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tinyfandomflashTitle: A Proud Lifemate
Author: Apache Firecat
Fandom: The Aristocats
Rating: PG/K+
Category: M/F
Relationship(s): Thomas/Duchess
Character(s): Thomas, Duchess
Word Count: 1,274
Spoiler: N/A
Summary: At some point after the movie, Thomas makes the next move with Duchess.
Notes/Warnings: N/A
Duchess stepped carefully, daintily skirting around rocks. The evening away from her home and cherished kittens had been wonderful, but she could not refrain from casting looks of disdain at the swirling, dark water. She remembered this place well, and her white fur instinctively ruffled as she wondered why on Earth her mate had brought her to this place. "Thomas," she sniffed, bushy tail upright and pink nose held slightly in the air, "why did you bring me here?"
Thomas grinned at first for it was adorable how much Duchess resembled her daughter, Marie, when she actually dained to lift her perky, pinky nose. But once her question was out in the open between them, he blinked wide eyes at her.
At his surprised look, she mewed further explanation, "This bridge resembles the worst night of my life!"
She stopped, mouth hanging slightly agape, at the genuinely pained look that fell over his ginger face. "Baby," he meowed, "this place might have been your worst night, but it was the best day of my life when I met you! And your younguns!" His love for Duchess eclipsed every other feeling he'd ever had, but he did adore her kittens as well. The boys had even taken to calling him daddy recently. He still doubted he could ever be much of a father, but he loved them dearly -- and, well, surely a father was better than no father at all, especially with as much as he loved them and their mother.
His answer melted Duchess' apprehension. Her tail wrapped around her as she gazed at him. She had no words, as was quite often when he started talking so romantically -- off the cuff, she remembered him calling it with a purr. "There you go with those O'Malley'isms again." She gazed adoringly up at him.
"You betcha, baby, and that's why I brought us out here. I've been watching you, Duchess. You're a special kind of gal, as rare as those sapphires in your eyes. You deserve special treatment."
"Why, you treat me wonderfully!" Thomas cried, suddenly concerned where his speech may be headed.
"Relax, darling, it ain't nothing bad." Thomas' tail swished. "At least I hope not," he muttered. He blinked rapidly. This was the only dame in all of London -- in all the world honestly -- who could twist and turn him inside out, make him all flustered and fluttered with only a glance. He shook himself, a ripple passing through his thick, orange coat.
"What I'm trying to say, darling, is you deserve special. Super special because you are super special. You're a one-of-a-kind queen, and you deserve a one-of-a-kind courtship."
"Why, Thomas, sweetheart," Duchess purred, gently tapping the tip of her pink nose with the end of her bushy, white tail, "I dare say none could be more unique than our courtship!"
"Yeah, but I've watched you watching those ceremonies with the people. We're building a life together. I'm proud to call you mine, proud to let you call me yours. Proud of the kittens, proud that they're actually..." He was suddenly bashful, his furry cheeks heating, and stopped himself just before admitting that he had been bursting with pride when Toulose called him papa. "...letting me in," he finished quietly.
Duchess hushed herself, choosing to let him speak instead. She was no longer concerned about being underneath this terrible bridge where once her daughter had almost drowned and they had all almost been killed by a terrible monster of a train. Her mate, whom she had come to entirely trust over their time together, no matter how short it might have been in comparison to some other aristocats' courtships, clearly had something special in his mind. There was a reason he had brought her here, and she would trust in him to reveal that reason when he was ready. Likewise, if that terrible train did appear again, she would trust him to save them as he had so many times before.
Thomas sighed and shook his head. "I'm usually good with words, baby."
"You are," she mewed in agreement.
"Here. Let me show you what I mean." He darted away to a cluster of bushes where the hillsides began to decline toward the river. Moonlight glittered on whatever he held between his teeth when he lifted his head again. He darted back to her, and Duchess gasped in surprise, her delicate, front paws rising to cover her shocked mouth.
"Why, Thomas! It's -- It's beautiful!"
"Not nearly as beautiful as you are, baby. Honey, I've been all over the world. I never thought I'd meet a dame -- a, huh, damsel who would make me want to settle down and build a family. But my whole world changed, for the better, when I met you. You may be scared of this place, honey, but it's one of the most beautiful and wonderful places I've ever known because it led me to you."
