A
Different Love
By Robin Girl
Chapter 1
(Oooook so we'll try this again!! 0_0; It wouldn't work the first time!! This one is one of my BEST stories for CATS! ^_^ I think you'll agree to!!)
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Mistoffelees' POV
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Oh...the sun, it's perfect today...
Finally, I was able to escape those horrid boxes that the Queens kept us in when it rained. I know I should have been able to just magicaly wish the rain away. After all, I am Magical Mr. Mistoffelees, the original Conjuring Cat. I have yet to find out what the Original part means but who really gives a care. I can withstand just about any thing but rain and thunder. Those two elements I believe, and have believed since I was a kitten, were put on earth to scare Cats.
As a kitten though, I was allowed to go and hide in an embrace of an older Tom or Queen. Not anymore. See I've moved up a step, I'm now a Tom...a young Tom, but a Tom. Which means I'm suppose to help the other kittens. I don't think that's fair. And I also don't think I'd be much help anyway.
No one wants me to do anything serious.
Just Magic.
That is all I'm allowed to do. I guess I'm just a free baby sitter for the kittens. Whenever the Queens get tired of them, which seems to happen anytime I'm taking a good nap, they send the annoying things over to me and expect me to babysit them. For free to. How can I say no to the ones who practically raised me?
Oh, alright, so they didn't exactly raise me. Another pair of Cats took care of that one. Tugger had found me and Munkus and him both decided that I was going to be raised by them. They aren't bad...Parent's...I guess...it was more Munkustrap than Tugger. Tugger, also known as Rum Tum Tugger, has a repetiation to keep up with. He doesn't have time for a young bothersome kitten like myself.
I shut my eyes agaisnt the glare from the sun and almost drift into a peaceful slumber when a shadow hovers over me. I crack one of my eye lids open and see it's Tugger. Of all people to be here now. What does he want?
I've been noticing lately to that my interests aren't towards Queens like they should be. Actually I've been looking at Toms. Even though I know it's not right I still do. And one in paticular, the one hovering over me, has peaked my list of Tom's over the past few months.
"What?" I whisper. "What do you want?" This time louder.
"I told you he wasn't asleep." Tugger muttered under his breath.
What do you mean I wasn't asleep? Aren't I allowed to close my eyes for a second? I hear two squeals and invollunatry put my paws to my ears. Those darn Queens and their stupid squeals. It really hurts your ears ya know? Or mine anyway, they hurt mine bad. After they are done I always have this confounded ringing in my ears that won't go away for awhile. It's annoying really.
"Tugger come down and play with us..."
That was Etecera. Nice girl, but completely into Tugger. I had some competition if I was going to get Tugger for myself.
"You ok?" Tugger asked me.
Why did he ask me that? I'm completely fine just very hot. But that is because I've been out in the sun for 10 minutes. I sat up as if to prove that I was perfectly fine and that there was no problem. Unfortunately my body didn't want to coroparte and I was forced to lay back down. I noticed for the first time that sweat was running down my face. It wasn't that hot out here was it? If it was then how come I didn't notice it?
"You've been out in the sun too long." His voice sounded scolding. "Come on."
"How long have I been out?"
"6 hours" was his reply. I felt the familiar arms go underneath me to gather my body in his arms. The same ones that carried me when I was kitten. "The high today was 110 according to Jelly's report from her human's News Channel. You've been out here soaking it in for 6 hours straight. That's not healthly."
"TUUUUUUUUUUUGGGGGGGGGGGGGEEEEEEEEEEEEERRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!" Screamed Etecetera annoyingly, "You promised you would sing to us..."
"That was before I found my littermate having a heat stroke." I heard Tugger reply. There was annoyance in his voice, was it being pushed towards me or Etectera? Was I really annoying to him? Littermate? I wasn't his brother...or at least I didn't think I was, was I? Now I'm confused. My head was begginning to hurt and I shivered despite that fact that it was to hot to be shivering. "I'll sing later if Misto is ok." I blacked out on the way there not remembering anything else.
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Tugger's POV
I looked out the side the huge box watching the Lightening shoot across the sky. It was beautiful. Something that was so simple yet so complicated to make happen. Then I turned back and looked into the box. We had been forced to all come in the Kitten's box for three days while this huge storm, Jelly's human had called it a hurricane, pass. Jelly had told us that this was a very uncommon hurricane since it had lasted so long.
