~The Moon's Sanctity~
Author:
Danaeyl Panthernopaeus.
Summary:
The kittens are demanding, when it comes to Mistoffelees' magic. Wanting to wow the Tribe at Victoria's birthday, he tries his hardest to perfect a new trick, with the help of the Rum Tug Tugger.
Disclaimer: The characters mentioned in this story belong to their respective owner/s.
Author's Note:
Dedicated to my good friend Aerys Krystie who begged me to watch the musical. I agree completely with his choice of pairing. This is a Rum Tum Tugger/Magical Mister Mistoffelees story. For the sake of everything, I will be going under the assumption that Quaxo is Mistoffelees, and have some of Quaxo's personality coming through.
Thank you and please enjoy.
The Rum Tum Tugger was a terribly bored cat at that moment. He had groomed himself until his coat shone brightly, and had entertained his lovesick kittens until they were called away by Jennyanydots. He was left alone to stare at the nearing midnight moon. He was too energetic that night to sleep, for some unknown reason.
He passed his brother as he walked around the center of the junkyard. They nodded their acknowledgment at each other, and Tugger continued on his way. He had no idea where he was going, but decided that anywhere was better than his den at that moment.
With the Jellicle Ball having finished over a month ago, Tugger had found himself bored for the massive majority of those four weeks. As much as he enjoyed teasing the queens, and watching the way the other toms would wince at their mewling, he was beginning to lose interest in that as well. Nothing seemed to keep his interest for more than a few hours.
He rounded pile, after pile of garbage until he was almost certain he was lost. He liked to live by many mottos, and one of them was: there's a difference between being lost and not knowing where one is. At that time, he was lost. He knew basically where he was, and could probably find his way home easily if he really needed to. If he really wanted to, he could wander around until he didn't know where he was, and would likely have to wait for Munkustrap to find him, and then get the scolding of a lifetime for being irresponsible.
He rounded one more high pile, before he would double back and see if he could sleep. He jumped to the left when a streak of electricity landed an inch from his front paws. He heard a disappointed sigh, whether it was because it missed him or because the magic wielder had done something that was not planned, Tugger didn't know. He was going to assume it was the latter, as he didn't want to think that the original conjuring cat would aim for him purposely. He hadn't done anything recently to warrant that kind of hostility.
Tugger looked up, and from the light of the full moon saw that there were scorch marks all around the clearing. He cocked his head to the side, and sat down as he watched the magical cat. He had no idea what Mistoffelees was attempting to do, but it looked complicated if the dance routine was anything to go by.
Mistoffelees was obviously lost in whatever he was doing, as every time he fell a bolt of lightning shot out. Tugger made sure to keep an eye on that, as he didn't want to make a mad dash for the sidelines again. The tuxedo cat had not noticed that he had an audience, either, which was something that always made Tugger curious. He would admit that more often than not, he got absorbed in his flirting.
Once again, Mistoffelees fell and another flash of light happened. Again. Again. And again. And again. It continued until the moon hit the midnight peak, and the routine was done without a hitch. Rum Tum Tugger's eyes widened with amazement. The grace of the failed attempts was just as beautiful, but there was something…magical about the way it was when done perfectly.
The dance ended, and Mistoffelees finished with his paws in the air and miniature fireworks exploding above him, but there wasn't a smile to be seen. He kicked at the ground, and sank to it as though he was completely disappointed in what had just happened. Just as Tugger was about to leave, Mistoffelees looked in his direction, and cocked his head to the in an adorable manner.
Tugger stayed where he was, blinking at the tux. Neither of them made a move, until Mistoffelees got to his feet and walked off. The Maine Coon let him go. It was obvious that he wanted to be alone, and he had thoroughly enjoyed the show. He still had no idea what Mistoffelees was hoping to achieve, but the end result had been amazing.
He guessed it was a new trick that wasn't going according to plan, and left it at that. He could always badger the tuxedo later in the day about it, anyway. That was his train of thought as he headed back to his den.
He was not going to lie, Mistoffelees had been more than amazing at the Jellicle Ball. When he had brought back Deuteronomy, everyone was beyond impressed. Tugger didn't think he could actually pull it off. He had more respect for the tuxedo cat now than ever before. He could bring back their leader. Why was he so disappointed with how his magic was going?
