((AN: Holy crap I'm not dead! x3 Still writing for Cats, and in a random burst of productivity I decided to finally end this little drabble I've had partially worked on for ages. And the idea for the story, I've had for pretty much as far back as my first two stories. xP

Bombalurina and Rum Tum Tugger have an interesting dynamic, to me. A lot of productions like to put them together, especially in his song, only for him to show how picky he is by rejecting her flirting. I liked to analyze their differing personalities a little, and a thought came to me of how they'd take the time to do that with one another, showing that they are a little more than they both show of themselves initially.

This is a nice short one, only about nearly nine pages, but I hope it's enjoyed. ^.^))

The Proper Kind of Care

The air had the faint scent of rain to it, making Bombalurina stop in her tracks to raise her nose and peer up at the half-cloudy sky. It had earlier that afternoon seemed like a perfectly pleasant day for a walk through a neighborhood of apartments, which stood a good several blocks out of the busiest part of the city. The red queen had known that quite a few of the humans would have been out enjoying it, perhaps even being in the kind of mood to throw a few scraps her way (not that she wasn't a skilled hunter when needed, but most days she found it much easier to use her natural charm...it was more a game than anything, to figure out what was needed for the stubborn ones to relinquish a bite or two).

She didn't give any more than a passing thought to coming rain, though, as she padded along the sidewalk between the buildings of flats, quietly so as not to alert any dogs by their hearing her. She smirked when a few small Pollicles had given her a warning growl in passing their little patio yards, however. Not that it wasn't entirely a dangerous place for cats; there were others that lived there too, and she wasn't amiss to give a little wave and a flick of her tail to any particularly cute ones she would spy sitting in the windows.

It was a good enough day that she found herself humming a familiar tune as she went along, namely the Jellicle Ball Invitation. One of my best memories in the tribe so far, really...I can hardly wait for the next one. And who knows what will have changed.

She wasn't far into the song though when, suddenly, she had to halt when passing a particular flat and do a double-take. Backing up and quirking her brow as she craned to look, there in the windowsill sat none other than the Rum Tum Tugger.

The large tom, who would have usually found her first with a cocky grin and a twist of his hips when she was in his neighborhood, was right now instead sitting like a leonine figurine or a stone-carved statue, still as can be, with an empty stare through the window as his tail swayed behind him like a slow clock pendulum.

Her head tilted, and she pursed her lip. Curious. Rare to see HIM in such a mood. Well...let's see if I can lift him up a little. She took a moment to preen her paw and straighten the fur on her face before leaping up on the stiles of the fence. They made a little creak when she balanced on them...but his ears hadn't even turned her way.

Humming a little, she strutted across the stiles and up behind him, waiting politely to get his attention before getting permission to jump into his yard...a queen had manners, after all. "Well, well...you are looking pensive today, O Curious Beast."

He seemed only slightly startled as he turned his head around to glance at her, his tail giving a bit of a harder flick as he raised one brow. "Bomba...what would you be doing here?"

She quirked her own brow at the suspicious tone that he'd used, though she still held a patient light in her half-lidded eyes and flirty smile. "You know I pass by every so often...I saw you, thought I'd stop and say hello. No harm in that. Might I jump in?"

He shrugged with one shoulder and went back to staring intently through the window. "You always do what you want. But I warn you, I am in no mood to play."

"I could tell," she deadpanned with a hum and took her liberty to leap down from the fence, onto the patio table, and up to the windowsill next to him. "But we could at least have a conversation...why are you sitting here anyway? Did your human lock you out...again..." her words trailed off into quiet as soon as she looked inside, her brow furrowing.

She'd seen his human a few times before; she was a woman in her late sixties...somewhat elderly, she guessed, for them. The window was facing her bedroom, where she was lying still and peaceful, though every so often a cough would make her frame shudder. A younger woman was sitting there next to the bed, talking to the older one while a little boy watched in concern from her other side.

Bombalurina observed the scene in silence with her head tilted. "What's happened?"

"She's been ill for a few days now," Tugger explained, his voice somewhat monotone. "The flu, I believe. That's her daughter and grand-child, tending to her. They saw fit to lock me outside when they came, probably believing that I'd just be in the way." His tail whipped a little at that, and he flicked his head in a similar dismissive manner, making his spiked collar and tag jingle together. "Not that I mind being outside. I was merely wondering when I'd be let back in. It has been a couple of hours."

