Scourge X Ashpaw (Part 3)

Morning came sooner then the two were expecting. The sun creeped into the box, shining on the black tom’s face slowly. As the black tom stirred in irritation with the sudden exposure to light, he opened his blue eyes slowly, squinting as he sat up softly. The leader looked down at the sleeping apprentice and gave him a very small smile, again, a genuine smile. He began to lean over Ashpaw in order to wake him up before he noticed Ashpaw’s wrist and shoulder wounds. They were looking even worse. Scourge flinched at the sight as he shook his head, trying to disregard it It’ll heal in time...It’s nothing to worry about. He thought to himself as he nudged the smaller tom softly.

Ashpaw opened his own blue eyes with a yawn as he looked up at Scourge, “Is it morning already...?” He asked softly as he rubbed his eyes slowly. Scourge nodded, “Yes. It’s morning, now it’s time to get up, we have something to do today.” The black cat said softly as he looked up. As he was bringing up his invitation to the clan cat, he felt his fur grow hot with embarrassment. He had no idea why his body was acting this way. His chest was thumping, his stomach was fluttering, and he was incredibly flustered. “I...Well...I was wondering...” Ashpaw looked at him with curious eyes, not knowing what the BloodClan leader was going to say. “Yes?” The gray tom asked, still very curious.

“I-If you’d like to see the city with me. I can show you around, just you and I.” he said softly, still looking off with a pout-like look on his muzzle, showing he was rather embarrassed. The black cat's ears pricked up. The pounding in my chest is getting more intense...what is it... Scourge shook his own thoughts out of his mind before reverting to his cool, seemingly angry-at-the-world self, "Are you coming or not?!" he seemingly demanded an answer. That was not as smooth or as kind as Scourge wanted it to come out, not at all. IDIOT! He cursed to himself as he looked for the smaller ash-colored tom's reaction.

The small apprentice looked down at his paws in embarrassment. He felt as thought Scourge was pressuring him, and that it was a rhetorical question. "I...I'd love to..." He said softly, feeling as though it would be the end of his life if he said no. Ashpaw had very conflicting thoughts about the BloodClan leader. At times, Scourge would be rather caring and sweet to the apprentice, and at other times, he'd be just as mean and ruthless as he was to any other clan cat. Ashpaw shook his head a bit and gave a fake smile, "Let's go!" He said with way too much enthusiasm.

Scourge gave the apprentice a slight glare, making it known that Ashpaw's fake enthusiasm was not appreciated. The gray tom simply responded with a nervous chuckle as he awaited for his escort. Leading him, Scourge began walking on the sidewalk of the city with a smirk, "Our first stop is what the humans call, a bakery." He said with a wide smile, "It's time for some food." He purred happily at the thought of a warm bread roll for breakfast. "What's a bakery?" Ashpaw asked as he followed Scourge, now suddenly intrigued. He began explaining, "A bakery is where humans make warm, good smelling food, fresh every morning! Occasionally they leave a tray in reach." He said with a devilish smile. "Oh..." That was Ashpaw's only response. He wasn't too fond of the idea of eating two-leg food, but if it made Scourge happy, he would just have to endure it.

The two toms walked together in silence for a few minutes before a delicious smelling mini-monster came into view on the sidewalk. Ashpaw instantly became caucious and began to slow down to a stop. "I'm not going anywhere near that thing!" He exclaimed when he realized that the mini-monster was their destination. Scourge turned to meet his icy gaze to Ashpaw's warm blue one, "Why not?" He asked, more confused then angry, or otherwise annoyed. Ashpaw continued to shake his head, "It's one of those creatures that kills cats! It took Cinderpelt's leg and now she can't use it! Why is it on the walking path?!" He questioned, backing up a few pawsteps before Scourge stopped him and snickered a bit. "Oh shut up. It's not going to hurt you. That's a cart, it's much different then those monsters in your forest." He began. "For example, it doesn't make loud noises, or smell foul, and it certainly doesnt kill cats." He reassured with a smile. Scourge felt his heart pound violently once more as he comforted the tom. His expression turned angry and confused again as he shook it off. "See?" Scourge started leading the two closer and closer.

