood up. "I-I'll see you later.. maybe." And then she was off. Sure, she liked swimming better than running, but she was fast at running. When she was sprinting, almost no one could catch her. And she hoped that no one would find her anytime soon. She ran farther and farther from the lake till she reached the creek. Then she let the tears fall. Her and her stupid emotions.

[**Liz**]

" Spottedfrost..."
He was too late. She was already running off. STUPID! Stupid stupid stupid... He watched her go with longing eyes. Stupid Runningfern... He walked off, his tail dragging in the dust.

When he got to the camp, he completely forgot to tell Maplestar about the strange thing he'd seen, and went straight to the warriors den.
He dreamed more about Honeystream once more...longing to know what his kits would have been like. She was so carefree...so kind. He loved her. So much...

[♥Shimmer]

She wasn't sure how long it had been. But she had been sitting there, just staring at her reflection. Half of her heart just wanted to be alone, but the other half was calling for Runningfern. Spottedfrost wanted to rest. To dream. But she didn't. She didn't want to know where her dreams would take her.

So she sat. Occasionally, she dipped her paw into the water, making little whirlpools. But otherwise she cried and sat, sat and sobbed some more. This was why she hadn't wanted any friends in the firstplace. Despite all that, she called once, in a desperate voice, "Runningfern."

[**Liz**]

Runningfern woke early the next morning, his heart couldn't let him sleep in peace any longer.
In his dreams, he'd seen that scene once more... but this time it was focused primarily on her eyes. Those big yellow eyes that just seemed to beg for her life back.

He stood and stretched, yawning in the process. I need to go for a hunt, he thought. Seeing Sunmist he asked,
" Has Spottedfrost left camp yet?"
Her mouth full of herbs, she just nodded her head and walked on.
He sighed heavily, his shoulders sagging.
Hunt, he thought, hunt and you'll feel better. He ran out of the camp, catching a mouse here and a squirrel there...nothing much. He was very unenthusiastic.

(Larger time lapse in yours, perhaps? I don't think love should happen in one day... XD)