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Mungojerrie greeted the day by whacking his head off the top of his bunk yet again. He let out an angry grumble. Bunk beds sucked. Buses sucked. Bunk beds on buses double sucked squared. Being on the road was not all it was cracked up to be at all. But it was “all part of the rock ’n’ roll lifestyle”, apparently. He loved playing music, and being in a band with his best friends. He loved performing, and concerts, and the roar of the crowds… just not being on tour.
He gave his phone a quick glance. He had a whole bunch of notifications, but none of them were the messages he really wanted. Unsurprising, but still disappointing. He flomped back onto his pillow. When he, Tugger, Teazer, and Bomba had started playing together, they had never expected to actually get big. Now it seemed like everyone knew who they were! It was mad that when he turned on the radio, there was a very real chance he’d hear himself! That was awesome, and when the label had suggested a tour, Jerrie had thought it’d be great. It was, mostly, he just hadn’t thought he’d get so homesick.
Well, kind of homesick. The only family he really had was Teazer, and she was here with him. That was awesome, but damn did he miss Coricopat. Jerrie loved Cori with every fibre of his being, but Everlasting, he was so awful at checking his phone. His wonderful boyfriend was forever getting his head stuck in the astral plane or whatever, and forgetting that the thing needed to charge. This was normally not a problem. He was used to it. They lived together, so he got to see and speak to Cori all the time, to plonk his head in his lap while he was meditating, and feel the glorious scratch of his claws on his scalp. The fact that Cori was a trained masseuse was an added bonus, Jerrie just loved feeling close to him.
Teazer and Bomba didn’t get it at all. Teazer was living her best single life, and Bomba’s girlfriend Demeter was their travelling makeup artist, so was always nearby. Tugger got it, kind of. His boyfriend Misto was a principal dancer at the National Ballet, so their schedules often clashed, but Misto was half decent at checking his phone. Jerrie couldn’t help but feel a bit jealous when he saw Tugger glued to his screen.
But there was no point in getting moody about it. Cori loved him, this he knew, and that meant everything. Jerrie hopped down from his bunk, and padded to the front of the bus. They had been driving through the night to get to their next tour stop; where that was, Jerrie had long since lost track. He had no doubt it would be nice enough. Peering through the windscreen, he saw they were approaching a city he didn’t recognise.
“Be there in 20,” the driver told him. Jerrie plastered a grin over his face and went to get dressed.
He was slightly happier by the time their bus rolled to a stop. Bomba had informed him that they were stopping for a week here - a few nights of work and then a few days break - so they got to stay in a hotel that didn’t have wheels and had proper beds! Jerrie couldn’t wait. He hopped off the bus with a new spring in his step, and took a deep breath of fresh, not-bus air.
“Mungojerrie.”
Eh? Jerrie heard his name, and spun round. He knew that voice! Only one Cat ever full-named him. He gave a bellow of delight and charged forwards, launching himself onto Coricopat, who was walking up the street towards him. Cori let out that soft little laugh Jerrie adored so much, and Jerrie kissed him all over his beautiful face for several minutes.
“Corks! What are you doing here? I missed you! How’d you know we were here?” Jerrie gasped.
“Is it so astonishing that I know your tour schedule, Jerrie?” Cori hummed, leaning into the very tight hug Jerrie was now trapping him in.
“I don’t know my tour schedule!”
“That doesn’t surprise me,” Cori laughed quietly.
“But like, what are you doing here? Did the physic powers tell you that I missed you, or was it the gazillion messages on your phone?”
“I missed you and I wanted to see you,” Cori said simply. “I knew you had a few days off here, and I thought you might want to spend them together. Did I not tell you this?”
“No!” Jerrie squawked.
“Oh, I must have forgotten to respond to your messages. I thought I had. I’m here now, does this suit you?”
“OF COURSE IT DOES!” Jerrie picked him up and twirled him around, before kissing him again. Everlasting, he loved this Cat so much. How did he always know exactly what Jerrie needed? Sure, he could be better at answering his phone, but Jerrie wouldn’t trade him for the world.