you're the summer to my december [c]

It was easy for the older cats- warriors, medicine cats, her mother and father, even Russetpaw- all sorts to get caught up in their routines. It was something she was beginning to notice as she got older: the Clan worked in a cycle. The same thing, the same time, the same routine, over, and over, and over. No wonder kits got bored. They yearned to see the world, to explore, but without being allowed to go outside of camp, they had to content themselves with all the camp had to offer- which wasn't much, in her opinion. Lately though with all of the turmoil, there had been so much exploring, especially for the kits. There were kits that hadn't even been to their true home. Who didn't know the sweet scent of heather around camp. It was tragic, really.

It was early. Too early, yet Sleepypaw was sat in the middle of their makeshift camp, her eyes high on the sky. There was one thing that she always looked forward to, though. Sunrise. The promise of a new day, right before her eyes, in streaks of bright colors across a dark lit sky. The way the stars faded away into pink and purple hues with a flash of a fluffy cloud and a glimmer of light to cross the moors, the faintest inklings of warmth that a day could bring. There was beauty in that, a potential to enamor, and the still, comfortable silence of the world before the Clan got to work. There really was something about those precursory hours of dawn that made her feel all warm and fuzzy inside. Even if she was just one lone cat in the middle of camp, at least for now. "Wow..."

"speech."

There was another figure to join her, and she tore her gaze away from the sky long enough to look at Russetpaw. She grinned slightly, the mention of the fat munchkin amusing enough to make her beam. "Heya Russetpaw." she answered simply, shoulders shrugging as she looked back towards the sunrise. "Waking up every Two-leg all the way to the big lakes, probably," and at least she was honest, though the mention of the gangly beasts caused that guilty taste to return in her mouth.


"I think my parents must have rabbit fluff in their brain!" she insisted, sitting up straighter as she tapped her paws slightly, laughing a little. "Can't believe they adopted that furball! I mean I care for him and wanted to make sure he was doing good in the clan...and I like food and a nap just as much as the next cat. But he's so foxing lazy I just can't." Sleepypaw dramatically tilted her head back slightly to look at the other apprentice. "Anyways..what're you up to today?"


"speech."

If only Russetpaw knew how much Sleepypaw shared her sentiment, her want to explore and see other lands was suffocating. How could a territory this beautiful, be limited to just the five clans? She'd never betray and leave her clan for good, her parents meant too much, Silverwing, Blazefang they all meant too much. Maybe the next time the medicine cats went on an herb-hunting journey she'd offer to go along just in case they needed a little extra protection.

Sleepypaw couldn't help but laugh with her, the ginger's laugh was as contagious as a mean bought of whitecough. "Mm adventure. One day we'll go on a good adventure," she promised. Thought every day almost felt like an adventure with Russetpaw. Sleepypaw squinted her eyes and inspected the battle wound, "Mm, it's alright I guess." she mewed, her grin betraying her pride. Her friend had defeated a weasel! That was sick!

The calico laughed again, the murder of Fuzzbutt did seem tempting but then thinking about the whooping she'd receive for fighting with one of her siblings, even if he was adopted. Sleepypaw shivered. Ugh. Making Coyotegrin mad, real mad. Was not something she wanted to experience anytime soon.

As Russetpaw suggested something, the grin she was given made Sleepypaw raise a suspicious eyebrow. She backed up a tail length, tensing her muscles scared her best friend was going to pounce on her or something. But what Russetpaw said was something she was least expecting. Her mouth parted in shock and she stared at Russetpaw for a few seconds before regaining her composure and shaking her head. But she couldn't hide the heat in her cheeks and the way she averted her eyes. "Sheesh. Starting off hot. Never have I ever... got bit by a weasel," she retorted flicking her tail to the other apprentice's battle wound, "And come on you've never had one crush?" Sleepypaw asked, the suspicious expression returning.

*profuse sweating*

"speech."

"Mm, soon." she murmured in agreement. Exploring to her was like a moth to a flame, she couldn't stay away, every time she went outside of camp with a warrior she found herself wandering off, staring off into the distance. Like honey to a bear, really. She could imagine the new textures of the earth beneath her paws, the new scents hitting her nose from a passing breeze. Yes.

"Yes." she mewed. Wait, she said that out loud. Sleepypaw looked at her friend in horror, her jaw threatening to drop. She really just said that out loud. Holy stars, she really just said that out loud. Insinuating that Fuzzpaw was indeed her crush. "No! No no no." she hastily added, making a gagging noise, as if she were hacking up the biggest furball alive, "He's basically my brother." she hissed reaching out to cuff her friend on the ear, but there was a playful gleam in her eyes. Sleepypaw groomed her chest fur flat and huffed. Fuzzpaw? That guy? "Plus. A cats gotta have her standards. I'd rather kiss your weasel." the apprentice drawled.

Internally addressing who she actually had a crush on was not something she had sat down and thought about for some time. While her feelings were very, very real, she didn't have time to think about whether or not she would/should express her feelings. But when the 'who' she was crushing on had such a knack for interrogation, well it was safe to say Sleepypaw was feeling like a cornered mouse. She had debated whether or not she should lie and say it was someone else. Maybe she could say Shadepaw, yeah, that could be believable. But then she'd have to explain to Shadepaw why she suddenly has a crush on her when they've never really interacted much. Ugh. That seemed like a nightmare of a conversation.

Might as well get it over with. Right? Sleepypaw turned towards her friend and gave Russetpaw her best serious expression before clearing her throat, "I like you." What's the worst Russetpaw could say?

"speech."