A/N: Er... just realized this is friggin monsterous so I'll cut it down... ah! Found a place to chop it off. It's still long but too bad. HAHA!
Chapter 8
"WHAT? How the hell does a tom faint in the face of an orgasm? What is this world coming to?" Tilly's mother was shrieking. Tilly flinched and stayed silent. "Honey, we will find a way to get you up there. You still want to go on, right?"
"Yes." What else could she say?
"Good. Well, hold on, let me think for a little bit…" Tilly didn't have to sit long.
"Baymar!" Tilly's mother jumped up and began pacing. Tilly paled.
"Wh-what?" She stuttered.
"Oh, yes! That would work! Baymar does owe us for that time we bailed him out… this is perfect!"
"Mother… can I hear what I'm gonna do?" Please don't let it be what he's best at...please no!
"Oh…yeah. Okay, well, Mungojerrie doesn't remember what happened, right?"
I hope not. "Um, not to my knowledge."
"Good. So, we call Baymar over for a solid he owes us and break you. He won't even think twice. You keep telling Mungojerrie you guys had sex. We call rape, badda bing badda boom, you're on the throne." Tilly felt sick. So very sick.
"Mom, I don't want to do anything to make him mad…"
"Sweetie, he's about as careless as it gets. You'll be just another little game for him. You don't have to be embarrassed. Don't be a stupid baby."
Not Baymar. Mungojerrie. I can't hurt Mungojerrie.
So Tilly ran out of the house.
Mungojerrie avoided contact with Tilly as much has possible. He followed the kit around for a whole week before Tilly got a hold of them. Cambriana wanted him to introduce her to the world. Get her to grow up. Maybe, if she started showing understanding of words, cheat on the training. They'd gone to the park. Met every cat on the way. Went to the Outer Market (Inner Market was off-limits without Cambriana). Explained bartering and how to tell a good fish from a bad fish, a fake gem from a real one. The kit had sniffed and purred. She didn't process a word. They'd gone to the Meeting Valley of Cambriana's people. Of course, it was in the day, as they weren't of age to go at night, with all who belonged to Cambriana. Now, they were back at the lake. A nice place for nothing to happen, not too far from home and for Mungojerrie to take a nap. It'd been a waste of a week.
It was a pretty, clear day, with a couple of those stringy clouds floating about, like they weren't sure whether they belonged or not. The kit, who would be nameless until her test, was playing with a butterfly. She'd turn toward the flutter of wings and pounce, miss and listen again. The butterfly had an easy advantage. If it got caught, Mungojerrie would probably choke on his tail and die. Quite impossible.
Mungojerrie was paying more attention to the back of his eyelids than to his charge. A snake could have strangled her and gulped her down and Mungojerrie wouldn't have noticed. Luckily, the only thing that popped up beside the kit was a familiar blackie.
Tilly watched the kit for a little bit, interested in how the little blind thing went about trying to eat the butterfly. It was cute, and pretty smart for having no sight. Mungojerrie gave her no credit, poor little thing. Tilly looked over at Mungojerrie, who hadn't yelled at her. She sighed and turned to the kit.
" HEY LITTLE KIT! HOW ARE YOU?" Mungojerrie was beside them in a second, furious. Hehe. Tilly feigned surprise.
" You stupid queen! She's blind, not deaf!" Tilly raised an eyebrow. Gee, thanks. Never would have guessed. Thought they went together. Mungojerrie placed himself between the frightened kit and what he considered to be her worst threat. Yeah right.
"Well, I'm sorry." Tilly said in all sincerity. Pouting, sullen, absolute sarcasm. Hehe again. The kit pushed her head under Mungojerrie's belly fur, sniffing at Tilly. Tilly was delighted.
" Aww, isn't she just adorable!" Mungojerrie stepped over her, letting her walk over, cautiously. Tilly did that high-pitched thing that queens do with a baby. It was disgusting. She cuddled around with it a bit. Not wanting to look like a he cared about any of the two queens, Mungojerrie went back to the lovely interior decoration of his eyelids. After a couple seconds, Tilly and the kit were running around, tripping over each other and giggling. Of course, his luck, the kit raced over his tail, claws extended.
"Aack! You frickin…" Mungojerrie whirled around, about to kill her. He had to restrain from strangling her when Tilly made a little tch tch noise. The kit stared up at him, wide-eyed. "Dumb baby."
