Rummy

"Tugger?"

"Go the fuck away." I turn away from the entrance to my den to bury my face in my bedding. It's some time in the middle of the night. I know I must look like hell. Worse than Macavity.

"Tugger, are you OK?"

Tentative paws padded closer to where I lay, and I lift my head slightly to see black paws and the faint outline of a female form. It takes me a while to recognise her voice. "What are you doing here, Demeter, babes?" I ask groggily, not quite awake.

She ignores me and sits down behind me, "I didn't see you yesterday, or today."

"Did you bring catnip, babes? I'm dying for some of the good shit that Mungojerrie grows."

"I don't do catnip," she replies simply.

Suddenly it strikes me that it has to be at least past midnight, and that Demeter is for some bizarre reason sitting behind me on my bed. I sit up, frowning blearily, "babes, why the fuck are you here?"

"You haven't been eating," Demeter observes, her arms looped loosely around her waist, "and nobody's seen you for days."

"I wanted to be alone," I told her blandly, "you're not helping." She doesn't answer, and I lie back down and roll over so that my back is to her. My den is silent for nearly a full minute before I open my mouth again. "Babes, why were you with Alonzo?"

"I-I beg your pardon?" Demeter stutters, and I frown into the pillows.

"I went looking for you, and Electra pointed me in the direction of Alonzo's den... were you fucking him?"

"What?" She sounds genuinely startled, which just serves to make me more pissed off.

"Did he have you?" I ask callously, "are you two -involved-?"

Demeter doesn't answer for a moment or two, and when she does her voice is quiet. "Why are you so mean?"

"I'm a fucking pirate, you bint," I reply blandly.

"Don't do that."

"What?" I demand, my paws clenching of their own accord. "Do what?"

"Don't talk like that," Demeter tells me quietly, "it makes you sound like him."

"Like who?"

"Like... Munkustrap."

"Maybe I ought to be more like Munkus, at least then the world wouldn't shit me off so much." A snort of laughter somehow passes my lips, "he tells me I'm too fucking sensitive."

"He would say that."

I turn slightly to look at her again, and my anger at her and Alonzo dies down when I see her. That ought to make me feel pathetic, but it doesn't. "Why?" I shifted around to look at her properly, "babes, what happened between you two?"

Demeter smiled a little, but only for a couple of seconds before her face fell again, "you wouldn't want to hear about it."

"Why not? You spent over four hours listening to me talk about how shitty and fucked up my life is and was." Of course, I didn't tell you about the really fucked up stuff because you weren't around when I needed you.

"You looked like you needed it," she replied, and it struck me that she could mean that she didn't care in the sense that she'd actually wanted to hear what had happened, and rather that she just did it--- listened to me--- because I -looked- like I needed someone to talk to. Well that's a fuckin' kick in the teeth. My expression slipped back into a moody frown. Demeter stared at me through the darkness, "you look like you need it now."

"And you don't, babes?" I shot back at her, my voice like a challenge.

"You don't care," she accused, her tone matter-of-fact, like she was just stating some random fact.

I sit up straight in mild indignation, "how the fuck would you know whether I care or not?" Impulsively I reached out to touch her shoulder, and didn't fail to notice that she flinched a little when my paw made contact. "Do I even have to care? Do you want me to?" My paw brushes over the fur on her upper arm and Demeter looks pointedly away. I feel so tempted to just yank her closer and place kisses all along her jaw--- But I'm also starting to get pissed off again.

Heaviside, does the queen like jerking me around or something? "Look, Goldilocks, you were the one who said we were friends, Ok?" I know as I'm speaking that I sound both frazzled, annoyed, and uncaring; "And from what I hear out on the street friends tend to want to talk to other friends when things get fucked up. So spill, or aren't we that close anymore?"

The corner of Demeter's mouth twitched, and she turned her face to look at me, "I didn't come here to talk about me."

"Why did you come here?" I asked, exasperated beyond reason.

"I came here to see if you were OK."

"And I am, so now you can rest in peace."

"I will," Demeter assured me, "but only if you get up early again and come watch the sunrise with me."

She stood up and went to leave. She was half way to the door when I stopped her. "Wait, babes..."

Demeter turned to look at me, a curious look on her face.

I blinked, realising that I was suddenly on my feet. I ran a paw through my head-fur and hesitated before padding over to her. "Demeter... why wont you tell me anything about yourself?"

She looked up at me, seemingly surprised, and then her eyes flickered down to the floor, "I don't think I'm ready to talk to you yet."

"What's wrong with talking to me?"

"You either swear too much or trivialise things. It's disconcerting."

"Babes, you're disconcerting." She went to leave again and I caught her arm with a paw, "Demeter... I'm sorry I swore at you, baby."

Demeter shook her head and smiled slightly, "don't appologise. I don't like it when people say sorry."

"Hey..." I paused, unsure of what to say, "I'll... I'll be there to watch the sunrise with you."

Demeter left as quietly as she arrived, and I flopped back down onto my bed with a frustrated sigh. It only occured to me after she'd been gone a while, and I'd finished jacking off, that I realised she hadn't answered me about Alonzo.

###

"So you came."

"Yeah," I nodded and the lie came easier than expected, "I've only got another month and a half, I figure I better not waste it."