"You've tried the pet door?"

"It's blocked...they laid a box or something in front of it," he huffed. "They'd shooed me out so quickly that I hadn't even time to grab my belt," he reared up a bit to point out that indeed, he wasn't wearing his favorite shiny accessory about his waist. "So rude. They should know I feel quite naked without it."

"You're a cat, naked is our nature," Bombalurina pointed out with a bit of amusement as her eyes flicked from his face to his waist (fighting an urge to linger there), and back again. "Of course, you could do to grow your fur out again."

"Oh please, and hide all this?" he said with a little flex and stretch of his arm, and then his eyes caught the scene back inside. He sat hunched over again, the melancholy look returning. "At any rate...all I can do now really is sit and watch."

The red queen immediately knew that was a lie. The Rum Tum Tugger had never been a cat to let himself get caught with inactivity and boredom. He was always doing something, as mercurial as anyone could ever be, changing his whims whenever the last one got too tedious or hum-drum or just out of reach. There was absolutely no reason that he could choose to just stay there...unless...

"You are worried about her."

Immediately, she received a narrow-eyed glare and a little sneer from his lip. "Don't be ridiculous. I don't need a human...it is just a little more convenient with one...and rather an inconvenience whenever they get hurt or fall ill, or other things like that."

Bombalurina decided to tighten her lip against any argument she had to the contrary; she knew Tugger quite well by this point, and also knew that he tended to care more than he let on...although nobody dared to tell him that they could see his care, or else he'd balk at it. He loved his reputation and his freedom to be fickle above all else. Why he didn't want to be seen as caring was a mystery all on its own...that's what gave him the title of the "curious cat".

"Well then," she said with a hum and stood, turning around to leap back to the patio table, "How about we do something productive? Brooding isn't healthy, and I'd endeavor to help."

The maned tom gave another huff. "I told you, Bomba, I'm not really in a mood for your brand of help."

She stopped and gave him a bit of a glower over her shoulder. "I don't mean that kind of help; although I wouldn't be against it if you're offering," she smirked. "But, I mean that we could do something to make your human feel better. Medicine, or tea, or a little gift, something to that effect."

The Tugger turned around to look at her fully again, this time with both eyebrows quirked and a genuine confused look, as if one of his fan-kittens were to suddenly hiss at him. "...Really?"

"Of course," she said upon turning her back, sitting at the edge of the table and starting to think. It had been a long time since she'd ever been around a human when they were sick...it was hard to remember what the procedure was. Usually, all a cat had to do was have a nibble of grass, some water, and a warm place to sleep—and oftentimes a warm snuggle—to feel better. "Let's see, sick humans, what do they like...well, Munkustrap's likes fish and chips almost every day for lunch...he often seems a bit more cat than human, like that..."

And while she mused, Tugger was still staring at her with his head tilting this way and that, still a bit nonplussed that Bombalurina of all cats was offering to help him in a manner productive.

But before he could ask her more about it, she turned to him with her brow quirked inquisitively. "What sort of tea does your human like? Perhaps we can start with that."

"Uh..." he shook his head rapidly to focus again. "Quite a few...Rosemary, in particular...but, her family has already prepared her some, and gotten some medicine as well."

"Ah, good...then we shall have to just choose a gift. Flowers!" she perked up at the idea and leaped quickly off the table to the chair, already preparing to jump back to the fence (he'd have quietly watched the cute way her rump wiggled, but he was still mulling over her words, to his own surprise). "One thing I do know about humans, they always cheer up a little with flowers. Save for the allergic ones," she snorted and made a flying leap, expertly balancing again on the stiles with but a shake of her narrow perch.

Once she got standing still under control, she looked at him expectantly. "Well, are you coming?"

His face fell back into his brooding sneer, and he opened his mouth in preparation to reject her help again...but couldn't quite let them out as soon as he took another glance through the window at his bed-ridden caretaker and her doting family.

Bombalurina did have a point...doing something was better than doing nothing, except to sit on that sill and wait to be let in...for once, he didn't feel like being a part of a scene that didn't want him there in the first place.

