A/N: This is the abridged/censored version of this fic - set in the universe of the Jellicle Realms roleplay. It's based on a feature of Bombalurina's profile, which I mentioned as an interesting aside but ended up writing a fic about it. In great detail. Too much detail to post the entire thing here, so if you want the fully detailed NC17 version, PM me or stop by the Realms and ask nicely. For those of you who'd rather skip the gory details, here's the plot bits of it - cutting out around three pages worth. Enjoy. Concrit much appreciated.

Outwardly Respectable

Macavity had been watching her all night. He'd had his eye on her for months. She was beautiful and she knew it as well; she knew just how to move, how to hold herself. She knew how to capture attention, in just the right way, without seeming to put any effort into it at all.

It was not so surprising then, that Bombalurina had captured the attention of the Hidden Paw. She was curvy, with striking red fur and a confident smile. The perfect combination of innocence and sensuality.

Now they were alone, the only two left sitting at the poker table, having just finished one last round. The game had ended spectacularly with the third player passing out on the floor the second Macavity won the last round. His gentle drunken snoring punctuated the air as the young queen looked up at the ginger tom, a look of triumph on her face.

"You cheated," she accused, just a hint of teasing in her voice.

"Prove it," Macavity challenged, taking the opportunity to appraise the queen's body as she leant back in her chair.

"I fully intend to," Bombalurina replied haughtily, watching him and knowing full well what he was looking at. She sighed, making a point of looking around the virtually deserted pub before leaning forward to pick up her glass, draining it and wincing slightly at the strength of it. "Perhaps next time. I really should get going, it's way past my bedtime," she said, giving him her most innocent smile. Truly irresistible.

"It is awfully late and it's a long way back to the Junkyard," Macavity began, a distinctive undertone of a purr in his voice, "I'd hate to think of something bad happening." Macavity knew she was a Jellicle but despite growing up to hate Jellicles on principle, there was something different about Bombalurina.

She had picked up on his not-so-subtle hint and a faint blush crossed her face. She was used to that sort of attention, but coming from Macavity, it just seemed all the more flattering. The scarlet queen felt a tingling in her stomach, mostly composed of nerves. She wanted to say yes, agree to spend the night with him but she had never done that before, she'd chosen to wait until she met someone she could trust.

"Why don't you stay with me for the night?" he suggested suddenly, startling Bombalurina from her thoughts. That blush was irresistible, so much so that Macavity might not be able to stand it if she refused. Bombalurina pondered for a moment, her blush deepening slightly as she thought about it, before answering.

"Yes, I'll stay," she said quietly, "As long as you don't mind…" she added quickly, not wanting to sound desperate.

"Not at all, my sweet. Not at all,"

The queen smiled at that, relaxing and feeling reassured. For all the horror stories she'd heard about him, Macavity didn't seem to be anything like the monster he was made out to be. She watched as he got to his feet, taking his paw when he offered it.

"You can close up now, pet," the ginger tom called cheerfully to the barmaid as he led Bombalurina towards the door.

The couple walked along the dark streets; paw in paw and in complete silence. It was a comfortable silence, neither cat feeling the need to speak. Macavity's mind was already ahead of the game, thinking about what would happen when they arrived at their destination. Bombalurina on the other hand was curious to see where they were going. She had often pondered where Macavity might actually live and what his home would be like. It was difficult to imagine.

She was pleasantly surprised when they stopped outside a large town house in Holland Park. Bombalurina followed him along the path and up to the front door, blushing again when he held it open for her. He led her into the sitting room, she took in the décor of the place. It was modest, but spoke of wealth with a lot of dark wood and leather. Macavity turned on the lamps, adding their warm glow to the room.

"Would you like a nightcap?" he offered, watching her as she tentatively sat down on the couch, almost balancing on the edge as if afraid that sitting further back would cause offence. She nodded and he walked over to the well-stocked drinks cabinet. "Make yourself at home, you're my guest," he said over his shoulder, as he poured two healthy measures of vodka into glasses.

Bombalurina blushed and slid back more comfortably onto the couch. Shyly, she accepted the glass Macavity handed to her, squirming a little when he sat down. He was either too close, or not close enough and she couldn't decide which. To avoid saying or doing anything awkward, she took a rather large sip from her glass, choking as the spirit caught in her throat. Clearly Macavity wasn't the type of tom to believe in mixers, he was a bit like her brother in that respect.

"Are you okay?" he asked, he'd been watching her again. He couldn't keep his eyes off of her. He could see the tension in the red queen's body, betraying her nervousness.

"Mm hm, why wouldn't I be?" she answered, sounding much more confident than she felt.

"You seem a bit worried, that's all. Just relax, I'm not going to hurt you," the ginger tom assured her.

"Not many'd believe that," the queen muttered, not sure herself whether she was teasing him or not.

"I'm sure. You, my sweet, have nothing to worry about," Macavity promised, casually leaning an arm across the back of the sofa to softly stroke her headfur.

"I know, it's just…" she paused, scared to admit it but equally afraid of not telling him.

"What?"

"I haven't, I mean, I'm a… I've never really done anything like this before."

