Winter was starting to get in full swing, as the layer of snow that coated the junkyard was evidence of. The tuxedoed tom shivered, glancing out of the den. He'd only just woken up, and decided to check out what it was like outside before deciding whether to go out or snuggle back up with Tugger. He was definitely going with the latter.

"Oh, you're up?" the Maine Coon asked, stretching. Quaxo nodded, walking back over and sitting next to him.

"It's snowing out, and it's actually started sticking… It's going to be too cold for me to go out soon," he muttered.

Tugger nuzzled him, "You only avoid everyone anyways. Besides, I'm not opposed to staying in all winter," the tom teased, licking his face affectionately.

Quaxo purred, "Yeah- I'll bet you wouldn't," he chuckled, looping his arms around Tugger. "By the way, I wanted to talk to you about, well, telling people. We didn't get a chance to talk about it much since then."

The Maine Coon twitched his tail uncertainly, he didn't really think there was anything to talk about, but was now glad that he hadn't had the chance to tell anyone. He lay back down, dragging Quaxo with him, deciding he'd rather be lying down for this particular conversation.

"Alright," he said with a sigh, "Talk."

The tux fidgeted, not really expecting that kind of a reaction, and really not sure what to say. "Well… I still don't know how comfortable I am with anyone knowing. For all her acceptance, I know it still makes Victoria a bit uncomfortable sometimes- I'm not that optimistic about anyone else."

"Misto, you aren't that optimistic about anyone period," Tugger pointed out. He had never considered people reacting badly to this, and wasn't really sure why Quaxo was so concerned about this. The tom sighed, "Do you mind if I ask… Would you be more okay with people knowing if you were with someone else?"

The tux bit his lip, that was a question he needed to think about how to answer but taking too long to think about it would be an answer in itself. He shook his head, clinging to his tom. "Um… maybe."

He groaned at this, that was what he'd thought. "Quaxo," the small tom shrunk slightly, Tugger using his first name was never a good sign. He kissed the tux gently on the forehead to assure him before continuing, "It's alright, it's just not pleasant to know you're ashamed of me."

"I am not ashamed of you!" he insisted, sitting up so that he could actually see his tom's face. "I'm just… ashamed of your reputation," he admitted sheepishly after the initial indignation wore off.

"Yeah, that's much better," the Maine Coon muttered, placing his now free paws behind his head. "You're not ashamed of me- just the persona I've spent most of my life trying to cultivate."

"Don't even try that," Quaxo snapped, "We both know that it's just a front to get attention while pushing people away. You don't even like queens—"

"I like them more than I like toms," he snarled. This was true, even though he hadn't had any interest in actually mating with one he always preferred the way they looked, smelled, and acted to toms. Quaxo was just an exception to this.

The tux ignored this jab, "Exactly. Why would an asexual cat want everyone to think he's a slut? How can you take pride in that?"

"What the hell is 'asexual'?" Tugger asked, not sure if he should take offense at that. There was no doubt he was a tom physically, there was nothing "asexual" about him.

"It's some word I've heard humans use for a person who doesn't want to mate with males or females," he explained, a bit annoyed at the interruption. "It just seemed to fit you- sorry if I made a mistake."

"Huh," The Maine Coon said, ruffling Quaxo's head fur. "I don't really like the word, and I'm not sure if it fits me. It sounds too clinical," he said, scrunching up his nose, "Besides, there's nothing asexual about how I feel about you," he added, grabbing the tux's waist and kissing his neck.

"If I'm the only one you're like this with you can't whine when people think you're gay," he replied, purring.

Tugger sulked for a moment about this, although it was true. Even if he'd been with 100 queens, he imagined that most people would go by who you're with right now, and that was something he'd have to accept. "Fine. Just as long as you know I'm not."

The tux chuckled, "Don't worry, Tugger, I've always known that you defy labels." He agreed before turning around to properly kiss the tom.

