Chapter 3: Delicate Flower
A/N: Hey guys. I know I got this out quick, but I really wanted to get this out here tonight. You see, I'm not sure I'll be able to update it until a lot later next week (no earlier than Thursday). So I wanted to give you a little more to read before then. Thanks for all your support and I hope you enjoy!
Disclaimer: I do not own Cats. (Sorry it's not more creative)
Victoria sat in the middle of her rehearsal clearing with a pretty pout painted on her face. In one fluid movement, she crossed her legs under her and her arms in front of her chest. She glared angrily at a dilapidated wooden chair resting in the recesses of the junk pile directly across from her.
Of course, the chair had never done anything to her, but Victoria just needed an object to direct her anger at, and it was the first thing she saw. She let out a groan and flopped on her back, staring straight up at the sky. She knew she was acting like a complete kitten, but she didn't care, she was just so frustrated.
She was used to her predicament, but for some reason, today was especially agitating. It was the morning after the Jellicle ball. She had been so proud to perform her solos the night before and she thought she had performed them perfectly. However, throughout the entire evening, not once had Tumblebrutus looked at her. She knew that he was such a skillful dancer and she had hoped that this opportunity would show him that she was adept enough to partner with him. But he had been too absorbed in his friends Plato and Pouncival.
The snowy queen groaned covering her eyes with her arms as she folded them over her face. Why did it bother her so much? Why did she care? Tumble and her had always been friends, ever since they were kittens. But once they got a little older, they had naturally grown apart. Victoria grew closer to Jemima and the other female kits, while Tumble hung out with the boys more than her. Obviously this didn't bother her brother, Mistoffelees, in the least, which only amplified her frustration because she had no one to talk to.
Victoria continued to glare at the light that seemed to filter through her crossed paws. She could still picture those looks she had managed to steal from Tumble, but even when she got what she wanted, it still bothered her. Whenever he looked at her, his expression always changed. He never looked at her like her like he looked at the queen-kits. And her name always sounded so different when he said it. She sighed again. Since when did the way a tom looked at her bother her so much?
Victoria also wondered why she felt such a need to impress him? Maybe she just wanted her old friend back. Jemima, Etcetera, and Electra all grown up together. Victoria had begun to feel lonely.
A new idea struck Victoria! Maybe she needed to perform a more powerful dance! Maybe that'd catch Tumble's attention. She quickly rose to her feet and closed her eyes. Her mind played the dance that Tumble performed the night before like a movie. She could see Tumble dancing around the clearing with Misto. The two toms performed powerful jumps and breathtaking turns. Victoria tried to remember every step and every arm extension and began to count the beats in her head. It wasn't too hard. During that time, she had been staring directly at the dancing cats. She could barely even recall Jerrie helping her down the stairs as she prepared for her combo number.
After replaying the routine two more times, Victoria took a step, opening her eyes. She quickly performed a weak imitation of the jump at the beginning of their first routine during the ball. She tried to extend her leg properly, but didn't give herself enough altitude on the jump. She growled at herself before trying again. This time, she jumped high enough to fully extend her leg, but her muscles weren't strong enough to pull back into position and land as gracefully as Tumble had.
Victoria's knees crashed into the ground as the shock radiated through her, rattling her teeth. Victoria bit her bottom lip and an attempt to fight the tears of pain that sprang to her eyes. She leaned forward, placing her paws firmly on the ground in an attempt to shift some weight off of her knees. She was so stupid. This charade was stupid. She just needed to accept that Tumble and her had grown apart. And that she'd never be strong enough to perform the dances that he made look so easy.
A familiar voice broke into her contemplation, "What's this? Are you okay?"
Victoria successfully suppressed the groan of embarrassment and she looked up to see Tumblebrutus crouching in front of her, looking her over to make sure she was okay.
After he confirmed that there were no major injuries, Tumble offered his paw. Reluctantly, Victoria accepted help and let him drag her to her back paws. She started to brush the dust and dirt off her fur, hoping it wouldn't stain.
Tumble instantly started helping brush her knees, skillfully avoiding the spots where bruises were already starting to form. As he worked, Tumble glanced up into Victoria's eyes. "So what happened here, little delicate flower?" He purred with a chuckle.