"Oh, honey." Tilly scooped the kit up and cradled her. Mungojerrie rolled his eyes, but just kept on glaring at her.
Tilly knew that Mungojerrie was watching her. She kinda made a show of playing with the kit. Cuddle this, coo that. He didn't stop watching her. Maybe, if she was lucky, he would be forever awed by her baby abilities. Then, because he was so interested in babies, he would fall deeply in love with her and they could run away to a distant land. It could happen.
After tickling the kits tummy, Tilly put her down. The kit was startled, but soon became distracted by an invisible bug. Tilly looked up at Mungojerrie, who was looking sour. He looked like he was about to say something, then bit it back. They kinda sat there for awhile. Tilly hated the silence.
"Uh, well, I guess the kit likes me…" Nothing from Sour-puss. "Well?"
"Well what? Do you want me to thank you for your amazing maternal skills? Ask how it's done? Beg for forgiveness from the Mighty Tilly for yelling at the kit?" Tilly bit her lip. Mungojerrie was right in her face.
"No, I…"
"Oh, I see. We're not talking about kits now are we? We're talking about the throne. Of course. That's all you've ever wanted. Why don't you just leave me alone? Can't you take a hint? I hate you! Got it? Hate!" Tilly's eyes filled with tears. Her bottom lip trembled threateningly. Maybe he didn't mean it. Maybe she still had a chance.
"Why…why…"
"My Lord, you're such a cry-baby. Why do I hate you? Your frickin annoying…"
"No. Why are you so mean?" She was sniffling, trying to wipe the tears away before they got anywhere.
"What?"
"Why are you so mean?"
" Why do you care, you stupid whore?" Tilly looked away, blinking over and over. He watched uncertainly, then added, "Besides, who cares about how the kit feels anyway?" Tilly gathered up her voice.
"Not the kit. Not just. To me. Well, that's wrong too. You too. Everyone." Tilly looked at him sadly, almost desperately. Mungojerrie's face softened and turned from hers. He didn't answer. He watched the kit mess with a leaf. Tilly touched his paw.
"Mungojerrie, please say something."
"Why? You're not worth talking to."
"Maybe I could be if you tried."
"No, you couldn't be. You're just a…a…selfish user." Tilly's eyes pooled again.
"Do you really think that?"
"I said it, didn't I?"
"Yeah…but…but…" Tilly's voice cracked and she looked down, trying to control herself. She couldn't cry. It could only get worse.
"Look at you, stupid baby. Haven't even grown out of crying. You're such a queen." Mungojerrie stung her heart. Stupid baby. Mommy thinks so too. Tilly looked at him miserably. Her face was wet and sticky looking.
"I am a queen. Why can't you be a tom?"
"What?"
"Why don't you care about anybody?" They both knew what she meant. Why don't you care about me?
"Just because I don't like you doesn't mean I'm not a tom. You're not the only queen out there! See! That's how selfish you are! If I don't like you, then I must be…"
"Selfish I am? Look at you! All you care about is getting on the throne. Alone." She got a look of surprise. "I'm not stupid, you know." Another surprised look. "It's just how I was supposed to act. Like I didn't notice anything. But I do. I saw you trying to kill the kit at the pond. How could you? How could you? An innocent little baby and you just attempt to dispose of it? Quit giving me that look. I do know big words. But you wouldn't notice though, would you? You only pay attention to me if I'm stupid. Well, you know what? I'm not." Mungojerrie sat there, stunned. She was glaring at him now. He blinked, slowly.
"Well, it's not like I'm the only one trying for the throne, Miss Perfection. It's not like you've sat back to watch the race. Not only are you a selfish user, you're a liar and a cheat." Tilly took a deep breath, calming herself.
"No." It was a statement. Softly, murderously spoken. "No, I am not. You still don't see, do you? You're as blind as she is! I don't care about the throne or…or…the fame or the …the money or any of that. I cared about you." An awkward silence followed. Tilly added timidly, "I love you."
"Oh." There was a HUGE silence. I myself would have pulled out my hair with boredom during that time, but that's me. Anyone else coulda sat there and watched the kit chew on her elbow if they wanted.
"Well, I never woulda guessed by the way you were acting the other night."
"Oh. That. Oh." Blushing all around.
