So, this is my first Cats fanfiction. It's SkimbleshanksXTumblebrutus (Bill Bailey), with some other couples here and there throughout. I really just wrote it because I like this couple, and not many others do, so I need to get my fix somewhere. Keep your eye on them in the filmed version. It's SO there.

Anyways, this is the first chapter. I'm planning on doing a multi-chapter fic, for once. But all this college nonsense may get in the way of what's really important.

Slash.

I don't own anything.

Here's hoping the formatting decides not to hate me.

Read, review, comment, flame, I don't care. I just wrote this for my own entertainment.

The early morning air was crisp and chill. Everything was bathed in a pale yellow light, the train station included. In the doorway of the station, shielded from the morning sun, sat a brown and white tabby cat. He looked as if he was waiting for something. In passing, a guard noticed him.

"You've been here a lot these past coupla weeks. You a friend of Skimbleshanks there, kitty?"

Tumblebrutus ignored him, flicking his tail back and forth.

"He should be back soon, little 'un." The guard said, heading off to the back of the station. Tumblebrutus watched him go disdainfully. The tabby was a pretty laid back cat but if there was one thing guaranteed to put a damper on his spirits, it was being called 'little.' Tumblebrutus was not the youngest of the toms, but he was the smallest.

Alonzo and Pouncival sure gave him hell for it, too. Teasing, calling him "Tumblebrittania," ditching him with the preening queen kittens. Not that being left with the girls was such a bad thing. Electra was fun, Etcetera was always up for a hunt, and Victoria was a wonderful conversationalist. But still, all of that treatment just because Tumblebrutus was a little smaller, a little more sensitive.

A train whistle sounded and Tumblebrutus looked up. He smiled as the Night Mail pulled into the station. People came pouring out and soon a brown and orange cat could be seen winding his way through the crowd. Tumblebrutus joined up with Skimbleshanks and they left the station together, as they had been wont to do for the past couple of weeks. As they made their way to the junkyard their sides, tails, and paws brushed against each other.

"How was your night, Skimble?" Tumblebrutus asked.

"It was a long one. There were a lot of children, young ones. You know how they love cats." Skimbleshanks said. They entered the junkyard, wandering past the Rum Tum Tugger and some of the girls, Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer sleeping against each other, and Quaxo curled up in the pipe. As usual, Skimbleshanks led the way to a small pile of old jackets and cloaks. The two lay down together, perhaps a little closer than they had the previous day, or the day before. From his spot at Old Deuturonomy's side, Munkustrap gave them a suspicious look. However, Skimbleshanks and Tumblebrutus did not feel his eyes on them. Tumblebrutus was cleaning his paws as Skimbleshanks worked his way out of his vest. Munkustrap noticed how Tumblebrutus' attention was not on his own paws but on Skimbleshanks as he removed the vest. Skimble himself was well aware of where Tumblebrutus' gaze lingered. He finally removed his vest and folded it up, sitting it off to the side. The railway cat lay next to Tumblebrutus, who nuzzled his head in between Skimble's chin and shoulder.

Munkustrap tensed at this. If the two had been related in anyway, there wouldn't have been an issue. However, as Tumblebrutus was an orphan, Munkustrap's fur began to crawl.

Excluding Tugger and the girls, it was a quiet night. Eventually, Pouncival stood and stretched. He called to Alonzo, George, and Tumblebrutus and the four tom kittens wandered off for a hunt. Munkustrap took that as his chance to talk to Skimbleshanks. He made his way over to the ginger cat, trying to keep the authority out of his walk, so as to not draw attention to himself. Skimbleshanks smiled when he saw Munkustrap coming towards him. "Hello, Munkus."

"Good evening, Skimbleshanks." Munkustrap said. He dove right in. "So…you and Tumblebrutus have been spending an awful lot of time with each other lately. What's going on?"

"What do you mean, going on?" Skimbleshanks said. He was truly confused. "We're just close."