For a moment, Victoria was lost in his chocolate eyes. They almost matched his brown patches of fur. When they were young, Victoria used to tease Tumble, saying he looked like a mixture of chocolate and cream.
The memory was quickly banished from her mind as Victoria looked away to glare at the ground. She clenched her teeth in frustration and embarrassment.
Luckily, it sounded like he hadn't seen her before she fell. A wave of relief washed over her. She wasn't sure how she would explain to him why she was imitating his dance number. But at the same time, maybe it would have opened the gates and allowed her to open up to Tumble about her feelings.
She shook her head and turned back to the curious tom who had finished his dusting and straightened up. "I just messed up a turn." Her gaze returned to the chair that had received her glares earlier. It was clearly just in the wrong place. Without removing her gaze, she added through gritted teeth, "And could you not call me that? You know how much I hate it." Victoria could feel tears of frustration and embarrassment pricking at her eyelids. Now was not the time to act kittenish!
The patched tom released a bellow of laughter. It quickly filled the clearing, and Victoria realized how much she loved the sound, it was almost like music: like friendly music that sounded similar to home and anyone could harmonize with. Her tears instantly dried up, but she couldn't bring herself to look back at Tumble.
Tumble let his laughter die and acted as if he hadn't heard her last comment. "Are you telling me that you're already practicing for next year's ball?" His voice sounded incredulous, but not surprised.
Apparently, he took her silence as a confirmation. In reality, Victoria just wasn't sure how to respond.
"C'mon Viks!" He purred. "Take some time and relax."
Victoria returned her gaze to the playful tom. Tumble stood in front of her, tapping his back paw. His arms were held out at his sides as if indicating something obvious surrounding them. He was beaming from ear to ear. He always looked like he had a fit of laughter just dying to be let free.
A smile started to creep into Victoria's features in response, so she quickly turned away and shrugged her shoulders. She didn't want him to think he could ignore her for a whole night and then just waltz up and tell her what to do. Even though she had been frustrated by his lack of attention earlier, now his nonchalance bothered her. Why did he make her feel so funny? Why couldn't she just be happy with the way things were?
"Would you do it if I called you Delicate Flower?" A sly voice asked. Victoria could hear the laughter hiding just below the surface.
She turned and let out a hiss.
Even with the deadly look in her eye, Tumble simply let loose another bout of laughter and gathered her paws in his. "You know I was joking Viks!"
Victoria relaxed when he used his actual nickname for her.
Suddenly, Tumble's eyes became mischievous as he looked intently in her eyes. Victoria noted that, no matter what emotion he was trying to convey, there was always a sense of gaiety and happiness that seemed to sparkle in his eyes. She couldn't help but find herself leaning closer towards the scheming tom, wondering what trouble he was planning.
Tumble leaned in too, until the two were bent over in some secret conspiracy. If anyone had seen them, it would have been obvious that they were up to no good.
A sly smile soon accented Tumble's curious eyes. His voice was quiet and low, "So Viks…"
Victoria found herself leaning in ever closer, as her curiosity mounted and began to transform into excitement.
"Race you to the top!" Tumble hollered. His smile broke out into a full-blown grin as he dropped Victoria's paws and he lunged for the tallest junk pile near them. His laughter drifted down to her as he began his speedy ascent.
Victoria frowned, angry that she had been duped. Between her anger and her competitive nature, the petite queen sprinted for the pile, launching herself a good two feet before landing on the pile. Her mouth was set in a grim line as she pulled herself up the pile. Tumble's tail was just in reach. She would catch that stupid, stupid tom!
Just as Victoria was almost even with the aggravating tom's tail, she felt herself begin to tumble down the pile. There were no slippery surfaces or precarious items. Her own muscles seemed to be giving out beneath her. She let out a growl as she contracted every muscle in her body to stop her descent. She was not going to let Tumble keep thinking that she was delicate.