That was it? Nothing to worry about as far as Macavity was concerned. In fact, it was better, if he was to be her first, it would be a night to remember. Perhaps even for both of them. He was definitely keen on the idea of taking her virginity, probably more so as she was a Jellicle, it was always fun to corrupt Jellicles. Especially when they didn't realise what he was doing.

Pushing his more inappropriate thoughts aside, he leaned in a little closer, speaking softly to reassure her, "Bombalurina, we don't have to do anything you're not comfortable with."

The scarlet queen looked up at him, surprised and unknowingly looking her age for once. She seemed so innocent just then, but she was reassured. "Thanks," she whispered softly, a shy smile surfacing once again, "I'm okay. I want to… I'm just a little nervous."

"You can always say stop," the ginger tom purred, looking into her eyes. He seemed so sincere, so reassuring just then that Bombalurina knew she was in safe paws and she began to relax again. Whether that was because of him or the vodka, she wasn't sure but it didn't matter.

Macavity instinctively seemed to know that she was feeling more relaxed now, perhaps from just the slightest change in her posture as the tension left her body. He knew he was safe to make a move. Keeping his paw on the back of her neck, he turned slightly, leaning in to kiss her. She didn't pull away, she kissed back, surprised at his gentleness and almost melting under his touch.

After a few moments, Macavity broke off the kiss, not at all surprised at the soft purr he could hear. "You're beautiful, Bombalurina." He smiled indulgently as she blushed again at his words. The scarlet queen wanted to answer in kind, but she was having trouble thinking of just the right thing to say. Everything she thought of sounded stupid. She reached for him instead, her paw tentatively stroking through the wild fur on his chest and she smiled at him.

He made her feel wanted, he made her feel appreciated, he made her feel sexy. No doubt about it, Macavity had affected her. All she'd ever been told about him, none of it seemed to be true. He was charming, generous and attractive. With his wild ginger fur, tall and lean figure and those dark eyes; there was something just so alluring about him. She couldn't resist, that first kiss had blown her mind and she wanted more. Bombalurina was not normally a shy queen, and as she became more comfortable her confidence returned. The scarlet queen shifted closer, moving to initiate another kiss. Her paw stayed on his chest, tangling gently in his thick fur. Macavity slipped his tongue past her lips, gently exploring, tasting her. His paw stroked slowly down her spine, making the young queen shiver pleasantly.

When they finally broke apart, Bombalurina was surprised to find that she'd somehow ended up in his lap, perched across his legs. Macavity smiled, he seemed to work out her thoughts simply by watching her face. It was probably a good thing she couldn't read his thoughts at all.

"Perhaps we should finish our drinks upstairs?" he suggested, subtle as a bulldozer and yet somehow managing to not sound too suggestive. Bombalurina just nodded, taking the paw he offered and standing up. Macavity stood as well, pausing to reach for his glass. Bombalurina seemed to remember hers and bent to retrieve it from where she'd left it on the floor; unaware of the view she gave the ginger tom with that simple move. He took the opportunity, sipping vodka as he admired her, only stopping when she stood up again and turned back to face him.

Macavity took her paw again, leading her through the house. She followed him upstairs, their footsteps quiet on the thick carpet. He stopped outside a door, holding it open for her to go in first, playing the part of the gentleman to perfection. Bombalurina gasped when she saw the room, of all the images of Macavity's bedroom she had ever imagined, this was nothing like what she'd expected. It was beautiful, in a masculine sort of way, but stunning all the same. There was a large bay window overlooking a modest back garden, a door standing ajar that led to an en-suite bathroom but the most striking feature of the room was the large four poster bed. The frame was mahogany and it was hung with deep purple curtains on all four sides, with matching pillows and sheets on the most comfortable looking bed she had ever seen in her life. Apparently, crime did pay and it paid very well.

The ginger tom was amused by her reaction; nobody seemed to expect him to live like this. He closed the door behind him and moved to stand behind Bombalurina. His arms slipped around her waist, his chin resting on her shoulder.

"I'm glad you approve," he purred.

"It's beautiful," she agreed, leaning back against him and sighing.

"Not as beautiful as you," he replied, nuzzling into her neck. He watched as the queen's gaze returned to the bed. She was obviously thinking about what was inevitably going to happen tonight. Macavity decided that she needed a gentle nudge in the right direction. "It's comfortable, I promise."

She blushed, but took the hint anyway, stepping forward and gently releasing herself from his arms. He followed, watching as she ran her paw over the bedding before sitting down on the edge of the bed. She looked up at him, her expression an enticing combination of shyness and invitation that he would never forget.

He sat beside her, taking her into his arms again and kissing her deeply. This time she really did melt, sighing happily into the kiss and falling against him. Slowly, he encouraged her to move, shifting their positions until she was laying on the bed properly beside him. The kiss gained passion, her paws exploring his back and shoulders while his sought out her curves. She shivered pleasantly at his touch, feeling the warmth of his body close to hers, lost in his scent, his taste. It was almost overwhelming, but she couldn't get enough of it.

