Chapter 2
By the next day, Mistoffelees was still thinking about kittens, much to his annoyance.
He had dreamed of kittens that night, something similar to the thought he had had of little Maine Coons and little tuxedo cats. He felt silly once he wake up, blushing hard upon turning around and finding himself face to face with his mate's soft, sleeping expression.
Mistoffelees stretched and got up, leaving the room as silently as his paws could be, not wanting to wake Tugger. He slipped away and walked around the still darkened junkyard; a few rays of sunshine shyly poked over the roof of the houses not too far from the closed off area, coloring the still dark sky.
He tried pushing away the images of kittens that still lingered inside his head by hunting something to eat. He let his mind be taken by his instincts, pushing all thoughts aside. In no time he had found himself a mouse, eating it in a few quick bites, before going after another one.
Mistoffelees carried the second mouse back to his den. It wasn't uncommon for Tugger to wake up before him, and when he did so, he would leave a little something for the magical cat to eat upon waking up. Mistoffelees might as well do the same for him from time to time.
He poked his head inside, finding Tugger still sleeping, sprawled on the blankets and snoring loudly. Mistoffelees couldn't help but stare, a soft smile growing on his face.
Tugger was adorable when sleeping. He would sometimes roll around, never being able to keep the same position for too long, but still somehow always woke up well rested and relaxed. He also made noises sometimes – beside his snoring – from little whimpers and whines to sudden groans and sighs; they were weird, but Mistoffelees treasured them.
The magician left the mouse near the entrance and left as soundlessly as before, deciding on taking a stroll, since he was already awake. He enjoyed that time, when the day was yet to dawn and the night was starting to fade away.
"Misto!" A soft voice called for him and he saw a pure white queen sitting on top of an old wooden chest.
"Vic!" He smiled, climbing up and joining his sister, nuzzling her affectionately "Hey. Are the kittens asleep?"
"Yeah. I decided to enjoy the silence." She looked down towards the entrance to her and Plato's den, letting out a yawn and arching her back. "Pity it's so early. I am so in the mood for some sun bathing…"
"I feel you." Mistoffelees chuckled, mirroring his sister and laying with his stomach pressed against the wood.
"Why are you awake so early?" Victoria asked.
"Woke up and couldn't sleep anymore."
"I see." She giggled. "If you had kittens you would prize every single second of sleep."
"Why aren't you sleeping then?" Mistoffelees arched an eyebrow.
"Hm… I may, soon enough…" Victoria rolled her shoulders, laying in the same position as her brother, before rolling over to press her back against his side. Mistoffelees raised an arm and a leg, wrapping them around his sister's smaller form and keeping her there.
The two enjoyed the warmth irradiating from each other, purring softly and drifting in and out of sleep. That is, until a soft muffled mewling was heard.
"Vic?" Mistoffelees spoke up, noticing when his sister didn't fully move. Her left ear, the only one that worked, was pressed against his arm, which clearly meant she had not heard the sound of her kittens. She hummed in acknowledgement. "One of them is awake..."
Victoria groaned, disentangling herself from her brother. He shoot her a stare and tilted his head, asking without words if she wished for help, but she simply shook her head. Mistoffelees watched as she climbed down the wooden chest to take care of her kittens and sighed, rolling to lay on his back, looking up at the last remaining stars in the sky.
Kittens.
There he goes again.
He couldn't help it, the miniature of cats kept dancing in his head. Could he be growing obsessive? He wasn't even sure why he was thinking so much about that, about wanting to have kittens. He had never given it much thought before.
The sound of paws coming closer made him open his eyes and he watched as his sister joined him once more.
"Cayan or Pettelin?"
"Actually it was Miangellica, but she just wanted a bit of attention." Victoria explained.
"Hm-hm…" Mistoffelees nodded, closing his eyes again. "Kittens…"
"Yes, always seeking attention." Victoria giggled softly, but kept silent after that.
Mistoffelees' ears picked up on the sounds around him, hearing the birds starting to sing as the day dawned, the noises coming from the streets and from the large human dens as a few humans roused from their slumber, getting ready to start the day. He was almost catching up with his sleep…
"Well, are you ever getting one, or two?" Victoria interrupted his silence.
"Really?" Mistoffelees shook his head, looking up at his sister who smiled back at him, her left ear twitching slightly, attentively listening for any sound coming from the kittens inside the den.
"Yeah!" The white cat said with a shrug. "Why not?"
"I'm with the Rum Tum Tugger." Mistoffelees said simply, rolling around and resting his chin over his paws, closing his eyes.
"So…?"
"Can you imagine Tugger as a father?" The tux huffed.