So instead of a scathing dismissal, the maned tom let out a defeated sigh and leaped to the table. "Might as well. Lead on, then."

And so, Bombalurina leaped the rest of the way off of the fence, and Tugger followed not far along behind as she went back up the street, and to pathways familiar more to her than to him. She tried to keep her focus ahead of her, lest she let her annoyance of him be known.

Perhaps he'll see fit to actually THANK me later.

It was just a short walk through the city to find Bombalurina's favorite thoroughfare of shops. The place wasn't unfamiliar to most of the cats in the yard, and especially not to Tugger; but he still held his eyes curiously on the red queen as she led him on with a look of concentration. Thankfully, due to the threat of a short bit of rain still lingering above, there weren't that many humans to dodge; they could pad along the sidewalks and quickly across the tiny roads along the alleys, easily avoiding the threat of cars.

There were very rare times that Tugger ever dwelt on the thought of any one cat; he tended to correctly guess their personalities to a tee, just by a little time spent with them, and then he was quick to move on to another cat, easy and clean. He liked knowing exactly how each one ticked...that way he knew exactly how to deal with them...and if he felt cheeky enough that day, to play with them.

But Bombalurina...she was a different case altogether. At first, he pegged her for a type just like him: craving attention, having the extensive knowledge of how to work a room, would rather charm than fight, utterly shameless and forthcoming. She was a queen that could match him in wit, and though it was hard to admit, surpass him. It was no wonder how she fairly quickly made her way to being one of the Jellicles' Head Queens. She could easily be mistaken for conceited and flippant, a stone-cold heart-breaker.

And yet...he sometimes saw in her eyes something...he wouldn't call it dangerous, but still carrying an unknown depth. He knew little of her story, but as she had lived the same experiences as the fearful Demeter, he could guess that she shouldered something heavy.

But, those were only seldom times, and they were fleeting enough to quickly be forgotten. She would be back to herself, sporting a musical chuckle like that of a noblewoman as she charmed the room without knowing how powerful she could be. Flirting with her was fun most days...but other days he was dismissive. Too exhausting to deal with such an attitude, he'd think.

Now, he was following her through the city streets, trying to get an angle on her motivations. Her sister was the only cat that she seemed to ever go out of her way to help. And yet, here she was, helping him without much of a thought on the matter.

I suppose we are friendly enough for her to do that, he thought to himself. A little.

"Ah, there it is," she was heard humming as they padded over to the front of a store, a flower shop with a very colorful sign, and they could smell every sort of plant that one could think of on the inside. The door and front windows were open briefly to let in the fresh air, and so the cats had no problem just passing on in.

Their noses were simultaneously raised to the air to catch the scents as they strolled across to the front desk. "Right...your human wouldn't be allergic to any sort of flower, would she? Tugger?"

Hearing his name snapped the maned tom out of his thoughts, his head shaking. He played it off as if shaking off dust. "Ah, sorry. No, I do not believe so...not that I ever pay attention. But she's had roses around every so often, as well as marigolds and tulips on a sill. Which were fun to smack off the edge," he smirked and idly licked his paw.

Bombalurina sighed, smirking back. "Do be serious. This is a gift for a sick human; you would endeavor not to destroy them."

"Oh, lighten up, darling," Tugger chuckled. "I know better. Anyway, those flowers. Usually anything red and orange and yellow, warm colors. Insofar as I know, of course."

"Of course," the queen snorted, and then glanced up along the counter-top of the front desk. "Hm, the shopkeep must be having a break."

"So we can just take the flowers, I wager?" the tom suggested idly.

"Oh, heavens no," Bombalurina's head shook. "There is still someone from whom we need permission." She then turned and called, looking around. "Miss S! Helloooo! Are you about?"

"Who is..."

Suddenly, a rather elderly, scratchy female voice answered back, in a thick accent that Tugger guessed was somewhat Geordie in origin. "'M 'ere, 'm 'ere, bloody 'ol' on a spell, will ya?"

As the Jellicles watched, another cat appeared with a short leap onto the front desk. She was covered in scraggly, medium-length fur that was a solid bright fawn-gold in color, with a mask and collar of gray hairs to denote her as perhaps only a few years younger than Gus. Yet, her eyes didn't seem at all dull, and her wizened face was calm and stern as she looked down with a bit of apprehension at the visitors, her paw straightening out a little green bow on her neck.

