"Fee, fi, fo, fum," Mungojerrie said in a deep voice, stalking about the basement, "I smell the blood of a couple of young ones." He walked underneath the stairs to the steps, finding Tynan, Wynne and Rumpelteazer huddled up, "Ah-ha!" The kittens gave a squeal of excitement, scooting away from their father.
"Go kitties, I'll take care of him," Rumpelteazer said, advancing on the older tom.
"How," he asked, allowing the kits to run by to the basket. Rumpel smirked, pouncing and sending Mungo to the ground. She rested her paws on his chest, a superior smirk on her face. Mungo sat up and reversed the position, so that she was now underneath him. "Nice try."
"Who said that I was trying," she asked, pushing him off and dominating. Mungojerrie and Rumpelteazer began to move across the floor, in a constant battle - flipping the other over their heads. The kittens began cheering for either parent to win - usually it was whoever was on top at the time. They stopped when they reached the far wall, Mungojerrie proudly pinning Rumpelteazer to the floor. He leaned down, his face close to hers, a smug grin in his face, "I win."
"Congratulations," she said blandly, "And what does the winner get?"
"A kiss," Wynne yelled through her giggles, leaning out of the basket. "You have to give the winner a kiss."
Rumpelteazer quirked an eyebrow, turning back to face Mungojerrie; "It's your call."
He scrunched up his face, thinking about the decision. Originally he was going to say a pet turtle; there was just something about an animal that carried its home around with them that Mungo found fascinating. Then again, "A kiss sounds reasonable."
Wynne's giggles intensified and Tynan's laughed joined hers, yet, somehow, Mungojerrie was able to block them out and focus solely on Rumpelteazer. She looked slightly taken aback at first, obviously not expecting for him to agree to such an impractical prize but shrugged it off. She brought her paws to either side of his face and pulled it close enough that their noses touched. She took a breath, as if preparing herself for it, before she kissed him. She placed her mouth over his, taking a moment to soak it in before she continued. Mungojerrie returned it, deepening it as he pressed down against her. He held the kiss, feeling a purr tickling his throat and hearing Rumpel drone beneath him. He slowly broke it, looking down at the queen. For a second, the same queen - the one from the Ball, under the moon - flickered before him. In that fleeting instant when he saw her, he wanted her again; like he did that night when the kittens were conceived. He brushed his nose against hers and gave it a lick, hoping that she might return the gesture - and then some. She began to return it, obviously sensing the same attraction that Mungojerrie was when the kittens bounded over and knocked Mungojerrie to the ground.
�We win,� Tynan declared, �You know what that mean?�
�Kisses,� Wynne smiled proudly, �We did win.�
�Alright,� he said, giving each a peck on their cheek before they went to Rumpelteazer to get their victory kiss.
�Come on now, kits, time to get ready for bed,� Rumpelteazer said, ushering them to the basket. Mungojerrie walked over to Tynan, who was waiting for his nightly bath and began to groom him as Rumpel took care of Wynne. He looked up at her, watching her rough pink tongue smooth out her daughter�s fur. The queen from the Ball was gone, not a trace of her was left; no hint of the seductive queen. No sign of her glossy fur, her glazy eyes, alluring smile, hypnotic purr. It had disappeared like the fine morning mist. He finished washing behind Tynan�s ears and allowed the kittens to settle and get comfortable.
�What do you want to hear about tonight,� Mungo asked, sitting across from them. �Or would you rather a song?�
�Song,� they said in unison, reminding him of Coricopat and Tantomile.
�That�s your mother�s area of expertise,� Mungo said with a nod as he stood up, �I�ll leave you to it.�
�You�re not going to stay to listen to Momma sing,� Wynne asked sadly.
�I have something I have to tend to,� he said, giving her a kiss on her forehead, �Goodnight.�
Mungo trotted up the stairs, listening to Rumpelteazer sing the kits a lullaby. He walked through the kitchen, which smelt of cinnamon and ginger from the cookies in the oven. He looked around, seeing that the kitchen was empty; he climbed through his door to outside. The moon was full, casting a silver glow on the snow � making it look like a scene from a story book. The Christmas decorations were long since gone yet his humans had left a few strings of white lights, lining the path to the gazebo. He climbed into the wooden structure, pushed some of the snow aside, making a clear patch for him to sit. He closed his eyes, feeling the gentle sensation of snowflakes landing on his fur. They weren�t the fluffy kind that one could kick easily, they were heavy and wet; no doubt that there would be some colourful language from whomever was assigned to shovel the walk in the morning. He lost himself, his fur being weighed down by the white blanket as a storm began to move in. He felt a rough tongue brush his cheek, bringing him out of his meditation. He opened his eyes to see Rumpelteazer sitting next to him, smiling gently.
�You looked hungry,� she explained, gesturing at the scraps of meat she brought with her, �Fancy a picnic?�
�What�s on the menu,� he asked, picking up a slice of meat.
�It tastes like turkey,� Rumpel mused, �Let�s go with that.�
Mungo laughed, almost choking on the piece that was already in his mouth. The two sat on the small table that was left out there, enjoying their late night snack. �What happened to us,� he asked, after a long period of silence, �We used to own this street. We�d be out every night, rain or snow.�
�I suppose that we grew out of it,� she guessed.
He shook his head sadly, �I don�t want to grow up though. Remember when I vowed to stay young forever; I want to live up to my word.�
�There are some advantages to being older though,� she whispered, putting her paw over his. �More freedom, trust, respect...�
Mungojerrie looked over at her; a gentle smile lay on her lips, her fur mainly covered by the snow. That queen was back... but why? What made her appear and disappear so often and so quickly? She was here naught even an half an hour ago and then she left once the kittens tackled him; here she is again with just the two of them... and no kittens. �Of course, when the kittens are about Rumpel focuses on them; she�s being a mother. Here though she doesn�t need to tend to them... I can really see her; like Lavvy and the others did.�
�The snowflakes are rather small,� she commented, �There should be a big snowfall. We should probably get back in � you look cold.�
�Yeah, I suppose,� he nodded, looking away for a moment. They walked back up the path, following the lights since the stones were already buried. He stopped in front of the door, taking one last look at her, �Rumpel...�
�Yes, Jerrie,� she asked, looking at him.
He swallowed, not sure what to say to her. He wanted to tell her that she was beautiful; that she was wonderful; that he wanted to have her in his arms; at the very least that she was pretty but... �You got a snowflake on your nose.