My whole body tensed up as he spoke. Could it really be that obvious? If it was that obvious to him, did Tugger know too? "What? Don't be ridiculous Munkustrap. I'm not like Alonzo."

"Come on Quaxo. I've known you long enough to know when you're lying. Or did you forget about the time you and Tug tried to blame Mungo for swiping some extra milk?" A small smile came across his face as spoke, and I couldn't help but feel a bit nostalgic too. "It's fine Quax. You can tell me."

I sighed and gave in. "You're right. I told him a few months ago that I liked toms, but I couldn't bring myself to tell him how I really felt about him." I could feel myself tearing up again, but I couldn't hide it from Munkustrap this time.

"Here, sit down." He guided me over to the fender and we sat down and rested against it. "You're really brave to have told him what you did. The first person is always the hardest, not to mention the fact that he was the object of your affections? That's brave in my book."

"Thanks Munk. It's just been so hard to hold all these things in. I can't tell Alonzo because he'll blab to Tugger, and I certainly can't tell Tugger himself. There's no one else like me though, so I just have to keep it all in."

"Listen, there's… there's something you should know." He looked around quickly before proceeding. "Alonzo and I… well… we've sort of been seeing each other." I couldn't believe what I'd just heard. Munkustrap and Alonzo were seeing each other?

"What?"

"Yeah. It started at last year's ball. He'd come to me before the ball and told me his secret, and during the mating dance I found myself drawn to him. One thing led to another and then well…" He blushed a bit as he left his sentence off.

I wasn't quite sure how to proceed with this new information. Part of me was happy to hear that there was someone I could talk to about things but it was hard to process that Munkustrap was seeing Alonzo. "But I thought you were with-"

"I am. I do love her, but she can't quite satisfy a certain need that Alonzo can," he said, cutting me of before I could say her name. "I don't want to give you false hope, but I saw a glimmer of it in Tugger's eyes last time we talked about him and Bombalurina. I don't know what's going on there, but something isn't quite right."

"He doesn't love her. He told me himself that their entire relationship is nothing more than regular romps in the sheets. But what exactly does that have to do with me? Why would that give me any hope? Just because he and Bombi aren't in the best place right now doesn't mean that he's suddenly going to want me." I felt a pang of sorrow as I spoke the last sentence. Somewhere inside I'd been hoping that it did mean that he'd want me and it hurt to finally admit that it was probably just a fantasy.

"I know, but there's something else. Whenever your name comes up he seems to brighten. I always attributed it to the same thing that caused him to be so protective of you. Then again, maybe it was."

"What do you mean protective of me?"

"You mean you didn't know? Nobody ever told you?"

"Told me what? What are you talking about Munk?"

Munkustrap paused, and I could see that he was debating what he was about to say. "Tugger, well he… um… ok. I don't wish to be rude, but you know that for a grown tom you're rather small right?" I nodded in response. "And you know that you were a bit late in finally maturing?" Again I confirmed his statement. "Well some of the older kittens made fun of you at the time, even after they became toms they kept it up." The news stung a bit, but I couldn't say it was much of a surprise. Tugger was really the only tom that I'd considered a true friend. "Tugger though, he didn't let it go. He beat up Mungo a few times and Plato on several occasions because they were speaking ill of you."

I remembered those occasions, but Tugger had always told me that they'd looked at Bombalurina the wrong way or paid him some insult. "He did that for me?"

"Yes Quaxo. I've never seen him care for someone like he does for you. I can't pretend to know what it means, but I thought you should know." He stood and asked me if I'd be alright on my own. I told him I'd be fine and that I appreciated him helping through. After he left I didn't quite know what to feel. It sounded to me like he thought Tugger might actually have feelings for me, but I didn't want to get my hopes up only for them to be shattered again. I spent the last of the afternoon alone in the clearing, trying to make sense of everything. As the sun began to set I felt that I was at least at peace with what had happened. I had no idea what was to come, but I knew that I wanted Tugger to stay, so if I had to put my feelings aside, that's what I'd do. Not a minute after I made that decision I heard a familiar voice drifting down from above me.

"So Misty… about earlier…"