"About that…I…uh, I don't remember everything…all the way…exactly…" Tilly looked at him oddly. She knew she was supposed to tell him he screwed her. She knew how much trouble she'd get in if she didn't
"Well, gee, that's the thing. You… didn't exactly do what Mom said you were supposed to do. Hold on, don't freak out, I'll tell you about her in a minute. Anyway. You kinda…well…went…limpish." Tilly looked at the ground. Mungojerrie widened his eyes and his face burned furiously. Tilly continued. "I couldn't really do anything myself you know."
"No, I guess not."
"It's not like I wanted to."
"What the hell are you talking about?"
"Mom made me…"
"Bullshit! She didn't posses your body and drag you to my house!"
"No, but she still made me. It's hard to explain. She yelled at me a bit. And didn't talk. That was worse, I think. But, she told me I had to. I know it sounds goody-four-paws, but…do you understand?" Mungojerrie thought of Cambriana. Of Barley. The yelling. The silence. He understood.
"I just…I know…I didn't mean to…I didn't want to hurt you or…or make you mad." Tilly looked down, crying a real cry. She whispered again, "I didn't want to make you mad." Mungojerrie watched awkwardly, unsure of what to do. He watched her shake and sniffle. When he touched her shoulder, she looked up quickly.
"I guess I wanted to tell you, so you're not mad Not anymore. And…I'll go out of my way so you don't have to see me again. I understand." Mungojerrie didn't answer. Tilly closed her eyes and sat there. She stood up, turned to leave, hesitated, then twirled, planted a soft kiss on Mungojerrie's cheek, then stepped away.
Mungojerrie felt odd. Kinda indescribable. He grabbed her wrist roughly before she got anywhere. He turned her around slowly. Tilly was terrified. The kiss had thrown him over the edge and he would kill her now. It could happen. She flinched and closed her eyes, expecting to be hit, or at least yelled at. Nothing happened. She squinted open one eye. What she saw startled her into opening the other eye.
Mungojerrie's eyes searched her and his look unsettled her stomach. She had never been looked at like this. Mungojerrie watched her face, her beautiful black face. His hands softly found their way up to meet her jaw line. He rubbed it, following the curve to the hollows on the side of her neck. There his hands rested. His thumbs brushed her cheeks, causing her to suck in her breath. She put her own paw over his, holding it there.
Roughly, yet ever so softly, Mungojerrie pulled her to him. He followed with his mouth the path he'd made with his fingers. Then it rested on hers. He kissed her again and again. Then, for no reason at all, he held it.
Tilly was the one who ended up pulling away. Mostly because she was having issues breathing. Mungojerrie didn't protest. He just held her to his chest and traced little patterns on her back. She felt too odd for words. It was only a kiss. Only a frickin kiss. But he'd started it. He'd pushed it. That meant more than anything she'd had done to her before. She had that funny bubbly felling that zinged whenever his fingers fell lower. Tilly closed her eyes and purred. She was so incredibly happy.
Mungojerrie wasn't really feeling anything. Not bubbly. Not happy. More or less regretful. It was very embarrassing that he had flipped the other night. If a kiss with a nobody felt like this, then holy shit. Right now, it didn't particularly matter. He was holding a queen in his arms. Without anyone's permission. It was almost like he was breaking a rule. He'd break another one by kissing her again. So he did. He felt so in control. He got to make his own choice here. Even if only for a little bit.
Tilly didn't care why he couldn't get enough. All she knew was that he couldn't. He'd lift her up and toy with her. He'd kiss her nose and her cheeks and her chin. He'd kiss her eyelids. He'd nuzzle her neck and whisper in her ear. Tilly didn't mind. It was a game she got to be in. She got to be the other half. She played with the rules of the game. He whispered in her ear, she kissed his cheek. He'd kiss her eyelids, she'd nuzzle his neck. He'd make an odd face at that and she'd lean up and kiss his nose. It was a great game.
A/N: Aloha dudes! Sorry I haven't updated in like...forever. I lost my disk, plus me and Porter are havin issues... Still. If someone could inform me that my style is still needed and loved around here, I swear (on my brother's soul) that I will update more often.
Chi: My mother wants me to tell you: 'During this time, know that we all love you and miss you.' Woot for me, I remembered the whole thing almost exactelactely! Yayah! Not that it was all too long to remember...