A little ways above her, Victoria noticed Tumble pause and turn to look back. She could see him turning around to come and help her. "Don't you dare!" She growled through her clamped jaws. "Don't you dare help me! I want a fair race!" With her last shout, Victoria launched herself up the pile, with every intent of making it back to her previous position. Every muscle in her limbs screamed as more was demanded of them than they were used to. Victoria ignored each shock of pain. She was going to make it to the top.
She didn't even have the time or attention to notice Tumble smile as he turned and hurtled up the rest of the pile.
With no surprised, Victoria reached the summit long after Tumble did. As she pulled the last of her wearied limbs up onto the relatively flat surface, she was greeted with a beaming Tumble. The young tom sat peacefully on a cushion he found at the top, and his tailed swayed playfully back and forth. It didn't even look like he had broken a sweat.
On the other side, Victoria was panting heavily as she felt her face caked in sweat; no one who saw her now would believe that she was considered one of the beauties of the yard. Heck, they probably wouldn't even believe she was a Jellicle. The exhausted queen barely found the strength to lift a fatigued paw in the air. "Not. A. Word." She managed to pant before collapsing and rolling onto her back to stare at the sky.
Tumble's curious face entered her field of vision at an odd angle. If her abs weren't so sore, Victoria would have laughed at the oddity of this viewpoint. Tumble's ears seemed to drop as a look of concern entered his face. "V-Viks?" He asked, cocking his head. But from Victoria's vantage point, it actually looked like he was straightening it.
A smile finally crept into Victoria's features. She let out a soft giggle, but immediately winced when her abs were shot with pain. But she didn't drop the smile, and meekly batted Tumble's drooping ears. "I'm fine goof!" She purred. "But I think I'll be a little sore tomorrow."
Somehow, all the exercise had completely drained Victoria of her anger and frustration. As her muscles relaxed, so did her mind. She inwardly laughed at herself. There was nothing to really be angry about. Tumble was here and with her. Isn't that exactly what she wanted? There was no telling when she would get this opportunity again, she might as well make the most of it.
Tumble let his signature smile grace his face a he plopped down on his back next to Victoria. For a while, all that could be heard was Victoria's panting as she tried to control her breathing.
Eventually a conversation ensued as the two cats watched the sky fade from blue to pink to black. They talked about everything they could think of. They filled each other in on what they had been doing recently. They exchanged funny stories about what each of them had done with their friends.
Even though the exchange was so relaxing, Victoria couldn't help but feel a sting of sadness enter her heart. Their stories only sent home how far apart they had grown. It wasn't what she wanted. She wanted to be best friends like they used to be. Why did they have to grow up? Why did they have to grow apart?
Victoria tried to keep her inner thoughts from bleeding into her voice as she told the story of how Cetty and her had snuck up on Jemima and scared her. Every time she finished a story, Tumble's deep laugh seemed to echo all around her. Victoria found herself scouring her brain for another story. All she wanted was to keep Tumble laughing.
Eventually a multitude of stars began twinkle in the night sky, calling the fireflies out to play. Tumble instantly sprang to his feet and performed a powerful leaping spin and landed gracefully on one knee, paw outstretched.
Victoria rolled her eyes and gave a grunt of mock disgust. How could he find the strength to even get up? This time Tumble had to literally pull Victoria upright. If he hadn't, Victoria would have stayed there all night.
After a bit of teasing, Tumble slung Victoria onto his back and gently carried her down the pile. The monotonous sway of Tumble's body caused Victoria to give in to her exhausted body. As much as she wanted to, she couldn't keep her eyes open. This was the Tumble from her childhood. This was the kind of memories she missed.
The next time Victoria opened her eyes, she was back in her den and daylight was streaming through the holes she used as windows. Victoria sat up as she tried to orient herself. Her thoughts were interrupted and she gasped as pain radiated from every spot on her body. She delicately rubbed as many spots as she could, trying to ease the soreness.
Victoria's muscles eventually calmed down enough for her to try and stand. She rolled off her cushions, but steadied herself on her bookstand as she tested each step before she took it. Eventually, with a slight limp, Victoria was able to make it to the entrance to her den.
All she had done was run up a pile of junk, and the soreness in her muscles was ridiculous. She couldn't let anyone see her like this. She immediately half jogged, half hobbled to her clearing. Luckily few cats went there unless they really needed her. It was her place of solitude where she could practice her solos in peace.