The lines of her jaw seemed to soften though once she set eyes on the red queen. "'Ere then, as ay live'n breath...tha' you, Bomba? S' been a bi' o' time, i' 'as."

"Yes, it has," the younger queen chuckled. "I apologize for not visiting that much. Things have been busy at the yard."

"Argh, yes, yer fanceh new ti'le eh, 'ead queen. Re-spons-ibili'y, always good fer ya. Well, wha' can ay be doin' fer yeh an' yer..." her bushy brows rose when she spotted the large, interestingly-styled tom. "Ohhhh, this 'andsome bloke wha' followed ya in, eh?"

"Yes, he's with me," Bombalurina answered as Tugger smoothed down the front of his mane. "Miss S, meet the Rum Tum Tugger, a good friend. Tugger, meet Miss S, the flower shop's resident cat."

The tom stood and took a bow in his usual flourishing manner. "A pleasure, Miss S. I am curious, but what is the 'S' for?"

"Ohh, ay ferge' tha' detail meself, dear boy. Still rather be called tha', makes me all mysterious n' th' like. Nice t'be makin yer acquain'nce," she said with a little wink, before raising her paw and waving it at him. "Bu' now, don'tcha be causin' trouble in me shop, ya fancy-lookin' bru'e, ay know a character when ay sees one."

"Me, trouble?" Tugger feigned an aghast look, his paw-tip pressing his chest. "Not at all, milady."

"Aaargh..." the old queen shakily waved her paw again, grinning. "Bloody ol' charmer, ay seen 'em all, silver-tongued brats, th' lo' of 'em, you en't no different. Ol' enough ta see righ' through ya, ay am."

"Well, I never..."

Bombalurina's eyes rolled, while Tugger still looked rather playfully insulted. "Relax, Miss S...Tugger isn't as much of a punk as he looks. At any rate, I was hoping you would allow us to procure some flowers. His human is sick, and we thought to cheer her up some."

"S'at so?" Miss S raised her eyebrows again. "Well 'en...tha's more a noble cause. Go on then...bu' jus' a few, y'ear?"

"Yes indeed, Miss; the shop owner won't notice anything out of place," promised the red queen with a polite bow of her own.

As the two cats turned into the rows of flowers and the old queen was left muttering to herself on the front desk, Tugger couldn't help but hum a chuckle. "She sounds like she was a tough little cookie when she was younger."

"Oh, she is still one of the toughest old queens I've met," Bombalurina smiled. "Very amiable, but I've known her to send curious dogs running if they breach the doorstep. Lots of fun stories too. She claims she is the cat with the fiddle from that old nursery rhyme."

"Seriously?" Tugger drawled, raising an eyebrow. "I mean, I know plenty of mystical old cats, but..."

"Well, I humor the thought anyway. She can play the fiddle quite well. But at any rate, let us browse for a nice mixed bouquet, shall we?"

"Indeed...but I shall have to ask you just how many more interesting cats you know outside of the yard," he said, and she could have sworn to hearing a bit of an impressed tone in his voice.

She snorted. "More than you probably have."

"Doubtful."

The next few minutes of flower-gathering would be quiet and thoughtful, but for the sounds of muttering from the red queen as she inspected each of the bouquets and plucked a few good flowers to carry, with Tugger every so often adding to the proverbial pile...although she noticed that his mind seemed to still be elsewhere, as he still regarded her with curious looks. Whenever she turned to meet his eye, he'd nonchalantly look away, as if he didn't want any prying.

Still, Bombalurina decided to do so. She hadn't had any meaningful time alone with the large gold tom yet. Little conversation beyond their flirtatious games. He presented himself as rather one-dimensional on the outside, but even before she saw a glimpse of how much he cared today, she saw evidence from how he acted in the tribe that he had his own depth. He was the source of encouragement for everyone at the Ball, after all, in their moment of helplessness. It was thanks to him that Mistofelees could use his magic to its full useful effect.

And yet, how infuriating he could be sometimes, when he decided to act like such a child. And yet I'm still attracted to that curious beast.

