Hey! Guess what, I'm done :D

I wanted to thank everyone who reviewed, BIG thanks for Emily-Doreen-Atkinson-xx for her big support and lovely reviews as well.

See you soon!

Exhausted as he was, Mistoffelees never found sleep. It had been hours since Deuteronomy had 'tucked them in', much to Munkustrap's embarrassment, and a very short while since the tabby himself had begun to snore softly in the basket beside him. He debated whether to bother him for another massage as he was still painfully achy, but he thought it best to let sleeping toms lie.

The yellow quilt tucked around his feet (courtesy of Deuteronomy) made his feet hot and itchy so he kicked them off and sat up to peek out through the gaps in the logs of the wood pile. Back on the ottoman was the old patriarch sleeping away with an unnaturally loud snore, and, behind him, a lightless window with no signs of morning in sight.

Beside him Munkustrap stirred and mumbled in his sleep. Through the wall of the fireplace the last of embers popped under the strain of staying lit, taking with it the last of the light Mistoffelees could see through the logs. All that was left was Deuteronomy's snoring and Everlasting was it deafening.

"What are you doing?" Mistoffelees gasped and, whipping around to face the supposedly sleeping tom, lost his balance and fell arse first over the lip of the basket, his head hitting one the logs with a very loud thock! "Everlasting, are you alright? I... I'm sorry, I didn't think you'd do that!"

"Ow." He rubbed his head a moment then held out his arms to be pulled back into the basket. "Just help me up, would you?" Munkustrap obliged and pulled the tux up beside him on the soft cushion and then onto his lap to inspect the growing goose egg.

Mistoffelees frowned at the prodding and waved him away, making the tabby crack a small smile. But then it faded; "Why aren't you sleeping? Is Deuteronomy keeping you awake?" On cue a loud, startled snore ripped loose from the living room; Mistoffelees tittered.

"No, I just can't sleep," he sighed. He too lost his silly grin and slumped heavily against the other's chest. Hands, somewhat unsure, snaked around his waist and gently stroked the fur there. Entwining his fingers in the longer fur over Munkustrap's shoulders, he thrust his head under the curve of his neck. "I can't stop thinking of that queen. Her kittens..."

The hands caressing his sides stopped short to pull him closer. "We don't know for sure-"

"I know. I just wonder."

"Me too."

A moment of silence passed over them and Mistoffelees was soon finding himself in terrible need of a new topic. After fingering the thick strands of black, striped fur for sometime he soon heard the whisper-quiet rippling of purring humming up Munkustrap's throat. It made him smile. "So... you think you're in love with me?"

"Well... yes."

"Only think?" Mistoffelees jested, jabbing at his chest.

Munkustrap went rigid, the purring stopped and his petting hands froze on the tux's hips. "Is that bad?" With wide eyes he pulled back to stare down at the tom in his arms, swallowing hard. "I just- I didn't want to..."

"Munk, relax!" Mistoffelees couldn't hide the cheeky grin playing his lips for Munkustrap's sudden agitation. He reached up and pinched the point of Munkustrap's chin between his thumb and fingers to tilt it down so he could press his lips against the corner of the flustered grimace. "I'm only teasing," Mistoffelees chuckled and kissed the tabby full on the mouth.

It took quite a bit of kissing and coaxing to but the poor tom at ease; convinced he was truly in the clear, Munkustrap sighed with a frustrated growl, lips curling back into a silly grin when Mistoffelees saucily growled back in turn.

Wasting neither time nor breath the tux took it upon himself to run the tip of his rugged tongue over the upturned lower lip and letting it slip inside to roam and tease the sensitive skin of Munkustrap's mouth.

Minutes passed of sweet kissing and heavy petting before Mistoffelees crawled from Munkustrap's lap to straddle his thighs. From this position the tux indulged his new access to the tender ridges of his partner's jaw, placing tender kisses down the defined bone and finally his mouth to resume their making out.

He found Munkustrap's hands kneading the small of his back, alternating between pressing him even closer and scratching the small curve at the base of his spine. Without breaking the kiss, he took the strong hands and led them around his body to drag them languorously up his chest until...

The kiss broke with an airy gasp of pleasure, trailing off into a high whimper when Munkustrap sifted through the fluffy mat of white fur to roughly run his thumbs over the sensitive nipples there. Mistoffelees punctuated the need in his whine by taking his lover's lower lip between his teeth and kneading the tender lobe; a firm bite when the dexterous fingers pinched at the throbbing skin, making Munkustrap moan loudly and grab with even more enthusiasm.

Anchoring his hands in the silver, striped headfur Mistoffelees dropped his head back with a shaky sigh; letting Munkustrap graze his teeth down his neck and chest, he arched and pressed up into the heat of his mouth when the smooth underside of Munkustrap's tongue replaced the press of his hands.

Rather excited, Mistoffelees leaned back to rest a paw on the tabby's knee to offer more of his chest for fondling but shot back up and shoved hard against Munkustrap's shoulders with a sharp hiss. He tumbled to the blankets beside them to writhe and curse, clutching his foot as he rocked in time to the red hot pain throbbing up his leg.

"Wow!" Munkustrap said, leaning in close. "Your ankle looks really swollen. Let me see." He let the tabby brush away his hands to cup the heel with his own palm. It had doubled in size since they'd last had a good look at it, and the look on the older tom's face as he delicately maneuvered the deformed monstrosity of his joints offered no comfort. This time, when Munkustrap pressed against the swell the tux winced and pulled away. "We should see about elevating this until morning."

"Well, I could always prop it up on your head," Mistoffelees offered, chewing on the inside of his cheek.

