Rum Tum Tugger looked out over the junkyard, feeling a bit sorry for himself. He twitched his nose and extended a paw to scratch his ear, watching the other toms his age roughhouse down below. It wasn't that he was jealous—most certainly not!—but there was the odd occasion, every so often, like now, for example, that he did wish the other cats would pay him a bit more attention. He looked down at his scrawny, gangly body and wondered if perhaps he weren't so awkward, or if the little tufts of fur that were sprouting around his neck would just grow into a nice, full ruff already, or if he didn't trip over his own paws so much, or if he didn't speak so quietly when he was nervous or maybe were better at keeping eye contact or… something, then maybe he would be a little bit more popular. Maybe he would have friends and his stupid older brother wouldn't be so horribly thoughtful and stay behind sometimes to keep him company even though his stupid friends were calling him to play. Tugger sighed. He was pathetic.

He really wished that he didn't care so much. Maybe if he didn't care, he wouldn't get so excited the second someone looked his way and start stuttering and babbling all at once. That did tend to spoil things. It was just so hard not to turn into an overeager buffoon the moment he felt wanted. Munkus only made things worse, trying so hard to make him feel like he wasn't left out. He was so stupid and kind and protective and worried about his little brother that he just ended up highlighting the alienation that Tugger felt. He knew the others saw through it. He saw it in the little huffs and the way they rolled their eyes when they didn't think he was looking, how they left Munkus behind whenever he gave them that look which meant that he was staying with poor, pathetic little Tugger that day. Great Everlasting, but he hated it.

A noise from the steep side of the junk pile he sat on made Tugger jump and pulled him away from his seething self-pity for a moment. "Oh, Tu-ugger! Rummy Tummy Tug! I've found something for yooou!"

Munkustrap was climbing steadily, something shiny slung over his shoulder. Tugger wore a sour expression and did his best to ignore his brother, but his eyes were inevitably drawn to the glint of silver that flashed in the sunlight with each movement of a grey shoulder. Tugger glared and remained silent as Munkus crested the hill, swinging up from an old stockpot that protruded from a small ridge.

Munkus held the shiny object towards Tugger, wearing a big, goofy grin on his face. "Here," he said, shaking his paw up and down a bit, making the little specks of light that reflected at his feet dance.

"What is it?" Tugger asked, doing his very best to sound bored even as his heart sped up and his paw flicked out involuntarily to swat at one of the sparkles that performed little pirouettes on the refrigerator door he was using as a perch.

"It's a belt! I found it for you. I mean, it's sort of just part of a belt, but you can poke holes in it and then you could still wear it!"

Tugger watched him with wary eyes, slowly extending a paw to grasp the offering. He brought it close to his face, looking down at it and running one finger over the shiny studs. Just as he began to soften and let his guard down a little, Munkus sat down next to him and poked the dangling end of the strap with a sad expression.

"I just—I know how much you like shiny things, and I thought that maybe if you had something around your waist you'd be a little less self-conscious about how skinny you are and—"

Tugger looked up quickly, his eyes flashing with indignation and a sneer curving his lip. "I am not!"

"Well, I mean—I just thought that—"

"I'm going home, Munku. Just go play with your friends."

"No, wait! Tugger, I just—" Munkustrap stopped, taking a deep breath and picking up the belt that Tugger had thrown down as he stomped off towards their father's den. His brother was so difficult. He was just trying to be nice to him, really, but he knew that Tugger needed his patience. He wasn't going to stop trying just because he lashed out sometimes, out of frustration, or out of the loneliness that he tried so hard to hide. It was all the more reason for Munkustrap to be there for him, to be a constant presence, unwilling to leave him behind.

That evening, after Tugger had come in from a romp around the yard practicing his hunting skills and sharpening his claws on the old rug by the gate, he flopped down on his favorite cushion only to be stuck in the back by something rather uncomfortable under his blanket. Annoyed, he reached a paw under the cover and yanked out something hard, pausing when it winked at him in the fading twilight that crept into his corner. He sighed deeply and sat back down, looking to Munkus sleeping quietly on the other side of the overturned crate. He clutched the belt as he curled up on the now-soft cushion, regretting his temper. Munkustrap was a good brother.

The following days found Tugger with the studded belt swung around his pelvis, sometimes hiked up so that he could adjust the fastenings and attempt to get the fit right. The subtle change in his appearance heralded the start of a larger shift in his attitude. He swayed his hips a bit more, catching the sunlight and taking pleasure in the way that all of a sudden more eyes were drawn to him, more young queens gazed at his movements with rapt attention. He smiled easily and took on more the presence of a laissez-faire loner than an isolated and withdrawn youth. He was still thin and a bit clumsy, but he didn't seem to mind quite as much.

Munkustrap smiled when he saw his brother adopt his new swagger, much encouraged by the development and so glad that the sadness and the anger had lifted from his eyes. Everything would change now. Everything would be better. Munku breathed deeply and let the relief relax him, hoping fiercely that the change would stick.