After an hour or so of getting thoroughly distracted from what they had been talking about, Quaxo was meticulously grooming himself as the Maine Coon was relaxing and letting his brain reorient itself.

"Hey," Tugger said, stretching slightly before rolling over to face the tux, who looked up curiously. "Misto- can I ask you something?"

The tux took a break from his cleaning to walk over, concerned by such a serious question. "Sure, you always can. You don't need to ask."

He nodded, "It's just a weird question," the small tom raised an eyebrow, wondering what on earth this cat could consider weird. "Erm, well, would you call me 'Rum'? It's what my dad and brother always called me and I just like it when the cats I'm close to use it." The older tom scratched his ear, not sure why he felt so uncomfortable asking for this.

"Can I call you 'Rummy'?" he asked, nuzzling the tom.

The coon laughed, "Only if you can beat me at cards—without cheating!" he added to the small tom's grin.

Mistoffelees placed a paw to his chest in pretend offense. "I never cheat!" he insisted, "I only… adjust the odds in my favor." The conjuring cat sat back, smug. His card abilities were natural and not something he could control. As a kitten he determined that he couldn't lose at cards if he tried. This probably counted as cheating- but it wasn't like he could turn it off.

"Fine, fine, you can call me Rummy if you absolutely have to," he replied, rolling his eyes, "Are you happy now?"

"Yeah… Rum," he said, trying the name out. The Maine Coon scratched his cheek, clearly embarrassed about the whole thing, but smiled all the same. Quaxo couldn't help but wonder if calling a kitten by a type of alcohol had been the best idea, but didn't want to say anything.

The tux sighed, lying down next to Tugger. "So- I guess if you can deal with everyone making baseless assumptions about your sexuality, I can deal with people making baseless assumptions about my moral character and sanity."

"Um… Thank you." He replied uncertainly. "I guess that's your way of saying you're fine with me telling whoever I feel like telling?"

"Yeah, just warn me who you've told," he asked, placing his paws on his stomach, "it's good to keep tabs of such things."

---

Unfortunately for Tugger, getting to talk to his brother when Demeter was around had never been easy. He'd gotten lucky the last time- but it was unlikely for that to happen again. The tom groaned at the concept, Demeter had long ago decided that his life was very much her business and it would be impossible for her to let Tugger have a private conversation with her mate.

The best thing he could do was wait until she was chatting with Bombi and hope she didn't notice. And when someone else wasn't bothering him. And when he didn't seem too busy with other things. Sometimes, having the second-in-command and protector of the jellicles was more trouble than it was worth.

After a week of trying to find just such a time, he finally made peace with having Demeter stick her nose into this. Of course, this was when he finally got lucky enough to find his brother more or less alone. A part of him felt guilty because Munk so rarely got a chance to relax, but he had to do this at some point.

"Hey, big brother," he said cheerfully, sitting down next to the grey tabby who almost leapt out of his skin at the intrusion.

"Oh, hey Rum," Munkustrap said with a groan, "What do you want?"

"Is this a bad time? Because this can wait," he asked uncertainly, feeling even guiltier about this.

The tabby shook his head, "It's always a bad time, and I'd rather find out sooner than later."

"It's not a bad thing this time, honest." The tabby did not look convinced by this, but didn't get a chance to say anything as his mate came over to look for him. The Maine Coon managed to repress a growl, but he still grimaced at the golden queen's arrival. The feeling was most obviously mutual.

"Hey honey," she said cheerfully, sitting next to her mate and giving him a peck on the cheek before turning a sour glare to Tugger, "What do you want?"

"He was just about to tell me that, love," Munkustrap assured her, sincerely wishing that he could be elsewhere.

Tugger shook his head and stood up, "Actually- this is something I'd really not say in front of Deme, so I'll just try to catch you later. Sorry to've bothered you."

"Anything you can say to Munkustrap you can say to me," the queen insisted, glaring at him. It was one of her 'and if you don't do it now I'll personally make sure you never have the chance to catch him alone' glares, which he'd received in the past. The two cats knew each other far too well.