My eyes scanned the huge area ignoring Etecetera, Jemima, and Victoria who are hanging all over me. My eyes stop at my little brother, he's not my birth brother, but me and Munkus raised him as if he were. I love him the same. Though we act more like friends than family. I never got around to actually spend time with Mistoffelees until late at night when I carried him off to his blankets. Munkustrap had been strictly told by Jenny that she didn't want any of my influence on the black kitten. So there wasn't any, I was never around.
Mistoffelees is curled in a ball shaking. Was he crying? Then another flash of lightening went off followed by a huge clap of thunder. The black Tom's shaking increased. He looked like a small kitten afraid of the thunder. He was of course scared of thunder, or had been when he was a kit. But I thought he'd gotten over it now that he was older. I knew that now he was a Tom. I couldn't go help him. He was supposed to be able to take care of himself. I wanted so much to go and gather the small Tom in my arms and hold him close everytime the Thunder sounded.
The storm went on into the night and we were told to huddle close. I huddeled close to Mistoffelees' right side. Munkustrap my real littermate, an ok friend if he isn't concerned with Tribe's well being, huddeled to the other side. Together we calmed the young Tom enough to where he was able to drift into a deep sleep.
The next morning I awoke to see Mistoffelees gone. As soon as I got up I was trampled by the Queens. Would it have mattered if I told them that I wasn't interested in Queens?
Wait, not interested?
What am I saying, I can't be in love with a Tom, can I? I have to admit that young Tom, Tumblebrutus is good looking, so is his brother Pounce, but was it ok for me to like Tom's?
If I had to give an award for the best looking Tom there would be a tie between Tumble, and Mistoffelees. Mist would probably win. Mistoffelees looks so good, so beautiful, and he doesn't even realize it. If only he'd get out and socialize, every Queen would be at his feet fainting if he glanced at them. But that is what makes him so adorable. He is definitely the shy type. His best talent is to not be seen unless he wants to be seen. That is sometimes very annoying, expecially when you want to talk to him and you can't find him.
I walk out as best as I can with a Queen attached to each arm and leg making it very hard to walk. I get death glares from the other Older Toms such as Alonzo, Ademedus, and Plato. The other two, Pounce and Tumble, have better things to do. They are more interested in how long it takes before Jenny or Jelly will yell at them for doing something. If the other Tom's wanted these Queens then please, come, take them. I don't want them, or at least not anymore.
Oh, to have Tumble, Pounce, and Misto doing this to me would feel like I was in Heaviside. But they won't. This goes on, with the Queens I mean, for the next 6 hours. At lunch I notice that Mistoffelees isn't there. That was very uncommon, if there was one thing that Mistoffelees wouldn't miss, it was a meal. He could stuff himself and never gain a thing. It has always amazed me to know end. He takes in enough to feed two Toms for an entire day. But, Mistoffelees also dances and performs Magic. I guess Magic takes a lot of energy from you.
He's always coming in late at night looking like he took in a lot of Catnip when all he did was use his magic to much. Mistoffelees usually collapses and me or Munkus carries him over to his blankets and let him sleep it off.
Oh well, I pushed the feeling away that something was wrong and ate my lunch. After lunch I finally succombed to Etectera and Jemima's wishes to sing for them. I escorted them to my favorite part of the junk yard..or that's what I told them. I was hoping to find Mistoffelees over here in the shade.
It was HOT. VERY HOT! I had been ordered to bring the Queens back in an hour. It was so hot that there was a curfew on how long you could stay out in the sun. That's hot.
As we round the corner I see a black...black..thing...laying on top of the car trunk soaking in the sun. As we got closer I saw it was Mistoffelees. He wasn't moving. Had he been out here the ENTIRE time? "Mist...?"
"He's just sleeping.." Etectera exclaims hugging my arm. "Come on sing for us...you promised."
Something tells me he's not sleeping and I push her away and climb up the trunk. It was Hot up here. How could he stand it? His fur is black to. I hover over him and Mistoffelees opens his eyes. Relieved it's nothing serious yet, I grin despite the situation. The conjuring cat growls at me asking what's wrong.
"You've been out here for six hours."
He tries to sit up and prove that he is fine but fails. I slip my arms underneath his small lean body and easily gather him in my arms. If I allowed him to walk back Jelly, Jenny, Bomba, Demeter, even Munkus would have my tail. Besides, he probably wouldn't have made it anyway. "Jelly said the high today was 110..." He groans trying to get comfortable in my arms. I can feel him shivering. This had turned serious.
"TUUUUUUUUUUUGGGGGGGGGGGGGEEEEEEEEEEEEERRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!" Screamed Etecetera annoyingly, "You promised you would sing to us..."
