Mistoffelees finished his spins gracefully, striking a pose.
"Great!" Tumblebrutus clapped. "As always." Mistoffelees smiled at his friend, taking a bow extravagantly. "It's great that you can still dance with no problem..."
"Just because I'm pregnant doesn't mean I can't do things." The magical cat rolled his eyes. "Jenny told me to enjoy it in the meantime, before I get big and my center of balance shifts."
"Yeah, dad said mom used to say the same." Tumblebrutus chuckled, scooting a little to the side so his friend could sit beside him. "And how is pregnant life treating you? Mom is always so composed about it when she's pregnant..."
"Your mother is already used to this. I mean, how many siblings do you have?" Mistoffelees arched an eyebrow, smiling when receiving nothing but a roll of eyes from Tumble. "Well, morning sickness is still a bitch." He groaned. "But aside from that everything is pretty much the same." He looked down at his growing belly. The curve was there, barely visible, but it was growing.
Mistoffelees wasn't sure if he had expected things to be different in a bad or in a good way, but he was glad to see that nothing much had changed around the junkyard since the news of his pregnancy was spread and confirmed.
And although it did become a new topic that some cats liked to talk about, sometimes just in passing, in general, Mistoffelees felt like he was receiving just as much attention as any other pregnant queen normally received during her two months of gestation. Still, the days seemed to grow longer than usual, as he was stopped by curious cats here and there, even in inconvenient moments when he clearly did not want to talk.
As expected, Mistoffelees got overwhelmed with all the daily attention, having to hide away in his den until he felt strong enough to face the tribe once more. Most cats politely stayed away from his den, not wanting to intrude on his space, as it was normally done - everyone knew it was best not to stress a pregnant queen, or tom, in this case.
But the tux wasn't the only one getting all the attention.
Tugger had always wandered around the junkyard with queens and toms following at his tail, but now he was being approached even by cats that were not part of his fan-club, all curious to know more details about his mate's magical pregnancy. The Maine Coon, of course, relished in the situation, receiving attention and spending most of his time talking about his mate, two things he loved; what more could he ask for?
Mistoffelees liked watching his mate from time to time. There was a certain skip to his steps lately, and the Maine Coon was smiling more than usual - not that making Tugger smile was a hard thing. And the tux couldn't help but mirror that smile, feeling his cheeks and chest growing warm at that. To think Tugger had been so terribly nervous and scared when he had shared the news… And now, Mistoffelees was sure that his mate's golden fur would be covered in glittering sparkles every single day, if he was a Magical Cat like himself.
The feeling that swelled inside his chest these days was weird, hard to describe.
The tux felt both happy and unhappy. He wondered if these were the "slight mood swings" Jenny and Jelly had told him about? He remembered how Victoria would sometimes snap, sometimes hissing, sometimes whining sadly, and how her patience - which was already pretty short normally - had grown thinner during the first month of her pregnancy.
Mistoffelees had a natural snappy attitude - one of the things Tugger said he loved about him, but which gave him a headache more often than not - so he worried what could happen to him if these mood swings intensified.
But he didn't care about the technicalities of these things, he cared about what he felt at the moment.
He wasn't sure why he felt that way, or what it meant. But there was something that bothered him, even if very small...
"It's weird…"
"What?" Mistoffelees turned to his friend, ears perked, remembering he wasn't alone.
"I don't mean it in a bad way, but it's weird... That you're pregnant." Tumblebrutus looked sheepish as he spoke, his tail swishing back and forth. "I always knew that at some point everyone would find their mates and have kittens…" He shrugged and smiled, as if trying to lighten the mood. Mistoffelees simply tilted his head, signaling for the tom to continue speaking. "The fact that the first one of us to do so was you, a tom who likes toms..." He snorted. "And the fact that you're the one pregnant makes it even more weird!"
The tuxedo cat blinked once or twice, before he nodded, huffing softly. Yes, it was weird. But little did Tumblebrutus know that he had thought about kittens many times during his life, even despite being a tom-lover.
That made Mistoffelees think… Tumblebrutus was his best friend, and while he found that weird, he was polite enough to be careful with his words, and he clearly had no problem accepting it, just like he had accepted many others of Mistoffelees' weirdness throughout their years of friendship. Aside from Tugger and his family, the patchy cat was the one that knew the Magical Cat the best.
And Mistoffelees was actually happy to see Tumblebrutus making questions and wanting to genuinely understand what he was going through, to stay by his side as he had always done.
