Can I Have This Dance?
Demeter sat alone on the tire, staring at the stars. Munkustrap had been gone for three days now, and she was worried. He had only meant to be gone a couple of hours, to try and find where Macavity had gone after the Jellicle Ball. All sorts of thoughts had been running through her head. A search party, headed by Alonzo, had gone out, but had returned after a whole day of searching with no sign of the handsome silver and black tom she loved so much. Bombalurina had been good at taking her mind off it for a while, entertaining her sister with her antics concerning Tugger, but then Jemima had come and snuggled up to her and asked where her father was.
Now that Jemima was fast asleep in the den she shared with her parents, Demeter was left alone with her thoughts. She could hear romantic music playing from the flats near the junkyard. The song was soft and familiar to her – she'd heard them playing it before. Munkustrap had said he liked it; and wished he knew how to do a dance to it. Demeter had smiled and promised to teach him slow dancing, but had never gotten the chance. There were so many things she'd promised to do with Munkustrap, and now it was uncertain whether she'd ever get to do them. She'd wanted to stay with him forever, but would she ever even see him again?
'Can I have the pleasure of dancing with a beautiful queen tonight?'. The voice came from behind Demeter, and startled her slightly, even though the voice that spoke was soft. She turned and smiled. Alonzo was standing there, holding out his hand and smiling. Demeter knew then that Munkustrap wasn't coming back – but there would be time to grieve later on. For now, she could pretend that all was fine. She could pretend that Munkustrap had asked Alonzo to dance with her – and she could be with the cat she'd known and been friends with since she was a tiny kitten. Demeter put her paw in Alonzo's, and together they danced. The way Alonzo knew how to move, knew how to twirl her and move his feet at the right time, made Demeter's heart feel like it was breaking. Why hadn't she taught Munkustrap how to do it when she had the chance? She had loved the way Munkustrap danced with her, the way he made her laugh when he stumbled, the way he would turn it into a game and would simply twirl her around and around until she was dizzy, and could do nothing but allow Munkustrap to rock her gently, swaying from side to side. Munkustrap had always wanted to learn how to dance properly, and Demeter had been too busy to teach him. There was no such thing as being too busy when it came to the person you loved – it had taken Demeter so long to realise this that it hurt her to remember.
Alonzo twirled her, moved with her, held her close and made her feel safe. Nothing was wrong. Everything was right with the world; everyone was safe and happy. Grief was non-existant, there was no such thing as being unhappy and no-one ever left before they were ready. Then, he stood still and put his mouth to her ear.
'I think someone wants to cut in,' he whispered softly. Demeter turned, and there was Munkustrap. Her Munkustrap. He looked tired and sore, but he moved straight forwards and put one paw on Demeter's waist, and took Demeter's other paw in his own, before his lips met hers and all the words Demeter had wanted to say, all of the questions she had wanted to ask, suddenly became obsolete, things that could be put off until later, much later. And then Munkustrap was moving with her, gracefully, lithely, like he'd never danced before. Demeter allowed herself to be led by him, gazing into his eyes. He kept his steady, comforting gaze on her the whole time.
'I missed you,' Demeter said quietly as Alonzo slinked off, leaving them alone. There were tears in her eyes, but Munkustrap brushed them away gently. He didn't reply; just smiled, and Demeter knew that the feeling was mutual. She glanced down at his feet – he was moving in perfect rhythm, in complete harmony with her own movements. 'You learned to dance,' she said softly. 'I didn't teach you'. Munkustrap just smiled once more, before opening his mouth to speak.
'I've been watching a great teacher. I'll never leave you, Demeter. You know that, don't you?' he asked gently, stroking her cheek as though he had to leave but couldn't bear it. He was beginning to loosen his grip on her waist, his hand was beginning to slide out of her own, his features beginning to fade. 'Promise me, every time you look at the stars, you'll see me there. Just promise me that – and promise me you'll make sure Jemima knows to do that too. You two mean the world to me. Remember that. I'll never stop loving you – nothing in the world could keep me from watching over you'. Demeter felt the tears begin to fall thick and fast.
'Don't leave me,' she pleaded, her voice thick and choked by tears. 'Please... stay with me!'. Munkustrap was fading faster, until only his voice could remind Demeter that he was still there. She grasped thin air, trying to hold it close, trying to grab Munkustrap and pull him back out of the nothingness that had enveloped him.
'I'm always with you, Dem,' he said softly, and Demeter felt a breeze ruffle her fur, touch her cheek as light as Munkustrap's paw always had done. And then he was gone. Demeter sank to her knees, knowing that Munkustrap was gone. She wanted to sob, wanted to scream and pull Munkustrap back, wanted to go to the end of the earth and back just to get him with her. She was barely aware of Alonzo coming over to her. He knelt down beside her and put a paw on her shoulder, comforting her in silence. She stood up after a while, a small but determined smile on her pretty face. The smile that Munkustrap had always loved – he'd said it made her look like she was confident and happy with her life. Demeter had always replied that she was happy – because he was part of her life. As the song started up once more, she allowed Alonzo to help her up.
'Can I have this dance?' she asked softly. Alonzo smiled and held her close, and danced with her. And suddenly, she was lost in his arms, his touch taking her to another world, his movement rocking her like she was on a ship, sailing away to somewhere she could be truly happy. A ship taking her to where she already was – because she was with the people she needed to be with. She was with Bombalurina and Jemima. She was with Alonzo. She was with Munkustrap. She wasn't alone – she would never be alone.
She was with her family – and her family would always be with her.
A/N – Aww, so how's that for some Munku/Dem/Alonzo fluff to get rid of some writer's block. I'll do a couple more oneshots, but all my ongoing fics are going on hiatus for a while – I'm going on holiday this Friday, and then I'm working non-stop for six weeks after that. I'll try and update when I can, but on the longer fics, like My Way Home and What Happens In High School, it could be September before you get your next chapter. I'll keep you entertained with some letters and some little fluffy/upsetting/cute/funny oneshots.