Warriors #1: Kittypet Clanborn

Chapter 20

I had to admit, I was fairly humored by my own excitement because of these kits.

I had only been in the nursery for what felt like a few moments, but now that I knew that soon I was going to be caring for kits, my own kits, that I was having with the love of my life, made me feel happy beyond belief.

In the nursery so far, I had been lying in my nest, my heart seemingly growing an extra size each time I felt my kits move.

I wonder if other queens are like this too, I thought. I would have asked, but Millie was being treated for her sickness in the medicine den, and Daisy I assumed was out in camp grabbing a meal or something.

I had just felt another hard kick in my belly when suddenly I heard a very clear, "What?!" come from outside in the clearing. Almost immediately after, Thornclaw burst into the nursery, his eyes wide.

"Lilypetal!" My mate exclaimed. "You're having kits?"

I became nervous as I realized that I couldn't read his expression. But nevertheless, I nodded excitedly and purred, "Yes, Thornclaw. I'm expecting your kits." My voice shook with emotion. I tried to read Thornclaw's expression once again. "What do you think?"

Thornclaw was staring at the ground, his head shaking slowly. "What do I think?" He whispered before looking back up at me. I couldn't help but smile and purr at his tender gaze.

"What do I think? Lilypetal, Great StarClan, we're having kits!" He meowed before running up to me and digging his muzzle into my neck fur, running his tail along my belly. "I think that this is absolutely wonderful. Oh, you're going to be such an amazing mother."

"I'm sure going to try, but it'll be hard to beat you as an amazing father!" I whispered, a purr rumbling in my throat. "I can't wait to see them, to name them! To watch them develop personalities!"

I let out a loud mrrow of laughter as Thornclaw lied down, gently lying his head against my swollen belly. "Well, if they're anything like me, I think that's the best they could do. Don't you think, kits?"

Thornclaw pretended to listen for a few heartbeats as I continued to purr with amusement. "They wholeheartedly agree!" He teased, winking at me.

I rolled my eyes before touching my muzzle to Thornclaw's. "I have to admit, getting some kits as sweet as you are would be pretty nice," I meowed. "Maybe one of them will have your amazing blue eyes, or your golden pelt!"

Thornclaw stood up, moving around so that he was able to wrap himself around me and let his tail rest on my back. He touched his nose to my ear as he purred, "Or maybe they'll have your kindness, spirit or intelligence."

I gave my mate a teasing look, my eyes narrowed. "Oh, definitely."

"Or your humility," Thornclaw muttered, returning the teasing gaze before licking my cheek.

"I'll love them no matter what," I whispered as I looked back at my swollen stomach.

Suddenly, I felt a surge run through me, and I jumped up as fast as I could and leapt out of the den. I need to get to the dirtplace right now! I thought urgently. I felt as if I had never run faster in my life as I slipped through a second passage out of camp, charging towards the place where cats escaped to do their business.

I just barely made it in time before I vomited all over the forest floor. I let out a snort of disgust. I would run into this dirtplace and vomit a million times over for these kits, I thought, but that doesn't necessarily mean that I have to enjoy it.

"Lilypetal?"

I turned around to see that Thornclaw had followed me. "Are you alright? What happened?" He asked, his eyes wide with worry. "Since when have you been able to run like that?"

I sighed as I gestured to the pile of waste I had just released. "Well... that happened," I murmured before padding up closer to my mate. "And don't you worry, I'm fine! I was just a little queasy."

Thornclaw didn't look convinced. "Are you sure? That's not fine!" He insisted. "A cat doing that is the opposite of fine!"

"Oh, Thornclaw, I know that you can be quite the worrier if you want to," a new voice purred, "But I can assure you that your mate is quite alright."

I peered around Thornclaw to see Daisy emerge into the clearing, her eyes glittering with humor.

"Hi, Daisy!" I meowed kindly.

The cream she-cat dipped her head in greeting to Thornclaw and I. "No type of panic matches the fear of a queen when she suddenly feels violently nauseous," Daisy joked. "The way you ran out of that nursery was all too familiar."

"I wish I had been able to recognize it," Thornclaw muttered next to me as he rolled his eyes. "Seeing your mate burst out of the nursery without a word isn't the most calming thing to watch."

I gave Thornclaw an apologetic glance. "I'm sorry," I purred, licking his cheek. "Would you rather me have vomited all over your head?"

Daisy let out a purr of amusement. "Unfortunately that may not be the only time that that happens!" She meowed before glancing down at her own belly. "At least we'll be in it together."

"We definitely will!" I agreed as Daisy dipped her head to us again and turned around to head towards camp. I narrowed my eyes as I watched her go, wondering about her situation with her kits.

How did she end up with Spiderleg? I wondered.

Just a heartbeat after the queen disappeared, I felt the same horrid feeling in my stomach. I whipped around, keeping my distance from Thornclaw for the time being, before vomiting a second time. After it was done, I sighed as I then sat down, shaking my head slowly.

Thornclaw was next to me within a heartbeat, wrapping his tail around my back and resting his muzzle on my head. I couldn't help but wonder how he managed to stay so calm.

I mean, his mate had just vomited all over the forest floor right in front of him.

My stomach still feeling slightly off, I lifted my head up to meet Thornclaw's gaze. "Heh, I'm sorry," I couldn't help but whisper. "Watching me get sick over and over when you could be out hunting or patrolling probably isn't the most ideal thing for you to do!"

"Are you kidding?" Thornclaw immediately responded. "I am right where I want to be. Do you still feel sick?"

I nodded to him weakly.

Thornclaw shifted so that we were even closer. "Then you're going to stay here, and I'll be right here with you."

I felt a purr rumble in my throat as I was overwhelmed with gratitude and love. "Stop being so wonderful," I whispered. "I don't want to burden you by keeping you here."

"Keeping me here?" Thornclaw repeated, raising his eyebrows. "It's all my pleasure, my love."

I suddenly felt too queasy and overloaded with affection to talk, so all I did was was sigh and dig my head into my mate's chest as we sat in the dirtplace clearing together.