With and audible sigh, she allowed her limbs to collapse under her in a controlled fall to the ground. She rested on her stomach with her head facing the ground. She laid her forehead on her arms, keeping her nose just off the dirt.
Victoria flinched and let out a hiss as she felt a paw poke her in the side. Even just touching her muscles hurt. With as little movement as possible, she tilted her head to see the offensive intruder. All she could see was a glistening chocolate eye right in front of her face.
Instinctively Victoria let out another groan and rolled slightly to free up one of her arms. She gave Tumble a weak shove. She wasn't really able to move him, but Tumble fell back as if he had been mortally wounded. "Ah Viks! Not so hard!" he moaned through some chuckles that crept into his voice.
Victoria ignored him and turned her head back to the ground, resting it once again on her sore arms.
"No dancing today?" He purred, lying down next to her. From her peripheral vision, she noticed that he was imitating her position, except keeping his head on his side to look at her.
"No." She growled, refusing to meet his eyes. "It's cause of you, you know?" She glanced over and was greeted with a look of mock shock. "Yes, you! I'm so sore from your little race, I can barely move."
"I'm hurt! How could you blame me? I'm not even the least bit tired."
Victoria rolled her eyes, not that he could see her anyways. "Well good for you." She hissed, but she let the smile she had tried to keep hidden color her tone.
"It can't be that bad." Tumble replied, rolling on his side as he reached out and poked her again. "Or are you really such a delicate flower?"
"Stop it!" Victoria spat, weakly trying to bat Tumble's paw away.
Tumble seemed unfazed by Victoria's efforts, and continued to poke her. "What is it, Viks? Think the delicate flower will bruise so easily?"
"That's it!" Victoria growled, gathering her paws beneath her. "You are so gonna get it!" With a sudden burst of energy, Victoria was on her back paws and whirled around to face her offender, but it was too late. By the time she was ready to tackle, Tumble was gone and his tail wove a trail up the junk pile. Victoria was too filled with thoughts of revenge to listen to the protest of her muscles. She was up the pile as fast as she could. Even with her sore limbs, she was able to make it to the summit in roughly the same amount of time as the day before.
But, the same as the day before, she once again collapsed in pile beneath her, too tired to exact the revenge she had planned.
Tumble laughed and sat on the same cushion he had the previously. Victoria noted that the cushion looked unusually plush; it clearly hadn't been on the pile long. As she caught her breath, Victoria could hear Tumble's purr fill the silence.
In a combination between plain exhaustion and simply being enraptured by his presence, Victoria couldn't seem to take her eyes off of him. His profile was so handsome and even from his silhouette one could see how strong the tom was. His tailed swished from side to side with complete abandon and his smile made Victoria wonder if anything could really bring him down. Or if he could ever be serious. She rolled her eyes at the last thought and rested a paw on her forehead in an attempt to block out the blinding sun.
"Why do you get the comfy cushion? I'm the one who's exhausted." Victoria whined as she tried to ignore her aching limbs.
A chuckle reached her ears, and Victoria could only imagine the sly smile plastered on Tumble's face. "'Cause I always get here first." He purred. "When you beat me, you are more than welcome to the seat."
Victoria let out an annoyed sigh and let the two of them slip into a comfortable silence.
After a while, Tumble began to hum a familiar tune. Victoria wasn't exactly sure where the song came from, but she could faintly remember it being sung in balls from the past. Eventually Tumble broke from his humming and let his deep baritone voice radiate from his chest and around the clearing. Victoria closed her eyes and let her paw fall to her side. She was content to listen to Tumble sing for a while.
During her rest, Victoria began to contemplate what had gotten into Tumble. They had always been friends, but recently they hadn't spent even half of this time together, but now they seemed to be spending most of their days together. Of course, she was basing this assumption on only two days, but even then, it was still out of the ordinary. But whatever it was, she was grateful for it.
"Hey Viks, you awake?"
Victoria lethargically opened her eyes and attempted to rub the sleep from them. "Hmmm?" She purred half asleep.
