This is another continuation of the events established in the previous two chapters called "Snow" and "Thief". You don't need to have read those chapters but they will be referenced.
Relationship: Pre Alonzo/ Munkustrap
Munkustrap plans his first Jellicle Ball. Not everything goes according to plan. Alonzo finally makes a decision on whether or not he's going to join the tribe.
Months had passed in a whirlwind of rehearsals, planning, a little pleading, and a whole lot of sheer determination with some pure luck. All preparations had been made for the Jellicle Ball. Tonight all of his hard work would pay off. Now it was just a matter of ensuring that a pair of certain kittens were properly looked after during the festivities.
Munkustrap got the feeling that this was going to be more difficult than anything the Ball had to throw at him. These particular kittens had been in the tribe for only a couple of months and already they had established a mischievously stubborn reputation for themselves. Maybe not as wild as Mungojerrie or Rumpleteazer, but Munk wasn't about to give these kittens the chance to achieve that level of notoriety.
"Why can't we go tonight? We're old enough!" Tumblebrutus crossed his arms over his chest and gave the silver tabby his best serious stare.
"Yeah! We're old!" Pouncival mirrored his brother but only managed to look mildly constipated.
"Just because you say you're old doesn't mean that you actually are." Munk bit back a smile, knowing that laughing would only aggravate the kittens further. "Next year you can attend the ball, I promise."
Both brothers groaned. A year was an eternity for a kitten.
"But that's gonna be forever!" Pounce whined.
"I assure you that it is not forever. Come along, you're going to stay with Gus tonight." Without giving them an opportunity to run away Munk firmly herded them in the direction of the theatre cat's den. Reluctantly the kittens followed.
"Gus doesn't even know who we are." Tumble pouted. "He keeps calling me Bill Bailey."
"At least he doesn't call you Carbucketty." Pounce huffed. "'s not fun being called a bucket."
"Both of you will behave for Gus." Munk commanded. "If I hear that you've been misbehaving them I will personally ensure that you will both be grounded until after next year's Jellicle Ball."
"Can he do that?" Pounce whispered to Tumble, giving Munk a serious side eye.
"Maybe. Alonzo did say he was in charge when we first met him, remember?" Tumble whispered back.
Alonzo. Now there was a name Munk hadn't heard for a while. The mention of the black and white cat sent a strange pang through his chest. It had been a couple of months since they had last seen each other, since Tumble and Pounce were introduced to the tribe, but Munk could still clearly recall Alonzo's smile and the feel of the cat's fur up against his own.
Munk also recalled the rather awkward way he tried to encourage Alonzo to join the tribe, not once but twice, and how both times Alonzo politely refused. It wasn't really a surprise that they hadn't seen each other since then, not with Munk being so busy trying to prepare for the Jellicle Ball and Alonzo's inclination to keep to his own company. Still, it would have been nice to have seen him, even if only for a brief moment.
"Uh, Munk?" Tumble's voice broke through his thoughts. "We're here."
Munk blinked back to reality. "Oh, yes. Now, you two behave for Gus. Quaxo and Victoria should be joining you when Bustopher brings them along."
At the mention of the older kittens both Tumble and Pounce brightened up a little.
"Bye Munk, have fun being in charge of everything." Tumble gave the Jellicle Protector a quick wave of his tail before darting off to wait for the other kittens to arrive.
"Try not to mess stuff up." Pounce echoed, following his brother and dodging the stern look Munk tried to give him.
"Right." Munk sighed. "Time to get this night properly started."
Things had gotten off to a bit of a rocky start, mainly because Munk had, in a moment of complete and utter panic, forgotten the opening line to 'Jellicle Songs for Jellicle Cats', resulting in the rest of the tribe somewhat flubbing their own lines, but once everyone rallied everything came together and was progressing smoothly.
"It's 'Are you blind when you're born'." Munk muttered from his place atop the tire, glancing up occasionally at the dancing cats before him. "Not 'How's your eyesight doing'. How could I even mix that up?"
"I don't know, I thought it was a valid question." A voice purred in his ear as a ginger queen settled next to him. "And it kept everyone on their toes."