"You are being awfully quiet," Bombalurina at last noted, once they found a ribbon to tie the bouquet together. "Care to ask me what you want to ask me?"

Tugger blinked as he sat down and started preening the pads of his paw; he wasn't used to that much walking around on tables in a few minutes. "What makes you think I want to ask you something?"

"The way you've looked at me this whole trip," the queen hummed. "Nonplussed at my offer to help, and then...contemplation. Curiosity. Normally one would attribute the quiet to your earlier worry at your human, but that is probably what you are counting on me to assume. You are wondering something of me."

He froze in mid-grooming, both bushy eyebrows slowly rising. "That's...rather astute."

She let out a closed-mouth chuckle. "I may act the aloof socialite, my dear boy, but I am far from stupid. I can read you like a book."

"I never thought of you as stupid," Tugger pointed out with a huff, idly smoothing down his mane. "Have a little more faith in me, my dear."

Bombalurina's brow rose, and her eyes for once cast away from him. "That is just it. I want to have more faith in you, but you seem to have little in me. And since it seems that a drizzle has started outside," her paw raised to point out the window, where indeed the earlier threat of rain now was pattering on the store's awnings, "This would be a good time to have a little conversation about why."

...Dammit, she has me, Tugger thought with a dejected sigh as he paused to take in the sound of the rain. "Oh, very well," he lightly groaned. "Talk, we shall. You always know how to hold a tom over a barrel."

"Only if they want to be," Bombalurina grinned and patted the wayward tufts of fur down on her chest. "But right now I am quite serious about knowing you a little better. As a Head Queen I must know everyone."

He quirked his whiskers. "Hm. Well, it's nothing, really. I have just been wondering why on Earth you would want to go out of your way like this to help."

The red queen tilted her head just slightly, her gaze intense even in simple inquiry. "Well, why wouldn't I? Helping is not only a duty, it is something I am happy to do for anyone. I do care for the tribe, and not just the ones closest to me."

"Well, you just..." he paused to find his words, and simply went with what buzzed in the forefront. "...You never really struck me as the type to care for much beyond your own agenda."

And then that look came in her eyes, when her brow furrowed again, just slightly. Her face was neutral, but he could tell from her gaze that he had just touched something that made her the serious, troubled queen that she kept hidden within the veil of the eternal charmer.

"...So, you think I am conceited."

"Well, I wouldn't quite say..."

"Oh, do not try to deny it, I told you I can see it. And honestly, that's what quite a few cats have first thought of me, and I've taught them without force to see otherwise...save for you. I know you want to see the cats around you at face value...the ones that you do not choose to keep close, because it is simple for you. I don't. I could just as easily say that the cat you've described is yourself. But I know you better, and that is why I am intending to treat you better than how you treat me."

He shook his head, trying to give her a matter-of-fact look. "Oh come now, when have I treated you less than the gorgeous queen that you are?"

"When you've proven that is all you see."

That was when Tugger was struck silent, and he couldn't really deny what she said. That is all he'd thought of Bombalurina, when it came down to it. A lovely queen that he enjoyed toying with, because that is what he thought she liked, too.

Silently, she turned to look out the window at the pouring rain; but she seemed to instead be looking at her own reflection. "You've never been told our full story, have you? Demeter's and mine?"

He shrugged. "Only that you were with Macavity for a while. It sure left an impact on that sister of yours, but you..."

"I seem like I took all the abuse hurled at me and ignored it. Let it roll off like it was nothing."

"I was going to say you seem stone cold about it, but yes."

She glanced at him with a glare that made him, for the first time in a while, want to actually back down if it came to a fight. Then, the red queen took a deep breath and turned back to the window. "Cold only towards the bad memories. I have never let it make me cold toward others. I could charm my way into all levels of Macavity's minions, but I only did so to protect the both of us. I had to be a source of strength for Demeter; without me she would have given up back there."

With a silent Tugger listening on, she grit her teeth against the memories that surfaced. "Nobody escapes Macavity without scars. I had to act like nothing ever bothered me, so that nothing ever would. In truth I always worry. I've always worried about her, since our humans left us to the streets. I still worry about her, and now, about all of you. Because I have seen how easy it is to lose what you have."

