One look, one touch, is all it will take.

Two hearts, four hands, no feelings faked.

That’s what makes up love, a sort of spiritual touch,

That’s what I crave, it would rule my day, if someone would just swing my way.

Aldrick sighed as he put down the quill, heart anything but tranquil.

He yearned for such a thing horribly so, it’s like he was writing a song, but was stuck on Do.

‘ If my wife can find it, then so can I ‘ , was his reasoning to keep on and try.

His heart had been undone, yet that was why he still believed in love

It was the friends to lovers type of love. Slowly his heart had started to love her differently. His eyes started to linger more on her, always looking for her in the crowds. In the end he asked her to be his girlfriend she said, yes. But sadly their relationship started to fall down do to distance. They lived a couple hours apart which cause them to break up. Now months later he found someone new but the distance was still there. It didn’t stop him because he still wanted to love no mater how far or close he was and that’s why he still believed in love.

He’d been given up on By his heart and by his soul He’d been lied to His own lips telling him he was done He’d been there When he was dying He’d seen the light The darkness of his eyes

He’d been changed That moment When it seemed over A voice spoke out to him A voice much louder than his “Don’t!” It cried “Your worth it! Your worth everything!”

And he cried Dropping the knife from his sore throat Letting the blood run down his skin He cried This voice A voice only he heard Cared

“You’re worth more than what you see” It whispered, as the boy let the knife slip from his fingers “And it’s gonna be yours one day. The world.” It told him, filling him with hope He was going to die that day July 15 But instead he came alive

And that was why he still believed in love

Everything hurts Someday and for some time He’d loved his friends When they turned away Only glancing behind them to through stones at his weaknesses He’d loved Genevieve But she moved away Her father’s choice And hasn’t written since He’d loved his pet hamster But it got bitten by a spider And passed away quickly He loved nobody, Even himself Then one day he came home Bruised and tired His mother pulled him into the tightest of hugs She didn’t let go I will always love you To all of Jupiter’s moons and back Just sit here with me

That’s why he still Believesed in love

He went through So much heartbreak Growing up

So, you may ask Why does he still Believe in love?

Because 𝘴𝘩𝘦 never left him

She helped him Overcome all his fears She helped him Become a better person She helped him Understand right from wrong

She helped him Find Jesus She helped him Learn She helped him Grow She helped him To never give up

She helped him By being there for him She helped him By never giving up on him She helped him By giving him her heart While helping him repair His own heart

She helped him By giving him Everything He had already gave But was brought back broken

She helped him By teaching him how to love after He had forgotten She helped him By 𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 leaving his side

So yeah, That was why he still believed in love

Chapter 8 I worked hard training and Smokefern reported that to Icystar. The next day there was an unexpected Clan meeting. “Every cat old enough to catch their own prey come over here for a Clan meeting,” Icystar shouted, and all the apprentices and warriors came running over to where she was standing. “In this meeting, we will be awarding some apprentices in making them warriors, those apprentices are Cricketpaw, Heatherpaw, and Streampaw. The other apprentices will have to wait and why they are waiting is because they have teased Cricketpaw.” Icystar announced. “Rummbleberry has your apprentice trained hard?” Icystar asked “Yes!” Rummbleberry exclaimed “Okay, Heatherpaw will you protect and defend this Clan even at the cost of your own life?” Icystar questioned. “Yes!” Heatherpaw exclaimed with a gleam of happiness in her eye “Okay then Heatherpaw you will now be known as Heatherberry,” Icystar exclaimed “Now Cricketpaw will you protect and defend this Clan even at the cost of your own life?” Icystar asked “Yes!” I shouted “Okay, then Cricketpaw you will know be known as Cricketstep!” Icystar shouted. I moved on and found Willowtooth. I went up to him and asked if I could lead a patrol but all of a sudden Streampaw came up to me and said that his name was Streamstone. Then I turned back and Willowtooth said yes and to take Smokeface, Waspspot, Mintflight, and Rushpool. We went and when we just were out of the border Waspspot scented fresh fox. I told him to go immediately to Icystar and to report it to her. He did and she scented it too and she went back to camp and gathered up Icespeck and Deerpaw, Cinderwhisker and Riverpaw, and Heatherberry. We finally found where the fox had its nest and when it saw us it got really scared. It almost got away but Heatherberry attacked it from behind and then I joined in then the warriors joined then the apprentices joined after losing their fear and we beat the fox, not killing it, but beating it. We then went back to camp with 2 voles and about 6 mice. “That’s only enough to feed like four mouths.” Ivyscar protested. “It is what we have, Ivyscar.” Icystar hissed. “Fine but next time let the whole Clan hunt not just them,” Ivyscar stated. Every cat had their share then we all went to sleep. Again I had the same dream. It seemed more real than the first and second time I had had it. I was almost like living it.

