It felt nice out today. The sun was high in the sky, and their was a faint breeze that kept the air from getting too humid. The undergrowth rustled as a lithe ginger form slipped out of the brush. The figure, a dark ginger tom, padded across the grassy clearing toward the edge of the river. His bushy tail flicked back and forth with anticipation. The tom was Foxpaw, a young RiverClan apprentice. He always loved coming out to hunt by the river alone. It gave him time to think, and he could catch some prey for the Clan. When the tom reached the river bank he flopped down on the soft ground, staring into the current. The silver flashing of fish swarmed all over the water, and Foxpaw licked his lips. He lifted a forepaw up, hovering it over the water, and waited patiently.

Before long he saw the chance for a catch and flashed his paw down into the water, scooping a large silver fish into the air. It flopped onto the bank next to him, and he killed it with a swift blow from his paw. Foxpaw pushed the fish farther up the bank where it couldn't slip back into the water and turned back to the shimmering water. As he gazed down into the water gain, a bright green leaf floated past, carried by the current. The scene caused his stomach to turn.

"Streamleaf..." the young, ginger tom murmured under his breath. Streamleaf, a grey tabby she-cat with eyes like emeralds, was Foxpaw's best friend in all of RiverClan, not to mention his little bit of a crush. He sighed as his yellow eyes followed the leaf downstream. He had thought he and Streamleaf had been getting along well when they were apprentices together, but she was a warrior now... It seemed different.

Foxpaw stared down the river at where the leaf had disappeared into the current. Was it a sign? Was he not supposed to like Streamleaf? Would it only end in disaster? As he sat fretting on the edge of the river, fishing completely forgotten, a familiar scent washed over him, it's sweet aroma pushing the worrying thoughts from his mind. Streamleaf! Foxpaw's chest swelled. He was just standing up to look around for her when a cheerful yowl burst through the air, and a weight landed on his shoulders. Knocking him to the ground.

"Gotcha!"

Foxpaw gasped for air as his friend's body pressed down on him. He managed to let out a rasping purr as he wriggled underneath her, his pelt damp from fishing. "Get offa me will you? You're crushing me!" His tail flicked across Streamleaf's flank as he continued to writhe in her grasp, a mischievous glint in his eyes.

Foxpaw grunted as his gray furred friend released him. When he straightened up and composed himself, he saw her staring into the river intently. The mischievous glint returned to his eyes as he stalked up behind her. The ginger tom raised up on his hind paws, ready to shove his unsuspecting clanmate into the cold water, but he froze as she spoke, still staring intently down at the current.

"Why were you staring at a leaf?"

Foxpaw's yellow eyes stretched wide in shock. She had seen? Did she suspect anything? The RiverClan apprentice dropped down to all fours again and padded up to sit beside her. He didn't dare to look at her, in case she saw his feelings reflected in his golden gaze. He stared down at his own reflection in the current: ginger fur, bushy tail curled around chocolate-brown paws, right ear torn and scarred. He absent-mindedly flicked his injured ear, feeling the strange numb feeling in it from the scar tissue that never healed after the snake bite. He finally broke free of his thoughts, and looked up at his gray tabby companion. "I... I was just thinking..." Foxpaw sighed, shaking his head in frustration. "It reminded me of y- ... Someone..." The ginger tomcat hissed inwardly. Mouse-dung! He had almost said it. why couldn't he build up the courage?

Foxpaw took comfort from Streamleaf's warm green eyes. He followed her gaze back down to the stream where the silver backs of fish flashed in the depths. Foxpaw watched with an unreadable expression as his friend flicked a shining fish out of the water, hoping over for the killing blow. He let out a purr as she turned back to him. "Nice catch!" he mewed.

"Your turn, apprentice."

Foxpaw growled teasingly at Streamleaf, swatting a paw playfully at her. "Right then. See how an apprentice does it!" He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye, and turned back to the water. He watched as silver forms slipped past in the current, and, finally, flicked his paw down into the depths, scooping out a large silver fish. He finished it off in a single blow, and pushed it up to his first catch. Foxpaw smirked up at Streamleaf. "Beat that!"

A warm feeling erupted inside Foxpaw's chest as Streamleaf laughed. He loved the sound, like song birds to his ears. He watched intently as the gray she-cat leaned over the river again, spotting the fish only moments after she did. Foxpaw managed to stiffle a mrrow of laughter as Streamleaf's catch flopped back into the river. He turned to her with amusment in his eyes, but it was drowned out when he saw how absolutely downcast she was over it.

Foxpaw padded up and sat down next to her, his eyes brimming with concern. He rasped his tongue gently over his friend's ear, purring slightly. "Everyone makes mistakes. It was bad luck." he mewed, hoping to cheer her up. If their was anything Foxpaw hated, it was seeing his best friend unhappy.

Foxpaw never took his eyes off of Streamleaf. He gazed at her beautiful gray fur, and stifled a mew of worry. He desperately searched his best friend's expression with concern in his yellow eyes. The ginger tom was a little taken aback when Streamleaf turned to him with a look of pure confusion on her facial features. If she wasn't on patrol, then why was she out here. Maybe she just came out to get some fresh air.

"Yeah of course, I'm fine."

He quickly pushed the concerned thoughts from his mind, however, as Streamleaf's gray tail brushed over his head. He purred loudly, and pressed his ginger flank against her gray one. The warmth was comforting, and he relished their closeness. "If you say so." he purred, rasping his tongue over her ear gently.