Misto noticed he had been silent for a while, once Tumblebrutus leaned closer, brushing their shoulders together and calling his name with his eyebrow knitted together.
"Well, I'm a Magical Cat." He said, smiling. "And from Magical Cats, you should always expect the unexpected."
It was something the friends had heard many times before, although it originally didn't have a good meaning behind it, since it related to another powerful magic user that had long since been banished from the tribe. Tugger had reappropriated the phrase and started using it proudly after Mistoffelees' presented the real extent of his magic to the Jellicles.
"Alright, your turn." Mistoffelees playfully pushed his friend's shoulder. "Show me your spins. Let's see how much I'll have to say about them since last time…" Tumblebrutus rolled his eyes and let out an indignant sniff, before doing as told.
Tumblebrutus had accepted Mistoffelees' powerful magic as soon as the tux presented them at the Jellicle Ball, but some cats, especially those who had met Macavity and the younger ones who had heard stories about said cat, had been apprehensive at first. But soon enough, the Jellicles saw how there wasn't anything to fear. Mistoffelees would never use his magic for evil, never, he rarely even used it to defend himself when needed, even though he knew he could.
The pregnancy was basically a similar situation to that. And just like there were those who felt unsure about his magic at first, there were cats that still seemed unsure about his pregnancy.
Some cats still looked at him weird. Mistoffelees tried ignoring them at first, but soon discovered that just a blank, but hard stare from him was enough to make those cats turn their faces away.
And he knew cats talked about him, the tribe had never been very inconspicuous about their gossiping.
Mistoffelees tried to pretend that didn't get to him, and most of the time it didn't. But as he watched some of the younger cats give him weird looks or even trying to keep their distance from him, it made him uncomfortable.
Well, too bad., Misto thought to himself. There's nothing they can do about this. They'll just have to live with it.
Just like they had lived with his magic.
Yeah, Mistoffelees wasn't worried about what they thought. What was just a few handful of cats finding him weird when put beside all the love and support he had from friends and family, after all.
He just needed to ignore the slight nervousness that he felt from time to time, the same one he had felt when related to his magical powers since kittenhood. And he was already pretty used to it.
Tugger watched as Mistoffeles and Tumblebrutus talked, each taking turns showing their dancing skills to the other. At one point the tux's blue and yellow eyes found his and he offered him a smile, before focusing on the patchy tom once more. Tugger smiled back at him.
"Tugger..."
"Yeah?" He turned his attention to the pale tabby beside him. Etcetera was clinging to his leg, playing with the handkerchief on his thigh, as she usually did.
The young queen had always been very clingy, and not only to him; he remembered seeing her holding on to her parents and to Munkustrap's legs when she was just a kitten. But Tugger did notice that she had been clinging to him more than usual, these past days, if such a thing was even possible.
"Do you really want to be a dad?" She asked, not looking up from the yellow handkerchief. Tugger knew that that meant she was embarrassed and unsure, or maybe lost in thought.
But the Maine Coon didn't think much about it once hearing the question. It wasn't the first time he had been asked that and he knew it wasn't going to be the last, especially now. He couldn't complain really, he knew of his reputation and he should've known it would've let anyone make their own conclusions about his stance on parenthood.
"Why do you ask, Cettie?" Tugger asked, before deciding on what to say. He already knew the answer, it was yes, even if the thought still made him a bit nervous.
"No reason." Etcetera said simply, rolling her shoulders, but Tugger wasn't stupid and months of having the kitten beside him had thaught him how to figure out when she wasn't being truthful. "It's just that you never showed that you wanted to be a dad." She continued saying, finally looking up at him with those big green eyes. "Mom and dad are always very up front when they talk about wanting to have kittens."
Tugger had to hold back a chuckle, hiding it with a snort and a crooked smile. The last thing he would expect would be for someone to compare him to Asparagus and Jellylorum out of all cats!
"Well, every cat is different. I am not Asparagus and Jellylorum. Thank the Everlasting." He said, patting Etcetera's headfur when the junior queen looked up at him with puffed cheeks. Etcetera had always been quite defensive of her family, even of her brothers who were always pestering her. "Listen, Cettie, just because you never heard me talking about it, it doesn't mean I never thought of it. Or that I talked with others about it. Although, I would have had to talk with my mate about it at some point, right?"
Even if we only talked about it a week before we discovered the pregnancy…, Tugger didn't add that part.
Etcetera took a moment to process those words, mindlessly playing with the handkerchief.
"Yeah, and uncle has taken care of us since we were kittens." Sillabub intervened, looking away from Tugger's tail which she had been cuddling - or wrestling - with. "He basically took care of you as well, Cettie!"