Bombalurina glanced back to him again. "And so it is easy for me to sympathize with something like what you are going through right now with your human, as much as you try to hide it. And don't worry, I won't let that get out; a tom's reputation is sacred and all," she waved her paw and smirked, before softening her expression as she turned to face the tom again. "But now you know. Despite how I may look, I am neither selfish nor cold, nor in my position for the power; yes, I am free to rub elbows with the most important cats, but now it helps me help others...the fact that I love the attention is just a mere fraction of it. And I really do want to help, Tugger. Whether or not you believe me."

And with that, she stood and shook her fur off, stretching her limbs to get rid of whatever kind of tiredness seemed to take them over at that moment. "Now then," she began with more of her usual perk, dismissing the seriousness quite easily, "I do believe these should make a lovely gift. Let us take them back to Miss S, and then make way back to your humans."

Tugger could only hum and nod his agreement, once the drizzle outside lit up to a few trickles, enough for the cats to be able to make their way back to the flats. All the while, the maned cat was still quiet, but now it was out of making sure to keep what he had just learned in mind.

About a day later, back at the yard, Bombalurina was sitting with the other two head queens as they were swapping stories and just generally being chatty. She hadn't seen Tugger since she escorted him back to his flat with those flowers, and had watched through the window as he placed them carefully in a vase and then laid himself on his sleeping owner's feet. And true to her word, she hadn't shared that excursion with anyone, though thinking about that last moment gave her heart a warm feeling.

"There you go, dear, oh don't you look lovely," Jennyanydots could be heard giggling as she finished stitching up a hole in the scarf that Jellylorum was wearing, which was a bright red with glitter sprinkled throughout the yarn. In front of the cats was a box full of a few little garments that they were fixing up for the theater.

Jelly smiled gratefully as she pawed the soft fabric in inspection. "Much obliged, I'm glad to have it fixed...though I might disagree on the 'lovely' comment; I never really thought this scarf very right for me. Then again I have never been too knowledgeable on style."

"Haven't you designed theater costumes for cats, though?" Bombalurina questioned, pausing in filing her claws.

"Oh my, yes," Jelly nodded. "But I've always had an eye for older styles, nothing that could be worn today." She hummed and re-wrapped the scarf around her neck. "What do you think, Bomba?"

The red queen put down her file and tapped her chin thoughtfully. "Hm. Actually, your fur is already quite bright, you don't need anything just as bright or gaudy. I think you are perfect for a more understated look." She pawed through the box of fabrics before grabbing something. "Here; try this brown one."

Jellylorum removed her red scarf as she picked up the one pointed out, which was more plain and a little less fluffy, more silky. "Hm, somewhat like my collar."

"Exactly," the red queen confirmed as she helped put it on. "Different bright colors and patterns clash and make one's eyes hurt. This is more simple, but still makes you stand out. That is, if you ever needed to wear clothing like that in the first place; I've always been happy with just my collar, but it doesn't hurt to do something different, yes?"

Jenny nodded. "Absolutely. One would think I am set in my routine, myself, but it can be quite exciting to switch it around. Oh, I must say, that does look better. As usual, Bomba, you have quite an eye for these things."

"Yes, indeed," Jelly hummed with a smile as she situated the garment more comfortably.

Bombalurina chuckled and preened some of her cheek fur playfully. "I surprise myself sometimes. Very happy to be of help."

The red queen still very much respected the older ladies that she often sat with, even having been a part of the tribe for as long as she has. She could still remember the look they had in their eyes the first time they met, pitying for her plight, but somewhat judgmental of her. Of course, it was in the habit of a headstrong queen to be so in the presence of another one, being a part of the more territorial sex. But, she was happy to prove herself as worthy to sit in equality with the elders, even if it hadn't been as quick as it was. And she was moreover grateful to the Heaviside's luck that they respected her opinion, as she respected theirs. They weren't her friends just for the sake of rank, but truly friends and family.

"Well, hello ladies."

Suddenly, the three queens turned their heads to see none other than the Rum Tum Tugger leaning against a large discarded appliance, his paws tapping lightly on his recovered belt.

"Tugger," Jenny greeted evenly as she went back to pawing through the box for something else to fix.

Jellylorum huffed a little, her tail twitching. "Do you actually need something? We are quite busy."

