Read on to find out how a certain golden brown tabby tom finally gained the courage to confess to someone very, very special to him...

Thornclaw's POV

You're an amazing friend, Thornclaw.

More annoyingly than a bird deciding to yap in the middle of the night, these words almost seemed to pound in my head as I watched the ThunderClan patrol meant to check for signs of WindClan in the territory leave through the camp entrance - a certain brown tabby tail disappearing through it last.

I forced myself to break my gaze away and sat down, holding back a hiss of frustration with how antsy I was currently feeling, and I was praying to StarClan that no one noticed.

Just moments ago, the ThunderClan had been ambushed by WindClan – the attack having happened while nearly the entire Clan had been asleep. Firestar had luckily been able to stop the entire thing and send Onestar away, but the shock of it all clearly still lingered throughout the camp.

Luckily, I had only come out with a few scratches, along with many of my Clanmates, however, I was incredibly annoyed by how taken by surprise I still was, and how well the attack in general had been executed. It practically makes me sick, I thought. Great StarClan, if anyone attacked WindClan like that, they'd never hear the end of it from Onestar.

But even as infuriating as it all was, I was ashamed to admit to myself that the ambush wasn't the main thing on my mind – something else was bugging me just a bit more.

Why? Well, I'd become a frail little flower petal, essentially.

I then let out a sigh as I looked back towards the camp entrance once again, where a certain she-cat had disappeared just heartbeats ago. But flower petal or not, I pray to StarClan that Lilypaw is safe out there... I then hoped, anxiety for the she-cat being out in the forest looking for WindClan and anxiety at our latest conversation basically swarming around in my head.

Just before Lilypaw had left, and just a bit after WindClan left camp, I had gone up to her to check her wounds and see if she was okay. While I had expressed a bit of excitement to her about the prospect of battle in the past, I was also overwhelmed with fear knowing that this ambush was Lilypaw's first battle, and the first thing I thought to do after it was over was check on her.

But being the fearless she-cat that she was, she of course had acted like they were nothing.

But then, my relief at that news had quickly turned to confusion when she had thanked me as a friend. Thank you for checking on me. You're an amazing friend, Thornclaw.

I couldn't help but flinch as those words ran through my mind once again, and for some reason, my stomach seemed to twist with pain. I mean, while it was true that Lilypaw and I had come to be really, really great friends, the fact that she had called me just that hurt like a physical wound.

Lilypaw and I had only known each other for a little more than four moons, but it honestly felt as if I'd known her for my entire life. She'd come into ThunderClan as a kittypet, having shown interest in being a "wild cat".

Initially hearing that, of course, I was determined to stay as far away from her as possible and be completely annoyed by her presence.

But when I accidentally bumped into her later that day and began talking to her, and getting to see her real interest in the Clans, as well as her kindness and wit, I felt that I had to get to know her more, and almost test her, in a way. So, I had taken her on her first hunting trip, and from there, we'd only spent more time with each other and had gotten closer and closer.

And... my feelings for her had only gotten stronger and stronger.

I had to admit, I had hoped that we would one day become more than friends for a while now, and I had hoped and thought that she felt the same.

But either way, why did hearing "friend" hurt so much?

I then had to hold back another frustrated hiss as I gave a quick shake of my head. For StarClan's sake, Thornclaw, just forget it for now. Why can't you just forget it?

I then licked a paw and ran it over one of my ears. None of this should even hurt me. Even if Lilypaw did want to be just friends, why should that be upsetting to me? I then wondered. She is wonderful, kind, so full of energy, and such a fun cat to be around – I should be happy to have her in my life at all.

I then couldn't help but slightly scoff, giving a contemptuous lash of my tail. But why am I even thinking so fondly about a kittypet? I then asked myself, expecting to feel disgusted as I let that sink in.

But, of course, I didn't. I had been asking myself that since I first met Lilypaw, and I never quite knew how to answer it. Admittedly, no kittypet had affected me like this before. No one has...

I then sighed, looking back at the camp entrance one last time. StarClan have mercy on my soul.

"Whatcha doing there, Thornclaw?"

I then flicked my ears in surprise, being broken out of my daze at the voice I heard next to me. I looked to my side and immediately recognized the white and light ginger pelt of my sister, Brightheart – her head tilted and her one good eye full of concern.

I gave another shake of my head before nodding to her in greeting, my gaze apologetic. "Great StarClan, sorry, Brightheart," I murmured, forcing myself to stand up and wincing in pain at a wound on my back leg. "Just thinking."

