According to You
Songfic. Entry for RambleTamble's contest.
Rating: T, for a little language.
Summary: Electra's been with Tumble for the longest time now. But more and more often, he's pointing out her faults. Finally she meets someone who sees her as a beautiful young queen. Now she's trying to see if her tomfriend would change his ways, or if he'll push her to go to this new-found someone that she finds herself falling in love with.
Disclaimer: I don't own Cats (Most unfortuantly). That is ALW and TSE's property. I don't own the song According to You. That is Orianthi's property.
Electra stared from her spot on the tire next to her tomfriend, Tumblebrutus, at another tom. Oh, how amazing he was. Funny, sweet, handsome, and he never had a foul word about her. Much unlike the other half of the relationship she was currently in.
"What do you think, Leccy?" Plato asked. Tumble nudged her with his elbow and pulled her back into the dreaded conversation he had been having with Plato and Victoria. It didn't help that Victoria detested her, and that she kept getting glares of loathing.
She looked up at Tumble, then to the two standing in front of her. "Uhm....yeah. Sure."
Plato chuckled and even Victoria cracked a grin. Tumble shot her a look of venom, then pulled her by the arm. "Talk to you later, Plato," he called over her shoulder. Electra struggled to keep up with him as he dragged her along. "Why did you say that?" he spat once they were out of ear's range of everyone.
"I don't know! I wasn't paying attention," she answered.
"They asked if we were planning on mating anytime soon, Electra." Fire coated every word that crept out of his mouth. "You're so stupid, Lec. Why can't you do anything right?"
"Why do you put up with that?" Electra retorted.
"'Cause I do that. No one else would," Tumble said. Lec rolled her eyes, then put her hands on her hips.
"According to you, I'm stupid, I'm useless,
I can't do anything right,"
"And you are, is the thing-" Tumble started. But Lec put a paw over his mouth and continued.
"According to you, I'm difficult, hard to please
Forever changing my mind.
I'm a mess in a dress, can't show up on time
Even if it would save my life.
According to you. According to you.
But according to him!"
Electra gestured wildly towards the place they had just left, where her little crush had been.
"I'm beautiful, incredible
He can't get me out of his head!
According to him, I'm funny, irresistible,
Everything he ever wanted
Everything is opposite and I don't feel like changing it
So baby, tell me what I got to lose
He's into me for everything I'm not
According to you."
She took a breath to sing more, but Tumblebrutus just clapped his paw over her mouth. "That's enough, Electra. I know you're mad, but that's no reason to go and make up some story about another tom who's into you. Trust me, there isn't anyone. So let's just get you home, Etcetera's probably going insane with waiting."
Electra's eyes flicked towards the horizon. "But the sun is only just starting to set," she said. "I said I'd be home at nightfall."
"No. You said sunset," Tumble said, closing his eyes as if talking to a kitten. "Let's just go."
Leccy's eyes narrowed, but she allowed herself to be swept away towards her den, where Tumble left her with a kiss. Turning and walking in, she wiped her lips with a disgusted expression. Etcetera raised her head from the little picture she was drawing.
"What's up, Leccy? I thought you said nightfall," she said, moving from her position on her stomach to Indian-style.
"I did. Tumble's just being a buttface again," Electra replied. "This time he said that there's absolutely no other tom in the junkyard that could possibly like me, when I know for a fact that there is," she stated.
Etcy squealed then jumped up and ran over to her sister's side of their den. "Whoisit? Whoisit?" she asked excitedly.
Electra laughed at her sister's antics. "I'm not gonna tell. He might change his mind," she said.
Her sister whined in objection. "Is it Pounce?" she guessed.
Lec shook her head, launching Etcy into listing every tom in the junkyard. At some point, though, she had to praise the Everlasting Cat for her dark fur to cover the blush that rose to her cheeks when a particular name was mentioned.
A few days later, Electra found herself in the exact same predicament, except that the conversation had been much more relaxed. She and Tumble had been talking with his brother, Pouncival, when she gave a try at a joke. Pounce had cracked up, but Tumblebrutus's eyes narrowed as he yanked her away again.
"Damn it, Electra! How many times have I told you you aren't funny!" he shouted.
Electra cocked an eyebrow at him. "Pounce doesn't seem to agree."
"Well, that's my brother," Tumble said. "But you really should not talk when I'm having a conversation."
Leccy glared at him.
"Don't give me attitude! I'm so tired of you being so moody! First you're laughing, then you're mad!" Tumble yelled.
Electra's glare turned into a scowl.
"According to you, I'm boring, moody,"
"Again with that song!" the tom exclaimed.
"And you can't take me anyplace,"
She continued, acting as if she hadn't heard him.
"According to you I suck at telling jokes
Cause I always give it away.
I'm the queen with the worst attention span
You're the tom who puts up with that
According to you, According to you.
But according to him, I'm beautiful, incredible
He can't get me out of his head
According to him, I'm funny, irresistible,
Everything he ever wanted.
Everything is opposite and I don't feel like changing it
So baby, tell me what I got to lose.
He's into me for everything I'm not,
According to you."