"That was before I found my littermate having a heat stroke." I replied, that queen is so annoying. I wanted to turn around and smack her but decided agaisnt it.
She pouted but pawed Misto's left arm playfully. "He's ok...or...not..." Etecetera stood from her spot and looked into my arms worriedly, "He blacked out Tug..better not let Vicki see him like this. She'll let ya have it.."
Victoria, the beautiful snob, whom Mistoffelees had as a sister. Poor him. Though she wasn't really his sister, she had taken it upon her self and appointed her his older sister. Making sure everything was perfect for him. I guess she saw him as a snobby upper class like her. Munkus steered Misto clear of Vicki's influence and Mist turned out alright. But Vicki was very protective over her charge. As any Queen would be.
Once in the main section of the Junk Yard I had to set Mistoffelees down for a moment and stretch my arms. He didn't way a thing, just I had gathered him in an awkward way making my muscles cramp. Not only that it was to hot to be holding him close like this for long. It gave me the chance to take in who was around me and who could possibly help me. I knew one thing, I had to get some water in him. In the middle of the Courtyard, or square, what ever ya called it, the Queens had sat up a huge broken freezer the kind from the stores that I see humans grab bags of ice from. It was filled completely with water.
Perfect.
Gently I pick up my friend again and carry him over there. Once over there I put my paws in the water and cup them filling them with water. Then I gently and very carefully move my makeshift cup and let the water stream gently out of my hand and softly onto Mistoffelees.
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Misto's POV
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I awoke to someone rudely pooring water over my face. "Sttttooop...." I mumbled. I opened my eyes and saw Tugger's beautiful eyes staring down at me. I felt my cheeks turn red, if it was from the heat or embarressment I didn't know.
"Can't stop, here." He held out his hands cupped with some water in them. What did he want me to do? Lick the water out of them? I sat up dazedly not to sure if I could hold my self up and weakly lapped up the water. It felt so good going down my parched throat. Had I really been out there for six whole hours? It didn't seem that way. Quickly, to quickly, the water was gone. I wanted more of that cool liquid to go down my throat.
"Feel better?" Tugger asked me supporting my body by wrapping an arm around my back and literally propping me up. I nodded groggily. There was still this haze over my thoughts and everything was mushy. "I'm taking you home in the shade."
Again I felt Tugger gather me in his arms and carry me. I was held so close that I could feel his muscles. This was what I had wanted, for him to hold me and push all of my pain away...
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Munkus's POV
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I was just finally getting cool enough to actually do anything. Old Dueteronomy had sent me in to my box, or the one that I shared with my brother, The Tugger and my half brother/very good friend Mistoffelees, two hours ago. This heat was unbearable. I hoped that for Misto's sake, since his fur was black, that he didn't have a heat stroke and stayed in the shade.
I heard some movement come from the front of the box. I crawl up there surprised to see Tugger and....Mistoffelees? Mist was curled in Tugger's arms, he was limp which told me he was either unconsious or to weak to move. "What's wrong with him?"
Tugger looked up startled. He obviously didn't see me. "Munkus, I didn't see you.." He looked as though he had been caught. "Misto, he's had a heat stroke..."
Just then Mistoffelees moaned. "Stoff? What's wrong?" No one but me was allowed to call him Stoff. It was what you could call a 'family' name.
"My hands...they...they are burning..." As I got closer I saw tears slowly forming in the black Tom's eyes. Maybe we had asked him to move up to being a Tom to soon. Maybe Mistoffelees was still a kitten.
"Burning?" Tugger asked, "Like..what kind?"
"M..My magic..it's...wanting to come out."
Tugger glanced over to me with a worried glance. I was thinking the exact same thing. Using magic made Mistoffelees weak and Mist was already tired, what would using his magic do to him? Then the tears they spilled and Misto cried in pain. I knew it had to be done. I quickly gathered some old cans and sat them infront of Mistoffelees. Tugger kneeled down and supported him.
I watched Mistoffelees painfully shoot blue energy towards the cans. Each shot took so much strength from him. Soon he couldn't do anymore. Tugger cradled him close. Something was going on between these two, I was going to find out.
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Tugger's POV
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As soon as Mistoffelees finished I held him close as he cried. The heat of the day must have awoken his magic. Sometimes if Mistoffelees didn't use his magic then it would build up like it had this time, it would build up so much that it would cause Mistoffelees pain. I hated to see him in pain. I love him, yes I do, I love him so much. To see him in pain broke my heart in two. "Shhh...it's alright.." I whisper over and over again into Misto's ears. My left hand is running up and down his sweaty back and my right is holding him close to me.