"Alright..." Brightheart replied, her eye widening as she watched me stand up, and her gaze falling on my leg. "My goodness, are you okay? That looks nasty."

I simply gave a shrug as I followed her gaze. "Nasty... but not deep," I reassured the she-cat. "I'll be a bit sore tomorrow, but it's nothing to worry about."

I then looked back at Brightheart, growing a bit concerned myself as I noticed the large wound on her flank, which, luckily, already seemed to have a poultice applied to it. "What about that wound, there?" I asked her, gesturing to her wound with my tail. "It looks like Leafpool has already gotten ahold of it."

To my surprise, my sister looked down shyly at my words. "Well, I actually applied this poultice myself – Leafpool and Jaypaw were so busy, and since I know a bit about things like this... I decided to save them the trouble," she admitted, her paws shuffling back and forth.

But just after a moment, she shook her head and met my gaze, her blue eye narrowed. "Are you sure that you don't need me to help you?"

I was still staring back at her, my head nodding in amazement. "Wow, I'm impressed!" I meowed in response to my sister's initiative. While I was certain that she would never become a medicine cat herself, Brightheart had picked up many of the skills involved so quickly, and had been such a big help to Leafpool and Cinderpelt recently. I'm a proud brother, I'll admit.

I then gave a lash of my tail and a reassuring nod. "And no, thank you," I then meowed, answering my sister's question. "I'm fine, really."

But Brightheart continued to simply stare, her eye still narrowed. "Are you sure?"

I then felt myself having to hold back an annoyed huff. "Yes, Brightheart, I really am okay," I then muttered, flashing her a confused look.

"Are you really sure?"

I then couldn't help but let out an irritated, but amused snort as my sister continued to press, for whatever reason. "If you're so good at this medicine cat stuff, I would think that you'd be able to answer that yourself."

I then felt my own eyes narrowing as Brightheart herself let out a snort. "Well, I suppose that I can," she muttered, nudging my shoulder with her tail. "You've got a pretty bad wound, Thornclaw."

"Brightheart, I told you that it's not that deep," I hissed to her through gritted teeth.

I could barely stand to look back at Brightheart and see her smug look and gleaming blue eye. "Sure," she then meowed. I then felt my fur begin to bristle when she suddenly put her tail to my chest. "And I'm telling you that that's not what I meant."

Great StarClan.

I immediately knew what my sister was trying to say, and it made me want to rip something to shreds.

However, I simply closed my eyes, let out a sigh, and then looked back at my sister. "If that were the case, I would be dead."

Brightheart rolled her eye, sighing and pulling her tail away. "Funny," she purred, her eye then washing over with concern once again. "So, are you okay, Thornclaw?"

I sighed and gave her a hard stare, very well beginning to realize the game that was being played here, and not wanting to play it whatsoever. "For the third time, it's not that deep," I murmured, not even waiting for Brightheart to reply before turning around and beginning to pad away. "I'm going to help Dustpelt and Brackenfur repair the apprentice's den."

I then actually felt my fur begin to bristle in alarm when Brightheart actually pelted forward to intercept me. "Oh, no you're not, brother! That's the last thing that you want to do, and you know it," she then exclaimed, her gaze full of mischief. "You have too much on your mind to even be helpful."

I held back another hiss, breaking my gaze away from her. Geez, why do you have to be so emotionally intelligent!? As much as I hated to admit it, Brightheart was right. But there was no way that I was going to admit that to her out loud.

I found that I could only sigh and sit down, brooding as my sister seemed to give a satisfied nod. "So, my heart is wounded?"

Brightheart also sat down, her gaze still gleaming. "You tell me."

I flashed Brightheart an indignant look, my defenses still up. "Bold of you to assume that there's even anything going on."

Brightheart then seemed to be holding back a purr of amusement as she scooted closer to me. "Bold of you to assume that I didn't just watch the encounter between you and a certain she-cat, and your crestfallen expression after she left."

Gosh darn-it.

I took a deep breath, trying to contain the immense amount of frustration I felt at having to focus on the thing that I had been trying to avoid, and disoriented me whenever I actually thought about it.

So, I didn't speak for a few moments, my head low, before forcing myself to look up at my sister once again. "That's creepy," I meowed simply.

"Thornclaw, for StarClan's sake, I probably wasn't the only one," Brightheart then sighed, pushing my shoulder with her tail as her eye glowed with amazement. "The fact that you've warmed up to Lilypaw in the way that you have has baffled some of our Clanmates, you know."

