Warrior Cats One-Shots [COMPLETE]

I Will Be Here ≫ Smudge x Female! Reader

Art: Sorrel

⚠️ Warnings ⚠️
• Some angst
• Some gore

****

It had been a long night. Your housefolk had taken you to the cutter's and leave you there to be tortured and poked with strange objects. You weren't exactly sure what they did, but the fur on your belly was shaved, and in it's place was a nasty red slash covered up by soft, white material. Your brother, Rusty, had managed to evade the trip by hiding under the big lilac bush in your garden.

Lucky, You thought bitterly as your female twoleg gently set you down in your soft bed and gave you an affection pat on the head. That sneaky tom gets away with everything. Where is he, anyway? Upon the realization that your brother's scent was stale and his food bowl was untouched, you became concerned.

"Rusty?" You called out, ignoring the stab of pain from your wound. There was no response, which was strange. He usually came out of wherever he was hiding when you called his name.

Now slightly panicked, you rose slowly to your paws and padded over to the flap that led to the garden, hissing in annoyance as the hard clear thing around your head caught on the side. "Rusty? Where are you?" You called, forcing your way through. You examined your garden frantically, desperate for any glimpse of orange fur among the green and yellow.

"Rusty, you're scaring me!" Your voice had almost risen to a wail, and tears had started to brim in your eyes. "Please answer me!" Suddenly, a flicker of movement near the fence caught your eye, and your heart fluttered as you trotted over to it. "Rusty! There you are!" A round white head adorned with black patches poked out of the shrubs, and your heart sank. "Oh. Hi, Smudge."

The plump kittypet tilted his head off to one side, hurt glistening in his green eyes. "You don't seem very happy to see me."

"Oh, no! It's not that!" You assured him, feeling guilty about your choice of words. "It's just... I thought you were Rusty. I just got back from the cutter's, and I haven't been able to find him. Do you know where he is?" Smudge's expression twisted into one of sadness, and fear shot through you. Something bad happened while you were away.

"I do know where he is," Your neighbor replied slowly, seeming nervous. "but I think you should sit down before I tell you." You stared at him for a moment, then slowly sat down, wincing as sharp pain shot up your belly.

"W-what's happened, Smudge?" You asked timidly, petrified of the answer. Smudge sighed, sitting down across from you and resting his paw on yours. His gaze traveled across your face slowly, as if he didn't want you to know the truth.

"Um, (Y/N)... Y-yesterday, Rusty decided he wanted to join a group of cats that live in the forest. You know, one of those clans Henry always goes on about. He's..." Your friend paused, taking a deep breath. "...not coming back." You felt sick. Rusty left? Why hadn't he waited to tell you goodbye? Tears burned your tired eyes, and without the ability to reach up and wipe them away, you let them fall.

"He...He's gone?" You choked out weakly. "W-why didn't he tell me?"

Smudge looked at his paws, sighing softly. "I don't know. I guess he wanted to leave as soon as possible." You couldn't breathe. It felt like teeth had clamped around your throat, suffocating you in a wave of sorrow, regret, and anger. How could he be so selfish? He knew how much he meant to you; you'd told him millions of times. Why would he think it was okay to just leave? Smudge raised his eyes again when he heard your hitched breathing, then gently leaned forward and rested his forehead against yours.

"I'm so sorry, (Y/N)," He murmured sadly. "I know you were his best friend. He will never stop loving you. Not ever. He may be gone now, but he will always be your brother. Okay?"

You leaned further into your friend's embrace, sobbing painfully. "O-okay..." Deep down, you knew he was right; Rusty loved you more than anything, and he hadn't left because of anything you had said or done. You knew you had to accept the fact that he was happier out in the forest, but that was proving to be extremely difficult.

"He was my whole world!" You cried, burying your face deeper into Smudge's fur. "I don't want him to go..." Smudge simply tightened his embrace, gently pulling you closer to him as you sobbed and wailed.

"I know, (Y/N). I know."

****

Later that evening, you were awoken by the feeling of warm fur pressing against your back. Groaning softly, you raised your head and did your best to blink the haze of sleep out of your eyes. "Huh?" You rasped groggily. "Who's there?"

"It's just me," A familiar voice whispered back. "I'm sorry I woke you up. I didn't mean to." Your vision cleared and you realized that Smudge was laying in your bed behind you, his right paw draped lazily over the side. You purred with amusement, shaking your head.

"You're such a dork. Why are you here?"

"I... Wanted to make sure you were okay," He meowed, his usually pink nose turning a dark shade of red. "You had a pretty rough day, and I wasn't sure if you wanted some company or not..." He trailed off with a nervous chuckle, averting his gaze and flattening his ears. You smiled softly, gently flicking his hind leg with your tail-tip. He grinned sheepishly at your touch, his nose turning even darker.

"Of course I don't mind, Smudge. I always like seeing you."

He relaxed, slowly resting his head down on the side of your bed. "I'm really glad. I like seeing you, too." You both laid there in silence as the sunlight that covered the wood on the ground grew darker, and the birdsong outside was replaced by the chirping of millions of crickets. You couldn't help but to think that Smudge was missing your brother just as much as you were, and part of the reason he snuck into your twolegs' den was because he needed some comfort, too.

"Smudge?" You meowed softly, raising your head to look at your friend. He was fast asleep, however, his eyes closed and his tail-tip gently twitching. A small smile was resting on his muzzle, occasionally faltering, but it always returned. You figured he was dreaming about all the times he ran through gardens with you and Rusty, catching butterflies and hunting mice for fun. A small pang burned in your chest at the endless array of memories. You and Smudge could still run through gardens and catch mice, but it would never be the same without your brother. But at the same time, you felt as if a brand new adventure was beginning.

"Goodnight, Smudge," You whispered to your sleeping friend. "I love you." You finally allowed your heavy eyes to close, welcoming the warmth of a deep sleep. Maybe things would be okay, after all.

🥀 ??? POV 🥀

He watched the two cats settle down through the clear spot on the outside of the twoleg den, a strange combination of sorrow and happiness weighing on his shoulders. He smiled, his eyes brimming with tears.

"Take care of her, Smudge."

Then, he turned and crossed the garden, leaping over the fence and disappearing into the warm night.

****

This one was kind of a tear-jerker, so I apologize for that ^^" It worked out pretty well, though.

In case anyone is still stumped, your wound is from getting spayed at the vet's. I just figured I should make that clear.

Thanks for reading, guys. It means a lot