"Hm, well…" Victoria was silent for a moment, as if trying to imagine it.
Mistoffelees used the moment to clear his mind, focusing in the warming air of the morning, as the sun made itself more prominent in the sky. But, once again, his moment of silent bliss was broken just a few seconds later.
"I mean, it would be cute." Victoria spoke up, maybe not noticing or ignoring her brother's annoyed frown. "And isn't he a great uncle for Jemima and Sillabub? I'm pretty sure he would grow to be a good father."
"Hm…" Was all the tuxedo cat decided to let out.
Victoria was not helping him and his thoughts, but he couldn't fully blame her, she was a young mother with three kittens, of course she wanted to talk about it. And, truthfully, aside from her, the other cats with whom Mistoffelees could talk about the topic were the oldest queens and Demeter – maybe even Bombalurina. But the idea of talking to them about it made him uncomfortable, like when he was a little kitten, trying to make small talk with the older cat. As expected, he would end up feeling confused, out of place and embarrassed.
If there was someone with whom he could talk while being in a closer level, it had to be his sister, or his mate. And he wasn't sure if he wanted to go for the second option just yet.
"Alright, I'll be honest, I've been thinking about it a lot lately." Mistoffelees sighed.
"Oh, really?" Victoria beamed at that, tail swishing and pointing up.
"I blame mostly you." He added.
"You're welcome." Was all he heard back, making him laugh.
"I can't help but imagine how my and Tugger kittens would look like…" Mistoffelees said, ignoring the soft warmth that took over his pale face.
"Oh, adorable little black and white Maine Coons!" Victoria said with kittenish glee, reminding Mistoffelees of his dreams.
"But we're both toms, so what's the point in thinking about it?" He said before letting himself get deeper into that fantasy.
"Well, you can get a surrogate belly…" The white cat side eyed her brother, raising a paw in a shy way, even though her smile wasn't shy at all. "I'm up for it for when you decide!"
"The fact that you still have a crush on my mate is super weird, Victoria." Mistoffelees groaned, throwing an arm over his eyes.
"Can't help it." Victoria giggled. "Plato still does as well."
"What a surprise." The magical cat let out a huff.
They were silent once more and Mistoffelees opened his eyes, hearing the ruffling of fur as his sister laid beside him once more, resting her chin over her arms in much the same way he was doing.
"If you want kittens you should talk with Tugger." Victoria said, softly and sweet, all jokes and playfulness left aside. "Who knows? Maybe he wants some."
"Yeah, I'll do it…" Mistoffelees nodded, looking away from his sister's blue eyes. "Maybe."
That "maybe" took him at first a whole day.
As soon as he left his sister, Mistoffelees pushed the conversation aside and went about the rest of his morning, meeting with his mate as Tugger left their den, who smiled at him, thankful for the breakfast the tux had caught. And then, soon enough Tugger was strolling about the junkyard with a group of queens and some toms right on his tail, as he normally did. While Mistoffelees found his place with the older cats, having a nice talk with Jennyanydots and Skimbleshanks – who was staying for a while, since the Night Mail wouldn't leave until a few days from there. He didn't dare bring up the theme of kittens when talking with the mature queen, but it somehow sneaked itself into their conversation.
"It's great to see new life blooming in the junkyard!" The Old Gumbie Cat said with a smile, not looking up from the piece she was crocheting. "It has been a while since we had so many kittens at once!"
"Well, don't let Jelly and Asparagus hear you, my dear." Skimbleshanks joked and the two laughed.
Mistoffelees made himself smile at those words and at the cute couple in front of him, while his eyes continued focused on the ball of yarn in his paws.
"Are you okay, young one?" Skimbleshank's paw on Mistoffelees' shoulder startled the tux and he took a moment to recompose himself.
"Ah, yes, I am." He said with a smile.
"You have always been the quiet type…" The railway cat said. "But you've been much quieter today…"
"I'm sorry…" Mistoffelees muttered.
"Is something troubling you, dear?" Jenny finally raised her attention from her crocheting needles, turning worried eyes to the young tom. "Is… Is everything okay between you and Tugger? Do you need advice of any kind?" She added the last words with a smile, as if to hide the tone of her first question.
"Tugger and I are fine, Jenny." Mistoffelees tried not to roll his eyes at the queen's words. He forced a smiled, rolling the ball of yarn in his paws. "I've just been thinking about a few things. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be rude."
"Oh, don't worry about it!" Both older cats waved his worries away. "But, remember ,you can always come to us if you want to talk, yes? Well, to me, most of the time." Jenny said with a smile.
