A/N: A quick entry for UniqaChica's First Kiss Contest. It's going to be cheesy and terrible, so I won't be responsible for anyone who drowns in the cheesiness. Alonzo/Electra, just for a bit of a change.
Electra's POV, in case you don't get it.
When Summer comes to the Junkyard, it is slow and gradual, melting slowly into the cool breezes and bright colors of Spring. Day by day it seems to get warmer and brighter, but not one Jellicle could pinpoint the exact day it seemed to change seasons. But it was part of the joy of Summer, waking up one morning and just knowing.
Winter was quite the opposite. Winter was sudden. By some fluke of nature, the first day of Winter each year was met with a deep white blanket of snow sneaking in over the night. It could be perfectly fine one moment, and the next the snow was everywhere, and on everyone. But it was lovely and romantic, and to some extent fun. To wake up, look outside and see an endless playground of white? Pure joy.
I had always imagined love would be like Winter; I didn't know exactly who, or when, but one day a tom would approach and proclaim his undying love and I would just know. I had never really thought beyond that point. The reason for my being was to find that day.
Every day I'm getting older, slower, uglier. I wouldn't say I was pretty to begin with, but I'm certainly not getting prettier at this stage. I had never been as appealing as Bombalurina or Cassandra, or as pretty as Victoria, and I wasn't lucky enough to have a pretty adorability thing going for me like Jemima did. I was a pretty normal queen. It just always seemed that my normality was a lot more astounding surrounded by such pretty, attractive, talented tribe mates.
Once I had grown out of kittenhood, into that awkward stage between having a place and not needing one, I had started to spend more time with Alonzo. Many of the friends I had as a kitten had moved on, either into relationships that monopolized their lives or into where they wanted to go in life.
Alonzo was guarding the Junkyard a good majority of the time. It was really a role that first started in his family, a bloodline of fiercely protective Jellicles. It was their calling to protect. Everyone was glad he was there. I would walk up and down the fence line, kicking up dust with my paws while we scaled the fence, one black foot, then a white, so on and so forth. We would speak about whatever came to mind – our past, our present, our futures. Who we wanted to be, what we wanted to do before we eventually made our way to the Heaviside layer. Sometimes we didn't speak at all, simply walking and watching. It was a companionable silence. And then, when his brother Munkustrap would come to take his shift we would walk back to the Junkyard and part ways. I would visit my family and what little friends were left at the junkyard, eat and sleep, and by mid morning I was awake and making my way back to the fence, where Alonzo would be waiting for me.
"Excited for the Jellicle Ball this year Lec?" Alonzo questioned, gazing absentmindedly over into the distance, where spring's orange sunset was setting in his viewpoint.
"Of course!" I grinned, scrambling up the fence to sit next to him. "It's the best time of the year. I love seeing everybody find their mates." This was of course, true. To a point.
"Except us. And Jemima." Alonzo smiled ruefully. I giggled, slapping his shoulder.
"Yeah, probably. I heard Victoria might have to do the opening dance again if they can't find someone else. Etcetera was first choice, but since she left with Pounce to go to France it's been tough pickings." I shrugged my shoulders. I found a piece of wire sticking out of the fence and began playing with it, distracting myself.
Alonzo paused, and turned to me. "You mean they didn't ask you?" I shook my head sadly, ears drooping.
"You know I would like… love to dance, but I've never been that great of a dancer." In my mind, I was reliving the heartbreak of being told I simply wasn't good enough.
"That's bull and you know it!" Alonzo jumped onto his back paws, livid. "Just because no one can live up to Victoria's standards they're not even letting you try? That's completely unfair! You'd be great, you always are!" I smiled up at him; grabbing his paw and pulling him back down next to me.
"Your opinion isn't everyone's." I went to pull my paw away and continue to play with the metal wire, but his grip tightened around mine, pulling me closer so our wrapped paws could rest under his chin. He stared unabashedly into my eyes, the startling color causing my eyes to widen.
And then I got it.
Over all this time I had gotten closer and closer to him, learning about him and what he likes, what he hates, who his is. Quite the opposite of the Winter love I'd always imagined, love had snuck up upon me like Summer. I loved him, I had for some time, but I couldn't quite figure out when it all had changed. Oh, but I so didn't want it to change back.
"Would you like to go to the Jellicle Ball with me anyway, Electra?" He said quietly, paw still wrapped around mine. I opened my mouth, ready to form a word, But unable to. I nodded, a nearly unperceivable shake of my head, but Alonzo noticed. He smiled that small, but warm smile he always gave and leaned in, brushing his lips against mine.
It was warm, so much warmer than I'd expected, but not the stifling heat of a hot summer day. A comforting heat. He didn't push; he just lightly brushed his lips against mine and moved away. Finally my voice returned to me, cracked and weak.
"I—um—wow." I let out a weak little laugh, shaking up gaze to the ground.
"Too soon?" He asked, pulling back. I gripped his paw a little tighter, unwilling to let go. I could feel the skin under my fur burning a furious red as I smiled wickedly and pulled him closer.
"I—I don't know. Why don't you try again so I can find out?"