#jayleap

YES! My actually rare pair.

It came up when me and @mallowstep were discussing gay options for Jay because he sees no chemistry in Kestreljay (the fool that he is), and I think this is the best possible gay pairing for him if we're discounting the WindClan boy.

So, what I find most appealing about it is the contrast personality wise. Foxleap is the kind of energetic, endearing goofball that would worm his way into Jayfeather's heart and help him come out of his shell. I also imagine shades of "stop getting yourself hurt all the time dumbass" as Jay nurses him back to health.

While secret gay medicine cat romance is nice, I actually think it works better with warrior apprentice Jay AUs, actually. I can see them developing a sort of friendly rivalry and improving together from it. Jaypaw may grumble initially because his insecurities would make him reluctant to call a younger apprentice his rival, but over time they grow fond of each other.

I also don't know where I picked this up from, but I like the idea that Foxleap really looks up to her mom and that when he was younger he wanted to one day be a nursery queen but was really disappointed to find out he couldn't get pregnant so.

Picture this: a warrior Jay AU with Fox/Jay and Cinder/Holly. Cinder and Holly ask Jay to be their surrogate father (why not Lionblaze? maybe he and Cinder didn't work out and it'd be awkward to ask him, but it doesn't really matter) and Jay agrees on the condition that they split the litter and let Foxleap be a nursery queen. When Cinder gives birth to a litter of four, they honor the agreement and let him have his pick of two kits.

I tend to think of Jay as someone who wouldn't like. He wouldn't think he'd like kids but when he gets attached to them he's very good with children so. Dad Jayfeather being very cute with his kits and his husband teasing him about it.