"Hmm." Munkustrap's suspicions were not cleared, but Skimbleshanks seemed completely sincere. "All right, then. I was just...wondering."

He left the railway cat alone.

***

By the time Tumblebrutus returned from hunting, clutching a mouse for Skimble, the older cat had moved to a higher spot. Tumblebrutus bounded up the pile of junk and went to Skimbleshanks' side. Skimbleshanks watched the tom kitten as he climbed – Tumblebrutus certainly had a charming way of moving.

"Hey, Skimble. Guess what I have?" Tumblebrutus asked. Before Skimbleshanks could make a guess, Tumblebrutus revealed the mouse. He took it by the tail and dangled the wriggling creature over Skimbleshanks' mouth. Before making sure that no one was around to see, Skimbleshanks opened his mouth and let Tumblebrutus feed him. Had there been anybody around, Skimble wouldn't have let Tumblebrutus do such a thing, as a matter of pride.

Once the mouse was gone, Tumblebrutus lay down and snuggled up to Skimbleshanks' side. Skimbleshanks merely smiled and watched the younger cat. Within moments, Tumblebrutus was asleep. Skimble ran his paw down Tumblebrutus' side.

Now, when Skimbleshanks told Munkustrap that nothing was going on between himself and Tumblebrutus, he was telling the truth. But not all of the truth. Skimbleshanks, in a moment, would eagerly enter into romantic entanglement with the tom kit. If Tumblebrutus wanted that, Skimbleshanks would give himself over gladly. It would never happen, though. Tumblebrutus was a young tom with access to a plethora of queen kittens. What would he want with an old tom like Skimbleshanks?

Then there was the fact that there were both male. Cases like that had come up before, but never with such an age difference. Of course, times had had changed; the younger cats didn't care if two toms wanted to be together. In fact, only Munkustrap and Jennyanydots were openly against such relationships. Old Deuturonomy couldn't care less. He was older and weaker than ever – the next Jellicle Ball would certainly be his last. It would be his turn to venture to the Heaviside Lair. Then Munkustrap would take over…Skimbleshanks was far too tired to think about any of that. Taking his paw off of Tumblebrutus' hip, Skimbleshanks closed his eyes and let sleep wash over him.

***

Tumblebrutus awoke, as he had for the past few weeks, with his face pressed against Skimbleshanks' neck. He smiled into the ginger fur. Waking up in this position let Tumblebrutus pretend that Skimbleshanks was in love with him.

He wasn't sure when it had happened but it was true. One day, Tumblebrutus just looked at Skimbleshanks and realized that he was in love. They had always been friends, despite the age difference, and just recently began spending substantial amounts of time together. So under the guise of revering Skimbleshanks as the other tome kits revered the Rum Tum Tugger, Tumblebrutus was able to be close to him, to sleep cuddled up to Skimble's side…

However, Tumblebrutus knew what he was to Skimbleshanks: a kitten, a student, or a nephew or son at the very best. It killed him to think that way, but if it was a choice between spending time with Skimbleshanks and keeping his feelings a secret, or letting them out in the open and losing Skimbleshanks forever…well, it wasn't a choice at all.

He longed to kiss Skimbleshanks, though. He could, too. He could just lean in and kiss the railway cat.

Skimbleshanks stirred. He brought a paw up to his eyes. "Good morning, Tumbles."