"Oh, must I be suspect for everything?" said the bright gold tom, lightly shrugging off the older queens' dismissal with a lopsided grin and a flick of his leonine tail. "Only polite to say hello to the Head Queens as I pass by, is it not? Love the scarf, by the way, Jelly. Very distinguished." Then, he met eyes with their third member. "Bomba, my dear, might I steal you away for a chat?"

She smirked a little. "Well, I am also a little busy, helping them."

"Only for a moment, then, m'dear. I just have something to discuss. Apparently, you were right."

The two elders blinked curiously, looking between the two younger cats. "Now what does he mean by that?" Jenny inquired of Bomba with a tilted head.

But, Bombalurina could tell that he indeed just wanted to talk about something, and probably about recent events; the proud tom never really acquiesced to something he was wrong about in public unless it was important. The red queen stretched a little as she stood up, feigning annoyance, but keeping a playful half-lidded sparkle in her eye. "Oh, very well, Tugger, you have my attention. I shan't be too long away; we just have to settle something," she said to her compatriots as she crossed along behind them.

"Hmph; what you see in that rapscallion, Bombalurina, I'll never know," Jellylorum commented as she went back to sifting.

"Oh, you'd be surprised what I see," she commented with a chuckle, and followed along with Tugger as he smoothed down his mane and turned away.

The walk wasn't too far, but far enough out of earshot; they'd only gone into a small alcove behind a few stacked boxes and a large oven, before they stopped to face each other again.

"So," Bomba began with crossed arms as she leaned back on the appliance, "How is your human?"

"Doing quite a bit better," he relayed, toying with his belt and keeping his eyes downward as he spoke. "She loved the flowers, and she loved it better that I don't knock them off her shelf," he snickered. "She's up and about more now."

"Good to hear," she said with sincerity. "I had been a little worried. Elderly humans are easily breakable."

"Mm, my days of nearly tripping her are over," he nodded with a snort of his own, before taking a breath and finally looking the queen in the eyes. "Listen...ah..." he growled to himself. "I am no good at this kind of thing. But what you did back there for me..."

She raised her paw to his lips, silencing him. "No need to thank me, Curious Beast. I told you, I like to help."

He grinned and grabbed her paw, giving the top of it a quick lick before letting it drop. "Well, I didn't come here just to say that." He sighed and threw his arms up a little, as if in defeat. "I admit it, babe...I was entirely wrong about you."

Bomba's brow rose. "You...are actually apologizing?"

"As much as a bull-headed cat like me can apologize," he nodded, a little sneer on his lip. "You were right, I do like to only take most cats at face value. But as Munk and Misto will attest, it can take a kick in the rear for me to see a bit more than that. And you were long overdue for more of an observation from me than just..." he looked her up and down for a second, "sexy and scary."

She barked out a laugh and cocked her hip to the side. "'Scary'? What's scary about me?"

"You're tough as nails," he pointed out. "But in a very subtle way. Nobody can guess at you. That's probably part of why I couldn't. You are too good. But...I am thankful for the education you gave me before, and without having to swipe at me."

Bombalurina quirked her lip up in a smile that actually seemed soft for her intense features, before she shook her head and tried to go back to her more staunch self. "I felt I didn't need to swipe at you, at least not this time. And really...if you ever need the sense smacked into you again, Tugger...you're more than welcome, truly."

He chuckled. "Well, that's a kind offering, but," he said as he sauntered close, "Right now, I would like to dispense with all of this emotional tish-tosh and..." he reached out and grabbed her by the hips, making her squeak in surprise as his eyes bore into hers with fervor, "Thank you a tad more properly for my taste. What say you, hm?"

She blinked at him for a second, taking in the sudden shift in mood, before letting a slow smirk cross her face. "You mean a tad more properly for our taste," she purred as she allowed herself to be tugged close, her paws running slowly through his fur, before leaning back a little. "That is, if you actually mean it, and aren't thinking to drop me again."

"Oh, trust me," he growled as he tugged her back again, nipping at the base of her jaw as his pads tapped over her rump, "I am perfectly in your kind of mood."

And Bombalurina, without much more thought, decided to let herself go, sinking easily and eagerly into the large tom's presence, and knowing that one more cat that she cared about actually learned to take her seriously.

And to think I would have just accepted a simple 'thank you'.