The cart was unmaintained at the moment, no humans working it, but the delicious smell still very much there. Ashpaw had managed to calm down as he proceded to get closer to the cart with caucion. Taking a deep smell of the bakery cart, followed by a purr. "That smells fantastic!" Ashpaw exclaimed as he purred some more. "What is it!?" He questioned happily, tail going wild with excitement. A purr eminated from Scourge as he responded, "It's bread, it's very common, but very delicious if it's fresh." He explained with a smile. "Here, watch."

Scourge hopped onto the cart with ease, and sure enough, sitting at the top, was a fresh tray of warm bread rolls. A single roll was the size of a new apprentice. Ashpaw flinched at the hop before calling after him, "Wait where are you going! What if the two-leg comes back!?" He asked, worried. The black tom smiled and ignored Ashpaw as he took one in his mouth before hopping down. With the roll in his mouth still he muffled, "Let's GO!" The leader began running quickly, away from the cart, and once they were a few blocks away, Scourge turned into a new alleyway that was empty with the exception of the usual trash and trashcans.

Ashpaw followed in hot pursuit the entire run before confronting the leader with flat ears. "What was that! You could have gotten hurt! What if I two-leg would have come by!?" Ashpaw scolded. It wasn't his place to scold the leader of BloodClan, and it was rather amusing for Scourge to watch. The small apprentice scolding the slightly bigger murderer. The black tom batted away Ashpaw playfully with his paw, "Oh hush. Nothing happened, plus, I got us a meal to share." He purred as he took a bite of the warm, doughy bread. "Come on. I can't eat this all myself!" He urged with a mouthful of food.

With a sigh of annoyance and defeat, Ashpaw padded over to the eating tom and lied across from him. The bread roll smelt amazing, which urged the apprentice to finally take his first bite. After eating it, he let out a very audible purr. That purr grabbed Scourge's attention, "What?" He asked, thinking the purr was directed at him. Ashpaw smiled and purred more, "This is delicious!" He exclaimed as he took another big bite of it, seeming to have completely forgotten what had happened a few minutes before. At the sight of the apprentice's happiness as he ate, Scourge let out a very small purr of his own as he continued to eat his half. The pounding in his chest was back, but he ignored it. He didn't seem to mind it as much anymore.

It didn't take very long for the two to finish up their meal. Ashpaw purred audibly yet again as there was physically, no more of the bread roll. "That was great!" He purred out happily. The leader was lying completely opposite of the apprentice, "Yeah...It was warm, fresh." He said with a smile and a purr. "So, are you ready for what I have in store for you next?" Scourge asked as he stood up slowly, stretching and yawning with a full belly. Getting up quickly, realizing that he wanted to go, Ashpaw nodded, "Sure, what do you have in store for me now..." The gray tom spoke in a very obvious teasing, and sarcastic manner, which got Scourge to chuckle a bit.

"I'm taking you somewhere that smells even better, and even looks beautiful." Scourge promised with a smile as he began walking out of the alleyway.
"Really now, and what would that place be? It'd be pretty hard to top food." the apprentice teased with a purr.
"Alright, I'll give you a hint." Scourge began. "Do you know about how some cats use herbs and remedies that sometimes look really pretty before they use them?"
"Oh! Like the little flowers on the herbs?" Ashpaw asked.
"Exactly. Now imagine a place that has nothing but those beautiful flowers."
"Really!? That's where we're going next!?" The apprentice was seemingly glowing with excitement. Scourge wasn't planning on Ashpaw loving the idea of the town's local flower-shop. The scent began to grow sweet in the air as Ashpaw let out another purr, "We're getting close aren't we?" He asked with a smile. Purring, Scourge nodded, "Haha, yeah, we are." He said as Ashpaw began picking up the pace, getting in front of Scourge in excitement as the flower-shop finally came into view.
The floral shop was very nicely decorated, and very pleasing to the eyes of the two cats. Ashpaw gasped, "Wow...We don't have anything like this in the forest..." He said as he began walking slowly towards the hanging flowers. Colors seemed to explode all over the petals of the flowers, making them very vibrant and even more radiant. Scourge let out a smile as he mutters, "You see, to humans, flowers are a symbol of compassion..." he said softly as he looked over at Ashpaw with a warm, welcoming smile, his blue eyes shining in the sunlight. Ashpaw turned to meet his gaze, "What do you mean by that?" Ashpaw asked, trying not to meet the Leader's gaze.