He could tell from the way she was smiling at him from behind her tail hairs spread apart before her beautiful face that she was feeling a heat similar to that which had filled his furry cheeks moments before. But she was smiling at him, those beautiful, baby blues dazzling more than all the stars in the late, Parisian sky. "What I'm trying to say, Duchess, is... I know it's not customary for us cats to make such lifelong decisions, but I want to call you mine... Forever," he blurted out, amending, trying so hard to make his intentions crystal clear. "I want to marry you like the humans do. I want to call you my wife, have you call me your husband."
"Oh, Thomas!" Duchess cried out. She sprang to him, heedless of the muddy water splashing on her pure white coat, and touched his nose with hers. She then set to rubbing her cheek against his, purring deeply and joyfully. "Of course, I'll marry you! You'll make me the proudest cat in all Paris!"
For a while, they just sat there on the rocks beneath that infamous bridge, sharing tongues, rubbing cheeks, touching noses, and purring. At length, when they had calmed and were simply hugging, their necks draped around one another's, Thomas admitted, "I, hum, I don't really know where to go next with this. It's not like we can talk to the humans."
"I can make Madame understand," Duchess assured him, purring again.
"Then, shall we?" he asked, picking up the ring. All of the band had been searching for months, but they'd finally found the perfect diamond ring. He still wasn't quite sure how to attach it to her collar, but he had learned quite some time ago to believe her when she declared she could make her human understand something. Madame, who had welcomed him to their little family from Day One, would understand, and she would surely set about making the rest happen for them with ease.
He was still clutching the diamond ring in his teeth when Duchess gave him that sweet Look of hers, that made him feel like he was the luckiest, most handsome, most adored tom in the entire world. His heart hammered in his chest, and his tail stood straight out behind him. Slowly, he lowered his head, placing the ring back on a safe spot on the rock.
"We do have all night," Duchess gently reminded him, her purr taking on a more lustful tone.
"We do," Thomas agreed, purring and rubbing against her, "and the rest of our lives!"
Their purrs echoed joyously from beneath the bridge long through the night and almost into the morning light.
The End
Author: Apache Firecat
Fandom: The Aristocats
Rating: PG/K+
Category: M/F
Relationship(s): Thomas/Duchess
Character(s): Thomas, Duchess
Word Count: 1,274
Spoiler: N/A
Summary: At some point after the movie, Thomas makes the next move with Duchess.
Notes/Warnings: N/A
Duchess stepped carefully, daintily skirting around rocks. The evening away from her home and cherished kittens had been wonderful, but she could not refrain from casting looks of disdain at the swirling, dark water. She remembered this place well, and her white fur instinctively ruffled as she wondered why on Earth her mate had brought her to this place. "Thomas," she sniffed, bushy tail upright and pink nose held slightly in the air, "why did you bring me here?"
Thomas grinned at first for it was adorable how much Duchess resembled her daughter, Marie, when she actually dained to lift her perky, pinky nose. But once her question was out in the open between them, he blinked wide eyes at her.
At his surprised look, she mewed further explanation, "This bridge resembles the worst night of my life!"
She stopped, mouth hanging slightly agape, at the genuinely pained look that fell over his ginger face. "Baby," he meowed, "this place might have been your worst night, but it was the best day of my life when I met you! And your younguns!" His love for Duchess eclipsed every other feeling he'd ever had, but he did adore her kittens as well. The boys had even taken to calling him daddy recently. He still doubted he could ever be much of a father, but he loved them dearly -- and, well, surely a father was better than no father at all, especially with as much as he loved them and their mother.
His answer melted Duchess' apprehension. Her tail wrapped around her as she gazed at him. She had no words, as was quite often when he started talking so romantically -- off the cuff, she remembered him calling it with a purr. "There you go with those O'Malley'isms again." She gazed adoringly up at him.
"You betcha, baby, and that's why I brought us out here. I've been watching you, Duchess. You're a special kind of gal, as rare as those sapphires in your eyes. You deserve special treatment."
"Why, you treat me wonderfully!" Thomas cried, suddenly concerned where his speech may be headed.