"Thank you, Bomba, I appreciate the support, but it's not the right question to start off the night's festivities." Munk sighed, moving aside to give Bombalurina more room.
"Here's the real question." Bomba's voice took on a curious edge. "Why are you sitting up here by yourself instead of joining in with the others? Surely you can't still be thinking of how to improve this year's ball."
Munk gazed up at the stars. Now there was a question. Why wasn't he allowing himself to join in? This should have been a time for some well deserved self indulgence, especially since this was the first Jellicle Ball he had been officially in charge of. Ever since he was a kitten he had been eagerly awaiting the day he could bring the Jellicles together and lead them through one of the most exhilarating nights of the year.
And yet, despite the excitement and relief of knowing he had done everything he could to make this ball successful, he wasn't entirely satisfied. Something was missing. The fact that he could recognize the feeling wasn't bringing him any closer to figuring out just what that was. Everyone who was supposed to be at the Ball had arrived safe and sound, all the necessary props and costumes accounted for, so what was left?
"No, Bomba, I'm not trying to change things mid- festivities." Munk said, shooting Bomba a small smile. "Things are going extremely well, all things considered."
"I'm glad you recognize that. Tugger said you've been running yourself ragged trying to make everything perfect."
"I bet he has."
"So what's going on?" Bomba asked, gently flicking him with her tail. "Why are you sitting up here instead of joining in with the others?"
"I'm… waiting." The word seemed the most appropriate for the strange loss he was feeling. Something was missing, but what was he waiting for?
"Waiting for what?" Bomba asked, echoing his thoughts.
No, not what. Who. He was waiting for someone. A very particular someone that never truly left his mind. The realization hit him out of the blue.
"Alonzo." Munk said, eyes widening.
"Who?"
"Alonzo. I'm waiting for Alonzo."
"This Alonzo must be pretty important if he's keeping you from the party." Bomba commented as both of them peered out into the crowd. "See him anywhere?"
"No." Despite the constantly moving sea of cats Munk was certain he would be able to spot Alonzo in the crowd. "I invited him a couple months ago but it looks like he hasn't… he hasn't come."
"I'm sorry." Bomba was usually not a soft spoken cat but on rare occasions she could be quite gentle. With a small comforting purr she rubbed up against his shoulder. "Try to put your mind on something else for tonight. You deserve to be happy, you've put a lot of work into making sure that all of us are enjoying ourselves."
"I'll try." Munk made no promises, but it was enough to put a small dent in his immense disappointment.
The next part of the ball progressed without a hitch. Old Deuteronomy finally arrived, the yearly performance of the Awefull Battle of the Pekes and Pollicles had defied all expectations and went relatively well (thanks to approximately thousands of rehearsals) and now everyone was winding up for one last hurrah before the Jellicle Choice was made.
Once again Munk found himself sitting off to the side of the action, unable to bring himself to join in on the dancing. And once again Bomba found her way to him.
"I see you've managed to make it through most of the Ball before letting this cat get to you." She remarked, sitting next to him to catch her breath.
"He's not getting to me." Munk lied. "I just… I need a breather."
"Sure." There was a knowing look in her eyes.
"What are you doing over here? Shouldn't you be dancing?" Munk asked.
"I need a breather." Bomba replied with a smirk, draping herself over the silver tabby and making herself comfortable.
Resisting the urge to roll his eyes, Munk turned his gaze to the crowd, trying to pick out each individual face that was illuminated in the moonlight. There were plenty of familiar faces as well as several newcomers, cats that had come in from all over, drawn together by the magical pull of the Jellicle moon.
"Nice crowd tonight." Bomba commented.
"Yes. Quite a turnout if I do say so-" A flash of black and white caught Munk's eye.
There he was. How such a distinctive black and white design could blend into the crowd was beyond him. Of course, a lot was suddenly beyond him, as most of Munk's rational thought went straight out the window as soon as Alonzo stepped into the moonlight and began to dance.
Dance wasn't the right word. Alonzo flowed through the crowd, the music lifting his limbs and guiding him in a graceful glide among the cats. Effortlessly he turned and whirled and jumped, keeping perfectly to the rhythm, expression set in a carefree smile that lit up his entire face. Such joy, such happiness, was something Munk had never seen in him before, and it was something that he hoped would never leave him.