"As much as your parents allowed me to." Tugger added with a chuckle.
Etcetera was still silent, her tail and whiskers twitching.
Many would call Tugger unobservant, and he sort of was, but he wasn't an idiot. He had noticed how Etcetera had been acting lately, a bit different from usual. Beside the clinginess, she also didn't seem to want to leave Tugger's side even when he clearly showed he wanted to be alone or spend time with someone else - she had always been quite respectful of his boundaries, despite being his most enthusiastic fan, but things were a bit different.
Tugger had brushed it off to jealousy. Etcetera had always been a bit jealous of Mistoffelees since the two had gotten together, but she respected them and knew that Tugger was happy with the magical tom.
Honestly, the Maine Coon hadn't seen the young queen act like that ever since she had officially gotten together with Electra...
"Well… That still doesn't change it." Etcetera said finally, voice strong and decided. She looked up at Tugger once more, serious. "You didn't even say yes when Electra and I asked you to help us have kittens. Right, Electra?"
The little tortie's ears perked up and she turned to her mate, startled, not expecting to be dragged into the conversation. Tugger and Etcetera waited while Electra tried to formulate an answer, her golden eyes drifting from one cat to the other.
"Well, every cat is different. You know, like Tugger said, Cettie..." She said eventually. "There are cats who also have kittens and don't want them."
Electra didn't say those words in any nasty or serious way, she was just stating a fact, her voice as normal as always, but Tugger couldn't help but shift in place, uncomfortable. His eyes scanned the junkyard, and he checked to see if a certain red tortoiseshell was nearby.
"And just because someone doesn't speak of what they want, doesn't mean they don't want it." Jemima spoke up, flicking the tip of her tail side to side, with a smile.
"Geez, since when have you all become so wise?" Tugger chuckled. Although he knew out of all the cats, Jemima would be the one to say something like that; probably had heard it from Old Deuteronomy at some time. He patted her spiky headfur. "You were all but squealing and mewling just a few months ago!"
The queens giggled, but Etcetera's brow was still furrowed, her tail flicking back and forth, a bit agitated.
Tugger decided not to focus on that anymore, and to just leave the young queen to think about those things.
He turned to where Tumblebrutus and Mistoffelees were dancing, only to notice the tux wasn't there anymore, being replaced by Pouncival and George. He looked around, trying to find his monochromatic mate, finding him not too long after laying on top of a stack of oil cans. Mistoffelees stretched and rolled around, enjoying the sun.
He wondered if he should join his mate right away and leave all that conversation with the kittens aside…
"Talking about kittens!" Jemima spoke up, startling the Maine Coon. Tugger gave her his full attention, finding himself more and more interested as the queen spoke.
Mistoffelees sighed, resting his head on his stretched arms.
He had a good time hanging out with Tumblebrutus, focusing only on their dancing and forgetting everything else for a moment, that is until Pouncival and George showed up. Misto loved the other toms just as much as he loved Tumble, but he couldn't help but feel a bit uncomfortable when the two joined them.
He wasn't sure if he was just feeling a bit overwhelmed - as it normally happened when he interacted with many cats for a period of time - or if it was for some other reason.
But he didn't want to think about it. So Misto found himself a nice perch and laid there, hoping the typical drowsiness the sunlight created would push all thoughts from his mind.
Not too long after he had found a comfortable position, Mistoffelees opened his eyes, hearing the sound of a cat approaching. Her steps were light, barely registerable, and so easily recognizable, that Misto didn't even need to look up to see who it was.
"Hello, Mistoffelees." Cassandra smiled at the tux.
"Hi, Cass." Mistoffelees mirrored the expression, not moving from his comfortable position.
"Mind if I join?"
"Not at all." He scooted a bit to the side and chuckled when the queen graciously dropped herself over him, the weight of her body on top of his was welcome even if it lasted only a few seconds. She was clearly being careful with her movements, mindful of the tux's current situation.
The two cuddled together, enjoying both the warmth of the sunlight on their sleek fur and each other's presence.
There was silence between them and Mistoffelees felt as if his mind had been finally emptied from all the rambling, annoying thoughts from before. He normally felt like that when in the presence of Cassandra and her surprisingly magical aura; plus the sunlight was always a great help when all one wanted to do was rest and stop thinking.
"How are you today?" Cassandra asked at some point, her voice nothing but a whisper, as if she meant that conversation to be only between the two of them.