Mistoffelees nodded. He continued silent, playing with the balls of yarn and making them float in the air, while Skimble and Jenny continued talking, only sometimes interacting with the tuxedo who answered with gentle nods and soft "hms".
It wasn't until the name "Tugger" was mentioned in their conversation that Mistoffelees turned his attention to them once more.
"I'm sorry, what was it about Tugger?" He asked politely.
"Oh, don't take it badly, kitten." Skimble quickly said, raising his paws, and Mistoffelees tried not to react, since he hadn't heard the rest of the talk. "We just find it funny how we have yet to see any little 'Tuggers' strolling around the junkyard."
Mistoffelees remembered how many times the old ones had already joked about that same topic, some with actual humor, some in a more disapproving tone.
"Would you expect him to…?" He muttered, before noticing what he said made no sense. "I mean, do any of you think of Tugger becoming a father?"
"Oh, maybe not intentionally." Jenny shrugged. "But, you know, based on his come and go from queens' dens…"
"Ah, of course." Mistoffelees nodded.
"I will say this, and I know you get annoyed at me when I say it, Jenny…" Skimble added, receiving a soft glare from his mate. "But Tugger has a way with the kittens. A weird way, yes… But he does." He shook his head, face turning disapproving, the typical look the mature cats had when talking about the Rum Tum Tugger. "When he is not doing all those movements with his hips and making the kittens scream, that is."
Mistoffelees chuckled at that.
Everyone always mentioned how Tugger had a way with kittens. Maybe what really lacked on him was the responsibility to be a dad.
But Mistoffelees knew him better than anyone in the junkyard. He knew Tugger was much more than the irresponsible and fickle cat he seemed to be on the surface. He was caring and sweet, and could be very serious, acting like an adult when the situation asked for it.
Could he be a good father? Probably. Yes. Mistoffelees said yes.
But what about him? What about Mistoffelees?
Mistoffelees wasn't stupid, he knew kittens demanded lots of attention, but could he deal with them?
He didn't understand why he was thinking so much about that. If he wanted to take care of kittens, or at least help on the raising of some, all he needed was to join his sister or the oldest queen's at the kitten's shared den!
But he still imagined and fantasized about his own litter.
He didn't even know if he would be a good father. He wasn't great with kittens, he just knew how to distract them and, according to some of the younger cats, he knew how to talk to them in a less condescendent manner than most adults did. But that didn't mean he was ready to take such a responsibility.
Mistoffelees kept ruminating those thoughts, until he couldn't take it anymore.
"Have you ever thought about having kittens of your own?" He eventually asked, when he and his mate were lounging on top of an old, rusty oven.
Tugger turned to the tux with an arched eyebrow, caught off guard by the question. Mistoffeless waited impatiently, feeling a bit nervous with the question but not showing it – years of hiding so much about himself had always payed of for moments shuch as that.
"Are you still thinking about that queen's talk?" Tugger asked.
"Maybe." Mistoffelees shrugged, not wanting to let the other cat know he hadn't stopped thinking about it for the last three days. "So?"
It took a bit for Tugger to answer, silently staring at his mate before returning to the position he was before, closing his eyes.
"No… I mean, yes. Kind of." He huffed with a smirk as he thought about it.
"Kind of?" Mistoffelees leaned on his side, so he could look at his mate, feeling interested now.
"I never really 'wanted' to have kittens, but I wondered, I fantasized, you know?" The tux nodded as the other continued talking. "Like when Bomba had Electra and Munk and Demeter had the twins."
"You imagined what it would be like?"
"Yeah. And how they would look like, of course." Tugger nodded, stretching under the warm rays of sun. "I once imagined how it would be if Bomba and I got together, taking care of Electra. Or if we had a kitten of our own in the future..."
Misto hummed thoughtfully.
He couldn't help but imagine how it would be like, seeing Bomba and Tugger strolling around with not only Electra on their ankles, but a little pack of kittens. The image of red colored Maine Coons was cute, but Mistoffelees had to push it aside before jealously started creeping up at the idea of Tugger having someone else to call a mate. He didn't normally feel jealous, which just made the thought even more weird.
"Just Bomba?"
"Well, no. I did fantasize with others." The Maine Coon shrugged.
"Even toms?"
Tugger chuckled.
"No, I wouldn't say so…"
"So, you didn't imagine it with me?" Mistoffelees tilted his head to the side, smiling coyly.
The Maine Coon opened his eyes, shooting his mate a knowing look. The tux simply stared back at him, not really expecting an answer, just wanting to tease the other.