Tugger paused. His ears twitched, trying to pick up the sound the again. For a moment he swore that he heard gentle footsteps. He crouched down, waiting for the cat to start walking again. He was used to being followed, and his ears could pick up any sound from a cricket hopping to a fan creeping up behind him. He would be damned if some cat got the better of him.
He spun around, feeling something breathing on the back of his neck. He cocked his head as black and white feathers rained down. They landed in a pattern that seemed deliberate, as the feathers spelled out the words 'peeping tom'. Mistoffelees. Quite possibly the only cat that could sneak up on anyone without giving away his position.
"Behind you," a voice whispered.
Tugger looked over his shoulder, staring at the smaller tom that stood there. Mistoffelees raised an eyebrow slightly, possibly waiting for the Maine Coon to react to someone being behind him. Normally, Tugger would react with violence, just so the cat that would attempt to scare him would get the message.
"Was there a reason you were watching me so late at night?"
Tugger smirked, turning to face the tuxedo cat. "I think a few cats would be surprised to know you are as vain as I am, Mistoffelees," he stated arrogantly, hoping it would cover up his previous dumbfounded reaction.
"Perhaps a few cats would be surprised to know that you enjoy watching me dance in the middle of the night, almost in the middle of nowhere," Mistoffelees remarked apathetically. "I doubt it would do much for your reputation."
Tugger chuckled, ruffling Mistoffelees' head fur in a way Jennyanydots and Jellylorum did with the kittens under their care. He wanted to make sure that Mistoffelees didn't get the wrong idea about him. Cats were curious by nature. He could only assume that Mistoffelees was still upset when he kicked that ball in his general direction during his song at the Ball.
"It would take more than that to even make a dent in my reputation," he said with a smirk and waving his hand dismissively. He stepped around Mistoffelees.
He looked over his shoulder, waiting for a retort from the cat. When it seemed apparent that Mistoffelees was just going to stare at him, Tugger shrugged and continued back to his den. He could only hope that Mistoffelees would be in a better mood later on, and wouldn't be as defensive when questioned about his routine.
Rum Tum Tugger woke with a start. He shook his head, and scratched behind his left ear. He got up, stretched his back and just sat in his den for a few moments. He could tell by the light on the blue tarp that covered the top draw of the bureau, which stuck out, it was nearing mid-morning.
The drawer had a quarter of the bottom missing, which worked perfectly for the Maine Coon. He was able to slip through the hole, and step out from the bottom of the structure, as the last drawer was missing. Oddly enough, the drawer didn't have pillows stuffed into it or blankets everywhere. It had a single blanket, which took him nearly ten minutes to fold to his liking in it, and a single pillow. It was neat. That was a fact that was likely to shock many cats, if they ever saw it.
He quickly scratched through his mane, and shook himself to settle his fur down. He could hear Jennyanydots talking to the kittens that usually followed him around about their lessons. He would have most of the day to his lonesome, and contemplated what he would do with all of that free time. Then he remembered the strange occurrence of that morning.
Tugger slipped through the hole with ease, and stepped out of his den. The sun was beating down on them, but the breeze kept the temperature relatively bearable. He headed into the center of the junkyard. Munkustrap had gone to bed, and Alonzo had taken over.
"Good morning, Tugger," Alonzo said with a nod.
"Well, it's morning," Tugger said back, with a smirk. "How long ago did Munkustrap head to bed?"
"Just before the sun was fully over that pile." He pointed to a large pile of junk in the east, which was basically their clock. "Did you want me to wake him?"
Tugger shook his head. "I don't suppose you've seen anyone else?"
Alonzo tilted his head slightly, eyeing Tugger curiously. "Is there someone in particular you are looking for, Tugger? If you're going to be vague it will be difficult for me to guess."
Tugger raised his paws above his head. "No one," he replied, enjoying the confusion that flashed through Alonzo's yellow eyes. "I was merely asking."
Tugger continued on before Alonzo could query him further on what he meant. He didn't particularly want to deal with an interrogation. He had things to do, and eating was the first one. He figured that Mistoffelees would be in the same spot, and there wasn't any real rush to get to him. It would probably be better if he took his time with his hunt for mice.