Perhaps it was the way they were curled around each other to keep the chill away. Perhaps it was the fact that no one else was around. Perhaps it was the sleep still befuddling his mind, perhaps his thoughts were still locked in fantasy mode. Whatever it was, it blocked Tumblebrutus' good judgment for a moment and he kissed Skimbleshanks. It was just, with their position, the contrast between warm Skimble and cold air…a kiss seemed like the only course of action. The moment he did it, a small panic attack started in Tumblebrutus' mind. He pulled away immediately and leapt to the ground. He heard Skimbleshanks calling after him, but he just ran, past Jemima and Pouncival, past Gus and Jellylorum, until he was in a small wood. There was a low, wide tree that the kittens used to hide in when they were in trouble, and that's where Tumblebrutus went. He pounced onto the lowest branch and climbed until he found his favorite spot, a branch that forked right near the trunk of the tree. It was the perfect spot to sit. He was getting a little big for the spot, but since when has size stopped a cat from sitting where they wanted? Tumblebrutus curled up into a ball, staring glumly at a leaf dangling a few feet away.

What had he just done? Well, he obviously had ruined everything…

The Everlasting Cat alone could tell how long Tumblebrutus stayed in the tree. Eventually, a soft voice met his ears.

"Tumblebrutus? Is that you?"

He looked down to see Victoria standing at the base of the tree. He flicked his tail in a manner of greeting. "Yeah."

Victoria climbed up to sit beside him. She looked worried. "What are you doing in the old tree? None of us have been up here in years."

Her worries stare permeated Tumblebrutus' guard. Tumblebrutus was aching to tell someone what had happened and Victoria would listen, but she was Skimbleshanks' niece.

"C'mon, Tumbles. Tell me what's bothering you."

"…I kissed somebody."

"What?!" Victoria exclaimed. She was excited for him until she connected his dejected behavior with this new information. "Did it not go well?"

"I don't know." Tumblebrutus said. "I ran off before he could react."

Victoria wasn't as surprised that Tumblebrutus was attracted to toms as he seemed to think she was going to be. "Who was it?"

The bi-colour tabby buried his face in his paws. His reply was more a question than an answer. "Skimbleshanks?"

That was a little more shocking. Victoria thought for a moment before speaking. "Oh, my. Really?

All Tumblebrutus could do was nod. Victoria hated seeing her friend looking so disappointed. She leaned down and nuzzled the top of Tumblebrutus' head. "Maybe you ran away too soon. He may have kissed back if you had given him the chance."

"Tumblebrutus gave a dry laugh. "As if. He's too noble Anyways, he likes Jennyanydots."

"I wouldn't be so sure, Tumbles." Victoria said. "He doesn't sleep next to her every night. He doesn't worry if she doesn't show up to the junkyard until very late. He doesn't bring her mice from other train stations. He does all of that for you."

Tumblebrutus looked at her. Her words and soft smile upon her face soother his nerves a bit. "Oh, Vicky…walk back with me?"

"Of course."

The two landed neatly on the ground and made their way back to the junkyard. As they passed a dilapidated car, Skimbleshanks jumped down from the roof. Victoria slipped away. Tumblebrutus avoided Skimbleshanks' gaze, but a paw on his chin tilted his head upwards. "Come talk with me, Tumbles."

Skimble's use of Tumblebrutus' nickname gave Tumblebrutus some hope. He silently followed Skimbleshanks to the train station and out back to the luggage cart storage shed. As soon as he was sure that they were hidden from view, Skimbleshanks took Tumblebrutus into an embrace. He rubbed his cheek against Tumblebrutus' white cheek before capturing the tom kit in a kiss.

Tumblebrutus' head only spun for a moment before he fully realized what was happening. He didn't react after a few seconds, so Skimble broke the kiss. He looked terribly nervous."Did I take what happened this morning wrong?"

"No…no, Skimble!" Tumblebrutus said. He was still dazed, but he shook it off. Standing on the very tips of his back paws, he kissed Skimbleshanks. This time, there was no hesitation from either side. Eventually, Tumblebrutus found himself pushed up against a wall, legs wrapped around Skimble's waist. How long had they been kissing? Did it really matter?

Skimbleshanks pulled away from the kiss and looked into Tumblebrutus' eyes. Tumblebrutus returned the smile that was offered to him by Skimble before sealing their mouths together again.

No one would miss them if they were gone a little while longer.