"Relax, darling, it ain't nothing bad." Thomas' tail swished. "At least I hope not," he muttered. He blinked rapidly. This was the only dame in all of London -- in all the world honestly -- who could twist and turn him inside out, make him all flustered and fluttered with only a glance. He shook himself, a ripple passing through his thick, orange coat.
"What I'm trying to say, darling, is you deserve special. Super special because you are super special. You're a one-of-a-kind queen, and you deserve a one-of-a-kind courtship."
"Why, Thomas, sweetheart," Duchess purred, gently tapping the tip of her pink nose with the end of her bushy, white tail, "I dare say none could be more unique than our courtship!"
"Yeah, but I've watched you watching those ceremonies with the people. We're building a life together. I'm proud to call you mine, proud to let you call me yours. Proud of the kittens, proud that they're actually..." He was suddenly bashful, his furry cheeks heating, and stopped himself just before admitting that he had been bursting with pride when Toulose called him papa. "...letting me in," he finished quietly.
Duchess hushed herself, choosing to let him speak instead. She was no longer concerned about being underneath this terrible bridge where once her daughter had almost drowned and they had all almost been killed by a terrible monster of a train. Her mate, whom she had come to entirely trust over their time together, no matter how short it might have been in comparison to some other aristocats' courtships, clearly had something special in his mind. There was a reason he had brought her here, and she would trust in him to reveal that reason when he was ready. Likewise, if that terrible train did appear again, she would trust him to save them as he had so many times before.
Thomas sighed and shook his head. "I'm usually good with words, baby."
"You are," she mewed in agreement.
"Here. Let me show you what I mean." He darted away to a cluster of bushes where the hillsides began to decline toward the river. Moonlight glittered on whatever he held between his teeth when he lifted his head again. He darted back to her, and Duchess gasped in surprise, her delicate, front paws rising to cover her shocked mouth.
"Why, Thomas! It's -- It's beautiful!"
"Not nearly as beautiful as you are, baby. Honey, I've been all over the world. I never thought I'd meet a dame -- a, huh, damsel who would make me want to settle down and build a family. But my whole world changed, for the better, when I met you. You may be scared of this place, honey, but it's one of the most beautiful and wonderful places I've ever known because it led me to you."
He could tell from the way she was smiling at him from behind her tail hairs spread apart before her beautiful face that she was feeling a heat similar to that which had filled his furry cheeks moments before. But she was smiling at him, those beautiful, baby blues dazzling more than all the stars in the late, Parisian sky. "What I'm trying to say, Duchess, is... I know it's not customary for us cats to make such lifelong decisions, but I want to call you mine... Forever," he blurted out, amending, trying so hard to make his intentions crystal clear. "I want to marry you like the humans do. I want to call you my wife, have you call me your husband."
"Oh, Thomas!" Duchess cried out. She sprang to him, heedless of the muddy water splashing on her pure white coat, and touched his nose with hers. She then set to rubbing her cheek against his, purring deeply and joyfully. "Of course, I'll marry you! You'll make me the proudest cat in all Paris!"
For a while, they just sat there on the rocks beneath that infamous bridge, sharing tongues, rubbing cheeks, touching noses, and purring. At length, when they had calmed and were simply hugging, their necks draped around one another's, Thomas admitted, "I, hum, I don't really know where to go next with this. It's not like we can talk to the humans."
"I can make Madame understand," Duchess assured him, purring again.
"Then, shall we?" he asked, picking up the ring. All of the band had been searching for months, but they'd finally found the perfect diamond ring. He still wasn't quite sure how to attach it to her collar, but he had learned quite some time ago to believe her when she declared she could make her human understand something. Madame, who had welcomed him to their little family from Day One, would understand, and she would surely set about making the rest happen for them with ease.
He was still clutching the diamond ring in his teeth when Duchess gave him that sweet Look of hers, that made him feel like he was the luckiest, most handsome, most adored tom in the entire world. His heart hammered in his chest, and his tail stood straight out behind him. Slowly, he lowered his head, placing the ring back on a safe spot on the rock.
"We do have all night," Duchess gently reminded him, her purr taking on a more lustful tone.
"We do," Thomas agreed, purring and rubbing against her, "and the rest of our lives!"
Their purrs echoed joyously from beneath the bridge long through the night and almost into the morning light.
The End