His hunt was over quickly, but he took his time with feeding. He enjoyed savoring a victory, and catching two mice was a victory for him. He had just finished the last one when trash started to tumble down from the pile he was beside. He stepped to the side, and got on with grooming the blood off of his paws and chin.
Once cleaned to his high standard, Tugger headed towards the clearing that Mistoffelees would be in. He crouched at the entrance, and watched as the tuxedo cat tried the same dance routine, with just as much failure as the previous night. Unlike the night before, Mistoffelees didn't manage to get it right.
On the last fall, Mistoffelees didn't get up immediately. Instead, he pounded his paws on the ground. He looked up at the clear sky, and pulled himself up. He redid the routine, from the beginning and Tugger's gold eyes widened. He had almost forgotten how beautiful Mistoffelees looked when he danced. The only thing that ruined it was the last jump, and the tux fell to the ground again.
Tugger shook his head as Mistoffelees got up, and continued doing the routine, despite the falls at the end. Nothing seemed to be going in favor for the tux. He continued, even though his legs were shaking at the idea of standing up. Tugger knew it was only a matter of time before Mistoffelees fell from sheer exhaustion.
"Why? What is so different?"
For a moment, Tugger thought that Mistoffelees was speaking to him. That assumption was quickly discarded when he saw that Mistoffelees was staring at the ground. Tugger how no idea how Mistoffelees' magic worked, but he knew it had to do with the dancing that occurred before the trick. If that wasn't perfect then the trick would fall flat.
Tugger sighed and stepped into the clearing. Mistoffelees looked over his shoulder, frowning at seeing the flirt strutting up to him. He got to his feet, but quickly fell to a knee. With a deep breath, he forced his body to stand upright and he tilted his head up to look the Maine Coon in the eye.
"Is there something I can help you with?"
Tugger held his paws up defensively. "I was wandering around, and saw you practicing again. I was only going to ask what you were practicing. I was unaware that that was a crime all of a sudden."
Mistoffelees' brown eyes darkened more than usual. "I doubt you would understand, Rum Tum Tugger. Like everyone else, you will have to wait until it is complete."
Tugger hooked his thumbs in his belt, and sent his signature smirk to the tux. "I saw what it was meant to look like this morning. And I should probably mention that forcing yourself to dance until you can't stand is not a good idea."
Mistoffelees seemed to want to argue that point, but knew Tugger was right, which seemed to make it worse somehow. "Thank you for the advice," he said acidly, his fur beginning to bristle. "Is there anything else, or may I continue practicing?"
Tugger stepped back a few paces. "By all means, continue."
Mistoffelees narrowed his eyes. "I would prefer not to have an audience."
"That's a lie."
"Unlike you, I do not need to practice my moves in front of others."
Tugger raised an eyebrow. "Meow," he said and turned his back to Mistoffelees. He waved as he left the clearing, deciding that Mistoffelees likely would never be in a good mood with him. "Catty." He smirked when Mistoffelees growled. "Try leaping from your weaker paw," he called back.
He heard Mistoffelees snort, as though Tugger had no idea what he was talking about. When it came to graceful ways of Mistoffelees and Victoria, he really had no clue what he was talking about. He did, however, know that leaping from his strong paw meant he would be landing with his weaker one. He had fallen many times in his youth because of that. Most of it was habit, which was sometimes a pain to break.
He stood around the corner, resting an arm on the trash as he watched Mistoffelees. The tuxedo took a deep breath, and performed the routine once more. He took Tugger's advice, and performed the dance flawlessly. There was one problem, though. There were no fireworks, which seemed to crush the tux as he sank to the ground.
Tugger couldn't understand why Mistoffelees was forcing himself to perfect it so quickly. What could be so important that it needed to be done immediately? Then he remembered that Victoria's birthday was two weeks away. That made Tugger curious. How was it that the routine was perfect, but the fireworks had not happened?
He watched as Mistoffelees flopped out on his back, staring up at the cerulean sky. That was all that Tugger saw, as he decided to head back into the main center. He was starting to miss the kittens that enjoyed hanging off of him. He was missing them more now that Mistoffelees made it perfectly clear that he didn't want to talk.
Several hours later, Rum Tum Tugger was back to watching Mistoffelees. He had entertained his fans, irritated Munkustrap and had somehow found his way back to the little clearing. It was nearing midnight again, and while Mistoffelees had the dance correct, he couldn't seem to get the fireworks to happen again.
