Alley Night Opera
The night air in town was something quite a few people took pleasure in. After the sun had set and activity began to wind down, when the streetlights and shop lights would come on, and most people would be making their way home after a long day of work to prepare for the day ahead. For a couple of cats on the street, it was the time for recreation and the time to prowl through the darkness, on their way to a little get-together that was taking place in a local alley. One of them was a dark blue feline with a strand of white that went down his front, white on his paws, both hands and feet, and at the tip of his tail. Next to him was a black feline who had a strand of grey going down his front with similar places to where the colors differed like his comrade.
"How's the old lady, given you the daily bump?" The black cat asked smarmily.
"Shut up", The blue cat replied as he looked away.
"What was it this time, did you break her fine china, or was it fridge raid where you ended up cleaning after the mess, oh, oh, was it you knocking her down with the broom cuz you-OW!" The black cat teased before feeling the blue cat stomp his foot on his own.
"You really can be a bit of a jerk, you know that, Butch?" The Russian Blue sneered. "Besides, you know more often than not, it's that dratted mouse who keeps ruining my day."
"Ah, Tom, ya' know I'm just screwin' with ya", Butch said with a wave of his paw, "I know it's more or less that little devil who's continuously causing you pain and misery for as long as you'll live in that house."
"It's just not fair, I'm just trying to enjoy myself, but that damn mouse keeps evading me or getting me into trouble so that I have to pick up the pieces", Tom huffed as he crossed his arms, "and to make things worse, it's the same schtick every single day; wake up, eat, try to relax, that thing spoils it, chase around the house, getting into trouble with that dog as an occasional bonus, my owner scolds me for being bad at my job, and that stupid mouse just takes all the joy in watching me fall on my face."
"I know what you mean", Butch replied before seeing the look Tom was giving him, "what, it's true. I may not live in a big ole house like you do, but the mice in the alley are some cruel sons of bitches. Particularly the ones that got the strength of a lion, euggggghhh, I remember when I had to pull Meathead out of a pipe cuz those bastards stuffed his head into it."
"Ouch", Tom winched, "he's always getting the scrapes in that lot, isn't he?"
"I mean, he's not all in the head, if you know what I mean", Butch emphasized with a knock on his head.
"Still", Tom replied as he rubbed his arm, "you know, all that considered, sometimes I wouldn't mind being an alley cat. You guys seem to get a lot of action where you go, while I'm mostly stuck inside the house, well, when I'm not getting kicked out."
"You sure you'd wanna do that?" Butch quizzed, "No offense, but alley life ain't all sunshine and rainbows, as I just described. You ain't gonna get food served on a platter, get your paws manicured, have someone to rub down on your back…actually, scratch that last one, we do it to each other whenever we feel anyways."
"Plus, at least I'd be in good company, you, Meathead, Topsy, as soon as I get my money back from the thieving little shit, and the rest", Tom continued, thinking back to an event where the gang had celebrated his birthday with a night of cake and milk while getting each other buzzed.
"Well, if you wanna do so, the door's always open, you can leave that pampered lifestyle anytime", Butch replied, not thinking Tom was completely serious in his plight, though the tone of the blue feline seemed to suggest otherwise.
The two arrived at the alley with minutes to spare before the show was ready to start. Tom looked to his right and noticed Toodles Galore sitting on a crate, dangling her feet absentmindedly. The white cat seemed to notice her company and gave a smile.
"Oh, Thomas, glad you could make it", Toodles smiled from above, "Lightning's playing tonight."
Tom remembered his old rival from back in the day, but the two were now on better terms, especially with how Lightning had taken up a career in singing. "I'll be sure to give 'im a tip for tonight", he said to Toodled before he and Butch went to find a place to sit. Tom looked over to see Topsy sitting next to Meathead who was lounging on another crate. The blue cat noticed the smaller male counting a stack of dollar bills.
