Hey everybody, here's chapter 2 and we get a little further into the story.

Munk and 'Zo are great friends but is it possible they can start thinking of each other differently?

A year in the life of the black and white toms

Chapter 2

A failed date

It was just another night in the junkyard and Munk, as always, was keeping watch. Days like these when nothing seemed to happen always put him on edge, it made him think perhaps something was going on where he wasn't looking. At every tiny sound he would flinch and rip the junk piles to pieces with his eyes to try and see what had made the noise, more often than not it was just the wind. In all honesty the junkyard was a haven compared to what lay outside it's fences, in here the Jellicles knew they were safe opposed to out there where anything could sneak up on them. It was true that they'd had their moments of doubt like when Macavity – a villainous cat that had long fallen from their favour – had infiltrated their home. On the whole, however, it was a safe place. This little nugget of truth didn't change the way Munk saw it though, if something went wrong then it would be on his shoulders and he would have to deal with it and this is why he never seemed to let down his guard. As soon as he'd left Alonzo's den after staying with him a week ago the happiness he had felt quickly drained and was replaced with lashings of guilt and anger. How could he possibly have allowed himself to slip in his duties? What if an accident had occurred and he hadn't been watching for it? He felt grief in his head that conflicted with the feeling in his heart, that feeling was joy. He had really enjoyed himself that night and it made a wonderful change from the usual stiff attitude he employed. The two emotions battled it out within him and made him place his paws on his head in confusion. He eventually resigned to the crushing anger and chastised himself for disregarding his duties. He resolved to guard the Jellicles from now on without even a hairline fracture in his attention. This decision met it's match when a certain black and white patched tom threw a penny in his direction. It tapped him on the chest before bouncing away as Munk looked up at the attacker.

"A little juvenile, don't you think?" he said sarcastically

"I don't know what you mean" replied Alonzo

"How's it going, 'Lonz?"

"Pretty good. It looks like it's gonna be a nice night" he said as he looked up at the blanket of stars above them

"I think you might be right. Care to join me?"

"Sure. I can't stay long though, I've got a hot date" said the patched tom joining the tabby

"Oh?" asked Munk not really interested in yet another one of Alonzo's good time boys.

"Yep. Abs like a washboard and legs like nothing you've ever seen" said Alonzo saucily

Munk just chuffed and responded with a question he knew would take his friend down a few pegs, "And what is this tom's name?" he said with a smile and knowing eyes. Alonzo sat for a moment and puzzled,

"I'm sure it starts with an O" he eventually said with embarrassment

Munk laughed internally as he taunted his friend,

"Honestly, 'Lonz. Sometimes I think you're worse than Tugger"

"Come on, no one's worse than Tugger"

"Well, no, that was a bit far I must admit, but you are a bit of a tom-whore, aren't you?"

"Hey!" said Alonzo with a kittenish vibe. He knew what his friend was doing and responded in kind "at least I can get a date!"

"I could get a date if I wanted one" replied Munk looking away with a smirk

"I'll believe it when I see it" the patched tom said with a playful shove

"I just don't want one, I'm far too busy"

"Come on, everybody wants a date"

"If you say so"

"Want me to set you up?"

"No, thanks"

"You don't want a little tumble in the sack to relieve the tension? Everyone knows you've got a ton of it"

Munk stared daggers at his friend and Alonzo sent the same expression straight back. Pretty soon their hard frowns began to crack and they fell about laughing and rolling around on top of each other. They really were good friends and they often argued playfully trying to get the other one to break first. This time it seemed they both had lost the game. They continued to talk for a while and eventually the conversation came around to mates again,

"Do you ever think you'll find a mate, Munk?" Alonzo asked his companion

"I don't know. I guess it would be nice but I don't think I have the time" replied the silver tabby

"You let this job run your life. You should really take some time for yourself." He put a paw on his friend's shoulder

"If there were someone I had my eye on I suppose I would pay them plenty of attention, it's just I don't think there's anyone around for me" he said without the sad expression one might expect to accompany it. Surely he had come to that resolution a long time ago if he could say it with such a matter-of-fact attitude.

Alonzo felt sadness in his heart for his friend. Of all the cats he knew he couldn't think of anyone more deserving of a caring mate than Munkustrap. He gave so much to others and obviously compromised his own happiness in the process, he really deserved some kind of reward. What did their protector do when he felt alone? He didn't have anyone to listen to him when he came in at the end of the night, he didn't have anyone to hold him when the going got rough, and he didn't have anyone to perk him up when he felt lonely. Yes he had a father and a brother, but such figures can't provide the type of love that's needed for true comfort. Alonzo put an arm around his friend's shoulder and hugged him gently, he realised he must have been a far more important cat in the tabby's life than he'd thought.

