Disclaimer: I'm having trouble thinking of witty ways to tell y'all that I don't own CATS.

A/N: Um, hey again. I feel like an idiot because I hate having multiple stories going on at once, but I only feel like writing this at the moment, so... meh. In case you're surprised at my choice of pairing, it's a gift to a friend of mine who's more a Misto/Tugger believer than anything else. :3 I thought I'd give it a go. Try to make something... nice.

Regardless, this is only going to be short. It was actually meant to be a oneshot split up into four or five parts, but no, I thought that might wind up a bit long. So I'll post it as four or five different chapters. ;D

I hope you likey. 8D

His Broken Belief

Part I

"Oh."

It was but a simple parting of the lips and the release of a gasp. It was wide eyes overflowing with the moon, eyes framed by sweat-sodden fur. He'd done it, he'd done it. Oh Everlasting Cat, he'd done it. Mistoffelees had proved himself, given himself worth, created a name for himself and oh Bast, the Jellicles finally watched him with vague tints of respect in their shining eyes.

That respect would grow if Mistoffelees continued to place his feet carefully as he walked onwards.

The sun had long since risen and the Jellicles, worn and satisfied from the Ball, had for the most part retired to bed. But Mistoffelees was perched atop his pipe, watching the sun make its steady way across the sky, that ball of exhilaration still curled tight in his stomach.

He wasn't sleeping anytime soon, he knew it. Not with all the thoughts jumbling for attention in his head.

He knew for a fact that not everyone was asleep. Victoria had stayed up a while with him, stubbornly blinking her eyes to keep them from closing, tentatively curling her hand around his. That had been nice, sort of. Even if he didn't lose his breath when she touched him anymore.

But now, she was safely in bed, curled up next to her friends. Mistoffelees continued his silent vigil alone. Somewhere in the Junkyard, a drunken yell pierced the air.

Not all the Jellicles thought that it was fun to just nap through the day, evidently. Perhaps the oldest and the youngest Jellicles were content to sleep. Mistoffelees bit his lip, closed his eyes. Through a faint haze of magic, he saw a group of cats slumped around a small clearing in what somewhat resembled a circle, passing around a bottle. He couldn't make out their faces, but through the buzzing of magic in his head, he heard his own name mentioned twice.

Huh...

Well, it wasn't like he had anything better to do. Turning his eyes away from the sky, he leapt down from his pipe, blinking away the white dots that danced across the vision, mere memories of the sun's glare.

He found the group with ease. It was difficult not to be able to find them. He could hear their raucous laughter by the simple prick of an ear.

Tugger, Bombalurina, Cassandra and Alonzo were there – not to his surprise. They were the loudest, especially Bombalurina. Her laughter was high and had an almost screechy quality. Demeter and Munkustrap were there too, which was a little bit of a shock to Mistoffelees. He hadn't expected it from the two of them. Demeter was slurring some story – no one was listening – and hiccupping happily. Munkustrap was slumped against a wall, looking as if he'd passed out, though the flicker of his eyelids showed that he was awake and attentive.

Mistoffelees hung back, not quite sure if he should leave or not. That was when he caught hold of his name passed through the conversation again.

"That Mistoffelees," Cassandra was saying, her voice still retaining that silky smooth quality. She barely looked tipsy, but Mistoffelees could see that her movements were a little heavier. "He's really something, y'know?"

"You gotta watch out for him," Demeter argued. "You may think he's your hero now but remember Macavity?" The gold queen reached out and gripped Cassandra's arm alarmingly hard. "Bast, they're the same."

Mistoffelees bristled.

"No," Tugger said gruffly, lifting his head from preening his mane. "C'mon, man, Misto's great. You're... yeah, Demeter, you're jealous, huh?"

She sniffed at this and crawled across to Munkustrap to lean on the Protector's shoulder. "Jealous? Of what?"

"You're fed up with my prissy little brother, aren't you?" Tugger grinned. "I don't blame you, mind you. Really though – Misto's smart, nice, talented and to top it off, cute. You so want him, Deme. I swear."

"Don't be stupid," Munkustrap mumbled dully. Demeter patted his shoulder.

"Well, I tell you what, Deme." Tugger's voice had dropped to a whisper. "He's too good for you, that Mistoffelees. He's too good for us all."

They all fell silent. Hand pressed to his mouth, Mistoffelees backed away and ran back to his pipe.

It wasn't long after that he opened his eyes, not quite asleep, to the sound of a small junk pile crashing down. Tugger stumbled out, looking dazed and a little bemused.

"Oh, hey Misto," he said, waving. His eyes weren't quite focused.

"Hey," Mistoffelees said quietly, sitting upright.

"Gotta take a piss," Tugger mumbled, passing the pipe and jumping over a few piles. Minutes later, he returned, seemingly triumphant.

"Any good?" Mistoffelees said drily.

"Oh – oh yeah." Tugger declared this with a wink. And to Mistoffelees' surprise, Tugger hoisted himself up onto the pipe next to him. There wasn't much room for the two of them – they had to press together in order to keep balance.

Mistoffelees turned his head to look at Tugger, blinking up at him. "Er..."

"Hey," Tugger grinned.

"What on earth are you doing, Tugger?"

"Dropping in for a cup of tea." Tugger then giggled – a sound that Mistoffelees was pretty sure would never occur while Tugger was sober. He winced.

They sat in silence for a while, Mistoffelees wishing that Tugger would leave him alone so that he could take a nap. But Tugger stayed, tilting his head back and gazing at the sky, his eyes glazed. Mistoffelees watched him, a little nervous.

"Misto," Tugger said. His voice was quiet. "I've been meaning to ask you something for a while, now."