"THAT'S ENOUGH!" Tumble yelled. "Listen Leccy! Whatever tom you think is hitting on you, isn't! It's a fact. No tom had ever liked you besides me! So accept it! You're never going to have anyone besides me!"
Electra's dark green eyes were swimming with tears. She turned on her heels and ran, back towards her den.
That night, instead of guessing anything, Etcetera held and comforted her sister.
"Electra, what's wrong? You've been avoiding me lately. What is it?" Tumble asked a few days later when he finally found her on the TSE 1. Electra glared at him.
"Can I sing it?" she asked.
"Sure. Whatever makes you happy."
"I need to feel appreciated
Like I'm not hated, oh, no
Why can't you see me through his eyes?
Too bad you're making me decide!"
Tumble closed his eyes and let out a sigh. "Electra. You need to accept this. There simply isn't another tom in this yard who would date you."
"Really?" a voice said.
Tumble whipped around and was facing another tom. Lec's heart skipped a beat when she looked at him. Then her intelligent gaze turned on Tumble again.
"According to me,
You're stupid, you're useless,
You can't do anything right,"
Tumble's jaw dropped, and Lec's gaze shifted to the tom who had just walked over.
"But according to him, I'm beautiful, incredible,
He's can't get me out of his head,
According to him, I'm funny, irresistible,
Everything he ever wanted.
Everything is opposite and I don't feel like changing it
So baby, tell me what I got to lose
He's into me for everything I'm not,
According to you."
The whole time Electra sang, the tom's head nodded up and down, smiling.
Leccy turned to Tumble.
"According to you,
I'm stupid, I'm useless, I can't do anything right."
Tumble's eyes blazed. "So are you done with me? 'Cause right now, it seems like you're favoring the thief's shit. 'Cause that's all it is. Damn lies. You aren't getting anyone but me, Lec."
Electra hissed at him. "Well, right now, according to you, I'm not getting anyone, because I especially don't want you. All you've done is hurt me, Tumble. So here it is: We're over."
Tumblebrutus turned on the tom that had wrapped his arm around Electra's waist during their discourse. "You're gonna pay for this, Mungojerrie!" he yelled, pouncing on the tom.
Mungo shoved Leccy out of the way before Tumble could land on him, and then the two toms engaged in a fight, fists and claws flying. Eventually, Tumble somehow got the tiger tabby in a headlock, and was about to dig his claw's into Mungo's back, when Electra ran up and kicked him, sending him toppling to the ground. Mungo picked himself up off the ground, then, limping slightly, walked over and offered a paw to help Tumble up. But the patched tom refused, getting up and stalking off elsewhere. Mungojerrie sighed, then turned to Leccy and shrugged.
"Are you alright?" she asked.
"Oi've been through worse," he said, inspecting his arms, which were fine, and then his legs, where he had a shallow scratch that was bleeding a little, but a bruise that was already turning purple. "Well, tha's jus' grea'," he said, flopping down and looking at the bruise more closely.
Electra peered at it. "I could take you to my mum," she offered.
Mungo shook his head. "Nah. Oi'll be fine. We go' some stuff a' our den. You know. 'Case we 'urt ourselves thievin'."
Leccy nodded. "At least let me help you there. The whole fight was my fault," she insisted.
The tiger tabby sighed, but let her help him. Stopping once they reached the outside of his and his sister's den, he glanced around as if someone might be watching. "You're amazing, Lec," he said. Then he bent down and kissed her gently. A high-pitched squeal came from the tom's den. Mungo's head snapped up. "Aww, cum o'!" he yelled. "Oi'll talk to ya la'er, Leccy," he said, before turning and limping into his den. Electra heard Rumpleteazer squealing and going on, and Mungo saying, "Teaze! Please, jus' stop!"
The tortoise shell smiled dreamily and practically floated to her own den. Etcetera was lying on her stomach, kicking her heels up in the air and humming a tune that sounded suspiciously like the Rum Tum Tugger's song. When her sister entered she looked up and giggled. "Somebody's tomfriend was good to them," she sing-songed.
"Mmmh," Electra agreed.
"So? What did your patched tom do?" Etcy asked, turning over and lying on her back.
"Oh, no. Not patched. Striped," Leccy corrected.
Her sister shot up. "Striped?"
"Mmh-hmm. Mungo swept me off my feet," the dark queen sighed, flopping down on her blanket. She glanced over at her sister and barked a laugh. Etcetera's face was priceless, with her eyes bugging out and her jaw at her paws. "Oh, Cettie. If you could see your face."
"But-but...Tumble...Mungo's the complete opposite...what?" she said, utterly confused.
"Exactly. Mungo would never be as mean as Tumble."
"Bu-bu-but-"
"No buts Cettie. Mungojerrie's really a sweetheart if you get to know him." Electra sighed and closed her eyes.
Etcetera sighed, recognizing her defeat, but then smiled. "Okay, okay. Whatever makes you happy, Leccy." She waited for a few moments for her sister's response. "Lec?"
But the queen was already asleep.
Author's Notes:
Okay, really bad ending. My attempt to be funny. Anyway. Do me a favor and review.