A/N: Okay, here's another "Lost Tail"…a Valentine's Day moment with Misto and Zaph. This actually takes place after the events in "Friends and Lovers," not that it makes much difference to the content here. Warning: sappy cheesy mushy stuff ahead. But if you got past the sonnet sequence, this can't hurt ya.
In a homey little restaurant, decorated with far too many red and pink hearts for anyone's taste, the crowd watched a waiter stand up on a chair and turn on a microphone.
"Well, ladies and gentleman, as you well know it is Valentine's Day, that wonderful romantic holiday when we show our affection through compulsory spending on flowers, candy, jewels and candle-lit dinners." The restaurant waiter paused after this, allowing the diners to laugh at him as well as themselves. "However," he continued, "we here at the Veranda restaurant want to give you a chance to truly express your affection, and in a way that cost you nothing. In other words, we had the mike already to do those annoying birthday party songs. So let's have ourselves a little improved romantic tribute poetry night!" Amid mixed laughter, cheers and booing, the waiter stepped down from the stairs he'd been standing on to deliver his introduction and handed the mike to a waitress. She smiled cheerily over the patrons and cried out, "Who's first?!?"
What followed was a lot of hushed commands, entreaties and protests from various men and women trying to convince their partners to be the first to pay "romantic tribute." Zaphia was biting her lip, trying to work up the nerve to walk over there when to her complete surprise, Mistoffelees stood up. The clapping at his volunteering was followed by some rather curious looks. The other diners were curious about this most unusual looking person... Zaphia was curious about this most unusual action. However, she smiled and clapped the loudest as Mistoffelees took the microphone.
"I'm not very good at improv… or public speaking for that matter," the tomcat said, shifting his feet somewhat uncomfortably. "So is it ok if I cheat a little bit? The woman I love is out there, and I wrote this poem to show how I feel about her. It's not improvised on the spot, but…" He was drown out by the cheers of the other couples in the restaurant as well as the staff. Zaphia merely blushed while she clapped. Mistoffelees grinned as he dug out a folded piece of paper. Holding it in front of him, Misto began to read, voice slightly unsettled at first. But as he read further his voice gained strength as one does when speaking for the heart and what one believes in.
"This poem is for you, Zaphia…
"For today
Leave your fears behind.
Come out and play
And forget people are watching.
In your mind
There's nothing good about you.
For once be kind
And honest with yourself.
No one can match
Your beauty or skill
With words. You'd never catch
Me with someone different.
It's my view
That you are sweet, good and pure.
You know it's true
But convince yourself it's not.
It's not wealth
That motivates your action.
You use your stealth
To help, not hurt.
It would thrill
Me more than I can say
If you wouldn't kill
Any compliment that comes your way.
Your parents
Must have been blind
To have sent
You away. I find
Your silken fur
A treasure, and each
Smile, each purr
Makes me want to snatch
You up; I've got
To absolutely do
Anything it takes, I must not
Fail to please and keep you.
My reaction
May make you doubt my mental health
But my life satisfaction
Depends on you - my treasure, my wealth,
My heart's thrill
For whom I'd beg down in the dirt
To keep, and for whom I'll fill
With joy when you cease to hurt."
The restaurant was silent. Mistoffelees looked out at the crowd uncertainly, then handed the waitress back the microphone and made his way back to the table. Sitting down he looked at Zaphia, who was staring at the tablecloth. Misto's ears drooped. "You didn't like it, did you?" he asked. "I know it wasn't exactly a romantic ballad…" He was cut off as Zaphia launched herself across the table and wrapped her arms around him. The tomcat was more than caught off guard.
"Okay, maybe you liked it a little…" he began. Zaphia looked up at him and he stopped talking. She was crying.
"Zaphia…"
The queen buried her head against his neck. Gently kissing the top of her head, just behind the ears, Misto realized that the rest of the crowd had executed a group "Awwwwww" at that moment. Then they went back to harassing someone to be the second to take up the microphone. The cats paid no attention to this. They'd gotten very good by now at ignoring the people around them when they wanted to.
This moment, this was their gift to each other. No one was allowed to intrude on it.