That time, however, Mistoffelees noticed Tugger just before midnight. He stopped dead through the routine, and glared at Tugger. "You cannot take the hint, can you?"
Tugger smiled and shrugged. "Apparently not."
Mistoffelees lost his glare, and sighed in defeat. He knew there was nothing he could do to get Tugger to leave him alone. "If that is the case, could you perhaps not be as intense?"
Tugger nodded. He leant his back to the pile of junk he was standing next to. With a deep breath, Mistoffelees redid the routine, just as the moon moved into the midnight peak. As it was with the previous night, the fireworks happened.
The two toms looked at each other. They came to the same conclusion, and Mistoffelees collapsed, hanging his head as the thought ran through his mind over and over. He was unable to believe that the moon would affect his magic that way.
Tugger watched the display. It seemed obvious to him that Mistoffelees didn't want to rely on the moon to make his magic work. To be honest, he didn't see a problem with it. He knew that keeping the kittens up that late to enjoy the show would be frowned upon, since it seemed to only be the midnight hour that made a difference.
Tugger walked into the clearing, and crouched in front of Mistoffelees. "It looked good, at least."
Mistoffelees looked up, despair in his dark eyes. "I… Thank you. I do not think that it will be preformed at Victoria's party."
Tugger smiled. "I think we can work around that. If you explain to Jennyanydots and Jellylorum about the problem ––"
"No," Mistoffelees cut in with a shake of his head. "I will not accept failure."
"I didn't say anything about accepting it. The party can be taken up with smaller tricks, which we've all seen before. You just need to make that one your finale."
Mistoffelees frowned. Tugger knew it was a good idea, and that was likely why Mistoffelees was staring at him as though one or both of them were insane. He bit his lower lip, pulling himself upright with the Rum Tum Tugger kneeling before him.
"That is a frighteningly good idea, Rum Tum Tugger," he said, as he stared up at the moon.
Tugger sighed. "How many times do I need to ask you to call me 'Tugger'?"
"How many times must I remind you that only hormonal kits, family or friends call you that? I am none of the aforementioned."
He stood up, towering over the smaller tom and grinning down at him. "I'd say you're a hormonal kit, Mistoffelees."
"Thank you for your input. I will see to it that you are credited for the ideas. Now, please leave me alone. You have worn out your usefulness."
Tugger's eyes widened. He honestly had no idea what he had done to warrant such hostility from the conjuring cat. He had been kind. He had kept his flirting on a leash. He… "I sang a song for you!"
"To bring back your father."
"Our leader!"
Mistoffelees glanced down. "I would have done it, either way. I did not need you to sing my song. It should have been Munkustrap that sang it."
"Are you being like this because I'm not Munkustrap?"
"Like what?" Mistoffelees challenged, stepping back and stretching out his body. "I have been my usual self. If anything has changed, it is that you are hanging around suddenly."
Tugger knew he couldn't argue with that. Mistoffelees obviously wanted to be alone so he could practice his magic without the fear of someone making a noise to throw off his concentration. He exhaled quietly, and decided it would best if he just left the magical tom alone until one of them died. At least he would be able to attend Victoria's celebration.
He wasn't going to walk out the way he had come, though. He gracefully leapt up a mountain of garbage, and disappeared into the night that way. He couldn't think of a single reason why Mistoffelees would be so harsh towards him, and he knew he would be going insane trying to think of a reason for it.
"Tugger?"
Rum Tum Tugger looked at the silver tabby head that had popped up from the missing section of the drawer. He stared at his brother, as he invited himself into Tugger's den. The Maine Coon was grooming himself, getting ready to make an entrance to Victoria's party.
Over the past two weeks, Tugger had secluded himself to his den. He left only to feed, use the bathroom and get a drink. He could hear his fans hanging around, waiting for him to emerge. They would sit there for hours, hoping to catch a glimpse of him. He didn't have the heart to perform for them, when his heart wasn't in it.
Munkustrap sat on the edge of the hole. He watched his brother for a few moments. "I assume this means you will be showing yourself tonight?"
Tugger grinned. "It would be rude to not attend Victoria's birthday."
Munkustrap raised an eyebrow. "You aren't going to tell me why you have been hiding away for the last two weeks, are you?"