The sight of Alonzo was absolutely breathtaking. There was no way Munk could allow this chance to slip by, yet his feet were rooted to the ground, body frozen in place with uncharacteristic uncertainty. This was the moment he had been waiting for all night. Why couldn't he move?
"Is that him?" Bomba purred appreciatively. "Alonzo?"
"Yes." Munk whispered.
"I don't believe I've met him before. He's got quite a distinctive look. "
"Yes."
"Very precise control over his dancing. I notice he seems to be quite flexible."
"Yes."
"Maybe I should go say hello. Maybe ask him for a private dance."
"No." The word slipped out in a strangled syllable.
Bomba laughed. "Relax, I'm joking. Clearly he's already got someone invested in him."
"I- I didn't mean it that way." Oh yes he did. Not that he would admit that he was feeling protective. No, not protective. Possessive.
"Right. Well, I'd hurry and make a move if I were you." Bomba gave him a gentle push. "I'm not the only one that's noticed him."
She was right. Alonzo had caught the eye of a couple of appreciative cats. Cats that were now headed his way, intending on introducing themselves and getting to know him better. Now, normally Munk would be all for making introductions and encouraging community expansion and whatnot, but not now. The possessive instinct had taken hold and he was making his move.
Weaving in between several dancing cats and always keeping his gaze on Alonzo, Munk allowed himself to be swept up in the crowd. The full effect of the Jellicle moon had taken hold, drawing everyone in, sweeping each individual along until they were all dancing as one. Even Alonzo, who confessed to having never attended a Jellicle Ball before, moved to the unspoken choreography with as much grace and poise as everyone else.
Everything fell silent when Munk finally reached him. Whether the world truly quieted or it was just in his mind wasn't entirely clear, but it didn't matter. Alonzo turned, fur glowing in the moonlight, and finally met his gaze.
"Munkustrap." Alonzo's voice was breathless, his eyes slightly dazed. "It's you."
"Yes." Munk replied, resisting the urge to shiver at the breathy sound of his name. "It's me. You're here."
"Yes." While their verbal conversation may have been lackluster Alonzo's body language more than made up for it. With distinctively slinky moves he slid closer to Munk, keeping just a breath of space between them.
Briefly Munk was aware of several pairs of eyes on them, most notably the smug gaze of Bomba, but his normal reservations had vanished as soon as he felt the heat radiating off of Alonzo's body. The cat's pupils were huge, reflecting the moonlight above. A wild energy sparked between them. Time stood still. And yet Munk could not reach out and take what he wanted.
"Want to…." Alonzo bit his lip, leaning in close enough for his nose to brush against Munk's fur.
"Get air?" Munk found himself saying as the last rational thoughts of his brain cast out a lifeline for himself.
"Yes." The agreement came out as a gasp.
Together they darted through the crowd and sought refuge in a quieter part of the junkyard. Once they were out of the crowd the spell was broken, returning them both to a more presentable state of mind.
"Things can get… intense during the ball." Munk eventually said, nervously smoothing down his fur.
"I've noticed." Alonzo hurriedly tried to do the same, keeping a careful distance between them.
"It's good to see you." Munk continued. "I'm glad you decided to come. To stop by."
"Oh, yes, of course." Alonzo's eyes flickered back towards the crowd. "I… I planned on coming ever since you asked me."
"Really?"
"Yes. It's been a long couple of months." Alonzo huffed a laugh. "Thankfully that gave me enough time to practice. I didn't realize just how involved the dancing would be."
"You've been practicing?"
"Yes. I, uh, I didn't want to make a fool of myself."
"It wouldn't be possible. Out there… out here… you're perfect. Beautiful."
Alonzo turned a deep shade of red at that, the first time Munk had seen him truly embarrassed. The normally composed mask had cracked, giving him a glimpse at the swirling storm of emotions underneath.
"I mean it." Munk continued. "Anyone would be lucky to dance with you."
"Would they?" Alonzo wondered.
"Yes."
"Would you?"
"What?"
