Mmm, disclaimery goodness. Characters not mine, got it? Good. Enjoy, comment, flame, whatever.

Endless Masquerading

Daylight--
All here now will be silent.
And surrender the daylight--
To the cold grasp of dark.
Now the day's dead, the night can begin to regrow.
And to whisper--
Sad remarks.

Mistofeeles watched the sun set so painfully slowly as he sat on an old sofa with his good friend, the Rum Tum Tugger. He was giving Mistofeeles advice on how the night should go, and it was all making him very uncomfortable.

"Just be yourself, and take your time…" He rambled on as his friend wiggled beside him.

"What if I get caught?" He asked his friend quickly.

"Just tell whoever it is you forgot about curfew and…" He began to advise, but Misto was quick to cut him off.

"No, I mean if I get caught." He said with a bit more emphasis.

"Oh… well, we're going to get caught sometime, M." Tugger offered lamely. Awkward silence ensued. Finally, the sun had completely set and Misto stood up to move out.

"Good luck with her, Misto. And play nice." He added with a wink before taking his post on the tire, for he was the lookout that evening.

"Jemima, over here!" Mistofeeles called out softly, his voice ringing out over the frozen air. The cold bit the insides of his mouth, stinging like hot spices and pricking like pins. Jemima looked up from where she was standing in front of the damp box she shared with the other kittens. Her chocolate colored coat was speckled with glistening white snow and she shivered ever so slightly from the cold, causing the flakes to slide off her pelt back to their fellows on the ground as she moved forward. When she reached Misto he compulsively pulled her into a hug. For a moment she purred, but came to her sense rather to quickly for Misto's liking.

"Sorry." She apologized quickly, starring at her paws.

"It's alright. Let's go someplace warmer." He suggested, nodding toward the old sofa he had been sitting on minutes before. She nodded in agreement and they trudged through the knee-deep snow to the old, hollow loveseat. Mistofeeles went in first, clearing a small place for them to sit, then called out to Jemima again.

"Okay, it's safe." He said blandly, cursing himself for not showing any emotion, contrary to Tugger's advice. Next thing he knew there was a searing pain in his chest and sweet laughter filled the previously quiet sofa. He looked up and saw Jemima sitting square on his chest, a single paw to her mouth to conceal her laughter.

"Ow, get off." He said in an almost playful tone of voice, rolling over so that she fell into the cushion that had long since fallen into the base of the sofa where they now sat. She took the gentle blow lightly, laughing again.

"Sorry." She said for the second time that night. Mistofeeles frowned slightly, just for a second. "What?" She asked, slightly confused.

"Nothing, just thinking about… tonight." He said truthfully, rearranging himself to be sitting next to her on the soft pillow. She smiled lithely, rearranging herself as well to be closer to him. He lay his head on hers, noticing the slight warmth creeping to her cheeks. He sighed, closing his eyes tight and trying not to think to much about her. She noticed, however, and pulled herself out of the hug.

"What's wrong, Misto?" She asked, her tone much more serious now. He shook his head, smiling vaguely and pulling her into a hug again. She didn't protest in the slightest.

The Tugger sat on the tire, pacing around the edge in an annoyed manner. He was mumbling to himself.

"Come on Misto, I know I told you to take your time, but I didn't mean for you to actually… take your time…" He noticed another cat now, a fiery red one, who's coat matched her spitfire personality. "Bombalurina." He mumbled, hopping off the tire to greet her.

"Hey, you seem anxious. Thought I'd come talk to you…" She said, nuzzling him and settling down at his side.

"Misto's with Jemima." He replied plainly, settling down with his queenfriend himself.

"Already? I thought he was going to wait-" She began, looking up at Tugger.

"He decided he wants to do it now." He finished, and she nodded.

"It's his decision to make." She said, but there was still a troubled tone in her voice.

"Jemima…" Misto said softly, breaking the silence in the now warm sofa-den. She looked up at him. "There's something I've been wanting to tell you." He said, choosing his words carefully. She perked up and wriggled free of his grasp to look in straight in the eye. He swallowed hard- this was not going to be easy.

"Really?" She asked, her eyes shining brightly. He mentally cursed at her for being so cute, but continued as planned.

"Yes, but I couldn't before. Because it was a secret… did you tell anyone where you were going tonight?" He asked her, to make sure she had held up her end of the deal. She shook her head, waiting impatiently for his secret. He inhaled quickly before going on. "And you're not going to tell anybody?" She looked confused, but nodded non the less. He chose his next words and actions very carefully, moving closer to her again and whispering.

"I work for Macavity." He said, a sort of playful tone embedded in his voice. She laughed.

"That's funny, Misto, but we shouldn't joke about it." He rolled over to be on top of her, looking into her eyes.

"You're right…" He said, slowly closing the distance between them. He could feel her breath on his face. It made his mind race, it was hard to concentrate on the task at hand.

"We shouldn't joke about it. But I'm not joking." She laughed again.

"Seriously, Misto… cut it out… you don't have to joke around with me to get my attention." She said, a tone of panic showing in her voice. He smiled, leaning forward to whisper in her ear again.

"I'm not joking… and Macavity wants you dead." She whimpered slightly, now very afraid. Luckily, he knew just how to quell her fear. Finally closing the distance between their lips, he kissed her sweetly, and could feel her become less tense by the second.

"Perfect…" He whispered as they broke apart, but frowned at her smile. "I just wish…"

"What?" She asked, her voice quiet, low, and slightly rasping.

"That it didn't have to end now…"

"What?" She asked, slightly shocked again. But her shock didn't last long, as it turned to mortal fear rather quickly. Mistofeeles was holding a bit of old, jagged glass in his paw, cutting himself slightly as he lifted it. She wanted to scream but her voice didn't work, and she didn't get the chance again. The glass sunk easily into her furred chest. Mistofeeles frowned slightly as the blood stained her snow-white bib, but quickly snapped to his senses, kissing her softly and wiping his paws on her fur before bolting from the den.

Tugger looked up from Bomba to see Misto running toward them. He jumped up- as did his queenfriend- and ran to greet him.

"How'd your date go?" He asked, a smile forming across his face.

"According to plan." Misto said, glancing at his paws.

"Bombalurina, go get Demeter. We can leave now, Macavity's daughter is dead."