I nearly cringed at my sister's words. The last thing that I want to hear is that name right now. "Warmed up to her? How?" I meowed defensively, using any means possible to get out of this conversation, even though I knew very well that it was too late.

So, I tried to avoid Brightheart's gaze as she replied to me, but I could easily see her roll her eye and hear her snort. "Well, teaching a cat how to hunt, sharing prey with a cat, and talking with a cat that much definitely isn't cold."

Feeling a sudden wave of annoyance, I held back a hiss and shot my gaze back to Brightheart. "There's such a thing as being nice, you know," I muttered to her. "Why are cats so shocked by that?"

I then felt my eyes narrowing as Brightheart leaned closer to me, a single eyebrow raised. "Cat's eyes don't sparkle like a sky full of Silverpelt when they're simply being nice."

"They're sparkling with joy at the thought of welcoming in a newcomer. I can't welcome in a newcomer?"

"Thornclaw, sometimes you don't even give your own Clanmates the time of day!" Brightheart then sighed, already looking exasperated. I then looked to my side, trying to avoid her gaze once again as she took a pawstep closer to me. "Clearly you feel something for Lilypaw."

When I simply sighed and rolled my eyes in response, continuing to avoid this conversation in any way that I could to spare my feelings, she continued, to my dismay. "And you know that I wouldn't bother you with this if I didn't truly believe it," she then meowed, her voice a little quieter, and full of sincerity.

I then just barely shifted my head to look back towards her, watching as she sat back down and gave a shrug. "Hey, I mean, and I don't blame you – she's very kind, smart, daring, such a joy to be around..." She then gave me a small nudge. "And she's not too bad on the looks side either."

You think? Great StarClan, she's all of that and more... But instead of saying that, I let out a husky sigh and nudged my sister back. "Then you should go and ask her to be your mate."

Brightheart gave a small purr. "Hm, I like Cloudtail a bit too much."

I then gave her a hard, accusatory stare. Well, lucky you. "And why are you convinced that I like Lilypaw that much?"

Brightheart simply gave another shrug. "Because you do."

I had to screw my eyes shut for a moment as my irritation continued to bubble up inside of me, and as simple and annoying as my sister's response was, it hit as much of a nerve as any intelligent sentence would. It probably was obvious that I had feelings for Lilypaw.

But still not wanting to confront my latest situation with Lilypaw, Brightheart still couldn't know that. So, I decided to give her an even better comeback. "But she's a kittypet."

But Brightheart probably was barely listening to a word that I said at this point. "And apparently that hasn't stopped you from completely falling for her!" she then exclaimed, standing up and her one good eye widening.

Great StarClan, Brightheart!

I shifted uncomfortably, having a harder time dodging with each thing that my sister said. "And what makes you think that I'm falling for her?" I meowed, immediately shutting my eyes after I'd spoken, realizing that my voice had cracked. Great. I'm grieving, and now I'm turning back into an awkward apprentice.

I then forced myself to look at back at Brightheart, seeing that she looked completely baffled that I'd asked that question. "Thornclaw, because every time you look at her, you look as if you're staring at a juicy piece of prey!"

I then nearly let out an appalled gasp, standing up and staring shockingly back at Brightheart. "Excuse me?" I nearly yowled back at my sister. "I'm not some twisted, pop-eyed creep!"

But she wasn't phased at all, simply staring back at me with a clear gaze. "Hey – you said it, not me."

I then let out a defensive, still completely blown-over huff as I rolled my eyes. "Please!" I then exclaimed, giving a sharp lash of my tail. "I'm in love with her; I'm not going to watch her while she sleeps!"

It was then in that moment that I realized that Brightheart had just succeeded in her mission.

And I felt a horrible, horrible sinking feeling as I realized what I had just said in my fit.

And there were many, many moments of silence as I mentally punched myself in the face with my tail, simply letting my shame sink in as Brightheart stared at me, her good eye narrowed.

Eventually, after many long, unbearable moments of silence, I finally let out a huff and sat down. "Darn it," I then muttered as I stared down at my paws.

I then rolled my eyes as I heard Brightheart give a satisfied grunt. "I knew I'd get it out of you eventually," she murmured. I then flicked my ears in surprise, my eyes widening in alarm as she then let out a squeal. I then looked back at her to see her practically jumping for joy. "Thornclaw, this is incredible! Do you realize how big of a deal this is?"

I could barely stand to see her excitement, for she didn't know nearly as much as I did, and she surely wouldn't be excited anymore once she knew what was really going on. "No, I don't," I muttered bitterly as I then stood up, walking past Brightheart, fighting ruthlessly at the pain that was tugging at my pelt. "Because it's not a big deal, and it's not worth it to make it one."

