Work Text:
As they say, it takes a village to raise a child. Or, as it would be more fitting with our setting, it takes a tribe to raise a kitten.
Tugger loved that. Having so many parents was neat! Who cares if his father Old Dueteronomy isn’t home much when he had so many other, wonderful parents who are always there for him?
But one thing that Tugger forgot since his kittenhood is that kittens do not ask for permission. They just call a tom dad or a queen mom, and this is this and that is that. If someone calls you dad there is nothing you can do about it. You are their dad! (you’re their dad! Boogie woogie woogie!)
Tugger wasn’t ready for parenthood. He will be eventually (or so he hopes), but for now? No thank you sir. So when Pouncival called him dad he didn’t know how to react. And so he shrieked. Loudly. And then promptly fleed leaving a confused and slightly hurt kitten behind.
Pouncival called him dad by mistake, right? RIGHT?? A mistake. Nothing more. He wasn’t a dad. Pouncival just confused him for someone else in the middle of a bright sunny day. It happens. Right?
Then Etcetera called him daddy. He thinks she may have needed help with homework Jennyanydots gave, but he is not sure. He acted in the inly way he could compute at the moment, which sadly was screaming D-DO I LOOK LIKE??? and scampering away.
It went on like this a few more times, but I need not embarrass him more.
“Hey Munkustrap?” one evening Tugger decided to consult his brother, “how did you become one of the kittens’ dads?”
“They called me dad,” Munkustrap shrugged, “there really isn’t much to it.”
“So if a kitten called me dad I’m a dad now?”
“Yes Tugger.”
Tugger groaned and buried his head in his paws. He wasn’t ready fir parenthood, but apparently parenthood was ready for him.