.:TrApPeD wItHiN:. -Open-

[.:*Hawkstar*:.]

So give me the drug
Keep me alive
Give me what's left of my life
Don't let me go
Pull this plug
Let me breathe
On my own I'm finally free
Don't let me go

~Rise Against

Slinking through the forest, a thin frame appeared as a gray outline against the early morning sun. The sky was a hazy red, like the sun was tearing deep wounds into the air with razor sharp fangs and claws. The sweet tang of blood could almost be tasted through the air. Bright yellow eyes locked on the cold ground, avoiding the bloodstained sky above. The eyes were round and wide, and they wouldn't blink as often as they should. They looked as if they were layered; grief, misery, guilt, then eternal blankness. The life of an assassin was never easy; especially if you started from the beginning of your life. You would be forced to struggle forever, even though you looked like you were doing the simplest of things. It was never that. You hid your emotions until you were alone, then you would release too much of them. You were left as an empty soul until your feelings bubbled over again; which would never take too long.

That was happening now.

The cat raced forward, his small paws carrying him quickly as he felt his eyes sting painfully. He didn't squint to stop it though. He only absorbed the pain, like he always did. It felt good. His destination was directly ahead of him: the Two-leg nest. It would be empty; hopefully. I don't care anymore... I really need this... The cat shot through the opening to the nest and threw himself up into an old soft thing that the two-legs had left behind. Bleak had seen them sitting on them before. Burying his face in his paws, Bleak screeched into the cushion until he was out of breath. The tears rolled lazily down his muzzle and soaked slowly into the chair. Once he was out of breath, the golden tabby tom didn't bother getting up. He could feel his tail quivering, his ears drooped, and he felt hollow. Taking in another deep breath, Bleak screamed as loud as he could, wanting the pain to just go away. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to, Mother! Please, forgive me!"

[{Lunarstar}]

Ash cautiously slunk in behind Bleak. She watched the wailing brown tabby tom a heartbeat and mewed, "Bleak, are you okay?" She wondered curiously what he meant when he apologized to his mother. She sat down and stared at him with concerned navy eyes.

[.:*Hawkstar*:.]

Bleak pushed his nose deeper into the softness as Ash's voice was heard. "Go away, Ash! It's bad enough I had to tell off Scratch! I'm perfectly fine!" He had to raise his meow to be sure the she-cat had heard him. He really didn't want company. He couldn't let Ash see him like this; in his weakest, yet strongest state. Bleak was mad when he was like this. He could kill anyone and anything. The thought made him gag with disgust. "No more..." Bleak curled up in the corner of the chair as tight as he could, until he was a fluffy, trembling ball. "I can't keep going like this anymore..."

[{Lunarstar}]

Ash, sarcastic and stubborn as ever meowed back, "listen here, mous-brain. We both know I'm not going anywhere. So tell me what's wrong." She thn softened her voice and walked over to him, she touched his pelt with her nose briefly before saying, "come on. I want to know." She was scared to know what happened to him, but she also knew he needed to talk about it. Whatever it takes.

[.:*Hawkstar*:.]

Bleak tensed up and swatted at the she-cat when she touched him. He didn't need her getting that close! "It's nothing. I do this a lot. Just leave me alone to suffer by myself. It's what my mother would have wanted..." Bleak gritted his fangs tightly together and held back a sob. He wasn't sure if Ash knew that he was crying, but he didn't want to assure her. "Just... J-Just go..."

[{Lunarstar}]

Ash was't phased when the small tabby swatted her. She just rolled her eyes and planted her bottom firmly on the ground. She raised her voice and scolded, "now don't go saying things like that! i doubt your mother would want you to suffer! And until you say what's wrong I am NOT leaving you alone!" She was not about to let some emotionally injured cat stay by themselves. She glared at him with determination.

[.:*Hawkstar*:.]

Bleak stood up and whipped around to face the she-cat. "How would YOU know what my mother would want? You know nothing about her! Nothing! She would want me to suffer, she would want you to leave me alone to rot here until I got my act together!" Bleak glared at the she-cat. She had no right... Bleak took a menacing step toward her.

[{Lunarstar}]

Ash's expression stayed nuetral. She spoke witha calm voice, "you're right. I don't know. All I know is that I don't want you to rot in your sorrows. I'm your friend. So if you try and fight me, I probably won't fight back. Remember that." She then flicked her tail in farewell and jumped into the bushes.

[.:*Hawkstar*:.]

Bleak blinked. She's leaving! The thought was alarming. The little cat sprang from the chair and landed in front of the she-cat. Bleak thrust forward and buried his face into her chest fur. "Don't leave," he pleaded. "I need someone here... I'm just not used to having someone there for me. Please, Ash, don't go." Bleak looked up at the she-cat's navy eyes. His own yellow orbs were glossy from tears, and pleading for her to stay.

[{Lunarstar}]

Ash just sat back down and licked Bleak's small brown ear. "It's okay..." She said like a mother comforting her kit. "I'm not going anywhere." She then added, "Bleak, you have friends now. You're gonna have to get used to having someone there for you."

[.:*Hawkstar*:.]

Bleak nodded and smiled through his tears. Ash was a good cat to have around. Almost like a mother that he had never had. "Okay. Sorry, Ash. I shouldn't be so touchy about my mother. I have nothing to be touchy for; she wants nothing to do with me." Bleak shrugged and sighed, leaning into the she-cat. "I wish I had someone like you as a mother. You would do great at it..."

[{Lunarstar}]

Ash laughed. "Good luck getting me a mate who I won't want to kill!" She then stopped laughing and said, "well, I suppose you wouldn't have been a bad son. At least you don't scream, wail, cry, and mew. And you can hunt for yourself." Ash had hated kits and most toms, the only cats she liked were Bleak and Scratch.

[.:*Hawkstar*:.]

Bleak laughed softly. "Well, I complain. Does that count as being a bad son?" Bleak's smile faded. "I scream. I wail. I cry. And I only mew a little... I was a lot quieter as a kit, though." Bleak recalled how he had laid in the shade of his favorite tree, watching his two brothers and his sister tumble and squeal. His mother had scolded him for not playing like a normal kit. He had only looked up at her and mewed, 'Mother, they're only batting at each other. I have better things to do.' He had been plotting the deaths of his siblings...

[{Lunarstar}]

"Trust me, you're 100 times better than a dang kit!" Ash meowed, spitting the word kit. She was still wondering what had upset Bleak, but she wouldn't bring it up yet. She didn't want to upset the tom any more. She glanced at him.

[.:*Hawkstar*:.]

Bleak flickered his gaze up at the she-cat, then all around the nest. Two-legs must have lived comfortably here. The furnishings were all soft and warmed up easily. They were only a little dusty, but that didn't mater. "Mmm..." Bleak looked up at Ash. "Ash?" he asked, feeling awkward. "Would you be my substitute mother? I know it's a lot to ask from you, but I never had a mother that cared for me. If you don't want to, it's fine." Bleak averted his gaze and looked at his paws, shuffling then uncomfortably.