Tugger paused mid-lick to stare at his brother. He wasn't expecting to be questioned about his sudden absence, but he knew it would happen eventually. He didn't want to admit that the last fourteen days had been devoted to thinking about a tom. Not just any tom, though. He knew that a lot of Jellicles thought about Mistoffelees. He was probably more of a curious cat than Tugger.
He finished the lick, and shook his coat out. "I don't know what you're talking about," he lied.
"Do not lie to me, Rum Tum Tugger," Munkustrap warned, moving closer to his brother. "Your fans have been waiting to see you. Others are beginning to think that you have run away. If it wasn't for the fact that I have seen you hunting, I would be one of those cats."
"I don't want to get into this right now."
Tugger went to leave his bureau, only to have Munkustrap move to block his path. He was much bigger than his brother, but he knew there was a reason why Munkustrap was the protector. Tugger was not going to physically fight his brother.
"I need to know why my little brother has suddenly lost his flare."
Tugger narrowed his eyes, and Munkustrap mimicked the action. They were both too stubborn for their own good at times. It was probably why they rarely spoke like brothers, and was more like a father scolding a child.
Tugger sighed and sat down. "Do you like me?"
Munkustrap was visually taken aback by the question. "You are my brother, Tugger. I love you."
"You are obligated to love me, Munkus. I need to know if you like me."
"Which truth do you want, Tugger?"
"You have more than one truth in regards to a question like that?" Tugger shook his head, suddenly realizing how it was that Macavity could always more than one alibi for a crime.
"I have the truth that there are times when I can't stand you, but I still love you and love your passion for life. Then there is the truth of yes, I do like you." Munkustrap shrugged. "You know that every Jellicle cat cares about you, right?"
"If we don't look out for each other, who will?" he muttered, lowering his eyes. "Do you think I'm useless?"
"Have you been talking to Skimbleshanks?"
"I wish." Tugger took a deep breath. "I've been in hiding because Mistoffelees doesn't like me. I've been trying to understand why."
Munkustrap cocked an eyebrow. He knew Mistoffelees. The small tom was shy, but he had never known the conjurer to be unkind towards any cat. "It may be because he does not like the attention you bring around him. He is a solitary cat, and he clearly does not enjoy it when you make the queens scream. Not many of us do."
Tugger smirked, a little of his old flare returning. "Thank you, Munkus. I feel a lot better, and I do believe you have answered my question. I will be along in a little while. I need to do something first."
Munkustrap eyed his brother cautiously. He could see the life returning to the giant gold eyes. "Very well. I will see you at the party."
Tugger smiled until he was certain his brother had left. He waited a minute or two, before he slipped out of the den. He ran in the opposite direction that the other cats were going. In moments, he was crossing the boundary of the junkyard. He ran along the streets, keeping his ears alert for any kind of indication that there might be a Pollicle.
He found the house he was looking for, and crept onto the yard. He raised his head, looking around. He bit the branch, and jerked his head back as he attacked. He could taste the blood in his mouth, and glared at the plant. With more care, he plucked the flower and got a second one, just in case one of them was damaged.
He made his way back to the junkyard, thankfully no one stopping to take note of a cat running around the streets with two flowers in his mouth. Crossing the junkyard boundary, he shook his mane and removed the flowers from his mouth. He made sure they were still presentable, and headed towards the den that Victoria shared with her mate, Plato.
Tugger stood at the entrance, just listening to the commotion that was happening inside. Mistoffelees wasn't there yet, otherwise there would be cheers of delight, and gasps of awe. He needed to time this perfectly, as to get the tuxedo tom's attention on him, as well as everyone else.
Mistoffelees didn't appear until three hours had passed. He obviously decided to leave it late, so that all his tricks could be shown and he could finish with his grand finale. Tugger knew that Victoria would be grateful that her brother made it at all, and that his magic was just a wonderful perk.
Tugger peeked through the crack in the two curtains that blocked the entrance. He smirked as Mistoffelees flipped cards around, and shuffled the deck in bizarre ways. That was him with just cards. When the scarves came out, Tugger knew he had to steal the show. He crept around the den, and found the emergency exit. He slipped in gracefully, and waited for the perfect opportunity to do so.