Tumble's laughter reached her ears and she instinctively smiled and gave a slight purr. What a pleasant sound. "I think it's time to head back."
Victoria's eyes shot open as she focused on the tom leaning over her. Surrounding his head fireflies danced, competing with the stars for her attention. Even with such beautiful scenery around her, Victoria couldn't take her gaze off of Tumble's smiling eyes.
She tried to sit up, and immediately flopped back down on her back. "Tumble, I don't know if I can."
Another blissful peal of laughter reached Victoria's ears. She felt strong paws wind their way under her arms and around her waist. Victoria felt herself once again hoisted on to Tumble's back as he wound his way to her den.
This time, she was able to keep herself awake for most of the ride. She eventually felt her cushions surround her in their warm folds. Victoria lazily opened one of her eyes in time to catch Tumble leaning over her as he pulled her blanket up to her shoulders. The exhausted queen was too tired to even think of anything to say, and let herself drift back into the world of sleep before she was even able to utter a word of thanks.
That's how the days passed for the next couple of weeks. Everyday, Tumble would find a way to lure Victoria up to the summit of the pile. His methods varied based on Victoria's mood that day. Sometimes he would tease her, others he would simply challenge her. But everyday, he somehow convinced the weary queen to race him to the top where they would sit until sunset.
Victoria didn't notice, but each race caused her muscles to be a little less sore. Each time she came closer and closer to catching up to the muscular tom. He no longer had to carry her back to her den, but he always walked her anyways.
Finally, on a crisp fall evening, the two were collapsed on top of the cushion. Victoria didn't seem to notice, but lately Tumble had grown more and more tired when they reached the top. He actually had to work to maintain his racing prowess. As such, he no longer sat lazily entertaining Victoria, but needed to rest alongside her. Even though he had beaten her to the summit, Tumble didn't even have the energy to fend her away from the much-coveted prize.
He had quickly laid down to rest on the plush cushion and Victoria toppled down on top of him soon after. She smiled as he felt the warmth radiate from his body. His fur ran against hers and caused an odd prickling feeling wherever her cheek touched his arm.
After a few minutes to gather their strength, the two cats sat up to watch the sun set. In the past few days, the soreness left Victoria quick enough that she could actually watch the golden orb sink to the horizon instead of simply watching the sky fade between the colors.
They were sitting so close that Victoria could almost feel a tension in the air between them. She knew that if she simply moved her paw only a few centimeters, she could touch his. She wasn't sure why that urge overcame her, but she quickly fought it away. Maybe she just wanted to make sure that these past events were real? Perhaps she just wanted to take hold of Tumble's paw and make sure he couldn't leave again? All she knew was that she felt so alone when he was away.
The sun finally sank behind the horizon, and Victoria took a deep breath. Why couldn't the sun just stay in place? Why did it have to set? That meant she had to return to her den. It meant another night of praying that this dream wasn't over and hoping that Tumble would greet her again in the morning.
Tumble seemed to sigh as well before he hoisted himself onto his back paws and held his paw out to Victoria as usual. With some reluctance, Victoria placed her paw in is offered one, but needed little help in standing. She felt a shiver run down her spine when he didn't immediately let go. A mischievous smile graced his face as he leaned in towards Victoria like on that first fateful day.
Victoria was suspicious at first, but willingly complied, leaning in and closing the gap between them. Her ear twitched instinctively as Tumble's breath played with her fur when he whispered, "I bet you can do it now."
In shock, Victoria instinctively pulled her head away and cocked an eyebrow in confusion. "What?" She smiled, puzzled by the joke he seemed to be playing.
Tumble turned and gracefully surfed down the junk pile. He landed with ease in the clearing and ran out to the center. He turned towards Victoria and held out his arms as if beckoning her to meet him.
The confused queen carefully picked her path to the clearing and jogged over to Tumble. Once she was close enough, Tumble held out his paws and placed them on Victoria's shoulders, holding her securely in place. His smile grew as he looked steadily in her eyes. Victoria shivered again as he began to speak, "I said, I bet you can do my dance number now, Viks." His smile was gentle and no longer mischievous. Victoria would have almost sworn that a hint of seriousness entered is eyes.