"There's someone out there for you, Munk. I promise" he said nuzzling his friend

"Well, I bet you're right" replied the tabby. The feeling of happiness appeared again as his friend pulled him close. He always felt a warmth when Alonzo was near, it was a feeling he was very grateful for on the inside. It might seem strange that the protector – the most fearless of all the Jellicles – could use some comfort himself, a requirement that many often forgot. He was much closer to Alonzo than he was his brother so in a way they he was more like his sibling than Tugger was. The two sat there for a few moments more before Munk reminded his friend,

"Don't you have a date?" he piped up suddenly. Alonzo jumped,

"Oh damn! Gotta go, Munk! See you later" he said before charging out of the junkyard.

Munk chuckled as his friend ran off. How was it that within the plethora of toms his friend took out he couldn't find one to settle down with? Actually it was better for Munk that way, it meant he wouldn't loose his best buddy. He was the one tom he could always rely on and would feel quite lost without him. Now that he'd gone, Munk's mind began to wander. What if the only reason Alonzo wouldn't find a mate was because they had all they needed in each other? Munk smiled at the thought, it seemed right that they would go through life without needing to find someone to complete them, they already had that in each other. They had been together practically since birth and they knew each other better than they knew themselves. Alonzo was a fine cat to have as such a companion and through Munk's thinking he began to develop a small amount of jealousy for the cat playing the role of Alonzo's date tonight. Sure, the two spent a lot of time together but it was nothing compared to dating. Maybe it was weird for him to think like this, maybe it was strange that the very idea of dating Alonzo was brewing within him. He liked Alonzo a lot, but did he like Alonzo in that way? He thought for a moment to try and find an answer. It wasn't clear but one word seemed to become brighter in his mind: Yes.

'Whoa!' he nearly said out loud. What was he thinking? Alonzo, his best friend as his mate? Surely not! They were best pals, why would he ever want to change that special bond? 'Probably for an even more special bond' his mind told him. He screwed up his face and with closed eyes shook his head from side to side. He had to get rid of these thoughts if he was going to do a proper job tonight, he had to protect the Jellicles and that was that. 'He is gorgeous, though' his mind cut in yet again, 'You know you'd be really happy with him.' Munk sat despairing, what was he going to do and why were these thoughts suddenly bursting into his mind? He continued to sit and tried to clear his head throughout his keeping watch. Thoughts of him and Alonzo kept circulating and resulted in his failure to keep his focus on the matter at hand.. It was clear to him that he liked the tom and the thought gave him great turmoil within.

Alonzo ran along the streets of London hoping his date wouldn't think he'd been stood up. He tried to remember the toms name as he went, was it Oliver? Oscar? Maybe something fancier like Olicot or O'Reilly? He had no luck in remembering what his date was called and arrived to a slightly worried looking tom outside a bar on Tottenham Court Road. He greeted him whilst trying to catch his breath,

"Hey. Sorry I'm late…Oscar" he attempted

"It's Chemmery" the tom replied looking a little frustrated

"What's Chemmery? Asked Alonzo

"My name"

"Right, right, right, of course it is. You're looking lovely this evening, your fur is truly shining"

The other tom seemed to blush at the patched tom's noticing of his efforts,

"Thanks. You look great too, I like the markings on your face"

Alonzo had to stop from snorting at the remark, "Well thanks. They're natural and you've seen them before." He started to think he was rather this cat's intellectual superior, hopefully the evening's conversation wouldn't be too mundane. He took the tom's arm and led him away into the city. Through the course of the night he took him to several hangouts for cats and a few other hotspots. He became exasperated at the topics the cat spoke about such as small animals, butterflies and about his friends. Alonzo knew if it weren't for the tom's looks he wouldn't be spending any time with him. He thought back to earlier when he was talking to Munk and wished this cat could maintain a conversation on such a level as him. That was the great thing about Munk, he could talk about anything and always knew the right things to say, well most of the time anyway. He could speak in just the right way so as to sound wise but not to make you feel inferior. He must have inherited that from his father. He was a very kind speaker and a very kind cat in general. Alonzo felt lucky to have a friend like him. Munk had many a valuable feature that the patched tom wished his companion this evening possessed. It was, unfortunately for him, not so. The tom blabbered about goodness knows what and Alonzo began to lose interest at an alarming rate. He wondered how long it would be before he could start laying on the charm and invite the tom home. He should have felt guilty for being so shallow but really he knew he'd never settle down with a tom like this so he brushed it off. Munk was the type of cat he should be with, it seemed so obvious. 'Wait, what?' he asked himself. Did he present Munk as the perfect mate? It seemed he had. That wasn't right, was it? Munk was his best friend, he certainly wasn't a candidate for a mate, right? Surely he just had the right characteristics and was gorgeous. 'Gorgeous?' Alonzo nearly choked as he thought. Had he just applied the word gorgeous to Munk? Sure the tom had his looks but he wasn't someone Alonzo would call gorgeous. 'Yes he is' his inner cat told him. Was he going crazy? He was having a silent argument over whether his best friend was beautiful. Obviously Munk was but it wasn't okay for Alonzo to think that, was it? The patched tom displayed an outward expression of confusion as he thought and his date stopped talking long enough to notice,

"Are you alright?" Chemmery asked

"What?"