"Good philosophy," Demeter nodded to herself, "make sure you live up to it."

"I can only try, babes."

We fall into a comfortble silence. But as I watch the sun slowly peer over the horizon I know that my mind isn't really there. I'd much rather be sprawled out in my den, high enough on catnip that I'm able to block out the past few days.

###

"Jemi, baby..."

"Mmm...?"

"What's up with Demeter and Alonzo?"

"What?" Jemima looks down at me like I've just said one of the most stupid things she's ever heard.

I frown up at her, and wiggle my hips uncomforably as all her weight shifts somewhat, "Demeter, is she with Alonzo?"

"Tugger, I'm sitting on your dick, and you want to talk about Demeter and Alonzo?"

"Baby, it's very nice, Ok. I'm hard, and I wanna talk about Demeter and Alonzo, yes," I raise my paws to stroke her thighs, "I promise we'll get down to it after." She doesn't reply. "Are they together?"

"I don't know," Jemima snaps, "we don't exactly talk much."

"Ok, are they fucking?"

"Heaviside! Why would you want to know?" Jemima grinds down against me, but stops when my expression doesn't change, "are you after Demeter?"

"Everlasting Cat, I don't know," I confess.

"Do you wish I were her?"

I blink, startled, and look at her. Jemima looks suddenly very cool, and I shake my head. "No, baby... Jemi, I like you just where you are... but, uh, can you lean forward a bit?"

"Why?" Jemima smirks.
"Well if you really wanna know, you're starting to hurt my b---"

"Ok, got it, leaning forwards."

###

"Baby, do you like me?"

Jemima looked thoughtful. "I like your body," she replied after a while.

"But do you like me?"

She didn't answer. Instead she stood up and walked away, her tail swaying as she went. Great. Fucking great. "Shit."

###

I can't even remember what I was doing at that point in time. I dont' know why I was there. All I do remember was that or some reason I'd left my cutlass back in my den... which, in retrospect, was probably a good thing.

I was walking past a pile of old scrap metal when I saw it. Demeter coming out of what was obviously somebody's den, and a black and white tom a few steps behind her. I couldn't her what they were saying, but she said goodbye with a hug and departed fairly quickly. Quickly enough that I could see who the tom was before he was able to turn back into the den. My eyes narrowed and I stepped out into the open.

"Hey, Alonzo! Can I talk to you a second?"
.

The black and white tom gives me a friendly smile and starts walking in my direction--- right into my right fist. My paw connects with a slight crunch. He reels back, with a startled cry, his paws immediately going up to sheild his face. Of course, that leaves him open for a solid uppercut to his stomach. Alonzo retailiates faster than I expected, and sudden pain flares up in my side. Claws out, I attempt a swipe at his eyes, and barely have time to dodge a knifeblade. Oh yeah, I forgot they carried those.

My left paw grabs his wrist while the other slams into his face again, and he drops the knife after a few moment's hesitation at the feeling of my claws starting to cut into his skin.

A fist to my right eye later and it's suddenly an all out brawl. But what he doesn't quite seem to remember is that not only am I both taller and heavier, but I'm alse a pirate and when I start a fight, -I'm- the one who finishes it.

I somehow get him down on the ground and straddle his waist so that he can't get up again. He's helpless, unable to stop my right paw as it mangles his face. Crunch!--- oh, is that a fractured cheekbone? Thwak!--- Poor baby, is your nose bleeding?

You want me to stop? You stupid fucker! I should tear your eyes out! Carve my name across your face so everybody knows that I'm better than you are! You hear that!? I'm fucking better than you are! Why would she want you, huh? Why? You gonna tell me?

"Tugger! Tugger stop it---"

I'm dragged away from Alonzo by strong paws, and snarl angrily as my arms are forced up behind my back. "Bastard! Let me go!"

"When you're good and ready," the voice replies, and I turn my head to see Munkustrap arrive. He takes a moment to assess the situation and his expression turns dark as he directs Pouncival to take Alonzo away to Jennyanydots.

The silver tabby glances in my direction and shakes his head meaningfully. The tom at my back doesn't let go, and I watch Alonzo as he staggers away, helped by the younger tom.

Munkustrap walks over calmly and stands in front of me, arms crossed.

"You're lucky none of the queens saw that," he informs me blandly, "and you're also lucky that Admetus saw you."

"Fuck up, you wanker!"

"Bite me, dipshit," his retort is accompanied by a slap across the face. "That could have you kicked out, you know? That's my fuckin' reputation on the line--- you don't just go starting fights around here! Rumpus, you stupid peice of shit! Do you even have a reason for that?"

"He's with her!" I yell angrily, forgetting about the tom still keeping me from doing anything.

"You think I dont' fucking know that!?" Munkustrap demands, "and you think I don't want to do the same thing? But listen to me, asshole; You wanna fuck with someone, you fuck with me, not someone we rely on for the night watch, OK?"

I don't say anything, just stay staring at him and wondering what he'd do if I tried to smash his face.

"Admetus," Munkustrap says finally, "let him go."
The tom releases my arms and I rub my wrists, still glaring at Munkustrap.

"Come on," Munkustrap says firmly and turns away purposefully, "we're going to my place. I'll have Bomba find you some ice."