He knew it would take a while, and stayed out of the eye of the public. He wanted to be on stage just before Mistoffelees performed his final trick for the night. Victoria was watching with wide eyes, as everyone else was. Munkustrap had even taken a few moments to relax and enjoy the show, before he quickly went back to listening out for potential predators. The kittens were motionless with wonder, wanting to know how a cat could do such a thing.
As the night wore on, the flowers started to wilt slightly, and Tugger decided he would have to step in sooner than he wanted. He slipped completely into the den, and stepped onto the 'stage' behind Mistoffelees.
The tux spun around. "Meow," Tugger said as he brushed past Mistoffelees. He handed Victoria a white rose. "Happy birthday, Victoria."
"Thank you, Tugger," she said as the roots of her fur started to tinge pink. "I was wondering if you would make it."
Tugger grinned. "I would not miss this." He kissed her cheek, and nodded at Plato to let the tom know he was not moving in on his territory.
Mistoffelees' eyes were wide. As usual, the Rum Tum Tugger had found a way of upstaging someone. Jennyanydots was getting ready to call the party to an end, so the kittens wouldn't sleep in too late, and he still hadn't dazzled the crowd to their full extent.
Tugger turned back to Mistoffelees. "Aren't magicians meant to have a red flower on their coat?" he asked shamelessly, and handed him the red rose.
Mistoffelees hesitated but finally accepted the rose. He tangled his fur around the stem. "May I have the stage back now?"
Tugger bowed extravagantly and stepped off the stage. Immediately, Etcetera and Bombalurina were by his side. Mistoffelees glanced at him sharply, which only made Tugger smirk back at him. He got the feeling he was right about his earlier thoughts. If that was the case, he would have to wait until the party was over so he could torture Mistoffelees a little.
Jennyanydots stuck her head out of the den, gazing up at the moon. She came back in, and quickly whispered to Jellylorum about the time. The kittens weren't yawning yet, as they were too excited to even think of sleeping. The ones that couldn't keep their eyes open anymore were already curled up, and sleeping through the cheers and general chatter.
"Will everyone please follow me outside for the final performance?"
No one made any remark, and followed the conjurer outside. He performed one final trick with a deck of cards, and then smiled around at the others as they waited for the midnight hour. It took longer than usual that night, but that was likely because he was hoping his tricks would go longer.
Tugger felt it, just as Mistoffelees did. He had no idea why he was being affected by it, and could only assume it had something to do with the fact that he had witnessed it twice before. With a deep breath, Mistoffelees twirled and leaped through the air. His body popped and lopped in a way that seemed almost unnatural, even to a cat.
The kittens that were asleep were woken by the sudden screams, as everyone noticed it was a different routine than what they were used to seeing, and came out to see what was happening. The final leap happened, and the junkyard was alive was gasps, cheers and shouts of awe as the fireworks exploded, lighting up the area in a series of blue, gold, green and red hues.
Mistoffelees gave a bow, and that concluded the night. Tugger had no doubt that Victoria was proud of her brother, who looked worn out. Practicing that routine had drained the life from the tuxedo cat, and that was just one trick. Tugger told Etcetera and Bombalurina that he had to help Mistoffelees pack away his gear, which there was very little of, and bid them a goodnight. They whined, pouted and tried to get him to go with them. He easily lied and said he promised Mistoffelees he would help.
The queens finally gave in, knowing that there was nothing that would change the Rum Tum Tugger's mind. He followed Mistoffelees into the den, and watched as he packed away his props. It was done in minutes, and he bid a goodnight to Plato and Victoria. Tugger left the den, and waited for Mistoffelees outside. He was curious on what the conjuring cat would do now that he completed that task.
Mistoffelees stepped out of the den. He closed his dark eyes, tilted his head back and smiled up at the night sky. A weight seemed to have been lifted from the small tom's shoulders, as that was the first time Tugger had seen Mistoffelees smile in the past month.
"You felt it," Mistoffelees said without opening his eyes.
"Felt what?"
Mistoffelees opened his eyes, and fixed Tugger with a stare that was almost hypnotizing. He placed a black paw on Tugger's shoulder, content when the Maine Coon felt the jolt. "That. You felt that at the midnight hour."
Tugger smirked. "I can easily blame you for that, though," he stated, taking hold of Mistoffelees' hand. "You are the magic cat, after all."