"You said it wasn't a bad thing, so it shouldn't be that hard to tell her about," 'Strap sighed.

Demeter raised an eyebrow at this. "Somehow I doubt that- the only good news you could possibly have is that you're giving up your life of debauchery and settling down."

Tugger groaned, and this was why he didn't want his darling in-law to be involved in this conversation. "Close enough," he muttered, still refusing to sit.

"What does that even mean?" Demeter asked, unimpressed.

The Maine Coon rolled his eyes. "It means that I wasn't living a life of debauchery in the first place," the golden queen snorted at this, "And I don't even know what 'settling down' means'."

"That doesn't surprise me," she muttered just quiet enough to be considered 'under her breath' but she made sure that Tugger heard it. "To start with- not gyrating your hips at any queen who happens to walk by. And to actually start thinking about more than just how to get tail."

"Oh, is that all? Then yeah," he said simply. Demeter gawked before shaking her head. She would believe it when she saw it.

Munkustrap was a bit more willing to give his brother the benefit of the doubt. In fact, at this news, it was all he could do to keep his composure. If his brother was sincere, this would make his life so much easier. That and he had a suspicion about what brought it on. "Is there any reason for this, or did you just decide to?" he asked innocently, making sure to contain his joy rather than jinx it.

"Yeah- that's something I'm not talking about in front of your mate. No offense to you- Munk," he said, glancing over at the golden queen who simply rolled her eyes at the slight jab.

The grey tabby nodded, hoping this would mean he wouldn't have to be in the middle of those two for much longer. In a sense he always was, but it was only when they were in the same place that it was a problem. The two had such strong personalities, and a good sense of where to draw the line, that he realized long ago he'd have to just let them bicker, so his presence wasn't really adding to anything except an eye witness in case the two ever snapped.

Demeter scoffed, "Please- knowing you, this is just some phase. Did you decide you have a 'real' crush on some poor queen who's heart you're just going to break when you realize you aren't cut out for a real relationship?"

Tugger grimaced, it was good to see that Demeter's ability to single out his deepest insecurity and play on it was still well in tact. But letting her see how much that shook him was not something this tom was willing to do, so he just shrugged. "Alright- you can think that if you want to. Doesn't bug me."

"I don't think, I know," she growled, "Please tell me it's Bombalurina- at least she's smart enough not to get attached to you."

"If you think Bombi has any interest in 'settling down'- you really need to spend some more time around her," he replied with a chuckle, trying to picture that. It gave him a good perspective of how bizarre the idea of him deciding to do this must be.

Demeter's tail twitched, and she looked at him skeptically, "Fine then- who is it? I want to make sure you don't do any damage."

"It's someone who can look after himself," he muttered, "And doesn't need you babysitting him." The queen glared at him for this, about to respond when she realized what pronouns have been used.

"'Him'? Another tom How does that even work?"

The Maine Coon glanced uncertainly at his brother for a moment before looking back at the queen, "What do you mean?"

The golden queen rolled her eyes and shook her head. "Never mind- knowing you it won't matter next week anyways," she said with a sigh, leaning over and kissing Munk's cheek, "I'll see you later, love." And with that she headed off, not even interested in knowing what was going on.

"I get the feeling your mate thinks that 'gay' means 'happy'," Tugger mused. "I probably wasn't the right cat to introduce her to the concept."

Munkustrap frowned, "It isn't that uncommon is it? I don't even remember when I found out."

"Wasn't it about the time Alonzo kissed you when you two were kittens?" the coon asked, leaning back with a smirk. The grey tabby blushed, he had forgotten about that.

"Yeah… That was kind of awkward," he admitted, scratching his cheek nervously as he tried to remember what had happened. They were still good friends so he was guessing he'd handled it well enough. "Maybe it isn't that common, then."

"I really have no idea, not sure if I care."

Munkustrap nodded, "I'm not convinced you care about anything- so that doesn't surprise me."