"You could, but then I wouldn't get much sleep."

"I'm sure the smell will take care of that; you'll sleep fine."

Munkustrap crinkled his nose at that. "I'll pass," he said and turned back to contemplate the foot again. "Here, turn onto your side." Mistoffelees did and was pleasantly surprised when the tabby settled behind him, pressing the length of their bodies close and nuzzling his face into the nape of his neck. Of course, the position made more sense when his calf was brought up to settle in the gentle indent of Munkustrap's waist.

Curious, the tux craned his neck to get a good look at the clever set up. Somehow his contorted leg comfortably rested on a near 80 degree angle with his knee tucked in the small gap between them. Impressive but... "This isn't very exciting."

His back shook with Munkustrap's silent laughter, the fur on his neck rustled with the stutter of warm breath. The lazy smile pressed against the nape of his neck chimed in the gentle, "Not exciting, I suppose, but my father's a light sleeper so it's probably for the best."

Mistoffelees let out a dramatic sigh. "I guess you're right." Already feeling the slow, deep breath of sleep gripping the tabby behind him, he reached back to finger the soft fur behind the bigger tom's ears.

Munkustrap pulled him closer."You only guess?" he murmured groggily.

"You only think?"

"...No."

"You sure I'm not too heavy? I've been putting on a bit of weight lately. I can walk fine, you know..." Munkustrap suppressed a sigh and glued his eyes to the semi-snowed-over street signs, making sure he followed the right ones so they could make it back to the junkyard reasonably early. On his back, Mistoffelees shuffled awkwardly and stretched out his bandaged leg. "Yes, I'm much too heavy, put me down."

"You're fine, now help me read these bloody signs. We're supposed to turn soon and I don't want to end up back on the other side of town."

Mistoffelees opened his mouth to protest and got side tracked by what was certainly not the last street sign he'd see today. He leaned forward to squint up at it from behind Munkustrap's head, pushing it out of his way slightly. "B-Brrraa... Hmmm... Brasseur, I think it says- Oh, were we not supposed to turn there?"

"No, that wasn't it."

They walked on for some time in silence- at least until Mistoffelees groaned and slumped his chin between Munkustrap's shoulder blades. "We're moving terribly slow, it's probably best if I-"

"Would you rather I skip?!" Munkustrap cried. "Everlasting, Mistoffelees, you're not heavy! If anything you're too light. Now would you please just let me-"

"Am I bony then?" There really was no use in trying to argue as long as Mistoffelees was on his back. Evidently insecurities have the ability to transcend all reason and flattery. Unfortunately the tux's newfound vanity had run its course on being endearing... two hours ago.

They passed another street and Mistoffelees again put off being insecure for the minute he spent trying to decipher the white lettering through the snow. Of course he knew before the tux even spotted the sign that the street was called Myers. He also knew the next one was Kingsley, and the next Hercule. After that they would turn onto Emily street and walk straight until they reached Gordon's scrapyard- commonly known around the four legged community as the Jellicle Junkyard. But he wouldn't tell Mistoffelees that. "Oh, I can barely make out the first letter!"

"I'm pretty sure that's not it either," Munkustrap pondered, stopping a moment to make a show of 'checking his mental map' before moving on.

The weight on his back shifted again with a strained groan. "At any rate, can we stop sometime soon? I really have to-"

"You've got to be kidding me!" someone hollered behind them. Mistoffelees jerked back to get a better look and immediately perked at what he saw. Stumbling through the snow after them was the Rum Tum Tugger, mane in a complete disarray and face blotched with matted balls of snow. "I've been looking everywhere for you! Alonzo told me you didn't turn up last night and Bastet what did you do to your leg?"

"We got caught in the storm," Munkustrap said. "And Mistoffelees fell and sprained his ankle." The tux himself wiggled the now bandaged limb and sighed exhaustedly, resting a cheek on the back of his head. Tugger's snowy brow slowly crept up into the soppy curl atop his head, but then seemed to remember his dramatic performance as Victim of Worry. Fortunately he was talented enough to pull of both simultaneously.

"Caught in the storm, eh? Looks like you did a fine job at keeping warm... Anything interesti-?"

He'd felt Mistoffelees' mischievous smile growing against his neck, damning Tugger's venturing drawl and bulldozer subtlety. If the agitated sway of the tux's tail against his flank hadn't brought on his own all-telling grin, the loud, dramatic groan had done him in. "Everlasting, Tugger, we made out!"

The Coon gasped, resting a paw on his wild mane. "You barmy clods did what?"

"I'll go into disgusting detail later," Mistoffelees promised, scratching the back of Munkustrap's neck coquettishly. "But I really have to relieve myself, and I'm afraid I might break Munk's back if I'm on it long enough."

"Yes, you have time to do that later when I'm not around-"

Munkustrap's eyes went wide. "Tugger!" he sputtered, a thick shade of red bleeding through the lighter grey fur of his coat.

Tugger blinked between them for a moment. "I meant to piss- Fine, I'm the one with the dirty mind. Now let's go before all hell breaks loose and Alonzo stages a coup."

Taking the valiant lead back to the Junkyard (because the valiant hero always went first to meet the adoring crowd) Tugger happily trotted ahead, stopping every now and again to rearrange his mane and make sure his damsels were following close behind.

Mistoffelees shuffled again, but this time sliding forward to trail his dangling arm over the muscles of Munksutrap's neck and chest. Snuggling in closer he drew the tip of his tongue up the nape of the tabby's neck, stopping to gently reach up and nibble at the thin skin of a twitchy ear. "You have a problem."