I could feel Brightheart's concerned gaze practically burning into my pelt as I walked away, and she quickly ran to catch up to me. "Why?" she then meowed, her voice full of genuine concern.

I then came to a stop, giving my sister a weak shrug as I turned to face her. "Because it's all one-sided, Brightheart," I sighed, both relieved and upset that I was getting a chance to confide in someone about this – because I was getting to get everything out of my head, but at the same time, getting it out of my head made it feel all-the-more real.

I then gave a lash towards the camp entrance before sitting down once again. "I sometimes worried that it was, and tonight I got it confirmed."

Brightheart also sat down as she stared at me with a gaze full of concern and sympathy. "So, that's what the whole encounter was about?"

I simply nodded to her, then giving her an inquisitive look, having been under the impression that she had completely creeped on the conversation that me and Lilypaw had had. "I couldn't hear a thing that you said to each other," she then confirmed for me, her eye widening with reassurance. "I... I just noticed how sad you looked when Lilypaw left with Cloudtail's patrol."

I then let out a sigh and shrugged, trying to tell myself that it was in my best interest to tell Brightheart specifically what had happened. "Well, to make a short story even shorter..." I eventually murmured. "She called me a friend. An 'amazing friend'."

I was actually surprised to hear Brightheart let out a sniff, and I looked at her to see her eye actually glimmering with humor and confusion. "That's... horrible?"

I had to hold back a hiss, amazed that Brightheart already seemed to not be taking this seriously. "It is if you have feelings for a cat, and they show that they don't return them."

Brightheart continued to act nonchalantly, giving a shrug and sitting down next to me. "Sure, of course, but..." she then hesitated, seeming to take a moment to gather her thoughts. "Are you sure that that's necessarily what that means? You all are friends. Best friends at this point."

"I know, but... to me, it felt like she was putting a message across," I sighed in reply, my words suddenly flowing out of me before seeming to even think about them first. "Sure, friends tell friends that they're good friends to each other, but... lately it's felt like we were maybe heading towards being more than friends, and I thought that Lilypaw maybe saw that too?"

As I then spoke those words, my stomach only seemed to flutter for a moment before it fell as heavy as a rock once again. "What if she's realized that, doesn't feel the same way, and felt that she needed to let me know that in some subtle way?"

I then stared wide-eyed back at Brightheart, internally pleading for an answer, but only watching as she stared thoughtfully back at me. "Wow, it sure seems like you've thought about this a lot," she then nearly whispered, her voice actually somewhat thick with emotion as she shook her head slowly. "This whole... situation must really mean a lot to you."

I simply sighed in reply. Again, you think? I then thought. Geez, if I told myself six moons ago that a pretty kittypet would occupy my mind this much, I'd send myself to the medicine den!

I then broke myself away from my thoughts, startled as Brightheart gave me another nudge. "But I only have to think a little bit to know what is really going on."

I snorted and looked at my sister, one of my eyebrows raised. "So you realized that I've been rejected more quickly than I did."

"Thornclaw, I really don't think that is the case," Brightheart insisted softly as she wrapped her tail around my shoulders. "Listen, I don't know Lilypaw incredibly well yet, but I know what it's like to fall for a tom."

I sighed and rolled my eyes at her. "Don't make me feel more hopeless than I already am by telling me the story of how you fell for Cloudtail," I breathed, that being the last thing I wanted to hear – for many reasons.

Brightheart purred with amusement, pulling me closer to her and touching my ear affectionately with her nose. "I wasn't going to. I was just trying to make a point," she reassured me before fully lying down on the camp ground, gesturing for me to do the same. "Now listen, it seems pretty clear to me that Lilypaw feels the same way that you do."

I shook my head softly as I did so. "Foxdung."

"Oh, don't act like you're shocked, Thornclaw – I'm sure you thought she did too up until she dropped the StarClan-forbidden f-word," she meowed to me, her gaze hard and full of determination as she spoke. "Thornclaw, it's not like you were forcing her to go on hunting trips with you, or forcing her to talk with you as much as she does."

She then gave me a nudge, and I fully faced her again to see a gleaming, narrowed blue eye. "And you most certainly can't force those peculiar eyes of hers to sparkle like they do whenever she's with you."

With those words, I couldn't help but look down at my paws, my ears growing hot and my stomach twisting up into a knot. "I suppose not..." I murmured, having the same reaction currently as I did whenever I met those sparkling, peculiar, but beautiful eyes.