Victoria swallowed hard as she knew what that meant. All those weeks ago, when she had been dancing in the clearing, she had just assumed that he hadn't seen her. Apparently he had been watching her for longer that she thought. Victoria shook her head slowly, brushing some fur out of her face. "I-I don't remember the routine." She stuttered, as a deep crimson crept into her cheeks.
Tumble laughed and began the first two leaps followed by the leaping spin. Victoria quickly began to mimic his dance moves before allowing her memory to take over. She didn't even notice when Tumble stopped in the middle of the choreography and stepped back to watch her.
To her surprise, every move came easily to her. Victoria had no problem gaining the altitude she needed and her muscles easily lived up to the demand placed on them. Victoria continued to dance, but realized with amazement how easy the dance seemed now.
Then it dawned on her; Tumble had been training her all this time. All those races, all those sore muscles, he had only been helping her. It was because of him that she was able to dance. She had originally wanted to perform his number to impress him, but now she was simply filled with a kind of self-pride. She'd like to see him call her a delicate flower now!
Victoria landed on her knees as Misto and Tumble always did. She looked up with a beam spread across her face. She quickly stood and dusted her knees with her paws. She turned to Tumble and crossed her arms as her eyes filled with confidence. "Not so fragile now, am I?"
Tumble smiled and held his arms out to his side as if in mock surrender. He shook his head slowly as he walked to the middle of the clearing. "You're still a delicate flower." He purred as he took Victoria's paws in his.
Victoria's mouth fell open in shock. How could he stick by such a claim, hadn't she just proved her strength? "W-what do you mean?" She stuttered, unsure of her bearings. It felt as if the ground was unsteadily swirling beneath her.
Tumble tightened his grip on her paws in an attempt to steady her. "Exactly what I said, you're still a delicate flower. I watched you grow up from kitten to queen." He looked down at his paws as if searching for an answer somewhere where their paws met. "I can't explain it. At the ball, I saw you dance with Plato, and something in me shattered. I realized that I wanted to be by your side. You are so beautiful and kind and gentle and caring and I could go on." He interrupted himself with a chuckle. "Every aspect there is delicate and precious. I want to protect them; I want to protect you with everything I have. If it would make you smile, I would do anything over and over again. I want you to be my delicate flower, to protect and to cherish."
Victoria could only stand there and blink, lost in his words and chocolate eyes.
For the first time ever, Victoria saw Tumble's smile fade and his face became nervous and stressed. "C-could you say something Viks?" Tumble slowly kissed each paw as he glanced nervously back at Victoria. He was clearly worried about what she would say.
"I don't know what to say." She replied, unable to tear her eyes away from his. "I mean, this is more than I could have expected. I thought it was a dream just by being with you for so long…"
Victoria hoped that this answer was enough for Tumble to get her meaning. She could feel her voice getting choked in her throat, because along with his confession, Victoria had learned of her own. It wasn't simple friendship that had driven her thoughts. She didn't just want Tumble by her side, she needed him there. She needed that smile and that laughter as much as she needed to dance. Everything she did she worked around him. She wanted to help him more than herself. Was this that feeling that inspired songs and poems? Victoria was certain that she was in love.
Tumble's smile reappeared as he took Victoria's chin in his paw. He tilted her head back, gazing straight into her eyes. He leaned forward kissing her ever so innocently.
Victoria's breath fled her body as she felt his lips meet hers.
After a brief moment of bliss, Tumble pulled away and glanced at the sky. He turned his eyes back to Victoria with a mysterious twinkle. "Same time tomorrow?" He purred.
Victoria smiled, giddy with a tumult of emotions. "Of course! I still have to win that cushion at the top!"
A burst of laughter filled the clearing as Tumble's deep baritones bounced off the surrounding junk piles. This time, a dainty soprano harmonized with the echoes.
A/N: This outline was actually even shorter than the previous one. It was only three quarters of a page. Shows you how much I get carried away. But you might already know that. Hehe Anyways, it really does mean a lot when I read your support, and I can't thank you enough for all the reviews. I hope you enjoyed this one as well. And please review! It really drives me to write them faster because the last thing I want to do is disappoint! haha