"Apathy has its advantages, you know. For one- very low stress."

The tabby ignored that. He'd been having this conversation with his brother for years and expected to be having it for the rest of their lives. "It's Quaxo, isn't it?" the tabby asked after a moment of trying to figure out who it could be. Tugger nodded, stretching slightly as he did. The grey tabby shook his head, "I guess opposites do attract, then. At least I know he's sensible enough not to rush into anything or get hurt."

"So you don't have to meddle? Damn, and I was so looking forward to the awkward moments that would undoubtedly come," the coon said, wishing he could feel insulted at the lack of confidence his brother had in him.

"Oh, I was definitely planning to," he replied with a grin, "But if that tux has convinced you to stop flirting, then I'm pretty sure that meddling is unnecessary."

"He didn't."

"What?"

"He didn't convince me to stop- he was actually really fine with it so long as it didn't go any farther," he explained softly, staring at his hind paws. "I'm the one who decided to because now it just feels hollow. I think I might actually love him, Munk."

The jellicle protector stared at his brother for a moment, not entirely able to believe what he had just heard. This was entirely too good to be true, but he ended up laughing anyways.

"Everlasting cat- now I'll never be able to convince Demeter that's true," he groaned, wondering how on earth to explain all of this to her.

Tugger grinned at that, taking a bit more pleasure than he should at the confusion this would undoubtedly cause the queen. "Think we should tell dad?"

Munkustrap paused. It was questions like these that had caused him to go grey so young(this wasn't true, but it was a convincing story). "Um… Let's try not to," he said with a nervous grin, "I think that might actually kill him."

"That's what I was thinking as well," the Maine Coon agreed, shaking his head, "Just making sure we're on the same page."

----

The golden queen had retreated to their lair. Confusion was buzzing in her head. She played with a small trinket she had had since she was a kitten, trying to get this to make sense. Although she still didn't think that Tugger would be in a serious relationship with anyone, the idea of two toms was foreign to her.

She turned around when her mate came in a cocked her head to one side. "Have fun talking to your brother?"

"Eh, it's as interesting as it always is," he agreed, nuzzling her gently. "How're you doing?"

Demeter twitched her tail, "I'm fine- why wouldn't I be?"

The tabby grabbed her up in a hug with a smile, "Because I get the feeling you've never heard of two toms being mates again- and it might be a strange thing to find out about."

The golden queen bit her lip, "I thought you took a mate to have kittens. Can you really love someone otherwise?

"Tell me something," he said suddenly, cupping her chin in his paw and looking into her eyes, "Even if we couldn't have kittens- would you still love me?"

"Of course!" she insisted, hesitating, "We can though, right?"

The tabby smirked, "As far as I know, yes, and I do intend to prove it one day," he assured her.

The queen smiled softly, not quite believing that it would ever be calm enough for them to. "I suppose I see your point- but I still don't think Tugger's serious."

"I have to admit, he does not seem the type," Munk admitted with a sigh. He wanted it to work out, but he knew his brother too well. Tugger had never been one for commitment. "But he might surprise us- that is what he's best at."

Demeter nodded, nonconvinced. She lay her head on her tom's chest, smiling at the comforting sound of his heartbeat. "We are going to have kittens one day, right?"

"Of course, just not—"

"—until things calm down. Until Macavity," she shivered at the name, "isn't a risk. Until the tribe doesn't need you so much. Until your father is doing better. Something will always come up," she finished for him sadly.

The tabby sighed heavily, this conversation never got easier. "I promise I'll think about how to hurry this up, Deme, I know how much it means to you." He assured her, gently kissing the top of her head.

***I read at least one fic where Alonzo and Munk were together- and I do think they'd be cute together. And, no, no unrequited love for Alonzo. It was just one kiss and they both agreed there were no sparks. Tugger only remembers because he remembers everything he can tease his brother about later.

I may end up taking a break from this fic to keep this from happening again. I think I need to give it some time to think about all this- sorry.