"And even when she's not next to you, she still shows how much she cares for you," Brightheart then went on before meeting my gaze excitedly. "You want to know something?"

I sighed yet again, trying to hide at my excitement at what my sister might share with me, and trying to keep my expectations low. "What?"

"A few days ago, just before you arrived into camp with Sol, when Brambleclaw first noticed that the dawn patrol you were on hadn't come back yet..." Brightheart began, her head seeming to shake slowly with amazement. "I can't even begin to describe with you how worried Lilypaw looked."

I rolled my eyes, glad that I had kept my expectations low. "She's the sweetest cat on earth, Brightheart. Of course she'd worry about the dawn patrol being missing."

Brightheart barely acknowledged my words, only shrugging before going on. "Sure, but... as soon as it was asked who was on the patrol and Brambleclaw said your name, she looked as if he'd just said that a badger ate you alive," she meowed, looking as if she wanted to burst with excitement at getting to share this with me. "Even just now, as she left, I could tell that she was apprehensive to leave you."

I broke away from Brightheart's gaze and screwed my eyes shut, trying my best to ignore my stomach that fluttered as if there were dozens of butterflies stuffed in it. For one, it all seemed too good to be true, and I felt that I'd only be hurting myself by believing it, and secondly, Lilypaw's latest words to me always seemed to stay at the forefront of my mind.

Brightheart seemed to notice this, and continued to budge. "Lilypaw really cares for you, Thornclaw," she then meowed softly to me. "And I'm sure that she's just as worried as you are that you might not feel the same way."

I then flicked my ears in surprise as my sister then stood up, her gaze full of certainty and urging staring down at me. "But there's no way that you can know for sure unless you say something," she then mewed, her voice sharp and clear. "I can tell that you want to, and you've already made it clear that you want to be more with Lilypaw."

She then let out a quick, amazed sigh. "No cat can deny how happy she makes you, and the fact that she was a kittypet makes it more incredible, but you clearly forgot about that within heartbeats!" I then rolled my eyes as she let out another squeal. "You said that you're in love with her, for StarClan's sake! My brother is in love with someone!"

Immediately after my sister's enthusiastic words, I let out a sigh and closed my eyes, having processed and fully ruminated every single word she had uttered to me.

And having processed and ruminated as much as I did, I finally was able to take what Brightheart had said in consideration, as well as piece together all of the worries, thoughts, hopes and everything in-between that had been swirling through my head for moons now, and speak them aloud. "I get it," I had meowed just after Brightheart's words.

I then let out another sigh as I stood up. "And I know," I breathed, my heart pounding in my ears as I went on, and my stomach continuing to tie itself into knots. "Lilypaw is very, very special to me, and I suppose that the talk that me and her just had made me realize that even more."

I then let out a sniff, shaking my head slowly in bewilderment at myself. "The fact that she called me a friend and it hurt so much... Great StarClan, it shows that these aren't feelings that I can shake very easily."

I then thought for a moment, staring at my paws and shaking my head. "Sure, I could learn to live with that, but..." I then looked wide-eyed back at Brightheart. "I wonder how hard it would be to hide my feelings? Brightheart, she's so kind, compassionate, adventurous, open-minded, brilliant, and... and she's beautiful."

I then had to hold back a purr rising in my throat as thoughts of Lilypaw began to take over my mind, my head practically feeling light. "I can't even tell you how many times already I've gotten lost into those hazel eyes, and my heart wants to explode and flip upside down," I murmured. "And spending time with her is incredible – she's one of the few cats I feel like I can be myself with, and she makes me purr and laugh like no one else."

I then closed my eyes, still hardly being able to believe that these words were coming out of my mouth. "I care about her more than I thought I could for a cat, and I was so worried that I was going to lose her in this ambush tonight," I then meowed, a chill running down my spine as I recalled the moment that I realized that Lilypaw would be fighting in that battle, and I had already been picturing what it'd be like to have to live without her. "For a moment... I actually thought that she would never get to know how I feel. How much I..."

I then closed my eyes and took a deep breath, forcing those thoughts away as I stood up, turning to face the camp entrance once again. "But when she gets back, I'm going to tell her," I meowed with certainty, all of my worries suddenly disappearing for a moment as adrenaline rushed my blood, and the slight breeze brushed my fur.

I then sniffed with amusement, looking back at Brightheart. "And if she doesn't feel the same way, then hey..."

I then look back at the entrance, giving the smallest shrug. "At least I know I've got her as a friend."