Mistoffelees forced himself not to roll his eyes. "Right. I do not have enough to do with my time, so I decided I would fill it by zapping you with magic? That seems a little complicated for you to think of."
Mistoffelees pulled his hand free, and walked towards his den, which was on the outskirts. He was a solitary cat. Tugger followed him, wanting to get to the bottom of the problem. "Why don't you like me?"
"Not everyone that lives here must like you, Rum Tum Tugger. Perhaps it would do you good to know that your antics are not accepted by all."
"That's it? That's why you don't like me? You don't like that I'm a flirtatious tom, who takes pleasure in delighting everyone that crosses my path? I'm not that different from you. We both do the same thing, kind ––"
"We are not the same. I use my gift to entertain everyone. I do not parade around, leading impressionable kits on with my overly sexualized style of dancing. We have nothing in common. Please stop following me."
"I'm not leaving until you give me a reason why you don't like me," he stated stubbornly. "Of course, I think I already know what your problem is with me."
"I am sure that came as a great strain to you," Mistoffelees muttered icily.
Tugger continued to follow the small tom. They stopped in front of a concrete pipe, which couldn't be any further from the other dens if it tried. Mistoffelees placed his props neatly inside, and turned to face the Maine Coon.
"It has been a tiring night, and I would like to get some rest. Please leave me alone."
Tugger shook his head. "Not until you give me a decent reason for not liking me."
"I just do not like you."
Tugger smirked, and hooked his thumbs in his belt. "That isn't decent enough."
Mistoffelees tried to step back when Tugger swaggered over to him. He was certain his frantic heartbeat could be heard by the other tom. "It is as simple as that, Rum Tum Tugger. I do not like you, and you really should not care what I think or feel."
Tugger shook his head again. It took him two weeks of constant thought to realize why he couldn't handle not being liked by Mistoffelees. "You did bring my father back, Mister Mistoffelees. There aren't many cats that have my respect or admiration, but you act as though that is a terrible torture."
Mistoffelees closed his eyes, and slumped against the side of the pipe. "I know you respect me, Rum Tum Tugger. I am honored that you do. I do not want you to follow me around, and sneak up on me while I am trying to perfect a trick."
Tugger leaned over the dancer. "Is that all?"
Mistoffelees looked up, and shoved Tugger away. "Yes. Now please leave so I may rest."
"If you just admit that you do like me, I'll leave sooner."
Mistoffelees rubbed his eyes. Performing that amount of magic would be tiring for even a human. "Fine. I like you, Rum Tum Tugger. You have your good qualities, as few and far apart as they are. You are not that much of a bore, and your company is…bearable. I must sleep now."
Tugger just watched as Mistoffelees went into his pipe without another word. He was not at all satisfied with those words from the tuxedo tom. He contradicted every good quality he had to say about the Rum Tum Tugger, and that didn't sit well with the Maine Coon.
He sighed, knowing that that was as far as he was going to get with Mistoffelees. He had wanted to get to the bottom of it all, but he was willing to accept that. For once in his life, he was going to settle and that was only because it was Mistoffelees.
"And we all say…" he sang as he walked away from the pipe. He glanced back, and saw the dark eyes watching him as he left.
"You already know why I dislike you. Why are you pushing it so much?"
"It wouldn't kill you to admit it to yourself," he called back. "So why don't you like me?"
"You are incorrigible."
"Just say it, Mistoffelees," he prompted, as he went back to the pipe and crouched in front of the conjuring cat. "Why don't you like me?"
"Because I like you."
"There you go." Tugger smiled. "Oh, well. I never was there ever, a cat as clever as Magical Mister Mistoffelees," he finished singing. "Nor one as confusing, irritating and utterly adorable."
Tugger leaned down and pressed his lips to Mistoffelees' forehead. Mistoffelees rolled his eyes, and pulled Tugger into the pipe. He kissed the larger tom, who chuckled in return. Tugger never thought it was going to turn out that way. He decided that talking to his brother would work in his favor, and he would have to do it more often.
"You are a curious cat."
End.
I hope you enjoyed it. It is unlike my usual fashion of stories. No one died in this, which is strange to write for me.
Let me know what you think. Yes, I am new to this fandom, and I hope to become a regular fixture here.