I felt Misto slowly calm down. He was still hot, very hot. That confounded fur of his. It was a black that was just dark enough to get someone hot and put them through misery. I had to be thankful though it wasn't as black as the ebony it became when he transformed into his magic, conjuring self. If he had and had a heat stroke Mistoffelees might not be in my arms right now breathing. He'd probably be dead.
"Munkus.." My brother looked up, he looked scared.
"Yes?"
"Go wet some blankets out side. He's going to sleep in a pile of cool blankets. It's the only way to cool him off."
Munkustrap nodded seeing logic in my idea and went to go get some blankets. After he left I kissed Mistoffelees. I realized what I was doing and stopped. Why did I do that just now? I just kissed a Tom on the lips...to be honest it was not much different then kissing a Queen. Only I enjoyed kissing Misto more than any Queen. I pulled back and looked into Misto's eyes. They were full of confusion then something surprised me he reached up and his hand carressed my cheek weakly. He pulled me down and I kissed him again. This time it didn't stop because I pulled away. It stopped naturally and Mistoffelees smiled one of his innocent kitten smiles.
"You love me?"
He was asking me that obvious question? Then I remembered that he didn't know my feelings towards him. I nodded nuzzling his sweaty forehead. Of course I loved him, I loved him more than anything. "Yes, I love you..." I finger his soft ebony hair, "I love you more than anything. I was so worried when I saw you up there in that heat not moving. I thought I had lost you."
"Really?" His eyes were so large, they were filled with confusion and innocence. "I..I love you to...." Then his eyes were filled with pain. He must have been uncomfortable. I know I would have been to. Being to hot is not fun. His cheeks were flushed and he looked like he had a fever of a sort. "I'm so hot.." He moaned.
Just as I was about to place a cool kiss on his forehead Munkustrap walked back in. I had been caught. His look told me that we would have a chat later. I laid Mistoffelees down and we placed the wet blankets around him. I prayed it would cool him down. If not then we would need the assitance of Jelly and or Jenny.
Soon Mistoffelees was cool enough and he dozed off. He was holding my right paw as he drifted into an uneasy sleep. I kissed it gingerly not caring what Munkus thought. Looks from my brother would not break the delicate relationship that I had started with Mistoffelees just now. Misto might not even remember that moment that had happened between us earlier.
As soon as Misto was cool enough he got hot all over again. What kind of heat stroke was this? Munkustrap had gone to go get Jelly and Jenny to come and help. I was left alone again with my love.
"Tugger..." I heard a soft flawless voice call my name. I looked down and saw Mistoffelees looking up at me. "I'm all hot again..." I nodded my head and carressed his hair. In all honesty I was scared. Nothing we did seemed to work.
"I know Mist..I know..." I was desparate so I started licking his face. He moaned in pleasure. I could tell the coolness of my tongue was making him feel much better. His face was so hot that I almost pulled back but I knew that I couldn't, Mistoffelees was counting on me to take all of the hurt away. My tongue ventured down to his nose and then his right cheek. It traveled down his chin then up the left cheek. I moved towards the center letting my tongue explore his hot mouth. Mistoffelees withered underneath me. He tasted good. His tongue weakly copied mine and soon found its self in my mouth.
Despite his weakened condition he was pretty good at this. Our kiss broke off naturally again and he laid back tired smiling weakly at me. His cheeks were still flushed but I could tell he was in better spirits now. "Feeling better?"
Mistoffelees nodded and reached up playing with the fur on my shoulder. I pulled his paw over and kissed it again. Then we heard a noise, it made both of us jump.
"Where is he?"
The small Tom had literally jumped into my arms burying himself in my chest. I wrapped my arms around him confused. What had made him do this? It was only Munkus returning with Jelly and Jenny. "It's alright, it's just Jenny and Jelly..." Those words didn't comfort him and I found him clinging tighter to me. His hot face was buryied deep in my chest. I could feel it burning.
"Where is he Tugger?"
I turned slightly so the older Queen could see Mistoffelees. I knew my cheeks must had been red, we had both been caught. Then it hit me that was why Mistoffelees was so scared right now. "Mist, it's alright.."
Jenny knelt down infront of us giving me a kind motherly glance. For once I think she saw me as a respectable cat instead of a play boy. "What's wrong with him Tugger?"
"I don't know Jenny, he's got a fever, it won't go down. Munkus and I did everything we think of. When ever it lowered it immediately shot back up." I was working myself up in a panic now. Had I just realized that this was serious, no, it wasn't that. I've known that it was serious for a long time.
