Warrior Cats One-Shots [COMPLETE]

Changes in the Weather ≫ Squirrelflight x Depressed! Female! Reader (PLATONIC)

Art: ClimbToTheStars

⚠️ Warnings ⚠️
• Angst
• Severe depression

A/N: Words cannot express how much I love Squirrelflight! She's easily my second favorite character, right after Yellowfang.

****

The rain had never felt so cold.
You laid curled up in your nest, your back turned to the den's entrance and your face hidden underneath your front legs. You weren't crying, not anymore. You had purged yourself of all pain long ago, and now you were just a hollow shell where a cat once resided.
Thunder rumbled lonesomely off in the distance, deepening the strange feeling within you. As unusual as it was, you found comfort in the rain; when the sky cried, you felt understood.
I know how you feel, You reassured the sky you couldn't even see silently. I'm broken, too.
You exhaled into your front legs, the warmth of your breath stinging your tired eyes. This was really what it had come to.
"(Y/N)...?"
Your ears perked up slightly at the sound of your name being called softly from the other side of the den, but you didn't raise your head to see who it was. You had neither the strength nor the need for that; you would recognize the voice anywhere.

"Go away, Squirrelflight," You mumbled monotonously, your voice muffled. "I'm taking a nap."

You felt the moss shift slightly as paws gently padded across it, followed by a damp pelt brushing lightly against yours.
"You've been taking a lot of naps lately," Squirrelflight observed gently. "Are you feeling alright?"

"I'm fine," You mumbled again, burying your face deeper into the moss. "Just really tired."
Silence followed your words, but your old friend didn't leave. You could feel her gaze resting on you, but not in a malicious way. You could feel waves of concern rippling off of her like gusts of wind.

"Cinderpelt said she saw you crying earlier today when she was gathering herbs," Squirrelflight murmured, and you felt her gaze finally drift away from you. "She said it didn't look like a normal way of crying. She said your shoulders were slumped and your whiskers were crooked. What is that all about?"
A spark of irritation lit up the dark cavern that was your chest for a moment, causing your ears to flatten. It wasn't Cinderpelt's place to tell anyone what was going on with you; you hadn't even meant to be seen, anyway.

"She doesn't know what she's talking about," You mumbled, still not moving. "Why are you listening to her, anyway?" Your tone held an edge to it, and you felt Squirrelflight flinch beside you. Suddenly feeling guilty, you let out a small sigh, allowing the fur on your shoulders to flatten again.
"I'm sorry, Squirrelflight. I didn't mean to sound so harsh."

"I know, (Y/N)," Squirrelflight sighed, gently flicking the tip of your tail with hers. "I only listened to Cinderpelt because I've noticed you haven't been acting like yourself, as well. You've been avoiding everyone, you never join patrols anymore, and you sleep in really late. What's gotten into you, (Y/N)?" Her tone was surprisingly gentle, not harboring any of the usual annoyance you heard in most cats' voices when you interacted with them, and it gave you some sort of comfort deep inside.

"I don't know what's wrong with me," You whispered, pain suddenly returning to your mind and creeping it's way into your heart. "I just can't seem to smile anymore."
The moss suddenly shifted beside you as Squirrelflight pressed herself against your cold body and rested her chin on your shoulder.
You let out a shaky sigh, several tears finally escaping your fatigued eyes.

"It's okay," Squirrelflight whispered into your ear, resting her front paw on top of yours. "Let it all out, (Y/N). It's just me."
You didn't need to be told twice, as once the tears began flowing, they refused to stop.
You laid in Squirrelflight's warm embrace for StarClan-knows-how-long, allowing weak sobs to escape you as all of your pent up frustrations and fears finally tore free of their skeletal cage and found their purposes in the shadows all around you.
Once your agony had ceased just a bit, you finally raised your head. Squirrelflight had moved from her position on your shoulder to the left side of your face, and when you finally revealed your eyes, her own lit up with joy.
"You don't have to hide from me," She murmured, gently touching her nose to your tear-stained cheek. "I love you just the way you are, (Y/N). Nothing will ever change that."

A wave of pure relief washed over you, and in that moment, you felt as if the thorn in your heart and finally been removed.
"I can't promise I'll feel the same ever again," You meowed hoarsely, your voice strained from crying. "but I don't think I need to be the same as long as I have you, Squirrelflight. Thank you."

"I'll always be here, (Y/N)," The dark ginger she-cat meowed softly, resting her chin on your shoulder once again. "You can be sure of that."
It suddenly occurred to you that the soft pattering of rain and the distant roaring of thunder had ceased, replaced by gentle birdsong and wind in the trees. You and Squirrelflight exchanged a glance, and her mouth curled up into a small smile.
"Do you want to go hunting?"

You smiled in return, your heart fluttering.
"I would like that."
You both stood up and exited the den side-by-side, your shoulders brushing together. As you left ThunderClan camp and headed into the crisp forest, a feeling of peace that you hadn't felt for a long time came over you, and suddenly, the sun had never felt so warm.

****

I literally just got home from work, and it's like 5am

In all seriousness, I'm glad I finally got a one-shot done. Writing has always been my happy place, especially when it makes you guys feel better.

Let me know what you thought of this one-shot, if you want. I love hearing from you all!