"Now, I didn't say that…" Tugger admitted with a nonchalant shrug, holding back a laugh at Mistoffelees' face, knowing that the tom was flushing under the white fur. "I think… Maybe at some point when we became mates. It would've been weird back when we were just friends…"
The magical cat simply nodded, averting his eyes.
"Of course." Different from his face, his voice sounded unaffected and vague.
There was a pause as the two basked in sunlight, processing the conversation in silence. Tugger kept his eyes focused on Mistoffelees, as if trying to know what was going on through his mate's head. But reading the tux was hard, a pure mystery most of the time.
"What about you?" He eventually asked, deciding that he would take too long to figure it out by himself.
Mistoffelees didn't answer right away, didn't even turn to the other cat, but the way his ears moved and the back-and-forth flick of his tail showed that he had heard the question.
"I… Can't say I ever fantasized about it, aside from adopting…" He answered, decided on not mentioning the thoughts that had plagued his mind lately. "I've always been only into toms, so…"
"Out of the question, right?"
"Basically." Misto shrugged, turning to his mate with a soft smile.
Tugger nodded, studying the other with interest.
"Unless if magic was involved?"
Mistoffelees seemed to be taken back by the question, but just for a second, before he let out a snort.
"I doubt magic can be used to create a kitten out of nowhere." He shook his head.
"But you already did that once." Tugger teased.
"Stuffed kittens." Misto pointed out, rolling his eyes. He still didn't understand why Tugger liked mentioning that magic trick so much.
It happened a while ago. Mistoffelees was just practicing, with Tugger as his only audience, a trick in which he would try to make a little stuffed kitten that belonged to their youngest human appear and disappeared from inside an old top hat. But, somehow, when the tux pulled the kitten out of the large hat, there happened to be another kitten inside, and then another, and then another and then another… Until they were left with seven stuffed kittens that had appeared from who knows where.
And no matter how many times Mistoffelees mentioned he failed the trick, since that wasn't what he meant to do, Tugger was always pointing out how this "failure" had actually made the trick even better than it was supposed to be. Bostering about how that was a great example of how Mistoffelees' magic was much more powerful than both of them gave it credit.
They later on brought the cloned stuffed kittens to the junkyard, distributing them to the youngest cats.
Still, Mistoffelees was quite surprised when he heard the incident being mentioned in the song his mate had sung him in the last Jellicle Ball.
"Well, but it's a possibility, right?" Tugger shrugged, smiling at his partner.
"Maybe…" Mistoffelees nodded, absently minded. "Not like I'm gonna find out sooner or later."
Tugger laughed at his comment and Mistoffelees smiled back at him. He was glad Tugger hadn't asked if he had fantasized about kittens with him out of all toms.
Magic. Magic kittens. He hadn't thought much about that. Could his magic actually make kittens appear out of thin air? He did make the stuffed kittens multiply somehow and he was able to move Old Deuteronomy from one place to another, but those were things entirely different from creating life out of nowhere.
Tugger's paw resting on his hip pulled Mistoffelees out of his thoughts.
"You know, if you want some kittens, we could totally get some…" Tugger shined Mistoffelees a grin.
"Really…?" Mistoffelees asked and it took him a moment to notice how his tail stood up, interested.
"Yeah…" Tugger clearly noticed it too, before the tux could lower his tail. He shrugged, suddenly not as confident. "I guess…"
"You're not sure." Mistoffelees said simply, scooting closer to lay face to face with his mate.
"I guess I'm too young to be a father." Tugger gave him a smile.
"Yeah, sure." Mistoffelees could see right through him.
Tugger didn't want to have kittens, at least not now; maybe he wasn't sure, or just didn't feel ready for it. It made sense and Mistoffelees respected it. He wasn't in a much different position himself.
Mistoffelees' thoughts were pushed aside when large paws reached for him, pulling him over to the bigger body. The tux obeyed the pull, standing over the Maine Coon and straddling his hips.
"Too bad we can't make some." Tugger was grinning just as he was doing before, stroking Mistoffelees' sides. "I'm pretty sure I would enjoy that."
"Too bad indeed…" Mistoffelees rolled his eyes, but couldn't hold back a playful smile as well. Trust Tugger to turn everything into a joke or innuendo.
"Why don't we try though?"
"Oh, try it?"
"There's nothing bad in trying." Tugger shrugged up at his mate, before pulling him down so that their lips could meet midway.
It was silly, even if they tried, they wouldn't succeed, but Mistoffelees chuckled against the kiss, letting himself believe that it was possible just for a moment.
It was a good thing the old oven was placed in an empty area, where the other cats rarely strolled by and where the duo enjoyed some peace and quiet together, because Tugger wasn't going to stop and Mistoffelees surely wouldn't stop him either.
