Serious and Honest question about late Apprentice / young Warrior age gaps

^(I really hope I don't regret asking this question. I think it should be fine and honest, but... you never truly can tell.)

I want people's opinions on something I'm toying with writing. It's a canon cat, AU relationship that basically won't work unless I tap the late Apprenticeship of a cat, while the partner is a young Warrior.

I want people's views about how they perceive Apprentice age before I bother. If people don't see it as I do, it becomes obvious that I can't write this AU. You may even think I'm being ridiculous asking a simple question... but I very obviously prefer being on the safe side!

#NOTE:

In my understanding, "Apprentice" is very closely related to military service, which you enter at 18 and training lasts young adult years.

In more literacy, I see the "Apprentice" range as encompassing roughly the 16-25 age range. So in my world, a late Apprentice is at minimum 18-20, likely older. Warriors never put a specific Moon value for how long Apprentice training lasts, and it can get a bit inconsistent–but we would mainly argue some stay Apprentices long enough for the age to reach 25 or so, and some may 'graduate' sooner at 20 or so. My Apprentice here would be the former.

Problem is, this fandom has an infamous history of confusing Apprentice with child, even when they are literally right behind Warrior. I know some people perceive it as anyone from 12 to 17 or the like, even though I personally think it goes through that stage into young adulthood.*

Main idea is because older Apprentices stand toe to toe with Warriors and can be arguably indistinguishable. I discern these cats as young adults, low 20s.

A relationship with a young Warrior would be in equivalence, 20 / 28, or something of the sort, a very reasonable difference. But if people on average don't see Apprentice ages as passing 18, then I have a problem when trying to reach audiences even if my internal world is completely fine.

#Another note:

This particular stage of the relationship would entail what is essentially flirting. Words, spending time together, discussing options, maybe eventually nesting close. It is not encompassing... that stage until a ways later, after things in the Clans settle down and it becomes more reasonable to do so, by which point both are well past being a Warrior.

**Again, I'm not asking if you think someone 16/17 is fine with an older age. I'm asking whether you interpret late Apprenticeship as low 20s, young adult.

I essentially need to know if the majority will read my stories with that outlook, or if they'll (wrongly) assume I'm advocating an underage relationship. I would take care to thoroughly express the late stage age.

Please let me hear your honest opinions! Even if it's that it is simply not worth the risk, even if valid, safer not to, or the like. Warriors has already played with this notion with Bristlepaw and Stemleaf, and Frostpaw and Splashtail I think, but neither of these tried to insinuate flirting of any manner beforehand. This couldbe explained as a social stigma of, 'eh, just wait to be safe.' But private correspondence at the cat's leisure could be fine?

#Last note:

There is a fear of power imbalances, yes. In my particular case, this relationship is cross-clan, chain of command is broken. In general, I'd say a Warrior young enough to quality isn't going to be a Mentor yet, and power imbalance will be just about negligible, as Warriors don't literally have power over random Apprentices at the drop of a hat. See Squirrelpaw and Brambleclaw. Prime example. Not really any imbalance there, he's too young to exert authority anyway, and she's old enough to not be bossed like a new Apprentice fresh from the Nursery.

I'm curious to hear your thoughts!