Chapter 6 The next day Icystar sent me back to the Clan, and when I got back I was in big trouble with Mintfur, Kinkstar, and Willowtooth. They immediately sent me to the apprentice’s den and Pebblepaw teased me again but when I went to go to Swiftsnow she was already at the entrance. She went inside and scolded Pebblepaw. Then I slipped out of the nursery unseen and went to look for Herontail. I found him by the fresh-kill pile sharing tongues with Ivyscar, I went into the shadows and called him over with my tail, he finally came after 2 minutes. When he was over I asked him we could practice with my hunting and battle skills. He asked me if I had stopped having the dreams and I said yes so he slipped me over to the hunting practice area unseen. But when we came back in Kinkstar was at the entrance with Willowtooth and then someone came out of the shadows, It was Icybreeze, my mom had come back. I was so excited that I just ran in circles. Herontail stopped me and then Willowtooth asked sharply “Cricketpaw did you stop having your dreams?!” “Ye-yes Willowtooth.” I stammered. “Okay and Herontail why did you take my son out on a hunting trip without asking me or Kinkstar first?!” Willowtooth snapped. “He was ready Willowtooth don’t get so mad,” Herontail explained but Willowtooth and Kinkstar snapped “We don’t care and let us talk for a minute.” “Okay, guys.” We said and when they came back they expled Herontail from the Clan and called over Smokefern to be my new mentor. I grumbled. Kinkstar said to Smokefern “Whenever you want to take Cricketpaw on some patrol or training please ask us first before you go anywhere please or we’ll do the same thing to Herontail except to you, understand?” “I understand completely!” Smokefern shouted. Then we walked away after Smokefern had asked if we could patrol and Kinkclaw said yes and thanked Smokefern for asking. I turned around and saw my mother walking away. I turned to run but Smokefern grabbed my scruff before I could even try.

Chapter 7 “Let me go!” I shouted but Smokefern still hung onto my scruff. I sagged my shoulders so Smokefern had to put me down. It worked and I immediately ran for my mom when Smokefern wasn’t looking. While I was running I heard paw steps behind me. I stopped, turned around, and hissed but when I realized it was Mistystar I stopped hissing and ran up to her and nuzzled her. “I wish I had not been told to tell you this but, Icystar will never be able to come back ever again past today because Kinkstar will not let her and when she tries to slip in she will be hurt severely. So I shall go warn her of that.” Then she began to fade so I opened my mouth to protest and she then reappeared and asked “Do you want me to help you?” she asked and I said yes so she told me to follow her and I did and when we found Icybreeze she hurtled toward me and nuzzled me then she asked me why I was here and I said that Mistystar had visited me and that she needed me to tell you that Kinkstar will never let you in the clan again and if you try to slip in you will be hurt severely. She took that very seriously and ran immediately back to camp. I followed her and when we got there Icybreeze demanded her place back as a leader. Kinkstar refused but after 2 minutes Kinkstar finally agreed. Icybreeze turned her name back into Icystar and Icystar turned down Kinkclaw into a warrior and Icystar made Willowtooth deputy. Then I had to go back to the apprentices’ den. And once again Pebblepaw teased me this time with the help of Hollowpaw, Riverpaw, Deerpaw, and Harepaw. The other apprentices disagreed with Pebblepaw and her stupid teasing. I yelled at them right when their parents, Tawnyleap, Minnowhawk, Sunnystep, and Beechdrop came in and punished them to the warrior’s den while I and Heatherpaw and Streampaw got to stay in the den and take a nap. And when we woke up it was time for training.

He believes in love Because his first one lasted

He believes in love Because he loves her still

He believes in love Because nothing compares

He believes in love, well, Because love is the only thing that outlasts life itself

‘That was why He still believed In love.’

“love is dead,” they all say

but he’s always disagreed

it was her smile that brought life to the world

it was her voice that guided the dead

it was her laughter that made flowers bloom

it was her touch that created joy itself

it was her expression that personalities ordinated

it was her kiss that fireworks were inspired by

it was her whisper that books were written

it was her heart that continued beating

and that was why he still believed in love.

“Why do you love me?” He asked. “Because you’re you,” she replied. “Give me reasons,” he pushed.

“I don’t need reasons when I love someone as much as you. But if I were to name them, we’d be here all night.”

“I just need you to tell me, I just need to hear you… that’s all I ask,” he says as she pulls him into a hug.

“I love your heart, because you let me inside. Not everyone let’s demons sleep inside their heart. If I were you, I’d keep someone like me at bay.”

“You’re not a demon.” “I could prove that I am.” “Is my heart all you like?” He whispered.

“I love your face and the kisses you give me. I love your tight hugs, how I can’t breathe when you’re near,” she kisses his forehead lightly as they lay in the sheets.

“How can you love me?” “Because you’re you!” “And that’s enough?” “Always,” she replied. “Always,” he agreed.

“I love your hair, the softness and how you look when you run a hand through it. I love how when you come home from work, you look so tired… and then I know- you tried your very hardest for you and I.”

“I do, I really do. But it’s never enough to get you the things you want.”

“Darlin’, love doesn’t come with a price tag. It’s free if it’s earned. I don’t want an object to love when I can have you. All I need is you.”

“Every girl wants fancy things.” “I told you I was different.” “Maybe so.”

“I love your smile, how goofy you look when you see kids playing. I love how you smile at me and tell me to look. But all I see is you, honey. That’s all I ever see,” the girl whispers into her boyfriend’s hair.

“I love all of you.” “And likewise, smarty.” “Thank you for being here for someone like me. Thank you for putting up with all my crap, I know I can be an ass,” he says.

“I love every bit of you, gorgeous. And there is more I love, too. But you’re starting to drift to sleep. And hey, you know what?”

“What?” He murmurs as his lids drop low. “I even love you when you’re being an ass, it’s kinda cute, babe,” she replies.

And to the devil in disguise that entered his heart, well, he thanks her everyday. She was why he still believed in love.