Jenny put a paw to Misto's forehead. Her eyes narrowed almost instantly she shouted for Jelly to go get her human's themoniter. I felt my heart skip a beat. They only used a human instrument when it was a matter of life or death.
"Jenny? What's wrong?"
"He never had a heat stroke. He's ill, probably with the Red Paw Fever..."
The what? I had never heard of the Red Paw Fever...sounded like a pretty patheic name. Then Mistoffelees groaned in my arms, I turned serious again and kissed his forehead.
"He hasn't had this since he was a young kit." Munkustrap whispered. Misto had it before? Great, there is another thing that I missed out on in his life. I really need to do better. My brother knelt down and nuzzeled Mistoffelees gently.
I heard a soft whisper emit from my love. Then it turned to a sob. It sounded like "no...not again.." I rocked him back and forth whispering sweet nothings in his ear hoping he'd calm down. Then I looked to the two older Cats, "What is the Red Paw Fever?"
Jenny sighed standing again, "He'll burn up like this for the next day or so. He'll need to bathed in cool water every hour. We really can't do anything for him I'm afraid, except hold him and comfort him. The fever will pass on it's own."
For the next few days? That's torture.
"Oh, Tugger, you've never had it before have you?" I shake my head. Jenny chewed on her lip thinking about something. "I hate to say this but you are going to have to leave Mistoffelees to us," Before she could say anything else Mistoffelees cried out and clung to me.
"No...please..let him stay."
Jenny sighed rolling her eyes, "I have tried to keep your influence away from him, I see I didn't do a very good job." The Queen knelt down and proceeded to take the Tom from my arms. I let her take him so he wouldn't be hurt. I felt my heart break in two when I saw the helpless glance that I recieved from my lover. His eyes were pleading for me to take him back into my arms and hold him tight.
My eyes widened as I stood straightening my fur. My body felt so empty and cold with out him in my arms. I realized just how feverish he was. Now I was cold
"Jenny," Munkustrap began, "I wouldn't do that."
My brother was siding with me? What? Did he know about the relationship I had with the small black Tom? If so, then how?
"Why not? I will not have him scarred by Tugger. Now show me the way to his blankets. He needs to placed in a proper bed." Jenny was still cradling Mist in her arms and her captive was not happy about it. Despite the fact that he was weak and feverish he put up quite a fight. "Now, Now, shush. You aren't a kitten.."
My heart was beating fast and my emotions were going in a million directions. My mind wanted to shout insults at Jenny and then make my body grab my love back. But my heart was hurting. Why did Jenny think this? What had I done other than be myself to make her hate me like this? So I flirted with a few Queens, but I never actually 'did it' with them. I could never hurt a kitten. Never. That was agaisnt my morals. "Stop telling him to shush." Through my thoughts I heard a girlish voice break through the mess.
It was Victoria. Great, just what I wanted now. Just what Mistoffelees wanted I'm sure. One Queen was enough, but now two? Victoria blushed when everyone glanced at her. Something I had never seen her do before. "Let Tugger hold him."
Jenny stopped and I was afraid she was going to drop Mistoffelees from shock. Her pretty little perfect kitten was bad mouthing her. This was something to put down in the history books. I was afraid that Victoria was going to back down but she didn't.
"You heard what I said. I've been...spying...in here earlier and saw something that most people would shun because it's supposadly 'wrong'. But something I noticed made me see that it was ok. Tugger loves Misto and I saw proof of that when they kissed earlier." I heard Jenny and Munkustrap gasp in shock. "What made it ok," The white Queen continued, "Was that for once in my brother's life, I saw true happiness in his eyes, in him."
This Queen was surprising me to no ends. I wonder what new surprise she was going to pull out next.
"Being a Magical Cat is not easy. Expecially when he's made to grow up to fast. He's still a kitten I'll have you know, Mist still has a while to go before he's completely a Tom. But he was lucky." Victoria smiled a smile that I hadn't seen before. She walked over to Jenny and carrasessed Misto's forehead, "He found someone who loved him for what he was not because he was a conjuring Cat."
"Thank you," I felt my self whisper.
Jenny growled then handed the black Tom back over to me. It felt so comforting to feel his body agaisnt mine again.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Munkus POV
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Something was going on between Tugger and Mist. But what? I was going to have to find out. When Jenny took him I thought I saw fire in Tugger's eyes. That's when I knew right away it was not the smartest thing to do. Then Victoria came in and made a lovely speech.
All of this happened in a huge whirl and when it ended Tugger had Mistoffelees back.
TBC