"You look kind of spaced out"

"Oh, yes. Sorry, I got distracted. Please carry on, you were talking about your friends?"

"That was twenty minutes ago."

"Oh. Right."

"Have you not been listening this whole time?"

"No, no. I've been listening"

"What have I been talking about?"

Alonzo just stared blankly as he tried to remember if he had heard anything the tom had said. When he didn't say anything his date spoke for him,

"I thought not." He got up to leave. Alonzo thought about stopping him but then just decided to let him go. The only way to get that tom into bed was to endure him babbling on about nonsense for a few more hours and it was not something Alonzo was up to the challenge of. Realising defeat, he got up and began the trek back to the junkyard. On the way he thought about Munkustrap and the cool, quiet night air gave him time to think clearly. He had certainly thought about his friend in a new light but was that a way he wanted to see him? Munk had always been there for him and never once let him down so how could Alonzo dice with the potential of doing just that? Would he like Munk as a mate? 'Of course!' Of course NOT he told his mind. Munk was just his friend nothing more. Well, that wasn't strictly true, was it? He was certainly more than a friend, but how much more? He threw this question back and forth and before he came to an answer he realised he had arrived back at home. He looked around the junkyard to see some of the cats enjoying their night. Kittens were running around merrily and the older cats were socializing. Some of them seemed to snigger and gawp when they saw him return so early and alone, a thought he quickly took note of and felt suitably embarrassed for. He very rarely came home alone when he'd taken someone out and the obvious solitude certainly meant he had failed in his seduction. He saw Munk looking at him with a shocked expression and decided to resume their earlier conversation, yet after he sat down and it came to speaking he couldn't quite think of the right words as the memory of his thoughts still lingered. Munk had the exact same problem, so they just sat. They stared straight ahead waiting for the other to start something. After a painfully long time Munk summoned up the courage; their conversation consisted of short murmurs and long gaps between each other. It was, after all, an awkward moment for the two yet they didn't know their own sentiments were echoed in each other.

"Hello" Munk said meekly

"Hello" replied Alonzo in the same way.

"Good date?"

"Nope"

"What happened?"

"He was boring"

"Oh"

Another long silence,

"If at first you don't succeed…" Munk said feeling like an idiot

"Yep…"

"What are you gonna do now?"

"Don't know"

"So you're in for the night?"

"Yep"

"You wanna stay close and keep me company?"

Alonzo stared at him with wide eyes as he misinterpreted the question. Munk saw his reaction and quickly tried to correct himself,

"I mean…you wanna just sit here…doing nothing…especially not touching"

"What?"

"I mean…" Munk stammered trying to fix their nose-diving chatter, "I mean…not that I want to touch you…I mean, not that I wouldn't want to touch you…Wait! That's not to say I think about touching you…I mean, oh damn!" spluttered Munk turning away and feeling like a complete moron. Alonzo tried to salvage what was left of Munk's strange speech but in the end responded in kind,

"It's okay. I know what you mean about touching…I mean not touching…Not that I wouldn't want you touching me…No, I mean, you can touch me if you like…Wait, no!...Oh bullocks!" Alonzo tripped over his words and landed in a deep pool of embarrassment. He stared at his friend who had turned and was staring back after hearing the patched tom blabber like as much of a moron as he felt. They continued staring until their shocked expressions began to crack. As they looked on their shoulders began to shake more and more and soon they were rolling around laughing at the strange display they had provided each other with.

"What are we like?" Alonzo cried

"We're crazy!" Munk cried back

"You think anyone has ever had that sort of conversation?"

"I don't think so!"

They took a while to calm down and ended up with arms around each other's shoulders and enjoying the company.

"You're a good friend, 'Zo" said Munk

"You're a good friend too, Munk" replied Alonzo. Munk shoved him away as he spoke again,

"Go to bed. You should be dying of shame from your failure of an evening"

"You know, I think that's a very wise idea" said the patched tom before rising to leave. He began to climb down and turned to the tabby before he left. He took a moment to take in the magnificence of Munkustrap as he sat in prime position on the big tyre, the moonlight seeming to give him an eerie yet beautiful glow and making his silver fur shine. Alonzo felt a funny twinge inside him and his voice nearly cracked as he spoke,

"I mean it, you know"

Munk looked back and they smiled at each other with their eyes locked together,

"Me too" he said.

They remained there for a few seconds more before Alonzo broke his gaze and went to his den. Munk followed him with his eyes as he sauntered. His friend was a delight to look at, he simply couldn't deny it. He smiled as he pictured the now out of view tom in his mind. By all means he should have been worried about their friendship but he wasn't. He was happy, a feeling Alonzo shared as they thought of each other.

Okay, I think maybe something's about to begin here. We'll just have to wait and see.

Thanks for your reviews, I always love to hear what you think.