He lay down beside her, exhausted and feeling rather smug. It was a night to be remembered, for both of them. He had made sure that Bombalurina would never forget her first time. Bombalurina sighed happily; she'd never felt this good before, or this relaxed. She was exhausted, but strangely satisfied. She cuddled into Macavity, turning to nuzzle into his long fur and purring softly. He held her close, tolerating the cuddling for a few moments before suggesting that they settle down to sleep. Bombalurina yawned her agreement and was sound asleep before he could even cover her with the blankets.

Macavity was the first to wake, not one to sleep very much. He smirked as he remembered the night before, and the identity of the other occupant of his bed. He looked over at her, watching her sleep. Eventually Bombalurina awoke as well, a little surprised to find that she wasn't in her own bed. She was even more surprised to find Macavity beside her, watching her. She remembered everything, and felt a distinct note of panic rising up within her. What now? Did he want a relationship with her? How was she supposed to act around him now?

Macavity didn't want a relationship, if she were to get clingy he'd lose interest very quickly. He seemed to sense her predicament and sought to reassure her. Sort of.

"Something wrong?" he asked, faking concern rather well.

"Uhm… I was just sort of wondering, what… happened last night, what does it mean?"

"Does it have to mean anything?" he said, speaking very carefully.

"I guess not," she answered uncertainly, "Not that… I mean, it was amazing, but…"

"I don't think you and I dating would go down very well." He finished her sentence for her, glad that she agreed with him.

"Yeah, but that doesn't mean it has to be a one-off, does it?" She asked, just to be sure.

"Of course not, my sweet," the ginger tom purred, admittedly impressed by her apparent attitude to this, "If you want to do this again sometime, I know I'd like that. It's just a bit of fun. You did have fun last night, didn't you?"

"I did," she affirmed, smiling, "Much more fun than playing cards with you anyway. You can't cheat at this."

That was when Macavity knew that everything was cleared up, if she was comfortable enough to tease him like that, she was fine with everything he'd said.

"We'll see," he said vaguely.

"But how can you cheat? We're just friends, who might occasionally sleep together."

"You have a point there," Macavity admitted. He actually wondered about her attitude, he hadn't really expected her to be okay with the idea of casual sex without a relationship. Most queens weren't, especially the inexperienced ones. "Are you sure you're okay with that?"

Bombalurina smiled and nodded. "I am. I'm not about to turn all obsessive and clingy on you, Macavity. That's not my way. You see, the reason I hadn't ever… you know. It wasn't because I was scared of getting hurt. I was afraid of not liking it. I get so much attention from toms, but there aren't many that I liked enough to want to be with. I wanted to wait, for someone that I was attracted to. I just figured it would be better that way, rather than doing it just for the sake of getting the first time out of the way. Does that make sense?"

"It does." Macavity agreed, speaking quite honestly. He could see her logic, and it was already obvious that this was a queen who would be very difficult for any tom to tie down, figuratively speaking. He had already known that, he knew her personality. She was independent, carefree, outgoing and flirty. Macavity wasn't sure how much influence he himself had had on her attitude to sex, but his own attitude was much the same, in some respects, so he could understand where she was coming from. It sounded as though she already had that outlook that sex didn't have to mean love or commitment. He'd definitely made the right choice. "So no regrets then?"

"No regrets."

He kissed her on the cheek before sitting up. "So, how would you like to join me for a late breakfast?"

"Late? What time is it?" she asked, simultaneously checking the clock. "I'd love to, but I should really get home. I never told anyone where I was going, Alonzo will be going mad. I need to get back there before he sends out a search party."

"Search party?" Macavity asked, confused.

"My brother, he's a bit over-protective of me. He'd go mental if he knew where I was right now."

"What will you tell him?"

"I stayed with a friend, because it got too late to walk home," she answered with a smirk, "Technically, it's not even a lie."

Macavity laughed at that, he knew there was a reason he liked her so much. "I'll see you out then."

It took her five minutes to straighten herself up a bit, so that she at least looked respectable, then Bombalurina followed Macavity to the door. "Thank you, for letting me stay and… well, everything."

"It was my pleasure. I'm sure I'll see you again soon at the poker table," Macavity said with a grin, by way of a goodbye.

"You can count on it," she said, pausing only to kiss him on the lips before heading off along the path and towards the Junkyard. Macavity watched her leave for a moment, before going back into the house and preparing for work. Drug shipments didn't move themselves, after all.

Bombalurina arrived back at the Junkyard, prepared for the inquisition she knew was coming. Sure enough, the black and white tom was pacing at the main gate. He looked up as her pawsteps approached.

"Bomba! Where the hell have you been all night?" Alonzo demanded, immediately checking her over for signs of injuries.

"Relax, Lonz. I lost track of time, so I stayed with a friend. It was too late to walk home alone."

"You sure?" he insisted, now looking at her properly. He calmed down though, really he knew his sister was sensible enough. He just couldn't help but worry.

"Yeah, I'm sure. I didn't want to risk walking home that late," she said, knowing that that would placate him.

"Just… don't scare me like that. I thought Macavity might have got you. I mean, what if he had done? Who knows what could have happened?" Alonzo said, finally accepting his sister's story but trying to make it clear why he had been so worried.

"Yeah. Who knows." Bombalurina agreed, suppressing a grin.