Author's Note: WOW I'm such a dork. As you can probably see from the title...
Anyway, this fanfic is the reason I first watched the musical Cats by Andrew Loyd Webber. I was a little wary of it at first, but I fell in love with it really fast. The pairing in this, Misto/Tugger, is just so easy to see in the movie.
This was written for Laocoons, a friend of Jeff's on Gaia. Thanks for the request, Laocoons, and I hope you like it!
Name: Tale of Two Kitties
Pairing: Mistoffelees/Tugger (Cats)
Genre: Fluffy Romance
Rating: PG
Tale of Two Kitties
A small black kitten scampered down the alley, shivering. It was cold and wet out, and even the smallest of puddles covered the kitten’s tiny paws. He mewed delicately, tiredly. What the kitten wouldn’t give for a little bit of food and warm, dry place to sleep…
Then came several barks and a horrible howl. The kitten ducked down, looking around, terrified. There came yet another park and then a shout.
“You get the hell out of here!”
A Peke came bounding out into the alley from behind a trash can. From the other side of the alley, a police dog sauntered forward.
“Why should I?” the police dog sneered. He stomped forward haughtily. “Far as I can remember, the alleyways belong to all dogs.”
The kitten froze, hoping he wouldn’t be seen. The last thing he needed was to be confronted by two already-riled dogs.
The Peke growled, pawing at the ground irritably. “I’ve got eyes all over this town, Bastian,” he told the police dog. “You keeping poking your nose around where it doesn’t belong, and you’ll be surprised at just who might turn up in your neck of the streets.”
Bastian thrust himself forward, less than an inch away from the Peke. “You threatening me, you bastard?!”
The Peke smirked. “Just letting you know who rules this city.”
A loud meow came from somewhere behind the kitten, who stiffened his tiny body. “YOOO HOOO!” the new cat shrieked. “DOGGIES! What are you doing, bone-breaths? Comparing body odors?”
Good lord! the kitten thought, horrified. What was this fool doing? Didn’t he know what a dog could do to a cat in this neighborhood?
Bastian the police dog turned and his gaze fell, much to the kitten’s horror, right on him. “What did you say to me, you son of a bitch?” he snapped menacingly, advancing on him.
“I… I… l…” The kitten was too scared to speak. “I didn’t… I wouldn’t…”
“Ya definitely won’t anymore,” the Peke scowled, stepping up next to Bastian. For all of their differences, there was one thing the two dogs could agree on: no cat was going to get away with talking about them that way.
The kitten scuttled backwards, his large, dark eyes never leaving the angry faces of the two dogs. He was just a young cat! His life couldn’t end yet, not like this! Only a kitten and already mauled by two angry dogs? Oh, God.
The Peke leaped at the kitten with a startling bark. So startling, in fact, that the kitten lost control for a moment. A long, glowing streak of lightning sprouted from the kitten’s paws, shooting out to hit the dogs right on their noses.
Both dogs yelped in pain, stumbling over each other, trying desperately to cool their singed noses. They each turned to stare at the kitten in horror as they sprinted away.
“Hey, kid!” a voice shouted from behind the kitten. He turned to see a lean, tall cat with a long, fluffy mane framing his face. He grinned. “That sure was quite a show you put on!”
The kitten stood, aghast, recognizing the voice immediately. “Wha – YOU!” he hissed, crouching angrily. “You were the one that insulted them!”
The cat puffed out his chest. “Why, yes. Thank you for noticing.”
“You could’ve gotten me really hurt!” the kitten shouted, his paws twitching with electric energy. “You… Jerk!”
“Oh, come on now, it’s not like you actually got hurt,” the cat pointed out, rolling his eyes. “No harm done.”
“Now just hold on a second!” the kitten snapped. “You don’t understand the gravity of this situation, do you? You really pushed the wrong buttons back there, and I don’t appreciate being blown off like this!”
“Oh, let’s just put that behind us, shall we?” the cat purred. “There, that’s a good kitty. Now, if you’re done shouting, maybe we can actually go past this ridiculous conversation and introduce ourselves. I am the Rum Tum Tugger, but you may just call me Tugger. You are?”
The kitten spluttered with indignation for several moments before sighing. “I’m Mistoffelees. How do you do?”
“Splendidly, thank you!” Tugger purred. “Anyway, that was a very interesting display you put on with those dogs. How did you do that?”
Mistoffelees shrugged. “I don’t know. I’ve just always been able to do it. I’ve always been able to do a lot of things.”
Tugger surveyed Mistoffelees with an air similar to that of a jeweler – he looked him over from all angles, sniffing him, coming uncomfortably close to stare at him. Finally, he grinned in what was a more than unnerving manner and said, “Kid… Mistoffelees… Misto… I think you ought to come with me.”