"Hey, Topsy, you still owe me from last time!" Tom shouted, causing Topsy to jolt and spill his money on the ground. The taller male couldn't help but give a soot-eating grin at the smaller male raising his fist and cursing at him. Presently, the audience of alley cats grew quiet and then clapped as Lightning stepped onto the makeshift stage with a choir of a few female cats behind him. As the cheers settled down, the band readied their instruments as the orange feline began to sing.
There I go, there I go, there I go
There I go
Pretty baby, you are the soul who snaps my control
Such a funny thing but every time you're near me
I never can behave
You give me a smile and then I'm wrapped up in your magic
There's music all around me, crazy music
Music that keeps calling me so very close to you
Turns me your slave
Come and do with me any little thing you want to
Anything baby, just let me get next to you
Am I insane or do I really see heaven in your eyes?
Bright as stars that shine up above you in the clear blue skies
How I worry about you
Just can't live my life without you
Baby come here, don't have no fear
Oh, is there a wonder why
I'm really feeling in the mood for love?
So tell me why stop to think
About this weather, my dear?
This little dream might fade away
There I go talking out of my head again, oh baby
Won't you come and put our two hearts together?
That would make me strong and brave
Oh when we are one, I'm not afraid, I'm not afraid
If there's a cloud up above us
Go on and let it rain
I'm sure our love together will endure a hurricane
Oh my baby
Won't you please let me love you
And give a relief from this awful misery?
What is all this talk about loving me, my sweet?
I am not afraid, not anymore, not like before
Can't you understand me?
Now baby, please pull yourself together, do it soon
My soul's on fire, come on and take me
I'll be what you make me, my darling, my sweet
Oh baby, you make me feel so good
Let me take you by the hand
Come let us visit out there
In that new promised land
Maybe there we can find
A good place to use a loving state of mind
I'm so tired of being without
And never knowing what love's about
James Moody, you can come on in
And you can blow now if you want to
We're through.
While the song was been going, Tom had absentmindedly leaned his head on Butch's shoulder, with the black cat either not taking notice of it, or not minding. To Tom, the lyrics reminded him of what he had said to Butch earlier, coming back to reality and seeing where he was, with the black cat doing so at the same time. The two glanced at one another and tried to compose themselves, both having a shade of red on their faces before turning to clap with the rest of the gang at Lightning's performance. After listening to several more songs, the duo decided it was best to head back to Tom's house before dawn fell, walking back along the quiet streets till they reached the residence of the Russian Blue.
"I had a good time tonight", Tom said as he and Butch went to the backdoor to slip in, cautiously slipping past a sleeping Spike in his doghouse.
"Same time next time?" Butch asked as they arrived at the entrance from the backyard into the kitchen.
"You can bet on it", Tom replied as he turned to go in before he stopped himself, "you know, that song…doesn't it remind you of something?"
"Like what?" Butch asked with a raised brow.
"Oh, you know, what I said, and maybe…" Tom's face began to turn red once more as he struggled to come up with the words…eventually, the next thing that came to mind was to quickly give Butch a peck on the lips before retracting suddenly and covering his face, cursing himself.
"Oh…" Butch said, his face locked in a bit of a shocked trance at what the blue cat had just done, before he snapped himself back into reality and put a paw on Tom's shoulder, ending the other male's self-deprecation. "I didn't know it got you thinking that…" He grinned slyly, though a small blush of his own had formed on his face as he said it.
"I mean…you're one of my closest friends, and we've been hanging out for ages and I thought…" Tom once again struggled to find the words to justify his actions before he felt Butch's paw underneath his chin.
"Hey, I've found it cute whenever you get like this…or when you're yourself in general", Butch grinned as he gave Tom a boop to his nose, "I wouldn't mind taking things to the next level, maybe also practicing what you were preaching earlier…until then…" He made the move to give Tom a peck on his lips back, "I bid you adieu…"
Tom watched as Butch walked off into the night, unable to move from his position as he processed what just happened, but when he did come back to his senses, the blue feline gave a smile before slipping through the door into the kitchen, finding his bed laid out near the couch in the living room. He walked towards it and settled into the basket with a content purr, knowing that tomorrow was probably going to be another normal day, but perhaps what happened that night was the start of something new.