"Would you dance with me?" The question was hesitant, the uncertainty eating away at the carefree air he had previously held himself with. The sheer notion that Alonzo would doubt if Munk wanted to dance with him was enough to spur the silver tabby into action.
Wordlessly Munkustrap took Alonzo into his arms. This was the moment he had been waiting for all evening. Together they moved under the moonlight, finding harmony with each other and letting the natural rhythm between them dictate the dance. To say they were well suited for one another would be an understatement, as Munk could hardly recall a time where dancing felt this natural, this intuitive, as if his and Alonzo's bodies both knew exactly what steps to take to remain comfortably in sync with one another.
Alonzo was smiling again, his whole body radiating happiness, and Munk decided that maybe he didn't need to puzzle out just what was going on between them. For now all he wanted to do was keep this moment going forever. The outside world dropped away, leaving only the two of them in a private universe of their own.
The moonlight did strange things to a Jellicle's mind. What exactly had transpired between them was a bit hazy. Logically Munk knew that he and Alonzo had eventually returned to the others to witness the Jellicle Choice, and that after he must have seen to it that everyone was safe and sound after the Ball was over, but all he could remember was the eternity they spent dancing with each other. Those were memories that would last for as long as he could manage, if only so he could recall the brilliance of Alonzo's smile.
Said cat was currently sprawled face down on a cushion in his den, completely dead to the world after such an intense night and lacking the memorable elegance from before. Munk carefully stepped over the long limbs as he ventured outside. The morning after the Jellicle Ball was always a quiet one, one that Munk savored as an opportunity to take time and reflect without interruptions. Of course, now that he had the solitude, his mind kept wandering to a certain individual snoring in his den.
Not that he would ever tell Alonzo that he snored. Something told him that doing so would put the cat in a mood that would spoil the peace of the morning.
As if summoned by Munk's musings Alonzo's snoring abruptly stopped, followed by the cat staggering gracelessly out into the sun and slumping up against the tabby with absolutely no regards to his personal space. It took a moment for Alonzo's brain cells to fire up again. In the meantime Munk took the opportunity to savor the cuddle from the usually private cat.
"Good morning." Munk said, unable to hide his amusement at the sight.
"Mmph." Blearily Alonzo peered out at the empty junkyard. "What time is it?"
"Early. I'm surprised you're up."
"Me too." With great care Alonzo started to groom himself back to his usual elegant appearance.
Munk chucked as Alonzo tried to smooth out his rumpled fur. "Sleep well?"
"Like the dead. I feel like I've been mauled by a Pollicle." Wincing, Alonzo arched his back with a noticeable crack. "You do this every year?"
"Yes. Although I admit that last night was more intense than usual." Munk watched with a degree of pity and mostly appreciation as the cat stretched in the early light of the sun.
"Well, it was quite a night."
"Yes." Munk's eyes unashamedly roved all over the black and white fur. "Enjoyable though."
"Oh yes." Alonzo continued, unaware of the effect he was having on the other cat. "I might actually properly rehearse for next year."
"Next year?" That was enough to break the tabby out of his ogling. Not that he'd admit to ogling.
"Well, you said that all cats are Jellicle cats." Alonzo said slowly. "And it is called the Jellicle Ball."
"I did say that."
"You… you also said that if I wanted to, I could… join the tribe." The statement was bordering on a question.
Munk's heart did a funny leap in his chest."I did also say that, yes."
"Then I… I think I'm ready."
There weren't any proper words to describe the sudden rush of happiness, no, elation he felt at Alonzo's admission, so Munk settled for a spur of the moment embrace.
"Do you welcome everyone that joins the tribe like this?" Despite his flippant words Alonzo returned the hug.
"No." It did not escape Munk's notice that Alonzo was much more comfortable with physical contact between them, a fact that he was inclined to act upon as much as possible.
"Well. I feel honored." Slowly Alonzo broke away, still leaning up against Munk and staring out at the junkyard again.
"As you should." Munk teased. "Would you like an official tour? Maybe an informational pamphlet?"
"Do you actually have one of those?"
"You'd be surprised."
"Well then, yes. Eventually. I want to see it all." Alonzo said with a smile. "But for now… let's just enjoy the morning."