Challenge: Trouble

Word Count (min. 500): 777

Rating: K, suitable for all ages

Unlucky

"Okay, I'm ready—no, no, I can't do it! But I must! Ohhh... but what if she says no? But, what if she says yes?"

The long-furred white and black tom paced around the forest floor, kicking up leaves and dirt each time he turned briskly to pace in the opposite direction. On his third turn, he placed his paw on a small twig and fell the ground as his paws followed the sliding twig and slipped from under him.

He groaned in pain and anguish. "She'll never say yes to me!" he wailed.

The tom brushed himself off and started to trudge back to the BrambleClan camp.

Sootfall was the unluckiest cat in the entire forest. Whenever he tried to help, he always ended up making everything worse. No cat would let him help them with any job. His long, fluffy coat made it hard for him to stalk silently in the BrambleClan territory, named for its undergrowth and the brambles that were everywhere. He always got stuck in the thorns and if he made even the slightest noise, he'd scare all of the prey off.

But that wasn't the only bad thing about his pelt. Being half black and half white, Sootfall could hunt in neither leaf-bare nor during the night. He always tripped over his large paws and if he wasn't in the medicine cat's den to get the brambles taken out of his fur, he would be in there for one poultice or another to heal his new injury.

He brought trouble to the camp because trouble was the only thing that liked him... or maybe not—at least, he hoped.

Her name was Willowmist and she was the most beautiful thing to walk on four paws. Her grey tabby fur always seemed to sparkle in the sunlight even during the nights of leaf-bare and even the sun would be envious of her vibrant yellow eyes. Sootfall had always seen her around as a kit, but he officially met her once he became an apprentice, but with his luck, she became a warrior 3 sunrises after.

He was sure that she didn't even know that she existed, but now that he was a warrior, it was time to express his feelings and hopefully, she felt the same.

"W-Willowmist," he mumbled under his breath as he padded back to camp. "I-I've got s-something to confess..."

The tom continued to fine-tune his speech when suddenly, he bumped into something and fell onto his stomach. "Oh!" he gasped. "I'm so, so sorry! I wasn't looking where I was going! Please don't—Willowmist?!"

Oh no! I'm such a mouse-brain! She's never going to say yes to me!

Sootfall choked down a whimper and turned on his heels, quickly running in the opposite direction.

"Sootfall, wait!"

The black and white tom ignored Willowmist's calls and continued to run from her, scared off what she would say. The brambles started to get stuck in his fur, slowing him down and as soon as they started to prick him, he stopped to pick them out. Willowmist padded up to him with a smile on her muzzle.

"You look like a bramble bush yourself," she remarked playfully.

Sootfall let out an embarrassed squeak and started to pull the thorns out faster.

"Here, let me help you," she purred as she sat down next to him and pulled the thorns out gently. The tip of her tail slightly brushed against Sootfall's back and he purred softly and calmed down.

"Th-thank you," he muttered.

"It's no problem at all," Willowmist replied. She hesitated for a heartbeat then glanced at him. "I heard you talking to yourself in the forest," she meowed casually. "Did you have something to tell me?"

Sootfall held his breath. She heard me? Ohhhhhhh no...

"Um... well... I-I was just wondering—you don't have to say yes if you don't want to, but um, I-I..." he cursed himself for stuttering so much. "I-I have something to c-confess... I've always wanted to tell you this, but just recently, I knew how much you meant to me. You are the most perfect cat to ever walk on the earth and I-I was kind of wondering if... if..."

"Yes!" she purred. "Yes, I'll be your mate!"

"I was wondering if maybe you would—wait—really?"

Willowmist jumped up and nuzzled him. "I've always thought you were so cute with your patched fur and optimistic outlook on life. Ever since I became a warrior, I regretted not getting to know you better. I love you, Sootfall."

Sootfall couldn't believe his luck. She loved him too?

Maybe his luck had changed?

"I love you too."