THREE YEARS LATER
“BORING?!” Tugger bellowed, racing into the refrigerator box he shared with Mistoffelees. “Mistoffelees! MISTOFFELEES! GET OUT HERE THIS INSTANT!”
Mistoffelees tried hard not to smile as he crawled out of the corner. “What is it, Tugger?”
Tugger came within a centimeter of Mistoffelees’ nose. “What is all this I hear about me being boring?! I’ve been hearing all about it all day! Rumpleteazer just can’t let it go! She’s been running all over the junkyard, telling everybody that you think I’m boring!”
Mistoffelees stifled a giggle. “And? What’s the problem?”
“W-What’s the problem?” Tugger stuttered dramatically. “What the problem is, Mr. Mistoffelees, is that I am not boring! I am a daredevil! An exciting heartthrob! A mystery! An enigma! A rowdy, spontaneous, in-your-face Jellicle! How dare you – you, who knows me best – how dare you, sir, call me, the infamous Rum Tum Tugger, a bore?”
Mistoffelees could no longer contain himself. He burst into howls of laughter, his entire body shaking. The angrier Tugger became, the more hysterical the whole situation was to Mistoffelees.
“And just what is so funny, Mr. Mistoffelees?!” Tugger screamed, stamping his paw.
Mistoffelees managed to bring his laughter back down to quiet, breathy snickers. “Oh. Oh, goodness. I knew it would upset you, but I didn’t realize it would bother you this much…”
Tugger jumped, taken aback. “What are you saying? You, the sweet, timid Mistoffelees was trying to bother me? Why is this?” He put on his most wounded, pathetic expression.
“Oh, Tugger,” Mistoffelees chuckled. He shook his head and smiled. “Tugger, Tugger, Tugger. I wasn’t trying to upset you. The only reason I called you a bore is because… Well, because that’s what you are.”
Tugger’s pitiful expression disappeared, and his jaw fell. Even his often jaunty, in-the-air tail fell flat on the floor. “Wha… What? You think… You think I’m a… A…”
“A bore, yes,” Mistoffelees answered gently, nuzzling against Tugger’s neck. “Don’t look so offended. It’s not an insult, you know.”
“Of course it’s an insult!” Tugger pouted, all the fire gone. “I’m not a bore. I can’t be a bore. Everyone loves me! No one loves a bore! I… I can’t be…” He sank down to the floor and covered his face sulkily with his paws.
Mistoffelees just sighed. “Don’t you see, Tugger? You’re only a bore to me because I know you.”
Tugger huffed.
Mistoffelees laid next to him. “I have known you for three years now. I know everything about you. I know how much you hate being alone. I know you think everything through instead of being the spontaneous, wild cat that you try to be. I know that you’re not as disobedient and bothersome as you say you are.” When Tugger looked up, Mistoffelees grinned. “That’s right, Tugger. I know you love cuddling. I know you love snuggling up by the fire. I even know that you have always obeyed every human you met without a complaint. You’re not all that adventurous. You really are quite a bore.”
Tugger looked sadly over his paws. “And how is that a good thing?”
“Because,” Mistoffelees answered, curling up next to Tugger and purring, “all of those things are what make me love you.”
Tugger raised his head, looking hopeful. “Really? That’s why you love me?”
Misoffelees gave him a small kiss. “That’s why, darling.”
Tugger grinned, snuggling up against Mistoffelees, his energy restored. “Well, then! I ought to be boring more often!”
EIGHT YEARS LATER
Mistoffelees was tired – then again, he was always tired nowadays. He just wasn’t as virile as he used to be. His bones were creaky, his limbs were shaky, and his vision and hearing were getting very poor. His health had declined greatly once Tugger was gone.
Mistoffelees turned his almost-blind eyes to the sky. Munkustrap had recently told him that the Jellicle Ball was approaching once again, and that Mistoffelees was now old enough to be chosen by Old Deuteronomy. Mistoffelees was hoping with all his heart that Old Deuteronomy had not forgotten when Mistoffelees saved him from Macavity. He wanted to desperately to be chosen; only then would he be reunited with his Tugger.
Mistoffelees hadn’t been surprised when Tugger was chosen. He was the most deserving, after all. Still, it didn’t make it any easier to live without him. The whole junkyard seemed a little darker and more depressing ever since.
Mistoffelees heard the joyful shouts of the Jellicles and knew that the time had come. Old Deuteronomy had arrived, and he was going to send one lucky Jellicle to the Land Beyond. Mistoffelees crept into the junkyard slowly, smiling admiringly at Deuteronomy. He was hoping above hope to be chosen. Maybe, just maybe, if Deuteronomy thought it right, Mistoffelees would soon rejoin Tugger, his best friend and the love of his life, in the Land Beyond.
Author's Note: So there you have it, Laocoons. Hope you liked it! Comments are appreciated, as always.