"It means, when a human loves another human, they'll give each other flowers...as a sign of affection..." He explained, finally turning away from the apprentice, to look back at the flowers that were resting on the window of the shop. The moment Scourge finished that sentence, Ashpaw turned to look at him, half confused, and half...embarrassed? Ashpaw didn't know what he was feeling towards this very strange black tom. "I...I um..." Ashpaw shook his head of any confusion, "I think it's time to move on..." He said as his fur began burning warm as he continued to look at the leader. Scourge shook his head, "No way!" He exclaimed.

Ashpaw flinched at the sudden outburst of positive emotion. It covered him like a wave as Scourge had a huge grin, "Come on! Let's have some fun!" He said with a smile, running towards the back alleyway on the side of the floral shop. Ashpaw flattened his ears, "Hey wait! Where are you going?" He called after him, quickly following the happy leader to the alleyway. Once Ashpaw finally caught up he glared at Scourge, "What..." He was panting heavily, "What were you thinking!?" He said between breaths as he didn't receive an answer. Ashpaw turned to see what Scourge was so fixated on, it was an open window to the flower shop. "Come on!" Scourge encouraged as he hopped into the open window and into the building.

The gray, flecked tom flattened his ears before hesitantly following him inside. However, once Ashpaw was inside, he didn't want to leave right away. As the two got a better look at the inside, it was very warm, very humid. The two had crawled into the greenhouse portion of the shop. Ashpaw took a deep scent inward, "W-Woah...So many scents..." he breathed as he looked at all the beautiful plant life around him. He hopped from the window onto the sleek, tile floor, Scourge following close behind.

"It's nice, see? I told you so." Scourge teased as he nudged the apprentice rather roughly. He didn't mean any harm, Scourge was just trying to show affection to the smaller tom. The leader laughed a bit, "S-Sorry..." He apologized as he helped the younger tom up. Ashpaw didn't quite know what to feel now, with every action Scourge did, he simply got more and more confused about his motives. I don't get it...one moment he's a tyrant, and the next...he's...actually very fun... He smiled to himself as he opened his mouth to say something, before he was interrupted by the loud cry of a two-leg who came barging towards them. Scourge chuckled at the race, "Get out!" He laughed as he ran the opposite direction.

"Wait! Where are you-Oh forget it." Ashpaw rolled his eyes, knowing he could trust Scourge to not get into any serious harm. The gray tom hopped out of the window and onto the pavement of the cold alleyway. He sat there, waiting any minute for Scourge to come barging out like a kit. Even though...He didn't, at all.

It was now sun-high, Ashpaw had been waiting outside the greenhouse for what seemed like seasons as he began to slowly freak out. Oh no...That stupid idiot! What was he thinking!? He's probably hurt somewhere in there...Waiting for that two-leg woman to end it all! Or...Maybe he's waiting for me... Ashpaw perked his ears as his eyes glistened with determination. "Alright! I'm extremely outmatched, but I'm going to go in there and get Scourge back!" He announced to himself.
Ashpaw hopped onto the ledge of the window. However, in mere moments, a black figure had done the same thing from the opposite side, causing them to bump heads, and send them toppling over back into the alleyway. Ashpaw groaned in a bit of pain, "Ow....My head..." He groaned out. The other cat was lying on top of him, groaning as well. Ashpaw took a moment before realizing that it was Scourge! "Hey! Get up you fat furball!" He grunted as he pushed the leader off of him.

Scourge was chuckling. His back turned to Ashpaw and it seemed...muffled. Scourge turned around and revealed that in his mouth, he was carefully holding the stem of a bright red rose. Ashpaw grew hot with embarrassment, "Scourge...?" he asked softly. Before Ashpaw had the chance to say anything else, Scourge spoke, "It's for you." He said, dropping the rose to Ashpaw's feet with a warm smile.