"Hm?" If it would get the idiot off his pipe, he was certainly welcome to asking one question.

"What do you think of me?"

Mistoffelees hadn't been expecting that one. He felt heat rise to his cheeks, because Bast, Tugger sounded like a queen kit desperately in like with some tom, needy for his approval. "Er..."

"Because you know Deme – she's so honest. She'll never lie about what she thinks. And she doesn't like me." Tugger twitched, shuddered. Mistoffelees felt the vibration pass through the contact they had. "I think she thinks I'm trashy. Superficial. You get me?"

"Well..." Mistoffelees began tentatively. "Yeah, Demeter's honest about her opinions. But... her opinions aren't always... well, right, per say. It's only her perspective. Unless Demeter really matters to you, I wouldn't worry. Everyone else likes you, right?" He ended on a teasing note.

Tugger stayed silent.

"Wait," Mistoffelees said, an awful thought dawning on him. "You don't... you're not... you don't have feelings for Demeter, do you? Bast, she's mated, Tugger! To your brother, no less!"

"Oh! Hell no," Tugger sputtered. "She's not my type, man."

Mistoffelees quirked an eyebrow. Tugger sighed and turned to him. Though that mist of alcohol still permeated his eyes, his gaze upon Mistoffelees was sharp, searching. "During the Ball, Misto," he said softly. "You, er... said I was a bore. I mean, I hope I don't bore you or anything..."

Mistoffelees frowned. So this was what it was about? "I wasn't trying to offend you, Tugger," he said patiently.

"I'm not one to get offended. I know you didn't mean it like that." Tugger sighed and bit his lip. He worked it between his teeth, huffing in an irritated fashion. Mistoffelees, for a moment, watched him, absolutely fascinated.

"Um, then how did you mean it?"

"Like... you're really cool, Misto. I've... always been a fan of your magic. You know that." Tugger took hold of Mistoffelees' shoulder so that they were forced to stare at each other. Mistoffelees let out a soft 'ah' of surprise. "I believed in you when no one else would. I trusted you. I wonder... does that matter?"

"Course it matters." By this point, Mistoffelees couldn't quite think straight. Tugger was huge compared to Mistoffelees, looming over in a way that didn't frighten Mistoffelees, but all the same, it frightened him – that flutter in his stomach, that same flutter he felt when he pulled off magic. "It always will, Tugger. Thank you."

"And I've heard all the stories." Tugger's eyes darkened. "They say you're going to turn out just like Macavity. They say... all sorts of things. I still believe in you. I know it's not like that. You... you're a good soul."

Mistoffelees stared. He wasn't breathing. Somewhere in the middle of Tugger's talking, his breathing had hitched and failed to continue.

"Misto, say something," Tugger urged.

Mistoffelees didn't have to. Letting out his breath in one big rush, he wrapped his arms around Tugger's huge frame and sobbed quietly into his mane. Tugger made a hissing sound, surprised. Instinctively, his own arms folded around Mistoffelees.

"No one trusts me." Mistoffelees' voice was muffled. "They think I'm going to go insane. They know something's going to go wrong. I'm just trying... so hard..." He coughed and shuddered. Tugger's arms tightened around him.

"Shh," he said softly.

Finally, Mistoffelees pulled back. His eyes were red round the edges. He laughed nervously, rubbing them to no avail. "I'm sorry, Tugger," he whispered.

"Why should you be?" This was Tugger at the gentlest Mistoffelees had ever seen him, bending to be level with the smaller cat and taking Mistoffelees' paw in both his own. "Nothing's your fault."

It was evident why all the queens loved him so much. Mistoffelees studied the features of Tugger's face – it was perhaps his dark eyes, swirling with some hungry emotion that Mistoffelees loved the most about him. Or the lips, stark red. It was like he was wearing make-up. Or the mane, maybe. Mistoffelees thought vaguely about tangling his hands in that mane, wrapping himself sinuously around Tugger and –

No. What on earth was he thinking? Mistoffelees flinched, thought of Victoria. Victoria, Victoria, sweet Victoria. Her face wouldn't come to mind. Behind his eyelids, all Mistoffelees could see was Tugger, wearing that smirk, hip cocked.

When he opened his eyes, Tugger was so close, so close. It was going to happen. He was moving closer by the second.

And then-

"Tugger! I can't believe that anyone can take this long to piss." The sharp sound of Bombalurina's voice startled Mistoffelees into tipping off the side of the pipe. Sheepishly, he bounded to his feet and glanced around. He saw Bombalurina step out into their sight and blink.

"Hey, Bombs," Tugger said, lips curling up in a lazy smile.

"Watcha doing?" she asked, curious. Her eyes flickered from Tugger, still sprawled comfortably atop Mistoffelees' pipe, to Mistoffelees himself, wiping dust off his behind.

"Just messing with ya, hey Misto?" Tugger said, grinning down at him. But his eyes were sharp with disappointment. Mistoffelees knew he would look the same – he wasn't even bothering to smile.

"Well, leave the kid alone and come on back," Bombalurina said impatiently. "Alonzo got this brilliant idea – hell, you don't want to miss it."

"Sure," Tugger shrugged. He hopped off the pipe and headed towards Bombalurina. She easily linked his arm with hers. Mistoffelees frowned.

Just before they disappeared round a junk pile, Tugger sent one fleeting look back at Mistoffelees. It sent chills down his spine, that look. Next time. Taking in a shuddering breath, Mistoffelees crawled into his pipe and curled into a tight ball, squeezing his eyes shut.

Behind his eyelids, Tugger slunk through his thoughts.