"Hmm… I'm good. A bit tired, but good." Mistoffelees answered in a similar fashion, feeling more and more sleepy at each word. "You?"
"Good." Cassandra said and she was clearly smiling. "You have grown a bit."
Mistoffelees' eyes opened at those words, and he found the queen's light colored eyes also open, staring at him with that type of ethereal softness so typical of hers.
"Ah, have I? It's still hard to see." He muttered, naturally looking down at his growing stomach.
"Soon it'll be very noticeable." Cassandra chuckled.
"Yeah…" Misto nodded, repositioning himself so that he was laying more on his stomach than on his side. He couldn't help but still be a bit self-conscious about his changing body. Cassandra had clearly noticed the movement, but didn't mention it.
"The junkyard is going to be filled with so many kittens after you and the other queens give birth." She hummed, rolling to the side and resting her head on her arms.
"Yeah…" Mistoffelees nodded once more.
He followed the queen's line of view, watching as Alonzo tried to wrangle Cayan and Pettelin together with Victoria, who was giggling, with Miangellica snoozing on her lap. The monochromatic cat was smiling while "scolding" Pettelin for doing something.
Misto looked back at the Absynnian queen, wondering what was going through her mind as she smiled down at his brother and nephews.
He remembered the look he had seen cross her eyes here and there after the secret of his pregnancy had been shared. Cassandra wasn't the type to hide her feelings and thoughts, despite having a very mysterious nature. She shared everything she thought should be shared. But Mistoffelees knew that there were a few things she kept to herself…
Cassandra liked kittens, she was very sweet and gentle with them, she enjoyed spending time with them and taking care of them. But still, she couldn't have any. She had mentioned it to Mistoffelees once, as a simple commentary in the middle of a conversation, which was soon left behind as they continued talking about other things.
She wasn't the only one though, Alonzo also couldn't. Misto was almost sure that Cassandra had even joked about that "similarity" between the two at some point...
And at the moment, Mistoffelees couldn't help but feel guilty. Guilty for somehow being able to have kittens of his own while she couldn't. It wasn't right, she was the one who should be able to get pregnant, not him. But here he is...
"Cassandra, I…"
"I know what you're going to say. Please don't." Cassandra interrupted, her voice as calm and as pleasing as always. "It's not a problem for me that you could get pregnant while I can't."
Mistoffelees sighed. He knew she was going to say something like that, and it only made him feel even more guilty.
"But it's not fair. You should be the one to whom this was happening..."
Cassandra shook her head, resting her paw on Mistoffelees' arm, giving him a reassuring squeeze that he was far too familiar with. The Abyssinian queen was sensitive to magic, and he knew she could feel how her touch influenced both Mistoffelees' magic and his feelings, as intertwined as they seemed to be.
"Mistoffelees, it's okay." She said, offering him a small smile. "Alonzo and I have already accepted that we can't have kittens."
Mistoffelees stared into Cassandra's eyes as if trying to figure out what was going through the queen's head. The magical cat had an easy time reading most cats, but this specific queen had always been quite a mystery to him.
"But…" He put his paw over hers. "I've been thinking. If I made it work for me, maybe I can do it for you?"
"Wasn't this accidental?" Cassandra raised an eyebrow.
"Well, yes, but maybe I can try working it for you…"
"Mistoffelees." The queen's voice was serious and the tom shut himself up once hearing it. "I appreciate that you would try doing so for me, but there is no need." She looked over to Alonzo, who was now trying to grab Cayan as the ginger cat climbed on his back. "I have never really thought hard about having my own kittens. It did cross my mind but it was never a goal I've had in life, even after meeting Alonzo. So you don't need to worry, I'm happy as things are."
Mistoffelees nodded.
"Of course." He said, resigned. A paw instinctively reached up and scratched at his ear. "I'm sorry if I sounded pushy, I didn't mean it."
"I know you didn't." Cassandra said simply, raising a paw and lovingly scratching in between Mistoffelees' ears, as if replacing his own nervous paw. The tuxedo cat purred softly, leaning against the contact.
He smiled at the queen, nuzzling her neck and being nuzzled back. He felt more at ease, even if just a little.
"Let's not talk about this anymore. We have other things to deal with." Cassandra spoke.
"What other things?" Mistoffelees opened his eyes, looking up at the queen.
Cassandra turned to him with an indecipherable look, her brows knitted together.
"Did you forget that your uncle is coming to visit?"
"Oh…" The world seemed to stop for a second as the tux remembered the Gumbie Cat had mentioned early that day, that Bustopher Jones would be stopping by that evening. "Oh no…"
